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 Ecuador embroiled in diplomatic backlash after police break into Mexican embassy Xinhua) 08:53, April 08, 2024 Ecuadorian police patrol in Quito, Ecuador, Jan. 9, 2024. (Photo by Mateo Armas/Xinhua) The UN chief urged both Ecuador and Mexico to show "moderation" and "solve their differences through peaceful means," the spokesman said in a statement. QUITO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador drew widespread criticism from the United Nations and several Latin American nations on Saturday after its police broke into the Mexican embassy in Quito and arrested former Vice President Jorge Glas, who has been taking refuge in the embassy since last December. DIPLOMATIC BACKLASH UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "alarmed" by the raid carried out by Ecuadoran security forces at Mexico's embassy in Quito to arrest graft-accused Glas, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, on Saturday. The UN chief urged both Ecuador and Mexico to show "moderation" and "solve their differences through peaceful means," the spokesman said in a statement. The incident prompted Mexico to swiftly sever diplomatic ties with Ecuador. "This is a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Other Latin American countries, including Cuba and Bolivia, were united in support of Mexico following the raid. "All our solidarity with Mexico, in the face of the unacceptable violation of its Embassy in Quito. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which is an essential component of international law, must be respected by all," said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on X. Ecuador's move "must be subject to strong repudiation, whatever the justification for its implementation," said Brazil's foreign ministry in a statement. On Saturday, Nicaragua also severed "all diplomatic relations" with Ecuador. In a statement, the Nicaraguan government expressed its "absolute rejection" and condemnation of Ecuador's action. WHO IS JORGE GLAS? Glas served as vice president under Rafael Correa's government from 2013 to 2017. In 2017, he was initially sentenced to six years after a court found him guilty of taking bribes from a Brazilian construction company. He was convicted again in 2020 of using funds from contractors to finance campaigns for Correa's political movement, resulting in an eight-year sentence. He was last released in November 2022, but Ecuadorian authorities have recently accused Glas of embezzling government funds meant for reconstruction following a devastating 2016 earthquake. Ecuador, which sought Mexico's permission to enter the embassy in March to detain Glas, argues that the asylum offer was illegal and has demanded his extradition. According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a treaty regulating international relations, a country is prohibited from encroaching on an embassy located within its territory. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Russia is seeking to import gasoline from Kazakhstan in case shortages occur on the Russian market because of the diminished refining capacity due to maintenance and damages from Ukrainian drone attacks, Reuters reported on Monday, citing industry sources. Russia has asked Kazakhstan to prepare to potentially deliver 100,000 tons of gasoline, the sources told Reuters. Russia is also ready to import gasoline from Belarus if the current domestic supply is insufficient to meet demand. Russia is estimated to have slashed in half its gasoline exports via railway after imposing a six-month ban on exports from March 1 to ensure sufficient domestic supply in peak demand season, while several refineries are undergoing regular maintenance and urgent repairs after Ukrainian drone strikes. Russia suspended gasoline exports from March 1 until August 31, 2024, to ensure supply for the domestic market in peak demand season, in a second such export ban in just a few months. In the autumn of 2023, Russia banned exports of diesel and gasoline in an effort to stabilize domestic fuel prices in the face of soaring prices and shortages as crude oil rallied and the Russian ruble weakened. Russia has seen its refining capacity diminished in recent weeks, due to seasonal maintenance, but most of all due to drone attacks from Ukraine, which have damaged several refineries that have shut down for repairs. According to Reuters estimates, the amount of Russian oil refining capacity that has been taken offline due to Ukrainian drone strikes is 14% of Russias total refining capacity. Calculations show that 900,000 barrels per day of refining capacity have been taken offline by drone strikes, Reuters reported last month. Most recently, strong spring floods have shut down one refinery in Russia as they compromised a dam in the area forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Aramco has served notices of temporary suspension to two oilfield service contractors, Zawya has reported, citing the companies. According to one of them, Borr Drilling Limited, the suspension will begin this month and last for a year, the report said. Borr Drilling operates the Arabia I rig in Saudi Arabia and said it would look to move the rig elsewhere for the duration of the suspension. The other company, Valaris, has also received a suspension for one rig, out of a fleet of 19 that its Saudi subsidiary operates in the kingdom. The contract for the rig was ending at the end of this year, the report noted. Aramco earlier this year said it had scrapped plans to expand production capacity to 13 million barrels daily. The company said in January that the state had ordered it to stop work on the capacity expansion and keep the maximum sustainable capacity at 12 million bpd. The expansion plan was announced back in 2021 and it was supposed to be completed by 2027. Since then, however, price movements have not always been in a favorable direction for Aramco and its owners. In reaction to the price slump from 2023, the Saudis and their partners in OPEC+ affected additional production restrictions, which are already bearing fruit, especially in combination with Middle Eastern tensions that traditionally have a bullish effect on prices. A month later, Italys Saipem said that it expected the decision to result in 20% lower orders from the Saudi giant. Meanwhile, Aramco officials have on numerous occasions warned that the worlds oil production capacity is insufficient in light of expected demand trends, and more investment was needed to ensure a balance between demand and supply. In February, Aramcos chief financial officer said that Due to the natural decline in operating fields, as many as 6 million barrels per day of global oil production is being lost every year and needs to be replacedwhich was not happening. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Strong spring floods have shut down one refinery in Russia as they compromised a dam in the area forcing the evacuation of thousands, the BBC has reported, citing Russian government officials. Russian media report that the dam breach had sunk the old part of the city of Orsk and the level of water in the Ural River is gradually rising, threatening Orenburg, the administrative headquarters of the Orenburg region in southwestern Russia, near the border with Kazakhstan. Authorities have reported floods all along the length of the Ural, which flows across southwestern Russia and Kazakhstan and drains into the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan has also suffered massive floods, requiring the evacuation of thousands of people. Russian authorities are warning that some parts of Western Siberia are also in danger of floods as the melting of snow gathers pace. One of these is Tyumena major oil-producing region. These events will likely contribute to a perception of supply tightening on oil markets after Ukrainian drone attacks took about 14% of Russian refining capacity offline in the past few weeks. Different estimates put the total at between 600,000 bpd and 900,000 bpd in processing capacity. Russias Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said last week that all refineries that were damaged by drone attacks in the country would be restarted by the beginning of June. Repairs are underway at the refineries. We plan to re-launch a number of refineries after repairs in April-May, possibly before the beginning of June, Russian news agency Interfax quoted Shulginov as saying. The United States has repeatedly urged Ukraine to halt its drone attacks on Russian oil refineries due to Washingtons assessment that the strikes could lead to Russian retaliation and push up global oil prices. Prices are a sensitive topic for U.S. politicians running for office. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Abandoning petrol-burning vehicles and adopting low-carbon technologies to power tomorrow's economy are trends accelerating across the nation. To do this, access to rare earth metals, key ingredients in many of these 'green' technologies, must be sourced domestically - not from China, an emerging national security threat to the US. As the world fractures into a multipolar state, there is a big push domestically to revive America's metals and mining industry and reduce reliance on Asia. Morgan Stanley analyst Carlos De Alba recently conveyed his optimistic outlook for the US metals and mining sector to clients. He highlighted that investment levels in the industry have reached their lowest level in decades. He believes the sector is poised for massive investments and outlines the companies that will benefit. "US reliance on import critical minerals has reached a 30-year high, and investment in the industry is near its lowest point in decades," the analyst said, pointing out America's heavy reliance on imported minerals from China: "The US government has identified 50 minerals it deems critical to the US economy and to national security; for 43 of those critical minerals, more than 50% of domestic consumption depends on imports. Since 1990, the US has seen a significant increase in both the variety of imported minerals and the level of dependence on these imports. In 1990, the US was fully reliant on imports for the supply of 9 minerals, and imports exceeded 50% of consumption for 27 minerals (including all minerals, not only critical ones). These figures have risen to 15 and 51, respectively, as of 2022. China currently dominates the global mineral processing/refining industry, and the US is heavily reliant on China (>50% of net import reliance) for imports of 26 minerals." China's global dominance in rare earth metals is a national security threat. Were Western leaders asleep at the wheel over the last three-plus decades to allow this to happen? The analyst detailed how China dominates the global supply of rare earth minerals and cautioned against rising vulnerabilities in US mineral supply chains, especially given the ongoing tensions in Sino-US relations: "China is in a powerful position to influence the global mineral markets and has already started to flex its strength through mineral export restrictions. For US policymakers, the US's mineral dependence on imports highlights the growing vulnerability of the US mineral supply chain and the urgent need to strengthen domestic supply chains. In addition, the US faces a multi-decade decline in investment in the domestic mining and exploration industry, which has fallen from ~2.0% of GDP in 1960 (and a peak of ~3.1% in 1981) to just ~0.5% today." After being asleep at the wheel for decades, the bloated US government, thank former President Trump - has awakened from its slumber and realized that it must play a serious "catch-up" game with policy reform and incentives for private industry to rebuild America's domestic mining and separation sector. "US permitting reform and other government incentives will likely act as a tailwind for the domestic mining industry through encouraging the development and helping mitigate the associated risks of building new mine supply," the analyst said. He said the big winner of "permitting reform" that is "geared toward promoting the development of mining projects" will be the "Junior Mining and Exploration industry." One company that stands to benefit is MP Materials, the largest US-based miner of rare earths. The analyst said this company is a "play on accelerating adoption of electric vehicles and electrification trends in wind turbines." He continued: "The company's mission is to restore the full US rare earth supply chain. MP has executed on its plan of restarting the Mountain Pass mine in California and it is currently ramping a refining facility to produce rare earth oxides. The company will get into the production of NdFeB alloy flake and permanent mag-nets (critical components for electric vehicles and wind turbines) with a plant that is under construction in Texas." Shares of MP Materials have roundtripped Covid lows. He said Cleveland-Cliffs Inc and United States Steel Corporation are "key beneficiaries to building ex-China supply chains given CLF is currently the only producer of electrical steel in the US and X is ramping up a greenfield electrical steel facility this year." He added: "All steel names under our coverage (NUE, STLD, CLF and X) will broadly benefit from re-shoring trends given manufacturing facilities, and the equipment to outfit them is often steel intensive." And the analyst listed a few junior miners with assets in the US that should interest investors: American Rare Earths Ltd (ARR.AX | Market Cap ~A$138 million) : ARR is a rare earth exploration & development company. Their 100% owned flagship project, Halleck Creek deposit, is located in Wyoming and has extensive rare earth mineralization. According to the company, the project has the potential to be amongst the largest rare earth deposits in the US USA Rare Earth (Private): According to USA Rare Earth, the company owns the only scalable, sintered neo-magnet manufacturing system in the Western Hemisphere (located in Oklahoma). The company is targeting magnet production in 2024 and is aiming to supply the plant with rare earth feed stock mined from the Round Top property in Texas in late 2025 or early 2026. USA Rare Earth owns an 80% stake in the Round Top property, Texas Mineral Resources (OTCBQ: TMRC) owns the remaining 20% stake. Perpetua Resources (PPTA.TO | Market Cap ~C$360 million): Perpetua's flagship development project is the Stibnite Gold Project located in Idaho, which according to the company has one of the largest economic reserves of antimony and could supply ~35% of US demand in the first six years of production. Antimony is considered a critical mineral and is used in batteries, munitions and semiconductors. The company was recently awarded up to $15.5 million in funding for the Department of Defense to help demonstrate a fully domestic antimony trisulfide supply chain. IperionX Ltd. (IPX.AX, IPX.O | Market Cap ~A$525 million): IperionX goal is to re-shore a fully integrated titanium metal supply chain to the US. The company plans on extracting titanium minerals from its Titan Project in Tennessee, in addition to producing rare earths and zirconium as co-products. The company plans on producing high-performance titanium alloys, from titanium minerals or scrap titanium In addition to profiting from what could soon be an explosion of investment in the mining sector, we outlined to readers days ago another big trade theme in a note titled "The Next AI Trade." By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: COUNCIL BLUFFS For many years now, the Kanesville Riders Honor Guard has offered full military honors to veterans who have passed on. It has now reached a milestone: As of this Friday, we will have served 1,000 funerals, said its treasurer, Cindy Ruby. Her husband, Al Ruby, who is the groups president, added: No veteran should be buried without full military honors. Sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Defense to perform this service, the riders have traveled many miles to offer their final respects. We went to Kansas City, Kansas, to do a funeral, Ruby said. If a veteran passes away, we will provide full military honors. In fact, weve done three to four funerals in a day. We never turn down a funeral. Kanesville Riders Honor Guard performs this tribute at no charge. It offers other services, too, including helping veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, which can bring on flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and other symptoms. Approximately 23% of veterans behind bars suffer from PTSD and do not know how to deal with it, Ruby said. Veterans dealing with PTSD can set up an appointment with a trained counselor at the guards headquarters at 3000 Avenue B in Council Bluffs. Here, veterans can come and be in a safe place, said Keith Confer, vice president. And its off the record. You have to learn to manage it. You have to have that push, member Ed Kerns said. This service is even available for Council Bluffs first responders, whether they are veterans or not, and city employees who are veterans, he said. Officials in the police and fire departments, as well as Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh, have offered support for such services. Mayor Walsh has been a godsend to this group, Kerns said. He understands what this group does. The counselor, Lyle Burkle, has been employed in the mental health field for more than 40 years, including working at the Omaha VA hospital. Another service, which has become an annual event, is accompanying veterans on a three-day honor flight to view veterans memorials in Washington, D.C. This years honor flight, the groups fourth, is scheduled to begin Oct. 1. Currently, more than 60 veterans have signed up for this trip, Cindy Ruby said. This three-day tour allows the veterans to view the sites in a relaxing, unrushed manner, she said. Its also totally free of charge for the veterans. Its a great experience, Cindy Ruby said. The group sponsors a gun show as a fundraiser and always welcomes donations to help support its mission. You dont have to pay to be a member and you dont have to be a veteran to join, Cindy Ruby said. We need more support, Al Ruby added. Find more information on the groups website at kanesvillehonorguard.org or through its Facebook page at facebook.com/kanesvilleriders.honorguard. Its not about us, Al Ruby said. Its about what we do for other veterans. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of March 2024 An Arizona man arrested in connection with the death of a Gretna teen last summer will stand trial. The Maricopa County Attorneys Office announced Friday that Anthonie Ruinard Jr., 38, has been charged with second-degree murder and abandonment of a dead body in connection with the death of Parker League, 18, in June 2023. League had graduated from Gretna High School in May. His body was found June 12 in the rubble of a bonfire pit at Bulldog Canyon in the Tonto National Forest, a remote area about 40 miles northeast of Phoenix. Experienced homicide prosecutors in my office combed through nearly 4,000 pages of material submitted in this homicide case. After five months of careful review, we were able to secure this indictment, said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement on her offices website. This is the next step in bringing justice to Parker League and his family. Mitchell said the victim had been dismembered, stabbed and burned beyond recognition. The Office of the Medical Examiner used dental records to identify the victim. Investigators from the Maricopa Sheriffs Office realized that Leagues debit card was being used at multiple locations after his body had been found. Video footage from those locations allegedly showed Ruinard using the card, prosecutors said. Additional video footage from June 11 allegedly showed Ruinard and League together at an Arco gas station in Chandler, Arizona. The two left the store together in a black Dodge Challenger. Leagues body was found the next day. His family filed a missing persons report June 15 when he failed to return home as planned. A search warrant was served on Ruinards home. According to the Sheriffs Office, detectives located forensic evidence in the trunk of the Dodge Challenger, and a rapid DNA test confirmed that the evidence was a match to League. Ruinard is being held at the Maricopa County Jail, and his bail was set at $2 million. A trial date is set for July 2024. Activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), for the second consecutive day, maintained bearish trend, dropping further by 1.02 per cent due largely to mixed 2018 earnings reports. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the market capitalisation on Tuesday, nosedive by N120 billion or 1.02 per cent to close at N11.677 trillion against N11.797 trillion on Monday. The All-Share Index maintained the same direction, dropping by 323.30 points or 1.02 per cent to close at 31,313.36 compared with 31,636.66 posted on Monday. The drop in market indices was contrary to expectations of some market analysts who were of the opinions that the market would rebound following relatively peaceful conduct of the general elections. Commenting, Mr Ambrose Omordion, the Chief Operating Officer, InvestData Ltd., told NAN that the lull was due to low liquidity in the system. Omordion said that the low liquidity was as a result of early exit of smart money in the market. He said that some smart investors whose expectations were dashed exited the market shortly after the presidential election. Omordion said that mixed numbers emanating from quoted companies for 2018 financial year contributed to the development. Meanwhile, Mobil recorded the highest loss during the day, declining by N5.10 to close at N165 per share. International Breweries trailed with a loss of N2.65 to close at N24.05, while Guaranty Trust Bank dropped by N1.80 to N35.50 per share. NASCON dipped N1 to close at N20.70, while Dangote Cement also depreciated by N1 to close at N194 per share. Lafarge Africa dominated the gainers table, gaining 50k to close at N13 per share. United Capital followed with a gain of 13k to close at N3.28, while UAC Property added 13k to close at N1.95 per share. Africa Prudential increased by 12k to close at N4.92, while Union Bank of Nigeria gained 10k to close at N7 per share. FBN Holdings was the most active in volume terms, exchanging 60.14 million shares worth N493.12 million. Zenith Bank followed with an account of 46.46 million shares valued at N1.05 billion, while Diamond Bank exchanged 14.47 million shares worth N35.32 million. Access Bank traded 11.45 million shares valued at N68.46 million, while United Bank for Africa sold 8.53 million shares worth N64.66 million. In all, a total of 219.37 million shares valued at N2.93 billion was traded by investors in 3,345 deals, representing an increase of 70.89 per cent. This was against 128.37 million shares worth N2.39 billion exchanged in 2,752 deals on Monday. (NAN) A Chinese restaurant which does not serve or even admit Nigerians into its premises, has been exposed in the city of Lagos . A new investigation by The Punch revealed that Nigerians are not allowed to enter and order food at a racist Chinese restaurant called Shi Shi in Lagos. Following claims made by some Nigerians on social media, the findings are riveting The restaurant is located on 21, Emina Crescent, Off Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos. According to The Punch, it was learnt that only Chinese are allowed entry into the upscale restaurant, though findings showed that Nigerians and other Blacks are allowed to enter only if they are accompanied by a Chinese. When the correspondent visited the restaurant on Tuesday, he was stopped by a guard in army camouflage from entering the restaurant. Who are you looking for? the guard asked. When the correspondent responded that he wanted to order a Chinese cuisine, the guard said he was not permitted to enter inside. The guard also quickly escorted the correspondent from the premises, saying he was only following instructions. It was gathered that the restaurant operates from 11am to 4pm daily. When The Punch sought to speak with the manager of the restaurant, he was told he was not around. An official, who declined to give his name, said, The manager is not around. Since youve dropped your card, I can assure that he will call you to respond to your questions, he said. Invest & Get 20% In Just 90 Days Click HERE >> Delicious Noodles Pizza In Lagos Click HERE >> To Buy Cheap MTN & GLO Data Click HERE >> President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, accepted the resignation of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, from the service of the Nigerias judiciary. President Buhari also wrote the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, directing him to appoint five new Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, had declared in a statement on Sunday. The statement read in part: The President wrote: Pursuant to the provisions of Section 230(2) A&B of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), I am pleased to request that you initiate in earnest the process of appointing additional five Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to make the full complement of 21 Justices as provided by the aforementioned provisions of the Constitution. ALSO READ: Reps-elect dismiss CUPP, stay behind Gbajabiamila This is in line with the Governments Agenda of repositioning the Judiciary in general and Supreme Court in particular for greater efficiency, with a view to reducing the backlogs of appeals pending at the Supreme Court. Please accept, your Lordship, the assurances of my highest regards. The statement further read: Meanwhile, President Buhari has accepted the voluntary retirement from service of Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria, effective from May 28, 2019. The President thanked Justice Onnoghen for his service to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and wished him the best of retirement life. Apparently, the acceptance of Onnoghens resignation nullifies the judgment of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, who sought to deny Onnoghen of his retirement entitlements. Umar would have been involved in futile political war to destroy Onnoghen. Kano state governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf has urged all members of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to rededicate themselves to advancing the partys principles and foundational values. This call was made during a goodwill address delivered by the governor at the NNPPs Convention held in Abuja on Saturday. In a statement issued by the governors spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf encouraged party members to persevere in reaching out and mobilizing additional individuals to join their ranks. He emphasized that the effort to expand membership must be heightened. Governor Yusuf also delineated some of his achievements during the eight months following his assumption of the office of Kano State governor under the NNPP banner. The governor mentioned that despite enduring over eight months of legal battles aimed at disrupting the governance of Kano State, he was able to achieve significant milestones. Mr. Yusuf highlighted fulfilling his campaign promises and promoting the partys manifesto by initiating the recovery, reconstruction, and establishment of free Pediatric Care services at Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital in Kano. Additionally, he mentioned fulfilling the commitment to organizing mass weddings for widows and divorcees, sponsoring 1,800 couples to marry under government auspices. Furthermore, his administration reinstated first-class foreign scholarships, supporting 1,001 first-class graduates to pursue advanced degrees at various universities worldwide. Assistance was also provided to Kano State students enrolled in tertiary education institutions within Nigeria to settle their registration fees. The government made substantial progress in renovating and upgrading numerous elementary and post-elementary schools across the State, as well as reopening 21 out of the 26 skill acquisition institutes that had been closed by the previous administration. Construction of approximately 100 new girls secondary schools has commenced. To recover misappropriated state assets and properties, Governor Yusufs administration established a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to thoroughly investigate these matters and ensure justice for the State and its residents. Additionally, another Judicial Commission of Inquiry was inaugurated to investigate instances of political violence, murder, disappearances, and other related cases from 2015 to 2023. Related On Saturday, a Virgin Atlantic aircraft collided with a British Airways jet at Heathrow Airport in London, prompting a significant emergency service reaction. The empty Virgin 787 plane was being towed at Terminal 3 when it clipped the wing of the BA Airbus A350 passenger plane, witnesses have said. It has been reported that the plane was full of passengers and was bound for Accra but British Airways is yet to confirm. The Ghana-bound BA flight was delayed for several hours after the collision on the runway. At least five fire engines rushed to the scene while the Air Accident Investigation Branch has taken note. Both planes were going at a low speed and there were no reports of injuries. A Virgin spokesman said: We are aware that the wingtip of one of our empty aircraft came into contact with another aircraft whilst being towed from the stand at London Heathrow Terminal 3. The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority. We can confirm no customers were on board the Virgin Atlantic aircraft during this time. Weve commenced a full and thorough investigation and our engineering teams are performing maintenance checks on the aircraft, which for now has been taken out of service. It is understood Virgin Atlantics flying programme has not been disrupted by the incident. The tow movement was provided by a ground handling company under contract by Virgin Atlantic. Alex Whittles, the passenger of another plane, witnessed the incident. He tweeted: Just witnessed a plane crash at Heathrow! A tug pushing back a Virgin 787, crashed the wing into a BA A350. He drove the plane right over the hash markings on the ground, he added. By Izunna Okafor, Awka A 46-year-old woman identified as Melissa Sloan has been barred from attending church service because of the tattoos on her body. The incident happened at the Powys, Wales, United Kingdom, where the mother of seven was also said to have been kicked out of church service by a priest, because of her 800 inkings. Reports have it that this is not the first time the Britains most-tattooed mum has complained of being excluded from public gatherings. She was also said to have, last year, admitted that she was never invited to any Halloween parties, as she would ironically scare the guests off. These notwithstanding, the last straw for the Welsh native was her being shut out from the church was, as, according to her, the priest told her: Youve got to leave after she was singing too loud. She claimed she got kicked out of the church for her extreme affinity for tattoos Reports also have it that Mrs. Sloan, who has a crucifix emblazoned on her nose, embraced God when her partner, Luke, fell ill, which made her resort to praying to God for his health. She also actively engaged with church singing and prayers but claims she was chucked out of the congregation mid-verse. Everyone turned their back laughing at me. The priest said youve got to leave, but most of them were laughing at me, nothing new. The priest must be evil to do that. I was singing too loud and they told me I had to leave, I felt like the odd one out. The church is supposed to open its doors to everyone, but I got kicked out of there, she recounted. Sloan described it as a surreal moment, attributing it to her loud voice and perceived craziness. Part of Melissas fondness for Christianity is its open-minded, welcoming nature, but she is in shock and feels let down by the alleged incident. Helpless, Sloan feels that part of the churchs remit is helping people, and she places a lot of significance upon the love thy neighbour principle. The mum has gone as far as saying she has no faith in the institution anymore after they judged her for her penchant for getting inked. She even suspects that there must be evil churchgoers out there, for them to throw her under the bus like that, allegedly. This notwithstanding, she said she still wants to maintain good faith and her love for Jesus, claiming that God wouldnt judge her like regular humans do. This church encounter is coming shortly after she also recounted how she struggled to a driving instructor to give her lessons. According to her, one man almost gave her a chance but she scared him off after their first lesson. The tattooed mother admitted that her looks were capable of startling strangers at first glance. Melissas extreme tattoo was also said to have made her remain unemployed for the past 20 years. Related By Izunna Okafor, Awka Residents of Amajaana village in Nando, Anambra East Local Government have declared their total support for Governor Chukwuma Soludo, both to ensure that his administration succeeds and for his re-election into office for for second term in 2025. The residents made the declaration over the weekend while receiving the newly-completed Amajaana Water Project, which was rehabilitated and handed over to them by the Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Power and Water Resources. The water project, which was previously non-functional, was rehabilitated, converted to solar-powered borehole, re-equiped with 3000-gallon tanks, and got technically handed over to the community for the service of their water need. Speaking at the event, the President-General of Nando Development Union (NDU), Chief Christopher Nkechikwulu Nwakor, and the Chairman of the Amajaana Village, Dr. Graham Chukwunonso Amobi, extolled Governor Soludo for the various infrastructural projects he has so far undertaken in different parts of the State, and which Nando community has benefited from. According to them, the water project, which is one of the projects the Governor has so far executed in the community, will help in significant ways in solving the water needs of the people. While assuring that they will massively reciprocate the Governors love in the next governorship election in the State; the duo also stressed that the various projects and achievements of the present administration have already made Soludos journey to second term a very easier one than that of his first term. Chief Nwakor, however, appealed for expedited action on the rehabilitation of the Igboezulu Aguleri Ubaranaisioyo Junction Road, and the Enuiyi Road Achalla Farm, which, he said have not been tarred after the construction of the drainage channels. Earlier speaking while performing the technical hand over of the facility to the community, the State Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Engr. Julius Chukwuemeka, said the project was part of the steps towards actualizing the vision of the Soludo-led government to make Anambra a livable and prosperous homeland, adding that the project is durable and eco-friendly due to its use of solar as power source. The Commissioner, represented by Mr. Okechukwu Onyedibe of the same Ministry, recalled that Governor Soludo gave a marching order for the resuscitation of the various water schemes and facilities across the state to ensure uninterrupted clean and portable water supply to the people of the state. He further added that the Governor approved the rehabilitation and conversion of over 64 water facilities to solar across the state in the first phase of the project, and which Nando community benefited from. While commending the community members for their cooperation with the contractor throughout the period of the project execution, he also stressed on the need for the community take full and adequate ownership of the facility, to ensure its security, functionality, and sustainability; even as he also mandated the community leadership to appoint few persons to be trained on handling and taking care of the facility in their community. On his own part while giving an overview of the water facility, the Project Contractor and Chief Executive Officer of the JCE Can Construction Ltd., Hon. Emeka Ekwealor, explained that the project has three fetching points located at different parts of the village and serves water to the people at every hour of the days. Hon. Ekwealor, who is also an indigene of the community and Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra East L.G.A., appreciated the State Government for rehabilitating the hitherto moribund water facilities, as well as for the opportunity given to his firm to carry out the crucial project. In their separate remarks, the supervisors of the project, Mr. Abuchi Nwalieji and Mrs. Obianuju Adindu, both of the State Ministry of Power and Water Resources, commended the quality of the work done by the contractor. They also described the project as another practical manifestation of Governor Soludos unwavering commitment to addressing critical infrastructure challenges and improving the quality of life for Ndi Anambra, describing his government as an evidence-based government. Also present at the event were the Councilor of Nando Ward 3, Hon. Onyeka Ofuelo; the Chairman of Ojiani Amajaana and Chairman of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committee (WASHCOM), Chief Ignatius Orekie; the Local Government APGA Woman Leader in Anambra East, Mrs. Maureen Ngozi Onwuesi; the Nando Ward 3 APGA Woman Leader, Christiana Ajamma; among others, who all also commended the Governor, assured him of adequate monitoring and maintenance of the facility, while also assuring him of maximum support and prayers to help his administration succeed far beyond expectation. Related Nigerian comedian Ayo Makun, simply known as AY, has addressed the struggles encountered in his marriage with his wife, Mabel Makun. Their enduring relationship of over 20 years has weathered its fair share of challenges, occasionally surfacing in the public eye. AY Makun confirmed the strains in their marriage in a post shared on his Instagram page where he admitted that he has found himself doing some things that he isnt proud of today. In his statement, Ayo Makun stated how he wishes to address the family matter with a mature approach, especially considering the impact it could have on his daughters mental health. AY made it known that both he and his wife arent completely innocent as he revealed that he is enjoying the way lies about him traveling so fast on blogs. He wrote, Many people believe that staying silent simply means that one is incapable of dealing with issues.Projecting a negative narrative against someone who is not struggling to defend himself doesnt mean he is weak. Some of us are just logical enough to understand the difference between opinions, values, beliefs, and facts. The personality and ability that I possess simply confirm that I have reached that stage in my life where I can not be entertaining the public with deep personal family issues. They just might be too much to handle concerning the individuals involved. Not even when I have a grown-up daughter who has access to social media. Her mental health needs to be protected from seeing things she can not be proud of online. Yes! Without compromising my family, I have found myself doing some things that I am not proud of today. It is one thing to watch my friendship/marriage of 20 years slip off my hands. But its another thing for the parties involved to understand how to appropriate the blame in a space that is designed for most women to always play the victims and win. I can tell you for free that no one is completely innocent enough to cast stones. Presently, I am loving the way that lies about me in all these blogs are travelling faster than the truth. But my painful truth will eventually beat away all the lies. AY Makun tied the knot with Mabel in November 2008, and their marriage has been blessed with two children, Michelle and Ayomide, born in January 2022 after thirteen years of marriage. KanyiDaily recalls that AYs wife, Mabel Makun had shared cryptic social media posts about her life allegedly being under threat which signaled issues in their marriage. The Federal Government has declared Tuesday and Wednesday, April 9th and 10th, as public holidays for this years Eid-el-Fitr celebration. This announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, through a statement released on Sunday by the ministrys permanent secretary, Aishetu Ndayako. In his statement, Tunji-Ojo extended his congratulations to all Muslims on the successful completion of the fasting period during the holy month of Ramadan. He urged them to embrace and embody the virtues of kindness, love, tolerance, peace, good neighborliness, and compassion, all of which were exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him). Tunji-Ojo emphasized the importance of unity among Nigerians, urging everyone to work together towards achieving peace and harmony in the nation. He further wished the Muslim community a joyous Eid-el-Fitr celebration and offering prayers for the peace, blessings, and prosperity of both individuals and the country as a whole. The statement read, The Federal Government of Nigeria has declared Tuesday, 9th and Wednesday, 10th April, 2024 as public holidays to mark Eid-el-Fitr celebration. The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, congratulates all Muslim Ummah for the successful completion of the fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. Tunji-Ojo calls on Muslim Ummmah to imbibe and practise the virtues that entails kindness, love, tolerance, peace, good neighbourliness, compassion as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him). He urged Nigerians to continue in the spirit of unity in order to improve and achieve peace and oneness in the country. The minister wishes all Muslim Ummah a happy Eid-el-Fitr celebration and prays that the peace, blessings, and favour of Allah be with everyone and our great nation. (Hamisu Bala), better known as Wadume, sparked controversy this weekend after walking out to a heros welcome in his hometown of Ibbi, Taraba State, following his release from Kuje Prison in Abuja. Wadume had served a seven-year sentence for kidnapping and related charges. Wadumes case gained national infamy in 2019 when his arrest by an elite police unit resulted in a deadly shootout with a rival team. The incident raised serious questions after allegations surfaced that some police officers may have been collaborating with Wadume. Despite his conviction, Wadume was reportedly greeted by a large crowd upon his return to Ibbi. ALSO READ : Emefiele arrives court for fresh arraignment Local sources described him as a former philanthropist and local politician before his arrest. He even paid a courtesy visit to the towns chiefdom upon arrival. This celebratory reception has drawn criticism. Some residents reportedly view Wadume as a victim of a larger police conspiracy, while others may simply be happy about his return. However, Wadumes release and reception reignite concerns about hero worship and the perception of justice in Nigeria. Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio over the failure to refer the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution, and to recall Senator Abdul Ningi who blew the whistle on the allegations. It would be recalled that whistleblower Ningi last month was suspended for three months over his allegations that the 2024 budget was padded by over N3 trillion and that the country is operating two budgets. In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/452/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is seeking: an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to refer the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution of suspected perpetrators. SERAP is also seeking: an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to immediately take steps to ensure the reinstatement of whistleblower Abdul Ningi who was suspended from the Senate over his allegations that the lawmakers padded the 2024 budget by irregularly inserting projects worth N3.7 trillion. READ ALSO: SERAP protests FG must drop cybercrimes charges against Chioma Okoli SERAP is also seeking: an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to put in place transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the trillions of Naira budgeted for constituency projects are not embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets. In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: Granting this application would serve the public interest, encourage whistleblowers to speak up, improve public services, and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public resources. SERAP is arguing that, Directing Mr Akpabio to refer these allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies and to reinstate whistleblower Abdul Ningi would be entirely consistent and compatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the countrys international obligations. SERAP is also arguing that, The allegations by Senator Ningi amount to public interest disclosures and can contribute to strengthening transparency and democratic accountability in the Senate in particular and the country as a whole. According to SERAP, Suspension of Senator Ningi by the Senate followed a seriously flawed process and it amounts to retaliation. SERAP is also arguing that, Senator Ningis status as a whistleblower is not diminished even if the perceived threat to the public interest has not materialised, since he would seem to have reasonable grounds to believe in the accuracy of the allegations of budget padding and corruption in the Senate. The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Mrs Adelanke Aremo, read in part: It is in the public interest and the interest of justice to grant this application. No whistleblower should ever be penalised simply for making a public interest disclosure. Directing Mr Akpabio to refer the allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies would help to address the lingering problem of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects. Directing Mr Akpabio to refer the allegations to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would also ensure probity and accountability in the budget process. READ ALSO: SERAP joins struggle to free Chioma Egodi Investigating and prosecuting the allegations of budget padding and corruption would end the impunity of perpetrators. It would build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law. Years of allegations of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects have contributed to widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services. Senator Ningi is a whistleblower, who is protected under article 33 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party. Senator Ningi is a whistleblower because of his public interest disclosures on alleged budget padding and corruption in the Senate in the context of carrying out his work as Senator. No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit. The embattled Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu has vowed to fight his impeachment by the state House of Assembly. According to him, the action by the assembly is illegal. Recall that the assembly impeached Shaibu on Monday following reports by Justice S.A.Omonua,- led seven-man panel investigating the impeachment petition against the deputy governor. The panel in its reports said the allegation of perjury was not proven beyond reasonable doubt by the complainant against the Deputy governor while that of disclosure of government official documents was proven beyond reasonable doubt against the Deputy Governor. Reacting to his impeachment, Shaibu in a broadcast shared on his official X handle, vowed to seek redress, saying We will fight this injustice with every strength in us for the sake of Edo State and the future of Democracy. He said, I denounce in the strongest terms the illegal impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly. This is not just an attack on me as an individual but on our very democratic principles. It is a threat to the foundation of our democracy. Let it be clear that this impeachment came because of my ambition to contest the 2023 Edo State Governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. An ambition that is a legal right to all citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is a sad reality that those in power seem to silence opposition through illegitimate means. I have dedicated my love to serving the good people of Edo State with integrity and honesty. The former Deputy Governor alleged that the members of the State Assembly had chosen to forsake their oath of office and participated in his impeachment. He said history will judge you harshly for your betrayal of people who elected you to represent them. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has met with the Nigerian lady who drove from London to Lagos. The lady identified as Pelumi Nubi is a travel content creator. She drove solo from London to Lagos in a Peugeot 107. Speaking yesterday, she said she embarked on the journey to open up West Africa to the world. Nubi, 28, said she hoped the trip inspired young women to undertake impossible challenges. Speaking on her arrival in Lagos, she hailed the fanfare that greeted her. Her words: I feel elated and amazing. I knew I would have a homecoming, but I didnt envision this size. The journey was up-and-down, but to see the warm welcome from so many has been incredible. I was trying to connect the two places I consider home. I was born in Lagos and I grew up in London, so I wanted to connect both. Usually, I would fly in, but most times, I wanted to see what West Africa is like and this was an opportunity. In terms of overland travel, there was not enough representation. There were not enough people that looked like me. This would inspire young women that they can do daring things, they can step out of their comfort zone and change the narrative of the African continent. This journey is opening up the world to other people to visit the continent. It was challenging. Having to do it was challenging. However, the cheering from my online family which grew from 10,000 to more than 200,000 motivated me. I am so grateful to everyone and I do not take it all for granted. Nubis father, Prof. Nubi Gbenga, expressed thanks and gratitude to the Almighty for her daughters safety. He said: Many times, we were scared. For me, I was scared every day, particularly when she was sleeping, because she was sleeping on the roadside in this tiny car (Peugeot 107). In the desert, she slept by the roadside, and woke up in the morning in a forest. When she moved to another town, we would start praying again. For us, its been two months of sleepless nights. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a directive prohibiting the use of foreign currency (FCY) as collateral for Naira loans. This was contained in a circular issued on Monday by Dr. Acting Director of the Banking Supervision Department, Adetona S. Adedeji. According to the directive, banks are no longer permitted to accept deposits denominated in foreign currencies such as USD, EUR, or GBP as security for Naira loans. This prohibition extends to most financial instruments based on foreign currency, with exceptions explicitly outlined by the CBN. Under the new regulation, Nigerian government-issued Eurobonds remain permissible as collateral for Naira loans, along with guarantees from reputable foreign banks, including Standby Letters of Credit. The directive also providespd a timeframe for banks to address existing loans secured by non-compliant collateral. The circular reads: The Central Bank of Nigeria has observed the prevailing situation where bank Customers use Foreign Currency (FCY) as collateral for Naira loans. Consequently, the current practice of using foreign currency-denominated collaterals for Naira loans is hereby prohibited, except, where the foreign currency collateral is: Eurobonds issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria; or Guarantees of foreign banks, including Standby Letters of Credit. In this regard, all loans currently secured with dollar-denominated collaterals other than as mentioned above should be wound down within 90 days. The CBN in the circular also warned of potential consequences for banks failing to comply with the directive. Failing which such exposures shall be risk-weighted 150 percent for Capital Adequacy Ratio computation, in addition to other regulatory sanctions, the apex bank warned. This adjustment effectively increases the capital reserves required by banks against these loans, impacting their profitability. While the CBN did not specify the exact nature of additional sanctions, potential penalties could include fines or other punitive measures. The Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has appointed 28-year-old travel content creator, Pelumi Nubi as the state tourism ambassador. This was made known by the governors Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Jubril Gawat, in a tweet via his profile on X on Monday, National Daily Newspaper gathered. He said, Welcome, Pelumi Nubi #peluminubi_, Our Brand New Lagos Ambassador, She gets a brand New car from Governor #jidesanwoolu, A new home in Lagos, a customized plate number and one more thing, she is donating her vehicle (the one she used for the trip) to our brand new J Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History as monumental gift to Lagos State. Welcome Pelumi Nubi @peluminubi_, Our Brand New Lagos Ambassador, She gets a brand New car from Governor @jidesanwoolu, A new home in Lagos, A customized plate number and one more thing, she is donating her vehicle (the one she used for the trip) to our Brand New J Randle Center pic.twitter.com/l18bcq5D14 Jubril A. Gawat (@Mr_JAGs) April 8, 2024 ALSO READ : Ogun multiple road crashes claim six lives Pelumi Nubi, who completed her solo road trip from London, United Kingdom, to Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday was received at the Nigeria-Benin Republic border on behalf of Lagos State Government by the state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, and the Special Adviser, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe. Pelumi Nubi embarked on her solo trip in a car on January 30, 2024, National Daily Newspaper gathered. By Okey Maduforo Awka Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Prof Charles Okechekwu Esimone has debunked the report that he is trying to impose his successor on the Institution at the expiration of his tenure of office. Esimone further described as untrue the allegations that the Institution is owning the Eastern Electricity Destruction Company EEDC the sum of N2 billion and that he has no property of his own such as students hostel as was alleged by his traducers. According to the Vice Chancellor who in a release signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Special Duties Dr Emma Ojukwu; My reaction on behalf of the Vice Chancellor is that the Vice Chancellor does not have the power to install an acting Vice Chancellor This is the duty of the Governing Council of the university. but in this case the Governing Council is yet to be reconstituted, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education will appoint an acting Vice Chancellor in accordance with the necessary university laws Ojukwu, described the claims as fabricated falsehood. The statement reads in part: The attention of Nnamdi Azikiwe University has been drawn to an obvious fabrication and falsehood being currently circulated by fifth columnists and opportunists about the race for the vice chancellorship of unizik. In this intentionally fabricated falsehood the fictitious writers concocted figments of their imagination as truth to deceive members of the public. The university would like to state as follows: The Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, is a Federal University, funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education. The procedure for who emerges as the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, is contained in a template clearly outlined and issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, he said. Related The Nigerian government may have finally obeyed the orders of a Kaduna High Court which had permitted the incarcerated Shiite leader, El-Zakzaky, medical leave abroad. Emerging reports say that the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim el-Zakzaky and his wife were on Monday sighted at the Abuja International Airport, preparatory for their trip to India to seek medical attention. FOLLOWING his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari when he named new heads of some federal government agencies, Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed, has resumed as the new Federal Commissioner at the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons. He is one of the new appointees replacing their predecessors, who were appointed as ministers by the President. Mohammed replaces Sadiya Umar Farouq, the current Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, reads partly, Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed has been appointed Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons. He replaces Sadiya Umar Farouk. Speaking to members of staff on his resumption, the new Federal Commissioner, who was a senator representing Kano central senatorial district in the National Assembly, noted that the job of the commission is of national importance and as such, those saddled with the assignments must live up to expectations at all times. While calling for a general staff meeting tomorrow, he urged the departmental heads to be prepared to furnish him with reports on the current situation of things in their various units, the challenges they face and their suggestions on how best to move the commission forward. File Photo The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, has condemned the decision of the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) to stop all forms of negotiation with the Federal Government on behalf of the Niger Delta region. RNDA described PANDEFs decision as nonsensical, meaningless and shameful. The militant group said PANDEF failed woefully to address the issues of underdevelopment affecting the long-neglected people of the region and therefore did not qualify to enter into any negotiation with the Federal Government on behalf of the people of the Niger Delta. RNDA, in coalition with nine other militant groups, stated this in a statement signed by its Leader, self-styled Major General Johnmark Ezon-Ebi AKA Obama in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State yesterday. The militant groups said: The statement credited to PANDEF that it will no longer enter into negotiation with the government on behalf of the Niger Delta as nonsensical, meaningless and shameful, maintaining that it should not be taken seriously by the Federal Government and the region. PANDEF is made up of people with anti-Niger Delta tendencies that have held the region to ransom against practical development. RNDA insisted that PANDEF has been disbanded in the region long before now and did not have the power or the authority to enter into any form of negotiation with the Federal Government anymore. It added that their major aim was to promote violence and crisis in the creek of the Niger Delta in other to enable them make money from the federal government in the name of negotiating with the government on behalf of the agitating militant groups. The state of Osun government is battling to stave off fake news and calm its citizens following reports that a confirmed cases stole out of the Ejigbo isolation centre, and blended into the population. A report said the escapees are more than one. But the government in a Saturday statement by the commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode, dismissed the report and said after headcount, only one person could not be accounted for. Our attention has been drawn to a story purporting that six persons were missing from our Isolation Centre in Ejigbo. One of the writers quoted a non-existent statement from the government to lend some measure of credibility to the story. Nothing can be further from the truth. As a government, we have not issued any statement to confirm or deny such a story. Besides, a quick check showed that the name and number of the first person on the list of the purported missing patients are indeed currently in our facility in Ejigbo. Recall that about a week ago, we received 127 returnees from Ivory Coast and we have kept them since then to avoid community transfer of the virus. This morning we embarked on a headcount and found out that only one person could not be accounted for by officials stationed at the Isolation Centre out of the 127 persons. The State Government is currently investigating the matter and will ensure that the missing person is brought back to the Isolation Centre and we will also ensure we trace all his contacts. We want to reiterate that any official(s) found culpable will also be dealt with accordingly. We implore members of the public to discountenance the alarm being raised. We will continue to do everything to protect the lives of our citizens in this fight against Coronavirus. PV: 0 The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has announced another 11 fresh cases of Coronavirus in Nigeria, with all cases detected in Lagos. This takes the national Coronavirus toll to 373, with Lagos having 214 cases. The Centre had earlier announced new 19 Coronavirus cases in Nigeria, with 14 in Lagos, but it went back to release another figure at 11.00pm. This means that Lagos has recorded 25 fresh Coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the highest figures to be recorded by the State in one day. Eleven new cases of #COVID19 have been reported in Lagos State. As at 11:00 pm 14th April there are 373 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. 99 have been discharged with 11 deaths, NCDC said. The Lagos state police command have arrested 22 year old Joseph Ogbu, for the gruesome murder of his employer, Oreoluewa John, 38, and her 89-year-old mother, Adejoke John, at their residence at Number 4 Ogunlana drive in Sururlere, Lagos state. A statement from the commands Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, says at about 3am today, the Surulere Police Station received a distress call from No 4 Ogulana drive in Surulere that Joseph who is from Oju Local Government Area, Benue State and who was employed as a domestic staff on 18th June, 2019, murdered his employer Oreoluwa and her 89 years old Mother at their home. The suspect confessed to the Crime. In his statement, he averred that, his employer asked him to clean the house at about 9pm of 19th June, 2019 but an argument ensued between them, which prompted him to stab her with a knife. Joseph said the shock caused the mother to slum and die. Considering the fact that they were both dead, he moved some valuable Properties such as electronics, handsets and household items into the employers Toyota Camry Salon Car and attempted to escape to where he cannot be found, before he was apprehended by Policemen on patrol at Ogunlana pindown point. The vehicle and items stolen were recovered. The Crime scene was sealed off and corpses of the two victims were taken to Mainland hospital Yaba for autopsy. The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu mni has ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba to take over the investigation and charge the suspect to Court. Share this: MATTOON The last-minute rush is on to get to Southern Illinois to witness a total solar eclipse and the Illinois State Police are urging caution. It is especially evident along Interstate 57. A quick glance around 9 a.m. from atop an Interstate 57 overpass north of Mattoon showed a disproportionate number of vehicles heading south, as compared to their northbound counterparts. Please be patient and courteous and scan ahead for any traffic slow downs or backups, State Police Troop 7 said in a news release. The State Police also is urging caution when the eclipse is taking place. Please remember the Interstate is not a safe place for slowing or stopping to view the solar eclipse. Parking along the Interstate is for emergencies only. Please make a plan to exit and find a safe place to stop for viewing the solar eclipse. Eclipse-seekers surging toward places like Carbondale, predicted as a prime viewing spot for Mondays eclipse. Maximum totality, peak darkness, is due to occur there at 2:01 p.m. and should last for about four minutes and 10 seconds. Total solar eclipses through the decades South suburban schools say they did not invite a Jewish author back to speak to students because of changes to the curriculum and the authors presentation. For multiple years, schools in North Palos Elementary District 117 and Orland Park Elementary District 135 invited Fern Schumer Chapman of Lake Bluff to speak to elementary and junior high school students about her young adult memoir about her mothers escape from Nazi Germany. Chapmans husband, Bruce Wasser, schedules her speaking engagements and said he had a great relationship with these districts as well as a verbal arrangement at the end of each year that she would return the following year. But when he reached out to the south suburban schools to schedule her appearance this April, they declined to bring Chapman back. Wasser said he thinks the schools made this decision because of anti-Jewish hatred he said is on the rise since the Israel-Hamas War began Oct. 7. It was either passive voice, pressure was put on them or they perceived some pressure but never received any that caused them to rather abruptly change their mind, said Wasser. And since then, there has been no communication. But school officials say this is not true, and said there are a variety of reasons she was not invited back this year. In February, when Wasser reached out to Century Junior High School in District 135, he said he received this reply from Principal Brian P. Horn. The District will be using a wide variety of resources from our newly adopted social studies curriculum to augment our lessons on the Holocaust, the email message read, therefore this year we are focusing on these resources in our curriculum rather than using an outside presenter. Wasser dismissed this explanation, saying the curriculum hasnt changed since Chapman spoke in 2023. District 135 Superintendent John Bryk said it has been multiple years since the district adopted the curriculum adjustment Horn referenced, but said it takes years to fully implement curriculum changes. There are no changes, we just decided to use the extra resources in our curriculum in lieu of using (Chapman) this year, Horn said. If a curriculum has been adopted within a handful of years, thats a newly adopted curriculum. Bryk declined to provide more information about changes made to the Holocaust lessons, but said Horns message to Wasser could have better explained the decision. I am not going to disagree that it potentially could have been handled better, said Bryk. Bryk noted the school recently hosted another Jewish author, popular childrens book author Adam Gidwitz, as evidence there wasnt an anti-Jewish bias. But he said the district did receive emails protesting Gidwitzs appearance. They were just concerned about what this person was going to talk (about), said Bryk, alluding to discussions about whats going on in the Middle East. Gidwitz wrote in a column for Jewish Book Council that a Manhattan elementary school had recently decided to cancel his speaking appearance. In his column, Gidwitz said he does not discuss current events in his books or publicly. Bryk did not say how many emails objected to Gidwitzs appearance, but said nobody emailed the district to object to Chapmans appearance. I do not get into the politics at all, said Chapman. It is a history lesson for the young people and it is not about politics. Chapmans social media accounts and books do not discuss current events such as the Israel-Hamas war outside of a repost on X of a CNN story about Hamass attack Oct. 7. Could this have been handled better? Obviously, because were in the situation that were in with these people, said Bryk. But to think that this had anything to do with anybodys religious beliefs is not true. I cant state it enough. Oak Ridge Elementary School and Glen Oaks Elementary School both are a part District 117 and have hosted Schumer in the past. Superintendent Jeannie Stachowiak said the district did not receive any emails calling for Chapman to not return. Instead, they say they went in a different direction because Chapmans presentation changed. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Fern Schumer Chapman brought her mother, Edith, to presentations. Edith, who fled Nazi Germany as a child, is the subject of Chapmans writing. Due to health concerns, Edith, who passed away in January, recently stopped presenting with her daughter. She was not at the 2023 presentation at the District 117 schools. The presentation definitely took on a completely different feel, said Stachowiak. The children did not get anything out of it and they were sort of bored and it did not have the same feel from the original presentation. District 117 now connects students directly with the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center for its education, said Assistant Superintendent Christine Droba. The Holocaust Museum did not respond to requests for confirmation. Droba said the district did not tell Chapman the reason they were going in a different direction was because students were not as engaged. I know that I made a very major contribution to bringing this story to life particularly when my mother was alive, said Chapman before discussing the schools decision to not have her back. I also think it is a really dangerous precedent to set. On Tuesday, author and actor Brett Gelman spoke at a synagogue in Glencoe. He spoke about how many bookstores have canceled his scheduled appearances over security concerns. Gelman does discuss the Israel-Hamas war on his social media. After days of uncertainty, Eileen ONeill Burke emerged as the choice of voters to be the Democratic nominee for Cook County states attorney, with the former prosecutor turned defense lawyer, circuit court judge and appellate judge squeaking out a win by less than 1,600 votes. ONeill Burke bested Clayton Harris III, a former prosecutor himself who wound through City Hall and state government, academia and corporate lobbying. She will now face Republican Bob Fioretti in the November general election. While any Republican is perceived as a long shot to win the post, whichever candidate comes out ahead is poised to transition the states attorneys office into a new era after a period of unprecedented and sometimes contentious reforms implemented by outgoing top prosecutor Kim Foxx. Should ONeill Burke ultimately win, she would quickly face formulating her own reform agenda, making cases to tamp down Chicagos persistent gun violence, and running an office struggling with morale issues. As much as numbers have gone down, the amount of street crime is extraordinarily high and has a tremendous impact on the community, said Richard Kling, a clinical professor of law at Chicago-Kent College of Law. Based on the final hair-splitting results which included 10 days of ballot counting following the March 19 primary Democratic voters appeared evenly divided on whether more strident prosecutions or prioritization of diversion and prosecutorial discretion were the solution, said Jeremy Custer, the political director for Operating Engineers Local 150, which supported ONeill Burke. You talk to every voter, whether perception was reality, crime was the No. 1 issue, Custer said. What this race boiled down to is, within the Democratic Party, theres still a reckoning of: Is it root causes? Or do we need stronger law enforcement in holding criminals accountable? Whats next? Transitions from one Cook County states attorney to the next are always fraught, said Alan Spellberg, a former assistant states attorney under multiple administrations, including Foxx and her predecessor, Anita Alvarez. ONeill Burke and Foxx spoke by the phone this week a cordial call, both sides confirmed. The offices next prosecutor will enter during a period of particularly low morale among assistant states attorneys, said Spellberg, supervisor of the criminal appeals division until 2021. He applauded Foxxs reform-minded approach, but said prosecutors were excluded from the process. We were very much in support of the notion of reform, but wanted to be partners, he said, adding that there can be disagreements on what reform is. If (assistant states attorneys) in a courtroom know what works and what doesnt and youre not even asking us what we think about the ideas, the ideas arent going to be well thought out and well executed, Spellberg said. ONeill Burke ran a campaign more typical of a politician with a prosecutor background, less reform-focused than Foxx, Chicago-Kents Kling said. ONeill Burkes stump positions included across-the-board requests for detention for certain crimes, for example. We will seek detention each and every time someone is found with an assault weapon, threatens someone with a gun or commits a violent crime happens on the CTA, she told reporters Monday. A blanket policy would be a departure from Foxx, who said the office weighs several factors when deciding detention requests under the new guidelines set by the SAFE-T Act. Though prosecutors commonly file detention petitions on offenses similar to those described by ONeill Burke, they examine case-specific factors and request a defendant be held if they are considered a flight risk or pose a threat to public safety. Ultimately, the decision is up to the judge. Another departure: ONeill Burke pledged to reverse Foxxs policy of raising the threshold for prosecuting felony retail theft from $300 to $1,000 a key call from the business community, who said smash-and-grabs were threatening their bottom lines and customers feeling of safety. Though he noted the impact of theft on stores and community members, Kling said he doesnt know if there is the appetite to prosecute more (retail) felonies. I think Eileen ONeill Burke or any states attorney needs to direct primary forces to street crime, he said. Foxx launched the policy as one of many ways her office would move away from harsh prosecution of low-level crimes, noting that neighboring states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana all had higher thresholds. Legal observers said the next top prosecutor will step in at a critical time for Chicago as it battles persistent violent crime and reckons with large volumes of potential wrongful-conviction cases. It is unclear to what extent ONeill Burke will change directions of Foxxs lodestar Conviction Integrity Unit which has overturned at least 250 cases though ONeill Burke did pledge to maintain it. Joshua Tepfer, an attorney with the Exoneration Project who handles wrongful convictions, said the incoming states attorney will have to grapple with Chicagos history of systemic police abuse by officers like Reynaldo Guevara and Jon Burge. Im hopeful that shell be interested in speaking with people like me and my colleagues to talk about what sort of issues we have in the pipeline, what sort of cases, he said. Going forward, Tepfer said he hopes to see the units looking at post-conviction matters staffed with people willing to scrutinize any case that comes before it. ONeill Burkes campaign platform called for creation of a dedicated restorative justice bureau where juvenile, veterans, drug and mental health courts will work with government agencies to get people help, let them cross-pollinate with various social service agencies and bring people back to society instead of being stuck in a life of crime. In an interview with the Tribune last month, ONeill Burke also suggested she would seek to change the current restorative justice courts, located at three neighborhood sites in Chicago, arguing they had largely become gun deferral courts rather than dealing with juveniles, veterans or those dealing with drug addiction or mental health issues. Converting them to gun deferral isnt contributing to restorative justice its detracting, and its not making anyone safer, ONeill Burke said, pitching a dedicated courtroom for gun cases instead. Such a change, though, was criticized by advocates at the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, who described it as a misdirected waste of resources and contended that framing the courts as drug courts is a misunderstanding of their purpose. Appleseed put out a report earlier this year that recommended reforms, writing that the courts are overseeing cases that would be better off dismissed from traditional prosecution at the outset, such as low-level drug cases. The experimental courts located in Lawndale, Englewood and Avondale seek to provide a fairer version of justice than would be found at the countys bustling courthouses. The tenets of restorative justice focus on participants making amends for the harm done to victims or the community. Programming for the restorative justice courts in recent years has intentionally moved away from drugs (the county also has drug, mental health and veterans courts that are distinct programs) because the victimless nature of drug offenses makes them less well-suited for restorative justice principles. Still, the program only accepts low-level and nonviolent crimes, and many of the gun offenses are faced by defendants who didnt have proper licensing. Restorative justice models are uniquely positioned to address instances where harm has been done to another person or people which is not the case with drug use or with simple gun possession, an Appleseed spokeswoman said in a statement. We look forward to working with whoever is elected as the next Cook County States Attorney to expand the eligibility criteria of the (courts) to include more charges that involve individual victims, so that the true healing power of restorative justice can be realized. The courts are under the auspices of the chief judge, but prosecutors decide which cases to defer to the restorative justice courts. Matt Fakhoury, a defense attorney and former prosecutor, said its important for the next states attorney to also improve relations with the Chicago Police Department and rebuild morale in the office. The return of ONeill Burke, a former prosecutor, if she prevails in the general election, would be like a homecoming, he said. Once you leave that office, youre always a prosecutor and your hearts always there, he said. How ONeill Burke won Some experts argued that the campaign was more nuanced than simply a tough-on-crime candidate facing off against a progressive reformer. Harris and ONeill Burke both supported the landmark SAFE-T Act eliminating the use of cash bail and Foxxs nonviolent offender diversion, wrongful conviction unit and restorative justice efforts. Both spoke about a need to reset relationships with police. ONeill Burke, though, hewed closer to a hard-charging message and became increasingly critical of Foxx. Harris campaign argued ONeill Burkes messaging allowed a more conservative support base to rally around her. If you think things are going just fine right now, Im not your candidate, she said during the sole televised debate of the primary campaign. She also took a more hard-line stance on the offices approach to gun crimes, carjackings and retail theft. The deterrence for crime is not the severity of punishment, its the certainty of a consequence, she told the Tribune in June. People have to be held accountable. Harris was more vocally supportive of Foxxs policies, but argued the office had to do a better job highlighting the cases it was already prosecuting and the victims it helped. A university lecturer on race and policing, he warned reactive or hard and fast prosecutorial policies could have unintended consequences in communities of color. Historically, what weve seen is when people say Safety, safety, safety and everyone gets behind it, what it looks like is they start rounding up people like me. They start rounding up Black and brown bodies or people that they dont agree with, Harris told supporters just before Election Day. Harris and allies also repeatedly attacked ONeill Burke for her handling of the 1994 prosecution of an 11-year-old Black boy in the slaying of his elderly white neighbor, and her response to it decades later. Years later, the case was overturned. ONeill Burke said she was never accused of any wrongdoing by a higher court and had no knowledge the boys confession was coerced. Critics said her lack of regret over the case or a fulsome apology for describing the boy known as A.M. as part of a new breed of criminal at the time was a troubling reflection of how she could take the office backward on its efforts to overturn wrongful convictions. Voters of every background, especially voters of color, should find this irresponsible and reckless lack of judgment gravely concerning, a January open letter from two dozen Black current and former elected officials read. Weeks later, ONeill Burke told WGN it was a terrible phrase. The case became a focus of Harris ads in the closing weeks of the campaign. But his ability to spread the message was dwarfed by ONeill Burkes campaign coffers, which close watchers consistently cited as a key advantage. The 2020 primary was a big money race as well: Foxx faced a political newcomer Bill Conway, a former prosecutor and Navy veteran who received a total of $10.5 million from his father, William E. Conway Jr., as well as $250,000 from Citadel founder Ken Griffin. Foxx was still equipped to play defense. She received $1 million each from local Democrats Michael Sacks and Fred Eychaner, as well as a combined $850,000 from affiliates of SEIU, the Chicago Teachers Union, the Chicago Federation of Labor and other public sector unions like AFSCME. National liberal megadonor George Soros also steered $2 million to a political action committee to defend her. Those same forces did not materialize for Harris. SEIU affiliates and the CTU did contribute to him, but their $200,000 was not close to the support Foxx garnered in 2020. CTU, one of the most vaunted political field operations in the city, also put more focus on the Bring Chicago Home referendum and the Illinois Senate race between Graciela Guzman and Natalie Toro, political operatives said. While Eychaner gave Harris $157,000, Sacks who had worked with Foxx when she was Preckwinkles chief of staff has not made major campaign outlays since joining the host committee for the Democratic National Convention. Soros and other national progressive prosecutorial donors and organizations also stayed out. Other high-profile progressive prosecutor races in Los Angeles, Houston and Austin, Texas, had taken a lot of energy, Foxx said. I think this race did not rise to the same level of attention that those races did. ONeill Burkes contributions from business interests local restaurateurs and investment firm leaders alike included those who have given to both Democrats and Republicans. Between July and April, she raised $3.4 million, according to state records. Harris raised $1.3 million in the same span, cash that came in late and at a much lower rate, making it more difficult to respond to attacks, spokeswoman Joanna Klonsky said. Taken with the lack of engagement from national criminal justice reform organizations with a differential this small, that lack of support was a missed opportunity to make a substantial impact here. There are 2,700 precincts in the county and we lost by less than one vote per precinct, said Cook County Democratic Party Chair Toni Preckwinkle, an early Harris supporter. We got outspent by $2 million, and it was a lot of Republican money that came in at the very end. Those funds allowed ONeill Burke to fill airwaves and mailboxes with ads about her courtroom credentials and status as a departure from Foxx, while portraying Harris as a corporate lobbyist and political insider aligned against workers rights and abortion access. In the waning days of the campaign, Harris and surrogates said they had to work to knock down those attacks as misleading. The abortion rights group Personal PAC echoed their concern, saying the ads about choice were disheartening given abortion access is under attack all across the country. The states attorneys office rarely intersects with abortion issues. ONeill Burkes pro-abortion-rights promises that she would defend the county, patients and providers against attacks were likely effective with women, said ONeill Burke campaign spokeswoman Aviva Bowen, but just one in a constellation of factors that swayed voters. John Catanzara, the controversial head of the local Fraternal Order of Police, also took credit for pushing ONeill Burke over the line. He encouraged union members to pull Democratic rather than Republican primary ballots to support her. To what extent Republicans crossed over wont be clear to the campaigns until voter files are updated, operatives said. ONeill Burke rejected Catanzaras endorsement as professionally improper last month, but told reporters Monday that if anybody went out and voted for me, feel free to take credit for it because each and every vote mattered in this one. Some of ONeill Burkes heaviest areas of support were in Chicago wards typically home to first responders. She also dominated across much of the northwest and southwest suburbs and outperformed expectations in progressive bastions, Bowen said. She won the 47th Ward, New Trier, garnered significant shares of the vote in the 1st, 22nd, 40th and 46th wards, Oak Park and Evanston. I also think she did respectably in Black communities.A WBEZ analysis of demographic data from precincts across the county found Harris won 76.6% of majority-Black precincts, short of Foxxs 83.5% take in 2020. I think that people everywhere are concerned about violence and crime in their communities. And I think it was a question of messaging, ONeill Burke told reporters Monday when asked about low support for her on the South and West sides. I think a lot of the concern was unfair, that I was going to be very hard on crime. I want to be effective. That doesnt mean were going to lock everybody up. That means were going to implement programs that get people turned around. Thats my goal. Foxx said the demographic breakdown of the vote was unsurprising, but suggested those most affected by crime support a more nuanced and less rigid approach. I look at the wards and see where (Harris) carried in the city, those Black wards that have direct contact with the criminal justice system, who have high incidences of violence in their community, that those wards with all the noise and rhetoric still came out and said this is our candidate, it does say something, Foxx said. Scroll through the maps to see Democratic primary race results for Cook County states attorney in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 elections. Search by precinct or click on the map to see the vote share there. Even so, Foxx told the Tribune she was frustrated that the racial impacts of tough-on-crime policies like low retail-theft thresholds were not fully addressed in the campaign, adding that her frank discussions of both concentrated violence and wrongful convictions resonated with Black voters. When we pretend race in the system is not a thing, we go backwards, she said. Though Fioretti faces long odds in a county that has not elected a Republican to the office in more than two decades, he has already gone on the attack, describing his opponent as duplicitous. An attorney and former alderman, Fioretti previously ran for states attorney, Cook County Board president and state Senate as a Democrat. In a Monday release, he said ONeill Burke both praised law enforcement or rejected their support, pretended to be a law-and-order candidate or a Kim Foxx Lite candidate. The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has raised concern over the alleged sale of the Tema Oil refinery (TOR) to Chinese owned oil refinery Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd. They claimed to have information about a private meeting to facilitate the sale of TOR. ASEPA received a whistle-blower alert from an insider at the Tema Oil refinery (TOR) that there was on ongoing meeting between the management of Tema Oil Refinery and the management of the Chinese owned private oil refinery Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd allegedly to discuss the sale of the national refinery to Sentuo, a statement from ASEPA reads. They are, however, calling on the management of TOR to make public whether the state oil refinery will have new owners as speculated. Read below the full statement On Thursday the 4h of April 2024 at about 11am, ASEPA received a whistle-blower alert from an insider at the Tema Oil refinery (TOR) that there was on ongoing meeting between the management of Tema Oil Refinery and the management of the Chinese owned private oil refinery Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd allegedly to discuss the sale of the national refinery to Sentuo. The meeting we were informed lasted from 10am to 1pm at the premises of the Tema Oil Refinery after which there was a large celebration at Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd to celebrate the outcome of the supposed meeting. The said meeting till now has not been reported in the media neither has Tema Oil Refinery issued an official statement on the matter. ASEPA as a public accountability organisation is therefore activating the Right to Information Law to compel both Tema Oil Refinery and Sentuo Oil Refinery to disclose to the public the nature of the relationship between Tema Oil Refinery and Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd; whether TOR has been sold out rightly to Sentuo or Sentuo has taken over the management of TOR or certain aspects of TOR's operations has been handed over to Sentuo. The RTI request would also demand from the management of TOR to disclose to the general public the content of the April 4' meeting between both parties and what the ramifications are for the future of TOR. TOR as a public institution owes a duty of care to the citizens and as such must ensure that it exercises the optimum level of transparency required under the laws of Ghana in all its operations and management. 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 King Ali Awudu, the President of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers has lauded the government for its free tablet for each Senior High School students, but wants the government to extend the policy to the basic school level. According to him, though the said initiative has a very critical impact on basic schools, it appears government is more interested in paying attention to investments in SHS at the expense of basic schools. Speaking in an interview with TV3s Keminini Amanor on Sunday, April 7, King Ali Wudu said, the government is not pumping so much money as it is being pumped into the senior high schools. When it comes to the SHS, the feeding that is given to them alone surpasses the money that is supposed to be paid to pupils in basic schools per annum. So if you come to SHS the amount of money the government spends on feeding and other perishables per student, per day is just like the money that the government spends per pupil per year in the basic schools." Recently, you heard about the governments wish to establish smart senior high schools and the purchase of some 1.3 million tablets at the cost of about 320 million dollars for SHS students, that is a lot of money and there is nothing wrong with that. The schools must be equipped but in every building the foundation is key. If the pupil is not well brought up at the Kindergarten, not well brought up at the primary, not well brought up the JHS, they will get to the SHS deficient. Expressing concern about the frustrations head teachers go through in their line of their work adding that, he disclosed that most of these headmasters are unable to voice out what they go through for fear of being victimized. "No head teacher can come and sit here and make this discussion with you, the moment he leaves, his dismissal letter will be waiting for him, he said. King Ali Awudu was particularly worried about how the education sector in Ghana is being used for politics; a practice he wants an immediate stop to. In this country, there is no sector that is used for politics more than the educational sector, he said. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Global Media Alliance (GMA), a leading media and communications company, concluded its celebration of International Women's Month with a meaningful CSR initiative aimed at empowering young women. As part of their commitment to gender equality and empowerment, GMA organized a visit to The African Science Academy (ASA). The Africa Science Academy is a girls-only Advanced Level school for maths and science. Founded in 2016 by the African Gifted Foundation, it targets girls across Africa who has outstanding potential in math and science. They are trained in Maths, Further Maths and Physics as well as Robotics and Computer Programming. This is to enable them for careers in Engineering, Science and computing amongst others. The CSR project dubbed, Finding Her Voice, trained the young girls on Personal Branding, Public Speaking and Leveraging Social Media to grow their personal brands. The training sessions, led by industry experts from GMA, focused on empowering young women with communication skills, leadership development, and strategies for navigating professional environments. The interactive workshops provided valuable insights and practical tools to help the students at ASA unlock their potential and confidently express themselves. Touching on personal branding, the co-host of Happy FM Morning Show, Fati Shaibu-Ali emphasized that personal branding its not only about dressing well and how one looks but also about how individuals carry themselves and being experts in their chosen fields. She advised the girls to hone their craft and market their skills well on social media, attending workshop and seminars to ensure that they stay visible so that they can be inspiration to other young ladies as well. The Project Lead for e-productions under the Global Media Alliance Group took the students through public speaking and urged them to start small by practicing with their colleagues to build up their confidence in public speaking. She advised them not to shy away from taking up leadership positions when the opportunity presents itself as this would enhance their public speaking skills. On her part, a Digital Executive at Global Media Alliance, Eyram Dunyo gave the students tit-bits on how to leverage their social media presence. She encouraged the students to show the fun part of STEM in order to inspire other young girls to take up STEM. Emma Wenani, Chief Director of Global Media Alliance, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, "At Global Media Alliance, we believe in the power of education and mentorship to inspire and uplift young women. Our visit to The African Science Academy was a wonderful opportunity to engage with bright minds and encourage them to find their voices in a world that values diversity and inclusivity." The Headteacher of The African Science Academy, Gifty Ghansah, shared her appreciation for GMA's support, saying, "We are grateful to Global Media Alliance for their commitment to empowering young women in STEM education and beyond. The training sessions provided valuable insights and inspiration to our students, equipping them with essential skills for personal and professional growth." The students and staff were later presented with gifts from Flow Wellness and Ghandour Cosmetics who sponsored the event. Through initiatives like these, Global Media Alliance reaffirms its dedication to fostering gender equality, empowering women, and creating inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive and succeed. 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 Lawyer Martin Kpebu, has asked Ghanaians to give the Presidency ample time to read through the KPMG audit report on the agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority(GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) instead of stampeding him to release it. According to him, giving the President more time to read through will ensure that all persons cited in the report are offered the opportunity to respond appropriately. President Nana Akufo-Addo, on January 2, this year, commissioned the KPMG to look into the contract between the SML and the GRA, following an expose by the Fourth Estate. The Presidency, on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, confirmed its receipt of the audit report carried out by KPMG on the deal. Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at the Presidency, who confirmed receipt of the report in a Facebook post, said the President was studying the findings of the audit report, and will, in due course, make his decisions known to the Ghanaian people. Speaking on TV3's The Key Points programme, Lawyer Kpebu admonished Ghanaians against stampeding the Presidency in releasing the report without first giving a fair hearing to the persons cited. By the practice, I think that we are stampeding him. I'm not in favour of the work going to KPMG, but well its too late, we couldn't fight enough, but if you look at the time they got it (the report), I'm hearing 27th March, if you look at audit reports, even the Audit Service, even our Audit Service Act, when they bring audit reports, what they call management letter, and there are issues, you have 30 days to respond. So, I don't think that we have a basis to say when KPMG brought the report it should be less than 30 days . . . people who have been cited in the report should be given time to respond, he stressed. Mr. Kpebu, however, indicated that the President must make public the findings of the report to bring to rest the matter. He said: As for that (making the report public) it is non-negotiable, the President cannot sit on it, it has to come out. If he sits on the report he will be strengthening the hands of John Mahama again because in Mahamas regime when the Gyeeda corruption came he released a full report. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Western Regional Secretariat of Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has declared its intention to increase transportation fares by 30 per cent effective today, Monday, April 8, 2024. According to the secretariat, the decision follows a comprehensive survey conducted by the GPRTU, which revealed significant increase in the prices of spare parts and fuel, thereby increasing the operational costs of transport operators across the nation. The decision to increase transportation fares by 30 per cent reflects the GPRTUs commitment to maintaining the viability of its members operations while striving to balance the interests of commuters, the secretariat added. It said despite the pressing concerns, the Ministry of Transport has allegedly shown little concern in engaging in a dialogue with the GPRTU to mitigate the impact on transport operators. It is of much interest for the public to know that, GPRTU had sought a meeting with the Ministry to discuss the challenges faced by transport operators and explore potential solutions to mitigate the impact on the transport sector, the secretariat revealed. This was contained in a statement issued by the Regional Secretariat of GPRTU. The statement said the ministrys alleged lack of cooperation to convene discussions has left GPRTU with no other choice but to independently proceed with the fare adjustment which will be a win-win for both the commuters and transport operators. The rising costs of spare parts and fuel pose a significant burden on transport operators, directly and adversely impacting their ability to provide affordable and sustainable transportation services to the public, the statement indicated. It, however mentioned that, the union remains open to constructive dialogue with the Ministry of Transport and other relevant stakeholders to find long-term solutions that will benefit both transport operators and passengers. In light of the impending fare adjustment, the GPRTU urges commuters to plan accordingly and anticipates their understanding during this period of increment. The union reiterates its openness to further engage in meaningful discussions with the Ministry of Transport to address the underlying issues affecting the transport sector and seek sustainable solutions for the benefit of all stakeholders, the statement pointed out. 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 Director of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, says reasons adduced by the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Gertrude Torkonoo for granting the Attorney-General, an expedited hearing in a recent case against the approval of some ministerial nominees does not hold water. The Chief Justice on April 4, clarified that the content of the letter from the A-G for the request was cogent enough to warrant an expedited hearing. According to her, another reason which necesitated the approval for the expedited hearing was because the courts were going on Easter break, hence the fast-tracking process. Reacting to the explanation given by the Chief Justice, Edudzi Tamakloe, who was speaking on Joy FMs Top Story, questioned the linkage between expediting the hearing and the Easter break. He argued that based on the 1992 constitution, the Supreme Court cannot order Parliament to have a sitting when the House is on recess. ....the CJ says we were going on an Easter break, and so for that matter, they needed the matter heard. We all do appreciate that once parliament is adjourned, the court cannot make an order directing Parliament to go and sit to consider the approval of the ministers. "So, from when the court dismissed the injunction application, it's been a week now. Has Parliament been recalled? No. "If the decision was that because we were going on Easter break, the court needed to expedite the decision on the issue of the ministerial appointment, what has been the effect?" he quizzed. "The process to get Parliament to sit when it adjourns is to get a certain number of MPs to do A, B, C, and D, and so the fact that we were going on Easter break, and therefore there was a need for an expedited hearing, does not solve the problem as far as the letter or the statement from the NDC is concerned," he added. Background It is recalled that on March 27, the Supreme Court dismissed an application brought forth by South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, contesting the approval of new ministerial and deputy ministerial nominees. In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the court deemed the application frivolous and an abuse of the court process and dismissed it. Hon. Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, the applicant, had aimed to halt the vetting process in Parliament until his lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the President's decision to reassign ministers without Parliament's involvement was resolved. Ruling However, the Supreme Court concluded that the MP's case lacked direct relevance to the nominees under consideration in Parliament, as it primarily pertained to reassigned ministers. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A group calling itself the Asante Patriotic Network-Diaspora says a Bawumia-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu ticket for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will be a solid pair to ensure the party's victory in the December 7, presidential election. The pro-New Patriotic Party group in a statement described the former majority leader as a perfect man for the running mate position after citing his unmatched leadership in parliament and the NPP. "We strongly believe that he is the right person that the party needs at this material moment. We remember how Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu conducted himself when he was supposedly relieved of his post amidst controversial circumstances. He shelved and sacrificed his interest for the unity of the Party. He earned a lot of respect from everyone, a portion of the statement reads. Read below the full statement CHOOSE HON. OSEI KYEI MENSAH BONSU AS THE RUNNING MATE IN ORDER TO RESTORE PEACE AND UNITY IN ASHANTI REGION The Asante Patriotic Network-Diaspora is a pro-New Patriotic Party group which champions the interests of Asanteman through the NPP. As our name explains itself, we are based in the diaspora, particularly the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Korea, Japan and Europe. We usually prefer to operate on the quiet, but we have gotten to a point where we find it necessary to come public with some concerns. But before we cut to the chase, APN-D would want to seize this chance to commend the NPP Government for the good job done so far although the Global economy has not have it easy due to COVID-19 and the Ukraine-Russia War. We therefore commend the Government for outstanding initiatives like the Free SHS, and the Digitalization drive which is spearheaded by the Flagbearer of our Party and Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, HE Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Because of these initiatives, Ghanaians in the diaspora no longer have the headache of sending money home for school fees. The Free SHS has reduced our financial burden astronomically. The digitalization drive through the mobile money interoperability which is championed by DMB has also made it easier, simpler and more convenient for us to send money to our families and loved ones back home directly from our mobile phones which was not the case. While we commend the Government, we acknowledge the fact that our stronghold, which happens to be the home region of this group, has been in the news for negative reasons recently. It is all about the selection of a Running Mate. Ashanti has been given a golden opportunity to be at the seat of government once again and we cannot afford to miss it. We are indeed saddened and worried by the supposed power-play in the region, and we fear that, this could make our beloved region lose this Running Mate chance if care is not taken. We are therefore suggesting that the Flagbearer and the top hierarchy of the Party consider the immediate past Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for the Suame Constituency, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, for the Running Mate position. We believe besides the fact that he is overly competent for the position, his selection will go a long way to restore calm and unity in the region and the party. Both feuding factions for the Running Mate race would gladly welcome his nomination. We strongly believe that he is the right person that the party needs at this material moment. We remember how Hon. Kyei Mensah conducted himself when he was supposedly relieved of his post amidst controversial circumstances. He shelved and sacrificed his interest for the unity of the Party. He earned a lot of respect from everyone. He enjoys enormous respect in the Ashanti Region, the party and among his fellow MPs. His leadership skills and political acumen are admired far and wide, even across both political divides. It is for these reasons and many more that we passionately and humbly appeal to our Flagbearer and the leadership of our Party to consider him as the Running Mate as this will go a long way to restore the needed unity and peace that we want for our party in the Ashanti Region. Thank you! Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Incumbent Member of Parliament for Tema West constituency, Carlos Kingsford Ahenkorah, has expressed worry over the ongoing power crisis that has rocked the country for the last few months. According to Carlos Ahenkorah, the governing New Patriotic Party has been able to keep the light on for over 7 years only to be faced with the latest disturbing power crisis. Speaking on United Televisions (UTV) 'Adekye Nsroma' on the Energy Crisis being faced by the country, the legislator said, "Im really hurt. Im really hurt in the sense that, weve been in government for seven and a half years, yet we never had any issue with our energy sector. How can we be facing these challenges six months to elections?" Commenting on the recent energy sector crunch meeting, Carlos Ahenkorah mentioned that, he is very happy with the actions taken by the energy committee to ascertain the challenges facing the various power sector stakeholders, however, he quickly added that, he was not happy with the outcome of the meeting as it should have revealed to all Ghanaians the exact problems being faced within the energy sector. He said, "the chairman for the energy committee has done well in convening the energy sector stakeholders engagement meeting. But unfortunately the story does not give us that joy. The reason why Im saying this is that, the outcome of the meeting did not tell us as to whether the problem is a production problem, distribution problem, or funding problem." "I was expecting them to come out with a communique telling us exactly what is happening and what could be the cause of the challenges we are facing in the energy sector," he added. "Whatever it is, I am worried and hurt because we have been able to keep the light on for seven years. Why are some people trying to expose us to the National Democratic Congress?" a worried Carlos Ahenkorah quizzed. He further added that "it is as if someone does not want Bawumia to be President. I dont care to know if it is a sabotage or not but my worry is why will we keep the lights on for seven years and only to be faced with this six months to elections." He questioned the rationale behind what could be the possible reason for the erratic power outages, adding that, "Why will anyone wants to do this? If it is monetary, lets get plans to solve this challenges. We should not give the NDC the chance to castigate us." He further added that, the finance ministry should partner with the energy ministry to find a lasting solution to the incessant power outages that keeps hitting the country year after year. "In all fairness, let your people understand that, if we want NPP to win the 2024 election, if we want Bawumia to win the elections then we dont have to give NDC the chance to equalise." Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a night filled with glamour and purpose at the Ohene Konadu Auditorium, the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), witnessed the crowning of Miss Leticia Adwoa Yirenkyi as the Face of UPSA 2024. The event, a beacon of youth empowerment and gender equality, was a collaboration between the UPSA SRC Women's Commission, PSLA Africa, and the Prince Sadat Change-Makers Foundation (PSF). The founder and chairman of PSF, in a heartfelt post on Facebook, shared the foundation's joy in supporting the event, not just financially but also by enriching the contestants' knowledge on pivotal issues such as climate change and gender empowerment. A significant contribution was made by the Foundation, underscoring its commitment to fostering a better world through education and empowerment. The evening was more than just a pageant; it was a platform for showcasing the strength, intelligence, and potential of young women. Miss Leticia Adwoa Yirenkyi, with her poise and vision, emerged victorious among the talented contestants, earning the honour to serve as the Brand Ambassador for the Prince Sadat Change-Makers Foundation for the coming year. In his announcement, the foundation's chairman highlighted the collaborative effort with UPSA WOCOM and PSLA Africa, ensuring that the event not only celebrated beauty but also served as a catalyst for meaningful change. The sponsorship was cemented through a Memorandum of Understanding, outlining the shared objectives and commitment towards gender empowerment and climate awareness. Special recognition was given to Miss Nihad Titiaka Oases Ibrahim, the Womens Commissioner of UPSA SRC, and Miss Joycelyn Lassey, the Deputy SRC Womens Commissioner for their exceptional dedication and resilience in overcoming challenges to bring the event to fruition. The Chairman Prince A. A. Sadat lauded their efforts, stating, "History will surely remember them fondly for their contribution to empowering women and promoting gender equality." As the newly appointed Brand Ambassador, Miss Yirenkyi will work alongside PSF on projects aimed at education, climate change, leadership, gender equality, and philanthropy. These initiatives, known as the foundation's five signature projects, include Future Forge, Green Pulse, Lead Legacy, She Rise, and Impact Oasis, respectively. The event was not only a testament to the beauty and talent of the contestants but also a reflection of the collaborative spirit among organizations committed to making a difference. The Prince Sadat Change-Makers Foundation looks forward to an exciting year ahead with Miss Yirenkyi at the helm of its ambassadorial activities, driving forward the mission of youth empowerment and societal transformation. As we look towards 2024, the foundation, under the guidance of its visionary leader and the support of other partners, is set to embark on projects that promise to forge a brighter future for the youth and pave the way for a more equitable society. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Jonathan Kwolek, Ph.D., a research physicist from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Quantum Optics Section attaches fiber-optic cables to deliver light into the compact laser-delivery system, which is carefully aligned around a custom vacuum cell in the NRL Atom Interferometry Lab, Nov. 2, 2023. The apparatus will generate a cold, continuous atomic beam which will be delivered into the larger vacuum chamber to address Navy craft inertial navigation challenges. (U.S. Navy photo by Jonathan Steffen). Credit: (U.S. Navy / Jonathan Steffen) U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) researchers have developed a patent-pending Continuous 3D-Cooled Atom Beam Interferometer derived from a patented cold and continuous beam of atoms to explore atom-interferometry-based inertial measurement systems as a path to reduce drift in Naval navigation systems. Inertial navigation is a self-contained navigation technique in which measurements provided by accelerometers and gyroscopes are used to track the position and orientation of an object relative to a known starting point, orientation and velocity. Quantum inertial navigation is a new field of research and development that can increase inertial measurement accuracy by orders of magnitude. "Our interferometer operates in a different regime than most other modern implementations of an atom interferometer," said Jonathan Kwolek, Ph.D., a research physicist from the NRL Quantum Optics Section within the Optical Sciences Division. "By operating with cold, continuous atoms, we have opened the door to a number of advantages as well as novel measurement techniques. Ultimately, we would like to use this technology to improve inertial navigation systems, thus reducing our reliance on GPS." Enabled by the unique properties of the atom source, the Continuous 3D-Cooled Atom Beam Interferometer exhibits promising measurement characteristics like high measurement contrast, low noise, and improved handling of variations in the sensor's environment. This technology wields the potential to provide Navy the ability to operate in GPS-denied environments and overcome limitations to the accuracy of GPS. Depending on the measurement platform, errors in the location estimation will accumulate and result in loss of accurate position information. Current commercially available inertial navigation systems, for example, can navigate with an error accumulation of roughly 1 nautical mile over 360 hours. NRL intends to develop new technologies to extend that time such that navigational drift does not limit mission duration. "The field of inertial navigation aims to provide navigation information anywhere GPS is unavailable," said NRL Associate Director of Research for Systems Dr. Gerald Borsuk. "The advent of atom interferometry allows for a novel approach in inertial sensing, which has the potential to address some of the deficiencies in current state-of-the-art technologies." GPS has become a backbone to the functionality of both our civilian and military world, providing high-accuracy distributed position and timing information anywhere in the world. However, there are certain battlespace environments in which GPS cannot function, such as underwater or in space, as well as an increasing threat to GPS availability in the form of jamming, spoofing, or anti-satellite warfare. "In an ideal world, we hedge against loss of conventional navigation by making the best inertial navigators we can," Kwolek said. "This is to ensure that a loss of GPS doesn't allow our ships to become lost in the middle of enemy territory." Why use atom interferometers? Interferometers are devices that extract information from interference using coherent waves. This class of device is widely used for the precise measurements of displacements, refractive index changes and surface topologies. Inertial navigation is used in a wide range of applications including the navigation of aircraft, tactical and strategic missiles, spacecraft, submarines, and ships. Atomic physics offers a unique toolkit for measuring with extreme precision. Atom interferometry is a method within atomic physics in which quantum interference of atomic matter waves is used to measure extremely precise changes in environmental conditions, such as fields or inertial forces. "Performing atomic inertial measurements as opposed to a classical measurement gives different error dependencies," Kwolek said. "We predict that if done carefully, atomic interferometers will exhibit better long-term noise behavior and accuracy than current leading technologies. Translated to the world of inertial navigation, this means keeping your location fix for longer providing more operational flexibility." Atom interferometers can also be used to discipline another sensor, much like how clocks are disciplined to GPS. This combination of an interferometer with a cosensor can enable interferometers to realize a benefit in a real-world measurement scenario. "This is by no means a complete solution," Kwolek said. "There are tradeoffs to operating an atomic interferometer, for example, the enhanced sensitivity correlates to worse dynamic range. We are exploring multiple avenues to solving this problem including cosensor implementation or alternative cold-atom techniques." This quantum optics research is sponsored by the NRL Base Program and the Office of Naval Research. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 states that quantum technology is approaching a tipping point that will determine how quickly it can make an impact. If the United States can stay on pace, many important outcomes for the Department of Defense (DOD) can be realized including robust position, navigation and timing for DOD freedom of operations with precision strike even with contests in spectrum, space, or cyber operations. A Navy less reliant on GPS NRL has delivered navigation solutions to the fleet since its inception but a breakthrough occurred in the 1960s with the invention of GPS. NRL launched TIMATION I on May 31, 1967, and TIMATION II on August 30, 1969. TIMATION I demonstrated that a surface vessel could be positioned to within two-tenths of a nautical mile and an aircraft to within three-tenths of a nautical mile using range measurements from a time-synchronized satellite. While initially designed for use by the military, GPS has been adapted for civilian navigation needs ranging from commercial aviation to portable handheld and wristwatch-type devices. Today, GPS is a constellation of 32 Earth-orbiting satellites providing precise navigation and timing data to military and civilian end-users around the globe. Despite decades of development of GPS, optimized inertial navigation systems afford the Navy the ability to mitigate risk against becoming completely reliant on GPS. "In the modern era, NRL is one of several research organizations addressing naval inertial navigation challenges," said Adam Black, Ph.D., NRL Quantum Optics Section Head. "The lab is taking advantage of advanced atomic and optical techniques to invent new architectures for inertial measurement that promise accurate navigation of dynamic Navy platforms." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A selection of the Fitzwilliam Museum coins which were studied, including coins of Charlemagne and Offa. Credit: The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge Byzantine bullion fueled Europe's revolutionary adoption of silver coins in the mid-7th century, only to be overtaken by silver from a mine in Charlemagne's Francia a century later, new tests reveal. The findings could transform our understanding of Europe's economic and political development. Between 660 and 750 AD, Anglo-Saxon England witnessed a profound revival in trade involving a dramatic surge in the use of silver coins, breaking from a reliance on gold. Around 7,000 of these silver 'pennies' have been recorded, a huge number, about as many as we have for the rest of the entire Anglo-Saxon period (5th century1066). For decades, experts have agonized over where the silver in these coins came from. Now a team of researchers from the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have solved that mystery by analyzing the make-up of coins held by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The journal Antiquity published the study. Co-author Rory Naismith, Professor of Early Medieval English History at the University of Cambridge, said, "There has been speculation that the silver came from Melle in France, or from an unknown mine, or that it could have been melted down church silver. But there wasn't any hard evidence to tell us one way or the other, so we set out to find it." Previous research has tested coins and artifacts from the silver mine at Melle but Naismith and his colleagues turned their attention to less-studied coins which were minted in England, the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France. Helpfully, Naismith had "a powerhouse of early medieval numismatic research" on his doorstep: The Fitzwilliam Museum. To begin, 49 of the Fitzwilliam's coins (dating from 660 to 820 AD) were taken to the laboratory of Dr. Jason Day in Cambridge's Dept. of Earth Sciences for trace element analysis. Next, the coins were analyzed by 'portable laser ablation' in which microscopic samples were collected onto Teflon filters for lead isotope analysis. This is a new technique, pioneered by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, which combines the minimally invasive sampling of laser with the high precision results of more traditional methods in which physical samples of silver are taken. While the coins mostly contained silver, the proportion of gold, bismuth and other elements in them guided the researchers to the silver's previously unknown origins. Different ratios of lead isotopes in the silver coins provided further clues. The analysis revealed two major findings: 1. Byzantine silver In the 29 coins tested from the earlier period (660750 AD)which were minted in England, Frisia and Franciathe researchers found a very clear chemical and isotopic signature matching 3rd to early 7th century silver from the Byzantine Empire in the eastern Mediterranean. The silver was homogenous across the coins and characterized by high gold values (0.62%) and a consistent isotopic range, with no distinguishable regional variations among them. No known European ore source matches the elemental and isotopic characteristics of these early silver coins. Nor is there any meaningful overlap with late Western Roman silver coins or other objects. These coins did not recycle late Roman silver. Naismith said, "This was such an exciting discovery. I proposed Byzantine origins a decade ago but couldn't prove it. Now we have the first archaeometric confirmation that Byzantine silver was the dominant source behind the great seventh-century surge in minting and trade around the North Sea." The study's co-author, Dr. Jane Kershaw, from the University of Oxford, said, "These coins are among the first signs of a resurgence in the northern European economy since the end of the Roman Empire. They show deep international trade connections between what is now France, the Netherlands and England." The researchers emphasize that this Byzantine silver must have entered Western Europe decades before it was melted down because the late 7th century was a low point in trade and diplomatic contacts. Naismith said, "Elites in England and Francia were almost certainly sitting on this silver already. We have very famous examples of this, the silver bowls discovered at Sutton Hoo and the ornate silver objects in the Staffordshire Hoard." Together, Sutton Hoo's Byzantine silver objects weigh just over 10kg. Had they been melted down they would have produced around 10,000 early pennies. Professor Rory Naismith holding a Byzantine silver coin in the Fitzwilliam Museum. Credit: Adam Page Kershaw said, "These beautiful prestige objects would only have been melted down when a king or lord urgently needed lots of cash. Something big would have been happening, a big social change." "This was quantitative easing, elites were liquidating resources and pouring more and more money into circulation. It would have had a big impact on people's lives. There would have been more thinking about money and more activity with money involving a far larger portion of society than before." Naismith hopes to establish how and why so much silver moved from the Byzantine Empire into Western Europe. He suspects a mixture of trade, diplomatic payments and Anglo-Saxon mercenaries serving in the Byzantine army. The new findings also raise tantalizing questions about how and where silver was stored and why its owners suddenly decided to turn it into coins. The study's second major finding revealed a later shift away from Byzantine silver to a new source. 2. The rise of Frankish silver When the team analyzed 20 coins from the second half of the period (750820 AD), they discovered that the silver was very different. It now contained low levels of gold which is most characteristic of silver mined at Melle in western France. Previously obtained radiocarbon data has shown that mining at Melle was particularly intense in the 8th and 9th centuries. The study proposes that Melle silver permeated regional silver stocks after c.750 and was mixed with older, higher-gold stocks, including Byzantine silver. In the coins minted closest to Melle, the proportion of gold was lowest (under 0.01%) while furthest away, in northern and eastern Francia, this climbed to 1.5%. We already knew that Melle was an important mine but it wasn't clear how quickly the site became a major player in silver production. Naismith said, "We now know that after the Carolingian dynasty came into power in 751, Melle became a major force across Francia and increasingly in England too." The study argues that Charlemagne drove this very sudden and widespread surge in Melle silver as he took increasing control over how and where his kingdom's coins were made. A detailed record from the 860s talks about Charlemagne's grandson, King Charles the Bald, reforming his coins and giving every mint a few lbs of silver as a float to get the process going. "I strongly suspect that Charlemagne did something similar with Melle silver," Naismith said. Management of silver supply went hand-in-hand with other changes introduced by Charlemagne, his son and grandson including changing the size and thickness of coins and marking their name or image on the coins. Naismith said, "We can now say more about the circumstances under which those coins were made and how the silver was being distributed within Charlemagne's Empire and beyond." England and Francia The findings give new context to Charlemagne's delicate diplomatic relations with King Offa of Mercia in England. Like Charlemagne, Offa took an active role in the silver trade and currency management. Both kings saw trade and politics as inseparable. In a surviving letter sent to Offa in 796, Charlemagne discussed trade in commodities as well as political exiles. The pair also entered a trade embargo when a marriage negotiation turned sour. Naismith said, "There was a lot of communication and tension between Charlemagne and Offa. Offa wasn't in the same league, his kingdom was much smaller, he had less power over it, and he certainly didn't have as much silver. But he remained one of Europe's most powerful figures who was outside of Charlemagne's control. So they maintained a pretense of equality. Our findings add to a dynamic that England and France have had for a very long time." Naismith has no doubt that people in England would have been very aware that their silver was coming from Francia and that they depended on it. "When commodities are only in certain places in limited quantities, questions of power and national interest will always come into play," Naismith said. "In the early Middle Ages, this transcended borders and rulers weren't the only people involved. Merchants, churches and other wealthy people all had an interest. Rulers taking much more direct action was new for this period." More information: J. Kershaw, Byzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660820), Antiquity (2024). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2024.33 Journal information: Antiquity 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: Agism not only undermines the capabilities of older individuals, it also isolates them from the digital discourse. Credit: Center for Ageing Better Occurring in tandem with the COVID-19 pandemic, another crisis was quietly escalating and unnoticed by manyan infodemic characterized by an overload of information, much of it misleading or false. Though concerns of an infodemic started before this time, and can occur with any issue or event, the phenomenon has become so widespread that the term was included into Merriam-Webster's 2020 list of "words we are watching." Indeed, since the onset of COVID-19, the public has been exposed to an overwhelming amount of information, often contradictory, about the virus, basic health and safety protocols, efficiency of vaccines, conspiracy theories and exaggerated sensationalist news clips. Amid this chaos, a common stereotype emerged, painting older adults as primary actors for the spread of misinformation online in the infodemic. This narrative, however, does not recognize the complexity of the issue and unjustly labels a group that, in reality, can demonstrate a remarkable desire to be engaged in navigating the media landscape. As we progress through the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing, a global initiative aiming to improve the lives of older people and their communities, we are prompted to reevaluate our perspectives on media literacy practices of older adults. Shattering stereotypes Contrary to assumptions that seniors are technologically averse due to accessibility issues and other factors, many older adults now show remarkable agility in navigating digital media. In search of the most recent news, older adults turn to sites like Facebook, WeChat and YouTube over more traditional sources of news. This shift is not just about convenience but speaks to seniors' recognition of the evolving nature of the digital landscape and the need to stay informed and connected. Contrary to the prevalent notion that age hampers older adults with navigating the digital landscape, one of the real obstacles is agism, prejudice and discrimination against people based on their age. During COVID-19 pandemic, agism intensified, especially on social media. Agism not only undermines the capabilities of older individuals, it also isolates them from the digital discourse. That exacerbates their vulnerability to the very misinformation ecosystem they are accused of perpetuating. For older immigrants, the issue is ever more pressing. We need to combat the agist stereotype that older adults are simply victims of the infodemic or passive consumers of digital media, and avoid limiting their digital access or curating their digital news feed. Such actions undermine older adults' autonomy and are agist. Instead, we need to recognize that older adults are engaged citizens, earnestly learning how to decipher the complex digital and media environment. Teaching new skills that will support them in this endeavor can be empowering. In fact, learning in later life is one of the pillars of active aging. Older immigrants Yet, there is a frequently overlooked segment of the older population: older immigrants. There must be better understanding of the ways they navigate digital spaces and the challenges they face in the ongoing infodemic. Older immigrants often experience significant social isolation, loneliness and housing insecurity. These can be down to factors like their age, foreign language skills and the degree of support they get from the community and family. It is within these contexts, among others, that they have to learn how to navigate the complex digital landscape. Regardless, even while facing multiple barriers, older immigrants often turn to internet spaces for a number of reasons, such as staying connected with friends from home countries, access to important information, and also for leisurely activities. In fact, access to digital technology is an essential component for most older immigrants' well-being and learning about it is especially meaningful. The challenge is to create targeted interventions that effectively dismantle some of the barriers older immigrants face to ensure that all media is accessible and beneficial. It is also important to ensure they are developing important critical digital literacy skills. To do so, we first need to understand how older immigrants engage with media on various digital platforms. Older immigrants' media use As educators and researchers in education, we know that the processes of immigrant seniors accessing digital news is anything but monolithic. A common stereotype is that many older immigrants rely on their first language and do not, for example, speak English when residing in Canada and hence do not engage with English-related media. In our work we have seen that many older immigrants are in fact engaging with news sources in both English and their native languages. Older immigrants also do not immediately believe all information they came across, but share palpable concerns regarding the authenticity of information. Many older immigrants seeking information across various media types are driven by the wish to support their communities. Such community focus suggests there is potential for learning initiatives aimed at bridging digital and linguistic divides as well as empowering older adults to take on educational and leadership roles within their own communities. What we see is an opportunity to invest in peer-driven digital and critical media literacy training, especially as it pertains to discerning the reliability of various sources and understanding the nuances of how information is presented across different media spaces. Older immigrants actively engage in understanding something that is relevant to them and their lives, and also readily apply their new knowledge. It is paramount to pay attention to how the desire to learn and share knowledge can be leveraged to combat an infodemic, especially as more and more older immigrants attempt to navigate their ways through a complicated online world to stay connected with communities and families, and current with diverse issues that impact societies across the globe. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Nothing says canine cuteness like a smush-faced French bulldog. Unless it's a dachshund toddling along on short little legs. But animal welfare advocates in the U.S. and Europe say there's nothing appealing about hearing a French bulldog labor to breathe or seeing a dachshund struggle to walk on its hind limbs. They are pushing to ban breeding practices that result in poor health conditions for dogsand big veterinary bills for their human owners. In New Hampshire, legislators recently tabled a bill that would have made that state the first in the nation to prohibit the breeding of dogs that have a physical traitin this case, being short-nosedthat "causes suffering." In Germany, an animal welfare act proposes a ban on "cruel" breeding of dogs that creates musculoskeletal anomalies causing them to live in pain. 'Owners get used to it' Northeastern professor Mark Wells says restrictions could work as long as they push breeders away from a "narrow fixation" on traits they believe make dogs more appealing but are actually harmful. "I don't know if anyone is breeding to hurt the animal," says Wells, an assistant professor of philosophy whose research includes political protection for animals. "But owners get used to it when every breath their French bulldog takes is labored," he says. Bulldogs and other flat-faced breeds can have wheezy, loud, labored breathing from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. Bred to have shortened skulls and muzzles, they retain soft tissues in their mouths that obstruct breathing and can require life-saving surgery. It's not pleasant to be a pug in many ways," Wells says. Dachshunds, which are also known as the "sausage dog," may also require surgery for relief from what could be life-long discomfort associated with their long and low body type, according to the British Veterinary Association. The association says intervertebral disk disease tops the list of problems associated and can interfere with the dachshund's ability to walk. "From a philosophical angle, we're worried about animal welfare, and breeding seems like a major cause of a lot of animal suffering," Wells says. "The ethical problem with dog breeding is we're not seriously entertaining the suffering we are creating in the world. We could have bred these dogs differently." Pushback from kennel associations Kennel associations pushed back, hard, against the proposed animal welfare regulations. The American Kennel Club called proponents of a bill proposing civil penalties for knowingly breeding dogs with serious breathing issues "extremists." The AKC said the bill was tabled March 28 after failing to meet a legislative deadline. The German Kennel Club claimed the new animal cruelty regulations would result in a ban on dachshunds and launched a petition to "save our favorite dogs," which German government officials denied. "They aren't trying to ban dachshunds," Wells says. "Basically, they are trying to guide these breeding practices away from the promulgation of these traits that cause suffering." "They are not trying to ban dachshunds, unless you think a dachshund has to be a thing that suffers," Wells says. Germans call it 'torture breeding' Wells says Germany, Switzerland and Austria have a word, qualzucht, that translates as "torture breeding." "There's been a concern in these countries for a long time about breeding practices," he says. Popular demand drives breeding for extreme traits, and it has only become worse over the decades, says Northeastern assistant psychology professor Terri Bright, who is also a clinical behaviorist at Angell Animal Medical Center. "Dog breeds from 100 years ago look so different from dogs now. Boxers look different. They had noses. They don't anymore. Dachshunds had longer legs. Bassetts had longer legs," she says. "German shepherds are now walking on their hocks. Why isn't anyone talking about that?" Bright says. Are bans the answer? Dog shows help popularize certain breeds, she says. Bright says what started out as trials of ability in agricultural shows has become "a talent and beauty show." But Bright questions bans on breeding practices and says it's up to pet owners to select responsible breeders. "Who is going to measure the nose?" she asks, adding she questions what happens to dogs the bans consider deformed. "Do you drown them? Do you give them away?" Imagining a healthy breed Dog competitions fire people's imaginations and tell breeders what to breed for, be it a cute flat face, shortened legsor the dwarfism of his own adorable Corgi, Wells says. "We breed dogs to fit our imagination rather than merely categorizing the dogs we happen to have into breeds. And that's why changing our imagination is so important for this issue," he says. Wells says it's possible that bans, restrictions or even education can guide people away from creating deformities in the breeding process. "Can we imagine French bulldogs without labored breathing?" This story is republished courtesy of Northeastern Global News news.northeastern.edu. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Some of Canada's biggest employers have a poor track record of abiding by environmental laws. When laws are broken corporate leaders don't go to prison; instead, the company is fined. But the fines are rarely severe enough to scare them into changing their ways, let alone enough to make companies repair environmental damage or build a cleaner future. Everyone has seen the headlines over the years: Coal company Teck fined $60M for contaminating rivers in southeastern B.C., Manitoba paper mill fined $1M for leaking toxin into Saskatchewan River and Husky fined $3.8M for 2016 oil spill into North Saskatchewan River. The combined value of these three companiesTeck, Kraft Paper and Cenovus (Husky's parent corporation)is over $75 billion. Monetary penalties for breaking environmental laws continue to rise. Yet, many companies are failing to maintain compliance and pollution continues to flow. This is especially true in the case of water. Protecting water Canada has an abundance of renewable surface water and groundwatera precious resource that often gets taken for granted. Despite persistent challenges with drinking water insecurity and climate-induced water stress, water access in Canada is a privilege that many other regions of the world do not have. Water pollution from natural resource extraction can hinder economic drivers like tourism and fisheries, impair Indigenous rights, harm species at risk of extinction and perpetuate environmental racism. How fines are issued There are two main options for fining big polluters: administrative penalties or court charges. Administrative penalties proceed more quickly and have historically been used for relatively small fines. Several provinces including British Columbia and Ontario have recently upped maximum penalties to $750,000 and $200,000 respectively for corporations, depending on what law is broken. Court charges are more common when federal lawsuch as the Fisheries Actis also involved. Court convictions carry more social weight, allow for much bigger fines and threaten jail time. However, they can also take years and spending time in prison for harming the environment is an exceedingly rare outcome. Flexibility in fine amounts and bogged down court systems have resulted in administrative penalties increasingly being favored by regulators. For example, these penalties were nearly 20 times more frequent than court charges for industrial pollution under the B.C. Environmental Management Act from 2017 to 2022. For many businesses, a hefty one-off fine for breaking an environmental law is an unsettling wake up call. Responsible employers reflect on this seriously and take tangible steps to reduce the chance of their operations harming the environment in the future. But for wealthy repeat offenders, fines may be treated as nothing more than the cost of doing business. This is where the problem lies, and some of Canada's richest corporations prove it. A report on the Elk Valley contaminants spill produced by the CBC. Repeat water polluters in recent history Teck Resources has been fined again, and again and again for contaminating rivers and harming endangered fish in the Elk Valley, B.C. with toxic mining run-off from five nearby coal projects. The company has also been fined several times for toxic spills and leaks into the Columbia River from its nearby zinc and lead smelter. The cost of these infractions has come to $83.1 million in combined fines. While this may seem a hefty sum, it equals just 0.02 percent of Teck's $3.9 billion dollar profits in 2023 alone. In Quebec, Rio Tinto has been fined less than a million dollars on multiple occasions for illegal acid discharges into rivers from its smelters and refineries. The company's market cap is $104 billion. Oil giant Suncor Energy$9 billion in 2023 earningshas a history of repeatedly polluting the Athabasca River with sediment and sewage, in addition to oil spills and toxic releases during seabed drilling in offshore Newfoundland. None of Suncor's fines related to water contamination has ever exceeded $1 million. Scroll through any of these big polluters' websites and you'll find elegantly worded commitments to sustainability and caring for the environment. But actions speak louder than words, and no amount of greenwashing lingo can erase the smears from a record of chronic non-compliance with environmental laws. Serious policy changes to better protect waterCanada's most valuable natural resourcefrom repeat environmental offenders are warranted. Potential paths forward Laws work to protect the environment when they are strongly written and enforced. Amendments to the Clean Air Act in the United States in 1990 pushed polluters to innovate and resulted in a 60 percent drop in air emissions over the following 20 years despite a 33 percent increase in manufacturing output. Mimicking the successful regulatory overhauls of the past is no guarantee of success today. Still, there are several paths forward to reduce environmental degradation from natural resource extraction that are worth considering: The importance of healthy water systems to Canadians cannot be overstatedit is time to get serious about how this resource is protected. A wider problem It's too early to know the environmental ramifications of the Baltimore bridge collapse. What is clear, however, is that while corporate entities look to limit their own liabilities, the American public will most likely be left to pay for the clean up. This most recent disaster is not unlike the $40 million in clean up costs sitting on Canadian taxpayers from a 2014 tailings dam failure at the Mount Polley Mine that spilled 24 million cubic meters of toxic waste into Fraser River salmon habitat. The company (Imperial Metals) was never fined for the incident. From Baltimore to the Fraser River, financial penalties to those who damage our environments remain pitifully low. Only by holding polluters truly to account can we effectively work to end environmental pollution both in Canada and around the world. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: NASA's Curiosity rover raised robotic arm with drill pointed skyward while exploring Vera Rubin Ridge at the base of Mount Sharp inside Gale Craterbackdropped by distant crater rim. This navcam camera mosaic was stitched from raw images taken on Sol 1833, Oct. 2, 2017, and colorized. Credit: NASA/JPL/Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/Marco Di Lorenzo Humans have been digging underground for millenniaon the Earth. It's where we extract some of our most valuable resources that have moved society forward. For example, there wouldn't have been a Bronze Age without tin and copperboth of which are primarily found under the ground. But when digging under the ground on celestial bodies, we've had a much rougher time. That is going to have to change if we ever hope to utilize the potential resources that are available under the surface. A paper from Dariusz Knez and Mitra Kahlilidermani of the University of Krakow looks at why it's so hard to drill in spaceand what we might do about it. In their 2021 paper, published in the journal Energies, the authors detail two major categories of difficulties when drilling off-worldenvironmental challenges and technological challenges. Let's dive into the environmental challenges first. One obvious difference between Earth and most other rocky bodies that we would potentially want to drill holes into is the lack of an atmosphere. There are some exceptionssuch as Venus and Titan, but even Mars has a thin enough atmosphere that it can't support one fundamental material used for drilling here on Earthfluids. If you've ever tried drilling a hole in metal, you've probably used some cooling fluid. If you don't, there is a good chance either your drill bit or your workpiece will heat up and deform to a point where you can no longer drill. To alleviate that problem, most machinists simply spray some lubricant into the drill hole and keep pressing through. A larger scale version of this happens when construction companies drill into the ground, especially into bedrockthey use liquids to cool the spots where they're drilling. That isn't possible on a celestial body with no atmosphere. At least not using traditional drilling technologies. Any liquid exposed to the lack of atmosphere would immediately sublimate away, providing little to no cooling effect to the work area. And given that many drilling operations occur autonomously, the drill itselftypically attached to a rover or landerhas to know when to back off on its drilling process before the bits melt. That's an added layer of complexity and not one that many designs have yet come up with a solution. CNET describes another Martian mission that used a drill InSight. Credit: CNET YouTube Channel A similar fluid problem has limited the adoption of a ubiquitous drill technology used on Earthhydraulics. Extreme temperature swings, such as those seen on the moon during the day/night cycle, make it extremely difficult to provide a liquid for use in a hydraulic system that doesn't freeze during cold nights or evaporate during scorching days. As such, hydraulic systems used in almost every large drilling rig on Earth are extremely limited when used in space. Other problems like abrasive or clingy regolith can also crop up, such as a lack of magnetic field when orienting the drill. Ultimately, these environmental challenges can be overcome with the same things humans always use to overcome them, no matter what planetary body they're ontechnology. There are plenty of technological challenges for drilling off-world as well, though. The most obvious is the weight constraint, a crucial consideration for doing anything in space. Large drilling rigs use heavy materials, such as steel casings, to support the boreholes they drill, but these would be prohibitively expensive using current launch technologies. Additionally, the size of the drilling system itself is the limiting factor of the force of the drillas stated in the paper, "the maximum force transmitted to the bit cannot exceed the weight of the whole drilling system." This problem is exacerbated by the fact that typical rover drills are leveraged out on a robotic arm rather than placed directly underneath where the maximum amount of weight can be applied. This force limitation also limits the type of material the drill can get throughit will be hard-pressed to drill through any significant boulder, for example. While redesigning rovers with drill location in mind could be helpful, again, the launch weight limitation comes into play here. Another technological problem is the lack of power. Hydrocarbon-fueled engines power most large drilling rigs on Earth. That isn't feasible off of Earth, so the system must be powered by solar cells and the batteries they provide. These systems also suffer from the same tyranny of the rocket equation, so they are typically relatively limited in size, making it difficult for drilling systems to take advantage of some of the benefits of entirely electric systems over hydrocarbon-powered onessuch as higher torque. Curiosity has a unique drilling technique, as described in this JPL video. Credit: NASA JPL YouTube Channel No matter the difficulties these drilling systems face, they will be vital for the success of any future exploration program, including crewed ones. If we ever want to create lava cave cities on the moon or get through Enceladeus' ice sheet to the ocean within, we will need better drilling technologies and techniques. Luckily, there are plenty of design efforts to come up with them. The paper details four different categories of drill designs: Surface drillsless than 10 cm depth Shallow-depth drillsless than 1m depth Medium-depth drillsbetween 1m and 10m depth Large-depth drillsgreater than 10m depth For each category, the paper lists several designs at various completeness stages. Many of them have novel ideas about how to go about drilling, such as using an "inchworm" system or using ultrasonics. But for now, drilling off-world, and especially on asteroids and comets, which have their own gravitational challenges, remains a difficult but necessary task. As humanity becomes more experienced at it, we will undoubtedly get better at it. Given how important this process is for the grand plans of space explorers everywhere, the time when we can drill effectively into any rocky or icy body in the solar system can't come soon enough. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: a, Schematic illustration of THz measurement scheme. b, Transient THz dynamics of Te under different pump fluence with 800 nm excitation wavelength. Black solid lines represent the biexponential fitting curves. Credit: Adapted from Light: Science & Applications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01393-6 High-performance active terahertz (THz) modulators are of great importance for next generation communication technology. However, they currently suffer from the tradeoff between modulation depth and speed. Two-dimensional (2D) materials with unique physical properties such as strong light-matter interactions, atomically thin profile, and fast carrier recombination, could offer an intriguing platform for investigating optoelectronic devices in fundamental physics. Therefore, it is urgent to find the favorable 2D materials that boost device performance. The emerging mono-elemental 2D tellurium (Te) is an intriguing new option. This material, with a unique helical chain structure, has promising features, such as a layer-dependent bandgap, extraordinarily high carrier mobility, a strong optical response, and good air-stability. In a new paper published in Light: Science & Application, a team of scientists, led by Professor Qingli Zhou from Key Laboratory of Terahertz Optoelectronics, Ministry of Education, and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Theory and Technology, Department of Physics, Capital Normal University, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, and co-workers have developed Te-based THz modulators for successfully promoting the device performances to the optimal and applicable levels among the existing all-2D broadband modulators. The researchers found that the Te nanofilms can achieve high modulation depth in a picosecond timescale and show an ultrasensitive response under low pump excitation. Combined with all-2D heterostructure design and substrate engineering, the parameter optimization of the device can be realized. Therefore, their fabricated heterojunction with the stacking order of Ge/Te exhibits the ultrahigh modulation depth and short-lived carrier lifetime accompanied with the low loss and broad bandwidth properties. Further photoresponse experiments exhibit the obvious rectification effect in Ge/Te due to the interface barrier. To explore the observed significant impact of stacking order, the team calculated the direction of the substrate-induced electric field and uncovered its unusual interaction mechanism in the photoexcited carrier dynamics associated with the charge transfer and interlayer exciton recombination. Their results could provide a more comprehensive understanding on the internal mechanism of ultrafast charge transfer and exciton dynamics in all-2D heterostructures, guide the design of heterointerfaces, and envision a new class of power-efficient, high-speed, low insertion loss, and broadband tunable THz photonic devices. The high-performance THz modulators are centered around Te nanofilm and its heterojunctions to solve the problem of the tradeoff between modulation depth and speed. In addition, they have found that the stacking order of materials has an obvious influence on the modulation property. The calculation and analysis clarify that the effective field of the substrate engineers the band structure of the heterogeneous interface through the stacking order, and thus the optical transient behaviors can be regulated. a, Transient THz dynamics of Te/Ge and Ge/Te heterojunctions with 800 nm excitation wavelength. b, Left: Calculated space distribution of the differential charge density for different materials on substrate. The color blue (yellow) denotes electron depletion (accumulation). Right: Schematic substrate-induced electric fields and charge transfer in heterojunctions of Te/Ge (upper) and Ge/Te (lower), respectively. Credit: Adapted from Light: Science & Applications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01393-6 "We introduce 2D Te nanofilms with the unique structure as a new class of optically controlled THz modulators and demonstrate their integrated heterojunctions can successfully improve the device performances to the optimal and applicable levels among the existing all-2D broadband modulators. "Further photoresponse measurements confirm the significant impact of the stacking order. We first clarify the direction of the substrate-induced electric field through first-principles calculations and uncover the unusual interaction mechanism in the photoexcited carrier dynamics associated with the charge transfer and interlayer exciton recombination. "Our obtained results show the Te-based all-2D vdW heterojunctions with the substrate engineering can improve the device performances remarkably and open up a new idea for the design, optimization, and application of the optically controlled highly-efficient THz modulators," state the researchers. "We believe that the results in this work not only are of great interest on a fundamental level but also offer guidance for future design and development of high-performance THz modulators based on functional nanomaterials," the scientists said. More information: Pujing Zhang et al, High-performance terahertz modulators induced by substrate field in Te-based all-2D heterojunctions, Light: Science & Applications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01393-6 Journal information: Light: Science & Applications 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: An amateur astronomer prepares her telescope a day before a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, Sunday, April 7, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano Millions of spectators along a narrow corridor stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada eagerly awaited Monday's celestial sensationa total eclipse of the suneven as forecasters called for clouds. The best weather was expected at the tail end of the eclipse in Vermont and Maine, as well as New Brunswick and Newfoundland. It promised to be North America's biggest eclipse crowd ever, thanks to the densely populated path and the lure of more than four minutes of midday darkness in Texas and other choice spots. Almost everyone in North America was guaranteed at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting. "Cloud cover is one of the trickier things to forecast," National Weather Service meteorologist Alexa Maines explained at Cleveland's Great Lakes Science Center on Sunday. "At the very least, it won't snow." The cliff-hanging uncertainty added to the drama. Rain or shine, "it's just about sharing the experience with other people," said Chris Lomas from Gotham, England, who was staying at a sold-out trailer resort outside Dallas, the biggest city in totality's path. For Monday's full eclipse, the moon was due to slip right in front of the sun, entirely blocking it. The resulting twilight, with only the sun's outer atmosphere or corona visible, would be long enough for birds and other animals to fall silent, and for planets, stars and maybe even a comet to pop out. Eclipse glasses are for sale along with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," album at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Sunday, April 7, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Stephanie Nano The out-of-sync darkness lasts up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That's almost twice as long as it was during the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse seven years ago because the moon is closer to Earth. It will be another 21 years before the U.S. sees another total solar eclipse on this scale. Extending five hours from the first bite out of the sun to the last, Monday's eclipse begins in the Pacific and makes landfall at Mazatlan, Mexico, before moving into Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and 12 other U.S. states in the Midwest, Middle Atlantic and New England, and then Canada. Last stop: Newfoundland, with the eclipse ending in the North Atlantic. It will take just 1 hour, 40 minutes for the moon's shadow to race more than 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) across the continent. Eye protection is needed with proper eclipse glasses and filters to look at the sun, except when it ducks completely out of sight during an eclipse. People take a photo at Lake Ontario Park, an official eclipse viewing location, a day before a total solar eclipse will be visible in Kingston, Ontario, Sunday, April 7, 2024. Credit: Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP Gabriel Kauffman, 4, and his brother, Theodore, 6, demonstrate a total solar eclipse at a NASA booth at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, on Sunday, April 7, 2024. They live in Baltimore and came to the Cleveland area to see the eclipse with relatives. Credit: AP Photo/Stephanie Nano Un eclipse solar total el 8 de abril ingresara al continente americano por la costa mexicana del Pacifico, avanzara hacia el norte a traves de Texas y Oklahoma, cruzara la region centro-norte de Estados Unidos, la region central con litoral en el Atlantico, y Nueva Inglaterra, antes de salir a traves del este de Canada hacia el Atlantico. Credit: AP Foto, archivo The path of totalityapproximately 115 miles (185 kilometers) wideencompasses several major cities this time, including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, New York and Montreal. An estimated 44 million people live within the track, with a couple hundred million more within 200 miles (320 kilometers). Add in all the eclipse chasers, amateur astronomers, scientists and just plain curious, and it's no wonder the hotels and flights are sold out and the roads jammed. Experts from NASA and scores of universities are posted along the route, poised to launch research rockets and weather balloons, and conduct experiments. The International Space Station's seven astronauts also will be on the lookout, 270 miles (435 kilometers) up. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: South Korea's second domestically made spy satellite was put into orbit, Seoul's defence ministry said on April 8. South Korea put its second domestically made spy satellite into orbit, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday, after it launched from an American space center on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite successfully communicated with an overseas ground station shortly afterwards, the ministry said. "Our military's second reconnaissance satellite successfully separated from the launch vehicle at around 09:02 (1202 GMT) and entered the target orbit," the defense ministry said in a statement. The satellite "successfully established contact with an overseas ground station at approximately 10:57 (0157 GMT)", it added. Seoul's military said its "independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities have been further strengthened," by the successful launch. "We will proceed with future satellite launches without a hitch," it added. Seoul launched its first military spy satellite in December, which was also carried by one of Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. The latest developments intensify a space race on the Korean peninsula after North Korea launched its first military eye in the sky last November. Seoul's defense minister said the military was closely monitoring the North for further satellite launches, which it had originally expected in March. "It seems they are taking additional supplementary measures," Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said after the launch, adding that an April launch by Pyongyang seemed likely. "If these measures proceed without issue, a mid-April launch is highly possible. April 15 holds special significance for North Korea, so they might attempt a launch then," he said. Seoul's military is closely monitoring North Korea for further satellite launches. April 15 is the birthday of the North's founding leader Kim Il Sung, and is celebrated as Day of the Sun in the country, typically marked with military parades or other mass events. "It's also reasonable to extend the window to late April to ensure all supplementary measures are fully implemented," Shin said. Five more South Korea's first satellite has transmitted high-resolution images of central Pyongyang to Seoul and is expected to commence its full mission stages as early as June, according to Yonhap news agency. Seoul plans to launch a total of five military spy satellites by 2025 to better monitor the North. Once all five enter orbit and commence their missions, the South Korean military will have the capability to monitor key facilities in North Korea using imagery sent around every two hours, according to a report by Seoul's government-run broadcaster KTV. North Korea has claimed its spy satellite has sent images of a US naval base at Hawaii's Pearl Harbor and "major target" sites across South Korea. The North's launch of the "Malligyong-1" was Pyongyang's third attempt at putting such a satellite into orbit, after two failures in May and August last year. Seoul has said the North received technical help from Russia for the launch in return for weapons for use in the war in Ukraine. Experts have said putting a working reconnaissance satellite into orbit would improve North Korea's intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, and provide crucial data in any military conflict. Pyongyang this year has declared South Korea its "principal enemy", jettisoned agencies dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over "even 0.001 mm" of territorial infringement. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse, as seen from Mazatlan, Mexico, Monday, April 8, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano A total solar eclipse has begun. Totality will last up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds in certain spots. The eclipse is crossing North America, darkening skies along a path through Mexico, the United States and Canada. Here's the latest: DALLAS STUDENTS ELATED BY ECLIPSE DALLASEmergency lights clicked on outside D.A. Hulcy Middle School as the last sliver of the sun disappeared. Students cheered and whooped, sitting on towels and picnic blankets in an adjacent parking lot. "I'm a new person," eighth grader Nia Modkins said. Students and teachers took off their eclipse glasses and pointed at the sky, taking pictures and videos. Once three minutes elapsed, their teachers told them to put their eclipse glasses back on as the sun prepared for its return act. Once daylight swept over the parking lot again, eighth grader Sky Johnson swiped through her phone, looking for the video she'd taken during totality. "Two minutes of me screaming, literally," she said. By Adithi Ramakrishnan ___ BEACHES GROW DARK IN MEXICO MAZATLAN, MexicoMazatlan's sparkling beaches have been cast into darkness as the total solar eclipse reaches its maximum coverage. Hundreds of gathered faces were illuminated only by the screens of their cellphones as they tried to capture the slightly more than 4 minutes of totality. Palm trees were silhouetted against a faint glow near the horizon like one of the resort's famous sunsets, but coming before noon. Karen Ibarra, of Colombia, is a researcher at Mexico's National Autonomous University. She came to Mazatlan for the eclipse. A man takes photos of a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, Monday, April 8, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano As darkness blanketed the coast she said, "seeing the corona is the best." ___ TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE REACHES U.S. ON WAY TO CANADA The moon's shadow has moved into the U.S. with cloudy skies in store for a part of the total eclipse path from Texas to Maine. The eclipse cuts through major cities including Dallas; Austin, Texas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; and Niagara Falls, New York. ___ TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BEGINS IN NORTH AMERICA OVER MEXICO A total solar eclipse has reached North America over Mexico as throngs gather along the country's Pacific coast. It'll race toward United States and eastern Canada before exiting into the Atlantic. ___ TEXANS THANKFUL FOR BREAKS IN CLOUDS MESQUITE, TexasCity officials cheered as the thick clouds parted in early afternoon and the sun peeked out, with the moon already taking a bite out of it. "We special ordered the sun this morning," said downtown development manager Beverly Abell. Hundreds gathered at Front Street Station for the outdoor watch party, many pulling out their eclipse glasses to watch the moon's bite grow ever bigger. At the Fort Worth Zoo, clouds occasionally moved over as the eclipse started. Zoo patrons stopped along the paths to take it in. Todd Beeby, 34, drove up with friends from Houston. He said that even with some clouds moving over, the viewing was good. People wait to watch a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, Monday, April 8, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano "It's kind of neat to see it roll in and out," he said. ___ CHEERS IN MEXICO AS MOON BEGINS PASSING OVER SUN MAZATLAN, MexicoCheers broke out along the beach in this resort city as the moon began to pass over the sun. Hundreds in a beachside park had passed the waiting time by readying their equipment and listening to a youth orchestra play Star Wars songs while a large screen projected images of Princess Leia behind them. Luz Elena Aguillon de la O sat in the grass with a group of 14 family and friends who had gathered from Mexico City, Guanajuato and right here in Mazatlan to take in the spectacle. "Happy to be here with family, friends sharing a singular, unrepeatable event that the universe and nature give us," she said. ___ BIDEN ENCOURAGES AMERICANS TO WEAR EYE PROTECTION WASHINGTONPresident Joe Biden posted a brief video on X to encourage Americans to wear eye protection when viewing the eclipsein a subtle dig at his predecessor and 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump. "Folks, enjoy the eclipse, but play it safe, don't be silly," Biden said in a video showing him donning eclipse glasses and looking skyward from the balcony outside the Blue Room of the White House. That's the spot where Trump glanced up toward the sun without eye protection in 2017. Biden is traveling to Wisconsin, which, like Washington, will experience a partial eclipse on Monday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had no details to share on whether Biden would view the phenomenon. ___ Didier Timothy-Mondesir watches the solar eclipse from Prince Edward County, Ontario, Monday, April 8, 2024. Credit: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP PARTIAL ECLIPSE BEGINS OVER SOUTH PACIFIC The moon has started to cover up the sun as a partial eclipse begins over the South Pacific. Millions along a narrow corridor in North America from Mexico's Pacific coast to eastern Canada hope for clouds to clear as they eagerly wait for totality to reach their location. ___ MEXICAN BEACH TOWN IS FIRST IN LINE FOR TOTALITY MAZATLAN, MexicoValeria Rosas says her four kids had been so excited by an October partial solar eclipse that passed over southeast Mexico, that she decided to come to this Pacific coast beach city for Monday's total eclipse. The 32-year-old drove eight hours from Leon, Guanajuato, with 10 friends and relatives. They joined hundreds of others in a beachside park under blue skies streaked with wispy clouds. It's the first part of North America that will get to see the total eclipse. Rosas' mother, Carmen Loza Rodriguez, recalled that Rosas was a baby when Mexico last saw a total solar eclipse in 1991. "How cool that we have the opportunity to experience it in this digital age, that we can share it with the world," Rosas said. ___ SPECTATORS ARRIVE EARLY AT NIAGARA FALLS NIAGARA FALLS, New YorkThe main attraction at Niagara Falls is typically the more than 750,000 gallons of water that rush over the brink every second. On Monday, it was the eclipse. Tourists streamed into Niagara Falls State Park with wagons, strollers, coolers and chairs. Photographers' tripods lined a railing under cloudy skies. Synthia Nguyen and Jen Cerna from Washington, D.C., claimed a prime lawn spot along the rapids, arriving at 6 a.m. with chairs, a blanket and a tentthat they were quickly asked to take down. They were excited that totality would last a few minutes, long enough for it to sink in. The pair work in an ophthalmology office. People watch a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, Monday, April 8, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano "We're expecting a lot of calls tomorrow," Cerna said. ___ WILL THERE BE CLEAR SKIES? The weather isn't looking good for a large part of the eclipse's path. Clouds could get in the way for a stretch of the route, with the heaviest clouds expected in parts of Texas. There are patches that may be clear. And meteorologists point out that the eclipse might still be visible if the clouds are high and thin. The one area where clear skies are expected is northern New England through to Canada. That area has "a pretty solid lock to be able to see the eclipse pretty crystal clear," said National Weather Service meteorologist Cody Snell. Fifteen U.S. states get a chance to see the full eclipse, although just a small bit of Tennessee and Michigan are included. The length of totality varies by location. The moon's shadow that falls on Earth follows along a path that is 115 miles wide. Practically everyone in North America will have a chance at catching at least a partial eclipse. The farther from the path of totality, the smaller the moon's bite will be out of the sun. ___ CITIES AND TOWN BRACE FOR CROWDS Small towns and rural communities along the eclipse path are steeling for huge crowds. Tourism and community leaders from Texas to Maine trucked in extra fuel and port-a-potties, and urged residents and visitors to be preparedand to be patient. Some counties have issued disaster declarations to get extra help with policing and other aid, similar to the aftermath of severe storms. Among them is Kerr County, located about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, where the normal population of 53,000 is expected to double or triple. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Researchers at the Quantum Machines Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) are studying levitating materialssubstances that can remain suspended in a stable position without any physical contact or mechanical support. The most common type of levitation occurs through magnetic fields. Objects such as superconductors or diamagnetic materials (materials repelled by a magnetic field) can be made to float above magnets to develop advanced sensors for various scientific and everyday uses. Prof. Jason Twamley, head of the unit, and his team of OIST researchers and international collaborators have designed a floating platform within a vacuum using graphite and magnets. Remarkably, this levitating platform operates without relying on external power sources and can assist in the development of ultra-sensitive sensors for highly precise and efficient measurements. Their results have been published in the journal Applied Physics Letters. When an external magnetic field is applied to 'diamagnetic' materials, these materials generate a magnetic field in the opposite direction, resulting in a repulsive forcethey push away from the field. Therefore, objects made of diamagnetic materials can float above strong magnetic fields. For instance, in maglev trains, powerful superconducting magnets create a strong magnetic field with diamagnetic materials to achieve levitation, seemingly defying gravity. Graphite, the crystalline form of carbon found in pencils, is strongly repelled by magnets (highly diamagnetic). By chemically coating a powder of microscopic graphite beads with silica and mixing the coated powder in wax, the researchers formed a centimeter-sized thin square plate that hovers above magnets arranged in a grid pattern. The graphite composite plate wiggles above the magnets for a long time but loses energy over time due to air friction. Credit: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Creating a floating platform that requires no external power has several challenges. The biggest limiting factor is 'eddy damping', which occurs when an oscillating system loses energy over time because of external forces. When an electrical conductor, like graphite, passes through a powerful magnetic field, it experiences energy loss due to the flow of electrical currents. This energy loss has discouraged the use of magnetic levitation to develop advanced sensors. OIST scientists set out to engineer a platform that can float and oscillate without losing energymeaning that once set in motion, it will continue oscillating for an extended period, even without additional energy input. This type of 'frictionless' platform could have many applications, including new types of sensors for measuring force, acceleration, and gravity. However, even if scientists manage to decrease eddy damping, there is another challenge: minimizing the kinetic energy of the oscillating platform. Lowering this energy level is important for two reasons. First, it makes the platform more sensitive for use as a sensor. Second, cooling its motion toward the quantum regime (where quantum effects dominate) could open new possibilities for precision measurements. Therefore, to achieve a truly frictionless, self-sustaining floating platform, both eddy damping and kinetic energy challenges need to be solved. To address these, the researchers focused on creating a new material derived from graphite. By chemically changing it, they transformed graphite into an electrical insulator. This change stops energy losses while allowing the material to levitate in a vacuum. Coated graphite and experimental setup. Credit: Applied Physics Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1063/5.0189219 In their experimental setup, the scientists continuously monitored the platform's motion. Using this real-time information, they applied a feedback magnetic force to dampen the platform's motionessentially cooling down its movement and slowing it down significantly. "Heat causes motion, but by continuously monitoring and providing real-time feedback in the form of corrective actions to the system, we can decrease this movement. The feedback adjusts the system's damping rate, which is how quickly it loses energy, so by actively controlling the damping, we reduce the system's kinetic energy, effectively cooling it down," Prof. Twamley explained. "If cooled sufficiently, our levitating platform could outperform even the most sensitive atomic gravimeters developed to date. These are cutting-edge instruments that use the behavior of atoms to precisely measure gravity. Achieving this level of precision requires rigorous engineering to isolate the platform from external disturbances such as vibrations, magnetic fields, and electrical noise. Our ongoing work focuses on refining these systems to unlock the full potential of this technology." Prof. Twamley's unit focuses on using levitating materials to build mechanical oscillatorssystems that have repetitive or periodic motion around a central point. These oscillations occur in various contexts, such as pendulums, masses connected to springs, and acoustic systems. This research opens exciting possibilities for ultra-sensitive sensors and achieving precise control over oscillating platforms. By combining levitation, insulation, and real-time feedback, Prof. Twamley's team is pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in materials science and sensor technology. More information: S. Tian et al, Feedback cooling of an insulating high-Q diamagnetically levitated plate, Applied Physics Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1063/5.0189219 Journal information: Applied Physics Letters This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Did you know that the world's deadliest animal is the mosquito? And Aedes aegypti is one of the most dangerous. This bug spreads viruses that cause dengue fever, which was recently declared as an epidemic in Puerto Rico. Research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society reports new molecules that label proteins in the unique, alkaline environment of the Ae. aegypti digestive system that could help scientists develop insecticides to fight back. Though mosquito insecticides exist, the pests are developing resistances, and advancements are needed to reduce their numbers and slow the spread of pathogens they carry, including the malaria parasite and the Zika and dengue viruses. Fortunately for scientists, the digestive system of certain mosquito larvae, including Ae. aegypti, is unique: A pH spikes at the beginning of their midgut, creating a highly alkaline region, then tapers off to a more neutral pH environment as digestion continues. So, Michael Riehle, John Jewett and colleagues wanted to develop molecular probes that would react to this change in pH, only "activating" in the alkaline portion of the midgut. The team synthesized two base-reactive molecules and a control molecule for their test probes. These were each introduced to groups of 30 to 40 mosquito larvae, which took them up via filter feeding and passed them through their digestive systems. In the alkaline midgut, the two new base-reactive molecules underwent a series of chemical changes, allowing them to bind to proteins in the gut and be detected by the researchers using fluorescence. Larvae that ingested the control molecule did not exhibit this fluorescence. Reaching and labeling larval gut proteins with these molecular probes creates targets that could one day be used to develop new insecticides, according to the team. Additionally, since most organisms have neutral or acidic digestive systems, these alkaline-specific molecular probes wouldn't affect them, minimizing possible side effects and making future insecticides highly specific for their target. The researchers say that this specificity and adaptability could make insecticides more resilient to change and more effective at fighting mosquito-borne illnesses. More information: Lindsay E. Guzman et al, Chemical Probes to Interrogate the Extreme Environment of Mosquito Larval Guts, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2024). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c14598 Journal information: Journal of the American Chemical Society 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 dark spot centered in the bottom third of this image is the Korea Aerospace Research Institutes Danuri orbiter, smudged because it was traveling quickly in the opposite direction of NASAs LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) when LRO snapped the photo. At the time, Danuri was orbiting 5 miles, or 8 kilometers, below LROs orbit, and LRO was about 50 miles, or 80 kilometers, above the moons surface. This image covers an area about 2 miles, or 3 kilometers, wide. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University NASA's LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), which has been circling and studying the moon for 15 years, captured several images of Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri lunar orbiter last month. The two spacecraft, traveling in nearly parallel orbits, zipped past each other in opposite directions between March 5 and 6, 2024. LRO's narrow angle camera (one in a suite of cameras known as "LROC") captured the images featured here during three orbits that happened to be close enough to Danuri's to grab snapshots. Due to the fast relative velocities between the two spacecraft (about 7,200 miles, or 1,500 kilometers, per hour), the LRO operations team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, needed exquisite timing in pointing LROC to the right place at the right time to catch a glimpse of Danuri, the Republic of Korea's first spacecraft at the moon. Danuri has been in lunar orbit since December 2022. Although LRO's camera exposure time was very short, only 0.338 milliseconds, Danuri still appears smeared to 10 times its size in the opposite direction of travel because of the relative high travel velocities between the two spacecraft. At the first imaging opportunity, LRO was oriented down 43 degrees from its typical position of looking down at the lunar surface to capture Danuri (streaked across the middle) from 3 miles, or 5 kilometers, above it. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University During the next encounter, LRO was closer to Danuri, about 2.5 miles, or 4 kilometers, and oriented 25 degrees toward it. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University Last spring, Danuri had an opportunity to photograph LRO. Its ShadowCam instrument, provided by NASA, snapped this photo of LRO as the Korean spacecraft passed about 11 miles (18 kilometers) above it on April 7, 2023. Based on the design of LROs narrow angle cameras, the ShadowCam was built to take high-resolution images of the moons permanently shadowed regions, where frozen water is likely trapped. The relative velocity between the two spacecraft was about 7,000 miles, or 11,000 kilometers, per hour. Credit: NASA/KARI/Arizona State University Provided by NASA This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Focusing attention on your mobile phone instead of your partner doesn't just strain your relationshipit also affects women's creativity in the workplace, caution researchers from the Universities of Bath, Aston, and IESE Business School. The study sheds light on the negative effects of 'phubbing', the idea of snubbing someone in favor of your phone, which is known for its detrimental impact on relationships and mental well-being. Now, the study of working couples in the US points to repercussions in the workplace as well, but only for the female partner. "Phone usage is eroding the connection between couples and hindering their capacity to discuss and address stresses and concerns that are playing on their mind," said Professor Yasin Rofcanin from the University of Bath's Future of Work research center. "Supportive interactions at home have a positive crossover effect on partners, enhancing their creativity in the workplace. However, this spiral of support is lost when individuals are absorbed in phone scrolling, missing out on these valuable moments of connection." Analysis of diary entries spanning 15 working days from 65 full-time, dual-income heterosexual couples with children in the US reveals that phone use is disrupting social interaction and the support couples provide each other in balancing work and family responsibilities. Previous research from a similar study setup shows that supportive interactions with co-workers extend to the home environment, benefiting partners in loving relationships and contributing to enhanced creativity in the workplace. However, the effect only works for women. Researchers say women seem more adept at translating this support into workplace creativity, possibly because expectations on women to juggle home and work push them to pursue support networks and seek out family-friendly work policies. The researchers say that the support spiral enables women to be more resourceful at workto engage in proactive 'job-crafting' that enhances job satisfaction, such as seeking out new challenges, building stronger relationships with colleagues, and choosing a positive perspective on their role, which all contribute to enhanced creativity at work. "These findings around phubbing hold particular relevance in the post-pandemic era, where hybrid working arrangements have become increasingly prevalent," said Professor Rofcanin. "As organizations navigate this new landscape, it's crucial to consider the impact of home dynamics on employee productivity and well-being." The researchers hope that the findings will contribute to employer thinking on boundaries around using technology for working out of hours and that it will underline the importance of policies that support work-family balance, such as flexible working schedules. Dr. Siqi Wang from Aston Business School said, "In fostering a supportive work-family environment, close collaboration between HR managers and employees' first-line supervisors is essential. Employers can benefit from work-family supervisor training programs emphasizing communication and limiting technology use, particularly for work purposes." The findings are published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. More information: Siqi Wang et al, The more you connect, the less you connect: An examination of the role of phubbing at home and job crafting in the crossover and spillover effects of workfamily spousal support on employee creativity, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (2024). DOI: 10.1111/joop.12503 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The 4.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the Northeast on April 5 didn't seem to cause much damage, but it was enough to send tremors of concern through anyone who felt it. It's not that the region never experiences seismic shifts. It's just that most earthquakes in the region go undetected. Professor Laurie Baise is the chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the School of Engineering. As lead investigator in the Geohazards Research Lab, she explores the dangers that come with earthquakes and extreme wind and develops models to predict the damage they cause. As people in New Jerseywhere the earthquake was centeredand surrounding states asked each other, "Was that what I think it was?" Baise spoke with Tufts Now about the rumblings. Earthquakes are relatively rare on the East Coast. How are we different from the West Coast? Laurie Baise: Most earthquakes are caused by plate tectonics. The West Coast, including California and the Pacific Northwest, sits on active plate boundaries: The Pacific Plate is moving relative to the North American Plate along the coast of California and the Juan do Fuca Plate is subducting beneath the North American Plate in the Pacific Northwest. On the other hand, the Northeast is within the stable continent and the closest plate boundary is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Is this earthquake unusual or significant for the region? This earthquake is unusual for this region but not unexpected. The last similar earthquake was in 2002 in northern New York. It had a moment magnitude of 5.1. This part of the country does not have high earthquake hazards, but we do have earthquakes. A magnitude 4.8 or 5 earthquake is consistent with the type of earthquake that buildings are designed for in this region. At what magnitude does damage startand should we be ready for more? Does research indicate that earthquakes will be increasing? Besides earthquakes due to wastewater injection, earthquake hazards are relatively stable. A magnitude 5 earthquake is felt at the surface and can lead to some damage in the area near the epicenter. Whether a building is damaged is highly dependent on building construction and the soil conditions beneath the site. Your research involves predictive models and seismic hazard mapping. How could that be useful for the Northeast? I am interested in improving earthquake hazard maps for the Northeast. Due to the geologic history of New England, the surface materials range from hard bedrock to soft soils. These conditions can lead to strong amplification of seismic waves in urban areas, which are often underlain by soft soils. Using field measurements and surficial geology maps [that show the distribution of loose surface materials such as sand, gravel, and clay], we have developed maps for New England that can be used to predict locations where soils will amplify seismic waves. These maps can be used in scenario development as we plan for future earthquakes in the region. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Wasp scientists around the globe agree that media coverage of wasps skews negative and almost entirely overlooks their beneficial attributes, reports a team led by UCL researchers. Based off a survey of 115 wasp and bee researchers spread across six continents, the paper, published in the peer-reviewed journal Insectes Sociaux, found that reporting on wasps is far more negative than for their bee cousins. The study describes how media coverage of wasps tends to portray wasps as dangerous pests, with scant attention given to their positive attributes as pollinators and pest-controlling predators. But they also say that scientists have an important role in combating this bias against wasps, by engaging with media to facilitate accurate coverage. Senior author Professor Seirian Sumner (UCL Center for Biodiversity & Environment Research, UCL Biosciences) said, "As many insect populations are in decline across the globe, there is an urgent need to ramp up conservation efforts. Given how impactful public support can be for conservation, it is vital that the public recognizes the value of all insects as critical components of the environments we live in. "The media play a major role in shaping public awareness, by shifting attitudes which can contribute to conservation actionsas long as people see a species as worth protecting." The study authors surveyed researchers about media coverage of their insect of study, including responses from 55 wasp scientists based in 20 countries, alongside 60 bee scientists as a comparative group due to the similarities between the two insects. The wasp scientists nearly all agreed that the media portrays wasps in a negative or strongly negative light, with only two respondents calling the coverage positive, while the large majority of bee scientists agreed that bees tend to get positive coverage. They all also agreed that media coverage was reflective of public opinion, as most non-scientists generally feel negatively about wasps, but positively about bees. Both groups of scientists agreed that the media is important for promoting conversation of the insects they study. And among the scientists who had interacted with the media, even the wasp scientists agreed that the resulting coverage tended to be more positive, and they felt their own contributions positively impacted this. Lead author Dr. Cintia Oi (UCL Center for Biodiversity & Environment Research) said, "Wasps play very important roles in ecosystems across the worldthey're particularly important for agriculture, as they pollinate hundreds of plant species and can be excellent pest controllers that hunt down aphids and caterpillars that damage crops. But most people don't realize how valuable they are, and just see them as picnic-bothering pestsand then negative media stories reinforce such stereotypes. "Wasp scientists may be able to turn the dial on portrayal of wasps in the media, by engaging with journalists to help educate the public on the value of this much maligned insectand hopefully, to drive support for conservation efforts." More information: C. A. Oi et al, Bee-Ing positive about wasp-negative media reporting: the opinions of scientists and their influence on the media, Insectes Sociaux (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s00040-024-00952-9 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Schematic illustration with a gravity gradient map (blue hexagonal pattern) of the lunar nearside and a cross-section showing two ilmenite-bearing cumulate downwellings from lunar mantle overturn. Credit: Adrien Broquet/University of Arizona & Audrey Lasbordes About 4.5 billion years ago, a small planet smashed into the young Earth, flinging molten rock into space. Slowly, the debris coalesced, cooled and solidified, forming our moon. This scenario of how the Earth's moon came to be is the one largely agreed upon by most scientists. But the details of how exactly that happened are "more of a choose-your-own-adventure novel," according to researchers in the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory who published a paper in Nature Geoscience. The findings offer important insights into the evolution of the lunar interior, and potentially for planets such as the Earth or Mars. Most of what is known about the origin of the moon comes from analyses of rock samples, collected by Apollo astronauts more than 50 years ago, combined with theoretical models. The samples of basaltic lava rocks brought back from the moon showed surprisingly high concentrations of titanium. Later satellite observations found that these titanium-rich volcanic rocks are primarily located on the moon's nearside, but how and why they got there has remained a mysteryuntil now. Because the moon formed fast and hot, it was likely covered by a global magma ocean. As the molten rock gradually cooled and solidified, it formed the moon's mantle and the bright crust we see when we look up at a full moon at night. But deeper below the surface, the young moon was wildly out of equilibrium. Models suggest that the last dregs of the magma ocean crystallized into dense minerals including ilmenite, a mineral containing titanium and iron. "Because these heavy minerals are denser than the mantle underneath, it creates a gravitational instability, and you would expect this layer to sink deeper into the moon's interior," said Weigang Liang, who led the research as part of his doctoral work at LPL. Somehow, in the millennia that followed, that dense material did sink into the interior, mixed with the mantle, melted and returned to the surface as titanium-rich lava flows that we see on the surface today. "Our moon literally turned itself inside out," said co-author and LPL associate professor Jeff Andrews-Hanna. "But there has been little physical evidence to shed light on the exact sequence of events during this critical phase of lunar history, and there is a lot of disagreement in the details of what went downliterally." Did this material sink as it formed a little at a time, or all at once after the moon had fully solidified? Did it sink into the interior globally and then rise up on the near side, or did it migrate to the near side and then sink? Did it sink in one big blob, or several smaller blobs? The lunar near side with its dark regions, or "mare," covered by titanium-rich volcanic flows (center) makes up the moon's familiar sight from Earth (left). The mare region is surrounded by a polygonal pattern of linear gravity anomalies (blue in image on the right) interpreted to be the vestiges of dense material that sank into the interior. Their presence provides the first physical evidence for the nature of the global mantle overturn more than 4 billion years ago. Credit: Adrien Broquet/University of Arizona "Without evidence, you can pick your favorite model. Each model holds profound implications for the geologic evolution of our moon," said co-lead author Adrien Broquet of the German Aerospace Center in Berlin, who did the work during his time as a postdoctoral research associate at LPL. In a previous study, led by Nan Zhang at Peking University in Beijing, who is also a co-author on the latest paper, models predicted that the dense layer of titanium-rich material beneath the crust first migrated to the near side of the moon, possibly triggered by a giant impact on the far side, and then sunk into the interior in a network of sheetlike slabs, cascading into the lunar interior almost like waterfalls. But when that material sank, it left behind a small remnant in a geometric pattern of intersecting linear bodies of dense titanium-rich material beneath the crust. "When we saw those model predictions, it was like a lightbulb went on," said Andrews-Hanna, "because we see the exact same pattern when we look at subtle variations in the moon's gravity field, revealing a network of dense material lurking below the crust." In the new study, the authors compared simulations of a sinking ilmenite-rich layer to a set of linear gravity anomalies detected by NASA's GRAIL mission, whose two spacecraft orbited the moon between 2011 and 2012, measuring tiny variations in its gravitational pull. These linear anomalies surround a vast dark region of the lunar near side covered by volcanic flows known as mare (Latin for "sea"). The authors found that the gravity signatures measured by the GRAIL mission are consistent with ilmenite layer simulations, and that the gravity field can be used to map out the distribution of the ilmenite remnants left after the sinking of the majority of the dense layer. "Our analyses show that the models and data are telling one remarkably consistent story," Liang said. "Ilmenite materials migrated to the near side and sunk into the interior in sheetlike cascades, leaving behind a vestige that causes anomalies in the moon's gravity field, as seen by GRAIL." The team's observations also constrain the timing of this event: The linear gravity anomalies are interrupted by the largest and oldest impact basins on the near side and therefore must have formed earlier. Based on these cross-cutting relationships, the authors suggest that the ilmenite-rich layer sank prior to 4.22 billion years ago, which is consistent with it contributing to later volcanism seen on the lunar surface. "Analyzing these variations in the moon's gravity field allowed us to peek under the moon's surface and see what lies beneath," said Broquet, who worked with Liang to show that the anomalies in the moon's gravitational field match what would be expected for the zones of dense titanium-rich material predicted by computer simulation models of lunar overturn. More than 50 years ago, Apollo astronauts brought basaltic lava rocks back from the moon with surprisingly high concentrations of titanium. Later, satellite observations found that these titanium-rich volcanic rocks are primarily located on the moon's nearside - but how and why they got there has remained a mystery until now. Credit: NASA Lopsided moon While the detection of lunar gravity anomalies provides evidence for the sinking of a dense layer in the moon's interior and allows for a more precise estimate of how and when this event occurred, what we see on the surface of the moon adds even more intrigue to the story, according to the research team. "The moon is fundamentally lopsided in every respect," Andrews-Hanna said, explaining that the near side facing the Earth, and particularly the dark region known as Oceanus Procellarum region, is lower in elevation, has a thinner crust, is largely covered in lava flows, and has high concentrations of typically rare elements like titanium and thorium. The far side differs in each of these respects. Somehow, the overturn of the lunar mantle is thought to be related to the unique structure and history of the near side Procellarum region. But the details of that overturn have been a matter of considerable debate among scientists. "Our work connects the dots between the geophysical evidence for the interior structure of the moon and computer models of its evolution," Liang added. "For the first time we have physical evidence showing us what was happening in the moon's interior during this critical stage in its evolution, and that's really exciting," Andrews-Hanna said. "It turns out that the moon's earliest history is written below the surface, and it just took the right combination of models and data to unveil that story." "The vestiges of early lunar evolution are present below the crust today, which is mesmerizing," Broquet said. "Future missions, such as with a seismic network, would allow a better investigation of the geometry of these structures." Liang added, "When the Artemis astronauts eventually land on the moon to begin a new era of human exploration, we will have a very different understanding of our neighbor than we did when the Apollo astronauts first set foot on it." More information: Adrien Broquet, Vestiges of a lunar ilmenite layer following mantle overturn revealed by gravity data, Nature Geoscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01408-2. www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01408-2 Journal information: Nature Geoscience This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Design and synthesis of an air- and moisture-stable ruthenium(II) precatalyst. Credit: Nature Chemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01481-5 Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed a new catalyst which has been shown to have a wide variety of uses and the potential to streamline optimization processes in industry and support new scientific discoveries. Catalysts, often considered the unsung heroes of chemistry, are instrumental in accelerating chemical reactions, and play a crucial role in the creation of most manufactured products. For example, the production of polyethylene, a common plastic used in various everyday items such as bottles and containers or found in cars to convert harmful gases from the engine's exhaust into less harmful substances. Among these, rutheniuma platinum group metalhas emerged as an important and commonly used catalyst. However, while a powerful and cost-effective material, highly reactive ruthenium catalysts have long been hindered by their sensitivity to air, posing significant challenges in their application. This means their use has so far been confined to highly trained experts with specialized equipment, limiting the full adoption of ruthenium catalysis across industries. In new research published in the journal Nature Chemistry, scientists at The University of Manchester working with collaborators at global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca unveil a ruthenium catalyst proven to be long-term stable in air while maintaining the high reactivity necessary to facilitate transformative chemical processes. "We are extremely excited about this discovery. Our new ruthenium catalyst boasts unparalleled reactivity, while maintaining stability in aira feat previously thought unattainable. As well as eliminating the need for specialized equipment or handling procedures, it also enables the user to run simultaneous reactions, facilitating rapid screening and streamlining optimization procedures. "This means procedures are quicker, more environmentally friendly and the accumulation of large amounts of waste is prevented," said Gillian McArthur, lead author and Ph.D. student at The University of Manchester The discovery allows for simple handling and implementation processes and has shown versatility across a wide array of chemical transformations, making it accessible for non-specialist users to exploit ruthenium catalysis. Collaborative efforts with AstraZeneca demonstrate this new catalyst's applicability to industry, particularly in developing efficient and sustainable drug discovery and manufacturing processes. Dr. James Douglas, Director of High-Throughput Experimentation who collaborated on the project from AstraZeneca said, "Catalysis is a critical technology for AstraZeneca and the wider biopharmaceutical industry, especially as we look to develop and manufacture the next generation of medicines in a sustainable way. This new catalyst is a great addition to the toolbox and we are beginning to explore and understand its industrial applications." The new approach has already led to the discovery of new reactions that have never been reported with ruthenium and with its enhanced versatility and accessibility, the researchers anticipate further advancements and innovations in the field. More information: Gillian McArthur et al, An air- and moisture-stable ruthenium precatalyst for diverse reactivity, Nature Chemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01481-5 Journal information: Nature Chemistry 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 When Monday's solar eclipse casts its shadow, Colorado-based scientists will chase it in a jet flying faster than 500 mph and aim a coffin-shaped instrument straight at the sun's corona, taking measurements that eventually could help weather forecasters predict space storms. The federal government increasingly tracks geomagnetic space storms because solar flares and geomagnetic bursts from the sun can knock out power grids, satellites and air traffic control. The scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder prepared near a runway at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport last week, installing their instrument on a Gulf V jet under overhead windows. They'll exploit the darkness during the eclipse to closely observe swirling streaks of exploding brown gases around the sun that otherwise are hard to study. Shortly before the moon completely covers the sun, they'll take off from Tucson and race over Texas to keep the sun's coronaits upper atmospherein their sights for as long as possible. Colorado will experience a partial eclipse, with a maximum of about 65% of the sun covered at 12:40 p.m. in Denver. "In a technological society, your life could really be interrupted by space weather," said astrophysicist Jenna Samra of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Massachusetts, the lead scientist on this NCAR project. "The data we get from this eclipse is going to inform the design of future instruments to measure the corona's magnetic field. That could potentially improve space weather predictions," Samra said. A space weather bulletin issued on March 24 by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Centeralso based in Boulderwarned of a severe geomagnetic storm after explosions of gases and ejections of magnetic material from the sun. No major disruptions of technology were reported during the storm, the fourth of such intensity since 2019, NOAA project manager Bryan Brasher said. In December, a NASA telescope detected a strong solar flare pulsing from the sun. It disrupted radio communications in the United States and other sunlit areas. Several pilots reported trouble. The sun's cycles are nearing an 11-year peak that can lead to increased solar winds, flares and geomagnetic storms. During Monday's eclipse, the scientists plan to stay in the shadow as far as the area above Dallas, extending their observation time by 50% compared with the time a ground-based team could study the corona. It's a "mission of opportunity," Samra said, because close observation of the sun's atmosphere is usually impossible due to brightnesslight millions of times brighter than on Earth, blotting out views. A research team of seven scientists, technicians, and pilots will fly in the jet as the instrument, called an Airborne Coronal Emission Surveyor, measures infrared light emitted by the corona. Scientists say that by measuring the intensity of the light, they can calculate the temperatures and the density of particles in the coronainformation useful in studying other stars. One big mystery is why the corona gas around the sun is millions of times hotter than the sun's surface. Later, analyzing light data, the scientists will try to identify patterns that could be used to detect geomagnetic storms. The jet will fly at an elevation of 45,000 feet, about 10,000 feet higher than commercial airliners, NCAR officials said. Solar flares pulse away from the sun at light speed, reaching the earth in about eight minutestoo fast to anticipate impacts, Samra said. But solar ejections of charged gases that become rotating geomagnetic storms move more slowly, around 1,000 kilometers per hour. "For that, there's time." NOAA space weather forecasters say that, because of the growing technological dependence, human societies are more vulnerablerequiring a better understanding of solar dynamics. "Right now, we can only forecast a couple of days in advance," Brasher said. "We have a lot further to go." 2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The last time a total solar eclipse cast its shadows across the United States in August 2017, Jenee Chizick-Aguero, the founder and publisher of Motivos magazine, was pregnant with her son. There was a viewing party in the parking lot outside Esperanza, a nonprofit on North 5th Street, and Chizick-Aguero was determined to go. In a total solar eclipse, the moon aligns up between the earth and the sun, temporarily blocking the sun's light and turning day into nearly night, in some places. But first, the Fishtown resident had to negotiate with some strong cultural beliefs of her husband, Jorge Arturo Aguero, and his family, who are Costa Rican. Both Jorge Aguero and his mother, Nereida Esquivel, who still lives in Costa Rica, were worried about Chizick-Aguero catching a glimpse of the eclipse while pregnant. "His mom covered herself in black clothing during the 1991 eclipse, when [she] was pregnant with his younger sister," she said. Her mother-in-law told her she had worn all black to guard against her baby being born with a birthmark. By the 2017 eclipse, Chizick-Aguero, who loved science, was all set to go out to watch it. Her own child would be born one month later. "But my husband said, 'No, you can't do this. It might jeopardize our son,'" Chizick-Aguero recalled. That's when Chizick-Aguero learned that people in Costa Rica, especially the areas where Indigenous beliefs are strong, have customs about what pregnant women should do during a solar eclipse. The 2017 eclipse was the first to be seen in a broad sweep across the country, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, in nearly a century, since June 1918. There had been an eclipse in February 1979, but that one was only visible in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. through Canada. So this was a major eclipse. Chizick-Aguero, born in the United States, had not grown up with myths about solar eclipses. She was adamant about watching it. Her compromise was to attend the viewing party with a friend. In addition to wearing protective eye wear, Chizick-Aguero tied a black sweatshirt around her belly to honor her husband's beliefs. Their son was born a month later, without any birthmarks. Remembering Maya eclipse myths Diliana Cho Solis, a bilingual counseling assistant for the Philadelphia School District, lives in South Philly. But she was born in Honduras, the daughter of a Chinese father and a Nicaraguan mother. Cho Solis said the eclipse myths in Honduras stem from Mayan legends. One belief is that crops will go bad because the moon "has taken the energy away from the sun." There's also a belief that pregnant women should wear a red ribbon or anything red. "And if a child is born [during] an eclipse, people believe the child will be born with superpowers and be gifted," she said. There are also beliefs that the sun and moon are lovers who have been punished, so they can only meet one time over several years. U.S. Indigenous customs There has been so much excitement about recent eclipses with crowds gathering to view them together that the Smithsonian Magazine and the New York Times published articles noting that for Indigenous peoples throughout the world, a solar eclipse can be spiritual and sacred. During an annular eclipse in October 2023, the Navajo Nation closed all its parks during the eclipse to accommodate traditional beliefs. "Navajo look at the universe as holistic," David Begay, a cultural astronomer and vice president of the Indigenous Education Institute, told the Times. The alignment of the planet, moon and sun during eclipses is understood as one cycle within an interconnected cosmic order." And the Institute for Dine Culture, Philosophy and Government, in Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, told the Smithsonian Magazine in 2017: "During the eclipse, we must be in full prayer and reverence. Prayers must be focused on the concept of the sun or moon going through an ending, and we are to pray about the ending of bad or evil, or the ending of phases of life. In addition, our prayers must be focused on the birth and renewal that will arrive when the eclipse ends." Dine is what the Navajo people call themselves. The Smithsonian listed a detailed description of various Indigenous beliefs about eclipses: During a solar or lunar eclipse, "it is believed that a death occurs. A death is a very sacred occurrence. There are certain necessary protocols, but most important is the strict and comprehensive reverence in observing the occurrence of death," the Dine Institute said. The Dine also believe the sun is male and the moon is female and that during an eclipse, the sun and moon are mating. Once the eclipse has passed and the sun and moon are bright once again, the Dine believe "that a birthing has just taken place. It is believed that the mating is to give birth to, or renew, the universe and all creation." The Taos Pueblo of New Mexico believe that people should stay indoors and keep babies away from windows. The Cherokee in Oklahoma say the eclipse means "a giant frog in the sky is trying to eat the sun. Everybody is supposed to go outside and make a big noise with drums, whistles, and voices to scare the frog away." A rare astronomical event For Derrick Pitts, an astronomer at the Franklin Institute, many people growing up in the United States did not learn about solar eclipses because the widespread teaching of science didn't occur until after the Industrial Revolution. Pitts said for many civilizations, the natural phenomenon of the moon blocking the sun caused fears that "something was interrupting the sun, and either we try to do something to reverse that, or we wait fearfully indoors until it's over and pray for protection from what evil or bad spirits might be affecting the sun." "This is a rare astronomical event, and it's always great to connect people with real science," he said. Pitts will be hosting the Franklin Institute's viewing party from 1: 30 to 5. p.m. on Monday. "I've seen eclipses before, and it's like a very deep dusk. It's not like night," he said. Astrological interpretations Stephanie Renee, who describes herself as the "Vibe Mistress," of Soul Sanctuary, a nonprofit arts education foundation, is Black and Caribbean and lives in Roxborough. She didn't know of any customs surrounding solar eclipses while growing up in Washington, D.C., but as someone who studies astrology, Renee said astronomical events like eclipses, in general, represent "a new beginning, and a radical change." "It's about a radical moving forward in your own individual energy," she said. "What makes this solar eclipse significant is that it is happening while Mercury is in retrograde. This happens about three times a year, when there is an approximately three-week period where you need to double- and triple-check what you say, think and do. " For instance, she said during a Mercury retrograde, people should be careful about making major purchases or signing contracts and there should be a high level of caution. It's also significant that this eclipse is happening as the skies enter the astrological sign of Aries, Renee added. "This means that you have all this Aries energy which is pushing you forward, an eclipse, that is about an inner shift, while at the same time the Mercury retrograde is telling you to slow down, double-check things and make sure your communications don't go haywire," she said. Watch the animals Addie Johnston, a research scientist who works at the University of Pennsylvania, lives in the Graduate Hospital area of the city and is chair of the Friends of Carpenter Green Park, at 17th and Carpenter. Johnston is asking her neighbors and parents of students at the nearby Edwin M. Stanton school to encourage children to get involved in a science project watching out for odd behaviors from animals, birds and insects during the eclipse. She has posted fliers about the Solar Eclipse Safari, which is asking people to go outdoors and observe animals. "All animals are affected or controlled to some degree by their circadian rhythms, and with the skies turning darker, there's a potential for bees to act a bit odd," Johnston said. "You may notice some alteration in the flying habits of the bees, or birds." Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substancescommonly known as PFASare a group of over 14,000 human-made chemicals that have been popular since the 1950s for their diverse skills in resisting heat, water, grease and stains. They've been commonly found in household products like non-stick frypans, clothing, cosmetics, insecticides, and food packaging, as well as specialty industry products, like firefighting foam. But despite their broad skillset, the chemicals have a dark side: they're known as 'forever chemicals' as once they're in the environmentor our bodiesthey don't degrade further. PFAS have been linked to environmental and health issues, including some cancers, but a lot remains unknown about the true scale and potential impacts of the problemincluding how much is in our water supply. A new UNSW-led international study, published in Nature Geoscience, assessed the levels of PFAS contamination in surface and groundwater around the globe. It found that much of our global source water exceeds PFAS safe drinking limits. "Many of our source waters are above PFAS regulatory limits," says senior author of the study, UNSW Engineering Professor Denis O'Carroll. "We already knew that PFAS is pervasive in the environment, but I was surprised to find out the large fraction of source waters that are above drinking water advisory recommendations," he says. "We're talking above 5%, and it goes over 50% in some cases." The research team pulled together PFAS measurements from sources around the world, including government reports, databases, and peer-reviewed literature. Altogether, they collated more than 45,000 data points, which span over roughly 20 years. It's the first study to quantify the environmental burden of PFAS on a global scale. The study also found high concentrations of PFAS in Australia, with many locations above recommended drinking water levels. This tended to be in areas where firefighting foams had been used in the past, like military institutions and fire training facilities. Prof. O'Carroll stresses that these PFAS traces are found in source water, such as dams, and not drinking water itselfdrinking water goes through treatment plants, some of which are designed to reduce the amount of chemicals such as PFAS in our water before it comes out of the tap. But some water providersfor example, Sydney Waterdon't routinely measure the broad range of PFAS potentially in our drinking water, says Prof. O'Carroll. "Drinking water is largely safe, and I don't hesitate drinking it," he says. "I also don't suggest that bottled water is better, because it doesn't mean that they've done anything differently than what comes out of the tap. "But I certainly think that monitoring PFAS levels and making the data easily available is worthwhile." A contentious debate: how much PFAS is too much? Most people in Australiaand in many places around the worldare likely to have low levels of PFAS in their bodies. But the potential health risks of PFAS chemicals are poorly understood and haven't been agreed on universally. According to an Australian Government expert health panel, there is limited to no evidence that PFAS poses clinically significant harm to human healthalthough further afield, peak bodies in the U.S. and Europe suggest that PFAS is linked to adverse health outcomes, such as lower birth weight in babies, higher levels of cholesterol, reduced kidney function, thyroid disease, altered sex hormone levels, reduced vaccine response, and liver, kidney, and testicular cancers. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared PFOA, a type of PFAS, a category one human carcinogen. While PFAS has been linked to many of these health outcomes, they haven't necessarily been shown to cause thembut given the potential risks and 'forever' nature of these chemicals, many regulatory bodies have tightened PFAS use and introduced safe drinking water limits as a precaution. "Two forms of PFAS initially raised of concerns about 20 years ago: PFOS and PFOA," says Prof. O'Carroll. "These chemicals are regulated to different extents around the world. In the US, the proposed drinking water limits for PFOS and PFOA are four nanograms per liter." A third PFAS is also regulated in Australia, called PFHxS. Here, the sum of PFOS and PFHxS is limited to 70 nanograms per literwell above the four nanograms per liter combined PFOS and PFOA limit in the US. But our acceptable levels for PFOA in drinking water is even higher. "PFOA, on the other hand, is regulated in Australia at 560 nanograms per liter, which is two orders of magnitude higher than in the US," says Prof. O'Carroll. While Australia's limits seem relaxed compared to the US, both countries' recommended drinking water guidelines pale when compared to Canada's: here, rather than limiting only two or three forms of PFAS in drinking water, Canada tallies up the sum of all 14,000 PFAS and limits the overall number to 30 nanograms per liter. The study found that 69% of global groundwater samples with no known contamination source exceeded Health Canada's safe drinking water criteria, while 32% of the same samples exceeded the US's proposed drinking water hazard index. "There's debate about what level PFAS should be regulated to," says Prof. O'Carroll. "Australia has much higher limits than the US, but the question is why. "Both health bodies would have different reasoning for that, and there's not a really strong consensus here." An underestimated risk The study suggests that actual PFAS pollution in global water resources could be higher than suspected. This is, in part, due to us only monitoring and regulating a limited number of the 14,000 PFAS in existence, and also because the levels of PFAS in consumer products are higher than expected. "There's a real unknown amount of PFAS that we're not measuring in the environment," says Prof. O'Carroll. "Commercial products like garments and food packaging have a lot more PFAS in them than we realize. "This means we're likely underestimating the environmental burden posed by PFAS." Prof. O'Carroll and his team are now trying to develop their research by quantifying these levels of PFAS from commercial products in the environment. They're also working to develop technologies that can degrade PFAS in drinking water systems, and looking at developing predictive models that determine where PFAS will go in the environment. "Part of this is figuring out how PFAS will associate with different parts of the environment and our bodiesproteins, for example," says Prof. O'Carroll. These studies will be in progress over the next two years and aim to be completed by 2026. In the meantime, Prof. O'Carroll says manufacturers and consumers alike need to be careful and do their due diligence when using products containing PFAS. "We manufacture and distribute a lot of chemicals without having a full assessment on their potential health impacts," he says. "We should have judicious use of some of these chemicals. Just because they're available, doesn't mean that we should use them." More information: Denis O'Carroll, Underestimated burden of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in global surface waters and groundwaters, Nature Geoscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01402-8. www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01402-8 Journal information: Nature Geoscience This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Gabriel Kauffman, 4, and his brother, Theodore, 6, demonstrate a total solar eclipse at a NASA booth at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, on Sunday, April 7, 2024. They live in Baltimore and came to the Cleveland area to see the eclipse with relatives. Credit: AP Photo/Stephanie Nano Eclipse spectators staked out their spots across three countries Sunday, fervently hoping for clear skies despite forecasts calling for clouds along most of the sun-vanishing route. North America won't see another coast-to-coast total solar eclipse for 21 years, prompting the weekend's worry and mad rush. Monday's extravaganza stretches from Mexico's Pacific beaches to Canada's rugged Atlantic shores, with 15 U.S. states in between. "I have arrived in the path of totality!" Ian Kluft announced Sunday afternoon after pulling into Mesquite from Portland, Oregon, a 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) drive. A total eclipse happens when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun, blotting out the sunlight. That means a little over four minutes of daytime darkness east of Dallas in Mesquite, where locals like Jorge Martinez have the day off. The land surveyor plans to "witness history" from home with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter, Nati. "Hopefully, she'll remember. She's excited, too," he said following breakfast at Dos Panchas Mexican Restaurant. Inside the jammed restaurant, manager Adrian Martinez figured on staying open Monday. "Wish it was going to be sunny like today," he said. "But cloudiness? Hopefully, it still looks pretty good." Volunteer Penelope Tsambounieris hands out eclipse special glasses to the Varouh family from Bay Village, Ohio, at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Stephanie Nano Near Ennis, Texas, to the south, the Range Vintage Trailer Resort was also packed, selling out of spots more than a year ago. "I booked it instantly, then I told my wife, 'We're going to Texas,'" Gotham, England's Chris Lomas said from the trailer resort Sunday. Even if clouds obscure the covered-up sun, "it will still go dark. It's just about sharing the experience with other people," he added. In Cleveland, the eclipse persuaded women's Final Four fans Matt and Sheila Powell to stick around an extra day after Sunday's game. But they were debating whether to begin their drive home to Missouri Valley, Iowa, early Monday in search of clearer skies along the eclipse's path. "We're trying to be flexible," Powell said. Even the eclipse professionals were up in the air. Eclipse mapmaker Michael Zeiler had a perfect record ahead of Monday, seeing 11 out of 11 total solar eclipses after successfully relocating three of those times at the last minute for better weather. A blue sky shines below the sun as a person walks with an infant along the shores of Lake Ontario, a day before a total solar eclipse will be visible in Kingston, Ontario, Sunday, April 7, 2024. Credit: Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP "We are the complete opposite of tornado chasers, always seeking clear skies," Zeiler said in an email over the weekend. This time, though, he was staying put in Fredericksburg, Texas, with his family, 10 of them altogether, and holding onto "a considerable ray of hope." Farther north, in Buffalo, New York, Jeff Sherman flew in from Somerville, Massachusetts, to catch his second total solar eclipse. After seeing the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse in 2017, "now I have to see any one that's nearby, he said. Kluft also enjoyed clear skies for the 2017 eclipse, in Oregon, and rolled into Mesquite wearing the T-shirt from that big event. As for Monday's cloudy forecast across Texas, "at least I'll be around people who are like-minded." Dicey weather was also predicted almost all the way to Lake Erie, despite Sunday's gorgeous weather. The only places promised clear skies along Monday's narrow 115-mile-wide (185-kilometer-wide) corridor of totality were New England and Canada. Eclipse glasses are for sale along with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," album at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Sunday, April 7, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Stephanie Nano Motorists traveling toward Austin, Texas are reminded of Monday's eclipse and the possibility of traffic delays Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Austin. Credit: AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast Like everywhere else, the weather was the hot topic at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park on Sunday. By mid-morning, volunteer Tom Villa already had greeted tourists from several states, as well as Canada and Brazil. "They hope it's like this tomorrow, of course, but you know, the weather is the weather," he said. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Experimental plot design. The site includes four blocks (transparent gray), each 96 x 96 meters. Within each block there are two treatments: Control (green) and basalt-amended plots (blue). For each treatment there are two cultivation types: no-till/direct drill (dotted) and ploughed (hashed). Each cultivation plot is 12 x 96 meters. Background: OpenStreetMap. Inset: location of the Nafferton Research Farm in NE England, overlaid OpenStreetMap. Credit: PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295031 Enhanced rock weatheringa nature-based carbon dioxide removal process that accelerates natural weatheringresults in significantly higher first year crop yields, improved soil pH, and higher nutrient uptake, according to a paper, published in PLOS ONE on 27 March. Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) involves spreading finely crushed silicate rock such as basalt on agricultural land. It is a scalable and permanent climate technology with the potential to sequester gigatons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Co-authored by scientists at UNDO, a leading enhanced rock weathering project developer, and Newcastle University, the article is the latest enhanced rock weathering (ERW) study assessing the impact on crops in a temperate climate. Benefits of enhanced rock weathering Professor David Manning, Professor of Soil Science, Newcastle University School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, and co-author of the paper, commented, "The results of this trial give further scientific credibility for enhanced rock weathering and greatly improve its value proposition to farmers. Newcastle University is pleased to partner with UNDO. Our joint research into the co-benefits for farmers of basalt amendment is helping to pave the way for the widespread adoption of enhanced rock weathering in the agricultural community." Yit Arn Teh, Professor of Soil Science, Newcastle University, and co-author of the paper, said, "Independent bodies, such as the IPCC and UK Committee for Climate Change, have repeatedly highlighted the urgent need for climate action in the agriculture and land use sector to counter the effects of dangerous climate change. At the same time, the agricultural sector is under increasing pressure to meet key sustainability and environmental targets, against a backdrop of rising farm operating costs, driven by the cost of living crisis. "Use of enhanced rock weathering to remove carbon dioxide and naturally enhance soil health represents a potential winwin for farmers and climate as this technology is able to capture carbon dioxide while simultaneously supplying some of the key nutrients that crops require for successful growth. By using locally sourced rocks, rather than inputs (e.g., fertilizers) obtained from overseas, supply chains are also shortened, further reducing the overall carbon footprint of food production. "Crucially, enhanced rock weathering is a technology that can be readily adopted by the agricultural sector because it does not require farmers to invest in new equipment, technology or training, but simply utilizes the existing equipment and infrastructure for spreading fertilizer or other soil amendments." Dr. XinRan Liu, Head of Science and Research at UNDO and co-author of the paper, commented, "Nutrient limitations in agricultural soils are a major concern for farmers in relation to sustaining and increasing crop yields. This latest study highlights how the spreading of basalt rock on farmland can lead to higher crop yields and can be effective in a temperate climate. This research demonstrates the potential for enhanced rock weathering to contribute to improved farmer livelihoods and food production, while also removing CO 2 from the atmosphere." Positive results The results from the ongoing trial's first year demonstrate that the crop yield was on average 15% higher (9.3% and 20.5% between plowed and direct drill amended plots respectively) across two different cultivation techniques. The trial results also showed a stabilizing effect on the soil pH, with the soil pH being on average 0.2 and 0.29 pH units higher in the basalt-amended plots, compared to the control plots. This change is a result of alkaline products generated as the rock minerals dissolve. The effect of silicate mineral dissolution on the soil pH could represent an attractive agronomic benefit for farmers as an elevated soil pH allows crops to access more nutrients in the soil. Basalt rock is rich in minerals that slowly release nutrients during dissolution. These nutrients act as a natural soil amendment and are essential for plant growth. The study found higher nutrient concentrations in the crops grown in the basalt-amended soil, including tissue calcium, grain and tissue potassium, suggesting that ERW can boost nutrient availability for plants and, as a result, may improve crop yield. Taking account of the unusually dry growing season conditions in 2022, these findings indicate that basalt amendment could enhance productivity and crop yields, contributing to more sustainable and resilient food production systems in the face of future changes in growing season weather as a result of global warming. The trial results also show no additional toxic elements taken up by crops in the plots where basalt had been spread. There was no negative impact on the natural environment in this trial, which indicates the food produced from it is safe for consumption. UNDO's basalt has been approved for use in organic farming systems by respected certification bodies such as the Soil Association. The authors of the paper hope that the agronomic co-benefits of enhanced rock weathering will further incentivize farmers across the U.K. and worldwide to take advantage of this nature-based carbon removal solution. More information: Kirstine Skov et al, Initial agronomic benefits of enhanced weathering using basalt: A study of spring oat in a temperate climate, PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295031 Journal information: PLoS ONE Traffic rolls in pre-eclipse Northbound traffic on the Interstate-87 Adirondack Northway was moderately heavy, on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon April 7. As well, cars lined Canada Street and many side streets in Lake George Village. Bolton Landing had a solid turnout of cars, as well. The parking lots were packed at the outlets malls in Queensbury near Northway Exit 17. Presumably the heavier-than-average-April weekend was at least partially due to travelers moving in to see the eclipse Monday that is, if license plates are an indication. Reporters saw Arizona, Florida, Virginia, Vermont and of course New Jersey and New York. DAR Good Citizens to be honored Students who have been chosen as Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizens will be honored by the Willards Mountain Chapter DAR on Saturday, April 13 at 10 AM at the Greenwich Free Library. The DAR Good Citizens Award was created in 1934. It is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship. This award recognizes high school seniors who possess the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism in their homes, schools and communities. These students are selected by their teachers and peers because they demonstrate these qualities to an outstanding degree. Only one student per year may be honored as a schools DAR Good Citizen. The DAR Good Citizens Winners in our area for this year are: Brandon Saunders of Argyle Central School, Julianna Winslow of Corinth Central School, Aaron Stutzman of Greenwich Central School, Katrine LeStage of Hoosic Valley Central School and Taryn Gillis of Salem Washington Academy. Once a student is chosen as his/her schools DAR Good Citizen, the student is invited to participate in the scholarship portion of the program. This consists of a personal statement, school transcript, references and an essay. Student participation in the scholarship portion of the program is optional. All DAR Good Citizens choosing to participate compete at the local chapter, region or district, NY state, and national levels. Katrine LeStages application was forwarded on to the DAR District IV competition where she also competed and won. As the regional winner she went on to compete at the New York State level. Dept. of Labor pipefitters apprenticeships May 1, 2024April 2, 2025: The Plumber-Pipefitters JAC Lo. #112 (Northern Zone), will conduct a recruitment for a 11 months starting from May 1, 2024 for four Plumber and Steamfitter apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced. Applications can be obtained from Local Union #112, Northern Zone Office, 110 Dry Road, Oriskany, New York 13424, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the first working Wednesday of each month, excluding legal holidays, during the recruitment period. Applications can be completed online at ualocal112.org/training.aspx. Applications must be received no later than April 2, 2025. See the website above or dol.ny.gov/career-centers for more information. Or call Plumber-Pipefitters JAC Lo. #112 at (607) 723-9593. State funding for municipal governments The New York State Department of State announced that the LGEG program local government efficiency grant program is funded with $1.6 million to help localities with project in cybersecurity, emergency services, water planning, and climate change initiatives. The program is an incentive to local governments to plan for and implement projects that reduce local government costs through shared services and municipal reorganization, a press release said. Applications for the LGEG funding will be due by 4 p.m. Friday, May 10, via New Yorks Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) portal. Medical scholarship available for Adirondack region students LAKE PLACID The Dr. U.R. Plante Medical Scholarship program at Adirondack Foundation is accepting applications now through May 15. The Plante Scholarship at Adirondack Foundation is awarded annually to medical students who have resided in the Adirondack Park or in St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, Essex or Hamilton counties for a minimum of two years. Successful candidates must be willing to return to one of these locations, a rural community elsewhere in the U.S. or an area where there is a shortage of doctors. Interested applicants must be accepted to, or currently enrolled in, an MD or DO program. Scholarships of up to $10,000 are awarded annually. Applications must be submitted through Adirondack Foundations Online Grants Manager. More information can be found by clicking here. Meeting announcements April 8, 7 p.m.: Town Board of Saratoga. The meeting of the Town Board of Saratoga will be on held Monday, April 8th, 2024 at 7 p.m., in the Town Hall, 12 Spring St., Schuylerville. April 10, 5 p.m.: The Annual Meeting of the component school districts of the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES will be held on Wednesday, April 10, at the F. Donald Myers Education Center in Saratoga Springs. A presentation on the proposed 2024-2025 Program, Administrative, and Capital Budgets will begin at 5 p.m. There will be a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m.. Dinner will be followed by the Annual Meeting and introduction of candidates for election to the BOCES Board. April 22, 6 p.m.: Public hearing with the Planning Board of the Village of Hudson Falls, Village Hall, 220 Main Street, Hudson Falls, on the following matter: Request by Monsour Enterprises, LLC, for a two-lot subdivision located at 41 North Street, Hudson Falls, NY 12839, Tax Map #146.18-2-6. Plans for the proposal are available to review at Village Hall, 220 Main St. MAYS LANDING Angelo DiBartolo knew about solar eclipses but never had the opportunity to see one up close until Monday. "All I see is a little sliver of light with darkness all around it," said DiBartolo, of Mays Landing, as she looked toward the sky. "It is pretty cool to see it with my own eyes because you always hear about what would happen if you look at it. It's just breathtaking to look at." DiBartolo was one of nearly 100 people who gathered at Atlantic Cape Community College for a solar eclipse watch party organized by the school's science department. "We're very happy with how things turned out," said Jolie Master, associate professor of biology and interim dean of STEM programs at Atlantic Cape. "We didn't know what to expect when we first started planning this, but we saw a good mix of students, faculty and members of the public." New Jersey was not in the path of totality that was farther north and west. Nevertheless, it was part of North America's biggest eclipse audience ever, with a couple hundred million people living in or near the shadows path, plus scores of out-of-towners flocking in. At Atlantic Cape, attendees listened to presentations from a few instructors in the campus' Walter E. Edge Theater before going to the STEM building to create eclipse viewers made from cereal boxes donated to the science department. Once the viewers were constructed, people either used their own glasses, the cereal boxes or a telescope to look at the eclipse, which began at 2:09 p.m., peaked at 3:24 p.m. and ended at 4:35 p.m. Richard Perello, an associate professor of environmental science at the school, said the planet sees four solar eclipses a year, but this particular eclipse was significant due to how the sun and moon were positioned. The eclipse has passed, but the cosmos still has such sights to show us: Sky Watch Our topics today break naturally into two categories. I'm going to talk about some sky events of the next two weeks that are unusual and potentially lovely, but to console us for the solar eclipse being behind us, I'm going to mention a few astronomical events that are very rare and have at least the potential soon to spark interest that could almost compare to that generated by the eclipse. "It was a total solar eclipse, so about 90% of the sun was blocked in the sky," Perello said. "The other options would be a partial eclipse when only part of the sun is covered, or an annular eclipse when there isn't good alignment and the situation is too far away. This one was close, and we're at what we call solar maximum right now. We got lucky that we were in the right place at the right time." Master said the department began planning the event last year and didn't want to make it like any ordinary watch party. "That's why we had the information sessions with some of our professors and instructors at the beginning," Master said. "We wanted to educate people about why this is so historic, and I think we accomplished just that. A lot of people were involved in the process of putting this on, and I'm thrilled with (how it turned out)." During Monday's full eclipse, the moon slipped right in front of the sun, entirely blocking it. The resulting twilight, with only the suns outer atmosphere or corona visible, was long enough for birds and other animals to fall silent, and for planets, stars and maybe even a comet to pop out. The out-of-sync darkness lasted up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That's almost twice as long as it was during the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse seven years ago because the moon is closer to Earth. It took just 1 hour, 40 minutes for the moon's shadow to race more than 4,000 miles across the continent. The path of totality approximately 115 miles wide encompassed several major cities, including Dallas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; Buffalo, New York; and Montreal. An estimated 44 million people live within the track, with a couple hundred million more within 200 miles. Martin Kelly, of Hammonton, said Atlantic Cape was the perfect spot to watch the eclipse with his sons Gregory and Francis Heiland. "We already had our glasses and boxes already made," Kelly said. "But my wife works for the college, so she told us about the event and I thought it was the perfect place to take it all in. Learning about the history from the speakers was interesting, and it was a lot of fun getting to make the viewers here. The eclipse kind of looked like a banana, so it made me a little hungry." Friday's earthquakes are over. Now, expect a mostly dry weekend. You'll be in for a cool and breezy Saturday, with an improved Sunday. The weather during Monday's solar eclipse will be clear and mild. Raymond Wilson didn't know about the event at the college until Sunday, but once he found out, he had to be there. "This was another cool public event that the campus does," said Wilson, of Mays Landing. "I was probably just going to watch it at home on TV, but then I was thumbing through social media and saw it and knew I had to come experience it. I really enjoyed learning about the background and how all of this happens; its just really fascinating. This will probably be the last total solar eclipse of my lifetime, so I was glad to make it out for it." The next total solar eclipse will take place Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed 242 amendments to the legislatures budget, dropping his original tax package and asking the General Assembly to drop its sales tax expansion. He says the plan would leave enough money to pay for 3% pay increases for teachers and state employees next year and the year after that. On Monday, Youngkin outlined his budget amendments as a push for compromise, without tax increases and yes, a bit frustrating to me no tax decreases. But that is what finding common ground is all about. Youngkin faced a midnight deadline to act on hundreds of remaining bills. Legislators will return to Richmond on April 17 to take up the governors vetoes and his proposed amendments, with the two-year budget as the major unresolved issue. On another closely watched issue, aides said Monday that the governor will not veto legislation to legalize, regulate and tax electronic skill games, but will seek to amend the legislation. The administration did not detail the governors proposed changes. For weeks, the governor has criticized what he called the Democrat-led General Assemblys backward budget. He has said it amounts to a $2.6 billion tax increase between the sales tax expansion without offsetting tax cuts, and language requiring Virginia to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. While the General Assembly budget cut some $850 million of spending priorities detailed by Youngkin in his original budget proposal, his amendments ask the legislature to restore only $200 million of these, he said. I had a billion dollars of tax cuts and relief and reform. And that was really important to me, he said. So step one for me was that Ive stepped back from that and said, Fine, I wont continue to push for tax relief, while he said the second step was not to ask the General Assembly to restore all of his proposals that legislators dropped. This was a purposeful effort, I think to one recognize that ... there are really, really good ideas in this budget, and things that we collectively agree on, he said. On the other hand, Youngkins amendments preserve some $870 million of spending increases the General Assembly wanted, budget aides said. Democrat Surovell responds Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, noting that Ive never seen a governor do a press conference regarding their budget amendments, said in a Zoom call with reporters that he questions where the Younkin budget proposal is structurally balanced that it does not rely on one-time funds or tapping financial reserves to pay running expenses. While the tone of Youngkins remarks was conciliatory, Surovell said, Hes clearly trying to make up for the fact that hes vetoed more bills than any other governor in the history of the commonwealth to make it appear that hes not being nearly as confrontationally partisan (as) hes been for the last three weeks. As for the idea of common ground, Surovell said: I think we can find common ground by adopting the tax proposals that we had in our budget. Surovell also said packaging amendments eliminating the sales tax expansion which would cut revenue with proposals to change spending could raise constitutional questions. Youll end up having a constitutionally unbalanced budget, which would be illegal, he said. Asked about his proposed changes to the General Assemblys spending, Youngkin said: It wasnt that we eliminated, we just grew things slightly slower in a few areas, and the predominant area was in the area of education. He said this mainly reflected funds for programs that did not pass the General Assembly this year and some that involved possible school funding formula changes that have not been implemented. House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, called the governors amendments a herculean effort to find common ground, nothing less than an olive branch of compromise. $1 billion difference By dropping his proposal to cut income tax rates by 12% across the board, offset only in part by boosting the sales tax rate and expanding it to cover digital services, Youngkins amendments would leave the state with $1 billion more in general fund revenue over the next two fiscal years than the $57.8 billion he had originally proposed. That, in turn, is about $1 billion less than what the General Assembly budget calculated, by keeping the sales tax expansion. The amendments also call for tapping sources outside the taxes collected in the general fund, including the state Literary Fund, normally used for school construction and technology programs, as well as selling bonds to finance wastewater treatment plant improvements. The administration says it is enough to finance a roughly $1.2 billion increase in state support for K-12 public schools and a $1 billion increase in higher education funding, as well as efforts to cap public college and university tuition increases at no more than 3%. It would also fund the expansion of Medicaid waiver slots funding so that more than 3,400 people now on an urgent waiting list for supports can get the non-medical services they need to live independently or in the community. Youngkins amendments preserve funding for his behavioral health reforms and add funds for school resource officers that the General Assembly cut, said Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel. Seeks to drop RGGI language Youngkins amendments drop language that would keep the state in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a 12-state program under which power plants have to pay to buy allowances for every ton of carbon they emit. Because Virginia law allows utilities to pass these costs on to ratepayers, Youngkin says it amounts to a tax on Virginians. Environmentalists say it is an effective way to cut greenhouse gas emissions to deal with climate change and sea level rise. Youngkins amendments include funding to deal with flooding and sea level rise. Revenue from RGGI has funded more than $370 million of flood prevention projects in Virginia. Youngkins amendments include $100 million for these projects as well as $50 million for continued work on Richmonds efforts to prevent runoff from heavy rains carrying sewage into the James River. Other amendments His amendments also provide: *$850 million to fund childrens health insurance programs no longer supported by federal funding; *$405 million increase in funding for childcare and early childhood education programs; *$335 million in school construction grants; *$133.7 million to cover Virginias share of the Washington Metro systems current financial shortfall; *$97 million to pay for the increased caseload for Childrens Services Act programs for the states most at-risk minors; *$67 million to help people in Hampton Roads with tunnel tolls; *$49 million for school resource officers; and *$34 million to increase supports for foster parents and kinship care. Fourteen months ago, comedian Stephen Colbert mocked Gov. Glenn Youngkin on CBS The Late Show for opposing a bill to prevent menstrual health data from being subject to search warrants. The White House also lambasted Youngkin for his position. Flash-forward to April 2024 and the governor has signed the idea into law with it set to take effect July 1. The bills patron, Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, reshared the Colbert clip on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. Im glad he came around this year and signed the bill, Favola wrote. The govt has no business accessing private health data. This shouldve been a no-brainer from the start. Asked about Youngkins changed stance, spokesperson Christian Martinez said: The governor appreciates Senator Favolas work on this legislation. And he believes this bill protects a womans personal health data without preventing its voluntary use in law enforcement investigations. Glad that @colbertlateshow noted our attempts to safeguard the privacy of womens menstrual health data! Watch this pic.twitter.com/BcQRHlvu8w Barbara Favola (@BarbaraFavola) February 17, 2023 On a virtual call on Monday morning, Favola and other Democratic lawmakers and reproductive rights advocates criticized Youngkin for vetoing Favolas Senate Bill 15 and House Bill 1539 from Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax which would have prevented extradition of people seeking abortions from states where it is illegal. Virginia is the least restrictive Southern state for abortion rules, and Virginia providers are reporting a rise in out-of-state patients seeking the procedure. A microcosm of the national situation is playing out in Bristol a city that straddles the Virginia and Tennessee borders. A pregnant person in Bristol, Tennessee ought to feel perfectly comfortable coming to Bristol, Virginia to receive abortion care services. Our bill would have protected those people, Simon said. As we see Florida now has enacted a six-week abortion ban, were going to have an even greater number of people coming to Virginia from the South. According to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks reproductive laws nationwide, 21 states and Washington D.C. have some shield law in effect. Favola said Virginia should have been the 23rd place to have one. Meanwhile, she said she is taking Youngkins signing of her Senate Bill 16 on menstrual data with a little grain of salt. His signature of her bill is a 180-degree turn from his stance on it last year when his deputy secretary of public safety and homeland security spoke against it in a subcommittee meeting. The argument against the bill was that currently any health information or app information is accessible through search warrant and that the administration believed that should continue to be the case. Simon said he does not want to give the governor too much credit because Simons version of the extradition bill which the governor vetoed included language to prevent companies from giving up such data. Simon considered Youngkins signature of Favolas related bill a narrow thing to agree to. He said hes okay with these companies voluntarily giving up that information, Simon said of the veto. Favola said Democratic lawmakers will keep trying on various measures to bolster Virginias status as a place where people can receive abortions and medical professionals can provide them. Cancun National Guard find bus of illegal migrants during routine highway inspection Cancun, Q.R. A routine inspection by National Guard lead to the discovery of a bus load of undocumented migrants. On Saturday night, members of the National Guard patrolling the federal highway stopped a bus for a routine inspection. The bus had entered the city of Cancun from Playa del Carmen. On board were dozens of undocumented people of various nationalities. The driver of the bus was immediately arrested while National Guard inspected passenger documents. None on board were able to prove their legal stay in the country, therefore, the bus was escorted to the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) office in Cancun. Once at the Fiscalia General de la Republica (FGR) office, immigration officers were notified. Personnel from the National Migration Institute (INM) arrived to carry out an official document inspection. National Guard monitor the bus while INM agents review passenger documents. Photo: April 6, 2024. Those on board are reported to have been mostly of Central American nationality. An official number of illegal migrants is unknown. At the time of publishing, local authorities had not yet released a public statement. Mexican woman wanted in state of Texas extradited Mexico City, Mexico A Mexican woman wanted in the state of Texas has been extradited from Mexico. On Saturday, Beatriz S was handed over to U.S. federal agents for an escorted return to face a variety of charges. In compliance with the Extradition Treaty signed between Mexico and the United States, the Attorney Generals Office (FGR) extradited a woman of Mexican nationality required by the Southern District of Texas for the crimes of criminal association and money laundering, the FGR reported. According to the FGR report, between the years 2011 to 2013, Beatriz S was a member of a drug trafficking organization. Her role was to launder the profits from the sale of drugs, making it appear that the money was the product of the export of merchandise to Mexico. She was located and detained in October 2023 in Guadalajara, Jalisco and held for extradition purposes. Subsequently, the Government of Mexico granted the extradition of the requested person to the Government of the United States. Beatriz S was delivered to U.S. agents at the Mexico City International Airport. By David Young, PA Incoming taoiseach Simon Harris has pledged to lead his party with a new energy as he vowed to hit the ground running as leader. Ahead of his expected election as taoiseach in the Dail next week, recently appointed Fine Gael leader Mr Harris addressed delegates at his partys annual conference in Galway on Saturday evening. His uncontested elevation to leader of Fine Gael came after Taoiseach Leo Varadkars shock resignation last month. Mr Harris is to formally replace Mr Varadkar as the head of the Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Green Party Coalition in the Dail on Tuesday. Simon Harris with Leo Varadkar (Brian Lawless/PA) In a wide-ranging speech at the close of the ard fheis at the University of Galway, Mr Harris identified housing, law and order, support for small business, and pragmatic action on climate change as key priorities. He also addressed recent tensions in Ireland over increased immigration rates, as he pledged to oversee a fair but firm system to manage migration into the country. Launching a broadside against Sinn Fein, he said the electorate in forthcoming local and European elections faced a stark choice between opportunity and outright opportunism. Mr Harris, who paid warm tribute to his predecessor Mr Varadkar, said he was deeply honoured to take on the greatest challenge of his life. He described himself as a proud Wicklow man as he referred to his upbringing as the oldest of three children and the values instilled by his mother, a special needs assistant, and his taxi driver father. The 37-year-old also spoke with pride about his wife Caoimhe, a nurse, and young children Saoirse and Cillian. Everything I do will be the grounded in the values my parents raised me with hard work, compassion, and a desire to help those who need it the most, he said. And everything I do will be with the ambition to create a better Ireland not just for Saoirse and Cillian for all of our children. He told delegates his political story began when his younger brother Adam was diagnosed with autism, and he began campaigning for better information and services. He characterised Fine Gaels fundamental values as hope, enterprise, equality of opportunity, integrity and security. That is the Fine Gael I intend to lead, with a new energy, he said. On his expected election as taoiseach, he added: If given this great honour, I will take office when time is short but there is much to do. Tonight, I promise you, were going to hit the ground running. I will stand by our values as a party and our vision as a nation. A tolerant, inclusive and outward-looking society, which is fair, caring and secure. I am going to match that vision with action. Mr Harris vowed to tackle Irelands housing crisis, pledging to build 250,000 new homes in five years. I am of a generation where homeownership can feel out of the reach of many, he said. To young people, I want you to know your future is here in Ireland. And I want your parents to know we will move mountains to get the children out of the box room and into a home of their own. We have to fix housing once and for all. Mr Harris pledged a package to support small business owners as he acknowledged they were hurting under the pressure of increasing costs. The new party leader also highlighted the need to take action on climate change, saying Ireland had unique potential to secure energy independence but warning of the consequences of division over the issue. He promised not to lecture, instead pledging pragmatic and meaningful climate action. Mr Harris said Fine Gael was also the party of farmers, fishermen and women and rural Ireland. I want to say to farmers and to rural Ireland, Fine Gael will never talk down to you on climate action, he said. We will sit down and work with you and for you. Simon Harris speaking at the University of Galway (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Harris also vowed to help families struggling in the cost-of-living crisis. He restated his ambition to raise the threshold for the higher rate of income tax to 50,000 and promised to further reduce the universal social charge burden on low and middle-income earners. Mr Harris also pledged to break down barriers to education and improve access to childcare facilities. The Wicklow TD also promised to take action to help people with disabilities. On the wider health service, he said the focus would be on improving access and opening more beds and theatres and ensuring the training and recruitment of more GPs, consultants, nurses and therapists. He said Fine Gael would always stand for law and order under his leadership. We stand for more gardai, with more powers and more resources to make our streets safe, he said. We stand for tougher sentences for those who commit horrific crimes. He said he would fast-track legislation to give judges powers to make sure heinous criminals serve long sentences before they are considered for release. On the fall-out from Novembers far-right influenced riots in Dublin, Mr Harris said he would immediately convene a Dublin city centre taskforce bringing together the council, retailers, business, community groups and gardai to chart a path towards a safer and vibrant city. It is time to have pride again in our capital city, he added. Mr Harris said Ireland needed a fair and firm system to better manage migration. Outlining his support for the new EU migration pact, Mr Harris added: We need to move away from the emergency use of hotels for housing asylum seekers. I believe we now have that plan. But the implementation will be key and engagement with communities is essential and leadership across government. We need to listen to people. The Irish people want to play their part. Irish people want to help. They already are. Speaking about the tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Ireland, Mr Harris acknowledged the influx had posed challenges. Taking in families fleeing the war has brought significant pressures. But it is the right thing to do, he said. Ireland, as a proud and committed member of the European Union, will always stand with the people of Ukraine. Addressing the conflict in the Middle East, Mr Harris issued a blunt message to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Ireland was repulsed by his actions. The comments drew a standing ovation from the Fine Gael membership. In Gaza we see a humanitarian catastrophe worsen before our eyes, he said. We unreservedly condemn the massacre carried out by Hamas in October and again call for the unconditional release of all hostages. But we cannot and will not stay silent on the actions of Israel either. Reason has been replaced by revenge and by the bombing, maiming and death of children. Famine. A spectre no Irish person can bear. Anyone who can countenance deliberate starvation has lost their humanity. Prime minister Netanyahu, the Irish people could not be clearer. We are repulsed by your actions. Cease fire now and let the aid flow safely. We need a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side, in peace and security. I reiterate, Ireland stands ready to recognise the state of Palestine. On Northern Ireland, Mr Harris spoke of the need to maintain positive cooperation. I am determined to work together on a north-south, east-west basis to improve the lives of everyone across these islands, he said. Mr Harris said the choice facing the electorate at local and European elections in June was the starkest it has faced in generations. A choice between opportunity and outright opportunism, he said. Sinn Fein promises change. What they mean is they will change their mind at every chance. A party which promises utopia, but specialises in U-turns. He accused Sinn Fein of exploiting every challenge for its own gain. In conclusion, the Fine Gael leader said he would work day and night to make peoples lives better. We will have your back. We will repay your trust, he said. Together, I promise we will deliver. With a new energy. Now lets get to work. Humans can also get goosebumps during moments of strong emotional experiences "and what's very interesting," Roach adds, "music and film are some of the ways that elicit emotional goosebumps." Roach cites a January 2011 study published in Biological Psychology in which researchers measured subjective chills (similar to shivers down the spine) and visible piloerection in a group of volunteers as they listened to music and watched movies. The results were fascinating. Celine Dion's blockbuster hit "My Heart Will Go On," ranked a chill ratio ("shivers down the spine" effect) of 50 percent and a piloerection ratio (goosebumps on the skin) of 14 percent compared to Prince's "Purple Rain," which scored a 100 percent chill ratio and a 50 percent piloerection ratio. Advertisement What does music have to do with goosebumps? Enter Mitchell Colver, an instructor of special topics at Utah State University. Colver holds a bachelor's degree in music and psychology and, as a graduate student at Eastern Washington University in 2010, conducted a research study on the type of people most likely to get goosebumps. (See sidebar for more information.) The study was published in the March 2015 issue of Psychology of Music and became a viral sensation. It also made Colver one of the leading authorities on goosebumps. "To better understand goosebumps, you have to understand that you have two brains the emotional brain and the thinking brain and they respond differently to things going on around you," he says. The emotional brain is primal. Like a bunny in the forest, it is constantly looking out for threats and, when it finds one, the brain triggers an automatic physiological reaction, known as the fight-or-flight response. Since it triggers a survival response, the emotional brain activates immediately when it perceives danger, overriding the thinking brain. When it comes to surprises, Colver references David Huron, author of Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation: "To your emotional brain, there's no such thing as a pleasant surprise." "So, when there are sounds in the environment, including musical sounds, the emotional brain doesn't process it as music. It hears a person scream. It hears a high violin in a certain frequency and thinks it's a threatening noise," Colver says. In terms of music, passages that include unexpected harmonies or sudden changes in volume can trigger chills because they "violate" the listener's expectations, essentially convincing the brain that something is going wrong. Seconds later, however, the thinking brain chimes in and does a cognitive reappraisal of the situation. It recognizes the high notes as music, interprets it as nonthreatening, and shuts down the emotional brain and the goosebumps fade away. This "violation of expectations" lends itself to what Colver refers to as "aesthetic tension" the buildup of tension caused by the emotional brain's reaction to a perceived threat followed by a release of that tension when the thinking brain recognizes the stimuli as pleasant, and signals the "all-clear." " " Listening to music has the ability to elicit strong emotions in humans. It also triggers things in our brains that cause goosebumps, but the reason why is super primal. Hello World/Getty Images DESI has made the largest 3D map of the universe to date. Earth is at the center of this thin slice of the full map. The magnified section highlights the underlying structure of matter in the universe. Credit: Claire Lamman/DESI collaboration; custom colormap package by cmastron An astrophysicist from The University of Texas at Dallas and his colleagues from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration are at the forefront of an ambitious experiment to study the expansion of the universe and its acceleration. Dr. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki, professor of physics in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) at UT Dallas, is a member of the DESI collaboration, an international group of more than 900 researchers from over 70 institutions around the world engaged in a multiyear experiment to increase understanding of the history and fate of the cosmos. On April 4, Ishak-Boushaki presented analyses of the first year of data collected by the DESI experiment at a meeting of the American Physical Society in Sacramento, California, along with two other DESI scientists. Ishak-Boushaki presented the cosmology results inferred from DESI data and their implications for the universe. Researchers also shared results from the first year of collected data in multiple papers posted on the preprint site arXiv. The DESI instrument, located at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) in Arizona, gathers light from the most distant parts of the universe, which enables scientists to map the cosmos as it was in its youth and trace its evolution to what is observed today. Understanding how the universe has evolved is tied to how it ends and to one of the biggest mysteries in physics: What is behind the observation that the expansion of the universe is accelerating? The analysis of DESI's first year of data collection confirmed the basics of what scientists hold as the best model of the universe, but it also hints that there is more to learn about the underlying cause, or causes, of cosmic acceleration, the discovery of which led to the Nobel Prize in physics in 2011. Cosmic acceleration is problematic because it counters how gravity, which causes objects with mass to be drawn together, is observed to work in our solar system and nearby space. "Gravity pulls matter together, so that when we throw a ball in the air, the Earth's gravity pulls it down toward the planet," Ishak-Boushaki said. "But at the largest scales, the universe acts differently. It's acting like there is something repulsive pushing the universe apart and accelerating its expansion. This is a big mystery, and we are investigating it on several fronts. Is it an unknown dark energy in the universe, or is it a modification of Albert Einstein's theory of gravity at cosmological scales?" This 360-degree video is an interactive flight through millions of galaxies mapped using coordinate data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. Credit: Fiske Planetarium, University of Colorado Boulder and the DESI collaboration Dark energy is thought by many scientists to play a key role in cosmic acceleration, but it is not well understood. Some theorize that it is a cosmological constantan intrinsic property of space that drives the acceleration. To study dark energy's effects over the past 11 billion years, the DESI group has created the largest 3D map of the cosmos ever constructed using the most precise measurements to date. This is the first time that scientists have measured the expansion history of the young universe with a precision better than 1%. The leading model of the universe is known as Lambda-CDM. It includes both ordinary matter and a rarely interacting type of matter called cold dark matter (CDM) and dark energy, known as Lambda. Both matter and dark energy shape how the universe expands, but in opposing ways. Through gravitational attraction, matter and dark matter slow down the expansion, while dark energy speeds it up. The amount of each influences how the universe evolves. This model is effective at validating results from previous experiments and describing how the universe looks throughout time, Ishak-Boushaki said. When DESI's first-year results are combined with data from other studies, however, there are some subtle differences from what the Lambda-CDM model would predict. "Our results show some interesting deviations from the standard model of the universe that could indicate that dark energy is evolving over time," Ishak-Boushaki said. "The more data we collect, the better equipped we will be to determine whether this finding holds. With more data, we might identify different explanations for the result we observe or confirm it. If it persists, such a result will shed some light on what is causing cosmic acceleration and provide a huge step in understanding the evolution of our universe." More data also will improve DESI's other early results, which weigh in on the Hubble constanta measure of how fast the universe is expanding todayand the mass of particles called neutrinos. DESI is the first spectroscopic experiment to perform a fully blinded analysis, which conceals the true result from the scientists to avoid any subconscious confirmation bias. Researchers work "blind" with modified data and write computer code to analyze their findings. Once everything is finalized, they apply their analysis to the original data to reveal the actual answer. "Dr. Ishak-Boushaki's research and his collaboration with scientists at some 70 institutions is revealing important insights about our universe, and the results are fascinating," said Dr. David Hyndman, dean of NSM and the Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Distinguished University Chair. "It's inspiring to have such world-class research programs at UT Dallas and to see our scientists play key roles in fundamental discoveries." Provided by University of Texas at Dallas Police said the man was conscious while being conveyed to Changi General Hospital; car driver assisting with investigations Traffic accident between motorcycle and car, helmet on the street (Photo: Getty Images) SINGAPORE A 50-year-old man was taken conscious to Changi General Hospital, after an accident involving his motorcycle and a car on the viaduct of Bartley Road East on Monday morning (8 April). Police told Yahoo Southeast Asia that the car driver, a 35-year-old woman, is assisting with investigations. The Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted to the accident on the viaduct of Bartley Road East towards Bartley Road, at 8.50am and about 9.30am respectively. Police investigations are ongoing. More than half of traffic accidents last year involved motorcyclists and pillion riders According to the Traffic Police (TP) in its annual road traffic situation report in February, motorcyclist and pillion rider fatalities have spiked by 44.7 per cent, claiming a total of 68 lives in 2023. Although motorcycles make up only 14.4 per cent of the total vehicle population in Singapore, motorcyclists and pillion riders were involved in 53.5 per cent of traffic accidents in 2023. They also accounted for half of all road fatalities last year. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. She had charged customers $600 to $700 per procedure, and was found out after one of her customers reported her to the Ministry of Health. Siti posted on Carousell, offering dental services such as veneer whitening, tooth and braces whitening, and providing retainers, charging $600 to $700 for each procedure. (Photo: Getty Images) SINGAPORE A Malaysian woman was fined $2,500 in court on Monday (8 April) for illegally performing dental procedures on customers in Singapore, using skills she had picked up from watching YouTube videos. According to local media outlet CNA, the court heard that Siti Shahrima Abd Rahim passed herself off as a dentist online. She would enter Singapore on short-term visit passes to help customers with braces maintenance and veneer application in a hotel room. The 37-year-olds actions were uncovered when one of her customers was unable to floss her teeth after Siti had put in veneers for her, and lodged a report with the Ministry of Health (MOH). Siti pleaded guilty to a charge under the Dental Registration Act. A second charge was also taken under consideration, CNA reported. Picked up skills from YouTube and used inappropriate equipment The court heard that Siti first learnt how to perform dental procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was unable to visit the dentist despite wearing braces because of Malaysias Movement Control Order. She watched videos on YouTube to pick up the know-how on performing various procedures on her own braces, CNA reported. Thereafter, she posted on Carousell, offering dental services such as veneer whitening, tooth and braces whitening, and providing retainers, charging $600 to $700 for each procedure. When potential customers contacted her, she would tell them that she was a Malaysian dentist and ask them to meet her at a hotel room a few days later. Although she was not registered as a dentist in Singapore under the Dental Registration Act and did not have a valid practising certificate, it is estimated that she had over 30 customers about 20 customers for composite veneers, about 10 for braces maintenance and at least one for cosmetic braces. Did procedure on a sofa In January 2022, a Filipino woman contacted Siti and was quoted $700 to remove her existing veneers and install new ones. After agreeing to the price, Siti asked her to head to a hotel on 30 January. In the room, Siti asked the woman to lie down on the sofa and draped a dental surgical cape on her. After asking her to use a mouthpiece, Siti used a tool purchased on Shopee, similar to ones used to remove a manicure, to remove her old veneers before applying new ones. The customer realised the next day that she was unable to floss her teeth as there was almost no space between them. She contacted Siti, who informed her that she could not do anything about it due to COVID-19 quarantine. The woman then wrote an email to the Ministry of Health (MOH) about her experience, CNA reported. The court heard a report prepared by an independent dental expert that said that Siti had not used proper instruments during the procedure. The report also said that Siti's actions could have led to the customer needing more complex procedures. In asking for a fine, the prosecutor for the MOH said Sitis offence could have caused more serious injuries. Siti had requested to pay the fine in instalments, saying she needed to borrow money. She also said she wanted to return to Malaysia as soon as possible for Hari Raya celebrations and to borrow more money. During sentencing, the judge said that other than the harm that the victim had suffered from, Siti had mispresented herself as a dentist for 18 months, a period of offending that was not short. Siti ended up paying the fine in full. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Police alerted to case in Tampines on 6 April, teen arrested within six hours with the aid of images from police cameras Paint splash at the front gate (left) and graffiti on the staircase wall (Photos: SPF) SINGAPORE A 16-year-old teenager was arrested for suspected involvement in a case of loanshark harassment. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a media release on Sunday (7 April) that it was alerted to the case at a residential unit along Tampines Street 22 at about 6.50pm on Saturday. The unit's front gate was splashed with red paint, and the wall of the staircase was scribbled with loanshark-related graffiti. Through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Bedok Police Division, Woodlands Police Division and Police Operations Command Centre identified the teenager and arrested him within six hours. Preliminary investigations revealed that the teenager is believed to be involved in other cases of loanshark harassment. A mobile phone was seized as case exhibit. Teen faces jail term of up to 5 years and caning The teenager will be charged in court under the Moneylenders Act 2008. First-time offenders under the offence of loanshark harassment may face a fine between S$5,000 and S$50,000, with a jail term of up to five years, and caning of up to six strokes. "The police have zero-tolerance for loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance and disruption to public safety and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law," said the police. Members of the public are advised to stay away from loansharks, and not work with or assist them in any way. The public can call the police at 999 or the X-Ah Long hotline (1800-924-5664) if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking activities. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. ELK POINT, S.D. A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty of robbing a North Sioux City bank. Dennis Manchester, 44, entered his pleas Monday in Union County Circuit Court to charges of first-degree robbery, aggravated assault, grand theft and driving under suspension. His trial was scheduled for Aug. 12. Manchester is charged with walking into Liberty National Bank, 113 Military Road, on the afternoon of March 12, handing a teller a note that demanded money or someone would be hurt and displaying a knife. According to court documents, Manchester left the bank with $3,508 in cash and fled in a car that had been parked in a nearby parking lot. Police stopped Manchester in Sioux City shortly after the robbery and took him into custody without incident. The money taken from the bank and a knife were recovered from the car. No bank employees were injured in the robbery. Travel boom sees 740 mln trips made in 3-day Chinese Qingming holiday: data Xinhua) 08:58, April 08, 2024 Volunteers greet tourists at Tianshui South Railway Station in Tianshui City, northwest China's Gansu Province, April 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping) BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China recorded more than 740 million trips across the country during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, which lasted from April 4 to 6, as passenger travels grew sharply from a year ago, government data showed Sunday. The Ministry of Transport said that an average of 246.8 million trips were made each day during the three-day period, up 53.5 percent year on year. Specifically, daily railway trips averaged at 16.56 million, up 75.1 percent; waterway trips averaged at 916,000, up 84.9 percent; and air trips averaged at about 1.68 million, up 21.9 percent, the data showed. Meanwhile, road trips totaled 682.92 million during the period, with a daily average of 227.64 million, up 52.3 percent year on year, the data showed. Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival focusing on paying tribute to the dead and the worship of ancestors. During the festival period, it is also customary to enjoy outdoor activities and sightseeing. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be moving ahead with his pledge to ban Al Jazeera following the recent passage of a new law in the Israeli Knesset. The law, approved in a landslide 7110 vote, grants officials the authority to shut down foreign news networks suspected of causing harm to the states security. Al Jazeera harmed Israels security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against Israeli soldiers, Netanyahu claimed last week, which Al Jazeera vehemently denied. The move has raised concerns among advocates, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, and from the White House. But what will this change mean within Israel, where media and nightly television depict a very different reality than the rest of the world is seeing? Ido David Cohen, a writer and journalist covering Israeli media for Haaretz, views this law as part of an ongoing campaign of intimidation and censorship by Netanyahu that began long before the current war. (His own outlet has been threatened as well.) He spoke to me from Tel Aviv about the state of journalistic independence in Israel, the potential impact of this new law on domestic Israeli media outlets, and how Netanyahus erosion of press freedom could have significant long-term implications for Israels standing as a democracy, even if the disappearance of Al Jazeera may not change much at first. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Aymann Ismail: Its jarring to see the Israeli government make lateral moves to ban an international news outlet. Could something like this have happened before the war? Ido David Cohen: Its funny, its almost hard to remember what life was like before the war. Since this government first came to power in January 2023, there were big concerns about what they were going to do regarding freedom of speech. Generally, free speech is allowed as far as journalists can do their work and criticize the government. But over 15 years with Benjamin Netanyahu, since 2009, things have gotten worse. Advertisement Netanyahu put a lot of effort into making Israeli media loyal or flattering. He made himself the minister of communications and mediawhat we call in Hebrew Tikshoret. Some of his corruption charges are connected to his behavior in that role. He tried to give orders to media outlets. For example, he and his wife told Walla to remove articles. He planted people who are not journalists in the army radio station, which is actually one of the two mainstream Israeli radio stations. Netanyahu encouraged billionaire Sheldon Adelson to establish a newspaper to explicitly help the right wing. This newspaper, Israel Hayom, was handed out for free in public places like squares and train stations, and is widely considered to be one of the largest factors in Netanyahus return to power. Its why in Israel, we call it Bibiton, or Bibi newspaper, though it has also been critical of him at times recently. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newspapers, television channels, and some websites have shifted right. We also have media outlets, like Haaretz, that try to do the work and believe in journalism, but we still have to keep our eyes open and be on the lookout for what Netanyahu is trying to do. The move to ban Al Jazeera is headed by current Minister of Communication and Media Shlomo Karhi. What can you tell me about him? Shlomo Karhi is a nightmare. He is even more terrifying than when Netanyahu was himself prime minister and minister of communication. He couldnt care less about freedom of speech or journalism. He comes from a very, very devoted religious Orthodox point of view, and he only sees media as a tool for supporting his party and their views. One of the first things he tried to do when he rose to power in 2023 was to shut down the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, or IPBC, which was only paused because it happened at the same time as judicial overhaul, which would effectively remove checks and balances from our government. They probably figured they cant push all the buttons at the same time. Advertisement Instead, Karhi financially boosted Channel 14, a pro-Netanyahu channel, as well as harasses public broadcasters. He sends them letters citing things their anchors say, hoping to make them afraid of expressing anti-Netanyahu views. Most of what he accuses is not serious, and its obvious hes just harassing them. One could argue that he has succeeded because after threats to shut them down, the IPBC hired a journalist who is one of Netanyahus biggest advocates in Israel who now has a very dominant spot. The public broadcaster never said they brought her because they wanted to shield against the governments sword, but many people believe that was the reason. Advertisement Advertisement How does this affect what Israelis see in the press and on TV every night? Advertisement In the period between Oct. 7 and Oct. 26, after the nightmare that had just happened to us but before Israeli soldiers physically entered Gaza, discussions on most mainstream media outlets were the most critical of the government Ive ever seen. I think it was because we were in shock. Virtually every outlet pinned direct responsibility on Netanyahu, and pointed to the shattered illusion that only his right-wing party coalition can keep the Israeli public safe. Channel 12, for example, the most viewed news channel in Israel, removed their regular Netanyahu supporter, who was there until Oct. 6 and never came back. There was less tolerance for Netanyahus bullshit in the beginning of the war. And to some degree, thats still true. Advertisement But as the war dragged on, the situation shifted. When it came to Israeli soldiers, the mainstream goes to a place of standing firmly with the army. Israelis have more trust in the army than the government. And the soldiers who are in Gaza are not only right wing, but they are the sons of the entire political spectrum in Israel. That, paired with a mainstream view that the army can bring back the hostages in Gaza, has steered the Israeli mainstream back, unfortunately, to not asking as many questions and instead sticking together, like an army Kumbaya. The anchor of Channel 12 held a toy gun that he brought from a school classroom in Gaza and waved it in front of the viewers during a Friday evening broadcast. To see him doing that, the same guy who was very critical of the government and Netanyahu, is not something we want to see from a journalist covering a war, no matter how afraid Israelis are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its also why you wont see any TV coverage of the suffering in Gaza as it intensifies more and more. Some people in Israel probably dont want to hear about Palestinian suffering right now. TV channels choose not to show it because if you ask most people in Israel, they will tell you that the Israeli public doesnt want to see it. Some channels are trying to do a better job of showing the suffering in Gaza, though its been really out of the picture except in Haaretz. And thats not good. One thing weve argued is that it doesnt matter if Israelis are too traumatized to feel any empathy or sympathy for another nationthey still need the information and to know whats happening, because Israeli people should also have sympathy for other children and women and men who suffer and die, who, of course, are not all terrorists or connected to terrorist organizations. I think some of them are trying to do a better job in also showing the Palestinian side and giving the information to their audiences, but I dont think its enough. They should give more information about whats happening in Gaza. People have to know whats happening or they wont be able to understand Israels standing in the international community, in the U.N., or in the United States and Europe. Advertisement Advertisement It seemed in the early stages of the war that the radical voices in the Israeli debate were less loud. Now, it seems Netanyahu supporters, who are not few in Israeli media, have returned to being as loud as they were before the war. They are now targeting the families of the hostages. This is where we are at right now. Channel 14 is portraying the families of Israeli hostages as villains. One of the main anchors of Channel 14 said last week of a demonstration led by families of Israeli hostages, Where is the head of the police in Tel Aviv? Why doesnt he come and harm them? I was shocked. The pro-Netanyahu parts of the media have returned to being the loudest and craziest again. Oh God. Things are awful. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate The World Central Kitchen Killings Are a Tragedyand an Unmistakable Sign of What May Come Read More Youve previously written about how government rhetoric has made journalists feel less safe. Has there been a chilling effect in reporting? Yes. I wrote about violence against journalists at the peak of the anti-government protests last year. The government has a long history of labeling unfavorable journalists as radical, biased, and worse. Its normalized to the point that when Ilana Dayan, who is a very respected journalist in Israel, spoke out against legislation and Netanyahu, the Likud party reacted by forcing the channel to attach a disclaimer calling her a radical leftist who will do anything to oppose Netanyahu. And of course, with Channel 14 not respecting journalism and broadcasting propaganda all day, you can imagine how they talk about other journalists. And with the minister of police being Itamar Ben-Gvir, the most racist minister ever in Israel, the Likuds supporters feel they dont have to fear recourse. They threw a bottle of beer at journalists from Channel 13 when they were covering demonstrations, just for being from a channel that is known to be not Netanyahus channel. Incidentally, they struck two of the channels conservative journalists. Last year, it came to a point that journalists were targeted just for the channel that was written on their microphones. Just that is enough for someone to be suddenly surrounded by a mob calling them a traitor. Journalists I spoke to told me it was the scariest moment for them. They told me they either dont go to cover right-wing demonstrations at all anymore, or go with security. They say the risk is too highthat they want to live. Is this all working on the Israeli public? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Oct. 7, public trust in Netanyahu has fallen to the lowest point in his life, according to polling. Most Israelis want elections, maybe not immediately, but definitely after the war ends. A majority believe he is serving his own interests in the war. So, do I think the governments blitz strategy is working? There is no easy answer. Advertisement There is a lot of anger and fury in Israel about whats happened to us and to the country on Oct. 7: 1,200 people were slaughtered in one day. Were a country in trauma. Hundreds of soldiers have died in the war since then. You have this crowd of people that will buy whatever he says, apparently, but you also have a majority, as it seems now, that doesnt buy anything Netanyahu says. Advertisement But we have reason to be skeptical. As long as things dont change politically, we have reason to fear that Netanyahu will move forward with his plans for judicial reform and other things. And if that happens, itd be very bad. Israeli democracy is not getting any way better with Netanyahu and his partners in power. The public is skeptical, and I hope this skepticism will materialize into elections as soon as possible. Who knows what other tricks he will pull until then? Do people in Israel watch Al Jazeera? Advertisement Not many Israelis are watching Al Jazeera. This new legislation will not have any immediate effect on the Israeli TV landscape, because its not a channel that Israelis watch in general. The rationale behind banning Al Jazeera seems childish. I want to emphasize that I am against it. I dont see any good in it. Israel may not like the channel and the channel may not like Israel at all, but its not a reason to prevent a news channel from having basic access to do their job. Many Israelis are interviewed in Al Jazeera. This move really only damages Israel. Advertisement I am most concerned that the government could rely on this precedent to hurt local Arabic-language broadcasters in Israel. Freedom of speech for Arabs has slipped since the start of this war. They dont have enough support to take any major steps against any Israeli media outlet right now, but of courseand its an important pointfreedom of speech for Arab citizens in Israel is worse than for Jewish people. Im sorry to say it. Its sad and awful, but we see it in many different examples in what the police did after Oct. 7. Its insane that the minister of communications filed so many complaints against the Arabic-language Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation channel. I think its definitely due to his racism. Regulators of the nonpublic channels and radio stations have given Arabic-language radio stations harsh, big fines. Arabic radio stations have less freedom of speech than Hebrew-speaking or non-Arabic media outlets. I can stand by that. Its true and its scary. And its been escalating during the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you think the effect of this will reach even further? To your work? Look. This government is a threat to journalism. They harm TV channels, Israeli journalists, and independent media. Karhi, the minister of communications, already blames any journalist or channel that is not entirely supportive of Netanyahu and the Likud party as radical and biased. We have all the reason to be skeptical of anything they say about any media outlet. I dont trust them because I see how they harass journalists for no reason. They have also threatened regulation to hurt Haaretz. We have every reason to believe this government will help media outlets that support it, and if they can, shut all other media outlets down. Its scary. I think they dont have enough public support now after Oct. 7 to move forward with sweeping action against the media. But do they want to? Of course. This article contains pretty, pretty big spoilers for the finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm. A few minutes into the final episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David is driving down a highway in Atlanta, where hes become a folk hero for providing water to a woman waiting in line to votea real-life violation of Georgias Election Integrity Act. Hes on his way to stand trial for his inadvertent act of civil disobedience, but his arrival is delayed almost imperceptibly by a woman who refuses to let him exit. In classic Curb fashion, what could have been a brief moment of awkward hesitation quickly escalates to a battle of wills: He speeds up, outraged by her refusal to yield, and she follows suit, flipping him off through the window of her blue Mercedes. Eventually, Larry settles for returning the gesture and pulling in behind her, but when he runs into her by chance the following day, he cant resist bringing it up. She broke the rules, and she has to pay. Despite the fact that the other driver is played by no less than Oscar-winning actress Allison Janney, the brief game of exit-ramp chicken occupies only a tiny fraction of the episode, which closes the book on nearly 25 years of Davids stone-classic sitcom. (The plotline mainly serves the function of giving the late Richard Lewis, a mainstay of the show, something to do in its final act.) But its a perfect miniaturization of the series core obsession with rules, the spoken and unspoken kinds. Advertisement Larry David has called the caricature of himself he played over the shows 120 episodes a sociopath, but hes also, in the classical sense, a hero, a man who stands for something greater than himself. The trial that comprised much of the series closing argument was convened to determine whether Larrys act of elementary compassiongiving a drink to a Black woman waiting in a long line on a sweltering Georgia afternoonwas also grounds for a felony conviction. But the real judgment was a more existential one. As a reporter on the courthouse steps put it, Its up to the jury to decide what kind of man Larry David is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given that Larrys own lawyer (Sanaa Lathan) admitted that he technically broke the law, his only hope for acquittal was jury nullificationconvincing a dozen of his ostensible peers that he was right, even morally obligated, to do so. The world, after all, is full of unjust laws, and we need people who put them to the test. But when are they acting on sound and unassailable principles, and when are they just being, to use a word that has been lobbed at Larry countless times over Curbs run, assholes? Is one mans resistance hero anothers entitled prick? Advertisement Like a wealthy liberal Immanuel Kant, Larry held the world to his own version of the categorical imperative: Follow the rules, except the bullshit ones. If an able-bodied person uses the handicapped stall when theres no one else around, is anyone harmed? Is there any reason why the kitchen stops serving breakfast at 11? The answer to both questions, as Larry eventually finds out, is Yes. But hes not the kind of hero whos always in the right. In fact, as a string of character witnesses drawn from as far back as Curb Your Enthusiasms second season testify, hes been petty and spiteful and inappropriate on innumerable occasions. But hes also been the victim of misunderstandings that social niceties and baked-in assumptions make impossible to rationalize. (In fact, that was a water bottle in his pants when he hugged the little girl who, 23 years after Season 2s The Doll, takes the stand against him, but try explaining what it was doing there.) As he laments in the 1999 special, also called Curb Your Enthusiasm, that gave birth to the series, Its very hard to do the right thing 24 hours a day. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate Conservatives Freaking Out Over Larry Davids Politics Have Only Themselves to Blame Read More Curb Your Enthusiasms swan song was structured as both a do-over for Seinfelds much-disliked finale and a middle finger to its critics. (Its title, No Lessons Learned, restated Seinfelds antisentimental credo, No hugging, no learning, while warning off anyone who might have expected Larry David the creator to prove any more susceptible to public criticism than Larry David the character.) More than once over Curbs final season, Larry was prompted to remind people that he had nothing to do with Seinfelds last two seasons, only to grimace when they responded, But you came back for the finale, right? Just like Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer, Larry wound up behind bars, a fitting punishment for his social transgressions, if not his legal ones. But he wound up getting sprung by no less than Seinfeld himself, thanks to an uncomfortable exchange between the sitcom star and one of Larrys jurors, whose inability to abide by the judges sequestration order resulted in a mistrial. Imprisoned by one petty legality, Larry was freed by another. The system worked. Advertisement If Seinfelds finale condemned its leads to the Sartrean hell of each others company, Curbs suggested that the world itself is a prison. It began and ended on an airplane, where the push to monetize status anxiety has made every minor decisioncarry on or check? Seat up or back?feel like life or death. In the first scene, Larrys refusal to put his phone in airplane mode is foiled by a passenger who anonymously rats him out, triggering yet another of his confrontations with the service workers whom he treats as the first responders of pointless compliance. (Nothing triggers Larrys sense of outrage like the notion that some apparently unjustified rule is just our policy.) He bemoans the backstabbing betrayal of his airline snitch, but hell, if hes got to follow the rule, so does everyone else. As his friends Jeff and Leon flaunt their still-connected phones, he squeals on them one by oneall while neglecting to switch his own phone off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the series coda, Larrys back on the plane, with the series supporting cast stretched out across the row alongside him. Jeffs wife, Susie, throws up her window shade and a blinding ray of sunshine pierces through the cabin. She says she just wants to read her book, but the brightness hurts Larrys eyes, and Leon cant even see the screen in front of him. (Hes been bingeing Seinfeld the whole episode, and hes finally caught up to the finale.) A more polite groupa more cordial one, to use a word Curbs final season throws around as a term of abusemight negotiate their way to some compromise, but not this entitled, quick-to-anger bunch. Theyre stranded in a permanent squabble, filling first class with the sound of their endless aggrievement. With the authorities beaten and our heroes self-restraint snuffed out, theres no one left to stop them. Keeping up with Donald Trumps court schedule is a dizzying task, since he faces two federal trials, a criminal trial in Georgia, and two separate civil and criminal trials in New York. (Oh, and hes running for president.) A programming note: Well be skipping the regular edition of Keeping Up next week as Trumps hush money trial begins, but well have plenty of other coverage of the trial! This roundup will return the week after. You can also find all the Trump trialrelated developments here. Trump is gearing up for this first criminal trial in his signature styleattack, attack, and attack some more. While the former presidents attorney filed a motion requesting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan recuse himself from the hush money case, Trump took to Truth Social to blast Merchan. Meanwhile, special counsel Jack Smith issued his sharpest rebuke yet to the judge assigned to his federal classified documents case. Trump Wants Merchan Out With one week left until the former presidents first criminal trial is set to begin, Trumps attorneys are throwing everything theyve got at New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, including a motion demanding he recuse himself, an appeal to pause his gag order, and a lawsuit seeking to delay the trial. Trumps attorneys are targeting Loren Merchan, the judges daughter, whom Trump has also previously attacked online, because she was president of Authentic Campaigns, a company thats worked on a host of Democratic campaigns including Vice President Kamala Harris 2020 presidential bid. Trumps attorneys argue this creates an appearance of impropriety and risks the fairness of the trial and that Merchan should recuse himself. Advertisement The motion also argues that Merchans recent gag order, which bans Trump from publicly commenting on court staff, witnesses, prosecutors, their family members, and Merchans family is unfair because it threatens Trump with contempt and worse if he points out the Courts familial conflicts, wrote Todd Blanche, Trumps attorney. And on Monday, attorneys for Trump filed an appeal to pause that gag order alongside a request to move the venue of the hush money trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to that appeal, the New York Times reported that Trumps attorneys also intend to file a lawsuit against Merchan in an effort to delay the April 15 trial. Meanwhile, Trump has been on a tirade against the judges who have overseen his recent court battles, including Merchan. If this Partisan Hack wants to put me in the clink for speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson MandelaIt will be my GREAT HONOR, wrote Trump on Truth Social. Advertisement While Justice Merchan Denies Effort to Dismiss the Hush Money Case The New York Supreme Court judge rejected Trumps last-ditch efforts to avoid his hush money trial, denying motions to delay the start date and claim presidential immunity. Trumps attorney filed the motion to dismiss back on March 7, claiming presidential immunity only 17 days before the hush money trial was supposed to begin on March 25. (After an unexpected drop of thousands of documents and some combative back-and-forth between Trump and Bragg, the trial was delayed until April 15.) Last week, Merchan ruled Trumps motion to dismiss was untimely, since it was filed only about two and half weeks before the March trial date, which raises real questions about the sincerity and actual purpose of the motion. Advertisement Advertisement Merchan noted that Trump has been claiming presidential immunity a whole lot lately. Less than two months ago, his lawyers filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to weigh in on his bid to dismiss special counsel Jack Smiths election interference trial on the grounds of presidential immunity. His attorneys also unsuccessfully tried claiming presidential immunity last summer when pushing to move the hush money case out of state court and into federal court. Despite having all this practice, the former presidents attorneys waited well past the 45-day period to file their presidential immunity defense in the hush money case, wrote Merchan, and they failed to raise it in any other pretrial motion, thereby forfeiting it. The judges ruling clears the way for Trump to face his first criminal trial next week. Advertisement Advertisement Judge Aileen Cannon and Special Counsel Jack Smith Spar Over the Presidential Records Act Last week, Smith did not spare any niceties for Judge Aileen Cannon in a court filing that rejected her strategy to allow a jury to decide whether the Presidential Records Act applies to the former presidents handling of classified documents when he was leaving the White House three years ago. Two days later, Cannon responded and called Smiths demands that she quickly make a decision on the PRA matter herself unprecedented and unjust. Advertisement Advertisement Smiths filing was a response to an exercise that Cannon had requested of both the prosecution and defensecome up with two scenarios for a jury to consider: 1) Is Trumps possession of a record considered personal or presidential under the Presidential Records Act? 2) Does Trump have the sole authority to categorize any record(s) as personal or presidential during his presidency? Advertisement Trumps attorneys have argued that the PRA gives the former president authority to reassign classified documents as personal records, and Cannon appeared open to this defense. (The PRA dictates that official records of presidents and vice presidents are officially converted from private to public when they leave office, and it gives the National Archives authority to manage those records.) However, instead of directly ruling on the PRA defense, Cannon suggested a jury could weigh in on the question. Smith disagreed with that approach, in part because his indictment does not charge Trump with violating the PRA. The PRAs distinction between personal and presidential records has no bearing on whether a former Presidents possession of documents containing national defense information is authorized under the Espionage Act, wrote Smith. And the PRA should play no role in the jury instructions. Advertisement However, Cannons latest order clarifies that her jury-instructions assignment should not be misconstrued as her final judgment on the PRA issue, rather it was a genuine attempt, in the context of the upcoming trial, to better understand the parties competing positions and the questions to be submitted to the jury in this complex case of first impressions. She also stipulated that Smith is always free to appeal her opinions as he sees fit. Advertisement Cannons order also included bad news for Trump: The motion to dismiss the classified documents indictment was denied. Related From Slate Jack Smith Has Had Enough! Read More Trump (Finally) Posts Bond After a New York appeals court threw the former president a lifeline and allowed the bond in his civil fraud judgment to be lowered from $454 million to only $175 million, Trump was able to post bond. He can now proceed with appealing New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engorons verdict. Advertisement Under New York state law, defendants who are seeking an appealand want to stop authorities from collecting the fine they owe while the appeals process plays outmust post a bond worth the full value of the judgment. In Trumps case, that was $454 million, the penalty levied by Engoron, who found that Trump committed fraud when he overinflated the value of his assets on financial documents. He also banned Trump from serving as an executive of any New Yorkbased company for the next three years, and from taking out any loans from a New York financial institution. However, Trumps attorneys said securing a bond worth just shy of half a billion dollars was a practical impossibility, and they sought a lower bond amount. Once that request was granted, Trumps attorney confirmed the former president had posted a bond worth $175 million and that he looks forward to vindicating his rights on appeal and overturning this unjust verdict, said Alina Habba. This stands to be a particularly tense week in the Middle East, even by the standards of an already volatile region. Iran has promised to attack Israeli assets somewhere in the world, which may spark a widening of war in Gaza, perhaps roping in the United States. At the same time, cease-fire talks in Cairo have reached what one member of Israels war Cabinet calls an opportune moment. Rarely in this 6-month-old battle have all the parties in the regioncombatants, negotiators, enablers, and nervous sidelinerswalked such a narrow tightrope between a provisional peace and an escalating war. Iranian officials say they will mount an attack sometime after Ramadan, which ends Tuesday, in retaliation to Israels April 1 attack on Irans consulate in Syria, which killed seven officers of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two generals. Israel has put its forces on high alert in anticipation of the attack. Israel carried out the attack, for reasons as yet unknown, without first informing the Biden administration, even though an Iranian attack on Israel could draw in the United States. Biden placed a second aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean shortly after Oct. 7 to deter precisely such an attack. Which way things go from here depends, in part, on Iranian and Israeli calculationsand in part on sheer luck. If Tehrans rulers decide to mount a proportionate attack with a goal of restoring deterrence (i.e., making clear to Israel that it shouldnt repeat such an attack), they might launch missiles at an Israeli embassy somewhere in the worldprobably not at the embassy in Washington, as an attack on American territory might provoke U.S. retaliation. Advertisement If they do go beyond proportionality and attack a target inside Israel or the United States, that might reflect one of two things: Either Tehrans leaders dont understand deterrence theoryor they want to enter the war directly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Either way, this would be a grave or bold departure. Iranian officials disclaimed any involvement in Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and kept a tight leash on Hezbollah, their terrorist ally in southern Lebanon, which Hamas had hoped would join in, striking Israel from the north. Some Iran-backed militias in Lebanon and Syria launched missiles at U.S. and Israeli bases. But after one such strike killed three American troops, the U.S. retaliated with force and diplomacylaunching a massive wave of attacks and killing 40 militiamen while also holding secret talks with Tehran. Since then, the militias have been quiet. Advertisement Which is why Israels attack on the Iranian officers in Syria was so puzzlingand provocative. Even if Iran takes the more cautious option in responding to the attack, say by launching missiles at some Israeli embassy, spiraling escalation would still be a possibility. Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the strike on the consulate in Syria. To the extent officials have conceded it off the record, they say it was in response to a long pattern of strikes against Israel by Iranian-backed militias. (One of the generals killed was the commander of Irans military activities in the region.) So, Israel may feel some need to strike backwhich may spur Iran to strike back again, especially since Israels philosophy of retaliation tends toward poking out more than just one eye for an eye. Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Biden placed those aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean to deter an Iranian attack on Israel. Therefore, if Israel is struck directly, he might feel compelled to order a U.S. response. On Friday, Iranian officials warned Biden not to take any action in response to their impending attack against Israel. Stay away so you wont get hurt, read one written message. Advertisement Will Biden heed the warning? It depends, in part, on the nature and intensity of Irans attack, if there is one. However, the fact that Iranians sent this warning publicly makes it more likely that Biden wont stay away. For reasons of both geopolitics and domestic politics, he wont want to give the impression that hes kowtowing to Tehrans demands. Will this fact deter Iran from mounting an attackor make a wider war more likely? Advertisement It is undeniable that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put Bidenand all of usin this predicament. Had he consulted his American ally before the attack, Biden would have advised him very strongly against it; the timing, as we now see, was terrible. Some therefore speculate that Netanyahus action amounted to a deliberate attempt to draw Washington into the war. Advertisement Advertisement Yet, at the same time, other maneuvers in the region could foretell an Israel-Gaza cease-firewhich, among other things, might provide Iran with a rationale to hold off on its attack. Over the weekend, Israel withdrew an entire division of troops from southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade in the area. (There are three brigades in a divisiona few thousand troops in each brigade.) The reason is unclear. The official explanation is that the troops needed rest and rehabilitation before mounting their massive offensive against Rafah, the southern Gaza town where Hamas last remnants are hiding. But some believe Netanyahu and his war Cabinet are secretly reluctant to go into Rafah. Biden has warned them not to do so unless they have a plan for protecting the 1.2 million civilians in the area, many of whom fled from their homes in the north at the start of the war. And it seems there is no such plan; given the logistical problems, as well as the unalterable geography, any such plan could well be impossible. Advertisement Advertisement The partial withdrawal comes just after Israels decision to open up three more humanitarian corridors into northern Gaza and to send a delegation to Cairo for another round of talks about a cease-fire and an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Both of these steps were taken in response to Bidens pressure after Israels attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy killed seven WCK workers. Advertisement In this context, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday that this may be an opportune moment to bring about the release of the hostages, though he added that exploiting the moment will require difficult decisions. Gallant, a member of the emergency war Cabinet, is also one of Netanyahus political rivals. Nevertheless, like the other Cabinet members and much of Israels population, Gallant said that after any agreed-upon truce, Israel will return to the fighting and do everything we must. This includes eliminating Hamas brigade in Rafah. Israel has already destroyed the other four brigades in the six months of brutal fighting. Advertisement He claimed that Israels military successes enable us to be flexible in the negotiations in order to bring back the hostages. However, he said, theres another side in the talksand at least so far, that other side, Hamas, has rejected all proposals put on the table. Israel has agreed to a six-week cease-fire, during which Hamas would free 42 of the more than 100 hostages it still holdsmainly women, children, the elderly, and the sick. In exchange, Israel will free 10 times as many prisoners, withdraw some of its troops northward, and allow some citizens of northern Gaza to go home. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate The Real Reason Biden Is Finally Tying U.S. Policy to Israels Behavior in the War Read More Hamas says this is not enough. It wants a permanent end to the war, the return of all Gazan Palestinians to their homes, and a total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Israelis counter that this would amount to a surrender, leaving Hamas in control of the territory and capable of mounting further attacks on Israel. Advertisement Advertisement The disagreement seems irreconcilable. A deal, even a short-term one, will require outside pressure on Hamasmainly from Qatar, which is Hamas main supplier and its mediator with the rest of the world, but also perhaps from Egypt, which could open its gates on Gazas southern border to relieve the territorys misery. Other countries, most notably Saudi Arabia, would have to coordinate political and economic rebuilding of Gaza after the war is over. All of this goes way beyond any steps that these countries have taken to help Palestinians or stabilize the region in the past. It may be too hard, physically, logistically, and politically. But letting everything unravel into chaos, to the point of triggering a regionwide war with Iran, is something that these countries would go to great lengths to avoid as well. The difficult choices, on everyones part, begin this week. Antismoking groups have been pressuring Joe Biden for years to ban menthol cigarettes. They made significant progress at one point: In April 2022, the Food and Drug Administration proposed a rule that would prohibit their sale. But there has been little movement since then, and with time running out for Bidens first term in office, advocates are pushing hard to finalize the ban. Theyve even gone so far as to sue the FDA this month for failing to act. Banning menthol would plausibly lead to positive outcomes for public health, reducing the appeal of smoking cigarettes and causing some smokers to quit. But there are also concerns that the goals of the ban would be undermined by the FDAs restrictions on safer alternatives like flavored e-cigarettes, which would incentivize illicit markets, make menthol smokers more likely to stick with conventional cigarettes (just unflavored ones), and potentially subject the ban to legal challenge. And then theres the existential question: Does announcing a ban risk political blowback, imperiling Bidens chances for a second term and giving an edge to Donald Trump in what may be an extremely tight election? The political question seems to be top of mind in the White House, with officials telling reporters at the Washington Post that concerns about announcing a ban during a reelection campaign are the reason for delay. With the release of a recent poll commissioned by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, antismoking groups are attempting to assuage worries that a ban will alienate voters. That survey finds that voters generally support ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and that a ban would make no difference in the margin between Biden and Trump. Advertisement The optimistic spin on this poll is that Biden can safely announce a menthol ban without losing voters. A pessimist might note that, even according to this poll, the ban doesnt appear to help him either. This isnt surprising: Given the high stakes of the 2024 election, most voters probably have bigger concerns than the legality of menthol cigarettes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, there is one group that would be directly affected by a menthol ban: the more than 10 million Americans who currently smoke menthols. A 2018 poll commissioned by another antismoking group found that support for a ban plummets among smokers of menthol cigarettes, with less than a third of them supporting the policy. The danger for Biden is that while most voters might not care too strongly about a ban either way, the group of people who actually smoke menthols care very much. This wouldnt matter if the president were elected by popular vote, relative to which the number of menthol smokers motivated to vote on the issue is likely small. But what counts for 2024 are the margins in swing states. Some of these were extremely narrow in 2020, with Biden winning Georgia and Arizona by fewer than 12,000 votes. In that context, the risk of losing votes from some of the millions of Americans who smoke menthol cigarettes is worth taking seriously. Advertisement Im also skeptical that everyone would wind up being as relaxed about a menthol ban as that poll suggests. Its language is notably passive, referring to a proposal to end the sale of menthol cigarettes while avoiding language like ban or prohibit. Media and political opponents would frame it differently. A ban would open Biden to attacks from the right for nanny state policies and from liberal reformers for how a ban would involve law enforcement. A federal ban would not target individual usersbut pushing menthol cigarettes into illicit markets likely would lead to arrests and prosecutions of sellers. This is already happening in Massachusetts, where reports detail numerous arrests and seizures of illegal products as well as pending felony prosecutions since the states flavor ban took effect in 2020. A menthol ban also took effect more recently in California; Modesto police posted a video last week showing them seizing cartons of illicit Newport cigarettes. Is promising to enact a similar prohibition nationwide smart politics in 2024? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Politics aside, even some advocates of a federal menthol ban raise doubts about the Biden administrations ability to implement it successfully and ensure that it survives legal challenges. The FDAs proposed menthol rule relies heavily on a study published in 2021 projecting that a federal ban would avert about 650,000 premature deaths by the year 2060, demonstrating a substantial benefit to public health. However, the modeling in that study assumes that many smokers of menthol cigarettes would switch to e-cigarettes rather than to regular, unflavored cigarettes, and that this switch is most likely to occur if e-cigarettes are available in menthol flavors. The catch? So far, the FDA hasnt authorized a single e-cigarette for sale in menthol or any other nontobacco flavor. Advertisement (In practice, that doesnt mean that flavored e-cigarettes are unavailable. Thousands of nicotine vapor products in various shades of illegality are sold throughout the United States, a practice that in itself raises doubts about the FDAs capacity to enforce a ban on menthol cigarettes.) Cliff Douglas, an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan and the president of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, is one of the co-authors of the 2021 study mentioned above. Our modeling on which the FDA depends found that the menthol cigarette ban will be significantly less effective if the agency hasnt provided for a legal, authorized market for alternative products to which smokers of menthol cigarettes can turn, says Douglas. Authorized e-cigarettes are currently a minuscule percentage of the marketplace, limited to just a handful of products, he notes. Since Bidens 2022 appointment of Brian King as director of the FDAs Center for Tobacco Products, the agency hasnt authorized any e-cigarettes at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate Heres Who Should Pay for Everyones Ozempic Read More That doesnt merely make a federal menthol ban less effective; it also opens it up to legal challenge. If the FDA relies on science, including what we generated, they cant cherry-pick it and just give it partial credence and ignore the rest, says Douglas. That creates a target for legal challenge for being arbitrary and capricious. This is a reasonable concern given the FDAs recent track record in other tobacco cases: The agencys regulation of premium cigars was struck down last year for being arbitrary and capricious, and e-cigarette makers have prevailed on challenges to its regulatory processes in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, producing a circuit split that may reach the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement All of this adds up to a stack of difficult trade-offs for the Biden administration. The FDAs de facto prohibitionist stance on relatively low-risk e-cigarettes has made it harder to credibly prohibit far deadlier menthol cigarettes. Acting now has the advantage of getting a rule on the books, but that would be for naught if its later struck down in courtor it could hand a narrow electoral edge to Trump. Its not clear how a second Trump administration would approach menthol cigarettes, but it would be disastrous for the country in countless other ways. Advertisement Advocates of a menthol ban are understandably impatient to see the policy put into place, especially given uncertainties about the next administration, but any rule will likely take years to implement and get past inevitable legal challenges. A reelected Biden will have plenty of leeway on tobacco policy in 2025. Ideally, the FDA will use that time to legalize at least some flavored e-cigarettes, providing an off-ramp for current smokers of mentholsa smart policy, with or without a menthol ban. In the meantime, progressives and antismoking groups should cut Biden some slack. If a ban were to tip a few thousand voters in key swing states to Donald Trump, the nation will face problems far greater than menthol-flavored cigarettes. The previous total solar eclipse in Austin, where I live, was almost 627 years ago, and the citys crowds reflected that energy. Hotels were booked, flight prices were seriously hiked, and the city felt all weekend as it does during SXSW, which is to say congested. Too much traffic. Hard to find a table for brunch. Tourists posing among Texas bluebonnets. A full 1 million people planned to travel toand withinTexas in order to be in the path of totality, according to the states Department of Transportation. Of course, the universe didnt cooperate. Weather reports were grim, and the Texas Eclipse Festival canceled its events and asked attendees to leave early due to the chance of high winds, tornadic activity, large hail and thunderstorms. Chani NicholasNew York Times bestselling author, astrologer, app creator, and activistsaid that such chaos was cosmic. She gave her whole company the week off, citing the planets. During this time period, life is especially unpredictable and unstable, she wrote. Changes, transformations, and catalysts were written in the stars. On my street, the weather was calm and cloudy. If you really want to be outside, a lady on TikTok told her viewers, choose your timeline, choose your path, and choose it with confidence. So, when my calendar event pinged at 1 p.m.eclipse! tucked in the rest of the workdayI shut my laptop, grabbed my eclipse glasses, and walked outside. I pulled up a seat next to my pink rose bush while my dog chased the squirrels in my backyard as if it were any other day. Advertisement Related From Slate I Thought About Making Travel Plans for the EclipseThen I Had a Realization. Read More Within 10 minutes, the ambient light grew dimmer. Adults gathered in my street, on the other side of the fence. The neighborhood was still filled with the sound of young children playing. I heard a man in his yard explaining to his family, Well, theres cloud cover, and looked up at the shrouds and puffs floating over the shrinking, glowing crescent. Whenever the clouds parted, there was echoed clapping and sparse shouts of There it is! Today the sun was a celebrity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several Native American cultures, including the Navajo, advise still reflection on days like today. The Navajo do not eat and drink or do any activity during the event; we just sit in reverence, Sherene Goatson Ing, a member of the Navajo Nation and director of the First Nations Educational and Cultural Center at Indiana University Bloomington, has said. Because its a moment of rebirth, we just try to show respect. Advertisement I put my coffee mug back inside the house, just in case. My dog looked at me quizzically. The birds were still chirping. By 1:27, there was just a sliver of sun between the fresh leaves on my pecan tree. The air, which was warm and heavy, got cooler and quieter. Three minutes later, some of the solar lights in my backyard flickered on. Then came the streetlights. Early afternoon, but the aura of sunset. Smells of spring: freshly cut grass, roses in bloom, the flowers on my lemon tree. The mailman in my neighborhood pulled over and got out of his car. In the sky, the sun looked like a diamond on an engagement ring. One or two spots of red shone from around the black disk of the moon. Then, totality. The sun was completely blocked out, and people cheered in every direction as the sky darkened. Clouds covered the sky. Owls hooted. The clouds once again parted. My neighbors gasped. Austinites whooped and clapped, even screamed. Not two minutes later, its day again. On a Monday afternoon in April, we are reborn. Archaeological research has unveiled rich history of Tematin ruins. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Built in 1250, a few years after the Kingdom of Hungary was invaded by the Tatars, Tematin castle was made of stone because only such structures could withstand and assault from the nomads of the Asian steppe. It changed hands several times, with powerful local rulers and important noble families of Hungary among its former owners. Tematin is situated between Piestany and Nove Mesto nad Vahom and in the past had a strategic position; it is located at an altitude of 600 metres above sea level and offers a view of the entire Povazie region. In good weather, Trnava, which is 40 kilometres away, can be seen. A helping hand in the heart of Europe offers a travel guide of Slovakia. Burnt down The castle's current form dates back to the early 1700s, when it was owned by the Berceni family. After the defeat of Mikulas Berceni, the chief general of the rebel troops of Francis II Rakoczi who stood against the ruling House of Habsburg, it was burnt down by imperial troops in 1710 to prevent it from being seized by other rebels. Tematin fell into ruin and has since then been slowly overgrown by nature. However, since 2007 volunteers from the civic association Hrad Tematin have been trying to preserve what is left of it. Without their effort and intervention, the ruins of the castle would be hard to find these days. "Although the volunteering group has changed several times over the course of operations, the idea has always remained the same - love for a beautiful place, meaningful work and a pleasant environment," Mojmir Choma from the NGO says. Archaeological research Long-term archaeological research is a part of the restoration, and has gradually unveiled the rich history of the place. Not much has been preserved of the castle. "Tematin is specific in this regard. Little information has been preserved and much is yet to be discovered. It stands on the border of regions, in the mountains, so there were very few people who took care of it," adds Choma. The castle was constantly on the fringes of interest, as is evidenced by its state. "However, it is important to continue, so we are working to ensure the castle, research and rescue projects gradually move forward." Much has been saved in the last 17 years. "It was possible to stabilise almost half of the castle buildings, furthermore, to build the so-called 'wailing wall', because it was up to 250 cubic metres of stone masonry," Choma says. They are currently planning to install windows in the future exhibition spaces, and repair the roof, because the asphalt covering it is too old. Voluntary entrance fee The castle is currently open and there is always someone there. There is no official entrance fee but visitors are encouraged to make a voluntary contribution of 2 for the repair of the castle to fund everything from materials, services, food for volunteers, and more. Several roads lead to Tematin. The easiest, shortest and the one with the best views starts in the Bezovec ski resort, which can be reached either by car or bus. This route is also the most suitable for families with children - the journey along the ridge takes a maximum of 1.5 hours. You can also get to Tematin by bicycle. The best cycle route leads from the village of Hradok, which volunteers maintain regularly. My Trnava https://sk.frame.mapy.cz/s/hagebavobo Spectacular Slovakia travel guides The Slovak capital ranks high in the ranking of the most boring cities. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share "Bored? Get a raccoon," recommended Czech actor Jaromir Hanzlik in the iconic Czechoslovak film Postriziny (Cutting It Short). Maybe it's exactly a raccoon colony that would make Bratislava a less boring city. Out of the 10 most boring cities globally, Bratislava has placed third. "Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, exudes charm with its historic old town, but its small-town feel contributes to its reputation as one of the less lively European capitals," reads the website The World Bucket List, which published the ranking. Lost in Bratislava? Impossible with this City Guide! (Source: Spectacular Slovakia) "The limited number of major attractions and a more relaxed pace make it a city that might not satisfy the craving for excitement that some travellers seek in a capital city." Two more boring cities are St. Petersburg, Florida and Lubbock, Texas, both in the US. On the opposite side of the ranking are Bangkok, Paris and Tokyo. Despite its fame for the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa placed fourth in the 10 most boring cities in the world, just behind Bratislava. Other cities in the ranking include Helsinki, Birmingham, Santiago in Chile and Ottawa in Canada. Other boring capitals include Brussels, which despite being the capital of the European Union, is often deemed one of the ugliest cities in Europe; Canberra, capital of Australia; and Bucharest, capital of Romania. Los Angeles, April 3rd, 2024 Created Co, a leading drinkware company in the speciality coffee space, announced it will be unveiling its latest product the NOMAD tumbler at the Specialty Coffee Association 2024 event in Chicago, IL, April 12th 14th. Following its recent launch of special edition stainless steel cold cup colorways, Created Co. continues to expand their popular stainless steel drinkware line with the new addition of NOMAD. In designing NOMAD, Created Co. wanted to create a product that would elevate drinkware in the specialty coffee space. After a year of iterating on designs, testing prototypes and perfecting details, Created is proud to launch NOMAD, a long-awaited product for the brand, featuring an 100% leak-proof lid and ceramic-coated interior. As passionate members of the coffee community, Created designed the NOMAD tumbler with specialty coffee lovers in mind, creating a ceramic-coated vessel with a color-matched interior and exterior. This unique design not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also preserves the flavor of your carefully crafted coffee. NOMADs ceramic-coated interior, a first for Created Co., preserves nuanced flavors and aromas in coffee, by eliminating interference with the natural flavors. We wanted to develop something truly exceptional for the coffee industry. We havent seen anyone quite pull off a tumbler with high-end, leakproof performance matched with a seamless aesthetic flow from interior to exterior. Were really proud of NOMAD and are excited to share it with the world. said Ryan Schneider, co-founder of Created Co. NOMAD is made from premium 18/8 medical-grade stainless steel and features double-wall insulation, maintaining beverage temperatures for up to 10 hours. Its 100% leak-proof lid ensures a spill-free experience, whether youre navigating a busy commute or embarking on an outdoor adventure. NOMAD is currently available in three sizes 8 oz, 12 oz, and 16 oz and in four classic colorways: : Pacific Blue, Desert Tan, White, and Black. Consumers can find NOMAD on the Created Co website or place a special order for customization. Launching at SCA 2024 Be among the first to experience the NOMAD tumbler at the Specialty Coffee Association 2024 event in Chicago. Discover how NOMAD is revolutionizing the way coffee lovers enjoy their favorite beverages on the go. For a closer look at NOMAD and other innovative Created Co. products, visit created.co About Created Co Founded with a passion for delivering exceptional drinkware, Created Co is a trusted creative collaborator in custom design for specialty coffee industry partners. Committed to quality, innovation, and sustainability, the brand offers a wide range of stainless steel and ceramic products designed to inspire. At Created Co, life happens around drink. The folks at La Marzocco have been keeping themselves busy. In September of last year, they rolled out their first ever grinder, the home-user focused Pico. Then in February, they completely redesigned the Linea Mini. Now, La Marzocco is turning their attention to the commercial market. The Italian espresso machine manufacturer has announced the release of their first in-house-designed commercial grinder, the Swan, and it comes loaded with some serious new features. Like the Pico with the Linea Mini, the Swan takes many of its design cues from the KB90. But the Swan is more than just muscular geometry, whats under the hood is even more impressive. La Marzocco set out to solve two major issues with commercial grinding: grind retention and consistency. The culprit of grind retention is often static electricity build-up, especially in the grinding chamber. To solve this, La Marzocco simply did away with the grinding chamber for their stepless grinder. Using an electrical field to remove the static, the ground coffee falls straight from the burrs, through the chute, and into the portafilter, reducing the grind retention. That burr, an 83mm conical, is at the heart of the Swans consistency. The burr is belt-driven, allowing the engine to be house away from the burrs themselves, which helps reduce heat. And thanks to its larger size, the burr is further able to perform while producing less heat by requiring fewer rotation to grind. Capable of grinding four grams of coffee per second, the Swan needs only 10 total rotations of the burr to produce a similar output of other grinders requiring 110. And using an advanced motor control, the Swan is able to maintain a consistent speed throughout the entirety of the grind. More details about the La Marzoccos Swan, including price, release date, more tech specs, etc. will be released in the coming days and months. And with the SCA Expo taking place this weekend in Chicago, one would expect attendees to get a firsthand look at the latest offering. For more information, visit La Marzoccos official website. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240407/ukraine-reportedly-lobbying-to-ban-russian-citizens-from-eu-flights-1117802208.html Ukraine Reportedly Lobbying to Ban Russian Citizens From EU Flights Ukraine Reportedly Lobbying to Ban Russian Citizens From EU Flights Sputnik International Ukraine is pushing the European Union (EU) to close its airspace to Russian and Belarusian nationals, the countrys Prime Minister Denis Shmigal said, according to the news outlet Unian, RT reported. 2024-04-07T23:31+0000 2024-04-07T23:31+0000 2024-04-08T04:31+0000 ukraine russia flights european union (eu) airspace sanctions us sanctions russian economy under sanctions western sanctions world https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/11/1112670905_0:0:3305:1859_1920x0_80_0_0_a8fb09995643bed4ea536c1ee70cc420.jpg Ukraine is pushing the European Union (EU) to close its airspace to Russian and Belarusian nationals, the countrys Prime Minister Denis Shmigal said according to the news outlet Unian. Shmigal claimed the goal of doing so would be to disrupt Moscows logistics while causing discomfort to Russian tourists.Following Russias military operation in Ukraine, governments in the US, Britain, Canada and Europe banned Russian aircraft from flying over their airspace.The EU, US and other allies of Ukraine have also put in place sanctions affecting Russian carriers' ability to purchase new jets and spare parts for Western-made aircrafts already in use. Russian President Vladimir Putin in turn banned the US and Ukrainian allies from flying over Russian skies.US airlines have begun a lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill to address their major loss in business to foreign competitors who are able to transport passengers between the US and Asia more quickly and cheaply. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240401/sanctions-empower-russia-boomerang-on-europe-and-undermine-dollar-hegemony--experts-1117684289.html ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg russia, ukraine, eu flights, flight ban https://sputnikglobe.com/20240408/crimean-offensive-80-years-since-soviet-troops-historic-victory-over-nazis-1117805396.html Crimean Offensive: 80 Years Since Soviet Troops' Historic Victory Over Nazis Crimean Offensive: 80 Years Since Soviet Troops' Historic Victory Over Nazis Sputnik International The Soviet forces' Crimean Offensive, which lasted for 35 days and resulted in a toral defense of Nazi troops, became of the most important strategic military operations of the Second World War. 2024-04-08T09:19+0000 2024-04-08T09:19+0000 2024-06-23T18:32+0000 russia wwii multimedia nazi forces defeat peninsula troops crimea https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/08/1117806501_0:0:1280:720_1920x0_80_0_0_84e10a53a0bbf0855f86f6d6576322ad.png Monday marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Red Army's strategic offensive to liberate the Crimean Peninsula from Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War.The Crimean offensive began on April 8, 1944, when Soviet troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front broke through enemy defenses south of Lake Sivash and on the Perekop Isthmus. The operation ended on May 12, 1944 with the complete defeat of the 200,000-strong 17th German Army near Cape Chersonesos.Check out Sputnik's infographic to see how Soviet forces managed to drive the Nazis out of Crimea in only 35 days! 1 russia crimea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International second world war, the red army's crimean offensive against nazi troops, liberation of crimea from nazi invaders https://sputnikglobe.com/20240408/crocus-city-hall-terror-attack-evokes-memories-of-natos-asymmetrical-shadow-wars-1117807684.html Crocus City Hall Terror Attack Evokes Memories of NATO's Asymmetrical Shadow Wars Crocus City Hall Terror Attack Evokes Memories of NATO's Asymmetrical Shadow Wars Sputnik International Controversy surrounding the recent terror attack near Moscow persists, with US media providing contradictory accounts of how 'Duty to Warn' signals were sent to Moscow, and Team Biden continuing to deny Ukraine's possible involvement. 2024-04-08T11:56+0000 2024-04-08T11:56+0000 2024-04-08T11:56+0000 us seymour hersh daria dugina ukraine russia west nato russian investigative committee joe biden nord stream https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107095/66/1070956691_0:52:1001:615_1920x0_80_0_0_7e350f7bb339d3b8bfc304585c2d5dd4.jpg Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh has busted the Washington Post's claim that the US intelligence community's last-minute terrorist warning to Moscow specifically cited the Crocus City Concert Hall as the target. Citing an American official familiar with the matter, the investigative journalist noted that the target was merely described as a "public gathering" and that WaPo's report was specifically aimed at presenting the tragedy as President Vladimir Putin's failure.The coverage of the terror attack and Team Biden's approach to it have raised questions from the outset: immediately after the attack, Washington insistently denied any Ukraine connections to the tragedy despite a well-established record linking the Kiev regime with terror attacks in Russian territory.The US press openly chastised the Kiev regime for unilateral operations "frustrating" the White House, including an attack on the Crimean Bridge and a car bombing that killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of the Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin. The New York Times admitted last March that Ukrainians are "not always transparent with their American counterparts" about their sabotage efforts.While the US and its allies are jumping to conclusions before the official probe is completed, Chalandon highlighted the importance of investigative activities related to the attack and the need to find the masterminds, financiers and operatives who supported the egregious and odious slaughter.On April 3, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev highlighted that the Crocus City Hall attack was accompanied by extensive and seemingly pre-orchestrated media coverage in the West.More Possible Ukraine Connections EmergingMeanwhile, the Russian Investigative Committee and Federal Security Service's (FSB) initial probes have indicated a Ukraine link to the attack, including possible funding by Ukrainian operatives as well as a hideout for the terrorists in the Eastern European state.On April 5, Russian investigators announced the results after studying the suspects' mobile phones. In addition to the exchange with the "curators" about the attack, photographs of people in camouflage with the Ukrainian flag near destroyed houses were found. For its part, the Kiev regime does not make it any easier for the Western press to divert suspicions away from Ukraine. The head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), Andriy Kovalenko, told The Times that the center is capitalizing on the Crocus City Hall terror attack by instigating ethnic tensions in Russia.The CCD has infiltrated Russian social media and Telegram chats posing as Russians or ethnic minorities to express sympathy for the terrorists and pit netizens against police, all the while trying to instill hatred against migrant workers among Russians.The CCD has about 50 full-time analysts and is subordinated to the National Security and Defense Council, the body supervising Ukraine's security services. Remarkably, these activities were met with little if any condemnation in the Western media, even though they were directly aimed at abusing human rights.Who is Really Responsible for Spike in Islamist Terror?While trying to convince the public that ISIS* is solely responsible for the terror attack, the Western mainstream press remains silent about NATO's destructive actions in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa over the past decades, which provided fertile ground for the emergence of al-Qaeda*, ISIS and many other radical Islamist groups.Western corporate media also shies away from questioning the intelligence services' alliance with the jihadists, leading to their funding, arming and training to enable them to carry out regime change and clandestine sabotage operations against NATO rivals.A few years ago, French investigative journalist Maxime Chaix published a book called "The Shadow War in Syria" about the CIA's Timber Sycamore operation, describing how American, Gulf State and European intelligence operatives instigated the Syrian civil war by weaponizing Islamists to overthrow the nation's President Bashar al-Assad."Since Afghanistan and al-Qaeda, the US has accustomed the world to the nefarious business of funding Islamic terrorists to further their ill-conceived strategic goals of regime change, including in Russia. In fact, this is the very sick specialty of the neocons, which is hitting back everyone like a boomerang, everywhere in the world," Chalandon said.Nord Stream Sabotage Fuels Distrust Towards Team BidenOn top of this, Team Biden is stained by the Nord Stream sabotage controversy: despite Hersh's bombshell revelations about the US president and its officials' direct role in plotting and ordering the attack on the pipelines more than a year ago, the West is yet to present an alternative plausible explanation for what had happened and who was behind it.The West's sinister silence and failure to complete its investigation into the sabotage fuel suspicion and distrust. Being incapable of finding the culprits behind the Nord Stream attack, NATO member states somehow managed to determine that Ukraine did not have a hand in the Crocus City Hall attack within hours.In parallel to his investment banking career, Chalandon co-founded and ran a French political think tank, Fondation Concorde, and was awarded the French Legion d'Honneur in 2000 and wrote for leading French newspapers on political issues. His father, Albin Chalandon, served as minister of various governments under President Charles de Gaulle and Georges Pompidou and then minister of justice between 1986 and 1988 in a Jacques Chirac-led government under then President Francois Mitterrand.*Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and ISIS-K (ISIS-Khorasan/Islamic State Khorasan Province) are terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240325/in-bed-with-jihadists-and-neo-nazis-why-crocus-city-hall-terror-attack-cast-slur-upon-west-1117544799.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240401/ukraine-turned-into-afghan-drug-lords-paradise-under-western-watch-1117669727.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240207/hersh-wests-hesitance-to-conclude-nord-stream-probe-implicates-culprits-1116642115.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240329/how-ukraine-morphed-into-isis-terrorist-safe-haven-1117640571.html ukraine russia west Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova crocus city call terror attack, crocus city hall shooting, isis-k, isis' possible connections to ukraine, isis operatives sought a hideout in ukraine, alleged funding of crocus terror attack by ukrainian nationalists, ukrainian terror attack killed darya dugina, daria dugina, ukrainian terror attacks on russian territory, ukrainian drone attacks against russia, ukrainians instigate ethnic tensions in russia https://sputnikglobe.com/20240408/faa-investigating-boeing-737-that-lost-engine-cover-during-takeoff-1117804417.html FAA Investigating Boeing 737 That Lost Engine Cover During Takeoff FAA Investigating Boeing 737 That Lost Engine Cover During Takeoff Sputnik International On Sunday, Flight 3695 was on its way to Houstons William P. Hobby Airport when it was forced to return to its gate at Denver, and did so safely at 8:15 AM local time, said the FAA. 2024-04-08T04:52+0000 2024-04-08T04:52+0000 2024-04-08T04:52+0000 americas faa federal aviation administration (faa) boeing boeing 737 southwest airlines https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/03/1a/1082454373_0:0:1600:900_1920x0_80_0_0_aea65ca8419618cdac9efb939cb439c3.jpg Flight 3695 was on its way to Houstons William P. Hobby Airport Sunday when it was forced to return to its gate at Denver, and did so safely at 8:15 AM local time, said the FAA. Customers then transferred to a different aircraft and arrived at their destination three hours late.One passenger said the engine cowling peeled off within the first 10 minutes of the flight. Another person simply said of the plane part it all blew away."People in the exit row across from me started yelling up to the flight attendants and showed them the damage," another passenger said, adding that the experience was frightening.Southwest said its maintenance crew would review the aircraft, which had reached an altitude of about 10,000 feet when one of the engine cowlings peeled off. The FAA also said it will investigate the incident.Its the latest incident in a series of mechanical issues creating a PR headache for Boeing. On January 5, a door plug panel tore off a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 at 16,000 feet. Though the situation could have been tragic, no one was seriously injured.The FAA is also investigating a separate Southwest incident that occurred in March when one of its flights strayed off course and flew close to the air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport while attempting to land.Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced last month that he would step down by the end of the year. Boeing also replaced its chairman and chief executive of its commercial plane unit. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240406/outgoing-boeing-ceo-bags-33-million-pay-off-despite-b737-max-accidents-1117777062.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg faa, southwest, boeing 737, plane loses its engine cover, boeing, southwest airlines https://sputnikglobe.com/20240408/iran-warns-it-has-nine-types-of-missiles-able-to-strike-israeli-territory-1117803469.html Iran Warns Nine Types of Highly Lethal Missiles in Arsenal Capable of Hitting Israel Iran Warns Nine Types of Highly Lethal Missiles in Arsenal Capable of Hitting Israel Sputnik International Iran has nine types of missiles with sufficient range to hit Israeli territory, Iranian news agency ISNA reported against the backdrop of concerns of possible armed conflict between the two countries. 2024-04-08T00:23+0000 2024-04-08T00:23+0000 2024-04-13T12:06+0000 world newsfeed middle east iran israel damascus islamic revolutionary guard corps (irgc) iran-israel row https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/10/1100869711_0:200:2931:1848_1920x0_80_0_0_abdd3c4e52cda4130c696b5ca7191655.jpg Iran has nine types of missiles with sufficient range to hit Israeli territory, Iranian news agency ISNA reported against the backdrop of concerns over possible armed conflict between the two countries. An infographic presented by the news agency Sunday revealed multiple Iranian ballistic missiles the Sejjil, Kheibar, Emad, Shahab-3, Ghadr, Paveh, Fattah-2, Kheibar Shekan, and Haj Qasem the speed of which ranges from Mach 5 to Mach 14 (from 3,836 miles per hour to 10,741 miles per hour).On April 1, Israel carried out an airstrike on the consular annex of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, destroying the building. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said seven of its members had been killed in the attack, including two commanders. On Tuesday the Syrian Health Ministry said the attack had also killed four Syrians and injured 13 more. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said it "reserves the right" to respond to the Israeli attack and "punish the aggressor." Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also vowed Israel would pay a "heavy price" for the strike.None of the embassies of the (Israeli) regime are safe anymore, said top Iranian military advisor Gen. Rahim Safavi Sunday, suggesting the country could mirror Israel's consular strike.Iran is a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause in the region Palestinian solidarity was a founding principle of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution which toppled the US backed Pahlavi royal family. The country's foreign policy is rooted in strong opposition to US imperialism, which has left a lasting legacy in the Persian country. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240405/iran-vs-israel-military-comparison-whos-tougher-1117759486.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231012/cia-finally-admits-1953-coup-of-irans-mohammed-mossadeq-countered-democracy-1114154929.html iran israel damascus Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International iran nine missiles strike israel, iran strike israel, iranian missiles hit israel, iran retaliatory strike, iran retaliation against israel https://sputnikglobe.com/20240408/israeli-troop-withdrawal-from-southern-gaza-is-tactical-move-not-concession-for-peace-deal-1117814096.html Israeli Troop Withdrawal From Southern Gaza Is 'Tactical Move' Not 'Concession for Peace Deal' Israeli Troop Withdrawal From Southern Gaza Is 'Tactical Move' Not 'Concession for Peace Deal' Sputnik International Six months after the launch of its invasion of the Gaza Strip, Tel Aviv seems no closer to completing its stated goal of eradicating the Hamas movement in retaliation for the October 7 attacks. 2024-04-08T18:49+0000 2024-04-08T18:49+0000 2024-04-08T18:49+0000 analysis middle east hasan ozertem israel gaza strip rafah https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/17/1114419597_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_e14d60584e5c56ae464ad0687b777600.jpg The Israeli military leadership announced the withdrawal of troops from the Khan Younis area of the Gaza Strip this weekend, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proclaimed that his country is a step away from victory.Commenting on these developments, Ankara-based security and political analyst Dr. Hasan Selim Ozertem speculated that the Israeli forces have likely completed the necessary search operations in Khan Younis and, with virtually all the buildings in the area flattened, there is no reason for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to be there.According to him, the Israeli withdrawal may herald the preparations for an attack on Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sought refuge amid Israels invasion.Withdrawing from Khan Younis may help some civilians to come back to their homes, decreasing the number of civilians over there. So, this may also help to reduce the civilian casualties in a possible operation in Rafah, Dr. Ozertem suggested.He also noted that Israel might have conducted this troop withdrawal in anticipation of possible reprisals from Iran in response to the recent Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240407/us-reluctant-to-cut-off-israels-arms-pipeline-despite-gaza-deaths-1117788744.html israel gaza strip rafah Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International israeli invasion of gaza, khan younis rafah, israeli negotiations with hamas https://sputnikglobe.com/20240408/ukraine-continues-terrorist-activity-by-shelling-zaporozhye-nuclear-power-plant---kremlin-1117807229.html Ukraine Continues Terrorist Activity by Shelling Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant - Kremlin Ukraine Continues Terrorist Activity by Shelling Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant - Kremlin Sputnik International The "regime" in Kiev continues its terrorist activity, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday when commenting on recent shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP). 2024-04-08T09:55+0000 2024-04-08T09:55+0000 2024-04-08T09:55+0000 world ukrainian crisis ukrainian drone attacks on russia terrorist state terrorist attack terrorism international atomic energy agency (iaea) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/1b/1111498991_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_0cd5be3500fb589efba82aed96f23c3a.jpg Earlier, Ukrainian kamikaze drones attacked the territory of the power station immediately after an inspection carried out by International Atomic Energy Agency experts. The attack left three of the facility's workers injured, with one of them sustaining serious injuries, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said.The spokesman also called attacks on the nuclear facility a "very dangerous provocation" that could result in "negative consequences." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230714/scientist-ukraine-attacking-russian-nuclear-plants-is-height-of-lunacy-and-moral-irresponsibility-1111877770.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukrainian terorism, nuclear terrorism, nuclear terrorism ukraine, zaporozhye drones https://sputnikglobe.com/20240408/us-imports-of-russian-fertilizers-rise-to-over-150-million-1117809061.html US Imports of Russian Fertilizers Rise to Over $150 Million US Imports of Russian Fertilizers Rise to Over $150 Million Sputnik International February 2024 saw the US imports of Russian fertilizers rise to their highest quantities since June 2023, Sputnik found out based on US Statistics Bureau data. 2024-04-08T12:34+0000 2024-04-08T12:34+0000 2024-04-08T12:34+0000 economy russia russian exporters fertilizer us-russia relations https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/04/1095268060_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_c263254f39a1414ffa9b75529460d946.jpg The US purchased $158.5 million worth of Russian fertilizers by the end of February, according to the official data. Previously, the number peaked last June when the goods imported from Russia to the US amounted to $158.7 million. At the same time, the US doubled its imports of fertilizers in January-February.The bulk of the imports come from purchasing nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, both have been supplied without breaks on a month-to-month basis. In February 2024, nitrogen imports amounted to $84 million and potassium purchases totaled $74 million.Russias combined fertilizers are also in high demand in the US market. This February, their overall import was valued at almost $550,000. Besides, the US also buys Russian animal, plant-based and phosphorus fertilizers. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230930/russias-role-in-global-fertilizer-market-1113808842.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian fertilizers imports, what countries export russian fertilizers, russian fertilizers supplies, us purchases russian fertilizers https://sputnikglobe.com/20240408/western-media-instructed-to-cover-up-number-of-moscow-terror-attack-victims---kremlin-1117806186.html Western Media Instructed to Cover Up Number of Moscow Terror Attack Victims - Foreign Ministry Western Media Instructed to Cover Up Number of Moscow Terror Attack Victims - Foreign Ministry Sputnik International Earlier Russian officials repeatedly stressed that Ukrainian trace in terrorist attack is evident and reminded that Kiev regime was responsible for numerous atrocities against Russian citizens. 2024-04-08T10:05+0000 2024-04-08T10:05+0000 2024-04-08T10:11+0000 world moscow concert hall attack terror terrorist state terrorist attack terrorists ukraine ukrainian crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/19/1117544415_0:160:3074:1889_1920x0_80_0_0_fab67ca0f91c4964fbb011fee86eba5b.jpg Western news outlets were instructed to avoid providing information on the victims of Crocus City Hall terror attack in Moscow's suburbs, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated.The Foreign Ministry stressed that the West wanted to avoid showing sympathy and humanism towards Russian people and prevent global audiences from feeling compassion and empathy toward the victims of the terror attack.Officials further stated that Western media and politicians started a whitewashing campaign immediately after the terror attack in order to deny the role of Ukrainian secret services. The press was reportedly instructed to broadcast that it was ISIS* that organized that attack and neglected any possibility that jihadists were supported by Kiev or Western intelligence. In addition, outlets were told to slam the course of the Russian investigation and promote the idea that Russian security services were somehow responsible for this atrocity.On March 22, a group of militants stormed the Crocus Concert Hall using firearms and explosives. As a result of the terror attack, 144 people were killed, including children and whole families who came to attend the performance of a popular band. The alleged perpetrators were detained the next day near the Ukrainian border where they were heading. Later, Russian law enforcers detained their accomplices. Preliminary investigations revealed that the men were heading to Kiev to receive payment, while no meaningful ties between these militants and ISIS were identified.*ISIS (also known as ISIL/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240323/terrorist-attack-in-moscow-does-not-look-like-isis-handiwork-expert-1117512832.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sergey Lebedev Sergey Lebedev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sergey Lebedev moscow terror attack, crocus terror attack, ukraine terrorism, ukraine isis, ukraine terrorist state, moscow terror attack victims Driver Guy Gagnon stole the show on Sunday, April 7 at Rideau Carleton Raceway, snagging the victory in both $10,000 Preferred Handicaps for both the pacers and trotters on the 11-race card. The field of six Preferred pacers stepped into the spotlight first in the evening's seventh race, where Gagnon was aboard The Light Speed, starting from post six. Gagnon took The Light Speed to the rear of the field off the gate, meanwhile Lovemyrockinbird (Pascal Berube) and Dylans Bank (Jimmy Gagnon) duelled to the opening quarter in :27.2. Dylans Bank cleared to the front as the pacers passed the stands for the first time and proceeded to the halfway point in :56.1. Dylans Bank picked the pace up on the backstretch where he scooted away from the field by three lengths on the way to three-quarters in 1:23.4 while 2-5 favourite P L Ozzy (Robert Shepherd) loomed large first-over with The Light Speed on his back. P L Ozzy quickly closed the gap on the final turn and engaged the leader. Dylans Bank was a length clear at the top of the lane, with P L Ozzy continuing to bear down while The Light Speed tipped off cover to make it a three-across stretch battle. P L Ozzy wore down a stubborn Dylans Bank, but The Light Speed steamrolled late with a :28.3 final surge to edge the favourite by a neck on the line in 1:52.3. Shotgun Jerry slipped between horses late to pick up the third spot with Stephane Pouliot in the bike. The Light Speed paid $4.80 to win. The victory was the second consecutive and third in eight seasonal outings for The Light Speed, who is trained by Gagnon for owner Michel Nolette. The six-year-old gelded son of Moon Beam-Jayma has now banked $350,214 lifetime after notching his 48th career victory through 112 tries. Gagnon used different tactics aboard the Mandy Archer-trained Meadowbranch Noble to earn the victory in the Preferred Trot. Leaving from post six in the field of seven, Gagnon hustled Meadowbranch Noble to the front off the gate through an opening quarter of :28.2. Gagnon tapped the brakes in the second quarter, reaching the halfway point in :59 as Raising Rusty (Stephane Pouliot) stalked the leader from the pocket. The top pair began to seperate themselves from the remainder of the pack up the backstretch, with Meadowbranch Noble leading to three-quarters in 1:27. Raising Rusty was content to sit the pocket and wait for the passing lane on the final turn as Meadowbranch Noble turned for home 1-1/2 lengths clear. Raising Rusty took his shot up the inside in the lane, but Meadowbranch Noble held his challenger at bay with a :28.4 final quarter to score the victory by a length in 1:55.4. Mask Of Zoro (Stephane Brosseau) finished third to round out the trifecta. Meadowbranch Noble returned $4.50 to his backers at the betting windows. The victory was the second of 2024 for Meadowbranch Noble though nine starts, with the victories coming consecutively since coming to Rideau Carleton. Owned by Jamie Copley, the seven-year-old gelded son of Explosive Matter-Wen Mars Memo is now a 13-time winner for his career, sporting a career bankroll of $240,249. To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway. (Standardbred Canada) Tony and Mary Schadel's Aflame Hanover equalled a Shenandoah Downs track record time of 1:52.1 in Sunday's $10,811 Winner's Over pacing feature, which highlighted the ninth season opening race weekend in Woodstock, Virginia. The original mark was set by Johns Dream in the track's initial 2016 campaign and had stood alone until Sunday. Ironically, Johns Dream -- now 11 years old -- was scheduled to compete in the feature but was scratched. Aflame Hanover left from post five in a field of six, and at the quarter mark, was a nose better than Alexandria Goldin's Marco Beach in :27 .2. The second-place pacer powered past the leader in the turn, got to the half in :56.1 and maintained a 1-1.4-length cushion over Aflame Hanover through the third fraction of 1:25. Driver Tony Schadel, who had not driven his eight-year-old Russell Hanover gelding in almost a year, came outside in the final turn to regain the lead, led by 2-1/4 lengths heading for home and crossed four lengths the best. Marco Beach finished second while Lawrence and Derrick Cooper's Caviart Stoney took third. Though Aflame Hanover reached the winner's circle for the first time this year, he has still bankrolled $19,593 in eight starts. Overall, the consistent performer has 28 wins from 143 life starts and career earnings of $589,912. Aflame Hanover is out of the Western Ideal mare Applique Hanover. Linda Schadel is his trainer. Driving wins were spread out among the entire driving colony during opening weekend. Six different reinsmen collected two each, including Lucas Myers, Cole Olsen, Fern Paquet Jr., Tyler Shehan, Cory Kreiser and Eric Davis, who also had a trio of second-place finishes. The Woodstock ovals continues its seven-week spring campaign this weekend with cards on Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14 at 1:05 p.m. Fans can register to "Own a Horse for a Day" both days. The popular promotion is sponsored by the Virginia Harness Horse Association and gives eight lucky fans a chance to own a horse in a specified race, meet their horse and connections in the paddock and best of all, keep the purse money it earns in a $5,250 USD race. This past weekend, WSIG radio contest winner Duane Stover won $2,625 USD when "his" horse, Leroys Skipn School, crossed first in the sixth race. Sunday's card will also feature five Corgi Dog races, which will be mixed in with the afternoon harness card. (With files from Shenandoah Downs) The Nebraska State Fire Marshal is investigating a rural Scottsbluff fire in which six people were displaced. Scottsbluff Rural firefighters were called to a home at the intersection of County Road 19 and County Road H, about two miles west of Scottsbluff, at about 4:18 a.m., Scottsbluff Rural Fire Chief Carissa Schank-Grubbs told the Star-Herald. Dispatchers advised the fire was fully involved and arriving firefighters found the home to be about 60% involved. Six people two adults, three teens, and one child occupied the home. When firefighters first arrived, the mother of one of the children her child was still in the structure, so firefighters entered the home. Fortunately, Schank-Grubbs said, the child had gotten out of the home safely. Firefighters did encounter some challenges, due to weather, she said. She said that freezing rain and high wind gusts made fighting the blaze challenging and roads en route to the fire were a mess. Paging systems also encountered issues, due to power outages, and the Scotts Bluff County Communications Center also experienced an outage. About 30 firefighters from five departments were on scene. Scottsbluff Rural requested, and received, mutual aid from Gering, Mitchell, Scottsbluff and Morrill Fire Departments. Firefighters were on scene until about 11 a.m., Schank-Grubbs said. The Scottsbluff Police Department, Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Department and Regional West EMS also assisted at the scene. Schank-Grubbs said that Firefighter Ministry is assisting the family, having provided a motel and food and clothing vouchers. As of publication, the cause of the fire remained undetermined and under investigation. The homes damages were estimated at $300,000. The home was being rented by one of the occupants, who did not appear to have rental insurance. Schank-Grubbs said the owner of the property did have homeowners insurance. A GoFundMe has been set up on behalf of the occupants of the home. NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya, have safely returned to Earth following a productive six-month research stint aboard the International Space Station. Their journey back commenced when they departed the space station aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft at 11:54 p.m. EDT on April 5. After a smooth descent, they made a parachute-assisted landing at 3:17 a.m. on April 6 (12:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time), touching down southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Also read: Solar Eclipse 2024: How to click photos of the celestial event like a pro on your Android smartphone Also read Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Successful Completion of Mission O'Hara initiated her space venture on September 15, 2023, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. The latter two will continue their mission aboard the station for a year. Meanwhile, Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya, along with NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, departed on Soyuz MS-25 on March 23, with Dyson scheduled to stay aboard until autumn. During her inaugural spaceflight, O'Hara spent a total of 204 days in space. Novitskiy, a seasoned astronaut with four missions under his belt, has accumulated 545 days in space. Vasilevskaya, on her maiden journey, logged 14 days in space. Also read: Blinkit gets weird Sony PS 5 Slim buying request with delivery agent, sparks online buzz; CEO reacts Contributions to Space Exploration O'Hara's mission, in support of NASA's Artemis campaign, was instrumental in advancing preparations for lunar exploration and laying the groundwork for future manned missions to Mars. Her endeavours included approximately 3,264 orbits of Earth and covered a distance exceeding 86.5 million miles. She conducted various scientific experiments aboard the space station, focusing on areas such as heart health, cancer treatments, and space manufacturing techniques. Following thorough medical examinations post-landing, the crew will proceed to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. From there, O'Hara will board a NASA plane bound for the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Also read: Google tests bottom search bar redesign on Android, bringing material 3 elements for consistency With the departure of the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft carrying O'Hara, Novitskiy, and Vasilevskaya, Expedition 71 officially commenced aboard the station. Expedition 71 comprises NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Tracy C. Dyson, and Jeannette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, and Oleg Kononenko, who will continue their mission until autumn. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Taiwan chip giant TSMC has agreed to build a third semiconductor factory in Arizona, raising its total investment in the United States to $65 billion, US officials said Monday. Lael Brainard, President Joe Biden's chief economic adviser, hailed the election-year news as "a new chapter for America's semiconductor industry." She told reporters the investment planned by TSMC is based on a preliminary agreement with the US Commerce Department that is tied to a major investment law called the Chips and Science Act. Under this agreement, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company will receive up to $6.6 billion in direct funding from the US government and could get up to another $5 billion in the form of loans. The law is a pillar of the administration's drive to protect and strengthen American industrial power as Biden runs for another term in November. The United States is seeking to ward off the prospect of suffering shortages of cutting edge chips that are essential for making cell phones, electric cars and advanced military equipment. As things stand now the United States is highly dependent on Asia for these components and thus vulnerable in the event of a geopolitical crisis, particularly in a sensitive place such as Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province it is determined to take back some day. TSMC, which had already planned to build two plants in Arizona, is going to make semiconductors even more advanced than originally planned at one of them and will also construct a third facility, US officials said early Monday. The company is thus raising its total investment in the US from $40 billion to $65 billion. "For the first time ever, we will be making at scale the most advanced semiconductor chips on the planet here in the United States of America," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said. "These are the chips that underpin all artificial intelligence." Artificial intelligence Raimondo said that with these plans, TSMC would create at least 6,000 direct high-tech jobs but also more than 20,000 in the construction of the factories and tens of thousands of indirect jobs. "Our US operations allow us to better support our US customers," said TSMC chairman Mark Liu. TSMC accounts for more than half of the world's semiconductor production. It has begun to diversify its production, under pressure from customers but also from governments worries about the possibility of China invading Taiwan. Besides in the United States, the company plans to make chips in Japan and Germany. The Chips and Science Act passed in 2022 calls for $52.7 billion in money to overhaul the semiconductor industry in the United States, with the idea that making public money available for this purpose will lure private investment. The US company Intel, for instance, recently announced new production capacity in several states including Arizona, one of the swing states seen as a must win for Biden in November's election. Biden won Arizona narrowly in 2020 against Donald Trump, who is his presumptive rival again this year. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Aleksander Essex created this deepfaked image of the Mona Lisa as an easily spotted altered image. Credit: Aleksander Essex Over the past year, the prevalence and potential dangers of deepfakes have raised concerns related to personal privacy, business ethics and even election interference. As a result, advice about spotting deepfakes has been circulating on social media and in the news, but engineering professor Aleksander Essex says we should start thinking beyond deepfake detection and start asking ourselves more important questions. Essex runs Whisper Lab, the Western Information Security and Privacy Research Laboratory, and spoke with Western News about deepfakes and what they mean for our future society. What is a deepfake? I don't think we've settled on a single definition yet, but we're talking about the use of deep learning techniques (a type of AI) to apply the likeness of real people to fictional imagery, audio or video. Are deepfakes problematic? Definitely. We have plenty of real-world examples, like when a financial worker paid out $25 million (USD) following a call with a deep-faked chief financial officer. There was news about a website used for generating fake photo IDs, and earlier this year, Twitter suspended searches for Taylor Swift after deepfake nude imagery flooded the platform. In your work around election security, are deepfakes becoming an issue? Fortunately, it hasn't come to Canada in full force yet. But we can expect it will eventually, as it's already happening in the U.S. We have seen several high-profile examples, such as a deepfake Joe Biden robocalling New Hampshire voters. Fortunately, the federal government recently tabled new legislation that targets false statements around election practices, which covers deepfakes. What are some ways to spot deepfakes? In the near term, you can still often trust your instincts about deepfakes. The mouth moves out of sync with the body, or reflections are at a different frame rate, etc. In the medium term, we can use deepfake detection software, but it's an arms race, and the accuracy will likely decline over time as deepfake algorithms improve. In the long term, deepfakes may eventually become indistinguishable from real imagery. When that day comes, we can no longer rely on detection as a strategy. So, what do we have left that AI cannot deepfake? Here are two things: physical reality itself and strong cryptography, which is about strongly and verifiably connecting data to a digital identity. Cryptography is what we use to keep browsing histories private, passwords secret, and it lets you prove you're you. The modern internet could not exist without it. In the world of computation, AI is just an algorithm like all others and cryptography is designed to be hard for any algorithm to break. We are still able to link a physical entity (a person) to a strong notion of digital identity. This suggests that 'is this a deepfake?' may not be the right question we should be asking. If 'is this a deepfake' is the wrong question, what is the right one? The right questions to ask are: Where is this image coming from? Who is the source? How can I tell? The sophistication of deepfakes may eventually evolve to the point where we can no longer distinguish between a real photo and an algorithmically generated fantasy. In this world, the focus of the conversation should be less on the content of the image but on where it came from, i.e., the source, the communication channel, the medium. In that sense, Marshall McLuhan's old wisdom that "the medium is the message" still appliesperhaps now more than ever. What would you say to those worried about the potential dangers of AI and deepfakes? I spend a lot of time talking to my students about the dangers of magical thinking when it comes to new technologies. AI, at least the kind that runs on a normal computer, is not alive or conscious. Yes, it can be useful. Maybe even harmful. But it's just gears spinning in an elaborate cuckoo clock and society needs not to run away with itself. In the end, there are fundamental limits to computation, just like the speed of light. AI cannot do everything. Nor can quantum computing or blockchains. Just remember: AI is just a tool. Our attention should be on the hands that wield it. 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 Google has halted its plan to construct a fourth building for its Kirkland campus, according to a research report. The Broderick Group, which monitors commercial real estate in Seattle and Bellevue, noted the pause in its quarterly report of the Eastside office market. Google spokesperson Ryan Lamont did not confirm or deny the news but said, "We're working to ensure our real estate investments meet the current and future needs of our hybrid workforce." "Our campuses are at the heart of our Google community, and we remain committed to our long-term presence in Kirkland," he said. Google had planned a 760,000-square-foot campus with four buildings in Kirkland. It opened the north building in April 2021 and the second phase of the project in 2022 with a splashy eight-story building in Kirkland Urban that featured a dog lounge, movie theater and kitchenettes on almost every floor. At the time, it planned to open another building in 2023 and the last in 2025. Now, Google has completed construction on the south building but has opted not to "build out the space" and to pause its plans for a fourth building in the complex, according to the report from the Broderick Group. Google also removed Tableau, a software company owned by Salesforce, from 120,000 square feet of space on its campus that Tableau had hoped to sublease. Google has also not built out that space, the Broderick Group said. Lamont did not disclose how many employees Google currently has in Kirkland and how many had been slated for the fourth building that is now on pause. Google shed 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, in January 2023. The company also laid off hundreds of workers at the start of the year, though it's not clear how those job cuts affected Google's workforce in Seattle and Kirkland. The Eastside office market overall has an 18.2% vacancy rate, compared to a rate of 5.7% in 2019, the report said. Tenant demand this year has exceeded the norm in the first quarter, the report said. 2024 The Seattle Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain With air turbulence presenting a significant safety concern in civil aviation, especially amidst the growing impacts of climate change and the expansion of the aviation industry, the need for effective monitoring and mitigation strategies has become paramount. Traditionally, the eddy dissipation rate (EDR) has served as the standard metric for assessing turbulence in aviation. However, a new study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences proposes a novel approach by employing a symbolic classification approach based on genetic programming, aiming to detect turbulence anomalies directly from quick access recorders (QARs) aboard aircraft. QARs are airborne flight data recorders designed to capture environmental, equipment, and operational parameters throughout a flight, providing valuable insights into flight conditions. Hongying Zhang from Civil Aviation University of China, the corresponding author of the study, says, "QAR data are a standard feature in modern aircraft, so our method eliminates the need for direct EDR computation, making it universally applicable and easily implementable across the aviation sector." In essence, the integration of symbolic classifiers into turbulence monitoring systems holds significant promise for enhancing civil aviation safety amid escalating environmental and operational challenges. "By integrating symbolic classifiers into turbulence monitoring systems, we can streamline the detection process and improve the accuracy of identifying turbulence anomalies," says co-author Pak-Wai Chan from Hong Kong Observatory. Air turbulence poses a tangible threat to flight safety, necessitating innovative approaches for its detection and mitigation. The findings of this research provide a reliable and efficient method for identifying turbulence anomalies, by leveraging existing data sources and advanced classification techniques. Airlines and aviation authorities can then enhance their capacity to ensure passenger comfort and prevent potential losses associated with turbulence-related incidents. While the current method focuses on detecting the presence or absence of turbulence anomalies, future research aims to refine the approach by developing multi-classifiers for classifying turbulence levels, according to the research team. Additionally, efforts will be directed toward building regression models to estimate the severity of turbulence, further enhancing the safety and efficiency of air travel. More information: Zibo Zhuang et al, Detection of Turbulence Anomalies Using a Symbolic Classifier Algorithm in Airborne Quick Access Record (QAR) Data Analysis, Advances in Atmospheric Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s00376-024-3195-x Journal information: Advances in Atmospheric Sciences The ransomware industry surged in 2023 as it saw an alarming 55.5% increase in victims worldwide, reaching a staggering 5,070. But 2024 is starting off showing a very different picture. While the numbers skyrocketed in Q4 2023 with 1309 cases, in Q1 2024, the ransomware industry was down to 1,048 cases. This is a 22% decrease in ransomware attacks compared to Q4 2023. Figure 1: Victims per quarter There could be several reasons for this significant drop. Reason 1: The Law Enforcement Intervention Firstly, law enforcement has upped the ante in 2024 with actions against both LockBit and ALPHV. The LockBit Arrests In February, an international operation named "Operation Cronos" culminated in the arrest of at least three associates of the infamous LockBit ransomware syndicate in Poland and Ukraine. Law enforcement from multiple countries collaborated to take down LockBit's infrastructure. This included seizing their dark web domains and gaining access to their backend systems. Authorities seized cryptocurrency accounts and obtained decryption keys to help victims recover data. They also used Lockbit's own website to release internal data about the group itself. Ukrainian cyber police disclosed that they had detained a "father and son" duo allegedly affiliated with LockBit, whose activities purportedly impacted individuals, businesses, governmental entities, and healthcare establishments in France. During searches of the suspects' residences in Ternopil, Ukraine, law enforcement seized mobile phones and computer equipment suspected to have been utilized in cyberattacks. In Poland, authorities arrested a 38-year-old individual in Warsaw, suspected of being associated with LockBit. He was brought before the prosecutor's office and charged with criminal offenses. However, LockBit re-emerged within a week, highlighting the ongoing challenges of combating cybercrime. They released a statement on Tox. " PHP, PHP " "The FBI fu$%#d up servers using PHP, backup servers without PHP are not touched" Shortly after the group continued its global onslaught against organizations, maintaining its position as a dominant force in the realm of ransomware operations. This resilience underscores the group's formidable power and capabilities, as well as the robust security measures surrounding its operations that ensures its continued viability and potentially promising future, as evidenced by quarterly trends over recent years. The Impact of the ALPHV Takedown In a major blow to the ransomware industry, the FBI announced on December 19th, 2023, that they had disrupted the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group. This takedown followed a five-day outage of the group's dark web infrastructure, which began on December 8th. The FBI seized control of one of ALPHV's main sites, replacing it with their signature banner. This action, along with the development of a decryption tool to aid victims, represents a significant win for law enforcement in the fight against ransomware. In Q1 2024, ALPHV were behind 51 ransomware attacks, a significant drop from the 109 attacks in Q4 2023. Although the group is still active in 2024, the FBI takedown clearly had a significant impact. Reason 2: The Decrease in Ransom Payments The decrease in ransom payments could also be prompting ransomware groups to retire and seek alternative sources of income. In the last quarter of 2023, the proportion of ransomware victims complying with ransom demands plummeted to a historic low of 29%, as per data from ransomware negotiation firm Coveware. Coveware attributes this continuous decline to several factors, including enhanced preparedness among organizations, skepticism towards cybercriminals' assurances to not disclose pilfered data, and legal constraints in regions where ransom payments are prohibited. Not only has there been a decrease in the number of ransomware victims making payments, but there has also been a notable decline in the monetary value of such payments. Coveware notes that in Q4 2023, the average ransom payment amounted to $568,705, marking a 33% decrease from the preceding quarter, with the median ransom payment standing at $200,000. New Groups Emerging BUT Not Yet Covering the Drop Despite the drop in a number of attacks from Q4 2023 to Q1 2024 and despite the lower profitability, many new ransomware groups emerged in Q1. New groups include: RansomHub identifying itself as a global team of hackers primarily motivated by financial gain. Trisec who openly diverges from conventional ransomware groups by openly aligning itself with a nation-state. Slug who claim responsibility for infiltrating and targeting AerCap Mydata- with a data leak site naming several prominent companies, including the Accolade Group, Gadot Biochemical industries, and more. Cyberint anticipates several of these newer groups to enhance their capabilities and emerge as dominant players in the industry, alongside veteran groups like LockBit 3.0, Cl0p, and BlackBasta. Read Cyberint's 2023 Ransomware Report for more emerging groups, the top targeted industries and countries, a breakdown of the top 3 ransomware groups active in Q1 2024, notable 2024 trends & incidents and more. Read the Report. A 41-year-old Grand Island woman threatened to kill an employee of U Save Pharmacy Friday afternoon and returned to the store carrying a knife. The episode ended with police officers breaking the drivers window of the suspects car and physically removing her from the vehicle. The suspect, Hodan Farah, left the pharmacy, at 423 W. Fourth St., at about 4:10 p.m., upset with pharmacy employees. At about 4:40 p.m., Farah called the pharmacy and told an employee to tell a pharmacy tech she was going to choke her until she dies. At 5:30 p.m., the 911 emergency center received a call from the suicide hotline saying that Hodan Farah was suicidal and homicidal and heading to the Fourth Street U Save Pharmacy. Farah said she was going to kill a pharmacist and said she would be wearing a mask and carrying a knife. Police arrived at the pharmacy at 5:35 p.m. to check on the safety of employees and to check if Farah was already there. While officers were speaking with a U Save employee at 5:39 p.m., officers observed a white SUV enter the parking lot and park directly in front of the building in a no-parking area. The U Save employee told police the driver of the SUV was Farah. Officers observed the woman exit her vehicle with a kitchen knife in hand. When she tried to enter U Save, officers held the front doors closed to prevent her from entering the building and gaining access to employees. Seven employees of U Save and Heartland Health Center, which is part of the business, went into their own offices and locked the doors. Farah would not comply with officers commands to drop the knife. She said she would be back and got into her SUV to leave the property. Officers told Farah to stop the vehicle, but she continued to move forward. Police broke the drivers side window of her vehicle and physically removed her. After she was removed, the vehicle rolled forward, hitting the car in front of it. Farah was then placed in custody. Grand Island Police Capt. Dean Elliott said the employees did the right thing. They identified the suspect and retreated to their offices to let the officers do what they needed to do, Elliott said. Police also handed the incident with great professionalism, Elliott said. During the threat, two officers were inside the store and one outside. And they showed great restraint in not using deadly force; deadly force would have been authorized based on her actions. But they showed great restraint, Elliott said. A citizen also helped by remaining in a vehicle that blocked Farah in her attempt to drive away. Its unfortunate that Farahs SUV, which was still in drive, hit the other vehicle, but the danger to the public was such that police wanted to get her in custody, Elliott said. Farah was arrested for two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree assault, five counts of terroristic threats and one count each of use of a deadly weapon, obstruction and resisting arrest. EuroCham Vietnam's quarterly business confidence index rises for third time in a row By Tri Duc Mon, April 8, 2024 | 10:21 am GMT+7 EuroChams Business Confidence Index (BCI) for Vietnam rose for the third time in a row to 52.8 in the first quarter of 2024, the highest level since Q3/2022, which indicates optimism in the national economy. The index, reflecting the business sentiment of 1,400 European companies operating in Vietnam, fell from 73 in Q1/2022 to 68.6 in Q2/2022, 62.2 in Q3/2022, 48 in Q4/2022, 48 in Q1/2023, 43.5 in Q2/2023. Since then, the index has improved to 45.1 in Q3/2023, 46.3 in Q4/2023, and 52.8 in Q1/2024. EuroChams Business Confidence Index (BCI) for Vietnam through the years. Photo courtesy of EuroCham. From Q4/2023 to Q1/2024, the ratio of businesses expressing optimism in the economic outlook increased by six percentage points from 39% to 45%, while pessimism correspondingly decreased by eight percentage points (from 18% to 10%). Regarding positivity in the economy, EuroChams survey noted macroeconomic factors as the biggest contributor, with 48% of survey respondents giving good or excellent answers. They include sub-factors such as a rebound of the economy, improved consumer spending, a sales boost during Tet (Lunar New Year holiday), and higher demand for services. Other key factors were government policies with 20%, which include higher public investment and supportive monetary/fiscal policies; and business performance with 13%, including fulfilling or breaking sales targets and team performance. On the negative side, EuroCham also stressed macroeconomic factors as the largest impacts, with 41% of surveyed businesses answering not good or very poor. They include sub-factors of the real estate market crash, the global economic situation, and geopolitical tensions. Other factors were industry-specific challenges, especially the construction and renewable energy industries, with 24%; government policies and regulations, such as lack of regulator progress and investment restrictions, with 18%; and labor issues and visa difficulties, with 10%. For the business outlook in Q2/2024, 4% expected very poor outcomes, 21% not good, 41% neutral, 33% good, and 1% with excellent. The 33% portion of good clarified We will start to see demand for Vietnamese goods increasing, plus the impact of new volumes coming from previous year(s) FDI going live. For the five-year outlook (long-term), 53% gave somewhat optimistic responses, 18% with very optimistic, and 15% with neutral. The rest said somewhat pessimistic and very pessimistic. While optimism remains high, businesses face regulatory hurdles in Vietnam that hinder market entry and long-term investment. EuroCham pointed out a key concern of administrative burdens with over half of respondents citing this issue. Other issues included unclear regulations with 36%; permit and license difficulties with 28% experiencing costly delays in obtaining approvals; and work visa barriers" with 26% saying restrictive rules stifle skills transfer and discourage foreign expertise and capital. To attract more foreign investment, businesses suggested simplifying administration with 37% of respondents, strengthening the legal framework with 34%, and enhancing infrastructure with 28%. This positive trend underscores the European business communitys view of Vietnam as a dynamic market with promising growth prospects, said EuroCham chairman Dominik Meichle. The index once again rising above the 50 threshold reaffirms the countrys growing appeal. Continued efforts to enhance stability and predictability will further strengthen Vietnams global competitiveness and unlock its full potential, the executive added. Vietnam has tremendous economic potential, and addressing regulatory challenges is key to fully realizing it, said Meichle. Streamlining procedures and establishing more transparent regulations will empower both Vietnamese and foreign businesses to succeed. This will position Vietnam as a leading investment destination in the region, benefiting domestic businesses, attracting international capital, and strengthening economic partnerships, he added. Vietnam has tremendous economic potential, and addressing regulatory challenges is key to fully realizing it, said Meichle. Streamlining procedures and establishing more transparent regulations will empower both Vietnamese and foreign businesses to succeed. This will position Vietnam as a leading investment destination in the region, benefiting domestic businesses, attracting international capital, and strengthening economic partnerships, he added. New players intertwine at Vincom Retail By Huy Ngoc, Minh Hue Mon, April 8, 2024 | 9:41 am GMT+7 Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup has divested a 55% stake in SDI, which indirectly holds a 41.5% stake in Vincom Retail JSC via its subsidiary Sado Trading JSC. Berjaya Vietnam CEO Nguyen Hoai Nam was the main player in the takeover, but there was also a group of businessmen who either studied or worked in Eastern Europe. The transaction leaves Vingroup as the second largest shareholder, directly owning 18.4% of Vincom Retails charter capital, according to a Friday release from Vingroup. On Thursday, four organizations bought 55% of SDI, including NP Business Investments JSC (16%), Thien Phuc Business Investment and Development JSC (16%), Falcon Business Investment and Development JSC (12.5%), and Emerald Business Investment and Development JSC (10.5%). On March 29, NP Business Investments and Thien Phuc mortgaged contracts at Techcombank to transfer 16% of SDI capital from Ngoc Viet Commerce & Trading JSC. A Vincom Centre shopping mall of Vincom Retail. Photo courtesy of Vingroup. NP Business Investment has links to Nguyen Hoai Nam. This company was established in December 2023 with a charter capital of VND505 billion ($20.14 million). Its shareholders include NP Investment Co., Ltd. (5%), Nguyen Hoai Nam (90%), and Phuong Anh Phat (5%). Phat, born in 1971, is currently the CEO and legal representative of the company. Phat is also a member of Emerald Business Investment and Development JSC, which holds a 10.5% stake in SDI. Nam is CEO of Berjaya Vietnam, a subsidiary of Malaysian conglomerate Berjaya Corporation Berhad. He has also just been nominated to the board of directors of Vincom Retail (HoSE: VRE), for the 2023-2028 tenure. Nam and Phat have worked together on a series of businesses that include SaigonBank-Berjaya Securities JSC and Berjaya-D2D Co., Ltd. Notably, they contributed capital to JVA Ho Chi Minh City Co., Ltd., and JVA Trading Co., Ltd. distributors of Jeep vehicles in Vietnam. The JVA group is also connected to Falcon. As of March 2024, Nguyen Thi Thanh Chau held 48.5% of Falcons charter capital. She is also linked to the same group as Nam and Phat. Notably, the largest shareholder holding a 49.5% stake in Falcon is a former banker who has connections with businessmen who studied or worked in Eastern Europe, including Vingroup chairman Pham Nhat Vuong and Techcombank chairman Ho Hung Anh. Meanwhile, the shareholders of Thien Phuc include Huynh Thanh Truc (49%), Luong Phan Son (36%), and Huynh Thien Phuc (15%). Son served as a board member of top Vietnamese private lender VPBank from April 2012 to October 2012, and from April 2013 to April 2017. Leaving VPBank, he started his own business by establishing a series of companies carrying out large-scale real estate merger and acquisition deals. Son is the legal representative of Capitaland Tower Co., Ltd. - the developer of The Sun Tower project, also known as Landmark 60 Bason, located next to the Saigon River and Ba Son port in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. In 2023, from July 25 to August 11, Capitaland Tower mobilized nearly VND12.24 trillion ($490.3 million) from four bond issuances. These bond packages all had terms of 60 months, with Techcombank as the depository organization. In a newly released report, Vietcap Securities JSC revealed that Vingroup can transfer 100% of SDI's capital at a price of more than VND39,000 billion ($1.56) per share, nearly 30% higher than VRE's current market price of VND24,700. Vietcap also said that Vingroup is aiming to make a pre-tax profit of VND21.52 trillion ($862 million) from the deal. Quang Nam province chairman, vice chairman ousted By Minh Hue Mon, April 8, 2024 | 11:13 am GMT+7 Chairman of Quang Nam province in central Vietnam Le Tri Thanh and Vice Chairman Nguyen Hong Quang have been dismissed for their violations. Le Tri Thanh was dismissed from the post of Quang Nam province chairman, April 8, 2024. Photo courtesy of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper. Their dismissals were approved by the provincial People's Councils 54 members at an extraordinary meeting on Monday morning. Three months ago, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reprimanded Thanh and gave a warning to Quang for violations and shortcomings found in the course of their duties. In November 2023, a series of leaders and former leaders of Quang Nam province were disciplined by the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission. Among them, Thanh was reprimanded while Quang received a warning. At the Monday meeting, the People's Council also agreed to dismiss Phan Viet Cuong from the position of council chairman for the 2021-2026 term. Last November, Cuong, who was also Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, was recommended for disciplinary action by the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission. Cuong subsequently offered to retire six months early due to "health reasons", and his request was granted at the start of the year. According to the Inspection Commission, the Party Committee of Quang Nam provincial People's Committee violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations, and showed a lack of responsibility, and lax leadership and direction. As a result, the provincial People's Committee and many organizations and individuals violated regulations and laws during the fight against Covid-19, breached rules on land management, and committed violations in the implementation of projects/bidding involving the Hanoi-based Advanced International JSC (AIC). Many officials and Party members in the province have already been prosecuted. These violations have caused serious consequences and great losses to the state. This has provoked public outrage and affected the reputation of Party organizations and the local administration, the commission concluded. Renewable energy - leading solution to climate change mitigation in ASEAN By Vietnam News Agency Mon, April 8, 2024 | 9:04 pm GMT+7 Investing in renewable energy sources is as a palliative measure for ASEAN to mitigate climate change, according to vice president of Infrastructure Solutions at Malaysian-based Vertiv Chee Hoe Ling. In Southeast Asia, for instance, energy demand has increased an average of roughly 3% a year for the past two decades with fossil fuels meeting a sizeable portion of this, he said. Wind turbin towers in Vietnam Photo courtesy of Vietnam News Agency. The International Energy Agency noted that coal, natural gas, and oil are the largest contributors to the regions energy mix, adding that fossil fuel imports are key to powering the region. The same IEA report found that the region is undergoing a steady worsening in its energy trade balance, as fossil fuel demand outpaces local production. It is, therefore, important if the region could make the transition to renewable and sustainable energy faster from an economic perspective as well as an environmental one. Furthermore, this would also be in line with governments aspirations across Southeast Asia to realise long-term plans for a more secure and sustainable future. He said that due to the rising demand for digitalised services, the region has seen an unprecedented boom in the market for data centres, citing global management consulting firm Kearneys study which said the regions data centre colocation market is projected to grow by 16.5% from 2019 to 2026 with a value of $6.5 billion. Unfortunately, data centres come with massive carbon footprints due to the tremendous amounts of electricity consumed, water utilised, and carbon emissions generated. They must prioritise technology, energy and water efficiency, and sustainability in their operations, he said, adding key to sustainable development of the centres is to pen strategic plans to branch out digital infrastructure. He stressed that the push for renewable energy and sustainable practices in both energy and data centre sectors is crucial to efforts for a brighter future without dampening economic growth, adding Southeast Asian countries could make contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and shaping up a sustainable environment in the future. Russia's Zarubezhneft eyes Vietnam offshore wind power projects By Tri Duc Mon, April 8, 2024 | 4:33 pm GMT+7 Russian oil-gas giant Zarubezhneft is looking to expand its operations in Vietnam to offshore wind power projects, general director Sergey Ivanovich Kudryashov told Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Monday. He said Zarubezhneft was speeding up administrative procedures for new projects in Vietnam and offered suggestions to Vietnamese authorities on ways to boost the progress of some projects. Russia would continue facilitating Russia-based projects of Rusvietpetro, a joint venture between Petrovietnam and Zarubezhneft, both state-owned oil-gas firms, Kudryashov added. Zarubezhneft general director Sergey Ivanovich Kudryashov (left) and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at a meeting in Hanoi on April 8, 2024. Photo courtesy of the government's news portal. PM Chinh welcomed Zarubezhneft's interest in expanding its Vietnam operations, including offshore wind power projects. He asked Zarubezhneft to work with Petrovietnam to highlight detailed suggestions for Vietnamese authorities to address various challenges in project implementation. Chinh said Vietnam has always appreciated the support it has received from the former Soviet Union and now Russia, especially in the oil-gas sector. The Vietnamese government will further facilitate bilateral cooperation in oil-gas and renewable energy, he added. Chinh also said that Vietnam highly respected its traditional friendship and the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia. Singapore restricts sale of suspected contaminated seafood from Malaysia By Vietnam News Agency Mon, April 8, 2024 | 9:02 pm GMT+7 The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has restricted the supply and sale of mussels from Port Dickson, Malaysia after being notified by the Malaysia Department of Fisheries (DOF) about the risk of biotoxin contamination. A stack of raw mussels on a plate. Photo courtesy of iStock. According to DOF, mussels found in waters off Port Dickson are contaminated by biotoxins and are not safe for consumption. Earlier, DOF deputy director-general Wan Aznan Abdullah confirmed that there are harmful algae that cause mussels in Port Dickson waters to be contaminated, making them unsafe to eat. Negeri Sembilan state's health department said there were eight cases of food poisoning related to the consumption of mussels, with two cases admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The state of Melaka also banned the consumption of bivavles until biotoxin reading reaches permissible levels and mussels are confirmed safe for consumption. SFA said it is working with importers to verify the source of their mussel imports, ensuring that mussels are not imported from Malaysian coastal town. Besides Malaysia, Singapore imports mussels from other countries, including China, Japan and Vietnam On the night she jumped from a second-floor window to escape her husband, Juanita Jackson knew she had to get a divorce. Her entire life, Jackson had been terrified of heights. But that night, one fear was greater: Her husband, Freddie Grant. Decades before South Carolina law enforcement officials labeled Grant a boogeyman and monster for his involvement in the disappearance and murder of two women, he exhibited a pattern of criminality, violence and control, Jackson told The State Media Co. In her conversations with The State, Jackson described how Grant physically abused her over the course of a decade-long relationship. The abuse began shortly after she gave birth to their daughter at the age of 17. Grant, 12 years her senior, punched and threatened her with weapons. One time, he cracked her over the head with a heavy, military-issue flashlight, nearly splitting her skull, she said. To this day, Jacksons left eye is still damaged from repeated beatings. Over the three decades they knew each other, Grant was repeatedly charged with crimes that ranged from drug trafficking to aggravated battery. He was repeatedly jailed, spending more than 10 years in prison across three states, as he bounced between family and relationships in Florida and South Carolina. Today, Grant is in prison after pleading guilty in 2013 to abducting and killing 15-year-old Gabriela Gabbiee Swainson of Blythewood, the daughter of a woman with whom he was involved. Following Swainsons disappearance, Grant was named a person of interest in the shooting death of his neighbor, Daniel Lee Woods Jr., in Kershaw County. Grant has not been charged in Woods death. In February, Grant was charged with murder after the remains of his girlfriend, Adriana Laster, were found in a Richland County sandpit. Laster had been missing since 2011. Other warrants charge Grant with multiple instances of domestic violence against Laster. When they found Adriana, I went through depression, a shutdown. Im just waking up, Jackson said. When reports of Lasters disappearance began circulating in 2012, Jackson remembered believing that Grant had killed her. He had done things to me that were close to that. Grants attorneys said that they had no comment about Jacksons allegations. Jacksons experience with Grant may be extreme, but nationally between a third to half of all female homicide victims are killed by their intimate partners. The story that Jackson shared with The State is not just an exclusive look at a killer that has become infamous in the Midlands, but a snapshot of how violence against women from their intimate partners repeats, escalates and too often ends in unimaginable tragedy. He said all the right things. When Jackson met Grant, he was 24 and she was just 16. It was 1984 and she was in high school, where she danced, played volleyball and was enrolled in honors classes. She had grown up in the neighboring cities of Homestead and Florida City, part of suburban Miami, near the Everglades. It was a small community, and Jackson and her siblings were close with the Grant kids. Jackson used to hang out and make prank phone calls with Grants younger brother. Get TheTandD.com for $1 for 3 months Support local journalism by becoming a member at www.TheTandD.com. View our latest offer at TheTandD.com/subscribe At the time, she was excited that she had met an older, handsome military veteran just home from the Army. He began to help Jackson with her honors English homework. Thats how he conned his way in, Jackson said. Her family liked Grant, she said. He was smart and intense, and he could charm people. Hes very cunning, hes very convincing, Jackson said. Shortly after Jackson turned 17, Grant then 29 convinced her to have sex with him for the first time. Nine months later she gave birth to their daughter, Dominique Grant. But the violence began to show shortly after Dominiques birth, and the relationship became an ugly cycle of control and violence. He wanted long-term damage. He wanted to destroy my face so no one would ever look at me, Jackson said. Grant liked to target her left eye, Jackson said, hitting it over and over again and leaving permanent damage to the retina. Jackson gradually learned the truth about Grants time in the Army. Far from being a war hero, Grant had been dishonorably discharged, according to court records. His last posting was as an inmate at the United States military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. At first, Grant downplayed his Army troubles, Jackson said. He was 17 at the time, and told her that he had gone AWOL in an attempt to get out of the Army. Later he admitted to getting into a fight with a white officer. But he justified it, saying they were caught up in a love triangle with a Korean woman. One night, Grant told her, the jealous officer chased the couple, which led to a fight. Court records show Grant was arrested after he slashed a man across the face with a razor blade. During his arrest, Grant kicked an officer in the chest. Months later, while being transported under armed guard, Grant overpowered the officials, taking an M-16 rifle from one of the guards. Grant held the officials at gunpoint and forced them to drive him to another location, firing the gun at least once, according to court records. Grant then fled, but was recaptured the next day. At his court martial in May 1980, Grant was convicted of assault resulting in grievous bodily harm, resisting apprehension, assault upon a person in the execution of official duties, and kidnapping two people. Grant was dishonorably discharged from the Army, ordered to forfeit all pay and sentenced to eight years and nine months in Leavenworth. He was paroled and returned to Homestead, Florida, in 1984, where he met Jackson. In 1988, Grant was sent back to prison for violating his parole after he was charged with aggravated battery in the beating of Jackson. He had beat me so bad, Jackson said of the incident. But, still she was protective of Grant and tried to have the charges dropped. It was typical for a victim ... I went to his parole officer and tried to tell him, Listen, it was a misunderstanding. He was like No! And I thank God that he saw through it. He said Hes going back to prison. He said, Look at your eye, do you see how you look? In 1989, with Grant in prison and Jackson needing to provide for her daughter, she joined the Army. She went through basic training at Fort Jackson. Throughout, Grant was writing to her. He said he knew he was troubled but that he was getting help. He said all the right things, Jackson said. So when she received orders to go to Germany in 1989, she took her daughter and Grant, recently released from prison, as dependents. It proved almost immediately to be the wrong decision. One day, not long after they arrived, Jackson said that Grant became jealous when a male soldier helped her bring some groceries into their off-base apartment. He accused her of doing something with the soldier sexually, Jackson said. That night he tortured me, Jackson said. Her downstairs neighbors called the local German police, and Grant fled into the night. Believing she was safe, Jackson said that she made dinner. As she was giving her daughter a bath, Grant suddenly appeared in the bathroom. He had climbed up to their second floor patio and entered through a patio door. In his hand was the bat he had bought her to play softball. He said, If you try anything, Im going to beat you to death, Jackson said. Trapped in the bathroom, Jackson remembered the smoke slowly filling the house as a pot she left on the stove began to burn. For a moment, she said, part of her wanted the apartment to burn down. Instead she pleaded with Grant to let her turn off the stove. Then, making as if she was going to empty the pot off of the patio, Jackson threw herself from the second floor. She took off down the street screaming Polizei! Polizei! Grant fled the apartment again, leaving their daughter behind. When I faced that fear of jumping off the second floor and landing on my feet and surviving, I think that gave me the courage. Dont ever go back, Jackson said. When something forces you to face your biggest fear under those kinds of circumstances, thats when you know enough is enough. But it wasnt enough to end their relationship entirely. Jackson said that Grant wasnt arrested in Germany; instead she said the Army gave him a plane ticket and told him to return to the United States. Over the next two decades, Grant traveled back and forth between Florida and the area around Columbia, South Carolina, where some members of his family had settled. His movements over these years can be traced in arrests and court records. In 1990, Grant was charged with cocaine trafficking in Miami-Dade County, but prosecutors declined to prosecute the case. In January 1992, while Grant was out on bond following an arrest for cocaine distribution in Richland County, South Carolina, police onboard an Amtrak train in Florida searched Grants bag and found a loaded pistol. Grant then fled, according to court records, throwing down a bag of cocaine. Jackson admits she tipped off authorities about Grants cocaine trafficking to get back at him for running up a $14,000 overdraft at the base store in Germany. I wanted to get my licks in, Jackson said. But for the most part, during these years, Grant was out of sight, out of mind, as Grant was in and out of prison. Following that arrest, Grant was convicted in Miami-Dade County of possession of cocaine, resisting arrest without violence and carrying a concealed firearm. In May, 1992, he was sentenced to two days with credit for time served. Two months later, Grant was sentenced to eight years in prison on his South Carolina charges. While in prison he worked various jobs, including as an electrician, a laundry room attendant, a ward keeper and a cook. He won a certificate from the National Issue Forum, a civic engagement group, and in September 1993 he was awarded Student of the Month, according to records from the state Department of Corrections. In January 1995, Grant was granted parole in South Carolina and returned to Florida. By March, Jackson had filed three domestic violence charges against Grant in Miami-Dade County Family Court and decided that she needed to make good on her promise to divorce Grant. The next July the same court granted an uncontested divorce. That guy took a lot from me, Jackson said. I dont look at myself as a victim, I look at myself as a warrior. I went through stages: I was a victim, and then I started healing and said OK, youre a survivor. Then I went through the process of getting myself back, learning to love myself again. And once I learned myself, I learned to love others correctly. Now I have got to the age and the stage that I am a warrior. But its a process. You best be careful. On November 9, 2010, Freddie Grant choked and punched Adriana Laster in the face before dragging her, leaving scrapes and bruises across her body, according to a warrant filed by the Elgin Police Department in South Carolina. The next April, another warrant accused Grant of dragging Laster again and causing her to fall, cutting her head open, before he hit her in the mouth. By then, the two had been living together in South Carolina for over a year. Laster was in her early 20s when she started dating Freddie Grant, who was in his mid-40s. She was only a few years older than his daughter, Dominique. Laster had a daughter of her own, Crystal, from a previous relationship. Like Jackson, she was just 17 when she gave birth. But where Jackson was motivated and self-assured, Laster struggled. Court records show that between 2005 and 2007 she was arrested five times, mostly for misdemeanors, in Miami-Dade County. Crystal was raised by her dad and grandmother, Phylis Horn, but Laster always kept in close touch with her daughter. Horn remembered that Laster regularly called her daughter and sent cards. On Crystals third birthday, Horn remembers looking at Laster and thinking, You could just look at her and tell how much she loved her baby. In the mid-2000s, Laster moved from Homestead to Key West, where she met Grant. The couple moved up to Elgin around 2009, where Grant worked as a handyman and electrician. He was a regular at Elgin Town Council meetings, and even once ran for a position on the council. They lived in Grants home at 1009 Kelly St. in Elgin. The brick, one-story home stood off of a sandy, dirt road. Across the street was the home of Mabel Rotan, the mother of his second wife, Ollie Rotan Grant, who died in 2004. Next door was an abandoned junkyard. Grants home had been seriously damaged in a fire in 2006, and was pretty much uninhabitable afterwards, according to court testimony from Dominique. The walls were still standing, but the inside was heavily damaged by soot. Once, while trying to reach Dominique, Jackson said she remembered Laster picking up the phone and accusing her of trying to get her ex-husband back. Now sister you best be careful, she remembers saying Oh, you just want him back, Laster replied. No, no, no you best be careful, Jackson said. The warrants filed against Grant allege that the violence escalated in the months leading up to Lasters disappearance. In June, 2011, Grant allegedly put Laster into a chokehold and dragged her into his vehicle before knocking her unconscious with a punch to the back of her head. Regaining consciousness while the car was on Interstate-20 in Lexington County, Laster fought with Grant to escape the car, only succeeding when she grabbed the steering wheel and forced the vehicle off the road, according to a warrant. Witnesses said Laster told them that Grant was going to kill her, according to one warrant. But Laster did not leave Grant. On Labor Day Weekend 2011, neighbors told reporters that they saw her walking down Kelly Street on her way to church. It was the last time she was seen alive. As the months of silence stretched on, Horn feared the worst. Along with Lasters aunt, she filed a police report. They spoke with detectives and they waited. Over the years, they held vigils and prayed for Lasters return. In 2013, Grants daughter, Dominique, was charged as an accessory in Swainsons murder. To secure her release, Granbt led investigators to where he buried Swainsons body and ultimately pleaded guilty to her murder. But he remained silent about Laster, and she officially remained a missing person. I knew, well I felt that she was deceased, because she had stopped contacting Crystal, Horn recalled. That was the red flag there, that everybody knows something is wrong and has been wrong. In January, a worker quarrying sand near Elgin spotted bones in the dirt. For the next few weeks, the entire site was shut down while law enforcement officers and coroners painstakingly combed through the earth. In the end they turned up part of a skeleton and a few scraps of Lasters clothes. But after more than a decade, it was enough to say for sure what many had long believed: Adriana Laster was dead. Im still fighting some demons, some nightmares of how close I was to being where Adriana was, Jackson said. (TBTCO) - Ong Duong uc Quang - Pho Tong giam oc So Giao dich Hang hoa Viet Nam (MXV) nhan inh, voi kich ban cuoc xung ot giua Iran va Israel tiep dien voi tinh cuc bo, do vay, a tang nong tren thi truong co the se giam bot trong thoi gian toi. Gia xang dau trong nuoc se chiu mot so ot ieu chinh tang trong cac phien ieu hanh toi nhung a tang se khong qua lon. oi voi gia khi, thi truong co the se chi trai qua ot tang nhe khi giai oan mua ong ang toi gan. A father yesterday called for police officers to be trained to handle people with mental health conditions, after his son was shot and killed by a municipal officer on Friday afternoon. He needed help and they kill him, Cleophas Noel said of his son, Elijah Noel. Cleophas said Elijah, 20, was schizophrenic. Question: I have noticed ads on social media about a green card lottery. Is this an official programme? Answer: The green card lottery, officially known as the Diversity Visa Program, is an annual immigration programme implemented under US law. Through the programme 50,000 immigrant visas are allocated randomly to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Individuals born in Trinidad and Tobago are eligible to enter. Ukraine says to agree on military aid from U.S. as loan Xinhua) 09:19, April 08, 2024 KIEV, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country would agree to receive a new military aid loan package from the United States, the Ukrayinska Pravda media outlet reported Saturday. "We will agree to any option. If Ukraine was offered a loan today or everything for free in a year, we would say: 'Only today,'" Zelensky was cited as saying. Zelensky voiced his belief that Ukraine will get a favorable decision from the U.S. Congress on the new assistance. On Friday, Zelensky reportedly met with a bipartisan and bicameral delegation from the U.S. Congress to discuss the form of the new assistance. According to media reports, the U.S. Congress may discuss new conditions for a multibillion-dollar Ukraine aid bill next week, which has been stalled since the autumn of 2023. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) DNA evidence has led to a murder charge and the arrest of a South Coffeyville woman in connection with the slaying of a Tulsa man nearly a decade ago. Tulsa County prosecutors on Friday charged Tanikka Larice West, 50, with one count of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Rodney Dorsey. Dorsey, 52, was found dead Jan. 12, 2015, in the front room of his residence in the 2200 block of North Atlanta Court by a relative, according to Tulsa World archives. Police said at the time that Dorseys 1992 Chevrolet pickup was missing. The Tulsa Police Department said Monday in a social media post that West was connected to Dorseys murder through DNA evidence, although it did not elaborate. The post also says Dorsey suffered multiple stab wounds to his chest. Online state court dockets list West as also facing child sexual abuse charges in Nowata County. Prosecutors in that county charged West Aug. 11. West was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on Thursday under the alias Tanikka Larice Towers, records show. BIXBY Sprawled on the grass, looking up at the sky Monday afternoon, fifth graders Phoenix Hoffman and Riley Gee were pretty up front that this was their first eclipse. Its pretty cool, though, Hoffman said. Hoffman and Gee and all the other students at Bixby North Intermediate School poured out of the building Monday afternoon to watch the eclipse as it passed over northeastern Oklahoma. The school had managed to receive enough donations within two hours to provide enough safety glasses to allow every student to observe the event. They have been so excited all day, fourth grade math and science teacher Chloe Bundy said. When are we going out? When do we get to go see it? In advance of Mondays event, Bundys class discussed the different shadows made by an eclipse, the phases of the moon and the necessary safety precautions to observe an eclipse, and the students took note of the environment around the school before and during the eclipse. They also completed astronomy-themed crossword puzzles, word searches and stories to help pique their interest. Its getting colder out, one of Bundys students shouted as the moon moved to block more of the sun. For one of the students, the anticipation building up to the eclipse was the best part. Its pretty cool getting to be out here with the whole school, fourth grader Liam Sharpe said. Although Jenks and Broken Arrow were not in session Monday, other schools around the area, including multiple sites at Union and Tulsa, also incorporated the eclipse into their instructional day. Along with having students go outside to observe the event near the end of the school day, Tulsas Mayo Demonstration Academy launched stomp rockets as part of a school-wide space day in advance of the eclipse. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. CHICAGO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing Asian Pop-Up Cinema film festival will screen four Chinese films either at theaters in downtown Chicago or online nationwide in the week starting Monday. Set in a southern cane village, the centerpiece Good Autumn, Mommy, directed by Chen Shizhong, tells the journey of awakening to find her family and herself of a woman, whose newborn daughter disappeared without a trace. Founder of the festival Sophia Wong Boccio told Xinhua she was "especially impressed" to see that famous and award-winning Shu Qi had chosen to "perform an ordinary cane farmer's wife in the southern part of China." The story "uses images with oriental temperament to create a unique atmosphere of the region and the age," said Chen, the director. To be shown at the AMC NEWCITY 14 theater in Chicago on April 14, the movie has been honored with the Outstanding Artistic Achievement award at the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival in 2023. The other three films each tell a contemporary story in China. The Fallen Bridge, a crime drama directed by Li Yu, examines the role of law and the emotional and moral dilemmas of victims who go great lengths for justice. The Cord of Life by Qiao Sixue depicts a mother with Alzheimer's and her caregiver son, who ties her to him with a rope, and their effort in searching for the "home" she yearns for in the grassland of Inner Mongolia. The Coffin Painter by Da Fei tells a cross-generational friendship between two strangers who are drawn to each other via the challenges they each face in their lives. "There are a lot of hidden gems and moving stories in China that need to be shared with a wider audience," said Boccio, who selected these four out of 20 Chinese films. During the festival's 18th season from March 20 to April 21, each week features a different region in Asia, with films screened offline in downtown Chicago and available for streaming. Many of the works were made by "first and second-time directors of feature-length films," said Boccio. "Audiences will appreciate the raw and sometimes innocent reflections of the places and people that are close to their hearts," she said. The Oklahoma Legislature has tried for decades to teach school children to read. Its tried punishment. Its tried reward. Nothing has really worked to the lawmakers satisfaction. Their latest iteration, which passed through the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education on Monday morning, puts new and as yet unfunded emphasis on teacher training and catching reading difficulties earlier as young as kindergarten. It also renames the oft-amended section of law known since 1999 as the Reading Sufficiency Act in favor of the Strong Readers Act. Senate Bill 1906, by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, won unanimous committee approval but not without some questions, particularly about its practical application. The bill would require state colleges and universities to incorporate the science of reading into their teacher education programs and would require new teachers to be tested on their mastery of those techniques before going into the classroom. It also would provide for micro-credential programs to update current teachers. State Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, asked whether SB 1906 would create a perverse incentive by requiring more of teacher education graduates than of people who enter the profession through emergency or alternative certification. Youre familiar with the Parable of the Vineyard, Waldron said to House sponsor Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon. Some workers are there all day, and some come at the end of the day, and they all get paid the same amount. In education, we hire people to the same (pay) standard whether theyre emergency certified, alternately certified or they graduated from one of the college programs, even though we know graduates of (teacher education programs) have more to offer in terms of longevity, Waldron continued. Baker acknowledged that this is a concern and said that an amendment may be coming to address the issue. Unusually, SB 1906 would set up a revolving fund dedicated to teacher education for reading instruction, albeit on an as funding is available basis. Also somewhat unusually, the bill specifically would bar three-cueing reading instruction, defined as any model based on meaning, structure, syntax, and visual cues, which may also be known as MSV, balanced literacy, or whole language. Also adopted by the subcommittee was SB 1198, by Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Big Cabin, which would mandate instruction addressing sex trafficking and exploitation prevention and awareness in the states middle and high schools. Both bills go next to the full House Appropriations and Budget Committee; neither is considered to be ready for final passage. Ho Chi Minh City has recently become a part of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities consists of cities worldwide that effectively foster lifelong learning throughout their communities. On March 30, Ho Chi Minh City authorities organized a ceremony to mark its official membership in the network. This recognition was accompanied by the presentation of a certificate, signifying the Vietnamese city's commitment to promoting education and lifelong learning. Data provided by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training revealed that the city boasts a comprehensive education system spanning across all 21 districts and Thu Duc City, comprising 5,726 educational institutions ranging from kindergartens to universities. During her speech at the ceremony, Nguyen Thi Le, deputy secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and chairwoman of the People's Council, expressed her gratitude for the honor UNESCO bestowed upon the city. She emphasized that this recognition reflects the world's acknowledgment of the city's policies, commitments, and efforts toward establishing a quality, equitable, and inclusive educational system, thereby enhancing lifelong learning opportunities for all residents of Vietnam, particularly those in Ho Chi Minh City. Nguyen Van Phuc (R), Deputy Minister of Education and Training, and Nguyen Thi Le, deputy secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, proudly display the certificate recognizing the city as a global learning city. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre. Le expressed her belief that in collaboration with UNESCO and other members of the global network of learning cities, Ho Chi Minh City will continue to progress significantly, emerging as a leading educational hub in the region, garnering international acclaim and recognition. "As a member of the Global Network of Learning Cities, Ho Chi Minh City is committed to ensuring that all residents have access to learning opportunities and to fostering close collaboration with other members," Le affirmed. "Ho Chi Minh City is poised to lead the way toward a future where every resident is a digitally literate global citizen." Jonathan Wallace Baker, chief representative of UNESCO in Vietnam, congratulated Ho Chi Minh City on its UNESCO recognition, stating that the UN agency believes the city's membership in the network of learning cities aligns with Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training's strategy to foster a learning society and promote lifelong learning nationwide from 2023 to 2030. The city's vice-chairman Duong Anh Duc described the recognition as both an honor and a shared responsibility for the country, the community, all levels of government, and relevant governmental agencies in maintaining and further developing the title bestowed by UNESCO. According to Duc, the 'Global Learning City' title not only represents an achieved goal but also marks the beginning of new endeavors for the city. At the ceremony, Duc, on behalf of the city's leadership, launched an action plan aimed at establishing Ho Chi Minh City as a 'UNESCO Global Learning City (2024-2030).' "We will continue to undergo significant transformations in building a learning city and a learning society to ensure that all residents have equal access to an open, diverse, flexible, and modern educational system by 2030," Duc asserted. "This educational system will encompass various models, methods, approaches, and levels of training, with a particular focus on investing in high-quality workforce development that meets the requirements of international integration." Jonathan Wallace Baker, chief representative of UNESCO in Vietnam. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre 5 tasks suggested by the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee after joining the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities * Continuation of the implementation of education and training strategies and policies mandated by the Party and the central government * Alignment of the learning city project with other ongoing learning initiatives * Regular evaluation and assessment of the progress of learning projects * Development of detailed content for learning projects through the establishment of relevant criteria tailored to each participating unit * Emphasis on the adoption of information technology and digital transformation in educational practices Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Six houses in Bac Ninh Province, northern Vietnam collapsed into the local Cau River in the early hours of Sunday, according to local authorities. Tong Quang Thanh, chairman of the administration in Van An Ward, Bac Ninh City, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the incident happened at 2:00 am. As residents in these houses had already been evacuated to safety, no human lives were lost in the incident. Thanh reported that this was not the first house collapse due to land erosion along the Cau River. Local authorities have arranged temporary accommodations for residents. Some are staying at a communal house, while the remaining have moved to their relatives homes. As a kindergarten will relocate in the near future, the ward will allow some families to live on its campus, the official said. He added that local officials would conduct round-the-clock patrols in the vicinity and notify the public of an extended area susceptible to potential hazards. The Bac Ninh City administration had earlier declared a state of emergency in areas along the Cau River, erected warning signs, and detached officials for guard duty to prevent locals from accessing the dangerous areas. The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will coordinate with the Bac Ninh City administration to draw up a scheme to fish out the collapsed houses in order not to obstruct the water flow on the river and review in-danger areas to evacuate residents. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Four students and two teachers from Hungarys Bekescsaba Center of Vocational Training are undergoing a three-week internship, which began last month, at the Saigontourist Hospitality College (STHC) in Ho Chi Minh City, where they are learning the art of preparing Vietnamese dishes. The program was launched following a recent cooperation agreement between the Hungarian vocational center and the STHC, member of Saigontourist, a leading tour operator in Vietnam. During their professional practice program scheduled for March 20 to April 10 at the STHC, the Hungarian students and teachers have participated in culinary classes alongside Vietnamese students almost every day. In a post on its Facebook page on March 22, Bekescsaba Center of Vocational Training wrote, The learners settled in quickly, as they were welcomed by a friendly atmosphere and helpful students and teachers. In each session, Vietnamese instructors and chefs have taught all the trainees a new dish, from popular items such as pho a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat, usually beef or chicken kebab rice noodles, spring rolls, and seafood hotpot, to strange dishes like stir-fried goat with galangal, steamed bantam chicken with fish sauce, and soft-shell crab with X.O. sauce, to name a few. Zahoran Gabor Tamas, one of the four Hungarian students, said that leaning to make Vietnamese dishes is a unique experience for him because of the remarkable differences between the gastronomies of the two countries. For instance, Tamas remarked that Vietnamese dipping sauces are typically crafted with more intricate methods compared to Hungarian counterparts. He further noted that initially, he struggled to replicate the flavors of the Vietnamese sauces, unsure of how to balance salt, sugar, and fish sauce to match the teachers' combination. Tamas expressed his greatest enthusiasm when learning to prepare seafood dishes featuring shrimp, crab, and snails, which are not commonly found in Hungary, a landlocked country. Hegyi Bela (left) and Horvath Ferenc, two Hungarian teachers in a training session at the Saigontourist Hospitability College in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam. Photo: Trong Nhan / Tuoi Tre The trainee joyfully mentioned that he received training in handling live crabs for the first time to prepare crab-related dishes. Karasz Zora, another Hungarian student, expressed her surprise at discovering that many Vietnamese dishes are significantly spicier compared to the taste of Hungarian cuisine. Pepper and chili are used a lot in salads, stir-fries, and hotpots in Vietnam, Zora said, adding that almost every Vietnamese dipping sauce has a little chili. Zora admitted this is her first experience learning culinary techniques from a foreign country as distant as Vietnam, where street foods offer a diverse array of flavors, from which she has gained valuable insights. Hegyi Bela, manager of the food & beverage (F&B) department of the Bekescsaba Center of Vocational Training, and Horvath Ferenc, a kitchen teacher of the center, have joined the training with their four students so far. As they are not good at English and do not know Vietnamese, they have used translation machines over the past days to make it easy for them in communicating with the Vietnamese teachers and students. The two experts said they could learn all the details in each lesson with the Vietnamese instructors thanks to these machines. They also took photos and filmed the classes as training materials. Ferenc said his Vietnamese food favorites included seafood dishes and beef and chicken pho. Vo Thi My Van, principal of STHC, mentioned that her school and the Hungarian partner recently initiated academic exchange activities earlier this year. Following the internship course of the Hungarian group, a delegation from STHC will travel to Hungary in September for a similar program, Van confirmed. She added that these international exchange activities will offer students practical learning opportunities and pave the way for potential employment in Hungary specifically and European countries in general after graduation. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Authorities in Phu Quoc City under the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang expect throngs of tourists to travel to Phu Quoc Island, dubbed Vietnams pearl island, by yacht during the upcoming holiday to celebrate the Reunification Day (April 30) and the International Workers Day (May 1). Yachts operate 28 rides daily to transport passengers from the mainland to the island, according to the administration of Phu Quoc City. The city is looking forward to seeing tourists take a yacht trip to the island to admire the sunset and enjoy their holiday there, said Huynh Quang Hung, chairman of the municipal administration. During the holiday, the city will continue tightening control over prices, and improving the quality of services and products to cement the position of the island as an ideal and safe tourist destination in Vietnam. Vo Van Phuong, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, experiences a squid-catching tour on Phu Quoc Island off Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre Many discounted tours are on offer, while thrilling experiences such as catching squid, exploring locals daily life, and hunting the sunset are expected to delight travelers during the holiday. Nguyen Van Linh, a tourist on Phu Quoc Island, said that catching squid at night is one of the most sought-after activities on the island. Both local and international tourists have opted to experience a squid-catching tour. I was so excited to catch a fresh squid, Vo Van Phuong, hailing from Ho Chi Minh City, recounted. A tourist takes a selfie with the sea on Phu Quoc Island. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre Kien Giang Province welcomed some 2.7 million tourists in the first three months of 2024, with 290,650 international tourist arrivals, up 49.5 percent year on year, a representative of the provincial Department of Tourism said on Saturday. Phu Quoc City alone served more than 1.6 million travelers, including 285,000 foreigners, and earned over VND6 trillion (US$244 million) in tourism revenue during the three-month period. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A second season for Black Snow is currently filming for Stan in Queensland. The new six-part mystery-drama produced by Goalpost Pictures is set in the Glasshouse Mountains and sees Travis Fimmel reprise his role as Detective Cormack and joined by new cast members. He is joined by Jana McKinnon (Bad Behaviour), Megan Smart (Class of 07), Alana Mansour (Erotic Stories), Dan Spielman (Bad Behaviour, The Newsreader), Victoria Haralabidou (The Tourist) and Kat Stewart (Offspring). In this returning season, Detective Cormack tackles two separate missing persons cases. One is professional, as he investigates the disappearance of Zoe Jacobs (McKinnon), who disappeared from her own 21st birthday party in 2003. And the other is personal, as Cormack searches desperately for his own younger brother, who went missing when they were children. Travis Fimmel said: I think Australian film and television has never been stronger. Now, with the addition of streaming networks and their reach, Im so proud that our local productions and their hard work can be recognised not only here, but around the world. Im excited to be a part of another season of Black Snow and showing off what Australians have to offer. That, and Im happy to have free food and a job. Stan Chief Content Officer Cailah Scobie said: Following the enormous success of the first season of Black Snow we are thrilled to be working with the team at Goalpost Pictures and the incredible cast, led by Travis, on another gripping season. We thank our partners at Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, the City of Gold Coast and All3Media and look forward to sharing the new season with audiences soon. Executive Producer Rosemary Blight said: We are thrilled to be working with Stan again and back in Queensland filming the second season of Black Snow. The audience response in Australia and around the world to series one was incredible and we cant wait to bring this new story with this wonderful group of actors to the screen including Travis Fimmel who is once again utterly compelling in the role of Cormack. Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney said: We are proud to support the second season of this internationally acclaimed series created by Queenslands Lucas Taylor. Black Snow is infused with the unique communities and landscapes of the sunshine state and is also providing vital career paths for emerging Queensland creatives and crew through our Attachment program. Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said: Following the groundbreaking first season of Black Snow, Screen NSW are delighted to support the next instalment, produced by renowned NSW based company Goalpost Pictures, who continue to bring this strong, distinctive, Australian drama to global audiences. After a critically acclaimed first season, director Sian Davies (Stan Original Series The Gloaming), executive producer Rosemary Blight (The Invisible Man), and series creator Lucas Taylor (Harrow) return to the series, with Helena Brooks (Stan Original Series Population 11) joining as director. Season one lead actor Talijah Blackman-Corowa joins the second season as directors attachment. The first season of the Stan Original Series Black Snow was nominated for Most Outstanding Drama Series at the 2023 Logie Awards and received two nominations at the 2024 AACTA Awards Best Drama Series and Best Lead Actor in a Drama for Travis Fimmel. With sales to all major international territories including the US, where the series screened on AMC Networks streamer Sundance Now, Black Snow won the Screen Business Export Award at the recent Australian Screen Producer Awards. The brand new season of the Stan Original Series Black Snow is produced in association with All3Media International and Sundance Now and with financial support from Screen Queensland, Screen NSW and City of Gold Coast. A Goalpost Television Production. Stan Executive Producers Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie. Director Corrie Chen (The Artful Dodger, New Gold Mountain, Bad Behaviour) has been named as the recipient of the inaugural Screen Presence Trailblazer Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival yesterday. Presented by the Museum of Chinese Australian History, the award acknowledges ground-breaking industry contribution by an Asian-Australian creative. Established by the Museum of Chinese Australia History, the aim of Screen Presence is to grow the representation of Asian Australians in the screen industry by creating, mentoring, and securing work for Asian Australians in the mainstream industry. Corrie Chen said, I am incredibly grateful to have received this award from the Museum of Chinese Australian History. Screen is a cultural mirror, and it has shaped every aspect of how I have seen my identity. I have spent so much of my career trying to find a place of belonging, an award like this is a reminder of the power of a community that already exist to help me feel less alone. Dont give up just because the mirror tells you nobody like you has ever done it. Id also like to acknowledge the many, many other faces of change making incredible work that continue to inspire me every day, pulling me into a loud, creative Asian-Australian family Im so happy to be a part of. Curator of Screen Presence, Lisa Wang, said, Corrie Chen is truly a trailblazer, bringing recognition and understanding to the audience through her work, be it comedy or drama. She represents for me all that is unique to those who spin their magic in front of, around and behind the camera. Corrie Chen is a highly sought-after, award-winning writer/director who works in drama and comedy. Corrie directed the AACTA-nominated Stan Original mini-series Bad Behaviour for Matchbox Pictures, which premiered at the 2023 Berlinale in Official Competition. She also helmed the multi award-winning Goalpost/SBS mini-series New Gold Mountain, set on the frontiers of the Australian gold rush from the Chinese perspective for which she won the ADG award for Best Direction in a miniseries. She has been named one of the Asian-Australian Leadership Awards 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians. Most recently, she completed The Artful Dodger for Disney+ starring David Thewlis and will soon be directing the crime comedy Good Cop / Bad Cop for The CW and Stan. As part of Screen Presence 24, Corrie was joined by Ra Chapman, Urvi Majumdar and Todd Abbott to discuss what makes something funny on screen in Deconstructing Comedy. Featuring some of the most exciting Asian comedic talent from Australia and abroad, Screen Presence 24 included stand-up comedy favourites, industry round tables, international guests and offered audiences a peek behind the curtain to hear what its really like to be an Asian in contemporary Australia and especially in the stage and screen industries. Talent ontsage Corrie Chen, Ra Chapman, Nina Oyama, Joel Kim Booster, Lizzy Hoo, Sam See, Sashi Perera, Jenny Tian, He Huang, Jason Leong, Niki Aken, Takashi Wakasugi, Urvi Majumdar, Harry Jun, Diana Nguyen, Beverley Wang, and Todd Abbott. Screen Presence 24 concluded with an exclusive preview screening of the hot new ABC comedy series White Fever, created by and starring Ra Chapman which premieres Wednesday 10 April on ABC TV and ABC iView. Its a Summer Bay wedding for Home & Aways Justin (James Stewart) and Leah (Ada Nicodemou) this week. It brings together a new family unit in the Summer Bay universe and potential new storylines for writers with its mix of generations. Ray Meagher recently paid tribute to the dup, whilst saying of the veteran cast members, Were not just there as part of the tapestry but thats a fairly heavy percentage of why were here now. Because the real drama and interest is for the young people coming in, and, by young people at the moment Jimmy Stewart and Ada Nicodemou -their characters are sort of firing pretty well, in terms of screen time and all of that. Meagher suggested their union might open a new way forward for writers, but with a nod to the past. Thatd be an ideal couple, because of both their ethnicities to have as -not a new Tom & Pippa exactly- but as a stabilised, traditional family unit that brought in foster kids, he continued. Youve got one with a Chinese heritage and background. And the other one thats very proud Cypriot I nearly said Greek! Home & Away 7pm Tuesday on Seven. SINGAPORE (Reuters) - BNP Paribas, the euro zone's largest bank, has appointed Aymar de Liedekerke Beaufort as its global banking head of Asia Pacific with immediate effect, it said on Monday. Beaufort, who has over 30 years of experience at BNP Paribas, will ensure seamless coordination among global banking teams and countries in the region and drive cross-regional collaboration, according to a statement. "Asia Pacific plays an important role in the development of our global client franchise," Yannick Jung, BNP's head of global banking, said. "I have every confidence that Aymar's leadership will further strengthen alignment within global banking in the region and drive our business to new heights." Before this, Beaufort held senior positions across Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany. Beaufort has spent the last seven years in Asia, serving as head of territory for Vietnam, India and, most recently, South Korea, according to the statement. (Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Sonia Cheema) PARIS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Three people died on Sunday after a fire broke out in an eight-storey building in the eastern part of Paris, local media reported. According to French news channel BFMTV, the fire started at around 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) in the building located at 146 rue de Charonne in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. Seventeen fire engines from the Paris fire brigade rushed to the scene and managed to contain the blaze, the news channel said, adding there was no risk of the flames spreading further. Preliminary indications show that an explosion was heard in the early evening before the fire broke out, but the cause of the blast has yet to be determined, French newspaper Le Parisien reported. The police have not ruled out the possibility of a gas explosion, while a criminal investigation has been launched, it added. Where and when to see the solar eclipse in the UK A total solar eclipse will see much of North America plunged into darkness on Monday. (Getty) Parts of the Earth will be plunged into darkness on Monday thanks to a rare solar eclipse. Much of North America will see day turn to night thanks to the eclipse, which will also mean flares of the suns corona can be seen, resembling a diamond ring in the sky. It may also be possible to see planets and comets with the naked eye, and the eclipse could disrupt communications back on Earth. It may be possible to see a partial eclipse from the UK, but only from certain areas and in clear conditions. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon completely covers the sun, and observers are within the darkest part of the moons shadow. Monday's eclipse is the biggest since 2017, and an estimated 31.6 million people across North America will be in its path. As excitement build, various conspiracy theories have circulated, while experts have also reminded people what they should and shouldn't do in the event of a solar eclipse. Here is everything you need to know about Monday's eclipse: Who will be able to see a total solar eclipse this week? The eclipse will start North America shortly after 2pm EDT (7pm BST) on Monday (8 April), lasting two hours. The path of totality which means where the total solar eclipse will be fully visible will start shortly after 11am local time in Mazatlan, Mexico. From Mexico the total eclipse will last 4.5 minutes, and while this does not seem long, the maximum eclipse length possible is about 7-8 minutes. Can I see the solar eclipse from the UK? While North America will experience a total solar eclipse, the UK will only get a partial eclipse as the path of the total eclipse will end west of Ireland. But after sunset around 20% to 30% of the sun will be obscured by the moon hence a partial eclipse. Professor Don Pollacco, from the University of Warwicks Department of Physics, said that from Glasgow about 12% of the sun will be obscured at around 8pm (BST). Under clear conditions, people in Edinburgh might see a 6% obscuration. Dr Edward Bloomer, senior astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said the UK is only going to get a small grazing of the eclipse in the west and north of the country. The proportion of the Sun that will be covered during the eclipse on Monday. (PA) Liverpool will only see a maximum of 3.1% coverage at 7.57pm when the sun is basically right on the horizon - the window is very small as the start and end times are 7.55pm and 8pm. Belfast will be treated to more of an eclipse with a maximum of 28.1% coverage at 8.10pm. However, the sun will be very low on the horizon, and the window is 7.55pm until 8.14pm. Stornoway in Scotland will see 33.7% maximum coverage at 8.13pm. The eclipse will start at 7.53pm and end at 8.23pm. Dr Bloomer said: Im afraid the south and the east are out of luck this time around. We wont ourselves get to see anything from the observatory, which were a bit sad about. Prof Pollacco said: The totality track ends in the Atlantic hundreds of miles west of Ireland at sunset. Going west the obscuration is greater, east less." How rare are total solar eclipses? Total solar eclipses occur every 18 months but the visibility path of seeing the full total eclipse is only around 80 miles, so if you are not located within that track it will not be visible. Prof Pollacco, who is travelling to the US to view the total solar eclipse, said: Total eclipses of the sun are amazing and feel quite magical. From the right vantage point, you can see the moon shadow rushing towards you at 1,000 miles an hour as totality approaches. When almost obscured as the suns light shines through valleys on the moons limb, you see the famous Bailys Beads (beads of sunlight emerging from the eclipse shadow) and, when the final valley is lit up, the Diamond Ring (which appears as a faint corona around the sun, as a glittering ring). At this time, turning off the sunlight has effects high up in the earths atmosphere, which may impact communications, and produce the strange shadow bands on the ground making the ground swirl around as you look at it. There is another in 2026 that is visible in northern Spain, tracking up to Iceland. But the next total eclipse of the sun visible from the UK is in 2090. Eclipses can be viewed using a "pinhole projector", or specialist glasses. (Getty) How should you view a solar eclipse? You should always use eye protection and follow normal advice not to look directly at the sun. Experts say the eclipse can be viewed safely through real solar eclipse glasses not 3D glasses or anything similar. But the safest, cheapest and arguably the most convenient way to view the event is by pinhole projection make a hole in a piece of card, hold it under the sun, and hold a piece of paper behind the card. Using this method, people should be able to see the shape of the sun projected on to the paper, taking away the need to look directly at the Sun. Prof Pollacco warned: With no protection you will at best damage your eyes, or you could blind yourself. Read more Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Days after attack over Taraweeh, foreign students asked to leave Gujarat varsity hostels In an order coming about three weeks after attack on some international students for offering Taraweeh prayers on campus, the Gujarat University has asked seven foreign students - six from Afghanistan and one from East Africa, to vacate their hostel rooms. Monday April 8, 2024 3:04 PM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies Ahmedabad: In an order coming about three weeks after attack on some international students for offering Taraweeh prayers on campus, the Gujarat University has asked seven foreign students - six from Afghanistan and one from East Africa, to vacate their hostel rooms. The Gujarat University officials said the international students have been asked to vacate their hostel rooms for overstaying. Six students from Afghanistan and one from East Africa were asked to vacate their hostel rooms after they were found overstaying", University Vice Chancellor Neerja Gupta told the news agency PTI. "They had completed their studies and were staying in the hostel as ex-students due to some pending administrative work", she added. Some foreign students, who were offering Taraweeh Special Night Prayers performed during Ramadan, in Gujarat University Hostel were attacked allegedly by Hindutva extremists on March 16, 2024 . The students said they were offering the Salah or Namaz after obtaining permission from the university admin. They said they offered the Salah on campus as there was no mosque nearby. The students also alleged that after the incident the police came in but did not take any action and let them go away. The incident had sparked widespread outrage. An Afghan and a Gambian delegation also visited the university few days after the attack and held a meeting with the vice-chancellor over safety measures. There are around 300 International students in the Gujarat University enrolled in different courses. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. United Nations Firm on Combatting Islamophobia How is Islamophobia different for which the UN has named March 15 as a day against Islamophobia and appointed a special envoy for the same? Monday April 8, 2024 1:10 PM , Ram Puniyani In March 2022 , there was a resolution, moved by Pakistan at the United Nations, which called for establishing International Day to Combat Islamophobia. Many countries, including India had opposed the same arguing that this is unwarranted as there are many other religions which face similar situations. This opposition was small and the UN went ahead to declare March 15 as the day to combat Islamophobia. Unfortunately it went unnoticed last month, at least in India. This year the UN went a step further in acceding to the demand to appoint a Special Envoy to initiate specific actions to combat Islamophobia. This demand had come from Pakistan again. This was also opposed by many countries . Indian envoy T.S. Tirumurthi while opposing the resolution had stated, there was a global rise in sectarian violence, anti-Semitism, Christianophobia, anti-Hindu, Anti Buddhist and anti-Sikh examples abound as well As per him there is abundance of phobias We already know the UN has declared November 16 as the Day of Tolerance and also highlighted pluralism so another day to combat Islamophobia is unwarranted. Where does the truth lie? Is there any difference between phobias against other religions and Islamophobia? It is true that at places people of other religions have faced the phobias in many parts of the World. Talking of South Asia we have seen the persecution of Hindus (Tamils) in Sri Lanka and Pakistan in particular. We have also seen the persecution of Christians in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. Currently in Taliban ruled Afghanistan Sikhs are facing the worst. So how is Islamophobia different for which the UN has named March 15 as a day against Islamophobia and appointed a special envoy for the same? Unfortunately current global politics is heavily dominated by identity related issues. Many an ethnic issues like persecution of LTTE has dominated Sri Lankan politics. In India, even before global Islamophobia was brought in Muslims were already faced with various types of intimidations and hate, leading to acts of violence against them, so how is Islamophobia different and more intimidating. Islamophobia, in contrast to other sectarian insanities of persecution and violence was gradually built up from the 1970s when Ayatollah Khomeini took over Iran in the aftermath of the overthrow of US stooge Raza Shah Pahlavi. The US at that time propagated Islam as the new threat. Why New threat? Till that time US media was projecting Communism as the threat to the free world. The Free World stood for the US dominated World. The US was facing a stiff challenge to its political and economic hegemony from the Socialist Block led by Russia (USSR). The global social common sense was perceiving communism as the threat. This was the idea (propagated by the most powerful Country) ruling broad sections of society, proving the adage, ruling ideas are the ideas of ruling class (Karl Marx). With gradual decline of Socialist Russia and its total collapse in early 1990s, the global dominating force needed another demon to fight with. This was also the time when the US was promoting the Madarrasas in its stooge country, Pakistan. As per Mahmud Mamdanis book (Good Muslim Bad Muslim), quoting CIA documents, US not only designed the curriculum of these madarassas, using a narrow (Wahabi) version of Islam; it also invested 8000 million dollars to support the training of these Mujahideen which gave rise to Taliban and later Al Qaeda. The US equipped them with 7000 tons of armaments including stringer missiles. One small clip by Hillary Clinton says it all, she states that the US needed to fight Russian Communists, they propped up the Taliban and having achieved the exit of Russians, the US washed its hands off. The US aimed to control the oil wealth of West Asia. Its policies were directed in that direction. The World Trade Center Attack (9/11, 2001) killing nearly 3000 innocent people belonging to most religions and most countries died in this. This was a pretext enough for the US to launch an attack on Afghanistan, in which 60000 people lost their lives. And next to this the attack on Iraq, on the pretext of Weapons of Mass destruction , which in any way were not to be found after capture of Iraq. The attack on WTC, claimed to be done by Osama bin Laden and Arab elements, led to the most dangerous construct by US media, Islamic Terrorism. As the US media is as dominating as its political, economic and military might, this phrase spread all over the World like wildfire. And this is what led to the Global phenomenon of Islamophobia. This ran parallel to one time popular thesis of Clash of Civilization by Samuel Huntington . The thesis concluded that this is the era where clash of civilizations will dominate the globe and backward Islamic civilization is out to attack the advanced Western Civilization. It was this which led to the Murder of a Sikh, mistaken identity, in the US. A US pastor to burn Quran . And this peaked with a film, Innocence of Muslims by an American Christian, Nakoula Basseley. Its 14 minute clip was made viral all over the World. This clip showed a mob of bearded modern Muslims attacking the Christians. We also remember the Danish Cartoons, which showed Prophet Mohammad with a bomb in his turban. The impact of all this is not restricted to one part of the globe, nor has Islamophobia disappeared. 'Alliance of Civilizations' The UN did its best to counter the Clash of Civilizations thesis. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had set up a high level committee to examine the clash theory. This high level committee of the UN, which also had an Indian representative, came out with a remarkable report, Alliance of Civilizations. This put forward the understanding that all human progress has taken place through alliance of different civilizations, cultures and religions. True to the dynamics of the World, dominated by American interests, it was practically ignored by the media, and Islamophobia continued. In India the problem is the worst confounded as already the communal politics had created hate among different communities. The global Islamophobia as an add on the prevailing Hate against Muslims. During the freedom movement, Muslim communalists spread hate against Hindus and Hindu Communalists (Hindu Mahasabha and RSS) spread hate against Muslims. After Independence the Muslims communalists got deflated and Hindu communalists have gone from strength to strength, leading to Islamophobia at multiple levels. The UN move is a welcome step in bringing peace to the hate and violence torn World today. [The writer, Ram Puniyani, is author, scholar and activist based in India.] Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Muslims in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and other Arab states, and also in North America have confirmed to celebrate Eid al Fitr on Wednesday April 10, 2024. Tuesday April 9, 2024 11:54 PM , ummid.com News Network Eid al Fitr 2024 Date (Live Updates): Pakistan has decided to celebrate Eid al Fitr on Wednesday April 10, 2024 along with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. The announcement was made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad following its meeting in Islamabad. Addressing a presser in Islamabad on Tuesday, the committee chief said the decision was taken based on the testimonies received from the different parts of the country. India and Bangladesh have announced to celebrate Eid on Thursday April 11, 2024. However, in some parts of India, including Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala, Eid will be celebrated on Wednesday April 10, 2024. 08:30 PM: Wednesday April 09, 2024 will be the 30th day of Ramadan and Thursday April 11, 2024 will be the first day of Eid al Fitr, Markazi Ruyat e Hilal New Delhi has officially announced. "There is no report of moon sighting from any part of Delhi and India. It is hence announced that Eid al Fitr will be celebrated in India on Thursday April 11, 2024", the Ruyat e Hilal Committee, Imarat e Sharaiyah Hind under the Jamiat Ulama Hind said. Bangladesh has also announced to celebrate Eid on Thursday April 11, 2024. Markazi Ruyat e Hilal Committee in Pakistan is in a session, and an announcement from Pakistan is expected very soon. Indonesia and Malaysia have earlier in the day announced sighting of Eid Moon Tuesday and first day of Eid on Wednesday April 10, 2024. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Palestine and other Arab states along with North America, Canada, UK and Australia have announced first day of Eid on Wednesday April 10, 2024. 07:00 PM: Bangladesh confirmed the first day of Eid al Fitr Thursday April 11, 2024 and Wednesday April 10, 2024 as 30th day of Ramadan. "Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated in the country on Thursday as the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Bangladesh this evening", National Moon Sighting Committee of Bangladesh said. India and Pakistan will confirm soon when Eid will be celebrated in the two countries. As of now there is no report of moon sighting from any part of India. A formal announcement however is expected soon. 05:00 PM: The Moon sighting committees in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will sit today after Maghrib Salah to confirm moon sighting in the three countries. Bangladesh will be the first of the three countries to make the Eid moon announcement followed by India and Pakistan. 07:00 AM: The Moon (Hilal) Sighting Committees and religious authorities in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and also in the United Kingdom (UK) have issued appeals to Muslims in the respective countries to sight the crescent, Eid Moon or Eid Chand, Tuesday 29th Ramadan 1445 AH corresponding to April 09, 2024. The Central Moon Sighting Committees, also known as Markazi Ruet-e-Hilal Committees, have made special arrangements to sight the new moon and decide the first day of Eid al Fitr 2024 in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries, and the United Kingdom (UK). Moon sighting committee to meet today evening The moon sighting committees in South Asia and UK will hold special meeting today after Salate Maghrib and analyse, if any, the reports of Eid moon sighting. Appeals to sight moon have also been issued by Hilal Committees in Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Patna, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Islamabad, Karachi, KP, Lahore, Dhaka, and other cities in the three countries. Wifaqul Ulema UK has also appealed Muslims in London and other parts of the Kingdom to spot the moon of the month of Shawwal on Tuesday. The official announcement by Religious Affairs Ministry Dhaka and Central Moon Sighting Committee New Delhi and Karachi is expected soon after Salate Maghreb Tuesday evening. Sighting of Moon in Islam A new month in the Islamic Calendar begins with sighting of the crescent the new moon, on the 29th day of an on-going month. If the moon is sighted on 29th, the new month begins the next day. Otherwise, the next day is counted as the 30th and last day of the on-going month and the next day is the first day of the new month. This process is followed as per the tradition of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). The beginning and end of the holy month of Ramadan has traditionally been based on hilal sightings, which is the traditional method mentioned in the Quran and followed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Muslims in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, Oman and other GCC nations have confirmed to celebrate Eid al Fitr on Wednesday April 10, 2024 . Australia, Singapore, Canada and the Fiqh Council of North America have also announced that Muslims in these countries will celebrate Eid al Fitr on Wednesday April 10, 2024. New Zealand is a special case where Tuesday is the 28th of Ramadan, and moon sighting here will be on Wednesday April 10, 2024. Rare Occasion In a rarest of rare case Muslims in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh could celebrate Eid al Fitr with fellow Muslims in the Gulf and other parts of the world if the new moon is sighted today i.e. Tuesday April 09, 2024. Normally there is a delay of at least one day between the two regions. Eid al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan - the month of fasting in which Muslims across the world refrained from eating and drinking during day time. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. BEIRUT, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon and Cyprus emphasized on Monday their keenness to maintain strong ties and preserve security in both countries and the East Mediterranean by finding a comprehensive solution to the Syrian refugee crisis, according to a statement by the Lebanese Council of Ministers. Visiting Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati agreed to work with the European Union to establish a practical framework for providing the Lebanese government with more aid and giving the displaced Syrians incentives to return to their homeland. The Cypriot president arrived in Lebanon on Monday to discuss ways to solve the Syrian refugee crisis and address its repercussions on both Lebanon and Cyprus. Mikati said that Lebanon and Cyprus have a common interest in addressing the challenges they face due to illegal immigration, and there is potential for cooperation in enabling competent institutions to control maritime borders. Mikati called on the European Union and the rest of the international community to take new steps and reconsider their policies towards Syria. "The Lebanese army and security forces are making every effort to stop illegal immigration, but this can only be achieved by returning those seeking safety to safe areas in Syria or securing their residency in a third country." For his part, Christodoulides said Cyprus understands the sensitivity of the refugee issue in Lebanon and the importance of finding a final and comprehensive solution by pressuring the European Union and international forums to help Lebanon face these challenges. "At the same time, we understand Lebanon's official position that the final solution will not be achieved except through their return to their lands, especially since there are certain areas that have become safe in Syria," noted the Cypriot president. Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capita, with the government estimating around 2 million Syrian refugees. Cyprus, along with other EU member states, is advocating for declaring two regions in Syria as safe, which would enable the return of Syrian migrants. However, under current EU regulations, migrants from Syria are entitled to refugee protection. The eastern Mediterranean island is grappling with an influx of Syrian migrants. According to official data, more than 2,000 people arrived in Cyprus by sea in the first three months of this year, compared with just 78 in the same period in 2023. All the boats departed from the coasts of Lebanon, less than 200 km southeast of Cyprus, with nearly all passengers being Syrian. HA NOI In the second quarter of this year, Viet Nam will issue a price framework to purchase electricity from Laos for the period after 2025, said Minister of Trade and Industry Nguyen Hong Dien. During talks with Lao Minister of Energy and Mines Phosay Sayasone on April 7 as part of his visit to the country, Dien said that at the request of Lao and based on the 2024 cooperation agreement between the two Governments, the MoIT had directed Viet Nam Electricity (EVN) to study and propose an electricity purchase price framework after 2025. Once the draft is completed, the ministry will make evaluation before submitting to the Vietnamese Prime Minister for approval. The Lao minister proposed the two sides work together to design more specific cooperation plans and programmes, and highlighted issues that need immediate actions to resolve. He asked Viet Nam to support and exchange experiences with Laos on establishing electricity regulatory agencies; facilitate the transport of goods from Laos to border gates/ports in the Vietnamese central province of Quang Tri and Hue City; cooperate in inspection work and in developing mineral planning and mineral maps. Minister Dien agreed with the Lao minister's suggestions, including the establishment of the two ministries' working group to address obstacles in bilateral cooperation in energy and minerals. He said that Viet Nam always offered favourable conditions for the transport of Lao goods through borders to ports in Viet Nam, noting that the two governments pay great attention to coal trading, adding that Viet Nam has high demand for coal while Laos wants to increase the export of coal, but the question is how to reach agreement on reasonable prices. The Vietnamese minister also asked to upgrade existing roads from Kaleum to Viet Nam's La Lay and Lao Bao international border gates to improve transport capacity. VNS HA NOI The European Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nams (EuroCham) Business Confidence Index released on Monday, conducted by Decision Lab, has signalled optimism in Viet Nam's economy. The quarterly index reached 52.8 in Q1 2024 its highest level since Q3 2022 a clear sign of increased confidence within Viet Nams European business community. Sent to EuroCham's network of over 1,400 members, the BCI gathers responses to gauge the prevailing mood among European businesses operating in Viet Nam, delivering real-time observations on the ever-evolving dynamics of the vibrant Southeast Asian market. This positive trend underscores the European business community's view of Viet Nam as a dynamic market with promising growth prospects, said EuroCham Chairman Dominik Meichle. The index once again rising above the 50 threshold reaffirms the country's growing appeal. Continued efforts to enhance stability and predictability will further strengthen Viet Nam's global competitiveness and unlock its full potential. The hard data from the Business Confidence Index paints a clear picture - investor optimism is steadily improving, said Decision Lab CEO Thue Quist Thomasen. "Viet Nam certainly has the capacity to become the region's preeminent investment destination, and proactive, investor-focused policies will further accelerate its rise. European businesses signal a strong likelihood of recommending Viet Nam as a top investment destination. A significant 54 per cent of those surveyed indicated a high likelihood of recommending the country to other foreign businesses, giving ratings of 8 or above out of 10. This highlights Viet Nam's rapidly growing appeal within the European business community, while also suggesting potential to further increase its attractiveness to investors. European businesses express optimism about Viet Nam's economy, both in the near and long term. While a third of businesses feel optimistic about their individual Q2 outlooks, and nearly 40 per cent are neutral. Looking at the long term, this optimism strengthens, with 71 per cent of businesses feeling positive about their long-term prospects in Viet Nam over the next five years. Viet Nam's skilled workforce is a major draw for European investors, with 75 per cent of EuroCham members hiring 76 per cent or more of their staff locally. While a Q4 2023 BCI survey found 40 per cent of businesses rating workforce proficiency as moderate, the strong hiring trend suggests a solid talent foundation for future growth. While optimism remains high, businesses face regulatory hurdles in Viet Nam that hinder market entry and long-term investment. Key concerns include administrative burdens, unclear regulations, permit and licence difficulties and work visa barriers. To attract more foreign investment, businesses pinpointed several key reforms including simplifying administration, strengthening legal framework and enhancing infrastructure. Viet Nam has tremendous economic potential, and addressing regulatory challenges is key to fully realising it, said Meichle. Streamlining procedures and establishing more transparent regulations will empower both Vietnamese and foreign businesses to succeed. This will position Viet Nam as a leading investment destination in the region, benefiting domestic businesses, attracting international capital and strengthening economic partnerships. VNS HA NOI Forty-five provinces and cities have issued logistics service development plans up to this point, while 47 provinces and cities have reported on the implementation of logistics activities over the last year. Nine provinces and cities have held conferences to promote investment and develop provincial logistics services, and five provinces and cities have organised logistics knowledge training for local officials. The Agency of Foreign Trade (AFT) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) held a meeting with municipal and provincial departments of industry and trade concerning State management of the logistics sector in Ha Noi last Friday. Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Nguyen Anh Son, AFT director, said that with a special geopolitical location in a dynamic development area of the world, along with increasingly deep integration with the global economy, Viet Nam's growth rate of import-export and e-commerce was always in the double digits. Viet Nam was becoming an attractive destination for logistics activities in the Asia-Pacific region, added Son. The World Bank report published last year showed that Viet Nam ranked 43rd in the logistics efficiency index ranking, in the top five of ASEAN after Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, and the same position as the Philippines. Along with that, the average annual growth rate of Viet Nam's logistics was from 14 - 16 per cent, making an important contribution in bringing Viet Nam's total export and import turnover to US$638 billion last year. Viet Nam logistics services not only contributed significantly to the country's economic development but also played an important role in creating an effective transportation network, connecting domestic trade with international markets, he said. Sharing at the meeting, Vu Bich Hao, deputy director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, emphasised that logistics services in the province were quite diverse, including transportation, warehousing and other support services. The province currently has a total of more than 300 businesses providing goods transportation services and logistics warehousing services, according to the official. Regarding seaport logistics infrastructure, Ba Ria - Vung Tau has 69 planned ports. Of which, there are 50 projects in operation with a total wharf length of 17,735 metres and a total design capacity of 180 million tonnes per year; and eight container ports with capacity of 8.3 million TEUs per year. Cai Mep Thi Vai Port cluster is the main port cluster of Ba Ria - Vung Tau seaport. There are currently 24 projects in operation with wharf length of 10,988 metres and total design capacity of 155 million tonnes per year. It had the potential to be an important gateway not only for Viet Nam but also for Southeast Asia, said Hao. To improve competitiveness and develop the logistics industry, she proposed the MoIT continue to improve policies and laws on logistics services; especially detailed guidance on State management in the field of logistics to serve as a legal basis for localities to deploy and implement. VNS HA NOI With 652,000 tonnes of coffee exported to the EU worth US$1.66 billion in 2023, Viet Nam was the second biggest coffee supplier of the EU in terms of volume and third largest supplier in terms of value. Even though the EU's coffee import in 2023 dropped by 9 per cent in volume and 10.2 per cent in value from 2022, Vietnamese coffee exports to this market decreased only slightly, by 1.4 per cent in volume and 0.02 per cent in value. Therefore, Viet Nam's share in the EUs total coffee imports increased from 14.85 per cent in 2022 to 16.08 per cent in 2023. Currently, Vietnamese coffee prices have exceeded VN100,000 (around $4 at current exchange) per kilo - the highest price ever. Nguyen Nam Hai, Chairman of the Viet Nam Coffee and Cocoa Association, said that Viet Nam is the largest Robusta coffee-producing country in the world. Roasters around the world still have high demand and are looking for suppliers from Viet Nam. In particular, Europe still has a high demand for coffee while Viet Nam is almost the only one supplier, at least from now until the end of April 2024. From January to the end of April, if EU importers want to buy Robusta coffee, they can only rely on Viet Nam because other coffee growing regions in the world have not entered harvest season," a representative from a coffee business told online newspaper Vietnamnet. Now, local enterprises are considering carefully the time to sign supply contracts because of limited supply and high prices. According to export businesses, Vietnamese Robusta coffee has a relatively solid and irreplaceable position in the world market. Despite the supply shortage, Vietnamese coffee is still sought after by foreign roasters. This provides the basis and room for coffee export prices to continue to increase. Trade associations and businesses predicted that because supply has decreased significantly, both farmers and businesses will run out of coffee stocks by the end of April. The phenomenon has never happened in the past 30 years in the Vietnamese coffee industry. According to the European Coffee Federation, the EU has the highest per capita coffee consumption in the world. Its coffee market is expected to reach $47.88 billion in 2024 and $58.14 billion in 2029, an average growth of 3.96 per cent in the 2024-29 period. VNS LOS ANGELES, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A Boeing 737-800 plane made an emergency stop on Sunday after the crew reported the engine cowling fell off and struck the wing flap during takeoff from Denver International Airport in U.S. state of Colorado, authorities said. Southwest Airlines Flight 3695 returned safely to Denver International Airport around 8:15 a.m. local time (1515 GMT) on Sunday after the incident, said the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a statement. The plane was headed to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, said the FAA, noting that the agency will investigate the incident. Southwest Airlines said in a statement that the flight landed safely after experiencing a mechanical issue. "Our customers arrived at Houston Hobby on another aircraft, approximately three hours behind schedule," said the airline, adding that Southwest's maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft. The plane was delivered in 2015, and the aircraft manufacturer CFM made the engine, according to FAA records. The engine cowling is a removable metal covering on the engine. A passenger on the flight posted a video of debris flying off of the plane as it was moving down a runway at Denver International Airport, reported local KUSA television station. A picture posted after the plane's safe landing shows sizable pieces missing from the plane's right engine, the report added. From air traffic control recordings from LiveATC.net, a Southwest pilot told a Denver International Airport air traffic controller, "We don't actually see it from the cockpit, that's just what the crew in back is telling us. Our engines seem to be fine, but we are structurally damaged," according to the report. Boeing has grappled with significant quality and safety issues concerning its aircraft for years, leading to the prolonged grounding of specific models and halted deliveries. From October 2018 to March 2024, the company faced several incidents that underscored concerns about the safety and reliability of its aircraft. BEIJING Chairman of the National Assembly of Viet Nam Vuong inh Hue and his entourage on Monday visited the R&D centre of Huawei, a leading global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices, during which he expressed his impression on the groups development with standout inventions and patents as well as state-of-the-art technologies. Having operated in Viet Nam for more than 25 years, Huawei has made significant contributions to promoting digital transformation in the country, and begun to join in its human resources training in the hi-tech sector. Viet Nam has developed its IT enterprises while luring large foreign corporations like Huawei with a view to building a digital economy, a digital society and digital citizens, underlining the country prioritises projects with advanced, new and environmentally-friendly technologies. The legal environment in Viet Nam is becoming more complete to create the best conditions for both domestic and foreign firms, he stressed. For his part, Huawei Chairman Liang Hua thanked the NA leader for the sharing of Viet Nam's policies on digital economy, held that Viet Nam has various programmes for digital transformation, and affirmed that Huawei is willing to work closely with Viet Nam in the areas of 5G network building and IT human resources development. VNS HA NOI The Viettel and the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) have recently won Viet Nam's first successful auctions for 5G spectrum licenses. The information was announced by Director General of the Authority of Radio Frequency Management Le Van Tuan in a monthly press conference held by the Ministry of Information and Communications in Ha Noi on April 8. In March, Viettel secured the rights to utilise the B1 band (2,500-2,600 MHz) for the next 15 years following a competitive bidding process that lasted for 24 rounds. This band offers Viettel a potential cost advantage compared to those acquiring the higher-frequency C2 (3,700-3,800 MHz) and C3 (3.800-3.900 MHz) bands. Additionally, the B1 band's versatility allows it to support both 4G and 5G networks. The VNPT emerged as the winner for the C2 band after 17 rounds of bidding. This mid-range band is a coveted resource for major telecom companies globally thanks to its ideal combination of bandwidth, speed, latency and investment efficiency. The C2 band is well-suited for deploying the most advanced 5G network capabilities currently available. The C3 brand was not auctioned due to a lack of bidders. According to Tuan, these auctions have marked the first successful spectrum allocation in Viet Nam's radio frequency field in 15 years. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam has solidified its position as the most attractive investment destination for Taiwanese companies in Southeast Asia and globally, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy ong told the Viet Nam-Taiwan business forum in Ha Noi on April 8. Investment from Taiwan (China) in Viet Nam surged in 2023, reaching US$2.2 billion, a fourfold increase from the previous year. This impressive growth placed Taiwan as the fourth largest investor in Viet Nam, out of 105 countries and territories, with nearly 3,200 projects valued at over $39.5 billion. Additionally, Taiwan has become Viet Nam's fifth largest trading partner. ong commended Taiwanese enterprises for their contributions to Viet Nam's economic development. He highlighted their role in fostering technology transfer, increasing the use of locally-produced materials, and upskilling the Vietnamese workforce. These efforts, he noted, contribute significantly to the establishment of robust global supply chains. Pham Tan Cong, Chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Chairman of the Taiwan Affairs Committee, pointed out the extensive presence of major Taiwanese electronics conglomerates like Foxconn, Wistron, Qisda, Pegatron, Compal and Quanta in Viet Nam, saying that this is a promising signal for cooperation between the two sides. On the occasion, the Viet Nam-Taiwan (China) 2024 international investment and trade promotion exhibition kicked off on April 8 and runs until April 9. The event, co-organised by DVL IPT Investment and Trade Promotion JSC and the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce (WTCC), provides a platform for networking and collaboration among businesses across various sectors. Nguyen Hong Chung, General Director of the DVL IPT Investment and Trade Promotion JSC, said the event takes place during a pivotal year - Viet Nam marks its 35th anniversary of attracting foreign investment. Over the past three and a half decades, Taiwan (China) has emerged as a key partner, ranking fourth in foreign direct investment (FDI) with nearly $40 billion, and fifth in overall trade, with two-way trade of almost $25 billion. VNS Compiled by Mai Linh HA NOI Recent cyber-attacks on large corporations in Viet Nam are sounding alarm bells about domestic cybersecurity systems, requiring prompt actions to defend against malicious attacks. During the past two weeks, three companies reported suffering from cyberattacks which had serious consequences. On March 24, securities company VNDirect's entire system suffered a ransomware attack, resulting in the temporary unavailability of the trading platform. Not until a week later could the system be reopened. The Post and Telecommunication Joint Stock Insurance Corporation (PTI) also reported a cyberattack on its system nearly at the same time as the attack on VNDirects system. Most recently, PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (PVOIL) reported a ransomware attack on April 2 which caused disruptions to its information system, including the issuance of electric invoices. The companys system underwent troubleshooting and returned to normal operation on April 4. These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. The Authority of Information Safety (AIS) under the Ministry of Information and Communications has warned about the increase of cyberattacks in Viet Nam, especially ransomware in which cybercriminals seize and encrypt data then ask for ransom payment. The AISs statistics showed that there are more than 2,330 attacks on the information systems in Viet Nam in the first quarter of this year, causing system disruption and serious damages while affecting national cyber space security. According to Viet Nam National Cyber Security Technology Corporation (NSC), there were 13,900 cyberattacks in 2023, an increase of 9.5 per cent against 2022. In particular, ransomware attacks caused serious consequences. Around 83,000 computers and servers were reported to be attacked by data encryption malware, up by 8.4 per cent over 2022. Specially, the number of ransomware attacks increased sharply in the last quarter of 2023, up 23 per cent against the average of the three previous quarters. BKAV Corporation in early March also warned that LockBit Black, a new variant of the famous data encryption virus, had begun to attack systems in Viet Nam. BKAVs virus monitoring and warning system recorded more than 19,000 servers attacked by ransomware from 130,000 malicious IP addresses in the world, an increase of 35 per cent over 2022. A report by Viettel Cyber Security Company showed that there are at least 9 ransomware attacks targeting big companies and organisations in Viet Nam recently which decrypted hundreds of GB of data and required ransom payments estimated to total around $3 million. The National Cybersecurity Association early this month warned about the alarming situation of increasing cyber-attacks targeting key information systems of agencies and businesses in Viet Nam, especially in sectors such as electricity, banking, securities, payment intermediary, telecommunications, oil and gas and healthcare. Ngo Quoc Vinh, deputy director of VNSC Global Solution Technology which focuses on developing information security products and services, said that Viet Nams cyberspace is witnessing an increase in ransomware attacks. However, there is not sufficient grounds to determine that this is a targeted attack campaign on Viet Nam. He said one of the reasons Viet Nam is in the group of countries that suffer many cyberattacks is that many users in Viet Nam have the habit of using pirated or invalid software provided for free on the Internet. This creates conditions for cybercriminals to easily install malicious code inside systems for a long period of time. Ransomware attacks often do not start immediately but hackers wait for the right time to achieve the greatest level of impact and gain the most financial benefit, he said. Vu Ngoc Son, NSCs technology director, said that a series of cyber-attacks occurred in just a short period of time targeting sectors including securities, energy, telecommunications, and healthcare. These attacks are similar in that hackers were under cover for a period before encrypting data for ransom. In these cases, attack techniques are not the same, however it is unlikely that these attacks were carried out by a group of hackers, or this was an advanced persistent thread. To encrypt data, hackers must have enough time to know which data is important. Therefore, hackers have to install malicious code to collect information every day then analyse, evaluate and select targets for encryption. The implementation of defensive solutions by Vietnamese companies and organisations remains limited, while cyber attacks are increasingly sophisticated, Son said, stressing that systems in Viet Nam face the risk of being attacked at any time. What to do? According to Truong uc Luong, chairman of Vietnam Network Security Joint Stock Company, recent cyberattacks which have drawn significant attention because of their impact on people, are just the tip of the iceberg. The positive point of these incidents like these are that they increase attention to cyber security. However, cyber security is a long way, not just stopping at how we handle specific attacks, but learning lessons and applying them in practice are much more important. If network security is not properly understood, it will be the first thing to be mentioned and also the first thing to be eliminated in cost optimisation. Prevention is better than cure, Vinh said, adding that its time for enterprises to pay more attention to methodical investment in information security. He said that the short-term strategy for enterprises and organisations is to immediately use information security assessment, operation and monitoring services from professional organisations. In the long term, enterprises and organisations need to develop strategies to be able to autonomously ensure information security with a suitable investment roadmap for a comprehensive information security architecture. According to Son, enterprises and organisations must first urgently put important systems under round-the-clock network security monitoring to quickly detect system intrusion and eliminate imminent threats. Data backup is important, he said, adding that it is best to set up a periodic backup system. In addition, enterprises and organisations must be well-prepared for responding in case incidents happen. Training should also be provided to enhance awareness and user skills. Reviews and inspections of the information and network security systems should be carried out periodically. The AIS recently urged businesses and organisations to strengthen solutions to ensure network information security with priority on monitoring and early warning solutions. On Saturday, the AIS makes public a handbook on solutions to prevent and minimise risks from ransomware attacks aiming to ensure national cyberspace safety which can be downloaded at the portal of the National Cyber Security Centre of Viet Nam at the address khongianmang.vn. Regarding ransom payment, Phan Van Hung, technology director of Tomotech Joint Stock Company said that paying a ransom to hackers after a cyberattack is a difficult problem and there is not a simple answer. Theoretically, paying a ransom can help businesses to get their data back and restore their systems quickly. However, there is no guarantee that hackers will keep their promises after receiving money. Meanwhile, paying a ransom could encourage hackers to continue attacking other systems. Hung said that enterprises should not pay ransoms to hackers but focus on protecting their systems and data against cyber attacks. The Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) with the participation of 50 countries endorsed a statement that relevant institutions under national government authority should not pay ransomware extortion demands. If ransom is made, it will create a dangerous precedent. During a ransomware attack, cybercriminals deploy malware (malicious software) into targeted computer systems to seize and encrypt sensitive data and demand a ransom payment for a decryption key. The first ransomware attack in the world happened in 1989. After more than 30 years, ransomware has become more complicated, dangerous and regular. It usually takes businesses a few weeks to months to recover from a ransomware attack. However, according to a study by security firm Kaspersky, up to 71 per cent of enterprises could not fully restore data after being attacked. Up to 50 per cent lost some data and 13 per cent lost all, even when ransoms were paid. VNS SOC TRANG The material and spiritual lives of the Khmer people has been significantly improved in recent years thanks to many timely policies and solutions aimed at eradicating poverty and enhancing livelihoods in the southwestern region. Viet Nam is a multi-ethnic country with 54 ethnic groups coexisting together. Among them, the Khmer community in the southwestern region has a population of about 1.3 million people. The Khmer are known for their strong sense of patriotism, diligence and creativity, in addition to a rich and diverse cultural heritage. The southern province of Soc Trang has the highest concentration of Khmer people in Viet Nam, accounting for 30 per cent of their total population. The implementation of the socialisation policy for housing in the locality has achieved positive results, addressing the issue of housing for impoverished Khmer households, while solving social welfare problems and reducing poverty. Specifically, the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security, in collaboration with the provincial authorities of Soc Trang, mobilised and provided financial support for the construction of 1,200 houses for the poor and disadvantaged in Soc Trang Province within the programme The Whole Nation Joins Hands to Support the Poor - No One Left Behind. Starting from early 2023, the programme was successfully completed early this year, just in time for the Khmer New Year celebration, Chol Chnam Thmey. According to Lam Van Man, Secretary of the Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee, the implementation of the programme to support the construction of 1,200 houses for poor and disadvantaged Khmer households has been carried out in a manner that ensures the correct targeting, quality and progress. The programme has a detailed roadmap, achieving high efficiency while minimising waste and negative outcomes. The house model has been approved by relevant authorities based on a basic design, featuring a solid concrete wall and durable materials capable of withstanding rain and storms, he added. The funding for the programme was mobilised by the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security through various sponsors. It was supported by local residents and youth volunteers with transportation of construction materials to areas with difficult access. The housing construction support programme, led by the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam in coordination with the local authorities of Soc Trang Province, is one of many programmes aimed at realising the national goals and ethnic policies of the state. It has opened up a prosperous and abundant life for Khmer people in Soc Trang Province and the region. Changes can easily be seen in many other regions where many Khmer people reside like Tra Vinh, Kien Giang, An Giang or Bac Lieu. Roads connect every corner and every household has electric lighting. Solid and beautiful houses have replaced old and dilapidated ones. Many rural inter-commune and inter-hamlet routes, medical facilities and well-built schools have been built. Along with the strong investment and development of essential infrastructure, local authorities in areas with significant Khmer populations have effectively implemented supportive production policies and created favourable conditions for Khmer people to access preferential loans, as well as developed sustainable agricultural economic models. They therefore have the means and motivation to develop production, increase their income and gradually stabilise their lives. Ethnic education and training are being constantly renewed, raising the level of knowledge and improving the quality of the workforce. Many cultural and artistic activities are organised, with the active participation of not only the local people but also many tourists, such as the Ok Om Bok Festival, Ngo Boat Racing and Ox Racing Festival. The Khmer Theravada Buddhist monks and the Patriotic Monks Association have actively and unitedly operated within the framework of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, effectively participating in patriotic movements. These achievements result from comprehensive guidance, policies and support from the state and government, as well as the involvement of relevant agencies and the timely engagement of local authorities. Many policies and programmes have been issued in line with the requirements for stability and development in areas where ethnic minority communities, including the Khmer people, reside. Their content has become increasingly diverse and extensive, while effectiveness has been improved. Every year, local authorities prioritise allocating resources for socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas, with a focus on transportation and infrastructure development, poverty reduction, addressing social welfare issues, human resource development, and preserving and promoting the traditional cultural identity of ethnic communities. VNS AN GIANG - On the occasion of the 2024 Chol Chnam Thmay traditional New Year, An Giang Province has given 500 gifts to poor Khmer people. The Standing Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front in An Giang Province collaborated with Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company and the Viet Nam Cambodia Business Association to present the gifts to ethnic Khmer people in Tri Ton district. The event was attended by chairman of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee in An Giang Province Nguyen Tiec Hung, first secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in the Kingdom of Cambodia Nguyen The Khanh, representatives of the Viet Nam - Cambodia Business Association, Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company and local leaders of Tri Ton district. It was held at Svay Ta Hong Pagoda in Ninh Loi hamlet in An Tuc commune and Kom Plung Pagoda in Phuoc An hamlet in O Lam commune. Each gift, valued at VN600,000, included 10 kilos of rice and VN300,000 in cash. The funding was provided by Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company and the Viet Nam - Cambodia Business Association, along with partners and individuals, contributing to bringing warmth and encouragement to the people as they celebrate the 2024 Chol Chnam Thmay New Year. According to Oknha Leng Rithy, chairman of the Viet Nam - Cambodia Business Association, the gift-giving activity demonstrates solidarity with the people in the difficult areas of An Giang Province, especially in ethnic Khmer communities. Oknha Leng Rithy extended his best wishes to the Khmer people in Tri Ton district and An Giang Province as a whole, hoping for abundant joy, peace, and happiness during the 2024 Chol Chnam Thmay New Year. Pham Tuan Khai, secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of O Lam commune, on behalf of Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company and the Standing Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front in An Giang Province, expressed the desire for the continued development of the "beautiful neighbouring, traditional friendship, comprehensive, and sustainable cooperation" between Viet Nam and Cambodia, as well as the Viet Nam - Cambodia Business Association with An Giang Province. - VNS Thu Ha Vietnamese banh my (bread) was ranked first among the 100 tastiest sandwiches in the world by TasteAtlas last month. Bread was first made popular in Viet Nam by the French since 1859, but a source from the HCM Citys Tourism Department said it could have been present in the country earlier than that, through trade and commerce with Europeans. Professional chef Pham Tuan Hai, who is an addict of banh my, said famous and popular Vietnamese banh my include banh my thit (pork), banh my xiu mai (pork and shrimp balls), banh my cha ca (grilled chopped fish), banh my heo quay (roasted pork), banh my ga nuong (roasted chicken), banh my op la (sunny-side up egg), banh my cha lua (pork paste) and banh my que (breadstick). I like banh my xiu mai very much. Xiu mai is small minced pork and shrimp balls. It is eaten with special sauce and fresh herbs, Hai said, adding that he also likes to enjoy a crispy bread with its filling of grilled chopped fish accompanied with fresh onion, coriander, cucumber, fried dried onion topped with aromatic flavour sauce. Hai said that his wife is a fan of crispy bread with a filling of roasted chicken, fresh carrot threads, cucumber, lettuce and others herbs. She also likes banh my cha lua, a characteristic northern style. John Henry, from the US, who joined the first Bread Festival held in HCM City last year, said, I enjoyed Vietnamese bread and its tasty fillings so much. I tried banh my with egg and traditional banh my with pork and roasted chicken. David Farley from BBC UK, who enjoyed bread at 118A Hue Street in Ha Noi, said, It is the tastiest dish in the world. The filling includes thin pork slices, lean pork floss, pate, five spice powder and butter topped with peppery meat sauce and herbs. David said he has eaten 15 breads at different shops at different times. He confirmed that the above-mentioned bread was the most magical. In 2020 Vietnamese bread was for the first time presented on the Google homepage of more than 10 world nations. In 2018, CNN named Hoi An bread king of sandwiches in the world. Meanwhile, the renowned tourism magazine Fodor voted Vietnamese bread among the 30 tastiest sandwiches in the world that people should try. In 2017, Rough Guides from the UK voted Vietnamese bread one of tastiest dishes in the world. In the same year Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull enjoyed his bread breakfast on a a Nang Street. The World Records Union in 2016 recognised Vietnamese banh my and bun cha (grilled pork and rice noodle) among top 100 most famous dishes in the world and in 2014 the Vietnamese banh mi created a fever when it was ranked in the top 20 best street foods in the world by Huffington Post, a prestigious website in the US. The National Geographic in 2013 voted Vietnamese bread as one of best 11 street dishes in the world. The US Conde Nast Traveler also listed it among 12 best street food in the globe. The Guardian in 2012 praised Vietnamese banh my the tastiest sandwich in the world. VNS BEIJING National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong inh Hue visited the Vietnamese Embassy and met representatives of the Vietnamese community in China right after he arrived in Beijing for an official visit to the country on Sunday afternoon. At the meeting, Ambassador Pham Sao Mai informed the top legislator about the embassys operations and affairs relating to the Vietnamese community in China. Representatives of the Vietnamese community affirmed that they had always stayed united, supported each other, and looked towards the homeland. This is Hue's first official visit to China in his capacity as NA Chairman at the invitation of Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China Zhao Leji. It is also the first visit to the neighbouring country by a top Vietnamese legislator in five years. Stressing the significance of the trip to maintaining high-level contacts and strategic exchanges between the two Parties and States, Hue said: All of us share the responsibility for implementing and concretising common perceptions reached by the highest leaders of the two Parties and countries. He also emphasised the task of consolidating, enhancing and tightening the bilateral legislative ties, and carrying forward the role of legislative cooperation in materialising strategic collaboration orientations between the two countries. The leader said during the visit, he was scheduled to hold talks and meetings with key Party and State leaders of China, and representatives of some Chinese localities. This would be a chance for the two sides to have in-depth discussions at the strategic level on major matters regarding bilateral ties, as well as the regional and international issues of shared concern, he added. The NA Chairman also briefed the overseas Vietnamese on the legislatures operations, and lauded contributions by the embassy and the community to the Viet Nam-China relationship. He asked the embassy to further effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms, propose new, suitable ones, and pay attention to studying Chinas experience in Party building, corruption combat and corporate governance. The embassy and Vietnamese consulate generals in China were also requested to pay more heed to affairs relating to the Vietnamese community, citizen protection and associations there. The leader welcomed the proposal of Vietnamese students in China on the establishment of an innovation network to attract the participation of Vietnamese students in the country to contribute to development in their homeland. The Party and State always consider the Vietnamese community abroad, including those in China, an indispensable part of the great national solidarity bloc, a driving force, and a source of strength for national development, he affirmed, urging them to uphold their solidarity and mutual support, actively integrate into the host country, and contribute more to the homeland as well as the traditional friendship and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.VNA/VNS BUENOS AIRES The ien Bien Phu victory is a symbol of the national liberation movement of oppressed and colonialised peoples worldwide, says Prof. Ezequiel Ramoneda, Coordinator of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CESEA) at the Institute of International Relations of the National University of La Plata of Argentina (UNLP). In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency in Buenos Aires ahead of the 70th anniversary of the victory (May 7, 19542024), Ramoneda has highlighted the historical and contemporary significance of this event to the national liberation movement worldwide. He says this victory, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, is a spiritual symbol of the movements for national liberation and independence of all colonialised countries in similar circumstances, not just those by France at the time. This victory of the Vietnamese people is not only a source of inspiration and encouragement but also evidence that the efforts and sacrifices to overcome difficulties and hardships by a nation striving for independence and freedom will ultimately prevail, he stresses. The expert says that the righteous and insightful political and military strategy of the CPV led by President Ho Chi Minh, who flexibly and creatively applied Marxist-Leninist theory to the practical conditions of Viet Nam, played a crucial role in the victory. According to Ramoneda, during the ien Bien Phu campaign, the immense solidarity and determination of the Vietnamese people were demonstrated at their highest level. Italian journal honours ien Bien Phu victory Italys LUnione Sarda news website recently ran an article honouring the braveness of Viet Nam through the ien Bien Phu Victory 70 years ago. In the article entitled Viet Nam, the Lesson Still Applies Today, author Antonio Barracca highlights the fact that Viet Nam, a poor, predominantly agricultural nation then, managed to defeat the armies of two world powers. The author visited Viet Nam just a few years after the war ended. At that time, Ha Noi was an agricultural city with few light bulbs to illuminate deserted streets populated by bicycles during the day. The only important buildings were those of the French colonisation. He underlines that the ien Bien Phu battle in 1954 ended with the total victory of Viet Nam, became a decisive battle ending the invasive war in Indochina. It led to the signing of the peace agreements concluded on 21 July 1954, according to which France had to accept to withdraw its troops from the entire Indochina. On April 30, 1975, Viet Nam once again defeated US troops and completely liberated the south and reunified the country, noted the author. VNS BEIJING Developing ties with China has always been on the top of Viet Nam's foreign policy agenda. That was the remark by the Chairman of Viet Nam's National Assembly Vuong inh Hue at his meeting with General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of China Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. During their meeting, Chairman Hue conveyed warm regards from Viet Nam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other Vietnamese Party and State leaders to President Xi. He congratulated China on the achievements made by its Party, State and people, especially since the 18th National Congress. He expressed confidence that the Chinese people would successfully realise the goals set at the 20th Congress to build a modern and prosperous socialist power. He believes that China will continue to contribute significantly to global peace and development by implementing good-neighbourly diplomacy that brings cooperation opportunities to neighbouring countries, including Viet Nam. For his part, President Xi sent cordial regards to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and congratulated Viet Nam on its socio-economic achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam. He affirmed China's support for Viet Nam's path to becoming a prosperous socialist country. He stressed that the consensus reached by the two countries' top leaders on building a community with a shared future carries strategic significance, ushering in a new phase of wide-ranging bilateral cooperation across six major areas. The two leaders expressed delight at the development of Viet Nam-China relations, noting the two Parties and countries share similarities in ideological foundation and the goal of socialism for the benefit and happiness of their people. "Developing ties with China is a strategic choice and top priority in Viet Nam's foreign policy," Chairman Hue reaffirmed, stating the country's consistent adherence to the one-China policy. President Xi affirmed China greatly valued its relationship with Viet Nam and was ready to deepen Party-to-Party and country-to-country cooperation. Chairman Hue called for consolidating bilateral political trust and increasing high-level exchanges and cooperation in key areas like diplomacy, public security and defence. He also called for elevating strategic connectivity to generate new growth drivers, focusing on trade promotion, expanding Viet Nam's farm produce exports to China, and boosting cooperation in railways, expressways, maritime, aviation, finance and digitalisation. The top legislator also suggested increasing people-to-people exchanges and enhancing communication, consensus building and bilateral cooperation to better handle maritime issues. President Xi affirmed China was ready to promote high-level contacts, enhance Party cooperation and share governance and nation-building experience with Viet Nam. He said China would step up bilateral cooperation across the board, especially in railways, digital economy, renewable energy and other emerging industries, and welcome Viet Nam's participation in China's regional development strategies. He welcomed the signing of a new cooperation agreement between China's National People's Congress and Viet Nam's National Assembly to raise bilateral parliamentary ties to a higher level. He urged the two bodies to actively implement cooperation programmes across all spheres and levels. He also called for substantive bilateral cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, especially among young generations, to cement the foundation for friendship between the two countries' people. He suggested experience-sharing in building a socialist rule-of-law state under Party leadership and improving the socialist legal system. VNS Wang Yi, Chinese co-chair of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Vietnamese co-chair of the committee Tran Luu Quang in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, Chinese co-chair of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, met with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Vietnamese co-chair of the committee Tran Luu Quang in Beijing on Monday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future conforms to the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples, conforms to the trend of development and progress of the times, and has great significance for the two countries in accelerating their respective modernization and advancing the cause of socialism. China is ready to work with Vietnam to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties, give full play to the coordinating role of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, deepen cooperation in fields such as economy, trade, investment, connectivity, science and technology and innovation, create new growth points for cooperation, strengthen people-to-people exchanges, properly manage differences, consolidate public support for good friendship between the two countries, and advance the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, Wang added. Tran Luu Quang said that the Vietnam-China relationship is at its best in history, adding that Vietnam is willing to work with China to take the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future as a guide, give full play to the role of the Steering Committee, and jointly advance the common cause of socialism for mutual benefit and win-win results. Wang Yi, Chinese co-chair of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Vietnamese co-chair of the committee Tran Luu Quang in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) BEIJING Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, Chairman of the Viet Nam Sub-Committee in the Viet Nam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, had a meeting with Wang Yi, Chairman of the China Sub-Committee in the Viet Nam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, in Beijing on April 8. Wang Yi is also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Director of the Office of the CPC Central Committees Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China. The meeting took place during National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hues ongoing visit to China. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on their bilateral relationship, global and regional issues of shared concern, and agreed to effectively implement the joint statement on further deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, and building a Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance in line with six major directions agreed upon by high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and countries. They also agreed to effectively carry out high-level exchanges and meetings across various sectors, and further uphold the role of the Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee in monitoring the progress of realising high-level common perceptions. The meeting highlighted cooperation in national defence and security, with a focus on strengthening strategic connectivity through railway and road infrastructure projects. The two sides vowed to expedite the opening, upgrading, and recognition of border gates and discussed piloting the construction of smart border gates to facilitate Vietnamese goods transit by rail through China to third countries via the Asia-Europe railway. They will increase locality-to-locality and people-to-people exchanges to solidify social foundation, and maintain coordination on global and regional issues of mutual concern. At the same time, the two countries will work closely together on border management and protection in accordance with the three legal documents on land border and control of differences at sea in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). VNA/VNS BEIJING Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China Zhao Leji on Monday presided over the welcoming ceremony and held talks with Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong inh Hue and the high-level Vietnamese delegation currently visiting China. Both sides briefed each other on the situations of each Party, each country and their legislative activities and discussed measures to concretise the achievements and high-level mutual understanding achieved during Vietnamese Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China in 2022 and Chinese Party General Secretary, President Xi Jinping's visit to Viet Nam in 2023. They also looked at measures to promote and deepen the cooperation between the two legislative bodies. Both expressed satisfaction with the positive progress in the bilateral relations between the two Parties and two countries in recent times, including the cooperative exchanges between the legislations. NA Chair Hue stressed that the Vietnamese Party and State particularly valued the development of stable, healthy, sustainable and long-term relations with China, considering it a strategic choice and top priority in Viet Nam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification. His counterpart also underscored that China always regarded Viet Nam as a priority in its neighbourly diplomacy policy and always supported Viet Nam in successfully implementing its industrialisation, modernisation and enhancing its international role. Both agreed to effectively implement the joint statement on continuing deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance as well as maintaining exchanges and contacts at all levels and channels. The Vietnamese top legislator suggested China facilitate the early establishment of Vietnamese trade promotion offices in Chengdu, Haikou and Nanjing, continue to expand imports of Vietnamese goods, agricultural and aquatic products, early negotiations and sign a framework agreement on rice trade, effectively implement the construction of smart border gates, improve the efficiency of goods clearance and facilitate the transport of Vietnamese goods to third countries via the Asia-Europe railway. NA Chair Hue hopes both sides will jointly build 'a new investment image' of large, capable, reputable Chinese enterprises in Viet Nam, while coordinating to resolve lingering issues in some cooperative projects, accelerate the implementation of China's non-refundable aid to Viet Nam and research cooperation in building several standard-gauge railway projects sections Ha Noi-Lao Cai, Ha Noi-Quang Ninh, Ha Noi-Lang Son. NPC leader Zhao Leji highly appreciated and expressed agreement with the proposals of the Vietnamese counterpart, affirming that China was ready to deepen substantive cooperation with Viet Nam, expand trade, investment cooperation, strengthen strategic connectivity development, implement high-quality development and enhance strategic connectivity between Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Belt Initiative, with the focus on infrastructure, road transportation, railways and smart border gates, contributing to improving clearance efficiency. The two countries should promote cooperation to ensure supply chains, production chains, digital economy, green economy, new energy, key minerals and 5G, he agreed. China also welcomed the opening of new representative offices and trade promotion offices of Viet Nam in various Chinese localities, NPC Chairman noted. Regarding cooperation between the two legislative bodies, NA Chair Hue proposed the Vietnamese NA and the Chinese NPC strengthen delegation exchanges of all levels; enhance exchange, sharing of experiences on the activities of the parliament and its agencies, improve the Party's leadership over the State, build a socialist rule of law state, develop and improve the economic and social development policy system and enhance the oversight role of the legislative bodies of the two countries in expediting the implementation of signed documents and agreements between the two countries. The NPC leader praised the signing of two cooperation documents, establishing cooperation mechanisms at the highest level and reflecting the level of development of cooperation between the two legislative bodies in the overall good relations of the two countries. He expressed his desire for both sides to make good use of this mechanism, enhance exchanges between Vietnamese NA and Chinese NPC leaders, specialised committees and parliamentary groups, to share experiences in legislative work, supervision and national management in order to better serve the construction of socialism in each country and contribute to promoting the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Viet Nam. Both sides also engaged in sincere, frank exchanges of views on maritime issues and unanimously agreed to continue implementing the common perception of the leaders of the two Parties and two countries, to appropriately manage the disputes and maintain peace, stability in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea). The Vietnamese top legislator urged both sides to actively promote substantive negotiation mechanisms at sea, effectively implement agreements on search and rescue cooperation and hotlines on incidents arising from fishing activities and sign a new fishing agreement in the Gulf of Tonkin. He also wanted the two countries to work together with ASEAN countries and expedite negotiations to build a substantive, effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is in line with international law, including UNCLOS 1982. The two legislative bodies have also agreed to maintain coordination and cooperation at regional and international forums. VNS HA NOI Juvenile crime rates have been on the rise in Ha Noi, with the emergence of criminal behaviours copycatting gang activities with particularly severe aggression, raising concerns about the upbringing and supervision of teenagers and the citys social security. Recently, a group of juvenile delinquents armed with weapons carried out a series of robberies in the capital city. At 3am on March 2, two young men on a yellow Honda Vision motorcycle at the intersection of Vong - Giai Phong Street in ong a District were threatened and robbed of their motorcycle by a group of youths riding motorcycles carrying iron pipes and knives. Around 2am on March 5, three individuals riding motorcycles with weapons threatened and robbed three young men of a black Honda Wave motorcycle on Giai Phong Street. On March 14, two young men riding a Honda Wave motorcycle in Linh Nam Street in Hoang Mai District were threatened and robbed of their motorcycle by a number of armed teenagers. On March 15, surveillance footage captured six individuals riding on three motorcycles as they approached Le Loi Street in Ha ong District. Around 2am, they menaced a young man riding a Honda Vision motorcycle, demanding money. All these incidents were reported to occur at night or in the early morning and the criminals used weapons to intimidate and commit robbery. In response to these daring and dangerous acts, Director of the Ha Nois Police Department Nguyen Hai Trung has instructed the criminal police units to urgently collaborate with the Hoang Mai District Police to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators. By March 16, the citys Criminal Police Department apprehended six suspects, four of whom were 15 years old, while the remaining two were 16 years old. On March 27, the police in Phuc Tho District received a report from a woman who had her iPhone 15 Promax stolen by two individuals riding a Yamaha Exciter motorcycle without licence plates at Tam Hiep Commune. Upon receiving the information, the district police immediately launched an investigation and arrested two 17-year-olds residing in Phu ong Commune in Ba Vi District. This particular act occurred during daylight, further demonstrating the audacious nature of juvenile criminals. The citys Police Department estimated that among the criminal cases involving juveniles, more than 34 per cent of the offenders are under 16 years old, and 46 per cent are 16 or 17. Of these, 23.5 per cent are dropouts. Over 96 per cent have no criminal record. The police also revealed that 84 per cent of the incidents stem from personal conflicts. These individuals engage in social media activities, where they exchange insults, challenge each other, and organise gangs for crimes. Family role Senior Colonel ao Trung Hieu from the Ministry of Public Security explained that the cause may be attributed to psychological disorders during adolescence. However, the root cause lies in adverse influences from the living environment. These children have been exposed too much to violent movies and games, and tend to unconsciously imitate the behaviours they have seen. Another factor, he said, is the pressures of life, the struggle for livelihood, which leads many parents to lack time to care for their children. Social life is filled with temptations, weakening the bonds between family members. In such family contexts, children grow up lacking supervision, care, timely guidance from adults, making them susceptible to involvement in criminal activities. To prevent juvenile delinquency, the city police have issued a plan to prevent crime and legal violations by minors in the city. Colonel Nguyen Tien at, head of the Planning Department of the Ha Noi Citys Police Department, stated that during weekends, criminal investigation units and 141 task forces disguise themselves to apprehend many juvenile suspects carrying weapons. Although these efforts have been effective, Hieu said the fundamental solution lies in education, focusing on nurturing human character, teaching individuals to look inward to manage themselves. Only through comprehensive educational solutions from families, schools, and proactive crime prevention measures from law enforcement can we effectively reduce juvenile delinquency, he said. Nguyen Thi Viet Nga, member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education, stated that enhancing education and guidance is the best solution. There needs to be collaboration between families and schools. Families should appropriately attend to the psychological and physiological development of children. For schools, alongside teachers being more involved with students, there should be psychological counsellors to timely resolve adolescent crises, she said. Nga also stressed the need to strengthen legal education in schools to help adolescents realise the consequences of criminal actions. VNS PHNOM PENH The Viet Nam-Cambodia Business Association (VCBA), Metfone under military-run telecom group Viettel and other units on Sunday offered medical check-ups, medicines and gifts to 600 Cambodians and those of Vietnamese origin in the neighbouring countrys Kampong Chhnang province. The activities were carried out on the occasion of the Chol Chnam Thmay New Year, the biggest festival on the Khmer calendar, with the participation of 15 doctors from big hospitals in the two countries. Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang said the programme demonstrates the traditional friendship and fine cooperation between the two countries, and expressed his hope that the VCBA will expand such activities to other Cambodian localities. President of the Khmer-Vietnamese Association in Cambodia (KVA) Sim Chy affirmed that Vietnamese in Cambodia have significantly contributed to the solidarity and friendship between the two countries, as well as national construction and development in Cambodia. Born Sophy, Deputy Governor of Kampong Chhnang province, thanked the Vietnamese side for the organisation of the programme, and called for joint efforts to preserve the time-honoured relationship. VNS BAC NINH A landslide toppled six houses into the Cau River in Bac Ninh City, Bac Ninh Province on Sunday. Speaking to Tuoi Tre online newspaper, Tong Quang Thanh, Chairman of Van An Ward, said the six houses, located in the cordoned-off landslide-prone zone, collapsed into the river at 2.00 pm. Fortunately, all residents had already been evacuated to safe places, averting any loss of life, Thanh said. The place where the landslide occurred is a vulnerable bank of the Cau River undergoing severe erosion. The geological vulnerability has led to recurring incidents of riverbank collapse. "We have arranged temporary accommodations for the displaced residents," said Thanh. "The top priority is a comprehensive assessment of riverbank houses to develop an action plan for permanent solutions." The city swiftly declared a state of emergency in the landslide-prone area. Warning signs were erected, and security forces were deployed to prevent unauthorised access. Deputy Permanent Chairman of the Peoples Committee of Bac Ninh inspected the disaster site and met with affected residents. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Ninh collaborated with the city authorities and relevant agencies. Their joint efforts focused on salvaging the collapsed houses while ensuring the unobstructed flow of the river. Additionally, they assessed the safety of areas when considering the relocation of residents. Further construction or expansion in unsafe areas will not be permitted. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has recently issued a significant directive aimed at bolstering cybersecurity measures. This directive serves to reinforce prior initiatives undertaken by the Prime Minister to fortify cybersecurity across various sectors and regions. Despite previous efforts, there remain certain areas where the implementation of these directives has been lacking, with a disproportionate focus on resource allocation. This approach may inadvertently exacerbate cybersecurity vulnerabilities, potentially jeopardising Viet Nam's digital security. Directive 33/C-TTg underscores the critical importance of effectively managing information systems deployed by organisations and enterprises offering extensive online services that impact society at large. It also calls for stringent oversight of state agencies' systems to ensure adherence to the highest cybersecurity standards. In light of escalating cyber threats, particularly ransomware attacks, the Prime Minister's directive underscores the necessity of addressing existing limitations and fostering discipline in cybersecurity practices. These efforts are essential to safeguarding Viet Nam's socio-economic development in an increasingly digital landscape. The directive outlines key tasks that necessitate direct management and oversight of cybersecurity by ministers, heads of agencies and local leaders. They are mandated to conduct thorough reviews and assessments of the cybersecurity status of information systems within their jurisdiction, ensuring strict compliance with safety standards within specified deadlines. In the event of cyber incidents, strict adherence to the provisions outlined in the directive is imperative, along with coordinated efforts with relevant ministries to guide and supervise cybersecurity endeavours. The Minister of Information and Communications has been tasked with guiding the evaluation of cybersecurity for state agencies and organisational information systems before April 11. The results will be reported to the Prime Minister by May 10. Furthermore, efforts will be concentrated on collaborating with security and defence agencies to monitor, detect and promptly respond to cyber threats. The findings of these collaborative efforts will be disseminated through mass media channels to enhance public awareness and understanding of cybersecurity issues. Media agencies will collaborate closely with government bodies to effectively disseminate information regarding cybersecurity laws, enhancing public understanding and awareness of the regulatory framework in place. To ensure ongoing vigilance and preparedness, regular quarterly reports on cybersecurity risks and threats will be compiled and submitted to the Prime Minister. VNS TAY NINH Acting President Vo Thi Anh Xuan presented 70 gifts to policy beneficiary families, poor households and children with difficult circumstances in Duong Minh Chau district, the southern province of Tay Ninh on April 8. She also presented the National Fund for Vietnamese Childrens VN200 million (over US$8,000) to the provincial fund for children. Those were parts of the activities held to mark the 49th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975-2024), and 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954-20204). Xuan hailed the achievements in economy, society, defence and security that the provincial Party Committee, authority and people have carved out over the past time, Recalling the provinces glorious history, Xuan highlighted the locals have got through the pain and loss from the wars for national independence, and overcome challenges to attain important results, with robust economic growth of 6.12%, GRDP per capita reaching over $3,900, and sound economic restructuring. She lauded the provinces efforts to develop the economy, ensure local social welfare, alleviate poverty and take care of the people who rendered services to the nation. She expressed her hope that the Party organisation, military and people of Tay Ninh will make further efforts to complete the set missions, particularly economic development and security-defence, adding the province needs to capitalise on its potential and advantages to branch out tourism, hi-tech agriculture, urbanisation and logistics. Besides, she suggested the province step up cooperation with HCM City and other provinces in the vicinity to create chains in investment attraction, and production. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 8 signed an official dispatch asking competent officials to take proactive response to ensuring sufficient fresh water supply for local residents in the Mekong Delta region which has been hard hit by prolonged heat waves and saline intrusion. According to relevant agencies from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), three spells of saltwater intrusion are forecast until mid-May in the Delta, one on April 8-13, one on April 20-28 and another on May 7-11, which could result in severe localised water shortages. Against this backdrop, PM Chinh requested the ministers of Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Construction and Information and Communications together with chairmen of the Peoples Committees of affected localities such as Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Kien Giang, Long An, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau to stay vigilant, keep a close watch on the current situation as well as take drastic and effective measures in response to droughts, water scarcity and saline intrusion. The chairmen are urged to pen rational measures regulating fresh water, while arranging local budget and mobilising other legal financial sources to roll out necessary measures to ensure sufficient water for local livelihoods and production. Meanwhile, the ministers of the MoNRE and MARD are requested to their agencies to make sound forecasts, and provide information on the water supply and saline intrusion situations in the region in a timely and exact fashion so that localities will have rational response measures. The Minister of Information and Communications must direct and instruct press agencies on communications work, assuring that information on the issue will be delivered in a timely and accurate manner. Other competent ministries and sectors are asked to support localities to respond to water shortage and saline intrusion. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang is ordered to continue direction for ministries, sectors and localities to carry out suitable response measures. VNS SINGAPORE A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight bound for Singapore turned around and landed at the airport in Sydney it departed from, about an hour after take-off on Sunday. Flight SQ 232 landed at Sydney International Airport at 12.42pm local time, after a technical issue linked to its flaps was found, said an SIA spokesman in response to queries. The Airbus A380 aircraft, which is 12 years and six months old, was carrying 474 customers and 27 crew members. It was originally expected to leave Sydney at 11am local time and land in Singapore at 5.30pm. In response to queries, the spokesman said the technical issue was resolved by engineers on the ground and the plane took off again for Singapore at 4.19pm local time. It touched down in Changi Airport at 10.24pm - about five hours after its original arrival time. SIA sincerely apologises to all affected customers for any inconvenience caused, the spokesman said. He added that customers were provided with refreshments and all necessary assistance. THE STRAITS TIMES/ANN BEIRUT, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon early Monday killed a field commander and three other members of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua. One of the air strikes destroyed a house in the southern village of Sultaniyeh and damaged nearby houses, killing the Hezbollah commander Ali Ahmed Hussein Jaafar and two other members while injuring four civilians, said the sources on condition of anonymity. The sources added that another airstrike targeted the southeast village of Kafr Kila, killing a Hezbollah fighter, destroying five houses, and damaging over 18 others. According to the sources, Israel carried out three air strikes Monday morning on three border towns and villages in the eastern and central sectors. It also fired 45 shells at ten towns and villages in the eastern, central, and western sectors of the border region in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters attacked several Israeli sites near the Lebanon-Israel border. Chief of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Aroldo Lazaro Saenz and UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka issued a joint statement calling Lebanon and Israel to recommit to the cessation of hostilities under the framework of resolution 1701 to avoid further escalation, saying "there is still space for diplomacy." Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 417 people on the Lebanese side, including 265 Hezbollah members and 74 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources. ISLAMABAD, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and 10 others injured when a bomb went off in a market area in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Sunday night, officials said. The incident happened at about 9:40 p.m. local time (GMT 1640) when an improvised explosive device planted in a motorbike exploded in Khuzdar district of the province, police sources from the province told Xinhua. "A police vehicle that was on routine patrol in the district was apparently the target which was missed by a few seconds, as it barely crossed the area when the blast occurred," the sources added. The policemen escaped unhurt in the attack, but the civilians who were shopping for the forthcoming Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr near the site, were killed and injured in the attack. The injured victims, including women and children, were shifted to hospitals. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. We believe that two key concerns still remain in terms of Decree No.13/2023/ND-CP on personal data protection (PDPD), including the fact that many businesses do not fully understand their compliance obligations or the operational challenges in complying with its provisions. Kevin Hawkins, partner and Khanh Le, legal adviser at DFDL Vietnam A clearer understanding can be provided of what steps businesses need to adopt in order to comply with the PDPDs requirements, and offer some guidance on its current and future impact on businesses in Vietnam. The decree provides a broad territorial scope of application, encompassing any Vietnamese or foreign agencies, organisations, and individuals (operating both within and outside Vietnamese territory) involved in personal data processing in this country, irrespective of whether the processing occurs within or without the territory of Vietnam. Although the PDPD was built upon the framework of the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the scope and application of the PDPD differs in several key aspects. For example, certain defined terms under the GDPR have different meaning and/or interpretations under the PDPD. Personal data is defined as any information in the digital environment that relates to a specific individual or aids in the identification of a particular person. Basic personal data, meanwhile, is defined by a non-exhaustive list provided under the PDPD, including details such as name, date of birth, gender, ID, and more. Sensitive personal data is defined as personal data closely linked to individuals privacy rights, with any infringement can directly impact the lawful rights and interests of the individuals. Article 2.4 of the PDPD also provides a non-exhaustive list of sensitive personal data, for example, political and religious views, health status and private life recorded in medical records, and inherited or acquired genetic characteristics. Elsewhere, personal data processing covers one or more activities affecting personal data, such as collecting, analysing, storing, editing, publicising, and many more. Other keywords are controllers and processors. Controllers are entities who determine the purpose and means of personal data processing, while processors are entities engaged under a contract with a controller to process personal data on behalf of such controller. Controller-cum-processors is a new concept compared to the GDPR, to refer to entities simultaneously acting as controllers and processors. This hybrid role will require compliance with the obligations of both the controllers and processors. Key obligations Valid consent of the data subject is necessary to process personal data, and controllers must obtain valid consent from the data subject before processing his/her personal data. Such consent entails data subjects being fully aware of the type of personal data processed, the processing purpose, entities authorised to process data, and their rights and obligations. Consent must be clearly expressed and capable of being printed or reproduced in text, including electronic or verifiable formats. This suggests that a websites use of a banner notification, implying user consent through continued access (without any click-to-select action), may struggle to demonstrate compliance with the valid consent requirement. Of note, under the PDPD, the sale or purchase of personal data is prohibited except otherwise permitted by law. A notification must be sent to the data subject before any processing of personal data takes place. Such notification should include all required content stipulated in the PDPD to be considered valid. If it can be ensured that the data subject is fully aware of and consents to all the content that a notification must include, then the controller or controller-cum-processor is not required to fulfill the obligation of prior notification once before data processing. Businesses may leverage this provision by explicitly incorporating the required notification content into their data privacy policies in order to obtain clear consent from data subjects. Accordingly, if there are no updates or changes to such policies, the controller or controller-cum-processor will not need to provide prior notification before processing data each time. Both controller and processor are obliged to prepare, retain, and send a copy of a data protection impact assessment dossier (DPIA) to the Department of Cybersecurity and High-tech Crime Prevention (DCP) under the Ministry of Public Security not later than 60 days after commencing, or modifying, its personal data processing activity. Mandatory forms for the DPIA are published on the DCP portal on data privacy. Under the PDPD, it is possible to transfer personal data of Vietnamese citizens from Vietnam to another country. However, the transferors must prepare, retain, and send a copy of a transfer impact assessment dossier to the DCP not alter than 60 days after the relevant data processing. The same submission methods for DPIA will also apply to the dossier, with the mandatory form also published on the portal. Data protection and impact In the case of processing sensitive personal data, all sides must designate and notify the DCP of the details of their data protection department and/or data protection officer. Furthermore, the parties involved are obligated to ensure the rights of data subjects (such as rights to access their personal data, withdrawal of consent, deletion of personal data, objections, and other claims), as well as compliance with data storage requirements, violation notification and reporting obligations. Failure to fulfill these obligations may result in administrative fines or criminal penalties, depending on the extent of the damage caused and the nature of the violation. The primary impact has been increasing compliance costs for businesses. Those lacking an existing data privacy system must establish, develop, and implement one to adhere to regulations. Businesses already operating based on a data privacy system (such as compliance with GDPR) will also incur costs to adjust their processes, standards, and operations in Vietnam according to the PDPD, due to the differences between the two regulatory systems. This highlights the necessity for a harmonised mechanism between the data privacy requirements across jurisdictions. Business performance could also be negatively affected when compliance with the PDPD and data privacy regulations in general becomes a factor in evaluating the ability to cooperate between businesses or in selecting suppliers of goods/services for customers. Although the PDPD has been in effect for over eight months, businesses compliance with the PDPD is observed as difficult. Many provisions in the PDPD are broadly worded, making interpretation challenging. Businesses may encounter challenges when determining the following questions: Unlike GDPR, DPIA obligations under the PDPD apply universally to all controllers and processors, regardless of the potential risk level. This raises questions in some specific cases about whether small businesses collecting only employee data, such as shops or restaurants, need to conduct DPIAs. Additionally, concerns arise regarding DCP capacity to process and manage all the submitted DPIAs, given Vietnams nearly one million businesses, mostly small- and medium-sized enterprises. Businesses, especially foreign-invested ones, may encounter difficulties at the early stage when determining the boundaries of personal data processing in Vietnam. For example, due to an application scope that is deemed broad, it is challenging to provide definitive answers to some questions. For example, if a Vietnamese business processes data of foreign individuals in Vietnam or abroad, are such activities subject to the PDPDs requirements? Currently, no specific guidelines exist for completing administrative procedures at DCP under the PDPD, including filling out standard forms, causing confusion for businesses. Of note, even those with GDPR-compliant forms may not automatically comply with the PDPD, as it mandates adaptation to its specific forms. At present, businesses need to thoroughly understand the requirements, seeking advice from legal experts to ensure compliance. Proactively engaging with DCP is also necessary. The best recourse is to await further guidance from government agencies and swiftly navigate operations in the meantime, in order to avoid unnecessary legal risks. New requirements to shore up personal data protection The forthcoming legal framework on personal data protection means all domestic and foreign organisations processing personal information must handle sensitive individual personal information in a proper manner. Data protection heads digital banking efforts Vietnamese authorities have been busy at work dismantling an illicit information network involving bank employees, as local lenders prioritise data protection and digital infrastructure for customer privacy and growth. The Chinese company has expressed its intent to invest in a large-scale solar panel production project with a designed capacity of 14GW, divided into two phases, covering an area of 50 hectares in Hoang Mai II Industrial Park in the central province. The project is expected to receive an investment of about $450 million for the first phase, slated for completion by the end of this year. The company meticulously researched various countries in the Southeast Asian region for this project and ultimately opted for Vietnam, showcasing significant expectations upon its investment decision. Hainan Drinda is poised to join the list of Chinese investors engaging in solar energy panel projects in Vietnam. Currently, Chinese companies hold at least 60 per cent of the market share for photovoltaic module in Vietnam, with prominent names like Vina Solar, JA Solar, Jinko Solar, and Trina Solar. Following successful multi-million dollar projects in Vietnam, these Chinese enterprises are gearing up for major investments, expecting substantial revenue growth. For instance, following two projects with a total investment of $865 million, on October 22, 2023, Jinko Solar Vietnam was granted an investment registration certificate by Quang Ninh province for the Jinko Solar Hai Ha Vietnam Photovoltaic Cell Technology Complex project with a total investment of $1.5 billion. Hainan Drinda New Energy is a Chinese company established in 2003, specialising in research, production, and sales of various products related to photovoltaic cells, including passive emitters and rear-end solar panels, monocrystalline solar panels, and automotive control panels. Additionally, they own a subsidiary specialising in interior and exterior vehicle decoration. As a major player in the industry with promising growth potential, Hainan Drinda has attracted investments from various funds and major enterprises. Currently, the company's shares are traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. In 2023, Hainan Drinda New Energy's revenue reached around $2.6 billion, a more than 60 per cent increase compared to the same period the previous year. The company's after-tax profit in 2023 was around $112 million, a 13.77 per cent increase from 2022. UniSolar to organise series of workshops UniSolar JSC is collaborating with distributors on a series of seminars to provide information on renewable energy and storage solutions that meet regulatory criteria on safety, efficiency, and aesthetics. Financial institutions, e-commerce platforms, telecom networks, and tech firms have borne the brunt of these digital onslaughts, endured not just operational hiccups but also grappled with the loss of customer trust and potential legal quandaries if found lacking in cyber hygiene. Indeed, for individuals, the stakes are no less dire: compromised banking details and personal data misused for nefarious ends. Bui Thi Thanh Ngoc Partner (left) and Tran Bao Trung Associate director KPMG in Vietnam In Vietnam, the fabric of data protection laws is being stretched and tested. Decree No.13/2023/ND-CP effective July 2023 on the protection of personal data articulates a two-fold defence: managerial and technical. Yet, it stops short of prescribing specific safeguards, leaving entities to patch together a defence from a mosaic of industry-specific regulations and network security mandates. The decrees call for violations to be reported within 72 hours of detection sounds less like a preventive strategy and more like a race against the clock. Theres talk of a new decree, poised to introduce administrative penalties for data breaches - picture financial penalties converting to the tune of $400-3,000 for general noncompliance, and ranging $3,000-7,000 for dragging feet in the face of security incidents. But will fines alone weave a tighter net of cyber-resilience? The 2015 Network Information Security law sketches the outlines of Vietnams cyber defence strategy, detailing everything from creating security policies to forming specialised teams and securing human resources. On a technical level, secure network zones, remote management, access controls, intrusion prevention, and defences against malware are demanded. In 2015, Vietnam enacted a comprehensive law on network information security to safeguard against cyber threats. In this legislation, the principles of securing information systems within the country, including networks and servers, are outlined. For information systems that support online services or government functions, a 2016 decree on the security of information systems by classification and a 2022 circular provide detailed security standards and practices. Lets not forget the sector-specific regulations that throw down the gauntlet for industries handling our most sensitive transactions. Securities firms must operate like digital fortresses, ensuring seamless and secure online trades, while banking institutions have been directed to catalogue and shield their IT assets with everything from encryption to data loss prevention strategies. Yet, the existential question lingers: Are these measures enough? Or are we merely plugging holes in a dam, unaware of the deluge potential? Legal representatives are thrust into the frontline, expected to be the bulwark against breaches, a tall order for those who might not speak the cryptic language of cybersecurity. Vietnams legislative efforts against cyber threats embody a duality: recognition of the menace and a reactive stance that must evolve. They underscore an understanding that in our interconnected world, reactive postures give way to persistent vulnerabilities. The true fortress lies not in the fines or the fragmented regulations, but in a culture that pre-empts cyber threats, transforming cybersecurity from a technical afterthought into a strategic cornerstone. Although Decree 13 does not provide specific mandates on the actions companies must take for personal data protection and cyberattack prevention, the legal framework comprising the aforementioned legislation will continue to ensure compliance with information security practices among companies managing information systems. As a result, in order to reduce the companys legal risk in the event of a data breach, it is essential that the company adhere to established technical standards for network information security, along with fulfilling its obligations under the Network Information Security Law and regulations applicable to its industry. This is the juncture where professional consultancies like KPMG prove their expertise. Together with our IT advisory experts, we offer a one-stop solution to help businesses navigate the ever-changing legal landscape. Few organisations prepared for cyber threats: Cisco Only 6 per cent of organisations in Vietnam have the Mature level of readiness needed to be resilient against modern cybersecurity risks, according to Ciscos 2024 Cybersecurity Readiness Index released on March 28. The Buddha figurines that were dug up during an UXO clearance operation in Xieng Khuang province. (Photo: Tadam Ctls) Vientiane A total of 51 Buddha figurines have been recently discovered in the Lao northern province of Xieng Khuang, reported the Vientiane Times. They were found in Kherng village, Phoukoud district when an unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance team was digging ground in the area on April 2, it said. Deputy head of the provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department Phetsamone Souliyaseng said that the small statues had been placed in the Kherng village office for safe keeping, and they are being closely guarded. No precise facts about the age and origin of the figurines are known, but authorities believe they could date back several hundred years. Officials from the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism are scheduled to go to Xieng Khuang province on April 8-9 to inspect the statues, Phetsamone said. Ancient Buddha statues are often discovered in unexpected places in Laos, with some found in caves, others in forests, and some buried in the ground. Last month, more than 200 Buddha statues of various sizes were unearthed on the banks of the Mekong River in Tonpheung district, Bokeo province, and the search for other items is still continuing in the area. Experts believe they are remnants of temples and stupas that were once part of the ancient town of Souvanna Khomkham about 400 or 500 years ago. Laos thwarts numerous major drug cases Police in Tonpheung district, Laos' northern province of Bokeo have recently apprehended two suspects and seized 166 bags of crystal methamphetamine weighing 166kg, reported Lao media on March 26. Masao Kojima, regional head of MUFG Vietnam said, MUFG is honoured to assume the role of chair of the BWG. Together with its members, we will continue to contribute to the development of Vietnams financial services sector and a strong and sustainable local market by advocating for greater public and private engagement and an enhanced regulatory framework. With its strong commitment to supporting Vietnams sustainable development, MUFGs chairmanship of the BWG also puts it in a position to support the countrys environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and energy transition priorities. Committed to empowering a brighter future MUFGs commitment to sustainability is renowned, along with its expertise and track record in ESG financing and renewables. In light of the strong progress that the group has made to date along with the growing demand for funds, MUFG has raised its target value for sustainable finance executed (total for 2019-2030) from 35 trillion ($231 billion) to 100 trillion ($660 billion). MUFG aims to achieve net-zero emissions in all its operations by 2030, and in its finance portfolio by 2050. MUFG is also proud to play a major role in helping the global financial sector achieve sustainability as part of the Net Zero Banking Alliance. As one of the two banks that signed strategic MoUs with the Vietnamese government in the presence of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at last years COP28 in Dubai, MUFG was also invited to share their insights regarding topics from energy transition planning to financing clean technologies at the climate conference. MUFG has also unveiled a comprehensive suite of ESG financing solutions, across various ESG financing instruments such as green and sustainability-linked loans, green deposits, sustainable deposits, and green trade finance products. Through MUFGs role as a financier with strategic priorities towards ESG, MUFG encourages local companies to have more involvement in promoting Vietnams sustainable development. MUFG announced the closing of its first green trade finance facility in Vietnam and the first-ever green financing for the steel sector with Vietnam-Italy Steel JSC. This facility will gear towards more sustainable production practices, such as the development of low-emission electric arc furnaces as well as the procurement of steel scrap crucial for decarbonising steel production. This was followed by MUFGs first successful green trade facility and green trade loan to the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam. The funds from this innovative trade loan go towards refinancing the importation of steel scrap, recognised as a component in Vietnams burgeoning circular economy. The utilisation of scrap is crucial in curtailing steel industry emissions and diminishing resource consumption. According to research on energy, each tonne of scrap used for steel production prevents the release of 1.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions. MUFG has also piloted its Sustainable Deposit scheme in Vietnam with placements by numerous corporations. It allows its clients in Vietnam to place term deposits that would go towards funding eligible sustainability-linked and social loans within MUFGs asset portfolio in alignment with the banks Asia-Pacific Sustainable Deposit and Green Deposit frameworks. This differs from green deposits, which are generally dedicated to green loans or renewable projects and are also provided by MUFG. With such solutions, companies will be financially rewarded for achieving ambitious and predetermined Sustainability Performance Targets. Products such as Sustainability-Linked Loans, Sustainable Deposits, and Sustainability Linked Trade Financing are designed to assist in this. Our objective is to assist corporations new to ESG and sustainability in transitioning through a principles-based approach, while accelerating the growth of those more experienced. Ultimately, we want to support corporations of various sizes in enhancing their sustainability practices, Kojima said. MUFG has also closed its green loan for a real estate project in Ho Chi Minh City and looks forward to supporting more green urban development projects in the country. Ongoing public engagement to resolve Vietnams energy issues MUFG Vietnam has been actively involved in various public-private conversations to resolve some of the most pressing issues related to Vietnams energy supply. One that MUFG and other BWG members are keen on solving is the bankability of power purchase agreements, said Kojima. To achieve the countrys Power Development Plan VIII, investments in power generation and transmission systems are critical. To implement large-scale power projects, like offshore wind power, liquefied natural gas, thermal power production, and other renewable energy projects, further advancements are needed in the Investment Law, the Law on Public-Private Partnership, and the power purchase agreement (PPA) model. Vietnams current PPA is not bankable to major international financiers. Many discussions and proposals on PPA challenges have been held. Relevant risk allocation between the public and private sectors should be balanced to encourage large new investment into the power sector. MUFGs commitment to sustainability is renowned Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Sergey Ivanovich Kudryashov, General Director of Russias Zarubezhneft JSC (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on April 8 for Sergey Ivanovich Kudryashov, General Director of Russias Zarubezhneft JSC, who is on a working visit to Vietnam to seek cooperation opportunities in oil and gas and energy. Kudryashov told the host that the over-40-year cooperation between Zarubezhneft and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) through the Vietsovpetro and Rusvietpetro joint ventures has achieved successes in geological exploration, and oil and gas exploitation, thus creating jobs and contributing to each country's budget. He asked the Vietnamese Government leader direct the settlement of difficulties and obstacles in collaboration projects. The Russian side wants to continue promoting cooperation with Vietnam in all fields, especially economics, trade, and investment, including oil and gas, he stated, adding that Zarubezhneft hopes to expand collaboration with Vietnam to other fields, including offshore wind power development in the Southeast Asian nation. Expressing his support for speeding up the settlement of difficulties and problems in cooperation projects, Chinh said that Vietnam always backs and creates conditions to promote oil and gas collaboration between the two countries, based on the principle of "harmonious benefits, shared risks". He requested ministries and sectors to review the implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the two countries senior leaders, including in the oil and gas sector, and include it in the agenda of the upcoming Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee meeting. The leader showed his hope that the Russian side will handle existing problems in oil and gas cooperation, and create conditions for Pertrovietnam to expand its investment in Russia. He requested Zarubezhneft and Petrovietnam to establish a working group to speed up the settlement of problems, and research and propose appropriate collaboration contents. PM receives outgoing WB Country Director Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on March 28 hosted a reception for World Bank (WB) Country Director for Vietnam Carolyn Turk, who came to say goodbye at the end of her tenure. The price of rolled steel has decreased by a total of $20.83 per tonne since the start of the year. The construction sector overall is facing difficulties due to limited financial capabilities and a restricted market, leading to a high withdrawal rate of businesses in the first three months of 2024. Data from the General Statistics Office shows that in the first quarter, 3,208 new construction businesses were established; 2,918 construction businesses resumed operations, and an average of about 2,300 new businesses entered the market each month. However, according to state-run VNSteel, during the same period, 7,064 construction businesses suspended business temporarily; 369 businesses completed dissolution procedures, and an average of nearly 2,478 businesses withdrew from the market each month. At the AGM of Hoa Sen Group JSC (HSG) in March, chairman of the Board of Directors Le Phuoc Vu said, "Steel prices are likely to be lower this year than last, so the company has to reduce its profit forecast due to the adverse conditions." The price of Vietnam America Steel's CB240 rolled steel D10 and CB300 ribbed steel are at $0.59 per kg. Meanwhile, Hoa Phat sees CB240 rolled steel down to $0.58/kg and D10 CB300 ribbed steel down to $0.60/kg. This action reflects the changes in input material prices and the Vietnamese Steel Association believes that domestic factories are facing many difficulties due to high inventory prices, low selling prices, and increased financial costs. Phan Ho Chau Nam, deputy general director of Nhan Luat Investment and Steel Trading Holding Corporation, told VIR, "Nhan Luat is intensifying market development efforts, ensuring quick access to customers and expanding the company's sales." Although the construction market is facing many difficulties and construction steel prices are still trending downward, market sentiment has gradually improved as the downward trend has begun to slow in the recent adjustments. Additionally, the early implementation of the Land Law 2024 in July is expected to stimulate the real estate market. Vietnam's steel sector revitalised in 2024 In the early days of January, the domestic construction steel market underwent its first price adjustment as manufacturers collectively raised prices for rolled steel and various reinforced steel types by a common margin of $8.33 per tonne. The upward wave of steel stock prices Steel stock prices have skyrocketed in 2023 and are projected to continue their strong upward trend in 2024, driven by robust public investments and a flourishing real estate sector that was boosted by the approved Land Law amendment on January 18. The project is expected to cost more than $300 million, with the facility poised to become the largest and most cutting-edge Suntory PepsiCo plant in the Asia-Pacific region. Upon completion, the plant will have an annual capacity of 800 million litres, meeting the demand of consumers and solidifying Suntory PepsiCo's leading position in Vietnam's beverage market. Addressing the ceremony, Do Thanh Trung, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment said, "This project is among the largest foreign investments in Long An and is expected to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the Mekong Delta province," said Trung. Spanning approximately 20 hectares of land, the Long An plant will be powered by renewable energy, such as biomass and solar power, significantly reducing emissions at the plant. Products made there will use packaging made from 100 per cent polyetylen terephthalate, along with other initiatives to save resources in its production. This signifies Suntory PepsiCos move towards realising the sustainability commitments of the government of Vietnam and its pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. "The establishment of this sixth plant, touted as the largest and most advanced facility within the region, is poised to strengthen Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam's leadership in the market. It will augment production capacity to meet consumer demand, spur the launch of more product innovations, and foster the expansion of the local supply chain, further reinforcing the company's foothold in the country," said Takayuki Sanno, CEO of Suntory Beverage and Food Asia Pacific, Vietnam Jahanzeb Khan, CEO and general director of Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam, said, "This plant will be the largest investment in Vietnam in our companys history, setting new benchmarks for productivity and sustainability and paving the way for its long-term growth." With its three decades of operation in Vietnam, from its first manufacturing facility in the Hoc Mon district of Ho Chi Minh City, Suntory PepsiCo remains committed to further investment in Vietnam by expanding it footprint nationwide with five plants in Can Tho, Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Nam, and Bac Ninh, complemented by six offices dispersed across the country. Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam and the Ministry of Education and Training also presented clean water constructions to primary schools in Long An at the event, helping to improve access to clean water and improve the quality of facilities. The company planted 6,000 trees in Duc Hoa district, Long An last year. Suntory makes sustainability commitments with Mizuiku project On December 2 in Hanoi, Suntory Group and Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Beverage (Suntory PepsiCo) held a ceremony to summarise the eight-year journey of the Mizuiku - I love clean water programme in Vietnam. Shigeaki Kazama, executive officer and division deputy COO at Sustainability Management Division under Suntory Group, talked with VIRs Thanh Dat about the steps the company is going to take toward its sustainable commitment. Suntory Group and MoET take action to preserve water resources Suntory Group, Suntory PepsiCo and the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), together with the Central Council of Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organisation, hosted a ceremony for a clean-water initiative in Hanoi on March 20. TOKYO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Japan logged a current account surplus of 2.64 trillion yen (about 17.4 billion U.S. dollars) in February, said a government report on Monday. The figure, in the black for the 13th consecutive month, grew 20.2 percent from a year ago, preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance showed. According to the ministry, the country saw a goods trade deficit of 280.9 billion yen and a services trade deficit of 55.6 billion yen in the recording period. During the reporting period, the country's imports grew 1.4 percent to 8.38 trillion yen driven by growth in apparel and petroleum products, while exports expanded by 5.5 percent to 8.10 trillion yen due to increases in exports of automobiles, auto parts, and plastics. Due to a growing number of foreign visitors to Japan, the travel surplus in February more than doubled from a year earlier to 417.1 billion yen. The report also said that the primary income, which reflects returns on overseas investments, booked a surplus of 3.31 trillion yen, down 4.2 percent from a year ago. (1 Japanese yen equals 0.0066 U.S. dollars) Vietnam is the second biggest coffee supplier of the EU in terms of volume and third largest supplier in terms of value in 2023. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi With 652,000 tonnes of coffee exported to the EU worth 1.66 billion USD in 2023, Vietnam was the second biggest coffee supplier of the EU in terms of volume and third largest supplier in terms of value. Even though the EU's coffee import in 2023 dropped by 9 per cent in volume and 10.2 per cent in value from 2022, Vietnamese coffee exports to this market decreased only slightly, by 1.4 per cent in volume and 0.02 per cent in value. Therefore, Vietnam's share in the EUs total coffee imports increased from 14.85 per cent in 2022 to 16.08 per cent in 2023. Currently, Vietnamese coffee prices have exceeded 100,000 VND (around 4 USD at current exchange) per kg - the highest price ever. Nguyen Nam Hai, Chairman of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association, said that Vietnam is the largest Robusta coffee-producing country in the world. Roasters around the world still have high demand and are looking for suppliers from Vietnam. In particular, Europe still has a high demand for coffee while Vietnam is almost the only one supplier, at least from now until the end of April 2024. From January to the end of April, if EU importers want to buy Robusta coffee, they can only rely on Vietnam because other coffee growing regions in the world have not entered harvest season," a representative from a coffee business told online newspaper Vietnamnet. Now, local enterprises are considering carefully the time to sign supply contracts because of limited supply and high prices. According to export businesses, Vietnamese Robusta coffee has a relatively solid and irreplaceable position in the world market. Despite the supply shortage, Vietnamese coffee is still sought after by foreign roasters. This provides the basis and room for coffee export prices to continue to increase. Trade associations and businesses predicted that because supply has decreased significantly, both farmers and businesses will run out of coffee stocks by the end of April. The phenomenon has never happened in the past 30 years in the Vietnamese coffee industry. According to the European Coffee Federation, the EU has the highest per capita coffee consumption in the world. Its coffee market is expected to reach 47.88 billion USD in 2024 and 58.14 billion USD in 2029, an average growth of 3.96 per cent in the 2024-2029 period. Guidelines requested for coffee export chain The Vietnamese coffee industry is confronting multiple challenges as foreign trade policies are no longer constrained by borders, aligning more closely with sustainable development regulations. IIX facilitates $500,000 funding for Detech Coffee Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), a trailblazer in the global impact investing movement, announced the successful mobilisation of $500,000 for Detech Coffee on January 15, thanks to its partnership with Incofin, a major global impact investment firm headquartered in Belgium. Business solutions from Kaspersky blocked a total of 42,700,000 local infections last year. Overall, businesses in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand experienced the most number of local threats in 2023. Vietnamese businesses saw the highest number of these threats in Southeast Asia (17.1 million), followed by Indonesia on 16.1 million incidences and Thailand with 4.7 million. Even though global threats were on the rise over the past year (individual and business segments combined), all countries in Southeast Asia registered an insignificant decline in the number of local threats detected and blocked on corporate devices with Kaspersky business solutions, except Singapore. Singapore logged a 67 per cent on-year increase, from 300,000 local incidents in 2022 to 500,000 last year. Local threats in Southeast Asia in 2023 Statistics on local infections of user computers are an important indicator of the overall cyber threat landscape. They include objects that penetrated the target computer through infecting files or removable media or initially made their way onto the computer in non-open form (for example, programmes in complex installers, encrypted files, among others). These statistics are produced by Kaspersky security solutions scans of files on the hard drive at the moment they were created or accessed, as well as the results of scanning removable storage media. Southeast Asia shows a solid potential to become a major manufacturing hub globally. The region is also consistent in charting steady digital economic growth through the years. To be able to continue these feats, organisations, whether operating on IT or Operational Technology systems, should build their cyberdefences against sophisticated attacks that use the same old techniques and tactics, said Adrian Hia, managing director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky. Protection against local attacks not only requires a security solution capable of treating infected objects but also a firewall, anti-rootkit functionality and control over removable devices. By scanning systems with robust security solutions, organisations can prevent the spread of malware through files or removable media. VNDirect cyberattack causes big splash on stock market The online securities trading system at VNDirect Securities Company (VNDirect) is likely to have suffered from a data encryption hack for extortion. SSC issues security warning following VNDirect system breach The State Securities Commission (SSC) on late March 25 issued a security warning regarding the online securities trading system of VNDirect Securities Company (VNDirect). Vietnam's exports to China amounted to over $61 billion, an increase of $3.5 billion and up 6.4 per cent compared to 2022. Among these, there were 12 export commodity groups with a turnover of over $1 billion each. Vietnam currently exports durian to more than 20 markets, but its durian exports to China account for 99 per cent of total export turnover. (Photo: VNA) The growth in exports to China stands out amidst the decline in exports to most major markets. In the first quarter of this year, Vietnam-China bilateral trade continued its growth trajectory, reaching over $42 billion. Vietnam exported almost $12.7 billion to China, up a little over 5 per cent on-year, compared to an approximately 10 per cent decrease in the same period of 2023. Imports from China reached $29.4 billion, up more than 24 per cent on-year. According to Chinese customs data, two-way trade reached almost $230 billion last year, with Vietnam's exports to China increasing by 4.8 per cent. China is also the second-largest export market for Vietnam, while Vietnam is China's largest trading partner in ASEAN and the fifth largest globally, after the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Russia. Vietnam's agricultural products, particularly fruits and vegetables, are highly regarded and China has been increasing its agricultural imports from Vietnam. Chinese leaders are considering importing many more types of agricultural and aquatic products from Vietnam, including fresh coconut, frozen fruits and vegetables, pitted fruits, avocado, banana, and lychee. Other items such as traditional medicinal herbs, beef, pork, and poultry are also being facilitated for import. Last year, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to China increased by almost 140 per cent, accounting for 65 per cent of Vietnam's total fruit and vegetable export turnover. Among these, durian exports reached nearly 500,000 tonnes, with a total value of $2.1 billion. It is forecasted that Vietnam's exports, especially of fruits and vegetables to China, will continue to show growth for the rest of 2024. China Duty Free and IPPG to open duty-free shops in Vietnam China Duty Free, owned by state-owned travel company China Tourism, has signed a deal with Vietnamese conglomerate Imex Pan Pacific Group (IPPG) to open three duty-free shops in Vietnam to draw in Chinese tourists. Delegates will spend two-and-a-half days each in Hanoi in Ho Chi Minh City. Trade mission activities include bilateral meetings with Vietnamese leaders, visits to various manufacturing facilities and innovation centres, meetings with cultural and higher education leaders, as well as business networking and product promotion events. Much of the itinerary is focused on strengthening trade and collaboration opportunities in advanced technology sectors such as agriculture, clean energy, and AI. Washingtons study and trade mission follows President Bidens visit in September 2023 to elevate the United States' relationship with Vietnam to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Vietnam is among the fastest-growing economies in Asia, with several advanced manufacturing sectors setting up shop in the country. Washington companies with a presence in Vietnam include Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, Brooks and SSA Marine. In 2023, Vietnam was Washington states fifth-largest export market when including agriculture such as apples, wheat, and dairy. The US and nine international partners launched the Just Energy Transition Partnership with Vietnam in 2022 to provide investment and technical expertise to help Vietnam transition its energy sector and reach net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. More than 90,000 Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American people live in Washington today. In the late 1970s, Washington famously became the only state that stood up to welcome hundreds of refugees from Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The commerce delegation is focused on strengthening collaboration between Washington and Vietnam on advanced technology, renewable energy and clean technology, forestry, maritime, and a strong STEM workforce. The agriculture delegation is focused on expanding business connections, promoting Washington food agricultural products, and learning more about opportunities in the Vietnamese market. Delegates represent products including wheat and wheat flour, apples, wine, cherries, and hay. US discount store to buy from Vietnam Big Lots (NYSE: BIG), the American discount retail chain, announced on April 1 that it has opened international buying offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai to enhance the company's competitiveness in sourcing products. 50 leading US businesses to visit Vietnam A high-level business delegation, including 50 top US businesses, will visit Vietnam from March 1821 to explore investment opportunities. Dang Hoang Giang Vice director Centre for Community Support and Development Studies PAPI data serves as a dashboard that shows a provinces performance in a holistic manner and highlights gaps from the expected maximum scores. Significant rooms for improvements in all dimensions, even in e-governance that saw remarkable improvements because a large gap remains. The rich information in PAPI indicators allows provinces to prioritise areas of focus and assign responsibilities to relevant local government agencies to increase citizen satisfaction. My implication is that information about land use plans and land pricing frames should be disseminated online and offline. Bribe-taking for handling land use rights certificates must be reduced or eliminated. State employment should be better controlled to improve service quality. Public investment in public hospitals at the district level must increase access to basic but quality public healthcare services. Local government portals and provincial e-service portals need to be more accessible and user-friendly for increased use and for return of public investment. Seck Yee Chung Vice chairman Singapore Chamber of Commerce Vietnam Accelerating e-government is essential to simplify administrative procedures and enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam. Governments are responsible for providing essential services to residents, but may have limited budgets. They need to find ways to eliminate waste and become more efficient. Technology, especially cloud computing, can be a powerful tool for governments. It can automate processes, save costs, and allow for more innovative services. Cloud computing also makes it easier for different government agencies to work together and share information. On this basis, we encourage modernising procedures for investors by expanding online portals and e-submissions, allowing more government applications and procedures to be completed online, making the process faster and more convenient. There should be adoption of e-signatures, recognising electronic signatures as valid for official documents. Promoting the use of email for official communication between businesses and government authorities must be carried out too, as well as reducing reliance on paper. While some procedures, like company registration, are already available online, many processes involving foreign investment still require in-person meetings and physical submissions. By offering online options for these procedures, Vietnam can attract more foreign capital and partners. By implementing these proposed changes, Vietnam can create a more attractive and enabling legal framework that fosters foreign investment and creates a win-win situation for both foreign investors and the Vietnamese economy. Deirdre Ni Fhalluin Ambassador of Ireland to Vietnam It is clear from the survey findings that poverty and hunger remain key issues of concern for citizens, while people are still anxious about the national economic situation and about their own household economic situation. Now more than ever, it is important that all members of society especially ethnic minorities and rural communities benefit from Vietnams rapid socioeconomic development, to ensure no-one is left behind. It is also imperative that these communities are included and can see themselves reflected in their representatives. Ireland welcomes PAPIs focus on women, people with disabilities, and the LGBTI+ community, and is delighted to commit funding for interventions that aim to increase the participation of these groups. Last year, for example, we were delighted to support a workshop focusing on legal frameworks for the rights of transgender people. All communities should be empowered to participate in decision-making, and this requires transparency. Transparency is key to effective governance, allowing citizens to engage with important public policy issues. PAPI initiatives have sought to improve access to public administrative services, particularly for people in remote and ethnic minority areas, areas in which Ireland has long been working. Such initiatives have also worked to improve access to land information. There has been real progress here, and there is clearly more work to be done. Ramla Khalidi Resident representative in Vietnam, United Nations Development Programme Launched in 2009, PAPI has evolved into a trusted, citizen-centric tool to support effective, inclusive, and accountable local governance in Vietnam. In so doing, it has sought to contribute to inclusive development in Vietnam. It has provided a wealth of data on citizen needs and priorities to inform the design and implementation of national policies and laws aimed at better serving the people. And it has been used by the central government to track Vietnams progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The results from last year paint quite a mixed picture. While citizens saw progress in some forms of corruption in local administration and we should celebrate this other types of corrupt practices are seen to persist. The issues of greatest concern to respondents in 2023 include poverty, hunger, jobs, and also economic growth. These same population groups are the most anxious about environmental governance and the impact of climate change on their livelihoods. These concerns suggest that, while the country continues to achieve impressive economic growth, many Vietnamese are worried about their socioeconomic wellbeing. Understanding which population groups, regions, and communities are not fully benefiting from Vietnams fast-paced development is critical. Rizwan Khan Managing partner Acclime Vietnam Vietnam has made notable strides in enhancing its PAPI, which reflects positively on its business environment. The improvements, particularly in e-governance, environmental governance, and public service delivery, have contributed to a more transparent and efficient administrative framework. These advancements are crucial for both local and foreign investors, as they signal a commitment to accountability and ease of doing business. The governments efforts to digitise administrative procedures and increase transparency align with investors needs for a predictable and stable investment climate. The countrys strategic location, competitive labour costs, and stable GDP growth further bolster its attractiveness. To further entice foreign investment, Vietnam could focus on enhancing its legal framework to ensure consistency and clarity in regulations. Strengthening intellectual property rights, streamlining investment procedures, and offering targeted incentives in high-tech and sustainable sectors could also be beneficial. Additionally, fostering a skilled workforce through education and training initiatives would address investors needs for a capable and innovative labour force. Continued emphasis on PAPIs key dimensions, such as public administrative procedures, will be vital. By maintaining the momentum of reforms and addressing investors concerns, Vietnam can solidify its position as an appealing destination for investing. Edmund J.Malesky Professor of Political Science Duke University I have a somewhat optimistic view of e-governance progress based compared with previous years. The number of citizens with internet access and owning smartphones is rising. The number of national and provincial e-service portal users between 2022-2023 are significantly increasing. Applicants for public administrative services online report slightly higher levels of satisfaction with services. I have concerns about limited progress made in engagement of citizens in policymaking and responsiveness to feedback. Half of online service users could not pay for the service via portals or at a one-stop shop. Users concerns about personal privacy are prevalent. There are digital divides in access to the internet, smartphones, and especially personal computers between different population groups and geographic locations. My policy recommendations are that public e-service providers should design and adopt a single-device approach to the online public service portal, so that users can access them from anywhere with their smartphones. Central and local governments need to work towards narrowing the gaps in access to e-government and e-services within gender, age, ethnicity, living area, and residential status. Traditional one-stop shops could also receive further investment to provide offline and online services for those who do not have smartphones or access to electricity and the internet yet. Ken Atkinson Founder and senior board adviser Grant Thornton Vietnam In terms of key findings, the report highlights a significant decline in transparency in local decision-making in 2023. However, it also notes an improvement in the control of corruption in the public sector. It identifies the top 10 issues of greatest concern for citizens in 2023 and examines trends over time. The report also explores the drivers of internal migration and the effects of climate change-related disasters on migration motivations. The report concludes with policy implications based on the findings and identifies gaps that need to be addressed towards 2026. It provides a comprehensive analysis of provincial performance and offers recommendations for improving governance and public administration in Vietnam. Ten of the most concerning issues were identified based on the PAPI research and the perspectives of the surveyed population. For example, the impact of climate changed-related disasters on migration dynamics can be significant. Internal migration in Vietnam is driven by various factors, including economic opportunities, infrastructure, and education. However, climate change-related disasters can have impacts on this by causing economic decline, loss of livelihoods, and degradation of the living environment. The report also highlights some concerns in the areas of transparency and corruption, which the government is aware of, but perhaps addressing these further could be expedited. Misha Manoj General manager TBC-Ball Beverage Can Vietnam Ltd As a private entity, we sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Vietnamese government for its dedication to fostering citizen engagement through platforms like PAPI. These efforts have significantly shaped policy decisions and elevated public service delivery standards. We are pleased to see the proactive stance taken by the government in creating an environment conducive to feedback and collaboration. The insights gathered from initiatives like PAPI have been invaluable in understanding the needs of the populace. While challenges persist, we remain optimistic. With the government's commitment and collaborative efforts, we are confident that together, we can overcome these obstacles and continue driving progress in governance and public administration. Anderson Tan Director Xprienz Vietnam Co. Ltd. Since 2007, PAPI has played a pivotal role in improving the local business environment. This positive transformation is evident in Vietnams growing appeal to foreign investors. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has surged significantly, reflecting heightened confidence in the Vietnamese market. However, to sustain this momentum and attract further investments, Vietnam must address challenges related to foreign fund management. The lack of clear regulations surrounding legitimate fund movements can create uncertainty, potentially deterring potential investors. By streamlining these regulations and providing robust assurances, transparency can be enhanced, fostering trust among foreign stakeholders. To actively encourage FDI inflow, Vietnam should consider several strategic measures, such as streamlining administrative processes for business establishment and operation to save investors valuable time and reduce resource overheads. Next is enhancing transparency, as providing accessible and concise information on regulations and policies will instil confidence in long-term investment prospects. Clarity regarding legal frameworks and compliance requirements is crucial. Then comes skilled workforce development. Investing in education and training programmes, particularly in the rapidly evolving financial sectors, will cultivate a talent pool that aligns with the needs of foreign businesses. A skilled workforce is essential for sustainable economic growth. By diligently addressing these areas and leveraging the positive momentum generated by PAPI, Vietnam can solidify its position as a premier destination for foreign investment. The convergence of regulatory clarity, transparency, and a skilled workforce will undoubtedly contribute to the countrys economic prosperity and global competitiveness. Carlo Fabrizi Legal advisor D'Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel Vietnam has made significant strides in various sectors over the past few years, showcasing remarkable progress and development. Especially, from the perspective of foreign-backed businesses, significant improvements have been achieved in the digital transformation of administrative procedures. In fact, the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment is actively digitising administrative procedures, simplifying the document submission process for foreign-led enterprises. In comparison to previous years, when administrative matters were only handled in-person, today companies in Hanoi can submit and verify certain documents through the department's online portal. Thereby, time and effort required for administrative procedures is significantly reduced. Furthermore, thanks to timely government policies in various localities, infrastructure is undergoing rapid improvement, with upgrades in transportation routes, inter-regional highways, and other transportation infrastructures, including the highway system that connects Hanoi with eight northern provinces. This has provided significant support to local foreign-funded businesses, helping to reduce both time and costs, especially within the logistics sector. However, despite the array of tax incentives provided by Vietnam (for example, the corporate income tax exemption for 2-4 years granted to corporates established in industrial zones), it still requires comprehensive monitoring and evaluation by the government to ensure effectiveness. As a matter of fact, issues such as the overload of the hotline network dedicated to foreign investors or the long queues at the Immigration Department are still present, resulting in difficulties in reaching out to local government officials and relevant staff during operations. Therefore, the authorities should streamline the application workflow, with guidance from local and international experts, to ensure efficient implementation of the incentive policies and to better assist the newly established entities during those administrative processes that cannot yet be fully performed online. BANGKOK, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Grabbing a book on Chinese culture, 52-year-old Akkrapol Mungnirandr was eager to read the characters he knew at a Chinese book exhibition booth at the Bangkok International Book Fair 2024. "I'm interested in the Chinese language and have learned some Chinese words. I'd like to learn more about the country's splendid culture via reading," Akkrapol said. The Bangkok resident was among flocks of readers coming for more than 700 Chinese books at the book fair, which gathered six Chinese publishing houses aiming to open a window to understand China for international publishers and Thai readers. China Renmin University Press, one of the six Chinese publishing houses, highlighted its series on Chinese modernization research and books reflecting China's contemporary society, politics and economy, which quickly won the attention of many publishers and readers. The press also held copyright trade talks with more than 20 publishers from Thailand, Vietnam, India and other countries, paving the way for broader copyright cooperation in the future. Southeast Asian countries are inclined to learn from China's development experience amid the complex international and regional environment, said Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Research Center of the Belt and Road Initiative, who has cooperated with several Chinese publishers to translate many Chinese books. The Thai scholar added that he would like to see more Chinese books being translated and published in Thailand, thus providing Thai readers with references to a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese modernization. The 12-day book fair, which ended on Monday, marked the third participation of Charassri Jiraphasthe with the Chinese publishing delegation. "Chinese publishing delegation only had one booth in the first year of participation," recalled Charassri, a Thai professor with Beijing Foreign Studies University. "But there are three booths this year!" She owed this expansion to the Thai people's enthusiasm to learn Chinese. The Thai professor also brought her book introducing the changes in Chinese people's lives, which she had witnessed over the past 20 years. She would like to build a bridge for Thai people to better understand contemporary China. Higher Education Press, another Chinese publishing house, focused on promoting vocational education textbooks at the book fair, including those for the Luban Workshop and those featured "Chinese plus vocational skills." "We hope these textbooks can promote the cultivation of skilled talents in the Belt and Road Initiative partner countries and contribute to local social and economic development," said Long Jie, the press' deputy editor-in-chief. A man who walked into a local casino last year and shot his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend, has been sentenced to 41 years in prison. The Washoe County District Attorney's Office says Joshua Slater-King previously pleaded guilty to Attempted Murder with the Use of a Firearm, Assault with the Use of a Firearm, Burglary While in Possession of a Firearm, and Discharging a Firearm Within a Structure. He will be eligible for parole after 12 years. Authorities say Slater-King went into the bar at the Bonanza Casino, where his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend were sitting. He then pulled a gun out of his pocket and pistol-whipped the victim, which caused the gun to fire. They say Slater-King then tried to shoot the man; however, the gun was jammed. After clearing the round, he fired several more times, striking the victim in the leg once, according to the DA's office. ORIGINAL STORY: JULY 4, 2023 Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the Reno Police Department responded to a domestic dispute turned shooting. The suspect involved allegedly shot his ex-partner's current boyfriend then ran from the scene. He was caught shortly after, and has been identified as 36-year-old Joshua Slater-King. Slater was arrested for attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon. The person shot was treated for non-life threatening injuries. All Northern Nevada Port of Subs locations will be participating in a fundraiser to benefit The Nevada Humane Society on National Pet Day. On Thursday night, April 11th from 3pm 'til close, 20% of all purchases at each of their Northern Nevada locations will go towards the Nevada Humane Society, in celebration of National Pet Day! These contributions will go towards adoption fees for pets in their "Lonely Hearts Club", these are pets in the greatest need of being immediately adopted and finding their forever homes. The Lonely Hearts Club consists of shelter pets who have been at the shelter the longest, are recovering from medical issues or recent surgeries, are too stressed or sad in the shelter environment, and whom are just in the greatest need of your help, right now. If you want to visit the Nevada Humane Society's Website, you can click this link. Snipers in intensive training China Military Online) 11:40, April 08, 2024 Snipers assigned to the PLA 71st Group Army set sights on the targets in an intensive training exercise in late March, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Menghuai) Snipers assigned to the PLA 71st Group Army fire at the targets in an intensive training exercise in late March, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Menghuai) Snipers assigned to the PLA 71st Group Army fire at the targets in an intensive training exercise in late March, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Menghuai (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) ISLAMABAD, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The driver and assistant driver of a passenger train were injured in an accident in Pakistan's east Punjab province on Monday, Pakistan Railways said in a statement. The incident happened in Toba Tek Singh district, where a tractor-trolley collided with the train at a railway crossing in the wee hours of the day, the statement said. The accident disrupted railway traffic till the teams from the department reached the site and cleared the track, the statement added. Police sources from the district told Xinhua that the train was on its way to the northwestern city of Peshawar from the country's southern port city of Karachi. The cabin of the train engine derailed following the collision, due to which the drivers sustained injuries, said the sources. CAIRO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Progress has been made in discussions in Cairo on a Gaza conflict truce and there is agreement on the basic points between all parties involved, Al-Qahera News, an Egyptian state-owned TV channel, reported on Monday. Delegations from Israel, the United States, Hamas and Qatar will leave Cairo within hours, and consultations on the Gaza ceasefire will continue over the next two days, said the report. Hamas leaders, and delegations from Qatar, Egypt and the United States held talks on Sunday over a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage-for-prisoner swap deal between the movement and Israel. During previous rounds of indirect talks, Hamas demanded a complete cessation of the war, while Israel agreed only to a temporary ceasefire and rejected Hamas' request to allow displaced civilians to return home. India's leading independent, comprehensive marketing communications group, successfully executed the OOH campaign for The Roadster Life Co., a renowned fashion and lifestyle brand available on Myntra. The campaign Trends with Benefits featured brand ambassadors, ace stand-up comedian Zakir Khan and Bollywood diva Jacqueline Fernandez. Laqshya Media Group's creative approach transformed billboards into eye-catching displays. They created a show-stopping display in Lucknow, along with many other innovations in multiple cities. A massive 60Ft x 30Ft billboard featured a custom mega cutout of Jacqueline Fernandez. The impact was amplified by extending the design down the supporting pole using 500 Sq Ft of real denim, meticulously crafted by master tailors and fabricators. This innovative approach blurred the lines between traditional advertising and a three-dimensional fashion installation. In a coordinated effort, Laqshya Media Group deployed over 110+ strategically placed hoardings across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, further amplifying the campaigns reach and impact. These impactful OOH placements effectively communicated the brands Trends with Benefits positioning, highlighting its commitment to providing trendy yet comfortable and practical fashion for all. We are thrilled to have partnered with The Roadster Life Co. on this groundbreaking campaign. Our innovative OOH solutions effectively captured the brand's attention and drove significant sales growth, said Amarjeet Hudda, COO of Laqshya Media Limited. In a strategic maneuver aimed at bolstering its marketing and corporate strategy division, Nissan Motor Corporation has appointed Mohan Wilson as the Director of Marketing and Corporate Strategy, underscoring the company's commitment to innovation and growth. Wilson, who has been associated with Nissan Motor for nearly two years, previously served as the Director of Marketing, Product, and Customer Experience at Nissan India. His extensive experience and commendable contributions have earned him this prestigious role within the company. Wilsons career spans across various facets of the automotive industry. Having delved into diverse domains including media planning, automotive, electric vehicles (EV), product launch, strategy, e-commerce, advertising, product marketing, product management, and marketing communications, Wilson emerges as a multifaceted leader poised to drive Nissan's marketing endeavors to new heights. His journey commenced at Gothaer AG, where he laid the groundwork for his future successes, subsequently traversing through notable organizations such as AXA, Audi India, Audi AG, and INFINITI Motor Company. At INFINITI, Wilson served as the Head of Global Marketing Planning, spearheading the global marketing planning function and reporting directly to the Global Head of M&S Division. He orchestrated global marketing investments, conceptualized data-driven marketing strategies, and forged pivotal partnerships with Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance partners, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter. Saurabh Vatsa, reporting to Frank Torres, President of Nissan India Operations and Region Divisional Vice President of Business Transformation (AMIEO), expressed confidence in Wilson's leadership, stating, "As we transition into a new phase of the transformation plan for India, we are assured of having an experienced and insightful leader in Saurabh Vatsa. He will build on the foundation laid by Rakesh and spearhead our next phase of growth. Wilson's appointment signals Nissan's strategic focus on leveraging data-driven insights and customer-centric approaches to propel its marketing and corporate strategy initiatives forward. With his proven track record and visionary leadership, Wilson is poised to steer Nissan Motor Corporation towards greater success in the dynamic automotive landscape. TECNO the global smartphone brand collaborates with Tech Burners Layers, a D2C mobile skin brand to bring a range of futuristic designed mobile skins exclusively tailored for the newly launched POVA 6 Pro 5G. TECNO has always been at the forefront of innovation and style, continuously seeking collaborations to resonate with the desires and preferences of Gen Z users. From its participation in Playground Season 3 to the integration of Dolby Atmos technology, the POVA 6 Pro 5G has consistently captured attention, catering to the evolving needs of its audience. By teaming up with Layers, TECNO reaffirms its dedication to delivering futuristic, trend setting, and distinctive skins for POVA 6 Pro 5G users nationwide. This partnership underscores TECNO's ongoing dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology while allowing users to express their individuality through their devices. Tailored to complement the sleek design of the POVA 6 Pro 5G, Layers have thoughtfully curated an exclusive skin design for the smartphone. However, TECNO is known to spoil its consumers with choice, hence 60+ designs are also available for users to choose a design that reflects their personality the best. Whether opting for bold and vibrant patterns or sleek and minimalist designs, each selection is precisely designed to elevate the device's visual appeal, seamlessly merging with its futuristic Arc Interface design. Addressing the collboration, Arijeet Talapatra, CEO of TECNO Mobile India, spokesperson said, We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Layers for the POVA 6 Pro 5G. This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering to our young consumers who always appreciate trend-setting design elements and quirky ways to express their individuality. We remain absolutely excited for users to experience the young energy and reflect their unique personalities while embracing cutting-edge technology. Layers, co-founded by YouTuber Shlok Srivastava aka Techburner, and entrepreneur Neel Gogia, stands at the forefront of mobile accessory design, offering unique, high-quality skins that blend technology with personal expression. Addressing this collaboration, Neel Gogia, Co-founder, Layers said, We're thrilled about this design-forward collaboration with TECNO for POVA 6 Pro 5G, combining Layers' aesthetics with POVAs tech prowess for their fans. This is just the beginning of great partnerships we envision! TECNO POVA 6 Pro launched on 29th March has successfully captivated the market with its groundbreaking features, including India's first 6000mAh battery with 70W charging capabilities and over 200 back LEDs. These LEDs not only enhance the device's design aesthetic but also offer 100+ animation combinations, adding a dynamic touch to its functionality. Whether you are a tech enthusiast or a style aficionado, with the diverse range of POVA 6 Pro 5Gs skins from Layers, you can take your smartphone experience to new levels of style and innovation. Head over to the official Layers website to check out the cool designs! Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 08.04.2024 - On 11 and 12 April 2024, President of the Confederation Viola Amherd and Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will take part in the third International Cooperation Forum (IC Forum) in Basel. 'What is Peace?' will be the guiding theme for discussions between representatives from politics, academia, the private sector and civil society. The goal of the IC Forum is to identify new avenues for promoting peace. Each year, the IC Forum brings together key actors in international cooperation for a two-day conference. This platform provides a valuable opportunity for in-depth discussions on the core challenges of international cooperation, with a central focus on peace this year. Switzerland has a long tradition of peacebuilding and has woven the concept of 'building bridges' into the very fabric of its foreign policy. At the IC Forum, President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd will stress the importance of combining the various instruments available to Switzerland to promote peace. The forum serves as a platform to maximise this synergy. The forum facilitates discussion and debate a key priority for Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, who emphasises the international community's critical need to contemplate, establish and ensure peace. The guest of honour, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde will also participate in the forum. A bilateral meeting between Ms Amherd and Ms Zewde is also scheduled for 11 April, on the margins of the event. How can we achieve lasting peace? In the current context where we see a growing number of conflicts with significant repercussions for international cooperation, the IC Forum aims to identify new paths, approaches, and innovative ideas for development and peace. It seeks to foster comprehensive and inclusive reflection. The forum also raises the crucial question of trust: how can we establish the foundations to envision a path towards peace? In this context, it will consider two perspectives: those of the private sector and of young people. This year's forum will present awards to three Swiss companies for their innovative and significant contributions to the promotion of peace. A jury of experts evaluated the competing projects and selected three winners, who will be presented with the IC Award by Mr Cassis on April 11. The forum will also give a voice to the younger generation. A 'Youth Manifesto' for peace will be presented to the forum participants in Basel. This document reflects the thoughts of a group of young people from Switzerland's three main language communities on how to contribute to sustainable peace. Participants from over 100 countries The hybrid nature of the event, featuring thematic and geographic workshops that combine theory with practice, will enable all participants to actively contribute to the discussion. Approximately 1,700 individuals from over 100 countries have registered, with more than 900 expected to attend the event in person. The IC Forum is organised by the SDC and the Peace and Human Rights Division of the FDFA in collaboration with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. Programme: https://icforum.swiss/programme Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html General Secretariat DDPS https://www.vbs.admin.ch/ State Secretariat for Economic Affairs http://www.seco.admin.ch UK funding boosts international space projects Eleven projects that showcase the best of UK space expertise on the international stage have secured a funding boost from the UK Space Agency. Image courtesy UK Space Agency The UK Space Agencys International Bilateral Fund is focused on supporting the UK space sector to work directly with international partners on exciting and innovative projects. It is funding, amongst others, the University of Strathclyde to work with organisations including MIT and the Alan Turing Institute to use Artificial Intelligence to improve space operations, safety and sustainability. Advertisement Vertical Future is developing a robotic space farm facility to grow plants in space, and Rolls-Royce is working with US company BWXT on space nuclear power. From developing new technology for high-resolution photos of the Moon and Mars, to X-ray imaging that will help scientists study the Earths Aurora in unprecedented detail, the 11 projects showcase valuable missions and capabilities and highlight the breadth of expertise found across the UKs vibrant space sector which employs around 49,000 people. The 13 million funding boost was announced on the opening day of the 39th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs (Monday 8th April). Space Minister at DSIT, Andrew Griffith MP, said: "The UK is home to some of the brightest minds in space science, aerospace engineering and an entrepreneurial commercial space sector. Its no wonder the world wants to collaborate with Britain when it comes to space. "I am delighted that today we have been able to support new space collaborations with private organisations from countries like the US, Australia, Canada, India and Singapore." This is the second phase of investment awarded through the UK Space Agencys 20 million International Bilateral Fund, following the first phase in August 2023. Phase 1 funded 32 projects up to 75,000 each, all of whom entered into a highly competitive process for further funding from Phase 2. Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: "We want to draw on the best global talent to push the boundaries of new technology such as AI and space nuclear power, enhance our homegrown space capabilities and catalyse investment into the UK economy. "The projects supported by our International Bilateral Fund champion the best of British innovation, while strengthening our ties with the wider space community. Together we can break new ground, further our understanding of the Universe and use the vast power of space to protect and benefit lives on Earth." As further evidence of the success of the UK-Australia Space Bridge, the International Bilateral Fund has been bolstered by a co-funding commitment from the Australian Space Agency, worth AUS$3 million. Projects supported by Australia include Aquawatch-AUK, led by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), which is using disruptive space technologies to develop a world class integrated water quality monitoring and forecasting system for use across the UK, Australia and beyond. Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo said: "This funding builds on the collaboration fostered through the UK-Australia Space Bridge. By working with our international partners like the UK, we can continue to grow the Australian space sector while delivering outcomes that benefit communities in both of our nations. "From addressing food security and water scarcity to the health of our waterways, the projects being supported through this fund reiterate how space can help address the biggest global challenges we are facing as well as the power of working together to solve a common problem." Space Symposium runs from 8th-11th April in Colorado Springs and brings together over 10,000 people from the global space industry. The UKs growing space sector is represented at the event by organisations including the UK Space Agency, UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), various government departments, companies and universities. UKspace Director, Lizzie Kerr, said: "It is great news that so many of our members and partner organisations across the UK have been successful in this round of funding. Given space is inherently a global endeavour, the International Bilateral Fund investment will support and strengthen international collaborations between UK industry and research partners and their counterparts across the world. Advertisement "Following the original IBF announcement at the 38th Space Symposium, we are really encouraged by the positive progress made during the past 12 months. UKspace will be at the 39th Space Symposium and we are keen to explore how we can help foster new collaborative partnerships with trade associations around the world." Phase 2 Projects (with approx. Phase 2 grant allocation figures only) Rolls-Royce Submarines Limited (UK) and partners BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC (USA) - 1,200,000 Project to identify the optimum technologies for a fission nuclear system which balances flexibility to a range of space power missions and maximises performance whilst minimising programme and technical risk. University of Leicester (UK) and partners from the UK, USA and Japan - 800,000 Project to identify a range of mission opportunities for UK space nuclear power technologies. The collaboration also includes the development of hybrid power systems with existing US conversion technologies. Vertical Future Ltd (UK) and partners University of Cambridge (UK), University of Adelaide (Australia), University of Western Australia (Australia)(UWA), University of Southern Queensland (Australia), Axiom Space (USA), Saber Astronautics (USA/ Australia), South Australian Space Industry Centre (Australia) - 1,500,000 Development of a state-of-the-art, autonomous, controlled environmental agriculture facility for optimal plant growth in space to support both missions and experimentation. It will adapt learnings from current and future experiments on the International Space Station to ensure feasibility. XCAM Ltd (UK) and partners The Open University (UK), University College London (UK), Teledyne UK Ltd (UK) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (India) - 500,000 Development of a new X-ray imaging instrument, AXIS, targeted at studying the X-ray emission from Earths aurorae. The project arises from the European Space Agencys Theseus programme and represent the first demonstration of this new technology in a space mission. Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd (UK) and partners Assimila (UK), RAL Space (UK), Pixalytics (UK), Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (UK), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Australia), SmartSat CRC (Australia), Airbus in Asia Pacific (Australia) - 1,000,000 Developing a system of actionable information on inland and coastal water quality. It will bring together space and water experts to develop an innovative approach to assess and predict water quality and its impacts on ecosystems while providing a pathway to a strategic sharing of a satellite solution between the UK and Australia. In-Space Missions Ltd (UK) and partners Taiwan Space Agency (Taiwan), National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan), Philippine Space Agency (Philippines), The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Thailand), Office for Space Technology and Industry (Singapore), A*STAR Research Entities, Institute for Infocomm Research (Singapore), Oxford Space Systems (UK), National University of Singapore (Singapore), Addvalue (Singapore), Vietnam National Space Centre (Vietnam) - 1,500,000 The Faraday Dragon Rideshare Mission a multi-agency collaboration to accelerate space technology and business via payload development. It brings together emerging space-based organisations from Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam and the UK. Iota Technology Ltd (UK) and partners STFC RAL Space (UK), Oxford Space Systems Ltd (UK) and Twinleaf LLC (USA), - 1,500,000 High-accuracy nanosatellite magnetometry which will form the primary payload of the Io-1 CubeSat. It will raise the atomic magnetometer, fluxgate magnetometer and deployable booms technical readiness level and capture data in support of the World Magnetic Model. University of Strathclyde (UK) and partners University of Arizona (USA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), University of Waterloo (Canada), Columbiad Launch Services (Canada), GMV UK, LIFT ME OFF Ltd, The Alan Turing Institute (ATI), Nominal Systems (Australia) - 1,500,000 Escalating the technology readiness of AI technology applied to space safety and sustainability, from concept to adoption by the space sector. It will lay the foundations for an international virtual institute supporting the future development of AI technology for space sustainability. University of Southampton (UK) and partners University of Michigan (USA), Airbus Defence and Space UK), Pulsar Fusion UK and Starlight Engines (USA) - 1,000,000 Development of the capabilities of Hall thruster research and commercial development in the UK. The project will improve the UKs capabilities in an absolutely intrinsic field of spacecraft technology. The Open University (UK) and partners Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona (USA), Ball Aerospace and Technologies (USA), XCAM Ltd (UK) and Teledyne e2v (UK) - 1,300,000 The development of the next generation of ultra-high resolution imaging instruments, the Teledyne e2v CIS 125 detector. It will support US space agency Moon and Mars science and exploration objectives. University of Leicester (UK) and partners Geospatial Insight Ltd (UK), Bahrain National Space Science Agency (Bahrain), Industry and Energy Division, YBA Kanoo Group (Bahrain) - 1,400,000 Development of a new capability to enable monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions in the Gulf region from a small spacecraft. The project will evolve the state of the art in sensing for compact and targeted deployments. A 30-year-old man is charged with capital murder after the Tuscaloosa County Sheriffs Office said he shot and killed a 35-year-old man in front of his 10-year-old daughter. Early Sunday morning, around 1:45a.m., the Tuscaloosa Police Department responded to a shooting in the 4600 block of Virginia Drive in Tuscaloosa. A man identified as Jakeria Rashaad May -- who family members call Keith in Facebook posts today about his death -- was found with multiple gunshot wounds after an altercation at his home. Multiple family members that AL.com reached out to did not immediately respond. May was transported to DCH Regional Medical Center, but died from his injuries. The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit was called to launch an investigation into the shooting, said Capt. Jack Kennedy, who leads the unit for the sheriffs office. After investigators recovered evidence and talked to witnesses, investigators identified Terrelle Devonte Williams as the suspect and worked alongside the U.S. Marshalls Task Force to locate him, Kennedy said. Williams was charged with one count of capital murder and placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond. Day will turn to night on April 8, when a total solar eclipse will be seen from several parts of the U.S. In some areas of the country, the Earths sky will go completely dark for up to four minutes. Solar eclipses can be a fun and education experience for children (see some tips here!), but adults need to make sure anyone who looks at the sun wears proper eye protection. Several Alabama school districts say they are ordering glasses for students and are preparing group activities. Parents may need to sign a waiver in order for their children to view the eclipse outside. Some lucky Decatur City students are in St. Louis Monday and plan to livestream their experience of the eclipse to Facebook starting at 1:45 p.m. At least two Alabama school districts are sending students home. On Facebook, Washington County said it would dismiss at 11:30 a.m. Monday so students could watch the eclipse at home with their parents. After consulting legal advice from both local and state legal counsel, it was determined that due to the fact that children have to walk outside to go to a cafeteria or a bathroom during the pinnacle of the eclipse, it is in our best interest to get children home before the eclipse starts, the district posted to social media. Scottsboro City is sending students home early, too. Wondering how much of the eclipse you will see? Alabama will just get a partial view. NASAs tool lets you input your city or ZIP code to see how much of the eclipse you will see where you live. You can input your information and see the results here. Weather might also play a part. You can go here to see the latest eclipse day forecast. Missy Elliott is having a moment. She is heading out on her first ever headlining tour this summer and she is celebrating the milestone. The Out of This World Tour kicks off July 4 in British Columbia and will continue across North America before its final date Aug. 22. The tour will feature Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland. This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone firsts. Being the first female hip hop artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and now going out on my first headline tour, Elliott said in a statement to MSN. How to find tickets Get Ur Freak On, fans: The Out of This World Tour lands at Atlantas State Farm Arena July 27, 2024. Find tickets on StubHub and Vivid Seats. Elliott told MSN: Fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family! Comedian Bert Kreischer, known for his shirtless performances, is hosting the Fully Loaded Comedy Festival in summer 2024. The touring festival will be at the Amphitheater at the Wharf in Orange Beach, Ala., June 30. How to find tickets Fans in Alabama can get tickets to the Orange Beach show at StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster or Vivid Seats. Kreischer will also perform April 12, 2024, at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham but that is part of a separate tour. Find tickets to that show here. Those performing on the tour include Kreischer, Big Jay Oakerson, Dan Soder, Dave Attell, Whitney Cummings, Ralph Barbosa and Matt McCusker. CAIRO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The current round of the Palestine-Israel conflict has been going on for six months, yet no permanent ceasefire has been reached. While the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening, tensions are spilling over into neighboring areas like southern Lebanon, Syria and the Red Sea. Here are the latest developments of the conflict. HEART-WRENCHING CASUALTIES During the surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, some 1,200 people were killed, and more than 200 others were taken hostage. Israeli media the Times of Israel said on Saturday that 129 hostages remain in Gaza, and not all of them are alive. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 33,175, as a result of Israeli attacks, Gaza's health authorities announced on Sunday. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies as Israel's military attacks persist alongside a blockade on the enclave. According to figures released by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, nearly 1.9 million people, or more than 85 percent of Gaza's population, have been displaced. The Israeli blockade has obstructed humanitarian aid delivery, with the UN warning of famine and malnutrition in Gaza. The conflict also extends beyond the Gaza Strip, with tensions between Palestinians and Israeli troops in the West Bank escalating. Since Oct. 7, 2023, more than 450 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The conflict has also changed the Palestinian political landscape. In February, Mohammad Shtayyeh resigned as Palestinian prime minister, and Mohammad Mustafa's new government was sworn in late last month. GROWING INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE As casualties mount and the humanitarian crisis deepens in the Gaza Strip, Israel faces increasing global isolation. The UN has issued stern warnings about the worsening situation in Gaza, including famine and disease. In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, after South Africa filed an application to the ICJ for proceedings against Israel. In February, 26 member states of the European Union called for an "immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a sustainable ceasefire" in Gaza. Notably, pressure has intensified from the United States, a staunch supporter that has provided Israel with billions of dollars of military assistance since the outbreak of the conflict. On Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that U.S. support for Israel would hinge on Israel's efforts to protect civilians in Gaza. On Friday, Israel announced the reopening of key routes to allow humanitarian aid to enter the famine-stricken Gaza Strip. A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip took effect from Nov. 24 to Nov. 30, 2023. During the truce, Hamas released 105 individuals, while Israel freed 240 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. The UN Security Council on March 25 adopted Resolution 2728 demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the month of Ramadan, and calling for the release of all hostages. Ceasefire talks have been alternately held in Doha and Cairo, yet no breakthrough has been achieved. Hamas seeks a complete cessation of the fighting, while Israel only agrees to a temporary ceasefire and rejects Hamas' demand for displaced civilians to return home. On Saturday, Hamas announced sending a delegation to ongoing talks in Cairo, attended by officials from the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Israel. SPILLOVER EFFECTS The conflict between Israel and Hamas has generated many spillover effects. Confrontations between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israeli forces went on non-stop along the Lebanon-Israel border since October last year, resulting in casualties on both sides. To show solidarity with the Palestinians, the Houthis in Yemen have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November last year over their suspected links to Israel. Following joint U.S. and British airstrikes on Houthi targets in January, the Houthis have targeted vessels believed to be associated with these countries. Militants have targeted U.S. bases for their support for Israel during the conflict, as evidenced by a drone attack in January that killed three U.S. troops near Jordan's border with Syria. Israel has conducted attacks in Lebanon and Syria, targeting senior Hamas and Iranian leaders. On April 1, Israel launched a missile strike on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus, killing seven Iranians, including two veteran commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and a number of Syrian civilians. Following the attack, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed in a message that the country's "brave men" would inflict "a regret-inducing punishment" on Israel for its "criminal" attack. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also vowed that the "cowardly crime will not go unanswered." A sixth-grader killed last week in a traffic accident is being remembered by friends and family for his zest for life. Carson Bowling, 11, died last Wednesday when the ATV he was driving collided with a vehicle in Fort Payne. A GoFundMe page created to provide support for Bowlings family has raised nearly $30,000 as of Monday morning. Bowling, the youngest of five children, was a student at Cornerstone Christian Academy and a member of Rock Bridge Holiness Church. His father, Dean Bowling, the pastor of Rock Bridge, died in October 2022. The Bowling family has already endured the loss of their father, Dean, just over a year ago. Their strength and resilience in the face of such adversity are truly inspiring, a statement on the page reads. Fort Payne police received a call of a traffic accident around 4:08 p.m. Wednesday in the 3100 block of Wallace Avenue NE involving a vehicle and an ATV, according to Chief David Davis. The boy was taken to DeKalb Regional Medical Center, where he died of his injuries, Davis said. No charges are expected in the incident. Bowlings funeral was Sunday. During this time of deep sorrow, let us remember Carsons bright spirit, his infectious laughter, and the impact he made on each of us. We will forever cherish the memories we shared with him, the GoFundMe page reads. An 11-year-old girl has died and a firefighter was injured Saturday evening after a fire engulfed a home in Spalding County, officials said. Crews were called just before 5:30 p.m. to the residence on Sidney Drive near Griffin, according to Spalding County fire Chief Mike Byrd. Firefighters could see the blaze from more than a mile away, the chief said. When they arrived, they encountered heavy flames and smoke coming from both the first and second floors of the residence. After learning someone was trapped inside, crews quickly went upstairs and found the girls body. She had already succumbed to the conditions and they were unable to revive her on scene, Byrd told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The chief confirmed that other family members were at the home at the time of the fire, but he did not elaborate further. No foul play is suspected, Byrd added. The girls uncle told Fox 5 Atlanta that the girl, identified as Katelynn Simonds, died trying to save her dog. The dog also died. Katelynn, shes like us, an animal lover. She went upstairs and got that puppy. His name was Little man, the uncle, Charles Beecher, told the station. According to officials, a firefighter also sprained their ankle during the operation but they are expected to be OK. The home is located just north of Ga. 92 near Heads Creek Reservoir. A cause of the fire remains under investigation. In February, 23-year-old Madison Summerville died at the hospital after saving her three children from a fire at their home along Old Atlanta Road in Spalding County, about five miles east of Saturdays blaze. The children were flown to Grady Memorial Hospital and were expected to be OK. Our family is having a terrible time with this because it was so sudden and now its just a hole left in our hearts that she once filled with so much joy, Summervilles sister, Chasidy Summerville, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after her death. We do find some little comfort knowing she did all she could to save her babies, and then eight more (people were saved) by her organ donation. Byrd said some of the firefighters who responded to that home in February were at the scene of Saturdays fire. Its very hard on our firefighters and it actually is the same shift that ran that earlier call, Byrd said. We try to train and prepare for these type of events but we dont want to lose. They could see the fire well over a mile away so there was nothing we could do, but it doesnt help them. They still felt very helpless ... (and) are hurting today. Byrd said it was unclear if the smoke alarms in the house were working Saturday. Still, the chief advised people to make sure their devices are working properly because tragedy can happen anytime. AL.com contributed to this report. 2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Since the 2020 election, poll workers and secretaries of state have testified throughout the U.S. over how their lives have been threatened over disinformation and threats. State lawmakers are taking notice, even as the threats continue to spread fear through elections offices nationwide ahead of what is expected to be a tense 2024 general election. Thirteen states have enacted election worker protection laws since 2021, and another 11 states are weighing legislation this year to create felonies meant to protect election workers. Alabama is one of them. Under HB100, increased penalties would be applied to someone who commits a crime against an election official if that crime is motivated by the officials role in working at the polls. If a felony is committed against an election official, which is motivated by an individuals role as an election office, then they would be disqualified from voting. I feel strongly that anyone who harms or attempts to harm election workers the very individuals who facilitate the voting process should be stripped of their right to vote the same as individuals who are convicted of the 48 felonies listed in the Felony Voter Disqualification Act, said state Rep. Adline Clark, D-Mobile, the bills sponsor. That list in Alabama is called felonies involving moral turpitude, and include some of the most serious crimes of murder, rape, kidnapping, sexual abuse and torture, human trafficking, terrorism, child sex abuse, among other things. Clarke said the reason she is pitching the legislation is out of concern of safety and welfare of election officials. She and others are unaware of any election official in Alabama being harmed or threatened, adding that I hope that will never happen. Nationwide threats In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, two men stand armed with guns in front of the Governor's Mansion in Olympia, Wash., during a protest supporting President Donald Trump and against the counting of electoral votes in Washington, D.C., affirming President-elect Joe Biden's victory. After a 2020 election cycle dominated by conspiracy theories and false claims about voting, top election officials across the country are looking ahead to future elections and grappling with how they can counter a wave of misinformation that led to violent threats against them and ultimately a deadly riot at the Capitol. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)AP It has become a serious issue in states like Arizona and cities like Philadelphia where election officials are urging the Biden Administration to protect the poll workers. The U.S. Postal Service, FBI, and U.S. Department of Justice have reported that election workers have been harassed, threatened, and even mailed envelopes laced with fentanyl, said Clarke. Clearly, the intent was to do bodily harm to the election officials to whom the envelopes were mailed. Most of those issues seem to be more pronounced in the so-called swing states where former President Donald Trump and his supporters aimed their baseless claims about voter fraud during the 2020 election. Following the 2020 election, more than 60 lawsuits brought by Trump and his allies were all thrown out of court. The Department of Justice announced on Monday it was investigating dozens of threats to election officials and has charged 20 people so far. In Arizona, the recently appointed sheriff of Maricopa County the states largest county and home to Phoenix said that one of his top priorities is to investigate threats against election workers and ensure the 2024 elections are safe. Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is urging his states lawmakers to pass election worker security legislation. But according to his spokesperson, the Arizona State Legislature which is majority Republican has opted not to do so. This environment has contributed to a significant turnover among election officials, necessitating a shift in the Secretary of States office approach, said spokesperson J.P. Martin, adding that the office has increased training programs and initiated a fellowship program to pair college interns with county election staff. The efforts have generated national attention, with stories illustrating how Arizona officials are going on the offensive to deal with disinformation and threats. Its not just swing states and Democratic cities that are experiencing high turnover over the threats of fear and safety. In right-leaning South Carolina, the fear from the threats have led to mass resignations where close to three-quarters of local election directors have left their public office within the past four years. Polling shows that threats and harassments are a concern among election workers. One-quarter of those polled in an Election & Voting Information Center survey in 2022 said they had experienced abuse, harassment, threats as part of their jobs as election workers. An overwhelming majority of the threats are politically-based. Alabama concerns In North and South Alabama, election officials say they havent seen a similar problem and were unaware about HB100 until contacted by AL.com last week. However, recruitment of poll workers continues to be a problem. Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis said while he is unaware of any incident in which a poll worker was targeted by a person on election day, the county is experiencing greater difficulties in recruiting residents to work the polls. The reasoning for that, he said: Fear of potential violence at an election poll based on what someone has seen in the media on TV or the Internet in other areas of the country. Davis added, I dont have a particular concern about election poll violence occurring in a Mobile County election poll in November 2024. In Limestone County, despite exponential growth of the countys voter rolls since 2012, few incidences have occurred that would place election workers in harms way. We have had only very limited situations where our sheriffs deputies are dispatched for a call due to an incident at a polling location, said Limestone County Probate Judge Charles Woodroof, who has overseen the countys past 26 elections. The county has approximately 250 poll workers. Woodroof said the most recent incident he can recall involved a poll watcher not a government-paid worker who took issue with the directions of a poll inspector at a polling location. Clarkes bill initially applied protections to both poll workers and watchers. But during a committee hearing last week, the poll watchers were removed from the bill. She said she doesnt have any concerns about that as the bill heads over to the full House for consideration. Poll watchers are often volunteers who assist candidates at the polls, she said. Unlike public election officials such as probate judges and circuit clerks, their names are not publicized. Megan Bellamy, vice-president of law and policy with the Voting Rights Lab, an advocacy group working on the state level to reduce voter restrictions, said that election workers have preferred confidentiality legislation that protects their identities and other efforts that insulates them from these common forms of harassment. There have been 11 bills in six states introduced this year that would allow election workers to keep their addresses confidential. Six states since 2021 Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Washington have passed laws to keep personal information of election workers confidential. That approach of protecting election officials information is proactive instead of reactive, Bellamy said. It protects them before (a crime against them) even happens. Secretary of States views FILE - Alabama Secretary of State, Wes Allen speaks during the inauguration ceremony on the steps of the Alabama State Capital, Jan. 16, 2023, in Montgomery, Ala. A day after being sworn in last month, Allen sent a letter informing the Electronic Registration Information Center, a voluntary system known as ERIC, of the states exit after criticizing the program during his campaign. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)AP Clarks provision doesnt address election worker confidentiality. But she said she is hopeful that Alabama lawmakers will approve a measure that she believes will keep election workers safe. Republican Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, in a statement last week, expressed general support for the election workers. I am always supportive of the hard work that poll workers do and I am appreciative of the integral part they play in the election process, he said. Clarke, who has long backed efforts to support no-excuse absentee voting in Alabama and mail-in voting provisions, said she believes the election worker protections in HB100 adhere to the GOPs commitments this session to ensure our election system remains safe and secure. Some of those provisions have been controversial. On Thursday, a group of civil rights and voting rights groups filed a federal lawsuit to block the enforcement of the states new law that criminalizes certain kinds of voter assistance with filling out absentee ballot applications. That new law was SB1 and was approved with Republican support and without backing from Democratic lawmakers. Allen, who is a defendant in the federal lawsuit, declined to comment about it other than to say he remains dedicated to ensuring fair, secure, and transparent elections. SB1 provides Alabama voters with strong protection against activists who profit from the absentee elections process. I stand firm in my support of SB1 because now, under Alabama law, Alabama votes are not for sale. President Biden is set to announce his latest efforts toward erasing student loan debts for millions of Americans. Biden will unveil the plan in a speech in Madison, Wisconsin with other administration officials spreading out across the country, the New York Times reported. If implemented, the White House said the proposal would bring the total number of student loan debt canceled over the past three years to 30 million. Details of the plan are forthcoming, but a statement from the White House said it would fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million borrowers, canceling the full amount of student debt owed by more than 4 million borrowers and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in debt relief. Also, CNBC is reporting borrowers could receive up to $20,000 of forgiveness on unpaid interest on their federal student debt, regardless of their income. Certain low and middle-income borrowers could benefit even more. Single people who earn $120,000 or less, and married borrowers making $240,000 or less, could have the entire amount of interest erased. No application would be needed to receive the forgiveness, according to the White House. Others who could see relief will likely be: Borrowers who have balances bigger than original loan due to interest. People who qualified for student loan forgiveness under existing plans but have not applied. Borrowers who have been repaying loans for at least 20 years. Students who attended in low-financial-value programs Borrowers experiencing financial hardship. The new proposal has yet to be finalized, CNN is reporting, and more details will be forthcoming. Alabama law says every citizen has a right to inspect and get copies of public records, with some exceptions, but provides almost no guidance on how that right is enforced. The public records law places no time requirements for government agencies to respond to requests. That means agencies can effectively deny access by ignoring a request or delaying indefinitely. SB270 by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would add timelines to the law and says citizens can file lawsuits if the timelines are missed or if a request is denied. The bill is scheduled for committee consideration when lawmakers return to Montgomery on Tuesday. The Alabama Press Association supports the bill as an incremental step in putting more teeth into the public records law. The Senate passed a similar bill by Orr last year, but it did not come up for a vote in the House. We got very close last year, Alabama Press Association Executive Director Felicia Mason said. Even up until the last day of the session, we felt like we had a chance to get it out of the House. The Alabama Press Association is the state trade association for daily and weekly newspapers. Mason said the governors office objected to parts of last years bill. Mason said the association has worked with the governors office, as well as organizations representing cities and counties and others that would be affected by changes in the public records law. Mason said she hopes the negotiations have produced a bill that can pass. Anytime you introduce a bill, there will be people that you dont expect to come forward that have issues, Mason said. And so hopefully we can work all that out. A 2019 study by a researcher at the University of Arizona ranked Alabama last among states in responsiveness to requests for records. Ivey issued an executive order last year directing state executive branch agencies to be more responsive to public records requests and setting timelines. SB270 defines puts public records requests in two categories - standard requests and time-intensive requests. Standard requests are for one or more specifically and discretely identified public records that the public officer determines would take less than eight hours of staff time to process. SB270 requires public agencies to acknowledge receipt of standard requests within 10 business days. It requires a substantive response with 15 business days after that. A substantive response means providing the records, setting a time and place to provide the records, committing to provide the records after payment of a reasonable fee for costs, or denying the request with an explanation of why. The public agency could extend the response time in increments of 15 business days by notifying the requester in writing. SB270 says the requester could file a lawsuit if there is no substantive response within 30 business days, or no records produced within 30 business days of paying fees, or if the request is denied. Time-intensive requests are those that the public officer determines would take more than eight hours of staff time to process considering the time needed to identify and retrieve any responsive records and any time needed to redact or take other measures to withhold legally protected information. For time-intensive requests, public agencies would have to provide a substantive response within 45 business days, although they could extend that in increments of 45 business days by notifying the requester in writing. Requesters could file a lawsuit if there is no substantive response within 180 business days, no records provided within 180 business days of paying requested fees, or if the request is denied in whole or in part. Alabamas public records law was passed in 1923. According to an article by attorney J. Evans Bailey published by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the law remained unchanged until 1983, when the Legislature exempted from public access the registration and circulation records of libraries. In 2004, the Legislature added exemptions for records concerning security plans, critical infrastructure, energy infrastructure, and other records for which the public disclosure could reasonably be expected to be detrimental to public safety or welfare. SB270 says it is does not change or in any way affect any protections for sensitive or other nonpublic information provided under applicable law. Mason, who has been executive director of the Alabama Press Association for more than 30 years, said the association determined that seeking incremental improvements in the law was more practical than a comprehensive overhaul. Probably the most important thing for the public and certainly for our membership is a timeline, Mason said. So thats where we started and thats where we are. We feel real good about where we are. Certainly, all the interested parties have been great to work with us to get to this point. So well see. The Senate County and Municipal Government Committee is scheduled to take up Orrs bill at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Committee approval would put it in position for consideration by the full Senate. Tireless efforts by first responders and hospital staff saved the life of a 3-year-old Florida child who was pulled from a pool, unresponsive and without a pulse. According to the Okaloosa County (Fla.) Sheriffs Office, the child was discovered in the pool Saturday. An off-duty EMT began life-saving efforts until deputies and medical personnel arrived at the scene. Life-saving measures continued as the child was taken to the North Okaloosa Medical Center (NOMC) in Crestview. Once there, NOMC and Med Flight staff continued efforts to revive the child. After about an hour after the child was found unresponsive, medical personnel were finally successful in regaining a pulse and other signs of life, according to the sheriffs office. The child was stabilized and airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. Information on the childs condition was not immediately available Monday. Lt. Tony Kelly with the OCSO praised the unrelenting efforts by the medical personnel who saved the child. Outstanding work by every hand that touched the child after such a tragic accident, Kelly said. In all my years, I have never seen such a large group of medical professionals work so seamless and diligent for such a long period of time without ever losing hope or will. A University of Florida pre-med student drove to his mothers house and stabbed her to death, reportedly telling authorities he did it because she got on my nerves. Emmanuel Espinoza, 22, called 911 and confessed to killing his mother, Elvia Espinoza, 46, immediately after attacking her, Polk County Florida Sheriff Grady Judd said in a video update. Emmanuel Espinoza is being held in jail and will be charged with first-degree murder, Judd said. The suspect, who is a student at the universitys campus in Gainesville, Fla., was traveling to Frostproof on Friday for a family event. He called his mother and asked for permission to stay at her home, Judd said. Emmanuel Espinoza arrived at about 2 p.m. and knocked on the door, Judd said. When his mother opened the door, he immediately began stabbing her, Judd said. Elvia Espinoza, who was on the phone with a family member when the attack occurred, tried to run but her son stabbed her many, many times until she fell and died, Judd said. Judd said the suspect told investigators that he decided to kill his mother during the drive to her home. He said, You know, I had wanted to kill my mother for many, many years because she got on my nerves, Judd said. Judd said that when the suspect was asked to describe his relationship with his mother, he said about an eight out of 10, that he really loved her, but she irritated him. This is a horrible event, Judd said. Mom is a second-grade teacher at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary in Frostproof, Florida, and is well-loved by the community. Its a very sad day with an inexplicable, vicious murder. Gunfire at a Tuscaloosa gas station Sunday afternoon left three people wounded, and a suspect in custody. Tuscaloosa police were dispatched at 3:30 p.m. to the Texaco at 5400 East McFarland Boulevard. They arrived to find three males with gunshot wounds, said Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy. The victims are all in stable condition and expected to survive. Investigators interviewed witnesses, processed the scene for evidence and quickly identified a suspect. Patrol officers located him a short time later and took him into custody. Jayshawn Sharmaine Reed, 27, is charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of shooting into an occupied vehicle. The investigation is ongoing. Kennedy said multiple search warrants are being carried out to recover evidence. A motive has not been disclosed. Reed will be held without bond in the Tuscaloosa County Jail until further review by a judge. Former President Donald Trump today released a video message saying that abortion rights should be left up to individual states, rather than supporting a nationwide abortion ban. In the midst of his statement, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee also praised the Alabama Legislature for its work last month in rushing to pass a bill providing legal immunity for doctors and IVF clinics. This came following an Alabama Supreme Court decision that ruled frozen embryos had the same legal status as children. Here is complete coverage of the Alabama IVF ruling Most of the states fertility providers paused in vitro fertilization after the court decision. Infirmary Health in Mobile, which faced several lawsuits over the destruction of frozen embryos, said it will temporarily resume IVF treatment for the rest of 2024 and then end the treatment. In his statement, Trump said Republicans want to make it easier for mothers and families to have babies, not harder. That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every state in America. Today Im pleased that the Alabama Legislature has acted very quickly and passed legislation that preserves the availability of IVF in Alabama, the former president said on Truth Social. They really did a great and fast job. Trump went on to say that abortion, following the overturning of the Roe V. Wade decision last year by the U.S. Supreme Court, is where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint. He took credit for the Dobbs V. Jackson decision - presumably for naming three conservative high court justices during his term - saying he is proudly the person responsible. He went on to falsely claim that all legal scholars both sides, wanted and, in fact, demanded the 1973 Roe decision be ended. The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, he said. In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others, and thats what they will be. At the end of the day this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or in many cases your religion or your faith. Trump added that, like Ronald Reagan, he favors exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. Trumps former vice president, Mike Pence, blasted the statement on social media. President Trumps retreat on the Right to Life is a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020. By nominating and standing by the confirmation of conservative justices, the Trump-Pence Administration helped send Roe v. Wade to the Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) April 8, 2024 Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, a group opposed to abortion rights, said she was deeply disappointed in Trumps position, according to the Associated Press. Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry. The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act, she said. The threat for severe weather has increased for part of Alabama for Wednesday, according to forecasters. NOAAs Storm Prediction Center has added a Level 3 out of 5, or enhanced, risk for storms for parts of west and south Alabama for Wednesday. A larger part of the state now also has a Level 2 out of 5 risk. A Level 3 risk means that scattered to numerous severe storms will be likely. A Level 2 risk means that scattered severe storms will be possible. The strongest storms could produce a few tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds and heavy rain. Rain will be possible today (Monday) in Alabama, along with a few storms, but widespread severe weather is not expected. However, the Storm Prediction Center has a Level 1 out of 5 severe weather risk in place for parts of west Alabama today: Isolated severe storms will be possible today in the areas in dark green.SPC Storms are expected to be more widespread on Wednesday. Storms will be most likely from mid-morning Wednesday into Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service. Southwest Alabama could see the storms as soon as mid-morning, while they will be more likely in the rest of the state on Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night. The rain could add up, too. The weather service said some spots in Alabama could get 4 to 6 inches of rain through Friday morning. NOAAs Weather Prediction Center has added a Level 3 out of 4 risk for flash flooding for nearly all of the state for Wednesday into Thursday: Most of Alabama will have a moderate risk for flash flooding on Wednesday into Thursday.Weather Prediction Center The weather service explained a Level 3 flood risk as a 40 percent risk of rainfall exceeding flash flood guidance within 25 miles. Winds could be gusty on Wednesday, even away from storms, according to the weather service. Gusts in some areas could be as high as 35-40 mph. Heres a look at early forecasts from the National Weather Service for Wednesday: NORTH ALABAMA [5:55AM] Multiple rounds of rainfall this week will contribute to an increased risk of flooding- especially Wednesday into Thursday. Rises on rivers, creeks, and streams are likely. Avoid driving through flood waters and have multiple ways to get warnings. #HUNwx pic.twitter.com/fzfrtbIpOr NWS Huntsville (@NWSHuntsville) April 8, 2024 CENTRAL ALABAMA Much of central Alabama will have a Level 2 risk for severe weather on Wednesday.NWS SOUTH ALABAMA Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue in Beijing. While asking Vuong Dinh Hue to convey cordial greetings to Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, Xi also said that during his visit to Vietnam at the end of last year, he and Nguyen Phu Trong had jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance -- opening a new chapter in bilateral ties. Under the joint efforts by the two sides, the consensus reached by him and Nguyen Phu Trong is being implemented, Xi added. Xi said the most distinctive feature of China-Vietnam relations is that the two sides are a like-minded pair bound by a common destiny, and "comrades-plus-brothers" is the most vivid portrayal of the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Vietnamese parties and countries. He urged joint efforts by the two sides to promote more achievements in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, better serve their respective modernization, further benefit the two peoples and make greater contributions to the global socialist cause. China is willing to scale up the exchange of experience gained in governing both the Party and the country, facilitate the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, and increase exchanges between young people and sister cities, among others. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) When looking for a new animal best friend, Alabama residents are increasingly looking for large dogs with protective instincts, according to Pawsafe.com. A report found that in 2023, Alabama did the most amount of internet searches for Cane Corsos, French bulldogs, golden retrievers, miniature Pinschers and dachshunds. The Cane Corso, a large Italian breed with protective instincts and imposing appearance, generated the highest search volume in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, possibly reflecting a growing interest in guardian dogs. Cane Corsos, a type of mastiff, are descended from Roman hunting dogs and farm dogs, according to the American Kennel Society. The Cane Corso, French bulldog, pit bull, golden retriever, and Australian shepherd are among the most sought-after searched dog breeds in the country in 2023, according to Pawsafe. Of those breeds, golden retrievers remain the most popular nationally. Of course, adoption remains a popular option, too. Use Petfinder to find eligible dogs that are the right fit for your family. Charges have been filed in last weeks domestic killing of a 46-year-old Jefferson County mother and grandmother. Antonius Darrell Bonner, 43, is charged with murder in the Thursday shooting death of Lakechia Rena Bryant. Bryant was affectionately known as Keedy. Those who knew her said she was sweet and humble. Bonner remains hospitalized after he was shot multiple times by Adamsville police during an exchange of gunfire following a chase. Bryants body was discovered about 10:30 a.m. Thursday after family became concerned because they had not heard from her since Wednesday night. Family members went to check on her and broke into her Mulga home in search of her. Thats where they found her dead. She, too, had been shot multiple times. She was pronounced dead in her home at 11:18 a.m. Jefferson County sheriff's deputies investigate the shooting death of a 46-year-old woman at her Mulga home.(Carol Robinson) Bonner was currently in an abusive relationship with the suspect and informed multiple individuals she was afraid of Bonner, a detective wrote. Bonner was not on the scene when family and Jefferson County sheriffs deputies arrived. A lookout bulletin for him was issued to surrounding law enforcement agencies. Adamsville Police Chief Chris Robinson said his office was notified about 1 p.m. to assist in located the suspect who was believed to be in Adamsville. Officers spotted Bonners vehicle and tried to stop him, but he fled. After a short chase, officers deployed spike strips, which deflated the suspects tires. Police and firefighters at the scene where a suspect in a woman's death in Mulga was shot by police in Graysville on April 4, 2024.Carol Robinson He continued fleeing at low speeds and began firing at Adamsville officers. Charging documents state investigators believe Bonner was firing the suspected murder weapon' at officers. Adamsville police returned fire, striking Bonner several times. His condition has not yet been released. The suspect crashed his car at the corner of Cherry Avenue and Glasgow Hollow Road in Graysville, just off Interstate 22. Officers rendered aid until Adamsville fire medics arrived on the scene. RPS transported him to UAB Hospital in Birmingham. Sheriffs investigators obtained the murder warrant against Bonner from the Bessemer Cutoff Jefferson County District Attorneys Office. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is investigating Bonners shooting. . Millions of Americans will get the chance to see a total solar eclipse today as the moon passes in front of the sun. For others outside the path of totality, however, the view will be only of a partial eclipse. And even more may struggle to see the eclipse due to cloud cover and storm weather. No worries NASA has you covered. The space agency will have live coverage of the eclipse starting at noon CDT. NASAs coverage will include live views of the eclipse from across North America, special appearances by NASA experts, astronauts aboard the space station and an inside look at NASAs eclipse science experiments and watch parties across the country. NASAs broadcast will last three hours and feature live locations from across the nation, including the agencys only center in the path of totality, the Glenn Research Center in Ohio. Other live locations will be: Carbondale, Illinois Dallas Houlton, Maine Indianapolis Kerrville, Texas Niagara Falls, New York Russellville, Arkansas The NASA broadcast will stream on NASA+, air on NASA TV, and the agencys website. You can learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media and the agencys app. NASA also will host a watch party of the eclipse in Spanish starting at 1:30 p.m. on YouTube. NASA will provide a no-commentary, telescope-only feed of the eclipse on NASA Televisions media channel and YouTube, starting at noon. and running for three hours. The telescope feed will incorporate views from multiple locations, and will be switched based on weather, the eclipses progress, and feed availability. Locations may include: Carbondale,Illinois Cleveland Dallas Houlton, Maine Indianapolis Junction, Texas Kerrville, Texas Mazatlan, Mexico Niagara Falls, New York Russellville, Arkansas Torreon, Mexico Tupper Lake, New York Also, NASAs interactive Eclipse Explorer Map will allow users to track the total solar eclipse in real time on April 8 as it moves across North America. Use the tool ahead of time to search by zip code or city for eclipse timing, get real-time weather updates, percent of eclipse coverage, and even a corona prediction for locations in the path of totality. Walmart shoppers who purchased certain types of food items could be eligible to receive up to $500 as part of a $45 million settlement. The settlement covers anyone who bought weighted goods sold by the pound things like meat, seafood or bagged citrus between Oct. 19, 2018 to Jan. 19, 2024. . You can go here to see all the weighted meat included in the settlement; you can go here to see the citrus covered by the settlement. According to the class action lawsuit, Walmarts point-of-sale machines would artificially raise the weight of the weighted goods when marked at a discounted Rollback price, causing the total price to be more than the advertised discount. Also, goods that were nearing expiration and marked with a yellow sticker were sold at a higher price than the per-unit price indicated. Walmart denies the claims. We will continue providing our customers everyday low prices to help them save money on the products they want and need. We still deny the allegations, however, we believe a settlement is in the best interest of both parties, a spokesperson told Today. Once the settlement is approved by the court, shoppers are eligible for: $10 If you bought up to 50 weighted goods and/or bagged citrus but dont have proof of purchase $15 If you bought between 51-75 weighted goods and/or bagged citrus but dont have proof of purchase $20 - If you bought up to 76-100 weighted goods and/or bagged citrus but dont have proof of purchase $25 - If you bought 101 weighted goods and/or bagged citrus but dont have proof of purchase Up to $500 If you have proof of purchase for each weighted good and/or bagged citrus that was purchased during the settlement period and have the amount you paid for each item, you can receive 2% of the total cost, up to $500. Claimants may be able to obtain copies of their receipts on Walmarts website. The amount of the final payment will depend on how many people opt to participate in the settlement. The deadline to opt out of the settlement is May 22 with an approval hearing set for June 12. The deadline to submit claim forms is June 5. You can see more on filing a claim here. A Georgia woman on Monday opened fire at two vehicles on Interstate 10 in the Florida Panhandle, injuring two motorists after telling hotel workers she was directed by God to go on a shooting spree in relation to the solar eclipse. The Florida Highway Patrol responded to a report of an active shooter in Holmes County Monday, near Bonifay, Fla., about 50 miles north of Panama City. Troopers were told the suspect was a female -- later identified as 22-year-old Taylon Nichelle Celestine of Georgia -- driving a purple Dodge Charger with Georgia license plates. Celestine had just checked out of a hotel, telling workers there she was going on a shooting spree directed by God and related to the solar eclipse. The FHP determined Celestines vehicle entered I-10, traveling west, and within five miles of entering the interstate she reportedly opened fire at another vehicle. This photo provided by the Florida Highway Patrol shows several bullet holes in a vehicle which the FHP says were fired by a Georgia woman who said God directed her to go on a shooting spree.(Florida Highway Patrol) Several rounds struck the vehicle, with the driver injured by glass fragments from a window and grazed on his arm by a bullet. He was nevertheless able to steer his vehicle off the roadway and onto the shoulder of the road, while the suspect continued on I-10, according to the FHP. Still westbound, Celestine reportedly shot at another vehicle, this time striking the driver in the neck. That driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Troopers located Celestine about 10 miles from the scene of the second shooting and stopped the vehicle. Once Celestine was taken into custody, a search of her vehicle located an AR-15 rifle and a 9mm handgun. Celestine has been booked into the Holmes Coty Jail, held without bond pending an initial court appearance. She is charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and improper discharge of a firearm. The FHPs Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence is conducting the investigation. Gen. Charles Krulak, the former president of Birmingham-Southern College and retired Marine commandant, was among dozens of retired four-star generals and admirals and ex-cabinet officials who filed an amicus brief Monday before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging ex-President Donald Trumps claim of immunity against prosecution. The notion of such immunity, both as a general matter, and also specifically in the context of the potential negation of election results, threatens to jeopardize our nations security and international leadership, the brief stated. Particularly in times like the present, when anti-democratic, authoritarian regimes are on the rise worldwide, such a threat is intolerable and dangerous. If Trumps legal argument that he is immune from prosecution is not rejected by the Supreme Court, argued Krulak and the other signees, we risk jeopardizing Americas standing as a guardian of democracy in the world and further feeding the spread of authoritarianism, thereby threatening the national security of the United States and democracies around the world. The brief was filed by retired four-star generals and admirals and former cabinet secretaries who served under former presidents dating back to President John F. Kennedy. Krulak was the highest-ranking Marine from 1995 to 1999, when he served as commandant under President Bill Clinton. Krulak and the other retired military officials and cabinet officials are deeply interested in this case because presidential immunity from criminal prosecution would threaten the militarys role in American society, our nations constitutional order, and our national security, the brief stated. It also would have profoundly negative effects on military service members, who answer to the orders of the President as Commander-in-Chief, the brief went on to say. This submission is based on amicis collective experience serving in and leading our military, as well as their collective interest in safeguarding our national security. Amicis short biographies listed below only begin to describe their distinguished service to our country. Trump is asking the Supreme Court to find that he has immunity from criminal liability as he faces charges stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the events of Jan. 6, allegations he used hush money payments to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels in the runup to the 2016 election, alleged interference in Georgias 2020 election and alleged mishandling of classified documents. The court is scheduled to hear Trumps argument April 25. We are told by our leftist betters that Trump supporters are a cult. A group that has no core beliefs, a group of Simple Simons that simply cant understand nuance the way we should. The smarmy Bill Maher (and his ilk) loves to let everyone know how dumb and cultish the MAGA people are. Some -- actually, way too many -- on the Right have tried using that same insult. Most NeverTrumpers use that attack. We supposedly think of him as an idol who can do no wrong, a person who counts on tricking us rubes with promises he wont deliver. Each of these critics earns the coveted Judas award, deserving of those who smear for money. And it is those in agreement with that amorphous group of intellectual betters that need to hear this: Trump the man is far from perfect. But Trump the man is perfect as a vessel to politically oppose the current evil power elite. As Ronald Reagan was the man to renew America during his time, Trump has become that same beacon for this time. And that is his superpower. A compelling one from a compelling man. Compelling because he truly wants the America that was once free in allowing him to become a giant in business, as well as a feted and loved TV celebrity. He wants to allow that same freedom and greatness for all Americans once again. Compelling is not a word that most would use for Donald Trump. Mainly because the leftist smear machine has succeeded in propagandizing his character and actions repetitively in the most negative of ways. Its hard not to notice how often and how hard the Left has tried to destroy him. They are enraged to the point of insanity. The infinite ways they have come against him are overwhelming. RussiaGate. The impeachments. The continual and ongoing smear campaign. The constant barrage of deceit he gets in the old and new media. The crazed lawfare the Left is currently using. There has never been this large a concerted effort to get rid of and punish one man politically. He has all the right enemies, and despite their efforts, he is winning. Superpower on steroids. All this and more, yet he persists. We havent previously seen this kind of courage displayed while keeping himself in the crosshairs of the Left. I cant think of another example of a person handling this kind of flak. Not only does he keep going, its pretty clear he is slowly winning the hearts and minds of a majority of America in running for President again. Remember his polling prior to 2016 and 2020? He was never ahead. Not once. His average polling right now shows he is ahead, and has been for months. Its a triumph of personal perseverance. His finest characteristic is speaking truth to power. Its what he does best. This and the God-given strength to persevere. Hes like the boy in the story of the Emperors New Clothes. He always calls the blob naked. He does it every day, and the Left hates it. In their fury at being called out for what they are, they lash out, often making fools of themselves. Lets talk record. His record of accomplishments as President is stellar. His was the best economy we have seen in our lifetime. An economy that his policies brought about. Energy self-sufficiency was attempted, and it was successful. We had low energy costs during his first term. Which led to upward mobility for all. Less regulation and red tape. Low unemployment, lower taxes, rising wages, and America was becoming great economically once again. That tide lifted all boats, including the lowest unemployment ever for women, Blacks and Hispanics. It was a simple extension of his own story. Set the stage for the American people to excel, and they will. And those who participated did. Immigration: He almost singlehandedly slowed to a trickle the problem of illegal immigration. His policies worked. The wall was working, the message was sent, the dragon of illegals swarming the border was running away. Mexico and Canada were on board. The Border Patrol was doing its job. This signature policy of his had taken hold. His policies led us to be respected in the world once again. So much so that he is the only President in memory to have had no wars started during his four years. Peace had come to the Middle East, which was once unthinkable. ISIS was destroyed and had no power. Iran was contained. North Korea was ceasing its mischief. China was losing in its battle for world supremacy. America was ascendant and had become great again. The optimistic spirit of Americans was returning. We were no longer cowed by the leftist lies convincing so many that America was uniquely evil, that the core of its founding was rotten. Being proud of our nation and what it offered was becoming normal again. That spirit more than any other was what made his Presidency ascendent. The list of his accomplishments is much longer, but the above shows how compelling his triumphs were. Compelling? You might ask how can he be compelling with so much drama and divisiveness surrounding him, uproars that emerged weekly? Reagan was called the great communicator. He was able to go above the media reaching Americans with his humor and common sense. He won them over. Let me suggest a heresy to some: Reagan couldnt deal effectively with the well-oiled propaganda machine the Left has today. I dont believe he could be elected because it has become so powerful. This machine is strong, lethal, capable of making up seem down, evil seem good. It has been overwhelmed with leftist ruin, overwhelmed with deceitfulness in its ability to destroy. It is this machine that fakes ninety per cent of the so-called drama that surrounds Trump. This machine brought him from being celebrated by the Left to being hated by them. This machine has made up so many falsehoods about him, falsehoods that cause ninety per cent of the charge of divisiveness against him. One of the wonderful things he is doing is slowly destroying this leftist smear machine. He is beating it, he is winning. As suggested, the word compelling is not often used to describe Trump. Let me suggest this is the best word to describe him and his policies. His is a story that should be considered a profile in courage and in excellence. We need not be embarrassed to support him. We need not begin our support with an apology. We need not preface praise of him with any caveat. The case for him is so strong, we should be proud to make it. We are not a cult idolizing a man, nor making things up that he has accomplished. His story is simply thus: Compelling. Here is something we can unashamedly celebrate. Something that will benefit the entire country. I would suggest we repeat this story to our compatriots, never apologize for how compelling it is, nor forget how he is the man for this season. Image: White House GAZA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- "I am from Palestine and Gaza is my home ..." In a makeshift tent classroom at Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian children have not given up learning to read and write every day. They have no idea how long their temporary education will last. The Israeli military announced Sunday that it is withdrawing from the battle-scarred city of Khan Younis to prepare for the internationally criticized offensive into Rafah, a 55-square-km area where over half of 2.3 million Gazan civilians are taking refuge. Since the eruption of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli military has been compressing the survival space of Palestinians with bombardments, power cuts, and obstruction of aid. Over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed over the past six months. "Where else can we flee? Are we to live in the sea?" a Gaza resident asked. Many Palestinian families are forced to live in tents meters away from the border fence with Egypt, without access to drinking water, food, electricity, or medical care. Bombings, displacement, and the ever-looming specter of death have become daily realities for Gazans. Nowhere is safe, and fear permeates. "You can smell death everywhere. The Israeli army has turned the hospital into a hell that has no feature of life," Rahaf al-Halabi, a 62-year-old Palestinian woman in Gaza, said with teary eyes. "The army killed dozens of young people before our eyes," she said, recalling the two-week siege on the Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza. Schools are not safe, either. A March 27 UNICEF report reveals that since the onset of the conflict, Israeli bombardments have directly hit 212 schools, and over 13,000 children have been killed. Hunger is killing those who survived bombs. In February, the United Nations warned that at least a quarter of Gaza's population is one step away from famine and virtually the entire population desperately needs food. Abu Hussam, a recent arrival at Rafah from the Northern city of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, somberly recalls how his family once led a decent life but now faces hunger. Cooking a can of beans on fire for a meal, the father of two said the family used to cook the most delicious dishes in Ramadan, but conditions have completely changed this year as the conflict has deprived locals of their houses, jobs, and even their beloved ones. At the Rafah market, hopeful food-seekers ended up empty-handed. The ongoing conflict stripped away reliable income sources and exacerbated scarcity, driving prices beyond reach for many. On March 25, the UN Security Council's resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire has not brought much hope. Right after the resolution, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in Washington that military operations wouldn't cease until all Israelis detained in Gaza were released, and only with "absolute victory" would the conflict end. On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a high-level delegation to meet U.S. President Joe Biden for a discussion on alternatives to Israel's planned ground attack in Rafah. Senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, said on Thursday that despite Hamas showing flexibility, there has been no progress in Gaza ceasefire talks, with the Israeli government placing obstacles hindering both parties from reaching an agreement. On Sunday, both Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt for a new round of talks on a potential ceasefire in the six-month conflict. For Palestinians trapped in Rafah, the yearning for peace has been dampened only by the bitter taste of disappointment. Yet, they cling to hope for the eventual arrival of peace. Let's file this one in the "you can't make this up" category. Down Mexico way, they are running out of farm workers. For decades, Mexicans crossed the border to pick Americans lettuce, grapes and strawberries. Mexico had a seemingly inexhaustible supply of farmhands tough, hard-working men who did the jobs most Americans didnt want. But the country is running short of farmworkers. The workforce is graying; nearly three-quarters of Mexican campesinos are over 45. Young people are turning up their noses at farm jobs. And those willing to do migrant work have other options. Nearly 300,000 a year travel to the United States on seasonal agricultural visas, a fourfold increase in a decade. Theyre taking a significant percentage of the available workers, fretted Aldo Mares, a farm executive here in Jalisco state. Hes had to scramble this season to find workers to pick his juicy strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. How long before the Mexican government of Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador starts calling for Mexicans to come home and pick some strawberries? Like everything, this one is a bit complicado. First, it's more lucrative to go north, cut grass or whatever, and send $100 to your mom than to do back-breaking labor at home to earn much less than that. They call that cash remesas, or remittances, and for Mexico, it adds up to $60 billion a year It keeps a lot of families going! Second, does Mexico want remesas or Mexicans working on their farms? It's a tough call no matter how much they miss their people. Another problem is that Mexicans are not having babies like they used to. It's around two per woman, down from six a generation ago In other words, there are fewer workers coming up and most of them would rather go north than pick strawberries in Irapuato, the strawberry capital of Mexico. So some in Mexico are calling for a guest-worker program to fill those jobs. You can't make this up but it is the way it is. P.S.: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. These are tough times to be Jewish. In Israel, in America -- there are no safe havens. Please, dont use the excuse it was Israels response to the Hamas massacres on Oct. 7, 2023, that shocked the senses of fair-minded peoples everywhere. That's because the anti-Semitic protests started on Oct. 8, 2023 -- before Israel had even caught its breath as to the atrocities perpetrated on its people, and before their response was even implemented. The wounds Hamas has inflicted on Israel and world Jewery are incalculable. Israel is now a country divided. It is divided between half the Israelis who believe the war must end immediately in the hopes that the remaining hostages will immediately be released. And it is divided by the other half of the population that doesnt know how many of the remaining hostages are even alive, and who believe that the country cannot be guided by their plight. The country is beset not only with ugly protests, but the situation has bitterly pitted Israeli against Israeli. Ironically, it doesnt even appear to be in Israels control regarding the release of the hostages. Hamass leader, Yahya Sinwar, who is purportedly personally holed up with the remaining captives, has just stated that he has no interest in holding discussions regarding the release of the hostages, as he sees no benefit to Hamas. Israeli protestors, tens of thousands of them, accuse their leader, Bibi Netanyahu, of continuing the war to stay in power -- and/or to stall his personal prosecution. Others feel the war is necessary to defeat Hamas once and for all in order to prevent further attacks. In the United States, from the outset, the fallout has been horrendous. Anti-Semitism never before seen in the United States screamed out from the universities and the press. Jewish college students have been bullied, threatened and even occasionally roughed up. Jewish establishments and houses of worship have experienced hateful graffiti on their signage and doors; police presences and beefed up security now surround all synagogues that can afford them. Random disruptive pro-Palestinian protests have filled Americas streets, bridges, shopping malls, and educational events, and have deliberately and unpredictably, disrupted business relationships and worship services alike. The special relationship historically held between the United States and Israel now appears, if not irrevocably broken, hanging by a thread. Democrat President Biden, who initially stood with Israel, has incrementally used every excuse possible to limit Israels ability to wage a responsive war and has now demanded an outright ceasefire, warning that no additional U.S. aid will be granted to Israel if she doesnt immediately call a ceasefire. Consequently, Israel has withdrawn all but one of its battalions from Gaza, while concomitantly enduring rocket attacks from the North. Some Israelis believe that Biden has saved the Jewish state. Future events will determine the wisdom of this ceasefire. But, we are now living in a world where evil is called good, and good is called evil. Image: Fars Media Corporation, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 4.0 DEED Dearborn, Michigan, is the Muslim capital of America. When Rep. Rashida Tlaib won her election to the House, she didnt celebrate America. She celebrated Palestine, her true country. That was subtle compared to her constituents this weekend, who took to the streets screaming Death to America. Death to Israel. By allowing the non-assimilation of people whose values are antithetical to the Constitution and our nation, the viper we have nurtured to our bosom will kill us as surely as the asp that killed Cleopatraand Biden is already sacrificing Israel on its altar. To appreciate fully what took place in Dearborn, you need to know that Al-Quds is the Muslim word for Jerusalem, the ancient Jewish capital that King David founded (circa 1,000 B.C.), and that Mohamed never visited but nevertheless claimed for his own. (Mohamed and his Muslims subscribe to the toddlers creed.) Al-Quds Day, which Ayatollah Khomeini started in 1979, is the day on which Muslims gather to demand the slaughter of Jews and a Muslim takeover of Jerusalem. Image: X screen grab. Muslims really, really, genocidally, deeply, in a sadistic, torture them before you kill them way, hate the Jews. But they also hate America. That was started in Iran with the Iranian Revolution. Death to America was the chant then and remains the chant in Iran to this day. The Mullahs, while desiring Israels destruction, call it merely The Little Satan. America is The Great Satan. And Iran funds Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Hezbollah, and all sorts of other terrorist organizations. With this context, this is what happened in Dearborn: Protesters in Dearborn, Michigan, shouted Death to America and Death to Israel during an International Al-Quds Day rally held in the town. Imam Khomeini, who declared the International Al-Quds Day, this is why he would say to pour all of your chants and all of your shouts upon the head of America, Tarek Bazzi, a Michigan-based activist associated with the Hadi institute, said in a video from the rally that was shared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Bazzis comments were followed by crowds chanting Death to America! in the background. [snip] The activist went on to quote Malcom X, who said the U.S. is one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this Earth, while arguing to eliminate the entire American system. Its not just Genocide Joe that has to go, Bazzi said, referring to President Biden. It is the entire system that has to go. Any system that would allow such atrocities and such devilry to happen and would support it such a system does not deserve to exist on Gods Earth. Bazzi then turned his attention to Israel, telling the audience that when fools ask them if Israel has the right to exist, the chant Death to Israel is the most logical chant shouted across the world today. Bad as that is, you really need to see it for yourself to get a sense of the Iran in 1979 vibe directed at the country that took these people in and gave them the rights of American citizens: At International Al-Quds Day Rally in Dearborn, Michigan Protesters Chant Death to America!; Speakers at the Rally: America Is One of the Rottenest Countries on Earth; Israel Is ISIS, Nazis, a Cancer pic.twitter.com/B6hMlaKfi5 MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) April 7, 2024 A Nazi rally in 1940 that openly called for the death of world Jewry and for the Death of America wouldnt have been countenanced. While many Americans might have accepted the anti-Jewish part, they would have been enraged to hear a rally calling for Americas destruction. Back then, patriotism was a thing. Now, though, not so much. In order to buy votes from these people, Joe Biden forced a surrender on Israel, which is dependent on American arms shipments (for which it pays, unlike Ukraine). Biden sacrificed an American ally facing an open existential threat to placate these people. Traditionally, most nations were bound together by geography and DNA. The only two exceptions. Up until the left began to eat away at Americas institutions, were America and Islam. America was a nation in which the people were traditionally bound together by allegiance to the ideas expressed in the Constitution, ideas that were predicated on Judeo-Christian values and Greek philosophy. In contrast, Islam is a worldwide caliphate that sees people bound together by an allegiance to the Koran. That book demands the slaughter of Islams enemies, and the worlds subjugation to an ideology premised on hatredhatred of Christians, Jews, women, homosexuals, Hindus, the Westyou name it, and they hate it. These two ideologies are matter and anti-matter. They cannot exist simultaneously in the same place at the same time. But leftism insisted that we bring Islam to America, refuse to assimilate its adherents, and allow it to bloom. And now, Biden has agreed to let it control Americas foreign policy. I dont care if you despise Trump and want to spit on his shoes when you see him. If you dont vote for him, youre voting for Death to America. Democracy is on the ballot. Underdog President Biden and his campaign are beating drums proclaiming that former President Trump is a threat to democracy. They claim that Trump was the ringmaster of the January 6th so-called Insurrection. They have formed a Californian chorus of Congresswoman Pelosi, Congressman Schiff, and Congressman Swalwell to alert us to every democracy-damaging action Trump takes. By now, most of us understand what they are saying. Frontrunner former President Trump, who has been dancing since 2015 to avoid the onslaught of bullets coming at his feet, still contends that he wants to Make America Great Again. His supporters do not see him as a threat. His supporters see him as a patriotic American trying to protect this country from globalism, communism, and mindless wokism. Biden, who currently occupies the White House, has all the kings horses, all the kings men, and the DOJ on his side of this dispute. Trump is currently leading in the polls, showing that many here in the USA side with him and his vision for America. The hyperbolic language from both sides warns us that America will not survive if we elect the wrong man on November 6, 2024. I am right there with all the nervous Nellies fretting about the next seven months. A funny thing happened on the way to the fall election last week. Another presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, Junior, was interviewed by Erin Burnett on CNNs show OUTFRONT. Burnetts mission was to get Kennedy to agree with all the kings horses and all the kings men that Trump was an existential threat to democracy. His response did not match her expectations: RFK: Listen, I can make the argument that President Biden is a much worse threat to democracy. And the reason for that is President Biden is the first candidate in history, the first president in history that has used the federal agencies to censor political speech, so to censor his opponent. I can say that because I just won a case in the federal Court of Appeals and now before the Supreme Court that shows that he started censoring not just me -- 37 hours after he took the oath of office, he was censoring me. No president in the country has ever done that. The greatest threat to democracy is not somebody who questions election returns, but a president of the United States who uses the power of his office to force the social media companies, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter to open a portal and give access to that portal to the FBI, to the CIA, to the IRS, to CISA, to NIH to censor his political critics. President Biden, the first president in history, used the Secret -- his power over the Secret Service to deny Secret Service protection to one of his political opponents for political reasons. Hes weaponizing the federal agencies. Those are really critical threats to democracy. If RFKs words had come from Victor Davis Hanson or some other respected conservative, they would have quickly evaporated like the morning dew, but these words came from a donkey, a well-known Democrat who is being abused by Joe Biden. Erin Burnett, like King Balak in the Old Testament, wanted RFK to curse Trump for her viewers. RFK did not play along. He told us the truth and answered the question about who is the greatest threat to democracy this fall. Ned Cosby, a frequent contributor to American Thinker, is a former pastor, veteran Coast Guard officer, and a retired career public high school teacher. His novel OUTCRY is a love story exposing the refusal of Christian leaders to report and discipline clergy who sexually abuse our young people. This work of fiction addresses crimes that are all too real. Cosby has also written RECOLLECTIONS FROM MY FATHERS HOUSE, tracing his own odyssey from 1954 to the present. For more info, visit Ned Cosby. Image: YouTube screen grab. The Sharia colonization of the West continues. According to a report out by Michael Dorgan and published by Fox News, the New York City government has agreed to a preliminary financial settlement of $17.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought against the city in 2018 by Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz, two Muslim women who were forced to remove their hijabs in order to get their mugshots taken after they were arrested for allegedly violating orders of protection (restraining orders). Now, also per Dorgan, the agreement still has to be approved by a district judge, but this is Manhattan so. The settlement, should it go through, will make eligible more than 3,600 people for payouts, ranging between $7,824 and $13,125, with Clark and Aziz taking home $35k each. As reported by Dorgan: In response to the lawsuit, New Yorks police department agreed in 2020 to let men and women wear head coverings during mugshots, so long as their faces could be seen. This settlement resulted in a positive reform for the NYPD, said Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesman for the citys law department. The agreement carefully balances the departments respect for firmly held religious beliefs with the important law enforcement need to take arrest photos. The New York City government claims to have a respect for firmly held religious beliefs? What about all those Christian Americans during the pandemic barred from worship services, forbidden from attending church functions, and fined and arrested if they violated the decrees? What about the people whose genuine religious convictions preclude them from participating in experimental pharmaceutical pokes, who were coerced into participation to keep their jobs and provide for their families? So the leftist government of New York City has no problem violating the rights of private citizens not under arrest, and not being booked on criminal charges, demanding and coercing the injection of experimental pharmaceuticals, or infringing on the free exercise of religion when its Jews or Christians, but when its Muslims? As the lawyer for Clark and Aziz said, the settlement sends a powerful message that the NYPD cant violate New Yorkers First Amendment rights without paying a price. Well, first off, it can, because neither the NYPD nor the city government pays the price for being wrongthe taxpayer does. Secondly though, the First Amendment is not a religious free-for-all, but a restriction placed upon the federal government that prohibits the state from infringing on the free exercise of religion; Clark and Aziz are free to don the hijab, but at the point they allegedly violate a restraining order, even if they disagree with its legitimacy, they are existing under limited freedoms. What happens when a Muslim woman wearing a niqab or a burka makes the same claim? If its a violation of religious freedoms to require hijab-wearers to take a normal mug shot, then doesnt the same apply to the more devout Muslims wearing niqabs or burkas? Sure, you cant see their faces, but what difference does that make if theres something as sacred as the free exercise of religion hanging in the balance? The Islamization of the West appears imminent. Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required. Want more food deserts in San Francisco? Here's how you get more food deserts in San Francisco. According to Reason magazine: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is considering a remarkable policy that would allow people to sue grocery stores that close too quickly. Earlier this week, Supervisors Dean Preston and Aaron Peskin introduced an ordinance that, if passed, would require grocery stores to provide six months' written notice to the city before closing down. Supermarket operators would also have to make "good faith" efforts to ensure the continued availability of groceries at their shuttered location, either through finding a successor store, helping residents form a grocery co-op, or any other plan they might work out by meeting with city and neighborhood residents. Lest one thinks this is some heavy-handed City Hall intervention, the ordinance makes clear that owners still retain the ultimate power to close their store. It also creates a number of exemptions to the six-month notice requirement. If a store is closing because of a natural disaster or business circumstances that aren't "reasonably foreseeable," it doesn't have to provide the full six months' notice. For the poor, that's bad news because all it will do is ensure that new grocery stores don't open. Who'd want to do business in a city that requires six months' notice plus the difficult task of getting a replacement or organizing a food co-op for the 'privilege' of closure when all they want to do is get out? It's an absolute disincentive to try to supply food to all the local residents in the area, and for those without cars, of which there are many, they're looking at two-hour journeys by the lousiest city buses, driven by the meanest union drivers, with the highest number of bums onboard in close quarters in any urban area. As for the owners, it's no treat either. Under the new law, this cumbersome regulation to businesses that are clearly in distress is nothing more than insult added to injury. They pay high taxes for the privilege of operating there, they sustain so much thievery they have to put their goods behind plexiglass cases, which costs money, they get zero law enforcement help when they get robbed because thefts are so common, and as a last resort, they try to close doors, they get hit by a raft of lawsuits. But for the thieves of San Francisco, who steal and fence stolen goods as a lifestyle choice to pay for illegal drugs, the six-months' notice, plus the right to file lawsuits, is a gravy bonanza. Imagine being a thief who steals daily from a local grocery, taking advantage of the state's $950 per haul per day law to avoid a felony charge or any enforcement at all, and then learns that the store owner can't take it anymore and has decided to Go Galt and close his doors. If that store owner he's robbed daily doesn't have a six-month supply of new things for him to steal, he gets to sue the owner for everything he owns, after robbing him blind in the first place. Sound like a good place to open a grocery? Not to normal people. What this monstrous regulation is is a revenge move by vindictive leftists who will do anything to avoid taking responsibility for the results of their own destructive policies. It's not that stores will stop closing as a result of this new law. It's that new stores will never open. Image: Screen shot from ABC7 video, via YouTube Despite the constant harangues from the Democrat Party that the standard bearer of the Republican Party is a threat to democracy, the election this November is really a choice between two radically divergent visions of America -- when all is said and done, it is really that simple. A Republican Chief Executive will enable America to continue as the standard bearer and economic powerhouse of the Free World, while a Democrat Chief Executive will ensure under the guise of globalism that America will decline in order to comply with those who seek not to create new wealth and prosperity but rather to redistribute the hard-won fruits of American free enterprise. I shake my head every time I hear from those Democrats who say my political party is a threat to democracy when their political party has a proven track record and continues to this day to abuse power. The Internal Revenue Services targeting of the Tea Party and other conservative organizations, the Russia Collusion that never was, the suppression of the Hunter Biden Laptop story by Big Tech, and subsequent claims by former Democrat Intelligence Officials that the laptop was Russian Disinformation, the obvious two-tiered system of justice regarding the handling of classified information by former and current Chief Executives, and the list goes on and on. The Democrat Party continues to push for a bigger and all-encompassing federal government and, with it, more radical forms of identity politics. Its ideology continues to divide Americans into narrow group identities, feeding on their grievances (perceived or actual) and exacerbating divisions among Americans. An America that once proudly proclaimed E pluribus unum is now a nation fractured and divided, with the current Chief Executive, who ran on a platform to unite the country, soon after the election openly scorning half of its electorate. We are a nation that was once based on individual merit but that now considers any difference in outcome, any form of inequality, to be based on systemic racism or sexism. Many Democrats now hold our most important constitutional principles, such as free speech and the right of assembly, as illegitimate. One only has to look at its recent support by Democrats of Hamas to see that many in the party are now anti-Semitic. Its suppression of third-party candidates to be seen as a perceived threat to the party's hold on to power justifies the means. The Democrat Party has drifted toward a bigger government. More radical forms of identity politics continue unabated as the party continues to be out of touch with the majority of Americans. Yes, at the end of the day, this November, we, like Robert Frost, will face two divergent roads -- one leads to continued economic growth and prosperity, and one leads to economic decline and decay. Despite the constant harangue of my road being a threat to democracy, I plan to take it as the road less traveled, knowing it will make all the difference. I suggest you do the same. Image: PickPik Today, Donald Trump issued his statement on abortion, disavowing federal involvement. It was both a correct decision and a politically smart one. Democrats have always used abortion to bring voters into its fold. Now, it cannot do that anymore. In 1973s Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court purported to find a right to abortion in the Constitution. It did so by finding penumbras, emanations, and unicorns hidden behind the Constitutions explicit statements about individual rights and the limitations of the federal government. Of course, when you make up rights, you can go with the flow. Thats why, although that made-up right initially applied only to a womans first three months of pregnancy, subsequent Supreme Court decisions eventually created an unfettered imaginary constitutional right. In June 2022, Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion for the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. The Dobbs decision reversed Roe v. Wade, not by making abortion illegal but, instead, by returning it to the states where it always belonged. The only way to federalize abortion is through the constitutional Amendment process, which requires a lot of hard work to get the majority of the American people to support the policy. Thats not going to happen any time soonor ever. Image: Donald Trump. Truth Social screen grab. Within a short time, Americas laboratories of democracy (i.e., the fifty states) went to work. Some severely limited abortion, some lightly limited it, and some took off all limits. Time will tell which policies best serve the citizens of those states, and thats the way the American system was always intended to work. Donald Trump fully understands both the logic of the Dobbs decision and the huge benefit to Republicans from abiding by the Dobbs principles in an election during which traditional constituencies are shifting dramatically. According to polling, the Democrats policies on the border, the economy, the Gaza War, Ukraine, etc., are causing sizable shifts in the normal voter demographics. Jews, young people, minorities, and LGBTQ+ members, all of whom were reliable Democrat voters, are starting to abandon Biden. For decades, whenever these shifts occurred, Democrats could hustle these voters back into the fold by saying abortion. It was a magic word, like saying treat to a dog. No matter what they were doing, it got their attention and led them back to the fold. With his abortion statement today, Trump took that magic word off the table: Former President Donald Trump wants abortion limits to be left to the states, wading into a thorny issue as he tries to bring independents to his side without alienating pro-life voters. Mr. Trump said allowing state legislatures or a direct vote on the ballot would represent the will of the people. Whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case, the law of the state, Mr. Trump said Monday morning in Truth Social video. Many states will be different. [snip] In his video, Mr. Trump said Democrats are the extreme ones, supporting abortion through the full term. Mr. Trump praised, by name, the right-leaning justices who voted to overturn Roe. Now its up to the states to do the right thing, he said. Mr. Trump said he is in favor of exceptions to limits in case of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Trump is right in every respect, including the exceptions he identifies, with which most Americans agree. And no, its not the fault of that baby that it was conceived through rape or incest but, again, most Americans agree with Trumps stance. To change peoples minds requires persuasion. Its foolish to insist that Trump demand that, contrary to Dobbs, Congress outlaw abortion. That will lose the election and hand the government over to people who are pushing to reinstate unlimited abortion across America. As it is now, people who live in Massachusetts can vote for Trump because of the economy or immigration without being lured back into the Democrat fold with the threat that theyll lose their abortion rights. Along with his statement about abortion, Trump announced his support for In Vitro Fertilization, which is also a popular stance. And yes, its true that there are ethical implications around fertilized eggs that are frozen or destroyed. But as Trump also says, IVF leads to more American babies and more American families, plus being hugely popular. A smart, pro-American politician cannot ignore this. I applaud Trump for his principled and pragmatic approach. I get that pro-life groups are disappointed, but thats because theyre so focused on a single battle that theyve lost sight of the larger fact that we must win the war (a point Trump makes in the video, too). We know from events of the last three years that losing the 2024 election means that America ceases to be a liberty-oriented, constitutionally governed republic, one in which conservatives have the room and the voice to change peoples minds on all issues, including abortion. Has Joe Biden and his administration gone completely Nazi? In his quest to punish Israel for attempting to defeat Hamas, his administration has cooked up this vile act redolent of the Third Reich, according to The Financial Times: The Biden administration is drawing up plans to require goods produced in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank to be clearly labelled as coming from there, according to US officials, another sign of White House unhappiness with the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. The final go-ahead for the move, and its timing, have not been decided but it is intended to increase pressure on Israel over rising settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and comes amid US frustration with the Jewish states conduct of the war in Gaza. What violence? If there were any, we would have heard about it, unceasingly. This goes into the same barrel of monkeys as Biden's lunatic obsession with placing Jewish settlers on the terrorism list, while ignoring much of anything that Hamas does, coming at a particularly bad time, right when Hamas enacted a terror attack on Jewish soil that's killed 1,200 people and been compared to 9/11. What's more, what exactly do Jewish-produced strawberries, avocados, and other produce brought to market based on Israelis making the desert bloom have to do with Biden's political vendettas with Netanyahu that they should require a special label, as if they had cooties? And why is the government doing this at all? Normally, labels are placed on produce and the like to give information. What kind of information do they feel the urgent need to convey, and to whom? Why this special little union label, as if to warn off lefty purchasers that this merchandise touched by Jews is contaminated? Who else do they do this to? Will they use a yellow star, like Hitler did? We know the Bidenites want to "punish" Israel, but this is utterly vile, redolent of the Nazi order to force Jews to wear yellow stars in countries such as Denmark during World War II. Sure, they can claim it's optics, but optics are all they care about and this sends a very bad message. Republicans and all people of goodwill need to shut this creeping Naziism down now. Image: Picryl // public domain Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue in Beijing. While asking Vuong Dinh Hue to convey cordial greetings to Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, Xi also said that during his visit to Vietnam at the end of last year, he and Nguyen Phu Trong had jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance -- opening a new chapter in bilateral ties. Under the joint efforts by the two sides, the consensus reached by him and Nguyen Phu Trong is being implemented, Xi added. Xi said the most distinctive feature of China-Vietnam relations is that the two sides are a like-minded pair bound by a common destiny, and "comrades-plus-brothers" is the most vivid portrayal of the traditional friendship between the two parties and two countries. He urged joint efforts by the two sides to promote more achievements in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, better serve their respective modernization, further benefit the two peoples and make greater contributions to the global socialist cause. Amid the profound and complex changes in the international and regional landscape, it serves the common interest of China and Vietnam to safeguard the socialist system and maintain national stability and development, Xi said. He urged the two sides to foster a strong sense of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future based on a high level of mutual trust, consolidate the foundation for the vision with high-quality cooperation, and promote this vision with a high degree of political wisdom. China is willing to scale up the exchange of experience gained in governing both the Party and the country, facilitate the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, and increase exchanges between young people and sister cities, among others. It is hoped that the legislative bodies of the two sides will deepen exchanges and cooperation at all levels, strengthen mutual learning on legislative supervision experience, and play an important role in enhancing the friendship between the two peoples, Xi said. Vuong Dinh Hue conveyed the cordial greetings and best wishes from Nguyen Phu Trong to Xi, noting that the CPV and the Vietnamese government highly appreciate China's development and progress. China's two sessions held this year set the goals of developing new quality productive forces, among others, which are innovative moves of socialism and provide useful references for Vietnam, he added. Vietnam firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is resolutely opposed to any form of "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, Vuong Dinh Hue said. Vietnam regards China as its top strategic priority in its foreign relations, Vuong Dinh Hue said, adding that the Vietnamese side will follow relevant goals set by Nguyen Phu Trong and Xi to maintain close communications and cooperation with China at various levels and continue to consolidate a high level of political mutual trust. Vietnamese National Assembly is ready to keep close communications and exchanges with China's National People's Congress to play a positive role in enhancing the friendship between the two peoples and advancing the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future, Vuong Dinh Hue said. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) Have you ever wanted to have the capabilities of Samsung DeX in your car? Well, the AutoPro X accessory promises to make this possible. This is a device that enables the DeX interface and functions on your vehicles screen. Basically, like an Android Auto adapter, but specifically intended to use DeX. For those who dont know, Samsung DeX is a feature that offers a pseudo-desktop experience. It works by connecting a compatible Galaxy device to an external monitor or display. At first, the system worked only by cable, but then Samsung introduced Samsung DeX Wirelessly to offer more possibilities. This feature inspired the creation of similar ones, such as Motorola Ready For. Even Android 15 could natively bring something similar. Samsung DeX experience in your vehicle will be possible thanks to AutoPro X Returning to the AutoPro X accessory, it was launched through a Kickstarter campaign. There seems to be a lot of interest in a device of this type, so it didnt take long for the team behind it (Mayton) to reach 100% of their funding goal. One of the promises of AutoPro X is that you wont need cumbersome configurations. Everything should be as easy as connecting it to your vehicles screen via USB. Another advantage of using this accessory is that you dont have to rule out Android Auto since it also integrates the Google OS for cars. This will give the user great versatility in choosing what type of UI and functionalities they want to use in their vehicle. DeX enables better multitasking But what is the difference between Samsung DeX and Android Auto? Basically, the DeX UI is adapted to the style of a computer. This means that it is designed to make better use of keyboards and mice, although you can also use it by touching the screen. In addition, it enhances multitasking with the possibility of having multiple apps on the screen at the same time. Multitasking in DeX allows you to distribute apps in different segments of the screen or one on top of another. Currently, we are about a week and a half away from the official launch of the AutoPro X accessory. It will be interesting to see the publics response to this product and if it also inspires the arrival of other DeX-based accessories for cars. The Canadian government has unveiled a new plan to pump $2.4 billion into artificial intelligence (AI) development and research over the next few years. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the funding package. The government aims to advance Canadas capabilities in AI and realize the full economic potential of the technology. Most of the investment, $2 billion, will be used to boost high-performance computing infrastructure and resources. It can be used by Canadian AI researchers and startups. Currently, many rely on cloud services owned by foreign companies outside the countrys borders. The new Sovereign Compute Strategy will seek to build secure, domestic computing capabilities that keep citizens data in Canada. According to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, this approach can improve national security by preventing foreign access to data. Canadas massive AI funding to drive innovation and safety In addition to improved computing, $200 million will go to regional agencies to support the growth of early-stage AI companies in key industries. Healthcare, agriculture, clean tech, and manufacturing are just a few of the sectors that will benefit from incentivized AI integration. The goal is to foster homegrown innovation and ensure that economic opportunity extends to all regions. Recognizing the rapid progress of generative AI, the government has committed $50 million to a new Safety Institute. Its researchers will work to proactively address potential downsides such as unintended biases, privacy violations, or dangerous applications. Another $5.1 million has been set aside to create an Office of the AI Commissioner to provide guidance, oversight, and accountability. The bill has been in committee since September 2023, according to Trudeau. We want to help companies adopt AI in a way that has a positive impact for everyone, he explains. By funding this initiative, Canada is positioning itself to be a leader in the rapidly evolving AI industry. Other major countries that are developing regulations around AI technology include the United States and China. However, all of these regulations remain speculative. AI technology is evolving rapidly, so its not surprising that its taking a long time to develop appropriate laws. UPDATE: After an initial rollout in South Korea, the Galaxy Watch 6 series is receiving this update globally. It is available in the US and Europe with an identical build number. The changelog is also similar, confirming fixes for the touchscreen issues that cropped up following the previous update. ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Last month, Samsung rolled out a major update to its smartwatches, including the Galaxy Watch 6. It added Workout Tracker, a feature that brings your workout data to your TV. It was also supposed to improve the touchscreen panel but did the opposite. Several Galaxy Watch 6 users reported touchscreen issues following the update. Samsung is now pushing another update to fix those issues. A new Galaxy Watch 6 update fixes touchscreen issues Shortly after Samsung updated the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic last month, its community forums started flooding with user complaints about touchscreen issues. Affected users said their watches abruptly stopped responding to touch input. The buttons work fine but the screen doesnt. They had to restart the watch, only to run into the same problem after a while. Some users also noticed delayed touch response. All of this ironically happened after Samsung pushed an update that introduced an improved firmware build for the TSP (Touch Screen Panel). After a month of frustration, a fix is finally on the way. The company is currently rolling out the latest update to the Galaxy Watch 6 series in South Korea with the firmware build number R940XXU1AXC2. It should soon reach the watches in other markets, including the US. It is unclear whether Samsung plans to push a new update to other Galaxy Watch models. The Galaxy Watch 6 series isnt getting a newer security patch. The latest smartwatches remain at the March 2024 security level (the April patch is already out for Galaxy smartphones). Unless the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 4 have the same touchscreen issues, they may not get this update. After all, it does not bring anything more than the bug fixes. Samsung has also offered a temporary workaround to this issue While an official fix for the touchscreen issues is out, it may take a while before the update reaches all eligible Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic units globally. Thankfully, there is a workaround that you can try. Samsung officially provided this workaround after acknowledging the issues. According to the company, the issues are caused by a bug in the Touch screen to wake function in Settings. Disabling it should help. Go to the Settings app, enter the Display menu, scroll down, and turn off the toggle next to Touch screen to wake. If the touchscreen issues persist, wait for the update. You can check for updates from the Software update menu in Settings. Samsung plans to construct one more semiconductor manufacturing factory in the US, its third in the country. The new facility is planned in Taylor, Texas, where the company is currently building its second facility, The Wall Street Journal has learned. The Korean firm already operates a chip plant in Austin, Texas. Samsung may double its chip investment in the US In 2021, Samsung announced a $17 billion investment to construct a chip factory in Taylor. The factory is expected to be operational later this year. The latest estimates suggest the final cost of the facility will be more than $20 billion, potentially reaching $25 billion. The US government will reportedly support the Korean tech giant with federal funding of about $6 billion under the CHIPS and Science Act. It appears that Samsung plans to use the grants and subsidies to increase its chip manufacturing capacity in the US. According to the WSJ, the planned second round of investment would bring the total to $44 billion, double what it would invest in the under-construction chip plant in Taylor. As we have seen with the current facility, depending on the market conditions, the total amount could increase as the construction proceeds. Along with a semiconductor manufacturing facility, Samsung plans to construct a facility for advanced packaging and R&D (research and development). The new report says the initial estimated cost of the manufacturing site is $20 billion, while the packaging facility may cost $4 billion. The company will reportedly hold an event in Taylor next Monday, April 15, to announce its broadened investment plans. It is a huge win for the US government If Samsungs plan materializes, it would massively boost the US semiconductor market. The Biden administration has been encouraging foreign chip companies to invest more in the country to expand their production capacity. That is the very purpose of the CHIPS and Science Act, to lure companies with grand, loans, and funding. The Act offers federal funding of $52.7 billion to chip firms, including $39 billion in direct grants. TSMC, the worlds largest semiconductor foundry, is also building a new factory stateside. It will reportedly get funding of over $5 billion. American chip giant Intel may receive the biggest chunk of this pool, with rumors of over $10 billion in grants and loans and an additional $3.5 billion in grants for the production of military chips. It is unclear if Samsung will get another round of federal funding for its second chip factory in Taylor. Qualcomm is readying a new processor for Windows laptops, a fresh leak has revealed. Called Snapdragon X Plus, it will be a more affordable version of the Snapdragon X Elite launched in October 2023. The company is testing two variants of the new chip likely with plans to release it later this year. Qualcomm is testing the Snapdragon X Plus with an integrated 5G modem Six months into its launch, the Snapdragon X Elite has yet to power any Windows machine. However, it may not be long before we see devices with the powerful ARM-based CPU from Qualcomm. The company has positioned it at the top tier of the Windows worldthe same level as Apples M series chips for MacBooks. Early impressions are that it beats Apples latest M3 chips and Intels Core Ultra CPUs in power and performance. As we wait for Windows PCs powered by the Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm appears to be working on a slightly less powerful version of the chip for more affordable devices. A few weeks ago, the German publication WinFuture discovered concrete evidence of four variants of the Snapdragon X Plus in Qualcomms pipeline. It has just learned that the company has been internally testing two of those for several months. The two chips have internal identification numbers X1P44100 and X1P46100. The prefix X1P strongly indicates the Snapdragon X Plus branding (the Elite version is X1E). Qualcomm has been testing the chips with an integrated Snapdragon X65 5G modem for cellular connectivity. Unfortunately, no other information is available. Not even anything confirming that the chip is inferior to the Elite version. Its an assumption based on the name. That said, the publication speculates that the base of the Snapdragon X Plus may be the same chip as the Elite, which also has the same integrated 5G modem. Qualcomm could make it a deca-core (10 CPU cores) setup instead of 12 cores, though. It also planned an octa-core (8 cores) version but appears to have dropped the idea. The X series uses custom Oryon CPU cores developed by Nuvia, which Qualcomm acquired in 2021. The new chip may debut later this year Qualcomms Snapdragon X Plus chipset for Windows laptops may debut later this year. The company may unveil it at its next Snapdragon Summit in October (the Elite debuted at the same event last year). The event will also bring its next-gen smartphone processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. It will be Qualcomms first 3nm chip and will power the next generation of Android flagships, including Samsungs Galaxy S25 Ultra. Politicians seem to hate TikTok because of alleged security risks. However, these very politicians seem to prefer TikTok, claims a report by Reuters. TikTok is undoubtedly one of the biggest social media platforms. Hence, its no wonder its popularity could be employed and perhaps exploited by politicians. In other words, despite berating TikTok in the parliament, lawmakers find it irresistible simply because the ultra-short video-sharing platform has become a social hub for millions of young voters. TikTok remains a security concern and may influence elections, politicians fear American legislators are on the verge of banning TikTok. A bill discussing the TikTok Ban recently passed with bipartisan support. It will now head to the US Senate. Incidentally, US President Biden has already said he would sign the bill. As a consequence, TikToks parent company, ByteDance, may be forced to sell TikTok. If ByteDance doesnt comply, the companys apps may be banned from the US app stores and web hosting services. TikTok is facing heat in multiple countries, including the EU, primarily over security and data management practices. Germanys security agencies recently warned ByteDance could be sharing TikTok data with Chinas government. Additionally, several legislators have claimed that TikTok is so powerful, and its use is so widespread, that it could be used to influence users and voters. Needless to mention, politicians have raised similar concerns about Facebook and Twitter too. But these politicians want to utilize these very platforms. European politicians prefer TikTok despite security risks TikTok continues to remain a popular mass-media platform, especially among youngsters. Politicians prefer to use TikTok to gain inroads with the masses. What is concerning is that these very lawmakers have been discussing ways and means to ban, regulate, or limit TikTok. TikTok is highly popular in the 16 to 25 age group. It has many first-time voters and politicians eager to tap into this promising vote bank. It is important to note that 16-year-olds in Germany can vote in the upcoming June European elections. Simon Harris, Irelands prime minister-in-waiting has been dubbed the TikTok Taoiseach. French President Emmanuel Macron has amassed 4 million followers on TikTok. Needless to say, TikTok is a surefire way to reach out to the younger generation. TikToks owner ByteDance continues to deny that its product is used for spying. Similarly, the Chinese government has also denied all allegations. Last year, TikTok launched a site to store European users data in Dublin and hired a third-party security firm to monitor data flows to address security and data management concerns. It is worrying to note that despite security concerns, politicians prefer to use TikTok and continue to do so. It appears their thirst to connect with young voters outweighs any potential risks. A major announcement was made today by the United States Commerce Department. The announcement reveals an unprecedented financial commitment to support semiconductor production within the country. Eventually, this strategic decision entails a considerable $6.6 billion subsidy granted to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a key chip supplier for tech giant Apple. Certainly, by leveraging the CHIPS and Science Act, this initiative marks a crucial advancement in enhancing the United States semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. Accompanying the announcement, the White House detailed the subsidy specifics. TSMC is set to receive a significant cash injection to boost semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. On top of that, the chipmaker will also gain access to $5 billion in loans and qualify for an investment tax credit of up to 25% of capital expenses. These attractive incentives are geared towards driving substantial growth for TSMC in the United States. Unprecedented investment in U.S. semiconductor industry TSMC has made a decision to invest $25 billion, marking a significant turning point in the U.S. semiconductor industry. This investment will bring their total investment in the sector to an unprecedented $65 billion. Hence, the investment makes it the largest foreign direct investment in a new U.S. project in history. TSMCs bold vision goes beyond just financial commitments. The chipmaker is planning to build a third fabrication plant in Arizona by 2030, strengthening its presence in the region. The first TSMC plant in Arizona will start making innovative 4nm chips next year. The second plant, originally designed for 3nm chip production, will also produce 2nm chips by 2028. The third plant will focus on producing 2nm chips, positioning itself as a leader in cutting-edge semiconductor technology. This marks an exciting step towards future technological advancements. Impacts on Apple and the supply chain The ramifications of this massive investment go far beyond TSMC and the semiconductor sector. Notably, Apple is set to benefit from TSMCs increased chip production in the US. Nevertheless, at present, Apples most advanced chips are made in Taiwan utilizing TSMCs state-of-the-art 3nm process. Consequently, the possibility of making chips, including stronger versions, within the U.S. marks a big shift in the companys supply chain. UNITED NATIONS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations expressed concern on Monday about the effects of the drought in Southeast Africa, leading Zimbabwe to become the third country in the region to announce a state of emergency. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Zimbabwe joins Zambia and Malawi suffering the effects of El Nino on the state of emergency list. OCHA said that more than 2.7 million people in Zimbabwe are facing food insecurity because of the drought, despite the government and humanitarian partners investing in programs meant to head off the worst impacts of drought. "The humanitarian community in the country is also concerned that the scarcity and depletion of safe water sources could lead to an uptick in communicable diseases," said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "The United Nations and its partners stand ready to scale up life-saving assistance in Zimbabwe but need adequate funding to do so." He said a flash appeal for the humanitarian response to the drought in Zimbabwe is being drawn up and will launch soon. Southern Africa is suffering from drought more than usual this time of year because of global warming causing higher temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the naturally occurring El Nino phenomenon. Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said he is getting lonely from the lack of negotiation in the near two-year long train driver pay dispute, as he joined union members on the picket line on Monday. Members of the train drivers union walked out for the third strike in the past four days, hampering services operated by c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway, Great Northern and Thameslink. The union says the dispute has cost the industry more than 2 billion so far, with no sign of a breakthrough or talks planned. Members of the train drivers union are launching a wave of fresh walkouts in a long-running dispute over pay (Aaron Chown/PA) Aslef last met with the Rail Delivery Group, the body that represents all rail companies, in April 2023, with rail minister Huw Merriman in Jan 2023, and with the transport minister in Dec 2022. Theyre hardly rushing to try and resolve this in any way shape or form, Mr Whelan told the PA news agency, adding: They havent come to the table. Im getting lonely, they dont write, they dont ring. We want to resolve this, were not here to perpetuate it. Mr Whelan said he understood the publics frustration at the unions methods but described strike action as a necessary evil. He said: When you interrupt peoples lives and their ability to get to work, quite naturally some people get aerated. Id much rather not be in this position. Nobody wants to stand out here in the cold and the rain some days, losing money, but at the end of the day if we dont do this how do we articulate the cause that weve got? Aslef members at 16 train companies are also banning overtime on Monday and Tuesday. Reiterating Aslefs grievances, Mr Whelan said: The people behind me havent had a pay rise for five years, which is rather ironic considering we have done 17 pay deals in the last 12 months. So, this is very much a Westminster political problem. We work for 16 private companies, with contracts with the Government, who are all making hundreds of millions of pounds in profits, all declaring dividends to their shareholders, and yet we cant have a pay rise. Mr Whelan said negotiations had so far been conducted in bad faith, with unreasonable red lines being drawn in the two deals offered. Ive never dealt with such disingenuous, deceitful and dishonourable people as I have dealt with in this process. The first deal they put out there some 12 or 14 months ago hadnt been on the negotiating table. Many services were not running as Aslef members went out on strike in a further dispute over pay (Lucy North/PA) It said basically rip up all your terms and conditions, rip up all your local agreements, agree not to negotiate on behalf of your members in future and well give you a 20% pay cut. That was never going to fly. We went back to the table in good faith and they did something similar the second time. We spent a month taking all the red lines out of the deal to give it a chance and an opportunity to work, and last month they put them all back. Its not us that has behaved badly, its not us who has not gone back to the table, and it is not us who has breached the trust. Aslef rejected a deal from operators made through the RDG last year, which would have taken drivers salaries to 65,000 for a four-day week. The union is set to enter negotiations with some rail operators over future pay levels this month, which could bring about further strike action running alongside the current dispute over historic pay levels. Train drivers at 16 rail companies are holding a rolling programme of one-day walkouts between April 5 and 8, coupled with a six-day ban on overtime (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Mr Whelan was not hopeful of a resolution, which could spell further misery for passengers on Britains railways. He said: I dont see how we can resolve this years pay when we dont know what were getting for the previous years, because you dont know the worth of it. I would imagine at some point, when we have exhausted the process, this is quite likely where we will end up again. Looking towards the looming general election, Mr Whelan said: Im on the Labour Party NEC and I believe Labour needs to be in power. Weve had 14 years of austerity. Nobody knows where the money has gone. It is the most economically incompetent Government in the history of all Parliaments. We have borrowed more money outside of the pandemic than anybody else. Weve lurched from economic crisis to economic crisis, five million people in poverty, one million in destitution. Who are they serving? Its not the public. Its not workers. A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: We remain committed to resolving this dispute and our offer, which would take average driver salaries to 65,000 for a four-day week without overtime, remains on the table. Brompton offered free use of its bikes today to help anyone struggling to travel because of the train strike. Managing director Julian Scriven said people who downloaded the companys app would have a free ride for the day. US country star Morgan Wallen was arrested after he allegedly threw a chair off the rooftop of a bar in Tennessee. Wallen, 30, was taken into custody on three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one misdemeanour count of disorderly conduct, the Metro Nashville Police said. Wallen is alleged to have thrown a chair from the six-storey rooftop of Chiefs Bar in Nashville on Sunday, which landed close to two officers from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD). Country artist Morgan Wallen, 30, was booked early today on 3 cts of felony reckless endangerment and 1 ct of misdemeanor disorderly conduct for throwing a chair from the rooftop of Chief's Bar Sun night. The chair landed on Broadway, close to 2 MNPD officers. His bond: $15,250. pic.twitter.com/6gRZKI3pWl Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 8, 2024 The arrest comes months before the US star headlines BST Hyde Park in London on July 4 with his One Night At A Time show. Wallens lawyer, Worrick Robinson, said in a statement to the PA news agency: At 10.53pm Sunday evening Morgan Wallen was arrested in downtown Nashville for reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. He is co-operating fully with authorities. Wallen was released from custody on a bond of $15,250 (12,000) and a court date was scheduled for May 3, his lawyer confirmed. The arrest comes days after Wallen hit the headlines when fans booed at his concert in Indianapolis, after comments he made about the popularity of Taylor Swift. They told me right before I walked on stage that this is the single most attended concert in the history of this building, he said at the Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday, in videos circulating online. Im going to say that until Taylor Swift comes to town, he said, which led to boos from concert-goers. We aint got to boo, we aint got to boo, Wallen said, before thanking them for their loyalty. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have celebrated Anglo-French relations at a ceremony marking the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale. Edward and Sophie inspected UK and French troops on Buckingham Palaces forecourt during the event highlighting ties between the two nations. The duke and duchess, representing the King who is continuing his cancer treatment and was not at Buckingham Palace, walked past 32 members of the 1st and 2nd Infantry regiments of the Garde Republicaine and then 40 guardsmen from F Company Scots Guards, lined up opposite their French counterparts. They were joined by General Sir Patrick Sanders, UK Chief of General Staff, the French chief of the army staff General Pierre Schill and Frances ambassador to the UK Helene Duchene. French troops parade at Buckingham Palace (Aaron Chown/PA) The event was the first time a non-Commonwealth country has taken part in the Changing Of The Guard ceremony although the French troops did not guard the royal residence. Major Jamie Drummond-Moray, Officer Commanding F Company Scots Guards, said: It is an enormous privilege for us to host the French here in London and to play such a significant part in a ceremony that has never happened before with a non-Commonwealth country. It really is a monumental occasion and more so given that it is marking 120 years of the strong relationship between the UK with France. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of the King, watch the ceremony with French ambassador to the UK, Helene Duchene (Victoria Jones/PA) The Duchess of Edinburgh attended the ceremony (Victoria Jones/PA) I think its a great honour for all our soldiers, and a fantastic day for everyone in France and the UK. The Entente Cordiale was signed between the UK and France in 1904 and ushered in improved relations between the two nations which had fought against each other during the Napoleonic Wars. The King, accompanied by the Queen, carried out a state visit to France in September last year, their first foreign visit after the coronation. British and French soldiers stand guard at the Elysee Palace on Monday (Thibault Camus/AP) During the event on Monday, the national anthems of both countries were played and Edward and Sophie stopped to talk to some of the troops on parade as they inspected the military personnel. The ceremony was mirrored in the French capital where 16 soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards joined troops from the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Garde Republicaine to provide the Presidential Guard outside the Elysee Palace. The Government has only achieved three out of 10 commitments it made to boost the UKs energy security two years ago, analysis has suggested. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) examined the plans laid out in the British Energy Security Strategy in April 2022, in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, to boost security of supplies and keep bills low. It accused the Government of going backwards on reducing the countrys reliance on expensive foreign fossil fuel imports. The think tanks assessment highlighted 10 key areas for action in the Governments 2022 strategy, from energy efficiency and grid operations to offshore wind and nuclear power, and warned only three of them had been achieved. The areas where the Government has made progress in boosting energy security are on hydrogen, including awarding the first contracts for hydrogen projects, work to improve the network and grid operations, and boosting oil and gas production. But the ECIU warned that issuing more oil and gas licences would not help with bills as international markets set the price of fossil fuel energy, and as oil and gas drilled here does not necessarily stay in the UK it would not improve security. Elsewhere, the Government was off track to retrofit 450,000 homes with insulation and energy saving measures by 2026 to cut gas demand and bills, according to the ECIU, and likely only to manage half the target level. The last offshore wind energy auction delivered no new projects, targets to develop new nuclear power had not been met and green levies had not been moved off electricity to support clean tech such as heat pumps, the analysis said. The analysis also found that while there had been some progress on shifting heating away from gas and oil to clean heat pumps, with a 7,500 grant now in place for households making the switch, other targets and measures had been delayed or scrapped. New onshore wind developments are still not progressing in England, while there is some progress on delivering more solar power and reducing wait times for energy projects to connect to the grid, the analysis said. Jess Ralston, energy analyst at the ECIU, said: The UK has had two energy security strategies within two years and were still going backwards, becoming more dependent on foreign imports. She said the Governments Bill requiring annual auctions for North Sea licences for oil and gas drilling had been described as unnecessary by the regulator, and would generate minimal more output. North Sea production was in decline and without a shift away from gas, the UK would be increasingly reliant on foreign fossil fuels, she warned. The PMs U-turning on insulation standards and heat pumps is leaving the UK less energy independent. And his Governments policy failures in securing new offshore wind farms mean the UK could miss out on 22 times more homegrown electricity than could be generated by gas from new North Sea licences. If it genuinely wants greater energy security its prioritising the wrong things, she said. She acknowledged that the Government had increased the heat pump grant and sales were picking up, but delaying other policies meant the UK was lagging far behind other countries including the US and many in Europe. Heat pumps are one of the UKs best weapons in the fight for energy independence, she said. A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) spokesperson said the Government did not accept the claims. Since we published the British Energy Security Strategy we have allocated billions to improve energy efficiency, announced a dedicated record pot of 800 million to back offshore wind projects and increased our heat pump grant to 7,500 making it one of the most generous schemes in Europe and helping families with costs. We have achieved all this while maintaining one of the most secure and diverse energy systems in the world, with renewables now accounting for nearly half of our electricity up from 7% in 2010 while backing a domestic oil and gas supply and ending the stop-start approach to nuclear, they said. The producer who secured the infamous Newsnight interview with the Duke of York has said it was hard to keep a poker face while Andrew was speaking. The story of how Sam McAlister secured the interview about Andrews friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is told in the new Netflix film Scoop, based on her memoir. McAlister is played by Billie Piper, while Andrew is played by Rufus Sewell and interviewer Emily Maitlis is played by Gillian Anderson. Sam McAlister (left) and Billie Piper attend the world premiere of Scoop (Ian West/PA) Recalling what was going through her mind as Andrew made claims about his ability to sweat, standard shooting weekends and a trip to a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking, Surrey, McAlister told ITVs Good Morning Britain: I was sitting about 15 feet behind him. I had two parts of my brain. Im an ex-criminal defence barrister, so my lawyer brain was going OMG the prosecution have won the lottery here. Because if those statements were false, they were very easy to disprove. And my journalist brain is going OMG weve won the lottery here. So, really, it was quite hard to keep a poker face for 50 minutes of that, with those kinds of answers. I was basically looking at the floor a lot, trying not to make eye contact. And it really was an extraordinary experience to hear this avalanche of answers. Rufus Sewell as the Duke of York, Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis and Keeley Hawes as Amanda Thirsk in Scoop (Peter Mountain/Netflix/PA) Another version of the story of the interview will be told in the Amazon series A Very Royal Scandal, starring Ruth Wilson as Maitlis and Michael Sheen as Andrew. Maitlis, who left Newsnight to host The News Agents podcast with former BBC journalists Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall, is an executive producer on the production. McAlister described the other version as complementary rather than a rival, adding: Its fantastic. Obviously this movie is told from my perspective, inevitably, because its from my book, and Emilys will be from her perspective. Its great theres so much interest and Im so sorry to disappoint I know everyone loves a scrap between women but no, (there is) absolutely none whatsoever. I wish her nothing but happiness and success and Im sure she feels the same about me. Ive never felt jealousy or rivalry in my entire life. KABUL, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Some 40 foreign nationals are currently imprisoned in Afghanistan's jails, local media reported Sunday. "The number of foreign prisoners across Afghanistan in our custody has reached 40 -- those whose cases are criminal, including murder and other issues, and they are from various countries, including neighboring ones," TOLOnews quoted Habibullah Badar, deputy head of the office of the prison administration of the country, as saying. The Afghan caretaker government's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the detention of two U.S. nationals in Afghanistan in late March. A Britons claim of being the first person to run the length of Africa has been thrown into doubt after it was contested by a running association. Russ Cook, nicknamed the Hardest Geezer, celebrated crossing the finish line in Tunisia on Sunday after spending 352 days taking on the challenge which saw him cover more than 10,000 miles. During the trek, Mr Cook, from Worthing, West Sussex, took more than 19 million steps and passed through 16 countries while raising money for charity. However, the 27-year-olds claim has been challenged by the World Runners Association (WRA) a group made up of seven athletes who have successfully circumnavigated the world on foot. (PA Graphics) The WRA said one of its members, Jesper Kenn Olsen, from Denmark, was the first person to run the length of Africa, during his world run challenge which saw him run across several continents. The association said Mr Olsen began his challenge on December 28 2008 in Taba, Egypt, before running 7,948 miles (12791km) to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa completing his journey in 2010. Mr Olsen ran through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. He hereby fulfilled the criteria for a full-length run across Africa, said WRA president Phil Essam. The WRA recognises Mr Jesper Kenn Olsen of Denmark as the first person to have run the full length of Africa. The World Runners Association therefore contests the claim made by British national Mr Russ Cook to be the first person to run the length of Africa. Russ Cook completed his challenge on Sunday (Russ Cook/PA) Mr Cook set off from South Africas most southerly point on April 22 2023, facing visa complications, health scares and an armed robbery, and believes he is the first person to run the full length of Africa. He arrived in Ras Angela, Tunisias most northerly point, at about 4.40pm on Sunday and was greeted with shouts and cheers from those who had flown out to meet him. Speaking at a press conference in Bizerte, Tunisia, on Monday morning he said he hopes the completion of his challenge will inspire others to take up sport. Honestly its totally bananas to me the amount of people who have been following and coming out to support, he said. It would be awesome to get people moving more. Im a big believer in sport in general doing wonders for peoples lives. It changed my lifestyle. I would love for more people to be inspired or motivated to go out running or taking on any kind of sport. Our whole goal is to use the power of running to try and empower young people who are going through hard times. The first person ever to run the entire length of Africa. Mission complete pic.twitter.com/PZk5aDCDgH Russ Cook (@hardestgeezer) April 7, 2024 Describing what motivated him during his almost year-long journey, Mr Cook said: I think my deepest level of motivation for me is the legacy for my family, the Cook name, and when I have kids and what I want to pass on to them thats the deepest level of motivation for me when times are tough. I knew it was going to be hard, but I knew I was going into the unknown so I had no idea of how hard it was going to be. Its safe to say it surpassed all expectations. Mr Cook said he went through about 30 pairs of trainers during his journey, which has raised more than 779,000 for charity. Asked how he washed during the challenge, he jokily replied Not very often, before explaining there was a shower on the vehicle that accompanied him but he also used rivers, bucket baths, lakes and hotel showers when possible. Irelands deputy premier has said he took legal action against Google over ads that were linked to him in the public interest. Tanaiste and foreign affairs minister Micheal Martin launched a court action against the tech giant in December over ads that were linked to him. The High Court in Dublin issued a court order to force the multinational to hand over information about the adverts. Mr Martin said it doesnt augur well for ordinary citizens when the deputy leader of a country needs to take a social media company to court to get basic information. He said the material received through the court order is being forensically analysed to find the source, which he said is taking some time. We do need to know who is behind all of this, and why are the social media companies taking to revenue? he said speaking in Co Armagh on Monday. These are ads that are defamatory, that are false, so I think I have an obligation to the public good to try and pursue this as far as I can. He said that there was a similar situation on Twitter in the latter two weeks of the referendum campaign in relation to the family and carer amendments in March, which Mr Martin is pursuing Twitter in terms of full transparency. As a deputy prime minister of government to have to go into those lengths to actually get some basic information as to whos behind these fake ads, false ads and defamatory ads, I think doesnt augur well for the citizens capacity to do likewise in respect of citizens being undermined by social media. There are concerns about the potential for online interference in the European and local election in June 7. Irelands new electoral authority An Coimisiun Toghchain is advising voters to treat every day like its April Fools Day ahead of the polls. We are conscious of the increasing the capacity to interfere with elections in the most negative way on the social media platforms, Mr Martin said. This is an issue the government has to return to, I think, with a sharper focus and well have to engage with the companies across social media in respect to the integrity of elections. I think this is a very important issue and its a key issue. Jack OConnell said his Back To Black co-star Marisa Abela worked very hard in her portrayal of Amy Winehouse because no one wanted to do a basic imitation. The stars of the new film from British director Sam Taylor-Johnson appeared at the world premiere on Monday at the Odeon Luxe in London including OConnell, Abela, and Eddie Marsan, who plays the late singers dad Mitch Winehouse. The film follows the tumultuous relationship between Winehouse (Abela) and Blake Fielder-Civil (OConnell), which inspired her to write and record the Grammy-winning album Back To Black in 2006. Eddie Marsan, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Marisa Abela and Jack OConnell attending the world premiere of Sam Taylor-Johnsons Back To Black (Ian West/PA) I just thought Marisa knuckled down so hard because these are obviously huge boots to step into and no one wanted to do a basic imitation, OConnell told the PA news agency at the premiere. So she worked hard, I worked hard, and made sure that when we were on set, we could just be free, spontaneous, instinctive, and it was just a great environment to work in. Abela, who was wearing black in a nod to the films title, said she took the music from Winehouse as a gospel for all of her relationships. She told PA: After a breakup and you go to write songs like Love Is A Losing Game, or Some Unholy War, or Wake Up Alone. What is that feeling to be able to have the emotional intensity to go and write songs like those that are so full of vulnerability and pain, but also emotional intelligence? And I think it was just about really writing those things down for me and exploring those feelings and always working backwards there was no doubt in my mind that I had to be completely and utterly in love, because you can hear it in the music. Marisa Abela attending the world premiere of Sam Taylor-Johnsons Back To Black (Ian West/PA) Meanwhile, OConnell said Taylor-Johnson created a real safe space to experiment and get things both right and wrong. Its a great way to work, the 33-year-old added. Taylor-Johnson said that she first and foremost immersed herself in the music from Winehouse, describing the film as a celebration of the music. We lived in the same neighbourhood so I had an awareness of her around, seen her at Ronnie Scotts way back in the early days when she was part of the up and coming voices of jazz, the Fifty Shades Of Grey filmmaker told PA. The music was everything when I was working on the script because we went through all her journals and lyrics and everything to do with music as our path in and that felt like the best way to celebrate her, to bring back her voice, almost gift it back to her for us all to hear within the narrative of her life rather than the sort of overview. Sam Taylor-Johnson (left) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson attending the world premiere of Sam Taylor-Johnsons Back To Black (Ian West/PA) Taylor-Johnson appeared at the premiere alongside her husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who recently hit the headlines as he is reportedly set to be the next actor to play fictional spy James Bond in the film franchise. Winehouse, who was known for hits including Valerie, Rehab and Tears Dry On Their Own, died aged 27 on July 23 2011 from alcohol poisoning. Marsan, 55, told PA: I think Amy in the tradition of great jazz singers, she was going through her own personal problems, her own mental health issues her own trauma, just like Billie Holiday did someone on that vein or Miles Davis, and the music, the jazz was a means by which they could deal with their trauma. So it wasnt in order to sell records to you or me, it was a necessity, what they needed to do in order to survive. But because of the authenticity that was involved, it appeals to us. Back To Black will be released in UK cinemas on April 12. Sarina Wiegman confirmed that Leah Williamson will start for England in their European Championship qualifier against Republic of Ireland. The Arsenal defender is set to make her Lionesses comeback after nearly a year out following an ACL injury. Williamson made the bench for Englands 1-1 draw against Sweden in Group A3 on Friday, but when asked if she would be starting against Ireland in a pre-match press conference, head coach Wiegman replied: Yep. Tuesdays game will be Williamsons first for the Lionesses since a friendly against Australia last April and Wiegman highlighted the 27-year-olds strengths. Weve had hard choices to make in the team because I think the competitiveness is really high and we have many options in different positions, she said. I think what Leah brings us is vision, in possession shes just very bright and finds the right pass. The flexibility, the defence, being able to defend the space behind her together with everyone else, because defending doesnt just start with one player, it starts with the team, and I hope Leah will bring that to the team tomorrow. Williamsons England return was slightly delayed after she was forced to withdraw from the squad in February for friendly matches due to a hamstring strain, but she admitted her aim was to be good enough to return to the team. Ive enjoyed watching the girls, Ive enjoyed being part of that journey in a different way, obviously Ive got people that play for the team who are very important to me, Williamson said. Its been a difficult journey, Id be lying if I said this wasnt the thing Id had my focus on, this is where I wanted to get back to. I wanted to be good enough to get back into this squad, Ive had some of the best memories of my life as part of this team. England began their qualifying campaign with a draw against Sweden after Fridolina Rolfo cancelled out Alessia Russos opener. Ireland were narrowly beaten 1-0 by France in their opener on Thursday and Wiegman is determined not to underestimate them at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. They were promoted to this group and I think dont underestimate anyone, especially not Ireland, she said. Theyve had a 1-0 result against France, that was really good. What we expect is they are a physical team and are very well-organised, so they can play the counter attack. Leah Williamson and Sarina Wiegman were speaking ahead of Englands qualifier against the Republic of Ireland (Damien Eagers/PA) You can try to take that opportunity and moments that they will probably jump and press out, so we have to be aware of that. Were definitely going to think thats hard to break down their defence. Williamson is also expecting a disciplined performance from Ireland, who are led by Arsenal team-mate Katie McCabe. Im expecting them to be really disciplined in the way they defend, we saw a 1-0 result against France so I think its going to be a test for us to move the ball and move them, I see those battles, Williamson added. Obviously theyve got key players up top but also a strong defensive line as well, I know all those girls really well so its going to be a good one. Abortion rights supporters and opponents protest in Washington DC on 20 January 2024. Photograph: Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images Donald Trump on Monday announced his belief that individual US states should decide the legality of abortion, declining to endorse a national ban on the procedure. The former presidents stated position dashed hopes of anti-abortion groups, who want a federal ban, and drew the ire of Democrats, who blame Trump for outright bans and severe restrictions already in place across the south and midwest. Trumps announcement had been highly anticipated by Democrats, who believe the fight over abortion rights helps them at the polls, and Republicans, who failed to push Trump to endorse a national abortion ban during their partys primary. In a four-minute video post on Truth Social, Trump said it was up to the states to do the right thing while also touting his work to confirm the conservative supreme court justices who ultimately overturned Roe v Wade in 2022. States will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said in the videotaped address. Whatever they decide must be the law of the land, or in this case the law of the state. Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks, some will be more conservative than others, he continued. At the end of the day this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or in many cases your religion or faith. Do whats right for your family, and do whats right for yourself, he added. Joe Biden seized on Trumps announcement, saying Trump had made it clear once again today that he is more than anyone in America the person responsible for ending Roe v Wade. Trump is scrambling. Hes worried that since hes the one responsible for overturning Roe the voters will hold him accountable in 2024. Well, I have news for Donald. They will, the president said in a statement. In a press call, a spokesperson for the Biden-Harris campaign said abortion bans and severe restrictions are the reality facing women in this country because Donald Trump overturned Roe v Wade, and that Donald Trump owns the state of abortion rights in our country. The campaign promised to restore federal protections for abortion up to the point of viability, or when a fetus can live outside the womb, if Biden is re-elected. Viability is generally considered at 24 weeks gestation. A full term pregnancy is 39 weeks. Donald Trumps comments today are an endorsement of the nightmare were seeing play out in the 21 states with abortion bans, said Kaitlyn Kash, who was denied an abortion in Texas in spite of severe abnormalities in the fetus she was carrying. At a 13-week ultrasound, Kash found out her fetus had skeletal dysplasia, a condition that meant her childs bones would be crushed in utero. If she gave birth, she was told, the baby would likely suffocate soon afterward. It is unthinkable to me that anyone could cheer on the cruel abortion bans that threaten womens lives, said Kash, who was forced to seek an abortion out of state. She is one of several women suing Texas. For more than a year Trump has declined to say when in a pregnancy he would try to draw the line, even as Republican-led states have ushered in a wave of new restrictions and anti-abortion groups pressured him and other Republican presidential candidates to endorse a federal ban on the procedure. In his statement, Trump did not say whether he would sign into law a national abortion ban if he were president and Congress passed a federal limit. Neither did he say how he, as a resident of Florida, would vote on a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights into that states constitution. Senior Republican senator Lindsey Graham declared his opposition to Trumps position Monday, saying that leaving the issue entirely to the states runs contrary to an American consensus that would limit late-term abortions. I will continue to advocate that there should be a national minimum standard limiting abortion at 15 weeks because the child is capable of feeling pain, with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, Graham said. In a statement on Monday, Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of SBA Pro-Life America, one of the most powerful anti-abortion groups in the country, said she was deeply disappointed in Trumps position. Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry, she said, adding that allowing states to decide the issue cedes the national debate to the Democrats. Dannenfelser had previously warned that her group would not support any candidate who refused to support a national ban. On Monday, she said her group would work tirelessly to defeat Joe Biden in November. Democrats, who have made abortion a central issue of the election, said Trump supported laws in the more than two dozens states that have imposed outright bans or restrictions on the procedure since Roe v Wade was overturned. Donald Trump is endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions, Ammar Moussa, director of rapid response for the Biden campaign, wrote on X. And hes bragging about his role in creating this hellscape. In the video, Trump thanked the six conservative supreme court justices three of whom he appointed as president for having the courage to allow this long-term, hard fought battle to finally end by striking down Roe v Wade nearly 50 years after it was decided. He also sought to portray Democrats as radical for opposing abortion access restrictions. But he simultaneously blamed Republicans for being too extreme on the issue. Since the 2022 ruling, Democrats and pro-choice voters have won big at the ballot box, including in conservative states where abortion bans have proved unpopular. Meanwhile public polling has consistently found that a majority of Americans generally favor access to abortion. In articulating his position, Trump said he was strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. You must follow your heart on this issue but remember you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country, he said. Trump emphasized his support for in vitro fertilization (IVF), after a February court ruling in Alabama declared frozen embryos people in a decision that threatened to shut down fertility treatments in the state. The decision sparked widespread backlash and Republicans raced to distance themselves from it, even though some in Congress have supported legislation that would recognize embryos as humans entitled to legal protections. Trump praised the Republican-dominated Alabama state legislature for passing a law protecting IVF after the outcry. Reproductive medicine specialists said the law did not go far enough. Trump has long argued that the supreme courts decision overturning Roe gave those who oppose abortion rights tremendous power to negotiate. He said he wanted to use that leverage to strike a deal that he hoped would make both sides happy and bring the country together even though the issue is one of the most contentious in American politics, with opponents viewing abortion as a form of murder and proponents seeing it as a fundamental right. Trump suggested last month in a radio interview that he was leaning toward supporting a national abortion ban at about 15 weeks of pregnancy which is early in the second trimester. The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And Im thinking in terms of that, he said on WABC radio. And itll come out to something thats very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at. At the same time, Trump seemed reluctant to embrace a federal ban. Everybody agrees youve heard this for years, all the legal scholars on both sides agree: its a state issue. It shouldnt be a federal issue, its a state issue, he said. On the campaign trail, Trump has been ambivalent on abortion. He routinely takes credit for appointing the supreme court justices who set the stage for the elimination of Roe v Wade, which he has called a moral and unconstitutional atrocity. He has also called himself the most pro-life president in American history. But he has repeatedly dismissed as too extreme fellow Republicans who oppose exceptions to abortion in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the pregnant person is at risk. And he has said being too hard-line on the issue cost Republicans at the polls in the 2022 midterms and could do so again when he challenges Biden in Novembers presidential election. Demonstrators in Quito demand the release of Jorge Glas outside the Mexican embassy. Photograph: Karen Toro/Reuters Ecuadors former vice-president Jorge Glas has reportedly been taken to hospital from the maximum security jail where he was being held three days after the politician was captured inside Mexicos embassy in Quito during a police raid that drew outrage across Latin America. Glas, 54, was sent to the Alcatraz-inspired prison La Roca (the Rock) in Guayaquil on Saturday, one day after being detained by Ecuadorian security forces inside the Mexican mission where he had sought asylum. Ecuadors highly controversial decision to arrest Glas, which was condemned from Brasilia to Brussels, was widely seen as a flagrant violation of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations under which embassy premises are considered inviolable. In another dramatic development, reports in the Ecuadorian media on Monday afternoon said Glas had been taken from La Roca to a nearby naval hospital in an ambulance. It was not immediately clear why the former vice-president who had been twice convicted of corruption and was considered a fugitive by Ecuadorian authorities had been taken to hospital. Several local newspapers reported that the politician had suffered drug intoxication, although it was not immediately possible to verify the claims. In a statement, Glass lawyer, Andres Villegas Pico, said he had been told by the prison warden that his client had been found unawakened in his cell at 8.30am. Security personnel claimed Glas had not wanted to eat food for the whole of Sunday it is assumed he took an overdose of medication in order to sleep, Villegas added. His lawyer said he had no further details of what happened, of his medical progress, or a clear diagnosis, adding: His life is in danger. Ecuadors prison authority claimed that, after refusing prison food for 24 hours, Glas had suffered a possible imbalance and been taken to hospital by paramedics. His condition was stable and he would remain under observation, it said on Monday afternoon. As news of his admission to hospital spread, the exiled former leftist president Rafael Correa, under whom Glas served from 2013 to 2017, tweeted: This was what I feared. The scoundrels will jump for joy. Hang in there, Jorge! The decision by Ecuadors incumbent conservative president, Daniel Noboa, to order the Friday night raid on Mexicos embassy, which was painted as part of his nascent war on crime, prompted a torrent of criticism from across the political spectrum in Latin America. It was an authoritarian act not even the fearful [Chilean dictator Augusto] Pinochet and others had been so bold, the Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, told reporters on Monday. European governments also condemned Ecuadors move. All governments must respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions, the UKs Foreign Office said on Sunday. The safety and security of diplomatic premises and staff is a fundamental principle guiding diplomatic relations. Noboa issued a statement on Monday afternoon in which he sought to justify his actions to the international community. The 36-year-old politician claimed he had taken exceptional decisions in order to protect national security, the rule of law and the dignity of a people who will not tolerate any kind of impunity for criminals, crooks, corrupt people or narco-terrorists. Ecuador is a country of peace and justice, which respects all nations and international law, the president said. A woman cries on rubble of a collapsed building in Khan Younis, Gaza. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Good morning. Israel has pulled all of its ground troops out of southern Gaza for tactical reasons, the countrys army has said, relieving reservists after nearly four months of intense fighting in the decimated southern city of Khan Younis. Displaced Palestinians from the city may now be able to return to their homes. While two brigades will remain in northern Gaza, the withdrawal raises questions about the future direction of the war. The Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said on Sunday evening that the move was part of preparations to launch a ground attack on Gazas southern-most city of Rafah, but the timing of the announcement coincided with the beginning of a round of mediated talks in Cairo aimed at securing a second ceasefire and hostage release deal. How are the truce talks in Cairo going? Negotiations in the Egyptian capital have made significant progress, the Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera reported on Monday. The Qatari and Hamas delegations were expected to return within two days to finalize the terms of the agreement. What is being discussed? Before the new talks began, Hamas reiterated its demands issued in a 14 March proposal, which include a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a return of displaced people to their homes, and a serious exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. Boeing engine cover falls off during takeoff In the latest in a series of safety problems facing the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, US airline regulators have opened an investigation after an engine cowling on a Boeing plane fell off during takeoff on Sunday and struck the wing flap. Southwest Airlines flight 3695 rose to about 10,300 ft (3,140 metres) before returning safely 25 minutes after takeoff to Denver international airport, where it was towed to a gate. There were no injuries. In other news At least 94 people have died and 26 are missing after an overcrowded makeshift ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique. Joe Biden could be left off the November election ballot in Ohio unless the Democratic National Convention meets earlier or statutory requirements in the state are changed or exempted, the Ohio secretary of state said. A Colorado journalist was removed from the state Republican party assembly this weekend because the state party chair claimed her reporting on the party was very unfair. Stat of the day: Trillions of cicadas are about to erupt from the earth in the US Trillions of cicadas are expected to emerge from the earth in much of the mid-western and eastern US when the surfacing of two separate cicada broods coincide. These are periodical cicadas with a life cycle that involves the juvenile cicadas living underground and feeding on plant sap for years before surfacing en masse. The simultaneous appearance of the two cicada broods known as Brood XIX and Brood XII has not happened since 1803. Its really exciting. Ive been looking forward to this for many years, said Catherine Dana, an entomologist who specializes in cicadas at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For the public, its going to be a really special experience. Dont miss this: The tens of thousands missing in Gaza After six months of chaos and war, the whereabouts of tens of thousands in Gaza are unknown. With more than 33,000 killed mostly women and children the loved ones of the missing fear the worst. Some cling to the hope that some of the disappeared, especially badly traumatized children or the psychologically ill, may still be alive but are unable to find their relatives. Others hope and also fear that their missing loved ones may be detained by the Israeli army. All over the world, people tell us that the most painful part of a conflict is not the hunger or the danger but the separation from relatives and not knowing what has happened to them, said Sarah Davies, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel and the occupied territories. or this: Detecting the undetectable deepfake With generative AI getting better and better each day, the days of looking for tell-tale signs to spot a fake are nearly over. Experts are now scrambling in a race against time for new methods to counter disinformation. Were running out of time of still being able to do manual detection, said Mike Speirs, of the AI consultancy Faculty, where he leads the companys work on counter-disinformation. The models are developing at a speed and pace that is, well, incredible from a technical point of view, and quite alarming. Climate check: Toxic PFAS may be contaminating water sources of US prisons A study has found that at least 1 million people, including 13,000 juveniles, are estimated to be housed in prisons with water sources that are probably contaminated with toxic PFAS. These a class of about 15,000 chemicals often used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat that have been linked to cancer, liver problems, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems. We need to think about who is exposed and who has the least agency to mitigate their exposure thats why this is such a unique population, said Nicholas Shapiro, a study co-author at the University of California in Los Angeles. We see the dehumanization of incarcerated people across the country, and these exposures are symptoms of that larger problem. Last Thing: Total eclipse of the heart A large swath of the US, Canada and Mexico will experience a total solar eclipse today. But while most will be looking skyward, animal behaviorists at several zoos across its pathway will be watching animals to clock their reaction to the sudden darkness. During an eclipse in 2017, usually sedentary tortoises started rutting, frantic giraffes ran around aimlessly, and siamang gibbons embarked on an abrupt and tumultuous chorus of screams and barks. Most of the things that we saw then were related to what we call circadian responses, so sort of going into evening behavior, but we did see a lot of anxiety-related behavior as well, said Adam Hartstone-Rose, a professor of biological sciences at North Carolina State University, who will be leading a team of researchers and volunteer observers on Monday at Fort Worth zoo, Texas. Sign up First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If youre not already signed up, subscribe now. Get in touch If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com Just 76% of UK parliamentary terms have reached their designated end point over the past 50 years. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images If Rishi Sunak sounds tetchy when asked the question, it is nothing compared with the frustrations of many voters: when exactly will there be an election? And why, crucially, is it entirely up to him? To give the short answer, this is just the way UK politics is. Barring a fairly brief and largely botched recent experiment with fixed-term parliaments, election dates remain in the gift of a prime minister. To borrow a phrase sometimes used about jury trials, it is perhaps the worst system in the world, apart from all the other ones. One thing is clear: when it comes to the overall stability of parliaments, the UK is not exactly a world leader. A study released last month by an electoral campaign group, which mainly focused on metrics such as how long ministers stayed in post, also had telling statistics on the longevity of parliaments. In a league table of 17 countries with broadly comparable political systems, the UK came fourth last in terms of the proportion of parliamentary terms that reached their designated end point over the past 50 years. At 76%, Britain was worse than countries including Italy and Belgium. It is more a factor of political culture rather than rules. At the other end of the table were half a dozen countries with completion rates of between 98% and 100%. Of these, only one Norway has no constitutional provision for early elections. Parliamentary-centred democracies have differing needs from presidential ones. Thus, while the likes of Francois Hollande as French president could limp towards a firmly fixed election date with approval ratings of as low as 12%, for a prime minister this is not really an option. Part of this, of course, is that the government of the day has got to maintain the confidence of the elected chamber, says Ruth Fox, the director of the Hansard Society. Here, flexibility can be helpful. If a government is struggling, you want an exit mechanism before the final expiry date on the parliament. The need for such safety valves was demonstrated after the UK passed the Fixed-term Parliaments Act (FTPA) 2011, which dictated an election date of the first Thursday in May, five years after the last election. While this happened as planned in 2015, in the next four years there were snap elections called by Theresa May in 2017 and Boris Johnson in 2019, both of them taking advantage of the ability to change the timetable with the support of at least two-thirds of MPs, in these cases happily granted as a way to break Brexit impasses. Fox recalls warning in advance that the FTPA was unlikely to work, in part because she felt a four-year limit would have worked better but also because it was only passed as a sop to the Liberal Democrats under their coalition deal with the Conservatives, with minimal consideration of the probable repercussions. And so it proved, Fox says. As we saw, if the prime minister wants an election and can persuade his or her party to go for it, they can get around the law. So whats the additional value of it? An awful lot of time was spent on this by the democratic reform community but to what end? The Tories repealed the FTPA in 2022, and while the Lib Dems want to bring back the idea, Labour has no apparent interest in resurrecting it, meaning Sunak and his successors are stuck with endless questions about election dates for the foreseeable future. What repercussions are there for UK politics? To an extent there is a broader question: the recent political stability study, by the campaign group Make Votes Matter, argued that a much bigger factor in Britains recent flux had been its first-past-the-post electoral system. While advocates of first past the post like to claim it brings reassurance, five prime ministers since 2016, and an eight-month average period in office for UK cabinet ministers since 2019 arguably tell a different story. Joe Owen, a former senior civil servant who is now with the Institute for Government thinktank, notes some difficulties with a roving election date, not least how officials can superimpose budgets set by the financial year on to a change of government, which could come any time from this June to January 2025. The impact of this, Owen argues, tends to be more political than administrative. The fundamental point is that the civil service will still continue working to the government of the day. People often talk about civil servants dragging their feet ahead of an election, but a much bigger driver is whether ministers are still focused on getting stuff done, he says. Supporters of the far-Right Alternative for Germany, whose popularity rocketed last year during a boom in refugee arrivals - Markus Schreiber/AP Germanys opposition party has blamed illegal migration for a surge in crime after it emerged that the suspects in two-fifths of violent offences were foreign nationals. German police recorded six million crimes last year, a rise of 5.5 per cent. Violent crime rose to a 15-year high, with knife crime, violent assaults and murder all increasing, national statistics released this week show. More than four in 10 suspects in cases of violent crime were non-German nationals, close to three times higher than the share of foreign nationals in the population as a whole, which stands at 15 percent. Armin Schuster, the interior minister in the state of Saxony, called on Olaf Scholzs government to cap refugee numbers. Mr Schuster, a member of the centre-Right Christian Democrats, said: This very negative development shows how strained our integration services are in terms of accommodation, language and work... we urgently need a migration cap for refugees. Armin Schuster, of the Christian Democratic Union, said the rise in crime 'shows how strained our integration services are' - Jan Woitas/Avalon There was a steep rise in the number of migrants seeking asylum in Germany last year. More than 350,000 asylum applications were made during the year, five times the number in the UK during the same period. It is also the highest level seen since Angela Merkel opened Germanys borders to Syrian refugees in 2015. Alexander Throm, the home affairs spokesman for the Christian Democrats in the Bundestag, described the figures as alarming but not surprising and a consequence of Mr Scholzs open migration policies. Lamya Kaddor, a Green Party MP in Mr Scholzs coalition, said migrants were over-represented in the figures because they tended to belong to the lower rungs of society. The crime rate is higher among socio-economically disadvantaged groups, which very often include foreign nationals, she told Tagesspiegel newspaper. Criminologists have warned against reading too much into crime statistics, stressing that they record suspects and not those convicted of crimes. The far-Right Alternative for Germany partys popularity rocketed last year during the boom in refugee arrivals. Polling at 12 per cent at the beginning of 2023, the anti-immigration party reached 23 per cent by the end of the year. However, the party has been damaged by revelations that members discussed a plan to deport more than a million migrants, plus accusations that senior figures have taken backhanders from Russia. Last month, Czech media reported that the AfDs two top candidates for Mays European elections took money from Russia in exchange for giving Putin-friendly interviews to the media. AfD candidates Maximilian Krah and Petr Bystron denied the accusations. The ethereal spectacle of a total solar eclipse swept across North America on Monday afternoon, giving tens millions of people in Mexico, the US and Canada the chance to witness a rare and dazzling celestial show. Almost 32 million people were in the path of totality as the moons shadow crossed the Mexico-Texas border at lunchtime and traversed 15 states over the next hour and a half, although many, especially in the south and midwest, were denied a clear view by low clouds and rain. Those who did get to experience it were treated to a remarkable and surprisingly emotional display that wont be seen again in the US until 2044. Cities were plunged into sudden darkness, chilled by a precipitous drop in temperature, and felt the stillness of twilight in the middle of the day. Related: How and when to watch todays total solar eclipse Theres something very mysterious about a total solar eclipse, when literally day turns to night, animals start to behave differently, and we see changes in the Earths atmosphere, Pam Melroy, the deputy head of Nasa, and a retired astronaut who has degrees in astronomy and planetary sciences, told CNN. Its a mystical, mysterious experience. And I love the thought that millions of Americans stood together today, looking up into the sky. Tourism officials believe at least 4 to 5 million traveled from other parts of the US to witness the show, making it the countrys biggest travel day of the year and bringing in an estimated $1.5bn economic boost. Many were up before dawn to stake their place, and cities from Texas to Maine, as well as others outside the path of totality, hosted watch parties and gave away free eclipse glasses. Joe Biden posted a message from the White House, calling the eclipse an event worth marveling at, and urging Americans to use safety glasses to look at the sun. The Dallas-Fort Worth region was the largest metropolitan area on the path of totality, making north Texas a major destination and creating potential headaches for locals. The cloudy weather left some scrambling at the last minute to change plans and head for clearer skies, but for much of north Texas totality itself was clear. Ignas Barauskas traveled to Texas from Lithuania, arriving at midnight, just hours before the eclipse began. Better than all expectations, he told the Guardian, after the clouds parted and Dallas experienced almost four minutes of blackout. Everyone was screaming, like a concert, he added. For many, the experience proved costly, with surging air fares and exorbitant hotel rates. Others found long-held bookings canceled and resold to new customers at up to three times their original prices. Such was the interest in the eclipse that numerous states and municipalities declared states of emergency in expectation of massive crowds. The entire event, however, appears to have passed off peacefully, amid warnings from US intelligence of a rise in the terror threat, particularly for large gatherings, following last months deadly attack on a Moscow concert hall. Nasa live streamed the event for those who could not see the eclipse directly or lived outside the path of totality. Almost everywhere in North America experienced a partial eclipse of varying percentages depending on the proximity to its center track. The agency also conducted science experiments. It fired rockets into the moons shadow to study how Earths upper atmosphere is affected by the momentary dimming of sunlight and the possible impact on communications systems, and it harnessed an army of citizen volunteers to capture images of the solar corona during totality, then help analyze them afterwards. Related: What do animals do during an eclipse? Observers in US zoos hope to find out Meanwhile, at several zoos, researchers joined public volunteers to watch the behavior of animals. During previous eclipses, giraffes ran around frantically, tortoises started rutting and gibbons sang and barked, although television images of zebras at Dallas zoo on Monday showed them largely unimpressed by the event. The most recent total solar eclipse in the US was in 2017, but an interval of only seven years is unusual. This one had a longer track, and a wider shadow of totality than seven years ago because the moon was closer to Earth. The time of totality in any given location was also longer. In 2017, the longest duration anywhere was two minutes and 42 seconds. Today it was four minutes and 28 seconds in Torreon, Mexico, while almost every place along the path experienced between three and a half to four minutes of totality, even if those below could not always see the eclipse. The next total solar eclipse anywhere in the world is 12 August 2026, covering large areas of the northern hemisphere, with totality limited to Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small area of Portugal. The UK will see a partial eclipse of more than 90%. Residents of the mainland US must wait until 22 August 2044, when a total eclipse will be seen in North and South Dakota and Montana, plus northern Canada. Following that, it is almost exactly one year until the next coast-to-coast total eclipse in the US, on 12 August 2045, spanning California to Florida. Easter, 2022, two months after the Russian invasion began, Volodymyr Zelensky led his nation in prayer for Ukraine from the St Sophias Cathedral in Kyiv in a pre-recorded video Two years later, his prayerlist remains a highly relevant and concise guide for us as we pray for justice, peace and freedom. The president stood symbolically in the cathedral founded a thousand years ago on the site of a historic battle, a survivor of numerous previous invasions. From his memorised script, he spoke out this prayer: Today, we have faith in a new victory for Ukraine. We have faith that, once again, we will not be destroyed by any invading evil. We are enduring dark times. Although today is a day of light, most of us are not wearing colourful clothes. But we are fighting for light. We are fighting for the truth. And in that, God and the light of heaven are on our side. Above (on the cathedral walls) are words from the Psalms. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. Today, we all believe that our dawn is coming soon. And for the last two months we have all been praying. The Resurrection of Christ symbolises the victory of life over death. And today, each of us prays for the same thing. *** Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up We ask God to save Ukraine. Protect those who protect us: our military, our national guard, our border guards, our territorial defence, our intelligence services. Save them, our warriors of light. Help those who help them: our volunteers and anyone who cares for Ukraine, from here and around the world. Save the lives of those who save the lives of others: our medics, our firefighters, our rescuers, our sappers. Let life be not only a symbol of Easter. Let life win the battle against death every day of the year. Look after our mothers. Give endurance to those who are waiting for a son or daughter to return from the war. Give fortitude to those who have lost children on the front line. Give strength to those who have lost children in the peaceful cities and villages to which Russia has brought death. Grant health to our grandmothers for many more years. Grant them the chance to see their loved ones again. To see peace and victory. To see justice. And to see the happy old age that the invaders are trying to steal from them. For today, instead ot knitting scarves and jumpers for their grandchildren, they weave camouflage nets. Protect our fathers and our grandfathers. The men who once told their grandchildren about the last was, and now send them to the new one. The men who built this country, and today are seeing it destroyed. Let them see our land liberated and rebuilt, and give us the strength to rebuild it. Take care of our children. Give every boy and every girl a happy childhood, adulthood and old age a life long enough to rid themselves of their terrible youthful memories of war. The terrifying games they have been forced to play have no place in a childs life. Hide-and-seek, except they hide from bombs. Running not around a playground, but to shelter from gunshots. Travelling across the country, not to a holiday site but from their destroyed homes. Save all Ukrainians, We did not attack anyone, so defend us. We have never destroyed another nation, so do not let anyone destroy us. We have never seized another peoples land, so do not let anyone seize ours. And save Ukraine. Save us on the right and left banks of the Dnieper. For when winter ended, spring did not come. The frost of winter came to out homes, and at dawn we were brought nothing but darkness. God, we know that you will not forget the actions of those who have ignored your commandments. We know you will not forget about the atrocities in Bucha, Irpin, Borodyanka, Hostomel. And we also know that you will not forget those who survived these brutal crimes. Bring joy to them and all the people of Ukraine. We know you will not forget about the noise of the bombs that fell on Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Sumy, Kharkiv, Izyum, Kramatorsk and Volnovakha, Popasna. Let these cities instead hear the sound of Ukraine as victor. We know you will not forget about Mariupol and its heroic defenders. The invaders might destroy the citys walls, but they cannot destroy its foundations, the morale of our warriors; the morale of the whole. country. Today, we see terrible images of war. But let us soon see a happy picture of peace. Today, we are going through the hardest of trials. But let it soon reach the just verdict, the return of life, happiness and prosperity to Ukraine. Today, our hearts are full of fierce fury and our souls overflow with hatred for the invaders. But do not let this fury destroy us from within. Turn it into victories without. Transform our rage into a force with which to defeat evil. Save us from strife and from division. Do not let us lose our unity. Strengthen our will and our spirit. Do not let us lose ourselves. Do not let us lose our longing for freedom. And do not let us lose our passion for this righteous struggle. Do not let us lose our hope of victory, our self-esteem, our freedom. Do not let us lose our Ukraine. Do not let us lose our faith. *** Ukrainians, last year we celebrated Easter at home because of the pandemic. This year, once again, we are unable to celebrate the Resurrection as we used to. We are afflicted now by another virus: the plague of war. But know that last years illness and this ones are united by one truth: that nothing can defeat Ukraine. And so this great holiday gives us hope. It offers us faith that light will overcome darkness, good will overcome evil, life will overcome death. And it offers us faith that Ukraine will win. Can you think of any other current world leader who could lead his or her nation in such a prayer? Weekly Word is an initiative of The Schuman Centre for European Studies. Jeff Fountainis a New Zealander holding a Dutch passport, is currently the director of the Schuman Centre for European Studies (www.schumancentre.eu), and lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Jeff graduated with a history degree from the University of Auckland (1972) and worked as a journalist on the New Zealand Herald (1972-3), and as travelling secretary for Tertiary Student Christian Fellowship (TSCF) (1973). He has lived in the Netherlands since 1975, and has travelled and spoken in almost every European country. For twenty years following the fall of communism, he was the European director for the international and interdenominational mission organisation, Youth With A Mission. He was chairman of the international, trans-denominational movement, Hope for Europe, for which he organised two pan-European congresses in Budapest in 2002 and 2011. In 2010, he established the Schuman Centre for European Studies (www.schumancentre.eu) to promote biblical perspectives on Europes past, present and future, to encourage effective engagement in issues facing Europe today. Under commissioner Karen Webb, NSW police have paid out redundancies costing a total of almost $700,000 to three top media advisers. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/EPA Almost $700,000 in taxpayer funds has been paid out between three dumped New South Wales police media executives over the past two years, and commissioner Karen Webb sacked a fourth controversial pick mid-appointment last month. The $687,000 was shared between three public servants who worked as media and public affairs advisers to the commissioner since her appointment in February 2022. The highly-paid roles includes advising the commissioner on her public appearances and the forces public engagement strategies. Among those paid out was Grant Williams, who was made redundant in his role as executive director of NSW polices public affairs branch soon after Webb became commissioner in early 2022. Williams had been close to Webbs predecessor, Mick Fuller, whom he had served as executive media adviser and executive director of public affairs. Former television producer Alexandra Hodgkinson also received a payout, after serving as executive media adviser to Webb from February to December 2022. The executive director of public affairs position was filled by former News Corp editor Liz Deegan in April 2023. Deegan was dismissed earlier this year following criticism of the media strategy in the aftermath of the alleged murders of Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. The Guardian does not know how much of the $687,000 went to each of the three senior figures. Related: Call for investigation after media labels five-year-old kindergarten crim following NSW police comments The termination payouts were made in line with the Police Act. It states that senior police executives are to be paid out 38 weeks or for the training period on the contract whichever is lesser. If employment is terminated because of unsatisfactory performance, they must be paid out 13 weeks. Deegan was set to be replaced by the former Network Seven producer Steve Jackson before Webb backflipped when questions about the appointment were raised when images of Jackson began circulating in the media industry in Sydney. Jackson produced Sevens Spotlight interview with Bruce Lehrmann. Seven paid more than $100,000 in rent for the former Liberal staffer in return for the exclusive interview which was last week discussed at length as part of Lehrmanns defamation case. NSW police said at the time it had ceased the temporary appointment for the role because it needed to be fulfilled free from external distractions. It is understood Jackson may be in line for a further payout from NSW police after his appointment was terminated. The Police Act outlines that executives terminated during or at the end of probation should be paid out four weeks. Last week the federal court heard evidence in the Lehrmann defamation case that Taylor Auerbach, a former Spotlight producer and colleague of Jackson, had been in part backgrounding journalists about his time at Seven and that he hated Jackson. The $687,613.40 figure was released in answers to questions from the NSW MP Rod Roberts through the parliamentary estimates process. A NSW police spokesperson said: Termination payments are set by legislation. No further comment will be provided. People return to the ruins of Khan Younis after the Israeli forces withdrawal. Photograph: Ahmed Zaqout/Anadolu/Getty Images Thousands of Palestinians, exhausted by six months of unrelenting war and multiple displacements, trudged back to the devastated city of Khan Younis on Monday, a day after Israels unexpected withdrawal of its forces from southern Gaza. With many making the journey on foot from nearby Rafah, they struggled to find homes that had been atomised by the force of the bombardment in neighbourhoods heavy with the smell of death, where family and neighbours worked to dig out bodies long buried in the rubble. The retreat of Israels 98th division from southern Gaza on Sunday, the day that marked six months since the start of the war, baffled many Israeli commentators, with some suggesting it signalled an end to high-intensity fighting in Gaza. The departure of the forces now leaves only two Israeli brigades inside Gaza tasked with maintaining the physical separation of the northern and southern halves of the strip. Video from Khan Younis on Monday showed a landscape of shattered multistorey buildings, some walls defaced by Hebrew graffiti, and people scrambling over debris. With about 55% of buildings in the city destroyed or damaged, for many returning to their neighbourhoods in Gazas second-largest city the experience was emotionally shattering. We hoped we would find the house or the remnants of it or take something from it to cover us, Qandil, 46, one of those who had come back to Khan Younis, told AFP. We did not find the house. In every house there is a martyr, a wounded person. Words cannot describe the magnitude of the devastation and the suffering we experienced. We cried hysterically at the sight of the blood. Muhammad Abu Diab, 29, said: There is nothing left. I cannot bear the sight. Im going to look in the rubble until I find clothes to wear. Ill go back and live next to the rubble of my house even if its in a tent. Ahmad Abu al-Rish said: Its all just rubble. Animals cant live here, so how is a human supposed to? Israels sudden retreat from the city and the wider south has confounded many, after months in which officials said the militarys presence there was designed to put pressure on Hamas to release Israeli hostages. Although senior Israeli military and political officials said the withdrawal did not mark the end of the conflict or the postponement of Israels threatened assault on Rafah, it came alongside conflicting messagesfrom ceasefire talks in Cairo over the weekend, with some describing significant progress. Related: A WHO photographer in Gaza: Theres just an overwhelming need for peace While Israels military said its withdrawal of forces from southern Gaza was merely a regrouping as the army prepared to move into Hamass last stronghold, Rafah, the claim was met with some scepticism by Israeli commentators, who saw little evidence of Israeli preparations for a Rafah offensive or for the evacuation of the 1.4 million Palestinians from the city. Instead, critics of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, claim he is content to continue the war at a far lower intensity and tempo to prolong the conflict and his own political survival. The suggestion that the withdrawal could signify the war may be winding down sparked alarm among far-right members of Netanyahus coalition and newspaper commentators. Israels far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, warned that if Netanyahu decides to end the war without an expansive assault in Rafah, he wont have the mandate to serve as prime minister. That sentiment was echoed by his far-right colleague Bezalel Smotrich, who called for an immediate security cabinet meeting to discuss the progress of the war. Netanyahu appeared to mollify those sentiment on Monday, saying that a date had been set for the invasion of Rafah, but did not give further details. The senior military correspondent for the rightwing Jerusalem Post, Yonah Jeremy Bob, described the withdrawal of forces from southern Gaza as stunning. Some political and defence officials tried to offer apologetics for how it was hinted to [be], or consistent with Israels strategy to date but it simply was not, he said, describing it as an admission of failure. Even Israel Hayom, which for years existed as a mouthpiece for Netanyahu, struggled to believe the official explanation suggesting the withdrawal might be a precursor to a hostages-for-ceasefire deal. Ariel Kahana wrote: If we assemble all the pieces of the puzzle that is Israels moves in the past day it looks like a final, large and very dangerous and difficult effort to reach a hostage deal is being made. Appearing to reinforce that theory, the Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said on Monday that difficult decisions needed to be made to get the hostages back, adding: In my opinion we are at a suitable point, but theres another side that needs to agree to it. The White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the CIAs director, William Burns, was in Cairo over the weekend and that a hostage release proposal had been presented to Hamas, and that they were now waiting for a response. Depictions of progress in ceasefire talks over the weekend were categorised by wildly different assessments, with a Hamas official saying on Monday no progress was made, shortly after Egyptian sources said headway had been made on the agenda. There is no change in the position of the occupation and therefore, there is nothing new in the Cairo talks, the Hamas official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. There is no progress yet. Earlier on Monday, Egypts state-affiliated Al-Qahera news channel quoted a senior Egyptian source as saying progress had been made after a deal was reached among participating delegations on issues under discussion. Agencies contributed to this article Which version of our writer Abigail is real? - Amit Lennon Click on the faces throughout this piece that you think are real The two images dont look exactly alike, but there are some uncanny similarities around the eyes, nose and mouth. There I am, on the right: a photograph of me taken recently in a studio in Brixton, south London. I perch in front of a green background, my shirt slightly creased. And there I am again, on the left. Except that person isnt really me. It is an odd facsimile in a white T-shirt. She has preternaturally smooth skin, no imperfections, and long, glossy hair. This portrait was generated by artificial intelligence (AI), using just three data points from my face and a brief, eight-word prompt: Woman in her 20s of white British descent. My real and bot-generated portraits are the work of the London-based photographer Amit Lennon, who has created a similar set of images for his latest project, Artificial Intelligence Portrayal. I doubt many people seeing it in isolation would be able to tell that my AI portrait isnt real which, Lennon explains, is exactly the point. The motivation for the project was to see behind the curtain of AI, he explains. The goal is to make people question what they are looking at and what ingredients went into making the cake. I want them to concentrate less on the mechanics of how the work was made and more on the result, how it makes you feel. Lennon photographed his subjects in front of coloured backgrounds and then asked them for a brief description of themselves including their age, ethnicity and profession, such as, Man in his 20s; actor; from London; English, Israeli and Irish descent. Afterwards he took fragments of their real photographs as a starting point the distance between the eyes, the distance from between the eyes to the tip of the nose, and the width of the mouth and then input their description into a freely available AI generation tool, Adobe Firefly, to create a digital image, displayed next to the original as a pair. Like other tools on the market, Firefly has been trained to translate text prompts into images by learning from a vast set of stock imagery. And its remarkably easy to use as simple as putting one sentence into a text box and clicking generate. This is an art project, not a science experiment, Lennon points out. Its like any creative process, theres a lot that Ive discarded. Only the best or most uncanny portraits were selected. Many of the pictures generated proved fairly random. The results, Lennon explains, also reveal AIs social stereotyping and encourage viewers to consider the biases, the errors and assumptions that are being fed back. A man described as an actor from Clydebank of Scottish, Irish and Singapore-Chinese descent, for example, has been given a bright red beard. In fact, in some of the images the AI tool generated of me, I look like a man in a suit, with coiffed hair presumably the programs idea of what a journalist looks like. It also gives nearly every man a beard at first attempt, says Lennon, and loves hats. In other portraits, it simply smoothed out any signs of individuality, giving women baby-smooth skin, pruned eyebrows and perfectly glossy hair. It beautifies people a lot, Lennon says. It seems there is something of a gendered double standard here. This is the other problem with AI imagery, says Lennon: It feeds itself from the data its made, resulting in retouched and Instagram-filtered versions of people. Although not always. One of Lennons subjects, Lola Choo Antopolski, 19, a student at the University of Cambridge, says her portrait looks like her ugly cousin: The AI representation is like me merged with many other people. Its really weird to look into someones eyes and know that its not real, she says. Its actually terrifying that we can no longer tell whats human and whats not. Manipulated images are regularly making headlines. The reaction to the relatively low-stakes editing of the Princess of Waless recent family portrait is just one illustration of how uncomfortable people feel about the erosion of photographic evidence. More sinister is an image of the Pope wearing a white puffer coat that went viral last year, before it was revealed to be in fact AI generated. When an image has been faked, we feel cheated. How much can we trust what we see in photographs today? As the AI gets better, the visual clues will become less easy to detect, Lennon says. Of his own project he admits, Im a professional photographer, and I would struggle to see which is an artificial picture. For years the software has been available on smartphones to allow us to doctor our own photographs, but now programs such as Midjourney, DALL-E 3 and Stable Diffusion allow anybody to generate a fantastical AI image in seconds. Thanks to the smartphone, it is estimated that more than 1.8 trillion photographs are taken every year. Now, we might drown in them. In another leap forward, earlier this year OpenAI the company behind the chatbot ChatGPT announced Sora, a remarkably realistic (and accessible even to non-tech spods) AI video generator. AI images posted by virtual influencers now proliferate on social media too. One such virtual character, @lilmiquela on Instagram, a 19-year-old robot living in LA by the name of Miquela, has 2.6 million followers watching her every fake move hanging out with her fake friends, going on fake holiday or getting her fake nails done. Convincing AI images can now even win prestigious photography prizes, as in the case of German artist Boris Eldagsen, who won a Sony World Photography Award. The copyright issues are another minefield. As Nick Dunmur, head of business and legal at the Association of Photographers, explains, some of the image generators currently available were trained on uncurated scrapes of the internet, including everybodys creative work, without permission or payment to those whose work has been caught up in that. AI technology should support the creative process and not supplant the creator there are huge problems with the technology in its current form. As Lennon explains, The attraction for a lot of companies is that AI is free copyright-free, model-free you can make an image and you dont have to pay a penny. But for portraiture, which is much more specific, everyones unique, its harder; so this project explores how AI treats uniqueness, and how it treats individuality. For Lennon, these are all debates he hopes his project sparks. Does he think AI can replace a photographer behind a lens? AI is not a photographer, there is no lens or camera, says Lennon. Its up to you to decide what you prefer. All images courtesy of Amit Lennon Donald Trump campaigns in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on 2 April 2024. Photograph: Rebecca Cook/Reuters A New York appeals court judge has rejected former President Donald Trumps request to delay his 15 April hush-money criminal trial while he fights to move the case out of Manhattan. The decision came Monday, a week before jury selection was set to start. Trumps lawyers had argued at an emergency hearing that the trial should be postponed while they seek a change of venue to move it out of heavily Democratic Manhattan. Trump was ready on Monday to sue the judge in his New York hush-money case a week before the start of the much-anticipated trial, the New York Times reported, detailing yet another attempt by the former president to delay legal proceedings against him. Related: Donald Trump says each US state should determine different abortion laws Citing court records indicating the filing of sealed documents and two unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, the paper said the aim was to delay trial and challenge a gag order imposed by the judge. Mr Trumps unorthodox move essentially an appeal in the form of a lawsuit is unlikely to succeed, particularly so close to trial, the paper said. Facing 34 criminal charges related to hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who claimed an affair with him, Trump has pleaded not guilty. He has repeatedly attacked the judge in the case, Juan Merchan, and members of his family, alleging political bias. The trial is set for Manhattan next Monday and will be the first criminal trial involving a former US president. Trump, the Times said, was also expected to ask an appeals court to move the trial out of Manhattan, his home borough before his post-presidency move to Florida but a heavily Democratic area. That gambit was also deemed unlikely to succeed. Harry Litman, a US attorney turned law professor and commentator, said: Trumps latest desperate move of personally suing Merchan in the appellate division is reminiscent of his initial gambit in Palm Beach [Florida], where judge [Aileen] Cannon permitted him to take the whole action off track [in his classified information case]. But wont happen here. Imagine if a criminal defendant could do this The Times said the suit would be an Article 78 action, under New York laws that can be used to challenge state agencies and judges. Trump faces 54 other criminal charges: 40 in Florida, over his retention of classified information after leaving office, and 14 over his attempt to overturn the 2020 election 10 in Georgia and four in Washington DC. Trump also faces multimillion-dollar penalties in two civil cases, both in New York, one concerning tax fraud and the other for defamation arising from a rape allegation a judge called substantially true. Denying all wrongdoing and claiming political persecution, Trump is attempting to delay all cases against him until after the presidential election in November. If he were to defeat Joe Biden and return to the White House, he could ensure the dismissal of federal charges in the classified information case and in four charges of election subversion. State charges would be tougher to deal with. In the New York hush-money case, Merchan last week denied an attempt to delay trial until the US supreme court rules on Trumps claim of immunity regarding any act committed in office, lodged in his federal election subversion case. Merchan has also rejected one call to recuse himself and is thought overwhelmingly likely to reject another. ONeill insists it is business as usual at Stormont following DUP upheaval Northern Irelands First Minister has insisted it is business as usual at Stormont despite the leadership upheaval within the DUP. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill was commenting after joining ministerial colleagues at a meeting with counterparts from the Irish government in Armagh. The first meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in almost three years was the first substantive engagement for Stormont ministers following the Easter recess a period in which Sir Jeffrey Donaldson quit as DUP leader after being charged with historical sexual offences, including a count of rape. Outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, whose attendance at the meeting came on his last day in office as Irish premier, also expressed confidence that the institutions would withstand the recent political turmoil. Sir Jeffreys exit from the political front line sent shockwaves through the political establishment in Northern Ireland, less than two months after devolution was restored following a two-year stalemate over post-Brexit trading arrangements. It is understood that in a letter to party officers informing them of his resignation he made clear he would be strenuously contesting all charges against him. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by First Minister Michelle ONeill (Oliver McVeigh/PA) East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has replaced him as DUP interim leader. Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey was pivotal to the deal that resurrected powersharing, and his sudden departure, and the manner of it, created the first major challenge for the recently formed four-party coalition. Since the resignation on Good Friday, Ms ONeill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly have been keen to offer assurances over the continued stability of the powersharing institutions. The joint leaders struck the same tone in Armagh on Monday as they faced reporters following the NSMC meeting. Ms ONeill said it was business as usual as far as the Executive is concerned. Were here today as joint heads of government to be part of the North South Ministerial Council meeting, and what the public deserve and want is leadership, and were prepared to provide that leadership, she added. Weve spoken to all Executive colleagues, everybody was here today to play their part in terms of their own ministerial responsibility. Were leaving here very quickly to get back into the Assembly because weve much business to do. Thats where we need to be focused and thats certainly where Im focused. I think the public rightly want leadership at times of crisis, and Im determined, and I believe Emma is also to provide that leadership. Ms Little Pengelly said she was determined to provide stability to ensure the Executive could continue in a positive tone. We have an important number of weeks coming up where well be discussing the draft programme for government and the budget. Those are two key documents in terms of the agenda for government, she said. The people of Northern Ireland demand that stability, they demand that delivery, I am very conscious of that and that is what Ill be focusing on. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle ONeill wait to greet political leaders from the Republic of Ireland (Oliver McVeigh/PA) Mr Varadkar expressed confidence that the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland would prove sustainable. Events happen in politics, whether its changes in leadership, therell be elections for the House of Commons, therell be elections for the Dail all within the next year, and whats really important is that institutions should be able to function through them and withstand any disruption that may occur, he said. And thats happened in the past, and Im sure it can in the future. And I know from my experience, having served in government for quite some time and having observed the institutions functioning and not functioning, what we know is that whenever they fall, they tend not to be re-established for many years. And I think we should always bear that in mind and make sure that we dont see another break happen. Irelands deputy premier, Tanaiste Micheal Martin, also stressed the need for ongoing stability at Stormont. I think stability and certainty are essential for economic development, for foreign direct investment and for cohesion within society, he said after the NSMC meeting. And we witnessed this morning, I thought, a very keen engagement and very keen commitment from the members of the Executive and indeed from our own cabinet to the agenda that was ahead of us on a north-south basis, so I think there was a resilience there. And I think that continuity, that certainty, that stability, I think its important for the people of Northern Ireland. Mr Varadkars successor as Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, was also at Monday mornings council meeting in one of his final jobs as Irelands higher education minister before his expected election as taoiseach in the Dail on Tuesday. The council is the primary north-south political body established under the Good Friday Agreement. It was unable to function during the two-year political impasse at Stormont, but the restoration of devolution earlier this year enabled its reactivation. The last meeting was a virtual one held during the Covid pandemic in July 2021. The last in-person meeting of the council was in July 2020. Discussions on Monday focused on trade and business issues and investment in areas of mutual interest, including major infrastructure projects such as the upgrade of the A5 transport corridor, the redevelopment of Casement Park stadium in Belfast, the construction of the cross-border Narrow Water Bridge and the restoration of the Ulster Canal network. Search for suspect continues after woman pushing pram stabbed to death in street A shopkeeper who tried to help a young woman who was stabbed to death in the street as she pushed her baby in a pram has described how there was nothing that could be done to save her life. Geo Khan recalled his shock at what he witnessed on Saturday afternoon in Bradford as police continued to search for Habibur Masum, 25, in connection with the fatal stabbing. Mr Khan said he was sitting in his store on Saturday afternoon when he was alerted by screams on the other side of Westgate, in central Bradford. He said he rushed over to the woman, who was with a friend outside a convenience store on Wigan Street, and was joined by a doctor as others called the ambulance. I was sitting in my shop and heard screaming, Mr Khan said on Monday. I came out and I tried to check the pulse. There was no pulse. He said: Blood was all over on the floor and there were stab wounds in her neck. Shopkeeper Geo Khan who went to the aid of the victim (Dave Higgens/PA) Mr Khan said he was joined by the passing doctor who took over trying to help the woman, but agreed there was no pulse. Him and me and another guy tried to rescue her, but she was already gone, Mr Khan said. I dont think she was there any more. He said: Whatever happened, its a very sad thing. Mr Khan said the woman who died came into his shop the day before the incident, and he believes she only came to the area a few weeks ago. The scene in Bradford city centre where a young woman was stabbed to death (Dave Higgens/PA) He said the baby is about four or five months old. Mr Khan said he believes the woman is from Bangladesh. He said: She was a very, very innocent person the smile on her face. Samin Ahmed runs Samins UK Visas Support Centre, and helped Masum apply for a Schengen visa to visit Europe after he approached him in December. Mr Ahmed said Masum was in the UK on a student visa and later a post-graduate visa after he obtained his degree. According to his LinkedIn profile, Masum studied for a masters in marketing and digital marketing at the University of Bedfordshire between 2021 and 2023. Mr Ahmed said: I (was) shocked when I heard this news, he is a familiar person nearby me. I did not know anything. I am really shocked. A photograph of Masums Schengen visa was posted to the Samins UK Visas Support Centre Facebook group in January. He said Masum appeared friendly and said that he is happy when they last spoke one month ago. Masum travelled to Barcelona after he was granted the Schengen visa, he added. West Yorkshire Police has issued an appeal for members of the public to report any sightings of Masum, who is from the Oldham area and is known to the woman. Flowers at the scene (Dave Higgens/PA) The force said officers were called to the scene at 3.21pm on Saturday after reports of a woman being stabbed by a man who then fled, and she later died in hospital. She is yet to be formally identified, but is understood to be 27 years old, the force said. The baby was not harmed. A knife was recovered from the scene of the incident, the force said. Whitehall officials would not comment on the immigration status of Masum during the ongoing manhunt. But Downing Street said Rishi Sunaks thoughts are with the family of the victim following the horrendous incident. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: I cant comment more broadly on an ongoing police investigation, but obviously it is being looked at urgently and we will support the police in their efforts to catch the perpetrator and bring them to justice. A Home Office spokesman said: Saturdays attack on a young woman was appalling, and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. We urge the public to support West Yorkshire Polices appeal and to come forward if they have any information. While a live investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further. Masum is described as an Asian man, of slim build. Habibur Masum is wanted by West Yorkshire Police. (West Yorkshire Police/PA) He was pictured on CCTV wearing a duffle coat with three large horizontal lines of grey, white and black, light blue or grey tracksuit bottoms with a small black emblem on the left pocket and maroon trainers. A witness also reported seeing him wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up. He is believed to have links to the Burnley and Chester areas. There was no sign of any police activity in the area on Monday morning but one bunch of flowers had been laid close to where the attack happened. Any current sightings of Masum should be reported to West Yorkshire Police via 999. Any other information that could assist the investigation should be reported via Live Chat online or by calling 101, quoting log 1071 of April 6. Stephanie Gray was diagnosed with PMDD after experiencing symptoms for over a decade. (SWNS) Warning: This article discusses suicide. A woman says she had a life-saving diagnosis of premenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD) after first hearing about the symptoms on ITVs Loose Women. Stephanie Gray, 30, reveals that she struggled with severe depression and suicidal thoughts each month before her period for 12 years before her PMDD diagnosis. "I was becoming suicidal every month before my period arrived," Gray, a nursing student from Edinburgh, explains. "That constant cycle was controlling my life. Throughout my teens, Id struggled with my mental health, with depression and anxiety. "It wasnt until I went to university in 2013, aged 19, that everything came to a head. I was regularly suicidal and isolating myself. I made an attempt on my life during my time at university because I wasnt able to cope with the symptoms. "Thats what started it all off my family and I recognising that this was really extreme, and we needed help." After visiting doctors, Gray was put on antidepressants and sent to psychiatrists, but nothing seemed to work. It was only after Denise Welch spoke about her PMDD symptoms on Loose Women that Stephanie realised her symptoms were similar. (Getty Images) (John Phillips via Getty Images) It wasnt until Grays mum heard Loose Women presenter Denise Welch sharing her experiences with the condition on the show that she recognised the symptoms. "We heard about PMDD for the first time on Loose Women," Gray explains. "Denise Welch was talking about her own experiences, and my mum saw it and it clicked for her. "She came to me and told me about it, and I thought that it was exactly what I was experiencing. I just knew thats what it was." Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, also known as PMDD, affects nearly 1 in 50 women in the UK, and is estimated to affect up to 31 million women and girls globally. Sufferers of PMDD experience a range of physical and mental symptoms in the luteal phase of their menstrual cycles, which is the phase just before the period begins. It includes increased anxiety, mood swings, sleep problems, and even suicidal thoughts. Gray and her mum reached out to Welch on Twitter, who replied and provided the pair with resources, including details of people to speak to for more information. "It was when we were questioning things after wed heard about PMDD, and asking if it was a possibility, was when things changed for us, and we started to feel ignored," Gray says.. "The process took years. No-one had heard of it. We were talking to professionals that didnt know it was a thing they said that my mental health couldnt be impacted by my period in such an extreme way." Eventually, Gray found a sexual health clinic in Edinburgh that recognised the symptoms of PMDD and she finally began treatment. Stephanie is a nursing student based in Glasgow. (SWNS) She was prescribed a combined contraceptive pill, which regulates the hormonal fluctuations thought to cause symptoms of PMDD and she soon began to notice a difference. "It was years years of not being believed, and eventually slowly getting help for hormones in general at that sexual health clinic," Gray adds. "The first line of treatment thankfully worked for me. Its a combined contraceptive pill, and that worked for me alongside different lifestyle changes. "Im really lucky, because a lot of women end up having to have a hysterectomy to attempt to improve their symptoms. A lot of young women who havent had families, their symptoms are so bad that they cant find relief through any other form of limited treatment they have." Gray is now using her experience to raise awareness of the condition and highlight the lack of help and research available. Stephanie and her mum. (SWNS) "Im a student nurse, and Ive seen how although professionals are more aware of PMDD now, the treatments and awareness are lacking, Gray explains. "Although Im speaking out about PMDD and my experience, I think its really important that we dont just focus on one condition when trying to raise awareness about the struggles that women face in healthcare. "Its under researched and underfunded as a whole, and the waiting times to get a diagnosis and the amount of professionals they have to see before they get a diagnosis is very similar, whether it be PMDD, endometriosis or PCOS. "My experience definitely gave me a direction it lit a fire in my soul to want to be able to help women and help improve the healthcare we provide for women." April is PMDD awareness month, and as part of an international campaign by charity IAPMD, Edinburgh Castle will be lighting up teal on 30 April. Supporters are welcome to join Gray and other sufferers of the condition on the Castle esplanade from 7pm onwards, to show their support. Additional reporting by SWNS. Women's health: Read more NicolasMcComber/istockphoto Missed Opportunities Compared to larger supermarket chains and warehouse stores, Trader Joe's can feel painfully small with its narrow aisles and limited selection of white-label products. After all, wouldn't it be nice if Trader Joe's sold rotisserie chicken? The retailer's staunchest loyalists have shared their product wish lists multiple times, which are all full of items like rotisserie chicken that Trader Joe's "should" carry. Here are the top 15 products from those threads. ShotShare/istockphoto Tampons Redditors say that it's time for Trader Joe's to carry sanitary products like tampons and pads, especially since the retailer sells skincare and beauty items. "It always bothers me to see beauty products on the shelves but zero sanitary products," one top comment reads. While many Redditors agreed, some superfans noted that the retailer has carried tampons in the past, but they didn't sell well and had quality issues. AlenaPaulus/istockphoto Kitchen Basics Trader Joe's dearth of kitchen and household basics trash bags, ziplock bags, foil, etc. means that shoppers inevitably have to hit more than one store. "I hate going to multiple places for this stuff," a frustrated Redditor writes. That said, Trader Joe's business model precludes it from being a one-stop-shop like Walmart or Costco. nastya_ph/istockphoto Deodorant Although Trader Joe's has carried Tom's of Maine deodorant before, a Redditor said the retailer should sell its own private label version with seasonal scents. Seasonally scented hair oil, they added, would also be a welcome addition. kuppa_rock/istockphoto Miso Paste Given Trader Joe's penchant for carrying international fare, miso paste would be a logical addition to the retailer's lineup of Asian goodies. While we don't know if it's just a rumor, one Redditor commented that miso paste is "in the system" and coming soon to stores. For more great Trader Joe's and shopping content, please sign up for our free newsletters. Rouzes/istockphoto Pierogis Considering Trader Joe's already sells gyoza, it seems like the retailer should add the European version: pierogis. "Theyre easy, delicious, freeze well, and fit Trader Joes multicultural feel," a Redditor wrote. grandriver/istockphoto Clotted Cream Despite it's less-than-appetizing name and appearance, multiple Redditors said that Trader Joe's should carry clotted cream, a creamy English spread. "I'd be making scones every weekend if they carried it!" a superfan wrote. Alfredo Hernandez Rios/istockphoto Potato Buns Some Trader Joe's fans aren't satisfied with the retailer's selection of hamburger fixings and wish the store carried potato buns. Martin's potato rolls are always an alternative, though the company has received flack for donating to a far-right candidate. svariophoto/istockphoto Veggie Wontons While Trader Joe already carries chicken and cilantro wontons, multiple superfans say it's time for a vegetable, tofu, or fish-filled variation for plant-based eaters. Fang Zheng/istockphoto Rotisserie Chicken It might not make sense for Trader Joe's business model or clientele, but one superfan said that the retailer should sell rotisserie chickens, adding that the "cooked meat options are a little lacking." A more Trader Joe's friendly alternative? One Redditor suggested shredded and frozen rotisserie chicken. liubomirt/istockphoto Paneer Trader Joe's already has an impressive array of Indian food, including samosas, naan, and curries like palak paneer. That said, fans said they want to be able to purchase paneer separately to add to their own dishes. "Yes, paneer especially!" a shopper agreed. yipengge/istockphoto Noodles Sure, Trader Joe's has its own version of instant ramen, along with a host of other pre-made Asian dishes, but some shoppers said they'd prefer buying noodles separately. Adding udon, ramen, and rice noodles to Trader Joe's lineup of staples would make it easier for superfans who prefer to cook their own meals. fiorigianluigi/istockphoto Mince Pies Popular across the pond, mince pies are a classic English holiday treat filled with mincemeat, fruit, spices, and suet. They're just one of the many international foods that Trader Joe's superfans wish the retailer would carry (one shopper said they'd settle for mince pie filling). VadimZakirov/istockphoto Baba Ghanoush This store's got more than five types of hummus but no baba ghanoush? Come on, Trader Joe's! Given Trader Joe's penchant for international products, the eggplant-based appetizer seems like a natural addition to the chain's lineup of Levantine cuisine. creacart/istockphoto Onion Rings As a purveyor of cheap, indulgent frozen foods, Trader Joe's ought to have onion rings in its freezer aisle. The closest thing we've got is the chain's "onion-flavored rings," which are just mediocre Funyuns and not deep-fried, beer-battered rings of golden goodness (which is what we really want). Melissa Kopka/istockphoto Bagged Ice Whether you're picking up goodies on the way to a picnic, or you've traveled dozens of miles to the nearest Trader Joe's (people do this), it would be nice if you could buy bagged ice. One commenter says cashiers at their local store do provide ice when asked, though your mileage may vary. This article was originally published on Cheapism NicolasMcComber/istockphoto More From Cheapism Some investors want the three Wall Street leaders to only be CEO, not chair of their boards. Lester Cohen/Getty Images; Thos Robinson/Getty Images; John Lamparski/Getty Images Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and Bank of America all face similar shareholder proposals this year. Some investors want to split up the dual CEO-chairman role, so one person can't have all the power. Even if these proposals succeed, researchers are skeptical that separate jobs make companies better. A trio of top Wall Street bosses is facing investor agitation this spring over their jobs. Investors at Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, and Bank of America have proposed splitting up the CEO-chairman roles held by David Solomon, Larry Fink, and Brian Moynihan, respectively, in this year's slate of shareholder proposals. The attempts to add more independent oversight to the firms' boards of directors is a public rebuke to those CEOs. Proxy advisors the firms that recommend how big shareholders vote typically want different people in the CEO and board chair roles to lessen perceived conflicts of interest. Last week, top proxy firms Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services recommended Goldman and BofA separate their CEO-chair jobs. A UK activist fund is pushing for the same at BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager. In annual meeting materials, Goldman, BlackRock, and BofA urged investors to vote against the change. A cyclical history of splitting CEO and chairman roles These proposals cycle in and out of fashion, and Wall Street has seen plenty of similar ballot questions, from shareholders large and small. Most of them have been voted down or led to short-term changes. BofA, for example, separated the CEO-chair role under shareholder pressure in 2009 but, five years later, recombined the job for Moynihan. The bank again faces a shareholder proposal to separate Moynihan's roles, in a rehash of a similar vote that failed in 2015. Last year, almost 14% of S&P 500 companies received shareholder proposals to separate the CEO and chair roles, up from 6% in 2021, per data provider ISS-Corporate. The proposals have averaged about 30% support. BlackRock supported such a proposal in 2020 at Exxon, but the measure failed. Over the last few decades, US companies have increasingly separated the jobs. But splitting the roles "is not unambiguously positive" for companies' performance, wrote Stanford Graduate School of Business researchers in a 2016 paper. The Stanford researchers tracked board changes at 100 of the largest and 100 of the smallest publicly traded companies in the 20 years ending in 2016. They found that a third of the companies, including BofA, separated the chair-CEO roles and later combined them during the 20-year period. Large companies like the trio of Wall Street firms now were targeted much more often for shareholder proposals to split the jobs than the small companies. In the 20-year period, 56 of the 92 large companies faced at least one shareholder proposal to add an independent chair. Only three of the 95 smaller companies did. "This suggests that the companies that shareholders target to advocate for independent board leadership might not necessarily be those with the most egregious governance problems but instead those that are the most visible public targets," the Stanford researchers wrote. Read the original article on Business Insider A white man accused of killing 10 Black people and wounding three others in a racist attack at a Buffalo, N.Y., grocery store on Saturday was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday on a first-degree murder charge. Payton Gendron, 18, was first arraigned on Saturday and pleaded not guilty. Local and federal authorities were also investigating the possibility of terrorism and hate crime charges. Payton Gendron is led into a courtroom for a hearing in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday morning. (Matt Rourke/AP) (AP) Authorities said Gendron had traveled more than three hours from Conklin, N.Y., to the Tops Friendly Markets grocery store specifically to carry out the attack in the predominantly Black neighborhood. In court on Thursday, someone yelled Payton, youre a coward! at Gendron as he was escorted from the room. His next scheduled court appearance is June 9. On Monday, local police confirmed that Gendron had visited the Buffalo store on March 8, seemingly to scope out the area. A security guard confronted him as he was taking down details about the location, a document obtained by ABC News shows. FBI Director Christopher Wray told law enforcement during a call on Monday that the mass shooting was inspired by the Christchurch, New Zealand, attack on two mosques that left 51 people dead in 2019. Gendron in a mugshot taken on Saturday. (Erie County District Attorney/Handout via Reuters) (Handout . / reuters) Authorities said they were investigating a hate-filled manifesto that Gendron appeared to have posted online in the hours leading up to the deadly attack. The document they believe Gendron wrote substantially mirrored the New Zealand manifesto, Erie County Sheriff John Garcia said on the call. Both discuss immigration and population and issues at length for replacing the white race in population growth, Garcia said, referring to the great replacement a racist conspiracy theory based on the idea that white people are being displaced by minorities. Gendron allegedly wrote: Why buffalo? Buffalo was chosen because it has the highest black population percentage and isnt that far away. According to authorities, Gendrons writings included a private diary, which they said showed he had planned the attack on his own. However, he shared the documents on the social media chat platform Discord with a small group of people 30 minutes before the attack. A memorial for a victim of Saturdays fatal shooting at a Tops supermarket. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) (Brendan McDermid / reuters) Officials also say Gendron livestreamed the attack on Twitch from a camera mounted on his helmet. On Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to investigate the social media platforms and authorized state Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation to determine if sites such as Twitch, 4chan, 8chan and Discord are liable for providing a platform to plan and promote violence. Jana Winter contributed reporting to this story. Over 100 religious freedom advocates and groups from various religious backgrounds have called on Congress to affirm religious freedom as a fundamental right by passing a resolution to recognize the global threats to religious liberty. Bipartisan Senate Resolution 569, introduced by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, aims to integrate religious freedom into U.S. foreign policy and address worldwide violations. ADF International was among 113 religious freedom advocates and organizations under the International Religious Freedom Roundtable that signed onto a letter sent to U.S. Senate leaders urging them to pass the resolution "quickly." "We have seen firsthand the increasing threats to religious freedom around the world described in the resolution," the letter reads. "From ongoing genocides and mass atrocities perpetrated against religious minority groups, to individuals imprisoned and exiled for their faith and beliefs, from unjust restrictions on religious gatherings and practices, to the destruction of religious sites, these threats against both people of faith and no faith are not only grave violations of fundamental human rights, but also lead to instability, insecurity, and a lack of economic development." Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Introduced last month, Senate Resolution 569 seeks to establish religious freedom as a core human right and a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. Spearheaded by Sens. Coons, James Lankford, R-Okla., Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., the resolution proposes using diplomatic and sanctions tools to hold violators accountable. The advocates say the resolution "paints an accurate and disturbing portrayal of the religious freedom situation in too many countries. "Because of that situation, the resolution's policy recommendations are vital: promoting religious freedom as an 'utmost priority' in U.S. foreign policy, holding violators accountable using all available diplomatic and sanctions tools, working with global partners, and expanding support for leaders and activists working to protect religious freedom worldwide," the letter reads. ADF International's Legal Counsel for Global Religious Freedom Sean Nelson cited widespread violations against faith communities. "We are grateful to the members of the U.S. Congress who have proposed this vital legislation, and we are hopeful that U.S. influence on this important matter will encourage much needed change throughout the world," he said in a statement. Among other countries, the resolution specifically mentions religious freedom abuses in Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Nicaragua, Iran and Russia. In Nigeria, the resolution criticizes the "government's enforcement of blasphemy laws embedded in Nigeria's criminal and Shari'a codes" that has resulted "in the arbitrary detainment and imprisonment of those who express their religious identity." Violence has greatly impacted Nigerian Christian communities in recent years, with estimates showing thousands of Christians were killed for their faith last year, including targeted attacks in Plateau State during Christmas. Last month, militants armed with AK-47s attacked a school in Nigeria's Kaduna state, kidnapping at least 287 students, marking the second large-scale abduction in Nigeria within a week and underscoring a deepening security crisis in the region. The resolution criticizes "religiously discriminatory policies" in India that target "religious conversion, interfaith relationships, the wearing of hijabs, and cow slaughter" implemented at the national, state and local levels. Those laws "negatively impact the livelihoods of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and Adivasis." In January, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom criticized the U.S. State Department for failing to designate India and Nigeria as "countries of particular concern" for tolerating or engaging in severe violations of religious freedom. In Nicaragua, the government has targeted religious leaders who have spoken out against the government. Bishop Rolando Alvarez, sentenced to 26 years for his advocacy before his release and exile in January, represents the broader crackdown on religious figures in the country. In Pakistan, the resolution notes the severe challenges faced by religious minorities, including killings, forced conversions and sexual violence. In Russia, the resolution says "laws on terrorism and extremism are used to target religious minorities such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, and members of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church for their beliefs." "No person should be punished or persecuted for their faith, and we pray for the day when all can worship and live out their faith freely," Nelson said. Originally published by The Christian Post Christian Delbert // Shutterstock Severe weather can seriously damage your car, and one of the most damaging weather events is hail. There were over 3,700 hail storms in the U.S. in 2021, which caused billions of dollars' worth of damage. That said, if your car has been damaged by hail, you may be wondering what to do next. In this article, Cheap Insurance takes a look at when you may or may not be covered for hail damage and explores the information you need to make a claim. Where is hail most prevalent in the United States? Texas is the state where hail storms are the most common. This means that Texas drivers are more likely to file an insurance claim for hail damage than in any other state. The top ten states for hail damage insurance claims between 2018 and 2020 include: Texas Colorado Illinois Missouri Minnesota Kansas Nebraska Iowa Oklahoma South Dakota When does my car insurance policy cover hail damage? Not all car insurance policies cover hail damage. In order for you to have your car repairs covered by insurance after a hailstorm, you will need comprehensive coverage. This is the only car insurance that will cover hail damage. If you only have liability insurance, your auto insurance company will not cover any damage to your car from hail. Comprehensive insurance coverage helps pay to repair or replace your vehicle if it is damaged in an accident that is not a collision. When you carry comprehensive coverage, you will be covered for storm damage, animal damage, and falling objectsincluding hail. Hail damage will result in dents on the bodywork of your vehicle and even a cracked or smashed windshield or window. Hail may also cause water damage to the interior of your car. Liability insurance is intended to cover other drivers and their passengers in the event of a collision. This coverage includes damage to the other vehicle and the medical costs of the other driver and passengers. Liability insurance coverage does not cover damages to your car in an accident, but it does provide a lower auto insurance cost. To have your own vehicle repaired after a collision, you will either need comprehensive insurance or you will need to pay out of pocket for damages. Is It necessary to pay a deductible for hail damage? Car insurance policies usually establish a deductible. This is the amount of money that you need to pay when you make an insurance claim. For example, if it is going to cost $5,000 to repair hail damage and you have a deductible of $500, your insurance company will pay $4,500 toward the repair costs, while you will need to pay $500. Having a higher deductible on your insurance policy will help lower your car insurance premium. If you, however, live in an area where hailstorms occur often, then you may want to consider whether you'll have the savings needed to pay that higher deductible. There are certain circumstances where your insurance adjuster may waive the deductible on the glass portion of your comprehensive coverage. For example, if your windshield can be repaired rather than replaced, then your insurer may waive the deductible that you usually would have had to pay. In addition to this, it is helpful to know that you can purchase full glass coverage as part of your auto insurance policy. This typically means that you will not have to pay a deductible on glass claims. What is full glass coverage and why is it useful? Full glass coverage on your auto insurance policy provides you with insurance coverage to get a windshield or other vehicle glass fixed, without paying a deductible. Full glass coverage includes: Windshields Windows Rear windows The types of repairs that can be done range from chipped, cracked, or broken glass. This coverage also allows for your windows or windscreen to be replaced if and when necessary. Will filing an insurance claim after a hail storm impact my car insurance premium? If you do need to make an insurance claim for hail damage to your vehicle, that claim may appear on your insurance record. This means that when your insurance company reviews your claim history prior to renewing your car insurance policy for a new term, they may increase your premium if you have filed claims over the last year. If you live in an area where hail damage is likely to occur, it is a good idea to keep your car safe by parking it in a covered parking lot or in a garage. This will help reduce the chance that your insurance premium might increase, allowing you to maintain a more affordable auto insurance policy. How do you file a claim for hail damage to your car? If you have comprehensive coverage, be sure to contact your insurance company as soon as possible after the damage has occurred. 1. Document the damage to your car Take photos of all the hail damage that your vehicle has sustained. This will help you when you need to provide proof of the incident to your insurer when making a hail damage claim. Some insurance adjusters may not accurately assess the extent of the hail damage, and this leads to a lower, inaccurate repair estimate. 2. File a comprehensive insurance claim Contact your insurance company to file a claim. Each car insurance company works slightly differently when it comes to processing a claim. Your vehicle insurance adjuster will guide you through the process. 3. Get an estimate from a car repair shop To ensure that you get your car repair costs covered by your insurance company, it is best to make sure that you have an idea of how much it is going to cost to repair your vehicle. This guarantees that your insurer will pay out the right amount of money to repair the vehicle, and it also helps you decide whether you should claim or pay for the repairs out of pocket. 4. Choose a reputable repair shop Once you have finalized your car insurance claim with your insurer, look for the most suitable body shop to repair your vehicle. Some auto insurance companies may write you a check for the expected cost of the repairs, minus your deductible, while other companies may wait and reimburse the body repair shop directly. 5. Schedule the hail damage repair Once the car insurance claim has been finalized, take your car in for repairs. Your car insurance company may recommend paintless dent removal, which is a quick, simple repair option. Alternatively, if the damage to your car is extensive, you will need to wait up to a few weeks for your car repair shop to complete your repairs. This is especially true if the repair shop is busy. If you have rental car insurance as part of your car insurance coverage, you will be able to rent a car for the time that your vehicle is in for repairs. Is hail damage repairable? Hail damage is repairable if the damage has not impacted the structural integrity of the vehicle. If the hail damage to your car is not too severe, then it can be repaired using a process called paintless dent removal. During this process, the dented areas are gently pushed back to their original position. Other repair methods that involve traditional bodywork are more expensive and time-consuming. Here you can expect the body shop to fill and repair dents or replace damaged panels. Getty Images (2) Vittorio Assaf actually made headlines for his love life years before he was linked to a much younger Aoki Lee Simmons. Back in 2021, news broke that the Serafina Restaurant Group cofounder and his wife, Charlotte Bonstron, had split after 20 years of marriage and Charlotte was set to marry her twin Cecilia Bonstroms ex-husband, Thierry Gillier. Charlotte and I are in the process of getting divorced she wants to get remarried, Assaf told Page Six at the time. [She] is getting married to Thierry Gillier, the ex-husband of her sister. Assaf has since moved on with Aoki Lee, the daughter of Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons. The pair, who have a 44-year age gap, were spotted packing on the PDA during a beach getaway in April 2024. Scroll down for everything to know about Assaf: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Paolo Zampolli 1. What Is Assafs Job? When good friends Assaf and Fabio Granato became lost at sea, they began brainstorming about their ideal pizza and promised they would open a restaurant together to serve the best Italian pizza and pasta in the world, per the Serafina website. After Assaf and Granato were saved, they opened up their first establishment in New York City in 1995. They have since expanded to have multiple restaurants in the United States and globally. Former Celebs Couples' Honest Coparenting Quotes Amid Quarantine, Beyond 2. Has Assaf Been Married? While Charlotte moved on with twin sister Cecilias ex, Assaf was rumored to have been linked to Cecilia but he denied the claim. It is very difficult, Assaf told Page Six at the time. But I have nothing to do with the sister of Charlotte. 3. Is Assaf a Father? Assaf and Charlotte share two kids, Vittorio Jr. and Valentina. Spread Pictures/MEGA 4. When Did Assaf Start Dating Aoki? During a vacation in St. Barts in April 2024, Assaf snapped pics of Aoki as she posed in the sand before they headed into the ocean for a dip. After the pair were spotted, a source confirmed the twosomes relationship to People, saying theyre enjoying each others company. Aokis father, Russell, has since addressed their romance. Im not gonna kick and scream about her choices, Russell told TMZ at the time. All I can do is offer my advice and unconditional love. Russell Simmons Drama With Daughters Ming Lee and Aoki Lee: What to Know 5. Where Is Assaf From? Assaf hails from Milan. He earned a degree in Political Science before studying Law at the University of Urbino, per Natfluence. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Alzheimer's Association Charity Lawson is in New York City shopping for wedding dresses but she initially didnt think shed get there. First introduced to Bachelor Nation via the flagship show in January 2023, Lawson, 28, starred in the 20th season of The Bachelorette, in which she got engaged to integrative medicine specialist Dotun Olubenko. Just weeks after the finale aired in August, she joined season 32 of Dancing With the Stars, where she finished in fourth place with dance partner Artem Chigvintsev in December. Its a lot, Lawson told The New York Times in a piece published Saturday, April 6. I came into all of this quickly. I didnt envision myself even being engaged. Now, the former Bachelorette is on the hunt for the perfect dress. Lawson spoke to The New York Times while attending New York Bridal Fashion Week, an event that lasts from April 2 to 4, where bridal designers show off their latest collections to journalists, buyers and brides-to-be. Every Bachelor Nation Star Who Has Competed on 'Dancing With the Stars' Set to wed in 2025, Lawson wants her dress picked out by July. The ABC personality and Olubenko, 31, have planned for one ceremony to be held in California in fall 2025, which will be followed by a traditional Nigerian wedding in Lagos. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images Lawson told NYT that she frequently fielded questions from reporters and strangers alike about the date of her wedding, which the couple has not publicly revealed. People want me to disclose our wedding day so bad that is between me, my family and fiance, she said. Lawsons search for a wedding dress came shortly after getting a boob job, which she revealed via TikTok on Friday, April 5. In her video, Lawson explained that she was one week post-op, calling it the best decision she has made for herself in a hot minute. Bachelorette Charity Says Life 'Changed for the Better' When She Met Dotun There has been a lot of speculation and also a lot of you all have reached out to me, Lawson said, adding that she appreciates the encouraging and uplifting messages she received from fans. If I turn to the side a little bit, like, its still, like, in proportion with my frame, she said. Im very petite and tiny. So, I knew that going in, and I was like, I dont want this to be like, Oh my God, this girl got her titties done. The Bachelor Nation star noted that after her surgery, she was healing well enough for her to hop on a plane to attend New York Bridal Fashion Week. I was able to, obviously, fly back to New York, go to New York bridal week and now Im back in L.A., she said. So I probably should, like, hang tight on flying so much, but you know, just got things to do. Robino Salvatore/GC Images Demi Moore turned heads in a sparkly see-through mesh gown at the opening of the From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana exhibition in Milan on Saturday, April 6. The 61-year-old actress wore the long sleeve number over a black balconette bra and matching black high-waisted briefs. Moore accessorized with a pair of simple strappy heels and wore her hair straightened and parted down the middle. The exhibition in question, which was curated by Florence Muller, features an impressive selection of over 220 haute couture Dolce & Gabbana pieces. It is open to the public from April 7 to July 31 at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. According to a press release, the exhibition presents loans of important historic works of art by Italian old masters from major public collections, as well as responses to Dolce & Gabbanas designs by contemporary artists. Demi Moore Through the Years This is a unique exhibition, Muller told Fashion Network on Monday, April 8. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are the only couturiers to showcase haute couture at this level by creating and presenting all their collections within the Peninsula, unlike other Italian designers who showcase their couture creations in Paris. Robino Salvatore/GC Images Muller went on to explain that Dolce & Gabbanas work is centered around Italy, which is what makes their designs and the exhibition so special. From the rich local artisanal traditions spanning various regions, which serve as inspiration and seamlessly integrate into their creations, to the realms of art, architecture, cinema, opera, and historical landmarks, she explained. Thats why we have placed their creations within an environment and ambiance reminiscent of all these references. Shes 59! Look Back at Demi Moores Incredible Fashion Evolution Moore was far from the only celebrity in attendance at the glitzy event. She was joined by Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Lupita Nyongo, Lily James, Helen Mirren, Isabella Rossellini, Olivia Culpo and Naomi Campbell. Jason Koerner/Getty Images A lawyer for Sean Diddy Combs and his youngest son, Christian King Combs, has slammed the attorney representing the woman accusing King of assault. Aaron Dyer cautioned the public to meet the potential lawsuit with skepticism, pointing the finger at the accusers attorney, Tyrone Blackburn. We have not seen this womans claim but Im sure we can expect the same kind of manufactured lies just as we saw in Rodney Jones lawsuit which has yet to be served, Dyer said in a statement to Us. Grace OMarcaigh claims King, 25, sexually assaulted her while she was working on a yacht that his father chartered in 2022. Kings father is charged in the same suit for premises liability and for aiding and abetting King in the alleged assault. Diddys Ups and Downs Over the Years: Lawsuits, Home Raid and More [Blackburn] was just slapped by a federal judge in New York earlier this week for his pattern of behavior in improperly [filing] cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations and pressure defendants to settle quickly, Dyer continued. Dyer is referring to a court filing by Judge Denise Cote that suggests Blackburn has a history of filing lawsuits aimed at attracting media attention to pressure high-profile defendants into settling quickly. Blackburn has faced similar accusations in the past, including from lawyers representing Nicki Minaj, T.I. and Tameka Tiny Harris, who accused him of participating in a sordid shakedown campaign to extract settlements from the artists. Two days after he was referred to the disciplinary committee in the Southern District of New York, its interesting he chose to file a new suit in California, Dyers statement concludes. This is just another page from that same playbook, as we learned of this lawsuit the same way anyone hears about Mr. Blackburns filings: through the media. Eyebrow-Raising Quotes About Diddy's Alleged Behavior Over the Years King broke his silence on the matter on March 29, days after he was detained and later released by law enforcement. He posted a message via Snapchat that read, Stop with the , using the slang term of cap, i.e. lying. The lawsuit comes at a time where Diddy is facing sexual assault accusations himself and is the subject of a federal probe investigating sexual assault, sexual trafficking and other potential criminal activity. Diddy has denied the allegations, even as the Department of Homeland Security raided his mansions in Los Angeles and Miami in late March. The New York Post reports DHS sought cell phones and computers from the music mogul as part of the probe. He has not been charged or arrested in connection to the federal investigation. Good morning! While AI has employers scrambling to teach workers the skills they need for the future, one company is working to train employees for professions that have been around for centuries. Luxury goods company LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, Sephora, and Christian Dior, among many other brands, uses artisans to make many of its products by hand, including jewelry, leather goods, perfumes, and more. But as high-end brands grapple with a rapid decline in skilled tradespeople, LVMH is bracing for what it predicts will be a shortage of 22,000 workers by the end of 2025, a third of whom will be craftspeople. "Most people don't even know that these jobs exist, that we need them in the U.S., and they very much require a human person to do that, Gena Smith, CHRO at LVMH North America, tells Fortune. It's not something that can be automated in almost all of these cases." To combat this shortage, the luxury goods company has expanded its apprenticeship programs over the past few years, called Metiers dExcellence, which first launched in Europe in 2014. Last year, the company trained 700 apprentices globally, a significant increase from the 180 people trained in 2018, according to Bloomberg. In 2022, LVMH expanded its artisan training to the U.S., where it now has three apprenticeship programs: two at luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co., and one at watchmaker TAG Heuer. All apprentices are paid at the same rate as other interns at the company and receive travel stipends to support their commutes. At Tiffany & Co., the apprenticeships are two years long. One eight-person cohort is based in New York and run in partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology, while the other seven-person cohort is based in Rhode Island and works with the Rhode Island School of Design. TAG Heuers five-person watchmaking apprenticeship, launched in February and lasting one year, is located in Springfield, N.J. All programs are accredited apprenticeships with the Department of Labor, and apprentices also learn from master artisans at the brands. All programs have received considerable interest: Despite only taking on less than 10 people per class, Tiffanys New York cohort received more than 500 applicants, the Rhode Island program saw 200, and TAGs program got more than 100 applicants. Smith says the cohorts are small so that all the apprentices get enough time and guidance to learn these niche skills. She adds that the brands with a program in place are eager to continue them moving forward. There's really an urgency for us to cultivate these skills, she says, adding that Tiffany & Co. wants a new cohort every year to keep up with demand. The companys inaugural apprentice class will complete the program later this year. Graduates arent required to work only at LVMH after completing the program, but Smith says the company aims to recruit all trainees to work at the brands. Over the last 10 years, LVMH has hired 80% of individuals who completed the program. The goal for us would be to hire all of them, because these are positions that have been in decline for a number of years, says Smith. Part of why we're doing it is because we want to continue to cultivate these artists and skills, but really, we also need these metiers, we need these roles. Paige McGlauflin paige.mcglauflin@fortune.com @paidion Today's edition was curated by Emma Burleigh. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Germanys far-right party has seen its popularity soar more than ever before just as the countrys elections are around the corner. That doesnt bode well for the ruling coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholzor the European single economy. The Alternative for Germany (or AfD) party considers the EU a failed project and advocates for a Dexit if its voted into power. Scholz has been vocal about wanting Germany to remain in the bloc, but says that doesnt mean the EU doesnt need reforms. The EU has been open to new candidate nations to join it, but the German chancellor believes it needs to revisit its rules before accepting new members, such as from the Balkans. A EU with 32 or 35 members cannot work with the rules crafted for a smaller union, Scholz said Saturday during a Party of European Socialists meeting in Bucharest, Bloomberg reported. Strengthening Europe as a geopolitical actor also means making better use of one of the strongest instruments of our foreign policy - our enlargement policy. The EU has been criticized for some of its policies that call for unanimity among all member countries on key decisions, resulting in gridlock and delayed action. The EU Commission is working on tweaking those rules ahead of parliamentary elections in June. Scholz said that a plan to achieve new reforms would be adopted by the summer. Scholzs comments echo what he said last year at the European Parliament when he called for an enlarged and reformed EU for a secure future, given the growing geopolitical uncertainties. On his home turf, the German chancellor has been facing competition from the AfD party which has slowly gained ground as the second-largest party in the nation. Frustrations linked to COVID-19, immigration, war in Europe and a recent German budgetary crisis have expanded AfDs support base. It was formed in 2013, shortly after the global financial crisis that roiled Germany, and has held eurosceptic views since. During Scholzs address on Saturday, he also warned that right-wing populism threatened the idea of a united Europe. The EUs most effective answer to this would be by acting together to get things done. If the AfD were to come into power, it could shift how the party approaches its relationship with the EU. The partys leader Alice Weidel told the Financial Times in January that AfD considers Brexit a model for Germany and would hold a referendum for a potential Dexit. But Scholz has slammed the idea, arguing that it would be the biggest destroyer of wealth that could ever happen to Europe and Germany. The country happens to be Europes largest economy, and Scholz conceded that it has benefited from being part of the bloc. Prominent business leaders have spoken out about AfDs rise being a potential threat to Germany that could result in its economic decline. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com DETROIT Jennifer Crumbley's lawyer has asked a judge to allow the mother of the Oxford High School shooter to serve her involuntary manslaughter sentence under house arrest instead of going to prison, reiterating that Crumbley's criminal prosecution has painted a misleading narrative. Crumbley and her husband, James, are the first parents in America to be held criminally responsible for a school shooting by their child. They are to be sentenced Tuesday for their separate convictions on four counts of involuntary manslaughter one for each classmate their son murdered. In a rare and unconventional request, defense attorney Shannon Smith has offered to let her client live in her guest house on a tether to spare her from going to prison. Jennifer Crumbley is not the woman the prosecution has portrayed her to be, Smith argued, and has suffered enough already: She has been locked up for 23 hours a day for more than two years, with no contact with her son or husband. "The victims and their families have suffered beyond what words can explain," Smith said in her sentencing memo but added: "Mrs. Crumbley has also suffered significantly." Defense lawyer: Jennifer Crumbley 'in reality has lost everything' Her son, Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 when he carried out his massacre, pleaded guilty to his crimes and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. "She in reality has lost everything," Smith said. "And she is saddled with extra baggage knowing the horrific acts her son did to others and always second guessing every choice she made as a parent." She added: "Mrs. Crumbleys son is, in reality, gone forever." And locking up his mother doesn't change anything or fix anything, Smith argued, maintaining Jennifer Crumbley can work remotely while on house arrest, and will not have any contact with the victims or their families. "Further prison time does nothing to protect society Mrs. Crumbley is not a threat to the community," Smith wrote, adding: "Putting Mrs. Crumbley in prison does nothing to further deter others from committing like offenses. There is no person who would want the events of November 30, 2021, to repeat themselves." Shannon Smith, left, attorney for Jennifer Crumbley, holds up a photo of Crumbley with one of her horses during testimony in the Oakland County courtroom of Judge Cheryl Matthews on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. 'A sexist and misogynistic attack on a mother' Despite what the prosecution has said about Jennifer Crumbley, her lawyer and family maintain that she was a loving and involved parent who monitored her son's studies, enrolled him in multiple sports, took him on trips, and bragged about and posted his artwork on social media. She also was the breadwinner who worked two jobs to meet her family's needs. "Criticizing Mrs. Crumbley for being 'rarely home' is a sexist and misogynistic attack on a mother. Its certainly not criminal, nor would it be expected to lead to criminal behavior by a child, particularly when it was a two-parent household where Mr. Crumbley mostly worked from home and was very close to home even when he was DoorDashing in between jobs," wrote Smith, who also scoffed at the prosecution's claim that Jennifer Crumbley has shown "a complete lack of remorse by minimizing any role she had in the matter." "The fact of the matter is that Mrs. Crumbley did have a minimal role in the matter," Smith wrote in her sentencing memo, which echoed the arguments she has made all along: What happened to the Crumbleys could happen to any parent in America. In the end, Smith argues, the Crumbleys were manipulated by a teenage son who hid his dark side from his parents and later from school officials, revealing it only after committing his act of terror that no one, she stressed, saw coming. "Any gross negligence on her part can only be found to be parenting mistakes that any parent could make," Smith wrote. "The shooter manipulated his parents to buy a gun, made detailed plans to commit a school shooting that he kept from his parents even according to his own admission at his sentencing found the hidden weapon where his father had stored it, stole the weapon, took it to school, was confronted about concerning drawings, lied effectively enough to convince school officials it was really a non-issue, and chose to open fire on his classmates and teachers." Smith argued that while Jennifer Crumbley "obviously never shot or killed anyone," the actions or inactions that she is criticized for "are easily actions any parent could take, especially when dealing with a child who has never exhibited disciplinary issues or mental health issues to them, aside from typical arguments between parents and teenagers over little things like missing school assignments." But an Oakland County jury disagreed and convicted her in February of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, concluding her actions and inactions caused the deaths of four students murdered by her son. On Tuesday, Jennifer and James Crumbley will learn their fate before Oakland County Circuit Judge Cheryl Matthews, who will sentence them for their part in the deaths of Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17, and Justin Shilling, 17. Jennifer Crumbley's family rallies for leniency Each count carries a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years, though the sentences are expected to be served concurrently. The prosecution, in sentencing memos filed last week, sought 10- to 15-year prison sentences for both Crumbleys. Both Crumbleys are asking to be sentenced to time served. In an 80-page sentencing memo filed late Friday, Jennifer Crumbley's lawyer, mom, dad, pastor, and several other relatives pleaded with the judge to show Jennifer Crumbley mercy, maintaining she is not the neglectful mother as she has been portrayed. "Contrary to how the prosecution and media depicted Jennifer, Ethan was the focus of her life," her father, a retired schoolteacher in Florida, wrote in a letter to the judge, stressing that his daughter "was absolutely distraught" after the shooting. "She was devastated that people were hurt and killed, scared and appalled by what Ethan did, worried about him, terrified by threats and the public's outrage with her," the father's letter states, noting he has spoken to his daughter numerous times during her incarceration. "I can hear in her voice how this has taken an emotional and mental toll on her health. She has undeniably suffered and been punished." Jennifer Crumbley's mother, also a former schoolteacher, asked for the same, stressing that her daughter and the entire family is heartbroken over the tragedy. Her mother added, "She was so paralyzed with fear, and for the first time in her life, she did not have a safe place to go. We were the ones recommending for her to take the money out of the bank, so she could stay safe until they both turned themselves in the morning with their attorneys." This latter comment challenges the prosecution narrative that the Crumbleys emptied their bank accounts after the shooting because they were fleeing to avoid prosecution. Jennifer Crumbley's parents also told the judge that their daughter could live with them in Florida, should she be sentenced to house arrest. 'Mrs. Crumbley was damned no matter what she did' In her sentencing memo, Smith rehashed much of the trial, and held strong to her defense that Jennifer Crumbley never saw any signs that her son was mentally struggling, that he would ever hurt himself or anyone else, and that she never knew of his plan to shoot up his school. She especially lashed out at the prosecution for its handling of the case, alleging it made up a story that her client was fleeing and then portrayed her client as a horrible mother. "(T)he prosecution repeatedly characterized and continues to present Mrs. Crumbley as a selfish, callous, evil person and horrible mother who ' prioritize[ed] her own convenience over the safety to everyone in the school that day,' " Smith writes. "Mrs. Crumbley was damned no matter what she did or did not do." For example, Smith argues, Jennifer Crumbley's reaction to the tragedy was criticized "at every turn" during the trial. "The prosecution certainly tried to convey that Mrs. Crumbley did not care enough about what was going on, that she did not cry enough, and that she did not behave the way a mother of a school shooter would behave despite the fact that there really is no formula about how a mother of a school shooter would behave after such a shocking and disturbing event was committed by their child," Smith wrote. "Ironically, as trial progressed, when Mrs. Crumbley did cry, watching the videos of her sons horrific actions for the first time, the prosecution objected that 'she was crying.' " Smith also sought to explain her client's testimony at trial, when Jennifer Crumbley told the jury that looking back, she would not have changed anything. Smith said her client was referring to what she knew before the shooting that she would not have acted differently because she had no idea her son was planning to shoot up the school. Lawyer: Of course shooter's mom would do things differently In hindsight, however, Smith stressed that Jennifer Crumbley would have done a lot of things differently which Jennifer Crumbley also stated in an interview with state officials preparing her presentencing report. At trial, when I was on the stand I was asked if I would have done anything differently, I testified that I would not have and that is true without the benefit of (sic) hindsight that I have now. With the information I have now, of course my answer would be hugely different. There are so many things that I would change if I could go back in time," Jennifer Crumbley said in the interview. Smith argued that by expressing grief for herself or her family, Jennifer Crumbley "is taking nothing from the victims in this case." "It is possible to be sad for the victims AND the Crumbleys," Smith writes. "While this is a situation that has always been certain to end in disappointment for everyone, there is nothing that can rewind the events of November 30, 2021, which created irreparable damage, unimaginable loss and a nightmare that will continue for eternity." Two juries have sided with the prosecution's assessment that the Crumbleys ignored a child who was mentally spiraling, bought him a gun instead of getting him help and never disclosed that gun to the school when given the chance. "The prosecution has put on a narrative that they are righteous and virtuous throughout this case. As they have done this, they have misled the public and the media from the beginning of this case and through trial," Smith wrote, noting her client will appeal her conviction. Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com. Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jennifer Crumbley case: Lawyer seeks mercy ahead of sentencing White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Sunday that reports have indicated to him that the Israeli troop movement in southern Gaza amounts more to a rest and refit than a full withdrawal of troops, as some reports have indicated. The indications that weve been getting from them this morning is, this is really largely rest and refit for troops that have been on the ground consecutively now for four months and, they need a chance to come to come out now, Kirby said in an interview on CBS Newss Face the Nation, when asked about reports of a troop withdrawal from the Gaza city of Khan Younis. What theyll do with those troops after a rest and refit, I cant speak to, Kirby continued. Kirbys remarks come as Israels military announced Sunday it had withdrawn its forces from Khan Younis, wrapping up a key phase in its ground offensive against Hamas and bringing its troop presence in the territory to one of the lowest levels since the six-month war began, The Associated Press reported. Defense officials, however, maintained that troops were merely regrouping as the army prepares to move into Hamass last stronghold, Rafah. The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping, said Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Israels military chief, the AP reported. In the Sunday interview, Kirby reiterated the United Statess position against any ground military operation in Rafah, which houses more than half of Gazas population and remains one of the last remaining targets for Israel in its effort to eradicate Hamass infrastructure. Concerns about the humanitarian impact of such an operation have prompted a global outcry. All I can do is say what I said before, Kirby continued. We dont support a major ground operation in Rafah. That has not changed. And were looking forward to having conversations with the Israelis about alternatives to those kinds of operations. Kirby also said in the interview that U.S. officials were in discussions about scheduling an in-person meeting with their Israeli counterparts, after holding a virtual meeting this past week, focused on alternatives to a ground operation in Rafah. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor achieves rapid development 14:04, April 08, 2024 By Jiang Feng, Zhang Yunhe, Song Haoxin, Zhang Danhua ( People's Daily Serving as a vital connection between the Silk Road Economic Belt, the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, and the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), which runs through the western part of China, is rapidly expanding. According to the latest statistics, 615,200 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were transported along the route in 2023, up 7 percent year on year, with the total value exceeding 64.32 billion yuan ($8.9 billion), an increase of 16 percent over the previous year. Besides, the ILSTC has reached 490 ports in 120 countries and regions, transporting more than 1,100 types of goods. A container yard with a capacity of 4.5 million tons was put into operation at the Qianjiang Railway Station along the Chongqing-Huaihua Railway on Feb. 29, 2024. Photo shows the first train departing from the Qianjiang Railway Station to run along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC). (People's Daily Online/Yang Min) At the Guoyuan Port in Liangjiang New Area, southwest China's Chongqing municipality, a train loaded with goods such as general machinery and chemical products slowly departed with a sharp blast of whistle. Two days later, it arrived in the ASEAN region via the Qinzhou Port, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The Guoyuan Port is the largest container hub in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. At this point, the ILSTC converges with the China-Europe freight line that starts from Chongqing and Sichuan, and the Yangtze River, often dubbed the "golden waterway." The bustling activities in Guoyuan Port mirror the ILSTC's rapid development as a vital logistics pathway. As of December 2023, 42 national logistics hubs have been established in provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions along the corridor. In 2023, 11 new national logistics hubs were set up as part of the efforts to reinforce the role of important logistics nodes, such as Chongqing, Chengdu, Guiyang, and Zunyi. "In 2023, 584,000 TEUs were transported along the corridor via sea-rail intermodal trains, with a total value surpassing 49.17 billion yuan ($6.8 billion), representing a year-on-year growth of 7 percent and 3 percent respectively," said Liu Wei, director of the ILSTC's Coordination Center for Logistics and Operation. According to Liu, there are daily cargo services operating in both directions, connecting Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, and the Beibu Gulf Port. Cargo trains in Guangxi are also heading towards the Beibu Gulf Port on a daily basis. In September 2023, the first International Road Transport (often referred to as TIR) route connecting China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan was officially put into operation in Sichuan province. On the day of its opening, two container trucks carrying 42 tons of tea departed from Yibin city of Sichuan province and exited through the Irkeshtam Port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. They made their way through Kyrgyzstan and arrived in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, eight days later. "The route's opening well addressed our urgent need," said Ying Yuhang, deputy general manager of a tea trade company in Yibin, adding that at that time, the company's clients in Uzbekistan were facing inventory shortages. The route ensured timely supply of goods and facilitated cooperation between the company and its Uzbek partners, Ying noted. TIR is a global customs transit system based on the UN Convention, often implemented in international cross-border freight transportation. When moving across international borders, vehicles holding TIR certificates are granted streamlined customs procedures and faster clearance. Photo shows the Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. (People's Daily Online/Li Jiashu) In the past, it would take around 30 days to deliver goods from Yibin to Tashkent. However, the TIR system now allows for time savings of two thirds compared to railway transportation, despite the higher cost. This mode of transportation is well-suited for carrying high-value and time-sensitive goods, such as electronics and cold chain products. Through ongoing institutional innovation, the ILSTC's comprehensive service capability keeps improving. Customs clearance continues to be facilitated. The overall customs clearance time for import and export at ports of Guangxi stands at 15.16 hours and 0.28 hours respectively, a reduction of 73.2 percent and 98.01 percent compared to 2017. The customs offices in Chongqing municipality, Kunming of Yunnan province, and Manzhouli of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region have enhanced cooperation and coordination. For cargo shipped from Moscow to China via the Manzhouli Port and then shipped from China to Map Ta Phut, Thailand through the Mohan Port, the shortest transit time is only 15 days, 20 days faster than the traditional means of sea transportation. The application of digital documents is also increasing. The pilot "one-document coverage mechanism" has been introduced to sea-rail intermodal trains and China-Vietnam and China-Laos freight trains, expanding its coverage to Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, and Laos. Currently, a total of 9,613 documents have been issued, with a total value of $555 million. Besides, the "one-container coverage mechanism" has been implemented extensively. The volume of railway TEUs transferred to ships has exceeded 82,000, while the volume of maritime TEUs transferred to trains has surpassed 46,000. This approach leads to a cost reduction of around 1,000 yuan per container. The building of information exchange platforms is accelerating. For instance, over 800,000 pieces of data on container and vessel movements have been shared with Singapore's port operator PSA, extending information about international supply chains from China to the world. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Memphis-born, Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum returns to the fray with his newest single: "Bah-De-Yah," coming off of his forthcoming album "Epic Cool" which will arrive on May 17 through Mack Avenue Music Group/Artistry Music. Across his expansive four-decade-long career, Whalum has blazed many trails in contemporary jazz as he infused hits by Luther Vandross or Whitney Houston with a much-needed jolt of soul and fusion. The jazz innovator plans to push forward the genre once again through his upcoming album, pushing the envelope when it comes to hipness, vitality, soulfulness, and "the vibes." 'Bah-De-Yah,' Kirk Whalum's Next Level at 65 Whalum is perhaps most known for his goosebump-producing and iconic sax solo in Houston's legendary rendition of "I Will Always Love You." however, he is also a known forerunner of genre and style, ever-seeking for a new "twist." "I'm still on this path trying to do something important," Whalum explains. "At 65, I still feel very young. I feel like I have a mandate to be the very best version of myself and to push down some more doors." In the wake of his innovations lie over 25 records, including a Grammy-nominated collaboration with piano legend Bob James; a faith-and-soul melding project: "Gospel According to Jazz" series; and a trio of records with his band: Braun-Whalum-Brown (BWB). All of this, alongside work from notable cats like the late Joey DeFrancesco to legends of the scene like Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, and Larry Carlton. Pursuing newer heights of his ever-evolving goal, Whalum partnered up with Swiss-Nigerian producer and songwriter Greg Manning, whom he first met as a keyboardist after being introduced by his guitarist Jonathan Butler. "He's European and yet he has an African soul," Whalum said of Manning. "I wanted him to bring his classical training together with his understanding of traditional jazz for this project." The result of this endeavor? "Bah-De-Yah," a project that "represents what it feels like to love life," as per Whalum. The record itself comprises over eleven tracks representing the artist's highlights across his well-accomplished oeuvre, kicking off with the reveling funk of his latest release. You can now pre-save and pre-order physical copies of "Epic Cool" by clicking here. As for "Bah-De-Yah," take a listen to the latest single right below. Upcoming Kirk Whalum Tour Dates In commemoration of his album's eventual release, Whalum will be going on tour to bring the soul of "Epic Cool" across the world. A list of available tour dates can be found below and will be updated accordingly: April 6 - 7 - Berks Jazz Festival - Reading, PA April 12 - Berk Jazz Festival - Reading, PA April 30 - May 14 - Dave Koz and Friends at Sea 2024 - Athens, Greece June 2 - Kafe Kirk - Memphis, TN June 8 - Thornton Winery - Temecula, CA June 21 - 23 - Blues Alley Club - Washington, DC June 26 - 27 - Blue Note - Tokyo, Japan July 26 - 28 - The Jazz Kitchen - Indianapolis, IN August 11 - Long Beach Jazz Festival - Long Beach, CA August 16 - Norfolk Jazz Festival - Norfolk, VA August 21 - Aretha Franklin Amphitheater - Detroit, MI August 23 - Fresh Coast Jazz Festival - Milwaukee, WI August 31 - Park Evans Amphitheater - Cleveland, OH September 12 - 15 - Dimitriou's Jazz Alley - Seattle, WA September 27 - Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts - New Orleans, LA For more information, visit https://kirkwhalum.com/. Its finally here! A total solar eclipse is expected to draw more than 1 million people to Kentucky this week as they travel to prime viewing spots in the western half of the state and to nearby spots like Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. The rare event wont occur again over the contiguous U.S. until 2044, according to NASA, so you wont want to miss Mondays eclipse. If youre celebrating at a Lexington watch party, dont forget to keep your eclipse glasses or viewers on throughout the entire event. Viewed from Lexington, the solar eclipse will appear as a partial one, with the moon covering about 96% of the suns face, but thats still enough to hurt your eyes if you stare at the sun without proper eye protection. Jessica Lundgaard and her daughters Izzy, Soleil and Layla react as the eclipse emerges from cloud over at Living Arts and Science Center in Lexington, Ky., on April 8, 2024. The area was expected to see around 96% totality. NASA is also warning the public against taking photos of the eclipse with their phones. Be sure to hold up a pair of eclipse glasses to the lens before you snap a selfie, otherwise you could seriously damage your phone. In Lexington and Central Kentucky, the show is expected to kick off at about 1:50 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, with the eclipse peaking here around 3:08 p.m. By 4:24 p.m., the eclipse ends. 3:32 p.m. Emily Mokroz took in the eclipse at the Living Arts & Science Center with her son, Miles Clark. The eclipse popped out of the clouds on a few occasions, creating brief moments of excitement. Its been really fun, Mokroz said. Its kind of exciting to have to wait a little bit and have everyone get excited all around us. While the eclipse didnt live up to full expectations, Mokroz and her son still had a good time participating in the events at the LSACs eclipse event, including painting pictures of the sun. They had a few different things. They had some collages that they were doing and they had some clay suns that they were making, Mokroz said. There were few chances to see the eclipse due to the cloud cover but the few times it did pop out generated a lot of excitement. The front lawn was packed with people during the peak time of the eclipse. Dr. Lezell Lowe holds his granddaughter, Niyeah, as people gather to view a total solar eclipse seen from the Living Arts & Science Center in Lexington, Ky., Monday, April 8, 2024. The moon covers the sun during a total solar eclipse seen from the Living Arts & Science Center in Lexington, Ky., Monday, April 8, 2024. 3:22 p.m. Donna Lee, who oversees the visual impairment program at UK, considered driving to Indianapolis to watch the eclipse in the path of totality, but decided against it to due to heavy traffic. She said the Indianapolis Motor Speedway held an event using refreshable braille and sound displays so visually impaired viewers could the full experience. Sadly, the overcast weather in Lexington dampened her fun. We caught a little glimpse of the crescent and then the cloud covered it again. So were hoping we can see it more, she said. Lee joked the cloud obstructed view of the sun may be better to keep students eyes safe. UK passed out defective eclipse glasses at the library prior to the eclipse, and warned students not to use them over the weekend. Lee expressed concerns for students who didnt realize they had picked up defective glasses. I just am really hoping all of the students who received them actually saw the alerts about it. Coming from somebody who works in visual impairment, I dont need additional consumers, she said. Meanwhile, at a watch party at Ethereal Brewery, viewers raised their glasses to the skies to catch a view. Eclipse observers at Ethereal Brewery in Lexington raised their glasses to catch a view. Taproom manager Kelley Jackson was a bartender at Ethereal during the eclipse in 2017. It was one of her first memories as a bartender there. She recalls a small turnout at the time, and sitting outside with the patrons to watch. Over the years, her regulars have reminisced on the 2017 eclipse, and they long discussed having an event to hold this year. Jackson ordered 60 eclipse viewing glasses, and was soon out. She was very surprised at the turnout, but really excited that such a rare event people would remember witnessing at Ethereal. 3:08 p.m. At the peak of the solar eclipse here in Lexington, viewers fought get a view of the sun through cloudy skies and sent up excited shouts when they managed to catch a glimpse. Casey Roley (left) and Michelle Bickerstaff (right) catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse in Lexington amid a cloudy sky on April 8, 2024. A partially eclipsed sun peaks through a cloudy sky over Lexington, Ky. on April 8, 2024 Donna Lee and her son watch the eclipse April 8, 2024. 2:58 p.m. Leslie Sanchez and her two sons Joey, 7 and-a-half; and Judah, 5 were at the Living Arts & Science Center for the solar eclipse. They ordered their eclipse glasses a month ago and were excited for it to happen. We love science and we love learning, Sanchez said on why they decided to take in the event at the Living Arts & Science Center. I try to grab any educational opportunity that we can. Along with the solar eclipse, the LSAC also hosted many activities throughout the day, including an animal meet & greet. They got to meet a bearded dragon, a box turtle and a coral snake. They got to pet each of them with two fingers and they loved all of it, Sanchez said. 2:45 p.m. At the University of Kentucky, more than 150 people gathered in the Alumni Commons to view the eclipse. The Department of Physics and Astronomy held a viewing party, with solar telescopes and eclipse glasses. Though it was cloudy, groups were still excited at the chance to see the eclipse at near totality. Erica Lengyel, a graduate student who helped organize the viewing party, said Mondays eclipse was the closest to totality shed been. Lengyel was excited to see people interested in astronomy and viewing the eclipse. I credit like a lot of my early science experiences with what brought me here (to UK) today, so its nice to be able to give that back to the community, Lengyel said. Its one of those things that like doesnt happen all the time, so its nice to get kind of one of these life experiences, Lengyel said. A solar eclipse is photographed in Paducah, Ky., on Monday, April 8, 2024. Also at UK, Lexington resident Vivian C. Wright came to to view the eclipse through the universitys solar telescope, which lets users see the eclipse safely without using eclipse glasses, but the weather wasnt keen for eclipse viewing. The weather is hampering everybodys enjoyment, she said. Wright recalled watching the 2017 solar eclipse with a home made cardboard viewing box. She brought the contraption with her today, but couldnt seem to remember how to use it and opted for the eclipse glasses passed out by the department of physics and astronomy. Im at @universityofky for their eclipse viewing party with @kendallstaton1! Were less than an hour from totality, and its pretty cloudy right now, so not much is visible yet. pic.twitter.com/8dg3kHz6lQ Monica Kast (@monica_kast) April 8, 2024 2:35 p.m. - The moon has taken a noticeable bite out of the sun during Mondays solar eclipse. In Lexington, viewers at the citys Living Arts and Science Center took in the view amid cloudy skies. Dozens of spectators gathered on the centers lawn waiting for the sun to peek out from the clouds. Spectators at Lexingtons Living Arts and Science Center gather to watch the solar eclipse April 8, 2024. At Ethereal Brewing in Lexingtons Distillery District, guests at a watch party there were drawn to the event by the promise of glasses. Haily Sloan said she was one of the last few to get a pair of eclipse-safe glasses before they sold out. Sloan said she has always been interested in science, and was attracted to viewing the phenomenon because it isnt something that happens very often. She said she watched the previous eclipse event in 2017, when she was in school at Morehead State. Haily Sloan (center) stands outside Ethereal Brewery in Lexington, Ky. to watch the solar eclipse April 8, 2024. Check back later for more live local updates brought to you by Herald-Leader reporters Christopher Leach, Monica Kast, Taylor Six and Kendall Staton. A woman looks on during totality of a solar eclipse from the riverfront in Paducah, Ky., on Monday, April 8, 2024. Lorne and Samuel James, 12, of Hendersonville, Tenn., watch a solar eclipse on the riverfront in Paducah, Ky., on Monday, April 8, 2024. Officials offered no information Monday about the three-day disappearance last week of Republican Party of Florida executive director George Riley. Riley was reported missing April 3 in Osceola County. His black Ford Expedition had last been seen in Kissimmee that Wednesday. George Riley The Osceola County Sheriff's Office posted on social media Friday evening that Riley was found safe and thanked the community for its help in locating him. Its post, however, offered no details on what had happened. Requests for more information are pending with both the sheriffs office and at the party's headquarters in Tallahassee. A call placed last week to a family member has not yet been returned. Republican Party of Florida chair Evan Power appointed Riley as the partys executive director in February. Riley has worked with the party since 2008 as a field worker, regional manager and policy director, and he previously served as executive director in 2016-19. In the 2018 election cycle, Riley put into place a voter registration initiative called Project Majority Red that flipped ten counties from Democratic to Republican majorities, reports show. He also was in charge of spending more than $85 million on statewide campaigns. Riley was with Conservatives for Clean Energy-Florida before rejoining the party this year. The 2005 graduate of Gettysburg College lives in Tallahassee with his two daughters, according to his online bio. James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com and is on X as @CallTallahassee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Osceola sheriff: Missing executive director of Florida GOP found safe LONDON (Reuters) - British foreign minister David Cameron will meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday on a trip to Washington to press lawmakers in Congress to pass an aid package for Ukraine and discuss the Israel-Gaza war. Cameron last week said he would see Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and urge him to pass a $60 billion package of military aid for Ukraine, which he has held up for months. "Success for Ukraine and failure for Putin are vital for American and European security," Cameron said in a statement, saying that it was important to demonstrate to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "aggression doesn't pay". "The alternative would only encourage Putin in further attempts to re-draw European borders by force, and would be heard clearly in Beijing, Tehran and North Korea." The foreign ministry said that Cameron would meet congressional leaders from both the Republicans and the Democrats. Britain has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022, but Cameron will stress that it is the United States that is the "key stone in the arch" as its pace and scale of support for Ukraine is unmatched. During the trip Cameron will stress the importance of increasing economic pressure on Russia and giving Ukraine "the military and humanitarian support it needs to hold the line this year and go on the offensive in 2025," the foreign ministry said. It added that Cameron would also discuss maritime routes for aid into Gaza during the trip, as well as push for a full and transparent investigation into the "completely unacceptable" deaths there of seven aid workers, including three Britons. Cameron will reiterate Israel's right to self-defence in accordance with international law after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, but will stress that major changes need to be made to ensure the safety of aid workers on the ground, his office said. (Reporting by Alistair Smout, Editing by William Maclean) Recovery efforts at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse reached a "critical step" Sunday as crews began removing shipping containers from the vessel Dali. Removal will allow them to access a key portion of the roadway, now perched above the containers on board the 980-foot, Singapore-flagged ship when it lost power and struck the bridge March 26. Removing containers allows for safe access to then remove the pieces of the Key Bridge that lie across the ships bow, taking weight off the ship and ultimately allowing for the movement of the ship," Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command said in a statement Sunday. Unified Command is a cooperative of first responders, recovery crews, and agencies planning to redevelop the bridge and reopen the waterway. They include the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and various state agencies, such as Maryland State Police. The bodies of three of six roadway workers who were on the bridge when it collapsed have been recovered, and the other three are presumed dead. Moving the ship is important, as it would allow authorities to reopen the port to at least some traffic, officials said. "The removal of these containers is a critical step required to safely move the [Merchant Vessel] Dali and eventually fully re-open the Fort McHenry Channel," Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command said in a statement Sunday. Removal was being done with a floating crane, Unified Command said. Images it released Sunday also showed a section of bridge support that was being removed. Officials are under pressure to rebuild the bridge, which carried an average of 34,000 vehicles a day. On Thursday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said on the social media platform X, We cannot rebuild the bridge until we clear the wreckage. Another key goal is restoring traffic to the Port of Baltimore, essentially shuttered since the collision, with 32 vessels getting through since then via temporary, alternate channels, Unified Command said. The port, the top destination for imported cars shipped to the United States, accommodated roughly 500 container arrivals a year in recent years, according to trade tracker Kpler. The Corps of Engineers said last week that it hopes to open a one-way shipping lane in the port by the end of April via a channel 280 feet wide and 35 feet deep. It also announced a larger goal: restoring full port traffic by the end of May via what it described as a "700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep federal navigation channel." The bridge's collapse has blocked the Fort McHenry Channel and thus throttled nearly all traffic in and out of the port, though officials have found ways to move temporary traffic through the waterway. The port exists where the Patapsco River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday said it will launch an investigation after the engine cowling of a Southwest Airlines plane fell off during takeoff in Denver and struck the wing flap. The cowling is the protective cover over the plane's engine. The engine cowling hanging from the wing of a Southwest Airlines flight (Cooper Glass) Southwest Airlines Flight 3695 returned safely to Denver International Airport around 8:15 a.m. local time on Sunday after the pilot reported the incident, the FAA said. The plane was headed to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston. In a statement, Southwest Airlines said it is working to get customers on their way to Houston on another aircraft after Flight 3695 landed safely in Denver and that its maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft. Frank Sanger, who was on the flight, expressed shock after getting a glimpse of the planes state when he deplaned. You could see the jet engine had a panel stripped away, all the way around, Sanger said in an interview that aired Monday on NBCs TODAY show. This is the second incident in recent days involving a reported malfunctioning of equipment on a Southwest Airlines flight. The FAA is investigating a reported engine fire before takeoff at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport on Thursday. United Airlines flights have also recently faced safety issues, with eight incidents having been reported in the last two weeks. Sasha Johnson, the vice president of corporate safety at United, said in a statement that the FAA will be playing a larger role in the company. "Over the next several weeks, we will begin to see more of an FAA presence in our operation as they begin to review some of our work processes, manuals and facilities," Johnson said. These incidents come on the heels of skyrocketing scrutiny the airline industry continues to face, with Boeing under investigation by the FAA, Department of Justice and National Transportation Safety Board, following the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout. By Guy Faulconbridge and Francois Murphy MOSCOW/VIENNA (Reuters) - Russia said Ukraine struck the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station controlled by Russian forces three times on Sunday and demanded the West respond, though Kyiv said it had nothing to do with the attacks. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has long warned of the risks of a disaster at Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear plant, and urged an end to fighting in the area. The plant is just 500 km (300 miles) from the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, the 1986 Chornobyl disaster. What nuclear material is at the Zaporizhzhia plant, what are the risks and why are Russia and Ukraine fighting over it? WHAT IS IT AND WHAT WAS ITS CAPACITY? The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235. They were all built in the 1980s, though the sixth only came online in the mid-1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. All but one of the reactors are in cold shutdown. Reactor unit 4 is in "hot shutdown", mainly for heating purposes. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi says that fighting a war around a nuclear plant has put nuclear safety and security in "constant jeopardy". WHAT HAPPENED ON APRIL 7? Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, said Ukraine attacked the plant three times on Sunday with drones, first injuring three near a canteen, then attacking a cargo area and then the dome above reactor No. 6. IAEA experts at the site went to the three locations of the attacks and confirmed there had been an attack. "Russian troops engaged what appeared to be an approaching drone," the IAEA said. "This was followed by an explosion near the reactor building." "While the team so far has not observed any structural damage to systems, structures, and components important to nuclear safety or security of the plant, they reported observing minor superficial scorching to the top of the reactor dome roof of Unit 6 and scoring of a concrete slab supporting the primary make-up water storage tanks," the IAEA said. The IAEA did not say directly who was to blame for the attacks. A Ukrainian intelligence official said Kyiv had nothing to do with any strikes on the station and suggested they were the work of Russians themselves. WHAT ARE THE RISKS? Russian forces took control of the plant in early March 2022, weeks after invading Ukraine. Special Russian military units guard the facility and a unit of Russia's state nuclear company, Rosatom, runs the plant. Nuclear reactors' containment structures like Zaporizhzhia's are made of steel-lined reinforced concrete designed to withstand the impact of a small plane crash so there is little immediate risk from a minor attack on those structures. A 1989 study by the U.S. Department of Energy found that the model of containment structure used in Zaporizhzia "exhibits vulnerabilities to the effects of an aircraft crash" and a fighter jet crashing downwards into the dome, where the structure is thinner, could penetrate it, causing concrete chunks and aircraft engine parts to fall inside. External power lines essential to cooling nuclear fuel in the reactors are a softer potential target. Cooling fuel even in reactors in cold shutdown is necessary to prevent a nuclear meltdown. Since the war began the plant has lost all external power eight times, most recently in December last year, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for power. Water is also needed to cool fuel. Pressurised water is used to transfer heat away from the reactors even when they are shut down, and pumped water is also used to cool down removed spent nuclear fuel from the reactors. Without enough water, or power to pump the water, the fuel could melt down and the zirconium cladding could release hydrogen, which can explode. WHAT ABOUT THE SPENT FUEL? Besides the reactors, there is also a dry spent fuel storage facility at the site for used nuclear fuel assemblies, and spent fuel pools at each reactor site that are used to cool down the used nuclear fuel. Without water supply to the pools, the water evaporates and the temperatures increase, risking a fire that could release a number of radioactive isotopes. An emission of hydrogen from a spent fuel pool caused an explosion at reactor 4 in Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. WHAT HAPPENS IN A MELTDOWN? A meltdown of the fuel could trigger a fire or explosion that could release a plume of radionuclides into the air which could then spread over a large area. The Chornobyl accident spread Iodine-131, Caesium-134, Strontium-90 and Caesium-137 across parts of northern Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, northern and central Europe. Nearly 8.4 million people in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine were exposed to radiation, according to the United Nations. Around 50 deaths are directly attributed to the disaster itself. But 600,000 "liquidators", involved in fire-fighting and clean-up operations, were exposed to high doses of radiation. Hundreds of thousands were resettled. There is mounting evidence that the health impact of the Chornobyl disaster was much more serious than initially presented at the time and in the years following the accident. Incidence of thyroid cancer in children across swathes of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine increased after the accident. There was a much higher incidence of endocrine disorders, anaemia and respiratory diseases among children in contaminated areas. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow and Francois Murphy in Vienna, Editing by William Maclean) By Ted Hesson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives this week is due to deliver its impeachment case against President Joe Biden's top border official, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, to the Democratic-majority Senate. That chamber's majority Democrats are seen as all but certain to bring the proceedings to a swift end, arguing that Republicans have fallen short of the "high crimes and misdemeanors" standard that impeachment calls for. WHY DID HOUSE REPUBLICANS IMPEACH MAYORKAS? Republicans accuse Biden and Mayorkas of failing to sufficiently deter illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border, which has reached record levels since the Democratic president took office in 2021. Republicans argue that Mayorkas refused to fully enforce U.S. immigration laws and should not have reversed restrictive policies put in place by Republican former President Donald Trump, Biden's leading rival in the Nov. 5 election. Republicans also contend Mayorkas exceeded his authority by allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter legally through emergency "parole" programs. The U.S. Border Patrol made more than 1 million arrests of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in the past six months, according to internal agency statistics reviewed by Reuters, a pace similar to record-breaking totals during Biden's first three years in office. During Trump's 2017-2021 presidency, migrant arrests peaked at 852,000 in fiscal year 2019. Reuters/Ipsos polling shows that immigration is the top concern for Republicans and the party has used the issue to motivate their base. HOW HAVE DEMOCRATS RESPONDED TO REPUBLICAN ATTACKS? The Biden administration says it has created a more orderly and humane immigration system and that record levels of migration are challenging countries throughout the Western Hemisphere. In recent months, Biden has toughened his border rhetoric and tried to shift blame to Republicans for high levels of illegal crossings. Specifically, the president has faulted Republicans for declining to provide more funding for border enforcement and for rejecting a bipartisan border deal in the Senate that would have given Biden a sweeping authority to send migrants caught at the southwest border back to Mexico. Trump voiced loud objections to the bill, dooming its chances in the House. Mayorkas - a former federal prosecutor - defended his immigration enforcement record and commitment to government service in a January letter to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green. Representative Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the homeland committee, has dismissed the impeachment proceedings as a politically motivated "sham." ARE THERE GROUNDS FOR IMPEACHMENT? Several constitutional experts have said the allegations against Mayorkas raised by Republicans do not meet the high bar for impeachment outlined in the U.S. Constitution. The only Cabinet member ever to be impeached by the House was former President Ulysses S. Grant's secretary of war, William Belknap in 1876 following allegations of corruption. He was acquitted by the Senate. Frank Bowman, a University of Missouri law school professor and impeachment expert, said at a January hearing that Republicans had not provided evidence that Mayorkas had committed potentially impeachable actions such as corruption, abuse of power or subversion of the U.S. Constitution. "Whatever may be the grounds for impeachment and removal, dislike of a president's policy is certainly not one of them," Bowman said, quoting the late constitutional scholar Charles Black. Other scholars have raised concerns that Republicans have weaponized impeachment for political gain, setting a dangerous precedent for the divided U.S. government. Hardline Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene began to push for Biden's impeachment immediately after he took office in January 2021, a move that observers described as revenge for House Democrats twice impeaching Trump, a historic first. Both times Trump was acquitted by the Senate. Republicans also have launched an inquiry into whether Biden improperly benefited from his son Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE SENATE? The Republican-controlled House impeached Mayorkas on its second attempt on Feb. 13, with a 214-213 vote that fell almost entirely along party lines. The impeachment followed a failed vote a week earlier. Mayorkas is unlikely to be convicted of the charges in the Senate, where Democrats hold a 51-49 majority. WHAT DO REPUBLICANS WANT AT THE BORDER? Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has said Biden needs to reinstate Trump policies and crack down on border crossings. Johnson also has called on the Senate to approve a bill passed by the House in May 2023 that would effectively end access to asylum at the border. The measure, known as H.R. 2, passed with broad Republican support but with no backing from Democrats. The bill has not come to a vote in the Senate, where it would face steep Democratic opposition. Even if it passed the Senate, the White House has said Biden would veto it. The bill generally bars migrants from seeking U.S. asylum at the border if they passed through another country en route to the United States, one of several provisions that would greatly reduce such claims for protection. The legislation grants the U.S. homeland security secretary sweeping authority to suspend entry to migrants to maintain "operational control" of the border, a standard defined as prevention of all illegal entries. Johnson rejected the bipartisan bill brokered in the Senate, saying it would not adequately reduce illegal crossings and would be "dead on arrival" in the House. (Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell) (Reuters) - Russian missile and guided bombs attacks on Monday killed four people in Ukraine's south and north, officials said. A missile strike killed three people and injured at least eight more in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said. An industrial building, seven apartment blocks, as well as medical and educational facilities were damaged there, authorities said. They did not disclose the nature of the industrial site. Separately, authorities reported four guided bombs had hit the town of Bilopillia in northern Sumy region. One woman was killed and at least three more people were wounded in the attack that damaged shops and a city council building, the regional administration said. In Zaporizhzhia, which is on the Ukrainian government-held side of the front line in the south, images released by prosecutors showed a passenger car buried under rubble and concrete and iron pillars that had collapsed. Last Friday, another industrial site in the city was also struck by a Russian missile strike, which damaged residential buildings and killed four people. Russian troops control the nearby Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, further along the Dnipro River to the southwest of the city, and have accused Ukraine of attacking the plant with drone strikes since last week. Kyiv said it has nothing to do with incidents at the power station reported by Russia, which it called "armed provocations". (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Jason Neely and Peter Graff) Grammy-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer, who The New Yorker described as "the world's reigning male chorus," is slated to grace the hallowed Merkin Hall in NYC's Kaufman Music Center next Thursday, April 18, and will start by 7:30 PM local time. Tickets cost 45$. Chanticleer's 'Music of a Silent World' Program The virtuosic men's chorus will perform a program entitled "Music of a Silent World," which comprises a wide-ranging array of songs headlined by Majel Connery's song cycle: "The Rivers are our Brothers," an album revolving around ecological responsibility. On top of this, the program will also see Chanticleer singing famed songs by legendary artists like Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty, Freddie Mercury, Stephen Sondheim, and many more. The group of twelve male voices, ranging from countertenor to bass, is masterfully equipped to creatively interpret a wide variety of vocal literature into unique experiences. Although its roots trace back to the Renaissance, the ensemble is also well-performed in contemporary genres like gospel, jazz, and pop. The group has sung works by the likes of Queen, Kansas, and others, since its foundation in 1978 by musicologist Louis Botto. This flexibility helped Chanticleer to take its place as one of the world's most prolific recording and touring ensembles, exemplified by their sales of over a million records and their history of performing over a thousand live concerts around the globe since inception. Receiving multiple Grammy awards for its recording of Sir John Travener's "Lamentations & Praises," the group has also received awards like the Chorus America Commissioning Award and the America Award for Adventurous Programming. For more information on the program, click here. DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian inaugurated a new site for Iranian consular services in the Syrian capital on Monday, Syrian state media reported, in a building near the previous consulate flattened in an Israeli airstrike last week. The strike, which flattened the consular building adjacent to Iran's embassy and killed seven Iranian military officers including two senior commanders, was an escalation of Israeli attacks on Iranian interests in Syria alongside the Gaza war. It drew condemnations from the United Nations and European Union for striking diplomatic premises, and Iran has vowed revenge. Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad attended the opening of the new consular building, alongside Amirabdollahian who is concluding a regional tour in Syria, according to Syria's state news agency SANA. The pair then visited one of those wounded in the strike who was still in the hospital being treated. A member of the Iranian delegation told Reuters the new consular building had previously housed the headquarters of an Iranian-Syrian automobile venture. In a joint press conference, Mekdad said Syria stood with the "resistance" factions in the region - Iran's term for its allies in the region who are sworn enemies of Israel - but did not elaborate on whether Syria would respond directly. Amirabdollahian repeated that Israel would "be punished" for hitting the consular building but did not provide specifics. Amirabdollahian concluded his visit to Damascus after a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Until now, Tehran has avoided directly entering the fray in the Gaza war, while supporting allies' attacks on Israeli and U.S. targets. (Reporting by Maya Gebeily, Kinda Makieh, Firas Makdesi and Adam Makary; Editing by Peter Graff) Israeli troops have withdrawn from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, wrapping up a key phase in its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group. Defense officials said that troops were merely regrouping as the army prepares to move into Hamas last stronghold, Rafah. Israel for weeks has vowed a ground offensive in nearby Rafah. But the city shelters some 1.4 million people more than half of Gazas population. The prospect of an offensive has raised global alarm, including from Israels top ally, the U.S., which has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. The Palestinian death toll from the war has passed 33,200, with nearly 76,000 wounded, Gazas Health Ministry said. The ministry doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tally, but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead. The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage. Currently: Palestinians returning to Khan Younis after Israeli withdrawal find an unrecognizable city. These Palestinian mothers in Gaza gave birth Oct. 7. Their babies have known only war AP Photos chronicle 6 months of devastation in Gaza war with no sign of an end Israel finds the body of a hostage killed in Gaza, while talks will resume on a cease-fire For families of hostages, its a race against time as Israels war reaches six-month mark Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Here's the latest: ISRAELI ARMY SAYS A PALESTINIAN WOMAN SHOT DEAD ATTEMPTING TO STAB A SOLDIER JERUSALEM The Israeli army said its forces shot dead a Palestinian women in the northern West Bank on Monday, after she attempted to stab a soldier at a checkpoint. The army said the incident took place at the Tayasir checkpoint near the northern West Bank town of Tubas. In a statement, the Palestinian Health Ministry identified the deceased as a young woman but did not state her name or age. At least 460 Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the West Bank have been killed by Israeli fire since the Israel-Hamas war erupted six months ago, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Many have been shot dead in armed clashes, some while attempting to stab Israeli forces, and others for throwing stones at troops. The Associated Press has reported on several cases where Palestinians have been shot dead for posing no apparent threat to nearby troops. Knife attacks by Palestinian women are rare. POPE FRANCIS MEETS WITH FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES VATICAN CITY Pope Francis met Monday with relatives of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, marking the six-month anniversary of the attack in southern Israel with an hourlong audience. The Vatican released photos of the encounter, showing the relatives of the several of the hostages sitting in a semicircle in front of Francis in his private library in the Apostolic Palace. Each one held a poster with a photo and the name of their loved one. It was the second time Francis has met with relatives of the hostages. On Nov. 22, he met with a delegation of Israelis, and then separately a delegation of Palestinians whose relatives had been harmed during the long Mideast conflict. Francis has called for the immediate release of the hostages and a cease-fire in Gaza, and for humanitarian aid to urgently reach desperate Palestinians. GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY REPORTS 32 PEOPLE KILLED IN LAST 24 HOURS CAIRO The Health Ministry in Gaza on Monday said the bodies of 32 people killed in Israels bombardment have been brought to hospitals in the beleaguered territory in the past 24 hours. Hospitals also received 47 wounded people, it said. The fresh fatalities brought the death toll in the strip to 33,207 since the war began on Oct. 7, it said. The ministry doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants, but said two thirds of the dead are children and women. The Israeli military says it has killed 12,000 militants, without providing evidence. The ministry said 75,933 people have been wounded. The ministry said many casualties remain under the rubble and first responders have been unable to retrieve them amid the relentless bombing. PAKISTAN AND SAUDI ARABIA CALL ON ISRAEL TO HALT ITS MILITARY OPERATIONS IN GAZA ISLAMABAD Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have called on Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza and seek a peaceful solution to the conflict in line with UN resolutions. The two countries made the demands in a joint statement on Monday after a meeting between Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Mecca. The two sides called for international efforts to halt Israeli military operations in Gaza, mitigate humanitarian impact and underscored the imperative for the international community to pressure Israel to cease hostilities, adhere to international law, and facilitate unhindered humanitarian aid access to Gaza," according to the statement. They also discussed the need for a peace process in accordance with UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative aimed at finding a just and comprehensive solution, for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital." IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER RULES OUT SENDING VOLUNTEERS TO PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES TEHRAN, Iran Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the deployment of volunteers to the Palestinian territories is not possible, in an indication Tehran is not seeking direct ground involvement in the war in Gaza. Video footage on Khamenei's official website showed him making the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with students. Rest assured that if it was possible to send young men to Palestine, it would have been done before you say it, Khamenei said. His comments were reportedly in response to a question by one of the students. Many Iranian hardliners have routinely said they are ready to go to help Palestinians in Gaza in their fight against Israel. Iranian leaders including Khamenei have vowed retaliation for an attack last week that killed two Iranian generals and their military delegation in Syria. Israel has been girding for an Iranian response to the strike, without directly acknowledging its involvement in it. Iran supports Hamas and other anti-Israel militants in the region including Hezbollah in Lebanon. ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS IT KILLED HEZBOLLAH COMMANDER IN LEBANON BEIRUT Israels military says it has killed a commander of Hezbollahs secretive Radwan Force in southern Lebanon. Ali Ahmad Hassin is one of the most senior militants killed since Israel and Hezbollah began exchanging fire at the start of the war in Gaza. His killing comes as regional tensions soar following an attack last week on Irans consulate in Syria, threatening to spark a wider conflagration. The Israeli military said two other Hezbollah militants were also killed in the strike early Monday. Hezbollah announced the death of Ali Ahmad Hassin but did not give any details on the circumstances or his role with the group, in line with how they announce the deaths of their members. The Israeli military said he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Sultaniyeh. It said in a statement that Hassin was responsible for carrying out attacks on northern Israel. Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have clashed along the tense Lebanon-Israel border since Oct. 8. Hezbollah says it would stop firing rockets once a ceasefire is reached in the Gaza Strip that would end the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli officials have been demanding that the Radwan Force withdraw from the border area in order for tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return home. AUSTRALIA APPOINTS EX-DEFENSE CHIEF TO LOOK INTO ISRAELI STRIKE THAT KILLED 7 AID WORKERS MELBOURNE, Australia Australia has appointed retired national defense chief Mark Binskin to look into how Israel Defense Forces came to kill seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including Australian Zomi Frankcom, in Gaza last week. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday he expected Israel would fully cooperate with Binskin as Australias special adviser on Israels response to the missile strikes on three aid vehicles. We would expect that someone of Mr. Binskin's stature, frankly, will be given every cooperation from the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli government, Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. We dont find the explanations to be satisfactory to this point, Albanese added. The seven aid workers deaths had shaken the world, Albanese said, adding it is unacceptable that almost 200 aid workers have died since the conflict began in October last year. Binskin, who served as Australian Defense Force chief from 2014 to 2018, will advise the government on the sufficiency and appropriateness of steps taken by the Israeli government in response to the fatal attack, which the Israeli military has described as a tragic error, a government statement said. PALESTINIAN PRISONER CONVICTED IN 1984 KILLING OF ISRAELI SOLDIER DIES OF CANCER, ISRAEL SAYS TEL AVIV, Israel Israeli authorities say a Palestinian prisoner convicted in the 1984 killing of a soldier has died in a hospital after he was battling cancer. Walid Daqa, who was an Israeli citizen, was sentenced to life in prison following the killing of soldier Moshe Tamam. The Palestinian Prisoners Club, which represents former and current prisoners, said he was slated for release next year. He was one of the longest-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israeli media said he died Sunday. The plight of prisoners in Israeli jails is deeply sensitive to Palestinians, many of whom have relatives who have served time in Israeli prisons. Their conditions in prison are closely followed and deaths while in custody, even under natural circumstances, can heighten tensions, which are already high amid the war in Gaza. The fate of the prisoners is under particularly close watch now because Israel is expected to release many as part of a deal that emerges between it and Hamas meant to bring about a cease-fire in the war and the release of hostages taken captive into Gaza. The prisoners club said Israel had excluded Daqa from all previous prisoner exchange deals, as he had been characterized as a high-risk prisoner. Hamas accused Israel of deliberate medical negligence in Daqas death. In a statement Monday, Israels National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Daqa died of natural causes. ISRAEL PULLS SOME TROOPS OUT OF SOUTHERN GAZA JERUSALEM Israels military announced Sunday it had withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, wrapping up a key phase in its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group and bringing its troop presence in the territory to one of the lowest levels since the six-month war began. But defense officials said troops were merely regrouping as the army prepares to move into Hamas last stronghold, Rafah. The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping, said the military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. Local broadcaster Channel 13 TV reported that Israel was preparing to begin evacuating Rafah within one week and the process could take several months. Still, the withdrawal was a milestone as Israel and Hamas marked six months of fighting. Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under army policy, said a significant force remained in Gaza to continue targeted operations including in Khan Younis, hometown of the Hamas leader, Yehya Sinwar. AP video in Khan Younis showed some people returning to a landscape marked by shattered multistory buildings and climbing over debris. Cars were overturned and charred. Southern Gazas main hospital, Nasser, was in shambles. ISRAEL FINDS BODY OF HOSTAGE KILLED IN GAZA CAIRO Israels military says it has recovered the body of a 47-year-old farmer who was held hostage in Gaza. Israels army said Saturday it found the body of Elad Katzir and believed he was killed in January by militants with Islamic Jihad, one of the groups that entered southern Israel in the Oct. 7 attack, killed more than 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Katzir was abducted from Nir Oz, a border community that suffered some of the heaviest losses. The discovery renewed pressure on Israels government for a deal to get the remaining hostages freed, and thousands gathered in Tel Aviv to call for a deal as well as early elections. Hostages families have long feared time is running out. At least 36 hostages have been confirmed dead. About half of the original number have been released. He could have been saved if a deal had happened in time, Katzirs sister Carmit said in a statement. Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political considerations, and that is why (a deal) did not happen. Israelis are divided on the approach by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. A week ago, tens of thousands of Israelis thronged central Jerusalem in the largest anti-government protest since the war began. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -An engine cover on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 fell off on Sunday during takeoff in Denver and struck the wing flap, prompting the U.S. FAA to open an investigation. No one was injured and Southwest Flight 3695 returned safely to Denver International Airport around 8:15 a.m. local time on Sunday and was towed to the gate after losing the engine cowling. The Boeing aircraft bound for Houston Hobby airport with 135 passengers and six crew members aboard rose to an elevation of about 10,300 feet (3,140 m) before returning 25 minutes after takeoff. Passengers arrived in Houston on another Southwest plane about four hours behind schedule. Southwest said maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft. The plane entered service in June 2015, according to FAA records. Boeing referred questions to Southwest. The airline declined to say when the plane's engine had last had maintenance. ABC News aired a video posted on social media platform X of the ripped engine cover flapping in the wind with a torn Southwest logo. Boeing has come under intense criticism since a door plug panel tore off a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 jet at 16,000 feet on Jan. 5. In the aftermath of that incident, the FAA grounded the MAX 9 for several weeks, barred Boeing from increasing the MAX production rate and ordered it to develop a comprehensive plan to address "systemic quality-control issues" within 90 days. Boeing production has fallen below the maximum 38 MAX planes per month the FAA is allowing. The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the MAX 9 incident. The 737-800 is in the prior generation of the best-selling 737 known as the 737 NG, which in turn was replaced by the 737 MAX. The FAA is investigating several other recent Southwest Boeing engine issues. A Southwest 737 flight on Thursday aborted takeoff and taxied back to the gate at Lubbock airport in Texas after the crew reported engine issues. The FAA is also investigating a March 25 Southwest 737 flight that returned to the Austin airport in Texas after the crew reported a possible engine issue. A March 22 Southwest 737-800 flight returned to Fort Lauderdale airport after the crew reported an engine issue. It is also being reviewed by the FAA. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Matthew Lewis and Mark Porter) By David Alire Garcia MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico welcomed the return of its Ecuador embassy personnel on Sunday, two days after police raided the facility in an act that triggered an abrupt diplomatic break while provoking global shock and condemnation of the South American nation. Ecuadorean police and soldiers forced their way into Mexico's embassy in Quito late Friday night to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas who had for months taken refuge there, after Mexican officials offered him formal asylum protection earlier in the day. Ecuador argued it was unlawful to grant asylum to Glas, who had been convicted twice on graft charges. Glas, 54, who had a preventive arrest warrant out on another corruption case, had been holed up in the embassy in Quito since seeking political asylum in December. At the Mexican capital's main airport, Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena hailed the solidarity shown with Mexico from 18 Latin American governments - nearly the entire region and spanning its ideological divides - in addition to 10 European nations, plus the United States and Canada. While welcoming about a couple dozen embassy personnel who were flown back to Mexico, the diplomat also lashed out at Ecuador's "physical aggression" on the embassy. She also reiterated plans to seek further international rebukes for the government of President Daniel Noboa over the incident. Earlier on Sunday, Britain became the latest country to condemn Ecuador's incursion into the embassy, according to a foreign office statement. Mexico's ambassador to Ecuador, Raquel Serur, flanked Barcena at the ceremony. "President Noboa made a mistake by taking a decision that didn't just break with all established international conventions, but it also showed ignorance of the reality of his country," said Serur, adding that the president "doesn't understand" that individuals can be provided with asylum protections without judging their innocence or guilt. Ecuadorean police arrested Glas, who served as vice president to leftist former President Rafael Correa, due to the ongoing corruption charges. Last week, Noboa's government declared Serur persona non grata due to what it called "unfortunate" comments by Mexico's president, who had weighed in on last year's presidential race in Ecuador claiming that media manipulation following a candidate assassination led to his fellow leftist's loss. (Reporting by David Alire Garcia in Mexico City; Additional reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Diane Craft) PHOENIX Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego referred to himself as a true progressive voice in Congress in a fundraising email in 2022. In 2018, he rallied alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders in his home state, saying facetiously: President Trump is going to build a wall. Its called the progressive wall its all my brothers and sisters holding hands to stop Donald Trump. And when Sanders took the stage, he called Gallego and Rep. Raul Grijalva two leaders of the progressive movement. Its not a label Gallego, who rose through the political ranks as a liberal firebrand, is embracing the same way now as he runs for Senate. I consider myself an Arizona member of Congress who works across the aisle with everybody, Gallego told NBC News last week when asked if he still identifies as a progressive. Last month, Gallego allowed his membership in the Congressional Progressive Caucus to lapse after joining during his first term in Congress, a decision he claims was about finances. The Progressive Caucus actually increased their dues tremendously, and that comes out of my staff pay, and so, you know, we have to make decisions, Gallego said. Pressed again, he continued: I work for Arizonans. And sometimes that makes me cross a lot of political spectrums. Gallegos shift of emphasis reflects several realities. Hes trying to jump from a congressional district President Joe Biden won 3 to 1 to a statewide campaign in one of the most tightly divided battlegrounds in the nation. And Arizonas middle is up for grabs in the Senate campaign, which also features pro-Trump Republican Kari Lake in the race to replace Democratic-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Rep. Ruben Gallego and Tanya Lewis, chairwoman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation Tribal Council, in Camp Verde, Ariz. (Alexander Tabet / NBC News) Gallegos congressional voting record has been an early line of attack for Lake. Hes more liberal than AOC. He votes with Biden 100% of the time, Lake swiped during a rally in Cave Creek in mid-March. A FiveThirtyEight analysis of Gallegos voting record shows the congressman voted with President Joe Biden 100% of the time during the 117th Congress. Gallego cast his record as in line with the state. Im proud of my votes because theyve been in lockstep with what Arizona needs, Gallego told NBC News in Camp Verde. Look at the individual votes, and youll see that there were votes that were beneficial to the state of Arizona, he added, citing his votes for legislation bolstering tech jobs and expanding health care benefits for veterans. Lake has made her own notable political transformation. In 2008, she donated to Barack Obamas presidential campaign in 2008. Now, she refers to herself as Trump in heels. But Gallego rarely brings up his probable opponent in November unprovoked. Last week, Gallegos campaign announced that it raised $7.5 million in the first quarter of 2024, and major Democratic groups have already reserved more than $23 million in TV airtime to support his general election campaign. Meanwhile, Lakes campaign claims it raised over $1 million at a Mar-A-Lago fundraiser featuring former President Donald Trump on Thursday. The campaign could prove to be the most hard-fought Senate race in the country. The path to politics Gallego, 44, was raised in the suburbs of Chicago by a single mother after his father split while the future congressman was in sixth grade. Gallego, whose parents are Mexican and Colombian, went on to earn a scholarship to Harvard, where he studied international relations while working multiple jobs before joining the Marines and deploying to Iraq. Throughout his political career, which started in Arizonas state House in 2010, Gallegos lived experience has been reflected in the legislation hes championed. In the state Legislature, Gallego fought to expand Medicaid for veterans and provide in-state tuition for former soldiers living in the state. And upon election to Congress in 2015, Gallego immediately joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus and vowed to fight for Americas working class. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., at the Capitol on June 9, 2022. (Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call via AP file) One past sign of Gallegos alignment on the left: The congressman had mulled a Senate run in 2019, when he considered challenging now-Sen. Mark Kelly in a Democratic primary for Arizonas other Senate seat. Grijalva and liberal groups were pushing him to challenge Kelly, a former astronaut who at that point did not have a political record, but Gallego ultimately declined to run. Gallego instead enjoyed a different rise to national attention several years later, when he was a leading outspoken critic against Sinema, after she declined to support the partys drive to abolish the filibuster in order to advance voting rights legislation and codify abortion rights into federal law. She hasnt had a town hall in three years, Gallego told NBC News at a 2022 voting rights march in Phoenix, days after Sinema announced on the Senate floor that she would stand by the filibuster. She would hear how worried we are about this country and how we need the Voting Rights Act to protect this country, Gallego said. Shares of Trump Media have erased all their gains since they began trading under the ticker DJT last month. The stock closed down more than 8% Monday at $37.17 after falling about 11% earlier in the day. It had traded above $79 a share on March 26, the day of its debut. But experts say it's hard to draw any firm conclusions about what the stock price's movement means. That's because so many available shares about 12%, one of the highest ratios of any active stock listing reflect traders' bets that the stock will fall, said Ihor Dusaniwsky, managing director at S3 Partners, a data and predictive analytics company. This is called short-selling. Right now, much of the trading activity surrounding the stock reflects investors attempts to position bets around whether it will continue to fall, Dusaniwsky said in an email. While some traders are looking to make even more gains from continued price declines, others may be looking to squeeze the short positions by betting that something will cause the share price to rise. This seems more like the gunfight at the OK Corral, with both sides waiting for the other to act first, Dusaniwsky said. As the stocks price has rocked back-and-forth, former President Donald Trump, who owns a majority of the companys shares, has seen his net worth move in tandem, falling from a high of about $5.2 billion down to about $2.9 billion. But those figures are largely immaterial for Trump, since he is contractually barred from selling or even borrowing against his shares for six months. In a post on Truth Social earlier this month, Trump called the company's business "very solid" and said criticisms of its ability to reach a wide audience were "lies." But according to company filings, Trump Media lost $58.2 million last year and did not report any user metrics. Meanwhile, the companys auditor issued a going concern notice for the business, saying it was not confident it would be able to stay afloat. That auditor, BF Borgers CPA PC, has itself been the subject of recent reports about its effectiveness. For instance, it is banned in Canada. In a news release last week, CEO Devin Nunes, a former U.S. congressman, said he was confident about the future of the business. We are excited to be operating as a public company and to have secured access to capital markets," Nunes said in a statement. "Closing out the 2023 financials related to the merger, Truth Social today has no debt and over $200 million in the bank, opening numerous possibilities for expanding and enhancing our platform." "We intend to take full advantage of these opportunities to make Truth Social the quintessential free-speech platform for the American people, Nunes said. Donald Trump repeated right-wing talking points that Democrats support execution after birth, but refused to back a national abortion ban, saying that the issue should be left to the states. The former president finally laid out his stance on abortion rights on Monday after teasing what his position would be for months. In a four-minute long video posted on Truth Social, Mr Trump said he was proudly the person responsible for the end of Roe v Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that had enshrined the right to an abortion and reproductive care. Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights, especially since I was proudly the person responsible for something that all legal scholars both sides wanted and in fact demanded be ended: Roe vs Wade. They wanted it ended, he said. He thanked the six conservative Supreme Court justices three of whom he appointed for having the courage for this long-fought battle to end. This 50-year battle over Roe v Wade took it out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, mind and votes of the people in each state its really something, he said. But despite taking credit for nominating the justices who shifted the balance of the court to deliver the Dobbs v Jackson decision in 2022, he has notably avoided taking a specific stance on abortion. The former president went on to push the false claims that Democrats want abortion up to and including the ninth month of pregnancy and even execution after birth. Thats exactly what it is. The baby is born, the baby is executed after birth, he claimed. This claim has been disproven on multiple occasions. A baby being executed after birth would constitute murder, which is of course against the law in the US. Mr Trump went on to say that he believes abortion laws should be decided by individual states hinting that he would not implement a federal abortion ban should he take back the White House in the November election. Now, whatever states decide, must be the law of the land, he said. Trump releases video statement about his stance on abortion (Donald Trump/Truth Social) Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and thats what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people, he said. Since the Dobbs decision, numerous states have codified abortion rights either through legislation or through ballot referendums. Last week, Floridas supreme court upheld the states 15-week ban, allowing for a more stringent six-week ban to take effect. But the court also said that an amendment to the states constitution could be placed on the November ballot. Numerous states including California, Vermont, Michigan and Ohio have all passed initiatives to amend their states constitutions to enshrine protections for abortion rights. Democrats hope that these efforts could help re-elect President Joe Biden and help in close Senate races. Mr Biden pointed to this in a statement in response to Mr Trump. Trump is simply lying, he said. There was no groundswell of support in America for overturning Roe. In fact, support for Roe is higher today in America than it has ever been. Mr Trump said that he is strongly in favour of exceptions for abortion in the case of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother but gave no indication of where he stands on what number of weeks he would support a ban. But Mr Trumps words earned swift condemnation both from Democrats and anti-abortion advocates. The White House and President Joe Bidens 2024 campaign were swift to go on the offensive; the latter blasted out an emailed press release highlighting a new ad set to run in battleground states highlighting a Texas womans struggle to receive abortion care necessary to save her life. The only reason that that extreme abortion bans are now in effect all over the country is because of the judges, the previous president and Senate Republicans put in the courts, added White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday. The only reason that women are being denied life saving and even unrelated procedures, and turned away from emergency rooms as a result of those bands is because of the judges, the previous president and Senate Republicans put on the court, the only reason that Republicans officials are able to take radical actions like banning IVF and criminalizing doctors for providing care is because of the judges the previous president and Senate Republicans put on the court. Donald Trump is endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions, Ammar Mousa, rapid response director for the Biden campaign, said in a statement. And hes bragging about his role in creating this hellscape. But Mr Trumps words also dissatisfied opponents of abortion rights because he did not support a national abortion band. We are deeply disappointed in President Trumps position, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement. Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry. Rather, she said that the Dobbs decision gave Congress authority to take action. Saying the issue is back to the states cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, she said. If successful, they will wipe out states rights. While signalling his pride in wiping out the constitutional right to abortion a move that has forced some women to carry unviable pregnancies to term in some states the former president said that he is committed to supporting the availability of IVF. The former president praised Alabamas legislature for passing legislation to preseve the availability of IVF in the state coming after the states Supreme Court defined frozen embryos as children, forcing fertility clinics to close. The Republican party will always support the creation of strong, thriving and healthy American families. We want to make it easier for mothers and families to have babies not harder, he said. That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatment like IVF in every state in America. Like the overwhelming majority of Americans including the vast majority of Republicans, conservatives, Christians and pro-life Americans, I strongly support the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby what could be more beautiful or better than that. Mr Biden criticised Mr Trumps words about fertility treatments as hollow. With all his empty words on fertility treatments, Trump doesn't tell you the MAGA Republicans he controls in Congress have put forward bills that could ban fertility treatments and that the Speaker of the House he empowered is one of the strongest supporters for a national abortion ban in the nation, he said in a statement. His statement comes after months of speculation and mixed messages about where he stands on abortion rights. Last month, he signalled support for a federal 15-week abortion ban in an interview with WABC. The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15, and Im thinking in terms of that, and itll come out to something thats very reasonable, Mr Trump said. But people are really even hard-liners are agreeing seems to be 15 weeks, seems to be a number that people are agreeing at. The parents of an infant are in jail after the baby was brought to a hospital Saturday and died later that day in New Orleans, according to the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office. The parents of an infant are in jail after the baby was taken to a hospital Saturday and died later that day in New Orleans, according to the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office. Hospital staff reported to the sheriff's office the baby's "extensive bruising and difficulty breathing," reads a news release. As an investigation began, medical personnel found injuries to the baby's torso, head and lower extremities, as well as bleeding on the brain. Detectives were told the child's injuries were life-threatening, so the baby was flown to Children's Hospital in New Orleans. The child's father, 38-year-old Rodney Dale Guillotte Jr. of Pineville, allegedly had battered the baby and its mother over the past two weeks, reads the release. Warrants were secured for his arrest, and detectives took him into custody about noon on Saturday. Guillotte was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center #1. Shadiamond Thompson case: Attorneys say no deal reached in case of Lecompte mom accused of killing baby boy Michael Wellman death: Single-vehicle crash early Monday in Vernon Parish kills man from Hicks Detectives also arrested the baby's mother, Elisha Cheyenne Mazerolle of the 100 block of Camellia Lane, because she "allegedly had firsthand knowledge of the batteries and the injuries but never took the infant to a hospital to treat the injuries and never made any calls to law enforcement to report the alleged abuse," it reads. Officials were notified that evening by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services that the baby had died, triggering upgraded charges for the pair. The baby's name and age were not released. The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Shannon Hanks at (318) 473-6727, the sheriff's office at (318) 473-6700 or Crime Stoppers at (318) 443-7867. Guillotte, of the 900 block of Bayou Maria Road, faces charges of first-degree murder and domestic abuse battery with a child present. His bail is set at $1,551,500. Mazerolle, 27, is facing a charge of being a principal to first-degree murder with bail set at $100,000. She also faces a probation violation. This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Pineville parents face charges after baby dies in New Orleans hospital By Guy Faulconbridge and Felix Light MOSCOW (Reuters) -Flood waters were rising in two cities in Russia's Ural mountains on Sunday after Europe's third-longest river burst through a dam, flooding at least 10,000 homes and forcing thousands of people to flee with just their pets and a few belongings. Some of the worst floods in decades have hit a string of Russian regions in the Ural Mountains and Siberia, alongside parts of neighbouring Kazakhstan in recent days. The Ural River, which rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, swelled several metres in just hours on Friday due to melt water, bursting through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk, 1,800 km (1,100 miles) east of Moscow. The mayor of Orsk, Vasily Kozupitsa, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying a second river in the town, the Yelshanka, had also burst its banks. Measures were being undertaken to evacuate residents from affected areas. More than 6,100 people have already been evacuated from the city of 230,000, according to local authorities. Fifteen of 40 schools in the school had been flooded. Footage published by the Emergencies Ministry showed people making their way through neck-high waters, rescuing stranded dogs and travelling along flooded roads in boats and canoes. State news agency TASS reported that six adults and three children had been hospitalised in Orsk, but their condition was not life-threatening. Agencies quoted authorities as saying the Samara River in the town of Buzuluk, further west in Orenburg region, was also rising quickly. Measures were taken to keep residents safe. President Vladimir Putin ordered Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov to fly to the region. The Kremlin said on Sunday that flooding was now also inevitable in the Urals region of Kurgan and the Siberian region of Tyumen. Putin had spoken to the governors of the regions by telephone, the Kremlin said. In Kurgan city, which has a population of 310,000, authorities ordered residents of one riverside neighbourhood to evacuate urgently, saying that flood waters would soon arrive in the city. The Orenburg region's governor, Denis Pasler, said the floods were the worst to hit the region since records began. He said that flooding had been recorded along the entire course of the 2,400-km (1,500-mile) Ural River, which flows through Orenburg region and then through Kazakhstan into the Caspian Sea. Russian media cited Orenburg region authorities as estimating the cost of flood damage locally as around 21 billion roubles ($227 million) and saying that flood waters would dissipate only after April 20. In Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Saturday the floods were his country's largest natural disaster in terms of scale and impact for 80 years. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un expressed sympathy to Putin about the flood, state media KCNA said, underscoring stronger ties between Moscow and Pyongyang after the leaders met last year. "Our people will always be with the Russian people," Kim said. 'LEVEL WILL ONLY RISE' Flood warnings were issued in other Russian regions and Kurenkov said the situation could get worse very fast. "The water is coming, and in the coming days its level will only rise," said Sergei Salmin, the mayor of Orenburg, a city of at least 550,000 people. "The flood situation remains critical." Emergencies Minister Kurenkov said bottled water and mobile treatment plants were needed, while local health officials said vaccinations against Hepatitis A were being conducted in flooded areas. Local officials said the dam in Orsk was built for a water level of 5.5 metres (18 feet) yet the Ural River rose to 9.6 metres (31.5 feet). Federal investigators opened a criminal case for negligence and the violation of safety rules over the construction of the 2010 dam, which prosecutors said had not been maintained properly. The Orsk oil refinery suspended work on Sunday due to the flooding. Last year, the Orsk Refinery processed 4.5 million tons of oil. ($1 = 92.5080 roubles) (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow and Felix Light in Tbilisi; Editing by Ron Popeski and Stephen Coates) The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine was damaged Sunday in a drone attack, the United Nations energy watchdog said, as both Russian and Ukrainian officials denied responsibility for the strike and accused the other of carrying it out. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported the attack at the Russian-controlled facility, but said the damage has not compromised nuclear safety. The drone attack included three direct hits against the facilitys main reactor containment, the agencys director-general, Rafael Grossi, said on X. One person died as a result of the attack, he added. This is a clear violation of the basic principles for protecting Europes largest (nuclear power plant). Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately, Grossi said. Russian authorities accused the Ukrainian military of carrying out a series of attacks against the plant using self-exploding drones, according to a statement posted on ZNPPs official Telegram channel. But Ukrainian officials denied responsibility and accused Russia of endangering the nuclear facility and surrounding population. The incidents at ZNPP are also a form of Russian nuclear blackmail aimed at both Ukraine and the international community, a Ukrainian government agency said Monday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday condemned Ukraines denial of involvement and said the drone attack is a very dangerous practice that has very bad, negative consequences. A truck unloading food was damaged, and another hit was registered in the cargo port area of the facility, according to the ZNPP statement. Shelling of Zaporizhzhia NPP and its infrastructure is unacceptable. No nuclear power plant in the world is designed to withstand full-fledged fire from the armed forces. Damage to infrastructure facilities may affect the safe operation of the NPP, the statement added, using an acronym for the nuclear power plant. Following Russias accusations, Ukraine denied any involvement in the attack, the spokesperson for the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Andriy Yusov, told Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda. The aggressor state is once again endangering the nuclear facility, civilians and the environment of the whole of Europe, Yusov said, according to Ukrayinska Pravda. CNN cannot independently verify Russias or Ukraines claims. No one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities. This is a no go. I firmly appeal to military decision makers to abstain from any action violating the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities, Grossi said. CNN has reached out to Energoatom, Ukraines largest power producer, and to the Ukrainian Armed Forces for comment. Whats happened at Zaporizhzhia before? The ZNPP has been under full Russian control since March 2022, but some Ukrainian staff continued working alongside Russians to operate it. Petro Kotin, head of Ukraines nuclear power operator Energoatom, said they were initially forced to work at gunpoint by invading Russian troops. When the war began in February 2022, one of the plants six reactor units was closed for maintenance. After Russian forces took control of the plant, the Ukrainian workers shut down the remaining units. Grossi points on a map of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, March 2022 - Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images/File But fighting continued to rage around the plant in the summer of 2022, to the grave alarm of the IAEA. Grossi said every principle of nuclear safety had been violated at the plant, and later managed to secure his staff a visit to the site in August, while it remained under Russian control. After the breach of the Nova Kakhovka dam in June 2023, which precipitously lowered water levels used for cooling the plant, all of the reactors at ZNPP were put into cold shutdown status, meaning the plant is now inactive. But the plant has still been a flashpoint. In July, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky said Russian troops had placed objects resembling explosives on roofs at the ZNPP. The Kremlin denied those allegations. Throughout the war, Russia has warned that Ukrainian shelling around the plant could lead to a radioactive incident, although analysts have told CNN that the rhetoric is meant to discourage Ukraine from conducting its own counteroffensive operations in Zaporizhzhia region. While fighting around the ZNPP often sparks fears of another Chernobyl-style disaster, nuclear experts say the cooled reactors would not recreate the sort of destruction seen after the meltdown of the active Chernobyl plant in 1986. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Russians in the city of Orsk gathered in a rare protest Monday, calling for compensation following the collapse of a dam and subsequent flooding in the Orenburg region near the border with Kazakhstan. Protests are an unusual sight in Russia where authorities have consistently cracked down on any form of dissent following President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the administrative building in Orsk Monday, Russian state news agency Tass said, while videos shared on Russian social media channels showed people chanting Putin, help us, and shame. The floods, caused by rising water levels in the Ural River, forced over 4,000 people, including 885 children, to evacuate in the Orenburg region, the regional government said Sunday. Tass said Monday that around 10,000 homes, including some 7,000 in Orsk, were flooded in the region and that floodwaters in the city are continuing to rise. Footage from Orsk and Orenburg showed water partially submerging buildings, including homes, as well as nearby fields. Russias government declared the situation in flood-hit areas of Orenburg a federal emergency on Sunday, with preparations for possible flooding underway in three other regions, state media reported. Following the protest, Tass reported that the governor of the Orenburg region, Denis Pasler, promised compensation payments of 10,000 rubles a month (approximately $108) for six months to people forced out of their homes by the flood. The total damage from the flood in the region is estimated at about 21 billion rubles ($227 million), the regional government said Sunday. Orsk, less than 20 kilometers (less than 13 miles) north of the border with Kazakhstan, suffered the brunt of the floods that caused a dam to break on Friday, according to Orsk Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa. A criminal probe has been launched to investigate suspected construction violations that may have caused the dam to break. Local authorities said the dam could withstand water levels up to 5.5 meters (nearly 18 feet). On Saturday morning, the water level reached about 9.3 meters (30.51 feet) and rising, Kozupitsa said. On Sunday, the level in Orsk reached 9.7 meters (31.82 feet), according to Russias water level information site AllRivers. Authorities in Orsk reported that four people had died, but said their deaths were unrelated to the flooding. The designation of the situation as a federal emergency reflects the risk of flooding beyond the Orenburg region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had spoken with the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as the heads of the Kurgan and Tyumen regions, located in the Ural Mountains area, to discuss the situation and the need ... for early adoption of measures to assist people and their possible evacuation. The Ural River, about 2,428 kilometers (1,509 miles) long, flows from the southern section of the Ural Mountains into the north end of the Caspian Sea, through Russia and Kazakhstan. Meanwhile in the Smolensk region in western Russia, part of an overpass collapsed in the town of Vyazma, 233 kilometers (144 miles) west of Moscow, killing one person and injuring several others, Tass said. The overpass fell onto railway tracks, halting trains along the line towards Belarus and cutting almost 9,000 people off from gas supplies, Tass said, adding that local officials have opened a criminal investigation. In his sentencing memo Thursday, U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney made it clear why he was letting Tyler Laube off lightly. It wasnt just because of what Laube did or didnt do the defendant had already confessed to beating a journalist at a 2017 Southern California rally and pleaded guilty to violating riot laws as part of a white supremacist gang. Laube deserved a light sentence, Carney said, because prosecutors should have focused on leftist groups. In a 22-page memo, Carney repeatedly said prosecutors have ignored violence committed by Antifa and instead focused on targeting people like Laube Trump supporters and members of the far right. Sentencing Mr. Laube to additional incarceration would only increase the disparity between his punishment and the lack of punishment (and prosecution) members of far-left groups who have committed the same violent conduct received, Carney wrote. The sentence: time served, 35 days, rather than the six months prosecutors had sought. The same day Laube received his sentence at the federal courthouse in Santa Ana, California, the largest-ever prosecution of members of Antifa in American history was going to trial just 89 miles away. Deputy District Attorney Makenzie Harvey argues that defendants in the case were part of an organized conspiracy under the banner of Antifa. In San Diego, the last two defendants in the San Diego 11 members of Antifa charged with committing violence against Trump supporters in January 2021 were sitting before a jury. Their nine co-defendants have already been sentenced, some of them to years in prison, for their crimes. The two cases are not perfect parallels. Laube was charged and sentenced in federal court, while the two Antifa defendants in San Diego, Jeremy White and Brian Lightfoot, were charged by a local district attorney in state court. But both cases involve fights between the far left and the far right at protests. Both involve scraps caught on camera. Both cases focus not just on the violence but on the groups alleged organizing and planning before a melee. The federal judges strong words and clear political bent are as unusual as they are uninformed, legal experts told USA TODAY. Hes really gone off the deep end, said John Donohue, a professor at Stanford Law School. Federal judges have a lot of leeway when it comes to sentencing criminals, Donohue said, and usually, they use that discretion with a lot of care and reasoning. He doubts Carney exercised such caution in the Laube case, especially given the high-profile Antifa trial in San Diego. It's very hard for me to believe he (Carney) really has any accurate sense about what the relative prosecutions are of people on the left and the right in these assault cases, Donohue said. That would take a much more sophisticated inquiry than some federal judge just opining off the top of his head. David LaBahn, president of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, agreed. Its very disappointing for the judge to second-guess the work of the U.S. Attorneys office, LaBahn said. This sounds to be very political instead of the role of the judge calling balls and strikes, justice, equality, fairness. Carneys courtroom deputy said in an email that the judge is ethically precluded from commenting on a pending case. A white supremacist fight club Member of the white supremacist group, "Rise Above Movement," Tyler Laube allegedly assaulted a journalist at a March 2017 political rally, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Laube and three other men, including group founder Robert Rundo, face charges for violence at multiple rallies throughout California in 2017, prosecutors said. Laube is one of four defendants in the long-running prosecution of members of the Rise Above Movement, a now-disbanded white supremacist fight club that would regularly show up at protests in California elsewhere and get into fights with leftists. After the fights at the Huntington Beach rally in March 2017, the men were originally charged in 2018 with violating federal laws against rioting and conspiracy to riot. In the last six years, Carney has twice dismissed the charges against the accused white supremacists, one of whom, RAMs accused leader Robert Rundo, was extradited from Romania last year to face the charges. Rundo remains in custody as federal prosecutors appeal that dismissal. Laube agreed last year to plead guilty to a misdemeanor for the beating of the journalist. Prosecutors had asked Carney to sentence Laube to at least six months in prison. Instead, he was sentenced to time served and will pay a $2,000 fine. Violence and extremism Carneys sentencing memo also described Laubes tough childhood he spent time homeless and his mother was an addict who at times dealt in methamphetamines as a reason to keep the 27-year-old out of prison. But the main thrust of the judges reasoning pointed to what he said was inequity between prosecutions of the far-right and the far-left. Experts almost all agree that far-right extremists vastly outnumber their counterparts on the far left and that the far right has caused more physical violence on Americas streets. Theres no question the far right commits the most violence and the most terrorism, said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. And theres no comparison between far-right extremism and left-wing extremism when it comes to violence against people. Prosecutors are the end user in the criminal justice chain, LaBahn said. They can only prosecute cases that are brought to them by investigators. And if more extremists on the far right are committing crimes that are investigated, then it stands to reason that most prosecutions of extremists focus on the far right, he said. Investigation: Calif. statehouse candidate says she didn't join Capitol riot. Video shows otherwise This has not always been the case in Americas history, said Michael Sherwin, a former high-ranking U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., who headed up the effort to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters. Sherwin said his office prosecuted large numbers of people for crimes during the social justice protests after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 most of whom were likely left-leaning politically, he said. We charged more people over the summer of 2020 than any district in the United States, Sherwin said. Defacing government property, assault on police officers those were all leftists. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Los Angeles, which is prosecuting the Rise Above Movement case, declined to comment on the Laube sentence. Will Carless is a national correspondent covering extremism and emerging issues. Contact him at wcarless@usatoday.com. Follow him on X @willcarless. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Calif. judge gave a time-served sentence in extremist beating A total solar eclipse passed over North America on April 8, creating a path of totality that cast parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada in darkness. About 31 million people live along the path of totality and witnessed the total eclipse, while the majority of Americans saw at least a partial eclipse. Latest Developments Apr 8, 6:39 PM When is the next total solar eclipse in the US and internationally? The next total solar eclipse to occur in the contiguous U.S. won't be until Aug. 23, 2044, and will only shadow three states in its path, Montana and North and South Dakota, according to NASA. The next year, on Aug. 12, 2045, a total solar eclipse will span coast to coast, according to NASA. The far-reaching path of totality will cover parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Georgia, the agency reports. PHOTO: A total solar eclipse is seen from Mazatlan, Mexico April 8, 2024 (Henry Romero/Reuters) Adding to the decades-away excitement, since the 2044 and 2045 eclipses are slated for August, the summer season increases the likelihood of clear, cloudless skies during the event. Internationally, on Aug. 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse is set to sweep over the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Iceland, Atlantic Ocean, Portugal and northern Spain, according to the National Solar Observatory. Apr 8, 4:57 PM Total solar eclipse reaches last US state The total solar eclipse reached the final U.S. state as those in northern Maine observed the sun be covered by the moon under clear skies. PHOTO: The moon covers most of the the sun as it approaches the total solar eclipse, as seen from the summit of Saddleback Mountain, April 8, 2024, near Rangeley, Maine. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP) Apr 8, 4:46 PM Peak totality shined over New Hampshire In Colebrook, New Hampshire, Mondays total solar eclipse was captured in rare form. The suns corona shined behind the traveling moon during totality, creating a bright, glowing crown for eclipse viewers. PHOTO: The moon crosses in front of the sun during the Great North American Eclipse on April 8, 2024 in Colebrook, New Hampshire. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) Apr 8, 4:24 PM Partial solar eclipse captured behind Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor is seen in the path of the partial solar eclipse. In New York State, the path of totality spans 124 miles across 29 counties. PHOTO: A partial eclipse shines through the Statue of Liberty, New York, April 8, 2024. (Gary Hershorn/ABC News) Apr 8, 3:53 PM Stunning total solar eclipse on display in Niagara Falls A stunning view of the total solar eclipse was captured at Niagara Falls State Park in New York. A cloud of light appeared above the sun as the moon eclipsed the celestial body during totality. Below the eclipse, red coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are seen peaking out behind the moon. PHOTO: The moon eclipses the sun during a total solar eclipse across North America, at Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, New York, on April 8, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) Daylight plunged into a blue twilight at the state park as skywatchers experienced totality. PHOTO: People assemble to view a total solar eclipse, where the moon will blot out the sun, at Niagara Falls, New York, April 8, 2024. (Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters) Apr 8, 3:38 PM Suns coronal mass ejection seen during total solar eclipse in Illinois In Carbondale, Illinois, the suns corona was seen glittering behind the moon as it eclipsed the sun near peak totality. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are expulsions of plasma, threaded by magnetic field lines, that are ejected from the sun's corona, or outer atmosphere, according to NASA. CMEs look like twisted rope, dubbed "flux rope" by scientists. PHOTO: The moon blots out the sun, during a total solar eclipse, as seen from Carbondale, Illinois, April 8, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Apr 8, 2:38 PM Rural Oklahoma towns welcome thousands for total eclipse Two small towns in rural Oklahoma are welcoming an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 people to Beavers Bend State Park as visitors come to witness the solar total eclipse. Typically, the towns of Broken Bow and Hochatown have year-round populations of 2,500 and 150, respectively. Oklahoma Secretary of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage Shelley Zumwalt told ABC News that McCurtain County has been preparing for about a year and a half, having meetings with state and local public safety officials and other agencies to deal with the influx of visitors and traffic. PHOTO: People wait for the total solar eclipse to begin in Beavers Bend State Park in Oklahoma on April 8. 2024. (Chase Horn/Oklahoma Tourism Department) She said she's met people who came to the state park from across the U.S. and from Europe, and said she hopes it leads to people returning after the eclipse. "Just today we've had people from Norway, Denmark, California, Hawaii, Tennessee that I've just seen passing through our lodge this morning, which is phenomenal," Zumwalt said. "But, in a broader sense, I think that post-pandemic, a lot of people are looking for vacations that kind of take them out of the city and to maybe more of a quieter place and we have a lot of that in Oklahoma and see the tremendous response from just this event has really solidified in my mind that we have something special," she continued. Apr 8, 2:37 PM Partial solar eclipse reaches Liberty Island, New York Liberty Island, New York, has its first look at the partial solar eclipse. New York is among the 11 contiguous U.S. states situated within the path of totality. PHOTO: A partial solar eclipse is seen in Liberty Island, NY on April 8, 2024. (Gary Hershorn/ABC News) Click here to read the rest of the blog. A comic book featuring Superman's first-ever appearance has sold for $6 million, making it the most valuable comic edition in existence. The June, 1938 cover of Action Comics. (Metropolis Collectibles / AP) Texas-based Heritage Auctions said Thursday that the Action Comics No. 1 print from 1938 surpassed the previous record comic sale, held by a copy of a Superman No. 1 sold privately for $5.3 million in 2022. The previous record for a comic sold at auction was $3.6 million for a copy of "Amazing Fantasy No. 15," featuring the debut of Spider-Man, also held at Heritage. The Action Comics version that sold this week is part of a collection known as the Kansas City Pedigree that emerged in the late 1960s and which consists of almost 250 first-run issues published from 1937 into the 1940s. No information about the buyer was immediately available. Other famous holders of Action Comics No. 1 have included actor Nicolas Cage, who had his copy stolen in 2000; and Lebanese billionaire Ayman Hariri. Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and illustrator Joe Shuster in the early 1930s, and appeared in several early semblances until Action Comics published the version most familiar with audiences today in June 1938. Action Comics No. 1 sold for 10 cents equivalent to about $2 today in a run of about 200,000. Publisher National Allied Publications was a predecessor to DC Comics, which owns the rights to Superman today. Heritages auction took place in Dallas, though online bidding was incorporated. A total of more than $25 million worth of comics had been sold through Saturday; the auction ends Sunday. Authorities arrested a man Sunday in connection with an alleged arson at Sen. Bernie Sanders office in Vermont last week, according to the Justice Department. Shant Soghomonian, 35, was charged with using fire to damage the building in Burlington on Friday, according to a Justice Department news release. Soghomonian, who has also gone by the name Michael, is previously of Northridge, California, the agency said. Soghomonian allegedly entered the building Friday morning and went to the third floor, where the independent senators offices are located, according to court records cited by the Justice Department. Soghomonian was recorded on a security video spraying a liquid near the outer door of the office and then lighting the area with a handheld lighter, the news release said. He left through a staircase as the blaze spread, according to the Justice Department. The fire damaged the outside of the office door and surrounding areas, and sprinklers discharged on multiple floors. Multiple employees were in the well-known progressive senators office at the time of the fire, and its unknown how many other people were in the building. There were no injuries reported, the Justice Department said. Burlington Police Department The Burlington Police Department previously said the fire engulfing the door and part of the vestibule impeded the egress of staff members who were working in the office and endangered their lives. I am deeply grateful to the swift, professional, coordinated efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in response to the fire at my Vermont office on Friday. I am also thankful that none of the many people who were in the office building at the time of the fire were injured, Sanders said in a statement to CNN on Sunday. He added, I appreciate the outpouring of support and well-wishes for me and my staff. We are proud to be able to continue to serve Vermonters during these challenging times. If convicted, Soghomonian could face between five and 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, according to the Justice Department, which said it has not identified a lawyer for the suspect. Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak thanked law enforcement and partners for their work in arresting the suspect. A special thank you to Burlington Police Department detectives, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, as well as the U.S. Attorneys Office for the integral role they played in bringing swift resolution to this investigation, Mulvaney-Stanak said in a statement. My office has offered the support of the Burlington Community Justice Center to Senator Sanderss staff, and we will continue to be in close communication as their office navigates the impacts of this incident, she said. CNNs Aileen Graef, Mary Kay Mallonee, Kaanita Iyer, and Raja Razek contributed to this alert. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Walter Huang and his wife, Sevonne Huang. Sevonne Huang; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI Tesla is going to trial over a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the family of Walter Huang. The family alleges that flaws in Tesla's Autopilot system caused the 2018 crash that killed Huang. Tesla could face financial repercussions if a jury finds it was at fault for the collision. Walter Huang, an Apple engineer, was killed in a fiery wreck more than six years ago when his Tesla Model X SUV smashed into a concrete barrier on a California highway as the vehicle was in Autopilot mode. Huang's family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Tesla in the aftermath of the crash and now they're headed to a civil trial that could cast a negative spotlight on Elon Musk's electric-car company if a jury finds it liable for the collision. The trial is set to kick off Monday in California's Santa Clara County Superior Court. Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor who's an expert in automotive technologies, told Business Insider that the case probably wouldn't have any real consequences for Tesla, but if it were to lose, it would almost certainly "bolster regulatory scrutiny" around its Autopilot driver-assist software. "This is one case, and Tesla will be able to absorb whatever final damages it ends up with, if any," Smith said of the scenario in which Tesla loses. A significant jury award could, however, be attention-grabbing. "It would grab the attention of other lawyers and even other people who've said, 'Hey, my vehicle did something it shouldn't have,' or 'This was wrong,' or 'I was injured,' and so it could in that way reshape or reinforce the public conversation," Smith said. The lawsuit against Tesla alleges that its Autopilot system caused deadly 2018 crash Huang's family alleged in the 2019 lawsuit, which also names the state of California as a defendant, that the Tesla Model X was "defective in its design" and that flaws with Tesla's Autopilot driver-assist software caused the deadly crash on the morning of March 23, 2018. The family said in the lawsuit that Huang was traveling along US Highway 101 in Mountain View and, as his car approached a left exit ramp, "the autopilot feature of the Tesla turned the vehicle left, out of the designated travel lane, and drove it straight into a concrete highway median" at a speed of about 70 miles per hour. B. Mark Fong, an attorney representing Huang's family, said in a statement at the time the lawsuit was filed that the married 38-year-old father of two died because Tesla was "beta testing its Autopilot software on live drivers." Walter Huang's Tesla Model X crashed in March 2018 in Mountain View, California. KTVU via Associated Press The NTSB found that Tesla's Autopilot system and Huang probably both played a role in the crash An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board determined that Tesla's Autopilot system and Huang's inattention behind the wheel were most likely responsible for the crash. The NTSB said in a report that the probable cause of the crash was the Autopilot system "steering the sport utility vehicle into a highway gore area due to system limitations, and the driver's lack of response due to distraction likely from a cell phone game application and overreliance on the Autopilot partial driving automation system." The federal safety agency described Huang in its report as an avid gamer and game developer who regularly played games on his phone. A review of data from Huang's iPhone showed that a game app was active on his cellphone during the drive, but it couldn't be determined whether he was holding his phone in the seconds before the crash, according to the NTSB's report. Huang's hands were not detected on the steering wheel in the moments before the wreck and he "made no evasive steering or braking input before the crash," the NTSB said. Additionally, the NTSB said in its report that Huang "most likely would have survived the collision" if the already-damaged crash attenuator the barrier that the car slammed into had been repaired in a "timely manner." The safety barrier was damaged in a prior collision. Sevonne and Walter Huang. Sevonne Huang Tesla has said Huang was responsible for the wreck because he was 'not paying attention' In court filings, attorneys for Tesla squarely placed the blame on Huang for the crash, saying that he knew the vehicle wasn't an "autonomous" one and that he was playing a video game on his phone and "not paying attention." Days after the fatal crash, Tesla said in a blog post that Huang "received several visual and one audible hands-on warning earlier in the drive." "The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken," Tesla said in the post. "According to the family, Mr. Huang was well aware that Autopilot was not perfect and, specifically, he told them it was not reliable in that exact location, yet he nonetheless engaged Autopilot at that location," a Tesla spokesperson told BI in a statement back in 2018. "The crash happened on a clear day with several hundred feet of visibility ahead, which means that the only way for this accident to have occurred is if Mr. Huang was not paying attention to the road, despite the car providing multiple warnings to do so," the statement continued. Tesla also recently disclosed to the plaintiffs that it obtained a written statement from an Apple engineer indicating Huang was actively on his iPhone at the time of the crash. Tesla also wants to call the engineer to testify during the trial, but Huang's family opposes it. Representatives for Tesla didn't immediately return a request for comment by Business Insider for this story, while attorneys for Huang's family declined to comment. The Tesla dashboard Chicago Tribune / Getty Tesla faces several other lawsuits related to its driver-assist software Huang's family isn't the first to take Tesla to court over its driver-assist software. Last year, Tesla won two lawsuits involving crashes in which Autopilot was in use. There are also several lawsuits regarding the software that are still awaiting trial. Over the past few years, Tesla has come under increased scrutiny from regulators regarding its driver-assist technology, including its marketing of the feature. Last year, Tesla issued a recall via an over-the-air update to address concerns from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding the software's tendency to " act unsafe around intersections ." "Companies get sued all the time, but Tesla is facing unique and in some ways justified scrutiny of its Autopilot and so-called FSD systems through civil litigation, through civil and even criminal investigations," Smith told BI. "At some point, all of this can't help but become a distraction for Tesla's leadership." "The extent and the range and the scope and intensity of all of these legal proceedings does matter," Smith added. For now, Tesla's cars aren't truly autonomous, but Musk has been promising that self-driving cars are on the horizon since 2016, and some companies such as Waymo have already achieved Level 4 autonomy meaning the car can drive in select cities without anyone behind its wheel. Tesla has meanwhile achieved Level 2 autonomy. All current Tesla models come with the carmaker's Autopilot driver-assist program . Autopilot allows the car to steer itself, switch lanes, as well as brake and accelerate on its own. Tesla has said the feature requires the supervision of a licensed driver and doesn't make the vehicle autonomous. The company also offers customers the option to buy its Full Self-Driving beta feature for $12,000 or through a $199 monthly subscription. The beta feature enables the vehicle to recognize stop signs and traffic lights and park. Read the original article on Business Insider A state appeals court judge Monday denied Donald Trump's bid for an emergency delay of his impending criminal trial in New York. Justice Lizbeth Gonzalez of the state Appellate Division issued the ruling after attorneys for the former president argued the trial needed to be halted because "an impartial jury cannot be selected right now based on prejudicial pretrial publicity." Gonzalez rejected the request in a one-line ruling late Monday afternoon with no explanation. Trump's attorneys had filed the eleventh-hour motion in an attempt to delay a trial that centers on charges that Trump falsified business records related to hush money payments. The long-shot legal maneuver came exactly one week before the first criminal trial of a former president is scheduled to start. Gonzalez's ruling affects only Trump's request for a delay, not his underlying change-of-venue motion. Trump's attorneys are also fighting the partial gag order that Judge Juan Merchan handed down against him last month, which the appeals court is expected to hear Tuesday. Trump attorney Emil Bove argued at the hearing on the venue challenge Monday afternoon that the gag order is unconstitutional and that jury selection can't proceed in a fair manner because of all the publicity surrounding the case. Steven Wu of the district attorney's office countered that the publicity isn't confined to Manhattan, arguing it's worldwide, in part because of Trump's frequent commentary about the case. He suggested Trump was "trying to have it both ways" by complaining about the publicity while stoking it. Trump's attorneys filed the challenge as a lawsuit invoking a provision of New York law known as Article 78. An Article 78 challenge allows litigants, whether in ongoing litigation or otherwise, to seek relief from allegedly unlawful state or local government action. Trump tried a similar move before the same appeals court last year, when he challenged a partial gag order issued by Judge Arthur Engoron in the civil fraud case brought against him and his company by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The appeals court refused Trump's request to stay the case while he appealed the order, and it eventually ruled against him. In the ruling, it chided his attorneys for having brought the challenge as an Article 78 petition, calling it an "extraordinary remedy" that wasn't warranted in that situation. In a statement Monday night, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said, President Trump and his legal team will continue fighting against this Biden Trial and all of the other Witch Hunts. While Trump hasn't formally asked Merchan for a change of venue, his lawyers contended in a court filing last month seeking to delay the trial because of pretrial publicity that New York County Manhattan is "overwhelmingly biased against President Trump." The filing noted in part that the county voted "overwhelmingly" for other candidates in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. The DA's office responded in a filing that given the sheer size of New York County, it is absurd for defendant to assert that it will be impossible or even impractical to find a dozen fair and impartial jurors, plus alternates, among more than a million people. Trump has pleaded not guilty. Former President Donald Trump said Monday that abortion laws should be left to the states, many of which have enacted new restrictions since he appointed Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn federal protections for the procedure. In a 4-minute video released on his Truth Social media platform, Trump made several false claims, including that "we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint" in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision. A majority of Americans have consistently said in polling that they favor the Roe v. Wade protections that the court dismantled. "My view is, now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land," Trump said. In doing so, he refused to take a position on the national ban that has been promoted by some of his staunchest allies, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and former White House aide Kellyanne Conway. In the past, Trump had hinted that he might embrace a national ban, referring to a 15- or 16-week threshold as a consensus position. Trump did not say what he would do if he won the presidency and Congress sent him a national ban. Trump's silence on the matter upset at least one prominent anti-abortion group in Washington. Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser, who has pushed Republicans to adopt a weeks-based ban at the national level, said she is "deeply disappointed in President Trump's position" on the matter. "Saying the issue is 'back to the states' cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy," she said. "If successful, they will wipe out states' rights." Graham also criticized Trump's stance, saying in a statement, "Dobbs does not require that conclusion legally and the pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child not geography." Democrats in Congress have signed onto a bill that would limit states ability to restrict abortion rights. No Democrat in Congress has proposed mandating abortion. Unless either party can control the House and 60 votes in the Senate at the same time, the prospects for legislation limiting or expanding abortion rights are dim. It is unlikely that Trump would be presented with an abortion-ban bill. Over the last quarter of a century and even since he became a candidate for office in 2015, Trump has been all over the map on the abortion issue. Since the 2024 campaign began, he's offered few specifics about which policies hed back in the post-Roe v. Wade era should he win the White House. Trump, a Florida resident, hasnt said where he stands on that state's new six-week ban. When hes teased support for a nationwide ban, his words often appear to contradict formal statements put out by his campaign. Trump has said he supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother, a position he reiterated in Monday's video. But the president does not determine how states make their laws. Trump has frequently gloated over being responsible for the reversal of Roe v. Wade, which dismantled reproductive rights protections. But he also blamed GOP losses in 2022 on the issue and has said Republicans need to learn how to talk about abortion in a way that doesn't turn off potential voters. Last September, more than a year after abortion protections were reversed, he made a vague overture in an interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press" that he would be a voice of consensus on abortion but didnt specify how. Let me just tell you what Id do, he said. Im going to come together with all groups, and were going to have something thats acceptable. At the time, he said he wouldnt sign a federal abortion ban at 15 weeks. In recent months, however, Trump moved in the direction of a federal abortion ban even as some of his statements were at odds with his campaign. After reports surfaced that he told allies he was mulling a federal abortion ban at 16 weeks, his campaign dismissed it as fake news. Soon after, Graham told NBC News that Trump is warming up to 16 weeks. And then Trump himself in an interview suggested hed support a 15-week ban. The prospect of the top of the GOP ticket backing a federal abortion ban at a time when Democrats are elevating the issue as a central point of attack could put swing-state Republicans in a trick box, after some have attempted to moderate their positions. Statements from Trumps campaign, however, seem to be leaning toward states rights and not a federal ban. President Trump supports preserving life but has also made clear that he supports states rights because he supports the voters right to make decisions for themselves, Brian Hughes, a Trump senior adviser, said in a statement. He added: President Trump thinks voters should have the last word. After offering little clarity, at a campaign rally last week in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump said his campaign would be making a statement next week on abortion after he was asked if he supported the six-week abortion ban that the Florida Supreme Court had just upheld. President Joe Bidens campaign has seized on Trumps varying remarks on abortion, particularly his boasts of having a hand in overturning Roe v. Wade, with the president saying in a new ad, Donald Trump doesnt trust women. I do. Biden continued that theme after Trump's video remarks on Monday, saying in a statement released by his campaign, Donald Trump made it clear once again today that he is more than anyone in America the person responsible for ending Roe v. Wade. He is more than anyone in America responsible for creating the cruelty and the chaos that has enveloped America since the Dobbs decision. Trump is scrambling, Biden added. Hes worried that since hes the one responsible for overturning Roe the voters will hold him accountable in 2024. Well, I have news for Donald. They will." Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) said the administrations response to the war in Gaza will make it difficult for young people in Wisconsin to support President Biden. Yes, because weve always had a problem engaging voters of color, young people and certain demographics, Bowman told MSNBCs Ayman Mohyeldin when asked Sunday if the protest vote against Biden in last weeks primary in Wisconsin should concern Biden. Its going to be harder now because of how we respond have pretty much not responded very well to whats happening in Gaza, he said. In the Wisconsin primary last week, nearly 50,000 Democrats cast their vote for an uninstructed delegation instead of Biden over his administrations response to the unfolding war in Gaza. And so yes, it is a cause for concern, and thats why its encouraging to see some of the organizing happening across the country. And hopefully this continues to push the president in the right direction to call and get a permanent cease-fire and the suffering, bringing that humanitarian aid and create a pathway to peace right away, Bowman added. The protest vote is backed by progressive groups that have criticized Bidens response to the Israel-Hamas war, which hit its six-month mark over the weekend. Mohyeldin noted that Biden carried Wisconsin in 2020 by about 20,000 votes, and the uninstructed contingent in the 2024 primary garnered about 48,000 voters. The President believes making your voice heard and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans. He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. Hes working tirelessly to that end, Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said in a statement about the uninstructed vote. Wisconsin is one of several states that former President Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, is targeting in November. Biden, who has faced repeated criticism from voices on the left over Israel and Gaza, has amped up his criticism of Israel in recent weeks, especially in the wake of the killing of seven international aid workers by an Israeli airstrike last week. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and more than 30 House Democrats sent a letter to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week urging the administration to put conditions on military aid to Israel. Bowman, one of the Democrats to sign the letter, said Sunday he expects more lawmakers to demand an immediate cease-fire. Its 37 lawmakers responding to the American people; the majority of the American people demand a permanent cease-fire. We see whats going on right in front of our eyes, we see hundreds of thousands of children and people starving to death in Gaza, he said. The Hill has reached out to the Biden campaign for comment. This story was updated at 6:45 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Clouds scudded over the small volcanic island of Principe, off the western coast of Africa, on the afternoon of May 29, 1919. Arthur Eddington, director of the Cambridge Observatory in the U.K., waited for the Sun to emerge. The remains of a morning thunderstorm could ruin everything. The island was about to experience the rare and overwhelming sight of a total solar eclipse. For six minutes, the longest eclipse since 1416, the Moon would completely block the face of the Sun, pulling a curtain of darkness over a thin stripe of Earth. Eddington traveled into the eclipse path to try and prove one of the most consequential ideas of his age: Albert Einsteins new theory of general relativity. Eddington, a physicist, was one of the few people at the time who understood the theory, which Einstein proposed in 1915. But many other scientists were stymied by the bizarre idea that gravity is not a mutual attraction, but a warping of spacetime. Light itself would be subject to this warping, too. So an eclipse would be the best way to prove whether the theory was true, because with the Suns light blocked by the Moon, astronomers would be able to see whether the Suns gravity bent the light of distant stars behind it. Two teams of astronomers boarded ships steaming from Liverpool, England, in March 1919 to watch the eclipse and take the measure of the stars. Eddington and his team went to Principe, and another team led by Frank Dyson of the Greenwich Observatory went to Sobral, Brazil. Totality, the complete obscuration of the Sun, would be at 2:13 local time in Principe. Moments before the Moon slid in front of the Sun, the clouds finally began breaking up. For a moment, it was totally clear. Eddington and his group hastily captured images of a star cluster found near the Sun that day, called the Hyades, found in the constellation of Taurus. The astronomers were using the best astronomical technology of the time, photographic plates, which are large exposures taken on glass instead of film. Stars appeared on seven of the plates, and solar prominences, filaments of gas streaming from the Sun, appeared on others. Eddington wanted to stay in Principe to measure the Hyades when there was no eclipse, but a ship workers strike made him leave early. Later, Eddington and Dyson both compared the glass plates taken during the eclipse to other glass plates captured of the Hyades in a different part of the sky, when there was no eclipse. On the images from Eddingtons and Dysons expeditions, the stars were not aligned. The 40-year-old Einstein was right. Lights All Askew In the Heavens, the New York Times proclaimed when the scientific papers were published. The eclipse was the key to the discoveryas so many solar eclipses before and since have illuminated new findings about our universe. Photograph (bromide print) showing the instruments used by the British expedition sent to observe total solar eclipse on 29 May 1919 from Sobral in Brazil. Sir Arthur Eddington at Cambridge University organised the eclipse trip to try and test Einstein's Theory of Relativity. During the event, two heliostats with moveable mirrors were used to direct images of the eclipsed Sun into a pair of horizontal telescopes. Measurement of photographs taken through these instruments was checked for any deflection of star positions adjacent to the Sun. Einstein suggested that the large mass of a star like our Sun would bend the path of any starlight if it passed close-by. SSPL/Getty Images To understand why Eddington and Dyson traveled such distances to watch the eclipse, we need to talk about gravity. Since at least the days of Isaac Newton, who wrote in 1687, scientists thought gravity was a simple force of mutual attraction. Newton proposed that every object in the universe attracts every other object in the universe, and that the strength of this attraction is related to the size of the objects and the distances among them. This is mostly true, actually, but its a little more nuanced than that. On much larger scales, like among black holes or galaxy clusters, Newtonian gravity falls short. It also cant accurately account for the movement of large objects that are close together, such as how the orbit of Mercury is affected by its proximity the Sun. Albert Einsteins most consequential breakthrough solved these problems. General relativity holds that gravity is not really an invisible force of mutual attraction, but a distortion. Rather than some kind of mutual tug-of-war, large objects like the Sun and other stars respond relative to each other because the space they are in has been altered. Their mass is so great that they bend the fabric of space and time around themselves. Read More: 10 Surprising Facts About the 2024 Solar Eclipse This was a weird concept, and many scientists thought Einsteins ideas and equations were ridiculous. But others thought it sounded reasonable. Einstein and others knew that if the theory was correct, and the fabric of reality is bending around large objects, then light itself would have to follow that bend. The light of a star in the great distance, for instance, would seem to curve around a large object in front of it, nearer to uslike our Sun. But normally, its impossible to study stars behind the Sun to measure this effect. Enter an eclipse. Einsteins theory gives an equation for how much the Suns gravity would displace the images of background stars. Newtons theory predicts only half that amount of displacement. Eddington and Dyson measured the Hyades cluster because it contains many stars; the more stars to distort, the better the comparison. Both teams of scientists encountered strange political and natural obstacles in making the discovery, which are chronicled beautifully in the book No Shadow of a Doubt: The 1919 Eclipse That Confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity, by the physicist Daniel Kennefick. But the confirmation of Einsteins ideas was worth it. Eddington said as much in a letter to his mother: The one good plate that I measured gave a result agreeing with Einstein, he wrote, and I think I have got a little confirmation from a second plate. The Eddington-Dyson experiments were hardly the first time scientists used eclipses to make profound new discoveries. The idea dates to the beginnings of human civilization. Careful records of lunar and solar eclipses are one of the greatest legacies of ancient Babylon. Astronomersor astrologers, really, but the goal was the samewere able to predict both lunar and solar eclipses with impressive accuracy. They worked out what we now call the Saros Cycle, a repeating period of 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours in which eclipses appear to repeat. One Saros cycle is equal to 223 synodic months, which is the time it takes the Moon to return to the same phase as seen from Earth. They also figured out, though may not have understood it completely, the geometry that enables eclipses to happen. The path we trace around the Sun is called the ecliptic. Our planets axis is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane, which is why we have seasons, and why the other celestial bodies seem to cross the same general path in our sky. As the Moon goes around Earth, it, too, crosses the plane of the ecliptic twice in a year. The ascending node is where the Moon moves into the northern ecliptic. The descending node is where the Moon enters the southern ecliptic. When the Moon crosses a node, a total solar eclipse can happen. Ancient astronomers were aware of these points in the sky, and by the apex of Babylonian civilization, they were very good at predicting when eclipses would occur. Two and a half millennia later, in 2016, astronomers used these same ancient records to measure the change in the rate at which Earths rotation is slowingwhich is to say, the amount by which are days are lengthening, over thousands of years. By the middle of the 19th century, scientific discoveries came at a frenetic pace, and eclipses powered many of them. In October 1868, two astronomers, Pierre Jules Cesar Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer, separately measured the colors of sunlight during a total eclipse. Each found evidence of an unknown element, indicating a new discovery: Helium, named for the Greek god of the Sun. In another eclipse in 1869, astronomers found convincing evidence of another new element, which they nicknamed coroniumbefore learning a few decades later that it was not a new element, but highly ionized iron, indicating that the Suns atmosphere is exceptionally, bizarrely hot. This oddity led to the prediction, in the 1950s, of a continual outflow that we now call the solar wind. And during solar eclipses between 1878 and 1908, astronomers searched in vain for a proposed extra planet within the orbit of Mercury. Provisionally named Vulcan, this planet was thought to exist because Newtonian gravity could not fully describe Mercurys strange orbit. The matter of the innermost planets path was settled, finally, in 1915, when Einstein used general relativity equations to explain it. Many eclipse expeditions were intended to learn something new, or to prove an idea rightor wrong. But many of these discoveries have major practical effects on us. Understanding the Sun, and why its atmosphere gets so hot, can help us predict solar outbursts that could disrupt the power grid and communications satellites. Understanding gravity, at all scales, allows us to know and to navigate the cosmos. GPS satellites, for instance, provide accurate measurements down to inches on Earth. Relativity equations account for the effects of the Earths gravity and the distances between the satellites and their receivers on the ground. Special relativity holds that the clocks on satellites, which experience weaker gravity, seem to run slower than clocks under the stronger force of gravity on Earth. From the point of view of the satellite, Earth clocks seem to run faster. We can use different satellites in different positions, and different ground stations, to accurately triangulate our positions on Earth down to inches. Without those calculations, GPS satellites would be far less precise. This year, scientists fanned out across North America and in the skies above it will continue the legacy of eclipse science. Scientists from NASA and several universities and other research institutions will study Earths atmosphere; the Suns atmosphere; the Suns magnetic fields; and the Suns atmospheric outbursts, called coronal mass ejections. When you look up at the Sun and Moon on the eclipse, the Moons day or just observe its shadow darkening the ground beneath the clouds, which seems more likely think about all the discoveries still yet waiting to happen, just behind the shadow of the Moon. Contact us at letters@time.com. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned in Beijing on Monday that Chinese banks that facilitate support for Russia amid its war in Ukraine could face U.S. sanctions. We continue to be concerned about the role that any firms, including those in the [Peoples Republic of China], are playing in Russias military procurement, Yellen said in remarks during a press conference at the close of her trip to China. I stressed that companies, including those in the PRC, must not provide material support for Russias war and that they will face significant consequences if they do, she continued. And I reinforced that any banks that facilitate significant transactions that channel military or dual-use goods to Russias defense industrial base expose themselves to the risk of U.S. sanctions. The Biden administration has previously warned China against supporting Russias war against Ukraine, which has now stretched on for more than two years. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed last year that Beijing had provided Moscow with nonlethal assistance and was considering sending lethal aid. Blinken, Yellen and other administration officials issued stern warnings to the Chinese government, and the State Department sanctioned several Chinese companies that it said were violating export control measures placed on Russia. The latest warning from Yellen to Chinese banks comes as additional U.S. aid to Ukraine has stalled in Congress in the face of opposition from Republicans. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said over the weekend that the House would consider the long-delayed request for assistance right after its two-week Easter recess. However, the move could spark backlash, as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) threatens to force a vote on Johnsons ouster. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. It is necessary for the international community to take clear steps against Azerbaijan, because dictators like its President Aliyev, who commits genocide, will not stop until someone forces them to stop. Armenpress has interviewed the Executive Director of the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention Dr. Elisa von Joeden-Forgey, covering the events which took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, the possibilities of the Armenian population to return to their homeland and other issues. The interview is presented below: - Doctor Elisa, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention has always warned and expressed its concerns about the events taking place in Nagorno-Karabakh last year, calling them preparations for genocide committed by Azerbaijan. Now when all your warnings have come true and Nagorno Karabakh is completely without Armenian population, what do you think the international community should have done to prevent the forced removal of ethnic Armenians from their homeland? - There is so much that could have been done. Therefore, it is very frustrating. And it was frustrating and a little surprising for the Lemkin Institute that the international community did not do more beforehand. We called it a perfect storm for genocide prevention because of the way the situation was set up and because Azerbaijan has relations with the Western world, trade relations, economic relations, military relations, geostrategic relations, all sorts of diplomatic relations, so that they would have some leverage over Azerbaijan. And Azerbaijan also made it clear that the state had genocidal intent against Armenians and particularly against Armenians in Artsakh. So everything seemed quite clear. And yet there was this terrible silence about what was happening. And there was never any pushback against Aliyev's threats and genocidal Armeniaphobia, which is very public. So it's not as if that was not known, but there was a terrible conspiracy of silence about it. Right, it wasn't secret. It was obvious. He announced it and it was obvious. So what could the world have done? They could have sanctioned Azerbaijan. They could have spoken vociferously against his genocidal Arminaphobia. They could have threatened at the UN level to isolate Azerbaijan. They could have used legal mechanisms as well to pull Azerbaijan back. And especially they could have used backroom diplomacy more than I think they did, part of diplomacy that we dont see. I dont perceive that there was a great deal of pressure on Azerbaijan to shift its ways to change course or face serious, serious punishment. Aliyev knew that he was living in a space of impunity. And, you know, like other genocidal dictators, he was testing the waters piece by piece. There was the war, first of all, in 2020 and then, of course, he was taking Armenian territory in the Republic of Armenia after 2020, then there was the war, the aggressive war by Azerbaijan in September, 2022. And then there was the blockade (Nagorno-Karabakh) in December, 2022. And then there was the construction of the Hakari checkpoint in April 2023 and just he was pushing and pushing and each time he pushed the international community continued with peace negotiations continuing to humor him and the consequence of that is always genocide when you are dealing with a genocidal dictator and they should have seen that. - Do you see any possibility for Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to be able to return to their homeland in case of clear and strong international guarantees? In your opinion, what can or should the international community do in this matter? - It's very, very difficult once a population is displaced, for them to go home. If you look at the Rohingya, if you look at Darfuris, if you look at Christians and Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq, even though ISIS isn't still in power, They still have not been able to fully return to their ancestral homes. So it's very hard, but at the Lemkin Institute, we see the fact that the majority, the vast majority of Artsakhis are still alive. It's a blessing. One rarely has the opportunity to undo parts of a genocide and here we do and we should take advantage of that to get them home and secure. Because this is a 4.000 year old civilization. In the Western world, I am not sure there is much appreciation for what that means to have a 4.000-year-old continuous civilization, but that is something you cannot replace. Once it's gone, it's gone. It takes 4.000 years to build, and the world absolutely needs that diversity. Therefore, we cannot squander these ancient communities anymore. People need to have a right to live in their ancestral homes. It is hard for Armenia because Armenia is in such a difficult geostrategic position. So what you need is the Western world to push it because what is going to happen if this is allowed, to just have this type of genocide can just occur without any pushback and total impunity and Azerbaijan profits from it. It profits from genocide. Then everyone is going to be using genocide in the 21st century. Anyone who wants to use it is going to use it and they will do it in this way. They will use this pattern because it worked for Azerbaijan. They see it works. It works and they win. So this is the thing, like one can, states can have differences of opinion about certain things, even about territory. But when you have a population like the Artsakhs, who have such a good case for self-determination, they have always been there. In my understanding of the history they have never been under direct foreign domination without some level of autonomy and local control. Throughout all the empires that have governed Artsakh they demanded independence and autonomy before the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan were founded. They were an autonomous oblast in the Soviet Union. The minute the Soviet Union began to fall apart, Artsakh again demanded either independence or unity with Armenia. This is a long-term claim that the Artsakhs are making, and the world needs to take those sorts of claims seriously. We are not in the colonial period anymore. Do you know where governments can simply move people away because they want the land. That's not how things work in a rule based order. If the Western world wants to live in a rule based order, they also have to find ways to impose that rule based order. And again, so the same things go now as they as the same things are relevant now as they were before September 19th, 2023, when Azerbaijan committed genocide. And that is, Azerbaijan has to be brought to the negotiating table in a genuine fashion to work out some kind of solution with Artsakhs Armenians, so they can live in their ancestral homes in peace and in security with self-governance and so I think the international community needs to press the issue of self-determination for the Artsakh people. - After the deportation of Armenians in September 2023, Lemkin Institute also expressed its concern regarding the illegal arrests of the former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh alarming of the dangers to their lives. In this regard, what steps should be taken by the world to release them and what methods can be undertaken? - I think we need to change the language. So the international world, and this is particularly true of diplomats at the UN, for example, they need to change the language that is being used here. There is not enough pushback against Azerbaijan for the language it is using. So it is saying that these are legitimate prisoners because they are terrorists and separatists. This is very, very politicized language and it is simply not true. Because of the reasons, I just outlined the history. The most of them are the democratically elected political figures in Artsakh that had, a really good democracy rating for this region from Freedom House, It had realy good freedom rating, much better. I think there was a 30 point difference, like Azerbaijan had nine. It's about democracy, yes, in a major way, because it's also about self-determination, national liberation, decolonization, all of those things. We have to change the language and let Azerbaijan know that these are not, these are hostages, these are captives, they are not somehow legitimate prisoners. And they're not really even accused of any realistic crimes, they are accused of wanting self-determination. What kind of a crime is that? All of this is a punishment for the fact that Armenians want sovereignty. - Azerbaijani authorities continue to destroy and vandalize the Armenian historical heritage in Nagorno- Karabakh. Azerbaijani soldiers desecrate and annihilate both Armenian historical and cultural monuments even the Armenian cemeteries. The last action of vandalism was the destruction of the building of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh. Doctor Elisa, what kind of steps should the international community take for ending this violation and vandalism of Azerbaijan, because as we see this is a cultural genocide? - Yes, absolutely, exactly. And I think the international community, you know, they use the term ethnic cleansing. And that works to a degree because it's a description of a process. But ethnic cleansing is just one form of genocide. Let's use the genocide term and let's activate the genocide convention. Some of the best evidence of genocide is this kind of cultural destruction, what's often called cultural genocide, but it's just genocide. Because what it shows is that the perpetrator was not just interested in moving people off of a territory. The people are gone, so now why are they destroying these very symbolic buildings, churches, the National Parliament, I mean, that's a clear symbolic target. It's a way of cutting off the head of the Artsakh government, ust destroying the idea of Artsakh. I mean, all of this symbolic violence is just incredibly genocidal. You mentioned cemeteries. That's one of the most genocidal acts. Because what it seeks to do is to erase the historical presence and basically to kill memory, kill ancestry. It's an awful, awful crime. And the world needs to call it genocide. The ICC could get involved. It's a difficult time for Armenia but a third country could also bring Azerbaijan in front of the ICJ. I would love to see something like that. Something major has to be done to stop Azerbaijan in its tracks because this isn't in the interest of the Azeri people, if I may say so, either. And Aliyev really relies on this Armenianphobia and these constant victories against the Armenian enemy for his own standing in Azerbaijan. His position, his power So this is just a terrible situation. I think Armenia is doing its best to deal with that. But I think the Western world needs to understand that genocidal dictators like Aliyev don't stop unless someone makes them stop. - Taking into account the simple fact that genocides, in general, are carried out by states and their leaders, and at the same time considering the circumstance of existence of the imperative principle which does not allow to interfere in the internal affairs of states, how can we prevent genocides or hold accountable their perpetrators for their crimes and what tools do we have in this case? - I think responsibility to protect comes into play here. If Azerbaijan is suggesting that Artsakhs were members of Azerbaijan somehow, so if they are going to suggest that, then they did a terrible, they're doing a terrible job, right, of protecting their own citizens. And that's the responsibility to protect external powers come into play when a state has demonstrated very clearly. We are in a very difficult time internationally. The world is changing very quickly. But I do think we need to keep using that language. And Azerbaijan doesn't serve its own citizens that well. So highlighting Azerbaijan's own human rights record, which isn't great, would also be helpful. The problem in the West is that there is just this conspiracy of silence around Azerbaijan. They do not speak openly about Azerbaijan. If some other state that had less strategic importance to the West, had a leader that was saying the sorts of things that that Aliyev says or that the parliament says that Armenians are the cancer of Europe, there would be outrage in the international media and in international diplomatic circles. But Azerbaijan has a special status, unfortunately, It seems I think that has to end because we're not going to have peace in this region. It's too volatile with Azerbaijan acting the way it is. Aliyev will recognize that it's in his best interest to shift gears and to pursue a different sort of foreign policy towards Armenia, one that is based in equal sovereignty, respect for borders, right, and respect for the self-determination rights of the Artsakh people. Davit Mamyan YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. The Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the members of the Political and Security Committee of the Council of the European Union headed by Delphine Pronk. The Prime Minister welcomed the visit of the delegation to Armenia and emphasized the consistent development of Armenia-European Union cooperation and in that context emphasized the fact of the Armenia-EU-USA high-level joint meeting in Brussels on April 5. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of EU assistance in the effective implementation of democratic reforms in our country, stressing that the consistent development of democracy is of strategic importance for the Armenian government, the PM's office said in a readout. According to the source, the interlocutors discussed issues related to the developments taking place in the region, the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the importance of implementing the agreements reached as a result of the meetings held on October 6, 2022 in Prague, on May 14 and July 15, 2023 in Brussels, and on October 5, 2023 in Gramada. According to these agreements, the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan mutually recognize each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. The Prime Minister of Armenia reaffirmed the Armenian Government's commitment to the mentioned agreements and presented the "Crossroads of Peace" project, adding that Armenia's position is fully expressed in the mentioned project. The role of the EU civilian mission in Armenia in ensuring security and stability in the region was emphasized. It is noted that a reference was made to the humanitarian problems of forcibly displaced people from Nagorno Karabakh. The consistent support of the international community in order to overcome the socio-economic problems of the displaced people was highlighted. Bangladesh is listed as a partly free nation in the Freedom House report of 2024. Other countries in South Asia like India and Pakistan are also classified in the same way. Bangladesh is today, according to the Economist magazine, a one-party state. Of course, Parliament (Jatiyo Sansad) still exists and other parties are present. But the primary Opposition party is missing and its leader, Begum Khaleda Zia, has been convicted. In January 2024, Bangladesh held its general election in which the ruling Awami League won 224 seats, giving it a two-thirds majority in a Parliament which has 300 seats. In the previous election, Khaleda Zia had asked for a caretaker government to conduct the elections, which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refused. Accusations of the misuse of the government machinery, including the jailing and hounding of the Opposition leaders, are common. That is one reason why, despite having an elected government, Bangladesh is classified as partly free. India had hailed the Bangladesh election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: Spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and congratulated her on her victory for a historic fourth consecutive term in the parliamentary elections. I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of elections. The US state department spokesman said that the United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated. The following month, February 2024, Pakistan went to elections with the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, being jailed. The US said: We join credible international and local election observers in their assessment that these elections included undue restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. We condemn electoral violence, restrictions on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including attacks on media workers, and restrictions on access to the Internet and telecommunication services, and are concerned about allegations of interference in the electoral process. Claims of interference or fraud should be fully investigated. Pakistan tried to be an Opposition-free democracy like Bangladesh but was less successful. The jailed Imran Khan was still able to get one-third of the vote. As is common in our part of the world, the post-election convincing of his partys parliamentarians to see the light, with the healthy use of official agencies, will doubtless continue. In 1977, Pakistan had an election which was won by the ruling party, at a time when Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was popular. Despite his popularity, the election was seen as not free or fair, with the Opposition hamstrung by the State even though it was weak. Pakistan suffered for four decades as a result of the events of that period. Democracies are healthy where there is an active nourishing of the independence of institutions, such as the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. This means their independence from the government. Where the Opposition does not feel that it is playing in a fixed match, with different rules for one team and where the umpires are biased against them. These are basic things but they unfortunately need to be repeated time and again. India has been sliding ever since 2014 to arrive at where it has today. The Economist Intelligence Units Democracy Index monitors civil liberties, pluralism, political culture and participation and the electoral process. In 2014, India was ranked 27th. In 2020, India was classified as a flawed democracy. Last year, the ranking was 41. This was the result of democratic backsliding under the leadership of Narendra Modi and the increasing influence of religion under Modi, whose policies have fomented anti-Muslim feeling and religious strife, has damaged the political fabric of the country. The Civicus Monitors National Civic Space Ratings monitors the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression, all necessary for democracy. In 2017 Indias rating was Obstructed but it has since fallen to Repressed. In March 2022, Civicus said: India has been added to a watchlist of countries that have seen a rapid decline in civic freedoms and that Prime Minister Modi continues to resort to drastic measures to silence critics. Freedom House says that the BJP has increasingly used government institutions to target political opponents. The University of Gothenburgs V-Dem report says India has suffered one of the most dramatic shifts among all countries in the world over the past 10 years. It said that under Narendra Modi, India lost its status as a democracy and was classified as an electoral autocracy, joining nations like Hungary and Turkey. On freedom of expression, media and civil society, India was as autocratic as is Pakistan, and worse than both Bangladesh and Nepal. This is how democracies die in our part of the world, not with a bang but with a whimper. The independence of institutions is hollowed out from within over time, slowly deflating till little is left. Corrupt and anti-national elements are removed or neutralised through the misuse of the law. Elections are held but to the outside world they seem neither free nor fair. The other interesting aspect of this is that once this sort of state is achieved, it is difficult if not impossible to get out of, as Pakistan and Bangladesh have clearly shown. No election in those nations is today conducted without bitterness, rancour and one side feeling and saying that it has been wronged. We are either already there, or we are almost there. Raipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the BJP's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh from the tribal-dominated Bastar region. Speaking at the campaign, he asserted that the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has disturbed the Congress and its allies, highlighting their absence at the consecration ceremony. Modi accused the Congress of prioritising appeasement politics over national interests. This demonstrates that the Congress can cross any limit for appeasement, he said. Addressing a rally in Amawali, Modi celebrated the fulfillment of a 500-year-old dream with the construction of the Ram temple. This has ensured that Ram Lalla lived in a magnificent temple, not in a tent. But the Congress and I.N.D.I.A. bloc have resented the construction of the Ram temple, he said, making a scathing attack on the Congress, saying that after Independence, the party had patronised corruption, giving birth to many mega scandals and scams in the country. He said his government had revoked their "licence to loot." Referring to the recent statement by senior Congress leader and former Union minister Charan Das Mahant, Modi said the Congress leaders had given the call to break his head with a stick because he had launched a crusade against corruption. Some people were upset and lost their senses when I started taking action against corruption. They are now threatening to break my head with a lathi. But I am not afraid of their threats. Modi hails from a poor family and walks with his head held high. I will send the corrupt to jail. That is Modis guarantee, he said. The PM went on to add crores of my countrymen, including mothers and sisters, have become my Raksha kavach (shield) today. He said after Independence, the Congress had ignored the needs of the people for decades. It had never cared about the poor and never tried to understand their pain and problems. He highlighted his administration's efforts to prioritise the welfare of the poor, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with measures such as free rations and vaccines. Modi underscored the BJP's dedication to tribal communities, contrasting it with the Congress' historical neglect. He highlighted initiatives for tribal welfare and pointed to the need for a strong and stable government. In Chandrapur, Maharashtra, Modi continued his criticism of the Congress, likening the party to bitter gourd and attributing various national issues to their governance. He framed the upcoming elections as a choice between stability and instability, accusing the Opposition of seeking power for corrupt purposes. Chhattisgarh will conduct Lok Sabha polls in three phases, with Bastar constituency voting in the first phase on April 19. Modi's remarks reflect the BJP's focus on key national and regional issues as they gear up for the electoral contest. Combatting China's influence the urgent need for state vape directory bills By Christopher Arps web posted April 8, 2024 The Chinese government is actively pursuing our children. We've witnessed it with the Chinese-owned TikTok app that encourages our youth to engage in risky behaviors. The next avenue they are using to exploit our young people is electronic cigarettes, more popularly known as vaping. Due to the failures of President Joe Biden's Food and Drug Administration (FDA), illegal Chinese vapes are taking over the U.S. e-cigarette market. China, notorious for its lax regulations and counterfeit culture, has capitalized on America's demand for vaping products. With little oversight, unscrupulous manufacturers flood our markets with cheap, unregulated, disposable vaping devices. The stark reality is this: China's pursuit of profit has come at the expense of America's youth. Walk into any vape shop, and you will see store shelves full of these illicit vapes in flavors like "Candy Crush" and "Dragon Berry." They are all made by companies either owned or licensed by the Chinese state tobacco monopoly. Ironically, Chinese citizens can't buy these highly-flavored devices because their government forbids the sale of these products out of concern for kids' health. But they're fine to export to the U.S., as evidenced by the fact that three of the top five brands used by kids are illicit Chinese-made vapes. This exploitation of America's youth is a calculated assault on the health and future of our nation. While knowing these products are illegal in the U.S., Chinese companies actively work to evade detection by hiding them among other items. When the FDA finally does catch on to them, they simply make a quick packaging change and resume shipping. It's estimated today that half of the U.S. vapor market is made up of illicit Chinese disposable vapes. That means millions of Americans are using these unregulated products. It also means that billions of dollars are flowing back to the Chinese Communist government each yearbillions that can be used for military and economic purposes that are not in the best interest of our country. Despite this national security threat, Biden's FDA has been slow to act. They've not gone after any of the major Chinese manufacturers, nor have they attempted to stop any of their readily-visible American enablers. And the FDA won't even tell responsible US retailers what vape products are legal to sell and which are being peddled by illicit manufacturers trying to make a quick buck. In light of the FDA's glaring incompetence in stemming this tide, it falls upon individual states to take decisive action. The introduction of state vape directory bills across the country represents a proactive approach to curbing the proliferation of illegal Chinese vaping products. By establishing a comprehensive database of vapor products that are compliant with federal regulations and may be sold in the state, listed by brand and manufacturer, which is accessible to consumers and law enforcement, states can empower individuals to make informed choices and provide retailers with the tools necessary to ensure they are not selling their customers illegal products. Thankfully, states have already stepped in where Biden's FDA has failed. Alabama, Louisiana, Utah, and Oklahoma have already passed vape directory bills, and many others are actively considering them. I hope other states will follow suit this legislative session. By establishing clear guidelines and accountability measures, we foster a competitive marketplace where responsible businesses thrive, and consumers can trust the products they purchase. This transparency is essential to create a level playing field where all players abide by the same rules. Passing state vape directory bills is a matter of safeguarding public health, protecting American businesses, and confronting China's predatory practices head-on. Conservatives must lead the charge where Biden's FDA has not. In advocating for these common-sense reforms, we are committing to protecting American businesses and consumers. Failure to act only emboldens our adversaries and perpetuates a cycle of harm that we cannot ignore. Christopher Arps is an ambassador with the Project 21 black leadership network and a managing partner with the public affairs and communications consulting firm Red Tail Strategies. This was originally published at RedState. Home Bhopal: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that tribals were the original owners of the land in the country and claimed that no individual from the community was among the promoters of the top 200 companies in the country nor part of their senior management. He assured that if the Congress came to power, it would settle the indigenous people's claim on their land in just one year. He was campaigning in the tribal-dominated Mandla of Madhya Pradesh and Gandhi addressed a public meeting each in Mandla (ST) and Shahdol (ST) Lok Sabha constituencies, which are going to polls in the first phase. The Congress calls you all 'adivasi' but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP call you 'vanvasi'. These two terms connote two different ideologies, the Congress leader asserted. Adivasi means people who are the master of the land. Their motive is to to uproot them from their land and snatch their first right on the jal, jangal, jameen (water, forest and land). They want to give their (tribals) land to industrialists, he said. Gandhi said the the Indira Gandhi government had given tribals land rights. At Dhanora, which falls under Mandla (ST) seat, Gandhi said that Congress worked for the welfare of the poor, Dalits, farmers, and tribals. Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of working in the interests of only a few rich people in the country. He exuded confidence on winning the Lok Sabha elections and said the new government will transfer '1 lakh annually into accounts of women belonging to SC, ST, and backward categories. He also assured to provide guaranteed apprenticeships to unemployed youths. Our manifesto mentions three to four revolutionary steps taken by us like transferring Rs 1 lakh into (bank) accounts of women belonging to SC and ST categories, backward classes, and for women from poor families. This way we will provide thousands of rupees in their accounts every month, he said. He pledged that Congress would provide legal protection to the minimum support price (MSP) for different crops if the party staged a comeback to power at the Centre. Gandhi also promised to abolish the Agniveer scheme if Congress formed the government at the Centre. Earlier, a banner at the venue of his public meeting featured the local BJP candidate. The goof-up was noticed by some party members a couple of hours before Gandhis arrival, prompting them to cover the photograph of the Union minister with that of the local Congress MLA Rajneesh Harvansh Singh, a senior Congress functionary said here, requesting not to be quoted. Congress spokesman K.K. Mishra dismissed it as a human error. The BJP has made it a habit to politicise every issue even if it is a human error. We can't say anything about such habits of the BJP, he said. Gandhi was forced to stay back in a private hotel in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh after concluding his days tour to the state when his helicopter could not take off due to fuel shortage. Fuel is being arranged from Jabalpur in the state. Gandhi cannot go to Jabalpur by road (to catch a flight to Delhi) for security reasons. He may have to spend the night in Shahdol, Shahdol district collector Prateek Kumar said. State Congress president Jitu Patwari said that Gandhi would stay back in Shahdol for the night at a private hotel, Surya International, and leave for Delhi from Jabalpur on Tuesday morning. In a post on X later, Gandhi claimed that Prime Minister Modi had waived Rs 16 lakh crore of a few billionaires in one go. With this much money, a revolutionary scheme like MGNREGA could have been run for 24 years. Those who ask where the money will come from for Congress' schemes, they hide these figures from you, the former Congress chief said. Enough of 'kindness towards friends', now is the time to open the government's coffers for the common people, he said. Election-eve is the time for brave assertions. No Indian leader might boast like Nguyen Co Thach, Vietnams foreign minister for over a decade: We are not without accomplishment. We have managed to distribute poverty equally. But Prime Minister Narendra Modis claim to have lifted 25 crore Indians out of poverty in nine years may come a close second. What matters in the numbers game isnt how many crores of people have escaped grinding poverty, but how many are still wallowing in it. Even the official admission of unemployment increasing from 6.8 to eight per cent in February cant disclose the full extent of distress lurking beneath what Thomas Piketty calls The Billionaire Raj. Indians would not otherwise have courted death trying to smuggle into the United States, fighting as Russias underequipped mercenaries in Ukraine or replacing 90,000 Palestinians whose work permits were revoked after the conflict with Hamas erupted. In fact, news of the first batch of more than 60 construction workers going to Israel under the bilateral agreement that the Narendra Modi government signed with Israel on November 3, 2023 might inspire some wit with a cruel sense of humour to adapt Marx and Engels and foist the NDA establishment with the slogan Coolies of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your lives! I am not surprised that several labour unions, including the Centre of Indian Trade Unions and the All-India Trade Union Congress, as well as rights groups, question the wisdom of sending workers without adequate guarantees for their safety. Disregarding the external affairs ministrys somewhat pathetic plea to the Israelis to do their best to take care of their safety and well-being which are important to India, the unions point out that an advisory issued by Indias embassy in Tel Aviv on March 5 asked Indian nationals in regions affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict to move to safer areas. The advisory was issued when an Indian was killed by a missile allegedly fired by Hezbollahs Iranian terrorists at an Israeli agricultural community in Galilee. No Indian worker would have risked their lives if they had jobs at home. They do so only because our governments, whether colonial or Hindu nationalist, are equally callous. It wasnt patriotism that prompted over a million Indians to enlist under the British in the First World War, and 2.5 million in the Second World War. There wasnt a Rupert Brooke among the 60,000 Indians who died in the First Great War and 87,000 in the second to burble: If I should die, think only this of me:/That theres some corner of a foreign field/That is for ever England Like the 18,000 Indians, mainly care-givers, meaning nannies, maids and other help, slaving away in Israel today, they needed a soldiers wages to survive. Hunger also prompted the sad-looking unshaven and anonymous Indian whose picture hangs in Cambodias grim Choeung Ek memorial and whose skull is probably among the more than 5,000 relics of victims of the pitiless Khmer Rouge regime, to seek a livelihood in distant killing fields. The bilateral agreement on facilitation of temporary employment of Indian workers in construction and home-based care-giving must be a feather in the cap of Israels ambassador in New Delhi. Its a far cry from Israels consul-general in Bombay (long before it became Mumbai) being ordered to cancel his planned national day reception in the capital for which cards had gone out already. Or young radicals being mobilised in Calcutta (before it became Kolkata) to demonstrate against Israels then 77-year-old President, Zalman Shazar, on his way to pay a state visit to King Mahendra of Nepal in Kathmandu. About 5,000 Mizos, recognised as Bnei Menashe Jews, are already working in Israel. So are some so-called Black Jews from Kerala who, when I saw them near Beersheva, spoke mainly Malayali. Israel is recruiting tens of thousands of other low-cost Asian workers to replace cheap Palestinian labour. So great is the need that during a telephone conversation with Mr Modi in December, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for advancing the arrival of workers from India. The National Skill Development Corporations posters tempt hundreds of workers from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh with the slogan to land your dream job overseas. The NSDC is a public limited company that the finance ministry set up under the public-private partnership model and which provides skill development and vocational training to workers who have been tested for jobs in masonry, carpentry, tiling and bar-bending in Israels construction sector. Its website mentions vacancies for 3,000 framework workers and bar-benders, and 2,000 for tiling and plastering at monthly salaries of Rs 137,000, although another pamphlet warns that successful applicants will have to pay for travel and relocation costs, taxes, social security and health insurance. So what? a desperate applicant might retort. Hasnt Israels ambassador, Naor Gilon, assured them that even humble construction workers will bask in the glory of being ambassadors of the great people-to-people relations between the two countries? Even without that allurement, Indian labourers in Singapore are often glad to pay a commission to recruiting agents. The ambassador is only doing his job. The NSDC cant be blamed either. But not even the customary rhetoric of canvassing for votes can justify gross misrepresentation of Indias bleak reality where favoured billionaires appear to prosper most. Despite all the hype about engineers walking into prized jobs abroad, 36 per cent of the prestigious Bombay IITs graduates are unemployed. With the India Employment Report claiming that 29 per cent of Indian graduates need jobs, graduates of Lucknows IIM and Pilanis Birla Institute of Technology and Science reportedly also face difficulties. India has indeed made significant economic progress in many sectors. The stock market is booming. Property prices are soaring. But investment in human resources is relatively feeble, although one quarter of the population languishes below the official poverty threshold of Rs 32 per day. The World Food Programme reckons that 21.25 per cent of Indians live on less than $1.90 daily. It also says that India is home to a quarter of the worlds undernourished people. Yet, the number of billionaires rose from 169 to 200 while their collective wealth jumped 41 per cent to $954 billion between 2022 and 2023. No wonder the Credit Suisse Research Institutes Global Wealth Report calls India the worlds second most unequal country, with the top one per cent of the population owning 58 per cent of its total wealth. Money being the modern manifestation of caste, India Shining remains as much a slogan in 2024 as it was in 2004. by Mathias Hariyadi Card. Suharyo and the president of the Bishops' Conference confirm the rumours leaked in recent days. The mosaic of the long September trip between Asia and Oceania is being put together, which would see the Pontiff also make stops in East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Singapore. For Indonesia it would be the third visit by a pontiff after Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1989. Jakarta (AsiaNews) The archbishop of Jakarta, Card. Ignatius Suharyo, and the president of the Episcopal Conference (KWI), Msgr. Antonius Subianto, bishop of Bandung, today gave official confirmation of Pope Francis' trip to Indonesia, scheduled for 3 to 6 September. The announcement follows rumours that have been circulating in the country for weeks. Pope Francis' visit was publicly scheduled for 2020, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic this trip was canceled and has now been rescheduled, said Card. Suharyo today. The dates of the trip were agreed in recent days between the Holy See and the government of Indonesia. We are still discussing with the interested parties to define the program - explained the president of the Episcopal Conference - and at the same time we are creating an internal committee for the organisation, After the announcement made already in January by the Papua New Guinea government, preparations are progressing for the long journey which - health permitting - will see Francis stop in Asia and Oceania in September, also touching East Timor and Singapore. While the invitation from Vietnam also remains in the background, where the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Monsignor Paul Gallagher is expected to visit from tomorrow. . For Indonesia, the visit scheduled for September will be the third visit by a pontiff. The first pope to travel to the archipelago was in fact Paul VI who on 3 December 1970, in the last of his international apostolic journeys, stopped in Jakarta where he was warmly welcomed by the then president Suharto. From October 8 to 12 1989, Pope John Paul II went to Indonesia for a trip which was marked by open-air Mass in the Jakarta stadium, and by stops in Medan, in northern Sumatra, in Yogyakarta, in the center of Java and Flores, in eastern Nusa Tenggara. On that same trip Wojtyla also went to Dili, in what was then still the Indonesian province of East Timor. Indonesia has had good relations with the Vatican since its independence. Already in 1947 the Holy See opened its diplomatic mission in Jakarta, recalled the Card today. Suharyo. Between the 1950s and 1960s, the first president Sukarno made three official visits to the Vatican, meeting Pius XII in 1956, John XXIII in 1959 and Paul VI in 1964. The current president Joko Widodo, however, has never been to the Vatican: the September trip (which would take place before the official inauguration of the new president) will therefore be the first opportunity for him to personally meet with Pope Francis. Today's news: reports of workplace abuse have doubled in South Korea in five years; Baghdad will send 10 million liters of fuel to the Gaza Strip; Public apology from a company in Malaysia for a shoe logo that resembles the word "Allah"; The Taliban have built a wall around the Eidgah mosque in Kandahar for fear of ISIS attacks: Moscow has slowed issuing work permits to migrants from Central Asia. ISRAEL - PALESTINE Three people have been killed in an Israeli air raid in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Egyptian sources speak of "significant" progress in the talks in Cairo for a truce in the Strip (where the army withdrew from the south), with agreement on the fundamental points. But Israeli officials are freezing their enthusiasm, the "distance" is still "large". Yesterday tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Jerusalem to ask the government for more commitment on the hostage front. SOUTH KOREA Reports of workplace abuse and violations in South Korea have doubled in five years. Over 10 thousand cases registered by the Ministry of Labor in 2023, with an increase of 12% compared to the previous year. The most common form of harassment is verbal abuse and insults at 32.8%, followed by "inappropriate" measures relating to the human resources sector at 13.8%, IRAQ - GAZA The Baghdad government yesterday approved the shipment of 10 million liters of fuel to Gaza, to support the Palestinian people. This was announced by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, adding that the country is also ready to receive the wounded from the Strip and treat them in public and private hospitals. The energy crisis has paralyzed hospitals, water systems, bakeries and relief workers. MALAYSIA Verns Holding Sdn Bhd, the manufacturer of a pair of shoes with a logo similar to the word "Allah" in Arabic, has apologized to try to put an end to the strong controversy that has broken out in Malaysia. The design represents a stylized shoe with a high heel and was not intended to be offensive towards Muslims; marketing was suspended and a refund was offered for those already sold. AFGHANISTAN Fearing attacks by the Islamic State on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, the Afghan Taliban have erected a protective wall around the Eidgah mosque in Kandahar, the scene in the past of one of the rare outings of their leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Military vehicles worked for a long time around the place of worship, creating a concrete ring that blocked the entrances. RUSSIA - CENTRAL A. After the Krokus attack, the issuing of work permits to migrants from Central Asia was greatly slowed down in Moscow, creating kilometre-long queues at the authorized centres, in front of which one had to wait entire days, if not weeks, in the cold and under the rain. According to activists, this does not depend on checks, but is merely a form of pressure. INDONESIA - ORTHODOX The Russian Orthodox Patriarchal Exarch for Southeast Asia, Metropolitan Sergius (Chashin) visited the city of Kupang on the island of Timor in the Malay archipelago of Indonesia for the first time, meeting the Christians residing there. The province of East Nusa Tenggara, in which the city is located, is the southernmost in the country and, at the same time, the most extreme point of the Russian mission. by Shafique Khokhar The influential opposition politician wants to evict more than 60 families despite receiving regular payment. By legal manoeuvring, he managed to get an eviction notice from the Supreme Court and does not intend to return the money he received. An appeal has been made to the chief minister of Punjab and the prime minister of Pakistan. Faisalabad (AsiaNews) Dozens of Christian families in Akbarabad, Faisalabad district (Punjab) have started a protest (pictured) against Raja Riaz, an influential politician and former opposition leader, who wants to expel them from their homes following a Supreme Court ruling. The dispute concerns more than 60 households who have lived in the settlement since 1960, located on land that was thought to be government owned; however, the influential politician was able to prove that the area belonged to his ancestors and thus gained title to the land as a result of the legal dispute. In order not to lose their homes, Christian families reached an agreement with him, and were allowed to stay upon payment a sort of rent of a sum of money. The contract included the payment of 750,00 rupees (US$ 2,700) per marla (about 25 square metres), with regular receipts as proof of payment. Some families have paid as much as US$ 57.6450 to avoid eviction, agreeing to pay off the remaining amount in the contract. However, the politician seems to have changed his mind, claiming that agreement was null and void while keeping the money he received, and now wants everyone off the land. Shahzad Joseph, one of the residents of Akbarabad, talked to AsiaNews about the latest developments. We had an agreement with Raja Riaz, signed in the vehicle showroom he owns. We have already paid a large sum of money, and we have the receipts for the payment, he explained. Nevertheless, the politician secretly got a court to issue an eviction order and "now the Supreme Court has ruled that the land does belong to him and that he can have the Christians vacate the settlement. As a result, at least 25 families could soon be evicted from their homes despite paying the agreed rent, while police are already threatening to move them out. We are all daily labourers, Shahzad Joseph added. We can barely make ends meet, doing our best to pay the instalments on time. Yet we are still facing threats. After an Easter of grief and tensions, the families are now appealing for justice to the chief minister of Punjab and the prime minister of Pakistan. Shahid Anwar, a lawyer and coordinator of the Catholic Church's Justice and Peace Commission, told AsiaNews that it is very sad" that Christians in Akbarabad are being mistreated after the two sides had reached a compromise." There is no doubt that "this land belongs to Raja Riaz, but if he is taking money from them, he should grant them the right to use it, Anwar said. I call on the government to investigate the matter fairly, because Christians have receipts for the payment of instalments. I call on Senator and Minister of Human Rights Khalil Tahir Sandhu to consider the case and help the Christian community, which is very worried these days." "We are very poor, we can't build a new house, we have elderly parents and children, we can't go anywhere else, and start our lives again, said a Christian man in a desperate plea. We barely feed our families. How can we provide shelter to our children on very low incomes? Please, help us, he added. by Melani Manel Perera At a press briefing in Colombo, the countrys Human Rights Commission called for changes to the school curricula to give a central place to human rights, highlighting the plight of marginalised groups, like Tamil plantation workers. Guidelines were presented last December, including on proper arrest procedures. About 24 people taken into custody died in detention, Commission member Nimal Punchihewa lamented. Colombo (AsiaNews) An attempt is underway to include human rights in Sri Lankan school curricula to raise awareness about the rights people have, especially those who belong to minority and marginalised communities, like Tamil plantation workers and LGBTQ+ people. The issue was the focus of a recent press briefing by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI) in Colombo. One of the members of the HRCSL, Prof Thaiyamuthu Thanaraj, said that the Commission is working in synergy with the National Institute for Education (NIE) in a project supported by the Ministry of Education, which has reacted positively to the proposed reforms. This includes specific human rights training for teachers through school-level sessions organised by the HRCSL. Although this is not enough to raise awareness in the population at large on the broad issue of rights, Prof Thanaraj insists that it is important to introduce the subject of "human rights" in schools, both for students and teachers. For its part, the HRCSL is looking at the challenges faced by minority communities and marginalised groups, like Tamil plantation workers. Some 90 per cent still live below the poverty line with a huge gap between their standard of living and that of other groups of workers. The Tamil plantation community is an integral part of the Sri Lanka community, Prof Thanaraj said. For historical reasons, this community was neglected and because of long years of negligence, their socioeconomic statistics are very low. For Prof Thanaraj, We can't leave this community as they are. We must do some extra work for the community. What we can do is carry out a study. The HRCSL is indeed committed to helping them and other vulnerable groups, and is going to conduct a fact-finding mission." Research is already underway that should provide a complete picture of their conditions and their causes. We will go to the community and find out the real problems they face, Prof Thanaraj added. We are going to publish the research with the help of the international community and the Sri Lanka government and assist the development of this community. They will become an integral part of Sri Lankan society and be happy. The research will be centred on the areas of Rathnapura, Deniyaya and Hatton, but a study has also been announced for Badulla, Kurunegala and Kegalle. Another Commission member, Prof Fathima Farzana Haniffa, noted that several unpublished reports prepared by the HRCSL about certain controversial incidents and social issues will soon be released for public reference. One report prepared by the Commission looked at social unrest in Kandy in 2018. Another Commission member, Nimal Punchihewa, told AsiaNews that HRCSL has prepared guidelines for the relevant departments that deal with the public. The latter include the police, who should follow proper procedures when arresting someone. In the last year, 24 people taken into custody died in detention. Similarly, 11 other people died during altercations that occurred during the arrests, he said. by John Ai Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he was "hopeful" that an agreement could be reached after recent discussions with his Chinese counterpart. The number of Chinese crossing the border between Mexico and the United States has a reached record high in recent years. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ended her visit to China to reset economic relations. Beijing (AsiaNews) China and the United States are discussing the possibility of repatriating Chinese migrants who illegally entered US territory, Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said two days ago. Back in February Mayorkas met with Chinas Minister of Public Security, Wang Xiaohong, in Vienna. An agreement would represent a turning point in relations between Washington and Beijing, which are trying to solve several bilateral issues amid a relative thaw in relations. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently travelled to China for the second time in nine months to reset economic relations between the two world powers. Over the past few years, more and more Chinese migrants have tried to cross the border between Mexico and the United States; in 2023 alone, more than 37,000 were arrested, 50 times higher than the previous year. Two weeks ago, the bodies of eight Chinese nationals were found on a beach near the town of Playa Vicente, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, after their boat capsized at sea. China officially suspended the repatriation of its citizens from the United States in 2022 after then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, while the United States had deemed China "uncooperative" on the issue of repatriation, along with Russia, Venezuela, and Cuba, to name a few. Mayorkas told NBC News that things "may be changing now, noting that he was hopeful about the talks. We have been working with the Peoples Republic of China to actually receive individuals whom we have determined are not eligible to remain in the United States, he explained. In a statement, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, noted that China was in favour of cooperation between the two countries. Illegal immigration is an international problem that needs the cooperation of relevant countries to solve it together, he said, adding that the Chinese government will accept repatriation of Chinese citizens who have been verified to be from mainland China." According to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 288 Chinese nationals were repatriated in the last fiscal year, while about 100,000 are still in the US after receiving a deportation order. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Yellen ended talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, during which she reiterated US concerns over China's excess industrial capacity in the technology sector, particularly electric vehicles, solar panels, and lithium batteries. Despite this, Beijing plans to increase exports to boost its economy. In 2023, China exported more than 1.2 million electric vehicles and produced more than 80 per cent of the world's solar panels, causing a slump in prices. During last months annual Two Sessions meetings,[*] Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed the ambition to develop a cutting-edge industrial technology sector. [*] The Annual plenary sessions of the National People's Congress and of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. by Vladimir Rozansky Over the past 20 years, the inhabitants of Siberia have decreased by 7%, and those of the Far East by 10.4%. Depopulation no longer only affects agricultural areas, but also involves medium-sized and large cities. And by 2050, the effects of climate change could further accentuate it. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Concerns are growing about the downward curve in population numbers in Russia, due to many factors, of which the war in Ukraine is one of the most disruptive in the last two years. Faced with the promises of great economic and social development coming from the Kremlin, in particular thanks to the "turn towards the East" of national and foreign policy, the demographic crisis in Russia's Far East is even more evident, which constitutes "a threat to the security of the entire Federation", as stated in a report presented in recent days by Andrej Klepac, main economist of the Veb.Rf Institute on the topic "Organization of Russian space in the new reality". According to the expert's observations, "Siberia and the Far East are territories that are still waiting to be populated and made their own, and if we don't do it, someone else will", alluding mainly to the Chinese and other Asians who are increasing their their migrations on these lands. There is a huge imbalance between the percentages of presence of the Russian population in the territories of the Federation insists Klepac and this is particularly evident if we compare the figures of the northern regions of China. There are three Chinese regions that border the Russian Far East: Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and Jilin, which have 37.5 million, 25.5 million and 27 million inhabitants respectively. In the entire adjacent Russian part there are only 7.87 million inhabitants, according to official data from 1 January 2024, with a decrease of 37,500 compared to 2023. This is a real demographic challenge, for which Russia must find solutions adequate responses: throughout the country the decline in the last 20 years is close to 1% of the population, over one and a half million fewer people, even taking into account the 3 million added with the annexation of Crimea in 2014. In the same period of time the inhabitants of Siberia have decreased by 7%, and those of the Far East by 10.4%. The forecasts for the near future are even more discouraging, reaching a collapse of over 10% for the entire Asian part of Russia by 2045. The depopulation process is particularly current for agricultural areas, but in recent decades it has affected the entire territory, including medium and large cities, the report reports, for which "at least another 10 million people are needed" to maintain acceptable standards of social life. Internal migrations and those more or less planned by various countries, not just China, could partly fill these gaps, but they still risk being insufficient. A further worrying fact comes from the studies offered by the Center for interdisciplinary research on human potential of the Higher School of Economics of Moscow, analyzing climate changes by 2050, which although they may have improvements in the European part of Russia, are instead moving towards worse in several areas of Siberia and the Far East. The increase in humidity and precipitation, together with the speed of the winds in the winter period, especially in the Baikal area and in the far-eastern South, could reduce the areas accessible to the population's life. In Yakutia and on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk, north of the part facing the Pacific Ocean, subsistence conditions will become more difficult, not to mention the lands facing the Arctic Ocean. The entire Asian-Pacific region is growing, while the Russian side is the most limited in terms of potential for cooperation and mutual integration, facing the giants of China, Japan and South Korea. In this phase of serious ruptures and conflicts the problem it is exacerbated by the alignments, which see Moscow allying itself with North Korea, the state most hostile to all the others. Moscow is thousands of kilometers away from these lands, and despite the proclamations of President Putin and his officials at all levels, the fate of Asia is less and less at Russia's disposal. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. Russian attacks have damaged 80 per cent of Ukraine's thermal power plants and half of its hydroelectric power stations in recent weeks, the Ukrainian energy minister said on Monday, denouncing it as "the biggest attack" on the country's energy sector. "It can be said that up to 80% of thermal power generation was attacked, more than half of hydroelectric generation. And a large number of substations" of electricity transmission, minister German Galuchshenko told a news conference. "This is the biggest attack on the Ukrainian energy sector," he added, referring to the wave of attacks, which continues almost daily and caused lengthy power outages in Kharkov, Ukraine's second largest city. According to the minister, "the scale and impact" of this new wave of attacks "are much greater" than those of the Moscow-led campaign last winter, when millions of Ukrainians were deprived of electricity and heating despite freezing temperatures. He noted that the Russian military had modified the drones and missiles used for these bombings, making them "even more dangerous". Before the Russian invasion in February 2022, electricity production in Ukraine was relatively balanced between coal- and gas-fired power plants and nuclear power plants, with a smaller share of hydroelectric power. The Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporiyia (south), located in the region of the same name and the largest in Europe, has been occupied by Russia since the beginning of the war and no longer produces electricity. Angela Speck, professor and chair of the UTSA department of physics and astronomy, explains some of the science behind studying stardust. Jessica Phelps / Jessica Phelps Angela Speck, professor and chair of the UTSA department of physics and astronomy, explains some of the science behind studying stardust using the light spectrum. Jessica Phelps / Jessica Phelps Angela Speck, UTSA astrophysics professor, said everyone should witness an eclipse once in their lives. The next total eclipse will occur in the contiguous United States in 2044. Jessica Phelps / Jessica Phelps Angela Speck, professor and chair of the UTSA department of physics and astronomy, explains some of the science behind studying stardust. Jessica Phelps / Jessica Phelps A man poses with solar eclipse glasses for a photo at Louise Hays Park on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Kerrville. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Fran Badrak, right, and his wife, Debbie Badrak wearing AAS-certified solar eclipse glasses in their home-based American Solar Eclipse Company office, where he sells AAS-certified solar eclipse glasses for the upcoming April 8 solar eclipse, on Tuesday, March 12. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Fran Badrak in his home based American Solar Eclipse Company office, where he sells AAS-certified solar eclipse glasses for the upcoming solar eclipse, on Tuesday, March 12. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer David Hamilton, 6, of Austin, and Mae River, 9, of Dallas,, listen to NASA's James Rhodes explain how solar projections work during the annular eclipse celebrations at Louise Hays Park on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in Kerrville. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Angela Speck, UTSA astrophysics professor, said everyone should witness an eclipse once in their lives. The next total eclipse will occur in the contiguous United States in 2044. Contributed She was 5 when she first dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Reruns of "Star Trek" episodes fascinated her, but NASAs Apollo space program inspired her to dream big and study physics. About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. For todays total eclipse, Angela Speck, a renowned professor and chair of physics and astronomy at the University of Texas at San Antonio, plans to wear a special red disco ball cowboy hat with reflective tiles. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Shell share stories with family and fellow eclipse watchers about how different cultures viewed the phenomenon in past centuries. Western Asia thought a dragon was eating the sun. Vikings believed two wolves swallowed the sunlight. The Cherokee saw a giant frog trying to devour the glowing star at the heart of the solar system. Speck is among several elite scientists across the nation educating the public about one of natures miraculous wonders. Theres quite a few of us, she said. Its nice to be recognized for having put in a lot of effort. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Celestial tattoos adorn Specks arms and shoulders. Her most recent ink depicts multiple stages of an eclipse unfolding along her forearm. Her profile @Stardustspeck on X, formerly Twitter, describes her as a "Tattooed witchy astrolator" and "empress of the eclipse." Speck grew up in Yorkshire, England, a place she compares to the industrial and rural areas of Pennsylvania. Shes named after Black political activist Angela Davis. In the 1970s, Specks parents were among the protestors who called for the activists release from jail. She majored in astrophysics at Queen Mary University of London and received a bachelors degree. Her research on molecules and dust around evolved stars at University College London resulted in her achieving a Ph.D. in astronomy. The astrophysicist hosts local educational events for children and adults and has worked to empower students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses. Specks focus is studying stardust a substance ejected from dying stars. Researching the composition of space materials could critically impact climate change in the future. Speck shares her knowledge and passion for eclipses through appearances, including a TEDx Talk, television segments, newspaper articles and op-ed essays. Shes a co-chair of the American Astronomical Society Solar Eclipse Task Force and a member of the AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy. Speck worked with the NASA Heliophysics Science Division to share details about an eclipse. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Her specialized study is reflected in her unconventional sense of style. She likes bright colors, with her hair dyed in different hues. Its a trait Speck said she inherited from her mother and developed during time spent at punk band shows in her native England. Speck loves the extraterrestrial moments of a solar eclipse. I find it frankly entrancing, Speck said. And shes excited that Texans have a chance to see a once-in-a-lifetime event when the moon blots out the sun. The moon will cast a 115-mile-wide shadow, a path of totality stretching from Mexico through Texas, upper Eastern states and Canada. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Everyone should witness an eclipse once in their lives, she said. The next total solar eclipse that will be visible in the contiguous United States will be in 2044. Speck encouraged people to buy the correct glasses to view the sun safely. Approved glasses should have the logo IPO printed inside along with the numbers 12312-2. The shadow is longer if spectators are in the middle of the path. The San Antonio International Airport is right on the edge. The 1604 UTSA campus will see 2 minutes of twilight. Speck said people downtown, outside of the zone, will not see any darkness. Witnessing her first shadowing of the sun wasnt so easy. A total eclipse in the United Kingdom took place in 1999 after Speck had moved to the United States. She missed the one that took place in 2001. A year later, she arrived at the University of Missouri and built the astronomy program from scratch. In 2017, she was finally in place when a total eclipse rolled through the campus. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its the fact that you see sunset colors all the way around the horizon, Speck said. Thats the thing that people dont expect. Birds will go silent. The air will cool. In the last minute, stars and planets will appear before total darkness. Then, a wispy, white halo will glow around the hole in the sky. On the Planet UTSA podcast, Speck told host John Elizondo that an estimated million people are expected to visit San Antonio and the Hill Country. She said local residents are right where they need to be. Melissa Manno is a reporter covering education for the San Antonio Express-News. She can be reached at melissa.manno@express-news.net. She graduated from Penn State University in 2022 with a bachelors degree in journalism and minors in geography and digital media trends and analytics. She is also the 2021 Hearst National Journalism Writing Champion. In an interview with RFE/RLs Armenian Service aired on Sunday Sargis Khandanian, the head of the Armenian parliaments committee on foreign relations and member of Pashinians ruling faction, stressed the importance of access to the European Peace Facility (EPF), an EU funding mechanism to increase the defense capabilities of non-member states. The European Union and the United States unveiled an aid package to Armenia amounting to a total of over $356 million during the April 5 trilateral meeting in Brussels between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinian. Von der Leyen and Blinken said the aid would help the South Caucasus nation increase its resilience and diversify its economy, which is heavily dependent on Russia, but referred to no military or security assistance. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan later confirmed that no military component was discussed at the Brussels meeting that was criticized by Azerbaijan, Armenias military archrival in the region, that saw it as being directed against it, as well as by Moscow where it was perceived as the Wests attempt to oust Russia, Armenias formal military ally, from the South Caucasus. Khandanian said, however, that discussions over Armenias access to the EPF instrument were ongoing and were part of the bilateral agenda. It is very important for Armenia that the European Union grant it access to the European Peace Facility, which will enable it to acquire non-lethal weapons and assistance to its defense system in different ways, with different methods, Khandanian said. But the Brussels meeting was not about the military topic, it was about the economic one, and the Armenian side had no such expectations. But it does not mean that this issue is off the agenda. On the contrary, discussions about it continue, and we hope that the European Union will make that decision in the near future, he added. When the EU Foreign Affairs Council approved the expansion of the EU border-monitoring mission in Armenia in late 2023, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell announced that they would also explore a possible support to Armenia under the European Peace Facility. In an interview with RFE/RLs Armenian Service late last week Peter Stano, lead spokesperson for the EU's Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, confirmed that discussions on possible support to Armenia under the EPF were ongoing, but said that security policy is a strictly member state-controlled area where any decision needs to be agreed by unanimity of all the member states. But they are working on it. For example, discussions on support from the European Peace Facility are ongoing, and at one point there will be a decision made. But the processes in the EU take some time, especially when you consider that it needs to be 27 member states finding a consensus, Stano said. Talking to reporters on Monday, Andranik Kocharian, who heads the parliament defense committee, said the shots that Armenias Defense Ministry said were fired by Azerbaijani units towards Armenian combat positions as well as in the direction of some villages near the border over the weekend were sporadic, senseless and untargeted. Perhaps those standing on the other side decided to fire randomly in the direction of our settlements that day. Such things have happened a lot of the time, it has nothing to do with anything, said Kocharian, adding that he saw no link between heightened border tensions and Pashinians trilateral meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had earlier denounced as one directed against Azerbaijan. Asked whether he saw behind the shooting Azerbaijans attempts to escalate the situation, Kocharian said he did not see it yet. As soon as we see it, no such questions will arise any longer. We will get into a full defense mode for our populated areas, he said. At the same time, Kocharian highlighted the importance of the EU border-monitoring mission in terms of evaluating the border shooting incidents, pledging that the Armenian authorities will do everything for there to be no more shooting. Tensions along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border began to grow hours after Pashinians meeting in Brussels, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire. Both sides reported shooting at various sections of the heavily militarized border during the nights of April 5-6 and April 6-7. Armenian authorities also reported damage to some homes and civilian infrastructure in two borderline villages. In a statement issued on Saturday, Armenias Foreign Ministry said Azerbaijan was sporadically firing in an attempt to goad an Armenian military response, triggering further escalation. It called on Azerbaijan to halt its actions. Azerbaijan brushed aside Yerevans accusations, blaming the Armenian side for the border shooting. In her post on X (formerly Twitter) Buric described her meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian as excellent. The Council of Europe will continue to support Armenia in its reform process, she wrote. According to Pashinians office, during the meeting the Armenian prime minister, in particular, presented the principles of the Crossroads of Peace, a program of regional connectivity and dialogue with neighboring countries that is being promoted by official Yerevan. Pashinian also reportedly emphasized the role of the Council of Europe in addressing the problems of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and providing relevant international support. Yerevan says more than 100,000 Armenians were forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan carried out a one-day military offensive to establish full control of the region last September. While in Yerevan, Pejcinovic Buric also met with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. Mirzoyans office said that cooperation between Armenia and the Council of Europe as well as issues of regional stability were discussed during the meeting. It said the sides exchanged views on addressing the mid-term and long-term needs of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. The Armenian minister and the visiting secretary general of the Council of Europe also reportedly touched upon steps aimed at establishing a sustainable and lasting peace in the South Caucasus. While in Yerevan Pejcinovic Buric also met with Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonian. Late last year Pejcinovic Buric also visited Baku where she met with Azerbaijans president and foreign minister. During her meeting with President Ilham Aliyev the secretary general of the Council of Europe welcomed the ongoing dialogue between Baku and Yerevan regarding a peace treaty and the agreement reached between the two governments regarding the release of detainees. As a result of the agreement announced by Azerbaijan and Armenia last December, Baku released 32 Armenian prisoners, while Yerevan handed over two detainees to Azerbaijan. The visiting Council of Europe official today declined to comment on what the organization is doing in terms of getting the other Armenian detainees held in Baku released. A group of Armenian opposition members held a protest in Yerevan today, demanding that the Council of Europe take action to get 23 Armenians currently imprisoned in Baku, including former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, released. The Armenian opposition also demanded that the Council of Europe put pressure on the leadership in Yerevan to release whom it claims to be political prisoners in Armenia. The demand is very clear. It must be stated that, yes, citizens exercising their right to free speech in the Republic of Armenia are persecuted, and it is a case of political persecution, therefore they are political prisoners, Aspram Krpeyan, a member of the opposition Hayastan faction in the Armenian parliament, said during the protest in front of the Foreign Ministry building. The Armenian government says there are no political prisoners in the country. Leading international human rights groups do not confirm the presence of any political prisoners in Armenia either. Ameriabank confirmed on Monday that changes have taken place in its list of stakeholders. The new stakeholders are as follows: Bank of Georgia Group PLC (60 percent), Bank of Georgia JSC (30 percent) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (10 percent). The leading Georgian bank announced in February a $303.6 million deal to buy Armenias Ameriabank partly owned by Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian billionaire jailed in Azerbaijan along with several other former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh. The deal required the approval of the Bank of Georgias multiple shareholders and the Central Bank of Armenia. In a statement then, the banks British-registered parent company, Bank of Georgia Group (BOGG), said it would significantly enhance the Groups presence and growth opportunities within a fast-growing and attractive market. Ameriabank is one of Armenias largest banks with total assets worth $3.4 billion, compared with $11.7 billion held by the Bank of Georgia. Vardanyan owned, through a trust fund, almost 49 percent of Ameriabank, making him its biggest shareholder. The tycoon, who had made his fortune in Russia, briefly served as Nagorno-Karabakhs premier in late 2022 and early 2023. He and seven other former political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh were arrested by Azerbaijani security services last September during the mass exodus of the regions ethnic Armenian population which followed an Azerbaijani military offensive. They remain imprisoned there on serious charges. Armenia has demanded their immediate release. Still in February, Mesrop Arakelian, an Armenian opposition figure linked to Vardanyan, denied that the billionaire had anything to do with the banks possible sale. He said the takeover talks between BOGG and Ameriabank began in 2022. He did not clarify, however, whether Vardanyan approved the resulting acquisition of his bank. Ameriabank is the second Armenian bank which has changed hands in recent months. Earlier this year, HSBC, Europes biggest bank, announced the sale of its Armenian subsidiary to Ardshinbank, the largest in Armenia. HSBC said the deal, also subject to Armenian regulatory approvals, stems from its strategy to redeploy capital from less strategic or low-connectivity businesses into higher-growth opportunities globally. Ani Badalian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service that the matter concerns the eighth edition of the proposals that the sides first began to exchange in 2022. In an interview with Armenian Public Television aired on Saturday Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that Armenia and Azerbaijan have so far reached several agreements as part of their continuous peace treaty negotiations, but that they remain divided on two main issues. He said those sticking points concerned mutual recognition of territorial integrity and the subsequent border delimitation process as well as the reopening of transport links in the region. Mirzoyan said Yerevan and Baku had agreed several times at top-level meetings on recognizing each others territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, but that Azerbaijan showed a reluctance when it came to reflecting it in a draft treaty. The announcement of Armenias reply to Azerbaijan follows two days of reported tensions along the border between the two South Caucasus nations, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire. Armenias Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the sporadic fire by Azerbaijani units at several sections of the border was an attempt to provoke an Armenian military response, triggering further escalation. It called on Azerbaijan to halt its actions. The weekend border shooting came shortly after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian held a trilateral meeting in Brussels with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 5. Azerbaijan had denounced the high-level trilateral negotiations of the European Union and the United States with Armenia as a demonstration of what its Foreign Ministry described as the pro-Armenian position of the Western powers, encouraging Yerevan to take destabilizing actions in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict zone. 8 April 2024 13:09 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more Azerbaijan's robust performance in gas exports to Europe during the first quarter of 2024 has captured attention, signalling significant progress in the energy landscape. According to Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov, Azerbaijan exported a remarkable 3.2 billion cubic metres of gas to Europe from January to March this year, a figure that surpasses earlier projections and underscores the nation's growing importance as a key energy supplier to the continent. A breakdown of the exported gas reveals the diverse destinations within Europe. Out of the total volume, 2.3 billion cubic metres were delivered to Turkiye, strengthening the longstanding energy partnership between the two countries. Additionally, 0.9 billion cubic metres were exported to Georgia, enhancing energy security in the region and fostering closer economic ties. One of the notable achievements highlighted by Minister Shahbazov is the transportation of 1.3 billion cubic metres of gas to Turkiye through the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP). This pipeline serves as a crucial conduit for Azerbaijani gas to reach European markets efficiently, further solidifying Azerbaijan's role as a reliable energy supplier. The initiation of Azerbaijani gas exports to Europe via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) at the end of 2020 marked a significant milestone in the region's energy landscape. The TAP pipeline, which is part of the Southern Gas Corridor, currently boasts a transportation capacity of 12 billion cubic metres per year. Plans are underway to increase this capacity to 20 billion cubic metres by 2027, reflecting Azerbaijan's commitment to meeting the growing demand for natural gas in Europe. The strategic importance of the TAP pipeline is underscored by its extensive network, spanning 878 kilometers across several countries. With 550 kilometres passing through Greece, 215 kilometres through Albania, 105 kilometres under the Adriatic Sea, and 8 kilometres through Italy, the TAP pipeline plays a pivotal role in enhancing energy security and diversification in the region. Furthermore, Azerbaijan's gas transportation to Bulgaria via the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB) represents another significant aspect of its energy strategy. Bulgargaz EAD's contract with the Shah Deniz consortium for the supply of 1 billion cubic metres of gas from the Shah Deniz 2 field underscores the nation's commitment to strengthening energy ties with European partners. The IGB pipeline, with a total length of 182 kilometres and passing through 150 kilometres of Bulgarian territory, is expected to significantly contribute to Bulgaria's energy infrastructure, with an annual transportation capacity of 3-5 billion cubic metres. Overall, Azerbaijan's exceptional performance in gas exports to Europe during Q1 2024 demonstrates its growing significance as a key player in the European energy market. With strategic investments in infrastructure and a commitment to meeting the region's energy needs, Azerbaijan is well-positioned to play a vital role in ensuring energy security and stability in Europe for years to come. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 16:12 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more Although Iran has mentioned in its "statements" that it is concerned about the issues in the Middle East and that "religious brotherhood" is a joint struggle against injustice, all this was in words. For example, official Tehran has not commented on the provocations in its neighbourhood for many years, especially the violation of the ceasefire by the Armenian military units on the border with Azerbaijan and the entry of the European mission into the territory of Armenia. On the contrary, it continues to provide weapons and ammunition to Armenia. It is interesting that Iran, while reacting so harshly to the Israel-Palestine conflict and even threatening Israel, remains silent on what is happening in the South Caucasus. Thus, although the Tehran authorities always claim that the West, especially the United States, finances Israel, for some reason they accept the assistance provided by the United States and the EU to Armenia, which serves the purpose of escalating tensions in the South Caucasus in a very pleasant way. It seems that Iran avoids direct conflict with the West and behaves more like a proxy force of the West. Commenting on the topic for Azernews, Elyar Kamrani, a research journalist from South Azerbaijan, said that Iran's foreign policy consists of protecting the interests of certain states. "When we look at Iran's foreign policy, we see that this country has been under the influence of the West for a long time. At the meeting between the European Union, the United States, and Armenia held on April 5, Iran did not make a single voice. This means that Iran protects the interests of these institutions more than its own interests. The expert noted that official Tehran is indifferent to regional Armenian arbitrariness because it cannot conduct a free policy. According to him, the West is using Iran's situation to create a new front against Russia in the South Caucasus. The political commentator drew attention to the tension between Iran and Israel in recent days. He said that Iran's war is only in the media. "Recent events related to Israel proved once again that Iran's war is waged only through mass media and social networks. The regime carries out cheap threat campaigns with exaggerated statements, especially on social networks. But in reality, it has the courage to say a word to neither the USA nor Israel. When Israel hit the Iranian consulate in Syria, the Iranian media claimed that strong revenge would be taken. But these claims and threats remained in words as usual," Kamrani said. The expert recalled the killing of General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Kamrani said that the killing of the Iranian major general is actually due to the fact that Iran is a weak country. "Iran also sent an ultimatum to the United States on the death of Qasem Soleimani, but it was an empty threat because no real action was taken. These events are due to the fact that Iran is not as strong as it is thought. Therefore, Tehran does not interfere in the West's policy in the South Caucasus, it just prefers to remain silent," he emphasised. The expert also expressed the concern of the Tehran authorities about Turkish unity. He said that Iran's cooperation with Armenia is based on some tensions inside the country. "We must not forget that one of the issues that worries Iran is Turkish unity. Turkish-Azerbaijanis in southern Azerbaijan, rebellions, and conflicts inside Iran are prompting Tehran to cooperate with Yerevan and form an alliance against Azerbaijan and Turkey. It should be noted that what is currently happening in the South Caucasus is to Iran's detriment. However, official Tehran avoids the West and ignores the events taking place in the region. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 14:45 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more COP29 will open a new page in Azerbaijan's relations with the UN, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov said during a meeting of the Joint Government-UN Steering Committee on the implementation of the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025', Azernews reports. "Organization of a platform in Azerbaijan to discuss the most pressing problems of humanity in the world, such as the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), confirms our country's position as a responsible partner in addressing global issues and will open a new page in our relations with the UN," he said. He reminded that the current year in Azerbaijan has been declared the Year of Solidarity for a Green World. "Based on the above-mentioned decree, as well as taking into account the organisation of COP29 in our country this November, I think it would be appropriate to give priority to environmental projects in 2024, even in the projects we are implementing under the Framework Document," he added. To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Azerbaijan in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,00080,000 foreign guests. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 18:12 (UTC+04:00) As one of the largest taxpayers in the country, Azercell contributed 167 million AZN to the state budget in 2023, and over 27 years, it has paid approximately 2.4 billion manat of taxes in total. The company has invested 94 million US dollars in the development of the telecommunications sector in the country in 2023 and a total investment of 1.9 billion US dollars over the years 1996-2023. With the primary goal of overcoming barriers and creating new opportunities, "Azercell Telecom" continued to serve the overall development and interests of society within the framework of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy in 2023. During the last year, a total of 30.2 million US dollars was allocated to CSR projects, bringing the total to 52.5 million US dollars over 27 years. In the year 2023, Azercell initiated a large-scale chain social project in partnership with the Azerbaijan Judo Federation. The "White Suits Girls Best" social campaign, which encourages girls to develop, be strong, and engage in sports, created a significant impact within the community and garnered extensive discussions on television and social media, involving prominent figures and influencers. Responding to the campaign's call, 1000 girls joined judo classes. The comprehensive campaign "White Suits Girls Best" implemented in partnership with the Azerbaijan Judo Federation, was honored with the Grand Prix award for the year 2023 in six categories at the Ad Black Sea International Festival. Furthermore, the social campaign was deemed worthy of the Grand Prix award at the largest communication festival in Central Asia, "Red Jolbors", and received 3 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze awards. Another initiative within the project, the "I Promise" campaign, focused on combating bullying. Within the framework of the campaign, awareness-raising activities were carried out in schools, educating both children and adults about the harmful nature of bullying, whether it occurs in personal interactions or on digital platforms. In addition to bringing innovative trends and services to our country, Azercell has continued to promote Azerbaijani literature and reading culture. Devoted to the honor of the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, the "Audiobook" project has compiled a special content series featuring the favorite works of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev in audio and electronic book formats, as well as in audio play format, available in digital libraries. As part of its corporate social responsibility strategy, the country's leading mobile operator has ensured the narration of more than 50 works of prominent Azerbaijani writers and poets in Azerbaijani, English, French, and Russian languages. As part of Azercell's corporate social responsibility strategy, efforts have been made to enhance the social development of the community and improve the well-being of various social groups through modern technological solutions. One of these initiatives is the improvement of the "Autism Portal", upgrading its technical capabilities to modern standards, and enriching its content and educational base. In the year of 2023, Azercell, in collaboration with its partners, announced the Child Rights Protection Week in conjunction with the International Children's Defense Day on June 1st. Unlike the previous practices in the country, this project was organized in a completely new format, dedicating not just one day but a whole week to the protection of children's rights. Various activities were conducted throughout the week, aimed at protecting the rights of vulnerable children (such as those living in social isolation and deprived of freedom, as well as those exposed to violence). Azercell's "Azerbaijan Child Hotline", supported since 2010, and the "Womens Helpline Service"created through the company's initiative and support in the year of 2022, have handled over 8,500 inquiries in the reporting year of 2023. In the previous year, Azercell Telecom initiated the promotion of "Safe Internet" through a project based on the international security school program designed for children. In the year of 2023, with the significant support of the leading mobile operator, the "Children's Paralympic Cup" tournament was held, playing a crucial role in integrating children into society and enhancing their interest in sports. Tamera McGee reacts as totality approaches and everything gets dark during the eclipse at a viewing party at UTSA. Jessica Phelps Terra Robinson, a junior at UTSA smiles as she gets a glimpse of the eclipse through the clouds at a UTSA viewing party. Jessica Phelps Students, faculty and families gather at UTSA for an eclipse viewing party. Jessica Phelps UTSA students Elizabeth Burgdorf and Fernanda Ojeda play cards as they wait for the eclipse to begin at a UTSA viewing party. Jessica Phelps Lia Jones leans on her girlfriend Aviana Miller while looking through her solar eclipse glasses at a UTSA viewing party. Jessica Phelps Ian Esparza, a UTSA freshman dozes with his solar eclipse glasses on before the eclipse to begins at a UTSA viewing party. Jessica Phelps Tyetta Campos tries to take a photo of the eclipse as her son, Julian Fontanez, 7, watches at a viewing party at UTSA. Jessica Phelps People react as totality approaches and everything gets dark during the eclipse at a viewing party at UTSA. Jessica Phelps Aaliyah Guevara, Samira Maus and Allison Serna react as they get a glimpse of the eclipse through the clouds at a UTSA viewing party. Jessica Phelps Students react as they get a glimpse of the eclipse through the clouds at a UTSA viewing party. Jessica Phelps Monday's cloudy skies did not darken the excitement of UTSA students, staff members and San Antonio residents who tuned in to watch the rare total solar eclipse from the university's main campus. Hundreds of people gathered at UTSA's East Recreation Field Complex to kick back on their picnic blankets and camping chairs and watch the historical event unfold. Angela Speck, professor of astronomy and UTSA's resident eclipse expert, walked viewers through the eclipse as it happened. UTSA's main campus, located on San Antonio's Northwest Side, was one of the best areas in the city to view the solar eclipse because it was one of the few areas in San Antonio in the path of totality. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Classes at the university were canceled from noon to 2 p.m. to encourage students and staff to watch the eclipse. "I'm really interested in someone explaining to me what's going to happen," said Yareli Lira, a UTSA senior. "It's more memorable that way." Emilio Flores, a UTSA sophomore and Lira's boyfriend, said he wasn't planning on coming to the event, but after his professors canceled his classes for the day, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity. "Might as well come to a big field and be surrounded by other people who are also excited to see it," Flores said. "It feels better being together." Advertisement Article continues below this ad While many students expressed disappointment about Monday's weather conditions, senior Bryana Byers said it wasn't a big deal if she didn't see the eclipse. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing ... even if we can't see it, at least we were here," Byers said. Leading up to totality, many cheered as the sun peeked through the heavy cloud cover. While these moments only lasted seconds, the quick glimpse of the moon as it covered the sun was enough to trigger excitement. "It's one of those bucket list things. We got to see the northern lights several years ago, and now we get to see a solar eclipse," said Lillian Carl, who attended the event with her husband after hearing about it through their grandson, who attends UTSA. However, the chatter stopped, and silence took over as the darkness began to take hold. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While cloud cover obstructed much of the eclipse, viewers could still make out the event as it happened. 8 April 2024 17:00 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The Azerbaijan State Film Fund has celebrated the 110th anniversary of the birth of the People's Artist Mukhtar Avsharov (1914 2004). The commemorative event, dedicated to prominent theatre and film actors, was co-organised by the Culture Ministry and the Film Agency, Azernews reports. As part of the event, a photo exhibition was presented, reflecting the life and creative path of the actor. Director of the State Film Fund, Honoured Artist Jamil Guliyev, shared his memories of Mukhtar Avsharov and spoke about his activities in theatre and cinema. Mukhtar Avsharov left a rich creative heritage; he brilliantly embodied diverse images. People's Artists Rasim Balayev, Rafig Azimov, Abdul Makhmudov, Nureddin Mehtikhanli, Ilham Namig Kamal, Marakhim Farzalibayov, Honoured Artists Ilham Rahimli, Rafig Sadigov, and Honoured Artist Afgan Soltanov shared their memories of Mukhtar Avsharov. On behalf of Mukhtar Avsharov's family, his daughter Sever Abbasova expressed a deep gratitude to the management and staff of the State Film Fund for their respect and attention to the creative heritage of her father. Mukhtar Avsharov began his theatrical activities in Ganja. In 1968, he received an invitation to work at the Azerbaijan Drama Theatre (now the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre), where he worked until the late 1990s, performing hundreds of roles with a variety of characters. In 1992, People's Actress Amalia Panakhova founded the Baku Municipal Theatre and invited Mukhtar Avsharov to join her team. In this theatre, he created interesting and multifaceted images in such plays as "Nadir Shah", "Return," and many others. Along with theatrical works, Mukhtar Avsharov was remembered by the audience for his roles in such films as "The Unconquered Battalion", "The Indomitable Kura", "Sevil", "The Last Pass", "The Day Has Passed", "The Sound of the Pipe", etc. The Azerbaijan State Film Fund is a public fund for support of the film industry and the preservation of film history. Established in 1993 by the order of the Azerbaijan Cabinet of Ministers, it has been operating since 1994. In 1999, the ASFF was elected a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). The Azerbaijan State Film Fund carries out its activities in accordance with the recommendations and standards of the International Federation of Film Archives. In 2023-2024, the State Film Fund organised many events dedicated to Azerbaijan's outstanding cinema and theatre figures like Shamil Mahmudbayov, Tofig Tagizade, Teyyub Akhundov, etc. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 16:38 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more In the city of Rustavi, Georgia, the Education and Culture Centre of Azerbaijanis in Georgia (AGCC) and adjacent free language courses have started their activities. 165 students from various age groups are attending the courses, receiving education in Azerbaijani, Georgian, and English languages, Azernews reports. Alongside students from Rustavi schools, students from nearby villages in Qardabani and Marneuli municipalities are also participating. Raida Drziyeva, the head of the centre, emphasises the importance of preserving the national identity of ethnic minorities living in Georgia and highlights the attention the Georgian state pays to the integration of Azerbaijani-origin citizens into the local community. The centre is planning new projects aimed at the integration of our compatriots as well as the preservation of our culture. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 15:16 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) has released a statement on occasion of World Health Day, celebrated annually on April 7, Azernews reports citing ICESCO. The statement says that ICESCO sees that celebrating World Health Day is an opportunity to highlight the steps taken in the health field at both regional and international levels to build a better future for future generations. "On the 7th of April of each year, World Health Day is celebrated to raise awareness about various health issues and mobilise efforts to improve healthcare. This year's theme, "My Health, My Right" highlights that access to comprehensive and equitable healthcare is a fundamental right for all. The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) sees that celebrating World Health Day is an opportunity to highlight the steps taken in the health field at both regional and international levels to build a better future for future generations. The organisation calls for the need to utilise the capacities of youth and women in developing and consolidating comprehensive healthcare systems." It was noted that ICESCO reaffirms its commitment to contributing to the development of healthcare infrastructure, enhancing scientific research in the field, and finding innovative solutions to address urgent health challenges in Islamic countries. This is to contribute to disease prevention and achieve health equity through initiatives, programs, and projects that employ the latest science and technology. "In this context, ICESCO is actively pursuing the establishment of strategic partnerships to contribute to enhancing healthcare systems in its member states. The organisation recently signed an agreement with the World Health Organisation on March 26, 2024, to collaborate in areas such as strengthening healthcare systems, building the capacity of healthcare professionals, promoting the adoption of digital technologies, and facilitating the exchange of experiences and knowledge. These efforts aim to support Islamic countries in their preparedness and resilience against natural disasters and other threats to public health. Moreover, ICESCO launched several programs aimed at improving water resource management, including the ICESCO program to improve the quality of water and sanitation services in rural schools in several countries of the Islamic world," the statement reads. Note that Azerbaijan has been a member of ICESCO since 1991. The country is closely cooperating with various organisations, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Conference of Parliamentary Union, and the Islamic Conference of Youth Forum. Moreover, Shusha City was declared the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World in 2024. World Health Day World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on April 7 under the sponsorship of the World Health Organisation (WHO), as well as other related organisations. The WHO Council on the Economics of Health forAll has found that at least 140 countries recognise health as a human right in their constitution. Yet countries are not passing and putting into practice laws to ensure their populations are entitled to access health services. This underpins the fact that at least 4.5 billion people more than half of the worlds population were not fully covered by essential health services in 2021. To address these types of challenges, WHO has chosen the theme "My health, my right" for World Health Day. "This year's theme was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere, to have access to quality health services, education, and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination,' said in the statement published on WHO website. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 10:00 (UTC+04:00) The recently identified remains of Basira Magerramova and Vagif Magerramov, who disappeared during the Khojaly genocide committed by the Armenian armed forces in February 1992, were buried, the statement of Azerbaijani Ombudswoman Sabina Aliyeva said, Azernews reports. The statement noted that the remains of members of one family who were victims of discrimination and ethnic cleansing were found 32 years later in a mass grave on the territory of Khojaly district. "This fact once again proves Armenia's commission of war crimes and its violation of the norms of international humanitarian law. We once again remind that the Armenian side, flagrantly violating the norms of international law for almost 30 years, deprived the families of nearly 4,000 missing Azerbaijanis of the right to receive information about them, evading providing information to Azerbaijan about the places of mass graves," the statement reads. To note, the remains of two more persons (a married couple) found in the mass grave in Khojaly were buried on April 6. The remains of Magerramova Basira and Vagif Magerramov, who disappeared during the Khojaly genocide, were reburied on April 6 in Baku at the cemetery of the Zabrat settlement. Meanwhile, investigations continue in connection with the fact of the discovery of a mass grave during excavation works carried out within the framework of capital reconstruction and construction works in the center (near the former carpet factory) of the city of Khojaly liberated from occupation. Investigation of the human remains revealed that they belonged to at least 18 people, among whom four were presumably minors. They had been subjected to torture, physical violence, and ill-treatment. They had not been buried individually following religious rites, their bodies had not been properly preserved for identification, and they had not been marked with signs to determine their location. Additionally, several indicators suggest that the human remains found were buried at least 25 years ago. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 10:37 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry shared a post on its official X account about the floods in Kazakhstan and note the deeply saddened by devastating floods in brotherly Kazakhstan, Azernews reports. The post continues: "We express sympathy to the people who have been affected by this disaster and convey condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives. We express our solidarity w/People & Government of brotherly Kazakhstan." It should be noted that more than 3,600 individual residential buildings were flooded as a result of floods in Kazakhstan. 72,029 people have been rescued since the beginning of the flood period, of which 16,078 are children. A local state of emergency has been declared in 10 regions of the country due to floods. Deeply saddened by devastating floods in brotherly #Kazakhstan. We express sympathy to the people who have been affected by this disaster and convey condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives. We express our solidarity w/People & Government of MFA Azerbaijan (@AzerbaijanMFA) April 8, 2024 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 13:27 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more Mahur Gasimov, the head of the Department of Analysis and Strategic Research at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, stated during a discussion on "Azerbaijan's Foreign Policy and the Role of BRICS" at the "Azerbaijan and BRICS: Opportunities and Prospects" event that Azerbaijan maintains active collaboration with China and other BRICS member states, Azernews reports. He emphasised that Azerbaijan's foreign relations are founded on principles such as respect for territorial integrity and mutual respect: "Azerbaijan plays a role in promoting global security and peace. Over the past one or two years, significant humanitarian efforts have been undertaken as part of our foreign policy. We've provided humanitarian aid totaling $330 million to more than 30 nations. Presently, we are actively engaged in combating climate change." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative underscored Azerbaijan's close monitoring of BRICS activities. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 17:56 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more 118 years have passed since the publication of the first issue of Molla Nasreddin magazine, the eight-page weekly satirical magazine, which has played an invaluable role in the history of the Azerbaijani press, Azernews reports. The founder, publisher, and chief editor of "Molla Nasreddin:" was the great writer and journalist Jalil Mammadguluzade. The magazine made its debut in Tbilisi on April 7, 1906, releasing a total of 340 issues until 1917. Subsequently, it was published in Tabriz with eight issues in 1921, followed by a stint in Baku from 1922 to 1931, producing a grand total of 400 issues. "Molla Nasreddin" was something revolutionary for that period, focusing on such topics as corruption, snobbery, ignorance, religious fanaticism, equal rights for women, as well as freedom of expression and the preservation of national language and traditions. The publication fully reflected the country's socio-political life in the early twentieth century. The name of the magazine was inspired by Molla Nasreddin, a satirical comic character that was popular in Eastern folk literature. Unlike other publications of that time, "Molla Nasreddin" also addressed uneducated people, as it used satirical verses, stories, and cartoons to convey its messages to society. It showcased the works of talented Azerbaijani writers and pressmen like M.A. Sabir, N. Narimanov, A. Haqverdiyev, M.S. Ordubadi, O.F. Nemanzadeh, Ali Nazmi, and A. Gamkusar. A significant contributor to the magazine's popularity was the satirical poetry of Sabir, an innovative poet of Azerbaijan, whose works were regularly featured until his passing in 1911. Sabir's poems shed light on the injustices faced by various segments of society, including the arbitrary actions of Tsarist officials, the plight of women, and the struggles of the working class. "Molla Nasreddin" also played a pivotal role in advocating for women's rights and was instrumental in granting voting rights to Azerbaijani women in 1919, a groundbreaking move in the Muslim world. However, its bold and critical articles often drew the ire of the political elite, leading to multiple bans in 1912, 1914, and 1917. The publication of "Molla Nasreddin" awakened various aspects of the lives of the people and led to a great revival of the national press. Despite facing numerous challenges, the magazine persevered for over 25 years, sparking a renaissance in the Azerbaijani national press and giving impetus to the development of satirical drawing and caricature. Its influence extended beyond borders, inspiring the publication of satirical magazines in Azerbaijan and neighbouring countries. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 14:38 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more Italian Alma Mater, Bologna University Rector Giovanni Molari, and his delegation visited ADA University as part of the Italy-Azerbaijan University project. According to Azernews, during Rector Molari's visit, which was the second in number, among the main topics of discussion were cooperation in the field of humanities, the teaching of the Italian studies program at ADA University, the "Azerbaijan Studies" program, which includes the cultural heritage, language, history, literature, music, architecture, theatre and cinema studies, and applied arts of Azerbaijan, issues such as teaching with methods that will respond to their challenges, as well as taking advantage of the experience of the University of Bologna to train specialists who will manage cultural institutions. In addition, the sides discussed the organisation of courses on Italian language and culture for students who will study within the Italy-Azerbaijan University project. Meetings were held with the participation of Minister of Culture Adil Karimli and Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev to discuss this new direction of cooperation in the humanitarian field with the University of Bologna. The parties talked about the current challenges in the mentioned field and the contributions that academic cooperation can make to solve these challenges. Later, discussions continued at the working level at the "Writer's House" Literary Support Fund with the participation of representatives of both universities. In addition, the delegation visited the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and made a familiarisation trip to several places where historical and religious monuments are preserved. ADA University's cooperation with the University of Bologna is currently being carried out within the Italy-Azerbaijan University project in the field of agriculture and food sciences, and work in this direction is being diligently continued. It is no coincidence that Rector Giovanni Molari's first visit to ADA University in April 2023 took place on the opening date of the new faculty in this field. This, in turn, indicates the importance of cooperation in the fields of agriculture and food science education. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 20:25 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more After gaining independence, the Central Asian states, which were part of the Soviet Union for many years, began to take steps to establish new relations in order to strengthen their economic, political, and military potential. In order for these steps to be sustainable and more effective, some close support was needed. In 2020, the 44-day victory of Azerbaijan, which resounded around the world, attracted the interest of the Central Asian states to the military readiness and strategy of the Azerbaijani army. It was also the reawakening of the Turkish brotherhood, which reflects the tradition of centuries. Thus, the Azerbaijani armed forces have scheduled to conduct joint military exercises named The Unity 2024 with the Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, in July. The preparations for the exercises and various issues related to upcoming tasks were discussed at a conference held in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The exercises are scheduled at Kazakhstan's Oymasha training ground as well as at the Tyub-Karagan Peninsula in the Caspian Sea. There, the armies of the above countries will conduct combat readiness tasks to identify areas of armed conflict. Many signify it as the growing influence of Azerbaijan in Central Asia, and as is known, relations between Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries are getting stronger, especially following Azerbaijan's glorious victory in the Second Garabagh War. Speaking to Azernews on the issue, military expert Ramil Mammadli noted that, in general, Central Asian countries are important for Azerbaijan. Rather, improving relations with Central Asian countries and raising them to a strategic level is one of the main priorities of Azerbaijan. He said that Baku wants to have high-level cooperation in the military field as well as in all spheres. As observed in recent years, especially after the Patriotic War in 2020, Azerbaijan has formed very close relations with the countries of Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and earlier with Pakistan, which is a neighbour of Central Asia. It should also be noted that the rapprochement between the military structures is felt more. Of course, the successes achieved by Azerbaijan in the Patriotic Warthe victory in a very large and global processled to an increase in the reputation of our country both in Europe and Central Asia. On the other hand, Central Asian countries have not conducted any military operations during these years, that is, after the collapse of the USSR. No matter how gratifying this situation is, the Central Asian countries know that important steps must be taken for the development of the army. In this regard, the experience of the Azerbaijani army is important for the countries of Central Asia, both in terms of the combat training of the personnel and in terms of the capabilities of the weapon equipment park, Mammadli said. He pointed out that in the exercises conducted by the Azerbaijani army itself, the military personnel of the Central Asian countries and representatives of the military forces and military structures have participated and observed the combat training, combat capabilities, weapons, and equipment park of the Azerbaijani army. There is military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries. The expert emphasised that, in particular, during the First Garabagh War and after that, Azerbaijan purchased certain military munitions from Kazakhstan. Also, works have been done in the direction of the implementation of projects. In recent years, the visits of the representatives of the Kazakh military structures to Azerbaijan, the visits of Azerbaijani representatives to Kazakhstan, and the purchase of weapons and ammunition are, in a certain sense, a sign of our cooperation. Also, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan can expand cooperation in the field of defence. There are also facts such as Azerbaijan purchasing certain military products manufactured in Kazakhstan and Kazakhstan buying some products manufactured in Azerbaijan. This, in fact, leads to the presence and strategic level of Azerbaijan's military cooperation in the Central Asian region, as well as its cooperation in the field of defence industry. As we know, the strategic stage of cooperation in all fields is related to the existence and strengthening of cooperation in the military field. From this point of view, as post-Soviet countries, we know each other well. We have a common ancestry and religion. We also cooperate with these countries through certain organisations. In a nutshell, the deepening of cooperation with Central Asian countries is important for Azerbaijan, the expert added. --- Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @g_Ashirov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 15:50 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has signed a decree on certain aspects related to the appointment of chairmen of a number of courts and judicial collegiums, as well as judges of courts of first instance, Azernews reports. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Xavier Rene Martinez said the dog, named "Shadow," bit him on the lip, and he no longer wanted to take care of it, police said. Tetra Images/Getty Images/Tetra images RF After a 20-year-old mans dog bit him on the lip, he dumped it into a yard where he heard barking, according to police. The dog, Shadow, did not survive. A woman called police on Feb. 1 just before noon to say she saw a young man throw a black dog over a fence in the 300 block of South San Gabriel Avenue on the West Side. The dog was attacked by several vicious dogs, states an arrest affidavit. The woman said she yelled at the man, and he ran away. Animal Control Services said the dog was breathing when authorities arrived. They took him for medical treatment, but the dog later died. Advertisement Article continues below this ad ALSO READ: Six people hospitalized in shooting outside San Antonio event center Police used SAPD databases to track down the alleged owner of the dog. Xavier Rene Martinez, 20, was charged with cruelty to animals Sunday. His bail was set at $7,500. A detective who spoke with Martinez on Feb. 14 said Martinez admitted owning a black dog named Shadow. After the dog bit his lip, Martinez said he didnt want the dog anymore, so he took it to the house on San Gabriel, states the affidavit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 8 April 2024 17:35 (UTC+04:00) The month of Ramadan is a blessed month that illuminates the hearts and minds of people and invites them to peace, unity, and moral purity. In this month, when our holy book, the Holy Quran, was revealed, Muslims get the opportunity to fulfill their moral duties and responsibilities before the Almighty and experience the joy of spiritual and moral enrichment, President Ilham Aliyev said in his congratulatory message to the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of Ramadan, Azernews reports. Our nation has preserved its historical roots, national and cultural values, and traditions even in the most difficult periods of its destiny. Religious holidays and ceremonies in Azerbaijan, which is an integral part of the Muslim world, are celebrated every year, embodying our spiritual solidarity with the rest of the Muslim world. This year's Ramadan is marked by the fact that it will be held in the entire sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, in our ancestral homeland which has been freed from 30 years of enemy oppression, the head of state underlined. Our faithful citizens, who have come out of the trials of fasting, are leaving behind the month of Ramadan with feelings of pride and gratitude. Charity events specific to our people are carried out throughout our country, and the eternal memory of our martyrs is remembered with gratitude. I do hope that your prayers and intentions are accepted by Allah and this blessed holiday becomes a celebration of kindness, compassion, and mercy, further strengthening unity and solidarity in our society, President Ilham Aliyev added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 17:14 (UTC+04:00) Amir of the State of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, has sent a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on his landslide victory in the presidential election. According to Azernews, the letter reads: His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, It gives me pleasure, on the occasion of your re-election for a new term as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to extend to you, on behalf of the people of the State of Qatar and my own behalf, our sincere greetings and congratulations, coupled with our best wishes for Your Excellencys personal good health and well-being, more prosperity and progress of your country and its brotherly people, as well as for steadily enhancing the bilateral relations between our two countries. With my highest consideration. Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani Amir of the State of Qatar --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 17:16 (UTC+04:00) Deputy Amir of the State of Qatar, Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Thani, has sent a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on his landslide victory in the presidential election. According to Azernews, the letter reads: His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, It pleases me, on the occasion of your re-election for a new term as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to extend to you my best greetings and congratulations, sincerely wishing for Your Excellencys personal well-being and happiness and the continued peace and stability of your brotherly country. With my highest consideration, Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Thani Deputy Amir of the State of Qatar --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 11:42 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more This year, from January to March, Azerbaijan exported 3.2 billion cubic metres of gas to Europe. This information was announced by the Minister of Energy, Parviz Shahbazov, Azernews reports, citing his "X" social media account. According to the data, during this year, 2.3 billion cubic metres of gas were exported to Turkey, and 0.9 billion cubic metres were exported to Georgia. Additionally, according to his statements, during this period, 1.3 billion cubic metres of gas were transported to Turkey via the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP). It is worth noting that the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Europe began at the end of 2020 through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is part of the Southern Gas Corridor. Currently, the pipeline's transportation capacity is 12 billion cubic metres per year, with plans to increase it to 20 billion cubic metres by the end of 2027. The total length of the TAP pipeline is 878 kilometres, with 550 kilometres passing through the northern part of Greece, 215 kilometres through Albania, 105 kilometres under the Adriatic Sea, and 8 kilometres through Italy. The transportation of "blue fuel" to Bulgaria is carried out via the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB), which is connected to TAP. The state company "Bulgargaz EAD" has signed a contract with the "Shah Deniz" consortium for the supply of 1 billion cubic metres of gas from the Shah Deniz 2 field. The pipeline, with a total length of 182 kilometres, passes through 150 kilometres of Bulgarian territory. It is expected to have an annual transportation capacity of 3-5 billion cubic metres. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 08:00 (UTC+04:00) Four environmentalists who spent more than five years in prison after being convicted of spying will be freed following a pardon from Iran's supreme leader, state media reported Sunday. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pardoned more than 2,000 inmates to mark celebrations for the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Their release date was not immediately clear, but their lawyer Hojat Kermani said it will be "in the coming days." "My clients were informed by the judiciary's deputy of human rights that they are included in the amnesty," Kermani told the official IRNA news agency. He named his clients as Sepideh Kashani, Niloufar Bayani, Houman Jowkar, and Taher Ghadirain. They were arrested in 2018 on suspicion of espionage for foreign governments, among other charges, and were given jail sentences of up to 10 years. The environmentalists worked for Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, a conservationist organization which protects endangered species. In early 2018, Iranian-Canadian environmentalist and university professor Kavous Seyed Emami, 63, died in prison. He reportedly committed suicide a fortnight after his arrest, an allegation rejected by his relatives. In 2023, wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz was among five American prisoners released from Iran as part of a prisoner swap deal with the United States. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 15:03 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more COP29 can serve as an important platform for Azerbaijan's promotion of the 18th National Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project in the international community, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov said during a meeting of the Joint Government-UN Steering Committee on the implementation of the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025', Azernews reports. "Through COP29, we aim to disseminate information to a wider range of stakeholders regarding projects focused on achieving "net zero emissions" in the Garabagh and East Zangazur economic regions. However, the persistent threat of landmines in these areas not only jeopardises lives but also hampers economic recovery efforts. These mines exert significant pressure on the ecological balance of the entire region. Hence, it's no coincidence that Azerbaijan has initiated efforts to include mine clearance as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal by 2030 on the UN agenda. Furthermore, COP29 can serve as a crucial platform to advocate for Azerbaijan's 18th national SDG project within the international community," he said. This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the centre of the world and will receive about 70-80,000 foreign guests. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP- the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 19:49 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan's State Committee for Work with the Diaspora sent humanitarian aid to the victims of the earthquake in Malatya. According to "Haber Global" the aid has already reached Turkiye. The deputy chairman of the committee, Valeh Hajiyev, told reporters that official Baku tried to support the region on the eve of the Ramadan holiday. "We are always with Turkey. We will do whatever is necessary in the future. We will be with Turkey until the end. May God not show such earthquakes again." It should be noted that Malatya was among the regions that suffered severe damage as a result of the strong earthquakes, which originated in the city of Kahramanmaras on February 6 last year. According to the latest information, 1,393 people died and about 10,000 people were injured in Malatya as a result of the natural disaster. The Turkish authorities called the earthquake "the disaster of the century". As a result of the natural disaster, 50,500 people died in Turkiye. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 21:03 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The Falcon 9 rocket of the American company SpaceX has launched the second South Korean reconnaissance satellite into orbit, Azernews reports, citing the Korean Defense Ministry via foreign media outlets. "The second military reconnaissance satellite of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea successfully disconnected from the rocket at about 09:02 (04:02 Baku time) and entered the target orbit," the ministry said. According to the plans, at about 09:11, the satellite was supposed to establish communication with a "foreign ground station." The Falcon 9 rocket launched from the territory of the Space Center named after John F. Kennedy in the U.S. state of Florida on April 7, local time, but at 08:17 Seoul time on April 8 (03:17 Baku time on April 8). The technical equipment of the satellite allows you to collect data regardless of weather conditions, Yonhap points out. In total, Seoul plans to launch five reconnaissance vehicles by 2025, which will allow monitoring the DPRK with an interval of two hours. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 22:10 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva South Korea and the United States will discuss ways to strengthen security cooperation and deter North Korean nuclear and missile threats this week, Azernews reports, citing foreign media outlets. The Korean-American Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) will be held in Washington on Thursday. It is noted that during the negotiations, the allies plan to discuss ways to implement the "Concept of the Alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea in the field of defense," approved by their leaders in November last year. The concept includes stepping up efforts for "enhanced deterrence" against North Korea and strengthening regional security cooperation with like-minded partners. The talks will be attended by South Korean Deputy Minister of Defense for Political Affairs Cho Chang Rae, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Security in the Indo-Pacific Region Eli Ratner and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia Andrew Winternitz. The talks, which will take place this week, are being considered as part of preparations for the upcoming third meeting of the Nuclear Advisory Group (NCG), which will be held in June. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 8 April 2024 23:20 (UTC+04:00) The parties have discussed the issue of attracting labor migrants from Uzbekistan to Hungary, Azernews reports, citing Kun.uz News Agency. Negotiations were organized via video conference between David Penczes, the director of the Hungarian company Worknet Kft., and Hajiakbar Fayzullakhodjaev, the Deputy Head of the External Labor Migration Agency under the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of Uzbekistan, with the assistance of the Uzbekistan diplomatic mission. According to the Dunyo IA, during the online meeting, topics such as attracting labor migrants from Uzbekistan to Hungary and drafting a cooperation agreement between the External Labor Migration Agency of Uzbekistan and this company were discussed. During the negotiations, detailed information was provided about the agencys activities related to selecting, preparing, and teaching foreign languages, as well as the guarantees and conditions provided by the state for prospective labor migrants from Uzbekistan. The Hungarian party expressed readiness to establish collaborative relations with the External Labor Migration Agency of Uzbekistan and to sign a contract for recruiting and employing migrants sent by the agency in Hungary. Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to sign a cooperation contract between the External Labor Migration Agency of Uzbekistan and Worknet Kft. David Penczes also stated his readiness to provide employment at construction sites in Hungary for 100 Uzbek nationals starting from the current month of April. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Shown is the future radar at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning as scattered thunderstorms develop in South Texas. WeatherBELL 3:15 a.m. Update: Recent weather model trends have slowed down the chance of strong to severe storms overnight and into Tuesday morning. A few showers and storms will be possible, but the strongest activity will stay quite isolated. The best chance of rain will come between 4 and 9 a.m. Isolated hail will be possible with the strongest storms, but overall rain chances are only 30% through Tuesday morning. 8:38 p.m. Update: Moisture levels have increased rapidly over the last several hours, and the atmosphere has become increasingly unstable. Because of this, confidence is growing that strong to severe thunderstorms will develop overnight in parts of South Texas and the Hill Country. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Storm Prediction Center includes much of the region, including San Antonio, in a Level 2 of 5 risk of severe storms. They said in a statement Monday afternoon that atmospheric conditions will promote supercells and mainly a risk for large to very large hail across parts of the TX Hill Country. The best chance of storms will be in the late overnight hours, between 2 and 7 a.m. Tuesday. Heavy downpours, large hail, and damaging winds will be the main threat. (The following was published early Monday morning) A very active weather pattern is setting up across the Lone Star State this week. Scattered strong to severe storms are possible for a large part of Texas. The highest chances of severe weather look to be in Central and North Texas, but South Texas also has a chance of isolated hail and damaging wind gusts. Heres everything that you should know. Mondays severe weather chances After the eclipse Monday afternoon, there is a small chance of strong to severe storms in the northern Hill Country. However, the chance is quite low, and most of the severe weather will stay to the north. Parts of the DFW Metroplex, northwest to Wichita Falls, are under a Level 3 of 5 risk of severe storms. In South Texas, there is a threat of very large hail and a few tornadoes. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Shown is the SPC severe storm outlook for Monday. A Level 3 risk of severe storms exists in parts of North Texas. A Level 2 risk of severe storms exists in South Texas, including San Antonio. Pivotal Weather San Antonio will actually stay dry for much of the day. Skies will be mostly cloudy as high temperatures reach the upper 70s to low 80s. There is a risk of strong to severe storms in South Texas overnight Monday and into early Tuesday morning. Thats why San Antonio is under a Level 2 of 5 risk of severe weather. The best chance of storms will occur between 2 and 7 a.m. Tuesday. Large hail is the biggest threat. Higher chance Tuesday night After the chance of early morning storms, a drier period is expected for the Alamo City as we head into the middle of the day on Tuesday. Partly to mostly sunny skies are even possible by the afternoon, allowing temperatures to soar into the mid to upper 80s. A few spots could even touch 90 degrees. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As a cold front moves closer to the region late Tuesday night, a line of strong to severe thunderstorms may move through South Texas. The best storm chances wont arrive until after 9 p.m. Shown is the SPC severe storm outlook for Tuesday. A Level 3 risk of severe storms exists in parts of Central and East Texas. A Level 2 risk of severe storms exists in South Texas, including San Antonio. Pivotal Weather This is when severe weather chances will be greatest in San Antonio. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 2 of 5 risk of severe storms for the entire region. Large hail is the primary risk. A Level 3 risk has been issued farther east, including the city of Austin. Forecast changes are possible, including timing and severity potential, so be sure to stick with expressnews.com/weather for updates. Clearing out By Wednesday, conditions are expected to quiet down in South Texas. Partly to mostly sunny skies will move back into San Antonio, and temperatures will be comfortable, reaching the upper 70s in the afternoon. Advertisement Article continues below this ad State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code Now that Kamala Harris has been coronated the Democratic Socialist designee for nomination as their candidate for President of these United States, after that political party's contrived primary process "democratically" elected Joseph R. Biden: What are your feelings about this party's progressive posture within their self-styled exercise of "Saving Democracy for America," and how truly critical the outcome of this presidential election will be? 8.7% I am ecstatic that this "Democracy's" First partially Black, First partially Indian, First female Co-Parent, and this nation's primary necessity is to her elect our First woman president.26.09% I really do not care about all these "Firsts." I will continue to pray, and work for this Representative Republic to elect someone competent, and brilliantly patriotic to be our next president.65.22% I will never vote for any politician that "first" does not have the core values to understand how dire this Constitutional Republic's situation has become. Walgreens' VillageMD has announced plans to exit the Illinois, Indiana, Florida and Nevada markets this year. It has six clinics in Illinois, which are slated to close by April 19; 40 clinics in Florida, which closed in March; 12 clinics in Indiana, which closed earlier this year; and six clinics in Nevada, which will close by the end of the year. In March, VillageMD also sold 11 clinics in Rhode Island to Boston-based management company Arches Medical Partners. Walgreens bought a majority stake in the primary care company in 2021 for $5.2 billion, but it has since been devalued and is part of Walgreens' strategy to cut $1 billion in costs this year. In the second quarter of 2024, Walgreens posted a $5.8 billion loss from VillageMD, as well as a $12.4 billion impairment charge from the reduction of the goodwill value of the primary care chain. "We remain confident in our goal of achieving $1 billion in cost savings this year," Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth said in the second quarter results release. "We are continuing to strategically review our portfolio over the next three months in an effort to ensure it drives growth and delivers value." In total, it plans to pull VillageMD from five markets and close around 60 clinics in 2024. VillageMD operates 680 clinics majority-owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance, including 200 clinics co-located with Walgreens and 170 third-party clinics at its stores. Yellen tries her favorite Sichuan cuisine in Beijing Global Times) 14:14, April 08, 2024 US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who arrived in Beijing on Saturday evening, did not wait long to get a bite of genuine Sichuan cuisine. Yellen is currently on a six-day China visit lasting through April 9. According to media reports, Yellen went directly to a Sichuan restaurant in Dongcheng district to sample her favorite kind of Chinese food. Staff at the restaurant gifted their American guest Sichuan embroidery, a noted part of China's intangible cultural heritage. In return, Yellen offered souvenir coins bearing her name. According to the US media, Yellen used to be a regular at a Sichuan restaurant while teaching at Berkeley. During her visit to the restaurant in Beijing, the American official enjoyed classic Sichuan cuisine including boiled beef and mapo tofu. Previously, Yellen had also enjoyed Cantonese food for her first dinner after landing in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province on Thursday. That meal involved a selection of iconic dishes including roast goose, chilled sweet and sour pork, crispy tofu, and an assortment of Cantonese dim sum. "We welcome more American officials to taste Chinese cuisine and experience traditional Chinese culture. We also hope that while American officials understand Chinese cuisine, they can deepen their understanding of China and its people, and respect the development rights of the Chinese people," one Chinese netizen commented on Sunday. Welcoming American officials to taste Chinese cuisine does not equate to accepting sanctions and restrictions; what would truly improve China-US relations would be concrete actions from the US, others wrote. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) According to a recent report by Mirror, suspected debris from a missing Malaysian Airlines plane have been sent for examination to Civil Aviation Institute after they were found on a Mozambique shore. President of Civil Aviation, Captain Joao Martins de Abreu, said at a news conference yesterday revealed that the pieces discovered had a number inside the panel that could help identify the plane. The largest piece found in the washed up debris consisted of a large triangular piece that had a red and white section on one side and metallic on the other, congruent with the colors used in Malaysian Airlines flight logo. This piece was first picked up last month by a hotelier off the coast of Mozambique's southern region, Imhambane. Australia is said to lead the massive search operation who strongly believe that these pieces are from the missing plane. "I believe in the expertise of the international investigation team, they will identify very easily," de Abreu said. He also noted that this is the first time that a colored piece has been found. The remaining two pieces of the three discovered were picked up by Xai Xai and were handed over to the experts last month. No more details were shared about these two pieces. These items will be examined by Malaysian authorities. Malaysian Airline MH370 vanished in 2014 with 239 people on board, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. So far, a massive search operation is underway and no conclusive information has been found. The 239 missing passengers flying the fateful MH370 are presumably dead as the authorities arrive at a unanimous decision of concluding the search if no evidence is found by the end of 2016. The case of missing MH370 has become one of the largest mysteries in the history of aviation, reports Channel News Asia. The search, led by Australia, is one of the costliest and largest search operation, at 100 million pounds, scouring a region of 120,000-sq-kms in the remote part of southern Indian Ocean. The Naperville, Ill., planning and zoning commission has approved a zoning change that would allow Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care to open a cardiology ASC in a former LA Fitness, according to an April 6 report from the Chicago Tribune. The building has been empty for more than a year after LA Fitness shuttered the location in March 2023, and Advocate's project proposal is now headed for city council final approval. The vacated lot is 45,000 square feet, and Advocate Health Care, which is part of Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health, plans to be the sole occupant. The outpatient center will provide cardiac services with one procedure room, as well as associated prep and post-recovery services. It will also offer primary care, cardiovascular clinician offices, cardiac diagnostic services, lab and imaging. If Advocate receives the final necessary approvals, it plans to start redevelopments on the building at the end of 2024. It anticipates welcoming patients as early as January 2026. A woman in Pennsylvania has been charged for pretending to be an advanced dental assistant, according to an April 7 report from the Bucks County Courier Times. Rose Horne, 43, of Middletown, worked as an expanded function dental assistant at three dental practices in Pennsylvania last year without the required certifications, according to the state attorney general's office. Ms. Horne assisted with X-rays, setting up instruments for dental procedures and reviewing post-op instructions with patients. There are no records from the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry or the Dental Assistant National Board that show Ms. Horne is a licensed expanded function dental assistant or certified to use dental X-ray equipment, the report said. Ms. Horne was arraigned April 5 on five felony counts of prohibited use of radiation source and three counts of misdemeanor for falsely claiming to hold a professional occupational license. Madera (Calif.) Community Hospital has been approved for a $57 million no-interest loan that will allow it to begin the reopening process. The loan was approved by the Department of Health Care Access and Information and the California Health Facilities Financing Authority through the Distressed Hospital Loan Program established by Gov. Gavin Newsom in partnership with the state legislature. The program helps hospitals in severe financial stress stay open and keep crucial care available, according to an April 8 announcement from the governor's office. The California Public Health Department also approved a change of management application filed by American Advanced Management for the hospital. A U.S. bankruptcy judge has approved AAM's plan to operate Madera Community Hospital in February. A timeline for when the hospital will reopen has not been released. The hospital closed in January 2023 after filing for bankruptcy. Florida State University and Tallahassee (Fla.) Memorial HealthCare have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a governance structure for a new Tallahassee-based academic medical center and a Panama City Beach, Fla.-based medical campus. The partnership will create a nonprofit corporation that will oversee large research and clinical education decisions for both FSU and TMH. "TMH has been working toward this goal of partnering with FSU to create an academic health center for almost 15 years," Mark O'Bryant, president and CEO of TMH, said in an April 8 news release. "This is a monumental step forward in our relationship, and I'm incredibly excited and proud of the work our teams have done." FSU and TMH have partnered previously over residency programs like internal medicine, psychiatry and general surgery. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature gave FSU $125 million in 2022 to develop a Tallahassee-based academic medical center. The conceptual design for the hospital is in its final stages, with the site on TMH's campus being cleared for construction to kick off. FSU is also aiding in the partnership between TMH and the St. Joe Company, a land development company, to create FSU Health in Panama City Beach, Fla. The campus, which will open in July, comprises a medical office building that will house physician partner groups, an ambulatory center, cardiology and orthopedic services, and an urgent care center. Construction of a 100-bed hospital that features an emergency center and inpatient services like cardiology procedures and imaging and surgery is planned to wrap up by the end of 2027. The Panama City campus also has plans to build a 600-bed facility that will be backed by around 380,000 square feet of space for medical offices, the release said. Best Buy is laying off Geek Squad tech-support employees at the same time the company is focusing on healthcare, The Verge reported. Former Geek Squad staffers reported the mass layoffs to 404 Media and posted about them on Reddit, according to the April 5 story. Best Buy hadn't responded to the news outlet's request for comment. In a February earnings call, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry hinted at coming layoffs to "redirect corporate resources to make sure we have the necessary assets dedicated to areas like AI and other elements of our strategy," the news outlet reported. The tech retailer has been betting big on "hospital at home," supplying remote monitoring technology and even Geek Squad employees to health systems providing acute care in the home. Its partners include Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham, Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health, and New York City-based NYU Langone Health. Ms. Barry said in the earnings call that while Best Buy Health is still small relative to its core business, the healthcare arm is expected to grow faster in fiscal 2025 and has driven a higher gross profit rate at the company. Over the last few months, Dallas-based Steward Health Care has been subject to increased scrutiny regarding the health system's troubled finances and the status of its more than 30 hospitals across eight states. Backlash against Steward appears to be far from over as lawmakers, health leaders and community members continue to demand answers for how things got to this point, and Becker's has been closely following the health system's struggles. Here are 66 things to know about Steward: 1. Medical Properties Trust, the largest hospital landlord in the U.S., revealed Jan. 4 that Steward had fallen approximately $50 million behind on year-end rent. MPT's current cash basis portfolio with Steward is $3.5 billion. 2. Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham withdrew its physicians from Steward's Holy Family Hospital campuses in Haverhill and Methuen, Mass., in late January due to practice environment concerns that did not meet their patient safety care standards. The physicians returned to the two Steward hospital campuses on Feb. 9 after surgical items were replenished and conversations were held regarding staffing and supplies. 3. Steward's Port Arthur-based Medical Center of Southeast Texas closed its Beaumont campus on Feb. 2, including its emergency department and all hospital-related services, due to the campus being underutilized, a spokesperson for Steward told Becker's. 4. Steward shared that it was throwing a financial safety net around its nine Massachusetts hospitals in early February, with no plans to close its hospitals in the state. 5. While Steward hospitals continued to struggle financially, were unable to pay vendors, and lacked proper medical supplies, attention turned to Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, and his two yachts, valued at a combined $55 million. 6. Steward's Miami-based North Shore Medical Center shuttered its neonatal intensive care unit and behavioral health unit Feb. 9 and closed its obstetrics unit Feb. 14, weeks earlier than its initial March 10 planned closure. The hospital, which has more than 700 employees in addition to over 400 medical staff, laid off around 152 people represented by 1199SEIU. A spokesperson for the union told Becker's that number could be larger, as their members did not represent all hospital employees. 7. Three different Utah lawsuits are seeking a combined $40 million in damages from Steward after investors claimed the health system took funding from its five hospitals in the state to pay acquired bills across other states. In Florida, the health system is also facing several lawsuits pertaining to its eight hospitals there. 8. Steward issued a "six-point action plan" Feb. 23. The plan included a $150 million cash infusion from the health system's current lenders, new labor agreements, the immediate sale of non-essential assets, working with an advisory firm for restructuring, and compliance with Massachusetts lawmakers to develop a "go forward" plan. The plan was met with backlash from Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. 9. As New Bedford, Mass.-based Southcoast Health expressed interest in buying Steward's Fall River, Mass.-based Saint Anne's Hospital in early March, Steward shared plans that it is looking to transfer the ownership of all nine of its Massachusetts hospitals. 10. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey invited Dr. de la Torre to testify at an April 3 field hearing in Boston regarding unanswered questions over the health system's troubled finances, but Dr. de la Torre did not show. The hearing also addressed for-profit companies' impact on healthcare access. 11. Steward's Texarkana, Texas-based Wadley Regional Medical Center denied rumors that the facility is closing its doors on March 19. The denial comes as construction on the hospital's $227 million replacement facility has been paused since February. 12. Steward's West Monroe, La.-based Glenwood Regional Medical Center closed its inpatient rehabilitation unit March 20. 13. Steward closed its Stoughton, Mass.-based New England Sinai Hospital on April 2. The 182-bed rehabilitation hospital had been open since 1927. Steward shared plans to close the hospital in early December due to "chronic low reimbursement rates" for Medicare and Medicaid service. 14. Kenney and Sams, a Boston law firm, filed a lawsuit against Steward March 25 and claimed that the health system owes it $605,306 for legal services rendered for more than six years, including interest and additional damages. 15. Steward shared plans to sell its physician group to UnitedHealth Group's subsidiary Optum on March 26. Sen. Elizabeth Warren expressed concern over the sale not benefiting patients, healthcare workers, or guaranteeing the survival of Steward's facilities. The group has 1,700 physicians, according to Steward's website. 16. Dr. de la Torre exchanged written responses with The Boston Globe in March through his lawyer and a company spokesperson. He detailed how it "has been the most stressful time in my life, but more importantly, I know that it has been even more stressful for the communities we serve." Dr. de la Torre also shared with the Globe that when Cerberus Capital Management, the private equity firm that founded Steward, wanted in 2020 to enter the health system into bankruptcy due to increased financial pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, Steward's entire leadership team, including Dr. de la Torre, threatened to resign. 17. Ms. Warren and Mr. Markey released an April 2 statement that accused Cerberus of profiting around $800 million from Steward and looting the health system when it exited in 2020. The statement came after Cerberus shared a Feb. 26 response letter to Massachusetts lawmakers' request for more information regarding Steward's financial struggles. 18. Medical Properties Trust offloaded five Steward-operated Utah hospitals in April for around $1.1 billion in cash proceeds. The hospitals were leased to Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado, part of Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. 19. Ms. Healey's administration began holding a series of regional meetings with hospitals and community health centers on April to discuss Steward's ongoing financial difficulties at its Massachusetts hospitals. The meeting participants included the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. 20. Hematology oncology services were temporarily paused at Steward's Brockton, Mass.-based Good Samaritan Medical Center in mid-April after its provider left. The outpatient services were provided by an independent physician practice and not run by the hospital. 21. Rallies were held outside of Steward Massachusetts hospitals ahead of the health system's April 30 loan agreement deadline out of concern that the facilities could be negatively affected. The loan agreement was part of Steward's "six-point action plan" from late February (mentioned above in number eight). 22. Massachusetts health department officials launched an incident command system to protect care access and to reduce any potential disruption of services at Steward's state hospitals. The command system aims to support coordination between hospitals, labor groups, state agencies, community health centers, and other stakeholders. 23. Steward filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 6 to keep operations running at its existing hospitals and clinics. The health system shared in a May 6 news release that it would receive an initial $75 million from Medical Properties Trust through plans to finalize terms of debtor-in-possession financing, and could be eligible for an additional $225 million from its landlord. Medical Properties Trust shared that it expects Steward to use the $75 million to maintain patient care while it "accelerates the re-tenanting of hospitals to new operators." However, the landlord did not share plans to provide any additional funding to the health system. 24. During a May 7 court hearing in Houston, Steward attorney Ray Schrock told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Chris Lopez that the health system had placed its 31 U.S. hospitals up for purchase to help offload its $9 billion debt after it filed for bankruptcy, Reuters first reported May 7. Mr. Schrock said that Steward is hoping to keep its hospitals open and to finalize the sale of its facilities by the end of the summer. 25. A "processing error" with Bank of America led to Steward delaying payment on May 9 to their employees. The delay was not system wide. 26. Medical Properties Trust yet again saw losses due to Steward in their first quarter of 2021, ended March 31. The company saw a net loss of around $693 million in impairments mostly due to non-real estate adjustments related to Steward. 27. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes launched an investigation into Steward regarding what led the health system to file for bankruptcy. The health system has four hospitals in Arizona: Florence (Ariz.) Hospital, Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz., St. Luke's Behavioral Health Center in Phoenix, and Tempe (Ariz.) St. Luke's Hospital. 28. Steward proposed an initial bidding timeline for its 31-hospitals and Stewardship Health to be sold in May 15 court documents filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. 29. The auction timeline was rejected by The Justice Department in a May 28 bankruptcy court filing. The filing detailed how the debtor-in-possession financial deal between Medical Properties Trust and Steward interferes with the health system's "obligation to comply with the United States' antitrust review" of the Stewardship Health, Optum deal and should not be approved. 30. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Chris Lopes approved Steward's sale dates for Stewardship Health and its 31-hospitals. The sales would be conducted in two rounds. The first round, which comprises Stewardship Health and all of Steward's hospitals except the Florida facilities and some Texas hospitals, has a June 24 bid deadline and a July 11 first sale hearing. The second round, which comprises Steward's Florida hospitals and four Texas facilities, has an Aug. 12 bid deadline and an Aug. 22 sale hearing. 31. Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan shared that it's keeping a watchful eye on Steward's scheduled asset sales and bankruptcy hearing. While Lifespan CFO Peter Markell did not confirm that the health system would be taking on any of Steward's Massachusetts hospitals, he did say that Lifespan would have to make sure any potential purchases worked from a "business and financial perspective." 32. Steward secured a $225 million loan commitment from a group of lenders to help keep its hospitals and Stewardship Health operational ahead of auction, according to a June 10 Steward news release. The lenders were WhiteHawk Finance, Owl Creek Investments, OneIM, MidOcean, and Brigade Capital Management. Mr. Lopez approved the funding on June 14. 33. A group of U.S. lawmakers wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su on June 17 and requested that the department support Steward's 30,000 employees and its retirees as the health system deals with ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. 34. The auction date for Stewardship Health and the health system's "first-round hospitals" in Arizona and Massachusetts and St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston was delayed three weeks. "The extension gives everyone involved time to develop robust bids," a spokesperson for Steward said in a June 20 statement shared with Becker's. 35. Steward's Glenwood Regional Medical Center laid off 23 employees, including some leadership roles to adjust to a change in business conditions. 36. Optum backed out of plans to acquire Stewardship Health in Late June. 37. The FDA ordered North Shore Medical Center to pause its mammogram services after it failed to meet clinical image quality standards by the American College of Radiology. The potentially inaccurate screenings occurred from March 14, 2022 to March 14, 2024. 38. Steward made six payments at just under $1.6 million this year to London-based Audere International, a commercial intelligence, investigations and security company. Steward had previously paid upward of $7 million over a more than six-year period to the company to conduct surveillance and disinformation operations against both critics and a former Steward employee. 39. Steward was hit with a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston. The investigation includes allegations of fraud and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. "Steward Health Care can confirm it is aware of and cooperating with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice," a spokesperson for Steward said in a July 12 statement shared with Becker's. "As a matter of policy, Steward will have no further comment on this investigation as it remains ongoing." 40. July 12 bankruptcy court documents obtained by Becker's revealed that Dr. de la Torre made a gross salary of $3,766,461 from May 8, 2023, to April 11, 2024. The documents also revealed that 14 other Steward executives received at least $1 million in overall compensation just 12 months prior to the health system filing for bankruptcy. 41. Steward accepted bids in late July for Hope, Ark.-based Pafford Health Systems to purchase Wadley Regional Medical Center in Hope, Ark., and AHS South to purchase Regional Medical Center in West Monroe, La. The health system also rejected nonviable bids and canceled the auction and sale hearing for three of its hospitals: Trumbull Regional Medical Center in Warren, Ohio, Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Howland, Ohio, and Sharon (Penn.) Regional Medical Center. 42. Patient care ombudsman Suzanne Koenig conducted an inspection of several Steward hospitals in Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and the Miami area from May 22 to July 22. The report found that while there was some room for patient care improvement, there were no material issues impacting patient care that would require immediate attention from bankruptcy court. 43. In a 20-1 favorable vote, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted July 25 to subpoena Dr. de la Torre and investigate the bankrupt for-profit health system. On Sept. 4, Dr. de la Torre declined to participate in the upcoming Sept. 12 hearing. 44. Ms. Healey's administration shared that it will dedicate $30 million to Steward to keep its hospitals in the state operating through the end of august. 45. Steward shared plans July 26 to close two of its Massachusetts hospitals Dorchester, Mass.-based Carney Hospital and Ayer, Mass.-based Nashoba Valley Medical Center by Aug. 31. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez approved the closures during a July 31 hearing; however, Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh said the health system must present a "responsible closure plan" that follows the state's 120-day closure process for the two hospitals. The system also shared that 1,243 employees would be laid off as part of the closures. The hospitals are now closed. 46. Warren (Ohio) City Hospital, the name of a collaborative group of business and community leaders, shared plans to acquire Steward's Warren, Ohio-based Trumbull Regional Medical Center. 47. The Boston City Council voted Aug. 7 to approve a resolution that calls on the city's Public Health Commission to declare a public health emergency due to the planned closure of Steward's Carney Hospital. 48. As news surfaced about Steward closing two of its Massachusetts hospitals and conducting layoffs, Dr. de la Torre faced backlash for traveling to France for the Olympics. 49. In early August, Steward's Sharon (Pa.) Regional Medical Center shared plans to close its 125-year-old nursing school after the current class of students graduates in May 2025. 50. Nashville, Tenn.-based Rural Healthcare Group, part of private equity firm Kinderhook Industries, entered into a definitive agreement with Steward to take on Stewardship Health for $245 million in cash. Mr. Lopez approved the sale during an Aug. 15 bankruptcy hearing. 51. Steward and Orlando (Fla.) Health entered into a binding asset purchase agreement for Steward's northern Florida assets for $439.42 million in cash in mid-August. Steward designated Orlando Health as the successful bidder for the assets Aug. 28 and Mr. Lopez approved the sale Sept. 10. 52. Steward's St. Luke's Behavioral Health Center, a 127-bed facility in Phoenix, was ordered to halt operations by state officials Aug. 14 after temperatures inside the facility reached 99 degrees Fahrenheit. The hospital was forced to furlough workers following the halt Aug. 26, affecting more than 200 employees and filed a WARN notice for 255 employees on Oct. 1. 53. Ms. Healey's administration said Aug. 16 that deals "in principle" had been reached for four Steward hospitals to be taken over by new operators. On Sept. 4, Mr. Lopez approved the sale of six Massachusetts Steward hospitals to three different health systems. The approval includes the sale of Brockton-based Good Samaritan Hospital and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center to Boston Medical Center for $140 million. Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan will take on Taunton, Mass.-based Morton Hospital and Fall River, Mass.-based St. Anne's Hospital for $175 million and Lawrence (Mass.) General Hospital will purchase Holy Family Hospital in Methuen (Mass.) and Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill (Mass.) for $28 million. The three health system's officially took over operations of the hospitals on Oct.1, which saved more than 13,000 jobs, according to a news release shared with Becker's. 54. Steward filed a lawsuit Aug. 19 against Medical Properties Trust, claiming that the efforts to sell its remaining hospitals to new operators have been disrupted by "parties who have refused to follow the clear ground rules." In an emergency motion, Medical Properties Trust argued that the global bidding procedures do not give Steward the green light to sell its landlord's property. 55. New York City-based Apollo Global Management, an alternative investment manager, rejected the $4.5 million proposal from Massachusetts to take over Steward's St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, citing that the proposal "significantly undervalues the real property underlying St. Elizabeth's" in an Aug. 20 letter. The state took over the hospital through eminent domain on Sept. 27 to transfer it to Boston Medical Center. 56. Steward shared plans to close Trumbull Regional Medical Center and Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital, both in Warren, Ohio, on or around Sept. 20 after the facilities failed to attract qualified buyers. The closures will result in 944 employee layoffs. 57. Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry shared in an Aug. 22 bankruptcy court notice, obtained by Becker's, that Steward required $1.5 million from the state by Aug. 23 or the health system will submit a closure notice for Sharon (Pa.) Regional Medical Center. During an Aug. 22 bankruptcy court hearing, Mr. Lopez approved a relief process letting Steward to exercise its business judgment on what to do with the status of its hospitals. He also approved a deadline of Aug. 30 for the state to come up with funding with no extension. On Sept. 10, the state shared that it will provide $4.5 million over a three month period to the hospital to keep it from closing. It also shared that Meadville (Pa.) Medical Center submitted a letter of intent to acquire Sharon Regional on Aug. 16. 58. Warren (Ohio) City Hospital, a collaborative organization of business and community leaders, shared that it has raised enough money to acquire Steward's Trumbull Regional Medical Center. Warren City Hospital is now working to raise funding to keep the facility operational, which the group estimates could cost around $9 million per month for the first 60-90 days. 59. Becker's compiled a list regarding the current status of each of Steward's 31 hospitals that we will continue to update regularly. Link here. 60. Christus Health Ark-La-Tex, part of Irving, Texas-based Christus Health, entered into a binding asset purchase agreement for Steward's Texarkana, Texas-based Wadley Regional Medical Center on Sept. 3. The hospital's purchase price is $4.5 million. Steward received bankruptcy court approval Sept. 24 to sell the hospital. Christus also shared Sept. 18 that it is taking over the shuttered Medical Center of Southeast Texas in Beaumont and plans to reopen the facility "in the coming months." 61. Mr. Lopez authorized an interim settlement agreement for Steward to transition 15 of its hospitals across Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas to Medical Properties Trust or an applical designated operator during a Sept. 11 hearing. 62. Dr. de la Torre did not show up to the Sept. 12 HELP committee hearing that he was subpoenaed to attend. The committee voted Sept. 19 to forward two resolutions regarding contempt charges against Dr. de la Torre to the full Senate. The full Senate voted unanimously to hold Dr. de la Torre in criminal contempt on Sept. 25. 63. Steward received approval Sept. 12 from Mr. Lopez to sell Wadley Regional Medical Center at Hope to Pafford Health Systems for $200,000. 64. Mr. Lopez approved the sale of three Arizona Steward hospitals, Florence Hospital, Mountain Vista Medical Center and Tempe St. Luke's Hospital to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based HonorHealth during an Oct. 3 court hearing. He also approved the sale of Steward's Mesa Emergency Center and multiple outpatient physician practices to HonorHealth. Mr. Lopez named HonorHealth interim manager of the assets on Sept. 11. 65. Steward filed an Oct. 7 notice of closure for its already nonoperational Norwood (Mass.) Hospital and four satellite facilities. The four Steward-affiliated facilities a facility specializing in performance therapy, an infusion clinic, a pharmacy and a facility offering radiology services will close Nov. 5. 66. Mr. Lopez approved the sale of Steward's Odessa (Texas) Regional Medical Center and Big Spring, Texas-based Scenic Mountain Medical Center to Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health during an Oct. 11 hearing. Quorum became interim manager of the hospitals Sept. 11 and was made permanent manager Sept. 17. Bristol Health CEO Kurt Barwis says Medicare Advantage is killing the healthcare industry but when 64% of his system's Medicare beneficiaries have MA, he has no choice but to keep contracting with plans. "It's not an option for me. The reason it's not an option is I have an older community, and they need care." Mr. Barwis told Becker's. "If you look at the rules, and the disruption it would cause in the community, I'm not sure I can face the community if I was to use that as one of my approaches." In March, Bristol (Conn.) Health eliminated 60 positions, 21 of which were occupied, resulting in layoffs at Bristol Hospital. A lack of payments from Medicare Advantage was a major factor in the decision to cut staff, Mr. Barwis said previously. The system is short millions in revenue as a result of delayed and denied payments from MA plans, Mr. Barwis said. In the past year, Bristol Health has received 13.8% less in payments from MA plans than from fee-for-service Medicare, according to Mr. Barwis. "When you look at the math, I'm 72% government pay. I'm not going to be able to make that up on my commercial book of business," Mr. Barwis said. "So I have no choice it's a race to the bottom how can I get rid of as much cost as possible without impacting the safety and the quality of care?" The 17-year CEO is far from the only hospital executive frustrated with prior authorization and delayed payments from MA plans. A handful of systems have chosen to drop contracts with some or all MA plans. Rather than drop contracts, Mr. Barwis said he's advocating for reform. In March, he testified in support of prior authorization reform at the Connecticut Legislature. "I am taking an approach, because of the significance of Medicare Advantage in my community, to go after advocacy, and change, and to educate. I feel really good about what CMS came out with in 2024, but it didn't go far enough," Mr. Barwis said. In addition to lobbying policy makers for change, Mr. Barwis said he's holding Medicare Advantage plans accountable. "If you're going to come in here and abuse me, I am going to fight you on every single point," he said. Mr. Barwis's advice for other systems handling MA reimbursement issues: Be collaborative across teams and stick to the contract. The CEO often joins weekly revenue cycle meetings with stakeholders from across Bristol Health, where they talk through issues and next steps. "The unfortunate thing is that a monthly KPI dashboard is not enough anymore. You have to be looking at this stuff, real time, every week," Mr. Barwis said. "If you're not doing that, and if you haven't brought all the pieces of your system together medical management, contracting team if you haven't brought those together, you can't assume that they are collaborating together the way they should." Mr. Barwis also tells his staff not to go back and forth with insurers on the phone once they've received a final denial, the contracting team should go after a dispute resolution process. Staff often wants to be collaborative and "nice," Mr. Barwis said but they have to stay focused on Bristol Health's mission. "Our mission is our primary focus, in sustaining this organization in every which way we can to provide access to our community," Mr.Barwis said. "Know that the insurance person you're talking to on the phone is 100% focused on shareholder value, not our patients, not all the great things we do to take care of people. That is my consistent message to my team." Midvale, Utah-based Highland Ridge Hospital has shared plans to close on May 7, as the psychiatric facility operates under an amended conditional license. Jim Hess left his role as CEO of the hospital in mid-March. The hospital appointed Dania O'Connor interim CEO March 13 following his exit. The hospital is working with state and local agencies to ensure a smooth transition for patients to appropriate services decided by their clinical treatment team, a spokesperson for Highland Ridge said in a statement shared with Becker's. "For some time, we have been evaluating the best path forward for Highland Ridge, including whether and what services are provided there," the spokesperson said. "Following a careful consideration of all options, we made the decision to close Highland Ridge." Highland Ridge is on a conditional license due to "noncompliance with state rules," a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement shared with Becker's. The conditions under the license include a 40-hour-weekly independent monitor that will remain in place until the hospital closes on May 7. The monitor submits a report to DHHS weekly that includes concerns and progress with rule compliance from the hospital. "DHHS has instructed the independent monitor to include in the weekly report the current patient census and notify DHHS immediately of any rule noncompliance, including but not limited to improper discharge of a patient or failure to maintain appropriate staff-to-patient ratios," the DHHS spokesperson said. "DHHS will investigate any reported concerns and take appropriate action on any substantiated noncompliance with state rules." Editors note: This story was updated on April 8 at 3:30 p.m. CT. Alabaster, Ala.-based Shelby Baptist Medical Center has Watson Hughston its new COO. Prior to his new role, Mr. Hughston served as vice president of operations at Nashville, Tenn.-based TriStar Centennial Medical Center, a 741-bed hospital, according to an April 4 Shelby Baptist news release shared with Becker's. He also served as decision support coordinator for Nashville-based HCA Healthcare and TriStar Health, according to his LinkedIn page. Charles Lovell, RN, plans to retire as CEO of Barbourville (Ky.) ARH Hospital. Mr. Lovell's retirement will close out a 45-year healthcare career, according to a March 28 news release shared with Becker's. An official retirement date has not been set. Mr. Lovell began his work in hospital administration after serving as a registered nurse in the emergency department at Methodist Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn., according to the release. Among his roles was CEO at Perry Memorial Hospital in Linden, Tenn. He joined Hazard, Ky.-based Appalachian Regional Healthcare in December 2015 when ARH took over operations of the newly acquired Barbourville hospital, according to the release. Mr. Lovell will remain CEO at Barbourville ARH until his replacement is selected and is acclimated to ARH and the hospital. A scheduled visit of the US ambassador to the United Nations seeks engagement from African Union states as Joe Biden fights slide-in relations that are shifting to Moscow and Beijing. Linda Thomas-Greenfield is trying to shift away Africa's pivot to Russia significantly, and recent snubs did not help, according to Republic World. US Ambassador Visits African Union States It is part of the White House's attempt at another shot to get more interaction from African countries that are more crucial to the sliding influence in the second-largest continent full of resources. Last Sunday, the US Mission to United Nations announced that Thomas-Greenfeild would go to Ghana, Mozambique, and Kenya, commencing on January 25. Its goal is to bolster the partnership with present and ex-UN security council members, Today News Africa reported. The US envoy's visit is on the heels of an earlier tour of 10 days by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a major US diplomatic drive. She went to Dakar, Senegal, last Wednesday and will visit Zambia and South Africa. In December, after the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit held by the Biden administration, it was announced that the US president would visit Africa in 2023. This would be the first visit to Africa by a US leader in 10 years. This US Summit's goal is to reset the US-Africa relationship as the continent stated its preference for more money on the table, not promises but in infrastructures and more capital. Claims by the Biden administration that China wants more military muscle, with Russian ties to Mali and the Central African Republic, per Asharo Al-Awsat. Read Also : What is Doomsday Clock? US Seeks Engagement with African Nations A key message by the US leader during the African summit that was stressed to all attendees totaled 49 leaders. Compared to the former concerns of Washington in the geopolitics of Africa, not these nations are primary, not secondary, members in any discussion concerning them. Thomas-Greenfield, ex-assistant secretary of state for Africa, will be in Ghana, holding its second year as a member of the Security Council. There on January 25, she will meet women leaders and other sectors. Next will be another junket to Mozambique, which is beginning its first two-year term as a council member. Those she would meet on January 26-27; will include UN officials, entrepreneurs, US exchange program alumni, and other specialists working with climate change, noted the US mission. The last stop for the envoy is Kenya on January 28-29, with its position on the council that ended on December 31. Kenya is a vital participant based on the perspective of the US missions headed by the envoy with these concerns, according to her. These are humanitarian help regarding drought and refugee assistance, highlighting the allegation that the Ukraine conflict is the consequence that led to global food security. But the US envoy will be meeting refugees concerning resettlement and converting the African state to alternative energy. Though the US ambassador seeks engagement from these African Union states that leaned to Moscow and Beijing's side, another is the US allegedly seeking alliances with these states. McLaren Medical Group appointed Binesh Patel, MD, CEO effective March 31. Dr. Patel returns to the provider group after serving as chief medical officer at McLaren Flint (Mich.) for more than five years until September 2022, according to an April 1 group news release. He assumes the CEO role that was filled in the interim by Chad Grant. In his role, he will oversee the strategy for the organization, which is part of Grand Blanc, Mich.-based McLaren Health Care and employs more than 640 physicians and surgeons across 40 specialties in 150 outpatient centers in Michigan. The board of governors for De Queen, Ark.-based Sevier County Medical Center has declined to renew the contract with hospital President and CEO Lori House, Steve Cole, EdD, chair of the board, confirmed to Becker's. The decision, made April 3, followed a vote by the Sevier County Quorum Court of no-confidence in Ms. House, whose contract is set to expire May 31, according to the Texarkana Gazette. "It was just simply not going to be renewed at expiration," Dr. Cole said when asked about the reasoning behind not renewing the three-year agreement. The quorum court's no-confidence vote took place April 2. On that same day, the quorum court also approved $145,000 in pandemic-era tribal assistance funds to help improve the hospital's financial situation, the Gazette reported. Sevier County Medical Center, a county-owned and operated critical access hospital, has struggled financially. The hospital had about $2 million on hand around the time it received $6.25 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds in December 2022. Ms. House took the helm of the hospital in June 2021, and a new medical center opened in January 2023. The hospital is currently undergoing a state audit of how the COVID-19 funds were used. On April 2, SCMC Board of Governors member Mike Branson told the quorum court that the hospital owes approximately $660,000 to vendors; that moving forward, all cost reduction measures are needed; and showed that the hospital's net revenue gap has improved from $700,000 in cash loss in August 2023 to $109,000 in January and $46,000 in February, according to the Gazette. Dr. Cole said Stacy Dowdy, a long-time SCMC administrator, will be the interim administrator until further notice. Becker's has attempted to reach Ms. House via email and will update the story if a comment is received. The board overseeing Hollister, Calif.-based Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital is appealing a California judge's ruling that found the hospital ineligible to remain in Chapter 9 bankruptcy. The San Benito Health Care District, which oversees the hospital, voted in May 2023 to file for bankruptcy after declaring a fiscal emergency in November 2022. The California Nurses Association objected to the filing and noted in a hearing last year that financial cuts led to lower-quality care. The union also said the hospital was solvent and able to pay bills through the fiscal year's end in June. The judge acknowledged the financial challenges Hazel Hawkins has faced but concluded the hospital is not insolvent. After reviewing the judge's decision, the San Benito Health Care District voted unanimously to appeal the ruling, according to a March 28 Hazel Hawkins news release. The board said it disagrees with the judge's reasoning for why the hospital did not meet the definition of "insolvent." "We have made great progress since declaring a fiscal emergency in November 2022," Hazel Hawkins CEO Mary Casillas said in the release. "The court agreed that the district was projected to have less than two days' worth of cash on hand in December 2022. The district was on the verge of shutting down. It is not clear from the court's ruling how a district facing closure in December can be solvent just five months later." The release said that regardless of the judge's ruling, the Chapter 9 filing allowed the district to "accomplish several critical objectives," including extending the runway to find potential partners and buyers, and it now has four interested parties that are presenting final proposals. The filing also allowed the hospital to keep its doors open. Hazel Hawkins nurses are calling for management to "focus on patient care and restore eliminated medical services and staffing, instead of directing taxpayer money toward an appeal following their failed bankruptcy case," according to an April 2 National Nurses United news release. The release also said nurses have "long charged that the bankruptcy filing is an effort to bust the unions who represent Hazel Hawkins workers by paving the way for a sale to a private entity." Nearly two-thirds of registered nurses practicing in the U.S. still had student debt as of 2021, according to the most recent federal data available. The Health Resources and Services Administration and U.S. Census Bureau released the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses in March. The report includes responses from 49,234 registered nurses polled in 2022 and early 2023 about their education, workplace satisfaction and other topics. Three findings to know: In total, 2.2 million registered nurses about half of the workforce indicated they borrowed money to finance their education. Nearly 65% of these nurses still had student debt to pay off as of Dec. 31, 2021. About 45% of registered nurses reported using federally assisted student loans, up from approximately 38.3% the previous year. Nearly 17% indicated they used nonfederal loans. In March, the Biden administration released an additional $5.8 billion in student loan debt relief for 77,700 public service workers, including nurse and nurse practitioners in clinical settings. View the full report here. Five people were taken to the hospital after a Syracuse (N.Y.) Fire Department ambulance crashed into an SUV April 5, informnny.com reported. The ambulance was dispatched for a medical call for a pediatric patient around 12:12 p.m. The vehicle was heading to the hospital with the patient when it collided with an SUV. Firefighters in a fire truck following the ambulance radioed for help. Multiple fire trucks and ambulances responded to the crash. The patient was taken to the hospital, along with four firefighters who were in the ambulance at the time of the accident. They are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries and are in stable condition, the Syracuse Fire Department told the news outlet. The driver of the SUV was treated at the scene and released. Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine physicians have been getting assistance with telehealth visits from an unlikely but iconic source: Barbie. Alecia Daunter, MD, of the health system's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, started using the doll from Mattel to help her pediatric rehabilitation patients visualize how they should be moving during virtual appointments. "The Barbie I use comes with a wheelchair and can bend at almost all of her joints," Dr. Daunter said in an April 5 news release. "She's an ideal model to help show my patients how I need them to move, flex, or extend their joints." She and a colleague studied the new telehealth approach, comparing visits that employed Barbie versus those that didn't. Patients in the Barbie-aided encounters required less verbal prompting and reported an enhanced experience and a better understanding of what the physicians were asking, according to the March 28 study in PM&R: The Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation. The appointments lasted about the same amount of time. Dr. Daunter recommends other providers employ visual aids for virtual care. "It doesn't necessarily have to be a Barbie doll," Dr. Daunter stated. "Other action figures or small wooden artist mannequins will have the same effect. You just need to make sure the doll has joints that can move in a way that demonstrates what is being examined. "As telehealth becomes more prevalent, we need to adapt to make sure our patients are still receiving quality care and are at ease during their appointments." An Idaho orthopedic surgeon was arrested after footage from a hidden camera at his medical office was found, The Spokesman-Review reported April 7. Police obtained an arrest warrant and charged Spencer Greendyke, MD, on suspicion of two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child and six felony counts of voyeurism, the report said. One of his employees contacted police in March after finding a digital storage device with videos that appeared to be a hidden camera in a bathroom. Dr. Greendyke turned himself into police and was booked into jail April 5. Dr. Greendyke remains in custody on a $1.5 million bond as of April 8, according to Kootenai County records. A new-build home on Belfast Road in Carrickfergus - but the Construction Employers Federation has said the pipeline of new homes is being held up by water infrastructure capacity constraints Northern Ireland is in a housing crisis with 19,000 would-be new homes and billions of pounds worth of investment being held up by wastewater capacity limits, its been claimed. The Construction Employers Federation (CEF) in Northern Ireland spoke up as Minister for Infrastructure John ODowd yesterday ruled out household water charges as a solution for the future funding of NI Water. It comes ahead of an Assembly debate on addressing NI Waters challenges today. NI Water is the public body which maintains our water supply and infrastructure, as well as sewerage. But it has said that limits to its funding mean it cant provide the infrastructure to support new housing and commercial developments. CEF chief executive Mark Spence said that homebuilders in its membership claimed that wastewater capacity constraints were holding up around 8,450 homes equating to just under 1bn of investment. He added: As we understand it, when coupled with the proposals of housing associations and other developers, approximately 19,000 homes are today unable to proceed. Against a backdrop of a 60-year low of housing completions in 2023 and an ever-growing social housing waiting list, it is unquestionable that we are therefore in the middle of a housing crisis in Northern Ireland. He urged the Executive to face reality about the impact of budgetary limits. Given the NI Executives one-year capital budget of 1.8bn for 2024/25 the same in cash terms as some 17 years ago and a recurrent need from NI Water from this of at least 500m per annum for the next decade, the Executive must face the urgent reality that the overall settlement goes nowhere near the level required in order to deliver many of the key projects which are likely to form part of a Programme for Government. He referred to an NI Audit Office report which called for a comprehensive review of alternative arrangements, led by suitably qualified experts in order to improve funding in water infrastructure. It is therefore crucial that all parties take the opportunity today to unite behind the motion and the need for a fundamental review of the governance and funding model of NI Water. Without this, and in the clear context of the Executives declining Block Grant capital expenditure, we are putting a major inhibitor on economic growth and also removing from an entire generation the prospect of a home to call their own. That is a damning indictment of any government and it is one that, in Northern Irelands case, has been entirely predictable. Yesterday, Mr ODowd said that the challenges that we are witnessing with water infrastructure is a consequence of underfunding for basic public services over many years, by successive Tory Governments. He added: The solution therefore does not lie in charging hard-pressed workers and families for an essential public service. The minister continued: I am in no doubt that we can collectively find the solution by truly and demonstrably valuing essential public services such as water and funding them appropriately. There is no doubt that NI Water faces many challenges with more investment needed to both maintain what we already have and also to provide new infrastructure to keep pace with our economic, societal and climate responsibilities. Figures show just 5,379 new dwellings were completed during 2023, including 570 social houses. According to the BBC, Ulster Bank economist Richard Ramsey said historical data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) suggested completions were at their lowest since 1959. A health tech firm in Belfast has received medical device clearance in the US for a headset adapted to treat anxiety. Neurovalens has been given the green light by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to treat anxiety using its Modius Stress device. The company combines neuroscience and technology to tackle health problems like stress, obesity and insomnia. Company founder Dr Jason McKeown, an NHS-trained doctor, developed the idea for the devices, which work by delivering non-invasive electrical stimulation to key areas of the brain and nervous system, averting the need for surgically implanted electrodes. Modius Stress is designed to treat anxiety by delivering an electrical pulse to the head for 30 minutes before bed, during which users can do other activities, such as watching TV or reading. Regulatory approval from the FDA means the Modius Stress device can be sold directly to people suffering from Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) across the US who have a prescription from their doctor. According to Neurovalens, GAD is a long-term condition that causes people to feel anxious most days about a wide range of situations and issues, rather than a specific event. The FDA regulates the development, manufacturing, authorisation, distribution and sale of medical devices in the US. It has given approval to the device following clinical trials in mid-2023 in the UK and Ireland, carried out by Ulster Universitym and in India by the Indian Center of Neurophysiology (ICN). It follows the company receiving clearance from the FDA in October 2023 for its Modius Sleep device, which can be used to treat insomnia. Dr McKeown, the companys chief executive, said: Having the Modius Stress technology as a certified medical device for the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder is the next meaningful step for the company as we focus on continued growth in the US market. GAD affects an estimated 6.8 million adults in the US, over 3% of the population, with women twice as likely to be affected as men, according to the American Depression and Anxiety Association. Modius Stress is a non-invasive device that treats the underlying issue to improve the lives of patients. We believe that the low risk, non-invasive therapeutic intervention offered by Neurovalens technology will be truly transformative for a range of serious medical conditions and this latest clearance moves us further towards that goal. Neurovalens also announced that it has closed a 2.1m ($2.65m) funding round with existing investors ahead of a $40m-$50m Series B fundraising round, which the company expects to launch later this year. Neurovalens has previously raised around 11m in equity funding from UK investors including Wharton Asset Management, IQ Capital, Techstart Ventures, Angel Co Fund, Beltrae Partners, Clarendon Fund Management and British Business Bank. The company continues to run clinical trials on the effectiveness of its drug-free technology in treating other conditions and has approvals pending for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obesity. Dr McKeown, an NHS-trained doctor and past pupil of Ballymena Academy, came up with the idea of the Modius as a device to treat brain-activated disorders and habits like insomnia, over-eating and anxiety. The Modius Sleep is available to buy in the UK as a health technology device. Scores of unexpected people are urging Missouri's governor to grant clemency to a death row inmate who's scheduled for execution on Tuesday as his lawyers mounted a last-ditch effort Sunday to have the U.S. Supreme Court intervene. Brian Dorsey's supporters include 72 current and former correction officers, five jurors who helped convict him and a retired Missouri Supreme Court judge who previously voted to uphold his death sentence, according to TV station KOMU. Dorsey, 52, is set to receive a lethal injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre for murdering his cousin, Sarah Bonnie, and her husband, Ben Bonnie, on Dec. 23, 2006. The slayings took place after the Bonnies took Dorsey into their home near New Bloomfield because he told them two drug dealers were at his apartment to collect a debt. That night, he stole the couple's shotgun and killed them in their bed. The couple's 4-year-old daughter was home at the time but wasn't hurt. Dorsey pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death in 2008, but he later argued he should have been sentenced to life in prison without parole. In court papers, Dorsey has claimed he was incapable of premeditated murder because he was suffering from drug-induced psychosis after three days without sleep while withdrawing from crack cocaine. His lawyers also maintain he didn't receive a proper defense because his attorneys at the time each received a flat fee of $12,000 from the Missouri State Public Defender system, which no longer pays flat fees in capital cases. The Missouri Supreme Court twice upheld Dorsey's death sentence, in 2010 and 2014, and last month unanimously declined to stop his execution, with Judge W. Brent Powell writing that Dorsey "has not demonstrated he is actually innocent," according to the Associated Press. The Missouri Supreme Court denied another motion for a stay of execution on Friday, KOMU said. In a January letter to Gov. Mike Parson, the current and former correction officers described Dorsey as model inmate who deserved to have his sentence reduced to life without parole. "Generally, we believe in the use of capital punishment," they wrote. "But we are in agreement that the death penalty is not the appropriate punishment for Brian Dorsey." The five former jurors also asked for Dorsey's sentence to be commuted and former Supreme Court Judge Michael Wolff wrote that his decision to uphold Dorsey's death sentence was one of the "rare cases where those of us who sit in judgment of a man convicted of capital murder got it wrong." Parsons will announce his decision on the clemency requests Monday, a spokesperson told KOMU. Meanwhile, Dorsey's lawyers filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court on Sunday, saying that Dorsey was fully rehabilitated and that his execution would violate the Eighth Amendment because it would serve no legitimate form of justice, according to KOMU. Martin McManus who starred in the online video clip outside Charlies Bar in Enniskillen Picture by Peter Morrison A Fermanagh bar which captured the worlds heart and headlines over the festive period when it released its own Christmas advert is in the running for an esteemed national prize. Charlies Bar went viral last December when it released a short online video via its social media accounts featuring an elderly widower making friends with a young couple in a bid to raise awareness for loneliness around the festive time. The advert went international with Charlies owners and the adverts stars featured in interviews with CNN and around the world. Thousands of pub-goers decided on Fermanagh to visit the famous pub, with the owners also receiving gifts from fellow-Christmas-themed advert pioneers John Lewis. The bar has served the residents of Enniskillen since 1944 and has stayed in the same family for that time. Its now managed by Una Burns who turned the attention into a good cause, raising funds for several age-related charities by selling themed merchandise based on the pubs advert. Watch: Northern Irish pub goes viral with heartwarming Christmas advert Charlies Bar will now join five other bars from each of Northern Irelands counties in competing in the 2024 National Pub & Bar Awards, which each year crown nearly one hundred county winners from across England, Wales and Scotland, as well as Northern Ireland. The other pubs named for the awards are Hearth in east Belfast Co Antrim, Keegan's in Armagh, The Dirty Duck Alehouse in Holywood, Co Down, Blackbird in Londonderry and Tomneys in Moy, Co Tyrone. The pubs have been recognised as pioneering hospitality operators who have demonstrated excellence across a number of elements that affect the customer journey, including design, service, style of offer, marketing and investment, according to the National Pub & Bar Awards, which is run by the Pub & Bar magazine. Over the next two months, the pubs have the chance to trade following their win for their county, before the National Pub & Bar Awards grand final takes place on June 26. Taking place in London, the final will see all 94 county winners come together to celebrate their achievements before a regional winner is chosen. The awards night will also crown the Pub Group of the Year, Bar Group of the Year, The Tyrrells Tyrrellbly Good Taste Award and, finally, the overall National Pub & Bar of the Year. The fact that we had record entries for the 2024 National Pub & Bar Awards tells us two things, says Tristan OHana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine. One is how highly the industry regards these accolades, which is fantastic. But, also, it shows that more operators are in need of really positive and strong publicity to help drive business at the moment. Pubs and bars are facing some of the biggest challenges in recent history, so if the National Pub & Bar Awards can help by lifting sales across these venues, then were delighted to play our part. The National Pub & Bar Awards 2024 is sponsored by Tyrrells, ICRTouch, Kerrymaid, Panasonic, Santa Maria and Sky Business. A series of playing cards designed and signed by the late Dame Vivienne Westwood to raise awareness about environmental issues are to go up for sale to raise funds for Greenpeace (CHRISTIES IMAGES LTD 2024/PA) A series of playing cards designed by the late Dame Vivienne Westwood to raise awareness about environmental and political issues are to go up for sale to raise funds for Greenpeace. Before her death in December 2022, the pioneering fashion designer and activist conceived the idea which takes 10 of her digital graphics which highlight messages close to her heart and sees them printed on large-scale autographed cards. These limited-edition playing cards will now go under the hammer with the auction house Christies, who announced the posthumous project on what would have been Dame Viviennes 83rd birthday. The posthumous project was announced on what would have been the pioneering fashion designers 83rd birthday (CHRISTIES IMAGES LTD 2024/PA) They will be sold in a portfolio which contains 10 digital prints that have been printed on Hahnemuhle Museum Etching 350gsms paper and signed with pencil. The first portfolio, which will be presented in a unique linen-covered, hand-embroidered box, will be going to auction on June 25 with an estimate price of 30,000 to 50,000. Titled The Big Picture Viviennes Playing Cards, the project has been created by The Vivienne Foundation in aid of environmental charity Greenpeace. Among the collection is a card which features a black and white photo of a young Dame Vivienne with short, spikey hair which has the words ME PUNK written across it and save the world printed along the border. Another features a skull and cross bone design over a red and green coloured map of the world with the words too fast to live / too young to die marked over it alongside handwritten notes making reference to uninhabitable land. The designer often featured playing cards in her campaigns and designs, with her idea to use them for her Climate Revolution project originally conceived in 2017. For the project, she designed a set of playing cards using strong graphics to convey a culture-led economic strategy to save the world. The project has been created by The Vivienne Foundation in aid of environmental charity Greenpeace (CHRISTIES IMAGES LTD 2024/PA) The Vivienne Foundation said: Throughout her lifetime Vivienne used her voice to lead a relentless fight for justice. Continuously highlighting the corruption in the world and trying her best to make the world a better place. It was Viviennes ambition prior to her death to raise a significant amount of money for Greenpeace to help them protect our rainforests and oceans and save the planet from climate change. Vivienne felt passionately driven to act when she learned about the Democratic Republic of Congo wanting to open up its precious rainforests for oil exploration and development. The foundation, which is the owner and custodian of Dame Viviennes art work and copyrights, also thanked those who helped bring the fashion designers wishes to life and that it was proud to be part of collaboration. The limited-edition playing cards will now go under the hammer with the auction house Christies (CHRISTIES IMAGES LTD 2024/PA) John Sauven, former executive director of Greenpeace UK, added: Vivienne was well known as a rebel for most of her life but rarely without a cause. For Vivienne, activism was her life. She didnt compartmentalise it. Fashion here, campaigning there. In fact, she always said everything is connected. Fashion. Art. Education. Activism. And she managed to fuse it all together in extraordinary ways. Vivienne has left us the playing cards, an important work of art, that enables her ideas to live on in all of us. Murray Macaulay, the head of prints & multiples for Europe at Christies, hailed The Big Picture project as the late, great designers clarion cry for urgent action. Juxtaposing slogans with a cut and paste aesthetic, and characteristic wit, Viviennes Playing Cards have been beautifully translated into print from the original digital files by Red Breast Editions, he added. In the tradition of the polemic of print, it is a powerful provocation to collectively step-up to the challenges we face. I thought I was far too sociable to be on the spectrum: Comedian Pierre Novellie on his adult autism diagnosis Ian Snowden, head of the Ukrainian Refugee Support Team in Northern Ireland, at the Ukraine Centre in Belfast where refugees can receive advice and support on services available (Rebecca Black/PA) More than 3,000 Ukrainians have been welcomed to Northern Ireland since Russias war on their homeland started, First Minister Michelle ONeill has said. The Executive Office has been running a sponsorship scheme in Northern Ireland where Ukrainians are hosted by local families following the start of the war in 2022. Speaking during Assembly questions for her department on Monday, Ms ONeill said the region is continuing to play its part in supporting Ukrainians fleeing war. First Minister Michelle ONeill welcomed a recent announcement by the Home Office of an extension to visas offered (Oliver McVeigh/PA) We have had over 3,100 arrivals here so far, and more than 620,000 is being paid in immediate cash support just to help people get established, she told MLAs. We have co-ordinated work across departments to support arrivals and facilitate payments of over 3 million to more than 900 individual homes those people that have actually opened their doors to help and be Ukrainians sponsors. Ms ONeill also welcomed a recent announcement by the Home Office of an extension to visas offered. Were also very mindful that some of our first arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme will be entering the final years of current visa and that was a worrying moment for people, she said. So therefore we welcome announcement made by Home Office back on the 19th of February that has confirmed the opportunity to apply for an extended Homes for Ukraine visa for a further 18 months for those that wish to remain. Were going to continue to engage with the Home Office in London and the Department of Levelling Up on more work to support Ukrainian arrivals. A Co Tyrone woman has died following a road crash at the weekend. Police have named the victim as Oonagh Burns, 35, from the Strabane area, who was driving a car which crashed close to Bready on Sunday. Inspector Cherith Adair issued an appeal for witnesses. She said: 35-year-old Oonagh Burns, from the Strabane area, was driving a white Seat Leon on the Victoria Road when it left the carriageway close to the junction with the Grangefoyle Road, at around 1.40pm on Sunday afternoon. Sadly, Oonagh was pronounced dead at the scene. Victoria Road was closed for a number of hours following the collision but has now reopened. Our investigation is under way and I would ask anyone who was travelling in the area at the time of the collision to review any dashcam footage they may have captured and to make contact with the PSNI Collision Investigation Unit at Sprucefield by calling 101, quoting reference number 813 07/04/24. You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. Gavin Robinson has said there has been no contact with Sir Jeffrey Donaldson on a party basis after the former leader was charged with historical sexual offences but said he cant comment on whether party members had personally reached out to him. Speaking to the BBC's Talkback programme, Mr Robinson said he doesnt know whether Sir Jeffrey will remain as MP for his constituency of Lagan Valley but said there are no ongoing conversations about a future role for him within the DUP after Sir Jeffrey was suspended from the party. "He is suspended from our party. He cannot be a candidate for the DUP. Our focus will be that Lagan Valley gets the representation it needs and has a DUP candidate. We are actively working to make sure Lagan Valley has a great choice." It was revealed on Good Friday that former party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was facing a charge of rape and ten other historical sexual offences of gross indecency and indecent assault. Sir Jeffrey resigned as party leader after the charges were levelled against him. He has said he will strenuously contest the allegations. It was put to Mr Robinson that Sir Jeffrey is not able to serve his constituents at present in the same capacity, and is "not there at Westminster to do the job of an MP". Mr Robinson responded: "That is undoubtedly the case but that is not a matter for us, that is a matter for him. He was elected to serve and whether he continues to do that or not is definitely a matter for him. Mr Robinson said the party was "in the dark" when the charges were revealed. Mr Robinson, an East Belfast MP, said on Monday that on the day he learned the news - Thursday - he was in party headquarters and "looking forward to Easter". "I was looking forward to it, looking forward to spending time with [wife] Lindsay and my son. I went home and a few hours later, I realised my plans were going to change," he said. "I had very little sleep on Thursday night. All of us were in the dark." Asked about Jeffrey Donaldsons resignation, it is business as usual as far as the Executive is concerned says Michelle ONeill Mr Robinson said he "grasped the nettle" in his role as interim DUP leader and put his own feelings aside to act for the party. Senior party members met and Mr Robinson said they realised this issue was "quite different" to other issues faced in the past. "I am a human being. These things, when they crop up, it's not about how they make you feel, it's about how you deal with them. "It's about how you grasp the nettle that was before us and that's exactly what we did." He said: "We recognise that our shock would be replicated across communities. Gavin Robinson the person, that's quite irrelevant in this situation. We put ourselves forward to give vision, to give hope, to give leadership. You have to put aside some of those thoughts and say there might be some weight on my shoulders now but I have broad shoulders." Mr Robinson had been deputy leader of the party since last June, until he was installed as interim DUP leader. The DUP had a leadership election "four or five weeks ago" in which Mr Robinson was re-elected unopposed as deputy leader, he said. On a future leadership election, he said: "The plan will come. It's an internal discussion we will have." Scene in Ballybeen as a tree fell on a car in Islay Gardens Northern Ireland is set to see the return of rain with more coastal gales expected later this week, forecasters have warned. The unsettled weather and thickening cloud could obscure Monday nights partial eclipse of the sun. It comes in the aftermath of Storm Kathleen which cause widespread disruption on Saturday. Some of the strongest winds recorded reached nearly 70mph in the most exposed parts of the region. In Londonderry, the Foyle Bridge was also closed to all vehicles due to increasing wind speeds. Sea and air travel was also affected, with Stena Line cancelling four sailings between Belfast and Cairnryan and all Aer Lingus flights to and from George Best Belfast City Airport and Great Britain were also cancelled. NIE Networks said that approximately 2,400 customers had their supply affected on Saturday, with areas along east and north coasts, including Bangor, Downpatrick, Belfast, Ballymena and Coleraine, being the worst affected. Part of Hanover Place in Coleraine was closed yesterday due to flooding. A spokesperson for NIE confirmed that all faults caused by Storm Kathleen had since been addressed. In a statement they said: Our teams worked through the night to repair damage caused to the network by Storm Kathleen. "NIE Networks can now confirm power has been restored to all customers. The effects of the storm were still being felt on Sunday, with the PSNI warning that flooding and fallen trees continued to cause travel disruption. There were multiple reports of fallen trees across Northern Ireland on Saturday and one driver in Ballybeen in Dundonald had a lucky escape after their car was hit by a fallen tree. A lucky escape in Ballybeen in Dundonald on Saturday. No one was injured when a tree fell on Carol Amos sons car during Storm Kathleen. #StormKathleen pic.twitter.com/xA1TYuDKZq Barra Best (@barrabest) April 7, 2024 While no one was injured during the incident the car suffered substantial damage. The roof of Titanic Belfast was also damaged by strong winds, forcing it to close on Saturday afternoon for the second time this year. The area surrounding the Titanic Belfast has since been cordoned off and in a statement it was confirmed that it will remain closed until Tuesday, April 9. Due to further damage to the roof caused yesterday by Storm Kathleen, @TitanicBelfast has taken the precautionary measure to close its building to the public until Tuesday 9th April. Please see https://t.co/1V2iwGWdQS for further information. pic.twitter.com/gjXEEyY1Z5 Titanic Belfast (@TitanicBelfast) April 7, 2024 In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Titanic Belfast said: Due to further damage to its roof caused by the high winds of Storm Kathleen, Titanic Belfast has taken the precautionary measure to close its building to the public until Tuesday 9th April. Due to the ongoing inclement weather, access to the roof to assess the damage is limited for remedial works to take place. It said that the safety of the public and staff are a priority and asked customers not to visit the site as as the building and surrounding plaza remain closed. It added that pre-booked customers would be notified and would receive a refund. In January, Titanic Belfast was closed for nearly a week after damage was caused to the roof during Storm Isha. The Met Office has warned that while Northern Ireland is leaving behind strong winds, it is facing another week of unsettled weather. It means Mondays solar eclipse could be spoiled by cloud. Around 20-30% of the sun will be covered as the moon passes before it at around 8pm. A Met Office spokesperson said: Northern Ireland will see a calm and bright start to the day on Monday, before further rain moves in quickly from the south to give a very wet afternoon across Northern Ireland. Scene in Ballybeen as a tree fell on a car in Islay Gardens "Winds a lot lighter than what was seen over the weekend and temperatures will be a little cooler than of late with highs of only 10C. The Met Office warned that rain is set to continue into the week. "Rain affecting the east coast overnight into Tuesday will see some showers through the morning but a ridge of high pressure building in from the west into the afternoon, added the Met Office. Wednesday will see the return of unsettled weather with showers and longer spells of rain. There will be some brief calmer periods, but NI will also see some more windy periods, with further coastal gales expected at times, the Met Office added. But there is some good news with temperatures expected to climb slightly to above average with highs of around 15C towards the end of the week. Two windows have been smashed at a house in Lisnaskea after an attempted arson attack by men in balaclavas. It happened shortly after 1am in Trasna Way, when three men arrived in a dark-coloured vehicle. They threw a petrol bomb at the house. Inspector Taylor said: "Thankfully, this failed to ignite, however, two windows were smashed at the front of the property, which was unoccupied at the time. We are appealing to anyone with information regarding this incident to contact police by calling 101, quoting reference 127 07/04/24." You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/. Many train users in Northern Ireland may be unaware they can claim compensation if their service is delayed, new figures suggest. Translink runs a Delay Repay scheme that offers vouchers to passengers for future ticket purchases if their train runs late, subject to certain conditions. Despite 12.9m rail passenger journeys recorded in the last financial year, only 613 successful applications were made to the compensation scheme, worth 9,422. Translink said its NI Railways and cross-border Enterprise services continue to meet its punctuality targets. These stipulate that 95% of services on its Bangor/Larne/Portadown should arrive no later than five minutes after scheduled, while 90% of services on its Derry/Londonderry/Portrush lines should arrive by no later than five minutes. Regarding its cross-border Enterprise service, targets state 90% should arrive no later than 10 minutes after scheduled. Passengers who apply are entitled to receive compensation if their train is late subject to several conditions. If a journey is delayed by between 30 and 59 minutes, Translink will pay compensation to the value of 50% of the cost of a single ticket, or 50% of either portion of a return ticket (either the outward or return leg). Where journeys are late by between 60 and 199 minutes, 100% of the value of a single ticket, or 100% of either portion of the return ticket, will be paid out. For trips delayed by more than 119 minutes, Translink will pay out the full value of a return journey ticket. Holders of single tickets will also be compensated with the value of a return ticket. The same terms apply to weekly, monthly and annual tickets. For these tickets, compensation is calculated based on the proportional daily cost of the price paid for the ticket. Peter McReynolds According to figures obtained by the Belfast Telegraph via a Freedom of Information request, from February 2021 to February this year, compensation in the form of vouchers worth 5,261 relating to 611 successful applications has been paid for delayed local train services. Over the same period, 12,465 has been paid out for late cross-border services, relating to 688 applications. In 2022/23 Translink recorded 12.9m rail passenger journeys, down from 15.1m in 2019/20. Alliance MLA Peter McReynolds said there is no doubt Translink needs to advertise the compensation scheme wider and more regularly, via print and social media. "It says a lot that as a regular user of trains, I was personally unaware of it and it is clear from the statistics, the wider public are as well, he added. "I have spoken directly to Translink to ask how they have advertised it to date and what they are planning on doing to raise further awareness. If people are aware they can avail of it, it will undoubtedly increase passenger numbers on public transport and improve transportation options across Northern Ireland." A Translink spokesperson said: The vast majority of our trains (92%) operate on schedule, or within five minutes of schedule. We have a Delay-Repay scheme in place for passengers whose trains have been delayed by more than 30 minutes. Passengers are informed how to avail of the scheme by staff on board the delayed service, at stations, through our social media channels and on our website. Oonagh Burns has been named as A5 roads 50th victim since an upgrade was passed at Stormont A 35-year-old woman who died after a crash near Bready in Co Tyrone on Sunday is the 50th victim of the A5 road since an upgrade was passed by the Stormont Assembly, campaigners have said. Oonagh Burns from Strabane died after the single-vehicle crash. Police said she was driving a white Seat Leon on Victoria Road when it left the carriageway, close to the junction with the Grangefoyle Road, shortly before 2pm. In a post in the A5 Group social media page, the campaigners wrote: Sincere sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of Oonagh Burns, the latest victim of the A5 at Victoria Road. May she rest in peace. "Oonagh's passing marks 50 deaths now on the A5 since the road was passed by the Assembly. #EnoughlsEnough #StoptheCarnageNow. The A5 Group was formed in 2007 and campaigns for improvements to be made the road to prevent further fatalities. Tributes have been flowing in for Ms Burns, described as such a beautiful girl, inside and out. One added that she was a very genuine, gentle girl who always had a smile on her face while another said she was such a lovely, funny girl. Her chilled out attitude and dry wit were also highlighted as thoughts were passed on to Seamus, Kathleen and the entire Burns family. In a statement, PSNI Inspector Cherith Adair said: Sadly, Oonagh was pronounced dead at the scene. Victoria Road was closed for a number of hours following the collision but has now re-opened. Locator: Grangefoyle Road "Our investigation is underway and I would ask anyone who was travelling in the area at the time of the collision to review any dash-cam footage they may have captured and to make contact with the PSNI Collision Investigation Unit at Sprucefield by calling 101, quoting reference number 813 07/04/24. "You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/." SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said his thoughts and prayers were going out to Ms Burns family and the wider Strabane community. The A5 is the main link between Co Londonderry and Co Tyrone. Its infrastructure has long been criticised since it opened in 2006, with work on a long-proposed upgrade still yet to begin despite being spoken about shortly after it opened. In February the Irish government said it would contribute 600m for the upgrade of the A5, as part of investment for cross-border projects. Ms Burns death comes almost exactly one month after 30-year old Caolan Devlin was killed on the road. The older brother of current Tyrone GAA player Niall Devlin died after his his BMW 320 collided with a blue Scania lorry. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 engine cover fell off on Sunday during takeoff in Denver, striking the wing flap, which prompted the FAA to investigate the incident. The airline said that maintenance teams are inspecting the aircraft. FAA Launches Investigation On Sunday at approximately 8:15 am local time, Southwest Airlines Flight 3695 safely returned to Denver International Airport and was towed to the gate. The Boeing plane was headed to Houston, carrying 135 passengers and six crew members. No one was injured. The aircraft was put into service in June 2015 based on FAA data. Boeing forwarded concerns to the airline about the inquiries concerning Southwest Airlines' aircraft and fleet operations. However, the airline refused to disclose the date of the most recent engine repair on the aircraft. Footage uploaded on X, formerly Twitter, showed the ripped engine cover flapping in the wind with a torn Southwest logo. Boeing has been under heavy fire since a door plug panel on a brand-new Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet tore off at 16,000 feet (4,800 meters) on January 5. Following that incident, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered Boeing to produce a comprehensive plan to solve systemic quality-control issues within 90 days, prohibited the company from expanding the Max manufacturing pace, and grounded the Max 9 for a few weeks. Boeing's monthly output has dipped below the FAA-permitted maximum of 38 Max aircraft, and the US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the incident. The FAA is looking into several other recent Southwest Boeing engine issues. At a Texas airport on Thursday, a 737 flight reported engine issues, forcing the crew to abort takeoff and taxi back to the gate. The FAA is also looking into a Southwest 737 that returned to the Austin airport in Texas on March 25 after the crew reported a possible engine problem. On March 22, a Southwest 737-800 aircraft reported an engine problem and was forced to return to the Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida. The FAA is also reviewing it. Boeing Acknowledges Mistake After Alaska Airlines Incident Dave Calhoun, president and CEO of giant Boeing aircraft manufacturing company, admitted to the staff that the company acknowledges their mistake following the 737 Max 9 door plug blowout last week on an Alaska Airlines flight, minutes after the aircraft took off from Portland, Oregon. At the meeting, Calhoun said they would approach this number one, acknowledging their mistake. He noted that they will approach it with 100% and complete transparency every step of the way and will work with the NTSB, which is investigating the accident itself, to determine the cause. On Friday night, no one was seriously injured in the incident aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. The aircraft headed for Ontario, California, with 174 passengers and six crew members, had to make an emergency landing in Portland. Four police officers have been assaulted and two police cars damaged after police attended a large gathering of young people in west Belfast on Saturday. Two children, a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old, were arrested after police confiscated a significant amount of alcohol, while also dealing with issues of anti-social behaviour, assaults and criminal damage, which included fires and a quad bike also being seized. The incident occurred around 6.50pm after police received a report that the community was concerned by the large amount of young people gathered in the Falls Park area, and that alcohol was being consumed by children. As officers dealt with these concerns, they were assaulted by some of the young people and two police vehicles received damage to their back windscreens. A police spokesperson confirmed the officers were not seriously injured during the ordeal, but that in addition to the 12-year old and 14-year old being arrested, several other young people were reported to the Youth Diversion Officer for restorative outcomes. Neighbourhood Inspector Roisin Brown said: While thankfully no officers received any serious injuries and all were able to remain on duty, these assaults to our officers when simply doing their job are not acceptable. Officers are trying their best to keep the local community of west Belfast safe and they do not come to work and expect to be assaulted. Assaults on police must not be tolerated as simply being part of the job. Three young people aged 13, 14 and 15 have been reported to the Youth Diversion Officer for restorative outcomes, whilst two other young people aged 12 and 14 were arrested, one spending the night in custody. A number of young people (were) taken home to their parents and guardians after consuming alcohol." The PSNI added it was aware of the ongoing issues in the Falls Park area and (continues) to listen to the concerns of the local community. Inspector Browns statement continued: This requires a multi-agency approach involving a number of key stakeholders to help deal with this matter and we are committed to finding solutions for the whole community. Anyone who is engaging in this type of reckless activity needs to stop and think of the consequences, not just for them, but also how it affects people living in the area. People have a right to live in peace and to feel safe where they live. Those who choose engage in anti-social behaviour are only hurting their own communities, neighbours and friends. We ask parents and guardians to speak to their young people and to know where they are to prevent them from engaging in behaviour which could result in injury or a criminal record. I want to reassure the community that police will continue to carry out additional patrols across west Belfast, and I ask anyone who witnesses anti-social or criminal behaviour to contact police on 101 so that we can respond. "A report can also be made using the online reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport. Alternatively, information can be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. In his last major engagement as Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar has praised the very good impression which the First and Deputy First Ministers have made since devolution was restored. Appearing alongside the Taoiseach in Armagh at the North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC), Michelle ONeill and Emma Little-Pengelly continued their bonhomie, with the pair insisting that Stormont will not be undermined by Sir Jeffrey Donaldsons resignation as DUP leader in the wake of being charged with serious sexual offences. A shopkeeper who tried to help a young woman who was stabbed to death in the street as she pushed her baby in a pram has described how there was nothing that could be done to save her life. Geo Khan recalled his shock at what he witnessed on Saturday afternoon in Bradford as police continued to search for Habibur Masum, 25, in connection with the fatal stabbing. Mr Khan said he was sitting in his store on Saturday afternoon when he was alerted by screams on the other side of Westgate, in central Bradford. He said he rushed over to the woman, who was with a friend outside a convenience store on Wigan Street, and was joined by a doctor as others called the ambulance. I was sitting in my shop and heard screaming, Mr Khan said on Monday. I came out and I tried to check the pulse. There was no pulse. He said: Blood was all over on the floor and there were stab wounds in her neck. Shopkeeper Geo Khan who went to the aid of the victim (Dave Higgens/PA) Mr Khan said he was joined by the passing doctor who took over trying to help the woman, but agreed there was no pulse. Him and me and another guy tried to rescue her, but she was already gone, Mr Khan said. I dont think she was there any more. He said: Whatever happened, its a very sad thing. Mr Khan said the woman who died came into his shop the day before the incident, and he believes she only came to the area a few weeks ago. The scene in Bradford city centre where a young woman was stabbed to death (Dave Higgens/PA) He said the baby is about four or five months old. Mr Khan said he believes the woman is from Bangladesh. He said: She was a very, very innocent person the smile on her face. Samin Ahmed runs Samins UK Visas Support Centre, and helped Masum apply for a Schengen visa to visit Europe after he approached him in December. Mr Ahmed said Masum was in the UK on a student visa and later a post-graduate visa after he obtained his degree. According to his LinkedIn profile, Masum studied for a masters in marketing and digital marketing at the University of Bedfordshire between 2021 and 2023. Mr Ahmed said: I (was) shocked when I heard this news, he is a familiar person nearby me. I did not know anything. I am really shocked. A photograph of Masums Schengen visa was posted to the Samins UK Visas Support Centre Facebook group in January. He said Masum appeared friendly and said that he is happy when they last spoke one month ago. Masum travelled to Barcelona after he was granted the Schengen visa, he added. West Yorkshire Police has issued an appeal for members of the public to report any sightings of Masum, who is from the Oldham area and is known to the woman. Flowers at the scene (Dave Higgens/PA) The force said officers were called to the scene at 3.21pm on Saturday after reports of a woman being stabbed by a man who then fled, and she later died in hospital. She is yet to be formally identified, but is understood to be 27 years old, the force said. The baby was not harmed. A knife was recovered from the scene of the incident, the force said. Whitehall officials would not comment on the immigration status of Masum during the ongoing manhunt. But Downing Street said Rishi Sunaks thoughts are with the family of the victim following the horrendous incident. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: I cant comment more broadly on an ongoing police investigation, but obviously it is being looked at urgently and we will support the police in their efforts to catch the perpetrator and bring them to justice. A Home Office spokesman said: Saturdays attack on a young woman was appalling, and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones. We urge the public to support West Yorkshire Polices appeal and to come forward if they have any information. While a live investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further. Masum is described as an Asian man, of slim build. Habibur Masum is wanted by West Yorkshire Police. (West Yorkshire Police/PA) He was pictured on CCTV wearing a duffle coat with three large horizontal lines of grey, white and black, light blue or grey tracksuit bottoms with a small black emblem on the left pocket and maroon trainers. A witness also reported seeing him wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up. He is believed to have links to the Burnley and Chester areas. There was no sign of any police activity in the area on Monday morning but one bunch of flowers had been laid close to where the attack happened. Any current sightings of Masum should be reported to West Yorkshire Police via 999. Any other information that could assist the investigation should be reported via Live Chat online or by calling 101, quoting log 1071 of April 6. Lawyers for Donald Trump are bidding to delay his hush-money trial (Manuel Balce Ceneta/PA) Donald Trump asked a New York appeals court on Monday to reverse his gag order and move his hush-money criminal trial out of Manhattan in an 11-hour bid for a delay just a week before it is scheduled to start. A judge in the states mid-level appeals court was to hold an emergency hearing on Monday afternoon after the former presidents lawyers filed paperwork challenging Manhattan Judge Juan M Merchans pre-trial rulings. Trump lawyer Emil Bove argued that the presumptive Republican nominee faces real potential prejudice as a defendant in heavily Democratic Manhattan. Citing defence surveys and a review of media coverage, Mr Bove argued that jury selection, scheduled to start next Monday, cannot proceed in a fair manner. The documents themselves were placed under seal, but a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press they pertained to Mr Trumps gag order recently expanded to prohibit comments about judges family and the Republicans desire to move the trial out of Manhattan. The person was not authorised to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity. Messages seeking comment were left for Mr Trumps lawyers, the Manhattan district attorneys office and a spokesperson for New Yorks state court system. Judge Juan M Merchan in his chambers in New York (Seth Wenig/AP) Mr Trump had pledged to appeal after Judge Merchan ruled last month that the trial would begin on April 15. His lawyers had pleaded to delay the trial at least until summer to give them more time to review late-arriving evidence from a prior federal investigation into the matter. Judge Merchan, who had already moved the trial from its original March 25 start date because of the evidence issue, said no further delays were warranted. Mr Trumps lawyers filed their appeals on Monday on two separate court dockets. One was styled as a lawsuit against Judge Merchan, a legal mechanism allowing them to challenge his rulings. In New York, judges can be sued over some judicial decisions under a state law known as Article 78. Mr Trump has used the tactic before, including against the judge in his civil fraud case in an unsuccessful last-minute bid to delay that case last fall. A clerk at the appeals court the Appellate Division of the states trial court said no documents were publicly available from either appeal docket. Mr Trumps hush-money trial is the first of his four criminal indictments slated to go to trial and would be the first criminal trial ever of a former president. Mr Trump is accused of falsifying his companys records to hide the nature of payments to his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who helped Mr Trump bury negative stories during his 2016 campaign. Cohens activities included paying adult film actor Stormy Daniels 130,000 dollars (102,704) to suppress her claims of an extramarital sexual encounter with Mr Trump years earlier. Mr Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has denied having a sexual encounter with Ms Daniels. His lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses. Mr Trumps move on Monday is the latest escalation in his battles with Judge Merchan. Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump speaks on the phone as he watches play in the final round of LIV Golf Miami, at Trump National Doral Golf Club, on Sunday (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) The presumptive Republican nominee assailed the judge on social media after he imposed a gag order last month barring Mr from making public statements about jurors, witnesses and others connected the case. After Mr Trumps complaints, Judge Merchan expanded the gag order to include members of his own family. Last week, Mr Trump renewed his request for the judge to step aside from the case, citing Judge Merchans daughters work as the head of a firm whose clients have included his rival President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats. The former president alleges the judge is biased against him and has a conflict of interest because of his daughters work. The judge rejected a similar request last August. Mr Trump has also made numerous other attempts to get the trial postponed, echoing a strategy he has deployed in his other criminal cases. We want delays, Mr Trump proclaimed to TV cameras outside a February pre-trial hearing in his hush-money case. Judge Merchan last week rejected his request to delay the trial until the US Supreme Court rules on presidential immunity claims he raised in another of his criminal cases. The New York judge has yet to rule on another defence delay request, which claims that Mr Trump will not get a fair trial because of prejudicial media coverage. Mr Trump has suggested on social media that the trial should be moved to Staten Island, the only New York City borough he won in 2016 and 2020. Mr Trump also filed an eve-of-trial lawsuit against the judge in his New York civil fraud case, accusing the jurist of repeatedly abusing his authority. Among other issues, Mr Trumps lawyers in that case complained that Judge Arthur Engoron had refused their request to delay the trial. Their suit was filed about three weeks before the trial was slated to begin. A state appeals court rejected Mr Trumps claims, and the trial started as scheduled October 2. Judge Engoron, who decided that case without a jury, ruled that Mr Trump, his company and key executives defrauded bankers and insurers by overstating his wealth in documents used to get loans and coverage. Mr Trump denied any wrongdoing and is appealing the finding and more than 454 million dollars (358 million) in penalties and interest. The mother tongue: Co Down family an online hit as they go bilingual with Cantonese alongside English Two languages reflect both parents heritages, with their social media posts proving a big hit Ellen, Daniel, Harvey and Zac Peacock Aine Toner Mon 8 Apr 2024 at 10:00 A Co Down family has amassed tens of thousands of likes on social media with posts documenting their lives in a bilingual household. The gunfight is the latest in recent violence between government troops and insurgents in Indonesias easternmost region. Bayu Suseno, spokesman for the Damai Cartenz Task Force, shows photos of the victims of crossfire during a gunfight between security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army in Intan Jaya, Indonesia, April 8, 2024. A gunfight between separatist Papuan rebels and government security forces killed a 12-year-old boy and injured a 6-year-old girl who were caught in crossfire on Monday, security authorities and a rebel spokesman said. Shooting erupted when rebels attacked a security post in Intan Jaya, a regency of Central Papua province, in an attempt to free Bui Wonda, who had been arrested on suspicion of supplying weapons and ammunition to the group, according to a joint statement from the police and military. One of the victims died of his injuries. The other victim is being treated for a gunshot wound to her left hand, said Bayu Suseno, spokesman for a military task force fighting the regional insurgency. Bayu did not identify the victims. Heavy gunfire resulted in severe damage to the security post. The children were caught in crossfire during the two-hour clash in Sugapa, the main town in Intan Jaya, said Sebby Sambom, spokesman for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) rebels. Sambom blamed Indonesias central government for the escalating conflict in the far-eastern Papua region and called for immediate peace talks facilitated by the United Nations. If Indonesia allows this to continue, then civilians will continue to be victims, he told BenarNews. Papua, a resource-rich region on the western half of New Guinea island, was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a disputed U.N.-sponsored referendum. A separatist insurgency has simmered ever since. Indonesia has labeled the TPNPB a terrorist organization and maintains a significant military presence in the region. Recent violence Last Thursday, Indonesian security forces killed two suspected rebels in a shootout in Mimika regency near the Grasberg Mine, the worlds largest gold and copper mine operated by a local subsidiary of U.S.-based mining giant Freeport McMoRan. The dead insurgents, identified as Abu Bakar Kogoya, 28, and Damianus Magay, 21, served as commanders of local rebel operations, task force chief Faizal Ramadani said. In two separate incidents, rebels fatally stabbed two civilians on March 30 and earlier this month in Yahukimo regency, the task force said. The victims were a 23-year-old water delivery driver and a 55-year-old civil servant, it said. We are deeply saddened by the loss of life of innocent civilians in these senseless attacks, Faizal said. We will continue to provide support to the victims and their families, and we will do everything in our power to bring the perpetrators to justice. The leaders of the Papua office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) and the Papua Justice and Integrity Humanitarian Foundation spoke out against the gunfight. Civil armed groups should consider the safety of civilians and not hastily open fire indiscriminately in residential areas even if precautions have been considered, Komnas HAMs Frits Ramandey told BenarNews. Theo Hesegem, the foundations executive director, called on the government and the rebels to be honest if evidence emerged about who shot the children. Blaming each other will not end the violence in Papua, he said. Both sides should refrain from engaging in battles amid cities crowded with people, especially now that students have become victims. They should avoid civilian populations to prevent them from becoming victims, he said. Human rights groups have accused the Indonesian military of abuses in Papua, including extrajudicial killings and suppression of dissent. Jakarta has denied these accusations. Last month, the Indonesian military apologized to Papuans after a video circulated online showing an indigenous Papuan man allegedly being tortured by soldiers. The incident prompted widespread outrage and calls for accountability. The video showed troops allegedly beating and slashing the Papuan in Central Papua in February. Military officials said they had detained 13 soldiers as suspects in the abuse. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel speaks during an interview with Reuters at the ambassadors residence in Tokyo, Oct. 30, 2023. The addition of Japan to an effort by the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to create a single defense industrial base across their countries will help alleviate military production backlogs, the U.S. ambassador to Japan said in Washington on Monday. Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago who has served as Americas top envoy in Tokyo since March 2022, said Japans recent overturning of laws banning the export of lethal weapons put the country in a unique spot to help the U.S. defense industry. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies ahead of a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as well as a trilateral summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Emanuel said U.S. global military obligations were outstripping its industrial capacity. This is not breaking news, he said. Our military-industrial capabilities are not equal to the challenges and commitments we have. The ambassador said the recent overturning of the weapons-export ban in Tokyo opens up the industrial capacity of Japan to be part of a solution in a way that was not possible with allies in Europe or any other country that have less developed industrial capacities. A Philippine Navy AW159 Wildcat helicopter pilot walks toward a helicopter during the first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity involving the Philippines, the United States, Australia and Japan, in South China Sea, April 7, 2024. [Handout/Armed Forces of the Philippines/AFP] As part of their AUKUS security pact, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia are working toward the creation of a seamless defense industrial base across their three countries, as the United States struggles to chip away at production backlogs. Emanuel said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last week Japan would this week be revealed as the first external partner to that effort. A joint statement from the defense ministers of the United States, United Kingdom and Australia released on Monday also indicated that Japan was on the verge of joining AUKUS in some capacity. Recognizing Japans strengths and its close bilateral defense partnerships with all three countries, we are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects, it said, referring to the official name for the single industrial base. Diplomatic triangulation The efforts come as tensions boil over in the South China Sea, with China Coast Guard ships using water cannons against Philippine boats trying to supply a naval station at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, which Beijing claims as its sovereign territory. Ships and aircraft from the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia over the weekend carried out military exercises in the South China Sea ahead of this weeks high-profile meetings in Washington. USS Mobile, JS Akebono, HMAS Warramunga, BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Valentine Diaz sail in formation during a multilateral maritime cooperative activity involving Australia, the United States, Japan and the Philippines off the coast within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, April 7, 2024. [POIS Leo Baumgartner/Royal Australian Navy] Kishida is to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday, with Kishida, Marcos and Biden then set to meet on Thursday in what has been billed as the three countries first-ever trilateral meeting. American officials said that Biden would likely express concerns about the situation around the Second Thomas Shoal during the meetings, and remind Beijing that the Philippines is a key American ally, according to a report by the Financial Times that quoted a senior U.S. official. China is underestimating the potential for escalation. Weve tried to make that clear in a series of conversations, the official said. Our mutual defense treaty covers Philippine sailors and ships. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing was gravely concerned by the growing cooperation of U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, which she said was stoking bloc confrontation. The U.S., the U.K. and Australia have kept sending signals of AUKUS expansion, co-opting some countries to come on board and escalating an arms race in the Asia-Pacific to the detriment of peace and stability in the region, Mao told reporters on Monday. Myanmar junta forces, pushed out by rebel groups at the border township of Myawaddy, have asked to be evacuated with their family members through a Thai border town, Thailands foreign ministry said on Monday. About 617 personnel have requested evacuation, including 410 soldiers and 207 family members, according to Thai media. After receiving the said request, and upon considering the urgency of the situation and the possibility of an evacuation of Myanmar personnel and their families to safe areas, a decision was made at the government level to approve the request from Myanmar on humanitarian grounds, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Allied rebel armed groups in Kayin state bordering Thailands Tak province, have suspended some of the juntas local government offices in the major trade hub township of Myawaddy since Saturday, according to a local businessman. At Friendship Bridge No. 1 also, immigration is issuing papers for people to cross [over the border], working as usual, he said while requesting anonymity over security concerns. The usual police, Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs and Bureau of Special Investigation were not seen at Friendship Bridge No. 1. The bridge connects the Thai city of Mae Sot with Myanmars Myawaddy and has been run by Myanmars junta since it reopened in 2023 after a three-year hiatus. The Karen Nation Union, working with guerilla armies known as the Peoples Defense Force and the Border Guard Forces on Saturdays maneuver, has not issued any updates about their hold on Myawaddy since the Thai ministrys announcement. The group announced on Saturday it captured Thin Gan Nyi Naung village in Myawaddy district, 12 km (seven miles) from the border. In 2023, it seized a mountain overlooking Myawaddy and took control of the citys Asian Highway in December. While these liminal successes at the border could mark significant economic and security changes, there are other strategic trade routes and military positions the junta has a tight grasp on, said Dulyapak Preecharush, an associate professor of Southeast Asian studies at Thailands Thammasat University. Now, the opposition groups have more power than the [State Authority Council] in this area and will become the powerful stakeholder there, he said. However, despite the Tatmadaws [the military of Myanmars] failure in defending the city [Myawaddy], other military camps in Kayin state and its headquarter of Southeastern Regional Command in Mawlamyine have not been captured. Non-political aid One flight arrived from Myanmar at Mae Sots airport on Sunday, according to the Thai foreign ministry statement. It did not elaborate if all officials boarded the flight or were evacuated, but said the junta has since requested that flights planned for Monday and Tuesday be canceled. A meeting is to be held at the Government House on Tuesday to assess the situation and determine a course of action for Thailand, the statement said. Thailands Ratchamanu task force, based in the border province of Tak, has stressed the countrys neutral stance among all warring factions in Myanmar. In line with humanitarian principle, Thailand would not take side with Myanmar troops nor ethnic forces, but we give assistance where applicable, Task Force Commander Col. Nattakorn Reuntib told Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews. Soldiers, regardless of their political association, would be disarmed, given basic assistance and repatriated, he said. Thailands foreign ministry did not not immediately respond to RFA requests for comment. This development the ethnic armies having more control over the border could prompt Thailands officials to re-examine their operations in Mae Sot, political analyst Panitan Wattanayagorn said. Who controls the bridge must control immigration, he said, adding that new groups may be more flexible on the border. The Thai officers must renegotiate with the new groups to make sure there is no real surge or increase in terms of crossing borders illegally. A man checks plates of chicken curry prepared for Iftar, the meal with which Muslims break their daily fast during Ramadan, at the Haroon Mosque in Bangkok, March 30, 2024. [Wissarut Verasopon Thai News Pix/BenarNews] Muslim boys prepare for prayers before the Iftar meal at the mosque in Bangkok, March 30, 2024. [Wissarut Verasopon Thai News Pix/BenarNews] Muslim faithful break their Ramadan fast at the Haroon Mosque in the Charoen Krung area of Bangkok, March 12, 2024. [Wissarut Verasopon Thai News Pix/BenarNews] Men and women prepare meals to break the Ramadan daily fast at the Haroon Mosque in Bangkok, March 30, 2024. [Wissarut Verasopon Thai News Pix/BenarNews] Muslims make up a small minority a little more than 5% of Thailands 71.8 million people but the faithful who fill the Haroon Mosque in Bangkok during Ramadan and other Islamic mosques are mostly immigrants. Every night throughout Ramadan, theyve been coming to this mosque in the Charoen Krung-Bang Rak area to pray and to break their daily fasts together over steaming plates of curry dishes and other delights. This area in the heart of the Thai capital is home to many Muslims who settled in Thailand after moving from countries such as Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar. My father and mother came to Thailand in 1970, starting a business that has been passed down to my generation, jewelry store owner Hasim Raja Ameen told BenarNews. I dont feel different. I practice my religion and fast during Ramadan every year, just like Thai Muslims and Muslims around the world, said Hasim, who is of Tamil Indian descent. Built of wood, the mosque was called the Wat Muang Khae Mosque during the reign of King Rama V until 1868, when a more permanent cement structure was constructed. It was registered under the name Haroon in honor of the imam who oversaw the refurbishing construction. Ramadan marks the ninth month in the Islamic year and commemorates the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. Beginning this year on March 12, the Muslim faithful in Thailand have spent their days refraining from food and drink, and will hold a day-long celebration, Eid al-Fitr, later this week to mark the end of Ramadan. Local authorities said the converted fishing boat, carrying about 130 passengers, ran into trouble, and over 90 of those passengers died as it tried to reach an island off Nampula province in northern Mozambique. According to Nampula province officials, five of the 130 have been rescued. Mozambique Ferry Disaster Kills 90 People Jaime Neto, the secretary of state of Nampula, said that the boat sank because it was overcrowded and not designed to carry passengers, and 91 people lost their lives. He added that many children were among the victims. Rescuers have located five survivors and searched for more. However, the rough seas made the operation challenging. Neto said that the majority of travelers were attempting to flee the mainland due to fear sparked by false information on cholera. According to government data, the nation in southern Africa, which is among the poorest in the world, has seen nearly 15,000 cases of waterborne illness and 32 deaths since October. Nampula, which accounts for one-third of all cases, is the region most severely affected. The province has also seen a large influx of migrants in recent months as they have fled a series of Islamist strikes in its northern neighbor of Cabo Delgado. Neto claimed that an investigative team was trying to find what had caused the boat accident. The official said two of the five survivors were receiving treatment in hospital. Furthermore, the boat was headed to the Island of Mozambique, a small coral islet formerly the capital of Portuguese East Africa, giving the country its name. A trading post on the route to India initially used by Arab traders, it was claimed by renowned explorer Vasco da Gama for Portugal. In March, at least one person died when an illegal fishing craft capsized near a southern beach. However, since 2017, an insurgency headed by fighters associated with the Islamic State group has impeded advancements. Since the conflict started, more than 5,000 people have died, and almost a million have been forced to evacuate their homes. UNESCO Lists Mozambique as a World Heritage Site UNESCO, the UN body for cultural preservation, has designated the island, home to a fortified city connected to the mainland by a bridge constructed in the 1960s, as a World Heritage Site. Mozambique, which borders South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania, was a Portuguese colony until its independence in 1975. It boasts a lengthy coastline along the Indian Ocean, with over 30 million people living there, and deadly cyclones frequently strike. Furthermore, the nation, where nearly two-thirds of people live in poverty, greatly expects the massive natural gas deposits found in Cabo Delgado in 2010. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Rain likely. Low 43F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 43F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. STOCKBRIDGE For Kristen Stone, a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy served as a reminder: God's mercy is great, and his grace is all you need. Stone was visiting the shrine from Houston, Texas, with her mother and her 2-year-old daughter Amelia. The stars aligned for the visit in part because her brother works in Boston as a traveling nurse; he had already visited the shrine on less busy days, and joined them for the pilgrimage on Sunday. Stones mother, 72-year-old Esperanza Gomez, hardly ever asks for anything, she said. Thats why she knew she had to make this happen for her. You just have to make the memories with your family, especially your mom, Stone said. Shes always pointing us toward righteousness and goodness. After a four-hour flight, a few rainy days in Boston and a trip down I-90, the family joined thousands of global visitors worshiping at the shrine in Stockbridge. An expected crowd of 15,000 flocked to the shrine on Eden Hill in Stockbridge for Divine Mercy Sunday, a special feast day celebrated by Catholics on the Sunday after Easter. The feast day celebrates the teachings of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, whom Catholics believe had a series of 14 revelations from Jesus Christ about divine mercy and forgiveness. The annual event draws pilgrims from all over the world for a weekend full of spiritual programming, including a conference entitled Godly Fathers Strengthen Families and guest speakers such as Jim Wahlberg, the executive director of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation. Large tents were filled with people seeking confession, a sacrament that is closely associated with the holiday. Mass was celebrated as a main event on Divine Mercy Sunday. For Sal Zumpano, of Utica, N.Y., it was the first time that he visited the shrine for Divine Mercy Sunday in about 15 years. Zumpano began visiting the shrine about 25 years ago, and usually watches the service on EWTN each year. This year, though, Zumpano said that he felt an internal sense of urgency to make the pilgrimage given the state of current events. Zumpano was reflecting on the revelations to St. Faustina and the divine promise from the Lord himself that she was given; he said that the event was a call for humanity to genuinely repent and embrace God. I look at it as a call to realign and reengage in the call to be whatever our purpose is, Zumpano said. Nithin Das of Grafton had a similar takeaway. For Das, the experience was familiar but new at the same time: it was his first time visiting the shrine alone for the feast day. His parents, who normally accompany him, are taking care of his grandmother, he said, and couldnt make the trip. Hes carrying on the family tradition of visiting the shrine on Divine Mercy Sunday; hes visited at least five times before, he said, but understands the feast day more now than he did as a child. Das said that he felt a sense of freedom and liberation from the revelations to St. Faustina, and her glimpse of "the life to come." Because of the teachings, he feels like hes able to discover his identity, he said. Im able to become the man God created me to be, Das said. For Stone, the day was a beautiful reminder to be immersed in Gods grace and forgiveness, and to remember that theres always hope and beauty in everything for those who seek it. Theres salvation to it, Stone said. Theres hope. And its that hope that I think people should grab on to. The UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), condemned a Ukrainian drone strike at one of six reactors at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, saying that such attacks "significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident." In a statement on X, IAEA Chief Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed that at least three direct hits occurred on the plant's main reactor containment structures. Today, for the first time since Nov 2022 & after I set out 5 basic principles to avoid a serious nuclear accident w/ radiological consequences,@IAEAorgs #ISAMZ confirmed that at least 3 direct hits against ZNPP main reactor containment structures took place. This cannot happen. Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) April 7, 2024 "This cannot happen," he said. "As I said before the UN Security Council and the IAEA Board of Governors, no one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities." Grossi said that the attack was the first since November 2022, a time when he set out five basic principles to avoid a serious nuclear accident with radiological consequences. The Associated Press cited plant officials who said the attack happened on Sunday, Apr. 7, when Ukrainian military drones struck the plant, including the dome of its sixth power unit. Plant authorities added that there was no critical damage or casualties, and radiation levels at the plant remained normal after the strike. However, Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom said late Sunday that three people were wounded in the "unprecedented series of drone attacks," specifically when a drone hit an area close to the site's canteen. The IAEA added that its experts had been informed of the drone strike and that "such detonation is consistent with IAEA observations." Read Also : NATO Urges Long-Term Military Support to Ukraine as Russian Invasion Grinds On "Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with the potential to undermine integrity of the reactor's containment system," it added. The plant was caught in the crossfire when Russian troops invaded Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after that. The IAEA repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. Both Ukraine and Russia have regularly accused the other of attacking the plantand the Kakhovka Dam that supplied it with vital water from the Dnipro to cool its reactors. The plant has been shut down for months but still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features. "I firmly appeal to military decision makers to abstain from any action violating the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities," Grossi concluded his statement. I've seen other publications claim that Jones will be "immortalized" by AI a notion that I soundly reject. While I can understand wanting another performance by Jones, the man is dead. It's time to let his voice rest. Bina Venkataraman is The Washington Posts columnist covering the future. She was previously editorial page editor of The Boston Globe, and since 2011 has taught at MIT. When Martin Luther translated the Bible into the German language in 1534, the great Reformer chose to include the Apocrypha but didnt like it. Before Luther, John Wycliffe didnt believe it, but in 1382 didnt delete it. The Apocrypha was a subject of controversy that challenged not only Luther and Wycliffe but John Calvin, Thomas Cranmer, Ulrich Zwingli and other Reformers. Apocrypha in Greek means the hidden things, as per The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. There are plenty of variations, not only within Protestant, Orthodox, Roman Catholic communities, but also within Bible editions, from William Tyndale (1536-1569) and Miles Coverdale (1488-1569) to the Geneva Bible of 1560, and many before and after. Indeed, the history of whats in and whats out with the Apocrypha is no small history. The tale of what constitutes the deuterocanonical books of the Holy Bible and why is a long, complicated, and often controversial subtext in Biblical history. But, to simplify, we will seek to describe and consider, mainly, those fourteen intertestamental books in the 1611 King James Bible (which followed the Geneva Bible of 1560): the "Books called Apocrypha." As the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church pronounced in characteristic British understatement, Their position [i.e., the Apocrypha] in Christian usage has been somewhat ambiguous. Like Wycliffe in England, Luther also translated the Apocrypha, those deuterocanonical " a second canon" books, composed between 400-200 BC, (written in Greek, not Hebrew), associated with the Hebrew Bible. However, Martin Luther called these books apocryphal, that is, texts of dubious origin, and disqualified by their very nature from being part of the Holy Scriptures. In the letter from one of his old professors, we learn that Martin Luther had actually taught his own professor something of value about the Apocrypha. In Erasmus and Luther: Their Attitude to Toleration, that letter is quoted: "You have been the first to teach me that we must read the canonical books with faith, all others with discernment." This very fact serves as a proper introduction to those books called the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha is not the Word of God, and, thus, not to be read as such, and not to be trusted for faith and life. However it does provide some value to believers. The influence of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms (1643-46) had an undeniably profound impact on English-speaking Christianity and, thus, even among non-Reformed churches, and, therefore, its position (Chapter 1, article 3) on the Apocrypha has become a standard response by Evangelicals the world over. In Apocrypha, Old, and New Testament it explains that The Books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are not part of the canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings. Even so, the Apocrypha is often found attached in its own section in many Bible editions, and they are also used in a non-canonical way in particular evangelical churches (for example, in some communities in the Anglican Community and in Lutheranism). The Roman Catholic Church, by the unrepealed decision of the Council of Trent, holds to a wide canon. Many deliberations took place at the Council of Trent. In many ways, it became clear that the Reformers were not the only ones to question the status of the Apocrypha and, indeed, that the controversy over them went back to the patristic era, with Jerome rejecting them as part of the canon and Augustine defending them, says J.W. OMalley in Trent: What Happened at the Council. Charles Hodge rightly noted, Some modern theologians of the Romish Church refer all the apocryphal books to what they call The Second Canon, and admit that they are not of equal authority with those belonging to the First Canon. The Council of Trent, however, makes no such distinction. The Apocrypha are the non-canonical mystery books of the Old Testament While there were other apocryphal books of the Old Testament and pseudepigraphapseudonymous works ascribed to the sages of the past, such as Enoch, Moses, and Solomon, according to W.D. McHardy in General Introduction to the Apocryphathe mystery books that are usually included in the Apocrypha are as follows: The Historical Books 1 and 2 Maccabees. These historical texts are concerned with the characters and events surrounding the Maccabean revolt and to gain sympathy for the unknown authors Jewish heroes, Mattathias and his third son, Judah Maccabee. Hanukkah, the Festival of Light celebrated in honor of Judah Maccabees victory, was inaugurated in 164 BC. The Apocalyptic Books 1 and 2 Esdras. The first book is historical, retelling the true history of Israel found in the Hebrew Bible. The second book is "apocalyptic," like Daniel and Revelation in terms of unveiling that which was previously hidden and dealing with ultimate realities (e.g., the end of the world). These books were likely written after the birth of Christ. The Didactic Books The Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach (Jerome, who translated the Vulgate, the Latin text of the Holy Bible, called this book, Ecclesiasticus, or Church Book). This text was, unlike others, initially written in Hebrew, and by the authors record, translated into Greek by the grandson between 190 and 180 [BC], according to James Crenshaw in the Anchor Bible Dictionary. The Wisdom of Solomon. Interestingly enough, the unknown Jewish author takes exception with the pessimism that he sees in those who follow Ecclesiastes, the one genuinely written by Solomon.One should note that the Wisdom of Solomon is . . . the most quoted book of the Apocrypha and one which was greatly valued by the early Church, says W.D. McHardy in General Introduction to the Apocrypha. In addition to these books, the Didactic texts include Chapters of Daniel, Chapters of Esther, Baruchall intended as supplemental material to, apparently, structure a particular theological position. Some of the work, as in the prayer of Mordechai in Esther Chapter 13, is of devotional value to the believer. For example, Esther 13:9-18, contains such prayers as this, "Hear my prayer, and be merciful unto thine inheritance; turn our sorrow into joy, that we may live, O Lord, and praise thy name: and destroy not the mouths of them that praise thee, O Lord. Yet, written in the first or second century BC, we are left with the continuing question of why add to the Scriptures. Bruce Metzger was undoubtedly correct when he surmised, "Pseudonymity is a complex phenomenon. Its motivation is equally complex: Metzgermentions fear, shame, financial greed, malice, respect, modesty, dramatic concern, and desire for credence. The Folk Literature Tobit and Judith. While there is undeniable piety in Tobit and Judith, there is the recognizable air of mythology; that is, fiction. Thus, the books are without value for teaching the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and our Lord Jesus Christ. What can we conclude then, about the Apocrypha? The books that comprise Apocrypha are historically valuable (though not without historical errors) for understanding the development of the canon of Scripture, culturally insightful to the intertestamental times in Israel, and even devotionally helpful, in places. The testimony of the sixty-six books of the Bible tells us that the Apocrypha is unreliable for faith and life, and, in some cases, contrary to the Holy Scriptures. For example, the author of the religious fiction, Tobit, denies justification by faith alone in Christ alone. We read in Tobit 12:9, For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting. Thus, we conclude with even those who included the contents in their translations and publicationsfrom Saint Jerome to Luther, the Dutch, English, and American Puritans, and not a few Roman Catholic believersthat the literature called the Apocrypha is not the Word of God. Once when I was studying for the ministry in seminary, I asked my professor of Old Testament, Dr. Laird Harris, "What about the Apocrypha? How can one discern whether it is to be included with other books of the Bible?" I shall never forget the response of my late and godly teacher. Choose any book of the Apocrypha and read it this weekend. Then, when you are finished, pick up the Gospel of John. Talk to me on Monday. Well, I followed the guidance of my professor. When he asked me what I had learned in my reading, I was able to say, Dr. Harris, the Holy Spirit is on His Word in John. But the Book of Tobit reads like a fairy tale. And that practical, yet profoundly Gospel-centered lesson is the final and ultimate reason we must say, The testimony of the Scriptures deny the canonicity of those books called the Apocrypha. Bibliography Brunton, V. Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach. John Lane, 1927. Cheek, John L. "The Apocrypha in Christian Scripture." Journal of the American Academy of Religion XXVI, no. 3 (1958/07/01/ 1958): 207-12. Accessed 2019/07/09/11:50:59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jaarel/XXVI.3.207. Crenshaw, James L. "Proverbs." In Anchor Bible Dictionary, edited by David Noel Freedman, vol Five (O-Sh), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman, 514. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Cross, Frank Leslie, and Elizabeth A Livingstone. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press, USA, 2005. DeSilva, David A. Introducing the Apocrypha: Message, Context, and Significance. Baker Books, 2018. Forshall, Josiah, Frederic Madden, and Johannes Wickliffe. The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal Books in the Earliest English Versions Made from the Latin Vulgate by John Wycliffe and His Followers Edited by Josiah Forshall and Sir Frederic Madden. Vol. 1: University Press, 1850. Kaiser, O. Old Testament Apocrypha, The: An Introduction. Baker Publishing Group, 2004. Lumpkin, J. The Latin Vulgate Translated by Saint Jerome: The Clementine Edition: Vulgata Clementina: Sanctus Hieronymus. Fifth Estate, Incorporated, 2019. Salomon, Bernard. The Holy Bible: The Authorized or King James Version of 1611 Now Reprinted with the Apocrypha. With Reproductions of 105 of the Sixteenth-Century Woodcuts of Bernard Salomon. 3 vols. London: Nonesuch Press, 1963. Stolt, Birgit. "Luthers Translation of the Bible." Lutheran Quarterly 28, no. 4 (2014): 373-74. Photo credit: Unsplash/Annie Spratt What is the rapture? And what does the Bible say about it? Many are familiar with the term. But all too often their understanding of the rapture is based more on popular writings like the Left Behind series than Scripture itself. The intent of this article is to look at what the Bible has to say about the rapture. Where Does the Bible Talk about the Rapture? Rapture is not a word that is found in Scripture. But it is used to describe a very biblical doctrine; the return of Christ and the gathering up of his elect. This doctrine is central to the hope that we have as believers. There are many scenarios of the end times that have been drawn from Jesus Revelation to John. But I do not find that there are any unambiguous references to the rapture contained in Revelation. Much of how one interprets Revelation is based upon their eschatological perspective. So, for that reason, I have chosen not to include anything from Revelation in this discussion. But there are three passages in the New Testament that do provide us with explicit information about this event. Matthew 24:30-31 is a portion of Jesus teaching about his return. In this passage he says that all the peoples of the earth will see him coming in the clouds. And that with a trumpet call, he will send his angels to gather his elect from throughout the earth. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul defends the future resurrection of believers. And in verses 50-55 he describes what that will be like. It will happen in a moment, at the last trumpet. When the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, and the living believers will be changed. The third passage is also from Paul and is in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. In this passage Paul is seeking to encourage the believers in Thessalonica concerning some of their members who had died. He assures them that the Lord will return from heaven, along with a trumpet call. And when that happens, the dead in Christ will be raised, and those still alive will be caught up together with them. These three passages do not share all the same details. But they do have enough in common to point to a common event. They affirm that Christ will return visibly for all to see and the last trumpet points to this event being at the end. It will involve the resurrection of believers who have died and the transformation of those who are still living at his return. When Does the Bible Say the Rapture Will Happen? When will this second coming of Christ and our being gathered to him occur? The best answer we can give with any certainty is that it will be at the end of this age. In Matthew 24:3 Jesus disciples ask about Jesus coming and the end of the age. Jesus response to their question culminates with the passage mentioned above with Jesus return and our being gathered to him. But exactly when the end of the age will be is a big unknown. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus tells his disciples that no one, other than the Father, knows when that end will occur. Not even the angels in heaven, or even the Son. And, in Acts 1:7, in response to his disciples question about the establishment of the kingdom, Jesus says that it is not for them to know the when. The end will come in the Fathers time, and he has not chosen to share that with us. Another passage that deals with the when of the rapture is 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. In this passage, Paul cautions the Thessalonian believers not to become concerned that the Lords return and our being gathered had already occurred. He assured them that it will not come before a great apostasy first takes place and the antichrist is revealed. But, while we may not know when the rapture will occur, it should not take us by surprise. In Matthew 24:42-51 Jesus tells us to keep prepared for his coming. While we do not know the when of the event, we should expect it at any time. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8, Paul expresses that the Lords return will be like a thief in the night. But we are not in darkness, so that day should not be a surprise to us. So always be ready, living in the light, and wearing the hope of salvation as a helmet. What Does the Bible Say Will Happen at the Rapture? When the rapture does occur, what will happen? In Matthew 24, Jesus simply tells us that we will be gathered by his angels. But Pauls writing gives us a little more detail. Both 1 Corinthians 15:52 and Thessalonians 4:16-17 tell us that the rapture is not just of those who are living at the time, but that those believers who have already died will be resurrected and together we will meet our Lord. In 1 Corinthians 15:45-54, Paul gives us some additional information about this rapture. When the Lord returns for us, we will be changed. The bodies we have now are not suitable for an eternal existence in the presence of God. This perishable and mortal body will be changed into one that is imperishable and immortal. Just what it will look like though is unknown. Earlier in this fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul expressed that what is sown often bears little resemblance to what is raised. So it will likely be with our bodies. At the resurrection/rapture our bodies will go through a radical transformation and may or may not resemble what they do now. There are some who would propose that at the resurrection we will be purely spiritual beings, like God. But Scripture tells us that we will have a body a body that will be like Christs. In 1 Corinthians 15:42-49 Paul contrasts the body we have now with the one that we will have. That coming body will be imperishable, immortal, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. Identifying it as a spiritual body lends support to a resurrection that is spiritual in nature. But note that it is a spiritual body, not a spirit. And we will bear the image of the heavenly man, Christ. What our bodies will be like is unknown. But we can be certain that we will have bodies. Is the Rapture Separate from the Second Coming of Christ? No discussion of the rapture would be complete without pointing out that there is a relatively recent school of thought that separates the rapture and the visible return of Christ by a seven-year tribulational period. As an amillennialist, this is not something I agree with. But apart from that, there is agreement among the different eschatological views concerning the rapture; the gathering of believers at the end of the age. So, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:54, Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Because of the hope we have, we should let nothing move us from serving our Lord. Know that our service will not be in vain. Further Reading What Is the Rapture and When Will it Happen? 4 Things Every Christian Should Know about the Rapture What Is the Difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming? Photo credit: Getty Images/YoriHirokawa Ed Jarrett is a long-time follower of Jesus and a member of Sylvan Way Baptist Church. He has been a Bible teacher for over 40 years and regularly blogs at A Clay Jar. You can also follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Ed is married, the father of two, and grandfather of three. He is retired and currently enjoys his gardens and backpacking. This article is part of our larger End Times Resource Library. Learn more about the rapture, the anti-christ, bible prophecy and the tribulation with articles that explain Biblical truths. You do not need to fear or worry about the future! Seven Churches of Revelation Antichrist Seven Trumpets New Heaven and New Earth Who Are the 144,000? Fifty-eight years after making his debut feature, Director Woody Allen is sitting "on the fence" about whether his latest movie, 'Coup de Chance,' his 50th feature, will be his last cinematic outing. In an interview with AirMail posted online on Saturday, the director was asked about his most recent movie, 'Coup de Chance,' his 50th film, and the difficulties getting released in North American theaters. Allen to Retire After 50th Film Allen said it did not matter to him whether he got distributed or not. He claimed he would not follow it anymore once he made it, as distribution was no longer what it was. He said that Annie Hall played in movie houses in New York for over a year, and it would be in one theater for six or seven months, and somebody would pick it up and hang around another few months. He noted that the whole business has changed, and not in an appealing way, as all the romance of filmmaking is gone. According to an exclusive report published in February in The Hollywood Reporter, MPI Media Group is set to distribute the film in the United States on April 5 and digitally/VOD on April 12, following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2023. This happened when American fans circulated "samizdat" links to Coup de Chance. Before the streaming era, Allen expressed in 2022 that much of the thrill is gone for him as a filmmaker, reflecting on his future in the industry. The director of the Rainy Day in New York said, "I don't want to have to go out to raise money. I find that a pain in the neck," in his most recent interview, revealing that he was still "on the fence about it." "But if someone shows up and calls in and says we want to back the film, then I would seriously consider it. I would probably not be willing to say no because I have so many ideas." Read Also : Southwest Plane Makes Emergency Landing After Boeing Engine Cover Flies Off, Prompts FAA Investigation Allen's Sexual Abuse Allegations Allen's reputation in the US has drastically declined in recent years due to the #MeToo movement and newly revealed accusations of sexual abuse from his adopted stepdaughter, Dylan Farrow. After a 1993 investigation, the Connecticut state's attorney decided not to file charges against Allen, who has denied the allegations. However, the director has continued to be a divisive figure and ended up having his $68 million four-film contract with Amazon Studios canceled. He has since struggled to find a home for his most recent titles. Allen was questioned on the concept of being "canceled" in society during his interview with AirMail. "Someone asked me about cancel culture, and I said, 'If you're going to be canceled, this is the culture that you want to be canceled from,'" he added. "Because who wants to be part of this culture?" Company reports record sales globally & profits surpassing 1 billion for the first time Freudenberg India has announced significantly high sales at Rs 3803 crorefor the financial year 2023. The operating result for 2023 has been robust and the group has announced investments close to Rs 350 crore in CY 2024 across facilities in Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In Morinda, Freudenberg has invested in a new production facility for its Vibracoustic Business Group and its Freudenberg-NOK India joint venture. The company exports close to Rs 800 crore from India. Freudenberg Group, a global technology conglomerate, which commemorates its 175th anniversary year in 2024, has reported record growth in revenues and operating profits for the financial year 2023. Freudenberg achieved sales of 11,902.8 million, 1.3 % higher than the previous year's figure of 11,753.1 million. The operating profit of 1,081.6 million showed a significant increase of about 15 percent, compared to the previous year's 941.8 million. The profit margin also improved to 9.1 percent from the previous year's 8.0 percent. Freudenberg Group attributed its growth globally to innovative product lines, customer focus, and flexible problem-solving across various industries. Freudenberg Group has 11 companies operating across diverse segments such as medical products, automotive, chemical, energy, technical textiles, and cleaning products in the country. Earlier in 2023, the group announced the appointment of G. Sivasailam, Managing Director of group company, Freudenberg Performance Materials, as the new Director & CEO of Freudenberg Regional Corporate Center India. Sivasailam took over from Georg Graf who had served in the role since 2016, when the Regional Corporate Center was set up to further the groups continued commitment and growth plans for India. To screen approximately 1 lakh individuals over the next 12 months The Institute of Heart and Lung Diseases (IHLD), in collaboration with the Indian arm of South Korean firm Krafton, has embarked on a noble venture, aligning with the ambitious objectives of the Prime Minister's TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. This collaboration signifies a crucial stride in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), utilising the collective resources of Krafton India and IHLD for implementation. During its initial phase, the initiative is to conduct active case finding programmes in one district of Uttarakhand (UK) and one district of Uttar Pradesh (UP). Dr Rahul Chandola, Founder-Chairman of the Institute of Heart Lung Diseases (IHLD) Research Centre said, Through this partnership, IHLD endeavours to screen approximately 1 lakh individuals over the next 12 months. Moreover, the aim is to increase TB detection by 10-15% in the target districts that are currently not accounted for in the existing system, significantly bolstering efforts towards disease surveillance and management. Innovative approaches are integral to the success of TB Mukt Bharat. Dr Chandola highlighted the utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI)-supported X-ray machines for initial screening, enabling swift and accurate identification of potential TB cases, thereby enabling a huge chunk of the population infected with tuberculosis to be identified. This technological intervention not only streamlines the screening process but also enhances the effectiveness of early detection, a crucial aspect in combating the spread of tuberculosis. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. NSW Police have charged two men in Nigeria after an alleged sextortion scam of over $500 led an Australian schoolboy to take his own life. According to a police probe conducted last year, the child was interacting with an "unknown person online," who threatened to share his private images with his family and friends if he did not pay $500. 2 Nigerian Men Charged With Sextortion Offenses Local NSW Police officers initially examined the matter before it was referred to the Australian Federal Police-led Australian Center to Counter Child Exploitation and the Cybercrime Squad of State Crime Command. Sexual extortion, or sextortion, is a form of cyber blackmail that involves tricking or pressuring someone into submitting graphic photos of oneself. They are then warned that these photographs will be shared if they do not comply with demands. Last month, detectives were informed that "two young males" from Nigeria had been taken into custody and charged with sextortion. According to NSW Police, the two males would be "dealt with locally" in Africa, where authorities can prosecute for Australian-based offenses. Commander of State Crime Command's Cybercrime Squad Detective Superintendent, Matthew Craft, urged youth to report these crimes. He said that the number of sextortion cases has surged by around 400% in the last 18 months. He added that they want young people to continue to report these cases and never to be embarrassed to talk to the police. AFP Commander Helen Schneider said that sextortion is a very real crime that they can take serious action against. She continued that the arrests showed what could be achieved when law enforcement worked together to fight a global problem. Furthermore, Schneider noted the sextortion of children is a borderless crime, as these arrests show. She said the partnerships between law enforcement in Australia and worldwide are vital as they work together to protect children online. Cybercrime Expert Explains Risks of Growing Online Culture Lesley Land is a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales, specializing in fraud and cybercrime. According to her statement to the ABC, extortion efforts such as this have been around for a while and can be carried out by anyone worldwide. This has changed with the rise of technology and an increasingly online lifestyle, making sextortion more common. Dr. Land said that the latest increase may result from people's ignorance that if they expose themselves online, people can easily take a shot at them and blackmail them. Another explanation might be a rise in loneliness paired with longer-term scams. Dr. Land said that the perpetrators are willing to spend lots of time talking to the person and making them believe they are being loved. However, Dr. Land stated that more victims sharing their stories may cause this rise. She continued that even if this is good, more precautions must be taken. "I think it's good in the sense that [victims] have reported it, and it's reflected in the statistics, but we really should educate them not even to depart with [any income], or even not reveal themselves online." Soap star Jake Wood has said he would rather Arsenal win the Premier League than return to EastEnders. The Gunners fan, whose character Max Branning left Albert Square three years ago, said he has no plans to go back to Walford. Advertisement The actor is a about to tread the boards at the National Theatre in the new play London Tide, based on Charles Dickens novel Our Mutual Friend and with songs by PJ Harvey and Ben Power. Having a blast working with these amazing creatives back at @NationalTheatre London Tide based on Charles Dickens OUR MUTUAL FRIEND with music by @PJHarveyUK runs till June 22nd, get your tickets here https://t.co/jdfeJOTKe0 pic.twitter.com/NODOBXerB3 Jake Wood (@mrjakedwood) March 22, 2024 Advertisement Comparing theatre to his run in EastEnders, he told ITVs Good Morning Britain: Theyre both exciting in different ways. Obviously EastEnders is very high turnover, the stories are always quite extravagant. Theyre a bit over the top maybe sometimes, but theyre just different. Advertisement Asked about the prospect of returning to EastEnders or Arsenal winning the Premier League, he replied: Well, if you ask me which I would prefer, Id prefer Arsenal win the league. Jake Wood as Max Branning in EastEnders (Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes/PA) Questioned as to which was more likely, he said: I hope Arsenal. Advertisement Ive got no plans to go back. Theyve kept the door open at Eastenders and its been three-and-a-half years since Ive not been there so its been a while but never say never. Woods character was written out of EastEnders in 2021 after 15 years in the soap. Max first moved to Walford to look for his son in 2006 but ultimately left the Square after realising there was nothing left for him and relocated to Croatia. Olivia Maurel, a 31-year-old Franco-American mother of three living in Cannes, recently met with Pope Francis to share their common advocacy against surrogacy. According to EWTN, Maurel was born via surrogacy in the United States in 1991 and has since suffered abandonment trauma, identity issues, and several suicide attempts. "I was a product of surrogacy, and I've always felt it inside mea baby made to order, a commodity for money," she said. "We're used to having in the news a lot of beautiful stories of children born via surrogacy ... and we are not used to hearing the bad aspects of surrogacy and how it's totally unethical." Maurel is one of the very few people who were involved in surrogacyboth surrogate mothers and children born of surrogacyspeaking out against the practice. Back in January, the pope called for a universal ban on surrogacy and the "commercialization" of pregnancy, which he called "despicable." "I consider despicable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother's material needs," he told members of the Vatican's diplomatic corps in his New Year message. "A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract." Pope Meets Surrogate Baby While identifying as "a feminist and an atheist," Maurel celebrated the pope's condemnation of surrogacy around a month after she sent a letter to Francis about her own story as someone conceived and born via the practice. She explained that she decided at the time to write to the pontiff after hearing Ana Obregon, a 68-year-old Spanish TV actress, speak on the Spanish Catholic bishops' radio network COPE about the actress's experience of traveling to the US to obtain a surrogate baby conceived with her dead son's frozen sperm. "I was a bit shocked that she was able to give a testimony on the Church's radio station and to make it sound like it's a wonderful story," Maurel explained. "I thought that the Church was against surrogacy. So what I did is that I wrote to the pope, explaining my situation ... that I was born via surrogacy, and that I'm an atheist and a feminist. ... [A]nd I asked him kindly if he could take a stance against surrogacy." Maurel was able to meet Francis privately last week as part of her role as spokeswoman for the Casablanca Declaration for the Abolition of Surrogacy, a document signed in 2023 calling for the abolition of surrogacy. She also shared her testimony on Friday (Apr. 5) at a conference at Rome's LUMSA University to mark the first year since the declaration was signed. The conference was held near the Vatican days before the Holy See's doctrine office published "Dignitas Infinita," a document on the "moral questions" regarding human dignity, gender, and surrogacy. "The reality of surrogacy is a woman that is used for her reproductive system. ... When you read a surrogacy contract, it's literally renting a woman," Maurel told the conference. "And then the other reality is that in the midst of the contract, there is an object that is to be sold at the end, and that is the child. So we commodify children. We are selling and buying babies. That is the reality of surrogacy." "Dignitas Infinita" is scheduled for publication on Monday (Apr. 8). Surrogacy and National Security While surrogacy was banned across most countries in the European Union, the practice has been permitted in the majority of US states. Aside from Maurel, other whistleblowers have raised concerns after surrogate mothers have died from complications of a surrogate pregnancy or suffered from trauma from the experience. "It's not medical ethics to ask a woman to take money when we knowingly are asking her to risk her health," Center for Bioethics and Culture president Jennifer Lahl told EWTN. "We've had many surrogate deaths in the United States and several in my state, California." Lahl recently directed the documentary "#BigFertility," which focused on the story of Linda, a surrogate mother in the Golden State who was hired by a couple in China to carry twins. Lahl told a conference in Rome for the universal abolition of surrogacy that, during the woman's pregnancy, "the purchasing parents told Linda that they were now getting a divorce and wanted Linda to terminate the pregnancy" and would pay her an additional $80,000 for it. "Linda was shocked and offered to adopt the twins once they were born," she added. "The purchasing mother, who was quite wealthy, explained that she didn't want her children to be raised in a lower income household." Lahl insisted that a total ban on what she called "renting wombs and buying children" was needed due to the inevitable limits of regulation. "How do you regulate to prevent health risks to mother and child? How do you regulate to prevent trauma to mother and child?" she asked. "How do you regulate to prevent death to mother and child? What law could our lawmakers write and pass that would save lives?" The Heritage Foundation analyst and research associate Emma Waters voiced her concern last year about how untraceable foreign surrogacy arrangements between Chinese and Americans are and how it could become a major national security risk for the US despite the practice being outlawed in China. "We have no idea who these children are," she told Fox News Digital then. "Should they come back and get involved in academic research, purchase contracts, or even apply for jobs in sensitive areas, we don't have clear tracking to show that these US citizens actually had a far more complicated background and path to the United States." Last week, a man in Chicago was arrested after it was discovered he was planning to sexually assault the surrogate baby he had commissioned, which was due to be born in March. According to Kajsa Ekis Ekman, author of the book "Being and Being Bought: Prostitution, Surrogacy and the Split Self," surrogacy was "the only way that a single man can gain sole custody of a newborn child." DUP interim leader Gavin Robinson said his party is focused on finding a candidate to win former leader Jeffrey Donaldsons seat in Lagan Valley at the general election. Mr Donaldson resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after he was charged with several historical sexual offences. Advertisement It is understood that Mr Donaldson is facing one count of rape, one count of gross indecency, and several counts of indecent assault. It is further understood that in a letter to party officers, he made clear he would be strenuously contesting all charges against him. Advertisement However, he remains in post as Lagan Valley MP. DUP interim leader Gavin Robinson. Photo: PA In an interview with BBC Radio Ulster, Mr Robinson insisted all of us were in the dark in terms of the revelations that emerged about Mr Donaldson. Mr Robinson said he does not know if Mr Donaldson will stand down as MP, but said he cannot be a DUP candidate at the next election. Advertisement In an interview with the Talkback programme, Mr Robinson was asked if Mr Donaldson will stand down as MP. He responded: I dont know. I have said very clearly from last Friday that he is suspended from our party. Thats a decisive decision that we took, and that remains the case. So in that scenario he cannot be a candidate for the DUP, and for us as a party our focus will now be on ensuring Lagan Valley gets representation that it needs, that they have the choice of a DUP candidate for whom they will have faith in, that will champion their community, that will invest in them, that will represent their views locally and on a national stage. Thats the immediate challenge we have before us. Advertisement We are now actively working with colleagues to make sure Lagan Valley has a great choice. It was put to Mr Robinson that Mr Donaldson is not able to serve his constituents at present in the same capacity, and is not there at Westminster to do the job of an MP. Mr Robinson responded: That is undoubtedly the case but that is not a matter for us, that is a matter for him. He was elected to serve and whether he continues to do that or not is definitely a matter for him. Lets not assume Lagan Valley is without representation, the deputy First Minister, our Education Minister, swathes of councillors have the privilege of representing Lagan Valley. They are invested in the community of Lagan Valley. Advertisement Asked if Mr Donaldson has any continuing role within the DUP or involved in any conversations at any level within the DUP, Mr Robinson said: We recognise that he has been suspended from the party, he resigned as party leader, he was suspended from the party, he holds no role within the Democratic Unionist Party. Mr Robinson previously served as deputy leader of the DUP before taking on the interim leader role following Sir Jeffreys resignation. The East Belfast MP, who has been a member of the DUP for 20 years and served in various roles from press officer to special adviser and councillor, said he has always been happy to put my shoulder to the wheel for the party. Having been asked to step up in these circumstances, I dont think anybody would say yeah, thats for me, that consideration is gone now, I am doing it, and doing it with the total unified support of my party colleagues, he said. There might be some weight on my shoulders now but I have big broad shoulders and its my time to stand up and give a level of determination and hope for colleagues and the wider community. Tanaiste Micheal Martin talks with deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle ONeill. Photo: Oliver McVeigh/PA Earlier, speaking in Armagh following a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly expressed her confidence in Mr Robinson. I believe unionism has a very strong and capable leader in Gavin Robinson, she said. He has my full support and I know that he has the support of unionism right across the piece. I wish him all the best in the weeks and months ahead. I think he will do a fantastic job to be that strong leader for unionism at this time. More than 4 million has been announced by the International Fund for Ireland for peacebuilding initiatives across the island. The funding will support those working to reimage or remove peace walls, among other projects. Advertisement There are estimated to be more than 100 barriers in place, mostly in Belfast but also in Co Armagh and Derry, ranging from high concrete walls to gates, fences and buildings. Peace walls were initially erected from the 1970s and are owned by a number of different organisations. A peace wall in Belfast (Niall Carson/PA) Advertisement The IFI said six projects across Belfast and Derry have received over 2.5 million through the Peace Barriers Programme (PBP) to help interface communities bring about the conditions that can allow for the removal of barriers. They said there are more than 1,000 residents involved in various discussions. Two projects received funding to build cross border relationships and two projects under the Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP) have received funding to support the most at-risk young people in society. The Peace Impact Programme is receiving money to work through sensitive interventions in communities that have not previously, or have only partially, taken part in peacebuilding and reconciliation activities. Advertisement IFI chairman Paddy Harte said the support comes at a critical time in our peacebuilding journey. Whilst we acknowledge much progress has been made since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement over 25 years ago, it is apparent that significant challenges remain, he said. Advertisement Our projects are working against a challenging backdrop. Tensions remain around increased paramilitary activity and recruitment of young people, sectarianism, criminal activity, anti-social behaviour, culture, and identity. We also understand that the fallout from the Windsor Framework has caused some communities to regress, creating further polarisation. Advertisement The IFI remains one of the few organisations that can engage with the most marginalised in society. We are committed to working closely with communities through sensitive dialogue and conflict resolution to tackle the difficult remaining areas of peacebuilding. The IFI was set up by the two Governments as an independent international organisation in 1986 and is supported by international donors including the Irish, British, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand governments and the European Union. It currently supports 81 projects in the North and 20 in the Border counties. Gardai are investigating an incident of criminal damage at a business premises in Carlow town during the early hours of Monday. The incident happened on Lower Tullow Street at around 2.30am. Advertisement A car was reversed into the front of the premises before the fire broke out. Emergency services attended the scene, and residents from the apartments overhead were evacuated. The blaze was later brought under control, with no injuries reported. Road closures have been put in place in the area between Doyle's Corner and the Potato Market while an assessment of the scene is carried out. In a statement, Gardai confirmed officers are investigating the matter, adding that "significant damage was caused to the property". Anyone with information regarding the incident has been asked to contact Carlow Garda station 059-913 6620. An Irish woman who was killed in New York has been remembered as a shining light during her funeral mass. Sarah McNally (41), originally from Co Longford, lived in the US for several years. Advertisement She died after being stabbed at a bar in New York City on March 30th. The incident happened at the Ceili House Bar, in Maspeth in the Queens area, where Ms McNally worked. The coffin of Sarah McNally is carried into St Mels Cathedral (Niall Carson/PA) Advertisement At St Mels Cathedral in Longford on Monday, Fr Michael McGrath said: Sarahs death has stopped us in our tracks. It has caused darkness to ascend, especially on her family. He added: 3,000 miles away the shining light of Sarah McNally was quenched in a most horrific manner. Fr McGrath said Ms NcNally had a wide circle of friends in Longford as well in the US, some of whom were attending the service virtually through a livestream. He said Ms McNally loved life and was remembered as a vivacious young woman with an adventurous and generous nature who had spread her wings to live abroad. Advertisement Fr McGrath said that those who knew her were experiencing shock, anger and disbelief following her death. He said her laughter and sense of fun were infectious. Fr McGrath added: In her short lifespan of 41 years, she left behind a trail of joyful light. And the darkness that has been suffered now can never cancel out all the good enjoyed then. In fact, it only makes the memories all the sweeter. Advertisement She was remembered as the only child of her parents, Dorrie and Des, as tribute was also paid to her extended family and friends. A photo of Ms McNally was placed on her wicker coffin at the top of the church, alongside some flowers. A rendition of Sarah by Thin Lizzy was played during the communion procession. Last week, a man was arrested by police in New York in connection with her death. Advertisement Marcin Pieciak (36), with an address at 76th Street in Queens, was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Lawyers for Aaron Brady, who shot Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe dead in 2013, have raised a concern about publicity arising from a trial that was due to begin on Monday in which he is accused of perverting the course of justice. Michael O'Higgins SC, for Brady, told the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court that Brady is still awaiting the outcome of an appeal, heard last October, against his conviction for murdering Det Garda Donohoe. Advertisement If the appeal is successful, Mr O'Higgins said his client would likely face a retrial at the Central Criminal Court. A trial in that court would be held before a jury, rather than a panel of professional judges. Mr O'Higgins said he has a "concern that the publicity generated in this trial would be damaging to jurors in that case". Mr O'Higgins said he would be making an application before the court in which he will rely on the case of The Irish Times v Murphy, a seminal judgment on media reporting of court proceedings. Brady's trial for perverting the course of justice was due to go ahead on Monday but was adjourned to Tuesday to allow the defence time to consider additional evidence that has been served in recent days. Advertisement Brady and his co-accused Dean Byrne are charged with conspiring to persuade a State witness not to testify during Brady's trial for the murder of Det Garda Donohoe during a robbery at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Jenkinstown, Co Louth, on January 25th, 2013. Brady (33), of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, and Dean Byrne (30), from Cabra Park, Phibsborough, Dublin, are accused of conspiring to persuade prosecution witness Daniel Cahill not to give evidence in order to pervert the course of justice between April 8th and June 22nd, 2020. Brady is also accused of recording the playing of a video of a witness being interviewed by gardai, thus embarking upon a course to pervert the course of public justice between February 20th and May 7th, 2020. During Brady's murder trial in 2020, the court was told that a video of a witness telling gardai that he heard Brady admit to murdering a garda was circulating on social media. Advertisement The trial judge, Mr Justice Michael White, described the dissemination of the video as "the most outrageous contempt of court" and a "deliberate attempt to intimidate" the witness and others who were to give evidence. In August 2020, Brady was convicted of murdering Det Garda Donohoe, a garda acting in accordance with his duties, and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 40 years to be served. Leo Varadkar has expressed hope that negative perceptions of him among some unionists will be reassessed in the future. The outgoing Taoiseach was often portrayed within sections of the unionist community as a divisive figure during the Brexit process, amid claims his drive to prevent a hard border ultimately led to the EU and UK agreeing trading arrangements that created economic barriers between Northern Ireland and Britain. Advertisement Mr Varadkar was asked about the hostility he provoked among some unionists and loyalists as he attended his final engagement as Taoiseach north of the border. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and First Minister Michelle ONeill attend a press conference after a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council. Photo: Oliver McVeigh/PA Speaking to reporters at the end of the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh, only hours before formally stepping down from office, the former Fine Gael leader acknowledged the turbulence generated during the Brexit negotiations. Advertisement Asked if he thought unionist criticism of him was fair, he said: I would hope perhaps in a few years time, with the fullness of time, when things look a bit different, with hindsight, that might be reassessed. You know, certainly Brexit, the decision of the UK to leave the European Union, was very disruptive. And I spent a huge amount of my time as Taoiseach trying to make sure that it didnt create a hard border between north and south and didnt adversely affect Irelands position in the European Union. And that did take a lot of work. Ultimately it required three different agreements to be negotiated with the UK government, all of which were negotiated while I held office as Taoiseach. And we now have one [Windsor Framework] that I think is going to hold and [it is] important now that we make things work and that we try to make sure that we have a good and close relationship with Britain into the future and that, as much as possible, whoever holds the office of Taoiseach or whoever serves in the Irish government tries to reach out to all communities in Northern Ireland. Advertisement DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly, who also attended the meeting in Armagh, spoke of the past tensions. I think the Taoiseach is well aware that relationships between ourselves in the DUP and the Taoiseach, [and] with unionism in general, has been difficult in the past, she said. Ive no doubt that I have personally criticised the Taoiseach on the record in the past as well. But, as Ive said, I wish the Taoiseach all the best in his steps ahead. Advertisement And, of course, I am a unionist, Im a very passionate unionist, my interest is in strengthening the United Kingdom. But I want to be in this role, and in any role that I play, a good neighbour. I want there to be good relationships with the Republic of Ireland. That is what I will be moving forward to try to establish. Of course there are areas of mutual concern but my focus first and absolutely is to be a champion for Northern Ireland and to strengthen this union of the United Kingdom. Advertisement Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly speaks after the NSMC (Oliver McVeigh/PA). Tanaiste Micheal Martin paid tribute to Mr Varadkars contribution. [I want to] take the opportunity to thank the Taoiseach for his contribution to politics and particularly to the North-South agenda, he said. There will always be agreements and disagreements and there have been many over the 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement but I think the key point is commitment and a sense of public service in the discharge of ones duties. And I think the Taoiseach did that commendably over his time as Taoiseach and as a minister in the context of the North South Ministerial Council, and I want to put that on the record publicly to thank him for that. Last month, Mr Martin criticised comments made by Stormont First Minister Michelle ONeill on the resignation of Mr Varadkar. He branded the Sinn Fein vice presidents remarks very partisan and said they left a lot to be desired. That came after Ms ONeill accused Mr Varadkars party Fine Gael of 13 years of failure as she insisted it was time for a general election in the Republic. Ms ONeill did not repeat that criticism as she commented on the Taoiseachs departure following the NSMC meeting in Armagh. I want to wish you the very best personally for whatever comes next in your lifes journey, the very best to you and to your family, she told Mr Varadkar. And I think that was universally expressed in the North South Ministerial Council meeting itself. Ms ONeill added: I think just in terms of the Brexit debate, the last number of years thats been very complicated, its been very challenging at times. But I also think its right to recognise that my political aspirations and Emmas are different, but this goes right to the heart of the Good Friday Agreement, this is what making politics in the north is all about and if we cant respect our differences of approach, thats a problem, because thats what the Good Friday Agreement speaks to. I am determined to do that. I think we can confidently govern together whilst we also look towards the future and where we want this place to go. So I want to commend the work thats been done with the Irish government over many, many years of the Brexit ups and downs. I think its been hugely, hugely challenging. Im glad we all are where we are today and Im glad that we are in a situation where we now have an opportunity, an economic opportunity, to speak about, and we need, in Executive terms, need to work together to ensure that we maximise that opportunity that we now have. Leo Varadkar has said he has no regrets about standing down, as he officially resigned as Taoiseach. The politician, who has been Taoiseach for four years, said he was looking forward to a different chapter. Advertisement Mr Varadkar arrived at the official residence of President Michael D Higgins, Aras an Uachtarain, at 5:55pm on Monday. Mr Higgins is understood to have greeted Mr Varadkar in the presidents study, where a letter of resignation was handed to the Secretary General of the Irish President. After taking some refreshments with Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina, Mr Varadkar departed from the Aras at 6:40pm. Advertisement Leo Varadkar meeting President of Ireland Michael D Higgins (Maxwells/PA) Mr Varadkar waved to the media before getting into a waiting car, and Mr Higgins waved goodbye as he departed. Mr Varadkar will remain as Taoiseach in a caretaker capacity until a new taoiseach is voted in by the Dail. The public and political establishment was shocked when the 45-year-old leader announced three weeks ago that he was resigning as Fine Gael leader immediately, and would stand down as Taoiseach once his successor had been appointed. Advertisement New Fine Gael leader Simon Harris is expected to be appointed as Irelands next taoiseach, and the youngest in its history, on Tuesday afternoon. The 37-year-old is expected to reshuffle the Fine Gael ministerial team after his appointment. Mr Varadkar, who is still a Dublin West TD, has said he has not decided whether he will contest the next general election. His official resignation came hours after he attended the North South Ministerial Council in Co Armagh in what was his last major political engagement. Advertisement Mr Varadkar said it was an honour to end his tenure as Taoiseach by attending the council. Tanaiste has defended Simon Harris knowledge on European affairs and north-south relations ahead of him becoming taoiseach on Tuesday. Micheal Martin was speaking at the first North-South Ministerial Council convened in person since the coalition government formed in June 2020. Advertisement Simon Harris has been in government for a considerable amount of time as well and would be well aware of all of the issues, he said in Co Armagh. Tanaiste Micheal Martin during a press conference(Oliver McVeigh/PA) Asked if he believes attention would drift from the powersharing institutions in Northern Ireland under Mr Harris premiership, Mr Martin said: I dont believe the eye would be taken off the ball. Advertisement Mr Harris, 37, is set to become Irelands youngest taoiseach on Tuesday. He has been a Cabinet minister in three departments: Health, Justice and Further and Higher Education. Speaking on RTEs This Week programme on Sunday, he said he plans to hire advisers on economics, Europe, and Northern Ireland in the coming weeks. Advertisement Fine Gael leader Simon Harris speaking at the 82nd Fine Gael Ard Fheis (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Martin said he had watched the Fine Gael Ard Fheis at the weekend, where Mr Harris made a series of pledges for his leadership in a keynote address on Saturday. He disagreed with the view that Mr Harris may be straying from the programme for government in his rhetoric. My sense is that weve a lot to do in the next 12 months, he said. Advertisement To me, its about delivery. And we have made significant progress on housing in terms of 33,000 houses more or less last year. I think we can go to 35,000/36,000 this year, potentially which would be well ahead of the target that was set in Housing for All. Northern Irelands First Minister has insisted it is business as usual at Stormont despite the leadership upheaval within the DUP. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill was commenting after joining ministerial colleagues at a meeting with counterparts from the Irish government in Armagh. Advertisement The first meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in almost three years was the first substantive engagement for Stormont ministers following the Easter recess a period in which Jeffrey Donaldson quit as DUP leader after being charged with historical sexual offences, including a count of rape. Advertisement Outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, whose attendance at the meeting came on his last day in office as Taoiseach, also expressed confidence that the institutions would withstand the recent political turmoil. Mr Donaldson's exit from the political front line sent shockwaves through the political establishment in Northern Ireland, less than two months after devolution was restored following a two-year stalemate over post-Brexit trading arrangements. It is understood that in a letter to party officers informing them of his resignation he made clear he would be strenuously contesting all charges against him. Advertisement Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by First Minister Michelle ONeill (Oliver McVeigh/PA) East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has replaced him as DUP interim leader. Lagan Valley MP Mr Donaldson was pivotal to the deal that resurrected powersharing, and his sudden departure, and the manner of it, created the first major challenge for the recently formed four-party coalition. Since the resignation on Good Friday, Ms ONeill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly have been keen to offer assurances over the continued stability of the powersharing institutions. Advertisement The joint leaders struck the same tone in Armagh on Monday as they faced reporters following the NSMC meeting. Ms ONeill said it was business as usual as far as the Executive is concerned. Were here today as joint heads of government to be part of the North South Ministerial Council meeting, and what the public deserve and want is leadership, and were prepared to provide that leadership, she added. Weve spoken to all Executive colleagues, everybody was here today to play their part in terms of their own ministerial responsibility. Were leaving here very quickly to get back into the Assembly because weve much business to do. Advertisement Thats where we need to be focused and thats certainly where Im focused. I think the public rightly want leadership at times of crisis, and Im determined, and I believe Emma is also to provide that leadership. Ms Little Pengelly said she was determined to provide stability to ensure the Executive could continue in a positive tone. We have an important number of weeks coming up where well be discussing the draft programme for government and the budget. Those are two key documents in terms of the agenda for government, she said. The people of Northern Ireland demand that stability, they demand that delivery, I am very conscious of that and that is what Ill be focusing on. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle ONeill wait to greet political leaders from the Republic of Ireland (Oliver McVeigh/PA) Mr Varadkar expressed confidence that the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland would prove sustainable. Events happen in politics, whether its changes in leadership, therell be elections for the House of Commons, therell be elections for the Dail all within the next year, and whats really important is that institutions should be able to function through them and withstand any disruption that may occur, he said. And thats happened in the past, and Im sure it can in the future. And I know from my experience, having served in government for quite some time and having observed the institutions functioning and not functioning, what we know is that whenever they fall, they tend not to be re-established for many years. And I think we should always bear that in mind and make sure that we dont see another break happen. Tanaiste Micheal Martin, also stressed the need for ongoing stability at Stormont. I think stability and certainty are essential for economic development, for foreign direct investment and for cohesion within society, he said after the NSMC meeting. And we witnessed this morning, I thought, a very keen engagement and very keen commitment from the members of the Executive and indeed from our own cabinet to the agenda that was ahead of us on a north-south basis, so I think there was a resilience there. And I think that continuity, that certainty, that stability, I think its important for the people of Northern Ireland. Mr Varadkars successor as Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, was also at Monday mornings council meeting in one of his final jobs as Irelands higher education minister before his expected election as taoiseach in the Dail on Tuesday. The council is the primary north-south political body established under the Good Friday Agreement. It was unable to function during the two-year political impasse at Stormont, but the restoration of devolution earlier this year enabled its reactivation. The last meeting was a virtual one held during the Covid pandemic in July 2021. The last in-person meeting of the council was in July 2020. Discussions on Monday focused on trade and business issues and investment in areas of mutual interest, including major infrastructure projects such as the upgrade of the A5 transport corridor, the redevelopment of Casement Park stadium in Belfast, the construction of the cross-border Narrow Water Bridge and the restoration of the Ulster Canal network. There is a risk of flooding for five counties with a status yellow warning in place. Drivers are being warned of poor visibility because of very heavy rain in the southeast. Advertisement Met Eireann said Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow and Waterford will be affected until midnight tonight. Cathal Nolan of Ireland's Weather Channel said the rain will linger later. Mr Nolan told Newstalk: "The outlook for later today is that rain really does hang about in the southeast and indeed, in most parts of the country. "The only area that's likely to see some drier, brighter weather, maybe a little bit of sun, is in parts of the northwest of the country. For most of us it's an overcast picture. That rain has a tendency to hang around on the east coast and into the southeast as well, so we will see outbreaks of heavy rain here for the remainder of the evening." The poor weather conditions come after Ireland was hit by Storm Kathleen over the weekend, which left thousands of homes and businesses without power. A 105-year-old Texas man who's seen a dozen solar eclipses says he's still excited by the prospect of watching Monday's celestial show -- especially because he'll be able to do it close to home. LaVerne Biser told People magazine that he was 45 when he decided to drive his family 2,000 miles to Maine for his first eclipse on July 20, 1963. "I guess before we went to Maine all of 'em were so far away we couldn't go. We can't drive to China," he said during a video interview. "But in '63 when it was in Maine, I said 'We can drive there!'" Since then, Biser said, he's witnessed every eclipse visible from the continental United States, as well as few others he watched from cruise liners. "We drove to Santa Rosa, New Mexico; Beatrice, Nebraska. We drove to Alabama. We made it part of our vacations," he said. The centenarian said his enthusiasm for eclipses stemmed from growing up on a family farm in Ohio. "Back on the farm, it was really dark, so you could see the Big Dipper, Orion, all the constellations," he says. "We were well acquainted with the sky. I hate that kids nowadays have never really seen a sky like that." A detailed travel diary kept by his late wife reportedly shows that Biser even told his daughter that going to Canada for the July 10, 1972, eclipse took precedence over her wedding, for which she'd selected two dates. "If you want me to give you away, it will have to be on June 3 because I'll be at Prince Edward Island on July 8," he said, according to Marion Biser's notes. The couple's last trip together before Marion Biser died last year at 97 was to watch the "Great American Eclipse" of Aug. 21, 2017, in Nebraska. LaVerne Biser studied mechanical engineering at Ohio State University and family photos show him tinkering with elaborate camera gear in various locations to capture images of the moon passing in front of the sun. In the most recent, from 2017, he posed in a field next to a tripod with multiple cameras while wearing a sun hat and a souvenir T-shirt commemorating the eclipse. Biser, who lives in Fort Worth, said he planned to spend Monday with his 76-year-old daughter, Carol Biser Barlow, at her Plano, Texas home, which lies in the path of totality. His only concern, he said, was the weather, which is forecast to be partly sunny with a chance of late afternoon storms. "I'm afraid we won't see it because of the clouds. I've seen 12 of 'em and I always want to see the next one," he said with a grin. A planned 70 million boost for businesses, and Fine Gael fears over a possible demotion for Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, are among the stories that feature on Monday's front pages. Plans to increase sick leave days could be paused and businesses could be in line for a 70 million tax boost under plans from incoming taoiseach, The Irish Times reports. Advertisement The Irish Examiner leads with a story on social media posing health risks for young people. The Irish Independent leads with a story on the possible demotion for Minister for Justice Helen McEntee when incoming taoiseach Simon Harris announces his Cabinet. The Independent reports Fine Gael sources have expressed fears that this could "feed into the far-right, anti-immigrant agenda". Advertisement Twenty people have died from drug overdoses in Cork city in recent months, The Echo reports. The Irish Daily Star and The Herald lead with stories on the rescue of a girl who was swept out to sea from the east pier of Dun Laoghaire Harbour in Co Dublin during Storm Kathleen. Advertisement Monday's bumper edition includes two great sports pullouts pic.twitter.com/lmUQWsqCyH Irish Daily Star (@isfearranstar) April 8, 2024 Advertisement Incoming taoiseach Simon Harris has told his Fine Gael colleagues to "be ready" for an election, while insisting it is not his "intention" to call a general election this year, the Irish Daily Mail reports. Is our next taoiseach hitting the ground running? pic.twitter.com/S9xxpelY8q The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) April 8, 2024 Advertisement A water issue has delayed 19,000 new homes in Northern Ireland, the Belfast Telegraph reports. Money from the EU to promote peace in Northern Ireland has worsened divisions, according to The Irish News. Good Morning. Today's front page : Peace billions from EU worsen division Apology for 999 delay to stricken GAA player pic.twitter.com/5NvBJNdeL8 The Irish News (@irish_news) April 8, 2024 Health and politics take centre stage on the front pages of several UK newspapers on Monday. The Daily Telegraph splashes with David Camerons message to America regarding the situation in Ukraine and the need for extra funding to bolster security. The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: 'Cameron warns US over Kyiv aid block'#TomorrowsPapersToday Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/jDHyzkM98w The Telegraph (@Telegraph) April 7, 2024 The Times focuses on waiting times in A&E, stating delays have reached the longest levels since 2019. Mondays TIMES: Rise of the 24-hour wait for a bed in A&E #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/1RiViuINSW Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) April 7, 2024 The Daily Express turns its attention to care homes, which it says are treating the elderly and frail appallingly in substandard accommodation. Mondays Daily EXPRESS: Exposed: Care Home Crisis Putting Britain To Shame #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/BR39y1isJ2 Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) April 7, 2024 The Guardian focuses on carers being taken to court to force them to repay huge sums after a buildup of erroneous benefits payments. The Sun gives over its front page to an investigation into Turkish doctors targeting UK citizens for potentially deadly cosmetic surgeries. On tomorrow's front page: Turkish docs caught pushing deadly bum lift operations on vulnerable Brits at UK hotels in Sun Investigationhttps://t.co/0iqzTYyVNp pic.twitter.com/mCwxcuIoyY The Sun (@TheSun) April 7, 2024 The Daily Mirror also focuses on cosmetic surgery but says a new Turkish package includes a nose job and a trip to the vet for your pet. The Daily Mail shifts the focus to politics, with the latest headaches for Labour regarding Angela Rayners tax affairs. The Financial Times looks abroad, concentrating on US president Joe Bidens warning to China about its operations in the South China Sea. Mondays FINANCIAL Times: Biden poised to warn Beijing against aggressive tactics in South China Sea #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/7X8ymw4SmA Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) April 7, 2024 The i runs with a piece on new homeowners being required to sign nondisclosure agreements before they can view bill breakdowns for estate payments. The Metro focuses on the penal system, reporting that hundreds of criminals are not completing their required hours of community service. And the Daily Star reveals the truth on Yorkshire terrier Prince, who became a national TV hit in 1979 when he supposedly barked his order of sausages. The New York Times leads with a story on Israel pulling troops from a city in southern Gaza. The head of the UNs atomic watchdog agency has condemned a drone strike on one of six nuclear reactors at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, saying such attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident. In a statement on social media platform X, Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed at least three direct hits against the main reactor containment structures took place. Advertisement This cannot happen, he said. IAEA experts confirmed physical impact of drone attacks at ZNPP today, incl. at 1 of its 6 reactors. One casualty reported. Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident w/ potential to undermine integrity of the reactors containment system. pic.twitter.com/FvMsb4I4vs IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency (@iaeaorg) April 7, 2024 Advertisement He said it was the first such attack since November 2022, when he set out five basic principles to avoid a serious nuclear accident with radiological consequences. Officials at the plant said the site was attacked on Sunday by Ukrainian military drones, including a strike on the dome of the plants sixth power unit. Advertisement Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack, but the UNs International Atomic Energy Agency did not attribute blame. Kyiv officials made no immediate comment. According to the plant authorities, there was no critical damage or casualties and radiation levels at the plant were normal after the strikes. Later on Sunday, however, Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom said that three people were wounded in the unprecedented series of drone attacks, specifically when a drone hit an area close to the sites canteen. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday that its experts had been informed of the drone strike and that such detonation is consistent with IAEA observations. Advertisement In a separate statement, the IAEA confirmed the physical impact of drone attacks at the plant, including at one of its six reactors. One casualty was reported, it said. Damage at unit six has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with potential to undermine the integrity of the reactors containment system it added. The power plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. Advertisement This is a clear violation of the basic principles for protecting Europes largest NPP. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately, DG @rafaelmgrossi said. IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency (@iaeaorg) April 7, 2024 The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear power plant, Europes largest, amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. Both Ukraine and Russia have regularly accused the other of attacking the plant, which is still close to the front lines. The plants six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday called the drone attacks on the plant a very dangerous provocation. This is a very dangerous practice that has very bad, negative consequences in the future, Mr Peskov said during his daily conference call with reporters. An official at Energoatom, Ukraines atomic energy company, blamed Russia for the attacks, saying they were a provocation orchestrated to malign Ukraine. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the record. Also on Sunday, three people were killed when their house was hit by a Russian projectile in the frontline town of Huliaipole in Ukraines partly occupied south-eastern region of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said. Later on Sunday, two people were wounded in another shelling of Huliaipole. Separately, three people were wounded in Russian shelling in Ukraines north-east region of Kharkiv, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. In Russia, a girl died and four other people were wounded when the debris of a downed Ukrainian drone fell on a car carrying a family of six people in Russias Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Irans foreign minister on Monday accused the United States of giving Israel the green light for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials including two generals. Hossein Amirabdollahian reiterated Tehrans vows that it will respond to the attack, widely blamed on Israel, that appeared to signify an escalation of Israels targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon. Advertisement Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an address Monday reiterated the Iran-backed groups support for a Tehran military response to the attack that killed General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior military official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, and worsened fears of the war spiralling into the rest of the Middle East. Advertisement Since the war in Gaza began six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on October 7, is also backed by Iran, as well as an umbrella group of Iraqi militias targeting US military bases and positions in Syria and Iraq. Though Israel has regularly conducted strikes targeting Iranian military officials and allies, Gen Zahedis death was the most significant blow for Tehran since a US drone targeted and killed Quds Force chief General Qassim Soleimani in 2020 in Baghdad. Id like to say with a very loud voice from here in Damascus that America has a responsibility in what happened and must be held responsible, Mr Amirabdollahian told reporters in Damascus during a visit where he met his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, who condemned both the strike and Israels offensive in Gaza. Mr Amirabdollahian also met President Bashar Assad, with whom he discussed Gaza and the wider situation in the region, a statement from Mr Assads office said. Advertisement The Iranian foreign minister, who earlier that day inaugurated the opening of a new consular section in a nearby building, justified his claims by saying that Washington and two European countries did not condemn the attack on the diplomatic building. Syrian foreign minister Faisal Mekdad, right, speaks to Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian during a joint press conference in Damascus, Syria (Omar Sanadiki/AP) The Biden administration has insisted that it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike. Washington is Israels vital military ally. Advertisement Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the strike in the Syrian capital. However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said last week that the US has assessed Israel was responsible. Initially after the strikes, Iranian state media said Gen Zahedi led the Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016. Then, in a public address Monday, Hezbollahs Nasrallah said Gen Zahedi was a key figure for the Lebanese group, and had three four-year stints in the tiny Mediterranean country. Nasrallah, like Syria, and other key allies of Tehran, have said they remain committed to backing Iran. Advertisement Its a natural right for Iran. Its natural for the Islamic Republic to conduct this response (to the consulate attack), Nasrallah said. Nasrallah said Gen Zahedis first involvement was until 2002, overseeing Israels withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and helping Hezbollah scale up. Gen Zahedis second term covered some of the fiercest fighting in Syrias uprising turned civil war, where Tehran and Russia played a key role in backing Mr Assad against opposition forces. Gen Zahedis final stint began in 2020 and ended when he was killed. Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have clashed along the tense Lebanon-Israel border since October 8, the day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel. Earlier on Monday, Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon killed Ali Ahmad Hussein, an elite commander of Hezbollahs secretive Radwan Force. Hezbollah announced Husseins death, but did not give any details on the circumstances or his role with the group in line with how it makes public the deaths of its members. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated his pledge to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, declaring: There is a date. Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel must send ground forces into Rafah, saying it is Hamas last stronghold in Gaza. Advertisement But the international community, including the US, opposes the operation, saying the roughly 1.4 million civilians seeking shelter there will be in danger. Israel has insisted it has a plan to protect the civilians. Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Monday (Fatima Shbair/AP) Advertisement In a video statement on Monday, Mr Netanyahu said the Rafah operation is essential for victory. It will happen. There is a date, he said, without elaborating. He spoke as Israeli negotiators were in Cairo discussing international efforts to broker a ceasefire deal with Hamas. Israels top ally, the US, has said invading Rafah would be a mistake and has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Advertisement Israel is purchasing 40,000 tents to prepare for the evacuation of Rafah, an Israel official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Mr Netanyahus announcement came as streams of Palestinians filed into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Monday to salvage what they could from the vast destruction left in the wake of Israels offensive, a day after the Israeli military announced it was withdrawing troops from the area. Allowing people to return to Khan Younis could relieve some pressure on Rafah, but many have no homes to return to. The city also is likely filled with dangerous unexploded ordnance left by the fighting. Israels military quietly drew down troops in devastated northern Gaza earlier in the war. But it has continued to carry out airstrikes and raids in areas where it says Hamas regrouped, including Gazas largest hospital, Shifa, leaving what the head of the World Health Organisation called an empty shell. Advertisement Israel blames Hamas for the damage, saying it fights from within civilian areas. A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America on Monday as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent, thrilling those lucky enough to see the spectacle through clear skies. Eclipse mania gripped Mexico, the US and Canada, as the moon swept in front of the sun, blotting out daylight. Advertisement The moon started to cover up the sun as a partial eclipse began over the south Pacific during the afternoon. Advertisement After around two hours the eclipse left North America. There will not be another coast-to-coast spectacle on the continent until 2045. The moon covers the sun during a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico (Fernando Llano/AP) The eclipses path of totality stretched from Mazatlan, Mexico to Newfoundland. Revellers were engulfed in darkness at state parks, on city rooftops and in small towns. Advertisement Most of those in North America, but not in the direct path, still witnessed a partial eclipse, with the moon transforming the sun into a fiery crescent. Totalitys first stop on land cast Mazatlans sparkling beaches into darkness before continuing northeast toward Eagle Pass, Texas, one its first stops in the US. Millions along a narrow corridor in North America from Mexicos Pacific coast to eastern Canada were hoping for clouds to clear as they eagerly waited for totality to reach their location. Totality lasted up to four minutes and 28 seconds in certain spots. Advertisement Cheers broke out along the beach in Mazatlan as the moon began to pass over the sun. People use their mobile phones as the sky darkens in Mazatlan, Mexico (Fernando Llano/AP) Hundreds in a beachside park had passed the time readying their equipment and listening to a youth orchestra play Star Wars songs while a large screen projected images of Princess Leia behind them. Advertisement Luz Elena Aguillon de la O sat in the grass with a group of 14 family and friends who had gathered from Mexico City, Guanajuato and Mazatlan to take in the spectacle. Happy to be here with family, friends sharing a singular, unrepeatable event that the universe and nature give us, she said. The weather was not looking good for a large part of the eclipses path. Clouds could get in the way for a stretch of the route, with the heaviest clouds expected in parts of Texas. A woman wears special glasses to watch the eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico (Fernando Llano/AP) The one area where clear skies were expected was northern New England through to Canada. That area had a pretty solid lock to be able to see the eclipse pretty crystal clear, said National Weather Service meteorologist Cody Snell. Fifteen US states got a chance to see the full eclipse, although just a small part of Tennessee and Michigan were included. The length of totality varied by location. The moons shadow that fell on Earth followed along a path that was 115 miles wide. Practically everyone in North America had a chance at catching at least a partial eclipse. The farther from the path of totality, the smaller the moons bite out of the sun was. An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don't be silly, folks play it safe and wear protective eyewear. pic.twitter.com/S6REAiZ735 President Biden (@POTUS) April 8, 2024 US president Joe Biden posted a brief video on X, formerly Twitter, to encourage Americans to wear eye protection when viewing the eclipse in a subtle dig at his predecessor and 2024 rival, former president Donald Trump. Folks, enjoy the eclipse, but play it safe, dont be silly, Mr Biden said in a video showing him donning eclipse glasses and looking skyward from the balcony outside the Blue Room of the White House. That is the spot where Mr Trump glanced up toward the sun without eye protection in 2017. Mr Biden was travelling to Wisconsin, which, like Washington, would experience a partial eclipse on Monday. A man in Illinois uses a telescope to look at the sun as he prepares to watch the total solar eclipse (Jeff Roberson/AP) Clouds blanketed most of Texas as the total solar eclipse began its diagonal dash across land, starting along Mexicos mostly clear Pacific coast and aiming for Texas and 14 other US states, before exiting into the North Atlantic near Newfoundland. The show got under way in the Pacific before noon EDT. As the darkness of totality reached Mazatlan in Mexico, the faces of spectators were illuminated only by the screens of their mobile phones. In Texas, the south-central region was locked in clouds, but it was a little better to the northeast, the National Weather Service said. At Niagara Falls State Park, tourists streamed in under cloudy skies with wagons, strollers, coolers and lawn chairs. Park officials expected a large crowd at the popular site overlooking the falls. During Mondays full eclipse, the moon slipped right in front of the sun, entirely blocking it. The resulting twilight, with only the suns outer atmosphere or corona visible, was long enough for birds and other animals to fall silent, and for planets, stars and maybe even a comet to pop out. The moon partially covers the sun during the eclipse, as seen from Fort Worth, Texas (LM Otero/AP) It will be another 21 years before the US sees another total solar eclipse on this scale. It took around one hour, 40 minutes for the moons shadow to race more than 4,000 miles (6,500km) across the continent. The path of totality approximately 115 miles (185km) wide encompassed several major cities this time, including Dallas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; Buffalo, New York; and Montreal. An estimated 44 million people live within the track, with a couple of hundred million more within 200 miles (320km). Take it all in. We're getting our first views of the 2024 total solar #eclipse as its shadow makes landfall in Mazatlan, Mexico. pic.twitter.com/FdAACmQGkm NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2024 This may be the most viewed astronomical event in history, said National Air and Space Museum curator Teasel Muir-Harmony, standing outside the museum in Washington, awaiting the eclipse. Experts from Nasa and scores of universities were posted along the route, poised to launch research rockets and weather balloons, and conduct experiments. The International Space Stations seven astronauts were also on the lookout, 270 miles (435km) up. A shopkeeper who tried to help a young woman who was stabbed to death in the street as she pushed her baby in a pram has described how there was nothing that could be done to save her life. Geo Khan recalled his shock at what he witnessed on Saturday afternoon in Bradford, England, as police continued to search for Habibur Masum (25) in connection with the fatal stabbing. Advertisement Mr Khan said he was sitting in his store on Saturday afternoon when he was alerted by screams on the other side of Westgate, in central Bradford. Advertisement He said he rushed over to the woman, who was with a friend outside a convenience store on Wigan Street, and was joined by a doctor as others called the ambulance. I was sitting in my shop and heard screaming, Mr Khan said on Monday. I came out and I tried to check the pulse. There was no pulse. He said: Blood was all over on the floor and there were stab wounds in her neck. Advertisement Mr Khan said he was joined by the passing doctor who took over trying to help the woman, but agreed there was no pulse. Him and me and another guy tried to rescue her, but she was already gone, Mr Khan said. I dont think she was there any more. Advertisement The scene in Bradford city centre where a young woman was stabbed to death (Dave Higgens/PA) He said: Whatever happened, its a very sad thing. Mr Khan said the woman who died came into his shop the day before the incident, and he believes she only came to the area a few weeks ago. He said the baby is about four or five months old. Mr Khan said he believes the woman is from Bangladesh. Advertisement He said: She was a very, very innocent person the smile on her face. Police have issued an appeal for members of the public to report any sightings of Masum, who is from the Manchester area and is known to the woman. Officers were called to the scene at 3.21pm on Saturday after reports of a woman being stabbed by a man who then fled, and she later died in hospital. She is yet to be formally identified, but is understood to be 27 years old, the force said. The baby was not harmed. A knife was recovered from the scene of the incident, the force said. Habibur Masum is wanted by police in England. (West Yorkshire Police/PA) Masum is described as an Asian man, of slim build. He was pictured on CCTV wearing a duffle coat with three large horizontal lines of grey, white and black, light blue or grey tracksuit bottoms with a small black emblem on the left pocket and maroon trainers. A witness also reported seeing him wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up. Detective chief inspector Stacey Atkinson said: We have had significant resources following up a number of lines of inquiry to locate Habibur Masum but at this time his whereabouts are unknown. A knife was recovered from the scene of the murder, but we cannot say if Habibur Masum is armed, and I would urge anyone who does see him not to approach him but to call 999 immediately. If anyone has any information about his movements or whereabouts since 3.20pm on Saturday please contact police as a matter of urgency. We understand that the murder of a young woman in such shocking circumstances has caused considerable concern in the local community. Residents can expect to continue to see a significant police presence in Bradford as we make further inquiries and conduct reassurance patrols in the area. There was no sign of any police activity in the area on Monday morning but one bunch of flowers had been laid close to where the attack happened. Preliminary hearings have opened at the United Nations top court in a case that seeks an end to German military and other aid to Israel, based on claims that Berlin is enabling acts of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian law in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Nicaragua argues that by giving Israel political, financial and military support and by defunding the UN aid agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide and, in any case has failed in its obligation to do everything possible to prevent the commission of genocide. Advertisement Opening Nicaraguas case at the International Court of Justice, the countrys ambassador to the Netherlands, Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, told the 16-judge panel that Germany is failing to honour its own obligation to prevent genocide or to ensure respect of international humanitarian law. Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, Germanys director-general for legal affairs of the Foreign Ministry, left, and the member of Germanys legal team, Christian J. Tams, wait for the hearing to begin (Patrick Post/AP) While the case brought by Nicaragua centres on Germany, it indirectly takes aim at Israels military campaign in Gaza following the deadly October 7 attacks when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people. Advertisement More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territorys Health Ministry. Its toll doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it has said women and children make up the majority of the dead. Israel strongly denies that its assault amounts to genocidal acts, saying it is acting in self defence. Israeli legal adviser Tal Becker told judges at the court earlier this year that the country is fighting a war it did not start and did not want. Advertisement Germany rejects the case brought by Nicaragua. Germany has breached neither the Genocide Convention nor international humanitarian law, and we will set this out in detail before the International Court of Justice, German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer told reporters in Berlin on Friday. A pro-Palestinian activist works on a protest poster near the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands (Patrick Post/AP) Advertisement Nicaragua has asked the court to hand down preliminary orders known as provisional measures, including that Germany immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance including military equipment in so far as this aid may be used in the violation of the Genocide Convention and international law. The court will likely take weeks to deliver its preliminary decision, and Nicaraguas case will probably drag on for years. Mondays hearing at the world court comes amid growing calls for allies to stop supplying arms to Israel as its six-month campaign continues to lay waste to Gaza. The offensive has displaced the vast majority of Gazas population. Food is scarce, the UN says famine is approaching and few Palestinians have been able to leave the besieged territory. Advertisement On Friday, the UNs top human rights body called on countries to stop selling or shipping weapons to Israel. The US and Germany opposed the resolution. Germany has for decades been a staunch supporter of Israel. Days after the October 7 attack by Hamas, chancellor Olaf Scholz explained why: Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the state of Israel, he told legislators. A pro-Palestinian activist works on a protest poster near the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands (Patrick Post/AP) Berlin, however, has gradually shifted its tone as civilian casualties in Gaza have soared, becoming increasingly critical of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and speaking out against a ground offensive in Rafah. Nicaraguas government, which has historical links with Palestinian organisations dating back to their support for the 1979 Sandinista revolution, was itself accused earlier this year by UN-backed human rights experts of systematic human rights abuses tantamount to crimes against humanity. The government of President Daniel Ortega fiercely rejected the allegations. In January, the ICJ imposed provisional measures ordering Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and acts of genocide in Gaza. The orders came in a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of breaching the Genocide Convention. The court last week ordered Israel to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including opening more land crossings to allow food, water, fuel and other supplies into the war-ravaged enclave. Donald Trump asked a New York appeals court on Monday to reverse his gag order and move his hush-money criminal trial out of Manhattan in an 11-hour bid for a delay just a week before it is scheduled to start. A judge in the states mid-level appeals court was to hold an emergency hearing on Monday afternoon after the former presidents lawyers filed paperwork challenging Manhattan Judge Juan M Merchans pre-trial rulings. Advertisement Trump lawyer Emil Bove argued that the presumptive Republican nominee faces real potential prejudice as a defendant in heavily Democratic Manhattan. Citing defence surveys and a review of media coverage, Mr Bove argued that jury selection, scheduled to start next Monday, cannot proceed in a fair manner. The documents themselves were placed under seal, but a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press they pertained to Mr Trumps gag order recently expanded to prohibit comments about judges family and the Republicans desire to move the trial out of Manhattan. The person was not authorised to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity. Messages seeking comment were left for Mr Trumps lawyers, the Manhattan district attorneys office and a spokesperson for New Yorks state court system. Advertisement Judge Juan M Merchan in his chambers in New York (Seth Wenig/AP) Mr Trump had pledged to appeal after Judge Merchan ruled last month that the trial would begin on April 15th. His lawyers had pleaded to delay the trial at least until summer to give them more time to review late-arriving evidence from a prior federal investigation into the matter. Judge Merchan, who had already moved the trial from its original March 25th start date because of the evidence issue, said no further delays were warranted. Advertisement Mr Trumps lawyers filed their appeals on Monday on two separate court dockets. One was styled as a lawsuit against Judge Merchan, a legal mechanism allowing them to challenge his rulings. In New York, judges can be sued over some judicial decisions under a state law known as Article 78. Mr Trump has used the tactic before, including against the judge in his civil fraud case in an unsuccessful last-minute bid to delay that case last fall. Advertisement A clerk at the appeals court the Appellate Division of the states trial court said no documents were publicly available from either appeal docket. Mr Trumps hush-money trial is the first of his four criminal indictments slated to go to trial and would be the first criminal trial ever of a former president. Mr Trump is accused of falsifying his companys records to hide the nature of payments to his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who helped Mr Trump bury negative stories during his 2016 campaign. Advertisement Cohens activities included paying adult film actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to suppress her claims of an extramarital sexual encounter with Mr Trump years earlier. Mr Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has denied having a sexual encounter with Ms Daniels. His lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses. Mr Trumps move on Monday is the latest escalation in his battles with Judge Merchan. Republican presidential candidate, former US president Donald Trump speaks on the phone as he watches play in the final round of LIV Golf Miami, at Trump National Doral Golf Club, on Sunday (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) The presumptive Republican nominee assailed the judge on social media after he imposed a gag order last month barring Mr from making public statements about jurors, witnesses and others connected the case. After Mr Trumps complaints, Judge Merchan expanded the gag order to include members of his own family. Last week, Mr Trump renewed his request for the judge to step aside from the case, citing Judge Merchans daughters work as the head of a firm whose clients have included his rival President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats. The former president alleges the judge is biased against him and has a conflict of interest because of his daughters work. The judge rejected a similar request last August. Mr Trump has also made numerous other attempts to get the trial postponed, echoing a strategy he has deployed in his other criminal cases. We want delays, Mr Trump proclaimed to TV cameras outside a February pre-trial hearing in his hush-money case. Judge Merchan last week rejected his request to delay the trial until the US Supreme Court rules on presidential immunity claims he raised in another of his criminal cases. The New York judge has yet to rule on another defence delay request, which claims that Mr Trump will not get a fair trial because of prejudicial media coverage. Mr Trump has suggested on social media that the trial should be moved to Staten Island, the only New York City borough he won in 2016 and 2020. Mr Trump also filed an eve-of-trial lawsuit against the judge in his New York civil fraud case, accusing the jurist of repeatedly abusing his authority. Among other issues, Mr Trumps lawyers in that case complained that Judge Arthur Engoron had refused their request to delay the trial. Their suit was filed about three weeks before the trial was slated to begin. A state appeals court rejected Mr Trumps claims, and the trial started as scheduled October 2nd. Judge Engoron, who decided that case without a jury, ruled that Mr Trump, his company and key executives defrauded bankers and insurers by overstating his wealth in documents used to get loans and coverage. Mr Trump denied any wrongdoing and is appealing the finding and more than $454 million in penalties and interest. The US is risking the Wests security by holding up aid to Ukraine, David Cameron is to warn in a visit to Washington DC. The UK foreign secretary will tell Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, to stop his colleagues from continuing to block a $95 billion package in a face-to-face meeting. Advertisement According to the Telegraph newspaper, Mr Cameron will say the UK and the EU have put forward their money for Ukraine over the next year, as he urges America to follow suit. US president Joe Bidens aid package would provide extra military aid to Ukraine. US president Joe Biden (Alex Brandon/AP) Advertisement The UK has pledged 2.5 billion to help Kyiv as it fights off the Russian invasion, while the EU will give 50 billion. In a Telegraph opinion piece, Mr Cameron and his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, issued a joint rallying cry for Ukraines other allies to stump up further funding. The article marks 120 years of the entente cordiale, a series of agreements between France and Britain which paved the way for improved cross-Channel relations. The two wrote: We are both absolutely clear Ukraine must win this war. If Ukraine loses, we all lose. The costs of failing to support Ukraine now will be far greater than the costs of repelling Putin. Advertisement But, as discussed during the Paris Conference in February, we must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching and will judge us if we fail. Signalling the need for further international support for Ukraine, they added: It is not for France and Britain alone to solve these challenges. But, together, we can rally others to join us in overcoming them. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned on Sunday that his country will lose the war if further US funding is not approved. Advertisement Donald Trump (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) In his previous visit to Washington, Mr Cameron likened those blocking US aid to Ukraine to people who appeased Nazi Germany in the 1930s. His remarks were condemned by pro-Trump Republican Congress member Marjorie Taylor Greene, who told him to kiss my ass. The foreign secretary has recently urged all Nato allies to increase their defence spending to 2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), to prepare for the possibility of Donald Trumps return to the White House. Advertisement Mr Trump, an outspoken critic of Nato members who have not met their aid commitments, has also expressed scepticism about the US providing aid to Ukraine. Mr Cameron is also expected to meet Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, and the pair are likely to discuss the conflict in Gaza. The UK and the US have hardened their approach towards Israel in recent days after the killing of seven aid workers, including three Britons, by the Israel Defence Forces on April 1st. Mr Cameron on Sunday warned that the UKs support for Israel was not unconditional in response to the air strikes, and previously called for a full and transparent investigation to follow the IDFs initial report into the incident. ISO establishes new secretariat in China for cultural heritage conservation Global Times) 15:12, April 08, 2024 The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has established a new technical committee for cultural heritage conservation (ISO/TC 349), according to a recent announcement made by China's State Administration for Market Regulation. The new agenda's secretariat will be based in Beijing, China. Cultural policy expert Song Weiping told the Global Times that the decision will have a positive impact on "China's rich cultural heritage resources, its growing and perfecting management mechanism, and also the country's technological growth." The new ISO committee aims to further forge a global consensus on the conservation of cultural heritage. It aims to form standardized international terms that can be applied in cultural heritage management, such as the protection and restoration of cultural relics as well as the applied materials and equipment using for heritage conservation. Li Hasi, a cultural industry researcher in Shanghai, explained to the Global Times that the new agenda will serve as a "sharing platform," bringing together specialties from various countries and regions to collectively safeguard cultural legacies. "Taking Italy as an example, the country, much like China, possesses rich historical heritages. However, its management practices and conservation standards differ from those in China. Thus, the new committee can facilitate the exchange of resources between the two nations," Li told the Global Times. Including China and Italy, ISO/TC 349 comprises a total of 29 global participants such as Germany, France, the UK and Finland in Europe, as well as Kenya and Benin in Africa. Those countries, especially members such as Egypt, are living proof of human being's ancient civilizations. Xue Ruiming, an archaeologist specializing in Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25) Ancient Silk Road research, told the Global Times that he hopes the new Beijing secretariat can be a "resource hub for providing researchers with opportunities for international cooperation." Xue also emphasized that learning internationally reckoned standards on cultural heritage conservation can help Chinese experts to "communicate better with international academia." "I hope it is informative and open to researchers, so we can find how other peer researchers conduct their work in their own cultural context. Our work is hugely based on experience, so we need to learn and have exchanges," Xue told the Global Times. Another 13 countries, including Denmark, Singapore and the US, have joined the initiative as observers. These countries will come together to share their experiences in cultural heritage conservation. Such a global cultural community is also dedicated to coping with challenges that emerge during legacy conservation such as natural disasters. Founded in 1947 in London, the UK, the ISO is a non-governmental organization that develops worldwide standards. It is also a coordinating body of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The ISO covers numerous niche aspects such as environmental management standards, energy management standards, food safety standards and IT security standards. All members of ISO are representatives from member countries' national standards organizations. China, being a member to this international community, has made its own contributions. Under the category ISO/TR 37112 that focuses on sustainable cities and communities, the planning mechanism of China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City was highlighted as a case study by ISO to exemplify how smart city operating models support public-health emergency response. The China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City boasts a "Smart Management Map." It integrates data information with resource planning spatial information to form data on sectors such as vehicles, enterprises and constructions sites. These sectors have corresponding management functions. The map combines with another big data information facility called the "City Brain," which can provide efficient analysis of emergencies and strategies and provide solutions for them. "This is why we say China's technological advancement is valuable for the world's sustainable and smart growth. The country's technology has permeated through various sectors, and this is our development strategy to share with the world," Song told the Global Times. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Mecum Auctions returned to NRG Center last weekend on its annual tour across the country, helping spread other people's wealth for a commission. Jesus R. Garcia photo Mecum Auctions returned to NRG Center last weekend on its annual tour across the country, helping spread other people's wealth for a commission. Jesus R. Garcia photo The Mecum Auto Auction was held at NRG Center over the weekend. Jesus R. Garcia photo The Mecum Auto Auction was held last weekend at NRG Center. Jesus R. Garcia photo The Mecum Auto Auction was held last weekend at NRG Center. Jesus R. Garcia photo The Mecum Auto Auction was held last weekend at NRG Center. Jesus R. Garcia photo The Mecum Auto Auction was held last weekend at NRG Center. Jesus R. Garcia photo Mecum Auctions returned to NRG Center over the weekend on its annual tour across the country, helping spread other people's wealth for a commission. Where there are cars, there is money, and Dana Mecum understood that when he founded the company in 1988. Since 2011, Mecum has been hosting multiday auctions throughout the United States, selling hundreds of vehicles in the process. Certain cities have an appreciation for cars beyond personal transportation. Cities like Los Angeles, Miami and Scottsdale have a reputation for flexing metal. H-Town has a famously known love affair with the automobile, expressed in the annual Art Car Parade and catalog of car clubs. Heck, this is the city credited for jump-starting the Slabs and Swangas car culture scene. If you're unfamiliar with those terms, they're custom cars and exaggerated tire rims that extend outward long enough to be installed on Ben-Hur's racing chariot. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I made the three-hour pilgrimage from San Antonio to Houston for the show. Once I had my media pass around my neck, I stepped through the doors onto the Mecum red carpet and my ears began to ring with the rapid-fire cadence of the auctioneer spitting numbers and slamming down the hammer like a judge handing out life sentences. The Mecum Auto Auction was held last weekend at NRG Center. Jesus R. Garcia photo The crowd was split among the bidders sitting up front and the general crowd in the "nosebleed" section standing behind them, watching the action. There are two VIP sections given the "Gold" moniker. I had to speak to two security team members, their manager and a Mecum representative to gain access to this apparent high-roller stage to take a photo. Their reaction made me think they were worried I would sneak in and stuff my pockets with their mediocre hors d'oeuvres consisting of chicken wraps and honeydew on a stick. One positive aspect of attending a car auction of this caliber in 2024 is the variety of vehicles. Humanity has been tinkering with automobiles for over 120 years, resulting in some interesting parking configurations like a cherry 1967 Cadillac DeVille convertible placed next to an original 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser or a screen-used Fred Flintstone's Cavemobile parked next to Tony Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet NASCAR stock car, with the Green Hornet's Black Beauty custom Chrysler Imperial and Sheriff Jim Hopper's Chevrolet K5 Blazer from "Stranger Things," complete with bullet holes, behind them. Walking from one end of the venue to the other qualifies as a cardio workout as you stroll along, admiring the rows of polished chrome, clear coat patina, hand-waxed paint and cherished metal. I focused on the job with my ears to the ground to eavesdrop on people's conversations. Most conversations are about what color they would paint a particular vehicle, telling a story of a relative who bought one new back in the day or too busy wiping drool off their face and nursing their overpriced light beer in a plastic cup. I overheard several people calling vehicles by the wrong name, like nails on a chalkboard, but I knew that correcting them wasn't worth the effort. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The high rollers are easy to spot among the crowd of cargo shorts and automotive-themed T-shirts. They wear watches that cost more than my full-time salary, dressed in flashy leisure wear with slip-on boating shoes that could pass for pajamas and slippers. The excitement in the air is one you'd only find walking through a busy Las Vegas casino or horse track. You know that with every vehicle crossing the auction block, someone will make or lose money. For most attendees, the Mecum auction is an opportunity to gawk at dream cars in an air-conditioned building at the cost of a $30 entrance fee, or free if you're under 12. I have a personal connection with these kinds of events because I understand the mindset of a car collector. My father and I have about 20 vehicles in various stages of restoration and condition. Not because we have multiple commas on our bank statements but because we have the one commodity more valuable than money: space. A piece of land we call home where we can park our heaps of junk or 401(k) investments, depending on who you ask, free of any HOA, city code or nosy neighbor looking to make a fuss. The Mecum Auto Auction was held last weekend at NRG Center. Jesus R. Garcia photo This earned experience forms a trained eye to spot details when buying antique or restored cars and stay away from auctions where they serve you alcohol to loosen your wallet. I have enough trouble staying away from Facebook Marketplace. Giving me a line of credit at Mecum is like giving a kid a bag of sugar and a model train; it's going to go off the rails. But suppose you're not interested in being a caretaker to a desirable antique example of a consumer product. In that case, Mecum provides a family-friendly, memorable weekend activity where you can get close and touch museum-quality vehicles without the annoying velvet rope. Qantas has finally unveiled a long-awaited update to its frequent flyer program. But will it actually make using points easier? More than half the country are members of Qantas frequent flyer program, which has generated billions of dollars for the airline business over the past 35 years. Some Qantas flights do not have any points-redeemable option. Credit: Getty While this growth has been great for shareholders, it has also led to more complaints about how difficult it is to redeem points since flying resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic. There are rarely more than about four rewards seats available in a premium cabin on any given flight with any airline. In Qantas case this means more than 15 million members are fighting over a limited number of rewards seats and there are some flights without any points-redeemable options. A court order will force Hobarts Mona to allow men into its Ladies Lounge after a man successfully claimed the women-only space was discriminatory. The ruling of the Tasmania Civil and Administrative Tribunal said Mona must cease refusing entry to the Ladies Lounge by persons who do not identify as ladies, within 28 days. Kirsha Kaechele (left) and supporters arrive for a hearing in March. Credit: Charlotte Vignau NSW man Jason Lau argued that he was discriminated against because of his gender and was unable to fully experience Mona after paying his $35 entrance fee. Loading The women-only Ladies Lounge was created by Kirsha Kaechele, wife of Mona founder David Walsh. During the case, Monas counsel Catherine Scott conceded that the Ladies Lounge was discriminatory the whole point of the work was to provide equal opportunity for a disadvantaged group, that is, women, who had been historically excluded from many spaces, she said. Despite their argument, the tribunal found Lau was discriminated against contrary to the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998, and that discrimination was not permitted or excused by any provision in the Act. Fans of the world-famous series Bluey were shocked when the Heeler familys Brisbane home was put up for sale at the end of the latest episode. Now, ahead of a 28-minute special episode due to air this Sunday morning, the weatherboard Queenslander has now also been listed on the real estate website Domain. A quaint, animated family home nestled in an undisclosed Brisbane location, that could be in Red Hill or The Gap (well never tell), with mid-century design aesthetics offset by whimsical touches, the listing reads. Credit: Domain Viewers have started to speculate about what the change will mean for the show. Bet Chilli is pregnant and they need another room and have to get a bigger house, one fan said on Facebook. I feel like there should have been a family meeting before you just sprung this type of life-altering change on us, said another on X. Series creator and writer Joe Brumm told Domain the house itself had become a sort of fifth Heeler character. Some past episodes have touched on how a room can become imbued with memories and take on a life of its own. But families leave houses all the time, Brumm said. It happened to me as a kid around the same age Bluey and Bingo are, and then again a bit later on. I still remember it vividly. Brisbane workers are retiring younger than those anywhere else in the country, but the figures do not account for a large cohort of older professionals choosing to semi-retire on the Gold and Sunshine coasts. Analysis compiled by KPMG urban economist Terry Rawnsley showed Brisbane retirees were, on average, the youngest in the country. Across all men in Brisbane, including part-time workers, the average retirement age was 66.2 years, while for all women it was 64.4. But Rawnsley expected those ages to increase when older workers on the Gold and Sunshine coasts were factored in. Rawnsley suspected people who chose to retire in Brisbane tended to be younger, but those who moved from Brisbane to the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast extended their working lives by working part-time while enjoying their sea change. WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT When Ben and Steph Souvatzis arrived at Wangaratta hospital with their unwell toddler during a family holiday in 2021, they say they were confronted with chaos. With the pandemic still in full swing, Ben Souvatzis said, disorganisation, panic and disagreements between staff were rife as he stood cradling semiconscious Noah in the waiting line of the emergency department. Noah Souvatzis loved to smile and play at the park. Hours after arriving, he said, he was handed back his 19-month-old floppy and pale, after a doctor on his first locum shift discharged the boy in what the family says was a worse state than the one in which he arrived. 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 When Israel declared war against Hamas last October, it stood unified at home and enjoyed broad backing from around the world following an unprecedented attack by the Islamic militant group. Six months later, Israel finds itself in a far different place: bogged down in Gaza, divided domestically, isolated internationally and increasingly at odds with its closest ally. The risk of a broader regional war remains real. Palestinians walk through the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive after the IDF withdrew from Khan Younis on Sunday. Credit: AP Despite Israels fierce military onslaught, Hamas is still standing, if significantly weakened. The offensive has pushed Gaza into a humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 80 per cent of the population and leaving more than a million people on the brink of starvation. Israel still hasnt presented a postwar vision acceptable to its partners, and ceasefire talks remain at a standstill. Here are six takeaways from the first six months of war. Battlefield stalemate Israel declared war in response to Hamas October 7 cross-border attack, when 1200 people were killed, most of them civilians, and about 250 others were kidnapped. Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set two objectives: destroying Hamas and bringing home the hostages. His goals remain elusive despite his repeated pledges to achieve total victory. After steadily conquering most of Gaza in a bruising offensive, Israeli ground troops are in a holding pattern marked by small tactical operations and uncertainty over whether the army will march into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Hamas last significant stronghold. Israel announced on Monday it had withdrawn troops from Khan Younis to regroup for the Rafah offensive. Israeli broadcaster Channel 13 TV reported that Israel was preparing to begin evacuating Rafah within a week and the process could take several months. Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to invade Rafah, but he faces broad international opposition including from crucial ally the United States because of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians sheltering there. Netanyahu claims to have a plan to evacuate the civilians, but it isnt clear whether it is ready or would satisfy the Americans. Even if Israel does invade Rafah, there is no guarantee of long-term success. Although Hamas appears to have suffered heavy losses, its forces have managed to regroup in areas abandoned by the Israeli Defence Forces. At the same time, Israel hasnt been able to halt the daily attacks it faces on its northern front from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. In contrast to Hamas, Hezbollahs much larger arsenal remains intact, leaving the fate of tens of thousands of uprooted civilians on both sides of the border up in the air. Advertisement The tensions have threatened to drag in Hezbollahs sponsor, Iran, especially after an airstrike widely attributed to Israel killed two Iranian generals in neighbouring Syria this week. Growing isolation Israel enjoyed broad international support following the October 7 massacre, which was the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust. However, that goodwill has been replaced by impatience and outrage as conditions in Gaza worsen. People walk through destroyed buildings on Sunday after the IDF pulled out of Khan Younis. Credit: Getty Loading More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials whose death toll doesnt distinguish between civilians and fighters. International aid officials say roughly a third of Gazas population is dealing with catastrophic hunger. Initial expressions of solidarity from Israels allies have given way to calls for a halt to the fighting. Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice, also known as the UN World Court, is looking into genocide allegations against Israel and has ordered Israel to do more to protect Gazas civilians. Advertisement This isolation appeared to peak on March 25, when the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire. The US infuriated Israel by allowing the resolution to pass. Things have only worsened for Israel since then, especially after it killed seven aid workers, including an Australian, in what it says was an errant airstrike. Six of the victims were volunteers from countries allied with Israel, antagonising them and outraging US President Joe Biden. The alleged Israeli airstrike on an Irans embassy in Syria and Netanyahus efforts to shutter the Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera have further alienated allies. Israel is divided After a period of broad unity early in the war, Israel has returned to its divided self with its polarising leader at the centre of the storm. Weekly protests against the government have grown and attract thousands. They are rooted in longstanding grievances against Netanyahu from his political alliances with far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties to his open-ended corruption trial. However, they have drawn new strength from his failure to bring home the hostages. Roughly half of the hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November. Israel says 134 remain in captivity. Protesters start a fire at a Tel Aviv protest calling for the release of all hostages, and against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government last week. Credit: Getty Israel has already declared more than 30 hostages dead and there are widespread fears that the true number is higher and will continue to rise the longer they are held. Advertisement The plight of the hostages and the anguished cries of their families have resonated deeply with the Israeli public. Some hostage families were among the tens of thousands of people who took to the streets this week calling on the government to resign. It was the largest anti-government demonstration since the war began. Netanyahu isnt going anywhere Netanyahus popularity has plummeted since the outbreak of the war, with many holding him responsible for the intelligence and security failures that allowed the October 7 attack to occur. Yet he has rebuffed calls to resign or launch investigations into what went wrong. Netanyahu faces no immediate threat to his rule. For now, his coalition partners, also facing likely losses at the polls, remain firmly behind him. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit: AP Ironically, the biggest immediate threat to Netanyahu is only peripherally related to the war. Israels Supreme Court has ordered a halt to a long-standing controversial system of exempting ultra-Orthodox men from compulsory military service. Netanyahu will have a tough time continuing this system as more than 600 soldiers have been killed since October 7. But if he tries to force religious men into military service, he could lose the support of his ultra-Orthodox partners and be forced into early elections. Advertisement Owner-occupier loans also up The ABS report also showed that the value of new owner-occupier loans saw a 9.1% increase from the previous year, with first-home buyer loans jumping 20.7% over the same period. The total number of new owner-occupier loans grew by 0.9% in February, with first-home buyer loans seeing a 4.3% increase, marking a 13.2% rise year-on-year. Rental conditions saw a slight improvement in March, though renters should expect little respite, said Anne Flaherty (pictured above), economist at PropTrack. The vacancy rate across Australias capital cities remained at the second lowest level on record, at 1.08%, with a slightly better situation in regional areas at 1.17%. This new tax turns existing tax policy on its head by treating the increase in the price of an asset as income received during the income year. Furthermore, when the asset is eventually sold, the capital gain may be subject to capital gains tax, subjecting taxpayers to double taxation. A wave of cyclists take off from the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Hundreds of cyclists cue up at the start line of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A wave of cyclists take off from the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Detail on a cyclists helmet at the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A wave of cyclists take off from the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A man with a dog in a basket at the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A ride marshal reflected in his rear view mirror at the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A cyclist pins a bib on another cyclist at the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire looks at his watch at the start line of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A cyclist takes a photo at the start line of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A wave of cyclists take off from the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer The first wave of cyclists leave the start line of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Cyclists prepare to begin the ride at the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A ride marshal with a stuffed tiger tail hanging out of his bike helmet at the start line of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Cyclists prepare to begin the ride at the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A wave of cyclists take off from the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A wave of cyclists take off from the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Cyclists prepare to begin the ride at the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Hundreds of cyclists cue up at the start line of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Wendy Fernandez basked in the midday sun, radiating a sense of quiet pride after her first Tour de Houston finish Sunday. Smoothing out the route map in front of her, Fernandez explained she is a breast cancer survivor about a year-and-a half into remission. Shed taken up biking, her husbands hobby, after she found it difficult to run or weight lift after four months of chemotherapy. Last year, I couldnt even do a mile. So that was my goal, that this year, I would do at least 20, Fernandez said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Fernandez was one of thousands of Houstonians who rose before the sun to participate in the 17th annual citywide bike ride, which also had a 40-mile and 60-mile route, in a celebration of individual triumph and of community spirit. Athletes filled downtowns Discovery Green, the start and finish of the route, for the second time after years of the event being located at City Hall. A wave of cyclists take off from the start of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer One perk of the relatively new location was the ample photo opportunities. Even after biking 40 miles, Cameron Shipp had more than enough energy to lift his bike high above his head and pump it up-and-down, beaming in front of a sign reading HOU as his partner snapped pictures to commemorate his first race. A year ago, Shipp said he wouldve never imagined himself taking on a challenge of this magnitude. But it was possible with the support of his bike team Street Ridaz, based in Third Ward. I love the fact that we get out there and we get it done and we push each other, but also when one of us is falling behind sometimes, theyll get back in there and motivate you. Hey Cameron, you can do it, you can do it, Shipp said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Golam Mohiuddin, a civil engineer who specializes in floodplain management, said he bikes in his free time to explore the bayous around Houston. Sunday, he took part in the Tour de Houston for the first time in part to get off his beaten paths. The best part was, you get to see some of the parts of the city you dont see too often, Mohiuddin said. Amid the throng of bikers, supporters and vendors milling about Discovery Green, one figure stood out: a man decked head-to-toe in a costume of Mysterio, a Marvel Comics villain featured in 2019s Spiderman: Far from Home. Jose Gonzales was heading back to his car after leaving Collect-A-Con, a pop culture and anime convention, in the adjacent George R. Brown Convention Center. I love how Discovery Green is. Theres always little festivals, youre out in the sun, youre just enjoying yourself, Gonzales said while looking around at the bikers walking by. A cyclist takes a photo at the start line of the Tour de Houston at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Houston. Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation is a fundraising bike ride that benefits Houston Parks and Recreation Department's RE-Plant Houston Program. Karen Warren/Staff photographer This years Tour de Houston doubled as a fundraiser for the citys reforestation program, RE-Plant Houston. Earlier in the year, there was apprehension that the annual event would be canceled after uncertainty of whether its title sponsor Apache Corporation would continue to fund the ride. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rodney Johnson, who participated in his tenth Tour de Houston Sunday, was adamant that the city needs to ensure the event would continue for years to come. A lifelong Houstonian, he believed the bike ride was a family-friendly activity that showcased the best of the citys diversity, camaraderie and vibrancy. For example, someone fell over during his ride, and many bikers turned around, stopped and checked on that person, Johnson said. If this city could be like this every day, where people just got along, and there wasnt all this division whether its politics or race This is what my city is supposed to look like. This is what its supposed to be. So as long as they have (Tour de Houston), Im going to do it, he said. U.S. President Donald Trump is being assailed for suggesting patriotic education for American youth. (Photo: REUTERS/Tom Brenner) Former President Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, has reportedly been workshopping a controversial plan to end the Ukraine war that would involve pressuring the American ally to give up some of its territory to the invading Russian forces. According to sources familiar with the plan who spoke to the Washington Post, Trump believes that both Russia and Ukraine "want to save face, they want a way out," and that citizens in the occupied Ukrainian territories would be okay with being assimilated into Russia. The reported plan, which would see Ukraine give up Crimea and the Donbas border region to Moscow in exchange for a cease-fire, has drawn sharp criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stated that his nation would not surrender any of its land to the invading Russian forces, and the proposed concession would expand the reach of Russian President Vladimir Putin's dictatorship after what has been the biggest land war in Europe since World War II. Trump's campaign adviser, Jason Miller, slammed the Washington Post report as "fake news," insisting that his boss will not settle on a peace plan until he is in office and can properly weigh all the options. "The whole thing is fake news from the Washington Post. They're just making it up," Miller told The New York Post. "President Trump is the only one talking about stopping the killing. Joe Biden is talking about more killing." The reported plan represents a significant shift from the current administration's goals, which seek to provide long-term support to Ukraine to defend itself against Moscow and prevent the Russian state from encroaching further into Eastern Europe. Much of Trump's talk on the campaign trail and with congressional Republicans regarding Ukraine revolves around resisting the Biden administration's call to provide additional funding to Kyiv, which is still experiencing a shortage in ammunition. Some of Trump's supporters have been trying to persuade him against the reported plan. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who spends "100 percent of [his] time talking to Trump about Ukraine," stated that Putin "has to pay a price. He can't win at the end of this." Graham revealed that he advised Trump against letting Russia have the land it wants and would like Trump to support Ukraine's path towards NATO membership. "The way you end this war to me is you make sure Ukraine gets into NATO and the EU," Graham said. "He (Trump) doesn't say much about that. I don't know if he's thought too much about it." Information about Trump's plan concerning Ukraine reportedly emerged in Washington last November during a meeting at the Heritage Foundation between center-rightists and the European Council Delegation on Foreign Relations. According to multiple people present for the meeting, Michael Anton, Trump's former aide in the White House, described the expected contours of Trump's peace plan as Ukraine ceding territory in Crimea and Donbas, limiting NATO expansion, and enticing Putin to loosen his growing reliance on China. Anton, who was contacted by the Washington Post by phone in March, denied knowing anything about Trump's plan for Ukraine and said he hadn't spoken with Trump in 18 to 24 months. He did not respond to further questions. Trump has often boasted that if he were chosen as president, he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours, but has provided no details on how he would achieve this. The former president's reported plan has sparked intense debate about the future of the conflict and the role of the United States in supporting its allies and promoting stability in the region. As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Trump's stance on the Ukraine war and his reported plan to pressure the nation into ceding territory to Russia are likely to be a major point of contention. Critics argue that such a move would reward Putin's aggression and undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, while supporters claim that it could bring an end to the deadly conflict and prevent further escalation. Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks at a campaign town hall meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., November 24, 2019. (Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters) Authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with a fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders' Vermont office that is being investigated as arson. Shant Soghomonian, 35, also known as Michael Soghomonian, previously of Northridge, California, was arrested Sunday on charges of using fire to damage a building in Burlington, Vermont, where Sanders' office is located, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The incident took place on Friday morning when Soghomonian allegedly entered the building and went to the third floor, where Sanders' Burlington office is situated. Security video footage shows the suspect spraying a liquid near the outer door of the office before igniting the area with a hand-held lighter, resulting in a blaze, the DOJ said. The fire caused damage to the outside of the door to Sanders' office and surrounding areas, triggering sprinklers to discharge on multiple floors of the building. Although multiple employees of Sanders' were present in the office at the time, no physical injuries were reported during the incident. The number of other occupants in the building remains unknown, but no injuries have been reported, officials added. In a statement released Sunday, Sanders expressed his gratitude for the swift response from law enforcement. "I am deeply grateful to the swift, professional, coordinated efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in response to the fire at my Vermont office on Friday," he said. "I am also thankful that none of the many people who were in the office building at the time of the fire were injured." The senator also acknowledged the outpouring of support he and his staff have received, stating, "I appreciate the outpouring of support and well-wishes for me and my staff. We are proud to be able to continue to serve Vermonters during these challenging times." On Friday, firefighters were dispatched to the building housing Sanders' sole congressional office in the state. They discovered "a fire in the vestibule between the elevator and the entrance door to [Sanders'] office," according to a news release from the fire department. Kathryn Van Haste, Sanders' state director, confirmed in a statement on Friday that no staff members in the building were harmed during the incident. Sanders was not present in the building at the time of the fire. Soghomonian's initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, he faces a potential penalty of five to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. It remains unclear whether Soghomonian has entered a plea. Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak expressed her gratitude to law enforcement and partners for their efforts in apprehending the suspect. "A special thank you to Burlington Police Department detectives, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office for the integral role they played in bringing swift resolution to this investigation," Mulvaney-Stanak said in a statement. She also offered support to Sanders' staff, stating, "My office has offered the support of the Burlington Community Justice Center to Senator Sanders's staff, and we will continue to be in close communication as their office navigates the impacts of this incident." The arson attack on Sanders' office has raised concerns about the safety of elected officials and their staff members. As the investigation continues, authorities will work to determine the motive behind the incident and ensure that appropriate measures are taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future. U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to the Marine One helicopter to depart for travel to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 27, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria) At a recent fundraising event in Palm Beach, Florida, hosted by hedge fund billionaire John Paulson and his fiancee Alina de Almeida, former President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, were the center of attentionnot just for their high-profile status but for their body language, which was dissected by expert Judi James. The event, commanding a ticket price of $250,000 per person, saw a gathering of the political and financial elite at Paulson's residence. Judi James, a seasoned body language analyst, provided insights into the couple's dynamics during their appearance. In her assessment, Melania Trump epitomized precision and grace, likened to a meticulously groomed topiary. Donald Trump, in contrast, was compared to knotweed, symbolizing a more dominant and untamed presence. "If Melania were a plant shed be Topiary: well-groomed, well-manicured, and with not one move, expression, or hair out of place. Her husband though would be more like Knotweed: dominant, disheveled, and hard to budge once its taken root," James explained to The Mirror. The expert pointed out the couple's contrasting approaches to public displays of affection (PDA) and overall demeanor. While Donald Trump seemed inclined towards spontaneous gestures, Melania maintained a composed and elegant stance. Past instances were cited where Melania appeared to reject her husband's attempts at hand-holding, further illustrating their disparate body language. During the event, a noticeable delay in Melania's response to Donald Trump's hand-holding gesture sparked speculation. James observed, "On arrival, Melanias expression is looking rather fierce and as Donald holds his hand out to clasp hers in an emphatic announcement gesture, Melanias hand appears to be coming out of her pocket in a delayed response suggesting she was either not expecting the hand-hold that ensued or maybe preferring to avoid it." The gala, a significant fundraising effort for Donald Trump, comes in the wake of President Joe Biden's campaign reporting a substantial financial lead, having raised $90 million in March alone. The Trump campaign, in an attempt to narrow this financial gap, invited a host of influential guests, including South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, both rumored to be considered for vice president in Trump's campaign. The event's guest list read like a who's who of wealthy political figures and financial backers, featuring names such as billionaire hedge fund manager Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, casino mogul Steve Wynn and wife Andrea, oil tycoon Harold Hamm, Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, and grocery store chain CEO John Catsimatidis, as reported by the Daily Mail. This gathering not only highlighted the Trump campaign's efforts to fortify its financial standing but also underscored the nuanced interplay of public and private personas among America's political elite. This event, aimed at supporting Trump's bid for the presidency in 2024, successfully raised $50.5 million, a significant achievement compared to the $26 million raised by President Joe Biden's campaign at a recent gathering featuring former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama in New York City's Radio City Music Hall. "This has been some incredible evening before it even starts, because people, they wanted to contribute to a cause of making America great again, and that's what's happened," Trump stated upon arrival with his wife, asserting their commitment to the campaign's motto. Despite this show of support, reactions to Melania Trump's presence at the event were mixed, with some observers on social media questioning her enthusiasm for her potential return as First Ladya role she has maintained a notably low profile in since leaving the White House. Comments ranged from speculative remarks about her apparent lack of joy to comparisons with a "hostage video," as noted by Ron Filipkowski, attorney and editor-in-chief of Meidas Touch, and others expressing sympathy for her perceived reluctance. Conversely, Trump supporters interpreted Melania Trump's appearance as a positive signal of her involvement in the campaign. A supporter declared on X, formerly known as Twitter, "For all you leftists in the media asking, 'Where's Melania?' Well there's your answer...on the campaign trail raising nearly $51M dollars with the next President of the United States." Melania Trump's participation in the campaign trail has been sporadic, with a few appearances at Mar-a-Lago and maintaining a low profile during Trump's 2020 campaign. This contrasts with her active role in the 2016 campaign, which ultimately saw Donald Trump elected to the presidency. The former First Lady is slated to increase her political engagements with a scheduled appearance at a fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans at Mar-a-Lago on April 20. This event marks her first major political endeavor of the year, signaling a potential uptick in her participation in the 2024 presidential race. Universities Impose Penalties on Students Involved in Disruptive Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations (Photo: Google Maps/Screenshot) In a shift from previous responses to anti-Israel protests on campus, several college presidents and leaders are taking a firmer stance against disruptive demonstrations that have been viewed as antisemitic. In recent days, at least three colleges have expelled, warned, or suspended students for their involvement in these protests, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr issued a stern warning to students on Friday, stating, "Any participants in today's events... who turn out to be Pomona students, are subject to immediate suspension. Students from the other Claremont Colleges will be banned from Pomona's campus and subject to discipline on their own campuses." The warning came after an estimated 150 people and students protested outside Starr's office in a campus administrative building, storming the building and refusing to leave over the removal of a pro-Palestinian "mock apartheid wall" on campus. At least 20 people were arrested, and several students reportedly used a "sickening, anti-black racial slur in addressing an administrator," according to Starr's letter. This protest is just one of many that have hit college campuses since war broke out in Israel in October of last year. Jewish students nationwide have reported feeling unsafe as cases of antisemitism increase, and have called on school leaders to take action. Some students have even filed lawsuits against schools for allegedly not adequately responding to antisemitism on campus. Israel's special envoy for combating antisemitism, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, told Fox News in an interview last year that the war marked a "moment of reckoning" for colleges as cases of antisemitism increased. "This is a moment of reckoning... for universities, for social media spaces, for elected officials. It's a moment of reckoning for what we have enabled for far too long in that moral ambiguity, if you will. This is a time for moral clarity and courage in calling out the moral ambiguity," she said. Late last year, the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT were grilled by Congress about their handling of antisemitism on their respective campuses. Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik had fiery exchanges with the trio, pressing them to answer if "calling for the genocide of Jews" violates the schools' codes of conduct. The presidents of Harvard and Penn, Claudine Gay and Liz Magill, respectively, came under fire for answering that such comments would violate the codes of conduct depending on the "context." Both presidents subsequently resigned from their positions after widespread condemnation from Jewish communities nationwide, alumni, and students. In the last few days alone, more college leaders appear to be laying down the law on anti-Israel protesters who disrupt campus activities with slogans such as "one solution, intifada revolution." The University of Michigan announced a "disruptive activity policy" last week that creates new penalties for students who disrupt university events, while Vanderbilt University reportedly expelled three students, suspended another, and put 20 more on probation for taking part in a sit-in protest where students allegedly pushed through security before the protest devolved into arrests. Columbia University also announced last week that it suspended students who took part in the "Resistance 101" event late last month, which featured speakers such as Khaled Barakat, who is reportedly a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a designated terrorist organization in the U.S. that advocates for the destruction of Israel. School President Minouche Shafik wrote in a letter to the school community, "On March 24, an event took place at a campus residential facility that the University had already barred, twice, from occurring. It featured speakers who are known to support terrorism and promote violence. I want to state for the record that this event is an abhorrent breach of our values." Despite some colleges taking a tougher stance on anti-Israel protests, other schools are still grappling with frenzied demonstrations. Chaos broke out on Rutgers University's campus on Thursday during a town hall, requiring police to usher out Jewish students and school officials. The town hall was held by the Rutgers University Student Assembly regarding two boycott, divestment, and sanctions referendums on severing ties with Tel Aviv University and divesting any connections to Israel. Octavia Johnson is a general assignment reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at octavia.johnson@houstonchronicle.com. Before joining the Chronicle, Octavia worked as a digital content producer at WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tenn., where she became a leader in producing fast paced, audience-focused content. Octavia graduated from UNC Pembroke with a bachelor's degree in journalism before earning her master's degree in media and communications at Norfolk State University. 1. What's the BF Industrial Te share price today? BF Industrial Te share price was Rs 111.75 at close on 23rd May 2011 . BF Industrial Te share price was up by 0.00 % over the previous closing price of Rs 16.50 . BF Industrial Te share price trend: Last 1 Month: BF Industrial Te share price moved down by % on _ Last 3 Months: BF Industrial Te share price moved down by % on _ Last 12 Months: BF Industrial Te share price moved down by % on _ Last 3 Years: BF Industrial Te price moved down by % on _ 2. How can I quickly analyse the performance of the BF Industrial Te stock? The performance of the BF Industrial Te stock can be quickly analysed on the following metrics: The stock's PE is _ Price to book value ratio is _ Dividend yield of _ The EPS (trailing 12 months) of the BF Industrial Te stock is Rs _ 3. 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Key changes to the BF Industrial Te shareholding are as follows: Jhair Romero is the Latino communities reporter for the Houston Chronicle, covering the businesses, politics and cultures of the growing Hispanic population across Greater Houston and Texas. He was part of a team that won first place in investigative reporting at the 2024 National Headliner Awards for coverage that exposed the escalating human costs of Operation Lone Star. Before joining the newsroom as a full-time reporter in December 2022, he was a Chronicle summer intern while studying at the University of Houston. Jhair is a South Florida native, but hes called Houston home since 2015. Reach him at jhair.romero@houstonchronicle.com. Imagination Technologies today unveils the next product in the Catapult CPU IP range, the Imagination APXM-6200 CPU: a RISC-V application processor with compelling performance density, seamless security and the artificial intelligence capabilities needed to support the compute and intuitive user experience needs for next generation consumer and industrial devices. The number of RISC-V based devices is skyrocketing with over 16Bn units forecast by 2030, and the consumer market is behind much of this growth, says Rich Wawrzyniak, Principal Analyst at SHD Group. One fifth of all consumer devices will have a RISC-V based CPU by the end of this decade. Imagination is set to be a force in RISC-V with a strategy that prioritises quality and ease of adoption. Products like APXM-6200 are exactly what will help RISC-V achieve the promised success. The APXM-6200 CPU is a 64-bit, in-order application processor with an 11 stage, dual-issue pipeline that delivers a 65% improvement in normalised performance and 2.5x improvement in normalised performance density compared to equivalent CPUs already on the market. Customers can choose between single-, dual- and quad-core configurations depending on their performance requirements, with per-core power control for maximum system efficiency, and cache coherency. AI capabilities are underpinned by support for the RISC-V vector extensions along with fast data-coupling for AI accelerators. Imagination removes the barriers for companies looking to benefit from RISC-V based designs, says Shreyas Derashri, Vice President of Compute, Imagination Technologies. We are heavily investing in the open-source software ecosystem so that when APXM-6200 ships in silicon, the software stacks will be available and performant. On the hardware side, our engineering team follows a rigorous design and verification process, perfected over Imaginations thirty years experience of designing and supporting complex semiconductor IP, to ensure that Catapult CPUs are of the highest quality and built with customer satisfaction in mind. Imagination has shown leadership both within the RISC-V community and across the industry with dedication to bringing compelling innovations to market, said Calista Redmond, CEO of RISC-V International. Imaginations strategic investment in RISC-V is a fantastic example of the unique design potential that only RISC-V offers through a set of modular standard specifications together with proprietary differentiation." Ease of Design Migration with Customer Flexibility Imaginations RISC-V solution includes the Catapult SDK (Software Development Kit) which provides everything an embedded developer needs to write, build, and debug software for the target application, including a new set of vector compute libraries to boost performance for AI workloads. Outside of the SDK, Imagination also offers an extension for Microsofts popular Visual Studio Code Integrated Development Environment (IDE): the Catapult Studio extension. Now, any Visual Studio user can visit the Marketplace and install the Catapult extension into their regular development environment. Included are QEMU (Quick Emulator) and Catapult software models, that developers can start using to build and run RISC-V software today, ahead of hardware availability. In the AI-powered, connected world of today, security is paramount for both consumer and industrial applications. With the proliferation of RISC-V, seamless migration to established security frameworks is imperative. APXM-6200 can be easily designed into a SoC without compromising security thanks to a multi-domain isolation solution that integrates seamlessly with well-known and established security frameworks. APXM-6200 is Android and Linux ready. It is expected to ship in devices such as Smart TVs, Smart Home Hubs and Digital Signage, many of which also require a GPU to handle the graphical user interface. As the industry's preferred supplier of GPU IP for RISC-V based SoCs, Imagination is uniquely able to design the CPU, GPU system to deliver better performance. Bus utilisation is doubled and memory traffic halved when APXM-6200 is paired with an Imagination GPU. In addition, we are partnering with trusted industry leaders like Lauterbach and ProvenRun to expedite our customers' route to market, ensuring timely deployment at reduced costs. Security is a fundamental concern for the electronics industry, says Thierry Chesnais, CEO, ProvenRun. As chips grow in complexity and cost, designers need to be able to source the best IP for their use case without introducing unwanted risk or redesigning the security architecture. ProvenRun is working alongside Imagination on the development of ProvenCore TEE support for APXM-6200 to ensure that its security package meets industry standards and can be supported by our products and services. The tools market is ready to support companies interested in building with RISC-V IP, says Stephan Lauterbach, Chief Technology Officer, and Managing Director, Lauterbach GmbH. For example, our Lauterbach TRACE32 toolset allows designers to debug and control any RISC-V core in any SoC, including those in Imaginations Catapult range. Today we are announcing a partnership with Imagination not only support APXM-6200 but also to work together towards the wider success of RISC-V. This means that companies can invest in RISC-V products safe in the knowledge that they can get their products to market quickly and at the quality levels their customers expect. To learn more, visit Imagination Technologies at Embedded World, Hall 4, Booth 4-659, from 9-11 April, or visit www.imaginationtech.com/cpu, to sign up for information about the Imagination Catapult CPU range. About Imagination Technologies Imagination is a UK-based company that creates silicon and software IP (intellectual property) designed to give its customers an edge in competitive global technology markets. Its GPU, CPU, and AI technologies enable outstanding power, performance, and area (PPA), fast time-to-market, and lower total cost of ownership. Products based on Imagination IP are used by billions of people across the globe in their smartphones, cars, homes, and workplaces. See https://www.imaginationtech.com/ for more. Imagination, PowerVR, and the Imagination Technologies logo are trademarks of Imagination Technologies Limited and/or its affiliated group companies in the United Kingdom and/or other countries. All other logos, products, trademarks, and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408186158/en/ Procter & Gamble Health Limited News Summary On the occasion of World Health Day, Procter & Gamble Health Limited announced its collaboration with HelpAge India to launch a New Mobile Healthcare Unit (MHU) in Palghar district of Maharashtra. P&G Health has been partnering with HelpAge India since 2020 to support healthcare needs of disadvantaged elderly populations through HelpAges Mobile Healthcare Program in Assam, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar, & also providing survival kits with basic amenities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Shown is how the High Resolution Rapid Refresh model expects radar to look Monday evening across the Lone Star State. One cluster of thunderstorms is forecast to impact the Piney Woods of East Texas and a second round is forecast to develop along the dry line in the Panhandle. Either cluster of storms will be capable of producing large hail and a few tornadoes. WeatherBELL The country's last total solar eclipse for nearly 20 years will move through the Lone Star State on Monday. The path of totality, which will stretch from Eagle Pass to Texarkana, is expected to be plagued with clouds and showers. All eyes will again turn skyward through Monday evening as strong storms bring the risk of large hail and tornadoes to much of Texas. Not an ideal eclipse forecast If you're venturing out early Monday morning to chase the total solar eclipse, you may want to try your hand in North Texas. The forecast here, while still not perfect, is the most likely to yield overall good viewing conditions for Monday's total solar eclipse. If you're able to travel toward the northern extent of totality in the state, near and north of Dallas-Fort Worth, both high level and low level clouds look to be at a minimum early Monday afternoon. Advertisement Article continues below this ad WHAT A PARTIAL ECLIPSE MEANS FOR HOUSTON: Monday's solar eclipse will be a partial one in Houston, Southeast Texas South Texas, the first in line to experience the darkness of totality, is less than ideal. It's here that the cloud cover forecast is a bit murkier, with mostly cloudy skies expected from Austin to west of San Antonio. One potential area of South Texas to set your compass to is Del Rio. The forecast here shows cloud cover of between 60 and 70%, with thin high level clouds favored over thicker rain-making cumulus clouds. Still, even in this location the total solar eclipse will be much more obscured compared with what our friends in the northern half of the state will likely experience. Large hail, tornadoes possible The excitement over the total solar eclipse may get eclipsed by the risk of strong thunderstorms across the state through Monday evening. After the breathlessness of totality wears off, the Storm Prediction Center suggests nearly 20 million Texans will be at risk of strong and severe thunderstorms. Showers with embedded thunderstorms are likely to be develop across Southeast Texas by late Monday morning. Instability during this period should be lacking, so severe storms before the eclipse aren't part of the forecast. Advertisement Article continues below this ad STAY SAFE: Here are five ways to stay safe during Texas thunderstorms As the day goes on and temperatures rebound from their brief drop during totality, thunderstorms are forecast to grow considerably in number and intensity. The latest high-resolution models show numerous strong storms from Austin to Dallas-Fort Worth by the early evening, with a secondary round developing along the dry line in the Texas Panhandle. Storms will pose a tornado risk as supercells develop through Monday evening, especially from North Texas to the Piney Woods to Austin. Those same supercells bring the highest risk of large hail, particularly from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to Wichita Falls. Hail in some of the strongest cells that develop is likely to exceed 2 inches in diameter Monday evening, which is certainly capable of causing extensive damage to cars and homes. Severe winds of 60 mph or higher will also be a possibility through Monday evening as storms become more linear in nature. Multi-day severe weather risk The risk of strong storms will mainly be confined to areas north of Houston Monday, but that may not be the case by Tuesday. Granular details like exact timing and the evolution of Tuesday's severe risk this far out are unreliable, but it does appear as though storms will come in several waves. The first wave could impact the early morning drive, with heavy rain likely to slow down commute times across Houston. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If theres one car that can be considered as the king of reinvention, its the Hyundai Santa Fe. In the five generations its been around, e... Polish cement producers voice concern over Ukraine imports Muriel Bal By 08 April 2024 The Association of Polish Cement Producers has raised concerns over the 350 per cent surge in cement imports from Ukraine. "The scale of imports from Ukraine is growing almost every month, reaching nearly 50 per cent of total imports in January 2024. These volumes are deeply concerning," remarked the association's Zbigniew Pilch. In 2023 Ukraine exported 330,000t of cement to Poland, while domestic production in the latter fell by 11.9 per cent YoY to 16.6Mt. The association cites issues of unfair competition and environmental standards in the industry and has prompted calls for regulatory intervention. Mr Pilch highlighted that Ukrainian cement producers are not required to comply with the same climate policies as their Polish counterpart. In addition, due to the local nature of the market with producers favouring short distances due to the high cost of long-distance transport, cement producers in the east of the country face increased competition. The Association of Polish Cement Producers has called for legislative support to incentivise the adoption of more environmentally friendly technologies within the industry, citing it as the only viable solution to safeguard the competitiveness of Polish cement producers, reports bne Intellinews. Published under John Whitmire speaks as the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association announced its endorsement of him for the Houston mayoral race Saturday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer At the heart of Houstons yearslong battle with its firefighters which recently ended in a landmark settlement is the notion that the citys firefighter pay lags far behind that of other major Texas cities. But a detailed examination of these departments pay packages shows the comparison is more nuanced. The settlement is set to become the first labor contract that Houston firefighters have had since negotiations between the city and the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 341 first broke down in 2017. Combining $650 million in back pay, salary raises of up to 34% and interest from a possible bond to finance the payments, the agreement will cost Houston taxpayers more than $1 billion and take decades to pay off, city officials estimate. Union leaders have long pointed out the stark difference in base salaries between Houston firefighters and those in other large Texas cities. A first-year classified firefighter in Houston earns a base salary of $51,843, compared with $57,576 in San Antonio, $64,954 in Austin, $69,033 in Fort Worth and $70,314 in Dallas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A closer look at the overall compensation structure including weekly work hours, take-home pay, overtime and additional perks calls into question whether Houston firefighters pay package has been low enough to justify the massive cost the city will spend to settle the case. While Houston firefighters are not the worst paid by every metric, they would require higher wages and more incentives to be fully competitive with their peers. A data analysis by the Houston Chronicle shows that the new contract, set to go into effect in three months, will make their salary and benefits among the best in the state. Whitmire, a major proponent of the contract, said it fulfills a major campaign promise and one that will ultimately assist with recruitment and retention efforts. We cannot recruit firefighter cadets. We cannot retain firefighters who put their lives on the line each and every day, Whitmire said in a recent City Council meeting. I campaigned on it. I made the commitment to resolve it and quit kicking the can down the road. That's what Houstonians expect. Houston firefighters shorter workweek under scrutiny The Houston Fire Department operates on a unique schedule that splits its workforce into four rotating platoons, each working an average of 24 hours for every three days off. The department has a standard 46.7-hour workweek, Finance Director Melissa Dubowski said. After accounting for time off, first-year Houston firefighters clocked in an average of 40 hours per week in 2023, according to City Attorney Arturo Michel. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This stands in contrast to Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio, where the firefighters are divided into three groups with a standard workweek ranging from 53 to 56 hours. As a result, Houston's pay surpasses San Antonio's when broken down by an hourly rate. The promised $650 million in back pay in the latest agreement also effectively raised Houston firefighters' past earnings to an even higher level. Houston firefighters are now poised to see pay hikes of 24% over the next five years, or 34% should the city find new public safety revenues. In either case, Houston has proposed a collective first-year pay increase of 10% for its firefighters, who number around 3,700. Dubowski said the city and the union are still negotiating how the raise will be distributed to firefighters of different ranks. She presented an illustrative scenario where firefighters who are not supervisors receive a slightly higher raise of 12%, while engineers, operators and supervisory staff get more modest pay increases between 6% and 9%. This means Houston's first-year firefighters hourly rate might exceed those in San Antonio and Austin and match that of their peers in Fort Worth starting this July. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Kelly Dowe, former finance director and chief financial officer under former Mayors Annise Parker and Sylvester Turner, pushed back on the narrative that Houston firefighters were severely underpaid and in need of significant raises. He pointed to the three-year 18% salary increases that Turner granted firefighters in a 2021 ordinance, which he said erodes the justification for $650 million in back pay. Considering the city's budget deficit, unaddressed savings in the fire department, the lack of justification for the unions demand for even greater back pay and the large future raises included in this package, it raises doubts about whether the city really would have received a less favorable outcome in arbitration, Dowe said. Marty Lancton, president of the firefighters union, disputed Dowes assessment, saying the law would have required Houston to provide back pay for every year since negotiations failed in 2017. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The cost of the 18% pay raise under federal funding would have paled in comparison to what the city would have owed four years prior, with back pay and interest at all levels, he said. City officials debate the fairness of firefighters' deal Several City Council members also scrutinized the deals fairness during a committee meeting last week, questioning if the city pushed hard enough for the union to make genuine compromises. It seems that everything that we're discussing today, the basis is the fire union put it forth, Council Member Edward Pollard said to Michel. But "what did we put forth that was conceded? Michel said that, above all, the city wanted a quick settlement that offered certainty. The legal team was also operating under a rushed timeline set by Whitmire, who was endorsed by the union last year and directed Michel at the start of his tenure to resolve the dispute within two months. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What the city was looking to obtain was to put an end to this, to have it with certainty and to have a manageable cost, Michel said. Those were the big-picture items that we believe the city obtained. Lanction said it was absolutely a fair settlement for both sides. State law requires the city to compensate uniformed officers at a level substantially equivalent to that of their counterparts in the private sector. The city argued that there was no private sector comparison for firefighters. And so the union eventually accepted a settlement based on comparisons with other cities pay rather than seeking a private sector benchmark, which Lancton said could potentially bring the total back pay to $1.2 billion. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We absolutely gave up a tremendous amount in order to get this done, Lancton said during a recent council committee meeting. Cost-saving measures within Houstons fire department A 2017 city-commissioned report suggested reverting the fire department to a three-shift system, which would reduce the need for over 800 fire personnel and have a high impact on the city's long-term fiscal health. As the controllers office repeatedly sounded the alarm about Houstons financial challenges in the past year, city officials often highlighted how many of the reports cost-saving recommendations were never implemented and were worth revisiting. The process of cutting one of the fire department's platoons can be done mainly through natural attrition, and 10% to 20% of these eliminated positions could be reabsorbed to fill necessary vacancies, according to the report. Houston used to operate a three-platoon system for its firefighters similar to most other Texas metros until it shifted to a four-platoon setup in the early 1990s following the unions advocacy. The debate around the shift structure flared up again in 2019 when Fire Chief Samuel Pena suggested moving back to a three-shift system to save costs. Pena brought up the idea after Houston voters approved a ballot measure to grant firefighters pay parity with police officers, which would mean a significant pay increase for the fire department. But a district judge ruled the measure unconstitutional later that year, and so the administration did not have to continue pushing for proposed cost-saving policies. At the time, the firefighters union resisted the three-shift change, which was generally viewed as a more arduous work schedule because it required more hours of labor. Lancton told City Council last week that the current 46.7-hour schedule is already a compromise because the private sector requires overtime pay after just 40 hours of work. What the firefighters decided to do and agreed to was instead of comparing ourselves to 40 hours, which would put the city in a far worse position on a cost-per-hour basis, we'll look at the base salaries and that well agree moving forward that we will compare ourselves, just like (the Houston Police Department) does, to Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, he said. The union has also argued that the extra overtime expenses that come with a three-shift system would negate any financial benefits. This is because of Houstons distinct situation under Texas law where its firefighters qualify for overtime pay after 46.7 hours per week, unlike the 53-hour threshold anywhere else in Texas. This distinction has led to extra overtime costs of tens of millions of dollars per year, according to a 2023 city report. Last year, the typical full-time firefighter in Houston made approximately $8,300 in overtime pay, payroll data obtained from the city shows. New contract to create additional bonus and incentives Right now, Houston firefighters have less financial wiggle room than their Texas peers when examining what their take-home pay is relative to the cost of living. The initial 12% pay increase is expected to bring them into alignment with San Antonios firefighters. Houston also stands out as the only city among the five not offering educational incentives. The proposed contract would address this gap, introducing tuition reimbursement and additional pay for firefighters with higher education degrees. While the Whitmire administration has not released the proposed agreement, Michel said the future educational incentives for firefighters would mirror those at the Houston Police Department. Police officers, upon graduation from the Houston Police Academy, receive an extra $3,640 a year for a bachelors degree, $6,240 for a masters degree and $8,840 for a doctorate degree. Similar incentives for firefighters would place Houston at the top among all major Texas cities. Houston already pays a fairly competitive incentive for firefighters with multilingual skills, as well as a longevity bonus to help retain staff. The citys average annual pension payout at the end of a firefighter's career around $57,000 annually as of 2022, according to the latest available data sits below the pension payouts of Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, which range from about $60,000 to $70,000. Fort Worth's pension payout for firefighters was not immediately available. The latest deal will likely impact the pension payouts because they are tied to firefighter salaries. Whitmire said he is satisfied with the overall terms in the new agreement, arguing it will help boost the department's ranks and and elevate staff's low morale. "It was a very intense process of negotiations," the mayor said. "It is long overdue to get this behind us and let the public know we're doing our job." Correction (April 8, 2024, 1:30 p.m.): A previous version of this article misstated under which ordinance former Mayor Sylvester Turners administration granted firefighters salary increases. Bangladesh likely to break cement export target in 12MFY23-24 ICR Newsroom By 08 April 2024 Bangladesh recorded 48.7 per cent YoY growth in cement export revenue to US$14.39m in the first nine months of FY23-24 (July 2023-March 2024) from US$9.68m in the same corresponding months of the previous year, according to the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). This figure includes minor amounts of salt, stone, and related products. The 28.6 per cent YoY rise in cement exports also surpassed the target of US$11.19m for the 9MFY23-24. Bangladesh had set a higher target export revenue of US$15m for FY23-24 against US$13.66m earned in FY22-23. Generally, most cement exports from Bangladesh are shipped to India, particularly from the northeastern states of Bangladesh. Other popular destinations include Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. In the 9MFY23-24, Bangladeshs total export revenue for all merchandise was US$43.55bn, up 4.4 per cent yearly. The full-year target is US$62bn. Published under Boral to acquire Booyal Quarries Peter Bell By 08 April 2024 Boral Ltd has agreed to acquire Booyal Quarries in the Wide Bay region in Queensland, Australia. The strategic acquisition will secure the supply of quarry materials to Boral customers and the company's integrated operations in Wide Bay. The Wide Bay region is a high-growth market underpinned by various large-scale infrastructure projects. "Booyal Quarries is a high-quality business with significant approved quarry reserves" claims Boral. It will secure a 20-year supply to Boral's integrated operations, which include Boral's asphalt and concrete plants in Hervey Bay, Bundaberg and Maryborough. Blake Senior, Boral's general manager Concrete and Quarries Regional Queensland and Northern Territory, said the acquisition, which includes the continued employment and transfer of the current employees to Boral, further strengthens the company's national network of upstream assets and provides security of supply in regional Queensland. Booyal Quarries will play a key role in supplying aggregates to our asphalt and concrete operations in the region, he said. The transaction is subject to customary conditions which are expected to be fulfilled by May after which the acquisition will be complete. Published under New York City (NYC)'s AI-powered chatbot is creating buzz after it generated wrong answers, including a piece of advice for businesses to break the law. The AI chatbot was designed to help small business owners and was launched last October to act as a "one-stop shop." Read Also : AI is Becoming Popular in Business Schools, Entrepreneurship Programs NYC AI Chatbot Faces Criticism for Bizzare Advice The chatbot has a knack for dispensing advice that misstates local policies and sometimes even encourages companies to violate the law. The AI model was designed to offer generated text responses that will help guide business owners about the city's bureaucratic maze. Upon its launch, it came with a disclaimer stating that it may "occasionally produce incorrect, harmful, or biased" information. However, it has been consistent in providing these types of information to its customers which caused concerns with experts. "They're rolling out software that is unproven without oversight," said Julia Stoyanovich, a computer science professor and director of the Center for Responsible AI at New York University. She also claimed that the city has no intention to be responsible for it. NYC Mayor Defends Faulty AI Chatbot Despite a series of issues being reported, the city decided to retain the tool on its official government website. Moreover, mayor Eric Adams only acknowledged the lapses of the chatbot and it was "wrong in some areas." The chatbot in question had falsely suggested that it is legal to fire an employee who complains about sexual harassment, doesn't disclose pregnancy, or refuses to cut dreadlocks. In addition, it also provided some contradictory advice about the signature waste initiatives of NYC. Microsoft, which powers the bot through its Azure AI services, assured that they are already working with city employees to improve the service. The company also promised that they would fix it to ensure that the answers will be grounded to the city's official documentation. Dallas Bay Fire & Rescue was dispatched on Sunday at 3:22 p.m. to a reported woods fire with structural endangerment at 9731 Smith Morgan Road. Units arrived on scene quickly confirming a large woods fire spreading quickly toward a home. Firefighters immediately worked to cut off the fire spread near the home. The fire had reached approximately 20 feet from the home. Due to the distance from hydrants, a tanker shuttle operation was established and a mutual aid alarm was requested for an additional tanker from the City of Soddy Daisy. Due to the distance from hydrants, a tanker shuttle operation was established and a mutual aid alarm was requested for an additional tanker from the City of Soddy Daisy.There was no damage to the home. The fire involved approximately three acres. The cause of the fire was initially a controlled burn that got out of control. Dallas Bay's Fire Prevention officers would like to remind everyone that fires can quickly get out of control, especially on windy days. Have a water hose close by and do not hesitate to call 911 if your fire gets out of control. Responding companies included units from Dallas Bay Stations 1 & 2 and Soddy Daisy FD, along with the Tennessee Division Forestry. Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area will celebrate the grand opening of its store and Opportunity Center in Dalton with a celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony this Thursday at 8:30 a.m. The doors will open at 9 a.m. The 1001 Market Street location includes a Goodwill retail store, a Donation Xpress center and an Opportunity Center. This will be the 18th retail store location and the second Opportunity Center location for Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area.Officials said, "Through their Goodwill Opportunity Centers, Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area provides training, education, and employment for people in their 23-county territory in Tennessee and North Georgia."The local non-profit invites the public to join them for the grand opening event, which will include a ribbon cutting, an appearance by Goodwills Smiling G mascot as well as giveaways and door prizes throughout the day as supplies last.The stores hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.and Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. The Opportunity Center hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Goodwill accepts donations during regular store hours."Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area employs over 350 individuals, many of whom have barriers to employment," officials said.We are especially excited to open our Dalton store because, along with the store, we are also opening another Opportunity Center, said Gena Weldon, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area. More than 85 cents of every dollar earned or received by Goodwill supports our mission. When people shop or donate at Goodwill, they are changing lives by helping to provide free job training and employment opportunities for our communitys most vulnerable citizens. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government has invested $1.8 billion or CA$ 2.4 billion to support the AI sector in the country. The investment is divided into two focuses: advance job growth in the AI industry and boost businesses' productivity. Read Also : New York City's AI Chatbot Under Fire for Giving Business Advice to Break Law Canada Highlights AI Advancements for Better Economy The majority of the funds will be used to increase the country's access to computing and technological computation. The remaining funds will be invested in AI startups that work in accelerating technology in healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing. "This announcement is a major investment in our future, in the future of workers, in making sure that every industry, and every generation, has the tools to succeed and prosper in the economy of tomorrow," Trudeau said in a press release Sunday. In addition, some of the funds are intended to help small and medium-sized businesses to incorporate AI into their field. A small fund will also go to the training of workers whose jobs are at risk of being disrupted by the technology. Canada Lists AI Industry to Help Country's Growth The investment promises access to computing power and infrastructure. However, the government has yet to provide more clarity on how it will make it possible. "If this gives Canadian companies the resources to compete globally, today's announcement is a step in the right direction," said Benjamin Bergen, head of the Council of Canadian Innovators. Currently, there are around 140,000 people who are active AI professionals in Canada. In addition, about 30% of all venture capital activity in the country was related to AI in 2022. Despite providing support to the industry, Canada has yet to adopt a law that will regulate AI. In 2022, the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act was introduced but its progress is still under consideration by members of the parliament. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and has been recognized as such since the Reagan years. There is currently an effort underway in our General Assembly for Tennessee to formally recognize this month. There are over 70,000 cases of child abuse reported in Tennessee each year. The actual number is surely higher. The CDC estimates that one in seven children nationally are the victims of abuse or neglect. The Hamilton County Juvenile Court would bring to the publics attention the law regarding reporting of child abuse. Tennessee law requires every person to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Tenn. Code Ann. 37-1-403 states that any person who has knowledge of or is called upon to render aid to any child who is suffering from or has sustained any wound, injury, disability, or physical or mental condition shall report such harm immediately if the harm is of such a nature as to reasonably indicate that it has been caused by brutality, abuse or neglect. Further, Tenn. Code Ann. 37-1-605 states that any person who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been sexually abused shall report such knowledge or suspicion. The reports may be made to: (1) the Juvenile Court Judge with jurisdiction over the child; (2) the Department of Childrens Services; (3) the Sheriff of the county where the child resides; or (4) the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the municipality where the child resides. The Department of Childrens Services Child Abuse Hotline is: 1-877-237-0004, or 1-877-542-2873. The Hamilton County Sheriffs Department non-emergency number is 423-622-0022. The Chattanooga Police Departments non-emergency number is 423-698-2525. Reports can be made on-line via the DCS website at https://carat.app.tn.gov/carat/ which can be easily found by simply searching for Tennessee Child Abuse Hotline. Of course, if the matter is an emergency, please call 911. A failure to report child abuse is a Misdemeanor under both statutes. Rob Philyaw, Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Voters feel disconnected due to the ineffective political climate at the state and federal levels. The political environment is dysfunctional, and the ideological divide is growing further apart in a rapidly evolving society. Divisive politics and extremism on either side of the political aisle can harm a state's economy and business growth and drive away talented people. For example, California's fiscal decline has intensified due to the departure of its wealthy citizens. Not many individuals, let alone politicians, contemplate the intricacies of managing contemporary life. Policies frequently respond to problems after they occur rather than take preventative measures. Politicians rarely see the bigger picture as they are shaped by lobbyists, strategists, and career bureaucrats, further driving bad policies. We observe this in the field of education daily. We need more diversity, inclusivity, hope, and polite conversation in today's polarized atmosphere. Thomas Jefferson said, "Bigotry is the disease of ignorance, morbid minds, the enthusiasm of the free and buoyant. Education and free discussion are the antidotes of both." In other words, we must talk to each other to overcome our differences. Our experiences, whether positive or negative, contribute to our growth and development. They shape our perspectives, identities, and beliefs and are crucial in breaking free from societal norms. Through our experiences, we can embrace our uniqueness and find the courage to express our true selves, even against societal pressures. Emotions impact our thoughts, decisions, behaviors, and relationships. Tribes by Seth Godin highlights the importance of leadership in creating a movement. Anyone can become a leader by finding and uniting a like-minded group or "tribe." The implication of Godins Tribes is to define oneself and not allow external influences to shape one's identity. You have the power to determine who you are, and you do not have to let anyone else define you. I fully agree with Godin; taking ownership of your identity and describing yourself in your terms is crucial. Do not let anyone else have that power over you. You are unique and valuable, and you deserve to be seen as such. But so do others. It is how you accomplish your personal and professional goals that matters. Individuality can have both positive and negative effects. On the one hand, we should motivate people to celebrate their distinctiveness, share their genuine experiences, and remain steadfast in their convictions. On the other hand, we must also cultivate a sense of respect and empathy for those who hold different opinions, even if they conflict with our own. Our uniqueness gives us the potential to create change. Embrace your individuality and make your voice heard. Do not hesitate to explore interactions with people with whom you disagree. Individual empowerment, resilience, hope, inclusivity, and respectful engagement are essential components of navigating the complexities of modern life. There is value in building connections and bridging divides through respectful dialogue, even with those who hold opposing beliefs. These interactions lead to personal growth, deeper understanding, and a more connected society. Connecting with opposing views is essential. Individual experience humanizes complex issues and fosters connections beyond identity politics. Be kind, work together, and speak your mind. Surround yourself with supportive people, do not fear judgment, and do not let fear control you. Yes, identity is a fundamental aspect of society that often leads to cultural divisions. However, it is crucial that we remain hopeful and engage in productive dialogue with individuals who hold different perspectives from our own. By doing so, we can find common ground. Together we can create a better future. No one can blame you for feeling discouraged by the current state of manners and discourse in our state and nation. But respecting diverse opinions is crucial in building bridges. Silencing others hinders our freedom. To discover the truth, we must consider different opinions. Howard Baker Jr., a former Tennessee senator, emphasized finding common ground by considering all perspectives. JC Bowman Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee In just his first 100 days in office, President Biden issued 94 executive actions to reverse President Trumps successful border policies and weaken our nation. Among them, few have been as harmful to Tennessee and America as the Presidents decision to halt construction of the southern border wall, leaving hundreds of miles of the border unprotected. At the time, the President claimed that continuing construction of the wall was not a serious policy solution and a waste of money. Since then, over 9.2 million illegal aliens have entered our country, costing American taxpayers as much as $451 billion a year, including $50 million a year just for the Biden administration to store unused Trump-era border wall material. In the face of this crisis, however, the Biden administration has refused to change course, doubling down on the same broken policies that are making illegal immigration legal. Just last Octoberthe same month more than 240,000 illegal immigrants crossed our southern borderHomeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claimed that there would be no more wall construction under his watch. Meanwhile, President Biden has repeatedly claimed that border walls fail to stop illegal immigration. Thankfully, Governor Greg Abbott and authorities in Texas are proving the Biden administration wrong every single day with their Operation Lone Star campaign. As part of the states efforts to deter illegal immigration, Texas law enforcement has placed buoys, shipping containers, and razor wire fences in and along the Rio Grande to prevent illegal immigrants from entering our country. Late last month, I visited Eagle Pass, Texas, to see the states border security in action, and Texas authorities pointed to these temporary barriers as the driving force behind the Lone Star States declining number of illegal entries. In fact, as Texas has bolstered its border barriers, migrants are traveling further west to states with weaker border protection, such as California and Arizona, to illegally enter the United States. As a result, illegal immigration into Texas dropped by 54 percent between December and January. In the Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, illegal entries fell by 76 percent. Texass success with combating illegal immigration proves the obvious: Border walls work. While the Biden administration pretends otherwise, this fact should come as no surprise. Border wallsfrom Ancient Athens to the Great Wall of Chinahave protected cities and nations for thousands of years. Today, border barriers are used on nearly every continent on earth to protect countries from illegal entry, drug smuggling, and terrorism. Often, these border walls benefit our allies most of all. For more than seven decades, for example, South Koreas border barrier has been essential to Seouls security against Communist North Korea. While the circumstances may differ, all border walls have one thing in common: They help to prevent people from illegally entering a country. And in America, we are in desperate need of this protection. Since President Bidens inauguration, thousands of pounds of lethal fentanyl, hundreds of individuals on the terror watch list, and more than 30,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records have entered our country. In total, under President Biden more than 1.7 million known gotawaysillegal immigrants who evade apprehensionhave entered our country. On Easter Sunday alone, almost 1,000 of these migrant gotaways crossed our border, and we have no idea who these people are or what they are doing in our country. Every day, we see the tragic consequences of President Bidens open border policy. Just last month, an illegal immigrantwho was deported by President Trump in late 2020 before reentering the United Statesshot and killed a 25-year-old woman during an attempted carjacking in Michigan, leaving the young victims body on the side of a highway. This tragedy should never happen to anyone. Thats why, in the U.S. Senate, I have introduced the Creating Obstructions Necessary to Address Illegal and Nefarious Entry Rapidly (CONTAINER) Act, which would empower border states such as Texas to place temporary barriers on federal land to protect our communities, especially from criminal migrants. If President Biden refuses to do his job and protect the American people, it is imperative that we support the border states and communities that are stepping up to do the job he wont: securing the border and building the wall. * * * Dear Ms. Blackburn, I acknowledge your assertion that border walls are effective. However, I have a few questions. First, why did President Trump not manage to complete the border walls and have Mexico pay for them, as he promised? Some argue that the emphasis on border toughness is primarily a political strategy to secure votes. Recently, I witnessed a live stream where a gentleman drove along a section of the border that you and others have visited. Surprisingly, he found three wide-open and unmanned openings just a quarter mile down the road. Can you explain this discrepancy? Additionally, there was a border bill proposed by Republicans that could have contributed to addressing this issue. However, it was pulled after President Trump requested it. If your commitment to Americans is as strong as you suggest, why was this bill not pursued? Regarding El Chapos escape from jail, its worth noting that a wall did not prevent it. Instead, an extensive tunnel was dug all the way to the prison. This highlights the resourcefulness of those determined to bypass barriers. Furthermore, the immigration application system appears broken, with very few approvals. It seems almost pointless to apply. Lastly, like the one here, many border walls seem motivated by animosity rather than genuine safety concerns. As my mother used to say, actions speak louder than words. Perhaps focusing on practical solutions rather than photo ops and blog posts would yield better results. Christopher Cooper * * * Bill and Hillary won a zoning appeal to build an 8-foot cedar fence around their house in Chippaqua, N.Y. (Chicago Trib 12/16/99). The Obamas have a 10-foot wall around their DC home (NBC 12/30/19). Other Democrats who opposed a border wall and want stricter gun control on you and me spend many thousands of dollars on their own security. Rep Jayapal, D-WA spent $45,000 on security including a fence (Spokesman-Review 8/2/23). Rep Cori Bush, D-MO, defund the police and gun control advocate, is accused of spending hundreds of thousands on security (KCUR 1/30/24). Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he is safer walking his dog in DC now than we he arrived. He failed to admit he gets personal security which we only learned about when he had to quarantine because one of his security team got COVID (WashPo 2/8/21). Does he also have a wall at his DC home? We may have to wait to find out. Its easy to oppose a wall, favor defunding the police or want to heap regulations controlling guns when you have thousands of dollars of armed personal security and walls around yourself. Ralph Miller * * * Dear Christopher Cooper, Allow me to answer some of your questions to Senator Blackburn. To begin with, you should address her as Senator Blackburn, not Ms. Blackburn. Its a matter of respect for her office. President Trump had to fight tooth and nail with Democrats to get any section of the border wall completed, yet he still managed to get the most important parts completed. Construction was to continue but President Biden stopped it when he was elected. Thats on President Biden, not President Trump. As Senator Blackman stated, we are spending $50,000,000 a year just to store the materials to build the wall, since President Biden put a stop to it and even had sections removed. While Democrats cried over the cost of the wall, they are fine with spending over $450,000,000,000 and year to support the illegal immigrants because it is on the back of the tax payers, not the elected officials. Im truly sad for you that you would use the escape of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman as part of your defense for us not needing the wall. Did you know that the prison he escaped from is in Mexico? It has no relevance whatsoever to our border wall. The live stream you witnessed is a perfect example what the results of President Biden using funds for more border patrol going to the IRS, 87,000 new IRS agents, to go after the middle class Americans. I know he said it would target people with incomes over $400,000, but the proof in the pudding is those with and income of $200,000 are being targeted. Border walls are not a result of animosity toward immigrants, rather safety concerns that drive or motivate animosity. You got that backward. Why do you not care about victims like Laken Riley? Why do you not care about immigrants chanting death to America, death to Israel? I have to believe that you are in agreement with these illegals rather than Americans. I have to believe that you dont care about police officers, store owners, American citizens and young ladies such as Laken Riley being brutalized and/or murdered by illegal barbarians who are given a free pass in our country. I hope and pray that Im wrong about you, Mr. Cooper. However, if Im right you are most certainly a part of the problem and not the solution. J. Pat Williams Effective today (April 8), the Supreme Court of Tennessee suspended attorney Cris Helton from the practice of law for five years, with four years to be served as an active suspension pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 12.2, and the remainder to be served on probation conditioned upon Mr. Heltons engagement of a practice monitor. A Petition for Discipline was filed alleging Mr. Helton, former East Ridge judge, failed to file required federal income tax returns for several years and willfully attempted to avoid his tax liabilities. After the United States Internal Revenue Service initiated civil litigation against Mr. Helton to recover approximately $400,000 in owed income taxes, Mr. Helton filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection, asserting that this Internal Revenue Service lien should be discharged. The federal bankruptcy court determined that the tax debt was non-dischargeable because the failure to pay was willful and intentional. On appeal, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court ruling. Mr. Helton executed a Conditional Guilty Plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional 8.4(c)(misconduct). Mr. Helton must comply with the requirements of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Sections 28 and 30.4, regarding the obligations and responsibilities of suspended attorneys and the procedure for reinstatement. With the development of the internet, social media or cloud computing, the amount of data created worldwide on a daily basis is sky-rocketing. This calls for new technologies which could provide higher storage densities combined with secure long-term data archiving far beyond the capabilities of traditional data storage devices. An international research team led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) now proposes a new concept of long-term data storage based on atomic-scale defects in Silicon carbide, a semiconducting material. These defects are created by a focused ion beam, providing high spatial resolution, fast writing speed and low energy for storing a single bit, as the team reports in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. Latest estimates assume around 330 million terabytes of new data created each day, with 90 percent of the world's data generated in the last two years alone. If the sheer numbers already suggest the need of advanced data storage technologies, it is by no means the only problem associated to this development. The limited storage time of current storage media requires data migration within several years to avoid any data loss. Besides of being trapped in perpetual data migration procedures, this substantially increases the energy consumption, because a significant amount of energy is consumed in the process, says Dr. Georgy Astakhov from the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research at HZDR. To mitigate this looming crisis, Astakhov's team now introduces a new concept of long-term data storage based on atomic-scale defects in silicon carbide. These defects are inflicted by a focused beam of protons or helium ions and read using luminescence mechanisms associated to the defects. Traditional storage devices throttled by physics Currently, magnetic memory is the prime choice when it comes to data storage solutions aiming for large capacities, while the laws of physics set the limits to achievable storage densities. To increase them, the size of the magnetic particles must shrink. But then, thermal fluctuations and diffusion processes in the material gain in importance, with deteriorating impact on storage time. Tuning magnetic properties of the material might suppress this effect, but this comes with a price tag: a higher energy to store information. Similarly, the performance of optical devices is thwarted by the laws of physics as well. Due to the so-called diffraction limit, the smallest recording bit is restricted in size: It cannot get any smaller than half of the light wavelength, setting the limit of the maximum storage capacity. The way out is multi-dimensional optical recording. Silicone carbide features atomic-scale defects, especially the absence of silicon atoms in the lattice site. The defects are created by a focused proton or helium ion beam, providing high spatial resolution, fast writing speed and low energy for storing a single bit. The diffraction limit of storage density inherent to optical media applies as well in our case. We overcome it by 4D encoding schemes. Here, the three spatial dimensions and an additional fourth intensity dimension are realized by controlling the lateral position and depth as well as the number of defects. Then we optically read out the stored data by means of photoluminescence provoked by optical excitation. Furthermore, the areal storage density can be significantly improved using focused electron-beam excitation causing observable cathodoluminescence, Astakhov highlights some prominent features of his method. Storing data for generations The stored information could be knocked-out of the defects again, depending on environmental conditions in which the medium is kept, but the scientists have good news considering their material: The temperature-dependent deactivation of these defects suggests a retention time minimum over a few generations under ambient conditions, says Astakhov. And there is more. With near-infrared laser excitation, modern encoding techniques and multi-layer data storage, namely the stacking of up to ten silicon carbide layers on top of each other, the team reaches an areal storage density which corresponds to that of Blu-ray discs. Switching to electron-beam excitation instead of optical excitation for the data read-out, the limit achievable in this manner corresponds to a currently reported record areal storage density of a prototype magnetic tape, which has, however, shorter storage time and higher energy consumption. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close It's very unlikely that a huge structure would fall on top of your car, but if it does, could you honestly say that you would survive it? That depends on two factors: How sturdy your car is and how heavy the debris might be. Luckily for the case of a Tesla driver, the circumstances were forgiving as he survived the incident. Tesla vs Crane In an incident that happened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a Tesla Model Y driver survived a collapse caused by a crane malfunction, which led to a massive debris falling into the bridge. Even though the said debris hit his car, the driver walked away with not so much as a scratch. According to someone who witnessed the incident, the section of the crane that fell into the vehicle smashed into the Tesla but quickly bounced off. Unfortunately, the vehicle did sustain damage in the front, and the structure landed on another car. The Tesla driver, Mark Cerezin, said that he instinctively stepped on the brakes as hard as he could just as the debris was falling, and while the front of the Model Y was crushed, the car's cabin kept him safe from any harm, as per Interesting Engineering. "Had I not slammed as hard as I had with my foot? I'm not here speaking to you," Cerezin stated. The other car that the crane section fell into was not as lucky, and the driver sustained injuries from the collapse. Cerezin immediately tried to help the other driver by using his shirt to compress her wounds. While everyone in the vehicles affected by the collapse survived, the accident cost a construction worker his life and two others were injured. As for why the construction crane section fell in the first place, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan explained that the work platform attached to the crane was the root of the collapse, and not the crane itself. Read Also : Former Tesla Employee Draws Doubt on Autopilot Car's Safety Tesla's Safety In a post by Douglas Thron on X, who is an expert commercial heavy-lift drone pilot, Tesla replied saying: "Glad he's ok!" Others applauded the sturdiness of the vehicle, with one user even saying that Teslas are "built battering strong." Another recommended that people should put themselves and their loved ones in the "safest vehicle on the planet," referring to the Tesla. "Imagine a chunk of crane falling on your car from a skyscraper's height & walking off without even a scratch. Miraculous isn't it?" Tesla driver talks about surviving Fort Lauderdale crane landing on his car. pic.twitter.com/ZcLTiMXu9p California Drone Cleaning DOUGLAS THRON (@douglasthron777) April 4, 2024 While surviving a huge chunk of metal is a huge selling point from here on out, Tesla also offers other safety features for its drivers. For instance, it comes with active measures like Automatic Emergency Braking, which can detect pedestrians or other obstacles ahead. Tesla vehicles let out audible warnings when there is an impending collision. There's also the Blind Spot Warning, wherein the car warns the driver when there is a possible collision with a vehicle or obstacle in a spot drivers usually miss. Most brands have yet to add these features to their cars. Its no secret that America still has a long way to go to give women equal opportunities as men. However, so many women in history have fought their hardest to make success and opportunities more accessible to women in America. One of those was Esther Peterson, the woman who pushed John F. Kennedy to sign the Equal Pay Act in 1963. Esther was born in Utah in 1906 and grew up in a Mormon family. She attended Brigham Young University and graduated in 1927 with a degree in physical education. Then, she moved to New York City to get her masters at the teaching college of Columbia University in 1930. After marrying her husband, Oliver Peterson, the couple moved to Boston, where she worked as a teacher and volunteered at her local Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA). While working in Boston, Esther learned more about the brutality of racial and gender discrimination. For instance, Black women were not permitted at her YWCA, but she called them out, especially because they boasted about equality and justice. As the years progressed, Esther became passionate about equal treatment and opportunities for women, particularly mothers and teachers. Esther joined the American Federation of Teachers in 1938 and became a mother that same year. The next year, she joined the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union and helped establish the National Labor Relations Board. In 1944, Esther became the National Labor Relations Boards first lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Esther and her family eventually relocated to Washington, D.C., where she started passionately lobbying for a raise in minimum wage. She met John F. Kennedy in the 1940s, and when he was elected president, he made her Assistant Secretary of Labor and Director of the United States Womens Bureau. Esther was known for hosting hearings to listen to the stories of working women around America, talking to them about their wages, responsibilities, lifestyles, and challenges. She pushed for the Kennedy administration to do more research on womens lack of equality in America, especially when it came to wages for minority women who faced both racial and gender discrimination. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. The title of most toxic ghost town in America is currently held by Picher, a town located in northeastern Oklahoma. In the early 1900s, Picher was a mining center bustling with activity. Since then, the town has been abandoned and is surrounded by heaps of toxic waste. The town was named after O.S. Picher, who owned the Picher Lead Company. People flocked to Picher when lead and zinc ore were discovered by a man named Harry Crawfish in 1913. Already, there were several other mines running in the nearby area. However, the ore in Picher was the biggest find in the regions history. By 1926, the population had reached a high of 14,000. More than $20 billion in ore was produced from Picher between 1917 and 1947. Eventually, the lead and zinc mining industry began to decline, and it was completely stopped in 1967. The mines shut down, and people moved away. Only around 2,000 residents were left in 1980. Soon, they started experiencing symptoms of lead poisoning. The decades of mining had resulted in piles of toxic gravel-like waste scattered all over the town, which was created through the separation of valuable lead and zinc from the ore. Furthermore, when the mines closed, the machines that pumped water from them came to a halt as well. The shafts flooded, causing contaminated water to trickle into creeks and kill off wildlife. The creeks even turned red due to the presence of heavy metals. Before the citizens of Picher were aware of the harmful effects of the toxic waste piles, they were considered structures utilized by the community. Families had picnics on top of them. Kids rode their bikes on them and added the waste to their sandboxes. When people went swimming in the river, their hair would often turn orange, and the color wouldnt wash out. Gradually, teachers noticed that students in Picher scored lower on standardized tests than other children in Oklahoma. In the early 1990s, the Indian Health Service found that the kids in Picher had high levels of lead in their blood, which explained why their learning and development were behind. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Bats have amazing abilitiesthey can fly at high speeds and use echolocation to accurately determine the shape, size, and texture of objects in their environment. In general, most bats seek out caves, crevices, and trees for shelter. But some bat species living in tropical forests can actually build their own homes out of leaves. Over 20 species of bat have been found to make tent-like structures for shelter. They are found in the lowland rainforests of Central and South America. The male bats might construct a roost during breeding season to attract mates. A group of bats might team up to produce a family-sized tent. Or, a single bat will also set up camp by themselves. The tents are made by chewing around the veins and stem of each leaf until it collapses in on itself. There are various styles of tent that depend on the leaves that are used and the bats chewing pattern. One of the most notable tent-making bats, the Honduran white bat, a species native to Central America, only uses the broad leaves of heliconias to make tents that are shaped like upside-down boats. As many as 15 of them will crowd together in a tent. The tents leaves can be easily shaken, serving as alarm bells when predators like snakes, owls, and opossums touch them. The signal allows the bats to escape danger. Honduran white bats are among the tiniest fruit-eating bats in the world, with a wingspan of just under four inches and weighing about the same as a teaspoon and a half of sugar. They have fluffy, white coats that resemble cotton balls and bright yellow ears and noses. According to a bat biologist and professor at the University of Costa Rica named Bernal Rodriguez, these bats are the only mammals that possess an accumulation of carotenoid pigment, which is the chemical that contributes to the color of their ears and noses. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Illustration by Jack Richardson The room was hot, and I stared at the pristine white table in front of me, being careful not to lift my eyes, my muscles tense. To my left were members of the International Board of Directors of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), seated at the table and joining on video. To my right were lawyers. One of them was preparing to read to us the 12-page report of a months-long investigation into sexual assault allegations regarding the ministrys founder, Ravi Zacharias. The tension was palpable. The boardroom seemed too dim, although that suited the mood; some of us werent ready for bright lights. My experience as an RZIM board member would completely change the way I view ministry today. I believe many ministry boards are brokenor at least deeply unprepared for the challenges they may faceand my aim is to start a conversation on how that can be remedied. Sign up for CT Pastors Each weekly CT Pastors issue equips you with the best wisdom and practical tools for church ministry. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. When I speak of boards, Im using the term broadly. You and people you know may not serve on the board of an internationally known nonprofit, like RZIM at its peak. But you may serve on your congregations elder board, as a deacon, or as a member of the vestry or the pastoral search committee. You may advise your childrens Christian school or informally help steer a local food bank or the Sunday School planning committee at church. The hard lessons I learned will be applicable to almost any kind of group leadership arrangement, especially in ministry contexts but also more broadly. That said, specific needs and circumstances will vary, so Im sharing my lessons as questions that Christians in board leadership should seriously ask themselves and their colleagues. 1. Should board members be required to engage in continuing education? Not only was I ill-equipped to be a board member, I was unprepared for the onslaught of crises that would engulf the ministry throughout my short tenure. From what I observed, even the longtime board members were unprepared for what seemed like unprecedented timesthe catch phrase during those years. Looking back, one problem was that those were not, in fact, unprecedented times. Ministry leaders fail. Red flags arent noticedor worse, theyre willfully ignored. Understanding theories of institutional betrayal and how abusers often confuse and verbally attack their victims while deflecting responsibility has been helpful in my quest to make sense of RZIMs trajectory. But it would have been much more helpful to have known all of this before the crises occurred. If youre serving on a board, consider what knowledge gaps you may have that could limit your ability to serve well. What high-level questions keep coming up for you in meetings? What other perspectives might you need to understand? Are you not just willing but eager to learn and grow? How can you acquire the knowledge and skills you need for faithful service and push your colleagues to do the same? 2. Whom do you choose as board members? The RZIM board was overwhelmingly comprised of Ravi Zachariass family and friends. They were all highly invested in the ministry and the man; they donated their time, their expertise, their money, and their contacts because of that personal relationship. From my outsider perspective, they all seemed to have very similar skill sets. Loyalty was highly prized. I was an unexpected addition to this group and the first woman to ever sit on the governance committee. I had no relationship with Ravi, and I didnt lead a successful company or have an impressive contact list. This put me at a tremendous disadvantage when voicing concerns. The skills that other board members saw as helpful when I was in agreement with themmy willingness to learn new things, my eagerness to listen, and my ability to be vocal about things I believed inbecame liabilities when I disagreed. On your board, how are members chosen? I dont only mean the procedures, which are certainly important but are often established by by-laws or denominational rules outside your control. I also mean what qualities and skills are preferred at a cultural level. Do you take spiritual gifting and spiritual maturity into account? How do you round out the roster beyond the officer roles? Are you looking for unexpected people that may offer a unique perspective? 3. How do you think about giving? For many nonprofits, its a given that most board members are chosen for their ability to donate and raise funds. After my time with RZIM, I see this as a dangerous pairing of power and money. Wealth should not be the measure of a leaders commitment, faith, or contribution to an organization. This metric can encourage a sense of entitlement in board members and provide a false sense of security to the leadership team. When board seats are only filled with those who provide the ministry with monetary stability, there is a power imbalance in the structure that can and often does lead to unhealthy relationships. Is your board overlooking potential members because of their inability to give significant monetary gifts? Have you unconsciously come to assume bigger always equals better? How can you make sure to remember the widows mite and that wisdom and wealth do not reliably coincide? 4. How does your board communicate? Truth and transparency have always been important to me, but never more than they are post-RZIM. The organization had an executive committee that met separately and privately, away from the full board. That committee made all the important decisions, and to my recollection, during my year of service, the full board never once received or reviewed their minutes. The committee would send recommendations to the rest of the board, and our votes were strongly encouraged to be unanimous. I observedand was toldthat abstention was better than a no vote. As the abuse crisis continued to unfold, this silo of secrecy within the board caused major problems, as did similar normal RZIM procedures. Does your board have a similar secret oligarchy? Is secrecy the default or the exceptional measure at your organization? Is it necessary to invoke legal danger to force board members to do the right thing? Does fiscal protection of the institution always take precedence? Are board members adapting the worlds spin for ministry use? Are you willing to tell the full truth to yourselves and others, even if its potentially disruptive? 5. What does accountability look like? Board members are supposed to provide institutional accountability for the ministries they govern. But who provides accountability for the board? As the RZIM saga unfolded, we heard multiple calls for the board to resign from both donors and key individuals outside the inner circle. The board did not want to resign. I heard excuses such as, We should be the ones to fix this or, If we resign, who would lead? This board failed to take a sexual predator out of ministry but continued to reject calls for transparency, even demanding anonymity for themselvesrefusing the barest accountability of being publicly named. Before a crisis comes your way, it is vital to establish answers to the following questions: Is there a point at which a board has shown itself incapable of self-correction? What would need to occur to disqualify board members from serving? Does a grave public failure require public repentance? How will your board self-assess or subject itself to external assessment? Concretely, what does accountability look like for you? 6. Who do you think you are? Being on the board of a global multimillion-dollar ministry is a status symbol. Once people found out I sat on the RZIM board, they were impressed, curious, and fascinated by the power they perceived me to hold. Internally, the general ethos of the board was that Jesus needed us to do this work. Twitter banners proudly displayed photos of board members on RZIM stages or with celebrities connected to RZIM. There were Facebook posts about the great work the board was doing for the kingdom. We had special dinners, fancy hotels, beautiful facilities, and a general feeling of superiority. Social media was a way to brag about accomplishments until it became clear it could also be a conduit of demands for accountability. Does your board comprehend the kind of servant leadership that must come with so much responsibility? How much of their identity do members find in their board role? How do we make sure power is always paired with responsibility, not only in our formal rules and procedures but in our hearts? RZIMs unofficial motto said no question was off limits. But as a board member, it became clear to me that this was not true. I encountered institutional failure firsthand. I failedat first, to even believe the victims, and then, in my attempts to reform a broken system. But failure doesnt have to be defining; rather, it should be refining. For me, it has fueled a passion to help members of other boards forestall the kind of dysfunction and abuse we did not prevent at RZIM. Instead of hiding and deflecting responsibility, Christians in leadership roles must freely admit and correct institutional and personal failure alike. We should be the first to recognize that every one of our failures can be redeemed by a God who has offered us full and complete forgiveness. The stakes are high, but ministry boards can and should be a place where the best examples of servant leadership are found. So ask yourself: Would Jesus overturn your board table? Stacy Kassulke is passionate about encouraging individuals to use their unique giftings to make things right for the sake of Christ and his kingdom. She served on the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries from February 2020 to March 2021. Ahead of the first general conference, the new denomination is weighing possible limits on leaders. Illustration by Tim Bouckley There were too many meetings. When Mike Lowry became a bishop in the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in 2008, he also became responsible for the governance of two universities, two seminaries, a hospital, and seven or eight other institutions. And I realized I could spend my entire professional life in committee meetings and board meetings and never enter a church, Lowry told CT. Sign up for The Daily Briefing Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. The new bishop believed in the work the Methodists were doing, but it didnt seem right that the episcopal role should be so busy with bureaucracy. He felt bogged down. Bishops should be the champions and the guardians of the mission and orthodoxy, not administrative, Lowry said. But the way the office was structured, it was primarily an administrative management position. In 2022, Lowry became the first bishop to leave the UMC and join the new Global Methodist Church (GMC). The issue that drove the separation, for Lowry and the more than 1.9 million Americans who left between 2019 and 2023, was same-sex marriages and LGBTQ clergy. In his letter of resignation, Lowry wrote, The institutional expression of the United Methodist Church has strayed in significant ways from faithfully upholding its own stated Discipline and, even more so, departed from the full truth of the gospel. But the bishop and many leaders of the GMC also saw serious structural problems with the UMC. The Methodists had adopted a corporate model of church governance, and bishops became bureaucrats instead of shepherds. Then, when some leaders strayed from traditional teaching on issues of human sexuality, there were no corrective mechanisms to check their authority. The General Conference voted not to change the denominations Book of Discipline and to keep the traditional stance, but the bishops over some regions announced they would just ignore it and affirm LGBTQ ministers. And there were no consequences. I would say the separation was as much about authority and accountability as it was about any theological issue, said Keith Boyette, transitional head of the GMC. The members of the new denomination are now preparing for their first annual gathering, a convening General Conference, to be held in Costa Rica in September. Theyre not debating sexuality anymore. But they are wrestling with the question of bishops and the shape of the episcopacy. What should governing roles look like? What responsibilities should a bishop have? And, most urgently, Boyette said, What are you going to do to hold the bishops accountable? Some have been so hurt by the UMC hierarchy that they wonder if the office is even salvageable, according to Boyette. But the GMC is not considering doing away with the episcopal structure. Youre going to have somebody whos in charge, Boyette said. You may call them something elseits not about the title; its about how you structure the office, how theyre selected, and how theyre held accountablebut youre going to have that person. For a denomination that wants to recover an older expression of Wesleyanism, it also makes sense to construct an episcopal governance structure. You cant reject what you see as a revisionist position on marriage and at the same time embrace revisionism on something much more important, said Ryan Danker, director of the John Wesley Institute. To change something as fundamental as the episcopacy, thats a kind of reactionary pragmatism. Thats not Methodism. Youre not Methodists anymore. The Methodist history of bishops is a little complicated, however. John Wesley never became a bishop, and never called himself a bishop, but he believed he was ordained by God and exercised extensive authority over the Methodist movement, according to religious historian John Wigger. In America, meanwhile, Francis Asbury was ordained as a Methodist bishop and claimed apostolic authority, but he also was elected by ministers at an annual conference. He took the title of bishop, but he made it more democratic, said Wigger, who wrote a biography of Asbury. In theory he was bishop and his word was final, but in practice he negotiated. He was pragmatic. And much of his authority came from the fact that people saw him as a servantan old man on a horse with one change of clothes. For many of the faithful, churchgoing Methodists joining the GMC, these questions about bishops are all new. They know someone is over their pastor. But they dont have positions on polity. Some Methodist laypeople say they only thought about the episcopacy when they wondered at the mysteries of ministerial appointments. Others say they never thought about bishops until a few years ago. Not until they tried to start making us do things that werent right, said Angie Fary, a member of Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in High Point, North Carolina. Still, many want to be part of a denomination with bishops. June Fulton, a lifelong member at Mt. Vernon Methodist in Trinity, North Carolina, said she was relieved when her congregation joined the GMC. The general consensus was, we dont want to be floating around out there, Fulton said. I thought we needed the direction and to be connected to something. I thought that would work better for us, and most everybody felt the same way. Caroline Franks, the GMC minister who serves at Mt. Vernon now, said that not having a bishop would be like going out in the rain without a raincoat. But this year, GMC leadership will have to decide what kind of raincoat they want. They are, after all, designing it themselves. David Watson, dean of United Theological Seminary and one of the members of the GMCs episcopacy task force, said one thing thats being considered is term limits. The convention may vote on a proposal that bishops wont have lifetime appointments but will be elected to a six-year term with the possibility of serving one additional term. A lot of people in the GMC want congregations to have more of a role in choosing their ministers. Churches shouldnt have to just accept the bishops appointments. And the task force is also considering offloading administrative responsibilities to the president pro tem and other officers elected or hired by the general and regional conferences. Bishops in the GMC may not be assigned specific regions. That way, they could focus on teaching and spiritual leadership without the distraction of the minutiae of day-to-day governance of a specific district. But perhaps they should be tethered to a place, so a bishop in Ohio isnt responsible for guarding the mission and orthodoxy of ministers in Kenya or a bishop in Bulgaria isnt overseeing a conference in Kentucky. All of this is theoretical, Watson said. Everything has to be ratified at the General Conference. We will decide these things as a church. But now is the time to build and plan and work. While the question of the shape of the episcopacy has provoked discussion and debate in the fledgling denomination, theres also a sense of unity, according to Watson. The details are being worked out, but everyone is in accord about the ultimate goal. The main thing that people want to see, he said, is bishops as spiritual leaders who will preach and teach the faith, who will hold people under their charge accountable, and will be held accountable themselves. The specifics are, of course, impor-tant, and some have strong opinions about the right way to do things. Decisions that the GMC makes in 2024 will affect the denomination for yearsperhaps generationsto come. There will no doubt be challenges with accountability. And probably, for some bishops, too many meetings. But the newly christened Global Methodists, hoping for a vibrant future, say the real test will be faithfulness. I think we need a good checks-and-balances kind of system, said Laura Ballinger, copastor of First Methodist Martinsville in Indiana, but if they just love and follow Jesus and the Scripture, Im good. Daniel Silliman is news editor for CT. Home News Alabama hospital to stop offering IVF by end of 2024 due to 'litigation concerns' A hospital at the center of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that declared embryos created through in vitro fertilization are protected under state law announced that it will no longer offer IVF by the end of the year due to concerns over litigation. In a news release last Wednesday, Mobile Infirmary stated that it had temporarily resumed providing IVF; however, due to litigation concerns, the hospital said it will no longer offer IVF after Dec. 31. Mobile Infirmary was the focus of two lawsuits from parents who lost their frozen embryos in 2020 after a patient reportedly walked through the doorway and dropped them. In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children and protected under the states Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Associate Justice Jay Mitchell concluded in the majority opinion that the act, first enacted in 1872, "applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation." "All parties to these cases, like all members of this Court, agree that an unborn child is a genetically unique human being whose life begins at fertilization and ends at death," Mitchell wrote. "The question on which the parties disagree is whether there exists an unwritten exception to that rule for unborn children who are not physically located 'in utero' that is, inside a biological uterus at the time they are killed." Last month, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 159, which declares that "no action, suit, or criminal prosecution for the damage to or death of an embryo shall be brought or maintained against any individual or entity when providing or receiving services related to in vitro fertilization." Pro-life advocates like Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, criticized SB 159. In a March 7 statement, Rose contended that the bill gives "blanket immunity to the unregulated and profit-driven IVF industry" and allows "abusive and destructive practices." "This law will have catastrophic consequences and withdraws existing legal protections for Alabama's most vulnerable persons simply because those persons were created through IVF," she said. "This law provides dangerous civil and criminal immunity for 'damage to or the death of an embryo' in the course of 'providing or receiving services related to in vitro fertilization.'" Ivey's signing of the bill was perceived by some as an attempt to assuage the fears of multiple Democrats and some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, who expressed concerns about the Alabama Supreme Courts IVF ruling. The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network founder Jennifer Lahl, however, pushed back against the idea that the Alabama Supreme Courts IVF ruling means that IVF "will be prohibited or greatly restricted. "The higher court's action was in response to the lower court's that rejected three couples' rights to file for 'wrongful death' of their frozen embryos that were inadvertently destroyed," Lahl said in a previous statement to The Christian Post. "The lower court said the Wrongful Death of a Minor law, which protected children born and the unborn the fetus in its mother's womb, did not extend that protection to the frozen human embryo." "IVF is not illegal in Alabama with this decision," she insisted. "If anything, IVF clinics will have to be more diligent in protecting frozen embryos." While the process of IVF can provide some parents with a baby, many pro-life advocates oppose the practice because it can result in the deaths of unborn children, such as when excess embryos are discarded or fail to survive being frozen and thawed. Katy Faust, founder and president of Them Before Us, cited research in a statement to CP last month that suggests only 7% of lab-created embryos are born alive. The others either remain frozen or they might be donated to science. "Our hearts go out to couples struggling with infertility and those who experience same-sex attraction who may not be able to have a child without the help of a technician," Faust told CP. "But no amount of adult struggle, loss, or longing justifies violating the rights of the child specifically their primary right to life and right to be known and loved by both their mother and father." Home News Jim Staley claims solar eclipse will release sixth seal of Revelation, is Gods warning to America Reformed Passion for Truth ministry leader Pastor Jim Staley, who pleaded guilty to defrauding elderly victims of millions of dollars in an investment scam in 2015, says he believes Mondays total solar eclipse is a warning from God to America and is connected to the release of the sixth seal of the book of Revelation in the Bible. Americans have deep spiritual beliefs that total solar eclipses are either very bad omens and or bring a time of transition and rebirth. Throughout the Bible we see solar and lunar eclipses connected to events that surround major turning points on the timeline of mankind with most having to do with the end of time, Staley said in a recent YouTube video that has already garnered nearly 4 million views. Mondays eclipse will be the first total solar eclipse viewable over the U.S. mainland since Aug. 21, 2017, according to The Weather Channel. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The eclipse, from the time the moon first begins to block part of the sun until the event is over, is expected to last about 1 hour and 40 minutes in the Pacific Northwest to about 2 hours and 40 minutes near the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Many people are expected to watch the eclipse, but Staley urged the public not to treat the event as just another novelty in the sky. He's warning America that our light will go dark if we do not turn from our wicked ways, Staley said. So why do I believe it's a warning? Not only does the Bible connect eclipses to judgment and End Times events but just take a look at what happened in history when these type of solar events happen. When I did a short research of past total solar eclipses that only went through American soil, I was shocked to discover that, according to almanac.com, there were only eight total solar eclipses that have happened over the United States since the founding in 1776 and Incredibly all of these are connected to war and pestilence, Staley said. A look at Staleys almanac.com source shows the listed solar eclipses were the most notable, not that there have only been eight. Staley further claimed that a solar eclipse in the 1700s ushered in the Revolutionary War and other wars. He also said an X created across the U.S. by the span of the eclipse in 2017 and the one expected on Monday will tell the world where the Gog and Magog war will start. In the 1800s that was the time of the Civil War and during the 1970s we had the Vietnam War. There is a consistent pattern for thousands of years of total eclipses bringing war and very bad omens. One of the last times that these two eclipses formed an X over the United States was in 1806 and 1811. Three months after the second eclipse on December 16, 1811, was the largest earthquake in the history of the mainland United States, causing the Mississippi River to flow backwards and was so powerful it rang the Liberty Bell, he added. Over 1,300 miles away on the East Coast coincidentally, six months later the infamous War of 1812 began. Scientists say that if the same earthquake would happen today, it would send a giant Earth wave 200 miles in every direction, leveling every building along its path. Staley describes his Passion For Truth ministry as devoted to doing Bible things in Bible ways and said that God wants the Church to turn back to the Bible before its too late. If youre like me, your heart will be pounding at the end of this video. Its time for the Church to WAKE UP and start returning to doing Bible things in Bible ways before its too late! If there was EVER a time to pay attention, the time is NOW, he said. Responding to what he calls a wave of End Times channels he described as the usual suspects connecting Mondays eclipse to End Times prophecy, Pastor Chris Rosebrough, who leads Kongsvinger Lutheran Church in Oslo, Minnesota, said in a his Fighting for the Faith broadcast that the claims arent true. There's an eclipse coming up on April 8th in the United States, 2024. And we're going to put this out there. There's a lot of channels that are kind of like the usual suspects. Prophecy channels and charismatic leaders and things like this that are all claiming that the 2024 eclipse, that God is speaking a message of doom over the United States as a result of this eclipse, he said. It is not true. The eclipse doesn't mean any of these things. In 2015, elderly victims and their relatives lashed out at Staley, as he was sentenced to seven years in federal prison and forced to pay $3.3 million in restitution to the investors he defrauded in an investment scam. Staley pleaded guilty in April 2015 to four counts of fraud and confessed that he cheated others in the investment scam, from which he made $570,000. The pastor's elderly victims, some of whom were slipping into dementia when he preyed on them, said they trusted him because he professed his Christian faith and family values, only to discover that he's a "disgusting and sickening criminal." On his ministrys website, Staley says the five years he spent in federal prison deepened his faith and helped him better understand Scripture. The new higher learning facility (prison) would be just the place that would be used to remake, remold, and release a new, fresh wind in Jim that is very tangibly felt today, the ministry explains. Remarkably, due to a shared faith, Jim and his former federal judge share a unique friendship post-prison and from time to time still go out to lunch to debrief on what God has been doing in Jims life and ministry. Despite the adversity he faced, Pastor Staleys faith has only deepened, amplifying his dedication to serving the body of Christ and uniquely equipping him in ways that would have otherwise been impossible. He specializes in breaking down the Old Testament Hebrew scriptures and how they connect to New Testament concepts in a way thats easy for the masses to understand. Home News Liberal professor says law signed by DeSantis should be 'model for the nation' A liberal professor is praising a Florida law signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that she believes should serve as a "model for the nation." Kara Alaimo, an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and a self-identified progressive, wrote an op-ed published by CNN supporting House Bill 3, signed by DeSantis last month. The law bans kids under 14 from opening social media accounts and mandates parental permission for kids aged 14-15 to open them. It is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "As a progressive, I never thought I'd write this sentence: A law just signed by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is brilliant and should be a model for the nation," she began. Alaimo, who recently authored a book titled Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic For Women and Girls And How We Can Take It Back, stated that the law "stands to be especially beneficial to young girls." "Research conducted in the [United Kingdom] has found that greater social media use at particular ages predicts lower life satisfaction a year later," she wrote. "For girls, the ages when they appear to be particularly vulnerable on social media are between 11-13 when, in Florida, they won't be allowed on social networks and age 19." Alaimo elaborated on why social media is dangerous for girls in the first age group, noting that they "typically go through puberty" at that stage in their lives, which results in "plummeting" confidence and a poor body image. "So this is not an ideal time for her to be logging on to apps like Instagram, where she's likely to be flooded with images of the so-called Instagram body, whose proportions are so unrealistic that attaining them usually requires surgery," the professor wrote. The professor cited research finding that "girls tend to care more about being socially connected, so they typically spend more time on social networks, which leaves them particularly vulnerable to all the harms they experience on them from cyberbullying to feelings of exclusion when they see pictures of the parties to which they weren't invited." She stressed that it's "especially important to focus on protecting girls because they seem to suffer the greatest harms from using social media." "Parents I interviewed for my book frequently told me they feel pressured to let their kids use social networks because their children's friends had phones and social apps and they didn't want their kids to feel left out," she added. "Banning social media use altogether through age 13 will brilliantly take this pressure off parents, and maybe even give kids aged 14-15 an excuse to give their friends for why they're not on social media 'my awful parents didn't give me permission.'" Alaimo also said the law is an effective way to thwart child predators, noting that "most of their targets are ages 15 and younger the exact ages restricted by Florida's new law." "Young kids simply shouldn't be on social media, but it's extremely difficult for individual parents to enforce such rules on their own," she concluded. "Florida's new law keeps young people away from the many harms they face online from predators to content that can be incredibly dangerous to their mental health. This law is truly a friend to parents of all political persuasions." DeSantis' approval of House Bill 3 comes after it passed the Republican-controlled Florida Senate in a 30-5 vote, and the Republican-controlled Florida House of Representatives voted 109-4 in favor of the legislation. The measure received bipartisan support in both chambers, with four Democrats joining Republicans in supporting it in the Senate and 27 Democrats joining Republicans in supporting it in the House. The law was not universally supported, however, as the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union objected to the legislation, believing that it advanced unlawful censorship. "The age-verification requirements in HB 3 place barriers between users, whether they're adults or minors, and their constitutional right to speak online," said Kara Gross, legislative director of the ACLU of Florida, in a statement released last month. "Age verification requirements blatantly chill the speech and threaten the privacy of adults by requiring them to surrender their anonymity to engage in constitutionally protected speech." Gross contends it is unconstitutional for legislators to "control what ideas and information parents can allow their families to access." "The internet, including social media platforms, contains vast amounts of constitutionally protected speech for both adults and minors. Blanket bans infringe upon our constitutional rights," she said. Home News Megachurch pastor wanted by FBI for sex trafficking issues conditions for surrender A controversial Filipino megachurch Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, sought by the U.S. for child sex trafficking, has set forth conditions for his surrender in the Philippines, demanding assurances against extradition, amid charges against him in both countries. The 73-year-old pastor is accused of asking women to sacrifice their bodies to the appointed son of god and raping them. The U.S. Justice Department, in 2021, accused Quiboloy, the leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church in the Philippines, of sex trafficking girls and women aged 12 to 25 as personal assistants, or pastorals, who were allegedly coerced into sexual relations with him. Concurrently, the Philippine justice department has charged him with sexual abuse and other related offenses, including qualified human trafficking and child abuse acts. Quiboloys demands for surrender include a written assurance from the Philippine government, ensuring no U.S. interference or extraordinary rendition, AFP reported Sunday. He expressed his preference to face legal proceedings in his homeland rather than be subjected to American jurisdiction, citing national sovereignty in his legal battle. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Unless you give me the guarantee Im looking for, you wont see me. Go ahead and manhunt me, Quiboloy was quoted as saying on a YouTube video. Id rather die at the hands of the Filipinos, for my blood to spill here in my country, than to die at the hands of the American authorities who are overseas, in their country. The pastors legal troubles in the Philippines intensified with the change in administration. Quiboloy claimed that the current government under President Ferdinand Marcos has collaborated with U.S. agencies like the FBI and CIA to facilitate his extradition. Testimonies from alleged victims have surfaced, detailing the extent of the abuse within Quiboloys church. During a senate probe, three women, under pseudonyms, recounted years of sexual abuse by Quiboloy. Their testimonies painted a grim picture of manipulation and exploitation, with Quiboloy allegedly using his spiritual authority to coerce them into sexual acts, under the guise of divine mandate. South China Morning Post reported that the pastor had been accused of repeatedly raping women and telling them to sacrifice their bodies to the appointed son of god. He reportedly had about 200 pastorals, many of them Ukrainian girls and women. The church, claiming millions of followers globally, has been under scrutiny, with its leaders actions casting a shadow over its operations. Quiboloys indictment in the U.S. and the subsequent charges in the Philippines have brought to light the alleged systemic abuse and exploitation within the churchs ranks. Quiboloys ties with political figures, including former President Rodrigo Duterte, have also come under scrutiny. Quiboloys past is marred with controversies, including a 2018 incident where he was arrested in Honolulu, Hawaii, for smuggling large sums of money and weapons. Quiboloy, who is a former member of the United Pentecostal Church, founded the Restorationism church in 1985 after he said he received a calling from God. According to Asia Times, he claims God came to his mother in the form of a cloud after he was born, and declared, Thats my son. Since then he has grown wealthy. He argued in a 2010 interview with ABC News that every member of his kingdom shared his wealth and is welcome to stay at his mansion. He further claimed that God revealed to him in 1983 that he should own a jet and said everyone should accept what they get from God in life, even if it is poverty. Home News Suspect arrested for setting fire to Bernie Sanders Vermont office A man has been arrested for setting fire to the Vermont office of United States senator and former Democrat presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, though a motive remains unclear. Shant Soghomonian, a 35-year-old former resident of Northridge, California, was arrested Sunday and charged with "using fire to damage" the Burlington building where Sanders has an office. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont, Soghomonian allegedly entered the building on Friday and went to the third floor, where Sanders office was located. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe From there, security footage reportedly showed Soghomonian spraying a liquid accelerant near the entrance door of the office and then lighting it, with the fire damaging the office door and surrounding area before the building's sprinklers switched on in response to the fire. The Senators office was occupied by multiple employees who were not physically injured during the incident. It is not known how many other occupants were in the building, but no injuries were reported, the U.S. Attorneys Office noted. U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the joint investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Shelburne Police Department; the Williston Police Department; the Vermont State Police; and the U.S. Capitol Police. If Soghomonian is found guilty of arson, he could face a penalty of as much as 20 years in prison, as well as a fine of as much as $250,000. Sanders wasn't present when the crime was committed, according to The Associated Press. A political independent, Sanders was a candidate who tried and failed to win the Democrat Party presidential nomination during the 2016 and 2020 election cycles, respectively. Last Friday, the Burlington Police Department released a statement explaining that authorities had responded to a fire at 1 Church Street, not far from city hall. Investigation revealed that an unknown male subject entered the vestibule of the Office of United States Senator Bernard Sanders. The male sprayed an apparent accelerant on the entrance door to Senator Sanderss offices. He then lit the accelerant and fled, reported Burlington authorities. Along with the fire damage to Senator Sanders door and vestibule, water from the sprinkler systems caused significant damage to that space and other areas of the building. In May of last year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin warning that the 2024 election cycle has created a heightened threat environment in which targets of potential violence include U.S. critical infrastructure, faith-based institutions, individuals or events associated with the LGBTQIA+ community, schools, racial and ethnic minorities, and government facilities and personnel, including law enforcement. Microsoft, in its latest cybersecurity report, is claiming that China is currently employing AI to disrupt the upcoming elections in the US, South Korea, and India. According to the report, the Chinese government is testing the application of generative AI to further "influence and sow division" in the US ahead of the 2024 Presidential Elections. China is supposedly using a multitude of "deceptive social media accounts" to amplify people's divide over controversial US domestic issues, particularly directed to the government's response. Among the issues usually raised are regarding global warming, border policies, drug use, immigration, and continued racial aggression. Microsoft noted that the Chinese-made accounts are starting to impersonate US voters in an attempt to influence actual Americans. Similar reports have been noted during the recently concluded presidential elections in Taiwan, another country China is currently in dispute with. Also Read : China Spy Agency Employs AI System to Monitor US Officials - Reports AI Running Rampant Spreading Election Disinformation The tech giant also reported an increase in online polls, indicating a "deliberate effort to understand better which U.S. voter demographic supports what issue or position." This is in addition to the usual modus operandi of spreading disinformation on social media platforms, which has been noted to also surge thanks to generative AI and chatbots automating most of the operations. The New York Times have already reported China employing AI technology, many of which sourced from the US, to spy on Washington and its allied countries amid rising tension between the two superpower countries. China has continuously denied the accusations from the Western country. US Gov't Gets Bad Rap on Social Media Reports of China interfering with Americans' political views came amidst criticisms of the US government increasing on social platforms. US President Joe Biden, particularly gets a bad rap on the internet, especially from younger voters, for the administration's policies on the US-Mexico border and its support Biden is currently running for presidential reelection against impeached President Donald Trump, another political figure usually scrutinized on platforms popular among younger generations. Home Opinion Hungarys wariness of forced speech reflects post-communist ideals The premium that Hungarians place on free speech reflects an American posture of centuries past. It was the abolition of censorship that Hungarians demanded first during the famous 1848 revolution against the Habsburgs, and it was free speech that they demanded when the 1956 revolution broke out. Indeed, America, whose inaugural constitutional amendment enshrines the right to free speech, in large part has adopted a totalitarian mindset against which it once revolted. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Not to generalize, since millions of Americans still value free speech in broad terms. Thankfully, the majority of the U.S. Supreme Court agrees, too, given the justices 2023 ruling in 303 Creative v. Elenis. But although this Supreme Court precedent will exist for decades, its existence is a race against the morally declining court of public opinion the very citizenry that elects the U.S. president who constructs the Supreme Court. To summarize, in 303 Creative the high court ruled that forcing artists (including bakers, photographers, and florists) to custom-design expressive products that violate their consciences is a violation of the free speech clause of the First Amendment. And while the Left decried the ruling as bigoted, it ultimately protected liberals and conservatives alike. I moved to Hungarys capital, Budapest, as a senior research fellow shortly after covering the 303 Creative case. I hadnt been in Hungary for a week before asking an attorney how the nations courts likely would have ruled on a similar case where artists were sued for declining services that violated their consciences. His answer was as simple as it was telling. I dont know. We dont sue for stuff like that here. Good for you, Hungary, I thought to myself. To be clear, although Hungary is a largely conservative country, Budapest, like any metropolis, is quite cosmopolitan. Yet even Hungarian liberals Ive conversed with agree that the government shouldnt force someone to express himself in a way that violates his conscience. For most people here, that brings back the worst memories of the communist era. For Hungarians, it is not the governments role to determine what people should say or not say. It is not the governments job to force habits or lifestyles onto their citizenry, as was argued by National Assembly member Balazs Orban in his book The Hungarian Way of Strategy. The ongoing dialogue led many a Hungarian colleague of mine to ask: Why wouldnt the American customers just find a different artist? And: Why are they specifically targeting artists who they know wont provide the service? Their curiosity rightly suggests a harassing agenda by the customers. Case in point: Jack Phillips, the Colorado baker and cake artist at the center of the case known as Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado, was sued for refusing to custom-design a cake celebrating a same-sex couples marriage in 2012. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Phillips favor. But since then, hes been sued twice for the same type of refusal both times by the same customer. This is clearly harassment. When I explained this to my Hungarian friends, some of whom call themselves liberal, they were somewhat surprised that Americans (those from the land of the free) would act this way and furthermore, that the courts would entertain these elementary affairs so often. This makes me ask, why? Why are Hungarians conservatives and liberals alike such ardent supporters of free speech? Hungarians appreciation for freedom stems from their understanding of oppression. As a reminder, Hungarys release from Soviet communism is still recent. Indeed, most people reading this article were alive when Hungarys democracy was commissioned in 1989. The people of Hungary know communism not simply from history books, but from life itself. The youngest of Hungarians have first-tier sources of communist history from their parents, and their grandparents can tell them of Hungarys attempt to overthrow Soviet oppression in 1956. Hungarians know that communism doesnt work. Hungarians know that communism doesnt simply limit a people, but it oppresses themsometimes violently. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, several unarmed Hungarians were shot and killed in Kossuth Square, outside the National Assembly building that houses the nations parliament. Hungarians know too well that freedom, without free speech, is a mask for tyranny. Indeed, without freedom of speech, one cannot live freelyif live at all. America once had this understanding of liberty, too, which is why the only intended bias of the First Amendment was a partiality toward freedom. Ideological bias against free speech is not only inconsistent with but contrary to freedom. To quote Kristen Waggoner, the lawyer who defended 303 Creative before the Supreme Court and also is president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom: If we desire freedom for ourselves, we must defend it for others. America, despite being a global superpower, is still in its historic infancy. Not 250 years old, and yet how quickly a country birthed in blood-bought freedom went from there can be no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech (Benjamin Franklin) to you must express yourself in a way that violates your conscience or else lose your livelihood (the modern American Left). Arguably, Americas Founders revolted against lesser tyranny. The courts of Hungary have yet to decide whether artists may be forced to go against their consciences. Perhaps such a case will never reach Hungarys high courts. Thats not apathy on the part of Hungarys courts, but rather integrity on the part of its people. Originally published at The Daily Signal. Home Books Christian expert on near-death experiences reveals 1 thing they all have in common For over three decades, John Burke has studied thousands of near-death experiences (NDEs) and discovered a striking commonality among them all: Every individual, regardless of their religious background, experiences the God of the Bible. I interviewed 70 people on every continent, and found that they all encountered the same God; it didn't matter their culture, ethnicity or religious background. God is the God of all nations, Burke told The Christian Post. Burke, who with his wife, Kathy, founded Gateway Church, a multisite church based in Austin, Texas, recounts some of these stories in his book,Imagine the God of Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Revelation and the Love You've Always Wanted, from that of a Hindu engineer who encounters a "brilliant god of lightning" to a nurse in Brownsville who is told by Jesus Himself to spread the message of love and redemption. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe These stories, Burke said, are part of his broader argument that NDEs are God's "new global apologetic," intended to affirm His existence, the reality of the afterlife and His desire for a relationship with every person. They all say, I never wanted to leave His presence and of all the beauty I experienced, all of these great reunions with people I love who've gone on before me, nothing could compare to just being in this presence, Burke said. He clarified that while every individual encounters the God of the Bible during an NDE, he is not suggesting they will end up in Heaven. Burke said he doesn't believe these people are experiencing an entrance into eternity or a tunnel of death, rather, theyre encountering something in between. This can confuse some Christians, he said. But I like to remind them that the Apostle Paul was not a believer in Jesus, he was arresting Christians and having them jailed and killed when the same God of brilliant light appeared to him on the Damascus Road in Acts 9. When Paul asks, Who are you, Lord? He says, I'm Jesus. But Jesus didn't tell him what to do and He didn't explain the message of the Gospel to him. I believe God is saying to the world, I'm real. Heaven is real. Hell is real. And I love every person from every nation, I want you to be my child through what I did through Jesus, so you can turn your heart back to me and be made right with me. Once an agnostic engineer, Burke's quest for truth began in the most personal of settings a hospital room, beside his dying father. It was there, amid the struggle of impending loss, he said, that he encountered the first seeds of what would become a lifelong investigation into the evidence of an afterlife and the reality of God. Over the last 35 years, I've just had this insatiable curiosity to figure out, OK, what are these near-death experiences, and how do they sit with what the Bible's been saying all along? he said. Imagine the God of Heaven, endorsed by Lee Strobel, Carey Nieuwhof and medical doctors, is a follow-up to Burkes New York Times bestselling book Imagine Heaven, which has sold more than 1 million copies. His latest book, he told CP, is the culmination of three decades of meticulous research and addresses common misconceptions and questions about the authenticity of NDEs especially when some accounts have been widely discredited. For the book, he underwent a rigorous analysis of experiences reported by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including medical professionals like spine surgeons and anesthesiologists, who, according to Burke, "have a lot to lose by making up wild crazy stories about going in and seeing Jesus." "What I'm trying to show is not the one-offs but the commonalities," he said. These near-death experiences, Burke contends, offer not just insights into the afterlife but also profound implications for the current life of a believer. As evil increases, God tends to increase His testimony on Earth, and I think He's doing the same thing today, he said. What I'm trying to do is show how that aligns with the Scriptures to convince the skeptics but also to help Christians see what God is really like. We all put God in a box to some degree because we're finite, he added. And yet the truth is, God is way more mysterious and glorious, beautiful, grand and sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient than we can imagine. But what does that mean? And how does it affect us today? God is also enjoyable, personable, relatable and fun. Yet, Christians don't often think that. I'm trying to show, This is in the Scriptures, but it's also what these people experience. However, Burke cautioned against forming theological beliefs solely on the basis of NDEs, noting the risk of encountering "questionable" accounts as they gain popularity. Instead, he differentiated what people report from their personal interpretations, influenced by their cultural and religious backgrounds. For instance, Burke recounted the story of Nia, a teenager from Africa, who, following a near-death experience, described encountering a being of light she identified as the goddess Durga, despite the experience closely mirroring the Christian understanding of God. I don't think we shouldn't get our theology of the afterlife or of God from near-death experiences alone, he said. I honestly think that's very dangerous. The more popular NDEs get, the more you are going to see questionable ones pop up. Even though this person may have had a valid experience and what they're reporting may be accurate, they come back and they interpret what they saw in their own worldview. As the world grapples with questions of spiritual reality and the afterlife, Burke said he hopes his book serves as a timely contribution to the ongoing conversation and invites readers of all backgrounds to explore the possibility of a love and a life beyond this one. The same God hasn't just shown up in our age of modern medical resuscitation and near-death experiences; this is the same that God has been revealing Himself through the Jewish prophets and through Jesus and put incredible evidence in history, Burke said. The Scriptures need to be the interpretive key to near-death experiences, not the other way around. Imagine the God of Heaven is now available. Home News 28-year-old woman opts for assisted suicide amid incurable depression: My urn 'will be my new house!' A 28-year-old Dutch woman suffering from depression, autism and borderline personality disorder is scheduled to die by assisted suicide with the help of her doctor next month. Zoraya ter Beek, who lives in a small Dutch village near the German border, noted that she decided to schedule her suicide after a psychiatrist informed her there was no hope for her condition, which also includes autism and borderline personality disorder, according to The Free Press. Theres nothing more we can do for you, the doctor reportedly told her after treatment repeatedly failed. Its never gonna get any better. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Ter Beek, who once desired to be a psychiatrist but has been unable to complete school or hold down a job because of her mental health, said that after doctors said her situation was hopeless, she decided to kill herself with their help. I was always very clear that if it doesnt get better, I cant do this anymore, she said. She also texted The Free Press that she no longer wanted to burden the 40-year-old boyfriend whom she lives with and plans to be cremated and placed in an urn to save him the trouble of maintaining her grave. I did not want to burden my partner with having to keep the grave tidy, she wrote. We have not picked an urn yet, but that will be my new house! She also appended an urn emoji to the text, according to the outlet. Ter Beeks euthanasia procedure is slated to occur at her home on her couch, where her boyfriend will accompany her while a doctor injects her with a sedative and a drug to stop her heart. The doctor administering the drug will subsequently be evaluated to ensure that he adhered to the Dutch governments euthanasia protocols. The doctor really takes her time. It is not that they walk in and say: lay down, please! Most of the time it is first a cup of coffee to settle the nerves and create a soft atmosphere, Ter Beek explained. Then she asks if I am ready. I will take my place on the couch. She will once again ask if I am sure, and she will start up the procedure and wish me a good journey. Or, in my case, a nice nap, because I hate it if people say, Safe journey. Im not going anywhere. In a since-deleted tweet, Ter Beek was critical of The Free Press article and noted she would be deleting social media before her euthanasia appointment, according to the New York Post. It was an honor for me to provide insights to people who were open to learning something, she wrote. Ter Beeks death will come slightly more than two months after Lauren Hoeve, an autistic 28-year-old Dutch book blogger, died by assisted suicide earlier this year following years of chronic pain and fatigue from Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. In 2001, the Netherlands became the first nation to legalize euthanasia following decades of debate and protest from Christian groups. Euthanasia deaths have since risen to account for approximately 5% of Dutch deaths in 2022, or more than 8,700 people, according to DutchNews. Dutch couples sometimes choose to be euthanized together, such as former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife, both of whom died by euthanasia in February at age 93. The practice has prompted ethical debate among scholars, some of whom worry legalized euthanasia has cheapened the value of life in the Netherlands and enabled doctors to push their patients to kill themselves without exhausting all possible treatment options. Im seeing euthanasia as some sort of acceptable option brought to the table by physicians, by psychiatrists, when previously it was the ultimate last resort, Stef Groenewoud, who serves as a healthcare ethicist at Theological University Kampen in the Netherlands, told The Free Press. I see the phenomenon especially in people with psychiatric diseases, and especially young people with psychiatric disorders, where the healthcare professional seems to give up on them more easily than before, she continued. Theo Boer, a healthcare ethics professor at Protestant Theological University in Groningen who resigned from the Netherlands euthanasia board in 2014, told the outlet that, during the decade he served on the board, he saw the Dutch euthanasia practice evolve from death being a last resort to death being a default option. Wesley J. Smith, chair and senior fellow at the Discovery Institutes Center on Human Exceptionalism, wrote last November that the Netherlands illustrates the peril of permitting euthanasia in a country. Dutch doctors have gone from legally killing the terminally ill to the chronically ill, to people with disabilities, to the frail elderly, to the depressed and mentally ill, he wrote. Before the legalization of euthanasia, Im confident that few Dutch would have supported allowing doctors to kill healthy geriatric patients any more than (I hope) Americans would. But after decades of euthanasia normalization, only 10 percent think it would be wrong. See what I mean about euthanasia poisoning a nations soul? Home News Americans' support for Israel-Palestinian Authority peace deal wanes if Hamas is involved: poll Americans' support for Israel brokering a peace deal with the Palestinian Authority plunges when participants are told Hamas could be part of the government, according to a recent poll conducted amid calls from the Biden administration to revitalize the West Bank-based PA as part of its post-Gaza war plans. The public affairs agency Gideon300 released the poll last week in partnership with RMG Research headed by longtime pollster Scott Rasmussen. The survey, a copy of which was shared with The Christian Post, sampled 1,000 registered voters online from March 11 to March 12. The sample has an error margin +/- 3.1 percentage points. Likely voters were determined through a screening process in the survey. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe According to the results, 55% of American voters initially supported a peace deal between Israel and the PA, a Fatah-controlled government agency that controls parts of the West Bank and previously controlled the Gaza Strip before Hamas took control in 2007. Later in the survey, respondents were asked what their opinion of a peace deal would be if they knew that the PA wants "to form a unity government with Hamas including cabinet positions for Hamas terrorists, wants to pay Hamas terrorists, and 82% of PA supporters approve of the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas." In response to the question, less than a third of American voters (30%) say they supported the idea of a peace deal. The survey comes amid calls for ceasefire and peace agreements between Israel and Hamas, who have been at war in Gaza since October. The Israeli military launched an offensive in Gaza to eradicate Hamas after its militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7. The onslaught resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and the abduction of over 240 individuals. Last month, talks were held in Moscow between Palestinian political factions, including Hamas and Fatah, to discuss establishing political unity. A statement released by the Palestinian factions at the time pledged that there would be an "upcoming dialogue" to bring them under the banner of the Palestine Liberation Organization, according to The Times of Israel. In an interview with The Christian Post, Gideon300 President Matthew Faraci said that the most notable shift was among Democratic voters who participated in the poll. The percentage of Democratic voters who supported a peace deal between Israel and the PA went from 73% to 43% after being informed about the potential Hamas representation in a unity government. "I've participated in putting together more polls than I can count," said Faraci, who is Jewish. "And in all the polling that I've participated in during my career, I've never seen a poll with a 30-point swing ever on any topic ever." Among Republican voters, 38% of participants initially supported the peace deal, but by the end of the survey, only 19% still supported the idea. For independent voters, 47% initially supported a peace deal between Israel and the PA, but that percentage dropped to 28% after learning about the PA's ties to Hamas. Faraci said that the sample for the survey was 47% men and 53% women. Regarding the age demographic of the sample, 25% were within the 18 to 25 age range, and 16% were around the ages of 35 to 44. Another 15% were within the 45 to 54 age demographic, while 19% were around 55 to 64. An additional 25% percent of participants included in the sample were in the 65 and older age category. The survey comes as the Biden administration discusses the possibility of a "revitalized" PA in the hopes that this will create stability in the region after the war between Israel and Hamas ends. "A revitalized PA is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza and establishing the conditions for stability in the broader region," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller asserted in a statement last week. "There is no peace deal with terrorists or those who support terror," Faraci told CP. "A peace deal cannot be made with such an entity." A separate survey released by Gallup last month found that 55% of respondents disapproved of the Israeli military's actions in the Gaza Strip, an increase from 45% in November. Seventy-five percent of Democrats who participated in the survey said that they disapproved of Israel's actions. Sixty percent of independents sided with Democrats in disapproving of Israel's actions, while most Republicans maintained support for Israel. According to Gallup, the number of Republicans who approve of Israel's actions has declined slightly, with 64% instead of 71% now saying that they approve. Home News Christian group threatens lawsuit over Scotland's proposed conversion therapy ban The Christian Institute has threatened to take legal action against the Scottish government if proposals to ban conversion therapy trample on religious freedom, parental rights and free speech. The Scottish government is proposing a ban on "conversion practices" with prison sentences of up to seven years and the possibility of an unlimited fine for people convicted of breaching it. A public consultation on the proposals closed on April 2. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The Christian Institute said that the draft legislation contains only a "handful of vague criteria for what constitutes a conversion practice." It fears that Christian pastors who preach traditional views and parents who try to stop their children from transitioning will fall foul of the ban. Joanna Cook, a public affairs officer at The Christian Institute, said that the current draft was "vaguely worded, dangerously broad, and would catch innocent, harmless behaviour." She gave the example of a mother who might try to stop her son from going to school wearing a dress and make-up. She said that under the terms of the current draft, this would meet the threshold of an offense being committed, risking prosecution. "There are already strong laws on the statute book to protect gay and trans people. Existing law thankfully tackles verbal and physical abuse in Scotland today," she said. "But those campaigning for a conversion practices law aren't content with that. They want a new speech crime, a thought crime. And, I'm afraid, the Scottish government's proposals give them that." She said that plans to introduce pre-emptive "conversion practices protection orders," intended to stop 'conversion practices' from occurring in the first place, were "especially alarming". "They would hand the courts very broad powers to restrict the free speech of individuals based purely on activists' speculation about what they might say to gay or trans people," she said. Legal advice provided to The Christian Institute by human rights lawyer Aidan O'Neill KC warns that the proposed ban risks criminalizing the ordinary work of churches and parents who want to protect their children from radical trans ideology. "Our solicitors wrote to the government preparing the ground for judicial review in February 2022," Cook added. "If Parliament passes a law that tramples on basic freedom of speech and religion, we are ready to challenge it all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary." This article was originally published by Christian Today. Home News Seattle Public Schools phasing out gifted students program to combat 'historical inequity' Seattle Public Schools are phasing out a program for advanced placement classes and replacing it with a more inclusive, equitable and culturally sensitive approach for students, which some parents in the district contend is a bad idea. The districts program for highly capable learners consists of programs and sometimes entire schools for students enrolled in advanced classes to help them learn in an environment suited to their level. Three elementary schools, five middle schools and three high schools currently function as highly capable cohort schools in the district. On its website, SPS detailed its plans to transition to a new Advanced Learning model by the 2027-28 school year to address historical inequity. SPS started the process of phasing out the highly capable programs in the 2021-22 school year. During the 2024-25 school year, the district plans to make its new highly capable neighborhood model available in every school. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe As part of the districts efforts to make the program "more equitable," SPS plans to offer a whole-classroom model where students learning at different levels are all in the same classroom and the teachers provide instruction through a curriculum designed to "honor individual cultures and backgrounds." The whole-classroom model, also known as Tier 1, will be available to all students at neighborhood schools, while some students will have access to Tier 2 and Tier 3 support services. The district defined Tier 2 services as those that increase the depth and complexity, and provide for exploration, interest-based learning, and student voice centered activities through a variety of differentiation strategies within grade level content. Tier 3 services are specifically matched to the student and determined by an individual needs assessment. The program is not going away, its getting better, the district promised on its website. It will be more inclusive, equitable, and culturally sensitive. In particular, students who have been historically excluded will now have the same opportunities for services as every other student and get the support and enrichment they need to grow. Seattle Public Schools did not respond to The Christian Posts request for comment. In a statement to Fox 13, one parent, Simrin Parmar, said that the districts attempt to help students who aren't as advanced would do more harm than good. Instead, the mom believes the district should expand the gifted program. It will not help those kids to just cut the program wholesale. We werent servicing enough of them, Parmar said. You dont help by cutting the program. What we should be doing is identifying more children from underrepresented groups that arent getting a fair shake in the testing and doing more to fix that and providing these services to more kids across the city. They are thriving; they are learning so much. They are curious and they are being pushed, the mom added about the original program. Another parent, Eric Feeny, told Fox 13 that if the district follows through with its new learning model, the bell curve getting ignored and watering down the teaching. Feeny was also one of several parents who expressed concerns about the budget and how the district plans to implement the changes. Until you have a better system, dont give out a fake system or half solution, Feeny said. According to The Seattle Times, over 50% of the 5,727 highly capable students at SPS were white during the 2022-23 school year 16% were Asian, 8.2% were Hispanic and 3.4% were black. Among the student body as a whole, 45% were white, 15% were black, 14% were Hispanic and 12% were Asian. The school district, which had 51,992 students in the 2022-23 school year, also faces a $105 million deficit, prompting concerns about funding for training teachers to educate more advanced students. The outlet also provided other reasons why SPS might have decided to phase out the original program. One potential concern is that students are not absorbing the learning material because the teachers move too fast through the curriculum, The Seattle Times reported. Rocky Torres, the districts associate superintendent of school and student support, claims that the new model does not require additional funding. Some parents, however, such as Karen Stukovsky, who has three students at SPS cohort schools, remain skeptical of how the district will implement the new learning model. You can only do so much differentiation, Stukovsky said a principal once told her. You have some kids who can barely read and some kids who are reading Harry Potter in first grade or kindergarten. How are you going to not only get those kids up to grade level and also challenge those kids who are already way above grade level? Watchdog Group Sues State Department, Court Rules Against Indiana Abortion Ban, Answers In Genesis' New Curriculum link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 07:23 07:23 CLICK HERE to get FREE ACTIVATION on PATRIOT MOBILE with offer code CHRISTIANPOST Top headlines for Monday, April 8, 2024 In today's episode, we discuss the legal actions of a nonprofit government watchdog suing the U.S. State Department over a failed Freedom of Information Act request concerning communications about Tucker Carlson. Next, we debunk the viral TikTok claims about Vladimir Putin revealing historic religious icons depicting Jesus and his disciples as black, with insights from fact-checkers. Then, we explore a groundbreaking ruling by an Indiana court that the states abortion ban violates the religious freedom of some of its citizens. Finally, we take a closer look at the new Christian school curriculum launched by Answers in Genesis, stirring conversations on educational content and beliefs. Home Opinion The glory of hardships My moms 2023 wasnt exactly a great year for her. In January she had what was supposed to be a routine back surgery. This set off a domino effect of sorts. Immediately following the surgery, she began experiencing extremely intense pain. It was the result of a hematoma and fluid buildup on her spinal cord. This led to emergency surgery to avoid paralysis. Next it was a dangerously high fever due to sepsis which resulted in another near fatal stay in the hospital. Shortly after that she was rushed back to the hospital due to shortness of breath, the culprit this time being blood clotting on her lungs. At some point during one of her hospital stays, she contracted shingles. But not just your run-of-the-mill kind, the doctor stating it was one of the worst cases shed seen. After six months of being in and out of the ICU it seemed as though she was finally starting to recover and get back to a sense of normalcy. Thats when she tripped and cracked her vertebrae. Finally, while she was recovering from her fall, she came down with Covid. One last reminder of how 2023 treated her. Recently I asked my mom how she felt about last year. Her response wasnt exactly what I was expecting. She said, You know, each time Ive had to go to the hospital Ive felt the Lords hand holding me and sustaining me. It gave me an incredible amount of peace. I figured if He was with me in it, then there must be something He was teaching me through it. I was taken aback. Her response made me ask some tough questions of myself. Mainly, would I have the same perspective if I was in her position? Im not proud to say I dont think I would. When Im facing trials my first reaction is usually to petulantly cry out in self-pity, Why God? Why me?! Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe But in trying to become more Christ-like I realize her attitude is far more biblical and far more productive than mine. My moms past year of trials also elicited in me a desire to look more closely at the apostle Paul and how he faced trials. Paul was a man well acquainted with hardship in life, so it seemed like the obvious place to start a study of this sort. One of the first things that stood out to me was what he considered to be a success. The man did nothing that we would consider wrong and yet he was arrested, denied a fair trial, imprisoned, and put on house arrest. Not to mention the other trials he faced like physical assaults, gossip, false accusations, as well as literal shipwreck, among various other hardships. Amid all this, he writes to the Philippians declaring, my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the Gospel going on to conclude, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Paul was suffering yet he doesnt dwell on that fact, instead he wants the Philippians to know that his suffering resulted in the Gospel reaching those who might not have heard it otherwise. His response tells us he believed in the sovereignty and sufficiency of God. He believed God was able to use his trials and suffering to advance the Gospel, to bring something good and eternal from them. This means that Paul believed there was something more important, something more valuable than even himself or his own cause or his own comfort. He viewed his own suffering not in relation to his own comfort or prosperity, he viewed it in relation to what it meant for Gods eternal purpose. To Paul, life was about more than just self. He was more concerned with Christ than even his own comfort. In my own life Ive found that suffering and trials tend to push us in one of two directions: we either become more self-focused and full of self-pity, or we become more Christ-focused and full of His grace. The latter is what we see in Pauls life. Paul experienced the reality that Jesus is capable of sustaining us in our suffering. As followers of Jesus, this is what we are invited to experience in our hardships the sustaining power of Christ. Please dont misunderstand me, this isnt to diminish our suffering or pretend like life is always great. Im not saying we should be happy when we experience suffering, or we cant be discouraged by it. And Im certainly not condemning anyone if youre depressed by your current hardships. But what we see in Pauls life, and what is a tremendous source of encouragement for us as Christians, is that God can redeem even our suffering. He can bring good out of it. If Jesus is the source of our joy, then amid our suffering, we can still experience joy and peace. If health or finances or material things or relationships are the source of our identity and joy, then as soon as we lose them, we experience a sort of disillusionment and despair because we feel like we are being drawn away from our source in life. This has led me to one of the most challenging realizations of my life, which is if I lose my joy and peace when things go wrong, then all Im really testifying to is that I have the same source as the world does; Ive just been using Jesus as my good luck charm. Essentially, what Im saying is that it was never about my relationship with Jesus, it was just about what I could get from Him. But if Jesus is our source, and we realize that in Him we have everything we need, then even if we experience suffering and things go wrong, we can still experience joy and peace in Him because He promised to never leave us or forsake us. This subsequently expresses to those around us that our relationship with Jesus really is better than everything else. Again, this is not to say we cant be devastated or heartbroken at loss and suffering, but if Christ is our source, then even loss and suffering wont shipwreck us because we still have Jesus. Jesus gives us eternal hope because we understand that suffering is temporary, but the love He offers is everlasting. A.W. Tozer puts it like this, The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. This understanding Paul has, this eternal perspective he has, allows him to ultimately conclude that to live is Christ. In other words, as long as he is on earth, he intends to grow closer to Jesus. Paul had an unshakeable peace regardless of what he faced in life or even in death because he knew he had Christ. Another individual with this eternal perspective was the missionary Hudson Taylor. Taylor faced all sorts of hardships in life. His first wife died, four of his children died, he was plagued with health issues, and he faced numerous other issues while on the mission field. Yet he said, it is no small comfort to me to know that God has called me to my work, putting me where I am and as I am. I have not sought the position, and I dare not leave it. He knows why He places me here whether to do, learn, or suffer. I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize that He is able to carry out His will for me. It does not matter where He places me, or how. That is for Him to consider, not me, for in the easiest positions He will give me grace, and in the most difficult ones His grace is sufficient. Both Paul and Taylor write from a place of loss, pain, and difficulty. Their lives were hard and often unfair, and I am not at all trivializing this reality. So please dont misunderstand me, I am not trivializing the hardships some might be facing. Yet Paul shows us that he does not measure his circumstances and life by the standards of this world. He understood that God can take even the bad stuff, even the hardship and unfairness, and produce eternal goodness and glory from it. Paul is saying he has something bigger than his own comfort that he is living for and judging success by. And that something bigger is Jesus. I hope and pray the next time I experience suffering or hardship I will face it with this same type of eternal perspective. For more from Daniel Hamlin visit www.danielhamlin.org Christian students talk self-censorship, death threats and why sharing faith is not optional A study recently published by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC) in 2022 revealed the reality of self-censorship, most prevalent among college students. A documentary film based on this study launched in January 2024. In it, students, who were identified only by their first names, admit to keeping quiet when they believe they should've spoken in name of their faith. Students from Belgium, England, France, Vienna, Spain, Hungary, Germany, Ireland, and Peru were interviewed about the extent to which self-censorship affects them. They came from different denominational backgrounds, and found common ground in their self-censorship experiences. Together they explored what they can do to promote "an atmosphere that enables free expression." Why do people self-censor? Many of the students interviewed said they censored themselves for social acceptance. Mary, from Northern Ireland, found herself in a classroom with an atheist professor who made "horrendous claims" about the God of the Bible. "I didn't want to stand up in a lecture theatre of 300 other people who were laughing and finding it funny," said Mary. "It felt like me against the world, and I felt I very much couldn't speak out." Valeria, from Peru, started censoring herself when she began university. "I remember not hiding it, but I definitely wasn't ... open about it," she said. "I was already in a mindset of, 'I'm just not going to say anything.'" Yusuf lives in Hungary but was born in Nigeria. He explained that his upbringing in Nigeria plays a part in his self-censorship. "The situation in ... the northern part of Nigeria, has been getting a bit bad," said Yusuf. "If there's an event that could spark some outrage, then that's when the Christians usually have to fear for their lives." Markus, from Vienna, said, "I got the feeling [Christianity is] a big topic in society. It's a big topic at university, but it's so difficult to talk about it." Threats and intimidation In Spain, Mafe was the only student who expressed views against abortion when one of her professors brought up the subject in one of her classes. "[The professor] was trying to create a conversation ... but it turned around to an attack," she said. "After that conversation, because I was the only one, I received a death threat. [My classmate] told me, 'I know the subway you take every day, so be careful'." After this, Mafe had to be escorted home by police officers for a month. "They always made me feel so bad about sharing my beliefs or my way to live," she said. "I learned over time to just be very careful of what I was going to say." Mary managed the social media for the pro-life society at her university. She would constantly receive death threats and malicious comments from users with graphic descriptions of how they would harm her. "I'm more than happy to share my beliefs, but if it's going to result in personal attacks like that ... It's very difficult to face, walking around campus [with] people knowing who you are," she said. Valeria believes these behaviors have been normalized to a certain extent. "I guess [these things are] not seen as an aggression." Challenging stereotypes Sixtine, from France, said she once had a roommate who was an atheist. At the end of their year together, her roommate said that Christians were nothing like she initially thought. "I think [my roommate] thought we were really extreme in our ideas, [and] political ideas, in our anything," said Sixtine. "While living with me ... she discovered it wasn't the case at all." Sara, from Germany, thought Christians would be boring. "I never thought I would crash into it and love it!" she said. Now a follower of Jesus, she loves her faith, and she shares about it with others."I've [had] very good experiences when you have the courage to just speak out," she said, "which is a completely different perspective than the world has now in some areas." Yet the students also recognized that Christians can also unfairly condemn and judge others. "We need to be able to call out situations or call out people that we feel sometimes take advantage of Christianity as ... to be able to get votes," Yusuf stated. "They may not properly represent what we stand for." Mary explained, "In the UK, you might see people that hold signs on the streets that say, 'If you don't follow us, you're going to hell', which I don't think is helpful for anyone." "Let it be between you and your God." Many students explained feeling like their faith had to be something discussed only in the private spheres. The first few years after he came to Hungary, Yusuf struggled. "... I thought there was an unwritten law somewhere that people just felt like, 'If you believe, then let it be between you and your God and leave us out of it,'" he said. "I felt like in Europe, everyone preaches the message that religion is an individual thing," stated Yusuf. Markus explained that it's easier to share Christian convictions in one-on-one conversations, but "if you talk in a big hall or in a discussion group, it's getting very difficult." "I've been at the same workplace for 16 months and I don't think they know I'm a Christian," said Wouter from Belgium. "I don't hide it, I just don't talk about it." Valeria disagreed with this approach. She believes it's unacceptable for the Christian identity. "Today people [might say], 'Yeah, believe whatever you want but just keep it to yourself'... 'Your artistry and your faith are separated. You do this, and your faith is on the side' and I think that's a no-go." These students see their Christian faith as an integral part of who they are as people rather than something to keep private. "It's the best way to be who I am," said Sixtine. What can be done? The students in the study were also asked what they would change to create an atmosphere where Christian beliefs do not need to be set aside. "We're living in a world full of different people, different religions, different cultures," said Sixtine. "The important thing is to know who you are. As soon as you know who you are, then it's so important to be able to discuss [it] with other people." "Sometimes we talk about what we believe to be true, but don't really understand why we believe it," said Wouter. Overall, these students understood that no matter the circumstances, following Christ could still bring negative situations. Daniel, from England, quoted George Orwell who said, "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people things they do not want to hear." He believes that "one of the best things students can do is be more courageous about what you want and be outspoken about what you want in your university." Yet he also explained that living fully as a Christian, or making that conversion, could come with negative consequences even if you are not completely rejected. "Potentially you might lose some friends who think you've suddenly become bigoted or whatever." Other students agreed pointing out that the polarized social atmosphere classifies some views and beliefs as offensive which decreases free expression. This makes debates on controversial topics less likely to take place and increases self-censorship. Christian Daily International Concerns over ban on prayers for healing in India Christians have criticised a controversial bill in the Indian state of Assam that bans prayers for healing. The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024, threatens people who conduct so-called "magical healing" with harsh fines and even imprisonment, Crux reports. It makes "inhuman, evil, or magical healing practices" illegal and offenders face up to five years in prison or a maximum fine of 100,000 rupees (around 950). According to Crux, the Chief Minister of Assam said the bill was "an important milestone" in efforts to "curb evangelism in Assam". The bill was passed on February 26 and will need to be ratified by India's president Droupadi Murmu before it comes into force. Local Christians fear that it is a precursor to the introduction of anti-conversion laws that have been used in other states to crackdown on Christians. John Moolachira of Guwahati Archdiocese and president of the Assam Christian Forum shared his disbelief about the bill in comments to India's The Print. "We don't simply go around healing it is part of our prayer. We have healing prayers like every other religion when sick people come, we pray for them individually, or by making them stand together in a group. We don't do magic to heal people. Why is the government making it illegal and punishable is what we don't understand," he said. In a statement, The Assam Christian Forum said: "Healing, in our context, is not synonymous with proselytization. It is a compassionate response to human suffering, irrespective of religious affiliations." A locally-based partner of the Christian charity Open Doors said the bill puts mission workers and the Christian community at risk. "It provides the religious groups an opportunity to generate false allegations against Christians and their institutions. The bill specifically targets the Christian community in Assam," she said. She expressed fears that violence against Christians in nearby Manipur will spill over into Assam. "Please pray for the northeastern states in India, they were once a haven for Christians. They are now endangered with constant news of violence," she said. U.S. lawmakers jump ship in growing numbers amid polarization, dysfunction 16:45, April 08, 2024 By Matthew Rusling, Xiong Maoling ( Xinhua WASHINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. lawmakers are leaving Congress at an accelerated clip, causing observers to ask why. Rep. Mike Gallagher has lately announced his resignation from the House, just a week after Rep. Ken Buck announced his departure, telling CNN it was the "worst year of the nine years and three months that I've been in Congress." Earlier this year, Congressman Greg Pence cited frustration with infighting in the Republican Party as his reason to quit. "I am disappointed in us not getting anything done in 2023," Pence said. "The contention in our party is definitely a contributing factor." In this 118th Congress, 48 House lawmakers have either vacated their seats or announced plans to do so. That amounts to 11 percent of the chamber. While the departures have not yet set a record, they are part of an uptick in recent years. "It's not just the number of departures that has increased. The type of member who is leaving Congress has changed too. Specifically, more and more people are leaving the House after just a few terms in office," noted an ABC News article on March 26. In the Congress of 2007-08, only four representatives with less than a decade of service retired or resigned, just 11 percent of the total departures from that congress. But several years later, the Congress of 2015-16 saw that figure surge to 57 percent, "and it has stayed around 40-50 percent ever since," the article said. WHY LEAVING? "Members are frustrated with lack of policy action so are leaving Congress. They are tired of the extreme polarization and feel they are accomplishing little," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. Indeed, many complain that the GOP-led House is infused with infighting, petty insults, tit-for-tat jabs and the inability to get anything done. Many moderate politicians complain that the House has been overtaken by a right wing that is more concerned with expressing outrage over society's ills than in enacting meaningful legislation. Others say progressives in Congress are only interested in pushing a radical agenda that is at odds with the worldview of the vast majority of Americans. The dynamic is a sign of the times, reflecting -- or perhaps contributing to -- division among Americans of differing political stripes. "It's impossible (for lawmakers) to do anything bipartisan without incurring heavy costs," Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College in the state of New Hampshire, told Xinhua. Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua that polarization has made both chambers of Congress unpleasant places to work. Any man or woman who runs for Congress originally to "get things done" will be discouraged in the current Congress, where it has long been apparent that newly elected have little interest in actually governing, but using Congress as a "social platform" to perform, Greg Cusack, a former member of the U.S. state of Iowa House of Representatives, told Xinhua. Just as such performance can garner "likes" in social media, in Congress it can mean greater publicity, and the likelihood of being reelected and even "noticed" as a person "ready to move higher up," said Cusack. Lawmakers who leave Congress often go to work in the private sector as consultants, cashing in on their experience in government. When asked if members are leaving for better opportunities in the private sector, Ramsay said: "Certainly that's one element. But if those with less than 10 years' service stayed longer and built their reputations, the benefits afterward would be greater than what they'll receive by leaving now." "This suggests strong feelings on their part that by staying in Congress, they're not getting anywhere," Ramsay said. IMPACTS OF EXODUS The perception that lawmakers are leaving Congress due to an inept GOP-led House could be an advantage for Democrats in November's elections. "It gives (President Joe) Biden and the Democrats the opportunity to run against Congress' inability to act," Ramsay said. "I would be shocked if Democrats across the country don't spend the campaign offering a critique of congressional dysfunction and presenting themselves as the alternative," Galdieri said. Some experts believe the trend is leaving Congress bereft of skilled leaders, from foreign policy to budget debates to economic expertise. "All the exits rob Congress of needed expertise and shorten the experience of Congress," West said. What's worse, those departing seem not to be among "the crazies" who embrace performance art, which means that the next Congress will likely be even more composed of like nutjobs, Cusack said. "Only by implementing several reforms on how candidates are advanced at the state level can we hope to return to saner politics," said the former state legislator. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Since AI tools are becoming effective assistants in many jobs, it's expected for teachers to also use them to lighten their workload. It can be used to create study plans, quizzes, and even grade essays, but experts believe there are ethical issues to consider. Teachers Using ChatGPT Teachers are in charge of creating a good study plan for their students, as well as grading each work that they submit. The tasks can easily stack up and leave educators with too many things to do, which is why getting assistance from an AI chatbot could be of tremendous help. Ithaca College Professor of Strategic Communications, Diane Gayeski uses ChatGPT to assess part of the essays that her student submits. She asks the chatbot to critique the works and suggest ways in which it can be improved. Not relying solely on the AI tool, she would share her own thoughts about the students' essays as well as the chatbot's, even suggesting to her students to use ChatGPT themselves to see where they can adjust their work, as per CNN. While there are already policies in place for certain academic institutions for a student's use of AI tools, there are no rules for what a teacher can use it for yet such as grading or generating assignments and activities. As for ethical concerns, the overuse of AI tools could render education useless. The cost of education can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars for tuition alone, and students relying too much on AI and teachers using AI to grade papers might not make it worth the money. "If teachers use it solely to grade, and the students are using it solely to produce a final product, it's not going to work," Gayeski expressed. Factoring all the mentioned concerns, moderation could easily solve the issues at hand. University of Virginia Business Ethics Professor Dorothy Leidner said that if the material being tested has declarative knowledge, meaning that there is a clear right or wrong, then AI "might be even superior to human grading." Some metrics can be graded by AI such as structures, language use, or something as simple as grammar. However, there are certain aspects of school work that AI might not be able to comprehend such as insight and creativity from students. Read Also : AI is Becoming Popular in Business Schools, Entrepreneurship Programs Students Using AI When ChatGPT grew in popularity, students realized that the chatbot could easily do their homework for them. All they have to do is give clear instructions and the chatbot would churn out a whole essay in under a minute. This has become a problem for teachers and learning in general, which is why there have been AI content detectors released as well, some of which can determine whether something is fully, partly, or not created using AI tools. Even though it has been misused in an educational sense, that's not to say that students should steer clear of AI chatbots entirely. As Gayeski suggested, tools like ChatGPT could help students improve their essays. It could even be used for brainstorming sessions and simplifying complex topics. Family of slain Christian in Pakistan receives death threats Muslim relatives of the alleged killer of a 20-year-old Christian in Pakistan are threatening the victim's family with death if they do not drop charges, sources said. Muhammad Zubair initially confessed to killing Farhan Ul Qamar in his house in Talwandi Inayat Khan village, Pasrur tehsil of Sialkot District, Punjab Province, shooting him in the presence of the Christian's family members on Nov. 9, 2023. He later retracted his confession in court. The victim's father, Noor Ul Qamar, said that on the evening of March 18, his family was busy in their routine chores when six armed Muslims led by the alleged killer's father, Afzal Bajwa, intruded into their house and held them all at gunpoint. "The intruders threatened us that if we do not stop pursuing the case and reach a settlement with them to free Zubair from prison, they would kill us all," Ul Qamar told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. The armed Muslims were present in their house when one of Ul Qamar's brothers, a pastor who lives in the neighborhood, called police, he said. "God knows what would have happened to us if the police hadn't come on time and took the intruders into custody," Ul Qamar said. "I filed an application for the registration of a case against them, but instead the police released the men after a few hours." The head of the police station told him that he had let the armed Muslims off with a warning to not intimidate the family again, Ul Qamar said. "The accused's family has a criminal background and are also politically influential, which is perhaps why the police did not take any legal action against them," he said. Area residents have advised him not press charges regarding the armed break-in and death threat as it could endanger his family, he said. "Zubair's family started threatening me to withdraw the case a couple of months after they saw that the hype around the murder had settled down," Ul Qamar told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. "They first sent reconciliatory messages through different people, but when we refused, their tone became more aggressive, and they threatened to kill me if I did not surrender to their demand." On the night of the killing, Zubair showed hatred for Christians and Jews, mistakenly referring to the family as Jews as he ranted at them before killing Farhan Ul Qamar, family members said. Police arrested Zubair from his home a few hours later, and while in police custody he confessed to killing the Christian. He is awaiting trial in Sialkot District Jail. Though shaken, the family is determined to pursue justice for the killer, Ul Qamar said. "Zubair's elder brother and a paternal cousin were gangsters and were killed in police encounters," he added. "Zubair also has a police record and was involved in several heinous crimes before he committed my son's murder. We know that if he is not punished in accordance with the law, no Christian family of our village will be safe from his violence." Among 20-25 other Christian families in the village, Ul Qamar's family has resided in the area for generations, often facing religious bias and discrimination. The youngest of Ul Qamar's four children, Farhan Ul Qamar had been enrolled in a four-year medical technician program and was excited about becoming a health care professional after graduation, but all their dreams were shattered in front of their eyes, the grieving father said. Tehmina Arora, director of advocacy in Asia of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, said the crime is a reminder of the vulnerability of Christians in Pakistan. "Mobs and individual are emboldened because, over the years, the Pakistani government has failed to ensure swift prosecution and justice for Christians who have been attacked in their homes and churches," Arora said. "Sadly, even after 10 years of the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court directing the government to undertake measures to ensure the protection of religious minorities, little has changed on the ground." ADF International is supporting the impoverished family's pursuit of justice through its allied lawyer, Lazar Allah Rakha. He expressed concern for the safety of the victim's family. "Who will be responsible if any member of Ul Qamar's family is harmed by the accused party?" Rakha told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. "Families and friends of such criminals can go to any extent to save them from the law. It's unfortunate that not only the complainants but also their lawyers and judges hearing the cases are threatened and attacked." He said that Christians were particularly vulnerable in Punjab Province, where they are easily coerced into reaching settlements with suspects belonging to the Muslim majority. "I fear that the situation may become risky for them when the trial begins, because the accused party will try their best to influence and intimidate the complainant and prosecution witnesses," Rakha said. "It would be better for them to relocate to a safe place during this crucial time, because one cannot rely on the police for their security." ADF International's Arora added that it was imperative that the Pakistani government take steps to ensure the protection of religious minorities, and that no one is targeted because of their faith. Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors' 2023 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, up from eighth the previous year. 2024 Christian Daily International-Morning Star News MPs concerned about free speech 'double standards' in the UK ahead of pro-life volunteer's trial MPs have expressed concern over the forthcoming trial of a retired scientist who held a sign within an abortion clinic buffer zone offering assistance to women facing a crisis pregnancy. Dr Livia Tossici-Bolt, a Christian and retired medical scientist who is being supported by the Alliance Defending Freedom, held a sign saying "Here to talk, if you want" near an abortion facility in Bournemouth. A group of cross-party politicians has called on the Home Office to protect consensual conversations, peaceful offers of help, and silent prayer within abortion clinic buffer zones in light of her case. Democratic Unionist Party MP Carla Lockhart said that the treatment of the 62 year old revealed an "alarming double standard" in policing and law enforcement. "Our law enforcement, who already have limited resources, must focus on real crimes instead of entirely benign behaviour, as in this case," she said. "One cannot help but notice an alarming double standardvery objectionable views are often allowed at pro-Palestinian protests in the name of freedom of speech and expression, but the same right is not extended to this Christian woman who did not even offer an opinion, but merely invited a conversation. "Why does one rule apply to those protesters, and another to Livia?" Senior Tory MP and former minister Sir Edward Leigh said that people should not be punished for offering a "harmless chat". He said that abortion clinic buffer zones were leading to "needless" legal battles as he warned about the threat to free speech. "Freedom of thought and freedom of speech are the bedrock of a free society," he said. "It's mad that a retiree is facing trial for inviting people to have a harmless chat. No one should be turned into a criminal just for peacefully offering to talk to people in a public space. "All our warnings about the effect buffer zones would have on free speech have come true. We've seen a woman arrested twice for thinking and a Catholic priest charged and prosecuted. "Both won in the courts but only after a long and needless legal battle that will have a chilling effect on free speech." Conservative peer Lord Jackson said the case was an "obvious example of dual policing". "It's astonishing that people of faith offering silent prayers on a matter of conscience are stigmatised, harassed and criminalised whilst those screaming for jihad on hate marches are allowed to spread their poison with impunity," he said. Independent MP Andrew Bridgen said: "There should not be double standards when it comes to free speech. Yet, repeatedly, we see evidence that Christian expression is harshly censored, while the right to voice more fashionable views is protected." Sir Edward said that the draft guidance on the Public Order Bill must include protections for consensual conversations and silent prayer within 'buffer zones'. "The Home Secretary must ensure these common sense protections are kept or we'll see more people like Livia unjustly turned into criminals by bad law," he said. Conservative MP Andrew Lewer said that Tossici-Bolt's trial highlighted the threat to freedom of expression and belief "inherent in censorial 'buffer zones'". "Christianity is not criminal. Neither offering charitable help, engaging in consensual conversation, nor praying silently, should ever be illegal in the UK," he said. "The Home Office guidance on buffer zones should at least protect these in order to uphold international standards on freedom of speech and of thought. "While police crack down on these peaceful activities, they expose a double standard where protesters on different ideological issues are allowed much wider scope to express their beliefs." We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Aboneaza-te la rubricile dorite si primeste zilnic notificari pe email cu link-uri la articolele care au fost adaugate in ultimele 24 de ore. Notificarile vor fi expediate la adresa indicata mai jos. Daca doresti sa schimbi adresa - o poti modifica editand informatia de profil aici. Boeing is facing another investigation from the Federal Aviation Agency, this time after one of its 737-800 aircraft suddenly blew out its engine cover midflight. The investigation was in response to the Southwest Airlines Flight 3695, bound to Houston, suddenly making an emergency landing last Sunday after its engine cover fell off and hit its wing flap shortly after takeoff. No one was reportedly hurt from 135 passengers and six crew members aboard the plane. Affected passengers safely landed in Houston after four hours of delay. The FAA has yet to temporarily ground other 737-800 aircraft amid the investigation. The agency previously suspended operations of all 737 Max 9 planes after one of its aircraft under Alaska Airlines lost its rear door plug midflight last January. No one was also reportedly injured from the incident, although several passengers have already pursued legal accountability from Alaska and Boeing. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun has already announced his resignation by the end of this year following amid multiple federal probes into the company. Several senior members also stepped down from Boeing's board of directors. Related Article : Boeing CEO to Step Down Amid 737 Max Fiasco Boeing Under Fire Due to Safety Concerns The FAA investigation on the Boeing 737-800 comes amidst heavy criticisms of the company's safety procedures. An earlier FAA investigation on the 737 Max aircraft indicated major security and safety issues in its production process, including from its material provider Spirit AeroSystems. Several major airline executives have also been reported by The Wall Street Journal demanding to talk with Boeing and Calhoun over its plans to improve safety measures for its aircraft. The aerospace company is the biggest supplier of domestic and international planes in the US. Boeing has already paid Alaska Airlines $160 million as compensation for the incident back in January. Related Article : Boeing 737 Max Infested with Production Issues, FAA Audit Reports Boeing at Risk of Reopening Previous Safety Lawsuits It is worth noting that Boeing has previously promised to improve its safety procedures for its aircraft as part of its settlement deal from the class-action lawsuit over the deaths of 346 people in two separate crashes in 2018 and 2019. If Boeing was proven to be neglecting its promises, the previous cases could be reopened. Shutterstock Despite recording a 1.2bn annual increase in donations last year, the Charities Aid Foundations (CAF) UK Giving Report 2024 released towards the end of last month highlighted a couple of unsettling trends. First, that some of the least affluent areas in the UK were among the most generous, and second, that fewer people are giving. The geographic differences are interesting as we see parliamentary constituencies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland giving more on average in terms of percentage of income than many parts of England. Sheffield Hallam was the most generous, according to the report, with people donating 3.2% of their income to charity, while those in the new constituency of Kensington and Bayswater donated 0.5% of their household incomes. Perhaps not a new trend, but the first time it has been so starkly depicted. The other trend is more worrying. On publishing the report, CAF chief executive Neil Heslop said the research showed that we need to foster a more widespread and sustainable culture of giving to support charities that are squeezed from all sides and that government can set the tone by committing to drawing up a national strategy for philanthropy and charitable giving, ideally as part of a renewed approach to the whole of civil society in every part of the UK. With the likelihood of a new administration coming into power later this year, how optimistic is the sector that a Sir Kier Starmer-led government would prioritise such a strategy? By all accounts, not very. We have seen little from the opposition that suggests civil society would be bumped up the agenda if it came into power. Admittedly, it is not a big vote winner on the campaign trail, so we can only hope that a new government would add more flesh to the bare bones currently outlined in manifestos. But now would be a good time for charities to lean into the electioneering cycle and put pressure on all political parties to consider a more concrete strategy to grow giving, were they to come to power. @stevejcotterill is the editor of Fundraising Magazine Fundraising Magazine is a practical and inspiring magazine that provides fundraising professionals with the tools to unlock new revenue streams, yield better results from campaigns and boost donor income. Subscribe today to receive 10 issues per year and access to premium fundraising content on civilsociety.co.uk. Find more information here and subscribe today! is a practical and inspiring magazine that provides fundraising professionals with the tools to unlock new revenue streams, yield better results from campaigns and boost donor income. Subscribe today to receive 10 issues per year and access to premium fundraising content on civilsociety.co.uk. Adobe Stock / tashatuvango Fundraising complaints at large charities plateaued last year despite some organisations returning to face-to-face campaigns, according to new data. Civil Society has analysed data available from 50 of the largest fundraising charities for the past five years, with all but one now providing figures for each year. Most charities (26) surveyed over the past two years saw a decrease in the number of complaints they received in 2022-23. But the remaining 23 organisations reported an increase, with many citing the return of in-person fundraising practices as a factor. Overall, Civil Society found complaints at the charities which responded in the past two years fell from 14,018 in 2021-22 to 12,401 in 2022-23. However, most of this decrease was due to a change in how Macmillan Cancer Support reports its complaints. Removing Macmillan from both years samples, complaints to the largest charities rose by less than 1% from 10,247 to 10,271. The Woodland Trust was the only charity in the sample not to provide its fundraising complaints for 2022-23. Due to a data breach at the charity, it has not reported its fundraising complaints since the financial year 2019-20. Return to in-person fundraising sparks complaints Alzheimers Society saw its complaints rise by 32% from 443 to 587 for the financial year ending March 2023. The charity said the increase was due to the return of in-person activity as well as adding more fundraising activities to its portfolio. Young Lives vs Cancer received 106 complaints during the financial year 2022-23, 72% of which were about face-to-face fundraising. Oxfam also saw its complaints rise from 142 to 200 for the financial year ending March 2023, a rise of 40%, which the charity said was due to an increase in its face-to-face fundraising activity. Likewise, Guide Dogs said it experienced a full return to face-to-face events in 2022, which it said was the reason its complaints rose from 123 to 158 over a year-period. Meanwhile, Barnardos saw a decrease in complaints from 113 to 106, which it put down to the number of concerns raised from our face-to-face fundraising activities being lower than the previous year. Veterinary charity PDSA also saw its complaints drop from 113 to 44 for the financial year ending December 2022. But the charity wrote in its accounts that 13 of the complaints received in 2022 were related to its face-to-face fundraising, a rise on the previous year but PDSA said this was proportionate in line with its increased activity. Ross MacKay, head of philanthropy at PDSA, said: We regularly review our fundraising activity to make sure our strategy is aligned with what our different audiences want from PDSA. By doing this, we can easily adapt and make changes to suit what each audience likes to see most from us at that time. The landscape is ever-changing so what works one year may not work the next and we believe it is important to be flexible to that. Macmillan remains most complained about charity Macmillan reported a significant drop in complaints from 3,771 to 2,130. However, the charity told Civil Society that this decline was due to a change in the way it logs complaint. It no longer reports unsubstantiated negative comments that relate to the nature of the content itself, a move approved by the Fundraising Regulator. Despite this change, Macmillan remained the most complained about charity in Civil Societys research sample for the fifth consecutive year. Claire Rowney, executive director of fundraising, marketing and innovation at Macmillan, said: Feedback from our supporters is incredibly important to us, which is why we take extra measures that allow us to hear from them more often. Unlike many other charities, we log any expression of dissatisfaction on our owned social media channels and about our paid advertising as a complaint. This means that the number of complaints we receive seems to be higher, but taking this approach allows us to capture more feedback. This rigorous reporting method is supported by the Fundraising Regulator and allows us to get a better understanding of what our supporters need from us and how we can ensure were doing our best to meet their expectations. Macmillan said around 500 of the complaints reported were in relation to it cancelling fundraising events following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Most complained about charities The second most complained about charity was lifeboat charity RNLI, which reported a decrease in complaints last year from 1,105 to 1,038. RNLI said it sent out 32 million pieces of targeted marketing communications during the financial year, seven million more than the previous year. Cancer Research UK received the third most fundraising-related complaints, rising from 830 to 920, which the charity said was in line with its increased levels of fundraising activity for the year. In its annual accounts for the year to December 2023, CRUK said a return to activities which had been paused during the pandemic could also have contributed to the rise. RSPB sees more than 300% rise in complaints Bird protection charity RSPB saw its complaints rise by 348% from 54 to 242 between 2021-22 to 2022-23, making it the highest rise in the entire sample. RSPB did not respond to a request for comment on why they felt its complaints increased this much over the year-period. Despite recent criticism over a political social media post that sparked a compliance case into the charity, as the post was made in August this would not be included in the charitys latest financial year which ended in March 2023. British Red Cross Society also saw its complaints more than double, increasing by 151% to 301 last year. Its latest accounts state that the rise was proportional to the increase in our fundraising activity. Meanwhile, Save the Children UK saw fundraising complaints rise by 73% over a year-period from 269 to 465. The charity wrote in its accounts that the increase was down to face-to-face fundraising resuming after the pandemic and in response to its decision to decline a $1m donation from the fossil fuel company Neptune Energy. Its accounts state: Save the Children UK will continue to take a principled stand on important issues affecting children, which may generate complaints when the issues are complex and controversial. Complaint rates will inevitably vary from year to year and are likely to increase again in 2024 as we return to pre-pandemic levels of fundraising activity. BHF complaints drop British Heart Foundation (BHF) saw its fundraising complaints almost halve from 574 to 258 for the year ending March 2023. This is below its pre-pandemic levels of fundraising complaints, with the charity receiving over 1,300 complaints in 2018-19 and 618 complaints in 2019-20. BHF did not say why it thought its complaints saw a significant drop during the most recent financial year. Leah Mates, director of marketing, fundraising and engagement at BHF said: In the context of the millions of people we interact with every year, we receive very few complaints, and the vast majority of people have extremely rewarding experiences. Door-to-door complaints at GOSH Charity Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Charity saw its complaints rise by 33% over the year-period to 900 complaints, making it the fourth most complained about charity in the sample. GOSH Charity reported a record income of 108m in the year ending March 2023, with fundraising income streams accounting for 92% of the charitys overall income at 97m. In its accounts, the charity said the increase in complaints is directly attributable to the fact that we have significantly increased our fundraising activity during the year. It comes after the charity hit a 100m fundraising target last May in its largest-ever campaign. GOSH Charity said some of the complaints it received were about door-to-door fundraising. We acknowledge and appreciate that door-to-door fundraising does generate complaints, however it is a crucial form of fundraising that provides the charity with the opportunity to talk to individuals and potential donors about the impact of their donation, which is a key part of our supporter commitment, its accounts read. Since the filing of these accounts, allegations were reported in the Times that subcontracted fundraisers working on behalf of GOSH Charity were using pressure-selling techniques to encourage people to donate. The charity subsequently reported itself to regulators and told Civil Society it was deeply concerned by the allegations and had launched a full external investigation into the complaints made. Least complained about charities Westminster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust said it received no complaints last year, down from one the year before, making it the least complained about charity in the sample. Jewish Care was the second least complained about charity in the sample with a single complaint about the attendance of dogs at one of its events. MS Society and the National Trust, which both received 11 complaints, were also among the least complained about charities. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Sign up for The Media Today, CJRs daily newsletter. A week ago today, a series of Israeli strikes killed seven aid workers in Gaza. The victims worked for World Central Kitchen, a group founded by the celebrity chef Jose Andres; one was Palestinian, while six were foreign nationals, hailing variously from the US and Canada, the UK, Australia, and Poland. Israeli forces struck the WCK convoy even though its cars were marked with the organizations logo and it had coordinated its movements with officials. Within twenty-four hours, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, had put out a video statement calling the strikes a tragic case of our forces unintentionally harming innocent people, though he added that such things happen in war. On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces briefed reporters on their investigation into the incident; on Friday, they said that the strikes were a serious violation of their operating procedures, and that two officers would be fired as a result. WCK has maintained that its staffers were targeted systematically, and called for an independent probe. The strikes provoked an international reckoning, or at least a huge outcry, including in the press. The Biden administration was sharply critical of the strikes; then, on Thursday, Biden himself suggested in a call with Netanyahu that US policy on Gaza would be conditioned on Israel immediately taking a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. Hours later, Israel announced that it would open up more aid routes. In the press, the call was widely characterized as a possible turning point in the Biden administrations approach, though it isnt yet clear exactly how, or when, this might play out in practice. Asked by CNNs Wolf Blitzer why it had taken the WCK strikes for Biden to consider changing course, John Kirby, a top spokesperson, said that while the incident was a catalyst for Bidens call with Netanyahu, I think its important to remind that his frustration has been growing over recent weeks and months over the dangers to the civilian population in Gaza and to aid workers. Some media coverage, too, used the strikes as a point of entry to this broader tollby one widely shared count, some two hundred aid workers have been killed in recent months. Still, as Politico noted even before Biden called Netanyahu, the strikes seemed to galvanize official Washington in ways other deaths havent (not least because Andres is a long-standing darling of the liberal establishment). And they got more attention in the media, too. The day before the WCK strikes, Israeli forcestargeting, they said, the command center of the militant group Islamic Jihadstruck a tent encampment on the grounds of a hospital in Gaza. According to the BBC, seven journalists were wounded, including one of its own freelancers. The strike, which attracted international media coverage but nothing on the scale of the World Central Kitchen attack, was a reminder of the ongoing impact of the war on the press, which, like the humanitarian community, has sustained devastating losses since Hamas attacked Israel six months ago yesterday and Israel responded by hammering Gaza. These deaths have themselves attracted international media and diplomatic attention (Blitzer, for example, mentioned them in his interview with Kirby). But some critics have argued that the level thereof has been inadequate. And even those attacks on the press that have provoked the most outrage have not inspired a WCK-size reckoning, even if that reckoning itself appears incomplete. One month into the war, I reported in this newsletter that the toll for journalists was already close to unimaginable. According to a widely cited tracker maintained by the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least thirty-six journalists had been killed to that pointmostly in Israeli strikes in Gaza, but also at the hands of Israel in southern Lebanon and Hamas inside Israeladding up to the deadliest period for journalists in any conflict that the group has ever recorded. As I wrote at the time, the exact total was a matter of dispute, since it depended on whose deaths were recorded and counted. There was dispute, too, as to whether Israel was deliberately targeting journalists. Officials claimed that they werent; they said that they couldnt pledge to keep journalists safe either, but blamed Hamas for conducting operations in their vicinity. Dozens of regional and international press groups said that Israel was targeting journalists, systematically so. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reconstructed the death of Issam Abdallaha Reuters journalist killed while covering cross-border fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanonin an Israeli tank strike, and suggested that he appeared to have been targeted. The same group also reported nine killings of journalistseight in Gaza; one in Israelto the International Criminal Court, making the case that they constituted war crimes. Now, six months into the war, CPJs total number of killings stands at ninety-five. Of the deaths since I wrote a month into the war, Israeli strikes on Gaza were responsible for the vast majority. (Israeli officers or snipers shot three journalists inside Gaza, while two morejournalists for a channel associated with Hezbollah, per CPJwere killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon.) Again, the exact number of killings and their circumstances are not a matter of consensus. As of last week, RSF had counted more than a hundred and five journalist deaths since the war began, twenty-two of which the group has confirmed as coming in the course of their work. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has pegged the toll higher stilland late last year blasted RSF over the course of their work distinction, accusing the group of whitewashing Israels actions. (RSF strongly defended its record and methodology.) But the numbers are terrible however you slice them. Even CPJs figure represents a higher death toll in one conflict in six months than the group has ever logged globally over the course of an entire year. Sign up for CJRs daily email Israel has continued to deny that it targets journalists. But recently, a United Nations report on Abdallahs killing in Lebanon found that he and nearby colleagues (several of whom were wounded in the same attack) were clearly identifiable as press at the time and were standing in an area that had not seen any cross-border shelling for at least forty minutes prior to the strike. (The report stopped short of establishing a reason for the strike.) The Washington Post, meanwhile, published a detailed account of an Israeli strike in January that killed Hamza al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya, two journalists working with Al Jazeera. Israeli officials said at the time that they had struck a terrorist who posed a threat to their forces, then appeared to backtrack, suggesting that the journalists had been mistaken for terrorists because they were flying a dronebefore alleging that the journalists did have ties to militant groups after all. After reviewing footage from the drone and interviewing witnesses, however, the Post found no indications that either man was operating as anything other than a journalist that day, and noted that both had recently been vetted by officials and allowed to pass through checkpoints. (Dahdouh had been given permission to leave Gaza.) Israel said it had nothing further to add. Journalists in Gaza have recently reported that other civilians dont want to be in their physical vicinity for fear they will be targeted. That fear, needless to say, is shared by the journalists themselves. They are under threat and used to living with the voice of the drones in the sky the whole time, Rania Khayyat, a communications officer at the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, told CPJ recently. Outside of [the southern Gaza city] Rafah, its very dangerous. They really expect to die daily. Every time you call them, they always tell us the same sentence, it may be their last call. When you call them, you feel like youre in a nightmare. Of course, the bleak conditions for journalists in Gaza go beyond the fear of imminent Israeli strikes. In its tracker, CPJ has also been monitoring injuries, arrests, and journalists going missing. (Last month, for instance, journalists reported being detained, stripped nearly naked, and beaten at a Gaza hospital; the IDF said it had no record of the incident.) According to Khayyat, well over a hundred journalists are still based in northern Gaza, which is widely reported to be on the cusp of famine; journalists throughout the territory are facing shortages of food as well as of money, transport, and connectivity. Women journalists, in particular, are expected to continue their caretaking responsibilities while still working. Numerous journalists have already evacuated Gaza, including Wael al-Dahdouh, the father of Hamza, who in the early weeks of the war was internationally recognized for his courageous reporting on air for Al Jazeera even after an Israeli strike killed several other members of his family, including his wife. (Earlier this year, he was taken to Qatar to receive treatment for injuries of his own.) And yet, through these awful circumstances, the work of these journalists has been vitalnot only because the stakes are so high for Gaza, but because Israel has only allowed foreign journalists to enter with a military escort, despite the protestations of major Western news organizations. (CNNs Clarissa Ward was able to go in with an Emirati medical team, but only for a short period.) Those journalists remaining on the ground, Wafa Abdel Rahman, the founder and director of the Palestinian NGO Filastiniyat, told CPJ, have also become human rights defenders (whether they like it or not)and, in a sense, aid workers. Theyre covering where you can go, what you can do, where you can find vaccines, Abdel Rahman said. A month into the war, I wrote that the line between journalists and other groups of civilians was already a blurry one. Establishing whether journalists have been targeted matters immensely, for legal reasons and because it affects the flow of information. But the boundaries of their profession are always porousin this case, not only in terms of the roles that they have taken on, as Abdel Rahman noted, but in terms of the role that other civilians in Gaza have played in sharing information with the outside world. Ultimately, they are all just people, living through similar dangersand dying by them, too. All deaths deserve attention, and a reckoning. The reckoning that followed the WCK strikes was in many respects incomplete. While thanking Israel for its speed in investigating, Andres has continued to demand an independent probe; while two officers have been fired, the Israeli report made no mention of possible legal consequences, and contained some contradictions in its accounting of what happened. Some of the Israeli rhetoric was similar to that which has followed the deaths of certain journalists in the war. But there at least was a swift investigation on this occasion, and some form of consequences, including, it would appear, in the diplomatic arena. If this can be done, it can be done for journalists as well. Other notable stories: ICYMI: This nonprofit has newsrooms in all 50 state capitals. Is it the future of state journalism? Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Jatiek Smith, a Bloods gang member convicted on extortion and racketeering charges in New York, blamed ruthless competition and a culture of violence in the fire restoration industry for the accusations made against him by federal prosecutors. Smith was a fire chaser, one of many in the restoration business who aggressively solicit business from owners of fire-damaged properties by monitoring emergency dispatches. They may show up at a homeowners door with a contract, sometimes while the fire is still burning. The restoration work is paid for by the property owners insurance companies. Prosecutors found that through his control of one mitigation company, Smith asserted control over the industry by using violence, threats and extortion to drive his main competitor out of the business. Smith was found guilty on racketeering and extortion charges on February 14. The judge said that Smiths defense was undermined by the governments proof of his use of violence and extortion to enforce his system. According to prosecutors, once Smith and his crew had established control over the industry, they imposed rules under which they gained a preferential share of fires. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, whose office prosecuted the case, said Smiths audacious takeover of the New York City fire mitigation industry with the help of his gang associates presented a new form of organized criminal activity. The use of violence and extortion to dominate an industry places the New York case in a category of its own. But experts say often-aggressive, sometimes-violent tactics have been seen across the country as fire restoration, paid for by insurance carriers, attracts illegitimate contractors seeking quick profits. In many cases, contractors or adjusters show up at fire victims homes, sometimes even before firefighters have extinguished the blaze. We have unfortunately seen this emerge as a common practice after major loss events, said Michael Richmond-Crum, director of personal lines and counsel for the American Property and Casualty Insurance Association, in a prepared statement. While these practices are seen in areas where major catastrophic events take place, there is no geographical limit to the practice, and we have seen these bad actors move around the country in response to major events. Restoration firms say insurers practice of directing mitigation work to their preferred vendors puts more pressure on firms who dont want to work for discounted prices to get to fire scenes early. The Smith case and others around the country have made headlines. And some states lawmakers are now calling for limits on when public adjusters can swoop in. Fistfights, Guns Sean Scott, a former restoration contractor in San Diego who now writes articles and does consulting work in disaster recovery, said the violence that led to Smiths conviction isnt surprising. He said interactions among restoration contractors who show up at fire scenes can get ugly. Guys get in fistfights: I was here first!' he said. There have been guns pulled, people shot. I was in it. I know firsthand about it. Scott is the author of two books about the restoration industry: Secrets of the Insurance Game and The Red Guide to Recovery. He wrote those guidebooks after serving for 12 years as president of two San Diego restoration companies. Scott said during an interview that guerilla marketing tactics, such as monitoring emergency dispatches to find new customers, can be a crucial business-development tool for contractors who dont have an inside connection with their local fire department or the Red Cross to alert them when disaster strikes. The stakes are high. A contractor who is hired to board up a fire damaged home can walk away with a restoration contract worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, Scott said. The initial pitch to customers may include a promise to work with a public adjuster partner who will take care of all of the insurance paperwork. Scott said fire chasing allows restoration contractors to get their foot in the door. Nowadays, no one is staying up all night listening to emergency dispatch scanners, he said; there are services such as PulsePoint or Text Me Fires that send text messages to their subscribers. There are good guys out there trying to compete with the bad guys, Scott said. People in some situations are forced to do it. You have some fire departments where a retired fire chief will set up a board-up shop and start getting $300,000 or $400,000 jobs. Department Connections One board-up service touts its connections to fire departments. Franchiser 1-800-Boardup boasts of 75 independently owned locations in the United States. We have a proven process that has helped numerous restoration companies grow their annual revenue by millions of dollars through strategic fire department partnerships, the companys website says. The company, based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, was founded in 2002 by Michael Hosto, a Red Cross disaster action team captain, the website says. The companys senior vice president of operations, Tony Young, is a retired deputy fire chief with the Oklahoma City Fire Department. National Director Jeff Clohessy is a retired assistant chief for the Bedford Park Fire Department in the Chicago area. The value of getting feet into doors is reflected in the salaries being offered by restoration contractors. In an online job posting titled Fire Chaser/Emergency Response Coordinator, Paul Davis Restoration of West San Fernando Valley promises an annual salary of $70,000 to $90,000. ERCs need to possess the ability to turn an emotionally distraught customer into a satisfied one and leave the customer with a positive lasting impression, the ad says. A job opening posted by a ServPro franchise in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, offers an annual base salary of $100,000 for an entry-level emergency response coordinator. Scott said most insurance claims adjusters have come to accept fire chasers as part of the claims process, at least in Southern California. He said he worked on both sides of the street when he was in the restoration business: His company accepted referrals from insurers but also dispatched crews to fire scenes. Having a chaser out there can ensure that the jobs that should rightfully be yours stay with you, he said. Its sort of like guarding your chickens, to a certain degree. Business Strategy That sounds like a sound business strategy to Israel Stepanian, owner of PackoutLA in Los Angeles. Stepanian said he became involved with the insurance industry 18 years ago as an art appraiser after obtaining a masters degree in art history. About five years ago, he started offering pack-out services. His company loads up the contents of homes or businesses damaged by fire or water and stores them in a warehouse until the building is restored. Stepanian said he added disaster restoration work to his business portfolio about two years ago. It was natural growth, a natural progression, he said. I got into contents. For example, an insurance adjuster would say, Can you do these couches, too? Then I became a content-loss specialist. I started doing mitigation work, too. Stepanian said when insurers dispatch him to fire scenes, he often finds several fire chasers lurking outside. He said some people find the practice distasteful, but he personally doesnt feel there is anything wrong with offering services to customers who need help after a disaster. In fact, Stepanian said he would hire a fire chaser to drum up business for his own company if he could find a person who would work on commission and behave ethically. So far, he hasnt found the right person. When I work, I really consider who I am dealing with, he said. These people (property owners) are already in trouble. Now, they may yell and scream. I dont take it personally. I may take two or three hours just to talk to them. Stepanian said he doesnt want to do any fire chasing himself, even though he signed up for a free service that texts him the addresses of emergency dispatch calls. Instead, he is in discussions with a national franchise that would steer business his way. When you buy the franchise, they give you the jobs, he said. Rise in Fire Chasers The number of fire chasers may be increasing as more people move into areas at high risk of wildfires, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies said in a prepared statement. That also holds true for storm scammers who use similar tactics in areas where hurricanes, winter storms and other natural disasters cause property damage, the organization said. Fire chasers seeking to exploit the stress of someone losing their home to a fire or other natural disaster by promising quick fixes is unconscionable, NAMIC said. The impulse for homeowners to restore normalcy is understandably strong but can make them vulnerable to bad actors. Moving too quickly can ultimately muddy the claims process and create unnecessary delays. Legislation to Crack Down Some state lawmakers, however, have concerns about the unsavory nature of drumming up business by tracking emergency calls. Nicholas Zeitlinger, a spokesman for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, said laws that seek to restrict soliciations too tightly may not withstand free speech challenges. The Florida Legislature learned that lesson after it imposed controls over solicitations by roofing contractors in 2021. A federal judge issued an injunction blocking the new law a year later. But Zeitlinger said policymakers are finding other ways to protect consumers, such as requiring disclaimer notices. Some states are also tackling this issue by creating cancellation windows to allow consumers to exit a contract without penalty, or to extend the cancellation window, he said in an email. Ive seen this legislation filed in Florida, Maryland, and Mississippi. Other options include offering inducements and other forms of prohibited advertisements. For example, Kentucky and Louisiana have filed legislation around prohibited advertisement this session. The property/casualty committee of the National Council of Insurance Legislators is proposing an amendment to its model law on professional standards to prohibit public adjusters who often work with restoration contractors from soliciting customers during any loss-producing natural occurrence. The model law also would also require public adjusters to use pre-approved contract forms, establish conflict-of-interest standards and bar public adjusters from making complaints against insurers claims-handling process without the consent of their client. The NCOIL Executive Committee will consider final adoption of the change during the organizations spring meeting in Nashville, April 11-14. NCOILs model laws are not binding. They serve only as templates for state legislatures to consider when adopting standards for the industry. Lawmakers in at least two states this year have proposed rules similar to those in the NCOIL model. In South Carolina, state Sen. Ronnie W. Cromer, R-Newberry, introduced a measure on February 7, Senate Bill 1032, that would prohibit public adjusters from soliciting customers during loss-producing events. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance. The Maryland state Senate on February 8 passed Senate Bill 231, a measure that would prohibit public adjusters from soliciting new customers between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. During a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, a representative for the Maryland Insurance Administration told lawmakers that the agency proposed the bill after receiving complaints from consumers that public adjusters showed up while fires were still in progress and gave them the impression that they were working for the property owners insurance company. Imagine your house burning down and someone comes up with a warm car and a cup of coffee and says, Sign this contract and Ill take care of your insurance claim,' said Joseph Smith, acting associate director of the Insurance Administrations Fraud and Enforcement Division. What we are hearing from consumers is they are of the opinion and belief, at the moment when they are most vulnerable, that this person is with their insurance company and they are signing the contract without fully reading the contract, Smith said. SB 231 must also be passed by the House of Delegates and signed by the governor before becoming law. CLEVELAND, Ohio Two area men created a slew of fake businesses to get $4.2 million in fraudulent government funds meant to help small businesses and employees survive the coronavirus pandemic, according to federal prosecutors. Joseph Oloyede, 61, of Medina, and Edward Oluwasanmi, 61, of Willoughby were charged Friday in federal court in Cleveland with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Both pleaded not guilty at their arraignments and were released on $20,000 unsecured bonds. Oluwasanmis attorney, Henry Hilow, said its early in the case, and he looks forward to reviewing the evidence. A message was left for David Johnson, Oloyedes attorney. Oloyede is the owner of Available Tax Services, Inc., a tax consultant business in Bedford Heights. Oluwasanmi owned Dayspring Transportation, a charter bus service based in South Euclid. The duo created several other businesses that did little or no real business, lied on applications for the loans and recruited others to fill out fraudulent forms, according to the indictment. Those who filled out the forms paid Oloyede and Oluwasanmi kickbacks for organizing the fake filings, according to court records. Oloyede used some of the money to pay a contractor $24,473 for work on his Foote Road home, according to court records. Oluwasanmi used $224,880 to buy a commercial property at 422 S. Green Road in South Euclid, where he moved his Dayspring business, court records say. Prosecutors are seeking to seize Oloyedes home, which he bought in 2021 for $130,000, and Oluwasanmis commercial building. Adam Ferrise covers federal courts at cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. You can find his work here. FROSTPROOF, Florida A University of Florida pre-med student drove to his mothers house and stabbed her to death, reportedly telling authorities he did it because she got on my nerves. Emmanuel Espinoza, 22, called 911 and confessed to killing his mother, Elvia Espinoza, 46, immediately after attacking her, Polk County Florida Sheriff Grady Judd said in a video update. Emmanuel Espinoza is being held in jail and will be charged with first-degree murder, Judd said. The suspect, who is a student at the universitys campus in Gainesville, Fla., was traveling to Frostproof on Friday for a family event. He called his mother and asked for permission to stay at her home, Judd said. Emmanuel Espinoza arrived at about 2 p.m. and knocked on the door, Judd said. When his mother opened the door, he immediately began stabbing her, Judd said. Elvia Espinoza, who was on the phone with a family member when the attack occurred, tried to run but her son stabbed her many, many times until she fell and died, Judd said. Judd said the suspect told investigators that he decided to kill his mother during the drive to her home. He said, You know, I had wanted to kill my mother for many, many years because she got on my nerves, Judd said. Judd said that when the suspect was asked to describe his relationship with his mother, he said about an eight out of 10, that he really loved her, but she irritated him. This is a horrible event, Judd said. Mom is a second-grade teacher at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary in Frostproof, Florida, and is well-loved by the community. Its a very sad day with an inexplicable, vicious murder. Stories that will make you laugh, cry and question everything you thought you knew. Step into a portal where LGBTQ+ folks can live authentically, free from hate and where their contributions to art and culture are celebrated. Sign up for the QueerVerse newsletter today! Since 2009, Transgender Day of Visibility (TDoV) has been celebrated on March 31 in the U.S. as a way to create togetherness and community for the members of the LGBTQ+ community. This year, the celebration day that was created to honor the approximately 2.6 million of trans people in the US fell on the same day as Easter, leading to controversy. President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on March 29 to recognize TDoV, followed by a statement two days later emphasizing transgender Americans right to safety, support, and dignity. On Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the strength, joy, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know. Transgender Americans deserve to be safe and supported in every community but today, across our country, MAGA extremists are advancing hundreds of hateful and extreme state laws that target transgender kids and their families. No one should have to be brave just to be themselves, Biden said starting off his statement shared on March 31. Right-wing conservative leaders and social media posts falsely claimed Biden created TDoV and purposefully declared it on Easter. Conservative figures such as Ted Cruz and members of Trumps 2024 presidential campaign criticized the timing or demanded apologies from the Biden administration. The woke Biden White House is pretending that Easter doesn't exist. Also, California's new minimum wage law is devastating restaurants & destroying jobs. Finally, NBC News has announced that it is only for Democrats. All this and more on Verdict. https://t.co/X3YM0zRCxh Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 1, 2024 Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called Bidens actions outrageous and abhorrent. And politicians werent the only ones expressing public upset. Celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner and Tyrese were quick to speak out as well. But Biden did not create TDoV and the White House did celebrate Easter this year. Biden has honored the TDoV since 2021 and was the first president to do so. The holiday was created in 2009 by Rachel Crandall-Crocker, the executive director and co-founder of Transgender Michigan. I created it because I wanted a time that we dont have to be so lonely. I wanted a day that were all together all over the world as one community. And thats exactly what we are, Crandall-Crocker said in an interview with AP last month. Easter is planned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in accordance with the ecclesiastical full moon and falls on a different day every year. Next year, Easter Sunday will be on April 20. This year, the White House held the annual Easter Egg Roll on April 1. During a press briefing held on April 1, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the claims shared were untrue, emphasizing that Biden celebrates Easter while upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American. It is dishonest what we have heard the past 24 hours. It is untrue what we heard over the weekend, Jean-Pierre said. President Biden will never abuse his faith or for political purposes or for profit. That is not what this administration is about. That is not what being a leader is about. How misinformation harms the queer and trans community Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit GLAAD, said to us its baffling how political leaders exploit opportunities to spread disinformation. [Public figures] could have chosen to reflect on the joy and renewal of Easter, celebrate the existence and resilience of transgender people, or simply be at peace with their own loved ones on a spring weekend. Instead they whipped up false outrage over something that wasnt happening, said Ellis, who draws from reports that the majority of Americans reject anti-trans campaigning. Ellis explained the spread of disinformation puts people at risk for discrimination and violence. When extremist public figures rush to post disinformation about a vulnerable community, it puts them at further risk of discrimination and violence. It sends false messages about who belongs and who should be ostracized and legislated against, Ellis said. In 2022, there was a 40% increase in anti-transgender hate crime incidents compared to 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2018, anti-LGBTQ+ ideation was the root cause of one in every five hate crimes committed in the U.S., according to the FBI. This data was corroborated by trans rights activists and legislative researcher Erin Reed in an interview with Scientific American in Dec. 2022. Antiqueer rhetoric seeks to establish violence against the LGBTQ+ community, be it physical violence, harassment and abuse, or political violence, Reed said in the article. The American Psychological Association said that this form of violence against LGBTQ+ members can lead to feelings of alienation, sadness, anger, depression, anxiety and mood disorders, mental distress, suicidal ideations. It can also lead to actions like an increase in substance use or an increased risk of unsafe sexual practices. Discriminatory legislation, policies, and practices can significantly negatively impact LGBTQ+ people and the microsystems, organizations, localities, and macrosystems in which they operate, said the report. Ellis added that the danger of disinformation against LGBTQ+ members doesnt just threaten that community it affects all Americans. There is also danger to all Americans, because when elected officials take time to attack LGBTQ people, they are neglecting to focus on real problems a majority of all Americans care about, including gun violence, poverty, homelessness, and the attacks on fundamental freedoms to be ourselves, read what we want, and make private health care decisions for ourselves and our families. Discrimination and disinformation are unacceptable barriers to everyones safety and success, Ellis said. Ellis added that TDoV falling on Easter this year should be a reminder of respect and justice for all. Imagine if all public figures were in it for all people, rather than feeding the outrage machine to selfishly boost themselves. Many, many LGBTQ Christians and allies celebrate both Easter and recognize TDoV each year, Ellis said. Pope Francis has encouraged the faithful to accept and welcome trans Catholics. A day that celebrates both Easter and TDOV is a perfect reminder of the renewed promise of a world where we center respect and justice for all, on dedicated days and all days of the year. Brea Jones is a strategic leader and award-winning journalist who writes for the Sanford Herald. Previously, she worked to stop the spread of misinformation surrounding health and politics as a reporter with FactCheck.org at the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2015, Brea has written articles and produced multimedia for publications covering people, entertainment, politics, and health. OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio -- Musical siblings who grew up in the community are returning to their parish for an evening of praise, worship and song. Sanctuary Music includes three siblings -- Elizabeth, Joshua and Nathan Gonzalez. Christina Dupree, the groups lead guitarist and producer, rounds out the foursome. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Paramount Global and Skydance Media are considering an all-stock five billion dollars deal. Skydance's Cash Infusion Offering As per the report, National Amusements, the entity controlling Paramount, would receive more than two billion dollars in cash as the initial transaction step under the discussed terms. According to individuals familiar with the matter cited by the Journal, Skydance might separately offer a significant cash infusion to Paramount, the owner of Paramount Pictures film studio, to strengthen its financial position and assist in debt reduction. Outside business hours, Paramount and Skydance did not answer Reuters' request for comment on the WSJ report. According to a Reuters report on Wednesday, members of Paramount's board have decided to engage in exclusive merger discussions with Skydance Media. They prefer the independent studio over a twenty-six billion dollars bid from private equity firm Apollo Global Management. READ ALSO: Paramount Announcing Layoffs to Manage Costs, Calls to Focus on Business "Execution" Amid Acquisition Speculation By merging the two companies, the resulting entity would gain significantly more flexibility regarding franchise management. Additionally, it mentioned that Redstone would receive cash, while investors holding non-voting shares would receive stock in the combined company. The negotiations for the deal are reportedly more advanced than the offer from Apollo. If successful, the deal would end Shari Redstone's control over the media empire established by her late father, Sumner Redstone. Skydance, headed by David Ellison, son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, aims to acquire National Amusements, which directly or indirectly holds approximately 77% of Paramount's voting class stock. The latest developments emerge as Skydance has commenced exclusive negotiations with Paramount, with a 30-day timeframe, as part of its endeavor to finalize a deal. This follows Skydance's initial offer, made in January for an undisclosed amount, indicating their continued pursuit of an agreement. Skydance's Long-Standing Interest With Paramount With an exceeding four billion dollars valuation, Skydance showed interest in Paramount's portfolio of assets in December, which encompasses Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, CBS, and cable networks such as MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav engaged in discussions with Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish in December regarding a potential merger, which have now ceased. Other interested parties include Allen Media Group founder Byron Allen, who submitted a thirty billion dollars bid, including debt, for the company, Apollo Global Management, which initially offered eleven billion dollars to acquire Paramount's film and TV studio, followed by a twenty-six billion dollars bid for the entirety of Paramount Global. Paramount Global's special committee approval would be required for any deal to proceed. Paramount, valued at eight billion, one hundred seventy million dollars in market capitalization, reported long-term debt of fourteen billion, six hundred million dollars by the end of 2023. However, during Friday's trading session, its shares experienced a 3% decline. Stocks have decreased by 17% year to date and have fallen by 43% over the past year. RELATED ARTICLE: Disney CEO Signals Era of Expansion, Pledges to "Start Building Again" in Employee Town Hall 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The return-to-office mandates incur substantial expenses, and individuals willing to transition from remote to full-time office work may experience notable changes in their paychecks. In-Office Attendance on The Rise According to ZipRecruiter data shared with CNBC Make It, full-time in-office attendance salaries are on the rise in the United States. Companies now offer an average of $82,037, marking a nearly 40% increase from the $59,085 average salary offered in 2023. According to ZipRecruiter, hybrid roles pay an average of $59,992 as of March, compared to $54,034 in 2023. Similarly, remote jobs now offer an average salary of $75,327, up from $69,107 in 2023, according to data based on job listings from ZipRecruiter's platform and survey responses from over 1,500 U.S. adults who began new jobs in 2023. Wage Increases for In-Person Positions Johnny Bui, aged 25, who made a career move in October 2023, left his remote consulting job for a hybrid position at the same level as a product analyst at Visa's Austin, Texas, office. Now earning 33% more, Bui expressed satisfaction with the decision, saying he was willing to sacrifice the option of working from home full-time in exchange for a higher salary. Given the competitiveness of the job market in recent months, particularly for remote positions, Bui views it as a fair trade-off. Believing that many individuals have become accustomed to remote work since the onset of the pandemic, making it challenging to break the habit, Bui also recognizes that financial motivation plays a significant role for many people, so offering higher pay serves as an intelligent incentive to encourage a return to the office, thereby sweetening the deal. Although fewer employers offer remote work opportunities, interest in such roles remains high. Recent research from LinkedIn indicates that while remote job postings account for less than 10% of all job listings in the U.S., they receive nearly half (46%) of all job applications. As companies increasingly enforce their return-to-office mandates, wage increases for in-person positions are being observed. Stricter Guardrails on In-Office Mandates 90% of companies intend to implement a return-to-office policy by the end of 2024, with nearly 30% stating they would potentially terminate employees who neglect in-office requirements, according to a Resume Builder's survey in August 2023. While certain companies resort to punitive measures to enforce return-to-office mandates, others opt for higher salary offerings to entice workers to the office. READ ALSO: How The "Return to Office or Else" Mandates Are Causing Cracks on Companies' Success in 2024 Companies Leveraging on Competitive Pay Over Flexibility Julia Pollak, ZipRecruiter's chief economist, suggests that employers are compelled to compete more vigorously on pay if they cannot compete on flexibility. According to a recent report from video-conferencing company Owl Labs, employees who divide their time between home and the office indicate that the top work perk that would encourage them to come in more is their company covering commuting expenses. Some companies may leverage improved compensation to enhance retention as turnover rates remain elevated in industries with fewer remote opportunities, such as transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, and leisure and hospitality. Pollak notes that industries where in-person work is prevalent continue to experience significant turnover, with employers trying short-term measures like sign-on bonuses or extra paid time off to attract talent as temporary fixes. Pollak further emphasizes that an increasing number of employers recognize the necessity of adopting long-term strategies, such as enhancing salaries or offering better healthcare benefits, to retain their top employees. However, it remains uncertain whether higher salaries alone will be sufficient to persuade individuals to opt for an in-office job over a remote opportunity, as numerous studies have indicated that people are willing to accept a reduction in pay in exchange for the flexibility of remote work. RELATED ARTICLE: IBM Issues a Three-Day In-Office Ultimatum to Remote Managers: Move Near the Office or Leave 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. More companies retire stocks due to gov't-led value-up program By Yi Whan-woo A lower number of proposals were made by shareholders and added to the agenda during the general meetings of listed companies this year, research released Monday showed. The meetings took place mostly in March. The research carried out by the Korea ESG Research Institute attributed the decline in the number of proposals to listed firms efforts to settle contested issues amicably with shareholders through dialogue outside the meetings. The research noted that the contested issues were mostly put up to a vote under a hostile environment at the meetings. Of the 4,528 items addressed by 689 listed companies this year, those based on proposals from shareholders totaled 52. The 2024 figure was down from 72 in 2022. In particular, only five of the 52 were related to demands for a dividend hikes, a common interest among shareholders. In 2023, 14 items dealt with such demands. "It can be said the management are trying to be shareholder-friendly by dealing with the demands for higher dividends through dialogue, the institute wrote. This practice is an improvement as management used to go head-to-head with shareholders through a vote. The institute pointed out that activist funds are complying with managements calls for dialogue after they failed to woo retail investors at the general meetings. Activist funds have been noted for increasing pressure on listed firms to enhance shareholders' voting rights, especially in line with the governments Corporate Value-up Program aimed at improving corporate governance and ensuring higher shareholder returns. As part of efforts for higher returns, the listed companies increasingly retired treasury stocks, the institute said. Some 9.8 percent of the 689 surveyed companies retired treasury stocks before hosting their general meetings this year. The figure more than doubled from 2023. We welcome the listed firms moves to improve governance structure under the Corporate Value-up Program, the institute said. Sanctions review committee to be held as early as May By Anna J. Park The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) plans to send out inspection reports to major sellers of equity-linked securities (ELS) products tied to the Hong Kong stock market, including five commercial banks KB Kookmin, Hana, Shinhan, NH NongHyup Banks and Standard Chartered Bank Korea sometime within this week. According to the financial watchdog on Monday, the inspection reports contain the results of on-site and document investigations conducted on the banks from early January to early March this year. The FSS inspected the five banks as well as six other brokerage firms Korea Investment, Mirae Asset, KB, NH, Samsung Securities and Shinhan Securities during the period. The reports will include detailed facts on the improper ELS product sales by the inspected banks, such as deficiencies in the banks' sales systems, inappropriate sales target-setting and inadequate customer protection policies, either identified or discovered during the two-months-long inspections. The reports will also state the banks' violations of key financial principles, including suitability principles and prohibition of undue solicitation. FSS officials explained that the supervisory agency will demand formal responses from the banks regarding the reports. Upon receiving their official responses, the FSS plans to initiate procedures to review and discuss sanction measures to be imposed on them. "Once the draft of the sanction measures is drawn up, the FSS aims to convene the sanctions review committee as early as May," an FSS official explained. Sanctions discussed at the FSS' review committee will later be confirmed through resolutions at the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), a subcommission of the country's top financial regulator Financial Services Commission (FSC), responsible for the oversight of the securities and futures market. It is expected that the sanctions against the sellers will be three-pronged: penalties against institutions, penalties against employees and fines. The size of fines is likely to be determined according to the amount of voluntary compensations offered by each bank. The Act on the Financial Consumer Protection stipulates that fines will be imposed up to 50 percent of the sales amount, when mis-selling is confirmed. However, FSS Governor Lee Bok-hyun previously said that it would be only natural that sanctions and fines are to be reduced, if sellers take appropriate remedial measures for restitution. The financial sector largely estimates that the industry's compensation amount would be around two trillion won ($1.47 billion), which is about 40 percent of the losses incurred by the mis-selling of ELS products reaching maturity between January and July this year. Meanwhile, banks are moving faster to compensate some customers whose losses have been confirmed. Following Hana Bank's first voluntary compensation case at the end of last month, Shinhan Bank also announced that it completed paying up the compensation to 10 customers early this month. KB Kookmin Bank, which has the largest mis-selling sales volume of the ELS products, is planning to set up voluntary compensation committees and to hold discussions with customers who have confirmed losses. Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Sunday opened an inquiry into Elon Musk for obstruction of justice involving social media company X, according to a court document. A standoff between Elon Musk and Brazil escalated on Sunday when a Supreme Court judge opened an inquiry into the billionaire after Musk said he would reactivate accounts on the social media platform X that the judge had ordered blocked. Musk, the owner of X and a self-declared free speech absolutist, has challenged a decision by Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordering the blocking of certain accounts. He has said X, formerly known as Twitter, would lift all the restrictions because they were unconstitutional and called on Moraes to resign. Neither Musk, X nor Brazilian authorities have disclosed which social media accounts were ordered blocked. X first posted about the order to block on Saturday but it was not immediately clear when the order was issued. Moraes is investigating "digital militias" that have been accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the government of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and is also leading an investigation into an alleged coup attempt by Bolsonaro. Musk, in an X post on Saturday evening, accused Moraes of "brazenly and repeatedly" betraying the constitution and people of Brazil. "This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil," he said in the post. "As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit." The billionaire has pledged to legally challenge the order blocking X accounts where possible. Moraes responded on Sunday by adding Musk to the investigation he is leading into fake news on social media, and opening an inquiry into what he called an obstruction of justice. In his decision, Moraes said: "X shall refrain from disobeying any court order already issued, including performing any profile reactivation that has been blocked by this Supreme Court." If X fails to comply with the order to block certain accounts the company will be fined 100,000 reais ($19,740) per day, the judge said in a statement released to media. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's leftist government expressed support for Moraes, with Solicitor General Jorge Messias criticizing Musk and calling for the regulation of social media networks to prevent foreign platforms from violating Brazilian laws. "We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law, failing to comply with court orders and threatening our authorities," Messias said in a post on X. Last year, Moraes also ordered an investigation into executives at social messaging platform Telegram and Alphabet's Google, who were in charge of a campaign criticizing a proposed internet regulation bill. The bill puts the onus on internet companies, search engines and social messaging services to find and report illegal material, instead of leaving it to the courts. It would also impose hefty fines for failures to do so. China's commerce minister kicked off a trip to Europe by meeting top Chinese automakers BYD and CATL, as he prepares to discuss an ongoing probe by the bloc into whether China's EV industry has benefited from unfair subsidies. China's commerce minister kicked off a trip to Europe by meeting top Chinese automakers BYD and CATL , as he prepares to discuss an ongoing probe by the bloc into whether China's EV industry has benefited from unfair subsidies. Wang Wentao held a roundtable meeting in Paris on Sunday with representatives from more than 10 enterprises that also include Geely , according to a statement published by the commerce ministry on Monday. During the meeting, he reiterated Beijing's stance that Chinese EV firms do not rely on subsidies to gain a competitive advantage and said accusations by the U.S. and Europe of "overcapacity" were groundless. "China's electric vehicle companies rely on continuous technological innovation, perfect production and supply chain system and full market competition for rapid development, not relying on subsidies to gain competitive advantage," Wang said. He also told them the Chinese government would actively support firms to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. Four sources briefed on Wang's trip told Reuters in late March that the discussions would focus on the European Commission investigation that began late last year and aims to determine whether to impose tariffs on exports to protect European car makers. China has a significant lead over European companies in developing low-cost EV models in particular. Newly launched BYD Seal is displayed during the launch of the Chinese-made BYD brand in Jakarta, on January 18, 2024, and at the same time introduced 2 other types of battery-powered vehicles (EV, electric vehicle) that will be sold in Indonesia, with an investment of 1.3 billion US dollars. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP) (Photo by BAY ISMOYO/AFP via Getty Images) China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said that the speedy rise of the country's electric vehicle firms was not because of subsidies, but due to "constant innovations." The allegations about "overcapacity" by the U.S. and Europe are without merit, he said, China's Ministry of Commerce reported Monday. Wang also attributed China's EV edge to "well-established supply chain system and market competition." Wang made the remarks during a roundtable discussion in Paris on Sunday with representatives from more than 10 Chinese companies including EV makers Geely and BYD as well as EV battery manufacturer CATL, a statement from the Commerce Ministry showed. The roundtable discussion centered around the European Union's anti-subsidy probe into electric vehicle imports from China, among other topics, according to the statement. Wang noted that the Chinese EV industry has "made an important contribution to the global response to climate change as well as green and low-carbon transformation." He also said the Chinese government will protect the "legitimate rights and interests" of Chinese firms. The EU launched an investigation in October to determine if it should impose tariffs on imports of battery EVs from China "to offset state subsidies, and to level the playing field," following a substantial increase in in imports. Iranians attend the funeral procession for seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members killed in a strike in Syria, which Iran blamed on Israel, in Tehran on April 5, 2024. U.S. crude oil futures fell Monday after Israel reduced its troop presence in Gaza. The West Texas Intermediate contract for May delivery fell 48 cents, or 0.55%, to settle at $86.43 a barrel. The June Brent contract lost 79 cents, or 0.87%, to settle at $90.38 a barrel. Israel withdrew forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis over the weekend, bringing its troop levels in the enclave to one of the lowest levels since the war with Hamas began last October. Negotiations on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are ongoing in Cairo. U.S. crude and Brent gained more than 4% last week as tensions mounted between Israel and Iran, raising renewed fears that a direct confrontation between the two would lead to regional conflict that disrupts crude supplies. Cannabis plants grow in the clone room at Aurora Deutschland GmbH, a manufacturer of medical Cannabis products, in Leuna, Germany September 11, 2023. Growing cannabis indoors uses a lot of energy, obviously resulting in higher emissions. But some companies are trying to combat that like U.K.-based cultivator Glass Pharms. It claims to be the world's first firm to grow cannabis indoors in a carbon-neutral way. It actually says it goes one better, and produces in a carbon-negative way without buying carbon credits that would usually offset emissions. The company's greenhouse facility in the south of England gets all its power from an anaerobic digestion plant, which is fed on waste food that would normally go to landfill and release methane as it breaks down, CEO James Duckenfield explained to CNBC on a video call. Carbon dioxide has been used as a unit of reference by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change when gauging the global warming potential (GWP) of other greenhouse gases. In the case of methane, it has been estimated to have 28 times the global warming potential of CO2 over a 100-year timeframe. Taking that equivalent measure of methane emissions into account is what makes Glass Pharms' process carbon negative, said Duckenfield. Instead, the biogas created in the anaerobic digestion plant is converted into electricity, which also generates waste heat. That is then used to heat and cool Glass Pharms' greenhouse. "When we get the energy we're really efficient with it," Duckenfield said. In addition, he said that air is flowed through the plants vertically, instead of using horizontal fans that are normally seen in greenhouses. This creates a convection current that helps air move around the greenhouse and disrupts any microclimates that can lead to mold, he explained. The facility's water supply is also harvested from the rain that lands on its roof, which is then treated and even recycled after use. This means Glass Pharms' greenhouse facility does not take any electricity from the energy grid, nor does it rely on mains water. By Lee Yeon-woo Who would have imagined encountering Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, in a random cafe in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province? Yet, there he was. Recently, photos of him working in a cafe in Korea have spread through X, making headlines domestically. People wanted to know why he was here, and what he was doing. Clearly, he wasn't visiting Korea without a reason. He was invited to deliver keynote speeches at BUIDL Asia, a Web 3 conference held on March 27, and at ETH Seoul, a 3-day hackathon that took place starting March 29. The invitations were extended by Erica Kang, CEO of Kryptoplanet, who was instrumental in organizing both events. "The events were supposed to be low-key, yet the photos went viral. The articles explained why he was there. I am thankful for the credit," Kang told The Korea Times during the recent one-on-one interview. As a community festival for crypto builders, this year's event has hosted various figures in the industry, including Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol, Nick White, COO of Celestia Labs, and many more. Kang has been hosting this event in Seoul since 2018. "I built this brand from scratch. It was so hard at first. Nevertheless, I kept it very strict that the content has to be fully technical," Kang recalled. She gained recognition from different protocols after hosting numerous meetups in Korea since 2017. For three years, she has organized meetups where 50 to 80 people could gather once every month. As the market was nascent, many protocols or builders were not big enough to host their own conferences, making Kang the go-to person for them. As the meetups grew larger, Kang came up with the idea of consolidating them into a single, larger conference. "I felt that Asia was missing the 'build' aspect, meaning the technical narrative and technical content. That was lacking, especially in Korea, whereas I saw many of those in the U.S. or Europe. If I host this here, it would be the first one in Asia. It could become a melting pot of diverse people, together on a single platform," Kang said. Starting from this year, Kang also began hosting the SheFi Summit, a community event for women working in Web 3, in Seoul. "As this sector is highly innovative, many people assume it would have a significant number of women and a balanced gender representation. However, it is not. The environment can be quite macho, and it's hard to make your way and brand as a woman," Kang said. Building a community for individuals who share the same values is thereby crucial, Kang said. "Crypto as a whole is new. This ecosystem needs to be built from the ground," Kang said. "Here, communities are everything. Sometimes this industry can feel transactional, very much based on monetary transactions. However, people can create a culture together with the community." Such characteristics attracted Kang to delve into this industry as well. She first encountered this industry in 2017 while on maternity leave from her previous workplace, KT. She was conflicted about whether to continue working or return to KT, but was fascinated by the nascent nature of the industry. "Instinctively, I felt I could build a new career here. This industry doesn't care whether I was on maternity leave or not. It was just nascent, and that's the beauty of it. I could do so many things, but they're indefinable in the traditional way," Kang said. Speaking about the scarcity of Korean players in the crypto industry, she urged them to find a voice and adapt to the rapidly evolving crypto environment. "As we go through hackathons, we encounter so much talent, even including university students. However, the question remains: why arent there significant players from Korea who are actually succeeding?" Kang said. Kang believes Koreans' tendency towards perfectionism, coupled with "nunchi (awareness of other people's unspoken approval or disapproval)," hinders their progress in the industry. Strict legal regulations also play a part. "Crypto moves so fast. We live each day at the speed of light. If you hesitate, it's over. You have to execute. Just do it, unless there are legal concerns." Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, speaks at the 2022 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 4, 2022. Mike Blake | Reuters The CEO of blockchain startup Ripple sees the combined market capitalization of the cryptocurrency market topping $5 trillion this year. Ripple's Brad Garlinghouse told CNBC he expects the entire value of the crypto market to double, citing macro factors including the arrival of the first U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds, as well as the upcoming so-called bitcoin "halving." "I've been around this industry for a long time, and I've seen these trends come and go," Garlinghouse told CNBC. "I'm very optimistic. I think the macro trends, the big-picture things like the ETFs, they're driving for the first time real institutional money." "You're seeing that drives demand, and at the same time demand is increasing, supply is decreasing," Garlinghouse said. "That doesn't take an economics major to tell you what happens when supply contracts and demand expands." The first U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs were approved on Jan. 10 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. They trade on U.S. stock exchanges and allow institutions and retail investors to gain exposure to bitcoin without directly owning the underlying asset. The bitcoin halving is a technical event that takes place roughly every four years in bitcoin's history. It halves the total mining reward to bitcoin miners, which are volunteers on the bitcoin network who use high-powered computers to verify transactions and mint new tokens. The last such event took place in 2020, and the next one is slated to happen later this month. "The overall market cap of the crypto industry ... is easily predicted to double by the end of this year ... [as it's] impacted by all of these macro factors," Garlinghouse said. The total crypto market capitalization was roughly $2.6 trillion as of April 4. If the market were to double, that would imply a new total crypto market cap of $5.2 trillion. Bitcoin has risen more than 140% in the last 12 months. It hit a record high above $73,000 on March 13, according to CoinGecko data. It has since fallen well below the $70,000 level, however. watch now The world's digital currency has been the main token driving gains for the broader market. Bitcoin accounts for about 49% of the entire crypto market, with a market capitalization of $1.3 trillion as of April 1. Positive signs on U.S. crypto regulation One of the other factors that Garlinghouse sees pushing the crypto market to new highs is the possibility of positive regulatory momentum in the United States. This year being an election year, crypto hopefuls are optimistic that the next administration will be more accommodating to the crypto industry with its policy focus. The SEC under Chair Gary Gensler has been aggressive in its enforcement on crypto companies, including Ripple itself. The SEC targeted Ripple with a securities lawsuit alleging it illegally sold XRP, a cryptocurrency Ripple is closely associated with, in unregistered securities deals. Ripple denies the claims and is fighting the suit. "One of the things actually I'll say on the macro tail winds for the industry: I think we will get more clarity in the United States," Garlinghouse said. "The U.S. is still the largest economy in the world, and it's unfortunately been one of the more hostile crypto markets. And I think that's going to start to change, also." Garlinghouse isnt the only crypto bull predicting outsized gains for the crypto market this year. Marshall Beard, chief operating officer of U.S. crypto exchange Gemini, recently told CNBC at a crypto conference in London that he expects the bitcoin price to rise to $150,000 later this year. "Everything went up so fast already this year, there's just a lot of activity, a lot of adoption, new regulation, ETFs, the halving, miners needing to get out," Beard told CNBC. "You're going to see violent moves up and down until that new all-time high, which I think will be $150,000," Beard added. "It probably happens this year. I think it moves so fast ... and I think that momentum, the supply shock, it moves crazy quickly." WATCH: Bitcoin serves different purposes for different people, says Anthony Pompliano The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on June 15, 2023. The United Nations' atomic energy watchdog sounded the alarm Sunday after drones struck a nuclear reactor at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. The International Atomic Energy Agency said the serious incident "endangered nuclear safety and security" as Europe's largest nuclear plant was directly targeted by military strikes for the first time since November 2022. However, it added that there are no indications of critical damage at this stage. Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations over the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday called for greater international support for his country's air defense systems, as Russia continues its aerial bombardment of Kharkiv and surrounding regions. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for talks over Ukraine and the situation in Asia-Pacific. Russia launched two dozen drone attacks on southern and eastern Ukraine overnight, primarily targeting critical infrastructure and damaging a logistics and transport facility in the Odesa region. Russia's nuclear power corporation, Rosatom, accused Ukraine's military on Sunday of launching a series of attacks on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog called for such incidents to cease immediately. Russia's nuclear power corporation, Rosatom, accused Ukraine's military on Sunday of launching a series of attacks on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog called for such incidents to cease immediately. Rosatom said three people were hurt, one seriously. Russia urged world leaders to denounce the incidents. Both Russian officials and the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, said radiation levels were normal and damage not severe. A Ukrainian intelligence official said Kyiv had nothing to do with any strikes on the station, the largest in Europe, and suggested they were the work of Russians themselves. Reuters was unable immediately to verify battlefield accounts from either side. Russian troops seized the plant in the first weeks of the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Each side accuses the other of attacking the plant, which lies close to the front lines of the 25-month-old conflict, and risking a nuclear disaster. A Rosatom statement said the first strike on the plant hit an area near a canteen, injuring the three staff members, but did not indicate what weapon had been involved. Within a half hour, it said, a drone had attacked a cargo loading area and another drone subsequently struck the dome of the sixth reactor. An airplane passes during a partial solar eclipse seen from Queens, New York City, U.S., April 8, 2024. Andrew Kelly | Reuters Monday's solar eclipse is giving some of the country's smaller airports their moment in the sun. The Federal Aviation Administration reported arriving flights at airports from Burlington, Vermont, to southern Illinois were briefly halted Monday morning ahead of the total eclipse. Such disruptions are routinely caused by bad weather and heavy traffic in big-city hubs, but high demand for prime views of the phenomenon jammed some smaller airports on Monday. The best views of the solar eclipse in the U.S. span from Texas through Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio to northwestern New York and Maine, according to NASA. Passengers and crew take a photo wearing solar eclipse glasses aboard Southwest flight 1252 from Dallas, Texas to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which passed through the path of totality on April 08, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images FAA traffic adjustments give airports time to catch up and avoid airplane parking jams on the ground. "We had to close the runway to park planes," Alyssa Connell, head of operations at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Illinois, told CNBC. The airport, which has three runways, took reservations for eclipse flights and on Friday reached its maximum threshold for 230 small propeller aircraft and about 45 larger jets and larger turboprops. "This is by far the most aircraft we've ever seen." The Statue of Liberty is seen during a partial solar eclipse, where the moon partially blocks out the sun, at Liberty Island in New York City, U.S., April 8, 2024. David Dee Delgado | Reuters Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport in Vermont is scheduled to receive between 100 and 130 general aviation planes on Monday, said Dave Carman, deputy director of aviation operations. It's also expecting some scheduled commercial passenger jet traffic. "It's the most we've seen in a day," Carman said. "It's going to be hectic getting out," he said. A Southwest flight attendant wears solar eclipse glasses while giving a safety demonstration aboard Southwest flight 1252 from Dallas, Texas to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which passed through the path of totality on April 08, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images The eclipse was called out as a major event on the FAA's morning planning call at its command center in Warrenton, Virginia, according to an agency spokeswoman. Other common obstacles include presidential travel, severe weather or major sports and entertainment events. The FAA had previously warned pilots about possible disruptions and heavy traffic at a host of airports on or near the eclipse's path. Delta Air Lines sold special eclipse flights during which passengers could view it from the sky, one from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Detroit and another from Austin, Texas, to Detroit. A passenger wears solar eclipse glasses as she looks from a special Delta Airlines eclipse flight over the skies of the U.S., April 8, 2024. Leonardo Benassatto | Reuters Disinformation is expected to be among the top cyber risks for elections in 2024. Andrew Brookes | Image Source | Getty Images Britain is expected to face a barrage of state-backed cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns as it heads to the polls in 2024 and artificial intelligence is a key risk, according to cyber experts who spoke to CNBC. Brits will vote on May 2 in local elections, and a general election is expected in the second half of this year, although British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has not yet committed to a date. The votes come as the country faces a range of problems including a cost-of-living crisis and stark divisions over immigration and asylum. "With most U.K. citizens voting at polling stations on the day of the election, I expect the majority of cybersecurity risks to emerge in the months leading up to the day itself," Todd McKinnon, CEO of identity security firm Okta, told CNBC via email. It wouldn't be the first time. In 2016, the U.S. presidential election and U.K. Brexit vote were both found to have been disrupted by disinformation shared on social media platforms, allegedly by Russian state-affiliated groups, although Moscow denies these claims. State actors have since made routine attacks in various countries to manipulate the outcome of elections, according to cyber experts. Meanwhile, last week, the U.K. alleged that Chinese state-affiliated hacking group APT 31 attempted to access U.K. lawmakers' email accounts, but said such attempts were unsuccessful. London imposed sanctions on Chinese individuals and a technology firm in Wuhan believed to be a front for APT 31. The U.S., Australia and New Zealand followed with their own sanctions. China denied allegations of state-sponsored hacking, calling them "groundless." Cybercriminals utilizing AI Cybersecurity experts expect malicious actors to interfere in the upcoming elections in several ways not least through disinformation, which is expected to be even worse this year due to the widespread use of artificial intelligence. Synthetic images, videos and audio generated using computer graphics, simulation methods and AI commonly referred to as "deepfakes" will be a common occurrence as it becomes easier for people to create them, say experts. watch now "Nation-state actors and cybercriminals are likely to utilize AI-powered identity-based attacks like phishing, social engineering, ransomware, and supply chain compromises to target politicians, campaign staff, and election-related institutions," Okta's McKinnon added. "We're also sure to see an influx of AI and bot-driven content generated by threat actors to push out misinformation at an even greater scale than we've seen in previous election cycles." The cybersecurity community has called for heightened awareness of this type of AI-generated misinformation, as well as international cooperation to mitigate the risk of such malicious activity. Top election risk Adam Meyers, head of counter adversary operations at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, said AI-powered disinformation is a top risk for elections in 2024. "Right now, generative AI can be used for harm or for good and so we see both applications every day increasingly adopted," Meyers told CNBC. China, Russia and Iran are highly likely to conduct misinformation and disinformation operations against various global elections with the help of tools like generative AI, according to Crowdstrike's latest annual threat report. "This democratic process is extremely fragile," Meyers told CNBC. "When you start looking at how hostile nation states like Russia or China or Iran can leverage generative AI and some of the newer technology to craft messages and to use deep fakes to create a story or a narrative that is compelling for people to accept, especially when people already have this kind of confirmation bias, it's extremely dangerous." A key problem is that AI is reducing the barrier to entry for criminals looking to exploit people online. This has already happened in the form of scam emails that have been crafted using easily accessible AI tools like ChatGPT. Hackers are also developing more advanced and personal attacks by training AI models on our own data available on social media, according to Dan Holmes, a fraud prevention specialist at regulatory technology firm Feedzai. "You can train those voice AI models very easily ... through exposure to social [media]," Holmes told CNBC in an interview. "It's [about] getting that emotional level of engagement and really coming up with something creative." In the context of elections, a fake AI-generated audio clip of Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, abusing party staffers was posted to the social media platform X in October 2023. The post racked up as many as 1.5 million views, according to fact correction charity Full Fact. It's just one example of many deepfakes that have cybersecurity experts worried about what's to come as the U.K. approaches elections later this year. Elections a test for tech giants Local elections will serve as a key test for digital giants like Facebook owner Meta , Google and TikTok to keep their platforms misinformation free. Meta has already taken steps to add a "watermark" to AI-generated content so that users are aware it's not real. watch now Check out the companies making headlines in premarket trading. Tesla Shares of the electric vehicle firm gained 3%, extending an after-hours pop from Friday after CEO Elon Musk said the company will unveil its long awaited robotaxi design on Aug. 8. Ulta The cosmetic stock ticked up 1.3% on the heels of an upgrade to buy from Loop Capital , with analyst Anthony Chukumba positing that shares could be due for a rebound after their worst fall since 2020 last week. BJ's Wholesale Shares of the warehouse club added 2.4% following an upgrade by Goldman Sachs to buy from neutral. The bank sees earnings upside ahead for BJ's, driven by a number of factors including the return of volume growth in grocery. Boeing Shares were roughly 1% lower in premarket trading. On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration said a 737-800 operated by Southwest Airlines had to return to Denver Airport after an engine cowling fell off the aircraft mid-flight and hit a wing flap. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Shares of the chipmaker climbed 2% after the company's Arizona subsidiary received an offer from the Biden administration for $6.6 billion in funding as part of the CHIPS and Science Act. Take-Two Interactive Stock in the video game holding company advanced more than 2% following an upgrade to buy from Citi. UiPath Inc . Shares of the software company ticked up about 1% after KeyBanc upgraded the stock to overweight, with the firm saying "the go-to-market and leadership changes over the last two years are beginning to bear fruit" moving forward. Fastly Stock in the cloud computing company gained nearly 4% following an upgrade to overweight from Piper Sandler. Analyst James E. Fish noted that strong valuation and steady fundamentals present an attractive risk-to-reward skew. CNBC's Michelle Fox contributed reporting Sales of Nvidia 's revamped "made for China" artificial intelligence chip may exceed downbeat expectations, according to new Wall Street research a potentially meaningful development for the top-performing Club stock. Demand for one of Nvidia's China-specific H20 chips is "much higher than anticipated" and could generate between $9 billion and $12 billion in incremental revenues this year, analysts at KeyBanc Capital Markets said in a note to clients on Sunday. Nvidia's companywide sales for the 12 months ended in January 2025 are currently projected to be nearly $111 billion, according to consensus estimates compiled by FactSet. That implies more than 80% growth from its prior fiscal year . "We know the China business has fallen off a cliff, so any good news there is a positive surprise," the Club's director of portfolio analysis, Jeff Marks, said Monday in reaction to the KeyBanc note. Still, we're not banking on a pickup in China anytime soon, and the company may not need it just yet considering how strong demand for its chips is elsewhere in the world. Other Wall Street analysts in recent weeks offered different views on the state of Nvidia's China-specific AI chips. For example, Wolfe Research said the H20 "has yet to gain significant traction" with customers, in a note to clients dated March 22. Shares of Nvidia were lower by about 0.9% Monday, to roughly $872 each. Year to date, the stock is up nearly 76%, the most of any Club holding. Nvidia has been sampling AI chips designed to comply with U.S. government export restrictions to Chinese customers since last fall. But questions had swirled about whether those customers wanted the processors due to their lower computational power compared with top-end chips made available to American tech giants like Microsoft , Amazon and Meta Platforms . In January, The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Alibaba and Tencent told Nvidia they intended to order fewer of its throttled-back chips than previously planned. Those original plans were set before the U.S. government in October implemented more strict rules on AI technology exports, which rendered Nvidia's first made-for-China AI chip too powerful. Nvidia went back to the drawing board and developed a revised suite of products, including the H20, that meet Washington's current performance requirements for AI chips and therefore can be shipped without securing a U.S. government license. The Biden administration has said its limits on AI technology exports to China first enacted in 2022 then toughened in October are necessary for national security purposes. NVDA 1Y mountain Nvidia's stock performance over the past 12 months. Nvidia has seen its business boom and its stock price soar since late 2022 when the launch of ChatGPT sparked a wave of investment in AI technology. Nvidia is by far the leading maker of AI chips, and fervent demand for its processors in the U.S. and other countries has allowed the company to shake off the recent hit to its China business and grow its total sales at an impressive clip. Nvidia's long-term opportunity in the world's second-largest economy remains uncertain, though, because additional geopolitical obstacles could arise and competition from Chinese companies such as Huawei could grow more pronounced in the coming years. Fostering a domestic chip industry has been a key priority for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese customers historically contributed between 20% and 25% of Nvidia's data center business, the company has said. But in the three months that ended in January, that dropped to a mid-single-digit percentage of Nvidia's $18.4 billion data center revenue due to the latest export controls taking effect, management said on its February earnings call . Nvidia said it expected China's contribution to data center sales to be in a similar range in the current quarter, which ends in a few weeks. "After that, hopefully, we can go compete for our business and do our best. And we'll see how it turns out," CEO Jensen Huang said at the time. Based on its quarterly supply chain checks, KeyBanc said it may turn out better than expected due to a "significant increase" in demand for the H20. The firm previously estimated orders for the chips to be between 150,000 and 200,000 in 2024. Now, KeyBanc revised its forecast higher to between 600,000 and 800,000, analysts said, leading to the projections for $9 billion to $12 billion in additional revenues this year. On Sunday, KeyBanc raised its price target on Nvidia to $1,200 per share from $1,100, citing what it sees as stronger-than-expected H20 demand and robust interest for Nvidia's recently announced GB200 server systems. The product, which uses the Blackwell architecture and incorporates multiple kinds of processors for AI computing, was unveiled at Nvidia's anticipated GTC conference last month. In explaining its price-target bump, KeyBanc also pointed to Nvidia's plans around production capacity with its chipmaking partner, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, as a sign AI-linked revenues will grow again next year. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long NVDA, MSFT, AMZN and META. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. Visitors at the Nvidia stand at the 2022 Apsara Conference in Hangzhou, China, Nov 3, 2022. Nvidia Stock Soar | Future Publishing | Getty Images Despite getting sold off this year, Jefferies sees SQM as an attractively valued play in the commodities space. Analyst Alejandro Demichelis upgraded U.S. shares of the Latin American lithium producer to buy from hold. Demichelis raised his price target by $10.80 to $62.80, now suggesting an upside of 31.9%. "Whilst we remain cautious on lithium prices, we see attractive value emerging in SQM given the reshaping that the company is undergoing," Demichelis wrote in a Monday note to clients. Demichelis said the market underappreciates SQM's low-cash cost advantage in the lithium space. The increasing international presence of the business can also bring increased growth that the market is not fully anticipating for the longer term, he said. SQM has performed just about in line with peer Albemarle since the start of 2023. That lack of outperformance can be tied to some uncertainties around a deal to extend a Chilean lithium concession to 2060 instead of 2030, the analyst said. SQM ALB,.SPX 1Y mountain SQM vs. Albemarle and S & P 500 While there is not yet a definitive agreement, Demichelis said the plan can create value for the company once executed. "Clearly none of these elements will change SQM's near term earnings," he said. "But we believe that they should put the company on a much stronger competitive footing over the coming years." SQM shares advanced more than 6% during Monday morning trading. The stock has bucked the market uptrend in 2024, dropping nearly 16% year to date. Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on the phone at the 18th green during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational - Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on April 07, 2024 in Doral, Florida. A New York appeals court judge on Monday swiftly rejected a last-ditch bid by Donald Trump to delay his upcoming criminal hush money trial while he seeks to move the case to another court. Judge Lizbeth Gonzalez denied Trump's request on the same day his attorneys filed it, and less than two hours after a hearing where his attorneys argued that the former president cannot get a fair jury in New York, NBC News reported. Trump's lawyers asked the state appeals court to change the trial venue and pause a gag order that bars Trump from speaking about likely witnesses or the judge's family, a source with direct knowledge told NBC. Trump has frequently targeted both groups in the run-up to the Manhattan Supreme Court trial, which is set to begin jury selection next week. Trump is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election. He has made at least eight other attempts to postpone the trial, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Monday's appeal was filed using a legal mechanism that allows a person to directly challenge a court's actions, NBC reported. Doing so allows Trump to contest the case before the trial has even begun. At a hearing Monday afternoon, defense attorney Emil Bove urged Gonzalez to delay the hush money trial, according to NBC. Bove claimed Trump cannot receive a fair and impartial jury in New York because of the overwhelming publicity surrounding the case. The lawyer cited survey results showing that a majority of people in New York County believe Trump is guilty. He noted that those potential jurors have likely heard about an array of other allegations against Trump, who faces 88 criminal charges in four separate courts. Steven Wu, arguing for the D.A., countered that the judge should deny Trump's eleventh-hour request. The news about Trump's legal struggles is being read worldwide, and Manhattan jurors are not uniquely incapable of acting as fair and impartial jurors, Wu said, according to NBC. Wu added that Trump, who regularly rails against the case on social media and the campaign trail, is responsible for the media frenzy. He cannot drum up a media circus and then use that publicity to seek a change of trial venue, Wu told Gonzalez. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo testifies during the House Science, Space and Technology Committee hearing titled "Chips on the Table: A one year review of the CHIPS and Science Act," in the Rayburn Building in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 19, 2023. TSMC 's Arizona subsidiary is set to receive up to $6.6 billion in U.S. government funding under a preliminary agreement announced by the Biden administration on Monday. The funding, under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, will support Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s more than $65 billion investment in three cutting-edge fabrication plants in Phoenix, according to the nonbinding agreement. The Taiwanese multinational semiconductor company is also eligible for around $5 billion in proposed loans under the CHIPS Act. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said at a press briefing that the agreement was "huge," adding that the partnership with TSMC will bring "the manufacturing of the world's most advanced chips to American soil." According to Raimondo, the funds will include $50 million to train and develop local talent in Arizona, with TSMC Arizona having already created more than 25,000 jobs and attracted 14 semiconductor suppliers for the state. The CHIPS Act, passed in August 2022, is an almost $53 billion package aimed at building the U.S. domestic semiconductor industry to boost the country's economy and better compete with rivals such as China for national security purposes. By Lee Hae-rin Koreas travel agencies are scrambling to offer panda-themed tour packages to leverage heated attention on Fu Bao, the first Korea-born giant panda who was transferred to her motherland China last week. Hana Tour, the nations largest travel agency, will start promoting a series of panda tour packages to China next week. The packages offer visits to Shenshuping Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, where Fu Bao is being now kept. They also include visits to other major panda centers, such as Dujiangyan Panda Base and Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Modetour, another leading travel agency, also launched tour packages to Chengdu last week, dubbed Reunion with Princess Fu. Fu Bao will not be on display to the public for some time yet but the itinerary includes a visit to the panda center in Wolong where she is being kept. Interpark Tour also unveiled a package tour to China named Fu Baos homeland, which also includes a visit to the panda center in Chengdu. The Everland amusement park, where Fu Bao was born and raised, is holding discussions with travel agencies on offering special tours that include an actual reunion with the beloved panda once she is revealed to the public again after a period of adjustment. Fu Bao, whose name means treasure that brings happiness, became a national sensation here during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many felt depression and lethargy due to social distancing. According to the amusement park, approximately 5.5 million people visited the panda exhibit to see her between January 2021 and March this year. The figure is around one-tenth of Koreas entire population. Panda-themed tour packages have already met success in neighboring Japan. Xiang Xiang, a female panda born and raised at Ueno Zoo in Japan in 2017, also drew eager crowds before being sent to China in February last year. Japan's tour packages to China that marked Xiang Xiang's birthday on June 12 and included reunions with the beloved panda were sold out instantly upon release. [This stream is set to start at 2:15 p.m. ET.] President Joe Biden will announce on Monday the details of his new student loan forgiveness plan, which could affect tens of millions of Americans. Immediately after the Supreme Court rejected Biden's first attempt at wide-scale education debt cancellation, the president said he would seek to forgive the loans another way. Despite its smaller scope than Biden's first education debt relief plan, this new aid package could still lead to at least partial forgiveness for 25 million Americans, the Biden administration said. More from Personal Finance: Why gas is so expensive in California Credit card users face 'consequences' from falling behind After Biden praises progress on inflation, economists weigh in The plan, if enacted as proposed, would cancel up to $20,000 in unpaid interest for millions of borrowers. In addition, the program is expected to forgive the debt of certain groups of borrowers, including those who: Are already eligible for debt cancellation under an existing government program but have not yet applied Have been in repayment for 20 years or longer on their undergraduate loans, or more than 25 years on their graduate loans Attended schools of questionable value Are experiencing financial hardship The U.S. Department of Education could begin forgiving the debt as soon as this fall. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday that future discussions between the U.S. and China will focus on Beijing's need to shift its policy on industry and the economy, as she wrapped up the fourth and final full day of her trip to China on April 8. 2024. Pedro Pardo | Afp | Getty Images BEIJING U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday that future discussions between the U.S. and China will focus on Beijing's need to change its policy on industry and the economy. "We intend to underscore the need for a shift in policy during these talks building on the over two hours I spent on this topic with the Vice Premier last week," she said in prepared remarks for a news conference Monday, as she wrapped up the fourth and final full day of her trip to China. She arrived in Guangzhou on Thursday and is set to depart Beijing on Tuesday. Yellen said her conversations with Chinese officials during the trip discussed plans Beijing had for its economy, but she did not elaborate. Yellen also declined to share what tools the U.S. might use to prevent China's industrial policy from resulting in the loss of American jobs. She noted U.S. conversations with the Chinese would continue later this month at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group spring meetings in Washington, D.C. watch now China's industrial overcapacity or excess production of goods that undercuts global competitors on price has increasingly become a point of international concern. Other countries claim such production is often heavily subsidized. China's commerce minister said during a trip to Europe that accusations of "overcapacity" are "groundless" and that innovation, not subsidies, drove China's EV industry. In contrast to other countries' focus on the impact of Chinese overcapacity on global trade, Beijing's oversupply concerns tend to focus on the deflationary aspects, detriments to banking sector health and local governments' fiscal stress, said Yue Su, principal economist for China at The Economist Intelligence Unit. "We anticipate further anti-subsidy and anti-dumping investigations on Chinese manufacturing to take place throughout the remainder of the year, particularly as inflation becomes less of a concern for many developed economies," Su said. "These investigations may extend to Chinese overseas factories, including those in ASEAN countries." A call to boost domestic demand When asked about potential solutions, Yellen pointed to how China could boost domestic demand relative to supply by adding support for retirement or children's education. High costs of living, including housing and health care, have encouraged many Chinese to save rather than spend. Yellen acknowledged that efforts to reduce industrial overcapacity or increase domestic demand would not be resolved quickly. "This is a matter that we have discussed over more than a decade in China," she told reporters. Consumer demand in China didn't rebound from the pandemic as quickly as many analysts had expected. In contrast to governments in the U.S. and Hong Kong, Beijing did not issue stimulus checks, but instead focused on cutting business taxes and fees. National security talks China has also sought to bolster its technological capabilities in the face of growing U.S. restrictions on how Chinese companies can access that tech. Both Washington and Beijing have increasingly cited national security as the reason for new measures. Yellen on Monday said both sides exchanged information on the use of economic tools in national security, and should continue to do so. "We are committed to no surprises," she said. During her trip, Yellen met with top Chinese officials including Premier Li Qiang in Beijing and Vice Premier He Lifeng in Guangzhou. The United States is prepared to sanction Chinese banks and companies, as well as Beijing's leadership, if they assist Russia's armed forces with the invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday. "We stand ready to act if we see significant violations, especially by financial institutions," Yellen said in an interview with CNBC's Sara Eisen in Beijing. "Anything that involves aiding Russia's military in their brutal war against Ukraine is unacceptable to us and we have the ability to sanction it." President Joe Biden issued a new executive order in December that vested the Treasury secretary with the authority to sanction financial institutions that aided Russia's military-industrial complex. Yellen said the Treasury Department has "not used this tool yet." China is "entitled" to have a relationship with Russia, she said, noting that much of the trade between the two countries is seen by the U.S. as nonproblematic. But the provision of military aid from Beijing to Moscow could trigger sanctions. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has joined hands with PhonePe to facilitate Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions across the island-city. The partnership will enable Indian visitors to utilise the PhonePe app for instant and secure payments at over 8,000 merchants scattered across Singapore.This initiative aims to enrich the travel experience for Indian tourists by providing them with familiar payment options during their stay, PhonePe said in a statement.Ritesh Pai, Chief Executive Officer of PhonePe's International Business said, "Partnering with STB will facilitate ease of transactions for PhonePe users who now can just pay directly from their existing bank account by scanning a QR code when visiting the island-city."Here's a guide to help users make the most of this payment option:Download the PhonePe App. The app is free to download and is compatible with most smartphones.Once users have installed the PhonePe app, they can proceed to link the bank account to the app.Upon arriving at any of the 8,000+ participating merchants in Singapore , customers can scan the provided QR code using the PhonePe app. This QR code acts as a gateway for initiating UPI transactions.After scanning the QR code, users will be prompted to enter the payment amount and any additional details required by the merchant.Once users have entered the payment details, they should review the transaction summary displayed on the PhonePe app. If everything looks good, they can proceed to confirm the payment by entering the UPI PIN.Generally, UPI transactions made through PhonePe do not incur additional charges for users.However, it's essential to check with the bank to see if they impose any fees for international transactions or currency conversion.When making payments in a foreign country like Singapore, currency conversion charges may apply.These charges are typically imposed by bank or card issuer and may vary depending on the prevailing exchange rates and the terms of the account. Israel said it has withdrawn some of its troops from southern Gaza, with just one Brigade left.Meanwhile progress has been made in discussions in Cairo, Egypt and there is a agreement on the basic points between all the involved parties, Egypt's Al-Qahera News state-affiliated TV channel said early on Monday, citing a senior Egyptian source.On Sunday, both Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt for fresh talks on a potential ceasefire in the six-month conflict. (nL2N3GG053)There was no immediate comment from Hamas and none of the parties to the Cairo talks has confirmed the Al-Qahera news report.According to Al-Qahera, Hamas and Qatar's delegations left Cairo and will return within two days to agree on the terms of the final agreement, while the Israeli and the U.S. delegations will leave the Egyptian capital within a few hours. It added that consultations were ongoing during the next 48 hours.Hamas reiterated on Sunday their demands including a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a return of the displaced, and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.The war erupted after Hamas militants broke through the border and rampaged through communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.More than 33,100 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to the health ministry in Gaza. 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. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a message consoling Russian President Vladimir Putin over heavy floods that hit Russia's southern region, state media said Monday. Kim's message came in response to media reports that Russia declared a federal emergency after heavy floods in the country's Orenburg region forced thousands of people to evacuate. "Kim Jong-un, on behalf of the DPRK government and people and on his own behalf, extended deep consolation to the Russian president and, through him, to the Russian government, people and victims upon the sad news that a lot of material losses were caused by flooding," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an English-language dispatch. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "Sincerely hoping that the Russian government and people would eradicate the aftermath of the natural disaster at an early date and that the inhabitants in the afflicted areas would regain their peace as soon as possible under the leadership of the Russian president, the message noted that the people of the DPRK would always be with the Russian people," the KCNA said. North Korea and Russia have been deepening cooperation in a wide range of areas following a rare summit between Kim and Putin in September. In March, Kim sent a congratulatory message to Putin on his reelection, as well as a message of condolence over a deadly shooting at a concert hall in Moscow. (Yonhap) The expected things? Our reputation is improving, particularly with technical talent and young talent. Our ability to customize and really target content to appeal to certain [talent] audienceshas been quite rewarding. In what other ways has DHL used generative AI technology other than the career site? We have what we call our Career Marketplace, which is an internal marketplace recommending people not only for jobs, but also learning networks and mentoring and these types of experiences. Were in the middle of rolling that out at the moment. That will also include some very nice AI capabilities. We use a generative AI chatbot specifically for creating some of our internal marketing content, so, short videos andtraining videos and things like that. The chatbot is called GAIA, which stands for Generative AI & Intelligent Automation. Internally, it has been super for those things also, because it doesnt have to be done by a specialist, it can be done by people who have the right tools now. The company has been very wise and very fast, but at the same time cautious in setting up an internal generative AI tool that our employees can use, and thats safe, and thats compliant, and thats able to be accessed byeveryone. Anyone who is the least bit interested in accessing it can. That has had two benefits: one, it gives people an awareness of what generative AI is and that its an actually something valuable if you use it well. And two, it also helps those who may have some fear or concerns understand that its not a monster. It is just a tool. In what ways did DHL train its full-time employees in the use of AI? We have a group within our company that took a more proactive role in informing and educating [employees], running workshops and webinars and inviting people to information sessions that were a bit more formal than our previous sort of soft rollout. And, there also people who are responsible for using AI or creating algorithms or machine learning or data analysts, who have had very formal education, and theyre using some of our learning partners to provide them with proper education on AI. Who are your learning partners? Are they universities in the various countries youre located or online course providers? We use Coursera a lot, for example. Also, Skillsoft Percipio. We also do have partnerships with universitiesand other places that provide us with super advanced levels of education. Can you offer any tips for other organizations who are considering rolling out AI? What should they avoid? I think they should avoid hysteria. I think what our company has done super well is I have never felt scared of AI. It was explained to us that this technology was just something thats coming. Its going to help us. Its not going to cause problems if you get on board. Theres a quote that weve kind of thrown around in our business a bit. I cant remember who it comes from, but it says something like, AI is not going to get rid of our jobs. Our jobs are not going to be taken by AI. Our jobs are going to be taken by people who know how to use AI. Its not about replacing your job or being something you should be afraid of. Its about getting your arms around it and learning how its going to help you be better at what you do. Struggling for nearly two months amid the absence of junior doctors, most major emergency medical centers in Seoul have limited operations due to tight staffing, and emergency physicians have warned of following suit if the ongoing standoff over the medical school admission quota hike remains unresolved. More than 90 percent of Korea's 13,000 trainee doctors have walked off the job since Feb. 20 in protest of the government's plan to increase the number of medical school admissions by 2,000 starting next year from the current 3,058 seats to address a shortage of doctors. The government has vowed to be flexible and open to talks with the medical community, but no breakthrough has been made. As of Monday, six out of seven major emergency medical centers designated by the government in Seoul have reduced or suspended some surgeries and other treatments for patients as they are short-staffed and remaining officials have been overstretched, hospital officials said. Nationwide, more than nine out of 44 such centers have not been able to fully provide emergency care services. "We've witnessed serious disruptions in hospital operations. The emergency medical response system is also reaching a breaking point," an emergency physician said. The association of emergency medicine doctors said it is conducting a survey of its members about how they view the current situation and what steps they will take down the road. "If the ongoing standoff is not resolved at an early date, we will prepare for detailed actions, including tendering resignations, to protect junior doctors and to voice opposition to the government's unreasonable policy measures," an association official said. The possible walkout by emergency physicians will lead to "devastating consequences," he warned. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo told a regular briefing Monday that the government is working hard for dialogue, and called on emergency care doctors to refrain from staging any collective action. The government is pushing to increase the admission quota to address a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas and essential medical fields, such as high-risk surgeries, pediatrics, obstetrics and emergency medicine. Given the rapid population aging and other issues, Korea is also expected to fall short by 15,000 doctors by 2035. But doctors argue the government must devise ways of better protecting them from malpractice suits and extending compensation to induce more physicians to practice in such "unpopular" areas. (Yonhap) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for Rejoyn, the first digital tool aimed at aiding in the treatment of major depression. NPR's Leila Fadel spoke with Dr. John Torous, director of digital psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, to delve into the implications of this pioneering advancement. Torous expressed optimism regarding the FDA's decision, highlighting the pressing need for diverse treatment options in addressing the pervasive issue of depression. With over 21 million American adults grappling with depression, the approval of Rejoyn offers a promising alternative to traditional pharmacological interventions. Rejoyn, available exclusively via prescription, offers a blend of cognitive behavioral therapy elements, personalized reminders, messaging features and the innovative emotional faces memory task. Torous noted that Rejoyn is intended to complement existing treatment modalities rather than serve as a standalone solution. "It basically asks you to do different things in the app for six weeks, assuming you're on a medication already in treatment with that provider," Torous explained to NPR. "It's something that you use in addition to treatment you have now." However, the efficacy of Rejoyn has raised questions, with Torous pointing out that studies comparing the app to a placebo revealed marginal differences in outcomes. While acknowledging the potential benefits of digital interventions, Torous emphasized the need for further research to ascertain the precise impact of Rejoyn and similar apps on depression management. Despite concerns, Torous reassured that Rejoyn poses minimal risks, particularly when utilized in conjunction with existing treatment regimens. He addressed potential apprehensions regarding increased screen time, suggesting that for most people, the app usage is unlikely to exacerbate depression symptoms. Torous urged continued scrutiny and research to maximize the efficacy of digital interventions while emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to depression treatment that integrates both technological advancements and traditional therapeutic modalities. Teenagers already face the challenges of navigating bodily changes, peer pressure and emotional regulation. An added layer of challenge is when bullying goes to an extent that may trigger mental health difficulties such as psychosis. In a study from earlier this year, researchers found a concerning link between bullying and the early stages of psychotic episodes in teenagers. The study showed that bullied adolescents not only face a higher risk of experiencing early psychotic symptoms but also exhibit lower levels of glutamate, a neurotransmitter responsible for emotion regulation. Psychosis, characterized by a loss of contact with reality, incoherent speech, hallucinations and delusions, has long been associated with altered levels of glutamate in the brain's anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a region of the brain responsible for emotion regulation and cognitive control. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), researchers measured glutamate levels in the ACC of Japanese adolescents, finding a significant association between bullying and higher levels of subclinical psychotic experiences. These experiences, though not meeting diagnostic criteria for psychosis, can impact well-being. Lead author Naohiro Okada noted the importance of anti-bullying programs in schools, emphasizing their role in creating a safe and supportive environment. Non-pharmacological interventions like cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based approaches are also recommended to address the neurotransmitter imbalance associated with bullying. Signs of psychosis in teens Understanding the signs of psychosis in teens is essential for early intervention. Adolescence is a vulnerable period, and psychosis can manifest during this time. It is reportedly important for parents to look out for changes in behavior, such as sudden withdrawal, difficulty concentrating, or bizarre thoughts. Teens may experience hallucinations or delusions, believing things that aren't real. Mood swings or intense paranoia can be red flags. If a parent suspects psychosis in their teenager, it is important to seek help from mental health professionals. Early intervention can significantly improve outcomes. Approaching the situation with empathy and support and encouraging open communication is recommended. Family involvement in treatment can be beneficial, providing a supportive environment for recovery. A pretty, pretty, pretty good number of people called it. At the beginning of this season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, when Larry violated an obscure law in another state just like the Seinfeld gang did in their finale many viewers assumed Curb was headed for a similarly courtroom-set finale, which is precisely what happened. Yet, while Curbs finale copied Seinfelds nearly beat-for-beat, it also cleverly subverted it and even admitted what was wrong with it. On the surface, the Curb finale could be taken as a simple retread of Seinfelds as it also employs the same device of bringing back character witnesses from the series to prove to the jury what a terrible person Larry is, along with various clips of Larrys bad behavior. Curbs final episode is even called No Lessons Learned, which could be taken as a fuck you to everyone who criticized Seinfelds ending. Publicly, Larry David has always defended the much-maligned Seinfeld finale that he returned to the series to write. In fact, just two days ago, the New York Times published a piece called Larry David Has Always Been the Seinfeld Finales Biggest Defender. And during the Seinfeld reunion on Curb, Larry (the character) fiercely stands by the finale, maintaining, That was a good finale! Don't Miss But the Curb finale would seem to indicate hes not so steadfast about it or that he at least tried to address the criticism of it the second time around. For starters, a common critique of the Seinfeld finale is that the main foursome played second fiddle to their attorney, Jackie Chiles, as they were barely heard from for big chunks of the episode. Conversely, Larrys lawyer in the Curb finale doesnt hog the spotlight. And, with more regular breaks from the courtroom drama, were constantly checking in with Larry as he annoys Cheryl, calls out Ted Danson for being an egomaniac, ruins yet another relationship for Richard Lewis and works with Jeff to steal a secret recipe as an anniversary gift for Susie. A much more significant critique of the Seinfeld finale is that it betrayed the core mantra of the series: No hugging, no learning. Now, clip shows are inherently sentimental theyre the sitcom equivalent of a friendly hug but in the Curb finale, these clips are mostly used to deliberately parallel what Seinfeld did in order to set up its enormously clever bait-and-switch. Advertisement Which brings us to the no learning portion of that mantra. The Seinfeld gang was never supposed to learn from their mistakes, but the finale is all about teaching them a lesson for their bad behavior. Larry goes through nearly the exact same thing in the Curb finale, including being found guilty and sentenced to a year behind bars; however, the twist ending guarantees that Larry wont learn a thing. Jerry Seinfeld plays a key role here, which is a delightful surprise. After Larry is sentenced and put in his cell, Jerry shows up and tells him hes free to go. As it turns out, Jerry spotted one of the jurors who was supposed to be sequestered out at a restaurant, which causes the entire case to be thrown out, and Larrys sentence is overturned. There are zero consequences for Larrys actions, and thus, as the episodes title promises, there are No Lessons Learned. Advertisement Advertisement The last way the Curb finale acknowledges the shortcomings of the Seinfeld finale is by flat out saying it several different times. First, theres Leon, who, after living with Larry for 17 years, finally decides to check out this Seinfeld show that Larry co-created. Throughout the episode, Leon binges every episode of Seinfeld, but stops short of the finale, telling Larry, I heard some terrible things about it. I heard you fucked it up. Then, at the very end of the episode, when Jerry tells Larry hes free to go, Jerry points to the jail cell and tells Larry, You dont want to end up like this. Nobody wants to see it. Finally, as the two begin walking out, Larry turns to Jerry and says, Oh, my God! This is how we shouldve ended the finale. To which Jerry says, Oh my God, youre right! How did we not think of that? I guess Larry learned a lesson after all. Sobriety makes you meaner? Thats Tiffany Haddishs counterintuitive conclusion about life without intoxicants. I've learned that I've been too damn nice, Haddish told PEOPLE. I've been way too nice over the years. Haddish says people mistakenly believe that drinking loosens their conversational filters. At least in her case, the opposite is true. When I drank, there was a filter, okay? she said. Because I would think really mean things, and want to say really mean things, but I just told myself not to say them. Now I say the shit. Call it mean or call it honest, but thats one way that sobriety has changed Haddish so far. In the past, the comic had enough presence of mind while drinking to keep her less-than-positive thoughts to herself. Oh, don't say nothing because you got alcohol in you and you might say something mean," was the message Haddish received from some internal censor but no more. Now I'm like, Oh, I'm sober and this is what I really feel, so I'm going to say it. Because it needs to be said. Don't Miss Haddish continues to toe the sobriety line, telling the Hollywood Reporter last month that I havent drank any alcohol, smoked any weed or anything in, like, 72 days. She added that staying away from intoxicants is not hard. Its not that hard for me, cause it wasnt really, like, my main thing anyways. Despite that ease, Haddish did appear to have a problem. In November of last year, the comic was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence after she was found sleeping at the wheel of her car. That was her second incident in two years in 2022, Haddish was arrested on suspicion of a DUI in Georgia. Advertisement The comic turned the incidents into punchlines. After her arrest by the boys in blue late last year, she joked at the Laugh Factory that I prayed to God to send me a man with a job, preferably in a uniform. God answered my prayers because God believes in me. Last December, according to TMZ, she was telling jokes about how Beverly Hills jails are some of the nicest around, enjoying multiple plates during her Thanksgiving stay. She also raved about the generous variety of feminine products on hand, proving that you write what you know. Haddish also told PEOPLE that show-biz industry events need to cut back on the booze. I really wish people would pay attention to this, she says. It's in every event, especially Hollywood events they're trying to pour alcohol down your throat. They're trying to pour this down. And it's for what? Why? If we all just be ourselves... And maybe yourself is a little reserved. Myself is very not reserved. Advertisement You tell em, Tiffany. And try not to be so damn nice about it. Hello Breachforums, this is your favorite TA and today Im proud to say that Im releasing epa.gov database of contact list. This is their entire contact of Critical Infra not only for the USA but for the entire globe USDoD posted on the dark web. Various reports confirm the legitimacy of USDoDs claims and have published the details of their own analysis. The EPA hasnt yet confirmed the breach. Breached data include personal user data An analysis of the leaked database by Hackread.com found it containing three zipped files with 500MB of data inside, all in CSV formats. The files are named: Contact (3,726,130 records), Inter_Contact (9,952,374 records), and Staff (3,325,973 records). Photo: Brown Harris Stevens Details: Price: $3.5 million ($8,428 monthly maintenance) Specs: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Extras: Separate studio unit on an upper floor configured as an office 10-minute walking radius: The Metropolitan Opera, Central Park, Citarella Listed by: Jay K. Overbye, William Gilbert, and Mike Lubin of Brown Harris Stevens The apartment on West 67th Street was what publishing impresario Stephen Rubin bought himself once he made it big. It was 1998, and he was returning from a stint in London to lead Doubleday. The place was showy in all the right ways just off Central Park, with a high-ceilinged great room lit by double-high windows and the bona fides of a Beaux Arts building designed, improbably, for artists. (The 1906 brick-and-limestone building, which was modeled after the success of its more famous neighbor, the Hotel Des Artistes, has pulled in residents like Elizabeth Hardwick and Robert Lowell.) The dining room, paneled in oak, hosted dinner parties with authors, editors, and the celebrities and politicians whose memoirs Rubin was courting or celebrating. Crowds as big as 80 filled the place for book launches and were served by a kitchen large enough for a catering staff and a wine fridge tucked into a guest bedroom. When the apartment was buzzing, Rubin would quietly step away then reappear on a balcony on the mezzanine floor, where in a trademark Paul Stuart suit and owlish frames, he would lead a toast for whichever author was being celebrated that night. The swarm below could include anyone from Ann Coulter and Andrew Wylie (for the launch of Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury), to Billy Joel and Billy Crystal (for industry memoirs). Even the Clintons were once guests. When Rubin feted himself for his own memoir, which came out last January, the event drew Carl Bernstein and Susan Lucci. Stephen Rubin and Michael Wolff on the balcony at a 2018 party for Wolffs Fire and Fury. Photo: Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images When Rubin died suddenly nine months later at age 81, he left his friends in shock and his apartment ready for the next party. He was totally himself right until the time he wasnt, remembered Serena Jones, an editor who worked with him at Henry Holt. A week before he died, Rubin hosted a cocktail party for 50, remembered Rubins longtime caterer, Ann Dedman. When listing agent Jay K. Overbye walked in, he found an extra row of chairs in the dining room, ready to be pulled up to the table, and armchairs in the living room arranged for cocktails and conversation. Rubin was known for his tailored suits. Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images Dedman followed Rubin from an executive dining room at Doubleday, back when publishing offices regularly toasted authors in executive dining rooms. When publishing stopped doing lots of book parties, he had book parties for almost everybody himself, Dedman said. He was an ideal host, she said. He had a mouth on him, and hed just crack up these people and get them so relaxed. Hillary Clinton evidently felt relaxed enough that she once came into the kitchen after dinner and said hello to Dedman and her staff. It was that kind of casualness that he created, she said. Rubins nephew, David Rotter, who happened to be visiting the apartment after that dinner with the Clintons, said when he asked how it went, Rubin said, Bill would not shut up. He couldnt care less. He was not starstruck. Rotter suspected that Rubin didnt just choose the space for industry parties if that were the case, he might have looked downtown. He believed he actually chose the duplex to stay close to his other passion, classical music. Rubin was raised in the Bronx by a mother who kept the radio tuned to classical WQXR. At 12, he went to his first performance at the Metropolitan Opera. He spent his 20s and 30s writing on opera and classical music for the New York Times and other publications, and at a 1966 interview with the Italian basso Cesare Siep, he met his wife, Cynthia Robbins, a music publicist. (She scolded him for arriving 15 minutes late.) She died in 2010 of lung cancer, and Rubin memorialized her by founding the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism. Some of the couples vast collection of classical records can still be spotted in custom shelving on the apartments cozy second floor. There was always music playing in any space he was in, remembered Rotter. Rubin tallied that he published 4,000 books as a publisher at Bantam, Doubleday, and Henry Holt. He would sometimes work at this desk. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens The books, meanwhile, command the great room, where stripes of shelves stretch from the baseboards to the 17-foot-high ceilings. Rubin estimated that he published 4,000 books over his career both towering literary achievements and smash hits. He took on Hilary Mantels Booker Prizewinning Wolf Hall and was friendly with Margaret Atwood and Ian McEwan, but was just as proud of publishing The Devil Wears Prada and The Da Vinci Code. Jones, the editor who worked with him at Henry Holt, credited his good picks to a fearless ability to follow his gut reaction to a text, regardless of the authors stature or what other editors thought. He was unflappable, she said. Though there was one thing that flapped him, she said. Parties were often so chatty at 67th that the guests wouldnt leave. He hated when people overstayed their welcome, Jones said. Rubin could often be seen reading on a couch beside the wood-burning fireplace, which has a 17th-century French stone mantel added by a previous owner. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens The dining room hosted intimate dinner parties with illustrious guests including the Clintons. The chandelier is Venetian glass. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens The oak paneling was here when Rubin bought it, and is English oak. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens Rubin cooked, but for parties he relied on Ann Dedman and her staff, who spent thousands of hours working here. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens The front door (left) opens into a low-ceilinged foyer that feels cozy and intimate, but looks out into the great room with its massive windows. Its just this protective zen-like space, said listing agent Jay Overbye. Its kind of like youre stepping through a portal into the past. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens When not used for parties, the balcony was where Rubin and his wife, Cynthia, would watch television and listen to music; some of their vinyl records are tucked into an angled shelf. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens A door off the mezzanine floor leads to the primary bedroom. A walk-in closet, not pictured, housed Rubins tailored suits and is big enough to become a third bedroom, says Overbye. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens A portal-style window in the primary bedroom is unique to the building and peers into the great room. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens The guest bedroom downstairs. Nieces and nephews would often visit. Photo: Brown Harris Stevens Tourism surges to 119 million trips during Qingming Festival (People's Daily App) 17:02, April 08, 2024 China saw about 119 million domestic tourist trips made during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, which ended on Saturday, up 11.5 percent from the same period in 2019. Domestic tourists spent 53.95 billion yuan (7.46 billion dollars) on travel, an increase of 12.7 percent over the same period of 2019, according to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. (Produced by Wang Ruofan) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Doctors groups move to unite, prepare for joint press conference By Jun Ji-hye The government and doctors are signaling apparent willingness to move toward negotiations to find a breakthrough in their protracted confrontation over the policy to raise the number of medical students by 2,000 next year. Expectations are raised cautiously that the two sides may begin negotiations in earnest after the April 10 general elections, as the government keeps saying that it remains open to dialogue. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Monday that adjusting the range of the hike or withdrawal of the policy would be difficult but would not be physically impossible. Various groups of doctors, for their part, are moving to unify their opinions and planning to hold a joint press conference after the elections. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said during a media briefing, If various groups of doctors plan to gather, the government is willing to sit together and engage in productive discussions. The comments came a day after the Korean Medical Association (KMA), the biggest doctors coalition, said it is preparing for a joint press conference with representatives of medical professors, interns and resident doctors as well as medical students, after the elections. The KMA announced the plan after its emergency response committee held a three-hour meeting with Kim Chang-soo, the head of the Medical Professors Association of Korea, and Park Dan, the head of the Korea Intern Resident Association (KIRA), at the KMA building in Seoul. Lim Hyun-taek, the president-elect of the KMA, participated in the meeting online. The meeting was held as the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has been calling on doctors to form a communication channel representing all ranks and come up with a unified and reasonable solution to resolve the impasse. We all gathered at one place to clarify that the KMA is at the center of the doctors community and joining forces with other groups to respond to the issue, Kim Seong-geun, spokesperson of the KMAs emergency response committee, said during a media briefing. Thousands of trainee doctors nationwide left their workplaces on Feb. 20, and medical professors began tendering mass resignations to protest the medical school quota hike plan, resulting in massive disruptions to health care services. They said that the policy will compromise the quality of medical training and education, while the government said the plan is aimed at improving public access to medical services. The KMA, which has made a series of statements critical of the government, continued its demands for stopping procedures to hike the number of medical students, but lately it has been showing a subtle change in tone when commenting on the issue. Spokesperson Kim said the KMA assessed positively the recent meeting between President Yoon and KIRA head Park, despite criticism by some junior doctors that Park met with the president without consulting with them in advance. The government, which previously maintained a firm stance about adding the 2,000 new slots to the current annual medical school admissions quota, set at 3,058, has also shown a change in tone, stressing flexibility in dealing with the issue. We can hold talks with an open mind if doctors suggest a unified and reasonable solution, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said during a government meeting. However, the presidential office made it clear, later on Monday, that the government was not considering postponing the implementation of the quota hike policy by a year. The comment came a day after the KMA made the suggestion. "The government has not considered and will not consider a postponement," an official from the presidential office said. One of the obstacles hindering progress in negotiations between the two sides is the opposition of Lim, the KMA's president-elect. Lim expressed dissatisfaction with several decisions made by the association, including plans to hold the joint press conference and the suggestion of postponing the policy. Lim, one of the staunchest opponents of the government's quota hike policy, has expressed his intention to lead the KMA's emergency response committee to swiftly counter the plan. His official tenure as president will start on May 1. If his request is accepted, the outcome of the ongoing standoff would become even more uncertain. Seoul urged to remain firm in accordance with norms of international law By Kwak Yeon-soo South Korea's unilateral sanctions on Russia point to a downturn in the bilateral relations between Seoul and Moscow, experts said Monday. South Korea imposed sanctions against two Russian vessels on April 2, which it says were carrying military cargo to North Korea, as well as two Russian individuals and legal entities linked to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. This came after Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts on March 29, which had spent the last 15 years monitoring the United Nations sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Following South Korea's first unilateral sanctions on Russian vessels and nationals, Russia's foreign ministry summoned South Korea's Ambassador to Moscow Lee Do-hoon on Friday to protest Seoul's sanctions. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Moscow considers the sanctions as "another unfriendly move" by Seoul, according to Russia's Sputnik news agency. Moscow also called on Seoul to "abandon counterproductive sanctions and force measures that provoke a further increase in tension on the Korean Peninsula." "This is an unfriendly move by Seoul and is deeply regrettable. The imposition of illegitimate sanctions will have a negative impact on relations with Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday during a weekly briefing. The Russian Embassy in Seoul spokesperson said the embassy had no further comment. "South Korea-Russia relations are deteriorating, and I think they will continue to decline even after the war in Ukraine ends," Hyun Seung-soo, a Russia expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said. "Moscow and Pyongyang have been deepening their military ties following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia last year," Hyun added. "Russia needs North Korea not only for weapons for its war in Ukraine but also for geopolitical competition in Asia. It has a strong desire to unite with North Korea to stand against a U.S.-led world order." Doo Jin-ho, a research fellow at the Center for Security and Strategy in the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said, "It seems clear that there is an escalating friction between Seoul and Moscow. Their relations are unlikely to see progress this year because the North Korean nuclear and missile issues continue to serve as risk factors on the Korean Peninsula." Experts said South Korea needs to make a bold approach toward Russia by continuing to act in accordance with the norms of international law. "We must continue to look for options of putting pressure on Russia in accordance with the norms of international law as the North Korean nuclear threat poses serious security threats to the Korean Peninsula. We should make formal complaint against Russia's move to pose a nuclear threat and recognize North Korea as a nuclear state," Hyun said. Doo added, "It looks difficult to [repair] Seoul-Moscow relations. We need to revise our policy goals and make efforts to prevent Moscow-Pyongyang from becoming too close. One way to proceed would be to send an envoy, vice foreign minister, for instance, to Russia to ease tensions." Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. US-led mediation spanning decades fails to produce fruitful results By Kim Hyun-bin Sven Koopmans, the European Union's special representative for the Middle East peace process, emphasized the imperative of establishing Palestine and Israel as neighbors in peace and security, or a two-state solution, to resolve the decades-old conflict in the Middle East. Appointed by the 27 foreign ministers of the European Union, Koopmans operates closely with EU High Representative Josep Borrell, overseeing foreign and security policy for the entire EU, with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts. "I mean, right now, we do not have the two-state solution. What does the two-state solution mean? It means you have an Israel which already exists but feels safe and a Palestinian state that is free now that doesn't yet exist, and all in a much improved regional setting," he said during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, April 1. Koopmans became the first EU envoy for peace in the Middle East to make an official visit to Seoul. During his three-day visit to Korea, he engaged in high-level discussions with government officials, including the vice minister of foreign affairs, to explore avenues for collaboration on key priorities. Despite widespread international support for the two-state solution, Koopmans highlighted the current reality of "seemingly unending occupation" in the region. He stressed, "Now there is a reality but it's not a solution. I have not heard from anyone, also from Mr. Netanyahu, a better solution. So we have to keep working on this." He emphasized that the U.S.-led mediation spanning decades has failed to produce fruitful results in resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict. Additionally, he pointed out that the EU is taking steps alongside U.S. efforts to ease tensions in the region. We are all used to having American-led mediation between the Israelis and the Palestinians and they have tried I mean many previous American presidents have tried this and it never quite worked, he said. The European Union has taken the initiative together with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the Arab League to try to set up the beginning of a peace process. Acknowledging the challenges, Koopmans emphasized the immediate priority of "ending the suffering in Gaza" and "keeping the region calm." He noted that progress on these fronts is essential before meaningful discussions on the two-state solution can advance. Koopmans said the first priority is to help end the suffering and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where ongoing conflict has resulted in immense suffering for civilians. He says the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. The conflict has led to significant loss of life, with over 32,000 people killed, and has left thousands more in urgent need of food, medical supplies and humanitarian assistance. "You have so many people who have no access to food, to medicine. The hospitals do not work, pregnant women do not have enough to feed themselves, and children are dying of starvation right now in Gaza," he said. He emphasized the vital importance of delivering necessary aid under any circumstances, regardless of whether hostages have been released. "All these things need to happen. They all need to happen right now," he said. "You cannot say we will only support food for children when the hostages are released. No food for children right now, hostages out right now. You cannot tie one to the other." Reflecting on recent developments in the Middle East, particularly the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Koopmans expressed support for ongoing mediation efforts led by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. Despite the complexities involved, he reiterated the EU's commitment to facilitating dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, to achieve a sustainable peace agreement. Koopmans says dialogue and negotiation are essential to resolving the longstanding conflicts in the Middle East. The EU stands ready to support efforts to bring about a cease-fire and create conditions for meaningful peace talks. Addressing concerns over Israel's stance on the two-state solution, Koopmans underscored the EU's unwavering support for this framework, which has long been endorsed by the international community. While acknowledging the challenges posed by divisions within the Palestinian leadership and Israel's political landscape, he emphasized the need for continued diplomatic efforts to advance the peace process. In addition to promoting peace talks, Koopmans emphasized the importance of addressing broader regional security concerns, including the escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. He warned against the potential for further violence and urged all parties to exercise restraint to prevent a wider conflict with devastating consequences for the region. Amid these challenges, Koopmans highlighted the role of international organizations, including the United Nations, in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. He expressed gratitude for Korea's contributions to humanitarian efforts in the region and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between the EU and Korea within the framework of the U.N. Security Council. Scarcely a day passes without some retired general or former defence minister calling for the Government to increase the proportion of the state's budget to be spent on defence. Currently, an amount equivalent to a little over two per cent of GDP is allocated, but the now standard call is for this to be raised to three per cent. Half as much again, in other words. I have no argument with the spirit of this demand (which tallies with the Mail's 'Don't Leave Britain Defenceless' campaign). But the real scandal is not how little is spent on and by our military: it is how much of that budget is wasted or misallocated. Last week, for example, a story appeared with the headline, 'Spy drones cost MoD 1.4billion and can't fly in poor weather'. This was based on an interview with a retired Army major, Chris Lincoln- Jones, who more than a decade ago had been charged with investigating Israel's highly-regarded Hermes 450 drone, and to adapt it for the British military. This was to be known as the Watchkeeper, and our chaps made almost 2,000 'additional system requirements'. Some of these weighed down the Watchkeeper so much that they crashed, or made them inoperable in certain conditions. An Ajax tank is pictured on the training range at Bovington Camp in February. It may be a quarter of a century between the Ajax project's inception and the first tanks in operation Mark Francois, a Conservative member of the Commons Defence Committee, declared the project had been 'an unmitigated disaster, arriving years late and effectively already obsolescent'. The best man to ask about this is Air Marshal Edward Stringer, author of some excellent reports for the Policy Exchange think-tank. When I contacted Stringer by email, this pinged back: 'The UK's Watchkeeper programme has cost 1.2billion while providing only 40 relatively unsophisticated low and slow platforms. And we have no production line to pump out replacements. There are companies in the UK who can turn out drones with approximately similar capabilities at a micro-fraction of the cost. 1.2billion could provide many thousands of drones, not 40.' Stringer makes the same point when contrasting what the Polish government is achieving with its defence budget (which it has significantly increased in the wake of Russia's attempt to conquer Ukraine). 'The British Treasury,' Stringer says, 'can point to the Poles and credibly ask why we struggle to get a single division from 70,000 troops, while they get four from the same number and from an overall budget 40 per cent of our own.' Air Marshal Edward Stringer has contrasted what the Polish government is achieving with its defence budget compared to the British This is literally a case of getting more bangs from their bucks. Similarly, Poland is scheduled to get an extra 980 tanks by 2026, while the British Army might still be waiting for the first delivery of its Ajax tanks. This is another bespoke project bedevilled by thousands of modifications the Army and the MoD demanded of its manufacturers (the Welsh factory of the U.S. firm General Dynamics). According to Stringer, it may, astoundingly, be a quarter of a century between the Ajax project's inception and the first tanks in operation. Two years ago, a friend in active service told me, despairingly: 'We want something that works now, not something they think might deal with the wars of 40 years hence. 'The Ajax is too heavy to cross most of the bridges in Europe, while its gun recoil comes back so hard you can't fire. We'd be happy with the Swedish CV90 or the U.S. Bradley. Instead. we are still in Warriors built around 1970.' It is possible to get kit developed fast and innovatively, when there is a war on. But the peacetime mindset is irredeemably bureaucratic and wasteful. Last year's devastating Defence Select committee report ('It is broke and it's time to fix it: the UK's defence procurement system') pointed out that during the Falklands War we created an airborne early warning (AEW) capability for the Naval Task Force by integrating an AEW radar on to a Sea King helicopter and fielding it 13 weeks from inception. They added: 'Four decades on, its effective replacement, Lockheed Martin's Crowsnest programme, to integrate an AEW radar on to a Merlin Helicopter, has taken seven years and more than 400 m and has still not achieved initial operating capability.' And there have been no financial sanctions for failure: if anything, the reverse. The MoD seems incapable of cancelling a failing programme, which allows the Army chiefs to spend incontinently, increasing the profits of the suppliers. It's a sort of military equivalent of the benighted HS2 rail project. Only in this case it's the defence of the realm that's at stake, not just the opportunity for business people to get a faster train journey north from London. This longstanding and systemic failing will not be addressed by declaring a commitment to increase to three per cent the share of our GDP spent on defence. At a time of war in Europe, hard truths are required, not political totems giving false reassurance. Alicia Kearns is ultra-ignorant about Israel That was neat timing of Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, to declare that the UK should impose an arms embargo on Israel: the week marking the six-month anniversary of Hamas's attempt to realise its stated ambition to murder as many Jews as it can. In an effort to explain why this country 'has no choice' but to stop our actually insignificant arms sales, Kearns told the BBC that Israel has 'the most Ultra-Orthodox government of my lifetime' (she is all of 36). The implication was clear: it is the highly religious element within Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition which is somehow at the heart of what Kearns views as Israel's militaristic excesses. Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told the BBC that Israel has 'the most Ultra-Orthodox government of my lifetime' (she is all of 36) This is exactly the opposite of the truth. While the Ultra-Orthodox parties, with 18 seats in the Knesset, are helping to preserve Netanyahu's parliamentary majority, they are doing so only because he is maintaining the historic exemption they have from military service. Indeed, there is increasing outrage within Israel at this special treatment for the Haredim (as they are called) and it might well bring down the government. Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that the Ultra-Orthodox should lose their exemption from the draft, to which the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel retorted: 'If you force us to go to the army, we'll all move abroad.' So why does Kearns make an explicit link between the 'Ultra-Orthodox' men who devote their lives entirely to the study of the Torah and the Israeli government's campaign in Gaza? I cant believe the reason is anti-Semitism: it can only be ignorance. Not the quality one would wish at the helm of our parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee. The last time I saw Angela Rayner she was lunching with 'Lord' Mandelson. They were sitting side-saddle, not face-to-face. Ange was leaning in like a lovesick schoolgirl, hanging on the great man's every word. Naturally, I assumed she was absorbing the legendary political wisdom of this self-styled Sultan of Spin. Mandy has spent decades dining out on his entirely false reputation as the evil genius who single-handedly invented New Labour. Now I'm not so sure. Ange is up to her oxters in scandal over her housing arrangements, amid firm evidence that she avoided paying Capital Gains Tax and lied about her actual address in direct contravention of electoral law. If there's one politician who knows all about telling porkies over housing and avoiding tax, it's the odious Peter Aloysius Mandelson. His first fall from grace, little more than a year after Labour's landslide election victory in 1997, came when he was exposed for borrowing 373,000 from fellow minister Geoffrey Robinson and then lying to his mortgage lender to obtain another 150,000 to buy a house he otherwise couldn't possibly afford. Angela is up to her oxters in scandal over her housing arrangements, amid evidence she avoided paying Capital Gains Tax and lied about her address in contravention of electoral law, writes Richard Littlejohn. If Starmer had a shred of decency, he'd dump Angela Rayner today, writes Richard Littlejohn Anyone else caught in those circumstances would have attracted the attention of the fraud squad and probably ended up in prison. Mandelson lost his job, was forced to pay back the money and sell the house but he pocketed the 250,000 profit. That wasn't the last of it, either. After Mandelson was brought back into Cabinet by Tony Blair with indecent haste, the Mail on Sunday discovered he'd managed to avoid stamp duty on his new flat.. Chancellor Gordon Brown had just introduced a higher-rate tax on purchases over 250,000. To get round this, Mandelson registered his purchase price as 249,000 less than he actually paid and 'apportioned' another few thousand quid on 'fixtures and fittings' to save himself having to pay 3,700 to the Inland Revenue. At the time, that would have made his kitchen units some of the most expensive in London, even though they looked like something out of early episodes of Coronation Street. There was also mystery over where he subsequently obtained the money to buy a 2.4million home in fashionable Primrose Hill. His explanation about a legacy from his father and, perhaps, a postal order from a long-lost relative in Australia didn't add up, even on back-of-the envelope calculations. Today, his ermine-clad Lordship lives in a grand pile next to London's Regents Park, conservatively valued at the thick end of 10million. Don't ask. I'm not suggesting that the sins of Angela Rayner are on the same scale of those of Mandelson. He's always had an appetite for the high life, seeking out the company and patronage of the super-rich and filling his coffers 'advising' dubious foreign dictators and tyrants. While Mandelson is most at home on the poop deck of an oligarch's multi-million dollar yacht, you're more likely to find Ange on the lash at an Ayia Napa disco. There's almost something quite endearing about this authentic representive of the Northern working class, particularly when contrasted with the smug, self-entitled North London luvvies, lawyers and public sector poobahs who dominate the modern Labour Party. Angela claimed to be living in this former council semi in Vicarage Road, Stockport, which she bought under Mrs Thatcher's right-to-buy legislation But she was actually living in this other larger house owned by her husband in nearby Lowndes Lane, Greater Manchester But that doesn't excuse Rayner's shameful evasion over her housing arrangements. Once again, as in the case of Mandelson, we have the Mail on Sunday to thank for exposing the truth. The sums involved are relatively trifling, but the principle is equally, if not more, important. In a nutshell, Rayner claimed to be living in one property a former council semi in Vicarage Road, Stockport, which she bought under Mrs Thatcher's right-to-buy legislation, to which Labour was bitterly opposed while actually living in another, larger house owned by her husband in nearby Lowndes Lane. The significance of this is that when she sold the semi, at a 48,500 profit, she would have been liable to pay Capital Gains Tax as it was not her principal home. By putting a false address on her voter registration form she was also breaking electoral law, an especially serious offence by someone who aspires to be the country's Deputy Prime Minister. Yet for six weeks since our sister paper published the first revelations, contained in Lord Ashcroft's biography of Rayner, she has lied, dissembled and even attempted to portray herself as the victim of a media smear campaign. She has continued to insist that she lived at the house, despite neighbours who testify that she was sub-letting the property to her brother. The truth will always out. And Rayner, like so many before her, has been damned by the evidence of her own social media account. The MoS has forensically combed through 30 of her entries on Facebook and what most of us still call Twitter. Ange couldn't resist posting the banal minutiae of her life online, proving that she lived at Lowndes lane. In October 2014 she posted a picture of a spider, commenting: 'This bad boy ran across the bathroom floor as I was on the throne'. That's an image I wish I hadn't read and am now struggling to erase from my consciousness. But it is cast-iron proof that she was living at Lowndes Lanes, as are other posts featuring her cats Woozle and Tilly. In all of these posts, the wallpaper, furniture and cushions are all identical to those in Lowndes Lane. Ange knows she's bang to rights. Her wisest course would have been to put her hands up, pay a couple of grand in Capital Gains Tax and admit that her false entry on the electoral roll was a simple administrative error for which she had since apologised. Instead she chose to front it out, pretending on the BBC's Newsnight that: 'It's a non-story manufactured to smear me.' Except it wasn't, as the Mail on Sunday has now proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The real significance of this story is the fact that it strips bare the glaring hypocrisy and entitlement at the rotten heart of Keir Starmer's Labour Party. Whenever the Conservatives have been in trouble, Ange has been deployed in full fishwife mode to trash them. She has demanded that assorted Tories, and even the Prime Minister's wife, come clean about their own tax returns. Memorably she described all Tories as 'scum'. Yet now she's been caught up in scandal, Labour is circling the waggons. For weeks we have been told there's nothing to see here, move along, a fiction which has been maintained by Left-leaning media outlets. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy yesterday claimed preposterously that she had 'played by the rules' and enjoyed Labour's full support. Rayner was merely an unwitting victim of circumstances. These were the kind of things which happen in modern 'blended' families. It's complicated. She continues to insist that she has received legal advice telling her she had done nothing wrong, but refuses to publish it. And, as I wrote last week, her leader Starmer who never misses an opportunity to remind us of his distinguished legal career believes her, even though he hasn't actually read the alleged advice. Isn't he in the slightest bit curious? Sadly, this grubby little business has also illustrated the lack of propriety and morality we can expect from an incoming Starmer government. At least when Mandelson was caught out in a lie over his mortgage, with his trousers round his ankles and a smoking gun in his hand, Blair didn't hesitate in sacking him, even if he did bring him back at the first available opportunity. If Starmer had a shred of decency, he'd dump Rayner today. She could always console herself with the Mandelsonian precedent. After a brief spell in the wilderness she'd be back on the front bench and in a few years' time she could be 'Lady' Rayner, living not in an former council semi in Stockport but a 10 million mansion in Regent's Park. For now though, she's not out of the woods. Greater Manchester Police and HMRC are on her case, thanks to the perseverance of the MoS, and unlikely as it may seem, could still face criminal charges. Get your coat, girl. You're nicked. These days it is very hard to tell from their fancy job-titles what people actually do for a living. Everything is buried under a mush of verbiage: 'brand', 'vision', 'passion', 'artisan', 'ambassador', 'innovation', 'global', 'co-ordinator', and so on. Princess Beatrice's husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, describes himself as the 'Founder and Creative Director' of a company called Banda, which is apparently 'a multidisciplinary, design-led property practice', whatever that may be. Banda's website is packed full of bespoke nonsense, eg: 'Combining contemporaneity with timeless elegance, Banda interiors might seem like the finishing touch, when really they are just the beginning.' What on earth does this mean? Mr Mapelli Mozzi is currently showing clients around a six-floor, 10,000 sq ft house in Belgravia. Situated on a particularly grim-looking new square, it has an asking price of 42million. Princess Beatrice 's husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (pictured), describes himself as the 'Founder and Creative Director' of a company called Banda Mr Mapelli Mozzi says he pictures a 'happy family life within [the home's] interiors', though to my mind it looks much better suited to an unhappy family As far as I can make out, he has been in charge of furnishing and decorating it on behalf of a Qatari real estate business which, like all companies these days, has a 'vision'. Its vision is not just to make as much money as possible, but to deliver 'quality lifestyles and innovation in real estate development globally'. 'I say to my friends, if you're going to live somewhere full time in London, it's Chelsea, Belgravia, Notting Hill or Holland Park,' Mr Mapelli Mozzi told a property journalist last week. Yet these are precisely the areas of London that have been rendered increasingly soulless by the international rich who have chosen to colonise them. A century ago, the witty writer Logan Pearsall Smith observed: 'It is the wretchedness of being rich that you have to live with rich people.' What can house-buyers expect for their 42million? 'Here, life is about contentment in everyday rituals as much as the dazzling novelty of different experiences,' promises the blurb. This means nothing at all. It could just as easily apply to a haystack or a wheelbarrow, both of which would be considerably cheaper. The blurb says the house is 'not just a place to be, but a place to stay, to cherish, to belong to'. Come again? Does a purchaser need reassuring that, for 42million, they can expect not just a house but 'a place to stay'? It would be very depressing to spend 42million on a house only to be told you couldn't stay in it. Mr Mapelli Mozzi says he pictures a 'happy family life within its interiors', though to my mind it looks much better suited to an unhappy family. It would appeal to the type of businessman who has no sense of how to create a home, and farms out the selection of all those things that give warmth and personality tables, pictures, sofas, lamps, carpets, mirrors, atmosphere etc to a professional. Banda has decorated the property with suitably hideous objects, such as a 650lb marble-framed looking-glass in a 'rock-like shape' that has been 'hand-carved from Breche Violette marble' by the 'Parisian studio Pierre Augustin'. Oddly enough, Mapelli-Mozzi says that most buyers will also purchase the contents and decor It looks like something you'd find just above a single-bar heater in a Blackpool B&B circa 1952, though we are told it 'hangs above a classic chimney in the same stone', thanks to 'a reinforced hanging system'. Another 'highlight of the house' is the 'Galet dining table by Emma Donnersberg, with its handmade oak top and picturesquely pitted lava-stone legs'. It looks like something from the Flintstones. Oddly enough, Mr Mapelli Mozzi says that most buyers will also purchase the contents and decor, perhaps because they are too busy making money to develop a taste of their own. 'The majority of the time we do houses or apartments, people buy everything, because they are buying into what we do.' The great G.K. Chesterton once observed that: 'To be clever enough to get all that money, one must be stupid enough to want it.' The monument to such folly is now available in Belgravia, with a price tag of 42million. Have you ever wondered if your makeup is giving away your age? TikTok content creator Jennifer Latch, 45, who focuses on holistic health and the over-40 lifestyle, shared a video where her daughter explained why her makeup was aging her. The video, which the California-based creator shared on February 23, quickly went viral, and amassed a million views and more than 2,000 comments when she asked if eyeshadow was 'an old lady thing.' The TikTok featured input from her Gen Alpha daughter and led to a conversation about what makeup trends truly revealed - with one particularly popular stitch from makeup artist Erica Taylor showing the right way to do your eyeshadow. TikTok content creator Jennifer Latch, who focuses on holistic health and the over-40 lifestyle, shared a video where her daughter explained why her makeup was aging her The video, which the San Francisco, California-based creator shared on February 23, quickly went viral when she asked if eyeshadow was 'an old lady thing' The TikTok video with input from her Gen Alpha daughter led to a conversation about what makeup trends reveal My generation! From Gen Alpha to Gen X explained Gen Alpha: Born in the early 2010s to 2025 Gen Z: Born between 1997 and 2012 Millennials: Born between 1981 and 1996 Gen X: Born between 1965 and 1980 Advertisement 'So my daughter just told me that eyeshadow is a Gen X and millennial thing,' Jennifer said in the now viral video, before adding, 'aka an old lady thing.' Her daughter sat next to her laughing, while Jennifer questioned if eyeshadow was over. 'Is that true?' she questioned. 'Ok my Gen Z, is eyeshadow out?' Jennifer captioned the video. 'Gen Z here uhhh idk (I don't know) who told her that,' one popular comment read, as another person agreed, 'Gen Z absolutely does eyeshadow whatt??' One commenter explained, 'As oldest Gen Z, no, eyeshadow isn't out. People just use less colors and more simple looks, but they do wear eyeshadow.' Others were sure her daughter was actually Gen Alpha, commenting, 'She's a Gen Alpha I'm pretty sure,' as according to Jennifer's Instagram, she's only 11. 'When I was a kid I also considered eye shadow an old lady thing. Because children don't wear make up,' a commenter announced. Many Gen Z commenters said they proudly wore eyeshadow and one wrote, 'I'm Gen Z and I was 16/17 during the 2016 makeup era lol so no it's not a old lady thing' Many Gen Z commenters said they proudly wore eyeshadow, as one wrote, 'I'm Gen Z and I was 16/17 during the 2016 makeup era lol so no it's not a old lady thing it's just not currently on trend.' Others questioned Gen Z's fashion taste, with one person writing, 'lol they are also wearing barrel jeans right now sooo,' referencing the pants that balloon out towards the bottom. Makeup artist Erica stitched the video and said, 'Okay friends, so here's the hard truth. We can still do shadow... but we can't do this,' before pointing to her heavily made up eye, which had black eyeliner, light eyeshadow above it, a dark crease, and then shimmer near the brow. Erica, who's a L'Oreal Paris makeup artist and an expert on beauty tips for women over 40, described the dark shadow around the edge of her eye as the 'dreaded V' and said, 'That is what dates us.' Instead, she told her followers to try a 'more modern take,' which she calls a 'sunrise,' using a rose gold shadow for a more lively vibe versus the taupe lid. She then swapped black eyeliner for a bronze eyeliner that's softer and easier to blend for a lift instead of a V. To emulate Gen Z makeup, instead of lining her waterline, she lines around the eye to meet the end and then smudges out the liner. Makeup artist Erica Taylor stitched the video and said, 'We can still do shadow... but we can't do this,' before pointing to her heavily made up eye (left). Instead, she told her followers to try a 'more modern take' (right) Jennifer shared a follow-up video and said: 'I know you guys are really passionate about eyeshadow' Many commenters on her makeup tutorial questioned why millennials would care what the younger generation thought about their beauty routine. 'Gen Z is wearing the exact clothes I did in the 90s. I refuse to let them question our taste,' one millennial commenter snarked. 'Do we actually care if Gen Z judges us for eyeshadow?' another asked. Many people commented on how cyclical beauty trends are, with one writing, 'And in five minutes, the light dark light triangle will be fashionable again.' Jennifer shared a follow-up video and said: 'I know you guys are really passionate about eyeshadow.' 'We will defend eyeshadow to the end of our days,' she joked, showing off her go-to product. An American-French woman has left the internet baffled after she revealed the European country's very unique Easter traditions. Claire Dinhut took to TikTok to give her 701,000 followers a brief lesson about how the holiday is celebrated in France. She explained that the Easter Bunny does not exist and instead the chocolate goodies are distributed by bells. The content creator then went on to share a whole host of other traditions from around the world as viewers flooded to the comments to share their own thoughts. Claire Dinhut took to TikTok to give her 701,000 followers a brief lesson about how the holiday is celebrated in France She explained that the Easter Bunny does not exist and instead the chocolate goodies are distributed by bells In the clip, which has so far been viewed more than 72,000 times, Claire spoke directly to camera as she began: 'There's no Easter Bunny in France. Monsieur L'Easter Bunny is not a monsieur - he's a nobody. Instead, we have Easter bells.' The content creator then delved into the history behind the country's 'Les Cloches de Paques.' 'If we're getting into the religious part of it - basically the bells, they silence themselves on Thursday to represent the mourning period. 'And then Sunday, they're like, "We're awake. We're gonna go to the Vatican now," and then when they do, they drop little chocolate eggs for all the kids.' Claire explained that she had been doing research for a newsletter about different Easter traditions around the world, adding: 'I've learned so much.' 'I didn't even know that there was a village in France called Bessieres, that makes an omelet with 15,000 eggs. 'Supposedly, it's because Napoleon once stopped near that village and was like, "can I please have an omelet?" and they were like, "okay, we'll make you an omelet." 'So nowadays, they make an omelet for Easter, because eggs are a very big Easter food,' she dished. She explained how 'there is a village in France called Bessieres, that makes an omelet with 15,000 eggs' (pictured) The social media star continued: 'In the eyes of the church, eggs supposedly represent the resurrection and new life, so they are a great Easter symbol. 'Now, the first chocolate eggs were actually in the 1800s in France and in Germany, but the first hollow-chocolate eggs - the ones that you can fill or just the ones that are a little thinner - were invented in the UK by Fry's. 'Then Cadbury copied them only two years later - so now you know.' She captioned her video: 'The giant omelet - are you f**king kidding me?' It was soon flooded with comments with many followers sharing their own European country's traditions. One person wrote: 'Here in Belgium, we also have les cloches or de paasklokken.' Another added: 'We don't have the Easter Bunny in Iceland either. But when I was a kid, we had different Smurfs on our Easter eggs. Very random.' The clip was soon flooded with comments with many followers sharing their own European country's traditions Easter traditions from around the world France has 'Easter bells,' called 'Les Cloches de Paques has 'Easter bells,' called 'Les Cloches de Paques In Bessieres, France , a communal omelet is made out of 15,000 eggs , a communal omelet is made out of 15,000 eggs In Greece , during its Easter in May, a game is played with dyed red eggs, in which two people hit each other's eggs and the one that is left with an uncracked egg wins , during its Easter in May, a game is played with dyed red eggs, in which two people hit each other's eggs and the one that is left with an uncracked egg wins In Bermuda , kites are flown , kites are flown In Jamaica , an egg and an egg white are dropped into a glass of water, and depending on how it forms, it will predict how you'll die , an egg and an egg white are dropped into a glass of water, and depending on how it forms, it will predict how you'll die In South Africa , hot cross buns are filled with pickled fish, which is a Cape Malays tradition Advertisement Someone else commented: 'Switzerland has The Easter Cuckoo (native bird that delivers Easter eggs in Switzerland).' One person added: 'In the Netherlands, it's an Easter Hare. Also, in my region, we light Easter fires.' Another person wrote: 'Spending many Easters in Provence, I had lots of large chocolate hens sitting on Easter egg baskets! Also, mini chocolate gull's eggs.' Other followers joined in on the conversation with their international traditions. One person wrote: 'In Australia, we have chocolate bilbies, which are like tiny marsupials.' A second person added: 'Over here in Ecuador, we have a whole soup with 12 grains that we make, and eat as a tradition for Easter!' Another commented: 'We have the omelet festival in our small town Abbeville, Louisiana. You should come visit.' Another person added: 'We have a 5,000 Omelet Festival in my home town in Louisiana, based on Bessieres. Fun Cajun market with it.' The responses inspired Claire to post a follow-up video with more 'fun Easter traditions from around the world.' In it, she shared: 'In Greece for Greek Easter, which is not this weekend but May 5, we play a game with red eggs where you hit one person's egg next to you, and only one egg will crack, and the winner has the uncracked egg. The responses inspired Claire to post a follow-up video with more 'fun Easter traditions from around the world' 'I did not win last year and I'm very bitter about it. 'In Bermuda, kites are flown, which I think is just beautiful. Would love to be there. 'In Jamaica, an egg and an egg white are dropped into a glass of water and apparently the way it kind of [forms], will predict the way you'll die. 'In South Africa, hot cross buns are filled with pickled fish, because it is a Cape Malays tradition, so that honestly sounds delicious and so up my alley.' Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this article are selected by our writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Daily Mail Australia will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information. An unusual face mask and a vibrating roller set is being branded 'cardio for the face' and a 'must-have' by beauty fans. TruTone Beauty's Advanced Dermal Sculpting Mask and Microcurrent Facial Sculpting Roller have been labelled as an alternative to Gua Sha by happy customers. The face mask ($15) is designed to hug your facial contours, hydrating and nourishing your skin to leave you with a radiant complexion around your jawline. The mask contains ingredients including hydrolysed collagen, caffeine, AHA and Hyaluronic acid to moisturise and care for the skin. The Microcurrent Facial Sculpting Roller ($65) vibrates gently over the skin helping to soothe muscle tension and promote circulation. TruTone Beauty's Advanced Dermal Sculpting Mask and Microcurrent Facial Sculpting Roller have been described as alternative to Gua Sha The pairing has left some customers raving, with one five star reviewer posting: 'This stuff is like cardio for my face. I use it (the roller) with the mask, honestly think my jaw is starting to look more defined.' Another happy fan wrote: 'I love this tool,' branding it 'better than Gua Sha'. Gua Sha involves scraping the skin with a massage tool, in a bid to help improve circulation and is an ancient Chinese technique, dating back centuries. The face mask ($15) is designed to focus on your facial contours, hydrating and nourishing your skin to leave you with a radiant complexion around your jawline. A beauty fan said that the facial mask, 'hugs my lower face nicely like a bra, but for the face.' The practice along with 'face yoga' has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, with content creators sharing 'hacks' on social media for how to improve your jawline definition. One TruTone customer raved about the how 'convenient' the brand's sculpting roller is compared to the scraping practice. Another beauty fan said that the facial mask, 'hugs my lower face nicely like a bra, but for the face.' while a third said the masks 'have become my new favourite thing. They are a must-have before I attend weddings or parties'. One TruTone customer raved about the how 'convenient' the brand's sculpting roller is compared to Gua Sha TruTone Beauty is founded by Emily Quah who said the company's mission is 'to empower you to feel radiant and confident at any age, enhancing your natural beauty without resorting to drastic measures.' 'We understand the challenges of keeping up with extensive beauty routines, especially for those leading busy lives. That's why we created Trutone Beauty - to provide an effective, efficient, and empowering solution to facial sculpting.' For more information about TruTone or to shop the range, click here. SHOPPING Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this article are selected by our writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Daily Mail Australia will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information. An Aussie underwear brand has been credited for creating the 'perfect knicker' - and the undies fit and 'hug' every shape and size. 'The Knicker' is wowing thousands of shoppers thanks to its promise of 'no riding up, no visible panty lines and pure comfort'. And if the rave reviews are anything to go by, they've delivered on that promise. Now an established and trusted name in the competitive undie world, The Knicker team has designed a range so comfy and lightweight that women agree wearing them 'is like wearing no knickers at all'. An Aussie underwear brand has been credited for creating the 'perfect knicker' - and the undies fit and 'hug' every shape and size 'The Knicker' is wowing thousands of shoppers thanks to its promise of 'no riding up, no visible panty lines and pure comfort' (pictured, the Bliss full brief) They also cost just $10-$15 a piece and go up to 3XL (size 20) in most designs. Plus, Daily Mail Australia readers can enjoy 15 per cent off with the code Clever15. A similar viral undie from Best&Less took the market by storm in 2021; The Knicker is the first to capture the same level of hype ever since. Designed by women for women each $15 piece in the Classic collection features a unique gusset design, precision stitching and lightweight fabrics designed to stretch with your body. There is also the Classic Cotton range made from super fine Prima cotton which feels extra soft against the skin and the popular Bliss range which features sexy Brazilian cut pieces and lace panels. The Classic Smooth range are perfect for wearing under skin-tight dresses or pants and includes the hugely popular $25 Anti Chafing Short - a favourite of fashionista Nat Angel. The Bamboo pieces have been dubbed 'miraculous' as you can 'barely feel them' and they are antibacterial, anti-fungal, more breathable than cotton, odour resistant and moisture wicking so they keep you cool and dry. They also cost just $10-$15 a piece and go up to 3XL (size 20) in most designs They quite literally 'hug' your body so it's no surprise these are one of the best-sellers. 'They are nice and gentle around the leg. They stay in place no rolling down. I have a tummy shelf that is often a problem, these stay in place all day long. Moisture wicking and perfect for any weather or activity,' one shopper wrote. 'Best fitted underwear I've ever tried. And they last,' another added. Another agreed: 'I have been looking for undies with a seam down the back for years as I find they cover my rear and don't ride up. I bought the Bamboo & Lace Full Brief as well as the Classic Cotton Hi Cut and Classic Smooth Hi Cut. They are all very light and comfortable and hardly feels like you're wearing undies at all. 'My favourite is the Classic Smooth with the lace top which doesn't dig in at all. These are absolutely fantastic, well done.' A more recent collection has paired the bamboo range with lace panels for a sexier feel and the very fine elastic is covered in stitching ensuring no thick ridges round the legs or waist. The Precision Lace Hi Cut brief is pictured The brand was started in 2016 by friends Helen Anderson and Lara Brockhurst who had worked in the lingerie industry for many years and understood more than most the gripes women had with underwear All pieces bar the anti-chafe shorts ($25) and G-string ($10) are $15 and come in a range of shades and colours from nude and black to floral prints, animal prints and scarlet red. The brand was started in 2016 by friends Helen Anderson and Lara Brockhurst who had worked in the lingerie industry for many years and understood more than most the gripes women had with underwear. The pair are recognised as true experts in the intimate apparel category with proven success designing, creating and sourcing beautiful lingerie and sleepwear for some of the world's leading retailers including David Jones, Myer, Selfridges and Nordstrom. So, they set out to solve those problems and The Knicker was born. Shop the 'miracle' collections here and use code Clever15 at checkout for 15 per cent off. Sarah Ferguson has urged her followers to show 'their body and mind love' on World Health Day - as she undergoes skin cancer treatment. On Sunday, the Duchess of York, 64, shared the message in an Instagram post accompanied with a sweet snap of herself posing in a Wolf & Badger blazer. 'I would like to remind anyone who may be reading this to check in with yourself,' she warned fans in her caption. 'Check in on your state of mind and check in on your body. Go to your routine health check. Take that walk. Read a book. 'Your body and mind are a priority. Make sure to show them love.' Sarah Ferguson has urged her followers to show 'their body and mind love' on World Health Day - as she undergoes skin cancer treatment. Pictured after the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel last month The awareness day, championed by the World Health Organization, is celebrated on April 7 every year. Sarah's encouraging message comes as the Royal Family has faced a bout of health issues, with herself, King Charles III and the Princess of Wales all undergoing cancer treatment. Last month, the mother of Princess Beatrice and Eugenie said she is 'full of admiration' for Kate Middleton for revealing her diagnosis. Taking to social media, Prince Andrew's ex-wife, fondly known as Fergie, payed tribute to the mother-of-three, saying that 'everyone is praying for her'. In a heartfelt Instagram statement, the Duchess said: 'All my thoughts and prayers are with the Princess of Wales as she starts her treatment. 'I know she will be surrounded by the love of her family and everyone is praying for the best outcome. 'As someone who has faced their own battles with cancer in recent months, I am full of admiration for the way she has spoken publicly about her diagnosis.' Sarah was herself diagnosed with skin cancer just months after having a mastectomy for breast cancer. The Duchess of York , 64, shared the message in an Instagram post accompanied with a sweet snap of herself posing in a Wolf & Badger blazer Sarah was herself diagnosed with skin cancer just months after having a mastectomy for breast cancer. Pictured with her daughters in November Sarah's encouraging message comes as the Royal Family has faced a bout of health issues, with herself, King Charles III (right) and the Princess of Wales (left) all undergoing cancer treatment Speaking about Kate's decision to reveal her own diagnosis, the Duchess added: I know it will do a tremendous amount of good to raise awareness.' She concluded the message, saying: 'I hope she will now be given the time, space and privacy to heal.' Fergie revealed her shock skin cancer diagnosis in January. The mother-of-two had a number of moles removed while undergoing breast reconstruction surgery last year, one of which was found to be malignant. The duchess was described as being in 'good spirits' after the 'distressing' news, which was broken to her just days after Christmas. A melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body, mainly caused by exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or sunbeds. People with paler skin, a large number of moles and family history of skin cancer tend to be more at risk of developing this. Friends at the time said Fergie is the 'most resilient' person they know and was already planning to pick up her television career again soon to encourage others to get themselves checked out. One friend told the Mail that the duchess had been informed she would need 'further investigations' to make sure it has been caught at the early stages. 'Everyone is hoping this is the case and the doctors are hopeful they have got it early, but melanoma is aggressive and they need to double check everything,' they said. Fergie revealed her shock skin cancer diagnosis in January, just six months after battling breast cancer. Pictured at the Christmas Day service in Sandringham in December They added of Sarah: 'She's very resilient and she does bounce back from things quite quickly but two diagnosis of cancer in six months, particularly when she thought she had just got over the breast cancer, is a lot for anyone to deal with and process. 'You hope you've beaten it and then get something like this. 'That's why she wanted to take herself off the Austria for a couple of weeks, to get her head around everything. She's back home now and the family have been very supportive.' They also praised 'her girls' - Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie - who they said have been 'fantastic over the last six months'. 'They really have been brilliant over her breast cancer diagnosis. And they are already rallying around her,' they said. The duchess was described as being in 'good spirits' after the 'distressing' news, which was broken to her just days after Christmas. Pictured speaking about her breast cancer battle on Loose Women in November What is malignant melanoma? Malignant melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, cells found in the upper layer of skin that produce melanin, which gives skin its colour. While less common that other types of skin cancer, it is more dangerous because of its ability to spread to other organs more rapidly if it is not treated at an early stage. Symptoms A new mole or a change in an existing mole may be signs of melanoma. Melanomas can appear anywhere on your body, but they're more common in areas that are often exposed to the sun. Some rarer types can affect the eyes, soles of the feet, palms of the hands or genitals. Check your skin for any unusual changes. Use a mirror or ask a partner or friend to check any areas you cannot see. In particular, look for: Moles with an uneven shape or edges Moles with a mix of colours Large moles - melanomas often tend to be more than 6mm wide Moles that change size, shape or colour over time Causes Ultraviolet (UV) light is the most common cause of melanoma. It comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds. Melanoma is more common in older people, but younger people can also get it. You're also more likely to get melanoma if you have: Pale skin that burns easily in the sun Red or blonde hair Blue or green eyes A large number of freckles or moles Had a lot of sun exposure and you've had sunburn a lot in the past Used sunbeds a lot A history of skin cancer in your family or you've had skin cancer before If you have black or brown skin, you have a lower chance of getting melanoma, but you can still get it. Prevention Staying safe in the sun is the best way to lower your chance of getting skin cancer (both melanoma and non-melanoma). Do the following: Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day (11am to 3pm in the UK) Keep your arms and legs covered and wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that provide protection against ultraviolet (UV) rays Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and at least 4-star UVA protection make sure you reapply it regularly Make sure babies and children are protected from the sun their skin is much more sensitive than adult skin Treatment Melanoma skin cancer can often be treated. The treatment you have will depend on where it is, if it has spread and your general health. Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma. Radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used. Surgery could involve removing the melanoma and an area of healthy skin around it, swollen lymph nodes if the cancer has spread to them and other parts of the body if it has spread to them. If a large part of skin has to be removed, a skin graft might be needed which could see kin taken from another part of the body to cover the area where the melanoma was. Radiotherpay is sometimes used to reduce the size of large melanomas and help control and relieve symptoms. Targeted medicines and immotherapy are used to treat melanomas that can't be dealt with by surgery, or have spread to lymph glands or other parts of the body. Chemotherapy, which kills cancer cells, is sometimes used to treat advanced melanoma when it has spread to another part of the body. It does not work as well as other treatments, but can be used if you are unable to have them. How dangerous is it? Generally for people with melanoma in England: almost all people (almost 100%) will survive their melanoma for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed around 90 out of every 100 people (around 90%) will survive their melanoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85%) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed Sources: NHS, the Skin Cancer Foundation and Cancer Research UK Advertisement Meanwhile, earlier this month Sarah also enjoyed a trip to Samoa, sharing photos from the visit online. Among the groups the royal met was the Poutasi Womens Committee. Some of the images show Sarah wearing garlands around her neck as she embraces some of the local people she met. And in a photo from another engagement, she is seen dressed in white. Meanwhile, a series of photographs shared a day earlier by the Duchess show her wearing a flower behind her ear during an appearance at Brown Girl Woke in Samoa. Lady Sitwell was homeless before being spotted by Vivienne Westwood Lady Martha Sitwell has revealed that she slept rough as a teenager - and opened up about the devastating abuse she endured on the streets of London. The socialite and model, 44, who's best known for being the 'face of Royal Ascot', revealed for the first time that she was homeless between the ages of 13 and 16. In a new interview with The Times, Lady Sitwell, who is the ex-wife of baronet Sir George Sitwell, explained how her story proves that homelessness can happen to anyone. After being kicked out of home, she slept rough for three years until she was spotted by Vivienne Westwood outside the Piccadilly Theatre and her life completely changed. In that time, Ms Sitwell faced constant threats and danger, including being 'spat at and kicked at' by those who saw her as vulnerable and was raped as a young teenager. Lady Martha Sitwell (pictured in November 2023) has opened up about her experience of 'sleeping rough' as a teenager - and the devastating abuse she received Between the ages of 13 and 16, Lady Sitwell, now 44, slept on the streets of London (pictured in 1996) She told the newspaper she had 'nowhere to go' and was ill-prepared for a life on the streets after being kicked out of her family home. Describing her years of homelessness, she said: 'Often I would be woken by someone not necessarily another homeless person robbing me of what little I had secured to survive on that day.' She added that 'party nights' (Thursdays to Sundays) were the worst: 'While the bars were open I would undergo regular small acts of random cruelty, being spat at or kicked by a passing reveller to make their friends laugh, because I was homeless and therefore in their eyes not human. 'Later, after closing, when the crowds of people waiting for taxis or buses home had dwindled to just a handful of mindless bored drunks, I might be subjected to more sustained acts of violence.' As a young teenager, she faced dangers at night time - particularly in the hours after people had gone home after a night out and before commuters began their journeys. In the day time, it was a case of begging for money while being ignored by people who assumed she was lazy and work-shy. One horrific incident saw her even being kidnapped by a group of four men and raped by each of them. Lady Sitwell says her journey into homelessness proves it is something that can happen to anyone. Lady Sitwell (pictured at Ascot Ladies Day lunch in 2021) is now known for being the former 'face of Ascot' after being spotted by Vivienne Westwood Lady Martha Sitwell takes part in the first sidesaddle race for 90 years in Ingarsby, Leicestershire, in 2013 She grew up in a large Georgian house in north Norfolk, the middle child of gastronomes Justin and Melanie de Blank. She and her siblings had hobbies such as ballet and horse riding, and lived a privileged childhood. But her hidden struggles with dyslexia and dyspraxia - as well as an attention deficit order not diagnosed until her 30s - meant she struggled at school. The now-socialite underwent a series of traumatic events even before homelessness struck, including being raped by a family friend aged 11 and her father being diagnosed with Parkinson's when she was 13. Finding solace with goth and punk friends in London, Ms Sitwell turned to partying, smoking, LSD and Ecstasy - and was eventually kicked out of home. She first slept in the underpass at Tottenham Court Road before meeting her boyfriend - a drug addict, and moving to a spot at Piccadilly Theatre. At just 17, she had a son, Conor De Blank, and the baby was raised by her aunt. Later, she was spotted by Vivienne Westwood in a doorway at Piccadilly Theatre, and her life dramatically turned around. Lady Sitwell has never disclosed the identity of her sons heavily tattooed father, whom she is pictured kissing, above, with baby Conor on his lap while she clutches a cigarette She went on to become known as the 'face of Ascot' and as a 'doyenne' of sidesaddle in horse-riding. Ms Sitwell married former film producer Sir George in 2007 and lived with him in Northamptonshire at 3.25 million Grade II-listed Weston Hall. But her relationship with the great-nephew of poet Dame Edith Sitwell turned frosty and she held a divorce party in 2017 to mark the end of their ten-year union. In September 2021, she revealed her fury after Sir George sold the Northamptonshire home Weston Hall for 3.25million after being in the family home for 300 years. My husband, who I spent 12 years with, who I gave up a promising modelling career for, who now lives in Knightsbridge, has now sold the house that, at the time of our divorce, could never be sold, said Lady Sitwell, who claimed she was left almost bankrupt after her divorce. Despite his ex-wife's complaints, Sir George insisted he had 'no control whatsoever' over the sale of Weston Hall and its contents. Laura Whitmore, Philip Treacy, Kim Murdoch, Samantha Barks and Martha Sitwell attend Derby Day in 2013 Lady Sitwell once described matrimony in general as 'pure misery', explaining: 'It sucks all the energy from you, sucks your youth and all the fun from your life.' She is still a model, stylist, designer and make-up artist - but says she lives a 'hand to mouth' existence in a rented flat. After her split from Sir George, Lady Sitwell was linked with Sotheby's boss Lord Dalmeny, until they parted ways in April 2022. A year later she was spotted leaving the upmarket Scott's in Mayfair with Charles Saatchi, the ex-husband of Nigella Lawson. Last December, homelessness charity Shelter found that 309,000 people would be spending Christmas without a home. In 2022, homelessness among workers in England rose by 22 per cent from two years earlier. South Korea successfully launched its second indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in the U.S. state of Florida on Monday (Seoul time), according to the defense ministry. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:17 a.m. (7:17 p.m. U.S. time) from the John F. Kennedy Space Center and sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit approximately 45 minutes after the launch, the ministry said. It succeeded in communicating with an overseas ground station at 10:57 a.m., it noted. It is the second military satellite launched under South Korea's plan to acquire five spy satellites by 2025 to better monitor North Korea. The satellite was equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors that capture data using microwaves and are capable of collecting data regardless of weather conditions. The other three satellites will also be equipped with SAR sensors. Electro-optical and infrared sensors capable of capturing detailed images of the Earth's surface were fitted on the first satellite launched in December. When operated together, the five satellites are expected to provide regular coverage at about two-hour intervals, according to analysts. "Our military's independent surveillance and reconnaissance capability has been strengthened through the first launch of the SAR satellite. We will continue to prepare for upcoming satellite launches," the ministry said. The launch comes as Pyongyang is also making its own efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance capabilities, which could potentially enhance its precision strike capability against major targets in South Korea and the United States. North Korea placed its first military spy satellite into orbit last November and has vowed to launch three more spy satellites this year. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said North Korea is likely to launch its second satellite this month in time for major political events after making enhancements to its performance. "We have been closely watching the possibility of North Korea's satellite launch in March, but it appears to be making some additional improvements," Shin told reporters after watching SpaceX's livestream at the defense ministry. "The current technical enhancements being made seem to be progressing smoothly without significant difficulties, it's likely to be completed around mid-April. If such enhancements take more time, the launch could take place in late April," he added. North Korea's two major holidays in April are the birthday of the country's founder, Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of leader Kim Jong-un, on April 15 and the founding anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army on April 25. (Yonhap) Beauty enthusiasts can apply to get Lacura products before they are released Aldi is opening the doors to its exclusive Beauty Club for a second year running, allowing 20 lucky customers the chance to get free cosmetics before they even hit the shelves. The supermarket is recruiting make-up enthusiasts to trial, test and review new Lacura beauty products with feedback to be taken into the next release. Successful beauty fans will make up Aldi's latest panel of members for 2024, receiving 13 products from its new summer line-up which is set to land in supermarkets on June 23. The freebies include a selection of makeup must-haves, haircare essentials and fake tan Specialbuys. Panellists will be required to review colour, smell, look and feel across three weeks, before being asked to share a minimum of one post through TikTok and Instagram using the #AldiBeautyClub hashtag. Aldi customers and beauty fanatics have the chance to try 13 new Lacura products before their release as members of the supermarket's Beauty Club Any hopeful beauty fanatics, have to email the brand explaining why they think they should be chosen for the role, as well as outlining what their favourite Lacura product is and why. Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Aldi UK, said: 'Our health and beauty brand, Lacura, is hugely popular with shoppers, but it's important we continue to excite our loyal fan base with an innovative offering. 'That's why we're returning our cult Beauty Club. Shopper feedback helps us ensure we're giving customers quality, on-trend products at affordable prices.' Full name Proof of age The name of their social media handles (TikTok and Instagram) and the number of followers on each account 150 words explaining why they think they should be selected as an Aldi Beauty Club member What their favourite Lacura product is and why To apply for Aldi's Beauty Club and be in with a chance of receiving the exclusive products, shoppers need to send an email to Aldibeautyclub@clarioncomms.co.uk with the following details: Entries are open until Friday, May 3, and the full T&Cs can be found on the Aldi Beauty Club page at aldi.co.uk/beautyclub. It comes after an Australian influencer came under fire for turning her nose up at free supermarket beauty products. Lauren 'Loz' Curtis, 30, shared a video to Instagram capturing her opening a Kmart PR package that was given to her for free. However, Loz could not hide her disappointment when she discovered the box contained budget beauty products rather than the holiday goodies she was expecting. 'I was thinking it was going to be Christmas stuff, this is not what I expected. What are these brands, are these all Kmart brands? Ugh,' an upset Loz told the camera. 'What the heck? I don't mean to sound ungrateful but had I known these were going to be the gifts, I would have declined because I am not going to use any of this.' Lauren's perceived ungratefulness did not sit well with her followers, who lashed out at her in the now deleted post. A savvy Brit who travelled all the way to Africa for a spa day, claims it was cheaper than getting treatments at his local spa in Staffordshire. Rob Adcock, a presenter and travel TikToker from Stoke-on-Trent, wanted to get the most for his money - even if that meant travelling to a different continent to get it. Taking to TikTok, he asked his 55,000 followers: 'Can you fly to the best luxury spa in Africa for cheaper than a day at my local spa in Staffordshire?' He proceeded to take viewers along for the journey, documenting everything they did and how much it cost for a one-night break, with the grand total coming in at 192.48 per person - excluding the parking fee at Manchester Airport, which he left out of the video. This is around 36 less per person than his usual spa in the UK, which sets him back 229 each just to use the facilities - with no overnight stay. Rob Adcock, a presenter and travel TikToker from Stoke-on-Trent, wanted to get the most for his money - even if that meant travelling to a different continent to get it A savvy Brit who travelled all the way to Africa for a spa day, claims it was cheaper than getting treatments at his local spa in Staffordshire The travel pro explained that every year, he and his friend go for a spa day - a tradition that started a few years ago when they both had a lot on with work and needed a break. How much did they spend? Return flights from Manchester to Agadir: 31 per person Airport bus: 3.14 Hotel in Agadir: 92 per person Treatments: 58.92 per person Airport parking: 7.42 per person TOTAL: 192.48 per person Advertisement He said: 'The other day, we looked at the price of our local spa and they wanted 229 per person for just a day - that's not even staying overnight. That seemed like a lot of money so I got to work. 'I thought, surely there has got to be a better option somewhere. I jumped on Skyscanner and used the "everywhere" feature because it gives you inspiration when you need it the most. 'We found flights to Morocco and a place that felt so good that we thought surely this can't be true?' A little while later, the pair found themselves heading on their way to Agadir for an overnight stay, with the flights costing just 31 each. They parked their car at Manchester Airport overnight for 14.84 (7.42 each) using YourParkingSpace - which left them just a 20 minute walk from the terminal. Following their three-and-a half-hour flight, they took the bus from the airport in Agadir to the hotel near the beach for 3.14. Showing off their hotel, which was called The View, Rob exclaimed: 'Then, wait for it, this is the place where we stayed. It is unbelievable. I can not put into words how good this hotel is. 'It's flawless, I wish you could smell it - different gravy. It's the only hotel I've ever been in where I could happily move in tomorrow. 'Look at the weather, it's 28 degrees and glorious sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. Nice dip in the pool knowing it's just nine degrees and drizzle at home. Showing off their hotel, which was called The View, Rob exclaimed: 'Then, wait for it, this is the place where we stayed. It is unbelievable. I can not put into words how good this hotel is' Pictured: The View hotel in Agadir, where the TikToker travelled to It cost the pair 58.92 each for their treatments and the use of the facilities, including the pools He proceeded to take viewers along for the journey, documenting everything they did and how much it cost, which turned out to be 45 less than his local The TikToker said: 'An overnight stay here costs just 92 each. That's 92 to stay in a place which is a piece of actual heaven' Rob added: 'And the best bit is we actually overpaid. You can get flights to Agadir for just 14.99' 'And look at the room. It is not from this planet. An overnight stay here costs just 92 each. That's 92 to stay in a place which is a piece of actual heaven.' Moving onto what they had travelled so far for, he headed to the spa for some treatments. The presenter gushed: 'Get ready for this. The spa is massive, with two different types of pools. It's actually perfect. 'The massages, they are unreal, the whole experience. Just thinking about it makes me tingle. 58.92 for the treatments and the use of the facilities.' He told MailOnline: 'It had only opened the day before, so it was really quiet. But as you can see in the video - its unreal. 'To get there, to stay overnight, to have the treatments - and to park at Manchester airport (using YourParkingSpace) cost 190. 'And when you compare it to the local one - we got an overnight stay in Agadir - whereas the local deal was just a day of facilities! So its a better deal and its cheaper. We actually saved 40 quid by flying to Africa.' In total, the overnight stay, flights, treatments, and transport, only set the pair back 192.48 per person - around 36 cheaper than the one at home, including all of the costs. Rob added: 'And the best bit is we actually overpaid. You can get flights to Agadir for just 14.99. Let that sink in, that's getting you to a different continent for less than the price of a pizza.' He clarified: 'This is in no way me having a go at my local spa. Its great. And Im acutely aware of how expensive England is - we have a few holiday lets and everything is expensive so I know why they have to charge that amount. 'But it just shows you that value is available if you think outside the box. 'I would 100% do it again. Im already looking at booking up. When you see the quality of the hotel and spa and the deals floating around to fly there - youd be daft not to consider it if you can. 'The weather was amazing and the people could not have been sounder.' Lady Kitty Spencer attended the Dolce & Gabbana 40th anniversary party in Milan at the weekend, her first public appearance since announcing that she has become a mother. Princess Diana's niece put her best fashion foot forward and she arrived at the event in a long, shimmery pleated black gown which gracefully trailed along the floor. The daring frock had a side-split that went right up to Kitty's thigh, along with a deep plunge neckline, which showed a hint of her black and nude lacy bra that she had on underneath. The gown featured a flattering wrap-over detail, which cinched her waist in and showed off her sophisticated figure. Last month, the 33-year-old announced to her followers on Instagram on Mother's Day that she's welcomed her first child with her husband, Michael Lewis, 65, after a secret pregnancy. Princess Diana 's niece, 33, put her best fashion foot forward and she arrived at the event in a long, shimmery pleated black gown which gracefully trailed along the floor Kitty wore her blonde tresses in a chic updo, as strands of hair sat gracefully in front of her face and opted for smoky eyeliner Kitty is a first cousin or Princes William and Harry, meaning the new baby will be second cousins to Princes George, Louis, Archie and Princesses Charlotte and Lilibet. Once a common fixture of the London society scene, Kitty had a hiatus from the public eye in recent months and was last snapped enjoying a girl's night out in London in October - until Saturday night. She looked the picture of class and elegance as she donned a matching necklace and earring set which featured chunky green and fuchsia jewels. Demi Moore, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Lily James were also in attendance for the opening night of the brand's exhibition at Palazzo Reale. Kitty wore her blonde tresses in a chic updo, as strands of hair sat gracefully in front of her face and opted for smoky eyeliner. Dolce & Gabbana put on the event in Milan to celebrate four decades of contribution to the world of fashion. Stefano Gabbana said: 'Our dream is to inspire the new generations, to encourage them to express what they feel, and give them courage. Kitty is a global ambassador for the luxurious brand and even wore a bespoke white lace Dolce & Gabbana dress for her wedding to Michael in 2021. The model stepped out onto the blue carpet almost a month after she announced on her Instagram that she had become a mother. She attended the Dolce & Gabbana event in Milan on Saturday and rubbed shoulders with oher stars It is the model's first outing since she announced that she welcomed her first child with her husband The oldest child of Diana's brother Earl Charles Spencer shared a stunning picture on the beach holding the baby and captioned the snap: 'It's the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally. Happy Mother's Day to those who celebrate today'. She did not reveal the baby's name or gender and had not gone public with the news that she was pregnant. She shared a bunch of snaps donning a white swimsuit, holding her child as she walked along the sandy beach. Another touching image shows the pair holding hands. Her sister Lady Eliza gave a nod to the gender of Kitty's baby on the post and wrote: 'My perfect little Niece.' Princess Diana's niece married fashion tycoon Michael Lewis in Rome in 2022, and the couple have welcomed their first child Kitty's husband Michael is the chairman of the Foschini Group, which owns British high street chains Whistles and Phase Eight. The tycoon is believed to be worth 80million, with a 19million property in London and another home in his native South Africa, where his wife grew up after her Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer and his first wife, Victoria Lockwood, divorced. Michael, who is five years older than Lady Kitty's father, wed his first wife in 1985, and the pair welcomed three children before eventually calling it quits. It is thought that the businessman and Kitty met through friends in 2018, with their relationship being made public when the pair were spotted leaving a New York hotel together in 2019. Britain's biggest family has once again set off for a sunny getaway to Florida - as they enjoy their sixth holiday to the US in two years. Mother-of-22 Sue Radford, 48, shared snaps from the brood's latest trip on Instagram on Monday. Photos show the smiling group posing on the plane, enjoying Disney World themed snacks, and sporting Mickey Mouse ears while lapping up the good weather. The clan also visited the Orlando resort in August and April 2023, as well as August and April 2022. Stories also show Sue and some of the young children enjoying go-karting and chilling by the pool - at the villa where they appear to be staying. Britain's biggest family has once again set off for a sunny getaway to Florida - as they enjoy their sixth holiday to the US in two years 'A few pics from yesterday,' she wrote. '#magickingdom #holiday #makingmemories.' In another social media snippet, Sue shared a video montage of the family driving into the resort to Beyonce's Texas Hold 'Em. It is understood some of Sue and Noel's grandchildren are also on the trip. Meanwhile, last month Sue shared a glimpse into her family's Easter weekend as they enjoyed an egg hunt on a campsite. The mother and her husband Noel, from Morecambe, Lancashire, shared snippets of their supersized family holiday in their motorhome with some of their younger children over the weekend. In a snap posted to The Radford Family Instagram page, Hallie, eight, Phoebe, seven, Bonnie, five, Heidie, three, and Archie, six, can be seen running around hunting for Easter eggs. The children beamed with excitement as they had to fill out a questionnaire, in the hopes of winning some chocolate goodies. Captioning one snap of the kids Sue wrote: 'Such a lovely morning doing the campsite's Easter egg hunt, hope you're having a lovely Easter.' The five children who took part in the egg hunt are the youngest of Sue and Noel's 22 brood. Mother-of-22 Sue Radford, 48, shared snaps from the brood's latest trip on Instagram on Monday Photos show the smiling group posing on the plane, enjoying Disney World themed snacks, and sporting Mickey Mouse ears while lapping up the good weather Stories also show Sue and some of the young children enjoying go-karting and chilling by the pool - at the villa where they appear to be staying Sue took some selfies as she shared snaps from the family's US trip on their Instagram page this Monday They are also parents to Chris, 34, Sophie, 30, Chloe, 28, Jack, 26, Daniel, 25, Luke, 23, Millie, 22, Katie, 21, James 21, Ellie, 18, Tilly, 13, Oscar, 12 and Casper 11. Elsewhere earlier this year, Sue also revealed that she considered leaving her husband Noel after facing difficulties with their business in the 2000s. The couple - who are parents to the UK's 'biggest family' with 22 children - had then invested in a location on the high street in bustling Kendal, in Cumbria, to expand their pie shop business. But an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease - thought to have cost the UK economy 8 billion overall - hit the country and left the pair devastated. Speaking to the Mirror, Sue admitted that she struggled to see how their 'marriage would survive'. 'There were days when I'd think: "that's it, I'm leaving the business and Noel, I just can't do it anymore",' she revealed. Snaps showed the brood lapping up the sunny weather and enjoying the Disney themed attractions 'But our marriage has always been strong and having the kids kept us right. We stuck together and got through it. It was sink or swim and we chose to swim.' The couple has also opened up about the difficult time on a previous episode of 22 Kids & Counting, on Channel 5, in March last year. The parents explained that at the time, they were 'so proud' to have their own business in Heysham, Lancashire and 'wanted to expand'. They took out a 'huge' loan to invest in their thriving dream - only to be slammed with national disaster. 'To start with it did really well,' Noel explained. 'It was doing good - and then not long here - foot-and-mouth hits the country and to be honest I think Cumbria was one of the worst affected areas.' Cumbria, with some 893 cases, was severely affected by the outbreak, leaving the area devastated. 'It just killed the tourism,' Noel added, as the family was plunged into despair. 'I cant even describe it, it just caused so much stress,' Sue revealed. 'You used to go to bed thinking about the debt, you'd wake up thinking about the debt, you'd wake up during the night thinking about the debt... 'If anything was going to have caused us to get a divorce, it was this.' The Netflix TV series debuted on April 5, however, fans have already binged it The creator behind the TV series is Japanese manga author Hitoshi Iwaaki Netflix fans are heaping praise on one of the streaming site's newest series, hailing the show a '10/10' while begging the platform to release a second season of the six-part thriller. Parasyte: The Grey, is a Korean action series in which humans battle against unidentified parasites that use their bodies as hosts, allowing them to steadily increase their powers over time as they occupy the unwitting men and women. The new sci-fi thriller series, which got a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, was inspired both by the anime series Parasyte: The Maxim, which ran between 2014 and 2015, and the Japanese manga series Kiseiju by Hitoshi Iwaaki, which was published from 1989 to 1994. However director Yeon Sang-ho made several updates to the main storyline for his Netflix version, most notably changing the main role from a male to a female. Netflix fans have been blown away by new thriller series Parasyte: The Grey, with many viewers already clamoring for a second season The new sci-fi thriller series, which got a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, was inspired in part by the anime series Parasyte: The Maxim, which ran between 2014 and 2015 The series also takes inspiration from the Japanese manga series Kiseiju by Hitoshi Iwaaki, which was published from 1989 to 1994 His on-screen adaptation of the two projects debuted on April 5 - with many fans confessing to binging the six-episode series in just one day, while expressing their delight at its incredible storyline on social media. The series follows the lives of protagonist JungSoo In, played by Jeon So Nee, Seol Kang Woo, played by Koo Kyo Hwan, and Choi Joon Kyung, played by Lee Jung Hyun. According to IMDb, where the show received an impressive 7.3-star rating: 'Jung Soo In, who is infected with a parasite on her hand and start a strange cohabitation as it failed to steal her brain. 'Seol Kang Woo chases a parasitic water to find his missing sister, and Choi Jun Kyung is the team leader of the parasitic life team, The Grey, and lives only to exterminate the parasitic water after losing her husband to the parasitic water.' Speaking about her role in an interview with Tudum, Jeon explained of the character: 'Before [Su-in] met Heidi the parasite, she thought that people are supposed to be lonely. 'She didnt really care much about living or surviving but after she coexists with parasites, she thinks about how its good to have people around her, and how good it is to live and survive. 'That transition was very entertaining and meaningful.' Director Yeon Sang-ho's Netflix show debuted on April 5 and there are fans who have already binged it and commented on social media: 'Love it! Looking forward to the new season' The series follows main actors Jeon So Nee as JungSoo In, Koo Kyo Hwan as Seol Kang Woo, and Lee Jung Hyun as Choi Joon Kyung Director Yeon Sang-ho made several updates to the main storyline for his Netflix version, most notably changing the main role from a male to a female The 45 to 60 minute-long episodes have gotten a rating of 7.3 out of 10 stars on IMDB, however over on Rotten Tomatoes, the series has earned a 100 per cent rating Director Yeon shared: 'To me, [the manga] is about coexistence. So I wanted to echo this theme. 'I questioned whether people could peacefully coexist with other organisms or mutants unlike themselves. 'Gray could mean the mixture of these two different kinds of agents. Thats why we named the task force, the Grey. 'The color also signifies the duality of coexistence. The original work talks about the theme of coexistence, and we wanted to delve into that [idea of] coexistence between people, human beings, and parasites. 'And the lead character, Su-in, is also in the gray area between the human world and the parasite world.' Yeon continued: 'In my 20s, [the manga] was a staple for those of us who were passionate about manga and animation. 'This is my favorite, favorite work that Ive been fanboying all my life. [Parasyte: The Grey] is the culmination of my fanboying. 'In terms of genre, we call it body snatcher genre. Body snatcher basically means that these beings that we know to be very ordinary, turn out to be something completely different. '[Parasyte: The Grey] really deals with that intense horror of finding that out. 'In the series, the parasitic creatures shape-shift into tentacle-faced monsters. The face literally opens. 'I've done quite a number of creature works or monster genres, but in the past, those creatures within a particular project tend to have a uniform look. This time around, each of them [is] very different.' Author Hitoshi shared: 'This new story taking place in a different location will lead us into a world beyond my imagination.' Many Netflix users voiced their love of the show on Facebook, where the series was declared a bingable hit One film enthusiast took to Facebook's Netflix Bangers group and wrote: 'This series came yesterday. I want honest reviews that [its] worth [it] to watch.' The commenters were soon flooded with fans who enjoyed the newly released series. One person wrote: 'Already downloaded.' A second person added: 'I've been waiting for season two.' A third person commented: 'Just binged today in one go lol. Didnt expect to like it, but it was unexpectedly good.' A fourth person wrote: 'I've just finished watching it in one sitting. I was hooked from the start - a very good watch.' A fifth person added: 'Started watching last night [and] I loved it. It's definitely worth a watch in my opinion. Also I think the effects are really good.' However there were some who claimed that the series pales in comparison to the original anime show, which first debuted in 2014 One person wrote: 'Love it! Looking forward to the new season!' Another person commented: 'I'm done with this movie. So good. I love it.' 'It's good - worth watching,' one person added. Some followers weren't sold on the new series. One person wrote: 'Nope, very predictable and [the] effects are basic.' A second person added: 'It's boring.' A third person commented: 'OG Anime version is better.' A fourth person commented: 'The og was better.' Dr. Yaniv Larish, from New York, said the question helps to identify any issues Urologist asks patients if their bladder is 'being nice' to them A top urologist shared the one question he asks all patients - and revealed how often you should be urinating every day. Dr. Yaniv Larish, from New York, said he always makes sure to ask people in his consult room: 'Is your bladder being nice to you?' He noted that, while the question sometimes confuses patients, it is a good gauge for a number of things that could be affecting their toilet habits. 'It's meant to be an open question, right? This is your moment to tell me about your bladder. So, is it nice or not nice?' Dr. Yaniv said on HuffPost's Am I Doing it Wrong? podcast. He went on to explain that the query can apply to several different aspects of a person's bathroom usage, including how often someone is weeing, what they feel while weeing and what they see when they look into the toilet before flushing. Dr. Yaniv Larish (pictured) said he always asks his patients if their bladder is 'being nice' to them at every initial consultation to gauge if their toilet habits are healthy However, Dr. Yaniv did reveal that there is no normal or 'magic number' for how often you should be weeing each day. 'I think that the question is not, "How often are you peeing?" it's more, "Are you hydrated enough or overly hydrated?", and what is the point at which everything is sort of normal?' he said. The doctor explained a typical healthy person should not be 'pushing' to urinate but instead should feel 'relaxed' when they pee. 'You will know [that everything is working correctly] if it's coming out easily if it all comes out in one shot very quickly and then stops. We don't want to see hesitation before it comes out,' he said. 'We don't want to see a prolonged standing time where you're just sort of there... And at the end, we don't want to be dribbling after or having the urge to pee two seconds after we peed.' Dr. Yaniv also said what people see when they look into the toilet after they've finished can be a strong indicator of whether their bladder is healthy and functioning. Dr. Yaniv revealed there is no normal or 'magic number' for how often you should be weeing each day (stock image) Blood is a big red flag and needs to be investigated. In young people, it could be a sign of a kidney stone while in older people, it could point to something 'more nefarious' such as cancer. He also said to look out for any sort of 'mucus' or what looks like sand or gravel at the bottom of the toilet as that is another possible symptom of a kidney stone developing. Another unexpected sign something could be wrong is passing gas every time you wee. Dr. Yaniv explained if you're passing wind because you're needing to use your abdominal muscles to wee or get the last third of urine out, there's something going on that needs to be evaluated. His 'golden rule' is that people should be 'thinking about nothing' when they wee and be in tune with any changes to their bladder functions. For example, if you never normally wake up in the middle of the night to wee but suddenly you're making multiple late-night toilet trips, something abnormal is happening and you should see a doctor. Queen Mary of Denmark has raved about the country's natural beauty saying it is nothing like what she grew up with in Tasmania. The Aussie-born monarch joined Denmark's Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke to open a Deer Park in Dyrehaven, just north of Copenhagen on Sunday. She made a speech at the event saying she was wowed by the beauty of the forest which was different from what she grew up with in Hobart, Tasmania. 'From my first encounter with the Danish forest, I have been very impressed by it,' the 52-year-old said. 'Especially the change to spring, when the trees spring out and create a light green colour in the forest, which I have not experienced where I come from.' Queen Mary joined Denmark's Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke to open a Deer Park in Dyrehaven, just north Copenhagen on Sunday She made a speech at the event saying she was wowed by the beauty of the forest (left) which was different from what she grew up with in Hobart (right) Opting for a glamorous make-up look, the mum-of-four wore thick eyeliner and mascara atop a layer of golden foundation Mary looked the epitome of country chic in a grey patterned jumper, black Seeland Cottage Quilt Lady Waistcoat and floppy hat. Opting for a glamorous make-up look, the mum-of-four wore thick eyeliner and mascara atop a layer of golden foundation. The Danish queen helped release two deer into the forest and stopped to chat with fans. The outing comes amid speculation that Mary may have spent the Easter break away from Prince Frederik as their flag remained raised over their mansion in Amalienborg Castle - meaning at least Frederik, Mary or their son Crown Prince Christian was in attendance. Mary looked the epitome of country chic in a grey patterned jumper, black Seeland Cottage Quilt Lady Waistcoat and floppy hat The Danish queen helped release two deer into the forest and stopped to chat with fans The outing comes amid speculation that Mary may have spent the Easter break away from Prince Frederik as their flag remained raised over their mansion in Amalienborg Castle The family often travel for Easter, with the palace telling Danish publication Her&Nul last week that Queen Margrethe, 83, will act as head of state as the whole family travel out of the country. However, it seems a last minute change took place, with Mary possibly staying behind in Copenhagen. This has further heightened rumours over the state of the couple's marriage, after Frederik was pictured with glamorous Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova. Putting any rumours and strife behind her, Mary looked delighted at the outing today, realising a deer and chatting to young fans. Earlier this week, the Queen paired this with a fashionable wide-brimmed hat and blue leather gloves. Queen Mary donned an elegant long trench coat which she tied at the waist to show off her slender sophisticated figure The newly-knighted Queen paired her outfit with a fashionable wide-brimmed hat and blue leather gloves Mary walked along the field and greeted personnel as they celebrated the 75th anniversary of the National Guard READ MORE: Queen Mary and King Frederik slammed for 'unprofessional' approach over the Easter long weekend Advertisement Putting her best fashion foot forward, Mary opted to pair the outfit with heeled tawny leather boots. The mother-of-two wore her brunette tresses down in a curly blow-dry and opted for glamorous makeup with smoky eye shadow and pink gloss. Mary looked in high spirits as she gave a speech at the significant event and presented guards with medals for their service to the role. Mary's visit was also tinged with sadness. According to Danish newspaper, Billed Bladet, a Home Guard soldier died from a cardiac arrest while on duty the night before Mary's visit. She took to the podium to address military personnel and pay tribute to the fallen soldier. Mary is pictured sat with personnel at the event, who she handed out medals to Mary looked in high spirits as she gave a speech at the significant event and presented guards with medals for their service to the role 'For 75 years, the Home Guard has created security and safety for the Danes. 'It is a day we want to celebrate, but before I go any further, I would also like to express my deepest sympathies to those bereaved by last night's tragic death,' she said. It's been a troublesome few years for the Danish royals including 'affair' rumours and a rift over title changes, the family has entered a new chapter following the accession of King Frederik X to the throne in January. As royal fans were sent into a frenzy over the mystery of Mary staying behind, many revisited King Frederik's night out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova in Madrid last autumn which sparked rumours of an 'affair' around the world. Genoveva was spotted out with King Frederik last November as the pair enjoyed dinner at a flamenco restaurant in Madrid until the early hours of the morning, Spanish magazine Lecturas reported. Photos of the pair out in the Spanish capital city sparked rumours of an affair, which Genoveva strenuously denied in a legal letter posted on Instagram. The popular couple have worked hard to ignore affair rumours - which did slow once Frederik was named King The flag indicates when there is a working royal at home - meaning the King, Queen or Crown Prince were inside throughout the holiday season After posting the denial, Genoveva sought solace in San Sebastian where the family of her ex-husband Cayetano Martinez de Irujo owned a property. Spanish magazine Hola! reported the socialite stayed at the Palace of Arbaizenea, a property once owned by the Duchess of Alba and bequeathed to her son Cayetano Martinez de Irujo. The magazine reported Genoveva heads to San Sebastian any time she needs to 'disconnect' from public life. However last month, after several months off of social media, Genoveva made her return to public life with a new post on her Instagram page - including two selfies with her fluffy pooch.he reality TV star and the King enjoyed included a stroll in a park, going to an art exhibition and a meal while watching flamenco. In a legal letter posted on Instagram, she slammed the 'malicious' rumours suggesting the pair were romantically involved. The pair have only held the title of King and Queen since Queen Margrethe abdicated on 31 December. This prompted speculation that Queen Margrethe's abdication may have been driven to save the marriage of her son and Princess Mary in the wake of the alleged 'affair'. Royal commentator Phil Dampier told The Telegraph: 'It's possible that the Queen took this action because she would have been terrified of the marriage breaking up and the royal family losing Mary. 'It would have caused major problems. 'The Queen has always seen Mary as a tremendous asset.' An Irish woman who's been living in Australia for a year said it is a constant battle to get Aussies to pronounce her name correctly. Cliodhna Hughes has a traditional Irish name, pronounced 'Klee-uh-na', which she said leaves Aussies stumped. She said she's met with puzzled looks when she introduces herself and people in Australia usually call her 'Clio' by mistake. 'When I say my name is Cliodhna they genuinely look at me like I have 20 heads,' she said in a video. 'It's not a hard name to pronounce but over in Australia any Irish name is hard to pronounce, why the f*** can nobody understand how to pronounce Irish names?' Cliodhna Hughes (pictured) has a traditional Irish name, pronounced 'Klee-uh-na', which she said leaves Aussies stumped Cliodhna said she 'wasn't prepared' for Aussies struggle to say Irish names correctly. 'Back home Cliodhna is not a hard name to say it's actually a popular name and nobody can say it out here,' she said. 'I don't know what people were thinking when they came up with these names many moons and years ago - how the f*** was the rest of the world going to pronounce these names let alone spell the things?' She said she's 'baffled' by the confusion and warned others with Irish names the same might happen to them if they travel or move Down Under. 'If you're coming over to Australia be prepared if you have a hard name probably any Irish name you are going to be called by a nickname because I'm getting Clio for short,' Cliodhna said. Australian viewers admitted to being confused by the expat's names as well as other Celtic monikers. 'When I say my name is Cliodhna (Australians) genuinely look at me like I have 20 heads,' she said 'If I had to read it, it would sound like Cleod-hana. The struggle with Irish names and spelling is real,' one user said. 'I lived in Dublin and was bamboozled by the names. Oisin, Roise, Aine, Cathal,' a second wrote. 'Because they're not spelt how they're pronounced, how are we supposed to figure that out?! But that's a beautiful name!' a third added. But Cliodhna wasn't the only one having her name pronounced wrong or shortened by Aussies. 'I've gotten Koda, Chloe and even Clog, it's an adventure waiting to hear how people will pronounce my name,' someone called Clodagh, said Clo-Dah, wrote. 'I hear you, moved from Scotland and I have the same problem,' Eilidh, pronounced Ay-lee, replied. 'My name is relatively easy for an Irish name to pronounce and I'm Australian grown up here with Irish background but the HELL I went through growing up, the school roll was my worst fear every time,' a Maeve said. A tourist has issued a warning after being caught off-guard when visiting the Greek Islands for the first time. Audrey, from Canada, went on a birthday trip with her sister last May to the picturesque destination but didn't expect the ferry rides between islands to be so chaotic. The 26-year-old digital marketer shared footage of hundreds of people travelling with luggage on board the ferries in transit. 'If you're planning a trip to the Greek Islands, be prepared for this,' Audrey warned. In a now-viral TikTok video, crowds of people can be seen herding onto and off the boats waiting to get to the next island destination. Audrey visited Greece for the first time last year but didn't expect the ferry rides between islands to be so chaotic The 26-year-old digital marketer shared footage of hundreds of people travelling with luggage on board the ferries Audrey said she recorded the compilation of clips across three ferry rides between Paros, Santorini and Naxos. 'I was anticipating crowds, but I had no idea it would be so busy I was definitely surprised!' she said. 'I couldn't believe the capacity a ferry can hold and I couldn't believe how efficiently the ferry employees were able to manage the volume of people. It truly is such a quick on-boarding and off-boarding process, albeit chaotic!' Despite the hectic voyage, Audrey said she can't wait to return to Greece for another European adventure. The short video has since been viewed more than 800,000 times and received more than 50,000 likes with many sharing their own experiences. 'Once you get on, you have to take about an hour to recover from the chaos,' one commented. 'This is the part they don't tell you about,' another said. 'I'm really nervous about the suitcase situation,' a third added. Though one more said: 'I went last year it was actually not that bad at all. Once you get in you leave your bags in a spot and head to your seat. Very simple/easy.' Audrey's video comes amid a surge in the number of female travelers opening up about their trips abroad, sharing their mistakes to help others avoid suffering the same travel difficulties. Despite the hectic voyage, Audrey can't wait to return to Greece for another European adventure (stock image) In August last year, Australian woman Izzy Fraser shared a detail account of her nightmare four-week trip in Europe, which saw her suffering a series of incidents - from broken angles to terrible food. Similarly, a group of American influencers who visited Europe in July 2023 opened up about the 'hellish' experience they endured - claiming that at one point they narrowly avoided being 'sex trafficked'. Audrey Jongens, Meg Radice, and Kaitlin Reagan all embarked on an extravagant summer trip that was set to see them visiting Italy, Turkey, Greece, and Barcelona. The influencers - who are based in New York City - were prepared to live out their dreams in the foreign cities, but had a very different experience to what they expected. They revealed that they were 'assaulted' and 'scammed' - adding that they were forced to drop thousands to get to their destination after an airport 'burnt down' during their trip. 'First things first, Kaitlin is seasick the first day, projectile vomits across the whole ship,' the trio recounted in a viral TikTok video. 'We get to Turkey, almost get sex trafficked, then we get to Mykonos, we get hit and pickpocketed by little children and assaulted. 'We get to Italy and we get to our Airbnb the first night and it's a complete scam. It looks nothing like the pictures.' They are usually more associated with women set to give birth but men who need to urinate frequently could benefit from pelvic floor exercises, a study has found. Hundreds of thousands of men in the UK currently suffer from debilitating symptoms when going to the toilet including hesitancy, straining, frequent urges to urinate and issues emptying the bladder effectively. Surgery is usually only advised for those with severe symptoms, while unpleasant side effects have been linked with the few drugs available. Now, experts have discovered the exercises, combined with behavioural therapy delivered through a phone app, can lead to a significant improvement in symptoms and it could even be more effective than current medical treatments. Hundreds of thousands of men in the UK suffer from debilitating symptoms when going to the toilet including hesitancy, straining, frequent urges to urinate and issues emptying the bladder effectively (stock image) A team from University Hospital Freiburg, in Germany, recruited 237 men aged over 18 who were suffering with varying degrees of bladder emptying disorder. READ MORE: Kegel exercises can stop premature ejaculation in two weeks Advertisement However, only half were given access to an app-based therapy. Participants were asked to record a urination diary and complete questionnaires about the severity of their symptoms and their overall quality of life. After 12 weeks, the trial found a significant improvement in symptoms and quality of life measures from participants given the app-based therapy, compared to those in the control group. The study found that, crucially, the app-based therapy was more effective than medical therapy. Professor Christian Gratzke, who co-led the trial, said: 'Frequent urges to urinate and issues emptying the bladder are the most prevalent urinary conditions we see in men after urinary tract infections. 'While some drugs are available, they don't tend to be effective, and up until now there's been little data available to back physiotherapy. Experts have discovered that pelvic floor exercises, combined with behavioural therapy delivered through a phone app, can lead to a significant improvement in symptoms (stock image) 'We're confident that we now have that data, and making this form of therapy available digitally could be a game changer for the millions of men who struggle day-to-day with issues emptying their bladder.' READ MORE: Why ALL men over 50 should practise pelvic floor exercises to help with issues from a leaky bladder to sex problems Advertisement Bladder emptying disorders can start to appear from the age of 30 and typically affect a large proportion of men over 50. Jean-Nicolas Cornu, Professor of Urology at the Charles Nicolle Hospital in France, said: 'There has been little to no evidence to support training men to better control their bladders, despite this being recommended in clinical guidelines. 'This is the first randomised controlled trial looking at physiotherapy and behavioural therapy for bladder emptying disorders, and it shows a very positive effect over conventional drug treatment. 'We now need a bigger trial looking at the longer-term effect of this app-based therapy after 12 weeks for different forms of bladder emptying disorders. If offered widely, this treatment could dramatically change clinical practice, and could relieve symptoms without exposing patients to drugs. 'We could save a lot of unnecessary prescriptions for drugs that tend to be of little benefit.' Results of the Bladder Emptying Disorder Therapy (BEST) trial were presented at the European Association of Urology Congress in Paris. South Korea and the United States will hold regular defense talks this week to discuss ways to bolster security cooperation and deter North Korean nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday. The Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) will take place in Washington on Thursday (U.S. time) for discussions on a range of alliance issues ahead of the allies' Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) session in June. South Korean Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Cho Chang-rae, Ely Ratner, U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, and Andrew Winternitz, U.S. acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, will lead this week's meeting. The talks are seen as part of preparations for the upcoming third NCG meeting, which is expected to draw up guidelines on information sharing, consultation procedures for a nuclear crisis, and operating a real-time leader-level communication channel. The allies agreed to establish the NCG in April last year to discuss nuclear and strategic planning and sharpen deterrence against evolving North Korean threats. "The general direction of the South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence will be discussed at KIDD but its specifics will be discussed at the NCG," Cho told reporters. Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to using the full-range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend an ally. Cho said he will meet his U.S. counterpart for the NCG, Vipin Narang, on Friday for talks on joint efforts under way, but did not elaborate. During this week's talks, the ministry said the allies plan to discuss ways to follow through on the "Defense Vision of the U.S.-ROK Alliance" endorsed by their defense chiefs last November. ROK stands for the South's official name, the Republic of Korea. The vision includes enhancing extended deterrence efforts against North Korea, modernizing the alliance's capabilities by evolving into a science and technology alliance, and strengthening regional security cooperation with like-minded partners. (Yonhap) Tanning salons should be plastered with cigarette-style graphic warning signs about the dangers of sunbeds, a charity has said. Sunbeds give out powerful UV rays, which raise the risk of skin cancer. As such, making warning signs inside salons mandatory could save lives, according to Skin Cancer UK. Gill Nuttall, the charity's chief executive, said sunbeds are banned in 'many countries', including Australia and Brazil, 'yet in the UK we don't even warn people about the potential danger'. 'We're asking for the Government to update its legislation and put warning signs into tanning salons much like we have for cigarettes or alcohol,' she added. Charities say tanning salons should have graphic warning signs similar to those found on cigarette packets (image shows mock-up of what a warning poster could look like) Skin Cancer UK is calling on the Government to update legislation and make warning signs mandatory 'Sunbed use kills people needlessly. 'So the mandatory installation of warning signs feels like a small, but important change. It will save lives, simple as that.' The call comes 13 years after the introduction of the Sunbed Regulation Act, which banned under-18s from using them. However, Skin Cancer UK has raised concerns that social media is fuelling a rise in tanning bed usage among younger people. In January, reality star Kim Kardashian posted a tour of her Sknn by Kim offices, which included a sunbed. She defended her use of tanning beds however, saying they help with her psoriasis. Cancer Research UK estimates there are about 16,700 cases of melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body, in the UK every year. However, predictions suggest this could rise to 26,500 by 2038-2040. According to the NHS, sunbeds can emit larger doses of UV rays than the midday tropical sun. The health service also warned that frequent exposure to UV rays under the age of 25 leads to a greater risk of developing skin cancer in later life, along with sunburn in childhood. Signs of skin cancer range from innocuous to obvious, but experts warn that treating cases early is key to making sure they do not spread or further develop Former sunbed user Adele Hughes, 44, from Liverpool, was diagnosed with the disease in 2019, at the age of 39. She started using sunbeds in 1996, when she was around 16 years old. 'If a special event was coming up, like a family party, I would start going on a month before,' she said. 'I was never a weekly user, but whenever I could fit in a sunbed session I would go.' Ms Hughes stopped using sunbeds altogether when she moved to Asia in 2008, although she had regular skin checks due to having a lot of moles. She had two removed in 2019. 'They came back as melanoma, which totally blindsided me,' the mum of two said. The cancer had spread to Ms Hughes' lymph nodes. After having them removed, she underwent immunotherapy, which helps the immune system recognise and fight cancer cells. 'I finished treatment in 2021,' she added. 'I'm coming up to two years all clear. Every six months I have scans and check ups.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'the Sunbeds Act prohibits people under 18 from using them, and we keep the Act under constant review to ensure it remains fit for purpose. 'We encourage anyone thinking of using a sunbed to consider the risks first.' An experimental drug for aggressive, deadly pancreatic cancer effectively shrunk nearly all tumors tested, a new lab study found. The researchers testing the novel treatment declared it the most effective studied thus far - shrinking tumors in peti dishes by between 30 and 98 percent. Pancreatic cancer affects roughly 67,000 Americans every year, and kills about 52,000 of them. It is typically rapidly progressive, and considered one of the most sinister forms of the disease that has taken the lives of high profile patients such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Patrick Swayze, Alan Rickman and Steve Jobs. Currently, treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs which aim to cure the disease are often unsuccesful, as it is usually diagnosed at late stages. Harry Potter star Alan Rickman died at 69 of pancreatic cancer in 2016. His battle against the aggressive cancer was brief Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs battled pancreatic cancer for a decade, but he made no public statements about his illness and was determined to remain at work for as long as he could The latest experimental drug successfully interfered with genetic drivers of roughly 95 percent of the most common form of pancreatic cancers - pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. A gene called KRAS plays a crucial role in cell division, proliferation, and death. When the gene is mutated, it stimulates the uncontrollable growth of cells, a hallmark of cancer. Dr Kenneth Olive, a physician at Columbia University who led the research at his lab, said: For over four decades, we have known that theres one particular RAS protein, called KRAS, thats mutated and drives about 95 percent of all pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cases, and weve had no direct tools to attack it for most of that time. The mutated gene helps transform normal pancreatic cells into cancerous cells, which promotes the growth of treatment-resistant tumors that respond poorly to chemotherapy. The researchers tested the drug on cancer cells derived from humans and found that tumor shrinkage was seen in seven out of 10 models, with the extent of shrinkage ranging from 30 percent to 98 percent relative to the tumors' baseline volume. Dirty Dancing actor Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in early 2008 and died less than two years later Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly types, and kills roughly 90 percent of its victims, and has a survival rate after five years of around two percent or less Dr Olive said: RMC-7977 [name of the new drug] as a single agent outperformed the best combination regimen that has ever been reported in the literature in that model system, adding that it was the first time he had seen tumors routinely get small across all models. They also found that the treatment did not harm other, healthy cells. Many cancer treatments, including chemo and radiation, can harm healthy cells while targeting cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer typically does not show symptoms until the disease has reached an advanced stage. Dr Olive added: 'Ive been working on pancreatic cancer for almost 20 years, and Ive never seen preclinical results like these. 'I think there is a real chance this approach will help change the standard of care for pancreatic cancer patients, but only clinical trials can determine that It can lead to decreased appetite, stomach pain that radiates to the sides and back, weight loss, yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice), dark-colored urine, itching, uncontrolled diabetes, pain and swelling in the arms or legs, and fatigue or weakness. A 2022 survey by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network found that 83 per cent of adults are unaware of the signs of the disease. Smoking and type 2 diabetes are major risk factors. Others include a family history of certain DNA mutations that drive the cancer, obesity, old age, and drinking a lot of alcohol. There has been a concerning rise in the number of new pancreatic cancer cases striking younger women. Surprisingly, women under 55 had a 2.4 percent higher increase in pancreatic cancer rates compared to men of the same age, according to recent analyses. Dr Srinivas Gaddam, the doctor at Cedars-Sinai who made that discovery, said: And while were reporting improving survival in pancreatic cancer each year, that improvement is largely among men. The mortality rate among women is not improving. Pancreatic cancer made headlines in 2011 when Apple head Steve Jobs succumbed to it after a years-long battle that he spoke little about publicly. Actor Alan Rickman, who played Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, died after a short battle against the disease, while Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought the disease for 11 years before passing away in 2020 at age 87. The latest findings from the consortium of doctors were published in the journal Nature. In my head, solitude is me time, we were told by Jean, 67, from Wales. She added: I think its important to have that time on your own to think things through and do things that are just for you. It may surprise many people to learn that the average adult spends nearly one third of their waking life alone, and even more as we get older. According to the Global Change Data Lab, based in Oxford, which looked at trends from 2009 to 2019, 15-year-olds, on average, spend 200 minutes a day on their own. By the time we hit 80, that time increases to 500 minutes (just over eight hours) a day. The number of people living on their own is higher than at any point in history and, in general, fewer people in wealthy countries are marrying or living in a cohabiting union. The co-authors of Solitude: The Science And Power Of Being Alone, which highlights how the right amount of solitude can improve our inner lives and even our relationships with others In 2021, the proportion of one-member households in the UK ranged from about 26 per cent in London to 36 per cent in Scotland. Only around 5 per cent of the population lived in one-person households before 1911. Whether people ended up living solo by chance or choice, that trend is seen by some as a crisis of wellbeing and the unravelling of our social fabric. Commentators in the journal World Psychiatry in 2021, for instance, noted warnings of society suffering an epidemic of loneliness or a loneliness time bomb. In fact, feeling lonely is an intrinsic part of our nature. A study published in 2020 in the journal Nature Neuroscience shows that we actually have loneliness neurons in our midbrains which act like biological alarms to warn us when we need more (and more fulfilling) people time. This physiological mechanism was particularly important millennia ago, when survival relied on inter-dependence. Without it, we might have been lulled into an individual lifestyle, which could have put us in peril from predators. And feeling lonely can still be useful in small amounts. It clues us in to the fact that our social networks are inadequate. This helps in motivating us to reconnect with others; it keeps societies cohesive for everyones benefit. But just like other stressful physiological reactions that have evolved to help us deal with threats, loneliness is detrimental if you have too much of it, too often. For decades, researchers have been finding evidence linking loneliness and mortality its been shown to adversely impact immunity, blood pressure and vascular health and, ultimately, to cause premature death. Human sensitivity to social isolation is so keen that studies have shown its discomfort to be akin to physical pain, sharing common physiological mechanisms. But loneliness and solitude are, as our own research has amply shown, completely different experiences and if the first is harmful, the second is often very positively health-boosting. Solitude is being scientifically shown to help us feel calm and increase our self-reliance and freedom to choose activities we enjoy and value. In solitude, we can also be our creative selves First, what do we mean by solitude? While there is surprisingly little consensus on its definition, based on our own extensive research (more on that later), solitude is not the same as loneliness, isolation or withdrawal. Solitude gets a bad press because we are taught from the time were in nappies that being alone is bad. That message is reinforced throughout our lives. As a result, loneliness and solitude two unrelated states and ideas have been muddled up. In mainstream society, the significance of social ties remains paramount: how often we hang out with friends; how many dates we go on; if were a team player these are often unofficial indicators of how successful we are in life. Little in this view indicates that when we choose it, solitude can be a wonderful and health-boosting experience. Instead, all that talk of loneliness in modern life can make us think solitude is a disease requiring treatment. But studies show that simply spending less time alone or more time with others does not cure loneliness we can feel deeply lonely while in company. Solitude, by contrast, is being scientifically shown to help us feel calm and increase our self-reliance and freedom to choose activities we enjoy and value. In solitude, we can also be our creative selves. Recent mass experience has shown how society has been getting it wrong on solitude. The most significant period of social isolation that many of us have ever experienced occurred when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. Early in the lockdown restrictions, mental-health experts were sounding the alarm that the physical threat of the virus could be matched by the mental menace of loneliness, with all its negative emotions and impacts. Given the dire predictions, it was surprising (even for us solitude researchers) that countless people during the pandemic recognised for the first time, or re-ignited, a desire for solitude. Being able to be alone, and happily so, was worn as a badge of honour. T-shirts appeared with sayings such as, I was social distancing before it was cool. A University College London study compared predictors of loneliness from more than 30,000 people pre-pandemic to more than 60,000 participants during the pandemic. Surprisingly, adults aged 60 and older a group often highlighted as at-risk for loneliness were less likely to be lonely before and during the pandemic than people half their age or younger, it was reported in the journal Public Health in 2020. The stereotype of lonely older people is proven wrong by other British research. The UK Community Life Survey, 2021/2022 found that those aged 16-24 were more likely to say they feel lonely than most age groups, aside from those aged 25-34. Beyond that age, the study found, loneliness declines significantly until age 45. Until age 50 there is a small spike in reported loneliness, then it drops again. Those aged 65 to 74 were among the least lonely. Positive solitude is largely uncharted by researchers, which is why we launched the Solitude Project in 2019 and have spent several years interviewing thousands of people around the world about what time alone means to them, so that we can begin scientifically to understand all aspects of positive solitude. This fascinating book explores the benefits of solitude, such as improved memory, creativity and brain growth One of the biggest misconceptions we found is the belief that you have to live in complete Buddha-like isolation to experience solitude. But as weve heard from many people, and have experienced ourselves, other forms of solitude are real and achievable without taking draconian or impractical measures. For many people we spoke to, positive solitude can indeed be achieved only when they are alone in their own physical space where they can do anything they like read quietly, blast music, stream Netflix, and for as short or as long as they like as long as they do it solo. Run-of-the-mill solitude doesnt require waxing philosophical about the meaning of life. You can also be solitary in the company of others. Companionate solitude, such as two people sharing space in companionable silence, is as legitimate a form as any other. In some cases, the presence of people even enriched, rather than detracted from, solitude. Those occasions have often lived long in the memories of some of our participants. My father was very into fishing. Thats a very vivid memory ... just sitting next to my father perfectly quiet, not because I had to but because I enjoyed it, we were told by Scott, 60, from England. Being partners-in-solitude is an experience most often described by those in long-term relationships. It can involve enjoying peaceful activities in nature, at home or while travelling. Kaitlin, 48, told us about the meaningful solitude she achieves while seeing new things, such as a sculpture in a museum, with a friend. Our participants talked about another form of solitude that involves psychological but not physical separation: being alone in public, in the presence of others. This is very different from companionate solitude because the only person you know there, or care to acknowledge, is you. One person told us he can tap into solitude on a busy crosstown bus. Another sets an early morning alarm in Oxfordshire to get a few minutes to herself before her home stirs to life. One participant can dip into solitudes positive effects during a ten-minute lunchtime walk in busy Central Park, New York. Why is solitude so potentially powerful for all kinds of people? Our research so far points to the fact that solitude creates an environment in which two important things can happen: each of us can captain our own ship and, while in that role, we can connect to our true selves. Think of it as the ultimate place to do what you want, and to be who you are. Psychologists say that having the sense that its us, not others, driving our own meaningful actions (which they call autonomy), can imbue us with a sense of wellbeing; we grow and mature in healthy ways, and we take on lifes tasks with energy, even passion. (And if those needs are not met, mental health tends to suffer, and motivation lags.) In the first few months of the pandemic, we ran a study (published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology), capturing the experiences of 2,035 individuals from around the world age 13 to 16; 35 to 55; or older adults (65+ years). We found that this sense of autonomy as a benefit of solitude was common across age groups. People reported a sense of self-reliance, freedom from outside pressure and increased self-connection. Post-pandemic, theres no need to live in isolation to enjoy the benefits of aloneness. As we see it, theres no Team Solitude versus Team Social clash. We dont need to choose to commit ourselves to lives as either hermits or party animals. Weve heard a lot about balancing solo and social time from our research participants, less as a score being kept and more as a feeling of needing one versus the other at a particular moment. Thats sometimes a reaction to having had too much interaction with others and needing me time. The opposite was also expressed, as an urge to get out of ones own orbit and spend time with others. Location for solitude seems important to many. Most of the people we spoke to said a happy place in solitude means finding a quiet spot where they can hear themselves think. A growing body of research helps to explain why quiet solitude may be so beneficial. Experiments by Dr Peter Suedfeld, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Canada, placed his study participants in darkened and quiet rooms. They sometimes spent long periods, even several days at a time, with little stimulation. Rather than finding this a problem, the participants voluntarily chose to stay in those settings instead of leaving experiments early when given the opportunity. Dr Suedfeld told us he believes that because humans evolved surrounded by nature, and not on busy streets with honking cars and crowds, those constant sounds and images keep us poised for action and wired for interaction. When we return to solitude in quiet spaces, in a way, were going back to basics. This may have knock-on benefits. Indeed, some of the most intriguing findings related to silence and human health are linked to silences role in improving memory and stimulating brain growth. Ten minutes in a dark, quiet room improved the recall of people with amnesia by 14 to 49 per cent (it also improved non-amnesiacs memory by 10 to 30 per cent), according to research by Edinburgh University in 2009. Our ability to think creatively also seems to benefit because time alone allows for the mind to wander and incubate ideas. Creative incubation takes place in the brains default mode network (DMN), the area thats active when our mind wanders. Moshe Bar, former head of the Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at Harvard Medical School, and author of the book Mindwandering, has shown in his work how creativity, incubation and mind wandering all rely on one another. Though its easy to imagine not much is happening physically while were sitting in solitude, brain-scan studies show that the default mode network is very active during that time. That high level of neural activity consumes 20 per cent of the bodys total energy more energy than any other area of the brain. Given all these surprising benefits, one can understand why some psychologists are now examining the consequences of not getting enough solitude, due to excess social demands. This was recently labelled as aloneliness in research led by Robert Coplan, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Canada. To be alonely, according to his work, is to need more solitude than you get, and to feel bad as a result of this deprivation. Thanks to mainstream social beliefs, reframing solitude as a positive and productive thing is like turning around an aircraft carrier. Nevertheless, the world is changing demographically and we need to see people who seek solitude as more of the rule than the exception, thanks not least to people living singly. As research shows, the truth is that the right amount of solitude can improve our inner lives and even our relationships with others. It may allow us the time and space to practise the ukulele, write a letter to an old friend, grieve a loss, or stream Ted Lasso episodes again (all things we authors have done in solitude) and laugh out loud by ourselves. Whatever we choose to do, and to be, in those priceless solo moments is entirely of our own making, and those decisions are all steps on the path of well-being in solitude and in life. NETTA WEINSTEIN is a professor of psychology at Oxford University; Dr Thuy-vy T. Nguyen is an associate professor in psychology at Durham University; Heather Hansen is an award-winning science writer. Their book, Solitude: The Science And Power Of Being Alone, is published by Cambridge University Press on April 18, 20. A young woman from North Carolina has told of the anguish of being consistently dismissed by doctors as 'lazy' - when in fact she was suffering a debilitating life-long condition. Since her teenage years, 26 year-old Alyssa Davis has struggled to stay awake during the day, often tumbling over in exhaustion in her school days. As she reached adulthood, the digital marketer saw no change in the problem, which she described as a 'constant, bone-deep exhaustion that often blurred the edge of my vision'. However, multiple trips to the doctor proved unfruitful, with physicians simply advising her to 'just drink coffee' and accusing her of laziness. It wasn't until 2017 that Ms Davis was finally diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia, a narcolepsy-like condition that affects roughly 50 in a million people, and causes excessive sleepiness for an unknown reason. Twenty-six-year-old Alyssa Davis was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia, a narcolepsy-like illness that causes excessive sleepiness during the day Ms Davis spent years looking for answers from doctors who called her 'lazy' and recommended drinking coffee Ms Davis is now in the beginning stages of approval to take the first FDA-approved medication to treatthe condition, which can be especially dangerous if a person is driving or operating heavy machinery. Idiopathic hypersomnia is a little-understood disorder and is considered chronic. Doctors typically opt for medication to prevent daytime sleepiness, as people with hypersomnia typically cannot fall into a deep, restful sleep during the night. She said: 'Its like Im trapped on Groundhog Day the exhaustion never leaves my body.' Ms Davis said that she has fought extreme exhaustion for much of her life, dozing off in class or even having to leave to take a nap, and stumbling over in the middle of dance class. She said: It wasnt just like having the occasional late night, it was a constant, bone-deep exhaustion, that often blurred the edge of my vision The feeling of sudden exhaustion became a tell-tale sign that I was about to lose consciousness. She would sleep 10, 12, even 14 hours a night and 'bathe in coffee', but still couldnt fight off the pull of sleep. Eventually, in 2017, she was referred to a specialist, who recommended she take part in a sleep study. A little later, her diagnosis was confirmed. Ms Davis said learning that her condition was diagnosable and getting much needed answers was like 'a series of flickering lights leading me forward through a dark tunnel' A sleep study involves a full nights sleep in a sleep study center, during which time the patient is hooked up to a series of sensors so that experts can analyze their sleep patterns throughout the night. She said: Learning what was wrong wasnt just a lightbulb moment, it was more like a series of flickering lights leading me forward through a dark tunnel. The cause of idiopathic hypersomnia is unknown. The main symptom is daytime sleepiness, but can also manifest as having a hard time waking up in the morning or from naps, struggling to do normal activities, headaches, brain fog, and sleep-drunkenness. Doctors often prescribe stimulants such as Ritalin and modafinil to keep people awake during the day. Ms Davis is now undergoing another sleep study to be prescribed the first FDA-approved IH drug, Xywav. This drug is taken at night and is believed to work by affecting the neurotransmitter GABA. GABA binds to certain receptors in the brain that modulate brain activity related to sleep patterns. Specifially, it increases the amount of a type of brain wave called delta waves, which are typically associated with slow-wave sleep - the most restorative type. Ms Davis said: It's no fun to be written off as unmotivated or inattentive when that's not how I see myself. It wasnt an easy journey and it still isnt, but having a name for the struggle Ive been trying to grapple with for so long has been a lifeline. Its given me the language to explain my experiences, empowered me to advocate for myself, and equipped me to fight for a better quality of life. State health officials have been told to prepare for more human cases of bird flu, amid fears the virus could jump to people. CDC officials issued the warning on Friday, urging state leaders to have 'up-to-date operational plans' in place in case more farm workers test positive for H5N1. At the meeting, they also emphasized that the risk to the public was still low but said health officials should be prepared for the potential of more cases. Only one infection has been reported in a person in Texas so far, but officials fear more humans in close contact with infected cattle may also have H5N1. Cattle on 16 farms across seven states mostly in Texas have tested positive for the virus, with doctors now urged to test any farm worker for the disease who they suspect may have been infected. The above shows how bird flu is edging closer to human spillover in the US The meeting was led by the CDC's deputy director Nirav Shah and Dr Demetre Daskalakis, who was involved in the national response to the outbreak of monkeypox or mpox in 2022. It was attended by local health leaders including representatives from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, which has members across all 50 states and Washington D.C. A release from the CDC on the meeting, which took place online, read: 'CDC recommended that state public health officials... ensure that they have up-to-date operational plans to respond to avian influenza at the state level. 'For example, the CDC emphasized the importance of having plans in place to quickly test and provide treatment to potentially impacted farm workers following positive results among cattle herds.' The release added that officials 'emphasized that, although the risk to the public remains low, the agency wants state public health officials to be prepared to respond'. The one person infected with the virus has only one symptom inflammation of the eye and has been reported to be isolated and 'recovering well'. The above map shows states where infections in cattle have been detected They are also being treated with the drug oseltamivir, or Tamiflu, and are not thought to have passed the virus on to anyone else. Texas has reported the most cattle infections, with eight dairy herds testing positive for the virus. Herds in Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Michigan and Idaho have also been found to be infected with the virus. Scientists fear that infections in mammals raise the risk of the virus gaining mutations making it better able to infect humans. They also say the risk of a human infection is raised if the virus spreads to animals with close contact with humans, such as cattle, cats and dogs. It comes after the CDC said it was taking bird flu 'very seriously', with the agency's director Dr Mandy Cohen adding they were 'monitoring the situation very closely'. 'Any case of H5N1 is concerning,' she said, 'because it is highly dangerous to humans, although it has never been shown to be easily transmissible between people.' H5N1 is already said to be causing a pandemic in the animal kingdom and to have caused infections in more than 40 mammal species, including foxes, raccoons, skunks and even polar bears. Every infection raises the risk of it gaining a mutation that makes the virus better able to infect humans, they said. There are also concerns over the price of milk and eggs. Officials say there is little risk of catching the virus from milk because almost all is pasteurized, which deactivates viruses and bacteria. Cattle infected with the virus also have their milk withdrawn from the supply. But there are concerns that if too many cows are infected and too much milk is withdrawn this could start to drive up the price of milk. Last week, the US' biggest egg producer Cal-Maine Foods in Texas revealed it had to cull 2million birds after detecting the virus in its flock. Culling over bird flu was behind the surge in egg prices in 2022, when the cost of a dozen large, Grade A, eggs rose from $1.72 to $3.59 in the year to November 2022 before peaking at $4.82 in January the following year. Men are now more likely to die from suicide than dementia in the US, a major analysis of the nation's top ten causes of death has revealed. The CDC found suicide was the eighth leading cause of death in men in 2021, with 38,400 deaths per year, while Alzheimer's was ninth at 37,000 fatalities. Among women, suicide did not make the top ten with 9,800 deaths recorded in this category. For comparison, Alzheimer's was the fifth leading cause of death with 82,400 fatalities. The shift appears to have been driven by rising rates among young adults, which has previously been linked to social media use and the rising cost of living. Overall, the report for 2021 the latest year with data available found heart disease, cancer and Covid were the three leading causes of death as they were in 2020. The above graphic shows the top ten leading causes of death for men and women by year Suicides are rising in the US and, according to preliminary data, hit a record level in 2022 with 50,000 Americans taking their own lives. Experts have already said social media is partially to blame, with 84 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 years in the US on the platforms. Other factors include worsening mental health among under-35s which has been linked to the rising costs of housing and starting a family. For the report, officials analyzed data on all the nearly 3.5million deaths recorded across the US in 2021. Deaths were grouped based on 'underlying cause of death' on the death certificate, or the main factor behind the fatality. For both genders, accidents were the fourth leading cause of death (224,000 fatalities), strokes were fifth (162,000 deaths) and respiratory disease was sixth. Suicide was not registered in the top ten causes of death overall. Newly released data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows 1,266 more people killed themselves in 2022, compared to 2021 - a rise of three percent For men aged 10-30, suicide is the second leading cause of death behind unintentional deaths, including drug overdoses Other differences between genders included men being twice as likely to die from an accidental injury such as a car crash compared to women. There were 149,602 fatalities from accidents recorded among men, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the group, compared to 75,333 in women making it the sixth leading cause of death. Liver diseases often linked to alcohol consumption were registered as the tenth leading cause of death in men, but also did not make the top ten in women. Today's report marks the first time suicides have overtaken dementia as a leading cause of death among men since 2015. In the decade to 2021, figures from the CDC show the number of men dying from suicide every year has surged 24 percent. Dementia rates have also surged as more adults are living longer, but suicides have now overtaken them. Broken down by age group, men aged 20 to 24 years old had the highest rate of suicides at 19 deaths from the cause per 100,000 in the age group. They were followed by those aged 15 to 19 years old, at 18.3 per 100,000. At the other end of the scale, men over 65 years old had the lowest rate which was below 1.8 per 100,000. Amazon shares touched an all-time high last night ahead of a bumper earnings season for Big Tech that could generate profits of more than 90billion. Shares in the e-commerce and cloud computing behemoth rose more than 1 per cent to a high of $187.29 before closing at $185.19. That left Amazon within touching distance of its record close of $186.57 in July 2021. Rivals including Facebook owner Meta, Microsoft and Nvidia have all hit record highs in recent weeks. The rally comes as the so-called Magnificent Seven stocks Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Tesla and Nvidia prepare to post quarterly figures. Tech boom: Amazon shares rose more than 1% to a high of $187.29 before closing at $185.38, within touching distance of its record close of $186.57 in July 2021 They are expected to post sales totalling 360billion and profits of 92billion. The period covers the first three months of 2024 for all but Nvidia, whose first quarter is the three months to the end of April. But while the Magnificent Seven all delivered stellar returns last year, the first quarter of 2024 has seen a big divergence in fortunes. Shares in chip designer and artificial intelligence (AI) specialist Nvidia are up some 75 per cent already this year having more than tripled in value last year. By contrast, Tesla shares are down around 30 per cent having doubled last year. Ahead of the looming results season, Tesla last week revealed it delivered 386,810 new cars in the three months to the end of March down 8.5 per cent on the same period last year. That was the first year-on-year drop for four years and sent shares tumbling as investors fretted over what could be a bleak set of results later this month. Teslas woes have seen chief executive Elon Musk lose his position as the worlds richest man. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, he is fourth with a fortune of 143billion after being overtaken by LVMH boss Bernard Arnault on 177billion, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with 164billion and now Mark Zuckerberg, whose wealth hit 148billion following a near-sixfold rise in Metas share price over the past 18 months. Dan Ives, at Wedbush Securities said: Big Tech is flexing its muscles as the strong get stronger with another robust earnings season on deck. The auto-enrolment pension scheme could leave new contributors with just half of what they need to retire comfortably in 40 years' time, research claims. The average pension saving through the auto-enrolment scheme will provide just 22,800 per year after tax for people entering the workforce today, according to comparison website Finder. While it is better than the alternative of not saving into a pension at all, that amount would provide just 53 per cent of what they will need to lead a 'comfortable' retirement based on figures from the Pension and Lifetime Savings Association. Shortfall: Those who have just entered the workforce need to act now in order to build an adequate pension The PLSA's latest figures indicate that retirees need 43,100 per year for a 'comfortable' standard of living, and 31,300 for a 'moderate' lifestyle. A 'comfortable' retirement includes 500 per year for home improvements, 175 per week to spend on food, 1,500 per year in clothing costs, an annual two-week holiday in Europe, and 50 per birthday or Christmas present. The headline income figures do not include tax, housing or care costs. Finder said that it based its figures on an employee contribution of five per cent - including pension tax relief from the Government - a three per cent employer contribution, annual growth of five per cent and fees of 0.75 per cent. The figures include the after-tax addition of the state pension. George Sweeney, pensions expert at Finder, said that young people should consider paying more into their work pension when they can afford it, or even looking at a separate private pension alongside it. 'When it comes to saving for retirement with your pension, there's no such thing as too much or too soon. Auto-enrolment is a great start and gets people on the path towards a more abundant retirement, but it's not a complete solution. 'Our research shows that auto-enrolment is only half the battle, and if people want a comfortable retirement, they need to take ownership and responsibility for the other half.' Women are set to be even worse off, with their pension covering just 46 per cent, less than 20,000 per year, of what is deemed a 'comfortable' income. The comparison site said the average 22-year-old man is set to retire with a pension pot of 318,000 in today's money by age 68, whereas women are projected to see their pension reach just 218,000. Who pays what: Auto enrolment breakdown of minimum pension contributions for basic rate taxpayers at present. Contributions are based on a band of your earnings between 6,240 and 50,270, but some employers are more generous Finder said the 100,000 divide between men and women, a result of the gender pay gap, means that men will see an average yearly pension of 25,300 compared to just 19,800 for women. That is after income from private pots is combined with the annual state pension. The projected pension for women is just 63 per cent of what is needed for a 'moderate' lifestyle. 'More discussions need to be had at home between partners. Ideally, leading to better planning around equalising contributions and seeing it as a joint effort - perhaps using additional tools like self-invested personal pensions (Sipps), especially if a woman is taking time out of work to care for children or family,' George Sweeney said. 'Hopefully as the gender pay gap closes, this will be less of an issue, but the reality is what it is, so couples and families need to work together and plan their finances as a team if they want a comfortable retirement.' Couples who take a joint approach to pension saving can end up better off in retirement, though there are some snags - particularly regarding tax. You should concentrate on maxing your own pension before trying to boost your partner's, and there are circumstances where it makes financial sense to focus on the higher earner's pension, say experts. > How couples who save together can max out their pensions: Eight tips from the experts A mother has told how she was targeted by Netflix's Can I Tell You A Secret? stalker - leaving her scared for her life. Kristen Dugdale, 31, was a victim of Matthew Hardy - dubbed Britain's worst cyberstalker - who has been jailed for nine years. The mother-of-one was first contacted in February 2019 by an anonymous Instagram account claiming they had an important message about her then-husband. It began a two-year ordeal which saw Hardy accusing her of sleeping with her then-husband's father and using her images to sell adult content. He even subjected her to a barrage of anonymous phone calls and insults - calling her 'disgusting' and telling her to 'stick to taking your clothes off'. Kristen Dugdale, 31, (pictured) was targeted by Matthew Hardy - dubbed Britain's worst cyberstalker Hardy enacted a tirade of stalking and harassment online that spanned over a decade A fake profile Hardy made of Kristen to sell adult content during his two-year stalking campaign She became convinced it was someone she knew - and stopped trusting those close to her, and it drove a wedge between her and her now-ex. Kristen contacted police but the abuse didn't stop until Hardy was arrested. She was not involved in the court case against Hardy but police confirmed she was a victim of the prolific stalker. Hardy, who created hundreds of fake social media accounts, is believed to have targeted 63 victims over 11 years, according to reports. Speaking for the first time, the mother said she's still haunted by his daily messages. 'I was scared for my life at one point,' she said. I lost my confidence and my trust in people around me. 'Before I knew it was Hardy, this random person from a place I had never been to, I was questioning everyone around me. 'It affected my mental health, and it's not fair it's had a lasting impact on me, and I lost friends. 'I ended up getting into a lot of arguments with my ex over it. It affected our relationship.' Kristen, an ex-model, says she was first contacted by Hardy in early February 2019 - when he got in touch with her anonymously on Instagram to imply she had slept with her ex-husband's best friend. Things quickly escalated and Kristen began receiving regular phone calls multiple times a day and abusive messages from numbers she didn't recognise. Kristen, a former model, says she was first contacted by Hardy in early February 2019 Hardy added Kristen and her ex-husbands friend to an Instagram chat She says sometimes he would call from withheld numbers and stay silent or breath into the end of the phone or send her texts saying he wouldn't leave her alone and reminding her that he knew her family, and calling her 'fat'. Fake profiles pretending to be her started popping up on Instagram with Kristen saying some accounts were even seeming to sell adult content using her images. The fake accounts reached out to photographers she had worked with in the past and old school friends. She says he contacted a photographer she had worked with and attempted to organise a photoshoot while sending suggestive messages. She says the photographer even said Hardy had details of a conversation they'd had in-person - leaving her questioning whether her phone was bugged. Kristen says Hardy seemed to know the names of her friends and family - mentioning her ex-husband's friends names, and even their wives and girlfriend's names. It made her believe the person hounding her online was someone she knew in person. And she says Hardy became so brazen he messaged people she knew from his personal Facebook. In one instance, he contacted her and her ex-partner's dad directly to accuse them of sleeping together - to Kristen's horror. Despite first contacting Wiltshire Police in September 2019, the campaign of abuse continued until Hardy was arrested - and all contact stopped. Hardy was convicted in Cheshire Crown Court on January 26, 2022 following an investigation by PC Kevin Anderson with Cheshire Police. Kristen's final interaction with the cyberstalker was on October 26, 2020 when she told him she'd contacted the police. She says he replied asking why they hadn't charged him previously despite having evidence. But Kristen says the experience has stuck with her and still affects her now. Kristen says the prolific stalker left her unable to trust her friends Messages to Kristen from Hardy's personal Facebook page She said: 'It was so scary at that time I started accusing people I knew, I didn't trust anyone. 'He seemed to know loads of really personal stuff about me, it was just awful, he alienated me from trusting some of my ex-partner's friends and even family. 'I found it strange in the end how he didn't even conceal his identity it was like he wanted to get caught but thought he was invincible and nothing would happen. 'The last thing I said to him is I wouldn't stop until he was in jail. 'I was very shocked by how high his sentence was people do worse things and get less time, so I was happy with the sentence. 'This needs to be stopped in its tracks before it gets to such a serious level, [the police] waited until it got really bad. 'When I found out [it was Hardy], I told the police it was him and they didn't believe me, it felt like I had to do their job for them, and they couldn't do anything until something serious happened. 'People need to be aware, and police need to take this kind of thing a bit more seriously.' Kristen said Hardy seemed to know the names of her friends and family - mentioning her ex-husband's friends names Police Constable Kevin Anderson from Northwich Local Policing Unit, confirmed that Kristen was a victim of Hardy's. He added: 'Having led on this case for more than 18 months I have seen the emotional distress and turmoil that Hardy has inflicted on his victims he did all of this while hiding behind his computer screen. 'The impact on those affected by his actions has been immense, causing some of them to change some of their daily habits, and live in constant fear that they were being watched. 'On other occasions, it caused them to lose trust in their friends and family members, and even led to the breakdown of long-term relationships. 'Thankfully, Hardy has now been held accountable for his actions, and his online activity has finally been brought to a stop. 'I hope that the conclusion of this case will provide some closure for his victims and enable then to rebuild and move forward with their lives.' Hardy's cyber crimes began when he was in secondary school in 2006. As Facebook was in its infancy, so too were Hardy's stalking and harassment tendencies. However, the then-teenager had a hard time in secondary school, according to classmates, who said he was often teased and bullied. But when his peers and young girls in schools nearby rushed in droves to sign up to Facebook, Hardy began to use the platform to stalk them. Nuclear war begins with a blip on a radar screen. It is 4.03am and in a seemingly barren field 20 miles outside the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, a massive cloud of fire erupts just feet off the ground as the country's most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is launched. Known as 'the Monster', it begins its ascent. Hovering 22,300 miles above Earth, sensors from the U.S. Defence Department's satellite systems spot the fire from the missile's hot rocket exhaust. The system alarm goes off: Ballistic Missile Launch, Alert! Ballistic missile launches are not uncommon. As a general rule, nuclear-armed nations inform one another of ballistic missile tests, usually via diplomatic back channels, because no one wants to start a nuclear war by accident. Even Russia continues to notify the U.S. of its test launches. The exception is North Korea. None of the more than 100 missiles it has test-launched since January 2022 including nuclear-capable weapons was announced beforehand. The North Korean ballistic missile (ICBM) known as the 'Monster' 1-5 seconds after launch Some of the fastest computer systems in the world begin calculating the dimensions of the ICBM's fiery plume. Measurements reveal the missile is not heading into space, as it would be for a satellite launch, or towards the Sea of Japan, as is commonplace in a test. Is this a provocative test or a nuclear attack? A vast, world-wide network of U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets begins churning out information. In Colorado, combat pilots run towards fighter jets waiting on the Tarmac, ready to take to the air. 15 seconds after launch The ICBM has travelled far enough for satellite sensors to determine its trajectory more precisely. The outlook is catastrophic: the Monster is travelling towards the continental U.S. Two minutes after launch Beneath the Pentagon, inside the nuclear command bunker, the secretary of defence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff take charge. Once ground radars provide secondary confirmation that an attacking missile is on its way to the East Coast, a perilous nuclear warfighting strategy comes to the fore: Launch on Warning. This means that once its early-warning systems have warned of an impending attack, the U.S. will not wait to physically absorb a nuclear blow before launching its counterattack. Three minutes after launch The president needs to be told. He is in the White House dining room, reading his briefing documents. The national security adviser rushes into the room, phone in hand. Speaking from the bunker beneath the Pentagon, the secretary of defence tells the president North Korea has launched an attacking missile at the U.S. The president now faces an inexorably small decision-making window of time. What must happen next has been rehearsed by everyone in attendance on satellite comms, except, most likely, the president himself. Like almost all U.S. Presidents since John F. Kennedy, he is entirely underinformed about how to wage nuclear war when it happens. He has no idea that as soon as he has been briefed on what is happening, he will have only six minutes to decide which nuclear weapons to launch in response. As Ronald Reagan lamented in his memoirs: 'Six minutes to decide how to respond to a blip on a radar scope and decide whether to release Armageddon! How could anyone apply reason to a time like that?' And so, in roughly the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee, the President will be asked to make a counterattack decision that could kill tens of millions of human beings on the other side of the world. Civilisation could end within a matter of hours. The national security adviser is working to get a North Korean official on the phone when he is knocked aside by the special agent in charge of protecting the president. Of all the people in the room prepared for crisis response, the Secret Service agents are among the best rehearsed. 'Into the emergency bunker now,' the special agent in charge shouts at the president. Two members of the Counter Assault Team (CAT) grab him by his armpits. He does not yet fully comprehend all that is going on, or how fast a counterattack must unfold. Nine minutes after launch At Clear Space Force Station in Alaska, the Long Range Discrimination Radar gets its first sight of the attacking missile as it comes over the horizon. A member of the Air Force picks up the red phone in front of her. 'This is Clear,' she reports. 'Site report is valid. Number of objects is one.' The dreaded secondary confirmation of an attacking ICBM, headed towards the East Coast has just been made. This facility in Alaska is one of six early-warning ground radar facilities which have kept watch for nuclear attack since the Cold War. Others are in California, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Greenland, and at RAF Fylingdales on the North Yorkshire Moors. Now begins the attempt at interception, a feat 'akin to shooting a bullet with a bullet'. But nine out of 20 hit-to-kill interceptor tests have failed. This means there is only a 55 per cent chance that the Monster will be shot down before it reaches its target. Sure enough, the interception fails. So do three more consecutive attempts. The die is cast. Ten minutes after launch The president has been moved to a bunker beneath the East Wing of the White House, which was originally built to hide President Roosevelt during World War II. Standing beside him is a military aide carrying the emergency satchel, an aluminium and leather bag containing the executive orders that can be put into effect when a nuclear attack comes to pass. The U.S. president has sole authority to launch his country's nuclear weapons. He asks the secretary of defence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff what he should do. It's a natural question to ask. No one but a madman would want to launch nuclear weapons of their own accord. The chairman tells the president that he, as chairman, is part of the 'chain of communication', not the 'chain of command' for authorising a nuclear launch. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff only gives advice. 'Advise me,' the president commands. The secretary of defence urges the him to consult his counterparts in Russia and China. Others around him are more focused on getting him to launch the counterattack, to 'retaliate to decapitate'. The secretary of defence urges caution, voicing what everyone fears but no one else dares to say: 'To launch now all but guarantees a wider war.' There is no way of knowing if an incoming ballistic missile attack is a spoof, designed to trick the president into launching nuclear war or even if the warhead is armed with nuclear weapons. The president reaches into his wallet for the laminated nuclear codes card he must carry with him at all times. The 'Biscuit', in national security terms. The bunker's doors fly open. Ten Counter Assault Team members armed with SR-16 gas-operated, air-cooled carbines and AR-15 assault rifles burst into the room. They rush to the president and grab him by the armpits, his feet no longer touching the ground. 14 minutes after launch The president is taken to Marine One helicopter, an aircraft hardened against the electromagnetic pulse that accompanies a nuclear flash. Still, no one has any idea if the system will fall apart in a nuclear war, causing the helicopter to plummet to Earth. The plan is for one of the CAT operators to tandem jump the president out of the aircraft if the pilot cannot get them out of the danger zone in time. But the president's military advisers take issue with this plan as the president has still not given the go ahead for a counterattack. 'We need launch orders, Mr President,' says the commander of U.S. Strategic Command [Stratcom]. But the special agent in charge of the president disagrees, and overrrules the commander. 'We are moving POTUS now,' he insists. U.S. President Joe Biden boards the helicopter known as Marine One - an aircraft hardened against the electromagnetic pulse that accompanies a nuclear flash 16 minutes after launch Satellite sensors have detected the exhaust on a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) which has breached the surface of the Pacific Ocean, 350 miles off the coast of California. The dreaded SLBM can strike and hit a target inside the U.S. even faster than an ICBM. No one can say who owns it missile, nor the submarine it was launched from, but everyone's best guess is North Korea. In a moment of profound realisation, officers at control centres across the country recognise this situation: the beginning of the end of the world. Deterrence has failed. Nuclear war is happening. Back on the White House lawn, Marine One readies for take-off. Many of the president's advisers have stayed behind in the Emergency Operations Centre. They've read briefings about this kind of scenario and have made peace with what is happening. As President Carter and President Reagan are said to have decided, they'll go down with the ship. 21 minutes after launch The incoming submarine-launched missile races towards Diablo Canyon Power Plant, a 750-acre facility 85 ft above the Pacific. Diablo is the only nuclear power plant in California that remains active. When a nuclear weapon explodes in the air, the radiation released into the atmosphere will dissipate over time. Attacking a nuclear reactor with a nuclear-armed missile is entirely different. It all but guarantees a core reactor meltdown, resulting in a nuclear catastrophe that will last for thousands of years. This violates the Geneva Conventions, and the rules that determine what can be done in war. But, as the world is about to learn, there are no rules in nuclear war. The missile launched from the submarine explodes in Diablo Canyon. The nuclear power plant is consumed in a flash of nuclear light. There is a massive fireball. A facility-destroying blast. A nuclear mushroom cloud and a nuclear core meltdown. Known to insiders as The Devil's Scenario, the worst of the worst-case scenarios has come to pass. 23 minutes after launch As Marine One takes off, the president is told that a nuclear bomb has hit California. He removes the code card from his wallet and prepares to authorise a counterstrike against North Korea one involving 82 nuclear warheads. This retaliatory strike will all but guarantee the deaths of millions of people maybe even tens of millions of people on the Korean peninsula alone. 24 minutes after launch Four miles north-west of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, a cattle rancher is tending to his herd when he is blown off his feet by the blast from the nuclear missile. He is alive owing, in part, to geography; the earth and stone buffered some of the bomb's deadly thermal radiation. The pressure from the bomb tore off his clothes and threw him to the ground, but he is old as dirt and tough as hell. Spotting his smartphone in the dirt, he begins to film what's happening. He is aware of the lethal levels of radiation he is receiving but he uploads the video of the mushroom cloud to Facebook. His video connects to the internet via a communications satellite passing overhead and begins making its way around the world. Reports start to flood the internet, with the hashtags #NuclearWar, #Armageddon and #EndOfTheWorld. The bomb destroys the 750-acre facility. Unlike when a city is targeted, an attack against a nuclear power plant means radioactive pieces of spent fuel rods get seeded into the debris and are dispersed far and wide, as fallout. Diablo Canyon will never recover. 32 minutes after launch The secretary of defence remains focused on getting the Russian President on the line. American ICBMs, launched from a missile field in Wyoming, must travel directly over Russia in order to reach North Korea. A motherload of American ICBMs travelling through Russian airspace will almost certainly be interpreted as an incoming attack. Russia needs to be warned. 33 minutes after launch Hurtling towards the Pentagon, the North Korean ICBM enters Terminal Phase its last 100 seconds before it detonates. In the first fraction of a millisecond after detonation, a flash of light superheats the air to 180 million degrees Fahrenheit, creating a massive fireball that incinerates everything nearby in a holocaust of fire and death. Not a single thing in the fireball remains. Nothing. No human, no squirrel, no ladybird. No cellular life. Never in the history of mankind have so many human beings been killed so quickly. Not since a mountain-sized asteroid smashed into the Earth 66 million years ago has so much global devastation been set in motion in a single strike. Ten seconds pass. The fireball rises three miles up into the air. Those who have survived the initial blast several miles from ground zero get trapped on melting roads and burn alive. 38 minutes after launch The 15-mile radius surrounding the Pentagon is an inferno. There is no electricity. No phone service. No 911. In nuclear command bunkers across the country, contact with the President has been lost. He is presumed to have been separated from the core parachute group, in flight. Inside Site R, the underground command centre in Pennsylvania, the secretary of defence and Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs have been desperately trying to reach their Russian counterparts. Do they tell the Russians that they have lost contact with their president? That he is missing, presumed dead? As the debate continues, they finally reach an officer from the Russian General Staff. 'The U.S. is under nuclear attack,' they say, adding that it's imperative that Russia refrains from any military action until the two nuclear-armed adversaries can get their two presidents on the phone. But the Russian officer sees things differently. 'Your president should have called us by now,' he says and the line goes dead. 42 minutes after launch No one has heard from the U.S. president because when the nuclear bomb hit the Pentagon, Marine One experienced a system failure from the electromagnetic pulse and began to crash. The CAT operator tandem-jumped the president out of the open door of the aircraft in an attempt to save his life. The two men landed violently in a forested area. The agent is dead, his neck broken. The president was cushioned by the agent's body. There's a deep gash on his forehead. His left arm and right leg are fractured. He is helpless and desperate. Will anyone find him before he bleeds out? 43 minutes after launch The Russian president is furious. The U.S. president has not reached out to him yet. Prone to paranoia, the Russian president now believes that Russia is being targeted for a decapitation strike. Faced with what he believes are hundreds of nuclear warheads bearing down on Russian soil launched by the opportunistic Americans in a pre-emptive sneak attack the Russian president chooses to launch a nuclear counterattack at the United States. One thousand ICBMs are now headed for America. 49 minutes 30 seconds after launch The secretary of defence is sworn in as Commander in Chief. Early-warning satellite systems show an onslaught of incoming Russian missiles. The now Acting President, vocalises a crisis-of-conscience debate. Just because hundreds of millions of innocent Americans are about to die, maybe the other half of humanity full of so many other innocents need not die, too. His suggestion is dismissed. In nuclear war there is no such thing as capitulation, no such thing as surrender. 55 minutes after launch Three hundred miles over the United States, North Korea detonates a high-altitude Super-EMP weapon. An electromagnetic pulse weapon does not harm people, animals or plants, but it does destroy major parts of all three of America's electrical grids. The computer-based, human-interfaced control system architecture known as SCADA [Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition] goes down, creating an instant, out-of-control nightmare. Subway trains, freight trains and passenger trains collide or crash. Planes lose wing and tail control and plummet to the ground. Oil and gas pipelines rupture and explode. Sewage spills out everywhere. Dams burst, causing mass flooding. There will be no more fresh water, no sanitation. No phone calls, no lights, no fuel, no working hospital equipment. People, everywhere, begin to flee on foot. 57 minutes after launch Russian nuclear warheads begin to rain down on the U.S., Targets across Europe are hit at the same time. Air bases across the continent are obliterated, and capital cities including London are hit with nuclear warheads. Millions of people die, and scores of civilisation's masterpieces, from Stonehenge to the Colosseum, Notre Dame and the Parthenon, are destroyed. 72 minutes after launch Across the U.S., Europe, and the Korean peninsula, hundreds of millions of people are dead and dying, while hundreds of military aircraft fly aimlessly in the air until they run out of fuel. The last of the nuclear-armed submarines move stealthily out at sea, patrolling in circles until the crews run out of food. On land, survivors hide out in bunkers until they dare go outside, or run out of air. The few survivors who eventually emerge from these bunkers will face what the Cold War Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev foresaw. In the event of a nuclear war, he said: 'The survivors will envy the dead.' Adapted from Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen (Transworld Publishers, 20). To order a copy for 18 (valid to 20/4/24); UK P&P free on orders over 25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Click here to read part one of Annie Jacobsen's account of what nuclear war could look like. Korea and the United States began an annual project Monday to jointly search for the remains of American soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul's defense ministry said. The four-week project between the ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) will take place in five locations across the country, including the eastern county of Pyeongchang. KIA stands for killed in action, while POW and MIA are acronyms for prisoners of war and missing in action, respectively. The two sides have regularly conducted joint searches for the remains of missing Americans after signing an agreement for joint war remains excavations in 2011. This year, Korean and U.S. officials will visit the central city of Mungyeong, where a U.S. F-51D fighter jet is presumed to have crashed during the war, among sites where U.S. troops are suspected to have been killed. In September, the allies plan to conduct an underwater search for U.S. aircraft wreckage and the remains of pilots in waters off Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul. More than 1.7 million U.S. troops served in the Korean theater of operations during the Korean War, with more than 36,000 being killed, according to data from the U.N. Command. Nearly 7,500 Americans still remain unaccounted for from the three-year conflict, according to the DPAA. (Yonhap) A convicted child rapist was handed $1.4million by the National Disability Insurance Scheme which has paid out millions to sex offenders when they walk free from jail. Repeat and high-risk offenders, considered too dangerous or vulnerable to live in specialised facilities, are receiving top-level funding from the NDIS to live in secure accommodation under supervision in the community. Convicted sex offenders diagnosed with serious mental illnesses, or a mild-to-medium intellectual disability, are also among the recipients receiving the support, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Court documents have revealed the money is being used to place the criminals in secure accommodation that is in line with their court-ordered supervision plans. A 40-year-old Victorian man, who was convicted of rape, sexual assault, indecent acts with a child under 16, make and possess child abuse material and stalking, was allocated $1.4million to pay for around-the-clock supervision. Hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars are being spent by the NDIS to support rapists and paedophiles find secure accomodation following their release from jail He was diagnosed with a mild-to-medium intellectual disability, a personality disorder, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, paedophilic disorder and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder. The man is set to be housed in secure accommodation in a regional Victorian town where he will require 24/7 supervision from two staff members. A court was told the NDIS was willing to spend $1.4million to support the man. The terms of the arrangement will be finalised by a judge after the construction of the secure unit is completed and it undergoes a security check. A second convicted paedophile, a 44-year-old man from Queensland, received a support package worth $500,000 from the NDIS scheme. He has convictions for the indecent treatment of a child (three counts), sexual assault, choking, suffocation and strangulation. The man was diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability, very low intelligence, antisocial personality disorder and psychopathic traits. He received half-a-million dollars in support despite a judge declaring the man had 'probably lied to occupational therapists and others who have assessed him for a NDIS support package'. Repeat and high-risk sex offenders considered too dangerous or vulnerable to live in specialised facilities are instead receiving top-level funding from the NDIS to live under supervision in the community (stock image) A third recipient, a 63-year-old man from NSW, was allocated $100,000 from the scheme between 2022 and 2023. The man was convicted of incest involving sexual assault (two counts), breaching parole, failure to comply with obligations of being a registered sex offender. The 63-year-old also admitted to allegations of sexual violence during marriage. He was considered eligible for $100,000 of NDIS funding after he was diagnosed with below-average intelligence, major depressive disorder, sexual sadism disorder and severe psychopathic personality disorder. The man was not placed on a supervision order, with a judge in the Supreme Court of NSW stating it was likely his 'depressive symptoms and related impairments' that had made him eligible for the NDIS funding. The NDIS said it didn't know how many sex offenders with disabilities were currently receiving financial support from the scheme. 'Every Australian, regardless of any previous criminal conviction, is entitled to access support systems offered by government to help them live their life. Such supports may be crucial in reducing the risk of further re-offending,' a spokesperson said. The NDIS will cost taxpayers $42billion this financial year and $90billion by 2031. About 646,000 Australians take part in the disability scheme but only about 100 receive packages worth over $1million. Participants with an intellectual disability received an average payment of $98,100 in the 2023/24 financial year - an increase of 13 per cent from the previous year. The NDIS paid a total of $8.54billion to participants with an intellectual disability in the same period, compared to $7.17billion in the previous financial year. Britons are being targeted by disreputable Turkish medics through pop-up hotel clinics offering cut-price cosmetic surgery as well as offering special deals if you take your pet along for treatment too, it is claimed. Surgeries for procedures such as Brazilian bum-lifts, which can have potentially fatal side effects, are being advertised in Britain at special roadshows by one clinic hailing from the west coast of Turkey. Representatives of the firm have even travelled around the UK giving face-to-face consultations to interested customers before using underhand tactics and discounts to strong arm people into buying packages worth up to 5,000. Meanwhile, in Turkey itself some people have been offered discounts on cosmetic procedures after taking their pets to have treatment for medical conditions that would cost up to twice the price in Britain. Among the most popular procedures offered in Turkey are nose jobs, dental work, and breast and bum augmentation, with complications from the latter leading to the deaths of seven British people in recent years. Ekol International Hospitals has held a number of travelling roadshows where interested customers speak to medics and sales reps about ordering cosmetic surgery packages. Pictured: Three Ekol Hospitals employees pose for a photo at a hotel in Britain during one of its roadshow events People speak to Ekol Hospitals sales reps during a roadshow event at a hotel in the UK Flying to Turkey to get these surgeries has become increasingly popular in Britain over the last few years, with the cheaper cost and shorter waiting times big factors in the decision for some customers to take the leap. Social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram feature hundreds of videos of people talking about their experiences, with many praising the treatment they received and others bemoaning the results. In a bid to keep the money rolling in, some Turkish firms have even taken to hosting roadshows in British hotels in a bid to drum up businesses. Among these is Ekol International Hospitals, a firm which is based in the city of Izmir on the west coast of Turkey, which has hosted nine events in the UK in the last two months. These meetings allow customers to speak to medics and have face-to-face consultations before making the decision on whether to commit to the procedure. However, it is reported that those who attend are subjected to shady business practices such as hard selling from sales reps and disturbingly intimate and misleading consultations. In one such get together a reporter who appeared to be considering getting a Brazilian bum-lift was examined by a doctor from Turkey who was not recognised by the General Medical Council and who pulled her knickers down in a breach of the GMC's rules. The Sun reports that when asked about the potential dangers and deaths caused by the operation, a translator who was there because the medic didn't speak good enough English lied by saying 'nobody died from a BBL'. That's despite the latest figures showing 28 British people have died after complications from BBL operations in recent years, including seven who had them done in Turkey. None of those who have died had their treatment at Ekol International Hospitals. After the examination the woman was reportedly seen by sales reps who pressured her into immediately signing for a 5,000 package which included the surgery, flights and a hotel, despite having not plan or paperwork in front of her. These reps offered the woman a 200 discount for signing immediately and another 200 two days later. Ekol International Hospitals has previously been in hot water over some of its business practices, with review aggregator Trustpilot revealing last year it was taking action against it for allegedly 'abusing the reporting function' on its website. It was claimed that the firm had used the system to get rid of overwhelmingly negative reviews, with Trustpilot saying it was a 'clear violation of our guidelines for businesses'. Demi Agoglia (pictured) died as a result of complications following a Brazilian bum-lift operation in Turkey Fat is first harvested from the hips, lower back, abdomen, thighs and other areas via liposuction . Special equipment is used to prepare it for transfer before it is injected directly into the glutes at specific points, giving the buttocks a bigger, curvier appearance Meanwhile some firms in Turkey have also taken to more imaginative ways of drumming up business, by selling package deals for people and their pets. One company, Pet Clinic Turkey, was found to have offered treatment for an injured cat coupled up with a discount nose job operation to sweeten the deal. The Antalya-based firm told a reporter at The Mirror they could get X-rays, surgery and aftercare, physiotherapy and medicine, a hotel for pet and owner for 10 days, transfers and a city tour, as well as a rhinoplasty for between 4,500 and 5,000. The cost of a nose job alone in the UK can range from 4,000 to 7,000, while it can cost more than 1,000 to treat a cat's broken paw. Pet Clinic Turkey is affiliated with Saluss Medical Group, a cosmetic tourism firm which said 'the health tourism industry is expanding into the veterinary sector'. Dilan Akbas, patient coordinator at the firms, told the publication that its main clients from Britain are women under 40 who bring cats or dogs, and sometimes rabbits. She said: 'We have had patients from Saluss who had weight-loss surgery with us, then have come back for their tummy tuck while their pet is also being treated.' Experts and medical professionals have warned about the tactics used by foreign firms to convince people to sign up for surgeries with little preparation or knowledge about what they're getting into. Mr Marc Pacifico, head of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, told Glamour earlier this year: 'People are lured in with a variety of selling processes that would be considered unethical. 'These include time-pressured offers, buy-one-surgery-get-another-half-price deals, and advertising that glamorises the experience. It's so deceitful.' He added: 'Most people decide to go abroad because of the price and because they are not able to afford the same procedure in the UK. 'When it doesn't work out well for them, they really don't have the money that is required for what is often quite expensive and complex restorative or reconstructive surgery. They feel guilty, they feel angry, and they feel cheated.' The complications from such surgeries are not only financial, sometimes they can have tragic consequences such as in the case of Morgan Ribeiro, a 20-year-old who died after undergoing a gastric sleeve operation in Turkey. Morgan Ribeiro (pictured) died after complications from a gastric sleeve operation in Turkey at the age of 20 Morgan had flown to the country for the weigh loss surgery with her boyfriend as she didn't want to be on an NHS waiting list, but ending up dying in agony in a hospital in Belgrade. She had been flying home to Gatwick when she suddenly became ill on the flight, with the plane making an emergency landing in Serbia where it was found her small intestine had been cut during the surgery, leading to an infection. During the operation, surgeons removed over 10cm of her small intestine but tragically Morgan suffered a heart attack on January 9 and was placed in an induced coma - dying four days later in a hospital in Belgrade. Just one week earlier mother-of-three Demi Agoglia had died after having a Brazilian bum-lift operation in Turkey, despite doctors declaring her surgery as being successful. The 26-year-old, who had a seven-month-old baby boy, first said she felt unwell just hours before she was due to return to Manchester. The young woman was taken into intensive care but was tragically pronounced dead later. Her devastated brother Carl, 37, said Ms Agoglia's family and partner had tried to convince her not to go through with the bum-lift as they were concerned for her safety. The father-of-four said: 'It is tragic what happened. We are just in shock. She went to Istanbul to have it done. 'She had previously gone to have her teeth done. No one wanted her to go out and have it done but she is one of those people. 'Her partner is still out there and his dad has just flown out there to be with him. 'If anyone is thinking of flying to Turkey for an operation I would say don't do it! Even her boyfriend didn't want her to do it. But she is 26 and has her own mind. Her mum didn't want her to go out either.' MailOnline has contacted Ekol International Hospitals for comment. The one-man wrecking ball responsible for reopening Bruce Lehrmann's blockbuster defamation trial also had a part to play in another infamous Channel Seven debacle. Presenter Matt Doran achieved global infamy after failing to listen to Adele's new album before an exclusive chat with her in London in November, 2021, which was part of a $1million package deal Seven had signed with the 'Hello' hitmaker. The Weekend Sunrise host, 41, was suspended by the network for two weeks and forced to eat humble pie after Adele's record label Sony refused to release the footage. But it has since emerged that Taylor Auerbach was Doran's producer on the ill-fated trip to London. Auerbach is the ex-Spotlight journalist who last week blew open Mr Lehrmann's defamation trial against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson. He gave evidence over two days after swearing a 2,300-page affidavit alleging that the Seven Network covered the cost of lavish dinners, cocaine and Thai prostitutes for Mr Lehrmann. Media insiders are now claiming Mr Auerbach should have shouldered the blame alongside Doran for the bungled Adele interview. 'Its the producers job on these kinds of stories to make sure all the research is done and that the reporter has everything they need,' a Seven source told The Australian's Media Diary. Presenter Matt Doran (pictured) achieved global infamy after failing to listen Adele 's new album before an exclusive chat with her in London in November, 2021, which was part of a $1million package deal Seven had signed with the 'Hello' hitmaker (pictured below) Matt Doran shared a selfie on Instagram on the day of the interview where producer Taylor Auerbach can be seen grinning alongside a cameraman with Tower Bridge in the background (pictured) 'But when the Adele thing blew up, Taylor didnt cop any of the heat, publicly.' Daily Mail Australia approached Mr Auerbach for comment. Doran shared a selfie on Instagram on the day of the interview where Mr Auerbach can be seen grinning alongside a cameraman with Tower Bridge in the background. 'Back at it with the boys! This one is going to be pretty special ', Doran captioned the post. Reports later surfaced that an 'offended' Adele had 'stormed out' of the interview, after Doran told her he'd only heard one song from her latest release. Sony, which had filmed the interview rather than Seven, responded by banning the network from airing any part of it. Doran claimed he had 'missed' an email containing a link to the new album the day after they arrived in London. 'It was an oversight but not a deliberate snub,' he said. 'This is the most important email I have ever missed.' It is unclear if Mr Auerbach also received the same email. Doran said he was 'mortified and unequivocally apologetic' by the episode. 'This story has sparked, from around the world, a torrent of abuse and mockery and if Im being honest with you, the bulk of this savaging I deserve and totally own,' he said. But the TV personality also denied reports that Adele had 'stormed out', insisting they spoke for a further nine minutes after he had admitted to not listening to the album. Seven reportedly spent $1million on the ill-fated interview, in a deal which saw them also air an Oprah chat with Adele and footage from her One Night Only concert. Doran made headlines again last June when he went missing while reporting on the Hunter Valley bus crash tragedy. Worried colleagues contacted police after he failed to turn up for his live report on Sunrise. He was found a short time later and did not return to air for several weeks. Mr Auerbach (pictured) blew open Bruce Lehrmann's defamation trial last week At the time of the Adele interview, Mr Auerbach was a producer with Spotlight. The gaffe does not appear to have affected his career, as he went on to work on a number of big interviews. These included an exclusive interview with fraudster Melissa Caddick's husband and Bruce Lehrmann's bombshell two-part series. Last week, Mr Auerbach claimed he was offered a promotion and a pay rise after spending $10,000 on Thai massages when trying to woo Mr Lehrmann. Seven network denies that he was offered a promotion. Mr Lehrmann denies ever receiving a massage. A crack dealer has avoided deportation after a judge overruled a Home Office order after deciding the criminal was 'naive' and 'young for his age'. Jabril Hussein Abdullahi, 24, was convicted for supplying the Class A drug in November 2021, being sentenced to three years and five months behind bars, as well as deportation to his birth country of Italy. This is in line with UK laws that ay any foreign national convicted of more than 12 months in jail will be automatically deported. Judge Canavan, however, said that the young man, who can speak fluent Italian, would be in danger and could be at risk of making 'bad choices' after being raised in a 'very female family'. Abdullahi moved to the UK age 16 with his mother by exercising pre-Brexit free movement rules, yet she returned to Somalia leaving her son to live with his aunt. Jabril Hussein Abdullahi, 24, was convicted for supplying the Class A drug in November 2021, being sentenced to three years and five months behind bars. Pictured: Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in Holburn, London The judge, however ruled: 'Living within his very female family and the youngest child a boy speaks very strongly to his being cossetted, spoilt, and never being expected to 'man-up'. 'In this scenario, I consider it unlikely that he has the language, the skills, or the adaptability to settle in Italy, to find his own [accommodation], a job, and make friendships, without making bad choices.' At an upper tribunal hearing last month, Judge Canavan said that his 'immaturity, lack of experience of independent living and lack of family support' in Italy also influenced her decision. She added that he did not want to rely on his mother or partner for funds and also pointed out that they would not be able to support him. The judge said that Abdullahi 'did not manage money well' leading him to take 'what seemed like a good money-earning opportunity to deal drugs, without thinking of the consequences'. READ MORE: Major change to Woolworths and Coles supermarkets A graphic designer has illustrated the startling monopoly of international brands in Australia's biggest supermarkets in an image series of the items stocked on shelves. The aisles of Australian supermarkets such as coles and woolworths are stocked to the brim with products from a wide variety of brands. Consumers often assume the shelves provide balanced options of both international and national brands - with many hoping to support Australian businesses. However, an analysis of supermarket shelves by a graphic designer, known as QuantumFluxations13 on Reddit, showed several international corporations dominate products across key snack categories. The graphic designer took images of shelves in the cereal, confectionary and chips aisles of his local Woolworths and overlaid the photos with the product's ownership. An analysis of supermarket shelves by a graphic designer, known as QuantumFluxations13 on Reddit , showed American brand Kellanova - better known as Kellogg's - dominated the shelves in the cereal aisle of his local Woolworths In the cereal aisle, the American brand Kellanova - better known as Kellogg's - dominated with products including Coco Pops, Crunchy Nut, Froot Loops, Special K, All-bran, Nutri-Grain and Rice Bubbles. Also having a major share of cereal shelves were products made by Sanitarium, which the Seventh-day Adventist Church owns. Sanitarium, founded in Melbourne and with factories in Australia and New Zealand, produces products such as Up&Go and assorted varieties of Weet-Bix. Shoppers looking to satisfy their sweet tooth with chocolate are presented with products from two major global giants - Mondelez and Mars. The confectionary aisle is dominated by these two brands as dozens of popular items are owned by either entity. Also having a major share on cereal shelves were products made by Sanitarium, which is owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church Products from Sanitarium, which was founded in Melbourne and has factories in Australia and New Zealand, included Up &Go and the assorted varieties of Weet-Bix Mars owns products including Snickers, Maltesers, Milky Way, Pods, Skittles, Mars, Twix and Celebrations, while Mondelez appeared with its Cadbury and Cadbury Dairy Milk brands and the associated products. With a smaller share on the chocolate shelf was Swiss brand Nestle with items including KitKat, Milky Bar, Smarties, Crunch and Life Savers. Meanwhile, the aisle stocked with chips was dominated by two international brands including family-owned German food company Pfeifer & Langen and American brand PepsiCo. Pfeifer & Langen products included big names such as CC's, Thins, Cheezels, French Fries, Samboy and Kettle. While Pepsico's products on the shelf were consumer favourites including Smith's, Red Rock Deli, Cheetos, Burger Rings, Doritos and Twisties. Squeezing onto the shelf between the two mega corporations was Kellanova with its Pringles range. Shoppers looking to satisfy their sweet tooth with chocolate are presented with products from two major global giants - Mondelez and Mars. Mars owns sweet favourites including Snickers, Maltesers, Milky Way, Pods, Skittles, Mars, Twix and Celebrations Mondelez appeared with its iconic Cadbury and Cadbury Dairy Milk brands and the variety of associated products University of New South Wales Business School Professor Jack Cadeaux said the vast majority of products at supermarkets are owned by one of several conglomerates. 'The major supermarkets have a lot of what we call individual brands, where the consumer doesn't really know the corporate ownership,' Professor Cadeaux told news.com. 'So that's an old strategy that's been used for many years a way of eliminating your competition by buying them up.' Kraft Keinz controls brands including Heinz, Kraft, Fountain, Golden Circle, Wattie's, Gravox and Cottee's. Meanwhile, Goodman Fielder owns brands such as Buttercup, Wonder White, Mighty Soft, Gold'n Canola, Meadow Lea, White Wings and Paul Newman's Own. Nestle has the monopoly share of lollies with iconic brands such as Allens and Minties and also owns major brands across diverse categories. The megabrand owns Maggi, pet brands Purina and Supercoat and even baby formula brand Nan. Meanwhile, the aisle stocked with chips was dominated by two international brands including PepsiCo. The American brand's products included favourites such as Smith's, Red Rock Deli, Cheetos, Burger Rings, Doritos and Twisties Family-owned German food company Pfeifer & Langen also dominated the chip space with its big-name products such as CC's, Thins, Cheezels, French Fries, Samboy and Kettle Major stakeholders can also be found in non-food aisles of supermarkets, including Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Unilver. Proctor & Gamble owns personal care brands such as Braun, Vicks, Olay, Old Spice, MetaMucil, Tampax, SK-II and Gillette along with hair favourites such as Head and Shoulders, Pantene and Herbal Essences. Unilver also dominates shelves with its ownership of Dove, Tresemme, Sunsilk, Impulse, Lynx and Rexona. Meanwhile, along with its own brands, Johnson & Johnson also owns Aveeno, Neutrogena, Benadryl, Listerine, Carefree, Codral, Band Aid, Zyrtec, Clean & Clear, Nicorette, Mylanta and Stayfree. Professor Cadeaux said consumers do not have much choice despite being presented with dozens of 'different' brands. 'It doesn't matter if you look at biscuits or mayonnaise, a handful of big corporates more or less control things,' Professor Cadeaux said. A 'dark cloud' is hanging over the community of a regional Victorian town following the deaths of two women in the space of two months, a criminal psychologist has said. The locals of Ballarat, northwest of Melbourne, had already been struggling to come to terms with the alleged murder of Samantha Murphy, 51, and have now been dealt another blow following the discovery of a 23-year-old woman's body. The remains of Hannah McGuire, from Clunes, were discovered in a burnt out car near State Forest Road in Scarsdale, south of Ballarat, on Friday. The identity of the person who discovered her body and the exact timing of the discovery remains unknown while two men, aged 21 and 22, were arrested on Sunday afternoon. The 21-year-old remains in custody but the 22-year-old has been released. Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said the Murphy case and discovery of Ms McGuire's remains would have a 'profound effect' on the community. 'I'd imagine they're reeling,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'The discovery of the dead woman would be very triggering for them. On a more generic level, people are probably wondering how safe it is in that part of the world.' Ms Murphy was last seen going for a run in Ballarat East on February 4. Her remains have not been found and on March 7, Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was charged with Ms Murphy's alleged murder. In a grim update, a Victoria Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Monday there is no new information in the search for her remains. The population of Ballarat is about 100,000, compared to Melbourne which has about 5 million residents. 'Two women that have been presumed dead in roughly the space of two months, I think these sorts of (alleged) crimes have a profound impact on small communities,' Mr Watson-Munro said. 'It's a bit of a dark cloud over them.' The locals of Ballarat, northwest of Melbourne , had already been struggling to come to terms with the alleged murder of Samantha Murphy, 51 The body of Hannah McGuire, 23, from Clunes, was discovered south-west of Ballarat, Victoria in a burnt-out wreck The body of a 23-year-old woman has been found near a bushland track in south Ballarat, leading to the arrests of two men Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was charged with Ms Murphy's alleged murder A Victoria Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Monday there are no updates in the search for Samantha Murphy's remains The expert said while the news of the 23-year-old's death would likely trigger some 'negative emotions' for Ballarat locals, it is hoped it may also motivate people to think back to Ms Murphy's disappearance and potentially recall any important information they could pass onto police. A renewed search for Ms Murphy was launched by police around the Buninyong Bushland Reserve at the end of last month but called off after just six hours. It comes after Ms Murphy's heartbroken husband Michael said he still held hope her body would be found. The mother-of-three would have turned 52 on Easter Saturday, a milestone her family had to mark without her. 'It was the first birthday without Sam That's a hard thing but we've gotta face reality and realise she's just not coming back,' Mr Murphy told the Herald Sun. He still searches for his wife's body every day, while he and his family wait in hope for any new developments from the police. Mr Murphy said he misses his wife all the time, but he tries to hold his spirits up, saying: 'I need to be strong myself and look after everyone around me.' Michael Murphy (pictured) still has faith that the body of his beloved wife Samantha will be found, as the heartbroken family passed a major milestone last weekend Ms Murphy was last seen on CCTV on the driveway of her Ballarat East home as she left for a run in the Woowookarung Regional Park two months ago. When she didn't get back at her expected time and the family were unable to contact her, they called the police. An extensive search followed, with professionals and volunteers combing over a large area of bushland. But they were unable to find her and the only major breakthrough was the arrest of Stephenson on March 6. A distraught Mr Murphy has been unable to return to work since his wife went missing. But he said he can still laugh and smile sometimes, despite the unending trauma he and his family have been going through since Ms Murphy disappeared. A local group, the Ground Crew, is also still searching for her, keeping in touch with the police and SES, and being careful not to disturb any potential evidence they may find. A doctor was killed when she fell out of a moving caravan while desperately clinging to the door during a family camping trip. Monika Woroniecka, 58, a pediatrician from Long Island, was in the silver 2024 Airstream with family members as they traveled along State Route 12E at 3pm on Saturday. Her husband, Robert, 59, was driving the gray 2019 Ram pickup truck pulling the caravan as it passed Watertown, New York. Suddenly, the Airstream's passenger-side door blew open, throwing Dr Woroniecka from the campervan. She was left holding the door handle for dear life as family members who were in the trailer with her watched in horror. It is illegal to tow passengers in an Airstream in New York State, in addition to being something the company warns against. Monika Woroniecka, 58, was killed when she fell out of a moving caravan while desperately clinging to the door during a family camping trip She was in the silver 2024 Airstream as the family traveled along State Route 12E and the door suddenly flew open in a gust of wind Dr Woroniecka was a children's allergy and immunology specialist at Stony Brook Medicine, which she practiced for more than 20 years Motorists driving behind the caravan said she lost her grip and fell, hitting her head on the highway's shoulder and suffering fatal injuries. 'Cape Vincent Ambulance transported Monika to Samaritan Medical Center's Emergency Room where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased,' New York State Police said. The family was just 20 minutes from reaching their destination from their home in Stony Brook, on Long Island, when Dr Woroniecka was killed. New York State police are investigating the fatal accident. In the Empire State it is illegal to ride in a trailer that isn't a fifth wheel - Airstreams are not fifth wheels. The manufacturers of Airstream also warn against riding in the campervan while it is in motion. 'You cannot tow an Airstream with people inside,' reads the company's website. 'Your travel trailer is not designed to carry passengers when in motion. All passengers should travel in your tow vehicle or a secondary vehicle until you are at your destination.' A 2022 post to the Airstream website also notes that the trailer 'does not have seat belts, there, it is not designed to carry passengers.' The family appear to have been riding in a New 2024 Airstream Bambi 16RB, which is 16 feet in length and sleeps up to four people. The cost of the model begins at $60,400. Dr Woroniecka has at least two daughters, Helena and Alexandra, who may have been with her and Robert on the trip. Helena followed her mother into science and studied biochemistry at Stony Brook University and is now working on a PhD at the University of Arizona, while Alexandra studies at Julliard in New York City. The family appear to have been riding in a New 2024 Airstream Bambi 16RB The thoughtfully-designed relatively small camper is sixteen feet in length and sleeps four The cost of the brand new model begins at $60,400 In New York State, it is illegal to ride in a non-fifth wheel trailer while it's in motion. The manufacturers of Airstream also warn against riding in the campervan while it is in motion Dr Woroniecka has at least two daughters, Helena (right) and Alexandra (left), who may have been with her and Robert on the trip Dr Woroniecka (far left) poses with her family The family with an inclination toward nature-forward trips saw their most recent one end in tragedy Her husband Robert, 59, (left) was driving the pickup truck pulling the caravan that Dr Woroniecka (right) was riding in. They are pictured with one of their daughters who may have been with them on the trip The scene on State Route 12E near Watertown, New York, on Saturday afternoon Dr Woroniecka was a children's allergy and immunology specialist at Stony Brook Medicine, which she practiced for more than 20 years. She treated children with food, environmental, medications, and bee stings allergies, childhood asthma and skin conditions like eczema and hives. 'Dr Woroniecka likes to travel, hike, exercise, and spend time with family and friends,' her work profile read. She grew up in Poland and drew in Polish-speaking patients from around the region, it added. State troopers are investigating the accident. Splits in the Cabinet over Gaza were exposed yesterday as the deputy prime minister said Israel is held to a higher standard than other countries. Oliver Dowden defended the UK's refusal to suspend arms sales and said some of Israel's critics relished pushing a case against the country. But it came just hours after Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Britain's support for Israel was 'not unconditional', amid continuing concerns over its Gaza campaign. The deaths of three British aid workers last week reignited a row over arms sales to Israel, and sparked fresh calls for ministers to publish legal advice about whether Israel is violating international humanitarian law. Six months after the conflict began, Lord Cameron said that while Israel had a right to self-defence, the UK's backing was 'not unconditional' signalling concern about the way the war is being carried out. Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said Britain's support for Israel was 'not unconditional', amid continuing concerns over its Gaza campaign Splits in Rishi Sunak's cabinet over Gaza were exposed yesterday as the deputy prime minister said Israel is held to a higher standard than other countries The deaths of three British aid workers last week reignited a row over arms sales to Israel (Pictured: Relatives and supporters of hostages held by Hamas hold a demonstration in Jerusalem) 'We expect such a proud and successful democracy to abide by international humanitarian law, even when challenged in this way,' he wrote in the Sunday Times. Mr Dowden said the UK was not giving Israel carte blanche, but also told the BBC: 'The manner in which some people are seizing on this issue and trying to hold Israel to incredibly high standards of course it is right that we hold Israel to high standards but I just think there is a bit of relish from some people about the way in which they are pushing this case against Israel.' He said he would not go so far as to suggest this was coded anti-Semitism, but said people needed to remember the 'trauma' Israelis were suffering. 'Of course Israel has made mistakes, and made big mistakes, and we should hold them to account for that. But we are holding them to a very high standard,' he added. Oliver Dowden defended the UK's refusal to suspend arms sales and said some of Israel's critics relished pushing a case against the country Mr Dowden also suggested the UK would stop arms sales to Israel if it was found to be in breach of international law. A Foreign Office source insisted there was no difference between the statements of Mr Dowden and Lord Cameron, adding: 'We're all on the same page.' Lord Cameron is expected to discuss the war with his American counterpart, Antony Blinken, during a visit to Washington this week. Tory former attorney general Sir Michael Ellis warned an arms embargo on Israel would risk international confidence in the UK as an export partner. He said calling on Britain to stop sales was 'virtue-signalling'. The comments came amid scathing criticism of the president's border policy Donald Trump has implied Joe Biden defecated on the Resolute Desk during a billionaire's fundraiser in Palm Beach. A source told The New York Times Trump made the remarks during a 45-minute presentation at a dinner hosted by investor John Paulson on Saturday night. The comments came as Trump lambasted Biden's border policy and mocked him for making poor decisions behind the Resolute Desk, which was gifted to the United States by Queen Victoria in 1880. 'The Resolute Desk is beautiful,' Trump proclaimed. 'Ronald Reagan used it, others used it.' He then sounded 'disgusted,' according to the unnamed attendee. 'And he's using it. I might not use it the next time. It's been soiled. And I mean that literally, which is sad.' Former President Donald Trump implied President Joe Biden defecated on the Resolute Desk during his remarks at a dinner in Palm Beach 'The Resolute Desk is beautiful' Trump proclaimed before adding that Biden had 'soiled' it, 'literally, which is sad' The remarks came amid a tirade against the Biden administration's border policy and recent influx of immigrants from Latin America The source reported that guests broke into laughter, interpreting the remark as the former president saying that Biden had defecated on the desk. The remarks followed a tirade against Biden's immigration policy, which includes migrants being 'shipped in, brought in, deposited in our country,' according to Trump. The former president claimed the newly arrived migrants 'make the Hells Angels look like extremely nice people.' 'These are people coming in from prisons and jails,' Trump said. 'They're coming in from just unbelievable places and countries, countries that are a disaster.' He then appeared to reference a comment from 2018, when he dubbed Haiti, El Salvador and a slew of African nations 'shithole countries' 'And when I said, you know, why can't we allow people to come in from nice countries, I'm trying to be nice,' Trump said. 'Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway?' Trump has accused migrants of 'poisoning the blood of the country' and made similar comments during a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan last week, accusing Biden of unleashing a 'bloodbath' at the country's southern border. 'Under Crooked Joe Biden, every state is now a border state. Every town is now a border town because Joe Biden has brought the carnage and chaos and killing from all over world and dumped it straight into our backyards,' Trump said. The former president claimed the migrants 'make the Hells Angels look like extremely nice people' He made similar comments during a rally in Michigan last week, asserting that Biden 'brought the carnage and chaos and killing from all over world and dumped it straight into our backyards' These criticisms have been echoed by other right-leaning politicians like Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who accused Biden of opening the floodgates to immigrants with prior criminal convictions His concerns have been echoed by other conservative politicians like Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn. In a press release from her office last month, Blackburn claimed '30,000 illegal immigrants with prior criminal convictions, including homicide, domestic violence, and sexual assault' had entered the country under Biden's watch. 'As a direct result of this open-border agenda, gang members from around the world are entering America and setting up their operations, endangering police officers, families, and public safety,' Blackburn said. The release was titled 'Biden's Open Border is Fueling Violent Crime' and made reference to Laken Riley, the 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela. While instances of violence serve as a topic of fixation in the press, the alleged 'migrant crime wave' is not supported by recent data. Nationwide crime saw a decline in 2023, according to the FBI, including homicide decreasing by 13 percent year over year. This followed an unprecedented spike in homicides from 2019 to 2020. Moreover, a 2020 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that United States-born citizens are over two times more likely to be arrested for violent crimes than undocumented immigrants. A sick creep has been sentenced to serve five felony charges consecutively after pleading guilty to raping his severely disabled stepdaughter. Brian Kenneth Urban, 52, was hit with the sentence at West Jordan District Court in Utah Friday, two weeks after the adult victim suddenly died. It includes five years to life for each of his two rape convictions, and 1-15 years a piece for three counts of forcible sexual abuse. Five weeks earlier, the suspect pleaded guilty to the five charges that had been laid against him - after he was filmed committing the atrocities by cameras the girl's mother to monitor her deteriorating condition. Identified as 31-year-old Ashley Vigil, the victim had a rare disorder called Rett syndrome, a genetic condition that affects brain development in fewer than 1,000 people in the US, The mutation affects girls almost exclusively, plaguing them with maladies that require round-the-clock care. It is in this state that Urban took advantage of her, leading him to assert to a judge Friday how his male biology led him to rape the late victim. Brian Kenneth Urban, 52, was hit with the sentence at West Jordan District Court in Utah Friday, two weeks after the adult victim suddenly died. He is seen here telling a judge that heightened levels of testosterone led him to rape the late victim Identified as 31-year-old Ashley Vigil, the victim had a rare disorder called Rett syndrome, a genetic condition that affects brain development in fewer than 1,000 Americans. The mutation affects girls almost exclusively, plaguing them with maladies that require round-the-clock care 'It is obvious that my testosterone levels were elevated,' he said upon taking the stand according to CBS's KUTV He continued; 'During this horrible event I was in a dreamlike state where reality felt like a dream,' 'I still today would never believe this was actually possible.' The unspeakable event the suspect referred to occurred in October 2022 - and came about after a doctor recommended to the mother of the victim she set up cameras in her bedroom to monitor mysterious seizures she had been having Instead of gaining some semblance of what was going on, the cameras caught Urban in the act, laying bare his behavior to all. He was swiftly arrested, and convicted in October the following year. Immediately after the discovery, when Ashley was still alive, her mother and full-time caretaker Paula Vigil campaigned to pass a new law that would help protect vulnerable adults in the same way kids and the elderly are. Billing the prospective guidance as 'Ashley's Law,' Paula came up with it to address the fact that there's no mandatory prison sentence for her daughter's rapist, so she didn't know how long he'd be behind bars. It is in this state that Urban took advantage of her, leading him to be hit with the at least 13-year sentence on Friday The girl's mother, Paula Vigil, described what she witnessed in the harrowing footage this past month, days before her daughter suddenly died He had to completely undress her, move her to the couch, and take her diaper off, to do what he did,' she said at the time, while Ashley - seen at right - suddenly passed, more than a year after she was raped. 'Then he had to dress her and put her back in her bed' Immediately after the discovery, Paula campaigned to pass a new law that would help protect vulnerable adults like Ashley in the same way kids and the elderly are, after she found that there was no mandatory sentence for her attacker A rally seen outside the courthouse Friday showed how her continued devotion to this, and how she's rallied support over the past year-and-a-half. They all arrived in support of the family's fight to change laws currently in place in Utah state, producing signs that asserted 'Justice for Ashley', and Rett syndrome [isn't] a choice'. More than a year before, it was revealed that due to her condition, Ashley couldn't walk, talk, and, most importantly, fight back. After Urban pleaded guilty to the five felony charges against him, Paula lamented how a then-alive Ashley was plagued by seizures just before the assault 'Her seizures had suddenly increased,' she told KUTV, recalling how she had been struggling to eat and was losing weight. At that point, she said, the doctor recommended she install a camera in Ashley's bedroom to see when the seizures were occurring - but what she saw was far worse than she could have ever imagined. 'Instead of catching the seizures, I caught him,' Paula told the station, reiterating: 'In her condition, she [Ashley] can't move. She continued: 'He had to completely undress her, move her to the couch, and take her diaper off, to do what he did. Then he had to dress her and put her back in her bed.' A rally seen outside the courthouse Friday showed how her continued devotion to this, and how she's rallied support over the past year-and-a-half They all arrived in support of the family's fight to change laws currently in place in Utah state, producing signs that asserted 'Justice for Ashley', and Rett syndrome [isn't] a choice' More than a year before, it was revealed that due to her condition, Ashley couldn't walk, talk, and, most importantly, fight back After the discovery, Paula called the cops on her live-in husband, leading to his arrest and a hive of media attention As he pled guilty, both she and her daughter were facing what she said were consequencels caused by repeated abuse, claiming the seizures were a result of Ashley's body screaming for help amid alleged assaults that went unrecordefd. 'She's grown to about the size of an eight-year-old girl. She's unable to communicate,' she said at the time. 'Her body was seizing, and she was crying for help in the only way she could. If not for those cameras, I would have never known, and I would have never had proof.' After hearing the sentence Friday, Paula celebrated the work of state prosecutors and presiding jurists, but added that she wishes more time was required by Utah law. She thus doubled down on her continued fight for 'Ashley's Law,' less than a month after Ashley passed on March 16. She said she hopes to see a bill that will become known as Ashley's Law' in the next legislative session. Urban's sentence, which should be at least 13 years, will begin immediately, officials said 'I want to give the judge and the prosecutor and the police - they did everything they possibly could under the current laws, they gave me the best justice possible,' Vigil told Fox 13 after the ruling. 'Ashley's law would make mandatory minimum prison sentences the same as if she were a child or if she were elderly,' she explained 'Their lives are hard enough already, things should be easier, taking care of them should be easier, protecting them should be done.' Urban's sentence, which should be at least 13 years, will begin immediately. Jeong Myeong-seok, the leader of a controversial religious organization, the Jesus Morning Star (JMS), who received a prison sentence of 23 years for sexual offenses last December, has been additionally charged with sexual harassment, police said Monday. The Chungnam Provincial Police Agency said it has recently found that Jeong forcibly molested four female followers in their 20s and 30s one German and three Koreans between 2018 and 2021 at a church training facility, a hotel and other places, and sent the cases to the prosecution. The police probe began after the four filed complaints against him last year. A court sentenced the 78-year-old Jeong to 23 years in prison last December after finding him guilty of sexual assault and molestation involving three victims. Excluding the three victims, a total of 19 other people have lodged complaints against Jeong and police have so far completed investigations into six of them. A probe into the remaining 13 people is still ongoing. Jeong, who refers to himself as the Messiah, or the second coming of Jesus, was released in 2018 after serving 10 years in prison for raping a number of female followers and embezzling funds from JMS. (Yonhap) Lord Cameron will warn in his visit to Washington DC next week that the United States is risking the West's security by blocking a fresh aid package for Ukraine. In a face-to-face meeting, the Foreign Secretary will urge House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson to bring an end to his Republican colleagues' opposition to the aid. Lord Cameron and Stephane Sejourne, his French counterpart, said: 'We are both absolutely clear Ukraine must win this war.' They warned: 'If Ukraine lose, we all lose.' Earlier this year, the UK government pledged some 2.5 billion in aid to support Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion, and the European Union offered a further 43 billion. However, Republican opponents in the House of Representatives who make up half of the US Congress are currently blocking Joe Biden's 75 billion ($95 billion) bill which contains aid for Ukraine. Lord Cameron will warn in his visit to Washington DC next week that the United States is risking the West's security by blocking a fresh aid package for Ukraine He will urge House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (pictured) to bring an end to his Republican colleagues' opposition to the aid Issuing a rallying cry for the extra funding to be approved, Lord Cameron wrote in The Daily Telegraph: 'The costs of failing to support Ukraine now will be far greater than the costs of repelling Putin... we must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching and will judge us if we fail.' They added that 'it is not for France and Britain alone to solve these challenges' and urged that 'we can rally others to join us in overcoming them'. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has also warned that Ukraine would lose the war unless Congress passed the military assistance package. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has also warned that Ukraine would lose the war unless Congress passed the military assistance package Firefighters inspect damaged fire truck after a Russian drone attack on April 4 in Ukraine Mr Zelensky said: 'It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war. 'If Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked.' A pilot has plunged his Robinson R-44 helicopter into the water near Key Biscayne after reporting engine issues. According to the FAA, which is investigating the crash, the four-seat helicopter went down around 1:50pm off the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. The pilot, whose identity has not been disclosed, managed to escape the terrifying incident with minor injuries. Footage recorded after the crash showed frightened beachgoers gathered at the water's edge, watching emergency officials rush to the scene to rescue the pilot. In a video posted on the Only in Dade Instagram account, a rescue helicopter could be seen hovering above the sinking Robinson R-44. A Robinson R-44 helicopter crashed into the water near Key Biscayne, Florida, on Saturday after the pilot reported engine issues; pictured: the sunk helicopter under the water Emergency officials rushed to the pilot's aid as frightened onlookers watched the rescue unfold; pictured: a rescue helicopter flying above the distressed pilot 'There was a helicopter crash,' the man filming the video narrated. He swept the camera along the glinting Key Biscayne water. 'The helicopter crash happened somewhere over here.' In the video, other witnesses were standing inches from the lapping waves, their eyes straining to make out the crashed helicopter. 'There's another one. And another one,' a young woman could be heard saying in reference to the approaching rescue helicopters. Sheridan Flynn, who happened to be at the beach and witnessed the harrowing crash, took to X.com, formerly Twitter, to describe what he had seen. 'Just witnessed a helicopter crash into the water just off Key Biscayne, Miami,' Flynn wrote. 'Hope the occupants got out ok'. Flynn said that the helicopter was flying in an unusual manner right before the crash. 'Looked like the chopper had been flying low and very close to the water just prior to the crash'. The witness went on to praise the efforts of the rescuers: 'Emergency services and civilian watercraft responded extremely quickly'. Beachgoers witnessed the helicopter's dramatic crash; pictured: a rescue helicopter flying above the sunk air craft Flynn also shared a video of the helicopter after the crash, in which the overturned Robinson R-44 light aircraft could be seen bobbing up and down rhythmically in the ocean swell. The entire helicopter is under the water except for the landing skids, which poke out a few feet. In the distance, a fleet of boats could be seen rushing to the pilot's rescue. A witness told NBC6 South Florida that the helicopter appeared to suffer from a mechanical failure. 'It looked like it had some form of mechanical failure as I saw the tail end of the helicopter [swing' side to side'. 'And then I just saw it take a nosedive into the water'. Although seeing the helicopter crash was terrifying for many, witnesses were impressed with speed with which emergency officials came to the pilot's aid. 'It was great to see within 30 seconds or a minute there was already a first responder at the helicopter recovering the pilot from the water,' said one witness. Another bystander told News7 that he was 'lying on the beach' when the helicopter plummeted into the water. 'I was just lying on the beach, and I'm looking out into the ocean . All of a sudden, I see a helicopter kind of get a little low,' Christopher Rodriguez said. 'It keeps getting low, it keeps getting down, and all of a sudden, wham, hits the ground really loud'. From the shore, people watched a police marine unit conduct a lightning-fast rescue; pictured: the sunk helicopter bobbing in the water and rescue boats rushing to the pilot's aid Like the other witness, Rodriguez admired how quickly emergency officials arrived at the scene. 'I've got to say, I think it was Coast Guard or the first responders, whoever arrived at the scene were very fast, I'd say within a minute'. 'The helicopter wasn't even fully underwater yet, and the first responders were there,' Rodriguez added. A police marine unit is reported to have rescued the pilot. 'I saw a raft appear, and I believe a man came up,' Rodriguez said. 'A couple of helicopters came around, and that's pretty much all that happened'. FAA investigators said that the pilot was the sole individual on board the helicopter. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said that the pilot suffered minor injuries but was not taken to the hospital. Drivers have paid out 2billion a year to park in spaces operated by councils as fees are set to rise, it has been revealed. Figures from the Department for Levelling Up show motorists paid 1.93 billion in fees and fines in the year to April 2023 - up from 1.76 billion the previous year. It comes as local authorities will this month increase parking charges by as much as 60 per cent as they face soaring debts and limits on the amount they can raise council tax. They include East Grinstead, West Sussex, where fees will rise by as much as 30 per cent in some car parks and 29 per cent in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. In Kirklees, the West Yorkshire authority for Huddersfield, Holmfirth and Dewsbury, parking fees are increasing this month by 60 per cent, according to The Sunday Times. Figures from the Department for Levelling Up show motorists paid 1.93 billion in fees and fines in the year to April 2023 - up from 1.76 billion the previous year (stock photo) Local authorities will this month increase parking charges by as much as 60 per cent as they face soaring debts and limits on the amount they can raise council tax (file image) Elsewhere, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, parking fees will rise 20 per cent on April 19. However, the area has put in place a new system to monitor prices in a bid to avoid deterring shoppers and harming the local economy. Dan Hubert, chief executive of AppyWay, which has created the new system, told The Sunday Times: 'High streets have been dwindling and cars and parking have been treated as a cash cow. In some cases cities pay more for enforcement than they collect. Paul Swinney, director of policy and research at Centre for Cities, a think tank, said: 'For years we have heard arguments that parking charges are killing the high street. Now we will be able to see if that is actually the case.' Meanwhile, the new National Parking Platform, to be used this month by some local authorities will also provide real-time information on the use of parking bays. The service will also mean drivers no longer need to download different parking apps for different areas. It comes after a Mail investigation revealed more than two million drivers will soon live in 'parking meter deserts'. Pay and display machines are increasingly being scrapped in favour of cashless options such as mobile phone apps. Pay and display machines are increasingly being scrapped in favour of cashless options such as mobile phone apps (stock photo) A poll commissioned by the Mail last year found more than half of over-65s do not feel like using parking apps such as RingGo and PayByPhone. And four in ten respondents of all ages said they would be put off going to town centres that lacked parking meters. Elsewhere, a public consultation is currently underway in London to consider whether parking penalties should rise from 160 on roads managed by Transport for London and 130 on borough roads. The Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said: 'Income raised through parking charges is spent on running parking services. Any surplus is spent on essential transport projects, including fixing the 16 billion road repairs backlog, reducing congestion, tackling poor air quality and supporting local bus services. 'Motorists can avoid fines by ensuring they observe parking and traffic rules that are only there to help all drivers get around and find parking safely, smoothly and fairly.' A 'ring of steel' will protect this Saturday's Grand National from disruptive animal rights protestors - with police deploying specialist undercover behaviour experts to monitor the crowds. Senior officers are keen to avoid a repeat of scenes at last year's horse race when activists stormed the track and attempted to glue themselves to fences. Thanks to an undercover expose by the Mail, police had been alerted to the plot by campaign group Animal Rising a fortnight earlier, and were on hand to quickly arrest more than 100 protestors. It meant the world-famous steeplechase was delayed by just 14 minutes. Superintendent Matthew Moscrop, of Merseyside Police , said a 'ring of steel' will greet them if they do decide to swoop on the Aintree course. Police escort an animal rights activist from the scene of the 2023 racecourse after several attempted to glue themselves to a jump Grand National organisers say analysis of data from previous races and conversations with welfare organisations, such as the RSPCA, has prompted several changes to this year's race. Police rush to stop protesters at last year's race from glueing themselves to a fence But furious trainer Sandy Thomson later blamed the 'ignorant' eco-mob for the death of his horse Hill Sixteen, which suffered a fatal fall at the first fence after going 'hyper' because of the delay. Last week Animal Rising claimed it had suspended its horse-racing protests but Superintendent Matthew Moscrop, of Merseyside Police, said a 'ring of steel' will greet them if they do decide to swoop on the Aintree course. He said the force would be deploying expert 'Project Servator' officers - specially trained undercover units who analyse crowd behaviour to foil attacks before they happen. Mr Moscrop explained: 'These are behavioural detection specialists who identify people whose conduct suggests they are not there to enjoy a day at the races - criminal or antisocial - and prevent it happening.' Grand National organisers say analysis of data from previous races and conversations with welfare organisations, such as the RSPCA, has prompted several changes to this year's race. These include a smaller field, with the number of horses running cut from 40 to 34; an earlier start time of 4pm to help horses have safer ground when landing their jumps and a shorter run to the first fence to help slow the horses down. Sulekha Varma, clerk of the course, told the BBC: 'The race has become faster, we've seen a higher quality horse taking part, which is great in terms of the race, but a higher quality horse has a higher cruising speed and so we've had to react to that.' The Jockey Club also stressed the changes were not a consequence of last year's protests, saying they regularly reviewed the course and 'put the care and safety of horses and jockeys above all else.' 'The reckless actions of those who breached security to illegally gain access to the track on Grand National day have had absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the changes we are making to the race,' a spokesman added. Mr Moscrop said the fact that the 2023 race, which is watched by 800million people worldwide, was delayed by a short period and didn't have to be cancelled was actually a 'massive success.' The Jockey Club also stressed the changes were not a consequence of last year's protests He said around 60 people were currently being processed by the Crown Prosecution Service and could yet go before the courts charged with disrupting the 2023 event. Last June Animal Rising staged a further protest at Epsom on Derby day when founder Ben Newman ran onto the track shortly after the start only to be arrested and later given a suspended prison sentence. Since then the activist group claim they have decided against further horse racing protests, saying they are satisfied their actions had started a national conversation about racehorse welfare. But spokesman Nathan McGovern refused to definitively rule out any action at Aintree, adding: 'Never say never. But is disrupting races going to be the most effective way to end horse racing? We think not, because we think the public has already made that decision for themselves.' A spokesperson for Aintree said the racecourse had not been contacted directly by Animal Rising ahead of Saturday's race and that they continue to work with Merseyside Police and their own security teams to plan for all eventualities. Police have released chilling surveillance footage of the moments before a man attempted to abduct a schoolgirl in Melbourne's north-east suburbs. A man of Middle Eastern appearance driving a grey Audi Q3 SUV told the 11-year-old girl to get into his car in broad daylight on March 28. The CCTV vision shows a car - believed to be the Audi - turning into a nearby street about the time of the incident. The girl had been walking home from school in Doncaster East when she was approached. A man of Middle Eastern appearance driving a grey Audi Q3 SUV told an 11-year-old girl to get into his car in broad daylight on March 28 The CCTV vision shows a car - believed to be the Audi - turning into a nearby street about the time of the incident About 2.40pm on Thursday the girl was on Landscape Road, as the man drove east before doing a U-turn and stopping a short distance from the girl, police say in a statement released Monday. 'Investigators have been told the unknown man ordered the girl to get into the vehicle,' police said. The 11-year-old girl ran and hid in nearby bushes, and police believe the Audi took off south on Taurus Road. Detective Senior Constable Brooke Miller said the girl had been left 'terrified'. 'She felt like she was going to be taken,' she said. 'A little girl should feel safe to walk home from school. It's a really horrible thing he's done.' Constable Miller praised the girl for her quick thinking in escaping the driver. 'She's remembered all the information and had the smarts to run and hide,' Constable Miller said. Assignment Freelance Picture There was an attempted abduction of an 11-year-old girl in the Melbourne suburb of Doncaster East on March 28 'I'm hoping by giving the description of the man and the car, someone in the area has dashcam footage or information that could help us.' The girl managed to get help from a nearby resident. 'The man is perceived to be Middle Eastern in appearance with tan skin, black hair, a black beard, and a moustache,' Victoria Police said in the statement. The Audi driver was wearing sunglasses with brown lenses and grey T-shirt. Information can be submitted confidentially via Crime Stoppers, and police urge anyone witnesses to contact authorities. A plumber has been charged with murdering a fellow British man at a Portuguese commune in a display of 'exceptional violence', police have said. Joshua Menkens is accused of stabbing the unnamed 37-year-old to death after luring him into woodlands close to the 'Mad Hatter's Tea Party' he had organised in September last year. Officials claim that the 28-year-old, from Welwyn in Hertfordshire, attempted to hide the body of the man under branches and clothes, with investigators initially failing to find a motive for the crime. However, police have said psychiatric tests have suggested he was suffering 'psychosis' at the time and that witnesses claimed he had taken 'hard drugs' during the party in Libelinha Venture commune near Pedragao Grande, central Portugal. He has since been moved to a psychiatric hospital while on remand at the request of a Portuguese magistrate, with confirmation of the charges against him being revealed last night. Josh Menkens, pictured here with his father Troy Menkens, has been charged with murder following a fatal stabbing at a mini-festival he organised Plumber Josh Menkens, 27, is accused of stabbing an unnamed 37-year-old British man multiple times in an 'exceptional' display of violence (pictured: Menkens leaving Tribunal de Comarca de Leira in Portugal on September 27, 2023) In a statement released to The Times, judicial police said: 'An indictment was filed by the Public Prosecutor's Office of the district of Leiria against Joshua James Menkens, for the crimes of homicide, possession of a prohibited weapon and desecration of a corpse.' 'Joshua underwent psychiatric evaluation, with the result that at the time he suffered from a psychic anomaly 'psychotic episode/psychosis'.' Police added that 'some witnesses said in their testimony that Joshua had taken hard drugs', with the victim, who still hasn't been named, only meeting Menkens for the first time at the event. Troy Menkens, the father of the defendant, previously said his son was a 'genuine, caring guy' and when asked about the case this week by The Times, said: 'It's a very fraught time, a very slow legal system. 'My focus is on my son who I love to bits, and it wouldn't be right or fair to make any further comment at this stage with the upcoming trial.' The attack took place in the Libelinha, an off-grid commune nestled into the rolling forest valleys of Pedrogao Grande in the centre of the country and includes 24-acres of wide-open woodland, hills and shrubbery. It was previously bought by British expat, privately-educated Xavier Hancock, with Menkens believed to have been renting land from him to hold the mini-festival known as the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. A Portuguese journalist who visited the commune the day after Menkens' arrest was told by the source there that the suspect was upset about the festival's failure and went off for a day to 'spend some time alone'. His head covered by a coat, Menkens was hustled into an unmarked police car as he left the Tribunal de Comarca de Leira in Portuga on September 26 Josh Menkens' father Troy Menkens leaving Tribunal de Comarca de Leira in Portugal on September 27 as he waited for news about his son 'The festival hadn't worked out, but no one blamed him,' said the source. 'I guess he was afraid he wouldn't recoup his costs. He went off on his own for a while towards the end of the week, but we didn't think much of it. 'On Sunday morning at about 6.30am, the man we now know as Josh Menkens went to Xavier, the commune's owner and told him he'd killed someone. Xavier didn't believe it and wanted to see the body for himself, so he went with others and when they saw it, they called the police. 'Everyone on the commune is really upset about what happened. We don't even know the victim's name, only a nickname.' Initial reports after the suspect handed himself in to police pointed to the death occurring during a row while a group of friends were playing the notorious Blue Whale suicide game - but this was ruled out by investigators. In an unusually hard-hitting statement released shortly after the stabbing, Policia Judiciaria (PJ) revealed details of what they knew. 'The defendant, a foreigner and organizer of a party on a rural property, took the victim to an isolated forest location where, armed with a knife, he attacked him with exceptional violence stabbing him in several areas of the body and causing his death. 'After committing the homicide, the suspect hid the body using tree branches and pieces of clothing. 'Later, he revealed the acts he had committed to the other participants of the party. 'After confirming their veracity, they went to the GNR in Pedrogao Grande along with the suspect to report what had happened. 'The victim, a 37-year-old foreign man had travelled to Portugal to participate in the event and apparently did not know the defendant personally. 'It has not yet been possible to determine the motive for the crimes, but any relationship with games or online challenges has initially been ruled out. 'The 27-year-old detainee was present during his first judicial interrogation which resulted in his preventive detention.' The off-grid Libelinha is nestled into the rolling forest valleys of Pedrogao Grande in the centre of the country and includes 24 acres of wide open woodland, hills and shrubbery Menkens was one of the organisers of a mini-festival known as the Mad Hatter's Tea Party last weekend near a remote commune known as Libelinha Venture Aerial view of Libelinha Venture, where it is believed the murder victim was staying The rambling Libelinha Venture, which includes 24-acres of wide open woodland, hills and shrubbery, is run by new-age businessman Mr Hancock and his Spanish partner Arantxa Atauri. In 2017, it was bought by the eccentric Mr Hancock, who attended the 15,000-a-year St Edward's school, and transformed into a peaceful oasis of communal calm outfitted by the sites distinctive white teepees. For potential visitors, Hancock promises the chance to 'reconnect' with nature 'during a journey towards self sustainability'. There is no suggestion whatsoever that Hancock or Arantxa are in any way involved in the crime. The deputy prime minister has claimed it is 'not appropriate' to publish the Government's legal advice on whether Israel has broken international law in its devastating invasion of the Gaza Strip, just weeks after a top Tory claimed lawyers believe it had. The government is currently being pressured to stop selling arms to Israel, and the Cabinet appears to be split over whether to carry on. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told Times Radio on Sunday: 'It hasn't been the case that we publish legal advice. We carry out these assessments continuously. These are sensitive diplomatic relationships. 'So it's not appropriate to publish it. [But] we've got one of the toughest arms control regimes in the world. We're holding Israel to a very, very high standard'. But Lord David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, said on the same day in the Sunday Times that while Israel had a right to self-defence, the UK's backing was 'not unconditional.' He added: 'We expect such a proud and successful democracy to abide by international humanitarian law, even when challenged in this way.' Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden (pictured) told Times Radio on Sunday: 'It hasn't been the case that we publish legal advice. We carry out these assessments continuously. These are sensitive diplomatic relationships' A view of destruction after Israeli forces' withdrawal from Khan Yunis READ MORE: Iran warns Israel none of its embassies are safe after strike on Tehran consulate in Syrian capital which left 12 dead including top generals Advertisement The split in the cabinet comes a week after leaked audio revealed a top Tory claiming that the government's lawyers already believed Israel was breaking international law. Alicia Kearns, chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, made the comments at a Tory fundraising event on March 13. In the leaked recording, she can be heard saying: 'The Foreign Office has received official legal advice that Israel has broken international humanitarian law but the government has not announced it.' She added: 'They have not said it, they haven't stopped arms exports. 'They have done a few very small sanctions on Israeli settlers - and everyone internationally is agreed that settlers are illegal, that they shouldn't be doing what they're doing, and the ways in which they have continued and the money that's been put in.' Any such legal advice would mean that the UK would have to cease all arms sales to Israel immediately because licences cannot be granted if there is a clear risk the weapons could be used in a serious violation of international humanitarian law. Palestinians inspect the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive after they withdrew from Khan Younis A view of destruction after Israeli forces' withdrawal from Khan Yunis A woman cries on rubble of a collapsed building after Israeli forces' withdrawal Israel has come under intense international scrutiny over its treatment of Palestinians during the war against Hamas following the October 7 atrocities. Last night, Israel began pulling back its troops from Gaza as a gesture of 'goodwill' to its allies, who have accused it ravaging the enclave and destroying the lives of its citizens. Dr Andreas Krieg, Assistant Professor of Defence Studies at King's College London, told MailOnline today: 'I think the operation in Khan Younis has run its course and there was not really anything that could be achieved on the ground.' He added that the withdrawal 'has to be seen within the context of a changing information environmental and changing global public opinion and most importantly the pressure that resulted from that'. 'In that context, Israel is now showing some goodwill that they want to make a change in Gaza operation, that's seen them opening the [Erez] crossing, allowing more aid in, allowing some bakeries to be opened. Israel has come under intense international scrutiny over its treatment of Palestinians during the war against Hamas following the October 7 atrocities Last night, Israel began pulling back its troops from Gaza as a gesture of 'goodwill' to its allies An Israeli tank moves a long the border with the Gaza Strip April 7 marks six months since Hamas led an attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 people hostage 'These are all signs that Israel wants to be more compliant with international law, which it very obviously has not been over the last at least three months.' Dr Krieg said the 'tactical withdrawal' marked a 'very symbolic' gesture as patience in Washington and London wears thin. However, he warned: 'I'm not sure it has any meaning in terms of a ceasefire Israel is unlikely going to give that unilaterally. They are not ready for that. They are unprepared for that.' While the withdrawal will likely delay the anticipated invasion of Rafah, it 'won't take them very long to put [troops] back in' if Israel does decide to proceed. But with Israel aiming to 'eradicate' Hamas altogether, Dr Krieg warns it will take 'probably years' to achieve their objectives on the current trajectory. A teenager has been charged after another teenager was allegedly stabbed at a McDonald's. The 17-year-old boy was allegedly knifed in the face, neck and chest at the fast food venue at Deception Bay, north of Brisbane, at 9.30pm on Saturday. Two McDonald's workers rushed to the boy's aid until emergency services arrived on scene. He was rushed to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Queensland Police took several people into custody following the incident. It is alleged that a 16-year-old boy stabbed of 17-year-old at a McDonald's in Deception Bay, north of Brisbane , on Saturday. A 16-year-old boy was charged with grievous bodily harm and is expected to appear in Redcliffe Children's Court on Monday. A 13-year-old boy was earlier charged with one count of unauthorised dealing with shop goods. He will appear at Redcliffe Children's Court on Monday. 'Investigations are ongoing,' a Queensland Police spokesperson said. A McDonald's Australia spokeswoman said the restaurant had been forced to temporarily shut following the incident. 'The safety and wellbeing of our people and customers is our top priority,' she said. 'We can confirm emergency services attended McDonald's Deception Bay on Saturday at approximately 9.30pm. The 16-year-old was charged with grievous bodily harm and is expected to appear in Redcliffe Childrens Court on Monday 'The restaurant was temporarily closed while police attended and reopened just before midnight. 'We will continue to provide our full support to all employees working at the time.' Anyone with information that may assist investigators to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Chechnya has banned all songs that are faster than 116 beats per minute over fears of Western rave and techno music 'polluting' the Russian republic. The Chechen government introduced the ban in a bid to promote more traditional music and types of dancing, local media has reported. Musa Dadaev, Chechnya's culture minister said: 'We must bring to the people and to the future of our children the cultural heritage of the Chechen people. This includes the entire spectrum of moral and ethical standards of life for Chechens.' The new standard of music, that begins at 80 beats per minute, is much slower than a lot of modern day pop music. According to the Moscow Times, the rules were brought in to make sure music conforms 'to the Chechen mentality'. Chechnya has banned all songs that are faster than 116 beats per minute over fears of Western rave and techno music 'polluting' the Russian republic. File photo of rave Chechnya president Ramzan Kadyrov and Vladimir Putin pictured together (undated) 'Borrowing musical culture from other peoples is inadmissible,' Mr Dadaev reportedly added. The decision was approved by Chechyna president Ramzan Kadyrov, however, popular Russian military song Victory Day will not fit with the new rules as it is 126 beats per minute. It also will see most samba, trance and waltz music banned as well as the Russian national anthem that plays at 76 beats per minute. Kadyrov is a loyal supporter of Vladimir Putin and has been outspoken in his support of the Ukraine war. The authoritarian has overseen a crackdown on influence from western nations, banned homosexuality and decreased women's rights. Just days ago it was revealed that Kadyrov was adding another 3,000 former Wagner mercenary fighters to his growing army. Kadyrov described the recruitment of a new 'regiment' as 'great news' in a post on his Telegram on Friday as he claimed the fighters will soon start 'accomplishing combat tasks'. Just days ago it was revealed that Kadyrov was adding another 3,000 former Wagner mercenary fighters to his growing army. Pictured: Supporters of Putin on the streets of Chechen cpaital Grozyny It was unclear from the messages whether the 'special forces' troops will be deployed in Ukraine or used for some other purpose. Kadyrov boasted they could have a 'significant impact'. The 47-year-old strongman ruler of Chechnya, a republic within the Russian Federation, is loyal to Vladimir Putin but Kremlin insiders and research groups have suggested the relationship has come under strain since the war began. In November, he claimed Wagner troops were now training with his special forces - and pledged to send 3,000 more soldiers to Ukraine. Kadyrov, a devout Muslim, is the father of at least 14 children. He appears to have recovered from an illness last year that was widely seen as being a kidney problem. Some reports suggested he had been poisoned. A top US diplomat has suggested his country would expect Australia's planned nuclear-powered submarines to be used if it went to a war with China over Taiwan. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell spoke about the AUKUS submarines during an appearance last week at the Centre for a New American Security in Washington. Dr Campbell said the US was facing 'a number of potential areas of conflict' in the Indo-Pacific which would require the cooperation of its AUKUS allies and other regional partners. The federal government has committed to building a fleet of British-designed nuclear-powered submarines in Adelaide under the trilateral AUKUS security program. A top US diplomat has suggested his country would expect Australia's planned nuclear-powered submarines to be used in a war with China over Taiwan. A US Los Angeles-class attack sub is pictured in Perth Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in March last year the plan, which included buying at least three American submarines, would cost taxpayers $268billion to $368billion over the next 30 years. Mr Albanese, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have all talked up the number of jobs that will be created in their countries under the alliance. But in his comments last week Dr Campbell seemed to make it clear the US saw AUKUS as playing a part in any conflict in the Taiwan Strait with China. 'I think those practical circumstances in which AUKUS has the potential to have submarines from a number of countries operating in close coordination that could deliver conventional ordinance from long distances,' Dr Campbell said. 'Those have enormous implications in a variety of scenarios, including in cross-strait circumstances... 'And so I think I would argue that working closely with other nations, not just diplomatically, but in defense avenues, has the consequence of strengthening peace and stability more generally.' Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says the US is facing 'a number of potential areas of conflict' in the Indo-Pacific. Pictured is a Chinese missile being fired in the Taiwan Strait Dr Campbell said Mr Albanese, Mr Biden and Mr Sunak all needed to 'underscore constantly' their support for AUKUS. 'I think all countries, each of these countries need to underscore that this is not a jobs program, it is not a technology development program,' he said in Washington. 'Those are corollary advantages. 'This is a security partnership that is profoundly constitutional and has the potential to not only create fundamentally new realities... in the water in Asia, but also change the nature of the way each of our three countries operate together.' Mr Albanese has consistently said Australia would main sovereign control over the use of the submarines if its interests did not align with those of the US or UK in wartime. Dr Campbell reportedly told European Union officials two years ago that AUKUS was about 'getting Australia off the fence - we have them locked in now for the next 40 years'. 'I think those practical circumstances in which AUKUS has the potential to have submarines from a number of countries operating in close coordination that could deliver conventional ordinance from long distances,' Dr Campbell (pictured) said In June last year, Dr Campbell told the Center for Strategic International Studies how Australia would be expected to deploy US-built submarines during a discussion on the strategic implications of AUKUS. 'I would also just remember that when submarines are provided from the United States to Australia, it's not like they're lost,' Dr Campbell said. 'They will just be deployed by the closest possible allied force.' A prominent Australian defence expert has previously said the AUKUS deal could lead the nation into being forced to follow the US into a war against China. The Australian National University's Hugh White, a former deputy secretary of the Defence Department, slammed AUKUS in March last year just days after details of the program were announced. 'This is a very serious transformation of the nature of our alliance with the United States,' Professor White told the ANU's politics podcast Democracy Sausage. 'The US don't really care about our submarine capability - they care deeply about tying Australia into their containment strategy against China.' Mr Albanese (left), US President Joe Biden (right) and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have all talked up the number of jobs that will be created in their countries under the alliance Australia plans to purchase up to five US-made Virginia-class nuclear submarines as a stopgap measure before eight SSN-AUKUS sub are built in Adelaide, with the first to be completed by 2042. Professor White could not see why the US would sell its own submarines - of which they have fewer than they need - unless it was sure Australia's submarines would be available to it in the event of a major conflict in Asia. He said a war between America and China over Taiwan would be 'World War III' and have a 'very good chance' of being a nuclear conflict. 'Australia's experience of war (is) shaped by the fact that we've tended to be on the winning side, but there is no reason to expect America to win in a war with China over Taiwan,' he warned. He suggested there was also a high chance the AUKUS deal could fall over under a future American administration and a worsening strategic environment. Professor White said there were cheaper, quicker, less risky and less demanding ways for Australia to get the submarines it needed, labelling the AUKUS plan a waste of money that 'doesn't make sense'. 'There's going to be no actual net increase in the number of submarines available until well into the 2040s, even if it goes to plan - which it probably won't,' he said. Police said Monday they have booked a man suspected of creating a fabricated video of President Yoon Suk Yeol apologizing for corruption and incompetence ahead of the April 10 general elections. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho said during a regular meeting with the press that the man, who is in his 50s and residing in a provincial region, has admitted to making the fake video. Asked if he is affiliated with any political party, Cho said the man is "working for a political party," but declined to reveal which party it is. Earlier, a video of Yoon surfaced online ahead of April's general elections, showing the president depicting his government as "incompetent and corrupt" and accountable for committing foul acts and injustices. The video, uploaded to Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, was suspected to be a deepfake creation, but it was later found to be a fabricated compilation of Yoon's statements from when he was a presidential candidate in 2022. Police said they have also specified nine suspects accused of distributing the fabricated video, and questioned three of them, with plans to interrogate the remaining six. (Yonhap) But some anchor-outs fear they will be unable to afford life on land Biologists argue that the vessels have caused extensive damage to seagrass that makes up a key part of the marine ecosystem The permanently anchored mariners will be provided housing vouchers and a $150-per-foot buyback for the removal of their boats A community of mariners permanently anchored on the San Francisco Bay face eviction from the waters they call home under a program aiming to protect the delicate marine ecosystem. Some three dozen 'anchor-outs' - artists, free spirits and the like - live rent-free and without the burden of permit fees on Richardson Bay, across from the affluent seaside community of Sausalito. And while the waters were once teeming with an estimated 200 boats, that number has dropped sixfold amid a campaign by local authorities and the Army Corps of Engineers to remove all vessels from the bay. Chad Wycliffe, 41, is one of the few mariners left. He has taken up residence on his 33-foot fishing boat, the Iron Maiden, with two mixed-breed dogs. 'The city and the people have changed,' Wycliffe told the San Francisco Standard. 'Nobody owns this water, as much as they want to enforce rules upon it.' 'Anchor-outs' living rent-free on Richardson Bay face eviction from the waters they call home under an initiative aiming to protect the marine ecosystem Around 200 boats filled the waters by Sausalito just a few years ago, but that number has shrunk to under three dozen Chad Wycliffe, 41, worries that he will not be able to afford rent on land in addition to a spot in a marina once his boat is towed from the bay The San Francisco Bay contains roughly 3,000 acres of eelgrass, the second-largest habitat in all of California, and local officials are aiming to preserve it through the establishment of an 'Eelgrass Protection Zone.' Biologists argue that the bay's marine health depends on the seagrass to provide a spawning habitat for the herring that form the bedrock of the food chain. Around 400 acres of eelgrass are found in Richardson Bay, approximately 75 of which have been lost to chains and anchors dragging across the seafloor. But anchor-outs insist the real culprits are fertilizer runoff from agriculture and illegal dumping from yachts. Nevertheless, local agencies are working to relocate the mariners in phases as part of a $3 million program launched in 2021. Under the terms, anchor-outs are eligible for a housing voucher for an apartment - typically valued at $2,500 - as well as a $150-per-foot buyback for the vessel being taken out of the water. Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters lauded the initiative. 'We are not just telling people to leave the water - we are offering them housing,' explained Moulton-Peters, who represents Sausalito. 'It is one of the most compassionate approaches to those living on the water and our need to move them.' Biologists argue that the permanently anchored boats have caused extensive damage to nearly 100 acres of eelgrass, which provides a crucial habitat for herring Wycliffe and his fiancee (pictured) agreed to give up their floating home under a program launched in 2021, which provides anchor-outs with housing vouchers The program aims to see all anchor-outs removed from Richardson Bay by 2026 The endeavor is the latest in a series of attempts by local officials to rid the waters of anchor-outs. The Richardson Bay Regional Agency laid down laws limiting vessels anchored in the bay to 72 hours, unless a 30-day permit is approved, but these have largely gone ignored. While the campaign to remove the ships intensified during the pandemic, progress was markedly slow. The agency established a program where anchor-outs could apply to move their boats into five of Sausalitos marinas, but only two mariners seized the offer. Now, all vessels are expected to be off the water by October 2024, with a small number of vessels permitted until 2026. Anchorage will be available only to boaters staying 72 hours or less, under a permit issued by the harbor master. And it isn't just to protect the eelgrass. Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, Richardson Bay Regional Agency Executive Director Brad Gross voiced concern for the surrounding community. 'I dont think having a flotilla of illegally anchored vessels with people living on them and storing their belongings with dinghies and skiffs floating behind makes for a safe feeling for a kid doing a sailboat race,' Gross said. It is this characterization that some mariners take issue with. Philip Crabtree claims he is not staying illegally, as he still has 50 days left in his permit, and is not hurting anyone by anchoring on Richardson Bay. 'Im not (an) illegal anchor-out,' Crabtree wrote on Facebook. 'Get your facts straight, jack.' As for Wycliffe, he has barely half a year left until he has to move elsewhere. He and his fiancee had been among those who had agreed to trade their floating home for a life on land. Following her sudden death last year, the 41-year-old security guard is unsure how he will afford a spot in a marina, plus housing for himself and his pets. 'As much as I can fathom leaving, as I have in the past, I always come back,' Wycliffe said. 'Maybe my destiny is to die on this water as well.' Bob tried to grab the gun but he was too late and James was shot in the chest Allegedly shot dead James Wolfe, 40, in an argument at her Katy, Texas, home A judge's wife allegedly shot dead her nephew in an argument while he was staying at their home as he desperately tried to grab the gun. James Wolfe, 40, was shot in the chest at the house of his uncle, Harris County justice of the peace Bob Wolfe, 72, about 9.20pm on Thursday. Bob's wife Mei Wolfe, 48, was charged with murder for allegedly grabbing a pistol during an argument, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. The elder Wolfe called 911 as the situation escalated and tried to grab the gun after Mei allegedly returned to the room brandishing it, but was too late. Mei Wolfe, 48, wife of Harris County justice of the peace Bob Wolfe, 72, allegedly shot dead his nephew inside their home on Saturday James Wolfe, 40, was gunned down during an argument where Mei allegedly told him she wanted him out of the house. He had recently home to live with them after graduating university and going traveling, posing here with a King's Guardsman in London Mei was arrested at the $500,000 house on Tesino River Circuit in Katy, Texas, that evening Mei was arrested at the $500,000 house on Tesino River Circuit in Katy, Texas, that evening and held at the Harris County jail on a $100,000 bond. James took off travelling in Europe after graduating from university, but recently returned to Houston and was living with his uncle. Police said Mei was not getting along with her nephew and described the situation between them as 'an ongoing feud'. 'It may have been a situation where the female homeowner felt that he wasn't welcome anymore, and a disturbance broke out over that,' Gonzalez said. 'She retrieved a pistol and something happened during the altercation, and she fired a shot, striking the nephew.' Police said Mei was not getting along with her nephew and described the situation between them as 'an ongoing feud' Bob has been practicing law since 1983 and was elected justice of the peace in Harris County Bob disarmed his wife after she allegedly fired the first shot, but James died of his wounds despite efforts by paramedics Bob married Mei after his first wife, and father of his two sons, died. She has a daughter who lives with them and attends a local public school Bob disarmed his wife after she allegedly fired the first shot, but James died of his wounds despite efforts by paramedics. Mei's daughter was also in the house at the time of the shooting. James' social media profiles show him posing with a King's Guardsman in London, drinking Guinness in Dublin, and touring the 101st Airborne Museum in Belgium. He also visited historical buildings and cathedrals in Cologne and elsewhere in Germany, Amsterdam, and the World War II beaches of Normandy. Mei was held at the Harris County jail on a $100,000 bond James visits and art gallery during his trip to Europe Bob married Mei after his first wife, and father of his two sons, died. She has a daughter who lives with them and attends a local public school. His oldest son, Mike Wolfe served as a board member on the Harris County Department of Education and is a candidate for the Texas State Board of Education, District 6. 'We've seen a lot of family and intimate partner violence happening recently... sometimes it extends beyond [husband and wife] to other family members,' Gonzalez said. 'In this case... a female homeowner and her nephew. A very tragic situation.' Advertisement Monday's total solar eclipse is gripping America and parts of Mexico where millions are expected to take to the streets to watch the rare phenomenon, despite cloudy weather threatening to spoil the event in many southern states. On Monday, there will be a 'total' solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon and the sun are perfectly aligned. The moon blots the sun out from the sky and the world is temporarily drowned in shadows. The last solar eclipse occurred in December 2021, and the last solar eclipse visible in America occurred in August 2017. Although newly announced forecasts are ominous, suggesting thunderstorms and cloud coverage that could limit visibility, deep-pocketed thrill-seekers are undiscouraged. The total eclipse will be visible from parts of Mexico, the US and Canada on Monday afternoon. Cloudy conditions in the southern states threatens to dull the view, but experts say the phenomenon will still be visible NASA notes that, weather permitting, the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico 's Pacific coast at around 11:07am PDT A girl poses with her glasses to see the eclipse from a car ahead of this Monday's eclipse on April 07, 2024 in Mazatlan, Mexico A souvenir T-shirt commemorating the total solar eclipse in Kingston is seen at the city's visitor center, a day before the eclipse will be visible, in Kingston, Ontario, Sunday, April 7, 2024 Dawn MacDonald, the owner of Crowe's Tattoos, places an eclipse tattoo on the arm of Morgan Flewelling on April 07, 2024, in Houlton, Maine A person observes the sun with a telescope ahead of this Monday's eclipse on April 07, 2024 in Mazatlan, Mexico A plane lands at the Torreon international airport ahead of the eclipse on April 7, 2024 in Torreon, Mexico Eclipse roses for sale in a store on April 07, 2024, in Houlton, Maine The last total solar eclipse was in December 2021. Above, a view from Union Glacier in Antarctica, which had the clearest view At the 2017 Solar Eclipse, then President Donald Trump broke all the rules by staring directly at the sun without any glasses on Bill Perkins, the founder and managing partner of Skylar Capital, a Houston-based hedge fund, will be hosting 200 people at his Austin lake house to commemorate the solar phenomenon. Rain and lightning forecasts have not dissuaded the hedge fund manager from throwing his lavish party, which will feature a petting zoo, astronomy lessons, and cutting-edge telescopes. The private bash will also offer attendees live musical performances. Sofi Tukker, Ryan Tedder, the front man for OneRepublic, and Yassin Bey, the rapper formerly known as Mos Def, will all perform. Perkins told the San Francisco Standard that he was 'always looking for a reason to throw a party'. Conjuring up Carl Sagan, Perkins observed that the eclipse was 'one of those things that reminds us that we're on a small blue ball, with a sun, spiraling through space.' The Texas Eclipse Festival, in Burnet, is drawing thousands of attendees despite unpromising weather forecasts; pictured: drone footage of the Texas Eclipse Festival Wealthier eclipse viewers have organized lavish parties to commemorate the total solar eclipse On Monday, the total solar eclipse will be visible along a 'path of totality', starting in Mexico and moving through Texas where it will travel up to New England and finish in Canada. In any one location along the path of totality, people will see a partial eclipse followed by the total eclipse, and then a partial eclipse again. Whatever your location along the path of totality, the total eclipse should be visible for about four minutes. Totality will begin in Dallas around 1:40pm and last until 1:44 CDT. Sheel Mohnot, a general partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures, a venture capital company based in San Francisco, told the Standard that he would be watching the eclipse from his friend's ranch in Dallas. They will camp, and they've installed additional bathrooms to accommodate their 45-person group. And Joshua Baer, the founder of venture capital firm Capital Factory, is planning an extremely extravagant revelry, at which famous physicists will address the 200-person crowd. Baer also arranged for a team of skydivers, wielding American flags, to hop out of planes at the last moment of totality. But many eclipse hunters are heading to Burnet, which is 90 minutes outside of Austin. In Burnet, there will be the 'Texas Eclipse Festival,' an event that has been likened to burning man. The festival, which will continue into Tuesday, will feature concerts, speeches from astronauts, and art installations. It will also offer attendees yoga, movement, and mindfulness classes. Traffic signs on Interstate 30 near downtown Dallas, Texas on Sunday, April 7, 2024, alert drivers to Monday's eclipse. Dallas, along with 37 other counties across the state, are in the path of totality and officials expect more than 1.1 million visitors to travel the state A man tests special glasses in preparation for viewing an upcoming solar total eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, on Sunday, April 7, 2024 The festival's website refers to the event as 'once-in-a-lifetime,' and ticket prices start at $249. Drone footage posted on TikTok revealed how the city of Burnet had been taken over by the festival. In the video, tents are crammed together in narrow rows. The parking lots are overflowing with cars. The desire to watch the eclipse, it seems, has not been injured by dismal weather forecasts. Another TikToker posted a video in which a Texas highway was choked with traffic from the influx of tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the eclipse. Within the path of totality, the cities that will receive the most visitors are Austin and Indianapolis followed by Cleveland, Dallas, and Montreal. Most of the travelers will hail from New York City or Mexico City. The eclipse which briefly turns the outdoors dark in daytime will be visible for an estimated 32 million people along a narrow strip of North and Central America. A camper at Stonehenge II practices with his camera equipment ahead of Monday's total solar eclipse across North America, in Ingram, Texas, on April 7, 2024 Parts of Texas, including Dallas, are facing an increased risk of view-obscuring thunderstorms. And apart from inauspicious weather, there will also be an increase in traffic to contend with. During the solar eclipse in 2017, there was a significant increase in traffic risks, according to CNN. But tourists appear to be undaunted. The next solar eclipse of this magnitude won't occur again until 2079, making Monday's event a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many. Dr. Greg Brown, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: 'For observers in North America, this is your best chance to see a total solar eclipse this decade. 'Nothing quite compares to the day-turned-night that comes from a total eclipse.' The man accused of stalking NRL sporting legend Andrew Johns is a diehard Sydney Roosters mega fan. Daily Mail Australia can reveal Blake Moses, of no fixed address, is the alleged stalker who is accused of obsessively pursuing the former Newcastle Knights halfback over the Easter long weekend. Moses, 27, who grew up in Vaucluse in Sydneys eastern suburbs, laps up opportunities to get a photo with his sporting idols. In 2020, he shared a photo on social media of himself alongside Roosters star player Joey Manu, captioning the image: 'Spotted a chook in Byron,' Another photo shared to his social media in 2018 shows Moses alongside former NRL players Chris Walker and Willie Mason. Blake Moses (pictured left) alongside Roosters star Joey Manu during a trip to Byron Bay in 2020 Police have applied for an AVO to protect footy legend Andrew Johns, 49 Moses, a keen surfer, graduated from Rose Bay Secondary College in 2015 and is known to frequent Bondi and Bronte beaches. Johns, 49, is alleged to have first encountered Moses on March 29 during a surfing session in Bronte where he is alleged to have followed the footy legend into the water and stared at him. After returning home, Johns allegedly spotted the same man pacing the footpath outside his property. The following day, Moses allegedly approached Johns at a local cafe and again stared at him for a long period of time. Johns then called police and Moses was arrested on March 31 and charged with one count of stalking. Roosters diehard fan Blake Moses (pictured right) has been charged with one count of stalking After returning home, Mr Johns allegedly spotted Mr Moses outside his Bronte home (pictured) Blake Moses, a keen surfer is known to frequent Bronte and Bondi beach Johns carried out his regular TV duties with Channel 9 on Easter Sunday, March 31. Moses appeared before Parramatta Local Court on April 1 and was granted bail. However, when officers checked the Bondi address Moses gave police as part of his bail conditions, they allegedly discovered the residence does not exist. Police found Moses the next morning at 9:50am and arrested him for breaching his bail conditions. A magistrate at Waverley Local Court remanded Moses in custody. He is due to undergo a mental health assessment. Police have also applied for an apprehended personal violence order to protect former Newcastle Knights star Johns. Moses is due to face court on Thursday in relation to the AVO. Johns, a rugby league immortal, is one of the sport's most popular commentators and enjoyed immense success at international, club and State of Origin level. More than one million Australians may be unable to call Triple Zero when telcos shut off the 3G network in the coming months. Telstra will close down its 3G network on June 30 while Optus is set to end the service in September. Vodafone switched off 3G for its customers last December. While most phones currently in service primarily access 4G or 5G networks, there are an estimated three million devices including phones, EFTPOS machines, cars, security cameras and medical alarms still relying on 3G. There are also now concerns for the roughly one million 4G handsets that are either old or were bought overseas and rely on 3G for calling emergency services. These handsets use 4G for other services such as calls and texts but use 3G for phoning Triple Zero. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is speaking with a 'working group' that includes the major telcos every two weeks to come up with a solution. 'Supporting Australians' access to Triple Zero is critical,' she said last month. 'While the Government supports the safe switchover from 3G, it is important Australians are aware that some devices in the mobile market are not appropriately configured to contact emergency services on the 4G network.' Telstra will shut off their 3G network on June 30 while Optus is set to end the service in September Shadow communications minister David Coleman accused the Albanese government of being too slow on the issue last month. 'Last November, the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association warned of the risks in accessing the Triple Zero service with the closure of the 3G networks,' he said. 'So why has the Albanese government failed to engage properly on this issue until now? 'We welcome the fact that the government has finally woken up to the looming risks that many thousands of people will face in being able to call Triple Zero after the 3G networks close.' Telstra on Monday shared a how-to video showing customers what to do if their devices are impacted. 'If you or someone you know is a Telstra customer, or have a device that uses Telstra's mobile network, simply SMS 3 to 3498,' they said. More than one million Australians may be unable to call Triple Zero when telcos officially cut off the 3G network in the coming months (stock image) 'We'll respond to let you know if you'll still be able to use the device you're messaging from on our network, and whether you need to take any action.' There are reportedly 113,000 Telstra mobile phone customers still using 3G. Optus said it will directly contact customers with affected devices. Editor and Tech Commentator for EFTM.com, Trevor Long, said the change should not worry anyone who's bought a phone in the last about five years. 'The bigger risk is to people with extremely old phones, which - despite 5G being five years old, and 4G being a decade more than that - don't even connect to 4G,' Mr Long said. The shutdown is likely most concerning to those using medical devices which still use the 3G network, which Mr Long said is a big risk for 'connected medical devices.' 'Not just because they might be old devices but even more recent devices sold just five years ago might not have had 4G capabilities,' he said. 'So there's a risk people will think this doesn't apply to them because they only got the device five years ago, yet in fact they might be left with a device that simply fails to work at the most important time in a year from now.' A pregnant mother-to-be has given birth to a baby boy in a Queensland service station car park with the help of a sock and shoelace. Sharyn Daley was working at Cheap as Chips discount store in Logan, Brisbane, on Friday when a man ran in screaming 'that a lady's about to have a baby', she said. The assistant store manager grabbed a towel from a shelf and ran outside to help the woman who was in her car parked in the neighbouring 7-Eleven servo. It is understood the baby's head was already crowning and the birth was over within seconds after quick-thinking Ms Daley arrived on the scene. Sharyn Daley (pictured) was working her normal shift at Cheap as Chips in Logan, in south-east Queensland , on Friday when a panicked man ran in screaming 'a lady's about to have a baby '(All I could think of was) just survival. Someone needed help. So, you just rush and do what you can and instincts take over,' Ms Daley told 7News. She said the baby boy didn't look well when he was born. 'He was discoloured so I had to stimulate him and give him a rub and pat on the back,' Ms Daley told The Courier Mail. 'A few minutes went by and he started to move better and was squeezing my finger tight and his colour came back.' After giving the baby back to his mum, Ms Daley then took off her right shoe and tied the shoelace around the umbilical cord. She then took off her sock and placed the placenta inside, keeping it close to the baby. The quick thinking assistant store manager grabbed a towel off a shelf and ran outside to the woman who was in her car parked in the neighbouring 7-Eleven carpark (pictured) An ambulance arrived and took the family to hospital before Ms Daley had a chance to ask for their names. She hopes to be reunited with the family to gift them a special baby hamper and said the whole experience felt like something out of a movie. 'I'd love to know who they are, and give bub a hug and let mum know I'm so proud of her,' Ms Daley said. 'We have a cot, a change table, a mattress and a beautiful big hamper for them to help them get started. 'We are trying to look for them, I'd love to meet them again.' Castiblanco shares her tips for investing and reveals how to manage risk She began investing three years ago with help from her parents and encourages others to take the leap A high school junior is encouraging others to invest after earning nearly six figures from buying and selling stocks like Amazon and Tesla. Sophia Castiblanco, now 17, began making her own money through social media at just 14 years old, mostly through producing lifestyle content. Now she's eager to share finance tips after her own success at investing her income. 'I've always kind of had a business mindset of wanting to make money, and I'm very okay with taking risk,' Castiblanco told FOX Business' 'The Big Money Show.' Upon noticing her drive, the teen's parents provided her with the funds to start investing. They encouraged her to put money into Vanguard and Berkshire Hathaway stocks to begin building long-term wealth. Sophia Castiblanco, 17, began earning money through social media at just 14 years old and began investing shortly after The teen claims to have earned close to six figures through her multiple revenue streams including investments in stocks like Tesla and Amazon She boasts nearly 400,000 followers on TikTok and rakes in the majority of her income through brand deals and ad revenue The teen also opted to purchase stock in a few of her favorite companies: Tesla, Apple and Amazon. Castiblanco eventually saw nearly six figures in returns, enough to buy her own Tesla. And she believes other teens can do it too. When it comes to the right age to invest, Castiblanco asserts 'there's no minimum age to start'. 'I think it's important to realize that even if you just invest like $20 a month, or I mean a super small amount, you can still grow that over time,' she said. However, Castiblanco advises teens to open custodial accounts under a parent's name, and for good reason: trading platforms like Robinhood require users to be at least 18 years of age. She touts the platform as an option for young investors in one of her TikTok videos. 'Don't worry, you don't need to be an expert,' she says in the clip, which was posted earlier this year and has racked up nearly half a million views. In the video, she urges her peers to 'keep learning and stay updated,' holding up a copy of Robert Kiyosaki's 'Rich Dad's Guide to Investing'. 'Just start small and do your research and remember that if I can do it, so can you,' she says. While today, the homeschooled teen makes most of her income through brand deals on TikTok and ad revenue on YouTube, where she boasts 390,000 followers and 36,000 subscribers, respectively. Castiblanco claims 'there's no minimum age to start' when it comes to investing and posts content encouraging other teens to take the leap The homeschooled 17-year-old posts videos from her childhood bedroom. While the majority of her content consists of shopping 'hauls,' she also offers advice to prospective young investors Castiblanco, who got her start with help from her parents, encourages teens to to open custodial accounts under a parent's name when they get their start She urges her peers to 'keep learning and stay updated,' professing in one video: 'If I can do it, so can you' Speaking to FOX Business, the teen suggested investing in index funds, which she considers her 'biggest' approach to managing risk. 'That kind of helps to diversify the risk of investing more than kind of if I were to just invest in individual stocks,' she said. Castiblanco also encouraged prospective investors to 'be okay with stocks losing value'. 'I think that it takes patience and perseverance to just know that you are taking a risk, but that it's worth it,' she said. Speaking to USA TODAY, Castiblanco said she continues to focus on content creation but also aims to dip into real estate and start her own business. As for the newfound publicity surrounding her success, the 17-year-old said it has been 'a positive experience'. There are drawbacks, of course, including mass hate. One of Castiblanco's most viewed videos is captioned 'reacting to my hate comments about having a Tesla at 17'. In that clip, Castiblanco reads off remarks from other netizens that get increasingly aggressive. While Castiblanco has expressed her gratitude for her 'supportive' online community, the newfound popularity has come with drawbacks including mass hate The 17-year-old intends to continue creating lifestyle content while also dipping into real estate and starting her own business In response to a comment urging her to 'shut the f*** up and stop using daddy's money to buy stuff,' the teen proclaims to have four streams of income earning her close to $100,000. 'Most of these comments are coming from fully grown adults,' she says. 'Like you're telling me that you don't have anything better to do with your time than hate on a 17-year-old who bought her own car?' Though her online notoriety has raised some safety concerns, the teen has expressed her gratitude for the 'supportive community' she has built online. This includes the thousands of visitors who continuously flock to her TikTok page to watch the 'haul' videos filmed in her car and childhood bedroom. 'I've enjoyed being able to inspire other teens to invest and pursue their dreams,' Castiblanco said. Donald Trump has said he would 'gladly' go to jail in defense of his free-speech rights - while likening himself to the late Nelson Mandela. The comparison to the South African leader who served some 27 years before eliminating apartheid came in a three-part post to his tanking Truth Social. In it, the GOP frontrunner not only fancied himself one of the biggest heroes in recent history, but revealed how he wanted to forgo the expanded gag order against him in his upcoming hush money trial in New York. He lashed out at the judge who granted the order, after repeatedly targeting him and his daughter - who has served as president to a firm that does digital campaign work for several Democratic candidates. Politically, Trump has compared to himself to various figures from history in the past, like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and aesthetically, even Elvis Presley. Moreover, it's not the first time he juxtaposed himself against the African head of state - with that comparison stemming from claims he is being unfairly prosecuted by the current administration. The 77-year-old stood by this belief on Saturday. Donald Trump on Saturday said he would 'gladly' go to jail in defense of his free-speech rights - while likening himself to the late Nelson Mandela The remarks regarding the South African leader came in an impassioned post to Truth Social, which criticized jurists handling the litany of legal cases against him 'Crooked Judge Juan Merchan is not allowing me to talk, is taking away my First Amendment Rights, hes got me GAGGED, because he doesnt want the FACTS behind the Gag to come out,' wrote Trump of Merchan, before claiming it would be his 'great honor' to go to jail for speaking the truth. 'How many Corrupt, Biased, Crooked Joe Biden- Protection Agency New York Judges do I have to endure before somebody steps in?' he continued, after making repeated threats against him and his daughter, posting her name and photos despite her not being involved in the case. He then went on to bring up Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan, who last month approved Trump's $91,630,000 bond in the defamation case brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll. Referring to Carroll as the 'mysterious lady' who 'said rape was sexy', he wrote: 'I had New York Federal Judge, Lewis Kaplan, with a woman who I never knew, and had nothing to do with, until she sued me for defamation.' He further claimed Carroll - who accused Trump of 'penetrating' her in a Manhattan dressing room in 1996 - 'did not know what day, month, or year the supposed incident took place. 'She knew nothing,' he asserted, before honing in more on the man who presided over his civil defamation case that entered a second stanza this year after a jury determined Trump was liable for assaulting Carroll, awarding her $5 million in damages. Mandela - who died in 2013 aged 93 - served some 27 years in prison before eventually eliminating the apartheid system in the country he came to lead A photo from the mid-1960's show a line of prisoners victimized by the practice, which governed relations between the white minority and nonwhite majority during the 20th century Seen here is the prison cell of the former South African President in Robben Island, Cape Town. He spent 18 years of his sentence there after speaking out against the policy, before his release in 1990. The anti-apartheid activist was elected leader of the country four years later In January, a jury awarded Carrol - who was at the height of her success at the time of the assault - a further $83 million for the defamation verdict, which caused Trump to post a $91 million bond needed to keep her from collecting while he appeals. Trump, in turn, wrote: 'Kaplan, a Hillary friend, wouldnt even let my lawyers put on a proper case, made it two cases instead of one, took away my American Right to defend myself, and was a Crazed Bully as his wife and friends sat in the Courthouse, every day in their little roped off section, and prodded him on in awe. 'This mysterious lady, who said rape is sexy,' he went on, 'got $91 Million Dollars.' Then, in a subsequent post advertised as 'page 2', he zeroed in Judge Arthur Engoron, the New York jurist tasked with deciding the future of the former president's real estate empire. Last October, he ruled Trump committed years of fraud by exaggerating his wealth and the value of assets on financial statements used to get loans and make deals. As punishment, the judge said he would dissolve some of Trumps companies - a decision that could cause him to lose control of iconic properties like Trump Tower. The penalty in that case was pegged at more than $354 million back in February - leading Trump on Saturday to slam the former Vietnam activist as 'a total lunatic [and] whack job.' the GOP frontrunner not only fancied himself one of the biggest heroes in recent history, but revealed how he wanted to forgo the expanded gag order against him in his upcoming hush money trial in New York, ordered by Judge Juan M. Merchan (seen here) He then went on to bring up Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan, who last month approved Trump's $91,630,000 bond in the defamation case brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll. Referring to Carroll as the 'mysterious lady' who 'said rape was sexy', he wrote: 'I had New York Federal Judge, Lewis Kaplan, with a woman who I never knew, and had nothing to do with, until she sued me for defamation' He also zeroed in Judge Arthur Engoron, the New York jurist tasked with deciding the future of the former president's real estate empire. Trump claim Engoron was the one who committed fraud when he 'at the direction of Racist, Corrupt A.G. Letitia James [pictured], undervalued Mar-a-Lago at $18 Million Dollars.' This claim stemmed from his ruling that resolved the claims aired in the suit, filed by New York AG Letitia James - against him, his company, and his top executives '[He] ruled that I should pay an almost $500 Million Dollar fine for having done nothing wrong (No Victims, No Damages, Ironclad Disclaimer, ONLY SUCCESS!) '[I]n fact,' he added 'he was the one who committed fraud when he purposely, at the direction of Racist, Corrupt A.G. Letitia James, undervalued Mar-a-Lago at $18 Million Dollars.' This claim stemmed from his ruling that resolved the claims aired in the suit, filed by New York AG Letitia James - against him, his company, and his top executives. Circling back to Merchan, Trump said the federal judge 'is not allowing me to talk, thereby violating the Law and the Constitution, all at once. 'It is so bad what he is trying to get away with,' he further claimed, before asking, 'How was he even chosen for this case??? I heard he fought like hell to get it, and all of the rest of them also!' At that point, Trump dropped his last bombshell - this one bearing the name of the decorated apartheid activist who died in 2013, though not before leaving behind a legendary legacy. Citing this, Trump said: 'If this Partisan Hack wants to put me in the clink for speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela - It will be my GREAT HONOR. 'We have to Save our Country from these Political Operatives masquerading as Prosecutors and Judges, and I am willing to sacrifice my Freedom for that worthy cause,' he continued. 'We are a Failing Nation, but on November 5th, we will become a Great Nation again. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' In prior Truth Social post, the embattled ex president asked responders whether the Republican Party should keep Trump on the ticket even if he's convicted of a crime, resulting in 60 percent of respondents saying it should He slammed one of the judges as a Hillary friend, before ironically comparing himself to the leader who famously had a good relationship with the former First Lady. The pair are seen together at Mandela's home in 2012, a year before his detah Trump's next big day in court will come during the week of April 22, where oral arguments will be given to the US supreme court as he seeks presidential immunity in the face of a federal prosecutor's claims he attempted to subvert the election in 2020 and on January 6 In prior Truth Social post, the embattled ex president asked responders whether the Republican Party should keep Trump on the ticket even if he's convicted of a crime, resulting in 60 percent of respondents saying it should, Moreover, despite the bevy of cases against him, Trump benefited from a slimmed-down primary field, after the surrender of friend-turned-rival Ron DeSantis and South Carolina's Nikki Haley. Biden has now surfaced as his biggest threat, and Trump, in most polls, appears well ahead. He continues to point out that dynamic on truth social, as trials for his four criminal cases and several civil cases still loom. He remains adamant he will run even in the event of a conviction, hence the Mandela comparison, which he already made back in 2023. As was the case then, onlookers online were left somewhat stumped by the assertion. Trump's next big day in court will come during the week of April 22, where oral arguments will be given to the US supreme court as he seeks presidential immunity in the face of a federal prosecutor's claims he attempted to subvert the election in 2020 and on Jan. 6. The justices said in an order issued Wednesday they will take up the question on that date, further delaying Trump's prosecution, which had been already paused while he has been pressing his immunity appeal in the lower courts. He is also facing a criminal case in New York City, on charges involving a scheme to bury allegations of extramarital affairs that arose during his first White House campaign in 2016. The son of a Hamas co-founder has spoken out against pro-Palestine activists in the United States, branding them 'useful idiots.' Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, appeared on 'Dr. Phil Primetime' on April 2 to debate two student advocates from the University of Michigan. Yousef hails from Ramallah and fought as a Palestinian militant before defecting to Israel in 1997 and working as a spy for the Shin Bet intelligence wing. 'It's very disappointing to see Americans supporting Hamas and thinking that Hamas is a cool thing...while those followers don't know that Hamas would torture them and massacre them with no mercy,' he said. 'They call them useful idiots. They don't know that Hamas is a dark black hole.' Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, dubbed pro-Palestine activists 'useful idiots' Yousef, a former Palestinian militant turned Israeli spy, appeared on 'Dr. Phil Primetime' on April 2 to debate student activists from the University of Michigan He claimed the advocates 'don't know what they're supporting,' describing Hamas as a 'black hole' Yousef further claimed those on the pro-Palestine side 'don't know what they're supporting,' deeming Hamas 'a monster that has been hijacking an entire society and endangering the entire Middle East, pushing the world towards a global war.' The defector, who earned the moniker 'The Green Prince' and was the subject of a 2014 documentary by the same name, said he based his knowledge on time spent in prison with Hamas leaders. Unlike the students on the show, he continued, 'I was born there, and part of that culture, part of that religion. 'Some people hear about Hamas, or they see an avatar of a Hamas fighter carrying a rifle, a freedom fighter, and they think it's a fancy idea to support such a monster.' One student accused the former Hamas member of pushing 'colonial rhetoric.' But Yousef hit back, asserting that the students spoke 'on the authority of Hamas propaganda.' He pointed to the fact that all three students were wearing the keffiyeh, a traditional black-and-white Palestinian scarf. 'You don't know what Palestine is, actually. In fact, the keffiyeh that you are wearing is just a statement to show that you really lack the authenticity to represent the case,' he professed. 'There is a tribe of Hamas, and there is the tribe of the Islamic Jihad and each one has different interests, and all of them are conflicted. If they did not have Israel as the common enemy, they would kill each other. This is the reality.' Yousef pointed to the traditional keffiyeh worn by several in attendance, claiming the students lacked the 'authenticity' to speak in support of Palestine One student accused the former Hamas member of pushing 'colonial rhetoric.' But Yousef fired back, claiming the young activists were echoing Hamas 'propaganda' The son of the Hamas co-founder claimed Palestine was comprised of two warring factions, a 'tribe of Hamas' and 'tribe of the Islamic Jihad,' who would kill each other if not for their common enemy, Israel As for pro-Palestine activists in the United States, the former Israeli spy declared: 'Those pro-Palestine people need to go to a mental asylum.' Yousef's comments came among mounting outrage sparked by Israel's killing of aid workers from World Central Kitchen on April 1. Among the seven killed in the airstrike were 33-year-old Jacob Flickinger, who held dual U.S. and Canadian citizenship. In the aftermath of the deadly airstrike, President Joe Biden organized a 30-minute phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 'President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,' reads a statement released by the White House on April 4. 'He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.' During the call, Biden 'underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home,' according to the statement Over 33,000 Palestinians had been killed and nearly 76,000 wounded in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict as of Sunday Israel faced global condemnation following an airstrike that claimed the lives of seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Joe Biden denounced the deaths and urged Israel to consider humanitarian suffering The president's stance marked an abrupt diversion from his administrations steadfast support for Israels war efforts. By Thursday night, the Israeli security cabinet had approved those three measures to increase humanitarian aid entering the besieged Gaza Strip. Over 33,000 Palestinians had been killed and nearly 76,000 wounded in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict as of Sunday. Hamas' October 7 attack claimed the lives of 1,139 Israelis, with dozens still held captive. In a series of interviews with American media outlets in October 2023, Yousef cautioned that his father and Hamas would not be satisfied with taking territorial Palestine alone. 'They are a religious movement, this is what everybody is afraid to say. If Hamas was a political movement, we could satisfy their political ambition,' he told Jake Tapper on CNN. 'But Hamas is a religious movement that does not believe in political borders - they want to establish an Islamic state on the rubble of the state of Israel.' A Western Australian university has become the first to offer Indigenous staff a special allowance for contributing cultural knowledge to non-Indigenous colleagues. Murdoch University, in South Perth, announced on March 27 that First Nations staff will be able to claim up to $8,944 per year for providing Indigenous knowledge and perspectives outside of their given role. The payment, named the 'Cultural Workload Allowance', is compensation for the extra workload undertaken by Indigenous staff. This can include working on Indigenous-based initiatives during NAIDOC or Reconciliation Week, to simply being asked about Indigenous culture by a co-worker. Pro Vice Chancellor of First Nations, Chanelle van den Berg, said Murdoch University was proud to be first to provide the allowance and hoped it spurred others to also offer it. First Nations staff at Murdoch University (pictured), in South Perth, will be able to receive just under $9,000 a year for providing cultural knowledge to non-Indigenous staff The university revealed only First Nations staff who undertake non-required work with Indigenous issues will be able to apply for the allowance. Vice Chancellor professor Andrew Deeks said it is an important step towards recognising often unseen contributions. 'We recognise that all First Nations employees contribute to cultural responsibilities within the University, and I value and commend that contribution,' he said in a statement. 'This new allowance simply seeks to formalise that recognition and set a precedent for how cultural load is considered within the workplace, especially in settings where there are few First Nations employees.' Ms van den Berg said the university's First Nations staff are 'often sought out for cultural guidance and consultation in the course of their work'. 'It's only fair that they get recognised and compensated for the important contribution they make,' she said. She hopes the allowance will spark a movement with other universities and businesses around Australia providing similar funding. 'I think it would be great if wider Australia recognises that Aboriginal people work above and beyond because they care about making changes,' Ms van den Berg told NITV. The payment can be made for participating in Indigenous initiatives like NAIDOC or Reconciliation work, or answer questions about indigenous culture in the workplace It is the latest move by Murdoch University to become the first choice of tertiary education for First Nations people. The university recently established a School of Indigenous Knowledges led by Associate Professor Bep Uink alongside two new senior roles. Graduates of the school will 'learn how to make a commitment to Truth Telling, reconciliation, relationship-building, and positive contributions within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities'. Employees who are required to use an Indigenous language as part of their course are also given a payment for their level of comprehension. Those with an elementary level of the language, able to grasp simple communication is paid an allowance of $1,862 per year. Meanwhile, staff who can speak one of the about 150 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island languages for 'the ordinary purposes of general business, conversation, reading and writing' receive $3,727 per year. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo said Monday a change in the size of the government's plan to boost the medical school admissions quota is "physically not impossible," indicating that there might be a possibility of adjusting the number despite a "very difficult situation." The remarks by Park came as President Yoon Suk Yeol met with one of the leaders of trainee doctors last week and promised to "respect" their stance on the government's push for medical reform, including the plan to increase the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000. About 12,000 trainee doctors nationwide have left their workplaces since Feb. 20 to protest the plan to increase medical school admissions, causing a growing strain on public health services. The government had shown little signs of being open to adjusting the size of the increase in doctor numbers, and it had already allocated the admission quotas to universities. The allocation was seen as a strong sign that the government would not back down. However, Park said there will be "more confusion" if the government cuts the number. "In reality, it is a very difficult situation," Park said. "It is not physically impossible to change the quota before admission guidelines for new students are finalized." In Korea, universities typically complete their admission guidelines in late May. Earlier in the day, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong also appeared to leave open the possibility of adjusting the size of the medical school quota hike. Cho said the government will discuss the increased admissions quota in an open manner if doctors come up with a unified and more reasonable measure. "We intend to engage in sincere discussions with the medical community to persuade them and resolve the dispute," Cho told a government response meeting. "If (doctors) come up with a more reasonable and unified proposal based on scientific grounds and logic, the government can discuss it in an open manner," Cho said. The reform plan has emerged as a hot-button issue for this week's parliamentary elections, with the ruling People Power Party aiming to regain a majority in the National Assembly. (Yonhap) A teenager is lucky to be alive after becoming trapped in a sinkhole at a family park. Oska Stockner, 13, was swallowed by the sinkhole at Boondah Reserve on Boondah Road in Warriewood, on Sydney's northern beaches, at 2.45pm on Saturday. He had been playing with friends moments earlier when he noticed something strange on the field near the goalposts and he went over to investigate. The ground suddenly collapsed from underneath the teenager and he became trapped in the sinkhole. His concerned friends immediately raised the alarm with emergency services. A teenager is lucky to be alive after becoming trapped in a sinkhole (pictured) at a family park Officers were unable to spot the boy at first as he was wedged in the two metre deep sinkhole with only his fingertips visible. In a battle against time, officers quickly pulled the boy out of the ground before the sinkhole collapsed and potentially suffocated him. NSW Ambulance paramedics examined the teenager and gave him the all clear, much to the relief of his concerned parents who had arrived on the scene. Oska's mother Bri Vine praised her son's friends for their quick thinking. 'I think he probably would have been more scared if no one was around,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'But he had a lot of friends and there was quite a bit of a crowd by the time I got there.' Senior constable David Ferguson, who raced down to the scene, described the rescue as precarious. 'He said every time he tried to push with his feet, he sank further down, so he couldn't really get any purchase to lift himself up,' he said. Senior constable Ferguson said the situation would have been much worse if nobody else was around at the time. Oska Stockner, 13, was swallowed by the sinkhole at Boondah Reserve (pictured) on Boondah Road in Warriewood, on Sydney's northern beaches, at 2.45pm on Saturday Firefighters placed barricades around the sinkhole and as a further precaution, police established an exclusion zone. A Northern Beaches Council emergency response team also attended. It is understood sinkholes at Boondah Reserve have occurred previously. The reserve is set on a former landfill site and recent heavy rain is believed to have weakened the ground and cause the sinkhole to open up. Sinkholes appear suddenly and can be catastrophic. They are formed when water dissolves surface rock and can vary in depth from shallow holes of about one meter deep, to pits of more than 50 metres. Tennessee has found itself riven by a bill in the state senate that would forbid the study of reparations for the descendants of slaves. The bill, which will be voted on in the House next Wednesday, has created some blowback in the state. Chief among the bill's critics is Reverend Earle Fisher, the senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church. This week, the Memphis pastor launched a petition against the bill, and in just two days, it amassed more than 500 signatures. Speaking to NewsNation, Reverend Fisher said the decision to axe any future studies of reparations was not motivated by a desire to save money. Reverend Earle Fisher (pictured), the senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church, launched a petition against the Tennessee bill that would ban the state from researching reparations State Senator Brent Taylor, who sponsored the bill, believes reparations is a matter that falls within the federal government's purview, but not local government's 'This is not about money. This is about ideology. This is about political power,' Fisher said. He continued: 'This is about people who are hell-bent on maintaining racial and economic inequities across the state and they are scared to death that the truth would come out. So, they don't want anybody to study it'. State Senator Brent Taylor, a Republican representative from Shelby County and a sponsor of the bill, has argued that reparations should not be addressed at the local level. Senator Taylor believes that the matter of reparations should be resolved on the national stage, and that it is not within the ability of a local government to remedy such a large issue. The bill, which would prohibit the future study of state reparations, has been hotly contested and will be voted on in the lower chamber next week 'I will make very clear our vote today does not pass judgment on reparations. That is a very significant and very important issue for many people in our country,' Taylor said. He continued by saying that the issue of reparations 'belongs to the federal government and does not belong to our cities and counties'. 'I think it's inappropriate for our cities and counties tax dollars to go to such an issue,' Taylor said. Amendment No. 1, which was added to the bill and passed in the Senate a year ago, is the source of the controversy. It states that it 'rewrites this bill to prohibit a county, municipality, or metropolitan government from expending funds for the purposes of studying or disbursing reparations'. Senator Taylor (pictured) has stressed that the state is not voting on the question of whether or not reparations are warranted, but on the question of whether it's the local government's responsibility The amendment defines 'reparations' as 'money or benefits provided to individuals who are the descendants of persons who were enslaved'. Reverend Fisher insists that if the state has a budgetary surplus, they should use that money for a worthy cause, like the study of reparations. 'If the state of Tennessee has hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in a surplus, surplus means we are taking care of all of our financial responsibilities, and this is how much money we have left over. We can even call it expendable income,' Fisher said. 'There are other entities and organizations that get 25 times that to do something most of us will probably say is a lot less significant'. Last year, commissioners of the Tennessee county that includes Memphis voted to launch a feasibility study to examine reparations for the descendants of slaves. The Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted on the measure, which allocated $5 million to fund a feasibility study to 'establish, develop, and implement reparations'. All eight black members of the commission voted in favor of the measure, while the five white members all voted against it or abstained, citing financial concerns about the $5 million allocation. The Shelby County reparations study, which was just the latest of similar pushes in many US cities and states, followed the police killing of Tyre Nichols , a black man, in Memphis The reparations study, which was only one of many similar other studies conducted across the US, came a month after black police officers killed Tyre Nichols, a black man, in Memphis. Nichols' death was referenced in by many of those in favor of the reparations study, including Commissioner Miska Clay Bibbs, who said: 'My people are dying on the daily. That's why I support this'. 'It's clear something has to be done. That's all this resolution is trying to do is saying we have to address what's happening in Shelby County in a different way,' Bibbs said. The commissioners who opposed the measure cited budget constraints, legal concerns, and fears that it would prove divisive in the community. 'I just don't think this is the best way to move the community forward in a unified manner, and that is my reasoning, as well as the financial piece,' said Commissioner Brandon Morrison, who voted 'no'. Before calling the vote, Commission Chair Mickell Lowrey addressed his colleagues, saying: 'Commissioners, it's ok to disagree. We all represent different communities, and we're supposed to disagree, our constituents don't all have the same issues or concerns'. 'Our diversity makes us better, so I appreciate all the comments, and respect all of them,' he added. The population of Shelby County is about 52% black, 41% white, 6% Hispanic and 2% Asian, according to county government data. The Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted to launch a feasibility study to examine reparations for the descendants of slaves. All eight black members of the commission voted in favor of the measure, while the five white members all voted against it or abstained The resolution on the reparations study that passed directed the state to examine five areas: access to affordable housing and homeownership, affordable healthcare, systemic disenfranchisement in the criminal justice system, career opportunities, and financial literacy and generational wealth. The resolution used the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America's definition of 'reparations'. They defined reparations as 'a process of repairing, healing, and restoring a people injured because of their group identity and in violation of their fundamental human rights by governments, corporations, institutions and families'. Last year, Shelby County was only one of several cities to consider reparations for slavery, a topic that proved divisive in many areas. Other places like Boston, Massachusetts, St Paul, Minnesota, and St Louis, Missouri, as well as the California cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles, all set up task forces and panels to hatch their own reparations plans. But this year, the push for reparations appears to have lost some of its momentum. Squad member Cori Bush, the Missouri Democrat who has championed payouts, is under investigation for campaign spending violations. Her bid for a $14 trillion federal compensation package is dead in the water. The reparations task force in Detroit a hub for African-American culture has descended into a 'shambles' of quitting and in-fighting. Cori Bush, a proponent of reparations, was revealed to be under investigation And in February, California's black lawmakers backtracked on plans to pay $1.2 million to each resident. While many black voters are keen to get checks in the mail, only a fraction think they'll see such a day in their lifetimes. Mike Gonzalez, an analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said support for reparations peaked amid the protests over the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Now, it is waning, he added. 'Like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Critical Race Theory, anti-racism trainings, and other features of the collective hysteria, the call for reparations has begun to fall apart under intense opposition by the American people,' he told DailyMail.com. Only fined $250 for capturing and tormenting the animal as killing them is legal Allegedly tortured wolf before shooting it dead behind the bar after the parade Cody Roberts, 42, captured the injured wolf after hitting it with his snowmobile The family of a hunter who tortured a wolf and paraded it through his local bar before shooting it dead have posted a bizarre reenactment of the scene. Cody Roberts, 42, was cited and fined for being in possession of the live wolf in Daniel, Wyoming, on February 29, but it was not illegal to kill it. Roberts posed with the exhausted animal, cracking a beaming smile while gripping it by the scruff of the neck and raising a can of beer. The wolf, which was injured when Roberts ran it over with a snowmobile, had its mouth taped shut and cowered like an abused puppy. Cody Roberts, 42, posed with the the exhausted animal, cracking a beaming smile while gripping it by the scruff of the neck and raising a can of beer Jeanne Ivie-Roberts, a close family member of Roberts who lives in Daniel, reenacted the strange scene with a wolf skin in the same bar - including taping her mouth shut Witnesses said not long after this photo was taken, Roberts dragged or carried the animal through the Green River Bar as patrons swilled beer. He then took the wolf away behind the bar, allegedly tortured it, then shot it dead. Jeanne Ivie-Roberts, a close family member of Roberts who lives in Daniel, reenacted the strange scene with a wolf skin in the same bar. She posted photos to Facebook of herself with her mouth taped shut, just like the wolf, while holding the skin in front of her. Ivie-Roberts wrote in another post after Roberts' antis went viral: 'I love and support you Cody'. She also celebrated the news that animal cruelty laws didn't apply to Roberts' case, and another family member claimed they were getting death threats. Ivie-Roberts wrote in another post after Roberts' antis went viral: 'I love and support you Cody' Animals rights campaigners reacted with fury, and were even more upset when it was confirmed Roberts would only face a small fine. 'Roberts' actions clearly warrant a punishment more severe than the $250 ticket he received for possession of live wildlife the Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy wrote in a letter to officials. 'Such an anemic response on the part of law enforcement will be seen by some as tacit approval of his crime and can only motivate other like-minded individuals driven by hatred of wolves to engage in similar, repugnant behavior.' Roberts, who is a father and owns a trucking company, first encountered the wolf when he ran it down with a snowmobile and disabled it. But instead of killing the animal there and then, he kept it, took it home and brought it to the bar. It is legal to kill wolves in the part of Sublette County, but by keeping the animal alive and tormenting it as Roberts did, he was violating hunting ethics. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed that a man had been cited and fined for the misconduct, but did not name them. However, Sublette County Circuit Court records showed Roberts was cited for a wildlife violation from an incident on February 29. Witnesses said not long after this photo was taken, Roberts dragged or carried the animal through the Green River Bar as patrons swilled beer Roberts, 42, of Daniel, Wyoming, was cited and fined for being in possession of a live wolf during an incident on February 29. He is pictured here with a dead animal he presumably hunted According to public records, Roberts has a hunting and fishing license. Roberts did not immediately respond to the DailyMail.com's request for comment. Adam Hymas, the responding officer, was also contacted but DailyMail.com did not receive a response as of publication. 'An anonymous reporting party notified the Wyoming Game and Fish Department that an individual was alleged to be in possession of a live wolf,' Game and Fish said. 'The reporting party notified the Department on March 1, 2024. According to the investigation, the individual possessed the live wolf on 2/29/24. 'The individual was hunting when he came across the wolf in the predator zone and intended to harvest it. 'However, the wolf was transported alive back to his residence and later to a business in Daniel, Wyoming. The 42-year-old, who is a father and owns a trucking company, ran the wolf down with a snowmobile and disabled it - but instead of killing the animal there and then, he kept it, took it home and then brought it to the bar Based on Roberts' social media accounts, he appears to be an avid hunter who frequently hunts wild animals alongside his kids (pictured here) About 85 percent of Wyoming is a 'predator zone' for wolves - meaning that the wild animals can be killed at any time with no bag limit or hunting days required 'The individual euthanized the wolf later that day. The individual was cited for violating Chapter 10, Importation and Possession of Live Warm-Blooded Wildlife.' Roberts paid a $250 fine, records indicated. About 85 percent of Wyoming is a 'predator zone' for wolves - meaning that the wild animals can be killed at any time with no bag limit or hunting days required. Areas of Wyoming close to nationals parks are considered a 'trophy hunting zone' - meaning that wolves are a 'trophy species' that can be hunted but only by hunters with tags during designated seasons and within predetermined quotas. Inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks wolves are under full federal protection and are not allowed to be hunted. A former Channel Seven producer was so taken with Brittany Higgins' mother's appearance that he breathlessly texted his boss to say she 'looks like Angelina Jolie'. A lengthy series of texts between Taylor Auerbach and his boss Steve Jackson, who was a producer for Spotlight, were released on Friday amid Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson. The messages between the pair were sent on October 12, 2022, when Ms Higgins' mum Kelly Higgins took the witness stand to give evidence during Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court. At the time, Mr Auerbach had been trying to convince Mr Lehrmann to do an exclusive post-trial interview with Spotlight. At 11.43am, Mr Auerbach texted his boss from the courtroom, saying: 'They've called the mum.' Mr Jackson asked: 'His?' Mr Auerbach replied: 'Her's.' Brittany Higgins' mother, Kelly Higgins, is pictured outside court during Bruce Lehrmann's defamation trial in December Brittany Higgins is pictured, left, with her mother at an event in 2018 Pictured: Texts between former Channel Seven producers Steve Jackson (in grey) and Taylor Auerbach (in blue) Mr Jackson pointed out that it would be the first time Ms Higgins' mother had spoken publicly about her daughter's alleged rape. Mr Auerbach continued: 'She's like a 20/10 glamour.' Mr Jackson asked: 'Really?' Mr Auerbach replied: 'Yeah like a model or something - looks like Angelina Jolie.' He then speculated that she was 'some rich person who spends a lot of her time overseas', when she was actually a real estate agent who lived on the Gold Coast. Mr Jackson said: 'Not that it's important really. But attractive people perform well with juries. Or anyone. People like to believe attractive people.' During her evidence in the criminal trial, Kelly told the court her daughter appeared 'broken' in March and April 2019, in the weeks after Ms Higgins' alleged that she was raped by Mr Lehrmann in Parliament House. Mr Lehrmann strongly denies those allegations. 'Brittany became very distant. Brittany became very quiet... She'd lost a lot of weight. She got quite thin. She just looked quite broken,' she said. Further texts show that Mr Auerbach met with Mr Lehrmann's former media agent John McGowan about two weeks later, while the jury was deliberating, to discuss a potential television deal. Pictured: Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie at the Academy Awards Taylor Auerbach is pictured with his lawyer Rebekah Giles, left, outside the Federal Court last week EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Shock revelation in nude photo saga as James Packer's ex is dragged into Bruce Lehrmann's defamation trial Pictured: James Packer's ex, Tziporah Malkah Advertisement Mr Macgowan priced the interview at about $200,000, but suggested the network avoid paying Mr Lehrmann cash. 'Bruce wants to do one big exclusive sit-down interview at the end of this (assuming he's found not guilty) and then move on,' Mr Auerbach's message to Mr Jackson read. 'He has received a lot of pro bono legal support but has huge debts. 'John Macgowan is helping to fund things as well and has set up a trust. 'There is thought that Bruce should not receive money for the story directly but that money could be paid into John Macgowan's trust (which is used to pay legal fees, etc).' He explained that Mr Lehrmann was deciding whether to go with Channel Nine or Channel Seven for his exclusive interview, but either way he was going to be interviewed internationally by Piers Morgan and Tucker Carlson. 'John said we are the only ones who have offered what they want so far, in terms of format, so we are in front and that if we can come to a mutually agreeable deal the story is ours,' Mr Auerbach wrote. Mr Auerbach also told his boss that Mr Lehrmann had been planning 'massive defamation cases against Ten and other outlets in every state of Australia, and also eyeing malicious prosecution' - even though his rape charge was still pending at the time. The jury in Mr Lehrmann's 2022 criminal trial was eventually dismissed after one brought banned research material into the court. Another hearing date was tentatively set for February the following year, but the former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold dropped the charge against Mr Lehrmann, citing concerns for Ms Higgins' mental health. Steve Jackson is pictured, left, with Taylor Auerbach. They were friends and colleagues, until they had a falling out Mr Lehrmann subsequently lodged defamation cases against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson over an episode of The Project in February 2021, during which Ms Higgins aired her rape allegations for the first time in an interview with Wilkinson. He also sued the ABC and news.com.au over similar published articles and a broadcast, but those matters were settled. The trial against Ten and Wilkinson ran for about a month in December last year but was spectacularly reopened last week due to Mr Auerbach's evidence. Mr Auerbach, who no longer works for Channel Seven, claimed in the Federal Court that Mr Lehrmann had leaked classified material from the rape trial to the network - which Mr Lehrmann denies. He also claimed Channel Seven paid for prostitutes and cocaine for Mr Lehrmann in a bid to entice him into the television interview - which the network denies. Mr Lehrmann's two interviews on Spotlight aired in June and August last year. A third episode was on the horizon, but it is unclear if that will go ahead. A veterinarian who broke his mate's ribs because he refused to wear a Yes shirt a month before the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum has pleaded guilty to assault. Dr Anthony Philip Benjamin, 72, and his friend of over 30 years, a 68-year-old man, were at an investment club meeting in Mudgeeraba, Queensland, on September 14 last year when tensions escalated. Southport Magistrates Court heard how the pair had discussed the vote before Benjamin took off the Yes t-shirt he was wearing and forced it over his friend's head, reported the Gold Coast Bulletin. The accomplished vet grabbed his victim's hand when he tried to remove the shirt. An accomplished veterinarian forced his mate of over 30-years to wear a Yes T-shirt, like the one pictured Benjamin also took a picture on his phone of the 68-year-old wearing the item. When the vet returned from the bathroom and found his friend had removed it, he was furious and grabbed the victim's own shirt so hard the buttons came off. The court was also told the former chief surgeon pushed his friend off his chair which caused the man to hit his head. The vet then fell on top of his victim saying words to the effect of 'you ungrateful racist pig'. Benjamin started punching his 68-year-old in his ribs, but once the victim tried to defend himself by putting the vet in a headlock, Benjamin pressed his elbow across his windpipe. Other meeting attendees intervened with one punching the vet in the head. The victim sought medical attention for his injuries which included fractured ribs and damage to one of his lungs. The court heard the 68-year-old man was knocked off his chair, hitting his head. He also sustained fractured ribs and a damaged lung The court was also told that the vet went to the 68-year-old's home the next day with flowers and an apology card and also sent several texts and an email about his shame and regret over the incident. Benjamin has since resigned from the investment club he helped found and has undertaken a psychological course. The vet's defence lawyer, Erin Mitchell, told the court her client made the 'probably very unwise' choice to wear his Yes t-shirt to the meeting. It was a show of support to club members who had flagged concerns about comments made about the referendum at the previous gathering. Ms Mitchell said the 68-year-old former friend was one of several people who had responded to a Yes presentation with 'derogatory responses and mockery' - and had also made a comment that triggered the vet's shirt swap. '(The victim) remarked that voting yes will just let them do what the Maori have done in his homeland in New Zealand, taking all the land and ruining the country,' she said. Ms Mitchell also told the court Benjamin and his wife were volunteers with First Nations organisations and had been subjected to backlash throughout the Yes campaign. The often-heated referendum debate saw the vet and his wife subject to backlash However, Magistrate Dzenita Balic ruled the assault had 'profoundly impacted' the 68-year-old. 'Even though his physical injuries might have a short-term impact upon him, the psychological scars are ongoing,' she said. 'He's not the same person anymore and that is directly resulting from your conduct.' Ms Balic said the vet had no criminal history and was otherwise of exemplary character and now faced potential repercussions to his veterinary registration and Blue Card. Benjamin pleaded guilty to one count of serious assault of a person aged over 60. He was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay a further $3,000 in compensation to his victim. No conviction was recorded. The UK has a 'duty' to support Israel despite its attack on an aid convoy that killed three Brits, a senior minister said today amid a deepening Cabinet row. Mel Stride said the government would not release its legal advice on weapons sales amid claims that the Netanyahu government's actions break international law. The Work and Pensions Secretary said the UK was 'very uncomfortable' with the deaths of John Chapman, Jim Henderson and James Kirby, in an air strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy. But speaking to Sky News today he said that UK support for Israel - including arms sales - would continue. But it came after Foreign Secretary David Cameron at the weekend said Britain's support for Israel was 'not unconditional', amid continuing concerns over its Gaza campaign and the sale of munitions to the IDF. 'We have, I think, a duty to support Israel it is important that we support them given part what happened on October 7,' Mr Stride said. Mel Stride said the government would not release its legal advice on weapons sales amid claims that the Netanyahu government's actions break international law. The Work and Pensions Secretary said the UK was 'very uncomfortable' with the deaths of John Chapman, Jim Henderson and James Kirby, in an air strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy. But speaking to Sky News today he said that UK support for Israel - including arms sales - would continue. 'Israel is an ally, it has a right to defend itself, it has a right to tackle Hamas. 'We are very uncomfortable with what happened, we are appalled by what happened. Our PM has spoken to the Israeli PM about that. We are also very uncomfortable about the amount of aid that is getting into Israel (sic) .but we are equally concerned by the hostages Hamas is holding, it is right that we stand by our allies and friends.' The deaths of the three British aid workers last week reignited a row over arms sales to Israel, and sparked fresh calls for ministers to publish legal advice about whether Israel is violating international humanitarian law. The Israeli military has withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis but could still mount an offensive against Hamas's last stronghold in Rafah - despite the UK and US leading international pleas for restraint. After six months of conflict following the October 7 massacre by Hamas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled to Rafah and any large-scale assault would be likely to lead to a high death toll. The UK's arms exports regime would prevent the supply of weapons to Israel if there is a 'clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law'. But the Government has refused to bow to pressure from opposition parties and some Conservatives to publish its legal advice on Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law. Mr Stride said Government legal advice on the legality of Israel's actions in Gaza would not be published due to 'long-standing convention'. Asked why the Government had published a summary of legal advice received in relation to Houthi attacks in Yemen, Mr Stride told Sky News: 'They're two different situations'. 'So on the one hand, you've got a process that is entered into on an ongoing basis to assess whether licences should be provided for the export of arms. 'In the case of the Houthi action, of course, that was a direct military involvement by our country, which is a very different situation. It was, you're quite right, not the full legal advice that was provided at that time, but a summary of that advice, but they are very different situations.' He added: 'Israel is a very important democratic country that abides by the rule of law, that we should be supporting, particularly in their hour of need and what has happened. However, that is not an unconditional support. 'We expect Israel not to do the kinds of things that happened with the aid workers and we have made it very clear that we are appalled by what happened there. 'We do expect, and the Americans as well and others, that aid will be going into Gaza.' Six months after the conflict began, Lord Cameron signalled concern about the way the war is being carried out. 'We expect such a proud and successful democracy to abide by international humanitarian law, even when challenged in this way,' he wrote in the Sunday Times. However yesterday deputy PM Oliver Dowden said the UK was not giving Israel carte blanche, but also told the BBC: 'The manner in which some people are seizing on this issue and trying to hold Israel to incredibly high standards of course it is right that we hold Israel to high standards but I just think there is a bit of relish from some people about the way in which they are pushing this case against Israel.' Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said Britain's support for Israel was 'not unconditional', amid continuing concerns over its Gaza campaign He said he would not go so far as to suggest this was coded anti-Semitism, but said people needed to remember the 'trauma' Israelis were suffering. 'Of course Israel has made mistakes, and made big mistakes, and we should hold them to account for that. But we are holding them to a very high standard,' he added. Israel said on Sunday it had withdrawn more soldiers from southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade, as it and Hamas sent teams to Egypt for fresh talks on a potential ceasefire in the six-month conflict. Israel has been reducing numbers in Gaza since the start of the year to relieve reservists and is under growing pressure from its ally Washington to improve the humanitarian situation, especially after last week's killing of seven aid workers. The military spokesperson did not give details on reasons for withdrawing soldiers or numbers involved. But Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the troops will be preparing for future operations in Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, confirmed they were sending delegations to Egypt. Hamas wants any deal to bring about an end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel has said that, after any truce, it would topple Hamas, which is sworn to its destruction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no deal without a hostage release and that he would not cave to international pressure. Hamas says an agreement must include freedom of movement of residents across the Gaza Strip. Alarming figures have revealed how much the average Aussie would need to make to rent in some of the country's most sought-after suburbs, highlighting a widening gap between wages and average rental prices. MGC Quantity Surveyors' new report on the rental disparity in the top 10 suburbs across Australia's capital cities has led to calls for action to address the 'significant gap' renters face in light of skyrocketing rates. Some of the most expensive areas require a household salary of more than $3000 a week - suburbs of Byron Bay in NSW and Mermaid Waters and Noosaville in Queensland requiring around 60 per cent of the average household income to be dedicated to weekly rent just to live comfortably. Mike Mortlock, Managing Director of MCG Quantity Surveyors, said the figures reveals the 'harsh reality' faced by many Australians. '(It is) a reality where the dream of living in a prime location is increasingly out of reach due to the widening gap between wages and rental prices,' he said. Byron Bay, NSW, requires 60 per cent of an average income to go towards rent. Tenants need a combined weekly income of $3805 to live comfortably in the area The top 10 suburb areas across the nation with the highest income gaps, along with their required weekly incomes to rent and the percentage of income 'When a significant portion of a household's income is dedicated to rent, there's less available for other expenditures. This isn't just a problem for renters; it's a challenge for the entire local economy.' In the report - titled Unaffordable Australia: The Surprising Income You Need to Rent Comfortably - researchers used the area's median rents, then calculated what income was needed to match 30 per cent of household income allocated to rent, which is considered the benchmark for affordability. This figure was then compared to the average national household income to find the salary gap. The suburbs of Byron Bay, Suffolk Park and Broken Head topped the national list, with over 60 per cent of household income, or about $3805 per week week, being needed for rent. It was followed by the Queensland suburbs of Mermaid Waters (59 per cent of income, $3717 per week), Noosaville (62 per cent of income, $3099 per week), Runaway Bay (62 per cent of income, $3027 per week) and Benowa (50 per cent of income, $3458 per week). Noosaville, Queensland, was third on the list, requiring tenants to earn a combined $3099 salary to be able to afford a rental Renters in Melbourne CBD - North were among the worst off, with the report finding an average of $1933 per week, or 56 per cent of household income, was required to live comfortably. Those figures represent an income gap of -$747.41, the report states. In South Australia, Victor Harbour topped the list with a required average weekly income of $1564 per week - representing about 44 per cent of household income. The median rents were determined using a rolling 12-month sample periods, using data as of the 2021 Census. The findings are a blow to an already competitive market that often sees prospective tenants queue to view a property (pictured of people looking at a Sydney apartment) 'Key findings demonstrate that in places like Byron Bay, Mermaid Waters and Noosaville, residents would need to substantially increase their income to afford rent at a rate that does not exceed 30 per cent of their income,' the report states. Mr Mortlock said the report's findings needed to be considered as a call to action by policymakers and industry stakeholders. 'We need innovative solutions to bridge this affordability gap. It's imperative for the sustainability of our communities and the overall health of our economy,' he said. China has increased its support for Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine by sending military equipment to Russia, American officials have said. The alarm was sounded as the Kremlin's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China for an official visit on Monday, his ministry said, with the two countries looking to strengthen diplomatic ties as Russia's invasion of Ukraine grinds on. US officials anonymously told Bloomberg that Beijing has sent rifle scopes, tank components, rocket fuel and satellite images to Russia. They also said that China was providing 'geospatial intelligence' to Moscow to help in its war in Ukraine, as well as sending propellants used in missile production, microelectronics and turbojet engines - bypassing Western sanctions on Russia. China has increased its support for Vladimir Putin 's war in Ukraine by sending military equipment to Russia, American officials have said. Pictured: A Russian missile launcher fires rockets in the direction of Ukrainian troops in this image released on April 4 Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 18, 2023. Moscow and Beijing declared a 'no limits' partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine The publication added that it had been told US secretary of state Anthony Blinken had briefed European allies this week on China's ramped-up support. Putin has regularly courted Chinese support since before he launched the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Western nations regularly urge Beijing to play a greater role in restoring peace in Ukraine by using its influence over the Kremlin. While China sees itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, it has become Russia's leading trade partner in the last two years and favours a political settlement to end the fighting - offering a lifeline to Russia's economy in the face of sanctions. However, it has appeared reluctant to actively prop up the Russian president's armies who suffered a series of defeats in the first year of the war. With Moscow's forces now making gains in the east of Ukraine, this appears to have changed - based on the briefing from US officials. With Putin's forces out-gunning Kyiv's armies, Russian forces are on the offensive. Ukraine warned on Friday that a key frontline town was coming under 'constant fire' from advancing troops as Moscow said it had captured another small village. The Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar in the eastern Donetsk region appears to be their next major target. Both Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers with links to the armed forces said Friday that Russian troops had reached the outskirts of the town. While Ukraine struggles for ammunition - Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has held up a bill for months that would supply $60 billion in military and financial aid for Kyiv - Russia has switched its economy to a war footing. Consumer-based factories have been switched to arms manufacturers, and Russia has signed deals with Iran and North Korea for supplies of shells and drones. This, combined with a greater number of troops, has seen Russia recently secure its first territorial gains since seizing Bakhmut - and it is now trying to press onwards against Ukrainian units hobbled by the delays to vital Western military aid. With China backing Russia's military, western support would become even more vital in Ukraine's efforts to repel the invaders. A serviceman of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a howitzer towards Russian troops in Donetsk region, Ukraine April 5, 2024 Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry announced long-time Putin ally Lavrov had touched down in Beijing in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning. He will spend two days in the Chinese capital and hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, according to a previous readout from the ministry. 'An in-depth exchange of points of view is expected on a certain number of 'burning subjects',' the statement said, citing 'the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region'. The ministry added that the two men would 'discuss a wide range of questions linked to bilateral cooperation, as well as cooperation on the international scene'. Lavrov last visited Beijing in October for an international forum on Chinese President Xi Jinping's flagship Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. It was reported last month that Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in what could be the Kremlin chief's first overseas trip of his new presidential term - which began with his reelection in March. Moscow and Beijing declared a 'no limits' partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two. Rows of dragon's teeth, anti-tank obstacles, are seen in Donetsk region, Ukraine, April 6, 2024 US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Saturday of consequences if Chinese businesses were found to support Russia in the Ukraine war, days after Washington expressed concern Beijing was helping Russia to rebuild its military defence base. 'Secretary Yellen emphasized that companies, including those in the PRC, must not provide material support for Russia's war against Ukraine, including support to the Russian defense industrial base, and the significant consequences if they do so,' the US Treasury said in a statement, referring to the People's Republic of China. Xi, in a call with Putin last month, said both sides should resolutely oppose interference in domestic affairs by external forces, an apparent reference to the United States. Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong said bilateral ties were 'at their best in history' when he met his Russian counterpart in Moscow last month, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout. Israel could be just two days away from agreeing a ceasefire and hostage deal after talks in Egypt have made 'significant progress', Egyptian state-linked media reports. Israel and Hamas have sent negotiators to Cairo, where they were joined by mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Egyptian state-linked news outlet Al-Qahera reported 'significant progress being made on several contentious points of agreement', citing an unnamed high-ranking Egyptian source. The outlet said Qatari and Hamas delegations had left Cairo and were expected to return 'within two days to finalise the terms of the agreement'. US and Israeli delegations were also due to leave the Egyptian capital 'in the next few hours' for consultations over the next 48 hours, it added. A man walks past the rubble of a destroyed building in Khan Yunis on April 7, 2024 Two men sit in a donkey-drawn cart moving past the rubble of a destroyed building in Khan Yunis on April 7, 2024 People walk past destroyed buildings along a road in Khan Yunis on April 7, 2024 An aircraft belonging to the UAE Air Force drops humanitarian and relief aid as part of the 'Birds of Goodness' operation, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, over a location given as Northern Gaza in this screen grab from handout video released April 6, 2024 Meanwhile Israel kept up the pressure, warning that it was ready for future military operations against Hamas in Gaza's far-southern city of Rafah, the last area so far spared a ground invasion. Israel on Sunday pulled its forces out of the southern Gaza Strip and the main city there, Khan Yunis, allowing large numbers of displaced Palestinians to return to the devastated urban area. But Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stressed that the aim was for Israeli forces 'to prepare for future missions, including... in Rafah' on the Egyptian border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marking half a year of war since the unprecedented attack of October 7, also said Israel was 'one step away from victory'. But, as truce talks resumed, Netanyahu also told his cabinet that 'Israel is ready for a deal', adding that 'there will be no ceasefire without the return of hostages'. International pressure has mounted on Israel to end the war which has brought mass civilian casualties and destroyed swathes of the coastal Palestinian territory. Israel's main ally, diplomatic backer and arms supplier the United States last week demanded a ceasefire and hostage release deal along with ramped-up aid deliveries. US President Joe Biden sharpened his tone after voicing 'outrage' over an Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers from the US-based food charity World Central Kitchen. Israel's 98th commando division withdrew from Khan Yunis on Sunday and left Gaza 'in order to recuperate and prepare for future operations,' the army told AFP. After troops left the largely destroyed city, a stream of displaced Palestinians walked there, hoping to return to their homes from temporary shelters in Rafah, a little further south. Maha Thaer, a mother of four returning to Khan Yunis, said she would move back into her badly damaged apartment, 'even though it is not suitable for living, but it is better than tents'. Palestinian families return their homes passing debris of destroyed buildings after Israeli forces' withdrawal from parts of Khan Yunis, Gaza on April 07, 2024 Israel marks six months since the October 7 attacks, as 134 hostages are currently still being held captive in Gaza, according to the Israeli IDF Around 250 hostages were taken into Gaza during Hamas' October 7 attack The war was sparked by the October 7 attack against Israel by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, Israeli figures show. Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants also took more than 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, 129 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead. Thousands gathered on Sunday in front of Israel's parliament to demand the return of the hostages. 'Stay strong, you who are still there,' cried 17-year-old former hostage Agam Goldstein with tears in her eyes. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,175 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Vast areas of Gaza have been turned into a rubble-strewn wasteland, with damage to infrastructure, mostly housing, estimated at $18.5 billion, a World Bank report said. Charities have accused Israel of blocking aid, but Israel has defended its efforts and blamed shortages on aid organisations' inability to distribute assistance once it gets in. 'The denial of basic needs - food, fuel, sanitation, shelter, security and health care - is inhumane and intolerable,' World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on social media platform X. Charred and damaged cars along a desert road after an attack by Hamas militants at the Tribe of Nova Trance music festival near Kibbutz Re'im in southern Israel on Saturday, October 7 A picture taken from Rafah shows kites flown in the sky above the city as smoke billows during Israeli bombardment on Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on April 3, 2024 Humanitarian aid is airdropped to Palestinians over Gaza City on Monday, March 25 Smoke billows over Khan Yunis from Rafah in the southern Gaza strip during Israeli bombardment on January 2 Aid trucks entered Gaza via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Sunday, and medical supplies were brought in via Israel's Erez crossing in the north. As the war in Gaza has raged, the Middle East has also seen a surge of violence involving Iran-backed militant groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Israel was widely blamed for a strike early last week on the consulate building in Syria of its arch foe Iran, sparking retaliatory threats from the Islamic republic. An adviser to Iran's supreme leader warned Sunday that Israeli embassies were 'no longer safe' after the strike in Syria that killed seven Revolutionary Guards members. Gallant said the army had 'finished all its preparations to react to any scenario that could arise regarding Iran'. The Israeli army also said it had reached 'another phase' of preparation on its northern border with Lebanon, where it has traded fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah for months. Israeli fighter jets struck a compound of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Forces 'in the area of Khiam', near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, as well as a command centre near Toura, northeast of Tyre, the army said. Yemen's Huthi rebels, also backed by Iran, said they had targeted a British ship and two Israeli vessels, after a British maritime security firm reported three separate attacks off Yemen's coast. The Huthis have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November, leading to US retaliatory strikes against Huthi targets. Iran's top diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian hailed 'the brave support of the Yemeni nation for the oppressed Palestinian nation', speaking in Oman on Sunday. Law firms should introduce 'trigger warnings', a senior industry figure has said, amid growing fears for the mental health of City lawyers working from 9am to 11pm. The plea from Colin Passmore comes just months after Vanessa Ford, a senior partner at Pinsent Masons, died while suffering an 'acute mental health crisis'. And Mr Passmore, who is the chairman of the City of London Law Society, said he had had an 'epiphany' following Ms Ford's death last September. Some lawyers in the City work more than 3,000 hours a year, which is equivalent to an 11.5-hour day for five days a week or an eight-hour day every day, and Mr Passmore said he recognised that 'something very serious is going on'. He told the Telegraph: 'That is a massive amount of work on any basis. Law firms should introduce 'trigger warnings' to protect the mental health of those working long hours, chairman of the City of London Law Society Colin Passmore (pictured) has said, just months after a partner at a top firm died while suffering an 'acute mental health crisis' The senior industry figure said he had had an 'epiphany' following the death of Vanessa Ford (pictured), a senior partner at Pinsent Masons last September 'That is an amount of work that should send a trigger warning and that person needs to be spoken to and looked after as appropriate. 'Those sort of hours are massive - I suspect I won't be hugely popular for saying things like that but if we are to address this then these are the things that need to be looked at.' Around six in ten lawyers said they had experienced anxiety in the last year, according to a study by Lawcare Survey, with around 7% having suicidal thoughts. More than a quarter had suffered from depression in the last 12 months while just under half reported a 'low mood'. A standard full-time job, which typically involves working eight hours a day, five days a week, amounts to 2,080 hours a year. Mr Passmore, who was a litigator for clients including Barclays, said his record working year of 2,250 hours had left him exhausted. Many lawyers rack up more hours than this, often working until 11pm or later, and Mr Passmore, who was a senior partner at City firm Simmons & Simmons, said that this should cause concern among management. He added that, while these extreme hours may suit some people, not everyone could cope with them. Mr Passmore accepted that a normal nine-to-five working day would never work for the profession but called for action to prevent future regulation. For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support Victim wins lawsuit against police 4 years after accidental shooting case By Lee Hyo-jin A local court has ruled that the government pay 208 million won ($153,640) in compensation to Arnold Samberg, a 67-year-old retired United States Forces Korea (USFK) sergeant, who was struck in the face by a stray police bullet as officers were responding to a confrontation with a fierce dog. The Seoul Central District Court delivered the ruling last Thursday, about four years after the incident occurred near Samberg's residence in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Samberg filed the civil lawsuit in May 2021, seeking government compensation for physical damage that involved multiple surgeries to reconstruct his jaw, as well as mental trauma. According to the court document, viewed by The Korea Times, Monday, the court determined that the police had exceeded the permissible scope of firearm usage, leading to Samberg's injury. Consequently, the government has been instructed to compensate Samberg for the damages suffered. On the day of the incident, five police officers were dispatched to address a situation involving a pitbull terrier that had attacked a female pedestrian and her dog, resulting in the death of the woman's pet. During the response, a male police officer surnamed Han fired a shot at the dog, but the bullet ricocheted off the ground and struck the right side of Samberg's jaw as he was crossing the street. Accompanying the police officers were five members of the 119 rescue team at the scene, who were in the process of preparing a tranquilizer gun and a net to capture the canine. The judge noted that despite the dog having been tasered with a stun gun once, it did not display intense aggression at the moment Han decided to use the firearm. "Under such circumstances, the police officers and firefighters could have divided their tasks. Some could have focused on preventing pedestrians from approaching the scene, while others could have restrained the dog with a net, ultimately tranquilizing it," the verdict read. The court also highlighted the police officer's failure to adequately caution pedestrians before firing the weapon, in addition to issuing a warning through the siren system installed in the patrol car. In their defense, the police argued that they resorted to the firearm because the stun gun ran out of batteries. The court dismissed the claim, noting that the police officers had only brought a single stun gun to the scene, which indicated a lack of adequate preparation for controlling a fierce canine. "The officers arrived at the scene with only one stun gun, which was discharged within a minute. It is difficult to view that they maintained the necessary operational readiness or were adequately prepared to respond to the reported situation," the ruling read. Based on these findings, the court ordered the state to compensate Samberg for the surgeries he underwent, additional necessary medical procedures, and the psychological injuries he sustained. However, the court limited the government's liability to 90 percent, citing Samberg's unexpected incursion as a factor, and noting that he did not fully adhere to precautionary measures to avoid potential risks that may arise on the streets. Attorney Min Ji-won at IPG Legal, Samberg's legal representative, expressed disappointment at the court's decision not to hold the government fully accountable. "It is meaningful that the court acknowledged the government's responsibility for the lasting physical and mental injuries suffered by Samberg. However, attributing fault to him for not being vigilant on the streets is difficult to understand. Anyone could have been a victim, as avoiding a stray bullet on the streets is impossible by simply observing one's surroundings," Min told The Korea Times. In a separate criminal case, the police officer who fired the bullet, was indicted in May 2023 on charges of professional negligence resulting in injuries. A local court acquitted him in October, but prosecutors appealed the decision. "What my client wants more than monetary compensation is a genuine apology from the government. His trauma has worsened since the court's not-guilty verdict for the police officer who fired the gun. He is scared to even leave his home," the lawyer said. The ex-husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dina Manzo has been freed on bail after 'hiring a mobster to beat up her new husband for a discounted wedding at his catering hall'. According to federal court documents, New Jersey restauranteur Tommy Manzo posted a $100,000 bond ahead of his trial for racketeering charges, which is scheduled to begin on May 20. As part of his bail agreement, Manzo handed in his passport and is forbidden from traveling outside New Jersey and New York until the case is decided. Manzo was indicted on federal charges in 2020 for allegedly hiring a member of the notorious Lucchese crime family to beat up David Cantin, 44 - Dina's, 51, then-boyfriend and now-husband in 2015. In return for carrying out the attack, Manzo allegedly offered suspected mobster John Perna, 44, a heavily discounted wedding reception at his catering hall, The Brownstone, in Paterson. Dina Manzo's, 51, ex-husband, Tommy Manzo (seen with Dina) has been freed on a $100,000 bail after hiring mobster John Perna to beat up Dina's new husband in 2015 Dina pictured with husband David Cantin, who was beaten up with a slapjack by Perna and an 'accomplice' in a New Jersey strip mall parking lot in 2015 Tommy Manzo offered the suspected mobster a heavy discount at his banqueting hall for his wedding - which was allegedly attended by several members of the infamous Lucchese Crime Family The court document states: 'Perna was to use his connections to the Lucchese Crime Family to arrange for, and commit, an assault on the boyfriend of Manzo's ex-wife, and in return, Manzo would allow Perna to use the wedding venue at a steep discount'. Perna, along with an 'accomplice', reportedly tracked down the victim to a parking lot of a New Jersey strip mall. Perna then used a slapjack, a club weapon favored by mobsters, to 'inflict a permanent injury' on Cantin's face in the savage attack, according to court papers. Following the attack, Manzo then upheld his end of the bargain, and provided Perna the glamorous wedding venue at a much lower rate. 'The reception was attended by over 330 guests, many of whom were members of the Lucchese Crime Family,' said Acting US Attorney Rachael Honig. Five years later, Perna and his accomplice were indicted for the crimes. The mobster pleaded guilty to committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and was sentenced to nearly three years in prison - before being released in August last year. It is not clear whether his associate ever went on trial for his role in the attack. A federal judge dismissed the charges against Manzo earlier this year, however, because numerous delays in the case led to a violation of his right to a 'speedy trial'. 'The last day that Mr. Manzo could have been brought to trial on the Indictment in compliance with the [law] was December 10, 2022,' a previous federal court filing, submitted on January 19th, read. 'But no effective continuance was signed until nearly eleven months later,' it went on. 'There is no question that there has been a violation of the [Speedy Trial Act] in this case the indictment against Mr. Manzo must be dismissed,' the filing concluded. Last month, Manzo was re-indicted on the same charges, which include one count each of violent crime in aid of racketeering activity, conspiracy to commit an assault with a dangerous weapon, and falsifying and concealing records related to a federal investigation. Manzo co-owns The Brownstone venue with his brother Albert. It is based in Paterson, New Jersey Mobster John Perna, 44 - a member of the Lucchese crime family - was found guilty of the 2015 attack in 2021, and sentenced to two-and-half years Dina and her second husband were allegedly beaten by her ex- and another attacker in Holmdel, in 2017 In addition to arranging the assault, Manzo was also accused of falsifying and concealing records when federal authorities investigating the assault searched the venue for documents related to the wedding. Manzo had failed to turn over relevant documents in response to those subpoenas and deliberately submitted a false document regarding the reception. FBI agents then raided the venue in November last year and seized invoices for the wedding reception, as well as other relevant documents, that were not previously turned over. Manzo also has pending state charges in Monmouth County, that allege he and another mystery man broke into Dina and Cantin's home in Holmdel, before beating the husband with a bat, physically assaulting her and then robbing the pair in May 2017. The next hearing regarding that case is set to take place on April 29, state prosecutors revealed to The NY Post. Manzo and Dina married in 2005, in a big-fat Italian wedding, before breaking up in 2012 and divorcing in 2016, with their marriage on the way out at the time of the assault. Manzo co-owns the Brownstone venue with his brother Albert. The venue appeared in episodes of the RHONJ when Dina was on the show. Josef Fritzl's defence lawyer has posted bizarre topless pictures from her mountain holiday after the latest bid to have the incest monster transferred from a high security prison. Astrid Wagner, 60, shared several snaps from her hiking holiday in Austria, which showed her leaning against a fountain and fence - while wearing nothing but her hiking trousers. The eccentric lawyer posted similar pictures in 2015, 2017 and 2020 due to 'great demand', but said she 'really [doesn't] want to provoke anyone' with her revealing photos after she was previously reported to the Austrian Bar for topless shots. Wagner's most prominent client is Fritzl, 88, who has been incarcerated since 2009 after holding his daughter Elisabeth captive in his cellar in the Austrian town of Amstetten for 24 years, raping her thousands of times and fathering her children. The Austrian defence lawyer is trying to get Fritzl released from the high-security psychiatric prison he is currently held in, claiming that he is no longer dangerous - but her latest bid has been unsuccessful. Astrid Wagner, 60, shared several snaps from her hiking holiday in Austria, which showed her leaning against a fountain and fence - while wearing nothing but her hiking trousers The Austrian defence lawyer is trying to get Fritzl released from the high-security psychiatric prison he is currently held in, claiming that he is no longer dangerous - but her latest bid has been unsuccessful Josef Fritzl is seen during day four of his trial at the country court of St. Poelten in 2009 The eccentric lawyer posted similar pictures in 2015, 2017 and 2020 due to 'great demand', but said she 'really [doesn't] want to provoke anyone' with her revealing photos after she was previously reported to the Austrian Bar for topless shots A court in the town of Krems an der Donau had ordered in January that Fritzl be transferred to a regular prison from a prison psychiatric unit after being told he was 'no longer at threat of reoffending', but this decision has since been overturned. Wagner helped Fritzl write the book 'The Abyss of Josef F', in which the incest monster described how he came up with the idea to hold his then 18-year-old daughter captive and the lengths he went to to explain her disappearance. READ MORE: Inside the evil mind of Josef Fritzl as monster who fathered seven children with the daughter he locked in his cellar for 24 years describes his sickening crimes in memoir Advertisement She shockingly said about Fritzl: 'He is not a beast.' His daughter Elisabeth, who is now 56 and has been given a new identity, previously said she hopes her evil father will be punished for his crimes 'until death'. Fritzl's trial heard he raped her 3,000 times in the rat-infested cellar and how he beat and kicked her and eventually had seven children with her. The mother lived downstairs in the flat with her children - Kerstin born in 1988, Stefan (1990) and Felix (2002). Meanwhile Lisa (1992), Monica (1994) and Alexander (1996) were raised upstairs in the home Fritzl shared with his wife Rosemarie in sleepy Amstetten in central Austria, 48 miles from Linz. Another son, named Micheal, tragically died from neglect shortly after he was born. Speaking through her lawyer Eva Plaz at her father's trial, Elisabeth said that she hopes he is never released. 'She wants the defendant to be held responsible until death,' Ms Plaz said. Earlier the lawyer had told the court: 'The defendant has made himself the master of life and death. He must be punished for this.' Josef Fritzl was granted conditional release from a prison for the mentally ill by an Austrian court in January, shortly after being pictured outside of prison for the first time in 15 years Elisabeth Fritzl (pictured as a schoolgirl), now 56, was held prisoner by her father Josef in the cellar of the family's Austrian home from 1984 to 2008 Fritzl, 88, is detained at Sankt Poelten Prison and is suffering from Alzheimer's disease Elisabeth lived in this dingy, cramped basement for 24 years with her children Josef Fritzl during a four-week-holiday in Pataya, Thailand, January 1, 1998, to February 3, 1998 Fritzl, who has now changed his name to one not made public, has been in prison since his conviction in 2009 for incest, rape, enslavement, coercion and the murder by neglect of his newborn son. MailOnline reported that Elisabeth has build a new life with her bodyguard husband in an isolated riverside home just half an hour from the dungeon where she was held captive for 24 years, living opposite her oldest daughter Kerstin. This comes after Fritzl wrote an apology letter earlier this year in which he claims he is a 'good father'. 'I regret all of my actions deeply. Kind regards, Fritzl,' the incestious rapist wrote. 'I was actually a good father,' he claimed, saying that he saved money for the 'children's education', that he visited them often, helped them with chores and even got them to learn instruments 'and so forth'. British hero Sir Nicholas Winton could have saved even more Jewish children from the Nazi regime than previously believed, new research suggests. The late stockbroker is celebrated for rescuing 669 children by organising Kindertransport trains that brought them to Britain before the outbreak of the Second World War. His story was largely unknown until he emotionally met some of those he saved on BBC show That's Life in 1988. Sir Nicholas was portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins in the recent film One Life, bringing further public attention to his selfless efforts. As well as the Kindertransport trains, Sir Nicholas was known to have helped organise three flights that brought children out of Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia on the eve of war. But now, details of a fourth flight have been discovered in unpublished diaries of another humanitarian who worked with Sir Nicholas. British hero Sir Nicholas Winton could have saved even more Jewish children from the Nazi regime than previously believed, new research suggests. Above: Sir Nicholas with one of the children he rescued from Czechoslovakia; Sir Nicholas in the Czech Republic in 2014, receiving the Order of the White Lion, the country's highest honour According to the Telegraph, Doreen Warriner, Sir Nicholas's colleague in Prague, wrote in the unseen diary: 'On the 10th March, a special plane took my children from the YWCA to England, through Winton's organisation by now in charge of Trevor Chadwick.' Ms Warriner, who as the head of the British Committee for Refugees from Czevhoslovakia was working to get children out of the country, also referenced this 'special plane'. Her diary has been studied by historian Edward Abel Smith, who noticed a flight recorded on March 10, 1939. This was days before the Nazis turned Czechoslovakia into the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Another flight had a 20-seat capacity. If this was the case for the previously unknown plane, Sir Nicholas could have saved a further 20 children. Mr Smith told The Telegraph: 'It seems likely that there could be even more transports that Winton and his team organised that we do not know about.' His story was largely unknown until he emotionally met some of those he saved on BBC show That's Life in 1988 Sir Nicholas was portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins in the recent film One Life, bringing further public attention to his selfless efforts He added: 'Given that five days later the Nazis occupied the country, thousands of records were desperately destroyed, so it is somewhat unsurprising that these records might have been lost.' Thousands of records were destroyed in the days after the Nazis fully occupied Czechoslovakia, suggesting that there could have been even more rescues. Mr Chadwick, who became known as the 'Purbeck Schindler' for his own contribution to saving young Jews, was a schoolteacher who stayed in Prague while Sir Nicholas organised visas and foster families in Britain. Sir Nicholas helped to arrange a total of eight trains that brought children from Nazi-occupied areas to Holland, before the youngsters came to Britain by boat. A planned ninth train never with 250 children onboard never left Czechoslovakia due to the outbreak of war on September 1, 1939. All but two of those children died in the Holocaust. Despite his incredible feat, Sir Nicholas, who was a stockbroker, lived in relative anonymity until February 1988, when he appeared on BBC programme That's Life. Above: Winton meets Vera Gissing, one of the children he saved Sir Nicholas was plagued by guilt for the rest of his life. Dame Esther Rantzen, the presenter of That's Life, said last year he had told her over the phone before his TV appearance that he 'hadn't saved enough'. 'I said why do you say that. And he said because there was a last train, it had 250 children on the train... they had closed the border and all those children had to be taken off the train. 'That moment is reconstructed in this feature film. It traumatised Nicky, and I think for him, the memory was of his failure,' she added. On That's Life in 1988, Sir Nicholas was seen sat in an audience of men and women. Unbeknown to him, all were survivors who had come to Britain on the Kindertransport. Producers of the programme had got hold of Sir Nicholas's scrapbook, which recounted his rescue of the Jewish children. As he sat in the front row on That's Life, the audience and viewers at home were told his life story. Near the end of the show, he was introduced to two women, Vera Gissing and Lady Grenfell-Baines. Sir Nicholas worked closely with Trevor Chadwick (above), who was later dubbed the Purbeck Schindler Producers then asked Sir Nicholas to come to the following Sunday's show. He agreed, but he said he wanted to bring his wife. During that famous broadcast, presenter Esther Rantzen asked: 'Is there anybody in our audience tonight who owes their life to Nicholas Winton? If so, can you stand up please.' After a short pause, four rows of middle-aged people stood up. All of them owed their lives to Sir Nicholas, who was knighted for his heroics in 2003. He stood up slowly, turned round, and couldn't quite believe how many there were. He acknowledged them all and then sat down to wipe away tears. Sir Nicholas passed away aged 106 in July 2015. Salvage teams have begun removing mangled containers from the deck of the Dali cargo ship, which remains trapped beneath the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore which it crashed into and collapsed nearly two weeks ago. The vessel's 22-man crew remain stranded on board, with it unclear when they will be able to disembark the ship which had been only minutes into a 28-day journey when it lost power and crashed. The removal of the containers from the deck of the Dali is set to continue this week as weather permits, according to a statement from the Key Bridge Response Unified Command. It is an important step toward the full reopening of one of the nation's main shipping lanes, and crews are progressing toward removing sections of the bridge that lie across the ship's bow to eventually allow it to move. The Dali has been trapped under steel in the Patapsco River since it slammed into the bridge on March 26, killing six workers who were filling potholes above. A total of 32 vessels have since passed through temporary channels on either side of the wreckage, officials said. In this photo provided by the Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command, response crews begin removing shipping containers from the deck of the cargo ship Dali using a floating crane Response crews begin removing shipping containers from the deck of the cargo ship Dali using a floating crane barge at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Sunday, April 7, 2024 The site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the container ship that toppled it, Dali, are seen from the debris retrieval vessel Reynolds, April 4, 2024 The removal of the containers from the deck of the Dali is set to continue this week as weather permits, according to a statement from the Key Bridge Response Unified Command Mangled containers are seen crushed by the bridge, with the salvage operation expected to continue this week 'The Unified Command is concurrently progressing on its main lines of effort to remove enough debris to open the channel to larger commercial traffic,' U.S. Coast Guard Capt. David O'Connell said in the statement. President Joe Biden took a helicopter tour Friday of the warped metal remains and the mass of construction and salvage equipment trying to clear the wreckage. The president also met for more than an hour with the families of those who died. Eight workers - immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador - were filling potholes on the bridge when it was hit and collapsed in the middle of the night. Two men were rescued and the bodies of three others, named as Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 38, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Castillo, 26, were recovered in subsequent days. The search for the other victims continues. Officials have established a temporary, alternate channel for vessels involved in clearing debris. The Army Corps of Engineers hopes to open a limited-access channel for barge container ships and some vessels moving cars and farm equipment by the end of April, and to restore normal capacity to Baltimore's port by May 31, the White House said. More than 50 salvage divers and 12 cranes are on site to help cut out sections of the bridge and remove them from the key waterway. As salvage teams and officials come on and off the boat, the 22 sailors on board remain stuck on it, with no plans for them to disembark. The shipping container crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people Dramatic footage showed the moment the bridge collapsed as the ship collided with it The almost-two dozen sailors who were on the ship are being forced to stay on the wrecked vessel Most of the Dali's crew are from India, with the country confirming that 21 of them are from the nation, while one is from Sri Lanka, according to the US Coast Guard. READ MORE: Container ship APL Qingdao loses power and slows to a halt near NYC's Verrazzano Bridge 12 days after cargo vessel crash in Baltimore left six dead Advertisement They've been given books, magazines and access to TV to keep themselves entertained by local aid groups. Reports emerged last week that none of them have been allowed to disembark as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its investigation into the crash. It has still not been confirmed when they'll be allowed to leave the ship. The New York Times reported that needed to wait until more debris was cleared. Andrew Middleton, director of the Catholic Ministry, Apostleship of the Sea, told NPR that he has had 'limited conversations' over recent days with the crew as they remain on board. He told NPR that those on board were 'prepared for a 28-day voyage, so they have fresh food and fresh water.' The crew were required to stay on board 'to monitor mechanical systems, electrical systems, pumps,' he said. 'All those kind of things that make the vessel operate, you need humans to do that.' In this photo provided by the Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command, response crews begin removing shipping containers from the deck of the cargo ship Dali using a floating crane barge at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Baltimore. (Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command via AP) A specialized salvage climber scales a container to survey the damage to containers onboard the cargo ship Dali at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Saturday, April 6, 2024 Response crews begin removing shipping containers from the deck of the cargo ship Dali using a floating crane barge at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Sunday, April 7, 2024 The site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the container ship that toppled it, Dali, are seen from the debris retrieval vessel Reynolds, April 4, 2024, in Baltimore. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP) Workers are seen in the beginning stages of dismantling the steel from the frame of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, using an exothermic cutting torch, April 4, 2024, in Baltimore. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP) He said that if they should end up being stranded for longer than 28 days, 'the ship line will make arrangements to get food and fresh water out to them or, you know, anything else that they might need.' He added: 'I think we worry that the stress and the trauma of the incident and - that, as time goes on, might start to weigh a little more heavily on them.' The Indian government confirmed following the crash that those on board are in good health, including the one crewmember who sustained a minor injury during the collision. Questions have been raised over exactly how the crash occurred, and who ought to take responsibility. The site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the container ship that toppled it, Dali, are seen from a debris retrieval vessel, the Reynolds, April 4, 2024, in Baltimore. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP) The site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the container ship that toppled it, Dali, right, are seen from a debris retrieval vessel, the Reynolds, April 4, 2024. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP) CBS previously reported that an unclassified memo from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said the ship reported losing power before it crashed, with Maryland governor Wes Moore backing up the claim. Officials told the outlet that the crew unsuccessfully tried to reboot the propulsion systems, before alerting Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Authority. They said that this alert allowed local officials to stop traffic on the bridge and likely saved lives. But NTSB previously said it needs to undertake its full investigation before it can come to a conclusion on exactly what happened. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport on Sunday after part of the engine blew off - the latest in a litany of safety disasters for the aviation giant. Indeed, it seems like every day brings a new mechanical failure for the firm, employing 170,000 people worldwide, that has left it facing an existential crisis and shaken its reputation for safety. Since the turn of the year and near-fatal blowout in early January on an Alaskan Airlines flight, the 90billion company has seen its troubled 737 Max line suffer one mishap after another. A Southwest Airlines flight made an emergency return to Denver International Airport on Sunday morning after a Boeing 737's engine cowling blew off shortly after take-off A door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX-9 aircraft blew out mid-flight in January, in what Boeing has admitted is a 'watershed' moment for the firm The company has even had to deal with the death of a whistleblower who claimed the firm was hiding institutional malpractice - and who killed himself just days after giving evidence to a corporate lawsuit brought against Boeing. It has also been accused of letting safety lapse as it obsesses over 'woke' diversity targets in staffing, as well as over-paying executives working from home. Current CEO Dave Calhoun announced last month he would be stepping down at the end of this year in a management overhaul, with share prices plunging. And passengers are said to be deliberately changing flights to avoid Boeing's fleet or travelling with anti-anxiety medication. The descent into disaster for Boeing began back in 2018 when a total of 346 people died in two crashes involving Boeing's flagship 737 MAX aircraft, on a Lion Air flight in Indonesia in October 2018 and one operated by Ethiopian Airlines the following March. Those prompted the grounding of all Boeing 737 airlines for 21 months but hazardous glitches have continued to affect journeys on a near-daily basis, the latest coming yesterday when an engine cowling fell off a plane in the US. A recent Alaska Airlines flight from Hawaii to Alaska was diverted back to Honolulu due to a flooded bathroom, filling the aisles with water Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun announced last month he would leave at the end of 2024 A Boeing 737 MAX-8 operated by United Airlines veered off the runway after landing in Houston on March 8 Former Boeing quality manager John Barnett (pictured in 2022) warned in January about two specific plane models recently involved in accidents, before his death last month Series of safety alerts since the start of 2024 Boeing's turbulent turmoil has all come in the wake of the Alaska Airlines near-fatal accident on January 5, when an emergency exit on a 737 MAX 9 jet blew off mid-flight in front of horrified passengers. Some 171 planes among the firm's fleet were grounded pending safety investigations and the Federal Aviation Administration capped production of the aircraft. About 24billion of market value was wiped out in a matter of days, while share prices have since fallen by 25 per cent. Boeing has also had to pay 127million to Alaska Airlines in 'initial compensation' due to the grounding and passengers on the plane have filed lawsuits, while the US Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation. A door plug blew off on January 5 with 171 passengers and crew on board, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon. The criminal probe will examine whether Boeing has met the conditions of the 2021 settlement reached after the 2018 and 2019 crashes that killed 346 people. The first occurred when a MAX-8 operated by Indonesia's Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea in October 2018. The second was when an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 crashed nearly straight down into a field six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa in March 2019. Alaska Airlines also reported last month that the windshield of another Boeing 737 MAX-8 cracked as the plane descended into Portland International Airport. That came not long after a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner over New Zealand plummetted 300ft, with more than 50 people hurt. And that was before a Boeing 737 MAX-8 operated by United Airlines veered off the runway after landing in Houston, Texas, on March 8. The 737 MAX (pictured) is one aircraft at the centre of Boeing's current crisis over safety The Federal Aviation Administration capped production of the 737 MAX due to concerns while 171 of Boeing's fleet were grounded, causing a huge financial headache for the company The Alaska Airlines incident in January was followed by 24billion of Boeing's market value being wiped off as share prices plunged The aircraft, which arrived from Memphis, was said to have suffered gear collapse as it exited the runway at George Bush Airport, although the 160 passengers and six crew were not injured. Earlier that same week there were two other incidents, one involving a 737 engine which caught fire after taking off from George Bush Airport bound for Fort Myers in Florida on March 4. The second saw a 256lb wheel drop from a United Airlines plane, a Boeing 777-200, shortly after take-off in San Francisco that crushed cars parked below as it plummeted to the ground. The United Airlines flight 35 was barely off the runway on its way to Osaka in Japan when it happened, prompting the plane carrying 235 passengers and 14 crew to be diverted to Los Angeles Airport. Even more safety failures have followed, including when a Boeing jet had to make an emergency landing in LAX due to hydraulic issues, after taking off from San Francisco on March 9. Incidents including the January 5 Alaska Airlines debacle have intensified scrutiny on Boeing Boeing has faced criticisms over its 737 MAX jets in recent years, with disasters including a 2018 crash of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia which killed 189 people The list continues with a United Airlines Boeing 777 en route to Japan from San Francisco that was forced into an emergency landing in at LAX when it lost a tyre on March 11. Another Boeing jet was forced to make an emergency landing in LAX after taking off from San Francisco due to hydraulic issues on March 9. That same day, passengers on board a Latam Airlines from Sydney to Auckland were left traumatised after 50 were injured when their Boeing 787-9 plunged, throwing passengers against the ceiling, before landing safely. An American Airlines Boeing 777 carrying 249 people was forced to make an emergency landing at LAX after a 'mechanical problem' on March 13. Flight AA 345 was arriving from Dallas Fort Worth and landed in Los Angeles around 8:45 p.m. The aircraft taxied along the runway and all passengers and crew onboard were able to disembark using a jet bridge, with initial reports suggesting the issue was a blown-out tyre. And on March 29 another Alaska Airlines plane, flying from from Hawaii to Alaska, was forced to turn around after a bathroom flooded filling the aisles of the Boeing 737 MAX-9 jet with water. The flight from Honolulu to Anchorage was 90 minutes into its flight when the forward bathroom of the aircraft suddenly began to malfunction, prompting the captain to turn back to Hawaii for the problem to be fixed. The airliner previously suffered a near-catastrophe in January as a 737 MAX-9 plane door blew out at 16,000ft over Portland, Oregon, forcing an emergency landing. Shocking footage showed the plane lying flat on its wings on grass by the side of the runway, while passengers were hurried off from an emergency gate ladder. That same month Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth, chair of the US Senate's sub-committee on aviation safety, delayed the certification of two new Boeing models - the MAX-7 and the MAX-10. The US's Federal Aviation Authority raised alarm over an anti-ice system on all MAX aircraft said to be at risk of overheating and causing engine damage if used continuously for more than five minutes. Those aircraft are not the only Boeing products to have caused concern. More than a decade ago, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner - a long-range widebody aircraft that can seat up to 335 passengers - was grounded after lithium-ion batteries burst into flames on two separate occasions. One battery sparked a fire on a plane parked at Boston's Logan International Airport in January 2013. Days later, an All Nippon Airways flight made an emergency landing on Shikoku Island in Japan after smoke was detected in an electrical compartment. A National Transportation Safety Board probe faulted the battery manufacturer, Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration for faulty design and testing. Investigations into 2018 Indonesia and 2019 Ethiopia crashes highlighted problems with new software called MCAS, Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System. It had been put in all MAXs in 2017 to prevent the aircraft from climbing too quickly and stalling out, forcing the nose of the plane down without pilot input. But the pilots of those Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights were not trained to disable MCAS. In a video posted online by a passenger on yesterday's Southwest Airlines plane which had to turn around, the pilot can be heard over the in-flight PA system saying: 'We've got a piece of engine cowling hanging off apparently' Whistleblower John Barnett's job for 32 years was overseeing production standards for the firm's planes - standards he said were not met during his four years at the then-new plant in Charleston from 2010 to 2014 as bosses rushed to roll out the then-new 787 Dreamliner model Suicide of whistleblower involved in lawsuit Boeing lost 3.2billion in value last month its stock slumped to a five-month low after news broke that whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in a hotel parking lot. Mr Barnett, 62, had been in the middle of a deposition in a lawsuit related to production of the 787 Dreamliner, according to his lawyer. The suit alleged under-pressure workers were deliberately fitting 'sub-standard' parts to Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX models and bosses were sweeping defects under the rug to save money. Mr Barnett, a former quality manager at the company's North Charleston plant, was said by police to have died following a 'self-inflicted' gun shot. Boeing said in a statement at the time: 'We are saddened by Mr Barnetts passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.' Mr Barnett had previously said in January, after that month's Alaska Airlines incident: 'This is not a 737 problem - this is a Boeing problem. 'I know the FAA is going in and done due diligence and inspections to ensure the door close on the 737 is installed properly and the fasteners are stored properly. 'But my concern is, what's the rest of the airplane? What's the condition of the rest of the airplane? 'What we're seeing with the door plug blowout is what I've seen with the rest of the airplane, as far as jobs not being completed properly, inspection steps being removed, issues being ignored. 'My concerns are with the 737 and 787, because those programs have really embraced the theory that quality is overhead and non-value-added.' Other critics of the firm have included Richard Aboulafia, managing director of consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, who said: 'It's become an extreme embarrassment. 'The board seems weirdly absentee, investors seem weirdly complacent, and the government doesn't seem to have a mechanism for dealing with this.' Alaska Air Group announced last month that Boeing had made a one-time payment totalling over $160million in the first quarter to make up for financial loss after the January 5 incident There were no serious injuries from the Alaska Airlines incident on January 5, but passengers' belongings including phones flew out of the aircraft Concerns about 'woke' workplace sacrificing safety A Boeing insider has also claimed the firm is failing because profit-hungry executives are working from home and the manufacturer has become too fixated on diversity. The anonymous source described Arlington, Virginia-based Boeing as a 'company under caretakers' who have lost touch with its workforce. They told City Journal: 'We just instituted a policy that everyone has to come into work five days a week - except the executive council, which can use the private jets to travel to meetings.' The individual also claimed the company has become obsessed with diversity and inclusion policies, known in the US as DEI. They added: 'The DEI narrative is a very real thing and at Boeing DEI got tied to the status game. It is the thing you embrace if you want to get ahead. It became a means to power. 'It is anti-excellence, because it is ill-defined, but it became part of the culture and was tied to compensation. Every HR email is: "Inclusion makes us better." This kind of politicization of HR is a real problem in all companies.' And Federal Aviation Administration head Michael Whitaker last month blasted Boeing for focusing on 'production' instead of 'safety and quality', after visiting some of its facilities. He told NBC Nightly News: 'My impressions were similar to the culture survey that just got completed at Boeing and our audit, which is that there are issues around the safety culture at Boeing. 'Their priorities have been on production and not on safety and quality, so what we really are focused on now is shifting that focus, from production to safety and quality.' Pressure on departing chief executive Boeing stock has lost 43 per cent of its value since Mr Calhoun took the top job in January 2020, while rival Airbus added more than 26 per cent to its market cap during the same period. But experts say his exit package could amount to as much as 55million, including a guaranteed 19million thanks to shares he owns and additional stock options. Announcing his planned departure in a letter to staff last month, Mr Calhoun described January's Alaska Airlines debacle as 'a watershed moment for Boeing'. He said: 'We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency. We also must inculcate a total commitment to safety and quality at every level of our company. An Alaska Airlines flight arrived in Portland with the door to its cargo space - where passengers' pets were inside - left slightly ajar An anonymous individual has accused Boeing of becoming obsessed with diversity and inclusion policies, which they deem 'anti-excellence' 'The eyes of the world are on us, and I know we will come through this moment a better company, building on all the learnings we accumulated as we worked together to rebuild Boeing over the last number of years. 'We have been working together for the last five years to address some of the most significant challenges our company and industry have ever faced in our 108-year history. 'I am confident that the way we have confronted these challenges, and how we are responding to this specific moment, is establishing standards for future generations of employees and will be woven into the fabric of how we operate for decades to come.' MailOnline has approached Boeing for comment. A criminal who broke into a charity shop before burrowing through a wall to steal 10,000 worth of cigarettes and stamps from a supermarket next door has been jailed. Stefan Moores, who was joined by two accomplices who are still at large, broke into a Barnardo's charity shop in Chester at night before gaining access into the Tesco Express next door. The men stole 450 from Barnardo's safe before smashing through a concrete wall to get into the Tesco branch. On top of the stolen items, the robbers left thousands of pounds worth of damage in their wake. Footage showed to Cheshire Crown Court showed the three men carrying hammers, crowbars and wearing balaclavas as they brazenly exited the Tesco through the backdoor. Moores, 34 from Stockport, was eventually identified by DNA found on a screwdriver in the stolen car which linked him to the scene - described as a 'carefully planned attack' by Cheshire Police. Stefan Moores (pictured), who was joined by two still unidentified accomplices, broke into a Barnardo's charity shop in Chester in November 2023 before breaking into the Tesco next door Damage to the wall between Barnardos and Tesco Express. Moores and his two accomplices stole 10,000 worth of cigarettes and stamps as well as leaving thousands of pounds worth of damage to the stores Footage showed to Cheshire Crown Court showed the three men carrying hammers, crowbars and wearing balaclavas as they left the scene He appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday April 5, where he was sentenced to three-years in prison. He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary other than a dwelling. During the hearing, the court was told how on the evening of Sunday November 19, 2023, Moores and his two accomplices travelled from Manchester to Chester in a stolen Hyundai i30 using false number plates. The men arrived at Weston Grove shopping parade in Upton, a suburb of Chester, shortly after 11pm and walked to the back of the shops, where they smashed open the door of Barnardo's shop. After forcing open the safe and stealing the cash inside, they set about gaining entrance to the next door Tesco in a very unusual manner. Burrowing through breezeblocks and metal, images show the trail of destruction they left, with concrete scattered across the floor and goods from Barnardo's strewn around. Once inside the little Tesco, they grabbed the stamps and cigarettes before fleeing in the stolen car at about 3.45am the following day, leaving a 5,250 trail of damage behind. As they make their getaway, one can be seen carrying a huge bag, presumably holding the cigarettes and stamps. During their enquiries detectives discovered traces of Moores' DNA on the Tesco cigarette display. The 5,250 trail of damage left behind by the three men. On top of the 10,000 worth of goods stolen from Tesco, they also took 450 from Barnardo's safe One of the men leaving the scene of the crime. Moore appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday April 5, where he was sentenced to three-years in prison Similar traces were also found on a screwdriver in the stolen car which was recovered by Greater Manchester Police in the Wythenshawe area of Manchester on Thursday December 7. Moores was arrested at his home on Thursday February 29 and officers found footwear that matched the CCTV recovered at the scene. Following the sentencing, Detective Constable James Wright, of Chester Proactive Policing Team, said: 'It is clear that this was a carefully planned attack. 'Moores and his accomplices travelled to Cheshire that night determined to steal as much as possible. 'Their main aim was to use the charity store as an easy route to gain access to the adjoining Tesco Express from where they could steal the cigarettes and stamps. 'To them, the cash from the charity shop safe was simply a bonus, however 500 is a huge amount of money to the charity which could have been used to help vulnerable children. Moores and his two accomplices travelled from Manchester to Chester in a stolen Hyundai i30 (pictured) using false number plates. After the stolen car was recovered after traces of Moores' DNA was found in the car and in the store 'The trio used a variety of tactics to try and evade police, including using false registration plates and balaclavas. 'But thanks to the hard work of our officers, we were able to gather compelling evidence against Moores leaving him with no option but to admit his guilt. 'While Moores is now behind bars, this investigation remains ongoing and we are committed to doing all we can to identify the two outstanding offenders to ensure they are also brought to justice. 'I hope that this case acts as a warning to those intent on travelling into Cheshire to commit crime - we will find you and you will be held responsible.' Dozens of former subpostmasters today demanded that those responsible for the Horizon scandal which sparked the widest miscarriage of justice in British history should be prosecuted. Sixty ex-postmasters met at Fenny Compton village hall in Warwickshire this morning, 15 years after their campaign for justice began, to share their stories about the ongoing impact the scandal has had on their lives. Meeting them on BBC Breakfast ahead of the public inquiry into the scandal, which is set to resume this week, Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake vowed to prosecute those responsible for the scandal - before adding that anyone found guilty should be jailed. It comes after shamed Post Office boss Paula Vennells broke cover after a series of bombshell leaked recordings revealed that she was aware of allegations that Fuijitsu staff could remotely alter the accounts of subpostmasters years before addressing Parliament on the issue. In a clip shared online, Channel 4 News asked Vennells if she had 'lied to MPs' about the matter. She remained silent before cycling away. The Commons Business and Trade Committee chair has warned 'all options are on the table' as it looks to take 'sanction' Vennells for potentially misleading Parliament over the ordeal. Shamed Post Office boss Paula Vennells (pictured) was filmed staying silent as she was asked whether she 'lied to Parliament' over as part of a 'cover up' of the Horizon scandal Former subpostmaster Keith Bell (pictured) told the BBC: 'I speak for all the postmasters and the public, we want to know how comprehensive the enquiry will be into the people who caused this to happen' Chalford Hill Post Office's former manager, Nicki Arch, (pictured) said the Post Office brand is 'absolutely shameful' and need to be removed from the high streets Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Keith Bell said: 'I speak for all the postmasters and the public, we want to know how comprehensive the enquiry will be into the people who caused this to happen. He went on: 'They knowingly, deliberately, carried on and carried on. The tapes that have been revealed lately show that they knew there were problems with Horizon. 'They knew they had access to subpostmasters accounts and were able to change data and then went on and spend hundreds of millions of pounds pushing it through the courts. 'We really want to know that these people will be brought to account and asked the relevant questions and made accountable.' Mr Bell admitted to a charge of false accounting over a shortfall of 3,000 in 2002 and was handed a sentence of 200 hours of community service. Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake told victims of the Horizon scandal that those responsible for what happened should go to jail Mr Bell admitted to a charge of false accounting over a shortfall of 3,000 in 2002 and was handed a sentence of 200 hours of community service. Jess Kaur (pictured) was brought to tears when talking about the impact the scandal had had on her life Chalford Hill Post Office's former manager, Nicki Arch, said the Post Office brand is 'absolutely shameful' and need to be removed from the high streets. She told the BBC: 'Twenty four years on I won't go in one, I hate the look of just the word let alone the horrible red sign and the more I see it, right next to the enquiry building which happens to be a Post Office, it never goes away'. Ms Arch went on to say 'we need a community hub...we need a thriving business', but 'what we don't need is that horrific name behind it'. One victim Jess Kaur was brought to tears when talking about the impact the scandal had had on her life, but said 'we're going to get through this, everybody's going to get through it'. Ms Kaur was driven to suicide after being accused of stealing money from the branch she worked in and that while she was in hospital, the Post Office didn't believe she was there, sending their own doctors to have her examined. When questioned by Alex Thomson over whether the former Post Office boss lied as part of a 'cover up' of the Horizon scandal, Paula Vennells stayed silent. In a video posted by Channel 4 on X, Thomson approaches Vennells while she is on her bike, asking: 'Paula, you're accused of lying to MPs, did you lie to MPs?' He adds: 'You're accused of being at the centre of a major cover-up in this whole issue. Would you accept that there's been a cover up? Vennells has been filmed being questioned by Channel 4's Alex Thomson (left) Former Post Office boss Vennells is seen leaving her local village church in February 2022 'There is a lot of evidence that there's been a cover-up.' Vennells remains silent, only addressing someone she knows at the scene, smiling and saying: 'See you soon.' In a call on July 2, 2013, an independent investigator warned Vennells not to categorically deny that Horizon could be accessed by Fujitsu staff in case 'some bloody whistleblower' contradicted her. Seven years later, in a letter to a parliamentary committee, Vennells said she had been told by Fujitsu that the system could not be accessed remotely. The recordings do not appear to contain any explicit statement confirming that Horizon could be accessed remotely. If someone is found in contempt of parliament it means that someone has interfered with parliament or obstructed it (or a member of the House) from performing their duties. Hundreds of subpostmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office and handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 as Fujitsu's Horizon IT system made it appear as though money was missing at their branches. Public outcry for the scandal was heightened in the wake of the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which detailed the plight of those wrongly convicted, many of whom had their lives, reputations and livelihoods trashed. Good Morning Britain presenter Ed Balls today claimed Prince Andrew 'incriminated himself' during his car-crash Newsnight interview. The ex-Labour MP was speaking to Sam McAlister, the former BBC producer who sealed the interview and whose book on the event was recently turned into the hit Netflix film Scoop. The movie looks at the story behind Emily Maitlis' 2019 interview with Andrew, played by Rufus Sewell, who was asked questions about his friendship with disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The interview was dubbed a disaster, with critics accusing the Duke of failing to show remorse for Epstein's victims. Andrew was also stripped of his royal titles by the late Queen and forced to step back from public life. Speaking to Ms McAlister this morning, Mr Balls claimed that Andrew's issues on Newsnight were not that the questions were 'too hard', but that it was that he had 'essentially admitted what he had done'. Ed Balls told Sam McAlister on Good Morning Britain that Prince Andrew's issues during the interview were not that the questions were 'too hard', it was that he had 'essentially admitted what he had done' Ms McAlister agreed with the former shadow chancellor and said Emily Maitlis's questions were 'very fair' Billie Piper (above) plays Ms McAlister, the producer who sealed the interview, in the Netflix film, scoop Rufus Sewell (left) plays Prince Andrew (right) in Scoop which came out on Netflix today He said: 'When you are a criminal barrister you are looking for the person in the dock to incriminate themselves to essentially admit what they have done. The problem for him was not that the questions were unreasonable or hard, it was that he incriminated himself from the beginning.' Agreeing with Mr Balls, Ms McAlister added: 'If you look at the questions they are very fair. Emily is brilliant and methodological and relentless. But the questions are not aggressive and there is nothing difficult. What's difficult, what's the gotcha, what goes wrong, are his answers.' The TV producer, who is played by Billie Piper in the film, also admitted that the interview was an 'extraordinary experience' and claimed Andrew was 'not aware' of what was happening when he gave the answers. She said: 'He definitely was not aware of what was going on, but I was sitting 15 feet behind and I have two parts of my brain. 'I am a ex-criminal defence barrister, so my lawyer brain was going OMG the prosecution have won the lottery here, because if those statements were false they were very easy to disprove. 'Then my journalist brain is going OMG we've won the lottery here. So, really it was quite hard to keep a poker face. 'So with 50 minutes of that with those kind of answers, I was basically looking at the floor and trying not to make eye contact and it was an extraordinary experience.' Prince Andrew spoke about his links to Jeffrey Epstein in an interview with Maitlis in 2019 Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew following the BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019 (left); and Gillian Anderson as Maitlis and Rufus Sewell as Andrew in Netflix film Scoop (right) Gillian Anderson (left) stars as Emily Maitlis (right) in the newly released Netflix film Scoop Based on Ms McAlister's book Scoops, the film captures the tension behind booking the royal for the interview, as well as the tension among the cast during the recording. Ms Maitlis, who is played by Gillian Anderson, said she was not involved in the creation of the film 'because I think the last thing they want is me peeking around the edges' offering her views. She is currently working on her own version of the story for Amazon called A Very Royal Scandal. Australians headed to Bali are being warned to prepare for major travel delays as Indonesia observes the end of Ramadan. The southeast Asian nation's roads and airports are expected to be packed with millions of people, with Muslims marking the end of the Islamic holy month on Tuesday evening. During the busy period workers in larger cities often travel back to their family homes in rural areas in a tradition known as 'mudik'. Holidaymakers are urged to plan their trip beforehand with Australia's Smartraveller website warning travellers to stay alert. Australians headed to Bali are being warned to prepare for major travel delays, as Indonesia observes the end of Ramadan (Kuta beach is pictured) The southeast Asian nation's roads and airports are expected to be packed with millions of people, with Muslims marking the end of the Islamic holy month on Tuesday evening (Gilimanuk Port on Bali Island is pictured) 'Exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia overall due to security risks,' the alert said. 'Higher levels apply in some areas.' Indonesians, from April 10, will mark several public holidays that conclude on April 22. 'This may impact traffic and public transport, including airports, seaports, highways, toll roads, train and bus stations,' Smartraveller said. 'Airports are expected to be busy. Plan your travel carefully and prepare for significant delays.' While Bali is predominantly Hindu, there is still a large Muslim population and tourists are warned there may be stricter rules. 'Don't assume everything you want to do will be available,' Smartraveller said. 'Be prepared for changes in everyday life.' Visitors have been advised to expect major delays (pictured) in Indonesia as locals prepare to visit friends and family over the holiday period A heartbroken father has called for the death penalty for three children who beat his 13-year-old son to death, leaving him 'disfigured beyond recognition'. The three suspects, all aged under 14 at the time of the murder, are accused of bullying their classmate, named only as Wang, over a long period before killing him in northern China's Hebei province last month. 'He was beaten alive and his body was disfigured beyond recognition,' Wang's father wrote on Douyin, a Chinese social media platform. 'I hope the government will be fair, open and just, punish them severely, and that the killers will pay with their lives.' The grim details of the case, in which the killers buried Wang's body in an abandoned greenhouse, drew public attention to how the law deals with juveniles accused of serious crimes. In 2021, China lowered its age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 for 'special cases' such as inflicting death by 'extremely cruel means', which means the boys can be held responsible for the murder. The three suspects, all aged under 14 at the time of the murder, are accused of bullying their classmate surnamed Wang over a long period before killing him in northern China's Hebei province last month (file image of Handan city, Hebei province) In the last recorded moments before the 13-year-old boy's death, surveillance cameras showed him sitting on a scooter, surrounded by three classmates on March 10. An hour later, his phone went dead, kicking off a frantic search by relatives. The following day, police made a sickening discovery: the boy's body, buried underneath a tarp in an abandoned vegetable greenhouse. Police in Feixiang district of Handan city identified the boy only by his last name, Wang. In a statement on March 17 they said the boy had been killed on March 10 and that the suspects were detained the following day. A police investigator told state broadcaster CCTV on March 18 that the crime had been premeditated, with the suspects digging out the pit twice, once the day before and again the day of the killing. Wang's relatives and their attorney said in interviews with Chinese media and in posts on social media that the boy had long been a victim of bullying, and was forced to give money to one of his classmates before he was killed. They said police identified the suspected killers after reviewing the surveillance footage and questioning the classmates. The provincial prosecutor said today that it had received a police request last month to criminally try the suspects, surnamed Zhang, Li and Ma. It said it had concluded that the three were between 12 and 14 when they 'intentionally committed murder, causing the death of the victim Wang'. 'The circumstances were serious and they should be held criminally responsible,' the provincial office said, adding that the country's top public prosecutor had reviewed the decision. 'While handling cases strictly in accordance with the law, the procuratorial organs will... further strengthen the prevention and treatment of juvenile crimes,' the provincial prosecutor continued. Under Chinese law, murder is punishable by imprisonment or the death penalty. State media have given Wang's death widespread coverage, though there are signs that Chinese authorities are keeping a close eye on public sentiment. On March 17, the family's attorney, Zang Fanqing, was abruptly cut off on a live broadcast after saying he and Wang's father were barred from seeing the boy's body. The next day, Zang said on social media that they were allowed to see the body. Police officers stand guard behind suspects during a public sentencing rally in Baokang, central China's Hubei province September 28, 2007 A public statement from police on March 17 asked the public not to spread rumors to protect the victim's privacy and avoid further harm to the boy's family. His family has signaled they intend to pursue criminal charges. In a video posted on social media, Wang's father said the sight of his son's body was 'crueler than I imagined.' 'Your father isn't scared, he is only upset and furious,' Wang's father wrote, addressing his son. 'Wait for your father to avenge you!' READ MORE: China executes son who bludgeoned his mother to death with a dumbbell - after putting to death couple who killed two toddlers by hurling them from 15th floor balcony Advertisement Media reports said the three boys were 'left-behind' children, a phrase used to describe kids in the countryside often cared for by grandparents because their parents work in faraway cities. Zhang Dongshuo, a defense attorney in Beijing unaffiliated with the case, said that Wang's death is the latest in a series of juvenile murder cases in China that have sparked debate on how old a child should be before being held responsible for a crime. 'Generally speaking, these kinds of cases involving minors are rare,' Zhang said. 'But recently more and more of these cases have been reported by the media, and it's been triggering discussion in Chinese society over revising the age of criminal responsibility.' In 2019, a 13-year-old boy who confessed to sexually assaulting and murdering a 10-year-old girl avoided criminal charges because Chinese law at the time stipulated that only those over the age of 14 could be held criminally liable. Two years later, the the age of criminal responsibility was lowered to 12, but the government mandated that prosecution only take place if approved by the Supreme People's Procuratorate, China's highest prosecuting authority. Zhang added that the lack of parental guidance for 'left behind' children has been a longstanding social issue, but that the question of how they should be raised has not been fully resolved. 'Many people think schools and the government should take responsibility for children's education, but that means if the relevant government departments and schools don't educate them effectively, then it's highly likely this minor is left in an educational vacuum,' he said. Talented girl performs impressive backflips (People's Daily App) 17:07, April 08, 2024 A flipping marvel! In a video that has amazed netizens, a young girl from Yantai, East China's Shandong Province, demonstrates her remarkable acrobatic skills by performing multiple backflips in succession. How many flips did you count? (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) With the parliamentary elections two days away, rival parties headed to key battleground areas in Seoul and the nearby metropolitan regions Monday as they made their final pitch to voters after a record high turnout in the early voting. Ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon visited the southeastern parts of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul, and districts in Incheon, about 30 kilometers west of the capital, later in the day to seek voter support. The Gyeonggi and Incheon regions, which together have some 74 seats at stake, are considered a stronghold for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). But the southeastern districts of Gyeonggi, consisting of industrial towns with relatively younger demographics, have been seen as one of the closely contested regions in this year's general elections, set for Wednesday. Han appealed to voters to prevent the opposition bloc, including the DPK's satellite party, from securing more than 200 seats in the 300-strong National Assembly, a two-thirds threshold that gives the party enough power to override presidential vetoes and even impeach the president. "The 12 hours of April 10th will decide whether the Republic of Korea will advance or fall into ruin," Han said during the campaigning. "We have 12 hours to block them from destroying the Republic of Korea with 200 seats." "As far as I understand, many of you are saving your energy for Election Day. Please go to the polls that day. Let's unite our hearts so that we won't regret it in history," he said. Han plans to also canvass in Goyang in northern Gyeonggi, and Gimpo, just west of Seoul. The PPP has made an election pledge to merge Gimpo and its adjacent cities with Seoul as part of a city reorganization plan. DPK leader Lee Jae-myung focused his campaigning in Seoul, reemphasizing the need to call for punishing what he called "the incompetent Yoon government" and hold the government responsible for mismanaging the country. "If they continue to foul even when they're given a yellow card, you might have to give them a red card someday," Lee said during campaigning in Dongdaemun. Starting off in a district in Dongjak to the south of the Han River, Lee was set to visit several key battleground districts in the central and western parts of Seoul before heading to Incheon to show support for a DPK candidate. Lee is also running for a seat in a different constituency in Incheon. It was the sixth time for Lee to show up at the DPK's campaign in the Dongjak-B district, where its candidate, Ryu Sam-young, is competing against former four-term lawmaker Na Kyung-won of the PPP. Dongjak is considered a key battlefield in Seoul, along with a handful of districts along the northern side of the Han River, in what has been dubbed the "Han River Belt." "Dongjak-B is the barometer for all of Seoul," said Han Byung-do, the strategy chief of the DPK's election campaign committee. "If we win here, we expect to be able to clinch a victory in Seoul." On Sunday, Lee went to Seoul's southern districts of Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa, traditionally a PPP stronghold, to appeal to voters to "make a different choice" this time to "punish the incompetent government" of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The DPK sees that a few constituencies in Gangnam and Seocho are worth betting on as its election forecasts showed the areas were too close to call. Fledgling parties also stepped up their last-ditch canvassing. Lee Jun-seok, a former PPP leader who formed the New Reform Party, said he will campaign for 48 hours straight without sleep. Lee's Hwaseong-B constituency, in Gyeonggi Province, is among the closely contested districts, with a former Samsung Electronics researcher and former Hyundai Motor executive vying for the parliamentary seat against Lee as respective PPP and DPK candidates. Lee's party spent much of the day focusing on its campaigning in the Han River Belt districts. The Rebuilding Korea Party, led by disgraced former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, visited the Gimpo and Seongnam cities in Gyeonggi Province, before moving to Dongjak. The New Future Party (Saemirae), formed by former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, campaigned in Mapo in Seoul's west and Seongdong on the northern bank of the Han River, to pander to the younger generations. The minor Justice Party also canvassed the Mapo district as part of efforts to woo younger voters in the capital and metropolitan areas. On Tuesday, the eve of Election Day, DPK leader Lee and his party members will gather in Seoul's central district of Yongsan, another key Han River Belt battleground, in their last-minute efforts to boost voter support. Han of the PPP will appear at the Cheonggye Stream in downtown Seoul for his final campaign stop. (Yonhap) Keir Starmer was today urged to draw on his time as the UK's top prosecutor and probe the tax affairs of his own Labour Party deputy, Angela Rayner. Sir Keir, the former director of public prosecutions (DPP), was accused of being 'not sufficiently interested' in the row engulfing his number two over her ownership of properties in Manchester. Ms Rayner is under scrutiny over claims she may have avoided capital gains tax on the sale of her own house and broken electoral law by falsely declaring where she was actually living. She denies both claims. The Labour Party deputy leader says she has received legal advice that she did nothing wrong in the early 2010s - before she was an MP. But she has declined to publish the advice. Sir Keir today suggested 'nobody is interested' in the issue and said people were more worried about the state of the NHS. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride today told LBC: 'What does surprise and slightly confuse me is the fact that Sir Keir Starmer, as a former DPP and a fairly forensic and inquiring mind, has not seen fit to ask her [Rayner] to show him this advice to he can come to his own conclusion on it. 'I'm a bit confused about that ... why are you not sufficiently interested in this to ask Angela Rayner to provide you with the details and then you can also reassure us that nothing untoward has happened?' Sir Keir, the former director of public prosecutions (DPP), was accused of being 'not sufficiently interested' in the row engulfing his number two over her ownership of properties in Manchester. Sir Keir today suggested 'nobody is interested' in the issue and said people were more worried about the state of the NHS . Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride today told LBC: 'What does surprise and slightly confuse me is the fact that Sir Keir Starmer, as a former DPP and a fairly forensic and inquiring mind, has not seen fit to ask her [Rayner] to show him this advice to he can come to his own conclusion on it. This morning on a visit to the West Midlands Sir Keir told reporters: 'Angela Rayner has been asked no end of questions about this. She's answered them all. She said she's very happy to answer any further questions from the police or from any of the authorities. 'I don't need to see the legal advice. My team has seen it. But I will say this, that on the day that the A&E figures - people are waiting more than 24 hours in A&E, we now know that they are 10 times as high as they were five years ago - the idea that the Tories want to be focusing on what Angela Rayner, how much time she spent with her ex husband 10 years ago, I can tell you here at this hospital, nobody but nobody is interested in that. 'They're very, very interested in what are you going to do about the A&E problem caused by this Government? He added: It's not appropriate for me to see (Ms Rayner's legal advice) but I do know this, that if you're waiting more than 24 hours for A&E, you're much more interested in why the Government is not absolutely laser-focused on that, which is what they should be, than chasing this smear against Angela Rayner and how much time she spent with her husband over 10 years ago.' Ms Rayner is facing fresh accusations of rule-breaking after The Mail on Sunday exposed social media posts that cast more doubt on her insistence she lived apart from her husband and children for their first five years of marriage. In one post, she said she had 'just got home' but the backdrop is her then-husband's Stockport house, where she claims she did not live. The Mail on Sunday studied dozens of open social media posts by Ms Rayner, all showing her life with her children and cats at the Lowndes Lane address of then-husband, Mark. 10 pressing questions Keir Starmer's deputy leader needs to answer Why did Angela Rayner say, in a social media post from 2014, that she'd 'just got home' to Lowndes Lane if she didn't live there? On her own account of split living, how much time did she spend at each address? Who was with her while she was at Vicarage Road? Is she confident her Vicarage Road electoral roll entry accurately reflects her living arrangements? Why are there no pictures of her at Vicarage Road on her open social media between 2010 when her sons were registered at her husband's home and 2015 when her former council house was sold? Were the neighbours who have repeatedly said she was never in Vicarage Road lying? What does she have to say to those who say her brother, Darren, was living at Vicarage Road alone? Did she get rent from her brother? Did she tell her mortgage provider who was in the property? Did she, while her brother was there, claim a single-person discount on council tax as is now under investigation by Stockport Council? What address did she use on the nomination paper when standing for election as an MP in May 2015? Did her then-husband Mark benefit from a capital gains tax discount when selling Lowndes Lane in 2015? Who gave her the tax advice she now says exonerates her? Did she also get legal advice? Why won't she publish it? Why has she not shown that advice directly to Sir Keir Starmer herself, instead of relying on his team to relay it to him? Advertisement None of the pictures show her at Vicarage Road, a mile away, where she was on the electoral register until selling the ex-council house in 2015. Ms Rayner could face a criminal conviction and a fine for a false declaration on the electoral roll if it is found she was not actually living at Vicarage Road, as neighbours have claimed. They say her brother, Darren, lived there in the later years and described Labour's deputy leader as the 'landlady'. There are also questions over whether she owed tax on the sale, as married couples can normally count only one property as their main home at any one time. She has refused to publish tax advice which she claims exonerates her. Last night Tory party chairman Richard Holden led a clamour of calls from Tory MPs for Ms Rayner to answer 'simple' questions about her property affairs. In a letter to Sir Keir and Ms Rayner, sent last night and seen by the Mail, Mr Holden said: 'You have pledged to uphold standards in public life, but the failure by you and your deputy to answer the simplest questions about this matter makes a mockery of these claims. 'Given the clear public interest in this case, your unwillingness to investigate this fully so far, or even bother to look at legal advice Ms Rayner claims to have received, is a damning indictment of your leadership.' Ms Rayner was defended by Labour colleague Abena Oppong-Asare today. She told LBC the deputy leader was the victim of 'personal attacks' and 'mud slinging', adding: 'Angela has publicly said, and she's not someone to hide away, she's a transparent individual, she says she hasn't done anything wrong, I believe that. 'The concerns I have are that people are asking to publish her personal affairs from something that was 15 years ago, this is a distraction. 'My concern is the direction politics is going... is we are seeing personal attacks on certain individuals, it is predominantly women, and it is predominantly politicians of colour. We should really just be focusing on the policies people are concerned about, that's really what people want to hear, not mud slinging from politicians.' Sir Keir Starmer is a former director of public prosecutions (DPP) A social media post by Ms Rayner from March 20, 2014, in which you can see her patchwork sofa The same chef ornament can be seen in this picture of the kitchen at the Lowndes Lane home Last night Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis said: 'It's about time Angela Rayner came clean on where she was actually living between 2010 and 2015. 'As more evidence is uncovered, appearing to undermine Angela Rayner's account, it is increasingly clear that the British people cannot trust Labour's deputy leader.' Tory former Cabinet minister David Jones said: 'Keir Starmer should insist that Angela Rayner is completely transparent over the sale of her house. 'She should also publish the advice she says she received from her accountant. 'Angela Rayner has been quick to criticise Conservatives in the past. She should now demonstrate that she is herself beyond reproach.' Turkish clinics are offering cut-price cosmetic treatments ranging from rhinoplasty to tummy tucks alongside pet procedures to entice cash-strapped Britons. As pet owners battle with soaring vet bills amid the ongoing cost of living crisis, some Brits are being tempted by cheaper vet care outside of the UK. A clinic in Turkey confirmed to MailOnline that clients are being offered nose jobs and other cosmetic surgeries alongside pet procedures. However, leading vets have warned owners: 'Don't do it.' Flying to Turkey for plastic surgery has become increasingly popular in Britain over the last few years, with the cheaper cost and shorter waiting times big factors in the decision for some customers to take the leap. However, tourists have also been warned of the dangers, with 25 Britons dying after cosmetic surgery in Turkey since 2019. One company, Pet Clinic Turkey, confirmed to MailOnline that it offered treatment for an injured cat coupled up with a discounted nose job operation to sweeten the deal at its partner clinic, Saluss Medical Group. One company, Pet Clinic Turkey (pictured), was found to have offered treatment for an injured cat coupled up with a discount nose job operation to sweeten the deal One company, Pet Clinic Turkey, said that it offered treatment for an injured cat coupled up with a discount nose job operation to sweeten the deal. (file image) The cost of a nose job alone in the UK can range from 4,000 to 7,000, while it can cost more than 1,000 to treat a cat's broken paw. (File image) The Antalya-based firm told a reporter at The Mirror they could get X-rays, surgery and aftercare, physiotherapy and medicine, a hotel for pet and owner for 10 days, transfers and a city tour, as well as a rhinoplasty for between 4,500 and 5,000. The cost of a nose job alone in the UK can range from 4,000 to 7,000, while it can cost more than 1,000 to treat a cat's broken paw. Pet Clinic Turkey is affiliated with Saluss Medical Group, a cosmetic tourism firm which said 'the health tourism industry is expanding into the veterinary sector'. The vet told MailOnline that if pet owners bring their pets with them, the total cost will be reduced. Dilan Akbas, patient coordinator at the firms, told the publication that its main clients from Britain are women under 40 who bring cats or dogs, and sometimes rabbits. She said: 'We have had patients from Saluss who had weight-loss surgery with us, then have come back for their tummy tuck while their pet is also being treated.' Meanwhile, chief vet Dr Filiz Goktas said: 'The numbers of British people who have brought pets in are quite high and are increasing dramatically as bills in the UK have become so high and pet ownership grew after Covid. The tourism industry is expanding into the veterinary sector.' Pete Wedderburn, a leading vet and animal welfare commentator, told MailOnline: 'When it comes to giving pets optimal treatment, quality control is very important, and I would worry about this aspect of treatment in less regulated countries than the UK. 'I would also be concerned about the welfare of sick pets being taken for long stressful journeys. To me, it would make far more sense to discuss the costs of any treatments in detail with your local vet, and if you cannot afford the recommended approach, ask about less costly options. 'This is far more likely to be beneficial to the pet than a long journey to a clinic with less regulation and a higher risk of second rate treatment with complications!' When asked what advice he would give to pet owners thinking about getting cosmetic surgeries alongside their pets getting procedures, he warned: 'Don't do it.' 'I suspect that my concerns for the health of pets are probably reflected in similar concerns that doctors would have for human patients.' One British man, who arrived in Turkey eight months ago to get his teeth done, used Pet Clinic Turkey to help treat his dog Hercules who he found on the street having an epileptic fit. 'We were going to take him back to the UK to get the treatment but the treatment was too expensive... they saved at least around 50 per cent of the cost in the UK when I checked.' The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating vet bills in the UK amid soaring bills. The CMA's review found that consumers may not be given enough information - including price lists - to enable them to choose the best practice and treatment for their pet. The British Veterinary Association has argued that bills are 'fair' and said vets were facing rising costs. It comes as Britons are being targeted by disreputable Turkish medics through pop-up hotel clinics offering cut-price cosmetic surgery Surgeries for procedures such as Brazilian bum-lifts, which can have potentially fatal side effects, are being advertised in Britain at special roadshows by one clinic hailing from the west coast of Turkey. Ekol International Hospitals has held a number of travelling roadshows where interested customers speak to medics and sales reps about ordering cosmetic surgery packages. Pictured: Three Ekol Hospitals employees pose for a photo at a hotel in Britain during one of its roadshow events People speak to Ekol Hospitals sales reps during a roadshow event at a hotel in the UK Demi Agoglia (pictured) died as a result of complications following a Brazilian bum-lift operation in Turkey International comparisons show British animal lovers can sometimes find cheaper prices overseas Representatives of the firm have even travelled around the UK giving face-to-face consultations to interested customers before using underhand tactics and discounts to strong arm people into buying packages worth up to 5,000. Among the most popular procedures offered in Turkey are nose jobs, dental work, and breast and bum augmentation, with complications from the latter leading to the deaths of seven British people in recent years. Social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram feature hundreds of videos of people talking about their experiences, with many praising the treatment they received and others bemoaning the results. In a bid to keep the money rolling in, some Turkish firms have even taken to hosting roadshows in British hotels in a bid to drum up businesses. Among these is Ekol International Hospitals, a firm which is based in the city of Izmir on the west coast of Turkey, which has hosted nine events in the UK in the last two months. These meetings allow customers to speak to medics and have face-to-face consultations before making the decision on whether to commit to the procedure. However, it is reported that those who attend are subjected to shady business practices such as hard selling from sales reps and disturbingly intimate and misleading consultations. In one such get together a reporter who appeared to be considering getting a Brazilian bum-lift was examined by a doctor from Turkey who was not recognised by the General Medical Council and who pulled her knickers down in a breach of the GMC's rules. The Sun reports that when asked about the potential dangers and deaths caused by the operation, a translator who was there because the medic didn't speak good enough English lied by saying 'nobody died from a BBL'. That's despite the latest figures showing 28 British people have died after complications from BBL operations in recent years, including seven who had them done in Turkey. None of those who have died had their treatment at Ekol International Hospitals. After the examination the woman was reportedly seen by sales reps who pressured her into immediately signing for a 5,000 package which included the surgery, flights and a hotel, despite having not plan or paperwork in front of her. These reps offered the woman a 200 discount for signing immediately and another 200 two days later. Ekol International Hospitals has previously been in hot water over some of its business practices, with review aggregator Trustpilot revealing last year it was taking action against it for allegedly 'abusing the reporting function' on its website. It was claimed that the firm had used the system to get rid of overwhelmingly negative reviews, with Trustpilot saying it was a 'clear violation of our guidelines for businesses'. Experts and medical professionals have warned about the tactics used by foreign firms to convince people to sign up for surgeries with little preparation or knowledge about what they're getting into. Mr Marc Pacifico, head of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, told Glamour earlier this year: 'People are lured in with a variety of selling processes that would be considered unethical. 'These include time-pressured offers, buy-one-surgery-get-another-half-price deals, and advertising that glamorises the experience. It's so deceitful.' He added: 'Most people decide to go abroad because of the price and because they are not able to afford the same procedure in the UK. 'When it doesn't work out well for them, they really don't have the money that is required for what is often quite expensive and complex restorative or reconstructive surgery. They feel guilty, they feel angry, and they feel cheated.' The complications from such surgeries are not only financial, sometimes they can have tragic consequences such as in the case of Morgan Ribeiro, a 20-year-old who died after undergoing a gastric sleeve operation in Turkey. Fat is first harvested from the hips, lower back, abdomen, thighs and other areas via liposuction . Special equipment is used to prepare it for transfer before it is injected directly into the glutes at specific points, giving the buttocks a bigger, curvier appearance Morgan Ribeiro (pictured) died after complications from a gastric sleeve operation in Turkey at the age of 20 Morgan had flown to the country for the weigh loss surgery with her boyfriend as she didn't want to be on an NHS waiting list, but ending up dying in agony in a hospital in Belgrade. She had been flying home to Gatwick when she suddenly became ill on the flight, with the plane making an emergency landing in Serbia where it was found her small intestine had been cut during the surgery, leading to an infection. During the operation, surgeons removed over 10cm of her small intestine but tragically Morgan suffered a heart attack on January 9 and was placed in an induced coma - dying four days later in a hospital in Belgrade. Just one week earlier mother-of-three Demi Agoglia had died after having a Brazilian bum-lift operation in Turkey, despite doctors declaring her surgery as being successful. The 26-year-old, who had a seven-month-old baby boy, first said she felt unwell just hours before she was due to return to Manchester. The young woman was taken into intensive care but was tragically pronounced dead later. Her devastated brother Carl, 37, said Ms Agoglia's family and partner had tried to convince her not to go through with the bum-lift as they were concerned for her safety. The father-of-four said: 'It is tragic what happened. We are just in shock. She went to Istanbul to have it done. 'She had previously gone to have her teeth done. No one wanted her to go out and have it done but she is one of those people. 'Her partner is still out there and his dad has just flown out there to be with him. 'If anyone is thinking of flying to Turkey for an operation I would say don't do it! Even her boyfriend didn't want her to do it. But she is 26 and has her own mind. Her mum didn't want her to go out either.' MailOnline has contacted Ekol International Hospitals for comment. The United States 'will not accept' a situation where cut price Chinese goods flood the global market, battering industries elsewhere, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Beijing as she wrapped up four days of high-level talks. 'There is much more work to do,' Yellen said at a news conference in the Chinese capital today. 'And it remains unclear what this relationship will endure in the months and years ahead.' Yellen repeatedly warned about the risks of China's excess industrial capacity during meetings with officials and business leaders in Beijing and the southern city of Guangzhou. Washington is concerned that 'large-scale government support' in China is leading to more production capacity than global markets can absorb, resulting in a surge of cheap exports in sectors such as solar and electric vehicles and stifling the growth of those industries elsewhere. Yellen said such support more than a decade ago had led to below-cost steel flooding the global market, which 'decimated industries across the world and in the United States'. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has wrapped up four days of high-level talks. Pictured with the Governor of the People's Bank of China Pan Gongsheng today Yellen said she had 'difficult conversations about national security' with Chinese officials 'I've made clear that President Biden and I will not accept that reality again,' she told a news conference at the US ambassador's residence, adding that America's allies and partners shared similar concerns. She said some change in Chinese policy would be 'necessary and appropriate', but did not commit to specific actions Washington might take otherwise, while underscoring the United States did not 'seek to decouple' from China. The two countries have also agreed to open channels for further talks on excess capacity in the future, including on fostering 'balanced growth', according to reports. The trip saw Yellen meet with Pan Gongsheng, the governor of the People's Bank of China, on Monday, and she earlier held talks in Guangzhou with her primary counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng. After 11 hours of meetings with the Vice Premier, she raised the issue with Premier Li Qiang as well - moves Washington hopes will bring the concerns to the highest levels of Chinese policymaking. Yellen said she was especially worried about China's weak household consumption and business overinvestment, 'imbalances' she said were 'aggravated by large-scale government support in specific industrial sectors'. But Beijing has pushed back, with China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao this week calling fears of overcapacity 'groundless', according to state media. Yellen's push on overcapacity comes even as bilateral ties have stabilised in other areas, with both sides willing to cooperate on issues including climate change, debt restructuring and money laundering. 'I do not want to see the US economic relationship or overall relationship with China deteriorate and fray,' Yellen told reporters, adding that she believes China shares a similar desire to steady relations. China has been accused in recent years of slapping import bans on certain products from countries, notably Australia, over political disagreements (file image) Yellen raised concerns about China's weak domestic demand and overinvestment in industries such as electric vehicles, batteries and solar products (file image) But Li earlier told Yellen that Washington should view the matter of production capacity 'objectively' and from a 'market-oriented' perspective, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. Yellen noted that excess capacity concerns would not be addressed in a week or month, but stressed that doing so would be positive for China's long-term productivity and growth. Yellen said she also had 'difficult conversations about national security', warning Chinese officials of the consequences of supporting Russia's military procurement efforts and using economic tools to address national security concerns. In particular, she said Washington was committed to having 'no surprises' in the use of such tools. She said the United States has laid out its principles and policymaking process. Yellen held 11 hours of meetings with her counterpart Vice Premier He Lifeng. Pictured together on April 6 But she added: 'We would welcome transparency from (China) on its national security actions and greater clarity on where it sees the line between national security and economic issues.' China has been accused in recent years of slapping import bans on certain products from countries, notably Australia, over political disagreements. Yellen also said she discussed the issue of TikTok 'briefly' with Chinese counterparts, saying Washington had legitimate concerns when it comes to protecting sensitive personal data. The United States Congress is threatening to ban the wildly popular video app unless it changes hands. She noted that China also shares worries over data protection, with many US social apps blocked from the country. 'We would like to find a way forward,' she said. Yun Sun, senior fellow at think tank the Stimson Center, said that overall, Yellen's ability to meet with senior Chinese officials to convey US concerns and 'probe' China's reactions is a positive development. But she cautioned that China is unlikely to give up or change its current growth model and areas of focus because of the United States, unless there are significant consequences, given its economy is 'not in the best shape'. But both sides agreeing to cooperate in technical areas such as tackling money laundering would be helpful to boost confidence in their relations, Sun said. Among areas of cooperation, Yellen said she has seen progress in recent months over specific debt cases such as Zambia's. A man who allegedly raped victims during BDSM sessions inspired by the 50 Shades of Grey films is set to go on trial for two weeks in France from today. Mauritius-born Ange Bauda, 31, will appear before the Vosges Assize Court, in Epinal, accused of rape, aggravated sexual touching and violence against three women - accusations which he denies, claiming his alleged victims are jealous. Prosecutors say Bauda thought of himself as a real-life Christian Grey - the mysterious billionaire businessman and BDSM enthusiast from the 50 Shades of Grey books, which were adapted into a series of films beginning in 2015. In the novels, Grey invites protagonist Ana Steele into his BDSM 'play room' and eventually introduces her to the world of sexual dominance and submission. Bauda is said to have been inspired by the films, but according to his accusers, his actions were far more sinister than those of Grey - and in one case is alleged to have beaten a woman with a riding crop while she was fitted to a 'spreader bar'. Prosecutors say Ange Bauda, 31, thought of himself as a real-life Christian Grey - the mysterious billionaire businessman and BDSM enthusiast from the 50 Shades of Grey books, which were adapted into a series of films beginning in 2015 (pictured) Mauritius-born Bauda will appear before the Vosges Assize Court, in Epinal (pictured), accused of rape, aggravated sexual touching and violence against three women - accusations which he denies, claiming his alleged victims are jealous According to reports in France, Bauda was arrested in May 2019 after himself filing a complaint about one of the numerous women he had sexual relations with. At the time, he told investigators that he had been practising domination for around two years, using equipment such as sex toys, handcuffs, masks, whips, cords and straps - all of which were found during a search of his home. According to dating websites which Bauda is said to have used to find women, he worked for an electrical hardware store in Epinal, sometimes presenting himself as a deputy director, business manager or building manager. On his dating profiles, he is reported by French newspaper Le Parisien to have boasted: 'I spank, none of them resist me.' Investigators tracked down women who crossed paths with Bauda - who Le Parisien reports saw himself as a 'handsome guy' and a 'sex beast' - between 2015 and 2019. In total, police interviewed 43 women who had relationships with Bauda - varying from a single evening to several years, according to the publication. Many described him as a 'seducer', 'manipulator', 'liar' and 'stalker' - and as someone who did not hesitate to blackmail women with a sex tape if they dared to refuse him or break off their relationship. For seven of the women, their erotic encounters with Bauda are alleged to have turned into a nightmare - either for a single night or for a longer relationship. One said she had to take '25 showers' after being raped by the man. Another has recalled a humiliating and violent encounter at a motorway rest area. However, the accusations of only three of these women have reached court, including a former partner who denounced violence during their relationship. During the trial, lawyers for the alleged victims will work to demonstrate that Bauda does not know how to distinguish between sexual play and a lack of consent. Le Parisien reports Bauda justifies his actions by calling them 'games', agreed upon between him and the complainants. However, lawyers are expected to argue that he did not care about consent with his partners, and that he wanted to 'punish' them. Even when they did not sign a 'submission contract' with him - as was the case with some of the women spoken to by investigators - he is alleged to have been abusive. In the novels - by E. L. James - Grey invites protagonist Ana Steele into his BDSM 'play room' and eventually introduces her to the world of sexual dominance and submission Dakota Johnson (left) and Jamie Dornan star in 50 Shades of Grey, released in 2015 They say he set the rules of their encounters, and gave no heed to safeguards usually put in place by consenting adults who take part in BDSM. In one case, he is accused of telling an alleged victim: 'You can shove your code red up your a**, because I will do what I want of you' as she was held by a 'spreader bar' while he beat her with a riding crop, Le Parisien reports. Police and prosecutors are understood to have 2,182 videos and 40,000 messages found on Bauda's mobile phone to draw upon during the trial. Since he was placed in the Nancy-Maxeville prison in pre-trial detention, he has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Mystery has taken over Milwaukee County as human body parts have been discovered in three separate instances since last Tuesday. In the latest grisly discovery on Saturday, Milwaukee Police Department said they are investigating unidentified human remains found in the area of North 30th Street and West Galena Street. It comes after an unspecified human body part was discovered a few blocks away near North 30th Street and Lisbon Avenue and a severed leg was found on the lakefront near Warnimont Park in Cudahy on Tuesday. Officials in Milwaukee have not said if the three discoveries are related, but fears have arisen that the remains may have belonged to missing teen Sade Carleena Robinson. The family of Robinson spent much of their Saturday searching an area near 30th Street and Lisbon Avenue after the 19-year-old vanished on April 1. Body parts have been found in three locations around Milwaukee since last Tuesday, police said Fears have arisen that the remains may have belonged to missing teen Sade Carleena Robinson There, they discovered her blanket, and said the area where the remains were discovered was in the same place Robinson's car was found torched the morning of April 2. Milwaukee Police and the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office responded, quickly setting up a crime scene. Robinson's cousin told TMJ4 that following the discovery of the missing woman's car, there was no sign of the student anywhere. 'When we came to look for her, we didn't come looking for body parts. We were just coming to look for her, yelling her name. We hear about the body part and there's a little less hope,' she said. The teen's family grew more and more concerned as the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office revealed that more remains had been unearthed on April 6 - just across the street from where Robinson's car was found. Robinson's mother, Sheena Scarbrough told WISN that her daughter texted her the afternoon of April 1 and asked for $15, which she thought was 'very unusual'. Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office arrested a person of interest in connected to the leg discovery on Thursday, and claimed they were investigating the scene in nearby Cudahy as a homicide. A person of interest, who according to a report is Milwaukee bartender Maxwell Anderson, 33, is currently in custody connected to the gruesome case, but charges have not been filed Arlinda Garza, Sade Robinson's cousin, searched for the 19-year-old in the neighborhood near 30th and Lisbon Ave on Saturday, April 6 Family members found a blanket belonging to Sade Robinson near 30th and Walnut on Saturday A person of interest, who according to a report from Heavy, is Milwaukee bartender Maxwell Anderson, 33, is currently in custody connected to the gruesome case, but charges have not been filed. Law enforcement reportedly raided the man's home near 39th and Oklahoma Officials have not linked the body parts discovered to the disappearance of Robinson, but have released a 'critical missing' alert for the student. But although the discoveries have no confirmed links to Robinson, neighbors in the area have been left baffled by the gruesome findings. A former police chief told TMJ4: 'My first thought is are they all related. 'Or is it coincidentally two different victims involved?' Three unarmed Ukrainian Prisoners of War have allegedly been executed by Putin's troops in shocking footage. Footage, which is too graphic for MailOnline to share, is alleged to show Russian servicemen in Krynky shooting dead unarmed, immobile soldiers with what appear to be assault rifles. The disturbing video shows the seemingly dead soldiers lying against a wall, with blood streaming from their wounds as repeated shots hit their bodies. The highly distressing case has been reported to the United Nations by Kyiv's human rights commissioner Dmytro Lyubinets. Lyubinets said: '[The footage] must become an evidence base for the tribunal against criminals The killing of prisoners of war is a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War and a grave international crime. Footage, which is too graphic for MailOnline to share, is alleged to show Russian servicemen in Krynky shooting dead unarmed, immobile soldiers with what appear to be assault rifles The highly distressing case has been reported to the United Nations by Kyiv 's human rights commissioner Dmytro Lyubinets The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office said that Russia had ignored provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of POWs, which they say indicated 'that such actions are supported by the top-level command of the Russian armed forces' (pictured: Russian president Putin) 'Such cases, unfortunately, are not isolated and are a systematic practice of an insidious enemy 'The world community must send a clear signal to Russia that the traces of war crimes cannot be hidden.' Ukraine has launched a pre-trial investigation into the violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office said: 'Once again the representatives of the aggressor state have flagrantly ignored the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which indicates that such actions are supported by the top-level command of the Russian armed forces.' Ukrainian investigative outlet evocation.info has named Hero of Russia Lt-Col Sergei Ishtuganov, 37, as having given the order for the alleged war crime. He once told Putin he was fighting against 'Nazi scum' in Ukraine. The 328th Airborne Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces 'wiped Krynki off the face of the Earth and were involved in several war crimes', stated the outlet. 'The crime was committed by servicemen of the 328th regiment of the 104th division on the orders of the Hero of Russia Sergei Ishtuganov. 'This was done to intimidate the fighters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.' The wounded PoWs were 'finished off with automatic weaponsthe filming was specially carried out in close-up.' On December 8, 2022, Ishtuganov was decorated by Putin with Russia's highest honour. The highly distressing case has been reported to the United Nations by Kyiv 's human rights commissioner Dmytro Lyubinets (pictured) Ukrainian investigative outlet evocation.info has named Hero of Russia Lt-Col Sergei Ishtuganov (pictured left next to Putin), 37, as having given the order for the alleged war crime The wounded PoWs were 'finished off with automatic weaponsthe filming was specially carried out in close-up', Ukrainian investigative outlet evocation.info reports At his Kremlin awards ceremony, the colonel addressed Putin saying: 'Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief [Putin], it is a great honour for me to be in the main hall of our country and to be awarded the highest award of our Motherland, the Gold Star Medal. 'This is the merit of all my subordinate paratroopers, with whom we are fighting against the Nazi scum. 'Eighty years ago our grandfathers and great-grandfathers also defended the independence of our native country, waging a merciless struggle for the whole Russian world.' He thanked Putin for putting his trust in him and vowed: 'The enemy will be defeated, the victory will be ours.I have the honour.' The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have stepped in for King Charles as they watch French soldiers guard Buckingham Palace for the first time in history to mark 120 years of friendly relations between the two countries. The royals are filling in for the King as he continues to step back from royal duties while undergoing treatment for cancer. The Entente Cordiale accord was signed in 1904 and cemented an improvement in relations after the Napoleonic Wars. It is seen as the foundation of the two NATO members' alliance. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh walked past 32 members of the 1st and 2nd Infantry regiments of the Garde Republicaine and then 40 guardsmen from F Company Scots Guards, lined up opposite their French counterparts. They were joined by General Sir Patrick Sanders, UK Chief of General Staff, the French Chief of the Army Staff General Pierre Schill and France's ambassador to the UK Helene Duchene. The event was the first time a non-Commonwealth country has taken part in the Changing Of The Guard ceremony. The Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, are stepping in on behalf of King Charles today The Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of King Charles, at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace The Duke of Edinburgh at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace today Members of the British Army's Scots Guards march past the Queen Victoria Memorial as they take part in a special Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace French soldiers are guarding Buckingham Palace for the first time in history to mark 120 years of friendly relations between the two countries The Duchess of Edinburgh at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace The Duchess of Edinburgh at the Changing of the Guards ceremony today France's Gendarmerie's Garde Republicaine arrive at Buckingham Palace to take part in the Changing of the Guard The Duchess of Edinburgh smiled as she attended the ceremony today French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands to onlookers outside the Elysee Palace in Paris British soldiers enter the Elysee Palace today in Paris French President Emmanuel Macron and British ambassador to France Menna Rawlings gesture outside the Elysee Palace in Paris today French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands to onlookers outside the Elysee Palace today Major Jamie Drummond-Moray, Officer Commanding F Company Scots Guards, said: 'It is an enormous privilege for us to host the French here in London and to play such a significant part in a ceremony that has never happened before with a non-Commonwealth country. 'It really is a monumental occasion and more so given that it is marking 120 years of the strong relationship between the UK with France. 'I think it's a great honour for all our soldiers, and a fantastic day for everyone in France and the UK.' Meanwhile, the UK's Foreign Minister David Cameron and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne celebrated their 'close friendship' in a joint op-ed published late on Sunday. They said it was key at a time when NATO is mobilised to ensure Ukraine does not lose its fight to repel the Russian invasion. 'Britain and France, two founding members and Europe's nuclear powers, have a responsibility in driving the alliance to deal with the challenges before it,' the diplomats wrote in The Telegraph. 'We must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching - and will judge us if we fail.' British troops and France's Gendarmerie's Garde Republicaine during the parade at Buckingham Palace today The Entente Cordiale accord was signed in 1904 and cemented an improvement in relations after the Napoleonic Wars A British member of the Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards walks past members of the French military and police towards the Elysee Palace French President Emmanuel Macron and British ambassador to France Menna Rawlings walk in the courtyard of the Elysee Palace Emmanuel Macron and British ambassador to France Menna Rawlings walk in the courtyard of the Elysee Palace Emmanuel Macron and Menna Rawlings walk in the street outside the Elysee Palace The ceremonies are seeing British guards take part in the changing of the guard outside the Elysee Palace of President Emmanuel Macron, while his French guards do the same outside Buckingham Palace in London of King Charles. At the Elysee, 16 members of the Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards of the UK embassy, wearing their traditional bearskin hats, will relieve French counterparts from the first infantry regiment starting at 8:30am GMT. The French army choir will then sing the two national anthems - God Save the King and La Marseillaise. 'This is the first time in the history of the Elysee that foreign troops have been invited to participate in this military ritual,' a French presidential official said. At the end of 2023, Macron made the changing of the Republican Guard public again, on the first Tuesday of each month, though the ceremony is much less spectacular than its counterpart outside Buckingham Palace. Two sections of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiment of France's Republican Guard will participate in the London ceremony alongside guards from F Company Scots Guards and other British forces, the French presidential official said. It will be watched by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh - Prince Edward and his wife Sophie - accompanied by the UK chief of the general staff, General Patrick Sanders, and French chief of the army staff Pierre Schill. The event on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace will mark the first time a country from outside the Commonwealth - which mostly includes English-speaking former British colonies and possessions - has taken part in the changing of the guard. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of King Charles, looks on at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace France's Gendarmerie's Garde Republicaine arrive at Buckingham Palace to take part in the Changing of the Guard t A member of the military band plays 'La Marseillaise' (the National Anthem of France) during the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace The Changing of the Guard takes place at Buckingham Palace The signing of the Entente Cordiale on April 8, 1904, is widely seen as preparing the way for France and Britain joining forces against Germany in World War I. While the accord is often used as shorthand to describe the Franco-British relationship, ties have been bedevilled by tensions in recent years particularly after Brexit. Migration has been a particular sticking point, with London pressuring Paris to halt the flow of migrants across the Channel. But a state visit by King Charles last autumn - one of his last big foreign engagements before his cancer diagnosis - was widely seen as a resounding success that showed the fundamental strength of the relationship. 'This anniversary is therefore an opportunity to promote the historic military, diplomatic, economic and cultural ties that unite France and the United Kingdom and to reaffirm our common values,' the French presidential official said. A severely ill toddler who died of meningitis was discharged from a regional Victorian hospital in a worse condition than when he was admitted, a coroner has heard. An inquest is investigating the death of 19-month-old Noah Souvatzis, who was holidaying with his parents in Myrtleford in north east Victoria on December 29, 2021, when he became unwell, Despite the youngster vomiting, crying for hours and having a high fever, his parents Ben and Steph were unable to get a GP appointment. They decided to take him to an urgent care centre in town after he became severely lethargic, unable to keep fluids down and unresponsive. The family arrived at the Alpine Health clinic where they spent most of the time waiting in a shipping container as the state's health system battled the Covid-19 pandemic. The nurse at the facility monitored Noah's vitals and noted symptoms of lethargy, being alert at times but had increased heart and breathing rates and was unable to keep fluids down. An inquest is investigating the death of 19-month-old Noah Souvatzis (pictured) who had been holidaying with his parents in Myrtleford on December 29, 2021, when he became unwell, vomiting, crying for hours and had a high fever Ben and Steph Souvatzis are pictured with their son Noah 'He was very different that day, making groaning noises,' Mr Souvatzis said. 'It was not the same as a cry. It was a high-pitched, a whimpering noise, like he was in pain.' Fearing Noah's condition was deteriorating, nurses told Noah's parents to take him to Wangaratta Hospital, which had a pediatric department. During the trip, Ms Souvatzis recalled trying to rouse her son who was uncharacteristically dozing off but still vomiting and heaving despite nothing coming out. Upon arrival, the Souvatzis' were concerned seeing the 'disorganisation and panic' by Northeast Health Wangaratta staff who were responding to COVID-19. 'It didn't fill me with great positivity that they were going to take care of my son adequately. But what other options did we have?' Mr Souvatzis said. Noah was attended to by a new doctor who diagnosed the child with viral gastroenteritis and monitored him over the three-hour stay. Despite his vitals returning to a normal range, Ms Souvatzis said her son remained lethargic, limp, unresponsive and unable to take in fluids. 'I played a Wiggles song on my phone. Noah loved The Wiggles. They were his life,' Ms Souvatzis said. 'He didn't even seem to acknowledge the sound.' Noah (pictured) was described by his parents as a gentle boy who loved cuddles and making people laugh and smile Despite Ms Souvatzis' concerns that her son was still unwell, the doctor made the decision to discharge Noah. 'I remember feeling relief Noah had started vomiting again ... because I thought it would mean (the doctor) would no longer make us leave.' Noah was discharged anyway. 'He looked awful. He was pale. He could not keep his head up and would flop all over the place,' Mr Souvatzis said. 'He was sick when he went into hospital but now he deteriorated. He was so much worse than before he came in.' His parents took him to a motel but rushed him to the urgent care centre in Benalla after he began making strange squealing noises and his face became distorted. Nurses and GPs ordered Noah to be urgently transferred back to Wangaratta Hospital and he began suffering seizures on the trip there. The Souvatzis' told the inquest that staff at Northeast Health Wangaratta Hospital (pictured) displayed 'disorganisation and panic'. A representative from the hospital apologised to the family on Monday Noah's parents (pictured) told the inquest antibiotics could have saved their little boy He was rushed to the Royal Children's Hospital after he further deteriorated and was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. At 3.11pm on December 30, Noah was declared brain dead. Outside the Coroner's Court, Noah's parents remembered their son as a beautiful, gentle boy who loved cuddles and making others laugh and smile. 'We want a comprehensive investigation into the multiple failures that occurred that day,' Mr Souvatzis told reporters. 'We want to prevent what happened to Noah from happening to other Australian kids. 'We know our little boy would still be here today if all the medical services provided the expected level of care.' A Northeast Health Wangaratta representative on Monday conceded the care provided to Noah was not appropriate during his first presentation and apologised to his family. Noah Souvatzis (pictured) was only 19-months-old when he fell ill whilst on holidays with his parents The London Fire Brigade have issued an urgent warning after an e-bike exploded at a busy railway station in the capital. Shocking footage shows the e-bike burst into flames at rush hour on the platform at Sutton Station in south London. Smoke emerged from the two-wheeler before flames appeared, forcing people sitting on a bench nearby to hurry away. Thankfully, no injuries were reported after the 'ferocious' fire. Fire crews were called to the scene on Thursday, March 21 at 5.32pm as commuters made their way home. The bike's owner Sahab Singh, 25, bought it from an online marketplace four months beforehand with no issues arising since the purchase. He was travelling to Crystal Palace on the train and fortunately was waiting on the platform when bike caught alight. He said: 'I never had any problems with the e-bike until the day of the fire. 'I was travelling to work in Crystal Palace. The bike started smoking on the train platform and then burst into flames. I feel lucky that I escaped and no one was injured. It was very scary.' Sutton fire station officer Nigel McLachlan was at the scene of the incident, he said: 'The fire was really ferocious and happened extremely quickly. READ MORE: Fire chiefs warn converted e-bikes can create 'toxic vapour clouds' and jets of flame hot enough to melt metal Advertisement 'It would have been devastating if the timings had worked out differently. I hate to think of the tragic consequences it could have had. Thankfully no one was injured. 'This incident only serves to highlight that when buying these products, it's very important to purchase them from a reputable high street seller so you know the full history of the purchase. 'If items are bought from online marketplaces, there is more risk that the bike is sold without the correct battery and charger which can lead to a catastrophic fire.' London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Charlie Pugsley said: 'Following this e-bike fire, we're reminding businesses, including rail operators, to carefully consider their fire risk assessments and we're encouraging transport operators to consider whether they have adequate safety measures in place should an e-bike fire happen on their service.' People were sitting on a bench near the e-bike as smoke poured out of it just seconds before it exploded A huge fire erupted as the e-bike exploded on the platform at Sutton railway station Fire crews were called to the incident on Thursday, March 21 at 5.32pm 'Since we launched our #ChargeSafe campaign we've been calling for much-needed legislation for online marketplaces to ensure products like batteries, chargers and conversion kits are strictly regulated. All too often these batteries fail if they are used with the wrong charger, are faulty or modified, counterfeit or become damaged.' According to London Fire Brigade, e-bike and e-scooter fires are the fastest growing fire trend in London. From January 1 to April 4 this year, there have been 31 e-bike fires and 9 e-scooter fires. The London Fire Brigade warned that e-bike and e-scooter fires are a growing trend The e-bike's owner, 25-year-old Sahab Singh, bought it from an online marketplace four months prior and had so far experienced no issues Thankfully, no injuries were reported Firefighters issued another reminder about using e-bikes safety after a house fire in the early hours of April 3. The fire on Hitchen Close in Harold Hill, east London, saw a man and woman taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service after suffering from smoke inhalation. Half of the ground floor of a two-storey mid terraced house was damaged by fire, while the first floor and staircase were destroyed and half of the roof was also damaged. The incident is being treated as accidental and it is believed to have been caused by a catastrophic failure of lithium batteries in a converted e-bike. The London Fire Brigade was called at 3.02am and the first was brought under control by 4.03am, but not before eight calls were made to 999. A fire, believed to be caused by a converted e-bike, severely damaged a house (pictured) in Harold Hill, east London Fire crews from five stations arrived to tackle the fire after they were informed of the fire at 3.02am Crews from Harold Hill, Romford, Hornchurch and Dagenham fire stations attended the scene, along with a crew from Essex Fire and Rescue Service. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: 'This fire has left a home destroyed and is yet another example of how devastating fires caused by e-bikes can be. 'In 2023, the Brigade attended a fire, on average, once every couple of days. 'At this fire in Harold Hill, the e-bike was stored under the stairs when it caught alight. 'We recommend storing an e-bike or e-scooter outside or in a shed or garage, if you can. If you are keeping it inside, make sure it's not an escape route. 'The e-bike had been converted from a normal e-bike. Converting pedal bikes into e-bikes using DIY kits bought online can be very dangerous. They can pose a higher risk of fire. 'Get a professional or competent person to carry out the conversion and make sure to buy a battery from a reputable seller and that it is not second-hand. 'From our investigations, we know many of the fires we've attended have involved second-hand vehicles or the bike has been modified using parts bought online. 'At this time, there is not the same level of regulation of products for e-bikes and e-scooters sold via online marketplaces or auction sites when compared to high street shops, so we cannot be confident that products meet the correct safety standard.' A man and a woman were taken to hospital in an ambulance after inhaling smoke Firefighters warned not to keep e-bikes in the house and that converting pedal bikes into e-bikes using online-bought DIY kits can be 'very dangerous' E-bikes and e-scooters are powered by lithium batteries, which store a significant amount of energy in a very small space and are more powerful than other types of batteries. If that energy is released in an uncontrolled way, then a fire or explosion may result. If there is overheating, crushing, penetrating or overcharging, then a fault can occur within damaged battery cells which may cause the battery to catch fire and/or explode. The Brigade spokesperson continued: 'E-bikes and e-scooters are a sustainable way of travelling around but it must be done safely. 'Lithium batteries are susceptible to failure if incorrect chargers are used, so it's important to always use the correct charger for the product and buy an official one from a reputable seller. 'You should also unplug your charger when you have finished using it and we would advise not to leave it unattended or charging while people are asleep.' The entire first floor and stairs of the house were destroyed, as well as part of the roof and ground floor Lesley Rudd, chief executive of the charity Electrical Safety First told MailOnline that there must be legislative change to ensure consumer safety. She said: 'The issues surrounding e-bike and e-scooter battery fires are complex and need to be tackled by all levels of government and industry. 'We are aware the Government has commissioned research to better understand the issue, but speed is of vital importance in order to avoid further injuries and deaths. 'Preventing substandard and dangerous batteries from entering the market in the first place will significantly reduce the risk to the public. So we are urging the Government to adopt our Bill, which will be tabled in Parliament by Yvonne Fovargue MP. 'The Bill will introduce third party certification for e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries, reducing the risk of unsafe batteries entering the market as well as setting standards for conversion kits and charging systems. 'At present manufacturers can self-declare their batteries are safe, our Bill would end this. Third party certification has now been adopted by New York City and is already in place in the UK for other high-risk products such as fireworks and heavy machinery. 'The fires caused when these batteries fail are unique in their ferocity and can have devastating consequences. We urge the Government to back our Bill in order to avoid further loss of life.' A pervert has been arrested for having sex with a drinking water tap in a Japanese park. The 56-year-old man allegedly rubbed his rear against a drinking water tap in a park in the Setagaya district of Tokyo at around 2.20am on April 1. He was arrested by police and admitted to the charge, reportedly saying that he did 'to satisfy his sexual desire'. Shortly after during the same night, the man was caught by an officer as he was riding a bike naked from the hip down. Police initially arrested the man for public indecency after officers found a picture on his phone showing him naked in the park. The 56-year-old man allegedly rubbed his rear against a drinking water tap (pictured) in a park in the Setagaya district of Tokyo at around 2.20am on April 1 Once they discovered a picture of him rubbing his anus on the tap, they re-arrested him for property damage. The man reportedly took the pictures after looking around the park with binoculars to make sure no one was nearby to catch him in the act. The park cordoned off the water tap and plans to replace it. The man is not the first to get 'sexual desire' out of having sex with objects. Aakash Majumdar, from Mumbai, India, shares a bed and has a physical bond with balloons. The 28-year-old identifies as 'objectum sexual', which means he is sexually attracted to lifeless things. Mr Majumdar's bond with his balloons began as a friendship but has since blossomed into something deeper and more affectionate. He said: 'I like their presence and warmth, and share intimate feelings with my balloons and vice versa. I make out with my balloons. When you're in love, you spend a lot of time together and accept all kinds of flaws.' PPP resorts to fear marketing by warning of DPK securing two-third majority By Nam Hyun-woo Rival parties intensified efforts to appeal to voters in the pivotal swing battlegrounds of Seoul, surrounding Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon on Monday, just two days before the general elections take place to elect 300 lawmakers for the 22nd National Assembly. Among the 300 seats, 254 are selected from electoral constituencies, and both the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) predict that 50 to 55 districts are highly contested. Of these closely contested races, 20 according to the DPK's prediction and 26 according to the PPP's prediction are in the Seoul metropolitan area. With these forecasts in mind, the leaders of both the DPK and the PPP have focused their time and resources on the Seoul metropolitan area. During a canvassing event in Seoul's Dongjak-B constituency, DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung emphasized that voters should hold the ruling bloc accountable "for pursuing personal gains with the power and taxes granted by the people, which has led to the deterioration of the country's economy and the erosion of democracy." This marks the eighth visit to the constituency by the main opposition party leader, which is one of the highly contested districts, since the DPK commenced its election campaigns last month. Apart from his own constituency of Gyeyang-B in Incheon, Dongjak-B is the constituency Lee has visited most frequently. He also toured several other swing districts in Seoul, including Jongno, where he made last-minute pitches to voters. "What [the Yoon Suk Yeol administration] does is suppress and investigate someone while vetoing everything that the DPK proposes," Lee said. "Has anyone seen an administration veto this many bills in the country's history?" Since taking office, Yoon rejected nine contentious bills that passed the opposition-controlled Assembly, the most by a president in history. On the other hand, PPP interim chief Han Dong-hoon, who toured battleground constituencies in Gyeonggi Province, said, "The nation will regret it if we fail to stop those criminals now," referring to Lee and the Rebuilding Korea Party head Cho Kuk. The two are undergoing trials regarding their individual corruption allegations. "When the opposition bloc secures more than 200 [out of 300 Assembly seats], they will not stop at impeaching the president. They will amend the Constitution to exonerate Lee and Cho," he said during a canvassing event in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. Han's remarks came as public opinion surveys indicate a high likelihood of the liberal opposition bloc securing more seats than the PPP. In some extreme scenarios, opposition parties may even secure more than 200 seats. In Korea, the Assembly has the authority to approve constitutional amendments, impeach the president, and override presidential vetoes against certain bills when there is approval from two-thirds of registered lawmakers. Since 1973, there has not been a single instance of a political party securing more than two-thirds of the country's parliament in elections. In 1990, the Democratic Liberal Party secured 217 seats as a result of a three-way merger between the ruling party and two opposition parties. However, this powerful status was lost in the subsequent general elections in 1992. Pundits suggest that the PPP seems to be employing a strategy emphasizing fear to appeal to swing voters and conservative supporters. This approach stems from the slim chances of the DPK securing more than 200 seats on its own, making impeachment of the president and amending the Constitution unrealistic goals. Impeaching a sitting president necessitates a judgment from the Constitutional Court, while amending the Constitution requires a national referendum. These processes are beyond the capability of a single party to achieve independently. However, annulling a presidential veto is more realistic, because the Assembly can pass a bill despite the veto if two-thirds of lawmakers re-approve it. Regarding the PPP's appeal based on the 200-seat scenario, DPK campaign committee co-chair Kim Boo-kyum criticized the ruling party, stating that they should "stop being a crybaby." Kim said, "The current odds stand at 51 to 49, and historically, there has never been an election where one side overwhelmingly dominated the other." Maria Zakharova urged world leaders to condemn the act of 'nuclear terrorism' Russia fired five missiles on Zaporizhzhia on Friday, which killed at least four A drone attack that hit the Russian-held Zaporizhizhia power plant in Ukraine three times on Sunday could spark a 'major' radiation incident, said the UN's atomic watchdog. During the attack, one of the facility's six reactors was hit, and resulted in three people being left injured. Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate spokesman Andriy Yusov accused Russia of not only endangering the plant, but also the civilian population and the environment by carrying out attacks on a nuclear facility. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has previously urged both Moscow and Kyiv to restrain from targeting the Zaporizhizhia plant. The IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi deemed the strikes as 'reckless' and 'a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers' facing the plant. A drone attack that hit Zaporizhizhia power plant in Ukraine three times on Sunday could spark a 'major' radiation incident, said The International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi Russian forces took control of the plant in 2022 shortly after their full-scale invasion of Ukraine 'Attacking a nuclear power plant is an absolute no go,' Grossi said. 'Although the damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, this was a serious incident that had the potential to undermine the integrity of the reactor's containment system. 'Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately,' he added. Following the triple-strike Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged world leaders to condemn the act of 'nuclear terrorism.' Zakharova asked how many more times Ukraine would endanger nuclear safety at the plant before Western leaders took action. The IAEA said its experts had confirmed three drone attacks and that Russian troops engaged what appeared to be a drone approaching reactor No. 6. The nuclear plant has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235 and also has spent nuclear fuel at the facility. Reactors Number 1, 2, 5 and 6 are currently in cold shutdown while Reactor Number 3 is shut down for repair and Reactor Number 4 is in so-called 'hot shutdown', according to the plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which has experts at the site, said it was the first time the nuclear plant, Europe's largest, was directly targeted since November 2022. Russian forces took control of the plant in 2022 shortly after their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The plant remains close to the front lines, and both Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of risking a nuclear accident by attacking the plant. Russia pointed the finger at Ukraine regarding Sunday's strikes. Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, said Ukraine attacked the plant three times on Sunday with drones, first injuring three near a canteen, then attacking a cargo area and then the dome above reactor Number 6. 'Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station has been subjected to an unprecedented series of drone attacks, a direct threat to the safety of the plant,' Rosatom said. 'The radiation levels at the plant and the surrounding area have not changed,' it said. A Ukrainian intelligence official said Kyiv had nothing to do with any strikes on the station and suggested they were the work of Russians themselves. 'Ukraine was not involved in any armed provocations on the site,' Yusov told the Ukrainska Pravda news website. He added that Russia is 'illegally' occupying the plant. Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the bank of Kakhovka Reservoir in Nikopol Sunday's drone strikes come after Russia fired five missiles on Zaporizhzhia on Friday, which killed at least four people and injured 20 others 'Russian strikes, including imitation ones, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant ... have long been a well known criminal practice of the invaders,' a spokesperson for Ukraine's HUR Main Intelligence Directorate, Andriy Usov, added. In February, the IAEA said its team of experts at the plant had heard explosions every day for a week. At the time, Mr Grossi said: 'For more than two years now, nuclear safety and security in Ukraine has been in constant jeopardy. 'We remain determined to do everything we can to help minimise the risk of a nuclear accident that could harm people and the environment, not only in Ukraine.' The drone strikes come after Russia fired five missiles on Zaporizhzhia on Friday, which killed at least four people and injured 20 others. Firefighters work at a site of a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine on Sunday Firefighters extinguish a fire at the site of a missile strike Residential buildings and industrial facilities were damaged, the regional governor said. The Zaporizhzhia power plant sits roughly 80 miles up the Dnieper river from the Kakhovka dam, which was heavily damaged in explosions on June 6 2023. Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022, fears of a nuclear disaster have been sparked on several occasions when the plant was shelled and was temporarily disconnected from Ukraine's power grid. The city of Zaporizhzhia itself is less than 35 miles away and housed 750,000 people before the war. Three civilians were also killed in a Russian attack on the frontline village of Guliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region on Sunday morning, the local governor said. 'Two men and a woman died under the rubble of their own house, which was hit by a Russian shell,' Ivan Fedorov said on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine's forces destroyed all 17 attack drones launched by Russia, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday. 'At night the Russian occupiers attacked Ukraine once again, using 17 attack drones. The Ukrainian air defence forces destroyed all of them,' the Ukrainian General Staff said on Facebook. Elon Musk has become caught up in an investigation into the dissemination of fake news in Brazil after the billionaire said he would defy a judge's order to block some accounts on his X platform. Crusading Brazilian Justice Alexandre de Moraes said that Musk began waging a public 'disinformation campaign' on Saturday regarding the top court's actions. The judge said he tech boss continued the following day - most notably with comments that X would cease to comply with the court's orders to block certain accounts - and opened a separate investigation late Sunday into Musk for alleged obstruction. 'The flagrant conduct of obstruction of Brazilian justice, incitement of crime, the public threat of disobedience of court orders and future lack of cooperation from the platform are facts that disrespect the sovereignty of Brazil,' de Moraes wrote. Musk will be investigated for alleged intentional criminal instrumentalization of X as part of an investigation into a network of people known as digital militias who allegedly spread defamatory fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices, according to the judge's decision. Elon Musk will be investigated for alleged intentional criminal instrumentalization of X as part of an investigation into a network of people known as digital militias Crusading Brazilian Justice Alexandre de Moraes said that Musk began waging a public 'disinformation campaign' on Saturday regarding the top court's actions (file image) The new investigation will look into whether Musk engaged in obstruction, criminal organization and incitement. Musk shared a series of posts on X overnight in reference to the court order, describing it as 'the most draconian demands of any country on Earth!' Soon after, he urged his followers and X users to 'download a virtual private network (VPN) app' 'to ensure that you can still access the 'X' platform'. It comes after X Corp's Global Government Affairs team released a statement saying it had been 'been forced by court decisions to block certain popular accounts in Brazil'. It added that it was being 'threatened with daily fines if we fail to comply,' but said it was seeking to challenge orders 'where legally possible'. 'The people of Brazil, regardless of their political beliefs, are entitled to freedom of speech, due process, and transparency from their own authorities,' it said. But soon after, in response to a user, Musk said later that the company would reinstate the affected accounts even if it meant losing business in the South American country and force the company to shutter its local office. 'We are lifting all restrictions. This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil,' the self-declared free speech absolutist wrote. FILE - Elon Musk appears at an event in London, on Nov. 2, 2023. A crusading Brazilian Supreme Court justice included Musk as a target in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news 'As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there,' he wrote. 'But principles matter more than profit.' He later instructed users in Brazil to download a VPN to retain access if X was shut down and wrote that X would publish all of de Moraes' demands, claiming they violate Brazilian law. Musk had not published de Moraes' demands as of late Sunday and prominent blocked accounts remained so, indicating X had yet to act based on Musk's previous pledges. Moraes' decision warned against doing so, saying each blocked account that X eventually reactivates will entail a fine of 100,000 reais ($20,000) per day, and that those responsible will be held legally to account for disobeying a court order. Brazil's political right has long characterized de Moraes as overstepping his bounds to clamp down on free speech and engage in political persecution. In the digital militias investigation, lawmakers from former President Jair Bolsonaro's circle have been imprisoned and his supporters' homes raided. Bolsonaro himself became a target of the investigation in 2021. De Moraes' defenders have said his decisions, although extraordinary, are legally sound and necessary to purge social media of fake news as well as extinguish threats to Brazilian democracy - notoriously underscored by the Jan. 8, 2023, uprising in Brazil's capital that resembled the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol. Brazil's attorney general wrote Saturday night that it was urgent for Brazil to regulate social media platforms. FILE - President of the Superior Electoral Court, Judge Alexandre de Moraes, speaks during the inauguration of the Center for Combating Disinformation and Defense of Democracy in Brasilia, Brazil, March 12, 2024 'We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law, failing to comply with court orders and threatening our authorities. Social peace is non-negotiable,' Jorge Messias wrote on X. Brazil's constitution was drafted after the 1964-1985 military dictatorship and contains a long list of aspirational goals and prohibitions against specific crimes such as racism and, more recently, homophobia. But freedom of speech is not absolute. A toddler swallowed her mother's diamond wedding ring and had to have it surgically removed. The girl's mother couldn't find her diamond ring, but didn't think much of it until her daughter became unwell and started vomiting for 11 hours. The woman rushed her 15-month-old daughter into A&E in Qingdao, China, where an external examination found no cause for the little girl's symptoms. But then an X-ray revealed both the location of the mother's diamond ring and the cause for the toddler's illness: the jewellery item was lodged in the child's abdomen. Doctors decided to surgically remove it, as they were worried the diamond could be potentially dangerous to the little girl. An X-ray image revealed that the diamond ring was in the toddler's abdomen Another X-ray image showed where the diamond ring was inside the toddler's stomach They also suspected that it would be difficult to pass it naturally without any complications. Doctors successfully removed the ring in surgery under general anaesthetic. The girl has reportedly recovered well and was discharged from hospital after two days. It is reported that ingestion of foreign objects in children is most common between the ages of one to three. The diamond ring that had to be surgically removed after the girl swallowed it Small, smooth objects may be passed without any complications but even if the affected child has no symptoms, removal of the object should be considered as early as possible. Little Kazarie Dwaah-Lyder, 2, from London, died 14 months after he swallowed a plastic 'googly eye', which went undetected by an X-ray as it was not metal. For just over a year after swallowing the plastic imitation eyeball, the toddler carried on 'without symptoms' until he was rushed to hospital in April last year where he sadly died. Now, in light of the 'beloved' child's 'unforeseen' death, senior coroner Mary Hassell has written to senior doctors questioning the lack of national guidance on children who are suspected to have swallowed a non-metal object. Ms Hassell said she had heard evidence that children suspected of having swallowed a non radio opaque object such as a googly eye, and who are displaying symptoms, should undergo an endoscopy - where a camera on a tube is inserted into the patient. Radio presenter Stacey Lee is fearing for her safety after a gang of thieves broke into her home to steal thousands of dollars worth of items. The burglars carried out the brazen daylight robbery at the home in Myrtle Bank, in Adelaide's eastern suburbs, last Thursday at around 3pm, where the FIVEAA Afternoons host lives with her husband. CCTV footage captured the moment a hooded man dressed in all black made his way through the front entrance of the property and appeared to be armed with a weapon. Radio presenter Stacey Lee is fearing for her safety after a gang of thieves broke into her home The man was among a gang of three men who arrived at the property in a stolen blue Toyota Rav 4. The thieves took several items including jewellery, shoes, handbags, a laptop and Ipads. Ms Lee's wedding dress was left strewn on the floor and the intruders also went through her bedroom drawers. The gang are then seen in the CCTV loading the valuables into a white Toyota Yaris - which belongs to Ms Lee's mother - after they found the spare key. The intruders were then seen driving off in both vehicles. CCTV footage captured the moment a hooded man dressed in all black made his way through the front entrance of the property and appeared to be armed with a weapon (pictured) Ms Lee's wedding dress was left strewn on the floor and the intruders also went through her bedroom drawers stealing thousands of dollars worth of items Luckily no one was inside the property at the time of the home invasion. 'I haven't slept and we've changed our locks straight away and we're looking at other security options know,' Ms Lee told Nine News. Ms Lee who arrived at the property at 5pm said the men took away some of her most treasured possessions. 'I had stuff from my Yiayia [Greek word for grandmother] that's been handed down, so it probably doesn't have much dollar value that stuff but it's invaluable to me,' she said. Ms Lee praised the work of police officers who are investigating the incident. Police said that the Rav 4 was stolen at a property in Modbury Heights on April 1 and has been used in several break-ins across the city's northern and eastern suburbs. The incident comes after Grant Stevens, South Australia's Police Commissioner, agreed to send 20 police officers to the Northern Territory. The hooded intruders were seen loading the stolen items into a white car (pictured) before they fled the scene a short time later The move was made to assist the NT police force in a bid to control youth crime with a two week youth curfew currently in place in Alice Springs that is due to end on Wednesday. Ms Lee told the FIVEAA breakfast program on Monday that she was baffled by the decision as the state faces its own officer shortage. 'We know how hard it is to get police to fill in the gaps from the cops who are leaving and retiring and we're sending some of our staff interstate,' Ms Lee said. Anyone who knows where the two cars are or has any information about the home invasion, are urged to contact police immediately. A veterinary nurse whose Siberian husky mauled her three-month-old daughter to death has avoided being struck off after a disciplinary hearing was told her conviction 'doesn't render her unfit to practise'. Karen Alcock was 'coerced' by her partner Vince King into joining him in a woods near their home in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, to train their huskies, one of whom killed her daughter Kyra Leanne King. The baby was left with fatal injuries after Blizzard, described as a once 'calm' and 'placid' racing dog, mauled her. Now the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has decided the mother, who has been a veterinary nurse for 20 years, will be allowed to continue practising. Ms Alcock pleaded guilty to owning a dangerous dog last year and was handed an eight-month suspended sentence as well as 80 hours unpaid work. Karen Alcock (pictured, left), a veterinary nurse whose Siberian husky mauled her three-month-old daughter to death, has avoided being struck off after a disciplinary hearing was told her conviction 'doesn't render her unfit to practise' Ms Alcock was 'coerced' by her partner Vince King (pictured) into joining him in a woods near their home in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, to train their huskies, one of whom killed her daughter Kyra Leanne King The pair first walked five of the dogs together as Kyra was pushed by her mum, before King took seven of the dogs on a sled run Her daughter was taken out by her parents at just five days old to exercise the dogs at Ostler's Plantation, a woodland in Lincolnshire. READ MORE: Parents of three-month-old girl who was mauled to death in her pram by one of their 19 husky dogs which jumped out of a van when they took them for a walk in a park are spared jail Advertisement Three months later, a 'pregnant and undernourished' Blizzard attacked Kyra in the horror incident, resulting in her death, the hearing was told. The mother, a self-proclaimed animal lover, said the loss of her daughter in the 'tragic event' has been 'indescribable' but admitted she hoped to one day 'return to veterinary nursing'. In a statement, Ms Alcock said: 'I accept that I pleaded guilty to the charge, however I would have never have deliberately put Kyra at risk, and I have suffered a personal loss that is indescribable. 'I have not been able to work much, and not in veterinary practice, since Kyra died, however if I feel able I would like to return to veterinary nursing at some point in the future. 'I hope the RCVS will understand that Kyra's death was a truly tragic event and not one which I could have foreseen. 'I do not believe what happened that night impacts my fitness to practise as a veterinary nurse and hope you will consider my conviction compassionately.' Alex Jamieson represented the veterinary nurse and told the tribunal: 'Ms Alcock has been traumatised by the death of her daughter. The baby was left with fatal injuries after Blizzard, described as a once 'calm' and 'placid' racing dog, mauled her (pictured: King, with huskies) The mother (pictured, left), a self-proclaimed animal lover, said the loss of her daughter in the 'tragic event' has been 'indescribable' but admitted she hoped to one day 'return to veterinary nursing' At the time of the attack, the husky, who was formally owned by King (pictured), was 'pregnant and undernourished' Kyra was next to the front passenger door of the van, which was open, when one of the huskies jumped into the cab and out the vehicle before savaging her (pictured: Ostler's Plantation, a woodland in Lincolnshire, where the incident took place) 'If punishment were merited, she has already been punished by the criminal proceedings. When examined in police kennels, Blizzard was found to be 'calm and sociable, gentle and sensitive' pet who was 'not interested in playing with a toy but did like human contact'. But at the time of the attack, the husky, who was formally owned by King, was 'pregnant and undernourished'. Mr Jamieson added: '[Ms Alcock] was jointly responsible for an otherwise well-behaved and gentle dog when an unforeseeable "tragic conjunction in circumstances" led to an outcome that will always haunt her. 'The dog did not belong to Ms Alcock. 'She did not want to be out in the woods that evening but was induced to so by a violent, coercive and controlling partner.' Nicole Curtis, representing the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, said: 'At about 11.30pm that night, the emergency services were called to attend the Ostler's Plantation, Kirkby Lane, Woodhall Spa. When examined in police kennels, Blizzard was found to be 'calm and sociable, gentle and sensitive' pet who was 'not interested in playing with a toy but did like human contact' (pictured: dog crates inside King's van) Mr Jamieson added: '[Ms Alcock] was jointly responsible for an otherwise well-behaved and gentle dog when an unforeseeable "tragic conjunction in circumstances" led to an outcome that will always haunt her' King (pictured) received 10 months' imprisonment last August, suspended for two years, and 100 hours of unpaid work '[Ms Alcock's] three-month-old daughter, Kyra, had been bitten by their Siberian Husky dog Blizzard. 'Tragically, Kyra's injuries were so severe it was not possible for the attending medics to treat her and she was pronounced dead at the scene. 'A post-mortem examination revealed that she had died from multiple injuries to her head and neck, including a severance of the carotid artery. 'The attending medics were unable to do anything by then, both of these defendants had been invited and did do what they could by way of CPR at the scene.' The RSCV concluded: 'The Committee is minded to accept Mr Jamieson's submission that there were no relevant mitigating factors in the case beyond the circumstances already outlined.' In a trial last August, Lincoln Crown Court heard the animal jumped out of the couple's unsecure van and fatally mauled Kyra. King received 10 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, and 100 hours of unpaid work. The pair first walked five of the dogs together as Kyra was pushed by her mum, before King took seven of the dogs on a sled run. When he returned from the sled run, three of the dogs were placed in the centre of the van to drink and rest, and the side door was closed. However, they were not shut into kennels, which the van was fitted with, and there was no guard separating the front of the cab from the rear of the vehicle Kyra was next to the front passenger door of the van, which was open, when one of the huskies jumped into the cab and out the vehicle before savaging her. Alcock and King (pictured) attempted CPR on their daughter until paramedics arrived at around 11.13pm and despite their best efforts she could not be saved King and Alcock were arrested at the scene and charged following a lengthy investigation A destruction order was granted at court for the dog Alcock and King attempted CPR on their daughter until paramedics arrived at around 11.13pm and despite their best efforts she could not be saved. King and Alcock were arrested at the scene and charged following a lengthy investigation. A destruction order was granted at court for the dog. Unheard police tapes have revealed the chilling words of one of Britain's most notorious sex attackers who targeted more than a dozen victims in 1984. Malcolm Fairley, who became known as 'The Fox' for the way he built lairs in targets' homes so he could lie in wait before attacking them, was finally caught in September 1984. He was handed six life sentences the following year and remains behind bars. In a Channel 5 documentary airing tonight, audio of Fairley's admission to police in 1984 that he felt a 'sexy drive' to carry out more attacks is revealed for the first time. And asked by police why he carried out his attacks, which included three rapes, he claimed: 'I cannae think of anything.' Twice-married Fairley, whose hunting ground in villages in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire became known as the 'Triangle of Terror', will be eligible for parole later this year after spending nearly 30 years in prison. Unheard police tapes have revealed the chilling words of one of Britain's most notorious sex attackers who targeted more than a dozen victims in 1984. Malcolm Fairley, who became known as 'The Fox' for the way he built lairs in targets' homes so he could lie in wait before attacking them, was finally caught in September 1984 But former Detective Chief Superintendent Brian Prickett, who led the investigation that led to his capture and is heard on the tapes, said the criminal must never be released. He said: 'Malcolm Fairley should never come out of prison after all the fear and harm he put into the community. He never deserves to be released because I think he's still a real risk to the public.' Fairley carried out his crimes in the hot summer of 1984, when national tensions were inflamed amidst the ongoing miners' strike. His victims included both men and women, ranging in age from teenagers to pensioners. Fairley would break into victims' homes, help himself to food and drink and then build a lair out of furniture and blankets. He would also remove all light bulbs and then wait in the dark, flicking through victims' family photo albums by torchlight before they returned. In a Channel 5 documentary airing tonight, audio of Fairley's admission to police in 1984 that he felt a 'sexy drive' to carry out more attacks is revealed for the first time. Above: Fairley showing police - including DCS Brian Prickett (centre) where he committed some of his crimes At the height of his crimes, there were three attacks in the space of a week. In the new documentary, The Intruder: He's Watching You, Fairley is heard being asked by DCS Prickett if he tried to stop. He replied: 'Well I tried to. Many times. Every time I went I tried.' Fairley was then asked by another officer: 'Do you still feel you want to do it?' He said: 'Not really, it's... but I still... get a sexy drive type thing.' Asked by DCS Prickett about an attack he carried out on an elderly woman, he said: 'Well, I felt disappointed in myself to do it. You know, like it's... it just weren't me.' Bedfordshire Police ended up with more than 5,000 suspects and terrified residents resorted to sleeping with weapons under their beds, fearing that they might be next during the four-month spree. Fairley, who wore a mask made from a trouser leg, also committed break-ins and sexual crimes in Milton Keynes, South Yorkshire and his native North East. He was eventually arrested in at home in Kentish Town, North London, after forensic evidence linked his car to an attack. Malcolm Fairley with his head under a blanket being led away by police after being arrested Fairley leaves Dunstable court under police guard after his arrest Former DCS Brian Pickett played the audio of Fairley's police interviews Some of the women who took to arming themselves with guns before Fairley was caught At the time of his arrest he had committed 81 offences as 'The Fox'. He had a string of previous convictions to his name and was the father of three children from his two marriages. In one break-in, he stole a shotgun and ammunition and later used the weapon in other attacks, including in one where he shot a businessman at point-black range. The victim had to have his finger amputated. DCS Prickett added: 'Psychiatrists said that he was rational and that he was normal. 'Well, I never accepted that. As a police officer, you deal with him professionally, but as a human being to human being, you've got complete disgust, you've got almost hatred. 'I don't think I'll ever understand the motivation he had for the attacks he carried out.' After sentencing Fairley to six life sentences, following his trial at St Albans Crown Court in February 1985, Mr Justice Caulfield said: 'There are degrees of wickedness beyond condemnatory description. 'Your crimes fall within this category. You desecrated and defiled men and women in their own homes.' On February 27, 1985, the Daily Mail revealed Fairley's mugshot and declared: 'The Fox - evil beyond words.' Fairley admitted 13 offences - three rapes, an indecent assault on a man and another on a 74-year-old woman, five burglaries and three aggravated burglaries with intent to rape while carrying a firearm. He also asked for 68 other crimes, mostly burglaries, to be considered. An 18-year-old girl who was among his victim said in the Daily Mail after he was convicted: 'I felt as if there was no one I could turn to and began crying and screaming. 'Memories of that night were always with me, yet no one seemed to realise what was happening inside my head. 'Eventually I could take no more and completely cracked up.' In a three-hour ordeal, Fairley tried to force the young woman - who he had raped - to carry out sex acts with her 21-year-old boyfriend and 17-year-old brother. Former Detective Chief Superintendent Brian Prickett, who led the investigation that led to his capture and is heard on the tapes, said the criminal must never be released The Daily Mail's coverage when Fairley was handed six life sentences for his string of attacks Chris Hackett, the series producer and director the new documentary, said: 'This was one of the last big police manhunts before the introduction of DNA analysis. 'Officers were relying on old-fashioned detective work - boots on the ground, human intelligence, witnesses and fingerprints. 'We wanted to tell the story of the police officers desperate to find this man while also fearing for their own families.' Dan Louw, commissioning editor at Channel 5, said: 'There's something primal about our fear that there's someone lurking in our homes - in our place of safety. 'This film is a real-life horror movie, and a tribute to the brave victims who survived Fairley's terror and the diligent cops who beat the odds to track him down.' The Intruder: He's Watching You From Within airs on Channel 5 tonight at 10pm. Award-winning children's author Roseana Murray lost an arm and an ear when she was mauled by three pit bulls in Brazil. The dogs attacked the 73-year-old on Friday morning and dragged her at least 16ft, ripping part of her arm off in the process. Ms Murray screamed for help and managed to alert locals, who called the fire department. First responders found the author with bloody bite marks all over. She was in critical condition when she was airlifted from the scene in Saquarema, Brazil, to a hospital in Sao Goncalo. She was taken into surgery, where her right arm was amputated and her left arm and lips were reconstructed. She reportedly remains in stable condition at the Alberto Torres State Hospital. Award-winning children's author Roseana Murray (pictured) lost an arm and an ear when she was mauled by at least three pit bulls in Brazil The dogs attacked the 73-year-old on Friday morning and dragged her at least 16ft, ripping part of her arm off in the process (pictured: authorities seizing the three pit bulls) Ms Murray was in critical condition when she was airlifted from the scene (pictured) in Saquarema, Brazil, to a hospital in Sao Goncalo Her family told local outlet O Globo that she 'spent the [first] night as well as possible' and was still recovering from surgery. Shopkeeper Sandra Noleto, who has been friends with Ms Murray since 2005, told local media how the horror unfolded on Ms Murray's daily morning walk. She said: 'I woke up to the sound of a neighbour screaming for help because Roseana was being attacked by the dogs. 'There were three of them, from a house that had been squatted some time ago. When I looked, they had dragged her and were biting her arm.' The dogs' owner, who lives nearby, was taken to the police station for questioning before being released on bail. His pets were reportedly taken to a shelter. According to Noleto, 61, it's not the first time the pets have bitten people. Ms Murray's family told local outlet O Globo that she 'spent the [first] night as well as possible' and was still recovering from surgery (pictured: Ms Murray before the dog attack) She told local media: 'I hope my friend pulls through because she left here in bad shape. 'Plus, we're expecting the authorities to respond and punish this guy [the owner].' The police are investigating the dogs' owner for animal cruelty, negligent bodily harm and negligence in the care of animals. Murray, born in Rio de Janeiro, began writing poetry for children in the early 1980s after getting a degree in French Literature. She has published about 100 books and has received numerous awards. She has 13,600 Instagram followers and is married to Spanish journalist Juan Arias Martinez, 91. As a teenager not much might have been expected of Jason Mark Tarry, who failed his maths GCSE and came from a family where no one had ever been to university. But he overcame the obstacles to finish his A-levels, get a degree in business studies and join Tesco's graduate scheme before rising up the ranks over a 34-year period. Mr Tarry, 56, joined Tesco in 1990 and held roles at Britain's biggest supermarket such as bakery category director, chief product officer and clothing chief executive. Then in 2018 he was promoted to chief executive - spending six years running its operations in the UK and Ireland and guiding the business through the pandemic. Now, the married father-of-three is set to take over as the next 1.1million-a-year chairman of the John Lewis Partnership after Sharon White decided to step down. Mr Tarry's appointment comes amid a key period for beleaguered John Lewis, as the historic chain continues to undergo a major turnaround programme which has seen store closures, job cuts and expansion into new business areas such as housing. Its stores, long favoured by the middle class, were already facing competition from online rivals before Covid-19 - and the cost of living crisis heaped on more pressure. Dame Sharon eventually oversaw a return to profit in 2023 after three years of losses. Jason Tarry is taking over at John Lewis as chairman after six years as Tesco chief executive Jason Tarry visits the Loros Hospice in Leicester in October 2022 as part of Diwali celebrations Jason Tarry has been involved in charity bike rides and is pictured (circled) in a team in 2015 Mr Tarry was born in the Kent market town of Tonbridge is married to Cathryn with three grown-up children - Patrick, Sophie and Daniel, who are all in their 20s. Jason Tarry factfile Full name : Jason Mark Tarry : Jason Mark Tarry Born : 1967 in Tonbridge, Kent : 1967 in Tonbridge, Kent Lives : Hertfordshire : Hertfordshire Family : Married to Cathryn with children Patrick, Sophie and Daniel : Married to Cathryn with children Patrick, Sophie and Daniel Education : Staffordshire University, business studies degree : Staffordshire University, business studies degree Career : Tesco finance scheme graduate (1990), commercial team positions including impulse and bakery category director, non-food sourcing director and clothing category director (1993-2004); commercial director for UK general merchandise (2005-2007), European clothing director (2008-2011); chief executive of group clothing (2012-2014); chief product officer (2015-2017): and UK and Ireland chief executive (2018-2024). Advertisement He now lives in Hertfordshire and revealed in a talk to a schoolchildren last month that he did not originally plan to do A-levels or go to university. Speaking to pupils at Katherine Warington School in Harpenden, he also said that no one in his family went to university and he failed his maths GCSE. But Mr Tarry went on to get his A-levels and completed a bachelor's degree in business studies at Staffordshire University before joining Tesco's finance division in October 1990 through its graduate recruitment programme. Three years later he moved to the chain's commercial team and held positions such as impulse and bakery category director, non-food sourcing director and clothing category director. Mr Tarry was promoted to commercial director for UK general merchandise in 2005, before taking on responsibility in 2008 for clothing across Central Europe and Turkey, as well as department store operations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Four years on in 2012 he become chief executive of group clothing, as he also took on responsibility for UK and Ireland store and online operations. He also brought the F&F clothing brand to Tesco's Asia business and further afield through franchise partnerships. In 2015, he was appointed to the executive board as chief product officer, which saw him become responsible for commercial policies, supplier relationships, products, ranges, prices, promotions and supply chains. Jason Tarry speaks to Tesco employees in Bengaluru in November 2017 during a visit to India Jason Tarry, 56, joined Tesco in 1990 and held various roles at Britain's biggest supermarket Then in July 2018, he was promoted to Tesco UK and Ireland chief executive - and during his six-year tenure in this role he helped to improve Tesco's grocery sales. ANALYSIS: Jason Tarry has the experience and knowhow to rejuvenate John Lewis Jason Tarry was at the helm of Tesco during the crucial development of its Clubcard loyalty scheme, taking the discounters head-on and creating a retail model that its competitors have emulated since. He certainly has the experience and knowhow to rejuvenate the John Lewis Partnership. This new challenge for Tarry will require a different tactic to that employed at Tesco, with Marks & Spencer, rather than the discounters, a clear threat to John Lewis' long-term success. Marks & Spencer is forecast to continue to gradually grow market share in the UK clothing & footwear sector out to 2027, as the retailer's focus on improved fashion pays off. Indeed, better perceptions of quality have aided sales in recent months and allowed Marks & Spencer to cut back on promotions as shoppers see the worth of purchasing at full price. In comparison, John Lewis & Partners' share is expected to stagnate until 2027 - Tarry will need to adopt a similar strategy to Marks & Spencer to improve quality perception and protect profit margins. Within Waitrose & Partners, Tarry must not lose sight of its more premium proposition. While remaining price-competitive will be crucial, as within general merchandise, the focus must be on quality and justifying higher price points to entice shoppers to trade up. Waitrose has sensibly preserved premium touches such as fresh-food counters; Tarry would be unwise to strip these out of the business as was the case at Tesco. Zoe Mills is the lead retail analyst at GlobalData Advertisement He also played a major role in what was described as 'Project Reset' under former group chief executive Dave Lewis which reduced ranges by 20 to 30 per cent. And Mr Tarry was also known to have played a significant role in Tesco's turnaround amid the fallout of its accounting scandal from 2014 and related 129million fine. Furthermore he was involved with the development of the chain's Clubcard scheme which now gives lower prices on some products to loyalty card holders. Mr Tarry most recently helped lead the company through the Covid-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. And in 2019, he took part in a bikeathon for the GroceryAid charity which saw 60 riders completed a three-day journey in North Wales that raised 60,000. Mr Tarry officially left Tesco last month, after the supermarket announced his plans to step down in October last year. He will now become John Lewis's seventh permanent chairman, and will officially take over the role in September at the employee-owned firm, which runs the department store chain and Waitrose supermarket business. Last month, the partnership revealed it returned to profit in the last financial year but said it will again not hand out a staff bonus and warned of potential further job cuts. Matthew Barnes, who was Aldi's UK and Ireland boss from 2015 to 2018, was named as Mr Tarry's successor at Tesco. Zoe Mills, a retail analyst at GlobalData, told MailOnline that Mr Tarry 'certainly has the experience and knowhow to rejuvenate the John Lewis Partnership'. She added that he was 'at the helm of Tesco during the crucial development of its Clubcard loyalty scheme, taking the discounters head-on and creating a retail model that its competitors have emulated since'. Ms Mills continued: 'Within Waitrose & Partners, Tarry must not lose sight of its more premium proposition. 'While remaining price-competitive will be crucial, as within general merchandise, the focus must be on quality and justifying higher price points to entice shoppers to trade up. 'Waitrose has sensibly preserved premium touches such as fresh-food counters; Tarry would be unwise to strip these out of the business as was the case at Tesco.' Mr Tarry said it was a 'great privilege' to succeed Dame Sharon as the seventh chairman of the employee-owned company that owns John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets. He said: 'The partnership and its brands stand for trust, value, quality and service and it's a great privilege to be succeeding Sharon as the seventh chairman. Dame Sharon White, John Lewis's first female chairman, said last October that she would not seek a second term of office, making her tenure the shortest in its more than 100-year history John Lewis continues to undergo a major turnaround programme which has seen store closures, job cuts and expansion into new business areas such as housing in recent years 'The partnership is unique and I've long been an admirer of the employee-ownership model, its values and partner-led customer service. READ MORE John Lewis hires former Tesco exec to replace Sharon White as chair Advertisement 'This starts with a sharp focus on being brilliant retailers for customers and investing in growth.' Dame Sharon, the retailer's first female chairman, said last October that she would not seek a second term of office, making her tenure the shortest in its more than 100-year history. Dame Sharon, who had no retail experience before taking the role, became known for closing stores and cutting jobs during her time in the role. She said: 'I'm delighted to be handing over to Jason, who has a combination of fantastic retail experience with leadership through transformation. 'From my many conversations with Jason, he has demonstrated a clear appreciation for the partnership model and champions it. 'I look forward to welcoming him to the partnership in September and carrying out a smooth handover.' The Foreign Office should remove 'colonial-era' paintings from its walls as part of a major modernising rebrand, a trio of former mandarins said today. They recommend that the 'elitist' department is renamed because its current full title, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is too 'rooted in the past'. In an academic report today, former Civil Service leader Lord Sedwill and two former ambassadors suggest that it should be renamed the Department for International Affairs or Global Affairs UK to bring it into the 21st century. The trio suggest the ministry should either leave its opulent King Charles Street home opposite No10, or consider modernising it, 'perhaps with fewer colonial era pictures on the walls'. Moazzam Malik, a former director general at the Foreign Office and one of the authors of the report, said the current building 'speaks of our past rather than our future'. The former ambassador to Indonesia told BBC Radio 4's programme that an Irish diplomat had once attended a meeting about the UK Food and Nutrition Summit, held under a painting of one of the major architects of the Irish Potato Famine, Sir Charles Trevelyan. However, No10 today rejected the report and said the Government had no plans to remove any paintings or rebrand the department. The trio suggest the ministry should either leave its opulent King Charles Street home opposite No10 (Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Olina Zelenskya pictured in February), or consider modernising it, 'perhaps with fewer colonial era pictures on the walls'. In an academic report today, former Civil Service leader Lord Sedwill (pictured) and two former ambassadors suggest that it should be renamed the Department for International Affairs or Global Affairs UK to bring it into the 21st century. The former ambassador to Indonesia told BBC Radio 4's programme that an Irish diplomat had once visited for a meeting about the UK Food and Nutrition Summit under a painting of one of the major architects of the Irish Potato Famine, Sir Charles Trevelyan. The report from UCL Policy Lab and Hertford College, Oxford, sees leading figures from British diplomacy and international development call for a renewed vision of UK foreign affairs. The report also suggests the UK should 'face our historical legacy head-on', stating: 'Former colonies are making increasingly vocal demands around the need for reparations from colonialism and compensation for the loss and damage arising from historical industrial emissions.' Mr Malik told BBC Radio 4: 'It doesn't necessarily have to be a different building, but we're calling for a modernisation of the Foreign Office premises because if you enter the Foreign Office building, it speaks of our past rather than our future. 'There are still many colonial-era pictures on the walls. I came across an incident recently where a senior Irish diplomat was visiting the Foreign Office for a meeting about the UK Food and Nutrition Summit. 'Towering over the meeting table was a portrait of Lord Trevelyan who was famous for wanting to limit the UK's financial exposure to the Irish potato famine. The significance of that was not lost on the Irish diplomat.' He added: 'We have a lot to be proud of in our past and some things not to be so proud of, but the point is that we need to look forward to 2040 to look at how the world is changing to think about our role in that world, and really to position ourselves for that future.' To remedy these issues, as well as other problems in the Foreign Office including short-term strategic thinking, the report recommends clarifying the department's enduring mission, purpose and objectives, establishing stronger delivery structures and modernise the working environment. The impressive neoclassical interior of the FCDO was the location for a press conference with then president Donald Trump and PM Theresa May in June 2019 Mr Malik said: 'The UK's place in the world is changing. We've exited the European Union, power is shifting to the east, geopolitics has become very, very bumpy, the rules-based order is under great pressure, but at the same time, the UK is a very open economy, a very interconnected economy, and our future prosperity and security depend on strong international relations. 'So our call is to do Foreign Affairs slightly differently, to modernise our approach and indeed to look at what we can learn from countries like Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, offshore nations, if you like countries that are linked to big economies on their borders, but also need to look beyond those big economies to their international relations around the world.' Mr Malik called for a 'laser-like focus on the things that will determine the UK's future prosperity and security'. He said: 'Things like economic prosperity, security, climate change, development, building up international institutions, so instead of a malleable idea of pursuing national interest we're calling for clarity of objectives, setting down a bunch of things at the Foreign Office and indeed wider government will focus on and then building capability, skills, data metrics and indeed delivery capacity on those. 'Because the things that affect our future are long-term in nature and all too often our foreign affairs can be pretty short termist.' However the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'I don't think he would agree with that assessment at all. The Foreign Office is doing vital work to protect and promote UK interests abroad and he fully supports the work of the Foreign Office and indeed the Foreign Secretary in achieving those objectives.' Asked whether the Prime Minister thought the Foreign Office should remove colonial-era artwork, the spokesman said: 'No, we've previously talked about being proud of the UK's history and looking forward, the Foreign Office is at the forefront of efforts to promote UK interests at home and abroad.' A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: 'We are maximising the benefits of merging diplomacy and development in the FCDO to better deal with global challenges, as seen in our responses to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and in the Middle East. 'We are committed to having an even greater impact and influence on the world stage, which is why we recently completed a review across the department to ensure we are effectively directing our funds, streamlining all our international policy work and building our capability for the future.' Labour's David Lammy is being investigated by media watchdog Ofcom over claims he breached broadcasting rules on LBC radio last month. Ofcom today announced a March 29 episode of the shadow foreign secretary's show on the radio station was being examined after receiving 51 complaints. 'We're investigating whether this programme broke our rules on politicians acting as news presenters,' the watchdog said. During last month's broadcast, Mr Lammy announced the news that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had quit as DUP leader after being charged with historical sexual offences. Sir Jeffrey is said to be 'strenuously contesting' all charges against him. Labour's David Lammy is being investigated by media watchdog Ofcom over claims he breached broadcasting rules on LBC radio The shadow foreign secretary earns around 1,000 per LBC show, which he regularly presents for three hours on a Sunday Ofcom announced a March 29 episode of Mr Lammy's show on the radio station was being examined Ofcom's 'due impartiality' rules for broadcasters state: 'No politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified. 'In that case, the political allegiance of that person must be made clear to the audience.' According to his register of interests as an MP, Mr Lammy earns around 1,000 per LBC show, which he regularly presents for three hours on a Sunday. In his most recent declaration, Mr Lammy registered a 5,460 payment for five LBC shows in January this year, which was said to relate to 22.5 hours work including preparation time. Mr Lammy earned more than 55,000 for his LBC shows during 2023. Ofcom's decision to probe Mr Lammy's show comes three weeks after the watchdog found episodes of GB News programmes presented by Tory MPs broke broadcasting rules by them acting as newsreaders. The watchdog's investigation involved programmes that were presented by former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, as well as 'common sense' minister Esther McVey and backbencher Philip Davies GB News was warned about potential sanctions if there are further breaches. Married couple Ms McVey and Mr Davies are no longer part of the channel's line-up. Ofcom's decision comes three weeks after it found episodes of GB News programmes presented by Tory MPs - including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg - broke broadcasting rules In its ruling last month, Ofcom said: 'All five programmes in question contained a mix of news and current affairs content. 'We found that host politicians acted as newsreaders, news interviewers or news reporters in sequences which clearly constituted news including reporting breaking news events without exceptional justification. 'News was, therefore, not presented with due impartiality. 'Politicians have an inherently partial role in society and news content presented by them is likely to be viewed by audiences in light of that perceived bias. 'In our view, the use of politicians to present the news risks undermining the integrity and credibility of regulated broadcast news.' Prosecutors on Monday sought a 15-year prison term for Lee Hwa-young, former vice governor of Gyeonggi Province, over allegations of accepting substantial bribes from Ssangbangul Group and involvement in an unauthorized remittance case to North Korea. Prosecutors requested the Suwon District Court sentence Lee to 15 years in prison, impose a fine of 1 billion won ($737,400), and order the confiscation of about 330 million won over bribery and violations of the Political Fund Act and the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. Additionally, they requested that Lee bear the legal expenses incurred during the trial. Lee was indicted in October 2022 on charges of receiving political funds amounting to over 330 million won, including bribes totaling over 250 million won, from the group between July 2018 and July 2022. These funds were purportedly provided through methods such as corporate card and vehicle usage, as well as false salary payments to his associates. The North Korea remittance case involves allegations that the group paid approximately $5 million to North Korea in 2019, which was promised by Gyeonggi Province to support a smart farm project, as well as $3 million for the expenses of the then governor, now Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, during his visit to North Korea. (Yonhap) A terror suspect has appeared in court charged with attempted murder after an alleged far-right attack on an Eritrean asylum seeker at a hotel near Worcester. Callum Ulysses Parslow, 31, was arrested on a nearby towpath of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal after allegedly throwing a pocket knife to the ground. The victim, 25, was rushed to hospital after he was stabbed twice in the chest in the lobby area of the Pear Tree Inn and Country Hotel in Hindlip, Worcestershire. The hotel had been used to house migrants for three years but was closed three months ago for refurbishments and was due to be reopened for the public. The victim was said to have previously lived at the hotel as an asylum seeker and visited to speak with one of the workmen at the property. Callum Ulysses Parslow, 31, from Worcester, has appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article Police and forensic officers have been carrying out investigations at the Pear Tree Inn in Country Hotel in Hindlip, near Worcestershire, after an attack last Tuesday He was allegedly asked where he was from before being attacked last Tuesday. Counter-Terrorism Policing West Midlands were called in to lead the investigation and it has now been declared a terrorist incident. The victim's injuries are not said to be life-threatening. Parslow, from Worcester, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court under the terrorism protocol, charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article on April 2. Dressed in a grey prison-issue tracksuit, and flanked by detectives, he spoke only to confirm his name and enter a not guilty plea to the knife charge. Emma Harraway, prosecuting, told the court: 'The defendant attended the Pear Tree Hotel and stabbed the victim twice in the heart area and also caused an injury to the victim's hands. 'He was subsequently arrested on the canal path with a bladed article used in the attack and 800 in cash.' Parslow was said to have expressed neo-Nazi and anti-immigration views online and Ms Harrison said there was 'strong evidence that the attack was carried out to intimate a section of the public - namely asylum seekers and those providing accommodation to asylum seekers.' District Judge Tan Ikram remanded Parslow in custody to appear on the terrorism list at the Old Bailey later this month. Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills of West Mercia Police, said: 'This was a truly shocking incident and my thoughts continue to be with the victim as he recovers from his injuries. 'We understand the details of this charge may be alarming to the community, but we can reassure you that there isn't believed to be any wider risk to the public. 'The local policing team from West Mercia Police will remain visible in the area for your reassurance.' Parslow, originally from Hereford, worked as a computer programmer for an automotive diecast manufacturer in Worcester. A road-rage driver got back in his car and steered it through two u-turns before accelerating into a young woman, leaving her fatally injured on a Massachusetts highway, prosecutors have alleged. Destini Decoff, 26, died in hospital on Sunday less than 72 hours after she was hit at speed by Ryan Sweatt's Honda Civic on Route 85 north of Milford. Sweatt, 36, told police that he had been threatened with a knife by the four men in Destini's car during the incident at 6pm on Thursday. But Destini's grieving mother said she hopes he 'burns in hell' after surveillance footage reportedly showed him turning round and steering into the group of friends, rather than driving off. 'He turned around multiple times and he coulda just kept going,' witness Brett Martin said. Destini Decoff, 26, was fatally injured on Thursday night when the car she was travelling in became caught up in a road rage incident on Route 85 north of Milford in Massachusetts Ryan Sweatt, 36, appeared in court on Friday charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and operating to endanger But charges are likely to upgraded after Destini died from her injuries in hospital on Sunday 'He could have kept going. He chose to turn around, chose to come back. He knew what he was doing when he went towards that girl. 'I didn't see her go up in the air. But I saw her come down, hit the pavement. It wasn't good from there.' 'I saw her mid-air kind of coming down towards the street, her jacket must've been 20 feet away from her. However she got hit, those clothes flew off.' Sweatt told police he had left work and was driving home to Milford when the other car pulled in front of him, and its driver slammed on the brakes. A police officer caught up with Sweatt and saw damage to his windscreen after seeing him speed away. 'They're trying to kill me,' he told the officer, gesturing back to the people gathered around Destini who was lying in a pool of blood. Destini, 26, was taken to hospital suffering from a brain bleed, collapsed lungs, and fractures to her shoulder, tibia and ribs. She had an emergency operation to remove her spleen and part of her skull to relieve pressure on her swollen brain but never regained consciousness. Destini, 26, was taken to hospital suffering from a brain bleed, collapsed lungs, and fractures to her shoulder, tibia and ribs Tracy Decoff thanked medics at Umass Memorial Medical Center who tried to save her daughter's life and gave her a print-out of Destini's last heartbeats Her mother Tracy took the decision to switch off her life support system on Sunday evening and swore to win justice for her daughter. 'With every ounce of my being I hope that mf burns directly in hell!' she wrote on Facebook. 'Today my biggest fear as a mother became my reality. My first born child and best friend is no longer with me. 'I don't break promises and I promise you with every ounce of my being I will get justice for you regardless of what it takes. 'Go spread those beautiful wings and fly without pain and suffering.' Police recovered a knife from the scene but Sweatt was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, operating to endanger and a marked lanes violation. Police said their investigation suggests that Sweatt 'became engaged in an apparent road rage incident with another vehicle'. 'Some of the occupants of the other vehicle', left their car before Sweatt 'made a U-turn at a high rate of speed and struck the victim in the roadway'. He denied the charges when he appeared in court on Friday and was remanded in custody pending a dangerousness hearing on Wednesday. 'We knew something was going on. We could tell there's a little road rage going on,' said Martin who saw the incident from nearby Cornell's Irish Pub. 'He was just trying to say he was fearing for his life. That was his story, and he was protecting himself.' Tracy Decoff thanked medics at Umass Memorial Medical Center who tried to save her daughter's life and gave her a print-out of Destini's last heartbeats. 'I know from working in the medical field you are supposed to hold in your emotions,' she wrote. 'All the doctors, all different types of trauma surgeons were amazing. 'The anesthesiologist cried with me saying how sorry she was. Those trauma ICU nurses are unmatched by no other! Hugging and crying with my other kids and family. 'I had a nurse that wasn't even my daughter's nurse telling me she's from Medway and how popular my daughter is there. 'Medway loves her' is what she said. Destini's mother Tracy took the decision to switch off her life support system on Sunday evening and swore to win justice for her daughter 'My first born child and best friend is no longer with me,' Destini's mother wrote, 'I don't break promises and I promise you with every ounce of my being I will get justice for you ' 'After they called it this nurse let me help her make my daughter's final handprints and printed her heartbeat put in a bottle. 'So many of them said we can tell underneath all her injuries she's a pretty girl. 'I said absolutely beautiful. I will treasure these forever.' A Gofundme appeal has been started to help Destini's family with her final arrangements. Millions of spectators have gathered across the United States, Canada and Mexico to watch the spectacle of a total solar eclipse blocks that could sun for more than four minutes in some parts. Although newly announced forecasts for Monday are ominous, suggesting thunderstorms and cloud coverage that could limit visibility, deep-pocketed thrill-seekers are undiscouraged. Thousands have packed towns along the total solar eclipse 'path of totality', starting in Mexico and moving through Texas where it will travel up to New England and finish in Canada. In any one location along the path of totality, people will see a partial eclipse followed by the total eclipse, and then a partial eclipse again. Visit Indy Senior Director of Public Relations Morgan Snyder told FOX Weather they are expecting up to 125,000 visitors in Indianapolis to view the eclipse. Scroll down to see DailyMail.com's full coverage of the total solar eclipse Millions of spectators have gathered across the United States, Canada and Mexico to watch the spectacle of a total solar eclipse Visit Indy Senior Director of Public Relations Morgan Snyder told FOX Weather they are expecting up to 125,000 visitors in Indianapolis to view the eclipse The total solar eclipse will be visible along a 'path of totality', starting in Mexico and moving through Texas where it will travel up to New England and finish in Canada More than 400,000 people have traveled to Dallas - and a million are expected in Texas as a whole - to be in the direct line of sight of the total solar eclipse. The Lone Star State will be the first state to see the celestial event around 1:27 PM ET, then Oklahoma is next at around 1:45pm CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51pm ET and Missouri about five minutes after. Illinois is next in line along the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse at around 1:59pm CT and Paducah, Kentucky about one minute later. And Evansville, Indiana at 2:02CT and then Ohio is expected to witness it at around 3:13pm ET. State officials have estimated that up to 556,000 people will be visiting the Buckeye state. Erie, Pennsylvania is next, with the solar eclipse set for 3:16pm ET, followed by Buffalo, New York at around 3:18pm ET. The path will continue up north, reaching Burlington, Vermont at 3:26pm ET, Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27pm ET and Caribou, Maine at 3:32pm ET. The National Weather service forecasts that Northern New England will the best location for clear viewing of the total solar eclipse Monday afternoon. Forecasters said Southern Texas will have an increase of cloud coverage prior to the arrival of the solar eclipse. Other locations in between are said to have a fair chance of cloud covers at various levels, although locations across Arkansas to the Midwest could see breaks in the clouds or high thin clouds during the time of totality. NASA's Eclipse Soundscapes Project will use thousands of volunteers throughout the U.S. to help collect data form Monday's celestial sensation. Nearly, 2,500 people have signed up to fill out written multisensory reports on animal behaviors and human reactions throughout the event. A man tries on his eclipse glasses in Indianapolis Although newly announced forecasts for Monday are ominous, suggesting thunderstorms and cloud coverage that could limit visibility In Niagara Falls, photographers lined up early in the morning to snag the best spot to get pictures of the eclipse Eclipse hunters have flocked to stargazing hotspots to watch Monday's phenomenon Masters fans in Augusta, Georgia are being handed protective glasses to watch historic spectacle 'When it comes to data, it's the more the merrier. The more people who participate, the better we can answer our questions about how solar eclipses impact life on Earth,' Kelsey Perrett, communications coordinator for the Eclipse Soundscapes Project, told CNN. Eclipse hunters have flocked to stargazing hotspots to watch Monday's phenomenon. Sharon Jonson Edell, a retired geography professor and mother of ABC News Anchor Whit Johnson, traveled to Mexico to view her seventh eclipse. 'This is a once in a life time experience, if you're with people, it will unite you and all of you will share it,' she said on Good Morning America. In Niagara Falls, photographers lined up early in the morning to snag the best spot to get pictures of the eclipse. Astrophotographer Stan Honda told CNN photographers of any skill level can capture photos of the eclipse as long as they have a sturdy, steady tripod and a remote shutter release for your camera. 'With pretty much any kind of camera or any lens, you can get a good picture of the eclipse,' he said. 'I would just recommend a fairly sturdy tripod, to make your setup pretty steady, and a remote shutter release, because that allows you to take the pictures without jarring or moving the camera too much.' 'A safe solar filter really is a necessity for the partial phases, and the American Astronomical Society has a whole section on its website about solar eclipse glasses and filters that they approve as being safe to use.' Researchers found during 2017's total eclipse, there was a 31 percent increase in fatal traffic accidents, reported Fox News. The study found that the surge in accidents was not during the actual event, but rather in the hours when people are traveling to and from their places of observation. Astrophotographer Stan Honda told CNN photographers of any skill level can capture photos of the eclipse The Texas Department of Transportation has put up traffic signs warning drivers not to stop on the highway to view the eclipse People set up cameras along the viewpoint railing hours before the total solar eclipse in Niagara Falls The Texas Department of Transportation has put up traffic signs warning drivers not to stop on the highway to view the eclipse. 'Please plan ahead for extra traffic and get to your viewing location early. We want to make sure traffic keeps moving so please find a safe place to park and dont stop on the highway or shoulder,' the department said. In Russellville, Arkansas, over 300 couples have signed up to get married at the city's soccer complex when the path of totality crosses the area, reported ABC 4029. Masters fans in Augusta, Georgia are being handed protective glasses to watch historic spectacle. As millions across the country prepare to watch the moon blocking out the sun, Trump released a clip of a silhouette of his head moving across the sky. The video begins with the phrase 'the most important moment in human history is taking place in 2024' hovering over an image of the sun. When his head covers the sun, creating its own eclipse, more words flash across the screen saying: 'We will save America. And make it great again'. WHAT IS A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE? In a total solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and Earth, entirely covering the face of the sun along a small path of our planet's surface. This is called the 'path of totality.' The daytime sky turns dark, akin to dusk or dawn, and nocturnal animals have been known to wake up, confused into believing night has arrived. In places along the path of totality, people will be able to view the sun's corona - the star's outer atmosphere - that typically is not visible because of solar brightness. People observing from outside the path of totality will see a partial eclipse in which the moon obscures most of the sun's face but not all of it. A family poses for a photo with a large eclipse glasses display in front of the pagoda at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Experts warn that it is unsafe to look directly at the bright sun without using specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing A man sells eclipse themed t-shirts in Niagara Falls The solar eclipse will spread across 115 miles from Maine to Texas on Monday, but astronomers say the path of totality has shifted by 2,000 feet Of course, a cloudy day could spoil the view. After this one, the next total solar eclipse viewable from the contiguous United States will not occur until 2044. WHERE WILL IT BE VISIBLE? According to NASA, the April 8 eclipse will begin over the South Pacific, with its path reaching Mexico's Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. Pacific Time before entering the United States in Texas. Its path then takes it through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, a tiny piece of Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, a tiny piece of Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The path then enters Canada in Ontario and journeys through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. Newfoundland Time. A partial eclipse is due to be visible for people in all 48 contiguous U.S. states. WHERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST PLACES TO SEE THE ECLIPSE? Some major cities and their metropolitan areas lay within or near the path of totality. Some of these include: Mazatlan and Torreon in Mexico; San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Fort Worth and Dallas in Texas; Little Rock in Arkansas; St. Louis in Missouri; Louisville in Kentucky; Indianapolis in Indiana; Dayton, Columbus, Toledo and Cleveland in Ohio; Detroit in Michigan; Erie in Pennsylvania; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse in New York; and Hamilton, Toronto and Montreal in Canada. HOW WIDE IS THE PATH OF TOTALITY? On Aug. 21, 2017, millions of people witnessed a total solar eclipse whose path crossed the contiguous United States. The path of totality for the April 8 eclipse will be wider than the one in 2017 because the moon was a little bit farther from Earth during that one. According to NASA, the path in 2017 ranged from about 62-71 miles (100-114 km) wide while this one will range from about 108-122 miles (174-196 km) wide, meaning it will cover more ground. This year's eclipse path also is set to pass over more densely populated areas than the one in 2017. WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO SEE DURING THE ECLIPSE? A total solar eclipse unfolds in several distinct stages. It starts with a partial eclipse phase as the moon begins to pass between Earth and the sun, partially blocking it and leaving the sun looking like it has a crescent shape. In the subsequent Baily's Beads phase, points of light from the sun shine around the moon's edges because of the irregular lunar topography, producing small beads of light. People walking along a path at Niagara Falls State Park to secure their eclipse viewing spot Some major cities and their metropolitan areas lay within or near the path of totality, including Mazatlan and Torreon in Mexico NASA's Eclipse Soundscapes Project will use thousands of volunteers throughout the U.S. to help collect data form Monday's celestial sensation In the diamond ring phase, a single bright spot appears along the lunar edge even as the sun's atmosphere leaves a ring of light around the moon. The effect resembles the appearance of a diamond ring. This phenomenon precedes totality. After totality, the other phases repeat as the moon keeps moving along its path until the eclipse ends. HOW DOES THIS DIFFER FROM AN ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE? On Oct. 14, 2023, people along a path stretching from the U.S. Pacific Northwest, through Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Brazil witnessed an annular solar eclipse, a slightly different event. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth when the moon is at or near its farthest point from our planet. Thus, it does not completely cover the face of the sun, leaving what looks like a 'ring of fire' in the sky. HOW DO YOU SAFELY WATCH AN ECLIPSE? Experts warn that it is unsafe to look directly at the bright sun without using specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. Viewing an eclipse through a camera lens, binoculars or telescope without making use of a special-purpose solar filter can cause severe eye injury, according to these experts. They advise using safe solar viewing glasses or a safe handheld solar viewer, noting that regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the sun. The only moment it is considered safe for people to remove eye protection during a total solar eclipse is the brief time when the moon completely blocks the sun's surface. HOW BIG ARE THE EARTH, MOON AND SUN? The moon will cover the sun's face, as visible from Earth, only because the moon - in actuality much smaller than the sun - is so much closer to our planet. The moon's diameter is 2,159 miles (3,476 km), compared to the sun's diameter of about 865,000 miles (1.4 million km) and Earth's diameter of 7,918 miles (12,742 km). HOW DO SOLAR ECLIPSES DIFFER FROM LUNAR ECLIPSES? Lunar eclipses occur when Earth is positioned between the moon and the sun and our planet's shadow is cast upon the lunar surface. This leaves the moon looking dim from Earth, sometimes with a reddish color. Lunar eclipses are visible from half of Earth, a much wider area than solar eclipses. FUTURE ECLIPSES People in various parts of the world will get to experience more eclipses in the coming months and years, according to NASA. An annular solar eclipse will occur on Oct. 2 of this year, visible in South America, with a partial eclipse visible in South America, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and North America. People wait to watch a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico Tourists flock to Niagara Falls State Park to view the eclipse The National Weather service forecasts that Northern New England will the best location for clear viewing of the total solar eclipse Monday afternoon A partial solar eclipse will occur on March 29, 2025, visible in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. A partial solar eclipse will occur on Sept. 21, 2025, visible in Australia, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. An annular solar eclipse will occur on Feb. 17, 2026, visible in Antarctica, with a partial eclipse visible in Antarctica, Africa, South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The next total solar eclipse will occur on Aug. 12, 2026, visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small portion of Portugal, with a partial eclipse visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Follow DailyMail.com's live coverage of the 2024 Solar Eclipse A lawyer was busted at an airport in Brazil while attempting to ship out 12 live stingrays that had been extracted from the Amazon basin. Naiane Pimentel was stopped at the cargo terminal at Eduardo Gomes International Airport in Manaus on Thursday night and attempted to avoid detection by telling law enforcement agents that she was dropping off a shipment of three Styrofoam containers with Tucunare fish, which is native to the Amazon, and fare less rare. However, Pimentel raised suspicions when she showed a document 'with distorted information about the cargo,' the Federal Police said in a statement. The agents then opened the boxes and discovered that the attorney had 12 wild and endangered stingrays - which can go for as high as $1,200. The stingrays were destined for the southeastern city of Sao Paulo, where they would be sold at pet stores that specialized in animals kept in aquariums. Cops at Eduardo Gomes International Airport in Manaus, Brazil, confiscated 12 live stingrays from a lawyer, identified as Naiane Pimentel, while searching cargo she declared as Tucunare fish. The 12 live stingrays were kept separately in plastic bags containing water and newspaper pages and stored in three Styrofoam boxes that were being shipped from Manaus to Sao Paulo The Federal Police said that lawyer Naiane Pimentel, who was arrested Thursday and released on bail Friday, had previously made 200 shipments since 2022. The deliveries had a total weight of 8 tons It's unknown how the lawyer obtained the 12 maritime animals. Each of the stingrays, which are considered endangered, were kept inside plastic bags with water and newspaper pages. The stingrays were removed from the airport and transported to the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewal Resources headquarters in Manaus and released at a beach in Rio Negro on Friday. Manaus Federal Police chief Victor Motta told reporters it appeared that the stingrays were not going to remain in Sao Paulo. 'In fact, there is already an investigative line indicating that there is possible international trafficking of these animals,' Motta said, as quoted by Brazilian news outlet G1. Federal law enforcement agents seized three Styrofoam boxes containing 12 live stingrays that were being shipped by a lawyer from Manaus to Sao Paulo, where they were going to be distributed to stores that specialize in animals that are kept in aquariums The Brazilian Federal Police is investigating whether the stingrays were going to be shipped out of the country It's unclear how much she hoped to earn from each stingray The stingrays were removed from the airport and transported to the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewal Resources headquarters in Manaus and released at a beach in Rio Negro on Friday Pimentel, who is accused of using falsified information and committing environmental crimes, was released on a 14,000 Brazilian reals (about $2,776) bail bond Thursday. Aside from practicing law, she also owns an animal transport and trade company. Her agency processed more than 200 shipments since 2022. Those deliveries, the federal police said, amounted to more than 8 tons, almost equaling the exact weight of a stingray cargo. Investigators are now looking into whether Pimentel used her company to export the stingrays and are looking who was making the purchases. 'We are going to investigate this entire animal trafficking network, delve deeper into the origin of this animal, where it is being taken from and identify other recipients,' Motta said. Iconic British brand Ted Baker is to shut 15 stores across the UK and cut around 245 jobs after plunging into administration. The company behind the fashion brand's UK shops, No Ordinary Designer Label Limited (NODL), hired administrators from Teneo last month. The retail giant currently has 86 locations in the UK, which include 29 standalone branches and 35 concessions. Twenty-five shops are located in John Lewis department stores, while seven are in airport stores and eight are in Ted Baker outlet stores. Ted Baker - which first opened in Glasgow in 1988 - has picked up impressive celebrity endorsements over the years including Holly Willoughby, Amal Clooney, Amanda Holden, Emma Stone and Myleene Klass. In yet another blow to the High Street, administrators have confirmed some sites across England will pull down their shutters within days. Eleven shops will be closed by April 19 across Birmingham, London, Cambridge and Liverpool - resulting in 120 staff losing their jobs. About 25 head office roles will be made redundant as a result of plans to reduce central costs at the fashion chain. The administrator of the company behind fashion chain Ted Baker has announced the closure of 15 stores across the UK, resulting in about 245 redundancies Founder and then-CEO of Ted Baker, Ray Kelvin attends Ted Baker Wooster VIP Event on September 22, 2016 in New York City. In March 2019, Ted Baker business parted ways with Mr Kelvin after allegations of harassment made by young female colleagues Eleven shops will be closed by April 19 across Birmingham, London, Cambridge and Liverpool Administrators have confirmed some sites across England will pull down their shutters within days A further four stores were earmarked for closure prior to the firm entering administration, it has been revealed, which will result in about 100 additional redundancies. These four stores will be closed in the coming weeks, according to the administration team at Teneo Financial Advisory. The following branches are set to close within days: Birmingham Bullring, Bristol, Bromley, Cambridge, Exeter, Leeds, Liverpool One, London Bridge, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford, Bicester, Brompton Road, London, Floral Street, London and Manchester Trafford. Benji Dymant, joint administrator, said: 'Ted Baker is an iconic British brand with strong partners around the world. Full list of Ted Baker closures Birmingham Bullring Bristol Bromley Cambridge Exeter Leeds Liverpool One London Bridge Milton Keynes Nottingham Oxford Bicester (notice served before administration process) Brompton Road, London (notice served before administration process) Floral Street, London (notice served before administration process) Manchester Trafford (notice served before administration process) Advertisement 'These store closures, whilst with a regrettable impact on valued team members, will improve the performance of the business, as Authentic continues to progress discussions with potential UK and European operating partners for the Ted Baker brand to bring the business back to health. 'We would like to thank Ted Baker team members and partners for their ongoing efforts and support at this difficult time.' This news comes after Ted Baker was delisted from the London stock market after it was bought by ABG for around 210million about a year and a half ago. ABG said that No Ordinary Designer Label (NODL) had built up a significant level of arrears'. It also comes weeks after the end of its partnership with Dutch firm AARC, which ran Ted Baker's shops and online business in Europe. The arrears were built up as the business faced tough trading last year, and during the partnership with AARC. Ted Baker walked away from the AARC deal in January after it claimed its partner had failed to meet its promise to inject cash into the business. Authentic Brands said Ted Baker stores and the retailer's website would continue to trade. Authentic, which also owns Reebok and Juicy Couture, agreed a 211 million deal to buy Ted Baker off the stock exchange in August 2022. The deal was less than had been considered by Authentic earlier in the year when other potential suitors were circling the fashion brand. It came after years of turmoil at the group. In March 2019, Ted Baker business parted ways with its founder Ray Kelvin after allegations of harassment made by young female colleagues. Mr Kelvin, who denied allegations of misconduct, was at the time accused of enforcing a 'hugging' culture at the company, massaging employees, kissing their ears and asking someone to sit on his lap. Lady Mary Parkinson, Ted Baker founder Ray Kelvin and Sir Michael Parkinson attend the launch of new book 'George Best: A Memoir' by Sir Michael Parkinson at Fortnum & Mason on November 12, 2018 in London Ray Kelvin (left) with Guy Ritchie (right) at a screening of 'The Gentleman' VIP film screening after party in London in December 2019 Members of the public walk past clothing retailer Ted Baker in Covent Garden on March 20 Ted Baker is an iconic British brand and has attracted many celebrities At that point, he had been with the company since founding it 32 years earlier. Mr Kelvin, started working in his uncle's Enfield menswear shop aged 11 and founded the Ted Baker brand in 1988, when he opened a shop specialising in men's shirts in Glasgow turning it into one of Britain's top brands. But in 2018 he took a leave of absence when the company was forced to launch an independent investigation into his alleged behaviour following a petition from staff. In the document Mr Kelvin was also accused stroking people's necks and making sexual innuendos and today he quit saying: 'It is the right thing to step away'. At the time, Mr Kelvin said: 'Difficult though this decision is given that Ted Baker has been my life and soul for over 30 years, I've decided that the right thing to do is to step away from Ted and allow the business to focus on being the outstanding brand it is so it can face 2019 with fresh energy and renewed spirit. 'As a shareholder in the business I'll support Lindsay in his leadership and be available to him and the team wherever I can offer helpful advice. 'I'm extremely proud of what we've achieved in building Ted Baker to the global brand it is today. Thank you to every single colleague, customer, supplier, and investor for your commitment to the business. We couldn't have done it without you and I'm so grateful. Amal Clooney pictured wearing a light blue Ted Baker dress in 2017 Fashionista: Amanda Holden looked effortlessly stylish in an all white Ted Baker ensemble as she departed Heart FM in February last year Flower power: Holly Willoughby celebrated her 41st birthday in style wearing a 175 Ted Baker floral mini dress on This Morning in February 2022 About 25 head office roles will be made redundant as a result of plans to reduce central costs at the fashion chain Eleven UK stores will be closed by April 19, resulting in the loss of about 120 store roles Michele and Dan Travers model Ted Baker shirts at Harrods department store in London 'The past few months have been deeply distressing and I'll now be taking time privately with my family to consider what my next adventure will be. Bye for now, Ray.' The firm then issued several profit warnings and accounting blunders and faced the Covid pandemic while suffering financially. Hundreds of jobs were canned in 2020 as Ted Baker raised 100million to stabilise its books. But the valuation of ABG has skyrocketed over the last few years after it was reported it sold a controlling stake the the world's largest asset manager BlackRock in August 2019 for $870million. Nigel Farage today predicted his Reform UK party would get more votes than the 'doomed' Tories at the general election. The ex-UKIP leader, now Reform's honorary president, claimed 'in terms of numbers' the insurgent party would be backed by more voters than the Conservatives. Mr Farage has yet to reveal whether he will return to frontline politics to lead Reform's general election campaign. But he said the party could overtake the Tories 'with or without me' and quipped that even Winston Churchill coming back as Conservative leader would not save them. Mr Farage made the comments shortly after Richard Tice, who is currently Reform's leader, used a Westminster press conference to set his sights on 'woke' Labour. Mr Tice set out Reform's plans to scrap Britain's push for Net Zero and to instead use saved money to boost the NHS and cut waiting lists. But he was also forced to issue a warning for Reform's general election candidates to not use social media after drinking alcohol. Reform has ditched seven candidates following complaints about their social media posts, including derogatory comments about Muslims and black people. Nigel Farage predicted his Reform UK party would get more votes than the 'doomed' Tories at the general election Richard Tice, who is currently Reform's leader, used a Westminster press conference to set his sights on ' woke ' Labour Mr Tice was also forced to issue a warning for Reform's general election candidates to not use social media after drinking alcohol Mr Tice pictured with Reform's MP Lee Anderson, the former Tory deputy chairman who defected last month Speaking at a Telegraph Q&A event this afternoon, Mr Farage despaired at how the Tories had 'blown' the 80-seat majority they won at the 2019 general election. Before that election, Mr Farage's Brexit Party - the predecessor of Reform - agreed not to stand in Conservative-held seats. 'Eighty-seat majority, the world at their feet. I helped them do it and look what they've done with it,' Mr Farage said today. 'I think Reform will get, with or without me, more votes than the Conservatives at the next election, in terms of numbers. 'How that transpires in seats is absolutely anybody's guess. But I can see the momentum.' Mr Farage predicted next month's local elections would be a 'disaster' for the Tories, with the council contests followed by a leadership challenge against PM Rishi Sunak. 'There'll be a leadership contest, Rishi will win, he'll limp on... There is no good news coming for the Conservatives,' he added. Mr Farage has recently flirted with a return to the Conservatives, a party he quit more than 30 years ago following the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. But, asked who in the current Conservative Party he might be able to work with as a future Tory leader, he said: 'Pass. It's done. 'It doesn't matter who they choose as leader, until the party splits or reforms and decides what it is, it doesn't matter a damn who the leader is. 'There is no underlying philosophy that unites Conservatives and a lot of this we can put down to [George] Osborne and [David] Cameron who fundamentally changed the party from 2010 onwards. 'Who took it down the route of being social democrats, who wanted the Guardian leader writers to like them. God knows why, but they did. 'And then Boris blowing an 80-seat majority. If Winston Churchill came back, they still are doomed at the next election.' At an earlier press conference, Mr Tice targeted Labour as he set out Reform's pitch for voters in 'Red Wall' seats at the general election. The Reform leader said: 'We are now actually polling the highest amongst Brexiteers across the whole of the UK. 'We're above the Tories in the North, equal in the Midlands, so we're making huge strides.' Mr Tice said the country was 'completely and utterly broken' after 14 years of Tory rule. But he accused Labour of betraying working-class voters in favour of a 'woke' agenda. 'That's the reality of what they're doing,' he added. 'They no longer care, they have no plans, they have no solutions. 'All they're focused on, frankly, are the woke, managerial middle class who happen to be eco-zealots.' Mr Tice also set out his party's plans to halt the country's drive for Net Zero and to instead use taxpayers' cash to boost the NHS. He said Reform had estimated that the cost of the Net Zero ambition would be about 30billion a year. He said: 'We have a choice in this country, it seems to me. A pretty clear choice. 'Do we want zero waiting lists in two years and to keep them there, that is the Reform choice. Or do we want Net Zero CO2 emissions in 25 years? That is the Labour choice.' Mr Tice was forced to warn his party's candidates not to use social media after drinking alcohol to avoid posting 'inappropriate' comments. He said every party has its share of 'morons' but added that he is committed to kicking them out quickly. 'We're very clear to all our candidates for heaven's sake if you're going to have a glass on a Friday night then don't use social media,' the Reform leader said. 'It's not sensible, if someone lets us down hereafter, then, frankly, if it is inappropriate, if it is unacceptable, then we're going to part company. 'So you can have your freedom of speech, your freedom of expression, that doesn't mean you have the right to represent Reform UK as a parliamentary candidate, because that's our choice.' Campaign group Hope Not Hate found tweets by candidates Jonathan Kay and Mick Greenhough in which they made derogatory comments about Muslims and black people. Mr Kay, who was standing for election in South Ribble, tweeted in 2019 that Muslims 'never coexist with others' and should be deported, and claimed Africans have IQs 'among the lowest in the world'. Mr Greenhough, who was the Reform candidate in Orpington, tweeted in 2023 that 'the only solution' is to 'remove the Muslims from our territory' and in 2019 said Ashkenazi Jews are a 'problem' and have 'caused the world massive misery'. Hope Not Hate, which campaigns against the far right, said the pair are 'wildly unsuitable for public office'. Both men were removed as Reform candidates, following the publication of Hope Not Hate's findings last week. A Labour frontbencher today suggested people questioning whether deputy leader Angela Rayner avoided capital gains tax and broke electoral law were sexist. Shadow health minister Abena Oppong-Asare lashed out as Ms Rayner faced increasing scrutiny of claims she may have avoided a levy on the sale of her own house and falsely declared where she was actually living. Ms Rayner has faced questions about whether she paid the right amount of tax on the 2015 sale of her ex-council house due to confusion over whether it was her principal residence. She denies both claims and says she has received legal advice that says she has done nothing wrong. The Conservatives this morning urged party leader Sir Keir Starmer, a former top prosecutor, to look into claims first raised by the Mail on Sunday at the weekend. He refused to do so and said 'nobody is interested' in what he labelled 'smears'. Ms Oppong-Asare, the MP for Erith and Thamesmead in south-east London, went further by telling LBC Ms Rayner was the victim of unwarranted 'mud slinging'. She said the attacks were being used as a 'distraction' ahead of the May local elections, adding: 'My concern is the direction politics is going where we are seeing personal attacks on certain individuals, it is predominantly women, and it is predominantly politicians of colour. Sir Keir, the former director of public prosecutions (DPP), was accused of being 'not sufficiently interested' in the row engulfing his number two over her ownership of properties in Manchester. Shadow health minister Abena Oppong-Asare lashed out as Ms Rayner faced increasing scrutiny of claims she may have avoided a levy on the sale of her own house and falsely declared where she was actually living. Sir Keir today suggested 'nobody is interested' in the issue and said people were more worried about the state of the NHS . 10 pressing questions Keir Starmer's deputy leader needs to answer Why did Angela Rayner say, in a social media post from 2014, that she'd 'just got home' to Lowndes Lane if she didn't live there? On her own account of split living, how much time did she spend at each address? Who was with her while she was at Vicarage Road? Is she confident her Vicarage Road electoral roll entry accurately reflects her living arrangements? Why are there no pictures of her at Vicarage Road on her open social media between 2010 when her sons were registered at her husband's home and 2015 when her former council house was sold? Were the neighbours who have repeatedly said she was never in Vicarage Road lying? What does she have to say to those who say her brother, Darren, was living at Vicarage Road alone? Did she get rent from her brother? Did she tell her mortgage provider who was in the property? Did she, while her brother was there, claim a single-person discount on council tax as is now under investigation by Stockport Council? What address did she use on the nomination paper when standing for election as an MP in May 2015? Did her then-husband Mark benefit from a capital gains tax discount when selling Lowndes Lane in 2015? Who gave her the tax advice she now says exonerates her? Did she also get legal advice? Why won't she publish it? Why has she not shown that advice directly to Sir Keir Starmer herself, instead of relying on his team to relay it to him? Advertisement 'We should really just be focusing on the policies people are concerned about, that's really what people want to hear, not mud slinging from politicians.' Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride today told LBC: 'What does surprise and slightly confuse me is the fact that Sir Keir Starmer, as a former DPP and a fairly forensic and inquiring mind, has not seen fit to ask her [Rayner] to show him this advice to he can come to his own conclusion on it. 'I'm a bit confused about that ... why are you not sufficiently interested in this to ask Angela Rayner to provide you with the details and then you can also reassure us that nothing untoward has happened?' But on a visit to the West Midlands Sir Keir told reporters: 'Angela Rayner has been asked no end of questions about this. She's answered them all. She said she's very happy to answer any further questions from the police or from any of the authorities. 'I don't need to see the legal advice. My team has seen it. But I will say this, that on the day that the A&E figures - people are waiting more than 24 hours in A&E, we now know that they are 10 times as high as they were five years ago - the idea that the Tories want to be focusing on what Angela Rayner, how much time she spent with her ex husband 10 years ago, I can tell you here at this hospital, nobody but nobody is interested in that. 'They're very, very interested in what are you going to do about the A&E problem caused by this Government? He added: It's not appropriate for me to see (Ms Rayner's legal advice) but I do know this, that if you're waiting more than 24 hours for A&E, you're much more interested in why the Government is not absolutely laser-focused on that, which is what they should be, than chasing this smear against Angela Rayner and how much time she spent with her husband over 10 years ago.' Ms Rayner is facing fresh accusations of rule-breaking after The Mail on Sunday exposed social media posts that cast more doubt on her insistence she lived apart from her husband and children for their first five years of marriage. In one post, she said she had 'just got home' but the backdrop is her then-husband's Stockport house, where she claims she did not live. The Mail on Sunday studied dozens of open social media posts by Ms Rayner, all showing her life with her children and cats at the Lowndes Lane address of then-husband, Mark. None of the pictures show her at Vicarage Road, a mile away, where she was on the electoral register until selling the ex-council house in 2015. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride today told LBC: 'What does surprise and slightly confuse me is the fact that Sir Keir Starmer, as a former DPP and a fairly forensic and inquiring mind, has not seen fit to ask her [Rayner] to show him this advice to he can come to his own conclusion on it. Ms Rayner could face a criminal conviction and a fine for a false declaration on the electoral roll if it is found she was not actually living at Vicarage Road, as neighbours have claimed. They say her brother, Darren, lived there in the later years and described Labour's deputy leader as the 'landlady'. There are also questions over whether she owed tax on the sale, as married couples can normally count only one property as their main home at any one time. She has refused to publish tax advice which she claims exonerates her. Last night Tory party chairman Richard Holden led a clamour of calls from Tory MPs for Ms Rayner to answer 'simple' questions about her property affairs. In a letter to Sir Keir and Ms Rayner, sent last night and seen by the Mail, Mr Holden said: 'You have pledged to uphold standards in public life, but the failure by you and your deputy to answer the simplest questions about this matter makes a mockery of these claims. 'Given the clear public interest in this case, your unwillingness to investigate this fully so far, or even bother to look at legal advice Ms Rayner claims to have received, is a damning indictment of your leadership.' Sir Keir Starmer is a former director of public prosecutions (DPP) A social media post by Ms Rayner from March 20, 2014, in which you can see her patchwork sofa The same chef ornament can be seen in this picture of the kitchen at the Lowndes Lane home Last night Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis said: 'It's about time Angela Rayner came clean on where she was actually living between 2010 and 2015. 'As more evidence is uncovered, appearing to undermine Angela Rayner's account, it is increasingly clear that the British people cannot trust Labour's deputy leader.' Tory former Cabinet minister David Jones said: 'Keir Starmer should insist that Angela Rayner is completely transparent over the sale of her house. 'She should also publish the advice she says she received from her accountant. 'Angela Rayner has been quick to criticise Conservatives in the past. She should now demonstrate that she is herself beyond reproach.' A Republican lawmaker has come under fire for defending Neo-Nazis' right to assemble in Maine after Democrats shared a clip of her asking 'what did the Nazis do that was illegal?' Representative Laurel Libby made the comments on Wednesday in opposition to a bill that would ban unauthorized paramilitary training in the state, after a white supremacist tried to set up a Neo-Nazi training camp in the area last year. Neo-Nazi groups staged several demonstrations, wearing all black, holding banners with racist slogans and giving 'Heil Hitler' salutes, in the state last year. Libby referred to their rallies, saying: 'Let's talk about the Nazis. I would like to know, although I'm not posing a question through the chair, I would like to know what they did that was illegal?' Maine Democrats shared a clipped version of her speech online sparking outrage, with many accusing her of defending WWII Nazis and the Holocaust. Libby said her comments on the floor of the State House were taken out of context 'for fundraising purposes' by Democrats. She told DailyMail.com: 'Even if I do not agree with an organization or person's beliefs, it is my job to protect their constitutional right to free speech and association.' Representative Laurel Libby made the comments at the State House in Augusta on Wednesday She said: 'Let's talk about the Nazis. I would like to know, although I'm not posing a question through the chair, I would like to know what they did that was illegal?' A neo-Nazi movement has been growing in Maine with protests and rallies last year Libby was referring to the series of protests and rallies organized by Neo-Nazi groups - such as the Nationalist Social Club - in Maine and New England last year. The groups marched in major cities wearing matching uniforms with balaclavas, holding banners with racist slogans and giving 'Heil Hitler' salutes. Prominent neo-Nazi and white supremacist, Christopher Pohlhaus, then attempted to create a training center for a 'blood tribe' on a property in northern Maine. Defending the groups' right to carry guns and march, Libby said: 'I would like to know what they did, in detail if folks would like to share, that was wrong, that infringed on another persons right. 'Holding a rally, and even holding a rally with guns, is not illegal.' The Maine House Democratic Campaign Committee shared the clip on social media, racking up 283,000 views by Monday morning. They said: 'On the house floor today Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) stated "Lets talk about the NazisI would like to know what they did that was illegal." 'We won't stand for this MAGA extremism in Maine. Check out who we have running against her.' There was a huge backlash with many assuming she was defending WWII Nazism and the Holocaust. One Twitter user wrote: 'I can think of about 6 million things they did that were illegal to start with.' Another said: 'Laurel Libby is a Nazi apologistat the very least.' The groups staged several demonstrations wearing all black, holding banners with racist slogans and giving 'Heil Hitler' salutes Prominent neo-Nazi and white supremacist, Christopher Pohlhaus, then attempted to create a training center for a 'blood tribe' on a property in northern Maine Libby defended her comments in the face of the backlash, saying they were taken out of context In a five-and-a-half-minute response on her Facebook page, Libby said: 'Watching the full speech makes it pretty clear that I am not talking about the Nazis in Germany in the 1940s and 1930s. 'This clip was put out there by the House Democratic Campaign Committee as a fund-raising stunt. It was deliberately put out there out of context in order to get a reaction.' She later told DailyMail.com: 'My comments were in regards to a neo-Nazi group that was active in Maine last summer, and legislation that was submitted in response. 'It is the proper role of government to protect our constitutional rights.' Libby was elected to the Maine House in 2020. She was a leader of the 2020 people's veto campaign which opposed mandatory child vaccination in the state and protested Covid-19 measures. She has spoken openly about her refusal to vaccinate her children and campaigned against lockdowns in Maine. Libby encouraged health workers to walk away from their jobs rather than get vaccinated. Jennifer Crumbley's lawyer says attacks on her for how she raised her son before he carried out a mass shooting in his Michigan school are both 'misognistic' and 'sexist.' 'Criticizing Mrs. Crumbley for being "rarely home" is a sexist and misogynistic attack on a mother,' Shannon Smith wrote in court records. 'It's certainly not criminal, nor would it be expected to lead to criminal behavior by a child, particularly when it was a two-parenthousehold where Mr. Crumbley mostly worked from home and was very close to home even when he was DoorDashing in between jobs.' Smith made the argument as part of court filings ahead of sentencing for Jennfier and her husband, James, on Tuesday. Both were convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the death of four students at Oxford High School in Michigan in November 2021. Their son, Ethan, opened fired in the school, killing Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre and Justin Shilling. Ethan was sentenced to life in prison, and his parents are the first to be convicted for a school shooting carried out by their son. Jennifer Crumbley's lawyer says attacks on her for how she raised her son before he carried out a mass shooting in his Michigan school are both 'misognistic' and 'sexist' Jennifer and her husband, James, (pictured) were both convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the November 2021 shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan by their son Ethan Ethan had given warning signs that his parents ignored before he opened fire inside his school killing four Ethan had made pleas for help and even made violent drawings the morning of the attack. But Jennifer and James opted not to take Ethan home that day after meeting with a counselor. Instead, they chose work. The parents were convicted at separate trials and face 15 years in prison for each count. Now, prosecutors are asking for at least ten years in prison for the parents. James has made the argument for time served. Jennifer is asking for a reduced sentence, with her lawyer offering her guest house for home confinement. Crumbley has since been locked up for 23 hours a day for more than two years in the guest house, and has not had contact with her son or husband, Smith contended. The jury also heard that Crumbley was more interested in an extramarital affair with a fire captain, Brian Meloche, than spending time with her son. She admitted to using the app 'Adult Friend Finder' to carry out secret affairs, including evidence that she arranged 'meet ups' days before the shooting. Smith said Crumbley and her family have suffered enough and that imprisoning them would not change the outcome of the situation or prevent similar situations from happening. 'She in reality has lost everything, and she is saddled with extra baggage knowing the horrific acts her son did to others and always second guessing every choice she made as a parent,' said Smith,'Mrs. Crumbley's son is, in reality, gone forever.' 'Further prison time does nothing to protect society Mrs. Crumbley is not a threat to the community. Putting Mrs. Crumbley in prison does nothing to further deter others from committing like offenses. There is no person who would want the events of November 30, 2021, to repeat themselves.' Jennifer admitted to using the app 'Adult Friend Finder' to carry out secret affairs, including evidence that she arranged 'meet ups' days before the shooting. She had an affair with fire captain Brian Meloche (pictured) Jennifer and James both face 15 years in prison for each count, with prosecutors asking they be sentenced to at least 10 years behind bars Ethan was sentenced to life in prison Jennifer Crumbley, left, is hugged by her attorney Shannon Smith after viewing the surveillance video of Crumbley's son perpetrating the shooting at Oxford High School As she begged for a lighter sentence, Smith argues the Crumbleys were manipulated by their son, whose dark side only revealed itself when he terrorized the school. 'Any gross negligence on her part can only be found to be parenting mistakes that any parent could make,' Smith said. 'The shooter manipulated his parents to buy a gun, made detailed plans to commit a school shooting that he kept from his parents even according to his own admission at his sentencing found the hidden weapon where his father had stored it, stole the weapon, took it to school, was confronted about concerning drawings, lied effectively enough to convince school officials it was really a non-issue, and chose to open fire on his classmates and teachers.' Jennifer's parents have also written letters in support of their daughter, with her mom claiming their family is heartbroken over the shooting. 'She has spent countless hours on the phone with us devastated, crying hysterically and wishing she were the one dead, not the children,' her mother wrote. 'All of us still cannot reconcile with what Ethan did,' the mom wrote. 'Jennifer, along with us, will never be the same. We will have to live the rest of our lives heartbroken for the families, community and for the students and staff for the excruciating pain Ethan has caused.' In her sentencing memo, Smith blasted the prosecution saying they made up a story that Jennfier ran after the shooting. 'The prosecution repeatedly characterized and continues to present Mrs. Crumbley as a selfish, callous, evil person and horrible mother who prioritize[ed] her own convenience over the safety to everyone in the school that day,' Smith writes. 'Mrs. Crumbley was damned no matter what she did or did not do.' The lawyer also ripped the idea that Jennifer did not show enough emotion in the case - either in the hours after the shooting or during the heartwrenching trial. Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre and Justin Shilling were all killed in the shooting Nicole Beausoleil, mother of Oxford shooting victim Madisyn Baldwin, right, reaches over to grab the hand of Craig Shilling, father of shooting victim Justin Shilling, following the guilty verdict of James Crumbley 'The prosecution certainly tried to convey that Mrs. Crumbley did not care enough about what was going on, that she did not cry enough, and that she did not behave the way a mother of a school shooter would behave despite the fact that there really is no formula about how a mother of a school shooter would behave after such a shocking and disturbing event was committed by their child,' Smith wrote 'Ironically, as trial progressed, when Mrs. Crumbley did cry, watching the videos of her sons horrific actions for the first time, the prosecution objected that "she was crying."' Finally, Smith attempted to downplay Jennifer's trial testimony where she said that she would not have changed anything. The lawyer argued Jennifer was referring to what she knew before the shooting and she would not have acted differently because she had no indication Ethan would shoot up a school. 'It is possible to be sad for the victims AND the Crumbleys,' Smith wrote. 'While this is a situation that has always been certain to end in disappointment for everyone, there is nothing that can rewind the events of November 30, 2021, which created irreparable damage, unimaginable loss and a nightmare that will continue for eternity.' President Joe Biden is doubling down on China, warning it to stop its aggressive tactics in the South China Sea while offering Taiwan a $6.6 billion investment to help it build microchips. Biden will discuss Beijing's activity toward its neighbors in Asia during summits this week with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. Additionally, his administration is investing in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, so it can expand existing plans for two factories in Phoenix and add a third, newly announced production hub in Arizona. His moves come as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin is talking economics in visits to Guangzhou and Beijing where she's also sampling Sichuan dumplings, Peking duck and the local beer. President Joe Biden is meeting with Japanese and Philippine leaders this week to discuss countering Chinese agressiong in the South China Sea, Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) spoke on the phone last week Biden will host the first-ever summit of the U.S., Japanese and Philippine leaders this week along with a state dinner for the Japanese prime minister as he seeks to counter China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. Defense issues will top the agenda as both Japan and the Philippines worry about Beijing's moves toward territory they claim. China claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety. Kishida will discuss how Chinese coast guard ships regularly approach disputed Japanese-controlled East China Sea islands near Taiwan. And Marcos Jr. is worried about the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef that is contested in the Spratly Islands. The Chinese coastguard has used water cannons to prevent the Philippines from resupplying marines stationed on the Sierra Madre, a rusting ship that Manila intentionally grounded on the reef in 1999 to reinforce its claims in the region. Japan has sold coastal radars to the Philippines and is negotiating a defense agreement that would allow their troops to visit each other's territory for joint military exercises. Meanwhile, Biden is using his CHIPS and Science Act to revive U.S. semiconductor manufacturing after the covid pandemic resulted in a shortage of microchips, which are used in many household items The Biden administration has promised tens of billions of dollars to support construction of U.S. chip foundries and reduce reliance on Asian suppliers, which Washington sees as a security weakness. 'Semiconductors - those tiny chips smaller than the tip of your finger - power everything from smartphones to cars to satellites and weapons systems,' Biden said in a statement. 'TSMCs renewed commitment to the United States, and its investment in Arizona represent a broader story for semiconductor manufacturing thats made in America and with the strong support of Americas leading technology firms to build the products we rely on every day.' U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, right, and U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns sample beer at the Jing-A brewery in Beijing Chinese Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 on its way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing produces nearly all of the leading-edge microchips in the world and plans to eventually do so in the U.S. It began construction of its first facility in Phoenix in 2021, and started work on a second hub last year, with the company increasing its total investment in both projects to $40 billion. The third facility should be producing microchips by the end of the decade and will see the companys commitment increase to a total of $65 billion, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in announcing the latest tranche of money. The investments would put the U.S. on track to produce roughly 20% of the worlds leading-edge chips by 2030, and Raimondo said they should help create 6,000 manufacturing jobs and 20,000 construction jobs, as well as thousands of new positions more indirectly tied to assorted suppliers in chip-related industries tied to Arizona projects. The potential incentives announced Monday include $50 million to help train the workforce in Arizona to be better equipped to work in the new facilities. Additionally, approximately $5 billion of proposed loans would be available through the CHIPS and Science Act. The announcement came Yellin is in China. Senior administration officials were asked if the Biden administration gave China a heads up on the coming investment, given the delicate geopolitics surrounding Taiwan. The officials said only that their focus in making Mondays announcement was solely on advancing U.S. manufacturing. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, waves, with his wife Yuko, left, as they depart for the U.S., at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Monday U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits the Guozijian Hutong Alley in Beijing Yellin was in China to discuss what she calls Chinese overproduction of solar products, electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries that she warns threaten global economic stability if left unchecked. A well-known foodie, many of her meetings were over meals. On Monday evening, her last night in China, Yellen visited Jing-A Brewing Co. in Beijing - co-founded by an American - where she ordered a Flying Fist IPA, a beer made with American hops. She took a sip and pronounced it 'excellent.' By Kim Ae-ran The United States is such a humongous country created by various immigrants from all over the world. We cant imagine the United States without immigrants. It is interesting to see that the first U.S. citizen canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XII in 1946 was Italian-American Catholic religious sister Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917), well-known as Mother Cabrini. In 1950, she became the patron saint of immigrants in memory of her unstoppable dedication to schools, orphanages, hospitals and prisons. On March 8, 2024, celebrating International Womens Day and Womens History Month, a biographical drama film titled Cabrini was released. Based on a biography titled Too Small a World: The Life of Mother Frances Cabrini written by Theodore Maynard (1890-1956), Cabrini shares the true story of building an empire of hope by "a little but courageous woman with great faith. Witnessing disease, poverty, crime and impoverished children in the slums of New York, Cabrini persuaded the mayor to provide housing and healthcare for the vulnerable people. With her indomitable intention to build an empire of hope in a poor society, she did her best to make her holy dream possible. Cabrini was born two months early on July 15, 1850, in SantAngelo Lodigiano as the youngest of 13 children. Being small and weak, she was delicate and fragile and had health issue throughout her life. When she was a child, she dreamed about becoming a missionary. Whenever she visited her uncle Don Luigi Oldini, she made little boats of paper, dropped violets in the boats, and let them float toward India and China, calling the flowers missionaries. With her missionary dream, she attended a school run by the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She wanted to enter this congregation when her parents passed away. But she couldnt make it because of her frail health. Instead, she became the headmistress of the House of Providence orphanage in Codogno. In 1880, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC) to care for orphans, the poor and the sick. In 1887, she went to seek Pope Leo XIIIs approval to establish missions in China, but he urged her to go to the United States to help the poor Italian immigrants. As a result, with six other sisters, she arrived in New York City on March 31, 1888. Because of her audacious activities in New York, she is also known as an effective intercessor for finding a parking space. With a big heart for immigrants, she organized educational classes such as catechism and needlework, opened schools and orphanages, and sold fine embroidery to support their families. She also helped them find jobs, homes and receive medical care. Being resourceful, enduring and faithful, she was eager to find people who would donate to improve the living conditions of immigrants. Such a devoted life is very appealing in the multi-cultured world mixed with a constant flow of immigrants and refugees. She believed that faith, simplicity, humility and obedience were the sources of all spiritual power. It is through our love and service that we can truly make a difference in the world Prayer, confidence, and total abandonment to God will always be our arms. We are good for nothing But I can do all things in Him who strengthens me The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul. Please feel free to visit her blog "A piece of sunshine" at mtorchid88.blogspot.com. Maia Kobabe's graphic memoir 'Gender Queer' has been ranked as the country's most controversial book by the American Library Association (ALA) for getting more complaints than any other title. Kobabe's wildly popular coming-of-age story has won awards and praise, but is reviled by conservatives, who call its graphic, gender-bending depictions of teenage sex harmful and 'pornographic.' The ALA released on Monday its list of the books that get the most complaints, along with its annual State of America's Libraries Report. 'All Boys Aren't Blue,' by George Johnson was the second-most complained about title, followed by 'This Book is Gay,' by Juno Dawson. Maia Kobabe, a non-binary author who uses e/em/eir pronouns, published her controversial text in 2019 Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe, is America's most frequently banned book, which critics put down to its graphic sexual content Those complaining to librarians most often referred to the books' X-rated and LGBTQ+ content. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the library association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, said Gender Queer was a 'lightning rod' for right-wing activists. 'People are trying to shut down conversation about gender identity,' she said. But conservatives on social media posted that Gender Queer deserved the censure. One user on X/Twitter called it a 'porn book that Democrats want to put in middle schools.' Kobabe, a non-binary author who uses e/em/eir pronouns, published her controversial text in 2019. It received the ALA's Alex Award for best young adult literature, but was panned by some Republican politicians and school systems in Florida, Texas and elsewhere have banned it. Last December, police in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, responded to a complaint from a custodian about the book by showing up and searching for it in an 8th grade classroom. The scandal-plagued Moms For Liberty group has led a campaign against explicit and LGBTQ+books appearing on library shelves Sexually explicit content being debated at a school board meeting, in Tampa, Florida Bookstore owner Mitch Kaplan sits near the empty book shelves to illustrate the effects of book bans in Florida It has been at the heart of debates over library content, with conservative organizations such as Moms for Liberty contending that parents should have more power to determine what books are available. Senator John Kennedy, 71, famously read aloud explicit passages from Gender Queer during a hearing, complaining that it shouldn't be allowed in Illinois schools. Maia Kobabe, has since acknowledged that the book was not meant for kids. The ALA reported last month that bans and attempted bans in 2023 reached record highs since it started tracking complaints in the early 2000s. More than 4,240 works in school and public libraries were targeted, compared to a then-record 2,571 books in 2022. Nearly half of the books challenged 47 percent have LGBTQ and racial themes. The ALA defines a challenge as a 'formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.' The association bases its findings on media accounts and reports from librarians but has long believed that many challenges go uncounted, or that some books are pulled by librarians in anticipation of protests. A plan by Donald Trump to end the bloody war in Ukraine would have the U.S. ally cede territory seized by Russia in Crimea and the Donbas region. Details of the plan which the Trump campaign dismisses as mere 'speculation' come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to plead with the US to provide more military aid. 'It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,' Zelensky said Sunday. The plan, which sources told the Washington Post they had discussed with Trump or his advisors, would be a turnaround from the Biden administration stance, which has been to funnel lethal arms to Ukraine while helping organize punshing sanctions on Moscow. The Biden's administration's mantra when negotiations have been floated has been to say 'nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine', in a bid to to avoid undercutting the U.S. ally, which has steadfastly refused similar terms since Russia's invasion. Former President Donald Trump has reportedly revealed his plan to end the war in Ukraine is by getting them to give up land to Russia Trump has repeatedly spoken of his ability to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in a single day, without offering specifics. His plan, reported by the Washington Post, comes amid increased skepticism about Ukraine in the Republican-led House, an polls showing increased criticism among Republicans about U.S. support for Ukraine. 'Any speculation about President Trumps plan is coming from unnamed and uninformed sources who have no idea what is going on or what will happen,' Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. 'President Trump is the only one talking about stopping the killing.' Trump has pushed for Ukraine aid to be given as a loan, as House Speaker Mike Johnson struggles to find a way to bring a Ukraine package to the floor while facing a threat to remove him by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). The Senate has passed a $95 billion foreign aid package with aid for Ukraine. Accepting territorial losses after Russia's invasion would deal a blow to Kiev amid an estimated more than 30,000 killed in action. The former president believes people in Ukraine would be accepting of that deal and he thinks both Russia and Ukraine 'want to save face, they want a way out,' according to Trump insiders. Trump has regularly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours and has encouraged Russia to attack NATO members that fail to 'pay their dues.' 'If I were president, the Russia-Ukraine war would never have happened... never in a million years,' Trump said in a video obtained by DailyMail.com in February 2023. The former president believes people in Ukraine would be accepting of that deal and he thinks both Russia and Ukraine 'want to save face, they want a way out' Trump has regularly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours 'But even now, if I were president, I'd be able to negotiate an end to this horrible and rapidly escalating war within 24 hours.' It is unclear how Trump would reach that agreement between the warring nations. He previously said he would be able to hash out an agreement between the two nations, but has not provided any support to negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also made clear he will not surrender any territory. During a December press conference with President Joe Biden, the Ukrainian president was asked about the stalled counter-offensive against Russia and if he'd cede territory to end the nearly two-year long assault. 'That's insane, to be honest,' Zelensky said through an English interpreter. 'That's part of Ukrainian society. We are talking about human beings. They are being tortured, they are being raped and they are being killed,' he said. 'That's not a matter of territory. That's a matter of life, of families, of children, of their histories.' 'I don't know whose idea it is, but I have a question to these people, if they are ready to give up their children to terrorists. I think no,' Zelensky said. Trump was impeached in 2020 for attempting to coerce Zelensky into investigating Biden, then his main political rival, as well as his son Hunter Biden and the cybersecurity company, CloudStrike, Hunter was managing in Ukraine at the time. Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who was Trump's top Russia adviser told The Washington Post Trump's team 'is thinking about this very much in silos, that this is just a Ukraine-Russia thing.' 'They think of it as a territorial dispute, rather than one about the whole future of European security and the world order by extension.' Michael Kofman, an analyst of the Russia-Ukraine war at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a nonpartisan research center said, ' 'No amount of leverage the United States has is likely to compel Ukrainian leadership to engage in policies that would constitute domestic political suicide.' 'And no amount of leverage the United States has can compel Ukraine to cede territory or engage in these types of concessions. This is a situation where if you're willing to give a hand, the other side will very quickly want the rest of the arm.' Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, 'Any speculation about President Trump's plan is coming from unnamed and uninformed sources who have no idea what is going on or what will happen.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also made clear he will not surrender any territory The U.S. has earmarked at least $113 billion for Ukraine since Russia invaded and Biden has insisted America 'will not walk away' from the conflict Trump was impeached in 2020 for attempting to coerce Zelensky into investigating Biden, then his main political rival, as well as his son Hunter Biden and the cybersecurity company, CloudStrike, Hunter was managing in Ukraine at the time 'President Trump is the only one talking about stopping the killing.' Trump's reported plan is vastly different than President Joe Biden's stance on Ukraine. The U.S. has earmarked at least $113 billion for Ukraine since Russia invaded and Biden has insisted America 'will not walk away' from the conflict. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed confidence that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and insisted support for the embattled country is 'rock solid.' The support for Ukraine, the determination of every country represented here at NATO remains rock solid. We will do everything we can; Allies will do everything that they can to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to continue to deal with Russia s ongoing aggression,' he said. He also called on Congress to move forward with aid to Ukraine. Conservatives on Capitol Hill have blocked a $60billion military aid package which has ultimately led to severe shortages of ammunition for Ukrainian forces. This has allowed Russia's army being able to push back Kyiv's forces along almost the entire 600-mile front line. The Vatican in a long-awaited ruling on Monday said it opposed sex changes and radical gender theory, in a rare ruling under Pope Francis to align with religious conservatives. The Vatican's doctrinal office (DDF) released the 'Dignitas infinita' declaration, about 'Infinite dignity,' which also makes a case against surrogate parenthood, abortions, and euthanasia. It follows fierce conservative pushback, especially in Africa, against the Church's radical decision in December to let Catholic priests bless same-sex couples. There is no suggestion that the new text was prepared in direct response to the rows over same-sex blessings, as it has been five years in the making. Many conservatives have complained about Pope Francis' liberal direction for the Church A female-to-male trans activist with breast-removal scars that the Church now calls an affront to 'infinite dignity' But it has undergone extensive revisions over the period. Pope Francis approved it after requesting that it also mention 'poverty, the situation of migrants, violence against women, human trafficking, war, and other themes,' said DDF boss Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez. The declaration said gender theory is at odds with Catholic teaching. It denounces attempts to obscure the 'sexual difference between man and woman.' 'Desiring a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God,' says the text. This amounts to 'entering into competition with the true God of love revealed to us in the Gospel,' it adds. Gender theory, also known as gender ideology, suggests that gender is more complex and fluid than the binary categories of male and female, and depends on more than chromosomes and visible sexual organs. It has become a culture war frontline globally, and especially in the US, where Republican lawmakers have outlawed interventions on trans children in some two dozen states. The funeral of a trans activist in a New York City cathedral in February prompted an outcry Conservatives and others in the US have protested outside clinics that perform sex-change procedures on children, like this one at Boston Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts The statement rules against the growing number of children and adults who undergo sex-reassignment procedures, which range from puberty blockers to cross sex hormones and even surgery. 'Any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception,' it says. It acknowledged that some people may undergo surgery to resolve 'genital abnormalities,' but stressed that 'such a medical procedure would not constitute a sex change in the sense intended here.' The declaration said surrogate parenting violated the dignity of both the surrogate mother and the child, and recalled that Francis in January called it 'despicable' and urged a global ban. At the same time, the text also denounced as contrary to human dignity the fact that 'in some places, not a few people are imprisoned, tortured, and even deprived of the good of life solely because of their sexual orientation.' Elsewhere, the declaration doubled down on the Vatican's standing condemnation of abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty, quoting from Francis, his predecessors Benedict XVI and John Paul II and past Vatican documents. It also mentioned sexual abuse as a threat to human dignity calling it 'widespread in society,' including within the Catholic Church as well as violence against women, cyberbullying and other forms of online abuse. Strong winds will hit parts of Britain tonight with forecasters warning the 75mph 'danger to life' gales could cause power cuts, building damage and travel chaos. The Met Office has issued three wind warnings - for the South West between 4pm today and 6am tomorrow; for the south coast between 9pm tonight and 9am tomorrow; and for western Wales from 1am tomorrow until 3pm tomorrow. Those using road, rail, air or ferry transport face possible delays, and meteorologists also said bridges could close along with a chance of tiles being blown from roofs. Downpours will also impact the UK this week, with a rain warning in place for up to 2.4in (60mm) to fall in parts of Scotland between 1am and 6pm tomorrow. Meanwhile the Environment Agency has increased its flood warnings total to 86 up from 26 this morning - and its flood alerts total to 197, up from 160 earlier on. The Thames Barrier closed today with officials saying this was due to the 'forecast of a very high tide combined with the continued high flows from a very wet winter'. It comes after the UK was hit by the remnants of Storm Olivia last Friday before Storm Kathleen hit on Saturday, particularly affecting western parts of the country. The Met Office has three wind warnings and one rain warning in place for the UK tomorrow Your browser does not support iframes. WIND WARNING 1: The first alert is for the South West between 4pm today and 6am tomorrow WIND WARNING 2: The alert for the south coast is between 9pm tonight and 9am tomorrow WIND WARNING 3: The third alert for western Wales is between 1am and 3pm tomorrow RAIN WARNING: Up to 2.4in (60mm) could fall in Scotland between 1am and 6pm tomorrow The first wind warning begins at 4pm tonight, covering parts of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, when gusts 'will reach 45-55mph widely and 60-65mph along some exposed coasts, mainly in the south of the warning area'. The Met Office added: 'There is a possibility that a few locations in Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and south Devon could see gusts to around 75mph. Large waves in combination with high tides may cause some impacts along coasts. READ MORE Police urgently search River Wear to locate missing person who vanished into the water with his since-rescued friend during a storm Advertisement Forecasters also said: 'There is a small chance that injuries or danger to life could result from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties - or from flying debris elsewhere.' They said there was a 'chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.' Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport were also possible. The second wind warning begins on the south coast at 9pm tonight, with the Met Office saying a 'spell of strong onshore winds will affect parts of the England Channel coastline overnight Monday and Tuesday morning'. They said gusts will reach '45 to 55mph just inland from the coast and potentially 65mph for exposed coastal spots'. The third wind warning is for western Wales and begins at 1am tomorrow, with the Met Office expecting strong gusts blowing from the North West to affect the region. The Environment Agency has 197 flood alerts (in amber) and 86 warnings (in red) for England Surfers brave the huge waves striking Portreath in Cornwall yesterday afternoon Waves crash over cars at Douglas on the Isle of Man over the weekend as Storm Kathleen hits The winds will arrive across South West Wales in the early hours of tomorrow, before reaching North Wales and North West England later in the morning. READ MORE Britain in Storm Kathleen's chaotic grip: Terrifying moment plane bounces on the runway as it struggles to land amid 73mph gales Advertisement Gusts will reach 40 to 50mph widely, with 60 or 65mph gusts expected for exposed coasts of South West and West Wales overnight. Forecasters said it was likely that 'some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and or large waves'. They added that some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport were likely, while some short term loss of power and other services was possible. It comes after Storm Kathleen blew in on Saturday with a gust of 91mph recorded in the Cairngorms while winds reached 73mph in Drumalbin, Lanarkshire. The strong winds left 12,000 homes without power in the Republic of Ireland, and another 750 in Northern Ireland - while Scotland was also badly hit. But very warm air was also drawn in on the same day to eastern areas of England, where the UK's hottest day of the year so far was recorded as Santon Downham in Suffolk got to 20.9C (69.6F). An off-duty paramedic has been killed in a suspected shooting that unfolded at a park in front of onlookers. The incident took place at Adelaide's Outer Harbor, a major shipping port in city's northwest, with emergency services including police and SA Ambulance crews, rushing to the scene at 5.45pm on Monday. Despite desperate efforts from paramedics, the man could not be saved and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Although South Australia Police are yet to confirm the man's identity or other details about the incident, it is understood detectives are not treating the incident as suspicious. The incident took place at Adelaide's Outer Harbor, a major shipping port in city's northwest, with emergency services including police and SA Ambulance crews, rushing to the scene at 5.45pm on Monday Vicky Summerton, who owns a hair salon nearby, was driving home from work at 6.30pm when she saw ambulances and police vehicles parked in the area. 'I just thought someone had an accident or heart attack because someone had an accident on the rocks a little while back,' she told The Advertiser. Another local resident Lincoln Johnstone said the incident was heart breaking. 'It's a tragedy, it's a really quiet neighbourhood,' he said. The reserve which has a playground is frequented by parents and their young children. A South Australia Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia a report is being prepared for the coroner and said no further information is available at this time. The South Australian Ambulance Service was contacted for comment. If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health support call Lifeline: 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636. A traumatised woman who found a sex offender and suspected murderer dead and decomposing in her caravan says she has been suffering from daily flashbacks since. Nicky Kieley-Shier, 66, was horrified to discover the body of wanted man Richard Scatchard who had been hiding in her remote mobile home in Watchet, Somerset. Scatchard, 70, had been the subject of a police hunt over the murder of 61-year-old Kelly Faiers at his home in Minehead, Somerset, on October 15 last year. He and his victim had gone out the night before after meeting on a dating app, before he called paramedics in the early hours - reporting Ms Faiers as critically ill. Emergency services pronounced her dead at 4.15am and police spoke to Scatchard, but when officers returned for further questioning the next day he had vanished. Police had been searching for convicted sex offender Richard Scatchard, 70, from Minehead in Somerset, since last October but his body has only just been found He was wanted in connection with the suspected murder of 61-year-old Kelly Faiers, who was found dead at Scatchard's home in Somerset on October 16 last year Nicky Kieley-Shier, pictured, found Scatchard's body in her mobile home last Thursday The caravan owner was returned to it for the first time after leaving it locked over the winter The mystery of his whereabouts was finally solved when Ms Kieley-Shier, who lives in Taunton in Somerset, visited her Watchet caravan last Thursday having previously left it locked over the winter. She has described noticing a foul smell as soon as she opened the door before noticing a body on the floor in the early stages of composition. She said: 'The caravans are locked up for the winter, so I was going down to set mine up and get it all ready. 'I opened up the door and thought something didn't feel right - I thought maybe someone had tried to get in. 'When I opened it up, I bent down to open up the other latch, and then I saw a head and shoulders sticking out from underneath the seating cushions. 'I shut the door - I couldn't believe what I'd just seen, but I knew it was a dead body. 'I got into my car and called the police and they were there within a short time. 'They asked me if I knew the bloke and I said no. They didn't know it was a wanted man to start with either.' She then spoke to a friend who told about 'a bloke on the run who had murdered his partner and the last time he was seen was in Watchet'. Ms Kieley-Shier then searched for information on Google and found a news article with a photograph matching the person she found in her caravan. She added: 'Although it was decomposed a bit, you could see that that was the man that went missing.' A forensic post-mortem examination of Scatchard's body proved inconclusive in determining the cause of death, but police say it was 'apparent Scatchard died some time ago'. Ms Kieley-Shier remains in shock after the grisly discovery last Thursday afternoon. She said: 'I keep getting flashbacks. Every 30 seconds I get a vision of his head - his eyes had gone all red and his face was a grey-green colour. Scatchard's body was discovered in the mobile home in Watchet, Somerset He had been wanted on recall to prison as well as in connection with the murder investigation Scatchard has been last seen on Swain Street in Watchet, Somerset, on October 16 last year - the day after Ms Faiers' death 'I've been sleeping on the settee at the moment because it's light in there - luckily I'm getting psychiatric help, so I'll be able to get any help I need. The family of victim Kelly Faiers has stated that their ordeal has 'come to an end', adding: 'We have a conclusion but no closure which we are left to live with.' And Ms Kieley-Shier offered her sympathy, saying: 'I feel sorry for Kelly's family, because they're not going to get justice or closure for this.' Police had launched several high-profile appeals and released CCTV images in a bid to trace Scatchard after describing him as 'dangerous' - while Crimestoppers offered a 10,000 reward last December. He was last seen in West Somerset on October 16 last year but despite dozens of reported sightings none were confirmed as him. He was wanted on a recall to prison as well as in connection with Ms Faiers' murder. Avon and Somerset Police said previously Scatchard was considered a risk to the public, specifically women he formed relationships with. He was a regular user of dating apps and had been convicted of sexual offences in which he administered drugs his victims. Ms Faiers' family made a complaint about the police response last December 20 and Avon and Somerset Police voluntarily referred the complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct on January 4. The force faced criticism over its decision not to tell the public for several days that Scatchard was a convicted sex offender when making an initial appeal over his disappearance. Scatchard, said to be a personnel manager, was convicted of eight offences at Warrington Crown Court in 2000. He was found guilty of three charges of drugging victims, two charges of indecent assault, one attempted rape, one charge of theft and one charge of burglary. His trial heard of Scatchard's depraved obsession with drugging women with whom he was in relationships, in order to create explicit videos. Police released CCTV images showing Scatchard at the Wellington pub in Minehead with Ms Faiers hours before she was found dead Officers warned the 17-year-old posed a serious risk to women he forms relationships with One of his partners told the court that when she discovered intimate, non-consensual images of herself, she moved away from Scatchard's area. He later broke into her home, stole personal papers so he could find her and even sprayed battery acid destroying possessions worth thousands of pounds. An IOPC spokesperson said: 'We can confirm our investigation into Avon and Somerset Police's response to the death of Kelly Faiers is ongoing. 'It follows a complaint referral from the force in January this year.' Borrowers could see up to $20,000 in unpaid student loan interest erased Republicans are blasting President Biden's latest plan to cancel student loan debt for millions of Americans, accusing the president of 'bribing' voters ahead of the 2024 election. The Biden administration unveiled its latest proposals to forgive as much as $20,000 in debt for some borrowers on Monday after the Supreme Court struck down its original plan last year. The White House believes that when combined with the efforts already taken to cancel $146 billion for four million borrowers, the latest efforts would impact as many as 30 million borrowers. 'Once again, President Biden is ignoring the Supreme Court and shamelessly raiding the treasury to transfer billions in student loan debt to taxpayers. He's using your money to buy votes,' wrote Republican Senator Tom Cotton on X Monday. Missouri was among states to sue over the first student loan forgiveness plan. Senator Eric Schmitt was the state's Attorney General at the time and claimed Monday Biden's effort was an election season move. 'Hes at it again in a cynical effort to buy votes. Its a huge middle finger to those who paid them back, or worked their way through college or took an entirely different path,' Senator Schmitt wrote on X. 'Hes shedding younger voters and he knows hes losing to Trump. He and the Dems are desperate and it wont work.' Senators Joni Ernst and Tom Cotton were among the many Republicans to blast President Biden's latest effort to forgive student loan debt for millions Cotton slams Biden administration for latest student loan forgiveness plan accusing the president of using taxpayer money to 'buy votes' 'The Biden administration is bribing young voters instead of equipping Americans to know the true cost of college,' said GOP Senator Joni Ernst in a statement. 'Look no further than the students struggling to find out if they can afford higher education and the Iowa families whose farms count against them thanks to the Biden administrations fumbled FAFSA rollout,' she said referring to the new version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which had a disorganized rollout. Ernst compared the new proposals to a 'zombie comes back to life' and argued instead of focusing on fixing 'his FAFSA fiasco, hes resurrecting his billion-dollar bailout.' Republican Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw accused Biden of 'desperately trying to deceive voters with free stuff he cant deliver on.' 'His original student loan bailout was struck down by the Supreme Court- even some of his smaller student loan giveaways have run into legal obstacles. So why do this now? The timing suggests he hopes the Supreme Court wont have time to reject his plan before its term ends- giving voters the illusion that he is delivering for them,' he posted. Other including the House Education Committee claimed the move would increase the cost of college. It's chair Congresswoman Virginia Foxx introduced her own legislation to help address the costs of college and promote transparency while blocking the Education Department from transferring debt to 'hardworking Americans who never stepped foot on a college campus.' Republican Wisconsin Senate Candidate Eric Hovde also slammed the new effort in an interview on Fox News. 'Why is it fair for those people that never had the opportunity to go to college now have to pay for those that did? Why is it fair for those people that worked their way through college or their parents worked hard to put their children through college and now have to pay for those that are getting the student debt relief?' the businessman asked. Wisconsin GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde rejects the Biden plans to cancel student debt calling them unfair Correct: Biden's student loan scheme will transfer debt to taxpayers & increase college costs. While @virginiafoxx's College Cost Reduction Act: empowers families w/ financial transparency, holds colleges accountable, and increases access & affordability. More via https://t.co/4nFu33rKmh House Committee on Education & the Workforce (@EdWorkforceCmte) April 8, 2024 Hovde's remarks from Madison, WI came ahead of Biden traveling to the city to outline his latest student loan plans on Monday. The new proposals from the president were released nearly a year after Biden's first plan for widespread student loan debt forgiveness was blocked by the Supreme Court. After the original plan was struck down, the Biden administration started looking at other ways to cancel debt through the rulemaking process. Monday's new proposals are the result of those efforts. 'From day one, my administration has been committed to fixing the broken student loan system and making sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier,' Biden said in a video posted online Monday. The Biden administration has canceled $146 billion in student loan debt despite the Supreme Court blocking the president's first student loan forgiveness plan The new plans would cancel up to $20,000 in unpaid interest for borrowers who currently owe more on their loans than they originally borrowed. The interest cancelation would impact single borrowers who earn $120,000 or less and married borrowers who earn $240,000 or less and would be automatically carried out without borrowers having to apply. The plans would also cancel debt for two million borrowers who would have qualified for other forgiveness programs but have not yet applied. Additionally, undergraduate borrowers who entered into repayment 20 or more years ago, graduate student borrowers who began repayment 25 or more years ago, borrowers who have been enrolled in low-financial-value programs and those have have faced financial hardship paying back loans would also see relief. According to the Biden administration, the plans would fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million borrowers, cancel the full amount of student loan debt for more than four million borrowers and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in debt relief or more. The administration will be releasing the plans over the coming months which will then face a public comment period. Senior administration officials said the goal is to start delivering relief this fall. Last June, the Supreme Court blocked the president's original $400 billion plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers making less than $125,000 a year. The Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration had overstepped its authority with its original plan which relied on the HEROES Act, a law that authorizes the Education Secretary to waive or modify federal student loans due to a national emergency. Senior administration officials said they studied the Supreme Court's 2023 decision carefully and pursued the new regulations in a way that is consistent with that decision. Biden Administration Student Loan Debt Forgiveness August 2022: Biden announces original plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt June 2023: Supreme Court blocks Biden's first student loan forgiveness plan August 2023: Biden announces income driven repayment SAVE plan February 2024: Biden administration begins canceling debt under the SAVE plan March 2024: 11 states sue to block the SAVE plan April 2024: Biden administration unveils new proposals to cancel student loan debt under the Higher Education Act Advertisement The new plans are being carried out under the Education Secretary's authority in the Higher Education Act of 1965. 'This isn't the same plan, and we feel confident going forward,' a senior administration official said. But the president of the Job Creators Network Foundation disagreed saying the administration is 'lawlessly ignoring the Supreme Court and Congress.' 'As a policy matter, this bailout suffers from the same fundamental problem as the first one: it does nothing to hold colleges accountable for their role in overcharging students,' said Elaine Parker in a statement. Meanwhile, advocates for student debt relief praised the move, calling it 'one step closer to realizing a life-changing impact' for millions of borrowers. Student Borrower Protection Center policy director Aissa Canchola Banez said the move 'offers a roadmap for how this Administration should deal with a hostile Supreme Court majority captured by right-wing special interests: call the high courts bluff by aggressively using the full power of the law and delivering for working people.' Monday's announcement for additional student loan debt cancelation builds on other efforts the Biden administration has already taken since the first plan was blocked. To date, the Biden administration has already canceled $146 billion in student loan debt for four million borrowers through changes to multiple programs including the Income Driven Repayment plan and fixing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Just months after the highest court blocked Biden's first student debt plan, the administration also launched the Saving on a Valuable Education or SAVE plan. The SAVE plan is an income drive repayment plan that cuts down on the amount to time and money some borrowers have to pay before their student loan debt is forgiven. In February, the administration began canceling billions in debt under the SAVE plan including $1.2 billion for 153,000 borrowers. The White House said more than 7.7 million borrowers have enrolled in the plan and were encouraging millions more to do so. The Education Department said it would continue to identify borrowers who qualify for their debt to be forgiven on a continuing basis. As the Biden administration launches its latest student loan forgiveness effort, the SAVE program is already facing a legal challenge. On March 28, 11 states led by Kansas filed a federal lawsuit in an effort to block the forgiveness program. The lawsuit argued that the effort is no different than the first attempt by the president to wipe out student loan debt which was rejected by the Supreme Court. Kansas Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach vowed to take the case all the way back to the Supreme Court if necessary. Along with Kansas, the suit is backed by Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. Pro-life advocates are outraged after former President Donald Trump announced he won't support a national abortion ban, saying limits on abortion should be left to individual states. After the landmark decision Roe v. Wade was struck down in June 2022, states have been allowed to decide the path forward on the controversial topic. The 77-year-old also posted a four-and-a-half minute video Monday in which he didn't specify a time frame in which he would support or not support abortion. He also went on to say that he believes in exceptions for a right to terminate a pregnancy in the case of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. His announcement is meeting an icy reception with leading pro-life advocates. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), said she was 'deeply disappointed' by the announcement because it 'cedes the national debate to the Democrats.' Following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade demonstrators took to the streets across the U.S. to protest the reversal. The politically-charged topic has been widely seen as a weakness for Republicans as abortion access is generally supported by Americans 'We are deeply disappointed in President Trumps position,' Dannenfelser said in a statement. 'Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry.' 'The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act.' 'Saying the issue is back to the states cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. If successful, they will wipe out states rights.' 'With lives on the line, SBA Pro-Life America and the pro-life grassroots will work tirelessly to defeat President Biden and extreme congressional Democrats.' Trump's populist policy position indicates how the former president has split from the more conservative ranks of his own party, which largely is receptive to sweeping abortion bans. Kristan Hawkins, president of pro-life group Students for Life Action, also released a statement on Trump's comments Monday, saying 'We clearly have some work to do to educate the Trump Administration' on the 'many ways that abortion has been made federal.' 'But with the mutual goals of supporting families and welcoming young children, we can work together to restore the culture of life stripped away by the national Democratic Party and their leadership.' 'Fighting against that kind of abortion extremism is a reason to vote for Donald Trump,' Hawkins' continued. Trump has previously credited himself with being 'able to terminate Roe v. Wade after 50 years of trying' with the appointment of three Supreme Court justices. 'Donald Trump was the most pro-life president in American history, and we are grateful for all he did as president to advance a culture of life,' the Faith and Freedom Coalition, another pro-life group, said in a statement Monday. 'He kept his promise to appoint the conservative federal judges, which gave us the opportunity after a half-century of struggle to protect the unborn. We appreciate his statement reaffirming his pro-life convictions.' 'We will continue to work for the passage of legislation at the state and federal level to protect as many unborn children as we can, and 24 states have already enacted laws doing so.' The group, notably, did not criticize Trump's Monday abortion comments, but instead highlighted the former president's past work and how the coalition will continue to advocate for anti-abortion policies. Demonstrators hold signs and cheer in protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court following the overturn of Roe v. Wade Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., (right) speaks during news conference to announce a new bill on abortion restrictions alongside President of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Marjorie Dannenfelser (left) Trump's position is sure to appeal to moderate Republicans and Democrats that see both ends of their party's as too extreme, vacillating from hardline conservatives supporting a total abortion ban to progressives that support abortion without restrictions. 'At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people,' Trump said in the video. 'You must follow your heart or in many cases, your religion or your faith.' 'Do what's right for your family and do what's right for yourself. Do what's right for your children, do what's right for our country and vote.' Summarizing his position, Trump made it clear that his stance empowering states to decide is one with political implications that could very well decide the election. 'You must follow your heart on this issue but remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture,' he said. But winning elections at the cost of allowing abortion to continue in more liberal states is seemingly not a popular choice among Republicans. 'President Trumps retreat on the Right to Life is a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020,' former Vice President Mike Pence, who served under the former president, wrote on X. 'However much our Republican nominee or other candidates seek to marginalize the cause of life, I know pro-life Americans will never relent until we see the sanctity of life restored to the center of American law in every state in this country.' Trump said on Monday he believes in exceptions for a right to terminate a pregnancy in the case of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother Sen. Lindsey Graham also bashed Trump's stance in a statement Monday. 'I respectfully disagree with President Trumps statement that abortion is a states rights issue,' he said. 'Dobbs does not require that conclusion legally and the pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child not geography.' 'The states rights only rationale today runs contrary to an American consensus that would limit late-term abortions and will age about as well as the Dred Scott decision. The science is clear a child at fifteen weeks is well-developed and is capable of feeling pain.' 'I will continue to advocate that there should be a national minimum standard limiting abortion at fifteen weeks because the child is capable of feeling pain, with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother,' Graham's statement said. Another Republican from the South Carolina delegation, however, voiced support for Trump's abortion plan. 'The GOP cannot ignore the issue of abortion,' Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote on X. 'That's why I support President Trump on his stance of declining to endorse a federal abortion ban today, affirming that the issue should be left up to states and the power given back to the people.' President Biden released a statement on Trump's comments Monday. President Biden ridiculed Trump for his abortion announcement Monday, saying the former president does not 'have a clue about the power of women in America' 'Donald Trump made it clear once again today that he is more than anyone in America the person responsible for ending Roe v. Wade,' Biden said in a statement. 'He is more than anyone in America responsible for creating the cruelty and the chaos that has enveloped America since the Dobbs decision.' 'Trump once said women must be punished for seeking reproductive health care and he's gotten his wish.' The offices of Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did not respond to a request for comment. A row has erupted between holidaymakers and locals as hundreds of cones have been used to deter problem parkers. The bright yellow markers have been deployed to stop motorists parking on the main road in Polzeath, Cornwall as rain has delayed double yellow lines being painted. Popular with holidaymakers and surfers, the quaint has been overrun with problem parkers causing backlogs and delays. But while villagers have blamed tourists for the problems online, but local authorities say locals are also responsible for misparking their vehicles. One holidaymaker, Carrie Kirby wrote on Facebook: 'Gosh guys, I'm really not feeling very welcome to visit Polzeath anymore, having worked really hard all year and saved for my one holiday... to spend my cash locally. 'We're not all idiots or inconsiderate.' A row has ensued between locals and tourists to a Cornwall village after the local council deployed yellow cones to prevent people parking vehicles on the main road Local authorities in Polzeath turned to cones to deter problem parkers as wet weather delayed double yellow lines from being painted But others felt the council was punishing residents and regular visitors to the village while turning a blind eye to vans parked near the cliff. One wrote: 'I am in Polzeath every weekend. I pay to park in the car park only to go around to the cliff to find many vans like mine which have been slept in parked up. Seems like there is one rule for some but us locals get screwed over by the council parking.' Senior beach ranger Andy Stewart, 54, who lives near Polzeath, said: 'There used to be a single yellow line but that was removed so double yellows could be painted. 'The weather prevented that from happening for quite some time then Easter hit and people were just taking advantage of free parking in a place that affects the flow of traffic. 'At times it can be unsafe so me and the parish council contacted the highways agency - they came out and deployed millions of cones. 'No one is at fault, the council aren't at fault, the Highways Agency aren't at fault, it's just one of those things - it's just nature doing its thing to make it complicated.' After the Polzeath Beach Ranger Service posted pictures of the cones on Facebook it attracted comments from tourists and locals alike. 'It's a huge shame it's come to this. If only people would use the brains they were born with when parking...', said one reply. 'It's been horrendous the past week. No room for buses and emergency services to get through,' posted another. Mr Stewart explained the cones were a temporary solution while the council waited for the weather to dry up enough to paint double yellows down the street. Tourists and locals disagree over who is to blame for the inconsiderate parking in the picturesque village While some holidaymakers felt they were unfairly targeted, regular visitors complained that the council was punishing locals but turning a blind eye towards badly parked holiday vans And elaborated that the issue was not tourists vs. locals claiming he'd spotted locals taking advantage of the free parking as well as visitors. 'No one in particular is being targeted, to a certain extent I don't blame people for parking there,' said retired police officer Andy. 'It's not targeting a specific demographic, it's just solving a problem and that's it. 'The priority of the beach rangers service and the two parish councils is safety and maintaining the flow of traffic and that's all this was about. 'With any kind of tourism comes a very small number of problems and this was one of them. 'Issues with residents vs. tourists is a Facebook thing everyone assumes it's tourists causing problems but when I came into work I saw locals parking there because its free for the day.' The latest row comes amid reports of Tiktok influencers disrespecting historic sites, including Stonehenge (pictured) People have been seen climbing on the abandoned tank in Derbyshire's Peak District The latest row comes amid reports of Tiktokers taking over Britain's best loved holiday spots, including Snowdonia, Stonehenge and Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh - to the fury of local residents. Photos and videos have emerged of fights breaking out and rubbish piling up in beauty spots, as well as clips of influencers seemingly disrespecting heritage sites. One video on Tiktok showed a vlogger having a confrontation after touching one of the stones at Stonehenge. Another captured people climbing on an abandoned Ramshaw Tank in the Peak District in Derbyshire. The National Highways Agency has been approached for comment. A suspect has mysteriously died during police interrogation over the murder of a girl who vanished when her mother lost sight of her at a Serbian playground. Danka Ilic, two, who became known as 'the girl with the pacifier', vanished on March 26 in the eastern city of Bor while she was with her mother at a playground. She died after being hit by a car and her body was dumped by the people in the vehicle, police said last week, but her body has still not been found. Dejan D. and Srdjan J., who work for the local waterworks company, were arrested in relation to Danka's murder on Thursday and both confessed to killing the little girl, but would not reveal where her body was hidden. Two days later officers also arrested the brother and father of one of the suspects, who allegedly helped dispose of Danka's body. But when police quizzed the 40-year-old brother, D.D., on Sunday, he died of a suspected heart attack in the middle of the interrogation, according to local media reports. Danka Ilic, two, (pictured) who became known as 'the girl with the pacifier', vanished on March 26 in the eastern city of Bor while she was with her mother. She died after being hit by a car and her body was dumped by the people in the vehicle Serbian police have arrested two men suspected of killing a 2-year-old girl whose disappearance last month gripped the nation In this photograph made available by the Serbian Ministry of Interior, Serbian Police Rescue team search a forest near Bor, Serbia, Friday, March 29, 2024 According to a police statement, the man was in 48 hours of detention when he died early Sunday morning while in the police department in Bor. 'Despite the timely reaction of the police officers and doctors he passed away. The coroner determined natural death,' the statement added. Investigators believe that Danka's body was dumped in a landfill, but that the two suspected accomplices helped move the body from the landfill to an unknown location most probably on March 28. All four men questioned in relation to Danka's disappearance and suspected murder reportedly made false statement, which lead officers to believe that something even more sinister could have happened to Danka. Serbia's Minister of Internal Affairs Bratislav Gasic later told Serbian outlet Informer that the two suspects, both aged 50, have confessed, but that they are both blaming each other for being responsible. He added that investigators 'cannot trust' the detainees to lead them to Danka's corpse. 'The two of them took us to a landfill site to show us where the body was, but we have information that one returned on the 28th and transferred the body to another location. We cannot trust them because they blame each other,' he said. Police are currently searching buildings associated with their friends and relatives as well as forests, disused farms and warehouses. Last week Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic declared that two 'monsters', who are facing charges of grave murder, had been arrested in connection with the incident. Danka mysteriously disappeared after her mother briefly lost sight of her in a playground, prompting Serbian authorities to use for the first time its version of an Amber alert system for child abduction emergencies, sending text messages nationwide about the incident. 'When I turned around, she was gone,' Ivana Ilic told Serbian media in the days following her disappearance, as the case hit national headlines. But the desperate search for the girl came to a tragic end on Thursday when Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic declared the girl had died and that two 'monsters' had been arrested in connection with the incident. 'The police have arrested two individuals who have killed the little girl. As far as I understand, both of them have confessed to the crime,' Vucic told government officials. 'What kind of monsters are we dealing with?' he added. The two suspects are employees of the local state waterworks company and were on assignment when they hit the girl with their car, Interior Minister Gasic said. Serbia's President, Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a press conference in Belgrade, Serbia Investigators believe that Danka's body was dumped in a landfill, but that the two suspected accomplices helped move the body from the landfill to an unknown location most probably on March 28 In this photograph made available by the Serbian Ministry of Interior, Serbian Police Rescue team search a forest near Bor, Serbia, Friday, March 29, 2024 They picked up the girl's body, put in the trunk where they kept their tools and, according to Gasic, drove to a landfill where they dumped the body. 'The girl's father stopped them in his car and asked if they saw the girl, and they said no,' Gasic added. 'One of the men later even joined the search.' Serbia's interior ministry later confirmed that the two suspects had confessed, but said the search for the girl's body was still underway. Gasic suspects the men probably moved her remains to another location after having dumped her body. Danka's death was confirmed Thursday after a desperate and prolonged search, punctuated with hopes from her family that she may still be alive. But hopes were dashed when bloodstains found in a car, reportedly a Fiat Panda, were ultimately found to be Danka's following forensic tests. Investigators then tracked down the car's owners and promptly arrested them. They later confessed amid questioning. The men had tried to thoroughly clean the car with chemicals, according to Serbian outlet Informer, but forensic experts were still able to find traces of the girl's blood. China should play more proactive role for peace South Korea, China, and Japan are in discussions regarding the possibility of holding a summit sometime in late May, as reported by multiple diplomatic sources. Officials from the three countries are talking over the specific date of the envisioned summit in Seoul, a foreign ministry official said Friday. The official said there will be an announcement once the exact schedule is fixed, adding the three nations had agreed to hold the summit at the earliest possible date. Kyodo News of Japan also reported Thursday that the leaders of the three nations will get together to discuss issues of economic cooperation and regional security. The trilateral summit was held annually from 2008 with the three nations taking turns as the host state. Yet the summit was discontinued due to thorny issues based in historical grievances. The summit was suspended in 2012 for three years amid conflicts surrounding Japans territorial claims to Senkaku (Diaoyu) islands. It resumed in December 2019 in Chengdu, China, but stalled once again due to the COVID-19 pandemic and strained relations between the three countries. The summit, once materialized, will hold significance as it would be the first gathering of the national leaders in four years and five months. It is especially meaningful in light of the escalating regional security tensions, triggered by the intensifying hegemonic rivalry between the United States and China. North Korea has also been exacerbating military tensions by fostering its military cooperation with Russia. Seoul has faced calls to address the increasing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow and effectively respond to potential military provocations from North Korea. Given this, South Korea needs to fortify relations with the U.S. and Japan while soliciting cooperation with China. The trilateral summit has been significant in light of the new Cold War confrontation in Northeast Asia and the need to mitigate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. For this, China has been urged to discard its hitherto stance of clandestinely backing North Koreas bids toward military buildup and play a constructive and more proactive role in containing the Norths nuclear development. Besides security, South Korea, Japan and China have many reasons for cooperation as they need to jointly cope with in diverse sectors to secure stable global supply channel, expand trade and investment, and cope with climate and health problems. The importance of the three-way cooperation cannot be overemphasized to ensure sustainable peace and co-prosperity in Northeast Asia. The envisaged trilateral summit will pave the way for the three nations to march together toward closer cooperation and mutual prosperity beyond confrontation and antagonism. And such cooperation will help facilitate bids to strengthen security and maximize the national interests of the respective parties. We hope the planned summit will lay the groundwork to open dialogue channels and solidify mutual trust. It should serve as an initial step to normalizing relations between the neighboring countries while expanding exchanges and cooperation in diverse areas such as businesses, culture and tourism. Toward that end, Seoul, as the host nation, should map out deliberate plans to prepare for the upcoming summit. One the other hand, Seoul also needs to closely catch up with the rapidly warming relations between the U.S. and Japan, prompted by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas visit to Washington starting Wednesday. Kishidas summit with U.S. President Joe Biden draws special attention, as they will likely agree to upgrade their bilateral military cooperation to the highest level since 1960. Seoul should closely watch the possible fallout of the buildup of Japans military capabilities, which will also be another factor that will escalate tensions in Northeast Asia. Against this backdrop, Seoul must employ prudent and adroit diplomatic tactics to effectively strengthen the ROK-U.S. alliance, which was elevated last year, commemorating its 70th anniversary. In April last year, the two allies agreed on the Washington Declaration featuring extended deterrence against North Koreas potential nuclear provocations. However, the declaration has limitations in deterring North Korea's nuclear threats. To fully implement the bilateral nuclear alliance, it's crucial for South Korea to secure nuclear processing capabilities, even at a minimal level. The existing nuclear agreement between the two countries should be revised to allow Seoul to attain nuclear processing capabilities, at least to a level equivalent to that of Japan. Seoul should also nudge the U.S. to do more to dissuade China from increasingly supporting the Norths bids to sharpen its nuclear capabilities. Six construction workers perished after the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed on March 26 Maritime defense experts say that while the ships remain unavailable, the US military could be forced to use civilian cargo ships in the event of a crisis Several military support ships are trapped behind the collapsed Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore Four US military support ships are trapped behind the collapsed Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore - a logistical nightmare that could threaten America's readiness to respond to a conflict. The four cargo vessels - the SS Antares, SS Denebola, Gary I. Gordon and Cape Washington - are part of the Ready Reserve Force, a branch of the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet. All were docked in Baltimore, poised to deploy in the event of a conflict, when the bridge collapsed on March 26. Two were undergoing maintenance and two were stationed at the dock. Now, they are stuck in the paralyzed port. The ships are part of a fleet which has previously provided support in conflicts including the Gulf War. Maritime defense experts say that while the ships remain unavailable, the US military could be forced to use civilian cargo ships in the event of a crisis. Four cargo vessels which are part of the Ready Reserve Force, a branch of the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet, are docked in Baltimore The Navy's USS Denebola (L) and USS Antares Fast Sealift Ships sit moored unable to get underway due to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in the Port of Baltimore's inner harbor The Ready Reserve Force is available at short notice to provide support and deliver equipment during the rapid deployment of military forces. It is comprised of 48 vessels, including the four in Baltimore. Six construction workers perished after the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed on March 26 after the container ship Dali lost power and collided with one of its support structures. A huge recovery effort is underway to reopen the busy shipping channel and remove Dali. Eleven cargo ships, including the Ready Reserve Force vessels, are unable to leave the Port of Baltimore. Steven Wills, a navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy, said the fact military support ships are stuck could cause issues if the US needed to rapidly respond to a military or humanitarian crisis. The Ready Reserve Force played a role in the Gulf Wars Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm and has also provided disaster relief following major hurricanes and storms. 'Right now, we do not have enough logistics vessels like these to do another Desert Shield or Desert Storm,' Wills told the Baltimore Sun. 'We would have to go out and ask for civilian companies to provide their ships in order to get enough.' Salvage teams started removing containers from the Dali over the weekend. The vessel's 22-man crew remain on board, where they continue to carry out duties including maintenance. The removal of the containers is set to continue this week as weather permits, according to a statement from the Key Bridge Response Unified Command. It is an important step toward the full reopening of one of the nation's main shipping lanes, and crews are progressing toward removing sections of the bridge that lie across the ship's bow to eventually allow it to move. The Dali has been trapped under steel in the Patapsco River since it slammed into the bridge on March 26, killing six workers who were filling potholes on the bridge's roadway. A total of 32 vessels have since passed through temporary channels on either side of the wreckage, officials said. In this photo provided by the Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command, response crews begin removing shipping containers from the deck of the cargo ship Dali using a floating crane Response crews begin removing shipping containers from the deck of the cargo ship Dali using a floating crane barge at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Sunday, April 7, 2024 The site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the container ship that toppled it, Dali, are seen from the debris retrieval vessel Reynolds, April 4, 2024 The removal of the containers from the deck of the Dali is set to continue this week as weather permits, according to a statement from the Key Bridge Response Unified Command Mangled containers are seen crushed by the bridge, with the salvage operation expected to continue this week 'The Unified Command is concurrently progressing on its main lines of effort to remove enough debris to open the channel to larger commercial traffic,' U.S. Coast Guard Capt. David O'Connell said in the statement. President Joe Biden took a helicopter tour Friday of the warped metal remains and the mass of construction and salvage equipment trying to clear the wreckage. The president also met for more than an hour with the families of those who died. Eight workers - immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador - were filling potholes on the bridge when it was hit and collapsed in the middle of the night. Two men were rescued and the bodies of three others, named as Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 38, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Castillo, 26, were recovered in subsequent days. The search for the other victims continues. Officials have established a temporary, alternate channel for vessels involved in clearing debris. The Army Corps of Engineers hopes to open a limited-access channel for barge container ships and some vessels moving cars and farm equipment by the end of April, and to restore normal capacity to Baltimore's port by May 31, the White House said. More than 50 salvage divers and 12 cranes are on site to help cut out sections of the bridge and remove them from the key waterway. The shipping container crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people Dramatic footage showed the moment the bridge collapsed as the ship collided with it The almost-two dozen sailors who were on the ship are being forced to stay on the wrecked vessel Most of the Dali's crew are from India, with the country confirming that 21 of them are from the nation, while one is from Sri Lanka, according to the US Coast Guard. READ MORE: Container ship APL Qingdao loses power and slows to a halt near NYC's Verrazzano Bridge 12 days after cargo vessel crash in Baltimore left six dead Advertisement They've been given books, magazines and access to TV to keep themselves entertained by local aid groups. None of them have been allowed to disembark as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its investigation into the crash. It has still not been confirmed when they'll be allowed to leave the ship. Andrew Middleton, director of the Catholic Ministry, Apostleship of the Sea, told NPR that he has had 'limited conversations' over recent days with the crew as they remain on board. He told NPR that those on board were 'prepared for a 28-day voyage, so they have fresh food and fresh water.' The crew were required to stay on board 'to monitor mechanical systems, electrical systems, pumps,' he said. 'All those kind of things that make the vessel operate, you need humans to do that.' In this photo provided by the Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command, response crews begin removing shipping containers from the deck of the cargo ship Dali using a floating crane barge at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Baltimore. (Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command via AP) A specialized salvage climber scales a container to survey the damage to containers onboard the cargo ship Dali at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Saturday, April 6, 2024 Response crews begin removing shipping containers from the deck of the cargo ship Dali using a floating crane barge at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Sunday, April 7, 2024 The site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the container ship that toppled it, Dali, are seen from the debris retrieval vessel Reynolds, April 4, 2024, in Baltimore. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP) Workers are seen in the beginning stages of dismantling the steel from the frame of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, using an exothermic cutting torch, April 4, 2024, in Baltimore. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP) He said that if they should end up being stranded for longer than 28 days, 'the ship line will make arrangements to get food and fresh water out to them or, you know, anything else that they might need.' He added: 'I think we worry that the stress and the trauma of the incident and - that, as time goes on, might start to weigh a little more heavily on them.' The Indian government confirmed following the crash that those on board are in good health, including the one crewmember who sustained a minor injury during the collision. Questions have been raised over exactly how the crash occurred, and who ought to take responsibility. CBS previously reported that an unclassified memo from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said the ship reported losing power before it crashed, with Maryland governor Wes Moore backing up the claim. Officials told the outlet that the crew unsuccessfully tried to reboot the propulsion systems, before alerting Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Authority. They said that this alert allowed local officials to stop traffic on the bridge and likely saved lives. But NTSB previously said it needs to undertake its full investigation before it can come to a conclusion on exactly what happened. A group of House Republican veterans are preparing for the 80th anniversary of D-Day by jumping out of original C-47 transport planes from World War II. The eight lawmakers emerged unscathed after the practice exercise in Florida over the weekend, keeping the GOP's slim majority of just one vote intact. Former Green Beret Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., told DailyMail.com that there were 'no incidents' during the exciting training exercise. 'It's gratifying to know we have such great veteran members willing to jump out of a plane with me to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and honor our World War II veterans,' Waltz said. 'This will be one of the last big anniversaries with WWII veterans so we want to ensure this celebration is special. During our training we had no incidents and we look forward to the real jump come June!' DailyMail.com learned that although the test was successful, some Republicans endured rougher landings than others. The eight lawmakers emerged unscathed after the practice exercise in Florida over the weekend, keeping the GOP 's slim majority of just one vote intact Former Green Beret Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., told DailyMail.com that there were 'no incidents' during the exciting training exercise The practice dive comes ahead of a massive congressional delegation to Normandy, France , at the beginning of June Army veteran Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., apparently hit the ground between two planes during the test jump, but he's just getting his military training legs back underneath him. Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, Rich McCormick, R-Ga., Mark Green, R-Tenn., and Cory Mills, R-Fla., joined Issa and Waltz during the jump. The practice dive comes ahead of a massive congressional delegation to Normandy, France, at the beginning of June to mark the 80th anniversary of the largest seaborne invasion in history. The famous D-Day landings on June 6, 1944 were a triumph for Allied forces in World War II and constitute one of the best remembered military operations of the conflict following five years of conflict with Adolf Hitler's Germany and the Axis powers. The lawmakers will be jumping again - this time over the beautiful beaches of Normandy in front of their colleagues and world leaders to mark 80 years since the historic landing. A ninth Republican - former Navy SEAL Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, - did a separate prep jump in Virginia beach over the weekend. 'I'm excited to jump into Normandy on June 6 with a few of my fellow vets to honor the Greatest Generation on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day,' he told DailyMail.com. He went on to say the jump is a 'great opportunity' to send the message that 'we have not forgotten the sacrifices they made for our freedoms.' Shout out to the Round Canopy Parachute Team for helping prep us for our jump over Normandy in June. Cant wait! pic.twitter.com/D0ocDiEmH1 Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) April 8, 2024 In total, the 1944 invasion involved 153,110 troops, supported by 10,440 aircraft - including C-47 transport planes - and 6,330 ships, with paratroopers landing behind enemy lines in advance of the main assault The forces were roughly divided across five beaches: Gold and Sword were attacked by British troops, Juno by Canadian, and Omaha and Utah by the U.S. The sacrifices of the estimated 4,000-9,000 troops who died during the operation are honored every year on June 6 Prepping with my fellow veterans in Congress to jump out of original C-47 transport planes over Normandy in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Im honored to take part in this jump and I will be thinking of the brave men who did it under enemy fire eight decades ago. pic.twitter.com/nE6hEOvbMu Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) April 8, 2024 'My fellow House vets getting ready to jump over Normandy for the upcoming 80th Anniversary of D-Day out of original C-47 transport planes,' Waltz posted to Instagram. 'Thanks Round Canopy Parachute Team for the great refresher training in Palatka, FL today!' Waltz wrote Sunday. In total, the 1944 invasion involved 153,110 troops, supported by 10,440 aircraft and 6,330 ships, with paratroopers landing behind enemy lines in advance of the main assault. The forces were roughly divided across five beaches: Gold and Sword were attacked by British troops, Juno by Canadian, and Omaha and Utah by the U.S. After less than a week, all five beaches had been secured, with more troops, vehicles and equipment being delivered to the Allies. Every year, ceremonies are held across the region - and world - to pay tribute to the achievements of those who fought. The sacrifices of the estimated 4,000-9,000 troops who died during the operation are honored. The forces were roughly divided across five beaches: Gold and Sword were attacked by British troops, Juno by Canadian, and Omaha and Utah by the US Two organisations supporting a campaign group trying to get Muslim voters to support pro-Palestine candidates are being investigated over extremism concerns. The Muslim Vote (TMV) is a British coalition encouraging voters to get more involved in politics, which is also calling for Israel to be sanctioned over the ongoing conflict. But within TMV's list of 25 backers for its community campaign are the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend). These two organisations were among a string which Michael Gove revealed last month could be checked against the Government's new definition of extremism. The Communities Secretary told MPs on March 14 that he had concerns about the 'Islamist orientation' of three Muslim-led organisations MAB, Mend and Cage. Communities Secretary Michael Gove leaves the Cabinet Office in London on March 25 He labelled MAB in the Commons as the 'British affiliate' of the Muslim Brotherhood and said it gave 'rise to concern for their Islamist orientation and views'. List of 25 organisations listed by The Muslim Vote as supporters Al Arab in UK Alchemiya Amaliah Cosmos UK Deen Developers Guider IlmFeed Islamic Finance Guru Islam21C M.I.N. Muslamic Makers Muslim Association of Britain Muslim Census Muslim Council of Scotland Muslim Council of Wales Muslim Engagement and Development Muzz Mvslim Palestinian Forum in Britain Pillars Prevent Watch Quran Club The Muslim Vibe The Thinking Muslim Verge Advertisement Mr Gove also raised fears about Mend, which encourages Muslims to participate in voluntary groups, and said it would be assessed against the new definition. The announcement came against a backdrop of rising antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Britain since the Hamas attacks in Israel last October. But MAB, Mend and Cage all condemned the decision, with MAB warning it 'sets a dangerous precedent undermining democracy, religious freedoms and free speech'. Now, Conservative MPs have suggested that the TMV website should be investigated and even removed due to its links with the two groups. Former Home Office minister Sir John Hayes told the Daily Telegraph: 'It's very important that first of all, where possible these sites are taken down, and any organisations associated with them are blacklisted.' The TMV website aims to highlight constituencies with a high proportion of Muslim voters and gives information on the local MP's involvement in the November Gaza ceasefire vote. It states: 'We are ambitious but realistic. 2024 is the first time the Muslim community is organising - and this alone is a big victory for future elections. 'Ultimately success is that the Muslim vote acts as one and emphatically supports those who backed the ceasefire and protests against those who did not.' The website also states that it is not backing any particular political party, but if none of the candidates in an area are 'pro-Palestine, pro-peace' then voters should 'spoil your ballot - at least register your dissatisfaction'. A spokesman for Mend told the Telegraph that it was 'one of dozens of Muslim organisations endorsing the Muslim Vote campaign' and is a 'force for good in society, working with faith and non-faith organisations to ensure community cohesion'. The Muslim Vote is a group trying to get Muslim voters to support pro-Palestine candidates Groups covered by the new extremism definition, which is designed to include conduct that falls short of criminality but is still deemed 'unacceptable', will be denied access to Government funding and prevented from meeting ministers and officials or gaining a platform that could 'legitimise' them through association with the Government. READ MORE Hot oil poured over rivals and forcing inmates to read the Quran: How Muslim extremists have won brutal gang war in British prisons as caged jihadis target 'weaker' inmates to join their army behind bars Advertisement The definition describes extremism as 'the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance' that aims to 'negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others' or 'undermine, overturn or replace the UK's system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights'. It also includes those who 'intentionally create a permissive environment for others to achieve' those aims. The previous definition, published in 2011, described extremism as 'vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and belief' as well as 'calls for the death of members of our armed forces'. Downing Street said a list of organisations the definition covers will be published in the coming weeks. Groups on the list will only be able to appeal against their inclusion by seeking a judicial review in the High Court. MailOnline has approached MAB, Mend and TMV for comment. A death row inmate has made a desperate plea for clemency the day before he is due to be executed as his attorneys win fight for pain relief saying the procedure to find vein is akin to 'surgery without anesthetic'. Brian Dorsey, 52, shot and killed his cousin Sarah and her husband Benjamin Bonnie in their Missouri home on December 23, 2006 after they helped him out of trouble with drug dealers. He was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death in 2008, but his attorneys have now submitted a last minute plea for clemency, saying the killings were a result of a 'drug-induced psychosis and alcohol-induced blackout.' They say he was not capable of the deliberation required for a first-degree murder charge and add that his original defense attorneys were ineffective due to a 'financial conflict of interest'. His attorneys have also successfully appealed for him to be given pain relief if his execution does go ahead, saying his obesity and diabetes may mean he requires and excruciating procedure to find a vein to inject the fatal dose. His lawyer, Megan Crane, told CNN: 'His deep shame and remorse has shaped him, and apparently shaped the way he's lived every day of his life since. That is still his focus in this final week: the shame and remorse he feels and reflecting on that.' Brian Dorsey, 52, shot Sarah and Benjamin Bonnie, 28, in their Missouri home on December 23 2006 Dorsey shot Sarah and Benjamin Bonnie dead in their bed before stealing their belongings and attempting to sell them Dorsey, formerly of Jefferson City, was convicted of killing his cousin, Sarah Bonnie, and her husband, Benjamin, at their home near New Bloomfield on December 23 2006. Prosecutors said that earlier that day, Dorsey had called Sarah asking to borrow money to pay two drug dealers who were at his apartment. The couple went to his home to help and took him back to their house with them where a few other relatives came over for food and drinks. After they went to bed that night, Dorsey took a shotgun from the garage and killed both of them, shooting Sarah in the jaw and Benjamin in the side of the head, before sexually assaulting Sarah's body, prosecutors said. He was never charged with sexual assault. Sarah's parents found their bodies the next day. The couple's 4-year-old daughter Jade was sat in the living room watching TV unhurt. After the murders, Dorsey stole items from around the house, including Sarah's social security card, their car and Jade's copy of Bambi 2 and fled, driving around attempting to sell the goods. On Christmas day he called his mother and said he was trying to kill himself and she convinced him to turn himself in. He pleaded guilty in March 2008 and was sentenced to death for each murder. The sentence has since been appealed and upheld. Now Dorsey's lawyers are pleading for his sentence to be changed to life in prison. They say that he suffered from chronic depression which he self-medicated with alcohol and crack cocaine. At the time of the murders, they say he was undergoing a 'drug-induced psychosis and alcohol-induced blackout', meaning he was incapable of the deliberation needed for a first-degree murder charge. They also say that his original lawyers were ineffective and pressured him into a guilty plea to avoid a lengthy trial. The lawyers were paid flat fees of $12,000 meaning they would have only been paid about $3.37 an hour if they did the several thousand hours of work capital cases usually require. Crane told CNN: 'If they had they would have known what we know now, which was Brian had lifelong chronic depression, and that he had turned to self-medicating with alcohol and crack cocaine at this point because other treatments had failed. 'And he had a history of experiencing psychosis when withdrawing from crack, experienced paranoid and persecutory delusions and hallucinations. 'That is a defense to capital murder. If they had done the basic interviewing of their client and investigation, they would have known they had a defense, and they would have used that to either negotiate a plea deal with a benefit of a life sentence, or they would have gone to trial because they had a defense.' Dorsey's lawyers are pleading for his sentence to be changed to life in prison Dorsey's attorneys have also successfully appealed for him to be given pain relief if his execution does go ahead. The appeal focuses on how Missouri injects the fatal dose of pentobarbital. The written protocol calls for insertion of primary and secondary intravenous lines. But it offers no guidance on how far the execution team can go to find a suitable vein, leaving open the possibility of an invasive 'cutdown procedure,' Dorsey's attorneys say. The procedure involves an incision that could be several inches wide and several inches deep. Forceps are used to tear tissue away from a vein that becomes the injection point. 'It's surgery,' said Arin Brenner, a federal public defender and one of the attorneys representing Dorsey. 'It would be surgery without anesthesia.' Brenner said Dorsey faces a higher-than-normal risk of needing a cutdown because he is obese. His veins also might be compromised because he is diabetic and a former IV drug user. After the appeal the Missouri Department of Corrections said they would ensure Dorsey had pain relief if necessary. Family, friends and members of prison staff have expressed their support for Dorsey, claiming he is a changed man. He works as a barber in the prison and reportedly has a spotless disciplinary record. But some of the victims' friends and families support his death sentence. A statement from Sarah's family seen by CNN says that his death would be a 'light at the end of the tunnel', as Dorsey 'was a close family member who was given a safe haven to get him out of a bad situation and turned this helping hand into the ultimate betrayal of a loved one.' They also referenced the murders' impact on Jade, saying: 'First day of school, school parties, school dances, first date, sweet sixteen, first boyfriend and high school graduation. 'All of this was taken from her by a family member that proclaimed to love her.' His application for clemency is being reviewed by the Gov. Mike Parson's office with a decision expected to be announced soon. A father has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after his three-year-old shot himself with an unattended loaded gun found under the couch. Jose Hilario Abreu, 28, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was arraigned Friday on two additional charges of child endangerment in relation to the death of his son, Elijah Abreu Borgen. Abreau allegedly left a loaded semi-automatic handgun underneath the couch. Elijah and a two-year-old child were sitting on the couch when their father left the room. After hearing a loud bang, Abreu rushed back to the room only to find his son with a gunshot wound through his chest, according to Lehigh County prosecutors. Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said the gun 'was unholstered and resting atop of a pillow on the couch where both toddlers were sitting.' Jose Hilario Abreu has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment after his toddler, Elijah (pictured), shot himself with an unattended fully loaded gun First responders arrived at the family's house around noon after the toddler's mother called 911, reporting that her son had shot himself. Elijah was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest, but ultimately died from the sustained injuries. His death was ruled as accidental. Proof that the child got a hold of the gun was confirmed after a rapid gunshot residue test showed a 'presumptive positive indication' that there was gunshot residue on his hands. Court documents confirm Abreau is being represented by the county public defender's office. In an interview with LehighValleyNews.com, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk shared his thoughts on this 'horrifying story.' 'This is incredibly devastating for people in Allentown and particularly for parents of children in Allentown,' Tuerk said. 'The compassion that we must extend toward the family is you can't even think of what it's like to lose a child, particularly in this fashion.' Tuerk said that gun reform should be of the utmost importance to lawmakers. 'But all of that legislation also requires that we have people who are responsibly handling guns,' he said. 'This is a clear case of somebody who had no business owning a gun, a clear case of irresponsible gun ownership.' The mayor said he wanted to stress the importance of locking away guns. 'If you have a gun in your possession, you need to do everything you can to make sure that it's safely and securely stored,' he said. State Representative Josh Siegel said he agreed that Elijah's father was guilty. 'We should not tolerate as a city or society reckless and negligent handling of firearms especially when they endanger the life of a child,' Siegel said. 'This was the right call, and I hope it sends a strong message to future parents and saves future lives.' The semi-automatic handgun was left underneath the couch the three-year-old was sitting on 'This was the right call, and I hope it sends a strong message to future parents and saves future lives.' 'These tragedies wouldn't happen if Pennsylvania had safe-storage and child-access-prevention laws to ensure that guns were properly stored and away from children,' he said. 'Be a good parent, a responsible gun owner and store your damn guns responsibly for the sake of your family,' Siegel said. A GoFundMe has been made by Yaileen Baez Giron, Elijah's aunt, for his funeral services. 'He was a smart loving little boy. Always playful and with a smile on his face. He loved his animals collections especially his dinosaurs. He has made a huge impact in our lives in short time he was with us,' the caption of the fundraiser read. The page has raised more than $7,800 so far. Sen. Lindsey Graham revealed he does not agree with Donald Trump's abortion stance despite being one of the former president's biggest allies in the U.S. Senate. After Trump announced on Monday his policy proposal that he would give the power to the states to determine laws surrounding abortion, Graham posted a lengthy statement to X, formerly Twitter, to express his opposition. 'I respectfully disagree with President Trump's statement that abortion is a states' rights issue,' the South Carolina senator wrote. He added as part of the thread: 'I will continue to advocate that there should be a national minimum standard limiting abortion at fifteen weeks because the child is capable of feeling pain, with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.' Trump released a four-minute video on his Truth Social account on Monday with a long-anticipated announcement on his proposal for how he would handle abortion if given a second term in 2024. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Monday that he 'respectfully disagrees' with Donald Trump's abortion policy proposal Trump released a four-minute video on Truth Social on Monday claiming he supports the right for states to pass laws regarding limits on abortion and does not support a federal-level ban The former president said it should be up to the states to determine the laws and he would not support a federal-level ban after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022 and opened the door for more strict abortion laws across the country. This disappointed those most staunchly pro-life who say it does not go far enough. It also follows reports that Trump was considering supporting a 15-week ban on abortion meaning women would not be able to terminate their pregnancy legally after the first trimester. 'We have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land,' Trump, 77, said in the video. Graham announced in his X thread on Monday that he would be introducing legislation that would require abortion providers to administer anesthesia to unborn children if a mother is getting an abortion at 15 weeks. 'It is common medical practice to administer anesthesia to operate on an unborn child at fifteen weeks to save their life,' he noted. Sen. Graham says geography should not determine whether an unborn child has a right to life Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said in a statement on Monday that the group is 'deeply disappointed' in Trump's position and said giving the issue to the states 'cedes the national debate to the Democrats. The group said it will still 'work tirelessly to defeat President Biden' in November. Sen. Graham said: 'Dobbs does not require that conclusion legally and the pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child not geography.' 'The states' rights only rationale today runs contrary to an American consensus that would limit late-term abortions and will age about as well as the Dred Scott decision,' the South Carolina Republican added. Graham said he will introduce a bill that requires unborn babies at 15 weeks and beyond are administered anesthesia if their mother receives an abortion 'The science is clear a child at fifteen weeks is well-developed and is capable of feeling pain.' The Dred Scott Supreme Court decision in 1857 determined that the U.S. Constitution did not apply to black people in America. Graham is suggesting that not extending constitutional rights to fetuses in their second trimester and beyond is just as bad. Graham also said in his Monday X statement that it is not unusual for countries to have nationwide bans on abortion., 'Forty-seven of fifty European nations have national limits on abortion between twelve and fifteen weeks,' he wrote. 'This is the civilized world's position.' Eid is the festival held by Muslims to celebrate the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, where Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset every day. Known as Eid ul-Fitr, which means 'Breaking of the Fast', it falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar. But when is Eid al-Fitr in 2024 and how do you wish someone a Happy Eid? Read on below for all you need to know about Eid ul-Fitr. London's Coventry Street is decorated with Ramadan ornaments on March 22, 2023 When is Eid ul-Fitr? The start of Eid ul-Fitr follows the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting undertaken by Muslims from sunrise to sunset each day. Ramadan, a lunar month, is either 29 or 30 days. It began on the evening of Sunday March 10 in 2024, which means that it will end on either Monday April 8 2024, the 29th day, or the 30th day, Tuesday April 9 2024. After sunset prayers on Monday April 8, the 29th day of Ramadan, moon sighters will face west to try and catch a first glimpse of the crescent moon. If the new moon is visible, then the next day will be Eid, if not, Muslims will then fast one more day to complete a 30-day month. HM Nautical Almanac Office says the moon should easily be visible on Tuesday April 9 and Wednesday April 10. How will Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr and what is Zakat ul-Fitr? Muslims gather for a mass iftar dinner organised at the British Library in London, United Kingdom on April 6, 2024 Zakat ul-Fitr, or the Zakat of Breaking the Fast of Ramadan, is the special obligatory alms paid by all Muslims at the end of the Ramadan fasting month. It is also called Sadaqat al-Fitr the Charity of Breaking the Fast of Ramadan and Muslims have to give a portion of their wealth to those in need. Zakat ul-Fitr must be done before the Eid prayer, which is only to be performed in congregation, building family and community spirit. Mosques throughout the UK will host Eid prayers at different times of the morning. Eid prayers also often take place in large, open spaces, such as fields or halls. Once Eid prayers are finished, Muslims will traditionally visit their relatives and friends to wish them a happy Eid and often exchange gifts or sweets. This has lent itself to another name for Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Sweets. Why does the date change? Confectionery trays of different desserts on display in Mus, Turkey. It is traditional for Muslims to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr by eating various sweets. The date of Eid al-Fitr changes due to a difference between the solar Gregorian calendar and the Hajri calendar, which is governed by the time the moon takes to go through each of its lunar phases. This means that the date of Eid ul-Fitr is not fixed in the Gregorian calendar. This is because there are 365 days in a solar year, which equates to approximately 354 in a lunar year. Consequently, the dates of Islamic holidays move forward by 10 to 11 days each year. In the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Fitr always falls on the first day of Shawwal, which is the tenth month. How do I wish someone happy Eid? If you want to wish someone you know a happy Eid, you can say: 'Eid mubarak' to them. When translated into English, it means 'blessed festival' or 'blessed feast'. It is the most common way people express their celebration to family and friends. Typically, the polite response to 'Eid mubarak' is to say 'Khair Mubarak', which wishes the person good will in response. Another way of wishing someone a happy Eid is to say: 'Eid sa'id' And some people say Jazak Allah Khair to celebrate the end of Ramadan. This translates to: 'May Allah reward you with goodness.' Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday faces a deadline to hand over records of President Biden's special counsel interview, and may be held in contempt of Congress if he does not. Republicans on the Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees gave the attorney general until noon on Monday to give over materials from Robert Hur's interviews with Biden that led him to conclude the president is 'elderly' and 'well-meaning' but has a 'poor memory.' They subpoenaed transcripts, notes, audio and video files largely related to Hur's interview. The GOP chairmen say they are still waiting for recordings of the Biden interview - though they've received transcripts - and the transcript and audio recordings of an interview with Biden's ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer who he was found to have shared classified files with. Hur, in a report explaining his decision not to prosecute Biden over mishandling classified documents, sparked opposition from all sides - Republicans who questioned why he would not charge the president and Democrats who took issue with his description of Biden as a 'sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' Republicans on Monday threatened to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress if he does not hand over more materials in the Robert Hur investigation of President Biden's classified documents Hur said he found that Biden had 'willfully' retained classified material but stopped short of filing charges, believing a jury would not convict the president 'The February 27 subpoenas create a legal obligation on you to produce this material,' they wrote. 'If you fail to do so, the Committees will consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings.' The Justice Department has only said it is conducting an 'interagency review' for classified and confidential information within the material. Hur said he found that Biden had 'willfully' retained classified material but stopped short of filing charges, believing a jury would not convict the president. He explained his decision to make the assessment in the hearing: 'I knew that for my position to be credible. I could not simply announce that there would be no charges, I needed to explain why. I needed to show my work.' 'We identified evidence that the President willfully retained classified materials after the end of his vice presidency, when he was a private citizen,' Hur said during a high-stakes hearing earlier this month. In interviews with investigators, Biden became muddled about the dates he was vice president and could not even remember the year in which his son Beau died, according to the transcript reviewed by DailyMail.com. The box circled in the foreground contained documents about Afghanistan. The picture was taken in December 2022 in Biden's garage, with other household items Special Counsel Robert Hur spent a year investigating files found at President Joe Biden's home and former office. He said Biden's status as president meant he could not be prosecuted Biden forgot the year Beau died, when Trump was elected and said 'I don't recall', 'I don't remember' and 'I have no goddamn idea' more than 100 times while cracking jokes and making car noises with the investigators. And it said his cavalier attitude to classified documents, such as his habit of reading sensitive files to a ghostwriter, posed a significant national security risk. One of the reasons they decided not to press charges was because 'at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' Hur said during testimony that he described Biden this way because of his 'inability to recall certain things' and that he had to be prompted by his lawyers to recall certain dates. According to transcripts of Hur's interviews with Biden on October 8 and October 9, 2023, Biden's lawyer had to tell him what year his son Beau died of brain cancer and the president joked about the special counsel finding pictures of his wife Jill in a swimsuit. I just hope you didnt find any risque pictures of my wife in a bathing suit. Which you probably did. Shes beautiful,' said Biden. 'What month did Beau die?' Biden mused at one point, adding, 'Oh God, May 30th.' 'He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died. And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him,' Hur said. A White House lawyer then chimed in with the year, 2015. 'Was it 2015 he died?' Biden asked. Its always the cover-up that gets you. If shadow deputy PM Angela Rayner had immediately put up her hands and accepted shed misled HMRC over the sale of her Stockport home in 2015, shed have received a rap on the knuckles and the whole affair would now be a memory, something she had put behind her. But instead, ever since the story broke in The Mail on Sunday six long weeks ago, Ms Rayner has engaged in a sordid and sustained attempt to put one over on the British public. And she has been helped in that regard by the active collusion of Keir Starmers Labour Party. Lets remind ourselves what she is accused of. When in 2015 she sold the ex-council semi shed bought eight years earlier at a profit of 48,500, she claimed it was her primary residence. Yet all the evidence - including this weekends forensic examination by The Mail on Sunday of her social media posts dating back to 2014 - shows that for five years she had been living at another Stockport address with her husband and children. Angela Rayner posted this picture on social media in 2014, which shows that for five years she had been living at another Stockport address with her husband and children By claiming she lived at the ex-council house, however, she was able to avoid Capital Gains Tax on the sale, which saved her up to an estimated 3,500. A decent sum but how trifling it must now appear to her given that it could derail her hard-won political career on the eve of Labours expected political coronation. As I say, if shed admitted it was an oversight and made amends rather than claiming pathetically that she was the victim of a smear campaign, the whole thing would have blown over. Now, though, she will forever be marked by her deceit, hypocrisy (as we shall see) and arrogance in believing she can bluff this out. It is a terrible disappointment. For she is undoubtedly one of Britains most charismatic and authentic politicians. Her defiant triumph over adversary rising from penury on a council estate, and leaving school at 16 with no qualifications and a baby on the way, to become the deputy prime minister in waiting is a remarkable success story. But this tawdry saga is not just about her. Mr Starmer and his partys role in this affair is also very murky - and I say this as someone who was a Labour member for decades, only resigning when Jeremy Corbyn became leader. Yesterday, Starmer accused the Tories of chasing a smear against Ms Rayner, adding that nobody is interested in how much time she spent with her husband over ten years ago. Angela Rayner's former council house in Lowndes Lane, Stockport, Greater Manchester The great irony is that both Mr Starmer and Ms Rayner have repeatedly attacked the Tories for not publishing details of their own affairs I am sorry, but what they are interested in is whether Ms Rayner deliberately defrauded the taxman and broke electoral rules by claiming a false address, then lied about doing so. And it is becoming clearer by the day that she did just that. The Labour leader never stops reminding us that he was Director of Public Prosecutions and therefore one of the most senior lawyers in the country. And yet he has blindly accepted Ms Rayners version of events that she took legal advice and no rules were broken. Yesterday, he insisted it would not be appropriate for him to see Rayners legal advice. No one actually thinks Mr Starmer believes Ms Rayners patchy defence. He is simply trying to avoid a potential calamity that could derail his hitherto smooth electoral campaign. The great irony is that both Mr Starmer and Ms Rayner have repeatedly attacked the Tories for not publishing details of their own affairs. There should be no power without accountability, and true accountability requires transparency, Mr Starmer once crowed. Last January, Ms Rayner insisted that then-Conservative chairman Nadim Zahawi should come clean over claims that as Chancellor he had paid a penalty to HMRC as part of a tax settlement. In 2021 she demanded that Tory by-election candidate Jill Mortimer, who once lived in the Cayman Islands, should publish her tax returns in full. And in April 2022 she submitted a series of questions to Rishi Sunak about his wifes tax arrangements. She is a hypocrite of the highest order and now needs to publish the advice she was given so we can judge its relevance. For weeks, Labour has tried to pretend that this story was all much ado about nothing. Their policy has seemingly been to ignore the storm until it dies out. At the weekend, when it became evident Ms Rayner had lied thanks to The Mail on Sunday, they engaged in a new tactic which treats voters with even more disdain, ludicrously trying to argue that the scandal doesnt really matter because Labour is in opposition. Speaking on Sky News, Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy inevitably dismissed the affair as a smear. Then, when asked why Ms Rayner should not publish her tax returns, given that she had called on Rishi Sunak to do so, he replied: Theres a different arrangement and expectation for the prime minister than there is in this context. Were not yet in government. I couldnt quite believe what I was hearing. Labour appears to have given up on defending Rayner at all, instead insisting that her gross misdemeanour simply isnt relevant. Yet how can a fraud perpetrated by the woman who is likely to be our next deputy prime minister not be a matter of national importance? The polls show that Labour is heading for power. It is quite rightly being scrutinised with a new intensity. Its response so far has not just been inadequate, its been offensive and it treats voters with utter contempt. Lloyds Banking Group is shaking up the way it serves its customers by allowing its advisers to work from home - with some local branches now at risk of being left with just one financial expert. Advisers will be allowed to assist customers via video and phone calls from home, raising fears that vulnerable people will be unable to access in-branch services as easily. Customer demand will dictate whether pre-booked appointments are held on video calls or in-branch. If more customers seek appointments online, advisers have the chance to work from home, while they will be dragged into branches if there is demand for it. One Lloyds customer told MailOnline she was 'gobsmacked' after being informed her east London branch will lose all but one banking adviser - as the company shifts towards working from home. The 71-year-old customer, who visited her branch to speak to an adviser for help on changing her accounts for better interest today, said that she was told they were 'finishing at the end of the month' before they start 'working from home'. A 71-year-old Lloyds customer was left 'gobsmacked' after being told her local branch will lose all but one banking adviser - as the company shifts towards working from home. (File image) The WASPI pensioner, who did not want to be named, said she was told that workers are 'arguing at the moment to keep one in store'. READ MORE: Lloyds to slash 1,600 jobs across its branches as it pushes more services online in latest blow to High Street banks Advertisement Speaking to MailOnline, she said: 'I was gobsmacked... it's a nonsense. We'll all be going on queuing up on the cash desk at the cashier. So what happens then, who knows? But there's no need for it. 'And the cashiers are going to be put under untold stress and strife from the ordinary little people that people don't want to be bothered about.' The furious Lloyds customer continued: 'At the end of the day, I think there should be some joined up cohesive action about all these things because they want an AI cashless society and it doesn't work for most of us. So why do we have to have it? 'They want everybody sitting at home on their fat back sides getting benefit, what's the point in that? 'Too many people are doing nothing about it. Just because we get old doesn't mean to say say, we shouldn't have representation. Sadly the ones that should represent us don't.' She added: 'As we're being told, it's an ageing population. Could you just tell me where this ageing population is being represented? Because we're not.' Reflecting on her own banking needs, she said: 'I went in to do some financial things that you can't do over the phone - you need to see someone in person.' Customer demand will dictate whether advice is given by video or in-branch for pre-booked appointments It comes just three months after it was revealed that Lloyds is to axe 1,600 jobs across its branch network as it reshapes its business towards online banking. In a move set to enrage the many who value face-to-face service, it claimed changes will enable customers to 'see us how and when they want to'. Lloyds is creating 830 roles in a 'relationship growth' team so staff can see customers more quickly in branches, through video meetings, or over the phone without waiting for appointments. The company, which includes Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, said some branch staff losing their jobs will be able to move into the new roles or to a different part of the business. The lender said it reflected changes to the way people bank, with 21m now online and just 8 per cent using a branch exclusively. It said: 'As more choose to manage banking online, it's important our people are available when it matters most.' A Lloyds Bank spokesperson: 'Our in-branch customer support colleagues remain available. Alongside in-branch and telephone appointments, we're also adding video appointments, so customers have even more choice in how they speak with us and in a way that suits them.' By Bernard Rowan The global container freight industry needs greater attention today. Nations including South Korea and the United States have a responsibility to maintain and enhance infrastructure for the flow of commerce. Preserving habitats and stewardship of natures critical maritime resources are also at stake. The status quo is one of multiplicity in possible systems, lack of integration, and too much concentration, all at the same time. The recent accident in Baltimore with the container ship Dali again brings to the attention of the masses and specialists alike the various challenges and opportunities faced. With a single freight containers payload holding the potential to upset global supply chains, there is ample salience to do something about the worlds growing interdependence. Threats to global shipping also require attention. Its much more than about piracy and the Houthis moment. Reading a wide variety of commentary about the Dali documents several of the challenges: the growing use of freight container ships and barges clogs ports designed for much less traffic. Bridge and sea route lanes and other infrastructures also were designed and built decades ago and require major investments for the scale and extent of traffic. The lack of competition in many agreements among freight/shipping companies discourages efficiency and optimization. There is no sign of cooperation among the worlds power blocs on the need to create a neutral shipping architecture that is free and open to all. According to Shabayo and Von Hassel in a 2019 Journal of Shipping and Trade article, the barge traffic and freight container monolith ships deserve greater priority in terms of port pegging orders. Large barges need more locating devices, fail safes and monitors for passing near other structures such as bridges. Its inexcusable that the Dali ran into a bridge. The regulations for crews, numbers of personnel, controls for errors in piloting, and means of stopping vessels are underdone. Its more the lone sentinel and the lighthouse model. Too many structures dont suit the traffic of today. Cities and ports of the 19th and 20th centuries cant continue to do that job today and tomorrow. Clinging to them incurs unnecessary costs and accepts unnecessary hazards, blockages, delays and dangers. Of course, its not a small thing at all to change ports of call. Its not a matter of a simple retrofit. However, urban planners and local, state, provincial, and national authorities arguably havent begun to take the problem and the possibilities its challenges present seriously. This mitigates in favor of creating an international system for sea transit and shipping. We do have the outlines of such a system in the skies. Its time to create a system for the seas. Global shipping runs on fuels that damage the environment and increase carbon emissions. A March 2022 report from the Environmental Defense Fund (www.edf.org) estimates that the cost of emissions at present will run to $25 billion per year as this century progresses. Action is needed to make shipping transport a model for transport generally and to model the impacts of transportation on localities, the seas, and the environment. Theres way too much concentration in the industry. According to reports from the United Nations Council on Trade and Development, beyond economies of scale, agreements, and consortia control over two-thirds of trade in particular corridors, with many more corridors showing lesser but still too much concentration. This creates potential abuses of trade. There should be an examination of barriers to entry and the development of greater balance in shipping providers, as well as diversity. Creating an international shipping system shouldnt be code for a monopoly by great powers or their alliances. Several years ago, the late Park Chang-seok and my mentor, Dr. Park Eung-kyuk, Professor Emeritus of Hanyang University and former director of the Korea Institute of Public University, wrote a book entitled Korean Maritime Sovereignty, for which I prepared an epilogue. In it, I noted the opinion about the seas as a shared universal resource. The roots of many contemporary international conflicts lie in the growing importance of our oceans, seas and other shared bodies of water as routes for commercial and military vessels. Combined with the worlds territorial mindset stuck in nationalism, a perfect storm of conflict, instability and inefficiencies is on deck. We need new technology and a new mindset for building truly global hubs of navigation and commerce. The present system tends to monopolistic and oligopolistic concentrations of nations and firms. This overdependence on the few will only create challenges in the long run and shortages when conflicts and disasters occur. Im afraid the degree of conflict that has emerged between China and the United States, aided and abetted by Iran, North Korea, and Russia, casts a skeptical lens on its likelihood. However, East Asian partners with the United States should look to develop 22nd-century architecture for seaports, sea lanes and transit routes. Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and academic services and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University. A Brazilian man has gotten back together with his partner after she chopped off his penis during a supposed intimate night after she learned he cheated with her teenage relative. Gilberto Nogueira, 39, was planning on marrying his girlfriend, Daiane dos Santos, 34, in January when he cheated on her with her 15-year-old niece. After discovering the affair, dos Santos plotted her revenge by setting up one of their bedrooms for what Nogueira thought was going to be an intimate night in December 2023 and spiced it up with a lingerie set. Once Nogueira was in bed without his clothes, dos Santos executed her vengeance by turning off the lights and tied his penis with a rubber band before she cut it with a razor. Dos Santos held the penis with her hand and took a picture of it, which she shared on Nogueira's family WhatsApp chat group, and then flushed it down the toilet at their farmhouse in Sao Paulo. Nogueira has undergone multiple operations and is waiting for a penile prosthesis that was gifted by a urologist and will be implanted once he has recovered. Gilberto Nogueira (left) revealed he has mended his relationship with his girlfriend, Daiane dos Santos (right), who cut off his penis in December 2023 after she discovered he had cheated on her with her 15-year-old niece Daiane dos Santos (pictured) is being held in a Brazilian prison for chopping of her boyfriend's penis in December 2023. After receiving a letter from Gilberto Nogueira on March 15, she responded two weeks later by asking for forgiveness and second chance In a February interview with Crime and Misterio S/A, he said that dos Santos, who has two children from a prior relationship, deserved to spend time in jail and he labeled her 'a criminal.' It now appears he's had a change of heart and has resumed the tumultuous relationship with dos Santos, according to letters Nogueira recently shared with O Globo newspaper. 'If I hadn't had sex with (her) niece on my partner's birthday, none of this would have happened,' Nogueira told the outlet. 'Daiane is a wonderful, loving woman who loves me. She didn't deserve to be betrayed like that. She was exposed to the whole country. ... I don't care what others think. What really matters is how I feel about her.' He reached out to check on her wellbeing on March 15 and was surprised when dos Santos replied two weeks later and asked for a second chance. In the handwritten note, dos Santos expressed how much he missed him, his daughter and her children and described her experience at the Mogi Guacu Women's Penitentiary. 'I can't believe I got a letter from you. I was very happy and had no reaction, as I imagined I would never have any kind of contact with you again,' she wrote. 'I'm not well, obviously. Both because of what happened and because I miss my children.' 'I want you to know that I forgive you and I also ask for forgiveness for you and your family,' Dos Santos added. 'I placed our lives in God's hands. If it is His will, and His, of course, we will rebuild our lives when we leave here.' Dos Santos also revealed she had been wearing the same set of panties for two months and refused to accept work at the prison because she felt ashamed that the prison guards would ridicule for doing so, since moving within the cellblocks for the job required that she be strip searched. Gilberto Nogueira admitted he was at fault for having his penis chopped off by his girlfriend after she discovered he was cheating on her with her 15-year-old niece Nogueira responded by telling her he had already forgiven her while admitting that he 'ruined everything' once he got involved with her niece. 'If I could, believe me, I would trade places with you, because I love you far beyond the tragedy that happened in our lives,' he wrote. 'My heart is broken into pieces because your children are separated, away from their mother, asking for you every day.' While working on mending his relationship with dos Santos, Nogueira has been attempting to recover the trust he broke with his sister-in-law, the mother of the teenage girl who is not too enthused they are now back together. Dos Santos was initially looking at a 50-year prison sentence for attempted murder, as prosecutors said in court documents that it was 'clear that she wanted to mutilate him to make him incapable of having sexual relations with anyone for the rest of his life.' The court acknowledged the prosecution statement and reduced the maximum sentence dos Santos may be eligible for to 12 years. Nogueira has offered to pay $8,000 to cover the cost of her defense team. The start of her trial is set for April 24. 'Today, I'm going to tell you what's going on in my heart. I want you to get out of there as soon as possible to take care of your children and me,' he wrote. 'I'm counting down the days until you come home. On the day that Justice frees you, know that I will be at the gate waiting for you with open arms.' The BBC has spent nearly 400,000 on school fees in the past year for the children of foreign-based journalists, averaging about 20,000 per child. According to new figures, the amount spent from the start of the last financial year until mid-March 2024, was about 50,000 more than was spent on such fees in the full 12 months of the previous financial year. Over two years the corporation has spent nearly 750,000 on these fees. According to figures released under Freedom of Information rules, from April 2023 until the middle of March, there were 20 children of 10 employees based overseas who received these school fees. A total of 398,307 was spent on these childrens education. The year before, from April 2022 to March 2023, 348,808 was spent on school fees for 17 children of nine staff who were based outside the UK. BBC Broadcasting House. Over two years the corporation has spent nearly 750,000 on school fees for children of journalists based abroad A campaign group said that licence fee payers would be fuming that they were forking out for school fees. In making the disclosure, the BBC said it paid some school fees for the children of staff based overseas in its BBC News Bureaux. But the corporation refuses to reveal the job titles of people that are receiving these payments, saying this was personal information. The BBC said in its response to the Freedom of Information request: The BBCs Policy is to only contribute towards school fees when staff are seconded outside of their home country for a temporary period of time (usually for a minimum period of two years) and there is not adequate local state education available. Where this is the case the BBC will contribute towards the costs of school fees for children between the ages of four and eighteen. No Fees are paid for UK based staff. We do not make any payments to staff for domestic/ UK private school fees. This does not form part of the UK relocation package. The BBCs outlay falls well short of the 13.8 million the Foreign Office spent on fees for private schools in the UK for 514 children of diplomats in 2022/23. The government department also spent 24.1 million for 1,188 children to go to overseas schools. John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: Licence fee payers will be fuming that they're forking out for school fees. But bosses at the Beeb should remember that this is only an issue because their funding model relies on coercion, where taxpayers have no choice about whether to cough up the cash. It is long past time that the government axed the hated TV tax and put the BBC on a subscription model. A BBC spokesman said In line with other international organisations and standard practice, we support staff with children when they are deployed overseas and there is no equivalent local state education. The BBC has strict contractual guidelines and this only occurs in a small number of exceptional cases, although the numbers will fluctuate based on the number of children of those deployed and the global news agenda. A BBC source said that no school fees are paid for UK based staff and that the corporations work as an international news broadcaster relied on staff being deployed around the world. A 12-year-old boy accused of killing a teenager, 19, on a playing field has admitted to possessing a machete but denies murder. Two boys charged with murdering Shawn Seesahai appeared in person at Wolverhampton Crown Court, where they both pleaded not guilty to murder. The children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spoke only to confirm their names and enter their pleas during an hour-long hearing on Monday presided over by Mrs Justice Tipples. Both are being held in secure accommodation outside the West Midlands. Shawn Seesahai, a 19-year-old from Anguilla, was stabbed to death in Bilston, Wolverhampton A police tent set up in Stowlawn Playing Fields, Bilston, after the stabbing of Shawn Seesahai Mr Seesahai, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene on November 13 last year, after being found stabbed on Stowlawn playing fields in East Park, Wolverhampton. One of the boys then pleaded guilty to possessing a machete 'without good reason or lawful authority' at the playing fields while his co-defendant denied the same charge. The boys were told they will now face a trial of up to four weeks, currently scheduled to start on April 29. The boys were told they will now face a trial of up to four weeks, currently scheduled to start on April 29. After addressing the defendants at the conclusion of the hearing, the judge confirmed that the forthcoming trial will take place at Nottingham Crown Court. Ambulances were called to land off Laburnum Road, East Park, at 8.41pm on November 13. A police officer stands guard at a cordon close to the scene where Mr Seesahai was stabbed to death Crews arrived to find Mr Seesaha, who had only been in the UK since April, in a critical condition. They began administering advanced life support, but he was confirmed dead at the scene. In a statement previously released through police, Mr Seesahai's mother paid tribute to the 'courageous, compassionate and confident young soul' of her son. She said her son was 'looking forward to accomplish[ing] many future plans and ambitions'. 'He cared dearly about his family and friends and he absolutely loved to help people', she added. 'He was a generous person and had a good personality. We will always have him in our hearts.' This is the chilling moment a spurned husband lies in wait for his former wife before allegedly brutally stabbing her to death as she leaves home to get a lift to work. Evil Marian Gheorghe pounced on the unsuspecting mother-of-six - whom he was banned from contacting by a court restraining order - as she walked to a waiting car in the street. Vicala Gheorghe, 49, stood no chance to fend off her attacked, dressed in black, as he jumped out from behind a row of wheelie bins and knifed his ex. Her estranged husband, aged 52, then ran into the house he had moved out of six months before and was prohibited from visiting, where he is believed to have taken his own life. The suspected 'murder-suicide' horror happened shortly before dawn in the pouring rain last Friday in a normally peaceful residential street in Coventry, West Midlands. Vicala Gheorghe (pictured) is thought to have been fatally stabbed by Marian Gheorghe before he took his own life CCTV footage showed a man lying in wait outside Vicala Gheorghe's house before she was murdered A police car is parked in the middle of Caludon Road in Coventry on Friday in the hours after the fatal attack It was captured on CCTV by horrified neighbour Bianca Cipu who shared footage with MailOnline. A next door neighbour told how he was alerted by the sounds of 'screaming and shouting' and immediately called the police. The man, who declined to be named, said: 'There was such a commotion coming from next door, there was loud shouting and screaming so I contacted police. 'It was such a terrible thing to happen right on my doorstep and I am still to upset to talk about it. I can't bare thinking about it.' He told how the Romanian couple had split up in autumn last year and since then had not seen Vicala's ex-partner. She was an Asda warehouse worker who used to be collected by her son-in-law and was given a lift to her long shifts at a nearby premises. The neighbour told MailOnline: 'She lived with two of her children, the others I think are grown up. 'I didn't know her, only by sight and her husband moved out last autumn. She seemed very nice and she worked hard. 'Her daughter's husband would give her a lift to work at the Asda warehouse - she was off to work the morning it happened at about 5.30am.' Mrs Cipu, who also shared her grim footage with police, said: 'I feel very shocked and panicked by what happened. 'I didn't know the poor woman although she was a Romanian like me and only lived a few doors down the road. My husband had previously spoken to her husband about a year ago when he was still living there. 'I'd had an incident when my car was damaged in the street and that's why we got CCTV.' Mrs Cipu, who has a one-and-a-half year old son, told how she felt sickened by the video. Speaking exclusively to our website, she said: 'It was pouring with rain but you can see a car pull up in the middle of our street, Caludon Road, and hear it beeping its horn. 'Then the woman comes out for her lift to work and the man, her former husband, is hiding behind the bins. You can just about see him. 'As she's walking from her front door onto the pavement you can hear lots of screaming. 'That's when he attacked her with a knife. It is so sad. She didn't stand a chance. It is shocking. 'Within minutes the police and ambulances had arrived and tried to treat the woman. 'We heard the man ran inside the house and killed himself. Floral tributes left to mother-of-six Vicala Gheorghe outside her home in Caludon Road, Coventry, after she was stabbed to death last week The estranged husband of Vicala Gheorge is believed to have hidden behind bins outside her home before attacking her when she left to go to work early in the morning 'I don't know whether the person who was giving her a lift saw it all, or not, but it must be very traumatic for the family.' The injured mum was rushed to hospital where she tragically died soon afterwards. Her suspected murderer ex-husband was found dead at the scene. Mrs Cipu told how the man had been giving a restraining order against his former wife and was not allowed to contact her or visit her. She said: 'He came round when she was least expecting it, hid from her and then attacked and killed her. That is evil. 'My heart goes out to her children. It is so sad.' A bakery shop worker told how Vicala had been 'terrified' of her estranged husband, describing him as a 'violent' and 'horrible' man. Fellow Romanian Tudoka Stancu said: 'It is so sad she was killed and I feel sorry for the kids. 'I knew her as a customer, she used to come into buy bread and cakes. 'She worked as a warehouse operative for Asda and had separated from her husband six months ago. He was very violent and people say he was a horrible man. 'He had no right to take her life. 'He has been waiting outside her house, hiding behind the bins, and attacked her as she was going to work. 'It happened outside on the street then he went inside and took his own life.' The Romanian speciality bakery is round the corner from the victim's home on a busy parade of shops. Ms Stancu, 40, added: 'Everyone here is shocked by what happened. She was a very nice person and didn't deserve this.' Another neighbour has told how the devastated children, now left as orphans, are being cared for by relatives. A resident said today: 'Family members came round yesterday to clear the belongings from the house. It was very emotional watching all the furniture being loaded into a van and taken away.' The unnamed woman added: 'There are two school age kids, I think, and they are being looked after by family. It is heartbreaking. 'In the space of moments and during a wicked crime they have lost both their parents.' A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called to reports of a stabbing on Caludon Road in Coventry at 5.30am' A police forensics tent seen outside a flat in Caludon Road in Coventry on Friday, April 5, after the shocking attack Post mortems are due to be carried out next week into the double deaths which have shocked the community. Police have also launched an investigation. A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: 'The pair were former partners and forensic post mortems will take place next week to establish the causes of death. 'We're continuing our enquiries into exactly what happened but at this stage we strongly believe Marian injured Vicala and then himself. 'We're offering support to family members during this distressing time. 'We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident at this stage.' A West Midlands Police spokesperson declined to comment on claims made locally that the man who died in a suspected murder-suicide had been given a restraining order against his former wife, saying: 'We are not prepared to comment on that.' Six rescue crews, including three ambulances, dashed to the property after receiving an emergency call last Friday morning. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called to reports of a stabbing on Caludon Road in Coventry at 5.30am. 'Three ambulances, two paramedic officers and the Air Ambulance Critical Care Car were sent to the scene where, on arrival, crews found two patients: a man and a woman. 'The man, who was in a critical condition, was receiving basic life support from police colleagues before ambulance staff took over and immediately began administering advanced life support. 'Sadly, he could not be saved and was confirmed dead at the scene. 'The female patient, who had suffered serious injuries, received advanced trauma care from medics before being conveyed on blue lights to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire. 'However, shortly after arrival at hospital, sadly it became clear she could not be saved and was confirmed deceased.' Donald Trump is undertaking yet another last-ditch effort to delay his Stormy Daniels trial, this time suing the judge overseeing the case who has imposed a gag order on him. The latest push comes in the form of a lawsuit Trump intends to file against Judge Juan Merchan, suggested in court filings but not yet public. The paperwork filed by Trump's team remains sealed. It follows a ruling by Merchan to 'gag' Trump from attacks on court personnel, witnesses, and prosecutors related to the case. He expanded the gag to include family members after Trump's repeated tax on his daughter, who works for a digital advocacy firm that does work for prominent Democrats. Former President Donald Trump is suing Judge Juan Merchan in an effort to delay his criminal trial, set to start Monday Trump has since reposted criticism of the judge and his daughter by third parties, and his lawyer last week sought to have Merchan recused from the case. Trump's trial is set to begin Monday, and would be the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. The trial is set to begin with jury selection, and would feature blockbuster testimony and yet another series of court appearances by the former president. The move, which is not expected to prevail, follows moves by Trump to delay the case, which had originally be set to begin last month. Sources told the New York Times Trump's lawyers planned to ask an appeals court to delay the trial while also challenging the gag order. The bid comes days after Judge Merchan denied Trump's effort to delay the trial until the U.S. Supreme Court can decide on his claim of immunity from prosecution from his time as president. Lawyers for President Donald Trump asked a New York judge to delay his Stormy Daniels trial based on immunity issues to be argued this month at the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, Trump's team reportedly plans to sue Merchan and ask an appeals court to delay it Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump's motion last week to delay the case, writing he had 'myriad opportunities' to raise the issue earlier Trump's trial relates to falsification of business records charges related to 'hush' payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump 'Defendant had myriad opportunities to raise the claim of presidential immunity well before March 7, 2024,' Merchan wrote. He wrote Trump had been 'well aware' of his ability to raise the immunity claim earlier. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg in a filing Wednesday rejected the claim that Merchan was biased and couldn't fairly preside over the trial. 'This daisy chain of innuendos is a far cry from evidence,' Bragg's office wrote. 'There is simply nothing new here.' Trump's lawyers have called the gag order an overreach that violates his First Amendment rights. The FAA stopped flights from two Illinois airports due to eclipse volume As the United States was plunged into darkness, animals at the Dallas Zoo panicked in their enclosures The first total eclipse became visible in the United States at 1:32 PM CT in Kerrville, Texas Advertisement The total solar eclipse brought America to a standstill on Monday as millions stopped work, paused classes and flocked to the streets and city rooftops to view the rare event. After sweeping northeast through Mexico and then Texas, Arkansas and Ohio shortly before 2pm, crowds gathered in New York City and Washington DC hoping to catch a glimpse. The grand finale was in Maine, where families took a break from spring to take it all in. The last partial eclipse was seen in Caribou at 4.40pm. While the crowds in the south were awestruck and New Yorkers were typically underwhelmed, the event sent animals in zoos and households across the country into a frenzy. At the Dallas Zoo, giraffes, zebras and ostriches shrieked, squawked and ran for cover as the clouds grew darker. A family watches the solar eclipse from Saddleback Mountain in Rangeley, Maine, on Monday April 8th, in one of the last viewings of the day People assemble to view the total solar eclipse at Sugarbush ski resort in Warren, Vermont, U.S. April 8, 2024 People gather on the National Mall to view the partial solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 in Washington, DC A total solar eclipse is seen from Eagle Pass, Texas, on Monday April 8th in a rare cosmic phenomenon that swept the US and parts of Mexico Giraffes go wild at the Dallas Zoo as the partial eclipse starts in Texas. Zebras, giraffes and ostriches sprinted away in a panic as the moon approached the sun AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: people use protective glasses to observe the eclipse at the Masters HOOKSETT, NEW HAMPSHIRE: traffic built up along Route 93 before the eclipse reached totality LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: People stop on Hollywood Blvd to view the eclipse MAZATLAN, MEXICO: the solar eclipse has reached totality for the first time EAGLE PASS, TEXAS: crowds covered in darkness view the total solar eclipse HOOKSETT, NEW HAMPSHIRE: thousands of eclipse watchers caused traffic chaos heading towards their viewing parties MAZATLAN, MEXICO: the moon covered the sun for 4 minutes and 17 seconds MAZATLAN, MEXICO: The Mexican beachside resort town of Mazatlan was the first major viewing spot to be plunged into darkness A total solar eclipse will move across North America and be visible for up to four minutes The Texas Department of Transportation reported multiple crashes along the path of totality in Waco that resulted in major traffic delays for the thousands that flocked to The Lone Star State. A car crash in McIntosh County, Oklahoma narrowed Eastbound I-40 down to one lane before the eclipse crossed over that left crews cleaning up the highway for most of the day, according to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The Mexican beachside resort town of Mazatlan was the first major viewing spot to be plunged into darkness from the celestial phenomenon. The total eclipse became visible around 11:07 AM MT and was present for 4 minutes and 17 seconds, according to NASA. Thousands of people gathered along the coastal promenade, setting themselves up in deck chairs with eclipse glasses as an orchestra played the 'Star Wars' theme. Thousands have packed towns along the total solar eclipse 'path of totality' where the moon will completely block the sun, starting in Mexico and moving through Texas where it will travel up to New England and finish in Canada. In any one location along the path of totality, people will see a partial eclipse followed by the total eclipse, and then a partial eclipse again. Although newly announced forecasts for Monday are ominous, suggesting thunderstorms and cloud coverage that could limit visibility, deep-pocketed thrill-seekers are undiscouraged. ECLIPSE TIMELINE The Lone Star State was be the first state to see the celestial event around 1:27 PM ET, then Oklahoma is next at around 1:45pm CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51pm ET and Missouri about five minutes after. Illinois is next in line along the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse at around 1:59pm CT and Paducah, Kentucky about one minute later. And Evansville, Indiana at 2:02CT and then Ohio is expected to witness it at around 3:13pm ET. NEW YORK: Eclipse viewers took to the Brooklyn Bridge to watch the city descend into darkness MANOR, TEXAS: clouds part as a partial eclipse cross over a church FORT WORTH, TEXAS: the solar eclipse has start moving through Texas A woman uses a pair of special protective glasses to observe the solar eclipse, in Torreon, Mexico People gather and wait to observe a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico MAZATLAN, MEXICO: a partial eclipse is seen in Mexico as it follows the path of totality State officials have estimated that up to 556,000 people will be visiting the Buckeye state. Erie, Pennsylvania is next, with the solar eclipse set for 3:16pm ET, followed by Buffalo, New York at around 3:18pm ET. The path will continue up north, reaching Burlington, Vermont at 3:26pm ET, Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27pm ET and Caribou, Maine at 3:32pm ET. WEATHER FORECAST Tourists who traveled thousands of miles to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse in Dallas - what was meant to offer the best view - are racing elsewhere as storm clouds gather over the Lone Star state. Although Texas has one of the best geographical positions to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial event, clouds started to roll in around 9 AM local time as severe storms are expected Monday night. Forecasters in Forth Worth explained the morning cloud cover would start to break up around noon, allowing many to enjoy the spectacle in the sky. The National Weather service forecasts that Northern New England will the best location for clear viewing of the total solar eclipse Monday afternoon. Forecasters said Southern Texas will have an increase of cloud coverage prior to the arrival of the solar eclipse. Other locations in between are said to have a fair chance of cloud covers at various levels, although locations across Arkansas to the Midwest could see breaks in the clouds or high thin clouds during the time of totality. NASA's Eclipse Soundscapes Project will use thousands of volunteers throughout the U.S. to help collect data form Monday's celestial sensation. Nearly, 2,500 people have signed up to fill out written multisensory reports on animal behaviors and human reactions throughout the event. People gather as they prepare to observe the start of the solar eclipse in Torreon, Mexico ARLINGTON, TEXAS: the beginning phase of a total solar eclipse is visible People gather to watch the total solar eclipse at Parc Jean Drapeau, in Montreal KERRVILLE, TEXAS: A partial solar eclipse is seen in the United States in Texas Some major cities and their metropolitan areas lay within or near the path of totality, including Mazatlan and Torreon in Mexico MAZATLAN, MEXICO: a solar eclipse begins to block out the sun Visit Indy Senior Director of Public Relations Morgan Snyder told FOX Weather they are expecting up to 125,000 visitors in Indianapolis to view the eclipse ARLINGTON, TEXAS: clouds move through the atmosphere, limiting the visibility of the partial total eclipse Millions of spectators have gathered across the United States, Canada and Mexico to watch the spectacle of a total solar eclipse PHOTOGRAPHY In Niagara Falls, photographers lined up early in the morning to snag the best spot to get pictures of the eclipse. Astrophotographer Stan Honda told CNN photographers of any skill level can capture photos of the eclipse as long as they have a sturdy, steady tripod and a remote shutter release for your camera. 'With pretty much any kind of camera or any lens, you can get a good picture of the eclipse,' he said. 'I would just recommend a fairly sturdy tripod, to make your setup pretty steady, and a remote shutter release, because that allows you to take the pictures without jarring or moving the camera too much.' 'A safe solar filter really is a necessity for the partial phases, and the American Astronomical Society has a whole section on its website about solar eclipse glasses and filters that they approve as being safe to use.' A teenager who watched his best friend get stabbed in Wisconsin's Apple River has described the moment the alleged attacker charged at them. Owen Peloquin, 19, testified in court on Monday during the second week of the trial, as he detailed the moment engineer Nicolae Miu, 54, attacked the group with a knife after they heckled him and called him a 'pedophile.' 'He just weirdly like sprinted at us, just made us all super uncomfortable,' Peloquin said before cell phone video of the 2022 encounter was shown in court. Peloquin was heard in the video saying 'Yo, get away,' but he said that Miu didn't listen and instead grabbed onto their water tubes. Miu of Prior Lake, Minnesota, claimed that he stabbed them in 'self-defense' after the group of tubers claimed that he was 'looking for little girls' on July 30, 2022. He was charged with first-degree intentional homicide after Isaac Shuman, 17, died and four others were injured. He was charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide for their injuries. Owen Peloquin, 19, testified in court on Monday during the second week of the trial, as he detailed the moment engineer Nicolae Miu, 54, attacked the group with a knife on July 30, 2022 Miu of Pior Lake, Minnesota, claimed that his lethal stabbing was 'self-defense' after the group of tubers claimed that he was 'looking for little girls in the Apple River During his testimony, Peloquin said that he regretted calling Miu a 'pedophile' and wished that he and his friends acted differently that day. When Shuman was attacked by Miu, Peloquin said that he didn't see him get stabbed but rushed over to him and brought him to shore with his other friend Alex. 'I tried my hardest to stop the bleeding,' Peloquin said as he became visibly emotional. Schuman was then taken in an ambulance to the Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater where he was pronounced dead. As the witness testimony went on, Mui's defense attorney, Corey Chirafisi showed pictures from the incident and questioned Peloquin's reactions. With his mouth wide open as he stood in the river, the teen said that he was in 'pure shock' when he saw the knife in Miu's hand. After that, pictures showed him step forward as a prosecutor asked him what he was doing. Peloquin said that he was reaching to grab Ryan Nelson, another friend of his that was in the group. Chirafisi asked the teen: 'Do you believe your actions there with the rest of your friends are taunting him?' 'It could be considered that, yeah,' Peloquin replied. Chirafisi has maintained that on the day of the attack, his client was provoked by the group. Chirafisi said that the group recorded Mui on their phones when they had the decision to leave him be. As he asked Peloquin questions about the moment of the attack, Chirafisi said: 'You wanted to see it finish because it was on tape right?' 'Jawahn Cockfield was videotaping this entire thing, isn't he? You wanted to see how this tape played out.' Cockfield was another teenager that was with the group at the lake that day. Ryhley Mattinson, A.J, Martin, Dante Carlson and Tony Carlson were the four other teenagers stabbed that day. Video then shows the chilling moment another member of the group stumbling into the river while a pool of red water emerged around him Besides Peloquin, others testified in court on Monday morning, including doctor Brian Myer who treated the four surviving teens at Region Hospital. He said that Mattinson had to have emergency surgery and when she arrived her blood alcohol level was at 0.09. As he dealt with her injuries, Myer was notified that Martin was being flown to the hospital and that his heart stopped multiple times along the way. Martin also required emergency surgery and follow-up procedures. His blood alcohol level was not taken at the time, Myer said. Carlson suffered penetrating trauma from his stab sounds and had to have a hernia repaired, Myer said. His blood alcohol level was 0.09. During the first week of trial on April 1, the court reviewed a video that captured the intense moments leading up to and during the stabbing. Miu was seen aggressively approaching the tubers, including the person recording, as they heckled him and laughed at him - telling him to 'walk away.' A woman then approached Miu ordering him to go away from the group, while one of the boys shouted 'he was looking for little girls.' The video then showed the group push Miu down into the water repeatedly and hit him while he scrambled to get up. Isaac Shuman, 17, died after Miu stabbed him in his chest. Peloquin, Shuman's best friend, said that he tried his best to stop the bleeding and save him Miu is seen approaching the group (left). Someone is see with their arms near Miu's neck during the incident (right) Members of the group then began to shout: 'He hit a woman?' The woman clutched her side in shock as blood began to pour out, and it became apparent that she had been stabbed. Video then showed the chilling moment another member of the group stumbled into the river as a pool of red water emerged around him. Chaos ensued as the group quickly dispersed. The cameraman screamed 'this isn't real' as more blood stained the water. The distressing footage then suddenly cut out. Miu's wife Sondra told detectives that the violent altercation began after Miu, whose group was further up the river, went back to find a 'phone that was lost' while wearing snorkeling gear. While he was looking, Sondra said a 'group of guys got off their tubes and started hitting' him. The group apparently accused Miu of 'looking for little girls' and being a 'child molester' after he had been snorkeling between two groups on each side of the river looking for the phone, according to a video viewed by the St. Croix DA's Office in Wisconsin. Miu was charged with first-degree intentional homicide after Isaac Shuman, 17, died and four others were injured. He was charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide for their injuries Miu's wife Sondra told detectives that the violent altercation began after Miu, whose group was farther up the river, went back to find a 'phone that was lost' while wearing snorkeling gear Ryhley Mattinson, A.J, Martin, Dante Carlson and Tony Carlson were the other four teenagers stabbed that day The twenty-somethings approached Miu after spotting him chatting to a group of teenagers who looked 'uncomfortable,' as he was allegedly asking for the numbers of 'young girls.' Miu originally told police he obtained the knife off of tubers and fighting in 'self-defense,' but Sondra claimed the weapon had been clipped to his belt. The DA's Office said that there was 'enough blood in the river that water turned a red tint in places.' During an interview, Miu told him that he 'ran away' from the group and said Schuman's group 'produced two weapons.' He claimed the group taunted him after he had asked them if they had seen his friend's phone and that one of the boys tried to 'pull his trunks down,' according to the complaint. Miu said he noticed the 'the kid had a knife on him' and someone else had a 'longer knife' that looked like a kitchen knife. The engineer said he 'poked' the knife off the boy during the altercation after twisting his arm. He claimed 'they attacked me' and that he was 'in self-defense mode.' He pleaded not guilty to the charges in September 2022 and his attorney's have argued that the man stabbed the teens in an act of self-defense. Security cameras captured the moment an arson suspect doused the door of Bernie Sanders' Vermont office before lighting it on fire. According to an affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com, suspect Shant Michael Soghomonian, 35, was arrested on April 7 at a nearby motel where he had been living for months. Officials responded to a 911 call on April 5 to 1 Church Street about a fire that occurred on the third floor of the building. The fire had been set at the front door of Sanders' office. Eric Brimo, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, said in the affidavit that he saw 'large, dark burn marks on the door to the office and could smell the odor of smoke.' Investigators later got surveillance video of the suspect starting the blaze. At one point, the cameras captured the man pending down and lighting a liquid on fire before fleeing. It's unclear why the suspect targeted the liberal senator's office. A man was arrested after attempting arson at Senator Bernie Sanders ' Burlington, Vermont office Video showed the suspect pouring a liquid and then lighting it on fire, which caused significant damage to the door According to an affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com, Shant Michael Soghomonian, 35, was arrested on April 7 at a motel When Brimo arrived at the office, he walked through the office with Burlington police officers. 'I observed the sprinkler system had been activated, flooding parts of the lobby, second floor, and third-floor office building,' he said in the affidavit. 'I walked up the stairwell and entered the third-floor vestibule, where I observed large, dark burn marks on the door to the office and could smell the odor of smoke. 'I also observed what appeared to be remains of a canister of lighter fluid and a red cap that were lying on the floor near the door. The ATF agent said he was told the Burlington Fire Department was still inspecting the building. 'I was advised [the fire department] had broken through the dram and wall surrounding the door to confirm that the fire had not yet spread beyond the immediate area through the walls and that the building occupants were safe,' he said. 'I was further advised that the Senator's office had seven employees working at the time of the fire who were not harmed and were able to evacuate safely.' Security footage showed the suspect believed to be Soghomonian, who was dressed in dark clothing and an orange beanie emerge from the elevator and walk straight to Sanders' office door around 10:40 am. The suspect is then seen taking out a container and dumping unidentified liquid across the bottom of the office's front door. He then dropped the container on the floor, took out a lighter, set the area on fire where the liquid had been poured. The perpetrator then escaped by a nearby stairwell. First responders said only the outside of the door had fire damage. It's unclear why the suspect targeted Bernie Sanders' Vermont office Security footage showed the suspect believed to be Soghomonian, who was dressed in dark clothing and an orange beanie emerge from the elevator and walk straight to Sanders' Burlington, Vermont, office door around 10:40 am Security footage showed Soghomonian, who was dressed in dark clothing and an orange beanie emerge from the elevator and walk straight to Sanders' office door around 10:40 am First responders said only the outside of the door had fire damage On April 6, The manager at the Inn at Burlington, Gavin Grady, notified authorities that he recognized the suspect from the media release as he had been a guest at the hotel for close to two months On April 6, The manager at the Inn at Burlington, Gavin Grady, notified authorities that he recognized the suspect from the media release as he had been a guest at the hotel for close to two months. Grady and coworker Nathan Hutchins cooperated with Burlington police Sgt. John Stroughton and have them as many details as they could about Soghomonian. 'Grady and Hutchins indicated they recognized Soghomonian, who checked in as "Michael Soghomonian" because he had stayed at the hotel for several weeks,' per court documents. 'Hutchins stated that based on the individual's physical build and "fashion sense" from the media release, the individual depicted in the still frames definitly matched Soghomonian from Hutchins' observations of him while he was staying at the hotel for close to two months. 'Hutchins advised he had several interactions with the perpetrator because he would frequently come down to the lobby in the evenings and kept renewing his hotel stay for one or two nights at a time throughout his stay at the hotel.' Brimo concluded that he believes there is probable cause that Soghomonian 'maliciously damaged by means of fire the building at One Church Street-a building used in interstate commerce and as a play of activity affecting interstate commerce.' Soghomonian was federally charged with using fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce, per federal officials. His next court date has not yet been scheduled. A nail bar owner has revealed she was taking home less than 8 an hour after paying her council and energy bills as thousands of beauty salons across the country club together to raise their manicure prices. Up to 5,000 technicians across the UK are said to have hiked their prices today after taking part in the National Nail Tech Prince Increase. Others, however, have said they will not be joining the hike in prices over fears that 'any increases would drive away customers' who are also 'skint'. The decision to up the cost of a manicure was organised by The Nail Tech Org who claim the average nail technician earns less than 7-an-hour placing them below the country's national minimum wage of 11.44. It could see the average price of a manicure - around 38 - increase by more than 50 per cent. Anna Sofiychuck, who has worked in the nail industry for over a decade, said she has never seen business so quiet Nataliia Kaniuk, director of PedicureProLine, said she thinks they will have to increase their prices next year as they have been warned of a mind-boggling annual rent increase. Beautician Lily Amiri, who 'loves' getting her nails done, says many salons have been left with no option but to hike their prices Ellie Jenkins, 27, who runs ELD Beauty in Aberdare, South Wales, said she was 'excited' that nail bars across the country are putting up their prices run unison. The young mother was amongst those who took to social media to warn her customers of the price hike orchestrated by Nail Tech Org. She told BBC Wales: 'It's really beneficial that we are all raising our prices the same day and you know no-one is going to undercut each other.' 'I was earning under 8 per hour, which was shocking to think that. The fact you're earning under minimum wage makes you quite upset.' 'No-one really understands the overhead part of a business. I've got three to four lights on constantly so my electricity bill is always higher. I pay extra council tax and I don't pay a pension because I can't afford to. 'I'm looking at myself now thinking I need the money now, my children need the money now, I'm not thinking in however many years down the line.' Meanwhile nail salons across London claim they are being forced to put their prices up amid rising rent and bills as the cost-of-living crisis continues to take its toll. One owner said she has been hit with an eye-watering 10,000 annual rent increase, while another said long-time customers are choosing to forgo treatment as they can no longer afford 'luxuries'. Fred Tran, who runs Viviene Nails and Beauty in Kingston, said he had no choice but to hike prices due to skyrocketing costs. Up to 5,000 technicians around the UK are said to have hiked their prices today after taking part in the National Nail Tech Prince Increase Fred Tran, who runs Viviene Nails and Beauty in Kingston, said he has no choice but to hike prices due to skyrocketing costs Grandmother Susan Brown, 66, said she was happy to discover the nail bar she visits every three weeks pays the minimum wage He said: 'We only opened here a couple months ago but I ran another nail salon before and these prices are higher than those ones because of how much more things cost at the moment. 'We have higher rent, higher energy bills, and the cost of products, such as acetone, is increasing too. This has been combined with a reduction in customers.' Mr Tran said that salons have been 'dead' since summer of 2023, with people saying they are no long able to afford to get their nails done. 'We saw a brief recovery after Covid in 2021 and 2022, but things have been dead since last summer,' he said. 'I often see former long-time customers out and about and I can see they no longer have their nails done. 'People tell me they can just can't afford it. They used to come in every few weeks, now only for special occasions or not at all. It's a luxury. People have to make choices.' Other nail salons are experiencing similar problems. Nataliia Kaniuk, director of PedicureProLine, said she thinks they will have to increase their prices next year as they have been warned of a mind-boggling annual rent increase. 'Next year, our rent is going up by 10,000,' she said. 'So then we will have to put our prices up just to stay in business. 'It's a worry because we are already struggling with customers dropping off. We used to have seven nail technicians booked all the time, now we are struggling to find enough work for three. 'It's insane. And we're being offered no help from the government or council.' The Nail Tech Org who claim the average nail technician earns less than 7-an-hour placing them below the country's national minimum wage of 11.44 The hike in price could see the average price of a manicure - around 38 - increase by more than 50 per cent Currently the average cost of a manicure is around 38, prices could then increase by as much a 50 per cent Employee Anna Sofiychuck, who has worked in the nail industry for over a decade, said she has never seen business so quiet. 'It's the quietest period I've ever seen,' she said. 'When I started working, I was always fully booked now, it's not the same.' Ms Kaniuk added that even the business's simple attempts at advertising have been shot down. 'We had a board outside advertising our services, but the council told us we had to pay 150,' she said. 'So, we've had to remove it.' Other nail salons are trying to keep their prices the same in order to keep customers but this is proving a struggle. Nail technician Tia Bui, who works at Nail Beauty Art in Kingston, added: 'I know my manager is trying not to increase prices as she wants to keep clients, especially loyal ones. 'But things have been so quiet, especially since after Christmas. I understand it people need to make choices, and things like food and bills will win over nails every time. But we've really been hit as an industry.' Meanwhile, beautician Lily Amiri, who 'loves' getting her nails done, said a lot of salons have been left with no choice but to raise prices. She said: 'I've tried out lots of different nail salons and some are trying to keep their prices the same because things are so competitive, but for others, there's no choice but to put prices up as otherwise the business will go. 'I know that the majority of salons have left it for as long as possible though.' The Nail Tech Org statement about the price increases was released on social media The Nail Tech Org price increase day announcement. The organisers of the event say that nail technicians earn an average of 7 an hour after costs are subtracted - which is less than minimum wage Swan nails in Newcastle will also be putting their prices up next week Ms Amiri added that her friends in the nail industry hoped that business would bounce back after Covid thinking things had dropped off after the pandemic because people were 'anxious' to be in salons. But sadly, things haven't improved. 'Things dropped off after Covid and the hope was that it was because people were anxious, but things have continued that way,' she said. 'Customers are trying to spend less money, prioritising other things over nails. How much do nail artists make? The organisers of the event say that nail technicians earn an average of 7 an hour after costs are subtracted - which is less than minimum wage. Posting on Instagram, the organisation wrote: 'Join us, and hundreds of other nail techs from across the industry, as we come together to raise our prices simultaneously, sending a resounding message about the value of our skills and the dedication we bring to our clients, thus eliminating the fear of doing it alone. 'If we all raise our prices at the same time, we create a new normal.' After charging an average of 38 per set at 23 hours per week and 1.5 hours per client - the organisation calculated that a nail technician's annual income is around 27,968. As costs can be as much as 25. Nail techs only make 13 per set, which is an average of 8.70 an hour - while the National Living Wage stands at 11.44. Advertisement 'Even within the beauty sector, if it's a choice about which 'luxury', hair will usually win. So it's definitely a struggle for the industry.' Some nail salons, however, are refusing to put their prices up - realising it could have a negative effect on their business. Technicians at Merthyr Nails are not members of Nail Tech Org and it's the same at their nearby competitor Fashion Nails and Spa in Merthyr Tydfil's Victoria Street. Technical Vivian Nguyen, 37, said: 'I get paid the minimum wage, I am salaried and that's fine with me. 'We would like to put our prices up but at the moment everyone is skint so any increases would drive away customers. It is too quiet without putting our prices up.' Grandmother Susan Brown, 66, said she was happy to discover the nail bar she visits every three weeks pays the minimum wage. Mother-of-two Susan, is a loyal customer at Merthyr Nails, a Vietnamese-run salon in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. She said: 'I wouldn't be happy going somewhere where they pay 7 an hour. The staff deserve a lot more than that. 'I get a cup of tea or coffee when I'm here, the staff are lovely and they are doing a good job. 'I pay 26 each time I come here - I'm happy with their rates and I'm glad the staff get well looked after.' Manager of Merthyr Nails Phillip Trn, 42, said: 'We've always paid the minimum wage so I didn't know that salons across the country are paying technicians as little as 7 and hour. 'We pay the minimum wage of 11.44 but our more experienced technicians get paid more. It's a difficult time for us because our material costs and electricity bills have gone up such a lot. 'But our customers like coming here, we try to make it fun and they keep coming back.' Police are investigating the deaths of the mother and son as homicides and are 'not actively looking for anyone else involved' Jerel D. McGeachy, 38, was found dead at home alongside his wife Domonique, 38, and their son Jerel Jr. just after 9:45am on Monday, April 1 A Veterans Affairs police officer shot dead his wife and 12-year-old son before turning the weapon on himself in a heartbreaking murder-suicide A police officer in Kansas City has shot dead his wife and 12-year-old son dead before turning the gun on himself in a horrific murder-suicide. Jerel D. McGeachy, 38, worked as a police officer with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs alongside his wife, Domonique, who worked as a nurse. Just after 9:45am on Monday, April 1, the couple were found dead inside their home alongside their 12-year-old son Jerel D. McGeachy Jr. The grisly discovery was made by officers during a wellness check - who found the three family members with 'apparent bodily trauma.' Kansas City Police officers said that they first came across the 12-year-old boy with a fatal gunshot wound, and that as they went further into the home they discovered his mother, 38, who also had suffered a deadly gunshot wound. A police officer in Kansas City has shot dead his wife and 12-year-old son dead before turning the gun on himself in a horrific murder-suicide (Jerel D. McGeachy, 38, is pictured right with his 12-year-old son) Jerel D. McGeachy, 38, worked as a police officer with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs alongside his wife, Domonique, who worked as a nurse Domonique McGeachy was featured in an ABC11 special tribute to 'hero' nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also served seven years in the United States Army McGeachy Sr. 'appeared to die as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound,' according to People. Police are investigating the deaths of the mother and son as homicides and are 'not actively looking for anyone else involved.' The 12-year-old boy uploaded a worrying social media post at 5:29am the same day he was found dead. While the post has not been publicly shared, it is known to have made references to 'discipline by the father,' the mother's decision to separate from the father and 'differences' between the parents, People reported. Other recent social media posts by Jerel Jr. mourned the loss of his paternal grandmother. The family previously lived in Cumberland County, but had recently moved to Kansas City. Domonique McGeachy was featured in an ABC11 special tribute to 'hero' nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also served seven years in the United States Army. McGeachy Sr. (pictured here with his son) was also a well-known members of the Cumberland County community. He spent time as a Spring Lake police officer and worked as an elementary school teacher Jerel Jr. was known in Cumberland County for his impressive ability to recite speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and he continued to show off his talent when they moved to Missouri Police are investigating the deaths of the mother and son as homicides and are 'not actively looking for anyone else involved' The principal at Jerel Jr.'s middle school in Kansas City described the heartbreaking news as 'beyond tragic' Jerel Jr. was known in Cumberland County for his impressive ability to recite speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and he continued to show off his talent when they moved to Missouri. The principal at Jerel Jr.'s middle school in Kansas City described the heartbreaking news as 'beyond tragic.' McGeachy Sr. was also a well-known members of the Cumberland County community. He spent time as a Spring Lake police officer and worked as an elementary school teacher. 'We at VA are deeply saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts go out to the impacted family members, friends, and co-workers,' Department of Veterans Affairs press secretary Terrence L. Hayes said in a statement. No details have yet been shared about a possible motive for the heartbreaking murder-suicide. Small Korean companies vulnerable to growing presence of Chinese e-commerce platforms Editors note This article is the second in a three-part series on the impacts of Chinese e-commerce platforms' foray into the Korean market and responses from local rivals. ED. By Lee Min-hyung Koreas logistics and retail firms are feared to fall victim to what appears to be an incessantly growing influence of AliExpress and Temu, as the Chinese e-commerce firms could leverage their dominant clout to the detriment of local partners and customers, according to industry insiders. Many critics perceive the outlook as inevitable, as most market-controlling players exert significant pricing power when negotiating with their partners. In numerous instances across various industries, these players demand that their partners lower the unit prices of supplied items or services, often threatening to sever business ties unless the partners comply with the requirements set by dominant platform firms. In a significant development last month, Alibaba Group, the parent company of AliExpress, announced its intention to invest $1.1 billion (1.5 trillion won) in Korea, aiming to bolster its presence in the region. As part of this initiative, the company plans to establish a logistics center and provide support for Korean sellers to expand their sales abroad. The vision looks meaningful at first glance as the foreign company is investing a huge fund in Korea. But local platforms remain vigilant over the capital-powered expansion strategy by AliExpress, which could trigger a price war between local logistics and retail companies. As of now, CJ Logistics stands as the primary delivery partner for AliExpress, following a contract signed by both parties in 2022. The CJ affiliate manages 80 percent of AliExpress's deliveries in Korea, with other players such as Hanjin Logistics and the state-run ePOST covering the remainder. But the landscape may undergo drastic changes once the Chinese firm expands its presence further, according to officials in the industry. If AliExpress continues to widen its user base and becomes an irreplaceable player here, its delivery service contract will be put on a bid, which will trigger competition among local logistics firms to cut prices for their services, an official at a retail firm here said, asking for anonymity. The greatest concern is that Korean firms may ultimately be influenced by the growing power of foreign capital, according to the official. A spokesperson for AliExpress Korea told The Korea Times that no decision has been made regarding whether to initiate a bidding process for the contract in the near future, declining to elaborate. Experts also voiced concerns that the aggressive expansion of Chinese companies in Korea could potentially impede healthy competition within the parcel delivery service industry. "Mid- to small-sized players will end up being kicked out of the market much faster than before because the Chinese platforms' expansion is expected to accelerate," Park Jin-hee, a professor of transportation and logistics planning at the Korea Maritime & Ocean University, said. The greater issue lies in the challenge posed by a foreign firm, which is difficult to regulate under the current legal system here, according to the expert. "We also cannot dismiss the possibility that AliExpress may demand parcel service firms to lower their service fees as it gains more influence here, Park said. Others in the industry have also noted that it's not just logistics, but retail firms as well that will feel the impact of the increasing influence of AliExpress, for similar reasons. In 2022, CJ terminated its partnership with Coupang after expressing disagreement over the online platform's demand to reduce the unit price of supplied items, another official at a Seoul-based retail firm said. AliExpress is extending a friendly gesture to major food and cosmetics companies in Korea, such as CJ CheilJedang and AmorePacific, encouraging them to sell their items on its online platform. AliExpress is investing significant resources to attract as many partners as possible, aiming to entice more Korean customers during its initial expansion phase. But it remains doubtful whether the Chinese platform giant will sustain this approach without pressuring Korean firms to reduce the unit prices of supplied items, the official said, refusing to be named. As part of its key growth strategy to lower sales prices and attract more customers, AliExpress currently does not charge any sales commission to its sellers. The company has also pledged to continue this no-commission campaign until June. Some industry experts also argue that AliExpress's investment plan may have a limited impact across the industry, as the amount allocated may not be sufficient to establish diverse logistics facilities nationwide. "It took almost a decade for Coupang to build its super-fast delivery service across the nation by setting up a number of logistics centers following trillions of won in investments," an official at an e-commerce firm here said. "AliExpress will not be able to emerge as an influential player in the logistics industry simply due to the latest investment plan. We need to wait and see whether the company will keep expanding investments down the road." A recent poll conducted by the Korea Federation of SMEs revealed that the majority of small business owners in Korea perceive their operations to be threatened by the swift expansion of Chinese platforms. This threat largely stems from the price competitiveness of these platforms, which is often enabled by tax benefits offered to foreign direct purchases in Korea. More than 53 percent of the surveyed 320 small- and medium-sized companies indicated that Korean firms are losing price competitiveness against their Chinese rivals due to tax benefits. In Korea, no taxes are charged for each foreign direct purchase worth less than $150, with no limit on the annual accumulated purchase. In contrast, China imposes stricter rules, taxing any foreign direct purchases when their accumulated value exceeds 4.8 million won each year. Rishi Sunak has rejected demands by former diplomats and mandarins to remove 'colonial era pictures' from the walls of the 'elitist' foreign office. Downing Street hit out at calls by the ex-civil servants for a major rebrand of the ministry, including 'colonial era pictures' being taken off the walls of its grand headquarters. No 10 said the Prime Minister is proud of Britain's history and insisted that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is doing important work to promote the country's interests abroad. Asked about the controversial new report that accused David Cameron's department of being 'rooted in the past', the PM's official spokesman told reporters: 'I don't think he would agree with that assessment at all. 'The Foreign Office is doing vital work to protect and promote UK interests abroad and he fully supports the work of the Foreign Office and indeed the Foreign Secretary in achieving those objectives.' Rishi Sunak last night rejected demands by former diplomats to remove 'colonial era pictures' from the walls of the 'elitist' foreign office Downing Street has hit out at calls by ex-civil servants for a major rebrand of the ministry The impressive neoclassical interior of the FCDO was the location for a press conference with then president Donald Trump and PM Theresa May in June 2019 The 'palace' that was built at the height of Empire The Foreign Office was created in March 1782, just as Britain accepted the loss of one of its most important colonies when America won its War of Independence. At the time it was just a 'small administrative department'. Its headquarters in King Charles Street, Whitehall, now under fire from former diplomats, was not completed until 1868. Designed by leading Victorian architect Sir George Gilbert Scott to be 'a kind of national palace or drawing room for the nation', it became renowned for its grand staircase and Durbar Court. A grand set of reception rooms, now known as the Locarno Suite, saw the signing of the one of the treaties intended to secure peace in Europe after the First World War. The first Foreign Secretary was Charles James Fox. Holders of the post have often gone on to serve as Prime Minister, all the way from George Canning to Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. It was Arthur Balfour, when Foreign Secretary in 1917, who issued the influential declaration in support of 'the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people'. Advertisement The pamphlet - written by former Cabinet Secretary Lord Sedwill, ex-Foreign Office director general Moazzam Malik and former ambassador Tom Fletcher - calls for a radical reform of UK foreign policy to reflect the country's 'less influential' place in the world. It said Britain's attempts to project an image of greatness to the world 'today seems anachronistic' and that we should not try to 'see ourselves as the leader' in tackling global challenges. Instead the country should show greater 'self-awareness' and 'humility' and be 'ready to follow'. Rather than seeing itself as on a par with Germany and France, Britain should accept it is a 'mid-sized power' with 'much to learn' from the likes of Norway and Switzerland, the paper argues. The report also says the UK cannot 'brush aside concerns' about its 'historical legacy', warning: 'Former colonies are making increasingly vocal demands around the need for reparations from colonialism and compensation for the loss and damage arising from historical industrial emissions.' It is scathing about the FCDO, saying its 'very name' is 'anchored in the past' while its buildings off Whitehall show it is 'somewhat elitist and rooted in the past'. 'Modernising premises - perhaps with fewer colonial era pictures on the walls - might help create a more open working culture and send a clear signal about Britain's future?' it adds. The ministry itself should be rebranded as the Department for International Affairs (or Global Affairs UK) to 'signal a forward-looking ambition'. The report also accuses the ministry of 'struggling to deliver a clear mandate, prioritisation and resource allocation'. 'The Foreign Office all too often operates like a giant private office for the Foreign Secretary of the day, responding to the minister's immediate concerns and ever-changing in-tray,' it says. And it says the recent merger with the international aid department as 'struggled to deliver'. In an academic report today, former Civil Service leader Lord Sedwill (pictured) and two former ambassadors called for radical reform of the foreign office David Cameron inside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London The report says a replacement department should be given new goals including 'addressing climate change and biodiversity loss' and 'championing rights and responsibilities' as well as promoting UK prosperity and security. A new target should be set of spending 1 per cent of Gross National Income on its priorities, including 'climate' as well as development and humanitarian aid overseas. An FCDO spokesman said: 'We are maximising the benefits of merging diplomacy and development in the FCDO to better deal with global challenges, as seen in our responses to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and in the Middle East. 'We are committed to having an even greater impact and influence on the world stage - which is why we recently completed a review across the department to ensure we are effectively directing our funds, streamlining all our international policy work, and building our capability for the future.' The dramatic moment cops raced to save K9 Enzo who was stabbed in the line of duty by a violent murder suspect has been revealed in new bodycam footage. Three-year-old Belgian Malinois, Enzo, was stabbed multiple times by suspected murderer Thurman Lowe, 64, in downtown Las Vegas on March 29. The dog's Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department handler can be heard on bodycam reassuring him, 'you did so good, buddy. You're a good boy.' Enzo was rushed to a vets and then flown by helicopter to another hospital where he could receive more specialist care. He survived the attack and is now regaining his strength, the force said: 'These dogs are our heroes, putting their lives on the line the same as their human partners.' K9 Enzo was stabbed multiple times by the suspected murderer in downtown Las Vegas on March 29 After Enzo was stabilized the staff decided he needed to be transferred to a more specialist hospital The heavily bleeding dog was rushed to a vets and then flown by helicopter to another hospital The hospital was 18 miles away and with rush hour traffic there was no way they would make it in time by car Police were called to a fire at a downtown address on March 29 and found Lowe inside the apartment trying to take his own life, they said he had self-inflicted wounds and had started the fire himself. Officers declared a barricade situation after he allegedly refused to cooperate with officers. Enzo then bit Lowe and he allegedly stabbed him multiple times before officers were able to take him into custody. Lowe was taken to hospital in a stable condition - he has been charged with arson, assault and attempt to kill a police animal among other charges. According to St Louis County Police, Lowe is separately accused of murdering Freddie Tribbett, 46, and was on parole following a 30-year sentence for rape, robbery and burglary charges from the 1980s. Sharing the video of the aftermath of the attack, the force said: 'K9 Enzo did what he was trained to do. Go to the threat and protect our officers. In the process, a violent suspect stabbed Enzo. 'Here's what you didn't see in the moments immediately after the attack on our K9. All parts of our incredible department including SWAT, K9, Patrol, Air Support, Dispatch, and so many others worked to close roads and quickly airlift Enzo to the emergency clinic. 'Enzo was saved by the collective actions of so many and thanks to the talented medical workers who stabilized and treated Enzo, he is alive and recovering today.' Enzo bit suspected murderer Thurman Lowe, 64, who then stabbed him multiple times, while officers attempted to take him into custody A group of staff carried Enzo in their arms and ran to a helicopter, loading him in to fly to the hospital He survived the attack and is now regaining his strength The force said: 'These dogs are our heroes, putting their lives on the line the same as their human partners.' The video starts inside a police car and shows an officer speeding through the streets while trying to keep Enzo calm. He says: 'You did so good, buddy. You're a good boy.' The car then pulls into a veterinary hospital and the officer prepares to carry him out. The film shows the back of the cruiser soaked in blood and when the officer goes to pet Enzo his hand comes back smeared in red. Other staff help carry the dog inside and the officer says: 'Let's go, hurry up, please, please, please, hurry up.' After Enzo was stabilized the staff decided he needed to be transferred to a more specialist hospital. But the hospital was 18 miles away and with rush hour traffic there was no way they would make it in time by car. A group of staff carried Enzo in their arms and ran to a helicopter, loading him in to fly to the hospital. Over the sounds of the chopper, the officer can be heard saying: 'Weve got one of our dogs coming in with a stab wound, I think theyre going to bring him on the helicopter.' Once at the hospital they loaded him onto a stretcher and carried him inside. In an update, the force said Enzo was 'feeling good, happy to see his handler!' Patches of his fur are shaved and he has a large area of fur missing on his left shoulder where he was stabbed The video ends with heartwarming footage of a recovering Enzo walking with his handler around yard. Patches of his fur are shaved and he has a large area of fur missing on his left shoulder where he was stabbed. In an update, the force said Enzo was 'feeling good, happy to see his handler!' They added: 'Other than some minor maintenance on stitches and wound care, he is in good spirits and getting lots of attention.' Bryan Peterson with LVMPDs Special Weapons and Tactics team said: 'One of our K9 officers was severely injured, and everybody needed to act in order to save our K9 dogs life.' The video shows groups of people rushing together to help the injured dog, and Peterson said that cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the vets 'saved Enzo's life'. The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday handed over transcripts of an interview with President Biden's ghost writer Mark Zwonitzer, whom the president gave classified documents, but refused to release audio of ex-special counsel Robert Hur's Biden interview. While the DOJ has handed over transcripts of Hur's interviews with Biden that led him to conclude the president is 'elderly' and 'well-meaning' but has a 'poor memory,' Republicans are unsatisfied. They insist they need audio of the interview too. They subpoenaed transcripts, notes, audio and video files largely related to Hur's interview - giving Attorney General Merrick Garland until Monday at noon and threatening him with contempt if he does not comply. The DOJ said in a new letter to GOP committee chairmen that the department had already been 'extraordinarily' accommodating in giving up the Biden transcript. Republicans on Monday threatened to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress if he does not hand over more materials in the Robert Hur investigation of President Biden's classified documents They said releasing audio as well might make it harder for prosecutors to secure recorded interviews in the future, with witnesses knowing they could be blasted out into the public. 'The Committees have already received the extraordinary accommodation of the transcripts, which gives you the information you say you need,' the letter, written by assistant attorney general Carlos Uriarte, read. 'To go further by producing the audio files would compound the likelihood that future prosecutors will be unable to secure this level of cooperation. They might have a harder time obtaining consent to an interview at all. It is clearly not in the public interest to render such cooperation with prosecutors and investigators less likely in the future.' The letter said that the Oversight and Judiciary committees have not identified any valid reasoning for needing the audio of the interview in addition to transcripts. It said the DOJ had 'met or exceeded the Committees' informational needs' stated in the subpoenas. 'Our efforts at cooperation prove that we are, and continue to be, willing to do our part to show the American people that the officials who serve them can work together productively in the public interest while avoiding unnecessary conflict,' Uriarte went on. Oversight Chairman James Comer clapped back in a statement: 'The Biden Administration does not get to determine what Congress needs and does not need for its oversight of the executive branch.' 'Its curious the Biden Administration is refusing to release the audio of President Bidens interview with the Special Counsel after releasing the transcript. Why shouldn't the American people be able to hear the actual audio of his answers? The American people demand transparency from their leaders, not obstruction.' Hur said he found that Biden had 'willfully' retained classified material but stopped short of filing charges, believing a jury would not convict the president 'Yet the Committees have responded with escalation and threats of criminal contempt. The Committees reaction is difficult to explain in terms of any lack of information or frustration of any informational or investigative imperative, given the Departments actual conduct. We are therefore concerned that the Committees are disappointed not because you didnt receive information, but because you did. We urge the Committees to avoid conflict rather than seek it.' Hur, who had interviewed Biden over October 8 and 9, 2023, resigned as special counsel and left the DOJ shortly before testifying in Congress last month. Hur said he found that Biden had 'willfully' retained classified material but stopped short of filing charges, believing a jury would not convict the president. He sparked opposition from all sides - Republicans who questioned why he would not charge the president and Democrats who took issue with his description of Biden as a 'sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' He explained his decision to make the assessment in the hearing: 'I knew that for my position to be credible. I could not simply announce that there would be no charges, I needed to explain why. I needed to show my work.' 'We identified evidence that the President willfully retained classified materials after the end of his vice presidency, when he was a private citizen,' Hur said during a high-stakes hearing earlier this month. In interviews with investigators, Biden became muddled about the dates he was vice president and could not even remember the year in which his son Beau died, according to the transcript reviewed by DailyMail.com. The box circled in the foreground contained documents about Afghanistan. The picture was taken in December 2022 in Biden's garage, with other household items Special Counsel Robert Hur spent a year investigating files found at President Joe Biden's home and former office. He said Biden's status as president meant he could not be prosecuted Biden forgot the year Beau died, when Trump was elected and said 'I don't recall', 'I don't remember' and 'I have no goddamn idea' more than 100 times while cracking jokes and making car noises with the investigators. And it said his cavalier attitude to classified documents, such as his habit of reading sensitive files to a ghostwriter, posed a significant national security risk. One of the reasons they decided not to press charges was because 'at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' Hur said during testimony that he described Biden this way because of his 'inability to recall certain things' and that he had to be prompted by his lawyers to recall certain dates. According to transcripts of Hur's interviews with Biden on October 8 and October 9, 2023, Biden's lawyer had to tell him what year his son Beau died of brain cancer and the president joked about the special counsel finding pictures of his wife Jill in a swimsuit. I just hope you didnt find any risque pictures of my wife in a bathing suit. Which you probably did. Shes beautiful,' said Biden. 'What month did Beau die?' Biden mused at one point, adding, 'Oh God, May 30th.' 'He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died. And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him,' Hur said. A White House lawyer then chimed in with the year, 2015. 'Was it 2015 he died?' Biden asked. Kamala Harris spoke about the issue in an interview with the 'I've Had It' podcast Harris said it was particularly egregious if airline passengers did not wear socks 'Its awful!' she exclaimed with disgust during an interview Vice President Kamala Harris tackled the problem of people taking their shoes off on planes in a recent podcast interview, joking she needed to create a 'Department of Grievances' in the federal government to handle the issue. The vice president was asked about the issue during an appearance on the 'I've Had It' podcast, in a teaser for the interview shared on social media. Oh God, had it. Completely,' she said, bursting into laughter. 'Its awful and then if they take their shoes off and cross their legs so that their foot is just dangling right in front of you, its just especially if theyre sockless!' The full interview with Harris will air Tuesday. Kamala Haris participated in an interview on the 'I've Had It' Podcast to talk about her personal grievences As the second highest ranking U.S. government official, Harris promised to look into the issue. Well look into that. We need a department of grievances, she said. We have a lot of federal agencies, but not that one. The issue has always been a point of contention, but more plane passengers are complaining more about it on social media and even shaming people for removing their shoes on planes. The Ive Had It podcast is hosted by former Bravo TV stars Jennifer Welch and Angie Pumps Sullivan. The podcast features the two women and their guests sharing their unvarnished opinions about things they love to hate. Each episode features a rapid-fire series of issues where the featured guest gets to weigh in on controversial issues like air travel. An airplane passenger sits with their shoes off Harris said airline passengers taking their socks off on flights were a big problem The Biden administration is increasingly looking to podcast interviews to connect with different audiences ahead of the 2024 election. Harris recorded a pair of podcast interviews last month as well as a podcast interview with former CBS Evening News anchor and Today show host Katie Couric. President Joe Biden did a podcast interview with comedian Conan O'Brien in December. Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton taped an interview with the SmartLess podcast hosted by comedians Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett in March. Netanyahu has not put out a specific date on when the invasion will happen The city is home to more than 1.4million Palestinian refugees Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that a date has been set for an Israeli invasion of Rafah, Gaza's last refuge for displaced Palestinians, without disclosing that date as a new round of ceasefire talks take place in Cairo. 'Today I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo, we are constantly working to achieve our goals, first and foremost the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas,' Netanyahu said. 'This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen - there is a date.' The shock announcement came hours after reports suggested Hamas and Israel were just two days away from agreeing a ceasefire and hostage deal that would have put at least a temporary end to the bloodiest war in the Middle East in decades. Hamas and Israel sent negotiators to Cairo, Egypt, where they were joined by mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar. 'This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen - there is a date', Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) said today Palestinian families return to their houses left amid rubble and devastating destruction after Israeli forces' withdrawal from Khan Younis Demonstrators light a fire at Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv Israeli soldiers organise their tanks equipment near the border with the Gaza Strip Egyptian state-linked news outlet Al-Qahera reported 'significant progress being made on several contentious points of agreement', citing an unnamed high-ranking Egyptian source. The outlet said Qatari and Hamas delegations had left Cairo and were expected to return 'within two days to finalise the terms of the agreement'. US and Israeli delegations were also due to leave the Egyptian capital 'in the next few hours' for consultations over the next 48 hours, it added. But negotiations have been shaky throughout the six-month war in Gaza, with both Hamas and Israel pulling out of talks over disagreements several times. Israel's allies, including the US and the UK, have expressed opposition to Israel's stated plans to invade Rafah, home to 1.4 million civilians seeking refugee from the bloody war against the enclave. Reports suggested Hamas and Israel were just two days away from agreeing a ceasefire and hostage deal that would have put at least a temporary end to the bloodiest war in the Middle East in decades Israel's top ally, the US, has said invading Rafah would be a mistake and has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Khan Younis Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron previously wrote on X: 'Deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah over half of Gaza's population are sheltering in the area. 'The priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.' Israel's top ally, the US, has said invading Rafah would be a mistake and has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Israel is purchasing 40,000 tents to prepare for the evacuation of Rafah, an Israel official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. A woman cries on rubble of a collapsed building after Israeli forces' withdrawal from Khan Younis, Gaza Israel pulled its ground forces out of the southern Gaza Strip, six months into the devastating war sparked by the October 7 attacks A person holds a handful of spent bullet casings above a bigger pile in Khan Younis on April 7, 2024 Netanyahu's announcement came as streams of Palestinians filed into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Monday to salvage what they could from the vast destruction left in the wake of Israel's offensive, a day after the Israeli military announced it was withdrawing troops from the area. Allowing people to return to Khan Younis could relieve some pressure on Rafah, but many have no homes to return to. The city also is likely filled with dangerous unexploded ordnance left by the fighting. Israel's military quietly drew down troops in devastated northern Gaza earlier in the war. But it has continued to carry out airstrikes and raids in areas where it says Hamas regrouped, including Gaza's largest hospital, Shifa, leaving what the head of the World Health Organisation called 'an empty shell'. Israel blames Hamas for the damage, saying it fights from within civilian areas. Former Co-op Bank boss Paul Flowers appeared in court today accused of abusing his position to commit a 68,000 fraud. The 73-year-old attended Manchester Crown Court for a 30-minute hearing ahead of his trial. It is alleged he committed the fraud between June 2016 and October 2017 while acting as a power of attorney for a woman named Margaret Mary Jarvis and, following her death, when he acted as an executor of her will. Flowers has yet to enter any pleas to the charges and spoke only to confirm his name at court today. The defendant walked with the aid of a wheeled walking frame as he entered the dock. Former Co-op Bank boss Paul Flowers appeared in court today accused of abusing his position to commit a 68,000 fraud (file photo) The 73-year-old attended Manchester Crown Court for a 30-minute hearing ahead of his trial (file photo) Paul Flowers pictured arriving at Stainbeck police station on January 14, 2014 in Leeds, England (file photo) Flowers is a former Methodist minister and Labour councillor in both Rochdale and Bradford and was chairman of Co-op Bank between 2010 and 2013. Judge Nicholas Dean KC, Recorder of Manchester, bailed Flowers until July 8 for a further hearing ahead of his trial in September 2025. In 2009, the Co-operative Bank merged with Britannia Building Society and it was later revealed that the merger had led to a 1.5 billion capital shortfall requiring an emergency rescue for the bank in 2013. Its owner, the Co-op Group, was wiped out and the bank is now owned by private equity groups. A report concluded there had been broken corporate governance and executive management failings at the bank. The 2024 solar eclipse peaked in New York City, where observers saw nearly 90 percent of the moon's shadow cover the the sun. Peak coverage occurred at 3.25pm, about 80 minutes after the eclipse started at about ten past 2pm. The event begins anywhere when the edge of the moon touches the edge of the sun. The eclipse, which reached totality in upstate New York, closer to the Syracuse area, only covered 90 percent of the sun in NYC. Instead of total darkness, the city looked as though it experienced a very cloudy day. Upstate, where darkness really did descend, thousands gathered with their family and friends Niagara falls, Buffalo, and the areas surrounding the finger lakes to observe the celestial event. In The Big Apple, hoards also gathered at prime viewing locations including 'The Edge,' which is the observation deck at Hudson Yards. People gather on 'The Edge' observation deck ahead of a total solar eclipse across North America, in New York City on April 8, 2024 View of a partial solar eclipse seen from Queens, New York City, U.S., April 8, 2024 NYCs Solar Eclipse Schedule 2024 2:10 p.m.: will start obscuring 3:25 p.m.: Maximum coverage of about 90% 4:36 p.m.: Back to full NYC Parks (@NYCParks) April 8, 2024 People assemble to view a partial solar eclipse, where the moon will partially blot out the sun, at Times Square in New York City Celestial observers take pictures on 'The Edge' observation deck in NYC ahead of Monday afternoon's solar eclipse The eclipse traveled more than 4,000 miles across North America, as its path of totality began in Texas and made its way through parts of the South, to New York State, and up to Maine and Canada. It made landfall in Mazatlan, Mexico on Monday morning and moved along a path of 15 states. In NYC, skies will began darkening around 2.50pm, and were fully brightened again by 4pm. Though the Big Apple was not in the path of totality, parts of upstate New York experienced total darkness for up to four minutes and 28 seconds. Monday's eclipse lasted almost twice as long as the great eclipse in 2017. There were also more than twice as many people in the path of totality. New York Governor Kathy Hochul reported to Niagara Falls State Park ahead of the eclipse on Monday. She previously said the state was prepared to welcome an increased flow of visitors ahead of the event. More than 1million people visited the Empire State ahead of the celestial event. 'This truly is a once-in-a-generation event, and my administration has been working for 18 months to ensure a safe and enjoyable viewing experience for all. With our world class parks and charming downtowns, I encourage visitors to come for the eclipse, but stay for all that New York has to offer,' she said ahead of Monday. A woman looks toward the sky as the eclipse begins in NYC Sophia Moccia, 4, from Queens views a partial solar eclipse with a homemade mask, at New York Hall of Science New York City will be plunged into 90 percent darkness at 3.25pm This year's path of totality is 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide and home to nearly 32 million Americans, with an additional 150 million living less than 200 miles from the strip A big day for the profit model of 'The Edge' at Hudson Yards, where tickets begin at $41 People camp out at Prospect Point hours before the total solar eclipse in Niagara Falls, Children turn up to watch the eclipse in NASA suits as the space event encourages wide interest across the country Adrian Plaza, 9, of Queens, tests his eclipse glasses ahead of a partial solar eclipse, where the moon will partially blot out the sun, at New York Hall of Science in Queens borough, New York City A total solar eclipse will move across North America and be visible for up to four minutes The Empire State Building is seen as a man takes a photo from the 'Edge at Hudson Yards' observation deck New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks to the media at Niagara Falls State Park ahead of a total solar eclipse across North America The countdown to the solar eclipse has begun! Make sure you have your eclipse glasses ready pic.twitter.com/V0g5eDMFGm Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 8, 2024 Five-year-old Barrette Donohue looks at the sun with his special glasses as he prepares to watch the progress of the total solar eclipse with his family at Verona Beach, N.Y. In Niagara Falls, photographers lined up early in the morning to snag the best spot to get pictures of the eclipse. Astrophotographer Stan Honda told CNN photographers of any skill level can capture photos of the eclipse as long as they have a sturdy, steady tripod and a remote shutter release for your camera. 'With pretty much any kind of camera or any lens, you can get a good picture of the eclipse,' he said. 'I would just recommend a fairly sturdy tripod, to make your setup pretty steady, and a remote shutter release, because that allows you to take the pictures without jarring or moving the camera too much.' The next total solar eclipse will cross Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and parts of Canada and Greenland in 2044. Talks come as PM Benjamin Netanyahu says 'there is a date' for Rafah invasion The U.S. is taking a new round of hostage negotiations 'very seriously' after CIA Director Bill Burns visited Cairo and negotiators presented their latest offer to Hamas leaders. 'A proposal has been presented to Hamas and were waiting on a response from Hamas,' White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on a call Monday. The proposal followed a weekend of shuttle diplomacy, with negotiators expected some time to transmit the offer to Hamas amid Israel's war on Gaza. 'Were taking this very, very seriously and we really want to come to closure on a hostage deal as soon as possible,' said Kirby. Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, April 8, 2024. Negotiators met this past weekend in Cairo over a plan for the release of hostages in exchange for another temporary cease fire 'The administration is doing everything possible to broker a deal that secures the release of all the hostages and leads to an immediate ceasefire, and there's simply no higher priority,' he said. He declined to get into specifics of the offer, which comes amid continued pressure by the U.S. for another temporary cease fire in exchange for the return of more hostages sezied by Hamas fighters after the October 7 attack on Israel. Axios reported that the latest offer would secure the release of 40 hostages in exchange for a cease fire lasting 60 days. The president's national security advisor Jake Sullivan was set to meet with family members of hostages at the White House later Monday. A hostage deal is difficult but 'doable,' Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Monday following a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington. 'It is a difficult deal. This is a deal we might not like, but it's doable, and therefore needs to be made,' he said. The tense negotiations come after Biden provided some of his most pointed criticism to date of Israel after Israel Defense Forces killed seven aid workers for World Central Kitchen through a missile strike. Axios reported that the latest offer negotiated by CIA Director William Burns would secure the release of 40 hostages in exchange for a cease fire lasting 60 days 'Were taking this very, very seriously and we really want to come to closure on a hostage deal as soon as possible,' said White House national security spokesman John Kirby The Biden administration has been applying pressure to Irael over its planned invasion of Rafah. 'There is a date,' said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu US officials are warning of the toll on civilians if the IDF executes an invasion of Rafah. Here Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, April 8, 2024 The Biden administration is continuing to publicly and privately urge against an Israeli invasion of Rafah amid the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not backed down on his pledge to invade, saying: 'There is a date.' He wants to insert a ground force as part of the effort to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, while the Biden camp warns about grave risks to 1.4 million civilians. 'It will happen. There is a date,' Netanayahu said in a videotaped statement. The U.S. continues to push for more humanitarian relief amid widespread hunger in Gaza. Kirby said more than 300 aid trucks got in yesterday, but that the U.S. wants to see 300-350 trucks per day. The U.S. says there isn't yet a credible plan to protect civilians during an invasion. Israel says it is purchasing 40,000 tents. A twisted father and son duo who tortured and killed two men by burning letters onto their skin with a blowtorch and cut them with machetes and a Stanley knife have today been jailed for life. Ian MacLeod, 66, and Dean McLeod, 42, were both told they had to serve at least 34 years behind bars before they can apply for parole for their roles in the prolonged deaths of Derek Johnston and Desmond Rowlings. A judge told the pair at Edinburgh's High Court: 'This is, on any view, one of the worst cases of murder to come before the High Court.' The older MacLeod separately invited Johnston and Rowlings to his flat in Greendykes House in the Craigmillar area of Edinburgh between October 30 and November 1 2022, where they were brutally tortured and killed. They repeatedly hit them over the head with a Stanley knife, a machete and a hammer, which was left embedded in his head. The sick pair also burned the letters 'YLT' into Johnston's foreheads with a blowtorch, sliced off an ear and part of his nose and forced nails through his eyes. Ian MacLeod (pictured) invited both victims to his flat in Edinburgh Son Dean McLeod (pictured) helped his father with the twisted killing With Rowlings, they burned the letters 'VT', 'YT' and 'YLT' across his body, and severed parts of his nose and upper lip, and cut off his ears. In the days before the murder, Johnston, who lived in Liberton, Edinburgh, told a neighbour that he had heard rumours the two killers were out for blood. Nevertheless, he arrived at Greendykes House at 6:15pm on October 30, and did not leave. But the older MacLeod went to his home to pick up his dog, before he invited Rowlings, a retired joiner, round a day later on October 31. The following day was his 67th birthday, and his partner unsuccessfully called him to wish him a happy birthday. When he didn't answer, she and her friends went round to his empty flat to find that the TV and lights were still on, and his car was parked outside. They filed a missing person report with the police. Advocate depute Gavin Anderson told the court that police had to break into the father and son's flat, where they found the victims' bodies. Anderson said: 'The body of Mr Rowlings was found in the living room. He was lying on his back in the far right corner of the room under a window. He was covered by a blanket. 'A Stanley knife, hammer and blowtorch were found beside him. He had sustained significant injuries to his head and body, including the partial removal of his ears and nose; as well as multiple stab wounds to the face. Derek Johnston was killed in November 2022, and suffered at least 28 injuries Desmond Rowling (pictured) was due to turn 67 the day after he was killed, and siffered 136 injuries at the sick father-son duo's hands 'The body of Mr Johnston was found in the bathroom, lying within the bath. He was covered by a rug. He had sustained significant injuries to his head and body. A hammer was embedded in his head. A nail was protruding from each eyeball.' A post-mortem revealed Rowlings suffered 136 distinct injuries to his head, neck, chest, back and limbs, while Johnston suffered at least 28 injuries. Johnston was found to have died after suffering several injuries to the right side of his head. After the killings, Dean left a bloodied note for police that read: 'What we done was evil and sadistic but I have pleaded for help for decades.' He wrote that he went to see a psychiatrist, where he smashed up tables in the waiting room, telling him about 'persistent thoughts of mutilating people.' He added: 'Na f--- you'z, pitty I wasn't the same man as back in the day as the targets would've been a better selection and a lot more of them for sure, they 2 were done for petty reasons really. 'I am sorry to let anyone down for being so evil but I was just tiered (sic) of being a laughing stock and door mat from pure T pots.' Dean added that he adored his father, describing him as 'a pure warrior of a man.' The pair both left the scene of the crime and each took a dose of methadone in a failed bid to commit suicide, but drove to the The Royal Edinburgh Hospital and met off-duty doctors in the grounds of the psychiatric institution, before being taken to Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary. It was there that police tracked them down and took possession of a bag that contained a part of Johnston's ear and a piece of his flesh, as well as some of Rowlings' ear and some of his flesh as well. During an assessment with a consultant forensic psychiatrist MacLeod junior told him: 'They never believed I was ill, but they will now when they see the intentions and there was a lot more intentions.' He added: 'The voice in my head say to do this and do that.' MacLeod junior said: 'I sit and bang my head against the wall to music for hours and hours and I know quirky things like that aren't right with me.' MacLeod senior's counsel, Brian McConnachie KC, told the court that the father, who was previously jaield for six years on assault charges, said he has health issues including Parkinson's Disease. He said MacLeod understood the sentence to be imposed on him would be 'a death sentence' as he would not be coming out of custody. Meanwhile Mark Stewart KC, for the son, said he has suffered mental health issues for a number of years. Moira Orr, Procurator Fiscal for homicide and major crime at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: 'We note the guilty pleas by Ian MacLeod and Dean McLeod for the concerted murders of Derek Johnston and Desmond Rowlings. 'These were brutal and senseless killings of men who were known to the accused. 'Their actions inflicted untold distress on the victims' families, especially Derek's mother and sister and Desmond's two daughters and partner. 'The savage nature of these attacks sent shockwaves through the local community. President Biden touted his new plans to eliminate student loan debt for as many as 30 million borrowers and vowed to 'never stop delivering relief' on Monday as Republicans accuse him of trying to 'buy votes' ahead of the 2024 election. The president traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to deliver remarks on his latest effort to cancel debt through a series of new proposals. 'This relief can be life changing,' President Biden said. 'Folks, I will never stop to deliver student debt relief for hardworking Americans.' The president argued it's 'good for our economy' and means many Americans can 'finally get on with their lives.' President Biden touting his latest effort to cancel student loan debt for millions of Americans during a visit to Madison, WI The Biden administration has canceled $146 billion in student loan debt through a series of efforts including changes to Income-Driven Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness plans Timing of the new effort has prompted Republicans and Biden critics to accuse the president of using student loan debt relief to score political points heading into a tough general election. President Biden responded to the criticism on Monday. 'People say to me "it's great your'e helping people into college, how about all the hard working people who grew up and had no opportunity to go to college?" I get it, that's the neighborhood I come from,' he said. 'That's why a big part of my economic agenda is investing in all Americans, whether you attend college or not,' Biden added. The president called for expanding career and technical education in high school and touted grants for apprenticeship programs. He also renewed his call for free community college. 'I also want to make, and I've been pushing this and if I'm reelected I'm going to push it hard, we're going to get it done next time, is I want to make community college tuition free, so you won't need loans at all.' He said it would cut the cost of going to college in half. President Biden released a video on Monday touting his latest student loan debt forgiveness proposals which would cancel accrued interest for millions, wipe debt for some borrowers who have not already enrolled but qualify for other programs and cancel debt for some who have been in repayment for 20 or more years President Biden keeps singing from the same song sheet in order to win political points. His efforts to forgive student loans will just push that cost onto taxpayers. Its not forgiveness, its redistribution of debt. https://t.co/E47nKWg2lh Jim Risch (@SenatorRisch) April 8, 2024 It comes after Republicans blasted the president's new debt relief plans. 'This is an unfair ploy to buy votes before an election and does absolutely nothing to address the high cost of education that puts young people right back into debt,' said Republican Senator Bill Cassidy in a statement. Cassidy argued the move does not forgive debt but transfers it to the '87 percent of Americans who decided to not go to college or already worked to pay off their loans.' 'President Biden keeps singing from the same song sheet in order to win political points. His efforts to forgive student loans will just push that cost onto taxpayers. Its not forgiveness, its redistribution of debt,' wrote Republican Idaho Senator Jim Risch on X. President Biden arriving in Madison, WI ahead of his speech on lowering costs where he touted his new student loan forgiveness plan The latest proposals unveiled Monday are being rolled out through the more time consuming rulemaking process which the administration turned to after the Supreme Court blocked the original plan. According to the Biden administration, the new proposals would fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million borrowers. It would also cancel the full amount of student loan debt for more than four million borrowers and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in debt relief or more. The five major actions include canceling up to $20,000 in unpaid interest for borrowers who currently owe more on their student loans than they originally borrowed. It would also wipe debt for two million borrowers who would have qualified for other forgiveness programs but have not yet applied. Additionally, undergraduate borrowers who entered into repayment 20 or more years ago and graduate student borrowers who began repayment 25 or more years ago would also see debt canceled. Borrowers who have been enrolled in low-financial-value programs and those have have faced financial hardship paying back loans would also see relief. Protesters outside the Supreme Court on June 30, 2023. Biden's new student debt forgiveness proposals come after the Supreme Court blocked his original plan to cancel debt The new proposals come after the president's first massive $400 billion plan to cancel student loan debt was blocked by the Supreme Court last June. 'Tens of millions of people's debt was literally about to get cancelled, but then some of my Republican friends, elected officials and special interests sued us, and the Supreme Court blocked us,' Biden said Monday, bragging 'that didn't stop us.' Biden claimed his administration has taken the most significant action to provide student debt relief ever and bragged that the Supreme Court was not able to stop them Despite legal setback, the Biden administration has already managed to cancel $146 billion in student loan debt for four million Americans since the president took office. 'All together my administration has taken the most significant action to provide student debt relief ever in the history of this country,' Biden said. Last June, the Supreme Court blocked the president's original $400 billion plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of borrowers making less than $125,000 a year. But the Biden administration said they were not done with their fight to bring relief to millions of borrowers. Biden Administration Student Loan Debt Forgiveness August 2022: Biden announces original plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt June 2023: Supreme Court blocks Biden's first student loan forgiveness plan August 2023: Biden announces income driven repayment SAVE plan February 2024: Biden administration begins canceling debt under the SAVE plan March 2024: 11 states sue to block the SAVE plan April 2024: Biden administration unveils new proposals to cancel student loan debt under the Higher Education Act Advertisement Senior administration officials said they studied the Supreme Court's 2023 decision carefully and pursued the new regulations in a way that is consistent with that decision. The new plans are a part of the regulatory process that started last summer and are being carried out under the Education Secretary's authority in the Higher Education Act. 'This isn't the same plan, and we feel confident going forward,' a senior administration official said. Monday's announcement for additional student loan debt cancelation builds on other efforts the Biden administration has already taken since the first plan was blocked. To date, the Biden administration has already canceled $146 billion in student loan debt through changes to multiple programs including the Income Driven Repayment plan and fixing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Just months after the highest court blocked Biden's first student debt plan, the administration also launched the Saving on a Valuable Education or SAVE plan. The SAVE plan is an income drive repayment plan that cuts down on the amount to time and money some borrowers have to pay before their student loan debt is forgiven. In February, the administration began canceling billions in debt under the SAVE plan including $1.2 billion for 153,000 borrowers. The Education Department said it would continue to identify borrowers who qualify for their debt to be forgiven on a continuing basis. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announcing a lawsuit filed with the attorneys general of ten other states against President Biden and the Education Department to block the SAVE plan on March 28 As the Biden administration launches its latest student loan forgiveness effort, the SAVE program is already facing a legal challenge. On March 28, 11 states led by Kansas filed a federal lawsuit in an effort to block the forgiveness program. The lawsuit argued that the effort is no different than the first attempt by the president to wipe out student loan debt which was rejected by the Supreme Court. Kansas Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach vowed to take the case all the way back to the Supreme Court if necessary. Along with Kansas, the suit is backed by Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. By Baek Byung-yeul Hyundai Motor and Kia will use battery cells produced by a local Indian company for their future EVs sold in the West Asian country, a move to increase their presence in the blossoming Indian EV market, the carmakers said Monday. The carmaking firms of Hyundai Motor Group said they signed a strategic cooperation agreement for local production of battery cells for India-specific EVs with Indias battery maker Exide Energy, at their R&D center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Exide Energy is a subsidiary of Exide, a leading battery company in the Indian lead-acid battery market, which has been active there for over 75 years. Exide Energy aims to start the pilot production of EV battery cells as early as the end of the year. Initially, Exide Energy will develop and produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells, which will be supplied to Hyundai Motor and Kia's production bases in India. The battery cells from Exide Energy will be equipped in their future India-specific EVs, marking the first EVs to use locally produced batteries. The agreement covers the carmakers India-only EVs, diversifying battery sources and strengthening the responsiveness of Indias EV market, which is set to grow even larger in the near future, the Korean carmakers said. "Hyundai Motor and Kia will pursue joint cooperation for the development and production of battery cells that will be used in Hyundai Motor and Kias EVs, expand the partnership for electric models including EVs and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and secure price competitiveness," the carmakers said. Hyundai Motor and Kia will cooperate with Exide Energy in all stages from development of batteries to mass production to ensure quality. Furthermore, the companies also plan to respond jointly to the Indian government's EV policies. India, one of the top three car markets in the world, is considered one of the countries actively pursuing an electrification strategy, including offering incentives to companies starting EV production on its soil. The Indian government also announced plans to expand the share of EV sales to 30 percent of total vehicle sales by 2030. Hyundai Motor and Kia expect that EVs equipped with domestically produced batteries will become a favorable purchasing factor for Indian consumers. Also, they expect the partnership will decrease the risks of geopolitical uncertainties spreading across the global economy. India is an important market where electrification is expected to expand in the future, and securing cost competitiveness through battery localization from the beginning is important, said Yang Heui-won, president of Hyundai Motor and Kias R&D division. It is very meaningful that the upcoming India-specific EVs to be mass-produced in India will be the first EVs using batteries produced locally by an Indian company." Hyundai Motor previously announced plans to invest about 200 billion rupees ($2.4 billion) from 2023 over 10 years for the establishment of EV production facilities and infrastructure in India. In particular, by 2028, it aims to introduce six EV models and install a large number of EV charging stations. New York's taxpayers will foot the bill for one of America's most expensive celebrity lawyers to help city mayor Eric Adams fight sexual assault allegations. Alex Spiro, who made his name defending clients including X boss Elon Musk, Jay-Z and Alec Baldwin, will defend the mayor against claims he forced oral sex on a female colleague when they were serving together in the NYPD in 1993. Adams has denied the claims by Lorna Beach-Mathura, 67, insisting he has never met her, but has been accused of misusing taxpayers' money to pay a lawyer who typically charges $2,000 an hour. 'It's time for politicians to be held to the same standard as normal working men and women who, when accused of misconduct, have to pay their own lawyers,' sexual harassment lawyer Douglas Wigdor told Gothamist. Colleagues of Alex Spiro described the Miami-based celebrity lawyer as a 'force of nature' New York Mayor Eric Adams insists he has never met his accuser but has been accused of misusing taxpayers' money to pay a lawyer who typically charges $2,000 an hour Adams (pictured in 1993) was 33 at the time of the alleged sexual assault, and was the head of the NYPD Transit Bureau's Guardians Association, an inter-police organization for black employees Beach-Mathura, 67, alleged in a court filing last month that Adams, 63, offered to help her get a promotion in his capacity as head of the Guardians Association, an inter-police organization to help black employees. According to the lawsuit, Adams drove Beach-Mathura to a vacant lot to speak about the promotion, before telling her that he also 'needed a favor' from her. He then allegedly tried to force her into oral sex, but when she refused, he masturbated on her from inside the car, the lawsuit claimed. Spiro claims he has never lost a case before a jury and that his 'instincts are often to rally behind people that are under attack'. A fellow lawyer described Spiro as 'a force of nature' when he was hired to defend Baldwin against manslaughter allegations stemming from the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in 2021. Lorna Beach-Mathura, 67, alleges alleges sexual assault, infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment and retaliation 'The prosecutors in New Mexico have no idea what they're in for,' he added. The Miami-based attorney began his career at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office as an assistant DA after graduating from Harvard. He has helped Musk secure control of Twitter and defended New England Patriots boss Robert Kraft against allegations of soliciting prostitution at a massage parlor in Florida. Beach-Mathura's court filing alleges sexual assault, infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment and retaliation, which she says came after reporting the incident. She also alleges gender discrimination, and alleges that her career in the police department was severely hampered by being a black woman. After beginning her law enforcement career in 1981 in the NYPD Transit Bureau, she claims she was repeatedly passed over for promotions and was discriminated against. After becoming frustrated after an NYPD official allegedly told her that she would have to transfer to ever be promoted, she went to Adams, then-33, in his capacity as Guardians head, for help. In scathing wording in the lawsuit, it is claimed that Adams 'preyed on her perceived vulnerability, demanding a quid pro quo sexual favor and sexually assaulting Plaintiff, revealing himself not to be the 'Guardian' he purported to be, but a predator.' She claims that Adams picked her up after work, while he was still purportedly on duty, and drove her to an empty parking lot. Adams pictured when he was a lieutenant decades ago. The lawsuit scathingly says that he revealed 'himself not to be the 'Guardian' he purported to be, but a predator' Although she thought it was unnerving, his status as a high-ranking Guardians leader and police officer reassured her - until he 'requested oral sex from her', the lawsuit claimed. 'While repeatedly cajoling, demanding, and begging Plaintiff for oral sex, Defendant Adams unzipped his pants and pulled out his erect penis,' the filing continued. The suit was filed in November under New York's Adult Survivors Act which suspended the statute of limitations for claims of historic sexual assault. Spiro said he would be appearing as a co-counsel for the Mayor when the case is heard at the New York's Supreme Court, and the city's law department confirmed it had retained his firm. 'We retained the firm of Quinn Emanuel to serve as co-counsel to assist us in representing the city and the mayor in this case to ensure the Law Department can maximize its existing resources on our numerous other matters,' a spokesperson added. An on-duty officer raped a 20-year-old student in her home after she asked the police for help when her ex-boyfriend threatened to put naked photographs of her on the internet, a court heard today. Greater Manchester police constable, James Andrew Darnton - known as Andy, arrived at the alleged victim's home in Davyhulme with a colleague to check-in on the woman, before leaving his card and personal phone number. Later that day she rang Darnton, who had smirked when he saw the scantily-clad photographs, to follow up on her case leading to the officer to return to her home unaccompanied, Liverpool Crown Court heard. Jurors were told that when the officer, now 53, came back into her house, he told the victim that 'no one will listen' to the threats made by her ex-boyfriend as she was from a 'broken home' and a 'brown person'. A recorded interview played to the courtroom, Darnton, who denies the charge, can be heard offering the woman, now 35, a glass of water after she became upset over the situation before following her into the kitchen and utility room. An on-duty officer raped a 20-year-old student in her home after she asked the police for help when her ex-boyfriend threatened to put naked photographs of her on the internet, Liverpool Crown Court heard today (pictured) 'I could feel his presence behind me and I was thinking this is not going to end with me getting a glass of water. He followed me into the utility room. I turned round and he was right there and he kissed me, really kissed me, quite intensely kissed me. 'He grabbed my breasts and squeezed and then turned me around and lent me over the worktop where the washing machine was underneath,' she claimed. The woman, who was planning a legal career, said she thought 'he must be doing it because he cares about me, it must be because he likes me'. 'I heard him unbuckle his belt and unzip and he pulled my leggings down just below my bum on top of my thighs and he penetrated me,' she said. 'He was going really hard and fast. It felt like it was really quick. I remember him making sexual noises. 'I don't remember him saying anything to me, he was holding me down. I just went really quiet. I wasn't making any sexual noises, I was just waiting for it to finish.' The pair then re-adjusted their clothing before the officer, then 37, started to speak about her complaint against her former partner. He allegedly said: 'It's just your word against his. You are from a broken home, you are a brown person, no-one will listen.' Darnton then allegedly said he would speak to her soon and left and never returned. 'I didn't ring him. I thought maybe I had enticed him to have sex.' Darnton, now 53, faces one charge of rape between June 4 and July 1, 2009 which he denies. Greater Manchester police constable, James Andrew Darnton - known as Andy, now 53, denies the charge. File photo of police officer Opening the prosecution case Owen Edwards, KC, told the jury of six men and six women that the alleged offence came to light when police visited the woman at her home in West Yorkshire in October 2021. This was part of an investigation into an allegation of rape by a man she had met on a dating website, however, a prosecution did not take place because the alleged victim did not want to continue. The woman said she did not want deal with a male police officer, leading to a female police officer to probe her into the matter. It was then that the victim claimed that 15 years earlier Darnton had raped her. She said he visited her family home twice and the second time 'he bent her over the kitchen surface and had vaginal sexual intercourse. Mr Edwards told the jury, 'The issue in a nutshell is whether you can be sure that sexual intercourse as described took place.' He said that in her first interview she told how he roughly raped her 'and then returned to discussing the situation with her ex as if nothing had happened. 'The sex was mechanical, there was no foreplay, no loving words, no sexual noises from her, no lubrication, nothing. He was a man in a position of power dealing with an attractive and vulnerable 20-year-old who was seeking his help. He literally took advantage of her and ignored the fact that she was not consenting,' he alleged. Mr Edwards said that in a later third police video interview the woman told how she since remembered that she had rung Darnton as she had discovered four bullets left in her bedroom by her ex and the officer had given her his personal phone number. 'He visited her house shortly after the call. She handed him the bullets which he placed in his pocket repeating that he would sort itThere is no record of the defendant taking possession of these bullets. 'We suggest that the reporting of the bullets provided the defendant with an opportunity to sexually exploit her knowing full well how vulnerable she was. She was reluctant to make a complaint against her ex-partner through fear and yet she was anxious to receive police help. 'Instead of investigating the matter properly he took the chance to take his own sexual pleasure, rightly assuming that she would not make a formal complaint about him,' claimed Mr Edwards. 'The defendant continues to say that her account is a complete invention. It is suggested that this is an allegation made by an unreliable and inconsistent witness years after the event,' he added. Mr Edwards said that when quizzed the defendant said that at the time of the alleged offence he was living with a woman whom he subsequently married. 'He doubted that he would have provided that phone number to this complainant. He could think of no reason at all as to why she should choose to lie about him in this way,' said Mr Edwards. The case continues. A Long Island pediatrician was on her way to watch the solar eclipse with her family when she fell out of the passenger door of the familys new Airstream in front of her horrified daughter, it has been revealed. Monika Woroniecka, 58, had just stopped for ice cream at a gas station with her family enroute to their AirBnb in Cape Vincent before she fell to her death. According to New York State Trooper Sgt. Jack Keller, Woroniecka and her daughter Helena decided to ride the last 20 minutes of their trip in the $130,000 Airstream camper. While Woroniecka was trying to secure the passenger side of the camper, she was thrown from the Airstream and died in front of her horrified family. Neighbor Maria Antipas was left distraught outside the Woroniecka Stony Brook, New York, home on Monday over the news of Woroniecka's passing. I cant believe something like this would happen. They are just a lovely family, good neighbors. She's a nice person,' Antipas said. Monika Woroniecka (right) was on her way to view the eclipse when she was tossed from an Airstream while on a New York Road. Her husband, Richard, was driving a pickup that was pulling the Airstream, when Woroniecka fell out in front of her family Dr. Woroniecka was a children's allergy and immunology specialist at Stony Brook Medicine, which she practiced for more than 20 years While Woroniecka was trying to secure the passenger side of the camper, she got thrown from the $130,000 Airstream The family was on their way to view the eclipse and had just stopped for ice cream before the tragedy Her husband Robert Woroniecka, 59, was driving the couples 2019 gray Ram pick-up truck west around 3 pm Saturday on Route 12 E in Brownville when the tragedy happened. Witnesses behind the Airstream claimed they saw the passenger side door of the Airstream open, and Woroniecka's arm hanging on the door after the wind caused the door to swing ajar. The incident happened in front of her daughter and her boyfriend, police said. When emergency personnel arrived, she was transported to Samaritan Medical Center where she died. Police continue to investigate the horrifying incident. 'I haven't dealt a lot with these type of incidents. We are still trying to determine how and why the door opened,' Keller said. On Monday, no one answered the door at the Woroniecka residence. Antipas, who lives next door to the family, was devastated having no idea it was neighbor and just learned about it when a media outlet told her of the tragedy. Antipas said they would look after each others houses when they travel and said she had a key to their home. They just left the other day,' she recalled. 'They got an Airstream a couple of months ago and theyve been taking little trips. I watch their house for them when they are gone, and they do the same for me. She said the day they were leaving, her husband was walking the dog and saw Woroniecka and her husband Robert getting their truck and Airstream ready. They told them that they were going upstate to watch the solar eclipse and meet their daughter. Richard, a kidney doctor at Stonybrook, and his wife had moved into the home on Dogwood Drive in Stonybrook six or seven years ago. She said that the couple were outdoorsy and have three grown daughters who are all very bright. One lives in Virginia with her family, another is a musician who lives in New York, and the third daughter is studying medicine in Arizona and is set to get married this summer. She told DailyMail.com she remembered the day Richard drove the airstream home. It was shiny, she recalled. 'They were so excited to get it.' Maria said that the last time she saw Woroniecka was the day before she left. She was walking her dogs and they waved to each other. Utterly devastated, she repeated: I cant believe something like that happened. Its so tragic.' Witnesses behind the Airstream claimed they saw the passenger side door of the Airstream open, and Woroniecka's arm hanging on the door after the wind caused the door to swing ajar New York State Police continue to investigate the incident that claimed Woroniecka's life Dr. Woroniecka has three daughters including Alexandra (left) and Helena (right), who was with her on the trip It is illegal to tow passengers in an Airstream in New York State, in addition to being something the company warns against. An Airstream spokesperson told DailyMail.com the company was saddened to learn of Dr. Woroniecka's death. 'Our deepest sympathies go out to her family, friends and community.' They advised their safety guidelines state Airstream travel trailers are not designed to carry passengers while in motion. 'The safety protocol detailed in Airstreams operating manuals and shared on Airstreams website advises owners that they cannot tow an Airstream with people inside,' the representative said. 'Many states prohibit carrying passengers in a travel trailer or fifth wheel, and we advise owners to consult their states Department of Motor Vehicles for up-to-date regulations.' The scene on State Route 12E near Watertown, New York, on Saturday afternoon The family appear to have been riding in a New 2024 Airstream Bambi 16RB The thoughtfully-designed relatively small camper is sixteen feet in length and sleeps four The cost of the brand new model begins at $60,400 In New York State, it is illegal to ride in a non-fifth wheel trailer while it's in motion. The manufacturers of Airstream also warn against riding in the campervan while it is in motion Dr. Woroniecka was a children's allergy and immunology specialist at Stony Brook Medicine, which she practiced for more than 20 years. She treated children with food, environmental, medications, and bee stings allergies, childhood asthma and skin conditions like eczema and hives. 'Dr. Woroniecka likes to travel, hike, exercise, and spend time with family and friends,' her work profile read. She grew up in Poland and drew in Polish-speaking patients from around the region, it added. Biden's ad features Amanda Zurawski, a Texas woman who sued the state after she said she almost died from a miscarriage President Joe Biden's re-election campaign released a brutal ad on abortion after Donald Trump said the issue should be left to the states, blasting his Republican rival for his position. 'Donald Trump did this,' declares the ad, which features Amanda Zurawski, a Texas woman who sued the state after she said she almost died from a miscarriage. The state essentially banned all abortions after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. In the 60-second video, Zurawski and her husband Josh discussed how they had started buying things for the baby while Amanda was pregnant, including a baby book and the outfit the infant was going to wear home from the hospital. Biden's new ad features Amanda Zurawski, a Texas woman who sued the state after she said she almost died from a miscarriage, and her husband Josh As the couple talks about Amanda's pregnancy, the text on the screen reads: 'Because Donald Trump killed Roe v. Wade, Amanda was denied standard medical care to prevent infection, an abortion.' Eighteen weeks into her pregnancy, Zurawski's water broke, which put her at high risk for a life-threatening infection. Her baby, named Willow, was sure to die. Willow still had a heartbeat and so doctors said that under Texas law they were unable to terminate the pregnancy. Zurawski, who has testified before Congress about her experience, has said she only received an emergency abortion after her condition worsened and she went into septic shock The ad notes: 'She almost died twice. The infection caused so much damage, Amanda may never get pregnant again.' It concludes Amanda crying in the background as her husband consules her and the text: 'Trump did this.' Zurawski is one of five women are suing the state of Texas for its abortion law. She attend Biden's State of the Union address last year as a guest of first lady Jill Biden. Amanda Zurawski was denied an abortion in Texas and developed sepsis President Joe Biden is using the abortion issue to rally the Democratic base Biden's re-election team released the ad after Trump released a video where he said abortion policy should be let up to the states. 'We have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land,' Trump said in the video. He also accused Democrats of believing in 'executing the baby after birth'. Previously, Trump has suggested he would support a 15-week federal-level ban on abortion. On Monday, he noted he was 'strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.' The former president finally revealed his stance on the abortion issue after teasing it for months. His advisers have worried the issue will cost him votes. Democrats are using the abortion issue as a rallying cry for the base - particularly women. It proved an effective issue for them in the 2022 midterms where Democratic congressional candidates did better than expected. They are pushing it as the top political issue this year. Monday's ad is part of a $30 million ad campaign that will air in battleground states on local broadcast and cable television, as well as on national cable, the Biden campaign said. The re-election team blasted Trump after the former president outlined his position. Biden, in a blistering statement, said Trump was 'responsible for creating the cruelty and the chaos that has enveloped America since the Dobbs decision,' referring to the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. He accused Trump of making a 'political deal' to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade in exchange for support from anti-abortion voters. 'Trump admits as much in his statement today,' Biden said. 'Having created the chaos of overturning Roe, he's trying to say, 'Oh, never mind. Don't punish me for that. I just want to win.' Donald Trump on Monday issued his position on abortion, saying it was up to the states Even some Republicans were critical of the former president, particularly the conservatives. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close Trump ally, said there should be a national law on abortion. 'I respectfully disagree with President Trump's statement that abortion is a states' rights issue,' he said. He added: 'I will continue to advocate that there should be a national minimum standard limiting abortion at fifteen weeks because the child is capable of feeling pain, with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.' Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America's president Marjorie Dannenfelser said she was 'deeply disappointed' in Trump's refusal to endorse a federal ban on abortion. A 95-year-old teacher left her life savings of $1 million to the beloved Virginia public school district she taught at for more than six decades. Lillian Orlich, or Mrs. O as she was more commonly known, worked as a teacher and counselor at Prince William County's Schools until she retired at age 89. Orlich passed away on March 7 at the Commonwealth Senior Living in Manassas, Virginia, and left a whopping $1 million to her school district in Virginia. 'You know what's a highlight for me? When a student comes in here and says, "Ms. Orlich, you taught my granddad,"' Orlich told local NBC affiliate WRC-TV in 2013. According to her obituary, Orlich grew up in New York and moved to Manassas in 1950 to start her teaching career. Born in 1928, she's been teaching in the same school district since she was 22 years old. A 95-year-old teacher left her life savings of $1 million to the public schools she taught at for 67 year Lillian Orlich, or Mrs. O as she was more commonly known, worked as a teacher and counselor at Prince William County's Schools until she retired at age 89 Orlich passed away on March 7, and left a whopping $1 million to her school district in Virginia Orlich has been teaching in the same school district since she was 22 years old The teacher was dedicated, showing up to Osbourn Park so early that she was given her own pair of keys to unlock the school. 'This was a lady who showed up early for work to make sure she got all of the paperwork done so she could spend her time when the students were there with the students,' school board member Lisa Zargarpur to WRC-TV. Zargarpur was a student at Osbourn Park during Orlich's early teaching days. 'She knew everybody, first of all. So she would always talk to you about, 'What are your plans? Did you get your applications in on time? Did you get your scholarship applications in on time?' Zargarpur recalls. 'She just wanted the best for you, so she wanted to make sure you were on top of what you needed to do. And she was always there.' The beloved teacher's impact is still felt around the school. In her obituary, she wrote: 'I direct that a memorial service be held in the auditorium of Osbourn Park High School with the school principals, with whom I worked during my career in Manassas, officiating. I would like everyone else who has touched my life during my career, from Assistant principals, counselors, teachers, and students, to be invited to attend.' Word of her generous donation of $1 million to SPARK, the school district education fund, was announced at her memorial service. It's unclear how the long-time public school educator was able to save so much money to pass on. 'It means a lot! And it doesn't surprise me. This is Lillian Orlich, giving and giving and giving,' Zargarpur said. Orlich said the highlight of being a teacher at the same schools for so long was that she taught generations of families She requested her memorial service be held at the Osbourn Park High School gymnasium Word of her generous donation of $1 million to SPARK, the school district education fund, was announced at her memorial service 'She just wanted the best for you, so she wanted to make sure you were on top of what you needed to do. And she was always there,' one of her former students told WRC-TV. Orlich did not have children of her own, but throughout her life she gave continuously to the school community She requested the following message be put into her obituary: 'I am survived by the many lives helped and touched by my teaching, loving and caring' Orlich did not have children of her own, but throughout her life she gave continuously to the school community. She requested the following message be put into her obituary: 'I am survived by the many lives helped and touched by my teaching, loving and caring.' When Orlich retired, she established a $2,500 scholarship that would be granted to a graduating senior at Osbourn park each year. An SNP minister was yesterday forced to condemn an anti-Semitic post shared on his father's Facebook page. Community Wealth & Public Finance minister Tom Arthur broke cover to criticise fellow SNP member Tom Arthur Snr over the post at the centre of a Swastika hate crime row. In a humiliating public statement, Mr Arthur admitted the offensive image posted by his father falls 'far short' of his own stance against discrimination. The SNP also slammed the vile meme as it confirmed Arthur Snr had quit the party in disgrace. It comes after the Mail yesterday revealed the 72-year-old had shared an image of the Israeli flag that merged the Nazi symbol with the Star of David. SNP Minister Tom Arthur, who supported his party's controversial hate crime law, poses with his father at Holyrood before Mail exposed vile Facebook posts The 72-year-old shared an image of the Israeli flag that merged the Nazi symbol with the Star of David The woman who complained about the post said Police Scotland refused to investigate it under the new hate crime law as she is not Jewish. But the force last night did a partial U-turn and opened a fresh investigation into the post under the Communications Act. In an explosive statement on the scandal yesterday, Mr Arthur said: 'As an SNP MSP, I stand against discrimination of any kind. 'The online post shared by a family member falls far short of that position and I condemn the views expressed. 'Six months on from Hamas's barbaric terrorist attack which claimed the lives of more than 1,000 innocent civilians, I will continue to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and for a permanent two-state solution to pave the way towards peace in the region.' SNP chiefs revealed Arthur Snr was a party member when the offending image was posted last week, only hours after the new Hate Crime Act came into force. A spokesman said: 'The SNP stands firmly against anti-Semitism. 'The social media post is unacceptable and would have been subject to disciplinary investigation had the individual not resigned their party membership with immediate effect.' Last night, Arthur Snr's Facebook account had been wiped, but it emerged he had regularly posted abhorrent material, including the claim that the October 7 attacks were a hoax. Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: 'It's now apparent this was just one of many such anti-Semitic attacks, including disgusting conspiracy theories about Hamas atrocities on October 7th. 'The minister cannot be held responsible for his relative's conduct, but given these vile views were posted publicly alongside mainstream SNP material, it's reasonable to ask why neither he nor anyone else in the SNP thought to challenge this until now.' He added: 'Humza Yousaf was repeatedly warned his hate crime law would put Police Scotland under significant pressure, and that is exactly what's happening. 'This might go some way to explaining, although not justifying, why this report was initially wrongly rejected. If the First Minister refuses to repeal his disastrous legislation, he has a duty to ensure our police service has the funding and training to properly and consistently apply it.' A social media post shared by Tom C Arthur online comparing Netanyahu and Hitler As an SNP minister, Mr Arthur has publicly backed the new hate crime law and spoken out about the dangers of anti-Semitism The row blew up when Arthur Snr shared the offensive image on Facebook on April 1 beneath the slogan 'Nazism = Zionism'. A former police officer who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals saw the post and reported it to Police Scotland. After being interviewed last Saturday, she insists she was quizzed about her own racial identity and, when she stated she wasn't Jewish, was told her complaint could go no further. She recalled: 'They were very much for not taking the complaint at all. One said: 'We're snowed under with all these complaints. How are we supposed to get through all these?'.' The Scottish Daily Mail can reveal the Facebook page of the former NHS worker from Barrhead, Renfrewshire, had SNP material and updates on his son's constituency work sitting alongside a torrent of grotesque anti-Israeli propaganda. Shortly before the new hate crime law came in, he shared a post suggesting the Hamas attacks of October 7 were a hoax. It said: 'Israel, the more you lie about the supposed flashpoint that started your genocide, 7 October, the more that date will grow in infamy where you played the victim to atrocities that didn't occur. 'You cry anti-Semitism and that word has become meaningless.' As recently as Sunday, a cartoon of a bloody Nazi armband being passed from Adolf Hitler to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was posted. Several others feature the merging of a Swastika with the Star of David. Drawing comparisons between contemporary Israeli policy and those of the Nazis constitutes anti-Semitism under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of the word. The Scottish Government adopted the definition in 2017. As an SNP minister, Mr Arthur has publicly backed the new hate crime law and spoken out about the dangers of anti-Semitism. He has also frequently spoken of his father in parliament and his parents were his guests when he was sworn in at Holyrood as MSP for Renfrewshire South in 2016. Last night, Police Scotland said it was probing the post under the Communications Act, which targets 'grossly offensive' material. Under the hate crime laws, the test of criminality is whether a 'reasonable person would consider the material to be likely to result in hatred being stirred up against a group', which can include a nationality or religion. The force refused to say why it had made the decision not to use the new legislation, or comment on the woman's claims about being quizzed on her ethnicity. Police Scotland said: 'We received a complaint which is being investigated as a communications offence.' It is believed a second complaint about the post was made yesterday. Sammy Stein, chair of the Glasgow Friends of Israel, said: 'I am delighted this person has been outed and shamed into resigning from the SNP. It's refreshing to hear an SNP minister go on the record with his condemnation. 'The last six months has left many afraid of being identified as Jewish in public. This has to stop.' QUESTION Was there a plan to tear down the Taj Mahal and sell off the marble? There is a persistent story that Lord William Bentinck (1774-1839), Governor-General of Bengal between 1828 and 1833 and first Governor-General of India from 1833 to 1835, had proposed to dismantle the Taj Mahal and sell it off for profit. Bentinck was progressive for his time. He made significant social and educational reforms in India and removed flogging as a punishment in the Indian Army. He is principally remembered for banning the practice of suttee, the immolation of a Hindu widow on the funeral pyre of her deceased husband, in 1829. On becoming governor, his main charge was to reduce expenses. He made himself extremely unpopular with the instigation of The Half Batta Order, in 1828. Batta was an allowance paid to soldiers of the East India Company, in addition to their ordinary salary, to provide them with money for field equipment and other expenses when on service away from the garrison. There is a persistent story that Lord William Bentinck (1774-1839), Governor-General of Bengal between 1828 and 1833 had proposed to dismantle the Taj Mahal and sell it off for profit The Half Batta Order significantly cut this. Bentinck described this duty as 'odious' and expressed his fears that he had 'incurred universal dislike'. When he arrived in Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, he hit upon a scheme to raise funds by selling the bath-house of Shah Jahan and several other marble structures at the Agra Fort. These structures were already in poor condition at the time and the project failed to make any serious money. Nevertheless, a rumour was spread that Bentinck had set his eyes on the Taj Mahal. Sir William Sleeman, who was instrumental in destroying the Thuggee cult in north and central India, wrote: 'Had these things fetched the price expected, it is probable that the whole of the palace, and even the Taj itself, would have been pulled down and sold in the same manner.' The rumour was perpetuated in E. B. Havell's book Indian Sculpture And Painting (1908), which claimed Bentinck was only diverted because the 'test auction materials from the Agra palace proved unsatisfactory'. Historian Percival Spear firmly demolished the myth in 1949, showing clear evidence that the rumours were started by soldiers enraged by The Half Batta Order. Tomorrow's questions Q: Why was The Beatles song Helter Skelter linked with the Charles Manson murders? Joseph Gray, Walsall, West Midlands. Q: Why was the Army's flintlock musket called Brown Bess? John Norris, Penrith, Cumbria. Q: Did Joe Kittinger break the sound barrier when he performed his 19-mile freefall? Clive Gladstone, Cullercoats, Fife. Advertisement Frustratingly, the story is still routinely stated as fact. Richard Powell, Edinburgh. QUESTION Which U.S. states have produced the most and the fewest presidents? In all, 21 states can boast of being the birthplace of a president. This leaves 29 without, including the third most populous state, Florida. There is a bias favouring the East to the West Coast, as that was the direction of U.S. expansion and admission to the union. Virginia has been the birthplace of most presidents, boasting eight, including four of the nation's first five: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe. The second president, John Adams, was born in Massachusetts. The other four were William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson. This is not surprising as Virginia was the first, largest and most prosperous of the British colonies in America. Ohio was the birthplace of seven U.S. presidents: Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding. In the early 19th century, Ohio was a populous and central state known for its consensus-building style of politics which favoured savvy political operators. New York comes next with five. Vermont is the second smallest state by population but still boasts two presidents, being the birthplace of both Chester A. Arthur and Calvin Coolidge. California, the most populous, has produced just one president, Richard Nixon. Interestingly, Texas's two presidents were neither George H. W. Bush (Massachusetts) nor George W. Bush (Connecticut). They were Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson. Virginia has been the birthplace of most presidents, including Thomas Jefferson. A statue of him is seen in front of The Rotunda on the campus of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville Texas's two presidents were neither George H. W. Bush (Massachusetts) nor George W. Bush (Connecticut) Liz Bowen, Chertsey, Surrey. QUESTION I read a horror story called How Grim Was My Valley (a play on How Green Was My Valley). What other titles of novels have been twisted to similar effect? Further to the earlier answer, the king of the genre must be the excellent Robert Rankin. His novels include East Of Ealing, The Da-da-de-da-da Code and The Lord Of The Ring Roads. He also twists film, musical and play titles for his books: Raiders Of The Lost Car Park, Fandom Of The Operator, The Witches Of Chiswick, Waiting For Godalming and The Abominable Showman. Jonathan Peat, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Elon Musk admitted that he has harmed his social media platform X's bottom line with his unhinged posts but still defended his tweets when he labeled a student a 'neo-Nazi.' Jewish student, Ben Brody, 22, sued the Tesla founder on October 2, 2023 in Travis County, Texas, after he told his millions of followers that the Californian student was part of an extremist group causing trouble at an LGBTQ event in Oregon. On March 27, Musk sat down for a video recorded deposition along with attorneys from both parties. X owner Musk was asked about the post that he made about Brody and said that he had 'limited understanding' of the suit and thought that it was Brody's attorney suing him, not the student. In regard to his platform, Musk said: 'Theres some risk that what I say is incorrect, but one has to balance that against having a chilling effect on free speech in general, which would undermine the entire foundation of our democracy.' He added that he 'may have done more to financially impair' the social media platform and that he is 'guilty of many self-inflicted wounds.' Elon Musk admitted that he has caused harm on X during a deposition for a lawsuit that filed against him in October 2023 by Ben Brody. Musk defended the tweet he made about him in July 2023 Jewish student, Ben Brody, 22, sued the Tesla founder after he told his millions of followers that the Californian student was part of an extremist group causing trouble at an LGBTQ event in Oregon Musk tweeted: 'Looks like one is a college student (who wants to join the govt) and another is maybe an Antifa member, but nonetheless a probable false flag situation' Throughout the deposition, Alex Spiro, Musk's lawyer, and Brody's attorney Mark Bankston repeatedly talked over each other. When asked if Musk knew anything about Brody, Spiro jumped in and said that wasn't 'a question you're allowed to ask in court.' Brody - who is Jewish - is seeking more than $1 million in damages against Musk and lawyered up with Bankston - who also successfully represented Sandy Hook victims' families when they sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The fight, between the Proud Boys and neo-Nazi group Rose City Nationalists, was published on social media and caused many to think Brody was one of the members involved because he resembled one of the men in the clip. Both groups of extremists got into the skirmish at the Oregon Pride event in July and in the middle of the fight, one of the members was physically unmasked - and in a panic, quickly covered his face. In an attempt to identify the member, accounts falsely said it was Brody. At the time, Musk tweeted: 'Looks like one is a college student (who wants to join the govt) and another is maybe an Antifa member, but nonetheless a probable false flag situation.' According to the lawsuit, Musk discovered that Brody was allegedly one of the people involved in the fight through another account on X named Dr Fresnor. The suit said the account, which has amassed more than 300,000 followers, 'features extreme right wing memes, neo-Nazi apologia/nostalgia, juvenile and cringe-worthy attempts at bigoted humor, low effort bait tweets, delusional panics over lazy hoaxes, and a cavalcade of absurdly false information.' During the deposition, Musk was asked about the post that he made about Brody and said that he had 'limited understanding' of the suit and thought that it was Brody's attorney suing him, not the student Brody provided CCTV evidence to show he was actually at a shop in California when the fight broke out in Oregon At the time, the account went on to post Brody's personal information online and captioned a photo of him: 'After graduation he plans to work for the government,' suggesting that he was present at the fight. Musk then re-posted that tweet and captioned his post: 'Very odd.' When asked by Bankston if Musk thought he failed Brody, he said he doesn't 'think he has been meaningfully harmed' by his post. 'People are attacked all the time in the media, online media, social media, but it is rare that that actually has a meaningful negative impact on their life,' the CEO added. Following the accusations that Brody was involved in the fight, he told CNN: 'I started getting these text messages from my friends. 'You're accused of being a neo-Nazi fed, look at all this stuff that's being said about you.' And I was like, okay, this is just some prank.' He attempted to clear his name twice, by going onto Instagram and making a video explaining that he was miles away in California when the conflict occurred in Oregon. Even when he provided CCTV footage of him at a restaurant at the exact time the fight happened to prove his alibi, he was still branded a neo-Nazi. Things got even worse when Musk jumped onto the bandwagon. Brody recalled: 'I knew that this was snowballing, but once Elon Musk commented, I was like boom, that's the final nail in the coffin. 'It massively intensifies it. This guy DM'd me on Instagram, he's like, "Now even Elon Musk thinks that you're a fed," and what was really scary too is that these people were threatening to tell my school, and I was scared that I wasn't going to graduate.' Things got even worse when Elon Musk jumped onto the bandwagon. The student and his mother even had to leave their home after their address was leaked online Brody's attorney Mark Bankston, who also successfully represented Sandy Hook family victims who sued conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, said: 'This case, at its core, is about Elon Musk being reckless in making an accusation about this young man' 'I was terrified.' When CNN asked Brody if he felt like his 'life was ruined,' he responded: 'Yeah, completely. 'If you just put in my name into the search bar, you know, 'neo-Nazi fed Ben Brody.'' Brody was a political science major at the University of California, Riverside, and on college fraternity's webpage, he had stated he wanted to work for the government - which caused even more of a stir among the trolls online. He added: 'I put that I wanted to work for the government. And that's just because I didn't know specifically what part of the government I wanted to work for. You know, I was like, I could be a lawyer.' The student and his mother even had to leave their home after their address was leaked online. His attorney Bankston said: 'This case, at its core, is about Elon Musk being reckless in making an accusation about this young man.' 'Ben published a video online to try to clear his name. It didn't work. So there's this incredible feeling of helplessness, that there's millions out there, millions, who think that Ben was involved in neo-Nazi activities.' 'How did we get to a place where somebody so powerful can make that kind of accusation based on something so flimsy, from just anonymous people on the internet?' According to the lawsuit, Musk is 'perhaps the most influential of all influencers, and his endorsement of the accusation against Ben galvanized other social media influencers and users to continue their attacks and harassment, as well as post accusations against Ben that will remain online forever.' 'Musk has been personally using the platform to spread false statements on a consistent basis while propping up and amplifying the most reprehensible elements of conspiracy-addled Twitter.' DailyMail.com contacted Musk and Brody's attorney for comment. Scotland will be battered by torrential rain today as a 17-hour weather warning comes into force over much of the country. The Met Office issued the yellow warning, which lasts from 1am until 6pm, amid a forecast deluge which could see 2.4in of rain fall in places. There will be a short reprieve before a second rain warning comes into effect between 9am and 6pm tomorrow as Aprils miserable streak of weather continues into a second week. Todays rain warning, which stretches from north of Aberdeen through the Central Belt and down to Stranraer, comes after strong winds during Storm Kathleen wreaked havoc at the weekend. Oli Claydon, of the Met Office, said: Within the warning area we could see 40mm (1.6in) of rain quite widely, and one or two spots over higher ground could see 60mm (2.4in). After being battered by Storm Kathleens high winds, Scots face a second Easter holiday week of downpours Given its falling on already wet ground, we could see some localised flooding. As well as warnings from the Met Office, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued a yellow flood alert. Sepa said the South of the country was particularly susceptible, with homes and businesses in many affected areas at risk of flooding. Mr Claydon said: Eventually the low pressure and the front bringing that rainfall will move off to the North-East of England through Tuesday evening. There will still be showers across the North-East and the Northern Isles, but for many it will be a much more settled picture and where there are breaks in the clouds we could even see a frost on Tuesday night. As we go into Wednesday there is further rain moving in from the West. It will bring rain to all parts of Scotland throughout the day, and it will be fairly breezy as well. The yellow weather warning for tomorrow will cover a much smaller area, stretching across the West of the country from Argyll to Wigtownshire and taking in Glasgow. The downpours are expected to deposit around an inch of rain, with almost two inches on high ground. Mr Claydon added: The rainfall and showers will be concentrated in the West with the driest and brightest conditions in the East. Towards the end of the week conditions should improve, with bright spells and the odd shower forecast for Thursday and Friday. The torrential rain that will hit today and tomorrow comes after Storm Kathleen buffeted Scotland with gusts reaching as high as 91mph. In Edinburgh, a huge tree crashed into a house in Drylaw, with tree surgeons called out to free a man trapped inside his property. The storm also saw four teenage paddleboarders rescued by a lifeboat after getting into difficulties in rough seas off the Moray coast. A labor union at steelmaking giant POSCO filed a labor complaint Monday, accusing the company of prodding unionized employees to quit the labor union, union officials said Monday. The complaint was filed with the labor ministry by the POSCO labor union affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions after some 120 cases of employees pressed to withdraw their union membership were reported to the union. The union's membership has shrunk from some 12,000 reported last year to 8,800 recently. The union accused POSCO of prodding workers to leave the union by threatening performance assessments and vowed a stern response to what it called a violation of workers' constitutional rights to organize. Kim Seong-ho, chairperson of the union, said that "Starting with this complaint filing, the union will root out POSCO's illegal (labor) acts." POSCO denied having coerced workers, saying joining or leaving a labor union is a matter of individuals' free choice and decision. (Yonhap) Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell effectively endorsed the House's bill that could ban TikTok in his first public comments on the matter Monday. The bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House last month, would require Chinese-based parent company ByteDance to divest TikTok or else the popular video-sharing platform would be banned in the U.S. McConnell had been coy for weeks about where he stood on the legislation, but came out in support on Monday. The outgoing GOP leader called TikTok 'a platform that is beholden to our foremost strategic competitor' and a 'tool of surveillance and propaganda' for the Chinese government. 'Requiring the divestment of Beijing-influenced entitlement from TikTok would land squarely within established constitutional precedent, and it would begin to turn back the tide of an enormous threat to America's children and to our nation's prospects in defining the competition of the 21st century,' the minority leader said in remarks on the Senate floor. Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell effectively endorsed the House's bill that could ban TikTok in his first comments on the matter Monday The Kentucky Republican added 'PRC influence and control has been baked in from the very beginning.' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not yet agreed to bring the bill to the Senate floor. The New York Democrat said last week that when his chamber returns Monday they would work 'on a path forward on TikTok legislation.' The U.S. House of Representatives voted 352-65 on March 13 to give ByteDance about six months to divest from TikTok. Schumer's statement did not outline a specific position on the House-passed bill. Last month, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said she wanted to hold a public hearing on a TikTok crackdown bill. TikTok sent this notification to users on Tuesday morning, prompting them to get in touch with their lawmakers to let them know whether they support the TikTok bill TikTok's supporters and other First Amendment advocates have expressed concerns that the bill could restrict free speech. 'Let's be absolutely clear, this isn't a debate about restricting speech,' McConnell shot back. 'After all, the PRC does enough of that itself. Chinese citizens are banned from accessing Tik Tok at all. No matter how loudly Tik Tok's apologists claim that reining in PRC influence violates the First Amendment. The question we'll face is about conduct, not content.' Last month TikTok led a bone-chilling pressure campaign that prompted users to call into their representatives and urge them not to vote for the bill, which the company claims amounts to a ban. Congressional offices said phones were ringing off the hook with children calling in from classrooms and in some cases issuing death threats to members voting on the legislation. TikTok used the geo-location of users to tell them which representative to call, and in some cases wouldn't let users on the app until they placed the call. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act would specifically name and designate ByteDance and TikTok as foreign adversary-controlled applications. If passed, ByteDance would have five months after the law is signed to divest from TikTok. If it does not, app stores and web hosting platforms would not be allowed to distribute it in the U.S. The bill also would broaden the scope of the president's powers in general to ban foreign adversary-controlled applications, calling out those affiliated with China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Former President Donald Trump, among others, has expressed skepticism of the bill, insisting if TikTok is banned its rival Facebook would 'double their business.' 'I don't want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, doing better,' Trump wrote in a social media post. 'They are a true Enemy of the People!' Elon Musk joined Trump in opposing the effort to reign in TikTok's influence, calling it government 'censorship,' in a post on X. 'This law is not just about TikTok, it is about censorship and government control! If it were just about TikTok, it would only cite 'foreign control' as the issue, but it does not,' Musk stated. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also voted against the bill, mentioning Musk by name, praising him for restoring her account on X after it was formerly banned and decrying the 'Pandora's Box' this bill could open. 'What's to stop the U.S. government in the future from forcing the sale of another social media company claiming it is protecting American's data from foreign adversaries?' TikTok advocates gathered outside of the Capitol ahead of Wednesday's vote to push back against the bill 'I believe this bill can cause future problems. It's opening Pandora's Box and I am opposed to this bill,' Greene said on the House floor. Greene was among a number of significant GOP members who voted against the bill, including Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and more. On the other side of the aisle, 'Squad' members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also voted against the measure. One lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, voted present. Former Vice President Mike Pence slammed his former boss's announcement on Monday claiming abortion should be left to states, saying Donald Trump helped end Roe v Wade but Republicans no longer want to take responsibility for the issue. 'President Trumps retreat on the Right to Life is a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020,' Pence said in a post on X. He went on "By nominating and standing by the confirmation of conservative justices, the Trump-Pence Administration helped send Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history where it belongs and gave the pro-life movement the opportunity to compassionately support women and unborn children.' Pence slammed GOP politicians saying they are 'all too ready to wash their hands of the battle for life.' The former vice president claimed Republicans 'win on life' when they 'speak the truth boldly.' He also vowed he would never relent 'until we see the sanctity of life restored to the center of American law in every state in this country.' Former Vice President Mike Pence blasted his former boss for his announcement on abortion calling the ex-president's position a 'slap in the face' for pro-life Americans The harsh criticism from Pence came after Trump released a four-minute video on social media where he announced his latest stance on abortion ahead of the 2024 election. The much anticipated announcement followed months of Trump delaying revealing his position on abortion as the issue has been a motivating for Democrats since Roe was overturned. Pence's blistering post was one of several responses of disappointment to Trump's video from anti-abortion politicians and advocates on Monday who have been pushing for a federal abortion ban since Roe fell in 2022. Trump released a four-minute video on Truth Social on Monday claiming he supports the right for states to pass laws regarding limits on abortion and does not support a federal ban after previously signaling he could get behind a federal ban Trump said on Monday it should be up to the states to determine abortion laws and he would not support a federal-level ban despite just last month signaling he might get behind one. It followed reports that Trump was considering supporting a 15-week ban on abortion meaning women would not be able to terminate their pregnancy legally after the first trimester. 'We have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land,' Trump, 77, said in the video. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said in a statement on Monday that the group is 'deeply disappointed' in Trump's position and said giving the issue to the states 'cedes the national debate to the Democrats.' The anti-abortion group said it will still 'work tirelessly to defeat President Biden' in November. Pence's full response to Trump's statement on abortion on Monday Pence had previously said he would not endorse Trump in the 2024 election. the pair's relationship went south after Pence moved to certify the 2020 election despite Trump's false claims the election was stolen. Pence was the first vice president ever to join the anti-abortion March for Life gathering in Washington, DC in 2017 just days after Trump took office. Trump became the first sitting president to address the March for Life in person a few years later in 2020. During the Trump administration Pence vowed to help end abortion in the United States and advocated for Trump to nominate justices who would overturn Roe v Wade. In his video, Trump thanked the six justices who overturned Roe and praised them for their 'courage.' The ex-president said he was 'proudly the person responsible' for ending Roe v Wade. Irish people have taken to social media to mock the tens of thousands of Americans who lined up to see the first total solar eclipse for the first time in 25-years - joking that they get to see grey skies every day. Millions across Mexico, the US and Canada were affected as the Moon blocked the sun, leaving many in darkness for four minutes and 28 seconds, while a further 200 million saw a partial eclipse. Videos and photographs shared on social media showed people looking up at the greying sky to catch a glimpse of phenomenon which left only the outer atmosphere of the sun visible. But those from Ireland and Northern Ireland took to X to point out that dark, cloudy skies were an everyday occurrence on this side of the Atlantic, joking that is rarer to see the sun. One said: 'Every single day is a solar eclipse when you live in miserable Ireland.' A total solar eclipse is seen in the United States leaving many in darkness for four minutes and 28 seconds, while a further 200 million saw a partial eclipse Those from Ireland and Northern Ireland took to X to point out that dark, cloudy skies were an everyday occurrence on this side of the Atlantic, joking that is rarer to see the sun Another added: 'I don't know why everyone is getting so excited about the solar eclipse - in Ireland we get excited when we see the bloody sun. It's so rare that when we see it we think it's an anomaly in the sky.' A third joked: 'This solar eclipse thing ... hardly a novelty. It's eclipsed almost every day in Northern Ireland. Usually by rain and clouds, but yeh ... big deal.' A fourth added: 'We have a permanent eclipse of the sun in Ireland.' Cloudy skies prevented spectators in the UK from seeing a partial solar eclipse, with many across the country unlikely to see the historic solar event even it had been clear. Some 44 million Americans live in the path of totality, with hundreds of millions close enough to witness most of the sun obscured, or needing to travel a short distance to see a total eclipse. But unfavourable weather conditions meant even partial eclipses, where a little bit of the sun is covered by the moon, which were potentially visible from the British Isles, were shrouded by overcast skies. Dr Robert Massey, deputy executive director at the Royal Astronomical Society, said: 'I'm wondering whether or not anybody in the UK actually saw it. Cloudy skies prevented spectators in the UK from seeing a partial solar eclipse, with many across the country unlikely to see the historic solar event even it had been clear NEW YORK: Eclipse viewers took to the Brooklyn Bridge to watch the city descend into darkness LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: People stop on Hollywood Blvd to view the eclipse AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: people use protective glasses to observe the eclipse at the Masters 'There seem to be people saying it's cloudy in Cornwall, cloudy in west Wales - there's an outside chance people might be seeing it from a youth hostel on the Isle of Harris, in the Western Isles.' He added that coverage varied significantly from place to place, with parts of western Ireland potentially seeing 43 per cent coverage, but cities such as Manchester seeing as little as 1 per cent. The Met Office said on Monday that a cloudy evening would prevent the partial eclipse from being seen in most of the UK, though viewing conditions were best in the far northwest of Scotland, including the Hebrides. Simon Partridge, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: 'The chances are most of England and Wales probably wouldn't have seen it anyway.' He added that outside of the northwest of Scotland, the eclipse would have been 'very, very small and probably not actually noticeable' even if clouds had not obscured it. Professor Don Pollacco, of the department of physics at the University of Warwick, saw the total eclipse in Texas and said British spectators had not missed much because there 'wasn't anything worth seeing in the UK'. He said: 'The total eclipse is just so unbelievable. The partial eclipses are really boring.' MAZATLAN, MEXICO: The Mexican beachside resort town of Mazatlan was the first major viewing spot to be plunged into darkness MAZATLAN, MEXICO: the moon covered the sun for 4 minutes and 17 seconds He added that total eclipses were 'very magical' and watching them felt like 'a sensory overload'. 'The light takes on this really eerie quality, kind of a silveriness that's really hard to explain and doesn't come over on camera,' he said. 'I'm a scientist, and I'm saying it's magical.' The last total solar eclipse which could be seen from the UK was in 1999, and there will not be another until 2090. Professor Pollacco said he would 'absolutely recommend' people take the opportunity to travel to see total solar eclipses, such as one scheduled for parts of Europe and North America in 2026. He said: 'Spain will be the place to go because the weather in August is probably better than Iceland. I wouldn't bother watching any partial eclipses - I think they're a waste of time.' A BBC journalist revealed yesterday that he too was targeted in the Westminster sexting honeytrap scandal as it was reported the MP at the centre of the storm had quit his committee roles. Henry Zeffman, the corporation's chief political correspondent, went public about being contacted in a so-called 'spear phishing' attempt over WhatsApp. He was the second journalist in as many days to reveal that they were targeted after Harry Yorke, a journalist at The Sunday Times, also said he received flirtatious messages from a WhatsApp user calling themselves 'Charlie'. MPs were targeted as well. It comes after MP William Wragg admitted passing on phone numbers of MPs due to fears about blackmail. Last night he was reported to have stood down as vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, as well as from his role as chairman of the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee. Henry Zeffman was the second journalist in as many days to reveal that they were targeted It comes after MP William Wragg admitted passing on phone numbers of MPs due to fears about blackmail Scotland Yard yesterday said it has launched an inquiry into the scandal (Stock Image) Mr Zeffman broke his silence yesterday by writing about his experience for the BBC's website, revealing he was contacted by both 'Abi' and 'Charlie'. He wrote: 'It started with a WhatsApp on a Sunday morning in March. Coming from a number I did not have saved in my phone, it read: 'Henry! Long time no speak how're you doing? Miss seeing you around Westminster x.' 'V sorry,' I replied. 'Who is this?' The response was instant. 'Haha it's Charlie! I used to work in Parliament and we swapped numbers after drinking one night.' Mr Zeffman said he found the messages odd and did not reply, only to get another message a few minutes later saying: 'Random Sunday message I know.' Then 'Charlie', within minutes, added: 'I'm going to guess you aren't still single should I bow out gracefully? Lucky girl x.' He blocked the sender. However, around 24 hours later another message arrived in his WhatsApp inbox from 'Abi'. Mr Zeffman wrote: 'Instantly I was sure this was the same person as the day before.' 'Who is this?' I replied. 'Abi Miller x.' They claimed to have previously been an intern at The Times, where I worked until last year.' Mr Zeffman said he was 'flustered' and also blocked this sender. Mr Wragg confessed last week that he had provided the details of some of those targeted to the honey-trapper after sending intimate pictures to a man he met on the gay dating app, Grindr. The senior Tory told The Times he was 'scared' that whoever was behind the dating profile 'had compromising things on me' and he was sorry for 'being weak'. Scotland Yard yesterday said it has launched an inquiry into the scandal. The force said its Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command was 'carrying out an investigation following reports that a number of unsolicited messages were sent to MPs over recent months'. It is the second force to investigate the scandal after Leicestershire Police announced on Thursday that it had received a report of 'malicious communications' involving a local MP. Some Tory MPs had called for Mr Wragg to be disciplined after being told he would keep the Tory whip. It's no wonder Donald Trump picked April 8, 2024, to announce his clearest position yet on the thorniest issue dogging Republicans. He was hoping to be eclipsed. On Monday, as millions of Americans watched wall-to-wall media coverage of the most spectacular solar event in years, Trump released a two-minute video outlining how he, as president, would deal with the abortion question. Nearly two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade scrapping the Constitutional right to abortion the issue remains a third rail of American politics. Indeed, voter backlash at the 2022 midterms and 2023 elections provided ample evidence that the Roe decision will represent something of a headache for the GOP come November. So, what is Trump's big plan? Well, it is essentially to do nothing. 'The states will determine [abortion laws] by vote or legislation and whatever they decide must be the law of the land,' he said in his message released on Truth Social. To be clear, that is just a reiteration of the status quo. It's no wonder Donald Trump picked April 8, 2024, to announce his clearest position yet on the thorniest issue dogging Republicans. He was hoping to be eclipsed. Since the 2022 Supreme Court decision, rules governing abortions have been left up to state legislatures and ballot referendums. Some states have adopted very strict laws. Governor Ron DeSantis's Florida may soon only permit abortions within the first 6 weeks of pregnancy. Other states have hardly imposed any restrictions at all. Governor Gavin Newsom's California has even promoted itself as an abortion tourism destination. But it's what Trump didn't say that has some conservatives upset. Pro-lifers, who, unlike Trump, have deeply held moral views on this matter, are angry that he did not explicitly declare his support for a national abortion ban. Without a federal law, they argue, liberal states will open up for abortions on demand and through the third trimester of pregnancy. Trump had previously flirted with endorsing a 16-week national limit that included exceptions for rape, incest and risks to the life of the mother, so the pro-life movement had reason to hold out hope. Ultimately, though, Trump dodged the issue entirely earning him a rare rebuke from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who posted: 'I respectfully disagree with President Trump's statement that abortion is a states' rights issue.' Sorry, Lindsey, Trump is effectively right. The federal government can't do much about abortion anytime soon. Neither party can expect to control the 60 U.S. Senate seats necessary to pass new legislation. A national abortion ban is a political impossibility. Not letting the facts get in the way, the Biden-Harris re-election campaign issued a scathing statement in response to Trump's announcement insisting he would sign a national ban if re-elected president. Not letting the facts get in the way, the Biden-Harris re-election campaign issued a scathing statement in response to Trump's announcement insisting he would sign a national ban if re-elected president. 'Let there be no illusion. If Donald Trump is elected and the MAGA Republicans in Congress put a national abortion ban on the Resolute Desk, Trump will sign it into law,' the statement read. Let there be no illusion that's flat wrong. But Democrats sense a political winner here. On Monday, the Biden campaign released a brutal new political ad highlighting the story of Texas woman Amanda Zurawski. Zurawski sued the state after she was allegedly denied an emergency abortion under Texas' new law. She claims she didn't receive the care she needed until she went into septic shock. The video closes with the line: 'Trump did this.' The ad is part of a $30 million campaign that will air in battleground states. Its effectiveness is undeniable even while its claims about Trump are debatable. For all the criticism of the former president he supports the exceptions that would have helped Ms. Zurawski and there is no suggestion whatsoever that he plans to instigate a national abortion ban. On Monday, the Biden campaign released a brutal new political ad (above) highlighting the story of Texas woman Amanda Zurawski. When you see Vice President Kamala Harris touring an abortion clinic like any other politician tours a new manufacturing facility, you know where their campaign is headed. Of course, Biden knows that but his faltering campaign is banking on stoking abortion restriction fears to boost sagging liberal enthusiasm. When you see Vice President Kamala Harris touring an abortion clinic like any other politician tours a new manufacturing facility, you know where their campaign is headed. The abortion issue is the only one on which Americans trust Biden more than Trump. On the Economy? Immigration? Forget it. So, did Trump do the 'right' thing politically? Only time will tell. But at the end of the day, Trump knows that pro-life voters, however unhappy they may be over Monday's announcement, would still rather see hell freeze over than vote for Biden. What about the undecided women, moderates and independents, who Trump sorely needs to win in November? Perhaps some will have been placated. Though the Trump campaign was likely hoping that they were watching the eclipse, and that when it comes time to vote, that they'll be thinking about the broken southern border, crime in the streets and prices in the grocery store - instead of abortion. The couple were gunned down during a custody case involving Ashley's family Dennis Prince was killed with his wife Ashley in a shooting at Prince Law Group A leading Las Vegas attorney was among the two people shot dead at a law office on Monday. Dennis Prince and his wife, Ashley Prince, were killed inside the offices of Prince Law Group in Summerlin when another attorney opened fire during a deposition before turning the gun on himself. Robert Eglet, Dennis Prince's former law partner, described him as 'one of the best trial lawyers in the state.' 'It's a real loss to the community,' Eglet told the Las Vegas Review Journal. 'It's awful. It's a loss to our profession. 'This is every family's nightmare, something like this happening. I'm still trying to put my arms around the fact that this actually happened.' Dennis Prince, a prominent Las Vegas attorney, was among the victims in Monday's shooting at the Prince Law Firm. Also killed was his wife, Ashley The couple were present for a deposition in a custody case involving Ashley Prince and her ex-husband, Dylan Houston Gunshots broke out in the firm's fifth-floor offices around 10 a.m. Monday Speaking to KTNV, sources confirmed the gunman's identity as another attorney, Joseph Houston, who fatally shot the couple before taking his own life. Ashley Prince was Houston's former daughter-in-law, the same sources said. Houston and the Princes were present for a deposition Monday in a custody case involving Ashley and Houston's son, Dylan. Ashley and Dylan Houston have two young children together, and records show Dylan filed for divorce in 2021. Dennis Prince was representing his wife in the case, sources said. Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the shooting occurred at around 10 am on the firm's offices on the fifth floor. Prince was representing his wife in the custody case. Sources identified the gunman as Robert Houston, another attorney and the father of Ashley's ex-husband Shots were reportedly fired during the deposition, with Houston later turning the gun on himself Prince's former law partner described him as 'one of the best trial lawyers in the state' As bullets flew, hundreds of other occupants sheltered in place. Officials later passed through the building and safely evacuated them. 'As you can imagine we have a five or six-story building,' McMahill told KLAS. 'We have people that are hunkered down following active shooter protocols. We're going door by door and making sure everybody in there is okay and evacuating them.' An area for family reunifications was established on the fifth floor of the Red Rock Resort, just down the street from the office. According to a biography on the law firm's website, Prince was the founding member and lead trial counsel on all major cases. Prince was the founding member of the firm and had tried more than 100 cases to jury verdict at the time of his death He was recognized as the Nevada Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2016 by the Nevada Justice Association and had tried more than 100 cases to jury verdict at the time of his death. GGRM Law Firm, a personal injury attorney based in Winchester, released a statement after news broke of the couple's death. 'Our esteemed colleague, Dennis Prince, and his wife, Ashley, were senselessly taken from us in an act of violence that has left us in shock and mourning,' the statement read. 'Dennis was not just a pillar in the legal community; he was a mentor, a friend, and an advocate for justice whose influence reached far beyond the courtroom. 'Alongside him, Ashley was a source of unwavering kindness and compassion, touching the lives of those around her with genuine warmth and generosity.' Relatives of a Wyoming man who paraded a wolf around a small-town bar before shooting it dead are rushing to his defense, as locals have expressed frustration over him being hit with just a $250 fine. Cody Roberts, 42, was cited and fined for being in possession of the live wolf in the town of Daniel on February 29, though he has yet to be formally identified. Some of the firestorm of outrage has thus been directed at the agency that handed down the judgement, as photos of Roberts harming the animal continue to circulate. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, however, claims it is in a delicate position, saying statues related to such cases make releasing information difficult. Amid this fierce public outcry, Roberts' relative Jeanne Ivie-Roberts has expressed her support. In a social media post published Thursday, commenters rallied behind her - and his - questionable cause. Cody Roberts, 42, posed with the the exhausted animal, cracking a beaming smile while gripping it by the scruff of the neck and raising a can of beer Amid this fierce public outcry, Roberts' relative Jeanne Ivie-Roberts - seen here jokingly reneacting the scene with a wolf skin - has expressed her support In a social media post published Thursday, commenters rallied behind her - and his - questionable cause 'Absolutely support you Cody Roberts,' wrote one such onlooker, responding to a remark from Ivie-Roberts that expressed her own 'love and support.' 'Hope everything is OK. I'll say prayers...' added another, as others posted Bitmojis sending 'hugs'. 'I agree Jeanne! Love & support Cody,' added someone else. 'Supporting Cody!!' exclaimed another. 'I'm with him!!! I'll bring the duct tape.' The original post, within four days of its posting, has garnered more than 422 likes and 63 comments, most of them expressing sympathy for Roberts' situation. Others, however, conveyed the complete opposite, as the director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department told Cowboy State Daily Monday the agency isn't being secretive about the alleged torment and killing of the wolf. 'Cruelty should never be condoned!' exclaimed one person from that school of thought, as others asserted that it is legal in Sublette County to hunt such game. 'No reason for that BS behavior!' the commenter added. The post has garnered more than 422 likes and 63 comments, most of them expressing sympathy for Roberts' situation Not long after this photo was taken, witnesses said Roberts dragged or carried the animal through the Green River Bar (pictured) as patrons looked on 'Sounds to me (as a complete outsider) that he made a bad decision and is more then likely regretting it,' another griped. 'Let those of you who are without sin cast the first stone.' A petition demanding harsher punishment for Roberts made rounds as well, receiving 2,242 signatures. In it, authors laid out how female wolf - only a yearling - was tortured and killed at the hands of the hunter on February 29. 'Cody Roberts was cited a minuscule $250 for 'being in possession of a live wolf,'' the petition recalled. 'However, the fine for animal cruelty in the state of Wyoming is up to 2 years in prison and a fine of $5,000' Authors then point how how ' [t]his wolf was kept alive to endure suffering for an extended period of time', after Roberts elected to parade it around the Green River Bar in Daniel with duct tape around its snout. That happened after it was pursued to exhaustion by Cody Roberts' snowmobile hours earlier - after which the local trucker kept it alive instead of killing it on the spot. The petition asserted: 'Following being run down, Cody taped its mouth shut, and paraded it around in a bar before finally shooting it. Others, however, conveyed the complete opposite, as the director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department told Cowboy State Daily Monday the agency isn't being secretive about the alleged torment and killing of the wolf A father and owns a trucking company, Roberts ran the wolf down with a snowmobile- but instead of killing the animal there and then, he kept it, took it home and brought it to the bar (seen here on a different date) Others, however, conveyed the complete opposite, as the director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department told Cowboy State Daily Monday the agency isn't being secretive about the alleged torment and killing of the wolf 'There must be a harsher penalty for this horrible case.' The petition was started this past Saturday - two days before the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Director Brian Nesvik addressed allegations that he's been perhaps too lenient with the man accused of torturing the less than two-year-old wolf. He also addressed claims his agency has deliberately withheld information about the incident, claiming that's not the case. Paraphrasing a paragraph of the Cowboy State Daily article, he seemed to assert that Game and Fish are working to navigate though tricky difficult territory that involves both responding to legitimate requests for public records while also trying to follow a state statue that requires certain information about wolf hunts to remain confidential. Because of this, Nesvik on Monday said Game and Fish could not confirm the identity of the person who had been cited and fined $250 for illegally possessing the live wolf the day of February 29, despite photos proving that already. Others on Roberts' social media accounts show how he is an avid hunter who frequently hunts wild animals with his kids, while Sublette County Circuit Court records showed he was cited for a wildlife violation the day of the incident in question. Public records also revealed Roberts has a hunting and fishing license, while an album of photos posted this past week showed Ivie-Roberts seemingly reenacting the scene seen in her relative's now viral photo, putting a piece of duct tape around her own mouth - instead of the wolf's muzzle - in one. Based on Roberts' social media accounts, he appears to be an avid hunter who frequently hunts wild animals alongside his kids (pictured here) Photos posted this past week showed Ivie-Roberts seemingly reenacting the scene seen in his now viral photo, putting a piece of duct tape around her own mouth in one On Monday, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Director Brian Nesvik addressed allegations that he's been perhaps to lenient with the man accused of torturing the less than two-year-old wolf. The agency is looking into the incident Roberts did not immediately respond to a DailyMail.com request for comment, as the story continues to gain traction on social media. That's all due to the photo of Roberts posing with the exhausted animal allegedly hours before its death, cracking a beaming smile while gripping it by the scruff of the neck and raising a can of beer as if to make a toast. The wolf, which was injured when Roberts ran it over with a snowmobile, had its mouth taped shut and cowered like an abused puppy, as patrons reportedly drank and looked on. He then took the wolf away behind the bar, allegedly tortured it, then shot it dead. About 85 percent of Wyoming is a 'predator zone' for wolves - meaning that the wild animals can be killed at any time with no bag limit or hunting days required. However, keeping the animals alive before killing them is illegal, and warrants animal cruelty charges. Wyoming Game And Fish is looking into the incident. A New York appeals court has rejected Donald Trump's bid to move the Stormy Daniels hush money trial out of Manhattan after his lawyers argued he wouldn't get a fair trial, because the jury will be full of Democrats. The former president filed last-ditch attempts to delay the case on Monday, a week before jury selection begins on April 15. The 77-year-old has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to help cover up an alleged affair with porn star Daniels before the 2016 election. The case will be the first of four in court he'll face in the coming months, but the hush-money trial will likely be the only one wrapped up before his probable rematch with Joe Biden in November. Trump and his lawyers have tried multiple tactics to keep delaying the trial. He also indicated on Monday he would sue Judge Juan Merchan over the gag order placed on him last week. A New York appeals court judge has rejected former President Donald Trumps request to delay his April 15 hush money criminal trial while he fights to move the case out of Manhattan The effort to move the trial out of Manhattan has been a battle for the Trump legal team from the start. His lawyers had argued at an emergency hearing on Monday that there should be change of venue out of heavily Democratic Manhattan. Emil Bove, a lawyer in Trump's legal team, claims the presumptive Republican nominee will face 'real potential prejudice'. The former president filed last-ditch attempts to delay the case on Monday, a week before jury selection begins on April 15. He is pictured in court on March 25 Bove claimed that jury selection cannot proceed in a 'fair manner', and the trial should be held elsewhere. Trump has argued that the case should be heard in Staten Island, the only New York City borough he won in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Steven Wu, the appellate chief for the Manhattan district attorney's office, said Judge Merchan had already rejected Trump's requests to move or delay the trial as untimely. 'The question in this case is not whether a random poll of New Yorkers from whatever neighborhood are able to be impartial, it's about whether a trial court is able to select a jury of 12 impartial jurors,' Wu said. He blamed Trump for stoking pretrial publicity with 'countless media appearances talking about the facts of this case, the witnesses, and so on.' The trial over claims the former president, 77, falsified records to cover up payments to porn star Stormy Daniels was due to begin on March 25, but will now start on April 15 Trump indicated on Monday he would sue Judge Juan Merchan over the gag order placed on him last week Justice Lizbeth Gonzalez noted that Monday's hearing didn't involve an appeal, per se, but the defense's desire for an emergency stay a court order that would prevent the trial from starting on time. She said she would review related court filings and issue a decision 'at some point.' Paperwork relating to Trump's appeals were placed under seal and not publicly available. Last week, another New York judge rejected a bid to delay the trial until the Supreme Court reviews claims he is immune from prosecution. The highest court in the U.S. is set to hear arguments on April 25, 10 days after the start of the Manhattan Elon Musk's wealth yesterday dropped below Mark Zuckerberg's for the first time in four years as the value of Tesla's stock has tumbled. Musk's fortune is worth $181billion, making him the fourth richest person in the world after being overtaken by the Facebook founder. Zuckerberg, 40, is worth $187billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. The tech bosses have a long-standing rivalry, with Musk challenging Zuckerberg to a cage fight in Las Vegas last year. As recently as March, Musk, 52, was the richest man in the world but his net worth has taken a hit as Tesla's share price has fallen. Elon Musk's (pictured) fortune is worth $181billion, making him the fourth richest person in the world after being overtaken by the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 40, (pictured) is worth $187billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index Around $48.7billion has been wiped off Musk's fortune this year, while Tesla's stock has dropped more than 30% since January. The South African businessman's wealth is tied up in the success of the electric car firm. Tough competition from Chinese competitors and production issues in Europe has seen Tesla's share price fall more than 50% from its 2021 peak. Musk also owns X, formerly Twitter, and around 42% of Space X, and has stakes in brain implant company Neuralink and The Boring Company. The social media platform has faced a series of setbacks since he bought it for $44billion in late 2022. In the latest blow for Musk, a Brazilian Supreme Court judge yesterday launched an inquiry into the tech boss after he said he would reinstate accounts on X that the judge had ordered to be blocked. The multi-billionaire announced that the restrictions had been lifted, saying the court order was unconstitutional. It came after X said on Saturday that it had been 'forced by court decisions' to block some popular accounts in Brazil. The South African businessman's wealth is tied up in the success of Tesla, the electric car firm Tough competition from Chinese competitors and production issues in Europe has seen Tesla's share price fall more than 50% from its 2021 peak Musk said the order could lead to a total loss of revenue and closure of the offices in the South American country. While Musk's fortune has fallen in value, his competitors have made huge gains this year. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has seen its share price rise more than 50% in 2024 adding $58.8billion to Zuckerberg's wealth. A feud between the rival billionaires ramped up last year when Musk tweeted that Instagram makes people depressed. He later said that Meta-owned WhatsApp 'cannot be trusted', and later challenged Zuckerberg to a cage fight. A fight was cancelled when Musk complained of an injury. It prompted Zuckerberg to blast the Tesla boss, saying 'Elon isn't serious' about the fight. The pair also traded barbs when Meta launched Threads in an attempt to rival X. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has seen its share price rise more than 50% in 2024 adding $58.8billion to Zuckerberg's wealth Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer and founder of Meta, speaks during an event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California The list of billionaires can change daily as the ranking is based on stock valuations. Bernard Arnault, the founder of Louis Vuitton owner LVMH, is the richest man in the world with a net worth of $234billion. The luxury goods tycoon was followed by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos with $208billion. The e-commerce giant's share price has more than doubled since the end of 2022, and has surged more than 20% so far this year. Amazon and other tech stocks have been buoyed by optimism over the potential of artificial intelligence, boosting Bezos' personal wealth. He owns a 9% stake in Amazon and is the retail giant's biggest shareholder, despite selling 50m shares worth around $8.5billion in February. Microsoft founder Bill Gates completed the top five list of the richest people in the world with a fortune worth $153billion. Reform UK leader Richard Tice has warned his candidates not to use social media while drunk after the party dropped seven of them for 'inappropriate' online posts. Mr Tice who hopes to stand a candidate in every seat at the next general election defended Reform's vetting process by saying it acted quickly and stressing that 'every party has its fair share of muppets and morons'. The insurgent party, which is polling just a few points behind the Conservatives, has already ditched a number of its candidates for a range of offences, including offensive comments about black, Jewish and Muslim people. Mr Tice said yesterday: 'We're very clear to all our candidates, "For heaven's sake, if you're going to have a glass of wine on a Friday night then don't use social media, it's not sensible". 'And that if someone lets us down hereafter then frankly, if it's inappropriate, if it's unacceptable, then we're going to part company. You can have your freedom of speech and freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean you have the right to represent Reform UK as a parliamentary candidate.' Reform UK leader Richard Tice has warned his candidates not to use social media while drunk after the party dropped seven of them for 'inappropriate' online posts He also claimed it was more difficult for 'a small, entrepreneurial fast-growing party' to vet its candidates. 'Every party has their share, frankly, of muppets and morons you've seen it with the sexual weirdos going on in the Tory party, we've seen it with the anti-Semitism in the Labour Party and George Galloway's party,' he said. A Mail on Sunday investigation prompted Reform to drop two candidates and suspend a third after Amodio Amato, Pete Addis and Iris Leask were found to have made a series of offensive comments. Mr Addis had called for Sir David Attenborough to be 'killed off' and made a racist joke about 'brown babies', while Mr Amato said there will eventually be 'a Muslim army run by Sadiq Khan'. Then last week Jonathan Kay and Mick Greenhough were dropped after historical derogatory social media posts were exposed. Mr Tice used a press conference yesterday to set his sights on 'woke' Labour, scrap Britain's push for net zero and to use the money saved to cut NHS waiting lists. The party reached its highest ever polling figure of 16 per cent last week, just four points behind the Tories. Nigel Farage, Reform's honorary president, claimed yesterday they would get more votes than the Conservatives at the next election. 'How that transpires in seats is absolutely anybody's guess,' Mr Farage said. 'But I can see the momentum.' Flood waters were rising in two cities in Russia's Ural mountains on Sunday after Europe's third-longest river burst through a dam, flooding at least 10,000 homes and forcing thousands of people to flee with just their pets and a few belongings. Some of the worst floods in decades have hit a string of Russian regions in the Ural Mountains and Siberia, alongside parts of neighboring Kazakhstan in recent days. The Ural River, which rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, swelled several metres in just hours on Friday due to melt water, bursting through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk, 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) east of Moscow. The mayor of Orsk, Vasily Kozupitsa, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying a second river in the town, the Yelshanka, had also burst its banks. Measures were being undertaken to evacuate residents from affected areas. More than 6,100 people have already been evacuated from the city of 230,000, according to local authorities. Fifteen of 40 schools in the school had been flooded. Footage published by the Emergencies Ministry showed people making their way through neck-high waters, rescuing stranded dogs and travelling along flooded roads in boats and canoes. State news agency TASS reported that six adults and three children had been hospitalized in Orsk, but their condition was not life-threatening. Agencies quoted authorities as saying the Samara River in the town of Buzuluk, further west in Orenburg region, was also rising quickly. Measures were taken to keep residents safe. President Vladimir Putin ordered Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov to fly to the region. The Kremlin said on Sunday that flooding was now also inevitable in the Urals region of Kurgan and the Siberian region of Tyumen. Putin had spoken to the governors of the regions by telephone, the Kremlin said. In Kurgan city, which has a population of 310,000, authorities ordered residents of one riverside neighborhood to evacuate urgently, saying that flood waters would soon arrive in the city. The Orenburg region's governor, Denis Pasler, said the floods were the worst to hit the region since records began. He said that flooding had been recorded along the entire course of the 2,400-kilometer (1,500-mile) Ural River, which flows through Orenburg region and then through Kazakhstan into the Caspian Sea. Russian media cited Orenburg region authorities as estimating the cost of flood damage locally as around 21 billion roubles ($227 million) and saying that flood waters would dissipate only after April 20. In Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Saturday the floods were his country's largest natural disaster in terms of scale and impact for 80 years. North Korea leader Kim Jong-un expressed sympathy to Putin about the flood, state media KCNA said, underscoring stronger ties between Moscow and Pyongyang after the leaders met last year. "Our people will always be with the Russian people," Kim said. 'Level will only rise' Flood warnings were issued in other Russian regions and Kurenkov said the situation could get worse very fast. "The water is coming, and in the coming days its level will only rise," said Sergei Salmin, the mayor of Orenburg, a city of at least 550,000 people. "The flood situation remains critical." Emergencies Minister Kurenkov said bottled water and mobile treatment plants were needed, while local health officials said vaccinations against Hepatitis A were being conducted in flooded areas. Local officials said the dam in Orsk was built for a water level of 5.5 meters (18 feet) yet the Ural River rose to 9.6 meters (31.5 feet). Federal investigators opened a criminal case for negligence and the violation of safety rules over the construction of the 2010 dam, which prosecutors said had not been maintained properly. The Orsk oil refinery suspended work on Sunday due to the flooding. Last year, the Orsk Refinery processed 4.5 million tons of oil. (Reuters) The UK's foreign secretary Lord David Cameron flew to Florida to meet former president Donald Trump last night, during his diplomatic tour of the US. Cameron was due to sit down with the current Republican frontrunner at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, the Sun reported. Cameron is the first senior member of the UK government to visit Trump since he left office in 2021. Cameron has previously been disparaging of Trump in the past, calling him 'divisive, stupid and wrong' when he was Prime Minister in 2016. He later accused the former president, who is facing several civil and criminal cases in courts across America, of being 'protectionist, xenophobic, [and] misogynistic.' It is not currently known what the pair are set to discuss, but Cameron is currently in the US on an official trip to bolster support for Ukraine as the US' House of Representatives bicker over a massive $60billion military aid package, which the Senate, Congress' upper house, passed nearly two months ago David Cameron was due to sit down with the current Republican frontrunner at his Mar-a-Lago resort Cameron is the first senior member of the UK government to visit Trump (pictured) since he left office in 2021 But a minority of Republicans in the House of Representatives, led by Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, have repeatedly blocked it from being rubber stamped, claiming that the security of the USs border with Mexico is deemed to be a more significant issue with the partys supporters. Their stance saw Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warn over the weekend that his country will lose the war if the funding is not swiftly approved. Cameron is also set to meet the US' Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to lobby the Biden administration directly, as well as Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate. He issued a fresh plea for the US to support Ukraine last night, saying: 'Success for Ukraine and failure for Putin are vital for American and European security. 'This will show that borders matter, that aggression doesnt pay and that countries like Ukraine are free to choose their own future. 'The alternative would only encourage Putin in further attempts to re-draw European borders by force, and would be heard clearly in Beijing, Tehran and North Korea. The US House of Representatives, which is led by Speaker Mike Johnson (pictured), has refused to pass the aid US president Joe Biden managed to get the Senate to pass the aid 'US support for Ukraine has massively degraded the military capacity of a common adversary, Russia has lost half of its pre-invasion land combat power, and a quarter of its original Black Sea fleet, while creating jobs at home and strengthening the Western alliance and NATO.' In recent months, the significant reduction in military aid from the US has forced Ukrainian troops on to the backfoot. They have been forced to concede territory to Putins soldiers who, along some stretches of the frontline, have outgunned them by a ratio of six shells to one. However, the Republicans blocking the Ukraine funding have earned the support of Donald Trump. The former president, who could return to the White House in 2025, wants an end to the conflict even on Russias terms. As the Mail has recently revealed, UK funding for Ukraine has dropped compared with European allies. German support is set to trump the UK threefold in 2024/25, which is also being outstripped by donations from Scandinavia. A local resident walks through the ruins of a house destroyed by recent shelling, which local Russian-installed authorities called a Ukrainian military strike A communal worker sits in a crater after missiles strike in Kharkiv Lord Camerons visit will also add to the focus on the Middle East, including the path to a ceasefire in Gaza and increased humanitarian aid, as well as a push for an independent investigation into the deaths of seven aid workers, including three Britons, in a Israeli drone strike on an aid convoy. The former prime minister's interventions haven't always been welcomed in the US, with hardline Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly telling Cameron to 'kiss my ass' after he pushed Congress to pass the aid package back in December. A UK spokesperson said: 'The Foreign Secretary is on his way to Washington DC, where he will hold discussions with US Secretary of State Blinken, other Biden administration figures and members of Congress. 'His talks will focus on a range of shared US-UK priorities, including securing international support for Ukraine and bringing stability to the Middle East. Ahead of his visit to Washington, the Foreign Secretary will meet former President Trump in Florida today. It is standard practice for ministers to meet with opposition candidates as part of their routine international engagement.' Prospective jurors in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial will be asked over 42 questions ranging from their views on extremist groups Antifa and Q'Anon, to where they get their news, to whether they've ever attended political rallies for the former president. Judge Juan Merchan has called it one of the most 'exhaustive' lists of of questions ever used in his court, showing the mammoth task of trying to sit an impartial panel. The 77-year-old has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to help cover up an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Jury selection kicks off at least several days of intensive questioning for the individuals who will determine Trump's fate in the case. Both sides of the case are under a ton of pressure to select a jury that will be perceived as fair - or else risk a mistrial down the line. Judge Juan Merchan publicized a list of 42 questions he plans to quiz prospective jurors about to ensure an unbiased trial, including any connections they may have to the former president's political circles. Jury applicants will be pressed on their views about fringe extremist groups Q'Anon, Proud Boys, and Antifa and whether they get their news from Fox News or MSNBC. They'll also have to answer about whether they - or a close friend - have ever attended a Trump rally or if they use Truth Social. Here are the 42 questions that jurors will have to answer before landing a spot on Trump's criminal trial. A New York appeals court judge has rejected former President Donald Trumps request to delay his April 15 hush money criminal trial while he fights to move the case out of Manhattan The former president filed last-ditch attempts to delay the case on Monday, a week before jury selection begins on April 15. He is pictured in court on March 25 1. A. Without telling us your address, in what neighborhood do you live? For example, Upper East Side, Lower West Side, Inwood, etc. B. How long have you lived there? C. Are you a native New Yorker? If not, where did you live previously? 2. A. What do you do for a living? B. How long have you been doing that? C. If you are retired, please tell us what you did before you retired. 3. A. Who is your current employer? B. How large is your current employer? C. Are you self-employed or own your own business? D. Who was your prior employer? 4. What is your educational background? For example, high school diploma, college degree, graduate degree, etc. C. Are you a native New Yorker? If not, where did you live previously? 5. A. Are you married? B. Have you ever been married? C. Do you have any children? 6. A. If you are married, or living with another adult, what does that person do for a living? B. If you have adult children, what do they do? 7. A. What do you like to do in your spare time? B. Do you have any interests or hobbies? 8. A. Do you participate in any organizations or advocacy groups? B. Which ones? 9. A. Have you ever served on a jury before? If you did, please tell us how long ago that was and whether that was in Criminal Court, Civil Court, or Grand Jury. B. Without telling us the verdict, please tell us whether the jury reached a verdict. 10. Which of the following print publications, cable and or network programs, or online media such as websites, blogs, or social media platforms do you visit, read, or watch? (Read aloud) New York Times Wall Street Journal USA Today New York Post New York Daily News Newsday Huffington Post Washington Post CNN Fox News MSNBC Newsmax MSN Google Yahoo Facebook Truth Social X I do not follow the news Tik Tok Other (name) 11. Do you listen to or watch podcasts? If so, which ones? 12. Do you listen to talk radio? If so, which programs? 13. Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever been the victim of a crime. If so, please briefly tell us what happened? 14. Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever been employed by a law enforcement agency? tror example, the police, FBI, District Attorney's Office, Department of Correction, etc. 15. Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever been employed by a federal, state, or local government, including but not limited to the State of New York? 16. Have you, a relative, or close friend ever been employed in the accounting or finance field? 17. Have you, a relative or close friend ever had any education, training, or work experience in the legal field, including but not limited to practicing criminal or civil law? 18. A. Have you, a relative, or close friend had any experience or interaction with the criminal justice system, including a police officer or other type of law enforcement agent, which caused you to form an opinion, whether positive or negative, about the police or our criminal justice system? B. If so, what was that experience? C. Would that experience prevent you from being a fair and impartial juror in this case? 19. Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever been accused or convicted of committing a crime? 20. Do you, a relative, or a close friend have a pending criminal case? 21,. A. Do you have any political, moral, intellectual, or religious beliefs or opinions which might prevent you from following the Court's instructions on the law or which might slant your approach to this case? B. Do you have any political, moral, intellectual or religious beliefs or opinions that would interfere with your ability to render a verdict in this criminal case? 22. Do you have a health condition that might interfere with your ability to be here on the appointed days and times or otherwise prevent you from serving as a juror? 23. Without telling us the name(s), do you take any medication that would prevent you from being able to concentrate or pay attention during the proceedings or during the deliberations? 24. Court proceedings normally end around 4:30 tn the afternoon though on rare occasions, we might work beyond that.Would your schedule and responsibilities permit you to work later if it were absolutely necessary to complete that day's work? 25. Do you practice a religion that would prevent you from sitting as a juror on any particular weekday or weeknight? 26. Can you give us an assurance that you will be fair and impartial and not base your decision in this case upon a bias or prejudice in favor of or against a person who may appear in this trial, on account of that person's race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, sexual orientation or political views? 27. Can you promise to guard against allowing stereotypes or attitudes about individuals or about groups of people, referred to as an implicit bias, influence your decision? 28. Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked for any company or organization that is owned or run by Donald Trump of anyone in his family? 29. A. Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for a Trump presidential campaign, the Trump presidential administration, or any other political entity affiliated with Mr. Trump? B. Have you ever attended a rally of campaign event for Donald Trump? C. Are you signed up for or have you ever been signed up for, subscribed to, or followed any newsletter or email listserv run by or on behalf of Mr. Trump or the Trump Organization? D. Do you currently follow Donald Trump on any social media site or have you done so in the past? E. Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for any and-Trump group or organization? F. Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for any anti-Trump group or organization? G. Are you signed up for or have you ever been signed up for, subscribed to, or followed any newsletter or email listserv run by or on behalf of any anti-Trump group or organization? H. Do you currently follow any ant-Trump group or organization on any social media site, or have you done so in the past? 30. Have you ever considered yourself a supporter of or belonged to any of the following: the QAnon movement Proud Boys Oathkeepers Three Percenters Boogaloo Boys Antifa 31. Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about whether a former president may be criminally charged in state court? 32. Do you have any feelings of opinions about how Mr. Trump is being treated in this case? 33. Can you give us your assurance that you will decide this case solely on the evidence you see and hear in this courtroom and the law as the judge gives it? 34. Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror? 35. Have you read (or listened to audio) of any of the following books or podcasts by Michael Cohen or Mark Pomerantz? If so, please let us know if what you have heard or read affects your ability to be a fair an impartial juror in this case. Disloyal: A Memoir (2020) Mea Culpa (the podcast) Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics People Vs. Donald Trump (2023) 36. The defendant in this case has written a number of books. Have you read (or listened to audio) of any one or more of those books? If so, which ones? 37. Do you have any opinions about the legal limits governing political contributions? 38. Can you promise to set aside anything you may have heard or read about this case and render your verdict based solely on the evidence presented in this courtroom and the law as given to you by the judge? 39. Can you give us your absolute assurance that you will refrain from discussing this case with anyone in any manner and from watching, reading, or listening to any accounts of this case during the pendency of the trial? 40. Can you assure us that you will follow the judge's instructions on the law, including instructions on the definition of reasonable doubt and the presumption of innocence? 41. The United States Constitution provides that a defendant has no burden to introduce any evidence or to testi$r in a criminal case. If Mr. Trump chooses not to testify, of to introduce any evidence, can you give us your assurance that you will not hold that against him? 42. Is there any reason, whether it be a bias or something else, that would prevent you from being fair and impartial if you are selected as a juror for this case? The trial over claims the former president, 77, falsified records to cover up payments to porn star Stormy Daniels was due to begin on March 25, but will now start on April 15 Also on Monday, a New York appeals court rejected Trump's last-ditch attempt to move the hush money trial out of Manhattan after his lawyers argued he wouldn't get a fair shake, because the jury will be full of Democrats. The case is the first of four in court he'll face in the coming months, but the hush-money trial will likely be the only one wrapped up before his probable rematch with Joe Biden in November. Trump and his lawyers have tried multiple tactics to keep delaying the trial. He also indicated on Monday he would sue Judge Juan Merchan over the gag order placed on him last week. The effort to move the trial out of Manhattan has been a battle for the Trump legal team from the start. His lawyers had argued at an emergency hearing on Monday that there should be change of venue out of heavily Democratic Manhattan. Emil Bove, a lawyer in Trump's legal team, claims the presumptive Republican nominee will face 'real potential prejudice'. Bove claimed that jury selection cannot proceed in a 'fair manner', and the trial should be held elsewhere. Trump has argued that the case should be heard in Staten Island, the only New York City borough he won in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Steven Wu, the appellate chief for the Manhattan district attorney's office, said Judge Merchan had already rejected Trump's requests to move or delay the trial as untimely. 'The question in this case is not whether a random poll of New Yorkers from whatever neighborhood are able to be impartial, it's about whether a trial court is able to select a jury of 12 impartial jurors,' Wu said. He blamed Trump for stoking pretrial publicity with 'countless media appearances talking about the facts of this case, the witnesses, and so on.' Trump indicated on Monday he would sue Judge Juan Merchan over the gag order placed on him last week Justice Lizbeth Gonzalez noted that Monday's hearing didn't involve an appeal, per se, but the defense's desire for an emergency stay a court order that would prevent the trial from starting on time. She said she would review related court filings and issue a decision 'at some point.' Paperwork relating to Trump's appeals were placed under seal and not publicly available. Last week, another New York judge rejected a bid to delay the trial until the Supreme Court reviews claims he is immune from prosecution. The highest court in the U.S. is set to hear arguments on April 25, 10 days after the start of the Manhattan Police are urgently searching for a missing 15-year-old girl who vanished from her family home in Camden 21 days ago. Tia Williams, 15, was reported missing on March 18 and was last seen leaving a family member's house in Camden the same day. Now 21 days into their investigation, the Metropolitan Police have urged the public for help in their search for the missing teenager. The police are 'very concerned for the welfare of Tia,' and have asked for anyone with information to contact them. Tia reportedly is a frequent user of public transport and has links with Bedfordshire, London and Hertfordshire. Tia Williams (pictured), 15, was reported missing on March 18 and was last seen leaving a family member's house in Camden the same day Officers have described the 15-year-old as having an average build, 5ft to 5ft 2" tall and is white with dark brown shoulder length hair. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley from Camden's Public Protection Team said: 'We are very concerned for the welfare of Tia and it is extremely important that we locate her. 'Tia has previously travelled to Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire however due to the amount of time missing could have travelled further in the country. 'If you have any information about Tia's whereabouts, or have seen anyone matching Tia's description then please contact police by dialling 999 or 101 quoting reference 'Op. Dinar''. The man who was stabbed to death outside Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Sunday has been named as 46-year-old Okechukwu Iweha, as police continue to hunt for the killer. Police and paramedics were called to Northumberland Park on the outskirts of the stadium just before 6am, where Mr Iweha was found dead with a number of stab injuries. CPR was administered but despite the efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Although formal identification is yet to take place, the Met Police confirmed late last night they believe the man killed was Mr Iweha, who lived in the local area. His next of kin have now been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. A post-mortem examination will be held at Haringey Mortuary later this week. The man who was stabbed to death outside Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Sunday has been named as 46-year-old Okechukwu Iweha, as police continue to hunt for the killer Police and paramedics were called to Northumberland Park on the outskirts of the stadium just before 6am Although formal identification is yet to take place, the Met Police confirmed late last night they believe the man killed was Mr Iweha, who lived in the local area. Pictured is the scene yesterday morning Detectives investigation the murder probe have issued another plea for witnesses to come forward following the incident. Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, from the Specialist Crime Command, is leading the investigation. He said: 'I am urging anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious to please come forward and speak with us. 'We are working hard to build a timeframe to establish what has happened. Were you woken up by a disturbance, or did you see anyone running from the area? I would ask that you check any private CCTV or dash cam footage to see whether you captured anything that might assist us. 'Another family has been left grieving and we are doing everything we can to find answers to their questions and locate whoever is responsible for this murder.' Chief Superintendent Caroline Haines, in charge of policing in Haringey, added: 'Our thoughts remain with the family who are having to come to terms with his life being taken in such a violent way. 'I would like to reassure the local community that we are working around the clock to assist specialist detectives with their investigation. 'We are grateful to residents for their patience and understanding while we go about this crucial work. The crime scenes and forensic work will have caused disruption but it is imperative that we gather any evidence that might prove vital in leading to an arrest. A murder investigation has been launched after Mr Iweha was found dead outside the ground Forensic investigators at the scene on Northumberland Park in Haringey, after the attack 'If you have information that could help us, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please tell us. You will see officers on the cordons and on patrol and they will be ready to listen to you.' Tottenham's Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest went ahead as planned last night but fans were asked to be patient due to road closures. Spurs said they were doing their utmost to accommodate the investigation. Tottenham Hotspur posted on X: 'Following an incident in which an individual has lost their life, we are doing everything to accommodate the ongoing Police investigation, which is of the utmost importance. 'This afternoon's Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest will go-ahead as scheduled, however the whole of Northumberland Park Road and Vicarage Road, as well as the north end of Worcester Avenue, will remain closed throughout. 'We shall update supporters as and when we can, and ask for fans to be patient and allow extra travel time. Our thoughts are with the victim's family and all those affected.' No arrests have been made as enquiries continue. For those with information contact the police on 101 quoting reference CAD 1387/07Apr. To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Tomorrow, the anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh's death, will be a moment of reflection not just for the Royal Family but for the nation. Together with that of his wife, the late Queen, the following year, Prince Philips passing was the end of an era. Most people alive today had only known talk of The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and even now, three years on, we are yet to fully adjust. Few could doubt that, by the time they lay side by side in the crypt at St George's Chapel, the 20th century was well and truly over. Here, to mark the anniversary of his passing, MailOnline remembers his towering presence with this insightful essay from author and broadcaster Andrew Marr, first published in the Mail on Sunday on April 11, 2021. Looked at from the outside, the Duke of Edinburgh was a kind of living model of the British establishment ever-present at all those State ceremonial occasions, Trooping the Colour, openings of Parliament. Lean, imperious, with an eagles stare and a hawk nose, dressed in the bearskin and scarlet of colonel of the Grenadier Guards, or the gold and dark navy of Lord High Admiral; and caught when in mufti, perhaps carriage-driving, in tweeds and bowler, even a top hat. Standing more or less to attention at the Queens side across nine decades, rigid with duty, terse with words, with the grimace of a man unlikely to suffer fools gladly, Prince Philip looked the part of the insiders insider. This, no doubt, is how millions of people will remember him. And yet it completely, utterly misunderstands him. It fails to get anywhere near the unusual, shy, self-critical, and sometimes radical figure that he was. The Duke of Edinburgh was always an outsider. All the uniforms, medals, awards, titles and adulation never really hid this truth. Prince Philip, pictured in Canada in 1984, came from a class and a generation which didnt believe in emotional exhibitionism Philip, pictured in 1946, served bravely in the Royal Navy, progressing from midshipman to a naval officer He came from a class and a generation which didnt believe in emotional exhibitionism. He rarely complained or, as he would put it belly-ached. But he had a woeful, desperately, lonely and destabilising upbringing, and suffered many frustrations in his adult life. He was born on Corfu because, in a classic 19th Century royal stitch-up, his grandfather, a Danish prince, had been chosen as the new king of Greece. But instability haunted the young Philip from his first weeks: after a disastrous war against Turkey, there was a coup in Greece and the babys father, Prince Andrew, an army officer, was arrested by the vengeful junta that took over the country. Had King George V not intervened, Philips father might have been executed by firing squad. Plenty of his friends and colleagues were. As it was, he, his four sisters and his parents were able to escape in a British destroyer. Baby Philip was, according to royal legend, carried aboard in an old orange crate. George Vs intervention was not surprising: Philips mother, Princess Alice, had been born at Windsor Castle and he was related to the British Royal Family through multiple cousinly connections. But, after settling near Paris, this royalty-for-hire family began to break up. Alice, suffering from a form of religious mania, ended up in a Swiss clinic before becoming a devout nun in the Greek Orthodox Church. Philips father, rather less devout, headed to the Riviera where he settled down with a mistress and led a casino life. Eventually the four sisters married German princes. Nobody, it seemed, was much around to look after young Philip. Sent to school, first in Germany just as the Nazis were taking power, he was then dispatched to Britain under the nominal care of his uncles, the Marquess of Milford Haven and Lord Mountbatten. In fact, apart from holiday breaks, he barely saw them. He spent his time at the newly-founded Gordonstoun School in Scotland, under the watchful eye of the man who was probably his major male influence, the Jewish-German educationist Kurt Hahn. Gordonstoun was a very tough, somewhat puritanical school and Hahn, who had been a significant diplomatic figure in the Kaisers Germany before having to flee Hitler, had a bleak view of the modern world. To combat moral decay, Hahn wanted a cadre of no-nonsense, unsentimental, tough young men (women were not involved). Philip was one. Indeed, much in the adult Duke of Edinburgh, with his distaste for the mealy-mouthed and the sloppy, can be traced back to Gordonstoun and Kurt Hahn. This was certainly the origin of his most famous achievement as Consort, the Duke of Edinburghs Award scheme. By this stage in his life, the young Philip might have seemed a most unpromising recruit for the British establishment. He might be bluff and anti-blubbing but he carried deep emotional scars from family and abandonment, and had been encouraged to take a pessimistic view of modern times. What helped was the coming of the Second World War. As an eager, and brilliant, young recruit to the Royal Navy, Philip served bravely, was decorated and promoted, and ended that war having risen from midshipman to a naval officer who colleagues thought might have made it all the way to Admiral. By that time, he had first glimpsed the Queen as a young girl she had been just 13 when they first met and then begun to court her. By now, many of his lifetime traits were visible a bounding, irrepressible energy, a combative outspokenness in speech and a gleeful relish in upending conventions and shocking the pompous. He could certainly be a disconcerting figure. I remember trying to make small-talk with him about Charles Darwin, and saying that I thought he was the most important Briton of the Victorian period. He gave me a long glance but glance is the wrong word: it felt more like being thoroughly scoured with bleach. I intensely dislike generalisations, he said, before turning on his heel. Yet his conversational pepperiness, which caused him so many rows with the press, and spread so much offence, at least to journalists, derived not just from an impish sense of humour but from a deep sense of impatience. The Duke hated sloppiness, fudging, evasion. Time was always short. So much needed doing: get on with it. Those who knew him well thought that he was always much harder on himself than anyone else. In 1960, he famously coined the word dontopedalogy, which he defined as the science of opening your mouth and putting your foot in it, a science which I have practised for a good many years. The frustration came from the fact that, with the clear sight of an outsider, he was strongly critical of the British Establishment, and British business and industry more generally. After he married the Queen in 1947, he had to cope with an immense amount of snobbery and sneering from courtiers and senior politicians, who delighted in mocking him as the German. For the Queen and Philip it seems to have been love almost at first sight, a genuine coup de foudre Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth married in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 1947 When he first wore the kilt, he curtsied to the King. In footage from the Coronation, he organises and bosses around assorted nobility and crowned heads for the photographers, as if they were dim sheep. He certainly knew Germany better than they did: three of his four sisters had married Germans who served Hitler in the war one of them rising to become an SS colonel, working with Himmler. Such in-laws were excluded from his wedding. As a boy, he had been sent to school at Schloss Salem, just as the Hitler Youth (whom he mocked) were taking over the place. His brave and dedicated service in the British Navy never counted much among civilian snobs, compared with those German connections. His chosen family name, Mountbatten, was a clumsy Anglicisation of Battenberg and helped persuade the then Tory Cabinet that it must not become the surname of the dynasty, which would remain Windsor. Philip was bitterly hurt by this and some of his grandchildren have responded by hyphenating the name. Archie, for example, son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has been christened with the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. In fact, Philip always thought of himself as fundamentally Scandinavian, in particular Danish which was, in a family sense, absolutely true. The Duke was, among other things, the Queens Viking. For the Queen and Philip it seems to have been love almost at first sight, a genuine coup de foudre. They were lucky people. Four children followed quickly. Nothing made the Duke of Edinburgh angrier than press stories about his alleged affairs. As a young married man, its true, he was immensely attractive and found the stifling conventions of London Court life intolerable. He hung around a racy, hard-drinking, dirty-story-telling set. But he was also attended everywhere by a private detective and none of this makes him a philanderer. The Duke flew aircraft, painted pictures and wrote books. There was far more to him than his action-man image as this picture of him painting in 1969 reveals Philip was the patron of innumerable charities, a tireless fundraiser for good causes and almost always at the Queens side. He is pictured at the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in 2018 No, first and foremost, he was an awkward, probing, sceptical outsider. A practical man, he saw through the self-congratulatory and delusional puffery of much of 1950s British industry. He realised things were going to have to change if Britain, his attractively stable adopted home, was to succeed in the post-war world. So he threw himself into encouraging industrial and commercial modernisation, devouring books on management and touring factories. He was an enthusiast for innovations such as Sir Christopher Cockerells hovercraft which Philip dented on a sea trial, characteristically, by taking it across the waves too fast. And he caused a satisfactory quantity of offence in 1961 by telling captains of industry: Gentlemen, I think it is time to pull your fingers out. They regarded this as another gaffe and didnt listen to him properly. After the family disasters of his early life, the really big blow as he settled into the role of Consort was that he never had any mechanism or system to make proper use of his energy and intellect. Where he did find a role, he quickly made a difference in shaking up the running of Buckingham Palace, or greatly raising the profile of the World Wide Fund for Nature. But he could easily have been a dynamic source of modernisation and chivvying at the heart of the British state. He certainly had the ideas new ways to engage British youth; new enthusiasms about everything from energy efficiency to environmentalism; a restlessly curious mind, well-read and forceful in expression. He chaired committees. He made speeches. He flew aircraft, painted pictures and wrote books. But he never had his hands on the levers of real power. He mourned the useful and exciting naval career that was cut off, brutally, when he married Princess Elizabeth. He could seem like a caged wild creature, prowling palaces, snarling at gawpers and rattling his gilded, wrought-iron bars. No one could ever fault his duty. The patron of innumerable charities, a tireless fundraiser for good causes and almost always at the Queens side during interminable global tours and local visits, he always got on with it and did his bit. But monarchy is not a constitutional system which wants, or expects, practical work from its emblematic figures, and the Duke of Edinburgh found it hard to reconcile himself to this truth. The bigger charge against him was that he turned out to be a poor father. Given his own childhood, this would have been unsurprising. From Gordonstoun to the Navy, he had grown up in a ferociously male world. If he wasnt an empathetic, emotionally open modern man, thats hardly a shock. It is often said that his son Charles was a disappointment and that Philip was, in turn, a disappointment to Charles. Although the two of them were profoundly different in temperament, they always shared more than much of the outside world understood. Charles drew his spiritual interests in part from his father and the same is true about his passionate interest in nature, farming and environmentalism. Both men sought solace in painting, with both rather better than adequate with their brushes. The Duke of Edinburgh was said to have found his sons adultery hurtful and incomprehensible, but the Windsors are hardly the first family to have struggled with different sexual mores during the second half of the 20th Century. Those who know best, his children and grandchildren, talk of a wise, engaged and listening man. And the Duke got on very well with the younger children. There is plenty of unaffected, impossible-to-stage film footage of horseplay to prove it. Much later on, when Charless marriage to Diana broke down, he wrote the Princess letters he meant as kind, loving and helpful advice. In the depths of her misery, she didnt agree but again, that was hardly his fault. After her death, he worked hard to support William and Harry and maintained a warm relationship. Many men would be quietly proud of such a record. What is undoubtedly true is that he was a man of his time. He was sensitive and, friends said, shy. He thought deeply about some of the biggest modern problems, such as the effect of the human population on the planet, and he had any eager amateurs interest in science. But he presented a bluff and often forbidding exterior to the world. He was deeply interested in religion. He read philosophy, and poetry but he spoke as if he didnt. In many ways, he did represent the Britain of the beginning of the Queens reign a much more military society, hierarchical, terse, buttoned-up, inclined to see the rest of the worlds human families in crudely stereotyped terms. Those who know best, his children and grandchildren, talk of a wise, engaged and listening man. And the Duke got on very well with the younger children. This portrait was taken in 1968 at Windsor Castle Like many of that generation, he probably found younger Britons incomprehensibly scruffy, tattooed, overweight and self-pitying. As the British changed so, a bit, did the Duke. He was an early thinker about environmental protection, pollution and the destruction of wild spaces. If he was never the dangerous socialist radical, he never lost his belief that most things, most of the time, deserved to be challenged and shaken up. One of the Queens great achievements is that throughout her long reign, she kept her personal opinions so effectively hidden. She understood that she was an emblem a symbol of the nation and symbols shouldnt speak. Her consort and supporter for so many decades no doubt understood this as well; she couldnt have been such an effective monarch without him. But unlike her, he never found it easy. His death will leave her bereft. But isnt it extraordinary that such a lonely boy, whose own family was so shattered, goes to his grave as the patriarch of such a huge, basically happy and varied family? A looming storm threatens to cloud the view of the eclipse in Dallas Tourists who traveled thousands of miles to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse in Dallas - what was meant to offer the best view - are racing elsewhere as storm clouds gather over the Lone Star state. Although Texas has one of the best geographical positions to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial event, clouds started to roll in around 9 am local time as severe storms are expected Monday night. The National Weather Service in Forth Worth explained the morning cloud cover would start to break up around noon, allowing many to enjoy the spectacle in the sky. In updated advice at 11am, the Weather Service declared New England as the new best viewing spot. People assemble to view a total solar eclipse in Eagle Pass, Texas - The Lone Star State was originally thought to have the best views of the spectacle Clouds started to roll in around 9 am local time as severe storms are expected Monday night in Texas Crowds gather on the observation deck of Edge at Hudson Yards in New York City In updated advice at 11am, the Weather Service declared New England as the new best viewing spot 'The best viewing conditions are likely north of I-20,' the organization tweeted. 'It might look BAD around 9-11 am this morning, BUT we are expecting some low clouds to scatter before eclipse time. High level clouds should remain thin in many spots.' Monday's forecast has left those in the path of totality-- where the moon will completely block out the sun causing a temporary darkness-- holding their breath, as thousands of tourists, and their money, have flocked to the state for the event. The Lone Star State will be the first state to see the celestial event around 1:27 PM ET, then Oklahoma is next at around 1:45pm CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51pm ET and Missouri about five minutes after. Illinois is next in line along the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse at around 1:59pm CT and Paducah, Kentucky about one minute later. And Evansville, Indiana at 2:02CT and then Ohio is expected to witness it at around 3:13pm ET. State officials have estimated that up to 556,000 people will be visiting the Buckeye state. Erie, Pennsylvania is next, with the solar eclipse set for 3:16pm ET, followed by Buffalo, New York at around 3:18pm ET. The path will continue up north, reaching Burlington, Vermont at 3:26pm ET, Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27pm ET and Caribou, Maine at 3:32pm ET. Storms (some severe) increase in coverage late this afternoon/tonight. When looking at this radar loop, don't focus on exact locations for each storm, but more so the general area & timing. STAY ALERT today and be prepared to seek shelter if camping/outdoors! #txwx #dfwwx #ctxwx pic.twitter.com/EWAGh7SxiG NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) April 8, 2024 The yellow lines represent the path where people will be able to view the solar eclipse on April 8, while the green line shows the locations directly under the path of totality-- or places that might experience darkness Some cities and towns, like Austin and Killeen, were expecting to see their populations double for the eclipse, prompting Travis and several other counties to declare states of emergencies. Some tourists who traveled to Texas to experience the darkness first-hand are now leaving the state in order to get a better view. Jontue Austin and his family drove 14 hours from Minnesota to Dallas, but after seeing the weather, they decided to jump ship. They spent Sunday in North Texas, but decided to drive to Little Rock, Arkansas Monday morning. 'We didn't come all this way to be disappointed,' Jontue Austin told DailyMail.com Monday as he and his wife Phala were checking their weather apps Monday morning. 'We're going to Little Rock after looking at the weather. That's the closest that we can get to where it's still sunny.' Here's the last hour of visible satellite imagery showing low clouds spreading north. There are some breaks though. Thicker low clouds are in Central TX. #txwx #Eclipse2024 #ctxwx pic.twitter.com/WTmHL1JcSN NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) April 8, 2024 In the Lone Star State, the eclipse will be visible from around 1 pm to 2 pm, according to NASA. During that time, some areas directly in the path of totality will be in darkness People gather and wait to observe a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico Ironically, they choose the Lone Star State as their viewing area because of the weather. 'When we saw the path of totality, we thought Texas would be the least likely to be rained out. We also thought about going to New England, but it just didn't work on the calendar with travel dates, so we decided to go to Texas,' the dad of three girls explained. The Austins had been on the fence about changing their travel plans for about a week, as they were keeping an eye on the forecast. 'We had already booked the hotel (in Dallas) so we already on the hook at that point,' he stated, adding that they met a French couple at their hotel who was also nervously hoping the clouds wouldn't ruin their trip. 'At least we can drive somewhere. The French couple flew across continents to be let down.' Not wanting to dampened the experience for their 16, 14, 11 girls, the Austins were halfway to Texas' neighboring state by mid-morning. 'In all my years here, I've never experinced a total eclipse, and I'll be in my 60 by then. If not, now when. Also, this eclipse has the longest totality, over four minutes, so that's kind of special in in of itself for the kids,' he said. And it seems other travelers made the same decision as the Austin. Texas towns, like Fredericksburg, that were expecting hordes of crowds never got them. 'I think some of it is the weather, the cloudiness expectations and the rain expectations. Theyre moving to other states, Shana Menzies who operates a food truck told local station KXAN. Jontue Austin and his family drove 14 hours from Minnesota to Dallas, but after seeing the weather, they decided to jump ship Today's the day! While we hope the weather allows full visibility , the complete phase of the eclipse will begin in Dallas at 12:23 p.m. with totality beginning at 1:40 p.m. If you're in the terminal, check out our team's eclipse-themed giveaways for passengers! pic.twitter.com/xkO6mEmgdb Dallas Love Field Airport (@DallasLoveField) April 8, 2024 The Austins are headed to Little Rock, Arkansas Monday morning in hopes of finding a better view of the eclipse The picturesque town, located in Texas wine country, barely got any more visitors than it would on a regular weekend, other locals confirmed. Bill Nye the Science Guy was slated to host a viewing party in Fredericksburg along with the The Planetary Society. 'They told us it was going to go from 10,000 population to 110,000 population,' Jean Bentley from Salt Lake City, Utah told the outlet. But the numbers never materialized. 'Today's the day! While we hope the weather allows full visibility, the complete phase of the eclipse will begin in Dallas at 12:23 p.m. with totality beginning at 1:40 p.m,' tweeted Dallas' airport. The Texas Total Eclipse Festival in Burnet canceled its celebration plans for Monday due to the severe weather forecast. At least 30,000 people descended on the small town for the festival, reported KXAN. 'We regret to inform you of the severe weather forecast, including risks of high winds, tornadic activity, large hail, and thunderstorms for later today, including during the eclipse, Tuesday, and Wednesday,' the organization said on Facebook. 'Your safety is our top priority. With the support and coordination of Burnet County officials, local safety agencies, and The National Weather Service, weve agreed to end the festival today in a calm orderly manner.' A forgotten World War Two shelter with suggested links to the Dambusters Raid is set to go on auction for 165,000. Foxwarren Bunker, near Cobham, Surrey, will be sold along with 2.1 acres of commuter belt woodland, but without current planning permission for the site. It is the first ever air raid shelter to be sold by Michael Mercer of auctioneers Strettons, who is representing the lot, and goes under the hammer on April 18. The subterranean bunker was built into the bank of the forest and is suggested to be one of the most significant passages in British military history. It became linked to a network of depots known as the Foxwarren Experimental Department, a secret wartime project that produced prototypes for new planes and weapons. One of the people working at the base would be Dambusters inventor Barnes Wallis, who spent time developing the release mechanism for his bouncing bomb in a nearby hanger. The bombs were used by the 617 Dambusters Squadron to destroy critical infrastructure in Germany in a surprise attack in 1943, which dealt a vital blow to Hitler's industrial machine during the Second World War. Foxwarren Bunker (pictured) will be sold along with 2.1 acres of commuter belt woodland The H-shaped bunker has a foreboding entrance and reinforced concrete walls The subterranean bunker was built into the bank of the forest and is suggested to be one of the most significant passages in British military history READ MORE: The Dambusters - How bouncing bombs flooded the Ruhr and delivered a crucial blow to Hitler Advertisement Today, the bunker has been a source of interest for amateur explorers, with a number of visits to the site documented on YouTube and websites dedicated to derelict underground finds. The site failed to find a buyer last year when it was put up for sale at 300,000, but Mr Mercer says the company has seen 'keen interest' in this plot after it recently sold an adjacent parcel of land. He told the Evening Standard: 'We don't exactly get wartime bunkers offered to us every month. It's definitely an unusual one. 'It's hard to put a value on something like this, but that's the good thing about an auction.' During the Second World War, the bunker believed to have served the nearby motor racing circuit and aerodrome called Brooklands - a site which was turned over to the production of military aircraft. The site failed to find a buyer last year when it was put up for sale at 300,000, but the auctioneers says they have seen 'keen interest' in this plot The structure of the tunnels would have been built within an excavated site and then covered with the backfill material, known as a cut and cover technique The site became linked to a network of depots known as the Foxwarren Experimental Department, a secret wartime project that produced prototypes for new planes and weapons The H-shaped bunker has a foreboding entrance and reinforced concrete walls, which are a departure from the corrugated iron sheets typical of traditional air raid shelters. There is a vertical escape shaft at the far end, but this is now inaccessible thanks to a broken ladder and large tree root. The structure of the tunnels would have been built within an excavated site and then covered with the backfill material, known as a cut and cover technique. Securing a rental property has been a competitive business for tenants in recent years as demand continues to outstrip supply. With that competition comes the need for tenants to present themselves in the best possible light to landlords if they are going to seal the deal. However, the lengths some would-be tenants are prepared to go to has taken a turn in the past year amid a sharp rise in the amount of fraud, including producing fake payslips. The amount of fraud among tenants jumped 141 per cent last year compared to 2022, according to analysis by referencing experts Goodlord. Some tenants are resorting to fraud in order to secure a new home amid a fiercely competitive rental market It suggests some tenants feel they have no option but take extreme steps to ensure they are in the running for a rental property. Goodlord analysed a sample of 300,000 tenancy applications from 2022 and compared it to a similar number last year. In 2022, 1.2 cases of fraud were picked up for every 1,000 applications. Last year, that rose to 2.9 cases in every 1,000, a rise of 141.6 per cent annually. The most common form of fraud detected in the data was payslip fraud. This is where tenants either boost their income or edit its source, such as changing a company name. And the methods being used to carry out this type of fraud range from basic editing through to the use of software, such as photoshop. The fraud doesn't stop at fake payslips. Other fraud picked up during the past year by the fraud fighting experts includes false passport images. Others flagged up as suspicious on an application include salary declarations not matching up with bank statements. And there may also be employer references from companies that don't exist or doctored documents where different fonts are used. Last year, Goodlord claimed that payslip fraud accounted for 58 per cent of all fraud cases detected, and that just one of these slipping through could cost the agent a lifetime landlord value of 10,000. While referencing teams can be trained to spot inconsistencies in tenant applications, fraud can also be detected with the help of Open Banking and AI tools, which can help spot repeat offenders. What do fraud experts look for? Through a combination of tech and human review, certain things can flag a tenant's application for a rental property as suspicious. These include: Salary declarations not matching up with bank statements Photos on ID documents not matching up with the 'selfie' photo confirmation that an applicant submits Irregularities flagged by Open Banking Doctored documents, such as seeing misalignments or different fonts on documents Employer references coming from companies that don't exist Advertisement What happens if an application is fraudulent? As well as blocking an application, any fraudulent information or documents provided by a prospective tenant is 'logged internally for future use' so any future incidents can be picked up quickly, according to Goodlord. Details of tenants involved in confirmed fraud are also added to CIFAS, the national fraud database. This could have serious implications for applicants if they try to apply for certain types of finance in the future. Details of tenants involved in confirmed fraud are added to the national fraud database, which could have serious implications for applicants if they try to apply for finance in the future Nishma Parekh, of Goodlord, said: 'Fraud can come in many forms. In some instances, tenants who are desperate to secure a property think bumping up their salary will help seal the deal. 'Given the current pressures on the housing market, it's understandable as to why we're seeing a rise in this type of fraud. 'However, this is inadvisable as you could end up on the National Fraud Database, impacting future job prospects and other life events such as securing loans. Given the current pressures on the housing market, it's understandable as to why we're seeing a rise in this type of fraud. However, this is inadvisable as you could end up on the National Fraud Database, impacting future job prospects and other life events such as securing loans Nishma Parekh - Goodlord 'And, of course, there is also a much darker side to fraud, such as criminals using false IDs to secure properties, or people who are looking to sign tenancies using forged documents. 'As the tools used to commit fraud grow more sophisticated and personal information is increasingly digitised, it's vital that landlords and agents can access the cutting-edge technology designed to fight back - ones that can protect them and ensure they can let their properties out in good faith. 'Through integrations with payroll providers, HMRC, the fraud database and Open Banking, skilled teams and tech solutions are helping tackle fraud, making it increasingly hard for bad actors to game the system.' It comes amid a sharp rise in rental values since the start of the pandemic. Among the latest findings, Zoopla suggested that rents have risen 29 per cent since just before the start of the pandemic. While the rate of growth in rental prices has eased during the past year, they are still significantly higher than four years ago, the property website said. The average rent in Britain was 948 a month in January 2020, and has risen to 1,223 today, the property portal says. North London estate agent Jeremy Leaf,said: 'The increase in fraud or potential fraud is unsurprising because we have noticed in our offices over the past few years a definite uptick in attempts to defraud the system. Fraudsters are becoming very sophisticated and it can be difficult, without specialist knowledge or equipment, to see through it. 'However, one has to try, relying on letting agents who should have a good idea of what to watch out for, as well as using your own intuition. 'Reference agencies are relying on biometric facial recognition to sort the good from the dishonest. This is complemented by AML regulations, which HMRC are very keen to toughen up, to make sure as little as possible falls through the cracks because detection rates have been so low among property people in recent times. 'We heard of one case recently where a tenant had rather amateurishly tried to distort their bank statements in terms of changing the dates. It was hard to tell apart from the typeface they used was slightly different and when challenged they withdrew their application.' > Are you a landlord that was a victim of rental fraud? Get in touch: myra.butterworth@mailonline.co.uk Walking the streets of Dallas on Saturday you wouldn't have a clue that a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event was due to occur in less than 48 hours. More than 400,000 people have traveled to the city - and a million are expected in Texas as a whole - to be in the direct line of sight of the total solar eclipse. There were no tacky stalls selling memorabilia or t-shirts that I could see, and several locals - astonishingly - had no idea what a solar eclipse was or that they were about to get one of the best views of it in North America. It wasn't until I ventured into pubs and restaurants - and signed up for goat yoga, yes you read that right - that I found people who'd traveled from all over the US. Most of the cosmic tourists I spoke to had come from California, which will be a pretty poor vantage point for the eclipse. (Left to Right): Ariel Heins, Rhoda Roll, Michaela Roll and Katelyn Roll were visiting Dallas from Houston for the weekend and while they were excited about the solar eclipse, they said they wouldn't be staying for the event. Houston is outside the path of totality and will only get to see a partial solar eclipse Christ Pedersen (pictured) instructed the goat yoga class and said she warns people that goats using people's mats as a toilet is a possibility. Goats climbed on yogis' backs while they followed the instructor's movements and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience Lily (pictured) traveled on a plane for the first time from the Bay area of California with her mom, Nicole, (right) and was excited to be surrounded by goats and to see the solar eclipse on Monday One goat, Cinnamon, climbed on Kevin as he prepared to participate in goat yoga. The goat followed me around as I took pictures of the yogis, and eventually christened my mat as a toilet People who flew in from California told me they were viewing the event from their relative's homes or from a rooftop restaurant, but others said they were taking their children to the Dallas Zoo to watch the eclipse alongside the elephants and giraffes. A young child, Lily, told me she was excited to see the moon block the sun, but was even more excited to have flown on a plane for the first time. Her parents, Kevin and Nicole, brought her to Dallas from the Bay area in California and laughed as they shared their euphoria at being part of the event. Other families traveled from the Sunshine State including Patrick and Meagan who brought their two children from San Jose and said they plan to watch the solar eclipse from the Dallas Zoo to 'see how the animals react.' 'We just look for all sorts of events that were eclipse related,' Patrick said, adding that they showed their kids the yoga class and they were 'so excited.' They were drawn to participate in goat yoga in the lead-up to the eclipse, telling me that when their daughter 'saw a goat in a tutu and she was all in.' I joined in the fun at goat yoga which was unlike any yoga class I've ever attended as goats climbed on my back while in child's pose or in a cat/cow position. It was thoroughly enjoyable until a goat, who had been following me around all class as I took pictures of the other yogis, walked across my mat and decided to use it as a toilet. Instructor Christy Pedersen told me that she's never received any complaints about the class but always makes sure to warn people that a goat going to the bathroom on the mat is a possibility - it's just a shame that I didn't hear the announcement. While travelers continued to express their excitement to be a part of the events leading up to the solar eclipse, for many people in Dallas, it's just another day, or 'business as usual,' as tourists from around the world flock to the region - the city sees 25.7 million visitors each year. Some locals admitted they didn't know the solar eclipse was even happening as they set up their weekly outdoor booths to sell homemade gifts to visitors of The Lone Star State - and other residents said the hype was 'just silly.' The solar eclipse will extend 115 miles from Maine to Texas, with Dallas being one of the most popular cities for skygazers to visit as the totality - the amount of time the moon is in front of the sun - lasts for roughly four minutes. George and Reannon sold their crocheted scarves and candles at the Anna sip n' shop on Saturday. The couple didn't know about the solar eclipse until they saw it on Facebook and think it's 'just nature doing its thing' Locals gathered at the Anna sip n' shop but said it wasn't a big deal that the eclipse was happening in Texas. It was just another day Natalie (left) and Dee (right) worked a booth at the Anna sip n' shop and said they didn't know what was so exciting about the eclipse but were happy it's bringing revenue to the area Texans sat at booths stocked with their homemade crafts at the Anna sip n' shop event on Saturday, while others knocked back drinks at the bar - but it wasn't a celebration of the upcoming solar eclipse, it was just another day. 'I didn't expect a whole lot,' Reannon, who had a booth at the event, told DailyMail.com when asked what she thinks about tourists overwhelming the Dallas area. Reannon and her husband, George, were selling crocheted scarves and homemade soy candles. 'I didn't think we'd see any extra traffic until we started hearing all the news and the local Facebook page, things like that, like, oh, there's going to be more people coming through because of the eclipse,' she said. 'I honestly didn't even realize what's happening until I saw it on Facebook.' 'It's not a big deal for us,' Reannon said, adding: 'I know a lot of people are like, 'Oh my gosh, it's the end of time!' But that's the silliest thing on the planet. 'I think it's just nature doing its thing and science doing its thing.' Dr. Solange Ramirez, an astronomer with Carnegie Science Observatory told a crowd at that this is the last time a total solar eclipse will occur in Dallas for 200 years Christ Lindsteadt (left) and Christian Sprunck (right) were visiting the Anna sip n' shop and said they weren't likely to do anything big to celebrate the eclipse. Both would be working during the day, but Lindsteadt said he could view the event at home because his students had the second half of the day off Although some locals remain unimpressed heading into the solar eclipse, Dr Solange Ramirez, an astronomer from Carnegie Science Observatory in California, said this is the only time Dallas will see an event like this for another 200 years. Ramirez said this would be her first time seeing a solar eclipse and was asked to partner with the Perot Museum to speak at events around Dallas about what people can expect. She said the moon will start crossing in front of the sun at 12:20 p.m. CDT and will take a little longer than an hour to reach full totality. The total solar occurs when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun, briefly turning the outdoors dark during the daytime. READ MORE: Will clouds wreck YOUR eclipse viewing party? The solar eclipse will spread across 115 miles from Maine to Texas on Monday, but astronomers say the path of totality has shifted by 2,000 feet Advertisement At 1:40 p.m. CDT, viewers will see what's called the diamond ring effect, when you can only see a white outline around the edges of the moon which will last for three minutes and 52 seconds. During the moment of totality, viewers can safely remove their solar eclipse glasses, Ramirez said, but when the moon starts exposing the sun again - it's imperative to put the glasses back on. Universities and schools are closing early in preparation for the eclipse and to allow students to view this once-in-a-lifetime event. Chris Lindsteadt discussed the cancellation of classes at the University of Texas at Dallas and the opportunity for his students to see the eclipse. 'I've been surprised by the number of people I've talked to who say they have family and friends that are flying in, said Lindsteadt. 'I mean, it's a big deal, but I just It never dawned on me that you'd want to fly here just for that, but they picked a great place to come to and it's just pretty exciting.' An estimated 400,000 people are flying to Dallas to view the solar eclipse and about 90 percent of the hotels in the area are expected to reach full capacity. Edgar is a full-time Lyft driver who moved to the US from Mexico City eight years ago, but his only thought heading into the solar eclipse on Monday is his wife and two kids back home. He still has relatives in Texas on his mother's side, but will likely spend the solar eclipse on his own, driving visitors to and from the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. The bedlam that's expected to shake up the city likely won't affect people living in the suburbs like Melissa or Plano where locals said they'll just watch the event from the comfort of their own homes. Some locals are excited for tourists to come to Dallas, including nine-year-old Tucker Tsirigos, who told DailyMail.com 'It would be so cool!' 'People can watch it from lawn chairs in their backyards or on the side of the road ... and the weather is so nice!,' he said, adding: 'People should come visit!' What's being described as the biggest astronomical event of the decade is finally happening today. The total solar eclipse when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun is taking place in the early afternoon of April 8. Briefly turning the outdoors dark in daytime, the spectacle will be visible for an estimated 32 million people along a narrow strip of North and Central America. While the total solar eclipse won't be visible in the UK, nine towns and cities in Britain and Ireland will get a glimpse of a 'partial' solar eclipse, where the sun is partially covered by the moon, making it look like the sun has had a 'bite' taken out of it. So, will the stunning astronomical display be visible from your hometown? A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. This illustration shows the moon's shadow on April 8, which will move across the face of the Earth Which towns in the UK and Ireland will see the partial solar eclipse? UK Londonderry: 21.5 per cent Belfast: 17.3 per cent Glasgow: 11.2 per cent Edinburgh: 6.1 per cent Aberdeen: 4.2 per cent Liverpool: 0.64 per cent Ireland Belmullet: 44.2 per cent Galway: 35.5 per cent Dublin: 15.5 per cent Percentages reveal how much of the sun will be covered Advertisement A total solar eclipse happens when the moon and the sun line up perfectly and the moon is close enough to us to cover the whole of the sun, from our perspective. 'In those circumstances the moon casts a tiny shadow on the surface of the Earth,' said Dr Robert Massey, deputy director of the Royal Astronomical Society. 'The people who stand in that shadow as it moves over them are lucky enough to see a total solar eclipse.' Dubbed the 'Great American Eclipse', Monday marks the first total solar eclipse visible anywhere in the world since December 2021, and the first seen from the US since August 2017. Its path of totality where the eclipse will be fully visible will range from Mexico's Pacific coast to US states including Texas, Illinois, Ohio and New York in the early afternoon local time. It will then make its way to Canada, moving from the city of Montreal to the provinces of New Brunswick and Newfoundland. However, there might be the opportunity to see a partial eclipse just before sunset in the western UK and Ireland, between about 19:50 BST and 20:50 BST. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Liverpool are among the UK cities likely to have the best potential views, along with County Donegal in Ireland, Dr Massey said. 'There is an outside chance that you can see a partial solar eclipse, where a little bit of the sun is covered a small percentage is blocked out by the moon,' he said. 'If you've got clear skies, this will be visible just before sunset.' April 8: This colour coded map shows the path of totality as a dashed line in deep pink. It's here where the whole of the sun will be blocked by the moon. Further out are areas that will see partial eclipse. Here, the percentage of the sun blocked in these colour-coded areas is given As this map shows, towns further to the West of the country will see slightly more of the partial eclipse while London and other towns in the East will not see the partial eclipse at all TOTAL: This view of the total solar eclipse was taken from Cullowhee, North Carolina on August 21, 2017. On April 8, 2024, the moon will cast its shadow across a stretch of the US, Mexico and Canada, plunging millions of people into midday darkness from Cullowhee, North Carolina PARTIAL: Clouds part to reveal the sun obscured by the moon during a partial solar eclipse at Skegness in Lincolnshire, north England on March 20, 2015 The April 8 total eclipse will sweep across the continent, starting in Mexico and moving eastwards through Texas where it will travel up to New England and finish in eastern Canada When will the total solar eclipse occur? After passing through Mexico, the first state to see the total solar eclipse on April 8 will be: Texas (starting at 13:27 CDT) It will then pass to the following states: Oklahoma (13:43 CDT) (13:43 CDT) Arkansas (13:45 CDT) (13:45 CDT) Missouri (13:53 CDT) (13:53 CDT) Tennessee (13:58 CDT) (13:58 CDT) Kentucky (13:58 CDT) (13:58 CDT) Illinois (13:58 CDT) (13:58 CDT) Indiana (14:01 CDT) (14:01 CDT) Ohio (15:08 EDT) (15:08 EDT) Michigan (15:12 EDT) (15:12 EDT) Pennsylvania (15:15 EDT) (15:15 EDT) New York (15:16 EDT) (15:16 EDT) Vermont (15:25 EDT) (15:25 EDT) New Hampshire (15:28 EDT) (15:28 EDT) Maine (15:28 EDT) It will finish in eastern Canada. Other parts of the US will just see a partial eclipse - because they are outside the 'path of totality' Source: timeanddate.com Advertisement Shaded area marks the moon's shadow moving over the Earth on April 8; people in this area will only see a partial eclipse unless they're in the path traversed by the black dot right in the centre in this case they'll see a total solar eclipse If you're in North American on April 8, here's what you need to know. The total solar eclipse will be visible along a 'path of totality', starting in Mexico and moving through Texas where it will travel up to New England and finish in Canada. In any one location along the path of totality, people will see a partial eclipse followed by the total eclipse, and then a partial eclipse again, effectively as the moon moves in and then out of position. Whatever your location along the path of totality, the total eclipse should be visible for about four minutes so you better give plenty of time to get a good view. With any eclipse (total, partial or otherwise) it's important not to look directly at the sun with the naked eye while the event is happening not even through sunglasses, binoculars or a telescope. A simple pinhole projector, solar eclipse viewing glasses, which can be purchased online, or special solar filters are much safer. Looking directly at the sun with the naked eye is dangerous and can cause permanent damage or blindness. 'During the partial phase of the eclipse it's incredibly important because the sun remains extremely bright,' Dr Massey said. 'Even when you've got a thin crescent left, it's still easy enough to damage your eyes. 'Instead, what you need to do is either go to a public event where amateur astronomers might be projecting an image of the sun you can look at. 'Or if you can get hold of certified, proper, good-standard eclipse shades (you can buy them online) they block out most of the harmful light from the sun.' The eclipse can also be observed safely with everyday objects such as a kitchen colander or two pieces of paper and a pushpin, which can be used to create a projection screen for the sun's rays. Snapshot during a total solar eclipse: Red line shows the perfect alignment of the centre of the sun (left) and the centre of the moon (middle) with the Earth (right). On Earth, the very centre of the moon's shadow sees a total solar eclipse (where the whole of the sun is blocked). The rest of the shadow sees a partial solar eclipse (where part of the sun is blocked). People in the rest of the shadow see a partial solar eclipse because the moon's centre is slightly above or slightly below the sun's centre, from the viewer's perspective. In effect, part of the sun 'peeps out' because the sun isn't totally blocking it The path of the solar eclipse will start over the Pacific and travel Eastwards over the US, finishing above the Atlantic west of Ireland Sadly, places like London, and other regions further east into mainland Europe, have no chance of witnessing the event. 'For the most of the UK, we won't see anything at all, partly because the sun will be below the horizon from out point of view,' Dr Brown said. Unfortunately, the next total solar eclipse isn't visible in the UK for another 66 years. Occurring on September 23, 2090, it will be the first total solar eclipse visible from Britain since August 11, 1999, and the first visible from Ireland since May 22, 1724. After Monday, the next solar eclipse is an annular solar eclipse on October 2, but it will only be visible from the southern tips of Argentina and Chile, as well as Easter Island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Other parts of South America including Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru as well as Hawaii and New Zealand should see a partial solar eclipse that day. China Close-Up | Ancient city revived through cultural heritage preservation (People's Daily App) 17:08, April 08, 2024 Rongguo Mansion in Zhengding county, Hebei Province, was one of the first film and television shooting bases in China. It was meticulously designed and constructed, greatly inspired by its depiction in the renowned Chinese classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber. The completion of Rongguo Mansion not only preserves the essence of traditional Chinese culture but also plays a pivotal role in stimulating local tourism. It's worth noting that Zhengding county wouldn't have Rongguo Mansion without support from Xi Jinping. Check this video to find out why. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) More than 90 people died when an overcrowded makeshift ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique, local authorities said on Sunday. The converted fishing boat, carrying about 130 people, ran into trouble as it tried to reach an island off Nampula province, officials said. "Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuited to carry passengers it ended up sinking. There are 91 people who lost their lives," said Nampula's secretary of state Jaime Neto. Many children were among the victims, he added. Rescuers had found five survivors and were searching for more, but sea conditions were making the operation difficult. Most passengers were trying to escape the mainland because of a panic caused by disinformation about cholera, Neto said. The southern African country, one of the world's poorest, has recorded almost 15,000 cases of the waterborne disease and 32 deaths since October, according to government data. Nampula is the worst affected region, accounting for a third of all cases. In recent months, the province has also received a large influx of people fleeing a wave of jihadist attacks in its northern neighbour of Cabo Delgado. Island of Mozambique Neto said an investigative team was working to find out the causes of the boat disaster. Two of the five survivors were receiving treatment in hospital, the official said. The boat was headed to the Island of Mozambique, a small coral islet that used to serve as the capital of Portuguese East Africa and gave its name to the country. A trading-post on the route to India initially used by Arab merchants, it was claimed for Portugal by famed explorer Vasco da Gama. Hosting a fortified city and linked to the mainland by a bridge built in the 1960s, the island is listed as a World Heritage Site by the U.N.'s culture agency, UNESCO. Mozambique, which has a long Indian Ocean coastline and borders South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania, was a Portuguese colony until independence in 1975. Home to more than 30 million people, it is regularly hit by destructive cyclones. In March, at least one person died as an illegal fishing vessel wrecked near a southern beach. With almost two thirds of the population living in poverty, the country has set high hopes on vast natural gas deposits discovered in Cabo Delgado in 2010. But an insurgency since 2017 waged by militants linked to the Islamic State group has stalled progress. More than 5,000 people have been killed and almost a million forced to flee their homes since fighting began. (AFP) The celestial event will end its journey in Maine around 3:32pm ET The highly anticipated solar eclipse took place across parts of 15 US states on Monday, with it first appearing along Mexico's Pacific coast at around 11:09am PT. Roughly 34 million people are expected to be on the path of totality - where the eclipse will be fully visible - that extended through Texas and up into New England as the day progresses. The exact time for the event varied depending on the state and time zone. The Lone Star State was the first to see the moon completely block the face of the sun at around 1:32pm CT, which lasted for approximately three minutes and 15 seconds. Roughly 34 million people are expected to be on the path of totality - where the eclipse will be fully visible - that will then extend through Texas , and up into New England as the day progresses The celestial event ended its journey in Main around 3:32pm ET A total solar eclipse happens when the moon and the sun line up perfectly and the moon is close enough to us to cover the whole of the sun, from our perspective. While Texas was the first state to see the celestial event, Oklahoma was next at around 1:45pm CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51pm ET and Missouri about five minutes after. Illinois was next in line along the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse at around 1:59pm CT and Paducah, Kentucky about one minute later. And Evansville, Indiana at 2:06pm CT and then Ohio witnessed it at around 3:13pm ET. State officials estimated that up to 556,000 people will be visiting the Buckeye state. Erie, Pennsylvania was next, with the solar eclipse set for 3:16pm ET, followed by Buffalo, New York at around 3:18pm ET. The path continued up north, reaching Burlington, Vermont at 3:26pm ET, Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27pm ET and Caribou, Maine at 3:32pm ET. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon and the sun line up perfectly and the moon is close enough to us to cover the whole of the sun, from our perspective. While Texas will be the first state to see the celestial event, Oklahoma is next at around 1:45pm CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51pm ET and Missouri about five minutes after Tourists are anticipating the solar eclipse as far north as Niagara Falls State Park in New York - and many have already stepped outside to secure the best viewing spot The path then entered Canada in Ontario and journeys through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. Newfoundland Time. Some major cities and their metropolitan areas lay within or near the path of totality. Some of these include: Mazatlan and Torreon in Mexico; San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Fort Worth and Dallas in Texas; Little Rock in Arkansas; St. Louis in Missouri; Louisville in Kentucky; Indianapolis in Indiana; Dayton, Columbus, Toledo and Cleveland in Ohio; Detroit in Michigan; Erie in Pennsylvania; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse in New York; and Hamilton, Toronto and Montreal in Canada. In places along the path of totality, people were able to view the sun's corona - the star's outer atmosphere - that typically is not visible because of solar brightness. Illinois (pictured) is along the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse at around 1:59pm CT The eclipse appeared in Arkansas at 1:51pm. Visitors are adding pins to a map to show where they are visiting from People observing from outside the path of totality will see a partial eclipse in which the moon obscures most of the sun's face but not all of it. Of course, a cloudy day could spoil the view. After this one, the next total solar eclipse viewable from the contiguous United States will not occur until 2044. A total solar eclipse unfolds in several distinct stages, with the first starting as a partial eclipse phase as the moon begins to pass between Earth and the sun, partially blocking it and leaving the sun looking like it has a crescent shape. In the subsequent Baily's Beads phase, points of light from the sun shine around the moon's edges because of the irregular lunar topography, producing small beads of light. In the diamond ring phase, a single bright spot appears along the lunar edge even as the sun's atmosphere leaves a ring of light around the moon. The effect resembles the appearance of a diamond ring. This phenomenon precedes totality. After totality, the other phases repeat as the moon keeps moving along its path until the eclipse ends. As Monday's eclipse moved from Mexico, up into the US above Texas, and onward toward Maine and then Canada, two specialized NASA jets were hot on its trail. Four scientists aboard two of NASA's three WB-57 research jets cruised at 460 miles-per-hour in the stratosphere collecting data about the sun's corona the celestial body's upper atmosphere, unusually visible as a halo during Monday's event. The high altitude WB-57s chased the eclipse from an altitude of 50,000 feet above sea level, recording data on how the sun impacts our ionosphere, how the sun's own atmosphere works, and incredibly hunting for long-theorized 'vulcanoid' asteroids. The asteroids are believed to orbit between the Sun and Mercury, but drowned out of astronomical observations by the sun's persistent blast of cosmic radiation. As Monday's eclipse moved from Mexico, up into the US above Texas, and onward toward Maine and then Canada, two specialized NASA jets were hot on its trail The high altitude WB-57s chased the eclipse from an altitude of 50,000 feet above sea level, recording data on the how the sun impacts our ionosphere, how the sun's own atmosphere works, while also hunting for long-theorized 'vulcanoid' asteroids hidden in a ring of solar dust The mid-wave infrared recorded from the WB-57s cannot be measured from the ground, because so much of it is absorbed by gases and other particles in the atmosphere. Pictured, the moon as it began to eclipse the sun on Monday April 8, 2024 above Fort Worth, Texas An onboard camera that takes-in visible and infrared light at high resolution and high speed served as the key instrument for the flight's 'vulcanoid' asteroid hunt, which sought them out while studying a ring of dust around the sun. The 'Chasing the Eclipse' project is led by physicist Amir Caspi, who studies high-energy solar physics at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, building off of a similar jet flight during the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse. 'The shadow moves at about 1,500 mph at its slowest and the airplanes are moving at only about 460 mph,' as Caspi told ABC affiliate WQAD, 'so the shadow will overtake them pretty quickly.' NASA's jets were launched off the coast of Mexico, flying northeast in an effort to anticipate the eclipse as it made its way toward the border into Texas. 'As long as you know all of those things,' Caspi said, 'you can put the math together and you can plan for trying to be at a particular place.' Above, a view of the March 8, 2016 eclipse taken from 35,000 feet by Mike Kentrianakis of the American Astronomical Society while onboard Alaska Airlines Flight #870. NASA's high altitude WB-57s chased the eclipse from an altitude of 50,000 feet above sea level Monday There are four cameras total on the nose of both WB-57 jets, each tailored to pick up specific 'colors' or wavelengths from the electromagnetic spectrum. Some of that electromagnetic frequency (EMF) spectra, including mid-wave infrared, cannot be measured from the ground, because so much of it is absorbed by gases and other particles in the atmosphere. Mid-infrared images of the corona taken during the August 2017 eclipse have been used by NASA-affiliated researchers to more precisely measure the diameter of sun, which is still not precisely known, as well as to try to solve the mystery of why the corona is hotter than the sun's surface. 'This light is our best probe short of sticking a thermometer in the corona,' according to University of Hawaii astronomer Shadia Habbal, who leads of one of the WB-57 eclipse experiments. Jet flight missions of this kind offer the 'best-ever observations of high frequency phenomena in the corona,' astrophysicist Dan Seaton, a co-investigator of the NASA project, noted in a 2017 NASA statement ahead of the team's 'Chasing the Eclipse I' over six years ago. NASA's jets launched off the coast of Mexico trying to anticipate the eclipse as it made its way toward Texas. 'The shadow moves at about 1,500 mph at its slowest and the airplanes are moving at only about 460 mph,' one expert said, 'the shadow will overtake them pretty quickly' There are four cameras on the nose of both WB-57 jets, each tailored to pick up specific colors or wavelengths from the electromagnetic spectrum. Some of that spectra, including mid-wave infrared, cannot be measured from the ground, because it is absorbed by the atmosphere 'By extending the duration of totality, we're increasing the duration of how much data we can acquire,' one leading astronomer on the mission, Shadia Habbal, said. On the jets, her team has spectrometers measuring both the temperature and chemical composition of the corona READ MORE: When and where to watch the 2024 solar eclipse! These cities and states are where the rare phenomena will be most visible Roughly 34 million people are expected to be on the path of totality - where the eclipse will be fully visible - that will then extend through Texas , and up into New England as the day progresses. Advertisement 'Extending the observing time and going to very high altitude might allow us to see a few events or track waves that would be essentially invisible in just two minutes of observations from the ground,' Seaton, a solar researcher at the University of Colorado in Boulder, said at that time. Monday's sequel to that 2017 eclipse chase allowed the two NASA jets to witness the complete overlapping, or 'totality' of the eclipse for 25 percent longer than the longest possible ground observation today, which was a 4-minute, 27-second 'totality' event visible from Torreon in Mexico. The WB-57 teams got to see the eclipse in its totality for an estimated 6 minutes and 22 seconds, and with a perfect view above all cloud cover. 'By extending the duration of totality,' Habbal said, 'we're increasing the duration of how much data we can acquire.' This included longer durations of the turbulent solar activity erupting from the sun, including coronal mass ejections, which Habbal's team measured via spectrometers aboard the jets. The spectrometers recorded specific wavelengths of EMF spectra that will aid in measuring both the temperature and chemical composition of the corona. NASA sensor equipment operator Mallory Yates, who was onboard one of the WB-57 jets, operated the US space agency's equipment via a tiny keyboard and small mouse while her co-pilot tailed the eclipse during those six minutes of darkness. 'I'm going to have one of the best seats in the house,' Yates told BBC News. 'So, I'm excited to see the eclipse and hopefully steal a few glances up as we fly the mission.' People have also reported feeling more anxious and emotional Eclipse sickness has been used to explain weird side effects of the event Americans reported bizarre physical and mental alignments leading up to and during Monday's solar eclipse. Called 'eclipse sickness,' the symptoms have included headaches, fatigue, changes in menstrual cycles and insomnia. While NASA has said there is no evidence linking human health and the solar eclipse, studies have found that the celestial event can impact animals - specifically dogs that may appear anxious. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon and the sun line up perfectly and the moon is close enough to us to cover the whole of the sun, from our perspective. The last to appear in the US was in 2017 and the next is set for August 23, 2044. Americans are being plagued by the 'eclipse sickness,' bizarre physical and mental alignments that appeared leading up to and on the day of the solar eclipse. Symptoms have included headaches, fatigue, changes in menstrual cycles and insomnia Pictured is the eclipse forming in Arlington, Texas Eclipse sickness On Monday, the solar eclipse moved its way up the US starting in Texas and ended in Maine - and people reported strange side effects. Individuals flocked to social media to share their symptoms and seek comfort that others may be experiencing similar issues. 'Anyone else suffering from weird insomnia, no appetite and other weird sh** that can't be explained,' one user on X shared. 'Someone told me the eclipse might have something to do with it but I don't get how. What the f**k is going on?' NASA has denied the concept, saying there is no physical relationship between a total solar eclipse and a person's health Some women have shared that their menstrual cycle synced with April 8's event, but there is no scientific evidence to support there is a connection On Monday, the solar eclipse will move its way up the US starting with Texas and ending in Maine - and people have already reported strange side effects READ MORE: Americans could experience cellular disruption during solar eclipse Millions of tourists are expected to flock to the path of totality during the solar eclipse on April 8 - and experts warn the influx could disrupt cellular activity. Advertisement Others said they felt mentally off in the last few days leading up to Monday. 'Anyone feeling emotional with the upcoming solar eclipse,' reads a post on X from MC Phoenix. 'Doctors call it "eclipse sickness." People with mental illness may be especially sensitive during this time.' Some women shared that their menstrual cycle synced with April 8's event, but there is no scientific evidence to support there is a connection. The Healthcare Communication Network has noted that such changes and 'weird feelings' could be attributed to psychological factors, 'such as excitement, anxiety, and the influence of social cues, may explain the physical and emotional responses some individuals attribute to eclipse sickness,' reads the website. Leann Poston, MD, a physician-writer and researcher at Invigor Medical, told MDLinx that while she has not seen a link between the eclipse and changes in physiology and disease, she notes that 'when an event occurs that is outside the norm and it feels difficult to explain, it can cause an increase in cortisol, which can have physical and psychological effects.' When humans observe such an event, they may feel excited that causes a spike in epinephrine and norepinephrine - hormones that play a role in your body's fight-or-flight response. '[This increases] heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and blood flow to muscles,' said Poston. 'Cortisol also increases glucose release into the bloodstream so the body is ready for 'fight or flight.' But experts have warned that pets could experience unusual behaviors when the moon completely blocks out the sun - the event can make dogs anxious Crazed pets But it is not just humans who appear to be affected - pets also show abnormal behaviors. Dog can respond to eclipses with signs of anxiety like pacing, scratching and howling - similar to how they react to a thunderstorm or firework display. The reason animals exhibit unusual behaviors during solar eclipses is not fully understood, but scientists have theorized pets react to the natural light dimming and drop in temperature as the sun is blocked by the moon. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon and the sun line up perfectly and the moon is close enough to us to cover the whole of the sun, from our perspective There could be disruptions to the animals' circadian rhythm - the 24-hour biological clock telling humans or animals that it's time to wake up or time for bed. That could also explain why some people may feel fatigued after Monday's event. Denis Shull posted on X: 'Wondering if anyone else's dog is acting very odd this morning? One of ours is doing things he never ever does... but he doesn't seem sick. Is this some sort of pre-eclipse thing? (I know... that's weird but ???)' More fatal car crashes Researchers at the University of Toronto analyzed road traffic data from the 2017 solar eclipse and found there were more than 1,000 additional road deaths across the US three days before and after the cosmic event. The average car deaths in the US each day is around 114, but there were at least 189 each day during the week of the solar eclipse four years ago. The overall increased traffic risk was comparable to those observed on major holidays including Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and the 4th of July weekend The reason for the increase in driving is due to millions of more people being on roads as they leave their hometown and head off to cities within the path of totality. According to the report, the overall increased traffic risk was comparable to those observed on major holidays including Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and the 4th of July weekend. In the hour leading up to the event, the number of crashes rose above average but dropped to below average during the eclipse and then shot up to a shocking 50 percent above average afterward. Phew. Charlotte the virgin stingray's babies are OK and she is still on track to give birth any moment. That's according to the latest update from the North Carolina aquarium team that cares for her. The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO posted on Facebook and Instagram that the stingray and her pups are in good health after getting results from the latest ultrasound. The aquarium's announcement over the weekend came in response to ongoing public pressure for more information about the pregnant stingray's condition - with some experts even speculating that her unborn young may have died. The skepticism stems from the fact that the aquarium shared the first news of the pregnancy in February - and two months have passed with no changes. Charlotte the stingray is expected to give birth soon, but because of the unusual nature of her pregnancy, experts can't say when that will be. But the announcement has done little to stem suspicions among some observers. In the absence of details, rumors have swirled. Charlotte became the center of a media frenzy back in February when Team ECCO announced she was pregnant - despite not living around any male stingrays. Charlotte the stingray and her unborn babies are in good health, according to the latest update from the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO in Hendersonville, North Carolina, where she has lived since 2016. READ MORE: Stingray experts explain Charlotte's solo pregnancy Here's why the North Carolina aquarium doesn't know when she'll actually give birth. Advertisement But while the new announcement shared on Facebook assured the public that Charlotte is doing well, it contains no new details about her condition or which experts have been consulted. Team ECCO has not responded to multiple requests for comment from DailyMail.com. In the months since Charlotte's unexplained pregnancy was announced, some observers have grown concerned that the aquarium is not communicating clearly with the public, leading some to suspect something is amiss. Team ECCO's updates have been sporadic, and they don't always contain much specific information about Charlotte. Some experts have expressed frustration that Team ECCO has refused input from other aquarium professionals. Team ECCO has even blocked some aquarium professionals on social media who reached out privately, according to one commenter. 'I think those of us who didn't get blocked have just given up on trying to slow down the confusion and misinformation,' wrote Linsdsey Condray, who lists her occupation as Senior Aquarist at Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska. 'The way this aquarium has handled Charlotte's case has not been following standard procedures for dealing with a pregnant ray. There's not any information of where they sent the latest ultrasounds, but up to this point they've made it pretty clear they don't want any assistance from other experts.' she wrote. And some members of the general public have grown conspiratorial, speculating that the animal is being mistreated and that officials at the aquarium are lying about her status. Whatever the case may be, Team ECCO announced that the expectant mother is doing well. In a video posted to Team ECCO's Facebook page, Charlotte is shown being fed by a diver at the aquarium. The aquarium's staff assured the public that she and the developing babies are healthy. Certain animals are capable of reproducing through 'facultative parthenogenesis' in which the egg is fertilized with cells from the mother rather than by a male 'Here's Charlotte's Saturday update! We are still patiently awaiting Charlottes delivery,' the update began. 'The ultrasound we sent to our colleagues looked good and there were no signs of any distress. 'We will share new developments as they come along. 'This has been an incredible journey and we thank you for following along! Your support inspires us to continue our research in Elasmobranch Parthenogenesis.' 'Parthenogenesis' is the term for an animal essentially impregnating herself - using her own eggs to create a genetically complete clone in the absence of males of her species. It has not been confirmed that parthenogenesis is the cause of her apparently virgin birth, but it is the most likely explanation, given that she hasn't been around a male of her species in almost a decade. Charlotte, seen in February. She has reportedly never shared a tank with a male of her species, yet the aquarium said she is pregnant. It is scientifically possible, but there is not much precedent for such an occurrence. Researchers say Charlotte's ultrasound shows she's carrying up to four pups, but the aquarium has not shared details. In March, the aquarium shared ultrasounds of Charlotte's developing babies. In the video, they could be seen moving their tails, and experts said she was carrying up to four pups. Since her virgin birth is so unusual, the aquarium has not been able to tell the public exactly when she will give birth. This has led to rampant speculation on social media. 'Isn't it way past time to have a certified veterinarian check on her? This is getting to the point of neglect and potentially abuse,' wrote one commenter on the post. Others reflected a similar skepticism: 'When will a veterinarian be called out to do a REAL check of her? Who were the results sent off to and can you post the results as they sent them to you? The first article I saw on this stated bumps were noticed in September 2023.. she would be 8 months pregnant now' And indeed, the aquarium did say they started monitoring her back in 2023 because of the bumps. Charlotte the pregnant virgin stingray can be seen swimming around her tank in this image from the aquarium's latest update. But scientists rarely get the chance to document parthenogenesis in real time, so there is not much information out there on how long it could take. It's possible that Charlotte's pregnancy will take longer than the usual three to four months that stingrays gestate. Other commenters were quick to point out this uncertainty and defend the aquarium from criticisms. 'Folks, the average stingray takes 3-4 months to have pups,' wrote a commenter. 'It looks like they found out she was pregnant in mid February. 'Meaning she probably became pregnant early in February or late January. 'Even if we give it the benefit of the doubt and say she became pregnant on January 20th, 3 months is still April 20th and 4 months is May 20th. It just isn't time yet.' Another sarcastically remarked: 'So many stingray reproductive specialists in the comments - amazing!' The small aquarium has been inundated with media requests, as well as public interest. And there is admittedly little information on Charlotte's condition available out there in the scientific world, since it is so rare. But with so little actual information to go on, and with such vague reassurances from Team ECCO, the public has been left wondering and speculating about what is going on with Charlotte the stingray. He put it together that staffers must have used his toothbrush to clean his room One going to brush his teeth one day, he'd realized 'something was wrong' Lavell Jackson, of Louisville, Kentucky, was at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas A horrified hotel guest has shared how he discovered that the staff at his luxury, four-star accommodations used his toothbrush to clean his room. Lavell Jackson, a real estate agent from Louisville, Kentucky, was in Las Vegas in late March for the annual RE/MAX R4 Convention, staying at the famed Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip. But he was shocked when he went to brush his teeth one day - and he instantly knew 'something was wrong.' Taking to TikTok, he shared the following PSA: 'So whatever you do, when you stay in that Mandalay Bay - from now on, any hotel - I will no longer be leaving my toothbrush out. Lavell Jackson, of Louisville, Kentucky, claimed that during a stay at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, he'd gone to brush his teeth one day and quickly realized 'something was wrong' Flabbergasted, he reported his gross discovery to the hotel staff - only to be offered a $50 credit and a new toothbrush as compensation Lavell added that the 'housekeeping manager could tell when she looked at it also' - and later added: 'She didn't look surprised' (stock image) 'I didn't think it was real - but evidently it is,' he further admitted. 'They used my toothbrush to clean! And they're being nasty to me about it!' he continued, flabbergasted. 'They want to offer me a $50 credit and a new toothbrush.' DailyMail.com has contacted MGM Resorts, who runs the Mandalay Bay, for comment. The RE/MAX R4 conference took place over the beginning of the last week of March 2024. Over the same time frame in March of next year, prices for one night at the Mandalay Bay range from a little under $400 to nearly $550. 'I can't make this stuff up. I'm at a loss for words. I mean, some companies just have to do better,' he concluded. In the comments, he clarified to curious viewers how he'd figured out that his toothbrush had been converted into a scrub-brush. 'Not hard for me to see, plus I used it the day before... as soon as it hit my tooth I knew something was wrong.' While Lavell was offered a $50 credit for the issue with his toothbrush, prices at the Mandalay Bay for one guest per night in March of next year ranged into the several hundreds of dollars Lavell further explained how he'd figured out that 'something was wrong' with his toothbrush - and defended himself against accusations that he was just trying to get the room for free Many more took to the comments to commiserate with Lavell - as well as offer advice about how they keep their personal effects safe during hotel stays 'We all know what happens when you clean with a toothbrush,' he added, seemingly nodding to how its bristles would likely become splayed out and damaged. In further comments, he wrote that the 'house keeping manager could tell when she looked at it also' - and later added: 'She didn't look surprised.' Responding to accusations that he was just trying to get the room for free, he insisted: 'Trying that to get a comp room is just dumb... not that broke or that type of person but I'm sure some do.' Hundreds more took to the comments to commiserate with Lavell, as well as offer advice to avoid similar scenarios at future hotel stays. 'Another fear unlocked,' one shuddered. 'Do not disturb sign from check in to check out.. Request fresh towels as needed...,' a second recommended - to which Lavell responded, 'Smart.' 'I pack up my hygiene bag every time I leave the room,' a third added - with Lavell agreeing, 'I have to now.' 'The room should be comp and the person fired,' a fourth endorsed. 'Facts,' Lavell answered. Charlie Kitcat visits the in-demand island, basing himself in Naoussa You have to make a bit of an effort to reach the small, Cycladic island of Paros. But its worth it if youre keen on fine beaches, blue-domed churches and ports where waterfront tavernas serve charcoal-grilled fish and spanakopita (spinach pie). My Greek friend Theo and I arrived after a three-hour voyage by high-speed ferry from Piraeus. You can also get there flying via Athens or go to big sister Mykonos and take a 45-minute ferry ride. While that larger island is well-known for its hedonism, sunsets and cruise ship hordes, Paros is just 13 miles long and a favourite with Greek holidaymakers. White and beautiful: Charlie Kitcat explores the Greek island of Paros, basing himself in the village of Naoussa (pictured) We stayed in Naoussa, once a quiet fishermens village but now the islands tourist hub. Our room at the reasonably priced Iris Boutique Hotel came with a balcony overlooking the whitewashed town. Jewellery shops and clothes boutiques line the winding streets while the ruins of a 15th-century Venetian castle stretch into the bewitching Aegean. In the 1970s, Paros was a party destination until officials briefly closed the island to foreign tourists. Now it is trending again after being a location in the Netflix mini-series One Day. Airbnb saw a 32 per cent spike in searches by UK travellers. Charlie tours Parika town, which boasts a traditional windmill, pictured, overlooking the water Once a quiet fishermens village, Naoussa is now a tourist hub. Pictured: The local beach New villas are popping up like mushrooms, as one islander put it, along with smartly designed luxury hotels such as the 38-room Avant Mar on Piperi Beach. With its private plunge pools, thermal baths-themed spa and a restaurant overseen by star chef Nobu Matsuhisa, its unashamedly aimed at wealthy sun-seekers. So, is Paros the new Mykonos? Not yet, but with an international airport due to open next year, it clearly will be. Charlie says that Paros 'may just be a new target for the TikTok brigade'. Above, the island's Kolymbithres Beach Pictured: One of the rooms at the 'reasonably priced' Iris Boutique Hotel where Charlie stays We rented a car to explore. In Parikia, the small but satisfying Archaeology Museum offered enchanting artworks created over 2,000 years ago. We learned how in classical times Parian marble was prized for its translucence, being used in sculptures such as the Venus de Milo. It also adorns Napoleon Bonapartes tomb in Paris. Another engaging stop was the Valley Of Butterflies, a forested nature reserve where in summer thousands of Jersey tiger moths flock with vivid red underwings that are only revealed when in flight. Charlie drives up into the mountains to Lefkes, pictured, where he dines at Taverna Agnadio One morning, we took the seven-minute, 1.50 (1.30 / $1.60) ferry west to Antiparos, which is smaller and more traditional than its go-ahead neighbour. Paying a visit to its Historical And Folklore Museum, we were offered olives and a glass of local Tsipouro, a potent ouzo-like spirit. Above, baked feta in filo with a drizzle of honey (file image) Yet even here, there was a feeling that things were on the move. 'You know Tom Hanks has a house on Antiparos? said a waiter. Then, a little later, a shop owner couldnt help boasting how the Obamas were here last week. Back on Paros, Theo and I drove up into the mountains to Lefkes. As the sun set, we sat in the Taverna Agnadio savouring its panoramic view of white churches and windmills as luscious plates of tzatziki and honey-coated fried feta landed on the table. Its fair to say that Paros is making its presence felt. Its been conquered by the Byzantines and Ottomans and may just be a new target for the TikTok brigade. All the more reason to go now. Many of us have had the good fortune to visit some of the great wonders of our planet perhaps the Pyramids, Taj Mahal or Great Wall of China, or terrific natural spectacles like the Grand Canyon and Victoria Falls. There is just one problem: the number of tourists who descend on these showstoppers. There are many more marvels to be seen that are just as impressive but less busy or commercialised. From majestic landscapes and ancient ruins to an art deco gem, heres our top ten less-visited wonders of the world, and how to experience them. CORAL TREASURES Recently featured on BBC Twos Wilderness With Simon Reeve, the Coral Triangle is so rich with fish and coral that scientists have dubbed it a species factory. Stretching across the Pacific from the Philippines to Bali and the Solomon Islands, its bullseye is a remote corner of eastern Indonesia known as Raja Ampat. Here you can go exploring on a phinisi (traditional wooden sailing boat), with ample time to snorkel, dive and visit island communities. OUR TIP: Travel between November and March for calm seas and a good chance of spotting manta rays. BOOK IT: A ten-night, all-inclusive group voyage costs from 6,995pp, including transfers, meals and activities (responsible travel.com). Flights from Gatwick to Sorong via Jakarta are extra, from 1,059 return (qatarairways.com). CROWD-FREE MAYAN RUINS Caracol is the largest of many magnificent but rarely busy Mayan ruins sprinkled across Belize, a still barely discovered English-speaking country in Central America that is slightly larger than Wales. Some 1,300 years ago this was a flourishing city with 150,000 residents, now its lofty temples and broad plazas are a junglewrapped home for toucans and black howler monkeys where you can sit in peace contemplating the candle-ends of history. OUR TIP: Stay at Blancaneaux Lodge, a 90-minute drive away, which is owned by film director and winemaker Francis Ford Coppola. BOOK IT: An eight-night tour combining beach and rainforest, spending three at Blancaneaux Lodge, costs from 3,975pp, including flights from Gatwick to Belize City via Cancun, transfers and breakfast (rainbowtours.co.uk). WET AND WILD IN BRAZIL Clinging to the borders of Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil, the Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland on the planet and home to a thrilling wildlife that includes giant otters, the maned wolf and the gorgeously blue, 3ft long hyacinth macaw. It has the greatest concentration of caimans (crocodiles) in the world plus around 5,000 jaguars. OUR TIP: May to October is the dry season when its easier to spot animals. BOOK IT: A nine-night Wild life Of The Pantanal group tour, visiting three lodges, costs from 5,995pp, including flights to Cuiaba via Sao Paulo, transfers, meals and excursions (wildlifeworldwide.com). VIETNAMS SECRET With its towering run of jagged karst pinnacles, Ninh Binh is as dramatic a sight as the better-known Halong Bay, but doesnt come with hordes of trippers. Two hours south of Hanoi and bordered by rivers, farms and temples, its best discovered by bike or by gliding downstream on a sampan. OUR TIP: Visit in October and November when water levels are high and the rice fields are ready for harvest. BOOK IT: A 12-night Landscapes Of Vietnam tour, which spends two nights in Ninh Binh, costs from 3,415pp, including flights into Hanoi and back from Ho Chi Minh City, transfers, most meals and some excursions (insideasiatours.com). HOT ROCKS IN NEVADA Only an hours drive from Las Vegas, the Valley of Fire State Park is an overlooked natural wonder that cant fail to amaze. Get ready for swirling red sandstone formations that look like streaky bacon, 4,000-year-old rock carvings and hiking trails to suit all levels. OUR TIP: Nevada is perfect for a road trip with many routes from two to five days go from October to April when its cooler. BOOK IT: British Airways flies from Heathrow to Las Vegas, from 635 return (ba.com). Plan an itinerary with travelnevada.com and parks.nv.gov. ANCIENT TIBET Set at just over 12,000ft, the gargantuan Potala Palace in Lhasa dates from the 17th century and has over 1,000 rooms housing a wealth of Buddhist treasures. The adventurous way to get there is on the worlds highest railway which runs across the stark Tibetan plateau from Xining, covering 600 miles with hundreds of bridges built over the permafrost. OUR TIP: The weather is warmest from June to September. BOOK IT: A ten-day Ancient City Of Lhasa tour costs from 2,690pp, including a two-night train ride to Lhasa plus accommodation and some meals and excursions (worldexpeditions.com). Flights from Heathrow to Chengdu and back from Lhasa are extra, from 1,167 return (airchina.co.uk). FLY OVER NAMIBIA The Namib Desert is believed to be the oldest in the world, barely inhabited by humans but with a remarkably adapted wildlife that includes elephants, lions, rhino and, on the smaller side, geckos. The chance to climb colossal sand dunes, meet the indigenous Himba and explore the shipwreck-strewn Skeleton Coast make this a must for romantics and wilderness-lovers. OUR TIP: Distances are vast so hop around by small plane savouring the mesmerising views over time-worn Africa. BOOK IT: A seven-day safari costs from 3,642pp based on four travellers flying together, including meals and safari activities (travellocal.com). Flights from Heathrow to Windhoek via Frankfurt are extra, from 1,203 return (lufthansa.com). ART DECO JEWEL Rebuilt in the 1930s after an earthquake, Napier is a genteel port in New Zealand that has close to 150 colourful and well-preserved art deco buildings that are a joy to explore. Decorated with sunbursts and fountains, they include a theatre with original neon and chrome fittings and a bank adorned with stylised hammerhead sharks. Framing this, the Hawkes Bay region is famous for its beaches, wineries and food. OUR TIP: Napier fits in well with a North Island tour flying into Auckland then back from the Kiwi capital, Wellington. BOOK IT: A 14-night North Island Classic self-drive tour, spending a night in Napier, costs from 1,966pp, including some excursions (discover-the-world.com). Flights from Heathrow to Auckland and back from Wellington are extra, from 1,419 return (airnewzealand.co.uk). DOMINICAS BOILING LAKE Steaming waters that boil like a witches cauldron lie at the heart of the mountainous Caribbean isle of Dominica. At 230ft wide and set at an altitude of 2,600ft, the bubbling grey lake offers a rare glimpse of the earths violent interior and is one of many scenic thrills in the World Heritage-listed Morne Trois Pitons National Park, which also has impressive forests, waterfalls and birdlife. OUR TIP: If you dont fancy the 12-mile hike, hang on till the end of next year when a cable car will open. BOOK IT: Seven nights at Fort Young Hotel costs from 1,699pp B&B, including flights from Gatwick via Barbados and transfers (caribtours.co.uk). CRUISE THE KIMBERLEY Australia's immense and empty northwest corner has become an exciting destination for expedition cruises voyaging between Broome and Darwin. Highlights include natural wonders that are a result of extraordinary tides, such as the Montgomery Reef which appears to rise from the ocean, and the Horizontal Falls, where huge volumes of water get squeezed through cliff passages. OUR TIP: Add on some time in Broome to enjoy its enormous beach, Asian cuisine and pearl farms. It exposed a scandal that shocked the nation and now Mr Bates vs The Post Office has topped the Radio Times' TV 100 list which lauds the most influential people in television. The four-parter in January, with Toby Jones as subpostmaster Alan Bates, was the most viewed programme of the past year, and ITV's most popular drama of the last three years. It laid bare how hundreds of subpostmasters had been wrongfully accused of theft and fraud because of a faulty computer system and led to Rishi Sunak introducing a new law to quash their convictions. The series, also starring Julie Hesmondhalgh as Jones's wife and Monica Dolan as another of the victims, is the first ensemble production to top the Radio Times list. The drama laid bare how hundreds of subpostmasters had been wrongfully accused of theft and fraud Claudia Winkleman, 52, host of The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing, is seventh after winning a Bafta for the reality show last year Runner-up in the list is Kieran Culkin , 41, who played Roman Roy in HBO's Succession Morgan Jeffery, executive editor of RadioTimes.com, said that because it 'demonstrated the power that television truly has to shape the world that we live in, there could only ever be one winner'. Runner-up in the list is Kieran Culkin, 41, who played Roman Roy in HBO's Succession, with the drama's screenwriter Jesse Armstrong, 53, in ninth spot. Sarah Lancashire, 59, comes third for her 'phenomenal performance' in Happy Valley on the BBC, with the drama's writer and producer Sally Wainwright coming sixth in the list for 'creating strong and complex female characters'. Bella Ramsey, 20, is fourth for 'showcasing versatility on screen' in HBO's drama The Last of Us. Ncuti Gatwa, 31, who topped the Radio Times list last year, is now fifth for his 'ground-breaking performance' in Doctor Who. Claudia Winkleman, 52, host of The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing, is seventh after winning a Bafta for the reality show last year. The success of the Disney+ series The Bear sees Ayo Edebiri, 28, debut in eighth place, while Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham rounds off the top ten. One of Married At First Sight's most glamorous brides has shocked fans with an unrecognisable throwback image. The 26-year-old's remarkable makeover was revealed in a post by the B&A Influencers Instagram account. In a sun-soaked photo, the brunette beauty could be seen sporting a relatively makeup-free face. One fan even commented that the pre-fame reality TV star reminded them 'of a young Bec Hewitt (pre-marriage to Lleyton) when she was in Home and Away!!' So can you guess who the future MAFS beauty is? One of Married At First Sight's most glamorous brides has shocked fans with an unrecognisable throwback image. So can you guess who it is? That's right, it's none other than a young Jade Pywell! The trip down memory lane comes after her husband Ridge Barredo shared an exciting relationship update with Jade after the show's finale. The professional weightlifter, 27, shared a loved-up photo of himself and Jade to his Instagram page, confirming they are still together. The 26-year-old's remarkable makeover was revealed in a post by the B&A Influencers Instagram account In the photo, Ridge wrapped his arms around Jade as he gave her a kiss while they relaxed on a beach. 'Made it out of the experiment with the old girl. Excited to do life with you on the outside,' he wrote. Ridge also shared another post, gushing over Jade and admitting he has 'fallen so deeply for her'. The trip down memory lane comes after her husband Ridge Barredo shared an exciting relationship update with Jade after the show's finale. Both pictured 'If you had told me before I went on this experiment that I'd find love, I would have laughed in your face and told you to tell your story walking,' he wrote. 'In the experiment I managed to meet a girl who made me fall so deeply for her and made me realise why it never worked with anyone else.' He continued: 'She's all I've ever wanted and so much more. I'm so grateful that the experts matched us, and although she was handed to me, we made the choice to stay together and build something really special.' The couple also featured in Sunday night's explosive reunion episode, during which Ellie Dix and Jono McCullough controversially arrived at the dinner party as a couple It comes after Ridge and Jade revealed their plans to start a family last week. The lovebirds said they hope to have twin babies in the near future so they can give Jade's eight-year-old daughter Victoria some siblings to play with. 'Boy and girl twins! I'll definitely be waiting for another ring before we have any kiddies,' Jade told New Idea magazine. 'The show doesn't count. I'd like a proper engagement, instead of me just being handed to him.' Ridge added he was committed to having children with Jade so their family could be complete. Ridge recently admitted he was committed to having children with Jade so their family could be complete The couple also featured in Sunday night's explosive reunion episode, during which Ellie Dix and Jono McCullough controversially arrived at the dinner party as a couple. Tempers flared when the pair faced off with Jono's former bride Lauren Dunn and co-star Sara Mesa. At one stage, Ellie became so enraged her foul-mouthed rant had to be extensively censored with a bleep. Former Married at First Sight villain Harrison Boon has taken to social media to lash out at the show's brides following Sunday night's reunion episode. Ellie Dix and Jono McCullough arrived at the dinner party as a couple, leading to an explosive showdown with Jono's former bride Lauren Dunn and co-star Sara Mesa. At one point Ellie became so enraged that her foul-mouthed rant had to be extensively censored with a bleep. Harrison took to Instagram to lash out at the brides. 'Hey at least theyre showing sh***y female behaviour and the experts are actually condemning it for once. Bravo,' Harrison wrote. Former Married at First Sight 'villain' Harrison Boon (pictured) took to social media to lash out at the brides of season 11 His comments turned into an argument online, with a host of users responding to his remark. 'Have a cry,' a user responded. Harrison replied 'Nobody's crying simply saying it's refreshing to see. Ellie Dix and Jono McCullough arrived at Sunday's reunion dinner party as a couple and tempers flared when the pair faced off with Jono's former bride Lauren Dunn (pictured) and co-star Sara Mesa At one stage, Ellie (pictured) became so enraged her foul mouthed rant had to be extensively censored with a bleep 'You seem too fragile for the internet my little snowflake,' he added. 'Harrison you take the bait far too easily to be calling other people snowflakes,' another user wrote. 'I pride myself on responding to people. Your comment here achieved nothing,' Harrison responded. Harrison took to Instagram to lash out at the behaviour of the brides and his comments soon turned into an argument online, with a host of users responding to his remark 'Go home Harrison, your season is finished and dont be a desperate d***.' The former groom rose to fame last year on the 10th series of MAFS, where he was famously paired up with Bronte Schofield, and he recently spoke out on his 'villain' edit. He told Daily Mail Australia last year: 'I don't go around trying to call people out and be in arguments in my day-to-day life. It's not who I am. I just want to get along with people and make the most out of life.' Beijing's commerce minister dismissed as "groundless" U.S. concerns that a surge of low-cost Chinese exports posed a risk to global markets, as Washington's Treasury chief on Monday wrapped up a visit aimed in part at addressing the issue. During the visit by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Chinese officials have sounded a positive note that ties between the two countries are on more stable footing, with both sides agreeing to open channels for further talks on the issue of excess industrial capacity though differences clearly remain. The U.S. concern is that with Chinese government support creating more production capacity than global markets can absorb, a flood of cheap exports in key sectors like solar and electric vehicles could impact the growth of those industries elsewhere. But commerce minister Wang Wentao said during a trip to Paris on Sunday that "the accusations of 'overcapacity' by the United States and Europe are groundless," state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Wang said Chinese electric vehicle makers' rapid growth was due to innovation and established supply chains, not subsidies. He added that Beijing would support businesses in defending their interests, Xinhua said. Beijing has repeatedly dismissed concerns over its vast state support for industry. The European Union has started a probe into Chinese electric car subsidies that could lead to tariffs on vehicles it believes are unfairly sold at a lower price, which Beijing last month condemned as "protectionism." Yellen has brought up overcapacity repeatedly in talks with officials and business leaders in the southern city of Guangzhou and the capital Beijing. In addition to tackling the issue with her counterpart Vice Premier He Lifeng over some 11 hours of engagement, she also raised it with Premier Li Qiang in a bid to bring the concerns to the highest levels of Chinese policymaking. According to Xinhua, Li told Yellen that Washington should view the matter of production capacity "objectively" and from a "market-oriented" perspective. He added that the growth of China's new energy industry "will make important contributions to the global green and low-carbon transition", the readout of their bilateral meeting said. Yellen, for her part, has acknowledged that "this is a complicated issue that involves their entire macroeconomic and industrial strategy." "It's not going to be solved in an afternoon or a month," she earlier told reporters in Guangzhou. But she said Chinese officials had "heard that this is an important issue to us" and one that will be critical to the bilateral relationship, as well as China's ties with other countries, going forward. (AFP) Married At First Sight fans have been given new hope that ex-couple Lucinda Light and Timonthy Smith will get back together, following the release of a new trailer for Monday's reunion episode. The couple, who broke up following a disastrous homestay visit in Melbourne, will return to face the experts for a final grilling during the highly-anticipated episode. A teaser that aired on Sunday night shows Lucinda, 43, and Timothy, 51, looking surprisingly affectionate as they cuddled on the couch, with Lucinda telling the experts: 'I loved him'. 'So there's hope,' Mel Schilling can be heard, prompting Timothy to reply: 'For sure, yeah'. Lucinda can then be seen leaning over and rubbing Timothy's chest lovingly and drawing him in for a hug, hinting that a romantic reunion may well be on the cards. Married At First Sight fans have been given new hope that ex-couple Lucinda Light, 43, (right) and Timonthy Smith, 51, (left) will get back together, following the release of a new trailer for Monday's reunion episode Timothy and Lucinda Light ended their relationship following their disastrous Melbourne homestay, during which Timothy withdrew and wanted 'alone time' before going out to spend time with a mate. The pair called time on their marriage at the following commitment ceremony, with Timothy acknowledging his lacklustre effort to the experts. 'I didn't go into homestay with the best attitude,' he said, before admitting that he found deep emotional exploration 'uncomfortable' and 'overwhelming'. A teaser that aired on Sunday night shows Lucinda and Timothy looking surprisingly affectionate as they cuddled on the couch, with Lucinda telling the experts: 'I loved him'. 'So there's hope,' Mel Schilling can be heard, prompting Timothy to reply: 'For sure, yeah' Despite their romance not working out, Timothy and Lucinda have maintained a close friendship ever since the cameras stopped rolling. The former on-screen couple have been seen on nights out together, while Lucinda recently gushed over how 'glad' she is to have Timothy as a 'dear friend'. Sharing a behind the scenes snap of them together, Lucinda wrote in an Instagram post after they both left the show: 'Love you Timbo. Soul family! Lucinda can then be seen leaning over and rubbing Timothy's chest lovingly and drawing him in for a hug, hinting that a romantic reunion may well be on the cards 'What a farewell...being cheeky little knobs, ripping our names off the door that was the portal into 'that version of us'. Here's cheers to the future version of 'us' as dear friends. 'So glad I've got a Timbo in my stratosphere and sorry for any times on this experience I hurt you. I see you & you're awesome!' Lucinda has however thrown cold water on any suggestion that she and Timothy are dating again, having recently told Daily Mail Australia that the fan favourites were two very different people. Timothy and Lucinda Light ended their relationship following their disastrous Melbourne homestay , during which Timothy withdrew and wanted 'alone time' before going out to spend time with a mate 'I think it was just realising I want something different for myself,' she said. 'It's not to say that I deserve better than Tim because Tim's an absolute legend and a half, but I think we do really do life differently and have different expectations around our day to day, our emotions, our feelings, our relationships all about.' Timothy and Lucinda were one of the only couples to remain on the show until the final weeks without ever consummating their marriage. Despite their romance not working out on the show, Timothy and Lucinda have maintained a close friendship ever since the cameras stopped rolling She noted that some of their issues came down to the fact that Timothy was still very much grieving the death of his father. 'And look, I think a lot of that is to do with the fact that Tim was grieving. His dad, there's a lot going on for Tim personally,' she empathised. She added that she struggled being with someone who's so different in dealing with emotions. Timothy and Lucinda were one of the only couples to remain on the show until the final weeks without ever consummating their marriage 'Everything from his dad dying recently, to, just feeling the stresses of the show,' she explained. 'Being matched with somebody that is really into communication and sharing feelings, it was exhausting for Tim. 'I was way more than he bargained for, I'm certainly a very acquired case not for everybody, and I like to get into the nitty gritty of all of that and it's just not his usual lingo.' Actor Oliver Stark of 9-1-1 fame addressed the feedback from a same-sex kiss his character engaged in on a recent broadcast of the ABC procedural drama. On Thursday's broadcast of the series - the 100th in the show's history - Stark's character Evan 'Buck' Buckley had a romantic exchange with Tommy Kinard (played Lou Ferrigno Jr.), which Stark said prompted considerable feedback from fans. The London-born actor, 32, took to Instagram Stories on Saturday, saying he was 'humbled and overwhelmed by the positive reaction to Buck's storyline.' The Into the Badlands actor added, 'I've read so many of your messages and I couldn't be prouder.' Stark also addressed the less than kind responses he received over the post, saying the people who sent them don't understand the message of 'love and inclusion' underpinning the program. Oliver Stark, 32, of 9-1-1 fame addressed the feedback from a same sex kiss his character engaged in on a recent broadcast of the procedural drama. Pictured last month in LA On Thursday's broadcast of the series - the 100th in the show's history - Stark's character Evan 'Buck' Buckley had a romantic exchange with Tommy Kinard (played Lou Ferrigno Jr.) 'If you are one of the smaller group of people commenting on my posts about how this has ruined the show,' Stark said. 'I would like you to know that I truly don't care.' Stark cited the romantic relationship that played out on the show between the characters Henrietta 'Hen' Wilson and Karen Wilson, played by Aisha Hinds and Tracie Thoms, respectively. 'It's featured queer relationships from the very beginning including a beautiful Black lesbian marriage played out by two of the best actresses I've ever watched,' Stark said. He wrapped up in saying, 'If one other character finding a new facet to his sexuality and realizing his bisexuality is your deal breaker - I fear you've missed the entire point of the show.' Stark added that people put off by the storyline developments 'are not required to announce your departure.' The series, which initially debuted on Fox in 2018 before ABC acquired it last year, is centered around a group of first responders based in Los Angeles. The show, which was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, also stars Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Kenneth Choi, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Guzman and Corinne Massiah. Stark spoke with Variety on Thursday about his character's storyline arc, saying Minear spoke with him previously about making the Buckley character bisexual. The London-born actor took to Instagram Stories on Saturday, saying he was 'humbled and overwhelmed by the positive reaction to Buck's storyline' Ryan Guzman, Aisha Hinds, Stark, Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Kenneth Choi and Jennifer Love Hewitt were pictured last month at the show's premiere held at Spring Place in Beverly Hills, California 'He had already been in contact with Lou, who plays Tommy - he wanted to know that he was on board before bringing it to me,' Stark said. 'So not with too much notice he said, "I think this is the most truthful way to continue Buck's storyline." 'And I said, "I 100 percent agree." I think it's deserved and I think it's earned - and I am excited to to get the chance to tell it.' Bassett told the outlet that she was caught off-guard by the shift in story in regards to the Buckley character. 'He was quite the ladies' man from the beginning - the wild card - so this is something new and surprising for him as well,' she said. Natalie Portman embraced her classy side as she starred in Dior's latest shoot for the brand's Book Tote Club segment which was shared to Instagram on Sunday. The Oscar winner, 42 - who recently finalized her divorce from ex-husband Benjamin Millepied last month in March - appeared in an assortment of images and a video while exploring the Salle Labrouste library in Paris. The actress - who has been an ambassador for the French company since 2011 - was chic in a pair of high-waisted, dark denim pants. She additionally wore a plain white shirt as well as a gray cardigan that was left unbuttoned at the front. Portman completed her overall look by slipping into a pair of black $1,050 Slingback pumps from the brand. Natalie Portman, 42, embraced her classy side as she starred in Dior's latest shoot for the brand's Book Tote Club segment which was shared to Instagram on Sunday The Oscar winner appeared in an assortment of images and a video while exploring the Salle Labrouste library in Paris Her brunette locks were parted to the side, and flowed down past her shoulders in light waves. Natalie carried a large, Dior book tote from the Spring/Summer 2024 collection which was designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. In a series of snaps, the mother-of-two could be seen looking at a few books inside the stunning space with the colorful, patterned bag next to her. The caption of the joint post which was shared to both Portman and Dior's main pages read: 'As we close the latest chapter of the #DiorBookTote Club, enjoy a last literary wander with Dior Ambassador @NataliePortman.' 'In her #DiorSS24 bag imagined by @MariaGraziaChiuri, find the inspiring 'Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities', by Rebecca Solnit, and the captivating 'On Photography', by Susan Sontag.' In a video also uploaded on Sunday, Natalie happily took social media users and fans along with her as she revealed a few of her 'favorite' books that were located inside the library. The clip kicked off with the Black Swan star stating, 'Welcome to my Dior Book Tote Club. I'm so excited to show you this beautiful Salle Labrouste and to show you some of my favorite books.' While carrying the luxurious Dior tote bag, Portman made her way through the library and picked out a book which is the 'Todd Haynes exhibition catalog.' The actress - who has been an ambassador for the French company since 2011 - was chic in a pair of high-waisted, dark denim pants In a video also uploaded on Sunday, Natalie happily took social media users and fans along with her as she revealed a few of her 'favorite' books that were located inside the library The clip kicked off with the Black Swan star stating, 'Welcome to my Dior Book Tote Club. I'm so excited to show you this beautiful Salle Labrouste and to show you some of my favorite books' While carrying the luxurious Dior tote bag, Portman made her way through the library and picked out a book which is the 'Todd Haynes exhibition catalog' Another book that she ended up placing in her tote was Susan Sontag's On Photography 'Libraries in general are so meaningful to me because the fact that you have so much access to everything when you share with everyone is just a beautiful concept in life,' she gushed. 'So, it's a great way to experience books' 'He's one of my favorite filmmakers, and I was lucky enough recently, to get to work with him.' Haynes is known for working on various projects, such as Far From Heaven (2002), Carol (2015) and May December (2023) - which starred Natalie and Julianne Moore. Another book that she ended up placing in her tote was Susan Sontag's On Photography. 'Libraries in general are so meaningful to me because the fact that you have so much access to everything when you share with everyone is just a beautiful concept in life,' she gushed. 'So, it's a great way to experience books.' Two other books on her list included Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend and also Rebecca Solnit's Hope In The Dark. Portman quickly read a quote from the latter and said, 'Hope just means another world might be possible.' 'Not promised, not guaranteed. Hope calls for action. Action is impossible without hope,' she added, promptly ending the Dior video. The Thor actress has a passion for books and notably runs Natalie's Book Club. She has an Instagram page for the club which currently boasts 145k followers. Two other books on her list included Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend and also Rebecca Solnit's Hope In The Dark Portman quickly read a quote from the latter and said, 'Hope just means another world might be possible' 'Not promised, not guaranteed. Hope calls for action. Action is impossible without hope,' she added, promptly ending the Dior video Last month in March, Natalie notably read Nora Ephron's autobiographical novel Heartburn. The premise follows her marriage and divorce from Carl Bernstein after his affair During an interview with Vanity Fair earlier this year in February, the beauty discussed her love of books and was asked if she tends to read while on sets. 'I read a lot. It depends on the role.' 'If it's something that I really need to kind of create a world around, I'll read things that are related - or sometimes you just read and everything feels related.' 'I don't know if it feels like that when you're writing something, but you're so in it that everything you interact with has some sort of meaning for your character.' Last month in March, Natalie notably read Nora Ephron's autobiographical novel Heartburn. The premise follows her marriage and divorce from Carl Bernstein after his affair. The same month, Portman's divorce from Benjamin Millepied was finalized after 11 years of marriage. She quietly filed to end the union in July of last year and the divorce was finalized in France, a representative for the actress confirmed with People. Portman and Millepied married in 2012 and share two children together - son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, seven. The family live in France. The split came after it was alleged Millepied had cheated on Portman with a woman 21 years his junior. She quietly filed to end the union in July and the divorce was finalized in France, a representative for the actress confirmed with People; seen in 2022 in Toronto The split came after it was alleged Millepied had cheated on Portman with a woman 21 years his junior; seen in 2019 in L.A. Last year French outlet Voici released an explosive report claiming Millepied had an affair with 25-year-old climate activist Camille Etienne. People magazine reported at the time that the romance with Camille was 'short-lived' - and that Benjamin was 'doing all he could' to get 'Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together.' In their latest report about the divorce, a friend of the former couple shared with People how Portman had been getting through the split. The friend revealed it been 'initially really tough' for Portman in the early days of her split, but her supportive friends 'helped her get through the worst of it.' The friend explained that the actress is now on 'the other side' of a difficult year and 'stronger'. She has now been 'finding joy in her family, friends, and work.' Portman's 'biggest priority has been ensuring a smooth transition for her children,' the friend said. 'She and Ben really love their kids and are equally focused on being the best co-parents they can be. Nothing is more important,' the insider said; seen in February in Santa Monica 'She and Ben really love their kids and are equally focused on being the best co-parents they can be. Nothing is more important,' the insider said. While also talking to Vanity Fair, she briefly touched on the topic of the split and how she felt about having her marriage written about. 'It's terrible, and I have no desire to contribute to it.' In a January WSJ interview, she seemed to quietly confirm their split as she talked about living in Paris with her two children but made no mention of Millepied, which was the biggest hint yet that they no longer live together. In February, the duo reunited as they were pictured with their two children on a lunchtime outing in L.A. The Academy Award-winning actress did not appear to be donning her wedding ring. Lara and Sam Worthington made a surprise appearance in Pines Park, Sydney on Saturday as they watched the round five NRL match between the Manly Sea Eagles and Penrith Panthers. The glamour couple donned matching black ensembles for the occasion, with Lara, 36, looking typically stylish in a leather jacket while showing off her recently chopped blonde locks. The mother-of-three completed her ensemble with a natural makeup look and several silver rings. Meanwhile, Avatar star Sam, 47, cut a stylish figure in a black button-down shirt along with a matching jacket. He wore a VIP laniard around his neck as he watched on alongside his wife. Lara and Sam Worthington (both pictured) were spotted taking in the action from the Sea Eagles dug out during the round five NRL match between Manly Sea Eagles and Penrith Panthers on Saturday Australian actor and former rugby league player Matt Nable was also spotted sitting behind the couple in a plain white T-shirt. It comes after Lara revealed how she and Sam husband are a 'team' and always work together to keep their family a well-oiled machine. The model told Stellar magazine in October of 2022 that the pair, who met in 2013 and married a year later, are enjoying getting older together. The glamour couple matched in black ensembles with Lara looking typically stylish in a leather jacket while showing off her recently chopped blonde locks. Matt Nable (right) was also spotted sitting behind the couple in a plain white T-shirt 'As a family unit, we're all very close. We've only got each other. Sam and I are a good team,' she said. 'We're both Australians and we have the same values. We come at our children as a team and I think that's really important.' The beauty said that Sam is a 'a strong father figure' who supports her in her creative pursuits. 'The fact my husband allows me to be creative and have dreams and aspirations that's really important,' Lara said. Lara shares three sons - Rocket, seven, Racer, six, and River, two - with Sam. The Australian model shocked fans after cutting off her short hair in favour of a very short bob style. (Pictured March 4 2024) Aoki Lee Simmons, 21, attended the Columbia Law Gala in New York City with her friends after enjoying a St. Barts getaway with her much-older boyfriend Vittoria Assaf, 65, earlier this week. On Sunday, the daughter of exes Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons took to Instagram to share photos at the event alongside her pals. In the snaps, her boyfriend Assaf, was not seen as the day before her parents seemingly responded on social media about her jetting off with her new love who is 44 years her senior. Seemingly paying no mind to the backlash over their age gap and PDA-filled vacation snaps, she appeared to be in high spirits as she modeled a slinky pink dress in snaps alongside Molly Martinez, one of her friends from her time studying at Harvard University before she graduated in 2023. The model showcased her trim physique in the cowl-neck, satin gown with feathers trailing up her skirt. Aoki Lee Simmons attended the Columbia Law Gala in New York City with her friends after enjoying a St. Barts getaway with her much-older boyfriend earlier this week She threw up her bouncy curls into an effortlessly stylish ponytail and opted for sultry makeup featuring sharp eyeliner and a wine red-colored gloss. In contrast against her feminine-styled dress, she added a touch of edginess by carrying a black handbag and sporting chunky platform boots. Her outing with her college friends comes after she enjoyed a romantic trip to St. Barts with Assaf. During their vacation, she confirmed her romance with the restauranteur as the pair were seen locking lips on the beach during their sun-soaked getaway. It is unclear how long she and Assaf have been romantically involved, but a source close to the model revealed to People that the pair had met while vacationing in St. Barts. As the pair enjoyed their couple's getaway at what is reportedly a favorite destination for the Simmons family, the Serafina restaurant chain co-founder was taking photos of her and documenting their day at the beach. The couple both took to Instagram to share snaps from their vacation but did not post any photos of each other. However, on the last day of their trip, fan-taken footage from Simmons' Instagram Live showed the couple interacting on camera. On Sunday, the 21-year-old daughter of exes Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons took to Instagram to share photos at the event alongside her pals Seemingly paying no mind to the backlash over their age gap and PDA-filled vacation snaps , she appeared to be in high spirits as she modeled a slinky pink dress in snaps alongside Molly Martinez, one of her friends from her time studying at Harvard University before she graduated in 2023 and their pals Her outing with her college friends comes after she enjoyed a romantic trip to St. Barts with Assaf It is unclear how long she and her new beau who is 44 years her senior have been romantically involved, but a source close to the model revealed to People that the pair had met while vacationing in St. Barts After going live on the app, she reportedly referred to Assaf as her 'boyfriend' and displayed what social media users called 'bizarre' behavior. 'Last day in St. Barts. I'm so sad but I'm very happy,' she said during her Instagram Live. 'When I return home, everyone who knows me will be getting a happier, more chilled out version of me.' The Serafina co-founder did not appear in the video but could be heard talking off-camera. 'Would you like to share your favorite thing about the trip?' Simmons asked him at one point. When he answered, she giggled: 'He said me.' An insider previously told People that despite her parents' opinions, 'Aoki and Vittorio are spending time together and enjoying each others' company.' Married At First Sight's newest couple Jonathan McCullough and Ellie Dix exchanged verbal blows with their ex partners during Sunday's fiery reunion. But now bombshell photos taken by Daily Mail Australia just one day after the reunion show the couple partying happily with Ellie's original groom Ben Walters. The trio appeared to be in good spirits as they posed for photos together while attending co-star Michael Felix's birthday. There was no apparent tension between Ellie and her jilted ex Ben, as they laughed off their ill-fated romance before he introduced the cast to his new German girlfriend, Aileen. The sighting comes just hours after Jono clashed with Ben during Sunday's episode after he shushed him. Bombshell photos taken by Daily Mail Australia, just one day after the reunion show Jonathan McCullough and Ellie Dix partying with her ex Ben Walters - despite heated clash on cameras The trio appeared to be in good spirits as they posed for photos together while attending co-star Michael Felix's birthday. (Pictured with co-stars 'Ben, you're an idiot. You had this perfect, lovely, beautiful woman and you stuffed it up. So, don't come at me,' Jono vented in a piece to camera following their clash. Despite producers reportedly not wanting the cast at 'gatherings' before the final results of the show aired, a bevy of the show's brides and grooms stepped out to celebrate Michael's birthday. Lucinda Light, Cassandra Allen, Timothy Smith, Tristan Black, Eden Harper, Andrea Thompson, Stephen Stewart, Jade Pywell, Ash Galati and Natalie Parham were also in attendance. There was no tension between Ellie and her jilted ex Ben, as they laughed off their ill-fated romance as he introduced the cast to his new German girlfriend, Aileen The sighting comes just hours after Jono clashed with Ben during Sunday's episode after he shushed him The cast had been placed at different hotels by producers in Sydney, so as to not ruin the ending prior the reunion which airs April 7 and 8 on Channel Nine. It was previously reported bosses were 'prohibiting' gatherings among the cast after a booze-fueled viewing party, as it 'leaves fans questioning how genuine they are with their search for love'. Despite choosing to go their separate ways, Lucinda and Timothy looked to be getting along just fine as they posed for photos together at Bar Lucia in Sydney's Potts Point. Ellie and Jono are still feeling the heat on Married At First Sight thanks to their cheating scandal Michael and his ex-partner Stephen also appeared to be getting along just fine. Ellie and Jono are still feeling the heat on Married At First Sight thanks to their cheating scandal. Last month, tensions came to a head on the show when Lauren Dunn finally confronted husband Jono about texting fellow bride Ellie after she left the show. Despite producers reportedly not wanting the cast at 'gatherings' before the final results of the show aired, a bevy of the show's brides and grooms stepped out to celebrate Mike's birthday Lucinda Light, Cassandra Allen, Timothy Smith, Tristan Black, Eden Harper, Andrea Thompson, Stephen Stewart, Jade Pywell, Ash Galati and Natalie Parham were all in attendance Mike and his ex-partner Stephen also appeared to be getting along just fine Lauren's heart was shattered when she found out her groom was secretly texting Ellie. A dramatic episode saw Lauren demand to see Jono's iPhone, only to discover he had texted Ellie hundreds of times after she left the experiment. 'You reached out to her. These aren't just relaying information that happened the night before, this is more than that. My stomach dropped,' Lauren told Jono. Jono finally admitted he had secretly been texting Ellie - but attempted to downplay their relationship as just platonic. Ellie and Jono announced their relationship during the show's reunion. Gwyneth Paltrow fell asleep during a Rolling Stones gig at the O2 Arena while she was at the concert with her now ex-husband Chris Martin. The American star, 51, didn't seem to be to too impressed by the live performance from the iconic rock band back in 2012. Radio and TV star Nick Grimshaw revealed the hilarious anecdote when asked which celebrities he has spottedat gigs during his years in the music industry. The BBC broadcaster, 39, spilled of the 2012 gig: 'Where we were sat, we could see Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow. 'However it got better because as the gig went on, Gwyneth Paltrow was asleep. She was fast asleep. Gwyneth Paltrow fell asleep during a Rolling Stones gig at the O2 Arena while she was at the concert with her now ex-husband Chris Martin (Rolling Stones captured in NYC in October 2023) He continued to The Sun: 'While Mick Jagger, like 75, was breaking his bloody back down there, she was giving it the Zs.' The Hollywood star has previously remarked she tries to get around ten hours sleep every night - but also complained about other guests nodding off at her own events. The Iron Man actress once complained when US President Bill Clinton fell asleep during the 1996 screening of her film Emma. She said: 'It's true, he was snoring right in front of me. 'I was like, 'Wow, I guess this is going to be a real hit movie. But it was. So f*** you, Bill Clinton.' At the time of the Rolling Stones gig, Gwyneth was still married to Coldplay frontman Chris, 47. The couple later split in 2014 following what she coined as 'consciously uncoupling'. Gwyneth and Chris share two children, daughter Apple and son Moses. Last week, the Sliding Doors sensation shared a rare photo with her 19-year-old daughter who is on Spring Break from college. Radio and TV star Nick Grimshaw revealed the hilarious anecdote when asked which celebrities he has spottedat gigs during his years in the music industry(pictured in March) The BBC broadcaster, 39, spilled of the 2012 gig: 'Where we were sat, we could see Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow (Seen in 2003) The Hollywood star has previously remarked she tries to get around ten hours sleep every night - but also complained about other guests nodding off at her own events (pictured in January during PFW) The GOOP founder posed with Apple and Moses, 17, as she looked like a very proud mother. The family was seen digging into pizza and salad at a restaurant as the Academy Award-winner enjoyed a glass of white wine while in Nashville, Tennessee. In June 2023, she said in a GOOP newsletter that her 'heart is full' after Apple came home for the summer from college. And she said she was happy to see that Apple is now getting along better with her brother. 'Dynamics in the house have shifted back to what they were a year ago, only she and her brother bicker less, these 10 months bringing growth for them both,' wrote the designer. Last week, the Sliding Doors sensation shared a rare photo with her 19-year-old daughter who is on Spring Break from college Also seen was her son Moses, 17, who is off to college in the fall, at a restaurant in Nashville And she is also glad to see Apple hanging out with her old pals again. 'Apple has returned from her freshman year at college, and I am so struck by how quickly this school year has passed,' wrote the Emma actress. 'It is lovely to see her and her elementary school friends back together like a flock of sweet sparrows, coming in and out of one another's houses in packs, then dispersing,' noted the Iron Man actress. 'My heart is full hearing their laughter ricochet through the halls,' added the ex of Brad Pitt. Rachel McAdams gushed over her 2004 hit film The Notebook - in which she starred alongside Ryan Gosling - being adapted into a musical on Sunday. The 45-year-old movie star was over the moon about the remake saying, 'I cant wait to see it. I think its so exciting to see it take on a whole other life like this, it blows my mind.' '[Its] crazy, just crazy,' she said while on The Broadway Show with Tamsen Fadal. The starlet - who played Allie Calhoun in the film alongside Gosling as Noah - reminisced about her time acting in the romance film saying, 'We didn't even know if anyone would see this movie when we were making it.' The musical hit the stage on March 14 and features actors Ryan Vasquez, Joy Woods, and Jordan Tyson, John Cardoza, Maryann Plunkett, and Dorian Harewood. Rachel McAdams gushed over her 2004 hit film The Notebook - in which she starred alongside Ryan Gosling - being adapted into a musical on Sunday (pictured in the film as Allie Calhoun with Gosling as Noah Calhoun) The 45-year-old movie star was over the moon about the remake saying , 'I cant wait to see it. I think its so exciting to see it take on a whole other life like this, it blows my mind' McAdams has been headlining her first Broadway production, Mary Jane, and chatted up a storm about her transition from film to being on stage. 'I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it to be perfectly honest. I pinch myself every day,' she admitted, 'The little theater nerd in me is freaking out.' The Mean Girls star even said that the change was drastic and it made her feel 'terrified' at times. 'It's gotten better wince we've gotten int o the rehearsal space...I got to ask a million questions [and I] still have a million more, but I find I'm endlessly challenged by film and television still,' she shared. Despite being 'intimidated', per her own words, she feels lucky and excited to take the stage in The Big Apple. The actress even said that she hopes to continue acting on Broadway in the future admitting that she does not want this to be her first and only rodeo on stage. In the play directed by Anne Kauffman, the Oscar nominee portrays a single mom 'in an impossible family situation.' According to a description from producers at the Manhattan Theatre Club, her character's child is 'battling a difficult illness.' 'Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, Mary Jane relies on unflagging optimism and humor, along with the wisdom of the women around her who have become a makeshift family, to take on each new day,' the synopsis teased. 'But will inner strength and newfound friendships be enough to see her through?' McAdams' latest project comes less than a year after she admitted that she still feels 'guilty' about taking a two-year break, at the height of her career in the mid-2010s, to 'stay sane.' While reflecting on her shocking decision to turn down starring roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible III, Iron Man, and Get Smart, the star revealed her break made her wonder if she was 'throwing it all away.' 'I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot,' she confessed. 'But I also knew it wasn't quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane.' Despite occasionally feeling regretful for not taking a role, the mom-of-two said she always takes a step back and thinks: 'That was the right person for that.' In the play directed by Anne Kauffman, the Oscar nominee portrays a single mom 'in an impossible family situation' Ultimately, she credits her acting breaks over the years for 'really' helping her 'feel empowered.' 'It helped me feel like I was taking back some control. And I think it sort of allowed me to come in from a different doorway,' she added. Later, the performer stated that becoming a household name following her parts in Mean Girls, The Notebook and Wedding Crashers made her feel like an 'overnight' sensation. The transition from a recent York University grad, who worked at a McDonald's for three years, to A-lister was jarring. 'You don't go to theater school to learn about how to deal with that. There's no book on how to navigate that,' she said, referring to being recognized in public and having fans ask for selfies. Woody Allen has hinted at a potential end to his illustrious directorial career after his latest release struggled to find a distributor within an 'unappealing and unromantic' film industry. The Academy Award winning filmmaker claims the 'romance' of contemporary cinema in an industry he helped define throughout the 1970s and beyond has disappeared, prompting him to consider his own future as a director. 'The whole business has changed, and not in an appealing way,' Allen, 88, told AirMail. All the romance of filmmaking is gone. Allen's comments came after he struggled to find a North American distributor for his latest film, Coup de Chance, but the director insists he's nonplussed about acquiring one. He added: It doesnt matter to me whether I get distributed here or not. Once I make it, I dont follow it any more. Distribution is no longer what it was. Woody Allen has hinted at a potential end to his illustrious directorial career after his latest release struggled to find a distributor within an 'unappealing and unromantic' film industry Citing his groundbreaking 1977 film Annie Hall, Allen claimed it 'played in cinemas for over a year' while now distribution is two weeks in a cinema. 'Now distribution is two weeks in a cinema and then that's it,' he said. 'I mean, Annie Hall played in movie houses in New York for a little bit over a year. It'd be in one theater for six, seven months, and then somebody would pick it up and it would hang around another few months.' Allen also spoke about cancel culture in the AirMail interview, following years of waning popularity in the states in the wake of further scrutiny stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct made against him by adopted stepdaughter Dylan Farrow in 1992. Allen, who has denied the allegations, wasn't charged following a 1993 probe by authorities in Connecticut. 'Someone asked me about cancel culture, and I said, "If you're going to be canceled, this is the culture that you want to be canceled from,"' said Allen. 'Because who wants to be part of this culture?' Allen, whose $68 million contract with Amazon Studios to make four films was canceled during #MeToo movement, has been challenged in finding distributors for his movies in recent years. Coup de Chance, a dramatic comedy starring Lou de Laage, Niels Schneider and Anna Laik, marks the 50th feature film Allen has made. The film was released April 5 in theaters, and is set for release on digital/VOD services April 12 by MPI Media Group after the film's debut last autumn at the Venice Film Festival, according to a February 12 item from The Hollywood Reporter. Allen, pictured at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, noted that once he is done making the movie, he doesn't 'follow it' after the fact Allen, pictured with wife Soon-Yi Previn, 53, at the film festival last autumn, says that 'this is the culture that you want to be canceled from' The outlet previously reported that copies of the movie had been circulating via 'a network of file sharing and secret screenings.' Allen, speaking with actor Alec Baldwin in June of 2022 on Instagram Live, expounded on why he was disappointed with modern practices. 'I will probably make one more movie, but a lot of the thrill is gone because it doesnt have the whole cinema effect,' he said. 'When I started, you would do a film and it would go to movie houses all over the country and people would come. 'Now you do a movie and you get a couple of weeks in a movie house, maybe six weeks or four weeks, and then it goes right to streaming or to pay-per-view.' He added, 'People love sitting at home and watching on their big screens and they have good sound and a clear picture. Its not the same thing as when I went into the movie business. And so, its not as enjoyable to me.' Married At First Sight's Madeleine Maxwell has broken her silence on why she never made it to Sunday night's explosive reunion. The psychic medium left fans puzzled with her absence during the highly-anticipated reunion, leaving her ex-husband Ash Galati to front the rest of the group alone. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about the no-show, Madeleine said she simply didn't 'align' with Married At First Sight and didn't want anything to do with the show after her dramatic exit earlier this season. 'I chose not to go to the reunion because I did not feel in alignment with the production itself,' said the former Home and Away actress, cryptically. 'The production itself was something that was contradictory to what they sell Australia.' Madeleine Maxwell (pictured) has broken her silence on why she never made it to Sunday night's explosive reunion, saying she imply didn't 'align' with Married At First Sight and didn't want anything to do with the show after her dramatic exit earlier this season Ash had previously warned that fans wouldn't see Madeleine at the two-episode reunion special during an interview with Daily Mail Australia last month. 'I come back alone, which was a blessing in disguise,' Ash confessed, shedding light on his feelings towards the unexpected turn of events. Despite the rocky journey and Madeleine's sudden disappearance, Ash expressed a sense of relief at her choice. 'I chose not to go to the reunion because I did not feel in alignment with the production itself,' she cryptically told Daily Mail Australia, adding: 'The production itself was something that was contradictory to what they sell Australia.' (Pictured with husband Ash Galati) 'I was expecting her to come back. I followed things through till the end. I had an obligation to come back to myself, to the show, to the other couples. So I did the right thing and I showed up. But she didn't.' The mystery deepened as Ash admitted, 'As far as I know, no one's heard from her.' 'As soon as I left the experiment I blocked her number. But, if she wanted to, she could reach out, but she's probably forgotten about me.' Ash had previously warned that fans wouldn't see Madeleine at the two-episode reunion special during an interview with Daily Mail Australia last month The couple failed to form a connection and their ill-fated marriage reached breaking point after a dramatic honeymoon where they struggled to get to know one another. Scenes from their honeymoon saw Madeleine breaking down in tears upon seeing a herd of cows and telling Ash she had been contacted by 'spirits' during their dinner date, leaving her groom confused. Ash has now revealed even more 'wild' moments from their honeymoon that didn't make it to screen as he gave a candid insight into his MAFS journey. 'I come back alone which was a blessing in disguise,' Galati confessed, shedding light on his feelings towards the unexpected turn of events Ash described their honeymoon as 'traumatic, chaotic and crazy' as he claimed that Madeleine didn't try to get involved or get to know him. 'She accused me of being a police officer. I'm surprised I didn't get shown,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'She's like, ''You're a cop, you're trying to interrogate me,'' I'm like, ''no, I'm not trying to interrogate you. I'm trying to get to know you. There's a difference,'' but she just took anything that like any, if anyone asks any questions about being a psychic or a medium, she was super defensive, including other couples at our wedding.' The couple failed to form a connection and their ill-fated marriage reached breaking point after a dramatic honeymoon where they struggled to get to know one another He claimed that there was only 'dead silence' when the cameras weren't around as he reflected on his struggles to further his connection with former Home And Away star Madeleine. Ash admitted he began to have his doubts about their connection the morning after the wedding, but decided to persevere with the experiment after getting advice from the other couples who had overcome their early issues. 'She was just very quiet the morning after the wedding, she'd be on the phone a lot to her friends, just we didn't really, talk at all, and then as soon as we got mic'd up and when the camera crew was there, it was over the top, and she loved me, and I'm the funniest guy in the world.' Memorable scenes saw Madeleine breaking down in tears upon seeing a herd of cows, despite not being a vegetarian, and telling Ash she had been contacted by 'spirits' The Biden administration will push China to change an industrial policy that poses a threat to U.S. jobs, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday after wrapping up four days of talks with Chinese officials. She also said in Beijing they had difficult conversations about national security, including American concerns that Chinese companies are supporting Russia in its war in Ukraine. But the focus of her trip was industrial policy , and what the U.S. and Europe describe as manufacturing overcapacity in China. Wealthy nations fear a wave of low-priced Chinese exports that will overwhelm factories at home. Yellen cited the manufacturing of electric vehicles and their batteries as well as solar energy equipment sectors that the U.S. administration is trying to promote domestically as areas where Chinese government subsidies have driven rapid expansion of production. China is now simply too large for the rest of the world to absorb this enormous capacity. Actions taken by the PRC today can shift world prices," she said, using the acronym for China's official name, the People's Republic of China. "And when the global market is flooded by artificially cheap Chinese products, the viability of American and other foreign firms is put into question. She said the U.S. would host Chinese counterparts for their fourth economic and financial working groups meetings next week where these issues will be discussed at length." Last September, the U.S. and China formed working groups in an effort to ease tensions and deepen ties between the two nations. The upcoming discussions will coincide with the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings. It's unclear how China will respond to such calls. European officials have repeatedly raised the issue on visits to China with no sign of any change on the Chinese side. Moreover, one of leader Xi Jinping's major goals is to build the nation into a major power so it doesn't feel compelled to bend to outside pressure. But overcapacity also affects China price wars in the electric vehicle sector are expected to drive some makers out of business and experts have called for better coordination of policies designed to promote new technologies. The government agreed during Yellen's visit to start talks on what the two sides called balanced growth. We intend to underscore the need for a shift in policy by China during these talks, Yellen said at a news conference held outdoors on a balmy spring day at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Beijing. Advocating for higher consumer spending in China in response to its large government subsidies to solar, EV and lithium-ion battery industries, Yellen said: If consumer spending were higher as a share of GDP, there would be less need to have such large investment going into building supply of green energy products. On Saturday, the official Xinhua News Agency said that the Chinese side had responded fully to the issue of production capacity during Yellen's talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng, the lead person for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs, More than a decade ago, the treasury secretary said, a flood of below-cost Chinese steel ... decimated industries across the world and in the United States. Ive made clear that President Biden and I will not accept that reality again. On the war in Ukraine, Yellen warned that any banks that facilitate the sale of military or dual-use goods to Russia could face U.S. sanctions. "I stressed that companies, including those in the PRC, must not provide material support for Russias war and that they will face significant consequences if they do," she said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beijing on Monday for talks on the Ukraine conflict and other issues. Asked about Yellen's warnings, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said that the U.S. should not smear or attack the normal state-to-state relations between China and Russia and should not harm the legitimate rights and interests of China and Chinese enterprises. Yellen, the former chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, met with China's central bank governor, Pan Gongsheng, earlier Monday. (AP) Gayle King sparkled in an all green glittering ensemble as one of the presenters of the CMT Awards in Austin, Texas on Sunday. The CBS Morning Co-host donned a sparkling lime-green jacket that showed off her chest - paired with matching pants on the red carpet. She paired the look with matching reflective pumps and silver jewelry as her short brown locks were perfectly styled. Her makeup featured smoky eyeshadow with light blush. The fan-voted award show was hosted by country icon Kelsea Ballerini. Gayle King was seeing green as she sparkled in an all green glittering ensemble as one of the presenters of the CMT Awards in Austin, Texas on Sunday Her makeup was on point as she wore a smoky eyeshadow with light blush as her smile sparkled on camera CMT 2024 Winners: AT A GLANCE VIDEO OF THE YEAR Jelly Roll Need A Favor FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR Lainey Wilson Watermelon Moonshine MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR Jelly Roll Need A Favor DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR Dan + Shay Save Me The Trouble COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton We Don't Fight Anymore BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR Ashley Cooke your place BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR Warren Zeiders Pretty Little Poison CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR Jelly Roll Need a Favor (from 2023 CMT Music Awards) CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR Scotty McCreery It Matters to Her (from CMT Stages) JUNE CARTER CASH HUMANITARIAN AWARD Trisha Yearwood Inaugural Winner Advertisement 'I honestly love country music and I have for some time so I'm not late to the country music party...the vibe is different here,' the journalist told Billboard. When asked about her how she practiced to be a presenter at this evening's event she said,' You prepare, prepare, prepare. I'm not trying to put anybody on the spot...I just thinking we're giving you the platform to tell your story.' 'I'm just there to sort of facilitate the conversation for you. But I'm very prepared. I pride myself of being prepared,' she added. She even gushed over Beyonce's turn to country music with her album Cowboy Carter, saying she was in Japan during its release. Gayle admitted that one day she hopes to chat with the Single Ladies songstress and her famous beau Jay-Z in a joint interview. At the ceremony, Jelly Roll was the big winner with three awards while Trisha Yearwood was the the recipient of the first-ever June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award. Ballerini, who ordinarily hosts with Kane Brown, told People: 'It's definitely new grounds for me.' 'But it's my fourth year hosting, so I feel like I've learned a lot. And the good thing about CMT is there's such a light energy, so there's not a pressure that I feel to be perfect. 'I just want to be fun, honor the night and help people have a good time.' Billy Bob Thornton, Emma Roberts, James Van Der Beek, Jane Seymour, Mickey Guyton, and Jelly Roll were among the all-star presenters hitting the stage. 'I honestly love country music and I have for some time so I'm not late to the country music party...the vibe is different here,' the journalist told Billboard (pictured with Brittney Spencer) She even gushed over Beyonce's turn to country music with her album Cowboy Carter Gayle posed with Lainey Wilson Carly Pearce, and Paul Walter Hauser King also helped celebrate the biggest night in music by hitting the red carpet at the 2024 Grammy Awards earlier this year. The longtime friend of Oprah Winfrey stepped out in a shimmering pale gold jumpsuit and embroidered kimono from designer Marc Bouwer's Haute Couture collection. She rocked a matching glittering gold trench coat over it that trailed behind her on the red carpet and completed her look with matching glittering gold pumps for her red carpet arrival. Nigella Lawson proved she doesn't need VIP treatment as she checked herself in for a flight at Sydney Airport on Sunday. The celebrity chef showed she is just like the rest of us as she headed to a Qantas self-service machine and rolled her suitcases to the bag drop area at the terminal. The 64-year-old celebrity chef, who has been in Australia on a speaking tour, cut a chic figure for her flight. She slipped into black trousers and a matching black top with a white blazer and white sneakers. Wearing her dark hair down and minimal makeup, the British star opted for a natural makeup look. Nigella Lawson proved she doesn't need VIP treatment as she checked herself in for a flight at Sydney Airport on Sunday The celebrity chef showed she is just like the rest of us as she headed to a Qantas self-service machine and rolled her suitcases to the bag drop area at the terminal She patiently waited in line with everyone else, then weighed her sizeable bags before heading into the terminal to board her flight. Nigella has been sharing her adventures around Australia with her followers on social media. She recently enjoyed some down time at a swanky restaurant in Cottesloe, ahead of her first show at Perth's Concert Hall. The 64-year-old celebrity chef, who has been in Australia on a speaking tour, cut a chic figure for her flight She slipped into black trousers and a matching black top with a white blazer and white sneakers Her sizeable bags were also colour coordinated, both a similar shade of white Nigella wore her luscious dark hair down, pushing it back behind her ear to read her phone The Briish television star collected her boarding pass and went to bag drop Nigella also wore a black cross-body phone bag Taking to Instagram, Nigella shared a gallery of images of her night out. 'Saturday night by the sea,' she told followers in the caption, alongside one picture that featured a stunning view of the setting sun as seen from Cottesloe Beach. She also posted photos of her delicious meal. '[We] kicked off with some exquisitely tangy raw beef tostadas and creamy crab arepas,' she posted. Nigella also posted a photo of her scrumptious looking main meal, which included several dishes. The British star patiently waited in line with everyone else at bag drop She then weighed her sizeable bags before heading into the terminal to board her flight Telling followers her roast chicken with Aji Verde was 'perfect', Nigella described the rest of her meal in the post. Nigella wowed fans Down Under with her appearances on the last two seasons of MKR. Her An Evening with Nigella Lawson tour recently came to an end. The beloved star visited Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide in an event described as an in conversation event about 'home cooking, kitchen rituals, hero ingredients and more.' Heather Graham showed off her incredible bikini body while she soaked up the sun in Mexico on Sunday. The 54-year-old actress was all smiles as she posed in three tiny bikinis by the clear water and enjoyed some time off. In one snap, the Flowers in the Attic actress showed off her chest and hourglass figure in an off-white textured bikini as her blonde locks cascaded over her shoulders. She showed off her natural beauty as she went make-up free and accessorized with a dark pair of sunglasses. In the second snap, she posed sultrily in a brown bikini that displayed her toned legs. Heather Graham showed off her incredible bikini body while she soaked up the sun in Mexico on Sunday. She was camera ready as she posed sultrily in a brown bikini that displayed her toned legs In another snap, the veteran actress put on a surprised face as she wore a personalized straw sun hat with her initials stitched on. She opted for a loose white patterned dress as she took in the Mexican heat. 'Celebrating spring south of the border,' she captioned the post. We last saw the starlet earlier last month in the same brown bikini as she showed off her impossibly slender figure while on a yoga retreat in Mexico. The cover girl from Milwaukee, Wisconsin had a flat tummy with abs and sculpted legs as she looked to be toned to perfection. The 54-year-old star has said in the past she looks so youthful because she likes to sleep a lot. Often she gets as much as 12 hours of shut-eye a day. And the looker, who has worked since she was a teen, also said she meditates twice a day as it centers her and makes her relax. 'So grateful I got to go on a yoga retreat and meditate looking at the ocean with @soukofrima_ and @mjmasala @souk.studio. Me gusta ,' she said in her caption. She is also a big yoga fan which she started doing when she worked on Twin Peaks prequel Fire Walk With Me in 1992. The star was with her boyfriend John de Neufville, 47. In February, she stole the spotlight at the 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival Closing Night. Graham looked incredible in a stylish red gown as she arrived at the Arlignton Theatre gala, which included the world premiere of her film Chosen Family. The star is currently romancing John de Neufville, 47 In another snap, the veteran actress put on a surprised face as she wore a personalized straw sun hat with her initials stitched on She showed off her natural beauty as she went makeup free and accessorized with a dark pair of sunglasses The dramedy was written and directed by the actress, who also stars in it alongside Julia Stiles, Andrea Savage, Ella Grace Helton and John Brotherton. She effortlessly commanded attention at the event in her bold gown, showcasing a plunging neckline and a strategically placed cut-out design that highlighted her sculpted abs. Opting for minimal makeup, Heather let her natural beauty take center stage as she posed alongside her co-stars, Ella and John. Tom Hiddleston has broken his silence on the future of Loki - but his answer doesn't clear up too much for eager comic fans. The British actor, 43, first stepped on the scene as the God of Mischief in 2011 in the first installment of Thor - and the villain quickly became a fan-favourite. In fact Loki became so popular among Marvel enthusiasts, the character bagged its own titular Marvel Disney + show a decade after his debut. But when it comes to what lies ahead for the trickster, Tom didn't let too much out of the bag, admitting he isn't too sure about Loki's future. 'I truly don't know,' he said regarding the Marvel show in an interview with Variety at the launch Hulu on Disney + April 5. Tom Hiddleston has revealed that he 'truly' doesn't know what lies ahead for the future of his Marvel hit series Loki (pictured at the Hulu On Disney+ Celebration on April 5) The actor first made his debut as the God of Mischief in the 2011 film Thor with the character earning his own titular show on Disney + a decade later (pictured: Tom Hiddleston as Loki) 'There have been other times when I thought it was the end and I've been mistaken, but if this is the end, I'm so proud of where we ended up.' Admitting how much fun he had making season two, the actor added: 'I'm really proud of [Loki Season Two]. We had a great time making it.' During the Disney+ event, Tom also gave fans insight into who he would like to see Loki go head-to-head with. 'The X-Men, they're back in there, right? Wolverine's in there,' he said, noting the famous hero crew's new place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Flexing his comic book knowledge, the actor revealed Wolverine was in the original Avengers, adding that he may have to dig up his old comic books so he can find some storylines. Tom also confessed that he would also like to battle it out with his former Broadway co-star and friend Charlie Cox - who currently plays Daredevil. Charlie featured in Betrayal with Tom as well as his partner Zawe Ashton in 2019. The actors most recent revelations come shortly after the Marvel actor expressed his immense gratitude after he bagged a win at the People's Choice Award for his hit Marvel series. Tom also elaborated on who he wants to see Loki battle - naming Daredevil, who is played by his former Broadway co-star Charlie Cox (left to right: Charlie, Zawe Ashton and Tom in 2021) With the introduction of the X-Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tom revealed he wouldn't shy away from going head to head with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine (pictured in 2003) Walking away with Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of the Year, Loki beat Ahsoka, American Horror Story: Delicate, Black Mirror, Ghosts, Secret Invasion, The Mandalorian as well as The Witcher. The actor took to the stage in a stylish grey suit as he headed up on stage to accept the award. 'Thank you so much. I am so grateful for this great honor. It is such a privilege to receive this people's choice award from you,' he said. 'The audience. The people for whom we make this work and who allow us to do what we do. I'm so proud of season two of "Loki," as a performer and producer,' he told a crowd roaring with applause. Lucy Mecklenburgh showcased her sensational figure in a strapless white swimsuit as she shared a glimpse of her lavish Dubai family getaway on Instagram on Monday. The former TOWIE star, 32, showed off her amazing figure in the one-piece as she enjoyed an ice cream with daughter Lilah, 23 months, who was dressed in an adorable green swimsuit. Styling her long brunette tresses in a neat bun, Lucy wore a pair of stylish black sunglasses as she held her little girl while beaming for a snap. The beauty was also joined on the trip by fiance Ryan, 39, their son Roman, four, and Ryan's daughter Scarlett, 13, who he shares with first wife Tina O'Brien. The former Coronation Street actor, who proposed to Lucy back in 2019, was seen playfully throwing their Lilah into the air while in the swimming pool. Lucy Mecklenburgh showcased her sensational figure in a white strapless swimsuit as she shared a glimpse of her lavish Dubai family getaway on Instagram on Monday The former TOWIE star, 32, showed off her amazing figure in the one-piece as she enjoyed an ice cream with daughter Lilah, 23 months, who was dressed in an adorable green swimsuit Styling her long brunette tresses in a neat bun, Lucy wore a pair of stylish black as she held her little girl while beaming for a snap Lucy also cooled off in the water and was seen kissing her little girl as she floated in a baby inflatable chair. The family seemed in good spirits as they stayed at the incredible Rixos The Palm Dubai. Lucy wrote: 'Pool day with my favourites'. Taking to her Instagram Story, Lucy also posed in a stylish green bikini from River Island which she teamed with a pair of coordinated wide legged trousers and a matching open shirt. In another clip she showed off her toned figure in the two-piece as she held Lilah while enjoying some fruit from the outdoor bar. Last week, Ryan crashed Lucy's outfit check video where she showed off her red bandeau bikini which had floral attachments and she covered with a white sarong skirt. The TV personality flaunted her toned stomach in the outfit which she paired with a beach bag and sunglasses. Enter her shirtless fiance Ryan who cheekily interrupted Lucy's video with a jeer and a jig before Lucy pushed him away and continued modelling. The beauty was also joined on the trip by fiance Ryan, 39, their son Roman, 4, and his daughter Scarlett, 13, who he shares with first wife Tina O'Brien The former Coronation Street actor, who proposed to Lucy back in 2019, was seen playfully throwing their Lilah into the air while in the swimming pool Lucy, who was staying at the incredible Rixos The Palm Dubai, also cooled off in the water and was seen kissing her little girl as she floated in a baby inflatable chair Taking to her Instagram Story, Lucy also posed in a stylish green River Island bikini which she teamed with a pair of coordinated wide legged trousers and a matching open shirt In another clip she showed off her toned figure in the two-piece as she held Lilah while enjoying some fruit from the outdoor bar Last week, shirtless Ryan crashed Lucy's outfit check video where she showed off her red bandeau bikini which had floral attachments and she covered with a white sarong skirt The Dancing On Ice winner showed off his ripped abs in a pair of blue patterned swimming trunks as he larked around. Lucy shot to fame in 2010 as TOWIE's newest cast member and stayed until 2013. The reality show is currently airing its thirty-third series. Ryan retired from acting in 2021, but has been a frequent fixture in reality television and won Celebrity Big Brother in 2018. His brother Adam continues to act and Adam's twin Scott, a finalist on the second series of Love Island, works to promote sobriety. The Beatles returned to the BBC on Sunday evening, at least in a manner of speaking, after the original pencil drawings of their first band logo made an appearance on Antiques Roadshow. Expert Mark Hill was visibly stunned upon discovering the drawings had been created for one of Ringo Starr's drums in 1962, shortly before the band became one the biggest and most successful groups of all time. Filming Sunday's episode from Sefton Park House in Liverpool, the band's home city, Hill was given a potted history of the artwork from their owner, a retired signwriter and shopfitter who knew band-members John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison before they signed their first record deal. 'The Beatles approached me and wanted a logo for the drum,' he explained. 'I was quite close [to the band] and they were all at my 21st.' Despite creating a distinctive logo, complete with two insect antenna atop a flourishing capital B, it was ultimately rejected by then-newly appointed drummer Starr in favour of what would become their definitive logo, with its famous dropped T, designed by Ivor Arbiter. A retired signwriter was speechless on Sunday evening's Antiques Roadshow after discovering two 60-year old pencil drawing designs of The Beatles' original logo were worth 15,000 The drawings were been created for one of Ringo Starr 's drums in 1962, shortly before band became one the biggest and most successful groups of all time The designs were ultimately rejected by then-newly appointed drummer Starr in favour of what would become their definitive logo, with its famous dropped T, designed by Ivor Arbiter Noticing a series of doodles alongside the completed work, Hill remarked: 'It's interesting to note here, that by these little antennae of this bug logo... you've got little pencil drawings here, was this you?' 'No, that was either John [Lennon] or Paul [McCartney],' the owner admitted. 'They had to do their bit, didn't they?' While the logo would be turned down by Starr because he feared it would 'interfere with his recording,' their creator insisted he held no hard feelings towards the band as they began their ascent with the release of debut single Love Me Do - despite not being paid for his work. 'I was unbelievably busy,' he recalled. 'I was an unbelievably busy lad. It was just another job. We were good mates at the time and they didn't pay me, I might add.' However he was given some positive news by Hill, who assured him the humble drawings would be a hit at auction. 'So what we're effectively looking at here are the very earliest logos ever produced for The Beatles with their band name on it... it's quite a pair of objects,' he said. 'My feeling is if these went up for auction, they'd probably fetch somewhere around 15,000? So sixty years later, you finally get paid!' 'I don't particularly want to sell them at the moment,' their owner replied. 'But who knows?' Expert Mark Hill was visibly stunned after being presented with the drawings during Sunday evening's show, filmed at Sefton Park House in Liverpool - The Beatles' home city The expert pointed out a series of curious doodles alongside the completed drawings, and asked if their owner was responsible for them 'No, that was either John or Paul,' their owner admitted. 'They had to do their bit, didn't they?' He was given some positive news by Hill, who assured him the humble drawings would be a hit at auction with a potential 15,000 worth Antiques Roadshow is proving invaluable to the BBC in the ratings war pulling in more viewers than soap operas and Ant and Dec. In the week from March 18, the 45-year-old roadshow was Britain's fifth most popular programme, with 4.9 million viewers. That beat every soap and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. A Coronation Street episode was sixth with 4.5 million viewers, the best soap showing of the week. Ant and Dec were ninth on 4.4 million. Author Kathy Lette put the Sunday night roadshow's success down to 'no fast car chases, no butchering, no brutality, no swearing, no psychos, no sci-fi monsters. Just people being kind, curious, knowledgeable and calm'. The viewing figures from Barb Audience include those who watch live and on catch-up. In the week from March 11 the roadshow also came fifth, being narrowly beaten by a Coronation Street episode. Last night roadshow host Fiona Bruce said she was thrilled with the audience figures. She said: 'Even humble items from a car boot sale can turn out to be precious, such as the vase bought for 1 that was revealed to be a Lalique treasure that sold for 32,000. 'But the programme is about so much more than monetary value, it's also a window into our common history, into human stories we can all share in. It's a joy to work on.' The TOWIE castmates gathered together to film scenes for the reality show in a luxury barn, on Saturday. Lauren Goodger, 37, and Courtney Green, 28, rocked cowgirl theme outfits as they joined their co-stars at Jordan Brook's country and western birthday party. OG Lauren slipped into a sexy studded cowgirl outfit, featuring a leather look shirt held together by a chunky white belt. Courtney flashed her pins in a mini skirt with furry edging and brown western boots, while also leaving her midriff on display in a white crop top and denim jacket. Chloe Meadows stepped out in a denim playsuit and a snazzy pair of metallic silver western boots. Lauren Goodger , 37, and Courtney Green, 28, rocked cowgirl theme outfits as they joined their co-stars at Jordan Brook's country and western birthday party, on Saturday OG Lauren slipped into a sexy studded cowgirl outfit, featuring a leather look shirt held together by a chunky white belt Courtney flashed her pins in a mini skirt with furry edging and brown western boots, while also leaving her midriff on display in a white crop top and denim jacket Amy Childs showed off a glimpse of her abs in an indigo coloured denim co-ord set comprising a tie-up shirt and flared trousers. Elma Pazar flashed the flesh in a skin-baring light blue basque and tie-side mini skirt, which she teamed with a grey tassel leather jacket and white knee-high boots. Dani Imbert drew attention to herself in a metallic pink cropped basque and matching trousers, while wearing a pink bandana around her neck. Never one to shy away from attention, Jordan arrived at the bash on a horse to kick off his birthday celebrations. The birthday boy rocked a studded cowboy hat and red bandana as he partied with her girlfriend Sophie Kasaei. Geordie Shore star Sophie looked out of this world in a silver metallic crop top and trousers set, which also featured matching opera gloves and an embellished cowgirl hat Roman made the ultimate sacrifice as he lost a bet with the boys, and had to wear Dani Imbert's face on his boxer shorts while parading around on a toy horse. Jordan's party comes after he broke down in tears on Sunday's The Only Way Is Essex as he revealed he thought his girlfriend was pregnant but it turned out to be a false positive. Never one to shy away from attention, Jordan arrived at the bash on a horse to kick off his birthday celebrations Lauren completed her look with a padded white handbag and a black cowgirl hat Chloe Meadows stepped out in a denim playsuit and metallic silver western boots Amy Childs showed off a glimpse of her abs in an indigo coloured denim co-ord set comprising a tie-up shirt and flared trousers Elma Pazar flashed the flesh in a skin-baring light blue basque and tie-side mini skirt, which she teamed with a grey tassel leather jacket and white knee-high boots Dani Imbert drew attention to herself in a metallic pink cropped basque and matching trousers, while wearing a pink bandana around her neck Birthday boy Jordan rocked a studded cowboy hat and red bandana as he partied with her girlfriend Sophie Kasaei Geordie Shore star Sophie looked out of this world in a silver metallic crop top and trousers set, which also featured matching opera gloves and an embellished cowgirl hat Amy was joined by her fiance Billy at the celebrations James Diags and girlfriend Jodie Wells were colour coordinated for the party Roman made the ultimate sacrifice as he lost a bet with the boys, and had to wear Dani Imbert 's face on his boxer shorts while parading around on a toy horse Harry Derbridge slipped into a wet look ensemble which he teamed with statement boot The TOWIE star and former Geordie Shore star Sophie, who has endometriosis, have been open about the difficulties of trying for a baby. Having a heart-to-heart with fellow star Elma Pazar, Jordan admitted he has done everything he wanted to do in life, and all that is left for him is to become a father. He confided: 'Two weeks before we came out here, we thought she was pregnant again which was f*****g hard. 'It's my next step in life to be a dad. Everyone here knows how hard I find it being away from Soph as it is. Me and that girl are so close.' The star was diagnosed back in 2020, when she opened up with her followers about her 'excruciating' battle with the condition. Endometriosis is a condition resulting from endometrial tissue outside the uterus which causes pelvic pain and is often related to menstruation. She found fame on The Only Way Is Essex back in 2010. And 14 years later Amy Childs looked worlds away from her first appearance on the ITVBe series as she filmed for series 33. The reality star, 37, has now ditched her iconic red tresses for a much darker look but with her fringe bleach blonde. Amy dressed to impress in a cowgirl outfit as she attended co-star Jordan Brook's western themed birthday party while filming the reality show on Sunday. She displayed her toned midriff in a tied dark denim shirt and flashed a black bra top underneath. 14 years after finding fame on The Only Way Is Essex back in 2010, Amy Childs looked worlds away from her first appearance on the ITVBe series as she filmed for series 33 The reality star, 37, has now ditched her iconic red tresses for a much darker look with her fringe bleach blonde (pictured right, in 2011) Amy, who returned as a series regular on TOWIE in 2021, dressed to impress in a cowgirl outfit as she filmed the reality show on Sunday (pictured alongside fiance Billy Delbosq) The TV personality teamed the number with a pair of coordinated flared jeans, heeled tan boots, a red neck scarf and rocked a woven hat. Amy returned as a series regular on TOWIE in 2021 and was part of the original cast in 2010 but left in 2011 to appear on Celebrity Big Brother. The mother-of-four has returned to The Only Way Is Essex for guest appearances as she starred in the 200th episode special which aired in 2016. The beauty returned to filming once again for the 10th anniversary special in 2020 after welcoming two children. She shares her daughter Polly, who was born in 2017, with ex Bradley Wright, and has a second child Ritchie, who was born in 2018, but little is known about his father. Amy has since gone onto welcome twins, Milly and Billy with First Dates contestant fiance Billy Delbosq in 2023, who have also appeared on the reality shows. Amy has now been rejoined by one of her OG cast members Lauren Goodger as she rejoined the cast seven years after her exit. Discussing the show on This Morning earlier this month Amy was asked if she still 'vajazzles' - a form of genital decoration made famous in the UK by the reality star. Amy was part of the original cast in 2010 but left in 2011 (right) to appear on Celebrity Big Brother and reappeared for guest appearances in 2016 and 2020 The reality star is now a mother of four after welcoming twins Milly and Billy with fiance Billy Delbosq in 2023. She also shares daughter Polly, seven, with ex Bradley Wright, and has a son Ritchie, six, who is kept out of the spotlight 'Oh my god, no,' Amy replied, before adding: 'Everyone does still come up to me and if they have a vajazzle, they do get it out to me. 'When I went to Sugar Hut years ago, I had loads of girls getting their out. In the end, it was the norm then. I was like, "Ok then, get your vajazzle out and show me."' Lauren laughed: 'It was the norm.' On having the cameras following their lives, Lauren said, 'It's all we know, really. It's where we started. I was only young, 21/22.' Amy added, 'It was 14 years ago that we started TOWIE, it's mad. Lauren's come back on the show and when we were filming a couple of weeks ago, it just felt so natural.' Alison said it feels like a full circle and Lauren said: 'Yeah, we're chilled now'. Amy added: 'We're the boring ones. All those years ago, it was the vajazzle and the spray tans. Now we're like, I've got the four kids, Lauren's got Larose, so we're mums.' Jake Wood appeared on Monday's instalment of Good Morning Britain. The EastEnders actor, 51, gave a cryptic three-word response when quizzed about his potential return to Albert Square as Max Branning. Jake was asked by Kate Garraway and Ed Ball to pick the most likely option between him reprising his iconic soap role or Arsenal FC winning the Premier League. He replied: 'Well, if you ask me which one I'd prefer, I'd prefer Arsenal to win the League... Most likely? I hope Arsenal.' However, Jake also made it clear that, despite currently having 'no plans' to make an EastEnders comeback, the possibility for him to return is always there. He said: 'I've got no plans to go back. They've kept the door open. It's been three and a half years since I've not been there. It's been a while... 'Never say never.' EastEnders actor Jake Wood, 51, gave a cryptic three-word response when quizzed about his potential return to Albert Square as Max Branning, while on Monday's Good Morning Britain Jake was asked by Kate Garraway and Ed Ball to pick the most likely option between him reprising his iconic soap role or Arsenal FC winning the Premier League He replied: 'Well, if you ask me which one I'd prefer, I'd prefer Arsenal to win the League... Most likely? I hope Arsenal.' Jake was on GMB to speak about his new role in the play London Tide but was inevitably questioned about EastEnders. The actor bid farewell to Max Branning as he shot his final scenes in December 2020, after playing the character for 15 years. Taking to Instagram, Jake shared a goodbye video as he walked around the famous BBC set, and said: 'That's a wrap' as he thanked fans for their support as his time portraying the Albert Square bad boy came to an end. 'Strange day for me, last day on set filming EastEnders after 15 years, playing Max Branning. Ill miss the place, its the people for me, I made some amazing friends and its been an incredible life changing experiences. 'Thank you all for your messages of love and support, I have really appreciated all of that, who knows what the future brings? I just wanted to say goodbye to Max Branning and share this with you all.' Jake first joined the EastEnders cast in 2006, and faced his fair share of drama, including womanising, a secret marriage and even being framed for murder. Announcing his departure in September 2020, Jake said: 'I've had 15 wonderful years at EastEnders and have made some truly great friends. 'I'll of course miss everyone there but I'm grateful they have left the door open for Max and I'm excited to see what the next chapter holds.' Jake quit the soap in February 2021 after 15 years playing the womanising villain Max Branning However, Jake also made it clear that, despite currently having 'no plans' to make an EastEnders comeback, the possibility for him to return is always there He said: 'I've got no plans to go back. They've kept the door open. It's been three and a half years since I've not been there. It's been a while... 'Never say never' In his final EastEnders scenes, Max turned his back on Albert Square after realising there was nothing left for him there. In a heartbreaking moment, he left behind his granddaughter Abi after realising she'd be better off being raised by Rainie and Stuart. The Walford bad boy decided to bid farewell after his one-time love Linda Carter once again rejected him and declared that she doesn't love him, despite him getting the Queen Vic back for her. And in another blow, his brother Jack gave him some harsh home truths, with Max then deciding to disappear with beloved granddaughter Abi. But after his car failed to start, he then made to walk to the Tube station with the little one in tow, where the duo bumped into his former love Stacy Slater, with Max saying a cryptic goodbye. However, he then noticed little Abi looking up at her great-aunt Rainie's window and in that moment he chose to leave the tot on her doorstep, deciding that Abi would have a better life with Rainie and husband Stuart. After leaving Abi on Rainie's doorstep, a tearful Max then grabbed his bags and made his way to the tube station as EastEnders' heart wrenching Julia's theme played in the background. The weather wasn't on Eamonn Holmes' side as he was late for his morning presenting job after being stranded by Storm Kathleen. The broadcaster, 64, was replaced by Tom Harwood, 27, for the first 75 minutes of Monday morning's GB News breakfast show as he was unable to make it from the airport to the network's London studio on time for its 6am start. Tom appeared alongside Isabel Webster, 41, who told viewers: 'It's a bit different this morning. Eamonn is on his way in but he's been caught up in Storm Kathleen. More on that a little bit later.' Eamonn eventually made it into the studio by 7.15am and joined Tom and Isabel on the show as he patted Tom on the back for stepping in for him. Isabel asked the Northern Irish former Sky News anchor: 'What a shocker, Eamonn, so what happened? You were at the airport by 11am yesterday morning.. .' Eamonn Holmes was late for his morning presenting job at GB News on Monday after being stranded by Storm Kathleen due to flight chaos The broadcaster, 64, was replaced by Tom Harwood, 27, for the first 75 minutes of Monday morning's GB News breakfast show as he was unable to make it from the airport to the network's London studio on time for its 6am start Eamonn said he didn't get home until 11.30am on Sunday, adding: 'It's just one of those things. 'The weather situation... a lot of people in the further north would have been through it as they were more likely to be affected. 'So Edinburgh, Newcastle, Glasgow, Aberdeen they were all affected by it. But we are here.' He then jokingly tugged Tom's arm and told him to 'get out' of his seat before the show continued. Taking to his Instagram on Sunday evening the star shared a serious looking selfie as he complained about the high winds disrupting flights out of Glasgow. He wrote: 'Huge winds playing havoc with flights today. Not sure you'll be seeing me on @GBNews Breakfast tomorrow the way things are going? Been in Glasgow airport since 11am.' Over 100 flights departing and arriving at UK airports were cancelled over the weekend as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for winds brought by Storm Kathleen. Gusts exceeding 70mph were recorded in parts of Britain on Saturday, sparking major travel disruption with flights cancelled at airports including Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Belfast City. Eamonn said he didn't get home until 11.30am on Sunday, adding: 'It's just one of those things' Eamonn eventually made it into the studio by 7.15am and joined Tom and Isabel on the show as he patted Tom on the back for stepping in for him Hopping on her Story this morning, Isabel addressed Eamonn's absence as she pointed at Tom, teasing: 'Eamonn is looking a little bit different this morning. You may have noticed I have got the very lovely Tom Howard' Once reunited in the studio the news presenter shared a sweet snap with Eamonn back where he belongs as hejokingly tugged Tom's arm and told him to 'get out' of his seat Replying to Eammon's post, his colleague Isabel commented: 'Uh oh! Keep me posted partner ! My folks are trying to get down from Scotland tonight too.. xx'. Hopping on her Story this morning, she addressed Eamonn's absence as she pointed at Tom, teasing: 'Eamonn is looking a little bit different this morning. You may have noticed I have got the very lovely Tom Howard.' Putting on an Irish accent, Tom joked: 'I have just had some Botox.' Isabel went on to explain to her followers: 'Eamonn has been caught up in Storm Kathleen and ha smade it back from Glasgow we believe but he won't be making it here for 6am, we will cut him some slack. 'I think he is going to be with us a little bit later.' Once reunited in the studio the news presenter shared a sweet selfie with Eamonn as she wrote: 'He made it!' A night out in Mayfair went awry for Jessica Alves after her chauffeur driven car was involved in a road accident on Sunday evening. The Brazilian TV personality was on her way to local nightspot Sexy Fish, a bar-restaurant favoured for its high-end Japanese cuisine, when the accident took place. She told MailOnline: 'It was very scary! I was going to Sexy Fish to meet some friends for dinner and drinks when a car just crashed into my driver's car. 'I hit my head quite violently back and forth. I had seatbelts on, but when I got to the restaurant I had a banging headache. It was very scary.' A photo taken by Alves, 40, shows police officers attending the scene shortly after the collision on Sunday evening. A night out in Mayfair went awry for Jessica Alves after her chauffeur driven car was involved in a road accident on Sunday evening (pictured shortly after the accident) A photo taken by Alves shows police officers attending the scene some time after the collision The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant was later seen outside the restaurant in a cleavage-boosting Versace outfit and black stiletto heels. The accident comes after Alves claimed a millionaire Sheikh once offered her a seven-figure sum to cover her surgically-enhanced body with chocolate - so he could lick it off. The Brazilian star said she speaks to the man daily via her OnlyFans platform and despite turning down his request she admitted she wasn't completely opposed to the idea. She told MailOnline: 'This week, after a stream chat on OF, he offered me a seven-figure tip to meet me in person and to cover my entire body with chocolate then lick it off me.' Alves has been posting to her OnlyFans page for the last two years and said it was a way of giving her fans 'the attention they deserved'. She said: 'I have created sizzling exclusive content to all my OnlyFans subscribers this Easter where I will cover my body in chocolate - but I just dont have anyone to lick it off me yet.' It won't be difficult for Alves to pick a volunteer as despite being so new to the app, she is already in the top 0.1 percent of creators, beating out two million others. She added: 'My OnlyFans burst with confidence and my fans' love and admiration validates me as a woman - even if I'm still single and feeling lonely or if I had a bad day. The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant was later seen outside the restaurant in a cleavage-boosting Versace outfit and black stiletto heels The accident comes after Alves claimed a millionaire Sheikh once offered her a seven-figure sum to cover her surgically-enhanced body with chocolate - so he could lick it off 'When I log-in on my OnlyFans to chat to the fans it fills that void that most of us single people have. Alves has been seen with numerous men over the years, but her last confirmed relationship was with Brit Jamie Bugden and it ended in 2022. A source told MailOnline: 'They have been getting on very well and are making the most of their trip. It is the first time she has ever posted a man on her social media. 'Jessica is heartbroken that it won't be a long term relationship as he is a British man based in Thailand and she splits her time between London and Brazil. They are having fun for now.' Lucy Mecklenburgh showed off her washboard abs in a lime green bikini as she posed for a sizzling Instagram snap on Monday. The former TOWIE star, 32, is currently enjoying a luxurious family holiday in Dubai with her fiance Ryan Thomas, their son Roman, four, and daughter Lilah, 23 months. Ryan's daughter Scarlett, 13, who he shares with first wife Tina O'Brien, is also on the sunny getaway. Lucy flaunted her incredibly toned stomach in the stylish two-piece from River Island and wore a matching two-piece over the top. She teamed her look with a cream beach bag and shielded her eyes with brown-rimmed sunglasses. Lucy Mecklenburgh, 32, showed off her washboard abs in a lime green bikini from River Island as she posed for a sizzling Instagram snap on Monday Lucy flaunted her incredibly toned stomach in the stylish two-piece and wore a matching two-piece over the top Earlier on Monday, Lucy shared a snap of the former Coronation Street actor, who proposed to her back in 2019, was seen playfully throwing their Lilah into the air while in the swimming pool. Lucy also cooled off in the water and was seen kissing her little girl as she floated in a baby inflatable chair. The family seemed in good spirits as they stayed at the incredible Rixos The Palm Dubai. Lucy wrote: 'Pool day with my favourites'. Last week, Ryan crashed Lucy's outfit check video where she showed off her red bandeau bikini which had floral attachments and she covered with a white sarong skirt. The TV personality flaunted her toned stomach in the outfit which she paired with a beach bag and sunglasses. Enter her shirtless fiance Ryan who cheekily interrupted Lucy's video with a jeer and a jig before Lucy pushed him away and continued modelling. The Dancing On Ice winner showed off his ripped abs in a pair of blue patterned swimming trunks as he larked around. The former TOWIE star, 32, is currently enjoying a luxurious family holiday in Dubai with her fiance Ryan Thomas, their son Roman, four, and daughter Lilah, 23 months The family seemed in good spirits as they stayed at the incredible Rixos The Palm Dubai Lucy showed off her amazing figure in the one-piece as she enjoyed an ice cream with daughter Lilah who was dressed in an adorable green swimsuit Styling her long brunette tresses in a neat bun, Lucy wore a pair of stylish black as she held her little girl while beaming for a snap The former Coronation Street actor, who proposed to Lucy back in 2019, was seen playfully throwing their Lilah into the air while in the swimming pool Lucy also cooled off in the water and was seen kissing her little girl as she floated in a baby inflatable chair In another clip she showed off her toned figure in the two-piece as she held Lilah while enjoying some fruit from the outdoor bar Last week, shirtless Ryan crashed Lucy's outfit check video where she showed off her red bandeau bikini which had floral attachments and she covered with a white sarong skirt Lucy shot to fame in 2010 as TOWIE's newest cast member and stayed until 2013. The reality show is currently airing its thirty-third series. Ryan retired from acting in 2021, but has been a frequent fixture in reality television and won Celebrity Big Brother in 2018. His brother Adam continues to act and Adam's twin Scott, a finalist on the second series of Love Island, works to promote sobriety. Former Waterloo Road actress Christine Tremarco has joined the cast of ITV's Emmerdale and is due to make her onscreen debut in April. Christine, 46, will arrive in the village as Rose - a woman known to Kim Tate's husband Will - ITV revealed on Tuesday. Bolshy and boisterous, Rose has recently been living in Benidorm and her arrival is set to cause a stir when Will [Dean Andrews] fails to mention her to his wife Kim [Claire King]. 'I am thrilled to be joining Emmerdale!' the acclaimed actress said of her new role. 'To be working with such a wonderful cast and crew along with the brilliant writing and production team is an absolute joy!' Former Waterloo Road actress Christine Tremarco has joined the cast of ITV 's Emmerdale and is due to make her debut on screen later this month, it was announced on Tuesday Christine added: 'Rose is so much fun to play. She is free spirited, boisterous and totally mischievous with a steely edge and a big heart.' Producer Laura Shaw said: 'We are massively delighted to welcome Christine Tremarco to the Emmerdale Family. 'Christine brings a wealth of experience and talent and playing the character of Rose, a true free spirit with an exuberant outlook on life, she certainly promises to cause a real storm for some of our villagers.' Despite her illustrious British television career, Liverpool-born Christine never attended drama school. The actress was actually scouted aged just 15 years old at a drama group, and cast as the lead in The Leaving of Liverpool. The drama was about the Home Children - the migration scheme which saw over 100,000 British children sent to Commonwealth realms such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. Following her young success, Christine continued on in the acting world, carving out a career in both TV and film. Christine, 46, will arrive in the village as Rose - a woman known to Kim Tate's husband Will - ITV revealed Bolshy and boisterous, Rose has recently been living in Benidorm and her arrival is set to cause a stir when Will [Dean Andrews] fails to mention her to his wife Kim [Claire King] (Will and Kate pictured in 2021) Christine has appeared in some of Britain's most acclaimed shows, including Silent Witness, Glue and Clocking Off. She is likely most famous for her recurring role in the hugely popular Waterloo Road - where she played teaching assistant-come-English teacher Davina Shackleton from 2007 until 2009. Davina started out at the school as former head teacher Jack Rimmer's assistant before the two became romantically involved. She moved into teach after his departure. Christine is likely most famous for her recurring role in the hugely popular Waterloo Road - where she played teaching assistant-come-English teacher Davina Shackleton from 2007 until 2009 (pictured) In 2011, Christine joined the cast of Casualty as nurse Linda Andrews - who she played for two years before leaving in 2013 (pictured) She left the show after her suspecting her then-partner, English teacher Tom Clarkson, of having an affair. In 2011, Christine joined the cast of Casualty as nurse Linda Andrews - who she played for two years before leaving in 2013. Her most recent role was in the six-part BBC series Kidnapped,a drama based on the true life kidnapping of British model Chloe Ayling. A new season of The Repair Shop is just around the corner and with its return comes a whole host of fan favourites. Resident leather and saddle expert, Suzie Fletcher quickly became popular after joining her brother Steve on the second season of the show. Steve shared a similar career path to his father and grandfather, specialising in horology but Suzie took a different route. She has over five decades worth of experience in leather work and saddle making. As another season of The Repair Shop is set to air, MailOnline takes a look at the TV presenter's life. Resident leather expert Suzie Fletcher alongside her fellow experts are making a comeback for another season As the bubbly saddle expert is set to appear on our screens once again, MailOnline takes a look at Suzie Fletcher's life Abusive Marriage Although Suzie had already been married in her 20s, when she met her late husband James Allen Baker in her early 30s she was head over heels. She made the move oversees only three months after she first set eyes on her husband, however the honeymoon period did not last long. Writing for the Mail On Sunday, the TV presenter recalled how their relationship took a turn as they were moving into their third home together in Colorado. Publicly, Suzie has always given James the alias of Rob, however recently MailOnline uncovered his true identity. When their neighbour came to visit their new home, James began showing off about how he was going to put up centrefolds of nude women in his 'man cave'. Suzie wrote: 'When we'd visited my family back in England, American-born James had been shocked by the pornography for sale on the top shelves of newsagents' shops. 'But today, in front of the bloke from next door, he was going on about having posters showing naked women on the walls. 'It was as if he was trying to make me feel rubbish about myself by belittling me and battering my self-confidence.' Annoyed and upset, Suzie remembered how she slammed the door in frustration with it accidentally hitting her husband. She said: 'The door scraped over his toes and took a layer of skin off. There was this frightening roar from him. 'He was in a lot of pain, but I'll never forget the pure fury in his face. I knew I was in trouble. 'I raced to the hall and he came after me. But I'd run in the wrong direction, a place from which there was no escape. I was cornered. 'That's when he got me with his forearm under my throat. Rob had once been a competitive wrestler so he knew the move well. It was easy for him to lift me up until my feet no longer touched the carpet. She continued: 'I honestly thought I was going to die. He was choking me and could easily have killed me. I don't know why but eventually he let go.' Reflecting on other incidents when her late husband became violent, Suzie noted that James' temper would often get worse the more he drank. Suzie's abusive late husband James Allen Baker (pictured) - referred in her book by the alias of Rob - once held her by her throat in the air Life After Grief James suddenly passed away in 2013 from pancreatic cancer, with the death coming as a shock to the entire family as no one knew he was ill. Remembering an emotional conversation with her husband prior to his passing, the presenter remembered he hoped their union 'wasn't all bad'. After his death, Suzie had no intention of starting a new relationship channelling a great deal of her energy into her creative skills. Saying this brought her 'joy and confidence' on The Repair Shop, she added: 'I don't think any of that would have been possible without such a caring group of people around me.' Her husband oilfield worker from Eaton, Colorado, died of pancreatic cancer at just 52 - Suzie has not pursued another relationship since Dyslexia Struggles at School Her marriage struggles weren't the only difficulties the saddlemaker faced as she revealed on BBC Woman's Hour in 2023 that she found school difficult due to her dyslexia. Branding herself as not 'terribly bright' due to her dyslexia, said without her creative streak she would have 'really suffered emotionally'. Promoting her memoir The Sun Over Mountains, the presenter shared with host Krupa Thakrar Padhy that she didn't feel 'terribly good' about herself as a youngster because she was never perceived as academic. Reflecting about her time in full-time education, unbeknown to teachers, Suzie battled with undiagnosed dyslexia daily. Suzie added: 'So I grew up thinking that I wasn't terribly bright. Time spent with horses provided an outlet for the presenter to feel better about herself. In her memoir, Suzie shared that she became interested in animals from a young age. She explained: 'My dad used to joke that 'horse' was the first word I spoke. I was obsessed with these enormous, powerful creatures from the youngest age. 'So it was no surprise to anybody when, at 16, I went off to train as a master saddler at Cordwainers College in London.' Suzie also faced educational challenges, having to confront her undiagnosed dyslexia on a daily basis in school Mother's Post Natal Depression The TV host also has an older brother named Stevie, who is also a host on the popular daytime show. In previous interviews, Suzie has often described her brother with whom she was raised in Oxfordshire as her 'rock' In an interview with Relatively, she shared that her parents had a big influence on both her and Steve's career paths. Their father was a hydrologist and their mother was a very talented seamstress who could turn her hand to most designs. Suzie also explained in the interview how their mother suffered with postnatal depression. Suzie said: 'For mum, I feel incredibly sorry because of course back then they didn't really appreciate how devastating it was and the treatment that they offered her was barbaric. 'I just look back at the whole thing and just feel even more appreciative of what they were able to do for us considering what was going on behind the scenes because of course families didn't share.' Nicola Coughlan looked sensational as she posed up a storm for the May edition of Harper's Bazaar magazine. The actress, 37, showed off her effortless sense of style in the snaps as she showcased her hourglass figure in a stunning satin pink dress with plunging neckline. With the third series of Bridgeton set for release next month, the next installment will focus on Nicola's character Penelope Featherington and her romance with Colin Bridgerton. And the Derry Girl star admitted she is 'terrified of the scrutiny' as she steps into the role as leading lady for the first time, but wants to prove that 'sometimes the oddball in the corner can take centre-stage'. Nicola candidly admitted: 'Yes, Im terrified of the scrutiny, the opinions, the number of eyes on me; but, ultimately, the thing thats making me step out of the shadows, even though it terrifies me, is that Im so proud of the work Ive done, the people Ive worked with and these beautiful shows weve made. Bridgerton's leading lady Nicola Coughlan looked sensational as she wowed for the May edition of Harper's Bazaar cover shoot and confessed she is terrified of the 'scrutiny' she may receive for her latest roles The actress, 37, showed off her effortless sense of style in the snaps as she showcased her hourglass figure in a stunning satin pink dress with plunging neckline 'I hope I can show the world, along with myself, that sometimes the oddball in the corner can take centre-stage.' Discussing her role as the much loved Penelope, she explained how this series of filming for the hit Netflix show has been completely different to the first two, and Nicola has had to take herself out her comfort zone to step into the limelight. 'The major difference is that in the first two seasons, Pen was a supporting character, the oddball in the corner, but this time shes very much centre-stage. 'The only issue with this is that oddball in the corner is actually a niche I do very well. Im comfortable there! "Strange girl no one pays attention to? Where do I sign up?".' Set against the background of a Bridgerton-esque house, Nicola looked incredible as she put on a leggy display in a floaty black dress with huge exaggerated shoulder pads. The Irish actress shot to fame portraying Clare Devlin in Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls, with many fans considering her a fan favourite. After a role as Hannah Dalton in Harlots in 2018, she then went on to make her West End debut in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, before then appearing in Bridgerton in 2020. Since the success of the Netflix phenomenon, Nicola has been invited to the Met Gala, appeared on a variety of hit programmes including RuPaul's Drag Race and was named one of Vogue's Best Dressed Women of 2021. With the third series of Bridgeton set for release next month, the next installment will focus on Nicola's character Penelope Featherington and her romance with Colin Bridgerton (pictured) She confessed to the publication: 'I hope I can show the world, along with myself, that sometimes the oddball in the corner can take centre-stage' Nicola's two latest roles see her take the leading role, as she stars as Penelope Featherington in the Netflix phenomenon Bridgerton and Maggie in Channel 4 comedy Big Mood Set against the background of a Bridgerton-esque house, Nicola looked incredible as she put on a leggy display in a floaty black dress with huge exaggerated shoulder pads The star even had a cameo in Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie in the summer. However Nicola admitted that despite her success she is 'in disbelief that Im the leading lady in a romance show.' She explained: 'And its not because I find myself hideous, as some people have assumed when I say that (Ill have you know, in the right lighting Im a solid seven), but because its not something I ever dreamed of. 'When I was a little girl, I wanted to be one of the Gay Icons. Bette Midler as CC Bloom? God, thats so me! thought six- year-old Nicola. I never sought to be the ingenue, purely because they never seemed to get the best lines or looked as if they were having the most fun.' Prior to her career as an actress, Nicola was living in Ireland where she worked as an optician and was left wondering whether she would ever get her big break. Reflecting on how far she has come professionally, she admitted: 'When I look back at my life over the last few years, its hard to fathom how much its changed. In 2017, I was working part time in an opticians, about to turn 30, living at home with my parents, unsure whether the whole acting thing was ever going to happen or whether I was completely kidding myself. 'Now, in 2024, Im about to begin a global press tour for one of Netflixs biggest ever shows. Its hard for me to comprehend it. 'The funny thing is, I dont feel any different to the girl who used to ring people up and tell them theyre overdue for their eye test. Nicola admitted that despite her success she is ' in disbelief that Im the leading lady in a romance show' In another shot she posed in a strapless white dress adorned with butterflies The star showed off her flawless complexion in a close up shot Prior to her career as an actress, Nicola worked as an optician as she reflected: 'The funny thing is, I dont feel any different to the girl who used to ring people up and tell them theyre overdue for their eye test Nicola stars alongside It's a Sin's Lydia West, in Big Mood which follows best friends Maggie (Nicola) and Eddie (Lydia) whose friendship is tested after Maggie is diagnosed with bipolar disorder At the time of Bridgeton, Nicola was also filming for new Channel 4 comedy Big Mood, in which she also has the leading part. Starring alongside It's a Sin's Lydia West, the show follows best friends Maggie (Nicola) and Eddie (Lydia) whose friendship is tested after Maggie is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Speaking about juggling the two, Nicola said: 'Shooting Big Mood and the third season of Bridgerton is the hardest Ive ever worked, and the proudest Ive ever been of my work. 'I feel a huge responsibility in leading both shows, one being a globally loved phenomenon, the other having been written and created by one of my best friends, Camilla Whitehill it also happens to be one of the greatest scripts I have ever read. 'I agreed to film both shows at the same time (I dont ever want to let people down), and the shoots overlapped for one month in 2023. If you peered into my brain at that time, Im sure it would have looked like a marshmallow being puppeteered by a rat.' Nicola paid thanks to both her co-stars at the time, Lydia, and Luke Newton, who plays Colin Bridgerton, as she gushed: 'I dont know what I did to deserve two kind and talented angels by my side during these shows but Im deeply grateful for them both. The May issue of Harper's Bazaar UK is on sale from April 11. Si King has spoken of how grateful he and the family of Dave Myers are to the thousands of motorcycle riders who honoured the Hairy Bikers star. Myers, who was part of the motorcycle-riding cooking duo with co-presenter King, died in February at the age of 66 following a battle with cancer. In his memory, motorcyclists rode in convoy across 75 miles to raise funds for cancer research, kicking off in Beverley Market Place in East Yorkshire on Sunday. The ride of around two and a half hours, organised by Biker Escorts East Yorkshire, moved through various Yorkshire towns and villages including Scagglethorpe and Pickering before coming to an end in the seaside town of Scarborough. The group had expected around 3,000 riders, but King posted a video message on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday saying there was around double that number. Si King has spoken of how grateful he and the family of Dave Myers are to the thousands of motorcycle riders who honoured the Hairy Bikers star The ride began in Beverley Market Place in Yorkshire before moving through various north Yorkshire towns including Scagglethorpe and Pickering He said: 'Hello, everybody... Im compelled to say an enormous thank you because what happened on the ride-out memorial for Dave yesterday was nothing more than astounding. Six thousand of you turned out as a sign of solidarity and love and affection for the Bikers but particularly for Dave, and ended in Scarborough and I heard you had a very thoroughly good time, and Dave would have loved it. 'So from the bottom of our heart, Lili [Liliana Orzac], his wife, and his family, his close mates, and me [would like to say] a massive, massive thank you.' He added: 'We were all enormously touched by it and please dont think for one second, it hasnt gone unnoticed. Love to you all, so pleased you had a lovely day. 'And thank you, thank you so very much for that show of kindness and solidarity. Love to you all.' Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Myers final series with King continued to air on BBC Two following his death. He was also known for competing on Strictly Come Dancing and the cookery books he published with King. The memorial ride, organised by Paul Quigley and his Biker Escorts East Yorkshire organisation, brought hundreds of riders together from across the UK. King, the other half of the Hairy Bikers duo, had previously issued a message saying his friend 'would have loved' the gesture. Myers, who was part of the motorcycle-riding cooking duo with co-presenter King, died in February at the age of 66 following a battle with cancer The group had expected around 3,000 riders, but King posted a video message on X, formerly Twitter , on Monday saying there was around double that number The memorial ride, organised by Paul Quigley and his Biker Escorts East Yorkshire organisation, brought hundreds of riders together from across the UK Myers, one half of the TV cooking duo the Hairy Bikers, died in February aged 66 One of those taking part wore a T-shirt bearing a photograph of the BBC star Hundreds joined the 75-mile ride through Yorkshire from Beverley to Scarborough A post on the Hairy Bikers' official account on X, formerly Twitter, read: 'A message from Si King to all the riders taking part in todays Memorial Ride Out for Dave Myers. 'I hope the ride out goes well for you all. Many many thanks for remembering Dave in this way. He would have loved it. Daves family, friends and I are really touched. Love to you all, be safe. Si King x' Quigley, 54, said ahead of the event in Myers' honour: 'I think he means a great deal because he was just a normal and regular bloke who loved cooking and really enjoyed his motorbikes too 'Everyone has a soft spot for him, for both of them really.' A Facebook page for the event said the ride was being marshalled and local police had been informed. Organisers also said they were expecting up to 3,000 bikes to take part due to the interest expressed on the event page. The ride was expected to last about two and a half hours, after beginning in Beverley Market Place before moving through various north Yorkshire towns including Scagglethorpe and Pickering ahead of arrival in Scarborough. Widespread tributes were paid when Myers' death was announced by his TV partner King, who had been at his side at the end along with family. In a statement released on the Hairy Bikers' social media, he said: 'Hi everyone, I'm afraid I bear some sad news. 'Most of you will know Dave has been fighting cancer for the past couple of years. 'Last night, on 28th February 2024, with Lili, Dave's wife, his family, close friend David and myself by his side, he passed away peacefully at home. 'All who knew Dave are devastated at his passing. His beloved wife brought him such happiness as did her children, Iza and Sergiu who Dave loved like his own. 'Personally, I am not sure I can put into words on how I feel at the moment. Dave Myers' Hairy Bikers partner King had previously today sent his best wishes to those taking part in the 75-mile bike ride Myers and King on The Hairy Bikers Go West, which recently aired on BBC Two Fans of the TV star wore outfits shirts portraying him and mentioning his name on Sunday The event was organised by the Biker Escorts East Yorkshire organisation King has said his late Hairy Bikers partner Myers 'would have loved' the cycle ride They made their first appearance on UK television as presenters of The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook on the BBC in 2004 and ran for four series (pictured on the show) Myers shared his heartbreaking final on screen words as his best friend King choked back tears during the last ever Hairy Bikers episode which was shown last month 'My best friend is on a journey that for now, I can't follow. I will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime. 'I wish you god's speed brother; you are and will remain a beacon in this world. See you on the other side. Love ya.' Myers worked in a steelworks as a student to help finance his studies in fine arts and later joined the BBC as a make-up artist, specialising in prosthetics. In 1995, he met his long-time co-presenter King on the set of a TV drama, and they went on to build a friendship and successful career together. Their combination of riding their motorcycles to locations across the world and cooking as they went earned them a loyal following - and also won over viewers with their northern humour and enthusiasm. After their first show, the bearded duo went on to film many other series and specials for the BBC, seeking out new dishes in countries such as India, Vietnam, Argentina and Mexico. In tribute to Myers after his death, BBC Two continued to air the final Hairy Bikers series which saw the pair tour some of their favourite spots in the UK. The finale shown on March 19 featured the duo visiting Devon and Dorset before sharing an emotional moment at the end of the tour. A triumphant Myers told the camera: 'Its been tough at times. Ive had chemotherapy all the time weve been filming, it hasnt been easy but weve got there and its a wonderful feeling.' King added: 'Weve done it, but more importantly hes done it.' He then welled up as he said: 'Hes my mate but I love him like family, like a brother, and Im lost for words. Its quite remarkable what hes done. Who knows what the future holds but for the moment Im living in the present, and its pretty fine.' After the credits rolled, a tribute read: 'In loving memory of our friend, Dave Myers.' Loyal fans of the Hairy Bikers made the 75-mile journey in tribute to Myers They ended the trip at the resort town Scarborough on England's North Sea coast Members of the public also turned out to watch the procession go by Myers and King are seen here on their first show, The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, in 2006 A tribute after their final show on March 19 read: 'In loving memory of our friend, Dave Myers' Earlier episodes showed King filming solo as his partner continued with his treatment. Myers performed alongside professional dancer Karen Hauer in the 2013 series of BBC primetime favourite Strictly Come Dancing, making it as far as week seven. She was among those paying tribute after he died, saying she was 'heartbroken'. A week after news of Myers' death was announced, his widow Li shared an emotional tribute while thanking fans for a 'massive wave of love and support'. Taking to Instagram on the Hairy Biker account, she wrote: 'A message from Lili, Dave's wife. 'I will never be able to thank you all enough for the massive wave of love, compassion and care that you have shown towards me, Simon and our families in these past days since Dave passed. 'I want you all to know that I have read every single message and comment that you sent your stories about Dave, your feelings you shared with me mean a lot and my heart is filled with gratitude and love. 'It amazes me how many hearts he touched and how many people wanted to express their love for what Dave and Si have created for nearly 20 years. 'I know the Hairy Bikers have been part of your living rooms for such a long time and I feel your loss as much as you feel mine! Myers was receiving chemotherapy throughout filming for the 650-mile road trip which featured in the pair's last BBC series Myers married Liliana Orzac, whom he met while filming Hairy Bikers in Romania, in 2011 at the star's hometown in Barrow, Cumbria and was stepfather to her two children, Iza and Sergiu, from a previous relationship She posted an emotional tribute to her late husband and thanked fans for their support 'My husband, David Myers was a larger than life character and he did everything with passion, enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. His energy was endless when it came to cooking and talking recipes, or biking and talking bikes. 'An amazing storyteller! And through his stories and TV appearances he was constantly inspiring and encouraging people to cook, travel, to live their life to the fullest. 'An exceptional husband, wonderful stepdad, loyal friend and in his own words, a creator, never a follower. 'I feel I'm grieving with a whole nation and this is something special. My wonderful Dave - Lili Myers.' Cindy Crawford has dipped her toe into the tequila business. The supermodel has worked with her husband Rande Gerber as well as fellow Casamigos Tequila founders George Clooney and Mike Meldman to introduce Casamigas Jalapeno Tequila. Notice the change from Casamigos to Casamigas. It is the newest addition to the Casamigos family. 'Inspired by Cindy's drink of choice, Casamigas is an ultra-premium, 100% blue weber agave jalapeno tequila that is naturally flavored with jalapenos to create a spicy yet balanced tequila with just the right level of heat,' the press release shared. 'As much as I love Casamigos, my go to drink for a fun night is a skinny, spicy Casamigos margarita,' said Cindy on Monday. 'Casamigas Jalapeno makes it that much easier. It's Casamigos with a kick!' she added. Cindy and Rande have been married since 1998 and have two kids: models Kaia and Presley Gerber. Cindy Crawford has dipped her toe into the tequila business. The supermodel has worked with her husband Rande Gerber as well as fellow Casamigos Tequila founders George Clooney and Mike Meldman to introduce Casamigas Jalapeno Tequila 'As much as I love Casamigos, my go to drink for a fun night is a skinny, spicy Casamigos margarita,' said Cindy on Monday. 'Casamigas Jalapeno makes it that much easier. It's Casamigos with a kick!' she added Cindy also said on Instagram: 'Were so excited to announce the launch of CASAMIGAS - a spicy jalapeno tequila for everyone who likes it hot!' In the ad, Cindy wore a denim shirt with matching jeans and black boots as she sat by photo shoot equipment. For both Cindy and Rande, this new launch is personal. 'Cindy has obviously been part of the Casamigos journey since day one, and I'm excited that she now gets to put her special touches on Casamigas,' said Gerber. 'It's been over six years in the making.' Casamigas Jalapeno Tequila is made from 100% blue weber agave from the rich clay soil of Jalisco, Mexico. Using Casamigos Blanco Tequila, Casamigas is naturally flavored with jalapenos to create a spicy yet balanced tequila, perfect for a spicy margarita or chilled shot. Casamigas Jalapeno has clean tasting notes of spicy jalapenos, hints of citrus and sweet agave. The spicy jalapeno notes offer a pleasant kick that is balanced with a smooth, citrus finish. Casamigas Jalapeno Tequila incorporates Rande's same classic bottle design. Gerber, Crawford and Presley Gerber arrives at the World Premiere Of Apple TV+'s Palm Royale on March 14 in Beverly Hills The cover girl seen on vacation last week With her top model daughter Kaia Gerber in March The label, also designed by Rande, has Cindy playfully disrupting the traditional label with a fresh and fun design. Flames of fire, a jalapeno and Cindy's trademark lips and beauty mark are sketched on the label, along with a red 'A' crossing out the 'O' in Casamigos. The Casamigos' founders' initials are also playfully crossed out with the addition of 'CC,' and Cindy's signature is added in between George Clooney and Rande Gerber's, finishing off the design. Casamigas Jalapeno Tequila is now available nationwide and offered in key sizes of 750mL and 1L with average MSRPs of $49.99 and 1L $60.99. Blake Lively was seen filming scenes for A Simple Favor 2 in Capri, Italy on Monday. The actress, 36, put on a stylish and elegant display in white trousers and a matching cropped jacket. The jacket was backless and covered in pearls, and she also layered multiple pearl necklaces across her chest. She added a matching wide-brimmed hat to complete the chic look and accessorized with a pair of sunglasses. Blake was joined by a handful of her co-stars on set, including Michele Morrone and Anna Kendrick. Blake Lively looked more than happy to be back to work as she filmed scenes for A Simple Favor 2 in Capri on Monday The actress, 36, put on a stylish and elegant display in white trousers and a matching cropped jacket The film is the sequel to the 2018 dark comedy helmed by Paul Feig, who returns for the new film. According to a synopsis, A Simple Favor 2 sees the 'return of Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Lively) as they head to the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily's extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. 'Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square,' The Hollywood Reporter revealed. Kendrick, 37, is excited about the sequel, saying that Stephanie has 'got like a little bit more savvy in her,' but 'she's still Stephanie at the end of the day,' per E! News. 'I've actually read the script now,' the actress told the outlet, 'and it's so good.' Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho and Kelly McCormack all reprising their roles from the first feature. The jacket was backless and covered in pearls, and she also layered multiple pearl necklaces across her chest She added a matching wide-brimmed hat to complete the chic look and accessorized with a pair of sunglasses Blake was deep in conversation with her co-star Anna Kendrick on the set of the film Amazon MGM Studios announced Wednesday that the sequel movie, which will be co-produced by Lions Gate, will stream on Prime Video. In the first film, which is based on the novel by Darcey Bell, Stephanie is taken with sophisticated, glamorous Emily after they bond over martinis and Stephanie is quickly made to feel somewhat insecure in front of the clearly cosmopolitan Emily. 'She's an enigma, my wife,' Emily's husband said in the original trailer for the film, before sharing the strange description 'she's like a beautiful ghost.' A scene in a park follows, and Stephanie takes a fun photo of Emily, who quickly directs Stephanie to 'erase it,' with no explanation. Stephanie then receives a mysterious call from Emily, who says that she needs her help with 'just a simple favor.' Kendrick strolled to set with comedian Alex Newell The Pitch Perfect actress looked stunned as she spoke to her fellow actors Italian actor Michele Morrone showed off his tattooed and muscular frame in a tank top The film is the sequel to the 2018 dark comedy helmed by Paul Feig, who returns for the new film A few days later, Stephanie announces on her blog that her friend Emily has apparently disappeared. Stephanie starts looking into Emily's past, and is warned to not go 'poking around' because 'she is not a normal person.' Images then flash of Emily sporting magenta hair and matching thigh-high boots. Things intensify as more voiceover explains that Emily's husband apparently took out a life insurance policy on his wife, who is now being looked for by a massive police search. At the end of the film, Emily is sentenced to 20 years in prison and Stephanie has started a detective agency. Sarah Michelle Gellar showed off her incredible figure in a one-piece black swimsuit this weekend. She looked sensational as she took to Instagram with a selection of gorgeous holiday snaps, some of which saw her underwater while snorkeling. The actress, 46, also displayed her toned physique while enjoying a sunbathing session with a few good books in a mystery location. The Buffy The Vampire Slayer star completed the look with a pair of large cat-eye black shades as she wore a gold nameplate necklace that read Sarah. The mother-of-two captioned the post: 'Vacation dump 2 - underwater edition (bonus points for finding Flotsam or was it Jetsam ?!? )' Sarah Michelle Gellar showed off her incredible figure in a one-piece black swimsuit this weekend She looked sensational as she took to Instagram with a selection of gorgeous holiday snaps, some which saw her underwater while snorkeling The actress, 46, displayed her toned physique above the coral; good thing no sharks were nearby Sarah was with her husband, actor Freddie Prinze Jr, after the pair celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary last year. The actress shared a snap of the pairs legs as they sunbathed, looking out on the stunning view. Sarah was also seen underwater in a one piece bathing suit. In another snap, the star put on a very leggy display as she donned a summer dress. Their two children, who they prefer to keep out of the spotlight, were not seen in the photos. Sarah and Freddie were one of the 'it' couples of the 90s and have since become one of the strongest pairings in Hollywood with a marriage spanning two decades. The Buffy The Vampire Slayer star completed the look with a pair of large shades as she wore a gold nameplate necklace that read Sarah The mother-of-two captioned the post: 'Vacation dump 2 - underwater edition (bonus points for finding Flotsam or was it Jetsam ?!? )' The co-stars met on the set of the 1997 horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer and their friendship turned to romance a few years later. The Scooby-Doo co-stars tied the knot in 2002 at a resort in Mexico, describing each other as their 'best friend'. Seven years later, the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Charlotte Grace, in 2009, while on Rocky James followed three years on in 2012. Sarah has credited their long-lasting marriage to being present with each other. She previously told People: 'Take the 10 minutes put the phone down. Have a cup of coffee together. Walk the dog at the end of the night. Read a story with your kids. 'Make the most of the time that you have. We are all pulled in so many directions, so make sure that, whichever one you are focusing on, you're present.' Last week she was also seen with a hat over her chest making her appear topless And SMG was seen in this chic floral print dress with a straw Celine purse She has also kept busy reading a book from BA Paris Bradley Cooper and his ex-fiancee Irina Shayk attended a school meeting, separately, for their seven-year-old daughter Lea De Seine in Manhattan on Monday. The 49-year-old Maestro director-star and the 38-year-old Russian bombshell - who employ no nannies - share 50/50 joint legal and physical custody of little Lea following the end of their four-year romance in 2019. 'I would die in a second for my kid,' Bradley gushed on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast on February 26. 'The first eight months I don't even know if I really love the kid. It's dope. It's cool. I'm watching this thing morph. That's my experience. Fascinated by it. Loved taking care of it. But would I die if someone came in with a gun? And then all of a sudden, it's like no question.' After splitting with Cooper, Irina has enjoyed whirlwind romances with art dealer Vito Schnabel, canceled rapper Kanye 'Ye' West and, most recently, seven-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady. Bradley Cooper (L) and his ex-fiancee Irina Shayk (R) attended a school meeting, separately, for their seven-year-old daughter Lea De Seine in Manhattan on Monday Meanwhile, the two-time Grammy winner moved on with much younger IMG Model Gigi Hadid sometime before their first public sighting together on October 5. The Guest in Residence founder - whose 29th birthday is April 23 - got glam for a mystery shoot last Saturday with make-up artist Patrick Ta and hairstylist Laura Polko. Gigi (born Jelena) was wearing a grey Magda Butrym turtleneck selected by stylist Mimi Cuttrell. Hadid mothered three-year-old daughter Khai during her on/off six-year relationship with ex-1D boybander Zayn Malik, which ended in 2021 when he was arrested on four counts of harassment against her mother Yolanda Hadid. The Maybelline New York brand ambassador also previously dated Cody Simpson, Joe Jonas, and Leonardo DiCaprio. As for Bradley - whose five-month marriage to Jennifer Esposito ended in 2007 - he previously dated his Case 39 leading lady Renee Zellweger, his The Words leading lady Zoe Saldana, Suki Waterhouse, Dianna Agron, and Isabella Brewster. This autumn, Cooper will direct his third feature film Searchlight's Is This Thing On?, in which he'll co-star with Will Arnett. 'Our next movie is a tiny little movie that we're going to shoot in the fall, a little $10M movie,' the Philly native told the British Film Institute on January 24. The 49-year-old Maestro director-star and the 38-year-old Russian bombshell - who employ no nannies - share 50/50 joint legal and physical custody of little Lea (L, pictured last Thursday) following the end of their four-year romance in 2019 Bradley gushed on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast on February 26: 'I would die in a second for my kid. The first eight months I don't even know if I really love the kid. It's dope. It's cool. I'm watching this thing morph. That's my experience. Fascinated by it. Loved taking care of it. But would I die if someone came in with a gun? And then all of a sudden, it's like no question' (pictured last Tuesday) After splitting with Cooper, Irina (L, pictured in 2022) has enjoyed whirlwind romances with art dealer Vito Schnabel, canceled rapper Kanye 'Ye' West and, most recently, seven-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady Meanwhile, the two-time Grammy winner moved on with much younger IMG Model Gigi Hadid (pictured Saturday) sometime before their first public sighting together on October 5 The Guest in Residence founder - whose 29th birthday is April 23 - got glam for a mystery shoot last Saturday with make-up artist Patrick Ta and hairstylist Laura Polko Gigi (born Jelena) was wearing a grey Magda Butrym turtleneck selected by stylist Mimi Cuttrell This autumn, Bradley will direct his $10M-budget third feature film Searchlight's Is This Thing On?, in which he'll co-star with Will Arnett (R, pictured April 24) Bradley and the 53-year-old SmartLess podcaster previously co-starred in Tom Brady's 2007 satirical comedy The Comebacks and Peter Cattaneo's 2008 comedy The Rocker. Cooper is also set to portray the titular San Francisco cop in Steven Spielberg's untitled Frank Bullitt film, which will be produced by Steve McQueen's son Chad McQueen and granddaughter Molly McQueen. The Abbott Elementary guest star's last film Maestro was nominated for seven Oscars, four Golden Globes, two SAG Awards, seven BAFTAs, and eight Critics' Choice Movie Awards - but it failed to win any major trophy during awards season. Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori gave passers-by an eye-full as they stepped out in dramatically contrasting outfits on Sunday night in Los Angeles. While the rapper was wrapped up head-to-toe in all-black, his 29-year-old partner could not be missed in a completely see-through dress and did not appear to be wearing any underwear. The controversial couple spotted walking past fans on the street and a valet stand as they headed in for a dinner date night at the Italian eatery Bacari in LA - a slightly more upscale venue compared to their recent trip to The Cheesecake Factory. Painting the town red, Censori completed her latex look with a pair of red pop socks and rouge satin heels. She also showed off a side view of her race ensemble the accentuated her shapely derriere Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori goes without ANY underwear in shocking X-rated see through outfit - as pair hold hands for a date night dinner in LA Censori completed her look with a pair of red pop socks style tights and rouge satin heels Bianca previously faced backlash for publicly forgoing panties in France, where she could have faced prison or a hefty fine of over $16,000 for indecent exposure. But it was later revealed that the brunette beauty used a common Hollywood SFX trick to create the nude-illusion look. Bianca who allegedly fears she's being used as a 'marketing tool' by West looked solemn as she stood by her man. Kanye and Bianca tied the knot in December 2022 just weeks after finalizing his divorce with Kim Kardashian, 43, with whom he shares four children with. The wife of Kanye West also showed off a side view of her race ensemble the accentuated her shapely derriere The shocking outfit will have certainly turned heads at the establishment Bianca is showing no signs of toning down her raunchy image Bianca looked solemn as she walked alongside her man - amid a new lawsuit against the rapper by an ex-employee at his now-defunct Donda Academy Kanye has paraded Bianca around the world in racy getups including going nude beneath a see-through raincoat in LA and stepping out sans pants in foreign countries and concern has been mounting over whether or not she is being controlled' by the controversial rapper. An insider recently claimed to DailyMail.com that Bianca knows she's becoming 'overexposed' and is growing tired of being used as a 'free marketing tool for West's upcoming album, Vultures 2.' The source alleged that Bianca 'needs a break and needs to step back' although she has 'loved the attention' she's been getting. 'But it is getting overwhelming and Kanye keeps pushing and pushing for more, more, more leading up to the release of Vultures 2,' they continued. Bianca now allegedly wants to steer away from her X-rated displays and, instead, wants to 'focus on having children' with West after his album is released. While the rapper was wrapped up head-to-toe in all-black, his 29-year-old partner could not be missed in a completely see-through dress Bianca previously faced backlash for publicly forgoing panties in France, where she could have faced prison or a hefty fine of over $16,000 for indecent exposure Bianca who allegedly fears she's being used as a 'marketing tool' by Wes t looked solemn as she stood by her man Kanye and Bianca's latest date night in LA comes amid a new lawsuit against the rapper by an ex-employee at his now-defunct Donda Academy. Former Yeezy employee Trevor Phillips - who worked for the rapper's design company before switching to the Donda Academy in California - filed the explosive new lawsuit Tuesday in Los Angeles, which includes claims that the rapper threatened to shave the heads of Donda Academy students and 'lock them in cages' In legal documents obtained by Rolling Stone, Phillips also claims West would 'proudly' express his anti-Semitic opinions in front of students. Phillips - who began his nine month employment with West in November 2022 - further claims West told two children he 'wanted to shave their heads' and 'intended to put in a jail at the school' which cost $15,000 a year to attend. The lawsuit also alleges West gave preferential treatment to white employees, pretended to masturbate in front of Phillips and threatened to punch him during a 'temper tantrum.' Phillips claims when he tried to push back against the rapper's 'bigotry', the rapper 'responded mercilessly, with incessant harassment, humiliation, and attempts to both mentally control, and destroy, Phillips'. 'Kanye's ill-will towards the plaintiff ultimately culminated in a vulgar lashing in front of schoolchildren and their parents. Kanye even threatened Phillips with physical violence.' Phillips claims he suffered 'severe discrimination, harassment, and retaliation' from West while working for his design company. Per the lawsuit, Phillips claims West began 'spreading antisemitism' in school meetings, including in front of some students. He claims West said he 'only likes to date white women' and told employees that no one could be fat otherwise they'd be fired. West also allegedly boasted he used '$2 million of the school's budget on a trip to Paris. Phillips alleges West made anti-Semitic remarks during dinner at West at Nobu Malibu in December 2022 - claiming West described Jewish people as 'miserly' and branded Adolf Hitler an 'innovator' while allegedly claiming the Holocaust was 'fake.' Russell Simmons has broken his silence about his 21-year-old daughter Aoki Lee Simmons dating 65-year-old restaurateur Vittorio Assaf, 65. Aoki - who told DailyMail.com last week she wanted to 'grow' as a model - and Vittorio shocked fans when they were spotted kissing in their swimwear on the beach in St Barts last week. It started a fierce viral debate about age gaps in relationships and how much is too much as Aoki is young enough to be Vittorio's granddaughter. 'Im not gonna kick and scream about her choices,' said the Def Jam mogul to TMZ on Monday. The former husband of Aoki's mother, model and designer Kimora Lee Simmons, added: 'All I can do is offer my advice and unconditional love.' Russell Simmons has broken his silence about his 21-year-old daughter Aoki Lee Simmons dating 65-year-old restaurateur Vittorio Assaf, 65. Seen in 2014 Aoki and Vittorio shocked fans when they were spotted kissing in their swimwear on the beach in St Barts last week Aoki and 44-years her senior Assaf kissed while in swimsuits in St Barts Russell also said his daughter warned him of her romance a day before the photos surfaced. Russell and Kimora were wed from 1998 until 2009. Aoki is Kimora's youngest daughter she shares with her first husband. She also shares daughter Ming, 24, with Russell. She has other kids, too: The fashion designer shares sons Kenzo, 14, and Wolfe, nearly nine, with exes Djimon Hounsou and Tim Leissner, respectively. With Leissner, she adopted her son Gary, 14, in 2020. Russell shared a throwback photo of Aoki after the pictures came out. The record exec posted a throwback photo with his daughter from June 2022 and shared a heartfelt message about his 'unconditional love' for her. He recalled that they had an 'all-around amazing day' last Father's Day the day before a video went viral showing him berating his daughter during a disturbing FaceTime call and making her cry and enjoyed a jam-packed day with yoga class, vegan lunch and cryotherapy. 'Throw back from last fathers day nyc bode bikram yoga express class .. vegan lunch cryotherapy vitamin drip all around amazing day,' he wrote in the caption and tagged his daughter. 'love you always im always waiting for any call any time.' It started a fierce viral debate about age gaps in relationships and how much is too much 'Im not gonna kick and scream about her choices,' said the Def Jam mogul to TMZ on Monday. The former husband of Aoki's mother, model and designer Kimora Lee Simmons, added: 'All I can do is offer my advice and unconditional love' Russell posted a throwback photo with his daughter from June 2022 and shared a heartfelt message about his 'unconditional love' for her Kimora, 48, reposted a since-deleted video of a mother panda furiously pulling away her baby cub with her teeth and wrote: 'On my last nerve right now!' Assaf is a known New York City personality. He owns the Serafina Restaurant Group. He grew up in Milan, Italy where he studied hard: first with a degree in Political Science then he studied Law at the University of Urbino. Assaf spent eight years on the floor of Milans Stock Exchange then came to New York in the eighties. Assaf opened Cafe Candiotti in 1985, which became a hot spot and now runs the Serafina Restaurant Group. Here Aoki is seen in St Barts; the photo was likely taken by her new boyfriend Kimora, 48, reposted a since-deleted video of a mother panda furiously pulling away her baby cub with her teeth and wrote: 'On my last nerve right now!' Seen in 2022 Here is the post with the cuddly mama bear and her cub It is not known how long she and the restauranteur have been romantically involved, but a source close to the model revealed to People that the pair had met while vacationing in St. Barths. 'Aoki and Vittorio are spending time together and enjoying each others' company,' the insider told the outlet. As they enjoyed their couple's getaway at what is reportedly a favorite destination for the Simmons family, the Serafina restaurant chain co-founder was taking photos of Aoki and documenting their day at the beach. The couple both took to Instagram to share snaps from their vacation but did not post any photos of each other. Aoki is Kimora's youngest daughter she shares with her first husband Russell with whom she was married from 1998 to 2009. She also shares daughter Ming, 24, with her ex-husband; seen in July 2005 The Milan-born businessman was previously married to former model Charlotte Bonstrom and made headlines in 2021 when they split. At the time, he confirmed to Page Six that his now-ex was having an affair with her twin sister's ex-husband Thierry Gillier. 'Charlotte and I are in the process of getting divorced she wants to get remarried,' Assaf explained. '[She] is getting married to Thierry Gillier, the ex-husband of her sister.' Assaf and Bonstrom were married for more than 20 years and share two kids Vittorio Jr., 21, and Valentina, 17. The entrepreneur was most recently linked 22-year-old model Nya Gatbe in the summer of 2023. Last week Aoki talked exclusively to DailyMail.com but did not mention her new lover. Simmons was modeling for BCBG New York, bringing her all to the visuals for the Spring Summer 2024 capsule for BCBG Group. The star talked to DailyMail.com about BCBG New York: 'I had a great time on the shoot!' Aoki shared. 'The full creative team was a pleasure to work with and the views from our location are what NY is all about.' She added that she has been wearing the brand for many years. 'I have been such a long time fan of the brand! I have been stealing my mom's BCBG dresses for every event under the sun, so was super excited when they approached me for this project,' said the star. Simmons brought bringing her all to the visuals for the Spring Summer 2024 capsule for BCBG Group. The star talked to DailyMail.com about BCBG New York: 'I had a great time on the shoot!' Aoki told DailyMail.com She added that she has been wearing the brand for many years. 'I have been such a long time fan of the brand! I have been stealing my mom's BCBG dresses for every event under the sun, so was super excited when they approached me for this project,' said the star. Mom seen for Fendi in 1992 So far she has been enjoying modeling. 'It's an interesting business because everyone has their own career. No two models are ever quite alike or go down the same path. I get excited about fashion and clothing, but I also love to travel and meet new people. 'My goal is to learn and grow as I navigate my own path through this business, and have a lot of fun doing it.' Aoki also said mom Kimora has been a role model. When asked how mom has inspired her, she answered: 'Let me count the ways! Honestly, there are so many things that I look up to her for, but if I had to pick one it might be her ability of self-reliance. 'She has a confidence that even if she doesn't know the answer to something right now, she knows how to figure it out. That's inspiring.' As far as plans to design one day she said: 'Never say never, but perhaps just not yet.' Popular Cbeebies show Monster Cafe was axed thanks to outraged parents complaining that it was 'too scary' for kids. The comedy fantasy programme first aired in 1994 and followed three monsters who worked in Monster Cafe, situated in the basement of a castle, as they met other creatures, served weird food, and battled their evil boss, Baroness de Monstro (Peta Lily). The monster trio consisted of robot Frankie (played by Isobel Middleton), millenniums-old Igor (David Shimwell) and mummified Mummy (Toby Sedgwick). The show was aired on CBBC On Choice between 2000 and 2001, and then was later shown on CBeebies back in 2007, but the show hasn't been aired since after parents successfully campaigned to get it taken off air. Popular Cbeebies show Monster Cafe was axed thanks to outraged parents complaining that it was 'too scary' for kids The show was aired on CBBC On Choice between 2000 and 2001, and then was later shown on CBeebies back in 2007, but the show hasn't been aired since after parents successfully campaigned to get it taken off air Back in 2007 disgruntled parents posted on the BBC Message Boards, complaining the series was 'inappropriate' and 'too scary' for young children, according to The Daily Star. The show was pulled from the schedule after four episodes were shown, and has not been shown on CBeebies since November 2007, according to the broadcaster's website. Actress Isobel, known for also making an appearance in the iconic saga of Harry Potter, spoke about the controversy with Jack's Throwback Attack back in 2018. 'I knew it had been repeated but not that it was considered too scary to show! That sounds a bit daft!,' she said at the time. 'It was just a load of actors running around in glittery capes with tights on their heads doing stupid things! I knew it was very popular with students who liked to watch it after a night on the lash!' Concerned parents took to forums to share their opinions back in 2007. 'Cbeebies has just been mentioned on points of view for 2 very good reasons,' said one parent posting on Mumsnet. 'Conning our kids with repeats of LAST years Autumnwatch and 2) admitting showing Monster cafe was a mistake as it is too scary for the little ones (actually, my complaint with Monster cafe is it is sh*t, and very very old, rather than scary. But they have taken it off the schedules, so hurrah!)' 'I was sat watching Monster Cafe with [my child] the other day and thought that it wasn't really appropriate for CBeebies age range'; It follows three monsters who work in Monster Cafe, placed in the basement of a castle, as they meet other creatures, serve weird food, and battle their evil boss, Baroness de Monstro Back in 2007 disgruntled parents posted on the BBC Message Boards, complaining the series was 'inappropriate' and 'too scary' for young children 'I can see why people feel that Monster Cafe is unsuitable for CBeebies; quite apart from the fact that it's (a) ancient and (b) crap, it was always going to be frightening for a lot of young children,' added another. But some others defended the iconic kids' show, with one writing: '[My daughter] loved it. It was bridging the gap for the ones not quite old enough for CBBC'; '[My son] won't be happy on Saturday morning if it's not on ... he loves Monster Cafe,' said another. Stars took to Instagram on Monday to discuss looking at the eclipse. Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Biel, Kelly Osbourne and Irina Shayk all could not contain their excitement over the very rare phenomenon. 'I'm ready,' said Big Little Lies star Reese who managed to appear very glamorous in a turquoise fuzzy coat with her sun-blocking glasses on. Biel had on multicolored glasses as she was makeup free in a white T-shirt and green hoodie. 'If you have your glasses get out outside now!!' wrote the Sinner star whose husband Justin Timberlake hit the like button. And Osbourne was chic in a leopard print top and capri leggings as she posed with her glasses on by her swimming pool with partner Sid Wilson who had a Princess Diana shirt on. Model Shayk - who dates Tom Brady - shared a look at her glasses as she held them against her black crocodile Hermes Birkin purse. 'Ready,' the Russian-born star wrote over her photo. Irina, the ex of Bradley Cooper, also put the eclipse glasses on her black dog. Bethenny Frankel wore GRL PWR glasses as she said she was waiting for the eclipse in NYC. Stars took to Instagram on Monday to discuss looking at the eclipse. Reese Witherspoon (pictured), Jessica Biel and Kelly Osbourne all could not contain their excitement over the very rare phenomenon Bethenny Frankel wore GRL PWR glasses as she said she was waiting for the eclipse in NYC Cindy Crawford wore all black with a big gold watch as she leaned on the window to see the eclipse while in blue glasses daughter Kaia Gerber did the same as she wore a pale gray tank top The moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse, as seen from Eagle Pass, Texas, Monday, April 8 Cindy Crawford wore all black with a big gold watch as she leaned on the window to see the eclipse while in blue glasses. Drew Barrymore was in NYC as she said she had spring cleaning to do. Jessica Alba had a lot to say. 'Honoring and feeling into this Solar Eclipse ,' began the Sin City actress. 'Eclipses are all about new beginnings but this one has such an element of closure - about letting go so you can walk through a new portal and move into your power. 'This eclipse is in Aries which is about our souls purpose - our lifes mission - so it really invites you to release anything that blocks you from aligning with you true soul fulfillment,' said the Honest Company mogul. 'It is about understanding that your pure soul - your essence - is worthy of love and acceptance no matter what. Everything that makes you dynamic, that isnt easy, that can be perceived as a flaw or a shadow side of you its all about encompassing the darkness with the light. Were here to have this very human experience for a reason.' The wife of Cash Warren ended with: 'Wherever you are, whether you may be able to see the eclipse or not, it will be felt energetically around the world - so I hope you take a moment to connect, fill yourself with love, meditate with the energy, let go of what no longer serves you' The pal of Jennifer Lopez added that the 'vibration' thats being created right now will last about two weeks, so there is time to work with the energy. 'Take time to reflect, go in, sit with yourself - and just ask yourself what doesnt belong to you? Its time to align with you - and chose YOU. Who are you and what do YOU want? What is your soul here to do and manifest? Sending so much love and light .' I Feel Pretty star Amy Schumer said, 'Here comes the sun...' Maria Menounos held up a peace sign outdoors. 'Let's go eclipse 2024!' Drew Barrymore was in NYC as she said she had spring cleaning to do Natalie Zea of La Brea fame looked chic in a beige coat as she wore her paper glasses. The Texas native has also been on Justified, The Unicorn, The Detour and 9-1-1: Lone Star Beverley Mitchell said, 'Its Eclipse time! Thank you @jenisicecreams for the glasses! Now go get your #punkstargonaut now!' Emily Ratajkowski looked sad as she posed in a photo before introducing an image of the eclipse. Natalie Zea of La Brea fame looked chic in a beige coat as she wore her paper glasses. The Texas native has also been on Justified, The Unicorn, The Detour and 9-1-1: Lone Star. Jamie Lee Curtis, who is doing a Freaky Friday sequel with Lindsay Lohan, said, 'Praying the eclipse can reset the world to one at peace!' The solar eclipse has reached totality for the first time, as the moon completely blocks the sun in Mexico and continues to move towards the United States. The Mexican beachside resort town of Mazatlan was the first major viewing spot to be plunged into darkness from the celestial phenomenon. The total eclipse became visible around 11:07 AM MT and was present for 4 minutes and 17 seconds, according to NASA. 'If you have your glasses get out outside now!!' wrote the Sinner star whose husband Justin Timberlake hit the like button Beverley Mitchell said, 'Its Eclipse time! Thank you @jenisicecreams for the glasses! Now go get your #punkstargonaut now!' Maria Menounos held up a peace sign outdoors. 'Let's go eclipse 2024!' Jamie Lee Curtis, who is doing a Freaky Friday sequel with Lindsay Lohan, said, 'Praying the eclipse can reset the world to one at peace!' Emily Ratajkowski looked sad as she posed in a photo before introducing an image of the eclipse Kevin Bacon was working hard on The Bondsman Thousands of people gathered along the coastal promenade, setting themselves up in deck chairs with eclipse glasses as an orchestra played the 'Star Wars' theme. In Kerrville, Texas the first partial eclipse became visible in the United States around 12:59 PM CT and is said to become a total eclipse around 1:32 PM CT. Thousands have packed towns along the total solar eclipse 'path of totality' where the moon will completely block the sun, starting in Mexico and moving through Texas where it will travel up to New England and finish in Canada. In any one location along the path of totality, people will see a partial eclipse followed by the total eclipse, and then a partial eclipse again. Although newly announced forecasts for Monday are ominous, suggesting thunderstorms and cloud coverage that could limit visibility, deep-pocketed thrill-seekers are undiscouraged. And Osbourne was chic in a leopard print top and capri leggings as she posed with her glasses on by her swimming pool with partner Sid Wilson who had a Princess Diana shirt on 'Hey, everybody! Its an Elmo Eclipse! Ha ha ha! #eclipse #NotTooLateShow,' wrote Elmo from Sesame Street The Lone Star State will be the first state to see the celestial event around 1:27 PM ET, then Oklahoma is next at around 1:45pm CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51pm ET and Missouri about five minutes after. Illinois is next in line along the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse at around 1:59pm CT and Paducah, Kentucky about one minute later. And Evansville, Indiana at 2:02CT and then Ohio is expected to witness it at around 3:13pm ET. State officials have estimated that up to 556,000 people will be visiting the Buckeye state. Erie, Pennsylvania is next, with the solar eclipse set for 3:16pm ET, followed by Buffalo, New York at around 3:18pm ET. The path will continue up north, reaching Burlington, Vermont at 3:26pm ET, Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27pm ET and Caribou, Maine at 3:32pm ET. Tourists who traveled thousands of miles to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse in Dallas - what was meant to offer the best view - are racing elsewhere as storm clouds gather over the Lone Star state. Although Texas has one of the best geographical positions to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial event, clouds started to roll in around 9 AM local time as severe storms are expected Monday night. Forecasters in Forth Worth explained the morning cloud cover would start to break up around noon, allowing many to enjoy the spectacle in the sky. The National Weather service forecasts that Northern New England will the best location for clear viewing of the total solar eclipse Monday afternoon. Forecasters said Southern Texas will have an increase of cloud coverage prior to the arrival of the solar eclipse. Jessica Alba had a very informative post of letting go things that don't serve you 'Honoring and feeling into this Solar Eclipse ,' began the Sin City actress. 'Eclipses are all about new beginnings but this one has such an element of closure - about letting go so you can walk through a new portal and move into your power' Christie Brinkley's daughter, model Sailor, shared this post about her glasses Irian Shayk shared a look at her glasses as she held them against her black crocodile Hermes Birkin purse Irina, the ex of Bradley Cooper, also put the eclipse glasses on her black dog Kylie Jenner celebrated the eclipse by posting a sun-drenched orange bikini photo Other locations in between are said to have a fair chance of cloud covers at various levels, although locations across Arkansas to the Midwest could see breaks in the clouds or high thin clouds during the time of totality. NASA's Eclipse Soundscapes Project will use thousands of volunteers throughout the U.S. to help collect data form Monday's celestial sensation. Nearly, 2,500 people have signed up to fill out written multisensory reports on animal behaviors and human reactions throughout the event. People gather as they prepare to observe the start of the solar eclipse in Torreon, Mexico In Niagara Falls, photographers lined up early in the morning to snag the best spot to get pictures of the eclipse. Astrophotographer Stan Honda told CNN photographers of any skill level can capture photos of the eclipse as long as they have a sturdy, steady tripod and a remote shutter release for your camera. 'With pretty much any kind of camera or any lens, you can get a good picture of the eclipse,' he said. 'I would just recommend a fairly sturdy tripod, to make your setup pretty steady, and a remote shutter release, because that allows you to take the pictures without jarring or moving the camera too much.' 'A safe solar filter really is a necessity for the partial phases, and the American Astronomical Society has a whole section on its website about solar eclipse glasses and filters that they approve as being safe to use.' Chris Taylor revealed the 'embarrassing' reason why he won't be appearing in a potential Barbie sequel. The Love Island star, 33, made a cameo appearance in the box-office blockbuster movie as one of the many Kens. During his short-lived appearance, which lasted less than 30 seconds, the TV star appeared on a stage announcing: 'And the Nobel prize for horses goes to Ken!' But Chris shut down rumours he could be appearing in a sequel of the iconic film - which bagged one Academy Award prize for Best Song earlier last month - while chatting to his friend and fellow Islander Toby Aromolaran. Chris Taylor revealed the 'embarrassing' reason why he won't be appearing in a potential Barbie sequel as he spilled the beans on his brief performance (pictured at London's Barbie premiere in July) The Love Island star, 33, made a cameo appearance in the box-office blockbuster movie as one of the many Ken, appearing on a stage as he said: 'And the Nobel prize for horses goes to Ken!' While on Toby's YouTube podcast Fancy A Chat, Chris said when asked about reprising the role: 'Probably not. I don't know if they'll have me back. Took me literally five hours to get a single line out properly. I did about 57 takes.' He went on explaining: 'One time, I got it wrong. But that was only because they said that a camera was going to come in front of me and it didn't. 'And it was a camera that was like six miles away that I was never even gonna see.' 'I think Margot Robbie's husband Tom was just like, 'Yeah, don't worry mate. Like, it's over there. You're not gonna see it'. But anyway, it just took me, it took a lot. It took me like four hours of filming,' the reality star said bluntly. About the filming method on set, Chris told: 'They got me to do it in so many different ways, so many different inclinations, so many different voices. So I had no idea what was going to go into it.' 'I'll be honest, none of them felt right,' he confessed. 'I'd walked into a studio in Watford. Ryan Gosling's there, Margot Robbie's there, like, all this massive set. There's loads of extras. There's so much going on. It was a pure, like, sensory overload.' Chris, who shot to fame on the fifth series of the dating show and dated Maura Higgins, previously revealed that leading star and producer Margot Robbie got him a part in the hit movie. But Chris shut down rumours he could be appearing on a sequel of the iconic film - which bagged one Academy Award prize for Best Song earlier last month - while chatting to his friend and fellow Islander Toby Aromolaran While on Toby's YouTube podcast Fancy A Chat, Chris said when asked about reprising the role: 'Probably not. I don't know if they'll have me back' About the filming method on set, Chris told: 'They got me to do it in so many different ways, so many different inclinations, so many different voices' The reality favourite kept his role a secret for two years, and at the movie's premiere in London back in July, he told LadBible: 'There is a bit of a backstory. The lads went to a premiere. 'They met Margot [Robbie], and then afterwards Margot shouted them and said ''Come to the after party!'', cause she's obsessed with Love Island right.' 'So then, I was living with the boys at the time, so I was like 'I'm coming' and she knew who we all were. She watches the show. 'So she comes up to me like "Chris!" and Im like "what the f**k is going on?" I dunno, she must have just remembered me from then.' Explaining her love for the dating series, Hollywood alum Margot, 33, previously said: 'Love Island reminds me of living in London watching it with my girlfriends when everybody was home from work.' Chris also revealed the Suicide Squad sensation offered him the role after he chatted to her about his friends' micropenis. And as the reality star soaked up the fame and hype on the red carpet during the film's premiere in July 2023, the Australian actress comforted Chris by revealing that many people who attended that evening were in fact, cut from the movie. He told MailOnline: 'No, I don't have personal contact with Margot Robbie. I saw her at the premiere and she gave me a hug and said ''there was people that were cut from this film, and you're still in it, and I'm buzzing about that'', so that was very nice. 'I was speaking to her husband after and he was just saying Margot was like ''we have got to get Chris in this film, so that is nice'' but no contact since, she is obviously very busy.' The ITV contestant from Leicester also revealed an 'embarrassing moment' he had while he was halfway through filming the iconic motion picture. In front of A-list celebrities such as Ryan Gosling and Ncuti Gatwa, Chris admitted that he misidentified a man on the set as Chris Evans's brother. Speaking of his cringe moment, he said: 'Oh, there was a really awkward moment when we was literally halfway through filming. So I've got, like, an Avengers sleeve on my left arm and I've got Chris Evans tattooed on me, obviously Captain America. Leading star and producer Margot, 35, is a huge Love Island fan and offered the former contestant a part in her Hollywood hit 'And I seen on the call sheet that his brother was in the in that scene, so I just basically picked the guy that looked most like Chris Evans and was like, ''Oh, I've got your brother tattooed on my arm'' and he was like, ''What?'' and I was like ''yeah, your brother, I have got him tattooed on my arm'' and I lifted my sleeve so I can show him. 'He's like, Oh, no, I'm not Chris Evans's brother. So that was really uncomfortable because I was also in front of, like, a huge audience of people like they had an audience, but like facing me like all like supporting actors. And they were basically silent in the entire room and obviously, like, Ryan Gosling was there and so on and so forth. So yeah, quite cringey on my part.' Kourtney Kardashian posted a touching note to new moms on her Instagram stories Sunday night. The 44-year-old star, who is currently on vacation with her family to Turks & Caicos, shared a message to women who are adjusting to their body post-pregnancy. Kourtney welcomed her fourth child - and her first with husband Travis Barker - son Rocky Thirteen - on November 1, 2023. The mom of four and Poosh founder gently reminded new moms to ignore the 'pressure' to get back to their pre-pregnancy body, and noted that it isn't 'realistic.' Kourtney reposted her Instagram slideshow from their beach holiday while she was enjoying a swim in the ocean in a string bikini. Kourtney Kardashian posted a touching note to new moms on her Instagram stories Sunday night. The 44-year-old star, who is currently on vacation with her family to Turks & Caicos, shared a message to women who are adjusting to their body post-pregnancy Kourtney welcomed her fourth child - and her first with husband Travis Barker - son Rocky Thirteen - on November 1, 2023; a throwback picture from last year during her pregnancy Kourtney wrote: 'Dear new mommies, Your body is beautiful at all stages. During pregnancy as we are glowing and growing, postpartum as we are healing and shrinking, and then that period I find the hardest as our bodies are still adjusting.' Adding: 'And if you're breastfeeding, that's a whole other part of it. I try to be kind to myself as my body finds a new normal. The pressure put on us to bounce back when everything is new and different isn't realistic.' 'Life is beautiful, you are beautiful. Just a little reminder (for me too). XOXO,' she concluded, also adding a white and blue heart. The Instagram slideshow pictures she shared featured Kourtney wearing a black bikini while grinning in the ocean. The Instagram slideshow pictures she shared featured Kourtney wearing a black bikini while grinning in the ocean The mom of four and Poosh founder gently reminded new moms to ignore the 'pressure' to get back to their pre-pregnancy body, and noted that it isn't 'realistic' She jokingly captioned it: 'My diamond earring came off in the ocean and its gone,' which refers to the infamous moment in 2011 during season six of their series Keeping Up With The Kardashians. During the 2011 episode, Kim exclaimed 'My diamond earring came off in the ocean and it's gone' all the while having an emotional meltdown about it. She was crying in the ocean and screaming that it cost $75,000. In the now infamous KUWTK clip, Kourtney saw her and while carrying son Mason, who was almost two years old at the time, said in an annoyed voice: 'Kim there's people that are dying....' For Kourtney's post and hilarious caption, mom Kris Jenner commented back Kim's line and just swapped out the names: 'Kourtney there are people that are dying.....' On Sunday she also shared a repost of her sister Kim Kardashian's Instagram slideshow - which featured stunning images of Kim and Khloe Kardashian in their swimwear on the beach. It appears that Kourtney was not invited to the beach shoot - as she jokingly wrote on her stories 'I love taking pics with my sisters!' - joking sarcastically. Kim reposted Kourtney's stories, adding a laughing emoji. She jokingly captioned it: 'My diamond earring came off in the ocean and its gone,' which refers to the infamous moment in 2011 during season six of their series Keeping Up With The Kardashians For Kourtney's post and hilarious caption, mom Kris Jenner commented back Kim's line and just swapped out the names: 'Kourtney there are people that are dying.....' During the 2011 episode, Kim exclaimed 'My diamond earring came off in the ocean and it's gone' all the while having an emotional meltdown about it She was crying in the ocean and screaming that it cost $75,000. Kourtney saw her and while carrying son Mason, who was almost two years old at the time, said in an even voice: 'Kim there's people that are dying....' On Sunday she also shared a repost of her sister Kim Kardashian's Instagram slideshow - which featured stunning images of Kim and Khloe Kardashian in their swimwear on the beach. It appears that Kourtney was not invited to the beach shoot - as she jokingly wrote on her stories 'I love taking pics with my sisters!' - joking sarcastically Kourtney and Travis welcomed their first child together, son Rocky Thirteen, on November 1, 2023. Kourtney and Travis publicly announced her pregnancy in June 2023, while paying homage to a Blink-182 music video - All The Small Things. In the music video, a woman holds up a sign that says 'Travis I'm Pregnant.' Kourtney recreated that during a Blink-182 concert in June in Los Angeles for an adorable public announcement. In September, Kourtney had to undergo a life-saving fetal surgery. She took to her Instagram days after she was released to thank the staff at the hospital, as well as Travis for being by her side. 'I will forever grateful to my incredible doctors for saving our baby's life. I am eternally grateful to my husband who rushed to my side from tour to be with me int he hospital and take care of me afterwards, my rock.' Kourtney has three children with ex-partner Scott Disick: sons Mason, 14, and Reign, nine, and daughter Penelope, 11. Travis is dad to son Landon, 20, daughter Alabama, 18, and stepdaughter Atiana, 25, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. They welcomed their first child together, son Rocky Thirteen, on November 1, 2023 Kourtney and Travis publicly announced her pregnancy in June, while paying homage to a Blink-182 music video - All The Small Things Adding: 'As someone who has had three really easy pregnancies in the past, I wasn't prepared for the fear of rushing into urgent fetal surgery. I don't think anyone who hasn't been through a similar situation can begin to understand that feeling of fear. 'I have a whole new understanding and respect for the mamas who have had to fight for their babies while pregnant.' In December 2022, Kourtney revealed she stopped IVF 10 months prior, because it caused her spiral into a deep depression among other symptoms. She had been very open about her struggle with IVF on Hulu's The Kardashians. Kourtney and Travis conceived Rocky naturally, she revealed in an interview with Vogue in November 2023. In September, Kourtney had to undergo a life-saving fetal surgery Kourtney seen at her baby shower last summer, which was a Disney themed one 'We just got pregnant naturally. It was an indescribable feeling. Shock, then super-happy, fear seats in, worry, but I remember then to have gratitude.' Kourtney and Travis started dating in 2020 after almost 10 years of friendship; Travis was also her neighbor. They went Instagram official in February 2021, and engaged by October 2022. They tied the knot in May 2022 in a Santa Barbara courthouse, and went to Portofino, Italy a week later to hold a lavish wedding at the Dolce & Gabbana mansion in front of their friends and family. Gail Porter says she is unable to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year as it is too expensive. The television presenter and actress, 53, has put on a number of sold-out stand-up comedy shows at the festival held in her home town in the past but this year claims she has been 'priced out'. Venues can cost up to 10,000 per week and artists must also find money for Fringe registration fees, ticket commission, marketing and advertising, equipment hire and transportation, public liability insurance, and accommodation for themselves. It is estimated total costs for a theatre show in a 150-capacity space could be 25,000 for 23 performances, while a comedy show in a 30-capacity venue for 23 afternoon performances may be 2,000. Gail took to Instagram to share a picture of herself in the Scottish city and wrote: 'Edinburgh you have priced me out the market. I cant afford to do a gig at the festival. Gail Porter says she is unable to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year as it is too expensive (pictured in the city) The television presenter, 53, has put on a number of sold-out stand-up comedy shows at the festival held in her home town in the past but this year claims she has been 'priced out' 'All these new lovely hopeful humans that want to perform, make people think, smile, cry, laugh they cant afford to stay in my home town. 'Im so so incredibly gutted. Greed is never nice.' She added on Twitter: 'Was so excited to go the @edfringe this year. But I have been priced out by the soaring costs of B&Bs. My home town. 'I feel so sorry for new young performers that wont be able to afford accommodation. 'Im gutted Edinburgh has done this. Greed is awful.' A response from the festival's official Twitter account read: 'Totally understand your frustration, Gail - please know we're doing what we can to find solutions, be it through discussions with govt or negotiating affordable options for artists.' Gail replied: 'Thank you for your response. I just feel for so many people I know that are not coming to my home. Just really upsetting x x.' MailOnline has contacted festival bosses for comment. Gail wrote on social media: 'Edinburgh you have priced me out the market. I cant afford to do a gig at the festival' Gail's followers took to the comments section to sympathise with the star. One person wrote: 'Och that's hellish Gail. I know exactly what you're saying tho. It's off the scale.' While someone else shared: 'Yep. Never even stood a chance of being able to afford accom there this year.' Another follower posted: 'First time in 15 years that we're not coming this year. Always been able to make sacrifices to ensure we could come and enjoy the festival but this years accommodation prices are crazy and if we continue to pay these prices they'll just keep going up. We're gutted.' 'Mad prices. I've not been up since 2019 and don't know if I'll ever be able to do a full run again,' remarked another of Gail's fans. One other Gail Porter devotee shared: 'Artists need to arrange a boycott for anything to change. But of course that wont happen and punters and artists will continue to be ripped off.' Gail's followers took to the comments section to sympathise with the star And someone else commented: 'The ticket prices have increased, but the pay for the acts has remained much the same for 25 - 30 years (and all associated costs, i.e., fuel/car insurance, have grown exponentially). Also, Edinburgh Fringe every year, but that is prohibitively expensive too.' One other person wrote: 'Will there be exceptions for artists performing at the Edinburgh Fringe. Apart from established well known performers it is becoming more and more expensive. and unaffordable for lesser known, and up and coming artists. Which seems against the spirit of the original Fringe.' And someone else posted: 'I have an insane fantasy about doing a live cartooning show at Edinburgh Fringe someday, but yeah. I think for many artists its like a really expensive hobby that we tried to justify as investment because every now and then it works for someone.' This year's festival is set to take place between Friday 2 August and Monday 26 August. Jeremy Allen White is surely brushing up on his Jersey accent following his latest casting news. The Golden Globe winner, 33, is officially set to play Bruce Springsteen after 20th Century Studios closed a deal to finance and release the upcoming biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere, according to Deadline. The outlet reported Monday that the deal is David Greenbaum's first as the new head of Disney live-action and 20th Century. White is expected to head to New Jersey to shoot in the fall after wrapping on season 4 of The Bear. Season 3 is currently filming in Chicago, with season 4 shooting back-to-back after a quiet early renewal from FX last month. Jeremy Allen White is officially set to play Bruce Springsteen in the upcoming film Deliver Me from Nowhere, about the making of the rocker's seminal 1982 album Nebraska Based on Warren Zanes' 2023 book, Deliver Me from Nowhere recounts the making of Springsteen's seminal 1982 album Nebraska. Springsteen's sixth studio album is considered by many to be his rawest and most personal, dealing with his depression and rise to global stardom. Nebraska came about by chance in the bedroom of a rented New Jersey house while Springsteen and the E Street Band were making Born in the USA. From writer/director Scott Cooper, the movie marks the first major project for producer Scott Stuber since exiting as Netflix Films chairman. Springsteen and manager Jon Landau are 'actively involved' in the film, according to Deadline. White's casting buzz comes after he won his second Golden Globe this year for his performance on The Bear. After making his A24 debut last year alongside Zac Efron and Lily James in The Iron Claw, White is set for another nonfiction drama. He's playing a supporting role in You Can't Win, based on the 1926 memoir by Jack Black (Michael Pitt), set in a crime-laden hobo underworld. White's casting buzz comes after he won his second Golden Globe this year for his performance on The Bear Meanwhile, Springsteen is still going strong with the E Street Band, currently touring around North America Nebraska was Springsteen's sixth studio album and his first solo album and was ranked number 150 in Rolling Stone's 2020 edition of its The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list Meanwhile, Springsteen is still going strong with the E Street Band, currently touring around North America. The Boss also released his 21st studio album Only the Strong Survive in 2022, for which he's currently working on a Volume 2. Alessandra Ambrosio was back in a bikini as she can't seem to stay away from them. On Monday the Brazilian bombshell was seen in a strappy little neon yellow two piece that made the most of her toned tummy and sculpted arms. The Vogue cover girl said she was back in California with her two kids. In one of the images, the close friend of Heidi Klum was seen coming out of a wood sauna with a drink in her hand and socks on with her hair in a top knot. This comes after the siren was seen swimming off the coast of picturesque Hawaii. The supermodel, 42, showcased her toned abs and sensational bikini body as she soaked up the sun and splashed about in the sea. She wore a very skimpy burnt orange two-piece which featured a simple halter neck design. Alessandra Ambrosio was back in a bikini as she can't seem to stay away from them On Monday the Brazilian bombshell was seen in a strappy little neon yellow two piece that made the most of her toned tummy and sculpted arms. The Vogue cover girl said she was back in California with her two kids. In one of the images, the close friend of Heidi Klum was seen coming out of a wood sauna with a drink in her hand and socks on with her hair in a top knot. AA also shared this stunning sunset view from her home near Malibu The Victoria's Secret veteran used the vacation as an excuse to show off her designs for her brand GAL Floripa. Enjoying the tropical weather, Alessandra splashed about in the waves and strutted through the choppy water. Alessandra radiated beauty as she graciously posed in the sea under blue skies. Heavily accessorized with an array of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, she concluded her mesmerizing clip by posing for a selfie at the tide. Adding to her relaxed holiday vibe, she covered her short video with the song Beach In Hawaii by Ziggy Marley. She captioned her jaw-dropping post: 'On the beach in Hawaii' Her sunny and relaxed post comes just weeks after her luxurious vacation to Mexico, where she enjoyed catching some rays on the Caribbean coastline not far from Cancun. She spent her trip surrounded by a claque of friends including the eminent fashion designer Prabal Gurung. Alessandra could be seen emerging soaking wet from the hot tub at her upscale hotel as she modelled a clinging one-piece. No clothes required: Here she was seated in her hippie chic wood sauna In another set of images she posted to her Instagram Stories, she showed off her taut midriff in workout gear as she did a bit of yoga. Working through her poses, she demonstrated her knowledge of yoga's roots by including a small animation of the Om symbol. On the personal front, Alessandra is dating the dashing model Richard Lee, despite having reportedly briefly split from him last year. Alessandra confirmed her romance with Richard when they were spotted on a romantic dinner date in February 2021. However, by the beginning of this past September an insider informed DailyMail.com: 'They have not been spending much time together this summer.' Further, the insider spilled: 'She has been with friends and kids, and he has been working so they have drifted apart and have not been dating for a while.' This comes after the siren was seen swimming off the coast of picturesque Hawaii On the beach with her mini-me teen daughter Anja The source added: 'She has always been really fond of him so maybe they will work it out, but who knows? They have been apart for months now, so it's not likely.' By October, however, Richard and Alessandra were spotted enjoying a romantic stroll together arm in arm, indicating they were back on. She was previously involved with Italian fashion designer Nicolo Oddi, who founded the brand Alanui with his sister Carlotta. Alessandra shares her two children Anja, 15, and Noah, 11 with her ex-fiance Jamie Mazur, who co-founded RE/DONE. Jamie and Alessandra were together for a grand total of 13 years and were even engaged before their eventual split in 2018. Death In Paradise's brand new spin-off series will feature the franchise's first ever lead female detective the BBC have confirmed. Return to Paradise will be set in sun-soaked Australia and follow DI Mackenzie Clarke, played by Anna Samson, as she attempts solves a whole host of mysterious murders. Following time spent working for London's Metropolitan Police she is accused of tampering with evidence which forces her to return to her hated home down under. British born Australian actress Anna has previously starred in Home And Away and HBO's Leftovers. She will now follow in the footsteps of the show's former detectives Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O'Hanlon and the recently departed Ralf Little. Death In Paradise's brand new spin-off series will feature the franchise's first ever lead female detective the BBC have confirmed - Anna Samson pictured as DI Mackenzie Clarke in Return to Paradise Return to Paradise will be set in sun-soaked Australia and follow the DI Mackenzie Clarke as she attempts solves a whole host of mysterious murders (Actress Anna Salmon pictured) According to the broadcaster the six-part series will have a 'distinct Australian flair' while still paying homage to original series and will debut on BBC1 and iPlayer later this year. This marks the franchise's second spin-off after Kris Marshall's DI Humphrey Goodman left sun-soaked Saint Marie for a new life in Devon in Beyond Paradise . The new series' offical synopsis reads: 'Return to Paradise follows DI Mackenzie Clarke, an Australian ex-pat who's made a name for herself in London's Metropolitan Police for cracking uncrackable murder cases'. 'When she is accused of tampering with evidence, Mackenzie returns to Australia, back to the last place she ever wanted to be her hometown of Dolphin Cove. Having fled the town six years ago, infamously leaving her ex- fiancee Glenn (Tai Hara) at the altar, Mackenzie is not welcome there'. 'But with no other job options, and a unique talent for solving a mystery, no matter how challenging, a reluctant Mack joins the team at Dolphin Cove Police Station'. 'Once a case lands on her desk, she can't rest until she's figured it out, and the killer is in handcuffs. It's that tenacity and work ethic that might just, over time, help Mackenzie win over her new colleagues, and the people of Dolphin Cove'. Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, said: 'Everything we all love about Death in Paradise - the humour, the beautiful scenery, the likeable characters, the ingenious plots - now in a fabulous Australian setting'. 'I cannot wait for BBC viewers to be introduced to Detective Mack and the good (and not so good!) folk of Dolphin Cove. What a treat we have in store!' It comes after Ralf Little revealed the real reason he decided to leave Death in Paradise after his character DI Neville Parker said farewell to the island of Saint Marie at the end of last month - leaving viewers in tears. The character will follow in the footsteps of the show's former detectives Ben Miller (left) Kris Marshall, Ardal O'Hanlon (right) and the recently departed Ralf Little Return to Paradise marks the show's second spin-off after Kris Marshall's DI Humphrey Goodman (pictured with so star Sally Bretton) left sun-soaked Saint Marie for a new life in Devon in Beyond Paradise According to the broadcaster the six-part series will have a 'distinct flair' while still paying homage to original series, which recently lost Ralf Little as it's star (pictured) His departure came as a shock to fans, with the BBC only confirming Ralf had left the show after the finale aired. And speaking about his exit on BBC Breakfast last week, the actor, 44, admitted he had always planned for this series to be his last and felt he had to walk away for the sake of his character. He told hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt: 'You know, this last series was always going to be my last series. I spoke to the BBC and Red Planet, the production company, and we all agreed.' Ralf admitted: 'If it was just a heart decision I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years. 'But just for the show and for my character Neville it just sort of felt like his story was finished and his journey deserved to be completed. It comes after Ralf Little revealed the real reason he decided to leave Death in Paradise after his character DI Neville Parker said farewell to the island of Saint Marie at the end of last month - leaving viewers in tears 'He deserved a happy ending and it just felt right. Speaking about getting the part in the first place he said: 'As an actor you're used to going 'Oh well didn't get that one. Oh great I got that one,' and you try not to get to excited or disappointed as a way to keep your sanity. 'But when I got that one there was some celebrations for sure. I mean who doesn't want to work in the Caribbean on one of the most beloved shows that I was a fan of before I went on it.' After Ralf's final episode aired on March 25, the star took to Instagram as he told his fans it was an 'absolute privilege' to play Neville. Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright stepped out for a walk together in Sydney on Monday, after packing on the PDA at Bondi Beach the previous day. The actress, 36, looked typically stylish in beige cargos, teamed with a cropped khaki jacket and black sandals. Meanwhile her television presenter husband, 37, cut a casual figure in black shorts and a T-shirt from his clothing brand Aytee7. It comes after the loved-up couple were seen kissing and snuggling up together as they lay on the sand on Bondi Beach while taking time off from work commitments. Screen star Michelle is currently Down Under to film the second series of BBC drama Ten Pound Poms. Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright stepped out for a walk together in Sydney on Monday, after packing on the PDA at Bondi Beach the previous day It comes after the loved-up couple were seen kissing and snuggling up together as they lay on the sand on Bondi Beach while taking time off from work commitments She has been joined by Mark for the length of her trip so far, with Mark able to run his fitness business online. The series follows a group of Brits who emigrate to Australia in the 1950s in search of a better life only to discover things are more difficult than they thought once they arrive. Michelle will reprise her role as Kate Thorne in the hit show. Ten Pound Poms follows nurse Thorne and Roberts family members Terry and Annie as they struggle to adapt to life as immigrants in Australia. The first series - produced by Eleven and co-produced by Stan and the BBC - was loved by fans, prompting the immediate development of series two. A synopsis for the forthcoming series reads: 'After a challenging first year in Australia, the new series will follow nurse Kate Thorne (Michelle Keegan) and the Roberts family (led by Faye Marsay and Warren Brown) into 1957 on their adventure down under, as they are determined to make this new country everything they hoped it would be for a fresh start. 'Will Kate, Terry and Annie finally get a slice of the Australian dream they were promised?' In series two new characters the Skinner family from Ireland and the unscrupulous land-lord Benny Bates will be introduced to viewers. The actress, 36, looked typically stylish in beige cargos, teamed with a cropped khaki jacket and black sandals Michelle accessorised with stylish black sunglasses and swept her brunettes tresses up in a bun Meanwhile her television presenter husband, 37, cut a casual figure in black shorts and a T-shirt from his clothing brand Aytee7 Screen star Michelle is currently Down Under to film the second series of BBC drama Ten Pound Poms. She has been joined by Mark for the length of her trip so far, with Mark able to run his fitness business online After the second series was confirmed, show writer, creator and executive producer Danny Brocklehurst said: 'The positive viewer response to Ten Pound Poms was a true delight. 'We tapped into a little-known part of our recent history and told stories which reflected the realities of the real Poms that made the trip. 'I couldn't be more thrilled to be teaming again with the BBC, Stan and Eleven to continue our characters' adventure down under.' Michelle recently broke her silence on quitting the UK for Hollywood. In January, it was reported that the Brassic actress could be set for a move to Los Angeles following the success of her Netflix series Fool Me Once. Michelle, who has been married to Mark since 2015, already has some experience of LA life because her husband lived there for a few years while working for Extra. In an interview with The Guardian, Michelle revealed that she would consider re-locating if the perfect role came along. She said: 'I went to America when Mark was out there. Didn't like it. But let's see. If a job comes up I guess?... 'I've never thought beyond what I'm doing right at that moment. 'And I think that's how I live now as well. I don't think in terms of goals. 'I live in the moment.' Michelle starred as Maya Stern in Fool Me Once, alongside Joanna Lumley in the series adaptation of Harlan Coben's novel, which quickly shot to the top of Netflix charts worldwide. Michelle is currently enjoying an extended stay in Australia while filming the second series of BBC drama Ten Pound Poms (L-R: co-stars Warren Brown, Faye Marsay and Michelle Keegan) Amid her huge success, it has been claimed that the logical next step for Michelle would be a move to LA amid reports that she has been inundated with Hollywood offers. Industry expert Nick Ede told how Fool Me Once could propel the former Coronation Street actress into becoming a 'major' global movie star. He told OK! Magazine : 'It's really given Michelle a platform to make her a major star. 'All eyes are on her at the moment because Netflix is watched by millions of people globally and her series is number one here and in the US. 'She looks every inch the Hollywood leading lady and she has star quality,' he continued. 'As a Hollywood producer or director, you want somebody who's the whole package and that's Michelle.' US banks reported more branch openings than closures in the latest weekly report - giving hope it is a potential turning point for the industry. Chase, Associated Bank, City National Bank of Florida, Citizens and Wells Fargo all notified their regulator of a total of six closures between March 24 and March 30. Banks reported ten openings, of which Chase accounted for four. It is the first time there has been higher number of branch openings than closures this year. Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate, said last week's blip is unlikely to be much more than that - ending hopes the bank branch bloodbath is over. The latest closures brings the total number announced so far in 2024 to 294. Scroll down to see the most recent closures and openings, plus links to all the others this year. Chase filed to open four branches in a single week but notified its regulator it would close two Wells Fargo closed notified the OCC of more than 300 closures in 2023 but just one last week As well as Chase's four new branches, six other banks announced they would each open one, according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's latest bulletin. These are Bank of America, Capital Bank, City National Bank in California, Fifth Third, First National Bank of Texas and Investar Bank. Some hope it is a sign that the recent avalanche of closures, which began more than a decade ago but was catalyzed by the pandemic, is starting to slow. But McBride said: 'Even if branch openings outnumber branch closings in a brief window of time, the prevailing trend of consolidation in banking institutions and branches will remain. 'The long-term trend toward fewer branches and the strategic location of new branches remains intact.' The last year in which the number of branches in the US increased was 2011, when there were more than 85,000 throughout the US, according to FDIC data. Since then the number has dropped steadily to about 70,000. McBride noted that despite the closures, and the fact that an increasing number of banking services can now be offered online, many Americans are still keen on branches. 'The growth of banking transactions done digitally has diminished the amount of traffic into branches, but the desire for branch access remains high,' he said. In a survey of savers, Bankrate found the top reason savers keep money in their current bank rather than open an account with an online bank is the preference for access to a local branch. Most national banks like US Bank, Bank of America and Wells Fargo have become increasingly confident that online banking can meet most customers' needs. Closures can lead to significant savings. The average freestanding branch costs $2.6 million a year to run, according to Bancography, an Alabama-based consulting firm that advises banks. And while banks have been aggressively shutting their branches, credit unions appear to have been bucking the trend. The number of credit union branches has increased over the last decade, according to a DailyMail.com analysis. Some 4,800 credit unions now cater to 135 million Americans and operate around 20,700 branches across the country - that is 500 more than there were in 2023. Bank branch closures (March 24 - March 30) Bank City State Location JPMorgan Chase Bank Brooklyn NY 1380 Fulton Street JPMorgan Chase Bank Ridgewood NY 6694 Fresh Pond Road Associated Bank Oshkosh WI 2415 Westowne Avenue City NB of Florida Boca Raton FL 641 South Federal Highway Citizens Bank East Aurora NY 65 Grey Street Wells Fargo San Marcos TX 301 Student Center Drive Have you had a long wait with Social Services? Tell us at money@dailymail.com It comes after an SSA whistleblower warned 'simple requests' are being ignored Americans calling their Social Security office are being left on hold for nearly 38 minutes amid 'egregious delays' at the government body. Wait times on the telephone are now seven times longer than they were 15 years ago while those applying for disability benefits must wait an average of seven months to get approved, official data shows. It comes after a Social Security Administration (SSA) whistleblower in Sioux City, Iowa, revealed staff were ignoring 'simple requests' from benefits recipients who were forced to wait 'weeks to months' for answers. DailyMail.com has spoken to one man who has been waiting nine months to wrap up his dead uncle's estate but has been repeatedly told to 'sit tight' by SSA workers. Dion Algeri's uncle Tony Algeri, from White Plains, New York, passed away on February 4 last year, aged 89. Americans calling their Social Security office are being left on hold for nearly 38 minutes amid concerns of 'egregious delays' at the government body Dion Algeri's uncle Tony Algeri, from White Plains, New York, passed away on February 4 last year, aged 89. The two are pictured together As one of Tony's closest relatives, Dion has been charged with wrapping up his estate. He was informed Tony, a hairdresser, was entitled to one more Social Security cheque worth $2,300. Dion was instructed to fill out some remaining paperwork - which he sent on July 9th. Since then, the 51-year-old, who owns a web design company, has attempted to chase on officials on the phone on three occasions. He told DailyMail.com: 'I have sold my uncle's apartment in the time it's taken to get a response from Social Security. Nothing at all has changed since I filed the paperwork on July 9th. 'It's frustrating being told to sit tight in a backlog. On one occasion, I was speaking to a girl who seemed totally oblivious about what was going on. 'I was put on hold many, many times.' The most recently available data published by the SSA shows that Americans are waiting for 37 minutes and 45 seconds to get through to a worker on average so far this year. It means wait times have climbed even higher from last year's average of around 35 minutes and 50 seconds. In 2008, this figure was just 5 minutes and 23 seconds. By 2018, it had grown to 23 minutes and 43 seconds. Meanwhile those applying for disability benefits are waiting 229 days on average so far this year up from an average of 217 days in 2023. It equates to over seven months. The SSA pays $1.4 trillion in benefits to more than 71 million people every year. Its headquarters has the most unused office space of any Biden agency at just 7 percent according to a recent report - meaning 90 percent is unoccupied daily wasting billions of taxpayer dollars. As one of Tony's closest relatives, Dion has been charged with wrapping up his estate. Pictured: Tony, a hairdresser TheSSA pays $1.4 trillion in benefits to more than 71 million people every year Its National 800 Number Network provides toll-free telephone service to the US, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, the American Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The number provides an agent service five days a week from 7am to 7pm. 24-hour automated services are also available 365 per days a year. Last year, analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, raised the alarm over a customer service crisis facing the SSA. Many of the issues caused by stringent administrative budget cuts over the past ten years. The Biden administration had requested a $1.3 billion increase in the SSA's customer service budget for 2024. But the new figures show customer service is only worsening at the institution. On Twitter dozens of Americans are complaining of shambolic customer service. A user called Don Benson tagged the official Social Security account and wrote: 'Livid that Im told over the phone I cant make an appointment to change designated payees, then after waiting in line at my local office Im told it has to be done only with an appointment, which is two months later. 'Oh, and then the rude clerk who waited on me.' Meanwhile Hollis said: 'I was literally on hold for 59 minutes and got disconnected as soon as Erica picked up and identified herself. Biden's Chief of Staff Jeff Zients also ordered Cabinet heads to ensure that their workforce returns to the office this year The SSA headquarters in Washington, D.C., had the most unused office space of any Biden agency at just 7 percent according to a recent report - meaning 90 percent is unoccupied daily wasting billions of taxpayer dollars 'I called back & new wait time is 1hr 36min. I dont have time for this after waiting an hour already! Ridiculous!' Last week, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that local SSA staff are ignoring 'simple requests' for months on end. A whistleblower wrote in a disclosure obtained first by this publication that their department faxed 12 intakes to the SSA office but had 'not received any calls on them' as of March 7. Some of the intakes date back to December 2023, according to the whistleblower, allowing several months to go unanswered. 'I'm at a loss of what to do to get things moving in the right direction,' they wrote in an email to the SSA office's assistant district manager. Top Iowa Republicans Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Randy Feenstra have written to Social Security Inspector General Gail Ennis over the concerns. An SSA spokesman told DailyMail.com the agency has introduced a new performance management tool that reviews its progress on call wait times every two weeks and has already improved performance. However, he added: 'To fully return to acceptable wait times, Congress must approve the President's Budget so the agency can hire more teleservice center employees to answer calls. Unfortunately, our current funding, which is essentially level and is less than the Presidents Budget, is forcing the agency to curtail hiring and staffing efforts that would help cut wait times. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday imposed several restrictions on Maharashtra-based Shirpur Merchants' Co-operative Bank, including withdrawal of funds by customers, in the wake of the lender's deteriorating financial position. In a statement, the RBI said from the close of business on Monday, the bank will not grant or renew any loans and advances, make any investment, incur any liability, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets, without prior approval of the central bank in writing. "Considering the bank's present liquidity position, no amount from the total balance across all savings bank or current accounts or any other account of a depositor, may be allowed to be withdrawn, but are allowed to set off loans against deposits subject to the conditions stated in the above RBI directions," the central bank said. The RBI further said the eligible depositors would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up Rs 5 lakh from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). The restrictions on The Shirpur Merchants' Co-operative Bank will remain in force for six months from the close of business on April 8, 2024, the RBI said. The directions by the RBI should not per se be construed as cancellation of banking licence, it said. "The bank will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions till its financial position improves," it said. The Reserve Bank may also consider modifications of the directions depending upon circumstances, the central bank added. The silence of those feeling relieved at the mafia dons death is much louder than those grieving it It is often said that sometimes silence is more deafening than cranking noise. At the burial of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in Mohammadabad of Ghazipur district of eastern Uttar Pradesh, there was an estimated crowd of around 30,000 mourners, or more perhaps, who raised the slogan of mafia nahi messiah hain (he was not a mafia, he was a messiah). Similar moments of outbursts, although not of the same magnitude, were witnessed when another mafia-don-turned-politician of Uttar Pradesh Atiq Ahmed was killed. Top Uttar Pradesh Opposition leaders, meanwhile, have demanded a high-level investigation into the death of the jailed gangster-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari, with the Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav even calling for an investigation under the supervision of a Supreme Court Judge. Similarly, with an eye on minority votes, four-time former UP CM and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati, too, has demanded a high-level investigation into the death in view of the serious allegations by the family of the deceased that he was in fact poisoned. Opposition leaders have alleged that Uttar Pradesh is going through the worst phase of government anarchy. To which, many residing in the State may not agree. Ansari, for decades, was regarded as one of eastern UPs most dreaded gangsters, a reign that involved deadly rivalries with other gangster-politicians, some of whom he and his associates have been accused or convicted of having assassinated. He was lodged in different prisons in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh since 2005, when he was first arrested for inciting violence. His political career saw him represent the Mau Vidhan Sabha seat for five terms, winning it for the first time as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate. He was subsequently expelled from the party but continued to win the seat in 2002 and 2007 as an independent, and in 2012 under the banner of his party Quami Ekta Dal before he rejoined the BSP in 2017. In 2022, his son took over from the father and contested and won the Mau Vidhan Sabha seat. The silence of those feeling relieved at the death of Ansari is much louder than those grieving it. Although there are no indications of the State being involved in the death of the jailed-politician, the silent masses are giving credit to the resolute administration of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the mafia don exiting the political scene ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Ansari was accused in 63 criminal cases, including 14 of murder. These cases remained pending in the court of law till Yogi Adityanath came to power as Chief Minister in 2017. Slowing the legal process gained pace and Ansari was convicted and sentenced in eight of these since September 2022. Among the most high profile of these cases were the murders of then sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005 and Awadesh Rai (brother of current Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai) in 1991. The battle between the Rais (not directly related) and the Ansaris was about hegemony in the award of the Government contracts and the huge profits it brought. The garnering of the contracts needed use of terror and if missed out, unleashing threats of extortion. The gang wars were not limited to just the Ghazipur district but spread their tentacles to almost all the districts of Uttar Pradesh, east of the State capital of Lucknow. In the State which gives 80 Members of Parliament to the 545-strong Lok Sabha, the determination of the present Chief Minister to exterminate gangsters has to a great extent restored peoples faith in the law and order machinery. Silent accolades for a Government into the seventh year of its rule, is bound to reap a huge political harvest. The death of Mukhtar Ansari may have made things more difficult for the Samajwadi Party-led Opposition. It will not bring any fresh consignments of minority votes, as they stand already consolidated behind them, but it would certainly send a firm message to law-abiding citizens about the effectiveness of the Yogi Adityanath Government. There are still images in the minds of the local residents of Ansari moving around in an open vehicle, flaunting firearms in a communally affected town under curfew. Government bulldozers pulling down concrete emblems of Ansaris empire events that preceded his death restored peoples faith and belief in the Government machinery. Yogi Adityanaths bulldozers may, at times, seem to have crossed the line but they have been largely effective in restoring a sense of confidence in even among those who may not have been much swayed by the passion surrounding the inauguration of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. Therefore, Ansari, in his death, may give just that decisive advantage to the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. (The writer is a political analyst and President, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice; views are personal) The World Inequality Lab report says Indias top one per cent of the population holds a staggering 40.1 per cent of the nations wealth In a diverse and democratic India, every citizen has an equal opportunity. A major global economic policy debate revolves around the pressing concern of wealth inequality in India. According to a recent research paper titled Income and Wealth Inequality in India, 1922-2023: The Rise of the Billionaire Raj, released by The World Inequality Lab (WIL) at the Paris School of Economics, the top one percent of Indias population held 40.1 percent of the countrys wealth in 2022-23, marking one of the highest levels globally. At the 2023 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Oxfam International unequivocally released a report titled Survival of the Richest, revealing that the wealthiest one percent of individuals in India possess over 40 percent of the nations total wealth. These findings have sparked significant concerns about the precision and influence of foreign research agencies assessments of Indias wealth inequality. The specific nature of these findings has had a profound global impact, singling out Indias rapidly expanding economy. Clearly, the issue of wealth inequality demands a comprehensive examination and a far-reaching discourse. The issue of wealth inequality is often discussed at the WEF summit in Davos, where influential individuals from various fields come together to address global challenges. While there may be doubts about the methodology and biases of these reports, they still provide insights for consideration and reflection. An individuals wealth is distinct from the wealth of the corporation they own. Corporate entities have various stakeholders, such as banks, shareholders, and financial agencies, and they also have liabilities. The wealth of a corporation belongs to these stakeholders in proportion to their stakes. There is a debate about why corporations competitive returns on their large investments are being targeted for wealth inequality, and why there is advocacy for wealth and inheritance taxes. Corporations argue that they already pay their fair share of taxes, including Corporate Tax, Goods and Services Tax (GST), Import-Export Duties, and Income Tax. Furthermore, they claim to contribute to the economy by generating employment and fulfilling their corporate social responsibility (CSR). Some people suggest restructuring the tax system to account for both income and wealth and imposing an additional 2 per cent super tax on the wealthiest individuals to address inequality and promote economic growth and job creation. However, proponents of this idea believe that corporate competitive growth is a natural phenomenon and contributes to the countrys GDP growth. The export of goods and services as a percentage of GDP has increased from 6.3 per cent in 1984 to 22.79 per cent in 2022-23. This high growth has led to significant changes in the socio-economic fabric of civil society. Since liberalisation in the 1990s, the economy has become increasingly globalised. Before 1990, wealth creation in India was minimal, billionaires were rare, and extreme poverty was prevalent. However, today, billionaires are common, and extreme poverty is history. According to Forbes, the number of Indians with a net wealth exceeding $1 billion increased from just one in 1991 to 162 in 2022. Why Corporates Are Being Targeted: It is a common but politically deliberated interpretation that corporations have exacerbated wealth inequality. There is a concern about the irrational international agencies catalysing conflict against Indian corporations, which are major contributors to the countrys GDP and significant employers, especially when India ranks as the worlds fifth-strongest economy. Its important to note that existing inequalities based on gender, geography, ethnicity, race, caste, and religion already exist. Further disparities would not only harm our economy but also create a negative global public perception, hindering efforts to eradicate poverty. Extreme inequality is not inevitable and is often the result of political misgovernance, but it can be addressed through effective interventions. When compared to many other countries, India is relatively better off in terms of income and wealth equality. Globally, the top one per cent of the richest individuals have accumulated 46 per cent of the worlds wealth over the past two years. According to Credit Suisses Global Wealth Report-2023, Russia has the highest wealth concentration, with the top one per cent holding 60 percent of national wealth. Brazils wealthiest one per cent holds 49.6 per cent, and in the USA, the top one percent of households own 33 per cent of the countrys wealth. Way Forward: NITI Aayog claims that 25 crore citizens were lifted out of multidimensional poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23, still around 23 crore below-poverty-line (BPL) families are there. The governments key task is to uplift the poor, and the support of the corporate is crucial for this. Creating enough well-paying jobs is essential for reducing poverty and inequality. However, much more needs to be done to make India a less unequal country. The Government must ensure that every individual has a constitutional right to access resources that can help reduce poverty and inequality. The definition and identification of BPL families in India need to be reconsidered. The government should focus more on pro-poor policies for domestic resource mobilisation. The latest updates from the World Poverty Clock indicate that extreme poverty in India has dropped to less than 3 per cent. It is imperative to address the perception of wealth inequality in the country, as reported by foreign research agencies.This raises questions about the governments commitment to poverty elimination, despite its much-touted slogan Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. (The Author is Vice-Chairman of Sonalika ITL Group, Vice-Chairman(Cabinet Minister rank) of the Punjab Economic Policy and Planning Board, Chairman of ASSOCHAM Northern Region Development Council; views expressed are personal) From the historic National Monument and Lincoln Memorial here in the American Capital to the iconic Golden Bridge on the East Coast, hundreds of supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallies for his victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections exuding confidence that the BJP-led alliance would cross 400 seats. The Modi ka Parivar March rallies were organised on Sunday by the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) USA. The rallies were held at iconic places in over 16 cities supporting Prime Minister Modi's re-election and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning over 400 seats in upcoming parliament elections in India, a media release said on Sunday. Members of the Indian American community representing various states of India, Kashmir to Kerala and Maharashtra to the east came out in all colours to march as Modi ka Pariwar at iconic places in over 16 cities in America, said Adapa Prasad, President of OFBJP-USA. Marches were held in 16 cities, including San Francisco, Houston, and Atlanta. The march showcased the deep-rooted respect and solidarity for Modi's leadership and the collective aspiration of "Abki Baar 400 Paar" in the upcoming Lok Sabha Election 2024, said Sachindra Nath from San Francisco. Participants spanning all age groups, from young children to the elderly, gathered to express their unwavering support for Modi and his vision for India, the media release said. The marchers, adorned in saffron and carrying flags, banners, and placards, formed a sea of support as they made their way across the Golden Gate, symbolising the bridge of solidarity and unity that Modi's leadership has built among Indians worldwide. The event served as a powerful statement of the Indian diaspora's commitment to India's progress and its support for the policies and direction under the current government. The enthusiastic participation of such a diverse age group underscored the wide-reaching appeal and impact of Modi Ji's governance and his vision for an inclusive, developed, and prosperous India, Nath said. Dr Vasudev Patel, General Secretary of OFBJP-USA, said that NRIs and the Indian diaspora are enthusiastic in support of BJP and Modi, and they marched with their families across the US. (): French troops joined their British counterparts in the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace for the first time on Monday, marching together in a display of solidarity between Britain and France amid the war in Ukraine. At a parallel ceremony in Paris, British soldiers wearing tall bearskin hats took part in an unprecedented joint military parade in front of the presidential Elysee Palace, as the French army choir sang the two national anthems, God Save the King and La Marseillaise. The twin events were to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, the 1904 diplomatic agreement between Britain and France that paved the way for their collaboration in both World War I and World War II.In a video message posted on social media on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the alliance serves as a foundation for deepening Anglo-French relations particularly at a time of the return of war. Our Entente Cordiale remains as relevant as ever, Macron said. Faced with the resurgence of war in Europe, we stand together to defend the values we share and to support Ukraine as it defends itself against its aggressor. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, used a joint opinion piece published on Monday in the Daily Telegraph to urge allies to boost funding for Ukraine. It is not for France and Britain alone to solve these challenges. But, together, we can rally others to join us in overcoming them, they wrote. We must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching and will judge us if we fail. Prince Edward and his wife Sophie inspected the joint parade in London, which included 32 members of the Gendarmeries Garde Republicaine and 40 guardsmen from the Scots Guards. Edward and Sophie were representing King Charles III, who is continuing his cancer treatment and was not at Buckingham Palace. It was the first time a country that isnt part of the Commonwealth group of nations has taken part in the traditional Changing of the Guard ceremony, though the French troops did not participate in guarding the royal residence a ceremonial duty that can only be performed by UK or Commonwealth troops. In Paris, 16 members of the Coldstream Guards were the first foreign troops ever to take part in guarding the French presidential residence. Britain and France said Mondays ceremonies were part of a wider programme this year to celebrate the two countries historic military and diplomatic ties. This includes major events in Normandy in June to commemorate the service of Allied veterans who fought to liberate France from Nazi occupation. Last year, King Charles chose France as the destination for his first foreign visit after becoming monarch. The state visit, which was planned for March but was postponed to September amid large demonstrations in France, was a statement underlining the ties between the two countries. From environmental eDNA technology used to create a repository of country's captive elephants through genetic material in dung, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled drones for monitoring cheetahs health in Kuno in Madhya Pradesh to investigating habitat use of Whale sharks through satellite telemetry studies in Gujarat cutting-edge innovative digital tools are increasingly being applied for wildlife conservation to keep a track on poachers. There's more. Researchers are deploying remote cameras with AI capabilities to prevent tiger attacks on livestock, thereby mitigating conflicts with their owners. "Where we're working, tigers are killing livestock on almost a daily basis," said Jeremy Dertien, a postdoctoral researcher at the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research about the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh. He said the residents have proven "amazingly resilient" in the face of the roaming cats. But, Dertien said, being able to keep track of the tigers could help them coexist. Similarly, in Gujarat's Rajkot, the forest department, along with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), is using the artificial intelligence through satellite tagging of whale sharks as part of an elaborate strategy to conserve this endangered species. Late last month, a 27-foot-long whale shark, which got entangled in a fishing net at a harbour, was tagged with a satellite transmitter and later released into the sea in a healthy condition. The release is part of the project to conduct satellite telemetry studies of five whale sharks. This follows WTI success when it had deployed satellite tags in eight whale sharks of Gujarat between 2011 and 2017. It provided valuable insights into their extensive migratory patterns. Akshay Joshi, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Junagadh said that the project aims to understand the behaviour pattern of aquatic animals like where it goes for breeding, in which continents it migrates etc. This tag, which is much more technologically advanced, will provide more accurate information even if the whale shark goes deep into the sea. "The information will be transmitted even when the whale shark travels at maximum speed during storms or cyclones," State Chief Conservator of Forest, K Ramesh added. Experts say innovative technologies are revolutionising wildlife conservation efforts, making them more accessible, user-friendly, and data-efficient than ever before. For instance, eDNA technology allows researchers to detect and identify species by analysing genetic material present in environmental samples such as water or soil. The Union Environment Ministry has already profiled 270 elephants since August 2022, aiming at ensuring better protection has been completed. DNA profiling is the process where a specific DNA pattern, called a profile, is obtained from a sample of bodily tissue. The DNA profiling will act as the 'Adhaar card of captive elephants, said an official from the Ministry. Earlier, the captive elephants were chipped electronically, but in vain. At the Kanha-Pench corridor in Madhya Pradesh, wildlife officials are experimenting with cameras with infrared sensors that harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI). These are deployed to count wild animals or monitor the movement of potential poachers. The results are already visible. For the first time, poachers were caught on camera, helping authorities secure a conviction. This AI-powered TrailGuard-AI camera system which is the world's most advanced wildlife monitoring and security system, providing real-time images of the endangered species, poachers and landscape to the forest authorities has been deployed in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in Uttar Pradesh also, as per a study 'Mitigating human-wildlife conflict and monitoring endangered tigers using a real-time camera-based alert system' published in the BioScience. With forest protection staff spread so thinly across large landscapes, new technology that can provide real-time data notifications for conservation personnel could be a massive aid in preventing poaching or conflict before it occurs or afterward for quickly identifying poaching suspects, said the authors including Rajesh Gopal and Himmat Singh Negi from Global Tiger Forum, Ramesh Krishnamurthy from WII, and Sanjay Kumar Pathak from DTR. Vishal Singhal, author and co-founder and AI evangelist at Cellstrat noted that forest rangers in India are increasingly using technology such as cameras and AI to monitor tigers as well as poachers. According to them, he said, AI could tell beforehand where the tigers will move next. This will help the rangers to protect the tigers in advance. Some of the recent technology-backed initiatives have been successful, as certain regions in India have seen their tiger population numbers slightly increase, said Singhal. World across the role of technology is being accepted. Recognising the transformative power of technology in safeguarding the flora and fauna across the globe, "Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation," themed event was organised by the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) on March 4, 2024. CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero talked about promoting innovative technological solutions to address the triple planetary crisis while ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin recounted how technology can transform life on land and below water, improve economies and protect ecosystems. Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena has complained to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that Ministers of the Delhi Government have refused to meet him in the past few days on the issues related to citizens. He had convened these meetings to ensure smooth governance in the wake of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest and subsequent events. Giving details, Raj Niwas Secretariat officials said the issues especially pertained to public health infrastructure in the city and the impeding Summer Action Plan for water availability. Saxena had asked for a meeting with the Ministers twice on March 29 and April two, they said. However, Ministers of Delhi Government, especially Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj under fire from the Delhi High Court over lack of health infrastructure in the city, instead of solving issues, indulged in public mud-slinging and refused to meet the LG citing lame excuses. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. Bhardwaj upon being asked for a meeting on 29.03.2024 sent a text to the LG Secretariat that read, "We wanted agenda for this meeting with the LGI do not think meeting can be called without directions of the CM. Please convey." Bharadwaj, however, said the Constitution does not give the LG the power to issue directions on subjects such as health and water. He said, "I am surprised that a person sitting on a constitutional post is writing a letter and there is no mention of any provision of the Constitution. I want to ask which provision of the Constitution empowers the L-G to issue directions on transferred subjects like health, water, etc. I write to him about the issue related to health. He says it is a transferred subject." Bharadwaj said he had received a WhatsApp message and claimed he was not informed about the agenda of the meeting. "What was that secret meeting about? When they wrote the agenda, I told them it was a transferred subject. If you want to run Delhi, contest elections. It won't work that you will run the Government from the backdoor," he said. Upon being shared the agenda for the meeting to be reconvened on 02.04.2024, Bhardwaj made the lame excuse of Model Code of Conduct being in effect, despite his colleagues going public with a supposed letter from Chief Minister from Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody, asking Ministers to take advice of the LG if necessary in solving public issues. Other key Ministers of the Delhi Government Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot and Atishi Marlena have also shown lack of seriousness and insensitivity and declined to attend the meeting with Saxena on the matters affecting the day-to-day lives of the citizens of Delhi in the aftermath of arrest of Kejriwal, the letter from LG Secretariat to MHA reads. "The LG believes that a consultation of this nature was warranted so that routine works of governance are not hampered in the backdrop of arrest and detention of the chief minister," the LG's letter added. The rationale adduced for not attending the meeting appears vague and exhibits lack of seriousness and insensitivity to matters affecting the day-to-day lives of the citizens of Delhi, the LG secretariat said. This communication by the LG Secretariat to the Union Home Secretary assumes significance as on April 4, Bhardwaj who had declined to attend the meeting convened by Saxena had written a note to him highlighting the severe shortage of basic medical supplies at Dr Hedgewar Arogya Sansthan and Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya. The very next day, the LG shot back expressing deep concerns regarding the "deteriorating" state of the 'Delhi Model' of healthcare delivery, likening it to being on "life support ventilator" The LG had reminded Bhardwaj of disregarding his invitations to discuss critical healthcare issues and criticised his tendency to deflect responsibility and propagate misleading narratives. While Kejriwal was in the ED Custody, Atishi Marlena had claimed that the Chief Minister had written a note to her to take care of the issues of water and sewage in the national Capital and if necessary take advice of the LG. A similar note appeared for Bhardwaj relating to the health and medical infrastructure. In both the cases, questions were raised as to how such notes can be written in ED custody. Reacting to the LG's note, Delhi BJP candidate from South Delhi and Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the AAP Government's Ministers are not serious and they are busy in lip service. Every day, AAP Ministers address four to five Press conference but they don't have time to attend the meeting for the people of Delhi. Former Maldivian Minister Mariyam Shiuna has offered "sincerest apologies" for a post on social media reportedly disrespecting the Indian national flag. She is among three Deputy Ministers suspended earlier this year over social media posts targeting the Indian political leadership leading to a diplomatic row. Shiuna, who has since deleted the said post, clarified on Monday that she did not intend to disrespect India or the country's national flag. She apologised after a controversy over a social media post she made against the Opposition using a symbol that resembled the Ashok Chakra. "I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post," Shiuna wrote on X. "It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian Opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused," she said. "Maldives deeply values its relationship and the mutual respect we share with India. In future I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights," the ex-MP added. She also said the image was meant to take a jibe at the Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Maldives is set to hold parliamentary elections on April 21. In the deleted post, which targeted the Opposition MDP's campaign poster, the Opposition party's logo was replaced with what looks like the Ashok Chakra; in the Indian flag, the Navy Blue-coloured Ashok Chakra appears on the white central band. "The MDP is heading towards a big slip. The people of Maldives do not want to fall and slip with them," the post read. In January, Shiuna and two colleagues Abdulla Mahzoom Majid and Malsha Shareef were suspended by the Mohamed Muizzu Government, which is widely seen as anti-India and pro-China. The Ministers' comments stemmed from what they saw as the Indian leadership attempting to promote the country's Lakshadweep islands as a tourist destination that rivals the Maldives. This is not the first time that she has been in the news over similar issues. She was among the three Ministers who were suspended for making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India in the wake of Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. Moreover, President Muizzu had said India had to withdraw nearly 80 of its military personnel from his country between March and May. The process has commenced. During a recent visit to China, Muizzu had said his country may be small but it "doesn't give them the license to bully us" in an apparent reference to India. With elections approaching, the Maldives President has struck a reconciliatory tone and said India will continue to be his country's "closest ally". He has also urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to the Maldives, which owes about $400.9 million to India at 2023-end. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday launched the 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' (Respond to the jail with your vote) theme ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, appealing to the public to fight against the dictatorship of the BJP and to support Arvind Kejriwal by giving him votes. The announcement comes a day after the party held a daylong fasting protest to express solidarity with their leader Arvind Kejriwal. Addressing a press conference on Monday, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak, said "As you all saw that Kejriwal ji was put in jail to keep him away from the elections. Kejriwal ji spent his entire life struggling for the people. He considered all people of Delhi as his family and made arrangements for best education, health, electricity and water for all." It is the first time that a sitting chief minister has been arrested during the Lok Sabha polls. We are launching the campaign Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se (Respond to the jail with your vote) and we want you to empower Kejriwal, announced AAP leader Sandeep Pathak, who along with party senior leader Sanjay Singh, Gopal Rai and Pankaj Gupta, launched the partys campaign. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, also appealed to the people to recall Shri Arvind Kejriwal's face when they go to vote. He stated Whenever you go out to cast your votes, remember to look at Arvind Kejriwals face. Take a look at the electricity bill which has been reduced down to a zero. Take a look at your childs face, who used to go to dilapidated school and is now studying in air-conditioned classroom, look at the Mohalla clinic which now provides free medicines and free tests for all the treatments and tests, see your daughters and sisters face who travels free and safely in the buses, and also the faces of the elderly people in your family for whom Kejriwal became their Shravan Kumar and made their wishes of Teerth Yatra true, also remember the Farishtey Scheme that he formulatedKeep all these things in mind before stepping out to cast your vote on May 25, he said. The new campaign comes a month after Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on March 8 launched the partys Lok Sabha national campaign, Sansad Me Bhi Kejriwal, Toh Delhi Hogi Aur Khushhal (If Kejriwal is in Parliament too, the city will be more fulfilled). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday termed the Congress manifesto as an attempt to whitewash the misdeeds of the party when it was in power for over 50 years and said the document called nyay patra (document for justice) is an effort to hide the anyay (injustice) against the people of the country and state (Jharkhand). Congress has done injustice to the country. The party has done injustice to the people of Jharkhand and the entire country, said BJP State President and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi while addressing a press conference at the state office today. Marandi said that during the time of Congress, facilities had not reached the village. There were no roads in the village, no electricity and the condition of the medical system was bad. Congress never cared about the villages. Congressmen used to talk about the village every day but they did not do any work for the village. Marandi said that Congress should apologize for misdeeds the party has done. Today the village has roads, electricity and medical facilities. At one time Congress had created a crisis in the entire country. Marandi said that during BJP rule today no one talks about kerosene, though some people (RJD) are fond of lanterns. Marandi said that during Congress rule, gas cylinders were not available even in cities. Today every poor house has a gas stove. During the BJP rule, banks were taken to the doorsteps of the poor and people were opened accounts. All the facilities to the villagers are reaching their accounts. He said that before the BJP rule, there were incidents of extremism and terrorism in the country, but today Prime Minister Modi looks the terrorists in the eyes and talks. Today India kills terrorists by entering their homes. The riots were at their peak during the Congress rule but today there is peace all around, peace and tranquillity in the country. The country is moving on the path of progress. Babulal Marandi said that the world does not ask the weak. Today the country is progressing economically. India has today become the fifth economic superpower of the world. Today India has reached second place in manufacturing mobile phones. Earlier we had to get mobile phones from other countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aim is to make India a developed India by 2047 and work is being done rapidly in this direction. Marandi said that Indi Alliance people abuse Sanatan and Congress remains silent and does not say a word. Remaining silent is also considered as giving approval to the work. Everyone says something about Sanatan but someone should say something about other religions. Understand what will happen then. Marandi said that Modi's guarantee means guarantee of fulfillment whereas Congress's guarantee means corruption, appeasement, terrorism, support of Tukde Tukde gang, abuse of Sanatan, denial of existence of Ram. State spokesperson Rafia Naz, state co-media in-charge Yogendra Pratap Singh were present in today's press conference. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) postponed its planned protest outside the Agriculture minister's residence on April 8 after meeting the chief secretary Radha Raturi. Stating this, BKU head Somdutt Sharma informed that earlier they had intended to protest against the protracted delay in clearance of dues of the States farmers by brokers at the Niranjanpur Mandi. However, after communicating their concerns and demands to Raturi, she assured them of addressing the farmers' pending payments promptly. She also instructed linear authorities to investigate the issue of outstanding payments at the Mandi. Considering this assurance, she asked them to postpone the protest until the investigation on the dues at the Mandi is completed, he added. Sharma further accused the Agriculture minister Ganesh Joshi of deceiving and playing diplomatic games with farmers. The States farmers and the BKU are hoping that the CS will soon ensure that brokers clear their dues along with the commission that they have taken illegally. If payment is not cleared within a week or until the investigation is completed, they will resume their protest, he said. It will be recalled that the BKU has been consistently demanding that the brokers should clear the dues of farmers for the past few months. They claim that the dues have been pending for about two years. In protest against this, they had blocked the Mandi gate and met with various public representatives in recent months to get the dues cleared. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday announced in the Delhi Assembly that cases will be registered against the chief secretary and the health secretary over the shortage of medicines in State Government run hospitals and dispensaries, The issues of medicine shortage in Delhi government hospitals and dispensaries and the stoppage of free diagnostic tests at mohalla clinics by "some officers concerned" were raised by AAP MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam through a calling attention motion under Rule 54. On the other hand, BJP MLAs were marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly on Monday as they pressed for a discussion on alleged irregularities in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The proceedings of the House began with members raising issues of their constituencies. The BJP legislators started demanding a discussion on alleged irregularities in the DJB. Speaker Ram Niwas Goel rejected the request and asked the opposition members to sit down. As the BJP MLAs continued to press their demand, Goel asked marshals to take them out. Later, the BJP MLAs staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue inside the assembly premises. During the proceedings of the House, Bharadwaj submitted two reports, including one from the chief secretary and the health secretary, saying they gave in writing that medicines were available in hosptials and mohalla clinics and those unavailable were substituted. The other report was based on the feedback of MLAs, news reports and his own inquiries, the minister said.He alleged that the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) tender of 2023 was not finalised despite the availability of bids under a "premeditated conspiracy". Medicines for government hospitals, dispensaries and mohalla clinics are procured through the CPA, he said. The health minister said the issues of medicine shortage and stopping of tests at mohalla clinics came to light in January. He wrote to the chief secretary for details and action on February 12, and again on March 4 and March 18 but nothing happened. There are alternative methods of medicine procurement through local purchase or contract rate purchase by the hospitals but the medical superintendents and the medical directors informed in meetings held on March 1 and March 11 that it was made "impossible" due to circulars issued by the Health department, said the minister. "So, it was a pre-planned conspiracy to stop medicine supplies by obstructing the CPA tender. What will (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal or Saurabh Bharadwaj do if medicines itself are not available at the hospitals and dispensaries?" he said in the House. Training his guns at Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Bharadwaj said he wrote to him repeatedly and pointed out that the chief secretary and the health secretary were "misleading me and the Delhi government" by "hiding" the shortage of medicines and sought action against them but no action was taken. Lakhs of people depend on government hospitals, dispensaries and mohalla clinics for medicines, including those for serious ailments, Bharadwaj said and sought to know from the House if criminal prosecution should not be initiated if someone dies or falls gravely ill due to a lack of medicines. "We will not sit quietly, we will register cases. I will register a case against the chief secretary and the health secretary for this. We will not let it go like this," said the health minister. Several AAP MLAs, including Gautam, Sanjeev Jha, Rakhi Birla and Mahender Goel raised the issue of unavailability of medicines in hospitals and mohalla clinics. Not even a single voter should be deprived of voting. Eligible voters whose names are still not included in the electoral list should complete the process of adding their names by receiving their application in Form-6. Also, all the applications related to adding names to Form 6 that have been received so far, should be processed immediately and should never be kept pending. FSTs should actively visit their areas and take prompt action on cases of violation of Model Code of Conduct and also ensure to upload these on C-Vigil App, said Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar while holding a review meeting through video conferencing with the District Election Officers-cum-Deputy Commissioners of all the districts of Jharkhand on various topics related to the preparations for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. He said that during the Lok Sabha elections, it should be ensured that the vehicles are managed in such a way that the common citizens do not face any problem in transportation. All District Election Officers should review the vehicle management of their respective districts and keep it organized as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India. Kumar said that strong arrangements should be made to transport disabled and senior voters to the polling stations and return them to their homes after voting. Run awareness campaigns to make such voters aware of the facilities available so that they can reach the polling booth and cast their vote. He said that for the voting of disabled and senior voters, he directed to get the verification done once again from the BLO. The Chief Electoral Officer said that the officials should ensure preparations for counting of votes as well. He directed to make arrangements for setting up separate tables for counting tables, round-wise counting of votes and counting of postal ballots. He directed all necessary preparations following the guidelines of the Election Commission of India. The Chief Electoral Officer said that there is a provision to conduct the voting of identified service voters through postal ballot. The District Election Officer should ensure 100 per cent voting of service voters. Instructed to distribute voter guides and make adequate arrangements for vehicles at the relocated polling stations. He also directed to activate the volunteer and voter awareness groups at the polling stations and re-train them. He directed to make voters aware about voting by holding a meeting with Anganwadi Sevika/BLO and Voter Awareness Group, Campus Ambassador of the urban area. Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Neha Arora gave information related to preparation of medical plan through power presentation. He said that the medical services attached to the polling stations will provide convenience to the polling personnel as well as the voters. For this, tag the medical team and ambulance along with the polling stations. Helipads are being made for emergency situations. Tagging him also from the polling stations. Air ambulance facility has also been provided for the Lok Sabha elections. Deputy Electoral Officer Sandeep Singh and other officials of the Chief Electoral Officer's office were present in the meeting. The Bharatiya Janata Party got a boost on Monday when senior leaders from several political parties, including Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress, as well as former DGP Vijay Kumar joined the ruling party here on Tuesday in presence of Uttar Pradeshs Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak. Among the prominent figures who took BJP membership were former director general of police of Uttar Pradesh, Vijay Kumar, his wife, Anupama, former BSP MLC Manoj Agarwal, and former Farrukhabad nagar parishad chairman and BSP leader Vatsala Agarwal. Other leaders who joined the BJP included former state secretary of SP, Ambuj Shukla, former assembly candidates of BSP, Sachin Tripathi and Sandeep Sharma Jackie (both from Kanpur) and their supporters. Welcoming the new members into the BJP fold, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak emphasised the partys commitment to service, good governance and the welfare of the poor under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He urged the newly inducted members to actively participate in strengthening the party at the grassroots level in their respective areas and booths. Pathak reiterated Prime Minister Modis vision for a developed India, with a focus on economic and social development, particularly in rural areas, for the uplift of the poor and farmers. He called upon all members to work towards fulfilling Modis vision by ensuring a resounding victory for the BJP in the upcoming elections, aiming to secure all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The mass joining of leaders from diverse political backgrounds reflects the growing strength and influence of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh politics, Pathak said. JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya has given a strong reaction to the statement of Jharkhand BJP in-charge Laxmikant Vajpayee. Bhattacharya said that Bharatiya Janata Party's thinking about mothers and sisters is not hidden and Laxmikant Vajpayee's latest statement confirms this. He said that whatever Laxmikant Vajpayee said in Seraikela was derogatory for women. Laxmikant Vajpayee while answering a question regarding the controversy over the candidature of Dhullu Mahato in Dhanbad in Jamshedpur had allegedly used abusive language. Politics has heated up in the State over his statement. Supriyo Bhattacharya questioned BJPs thinking on Vajpayees statement. Have you come to Jharkhand with such thoughts? Does the Prime Minister also think the same because he is also an MP from UP? he asked. Bhattacharya said that a few days ago they had protested against such language. Police should take cognizance and take action against Laxmikant Vajpayee for using such language coming from UP. Bhattacharya demanded to send Laxmikant Vajpayee to jail. The JMM leader said that BJP is scared of the manifesto of INDI Alliance. The Prime Minister should present the report card of his 10 years of work. Regarding Laxmikant Vajpayee, Supriyo Bhattacharya said that if you think like this towards women, you will also be treated like this. State President Babulal Marandi should tell what he did in such a statement. He said that there is nervousness in BJP due to the Maharally proposed on 21st April. He said that they know what will be the condition of Babulal Marandi in the BJP. BJP has become a JVM in Jharkhand. Bhattacharya further said that elections are being held in Jharkhand against the injustice done to Hemant Soren. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is seeking votes from the youth on the issue of employment. The atrocities against women wrestlers in Delhi shows the mentality of BJP. He said that if Hemant Soren's wife has come to the election field, BJP is in troubled waters. Nishikant Dubey is tweeting but Jharkhand will not bow down. Laxmikant Vajpayee will also get his answer when the time comes, he said. The tug of war for the Kairana Lok Sabha seat, once in news for exodus of Hindus, is between the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal on one side and Samajwadi Party and Congress on the other. Despite being a Muslim dominated constituency, the BJP had wrested the Kairana Lok Sabha seat from the RLD in the 2019 parliamentary election when Jayant Chaudhary had contested the poll in alliance with the SP. The million dollar question is will the SP-Congress be able to check the BJPs victory march in Kairana this time? Kairana is adjacent to Panipat and in the west of Muzaffarnagar. The politically sensitive Kairana went the BJP way for the first time in 2014 after its leader Hukum Singh raised the issue of exodus of Hindus, drawing a wave in favour of the saffron party. The BJP highlighted the exodus of Hindus from Kairana, pointing to the houses lying locked then. The issue first gained attention when Hukum Singh expressed concern over the exodus of Hindus from Kairana, allegedly due to intimidation by Muslims. In the run-up to the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly election, the BJP made the Kairana exodus a focal point of its campaign. The Congress, which ruled Uttar Pradesh for years, could not retain this parliamentary seat for a long time. The Congress is yet to taste victory in Kairana in the last 40 years. Congress last won from Kairana in 1984 when its candidate Akhtar Hasan emerged victorious. Even as the BJP has carved a niche for itself by raising the issue of migration of Hindus those days, no party can say with certainty that Kairana is their political turf. The BJP has occupied the seat since 2014. But the party faced defeat in the 2018 by-election. This time the BJP has fielded Pradeep Kumar Chaudhary from the Kairana Lok Sabha seat while the SP, a partner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), has given its ticket to Iqra Hasan. The Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Shamli district has five assembly segments two in Saharanpur district and three in Shamli district. In the 2022 UP assembly polls which were held three years after the 2019 general elections, the BJP had bagged the Nakur and Gangoh seats, while Kairana assembly seat went to SP. The remaining two seats Thana Bhawan and Shamli were won by the RLD. Even though the RLD is an ally of the BJP this time, the fight for the Kairana Lok Sabha seat is going to be tough. While the BJP is trying to continue its winning streak on this seat, Congress, SP and Bahujan Samaj Party are offering a tough challenge. To stop the BJP from winning this seat for the third time in a row, the INDIA bloc is banking on caste and religion equation. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 13 candidates were in the fray in Kairana but the main contest was between the BJP and the SP. BJPs Pradeep Kumar secured 5,66,961 votes to win the election, while SPs Tabassum Begum polled 4,74,801 votes. Harendra Singh Malik of the Congress was in third place. Pradeep Kumar won this Muslim dominated seat by a margin of 92,160 (8.2 per cent) votes. In this election, there was an alliance between the SP and the BSP and the SP had fielded its candidate from this seat. A year back in 2018, in the by-election for the seat after the death of Lok Sabha MP Hukum Singh, his daughter Mriganka Singh was fielded by the BJP while Tabassum Hasan was the candidate of RLD which contested the poll in alliance with the SP. Tabassum Hasan won the by-election but a year later she faced defeat in Kairana constituency. In the nine elections held since 1991 for the Kairana Lok Sabha seat, the BJP has won three times and Rashtriya Lok Dal has also won three times. Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have won the seat once each. Since 1991 to this date, Tabassum Hasan is the only leader who has won twice from Kairana seat. Tabassum won the election on the BSP ticket in the 2009 elections, while in 2018 she won the election on the RLD ticket. Her husband Munavvar Hasan has also won the Lok Sabha election from Kairana in 1996. In the last nine elections in Kairana since 1991, Muslim candidates have won four times. In the first Lok Sabha election, Jat leader Yashpal Singh won as an independent candidate. In an attempt to give a boost to the prospects of the party in the state and motivate the cadre which is already disheartened over the declining graph of the party in Uttar Pradesh having the maximum 80 Lok Sabha seats, Gandhi family scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has given her nod to contest the Lok Sabha poll from her mother Sonia Gandhis Rae Bareli constituency, sources in the party confirmed on Monday. Priyanka Vadra, the All India Congress general secretary and former in-charge of party affairs in UP, had given the slogan Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon in the last UP assembly elections but had failed to get any positive response from the women voters. Sources said that now she had decided to jump into the fray in this election to save the familys prestige at least by retaining her mothers Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, the Gandhi familys lone citadel left in UP. The defeat of Priyankas brother Rahul Gandhi in the last parliamentary election in Amethi by Smriti Irani of the Bharatiya Janata Party has put a big question mark whether the Gandhi family can save its lone bastion in UP, Rae Bareli, particularly after Sonia Gandhi has quit active politics a few months back and has entered Parliament by securing a seat in the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. Sources in the Congress confirmed that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was initially not keen to contest from Rae Bareli and had decided to campaign for the party across the country, but mounting pressure from the party cadre, especially from Rae Bareli, and seeing that the Congress workers were demoralised, she gave her consent to contest from Rae Bareli. We have been demanding from the day Sonia Gandhi made the announcement of quitting active politics that Priyanka should carry forward the legacy and serve the people here as her family has done so far since Independence, claimed a former MLA from Rae Bareli while confirming that Priyanka would contest the Lok Sabha polls from her mothers constituency and that an announcement in this regard is likely to be made during Ram Navami. Another former legislator from Amethi claimed that not only Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi too showed his interest in contesting from Amethi parliamentary seat which he lost to Smriti Irani in 2019. Rahul Gandhi is presently busy campaigning for the party across India and is also busy in Wayanad from where he is contesting the Lok Sabha poll to retain the seat, but once it will go to polls on April 26, he will come to Amethi, which will go for polls in the fifth phase on May 20, and contest election from there also, the former legislator said, adding that the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli were like the family members of the Gandhi family and both Rahul and Priyanka would continue to serve them. It may be mentioned that in 2019, Congress president Sonia Gandhi won the only Lok Sabha seat in UP for the party when she retained the Rae Bareli parliamentary seat. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who represented Amethi in the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2019, faced defeat in the 2019 election against BJP candidate Smriti Irani. Sources said that witnessing the partys graph touching the bottom in UP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra initially could not muster courage to start her political innings from Rae Bareli. Similarly Rahul Gandhi was also confused over contesting both the Amethi and Wayanad seats or restricting himself to Wayanad to enter Parliament. The Gandhi scions, however, changed their decision after feedback that not contesting from UP would not only finish the Congress in the biggest state of the country but would largely damage the partys prospect in other Hindi speaking states, particularly Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, confirmed sources in the party. Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh Congress had passed a resolution urging members of the Gandhi family to contest from Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seats. UP Congress president Ajay Rai emphasised that the Congress Election Committee had unanimously supported this resolution, emphasising the significance of the Gandhi familys presence in these constituencies in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Villagers in a remote area of Chinyalisaud in Uttarkashi district have threatened to boycott polling in the Lok Sabha election if the stalled work of constructing a road from Tilpad to border village Ulan is not resumed within one week. The residents of the affected villages submitted a memorandum to the district authorities on Monday. The villagers stated in their memorandum that the road was approved for nine Gram Sabhas but the Public Works Department worked on only a five-kilometre stretch. The villagers said that they have to walk up to seven kilometres to procure articles of daily need or when they have to visit the block, Tehsil and departmental headquarters at Chinyalisaud. The villagers said that they will not vote in the Lok Sabha election if the road construction work is not resumed within a week. Submitting the memorandum, local resident Gopal Singh Rana said that the issue should be taken up seriously by the authorities. The villagers are facing considerable inconvenience due to work on construction of the road being stopped. This is also affecting the quality of their life, he added. The villagers said that in addition to boycotting the election if the road construction work is not resumed within a week, they will be forced to start an agitation in support of their demand if the authorities remain apathetic. Gamri Gram Pradhan Vikas Kumar, Chamiyari Pradhan Sushil Jogele, block Panchayat member Praveen Kumar, Rauntal Pradhan Naveen Kumar and others were present on the occasion. It is pertinent to mention here that the villagers of remote village Dumak in Chamoli district have also threatened to boycott the election if the construction of the road approved to the village is not started. The authorities have started road cutting in the area but the villagers are not convinced. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the opposition Congress, saying it overlooked needs of the poor for decades since independence and never understood their pain. Addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, which will go to polls on April 19, he also said that the Congress' manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections has the Muslim League imprint. During the Congress regime, corruption had become the country's identity, he said. "Since independence, the Congress overlooked needs of the poor for decades and never understood their pain," the PM said. "People said what will happen to the poor during the COVID-19 pandemic, but I said I will give free vaccine and ration to them," he said, adding that "due to my government's efforts, 25 crore people have risen above the poverty line." The prime minister said he had come to thank the people for supporting his government in the last 10 years. "Crores of my countrymen, my mothers and sisters have become my raksha kavach (protective shield)," he said. Amidst a raging row over national broadcaster Doordarshan airing the controversial Bollywood movie 'The Kerala Story', a Catholic diocese in Kerala has screened the film for teenagers as part of an "intensive training programme". The Idukki Diocese, under the prominent Syro Malabar Catholic Church, screened the movie last week for its children studying in Classes 10, 11, and 12, and asked them to discuss the film and write a review about it. Directed by Sudipto Sen, the film is about a group of women from Kerala who were forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS. As news of the screening of the controversial movie hit headlines, the Diocese on Monday came out with an explanation, claiming that the movie was shown to "create awareness about love relationships and its consequences and dangers". Fr Jins Karakkat, the media in-charge of the Diocese, said they conduct an intensive training programme for children every year during vacation. Specific topics are selected for the programme and books prepared for it, he said. "This year, the programme was held on April 2, 3 and 4. The theme of the textbooks prepared for the children of Classes 10, 11, and 12 was love relationships," the priest said. The objective of selecting the topic was to create awareness about falling in love and their consequences, he said. "Nowadays, there are circumstances in which teenagers are largely falling in love and facing dangers. So, we intended to create awareness among our children about such dangers," he explained. To bring the idea to the children more effectively, the movie 'The Kerala Story' was shown, Fr Karakkat further said. The children, who participated in the intensive training programme, were also asked to discuss the film in their WhatsApp group and compile reviews, he said. When quizzed about the controversy surrounding the film, the priest said he had no idea about it and only knew that it was released on an OTT platform. Despite a strong protest raised by the ruling CPI(M) and Congress in Kerala, Doordarshan last week aired the controversial Bollywood movie 'The Kerala Story'. Cutting across politics, leaders of various political parties in Kerala including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan strongly criticised the screening of the movie by the public broadcaster. Vijayan had condemned Doordarshan's decision and asked it to withdraw the decision, saying it would only "exacerbate communal tensions" ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Vijayan had also asked the national broadcaster not to become a "propaganda machine" for the BJP and the RSS. The makers of "Pushpa 2: The Rule" on Monday launched the teaser of the much-anticipated film on the occasion of lead star Allu Arjun's 42nd birthday. Directed by Sukumar, "Pushpa 2: The Rule" follows the first installment "Pushpa 1: The Rise", which sets up a clash between Arjun's titular character and Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil's inspector Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat. Production banner Mythri Movie Makers shared the teaser on its official X page. Also starring Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli, the film will hit the screens on August 15. "Celebrate his arrival. Adore his fire within. Experience the goosebumps. #Pushpa2TheRuleTeaser out now. Happy Birthday Icon Star @alluarjun THE RULE BEGINS on 15th AUG 2024," the post read. Arjun, who greeted fans outside his Hyderabad house at midnight, expressed gratitude for their love and support. "I thank each and everyone of you for the birthday wishes! My heart is full of gratitude. Please take this teaser as my way of saying thank you!" he captioned the teaser of "Pushpa 2: The Rule" in an X post. According to a press release, the 1.08 minute-long clip features the 'jaathara' sequence from the upcoming film. 'Jaathara', also known as 'Sammakka Saralamma Jaathara', is a festival celebrated in the state of Telangana to honour the Hindu tribal goddesses. Steeped in colour and tradition, the teaser sees Arjun's Pushpa Raj decked up in a sari, jewellery and make-up, as he wields a trident and bashes up adversaries to music composer DSP's rousing soundtrack amid the 'jaathara' celebration. The first glimpse of the sequel may have presented the protagonist in a different avatar, but his swag remains the same. "Pushpa 1: The Rise" depicted the rise of a low-wage labourer (Arjun) in the smuggling syndicate of red sandalwood, a rare wood that grows only in the Seshachalam Hills of Andhra Pradesh state. It released in India in association with Muttamsetty Media on December 17, 2021 and went on to become one of the biggest money-spinners of the year earning over Rs 350 crore. The film also established Arjun as a pan-India star, earning him his first bets actor National Award. Composer DSP also won his maiden National Award for "Pushpa: The Rise". Preliminary hearings open on Monday at the United Nations top court in a case that seeks an end of German military and other aid to Israel, based on claims that Berlin is facilitating acts of genocide and breaches of international law in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Israel strongly denies its military campaign amounts to breaches of the Genocide Convention. While the case brought by Nicaragua centers on Germany, it indirectly takes aim at Israels military campaign in Gaza following the deadly October 7 attacks when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territorys Health Ministry. Its toll doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it has said women and children make up the majority of the dead. We are calm and we will set out our legal position in court, German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said ahead of the hearings. We reject Nicaraguas accusations, Fischer told reporters in Berlin on Friday. Germany has breached neither the genocide convention nor international humanitarian law, and we will set this out in detail before the International Court of Justice. Nicaragua has asked the court to hand down preliminary orders known as provisional measures, including that Germany immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance including military equipment in so far as this aid may be used in the violation of the Genocide Convention and international law. The court will likely take weeks to deliver its preliminary decision and Nicaraguas case will likely drag on for years. AP Mondays hearing at the world court comes amid growing calls for allies to stop supplying arms to Israel as its six-month campaign continues to lay waste to Gaza. The offensive has displaced the vast majority of Gazas population. Food is scarce, the UN says famine is approaching and few Palestinians have been able to leave the besieged territory. The case next week in The Hague will likely further galvanize opposition to any support for Israel, said Mary Ellen OConnell, a professor of law and international peace studies at the University of Notre Dame. On Friday, the UNs top human rights body called on countries to stop selling or shipping weapons to Israel. The United States and Germany opposed the resolution. Also, hundreds of British jurists, including three retired Supreme Court judges, have called on their government to suspend arms sales to Israel after three UK citizens were among seven aid workers from the charity World Central Kitchen killed in Israeli strikes. Israel said the attack on the aid workers was a mistake caused by misidentification. Germany has for decades been a staunch supporter of Israel. Days after the October 7 attack by Hamas, Chancellor Olaf Scholz explained why: Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the state of Israel, he told lawmakers. Berlin, however, has gradually shifted its tone as civilian casualties in Gaza have soared, becoming increasingly critical of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and spoken out against a ground offensive in Rafah. Nicaraguas government, which has historical links with Palestinian organizations dating back to their support for the 1979 Sandinista revolution, was itself accused earlier this year by UN-backed human rights experts of systematic human rights abuses tantamount to crimes against humanity. The government of President Daniel Ortega fiercely rejected the allegations. In January, the ICJ imposed provisional measures ordering Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and acts of genocide in Gaza. The orders came in a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of breaching the Genocide Convention. The court last week ordered Israel to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including opening more land crossings to allow food, water, fuel and other supplies into the war-ravaged enclave. On Friday, Israel said its taking steps to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, including reopening a key border crossing into northern Gaza. Nicaragua argues that by giving Israel political, financial and military support and by defunding the United Nations aid agency for Palestinians, UNWRA, Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide and, in any case has failed in its obligation to do everything possible to prevent the commission of genocide. Israel strongly denies that its assault amounts to genocidal acts, saying it is acting in self defense. Israeli legal advisor Tal Becker told judges at the court in January that the country is fighting a war it did not start and did not want. The UK on Sunday marked six months since the Israel-Hamas conflict with a new package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reiterated his call for a humanitarian pause for the sake of the innocent children of the region. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced the deployment of a Royal Navy ship to the Eastern Mediterranean and committed up to 9.7 million pounds for aid deliveries; logistical expertise and equipment support to the corridor, such as forklift trucks and storage units; and expertise, to maximise the levels of aid reaching those people who desperately need it. Today marks six months since the terrorist outrage of 7th October the most appalling attack in Israels history, the worst loss of Jewish life since the Second World War. Six months later, Israeli wounds are still unhealed. Families still mourn and hostages are still held by Hamas, said Sunak in a statement from Downing Street. And after six months of war in Gaza, the toll on civilians continues to grow hunger, desperation, loss of life on an awful scale...The children of Gaza need a humanitarian pause immediately, leading to a long-term sustainable ceasefire. That is the fastest way to get hostages out and aid in, and to stop the fighting and loss of life, he said. The FCDO said the establishment of an international humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, supported by partner governments and the United Nations, is expected to be operational in early May. Writing in The Sunday Times, Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Britains support for Israel is not unconditional. It follows three British aid workers among seven killed while delivering crucial supplies on behalf of the World Central Kitchen organisation, described by Israel as a grave accident before it sacked two senior military officials. On this occasion, there is no doubt where the blame lies: Israels inquiry has already enumerated the inadequate processes and the unacceptable conduct of the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) personnel involved. This must never happen again, writes Cameron. The situation in Gaza is dire and the prospect of famine is real. We remain committed to getting aid to those who so desperately need it. Along with the US, Cyprus and other partners, we are setting up a new temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to get aid in as quickly and securely as possible, he said in a statement on the UKs latest aid efforts. UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps added: A Royal Navy ship is now en route to the Eastern Mediterranean to support international efforts to get life-saving aid to Gaza. The Armed Forces are playing a central role in delivering aid, with the Royal Air Force recently completing five airdrops of food supplies for the people of Gaza. We are now going further, working with international partners to set up a humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza. A new temporary pier on the coast of Gaza will be critical to supporting these efforts, by hosting cargo ships to deliver aid by sea. The name of the Royal Navy vessel is not being revealed for security reasons but the FCDO said that British military teams have been embedded with planning teams in the US operational headquarters in Tampa as well as in Cyprus for several weeks to jointly develop the safest and most effective maritime route. The UK Hydrographic Office has also shared an analysis of the Gazan shore with US planners to help establish the temporary aid pier. In the meantime, the UK government said it is doing everything possible to get more aid into Gaza by land, air and sea. In recent weeks, the Royal Air Force (RAF) is said to have conducted five airdrops along the coastline of Gaza, delivering over 40 tonnes of food supplies, including water, flour and baby formula. Millet: A calling card of N China's Shanxi People's Daily Online) 13:48, April 08, 2024 North China's Shanxi Province boasts diverse coarse cereals and is known for high-quality millet, which has become a calling card of the province. In 2022, the total growing area of millet across China reached 839,800 hectares, with a total output of 2.62 million tonnes, compared with 219,100 hectares and 528,000 tonnes in Shanxi. Photo shows millet produced in Qinxian county, Changzhi city, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Located on the Loess Plateau along the middle reaches of the Yellow River, Shanxi is an ideal place for growing millet, which is widely planted in places across the province. Photo shows millet produced in Qinxian county, Changzhi city, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Qinzhou Yellow Millet from Qinxian county, Changzhi city is a renowned millet brand name. The millet produced there is of high quality, and was a favorite of royal families in ancient China. The terrain, sunlight and soil conditions in Qinxian make the area suitable for growing high-quality millet. Photo shows millet ears. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) People in Qinxian respect nature, pursue the sustainable use of farmland and inherit traditional farming methods like crop rotation and the use of sheep manure as organic fertilizer. Qinxian has standardized planting specifications and millet varieties, and applied formula fertilizers specially designed for the coarse cereal. Photo shows millet porridge. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) People in Shanxi cook various mouth-watering dishes made of millet and other ingredients. Millet is also processed into products like crusts, biscuits, flour, and vinegar. Photo shows dishes made of millet. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Once considered a relic of medieval brutality, the infamous torture device known as The Rack is experiencing a revival among the Instagram generation, sparking a macabre fascination with historical torment and extracting confessions from people. Perceived as a bygone quirk of old-fashioned British quaintness, The Rack was a formidable instrument of torture employed for hundreds of years in the castles and dungeons of Britain and Europe. Restaurants, cafes, and even some hotels are witnessing a surge in interest, with bookings for Rack experiences on the rise. Sales of themed torture hampers, complete with implements of agony, are skyrocketing. A recent survey conducted by the historical torture equipment emporium Torture-Masters Ltd. revealed that out of 2,000 individuals aged 25-34, a staggering 43 percent had commemorated special occasions with a session on The Rack. Supermarkets have reported a 600 percent increase in searches for information about The Rack, while sales of torture-themed hampers have seen an 80 percent year-on-year increase. Experts in medieval torture techniques attribute this resurgence to the allure of capturing such experiences for social media, with themes such as Medieval Madness and Torture Time Travel proving particularly photogenic. Sarah Smith, head of product development at TortureCo, remarked, Customers view The Rack not merely as a historical artifact but as an opportunity to share a unique moment of suffering posted for the Instagram generation. Instagram influencer, Rupert Nymans, 23, took numerous selfies whilst being stretched on The Rack and as a result he racked up 50,000 likes and 20,000 subs. Not only that, but I used to be 48, and now Im 64. I actually managed to get a date with a girl after many years of trying. Although extremely painful, the overall experience has been great. Cant wait to try out the Iron Maiden for my next Instagram shoot. Ben Barnes, founder of Torture Treats, which operates torture-themed cafes at historical sites, added, The sight of stretched limbs, agonised expressions, and a celebratory toast to pain make for compelling Instagram content that gets some serious likes. The Royal Family has also played a role in bringing this ancient tradition back into the spotlight. Following a televised event in June 2022 where the late Queen participated in a demonstration of The Rack with a historical reenactor, interest surged. Barnes noted, We observed a significant increase in inquiries for Rack experiences during and after the Queens demonstration in 2022, as well as during King Charless coronation in 2023, attracting not only foreign tourists but also locals. As interest in The Rack resurges, there is a spirited debate about whether the torture implements need updating or if traditional methods should be preserved. Purists argue for authenticity, citing historical accounts of agonising torture sessions. However, proponents of modernisation advocate for the inclusion of contemporary elements such as cocktails, cold cuts, and even hummus to enhance the overall torture experience, all consumed to the soundtrack of Agadoo by 80s pop band Black Lace. The global effort to isolate Russia economically continues to face determined opposition within Russia itself. In a striking case of sanctions evasion, a prominent Russian microchip manufacturer has been caught red-handed supplying vital components directly to the nations war machine. This revelation underscores technologys crucial role in modern warfare and the ongoing challenge of cutting off Russias access to these crucial supplies. Get alerts: The Smoking Gun: Evidence of Illicit Activity In February 2023, a formal sales request letter surfaced detailing a transaction involving thousands of military-grade microchips. Experts confirmed the letters authenticity, which outlined the sale of this sensitive technology from AO PKK Milandr, a major Russian microchip producer, to what is likely a Russian defense contractor. This transaction directly contradicts the companys public claims that it has no involvement in Russias military operations. The contents of the letter, coupled with corroborating intelligence from US officials, present a damning picture of sanctions evasion. With clear evidence of the microchip deal, the credibility of Milandrs CEO, Alexey Novoselov and his prior denials of any military connections have been severely undermined. A Pattern of Deception Milandrs actions fit within a disturbing pattern. In November 2022, the US Treasury Department placed sanctions on Milandr, alleging that the company was illegally procuring technology with military applications. This recent revelation reinforces those allegations, proving that the company continued to engage in illicit deals even after its activities were placed under scrutiny. The blatant disregard for international sanctions casts a harsh light on the willingness of some Russian businesses to support the war in Ukraine at any cost. It also raises serious concerns about companies that continue to portray themselves as neutral despite clear evidence suggesting otherwise. Understanding the Web of Connections Understanding the key entities involved in this scandal is crucial to grasping its severity. Milandr, a major Russian microchip manufacturer, has faced increasing pressure due to international sanctions. The companys leadership, particularly CEO Novoselov, stands accused of misleading the global community with blanket denials of military cooperation. On the receiving end of the illicit microchip deal is likely NPO Poisk, a known Russian weapons manufacturer with clear links to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The microchips provided by Milandr are likely destined for use in missiles and other weapons systems currently deployed in Ukraine. Reputational Damage and Stricter Sanctions The microchip deal represents a significant violation of international sanctions, demonstrating how even highly regulated technologies can find their way into Russias military apparatus. Consequently, pressure will inevitably increase on Milandr, both from the international community and potentially from within Russia itself. This revelation is highly likely to result in tighter scrutiny of Russias supply networks and stricter sanctions against companies that facilitate the flow of military technology to the country. The scandal also serves as a stark reminder of the complex and challenging nature of enforcing sanctions. The immense economic pressure exerted on Russia has undoubtedly disrupted its military operations, but as evidenced by this case, illicit networks ability to circumvent restrictions remains a critical concern. The case of Milandr and the illicit microchip supply chain highlights the lengths to which some Russian companies are willing to go to support their nations ongoing war in Ukraine. It showcases the hypocrisy of businesses claiming neutrality even while playing an active role in fueling war. Above all, it underscores the central importance of cutting-edge technology to 21st-century warfare and the determination of sanctioned nations to continue their fight despite restrictions. The international community will need to redouble its efforts to track and disrupt these illicit supply channels or risk seeing Russia find further ways to circumvent sanctions and continue its destructive war. Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Steven Callaghan has re-opened Green Lane Museum in the heart of the Roe Valley Country Park, offering visitors the opportunity to explore 19th and 20th century history relating to rural life in the Roe Valley. There will be temporary exhibitions and craft demonstrations taking place at selected times throughout the spring and summer seasons. The facility, which is free to visit, is now open every weekend and Bank Holiday between early April and the end of September. After a period of closure, the museum reopened in April 2023 with the help of the Roe Valley Ancestral Research volunteers. Since its reopening last year, the museum has welcomed over 4,000 visitors from across the UK, Republic of Ireland and further afield. It is open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11am until 3.30pm. However, 'Walk and Talk' tours can be arranged for schools and other groups outside of these hours via a member of Roe Valley Ancestral Researchers. Opening the museum, Cllr Callaghan said: I just want to thank our generous volunteers for sacrificing their time and effort to help the public appreciate all that we have here. The Museum closed during COVID, but the collection, which is owned by Council, was looked after by Museum Services throughout this time and the building was maintained by DAERA. Cllr Callaghan also praised the team of dedicated council staff who look after the collection and maintain its accreditation. They have supported the Roe Valley Ancestral Researchers in enabling them to open to the public so thanks them also, he said. The museum has been an important part of our Borough, keeping the memories of the past alive and allowing the younger generations to learn about the old ways of life. There are number of events coming up at the museum, including visitor portraits on the early May bank holiday and traditional home skills and dressing up on the late May bank Holiday. For more information on upcoming events, email museums@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk or follow us on Facebook @CausewayCoastandGlensMuseumServices Two sisters have been granted bail at Derry Magistrate's Court today charged with assaults. Simone Campbell (28) of Hillclose in Ballykelly and Cheyenne Campbell (19) of Mount Street in Derry appeared charged with assaults that were said to have occurred on April 6. Cheyenne Campbell was charged with assault on a man on that date and assault on police. Simone Campbell was charged with assaulting a man and a woman on the same date. A police officer told the court that they were not opposing bail and said a bail breach had taken place when the defendants were found in Rockmills where they were prohibited from going. The officer said police were not opposing bail with conditions. Deputy District Judge John Read told the defendants that had come 'very close to being remanded in custody.' He released them on bail on conditions they observe a curfew, wear a tag, don't enter Rockmills and abstain from alcohol. They will appear again on May 13. A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court charged with rape. The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the alleged victim in the case, is facing a series of charges. He was charged with rape on April 4 as well as assaults against the same female on dates between March 24 and April 4. He was also charged with a course of behaviour deemed to be abusive. A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail. He told the court that the rape allegation came about when the woman said she woke up and the defendant was having intercourse with her without her consent. The court also heard that she alleged that later the same day she tried to leave the property and she claimed the defendant punched her. The woman also alleged she had been assaulted several weeks previously and claimed that the defendant 'controlled her life' stopping her from seeing family and friends. The police officer said that both parties in this case have Restraining Orders against each other. He said police had 'strong objections to bail' as they felt the man would not abide by conditions. Defence counsel Sean Doherty said there were 'obvious issues' with the alleged victim's account. He said following the rape allegation the woman was said to have gone back to sleep. The barrister said that the text messages would suggest that it was the woman who was making demands on the defendant. Deputy District Judge John Rea said there was risk of re-offending and refused bail. The man will appear again on May 2. More than 3.5 million has been announced by the International Fund for Ireland for peacebuilding initiatives across the island. The funding will support those working to reimage or remove peace walls, among other projects. There are estimated to be more than 100 barriers in place, mostly in Belfast but also in Co Armagh and Derry, ranging from high concrete walls to gates, fences and buildings. Peace walls were initially erected from the 1970s in response to attacks and disorder during the Troubles, and are owned by a number of different organisations, including the Department of Justice, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and private bodies. The IFI said six projects across Belfast and Derry have received 2,405,681 through the Peace Barriers Programme (PBP) to help interface communities bring about the conditions that can allow for the removal of barriers. They said there are more than 1,000 residents involved in various discussions. The Bogside and Brandywell Initiative is to receive 235,403 for two years to expand on its work on Peace Barriers in the Fountain/Bishops Street, Abercorn Road areas of Derry through building leadership capacity building, intergenerational learning, positive partnership and re-classifying the interface. Two projects received 420,981 to build cross border relationships and two projects under the Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP) have received 386,788 to support the most at-risk young people in society. The Peace Impact Programme is receiving 301,761 to Northwest Cultural Partnership and Bready and District Ulster Scots Development Association (BDUSDA) for two years to extend and expand its work in urban and rural communities in the Northwest area including Counties Derry, Tyrone, and Fermanagh. The project will engage with the most marginalised communities and seek to develop emerging community leaders to create positive change at a local level. IFI chairman Paddy Harte said the support comes at a critical time in our peacebuilding journey. Whilst we acknowledge much progress has been made since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement over 25 years ago, it is apparent that significant challenges remain, he said. Our projects are working against a challenging backdrop. Tensions remain around increased paramilitary activity and recruitment of young people, sectarianism, criminal activity, anti-social behaviour, culture, and identity. We also understand that the fallout from the Windsor Framework has caused some communities to regress, creating further polarisation. The IFI remains one of the few organisations that can engage with the most marginalised in society. We are committed to working closely with communities through sensitive dialogue and conflict resolution to tackle the difficult remaining areas of peacebuilding. The IFI was set up by the British and Irish Governments as an independent international organisation in 1986 and is supported by international donors including the Irish, British, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand governments and the European Union. It currently supports 81 projects in Northern Ireland and 20 in the southern border counties. Concerns have been raised after the hen harrier population in Northern Ireland was found to have dropped by more than a quarter. The 2023 hen harrier survey in Northern Ireland found only 34 territorial pairs recorded in the region last year a drop of over 26% since 2016. The survey was conducted in partnership with RSPB NI, Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group (NIRSG) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera), as well as a team of volunteers, to understand more about the numbers and distribution of this rare species. A 2011 independent Government report had previously estimated that there should be around 150 pairs of hen harriers breeding in Northern Ireland. The NIRSG has described the hen harrier population in Northern Ireland as being under immense pressure from a range of land management activities and human-mediated threats. The group said this has led to extensive and ongoing losses of suitable habitats and widespread disturbances at nesting and foraging habitats, and called for change. Gregory Woulahan, operations director and head of land at RSPB NI, said the drop was a drastic decline in numbers. One of the main reasons for this decline was loss of habitat, he said. This coupled with the landscape scale threats and pressures to the species means we need a coherent, practical and policy based restoration strategy for the needs of the hen harrier and its habitat. Unfortunately, this recent decline mirrors a similar population decrease within the Republic of Ireland in 2022. He said the observations of the fieldworkers and the survey findings have shown that hen harriers and their habitats need greater protections. He said support is needed to retain valuable and biodiverse scrub and heather habitats across the uplands. There needs to be landscape scale restoration of peatlands and habitats for this species and its prey, he said. The devastating effects of wildfire and inappropriate land management needs reversed through robust policy and support for landowners, and wider awareness amongst the public to minimise disturbing activities. Whilst some population increases were recorded by the survey results in other parts of the UK, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have both exhibited substantial declines since the last surveys. Stormont Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir said landowners, farmers and other stakeholders must work in partnership to address the situation. I am concerned to learn of the declining population of hen harriers in Northern Ireland and appreciate there are several factors contributing to this including loss of suitable breeding habitats, habitat degradation, the climate, predation and wildfires, he said. Action needs to be taken to stop the decline of this iconic bird, but it can only be achieved through working in partnership with landowners, farmers, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and all other stakeholders, to restore and enhance breeding habitats and appropriately manage activities which have the potential to cause disturbance and displacement. While the overall picture is not encouraging, I am pleased the survey showed that the number of hen harriers within the two designated Special Protection Areas, approximately half of the population, remained relatively stable since the 2016 census. The public have been asked to report any dead or injured birds of prey in suspicious circumstances that they see to police on 101, or 999 if it is an emergency situation. If you have information about anyone killing birds of prey which you wish to report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. More than 3,000 Ukrainians have been welcomed to Northern Ireland since Russias war on their homeland started, First Minister Michelle ONeill has said. The Executive Office has been running a sponsorship scheme in Northern Ireland where Ukrainians are hosted by local families following the start of the war in 2022. Speaking during Assembly questions for her department on Monday, Ms ONeill said the region is continuing to play its part in supporting Ukrainians fleeing war. We have had over 3,100 arrivals here so far, and more than 620,000 is being paid in immediate cash support just to help people get established, she told MLAs. We have co-ordinated work across departments to support arrivals and facilitate payments of over 3 million to more than 900 individual homes those people that have actually opened their doors to help and be Ukrainians sponsors. Ms ONeill also welcomed a recent announcement by the Home Office of an extension to visas offered. Were also very mindful that some of our first arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme will be entering the final years of current visa and that was a worrying moment for people, she said. So therefore we welcome announcement made by Home Office back on the 19th of February that has confirmed the opportunity to apply for an extended Homes for Ukraine visa for a further 18 months for those that wish to remain. Were going to continue to engage with the Home Office in London and the Department of Levelling Up on more work to support Ukrainian arrivals. The outworking of an inquest for a murder victim whose body has never been found may affect the length of time her killer must spend in jail, a coroner has said. Charlotte Murrays former fiance Johnny Miller was found guilty of her murder by a jury at Dungannon Crown Court in 2019. He was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison. Ms Murray, 34, disappeared in 2012 and her remains have never been found. She had been living with Miller in Moy, Co Tyrone, at the time of her disappearance, around Halloween 2012. Ex-chef Miller, who is in his 50s and formerly of Redford Park in Dungannon, has refused to reveal the whereabouts of her remains prompting a campaign by the family of the Omagh woman for a new law, named in her honour, that would result in longer jail terms for convicted killers who refuse to disclose the location of their victims bodies. Last year, Miller saw the Court of Appeal dismiss his bid to overturn his conviction. An inquest is now set to be held into the circumstances of Ms Murrays death. At a pre-inquest review hearing in Belfast on Monday, coroner Joe McCrisken informed the court of his intention to grant Miller the status of a properly interested person (PIP). PIP status would allow Miller to be legally represented at the inquest proceedings and gain access to the documents disclosed to the coroners court. Mr McCrisken said while there was no set definition of who should be eligible for PIP status, he said individuals either involved, or suspected of involvement, in a persons death would usually qualify. There may be certain outworkings of the inquest itself that might affect Miller, potentially might affect his sentence, and so I think its probably useful at this stage that he is classified as an interested person and is allowed to have legal representation for the purposes of the inquest, he said. The coroner did not provide any more detail on the inquests possible implications for Millers jail term. The pre-inquest review was also told of a plan to submit key documents from Millers original Crown Court trial, including the full transcript of the proceedings, and the Court of Appeal judgment as written evidence in the inquest. The next preliminary hearing has been set for May 20. US and Japan to rule out dependence on China The US and Japan will discuss negotiating with like-minded partners. The governments of the US and Japan have agreed to jointly formulate rules for strategic materials such as semiconductors, batteries, and permanent magnets. The two nations will also jointly promote offshore wind power. Nikkei reported that several countries will subsidize industries related to semiconductors, and net-zero carbon emissions to prevent overreliance on certain nations. The conditions for these subsidies will be jointly established by the United States and Japan. These matters will be included in a joint statement issued after the US-Japan summit meeting. The summit will be held on April 10, 2024. The statement refrained from mentioning specific countries. However, reports indicate that the rules have been made to avoid risks associated with China. The US and Japan will discuss negotiating with like-minded partners such as Europe. The two countries hope to strengthen economic security, including supply chains for strategic materials. The US and Japan have implemented incentive measures for industries such as semiconductors. They aim to establish supply chains independent of China and promote net-zero carbon emissions. Voices in the US, Japan, and Europe cautioning against overreliance on China in renewable energy and energy efficiency are becoming more vociferous. There has been a growing wariness of Chinese products such as solar panels as they have dominated the market. The US and Japan did not establish the rules to cut China out of their respective markets. A secondary and slightly counter-intuitive goal is to put checks and balances in place against the possibility of Japan, the US, and Europe engaging in excessive trade protectionism against China under the guise of risk mitigation. In terms of industrial technology, the joint statement between the United States and Japan will express a will to strengthen cooperation in space development. The two nations will also jointly promote offshore wind power. Notable attendees at the summit will include US President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kenji Saito. Indian server maker Mega Networks planning AI servers and OSAT plant Mega Networks, an Indian server solutions provider with almost 28 years of experience, is planning to bring out AI servers and enter the semiconductor packaging segment. "We are working very closely with relevant companies, and with their support, we'll be coming out with the AI server shortly," Amrish Pipada, Founder & CEO of Mega Networks told Digitimes Asia recently. "The growing demand for AI servers, particularly in India, where the entire ecosystem is prepared and supportive, is significantly boosting our momentum. "We are collaborating with a range of OEMs and ODMs to introduce design capabilities, as developing a robust design ecosystem in India will take some time. Our strategy involves partnering with major OEMs from around the world for local design assistance, leading to a gradual 'Make in India' implementation." The company also expects to enter the OSAT segment shortly, as demand for semiconductor companies increases and the government aims to boost the sector. "It's a gradual growth," Pipada said. "But yes, we already have plans. First, we'll have a factory on our SMT lines and then we'll look at semiconductor packaging. The semiconductor industry requires huge investments, and large organizations are investing in it. There will be a lot of other industries around it, and definitely, we'll be a part of it. We have our semiconductor packaging coming up shortly. We are discussing internally how to take this opportunity." Notably, Mega Networks is one of the very few server companies that have managed to secure the Indian government's Production Linked Incentive 2.0 (PLI 2.0). Meeting the surging AI server demand Mega Networks recently came into the spotlight for partnering with Intel to manufacture 4th Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors locally. The company works with others like AMD, NVIDIA, and Ampere as well. "In line with the Make-in India directives, we are launching a state-of-the-art server, equipped with Intel's 4th Generation technology. This server uniquely combines High-Performance Computing (HPC), data center capabilities, and generative AI functionalities, further enhanced by dual GPU configurations," Pipada said. "It leverages the most advanced, highly configurable CPUs from Intel, providing us with a competitive edge." The demand for AI servers is set to soar as data center storage capacity is anticipated to double from 10.1 zettabytes (ZB) in 2023 to 21.0 ZB by 2027, according to a recent JLL report. This expansion, marking a compound annual growth rate of 18.5 percent over five years, will fuel the need for additional data centers. Furthermore, the energy-intensive nature of generative AI, which requires between 300 to 500+ megawatts, is prompting a shift towards more energy-efficient designs and strategic location planning to accommodate these burgeoning demands. "We are collaborating with various OEMs and ODMs to facilitate design innovations within India, despite the nascent stage of the local ecosystem in this domain," Pipada said. "This strategy involves partnering with leading global OEMs for design assistance, to transition to local production." Focus on power-efficient designs Pipada pointed out that India's situation is not any different from the rest of the world. Demand for data centers is buoyed by a ready ecosystem that supports such advancements. However, the need to balance power consumption and reduce carbon footprint necessitates relevant innovation. "Given the increasing demand for our servers, we are focusing on optimizing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and reducing power consumption," Pipada added. "Our servers are equipped with platinum and titanium grade power supplies, ensuring substantial energy savings. Additionally, we are exploring immersion technology to further reduce power consumption by up to 90 percent. "This technology involves using mineral oil for cooling, a method already mandated for data centers in Singapore, and we anticipate similar regulations will be introduced in India." Customer base worldwide Mega Networks is seeing demand from various sectors, with 20 percent from government entities and 80 percent from the corporate sector. The latter encompasses hyperscalers, who have been longstanding customers, as well as startups that are beginning to make their mark. Pipada mentioned that demand is also coming from R&D companies located in the southern parts of the country. "We are now exporting to nearly 36 locations worldwide," Pipada stated. "This includes countries like the US, UK, Singapore, and others as distant as Chile and Japan." India roundup: Apple suppliers become major blue-collar job creators in India Apple ecosystem reportedly becomes largest blue-collar job generator in India Apple and its suppliers have reportedly become the largest blue-collar job generators in the country. The Economic Times, citing unnamed government officials, reported that based on employment generation reports filed to the Indian government, Apple and its suppliers have generated 150,000 direct jobs and 300,000 indirect jobs. Among these workers, nearly 3,000 people are directly hired by Apple. India's homegrown microprocessors claim 'generation minus one' benchmarking According to DIGITIMES Asia's interview with V. Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras, India's Shakti and Vega microprocessors, developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), perform on par with their global counterparts. India reimposes restrictions on imported solar modules, targeting China After an exemption of a year, the Indian government reimposed restrictions on imported solar modules. According to an office memorandum by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of India, the Approved Models and Manufacturers of Solar Photovoltaic Modules (ALMM), which was held in abeyance for fiscal 2023 (April 2022 to March 2023), would come into effect from April 1, 2024. Samsung Display explores opportunities in India and Vietnam According to Korean media outlet Bloter, in 2023, Samsung Display's revenue from Vietnam reached approximately KRW9.1 trillion (US$6.72 billion), and India contributed KRW945 billion, which marked annual growth rates of 1018%, indicating its business diversification away from China. India-based Polymatech and Japan-based Orbray reaches MoU on sapphire wafer technologies Polymatech Electronics, an India-based opto-semiconductor provider, has signed an MoU with Japan-based Orbray as the Indian company aspires to transform into a fully integrated, end-to-end semiconductor company. Under the MoU, Orbray will provide Polymatech with sapphire ingot-growing technologies and train Polymatech's engineers at its facility in Japan. Dixon reportedly in talks to acquire majority stake in Transsion manufacturing business in India India's largest EMS provider, Dixon Technologies, is reportedly in talks with China-based Transsion Holdings to acquire the majority of the latter's Indian manufacturing business, according to the Economic Times. 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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 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. Lawyers for Aaron Brady, who shot Det Gda Adrian Donohoe dead in 2013, have raised a concern about publicity arising from a trial that was due to begin today (MON) in which he is accused of perverting the course of justice. Michael O'Higgins SC, for Brady, told the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court that Brady is still awaiting the outcome of an appeal, heard last October, against his conviction for murdering Det Gda Donohoe. If the appeal is successful, Mr O'Higgins said his client would likely face a retrial at the Central Criminal Court. A trial in that court would be held before a jury rather than a panel of professional judges. Mr O'Higgins said he has a "concern that the publicity generated in this trial would be damaging to jurors in that case". Mr O'Higgins said he would be making an application before the court in which he will rely on the case of the Irish Times versus Murphy, a seminal judgment on media reporting of court proceedings. Brady's trial for perverting the course of justice was due to go ahead today (MON) but was adjourned to tomorrow (TUE) to allow the defence time to consider additional evidence that has been served in recent days. Brady and his co-accused Dean Byrne are charged with conspiring to persuade a State witness not to testify during Brady's trial for the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe during a robbery at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Jenkinstown, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013. The selection of a new Taoiseach by the Fine Gael party this week, following the stepping down of Leo Varadkar, does not affect the reality of peoples lives and offers nothing new, Louth Sinn Fein TD, Deputy Ruairi O Murchu has said. The Dundalk TD said the election on Tuesday of new Fine Gael leader Simon Harris as Taoiseach will not make one iota of difference to the people of Louth who will, he said, continue to struggle under failed government policies in housing, healthcare, disability service provision and rising costs. Deputy O Murchu said: While all the focus this week will be on the election of a new Taoiseach, the third in four years, there will be no improvement in the lives of people in Louth. It will be a case of: meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Any change that is being promised is coming too late. Fine Gael has been in government for 13 years and the problems remain. He pointed to the fact that Louth County Councils first affordable housing scheme at Blackrock had seen just five out of the ten on offer being taken up, with the rest now going on the open market for sale. He said: Council officials themselves said the schemes criteria was very strict and that just five applicants out of 26 were able to get through. Also, the 'affordability' of the properties, at 305,000, was beyond the reach of many families and workers. Deputy O Murchu said his constituency office is full of people that are being abjectly failed by government policy and that is not going to change under a new Taoiseach. The Louth TD said: Every day, people who are desperately seeking accommodation are coming to us, asking for help. Rents are out of control in Dundalk, where three bedroom houses are costing in excess of 1,500 a month. There remain huge difficulties in the provision of disability services for children in Louth, with incredibly long waiting lists at Childrens Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) in all areas. There are also problems emerging at the moment with the provision of places in autism units at secondary schools in Dundalk, with a number of parents struggling to find somewhere for September. In addition, there are well documented problems with water infrastructure, including water pressure issues in estates throughout Dundalk. We are also dealing with serious anti-social behaviour and working with communities, alongside Gardai and Louth County Council, but we dont have all the resources needed to deal with some very serious incidents. Deputy O Murchu added, Independents, who support the continuation of this government in the election of a new Taoiseach, need to wake up to the reality of peoples daily lives. Louth County Council is working to resolve a shortage of school traffic wardens in the county, and along with trying to recruit more, is training up general operatives to provide cover, councillors were told at the Dundalk Municipal District April meeting. Cllr John Reilly raised the matter at the April meeting, seeking an update on a traffic warden for Mullholland Avenue at the St Malachy's National School, saying that at the entrance there was mayhem when schools get out and that he understood that there was a vacancy for a traffic warden there that was not being filled. Senior Engineer Mark Johnston responded to say that there is a problem with getting enough school warden's at the minute, and that Louth County Council does not have enough wardens to cover what is required at present. Mr Johnston went on to say that the Council is trying to recruit school wardens at present as we're short of wardens generally. He said that they are trying to train up some general operatives to fill in but they have to be garda vetted, and by the time they appoint school wardens, it will be for next season. Cllr Conor Keelan put forward that he had raised previously that in some cases, school children are used to act as traffic wardens, with similar schemes being used in Copenhagen, and put forward that they be used here to address the problem. Cllr Tomas Sharkey agreed that there are programmes were students act as traffic wardens in teams of six, with three on each side of the road and a lolipop on each side also. Mr Johnston said, following a query from Cllr Robert Nash in relation to the appointment of a traffic warden at the Avenue Road/Inner Relief Road roundabout, that once they install pedestrian crossings they usually remove the school wardens, who are then moved somewhere else. He added that it does free up more people, but with more retiring since Covid they are still a bit short. Mr Johnston further added that the six student team of traffic wardens is a good idea and he would raise it with the road safety officer who deals with the schools. Dundalk headquartered Uniquely says it is delighted to be officially differentiated in the sectors it supports as one of the Best Workplaces in Ireland in 2024. The sales and service outsourcing partner was recently recognised at the 22nd annual Great Place to Work Awards. This recognition showcases organisations setting their ambition to build a great workplace culture and employee experience. This is also the first year that Uniquely has been named as a top Irish workplace following direct feedback from its staff, provided as part of an extensive and anonymous survey about the overall workplace experience. Simon Brown, Chief Operating Officer at Uniquely said: In an indisputable competitive talent market, we are delighted to be recognised by our people as an employer of choice. Experience is central to what we do; we deliver exceptional experiences for our customers, putting them at the heart of every action. This is why it is great to be recognised for our commitment to creating a high-trust work experience for our staff where they can thrive. Established in 2006, Uniquely boasts a wealth of experience in diverse markets, collaborating with various organisations to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. Its expertise, rooted in knowledge and practical experience, spans service solutions in sectors such as Energy, Financial Services, Medical Technology, Telecoms, Media, and Retail. Uniquely has Customer Engagement Centres in Dundalk and Galway, field sales teams operating nationwide, as well as offices in Manchester. The company partners with large Irish and International businesses such as AIB, Bord Gais Energy, Sky, Pinergy, SSE Airtricity and the Irish Red Cross. Commenting about all the exceptional companies recognised as a Best Workplace in Ireland 2024, Cathal Divilly, CEO of Great Place to Work Ireland said: These organisations' dedication to fostering an environment where all employees can thrive is inspiring, and this recognition is a testament to their unwavering commitment to maintaining this. They have exceeded expectations in their dedication to their employees and cultivated a great workplace culture where everyone can be themselves and thrive at work. This achievement is not just a milestone but a reflection of their tireless efforts at crafting workplaces where talent not only flourishes but also feels valued and empowered." He added, I'd like to congratulate these organisations once again on this outstanding achievement, and may this recognition fuel their continued journey towards excellence and innovation. Irelands deputy premier has defended Simon Harris knowledge on European affairs and north-south relations ahead of him becoming taoiseach on Tuesday. Micheal Martin was speaking at the first North-South Ministerial Council convened in person since the coalition government formed in June 2020. Simon Harris has been in government for a considerable amount of time as well and would be well aware of all of the issues, he said in Co Armagh. Asked if he believes attention would drift from the powersharing institutions in Northern Ireland under Mr Harris premiership, Mr Martin said: I dont believe the eye would be taken off the ball. Mr Harris, 37, is set to become Irelands youngest taoiseach on Tuesday. He has been a Cabinet minister in three departments: Health, Justice and Further and Higher Education. Speaking on RTEs This Week programme on Sunday, he said he plans to hire advisers on economics, Europe, and Northern Ireland in the coming weeks. Mr Martin said he had watched the Fine Gael Ard Fheis at the weekend, where Mr Harris made a series of pledges for his leadership in a keynote address on Saturday. He disagreed with the view that Mr Harris may be straying from the programme for government in his rhetoric. My sense is that weve a lot to do in the next 12 months, he said. To me, its about delivery. And we have made significant progress on housing in terms of 33,000 houses more or less last year. I think we can go to 35,000/36,000 this year, potentially which would be well ahead of the target that was set in Housing for All. THE innovative Cork Urban Soil Project, or CUSP, was this years recipient of the prestigious Irish Food Writers Guild Community Food Award. It came hot on the heels of another national recognition in November, 2023, when the project was named as Innovator of the Year at the Food & Wine Awards, and also featured on RTE programmes Nationwide and Food Matters. CUSP is a project that takes would-be food waste and turns it into compost used to grow more food, known as a closed-loop system. Its run by a collective of people made up of Virginia OGara of the My Goodness food company, food creative Molly Garvey, human-rights activist Sean Binder, and project manager Erin OBrien. Its supporters include Cork City Council, MTU, the Local Enterprise Office, and Cork Environmental Forum. The project sprang from an initial experiment at the Body & Soul music festival in 2017, called Food on Board, where food waste from festival vendors was turned into compost during the weekend. Virginia O Gara with 'I soiled my plants' sign in front of a CUSP bed. It flipped a switch for Virginia OGara, a Food on Board participant and My Goodness co-founder, who headed back to Cork with the idea for a larger scale, community-based project. In 2018, CUSP was established, and in 2022 a funding request from the Circular Economy Innovation Grant was successful. The project collaborated with MTU, who provided an essential piece of equipment, a second-hand biodigester, and lab tested the compost it created to see how nutrient dense it was for growing vegetables - because healthy soil means healthy food. CUSP HQ is located at the Marina Commercial Park in the city. Its a sprawling industrial complex, a built environment of concrete and not much else. There is little natural life going on here, yet amongst the grey, a pocket of vibrant biodiversity has emerged, outside the My Goodness commercial kitchen and beside Rebel Reads bookshop. Last year alone, the CUSP project took 20 tonnes of food waste from My Goodness commercial kitchen, coffee grinds from a nearby coffee shop, spent botanicals from Rebel City Distillery, and unused beer mats from the Franciscan Well Brewery otherwise destined for landfill or incineration and converted it into ten tonnes of compost. From that compost grew garlic, salad leaves, peas, beans, cabbages, purple sprouting broccoli, tomatoes, herbs and more, which went back into the commercial kitchen to create more food, the waste from that returned to the biodigester to create more new compost. In addition to diverting food waste and creating compost, there have been other benefits. Compost acts like a sponge, soaking up excess rainwater and reducing potential for flooding, and the modular planters built for growing vegetables created pollinator corridors for beneficial insects and proved a draw for other people working in the industrial estate. Albert Twoomey building CUSP beds from recycled pallets and election posters. But CUSP also grew a community of people from across Cork enthralled and inspired with the vision of what the project could achieve. I caught up with Virgnia OGara and Molly Garvey to ask them how they feel about their project gaining national acclaim, and whats next for CUSP. Its a great honour to be recognised on a national and local level, says Virginia. When we started this project, we knew we werent experts, but we were feeling a collective anxiety about common issues like how to deal with food waste and how to create a circular waste system. "These are all problems My Goodness were trying to address as a company and as a community that cares about the environment. We quickly realised our project, although small and humble, was being watched by people around the nation because we all have the same issue: we create waste so how can we deal with it in a better way? If we can begin to focus on the waste we have to deal with ourselves, the knock-on effect is we start to pay attention to the waste being producing and start eliminating at the source, says Virginia. Another beneficial product is this incredible compost being produced right in the heart of Cork city. It can be used to combat flooding, grow more vegetables, create pollinator corridors in the city, and to start growing more food in places where people live and strengthening urban food sovereignty. Compost is a magical substance in what it can provide. Not just food, but habitat, community, and a valuable resource for capturing everything from carbon to excess flood water. Making compost requires two inputs: green and brown waste. Green waste came from food scraps from My Goodness kitchen. As a raw vegan food company, the green waste is almost entirely vegetable based, and there was plenty of it. But getting the right amount of brown waste proved tricker, and for that they looked to other businesses in the industrial park. Joleen Cronin, Erin O'Brian, Molly Garvey, and Virginia O'Gara at CUSP. Picture: Donal O'Gara When youre looking at the circular system, you need to map the streams and flows of where you are; what type of material is moving in the area, whos producing waste and whose resource can that waste be. Industrial parks are ripe for this kind of connection, explains Molly. What they found were coffee grinds from Cortado and Mahers coffee houses, spent botanicals from Rebel City Distillery, and unused excess beer mats from Franciscan Well Brewery. The collaborations came after our assessment of where we are, rather than us saying we want to work with Rebel City Distillery, etc. It was more about knowing what our needs are, who in the area has high carbon or nitrogen products, and how much of a burden are those products for them because they pay for their waste to be removed. The benefit then becomes four-fold: CUSP gets free raw materials, businesses save money on waste disposal costs, nutritious soil is generated, and more food is grown. What if managers of industrial parks intentionally accepted applications from organisations based on what their possible waste streams would be and matched them to current needs of businesses already in the park? That would be interesting it would be like online dating for resources! says Molly. Its also a great excuse to talk more with your commercial neighbours. Strong relationships are formed when there is a shared activity, and Trash Talk is a great community builder! CUSP does carry a warm glow about it everywhere it goes, and like a beacon it has attracted interest from all kinds of organisations across the country. The television coverage and awards from Cork Environmental Forum, Food & Wine Magazine and the Irish Food Writers Guild, says Virgina, attracted the attention of people who can make a difference. We have had people who organise the mess kitchens in the Defence Forces who saw the show and want to set up a similar system to CUSP. Dromoland Castle, a high-end hotel and restaurant, bought a biodigester machine three times the size of ours after watching us on Food Matters. The HSE in Sligo have established a biodigester, and another urban soil project has been set up in Lusk by someone who saw the show and was inspired to set up their own project. Donal O Gara building CUSP beds. Picture: Virginia O Gara. The beauty of CUSP is that were not experts, says Virginia. Were willing to do the work, mess up, collect the data and tell everyone about it. And because its such a simple project run by normal people, if we can do it, anyone can! The CUSP final report shows it has been a success. A substantial amount of would-be food waste has been diverted from landfill, compost has been created that is nutritious enough to grow more food, and potential sources of waste have been mapped and collaborative relationships established. But the analysis showed that there was no net financial benefit to the project, and at a time when the commercial reality for so many is focused on the bottom line, how easy will it be to attain buy-in for the concept on a wider and bigger scale? Cost savings may increase with scale, depending on how big your food waste collection bill is, for example, a restaurant or hospital, explains Molly. But hopefully, with Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive moving into an era of the triple bottom line targets of financial, environmental and social accounted for every year, businesses may be able to say not only are they dealing with food waste, but that its generating an additional positive outcome. We made a micro closed loop system with one organisation which benefitted the network in which the organisation existed (the industrial park). But we can look at the scale of a city and get to where its not just the ambitions and goodwill of individual organisations, but it becomes the ambition and vision of a whole city; to be food resilient and able to react to shocks in the wider food system because it has invested in its capacity to produce food within the city bounds and has strong connections with food producers directly surrounding the urban area. Molly says that, while 2021 and 2022 were the projects action phases, she feels as though 2023 and 2024 is the time when the work of CUSP is to inspire. So, whats next for CUSP? Virginia O'Gara on raised bed. The dream was that CUSP would be a vision organisation and projects come and go. Molly says: The project was funded as a contained project and the report is the outcome of that, but the benefit is the basic CUSP system was set up and continues to run, the goal of helping My Goodness to attain their zero waste goals was met, and that system continues to run, and the various connections made with different parts of the community continue to run as well. Duplication is the sign of a strong system: people are getting inspired and setting up their own urban soil projects, and we can see that in City Hall there is a raised interest in composting for urban growing initiatives. CUSP seems to have caught a lot of peoples imaginations, so a lot of what we have to do now is be there to receive the dreams and feedback and encourage so its not that the ideas end with us, but they grow stronger together. Nature is a perfect design where there is no waste. Waste is only waste when its in the wrong place in the design, says Virginia. CUSP was able to look at food waste for what it is, which is a nutrient-dense resource and potential compost. Creating compost from would-be-waste is a dream come true; turning 20 tonnes of would-be-waste and turning it into ten tonnes of compost in a little over a year is an incredible win, and if we can do that, anyone can. Napa Cabbages started from the butt ends of kimchi Cabbages going back in the compost. Picture: Virginia OGara Perhaps the most unexpected win is the community that sprang up around the CUSP project through meitheal, workshops and engaging with businesses of all kinds and sizes across the city, county and further afield. And the biggest win? To better work with natural processes we dont always see in a situation thats quite removed from nature, like a city, says Molly. Being able to write a simple solution to community waste, says Virginia. Keep in touch with CUSP @urbansoilproject on Instagram, or www.urbansoilproject.com Revolucion Comunista [Communist Revolution] is here! On the 23 March, during a Marxist School titled, Lenins life and ideas, Revolucion Comunista was officially launched, a new organisation, which aims to organise communists in El Salvador and which has as its medium-term goal the founding of a Revolutionary Communist Party. [Originally published in Spanish at elcomunista.org] After weeks of preparation, the school and the launch gathered about thirty communists. Comrades from San Miguel, San Salvador, Cabanas and a comrade from Mexico were present. The school involved an in-depth discussion on Lenins ideas and the need to build the revolutionary party; and was filled with a general mood of optimism and confidence in the ideas that are alone capable of transforming the world. Reactionary attacks The announcement of the launch of Revolucion Comunista, which was released days before the school at a press conference outside the University of El Salvador, sparked outrage among reactionaries. Our invitation to the press conference was taken up by Bukele supporters, right-wingers, liberals and reactionaries in general, who were outraged by the launch of an openly communist organisation in the country. Hundreds of insults and slander were poured forth since then, and only increased on the day of the conference itself. #Actualidad| Integrantes del Bloque Popular Juvenil brindaron una conferencia de prensa en la que hicieron oficial el lanzamiento de una nueva organizacion llamada Revolucion Comunista. pic.twitter.com/Z4N9zvpTTj Revista GatoEncerrado (@GatoEncerradoSV) March 20, 2024 At this press conference, we took the opportunity to state our position on the class struggle in this country and internationally. We denounced the failure of capitalism to address the fundamental needs of the youth, of women and of the working class, such as decent employment, access to housing, adequate food, health, and so on. These needs are not being and will not be met, because capitalism is an unlivable system. As long as capitalism exists, the downtrodden are bound to be oppressed and exploited without limits. The reach of the conference exceeded our own expectations. Our statements were covered by dozens of media outlets and picked up by dozens more on social media. On our X/Twitter account, our statement was viewed almost 30,000 times, and in some outlets it reached up to 160,000 views. This put us in the spotlight and, unsurprisingly, our opponents did not miss the opportunity to repeat the traditional lies about communism. A unas horas de nuestra conferencia de prensa parece que seguidores del regimen no pueden soportar nuestra existencia. Sin embargo, nada nos detendra para lanzar nuestra nueva organizacion comunista y trazar el camino hacia un Partido Comunista Revolucionario. Nos vemos manana. pic.twitter.com/WBMQW1PCMK Revolucion Comunista (@marxismosv) March 20, 2024 The so-called defenders of freedom demanded our censorship, some even called for our imprisonment, and there was no shortage of death threats in our inbox. They are frightened, our organisation makes them very uncomfortable, because they know that we have the basis for a strong movement that will succeed in changing the present state of affairs, which endangers the interests that this horde of reactionaries defends. Our opponents can continue to shout and slander all they want, we communists are ready to continue to increase our forces and to prepare ourselves day by day for the tasks ahead of us. We are moved by deep revolutionary convictions because we believe in a different world, without oppression and misery, where everyone is truly free. The reach on social media led to dozens of people applying to join the new organisation, excited to belong to Revolucion Comunista. We welcome these new comrades, and if you are a communist this is your place too! Why a new organisation? Undoubtedly the greatest challenge we face is the founding of a revolutionary communist party / Image: Revolucion Comunista For years, our organisation has been known as the Bloque Popular Juvenil, BPJ [Popular Youth Bloc]. In 2008, we joined the International Marxist Tendency (IMT). In all this time, we have worked tirelessly to lay the foundations of an organisation with solid Marxist principles. We have studied the history of the class struggle in the country and in the world, we have assimilated the ideas of scientific socialism, we have edited a monthly newspaper that responds to the needs of the oppressed, and we have intervened as far as we can in the struggles of the working class for their emancipation. This organisation is the result of the sacrifice of hundreds of comrades who, through their work, made it possible to bring revolutionary ideas back to new generations. They raised the banner of communism in El Salvador, and invested their time and money in building the BPJ. We carry this legacy with pride. All this time, the road has not been easy, especially in the last few years. The Bukele regime has managed to decimate the progressive and left forces in the country. Our organisation has not come out unscathed, but our deep confidence in our ideas, in the transformative power of the working class and in ourselves has saved us from extinction and puts new challenges before us. Undoubtedly the greatest challenge we face is the founding of a revolutionary communist party. But this party is not created just by declaring it. It must be built, and for that we need more communists who are willing to assist in the work. That is why we are now launching Revolucion Comunista. We want to emphasise that this is not just a change of name but a radical change in our methods of work and is a reflection of the more determined and bold way in which we will take our ideas to the youth who are questioning the misery we have been condemned to, who declare themselves to be communists and are ready to fight to change the system at its roots. The launching of Revolucion Comunista is only the first step. Now we must grow to at least a hundred comrades to begin to draw the road map towards the construction of the Revolutionary Communist Party. Organising and fighting for socialist revolution is not a utopia. The real utopians are those who want to reform capitalism to make it more humane, or who expect the system to regulate itself and provide us with a dignified life. The time to act is today. The working class, women and youth have nothing to lose but their chains. If you are a communist, you must join us! The legacy we defend We need a revolutionary press that confronts the monopoly of truth that the bourgeois media possesses / Image: Revolucion Comunista The Marxist School, which we held on the day of the launch, was about Lenins life and ideas. Comrade Ricardo Ayala of the Revolutionary Communist Organisation (Mexican section of the IMT) gave an impressive, condensed summary of Lenins life and work. Subsequently, there were three workshops on important topics. The first workshop was about Lenin and the importance of theory. Here they discussed how revolutionary practice is impossible without theory. Lenin explained that without revolutionary theory, there is no revolutionary movement. For Lenin, this was a cornerstone of party building. A party without theory is doomed to failure. Theory is extremely important for understanding and comprehending the world we live in. It is impossible to change reality if we do not understand it. A second workshop discussed Lenin, militancy and the press. Here the importance of the workers press as a collective organiser was stressed, because it is around this work that communists can organise themselves and form the organisation they need for revolution. We need a revolutionary press that confronts the monopoly of truth that the bourgeois media possesses. Such a press would be the voice of the working class that maps out revolutionary perspectives for the struggle. Every communist must get involved in the tasks involved in having a press and use it to attract more and more communists to the organisation. Finally, a third workshop discussed Lenin and workers democracy. Here a vibrant discussion took place on what a communist world could look like, changing the social basis of capitalism at its roots. Workers, women and youth become an integral part of society as producers and decision-makers of their own lives and future. The socialist society would involve the collective participation of workers in society. We discussed how, by taking over the big means of production, the big companies, the big banks and the large tracts of land, putting them into production not to satisfy the needs of the rich, but for the satisfaction of the real needs of society, the life of humanity would change radically. The conclusions of these workshops were presented in a plenary meeting, where the majority of comrades participated and shared their ideas on how to build the organisation. An atmosphere of revolutionary optimism was reflected in each of the participations, with each comrade reflecting on the best methods to move forward and attract more comrades to the organisation. Lenins ideas are the legacy that we defend and that inspire us to continue our revolutionary work. Let's build Revolucion Comunista! We are facing a change of epoch, an epoch in which the crisis of capitalism has deepened to colossal levels, not only hunger and misery are the order of the day, but also war, the genocide of entire peoples and the devastation of the planet. Capitalism is a dead end that offers only death to the working class. And it is precisely these conditions that allow more and more people to be ready to fight to transform this order of things. We communists must raise our voices louder and louder to proclaim that a different world is possible, that life is more than the exploitation we know, that it is possible to fight for a better world. We must face this epoch with determination, contributing our ideas, resources, energies and forces in the construction of the organisation that will lay the foundations to put an end to this inhuman system. In El Salvador through Revolucion Comunista we must continue the call to organise, putting up posters; talking to our friends, relatives, work colleagues, etc.; taking our ideas through the press to our colonies and communities; attracting more and more communists to the organisation. There is no time to lose, we must get moving today. AN estimated 20 people have died from overdoses in the city in recent months, the head of a Cork charity has said. She has called for greater availability of a drug which helps to counter the effects of overdose. Caitriona Twomey, volunteer coordinator of Cork Penny Dinners, said there had been a spate of overdoses recently, some of which have been linked to the arrival in the city late last year of a batch of nitazene-like drugs. Weve lost as many as 20 people that we know of to overdoses in the past few months, Ms Twomey said. She called for a greater availability of Naloxone, a drug which reverses the effects of opioid overdoses, taking effect within minutes and helping to keep a person alive until emergency services can arrive. The drug is currently being offered as part of a needle exchange programme to combat heroin and other opiate deaths in the city. Ms Twomey said more needed to be done to help save the lives of people who are struggling with addiction. In any decent society, the importance of saving a life can never be overstated, it is surely the fundamental principle that reflects our values and sense of compassion. We have lost so many people to overdoses in the city over the past few months, and each and every death is a tragedy, Ms Twomey told The Echo. These are real people, people whose lives have innate value and who deserve to be cared for in a compassionate society. Precise figures for deaths by overdose are difficult to establish, as coroners verdicts may not be known until many months later a death. However, anecdotal evidence from volunteers such as Ms Twomey suggests an increase in drug-related deaths in recent months. Ms Twomey called for a greater availability of naloxone, a drug which reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. The drug is currently being offered as part of a needle exchange programme in Cork, which aims to combat heroin and other opiate deaths in the city. NALOXONE Naloxone works by displacing opioid molecules from receptors in the body and brain, and it can help to keep a person alive until an ambulance arrives. We had a case very recently where someone had been given a naloxone spray in case he met anyone in trouble, and the very next day he came upon someone who had suffered an overdose, Ms Twomey said. He was able to use the spray on the person and kept him alive until the ambulance could get there. That person is alive today. The HSE announced late last year that its National Social Inclusion Office would in collaboration with partner support services pioneer a new peer programme which would help train drug users to prevent overdoses and help to treat others who have overdosed near them. Last December, the HSE issued an extreme risk drug warning after a nitazene-type substance had been linked with recent cases of serious overdose in Cork city. Nitazenes were developed in the 1950s as synthetic opioid analgesics and an alternative to morphine. However, because of fears surrounding the potential for overdoses, they were never approved for the medical market. At the start of the year, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris signed off on plans to equip frontline gardai with naloxone. A life saved not only has a profound impact upon the individual life saved, but also on society as a whole, Ms Twomey said. Saving a life is an act of humanity, and that contributes to the overall health and happiness of all of society. The saving of a life is key to creating a compassionate, empathetic society where everyone is valued and nobody is left behind, she added. CURRENT ministers cannot take anything for granted until incoming Taoiseach Simon Harriss Cabinet reshuffle has been confirmed, Finance Minister Michael McGrath has said. As it stands, Mr Harris has two senior Cabinet roles to fill that of Simon Coveneys as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and his own at the Department of Higher Education but further changes may be made. Speaking to reporters in Cork on Friday, Mr McGrath said the selection of ministers is entirely a matter for the Taoiseach and the other party leaders. None of us can take anything for granted, we all have to be reappointed or not, as the case may be on Tuesday, he said. The decision for Simon Harris is a difficult one, but it is one for him. And of course, he now has two vacancies at Cabinet level, Mr McGrath continued. Tuesday is a big day and we look forward to seeing how it develops. Mr Harris is expected to become the next Taoiseach on Tuesday. He was appointed as Fine Gael party leader following the shock resignation of Leo Varadkar as head of the party and as Taoiseach. A further political earthquake followed last week, with the announcement from Simon Coveney that he would step down from Cabinet when the Dail resumes. In a post on Tuesday morning on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the Cork South Central TD said he informed Mr Harris of his decision on Monday night. Last night I spoke to Simon Harris TD to inform him that I would not be making myself available to serve in cabinet when the Dail resumes next week, he said. Ill continue to work as a proud TD for Cork South Central and will of course actively support the Government in the Dail. A hotel guest who left his room with a window that was evidently smashed from the inside and left beer bottles strewn around the floor has been sentenced to five months in jail for causing criminal damage. 23-year-old Jake OSullivan who is from Fairfield Road, Farranree, Cork, told gardai investigating the criminal damage complaint from the hotel that he was so intoxicated he had no memory of it. However, he did plead guilty at Cork District Court to a charge of recklessly or intentionally causing criminal damage to the room. Sergeant John Kelleher said the crime was committed at the Maldron Hotel on John Redmond Street, Shandon, Cork, on December 5 2022. When staff entered the room they found a window broke and empty glass beer bottles around the room. The room had been used by a single male occupant, Jake OSullivan. The window appeared to be broken from the inside as most of the shattered glass was found outside. Jake OSullivan used his passport as identification to book the room and he left his passport behind after him, Sgt Kelleher said at Cork District Court. When questioned later by gardai in relation to the complaint, Jake OSullivan stated that he had no memory of it but accepted that he caused the damage. The cost of the damage was put at 500. Shane Collins-Daly defence solicitor said the young man was living out of home at the time and had a significant addiction to cocaine and was drinking heavily. He went off the rails during that time. Drink and drugs were keeping him down. He was beginning to deal with his addiction before he went into custody but it was too little too late. He does have good prospects if he stays off the drink and drugs. He has no recollection of this incident but accepts he must have caused it, Mr Collins-Daly said. Judge Mary Dorgan imposed the five-month jail term on the 23-year-old. 90 VENUES in Cork city and county are to host concerts, gala performances, and competitions during the Cork International Choral Festival. Now in its 69th year, this years event takes place from May 1 to 5 and will feature choirs from around the globe. Highlights of the 2024 programme include the prestigious Fleischmann International Trophy competition. Audiences will also enjoy the Cork School of Music (CSM) Symphony Orchestra and Fleischmann Choir, who will present Stanford at 100 Stabat Mater, the composers iconic piece for the opening gala concert on the Wednesday night. On Thursday night, one of Europes most well-known choirs, the State Choir LATVIJA, will perform in Cork City Hall. The renowned choir is internationally acclaimed, both for its academic excellence as well as its innovative projects. The choir has participated in recordings produced by Naxos, Warner Brothers, Harmonia Mundi, Wergo, and Ondine. St Finbarres Cathedral will reverberate to the sounds of Chamber Choir Ireland ,who will give the premier performance of the winning composition of the 2024 Sean O Riada composition competition. The prestigious feature event for Irish choirs Irelands Choir of the Year will take place during the festival, along with an eclectic array of international competitions. The much-loved Fringe Choral Festival returns this year to Cobh. Exciting venues will include the majestic St. Colmans Cathedral, the Sirius Art Centre, Christchurch (Cobh), and a Choral Trail which includes Cobh Band Stand, Cobh Heritage Centre, and the Commodore Hotel, with a different choir performing every half hour throughout the afternoon on May 4 and 5. The Cork International Choral Festival is supported by the Arts Council, Failte Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork County Council, with the Irish Examiner, The Echo, and Corks 96FM as media partners. Politicians from both sides of the divide in Cork have had their say following Leo Varadkar's official resignation as Taoiseach. Mr Varadkar arrived at the official residence of President Michael D Higgins, Aras an Uachtarain, at 5.55pm this evening. Mr Higgins is understood to have greeted Mr Varadkar in the presidents study, where a letter of resignation was handed to the Secretary General of the Irish President. After taking some refreshments with Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina, Mr Varadkar departed from the Aras at 6.40pm. Mr Varadkar will remain as Taoiseach in a caretaker capacity until his successor is voted in. New Fine Gael leader Simon Harris is expected to be appointed as Irelands next taoiseach, and the youngest in its history, tomorrow afternoon. The 37-year-old is expected to reshuffle the Fine Gael ministerial team after his appointment. Mr Varadkar's party colleague, Cork North Central TD Colm Burke believes "major change [was] achieved in a very short time period" while he was Taoiseach, and Cork East's David Stanton added: "I would like to thank Leo for his service, for trusting me by re-appointing me as Minister for State when he first became Taoiseach and to wish him the very best for the future. Finance minister, and Cork South Central Fianna Fail TD Michael McGrath said: It was fitting that the Taoiseachs final official engagement was at the North South Ministerial Council meeting in Armagh. Both Taoiseach Varadkar and my constituency colleague Minister Simon Coveney invested a lot of time and energy to secure the restoration of the institutions in Northern Ireland so it must have been satisfying for them both to attend the first in-person meeting of the council in four years on the eve of their departure from office. Meanwhile, opposition TDs had their say. Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns acknowledged Mr Varadkar's hard work while in government. Being in cabinet for 13 years - and Taoiseach on two occasions since 2017 was undeniably extremely challenging and involved many personal sacrifices for both him and his family," the Cork South West TD said yesterday. However, having a new Taoiseach tomorrow won't change the problems we face as a country. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD for Cork North Central Mick Barry said: "Leo Varadkar will be sadly missed by the wealthy and the privileged but there won't be too many tears shed in working class homes I suspect. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein's Thomas Gould, also a Cork North Central TD, again called for a general election. His party colleague, Cork South Central TD Donnchadh O Laoghaire said a rotation of Taoiseach is not what's needed, rather a change in government is. I wish Leo Varadkar all the best for his future personally, but politically his government has presided over a housing crisis that has continued to escalate and record homelessness - I dont see Simon Harris changing that at all," he added. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. External view of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France on April 27, 2022. Mustafa Yalcin / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images This week, the European Court of Human Rights could make a landmark ruling that governments have an obligation to protect people from the adverse impacts of climate change. Judges will rule on three distinct cases concerning whether peoples human rights were breached when governments failed to protect them from the ravages of a warming planet. We all are trying to achieve the same goal, said Catarina Mota, a 23-year-old plaintiff in one of the cases, as Reuters reported. A win in any one of the three cases will be a win for everyone. One of the cases Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland concerns a complaint brought by members of a Swiss association of older women who are concerned about the impacts of global heating on their health and living conditions, the European Court of Human Rights said in a press release. The group of women claim that Berns failure to reduce emissions that aligns with a pathway to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius was in breach of their right to life, reported Reuters. They cited a report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that found older adults and women were some of those most at risk of death from extreme temperatures during heat waves. Attorneys for the women are looking for a decision that could compel Switzerland to pick up the pace of its carbon emissions reductions. Another of the cases Careme v. France involves a former mayor of the city of Grande-Synthe who says France has not taken enough action to prevent global heating, which equates to a violation of the right to respect for private and family life and the right to life, the press release said. In a third case Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 Others plaintiffs say current and future climate change impacts are the responsibility of states and affect their well-being, mental health and the peaceful enjoyment of their homes. The three cases are quite distinct in terms of whos bringing the case, which government or governments is being sued, and what the ask is in the case, said Lucy Maxwell, Climate Litigation Networks co-director, as Reuters reported. The rulings of the panel of 17 judges will not be able to be appealed. Maxwell added that the court could deem a case too complex for its framework and decide it must be sent to a national forum. Meanwhile, some governments involved have said the lawsuits are inadmissible. Switzerland claimed the court of human rights is not the supreme court regarding environmental cases. Whatever the outcome, the rulings will provide precedent for future cases on how climate change impacts the right of humans to a habitable planet. Maxwell said a decision against the governments of Portugal or Switzerland would send a clear message that governments have legal duties to significantly increase their efforts to combat climate change in order to protect human rights, reported Reuters. If countries did not amend their emissions reduction goals for 2030 in response to the rulings, additional litigation could be brought in national courts. If successful it would be the most important thing to happen for the climate in Europe since the Paris Agreement because it kind of has the effect of a regional European treaty, said Ruth Delbaere, a civic movement senior legal campaigner for Avaaz, which assisted with fundraising for legal fees for the Portuguese youths, as Reuters reported. The rulings will be the first by the European Court of Human Rights on whether policies related to climate change violate peoples human rights as set forth in the European Convention. Maxwell said the rulings could also influence decisions in other countries. Climate cases concerning violations of human rights are currently being considered in Brazil, Peru, South Korea and Australia. They will be looking at what happens in Europe and there will be ripple effects well outside, Maxwell said. The rulings by the European Court of Human Rights will be delivered at a public hearing on Tuesday in Strasbourg, France. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kristen Bannerman ECSU Communications and Marketing ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (April 8, 2024) Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) is hosting its third annual Viking Entrepreneurship Week, presented by PNC, which starts Monday, April 8. The weeks programming is designed to present the ECSU community with activities and information that support the consideration of entrepreneurship as a career option. The kickoff luncheon event will feature Talley & Twine Watch Company founder Randy Williams as the keynote speaker. Williams, also an author and philanthropist, has successfully led his company since 2014 and has been mentioned in publications including Essence and Black Enterprise. Throughout the week, Williams will be in Viking Land to speak with students and meet with university faculty and staff, and to give his expertise on entrepreneurship and offer networking opportunities for students. He will also meet with community members through a joint event with the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce. Joy Smith, dean of the School of Education and Business, said the weeks offerings allow ECSU to have a hand in galvanizing the entrepreneurship potential available to career seekers of any age. We are excited to welcome Randy Williams as our 2024 PNC Entrepreneurship Fellow and are looking forward to hearing about his entrepreneurial journey during his time here, said Smith. Viking Entrepreneurship Week has been presented by PNC these last three years, and its been a great way to showcase and encourage all the entrepreneurial talent in the area. We are looking forward to seeing the long-term impact that these events will have on the entrepreneurial ecosystem, both on campus and in northeastern North Carolina. Fayetteville State University (FSU), Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), North Carolina A&T (N.C. A&T) University and St. Augustines University (SAU) will participate in the event along with some area high schools. A day of breakout sessions on starting a business, artificial intelligence for entrepreneurs, and content creation will also be offered, as well as the Viking Pitch Competition where participants from each school will present their ideas to panel judges. This week will involve the breadth of what being an entrepreneur entails, Smith said. Viking Entrepreneurship Week and the PNC Entrepreneurship Fellow program are made possible through a multi-year grant from PNC Foundation. In addition to the scope of the weeklong programming and fellowship, the grant helped establish the ECSU Entrepreneurship Fab Lab and Social Media Marketing Lab powered by PNC. About Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City State University provides students with a high-quality, affordable education. A constituent member of the University of North Carolina System, ECSU develops courageous, resilient, and empowered leaders through excellent student-centered, experiential learning. ECSU offers baccalaureate, professional, and masters degrees across a wide variety of disciplines. Come to Discover. Leave to Conquer. Visit www.ecsu.edu. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Leha Byrd ECSU Communications and Marketing ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (April 8, 2024) Two Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) students awarded for their work in a nationwide graphic design contest now have the chance to showcase their presentations at this years Undergraduate Research Week themed, From Ideas to Impact. Serenity Shipp and Sandria Dorsey participated in the Turner Duckworth Golden Duck awards and received a $2,500 scholarship along with one year of mentorship with Turner Duckworth, an international design firm with offices in San Francisco, New York, and London. As part of the contest, Shipp and Dorsey researched and rebranded Poshmark and North Carolina State Parks, respectively. Research Week at ECSU is April 8-12 and will involve all academic departments on campus, allowing Shipp, Dorsey, other students, and faculty to participate. The chance to celebrate student research and creative scholarship has been strategic in planning the weeks events, said Nicole Austin, ECSU undergraduate research director and education professor. We want all facets of the campus community to be involved and represented throughout research week, she said. Our students have worked hard, and theyve worked collaboratively with their faculty mentors, to reach the point where their research can begin contributing greatly to the current body of knowledge within their respective fields. The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creativity hosts the event every spring semester. It is designed to give undergraduate researchers the chance to delve into their findings and enhance their oral and analytical skills within their respective disciplines. In various buildings on campus and an online hybrid model, student commentary, research findings, and guest speakers are part of the week-long event. A panel discussion in the universitys Virtual Reality and ESports Lab is scheduled for Monday, April 8, at 10 a.m. to learn how to utilize the facility as a teaching tool. The event is open to the public, and faculty and staff are encouraged to attend. There will be rotating sessions for faculty and students to sign up for VR Lab sessions. Both Shipp and Dorsey are excited about sharing their work on campus. Music and Visual Arts professor John Stiles encouraged both ladies to participate and said hes now excited their work will be featured on campus. To emerge from that contest, among so many others, as winners and then be able to present their work back on the home front is encouraging, Stiles said. It felt great that the time I put into working on the rebrand case study paid off, Shipp said. I can take what I learned from them and apply it to my future projects. Who: The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creativity What: ECSU Undergraduate Research Week When: Monday, April 8, 2024, 10 a.m. Where: ECSU Campus About Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City State University provides students with a high-quality, affordable education. A constituent member of the University of North Carolina System, ECSU develops courageous, resilient, and empowered leaders through excellent student-centered, experiential learning. ECSU offers baccalaureate, professional, and masters degrees across a wide variety of disciplines. Come to Discover. Leave to Conquer. Visit www.ecsu.edu. (Photo courtesy of Haifa University)Religious leaders meet for coexistence workshops in Haifa, Israel in April 2024. Leaders of the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Druze faiths in Haifa, recently called for coexistence in the northern Israeli city amid the tensions sparked by the war in Gaza. Related World churches body condemns killing of aid workers in Gaza Pope Francis urges respect for human life, denouncing war, in his Easter Message for 2024 World churches group's Pillay meets heads of churches in Lebanon World churches head meets Israeli president, calls for ceasefire, freedom of religion, humanitarian care World churches group leader visits Holy Land to strengthen call for just peace International day commemorating victims of Holocaust of profound importance, says UN human rights chief Armenians battle to save their quarter in Jerusalem due to lease deal Betlehem cancels most Christmas celebrations due to war in Gaza Middle East Christians dwindle as anti-Christian hate crimes rise globally, says report German president visits Lutheran Augusta Victoria-Hospital in East Jerusalem World church body adds to calls for immediate ceasefire, release of hostages in Palestine and Israel 'MAGA and Christian nationalism' are 'bigger threat' to US than Hamas column triggers debate, furor In a written statement, the 16 leaders, in Israel's third biggest city established a committee pledging to proactively promote dialogue and good neighborliness in the city, Yulia Karra reported for Israel21 on April 7. "During this difficult and tense period, we saw great importance in coming together to learn about each other's religion and maintain a respectful fabric of life in our city," the leaders wrote. Originally a place for in-depth interfaith conversations, the project has evolved into a series of workshops. "The personal security of all of us depends on cooperation, our ability to minimize points of friction and inspire respectful discourse. We are all invested in the prosperity of our beloved Haifa and its residents, which stems out of a deep commitment to the State of Israel." Of Israel's 9 million people, 73.5 percent are Jewish, 18.1 percent are Muslims , while Christians account for 1.9 percent, and Druze 1.6 percent, according to the CIA Factbook. The multi-faith committee was established with the cooperation from Haifa University's Incubator for the Study of Religions, the country's Interior Ministry. and the non-governmental organization Search for Common Ground. Dr. Uriel Simonsohn heads the Incubator for the Study of Religions and said the leaders picked to establish the committee were chosen by their actions, rather than words. "The first condition was that each and every one of them had a community behind them," said Simonsohn. "Their actions were supposed to immediately impact others....We weren't going to be satisfied with emotional statements that would not have affected anyone in the end." The multi-faith initiative was started a month after the October 7 attacks. At the start, the religious leaders met for in-depth conversions, which later progressed into workshops organized by Haifa University. "The meetings were very important because they generated commitment and loyalty," said Rabbi Shmuel Sasson, one of the leaders involved in the project. "With cautious optimism, we hope to continue curbing the forces that oppose our existence as a society, and as a Jewish and democratic state." Sunday March 7 marked six months since the October 7 Hamas attacks which killed about 1,200 people,. Isreal's resulting cammpaign in Gaza has left more than 33,000 dead and triggered a desperate humanitarian crisis, CNN reports. The 16 religious leaders are: Avigal Peleg, the head of Haifa's religious school for girls Ulpana Amit Avigal Peleg. Eli Blum, rabbi of Rambam congregation at Neve Shanan Eli Blum. Rabbi Shmuel Sasson, the head of Haifa's Garin Torani movement. Rabbi Naama Dafni Kellen, the rabbi of Or Hadash congregation. Rabbi Ben-Zion Gagula, the director of the Chabad House in Haifa's German Colony neighborhood. Father Demetrius Samra, a priest of the Greek Orthodox Church in Haifa. Father William Abu Shkara, the head of the Archbishop's bureau in Haifa. Hiam Tannous, a Christian Forum activist. Christin Khazen, a member of the Catholic Church in Haifa. Sheikh Jaber Mansour, a Druze imam in Isfiya. Sheikh Tawfik Halabi, an imam and member of the Druze religious committee in Daliyat al-Karmel. Rashad Abu al-Hijaa, the imam of al-Jarina Mosque in Haifa. Muhammad Ijbaria, a muezzin (the one who calls for prayer) at Haj Abdallah Mosque in Halisa. Doa Aaodeh, the head of the women's council in Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Amir Muhammad Sharif Odeh, the head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Israel and PA. Rabi'a Bsis, a Druze social and political activist. In June, the International Marxist Tendency will be launching a new Revolutionary Communist International, to boldly bear the clean banner of communism on every continent. In this article, Alan Woods explains the historic importance of this step, tracing the rise and fall of previous Internationals and showing the importance of the RCI in the struggle for communism today. Register now for our founding conference! Communism is internationalist, or it is nothing. Already, at the dawn of our movement, in the pages of The Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels explained that the workers have no country. The founders of scientific socialism were not working to create a German party, but an international. Lenin, Trotsky, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht devoted their lives to the same objective. Their internationalism was not a caprice, or the result of sentimental considerations. It flowed from the fact that capitalism develops as a world system. Out of the different national economies and markets there arises one single, indivisible and interdependent whole the world market. Today, this prediction of the founders of Marxism has been brilliantly demonstrated, in almost laboratory fashion. The crushing domination of the world market is the most decisive fact of our epoch. There is no more modern book than Marx and Engels Manifesto. It explains the division of society into classes; it explains the phenomenon of globalisation, crises of overproduction, the nature of the state and the fundamental motor forces of historical development. However, even the most correct ideas can achieve nothing unless they find an organisational and practical expression. That is why the founders of scientific socialism always worked tirelessly for the creation of an international organisation of the working class. Marx and Engels played a key role in the formation of the International Workingmens Association (IWA), known today as the First International. In the beginning, that organisation had a very heterogeneous composition. Marx and Engels were obliged to fight to establish ideological clarity. The battle for ideas was conducted on two fronts: on the one hand, they had to combat the reformist ideas of the opportunist trade union leaders. On the other hand, they were obliged to wage a constant battle against anarchist, ultra-left and sectarian tendencies. Things have not changed very much today. The communists are faced with exactly the same problems and have to fight against the same enemies. The names may have changed but the content is just the same. But Marx and Engels did not confine their work to the theoretical struggle. The International did not stand apart from the everyday problems of the working class. It was constantly engaged in practical work in the workers movement. Contrary to the mendacious presentation of bourgeois enemies of communism, there was absolutely nothing authoritarian in the methods of Karl Marx. On the contrary, in dealing with workers with reformist leanings, he showed immense tact and patience. He wrote to Engels: It was very difficult to frame the thing so that our view should appear in a form acceptable from the present standpoint of the workers movement. [...] It will take time before the re-awakened movement allows the old boldness of speech. It will be necessary to be fortiter in re, suaviter in modo [mild in manner and bold in content]. That is very good advice for communists today who wish to conduct serious work in the mass organisations of the working class. The end of the First International The International made great strides forward. But the defeat of the Paris Commune in 1871 dealt a mortal blow to the organisation. The orgy of reaction that ensued made it impossible to function in France, and everywhere the International was persecuted. But the real reason for its difficulties is to be found in the upswing of capitalism on a world scale that followed the defeat of the Commune. Under these conditions, the pressures of capitalism on the labour movement resulted in internal quarrels and factionalism. Feeding off the general atmosphere of disillusionment and despair, the intrigues of Bakunin and his followers intensified. For these reasons, Marx and Engels first proposed moving the headquarters of the International to New York, and finally decided that it would be better to dissolve the International, at least for the time being. The IWA was formally wound up in 1876. For a time, there was no international. The Second International The IWA succeeded in laying the theoretical foundations for a genuine revolutionary international. But it never was a real mass workers international. It was really an anticipation of the future. The Socialist International (Second International) was launched in 1889, and began where the First International had left off. Unlike the First International, it had a mass base. In its ranks were the mass parties and trade unions in Germany, France, Britain, Belgium, and other countries. The period of 1871-1914 was the classical period of Social Democracy. At least in words, it stood on the basis of revolutionary Marxism. However, it was the misfortune of the new International to arise during a period of tremendous capitalist upswing. On the basis of a long period of economic growth, it was possible for capitalism to give concessions to the working class, or, more correctly, to its upper layer. Gradually, a privileged labour aristocracy took shape. The Social Democratic leaders became convinced that it was possible to achieve their objectives without a revolution. They came to believe that slowly, peacefully, gradually, by means of reforms, the problems of the working class could be resolved. They contrasted this practical politics to what they considered to be the outdated theories of Marxism, although they continued to echo the language of class war in May Day speeches. Men like the former disciple of Marx, Eduard Bernstein, tried to provide a theoretical basis for this backsliding by attempting a revisionism of Marxism. But the material basis for the national-reformist degeneration of the Second (Socialist) International was rooted in the objective conditions of capitalism, which seemed to provide evidence that the revisionists were correct. However, the whole edifice of reformism was blown sky-high in 1914, when the leaders of the International voted for the war credits and supported their bourgeoisie in the imperialist slaughter of the First World War. The war, and the Russian Revolution that flowed from it, heralded the beginning of a new and stormy period of revolution and counter-revolution. It was on this material basis that a new workers international was born. The Communist International Already in 1914, Lenin drew the conclusion that the Second International was dead as an organ for changing society. He proclaimed the new Third International, although at that time the numbers of revolutionary internationalists were pitifully small. The internationalist tendency was isolated from the masses, who were under the influence of the social chauvinist leaders and intoxicated by the fumes of patriotism. Great events were required to change the situation. This occurred in 1917 with the outbreak of revolution in Russia. Lenin and Trotsky led the Russian working class to the conquest of power and in 1919 they were able to declare the founding of the Third (Communist) International. The Comintern, as it became known, stood on a qualitatively higher level than its two predecessors. Like the IWA it stood for a clear revolutionary, internationalist programme. Like the Second International, it had a mass base of millions. Under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky, the Communist International maintained a correct revolutionary line. It seemed that the fate of the world revolution was in good hands. However, the isolation of the Russian Revolution under conditions of frightful material and cultural backwardness reflected itself in the bureaucratic degeneration of the Revolution. The bureaucratic faction led by Stalin gained the upper hand, especially after Lenins death in 1924. The rise of Stalinism in Russia stifled the tremendous potential of the Third International. The Stalinist degeneration of the Soviet Union played havoc with the inexperienced and immature leaderships of the Communist parties abroad. Socialism in one country In 1928, Trotsky predicted that the acceptance of the theory of socialism in one country would inevitably lead to the nationalist degeneration of the Communist parties. That prediction has been entirely validated by history. That so-called theory marked a decisive break with Leninist internationalism. It was an expression of the national limitedness of the outlook of the bureaucracy, which looked on the Communist International merely as an instrument of the foreign policy of Moscow. Having used the Comintern for his own cynical purposes, Stalin dissolved it in 1943 without even the pretence of a congress. Trotsky and the Left Opposition attempted to defend the spotless traditions of October against Stalinist reaction. They stood for the Leninist traditions of workers democracy and proletarian internationalism. But they were fighting a losing battle against the powerful tide of history. In 1938, Trotsky proclaimed the Fourth International, offering a clean revolutionary banner to the new generation. But it was destroyed by the mistakes of its leaders after Trotskys assassination. Without the guidance of Trotsky, the Fourth International ended up as an abortion. Decades later, all that is left of that organisation is a myriad of splits and sectarian groups, each one more bizarre than the other. They have achieved nothing except to sow endless confusion and discredit the very idea of Trotskyism in the eyes of many working-class militants. Today, what remains of the Fourth International are the ideas of its founder, Leon Trotsky, which retain all their relevance and importance. These ideas were kept alive by the tireless work of the late comrade Ted Grant and are represented today by the International Marxist Tendency. Degeneration of the Communist Parties Having used the Comintern for his own cynical purposes, Stalin dissolved it in 1943 without even the pretence of a congress / Image: public domain We are proud of our ideological heritage. However, we must face facts. Today, 150 years after the founding of the First International, due to a combination of objective and subjective circumstances, the revolutionary movement has been thrown back, and the forces of genuine Marxism reduced to a small minority. The reasons for this are to be found mainly in the objective situation. Decades of economic growth in the advanced capitalist countries have given rise to an unprecedented degeneration of the mass organisations of the working class. This has isolated the revolutionary current, which everywhere has been reduced to a minority of a minority. The collapse of the Soviet Union set the final seal on the degeneration of the former Stalinist leaders, most of whom have capitulated to the pressures of capitalism and passed over openly to the camp of reformism. But there is another side to the coin. The present crisis exposes the reactionary role of capitalism, and places on the order of the day the revival of international communism. The tide of history For decades we have been obliged to swim against the current. But now the tide of history has begun to turn. Everywhere, beneath the superficial veneer of calm and tranquillity, there is a seething undercurrent of rage, indignation, discontent and above all frustration at the existing state of affairs in society and politics. Even in the United States, there is widespread discontent and a questioning of the existing state of affairs, which was not present before. All the attempts of the bourgeoisie to restore the economic equilibrium only serve to destroy the social and political equilibrium. The bourgeoisie finds itself trapped in a crisis for which it has no solution. That is the key to understanding the present situation. The crisis finds its expression in instability in every sphere: economic, financial, social, political, diplomatic and military. The future that this system offers can only be one of endless misery, suffering, disease, wars and death for the human race. In the words of Lenin: capitalism is horror without end. It is an irony of history that the leaders of the mass workers parties are clinging to decrepit capitalism and the market even when they are collapsing before our eyes. The only solution The central problem can be simply stated. It is a problem of leadership. In 1938, Trotsky stated that the crisis of humanity can be reduced to the crisis of the proletarian leadership. That completely sums up the present situation. Lacking a solid base in Marxist theory, the so-called Left has capitulated and given up the fight for socialism. In its place, there is a gigantic vacuum. But science teaches us that nature abhors a vacuum. This confronts us with a very concrete challenge. The workers and youth fervently desire to change society. But they can find no organised expression for their efforts. At every step, they find their path blocked by the old bureaucratic organisations and leaderships that have long ago abandoned any pretence to stand for socialism. All over the world, a new generation of class fighters is rapidly taking shape on the basis of the crisis of capitalism. This is bringing about a profound change of consciousness, especially among the youth. The latest polls from Britain, the USA, Australia and other countries provide us with a very clear indication that the idea of communism is spreading rapidly. These young people do not need to be convinced. They are already communists. But they see no alternative in any of the existing organisations. On the contrary, they are repelled by them. They are looking for a clean banner, an organisation that has broken radically with treacherous right-wing reformism and cowardly left opportunism. The potential for communism is enormous. Our task is to make this potential a reality. But how is this to be achieved? We are faced with a flagrant contradiction. Today the ideas of Marx are more valid and necessary than ever. But ideas, in and of themselves, are insufficient. We have to take the necessary practical measures to find this new generation of communists and recruit them to our banner. This necessarily means that we have to provide the ideas with concrete, organisational expression. The need for a new international is not an arbitrary decision. Nor is it the expression of any subjective desire or unthinking haste. It is something that is clearly demanded by the whole situation. Today the ideas of Marx are more valid and necessary than ever / Image: public domain Is the time right for such a bold step? For some people, of course, the time will never be right. They will always find a thousand reasons why we should delay taking a decision. But we cannot make a programme and policy out of hesitation and doubt. It may be objected that our numbers are too small for us to take such a step. But every revolutionary movement in history has always begun as a small and seemingly insignificant minority. In 1914, the forces at Lenins disposal were pathetically small. But that did not deter him from proclaiming the need for a new communist international. There were many doubts, even among his own supporters, but history proves that he was right. It is quite true that our forces are very small when compared to the enormous task in front of us and we have no illusions on that score. But that situation is already beginning to change significantly. We have important work to do, and that work, which is reaching a decisive stage, is already bearing important fruit. That is clearly shown by the remarkable success of the Are you a Communist? campaign. We are growing rapidly everywhere. That is no accident. We are now swimming together with the current of history. Above all, we have the correct ideas. That is ultimately the only guarantee of success. What is required is a genuine communist party, which bases itself on the ideas of Lenin and the other great Marxist teachers, and an international on the lines of the Communist International during its first five years. That is the task we have set before us. It is an absolutely necessary and urgent task that admits no delay. From small beginnings, under the most difficult conditions imaginable, the International Marxist Tendency has already built an organisation of thousands of the best workers and youth in many countries. This is a great achievement. But it is only the beginning. The time has now come to take a decisive step: the launching of the Revolutionary Communist International. We appeal to every worker and young person who agrees with this aim to help us to achieve our final goal: the victory of international socialism. Against capitalism and imperialism! For the socialist transformation of society! Join us in the struggle for world revolution! Workers of the world, unite! London, 11 March 2024 This article is included in issue 45 of In Defence of Marxism magazine, which is themed around the proud history of revolutionary struggles on the African continent. The issue contains articles on the histories of Cameroon and Ethiopia; a Marxist critique of Franz Fanon; as well as writings by Lenin and Trotsky on the colonial struggle. It is a must-read for communists who want to understand the revolutionary history of Africa and fight for communism internationally today. Get your copy now! In recent years, the polysilicon industry has witnessed rapid development. By the end of 2023, global effective polysilicon production capacity reached approximately 225.6 million tons, representing a year-on-year increase of 71.6%. China's polysilicon production capacity surged from 116.3 million tons at the end of 2022 to 210 million tons, accounting for about 93% of global capacity, making it the world's largest polysilicon producer. China's share of global polysilicon production is expected to further increase in the future. Overseas polysilicon production is primarily concentrated in Germany, the United States, and Malaysia. However, due to electricity restrictions and high electricity costs in Europe and North America, the growth of overseas polysilicon production capacity has been relatively slow. China dominates the global polysilicon market, with overseas production lagging behind In recent years, the polysilicon industry has developed rapidly. By the end of 2023, the global effective capacity for polysilicon reached approximately 2.256 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 71.6%. China's polysilicon capacity increased from 1.163 million tons at the end of 2022 to 2.1 million tons, accounting for about 93% of the global capacity, making it the world's largest producer of polysilicon. The main overseas producers of polysilicon are Germany, the United States, and Malaysia, with annual capacities in the United States, South Korea, and Germany maintaining at 34,000 tons, 5,000 tons, and 65,000 tons respectively. Malaysia's Tokuyama capacity increased by 4,000 tons to 34,000 tons compared to 2022. In terms of output, the global production of polysilicon in 2023 was about 1.6 million tons, with China's production accounting for more than 80%, ranking first globally for fourteen consecutive years and exceeding 50% of the global share for eight consecutive years. It is evident that China occupies a dominant position in the global supply of polysilicon. This is primarily due to Chinese polysilicon manufacturers having significant advantages in raw materials, electricity, and labor costs, along with continuous improvements in the quality of Chinese polysilicon products. Additionally, there is a substantial demand for polysilicon generated by downstream silicon wafer manufacturing in China. The supply of polysilicon from overseas is contributed by Germany, Malaysia, the United States, Japan, and South Korea. In 2020, South Korea's OCI shut down its solar-grade polysilicon capacity in the domestic market due to high electricity prices, retaining only electronic-grade polysilicon capacity, leading to a sharp decline in South Korean capacity. By 2023, the main overseas capacities were in Germany, the United States, and Malaysia, collectively accounting for 85% of the total foreign capacity. Germany's polysilicon capacity mainly comes from the chemical giant Wacker, producing both solar-grade and electronic-grade polysilicon, while Malaysia's capacity is primarily from the overseas factories of the South Korean silicon wafer company OCI, focusing on solar-grade polysilicon. The United States' polysilicon capacity includes Wacker's overseas factories, Hemlock, and REC, covering both solar-grade and electronic-grade polysilicon. However, due to power restriction policies and high electricity costs in Europe and America, the growth rate of overseas polysilicon capacity is relatively slow. The global polysilicon industry is gradually shifting towards China By comparing the top ten global polysilicon producers in 2010, 2021, and 2022, it can be seen that the number of Chinese companies has risen from 4 to 8, and their share of production capacity has been further increased. By the end of 2023, the number of operational polysilicon manufacturers worldwide had increased to 25, including 16 in China and about 9 overseas. Looking at the production capacities of various companies in 2023, the number of companies with an annual production exceeding 10,000 tons increased from 16 in 2022 to 20. Ranked by production capacity, the world's top five polysilicon producers are all based in China, namely Yongxiang Co., Ltd., GCL-Poly Technology, Xinte Energy, Daqo New Energy, and Asia Silicon Industry. Of course, with the rapid development of the global solar energy industry and semiconductor industry, polysilicon producers in other countries and regions are also continuously increasing their production capacities. The future competitive landscape may undergo changes. Domestic enterprises are mostly concentrated in Inner Mongolia and Sichuan Chinese polysilicon enterprises are mostly located in regions such as Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Sichuan. According to statistics, in 2022, the production capacity of these three provinces accounted for about 73%. Among them, the polysilicon production capacity in the Xinjiang region accounts for approximately 44%, making it the largest polysilicon producing region in China, mainly due to significant cost advantages in polysilicon production there, especially the low cost of electricity consumption nationwide. Meanwhile, with policy encouragement for the development of the entire photovoltaic industry chain in the Inner Mongolia region, coupled with the concentration of upstream industrial silicon and downstream silicon wafer capacities in the area, and low electricity prices, numerous companies have also invested in factories in Inner Mongolia. In 2022, the polysilicon production capacity in the Inner Mongolia region reached 14%. Considering the large scale of capacity expansion and rapid growth rate in the region, it is expected that the future capacity share will further increase. The Sichuan region's capacity share is about 15%. Due to stricter control over new polysilicon production capacity indicators locally, and higher electricity costs during the dry season when hydropower is the main source, the stability of electricity costs is not as good as in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, so it is expected that the future production capacity growth rate will not match that of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. Since the main downstream products of polysilicon, photovoltaic cells, and modules are concentrated in China, which has a high demand for polysilicon, China primarily relies on imports. According to customs data, China imported 88,000 tons of polysilicon in 2022, and 62,900 tons in 2023, a year-on-year decrease of 28.46%, mainly from Germany, Malaysia, Japan, and Taiwan, among other regions. As new polysilicon capacities in China are successively put into operation and utilized, the self-sufficiency rate of polysilicon has increased, leading to a decline in import volumes. Google has finally launched its long-awaited Find My Device network after teasing it at last years I/O event . The technology leverages a crowdsourced network of over a billion Android devices to help people locate lost gadgets, with a basic functionality in line with similar offerings from Apple and Tile. Its rolling out today to Android users in the US and Canada, with a global release coming soon. Once installed, people can use the app to locate compatible Android phones and tablets. The tool will cause them to ring at your command and their location will pop up on a map. This map data works even if the items are offline. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones will appear on the map if theyre powered off or if the battery is completely dead. That sounds pretty handy. The technology isnt yet available for everyday items, but thats coming soon. Bluetooth tracker tags from Chipolo and Pebblebee will get integrated into the Find My Device app in May. This will let users locate just about anything, including car keys, purses, wallets and, hopefully, wandering felines . The upcoming tags are being built specifically for the network. Google The Pebblebee offerings include tags, clips and slim cards for wallets. They hit store shelves in late May or early June. Chipolo is making versions of its One Point and Card Point trackers for Android devices, which will arrive in May. Google says more trackers are coming later this year, including products made by Motorola and eufy. Googles Find My Device service also integrates with Nest smart home gadgets. If you lose something in the home, the Find My Device app will show you the location of the item in relation to pre-existing Nest devices. This should help provide an easy reference point to snatch them back up. Finally, theres a nifty feature that lets you share the location of an item with other people, so friends and family can keep an eye on precious belongings. Google says itll let folks easily divide and conquer if something goes missing. The new Find My Device tracking technology works on devices running Android 9 and above. That OS came out in 2018, so it means a whole lot of people will have access to this service. As for compatible products beyond Android devices and Bluetooth tags, the company says future software updates will allow integration with a full range of headphones from JBL and Sony. Of course, there are the usual privacy concerns with this kind of thing. Google says that users can opt out of the service via a web portal if they feel uncomfortable, according to a story by The Verge . Reports indicate that the technology has been ready for a while, but Google delayed it until Apple implemented tracking protections into iOS to address stalking concerns . To that end, both companies announced a partnership last year to develop industry standards to fight the misuse of tracking devices. Apple applied updated protections against stalking in iOS 17.5, which is still in beta. This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Gypsy Rose Blanchard underwent another change in her life months after her release from prison last December. On Friday, the 32-year-old underwent rhinoplasty to enhance the shape and appearance of her nose and make it "more feminine-looking," according to People. "I'm going through a personal transformation journey currently and that includes a physical one too. Wish me luck with my surgery and watch the whole thing this summer on 'Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up,'" she said. Meanwhile, her close friend, Nadiya Vizier, claimed that Blanchard had been wanting to get a nose job for a while. "The main thing is that she wanted a more feminine-looking nose. She just wants to fix it up and give it a more feminine look," Vizier told People. Fortunately, the cosmetic surgery that took place in Lafayette, Louisiana, "went great" for Blanchard. However, she experienced pain and a bit of difficulty during her recovery. "I come in and out of sleep. I was in pain at first, but I am on pain medicine. I can't breathe through my nose because of the packing, but that comes off on the 10th," she said. "I want it so bad," she added, expressing excitement to see the new look of her nose after it heals completely. This physical transformation came after Blanchard announced her separation from her husband, Ryan Anderson, via a private Facebook post in March. "People have been asking what is going on in my life. Unfortunately, my husband and I are going through a separation, and I moved in with my parents' home down the bayou," she wrote, according to a private Facebook post obtained by People. "I have the support of my family and friends to help guide me through this. I am learning to listen to my heart. Right now I need time to let myself find... who I am." Meanwhile, Anderson, who tied the knot with Blanchard in a jailhouse ceremony in July 2022, broke his silence after her announcement and posted a video on his Instagram page and his newly-created TikTok account. "Hey, everybody! I just want to thank you all for the support and the nice messages I've been getting from people," he said. "It's been great. I'm just living my life... You all will see what really happened on Lifetime. We're filming a lot so stay tuned for that." "Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up" follows the story of Gypsy Rose and her life after parole and serving eight years in prison for her role in her mother Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard's murder in 2015. The new Lifetime documentary will be released in June. Bruce Kessler, known for his work as a TV director on popular shows such as 'The Monkees,' 'It Takes a Thief,' 'The Rockford Files,' 'McCloud,' and 'The Commish,' alongside his diverse pursuits in race car driving, boat design, and global voyages aboard yachts, has died. He was 88. Kessler passed away on Thursday at his residence in Marina del Rey following a brief illness, as confirmed by his brother, acclaimed author and columnist Stephen Kessler to The Hollywood Reporter. He is survived by his wife, actress Joan Freeman, renowned for her role as the love interest of Elvis Presley's character in 'Roustabout' (1964). Their enduring partnership spanned 54 years, with 33 of those years spent in marriage. Prior to his extensive television directing career spanning three decades, Kessler served as the second-unit director on Howard Hawks' action-packed film 'Red Line 7000' (1965), which centered around stock car racing and starred James Caan. Bruce Michael Kessler, born on March 23, 1936, in Seattle, moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1946, where his parents, Jack and Nina, established a flourishing ladies swimwear enterprise alongside fashion designer Rose Marie Reid. The family's success led them to relocate to Beverly Hills, where Kessler formed friendships with racing enthusiasts and future actors James Dean and Steve McQueen. Throughout his prolific career, Kessler directed episodes for numerous iconic television series, including 'The Flying Nun,' 'Adam-12,' 'Riptide,' 'MacGyver,' 'The Commish,' and 'Renegade,' with his final episode airing in 1997. During his youth, Kessler earned the moniker "Little Lead Foot" after showcasing his racing prowess in amateur auto races at the age of 17 driving his mother's Jaguar XK120. However, his promising career was marred by several harrowing incidents. In 1958, Kessler endured severe injuries in a fiery crash during the 24 Hours of Le Mans while piloting a Ferrari alongside Dan Gurney. The following year, he slipped into a coma for days after a race accident in Pomona, California. Despite recovering, Kessler faced another serious crash in Riverside, California, in 1962, prompting his retirement from the sport. Kessler transitioned into directing and producing with the documentary, 'The Sound of Speed,' in 1962, which highlighted the Scarab race car he helped build. This led to roles as a technical adviser and script supervisor for action films. He directed episodes of 'The Monkees' and films 'Angels From Hell' and 'Killers Three.' His directorial journey continued with movies including 'The Gay Deceivers' and 'Simon, King of the Witches,' along with television films like 'Murder in Peyton Place.' Kessler, alongside naval architect Steve Seaton, played a pivotal role in designing Delta Marine's first recreational motor yacht, a 70-foot vessel named Zopilote, launched in 1985. Continuing his maritime ventures, Kessler contributed to the construction of the Seaton-designed, 64-foot Spirit of Zopilote, delivered in 1997. Accompanied by his wife, Kessler lived and voyaged aboard this vessel for 27 years, during which he amassed over 100,000 nautical miles and 25,000 hours as the captain of his own ships. Many ESRF scientists are turning to machine-learning algorithms, for insights that would be much too laborious even impossible to gain manually. Our Long Read articles take a deep dive into a topic of scientific importance: this month, how AI can boost synchrotron science. This article was first published in the March issue of the ESRFnews magazine. For what was once a purely technical subject, machine learning has hardly been out of the news. Beginning in late 2022, the world has had to come to terms with the impact of a number of groundbreaking, generative artificial-intelligence (AI) models notably the ChatGPT chatbot by the US company OpenAI, and text-to-image systems such as Midjourney, developed by the US company of the same name. Everyday conversations cannot avoid the debate over whether we are living amid a fantastic new industrial revolution or the end of civilisation as we know it. All this popular controversy can detract from a quieter but no less important machine-learning evolution taking place in the scientific realm. Arguably this began in the 1990s, with greater computing power and the development of so-called neural networks, which attempt to mimic the wiring of the brain, and which helped to popularise AI as an overarching term for machines that ape human thinking. The real acceleration, however, has taken place in the past decade or so, thanks to the storage and processing of big data, and experiments with layered neural networks what has come to be called deep learning. Of this revolution, synchrotron users who are among the worlds largest producers of scientific data stand to be great beneficiaries. Machine learning has the potential to streamline experiments, reduce data volumes, speed up data analysis and obtain results that would otherwise be beyond human insight. Weve been amazed in many ways by the results we could produce, says Linus Pithan, a materials and data scientist based at the German synchrotron DESY, who ran an autonomous crystal-growth experiment at the ESRFs ID10 beamline with colleagues last year. The quality of the online data analysis was astonishing. Formerly a member of the ESRFs Beamline Control Unit where he helped develop the new BLISS beamline control system, Pithan is well placed to test the potential of machine learning in synchrotron science. The flexibility of BLISS was necessary for him and his colleagues to integrate their own deep-learning algorithm, which they had trained beforehand to reconstruct scattering-length density (SLD) profiles from the X-ray reflectivity of molecular thin films. Unlike the forwards operation calculating a reflectivity curve from an SLD profile this inverse problem can be painfully tedious to solve even for an experienced analyst: the data are inherently ambiguous, because they do not include the phase of the scattered X-rays. Indeed, it is a demanding task for a machine too, which is why at the beamline Pithans group made use of an online service known as VISA to harness the ESRFs central computer system. The success of the automation was immediately apparent (Figure 1). From the reflectivity measurements, the deep-learning algorithm could output SLD profiles and thin-film properties such as layer thickness and surface roughness in real time, and thereby stop in-situ molecular beam deposition at any desired sample thickness between 80 A and 640 A, with an average accuracy of 2 A [1]. The machine-learning model was able to predict results within milliseconds, says Pithan. In a way, we transferred the time that is traditionally needed for the manual fitting process to the point before the actual experiment where we trained the model. So by the time of the experiment, were able to get results instantaneously. Fig. 1: Measure data compared with deep-learning predictions for a crystal-growth experiment at ID10 [1]. a) The algorithm predicts the relationship between X-ray momentum transfer and reflectivity oscillations, which are a measure of properties such as thickness and surface roughness. b) The algorithm predicts when to stop the in-situ molecular beam deposition for a certain desired film thickness. Strategic development The ESRF has been anticipating a rise in machine learning for many years. It forms part of the data strategy, and is one of the reasons for the ESRFs engagement in various European projects that support the trend: PaNOSC, which is a cloud service to host publicly funded photon and neutron research data; DAPHNE, which aims to make photon and neutron data accord to FAIR (reusable) principles; and most recently OSCARS, which promotes European open science. Vincent Favre-Nicolin, the head of the ESRF algorithms and scientific data analysis group, is wary of claiming that machine learning is always a magical solution, and points out the toll it can take on computing resources. But for some areas it makes a real difference, he says. Aside from experimental automation, one of these areas is image segmentation. In daily life humans find this easy we have no problem working out where our fingertips end and the pages of a magazine begin, for instance but it can be laborious in certain areas of synchrotron science, such as tomography. ESRF postdoc Francois Cadiou, who is involved in BIG-MAP (part of the European Commissions BATTERY 2030+ large-scale research initiative for sustainable batteries), is developing machine-learning algorithms to quickly identify the different constituents of porous electrodes, such as the active material, the conductive polymer binder and the electrolyte. Accuracy is key here, as researchers need to know the exact conditions that promote superior battery performance over potentially catastrophic failure. Cadiou and his colleagues are developing a type of interactive AI algorithm called active learning. They begin by annotating some images in a tomographic volume manually, to set up their model for training. When its learning slows, the model moves on to unannotated volumes, selecting those it has the most to learn from. The human researchers review its output, applying corrections to be integrated into the next training loop. This next loop is then concluded, and another, and so on. According to Cadiou, training a model to segment one volume with more classical deep-learning algorithms can take a week or two due to the manual image-annotation process, whereas this active learning procedure gives results of sufficient fidelity in about a day. The speed-up is all the more required when were working with in-situ or operando data, as there are then numerous volumes to analyse conjointly, he says. Many other ESRF users are turning to machine learning to assist in segmentation, especially when the raw images contain the unprecedented levels of detail provided by the new Extremely Brilliant Source. Backed by a grant from the European Research Council, ESRF scientist Alexandra Pacureanu is turning to automated segmentation to resolve neural circuits in mammalian brains in data from the ID16A nano-imaging beamline. Meanwhile, drawing on hierarchical phase-contrast tomography (HiP-CT) data taken at the ESRFs flagship BM18 beamline, researchers involved in the Human Organ Atlas (HOA) project (co-funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) are relying on automated segmentation to identify various anatomical structures inside organs particularly blood vessels, but also airways in the lungs, the glomeruli or filtering units of the kidneys, and parts of the brain (Figure 2). Fig. 2: Painstaking manual segmentation of ESRF tomographic data reveals the vasculature of a human kidney for the Human Organ Atlas project. It also provides valuable training data for deep-learning algorithms that will be able to do the same job much faster (bioRxiv, doi: 10.1101/2023.03.28.534566) Training, training, training HiP-CT data expose the challenge and potential for machine learning in segmentation. Given that it can deliver images of entire organs, with a resolution down to the single cell in regions of interest, the data volumes are massive, often a terabyte or more, requiring hefty processing power. In addition, features such as blood vessels are genuinely hierarchical meaning that segmentation has to be performed over disparate length scales and vary greatly from person to person. Perhaps the trickiest problem is the sheer novelty of the imaging technique: there are simply no data already available that a machine-learning algorithm can draw on to train itself. This is something that is often glossed over, but machine learning can only be as good as the data used to train it, says HOA scientist Claire Walsh at University College London in the UK. And making these data is a huge undertaking. We have two experts labelling each dataset, and a third to go over the combined labels and mark areas that need improvement. The HOA has an open data policy. That permits another avenue for machine learning, for its datasets which include entire organs, either healthy or afflicted by various diseases can be mined by independent research groups, using their own algorithms and driven by their own research goals. Indeed, automated mining of open data is behind what is arguably the most scientifically influential deep-learning product of recent years: AlphaFold, which is developed by DeepMind, a research laboratory based in London, UK, and owned by the parent company of Google. Trained on experimental (largely synchrotron-derived) data in the Protein Data Bank, AlphaFold has succeeded where humans could not, by predicting with incredible accuracy protein structures from their amino acid sequences. AlphaFold predictions can in turn boost the experimental determination of new structures (Figure 3). Fig. 3: In 2022, combined with experimental data from the ESRF and SciLifeLab in Stockholm, Sweden, the deep-learning tool AlphaFold enabled researchers to determine the structures of two human proteins, GP2 and UMOD (pictured). The proteins are known to counteract the bacteria behind gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections (Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 29, 190; doi: 10.1038/s41594-022-00729-3) In other areas of synchrotron science, machine learning is not so much about breaking new ground, but making existing ground more accessible. Take X-ray spectroscopy, for instance. This can be an incredibly versatile technique, providing insights into the makeup of all kinds of samples from historic paintings, to polluted soil, to new catalysts, and much else besides. But interpreting individual spectra can be as much an expert task as classifying fingerprints and one that not all users will be up to. Machine learning can be trained to automatically extract information, such as atomic bond lengths, coordination numbers, charges and so on. The goal is to democratise the analysis of X-ray spectra to non-expert users, says ESRF software development engineer Marius Retegan, who hosted a microsymposium on the topic at this years User Meeting. This type of automated tool for spectroscopy is still in its infancy, as experimental data are not yet consistently stored in standardised formats necessary for training. Still, spectroscopy users may already have resorted to machine learning without realising it. PyMCA often regarded as the Swiss army knife for scanning spectroscopy data analysis has supported users for more than 15 years, and relies on unsupervised machine learning. The impact of machine learning will be greatest for the next generation of users. As part of the ENGAGE programme, the ESRF has three PhD students who are honing skills in computational physics. One of these is Matteo Masto, who is now in his second year developing deep-learning algorithms for coherent diffraction imaging, helping to retrieve lost phase information as well as those empty pixels that can be artefacts of even the best X-ray detectors. More and more people, me included, now are trying to employ deep-learning methods for the phase problem, and it seems to show promising results, he says. Besides this, there is a lot more coming in the future for many other applications, such as de-noising, super-resolution and particle-defect identification and classification. The benefits of machine learning may not always be felt directly. Nicolas Leclercq, the ESRF head of accelerator control, believes a variant known as reinforcement learning which learns on the fly from adjusting parameters, and therefore does not need well-labelled training data to begin with could one day improve the optimisation of the ESRF storage ring. In the ESRF vacuum group, Emmanuel Burtin and Anthony Meunier have been using machine learning to identify sudden pressure rises, which are a proxy for various events in the storage ring valves mistakenly opening or closing, air leaks, electron-beam perturbations, and so on. Classifying each of these events used to take a few minutes when it was done manually; now an algorithm can do it in less than a second. It can even expose new classes of event, and reclassify swathes of past events accordingly all in all helping to make accelerator control more efficient [2]. Finally, of course, there is the freely available generative AI. Chatbots provide a quick if not always reliable means to research scientific topics, for example, or to help compose papers and other documents in foreign languages. More broadly, Favre-Nicolin anticipates a time when users have recourse to virtual beamline assistants to plug gaps in their experience, encouraging them to pursue more adventurous lines of enquiry. They might ask, how can I do this experiment? Can you advise me on parameters? he says. Its bound to happen relatively soon. Text by Jon Cartwright, editor of ESRFnews, March 2024 issue References [1] L. Pithan et al., J. Synchrotron Rad. 30 1064-1075 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1107/S160057752300749X [2] A. Meunier & E. Burtin, ESRF Highlights 2023, p174 (2023). 4 La investigacion de los restos de Colon de la Catedral de Sevilla apuntan a una familia judia del mediterraneo espanol Chef Shannon Bennett, the celebrated Australian chef and author, who is best known for his role as head chef of Vue de Monde recently visited India for a culinary adventure with World On A Plate in collaboration with Johnnie Walker Blue Label. As he sat down with Femina for an exclusive video interview, the Australian chef shared insights into his culinary journey, from his beginnings to his current influence in the industry. Discover the moment that sparked his passion for cooking and how his experiences in running restaurants, writing cookbooks, and more. He got candid about his appearances on TV throughout his career and how it all influenced his approach to storytelling and education in the culinary world. The chef sheds light on his pre-cooking rituals and how he stays relevant in an ever-evolving global food industry. If you are sojmeone who hopes to learn the ropes of the kitchen and how to make it big in this industry, Chef Bennett has some nuggets of information for you. The dynamic chef also explained how he learnt to manage stress in high-pressure environments like restaurant kitchens. He also discussed the importance of simplicity in cooking and finding one's identity as a chef. Drawing inspiration from childhood memories and international cuisines, he shares personal anecdotes and reflects on the impact of Indian street food culture on his culinary creations. Join him for a captivating conversation filled with insights, inspirations, and favorite hobbies beyond the kitchen. During summers, it's essential to pay close attention to our health, particularly when it comes to urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs are not only uncomfortable but can also lead to serious complications if left untreated. UTI is an infection in any part of the urinary system which includes the kidney, bladder and urethra, experts explain. The bacteria enter the urinary tract and leads to symptoms like burning sensation while urination, strong-smelling urine, nausea or vomiting, muscle aches or even pain in the lower part of the stomach. It can give rise to fever and rarely blood in the urine.Some studies prove that one out of every two women face UTI. Unfortunately, women are more prone for UTIs than men due to the proximity of their urinary system to their genital organs, explains Dr. Vaishali Joshi, obstetrician and gynaecologist at Kokilaben Hospital, Mumbai, who feels with the temperatures rising across the country, a woman is at a higher risk of UTI due to lack of hydration. Even if one does land up with UTI there is nothing to be ashamed about. The first step is to know the risk factors and how it affects the uterus," she adds.Surprisingly, there are several factors that can increase the risk of UTIs, especially during the summer months. These are the seven major concerns one needs to keep an eye on:With the onset of summer and temperatures soaring, dehydration is likely to be the key reason for UTI. When less water is consumed there is minimal urination and bacteria builds up. Hence, drinking 6-8 glasses of water flushes out the toxins from the body.Holding your pee for a long time leads to multiplication of bacteria which can be a contributing factor for UTI. It's important to drink water throughout the day and not hold the bladder for more than 6 hours at a stretch.Body hugging and tight clothes, especially this summer, are a complete NO-NO! Tight undergarments, thongs, pants and even tight workout wear dont allow the vagina to breathe and hence hold the bacteria.UTI is extremely common during pregnancy as the growing foetus can put pressure on the bladder and urinary tract. Women are even susceptible to UTI during and after child birth. In such cases the doctor should be informed so that proper care is provided.After 1st intercourse, some women can have a urine infection. It's not uncommon to have UTI after the first intercourse. Empty your bladder after intercourse and drink a lot of water which helps to flush out the infection. If needed, consult with your doctor and take antibiotics.Vaginal skin becomes relatively thin due to lack of estrogen in menopausal women. Female urethra is in close proximity to vagina which makes women more vulnerable to UTI."One needs to be careful if UTIs happen repeatedly, i.e at least more than 2-3 infections in 6 months duration, which needs specialist treatment. The routine tests performed are urine microscopic examination and urine culture and sensitivity. This will pick up the type of bacteria that is causing UTI and the effective antibiotics to clear the infection. The sonography of the kidney, and bladder may be needed to look for after effects of UTI." concludes Dr. Vaishali Bangladesh's apparel exports to the United States dropped by 19.24 per cent year on year (YoY) in value to $1.18 billion and by 12.79 per cent YoY in volume to 395.69 million square metres in the first two months this year, according to figures released by the US Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA). Exporters attribute a number of domestic issues like the high cost of doing business and a lack of diversification to their loss of export share in the US market. Bangladeshs main rivals China and Vietnam, however, witnessed a positive trend. Bangladesh's apparel exports to the US fell by 19.24 per cent YoY in value to $1.18 billion and by 12.79 per cent YoY in volume to 395.69 million sq m in the first two months this year, according to the US Office of Textiles and Apparel. China's apparel exports to the US grew by 0.48 per cent YoY in value and 14.94 per cent YoY in volume during the period. China's apparel exports to the United States grew by 0.48 per cent YoY in value and 14.94 per cent YoY in volume during the first two months this year. Vietnam's apparel exports to the US in the two months also increased by 0.14 per cent YoY in value and by 8.81 per cent YoY in volume. However, overall US apparel imports during the period dropped by 7.78 per cent to $12.18 billion. Apparel work orders are slow and exporters are struggling to meet lead times for current orders due to a severe gas crisis, a financial newspaper in Bangladesh reported. The United States apparel imports from Cambodia in the two-month period increased as well by 15.34 per cent YoY to $545.20 million. India's apparel exports to the US market during that period fell by 13.75 per cent YoY to $759.48 million. US apparel imports from Indonesia in the first two months this year decreased by 17.25 per cent YoY to $660.35 million. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Garment exports from Sri Lanka were valued at $738.4 million during the first two months of 2024, noting a decline of 5.1 per cent compared to the $778.4 million exported during the same period in the previous year, according to statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. During January-February 2024, textile exports from the island nation dropped by 23.9 per cent year-on-year, totalling $46.0 million. The exports of other manufactured textile articles were valued at $19.0 million during the same period, an increase of 13.1 per cent, as detailed in the bank's report titled 'External Sector Performance February 2024'. In the first 2 months of 2024, Sri Lanka's garment exports declined by 5.1 per cent YoY to $738.4 million. Textile exports fell significantly by 23.9 per cent to $46.0 million, whereas exports of other manufactured textile articles rose by 13.1 per cent to $19.0 million. Collectively, these exports constituted over half of Sri Lanka's industrial exports. Exports of textiles, garments, and other manufactured textile articles collectively accounted for 50.03 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka during the reviewed period, the report indicated. All textile product exports summed up to $803.4 million in January-February 2024, while Sri Lanka's total industrial exports were $1,605.1 million in the previous year. In February 2024, all textile product exports from the country dropped by 2.1 per cent year-on-year, totalling $422.3 million. Category-wise, garment exports decreased by 0.1 per cent to $389.3 million, while textile exports decreased by 30.3 per cent to $23.0 million. Exports of other manufactured textile articles gained by 13.7 per cent, amounting to $10.0 million. On the other hand, imports of textiles and textile articles increased by 22.7 per cent to $470.6 million, while imports of clothing and accessories edged up by 19.4 per cent, amounting to $38.4 million in January-February 2024. In February, textiles and textile articles increased by 48.3 per cent to $246.1 million, while imports of clothing and accessories jumped by 44.4 per cent to $20.1 million. In 2023, garment exports from Sri Lanka were valued at $4,440.6 million, which was 19 per cent lower than the exports of $5,483.1 million in 2022. The imports of textiles and textile articles had declined by 22.6 per cent to $2,371.2 million, and Sri Lanka's imports of clothing and accessories were down by 21.1 per cent, amounting to $170 million in 2023. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) expects a surge in investment from the European Union (EU) amid revival of talks between the Southeast Asian country and the bloc on a planned free trade agreement (PH-EU FTA). With President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s initiatives and the anticipated free trade agreement, we expect an increase in EU investments, viewing the Philippines as a viable destination for their ventures, PEZA director general Tereso O Panga was quoted as saying by Philippine media outlets. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority expects a surge in investment from the EU amid revival of FTA negotiations between the Asian nation and the bloc. It is seeking a four-year extension of the GSP+ scheme, which will expire this year end, to maintain the advantage of tariff-free entry into the EU market for a substantial portion of Philippine products. PEZA hosts 202 projects now with EU equity that employ over 50,000. The FTA is expected to further enhance this, as the EU is the fifth largest trade partner of the Philippines. PEZA is seeking a four-year extension of the Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) scheme, which will expire this year end, to maintain the advantage of tariff-free entry into the EU market for a substantial portion of Philippine products. PEZA is courting investments through international missions, such as the recent venture to Madrid, where prospects for offshoring in industries like shipbuilding and agro-industry were discussed. As Spain has identified the Philippines as a key partner in Asia, PEZA seeks to elevate the trade relationship to include more advanced technology and high-value products. PEZA is also organising a mission with the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry following President Marcos Jr.s visits to Germany and Czech Republic to bank on investment leads and explore new opportunities. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Deputy minister of planning and investment, Do Thanh Trung recently disclosed governments plans to introduce a new law, tentatively named the Law on Industrial Zones and Economic Zones. Trung stated that the ministry had submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Justice for appraisal, awaiting feedback to finalise the draft law. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is proposing to develop a law tentatively called law on industrial zones and economic zones. Deputy minister of planning and investment outlined six policy groups aimed at promoting development of industrial parks and economic zones, aligning with Vietnam's industrialisation needs, and global trends. He outlined six policy groups aimed at promoting the development of industrial parks and economic zones, aligning with Vietnams industrialisation, modernisation needs, and global trends like green, digital, and circular economies. Firstly, policies supporting industry linkages and clusters within these zones were proposed to be expanded on a larger scale. Secondly, specialised industrial parks such as supporting, high-tech, and eco-industrial parks were identified for targeted support due to their unique characteristics and contribution to innovation. The third group focused on developing modern, smart industrial parks to attract investments in emerging fields like digital and green economies, alongside energy-efficient practices. The fourth group emphasised the integration of urban complexes within industrial parks, catering to both industrial and residential needs, promoting social services, and enhancing the quality of life for workers and residents. The fifth group aimed at providing additional incentives, including tax breaks and financial support, particularly for businesses operating within specialised industrial zones. This measure aims to stimulate investment and foster the growth of these industrial parks. Lastly, Trung highlighted the importance of revising administrative procedures to create a more favourable investment climate. These adjustments seek to streamline processes, enhance investor confidence, and improve the overall business environment nationwide. Overall, these policies aim to facilitate industrial growth, create employment opportunities, and support economic restructuring, while also enhancing the investment environment and ensuring sustainability across Vietnams industrial zones and economic sectors. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2024) - Canter Resources Corp. (CSE: CRC) (OTC Pink: CNRCF) (FSE: 6O1) ("Canter" or the "Company") is pleased to report that, after interpreting recently acquired third party data and completing 3D modeling, the Company's technical team immediately mobilized to site to stake the limited open ground along the western edge of the Columbus Lithium-Boron Project ("Columbus" or the "Project"). The full surface sampling dataset, shown in Figure 1, includes highly anomalous lithium ("Li") values along the Company's previous western boundary and beyond. Furthermore, the Company's 3D modeling, and particularly the HSAMT resistivity shells, highlighted a broadening and open-ended conductive zone trending west with only two (2) kilometres to the limits of the Company's previous property boundary (see press release dated March 30, 2024). The land package now stands at a commanding 29,600 acres (119 km). "We are thrilled to have significantly expanded our land package at Columbus to encompass the full extent of the most prospective ground for lithium-enriched brines before commencing our drill campaigns," stated Joness Lang, CEO of Canter Resources. "Our team sees tremendous potential at Columbus and we are excited to get underway with Geoprobe drilling, which will commence imminently." Watch: Video animation highlighting Columbus surface and 3D model results, newly staked ground and substantial Li-brine target with initial drill locations. Watch Video Here > The 3D modeling has been instrumental in revealing the expansive potential within the Columbus Project area. By carefully analyzing the geological structures and resistivity patterns, the Company has identified a westward-trending conductive zone that signifies a broadening corridor of potential lithium-bearing brines. This insight is critical, as it suggests a continuous zone extending beyond the original property boundaries (see Figure 1). Moreover, the HSAMT data has been pivotal in understanding the subsurface characteristics of the Project area. The HSAMT survey's leading edge terminated within an area exhibiting extremely low resistivity, indicative of highly conductive material likely associated with brine concentrations. This cutoff, due to the survey reaching its westernmost extent, aligned with the trend of anomalous lithium values in surface sediments extending westward. This discovery underpins the decision to expand the land package, thereby increasing the scope for further exploration and potential resource identification. Figure 1: Figure showing expanded land package, differentiating between current claim boundary and newly staked ground, highlighting the <0.5 ohm-metre HSAMT openness to the west and full third-party data including the western flank samples within previous boundary and extending beyond. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10112/204646_3118d57ac445eb1f_001full.jpg Canter Resources is now poised to implement a more comprehensive Phase II exploration program. This next phase will include expanded geophysical survey coverage, aiming to thoroughly map out the resistivity and structural profiles across the newly acquired acreage. Photo 1: Canter's Senior Geologist, Trevor Hawkins, staking a Geoprobe collar location during the recent western expansion claim staking trip at the Company's Columbus Lithium-Boron Project. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10112/204646_3118d57ac445eb1f_002full.jpg Qualified Person (QP) The technical information contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Eric Saderholm P.Geo, Director and Technical Advisor of Canter Resources, a Qualified Person (QP), as defined under National Instrument 43- 101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Canter Resources Corp. Canter Resources Corp. is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company advancing the Columbus Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada, USA and the Beaver Creek Lithium Property in Montana, USA. The Company is preparing for a Phase I drill campaign at Columbus to test a highly prospective lithium-brine target and plans to leverage the Company's critical metals targeting database to generate a portfolio of high-quality projects with the aim of defining mineral resources that support the domestic clean energy supply chain in North America. For further information contact: Joness Lang Chief Executive Officer Canter Resources Corp. jlang@canterresources.com For investor inquiries contact: Kristina Pillon, High Tide Consulting Corp. Tel: 604.908.1695 investors@canterresources.com The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/204646 SOURCE: Canter Resources Corp. Erinnern Sie sich, als Moderna und BioNTech von unbekannten Unternehmen zu globalen Marktfuhrern wurden und fruhzeitige Investoren reich belohnt haben? Die Branche steht vor einem erneuten Innovationsschub von bahnbrechenden Medikamenten bis hin zu revolutionaren Therapien. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Sie sollten jetzt in Biotech-Aktien einsteigen, weil wir am Beginn einer neuen Ara der medizinischen Innovation stehen konnten! Gen- und Zelltherapien, personalisierte Medizin und bahnbrechende Technologien konnten das Gesundheitswesen revolutionieren und die Aktienkurse in die Hohe schieen lassen. Die nachste Erfolgsgeschichte im Biotechbereich warten nur darauf, entdeckt zu werden. Wer jetzt investiert, hat die Chance, von gigantischen Durchbruchen und enormen Renditen zu profitieren. Warten Sie nicht, bis es zu spat ist - der nachste Biotech-Superstar konnte morgen schon durchstarten! Verpassen Sie nicht diese Chance! 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Handeln Sie Jetzt! Fordern Sie jetzt den brandneuen Spezialreport an und profitieren Sie von dem weiter steigenden Kurs des Edelmetalls. Sichern Sie sich jetzt Ihren kostenfreien Report. Support from existing investors including Redmile Group, Invus, Sofinnova Partners and a large investment management firm Financing will enable the Company to extend its cash runway through the end of 2025 Regulatory News: Sensorion (FR0012596468 ALSEN) a pioneering clinical-stage biotechnology company which specializes in the development of novel therapies to restore, treat and prevent hearing loss disorders, today announced a 15 million offering reserved to specific categories of investors (the "Reserved Offering") through the issuance of 24,574,694 new ordinary shares of the Company (the "New Shares") at a price per New Share of 0.63 (the "Subscription Price") to the benefit of existing shareholders including Redmile Group, Invus, Sofinnova Partners and a large investment management firm. The settlement-delivery of the Reserved Offering is expected to take place around April 11, 2024, subject to customary conditions. Nawal Ouzren, Sensorion's Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are thrilled to announce another successful capital raise, securing an additional EUR 15 million to accommodate interest expressed by certain existing investors. This builds on the earlier EUR 50 million financing announced in February 2024, adding up to a total of EUR 100 million raised in less than 9 months. With this new financing, we are well-positioned to accelerate our gene therapy programs, including the progression of SENS-501 through its Phase 1/2 clinical study, Audiogene, and the advancement of our second program, GJB2-GT, towards Clinical Trial Applications submission in H1 2025. The capital increase enables the Company to finance its activities until the end of 2025. We remain deeply thankful for the ongoing support of our shareholders and partners as we strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by hearing loss disorders." Khalil Barrage, Interim Chairman of Sensorion's Board of Directors, said: "We are immensely grateful for the continued support and confidence shown by our existing investors. Their participation in this transaction reaffirms their confidence in Sensorion's vision and commitment to advancing innovative therapies for patients with hearing disorders." Impact on cash flow and use of proceeds The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Reserved Offering, which amount to c. 14.8 million (based on the aggregate Subscription Price), to fund the company's R&D activities until the end of 2025, covering GJB2 CTA submission and the first two cohorts of the Audiogene Phase 1/2 clinical trial, which was approved in Europe in January 2024 as well as for other R&D and corporate overhead expenses. Based on its forecasted expenses, cash and cash equivalents as of December 31st, 2023, of c. 37 million, as well as the net proceeds from the reserved offering executed in February 20241 together with the net proceeds from this Reserved Offering, the Company believes that it will be able to finance its operations until the end of 2025. The company continues to pursue non-dilutive financing. Main terms of the Reserved Offering Sensorion's board of directors and Chief Executive Officer using the delegation of powers granted by the 8th resolution of the extraordinary shareholders' general meeting held on December 20th, 2023 (capital increase with cancellation of preferential subscription rights in favor of categories of persons with specific characteristics) and in accordance with article L. 225-138 et seq. of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), have decided on April 5, 2024, to complete the issuance of the New Shares. The New Shares were issued at a price of 0.63, which represents a 10% discount to the weighted average share price on the day preceding the date on which the issuance price is set, in accordance with the 8th resolution of the extraordinary shareholders' meeting of the Company held on December 20th, 2023. The issuance of the 24,574,694 New Shares will result in an immediate capital increase of 15,482,057.22 (i.e., a nominal amount of 2,457,469.40 and a total issuance premium of 13,024,587.82 and corresponding to a nominal value of 10 cents (0.10) plus an issuance premium of 0.53 per New Share), representing approximately 9% of the Company's share capital and voting rights outstanding before the Reserved Offering. Redmile Group, Invus and Sofinnova Partners who are existing shareholders and are also represented on the Board of Directors of the Company, will participate in the Reserved Offering for subscription amounts of 1.8 million, 1.7 million and 1.0 million, respectively, representing 11.3%, 10.7% and 6.5% of the aggregate gross amount of the Reserved Offering, respectively. It is specified that Redmile Group, Invus and Sofinnova Partners, who are also members of Sensorion's Board of Directors, did not take part in the vote of the Reserved Offering at the Board of Directors' meeting held on April 5, 2024. Following the settlement-delivery expected to occur on April 11, 2024, the Company's total share capital will be 30,025,022.50 divided into 300,250,225 ordinary shares, each with a par value of 0.10. The New Shares will be fungible with the existing ordinary shares of the Company and will be admitted to trading on Euronext Growth in Paris under the ISIN FR0012596468. Leerink Partners LLC ("Leerink Partners") and Stifel Europe AG ("Stifel") are acting as lead agents in connection with the Reserved Offering. Chardan Capital Markets LLC ("Chardan") is acting as placement agent in connection with the Reserved Offering (Leerink Partners together with Stifel and Chardan, the "Placing Agents"). Stifel is also acting as Centralizing Agent. Namsen Capital is acting as equity capital markets advisor. Shareholding Structure after the Reserved Offering On an illustrative basis, a shareholder holding 1% of the Company's share capital before the Reserved Offering and who did not participate in the Reserved Offering will hold 0.92% of the Company's share capital after the issuance of the New Shares. To the Company's knowledge, the shareholding structure, before and after the Reserved Offering, breaks down as follows: Shareholding Structure as of April 5th, 2024 (non diluted) Shareholding Structure POST FINANCING (non diluted) Shareholding Structure POST FINANCING (fully diluted) Number of shares Number of shares (%) Number of Voting Rights Number of Voting Rights (%) Number of shares Number of shares (%) Number of Voting Rights Number of Voting Rights (%) Number of shares Number of shares (%) Number of Voting Rights Number of Voting Rights (%) Redmile Group LLC 63,270,676 23.0% 63,270,676 23.0% 66,052,590 22.0% 66,052,590 22.0% 83,909,733 35.6% 83,909,733 35.6% Invus Artal Group 78,345,050 28.4% 78,345,050 28.4% 80,980,547 27.0% 80,980,547 27.0% 80,980,547 34.4% 80,980,547 34.4% Sofinnova Partners 52,750,159 19.1% 52,750,159 19.1% 54,337,460 18.1% 54,337,460 18.1% 54,337,460 23.1% 54,337,460 23.1% WuXi App Tec 5,249,608 1.9% 5,249,608 1.9% 5,249,608 1.7% 5,249,608 1.7% 5,249,608 2.2% 5,249,608 2.2% 3SBio 4,055,150 1.5% 4,055,150 1.5% 4,055,150 1.4% 4,055,150 1.4% 4,055,150 1.7% 4,055,150 1.7% Innobio 3,499,874 1.3% 3,499,874 1.3% 3,499,874 1.2% 3,499,874 1.2% 3,499,874 1.5% 3,499,874 1.5% SONOVA AG 2,941,176 1.1% 2,941,176 1.1% 2,941,176 1.0% 2,941,176 1.0% 2,941,176 1.2% 2,941,176 1.2% Cochlear 533,755 0.2% 533,755 0.2% 533,755 0.2% 533,755 0.2% 533,755 0.2% 533,755 0.2% Sub Total Institutional Shareholders 210,645,448 76.4% 210,645,448 76.4% 217,650,160 72.5% 217,650,160 72.5% 235,507,303 72.2% 235,507,303 72.3% Officers 160 000 0,06% 160 000 0,06% 160,000 0.05% 160,000 0.05% 4,010,355 1.2% 4,010,355 1.2% Directors 1,365,290 0.4% 1,365,290 0.4% Employees consulting 2,352,020 0.7% 2,352,020 0.7% Treasury shares 126,753 0.05% 126,753 0.04% 126,753 0.04% Free Float 64,743,330 23.5% 64,743,330 23.5% 82,313,312 27.4% 82,313,312 27.4% 82,609,312 25.3% 82,609,312 25.4% TOTAL 275,675,531 100.0% 275,548,778 100.0% 300,250,225 100.0% 300,123,472 100.0% 325,971,033 100.0% 325,844,280 100.0% Lock-up agreements In connection with the Reserved Offering, the Company has entered into a lock-up agreement restricting the issuance of additional ordinary shares for a period ending 90 days following the date of settlement-delivery of the New Shares, subject to customary exceptions. The Company's management, Board members and shareholders represented at the Board of Directors who hold ordinary shares of the Company are also subject to a lock-up for a period of 90 days following date of settlement-delivery of the New Shares, subject to customary exceptions. Settlement-delivery of the Reserved Offering The admission of the New Shares to trading on the Euronext Growth market in Paris is scheduled for the time of settlement and delivery, which is expected to take place on April 11, 2024. The New Shares will be immediately assimilated to the Company's existing shares already traded on Euronext Growth in Paris, and will be able to be traded, from their issuance, on the same listing line (ISIN code: FR0012596468). The Reserved Offering has not given rise to a prospectus submitted for approval by the AMF. Risk Factors The Company draws the public's attention to the risk factors related to the Company and its activities presented in section I.3 of the Rapport annuel for the year ended December 31st, 2023, which is available free of charge on the website of the Company (www.sensorion.com). In addition, investors are invited to consider the following risks: (i) shareholders stake in the Company will be diluted further to the issuance of the New Shares for the shareholders who did not participate to the Reserved Offering, (ii) the market price for the Company's shares may fluctuate and fall below the subscription price of the shares issued pursuant to the Reserved Offering, (iii) the volatility and liquidity of the Company's shares may fluctuate significantly, (iv) sales of the Company's shares may occur on the market and have a negative impact on the market price of the shares, and (v) the Company's shareholders could undergo a potentially material dilution resulting from any future capital increases that are needed to finance the Company. About Sensorion Sensorion is a pioneering clinical-stage biotech company, which specializes in the development of novel therapies to restore, treat and prevent hearing loss disorders, a significant global unmet medical need. Sensorion has built a unique R&D technology platform to expand its understanding of the pathophysiology and etiology of inner ear related diseases, enabling it to select the best targets and mechanisms of action for drug candidates. It has two gene therapy programs aimed at correcting hereditary monogenic forms of deafness, developed in the framework of its broad strategic collaboration focused on the genetics of hearing with the Institut Pasteur. SENS-501 (OTOF-GT) targets deafness caused by mutations of the gene encoding for otoferlin and is currently developed in a Phase 1/2 clinical study, and GJB2-GT targets hearing loss related to mutations in GJB2 gene to potentially address important hearing loss segments in adults and children. The Company is also working on the identification of biomarkers to improve diagnosis of these underserved illnesses. Sensorion's portfolio also comprises clinical-stage small molecule programs for the treatment and prevention of hearing loss disorders. Sensorion's clinical-stage portfolio includes one Phase 2 product: SENS-401 (Arazasetron) progressing in a Phase 2 proof of concept clinical study of SENS-401 in Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity (CIO) and, with partner Cochlear Limited, in a study of SENS-401 in patients scheduled for cochlear implantation. A Phase 2 study of SENS-401 was also completed in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) in January 2022. www.sensorion.com Label: SENSORION ISIN: FR0012596468 Mnemonic: ALSEN Forward-looking statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Sensorion and its business. Such forward looking statements are based on assumptions that Sensorion considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will be verified, which statements are subject to numerous risks, including the risks set forth in the 2023 full year annual report published on March 14, 2024, and available on Sensorion's website and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Sensorion operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Sensorion or not currently considered material by Sensorion. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Sensorion to be materially different from such forward-looking statements. This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, Sensorion shares in any country. The communication of this press release in certain countries may constitute a violation of local laws and regulations. Any recipient of this press release must inform oneself of any such local restrictions and comply therewith. Disclaimer This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy ordinary shares of the Company, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction. This announcement is an advertisement and not a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017, as amended (the "Prospectus Regulation"). In France, the Reserved Offering described above is exclusively carried out in the form of a placement to a category of institutional investors, in accordance with Article L. 225-138 of the Code de commerce and applicable regulations. With respect to Member States of the European Economic Area (including France), no action has been taken or will be taken to permit a public offering of the securities referred to in this press release which would require the publication of a prospectus (pursuant to article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation) in any Member State. This press release and the information it contains is not an offer to sell, nor the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy the New Shares in the United States or any other jurisdiction where restrictions may apply including notably Canada, Australia or Japan. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act or an exemption from registration thereunder. Sensorion does not intend to register the New Shares under the Securities Act or conduct a public offering of the New Shares in France, the United States, or in any other jurisdiction. This communication is being distributed only to, and is directed only at (a) persons outside the United Kingdom, (b) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"), and (c) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this communication or any of its contents. This distribution of this press release may be subject to legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Any person who comes into possession of this press release must inform him or herself of and comply with any such restrictions. _______________________ 1 https://s27.q4cdn.com/232015521/files/doc_news/2024/02/Sevilla-EN-CP-PIPE-08-02-2024_vFinal.pdf View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240407950354/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations Noemie Djokovic, Investor Relations and Communications Associate ir.contact@sensorion-pharma.com Press Relations Ulysse Communication Bruno Arabian 00 33(0)6 87 88 47 26 barabian@ulysse-communication.com Nicolas Entz 00 33 (0)6 33 67 31 54 nentz@ulysse-communication.com Team ViroCell will be attending the Cell Gene Therapy Meeting on the Med, April 9-11 2024 ViroCell Biologics ("ViroCell" or the "Company") announces that John W. Hadden II, Chief Executive Officer, will be presenting at the annual Cell Gene Meeting on the Med to be held April 9-11 in Rome, Italy. In addition, Farzin Farzaneh, Ph.D., ViroCell's Chief Scientific Officer, will be moderating a panel discussion at the conference. Both events will be livestreamed globally. Organised by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, the Cell Gene Meeting on the Med is a three-day conference featuring more than 60 dedicated company presentations by leading public and private companies, highlighting technical and clinical achievements over the past 12 months in the areas of cell therapy, gene therapy, gene editing, tissue engineering, and broader regenerative medicine technologies, as well as over 100 panelists and featured speakers. The following are specific details regarding ViroCell's presentation at the conference: Event: 2024 Cell Gene Meeting on the Med ViroCell Company Overview, presented by John W. Hadden II Date: Thursday, April 11th, 2024 Time: 10:00am 10:15am Location: Section 2, Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel Via Alberto Cadlolo, 101, 00136 Roma RM, Italy The following are specific details regarding the panel event at the conference: Event: 2024 Cell Gene Meeting on the Med Advances in Targeting Autoimmune Disease, moderated by Farzin Farzaneh, Ph.D. Speakers: Benjamin Dewees, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Quality, Kyverna Therapeutics and Sumant Ramachandra, M.D., Ph.D., CEO, ImmPact Bio Date: Wednesday, April 10th, 2024 Time: 10:45am 11:45am Location: Section 3&4, Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel Via Alberto Cadlolo, 101, 00136 Roma RM, Italy Virtual attendance is available which includes a livestream of ViroCell's presentation and panel event and the ability to view all conference sessions on-demand. Please visit https://meetingonthemed.com/ for full information including registration. Complimentary attendance at this event is available for credentialed investors and members of the media only. Investors should contact Laura Stringham at lstringham@alliancerm.org and interested media should contact Stephen Majors at smajors@alliancerm.org. Notes to editor: ViroCell www.virocell.com ViroCell Biologics is an innovation-driven Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation ("CDMO") focused exclusively on the design and GMP manufacture of viral vectors for clinical trials. Built around one of the most prolific academic viral vector manufacturing teams, ViroCell was created to address the global demand for precisely engineered viral vectors and aims to become the partner of choice for companies developing cell and gene therapies. The team leverages its deep track record to help clients to de-risk and accelerate novel cell and gene therapies into and through clinical development, with a mission of being the partner of choice for corporate and academic innovators in this field. Focused initially on manufacturing lentivirus and gamma-retrovirus vectors, ViroCell enables clients to start clinical trials on a scalable platform, delivering value by reducing costs, time and regulatory risk. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240407754556/en/ Contacts: For more company information, please contact: ViroCell John W. Hadden II, CEO info@virocell.com For media enquiries, please contact: FTI Consulting Simon Conway Victoria Foster Mitchell Tim Stamper ViroCell@fticonsulting.com +44 (0)20 3727 1000 Regulatory News: TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) has agreed to acquire the 20% interest held by Lewis Energy Group in the Dorado leases operated by EOG Resources (80%) in the Eagle Ford shale gas play, increasing its natural gas production capacity in Texas and further strengthening its business integration in the U.S. LNG value chain. TotalEnergies increases its natural gas production in the U.S Located in Texas, the Dorado field will allow TotalEnergies to increase its net U.S. natural gas production by 50 million cubic feet a day (Mcf/d) in 2024, with the potential for an additional 50 Mcf/d by 2028. The field has an emission intensity of around 10 kg CO2eboeIn 2023, TotalEnergies' net U.S. natural gas output reached around 340 Mcf/d (450 Mcf/d technical production). TotalEnergies, largest exporter of U.S. LNG With over 10 million tons (Mt) in 2023, TotalEnergies was the number one exporter of U.S. LNG, thanks to its 16.6% stake in the Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana and several long-term purchasing agreements. The Company's LNG export capacity will reach 15 Mt/y by 2030 following the start-up of the first phase of the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas, currently under construction. "This acquisition strengthens our production of natural gas in the United States, contributing to reinforce TotalEnergies' LNG integration with a low cost and low emission upstream gas feed," said Nicolas Terraz, President, Exploration Production at TotalEnergies. "We are pleased to partner with EOG Resources, an operator recognized for its strong technical expertise." TotalEnergies in the United States TotalEnergies is deploying its integrated energy model in the United States, where it has been active since 1957. With over 10 Mt of output in 2023, TotalEnergies is the leading exporter of US LNG, thanks to its 16.6% stake in the Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana and long-term supply contracts. By 2030, this capacity will reach 15 Mt/y, following the start-up of the Rio Grande LNG plant in South Texas. With upstream gas production assets in Texas, the Company is integrated throughout the LNG value chain. The US is a key country for the deployment of TotalEnergies' Integrated Power strategy, where its portfolio includes 25 GW of renewables projects, flexible generation assets, including 1.5 GW of gas-fired power plants in Texas, and a trading center in Houston. The Company is also active in upstream oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, and in refining and petrochemicals, centered on its platform in Port Arthur (Texas). TotalEnergies is also present in CCS and in low-carbon fuels, such as biogas and e-NG. TotalEnergies, the world's third largest LNG player TotalEnergies is the world's third largest LNG player with a global portfolio of 44 Mt/y in 2023 thanks to its interests in liquefaction plants in all geographies. The Company benefits from an integrated position across the LNG value chain, including production, transportation, access to more than 20 Mt/y of regasification capacity in Europe, trading, and LNG bunkering. TotalEnergies' ambition is to increase the share of natural gas in its sales mix to close to 50% by 2030, to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate methane emissions associated with the gas value chain, and to work with local partners to promote the transition from coal to natural gas. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations. @TotalEnergies lTotalEnergies lTotalEnergies lTotalEnergies Cautionary Note The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies' financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Universal Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408107723/en/ Contacts: TotalEnergies Contacts Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com PARIS, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Key highlights: NJJ Holding ("NJJ"), the investment firm founded and owned by Xavier Niel, the founder of leading European telco group iliad, obtained regulatory approval in March 2024 to acquire Datagroup-Volia, Ukraine's leading fixed telecom and pay TV provider. Datagroup-Volia is 96.13% owned by a fund managed by U.S. private equity firm Horizon Capital, led by Lenna Koszarny, and 3.87% by Datagroup-Volia CEO Mykhaylo Shelemba. Once the transaction has closed, the consortium led by NJJ intends to merge Datagroup-Volia with Lifecell, the country's #3 and fastest-growing mobile operator. This would take place after regulatory approvals are obtained, resulting in 100% ownership of these Ukraine-domiciled assets. The group plans to launch a significant investment program upon the completion of the transaction in Ukraine, with investments in network, licenses, equipment and expansion of fixed and mobile infrastructure in the country to accelerate future growth. Post-closing, a fund managed by Horizon Capital and Mykhaylo Shelemba will invest in the combined entity to retain a minority position and be the local partner of NJJ in Ukraine. The combined Datagroup-Volia-Lifecell entity will be led by Mykhaylo Shelemba, current Datagroup CEO, as Group CEO. Pierre Danon, Chair of the Supervisory Board, Datagroup-Volia, will serve in the same capacity for the merged entity. This historic transaction is the first major investment by a new market entrant since the full-fledged invasion, as well as a significant investment in domestic infrastructure in Ukraine. It is a landmark deal aimed at acquiring existing Ukraine-based telecom players and subsequently combining these into a platform for expansion, growth and investment, demonstrating that Ukraine can attract high quality investments regardless of the prevailing situation. Transaction closing is subject to remaining regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. NJJ, the investment firm founded and fully-owned by French tech and telecoms entrepreneur Xavier Niel, and Horizon Capital, led by Lenna Koszarny, a U.S. private equity firm investing primarily in fast-growing tech companies in Ukraine and Moldova via dedicated funds, and Mykhaylo Shelemba, Datagroup-Volia CEO and shareholder (together, the "parties"), have announced that regulatory approvals were granted in March 2024 for NJJ to acquire Datagroup-Volia, Ukraine's leading fixed connectivity and pay TV provider. Once remaining conditions are met for the acquisition of mobile assets in Ukraine, trading under the Lifecell brand, the parties intend to create a national telecom champion, with the highest growth profile among peers, and the "operator of choice" for safe, secure and reliable telecom services in Ukraine. The combined entity will provide mobile connectivity to nearly 10 million Ukrainians, while its fixed network will cover more than 4 million residences across Ukraine. The merger of Datagroup-Volia and Lifecell will also enable consumers to benefit from a triple play offer, bundling mobile, fixed connectivity and pay TV, improving quality of service, pricing and furthering the integration of European standards. Xavier Niel, Founder of NJJ Holding, said: "I am pleased that we have achieved this major milestone with the regulatory approval for the acquisition of Datagroup-Volia, a significant step towards the creation of a national Ukrainian telecom champion, providing Ukrainians with safe, secure and reliable telecom services. Ukraine is home to an impressive tech sector with innovation in artificial intelligence, a high degree of digitalization and technological affinity. We are confident that our landmark transaction will serve as a signal to others that the time to invest in Ukraine is now, to support the rebuilding of the country and realize its potential. We look forward to working in the country and we are confident that our global telecoms activities, dedicated team and sector expertise, from France to Poland, from Italy to Sweden and the Baltics, will bring value to all stakeholders, including employees and customers, and to Ukraine as we work together to further develop the telecom offering, tech, artificial intelligence and other strategic areas of cooperation." Lenna Koszarny, Founding Partner and CEO of Horizon Capital, added: "We are delighted to attract Xavier Niel and NJJ to Ukraine, paving the way for a significant investment by a high-quality Western strategic in Ukraine's infrastructure sector during historic times. Horizon Capital's journey began in 2010 with the acquisition of a minority stake in Datagroup, then took a bold leap forward in 2016 after acquiring majority control. People make the difference at Horizon Capital and this deal is no exception. Attracting Mykhaylo Shelemba from McKinsey Dubai, recruited by Dmytro Boroday, Partner and beating out 17 candidates to assume the helm as Datagroup CEO in 2016, was truly game-changing. Under Mykhaylo's leadership, Datagroup increased revenues 3.8 times and EBITDA 4.8 times in USD terms over five years, underpinning our confidence to raise our ownership to over 96%, and together with Mykhaylo Shelemba, fully control Datagroup's destiny. Our vision to pursue a triple play, bringing fixed, pay TV and mobile together, was born in 2018 with the first meetings with Volia and Lifecell, and inspired by Xavier Niel, who is renowned as the French pioneer and visionary who over 20 years ago invented the Freebox - the world's first triple-play box - bringing Internet to many households and mobile usage within reach. We completed the acquisition of Volia in June 2021, followed by a historic meeting with Xavier Niel and his team in Paris in December 2021, that has now culminated in this landmark transaction. To lead a deal of this magnitude and importance is the honor of a lifetime, and we are truly grateful to Xavier Niel and the NJJ team for their trust and partnership, and to the Datagroup-Volia and Lifecell leadership and teams for their excellence. We look forward to partnering with Xavier Niel and NJJ in the future, and are confident that this transaction will serve as a critical market signal, attracting new investments into Ukraine's infrastructure and technology sectors and contributing to the country's ongoing resilience, digitalization and growth." Mykhaylo Shelemba, CEO of Datagroup-Volia, added: "The merger of Datagroup-Volia and Lifecell will create a new champion in Ukraine's telecom industry, combining two stellar assets with vast synergy potential. Expansion of the triple-play offering is expected to result in clear, tangible benefits for consumers in cost, convenience, and quality of service. Mutual integration of customer bases, improvements in cost-efficiency and business processes, as well as strengthening of network investment will allow us to offer even more attractive and competitive packages to our subscribers than both companies were able to provide on a standalone basis. This opportunity is only made possible through the bravery of Ukraine's courageous defenders, protecting the country at this pivotal time, and the over 5,000 talented and dedicated management team and employees of Datagroup-Volia and Lifecell, who have demonstrated the utmost resilience and commitment to continuing to deliver high-quality services to Ukrainians every day, despite challenging circumstances. I thank Horizon Capital for their vision, trust and backing for the past eight years and look forward to embarking on this new, exciting chapter led by Xavier Niel and NJJ, undoubtedly one of the most visionary, experienced and trailblazing telecom investors globally. We are confident that this deal will start a new page in Ukraine's telecom market and inspire others considering investing in Ukraine." About NJJ Holding NJJ Holding is the personal investment vehicle of Xavier Niel, a recognised entrepreneur and major long-term investor in the telecoms sector across the world. He is also the owner of Iliad founded in 2002, which revolutionized the telecom market in France, ensuring that French consumers enjoy some of the lowest broadband rates in the developed world with its "Freebox". In 2012, he launched Free Mobile offering no-strings-attached SIM card services. Iliad now being a leading telecoms provider present in France, Italy and Poland. Overall, Xavier Niel has telecoms investments in more than 20 countries across the world, delivering mobile services to over a hundred million subscribers. About Horizon Capital Horizon Capital is the leading private equity firm in Emerging Europe with $1.6 billion in assets under management, from investors with a capital base of over $700 billion, raising over $800 million in growth capital in six years, including its latest fund, $350 million Horizon Capital Growth Fund IV, L.P. The firm's investment strategy focuses on backing visionary entrepreneurs leading fast-growing, primarily tech and export-oriented businesses in Ukraine and Moldova. Horizon Capital-managed funds have invested in over 172 companies employing more than 80,000 people. Horizon Capital's investment in Datagroup-Volia is held by Horizon Capital Growth Fund II, L.P. About Datagroup - Volia Datagroup and Volia is the national fixed line leader across key customer segments - B2C, B2B, and wholesale. The Company's network covers over 4 million Ukrainian households in more than 100 cities, with over 35,000 kilometers of fiber infrastructure making it one of the largest networks in the country. The Company also offers a broad portfolio of value-add services to its clients, including cloud and cybersecurity for B2B customers, and IoT and OTT solutions for retail customers. With more than 2,000 institutional clients, the group is also a key partner of the public sector, collaborating with state bodies and agencies in the fields of finance, defense, and communications. Contact: Alona Kotsiubynska akotsiubynska@horizoncapital.com.ua +380 93 297 9487 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2380907/4635085/NJJ_Holding_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2342850/4550403/Horizon_Capital_logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2380906/4635083/Datagroup_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2380905/Volia_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/consortium-led-by-xavier-niel-clears-regulatory-approval-to-acquire-ukraines-1-fixed-telco-datagroup-volia-pursuing-merger-with-3-mobile-operator-lifecell-significant-investment-planned-in-ukraine-302109875.html Original-Research: Rosenbauer International AG - from NuWays AG Classification of NuWays AG to Rosenbauer International AG Company Name: Rosenbauer International AG ISIN: AT0000922554 Reason for the research: Recommendation: Kaufen from: 08.04.2024 Target price: EUR 50 Target price on sight of: 12 Monaten Last rating change: Analyst: Christian Sandherr Solid FY23 figures // successful operating turnaround; chg. est. Topic: Rosenbauer reported solid FY23 figures with top-line slightly below and EBIT-margin in line with guidance. The strong demand is unbroken with a record high order intake and backlog. FY23 sales came in at EUR 1.06bn, slightly below the management target of EUR 1.1bn and up 9.5% yoy, despite a reduction in the amount of fire trucks delivered, due to an average price increase of 12% per fire truck. EBIT increased to EUR 37.5m from EUR -10.6m in FY22, backed by further stabilization of supply chains and substantial price increases. Hence the EBIT margin increased to 3.5% (+4.6pp yoy), hitting the guidance of 3.5% EBIT margin. Going forward, profitability should increase even further in FY24e and FY25e, approaching a more normalized EBIT margin of 5.0% in FY25e (eNuW FY24e: 4.6%). Several drivers are supporting this development. (1) The price increases are not yet fully included in the P&L as the order book still contains older orders not reflecting the full increase due to the long lead times. We expect the average price per fire truck to increase c. 10% in FY24e (eNuW). (2) An increasing share of the high margin electric vehicle business, which accounts for c. 2% of total vehicle sales in FY23 (eNuW). However, the company aims for a 50% share by 2030e. (3) Less supply chain disruptions. Chassis lead times and the reliability of delivery times at OEMs have been improving during FY23 and should continue in FY24e. Order intake continued to be strong during FY23 thanks to structural growth drivers. FY23 order intake came in at EUR 1.45bn (+18% yoy), leading to a record-high order backlog of EUR 1.79bn. Growth drivers like global warming for instance causes a severe rise in natural disasters such as wildfires, storms, and floods which elevates the demand for firefighting equipment and trucks. Successful refinancing: Rosenbauer announced a refinancing agreement with all major financing partners, which runs until November 3 rd, 2025 (company news: March 22nd). The new covenants stipulate an equity ratio of at least 20% as well as a net debt to EBITDA ratio below 5 by the end of FY24e. Rosenbauer has no further intention to place a hybrid bond but aims for a capital increase of 3.4m new shares (50% increase) during FY24e. As the equity ratio issue should be resolved soon, investors should re-focus on the promising mid-term prospects. We reiterate our BUY rating with a new PT of EUR 50.00 (old: EUR 54.00) on DCF. You can download the research here: http://www.more-ir.de/d/29329.pdf For additional information visit our website www.nuways-ag.com/research. Contact for questions NuWays AG - Equity Research Web: www.nuways-ag.com Email: research@nuways-ag.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuwaysag Adresse: Mittelweg 16-17, 20148 Hamburg, Germany ++++++++++ Diese Meldung ist keine Anlageberatung oder Aufforderung zum Abschluss bestimmter Borsengeschafte. Offenlegung moglicher Interessenskonflikte nach 85 WpHG beim oben analysierten Unternehmen befinden sich in der vollstandigen Analyse. ++++++++++ transmitted by EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this research. The result of this research does not constitute investment advice or an invitation to conclude certain stock exchange transactions. Kupfer wird oft als das Gold der Energiewende bezeichnet, weil es aufgrund seiner hervorragenden elektrischen Leitfahigkeit eine zentrale Rolle in vielen Technologien spielt, die fur nachhaltige Energiesysteme entscheidend sind. Experten gehen aufgrund der Angebotsknappheit von einem Superzyklus aus. Korrektur als Einstiegschance Nach Hochststanden im Mai korrigierte das rote Metall stark. Die Abwartsspirale verstarkte sich in den vergangenen Tagen aufgrund schwacher Konjunkturdaten aus den USA und China. Langfristig konnte sich die aktuell laufende Korrektur als exzellente Einstiegsmoglichkeit herausstellen. 3 Kupferaktien mit hohem Potential Im neuen, kostenlosen Spezialreport stellen wir drei aussichtsreiche Unternehmen vor, die bei einem weiteren Anstieg uberproportional profitieren konnten. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! New company to extend leadership in IoT, mobile, eSIM/iSIM device, and broadband markets Austin, TX, USA, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following its carve-out of Nokia's device and service management business, Lumine Group has created a stand-alone pure-play technology company called Motive, restoring and re-energizing the company's original founding brand. With more than a hundred top-tier customers worldwide, hundreds of thousands of device models recognized, and billions of endpoints under administration, Motive uniquely has the scale, expertise, and experience required to lead the device and service management market. The newly formed business will leverage its decades long presence in the space to deliver best-in-class software and customer experience solutions to communication service providers around the globe. The company will focus on managing the devices that move our world forward, including next-generation IoT and mobile endpoints, the latest broadband consumer premises equipment, and a surging variety of eSIM (embedded) and iSIM (integrated) devices. The potential for growth in the device and service management market remains substantial, with emergent opportunities in smart cities, smart utilities, asset management, transportation, and industrial applications, as well as business-to-consumer services. David Sharpley, CEO at Motive, said: "We are proud to announce the rebirth and reinvigoration of the Motive brand, with a focus on innovating in growth areas within the device and service management industry. Motive's mission is to help our customers grow revenue faster, while automating their customer experience across all engagement channels." Motive's solutions simplify the management of services related to large and fragmented device populations by spanning and integrating different networks, device types, brands, and applications. The company's software is used to onboard, monitor, control, and automate the complete device management lifecycle, empowering operators to deliver a better customer experience via call centers, portals, and apps, as well as self-care enablement. This alleviates operational burdens on communication providers, reduces customer resolution times, lowers operational costs, and puts the power of self-care in the hands of the subscriber. Motive's product suite features cloud-native software, which may be deployed as hosted and fully-managed software-as-a-service solutions or on-premises. Products include: Service Management Platform: Elevates customer care and cuts call center operational expenses by making device related issues, workflows, and service activities visible across all channels. Elevates customer care and cuts call center operational expenses by making device related issues, workflows, and service activities visible across all channels. Home Device Management: Remotely manages customer premise equipment (CPE) to unlock home broadband digital value and drive growth through the automation of smart home devices. Remotely manages customer premise equipment (CPE) to unlock home broadband digital value and drive growth through the automation of smart home devices. IMPACT IoT: Unifies the management of highly diverse and complex IoT applications with scalable device management, data collection and analytics, and application integration software. Unifies the management of highly diverse and complex IoT applications with scalable device management, data collection and analytics, and application integration software. IMPACT Mobile: Securely manages a vast array of mobile devices through the entire device lifecycle, while providing robust support for the growing population of eSIM-enabled devices. Securely manages a vast array of mobile devices through the entire device lifecycle, while providing robust support for the growing population of eSIM-enabled devices. eSim/iSIM Provisioning: Provides end-to-end subscription management by coordinating the onboarding, provisioning, and administration of subscription profiles for eSIM (embedded) and iSIM (integrated) devices. Device and service management activities across the full device landscape can be orchestrated from one comprehensive solution, delivering both savings and revenue generation opportunities to users of the Motive platform. For more information on Motive and its products, please contact us at marketing@motive.com or visit our website at https://motive.com # ENDS # Picture: Caption: Motive is reborn following carve-out of Nokia's device and service management businesses About Motive Tobii Dynavox AB (Publ) today announced the appointment of Caroline Henricson as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and new member of the Executive Management Team. She will assume the position April 15, 2024. The new Chief Commercial Officer role will expand and complement Tobii Dynavox's current executive management team . In her role as CCO, Caroline will be responsible for the following areas: Acapela Group (synthetic voice solutions) and Rehadapt (mounting solutions for assistive technology), Tobii Dynavox's market leading stand-alone subsidiaries (synthetic voice solutions) and (mounting solutions for assistive technology), Tobii Dynavox's market leading stand-alone subsidiaries Mergers and acquisitions Overall company strategy "We are thrilled to welcome Caroline to our leadership team," said Fredrik Ruben, CEO of Tobii Dynavox. "Caroline will be a great fit, with her personality and drive combined with valuable experiences and expertise. The appointment of Caroline further strengthens our ability to grow and pursue our vision of a world where everyone can communicate." "I am excited to join Tobii Dynavox team and to contribute to the growth of the company and its meaningful, life-changing mission. I look forward to bringing my experience from a range of strategic topics in the healthcare and public sectors from across Europe," said Caroline Henricson. Caroline Henricson holds a MSc from Stockholm School of Economics and brings over 15 years of experience in management consulting from McKinsey & Company, the last five years as Partner and leader of Nordic Social, Healthcare and Public sector practice. Contact Linda Tybring, CFO, Tobii Dynavox, phone: +46 (0) 7068 14 980, email: linda.tybring@tobiidynavox.com About Tobii Dynavox Tobii Dynavox is the global leader in assistive communication. Our custom designed solutions enable people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, ALS, autism and spinal cord injury to communicate with a voice of their own, develop literacy skills and live more independently. To date, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have benefited from our integrated solutions, which include hardware, software, clinically developed language systems, special education tools, training, and dedicated support. Using AI-based speech synthesis, we offer users a personalized voice identity in over 30 languages, for children and adults. We offer an extensive funding support system to reach as many people as possible. Headquartered in Sweden, Tobii Dynavox employs over 600 people with offices in the US, the UK, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, France and China, and reselling partners in 60+ countries. For more information, please visit our website: Tobii Dynavox Investor Relations Universidad Europea is a leading private higher education platform in Spain and Portugal, operating 12 campuses Increasing access to higher education is a priority for governments worldwide, with robust demand for private higher education to help complement public options in Europe and to support the employability of young graduates EQT to help the Company develop its position as a leading higher education player, investing into existing and new campuses and regions, and bolstering its digital initiatives STOCKHOLM, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT is pleased to announce that the EQT Infrastructure VI fund ("EQT") has agreed to acquire a majority position in Universidad Europea (the "Company") from Permira, who will retain a significant minority stake in the Company. Established in 1996, Universidad Europea is one of the largest and fastest-growing private university networks in Europe, offering high-quality undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as advanced career programs tailored to today's job market. It offers in-person and online modalities in a wide range of fields, including in Sports, Social Sciences and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) subjects and a strong focus on its Health Studies offering which is a particularly high-demand segment. Today, Universidad Europea has 3,400 employees and comprises a network of 54,000 students and 130,000 alumni across 12 campuses, offering more than 500 degrees and 110 new official value-add programs. It offers a premium academic model focused on experiential learning, complemented with high-quality faculty, state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology, delivering superior student outcomes. The tightly regulated and resilient Spanish and Portuguese private higher education markets are expected to grow over coming years, driven by demographic trends as well as demand from international students in Europe and Latin America who view Spain as an attractive destination to pursue higher education. EQT will support Universidad Europea by investing in its existing campuses and applying its in-house digital team to enhance the Company's online proposition for students seeking access to hybrid and remote learning models. EQT will draw upon its local presence and international expertise to support the Company in establishing campuses in new regions. Anna Sundell, Partner within the EQT Value-Add Infrastructure Advisory team, said: "Partnering with Universidad Europa is an opportunity to invest in one of the leading higher education institutions in Europe. We have followed the Company for a long time and are deeply impressed by the high quality academic model, innovative approach and establishment of new state-of-the art campuses in both Spain and Portugal. This investment is aligned with EQT's approach as long term active owners of companies that provide essential services to society. We look forward to working together with the management team and Permira in this exciting next phase for the Company." Asis Echaniz, Partner within the EQT Value-Add Infrastructure Advisory Team, and Head of Spain, added: "Universidad Europea is a leading higher education platform with a differentiated brand, a strong network of partnerships and students and an excellent track record of growth. We are excited to start working with the Company's management team, contributing our expertise owning essential infrastructure assets, our responsible ownership principles and our local knowledge to help deliver a strong academic proposition for students seeking access to high quality education services." Otilia de la Fuente, CEO of Universidad Europea, commented: "With Permira as our trusted partner, we've achieved remarkable success over the past four years. Together, we have strengthened the quality of our academic model for our students and embarked on ambitious expansion initiatives, including the establishment of new campuses and infrastructures. None of these milestones would have been possible without the unwavering dedication and collaborative efforts of our teams. As we enter this new chapter, we extend a warm welcome to EQT and we are excited to explore the boundless opportunities that lie ahead in this extraordinary venture. Joining forces with EQT, alongside Permira, allows us to continue our journey of innovation and growth, furthering our mission of changing lives through higher education." The transaction is subject to customary conditions and approvals. It is expected to close in Q3-Q4 2024. EQT was advised by Deutsche Bank (financial), Allen & Overy (legal). With this transaction, EQT Infrastructure VI is expected to be 30-35% percent invested (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication) based on target fund size. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security, and may not be used or relied upon in connection with any offer or solicitation. Any offer or solicitation in respect of EQT Infrastructure VI will be made only through a confidential private placement memorandum and related documents which will be furnished to qualified investors on a confidential basis in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The information contained herein is not for publication or distribution to persons in the United States of America. Any securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold without registration thereunder or pursuant to an available exemption therefrom. Any offering of securities to be made in the United States would have to be made by means of an offering document that would be obtainable from the issuer or its agents and would contain detailed information about the issuer of the securities and its management, as well as financial information. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. Contact EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/eqt-to-acquire-a-majority-position-in-universidad-europea--a-leading-private-higher-education-platfo,c3957810 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/87/3957810/2716206.pdf Universidad Europa - EQT Press Release 08042024 https://news.cision.com/eqt/i/ue-picture,c3286410 UE picture View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/eqt-to-acquire-a-majority-position-in-universidad-europea-a-leading-private-higher-education-platform-in-spain-and-portugal-302110258.html KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly two decades ago, the European market marked a milestone in the global trade of palm oil when a shipment of barrels bearing the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) trademark arrived in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on 11 November 2008. The shipment, originating from Malaysia, contained the world's first cargo of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). Encouraged by a strong sentiment across the European market in the early 2000s advocating for more sustainably sourced palm products, several actors came together to strategically set the parameters for the sustainable production of palm oil. As the first palm oil grower to have all of its operations certified in 2008, United Plantations (UP) in Malaysia produced the first shipment of RSPO CSPO, which was imported by AarhusKarlhamn (AAK), United Kingdom. Among the first buyers of CSPO were Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd. and Unilever NV. Since then, RSPO has seen membership increase from 500 members in 2010 to nearly 6,000 in 2024, with Europe accounting for 2,854. In 2022, a total of 2,788,061 MT of RSPO CSPO entered the European market. Europe remains the largest buyer (45%) of CSPO and has been a catalyst in leading the global market transformation. The Dutch market continues to be one of the RSPO's strongest advocates. A group of private organisations formed the Dutch Alliance for Sustainable Palm Oil (DASPO) in 2008 with the goal that all palm oil imported into the Dutch market be RSPO certified by 2015. Not only has this goal been met, but this national initiative has inspired similar initiatives in various European countries. As the RSPO marks its 20th year anniversary in April 2024, the global partnership reaffirms its commitment to the founding mission of sustainably transforming the palm oil sector, through the collective efforts of the RSPO's nearly 6,000-strong voluntary member base from all sectors of the palm oil value chain across 103 countries and territories. To date, CSPO production exceeds 15 million MT, representing 20% of global crude palm oil production. Today, RSPO Standards are among the top tier in agricultural sustainability standards and the RSPO is a member of the ISEAL Alliance. The RSPO is enforced by robust assurance, grievance and remediation systems, designed to protect natural resources, safeguard wildlife habitats, and promote the livelihoods and development of smallholders and rural communities around the world. About RSPO: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was formed in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders. RSPO is a not-for-profit, international, membership organisation that unites stakeholders from the different sectors of the palm oil industry including oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation NGOs, and social or developmental NGOs. This multi-stakeholder representation is mirrored in the governance structure of RSPO such that seats in the Board of Governors, Steering Committees and Working Groups are fairly allocated to each sector. In this way, RSPO lives out the philosophy of the "roundtable" by giving equal rights to each stakeholder group, facilitating traditionally adversarial stakeholders in working together to reach decisions by consensus, and achieving RSPO's shared vision of making sustainable palm oil the norm. The seat of the association is in Zurich, Switzerland, while the secretariat is currently based in Kuala Lumpur with satellite offices in Jakarta (ID), London (UK), Zoetermeer (NL), Beijing (CN) and Bogota (CO). Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2380933/World_s_first_shipment_of_RSPO_certified_sustainable_palm_oil.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2380937/RSPO_Trademark_Logo_transparent_png_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nearly-two-decades-on-europe-continues-to-drive-global-demand-for-rspo-certified-palm-oil-302110260.html PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Ivanhoe Electric (NYSE American:IE)(TSX:IE) President and Chief Executive Officer Taylor Melvin is pleased to announce that Lara Sims will join the Company as the Vice President, Health and Safety commencing April 8th, 2024. Ms. Sims is an experienced leader with over 20 years in the mining industry developing and managing Health and Safety strategies for several large-scale mining operations across the United States. Ms. Sims specializes in Health and Safety Standards, Staff Management, Loss Prevention, and Strategic Continuous Improvements. Prior to joining Ivanhoe Electric, Ms. Sims established Sims 360, a consulting business based in Yerington, Nevada, focused on building and implementing adaptive Health and Safety frameworks for over twenty mines in the United States. Her previous work experience includes time with Rio Tinto, Ouray Silver Mines, Oceana Gold and Nevada Copper. Ms. Sims holds a Technical Master's Degree in Safety Sciences from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, she is the 2024 Communications Chair for the Health and Safety division of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME). Ms. Sims is also a Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) from the International Academy of Mine Safety and Health (IAMSH) through the SME and participates in the Energy Resource Governance Initiative (ERGI) Academy through the University of Nevada in Reno. Mr. Melvin commented: "We are pleased to welcome Lara to Ivanhoe Electric's executive management team. Lara brings a wealth of experience as a leader in Health and Safety in the mining industry, and she will be a tremendous asset to our Company. The health and safety of our employees and those in the communities in which we operate are our highest priorities. We are fortunate to have Lara leading our Health and Safety team, and I look forward to working with her to ensure we uphold the highest standards." About Ivanhoe Electric We are a U.S. company that combines advanced mineral exploration technologies with electric metals exploration projects predominantly located in the United States. We use our accurate and powerful TyphoonTM geophysical surveying system, together with advanced data analytics provided by our subsidiary, Computational Geosciences Inc., to accelerate and de-risk the mineral exploration process as we seek to discover new deposits of critical metals that may otherwise be undetectable by traditional exploration technologies. We believe the United States is significantly underexplored and has the potential to yield major new discoveries of critical metals. Our mineral exploration efforts focus on copper as well as other metals including nickel, vanadium, cobalt, platinum group elements, gold and silver. Through the advancement of our portfolio of electric metals exploration projects, headlined by the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona and the Tintic Copper-Gold Project in Utah, as well as other exploration projects in the United States, we intend to support United States supply chain independence by finding and delivering the critical metals necessary for the electrification of the economy. We also operate a 50/50 joint venture with Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma'aden to explore for minerals on ~48,500 km2 of underexplored Arabian Shield in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Website: www.ivanhoeelectric.com. Contact Information Lucy Chitilian, CFA, Director, Investor Relations Email: Lucy.Chitilian@IvanhoeElectric.com Phone: 1-520-602-7536 Follow us on Twitter/X Ivanhoe Electric's Executive Chairman Robert Friedland: @robert_ivanhoe Ivanhoe Electric: @ivanhoeelectric Ivanhoe Electric's investor relations website located at www.ivanhoeelectric.com should be considered Ivanhoe Electric's recognized distribution channel for purposes of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation FD. SOURCE: Ivanhoe Electric Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Exposing the Secret: Federal Marijuana Production Remains Nonexistent The DEA Games Continue To Delay Legitimate Marijuana Clinical Trials and Research WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Megan Sheehan and Associates, lawyers representing MMJ BioPharma Cultivation preparing for a DEA administrative law trial on Wednesday April 10, 2024 regarding the company's DEA bulk manufacturing application to grow pharmaceutical marijuana, discovered that the DEA Director Anne Milgram illegally appointed the administrative law Judge Teresa Wallbaum hearing the case. Immediately, MMJ filed for relief in Rhode Island federal court, seeking an order to halt the DEA's unconstitutional actions. The trial focused on the DEA's apparent disregard for Presidential and Congressional marijuana laws. Despite these developments, Judge Teresa Wallbaum, the DEA ALJ overseeing MMJ Biopharma Cultivation's case, opted to voluntarily stay the proceedings. In her statement, she remarked, "Considering the unique circumstances and the available facts, a stay seems appropriate. MMJ's challenge to this tribunal's authority under Axon, which permits federal courts to address interlocutory structural challenges, presents a novel issue that complicates assessment of the DEA's likelihood of success." Furthermore, she cited the Axon court's ruling, emphasizing that subjecting a party to proceedings conducted within an unconstitutional structure could constitute legal harm in itself. In recent congressional committee sessions, Congressman Blumenauer expressed concerns about delays in medical cannabis treatments and research, labeling such setbacks as politically damaging to the Biden administration, such is the MMJ BioPharma Cultivation's case as an example. Since December 2018, MMJ BioPharma Cultivation has been awaiting DEA approval to legally cultivate marijuana for research and development for use in FDA clinical trials for conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and Huntington's Disease. The company claims that its applications have been in limbo with the DEA for over five years, resulting in devastating impacts on its business, including inability to hire employees and loss of projected revenues. Duane Boise, the company's president, criticized the DEA, stating, "We are dealing with heartless individuals at the DEA who continue to hinder marijuana research and development. MMJ has meticulously followed the law, yet the DEA fails to do the same. Ultimately, it is the patients in need who suffer due to government inaction." FAILED - BIDENS DEA MARIJUANA POLICY - A DARK SECRET The American public needs to know that President BIDEN's administration is just feeding the public lip service with no meaningful marijuana policy action. The DEA continues to act in a shroud of secrecy. With six approved DEA growers none are growing any amount of marijuana cultivars for research and development. None can meet the DEA quota requirements and the same old University of Mississippi MUD is all that is available. Tim Moynahan an attorney and the company's chair commented "I'm hoping that by both challenging the constitutionality of the DEA system while at the same time giving the DEA a roadmap to correct all of their errors. Someone within the DEA should settle this case particularly since MMJ is vital to completing drugs that we need to help patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and Huntington's Disease." MMJ is represented by Attorney Megan Sheehan of Rhode Island. CONTACT: Madison Hisey mhisey@mmjih.com 203-231-8583 SOURCE: MMJ International Holdings View the original press release on accesswire.com EndaceProbe Cloud Recognized for Exceptional Innovation Packet capture authority, Endace, today announced that TMC, a global, integrated media company, has awarded EndaceProbe Cloud with Cloud Computing Magazine's 2024 Cloud Computing Product of the Year. EndaceProbe Cloud records vital network evidence for cyber defense and network operations, empowering security analysts to resolve incidents quickly with a unified view of on-premise, branch and cloud assets. Continuously recording weeks or months of network traffic in Cloud environments removes a large blind spot and gives cyber security and IT teams the definitive evidence required to defend against even the most serious threats, breaches or outages. "Endace has been the vanguard of packet capture technology for more than 20 years, and with the release of EndaceProbe Cloud, we've empowered our customers to have the same enterprise-class, always-on packet capture and deep visibility they're accustomed to from EndaceProbe, now across every part of a hybrid cloud network," said Stuart Wilson, Endace CEO. "We're honored to receive this 2024 Product of the Year award from Cloud Computing Magazine." "Congratulations to Endace," said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. "EndaceProbe Cloudis truly an innovative product and isamongst the best solutions available within the past twelve months that facilitates business-transforming cloud computing and communications. I look forward to continued excellence from Endace in 2024 and beyond." About Endace Endace's scalable, always-on packet capture gives Network Operations and Security teams the deep visibility they need for fast, accurate incident investigation with rich forensic evidence at their fingertips from all their tools. EndaceProbes provide enterprise-class packet sniffing in on-prem, public and private cloud environments, with rapid, centralized search and one-click access to full pcap data from leading security and performance solutions (including Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Cisco, Splunk, Elastic, and many others). Analyze network traffic using a single, unified console across all on-premise, private, or public cloud infrastructure for total hybrid cloud visibility. Capture every packet. See every threat. www.endace.com About Cloud Computing Magazine Cloud Computing magazine is the industry's definitive source for all things cloud from public, community, hybrid and private cloud to security and business continuity, and everything in between. This quarterly magazine published by TMC assesses the most important developments in cloud computing not only as they relate to IT, but to the business landscape as a whole. About TMC Through our news and solutions-focused editorial platforms, live events, webinars, and online advertising, TMC provides global buyers with valuable insights for making informed technology purchase decisions and successfully navigating markets. To discover more about how TMC can assist you in achieving your marketing goals through our events and online advertising, please visit www.tmcnet.com. Stay connected with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X by following @tmcnet. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408674508/en/ Contacts: Endace Contact: Email: pr@endace.com Phone: Mark Evans, mobile +64-21-494 850 New Zealand APAC Kimber Smith-Fidler, mobile +1 775 298 5260 USA North America Leah Jones (The CommsCo) +44 203 697 6680 UK EMEA TMC Contact: Michelle Connolly Senior Marketing Manager 203-852-6800, ext. 170 mconnolly@tmcnet.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Condor Resources Inc. - ("Condor" or the "Company") (TSXV:CN) announces that it has reached agreement with Element79 Gold Corp. ("Element79") to revise the payment terms on a payment due March 31, 2024 of US$375,000 with respect to the Lucero project. Element79 are the owner of Calipuy Resources Inc., ("Calipuy"), and assumed Calipuy's obligations to acquire the shares of Condor's subsidiary, Minas Lucero del Sur S.A.C., the owner of the Lucero project. Condor and Element79 have agreed to restructure the US$375,000 payment as follows: US$100,000 was paid in cash on April 2, 2024; US$200,000 will be paid in cash on the closing of Element79's sale of their Maverick Springs project, which closing is expected to occur before the end of June 2024, and US$75,000 will be satisfied by the issuance of units of Element79 at $0.23 Cdn per unit. In consideration of the revised payment schedule, Element79 will pay an additional US$10,000 now, satisfied by the issuance of units of Element79 at $0.23 Cdn per unit, and an additional $US20,000 in cash to be paid at the time of the US$200,000 payment. Condor is an active explorer focused exclusively on Peru, supplemented by a project generator and royalty model designed to generate exploration capital whilst minimizing shareholder dilution. Our objective in advancing our portfolio of projects is the discovery of a major new precious metals or base metals deposit in Peru. Project acquisition and exploration activities are managed by the Company's Lima based exploration team. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Lyle Davis, President & Chief Executive Officer For further information please contact the Company at 1-866-642-5707, or by email at info@condorresources.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in applicable forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in such 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 news release. SOURCE: Condor Resources Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Flagship Croatian Developer Conference Returns to South Florida with Expanded Three-Day Program, Spotlighting API Software Solutions and Tools Infobip Shift Miami, the American counterpart of Croatia's renowned developer conference, is returning to the iconic Perez Art Museum for its second annual edition from April 22nd to 24th, 2024. This marks a substantial expansion from its inaugural single-day event, with organizers anticipating increased participation and promising an even more enriching experience. "This year's Infobip Shift Miami expands on the success of last year's event. We're dedicating a full day to lectures and panels, with networking on day one and hands-on workshops on day three. Building on positive feedback, we anticipate over 500 attendees in 2024. Our goal is to establish Infobip Shift Miami as an annual cherished event within the American developer community," explains Nikola Radisic, head of the Infobip Shift team. Focus on the API Landscape In addition to broadening the program, the conference introduces a thematic focus on software, centered around the Application Programming Interface (API). An API represents a set of defined rules and tools that facilitate communication and information exchange among diverse software systems. API solutions are pivotal in ensuring the swift and seamless operation of different software applications, rendering them indispensable to developers across industries. "Building on the previous Shift in Miami, which delved into various facets of the developer experience, this year's lectures will exclusively revolve around APIs. We chose to hone in on APIs due to their status as a burgeoning and incredibly vital sector within the software industry an indispensable component for envisioning a modern developer profession. We aim to provide the audience with insights into the latest tools and solutions, empowering them to optimize their skills and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of software development," comments Radisic on the conference theme. Confirmed speakers are Mary Thengvall (Camunda), Matt Billman (Netlify), Katie Miller (Data Protocol), Adrienne Tacke (Cisco), Talia Nassi (Akamai), Emma Cao (Wix), Larry Maccherone (Contrast), Christine Spang (Nylas), Brian Rinaldi (LaunchDarkly), Baruch Sadogursky (Gradle), Meade Kincke (Imperfektus), Jeremy Meiss, Sean Falconer (Skyflow), Alex DeBrie (DeBrie Advisory), Ivan Burazin (Daytona), Rizel Scarlett (TBD Developers) and Eric Schabell (Chronosphere). The complete schedule can be found here. Developer Convergence at Shift Infobip Shift Miami is a crucial part of the Croatian unicorn's efforts to strengthen the global developer community. Building on last year's success, Infobip aims to make Shift Miami a key event for the local tech scene. "By expanding the program in this year's edition, we cement our commitment to connecting and supporting developers worldwide. Infobip now boasts two conferences on two continents, a feat achieved by only a few leading global companies. Infobip Shift Miami 2024 demonstrates our strategic approach to connecting the developer community around this unique event," concludes Nikola Pavesic, Director of Developer Experience and Startups at Infobip. As excitement builds for this transformative event, we invite developers, tech enthusiasts, and industry professionals to seize the opportunity to learn from leading experts, engage in insightful discussions, and expand your network in the vibrant developer community. Register now at https://shift.infobip.com/us/. Following Infobip Shift in Miami, the European edition of the conference is scheduled to take place at SC Visnjik in Zadar on September 16 and 17, 2024. Additional details can be found at shift.infobip.com. About Infobip Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey. Accessed through a single platform, Infobip's omnichannel engagement, identity, user authentication and contact center solutions help businesses and partners overcome the complexity of consumer communications to grow business and increase loyalty. With over a decade of industry experience, Infobip has expanded to 75+ offices globally. It offers natively built technology with the capacity to reach over seven billion mobile devices and 'things' in 6 continents connected to over 9,700+ connections of which 800+ are direct operator connections. Infobip was established in 2006 and is led by its co-founders, CEO Silvio Kutic, Roberto Kutic and Izabel Jelenic. Recent award wins include: Infobip ranked as number one Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider, in the inaugural MetriRank CPaaS Report from Metrigy (Dec 2023) Omdia Ranks Infobip as Leader for the second year running in its CPaaS Universe Report (Nov 2023) Infobip named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) 2023 (Sept 2023) Infobip named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) 2023 Vendor Assessment (May 2023) Infobip named a leader in the Juniper Customer Data Platform Leaderboard Report (July 2023) Infobip named a leader in the CPaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (Feb 2023) Infobip named a leader in the CCaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (Dec 2023) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408914476/en/ Contacts: Media Contacts Carole Barrow prforinfobip@bospar.com Susanne Hite susanne.hite@Infobip.com BEIJING, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 5, 2024, CKGSB and ESMT Berlin signed an agreement to launch the Global Unicorn Program in Germany. In an era that calls for global responsibility and a commitment to sustainable growth, this partnership stands for innovation and global collaboration. Present at the signing ceremony were CKGSB Founding Dean and Dean's Distinguished Chair Professor of China Business and Globalization Xiang Bing and ESMT President Jorg Rocholl and CFO Georg Garlichs. The Global Unicorn Program, developed by CKGSB, aims to build a global ecosystem for the next generation of unicorns and unicorn-to-be companies, with a renewed and enhanced emphasis on global responsibility, social purpose and long-term perspective. This mission resonates deeply with ESMT Berlin's commitment, too, to foster entrepreneurship and responsible leadership. In fact, CKGSB is the first business school, since 2015, to offer programs specifically designed for unicorn and soon-to-be-unicorn founders. To date, 1,188 founders of companies with at least Series A funding have studied at CKGSB, including the founders of 151 unicorn companies in total and 41 unicorn companies listed on CB Insights (2017-2022). Operated by CKGSB and DEEP, ESMT's Institute for Deep Tech Innovation, this innovative program will leverage both schools' expertise in executive education and startup support, preparing founders and leadership teams to scale their ventures and make lasting, positive impact on society. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cheung-kong-graduate-school-of-business-and-esmt-berlin-launch-program-for-unicorns-in-germany-302110452.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 8, 2024) - Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX: EQX) (NYSE American: EQX) ("Equinox Gold" or the "Company") reports that persistent heavy rains in Maranhao, Brazil have caused a displacement of material in two locations in the south wall of the Piaba pit at its Aurizona mine. There were no injuries, no damage to equipment or infrastructure, and no environmental damage. As a result of this geotechnical event, access to the Piaba pit has been restricted and mining has been paused while the Company establishes an initial remediation plan and confirms the safety of the pit. Milling and gold production continues from the ore stockpile, as is typical during the rainy season. To mitigate any potential impact on planned 2024 production from the Piaba pit, the Company expects to accelerate mining activities at the new Tatajuba pit. The Company will perform an updated geotechnical assessment of the Piaba pit and nearby infrastructure to determine further remediation required for long-term stability. Equinox Gold Contacts Greg Smith, President & CEO Rhylin Bailie, VP Investor Relations Tel: 604-558-0560 x 119 Email: ir@equinoxgold.com Cautionary Notes This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information in this news release relate to, among other things: the timing and ability of the Company to recommence mining of the Piaba pit; the ability of the Company to mitigate the impact of the geotechnical event on planned 2024 production from Aurizona; the timing and the ability of the Company to complete an updated geotechnical assessment of the Piaba pit and nearby infrastructure and develop a plan to remediate long-term stability; and the timing and ability of the Company to commence mining from the new Tatajuba open pit. Forward-looking statements or information generally identified by the use of the words "planned", "continues", "will", "expects" and similar expressions and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "could", "would" or "should", or the negative connotation of such terms, are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company has based these forward-looking statements and information on the Company's current expectations and projections about future events and these assumptions include: Company's ability to identify and implement opportunities to mitigate the impact of the geotechnical event; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals required for mining of the Tatajuba open pit are received in a timely manner; and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mining (including environmental risks, regulations, hazards, geotechnical failures; industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather); inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations; relationships with, and claims by, local communities and Indigenous partners; the Company's ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner or at all; changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mining; and those factors identified in the section titled "Risks and Uncertainties" in Equinox Gold's MD&A dated February 21, 2024 for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in the section titled "Risks Related to the Business" in the Company's most recently filed Annual Information Form, both of which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar. Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help readers understand management's views as of that time with respect to future events and speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by applicable law, Equinox Gold assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement or information contained or incorporated by reference to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements and information. If Equinox Gold updates any one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that Equinox Gold will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/204674 SOURCE: Equinox Gold Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 8, 2024) - Destiny Media Technologies Inc. (TSXV: DSY) (OTCQB: DSNY), the makers of Play MPE, a cloud-based SaaS solution for promotional music marketing, today announced that the company will hold a live webinar on Monday, April 15, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) to discuss financial results for its second quarter ended February 29, 2024. The company plans to release financial results before the market opens on the same day, Monday, April 15, 2024. Date: Monday, April 15, 2024 Time: 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) Attendees are encouraged to register prior to the scheduled time at the following: https://investors.dsny.com/investors/financials/ or by clicking on the Webinar Registration Form. Attendees viewing the webinar can voluntarily submit questions during the live presentation. Attendee cameras will remain off throughout the presentation. Attendees' microphones will remain off unless the attendee voluntarily selects to engage in verbal questions similar to the format available on traditional conference call format. The webinar format will provide the Company an opportunity to present visual information. For those without internet access, the webinar can be accessed via the following dial in details: Direct dial in US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 360 209 5623 or More International numbers Webinar ID: 835 2205 8363 Attendees participating via dial in will not have access the webinar video stream and will not have access to question and answer functions. A recording of the webinar will be available after the event on https://investors.dsny.com/investors/financials/. About Destiny Media Technologies Inc. Destiny Media Technologies Inc. ("Destiny") provides software as service (SaaS) solutions to businesses in the music industry solving critical problems in distribution and promotion. The core service, Play MPE (www.plaympe.com), provides promotional music marketing to engaged networks of decision makers in radio, film, TV, and beyond. More information can be found at www.dsny.com. Contacts: Fred Vandenberg CEO, Destiny Media Technologies, Inc. 604 609 7736 x236 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/204595 SOURCE: Destiny Media Technologies, Inc. Experienced Hire Extends Firm's Commitment to Clients Across Ireland and Broader European Market Eastdil Secured, L.L.C. ("Eastdil Secured" or the "firm"), the global real estate investment bank, today announced that Johnny Horgan will join Eastdil Secured as Managing Director, effective April 8th Mr. Horgan will be based in Dublin and will focus on supporting clients across Ireland, leveraging his deep familiarity with the market and decades of experience advising on some of the country's most prominent and complex real estate transactions. He will succeed the highly regarded Peter Geissel who will be moving into a role of Senior Advisor. "We are committed to continuously enhancing our Eastdil Secured team to ensure we always provide clients with local market expertise, global perspectives and seamless execution," said Roy Hilton March, CEO of Eastdil Secured. "In delivering for clients in today's market, our independent perspective and collaborative cross-global approach continues to set us apart. Johnny brings an understanding of Irish real estate and financial capital markets experience that will significantly benefit our clients in the region and around the world." "Johnny will be an important addition to our growing European team and to our clients in Ireland," said James McCaffrey, Managing Director and head of the European business at Eastdil Secured. "His expertise in the Irish market and extensive track record supporting clients on transactions throughout the country make him a strong fit for our Dublin team and the wider firm. We look forward to continuing our constructive collaboration in the Irish market." "Eastdil Secured is the preeminent global real estate advisor, and I am excited by the opportunity to join the team in Dublin," said Mr. Horgan. "I have long admired the firm's ability to meet client demands across geographies and asset classes and look forward to being in a team of world-class advisors to drive successful client outcomes." Mr. Horgan brings nearly three decades of real estate and capital markets experience to Eastdil Secured. Most recently, he worked as a consultant with Alantra, a global mid-market financial services firm. Previously, he served as Managing Director of Europe at BidX1, a digital property platform, where he led the company's continued international expansion. Prior to that role, he spent five years as Executive Director and Head of Capital Markets for CBRE Ireland, where he led a range of high-profile transactions and helped build out the firm's capabilities in the region. Before that, he worked as a fund management executive at Irish Life Investment management. About Eastdil Secured As the most relevant and trusted advisor in the commercial real estate capital markets, Eastdil Secured creates value for clients through creative, actionable ideas and flawless execution. With an unrivaled combination of capital markets expertise and in-depth understanding of real estate fundamentals, Eastdil Secured delivers best-in-class advice on mergers and acquisitions, sales, joint ventures, debt placement, structured credit and loan sales to investors around the world. Headquartered in New York, Eastdil Secured has a broad global footprint to support clients with offices across the United States in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orange County, San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C., and internationally in Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo. For more information on Eastdil Secured, the global real estate investment bank, please visit https://www.eastdilsecured.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408114383/en/ Contacts: Sarah Salky Erik Carlson Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212.355.4449 Regulatory News: MaaT Pharma (EURONEXT: MAAT the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company and a leader in the development of Microbiome Ecosystem TherapiesTM (MET) dedicated to enhancing survival for patients with cancer, presented new in vitro data characterizing the metabolites produced by MaaT034 and their impact on immune modulation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024 in San Diego, California. MaaT034, the first product from MaaT Pharma's MET-C platform is a ground-breaking full ecosystem synthetic microbiota product, developed in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors to improve treatment efficacy in large market solid tumor indications. The MET-C platform enables MaaT Pharma to produce microbiome therapies at a large-scale to meet the needs of larger market indications. The first-in-human study is expected to be initiated in 2025. The data published represents significant advancements in understanding the mechanism of action (MoA) of co-cultured microbiome therapies developed by MaaT Pharma, marking a major step towards clinical evaluation. The results demonstrate that MaaT034 produced key metabolites, recognized as promoting gut barrier restoration and modulating immune responses, such as Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA), secondary bile acids, and tryptophan derivatives. These findings support the role of MaaT034 in gut barrier repair and in T cell reactivation either in combination with Nivolumab (anti-PD1) or with Atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1). By enhancing gut barrier repair and modulating immune responses, MaaT034 is expected to complement the action of these immunotherapeutic agents, potentially improving their efficacy in treating solid tumors cancer. Data are currently being shared in a poster format at the conference titled, "Evaluation of a new co-cultured microbiome ecosystem therapy candidate (MaaT034) for clinical testing as adjuvant/neoadjuvant to immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors." About MaaT Pharma MaaT Pharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, has established a complete approach to restoring patient-microbiome symbiosis in oncology. Committed to treating cancer and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, MaaT Pharma has launched, in March 2022, an open-label, single-arm Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with acute GvHD, following the achievement of its proof of concept in a Phase 2 trial. Its powerful discovery and analysis platform, gutPrint, enables the identification of novel disease targets, evaluation of drug candidates, and identification of biomarkers for microbiome-related conditions. The company's Microbiome Ecosystem Therapies are produced through a standardized cGMP manufacturing and quality control process to safely deliver the full diversity of the microbiome in liquid and oral formulations. MaaT Pharma benefits from the commitment of world-leading scientists and established relationships with regulators to support the integration of the use of microbiome therapies in clinical practice. MaaT Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: MAAT). Forward-looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408637675/en/ Contacts: MaaT Pharma Investor Relations Guilhaume DEBROAS, Ph.D. Head of Investor Relations +33 6 16 48 92 50 invest@maat-pharma.com MaaT Pharma Media Relations Pauline RICHAUD Senior PR Corporate Communications Manager +33 6 14 06 45 92 media@maat-pharma.com Trophic Communications Corporate Communications Jacob VERGHESE or Priscillia PERRIN +49 151 7441 6179 maat@trophic.eu PUNE, India, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ProMobi Technologies is proud to announce that Scalefusion , its Unified Endpoint Management solution is now an Android Enterprise Recommended EMM solution. Android Enterprise Recommended (AER) by Google is designed to enhance the enterprise compatibility of Android devices and assist customers in selecting the best-in-class EMM solution for their Android device fleet. The program acknowledges EMM solutions that meet stringent enterprise requirements, allowing providers to seamlessly integrate Android support into their solutions through APIs and other essential tools. "Becoming an Android Enterprise Recommended EMM solution is a matter of great pride. We've consistently strived to innovate, introducing a feature set that directly addresses our customers' core challenges. This achievement is a testament to our commitment to delivering the best within the Android device management space. We are now more prepared than ever to continue our journey of excellence," said Sriram Kakarala, Chief Product Officer at Scalefusion. AER badge is a validation of Scalefusion's capabilities to streamline Android device management for its customers - to provide them with advanced features such as regular and timely security updates, seamless deployment experience, latest training, and a top-tier Android device management experience, supported by Google's expertise. Request a free evaluation and set up a demo of Scalefusion here. For more information on Scalefusion's Android Enterprise Recommended Badge and its innovative solutions, please visit here . About Scalefusion ProMobi Technologies provides a leading Unified Endpoint Management solution under the brand Scalefusion. Scalefusion UEM allows organizations to secure and manage endpoints, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, rugged devices, POS and digital signage, and apps and content. It supports the management of Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux devices and ensures streamlined device management operations with Scalefusion Remote Troubleshooting. More than 8000 companies worldwide are unlocking their true potential using Scalefusion, which is used across various industries such as Transportation & Logistics, Retail, Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Construction & Real Estate, Hospitality, Software & Telecom, Financial Services and others. For more information, please visit https://www.scalefusion.com . Scalefusion on LinkedIn Contact: swapnil@scalefusion.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/846160/Scalefusion_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/scalefusion-is-now-an-android-enterprise-recommended-emm-solution-302110734.html KIGALI, Rwanda, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- World leaders past and present gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, to remember the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Over a dozen current and former Heads of State, including South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, and former US President, Bill Clinton, attended. They joined President Paul Kagame to lay wreaths and light the flame of remembrance at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, and thereafter they participated in the national ceremony at BK Arena, marking the official start of Kwibuka30. Kwibuka means 'to remember' in Kinyarwanda (the national language of Rwanda). To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9260351-world-leaders-gather-rwanda-30th-anniversary-genocide-against-tutsi/ On 7 April 1994, a genocide was unleashed against the Tutsi minority of Rwanda, leaving over a million dead in just 100 days, in full view of the world. A minimal United Nations peacekeeping force stood by and watched the genocide unfold, after a decision was made by the Security Council to withdraw most of the peacekeepers. In his speech, President Kagame said Rwanda learnt three key lessons from its experience: "First, only we as Rwandans and Africans can give full value to our lives. After all, we cannot ask others to value African lives more highly than we ourselves do. That is the root of our duty to preserve memory and tell our history as we lived it. Second, never wait for rescue, or ask for permission to do what is right to protect people. That is why some people must be joking when they threaten us with all kinds of things, they don't know what they are talking about. In any case, that is why Rwanda participates proudly in peacekeeping operations today, and also extends assistance to African brothers and sisters bilaterally when asked. Third, stand firm against the politics of ethnic populism in any form. Genocide is populism in its purified form." Four memorials to the Genocide against the Tutsi recently inscribed as UNESCO world heritage sites will be illuminated each night for the week of commemoration. As a sign of international solidarity, iconic monuments in cities around the world will be lit in the colours of the Rwandan flag, as part of a joint Rwanda-UNESCO initiative. This year's historic anniversary is an opportunity for Rwandans and the rest of the world to honour victims, comfort survivors, and reflect on Rwanda's journey of recovery, reconciliation, and resilience, with national unity at the core of the country's stability and progress. Notes to the editor For audio visual content from today's events please visit here For more information, please visit kwibuka.rw To request an interview in the coming days, please email spokesperson@ogs.gov.rw Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2381723/Kwibuka.mp4 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2379424/4636815/Kwibuka_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/world-leaders-gathered-in-rwanda-to-mark-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-genocide-against-the-tutsi-302110768.html The "Passenger Car CTP (Cell to Pack), CTC (Cell To Chassis) and CTB (Cell to Body) Integrated Battery Industry Report, 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Passenger Car CTP, CTC and CTB Integrated Battery Industry Report, 2024 summarizes and studies the status quo of CTP (Cell to Pack), CTC (Cell To Chassis) and CTB (Cell to Body) for passenger cars and the layout of OEMs and suppliers in related products, and predicts the future development trends of passenger car integrated batteries. In 2023, CTP (Cell to Pack) technology was seen in nearly 50% of new energy vehicles sold. In 2021, there were only 13 vehicle models equipped with CTP in China. As of October 2023, the number had increased to 57. Vehicles equipped with CTP shared 29.6% of the total sales of new energy vehicles (EVs, PHEVs and EREVs) in 2021, and made up 48.6% from January to October 2023, a figure projected to be higher than 50% in the whole year of 2023. From the perspective of both suppliers and OEMs, CTP technology has entered a mature application stage. Among suppliers, CATL is a role model. In 2019, CATL released its CTP 1.0. By 2023, the technology has iterated to 3.0, and has been installed by brands such as ZEEKR, Li Auto and AITO. OEMs are represented by BYD. In 2020, BYD released its blade battery based on CTP technology, which was first mounted on Han EV in June of the same year. In 2023, with higher blade battery capacity, BYD began to supply batteries to other automakers after meeting its own demand. Both Tesla and Hongqi have some models equipped with the blade battery. According to the statistics of the publisher, there are more than 17 models using blade batteries. By the end of 2023, BYD had deployed 17 blade battery production bases with the planned capacity of over 460GWh. CTC/CTB technology is easier to implement under the leadership of OEMs Currently only four automakers Tesla, BYD, Leapmotor and Xpeng have released CTC/CTB technology and applied it in production models. Tesla: In 2020, Tesla introduced the concept of CTC (Cell To Chassis) for the first time on its Battery Day, which cancels the floor of the vehicle body, integrates the battery frame with the underbody (rocker rail, transverse beam, longitudinal beam, floor, etc.), and then connects the castings at the front and rear ends of the body. From the point of performance improvement, Tesla's CTC technology offers the benefits: a 10% reduction in vehicle weight, a 14% increase in cursing range, a reduction of 370 parts, 7% lower unit cost, 8% lower unit investment, and far higher automobile manufacturing efficiency. CTC technology has been applied to Model Y produced at Gigafactory Texas. Leapmotor: In April 2022 Leapmotor released CTC technology, and first applied it to the production model Leapmotor C01. Leapmotor's CTC solution cancels the battery pack housing and upper cover, and retains the integrated battery module and lower battery tray. Leapmotor's CTC technology can increase the vertical space of the vehicle by 10mm, the battery layout space by 14.5%, the cursing range by 10% and the torsional stiffness of the body by 25% to 33897Nm/, and reduce the number of parts by 20% and the weight by 15kg. CTC 2.0 unveiled by Leapmotor in 2023 enables 10% fewer parts and 5% less weight than CTC 1.0. Leapmotor's CTC Technology Patent BYD: In May 2022, BYD released CTB (Cell to Body), a technology using the upper shell of the battery pack to replace the body floor. It cancels the modules and the upper shell of the battery pack, and sticks the blade battery to the tray and upper cover to form a sandwich structure of 'battery upper cover-cell-tray'. The volume utilization rate of BYD's CTB can be raised to 66%; the torsional stiffness of the vehicle body exceeds 40,000 N m/; the intrusion of the vehicle side column collision is reduced by 45%. The wind resistance of Seal, the first model equipped with CTB, is as low as 0.219, and the 0-100 km/h acceleration of the four-wheel drive edition only takes 3.8 seconds, with energy consumption per 100 kilometers as low as 12.7kWh. Xpeng: In April 2023, Xpeng launched its 'Fuyao' architecture, which adopts CIB technology that uses the upper cover of the battery pack as the body floor, thereby saving 5% vertical interior space. As with Tesla, Xpeng integrates the reserved mounting bracket on the battery pack upper cover, and installs seats directly on the battery pack. As per the technical features of CTC/CTB, OEMs cannot tolerate less say. In the conventional new energy industry chain, power batteries account for 30%~40% of the vehicle cost. In the promotion process of CTC technology, the use of CTC makes it easier for battery vendors to dabble in chassis and vehicle development. For automakers, this may lead to less say, which is unacceptable to them. CTC technology however requires battery cells with high intrinsic safety, and this needs to enhance thermal stability of battery cell materials. As concerns process, it is necessary to ensure the reliability of battery cells in terms of design and manufacturing. These are the advantages of battery vendors. Amid a combination of multiple factors, the model that OEMs play a leading role and suppliers cooperate with them may be the main way to advance CTC technology in the future. In the case above OEMs that have the ability to develop and produce battery cells by themselves, such as BYD and Tesla, can effectively avoid the technical restrictions from battery vendors and have greater advantages in technology application. CTC technology layout of other OEMs In addition to Tesla, BYD, Leapmotor and Xpeng, Xiaomi, Volkswagen, Volvo, JAC and SAIC all make layout of CTC technology. On December 28, 2023, Xiaomi unveiled SU7, a car that packs its self-developed CTB technology. The innovative designs such as floor-cover two-in-one, battery cell inversion, multifunctional elastic interlayer and minimalist wiring harness enable the volume efficiency up to 77.8% and release an additional height of 17 mm. Key Topics Covered: 1 Overview of Passenger Car CTP, CTC and CTB Industry 1.1 Development Background and History of Integrated Batteries for Passenger Cars 1.2 Integrated Batteries: CTP Technology 1.3 Integrated Batteries: CTC Technology 1.4 Integrated Batteries: CTB Technology 1.5 Impact of Battery Pack Integration on the Number of Parts and Group Efficiency 1.6 Comparison among CTP, CTC and CTB Technologies 1.7 China's Battery Integration Policies 1.8 Advantages of Chinese Battery Vendors in Developing Battery Integration Technology 1.9 Product Layout of Integrated Battery Suppliers 1.10 Product Layout of Integrated Battery OEMs 2 Tier1 Suppliers of Passenger Car Battery Integration 2.1 CATL 2.2 CNP 2.3 Tianjin EV Energies (JEVE) 2.4 SVOLT Energy 2.5 CALB 2.6 AESC 2.7 LG Energy Solution 2.8 SK On 2.9 Farasis Energy 2.10 EVE 2.11 SEVB 2.12 REPT 2.13 FinDreams Battery 2.14 BAK Battery and Capacity Planning 2.15 CTP and CTC Technical Planning of Lishen Battery 2.16 Phoenix Battery of Greater Bay Technology 3 Integrated Battery Layout of Passenger Car OEMs 3.1 Leapmotor 3.2 BYD 3.3 Tesla 3.4 BAIC BJEV 3.5 SAIC 3.6 Neta Automobile 3.7 Volvo 3.8 Volkswagen 3.9 CTC Technical Solutions of JAC 3.10 CTP Technology of HYCAN 3.11 CTP Technology of Ford 3.12 Battery Technology and Capacity Layout of Changan Automobile 3.13 CTC Technology of Great Wall Motor 3.14 CTP Technology of FAW 3.15 CTP Super Fast Charging Battery System of GAC 3.16 CTP Technology of NIO 3.17 Xpeng's CIB Technology and Models Supported 3.18 Chery's Integrated Battery Technology and Capacity Layout 3.19 ZEEKR's CTP Technology 3.20 CTB Technology of Xiaomi Automobile 4 Development Trends of Passenger Car Integrated Battery Industry For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h5ckl7 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. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408138271/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T. Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 The "Global Optical Satellite Market: Analysis By Orbit Type, By End-Use, By Region Size and Trends with Impact of COVID-19 and Forecast up to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global optical satellites market was valued at US$2.53 billion in 2023. The market value is expected to reach US$5.20 billion by 2029. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approx. 13% during the forecasted period of 2024-2029. Optical satellites, a class of satellites utilized for Earth observation, employ visible and near-infrared light to capture images of the Earth's surface. These images serve various purposes, including monitoring changes in vegetation, land utilization, and urban expansion over time. The increasing demand for high-resolution imagery for various applications such as agriculture, urban planning, environmental monitoring, and defense has been a major contributor to the growth of the optical satellite market. Optical satellites offer the capability to capture detailed images with high spatial resolution, enabling precise analysis and decision-making. Additionally, advancements in satellite technology, including improved imaging sensors, higher processing power, and enhanced data transmission capabilities, have expanded the capabilities of optical satellites, making them more attractive for commercial and government users alike. Furthermore, the growing accessibility of satellite data and services due to lower costs and improved data distribution channels has democratized the use of optical imagery, leading to an expanded user base across industries and regions. North America held the major share in the market. the increasing need for advanced satellite capabilities for national security, space exploration, and commercial applications is driving investment in satellite manufacturing and technology development. For example, companies like SpaceX, based in the US, are launching large constellations of optical satellites. Moreover, the US government's substantial investment in space exploration and satellite technology, coupled with initiatives like NASA's Earth Observation Program and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) EnhancedView Program, has stimulated the development and deployment of optical satellites for various applications. Market Segmentation Analysis: By Orbit Type: The report provides the bifurcation of the market into three segments based on the orbit type: Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). The LEO segment held the highest share in the market and is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the forecasted period. The demand for optical satellites in LEO has been increasing rapidly due to their ability to provide frequent revisits and real-time or near-real-time data. This capability is particularly valuable for applications requiring timely information, such as emergency response and surveillance. Additionally, advancements in satellite technology have led to the deployment of small satellite constellations in LEO, offering enhanced coverage and data availability at lower costs. By End-Use: The report further provides the segmentation based on the following end-use: Government Defense, Urban Development Infrastructure, Energy Natural Resources, Agriculture, Environmental Monitoring Climate Services, Forestry Maritime, Disaster Management, and Others. The government defense segment held the highest share in the market, whereas the disaster management segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the forecasted period. In the government defense sector, optical satellites are utilized for various purposes including reconnaissance, surveillance, border monitoring, and intelligence gathering. These satellites provide high-resolution imagery and real-time intelligence, enabling governments and defense agencies to monitor geopolitical developments, track military activities, and enhance national security. As a result, this sector accounts for a significant portion of the overall demand for optical satellite technology, driving innovation and advancements in satellite imaging capabilities. On the other hand, the demand for optical satellites in disaster management segment is increasing due to the rising frequency and severity of natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires. As governments and humanitarian organizations prioritize disaster preparedness and response capabilities, the demand for optical satellite technology for disaster management and emergency response purposes is expected to rise. By Region: Germany is one of the leading space actors in Europe together with France in terms of contributions to the European Space Agency. According to OECD iLibrary, in 2022, Germany's institutional space budget reached US$1,839.5 million (1,749.2 million), having grown 0.8% yearly since 2015 in real terms. Overall, the institutional space budget accounted for 0.045% of the German gross domestic product in 2022. The increasing institutional space budget positively impacts the optical satellite market by fostering innovation, research, and development of advanced satellite technologies. Currently, India, within the Make in India initiative, is associated with a range of international bodies like the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS), International Astronautical Federation (IAF), International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), among others. This initiative has helped various organizations and universities operating within India to gain access to global education and knowledge base as the country has collaborated with international research, development, and education bodies like the Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) and United Nations (UN) affiliated Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTE-AP). As of now, there are more than 1,100 beneficiaries across 52 countries affiliated with the initiative, providing a global knowledge database to Indian organizations. Hence, the Make in India campaign's emphasis on collaboration with global bodies in the space sector enables Indian organizations to access advanced technology and expertise, fostering innovation and competitiveness in the optical satellite market. Competitive Landscape: The global optical satellite market is characterized by intense competition among key players aiming to capitalize on the growing demand for high-resolution imaging and data collection services. The market players employ various strategies to enhance their presence and market share, including strategic partnerships, collaborations, and agreements to expand their technological capabilities and geographic reach. For instance, at the end of 2022, Airbus signed a contract with Poland for the provision of two very high-resolution S950 optical satellites and access to Pleiades Neo imagery from 2023. Furthermore, the agreement encompasses the delivery of Very High Resolution (VHR) imagery from the Airbus Pleiades Neo constellation as early as 2023. Additionally, investments in research and development to innovate new satellite technologies, such as higher-resolution imaging and advanced data analytics, are common strategies to stay ahead in the market. For instance, Israel Aerospace Industries' EROS-C3, an electro-optical satellite, was launched in December 2022, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US. The EROS-C3 is one of the most advanced observation satellites in the world, thanks to pioneering technologies that enable very high-resolution images and for the first time using the multispectral camera. After launch, the satellite entered its planned orbit around the Earth and began transmitting data to the ground station. The key manufacturers in the global optical satellite market are: Airbus SE Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd Thales Group (Thales Alenia Space) Maxar Technologies Inc. Market Dynamics Growth Drivers Growing Defense Spending Rise in Orbital Launches Growing Earth Observation Market Equity Investment in the Satellite Industry Favorable Government Initiatives Increasing Demand for Real Time and Accurate Geospatial Data Growing Focus on Environmental Monitoring and Disaster Management Increasing Deployment of Satellite Constellations Commercialization of Space Exploration Activities Challenges Regulatory Hurdles Launch Availability and Costs Security Concerns Market Trends Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Knowledge Transfer Increasing Investment in Space Start-ups Advancements in Satellite Miniaturization Advancement in Launch Vehicle Technology Integration of IoT with the Optical Satellite Advancements in Capabilities For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9qt2ep 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. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408611784/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial. Im kostenlosen, exklusiven Spezialreport prasentieren wir ihnen 5 innovative KI-Unternehmen, die bahnbrechende Entwicklungen in diesem Sektor pragen konnten. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird. Nutzen Sie die Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 5 KI-Aktien das grote Potenzial zur Vervielfachung besitzen. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen die aussichtsreichsten Investments im KI-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! DUBAI, UAE, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On the twenty-eighth episode of its seventh season, the 'Qalby Etmaan' program surprised its viewers by initiating a series of episodes set in Gaza, where Ghaith launched a new slogan: "In the name of God, we help Gaza." He launched a series of initiatives intended to provide relief to Palestinians through the Ghaith Platform, enabling the audiences to contribute. He emphasized his ability to deliver and distribute this aid to Gaza as part of the "Alfares Alshahm3" (Chivalrous Knight 3) operation. Additionally, Ghaith unveiled an initiative to sponsor the 25,000-plus children in Gaza who have lost one or both of their parents via the platform. This initiative enables individuals to support a child in need monthly throughout the year and contribute to fulfilling their essential needs, such as food, clothing, education, and toys. This endeavour offers a fresh avenue for charitable engagement, particularly poignant given the plight of over 17,000 children in Gaza who have lost their families. Following his dream of visiting Palestine and forming close bonds with its youth, Ghaith announced that all initiatives would be entrusted to capable Palestinians who can effectively distribute aid to those in need in the region. This strategic decision aims to designate them as Ghaith's ambassadors in Gaza. The program continues to air episodes directly from Gaza, featuring various initiatives and philanthropic opportunities aimed at assisting and supporting Palestinians. These endeavours primarily focus on enhancing healthcare services and providing psychological and social support for children, aimed at mitigating the effects of the traumas they have endured. One notable initiative involves supporting the colourful tent named "Al-Wafa," an initiative led by Gaza's youth, which offers crucial psychological support services. Ghaith has called upon teachers in Gaza to seek out educational alternatives to ensure children's continued access to education until the reconstruction of schools is complete. This appeal follows the extensive damage to over 70% of educational institutions in the Gaza Strip, resulting in limited opportunities for children to attend classes. As part of the Emirati 'Birds of Goodness' initiative, Ghaith participated in coordinating an airdrop operation to provide humanitarian relief aid to the people in the region. Prior to this operation, he distributed a comprehensive array of relief packages and kits intended for Gaza, addressing the multifaceted needs of families, women, and children. Furthermore, Ghaith toured the Emirati field hospital situated in Rafah, as well as the UAE Floating Hospital in Al Arish located in Gaza. During his visits, he engaged in conversations with patients, medical personnel, and volunteers. The program dedicated episodes to Gaza, filmed both during and after the holy month of Ramadan, which are now accessible on the Qalby Etmaan channel, available on YouTube on the channel @Qalbyetmaan. For more information on the initiatives & projects, and ways to donate, please log on to the Ghaith platform website: https://bit.ly/49JVIEx. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2381909/GHAITH_PLATFORM_1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/qalby-etmaan-in-gaza-302110902.html WINNIPEG, MB / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Medicure Inc. ("Medicure" or the "Company") (TSXV:MPH)(OTCPINK:MCUJF), a company focused on the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products for patients and prescribers in the United States market, today reported its results from operations for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023. Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2023 Highlights: Recorded total net revenue of $21.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $23.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Recorded total net revenue of $5.1 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2023 compared to $6.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2022 and; Recorded total net revenue from the sale of AGGRASTAT of $9.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $11.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; of $9.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $11.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Recorded total net revenue from the Marley Drug business of $9.6 million ($2.6 million from sales of ZYPITAMAG , and $7.0 million from other pharmacy revenue) during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $7.8 million ($1.5 million from sales of ZYPITAMAG and $6.3 million from other pharmacy revenue)for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; , and $7.0 million from other pharmacy revenue) during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $7.8 million ($1.5 million from sales of ZYPITAMAG and $6.3 million from other pharmacy revenue)for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Recorded net revenue through insured business from the sale of ZYPITAMAG of $2.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $3.6 million through insured business for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA 1 ) for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1.9 million compared to adjusted EBITDA of $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; ) for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1.9 million compared to adjusted EBITDA of $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $922,000 or $0.09 per share compared to net income of $1.4 million or $0.13 per share for the year ended December 31, 2022; the net loss is due in large part to non-cash expenses including $1.6 million of amortization on the purchase of ZYPITAMAG and Marley Drug, and $288,000 of share based compensation expense on stock options granted to employees and directors during the current year. Financial Results Net AGGRASTAT product sales for the year ended December 31, 2023, were $9.7 million compared to $11.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in AGGRASTAT revenues compared to the previous year is the result of a decrease in the volume of AGGRASTAT sold and pricing competition from generic tirofiban. ZYPITAMAG through insured channels contributed $2.4 million of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in revenue through insured channels is primarily as a result of higher wholesaler fees and coverage gap payments, and lower reimbursement from pharmacy benefit managers. This amount does not include sales of ZYPITAMAG through the Marley Drug business. The Marley Drug business contributed $9.6 million of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Marley Drug is a US pharmacy licensed to ship medications to all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. It serves thousands of customers and provides another channel for direct-to-consumer marketing, distribution and improved profit margin for ZYPITAMAG. The increase in revenue is a result of increased sales through marketing, fulfillment partnerships, its e-commerce platform, and increased sales of ZYPITAMAG. Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1.9 million compared to $3.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Decreased adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2023 resulted from lower AGGRASTAT net revenue and higher cost of goods, partially offset by lower R&D expenses. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $922,000 or $0.09 per share compared to a net income of $1.4 million or $0.13 per share for the year ended December 31, 2022. The main factors contributing to the net loss recorded for the year ended December 31, 2023 were lower net revenue and higher selling expenses, partially offset by lower R&D expenses. At December 31, 2023, the Company had unrestricted cash totaling $6.4 million, up from $4.9 million of unrestricted cash held as of December 31, 2022. Cash flows from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 totaled $2.1 million compared to $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. All amounts referenced herein are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. The Company plans to hold an investor conference call in May 2024 to present the results for the three months ended March 31, 2024 with date and dial in information to be provided. The full financial statements are available at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.medicure.com. Notes The Company defines EBITDA as "earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other income or expense" and Adjusted EBITDA as "EBITDA adjusted for non-cash and non-recurring items". The terms "EBITDA" and "Adjusted EBITDA", as it relates to the three months and year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 results prepared using IFRS, do not have any standardized meaning according to IFRS. It is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. About Medicure Inc. Medicure is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for the U.S. cardiovascular market. The present focus of the Company is the marketing and distribution of AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection and ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets in the United States, where they are sold through the Company's U.S. subsidiary, Medicure Pharma Inc. Medicure also operates Marley Drug, Inc. ("Marley Drug"), a pharmacy located in North Carolina that offers an Extended Supply drug program serving all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Marley Drug is committed to improving the health status of its patients and the communities they serve while reducing overall health care costs for employers and other health care consumers. For more information visit www.marleydrug.com. To learn more about The Extended Supply Generic Drug Program call 800.286.6781 or email info@marleydrug.com. For more information on Medicure please visit www.medicure.com. For additional information about AGGRASTAT, please visit www.aggrastathdb.com or refer to the full Prescribing Information. For additional information about ZYPITAMAG, please visit www.zypitamag.com or refer to the full Prescribing Information. To receive investor and business updates from Medicure, please fill out this form click here to be added to Medicure's e-mail list. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Information: Statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes", "may", "plans", "will", "estimates", "continues", "anticipates", "intends", "expects" and similar expressions, may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. federal securities laws (such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are hereinafter collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements, include estimates, analysis and opinions of management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors which the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances. Inherent in forward-looking statements are known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond the Company's ability to predict or control that may cause the actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, and as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others, the Company's future product revenues, expected results, including future revenue from P5P, the likelihood of receiving a priority review voucher from the United State Food and Drug Administration, expected future growth in revenues, stage of development, additional capital requirements, risks associated with the completion and timing of clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval to market the Company's products, the ability to protect its intellectual property, dependence upon collaborative partners, changes in government regulation or regulatory approval processes, and rapid technological change in the industry. Such statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: general business and economic conditions; the impact of changes in Canadian-US dollar and other foreign exchange rates on the Company's revenues, costs and results; the timing of the receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals for the Company's research and development projects; the availability of financing for the Company's commercial operations and/or research and development projects, or the availability of financing on reasonable terms; results of current and future clinical trials; the uncertainties associated with the acceptance and demand for new products and market competition. The foregoing list of important factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of factors, other than as may be required by applicable legislation. Additional discussion regarding the risks and uncertainties relating to the Company and its business can be found in the Company's other filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities or the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and in the "Risk Factors" section of its current Form 20F. AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection, ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets, and Marley Drug are registered trademarks. For more information, please contact: Dr. Albert D. Friesen Chief Executive Officer Tel. 888-435-2220 Fax 204-488-9823 E-mail: info@medicure.com www.medicure.com Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts) As at December 31 2023 2022 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 6,369 $ 4,857 Accounts receivable 4,794 5,635 Inventories 2,900 3,221 Prepaid expenses 1,143 1,134 Total current assets 15,206 14,847 Non-current assets: Property and equipment 736 1,187 Intangible assets 8,940 10,624 Goodwill 3,102 3,177 Other assets 75 63 Total non-current assets 12,853 15,051 Total assets $ 28,059 $ 29,898 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 7,603 $ 7,128 Royalty obligation - 179 Acquisition payable - 677 Income taxes payable 16 60 Current portion of lease obligations 315 346 Total current liabilities 7,934 8,390 Non-current liabilities Lease obligations 229 503 Total non-current liabilities 229 503 Total liabilities 8,163 8,893 Equity: Share capital 81,014 80,917 Contributed surplus 10,723 10,476 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (5,989 ) (5,458 ) Deficit (65,852 ) (64,930 ) Total equity 19,896 21,005 Total liabilities and equity $ 28,059 $ 29,898 Consolidated Statements of Net (Loss) Income and Comprehensive (Loss) Income (expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts) For the year ended December 31 2023 2022 2021 Revenue, net Product sales, net $ 21,694 $ 23,065 $ 21,744 Cost of goods sold 7,705 6,990 9,032 Gross profit 13,989 16,075 12,712 Expenses Selling 8,306 7,935 10,312 General and administrative 4,131 4,193 2,697 Research and development 2,406 2,754 1,796 14,843 14,882 14,805 Other Income: Other Income - (346 ) (1,828 ) - (346 ) (1,828 ) Finance costs: Finance (income) expense, net (65 ) 206 525 Foreign exchange loss (gain), net 108 (52 ) (31 ) 43 154 494 Net (loss) income before income taxes $ (897 ) $ 1,385 $ (759 ) Income tax recovery (expense) Current (25 ) (20 ) 32 Deferred - - - (25 ) (20 ) 32 Net (loss) profit $ (922 ) $ 1,365 $ (727 ) Item that may be reclassified to profit or loss Exchange differences on translation of foreign subsidiaries: (531 ) 1,182 (143 ) Comprehensive Income (loss) $ (1,453 ) $ 2,547 $ (870 ) Earnings (loss) per share Basic $ (0.09 ) $ 0.13 $ (0.07 ) Diluted $ (0.09 ) $ 0.13 $ (0.07 ) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts) For the year ended December 31 2023 2022 2021 Cash (used in) provided by: Operating activities: Net (loss) profit for the year $ (922 ) $ 1,365 $ (727 ) Adjustments for: Current income tax expense (recovery) 25 20 (32 ) Amortization of property and equipment 434 461 406 Amortization of intangible assets 1,736 1,594 2,739 Share-based compensation 288 47 135 Write-down of inventories 277 38 1,339 Change in fair value of contingent consideration - (346 ) (1,803 ) Finance (income) expense, net (65 ) 190 525 Unrealized foreign exchange loss (gain) 108 (52 ) (31 ) Change in the following: Accounts receivable 969 (864 ) 593 Inventories (31 ) 166 471 Prepaid expenses (26 ) (194 ) 305 Other assets - (2 ) 99 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 86 568 20 Interest received (paid), net 48 (16 ) 49 Income taxes paid, net (61 ) (91 ) - Royalties paid (256 ) (1,056 ) (99 ) Cash flows from operating activities 2,079 1,828 3,989 Investing activities: Repayment of holdback payable - - (1,876 ) Acquisition of property and equipment - (14 ) (377 ) Acquisition of intangible assets (270 ) (296 ) (441 ) Cash flows (used in) from investing activities (270 ) (310 ) (2,694 ) Financing activities: Repayment of lease liability (353 ) (355 ) (316 ) Stock options exercised 56 - - Cash flows used in financing activities (297 ) (355 ) (316 ) Foreign exchange loss on cash held in foreign currency - - (1 ) Increase (decrease) in cash 1,512 1,163 978 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 4,857 3,694 2,716 Cash and cash equivalents, end of year $ 6,369 $ 4,857 $ 3,694 SOURCE: Medicure, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. ("CO2 GRO" or the "Company") (TSXV:GROW)(OTCQB:BLONF)(Frankfurt:4021) CO2 GRO Inc., an innovation driven enterprise in agricultural technology, proudly announces the successful installation and commissioning of its largest commercial project to date at Hidroexpo's greenhouse complex in El Salvador. This 6-hectare (642,000 sq ft) block expansion marks a major milestone in scaling our state-of-the-art aqueous CO2 enrichment technology. It will enrich the yield and quality of the production of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers. Valued at approximately CAD $1 million, this project was finalized under a PFU (Pay-For-Use) contract announced earlier on June 20, 2023, evidencing Hidroexpo's confidence in CO2 GRO's aqueous CO2 enrichment technology. The system integrates advanced features such as misting and infusion system, and a Dynamic Monitoring & Control System, all controlled via an online digital dashboard for unparalleled efficiency and ease of use. This partnership has been fortified by a commercial contract after previous seasons' data showcased a 20%-30% increase in production. The enhanced yield is destined for sale across the United States. Rodrigo Martinez, General Manager of Hidroexpo shared his enthusiasm for the project: "We are very excited to begin using CO2 GRO's C-stainable Crop Enhancement technology on a wider scale than we have the past two seasons. The installation, undertaken by our maintenance crew with CO2 GRO's project management team's support, exemplifies the high-tech evolution of the system. Its continual development impresses us, instilling confidence in the promised benefits and future optimization through increasingly valuable real-time data." Aaron Archibald, CO2 GRO's VP Sales, reflected on the partnership: "Hidroexpo has been a fantastic customer and partner, contributing significantly to our development. Their expertise in greenhouse irrigation systems has been invaluable in refining our technology's installation processes. This supportive customer-partner relationship is crucial for our growth as we aim to continue scaling our technology's application within Hidroexpo's greenhouse complex and leveraging this scale-up experience in other commercial projects." The completion of this project not only underscores CO2 GRO's technological leadership but also reinforces its commitment to sustainable agriculture and productivity enhancement. It stands as a testament to the potential for our innovative precision ag technology to revolutionize the protected agricultural industry, promising increased yields, profitability, and environmental sustainability." For more information and to explore how CO2 GRO is contributing to a greener future in agriculture, visit https://co2gro.ca (English) or https://es.co2gro.ca (Spanish) About CO2 GRO Inc. CO2 GRO Inc. is a precision ag-tech, clean-tech company with a focus on People, the Planet and Prosperity. Our vision is to become one of the leading companies enhancing global food production from protected agriculture. By helping our customers sustainably increase yield and profitability, we could help feed up to half a billion people worldwide while reducing our customers' ecological footprint. Check out our webinar, corporate updates, and ESG report. About 300 million MT of fruit and vegetables are grown annually from about 5 million hectares of protected vegetable facilities globally (6 kg/m2/year of average production). A 30% yield increase using our technology could add up to 100 million MT of fruits and vegetables per year. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual fruit and vegetable consumption of up to 200 kg per year per adult. Our Target Market: The estimated 800 billion square foot global protected grower market is comprised of 700 billion square feet of fruits & vegetables (Cuesta Roble 2019 estimate), and an estimated 100 billion square feet of protected floriculture and other medicinal plants and non-food varieties. Our Technology: CO2 Delivery Solutions enriches plants with CO 2 by misting an aqueous CO2 solution directly onto plants grown in greenhouses and other protected grow facilities globally. Value Proposition: Approximately 98% of protected grow facilities globally cannot add CO 2 by atmospheric gassing, missing out on up to 30% increased yield potential and 100% more gross profit. CO2 GRO's technology enables all protected growers regardless of facility or location to enrich their plants with CO2 to realize up to 30% yield increases. In addition, our technology suppresses the growth of micro-pathogens such as E.coli and powdery mildew, leading to healthier crops. Growers currently employing CO2 gassing can save up to 90% of CO2 gas used, reducing their ecological footprint and production costs. Patent Protection: CO2 GRO's CO2 Delivery Solutions technology is protected by a suite of patents and patents pending. Business Model: Our technology is sold to growers based on the cultivation area installed at prices that provide a high return on their investment and high margins for our shareholders. Global Expansion: CO2 GRO's management is rapidly expanding its international marketing partner relationships into Mexico, Spain, the EU, the UK, South Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America as well as in its US and Canadian base. Environmental Social and Governance ESG: CO2 GRO is committed to good Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies and practices. We are an equal opportunity employer of choice and opportunity. Read copies of past reports here. Forward-Looking Statements and Disclaimer This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities. Forward- looking information is often identified by the words "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: statements regarding the future direction of the Company; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business and financial objectives; plans for expansion and the ability of the Company to obtain, develop and foster its business relationships; and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect the Company's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning the business of the Company's future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates that management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Such assumptions include but are not limited to: general business and economic conditions; the Company's ability to successfully execute its plans and intentions; successful completion of the Offering; the availability of financing on reasonable terms; the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and technology offered by the Company's competitors; and that good relationships with business partners will be maintained. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; in particular, in the ability of the Company to raise debt and equity capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes in applicable laws or adverse changes in the application or enforcement of current laws; the biotechnology industry and the greenhouse growers market are highly competitive, and technical advances in the industry will impact the success of the Company, and other risks described in the Company's filings that are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contact: Soumik Roy, Director of Marketing, Communications, and Investor Relations ir@co2gro.ca SOURCE: CO2 Gro Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Oakville, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 8, 2024) - FendX Technologies Inc. (CSE: FNDX) (OTCQB: FDXTF) (FSE: E8D) (the "Company" or "FendX"), a nanotechnology company developing surface protection coatings to reduce the spread of pathogens, would like to remind shareholders that Dr. Carolyn Myers, CEO of FendX, will be participating in a shareholder webinar, hosted by IR Labs, on Thursday April 11, 2024 at 1 pm ET/10 am PT to provide an overview of the Company, discuss products in development and recent achievements. To register, please click here. The Company also announces it has completed a share for debt transaction previously announced on March 28, 2024, pursuant to which it issued 500,000 common shares at a price of $0.20 per share to settle $100,000 of debt with a creditor. The shares issued pursuant to the share for debt transaction are subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities laws. About FendX Technologies Inc. FendX is a Canada-based nanotechnology company focused on developing products to make people's lives safer by reducing the spread of pathogens. The Company is developing both film and spray products to protect surfaces from contamination. The lead product under development, REPELWRAP film, is a protective surface coating film that, due to its repelling properties, prevents the adhesion of pathogens and reduces their transmission on surfaces prone to contamination. The spray nanotechnology is a bifunctional spray coating being developed to reduce contamination on surfaces by repelling and killing pathogens. The Company is conducting research and development activities using its nanotechnology in collaboration with industry-leading partners, including McMaster University. The Company has an exclusive worldwide license to its technology and IP portfolio from McMaster, which encompass both film and spray coating nanotechnology formulations. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Carolyn Myers" Carolyn Myers Chief Executive Officer and Director Contacts: Dr. Carolyn Myers, CEO and Director 1-800-344-9868 Alyssa Barry, Investor Relations 1-833-947-5227 investor@fendxtech.com For more information, please visit https://fendxtech.com/ and the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to: the plans of the Company; and products under development and any pathogen reduction benefits related thereto. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and involve several risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include: product candidates only being in formulation/reformulation stages; limited operating history; research and development activities; dependence on collaborative partners, licensors and others; effect of general economic and political conditions; and other risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, the reader is urged to refer to the Company's such filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors should change. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/204747 SOURCE: FendX Technologies Inc. Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is to acquire Climb, a Japanese technology services provider specializing in system integration, IT infrastructure management and operations, primarily in the Gunma Prefecture. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. The acquisition brings more critical skills for global organizations in Japan to navigate technology change. In particular, Climbs expertise will accelerate application and infrastructure modernization services for financial institutions and government agencies to achieve digital transformation. Accentures investment in Climb will also enable local teams to continue to revitalize the local ICT (Information Communication Technology) industry. Established in 1989 and led by Osamu Kanai, President, Climb has demonstrated a high level of expertise in multiple areas from the development of core banking and mission-critical systems to the management and operations of IT infrastructure for organizations, such as domestic financial institutions, manufacturers, telecommunications carriers and government agencies, mainly in Maebashi City, where the company was founded. Currently, Climb has approximately 200 engineers who are trained in cloud and security technologies and application management services. The engineers will join Accenture Technology. FinSMEs 08/04/2024 Leash Biosciences, a Salt Lake City, UT-based artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)-native biotechnology company, raised $9.3M in Seed funding. The round was led by Springtide Ventures with participation from MetaPlanet, Top Harvest Capital, Mitsui Global Investment, MFV Partners, Recursion co-founders Chris Gibson, and Blake Borgeson. The company intends to use the funds to support development of a foundational machine learning model of medicinal chemistry that can predict small molecule drug candidates for any protein. Led by CEO Ian Quigley, Leash Biosciences is a biotechnology company unleashing machine learning to solve medicinal chemistry. Through the combination of machine learning and chemical and biological datasets, the company works to rapidly design novel small molecule therapeutics. To date, Leash has physically generated over 17 billion high-quality protein-chemical interaction measurements. In its new Salt Lake City headquarters, the company plans to screen 500+ protein targets against many millions of machine learning-designed, proprietary chemicals by 2025. FinSMEs 08/04/2024 Stanhope AI, a London, UK-based company applying neuroscience research to teach machines how to make human-like decisions in the real world, raised 2.3M in Seed funding. The round was led by UCL Technology Fund, with participation from Creator Fund, MMC Ventures, Moonfire Ventures and Rockmount Capital and angel investors. The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts. Founded in 2021, Stanhope AI leverages neuroscience research to create models that use real-time data to predict what will happen next and make decisions autonomously, without the need for prior training. Instead of training vast LLMs to make decisions based on seen data, Stanhope agentic AIs models are in charge of their own learning. They autonomously decode their environments and rebuild and refine their world models using real-time data, continuously fed to them via onboard sensors. The company was founded as a spinout from University College London, supported by UCL Business, by CEO Professor Rosalyn Moran (former Deputy Director of Kings Institute for Artificial Intelligence), Director Karl Friston, Professor at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and Technical Advisor Dr Biswa Sengupta (MD of AI and Cloud products at JP Morgan Chase). FinSMEs 07/04/2024 Mrunal Thakur said, Winning an award at the Athens Art Film Awards is truly a dream come true. Its a testament to the power of storytelling and the ability of cinema to transcend boundaries. read more Mrunal Thakur has once again proven her mettle in the world of cinema by bagging the prestigious Best Actress award at The Oniros Film Awards, held in New York City. Her stellar portrayal in the acclaimed film Hi Nanna has not only captivated audiences but also garnered critical acclaim, leading to multiple wins for the film at the event. Hi Nanna emerged triumphant at The Oniros Film Awards, securing a total of 12 trophies, including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Child Actor, Best Cinematography, and various other categories. The films success is a testament to the dedication and talent of its entire team. Advertisement Expressing her elation, Mrunal Thakur remarked, I am beyond thrilled and grateful to receive this incredible honor from The Oniros Film Awards. Portraying the character in Hi Nanna was a deeply rewarding experience, and to be recognized for it in this manner is truly humbling. I am immensely thankful to my fans for their unwavering support and love. The Oniros Film Awards is an esteemed International Monthly IMDb Qualifying competition that celebrates films and filmmakers from across the globe. Its public Screening Event in New York City every three months serves as a platform for recognizing excellence in cinema. In addition to its success at The Oniros Film Awards, Hi Nanna has also made waves on the International stage by clinching an award at the Athens Art Film Awards event. This achievement underscores the films universal appeal and the impact of its narrative on global audiences. Commenting on the films international recognition, Mrunal Thakur said, Winning an award at the Athens Art Film Awards is truly a dream come true. Its a testament to the power of storytelling and the ability of cinema to transcend boundaries. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Athens International Art Film Festival for this incredible honor. As Hi Nanna continues to garner accolades and appreciation worldwide, the entire team behind the film is jubilant and proud of its achievements. This momentous occasion calls for celebration, and the cast and crew are eager to share this joy with audiences everywhere. Bengaluru is experiencing record-breaking high temperatures with Sunday recording 37.6 degrees Celsius, the highest in the last eight years in the city otherwise known for its pleasant weather. The situation is so bad that sunstroke wards have been opened in hospitals. This comes as the IT hub is facing an unprecedented water crisis read more Bengaluru has been dealing with a water crisis for a month. In addition to its water woes, Indias Silicon Valley is experiencing record-breaking high temperatures. Residents have even been forced to alter their everyday schedules due to the intense heat. Lets take a closer look. Severe hot weather Bengaluru on Sunday recorded 37.6 degrees Celsius, the highest that the mercury has gone in the last eight years in the city, which is otherwise known for its pleasant weather, according to PTI. Advertisement NDTV reports that the city is currently experiencing at least three degrees warmer temperatures than it does in April. In view of the hot weather in Bengaluru, sunstroke wards have been opened in most hospitals, including the KC General Ward. In addition, the city is experiencing warmer nights, which contrasts with the delightful evenings that most people are accustomed to. With the city clocking 23 degrees Celsius yesterday higher than Delhi and Gurugram minimum temperatures are reaching all-time highs. A cow walks across the arid Nallurahalli lake at Whitefield in Bengaluru on 10 March 2024. AFP According to Dr N Puviarasan, a weather scientist at the India Meteorological Department, Bengalurus inadequate rainfall from the northeast monsoon last year is one of the causes of the rising temperature. There was no rain in Bengaluru in the winter either, mainly due to climate change and El Nino conditions, he told NDTV. An El Nino effect is linked to weaker monsoon winds and less rainfall. Additionally, he emphasised the connection between the citys high temperatures and the rapid urbanisation that was taking place. Changed schedules Now, a lot of locals have rearranged their schedules to avoid the heat. It has changed my entire routine. I used to go for walks after lunch. Now its so horrible, I cannot even step out of office. Sitting in the AC is the only option, a resident told the news channel. When I moved here 10 years ago, it was a completely different story. We never faced this kind of weather. Advertisement Another resident said, We are also experiencing a huge water problem in Bengaluru, while adding that she is constantly hydrating herself to stay fit amid the heat. In an attempt to alleviate some of the intense heat, the IT hub is now anticipating summer showers, which are predicted for 14 April. Water crisis Bengalurus water issue has made the summer heat an added hardship. Only those that receive piped water from rivers outside Bengaluru are still getting regular supply, as per Mint. The government of Karnataka reports that out of the 13,900 borewells that were sunk in the city, 6,900 have dried up, even though some of them were drilled as deep as 1,500 feet. Muthuvel and other groundwater-dependent areas are now dependent on water tankers that get water from neighbouring villages. Advertisement People collect free drinking water from a tanker due to the water crisis at Bangarappa Nagar, in Bengaluru. PTI By the end of the decade, more than 40 per cent of Bengaluru residents, according to Centre estimates from 2018, wont have access to drinking water. Amid this, consumers are reportedly stung by high vegetable costs as supplies have taken a hit. People seeking to buy a property in Bengaluru are reassessing their decision as several parts of Karnatakas capital reel under a water crisis. Residents have been forced to cut down on showers and cooking because of water scarcity, an NDTV ground report revealed last month. A recent report by Nasscom-Deloitte has found that due to these civic issues, IT companies are now open to expanding their operations beyond Karnatakas capital. Advertisement The water crisis in Karnatakas capital is only expected to get worse as mercury climbs up in summer. Bengalurus water woes are also likely to affect its real estate market, with potential buyers reconsidering their investments. The Karnataka government has taken over private water tankers, borewells and irrigation wells amid the water scarcity in Bengaluru. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has mandated the use of aerators in taps for large users. The BWSSB also recently announced a 10 per cent cut in supply to those who use water between 40 lakh and two crore litres per day. Sitharaman hits out at the state government Advertisement Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday hit out at the Siddaramaiah government and alleged that many irrigation and water-related projects and initiatives were halted by the Congress when it came to power in Karnataka last year. Addressing a press conference here, the Union Minister said it is very worrying and sad that the city suffers from water-related problems. Responding to a question about the delay in drought relief funds, she explained that the Karnataka government had submitted a memorandum in October and the inter-ministerial central team had come here and conducted a spot assessment. Seeking to defend the Centre, Ms Sitharaman said the release of drought relief has to go through a few procedures and that it had taken time. She said that on March 28, the Central authorities had written to the Election Commission to get prior approval in the context of the Model Code of Conduct for convening the high-level committee. The ECs approval is awaited with regard to the grant of drought relief, she added. With inputs from PTI Ecuadorian police broke through the external doors of the Mexican Embassy in Quito, Friday evening, to arrest Jorge Glas, the former Ecuadorian Vice President, who had been residing there since December. Why is it a big deal? read more Police stand guard at the entrance of the penitentiary where former Ecuador's bice president Jorge Glas is now being held, in Guayaquil, Ecuador. AP Following an unexpected incident in the Ecuadorian capital city of Quito, where Ecuador police raided Mexicos embassy on Friday (April 5) and arrested a former vice president who had been granted asylum there, Mexico has ended its diplomatic ties with the South American nation. Jorge Glas, the former Ecuadorian vice president, had been convicted on charges of bribery and corruption and remains under investigation for other potential crimes. The raid on the Mexican embassy was almost unprecedented, as diplomatic premises are considered inviolable sovereign territory. Ecuador accused Mexico of abusing the immunities and privileges granted to the diplomatic mission by providing asylum to Jorge Glas. Advertisement In response, Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described Ecuadors actions as a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico and announced that Mexico would file a complaint against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice. But why does Ecuador want the custody of Jorge Glas? What happened at the Mexican embassy? The arrest On Friday, Ecuadorian special forces encircled the Mexican embassy, and armed policemen entered the embassy after the government previously asked for permission to do so through diplomatic channels. Mexico said that the raid hurt many, and Glas has been taken into Ecuador polices custody, as per an Indian Express report. Left-wing politician Glas, 54, was twice found guilty of corruption and had sought political asylum in the Mexican embassy in Quito since December, when an arrest warrant had been issued for him. Prior to the raid, Mexico granted him asylum. According to a statement from Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboas office, the arrest took place because Mexico violated the diplomatic missions immunities and privileges, and Glas asylum was granted contrary to the conventional legal framework. The raid took place hours after the Mexican government granted former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas political asylum. AP Shortly after the arrest, Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, issued a statement calling the arrest a flagrant violation of international law and Mexican sovereignty, and alleging that Ecuadorian police had forced their way into the embassy. Advertisement Glas was Ecuadors vice president from 2013 to 2017, and he was relieved of his duties due to mounting corruption allegations against him. He was then sentenced to six years in prison for corruption at Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction giant. He was released from prison in November, but Ecuadorian authorities issued another arrest warrant, prompting him to seek refuge at the Mexican embassy. According to reports in the media, Ecuadorian authorities are still investigating additional allegations against him. Intrusion on Mexicos sovereignty Though the region is no stranger to political explosions this has provoked a fierce outrage, with diplomatic relations between Mexico and Ecuador dramatically imploding after the incident. Advertisement International law experts and leaders across the region have said that the move violated long-established international laws that few rulers have dared to breach. Its almost an unprecedented act. To date, there are only a tiny handful of cases of raids on embassies on the books. By forcing their way into the Mexican embassy to make the arrest, Ecuadorian police effectively intruded onto Mexican sovereign territory, said Natalia Saltalamacchia, a professor on international relations at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called the break-in a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico. The law Saltalamacchia, Lopez Obrador and other leaders are citing is an accord dating back to 1963 known as the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. It sets out clear rules on diplomatic immunity, which effectively blocks authorities from entering embassies by force, among other things. Advertisement By injuring diplomatic personnel within the embassy, Saltalamacchia said, Ecuadors government violated another section of the accords. When a state like Ecuador makes decision like that, youre really endangering all the embassies of all the states in the world by ignoring precedent, Saltalamacchia said. You enter into a state of anarchy, a sort of jungle law. Such rules have been established to maintain healthy diplomatic relations around the world, and allow diplomats to carry out their work without fear of retribution. The US State Department notes that diplomatic immunity exists to ensure the efficient and effective performance of their official missions on behalf of their governments. Advertisement Breach of international law The raid is a move even the regions most-criticised governments have hesitated to take, and something Ecuadors own government once declared illegal. Most notably and rather ironically the British government threatened to raid Ecuadors embassy in 2012 to go after WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange, who was seeking asylum in Ecuador. A supporter of former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas protests as a military vehicle transports him from the detention centre he was held following his arrest at the Mexican Embassy in Quito Ecuador. AP We are deeply shocked by the British governments threats against the sovereignty of the Ecuadorian embassy and their suggestion that they may forcibly enter the embassy, said Ecuadors government at the time. This is a clear breach of international law and the protocols set out in the Vienna Convention. British authorities never made good on their threat, and only a few examples of actual violations have been documented in recent decades. Saltalamacchia cited the takeover of the American embassy in Iran in 1979, when diplomats were held hostage for 444 days. In Cuba, in 1956 before the Vienna Convention was agreed, nine people were killed in Haitis embassy as a result of a raid by Cuban police under the Batista dictatorship. In 1981, Cuba carried out another raid on Ecuadors embassy to capture a number of officials seeking political refuge status. Similar attacks The Organisation of American States on Saturday also compared Fridays break-in to a 2022 incident when Nicaraguan authorities illegitimately occupied their own offices in Managua. The OAS also called for a meeting to discuss the Ecuador incident. While embassies have also been attacked and raided in countries including Lebanon, Argentina, Libya, Indonesia and Thailand, those raids were carried out largely by insurgent groups. Saltalamacchia said by arresting Glas, Ecuadors government may have also violated a regional agreement known as the 1954 Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, which allows individuals to seek asylum in embassies. However, some have defended Ecuador. Former Ecuadorian ambassador Jorge Icaza told The Associated Press that while he agreed that entering the embassy was illegal, he added it was improper to protect a criminal who was sanctioned by the Ecuadorian justice (system) in two very evident cases, which is also negative from the point of view of international standards. Ecuadors presidency on Friday night also alleged that Mexicos government had abused immunities and privileges granted to the diplomatic mission and granted diplomatic asylum contrary to the conventional legal framework. With inputs from AP The European Court of Human Rights is set to issue a landmark decision this week in Strasbourg, France, on a critical question: Does government inaction on climate change violate human rights? Heres whats at stake. How the cases may influence climate litigation read more The Swiss women's lawyers are seeking a ruling that could force Bern to cut carbon dioxide emissions much faster than planned. File image/Reuters The European Court of Human Rights is poised to make a groundbreaking decision this week in Strasbourg, France, addressing a pivotal question: Does government inaction on climate change violate human rights? The cases under review involve six Portuguese youths challenging 32 European countries, elderly Swiss women contesting their governments climate efforts, and a former French mayor questioning Frances climate policies. This landmark ruling will be the first of its kind and will have far-reaching implications for future legal battles concerning the impact of climate change on peoples fundamental rights. Advertisement Described as David v Goliath scenarios, these cases could set a precedent for holding governments accountable for their climate actions or lack thereof. Heres whats at stake. What are the lawsuits? Six Portuguese youths are suing 32 European countries for allegedly failing to avert catastrophic climate change that they say threatens their right to life. The case, which has been described by experts as David v Goliath, does not ask for financial compensation, but for governments to drastically cut emissions. At the same time, thousands of elderly Swiss women have argued that their governments woefully inadequate efforts to fight global warming put them at risk of dying during heatwaves. The womens lawyers are seeking a ruling that could force Bern to cut carbon dioxide emissions much faster than planned. In the third and final case, Damien Careme, a former mayor of the French commune of Grande-Synthe, is challenging Frances refusal to take more ambitious climate measures. What rights may have been violated? Advertisement This will be the first time the European Court rules on whether allegedly weak climate change policies infringe on peoples human rights enshrined in the European Convention. The Portuguese youths have argued their right to life is threatened by climate change-driven events such as wildfires, and that failure to tackle climate change particularly discriminates against young people who face the prospect of an increasingly unliveable planet. The Swiss women have said Bern violated their right to life by failing to cut emissions in line with a pathway that limits global warming to 1.5C (2.7F). A female supporter smiles while holding a banner in support of the Senior Women for Climate Protection in front of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. File image/Reuters Their case cites a UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that found that women and older adults were among those at highest risk of temperature-related deaths during heatwaves, and uses the applicants medical records to show their vulnerability. Advertisement Caremes application, made in 2019, will assess whether insufficient government action can amount to a violation of the right to life, by exposing peoples homes to climate risk. We all are trying to achieve the same goal, said 23-year-old Catarina Mota, one of the Portuguese youths. A win in any one of the three cases will be a win for everyone. What could the rulings be? The 17-judge panel could issue very different verdicts for each case. The rulings cannot be appealed. The three cases are quite distinct in terms of whos bringing the case, which government or governments are being sued, and what the ask is in the case, said Lucy Maxwell, co-director of the Climate Litigation Network. Advertisement Some of the involved governments have argued the cases are inadmissible. Switzerland has said it is not Strasbourgs job to be supreme court on environmental matters or to enforce climate treaties. The court may decide a case is too difficult to fit within the existing framework of the Court and needs to be decided at a national level, Maxwell said. The latter is a common outcome that could give a boost to national accountability. The European Court may issue a declaration that those governments have not complied with their human rights obligations because their 2030 targets are too weak and not in line with science, she said. Advertisement What can a ruling against the government achieve? A ruling against the Swiss or Portuguese government would send a clear message that governments have legal duties to significantly increase their efforts to combat climate change in order to protect human rights, Maxwell said. This should result in those countries revising their 2030 emissions reductions targets. Seniors from Switzerland are protesting outside the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, eastern France. According to a UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, women and older adults are more vulnerable to temperature-related deaths during heatwaves, as evidenced by medical records of applicants. file image/AP If countries do not update their targets, further litigation could be carried out at the national level and courts could issue financial penalties. Any failure of governments to comply with domestic court orders sparks major rule of law issues, Maxwell said. We rely on the compliance of governments with national court orders. How will the rulings set a legal precedent? A regional human rights court has never before ruled on climate cases, and the verdicts are likely to be game-changing. If successful, it would be the most important thing to happen for the climate in Europe since the Paris Agreement because it kind of has the effect of a regional European treaty, said Ruth Delbaere, a senior legal campaigner for civic movement Avaaz, which has helped to raise funds to cover the Portuguese youths legal fees. All three cases are being decided by the courts top bench known as the Grand Chamber where only cases that raise serious questions about the Conventions interpretation are sent. The cases outcomes will therefore serve as a blueprint for both the Strasbourg court and national courts considering similar cases. Gerry Liston, a senior lawyer arguing the Portuguese case, said the most impactful outcome would be a ruling that binds the 32 countries that are Europes major emitters. They include the European Union and neighbouring countries. But a ruling against even just one country could be applied as precedent against all 46 signatories of the European Convention. A win could embolden more communities to bring similar cases against governments. Equally, a loss for the claimants could deter future legal action. Six other climate cases have been put on hold by the Strasbourg court pending Tuesdays three rulings, said Joie Chowdhury, a senior attorney at the Centre for International Environmental Law. These include a lawsuit against the Norwegian government that alleges it violated human rights by issuing new licences for oil and gas exploration in the Barents Sea beyond 2035. Whatever happens this week will also influence beyond Europes borders, Maxwell said. Courts in Australia, Brazil, Peru and South Korea are considering human rights-based climate cases. They will be looking at what happens in Europe and there will be ripple effects well outside, she said. With inputs from Reuters A total solar eclipse will cross over North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The entire event will take about two-and-a-half hours, but totality will only last about four minutes. Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will also visit China for a two-day visit read more Today will be the year's first solar eclipse, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. File image/AP Its a Monday and theres big news waiting to happen. From the first solar eclipse of the year to Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov visiting China, heres what you can expect today. Solar eclipse The first solar eclipse of 2024 will take place today (8 April). Though it will not be visible in India, the total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Weather permitting, the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexicos Pacific coast. Advertisement The whole event will take about two-and-a-half hours, but totality will only last about four minutes. As per NASA, the peak spectacle is expected to last for up to four minutes and 27 seconds in the path of total darkness. If you cannot witness the solar eclipse in person, you can tune in to NASAs live stream. The space agency will start its live stream on April 8 at 5:00 pm GMT (10:30 pm IST) and continue until 8:00 pm GMT (1:30 am IST). Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov gestures while speaking at his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia. File image/AP Russian foreign minister to visit China Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will visit China on 8-9 April for bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, the Russian foreign ministry said. The Russian foreign ministry said that the officials would discuss cooperation in the international arena and hot topics, including Russias war against Ukraine which the statement called the Ukrainian crisis. Isolated from the West, which condemns Moscow for its brutal war against Ukraine, Russia has increasingly turned to China one of its only allies. The West remains cautious of the two countries ties, which they labelled a no limits partnership in February 2022, right before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement Lavrovs visit comes before Russian president Vladimir Putins reported visit to China in May. Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi in New Delhi. File image/PTI AAPs Atishi to respond to EC notice Aam Aadmi Party minister Atishi is expected to submit her response to the Election Commission notice that she received for her claims that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) approached her to join the party to save her political career. Earlier on Tuesday, Atishi claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would arrest her in a month if she refused to join. She alleged that the BJP had invited her to join the party through a message conveyed to her by someone close. The poll body acted on a complaint from the BJP which alleged that she had made misleading and unverified statements against the party. Advertisement Water supply to be affected in Gurugram Water supply will be severely impacted in Gurugram on Monday with the authorities announcing a 36-hour water shutdown in several areas of the city from 10 am on 8 April to 10 pm on 9 April. The construction of the master storm drainage from Basai Chowk to Hero Honda Chowk will lead to a temporary shutdown of the water supply from the Basai water treatment plant to the boosting station at Sector 16, an official said. Residents in many areas will be affected, including villages like Basai, Kadipur, Sirhaul, Chakarpur, Nathupur, Kadipur, Sirhaul, Chakarpur, Nathupur, Sikanderpur, Dundahera, Gaushala and Sukrali. Advertisement IPL 2024: CSK to take on KKR Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will clash on 8 April at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, also known as Chepauk Stadium, in Chennai. Kolkata will look to continue their winning run while Chennai will try to avoid their third consecutive loss. CSK have played four matches so far and won two of those. Chennai, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, won their first two matches, against Gujarat Titans (GT) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Then, they lost two matches back to back, against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Kolkata, on the other hand, have won all three matches they have played so far. With a massive Net Run Rate (NRR) of +2.518, they are at number two on the points table. CSK, despite two losses, are at number three with an NRR of +0.517. The Israel Defense Forces is withdrawing its troops from southern Gaza, as the ongoing fighting against Hamas hits the six-month mark. While some believe it is an R&R a rest and refit for the Israeli soldiers, others say the war is entering its next phase. It is also unclear what this move means for Israels plans to invade Rafah read more Palestinians inspect destroyed residential buildings and a mosque, after the Israeli military withdrew most of its ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters On 7 October last year, Palestinian militants belonging to Hamas carried out an audacious and brutal attack in Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking many more hostage. This consequently led to Israel waging war in the Gaza Strip with the sole aim of eliminating Hamas. Its now been six months into this war countless other lives have been lost, destruction has been at an unprecedented level and diplomatic ties between various countries have changed. Advertisement And on 7 April, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) marked the six months of the heavy fighting by withdrawing its ground troops out of southern Gaza. As of today, only two brigades will stay in the northern half of the Gaza Strip, in order to preserve the IDFs freedom of action and its ability to conduct precise intelligence based-operations. Why have the troops been withdrawn from southern Gaza? What does this withdrawal of troops mean for the ongoing war? We examine this and much more. Orders to leave On Sunday morning (7 April), the IDF withdrew all of its ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip, including Khan Younis. Today, Sunday April 7th, the IDFs 98th commando division has concluded its mission in Khan Younis. The division left the Gaza Strip in order to recuperate and prepare for future operations, the army said in a statement on Sunday. A significant force led by the 162nd division and the Nahal brigade continues to operate in the Gaza Strip and will preserve the IDFs freedom of action and its ability to conduct precise intelligence based operations, it said. News agency Reuters confirmed the troop withdrawal but added that one brigade has remained, without giving further details. Shortly after the withdrawal of troops, the Times of Israel reported that five rockets were fired from the Khan Younis area at communities near the Gaza border. According to the IDF, some of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system. There were no reports of injuries or damage. Advertisement Palestinians walk through Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip as Israeli soldiers began wit their troop withdrawal. Ap As troops began to withdraw from the city of Khan Younis, some Palestinians began to return. However, many of them were wary and concerned. One of them was Osama Asfour who told New York Times, The military might say it left today, but they can come back tomorrow. Im not going to go on an adventure with my life and my familys lives. Another resident of Khan Younis, said that the city, which now lay in ruins, smelled like death. We dont have a city anymore only rubble. There is absolutely nothing left. I could not stop myself crying as I walked through the streets, said Maha Thaer, a mother of four, to AFP. All the streets have been bulldozed. And the smell I watched people digging and bringing out the bodies. Advertisement Reason for troop withdrawal Initially, the IDF gave no specific reason for their withdrawal, causing confusion and more speculation. However, later, an army official who spoke to the Israel daily Haaretz said: Theres no need for us to remain in Khan Younis. The 98th Division dismantled Hamass Khan Younis brigades and killed thousands of its members. We did everything we could there. The IDF spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner later was quoted as telling the BBC that this is another stage in the war effort. Lt Col Lerner said: The war is not over. War can only be over when they [hostages] come home and when Hamas is gone. It is a decline in the forces but there are more operations that need to be conducted. Rafah is clearly a stronghold. We need to dismantle Hamas capabilities wherever they are. Advertisement Israeli tank manoeuvres near Israels border with Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in southern Israel. On Sunday, the IDF announced that it was pulling back its troops from south Gaza. Reuters Earlier, before Israel gave any sort of response to its actions, the US National Security spokesman John Kirby said that the move appeared to be a rest and refit. As we understand it, and through their public announcements, it is really just about rest and refit for these troops and not necessarily that we can tell indicative of some coming new operation for these troops, Kirby said when asked about the same. Theyve been on the ground for four months, the word were getting is theyre tired, they need to be refit, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby tells ABCs This Week, though he stresses that it is hard to know exactly what this tells us right now. Advertisement Israels defence minister Yoav Gallant later was quoted as saying that the troops were leaving to prepare for their follow-up missions. He said their achievements in Khan Younis were extremely impressive, adding that Hamas had ceased to function as a military organisation throughout Gaza. Some believe that the troop withdrawal is linked to negotiations over the release of hostages. Officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar met on Sunday in Cairo with delegations from Hamas and Israel hammer out an agreement on a temporary ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages Hamas took when it led an attack on Israel on 7 October last year. A man gestures as Palestinians return to Khan Younis, after the Israeli military withdrew most of its ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters Impact on the ongoing war Israels decision to withdraw troops has drawn question marks over the future of the Hamas war. Some experts are wondering if this means that Israel is rethinking its incursion in Rafah the southernmost city in Gaza. Experts noted that the troops leaving Gaza would make a large-scale land invasion of Rafah unlikely, at least in the short term. However, the countrys Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that an operation in Rafah would take place, without giving details. The forces are exiting and preparing for their next missions, we saw examples of such missions in the al-Shifa operation, and also of their coming mission in the Rafah area. Israels Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that an operation in Rafah was imminent despite the international condemnation this move was drawing. As per the US, the Israeli move indicated an R and R a rest and refit for its soldiers fighting in Gaza. Reuters Israels military chief Lt Gen Herzi Halevi also said that the troops leaving was merely regrouping as the army prepares to move into Hamas last stronghold, Rafah. The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping. As per a report in Sky News, this troop withdrawal was a new phase in the war. The media outlet reported that it was the third phase in the six-month war the first being aerial bombardment and the next being the ground invasion. Israeli forces would now operate in a counter-terrorism fashion, launching raids based on specific intelligence, rather than having an all-out continuous presence in much of Gaza, stated the report. Al Jazeeras Imran Khan also noted that Israels move was a new step in the six-month war. Were told that they dont need that number of troops to put this new strategy into place, Khan told Al Jazeera. But if you listen to the Israeli military analysts, you get a slightly different take on things. What we are hearing is that this could be a redeployment of forces in order to get ready for a ground offensive into Rafah, Khan said, noting that the United States is dead set against the plan. With inputs from agencies The Allahabad High Court said in a recent ruling that as per the Hindu Marriage Act, the ceremony of kanyadan is not essential for the solemnisation of a marriage. It said only saptpadi (the seven pheras) are necessary. What are these rituals? And why do many women object to kanyadan today? read more The kanyadan ceremony dates back to the Vedic era. The ritual involves the bride's parents, who hand over their daughter to the groom. Pixabay The Indian wedding is replete with centuries-old rituals. Steeped in tradition, some of them are said to be patriarchal. The kanyadan is one such ceremony. Its a big part of the Hindu wedding but is it essential? No, says the Allahabad High Court. It observed that the ceremony of kanyadan is not necessary for the solemnisation of marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act. Thus, Hindu Marriage Act merely provides saptpadi as an essential ceremony of a Hindu marriage and it does not provide that the ceremony of kanyadan is essential for solemnisation of a Hindu marriage, a bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi observed, according to a report by Live Law. Advertisement What are kanyadan and saptpadi? What has the Allahabad High Court said? We explain. The two rituals: Saptpadi and kanyadan Saptpadi refers to the seven pheras (circles) taken by the bride and groom around the sacred fire during a wedding ceremony. Each phera has a meaning and during this couples take a vow, which is considered to be unbreakable. They make promises of health, happiness, and well-being and to look after and respect each other. The kanyadan ritual is said to be dated back to the Vedic era and involves the brides family. The word kanya means daughter and dan means donation or giving something away, according to the literal translation from Sanskrit. The Allahabad High Court said that only seven pheras are essential for the Hindu wedding. Pixabay Kanyadan is performed by the brides family, where the parents offer their daughter to the groom in the presence of the sacred fire. It involves a hasta milap ceremony the brides father puts her right hand over the grooms. The father requests the groom to treat his daughter as an equal. It is believed that the ritual purifies the sins of the womans parents. The brides mother then pours holy water on the couples palms and places flowers, fruits and betel nuts among others. The ritual is completed with the priest reciting mantras. The brides mother abstains from drinking or eating until the ceremony concludes. The concept of kandyadan is mentioned in the Manu Smriti, according to which male guardianship is necessary for a woman. The father is said to be her guardian until she is married and then it is passed on to the husband, according to a report in The Times of India. Advertisement Also read: Why foreign weddings are not good news for India The Allahabad HC ruling on kanyadan The court was dealing with a revision plea filed by one Ashutosh Yadav, challenging an order of the additional sessions judge in a sessions trial. He was contesting a criminal case filed by his in-laws and he maintained before the trial court that his marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act mandated a kanyadan ceremony, which was not performed when he tied the knot. The court observed that in the impugned order, the trial court had recorded the contention of the revisionist that the marriage certificate filed by the prosecution mentioned that the marriage was solemnised as per Hindu rituals. However, the fact of the kanyadan ceremony needed to be ascertained and therefore re-examination was needed, according to a report in Hindustan Times. Advertisement The Act provides saptapadi as an essential ceremony Whether the ceremony of kanyadan was performed or not, would not be essential for a just decision in this case, Justice Vidyarthi of the HC court said, junking Yadavs revision plea. Many Indians are forgoing some patriarchal customs during their wedding ceremonies. Pixabay The Hindu Marriage Act NR Raghavachariars Hindu Law, Eight Edition, 1987, stated that it cannot be denied that Kannikadana or Kanyadana is an important part of rites of Hindu Marriage in Brahma form. It is a different matter that omission to perform Kanyadana will not result in the invalidity of the marriage. This has been incorporated in Section 7(2) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, according to a report in News18. Advertisement The debate over kanyadan Many argue that the kanyadan ritual which dates back to the Vedic age, when girls were married off at a very young age and needed a guardian, is outdated today. Several academics and feminists consider the ceremony misogynistic with several celebrities speaking out against it. Bollywood actress Dia Mirza skipped the kanyadan and bidaai, which marks the departure of the bride from her fathers house, during her wedding in February 2021. She chose to forgo the rituals because change begins with choice. In her post, Mirza wrote, It is time for women to own their own agency, their divinity, their power and to redefine what is old and birth what is new. Advertisement Many believe that the kanyadan ceremony is outdated and misogynistic. Pixabay In September 2021, Ali Bhatt appeared in a bridal wear ad, questioning the kanyadan ritual. Sitting in the mandap, dressed as the bride, she asks, why her family has always treated her as the other and a temporary part of their family, despite loving her so much. Am I a thing to be donated? Why only kanyadaan, she asks in her internal monologue. But is not celebrities alone. More and more people are speaking out against patriarchal traditions. In 2019, the video of a Bengali father went viral on X after he refused to perform kanyadan. The man justified the decision and in a speech said that he wasnt following the ritual because his daughter wasnt a property to be given away. I'm at a wedding with female pandits. They introduce the bride as the daughter of and (mom first!!!). The bride's dad gave a speech saying he wasn't doing kanyadaan because his daughter wasn't property to give away. I'm so impressed. pic.twitter.com/JXqHdbap9D Asmita (@asmitaghosh18) February 4, 2019 Mumbai-based IT analyst Meghna Trivedi, who got married in February last year, said the ritual of kanyadan does not make sense in todays day and age but had to undergo the ritual anyway. Trivedi, a Gujarati who married a Punjabi, told news agency PTI that she asked the priest to find another way but he maintained kanyadan is a must. However, some argue that the ritual is misunderstood. In March 2022, content creator Aayushi Gupta wrote in Medium that kanyadan has always been based on the concept of the father of the bride publicly providing his blessings to the holy union after the groom had accepted the seven vows based on equality, mutual respect and companionship. With inputs from agencies Wipro announced on Saturday that Srinivas Pallia will take over as the companys next chief executive officer (CEO). An alumnus of Bengalurus Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Pallia has been associated with the IT giant for over 32 years. He will replace Thierry Delaporte read more Associated with Wipro for over 32 years, Srinivas Pallias tarted his stint as a product manager in 1992. Image Courtesy: Srini Pallia/LinkedIn Wipro announced on Saturday that Srinivas Pallia will take over as the companys next chief executive officer (CEO) with immediate effect. He will be based in New Jersey and report to Rishad Premji, the companys chairperson, as per Mint. He will take over for Thierry Delaporte, who left the position after four years to pursue passions outside the workplace. The sudden resignation of the former CEO is unexpected, particularly considering that Premji publicly supported Delaporte during the companys annual general meeting in July of last year, as per CNBC-TV18. Advertisement In case you missed it, Wipro, which performed well during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been struggling for the past 18 months, despite its core consulting business being one of its main drivers. Congratulations Srini Pallia, CEO of Americas 1, for 30 years at @Wipro! Srini exemplifies the Spirit of Wipro, building trust and respect inside and outside the organization. Thank you for your inspiring #leadership and countless contributions to Wipro over the years. #OneWipro pic.twitter.com/s3xFrOm2R9 Wipro (@Wipro) February 1, 2022 Heres all we know about the new CEO of the IT giant. Who is Srinivas Pallia? Associated with Wipro for over 32 years, Srinivas Pallia started his stint as a product manager in 1992, and has held various roles, including marketing and brand manager, general manager of US Central Operations, and vice president of Enterprise Business in the US, according to NDTV. As global head of business application services and senior vice president, he oversaw revolutionary projects on a global level before taking over as CEO of Wipros RCTG Business Unit. In addition, he presided over the Consumer Business Unit as President prior to taking on the role of CEO for the Americas, as per Mint. Pallia is a member of the Wipro Executive Board and the Inclusion and Diversity Council. He holds an engineering Bachelors degree from the esteemed Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and a Masters degree in management studies, as per Financial Express. Pallia further honed his skills by studying the advanced leadership programme at the McGill Executive Institute and the leading global business executive programme at the Harvard Business School. In May 2008, Business Today listed Pallia as one of Indias 25 Hottest Young Business Executives. Throughout his tenure at Wipro, he has received numerous honours, including the All Star Team of the Year Award in 2006 and the Most Valuable Player and Chairmans Club Award in April 2004. In July 2010, Pallia received an award for impacting Wipros competency ratings and influencing analysts, as per NDTV. Chairperson Rishad Premji called Pallia an ideal leader to lead Wipro at this pivotal moment for our company and industry. According to Mint, he added, His client-centric approach, growth mindset, strong execution focus, and his commitment to Wipros values, make him the perfect fit as we enter the next chapter of growth and profitability. The new CEO said he is truly honoured to have been chosen to lead the company. I am excited to build on the strong foundation established by Thierry and lead Wipro on its next growth trajectory. I have built my entire career at Wipro, and I have a deep appreciation of our 78-year history and our incredible team of more than 240,000 associates. With inputs from agencies The stage is all set. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has accepted BJP minister Rajeev Chandrasekhars challenge to an election debate before Thiruvananthapuram goes to the polls on 26 April. If the two go through with their idea, it will be the first such instance in the country read more Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has accepted BJP minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar's challenge to a debate before the Lok Sabha polls. Tharoor said the two should debate on price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism. File image/PTI Almost three weeks from now on 26 April the constituency of Thiruvananthapuram will go to the polls during the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. This constituency in Kerala is being closely watched, as it will witness a mouth-watering contest between Congress Shashi Tharoor and the BJPs Rajeev Chandrasekhar. And what makes this electoral battle even more interesting is the likelihood of both the articulate and well-spoken leaders participating in what could very well be Indias first election debate. Advertisement The Congress MP, who has represented Thiruvananthapuram three times, accepted the Union ministers challenge of a debate, saying a debate on issues concerning the constituency would be welcomed. As hopes increase that this debate does take place both the leaders are known for their command over the language and speaking succinctly we take a closer look at the history of debates in politics and how it may benefit voters. A Tharoor vs Chandrasekhar showdown As campaigning picks up pace across the country for the general elections, the Union minister of state for information technology and skill development, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who is contesting the polls for the first time, was quoted telling local media, I am prepared to engage in a debate [with Shashi Tharoor] regarding ideas, development, and whose track stands stronger. This stance of mine has been consistent from the outset. Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now. Let us debate politics and development. Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism and the BJP's 10 years of propagating politics of hatred. pic.twitter.com/cJTHX5DC7G Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 7, 2024 Tharoor promptly accepted Chandrasekhars challenge, saying that voters in the constituency know who has been evading a debate. Advertisement Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now. Let us debate politics and development, Tharoor wrote in a post on X. Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism, and the BJPs 10 years of propagating politics of hatred. Let us also discuss about the development of Thiruvananthapuram and the visible progress we have made in last 15 years, he added. People walk past the posters of Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor and BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar on a wall, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, in Thiruvananthapuram. PTI The BJP is in hopes that Chandrasekhar can unseat Tharoor from the Thiruvananthapuram seat. The move is also seen as the BJPs southern push. The ruling party has been unable to create inroads in the South. In the previous election of 2019, the BJP won 29 of the 129 seats in the region, none coming from Kerala. Advertisement However, pundits also note that it wont be an easy task for Tharoor to retain his seat. He not only faces voter fatigue but also there are rumblings about his limited contributions in the constituency. G Gopa Kumar, senior political scientist and noted psephologist, told IndiaToday, Tharoor has been representing the constituency for 15 years. His limited contributions to the improvement of the constituency is a matter of serious discussion and controversy. Anti-incumbency operates against him. Poll pundits note that if the two leaders do actually engage in a debate, it will be the first in Indias history. Leaders challenge each other for a debate Advertisement While this is the first time that such a challenge for leaders to debate has been accepted its not the first such instance. During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress Rahul Gandhi had challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a debate on the issues of corruption, foreign policy and national security. While unveiling the Congress manifesto, Gandhi had then said, Mr Narendra Modi is hiding. Mr Narendra Modi is scared. Mr Narendra Modi does not want a real debate. I challenge Mr Narendra Modi to a debate on national security, foreign policy and corruption. Why is he scared? Advertisement Prior to that, in 2023, during the Rajasthan Assembly elections, then Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had challenged the former BJP chief minister Vasudhara Raje for a debate. And even amid this election cycle, AIADMKs Palaniswami has dared DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin for a debate on achievements of their respective governments. I shall come wherever you desire. Try seeking votes with your achievements at the debate instead of peddling lies about AIADMK, said the former Tamil Nadu chief minister. In 2020, Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had challenged Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to a debate on his governance record. I challenge Nitish Kumar to debate with me on any of his achievement in last 15 years. We should start this new tradition as democracy was first established in Bihars Vaishali. There should be a debate between chief minister candidates, Yadav had said while issuing the challenge. History of election debates Notably, other countries do have a history of such events. In fact, according to Debates International, a global resource on candidate debates maintained by the American non-profit organisation National Democratic Institute, 76 countries hold such debate to elect national leaders. Perhaps, one of the most well-known countries having a debate is the United States of America. It was in 1858 that Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A Douglas participated in what is widely considered to be the first presidential debates even though they took place two years before the men were actually running for president. The modern practice of a televised debate came in 1960 between Richard Nixon and John F Kennedy. While Nixon had initially thought that the debate would favour him, the visuals did not play in Nixons favour, as he was seen sweating and looking pale after previously being hospitalised for an infection, while Kennedy looked young and gave a more vigorous performance. In fact, some noted that it was Nixons appearance at the debate that led to his loss in the subsequent polls. In the US, the first televised presidential debate took place on 26 September 1960, when US Senator John F Kennedy (left), faced off against Richard Nixon. File image/AP Since then, the US has presidential debates before each election. Interestingly, the first presidential debate in 2016 between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton has been the most viewed one in US history, clocking in with a whopping 84 million viewers. The UK began televised debates in 2010 with broadcasters reaching an agreement with party leaders, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and Nick Clegg. In 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May ruled out taking part in television debates. With the UK expected to go to polls this year, Labour party leader Keir Starmer has agreed to participate in a televised debate. Countries like Germany, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico have their own practice of a televised debate between candidates, even though they dont attract as much attention as the US one. The first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016 was the most viewed presidential debate in the US. File image/Reuters Importance of leader debates If Tharoor and Chandrasekhar do participate in a debate, what purpose would it serve? Political experts note that such debates help voters understand the candidates position on different topics. Debates help put the major contenders on the same stage and allow voters the opportunity to see how candidates explain and defend their policy positions, reports The Conversation. Scholars note that theres evidence that debates play important roles in the political system. For instance, The Conversation reports that communication scholar Steven Chaffee has shown how debates can influence an individuals vote when the candidate is relatively unknown, when many voters are undecided and when the race is neck-to-neck. A television screen broadcasts the second 2020 presidential campaign debate between Joe Biden Donald Trump. While some experts note that election debates are important, some studies have revealed that they dont impact voters are previously expected. File image/Reuters Debates, according to scholars, also helps in reducing the cynicism that a common man may have in the electoral process and improve the level of trust and confidence in politicians. However, newer studies have revealed contrasting results. A 2019 study, which analysed the influence of 56 TV debates on 31 elections in the US, the UK, Germany, Canada and three other countries found that debates neither helped undecided voters to make up their mind nor caused those who had already made a decision to switch candidates. While it cant be said for certain if debates do influence voters, it will be interesting to see how Tharoor and Chandrasekhar battle each other during the political debate and determine their stance on various topics. With inputs from agencies Slovakias newly-elected president, Peter Pellegrini is a longtime ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has questioned Ukraines sovereignty and discontinued military aid to Ukraine since taking office last October read more Slovakia's presidential candidate Peter Pellegrini speaks at his headquarters on the day the results of the country's presidential election are announced, in Bratislava, Slovakia. Reuters Slovak nationalist-left government candidate Peter Pellegrini won the countrys presidential election on Saturday, with 53.26 per cent of the vote, versus 46.73 per cent for pro-Western Opposition candidate Ivan Korcok. The victory cemented the influence of pro-Russian prime minister Robert Fico over Slovakia. Fico, who began his fourth term in October, has shifted Slovakias foreign policy towards pro-Russian positions while also initiating reforms to criminal law and media regulations, raising concerns about the erosion of the rule of law. Advertisement His coalition, including the party led by Pellegrini, stopped Slovakias official arms shipments to Ukraine, criticising what he perceives as Western interference in the conflict, along with cautioning against Slavic nations engaging in hostilities with each other. Pellegrini has emphasised that his win signifies support for the governments agenda and a rejection of an opportunistic Opposition power centre, a reference to outgoing liberal president Zuzana Caputova. Isolated from EU Slovakias international isolation will increase with Ukraine-sceptic Peter Pellegrini as president, analysts said Sunday, expecting the government to crank up its pro-Russian rhetoric with its ally as head of state. The former premier, 48, defeated pro-West diplomat Ivan Korcok by a comfortable margin in Saturdays election, which was dominated by divisions over the war in neighbouring Ukraine. Korcok argued Ukraine should not give up territory to achieve peace, while Pellegrini advocated peace talks with Russia. I will not be the president of war, Pellegrini said after his win. Pellegrini is a longtime ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has questioned Ukraines sovereignty and discontinued military aid to Ukraine since taking office last October. Advertisement The former premier, 48, defeated pro-West diplomat Ivan Korcok by a comfortable margin in Saturdays election, which was dominated by divisions over the war in neighbouring Ukraine. AP Outgoing president Zuzana Caputova, a staunch Ukraine supporter like Korcok, has been a counterweight to the government coalition including Ficos Smer party, Pellegrinis Hlas and the small far-right SNS Pellegrinis win will certainly deepen Slovakias isolation in NATO and the EU, Tomas Koziak, a political analyst from the University of International Business ISM, told AFP. He added Pellegrini would now be Ficos extended arm. Pellegrini in the presidential palace will do what Fico needs. Though the office is largely ceremonial, Slovakias president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, ratifies international treaties and appoints top judges. Koziak said with Pellegrini as president, Fico could wield influence over the judiciary, which will help him boost his position. Advertisement Slovakia could become the next Hungary, Koziak said. Hungary has become increasingly at odds with the EU by violating the rule of law and hampering the blocs efforts to help Ukraine. Koziak said Fico had already taken a page from Hungarys book by trying to take control of public television and radio. International perception of Slovakia will worsen Bratislava-based Comenius University analyst Aneta Vilagi told AFP that Ficos government had tarnished Slovakias international reputation. She said the situation would worsen when Caputova leaves. With Pellegrini as president, this new approach of government will only be enhanced because they will not have a counterbalance. Pellegrini showed his alignment with the government before the election, using the fear of war as a campaign topic. Advertisement He alleged Korcok would send Slovak soldiers to fight for Ukraine, although the president cannot do that under the law, said analyst Darina Malova. Pellegrini has emphasised that his win signifies support for the governments agenda and a rejection of an opportunistic Opposition power centre, a reference to outgoing liberal president Zuzana Caputova. AP Smer won last years general election with an anti-war narrative and the phrase not a single bullet for Ukraine, denying military aid. The international perception of Slovakia will worsen because Pellegrini has adopted this narrative, Malova told AFP. Slovakia will be seen very negatively as a partner in the EU and NATO. Pellegrini played down the impact of the election on foreign policy, insisting that we will continue to be a strong EU and NATO member. Koziak believes change will come in the form of rhetoric. Advertisement I dont expect a definitive deviation towards Russia. It will only happen on a declaratory level, he said. Fico has to give something back to his voters, who have strong pro-Russian attitudes a sentiment present in Fico himself. I expect statements in favour of Russia, he told AFP. Slovaks are among Central and Eastern Europes most Kremlin-inclined citizens. More than one in two told pollsters from the Globsec think tank that the West or Kyiv were to blame for the war in Ukraine, with analysts blaming their stance on disinformation spread on social media. Only seven per cent believed the same in neighbouring Poland, along with fewer than a quarter of Czechs, according to the 2023 report. Russophilia has a long history in Slovakia. Russia was seen as a protector of Slavs in the days of Austria-Hungary, and many Slovaks still feel nostalgia for the communist regime that ruled for decades after World War II. Koziak said Pellegrini had no problem with such pro-Russian sentiment. Malova agreed, saying: Pellegrini does not care about the war or Russia. He only cares about his career. With inputs from AFP Tens of millions of spectators across Mexico, the United States and Canada will witness the moon completely obscure the suns light, a rare celestial spectacle that wont be visible for most of North America again until 2044 today. But unprotected eclipse gazing can leave you seeing stars read more When it comes to eclipses, the main damage to the eyes comes from "photochemical toxicity," where short, high-energy wavelengths of light blues, violets and non-visible ultraviolets trigger chemical reactions that damage the rods and cones of the retina. File image/AP The world will witness the first solar eclipse of 2024 today (8 April), which will sweep across North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. It will not be visible in India. NASA says todays eclipse is rare, as it is a total solar eclipse that requires precise alignment between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. The Moon must be exactly between the Earth and the Sun during this time to block out the suns light. This alignment does not happen often, though, because of the slight tilt of the Moons orbit around Earth relative to that of the planet around the sun. Advertisement If the weather permits, observers can see the Suns corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the brightness of the sun. But unprotected eclipse gazing will leave you seeing stars. Dangers for eyes Just a single, unguarded glance at a solar eclipse can result in a lifetime of vision loss, eye health experts warn. On Monday, tens of millions of spectators across Mexico, the United States and Canada will witness the moon completely obscure the suns light, a rare celestial spectacle that wont be visible for most of North America again until 2044. Medical literature is teeming with examples of people who suffered damage to their retinas the layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye and health professionals are offering advice on how to avoid becoming the next cautionary tale. Aaron Zimmerman, a clinical professor of optometry at the Ohio State University, told AFP that the dangers of sungazing during eclipses were discussed by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, but it wasnt until recently that science really caught up with how eye injury happened. When it comes to eclipses, he explained, the main damage comes from photochemical toxicity, where short, high-energy wavelengths of light blues, violets and non-visible ultraviolets trigger chemical reactions that damage the rods and cones of the retina. Advertisement NASA says todays eclipse is rare, as it is a total solar eclipse that requires precise alignment between the sun, moon, and Earth. Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay Cue visits to the emergency department by people with complaints of blurry vision, changes in colour perception, and blind spots, with the outlook for recovery far from certain. Human beings inherently look away from the sun because of the discomfort it causes, but during eclipses you can psychologically override that instinct, explained Zimmerman. A famous journal report about the 2017 US solar eclipse involved a woman in her twenties who presented to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary after looking at the solar rim several times for approximately six seconds without protective glasses and then later with eclipse glasses. Advertisement Hours later, objects started to look fuzzy and out of shape, colours became distorted, and she developed a central black spot in her left eye. An advanced imaging technique was able to show the damage at the cellular level which persisted on her follow-up six weeks later. Map showing the areas where the shadow of the Moon will pass during the total solar eclipse in Mexico, US and Canada on 8 April. Permanent blank spot Young adults might be more susceptible, the authors of the paper said, because of larger pupils, clearer eye structure, or poorer recognition of the dangers of viewing eclipses with improper eyewear. Advertisement In some cases, its just partially damaged and it may resolve so that you dont notice it anymore, Neil Bressler, a professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University and editor-in-chief of JAMA Ophthalmology told AFP. If recovery happens, its normally within the first six months. But in other cases, it can leave a permanent blank spot and we dont have a treatment to reverse that. Its like brain tissue, once you lose it, it wont grow back, added Bressler. A woman looks at the Sun through binoculars that have been fitted with solar filters. Binoculars and telescopes can only be used to look at the Sun when used with solar filters specially designed for that purpose. Image Courtesy: NASA/Ryan Milligan The best way to view the eclipse is with eclipse sunglasses, which block out 99.999 per cent of light. Always go for genuine products. To test if your glasses are up to standard, find the brightest light bulb in your home and then look at that from up close and you should barely be able to see the light, said Zimmerman. Advertisement If its too late to procure specialist eyewear, then there are indirect methods, such as punching a pinhole into a cardboard and letting the light shine onto another surface, or even using the humble kitchen colander to the same effect. NASAs webcast is another option. Those fortunate enough to be in the path of totality, under which the moon will fully block out the sun, can look up without glasses and admire the suns outer atmosphere, or corona, glowing from behind the silhouette of the moon. But, said Bressler, the danger is not having protection before and after those precious moments, which can last anywhere from seconds to a few minutes, depending on your location. You must know when it begins and use protection before that, and you may be enamoured by looking at all this, but you must have some alarm to tell you its about to end, he warned. With inputs from AFP Hotels are booked to capacity, souvenir shops are doing stellar business and restaurants are seating more people than ever. Thats the impact of the solar eclipse, which will pass through the US, Canada and Mexico. Some analysts note that the celestial event will bring a windfall of more than $1 billion read more Elizabeth Spicer from California shops for eclipse souvenirs at the Town Square Market days ahead of the total solar eclipse in Carbondale, Illinois, US. Reuters The Great American Eclipse is almost here. Today (8 April), North America the United States, Canada and Mexico will witness a full solar eclipse. The celestial event will see the Moon blocking the light of the Sun, either fully or partially, casting a huge shadow on some parts of the world. The solar eclipse is a rare occurrence; according to Royal Museums Greenwich, once a place on Earth witnesses a total solar eclipse, it will be about 400 years before that part sees the next one. Advertisement It is because of this rarity and the fact that it will last longer than the prior one did in 2017 the Moon will shroud the sun for up to four minutes, 28 seconds that the eclipse is also expected to push up the economy of the US, with some predicting a billion-dollar economic windfall. Chasing the eclipse The full solar eclipse is a rare, rare event. Moreover, there are many who attach special significance to witnessing an eclipse. These people called eclipse chasers travel around the world to view the celestial event, irrespective of the cost. Others too are planning to travel to the parts of the US where the total eclipse can be viewed from such as Texas, Maine, Vermont and more. As people travel far and wide, hotel and AirBnB owners have seen a jump in their bookings. Campgrounds across the US are also fully booked, as people hope to join others in viewing parties. In fact, according to Great American Eclipse, an informational site that tracks solar eclipses around the world, around one to four million people are expected to travel for the eclipse, ringing in profits for hotels. A man takes photos of his daughter in front of a poster in the downtown of Mazatlan, one day ahead of a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico. Reuters AirDNA, a travel-data firm, has already reported that around 30 per cent of homes listed for short-term rental on Airbnb or Vrbo in areas in or around the eclipses path are occupied. Moreover, many rentals and hotels have also bumped up their prices for lodging ahead of the eclipse. Steven Wright, the owner of a Vermont ski resort, told the Washington Post that the 900 rooms at Jay Peak are all sold out. He said that in all some 8,000 people are expected to take part in the resorts festivities. By comparison, the resort had roughly 80 bookings on the same day last year. Advertisement Jamie Lane, chief economist at AirDNA, explained that for hotels and short-term rental hosts, the eclipse is expected to have a Taylor Swift-like effect. This was also echoed by Jaime Kurtz, a psychology professor at James Madison University, who told Vox, The simple now-or-never of an eclipse is extremely motivating. The collective enthusiasm for the eclipse might also be a driving force. Its unifying. Eclipse glasses are worn by a statue of George Washington in Houlton, Maine. Millions of people have flocked to areas across North America that are in the path of totality in order to experience a total solar eclipse. AFP And its not just hoteliers and AirBnB owners that are expecting a windfall. With large number of people expected to travel, other businesses such as restaurants, souvenir shops and others are also expected to make a killing. Michael Zeiler, who helps run the Great American Eclipse website, summed up the impact of the eclipse on travel quite well. He said: Its equivalent to having 50 Super Bowls simultaneously from Texas to Maine. Advertisement Eclipse goodies The solar eclipse isnt just bringing a boom for the tourism industry. Other businesses are also jumping on to the bandwagon by offering eclipse goodies. Sellers of doughnuts, pizza, smoothies, chips view the eclipse as a marketing bonanza and are offering different eclipse-themed offerings to mark the day. For instance, Pizza Hut will give customers a Total Eclipse of the Hut deal on eclipse day, offering any large-sized pizza for $12 (Rs 999). And doughnut makers Krispy Kreme are offering the Total Solar Eclipse Doughnut, a glazed treat dipped in black chocolate icing, with silver sprinkles, piped with a buttercream made with Oreo pieces and featuring an Oreo cookie in the centre. Advertisement Eclipse souvenir buttons are sold at the Carbondale Spring Fest, days ahead of the total solar eclipse in Carbondale, Illinois. Reuters Other companies are also offering eclipse-themed goodies. Rohrback Brewing Co in Rochester, New York, a city in the path of the totality, is making the Rohrbach Totality Black Lager. Besides eclipse-themed souvenirs and goodies, companies that produce eyewear are also witnessing a bump in their sales. Amazon is also offering great discounts on solar eclipse glasses. And such is the demand for these glasses that it has spawned scams and fake claims about the safety of the product. Catch up on our eclipse explainers here Solar Eclipse 2024: How unprotected gazing can harm your eyes How the upcoming solar eclipse could cast a shadow on cell services in the US Advertisement Explained: How different religions deal with a solar eclipse The numbers game So, how much is the US economy expected to gain from the solar eclipse? According to an estimate from the Perryman Group, an economic analysis firm, the solar eclipse could bring a financial boost of as much as $6 billion (Rs 50,000 crore), thanks to increased spending on hotels, restaurants and travel, and more. It said the eclipse is likely to generate more interest than North Americas previous total eclipse in 2017 because its duration is longer and the next opportunity to view a similar event in North America wont come until 2044. A tattoo artist places an eclipse tattoo on the arm of a woman, in Houlton, Maine. Besides tourism, other businesses have also experienced a bump in sales. AFP Amy Howell, director of tourism, marketing and communications at Indiana Destination Development Corporation, told Forbes that for Indiana it would be the largest tourist event. People will not only need places to stay and food to eat, but they will want keepsakes, memorabilia and things to do leading up to, and after, the eclipse. Between 150,000 and 600,000 people are expected to travel to various destinations within Indiana to experience the eclipse. And this will set cash registers ringing everywhere. Central Texas, according to one report, is alone expected to push the economy up by $1.4 billion (Rs 11,661 crore). Cities such as Austin have seen record high bookings of hotels, and restaurants are also seeing higher footfalls owing to the eclipse. Fox News reported that while Texas would rake in an estimated $1.4 billion, the state of New York could expect a $250 million (Rs 2,082 crore) direct boost to its economy followed by Indiana at $177.5 million (Rs 1,474 crore), Ohio with $166 million (Rs 1,382 crore), and Pennsylvania at $115.9 million (Rs 966 crore). Explaining why this eclipse will boost the economy, Dan Schneiderman, the eclipse partnership coordinator at the Rochester Museum of Science, told CBS News, Its not only a scientific phenomenon, but an emotional one as well. A person photographs a NASA countdown display, ahead of the solar eclipse that will take place across parts of the United States and Canada on 8 April. Reuters Philip Powell, a professor of economics at Indiana University in Bloomington, further explained that unique events like the eclipse attract visitors who have discretionary income that they are ready to spend over the course of several days. Multiply the impact of a typical big concert or sporting event by ten to understand the potential economic impact, he said. One such example of spending huge bucks is Julieann Taylor, 66. A retired nurse from Indiana is determined to see the eclipse and, as per a Washington Post report, will drive to Arkansas with her husband, sister, adult son and dog to witness the event. And how much has she spent? She has spent $2,500 on rooms and other expenses. A long-term impact Experts and economists also note that todays solar eclipse may have a long-term impact on the economy. Bulent Temel, assistant professor of practice in economics at the University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio told TIME, Every single one of those visitors is a potential future visitor to the same area as well. In the long run, the economic impact would be magnified quite significantly. John Downen, Director of Impact Analysis at Camoin Associates, shared this observation. Speaking to TIME, he said: It definitely presents an opportunity, especially in smaller communities, to showcase themselves and hopefully capture some future repeat visitors. With inputs from agencies After Vistara pilots called in sick to protest against the new pay structure, leading to delays and flight cancellations last week, the airline has decided to scale down operations. It will be cancelling 25 to 30 flights every day. Its peak travel season in India and even disruptions by one airline could further lead to an increase in airfares read more A man takes a picture of a Vistara airline passanger aircraft parked at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. The airline has decided to reduce its capacity by 10 per cent. File photo/Reuters Hows the summer of 2024 looking as Indian travellers plan holidays? Its not good news if you are planning to take a flight. One of Indias leading domestic airlines Vistara is facing a crisis its operations have been marred with flight cancellations and delays over the past few days. Now Vistara has announced a reduction in the number of flights it operates. With fewer flights, passengers are expected to be affected. Will this lead to a rise in airfares? We take a look. Advertisement Why is Vistara reducing flights? Vistara has announced a 10 per cent cutback in its operations, to reduce chaos following the unavailability of pilots. The airline will be cancelling 25 to 30 flights per day to ease the pressure on pilots. We are carefully scaling back our operations by around 25-30 flights per day, i.e. roughly 10% of the capacity we were operating. This will take us back to the same level of flight operations as at the end of February 2024, and provide the much-needed resilience and buffer in the rosters, a Vistara spokesperson was quoted as saying by NDTV. He said that the on-time performance of flights has improved and the airline is hoping for stable operations for the rest of April. Sundays announcement came a day after Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said that 98 per cent of its pilots have signed new contracts with the revised salary structure. However, several of them called in sick to protest against the new pay structure, leaving the airline with no choice but to cancel flights last week. Recently, at least 15 senior first officers have resigned. Vistara experienced major delays and cancelled several flights last week, as pilots called in sick as a protest against the new pay structure. File photo/Reuters The carrier experienced several operational disruptions over the 31 March to 1 April weekend, leading to numerous flight cancellations. It cancelled more than 125 flights over three days from 1 April. Discontent has been growing among pilots at Vistara, which will soon merge with Air India. The new work contracts have raised concerns that their fixed pay component is reduced and there are more flying-linked incentives. Pilots are also unhappy with the companys haphazard rostering practices, which they claim have a serious impact on their work-life balance. Advertisement Tata Group, which owns a 51 per cent stake in Vistara the remaining 49 per cent is owned by Singapore Airlines announced its merger with Air India in November 2022. After the merger, Singapore Airlines will have a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India, reports CNBC. Also read: Flight delays, cancellations, crew shortages: Whats going on at Vistara? How the Vistara crisis could lead to an increase in airfare Vistara claims that last weeks cancellations were mostly in the domestic network and much ahead of time to minimise inconvenience to passengers. All the affected passengers have already been re-accommodated on other flights, as applicable, the airline had said. Advertisement Now the carrier is expected to operate around 300 flights in the busy summer season. With fewer flights, there could be an increase in airfare. India has over 3,000 flights per day and even small disruptions can cause temporary increases in airfares, especially since its peak summer travel season now, Chirag Agrawal, co-founder of TravClan, a business-to-business (B2B) platform for travel agents, was quoted as saying by moneycontrol. Summer is peak travel season in India and the Vistara crisis could further increase airfare. File photo/Reuters There has been a gap in demand and supply in the domestic airline sector, which has already led to a 15 per cent increase in airfares. Now prices of flight tickets could increase further. In case of last-minute cancellations by the airline, booking another ticket on the spot is an expensive affair. Advertisement Those who are purchasing tickets now are looking at Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa as there is a lot of uncertainty around Vistara. Vistara is offering passengers refund and alternate flights, but what if someone has a morning meeting and Vistara is offering an evening flight? In that case, people have to make last-minute bookings, which are expensive. Booking a flight in the last minute can increase cost by 10-40 per cent, Sanjay Dang, the managing director of travel agency Le Travelworld, told moneycontrol. The troubles with Vistara come at a time when demand for air tickets is higher. During the summer holidays between April and June, many Indians travel within the country. But the surge in demand is marred by supply constraints. Advertisement In early March, before the Vistara crisis, Cleartrips Chief Business Officer Prahlad Krishnamurthi predicted a seven to 10 per cent increase in domestic fares for the April-June period compared to last year, while Easemytrip witnessed a 60 to 70 per cent hike in airfares, according to The Hindu Businessline. Officials at domestic airlines told The Economic Times last month that while Indians will be out in full force for the summer season, an inadequate number of flights is likely to trigger a spike in airfares. Now this is only expected to rise further as Vistara scales down operations. How the domestic airline industry is facing turmoil But it is not Vistara alone where pilots are disgruntled. Pilots of another Tata Group-owned airline have complained that they are overworked and underpaid. The concerns expressed by the Vistara pilots are not isolated incidents but rather indicative of systemic issues across Tatas aviation business, the Indian Pilots Guild, which represents crew at Air India Ltd., wrote in a letter to Tata Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, according to a report in Business Standard. Apart from Vistara, pilots of Air India and the low-cost Air India Express have said that they are made to put in maximum flying hours, have difficulties getting leaves and deal with unstable rosters, according to the letter dated 4 April. Pilots of Air India and the low-cost Air India Express are also reportedly overworked and underpaid. File photo/PTI This only threatens to add to the air travel chaos that Indian flyers experienced last week. Other domestic airlines also have problems of their own. GoAir flights have been grounded, around 72 A320s of IndiGo have been banned from flying because of the snag-hit Pratt & Whitney engines, and SpiceJet is reportedly operating fewer flights. While there is a rise in the number of passengers, there are not enough planes to fly them. With inputs from agencies PM Modi said that the Indian government has started construction of fencing and feasible patches along the Indo-Myanmar Border read more The Indian government has taken several steps to prevent infiltration and secure its borders with Myanmar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. In an interview with Assam Tribune, the Prime Minister said, The Government of India has started construction of fencing and feasible patches along the Indo-Myanmar Border. Steps taken by India to prevent infiltration in Mizoram The prime minister listed the steps taken by the Indian government to prevent infiltration and secure Indian borders with Myanmar. Advertisement 1 - Scrapping of the Free Movement Regime between India and Myanmar 2 - Increased and effective deployment of Border Guarding Forces on the Indo-Myanmar border 3 - Close coordination among various security agencies 4- Construction of fencing on feasible patches along the Indo-Myanmar Border. On February 6, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the border between India and Myanmar would be fenced on the lines of the border with Bangladesh. The Centre also scrapped the Free Movement Regime (FMR). However, the government in Mizoram does not want the fencing of the India-Myanmar border and on February 28, the state Assembly adopted a resolution against the Central governments decision to fence the border with the neighbouring nation. The resolution, moved by Mizoram Home Minister K Sapdanga, urged the government to instead take steps to ensure that Zo ethnic people, who have been divided in different countries, are unified under one administrative unit. The Mizoram government said the fencing of the border or scrapping the FMR will mandate the approval of the imposed boundary which will be unacceptable for the Zo ethnic people. Four Indian states Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh share a 1,643-km-long international border with Myanmar. Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmars Chin state and the Mizos share ethnic ties with the Chin people. Advertisement GoI urges Mizoram to capture biometric data of illegal migrants Prime Minister Modi further said that the Indian government has urged the government of Mizoram to take up a campaign for the capture of biometric data of illegal migrants in the state. The Government of India has also been providing devices and necessary assistance to the state government to carry out a biometric capture plan, the PM said. Indian govt bringing policy change in Mizoram The Prime Minister also said that the Central government has been bringing about policy changes to adjust to the changing realities on the ground. We want to see peace and stability return to Myanmar at the earliest so that these people can return to their home country peacefully, PM Modi added. The conglomerate Tata, a prominent player in Indias corporate landscape, intends to manage the joint venture through its subsidiary Tata Electronics, as disclosed by a source read more In a strategic move, the Tata Group is in advanced negotiations to assume control of Pegatrons sole iPhone manufacturing facility in India, according to two sources familiar with the matter. This development signals Pegatrons latest retreat from its partnership with Apple, reflecting a significant shift in its business strategy. Under the proposed deal, which has garnered approval from Apple, Tata aims to secure a minimum 65% stake in a joint venture that will oversee the operation of Pegatrons plant near Chennai, situated in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Advertisement Pegatron, on the other hand, is expected to provide technical support and retain the remaining stake in the joint venture, one of the sources revealed. The conglomerate Tata, a prominent player in Indias corporate landscape, intends to manage the joint venture through its subsidiary Tata Electronics, as disclosed by the second source. With approximately 10,000 employees, the Pegatron facility in India currently manufactures 5 million iPhones annually. This move comes after Pegatron relinquished control of its iPhone plant in China last year to Luxshare, its competitor, in a deal valued at $290 million. Both Tata and Pegatron refrained from commenting on the ongoing negotiations, while Apple declined to provide any statement. Financial terms of the prospective agreement were not disclosed by the sources. Apples decision to diversify its supply chain beyond China, amidst escalating geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington, underscores the strategic significance of the Chennai plant for Tata. For Tata, this partnership with Pegatron represents a significant step in bolstering its iPhone manufacturing ambitions. Notably, Tata already operates an iPhone assembly plant in the southern state of Karnataka, which it acquired from Wistron, a Taiwanese company, last year. Additionally, Tata is in the process of constructing another assembly plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, where Pegatron is anticipated to emerge as its joint venture partner. Pegatron has for months also been building another iPhone factory at its Chennai campus, and the Tata deal talks include taking over that facility as well, the first source said. Advertisement The talks between Tata and Pegatron for the factory are expected to close in six months and will see all of the Pegatron India employees move to the joint venture entity, the first source added. Apples iPhone contract manufacturers in India currently include Tata, Pegatron and Foxconn. Tata is key to Apples growing ambitions in India, which analysts estimate will contribute 20-25% of total iPhone shipments this year, from 12-14% last year. The reasons for Pegatrons gradual withdrawal from its Apple business, including in India, were not known. Last year, Pegatron said the China plant deal was done to raise capital to optimise its business. Advertisement With inputs from Reuters The administration is resorting to innovative ways, including putting up a giant sky balloon at a height of 100 feet, and running 1,284 Chunav Pathshala under the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) to make people aware of the need to exercise their franchise read more Among the many firsts, the Lok Sabha 2024 elections will also see several interior areas in the Maoist den of Singhbhum seat in Jharkhand vote for the first time on May 13. For the convenience of voters, 118 remote booths will be set up in these areas in the Singhbhum seat, which is a reserved constituency for Scheduled Tribes and has 14.32 lakh voters, of whom 7.27 lakh are women. Why voting never happened here? Advertisement A report by PTI quoted West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner cum District Election Officer Kuldeep Chaudhary saying polling could not be conducted in these places as they were badly affected by Maoist insurgency. We are committed to ensuring that no voter is left out we have identified many areas where polling will be conducted for the first time or after nearly two decades," Chaudhry said. Poll preparations According to Chaudhary, polling teams and materials will be air-dropped from helicopters to enable people living in Saranda, Asias densest Sal forest, to exercise their right to vote. Polling stations such as Middle School, Nugdi and Madhya Vidyalaya, Borero will witness voting for the first time this election, Chaudhary said. As many as 118 booths in difficult locations such as Robokera, Binj, Thalkobad, Jaraikela, Roam, Rengrahatu, Hansabeda and Chhotanagra have been identified for air dropping. In some areas, polling parties will have to walk for 4-5 km. We are ensuring that no area remains untouched this time, he said. Thalkobad and about two dozen other villages were earlier dubbed as liberated zones but the administration succeeded in establishing its presence through massive operations by security forces, including Operation Anaconda. A total of 15 new camps of security forces have been established in the region. Besides helicopters, polling parties will travel through trains and roads. As many as 121 teams will be dispatched by trains, for which dry runs have been conducted. Teams on foot have to reach cluster points, and then go to polling stations. By 5.30 am on the polling date, all teams must reach the stations to conduct mock polling, he said. Advertisement The DC said the constituency has over 62 voters who are over 100 years of age. One among them is Walter Lakra of the Nandpur area in Manoharpur police station who told the DC that he would not be able to walk to the polling booth. Chaudhary said he will get the option to exercise his franchise at his doorstep. For these 62 voters, and 3,909 electors aged above 85 years, besides 13,703 persons with disability, we have ensured that they get the option of home voting, he said. The administration is resorting to innovative ways, including putting up a giant sky balloon at a height of 100 feet and running 1,284 Chunav Pathshala under the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) to make people aware of the need to exercise their franchise. Advertisement Despite improvement in the situation, West Singhbhum remains one of the worst left-wing extremism-affected districts of the country. It had witnessed 46 Maoist-related incidents resulting in 22 deaths last year. Who is contesting from Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat? The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded sitting MP Geeta Kora, the wife of former chief minister Madhu Koda, from the seat. She, who was the lone Congress MP from Jharkhand in the outgoing Lok Sabha, joined the BJP recently. INDI alliance is yet to declare any candidate for the seat. Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat has six assembly constituencies Seraikela, Chaibasa, Majhganon, Jagnathpur, Manoharpur and Chakradharpur. Barring Seraikela which falls in Seraikela-Kharsawan district, the remaining segments fall in West Singhbhum district. Advertisement Lok Sabha 2024 polls in Jharkhand will be held in four phases on May 13, 20, 25 and June 1. With inputs from PTI Amid all the festive fervour ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, women politicians have been at the receiving end of sexist comments. As politics continues to be a male-dominant space, female leaders often have to bear the brunt of discriminatory remarks at the behest of their male colleagues read more Elections are not just part of the electoral process in India but are a celebration of democracy. From national to regional parties, everyone is gearing up to try and secure victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Amid all the festive fervour, women politicians have been at the receiving end of sexist comments. As politics continues to be a male-dominant space, female leaders often have to bear the brunt of discriminatory remarks at the behest of their male colleagues. Advertisement Here are a few instances of comments against women politicians that sparked uproar both this year and in earlier election years. The India-United States relationship is subject to a perpetual cycle of optimism and pessimism. This cycle is independent of the geopolitical realities, inextricable linkages or alignment of strategic, commercial and security interests, and finds manifestation generally in rhetorical extremes. Right now, on both sides, the sceptics have taken over. Alarmism is the flavour of the day. We are being told how the relationship is apparently going into a free fall, how ties remain fundamentally fragile and frictions may ultimately derail future cooperation. The solemn statements, sweeping in-depth, are unsupported by data and mostly based on feels. Its all very bleak in a Dickensian way. Advertisement Meanwhile, news has emerged that two Russian-made stealth frigates are all set to join the Indian Navy despite the minefield of US sanctions over payment for Russian weapons. But all that seems to have been sorted out and while there was a two-year delay in delivery due to the war in Ukraine, the first warship may be handed over by September and another one by early next year, reports Bloomberg. The news understandably has further darkened the mood of sceptics. Regardless of what the pessimists may say, or want the Joe Biden administration to do, it is unlikely that the US will impose penalties like CAATSA on India. There is enough pragmatism among top decision-makers in Washington to understand that the move might be counterproductive. India is a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, and its depleted fleet getting strengthened is good news for everyone (well, maybe not China) including Washington, which wouldnt mind New Delhis greater capability for burden-sharing. In any case, India does what it can to secure its interests. Itll make two more warships at home, under the 2018 deal, in collaboration with Russia. All this has made for a gloomy forecast. While it is easy to dismiss the scepticism as an overreaction, it has to be noted, however, that the gung-ho positivity of June last year, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a state visit to the US and addressed the joint session of US Congress, has been replaced by the sense of a more sobering reality. As both nations move towards election season, domestic anxieties, especially in the US, are spilling over and affecting ties. The tribalism in the heart of American politics where the polity is split right down the middle is casting its shadow on American foreign policy. The Biden administration is under increasing pressure from the partys far-Left corner, populated by Muslim-American voices, to eke out some identitarian wins even as Democrats grapple with the loss of support from Muslims in key swing states due to anger arising out of Bidens handling of Israel-Hamas war ahead of US presidential elections. Advertisement Amid the erosion of support from Muslims, a key democratic vote bank, the beleaguered Biden team has found in India, ruled by the party of Hindu nationalists BJP, a soft target for virtue-signalling on Muslim identity politics, and the result is some ill-advised, badly construed remarks on Indias Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 that has triggered sharp exchanges. The US State Departments vilifying of Indias refugee and immigration resettlement policy, which was drawn up in Indias unique and historical context of Partition, forced an acerbic statement from the Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA reminded the US that it is an internal matter of India and is in keeping with Indias inclusive traditions and our longstanding commitment to human rights. On Americas remarks that it is concerned and closely monitoring how this Act will be implemented, the MEA denounced the comments as misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted. Advertisement Indias sharp rejoinder to the Biden administration is that vote bank politics should not determine views about a laudable initiative to help those in distress. Lectures by those who have a limited understanding of Indias pluralistic traditions and the regions post-partition history are best not attempted is unlikely to have been glossed over in Washington. The CAA sparring set the tone for a season of prickly swaps. Chief among the issues of dissonance, apart from the CAA, is Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The high-powered investigation launched by India, on allegations from US prosecutors that the US-Canadian citizen was at the receiving end of an attempted murder plot on American soil, reportedly found rogue agents of Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) involved in the botched operation. According to reports in Indian media, one person directly involved in the alleged attempt was removed from R&AW. Advertisement The matter should have ended here, but it didnt. The US is still sounding aggressive. A Hindustan Times report said the Biden administration is still pushing for criminal action against people involved. That may explain why last Thursday a US State Department spokesperson, on being asked whether it has received the report on Indias internal probe, replied: We have made clear to the Government of India that we want to see them conduct a full investigation, and we continue to look forward to the results of that investigation. It seems that the Biden administration enjoys some leverage over the Modi government on the Pannun issue and is in no mood to take its foot off the pedal. The US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, has rubbed it in, saying that Indias conduct has crossed an unacceptable red line. In reply, all that foreign minister S Jaishankar, never a man to mince his words, could come up with was that the US ambassador, as an ambassador, will say what he thinks is the position of his government. The position of my government is that in this particular case, there has been certain information provided to us that we are investigating The effort to play it down is evident. Advertisement There have also been pinpricks from Washington on Indias domestic political developments through statements that can be construed as blatant interference in Indias internal affairs during the ongoing election season. On top, eyebrows were raised at the apparent disregard that Foggy Bottom has shown towards Indias displeasure. The incarceration of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in a liquor scam case triggered sermonizing from Antony Blinkens department on fair, transparent, and timely legal process for Kejriwal. An irked MEA released a statement taking strong objection to the remarks of the US State Department and issued a reminder that states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents. South Block also summoned US diplomat Gloria Berbena, the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission for a 40-minute conversation and lodging of official protest on 27 March. Indias anger was clear. Undeterred, Washington doubled down and later that day, issued yet another statement through Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesperson, that the US continues to follow Modi governments actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal. We are also aware of the Congress Partys allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections, and we encourage fair, transparent, and timely legal processes for each of these issues. This elicited one more response, and in its weekly briefing on the following day the MEA decried any such external imputation on our electoral and legal processes as completely unacceptable, adding, in India, legal processes are driven only by the rule of law. Anyone who has similar ethos, especially fellow democracies, should have no difficulty in appreciating this fact. India is proud of its independent and robust democratic institutions. We are committed to protect them from any form of undue external influences. I have gone into some detail about the exchanges because they provide a fascinating window into the give and take between two strategic partners that only last June was affirming a vision of both nations as among the closest partners in the world and declaring earnestly that the Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership is anchored in a new level of trust and mutual understanding and enriched by the warm bonds of family and friendship. We seem to have deviated a little from that bonhomie. Ironically, Americas show of support for Indias Opposition came in for criticism from unexpected quarters. A Pakistani journalist at a State Department briefing last Wednesday wanted to know why Washington, which has come out in strong support of Kejriwal or the Congress Party in India, is unwilling to utter any words on the political prisoners in Pakistan. The discomfort of the spokesperson was evident. Former prime minister Imran Khan remains imprisoned in Pakistan, and there have been widespread allegations that the mandate of the controversial national elections held in February was stolen by Khans rival parties who have since formed a government. Interestingly, the Biden administration seems to have turned a blind eye towards the credible and extensive charges of manipulation of election results and accusations that the Pakistan Army interfered to rig the election against Khan, who still remains the most popular mass leader in Pakistan. Early in March, 31 American lawmakers sent a letter to Biden asking him not to recognise the Shehbaz Sharif government until an investigation into allegations of election interference has been conducted. Bidens response has been to initiate formal interactions with the Sharif government, a courtesy he never extended to the previous Khan regime, indicating a course shift in US-Pakistan ties and ratification of Pakistans phoney elections. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in a maiden contact in which both sides reviewed bilateral ties and discussed regional and international issues. Consider the developments. A genuinely popular leader remains imprisoned in Pakistan on spurious charges. The Pakistan military steals the election mandate and installs a lap dog regime in Islamabad. Six out of eight judges in Islamabad High Court accuse the countrys powerful spy agency, the ISI, of interference and intimidation. These well-documented facts have raised concerns even among lawmakers in Washington. What does the Biden administration do? It formalizes ties with the puppet regime, pledges to intensify the security partnership and professes commitment to a robust partnership, as US Secretary of State Blinken did during his telephone conversation with Pakistans foreign minister Ishaq Dar on Friday. Its quite a feat to pull off such a stunt while lecturing India on fairness, transparency and legal process. Obviously, the coddling of Pakistan is being observed closely in New Delhi, and is certainly not adding to mutual trust. Similarly, the US embassys outreach towards Kashmiris and student leaders for an Iftar party, the first such an even post reading down of Article 370, gives an impression that the Biden administration is willing to test Indias red lines. If the developments thus far give you the impression that the sceptics are right, lets look at certain other developments concurrently underway. Amid the visible friction between Washington and New Delhi, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to arrive in New Delhi around April 18 for the next round of talks on iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies) that were supposed to be held in Delhi in February. The Hindu reports that Sullivan is also expected to discuss a number of other issues, including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Quad as well as defence deals, including the recently cleared $3.99 billion deal for predator drones as well as plans for the fighter jet-engine technology deal between GE and HAL. The report also indicates that Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, who is on a six-month extension, may visit Washington soon. It does seem that amid the visible dissonance, quiet cooperation on issues fundamental to the partnership, such as technology cooperation, security partnership, tightening of technology ecosystem, co-production of advanced defence systems, collaboration on emerging technologies are also underway. What explains this calibrated confusion? Evidently, domestic political compulsions are interfering with the Biden administrations grand strategy. Building of Indian capabilities must therefore go hand in hand with token protestation towards perceived democratic backsliding in India and oppression of minorities by a Hindu nationalist government. The balancing act is being embarked upon based on a quiet confidence in Washington that Modi government is likely to return to power and repercussions, if any can be managed so long as the structural linkages remain tight, and compatibility of interests remains secure. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Although it can be unequivocally said that the history of India-China relations is fraught with a surfeit of mistakes which worsened after laffaire Doklam and Galwan, sundry efforts were made by both sides to put the past behind them and make a new beginning. However, it has been noticed that Beijing has a pathological disposition whereby it seeks to unnecessarily provoke India from time to time. Misunderstandings may continue to simmer over certain fundamental issues such as a continuing misperception of the exact alignment of the LAC, but China has never resorted to embracing the charity principle. Advertisement Humankind has been endowed with a tremendous power to overcome the greatest of odds. But for some reason or the other this has not been the case with India and China, especially as it pertains to the resolution of the 3,488-km-long boundary that stretches from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. Demography is an important component when nations decide to become us-and-them. Therefore, the tendency to push out towards the frontiers has a price: it is always accompanied by a grave risk of miscalculation. Such a narrativein most partsis due to a misconstruction of the objectives of the other side. In the late 19th century, a British officer Col Algernon Durandof the Durand Line fameobserved that the man on the frontier sees but his own square on the chessboard and can know but little of the whole game in which he is a pawn. It is, therefore, of essence to keep such an outlook in mind when one countenances frontiers, borders and boundaries. Not all squares on a chess board are worth fighting over, or as Nehru quipped about Aksai Chin as a desert where not a blade of grass grows. But the fact of the matter is that when an adversary overreacts and acts with belligerence, rearguard action must be undertaken. It is not as if India has not made friendly overtures towards China. In a webinar in June 2020, former foreign secretary Shyam Saran said that although the Chinese, including the top leader of the Peoples Republic, Deng Xiaoping had put forward a package deal to India whereby an as-is-where-is resolution could be worked out, China reneged on the deal a few years later. It has become quite clear since then that the Chinese position is a shifting one. Advertisement During a visit to China in October 2002, I was able to personally interact with the best India-China boundary minds of China. These included Ma Jiali, Wang Hongwei, Rong Ying and former Chinese envoy to India, Cheng Ruisheng. At the time, I sensed that all of them wanted detente with India. I was fed on niceties such as why are you bringing in Pakistan? That country should not come between India and China friendship and China is willing to walk the extra mile to solve the boundary problem. You must convince your leaders to be more benevolent. The atmospherics in Beijing, Zhejiang and Shanghai were so endearing that I thought that it would be a matter of time before the boundary problem would be resolved. A few months later, I left for higher research in the United States. While I was there, I wrote a joint article on India-China relationship titled Giants at Peace with top Chinese scholar and author of Himalayan Sentiment. Advertisement On 26-27 August 2014 during the course of an India-China Track II Dialogue in which I was a member of the Indian delegation I proposed a way out of the boundary logjam. With the knowledge that neither India or China would surrender ground (the instances which were quoted were that of Thagla Ridge held by the Chinese and the southern bank of the Namka Chu River that runs south of the Ridge held by the Indians) as well as the fact that the only solution lie in converting the Line of Actual Control (the as-is-where-is basis) into an International Boundary, I took recourse to semantics. Advertisement The phrase Line of Actual Controlif even a step is to be taken in the direction of later-day resolution (even by the generation that is to come!)must be replaced by a classification that does not ring of belligerence. Line of Amity was the name that was proposed. If unyieldingness is inevitable and status quo is the only outcome of protracted negotiations, it is my considered opinion that at least a change of nomenclature that resonates of accommodation could herald a positive mindset change from continual and non-progressive status quo. I also laced my plea by stating that altering the name from Line of Actual Control to Line of Amity would not have any legal implications or bring forth questions about the principle by which delineation of boundaries are normally undertaken. I hazarded this aspect even though the watershed principle is generally applicable to the Thagla Ridge which the Chinese presently occupy. I also realised that the natural feature by way of the Namka Chu would lend it elegantly into a boundary. As Curzon, one-time viceroy of India had said during a speech in the University of Oxford. Advertisement He said that rivers make attractive features for those negotiating boundariesThe position of a river is unmistakable, no survey is required to identify or describe itrivers are lines of division as a rule very familiar to both parties, and are easily transferred to a treaty or traced on a map. The name Line of Amity also has the distinct possibility of bringing future leaders of both countries to the table without the baggage of the past as well as the suspicion that has accompanied almost all India-China boundary dialogue and could well be the prerequisite for entente cordiale. But I have come to realise in recent times that even though there is a goodly constituency in China that seeks resolution of a boundary resolution with India and consequently peace, however, the Chinese leadership and the PLA have been against rapprochement with India. The most belligerent of persons in the Peoples Republic is Xi Jinping. He has indeed anointed himself as the leader for life, almost in the mould of Mao Tse Tung. But it seems that there could be, sooner than later, a palace coup. Indeed, it is the present Chinese leadership who said that the fortress is most likely to be breached from the inside. Such apprehension points to the leaderships innermost fears about the fragility and brittleness of their vaunted system despite their outward display of confidence. It is perhaps such fears and insecurity that had led China to attempt intrusion into Doklam and Galwan. I can state with some certainty that fearful of the growing India-US military and such other ties, China opened up Galwan for three reasons. First, it wanted to message the United States that it cannot use India as a countervail to China, second, it was attempting to message Indias South Asian neighbours that they cannot depend on India for their security and third, by enacting Galwan, China was trying to straitjacket India to its land commitments and away from a growing power equation and appeal from maritime quests which China in recent times are coveting as its sole preserve. But the fact of the matter is that it failed in all its endeavours. Today, as in earlier years, China has renamed places in Arunachal Pradesh which they refer to as South Tibet. This, to my mind, has been triggered by Prime Minister Narendra Modis inauguration of the 12-kilometre-long tunnel under the Se La on 9 March. The recent successful visit by Modi to Bhutan (readers need to note that the Indian prime minister wore a Mao coat. Was it deliberate?) and his receiving the Order of the Druk Yul has also got Beijing into a tizzy. It is just as well that Prime Minister Modi has begun to carefully course-correct his governments Neighbourhood First policy. Also, it must be understood that China has realised that India can no longer be militarily pushed around. Reacting to China renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh, foreign minister, S Jaishankar rightly said, If today I change the name of your house, will it become mine? Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be a state of India. Changing names does not have an effect. Such Chinese immature overtures are best avoided. India will reach a zenith of maturity soon. Prime Minister Modi has ascertained it by unveiling a quiet spirituality that has his peoples well-being and prosperity uppermost. Of course, it has to be from a position of strength and on Indias well-ingrained and own terms. Doklam, Galwan and Yangtse have showcased what India under Modis leadership is capable of. The author is a conflict theorist and bestselling author. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. With the increasing rise of generative AI, India is at a point of crisis, but also of opportunity read more It is fairly obvious that the dominant, i.e. Western mechanism for generating new knowledge is rather different from the traditional Indian mechanism, and this shows up in all sorts of ways. One is that Indian epistemology seems to be empirical and practical, based on observation; whereas the Western tradition seems to prefer grand theories that must then be proved by observation. Another difference is the Western idea that Intellectual Property is a private right that the State confers on an inventor or a creator. The Western gaze is fixed on the potential monetary gains from a monopoly over the use of IP Rights (for a fixed period of time, after which it is in the public domain): the argument is that it eventually helps everybody while incentivising the clever. Advertisement The Indian concept is vastly different. It was assumed that a creator created, or an inventor invented, as a result of their innate nature, their God-given gifts. In a way, they could not avoid being creative or inventive, which would be a negation of the blessing they had received from the Supreme Brahman. Therefore, no further incentive was needed: benevolent patrons like kings or temples would take care of their basic needs, allowing them to give free rein to creativity and innovation. This seems to us today to be a radical idea because we have been conditioned by the contemporary epistemological idea that incentives are a necessary condition for knowledge creation. Although this seems common-sensical, there is no real evidence that this is true. Petra Moser, then at MIT, discovered via comparing 19th-century European countries that the presence of an IPR culture with incentives made little difference in the quantum of innovation, although it seemed to change the domains that were the most innovative. In fact, there is at least one counter-example: that of Open Source in computing. It boggles the imagination that veritable armies of software developers would work for free, nights and weekends, in addition to their full-time jobs, and develop computing systems like Linux that are better than the corporate versions out there: the whole Cathedral and Bazaar story as articulated by Eric Raymond. Briefly, he argues that the chaotic bazaar of open source is inherently superior to the regimented but soul-less cathedral of the big tech firms. It is entirely possible that the old Indian epistemological model is efficient, but the prevailing model of WIPO, national Patent Offices, and all that paraphernalia massively benefits the Western model. As an example, the open-source model was predicted to make a big difference in biology, but that effort seems to have petered out after a promising start. Therefore, we are stuck for the foreseeable future with the IP model, which means Indians need to excel at it. Advertisement In passing, let us note that the brilliant Jagdish Chandra Bose was a pioneer in the wireless transmission of information, including the fundamental inventions that make cellular telephony possible. However, as a matter of principle, he refused to patent his inventions; Guglielmo Marconi did and became rich and famous. India has traditionally been quite poor in the number of patents, trademarks, copyrights, geographical indications, semiconductor design layouts etc. that it produces annually. Meanwhile, the number of Chinese patents has skyrocketed. Over the last few years, the number of Indian patents has grown as the result of focused efforts by the authorities, as well as the realisation by inventors that IP rights can help startup firms dominate niche markets. Advertisement India also produces a lot of creative works, including books, films, music and so on. The enforcement of copyright laws has been relatively poor, and writers and artistes often do not get fair compensation for their work. This is unfortunate. Unfortunately, things will get a lot worse with generative AI. Most of us have heard of, and probably also tried out, the chatbots that have been the object of much attention and hype in the past year, such as chatGPT from OpenAI/Microsoft and Gemini from Google. Whether these are truly useful is a good question, because they seduce us into thinking they are conscious, despite the fact that they are merely stochastic parrots. But I digress. Advertisement The point is that the digital revolution has thrown the edifice of copyright law into disarray. At the forefront of this upheaval stands generative AI, a technology with the uncanny ability to mimic and extend human creative output. Consider two stark examples: the contentious case of JK Rowling and her copyright battle with a Harry Potter-inspired fanfic, and the recent Japanese law that grants broad exemptions for training large language models (LLMs). Rowlings spat with Anna M Bricken, the author of a Harry Potter fanfic titled Harry Potter and the Goblet of Wine, ignited a global debate about fair use and transformative creativity. Brickens work reimagined the Potterverse with an adult lens, but Rowling, citing trademark infringement, sought to have it taken down. Advertisement While the case eventually settled, it exposed a fundamental dilemma: can AI-generated works, even if derivative, be considered distinct enough from their source material to warrant copyright protection? The answer, shrouded in legal ambiguity, leaves creators navigating a tightrope walk between inspiration and infringement. On the other side of the globe, Japan enacted a law in 2022 that further muddies the waters. This controversial regulation grants LLMs and other AI systems an almost carte blanche to ingest and remix copyrighted material for training purposes without seeking permission or paying royalties. While proponents laud it as a catalyst for AI innovation, critics warn of widespread copyright infringement and a potential future where authorship becomes a nebulous concept. The Japanese law, echoing anxieties around JK Rowlings case, raises unsettling questions: who owns the creative spark when AI fuels the fire? For India, a nation at the precipice of the AI revolution, these developments raise crucial questions. With a burgeoning AI industry and a large creative sector, India must tread carefully. Adapting existing copyright laws to encompass the nuances of AI-generated works is paramount. Robust fair-use guidelines that incentivise transformative creativity while safeguarding original authorship are urgently needed. Furthermore, fostering ethical AI development practices that respect intellectual property rights is crucial. The debate surrounding AI and copyright is not merely a legal tussle; its a battle for the very definition of creativity. In this fight, India has the opportunity to carve a path that balances innovation with artistic integrity. By acknowledging the complexities of AI while upholding the cornerstone principles of copyright, India can become a global leader in navigating the uncharted territory of digital authorship. The future of creativity, fueled by both human imagination and AIs boundless potential, hangs in the balance, and India has the chance to shape its trajectory. Disclaimer: The last few paragraphs above were written by Google Gemini, and lightly edited. A chatbot can produce coherent text, but it may be, and often is, completely wrong (hallucinations). Now who owns the copyright to this text? Traditionally, it would be owned by me and Firstpost, but what is the right answer now? Would we be responsible for any errors introduced by the AI? On the other hand, the mining of text, audio/video and images to train generative AI is an increasingly contentious issue. As an example, the New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft, arguing that they werent being paid anywhere near the fair market value of their text that the tech companies mined. This sounds familiar to Indians because Westerners have been digesting Indian ideas for a long time. Some of the most egregious examples were patents on basmati, turmeric and neem, which are absurd considering that these have been in use in India for millennia. The fact that these were documented in texts (prior art) enabled successful challenges against them. An even more alarming fact is the capture and digestion (a highly evocative term from Rajiv Malhotra, who has warned of the dangers of AI for years) of Indian data. Unlike China, which carefully firewalls away its data from Western Big Tech, and indeed, does not even allow them to function in their country, Indian personal data is being freely mined by US Big Tech. Indias Data Privacy laws, being debated now, need to be considered defensive weapons. Paradoxically, there is also the concern that Indic knowledge will, for all intents and purposes, disappear from the domain of discourse. Since the chatbots are trained on the uncurated Internet, they are infected by the Anglosphere prejudices and bigotry therein, not to mention deliberate misinformation and toolkits that are propagated. Since most Indic concepts are either not very visible, or denigrated, on the Internet (e.g., Wikipedia), chatbots are not even aware of them. For instance, a doctor friend and I published an essay in Open magazine comparing allopathy to generative AI, because both are stochastic (ie. based on statistics). We mentioned Ayurveda positively several times because it has a theory of disease that makes it more likely to work with causation rather than correlation. However, when the article summarised by chatGPT, there was no mention whatsoever of the word Ayurveda. It is as though such a concept does not exist, which may in fact be true in the sense that it is deprecated in the training data that the chatbot was trained on. One solution is to create Indian foundation models that can then become competent in specific domains of interest: for example, an Arthashastra chatbot. These can also be trained, if sufficient data sets are created, on Indian languages as well, which could incidentally support real-time machine translation as well. Thus, there can be an offensive as well as a defensive strategy to enable Indic knowledge systems to thrive. India is at a point of crisis, but also of opportunity. If India were to harness some of the leading-edge technologies of today, it might once again become a global leader in knowledge generation, as it was a millennium ago with its great universities. The writer has been a conservative columnist for over 25 years. His academic interest is innovation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Elon Musk now has a public feud with a judge of the Supreme Court of Brazil, Justice Alexandre de Moraes for ordering certain accounts on X to be taken down for spreading misinformation read more Elon Musk has a long history of getting into online feuds with public figures from all over the world. Image Credit: Reuters Elon Musk has a history of getting into tussles with people all over the world, for some reason or the other. In the latest episode of Elon Musk picking a fight with someone, the tech billionaire has taken on a Brazilian Supreme Court judge and called for his removal, saying that the judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil In response, the judge is now going after Elon Musk in an ongoing investigation for spreading fake news. He has also ordered to launch a separate probe into Musk for alleged obstruction of Justice. Advertisement Musk calls for SC judges impeachment It all began a couple of days ago when Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a judge with the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered certain accounts on X to be taken down for spreading misinformation, or face a fine of $20,000 per account. To this, Musk responded by going a tirade against the judge and suggested that Moraes should be impeached. He also accused Moraes of threatening to cut off access and suggested that X will lose all revenue from Brazil and may have to shut down its office there. Justice Moraes came down heavily on Musk, accusing him of conducting a disinformation campaign and defying court orders through his social media company X. Following this, he ordered Elon Musk to be investigated thoroughly for spreading misinformation The case against Musk The investigation stems from concerns over digital militias spreading defamatory fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices in Brazi. Justice De Moraes emphasized Musks alleged obstruction of Brazilian justice and incitement of disobedience, stating that such actions disrespect the countrys sovereignty. Critics of de Moraes, particularly from Brazils political right, argue that his actions suppress free speech and amount to political persecution. However, supporters defend his decisions as necessary to combat fake news and protect Brazilian democracy, especially following a 2023 uprising that was similar to the January 6 capitol riots. Among his supporters in this issue, is Brazils attorney general, Jorge Messias who claimed that it was urgent for Brazil to regulate social media platforms. We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law, failing to comply with court orders and threatening our authorities. Social peace is non-negotiable, wrote on X. Advertisement Elon Musk and free speech Although Musk is very vocal in his support of absolute free speech, his actions have suggested otherwise. Having said that, this is perhaps the first time where he has openly challenged a sitting justices authority authority on X, and urged people to defy the Supreme Courts orders. Musk urged users to download VPNs in case Brazil decided to block the platform and vowed to publish all of de Moraes demands, claiming they violate Brazilian law. De Moraes retaliated by warning X against disobeying court orders and threatened Musk with fines for reactivating blocked accounts. Brazils attorney general echoed concerns over foreign billionaires controlling social media platforms and disregarding the rule of law. Advertisement The situation underscores ongoing debates over freedom of speech versus regulatory control on social media platforms in Brazil, as the country grapples with the spread of misinformation and threats to democratic institutions. Google has a novel solution to deal with the crawling traffic that plagues Bengaluru. Googles Project Green Light is an AI-powered solution that is geared to make intra-city mobility better, reduce transmissions, and the time people waste while being stuck in traffic jams read more While some people will swear on their lives that Bengaluru is the best city in India for young working professionals, even the most ardent Bengaluru fan will say that the traffic situation in the city leaves a lot to be desired. Google, may have the answer to Bengalurus traffic woes, through its AI. The internet is filled with memes and surprisingly, news pieces of how people have reacted in a rather bizarre way while coming up with solutions to Bengalurus crawling traffic. Advertisement Enter Googles Project Green Light, the tech giants AI-powered solution that is geared to make intra-city mobility better, reduce transmissions, and overall reduce how much of their lives do people waste while being stuck in traffic jams, as per a report by Analytics India Magazine. In the bustling city of Bengaluru, the groundbreaking initiative by Google is reshaping the landscape of urban traffic management. Googles Project Green Light will optimise traffic flow at intersections and curb stop-and-go emissions. The genesis of this innovative project traces back to a casual dinner conversation between Dotan Emanuel, a researcher at Google, and his spouse. Since its inception in 2021, Project Green Light has been on a mission to revolutionize urban mobility while addressing the pressing concerns of climate change. Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and insights gleaned from Google Maps data, Project Green Light demonstrates a profound understanding of global road networks. By modelling traffic patterns and offering intelligent recommendations to city traffic engineers, it aims to streamline traffic flow and mitigate emissions. Juliet Rothenberg, the product team lead of Climate AI at Google, shed light on the projects global impact in a recent interview with CBS News. She revealed that Project Green Light is operational in 13 cities worldwide, including Bengaluru, Rio, Hamburg, and Seattle, emphasizing the significance of every red light as an opportunity for optimization. Advertisement Early statistics indicate promising results, with a potential reduction of up to 30 per cent in stops and a 10 per cent cut in emissions at intersections. In the 70 intersections where Project Green Light is already active, this translates to substantial fuel savings and reduced emissions, benefiting millions of commuters monthly. Presently, Project Green Light operates at 70 intersections across 12 cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. In Kolkata, the initiative has earned accolades from Vineet Kumar Goyal, the commissioner of police, who praised its role in enhancing traffic efficiency and safety. Since November 2022, Kolkata has implemented Project Green Lights suggestions at 13 intersections, garnering positive feedback from commuters and traffic personnel alike. Advertisement (With inputs from agencies) The US is set to debate a new online privacy and data protection bill. Called the American Privacy Rights Act or APRA, it is a bipartisan bill with support from both the Republicans and Democrats. Because of this, it is expected the bill will pass without any hiccups read more The US is considering a key bill which may change how tech companies in the US collect and use a customers data. With this the US joins a growing list of countries to have introduced a comprehensive and exhaustive set of laws governing how the data of its citizens is used. A bipartisan proposal known as the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) has been introduced by key House and Senate committee leaders, in a major breakthrough in Congresss efforts to establish a comprehensive data privacy framework. Advertisement The proposed legislation aims to regulate the collection, retention, and use of consumer data by companies, granting users greater control over their personal information. Since this is a bipartisan bill, it is expected that both, Republicans and Democrats are likely to vote in favour of it. Under the proposed bill, users would have the right to opt out of targeted advertising and have to be given mechanisms to view, correct, download or downright delete their data from online services. Furthermore, the bill seeks to establish a national registry of data brokers and mandate these companies to offer opt-out options for data sales. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers hailed the legislation as a landmark move to empower Americans to control the dissemination and commercialization of their information. She emphasized the need to rein in Big Techs practices of tracking, predicting, and manipulating user behaviour for profit without consent. While Congress has long attempted to pass federal data privacy laws, divisions persist over key issues such as the preemption of state regulations and the inclusion of a private right of action. The APRA aims to address these concerns by allowing states to enact their own privacy laws, with exceptions for civil rights and consumer protections. Advertisement Notably, the proposal incorporates elements from Californias privacy law, including provisions allowing individuals to sue companies in case of data breaches. It grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and private citizens. The scope of data covered by the APRA includes information that identifies or is reasonably linkable to an individual or device. Small businesses with limited data collection would be exempt, while enforcement would primarily target larger businesses. While some lawmakers have expressed support for the draft, including top Democrat Frank Pallone, the legislations fate remains uncertain. Conversations among lawmakers are ongoing, and the current proposal is considered a discussion draft. Certain lawmakers are expected to seek feedback from colleagues in the coming weeks before advancing the bill to committees for consideration. Advertisement (With inputs from agencies) In response to inquiries concerning claims that Chinese scholars and students were detained and compelled to leave the country upon crossing the border at Dallas and Washington Dulles airports, Mao stated that the US actions severely damaged the individuals involved and hampered people-to-people contacts between China and the US read more The number of Chinese students studying in the US increased to 3.20 lakh last year from 2.54 lakh, which Chinese officials ascribed to the country's increasingly unfavorable climate due to worries over the flight of scientific knowledge China threatened to take resolute measures to protect the interests of its citizens on Monday, accusing the US of forcibly deporting Chinese students without any reasonable justification. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here that the US has been overly expanding the definition of national security and has arbitrarily canceled Chinese students visas, prohibited them from visiting the US, and forcibly deported them without any solid proof. In response to inquiries concerning claims that Chinese scholars and students were detained and compelled to leave the country upon crossing the border at Dallas and Washington Dulles airports, Mao stated that the US actions severely damaged the individuals involved and hampered people-to-people contacts between China and the US. Advertisement The recent cases show that the US law enforcement personnel are bent on making excuses for deporting Chinese personnel. These are typical cases of selective, discriminatory and politically motivated law enforcement, Mao said. China will take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens. The US needs to immediately stop unjustifiably harassing, she said. Chinas state-run Global Times quoted Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng alleging that dozens of Chinese arriving in the US, including students, were being denied entry every month over the past few months. He added that they were going back to school after visiting other places or seeing relatives in China, and that they had legal visas and no criminal records. However, Xie claimed that after they arrived at the airport, they were subjected to an eight-hour interrogation by the authorities, who also forbade them from speaking with their parents, falsely accused them, and even forcibly deported and barred them from entering the country. Indian students in American schools surpassed Chinese students last year, according to figures from the US Department of Homeland Security. Advertisement The number of Chinese students studying in the US increased to 3.20 lakh last year from 2.54 lakh, which Chinese officials ascribed to the countrys increasingly unfavorable climate due to worries over the flight of scientific knowledge. (With agency inputs) China has long-simmering territorial disputes with a number of Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea, a major shipping route read more US, Australia, Japan and Philippines hold first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity in the West Philippine Sea on April 7. Source: X/@TeamAFP The Chinese PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) has revealed that it carried out combat patrols in the disputed South China Sea on April 7 as an apparent response to naval exercises by the US and its allies. The Chinas military carried out air and sea patrols on Sunday, the same time the Armed Forces of the Philippines, United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) carried out their first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea on April 7. Advertisement China carried out combat patrols to create hotspots under control A brief statement released by the Chinese militarys Southern Theater Command said Chinas military had organised patrols and that all military activities that mess up the situation in the South China Sea and create hotspots are under control. The statement from China had no mention of the US or the joint exercises, but appeared to be an apparent swipe at the US-led drills. The US and its allies too released a statement which had no mention of China, but the four countries reaffirmed their stance that a 2016 international arbitration ruling which invalidated Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea was final and legally binding. The US has conducted joint patrols with the Philippines in a show of support. The exercises took place merely days before US President Joe Biden was due to hold the first trilateral summit with the leaders of Japan and the Philippines. Advertisement The increasing tensions in the disputed waters are expected to be high when Biden hosts his Japanese and Philippine counterparts. Meanwhile, China says the US is inflaming tensions by meddling in the disputes. On Saturday, the defence chiefs of the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines announced that they would hold joint exercises in the sea to safeguard the rule of law and uphold the right to sail through and fly over the waters. China has long-simmering territorial disputes with a number of Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea, a major shipping route. Conflicts with the Philippines in particular have flared up since last year. Advertisement With inputs from agencies After months of giving mixed signals, former US President Donald Trump has finally clarified his stand on abortion rights in a video message on Truth Social. Abortion is a burning issue for the upcoming Presidential Elections in the US read more Former United States President Donald Trump on Monday said abortion rights should be left up to the states in the country to decide. Trump revealed his stance on the divisive issue in a video uploaded on his social media platform, Truth Social. The presumptive Republican candidate for the 2024 US Presidential Elections said that states will determine [abortion rights] by vote or legislation or perhaps both. Whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case, law of the state. Advertisement Trumps stand is likely to have disappointed anti-abortion groups that were hoping he would endorse a complete nation-wide ban on abortions in the US. Attack on Democrats In the video, Trump gloated about being responsible for overturning the landmark Roe v Wade verdict that had assured the right to abortion in the US for half a century. Trump, who is currently facing 91 felony counts and has been indicted in four criminal cases, hit out at the Democrats for their stand on abortion. It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones in this position because they support abortions up to and even beyond the ninth month, he said. It is crucial to note that Vice President Kamala Harris has already rubbished the Republican claims that Democrats support abortions up until birth. Speaking to CBS in September last year, she said that the protections of Roe v. Wade need to be put back in place. The ruling guaranteed abortion access up to the point of viability, which can be anytime between 20 to 24 weeks. Trumps stand on IVF, abortion exceptions Trump also commented on in vitro fertilisation (IVF). For context, IVF techniques involve discarding some embryos. Some anti-abortion advocates contend that life begins at conception. They argue that discarding an embryo is akin to killing a child. IVF was halted in Alabama after a court ruled that embryos created using the technique have the same rights as children. Advertisement Trump, however, said that he strongly supports IVF access for couples who are trying to have a baby. He also said that when it comes to abortion, he is strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. Abortion remains one of the most contentious issues in the upcoming November elections. In the past, several Republican losses in off-year elections- even those in typically conservative states- have been linked to their stand on abortion. With inputs from agencies Former US President Donald Trump believes Ukraine should cede 2 crucial provinces to Russia in order to end the war in 24 hours read more The peace plan of former US President Donald Trump to end the Ukraine War involves ceding territory to Russia so that both the sides could save face, according to a report. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Trump has repeatedly said he would end the war within 24 hours upon being elected as the US President. So far, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected any proposal that includes surrendering any Ukrainian territory to Russia. Experts have also expressed concerns about Trumps reported peace plan for Ukraine, with one expert calling it terrible. Advertisement Surrender 2 Ukrainian provinces to Russia to save face: Trumps peace plan Trump believes that both Ukraine and Russia are looking to save their faces and the way to do it is through the surrender of two Ukrainian provinces in lieu for the end of the war, according to The Washington Post. The report quoted people familiar with Trumps plan as saying that the plan includes Ukraine ceding the Donbas and Crimea regions to Russia. The Donbas is the eastern region of Ukraine comprising Donetsk and Luhansk provinces where much of the fighting has taken place. Crimea is another region of Ukraine that Russia invaded and annexed in 2014. The plan includes a formal surrender of Crimea. Trump has privately said that he thinks both Russia and Ukraine want to save face and want a way out and that people in parts of Ukraine would be okay with being part of Russia, as per a person quoted in the report who is said to have discussed the matter directly with Trump. Last year, Trump said that he knows both Zelenskyy and Putin very well and could convince them to come to an agreement to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours. In an interview with Fox News, he said, I know Zelenskyy very well and I know Putin very well even better. And I had a good relationship, very good with both of them. I would tell Zelenskyy, no more. You got to make a deal. I would tell Putin, if you dont make a deal, were going to give him a lot. Were going to [give Ukraine] more than they ever got if we have to. I will have the deal done in one day. One day. Advertisement Experts not hopeful of Trumps plan Independent experts have not expressed optimism at such a plan. The report quoted Emma Ashford, a Senior Fellow at the think tank Stimson Center, as saying that it is terrible deal. She was further quoted as saying that exchanging territory for a ceasefire would put Ukraine in a worse position without assurances that Russia would not rearm and resume hostilities as it has in the past. Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace was quoted as saying that surrendering territory to Russia would be domestic political suicide in Ukraine and no amount of US leverage would convince Ukraine to do so. Advertisement No amount of leverage the United States has can compel Ukraine to cede territory or engage in these types of concessions. This is a situation where if youre willing to give a hand, the other side will very quickly want the rest of the arm, said Kofman. Last year, Zelenskyy rejected Trumps plan and said that if the wars end had to be brought by giving up territory, then such an end could have been brought within five minutes. If we are talking about ending the war at the cost of Ukraine, in other words to make us give up our territories, well, I think in this way Biden could have brought it to an end even in five minutes, but we would not agree, said Zelenskyy in an interview with ABC News when asked about Trumps comment of ending the war in 24 hours. The plane in question was Southwest Airlines flight 3695 which rose to about 10,300 ft (3,140 meters) when the incident took place read more US airline regulators launched an investigation after part of an engine cowling on a Boeing aircraft fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap. The plane in question was Southwest Airlines flight 3695 which rose to about 10,300 ft (3,140 meters) when the incident took place. However, the aircraft landed 25 minutes after the takeoff from the Denver International Airport at about 8:15 am (local time) on Sunday, Reuters reported. In the videos that are circulating on social media, the engine cowling can be seen flapping in the wind before it detached completely and banged against the aircrafts wing. Advertisement After the plane made the landing, it was towed to the gate. As per the reports, the plane was carrying 135 passengers and six crew members aboard and was heading to Huston. The authorities assured that no casualties were reported. BREAKING: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 engine rips apart during takeoff. A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Houston immediately returned to Denver. Maybe Boeing can spend less time on DEI and focus more on safety of their aircrafts and passengers. pic.twitter.com/8iUp9WccHI I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) April 7, 2024 The Boeing curse continues According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the plane entered the service in June 2015. Shortly after the landing, the airline said that maintenance teams were reviewing the aircraft. Boeing has also referred questions to Southwest for information about the airlines airplane and fleet operations. As of now, the airline has not revealed when the planes engine last had maintenance. Advertisement It is pertinent to note that Boeing has come under intense criticism since a door plug panel tore off a new Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet at 16,000ft (4,800 metres) on 5 January. Following the incident, the FAA grounded the Max 9 for several weeks and barred Boeing from increasing the Max production. The authorities also ordered Boeing to develop a comprehensive plan to address systemic quality-control issues within 90 days. The FAA is investigating several other recent Southwest Boeing engine issues. Earlier this week, a Southwest 737 flight aborted takeoff and taxied back to the gate at an airport in Texas. The crew eventually reported an engine problem. Advertisement On 25 March, a Southwest 737 flight returned to the Austin airport after the crew reported a possible engine issue. Another Southwest 737-800 flight returned to Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida on March 22 after the crew reported an engine issue. FAA is currently investigating all these incidents as well. NGOs and migrant charities have come out against this reform, especially its provision creating border facilities to accommodate asylum-seekers and quickly send back those deemed ineligible, which they fear will lead to systematic detentions read more The European Union is poised to make a decisive vote Wednesday regarding a comprehensive overhaul of its immigration policies, signaling a significant shift towards stricter entry procedures for asylum-seekers and a collective sharing of responsibility among member states. The European Parliament is set to deliberate on a series of laws integral to the blocs migration and asylum pact, which stems from a proposal put forth by the European Commission in September 2020. Advertisement This ambitious overhaul, the culmination of years of internal strife and negotiations, is slated to be implemented from 2026 upon full adoption. In conjunction with these legislative efforts, the EU has been actively engaging in agreements with external nations to curb the flow of migrants departing from their territories in pursuit of European shores. Against the backdrop of escalating asylum applications within the 27-nation EU, which surged to 1.14 million last year, the highest recorded since 2016, there has been a corresponding uptick in irregular migrant entries, reaching 380,000 in the same period according to data from the EUs border and coast guard agency Frontex. While the migration and asylum pact represents a concerted effort to address these challenges, it has encountered opposition from disparate quarters, including the far right, the far left, and segments of socialist lawmakers, each voicing distinct concerns and objections. After years of impasse, the new migration rules allow us to regain control over our external borders and reduce pressure on the EU. State authorities, not smugglers, have to decide who enters the European Union, said Manfred Weber, head of the biggest political group in the European Parliament, the centre-right European Peoples Party. Advertisement NGOs and migrant charities have come out against the reform, especially its provision creating border facilities to accommodate asylum-seekers and quickly send back those deemed ineligible, which they fear will lead to systematic detentions. The reform largely retains the basic rule in force under which the first EU country in which an asylum-seeker arrives is responsible for their case. But it adds a solidarity mechanism that requires all EU countries to help front-line states such as Italy and Greece when they come under pressure by either taking in some of the asylum-seekers or providing an equivalent financial contribution. - Inflammatory topic - A French centrist lawmaker in the European Parliament, Fabienne Keller, who shepherded one of the texts, called the pact very balanced and a big improvement over the current situation. Advertisement There are better checks on flows of irregular migration through the border procedures and more solidarity, she said. But she acknowledged it was a hugely inflammatory topic and criticised far-right lawmakers for trying to panic everybody over the changes. The parliaments vote will not be the last step for the pact, as the technical application of its procedures still need to be defined, Keller said. They include how to organise the border centres and supply them with sufficient resources, translators and police officers. Another controversial point is a provision to send asylum-seekers to safe third countries. A left-wing lawmaker, Raphael Glucksmann of France, said that would allow asylum-seekers likely to obtain asylum in an EU country to be sent to transit countries. Advertisement He criticised a compromise under which some EU nations would be able to offset their financial obligations under the solidarity mechanism if they helped pay for tougher border security in another EU country. That upholds the idea of a safe third country which would apply to some countries that are safe only by that label, he said. Its another step towards the outsourcing of our borders. On the far right, lawmaker Jean-Paul Garraud of France said the outer borders of the EU are like sieves and nothing has been done to change that. One of the few changes the far right favoured was a system to take the biometric data of each arriving asylum-seeker and put it into an EU database called Eurodac, he said, though he argued it would do little to stop mass irregular immigration. Advertisement These mechanisms are just smokescreens, he said. They will be ineffective and wont be able to be applied given the scale of the migration flows. With inputs from AFP The three-member committee comprised of two senior officials from the federal government and one from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government read more Police officers examine the site of suicide bombing at a highway in Shangla, a district in the Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Source: AP A committee which was tasked with investigating the Bisham suicide attack in Pakistan that led to the death of six people last month revealed that the bus which was carrying the Chinese nationals was not bombproof. In a bizarre report, the committee went on to state that there were significant lapses in the security detail of the Chinese engineers and eventually blamed the victim and local authorities for their blatant disregard for the standard operating procedures (SOPs), Dawn reported. Advertisement The three-member committee comprised of two senior officials from the federal government and one from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. The committee was asked to investigate if the movement of the bus was in accordance with the SOPs. On March 26, six people including five Chinese nationals were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their bus in Bisham, Kohistan. Shortly after the reports started to swirl, China demanded a thorough investigation into the deadly blast. What did the committee say? During the course of the probe, the committee found that the bus transporting the nationals was not even bulletproof let alone bombproof. The investigators pointed out that it was one of the requirements under the security SOPs. Sources said the committee was shocked to learn that the vehicle carrying the Chinese nationals should have been bombproof but the vehicle was not even bulletproof. The committee also pointed out multiple flaws in the provision which was provided to the Chinese nationals. It found that the company that was required to provide bullet- and bombproof vehicles to transport Chinese workers failed to meet contractual obligations. Meanwhile, the federal government was also informed that it was difficult to pinpoint inefficiencies because there was no unity of command in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) task force. Advertisement A source privy to the report told Dawn that the district police officer in Upper Kohistan was supposed to be informed about the convoy movement seven days in advance. However, the DPO was informed late and the message about the Chinese nationals movement was not sent to anyone further. Five Chinese nationals including a woman and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack. The Chinese nationals were travelling in a coaster at Laho Nala when a Vitz car rammed into the bus. The coalition caused the coaster to fall into a ditch which ultimately led to the immediate death of all six people. Advertisement The tragic incident and the outrageous finding of the report indicate the deplorable law and order situation in Pakistan. Western nations have expressed their indignation over what they perceive to be an excessively high number of Palestinian civilian deaths and the humanitarian catastrophe that has resulted from Israels military assault on Hamas in the small, densely populated Gaza Strip read more Israel has ruled out winding up the war shortly or withdrawing from Gaza, saying its forces will not relent until Hamas no longer controls Gaza or threatens Israel militarily Image Courtesy Reuters Shortly after Egyptian sources reported that progress had been achieved on the agenda, a Hamas spokesman stated on Monday that no progress had been made at a fresh round of Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Cairo that was also attended by delegations from Israel, Qatar, and the US. Western nations have expressed their indignation over what they perceive to be an excessively high number of Palestinian civilian deaths and the humanitarian catastrophe that has resulted from Israels military assault on Hamas in the small, densely populated Gaza Strip. Advertisement Following the arrival of CIA Director William Burns in Egypt on Saturday, Israel and Hamas dispatched delegations to Egypt on Sunday. Burns presence highlighted mounting US pressure for a solution that would release captives held in Gaza and provide help to affected civilians. There is no change in the position of the occupation and therefore, there is nothing new in the Cairo talks, the Hamas official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. There is no progress yet. Earlier on Monday, Egypts state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV channel quoted a senior Egyptian source as saying progress had been made after a deal was reached among participating delegations on issues under discussion. Six months into its offensive against Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas that has devastated Gaza and left most of its 2.3 million people homeless and many facing famine, Israel also voiced cautious optimism about the latest mediated negotiations. In Jerusalem at the weekend, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz described the Cairo talks as the closest the sides have come to a deal since a November truce under which Hamas freed dozens of hostages. We have reached a critical point in the negotiations. If it works out, then a large number of hostages will come home, he told Israels Army Radio. Advertisement Hamas seized 253 people during an October 7, cross-border killing spree in southern Israel that sparked the war. Of those, 129 hostages remain, and negotiators have spoken of around 40 going free in the first stage of a prospective deal with Hamas. Two Egyptian security sources and Al-Qahera News said progress had been made in the Cairo talks. The security sources said that both sides had made concessions that could help pave the way for a ceasefire deal in parallel meetings with mediators on Sunday. The concessions related to the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and the Palestinian groups demand for the return of displaced residents to northern Gaza, they added, without giving further details. Advertisement Consultations were expected to continue within the next 48 hours, Al-Qahera reported. A Palestinian official close to mediation efforts told Reuters that deadlock continued to reign over Israels refusal to end the war, withdraw its forces from Gaza, allow hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians to return to their homes and lift a 17-year-old blockade to allow speedy reconstruction. These steps take precedence over Israels prime demand for a release of hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Regarding the exchange of prisoners, Hamas was and is willing to be more flexible, but there is no flexibility over ourmain demands, he told Reuters. Advertisement Israel has ruled out winding up the war shortly or withdrawing from Gaza, saying its forces will not relent until Hamas no longer controls Gaza or threatens Israel militarily. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not give in to extreme Hamas demands. But Israeli officials have signalled willingness to allow some Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza to return there. Hamas killed 1,200 people in its rampage into southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies. More than 33,100 Gaza Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli response, according to the health ministry in Gaza. More than 600 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza combat, the army says. Advertisement Under international pressure to ease Gazas humanitarian crisis and not follow through on plans to storm Rafah, a southern town packed with a million displaced people, Israel said on Sunday it had pulled more soldiers from southern Gaza. This left just one brigade there, but Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the troops would be preparing for future military operations, including their coming mission in the Rafah area. A day after Israeli forces retreated from the heart of residential areas of the southern city of Khan Younis after months of bombardment and raids, Palestinian medics said they recovered eight more bodies of people killed by Israeli gunfire. They had retrieved 12 bodies from the rubble the day before. But a few miles to the south hard up on the border with Egypt, residents of Rafah, the last Palestinian refuge from Israeli ground forces, said Israel carried out at least five airstrikes on parts of the city, causing a number of injuries. (With agency inputs) At the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Nicaragua filed a complaint against Germany, requesting that judges impose emergency measures to prevent Berlin from arming and assisting Israel read more Nicaragua blasted Germany for its backing of Israel, calling it "pathetic" to arm the Israeli government while at the same time offering relief to Gaza Image Courtesy Reuters Nicaragua filed a complaint against Germany at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday, requesting the United Nations (UN) to impose emergency measures to prevent Berlin from arming and assisting Israel. Nicaragua blasted Germany for its backing of Israel, calling it pathetic to arm the Israeli government while at the same time offering relief to Gaza. It is indeed a pathetic excuse to the Palestinian children, women and men to provide humanitarian aid, including through airdrops, on the one hand and to furnish the military equipment that is used to kill and annihilate them on the other hand, the court heard from Daniel Mueller, a Nicaraguan lawyer. Advertisement Germany was and is fully conscious of the risk that the arms it has furnished and continues to furnish to Israel could be used to commit a genocide, said Alain Pellet, a lawyer for Nicaragua. It is extremely urgent that Germany finally suspend such aid, he added. Germany will respond in court on Tuesday but has already hit back at the allegations. Sebastian Fischer, spokesman for the German foreign ministry, told reporters ahead of the hearings that we reject the allegations from Nicaragua. Germany has violated neither the Genocide Convention nor international humanitarian law and we will demonstrate this in full before the International Court of Justice, he said. Nicaragua charged that Germany could not be unaware of the suffering in Gaza, but nonetheless provided military support to Israel. In a 43-page submission to the court, Nicaragua argued that Germany is in breach of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, set up in the wake of the Holocaust. Germany seems not to be able to differentiate between self-defence and genocide, Nicaraguas ambassador to the Netherlands, Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, told the court. Nicaragua asked the ICJ to decide provisional measures emergency orders imposed while the court considers the broader case. It is imperative and urgent the court orders such measures given that the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are at stake, it said in its submission. Advertisement The ICJ was set up to rule in disputes between nations and has become a key player in the war between Israel and Hamas militants that erupted after the October 7 attacks. In a separate case, South Africa has accused Israel of perpetrating genocide in the Gaza Strip, charges Israel vehemently denies. In that case, the court ordered Israel to do everything in its power to prevent genocidal acts and recently toughened its stance, ordering additional measures obliging Israel to step up access to humanitarian aid. The courts rulings are binding but it lacks an enforcement mechanism for example it has ordered Russia to stop its invasion of Ukraine, to no avail. Advertisement Nicaragua has requested five provisional measures, including that Germany immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance including military equipment. It also calls on the court to order Germany to reverse its decision to suspend the funding of UNRWA. Germany said in January it was halting funding pending an investigation into Israeli accusations that several UNRWA staff members took part in the October 7 assault. This unjustified decision contributes to the suffering in Gaza where children women and men are starving, Mueller told the court. Nicaragua said in its submission that it could be comprehensible that Germany would support an appropriate reaction by ally Israel to the October Hamas attacks. Advertisement But this cannot be an excuse for acting in violation of international law, it said. On Friday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Israel had no more excuse to delay aid getting into Gaza. The bloodiest-ever Gaza war began with Hamass October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 Israelis and foreigners, most of them civilians, according to official Israeli figures. Palestinian group Hamas also took around 250 hostages, about 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead. Israels retaliatory campaign has killed at least 33,175 people, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, while the United Nations has warned of catastrophic hunger. Advertisement (With agency inputs) Arevalo, who secured victory in the presidential elections last August with a significant majority, campaigned on promises to enhance transparency and combat pervasive corruption in Central Americas most populous nation read more Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo took decisive action by dismissing his Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, less than 100 days into his term, in a bid to uphold the integrity of his government, according to a statement released. Arevalo, who secured victory in the presidential elections last August with a significant majority, campaigned on promises to enhance transparency and combat pervasive corruption in Central Americas most populous nation. The dismissal marks the first of Arevalos tenure and follows revelations by Maria Jose Iturbide, the former minister, concerning her daughters failure to adhere to protocols regarding the use of ministry vehicles and security provisions. Advertisement The presidencys secretary general stated in a press release that Arevalo opted to remove Iturbide from her position to eliminate any uncertainty regarding his administrations commitment and absolute intolerance for the misuse of state resources and corruption. With inputs from Reuters Israels Ambassador to India Naor Gilon too has said India has been very strong against terrorism from the first moment. He said that Israel is appreciative of the Indian governments support since Hamas launched the attack on October 7 read more Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to condemn the horrific terror attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7 Image Courtesy PTI As the Israel-Hamas war completed its six months, Moran, a survivor of the October 7 attack, conveyed appreciation towards India and its people for their steadfast support during a challenging period. Morans words reflect the profound bond shared between the two nations in times of adversity. I see the Indian support that started much before, years before October 7 and after October 7, Moran expressed, highlighting the enduring nature of Indias solidarity, adding, Thanks to Prime Minister Modi, all over the media. And we know that India is a true friend of Israel. Advertisement Morans gratitude extended beyond governmental assistance, acknowledging the compassion and friendship displayed by the Indian populace. I think its not just the Indian government. Thanks to the Indian people, who have always been and continue to be a good friend of ours, Moran added, emphasising the collective support from India. Acknowledging Indias role in amplifying Israels voice globally, Moran added, Our voice cannot be everywhere. Everywhere. And we know that the Indian people are taking care of everything we need. Thank you very much to the government, but for the people as well, Moran expressed, encapsulating the depth of gratitude towards Indias unwavering support. Israels Ambassador to India Naor Gilon too has said India has been very strong against terrorism from the first moment. He said that Israel is appreciative of the Indian governments support since Hamas launched the attack on October 7. In an interview with ANI on January 30, Gilon said that Israel has received incredible support from the Indian people amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Speaking about Indias stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, Gilon said, India was very strong against terrorism from the first moment. Prime Minister Modi, on the afternoon of October 7, already came out with a very strong condemnation. We are much appreciative of the Indian government for its support from that time on. Advertisement The war in Gaza continues after Israel launched a counter-offensive in response to the Hamas attack on October 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to condemn the horrific terror attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7. (With agency inputs) The head of IAEA urged military decision-makers of both nations to abstain from any actions that have the potential to violate the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities read more The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europes largest, is seen in the background of the shallow Kakhovka Reservoir. Source: AP / File Photo The head of the United Nations atomic watchdog agency condemned the recent drone strikes on one of the six nuclear reactors at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine, warning that such attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi condemned the attack and confirmed that there were at least three direct hits against the ZNPP main reactor containment structures. Advertisement He went on to urge military decision-makers of both nations to abstain from any actions that have the potential to violate the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities. Today, for the first time since Nov 2022 & after I set out 5 basic principles to avoid a serious nuclear accident with radiological consequences, @IAEAorgs #ISAMZ confirmed that at least 3 direct hits against ZNPP main reactor containment structures took place. This cannot happen, Grossi wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. As I said before the @UN Security Council #UNSC and the @IAEAorg Board of Governors, no one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities. This is a no go. Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) April 7, 2024 As I said before the @UN Security Council #UNSC and the @IAEAorg Board of Governors, no one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities. This is a no-go, he added. Advertisement Russia blames Ukraine Meanwhile, Russian officials operating at the plant claimed that the site was attacked by Ukrainian military drones on Sunday. The authorities noted that the drone attack also stuck one of the domes of the plants sixth power unit, The Guardian reported. However, Ukraine has vehemently denied the accusation. Russian strikes, including imitation ones, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant have long been a well-known criminal practice of the invaders, a spokesperson of Ukraines intelligence agency told local media. Meanwhile, the plant authorities assured that there were no critical damage casualties caused by the recent attack. They also highlighted that the radiation levels at the plant remained normal even after the strike. Advertisement But there were conflicting reports in this regard as well. Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom noted that three people were wounded in the unprecedented series of drone attacks. They maintained that the casualties took place when a drone hit an area close to the sites canteen. Amid the confusion, the IAEA issued a separate statement in which they confirmed the physical impact of drone attacks at the plant, which included one of its six reactors. The international body confirmed that one casualty was reported following the attack. Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with the potential to undermine the integrity of the reactors containment system the agency added. Advertisement How Zaporizhzhia continues to remain at the centre The crucial power plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022. During its military operation, Russia managed to seize the facility in the early stages of the war. In the past, the IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear power plant, Europes largest, amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. Both Russia and Ukraine have regularly accused one another of attacking the plant which lies close to the front lines. While the plants six reactors have been shut down for months, it still needs power and qualified staff to operate cooling systems and other safety features. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. The robbery occurred around 1800hrs on April 1, when Kahlon entered the Post Office and purportedly brandished what appeared to be a firearm, intimidating two staff members before absconding with a significant amount of cash read more Rajvinder Kahlon, a 41-year-old man of Indian origin, has been charged with robbery and possession of a fake firearm following an incident at a Post Office in Hounslow, west London. Kahlon was arrested at his residence last week after allegedly threatening staff at the Post Office on Brabazon Road and making off with a substantial sum of money on April 1. The Metropolitan Polices Flying Squad swiftly responded to the reports, leading to Kahlons identification as the suspect. Advertisement According to the Met Police, the robbery occurred around 1800hrs on April 1, when Kahlon entered the Post Office and purportedly brandished what appeared to be a firearm, intimidating two staff members before absconding with a significant amount of cash. Following his arrest, Kahlon appeared before Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Saturday, April 6, where he faced charges of robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. The Flying Squad officers, along with detectives, utilised various investigative techniques to arrest Kahlon. He remains in custody and will next appear at Isleworth Crown Court in west London on May 6. With inputs from PTI The Iranian embassys consular annex in Damascus was destroyed by an airstrike on April 1, which also claimed the lives of seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), included two generals read more Tehran has promised to respond to the strike, which killed 16 people including two civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor of Syria's years-long civil war A source close to Hezbollah reported that an Iranian general killed in an attack in the capital of Syria was a member of the influential Lebanese groups Shura Council, which makes decisions. The Iranian embassys consular annex in Damascus was destroyed by an airstrike on April 1, which also claimed the lives of seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), included two generals. Among them was Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a top commander in the Guards international operations division, the Quds Force. Advertisement Zahedi was the only non-Lebanese on Hezbollahs eight-member Shura Council, the equivalent of the powerful Shiite Muslim movements political bureau, led by secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, the source said, requesting anonymity because the matter is sensitive. Nasrallah was set to speak on Monday to pay homage to Zahedi and his colleagues killed in the strike, which Tehran and Damascus have blamed on Israel. In a previous speech, Nasrallah said his group owed a lot to the senior Iranian official. Zahedi lived with us for long years, away from the spotlight, and provided important services to the resistance in Lebanon and the whole region, Nasrallah said Friday during a televised address. Zahedi, 63, had held a succession of commands in a Guards career spanning more than 40 years, and was the most important Iranian military official killed since a United States missile strike at Baghdad airport in 2020 killed General Qasem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force. Tehran has promised to respond to the strike, which killed 16 people including two civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor of Syrias years-long civil war. (With agency inputs) Iran, a vital ally of Syria, has sworn revenge for the airstrike that killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two generals, last Monday on the consular department of the Iranian embassy read more Following the attack in Damascus, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader issued a warning on Sunday, stating that Israeli embassies were "no longer safe" Image Courtesy AFP On Monday, the new consulate of Iran was officially opened in Damascus by its foreign minister. The previous consulate was destroyed by a devastating strike that was attributed to Israel, which caused a sharp increase in tensions within the region. Iran, a vital ally of Syria, has sworn revenge for the airstrike that killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two generals, last Monday on the consular department of the Iranian embassy. Advertisement The incident took place within the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, which started with the Palestinian organization backed by Iran launching an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7. Tehran and Damascus accuse Israel of carrying out the raid on Monday; Israel has not responded. In the presence of his Syrian colleague Faisal Mekdad, whom he had also visited earlier on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian opened a new consular division in a Damascus building, according to state news agency SANA. President Bashar al-Assad was also scheduled to meet with Amir-Abdollahian; the pro-government Al-Watan newspaper in Syria reported that the agenda for their meeting in Damascus was mainly focused on the fallout from last weeks attack. The foreign minister of Iran started a regional tour on Sunday in Muscat, where the foreign minister of Muscat demanded de-escalation. Oman has historically served as a mediator between Tehran and the West. Following the attack in Damascus, an advisor to Irans supreme leader issued a warning on Sunday, stating that Israeli embassies were no longer safe. Advertisement Analysts saw the raid as an escalation of Israels campaign against Iran and its regional proxies that runs the risk of triggering a wider war beyond the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said 16 people were killed in the consulate strike: eight Iranians, five Syrians, one member of Lebanons Hezbollah group and two civilians. Among the dead were generals Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, both senior commanders in the Quds Force, the IRGCs foreign operations arm. Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes in Syria since civil war broke out 13 years ago, targeting Iran-backed forces including Hezbollah as well as Syrian army positions and weapons depots. Advertisement It rarely comments on individual strikes, but Israels raids have increased since the Gaza war began. Tehran supports Hamas, a Palestinian organization, but has refuted any direct role in the groups October 7 strike, which led to severe Israeli reprisals in Gaza. (With agency inputs) Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt on Sunday for fresh talks on a potential ceasefire in the six-month conflict, following the arrival on Saturday of US CIA Director William Burns read more Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are finally reaching a breakthrough after months of deadlock over a possible truce in the Gaza Strip. Egyptian media outlet Al-Qahera said on Monday that the two warring sides have made significant progress on several contentious points of agreement. Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt on Sunday for fresh talks on a potential ceasefire in the six-month conflict, following the arrival on Saturday of US CIA Director William Burns. Advertisement The report also says that Qatari and Hamas delegations have already left Cairo and are expected to return within two days to finalise the terms of the agreement. Meanwhile, US and Israeli delegations are expected to leave Egypt in the next few hours. What does the draft deal say? As of February, the main terms of the draft deal included: Both sides would cease all military operations in Gaza. Israel would withdraw all its troops from the densely populated areas of the region as well as halt drone surveillance for eight hours a day Hamas would release 40 hostages in return for 400 Palestinian prisoners Israel would allow 500 humanitarian aid trucks per day into Gaza along with 200,000 tents and 60,000 caravans to house the displaced Israel withdraws troops from southern Gaza On Sunday, Israel pulled back more soldiers from southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade behind. The military, however, has not given details on why the troops have been withdrawn from the area or the numbers involved. Israel has been reducing numbers in Gaza since the start of the year to relieve reservists and is under growing pressure from its ally Washington to improve the humanitarian situation, especially after last weeks killing of seven aid workers. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, The forces are exiting and preparing for their next missions, adding that soldiers are also readying themselves for the upcoming Rafah mission. With inputs from agencies Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a military operation in Rafah is required to achieve the wars twin objectives of freeing all hostages and defeating Hamas completely read more Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said the military needs to enter Rafah to win the war against Hamas. Source: AP Israel will invade Rafah in its ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and has set a date for the operation, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Defying US and international pressure over the Rafah invasions potential human toll, Netanyahu said a military operation in Rafah is a must to achieve the wars twin objectives of freeing all hostages and defeating Hamas completely. Netanyahus statement comes at a time when intense and keenly-watched negotiations for a deal freeing hostages and securing a ceasefire in Gaza are taking place in Cairo. The proposal on the table reportedly includes a six-week ceasefire in Gaza in lieu of the release of 40 hostages held by Hamas and allied groups in Gaza. Advertisement In the all-out attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hamas and fellow terrorist groups adducted around 250 Israeli and foreign nationals and took them to Gaza as hostages. While several of them have been released so far, around 100 are still understood to be in captivity in Gaza. While Netanyahu has said Israel will invade Rafah, the United States has maintained that it is opposed to the move. More than 1 million Palestinians have taken shelter in Rafah, which is the only remaining part of the Palestinian enclave untouched by the war that has devasted Gaza over the past six months. It is feared that a military action there would worsen the already-fragile humanitarian situation. We need to enter Rafah to meet all of wars objectives In a video statement in Hebrew, Netanyahu on Monday said that Israel needs to enter Rafah to secure a complete victory in the war against Hamas. Netanyahu also said the first priority of the Israels war is to secure the release of all the hostages. We are working constantly to achieve all our objectives: first and foremost, the release of all of our hostages and achieving total victory over Hamas. The victory requires entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorist battalions there. This will happen. There is a date, said Netanyahu. Advertisement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Today I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo. We are working constantly to attain our objectives, first and foremost the release of all of our hostages and the achieving of total victory over Hamas. pic.twitter.com/xw7LD2ujAo Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 8, 2024 Netanyahus declaration of Rafahs invasion follows threats from the far-right members of his ruling coalition that his government would fall if there is no invasion of Rafah. Netanyahus far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who holds the national security portfolio, said earlier on Monday that Netanyahu will cease to have a mandate to serve as prime minister in case he concludes the war without an operation in Rafah. Full-scale invasion of Rafah will be enormously harmful: US Following Netanyahus statement, the US Department of State said it is still opposed to the invasion of Rafah. It said that a full-scale military invasion of Rafah will have an enormously harmful effect on those civilians and that it would ultimately hurt Israels security. Advertisement Its not just a question of Israel presenting a plan to us. We have made clear to them that we think that there is a better way to achieve what is a legitimate goal, which is to degrade and dismantle and defeat the Hamas battalions that still remain in Rafah, said State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller, as per AFP. While Miller praised the recent Israeli decision to expand the delivery of aid to Gaza by opening of new routes after President Joe Bidens call with Netanyahu, he maintained that much more needed to be done. Many Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, and every single man, woman and child in Gaza is experiencing food insecurity. We expect Israel to fully implement its commitments quickly, and we will be monitoring that implementation. Ultimately it is the results that matter and we will be judging them on those results, said Miller. On Monday, Verns outlets more than 1,100 pairs of shoes were seized by the police, they added. The creator of the company, Ng Chuan Hoo, was also called by the Department of Islamic Development, an organization that manages Islamic matters in Malaysia read more The Islamic department stated that legal action will be taken to stop similar instances in the future if evidence is found that the emblem was purposefully designed to replicate the word "God" in Arabic Image Courtesy AP After some Muslims claimed that the shoe firms emblem resembled the Arabic script for the word God, the Malaysian company issued an apology and discontinued selling some of its styles. Verns Holdings claimed that the image of a stiletto heel with an ankle spiral wrap was imprinted on the soles of certain high-heeled shoes. It did concede, though, that the emblem might have been misunderstood due to design flaws. The business added that it took prompt action to halt shoe sales and give consumers who had purchased the shoes refunds. Advertisement We have absolutely no intention of designing a logo aimed at belittling or insulting any religion or belief, Verns said in the statement posted on social media. The management would like to humbly apologize and seek forgiveness. We hope for compassion so we can rectify this mistake. On Monday, Verns outlets more than 1,100 pairs of shoes were seized by the police, they added. The creator of the company, Ng Chuan Hoo, was also called by the Department of Islamic Development, an organization that manages Islamic matters in Malaysia. NG was cited in the English-language Star newspaper of the area expressing regret for the discomfort and harm the Muslim community had suffered. He remarked, I hope to learn from the incident and to be more cautious and sensitive going forward. The Islamic department stated that legal action will be taken to stop similar instances in the future if evidence is found that the emblem was purposefully designed to replicate the word God in Arabic. Additionally, it asked companies to be on the lookout for delicate matters that can jeopardize the nations racial harmony. The footwear controversy followed a furor last month over socks printed with the word Allah on the shelves in a large Malaysian convenience store chain. The owners of KK Mart and representatives from one of its suppliers were charged on March 26 with offending the religious feelings of Muslims, and some stores were hit with small petrol bombs. No injuries were reported. Advertisement Religion is a sensitive issue in Malaysia, where Muslims account for two-thirds of a population of 34 million, with large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. Allah, the Arabic word for God, is sacrosanct to Malaysian Muslims and many found it offensive to associate the word with feet. The matter came to light after critical social media posts highlighted the logos resemblance. Religious authorities and police have said they were investigating the matter after receiving complaints from the public. Tensions over the previous case have persisted in the interim. The second-biggest convenience store chain in the nation, KK Mart Group, claims the supplier shipped goods that the business had not committed to stock. The founder of the supply company revealed that the socks were part of a big shipment that was imported from China and expressed regret for their sloppy inspection. Advertisement In Malaysia, the head of the youth branch of a Malay nationalist party is under investigation for alleged sedition over a social media post that features him brandishing a sword. He has called for a boycott of the business. After suffering severe defeats in the most recent general elections, critics claim the party is attempting to win over ethnic Malay voters. (With agency inputs) After facing backlash, Maldives ex-minister Mariyam Shiuna deleted the post where she insulted Indian national flag. She said Maldives deeply value its relationship and, the mutual respect we share with India read more After facing intense backlash, Mariyam Shiuna, a suspended minister of the Maldives President Mohamed Muizzus Peoples National Congress party, has apologised for her social media post in which she allegedly disrespected the Indian national flag. Her post, which was deleted soon after, has sparked outrage. Maldives ex-minister apologises after post link to India sparks outrage I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post, Shiuna, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. Advertisement It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused, the suspended minister of Maldives further said. Will be more vigilant Shiuna went on to say that the Maldives deeply value its relationship and, the mutual respect we share with India. In future I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights, she added. I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism .I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post. It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Mariyam Shiuna (@shiuna_m) April 8, 2024 What deleted post of Maldives ex-minister said? In a bid to mock an opposition party - the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Shiuna replaced the partys logo in the campaign poster with a symbol resembling the Ashok Chakra on the Tricolour, ahead of parliamentary elections in the island nation. Advertisement The post triggered severe backlash from Indian social media users, who demanded President Muizzu take stern action against Shiuna. Mariyam Shinua was suspended for disrespecting PM Modi Shiuna served as the former Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Information, and Arts in the Maldives. She and two other ministers of the island nation were suspended earlier this year after they made disrespectful remarks regarding Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis trip to Lakshadweep. PM Modi promoted Lakshadweeps beauty on social media, sharing pictures from his visit in January this year. It, however, led to disparaging remarks from Maldivian officials, including Shiuna, towards India and the Prime Minister. Advertisement India-Maldives relationship The diplomatic ties between India and the Maldives soured after Muizzu, who holds a pro-China view, became the president of the island nation. Muizzu came to power riding on the India Out campaign and in the last six months, he has taken a slew of steps including ousting Indian troops posted in Male and allowing an alleged Chinese spy vessel to explore the Indian Ocean region. Also, China has been continuously increasing its investment and influence in the Maldives which has been further complicating the dynamic for India. However, despite bitter relations and simmering tensions between the two nations, India remains a crucial economic partner for the Maldives. New Delhi continues to serve as a major source of imports and a key provider of essential commodities like rice and medicine for the island nation. Advertisement Recently, India also renewed the quota to import essential commodities to the Maldives for the coming year. With inputs from agencies Nicaragua contends that Germanys military aid and defunding of the UNRWA (UN agency for Palestinian refugees) contribute to the commission of genocide. The submission also criticizes Germany for its privileged relationship with Israel read more Nicaragua has brought charges against Germany at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Monday, accusing the country of facilitating the commission of genocide against Palestinians through its military and political support for Israel. At the ICJ, Nicaragua is seeking emergency measures to halt Germanys provision of weapons and other assistance to Israel. The Central American nation argues that such actions violate the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, established in response to the Holocaust. Advertisement Germany has refuted these allegations, with Sebastian Fischer, spokesman for the German foreign ministry, stating: We reject the allegations from Nicaragua. Fischer affirmed that Germany has not breached the Genocide Convention or international humanitarian law, and vowed to defend its position before the ICJ. In a 43-page submission to the court, Nicaragua contends that Germanys military aid and defunding of the UNRWA (UN agency for Palestinian refugees) contribute to the commission of genocide. The submission also criticizes Germany for its privileged relationship with Israel, which Nicaragua believes should enable Germany to influence Israels conduct. Nicaragua has urged the ICJ to issue provisional measures, highlighting the urgent need to protect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The court is expected to hear Nicaraguas case on Monday, with Germany set to respond the following day. - Appropriate reaction - The ICJ was set up to rule in disputes between nations and has become a key player in the war between Israel and Hamas militants that erupted after the October 7 attacks. In a separate case, South Africa has accused Israel of perpetrating genocide in the Gaza Strip, charges Israel vehemently denies. In that case, the court ordered Israel to do everything in its power to prevent genocidal acts and recently toughened its stance, ordering additional measures obliging Israel to step up access to humanitarian aid. Advertisement The courts rulings are binding but it lacks an enforcement mechanism for example it has ordered Russia to stop its invasion of Ukraine, to no avail. Nicaragua has requested five provisional measures, including that Germany immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance including military equipment. It also calls on the court to order Germany to reverse its decision to suspend the funding of UNRWA. Germany said in January it was halting funding pending a probe into Israeli accusations that several UNRWA staff members took part in the October 7 assault. Nicaragua said in its submission that it could be comprehensible that Germany would support an appropriate reaction by ally Israel to the October Hamas attacks. Advertisement But this cannot be an excuse for acting in violation of international law, said Nicaragua. On Friday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Israel had no more excuse to delay aid getting into Gaza. The bloodiest-ever Gaza war began with Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 Israelis and foreigners, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Palestinian militants also took around 250 hostages, about 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead. Israels retaliatory campaign has killed at least 33,175 people, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, while the United Nations has warned of catastrophic hunger. The Ural River, originating in the Ural Mountains and coursing towards the Caspian Sea, experienced a dramatic surge in water levels on Friday, rising several meters within a matter of hours read more Rescuers assist a local resident during an evacuation from a flooded area in the city of Orsk, Russia, April 6, 2024, in this still image taken from video. Russian Emergencies Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/ File Photo Russia is grappling with a severe flooding crisis as rapidly melting snow engorges some of Europes largest rivers, resulting in unprecedented water levels across the Ural Mountains, according to the countrys emergency ministry. The Ural River, originating in the Ural Mountains and coursing towards the Caspian Sea, experienced a dramatic surge in water levels on Friday, rising several meters within a matter of hours. The surge led to the breaching of a dam embankment in the city of Orsk, located 1,800 km (1,100 miles) east of Moscow. Advertisement Reports of flooding have emerged from various regions across Russia, including Siberia, the Volga, and central areas. Russias emergency ministry issued a warning, citing projections of rising air temperatures, intensified snowmelt, and the opening of river ice. As a result of these factors, more than 10,400 residential structures have been inundated across 39 regions of the country. With inputs from Reuters Rohingyas living in Myanmars Rakhine State say that their camps were visited by junta soldiers in February to announce the conscription of younger men read more Rohingya refugees being rescued in the waters of West Aceh. Reuters/Representative image Seven years after it killed thousands of people in their community, Myanmars junta has found itself needing the help of Rohingyas. After what the UN describes as textbook ethnic cleansing, the junta has reportedly recruited hundreds of Rohingyas to join its military. According to a report by BBC, which includes interviews with Rohingyas living in the Rakhine State, several refugees have been conscripted in recent weeks to fight for an embattled junta. Myanmar has not been home to Rohingyas despite generations of them living in the country for years. In 2017, widescale violence and human rights violations forced thousands of Rohingyas to flee the Buddhist-dominant nation and seek refuge in Bangladesh. Advertisement I had to go Mohammed, a 31-year-old Rohingya with four children, woke up to a camp leaders call in the middle of the night in February who told him that he had to undergo military training. I was frightened, but I had to go, said Mohammed who lives near the capital of Rakhine, Sittwe, in the Baw Du Pha camp. He recalled the camp leader saying, These are army orders. If you refuse they have threatened to harm your family. BBC has spoken to several Rohingyas like Mohammed who have confirmed that they also have been approached by army officials, ordering them to report for military training. How are Rohingyas being trained? Mohammed says that he and several other Rohingyas have been taken to the army base of the 270th Light Infantry Battalion in Sittwe. We were taught how to load bullets and shoot. They also showed us how to disassemble and reassemble a gun, he said. A video has surfaced of the military training that shows Rohingyas being trained to use BA 63 rifles. Following his two-week-long training, Mohammed was sent back home only to be called again just two days later. He, along with 250 other soldiers, was put in a boat and transported five hours upriver to Rathedaung. Advertisement I had no idea why I was fighting. When they told me to shoot at a Rakhine village, I would shoot, he said. After fighting for 11 days straight, Mohammed and his troop found themselves desperately short of food after a shell fell on their supply hut. While Mohammed was left severely injured, several of his fellow Rohingyas had died in the attack. Junta denies using Rohingyas in battle Myanmars military, however, claims that it has not recruited Rohingyas to assist in the war. Junta spokesperson General Zaw Min Tun told BBC, We want to ensure their safety, so we have asked them to help with their own defence. Advertisement Meanwhile, Rohingyas say that soldiers and local government officials visited their camps earlier this year to announce the conscription of younger men in exchange for food, wages and even citizenship. Citizenship, which has been one of the most contentious issues in the Rohingya crisis, was retracted by the junta after the conscripted men were taken away to fight in the conflict. Russia said that Ukraine had attacked the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant three times on Sunday and sought a response from the West, although Kiev insisted it was unrelated to the strikes read more 2022 saw the factory come under Russian control, not long after their full-scale invasion of Ukraine Image Courtesy Reuters On Monday, the nuclear power plant under Russian administration, Zaporizhzhia, reported that a drone from Ukraine had been shot down from over Reactor No. 6s roof. Over the factory, a kamikaze drone was shot down today. Beneath an image of reactor No. 6, the plant stated, It fell on the roof of Unit 6. Reactor No. 6 is not operating at this time, as per the plant. Russia said that Ukraine had attacked the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant three times on Sunday and sought a response from the West, although Kiev insisted it was unrelated to the strikes. Advertisement 2022 saw the factory come under Russian control, not long after their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow and Kiev have accused one another on several occasions of putting the nuclear facility at risk of accident. (With agency inputs) Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrovs visit to Beijing comes ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putins trip to China next month read more Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, on Monday, arrived in China to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and hold an in-depth exchange of points of view on certain number of hot topics, including the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region. Lavrovs two days in the Chinese capital Beijing come at a time when both countries are looking towards strengthening diplomatic ties as Russias invasion of Ukraine grinds on. Lavrov in China: Whats on the cards? Advertisement As per the statement released by the Russian foreign ministry, Lavrov will be meeting Wang Yi and discuss a wide range of questions linked to bilateral cooperation, as well as cooperation on the international scene. Both leaders are also expected to discuss joint cooperation in international organisations, including the United Nations and the Group of 20 (G20). Lavrov last visited Beijing in October for an international forum on Chinese President Xi Jinpings flagship Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. Lavrov visits China ahead of Putin-Xi meet Lavrovs visit to Beijing comes ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putins trip to China next month. As per an earlier report by Reuters, Putin will be travelling to China in May for talks with Xi. The trip would be the Kremlin chiefs first during his new presidential term. Russia-China relations In February 2022, just before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin visited China and declared a no limits partnership between Moscow and Beijing. After its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been hit by sanctions that have shut down the countrys access to Western markets and finances. And since then, Beijing has become Moscows leading trade partner and favours a political settlement to end the fighting. Advertisement Western nations have been persistently urging China to play a greater role in restoring peace in Ukraine by using its influence over the Kremlin, but Beijing sees itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict. Last month, Xi, in a call with Putin, said both sides should resolutely oppose interference in domestic affairs by external forces, an apparent reference to the United States. With inputs from agencies Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also discussed expediting investments in Pakistan to the tune of $5 billion with PM Shehbaz Sharif read more Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday echoed Indias stand on Kashmir in a joint statement with visiting Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif. MBS, as the Saudi Crown Prince and the kingdoms de-facto ruler is widely known as, called for a dialogue between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and other outstanding issues between the two countries. Sharif is on his maiden foreign visit to Saudi Arabia during his second term as the PM of Pakistan. The visit comes as Pakistan faces a slew of economic and security crisis. Advertisement During their meeting, Sharif and MBS also discussed financial aid for cash-strapped Pakistan. They also discussed regional and global developments, including the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. India-Pakistan dialogue important to resolve outstanding issues In his meeting with Sharif, MBS stressed on the importance of bilateral dialogue to resolve the Kashmir dispute and other issues between India and Pakistan. The Saudi leaders stand echoed Indias position on the issue. New Delhi has long held that all issues between India and Pakistan are bilateral in nature and there is no place for a third countrys or groups intervention. The two sides stressed the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to ensure peace and stability in the region, said a joint statement released after Sharifs meeting with MBS. The India-Pakistan relationship has been tense since 1947 because of Pakistan-based terrorism directed at India and the countrys position on Jammu and Kashmir. The two countries have fought wars in 1947-48, 1965, 1971, and 1999. Pakistan has also fuelled terrorism in Kashmir and terrorist groups based in Pakistan or getting support from there have carried out attacks in India outside of Kashmir as well, such as the Parliament attack of 2001 in Delhi and the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 2008. Advertisement In recent years, the Narendra Modi government has maintained that talks and terrorism cannot go along together. In 2019, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that talks with Pakistan will now only be held on the part of Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan. Now, if talks are held, they will only be held on the issue of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. There will be no talks on any other issueWhat do they have to talk about? What is the topic? Why should there be talks? There will be a dialogue with Pakistan only after it ends support for terrorism. If Pakistan doesnt do this, there is no reason for holding the talks, said Singh at the time. Advertisement MBS and Sharif discuss $5 billion investment package During their meeting, MBS and Sharif also discussed investments in Pakistan to the tune of $5 billion that Saudi Arabia has pledged. The cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs the package to relieve pressure on its national finances and to also strengthen its position to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from which it is seeking separate bailouts. Emphasis was placed on the kingdoms supportive role in Pakistans economy and the mutual desire to strengthen trade and investment ties. Both parties affirmed their commitment to expediting the first wave of [an] investment package worth $5bn which was discussed previously, said the Saudi-Pakistan joint statement. The South Korean defence ministry stated that the indigenous spy satellite was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida read more Amid brewing tensions in the Korean peninsula, South Korea launched its second military spy satellite into space. According to the countrys defence ministry, the indigenous spy satellite was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday. The launch came just days after North Korea reaffirmed its plan to launch multiple reconnaissance satellites this year. Both Koreas launched their first spy satellites last year North Korea launched it in November and South Korea in December. Advertisement The two nations have maintained that these spy satellites would boost their abilities to monitor each other and enhance their missile attack capabilities. According to the statement released by the defence ministry, the Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:17 am (local time). The spacecraft sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit approximately 45 minutes after the launch. The ministry went on to state that the satellite succeeded in communicating with an overseas ground station at 10:57 am, Yonhap reported. Seoul plans to launch five such spy satellites by 2025, which will help the country monitor its neighbours. About the satellite The satellite which was launched on Monday was equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors that capture data using microwaves. SAR sensors are also capable of collecting data regardless of weather conditions. The ministry mentioned that the other three satellites will also be equipped with SAR sensors. Our militarys independent surveillance and reconnaissance capability has been strengthened through the first launch of the SAR satellite. We will continue to prepare for upcoming satellite launches, the ministry said in a statement, Yonhap reported. When all five spy satellites are in space and start to operate together, they are expected to provide regular coverage of whats happening in the north at two-hour intervals. North Korea ramps up its mission While North Korea placed its first military spy satellite into orbit last November, the hermit nation has vowed to launch three more spy satellites this year. Advertisement South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik stated that North Korea is likely to launch its second satellite this month after making certain enhancements to its performance. We have been closely watching the possibility of North Koreas satellite launch in March, but it appears to be making some additional improvements, Shin told local reporters after watching Space Xs live stream at the defence ministry, Yonhap reported. If the current technical enhancements are made smoothly without significant difficulties, the launch could take place around mid-April. If such enhancements take more time, the launch could take place in late April, he added. It is important to note that the United Nations bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches and considers them as disguised tests of its long-range missile technology. Advertisement In recent years, North Korea has been engaged in a provocative run of missile tests to modernise and expand its weapons arsenals. The frequent tests of cruise and ballistic missiles have become a matter of concern for both South Korea and the United States. With inputs from agencies. Under the scheme, non-EU nationals who invest in Spanish real estate for at least 500,000 euros ($541,250) without taking out a mortgage are granted a special permission that enables them to live and work in Spain for three years read more Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez assured reporters on Monday that the program's termination will contribute to making cheap housing "a right instead of a speculative business" Image Courtesy Reuters Spain is ending its golden visa scheme, which gave foreigners who made significant real estate investments in the nation the opportunity to remain there. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez assured reporters on Monday that the programs termination will contribute to making cheap housing a right instead of a speculative business. Under the scheme, non-EU nationals who invest in Spanish real estate for at least 500,000 euros ($541,250) without taking out a mortgage are granted a special permission that enables them to live and work in Spain for three years. Advertisement Today, 94 out of every 100 such visas are linked to real estate investmentin major cities that are facing a highly stressed market and where its almost impossible to find decent housing for those who already live, work and pay their taxes there, Sanchez said. He said that upon review of a report from the Housing Ministry, the government would begin the process of scrapping the scheme at Tuesdays weekly cabinet meeting. Spain issued about 5,000 permits between the beginning of the golden visa program in 2013 and November 2022, according to official government data. A 2023 Transparency International investigation questioned if authorities looked into the origin of the funds, and it showed that Chinese investors were first on the list, followed by Russians who contributed more than 3.4 billion euros. According to real estate website Idealista, less than 0.1% of the 4.5 million properties sold during that time were bought through the program, therefore the measure is unlikely to have an impact on the real estate market. According to Idealista spokesperson Francisco Inareta, the golden visa program was not the reason for Spains housing crisis; rather, it was a result of a shortage of supply and an increase in demand. This is yet another misdiagnosisrather than promoting the entry of new homes onto the market, the measure announced today targets foreign buyers, Inareta remarked. Advertisement Adjacent In an effort to address the housing problem, Portugal recently revised its own golden visa program and eliminated real estate investment. Investors who are not domestic citizens but wish to get residency rights may still contribute to investment funds. (With agency inputs) This figure has seen a steady increase over the years, rising from 400 in 2022 to 913 in the first quarter of 2024, highlighting Russias reliance on mass assaults to maintain pressure on Ukrainian fronts read more In a recent intelligence dispatch, the UKs defence ministry has shed light on Russias staggering loss rate, averaging nearly 1,000 soldiers per day in its ongoing attacks on Ukraine despite sustaining significant casualties. According to the revelation, posted on X, Russian forces have endured an average daily loss of 658 soldiers since the invasion in February 2022. This figure has seen a steady increase over the years, rising from 400 in 2022 to 913 in the first quarter of 2024, highlighting Russias reliance on mass assaults to maintain pressure on Ukrainian fronts. Advertisement While there was a slight decline in Russian casualties in March, attributed to reduced offensive operations, the UK defence ministry underscored that the ongoing conflict has imposed a heavy toll on both sides. This persistent attritional warfare strategy by Russia has garnered attention previously, with reports of relentless human-wave attacks mounted against Ukrainian forces. Despite efforts to replenish its ranks, including recruiting inmates and closing prisons to optimize resources, Russia continues to face severe manpower shortages. The ramifications of this sustained conflict extend beyond the battlefield, impacting Russias economy. The war in Ukraine has exacerbated existing labor shortages, with the Russian economy reportedly short of approximately 5 million workers, according to the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Economics. The UK defence ministrys assessment highlights the significant human cost of the Ukraine war, with an estimated 355,000 Russian personnel killed and wounded to date. However, representatives for Russias defence ministry have yet to comment on the latest revelations. The fighting between the Israeli military and Lebanon-based Hezbollah since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War has displaced thousands on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border read more Lebanon-based Hezbollah (in photo) and the Israeli military have been locked in clashes since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War. Source: AP The United Nations (UN) on Monday called for de-escalation of the situation along the Israel-Lebanon border. The UN appeal comes as the Israel-Hamas War enters its seventh month. In a joint statement, Joanna Wronecka, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) head Aroldo Lazaro said the violence along the border must stop at a time while there is still space for diplomacy. Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military and Lebanon-based Hezbollah have been locked in clashes that have displaced thousands on both sides of the border. Hezbollah is a terrorist group aligned with Hamas and other groups in the region that are backed by Iran and are opposed to Israel. Advertisement Even as the UN called for de-escalation of fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border, the Israeli military earlier on Monday said that it has killed an elite Hezbollah commander in an airstrike in southern Lebanon. Moreover, the Israeli Army on Sunday said that it had completed another phase of readiness for war on the Lebanon front. Expanding clashes may worsen situation: UN In the UN statement, Wronecka and Lazaro said that the gradual expansion of the confrontations along the Israel-Lebanon border raises the risk of miscalculation and further deterioration of an already alarming situation. Noting that the conflict has completed six months, the statement further urged all sides to avail of all avenues to avoid further escalation while there is still space for diplomacy. The violence and suffering has gone on too long. It must stop, said Wronecka and Lazaro. A political process, anchored in the full implementation of Resolution 1701, is now more crucial than ever to address the root causes of the conflict and ensure long-term stability, the statement. The UN Resolution 1701 ended the Israel-Hezbollah War of 2006 and mandated that the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeepers will be the only armed personnel posted in southern Lebanon bordering Israel. 3,100 rockets launched from Lebanon, 4,700 Hezbollah sites hit: Israel Since the Israel-Hamas War began, Hezbollah has launched 3,100 rockets, missiles, and drones from Lebanon into Israel and the Israeli military has in response hit 4,700 Hezbollah positions, according to figures from Israels military carried by The Times of Israel. Advertisement Following the all-out attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah started mounting attacks across Lebanons border with Israel. The resultant violence has led to the displacement of thousands in border regions of Israel and Lebanon. Despite clashes, neither Israel nor Hezbollah has mounted a full-scale war so far. The Israeli strikes have so far killed at least 30 Hezbollah commanders in southern Israel, as per the report. Earlier on Monday, the Israeli military said a strike in southern Lebanons As-Sultaniyah town killed Ali Ahmed Hassin, a senior field commander in Hezbollahs elite Radwan force. The force is focussed on cross-border attacks in southern Israel. Advertisement The Israeli strike came after a string of attacks from Hezbollah over the weekend, according to the report. A barrage of rockets was fired from Lebanon on Sunday morning into Israel and a rocket attack was also reported in the evening. Other attacks on military bases and communities in Israels border region in the north were also reported through the day. In addition to the strike that killed Hassin, the Israeli military also reported that its warplanes struck Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanons Kafr Kila along with a rocket launcher in the town of Yaroun and a military compound of the Radwan force in the town of Khiam, as per the report. Those fighting for democracy in Hong Kong have been disappointed by Washingtons response to the National Security Law. The Biden administrations reaction seems to be tempered by electoral considerations, among others read more The Biden administration's response to the passage of the National Security Law in Hong Kong has been disappointing for many. Source: Reuters It has been nearly three weeks since China passed the tough new National Security Law in Hong Kong. The Joe Biden administrations response to the controversial legislation has been lukewarm at best. Those fighting for democracy and freedoms in this Chinese territory have been disappointed by Washington. In fact, it would appear that United States-based private companies now have more sway over influencing Beijings actions when it comes to changing the laws in Hong Kong. Advertisement Hong Kongs new national security law On March 19, China passed the new law, known as Article 23, in Hong Kong by decree. That meant that it bypassed the citys Parliament to bring the legislation into force. Article 23 allows the Hong Kong government to go after those it accuses of spying and to target dissidents anywhere in the world. The terms in the new law are vague. That means that the laws implementation and scope can be as broad or narrow, subject to its interpretation. Washingtons inadequate response The US has criticised Hong Kongs new law as a tool to potentially stifle dissent both at home and abroad. The Biden administration also announced visa restrictions on an some unnamed Hong Kong officials. However, beyond this, Washingtons response has been rather muted. A bill to strip Hong Kongs US trade offices of their diplomatic privileges has been stalled in Congress. Another bill that would demand President Biden to consider sanctioning Hong Kongs judges, prosecutors, and police commissioner in case they were found to have undermined civil freedoms, has met the same fate. Advertisement Why is the Biden Administration treading carefully? The timing of the law has a lot to do with the White Houses lukewarm reaction to it. The US-China bilateral relationship has only just begun stabilising. Washington is trying to safeguard this fragile association. Taking stringent actions or stances on the Hong Kong issue would harm that motive. AP cited analysts as pointing to the 2024 US Presidential elections, too. During an election year, the Biden administration may be hesitant to damage relations with China, especially when the effects of the law may not be immediately apparent. The efficacy of Washingtons potential moves is doubtful, too. Its not entirely clear that any specific actions from Washington would prompt Beijing to meaningfully reassess its approach towards Hong Kong, with Chinese policymakers having more or less signalled that Hong Kongs fate is not up for debate, AP cited Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a research institute based in Washington as saying. Advertisement How private companies can help Foreign investment matters a lot to the Xi Jinping regime at the moment. China is trying to claw its way out of an economic crisis, and inflow of money, especially from US companies, is lucrative if not essential. Hong Kong is a key international business hub for China. If the controversial national security law raises uncertainty for foreign private players, and pushes them to scale back, it will be a strong hit on a hurting nerve. Singleton said that American companies are already quietly scaling back in Hong Kong amid growing safety concerns. Many of them fear potential arrests for routine business activities. He opined that The private sectors shifting sentiments toward Hong Kong, rather than any single U.S. government action, will likely have the biggest impact on Beijings ability to leverage Hong Kongs unique status to reverse Chinas downward economic spiral. Advertisement With inputs from agencies The Israel Defence Force (IDF) announced that it is withdrawing its troops from Southern Gaza, adding that it now has just one division operating in the conflict-stricken coastal enclave read more Shortly after Israel announced that it was withdrawing its troops from southern Gaza, US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said that the White House was told about the decision before. Kirby maintained that the surprise move to pull troops out of southern Gaza was largely taken to ensure that they are rest and refit for future operations. The Israel Defence Force (IDF) on Sunday announced that it is withdrawing its troops from Southern Gaza, adding that it now has just one division operating in the conflict-stricken coastal enclave. The military described the move as an evolution of the war rather than a partial withdrawal from the region. Advertisement The indications that weve been getting from them this morning is this is really largely rest and refit for troops that have been on the ground consecutively now for four months and they need a chance to come, to come out now, Kirby told CBS News on Sunday. What theyll do with those troops after a rest and refit I cant speak to, he added. The US official insisted that he could not speak much about the operation of a sovereign military. However, he emphasised that the Biden administration has been clear with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States does not support the ground operation in Rafah, a heavily populated area in southern Gaza. He also mentioned that the two administrations met virtually last week and expect an in-person meeting in the next week or so where they hope to discuss the alternatives. A new phase in mind On Sunday, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israeli troops are being pulled out of Khan Yunis to prepare for future missions, including in Rafah, AFP. The IDF took the same stance in the statement where they noted that Israeli troops being withdrawn from the region indicates the completion of another phase of the war. Advertisement Over the past few days, another phase of the Northern Commands readiness for war was completed, centring on operational emergency storages for a broad mobilization of IDF troops when required and their arrival at the front line in a short time with all the equipment for combat, the IDF said in a statement on Telegram. Kirby insists that Israel is not violating international law While speaking to CBS News, Kirby reiterated that so far the United States has not seen any indication that Israel has violated international humanitarian law. However, he assured that the State Department will keep monitoring the situation. The Netanyahu administration has been under intense criticism and pressure after an Israeli drone strike killed seven humanitarian workers in Gaza. Advertisement The US official acknowledged the death of seven World Central Kitchen workers and reiterated that Israel has to make sustained changes in the way they are operating on the ground. On Friday, the Israeli military said that they sacked two senior officials and reprimanded three others for their roles in the strike. With inputs from agencies. The United States is concerned that China has made its green energy-related exports cheaper that can put Western companies at a disadvantage and hit Western jobs upon flooding Western markets read more There is more work to be done on the US-China trade and economic relationship and it is not certainly known what it will endure in the near future, said US Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen after concluding a four-day visit to China. Yellen visited China amid concerns of cheap Chinese exports flooding US and other Western markets. The Western governments are concerned that such exports could eat into the share of US and Western manufacturers and potentially have an effect on jobs. Advertisement There was no immediate breakthrough from the visit. Experts said that Yellens visit was part of a broader strategy of US President Joe Bidens administration to manage the economic and trade relationship with China, the principal US strategic rival. Its not going to be solved in an afternoon or a month: Yellen Acknowledging the complications of the issues the Biden administration is seeking to address, Yellen said that the situation is not going to be solved in an afternoon or in a month. In a statement after concluding her visit, Yellen said that she had extensive, direct, and productive meetings in China. She said the talks sought to address, among other issues, the potential impact of Chinese industrial overcapacity on manufacturers in America and globally. This is a reference to concerns that Biden administration and Western partners have about Chinas industrial capacity going overboard. They believe that China has artificially made its green energy-related exports, such as electric vehicles (EVs), lithium-ion batteries, and solar panels, cheaper that can put Western companies at a disadvantage and hit Western jobs upon flooding Western markets. I think the Chinese realise how concerned we are about the implications of their industrial strategy for the United States, for the potential to flood our markets with exports that make it difficult for American firms to compete, said Yellen in Beijing after a series of meetings with top Chinese officials, including with He Lifeng, the Vice Premier of China and the head of the Chinese Central Financial Commission. Advertisement More tarrifs or reforms: What to expect from Yellens visit? Experts have given mixed reactions on what to expect from Yellens visit. Ryan Hass, a Senior Fellow at the think tank Brookings Institution, was quoted as saying by AFP that the visit was not designed to produce headline outcomes. The visit was a piece of a broader strategy towards cooperation in areas like illicit finance and climate finance while also explaining President Joe Bidens moves to protect US national security and it reflects the Biden administrations efforts to manage ties diplomatically, said Hass. The report quoted Ilaria Mazzocco of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as saying that a potential outcome of the visit is more tariffs, or at least investigations that could pave the way for more tariffs. She further said that, considering how the US and Europe are on similar grounds on the issue, there might be a joint action on the issue. Advertisement On her part, however, Yellen struck a hopeful note and said that China was engaging in talks with good faith and that progress was being made. I do not want to see the US economic relationship or the overall relationship with China, deteriorate and fray, said Yellen. While fresh tariffs may be levelled, it is unlikely that current tariffs and restrictions on Chinese firms in the sphere of semiconductors may be reduced as its the election year in the US and Biden administration is unlikely to make such a move at this time. There is little prospect of a significant de-escalation of tariffs and other trade restrictions imposed by Washington, but avoiding any further escalation of overt bilateral trade hostilities in the coming months would in itself be an accomplishment for both sides, said Eswar Prasad, a former head of the International Monetary Funds (IMF) China division in a report by The New York Times. Iti doresti o presa libera si independenta, care nu da inapoi cand vine vorba de respectarea standardelor profesionale, refuza sa se lase cenzurata, sustine independenta justitiei, transparenta decizionala si valorile democratice. Alege sa o sustii. The investigation into Fridays apartment fire in Palisade indicates the fire may have been set intentionally and a suspect has been found dead. The Mesa County Sheriffs Office released a report on behalf of the agencies investigating the fire on Sunday stating that authorities identified a suspect connected to the fire that took place Friday morning on Iowa Avenue in Palisade. Authorities identified a potential suspect Friday afternoon and tracked the suspects phone to Lake County, near Leadville, Colorado, the Sheriffs Office stated in the release. Local law enforcement officers were dispatched to the location, where, upon their arrival, they discovered the suspect deceased. According to the release, the Palisade fire appears to be an isolated incident that poses no further danger to the community. The release states that the investigation is committed to providing accurate information to the public based on the evidence. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest or support any theory that the cause of the explosion resulting in the fire was an explosive device, a drug/narcotics lab, or any issue with utilities, such as natural gas, according to the release. The investigation into the fire, which began with an explosion shortly after 7 a.m. Friday, is still ongoing. The Mesa County Sheriffs Office stated in the release that an immense amount of work remains to be completed in the investigation. According to witnesses, the fire quickly spread throughout the six-unit apartment building Friday morning, leaving one person dead. It took nearly 90 minutes to get the blaze extinguished, according to a news release. The large fire led to multiple agencies arriving on the scene. They include Palisade Fire Department, Clifton Fire Department, Grand Junction Police Department, Palisade Police Department, Mesa County Sheriffs Office and the De Beque Marshals Office. Also on the scene were Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Division of Fire Prevention and Control and Xcel Energy. The Palisade Fire Department, Palisade Police Department, and the Town of Palisade would like to express their gratitude to the various agencies providing their assistance and expertise in this investigation, the release stated. We kindly request that the public be patient as the investigation progresses and respect the victims familys privacy during this difficult time. The agencies responsible for investigating the fire will release further information as it becomes available, the release stated. The deal to sell the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park to an Arizona nonprofit has faded, so the state of Colorado is stepping in with a plan to buy the hotel. The Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority, which helps nonprofit educational and arts groups fund capital projects, plans to take over ownership of the historic Stanley Hotel. The authority will take the role as owner after the plan to sell the hotel to Arizonas Community Finance Corp. fell through. Instead of selling to the Arizona group and taking ownership after as much as $450 million in bonds for renovating and upgrading the hotel are paid back, the Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority, or CECFA, will create a subsidiary and become the borrower of those bonds. Its a more simplified plan, said the districts executive director Mark Heller. Once the bonds are repaid, CECFA will own the property for the foreseeable future, Heller said. That will create a private source of funding that we could use to fulfill our mission in support of educational and cultural facilities across the state. Its an unusual and complicated plan. The authority, which, since 1981, has helped 300 organizations across Colorado secure $7.6 billion in bonds for schools, student housing, performance halls, museums and Olympic training facilities, does not own any of the buildings it has helped fund. The original plan was even more complicated, involving the Community Finance Corp. as the owner of the Stanley Hotel that would pay off the bonds and then transfer the property over to CECFA. The new plan removes the middle man. The hotel will continue to be operated by the Grand Heritage Hotel Group, which has owned the Stanley Hotel since the 1990s. The hotel group in December announced a plan to sell the 140-room hotel to the Community Finance Corp., which works to use bond funding and private dollars to reduce the burden of high-dollar capital projects carried by taxpayers. A plan to raise $450 million from selling bonds would help fund the acquisition of the hotel for $169 million, $40 million for the Grand Heritage Groups nearly 89-unit Fall River Village Resort and $54 million for a new film center at the Stanley Hotel. The film center project is meant to capitalize on the thousands of movie buffs who flock to the hotel every year to visit the 115-year-old building, which inspired Stephen Kings The Shining. The Colorado Economic Development Commission in 2015 designated the Stanley Film Center a Regional Tourism Act project, qualifying it for $46.4 million in state sales tax incentives over 30 years. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and his film office last year announced that Blumhouse, the producer of high-profile horror films like Halloween and Get Out, would curate exhibit space in the 67,000-square-foot film center. In a couple months, up-and-coming movie directors and their staff will gather at the Stanley for the Sundance Institutes Directors Lab, a prestigious training program that included first-time filmmaker Quentin Tarantino in 1991. The Directors Lab landed at the Stanley Hotel with $300,000 in incentives from the states Strategic Fund, film office and tourism office and $450,000 in incentives from the hotels owner. A film center at the Stanley will be a huge draw, said the longtime head of the Colorado film office, Donald Zuckerman. As states across the country fund programs that lure moviemakers, Colorados film incentive program has languished. Think of all the famous filmmakers who will come to the Stanley Film Center and get a taste of Colorado they have never had before, said Zuckerman, noting that Tarantino eventually returned to Colorado to film The Hateful Eight near Telluride. Some of them are going to decide they want to make movies here. There is a tremendous opportunity here to really enhance the image of Colorado all around the world. There are some hurdles ahead as the Stanley plan unfolds. CECFA will seek approval from the legislature this session, which ends in a month, to expand its operational role to include things like contracting with a management company to run properties it owns. Then it needs to sell the bonds. Jeff Kraft, the deputy director of the state office of economic development, said the proposed legislation will enable the organization to engage in a wider range of community revitalization projects. Thats a win for the Colorado communities that will benefit from its important work, and OEDIT looks forward to working with CECFA on future projects, said Kraft in an email to The Colorado Sun. Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, April 6, 2024 IDF Press Release April 6, 2024 06.04.24 IDF Good evening, In a rescue operation by the Commando Brigade, following intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate (J2) and the ISA, last night IDF soldiers rescued the body of the hostage Elad Katzir, may his memory be a blessing, from the area of Khan Yunis. Elad was brutally kidnapped from Nir Oz by Islamic Jihad terrorists along with his mother, Hanna, who was released from captivity and returned home to Israel as part of the framework for the return of the hostages. According to the intelligence we have, Elad was murdered by his captors in January. IDF representatives delivered the message to the family of Elad z"l, this morning and updated them on the details of the operation. We share in the sorrow of the Katzir family and embrace them during this difficult time. An hour ago, I spoke with Carmit, the sister of Elad Katzir z"l. She told me in the spirit of her heartfelt post that alongside the consolation over her brother's burial, she expressed her deep concern for the condition of the hostages, emphasizing that every moment is critical for them. 133 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip. We will continue to make every effort to bring them home. We will not miss any opportunity to fulfill our supreme mission of bringing them back home. IDF soldiers continue to fight in the Gaza Strip. In the southern part of the Strip, the 98th Division is fighting in Khan Yunis, and in recent weeks has focused its efforts in the Al-Amal area. The soldiers at times also engage in tough battles, close-quarters combat where terrorists are eliminated. Beyond the fighting that also takes place from the air in the area and in the entire area of Khan Yunis, the destruction of terrorist infrastructure is conducted underground in the Khan Yunis area as well. At this moment, we are completing the destruction of three terror tunnels that were under IDF intelligence and technological surveillance. One of the tunnels even crossed into Israeli territory. They were all located in the area of Khan Yunis. This tunnel was detected by the IDF during the construction of the barrier and since then has been clandestinely under IDF control. Inside the tunnel, IDF soldiers placed explosives and sensors. Hamas did not use the tunnel on October 7th. As part of our renewed assessments for defense in the area of the Gaza Division, we destroyed the tunnel. In the north, we are in a high state of readiness. Over the last day, we eliminated seven terrorists - three from the Al-Amal organization and four from Hezbollah. Yesterday in the evening, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck a military structure of the Amal Movement in the Marjaayoun area in southern Lebanon, eliminating three terrorists who planned to carry out a terrorist attack against the State of Israel. During the day, fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon. We are widely deployed and in high readiness on all fronts. We are looking at the threats across the entire region and acting responsibly and wisely where needed. I emphasize, there is no change in guidelines of the Home Front Command. If there will be any changes, we will update you. Our role: to be in strong readiness on all fronts, and this is where we stand. Your responsible and exemplary conduct since the beginning of the war is what enables us to save lives. It is important to continue to follow the instructions calmly and responsibly. As I said, if there are changes in the guidelines, we will update you through the channels of the Home Front Command and the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. Tomorrow, we will mark half a year since the outbreak of the war. It's been half a year that IDF mandatory and reserve forces have been operating on all fronts and in all arenas, in defense and in offense; they are working to achieve the war's objectives and to create a different security reality for the residents and civilians of the State of Israel and to bring security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan Denounces the Provocative Remarks Made by the Indian Defence Minister Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan denounces the provocative remarks made by the Indian Defence Minister during a recent televised interview, in response to a media revelation regarding India's clandestine operations within Pakistan. On 25 January 2024, Pakistan provided irrefutable evidence, elucidating India's campaign of extrajudicial and transnational assassinations on Pakistani soil. India's assertion of its preparedness to extra-judicially execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as "terrorists", inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability. It is imperative for the international community to hold India accountable for its heinous and illegal actions. Pakistan stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any act of aggression, as demonstrated by its robust response to India's reckless incursion in February 2019, which laid bare India's hollow claims of military superiority. India's ruling dispensation habitually resorts to hateful rhetoric to fuel hyper-nationalistic sentiments, unapologetically exploiting such discourse for electoral gains. Such myopic and irresponsible behaviour not only undermines regional peace but also impedes the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term. Pakistan has always demonstrated its commitment to peace in the region. However, our desire for peace should not be misconstrued. History attests to Pakistan's firm resolve and ability to protect and defend itself. Islamabad 6 April 2024 59/2024 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hungarian Opposition Rallies At Another Mass Demonstration In Budapest By RFE/RL's Hungarian Service April 06, 2024 Tens of thousands of people turned took to the streets of Budapest on April 6 for the third mass demonstration in less than a month called by Peter Magyar, a rising challenger to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing nationalist government. Magyar, who broke publicly with Orban's Fidesz party in February, used the rally to announce the creation of a political umbrella organization aimed at uniting both conservative and liberal Hungarians disillusioned with Orban's administration and the fragmented political opposition. "Step by step, brick by brick, we are taking back our homeland and building a new country, a sovereign, modern, European Hungary," said Magyar, who has argued that Hungary's political life has been taken over by oligarchs and anti-democratic elites and advocated for a moral, political, and economic transformation of the country. "More than 20 years have passed as our elected leaders have incited the Hungarian people against each other...instead of allowing us to band together," he told the demonstration. "We will put an end to this now." Magyar, 43, posted on Facebook prior to the demonstration that the new political community was aimed at giving Hungarians a chance to "join the joint work to build a new sovereign, modern, European Hungary." The announcement followed similar themes voiced at demonstrations in central Budapest on March 15 and March 27 that also drew tens of thousands of people. He previously said that he is preparing for European Parliament (EP) elections and municipal elections in June, as well as the 2026 parliamentary elections. Magyar was expected to announce which party he will represent in the EP elections, but he said only that he would make that announcement "when the time comes." But Magyar said the June 9 EP elections would be a decisive day and announced that he will begin a two-month tour of the country next week that would include stops in small towns. "We must take back our villages and towns. We must liberate the country," he said, stressing that his goal is to clean up public life and demand that the government return power and choice to the people. Hungary's government has dismissed Magyar as an opportunist seeking to forge a new career after his divorce from Orban ally and former Justice Minister Judit Varga. Magyar released an audio recording on March 26 of a conversation between him and Varga that he said proved that top officials had conspired to manipulate court records to cover up their involvement in a corruption case. He shared the recording with prosecutors and has urged Hungarians to demand justice and an investigation into what is known as the Schadl-Volner case. Varga, who abandoned plans to lead Fidesz's candidates in the EP elections, dismissed the recording as coerced and a "vile manipulation" in a long-running effort to "blackmail" her and repeated accusations that Magyar had abused her during their marriage. Magyar has repeatedly denied mistreating Varga. The Schadl-Volner case involves possible activities by Gyorgy Schadl, head of the chamber of judicial officers, and a former secretary of state at the Justice Ministry, Pal Volner. With reporting by AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary-magyar- rally-opposition/32893985.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK to boost aid support for Gaza by sea UK Government announces new package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza 6 April 2024 The UK Government is today announcing a package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, including the deployment of a Royal Navy ship to join the life-saving mission in the Eastern Mediterranean. The ship, alongside new UK aid and British expertise, will support the establishment of an international humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, supported by many of our partner governments and the UN, and is expected to be operational in early May. As well as the Royal Navy ship from the Ministry of Defence , the FCDO is also committing up to 9.7 million for aid deliveries; logistical expertise and equipment support to the corridor, such as forklift trucks and storage units; and expertise, to maximise the levels of aid reaching those people who desperately need it. Today marks six months since the devastating October 7 terrorist attacks, and almost a week since British aid workers were killed trying to get life-saving food to those in need. The UK continues to call for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire, as the fastest way to get hostages safely home and more aid in. In the meantime, the UK Government is doing everything possible to get more aid into Gaza by land, air and sea. In recent weeks, the Royal Air Force has conducted five airdrops along the coastline of Gaza, safely delivering over 40 tonnes of food supplies, including water, flour and baby formula. Supporting the Jordanian humanitarian land corridor from Amman into Gaza and in partnership with the World Food Programme, the UK's largest delivery of aid crossed the border on 13 March which saw more than 2,000 tonnes of food aid being distributed on the ground to families in need. Land deliveries will now be scaled up with the opening of the Erez crossing, which the UK wants to see reopened permanently. A full UK field hospital run by UK-Med is also now fully operational in Gaza and providing life-saving care. It has already treated more than 3,000 people, almost half of them children. Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, said: "The situation in Gaza is dire and the prospect of famine is real. We remain committed to getting aid to those who so desperately need it. Along with the US, Cyprus and other partners, we are setting up a new temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to get aid in as quickly and securely as possible. "Land access remains crucial to deliver aid at the scale now required. The opening of Erez and the Port of Ashdod is hugely welcome and something the UK has long been calling for. Israel has also agreed to increase the number of aid trucks entering Gaza to a minimum of 500 a day. But we need to continue to explore all options, including by sea and air, to ease the desperate plight of some of the world's most vulnerable people." Gazans are facing a devastating humanitarian crisis and there needs to be a significant increase in the volume of vital supplies entering the territory by all routes, as well as changes to ensure aid can safely be delivered on the ground. Following the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers last week, the UK government continues to call for urgent reform of deconfliction mechanisms, alongside assurances that guarantee the safety and security of humanitarian aid workers, who work tirelessly on the ground to ensure vital aid supplies reach those who need it most. The multinational maritime corridor initiative will see tens of thousands of tonnes of aid pre-screened in Cyprus and delivered directly to Gaza, via the new US temporary pier being constructed off the coast or via Ashdod Port, which Israel has now agreed to open. The Prime Minister raised the importance of opening Ashdod to facilitate humanitarian aid earlier this week. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps commented: "A Royal Navy ship is now en-route to the Eastern Mediterranean to support international efforts to get life-saving aid to Gaza. "The Armed Forces are playing a central role in delivering aid, with the Royal Air Force recently completing five airdrops of food supplies for the people of Gaza. We are now going further, working with international partners to set up a humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza. A new temporary pier on the coast of Gaza will be critical to supporting these efforts, by hosting cargo ships to deliver aid by sea. "I would like to thank all the personnel involved in this effort, working around the clock to help provide critical aid under immensely challenging circumstances." British military teams have been embedded with planning teams in the US operational HQ in Tampa as well as in Cyprus for several weeks to jointly develop the safest and most effective maritime route. The UK Hydrographic Office has also shared analysis of the Gazan shore with US planners to help establish the temporary aid pier. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Six months since the brutal attacks by Hamas on October 7: article by the Foreign Secretary Marking the six months since the attacks of October 7, Foreign Secretary David Cameron writes an article in The Sunday Times. 6 April 2024 The tragic and avoidable killing of the World Central Kitchen aid workers was a terrible reminder of the cost of the Gaza conflict. Citizens from five different countries lost their lives, three of them from the UK. On this occasion, there is no doubt where the blame lies: Israel's inquiry has already enumerated the inadequate processes and the unacceptable conduct of the IDF personnel involved. This must never happen again. Sunday marks another grim milestone: six months since the brutal attacks by Hamas on October 7. We must not forget how this conflict started with the Jewish people suffering the worst and most murderous pogrom since the Holocaust. Throughout the crisis, the UK has followed four vital principles. First, support for the hostages and their families. I have met some of the released hostages and the stories they shared filled me with dread and anxiety for those that are still trapped. In this devastating and intolerable situation, the families bravely continue to highlight the plight of their loved ones. I join their demands for the immediate release of all hostages. That innocent people have been captured and held is a perpetual reminder of the monstrous organisation we are dealing with. Second, to push as hard as we can on getting aid to Palestinian civilians. That is why for months the prime minister and I have been calling for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, setting out in detail the bottlenecks they need to address. Some called this heavy-handed and insensitive. I don't agree: it was and remains essential to avoid an even more severe humanitarian crisis and what could still become a famine. This week our calls were justified when what we were told was previously impossible suddenly became possible. Ashdod port and Erez crossing will soon reopen. Water will be turned back on. And more aid will flow through Kerem Shalom. This is welcome news, but words must turn into action. Because the alternative mass starvation is an abominable prospect to contemplate. We must see the flood of aid that the Israelis themselves have spoken of. We are working closely with the UN World Food Programme and other partners to get UK aid into Ashdod as soon as the port opens. We are also announcing details of our support for the maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, deploying a Royal Navy ship, alongside UK aid and British logistical expertise and equipment, to maximise aid delivery. But aid will not make a difference unless it can be properly distributed. Guaranteed deconfliction for aid convoys and other humanitarian work is essential. We are pushing for a representative of humanitarian organisations to have a seat in Cogat, the Israeli body which handles these issues in Gaza. Our third principle has been to exercise leadership in the region and at the United Nations. Calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire are easy to make but, alongside US and other allies, we are clear that unless you deal with the cause of the conflict the rule of Hamas over Gaza and the presence of those responsible for October 7 no ceasefire would last. Israel cannot be expected to live next to an organisation that carried out such brutal attacks and has declared that, if possible, it would do the same all over again. But a temporary cessation of fighting such as the Ramadan pause we supported at the UN is a different matter. That could be used to get aid in and the hostages out. And, crucially, it could be used to put the conditions in place to stop the fighting permanently and start a process of building a lasting peace. Two of the conditions we set out were for Hamas leaders to leave Gaza and for the infrastructure of terror in Gaza to be dismantled. In other words, we would be ending the war by political rather than military means. This remains the right approach. We have also led calls for a new Palestinian Authority government and for a political horizon for the Palestinian people that should include at the right time the recognition of a Palestinian state as part of our long-held support for a two-state solution. This helped us, with Germany, to convene the key Arab and European powers that, together with the US, can help back and fund a long-term solution. Our fourth principle and it remains foundational is that Israel has a right to self-defence that we should support. Of course our backing is not unconditional: we expect such a proud and successful democracy to abide by international humanitarian law, even when challenged in this way. Israel has been prepared to make a deal with Hamas for a pause in the fighting, with some of the hostages being freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners charged with serious acts of terrorism. None of us sitting comfortably in peaceful Western democracies should underestimate what a difficult thing this is for people in Israel to contemplate. But so far Hamas has said no. We all want to see an end to the fighting, but we must face up to the difficult question: what should we do if Hamas refuses a deal and if the conflict continues? We cannot stand by with our head in our hands, wishing for an end to the fighting that may well not come and that means ensuring the protection of people in all of Gaza including Rafah. As an occupying power, Israel has a responsibility to the people of Gaza. But it also means that the international community must work with Israel on humanitarian efforts to keep people safe and provide them with what they need. Ordinary civilians must be safe and able to access food, water and medical care. We need the UN, with the support of the international community, to work with Israel to make practical, deliverable plans to achieve this in Rafah and across Gaza. The US have said that they can only support a Rafah operation if there is a proper plan to protect people and that must be right. I desperately want this conflict to end, and for the people of Israel and the people of Gaza to be able to live their lives in peace and security. We must all continue to work towards this aim, but I believe that failing to prepare for continued conflict will lead to further suffering and avoidable loss of innocent lives. The UK stands ready to play its part. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gaza: 'Systematic dismantling of healthcare must end' says WHO 6 April 2024 - With the largest hospital in Gaza largely destroyed and out of action, access to healthcare has now become "totally inadequate" following six months of brutal fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday. That's the assessment following a WHO-led multi-agency mission to Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza on 5 April which examined the extent of destruction following a weeks-long Israeli offensive aimed at rooting out militant forces who were allegedly operating inside. The highly complex mission was conducted in collaboration with the acting Hospital Director. Prior to the mission, WHO's efforts to reach the hospital to evacuate patients and staff and conduct an assessment, were denied, delayed or impeded six times between 25 March and 1 April. 'An empty shell' Like the majority of the north, Al-Shifa Hospital "is now an empty shell after the latest siege", said WHO, with no patients remaining at the facility. "Most of the buildings are extensively damaged or destroyed and the majority of equipment is unusable or reduced to ashes." The WHO team said that the scale of devastation has left the facility completely non-functional, further reducing access to life-saving healthcare in Gaza. "Restoring even minimal functionality in the short term seems implausible and will require substantial efforts to assess and clear the grounds for unexploded ordnance to ensure safety and accessibility", said WHO. The hospital's emergency department, surgical, and maternity ward buildings are extensively damaged due to explosives and fire. At least 115 beds in what once was the emergency department have been burnt and 14 incubators in the NICU destroyed, among other assets. An in-depth assessment by a team of engineers is needed to determine if these buildings can be made safe for future use. The hospital's oxygen plant has been destroyed, leaving Kamal Adwan Hospital as the only source of medical oxygen production in the north. Further comprehensive assessment is essential to evaluate the functionality of vital equipment such as CT scanners, ventilators, sterilization devices, and surgical equipment, including surgical tools and anaesthesia devices, the agency reported. Shallow graves Numerous shallow graves have been dug just outside the emergency department, and the administrative and surgical buildings, WHO said. "In the same area, many dead bodies were partially buried with their limbs visible. During the visit, WHO staff witnessed at least five bodies lying partially covered on the ground, exposed to the heat" with "a pungent smell of decomposing bodies engulfing the hospital compound. "Safeguarding dignity, even in death, is an indispensable act of humanity", the agency added. According to the acting Hospital Director, patients were held in abysmal conditions during the siege. They endured severe lack of food, water, healthcare, hygiene and sanitation, and were forced to relocate between buildings at gunpoint. At least 20 patients have reportedly died due to the lack of access to care and limited movement authorized for health personnel. Unnecessary delays Despite deconfliction, Friday's mission faced significant delays at the military checkpoint en route to Al-Shifa Hospital. On the same day, another WHO-led mission bound for Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals in northern Gaza - to deliver medical supplies, fuel, deploy emergency medical teams, and support referral of critical patients - encountered unnecessary delays, including the detention of a supply truck driver who was part of the convoy. Between mid-October and the end of March, over half of all WHO missions have been denied, delayed, impeded or postponed. "As health needs soar, the lack of a functional deconfliction system is a major obstacle in delivering humanitarian aid at the scale that is needed", the UN health agency said. The destruction of Al-Shifa Hospital and Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Younis last month, "has broken the backbone of the already ailing health system." As WHO marks World Health Day on Sunday, under the theme My health, my right, this basic right is utterly out of reach for the civilians of Gaza, said the agency. "Access to health care in Gaza has become totally inadequate, and the ability of WHO and partners to help is constantly disrupted and impeded." Of the 36 main hospitals that used to serve over two million Gazans, only 10 remain somewhat functional, with severe limitations on the types of services they can deliver. Rafah invasion: 'unimaginable health consequences' Any military incursion into Rafah where nearly 1.5 million are sheltering can only result in further loss of healthcare and would have unimaginable health consequences. "The systematic dismantling of healthcare must end", said WHO. It also demanded the opening up of additional land crossings, as Israel has indicated that it was prepared to do following a call with the White House earlier in the week, to allow access into and across Gaza more safely and directly. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Six months of war leave Al-Shifa hospital in ruins, WHO mission reports 6 April 2024 Statement Jerusalem/Cairo/Geneva A WHO-led multi-agency mission accessed Al-Shifa Hospital in north Gaza on 5 April to conduct a preliminary assessment of the extent of destruction and identify needs to guide future efforts to restore the facility. The highly complex mission was conducted in close partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS), and in collaboration with the acting Hospital Director. Prior to the mission, WHO's efforts to reach the hospital to medically evacuate patients and staff and conduct an assessment were denied, delayed or impeded 6 times between 25 March and 1 April. Like the majority of the north, Al-Shifa Hospital - once the largest and most important referral hospital in Gaza - is now an empty shell after the latest siege. No patients remain at the facility. Most of the buildings are extensively damaged or destroyed and the majority of equipment is unusable or reduced to ashes. The WHO team said that the scale of devastation has left the facility completely non-functional, further reducing access to life-saving health care in Gaza. Restoring even minimal functionality in the short term seems implausible and will require substantial efforts to assess and clear the grounds for unexploded ordnance to ensure safety and accessibility for partners to bring in equipment and supplies. The hospital's emergency department, surgical, and maternity ward buildings are extensively damaged due to explosives and fire. The western wall of the emergency department and northern wall of the neonatal intensive care department (NICU) have been torn down. At least 115 beds in what once was the emergency department have been burnt and 14 incubators in the NICU destroyed, among other assets. An in-depth assessment by a team of engineers is needed to determine if these buildings are safe for future use. The hospital's oxygen plant has been destroyed, leaving Kamal Adwan Hospital as the only source of medical oxygen production in the north. Further comprehensive assessment is essential to evaluate the functionality of vital equipment such as CT scanners, ventilators, sterilization devices, and surgical equipment, including surgical tools and anaesthesia devices. The current situation has left north Gaza without CT scanning capabilities and significantly diminished laboratory capacity, severely compromising effective diagnosis, which will increase avoidable deaths. Numerous shallow graves have been dug just outside the emergency department, and the administrative and surgical buildings. In the same area, many dead bodies were partially buried with their limbs visible. During the visit, WHO staff witnessed at least 5 bodies lying partially covered on the ground, exposed to the heat. The team reported a pungent smell of decomposing bodies engulfing the hospital compound. Safeguarding dignity, even in death, is an indispensable act of humanity. According to the acting Hospital Director, patients were held in abysmal conditions during the siege. They endured severe lack of food, water, health care, hygiene and sanitation, and were forced to relocate between buildings at gun point. At least 20 patients have reportedly died due to the lack of access to care and limited movement authorized for health personnel. Despite deconfliction, yesterday's mission faced significant delays at the military checkpoint en route to Al-Shifa Hospital. On the same day, another WHO-led mission bound for Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals in northern Gaza - to deliver medical supplies, fuel, deploy emergency medical teams, and support referral of critical patients - encountered unnecessary delays, including the detention of a supply truck driver who was part of the convoy. He was detained for over an hour at a separate location, out of view of the mission team. Eventually this mission was aborted due to safety concerns as the delays left insufficient time for safe completion and return before nightfall. Between mid-October and end March, over half of all WHO missions have been denied, delayed, impeded or postponed. As health needs soar, the lack of a functional deconfliction system is a major obstacle in delivering humanitarian aid - including medical supplies, fuel, food and water to hospitals - anywhere close to the scale needed. Six months - half a year - into the war, the destruction of Al-Shifa Hospital and Nasser Medical Complex has broken the backbone of the already ailing health system. Prior to the latest siege, WHO and partners had supported the revival of basic services at Al-Shifa Hospital, and Nasser Medical Complex was regularly supplied to continue serving as the main hospital in south Gaza. These efforts are now lost. As WHO marks World Health Day tomorrow, under the theme "My health, my right", this basic right is utterly out of reach for the civilians of Gaza. Access to health care in Gaza has become totally inadequate, and the ability of WHO and partners to help is constantly disrupted and impeded. Of the 36 main hospitals that used to serve over 2 million Gazans, only 10 remain somewhat functional, with severe limitations on the types of services they can deliver. The proposed military incursion into Rafah can only result in further diminution of access to health care and would have unimaginable health consequences. The systematic dismantling of health care must end. WHO repeats its calls for the protection of patients, health and humanitarian workers, health infrastructure, and civilians. Hospitals must not be militarized, misused, or attacked. WHO demands an effective, transparent and workable deconfliction mechanism, and safety guarantees, ensuring that the movement of aid within Gaza, including through checkpoints, is safe, predictable and expedited. WHO calls for additional land crossings to allow access into and across Gaza more safely and directly. As famine looms, disease outbreaks spread, and traumatic injuries increase, WHO calls for unimpeded access of humanitarian aid into and across the Gaza Strip, and a lasting ceasefire. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide: Six months since Hamas attacked Israel, six months of crisis Government of Norway News story | Date: 07/04/2024 Rarely have six months been filled with so much unimaginable pain, anger and grief as the time following the terrorist attack on 7 October last year. For six months, Israeli families have been mourning the losses they suffered when Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and took 250 hostages. Families still live in fear of what has happened to those of the hostages still in Gaza. For six months, Palestinians have lived in what can only be described as hell on earth. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than 13,000 of them children. Day after day, people in Gaza have witnessed families destroyed, entire neighborhoods razed to the ground and an unimaginable number of people inflicted with the most horrific injuries. Injuries they will live with for the rest of their lives. For six months, the international community has witnessed aid workers in Gaza trying to alleviate the pain, trying to quell the hunger of children threatened by famine. They, too, have been operating in constant danger of death. Few conflicts have claimed so many lives among those tasked with helping. Over the last six months, we have repeatedly asked the parties to follow the rules of war. We have always made it clear that self-defense measures must be necessary and proportionate, and that all military operations must be conducted in accordance with international law. Norway was among the countries that early on warned Israel against going too far. Now, six months later, it is tragic that far too little is done to distinguish between civilians and combatants. Far too little is done to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, the crisis has turned into a catastrophe. For six months, we have witnessed a complete breakdown in compliance with international humanitarian law. The war we have seen over the past six months undermines security and is highly devastating for both Israelis and Palestinians. And it threatens the stability of the entire Middle East. Bombs and terror cannot solve the war. Together with like-minded countries and, several Arab countries, we are working to get this on a different track - getting enough humanitarian aid into Gaza, a ceasefire, release of hostages, negotiations and then a two-state solution that gives Palestinians their state and security for both peoples. The success of this will be crucial, not only for the people of Israel and Palestine, but for all of us. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by IDF Chief of the General Staff , LTG Herzi Halevi, April 7, 2024 IDF Press Release April 7, 2024 07.04.24 IDF "Today marks six months of the war, one which we set out to from a very difficult point. We regained our composure and are fighting with strength and determination. We are fighting this different kind of war, unlike those that came before it, and in deep consideration, no two of which have been alike. This is a long war, with varying intensity. In some places, it seems that life has returned to its course, all the while the soldiers are fighting heroically; the home front doesn't feel this, but the soldiers' families feel it very deeply. This is not routine. We are in a multi-arena war. There is no reason for panic, but also no place for complacency. We must be aware of the situation and always prepared. Know that IDF troops are prepared and operating in every arena - in the south, in the north, in Judea and Samaria, and in more distant arenas. The IDF knows how to deal with Iran - offensively and defensively. We are prepared for this, we have good defensive systems, and we know how to act forcefully against Iran in both near and distant places. We are operating in cooperation with the USA and strategic partners in the region. Since the beginning of the war, Iran has tried to distance itself from direct involvement in it, but we know that it activates, directs, funds, and transfers knowledge to all its proxies in the region - from Hezbollah, through Judea and Samaria, to Yemen. Iran not only threatens Israel but the entire Western and Arab world - Iran is a global problem, it was and remains the biggest issue. The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping. Senior Hamas officials are still hiding. We will reach them sooner or later. We are advancing, continuing to eliminate more terrorists and commanders and destroy more terrorist infrastructure, including last night. We will not leave any Hamas brigades active - in any part of the Gaza Strip. We have plans and will act when we decide. Alongside the offensive effort, we are allowing the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Hamas' interest is to project a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, in order to pressure for an end to the war. Hamas tries to take control of the humanitarian aid and prevents its desired distribution, in order to return and control the Gaza Strip - it is not right for this to happen. Therefore, we continue to dismantle Hamas, we are dismantling Hamas its military and governance capabilities -in order to bring about a different solution that will bring stability to the region. Yesterday, in an IDF and ISA operation, we retrieved from the depths of Khan Yunis the body of the hostage Elad Katzir z"l. Elad was abducted from his home in Nir Oz and was murdered by the terrorists holding him captive in the Gaza Strip. I am pained and share in the grief of the Katzir family and the Nir Oz community. We all wanted to bring him back alive - we did not succeed in this. Unfortunately, I did not know Elad, but I know, I've heard, how special he was for his family and friends. We will continue to act in every way. We will continue our efforts - intelligence and operational, to return all the hostages as quickly as possible. As the Chief of the General Staff, I personally feel responsible for returning them, and so do the rest of the IDF's commanders and soldiers. This negotiation needs to be conducted responsibly and carefully, and its details should remain in the appropriate rooms. The IDF is strong enough for the State of Israel to know it can pay a price for the return of its sons and daughters. We have a moral obligation to them, and the IDF will know how to withstand this even at a difficult price and will also know how to come back and fight back with strength. Over the past half a year, we have paid a heavy price in a very just war for our home. We lost many soldiers and commanders. Yesterday, four soldiers fell in action during the fighting in Khan Yunis. We have many wounded, injured in combat. The risking of their lives deserves great appreciation. We embrace the bereaved families with an eternal hug and strengthen the wounded and their families on their path to recovery. For half a year, the residents of the north have not returned to their homes. I know the situation is not easy, and we are working with the heads of the authorities to improve the situation. We are committed to caring for the residents until they can return. We will return you only in security, and it will take more time - that's the truth. Hezbollah needs to pay a price, and it is paying an increasing price for its participation in the war. We are fighting in the north and are also preparing for the possibility of war - we are in very high state of readiness and constantly undergoing a process of strengthening our readiness. When we went to war, at the beginning, we knew and said it would take a long time, in order to achieve the goals. We have brought very significant achievements in the fighting in Gaza, but the goals have not yet been fully achieved - returning all the hostages home, returning the residents of the north to their homes in security, and dismantling Hamas throughout the Gaza Strip, in a way that allows for a different governance that isn't Hamas, in the Gaza Strip. The reality is extremely complex, and there are no simple solutions. We are managing the war responsibly and with determination. We must not be delusional. As we said, some goals will take a long time, and we will not rest until we achieve them. Returning the hostages is the most urgent and important, and its time frame differs from the other goals. October 7th is a turning point in Israeli security. We have begun to examine the complex events of that day - we will learn and make decisions. The working assumptions we operated under, the attribution of scenarios for which we built ourselves, our perception of the enemy - it's clear to us that these need to change. The IDF needs to be stronger, larger - so that what happened on October 7th is not repeated. And these are of course not the only changes. The decisions we make today have a decisive and critical impact on the building of the IDF's strength in ten years time. We do not have the privilege of delaying them. Delaying decisions on building the IDF's strength endangers the security of the state. The IDF is operating with determination - I believe in and very much rely on the soldiers and commanders. We have brave, determined soldiers who believe in the righteousness of our path. The State of Israel gives us strong and important backing. The spirit of the IDF alongside its strength with the support of the nation will bring about the achievement of the goals of the war." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM Netanyahu's Remarks at the Start of the Government Meeting Israel - Prime Minister's Office The 37th Government 07.04.2024 Following are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks , today , at the start of the Government meeting: "Today we are marking six months of the war. The achievements of the war are considerable: We have eliminated 19 of Hamas's 24 battalions, including senior commanders. We have killed, wounded or captured a large number of Hamas terrorists. We have cleared out Shifa and other terrorist command centers as well. We have destroyed factories for producing rockets, command centers, and stores of weapons and ammunition, and we are continuing to systematically destroy underground installations. However, the price that we have had to pay has been painful and high. In the past day, four of our heroic fighters have fallen in Khan Yunis: Cpt. Ido Baruch, Sgt. Amitai Even Shoshan, Sgt. Reef Harush and Sgt. Ilai Zair. On behalf of myself and the citizens of Israel, I send heartfelt condolences to their families and to all the families that have lost loved ones in this difficult war. On October 7, Hamas launched a murderous attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We will never forget the horrific crimes of the Hamas monsters, who still hold hostage 133 of our brothers and sisters. As of today, we have returned 124 hostages and we are committed to returning them all home. I have made it clear to the international community: There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. It simply will not happen. This is the policy of the Government of Israel and I welcome the fact that the Biden administration made it clear on Friday that this still its position as well. I would like to clarify something else: It is not Israel that is preventing a deal. Hamas is preventing a deal. Its extreme demands are designed to bring about a ceasefire and leave it intact, to ensure its survival, existence and ability to endanger our citizens and soldiers. Capitulation to Hamas's demands would allow it to try and repeat the crimes of October 7 again and again, as it has promised to do. Hamas hopes that external and internal pressure will cause Israel to capitulate to these extreme demands. That will not happen. Israel is prepared for a deal; Israel is not prepared to surrender. Instead of the international pressure being directed at Israel, which is only causing Hamas to harden its positions, the pressure of the international community needs to be directed at Hamas. This will advance the release of the hostages. Citizens of Israel, there is no war more just than this one, and we are determined to achieve total victory, to return all of our hostages, to complete the elimination of Hamas in the entire Gaza Strip including Rafah and to ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel. This war has shown the world what Israel has always known: It is Iran that stands behind its proxies' many attacks against us. Since October 7, we have been attacked on many fronts by Iran's proxies - Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq and Syria, as well as other attacks. Whoever harms us or plans to harm us - we will harm them. We are carrying out this idea in practice, all the time, including recently, near and far, in our immediate surroundings and further afield. Israel is prepared - defensively and offensively - for any attempt to attack us, from anywhere. Our war is ongoing. In the past 24 hours, four of our heroic soldiers have fallen in Khan Yunis. Our forces rescued the remains of Elad Katzir, who was murdered by Hamas. One of our UAVs was downed in Lebanon and our forces responded deep in Lebanon, in the Beka Valley, in Baalbek, 60 kilometers, 100 kilometers and even further. A short time ago, terrorists carried out a shooting attack against a bus in Samaria. Iran, Hezbollah and other proxies are intensifying their threats against Israel. At this moment, as the war is ongoing, we must unite to repel the attacks against us. This is the time for unity. However, it is precisely at this time, that an extremist and violent minority is trying to drag the country into a rift. There is nothing our enemies want more. They are hoping that an internal rift and baseless hatred will stop us on the cusp of victory. I will repeat to the Government what I told the Cabinet: Countries rise amidst unity and fall amidst rifts. Let our enemies not be mistaken: The decisive majority of the people is united on the need to continue fighting until victory. A majority of the people, myself included, condemns all displays of violence among us - disturbances and violations of the law, running over demonstrators or attacking police officers, and wild incitement to violence and murder on social media. We will stand united. We will strike our enemies. We will eliminate Hamas. We will free our hostages and with G-d's help, we will bring total victory." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Romanian Intellectuals Publicly Appeal To Putin And Xi For Help, But Some Now Getting Cold Feet By Oana Despa April 07, 2024 BUCHAREST -- Soured co-founders of a conspiracy-minded fringe organization called Group for Romania (GPR) are distancing themselves from the group and its anti-Western message after it appealed for Chinese help and Russian intervention to restore lost Romanian "sovereignty." In recent weeks the group -- which has included university lecturers, a former judge, economists, as well as prominent actors -- appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping for salvation from a "Judeo-Euro-Atlantic political regime." Some GPR defectors have criticized that message as "shameful" and "unforgivable," and a well-known Romanian political scientist has described it as a risky result of "hallucination." In a March 26 online petition titled Communique No. 9 On Relations With The Russian Federation, addressed to Putin and other Russian leaders, GPR listed perceived racial, ethno-nationalist, and historical grievances and said that "Romania has fallen from the status of a colony to the status of a territory under foreign military occupation. We hope, Mr. President Putin, that you will help Romania in future historical moments to become a sovereign country again." By April 5, the petition had attracted 17 signatures. Days later, Communique No. 10 was directed at China and urged Xi and Beijing to help Romania "escape the underdevelopment to which it was condemned by the Judeo-Westerners who seized the country in the decades after the assassination of former President Nicolae Ceausescu," the hated communist dictator who was summarily executed along with his wife in December 1989. Romanian public opinion and government actions have been broadly united in their opposition to Russia's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, including with support for providing Kyiv with military aid alongside other NATO members. Contacted by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, a number of GPR's founders and other prominent figures denied they had anything to do with the appeals to Moscow and Beijing. Actor Florin Zamfirescu, who has been a member of the group for a decade and was the group's spokesman as recently as January, said he opposed the overture to Moscow and had quit the organization after seeing the text of an earlier communique. "Yes, we have a difficult situation in the EU, but addressing the opponent as proposed by the person who wrote the communique is unforgivable!" Zamfirescu said in a written statement. "We are in the European camp, and the only way to correct something we don't agree with is between us, not apart!" Zamfirescu likened the communique to Putin to the Romanian communists' capitulation in 1944, "when they handed over the country to the Soviets." One of the supposed signatories, actor and director Dan Puric, told RFE/RL he withdrew from GPR long ago, although he didn't specify when. He was listed as a member of the organization in a January strategy document. "Whether it's the United States of America or the Russian Federation, our position must be balanced, dignified, and free from such servile attitudes," Puric said. "I consider this petition shameful." Adrian Toni Neacsu, a prominent lawyer and civil servant who was among the members in January, also distanced himself from the communiques. "I didn't sign any petition, and I didn't discuss it," he said. "I don't do politics, and my opinions are exclusively about legal and constitutional issues." The Group for Romania announced its arrival as a civic initiative in 2015 with a so-called Citizens' Constitution prescribing radical populist solutions to retake political and economic power and restore moral and spiritual values. It alleged that a "transnational financial mafia stole our state" and set its goal as winning parliamentary, presidential, local, and European Parliament elections in order to retake Romania by "cleaning the state leadership of traitors and replacing them with patriots." But it never gained a serious political footing and has rebranded itself multiple times since, including following the death in March 2019 of its original ideological architect, economist and outspoken sovereigntist Constantin Cojocaru. In January, the group declared in a statement that its leadership was establishing a "civic entity for debate on the fundamental problems facing our society." It said its stated objective was to "ensure the restoration of Romanians' property rights over their country [and] to defend the identity values of Romanian civilization." Since the announcement, official GPR social-media accounts have been more active, spreading messages that are primarily Christian and nationalist but also attack liberal-leaning political groups in Romania or the West and warn against corruption and the misrepresentations of history. Among other conspiratorial themes, they have described the Ukraine war as a conflict "between Russian nationalists and Jewish power worldwide" and have cited "highly informed sources" to reinterpret the Russian Revolution as a Jewish conspiracy. The new strategy appears to have led directly to the appeals to Xi and Putin that came as a shock to some of its longtime members or supporters. "It's clear that the [communiques'] text was written on a level of hallucination by someone who believes that he can intervene with the world's major governments to save Romania from an alleged political-economic disaster," said Andrei Taranu, vice dean of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest (SNSPA), who has no affiliation with the GPR. It was illogical, he said, to invite foreign leaders to ensure Romania's survival, and he wondered aloud whether such an apparent request for outside intervention in the context of the current war in Ukraine risked investigation for treason. "Are you calling on the armies of the Russian Federation to come and occupy Romania to take care of..Romania?" Taranu said. "It is an absolutely terrible approach, from my point of view." Not all of January's strategic signatories have renounced the communiques. Cezar Dinu-Avramuta, an activist and educator dubbed the "Dacia flag-bearer" after images went viral of him waving the ancient military standard of a serpent with a wolf's head during last year's teachers' strike, says the communiques are useful and necessary in Romania's "deep" interests. He told RFE/RL's Romanian Service it required "deep knowledge of history, international relations, and international security," and added that Putin and Kremlin politicians would understand it. Writer and casting director Miron Manega says he signed it, too. "There are now, in the world, two pillars of sovereignty: [U.S. ex-President and presumptive Republican presidential nominee] Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin," he said. "The existence of these global landmarks of sovereignty enables the sovereigntism of smaller states like Romania. However, Donald Trump is far away and is not yet president. Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, is president, he is close to us, and he is powerful." Written by Andy Heil based on reporting by Oana Despa of RFE/RL's Romanian Service Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/romania-fringe-appeal- sovereignty-putin-xi/32894720.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Armenia Says Peace Talks Remain Stuck As Baku Fumes Over Brussels Meeting By RFE/RL's Armenian Service April 07, 2024 Armenia and Azerbaijan have reached several agreements as part of their continuous peace treaty negotiations, but they remain divided on two main issues, according to Armenia's top diplomat. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told Armenian Public Television late on April 6 that the two nations had "a historic opportunity to establish lasting peace in the South Caucasus" if they can resolve the remaining roadblocks. Yerevan and Baku do not yet see eye-to-eye on mutual recognition of territorial integrity and the subsequent border delimitation process. The two sides are also divided on reopening transport links in the region. Mirzoyan said Yerevan and Baku had agreed several times at top-level meetings on recognizing each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration but that the Azerbaijanis showed a "reluctance" when it was placed in a draft treaty. RFE/RL could not immediately reach Azerbaijan's foreign minister, Ceyhun Bayramov, for comment. Baku and Yerevan have been conducting negotiations over their respective borders for decades but the process took on new urgency after Azerbaijan recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh amid a swift military offensive in September 2023. Unlike in the past, the talks are now being conducted one-on-one without Russian, U.S., or EU mediators. Azerbaijani and Armenian diplomats continue to exchange drafts of a peace agreement back and forth and hold occasional meetings of a commission on the border itself, but have yet to clinch a final peace agreement. Mirzoyan expressed hope that would happen in the foreseeable future. Mirzoyan's interview comes on the heels of a trilateral meeting in Brussels on April 5 between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. The European Union and the United States unveiled an aid package to Armenia to show support for its efforts to deepen ties with the West. Von der Leyen and Blinken said the aid will help the South Caucasus nation increase its "resilience" and "diversify" its economy, which is heavily dependent on Russia. Mirzoyan said Armenia's military was not part of the discussion or aid package but that it would logically benefit from an improved economy. "Increasing the [economic] resilience of Armenia eventually becomes the resilience of the security sphere," Mirzoyan said. He added that Armenia plans to interact more closely with the EU and deepen bilateral relations with Brussels. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticized the United States and EU for holding high-level trilateral negotiations with Armenia, saying they were "directed against Azerbaijan." Tensions along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan began to grow hours after the Brussels meeting, with both sides accusing each other of violating the cease-fire. Both sides reported shooting at various sections of the heavily militarized border during the nights of April 5-6 and April 6-7. Mirzoyan's office claimed Azerbaijan was sporadically firing in an attempt to goad an Armenian military response, triggering further escalation. It called on Azerbaijan to halt its actions. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-peace- mirzoyan-interview/32894780.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ecuador-Mexico: 'Cardinal principle' of diplomatic inviolability must be upheld says UN chief 7 April 2024 - The decision by Ecuador to forcibly enter the Mexican Embassy on Saturday and arrest a former vice president of the Andean country on corruption charges represents a breach of international law, the UN Secretary-General has said. In a statement released on Saturday night, Antonio Guterres said he was alarmed by the raid on the embassy in the capital Quito which led to the arrest of Jorge Glas. The Secretary-General "reaffirms the cardinal principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel, emphasizing that this principle must be respected in all cases, in accordance with international law". Said the statement released by UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. Mexico had granted asylum to Mr. Glas who was sheltering in the embassy, but the Government of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa argued that normal diplomatic rules were invalid due to the corruption charges he faced. 'Normal relations' at risk "The Secretary-General stresses that violations of this principle jeopardize the pursuit of normal international relations, which are critical for the advancement of cooperation between States", said Mr. Dujarric. The breach of the embassy and arrest led Mexico to suspend diplomatic relations with and Mexico's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reportedly criticized the move as "authoritarian" and a breach of national sovereignty. Governments across the region and across the political spectrum also criticized the embassy incursion, including Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Uruguay. Mr. Glas has been staying in the embassy since December. Social media posts showed him being taken by police convoy to the airport in the capital, before being flown to Ecuador's largest city, Guayaquil. Seek resolution, urges Guterres "The Secretary-General calls for moderation and exhorts both Governments to solve their differences through peaceful means", Mr. Dujarric concluded. The embassy raid followed Mexico granting Mr Glas's request for asylum earlier on Friday. The former vice premier is facing further corruption charges having been convicted in 2017 for taking bribes from a Brazilian construction company, in exchange for awarding Government contracts. Mr. Glas reportedly argues that the fresh charges are politically motivated. Late on Saturday the Washington DC-based Organization of American States called for dialogue between Ecuador and Quito to resolve the diplomatic rift, adding that its permanent council would convene to discuss the need for strict compliance with international laws including the guarantee of the right to asylum. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netanyahu: Israel 'one step away' from winning war with Hamas By VOA News April 07, 2024 Six months into Israel's war with Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday that it is near victory as the country pulled troops out of southern Gaza while maintaining a "significant force" elsewhere in Gaza. "We are one step away from victory," he told his Cabinet. "But the price we paid is painful and heartbreaking." Even as stalled cease-fire negotiations resume in Cairo, Netanyahu pledged, "There will be no cease-fire without the return of hostages. It just won't happen." Hamas is believed to still be holding about 100 hostages in Gaza tunnels, among the 250 or so it captured in its shock October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people. As of mid-February, 112 hostages have been freed, most during a week-long cease-fire in November, while 36 more are believed to have died or been killed in Gaza during the six months of fighting. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says Israel's counter-offensive has killed more than 33,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children. The Israeli military says that the total includes thousands of militants it has killed. With the carnage mounting, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, appealed for an end to the war. He acknowledged the "barbaric act" of the initial Hamas attack but said, "This atrocity does not justify the horrific ongoing bombardment, siege and health system demolition by Israel in Gaza, killing, injuring and starving hundreds of thousands of civilians, including aid workers." "The deaths and grievous injuries of thousands of children in Gaza will remain a stain on all of humanity," he said on the X media platform. "This assault on present and future generations must end." Netanyahu said that despite growing international pressure, including from its chief ally, the United States, Israel would not give in to "extreme" demands from Gaza's Islamist rulers, Hamas, that it pull all its troops from the narrow territory along the Mediterranean Sea. In response to a demand last week from U.S. President Joe Biden, Israel agreed to open a new humanitarian aid roadway at Erez at the northern Gaza border with Israel, but operations there have yet to start. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are famished, with many sheltering in makeshift tents near Rafah at the Egyptian border in southern Gaza. Netanyahu has vowed to launch a ground offensive on Rafah to destroy four Hamas battalions, while safeguarding more than a million Palestinian civilians sheltering there. But Israel has made no public statement on where it would move the Palestinians to keep them out of harm's way. The U.S. and other Western supporters of Israel have expressed their opposition to any ground offensive at Rafah, fearing that civilians would be caught in the crossfire between Israel and the militants. Israel on Sunday pulled troops out of southern Gaza, including from the city of Khan Younis, the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli media said, after months of fierce fighting with Hamas militants left much of the area's infrastructure leveled. "The 98th commando division has concluded its mission in Khan Younis," the army said in a statement. "The division left the Gaza Strip in order to recuperate and prepare for future operations. "A significant force led by the 162nd division and the Nahal brigade continues to operate in the Gaza Strip and will preserve the IDF's freedom of action and its ability to conduct precise intelligence-based operations," the statement said. White House national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC's "This Week" show that Israel's partial withdrawal from southern Gaza is likely so its troops can "rest and refit," rather than a move toward a new operation. "They've been on the ground for four months, the word we're getting is they're tired, they need to be refit," Kirby said, though he stressed that it was "hard to know exactly what this tells us right now." The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said the withdrawal was tactical. An army official told the left-leaning daily, "There's no need for us to remain in the sector without an [operational] need." Attack on aid workers World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres renewed his call Sunday for an independent investigation into the Israeli airstrike that killed seven of his group's aid workers last week. Israel has called the attack a "tragic mistake," while dismissing two officers responsible for the strike and reprimanding others. In an interview on ABC, Andres thanked Israel for a quick investigation but added, "At the same time, I would say with something so complicated, the investigation should be much more deeper. And I would say that the perpetrator cannot be investigating himself." He said that Israel was targeting anything that "seems" to move and has been doing so "for too long." "This doesn't seem like a war against terror. This doesn't seem any more like a war about defending Israel," he said. "It really, at this point, seems like a war against humanity itself." Kirby said, "There's going to have to be some changes to the way the Israeli Defense Forces are prosecuting these operations in Gaza, to make sure that [the attack on aid workers] doesn't happen again." Cease-fire talks Negotiators began arriving in Cairo on Saturday for renewed negotiations for a cease-fire and the release of hostages. U.S. CIA Director William Burns arrived Saturday. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and an Israeli delegation were expected to take part in the talks as well, Egypt's Al Qahera news reported. Hamas said in a statement that it is sending its deputy chief in Gaza, Khalil Al-Hayya. It also reiterated its core demands: a complete cease-fire in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Biden wrote letters to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, on the state of the hostage talks, and "he urged them to secure commitments from Hamas to agree and abide by a deal." Kirby said last week Biden also told Netanyahu to empower his negotiators in Cairo to agree on a cease-fire deal as soon as possible, while allowing more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biden to host leaders of Japan, Philippines in trilateral summit By Patsy Widakuswara April 07, 2024 U.S. President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a White House summit set to bolster trilateral maritime cooperation in the South China Sea, a major move to counter Beijing. The first-of-its-kind gathering by the United States and its two Asian allies is set for Thursday. It's part of Biden's strategy to stitch together existing bilateral alliances into broader "mini-laterals" to amplify U.S. influence in Asia. The U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilateral focuses on freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Last year, Biden hosted a similar meeting with Japan and South Korea to deal with the threat from North Korea. Manila is keen to firm up trilateral maritime cooperation, namely plans for joint naval patrols by the three countries, a move that would likely trigger a strong reaction from Beijing. "Joint patrols are something that we've already discussed extensively with Japan and the United States," Philippines Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez told reporters in a briefing last week. "And I think that we're hoping that this will come into fruition very soon." The White House declined to confirm such plans, reiterating only that the leaders would have much to discuss in their meeting. "Certainly, the tensions in the South China Sea are not going away," said national security spokesperson John Kirby in response to VOA's question during a White House briefing Thursday. "That was an issue that was raised in the president's call with President Xi [Jinping of China] just a couple of days ago." Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder also declined to confirm, telling VOA only that the goal of trilateral efforts in the South China Sea is to "ensure that the Indo-Pacific region remains free, it remains open and that there is security and stability throughout the region." However, an announcement on joint naval patrols is "widely expected" at the summit, said Gregory Polling, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. Following increased Philippine naval activities with regional partners including the United States, Japan and Australia, the trilateral naval patrol "is an obvious next step," he told VOA. The meeting and expected announcement will come amid ramped-up tension in the South China Sea, where for weeks Chinese coast guard ships have deployed water cannons against Philippine vessels to block a resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal. Since 1999, Philippine soldiers have guarded a wrecked ship left on the shoal to maintain the country's sovereignty claims over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The Philippines is a U.S. ally under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which means skirmishes between Manila and Beijing in the Spratlys are a problem for Washington. "While we're focused on Taiwan for obvious reasons, conflict between the U.S. and China remains more likely in the South China Sea," Polling told VOA. "The ceiling on that might be lower; we're not going to escalate into a general war in the South China Sea. But a lower-level military conflict is uncomfortably possible." More robust Japan role The South China Sea is a vital passageway for Japan's global supply chains, a reaffirming factor for Tokyo as Washington draws it into a more robust military role in the region. "There is tremendous expectation for Japan," said Shihoko Goto, director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the Wilson Center. Tokyo is "at the heart of regional security," she told VOA, considering its involvement in the two trilateral formations and in the quadrilateral strategic security dialogue among Australia, India, Japan and the United States, also known as the Quad. For Japan's Kishida, the summit will be another chance to flex his country's diplomatic muscles as it stands beside Washington, its strongest ally. Kishida wants to showcase the transformation of Japan's bilateral alliance with Washington that serves peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific to a "global partnership that stands as the cornerstone of international liberal order," said Yuki Tatsumi, co-director of the East Asia Program and director of the Japan Program at the Stimson Center. The key deliverables, she told VOA, include plans for a modernized alliance command and control and plans for a consultative body for defense industrial cooperation. Japan has been an anchor of various U.S. regional alliances and partnership in the region. Ahead of the summit, Tokyo and Manila are already in talks on a Reciprocal Access Agreement that would enhance shared military operations and training. US lagging on building prosperity While many analysts applaud Biden on his strong and coordinated security approach for the region, they say Washington is lagging Beijing when it comes to building regional prosperity. "We're not seeing as much leadership on the economic front," Goto said. "That will be something that there will be greater demand for." In previous meetings with Biden, Kishida reiterated Japan's calls for Washington to join the 2018 Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The 11-country bloc representing one of the largest free-trade areas in the world is a reincarnation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade agreement pushed in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama and then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Then-President Donald Trump withdrew from the TPP in 2017. Kishida and Biden are also likely to discuss Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel. Ahead of the American presidential election in November, the potential deal has become embroiled in protectionist campaign rhetoric. Biden sees steel as critical to national security and has said the company should remain domestically owned. His prospective opponent, Trump, has promised to block the $14 billion deal if he is elected again. Trilateral aside, Biden will honor Kishida, whom he last met at the G7 summit in Hiroshima last year, with an official visit Wednesday. He will meet separately with Marcos on Thursday, a repeat of the Philippines leader's White House visit last May. Analysts say the frequent meetings with the leaders underscore Biden's desire for the U.S. to remain a Pacific power, despite the president's focus being pulled toward the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Carla Babb contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Operation Iron Swords - Day 184 - 07 April 2024 At any point, Hamas could have ended this burgeoning tragedy to surrender and release every hostage. Hamas instigated and owns this humanitarian catastrophe. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) The partial withdrawal from the city of Khan Younis comes exactly six months after Hamas launched deadly attacks on Israel. Israeli troops that pulled out of southern Gaza did so to prepare for future operations, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said. Those operations include the planned ground assault on Rafah, he added in a statement from his office. "The forces are exiting and preparing for their next missions, we saw examples of such missions in the al-Shifa operation, and also of their coming mission in the Rafah area," Gallant said at a meeting with military officials. Israel's military said that it had pulled most of its troops out of southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade in the Hamas-run territory. Israel had been warned by several allies, including the United States and Germany, against launching an offensive in Rafah due to a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More than a million Gaza residents have been displaced to Rafah, one of the last safe places in the strip. Thus, only the Nahal Brigade remains in the southern Gaza Strip, which is carrying out the mission of securing the Netzer Corridor, in order to prevent civilians from returning to the northern Gaza Strip. The withdrawal of Division 98 from Khan Yunis four months after it began operations in Gaza's second-largest city, followed the similar withdrawal of nearly all Israel Defense Forces units from Gaza City two months ago, Anshel Pfeffer reported in Haaretz. "The IDF has now just one brigade-sized combat team in Gaza, which is securing the cordon cutting northern Gaza (including Gaza City) off from the rest of the Strip, where most of the uprooted Palestinian population is huddled.... From the start of the war, the IDF's planners said that a ground campaign to "destroy Hamas' military and governing capabilities" could take as much as a year, and that it would include different stages, from large formations of troops maneuvering inside Gaza to mostly small-scale operations by mobile forces. That move towards smaller, mobile operations may now happen... The IDF has yet to start preparing a major population move, of around 1.5 million civilians, from the Rafah area to what it calls "humanitarian islands," which don't yet exist.... Netanyahu has been bigging up the Rafah operation ..." The Israeli military has destroyed 19 of Hamas 24 regional battalions in Gaza over the past six months, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed. In a statement ahead of a cabinet meeting on Sunday marking six months since the start of the Gaza war, Netanyahu said Israel was one step away from victory. Today we mark six months since the war began We eliminated 19 out of 24 of the Hamas battalions, including their senior commanders. We killed, wounded or captured a significant number of Hamas terrorists... We destroyed their factories manufacturing rockets, weapons, ammunition, the prime minister said. The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" quoted senior officers in the Israeli army as hoping that the Israeli army's withdrawal from the southern Gaza Strip would lead to the militants leaving their hideouts. The Israeli officers said that the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip was due to combat fatigue, and not as signs of good faith towards the prisoner exchange deal negotiations. They stressed that there is an understanding and knowledge of the futility of a large Israeli army presence in Gaza, and that without advancing to new combat sites, the lives of soldiers will be at risk. The same sources hope that the withdrawal will lead to the militants leaving their hideout, even if the price is launching missiles. Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy said yesterday, " The war in Gaza continues while Hamas officials are still hiding, and we will reach them sooner or later." He continued, saying, "We are moving forward and will continue to kill more terrorists and destroy more militant infrastructure. We will not keep Hamas brigades standing in any part of the Gaza Strip," explaining that there are plans that the Israeli army will act according to once the decision is made. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that Israeli army forces left the southern Gaza Strip to prepare for future operations, including an operation in Rafah. Galant added, in an assessment of the situation in the Southern Command, that "the forces are leaving and preparing for their follow-up missions, and we have seen examples of these missions in the Shifa complex, as well as in the follow-up mission in the Rafah area." He continued: "We will reach a situation in which Hamas does not control the Gaza Strip, and does not operate as a military framework that poses a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel." The Israeli Defense Minister noted that "the achievements of the 98th Division and its units are very impressive: striking terrorists, destroying enemy targets, warehouses, weapons, subways, headquarters, and communications rooms." He added: "All of these things were implemented in a very impressive way, and thus Hamas stopped operating as a military organization throughout the Gaza Strip." The Israeli army announced that all brigades had left the southern Gaza Strip last night, except for one brigade whose mission is to prevent Palestinian civilians from returning to the northern Gaza Strip. Reuters reported that an army spokesman revealed "the withdrawal of all ground forces from the southern Gaza Strip, except for one battalion," without clarifying any other details. Al-Hurra's correspondent quoted an Israeli army official as saying, "The 98th Division, with its three brigades, left the city of Khan Yunis last night, after the operation there ended, following 4 months of fighting." The Ynet website said that now only a few hundred fighters remained in the sector, while at the height of the ground maneuver the number ranged between 30 to 40 thousand. In this regard, the site noted that hours after the Israeli army withdrew, and just before one o'clock in the afternoon, five missiles were launched from the Khan Yunis area, and the Iron Dome system was activated and two of them were intercepted. The withdrawal of forces was a sign of the authoritys transition to the third and less violent phase of the fighting in Gaza, which includes more targeted and repeated raids, as was the case recently with the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Ynet confirmed that the withdrawal of the 98th Division from Khan Yunis indicates the end of the ground maneuver that began on October 27, while the army is now awaiting a decision from the political level regarding the possible move in Rafah, the last major stronghold of the Hamas movement, where the Israeli army says it includes 4 movement battalions. White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby expressed his belief that the Israeli armys announcement of withdrawal from the southern Gaza Strip is likely a break for its forces. Kirby told ABC in response to a question about the significance of this withdrawal: It is difficult to know what it means now, and according to what we understand, and based on what they announced, it is actually a period of rest and regaining fitness for its forces (the Israeli army) that have been on the ground for four months". War Termination The return of residents of the northern Gaza Strip was one of the most prominent points of contention in truce talks, as Hamas insists on adhering to the return of residents and withdrawing from populated residential areas, in order to reach any agreement, while Israel insists on rejecting that, claiming that the movement may rebuild its capabilities in these areas. The other domino in the plan is Lebanon, where the Americans are concerned about what is happening in the north, and fear Iranian retaliation following the targeting of Tehrans consulate in Damascus. The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said the United States this time cannot accept anything less than a hostage exchange and a ceasefire. It added that the next stages will include agreement on the northern border with Lebanon and normalization with Saudi Arabia. Sources familiar with the negotiations regarding the hostage deal say that it appears that "this time there will be action on the part of Hamas." The sources also explain that the United States has taken off its gloves and is more determined than ever to reach an agreement because many things. The Hebrew newspaper indicates in its report that the Israeli War Council has significantly expanded the mandate granted to the Israeli team in accordance with the request of US President Joe Biden. Sources familiar with the negotiations for the deal show that the head of the CIA is expected to put a plan on the table, indicating that the United States is the bride of the event, the spearhead, and is not prepared for anything less than a hostage deal and a ceasefire. In this context, it stressed that there is enormous American pressure on Qatar and Egypt to exert pressure and threats on Hamas. The sources stated that the Americans are tired of the procrastination of all parties, and they want to conclude a deal because this is the first domino in their plan, noting that it is consistent with the Americans contacts with Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel. It also indicates that in Washington they want normalization to come from the ceasefire and the agreement. The Military Council of Ministers stated that another proposal is expected from the mediators, indicating in the context that instructions were issued to the Israeli negotiating team to study the circumstances under which an agreement could be reached with Hamas, and to present it to the War Council, which would approve or reject it. Israeli TV N12 News reported cautious optimism in Israel hours after the departure of the delegation led by Mossad head Ded Barnea to Cairo, regarding the possibility of carrying out a new kidnapping deal. Sources familiar with the negotiations told News 12 that "this time is different, we are the closest to a deal in months", as we published last night (Sunday) in the "Main Edition". The reason why the deal is closer than ever is related to the heavy American pressure, after the Biden administration decided that they were entering the event completely. On the one hand, they are pressuring Israel to increase the humanitarian aid that goes into the Gaza Strip and to thin out the fighting forces on the ground. On the other hand, they put pressure on Qatar - which threatens Hamas with stopping economic aid. Israel recognizes a slight shift by Hamas, who no longer insists on ending the war in the negotiation talks. Tonight, a new and very significant American proposal will be presented in Cairo, which will require concessions from both sides, and is expected to dismantle the main minefield regarding the return of residents to the northern Gaza Strip. The US proposal will most likely allow the residents to return to whole neighborhoods in the north of the Gaza Strip, and on the other hand, it should allow Israel political flexibility, so that it will be easier to pass it in the cabinet. Therefore, this time the head of government and the war cabinet sent the team led by the head of the Mossad with a broad mandate, and with an important directive - to listen to the American proposal, understand what Hamas says about it, and if there is a possibility to start working and bring a deal. The Egyptian channel reports that the Hamas delegation is already holding meetings with senior Egyptian intelligence officials before the start of the quadrilateral negotiations. An Israeli official told News 12 after the debate that "the days of the mandate are over." This time the delegation was given the ability to return with a document that says "this is the deal that Hamas will most likely agree to". If the delegation succeeds in bringing such a document, the political discussion in Israel will also begin - and it is estimated that he will have the majority of the government. A senior political official: "The delegation received the approval to find out to the end if it is possible to bring a deal that does not include the cessation of the war, and this can only be managed through continuous negotiations and without restrictions." During the consultation, Ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot told Prime Minister Netanyahu: "We need the hostage deal first of all because of the moral duty and because it is one of the main goals of the war. But the deal is also critical from a strategic point of view - it will help us promote a solution in the north, will allow us to restore international legitimacy and restore relations with the United States." A high-level Egyptian source confirmed that the proposed truce regarding the Gaza Strip includes a detainee exchange deal and mechanisms for the return of the displaced, explaining that negotiation meetings between Hamas and the occupation are continuing. The source confirmed, "Negotiation meetings between Hamas and Israel are continuing under Egyptian sponsorship and with a Qatari-American presence. The Hamas delegation is also holding meetings with Egyptian General Intelligence officials before the start of the quadripartite negotiations." He added, "There are intensive Egyptian efforts to bring viewpoints closer together to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip." He also explained that "there is an Egyptian-American-Qatari consensus on the necessity of finding a formula to reach a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip immediately." Egyptian sources stated that Cairo will host meetings tomorrow to discuss ways to restore calm in the Gaza Strip, and also indicated that William Burns, head of the CIA, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, and an Israeli delegation will participate in the Cairo negotiations regarding the calm in Gaza. Meanwhile, Hamas announced in a statement on Sunday that a delegation from the movement arrived in Cairo and met with the head of the Egyptian Intelligence Service, Major General Abbas Kamel. High-level Egyptian sources suggested that a humanitarian truce and temporary ceasefire agreement would be reached in the Gaza Strip during the days of Eid al-Fitr, which would be the second agreement between the occupation and the Palestinian resistance factions since the start of the war on the seventh of last October, as an agreement was reached. On November 24, it lasted a week. The sources added to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that, With the presence of the delegation of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and the head of the CIA, William Burns , in Cairo, the agreement is approaching strongly, and it is possible that the announcement will be made from Cairo. Egyptian sources said that Cairo has received assurances that the head of the Israeli Mossad, David Barnea, will attend the meetings that will be held in the coming hours. For his part, the leader of the Hamas movement, Bassem Naim , said in an exclusive statement to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Expectations are still open to all options, and we hope that the failure that befell Netanyahu and his government over the course of 6 months, and the internal and external pressure, will push us to go to... A comprehensive ceasefire and the withdrawal of all forces from inside the Gaza Strip . According to a high-ranking Egyptian source who spoke to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, officials in Egypt conveyed to the leadership of the Hamas movement a message of the necessity of seizing the opportunity of the American transformation, and the pressure of President Joe Biden, in order to reach a quick agreement in any way possible, as the source put it. He stressed that "the American shift came after the incident of killing and targeting the relief team of the World Central Kitchen." The same Egyptian source said, All parties, as a result of the imposed American pressure, showed flexibility in the possibility of concluding a partial agreement with a temporary humanitarian truce for several days on Eid al-Fitr, outside the framework of the main agreement negotiations. Regarding the extent to which a real change has emerged in international and regional positions regarding the war, which has entered its seventh month, Hamas leader Bassem Naim told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, This is true, but the change is still too short to bring about the desired change, adding that At the official level, the change is still tactical and not strategic, with regard to the position on the Zionist entity and the Palestinian issue. Operational Update Iran has reportedly communicated to the United States through the Sultanate of Oman, that the Islamic Republic intends to directly strike Israel, unless the U.S. guarantees an immediate permanent ceasefire in Gaza & no Israeli ground invasion of Rafah. Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy said on Sunday that the army is capable of dealing with any Iranian threat, pledging to continue the war in Gaza until its goals are achieved. Halevy explained in a statement broadcast on television: The IDF is capable of dealing with Iran as well, offensively and defensively. We have prepared ourselves for this as we have good defensive systems and the ability to act forcefully in confronting Iran in places near and far. We work in cooperation with the United States and other partners. strategists in the region. The Israeli Chief of Staff said in statements reported by Al-Hurras correspondent in Jerusalem on the occasion of the six-month anniversary of the war in Gaza: The IDF forces are ready and operating in all arenas, whether in the south or north, in Judea and Samaria, or in more distant arenas. He considered that Iran, since the outbreak of the war, "has been seeking to evade direct participation in it, but we are aware of its use, direction, financing, and transfer of knowledge to all its followers in the region." He stressed the continuation of the war in Gaza and the arrival sooner or later of the Hamas official in hiding. He continued in this regard: "We are moving forward and will continue to kill more terrorists and destroy more terrorist infrastructure. We will not keep Hamas brigades standing in any part of the Gaza Strip. We have plans and we will act as soon as we make the decision." He stressed that in parallel, Israel "allows the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip." He accused Hamas of seeking "to seize humanitarian aid and prevent its distribution in order to restore its rule over the Gaza Strip." He also stressed the continuation of intelligence and operational efforts to return all the kidnapped persons as quickly as possible. He considered that the goals of the war had not yet been fully achieved, stressing the necessity of "returning all the kidnapped people to their homes, returning all residents of the northern and southern regions to their homes safely, and dismantling Hamas' capabilities throughout the Strip, in a way that allows a party other than Hamas to assume power." He said: "Achieving some goals will take a long time and we will not hesitate until they are achieved. The mission of returning the kidnapped people is the most urgent and important and has an hourglass different from that of other missions." Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that Israel has completed its preparations to deal with any scenario that may arise with Iran, as it remains on alert for a possible attack in response to the killing of Iranian military leaders on April 1. Air force fighter jets attacked a Hizbullah operational infrastructure in the village of Kila and launched rockets in the Yaron region of southern Lebanon. Following the alerts that were activated in the area of the city of Safed, the air defense fighters successfully intercepted one launch that crossed the territory of Lebanon. A number of additional launches were detected that crossed from Lebanese territory towards the Mount Dov area, there were no casualties. IDF forces attacked the sources of the shooting. Fighter jets attacked a military compound containing seven military buildings belonging to the Radwan force belonging to the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Al-Khyam area, in addition, IDF forces attacked a military headquarters associated with the organization in the Kfar Tora area. IDF forces attacked the sources of gunfire in the areas of Kochba and Mis al-Jebel in southern Lebanon in response to launches detected earlier today towards the Golan Heights and the Manara area. Earlier tonight, fighter jets attacked a military complex and three other military infrastructures of the air defense system that were used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Albaq area in response to the downing of the Air Force aircraft last night (Saturday). In addition, yesterday (Saturday) warplanes attacked a terrorist infrastructure and a military structure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the areas of Aita al-Sha'ab and al-Adaisa during the day, and the IDF also attacked with artillery fire during the day in the area of Ya'atar. Earlier today, a terrorist arrived via a dirt road in a car to an intersection near Nevi Elias in the Ephraim Brigade. The terrorist got out of the vehicle and opened fire at several vehicles that were there. As a result of the shooting, the IDF soldier was seriously injured and was referred for medical treatment at a hospital. The soldier's family has been informed, the IDF will continue to accompany her and her family members. In addition, a civilian was slightly injured. IDF forces in cooperation with the Air Force were deployed to the spot, surrounding the village of Nabi Elias and continuing the pursuit of the terrorist. The fighters of the combat team of the commando formation fought in the 'Al Amal' neighborhood in Khan Yunis. The fighters searched buildings with informed intent, in foot raids to locate weapons, eliminate the enemy and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the area. So far, more than a hundred locations have been scanned in the neighborhood and in every location a terrorist infrastructure has been found. During the fighting, the forces located a tunnel route of about 900 meters, inside the tunnel were found living rooms and many weapons, after an investigation by the Yalam unit, the fighters blew up the route. Next to one of the shafts, a terrorist was killed. Throughout the fighting, the fighters positioned themselves in strategic locations, eliminated terrorists and attacked combat compounds using precision weapons. In one of the cases, using a precision missile, the forces eliminated two operatives and a team commander of the terrorist organization Hamas. Operational Update - Gaza According to the data published by the IDF today (Sunday), since the beginning of the war, approximately 12,000 terrorists have been killed in the Gaza Strip. What about those who are not on the list? Many of them managed to escape unhindered through Rafah. The exiled Palestinian influencer, Amjad Abu Kush, claimed " there is no one from the Hamas leadership, from the political bureau, who is actually in the Gaza Strip. The entire Hamas leadership voluntarily left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, and the rest left after October 7." N12's conversation with the residents of the Gaza Strip and officials in Egypt reveals that under the auspices of the war and the high demand, the phenomenon of bribery is also gaining momentum. If before the war the corruption phenomenon of bribe payments to get a visa amounted to 3,000-4,000 dollars for coordination, now the same "mafia" that stands behind the bribes collects huge sums that also reach 7,000 dollars. When it comes to those close to Hamas, the exit procedure becomes extremely simple, under the guise of "medical treatment". The Israeli army announced the withdrawal of all ground forces from the southern Gaza Strip , including the 98th Division and its three brigades from the Khan Yunis area after 4 months of fighting, leaving only the Nahal Brigade operating in the Netzarim Corridor to separate the north from the center and south in Gaza. In this context, the military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, says that the occupation attributed its withdrawal from Khan Yunis to preparing for the Battle of Rafah, indicating that it wants to withdraw these military sectors to restore their combat readiness for the coming period and use them elsewhere. But Al-Falahi - during Al Jazeera's military analysis segment - said that the withdrawal process gives the occupation an opportunity to move civilians and displaced persons from the city of Rafah to Khan Yunis, reaching the street that separates the northern sector from the center and south. He explained that this geographical area has become very large to accommodate the numbers of civilians and displaced persons from Rafah in preparation for the expected military operation. Among the reasons for the withdrawal - according to Al-Falahi - is the occupations failure to achieve its goals of destroying the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades , and recovering prisoners detained in Gaza. The military expert cited the recent Al-Zana and Hay Al-Amal operations in the city of Khan Yunis, during which the Al-Qassam Brigades said they killed 14 Israeli soldiers, which means there is exhaustion in the occupation army. Al-Falahi expected that Tel Aviv took Washington's advice on the necessity of leaving the region because it is considered a complete drain on the Israeli forces present inside the cities. In his vision of the field scene after the withdrawal, Al-Falahi believes that the scenario of withdrawal from Khan Yunis is very similar to the scenario of withdrawal from Gaza, stressing that operations will return to it after moving to the third stage. He explained that the features of this stage are to stop the comprehensive ground invasion and concentrate in the buffer zones, then carry out limited qualitative incursions and then withdraw again. He added that the operations will be less intense, but more qualitative and focused, with air and artillery support. Based on intelligence information, in addition to activating assassinations of wanted leaders. Regarding the implications of the continued launching of rockets towards the Gaza envelope area, Al-Falahi said that the Israeli military operation may have weakened the resistance factions, but they were not definitely eliminated. He pointed out that the missiles carry clear messages that the areas surrounding Gaza will not be safe as long as the fighting continues, adding that the resistance has the capabilities to enable it to reach these goals. Regarding expectations regarding the invasion of Rafah, Al-Falahi believes that the operation may not begin in the near future, given the need for several weeks to transport civilians in Rafah, and that the operation requires coordination with Egypt. He continued, explaining: It is too early to say that there is an operation towards Rafah, but there are preparations underway, stressing that talking about it also falls within the context of pressuring Hamas to reach a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. Following the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) withdrawal of ground forces from the Gaza Strip, Palestinians cautiously return to the devastated city of Khan Younis, signaling a fragile step toward normalcy amidst the aftermath of conflict. Months of intense fighting between IDF troops and Hamas militants have left the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis in ruins. Director of the HAMAS Government Information Office in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Al-Thawabta, questioned the occupations intention to withdraw from the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. He added in a press statement, What is happening on the ground is different from what the occupation declares to the media. He pointed out that the occupation closes all Gaza crossings and does not allow aid to enter, and that the aid that enters is fragments and small numbers of trucks have entered the Strip so far. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, commented on the Israeli armys announcement on Sunday of withdrawing Israeli forces from Khan Yunis. Al-Qassam said, "The occupation entered most of the areas of the Gaza Strip and destroyed them completely. It boasts that it succeeded in dismantling the Hamas brigades, and every time the occupation returned to areas where it was supposed to find no resistance, it was surprised by violent and qualitative resistance." She added, "The occupation was forced to end its operations even before achieving its goals, examples of which include passports, Shifa, industry, and Khan Yunis." The Al-Qassam Brigades published a video clip under the title, You will burn. Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories: Judea and Samaria and towards the Gaza Strip [COGAT] reported "322 humanitarian aid trucks were inspected and transferred to Gaza today (Apr. 7). This is the highest number of aid trucks transferred to Gaza in one day since the start of the war. There is no limit to the amount of aid that can be facilitated for the civilians in Gaza." Six months after the devastating onslaught by Hamas on Israel's southern communities, the government announces that 70% of the affected population has returned home. According to the Tekuma Authority, responsible for rehabilitating the south, at least 40,150 residents, including approximately 23,000 from Sderot, have resettled within 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) of the border. Numerous locales, such as Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, and Kerem Shalom, remain uninhabitable due to heavy damage or ongoing security risks as determined by the military. Despite challenges, the government has allocated approximately NIS 2.25 billion ($600 million) of its NIS 18 billion ($4.7 billion) rehabilitation budget for the area's recovery over the next five years. During an interview with the American channel ABC, World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres opposed the findings reached by the Israeli army regarding the convoy raid, and said: Every time something happens, we cannot include Hamas in the equation. Andres added : It is no longer the case. Regarding the seven men and women at World Central Kitchen who died in this unfortunate event, this has been happening for a very long time. It has been six months of targeting anything that seemed to move. He continued: This does not appear to be a war against terrorism. It no longer appears to be a war to defend Israel. In fact, at this stage, it is a war against humanity itself. When the broadcaster asked him whether he was satisfied with the results of the report, he said: The investigation must be much deeper (...) and I would say that the perpetrator of the crime cannot investigate himself. As warnings of famine mounted in the Gaza Strip, the administration of US President Joe Biden is scrambling to put the finishing touches on its plan to establish a floating dock off the coast of Gaza, to prepare deliveries of much-needed food and other humanitarian aid, according to the Washington Post. The newspaper reported that "four US Army ships are scheduled to arrive in the eastern Mediterranean within days, after they sailed from southeastern Virginia in mid-March." But the evolving circumstances amid the 6-month-long war have raised a new state of uncertainty about how these efforts will be implemented, according to the newspaper. Among the challenges is the unstable security situation in the region, as Iran's pledge to respond to a raid attributed to Israel that targeted an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria has raised fears that American personnel will face increasing risks. American officials denied Washington's involvement in the attack, but Tehran asserts that the United States, as the main supporter of Israel, "must be held accountable," according to what the newspaper reported. Military experts have warned that the US Presidents administrations plan to establish a floating dock off the coast of Gaza as part of a wide-ranging international initiative to deliver aid to the starving Palestinians in the Strip will endanger American service members who must build, operate, and defend it from attack, according to the Washington Post. Another variable is the recent Israeli attack on a humanitarian convoy belonging to the World Central Kitchen organization, which resulted in the deaths of 7 foreign aid workers. While Israel acknowledged the strike and said the workers should not be targeted, the tragedy has complicated American efforts seeking to distribute an estimated two million meals, which will be unloaded from the floating dock daily. Last month, Washington announced its plan to establish a temporary floating port off the coast of Gaza, to deliver aid to the residents of the Palestinian Strip. The Pentagon stated that its construction will take up to 60 days, and will likely involve more than a thousand soldiers. A senior official in the US Department of Defense, whose identity was not revealed by the Washington Post, warned that it is too early to predict whether it will be possible not to use the sidewalk in the end, but he acknowledged that the food distribution plan is still unstable. This official said, "The security plan for the pier has been reached in principle, as Israel has confirmed that its forces will provide great protection for its American counterpart." The Biden administration, facing criticism for its unwavering support for Israel, has intensified pressure on Israeli leaders not only to protect civilians in their military campaign, but also to significantly increase the amount of food allowed into Gaza. The White House warned on Thursday that failure to respond to these demands may lead to a change in American policy toward the war. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has become increasingly dire, with people facing extreme hunger, prompting the World Health Organization to announce that parts of the Palestinian enclave could be heading toward complete famine by May. This classification means that many people have almost no food, leading to famine and death. On March 8, the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, confirmed that it was preparing to establish a temporary port in order to deliver aid by sea to the besieged Gaza Strip, and stated that the process will take several weeks. A Pentagon spokesman said in a briefing to reporters: We are in the process of identifying the sources and forces that will be deployed, adding that planning and implementation will take several weeks. He added that the United States ultimately aims to provide two million meals to the citizens of Gaza daily, according to what Reuters reported. The spokesman stressed that working on the details with partners will include Israel when dealing with the security aspect and that the United States will continue to coordinate with partner countries regarding the temporary Gaza port. The spokesman suggested that 100 American soldiers would be allocated for this purpose, but stressed that "there will be no American forces on the ground in the Gaza Strip." A report by the American " NBC News " network documented a series of previous attacks targeting relief workers at World Central Kitchen and other humanitarian organizations in the Gaza Strip, since the outbreak of the war. The network revealed, based on documents, public statements and interviews, that relief workers and humanitarian infrastructure in Gaza were subjected to several attacks in the months preceding the raid that targeted World Central Kitchen employees last Monday, resulting in the deaths of 7 of them. The repercussions of the killing of seven workers at the American charity World Central Kitchen as a result of an Israeli strike in Gaza are still escalating in light of reports and statements about the Israelis deliberately targeting the cars carrying them, which Israel denies. NBC News said that the World Central Kitchen organization was subjected to two previous attacks last March, one of which occurred two days before the fatal incident. The first incident occurred on March 30, when World Central Kitchen said it believed an Israeli sniper opened fire on one of its vehicles, damaging a side mirror, but no one was harmed. A week before that, on March 23, a convoy belonging to World Central Kitchen was exposed to gunfire, amid a chaotic scene at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City. The network quoted eyewitnesses as saying, "Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians who were gathering waiting to receive aid." In footage that NBC News said was filmed, blood-stained bodies were seen lying among scattered boxes bearing the name World Central Kitchen. The organization said that in both incidents, the Israeli government coordination unit in the territories was informed of the movements as part of collision avoidance measures. The network revealed that during the past months, a 1,000-pound (453 kilogram) bomb was dropped near a residential building for aid workers from the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The International Rescue Committee's senior vice president for crisis recovery and development, Kieran Donnelly, said the organization "informs the IDF of its fixed locations, as well as its planned movements, through the Coordination Unit of Government Activities in the Territories." He continued: "However, on January 18, several IRC staff were injured when a bomb exploded a few meters from the IRC compound in Al-Mawasi, south of Gaza." The British Broadcasting Corporation "BBC" reported that thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip began to wonder how to feed their families after the "World Central Kitchen" organization suspended its operations, in response to the killing of 7 of its aid workers in an Israeli air strike. A United Nations assessment, seen by NBC News, concluded that the explosives used "were likely a 1,000-pound MK83 guided bomb, a munition produced in the United States." The American Near East Refugee Assistance Organization (ANERA) was among the organizations that suspended its operations in Gaza, citing risks to the safety of its employees. On March 8, an Anera employee, Musa Shawa, was killed in an air strike while he was taking shelter with his family in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, according to NBC News. The network also quoted Doctors Without Borders as saying that "several of its employees were killed in military raids that targeted its sites, despite the Israeli army being notified." Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has been subjected to more attacks than any other agency, resulting in the killing of 179 of its employees since October 7, according to NBC News. These attacks led to a reduction in the delivery of aid to the people of Gaza, who are suffering from hunger. Following the latest attack, at least four organizations stopped delivering aid to Gaza, including World Central Kitchen, due to the danger to their employees. It is noteworthy that Israel affirms its commitment to international laws and its work to avoid exposing civilians and relief workers to danger during its military operations in the Gaza Strip. NBC News reached out to the Israeli military for comment on the incidents reported by World Central Kitchen, as well as other incidents involving aid workers in Gaza, and did not receive a response to any of them. Operational Update - Judea-Samaria An Israeli doctor working in a field hospital to treat Palestinians detained at the Sde Timan military base revealed unfortunate circumstances surrounding routine amputations of prisoners due to handcuffs, according to a Haaretz report. The Israeli newspaper's report indicated that the doctor described, in a letter to the Attorney General and the Israeli Ministers of Defense and Health, the conditions to which prisoners are exposed and which "violate" professional ethics. The doctor explained in the report published on Thursday that just this week, two prisoners legs were amputated due to handcuff injuries, which is unfortunately a routine matter, noting that inappropriate care for patients in the detention center caused complications and sometimes deaths among patients. He continued: "This makes us, as medical teams, and you, officials in the Ministries of Health and Defense, complicit in violating humanitarian law." The Israeli army responded to these accusations, in a written statement to the American CNN network , and said that it works in accordance with the law when it comes to the treatment of detainees. Every procedure is documented and reviewed, and we carry it out with great care for the sake of the detainees human dignity, and in accordance with Israeli and international law. The statement stated that the shackles of detainees "are carried out in accordance with health procedures, their health condition, and the level of danger they pose, to ensure the safety of the forces and medical staff." He also pointed out that "any allegations of violence or humiliation will be provided with specific details, and we will work to examine them and deal with them." CNN spoke with a source who said he had a medical background and had previously visited Sde Timan Hospital, where he confirmed that he saw detainees constantly shackled. He said on condition of anonymity that all the detainees from the Gaza Strip whom he saw in the hospital had their four limbs tied. The American Wall Street Journal published testimonies of former Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, some of whom said that they were forced to kneel for periods of up to 20 hours, and to stand in difficult physical positions, in addition to kicking, beating, and verbal attacks. He explained that such a practice increases the risk of blood clots and other health problems. The American Network report explained that the hospital is located inside a military base near the city of Beersheba, southern Israel, and was established shortly after the October 7 attack. According to a report issued by the Israeli organization Physicians for Human Rights, the establishment of the Sde Teman hospital came after Israeli civilian hospitals refused to receive detainees from Gaza suspected of terrorism. In its report, the organization highlighted what it described as ethical failures in the field hospital, where security forces in the hospital require that all detainees remain handcuffed and blindfolded at all times, even during treatment. Operational Update - Lebanon While the majority have returned to their communities, around 60,000 evacuees from northern areas near the Lebanon border still reside in state-funded accommodations like hotels and temporary communities in cities such as Kiryat Gat, Mishmar Ha'emek, and Beersheba. The government continues its efforts to support those affected by the attacks and facilitate their return to normalcy. Every day that goes by without Israeli settlers returning to the northern settlements means that "Israel" has already lost the war, the mayor of "Kiryat Shmona", Avichai Stern, said. In an interview with the Israeli KAN public broadcaster, Stern said the situation in the northern settlements "has not changed in half a year," adding, "History has taught us that when Hezbollah wants to shoot, it does so, and especially at us, not at Tel Aviv." Describing the reality of northern occupied Palestine, Stern said, "We are seeing a rate of fire, injuries, and a type of weaponry that we have not seen in previous wars." IDF announced "Another phase of the Northern Commands readiness for war was completed, centering on operational emergency storages for a broad mobilization of reservist and regular troops when required. This will enable the forces arrival at the front line in a short period of time for defensive and offensive missions. An in-depth learning process took place based on lessons learned from the fighting in the south, as part of improving readiness for the day commands are received." In a statement titled "Readiness for the Transition from Defense to Offense," the military said the phase completed focused on logistics "for a broad mobilization" of Israeli troops. "The commanders of the regular and reserve units are prepared to summon and equip all the required soldiers in just a few hours and transport them to the front line for defensive and offensive missions," the IDF continued. The process was presented to the commanders in an operational conference chaired by the head of the Northern Command headquarters, Lt. Col. Shagiv Dahan and the commander of Division 210, Lt. Col. Zion Retzon. The equipment and means in the warehouses are maintained by ICT and logistics and medical personnel of the technology and logistics department, and these enable the immediate mobilization of the reserve forces in an emergency and their arrival at the front line in a short time with all the equipment required for combat. The commanders of the regular and reserve units are prepared to summon and equip all the required fighters in just a few hours, and transport them to the front line for defense and attack missions. During the last months, an in-depth learning process took place based on lessons learned from the fighting in the south, as part of the improvement of readiness for command day. The resistance targeted missile systems, artillery positions, barracks and sites of the Israeli occupation army , noting that the resistance has completed operations to respond to the Israeli attacks on Lebanese towns and villages through support and support operations for the people and the Palestinian resistance with a series of operations, as the operations today targeted the concentrations of occupation soldiers and not the sites. In itself, this afternoon, it targeted the vicinity of the Zabdin barracks, where there was a new gathering of Israeli occupation soldiers in this barracks and the vicinity of the Al-Manara barracks, in which it targeted a new gathering that was spreading in some of the woods surrounding this site, in addition to a new gathering behind the site of Ruwaisat Al-Alam, which is not visible from The Lebanese side with volcano missiles and appropriate missiles. The Lebanese Hezbollah military media published a summary of its operations carried out against the Israeli army on the southern Lebanese border on Sunday, April 7, 2024. It said in a statement: In support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, the Islamic Resistance carried out a number of operations against the positions and deployment of the Israeli army on the Lebanese-Palestinian border. The military media reported that the headquarters of the Air and Missile Defense Command in Kila Barracks, and the missile and artillery base in Yoav, were targeted with dozens of Katyusha rockets, in response to the Israeli attacks on the Bekaa region. It added that a new Israeli artillery position in the vicinity of the Al-Manara site was also targeted with artillery shells. It was stated in the statement that an air attack was launched with an assault march on a new gathering of Israeli soldiers and its vehicles behind the Al-Samaqa site in the Lebanese Kfar Shuba hills, and its target was accurately hit. It also confirmed that the Zibdin barracks in the Lebanese Shebaa Farms were targeted with missile weapons. Israeli forces began attacks in the early hours of this day, as military aircraft targeted the Al-Safari area and Wadi Al-Jinta in the eastern Bekaa, and these raids did not result in any casualties until now. Israeli warplanes continued their air attacks, targeting for the first time an area located between the towns of Janata and Tura near Deir Qanun al-Nahr, near the Tire district, which is relatively more than 35 meters (kilometers) away from the nearest point on the Lebanese-Palestinian border. No casualties were reported, and there was a strong raid on The town of Kafr Kalla and the town of Yaroun, and another raid on the town of Hula, in addition to the raid on the town of Aita al-Shaab. The occupation artillery continued its bombardment on the outskirts of the villages facing the occupation positions. At this moment, reconnaissance aircraft and armed drones are flying heavily in the sky of the border area. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, saluted the Resistance fighters on the Lebanese front, stressing that they were "at the highest level of readiness, morale is high, and the momentum is great." "The achievements of this battle, of which the South Lebanon front is a part, will benefit all of Lebanon," Sayyed Nasrallah said, noting that it would bless its sovereignty on land, in the sea, and in the air. "Lebanon is in a position of strength, and we regret that there are those who are threatening war and setting dates for it," he added. Hezbollah's leader also affirmed that "the Resistance in Lebanon does not fear war, and it is fully prepared for any confrontation [...] we have not yet used our main weapons thus far." "If they want war, we welcome them with open arms," Sayyed Nasrallah said. "The enemy knows what war with Lebanon means." He added, "We are in the midst of a battle in South Lebanon in which we are offering the best of our youth. It is a battle based on jihadist ethics and loyalty, and we will not hesitate." Sayyed Nasrallah concluded by saying, "We will continue the battle until the resistance and Gaza emerge victorious." Operational Update - Syria / Iraq The "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" announced on Sunday that it had targeted, with drones, the Western Yarden base in the occupied Golan, confirming the continuation of its operations. In a statement, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said: In continuation of our approach to resisting the occupation and supporting our people in Gaza, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against Palestinian civilians, including children, women and the elderly, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted on Sunday morning 4/7 / 2024, Western Yarden base in the occupied Golan in our occupied territories, by drone. The statement added: "The Islamic Resistance confirms that it will continue to destroy enemy strongholds." The "Islamic Resistance" announced at dawn on Sunday that it had targeted a vital target in the city of Eilat, "Umm al-Rashrash", with drones. The resistance factions in Iraq had claimed responsibility for bombing areas in occupied Palestine and American bases in Syria and Iraq in response to the devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. The factions also warned the United States that they "will increase the number of armed operations in response to Washington's continued provision of military assistance to the Israeli army." Operational Update - Yemen After a couple of weeks of reduced Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, ????CENTCOM reports that today coalition forces shot down a UAV and an anti-ship missile as well as destroying a missile launch site in Yemen. The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Al-Sari'i, confirmed the implementation of 5 military operations within 72 hours in victory for Palestine and in response to the American-British aggression against Yemen. The Yemeni Armed Forces issued a statement read by Brigadier General Yahya Al-Sarii, which said: In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful God Almighty said: {O you who have believed, if you support you, Allah will support you and make your feet firm.} God Almighty has spoken the truth. A victory for the oppression of the Palestinian people and a response to the American-British aggression against our country The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out five military operations during the past 72 hours, as follows: The naval forces, with the help of God Almighty, carried out a targeting operation against the British ship (HOPE ISLAND) in the Red Sea with a number of suitable naval missiles, and the hit was direct, thanks to God. It also carried out a targeting operation against two Israeli ships that were heading to the ports of occupied Palestine, the first (MSC GRACE F) in the Indian Ocean, and the other (MSC GINA) in the Arabian Sea. The targeting operation was carried out with a number of ballistic and winged missiles, and the operation achieved its goals successfully, thanks to God. With the help of God Almighty, the Yemeni Armed Forces Air Force carried out two military operations targeting a number of American military frigates in the Red Sea, using a number of drones, and the operations achieved their goals successfully. The Yemeni Armed Forces continue to implement the decision to prevent Israeli navigation, or those linked to the Israeli enemy, or heading to the ports of occupied Palestine in the Red and Arab Seas and the Indian Ocean until the aggression is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs, the best protector, and the best helper Long live a free, proud and independent Yemen, and victory belongs to Yemen and to all the free people of the nation Sanaa, Ramadan 28, 1445 AH, corresponding to April 7, 2024 AD Issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces Yemeni sources said that Washington has intensified its economic war on Sanaa by pressuring the government of the so-called Presidential Council to take new economic measures that tighten the siege on the Sanaa government. The Central Bank of Yemen condemned the positions issued by the American and British embassies regarding the banks issuance of the one-hundred-riyal coin, considering those positions as blatant and illegitimate interference in the affairs of the Republic of Yemen , and a continuation of the course of the economic war led by the countries of aggression against the Yemeni people for nine years. Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi , a member of the Yemeni Political Council, indicated that the American military presence on some islands and coasts of Yemen will not prevent Sanaa from continuing its operations in support of Gaza. The media affiliated with the Ansar Allah Houthi group had announced a direct support for the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, and considered it the beginning of the liberation battle for the land of the Night Journey and the end of the Zionist occupation of the Arab and Islamic land of Palestine, from the river to the sea. The Houthi media outlets, whether television, radio, press or digital, devoted large areas to live broadcasting and daily follow-up of developments in the events in Gaza, so that the military operations they carry out against Israeli targets with ballistic and winged missiles and drones add another dimension to media coverage, especially with the start of the attacks. Against Israeli ships in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden. The momentum of the Houthi media in support of the resistance in Gaza increased further with the United States and Britain, on January 12, carrying out air and missile strikes on sites in the capital, Sanaa, and the city of Hodeidah, located on the Red Sea, and on other Yemeni governorates that have been under the control of the Houthis since 2014. Mukhtar Al-Rahbi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the private Al-Mahriya Satellite Channel, said: From the first moments of the Al-Aqsa Flood, we made a decision to support the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, led by Hamas and the Al-Qassam Brigades, and to permanently cover all the events of the Flood operation and the subsequent Israeli aggression and war of extermination. Al-Rahbi added in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, "We first froze the presentation of programs and series, and we started with a new program map, which is moral guidance with the resistance in the Gaza Strip, direct coverage and hosting of distinguished guests at home and abroad, to present the legitimacy of resistance to the Israeli occupation, and to reject the barbaric aggression against the people." "Palestinian." Although Al-Mahriya Channel was opposed to the Ansar Allah Houthi group , it announced its support for the groups attacks in the Red Sea against Israeli ships or those heading to them through the Red Sea. Al-Rahbi said that in the channel they support all Palestinian resistance movements, media and morally, and all parties that support the Palestinian resistance. He added, "We have been classified as one of the Yemeni channels most supportive of the resistance and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land, restoring their legitimate rights to end the occupation, and establishing an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state, with Holy Jerusalem as its capital." With the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, the non-Houthi Yemeni media, with its various satellite channels, radio stations and electronic platforms, turned into a platform open around the clock to support the Palestinian resistance and cover the accelerating events in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian resistance and the oppression of Gaza united the Yemeni media with its various intellectual, partisan and political orientations and views, especially in light of the genocidal war carried out by the Israeli occupation army against the Palestinians. The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, Dr. Muhammad Qaizan, says, The official Yemeni media, in its coverage of the Al-Aqsa flood operation and the Zionist aggression against Gaza, is based on its religious, Arab, and humanitarian responsibility against the Palestinian people, in order to liberate their land and expel the criminal occupation from all Palestinian lands, first and foremost. Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and this is a consistent position of the Yemeni government and people throughout the history of the Arab and Palestinian conflict with the brutal Israeli occupation. He added to Al Jazeera Net that "the Yemeni official media and all private and partisan Yemeni media interacted to a great extent with the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, and saluted the heroic resistance men from all Palestinian factions, for breaking the prestige of the Zionist enemy and the qualitative development in armament, planning, steadfastness, surprising the enemy and defeating him, and consolidating the principle that the occupier No matter how arrogant or arrogant he is, no matter how strong and oppressive he is, the owners of the land are capable of defeating and expelling him. Qaizan pointed out that Yemeni media coverage emphasized the right of the Palestinians to continue resisting the occupier with all the tools and weapons available to the resistance, and that this is a legitimate right guaranteed by international laws and constitutions, and before that a religious duty to defend the homeland and die for it, according to him. He stressed that the position of the Yemeni government strongly rejects the war of annihilation waged by the Israeli war machine against Palestinian civilians, and the scorched earth policy used by the government of the "Zionist entity" following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, and continues to call on the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the United Nations and the international community to do their duty in the face of the brutal aggression against Gaza Strip, stopping the war of extermination, and supporting the Palestinian struggle to regain their land. Qaizan considered that the mass field movement in Yemen, especially Taiz, Marib, Hadramaut, Al-Mahra and the rest of the Yemeni governorates, and the support and support campaigns for the Palestinian resistance, took up a large amount of media coverage in the Yemeni media, especially the official media, and emphasized the great importance that the Palestine issue represents in the hearts of the Yemenis, as their first and central issue, despite the difficult circumstances that the Yemeni people have been experiencing since the years of the coup and war. Maps All maps are lies. Not only is it easy to lie with maps, it is essential, wrote cartographer Mark Monmoneir in his book How to Lie with Maps. He showed that condensing complex, three-dimensional spaces onto a two-dimensional sheet of paper [in old days] is bound to be reductive. But it is impossible to comprehend the war in Gaza without reference to maps, otherwise the entire conflict is reduced to an endless series of meaningless acts of random violence and the suffering of civilians. The first characteristic of guerrilla warfare is the loss of a front line. Evidently, different mappers have different ideas of how to depict the war in Gaza, notably those that seek to depict Israeli progress in the ground campaign. Part of the problem is latency. The news that forms the basis of the maps takes time to filter out to mappers, and the cartographers take time in crafting their maps, and it takes time to curate them. These processes are uneven among mappers, so their maps may differ in detail. Probably there is some ideological bias, or at least thematic apperception, which is understandable in wartime. It may come as no surprise that al-Jazeera maps depict rather less Israeli territorial progress than other sources. Finally, there remains the epistemological question of just exactly what are the colored in areas depicting. Naively, this might be understood as areas of Israeli control, that are no longer contested by the HAMAS. Or possibly these are areas of Israeli presence, in many of which the possibility of an RPG-wielding HAMAS militant popping out of a tunnel unexpectedly remains a live possibility. With the "zero-range" combat characterized by small unit tactics on both sides, maps may be prey to a fallacy of misplaced concreteness. Bystanders Axis of Resistance Khamenei met with students in Iran today. Silence on retaliation for last Monday's killings of IRGC commanders in Syria. The foreign minister of Iran slammed the opposition from the US, the UK and France to a UN Security Council statement in condemnation of the Israeli regimes recent strike on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus as proof of their political hypocrisy. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Mohammed Abdulsalam, the chief negotiator of Yemens National Salvation Government, held a meeting in Muscat on Sunday. Pointing to Israels fatal attack on the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1, Amirabdollahian said, There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran, apart from the legal and international measures taken, will use its rights recognized by the international law to punish the criminal aggressors and hold them accountable. He also denounced the opposition from the US, the UK and France to a statement of the UN Security Council in condemnation of the Israeli attack on Irans diplomatic mission, saying such a stance clearly demonstrates the three Western countries political hypocrisy, brazen support for the Zionist regimes crimes and adventurism, and encouragement of expansion of regional instability and insecurity. Israeli writer Alon Mizrahi admitted that "what is becoming clearer at this unique moment is that the movement, which he described as the small Palestinian movement, not only defeated Israel, but also defeated the entire West, and changed the course of history during the past six months." The Israeli writer enumerated what he considered to be some aspects of the victory achieved by Hamas, saying: It was victorious on the battlefield in the Gaza Strip, it was victorious in the battle to win public opinion, and it benefited amazingly from its reading of the Israeli mentality, and in addition it was able to use all its resources highly efficiently. The Israeli writer says that Hamas has not been destroyed or dismantled, and it still retains almost all the prisoners it took 6 months ago, and has not yielded to any pressure, and is still working and effective, in a small sector that is besieged and completely destroyed. The writer pointed out that history will judge the last six months as one of the most brilliant and amazing military achievements in all of military history, which is unimaginable, according to him. The writer blamed Israel, saying that the way it waged the war against Hamas made it (Hamas) a legend of the resistance that will remain alive in cultural memory throughout the ages. He concluded that no one thought they could succeed in this matter, but they did and changed history forever, noting that Palestine will never return to the shadows again. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, confirmed that the Israeli occupation was forced to end its operations in the Gaza Strip before achieving its declared goals. Al-Qassam explained that the occupation entered most of the areas of the Gaza Strip and tried to dismantle the resistance structure, but it found itself facing violent and qualitative resistance every time it returned to areas believed to be without resistance. Al-Qassam said that battles such as passports, Al-Shifa Hospital, and Khan Yunis forced the occupation to end its operations without achieving its declared goals. Allied for Democracy As the war in Gaza entered its sixth month, a new Channel 12 poll revealed a deepening divide within the Israeli public regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's motives, with nearly half of Israelis (49 percent) suspecting political interests behind his actions. The findings underscore a growing sense of disillusionment and frustration with the government's handling of the prolonged conflict, particularly its failure to secure the release of over 100 hostages held captive since the October 7 massacre. Despite mounting criticism, Netanyahu's main opponent, National Unity chair Benny Gantz, appears to be losing ground in the public eye. Amidst lingering discontent, Netanyahu's political position remains relatively stable, with the poll indicating a narrowing gap between him and Gantz. According to the survey, while 49 percent of respondents believe Netanyahu is acting out of political motives, only 32 percent attribute genuine concern for national security to his actions. The sentiment regarding the government's efforts to secure the hostages' release reflects the prevailing skepticism among Israelis. Only 39 percent of respondents believe the government is doing enough, while a majority (56 percent) express dissatisfaction with its response to the hostage crisis. Some 41% of Israelis think Netanyhau is the one responsible for the tensions between the U.S. and Israel, while 30% say Biden is responsible, channel 12 poll finds. 21% said both are equally responsible, and 8% said they don't know. Mizrahi ultra-orthodox yeshiva leaders, including members of the Shas Council of Sages, today (Sunday) published a scathing letter against the conscription. In the letter they wrote, among other things, that "any compromise will lead to destruction. Even guys who don't study are not allowed to enlist. We will not shy away from going to the prisons." In the letter, signed by the leading Sephardic rabbis, including Moshe Tzadaka and Moshe Maya, it is written: "It is unthinkable to agree on quotas, goals or civilian routes and the like, even for weak guys." In this hour of annihilation, we will not shy away from going to prisons, we are ready to surrender our souls." "Even a guy who is not in the framework of studies is not allowed to go to the army and all the different routes," the rabbis added. "It is forbidden to agree on any compromises on the recruitment issue, and one should not enter into negotiations on this at all. Any compromise will bring destruction for generations." CNN network quoted an informed source as saying that US President Joe Biden threatened Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their last call, last Thursday. According to the American network, Biden threatened Netanyahu that if living conditions did not improve quickly for civilians in the Strip, he would reconsider the mechanism of the United States supporting the occupation through war. The source familiar with last Thursday's call noted that Netanyahu responded by saying, "Joe, we'll do it," but Biden insisted that the Israeli prime minister must announce the moves that evening. Subsequently, the Israeli Security Council agreed to implement the three orders, namely opening the Beit Hanoun crossing in northern Gaza and the port of Ashdod to humanitarian aid, and a significant increase in supplies arriving through the Kerem Shalom crossing in the besieged Strip. US officials declined to specify what changes in US policy might be considered, but a senior official told CNN that slowing the US supply of weapons to Israel would be the most likely change, pointing to a recently issued national security memorandum, which Establishes standards to which foreign governments receiving U.S. military assistance must adhere. But this official stressed that no decisions have been made, and that the issue of how the United States supports the current Israeli war is a complex issue, and he said that there are other tools that the American administration can use, including those related to large military aid or American behavior at the United Nations, in addition to To radically change Biden's public rhetoric about his administration's support for the war. Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers The Israeli army announced the number of deaths among its ranks, which reached 604 since the start of the war, and the death of 260 other soldiers during ground battles inside the Gaza Strip. The occupation army claimed , according to data it published about the first six months of the war, that 20 soldiers were killed by friendly fire. The IDF pointed out that a total of 3,188 soldiers were injured with varying injuries, including 497 seriously injured, including 27 still receiving treatment in hospitals, while the Air Force carried out about 950 evacuations for about 1,300 wounded. The IDF pointed out that there are about ten thousand soldiers who were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress symptoms, and 82% of them returned to battle again, while 200 soldiers were enrolled in a rehabilitation center designated for soldiers who were unable to return to battle 72 hours after the event to which they were exposed. The emergency hotline received more than 3,800 phone calls seeking psychological assistance for soldiers, while more than 72,000 soldiers underwent rapid psychological treatment. The IDF stated that about 300,000 reserve soldiers were recruited , about 51,000 of whom were women, and that the ages of about 24,000 reserve soldiers ranged between 50 and 70 years. The IDF claimed that his forces attacked 32,000 targets in the Gaza Strip, including 3,600 military targets , while 3,250 rocket launchers were destroyed and seized , and about 4,250 infrastructure targets were destroyed. The IDF explained that more than 9,100 missiles were launched from the Gaza Strip , 3,100 from Lebanon , and 35 from Syria . The IDF stated that 4,600 citizens from the Gaza Strip were arrested , some of whom were released, and a number of others are still being arrested and being investigated. The army claimed that it had assassinated 330 resistance fighters in Lebanon , including 30 leaders. The IDF pointed out that his forces targeted more than 1,400 sites in Lebanon, while artillery and ground forces attacked more than 3,300 other sites. In the West Bank, the army claimed that it had killed 420 Palestinians , that it had arrested 3,700 , including about 1,600 Hamas activists, and that it had demolished 19 homes of those who carried out operations. 75,886 Gazans injured, 28% adult male 45,000 bombs dropped in Gaza 40,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble 33,000 Gaza targets attacked 33,175 Gazans martyred 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024] 15,000 rocket launched from Gaza 15,000 Gazan children martyred 14,793 Israelis injured [i24 TV] 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [N12] 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [IDF] 11,000 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank in 2023 9,920 Gazan women martyred 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons 9,000 IDF needing psychological assistance 8,100 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th 8,000 Gazans missing under the rubble 6,800 IDF officers and soldiers injured [Channel 12] 6,000 HAMAS combatants killed [HAMAS] 5,500 IDF wounded [reports] 4,750 West Bank Palestinians wounded 3,484 administrative detainees 3,700 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria 3,079 IDF wounded [IDF] 2,100 Gazan women are missing 1,609 terrorists killed on the first day 1,600 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria affiliated with Hamas 1,160 Israelis killed on the first day 601 Israeli officers and soldiers killed since the start of the war 456 West Bank Palestinians martyred 343 people [including fighters] killed in Lebanon 256 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza 222 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody 50 civilians killed in Lebanon 29 IDF deaths were caused by "friendly fire" 15 Israelis killed in the West Bank and Israel Not every number is reported every day, so sudden jumps generally reflect reporting artifacts rather than actual upticks. Many of these numbers fluctate, up and down, with no apparent explanation. This list records the highest number reliably reported for each matter, under the theory that reality with catch up with reports, as is relentlessly the case. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 07 April 2024 - Day 774 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that the average daily number of Russian losses (killed and wounded) in Ukraine reduced by 74 per day throughout March 2024, to 913 per day. The decrease in losses corresponds with fewer reported attacks over the past month. The reduction in Russian offensive operations highly likely reflects a series of factors: a period of rest and refit following the capture of Avdiivka, and intent to reduce death notifications during the Russian election. Since the February 2022 invasion, Russian forces have sustained 658 losses a day on average. Each year has seen a rise in the daily average loss rate from 400 in 2022, to 693 in 2023, to 913 through the first quarter of 2024.The increase reflects Russia's ongoing reliance on mass to sustain pressure on Ukrainian frontlines. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of April 7, there were 67x tactical engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 6x missile and 72x air strikes, 39x MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, the Russian attacks have killed and wounded civilians. Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of formation of an offensive group. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: the Russian adversary maintains its military presence in the Russian areas bordering Ukraine. Russia conducts subversion, continues shelling of Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the concentration of mining operations along the state border of Ukraine. The Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Zolochiv, Mali Prokhody, Vovchans'k (Kharkiv oblast) and the city of Kharkiv. Around 15x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Kup'yans'k axis: no Russian offensive operations reported. However, Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Berestove (Kharkiv oblast). The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at around 15x settlements, including Syn'kivka, Stepova Novoselivka, Kotlyarivka (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 2x assaults in the vicinity of Terny (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Terny, Yampolivka, Tors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled more than 26x attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Vyimka, Fedorivka, Rozdolivka, Vesele Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Andriivka, Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces attempted to improve its tactical position. Russian forceslaunched air strikes in the vicinities of Chasiv Yar, Dyliivka, New York (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Bohdanivka, Kalynivka, Chasiv Yar (Donetsk oblast). Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 5x attacks in the vicinities of Pervomais'ke, Nevel's'ke, Netailove (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces, using air attacks, made attempts to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Novobakhmutivka, Novoselivka Persha, Ocheretyne, Yasnobrodivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Novokalynove, Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka, Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to block Russian forces near Krasnohorivka, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces made 17x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. The Russian occupiers launched air strikes in the vicinities of Novomykhailivka, Urozhaine, Vodyane (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Heorhiivka, Paraskoviivka, Kostyantynivka, Vuhledar (Donetsk oblast). Orikhiv axis: Russian forces, with air support, launched 2x attacks on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinity of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast) and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Air strikes were reported in the vicinities of Orikhiv, Mala Tokmachka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 20x settlements, including Poltavka, Malynivka, Chervone, Bilohir'ya, Novodanylivka, Shcherbaky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Kherson axis: Russia does not abandon its intention to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro River. In particular during the day of April 7, Russian forces launched 8x unsuccessful attacks on positions of the Ukrainian troops. The Russian occupiers fired artillery and mortars at more than 10 settlements, including Zmiivka, Krynky, Tyahynka (Kherson oblast) as well as the city of Kherson. During the day of April 7, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 1x Russian command post, 3x anti-aircraft missile systems, 1x communication tower, 13x concentrations of troops. The Ukrainian Missile Forces hit 1x anti-aircraft missile system, 1x UAVs control post, 1x artillery system, 3x concentrations of weapons and military equipment of the Russian invaders. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces have inflicted a fire defeat on formations of 43rd mechanised and 57th motorised infantry brigades of the AFU close to Sinkovka and Zagoruykovka (Kharkov region). In addition, two counterattacks by assault groups of the 95th Air Assault Brigade of the AFU have been repelled near Terny (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 30 servicemen, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare, two 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm D-20 gun, one 220-mm Uragan multiple-launch rocket system, one 122-mm Grad multiple-launch rocket system, as well as one U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery warfare radar station, and one Nota electronic warfare station have been hit. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces have defeated formations of 93rd mechanised and 17th tank brigades of the AFU and the 5th Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard close to Krasnoye, Kleshcheyevka, and Andreevka (Donetsk People's Republic), and took more advantageous positions. In addition, Russian troops have repelled nine counterattacks by assault groups of 10th mountain assault, 92nd air assault, 33rd, and 67th mechanised brigades of the AFU near Berestovoye, Bogdanovka, and Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses were up to 370 troops, one tank, and 13 motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare, 155-mm M777 howitzer, two U.S.-manufactured 105-mm M119 guns , one UK-manufactured 155-mm FH70 howitzer, one German-manufactured 155-mm PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery system, three 152-mm D-20 howitzers, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, one AFU ammunition depot, and three Nota electronic warfare stations. In Avdeyevka direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have defeated the enemy and improved the situation along the front line. Russian troops have repelled 11 counterattacks by assault groups of 24th, 47th, 115th mechanised, 59th motorised infantry, and 25th airborne brigades of the AFU close to Pervomayskoye, Krasnogorovka, Berdychi, Tonenkoye, Vodyanoye, Novokalinovo, and Novobakhmutovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 375 troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, three armoured fighting vehicles, 11 motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzer, and one 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. In South Donets direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces have improved the tactical position by active actions and defeated formations of the 31st Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard and the 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Nikolskoye and Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). One counterattack by an assault group of the 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade of the AFU have been repelled near Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 135 troops, one tank, six motor vehicles, and one U.S.-made M777 155-mm howitzer. In addition, one ammunition depot has been destroyed. In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have inflicted a fire defeat on manpower concentration areas of 28th, 65th mechanised brigades of the AFU, and the 126th Brigade of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence close to Rabotino, Mirnoye (Zaporozhye region), Novotyaginka, and Ivanovka (Kherson region). The enemy losses were up to 25 troops and three motor vehicles. During counter-battery warfare, two U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and two 122-mm D-30 howitzers. Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have destroyed one ammunition depot with uncrewed boats handed over to Ukraine by NATO countries, two launchers of the S-300 surface-to-air missile system, one P-18 radar station for detecting and tracking aerial targets, as well as struck AFU manpower and military hardware in 107 areas. Air defence facilities have shot down 293 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and four HIMARS and Uragan multiple-launch rocket systems projectiles. In total, 583 airplanes and 270 helicopters, 19,390 unmanned aerial vehicles, 499 air defence missile systems, 15,709 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,266 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 8,715 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 20,740 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address READOUT: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen's Meeting with Premier Li Qiang of the People's Republic of China U.S. Department of the Treasury April 6, 2024 BEIJING -- Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen today met with Premier Li Qiang of the People's Republic of China. The meeting was frank and productive and builds on progress made by President Biden and President Xi at the Woodside Summit last November to deepen bilateral discussions. The Secretary provided her views on the shared objective of a healthy economic relationship that provides a level playing field for workers and businesses in both the U.S. and China. The Secretary also raised issues of concern, including industrial overcapacity in China and the impact that could have on American workers and firms. She also emphasized the importance of working together on global challenges, including debt distress in low-income and emerging economies. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address READOUT: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen's Meeting with Premier Li Qiang of the People's Republic of China U.S. Department of the Treasury April 6, 2024 As Prepared for Delivery Premier Li, it is good to see you again following our meeting last July. Earlier this year, you delivered a speech in Davos where you said that "after all the shifts and changes over the years, we should all the more cherish communication and exchange" and "peace and stability." While we have more to do, I believe that, over the past year, we have put our bilateral relationship on more stable footing. This has not meant ignoring our differences or avoiding tough conversations. It has meant understanding that we can only make progress if we directly and openly communicate with one another. As the world's two largest economies, we have a duty to our own countries and to the world to responsibly manage our complex relationship and to cooperate and show leadership on addressing pressing global challenges. I have returned to China at President Biden's direction following the Woodside Summit to build on the foundation that we have laid. Earlier this week in Guangzhou, Vice Premier He and I announced important steps that will contribute to addressing challenges in our economic relationshipaincluding making sure that our workers and firms compete on a level playing fieldaas we also deepen cooperation on shared concerns like illicit finance. I look forward to building on this progress today by discussing areas both where we have shared interests and where we have differences of opinion, in the spirit of continuing to responsibly manage our relationship. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement from Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on Announcement of New U.S.-China Initiatives Following Meeting with Vice Premier He Lifeng of the People's Republic of China U.S. Department of the Treasury April 6, 2024 GUANGZHOU -- Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen today released the following statement on the announcement of new initiatives following her meeting with Vice Premier He Lifeng of the People's Republic of China: "I have just concluded an extensive and productive two days of meetings in Guangzhou with Vice Premier He Lifeng of the People's Republic of China. After significant discussion with my counterpart, I am pleased that we have agreed to launch two significant new initiatives that will advance the interests of American workers and firms and help protect U.S. national security. First, we agreed that the U.S. and China will hold intensive exchanges on balanced growth in the domestic and global economies. These exchanges will facilitate a discussion around macroeconomic imbalances, including their connection to overcapacity, and I intend to use this opportunity to advocate for a level playing field for American workers and firms. I am particularly concerned about the impact of Chinese industrial overcapacity in certain sectors as a result of government support, and the impact it could have on the American economy. Last week, I visited Sunivaaa solar company in Georgia that was once forced to close down, like other companies across a number of industries, because it could not compete against large quantities of goods that China was exporting at artificially depressed prices. It's important that this doesn't happen again. These concerns are shared by our allies and partners, who see potential risks to their own domestic workers and firms. I firmly believe a shift away from policies that drive overcapacity would benefit the American, Chinese, and global economies. These exchanges on balanced growth in the domestic and global economies are key to allowing us to deepen our understanding of China's policies and continue to express our concerns, as I have done in my meetings with Vice Premier He. These discussions are critical to protecting American interests and to making further progress toward the healthy economic relationship the Vice Premier and I jointly seek. Second, we agreed that the U.S. and China will start Joint Treasury-PBOC Cooperation and Exchange on Anti-Money Laundering to expand cooperation against illicit finance and financial crime. Around the world, fraudsters, drug traffickers, and other criminal organizations and individuals identify and exploit loopholes in the U.S. and Chinese financial systems to advance their illicit activities. This causes harm to Americans and to our country's national security, as well as to people and economies around the world. This new effort will enable the U.S. and China to share best practices and provide updates on the actions we are each taking to close loopholes in our respective financial systems. Since it is secrecy that enables criminals to flourish, our collaborative effort is a key step forward to advancing the security of Americans and protecting the integrity of two of the largest financial systems in the world. In addition, I welcome the announcement that the U.S. and China will continue holding technical exchanges on financial issues, including upcoming ones on operational resilience in the financial services sector and on financial stability implications from the insurance sector. I look forward to discussions on these and other topics with other senior government officials throughout my trip to China and to future engagements with the Vice Premier in the coming months to advance American economic priorities." ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address READOUT: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen's Bilateral Meetings with Vice Premier He Lifeng of the People's Republic of China in Guangzhou, China U.S. Department of the Treasury April 6, 2024 GUANGZHOU -- U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen met on April 5-6 with Vice Premier HeA LifengA of theA People's Republic of China in Guangzhou, China. A Secretary Yellen and Vice Premier He had frank and productive discussions on the U.S.-China bilateralA economicA relationship and a wide range of issues. Secretary Yellen noted areas of cooperation and directly raised issues of concern. Secretary Yellen and Vice Premier He opened discussions with an exchange of views on domestic and global macroeconomic and financial developments. Secretary Yellen explained that the U.S. economy remains resilientA and has been a key driver of global growth.A She acknowledged significant headwinds and risks to the global economy, including theA need forA RussiaA to end itsA illegal war against Ukraine. The two sides also discussed the outlook for the Chinese economy and financial developments. Secretary Yellen reaffirmed with Vice Premier He the important foundations of the U.S.-China economic relationshipA that the two sides agreed to in November, including the need to intensify communication, the shared objective of a healthy economic relationshipA that providesA a level playing field, and a commitment to work together on shared challenges, including climateA financeA and debt issues in low-income and emerging economies. After extendedA andA substantive discussions, Secretary Yellen and Vice Premier He announced twoA significant new initiatives that theA U.S. and ChinaA will launchA on economic issues: Exchange onA Balanced Growth in the Domestic and Global Economies: Co-led by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and China's Ministry of Finance under the framework of the Economic Working Group, the United States and China have agreed to hold intensive exchanges on balanced growth in the domestic and global economies. In these discussions, the two sides will discuss more balanced economic growth and its importance to the world economy, including issues like domestic demand, investment policies, aging populations, fiscal issues, and related policies.A Joint Treasury-PBOC CooperationA and ExchangeA on Anti-Money Laundering: The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the People's Bank of China have agreed to start an exchange under the framework of the Financial Working Group to cooperate on our shared priority of combatting money laundering in our respective financial systems. This exchange will enable economic officials and experts from the U.S. and China to regularly share best practices and updates about our efforts to combat illicit finance, including efforts to close gaps in the U.S. and Chinese financial regulatory systems. This effort will help close off financing avenues for criminal organizations, including drug traffickers, human traffickers, and fraudsters. The first such exchange will be held in the coming weeks during the fourth Financial Working Group meeting.A A In addition, the U.S. and China agreed to continue holding technical exchanges on financial issues, including upcoming ones on operational resilience in the financial services sector and on financial stability implications from the insurance sector. Secretary Yellen also expressed appreciation for the progress made on conversations around sustainable finance.A Secretary Yellen also raised concerns regarding the breadth andA scaleA of China's non-market policies and practicesA and their impact on U.S. workers and firms. She notedA signs of increasing overcapacity in certain sectors of the Chinese economyA andA urged action to addressA the concerns.A Secretary Yellen and Vice Premier He also discussed recent national security actions. Secretary YellenA emphasized that companies, including those in the PRC,A must not provide material support for Russia'sA war against Ukraine, including support to the RussianA defense industrial base, and the significant consequences if they do so.A SheA underscored that U.S. national security actions in the economic sphere are predicated on clearly defined national security concerns, narrowly scoped, and transparentlyA implemented.A She also underscored that the United States is not seeking to decouple from China.A The meetings build on progress made by President Biden and President Xi at the Woodside Summit last NovemberA and Secretary Yellen's previous meetings with Vice Premier He. A Both sides agreed to keep in close contact and to continue progress through the Economic Working Group and Financial Working Group, which have met three times since their establishment last fall. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, China discuss economic issues on Yellen's China tour By William Yang April 06, 2024 The United States and China have agreed to hold talks and create two economic groups focused on a wide range of issues a including addressing American complaints about China's economic model, growth in domestic and global economies and efforts against money laundering a according to a statement released Saturday by the U.S. Treasury Department. The agreement comes on the second day of an official visit to China by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, during which she has urged Chinese leaders to change their domestic manufacturing policies. The two sides are set to hold "intensive exchanges" on cultivating more balanced economic growth and combating money laundering. Yellen said the efforts would establish a structure for Beijing and Washington to exchange views and address Chinese industrial overcapacity, its ability to supply more product than is demanded. "I think the Chinese realize how concerned we are about the implications of their industrial strategy for the United States, for the potential to flood our markets with exports that make it difficult for American firms to compete," she told journalists after the announcement Saturday. Yellen was en route to Beijing after beginning her five-day visit in the southern city of Guangzhou, which is a key manufacturing and export center for China. While the issue of China's industrial overcapacity will not be resolved instantly, Yellen said Chinese officials understand it's an "important issue" for Americans, adding that her exchanges with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will facilitate a discussion around macroeconomic imbalances and their connection to overcapacity. China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Chinese officials "comprehensively responded" to the issue of industrial overcapacity raised by the Americans. "Both sides agreed to continue to maintain communication," an official readout said. The announcement came a day after Yellen urged Beijing to reform its trade practices and create "a healthy economic relationship" with the U.S. It also follows Chinese state media's warning that Washington may consider rolling out more protectionist policies to shield U.S. companies." Some analysts say the announcement reflects Yellen's effort to push forward on collaboration in areas the U.S. and China agreed on during U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping's San Francisco summit last November. "When Xi met Biden in November, they agreed to set up working groups, so Yellen is continuing to push that forward with the meeting," Dexter Roberts, director of China affairs at the University of Montana's Mansfield Center, told VOA by phone. While he called the announcement a positive development, Roberts said he does not think Beijing and Washington will reach agreement on contentious trade issues during Yellen's trip. "There could be temporary things like China easing off on subsidizing electric vehicles a bit, but it's unclear how either side is going to change what's happening in a way that allows the tension over trade to lessen," he said. Beijing's displeasure While Washington highlighted threats posed by China's industrial overcapacity, Beijing focused on its concerns about U.S. export controls on Chinese companies during the meeting between Yellen and He. "The Chinese side expressed serious concerns over Washington's restrictive economic and trade measures against China," read the Chinese readout published by Xinhua. Some experts say the United States and China could make progress on U.S. export restrictions on Chinese companies. "Some U.S. businesses are calling for the government to remove some of the export restrictions, especially for chips [integrated circuits]," Victor Shih, director of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California in San Diego, told VOA by phone. Since China is either already making, or is on the cusp of making, some of the computer chips on the sanctions list, Shih said he thinks restricting U.S. companies from selling some of the chips to China will only hurt American interests. "It's really not hurting China that much," he said. In addition to U.S. controls on exports to Chinese entities, Shih said the other big topic Chinese officials are likely to raise in meetings with Yellen is potential tariffs Washington may impose on Chinese products. "Since China is the largest exporter in the world, it's not in its interest for there to be a lot of tariffs around the world, especially for major importers like the U.S.," he said, adding that talking to Washington about lowering tariffs and not enacting new ones will be an important agenda item for Beijing. While she has not explicitly promised to impose new sanctions on Chinese products, Yellen said she would not rule out the possibility of adopting more measures to safeguard the American supply chain for electric vehicles, batteries or solar panels from heavily subsidized Chinese green energy products. During a phone call Tuesday with Biden, Xi warned that if the United States is "adamant on containing China's high-tech development and depriving China of its legitimate right to development, China is not going to sit back and watch." Bilateral communication Despite persistent differences over contentious trade issues, Yellen and He underscored the importance for China and the U.S. to "properly respond to key concerns of the other side" to build a more cooperative economic relationship. "It also remains crucial for the two largest economies to seek progress on global challenges like climate change and debt distress in emerging markets in developing countries, and to closely communicate on issues of concern such as overcapacity and national security-related economic actions," Yellen said Friday. Based on Yellen and He's comments and signals from the Biden-Xi call Tuesday, some analysts say the U.S. and China will continue to put guard rails around the bilateral relationship to prevent it from further deteriorating. "The two sides have come to the realization that they will have to live together, perhaps uncomfortably at times," said Zhiqun Zhu, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at Bucknell University. While the relationship will remain highly competitive, Zhu said he thinks Beijing and Washington will "stay engaged and seek cooperation in areas of common interest." "Maintaining stability is the priority for both Xi and Biden now," he said. Yellen is scheduled to have meetings with other senior officials Sunday and Monday in Beijing. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address READOUT: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen's Meeting with Beijing Mayor Yin Yong of the People's Republic of China U.S. Department of the Treasury April 7, 2024 BEIJING -- Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen today met with Beijing Mayor Yin Yong of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Secretary Yellen discussed Beijing's unique role within China's economy, Mayor Yin's outlook for Beijing's economy, and his previous roles at the People's Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. Secretary Yellen expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about Beijing's cultural and economic significance. She emphasized that the United States seeks a healthy economic relationship with China that benefits both countries over time. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gunmen Kill 3 Police In Separate Incidents In Northwestern Pakistan By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal April 06, 2024 Three police officers were killed in two separate incidents in Pakistan's restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, police said on April 6. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police said on X, formerly Twitter, that militants fired at a police vehicle late on April 5 in the Lakki Marwat district, killing Gul Muhammad Khan, a deputy superintendent, and police officer Naseem Gul, who was sitting with Khan in the vehicle. Heavy police reinforcements arrived at the scene, but the assailants fled. Officials said a search for the gunman was under way. According to the police, the other incident happened on April 5 in South Waziristan when militants fatally shot the policeman guarding a polio vaccination group. The head of police station in Wana, Allah Nawaz Wazir, told RFE/RL that armed men on motorcycles stopped the polio vaccination workers and told the guard to drop his weapon. According to him, when he refused, the gunmen started shooting. Police officials say that they have filed a case against the unknown assailants and have started investigating. No one has declared responsibility for either incident. Health workers distributing the polio vaccine and the security forces assigned to protect them have been targeted in the past by Islamist extremists who falsely assert that immunization campaigns are Western plots to sterilize Muslim children. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province borders Afghanistan and has borne the brunt of militant violence since the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the central government in November 2022. The province is a former stronghold of the TTP and is allied with the Afghan Taliban. Since late 2022 dozens of police and civilians have been killed in attacks in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Lakki Marwat. Residents of those districts have complained about the security situation for a long time. But the district police say security has improved and with the help of the public, the police force has continued to take measures against armed and criminal groups and are committed to security in the area. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-police- attacks-khyber-pakhtunkhwa/32894023.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Another Tajik Arrested Over Moscow Concert Hall Attack; 11 Detained In All By RFE/RL April 06, 2024 A Moscow court ordered the arrest of a Tajik man in connection with last month's terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall, bringing the total number of people detained in the investigation to 11. The Basmanny district court ordered Sharifzoda Zoir to remain in pretrial detention until May 22, accusing him of an unspecified terrorist act. The court released no further information in its April 5 press statement. Photographs and video released by the court showed Zoir seated in a courtroom glass cage as the detention ordered was issued. Zoir is the 11th person either arrested or detained on suspicion of involvement in the March 22 attack in which more than 144 were killed. Four ethnic Tajiks have been accused of entering the venue just before a concert was due to begin, shooting people indiscriminately, then setting fire to the facility. Of the 11 men in custody, 10 are Tajik; one is reported to be a Kyrgyz-born Uzbek man who has Russian citizenship. Aside from the alleged attackers, those detained have been accused of providing the getaway car, or an apartment, or transferring money. Dozens of people remain unaccounted for, leading to speculation that the death toll could be significantly higher. Scores of people have been hospitalized. It was Russia's worst terrorist attack in two decades. An offshoot of the Islamic State extremist group has claimed responsibility for the attack; Tajik authorities have been interrogating a growing number of people, mainly relatives of the suspected attackers, in connection with the investigation. Still, the Kremlin has insisted without evidence that Ukraine, with the help of the United States, was responsible for the attack. Both Kyiv and Washington have dismissed the accusation. The attack was seen a major failure for Russia's security and intelligence services. The United States has said it gave specific information ahead of time, warning of a possible terrorist attack. Iran also reportedly provided a tip ahead of time. With reporting by RFE/RL's Tajik Service Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-crocus-suspect-arrest- tajikistan/32893638.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Exclusive: Russian company supplies military with microchips despite denials By Carla Babb April 06, 2024 Russian microchip company AO PKK Milandr continued to provide microchips to the Russian armed forces at least several months after Russia invaded Ukraine, despite public denials by company director Alexey Novoselov of any connection with Russia's military. A formal letter obtained by VOA dated February 10, 2023, shows a sale request for 4,080 military grade microchips for the Russian military. The sale request was addressed from a deputy commander of the 546 military representation of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the commercial director of Russian manufacturer NPO Poisk to Milandr CEO S.V. Tarasenko for delivery by April 2023, more than a year into the war. The letter instructs Milandr to provide three types of microchip components to NPO Poisk, a well-established Russian defense manufacturer that makes detonators for weapons used by the Russian Armed Forces. "Each of these three circuits that you have in the table on the document, each one of them is classed as a military-grade component a and each of these is manufactured specifically by Milandr," said Denys Karlovskyi, a research fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies. VOA shared the document with him to confirm its authenticity. In addition to Milandr CEO Tarasenko, the letter is addressed to a commander of the Russian Defense Ministry's 514 military representation of the Russian Ministry of Defense named I.A. Shvid. Karlovskyi says this inclusion shows that Milandr, like Poisk, appears to have a Russian commander from the Defense Ministry's oversight unit assigned to it a a clear indicator that a company is part of Russia's defense industry. Milandr, headquartered near Moscow in an area known as "Soviet Silicon Valley," was sanctioned by the United States in November 2022, for its illegal procurement of microelectronic components using front companies. In the statement announcing the 2022 sanctions against Milandr and more than three dozen other entities and individuals, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, "The United States will continue to expose and disrupt the Kremlin's military supply chains and deny Russia the equipment and technology it needs to wage its illegal war against Ukraine." Karlovskyi said that in Russia's database of public contracts, Milandr is listed in more than 500 contracts, supplying numerous state-owned and military-grade enterprises, including Ural Optical Mechanical Plant, Concern Avtomatika and Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant, or IEMZ Kupol, which also have been sanctioned by the United States. "It clearly suggests that this entity is a crucial node in Russia's military supply chain," Karlovskyi told VOA. Novoselov, Milandr's current director, told Bloomberg News last August that he was not aware of any connections to the Russian military. "I don't know any military persons who would be interested in our product," he told Bloomberg in a phone interview, adding that the company mostly produces electric power meters. The U.S. allegations are "like a fantasy," he said. "The United States' State Department, they suppose that every electronics business in Russia is focused on the military. I think that is funny." But a U.S. defense official told VOA that helping Russia's military kill tens of thousands of people in an illegal invasion "is no laughing matter." "The company is fueling microchips for missiles and heavily armored vehicles that are used to continue the war in Ukraine," said the defense official, who spoke to VOA on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivities of discussing U.S. intelligence. Milandr's co-founder Mikhail Pavlyuk was also sanctioned during the summer of 2022 for his involvement in microchip smuggling operations and was caught stealing from Milandr. Pavlyuk fled Russia and has claimed he was not involved. Officials estimate that 500,000 Ukrainian and Russian troops have been killed or injured in the war, with tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians killed in the fighting. "There are consequences to their actions, and the U.S. will persist to expose and disrupt the Kremlin's supply chain," the U.S. defense official said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskiy Says More Soldiers, Equipment Needed To Disrupt Russian Offensive By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 06, 2024 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukraine should prepare "significant personnel," including reserves, to disrupt Russia's latest offensive operations in the war. The situation at the front is "difficult, but stabilized" at the moment, Zelenskiy said, speaking in an interview that aired on April 6 on Ukrainian television. But Ukraine needs to prepare a significant number of personnel in order to thwart Russia's actions, he said. Brigades to replace those fighting now "must be prepared," he said, adding that means that a large volume of reserves must be prepared. "The reserve is not just made up of young men and women, but of people with experience who have undergone combat training and have combat experience," Zelenskiy said. The vast majority of hostilities are taking place in the east of Ukraine in different areas, not just the city of Avdiyivka in the Donetsk region, which Ukrainian forces withdrew from two months ago, he said. And wherever Russian forces advance they are pushed back, while the Ukrainian military also makes progress and "taking steps forward." He said the situation had stabilized, according to the military with which he said he was "in daily contact." According to an assessment of the General Staff of the Ukrainian military issued early on April 6, 80 combat clashes took place at the front over the previous day, and Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks in six areas. Zelenskiy's interview aired hours after Russian drones hit Kharkiv, killing at least seven people and wounding 10, officials said. Ukraine's second-largest city has experienced a series of increasingly frequent attacks. Analysts at the U.S. Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggested on April 4 that Russian forces may be increasing the overall pace of their offensive operations. The ISW noted that the intensification of Russian mechanized offensive operations generally occurs simultaneously with the intensification of strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities. Zelenskiy also repeated Ukraine's appeal for Patriot air-defense systems, warning that Ukraine could run out of missiles used to defend against Russian air strikes on energy system, towns, and cities. "If they keep hitting (Ukraine) every day the way they have for the last month, we might run out of missiles, and the partners know it," Zelenskiy said. Ukraine has enough air-defense stockpiles to cope for the moment, but it is already having to make difficult choices about where to use them and what to protect, he said. Ukraine has specifically cited the need for Patriot systems in recent weeks. The sophisticated U.S.-made system has been used to protect against Russian attacks with ballistic and hypersonic missiles. The Ukrainian president also said his country would agree to a U.S. aid package in the form of a loan. "We will agree to any options," he said, adding that the key thing was that the aid arrived "the sooner, the better." A supplementary spending bill that allocates some $60 billion in aid to Ukraine has stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a slim majority, including some members who want Congress to prioritize border security over international military aid. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-more-needed- russian-offensive/32894011.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At Least 7 Dead In Eastern Ukraine In Drone Attack By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 06, 2024 Russian drones hit Kharkiv overnight, killing at least seven people and wounding 10, officials said, in the latest in a series of increasingly frequent attacks on Ukraine's second-largest city. The April 6 attack, which occurred around midnight local time, added further to speculation that Russian commanders may be gearing up for an offensive in the coming months to try and capture the city. Two days earlier, a Russian drone attack killed four people, including three emergency workers who were hit as they responded to an earlier strike. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the Iranian-made drones hit at least nine high-rise buildings, three dormitories and a gas station. "As of this morning, there are 6 dead and 10 wounded as a result of the night strike on Shevchenkivskiy district," Terekhov said on Telegram. The strike occurred just after midnight. A new attack took place later on April 6 and Terekhov said at least one person was killed, bringing the total to seven. U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink wrote on X, formerly Twitter, about the first strike. "Overnight Russia launched another attack against Kharkiv -- Ukraine's 2nd largest city -- killing 6 civilians, injuring others & damaging homes & schools," she said. "There is not a second to lose to support Ukraine's fight to defend its people from such horrific and unprovoked attacks," she added. Photos released by police on Telegram showed several fires in civilian areas, including near a high-rise apartment building. Elsewhere, Ukraine's military said Russia had fired nearly three dozen drones, and a half-dozen cruise missiles launched from planes as well as a ship in the Black Sea. Kyiv claimed its air defenses destroyed 28 of the drones and three of the six missiles. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told the news outlet Politico that he saw Kharkiv as the most likely target for any new Russian offensive in May or June. A day earlier, at least four people were killed and 20 wounded after Russia fired five missiles at the southern city of Zaporizhzhya. Two journalists covering the aftermath of the strikes were among those wounded in the city, which is near the front line in the war with Russian forces. Ukraine claimed a major success on April 5, saying it damaged or destroyed Russian fighter bombers at a military airfield in Morozovsk in Russia's Rostov region. There was no independent corroboration of the claim; one prominent, closely watched Russian war blogger cast doubt on it. If true, the attack would be among Ukraine's most successful cross-border strikes. On the battlefield, Russian forces have made incremental gains and reportedly were on the verge of entering Chasiv Yar, a small city that sits astride a major east-west rail link. Russian war bloggers said troops entered the city's outskirts as of April 5, a claim that could not be immediately verified. Ukrainian officials have denied that Russian troops had entered the city. Ukraine's commander in chief, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, said on April 6 that the Chasiv Yar situation was "particularly difficult" but insisted that Ukrainian defenses were still holding. Russian troops have been targeting the city after pushing west out of the industrial city of Avdiyivka, which they captured in mid-February after a costly, monthslong campaign. Capturing Chasiv Yar, which is located on relative high ground, would allow Russian forces to threaten another railway town, Kostyantynivka, and potentially threaten larger, more strategic cities further north, like Kramatorsk or Slovyansk. Ukrainian forces have been rushing to build trench lines and fortify defenses to slow the Russian westward advances. Ukrainian and Western observers say Russian forces are suffering major losses of troops and equipment, but continue to grind down smaller, depleted Ukrainian units. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia- kharkiv-targetted/32893627.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address TOKYO, Apr 08 (News On Japan) - Cruise vacations aboard large ships touring various locales in Japan are gaining popularity. What was once considered a luxurious form of travel is now attracting not only Japanese but also foreigners due to its affordable rates. The allure of cruising has reached new heights worldwide, with Japan becoming a coveted destination. Onboard the Diamond Princess, a vessel synonymous with luxury, passengers are welcomed with live violin music upon departure. As the ship, towering equivalent to an 18-story building, narrowly passes under the Yokohama Bay Bridge, cheers erupt from the top deck. Launched in 2004 as Japan's largest built passenger ship, the Diamond Princess had halted its international cruise operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at one point reducing its operations to zero. However, bookings in 2024 have surged to a 95% reservation rate, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, with cruises filled almost to capacity until this summer. The ship, capable of accommodating up to 2,706 guests, features eight restaurants, pools, theaters, bars, and even a casino, resembling a town unto itself. This particular journey spans 11 days around Kyushu and Korea, docking at seven ports along the way. With prices starting from 187,000 yen, including meals, transportation, and accommodation, guests can enjoy the ship's facilities and events for around 10,000 yen per night. The ship's diverse attractions and events, from dance classes to shows, are all included in the trip cost, providing a unique value proposition. Moreover, the captain's welcome party, complete with a grand champagne tower, adds a touch of formality to the enjoyment. A significant aspect of cruise travel is the ease of interacting with a global clientele. Diamond Princess hosts numerous events that allow guests to immerse themselves in Japanese culture, from kimono dressing sessions conducted by volunteers among the passengers to bond dance tutorials, enriching the cruise experience with cultural exchange. However, long voyages are not without their issues. Staff are equipped to handle various challenges, including Wi-Fi outages, with multilingual support ensuring a smooth resolution for all guests. As the 11-day cruise concludes at Yokohama Port, some passengers are already booking their next adventure, citing the freedom and convenience of cruise travel as particularly appealing. Source: ANN Civilians, aid workers and first responders helping war-affected civilians must be protected UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR UKRAINE DENISE BROWN CONDEMNED THE ATTACKS IN KHARKIV AND ZAPORIZHZHIA Not a day passes by without strikes by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, crushing the lives of people across Ukraine. Yesterday and today, dozens of civilians in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia were, once again, killed or injured. And once again, first responders who rushed to help were also affected by a series of strikes. It is unacceptable that places which are designated to help people in need - centres where those who have fled their homes live and receive support, or offices of aid organizations - are hit, hampering access to humanitarian assistance for those who depend on it. I condemn this apparent pattern of continued attacks impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Civilians, aid workers and first responders helping war-affected civilians must be protected. International humanitarian law must be respected. 6 April 2024 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Shelling Kills 3 Civilians As Russia Launches Fresh Assaults, Kyiv Says By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 07, 2024 Three civilians were killed in a Russian assault on the frontline town of Hulyaypole in the southeastern Zaporizhzhya region on the morning of April 7, local authorities said, as Russia continues to target Ukrainian cities and villages with air strikes and artillery fire. "Two men and a woman died under the rubble of their own house, which was hit by a Russian shell," local Governor Ivan Fedorov said on the Telegram messaging app. Fedorov said another person was wounded when Russian forces shelled the town with a Grad multiple-rocket launcher. Russia fired 17 Shahed drones and 10 missiles, and carried out 88 air strikes overnight, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military said on April 7, adding that Ukrainian defense forces destroyed all 17 of the drones. The drones were shot down in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions. "At night the Russian occupiers attacked Ukraine once again, using 17 attack drones. The Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed all of them," the General Staff said on it daily update on Facebook. It said the drones were launched from the Russian-occupied Crimea and Luhansk regions. Ukrainian power grid operator Ukrenerho said Russian drones had damaged the company's high-voltage network facility in the Kharkiv region overnight and the system operator had to introduce some power cuts. Earlier on April 7, the Energy Ministry said that the the energy system, severely damaged by Russian strikes in recent weeks, was now almost completely stabilized. The ministry said in a statement that power exports were expected at 115 megawatt hours (MWh) on April 7 while imports could total 1,179 Mwh. Ukraine imported a record 18,649 MWh on March 26. Ukrainian drones, meanwhile, attacked the Russian-held Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant on April 7, damaging a truck parked near the station's canteen, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the plant authorities. There were no immediate reports of casualties. More than 100 Ukrainian villages came under Russian artillery fire in the Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, Mykolayiv, and Zaporizhzhya regions, according to the General Staff. The situation is "difficult and tense" around the frontline city of Chasiv Yar, where Russian units were "using infantry backed by armored fighting vehicles" and "warplanes" to attack the area, said Oleh Kalashnikov, spokesman for a Ukrainian Army brigade deployed in the area. "But all their attacks have been repelled. They are in retreat," Kalashnikov said. According to the General Staff's assessment, 57 combat clashes took place between Ukrainian troops and the invading Russian forces during the past day. Ukraine repelled 26 Russian attacks in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and also launched attacks on Russian positions in 14 areas, inflicting "losses in manpower and equipment," it said. According to the daily bulletin, Russian forces had suffered 820 casualties and also lost 17 tanks, 54 armored vehicles, and 54 artillery systems over the past day. The claims cannot be independently verified. The latest attacks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the situation at the front as "difficult, but stabilized," with the vast majority of the hostilities taking place in the east of the country. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drones- russia-shot-down/32894489.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We are looking for opportunities to provide Kharkiv with greater air defense - address by the President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 7 April 2024 - 20:42 Dear Ukrainians! Today's key points. The frontline and the defense of our cities. I was in touch all day with the military - with the Commander-in-Chief, the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Minister of Internal Affairs. We discussed the situation on the frontline and Russian attacks on our country. Special attention, of course, was paid to Kharkiv. The situation in the city is very tough, there is constant Russian terror, now with aerial bombardment virtually on a daily basis. We are looking for opportunities to give Kharkiv greater air defense, and this is a task for both the military and all diplomats of Ukraine - for everyone who is responsible for international communication, who has to be in dialogue with partners on a daily basis. It is quite obvious that the air defense capabilities available to us in Ukraine are not enough, and this is obvious to all our partners as well. And the world must finally hear the pain that Russian terrorists are inflicting on Kharkiv, on Kupyansk, on cities in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy regions, and many other Ukrainian communities... There are air defense systems in the world that can help. The only thing needed is the political will to transfer these systems to Ukraine. I am grateful to those countries that have already helped. And being active in fulfilling this task is the personal responsibility of our diplomats who work in the areas and countries where the necessary systems are available. Patriots should now be deployed in Ukraine, so that later on they will not have to be used at least along the entire eastern flank of NATO. Second. We are already actively preparing our international activities for the coming weeks and months. In particular, we are planning the annual summit of the Ukrainian charity platform United24. I spoke with United24 ambassadors. I thanked them for their activity, both now and last year. Now everyone sees that much more personal energy and much more effort is needed to keep the Ukrainian issue in the focus of global attention alongside many other problems and conflicts. This is not an easy year. A year of elections in different countries and in the European Union. Conflicts and instability keep spreading around the world - in particular due to Russian investments in violence. And I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine after these years of war. I am grateful to everyone who believes in us and helps us. Ukraine has every opportunity to achieve its goals. The key is to stay united with everyone in the world who values life - life safe from terror. And third. Our warriors, our brigades. Our gratitude to everyone who is now in combat, who is on the frontline, who is defending Ukraine from Russian evil with their courage. The 35th separate marine brigade operating in the Prydniprovya direction. Thank you guys! Pokrovsk direction - the 71st separate jaeger brigade and the 47th separate mechanized brigade. Thank you! Lyman direction - the 95th separate air assault brigade. Well done! Kupyansk direction - the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade. Thank you! Thank you to everyone who gives Ukraine the opportunity to stand up to terror, the opportunity to protect Ukrainian lives. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine denies Russian claim it struck Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant By VOA News April 07, 2024 Kyiv dismissed Russian claims that Ukraine was behind the drone attacks Sunday on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear station, that injured three people, one of them seriously. "Ukraine is not involved in any kind of armed provocations on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant illegally occupied by Russia," Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence, told Ukrainian reporters. "Russian strikes, including imitation ones, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant ... have long been a well-known criminal practice of the invaders," he said on the messaging app Telegram. Earlier Sunday, Russia accused Ukraine of striking various sites of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear station, including the dome of an inactive reactor Sunday injuring the three staff members. Zaporizhzhia is Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom called the series of attacks on the plant "unprecedented." Plant officials informed the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, of the attack, U.N. nuclear watchdog officials said on X, formerly Twitter. The plant came under Russian control shortly after the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022. "IAEA experts have been informed by ZNPP that a drone detonated on site today. Such detonation is consistent with IAEA observations," the agency posted on X. Nuclear safety was not compromised, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on the social media platform X, but IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned both sides that striking the plant could eventually "jeopardize nuclear safety." The facility is near combat zones, and both Ukraine and Russia have often blamed each other for attacking the plant, risking a possible nuclear disaster. The Reuters news agency could not verify battlefield reports from either side. Meanwhile, three people were killed Sunday in Russian shelling on the front-line village of Huliaipole, in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. "Two men and a woman died under the rubble of their own house, in Russian shelling," the region's local governor, Ivan Fedorov, said on Telegram. One more person was injured, he said. Reuters could not independently verify that report either. In his nightly video address, Sunday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called once again for more air defense systems such Patriot missiles, surface-to-air missiles that can intercept air attacks. Zelenskyy said, the recent spate of Russian airstrikes on cities such as Kharkiv, Kupyansk, as well as cities in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy regions and elsewhere, highlights Ukraine's need for more air defense systems. "The only thing needed is the political will to transfer these systems to Ukraine. I am grateful to those countries that have already helped," he said. Peace summit Zelenskyy expressed hopes Sunday, that he and Swiss President Viola Amherd will schedule, within the next few days, a date for a world peace summit on the war in Ukraine, that will take place in Switzerland. "We expect to have 80 to 100 countries." He added, "This is the number of countries, I believe, that will be able to at least try to force Russia to a fair peace." Russia has pointed out that such a summit would be fruitless if it is not invited to be at the negotiating table. Russia says that any peace in Ukraine would have to acknowledge Moscow's control of about one-fifth of Ukraine and include a broader agreement on European security. Ukraine says it will not rest until every Russian soldier withdraws from its territory. Fighting around Chasiv Yar A spokesperson for a Ukrainian artillery brigade Sunday described the fighting around eastern Ukraine's front-line city of Chasiv Yar as "difficult end tense," but added that the Russian troops were now "in retreat." The Russian army was "using infantry backed by armored fighting vehicles," and "warplanes," Oleg Kalashnikov said during an interview on Ukrainian television. "But all their attacks have been repelled. They are in retreat," he added. Kalashnikov, a spokesperson for an army brigade deployed in the area, stressed Sunday the strategic importance of Chasiv Yar. If Russian forces take the devastated town of Chasiv Yar, where 770 people remain out of a pre-invasion population of 13,000, they will be able to advance to other towns other Ukrainian towns in the Donetsk region, he said. Chasiv Yar sits on a hill west of the ruined Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut. Some information for this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WIRRAL, UK, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WIRRAL, UKApril 8, 2024LDRA, the leader in automated software verification, traceability and standards compliance, today launched domain-specific software productivity packages for the LDRA tool suite:. These packages replace the cost and complexity of running different traceability, software analysis and compliance reporting point solutions with a single, streamlined workflow for functional safety and security standards across embedded industries such as aerospace and defense, automotive, industrial controls, rail transportation, energy, consumer devices and medical devices. The conventional approach to acquiring verification and validation tools can be expensive, time-consuming, and often underutilized, no matter the industry. Embedded software developers must identify the appropriate tools for the tasks at hand, such as analyzing and testing software, providing traceability between development artifacts and generating documentation and compliance reports. These tools often come from different vendors, requiring developers to integrate the tools with each other and in their own development environment. LDRAs new productivity packages provide all the necessary software tools to demonstrate compliance with each industrys highest required assurance levels. With compliance costs and software complexity rising, development teams can no longer afford to procure, manage and maintain independent, disconnected tools, said Ian Hennell, Operations Director, LDRA. Our domain-specific productivity packages provide customized, bundled solutions that allow companies to swiftly meet the stringent certification requirements of myriad industries and manage costs with affordable pricing and efficient tool utilization. Packages deliver industry-specific value Backed by over 45 years of experience providing critical software capabilities through the LDRA tool suite, each productivity package encompasses a set number of tool capabilities that align with the certification standards of specific industries. The focus is on delivering industry-specific value, ensuring quality, functional safety and security compliance, and granting clients, no matter their size, the flexibility to choose a package that best suits their unique needs. The LDRA Productivity Packages offer capabilities ranging from static and dynamic analysis with unit and integration testing to complete compliance reporting for specific industry standards and assurance levels. Functional safety and security are fundamental to each of the productivity packages and include capabilities such as coding standards compliance, security assessments, automatic test case generation, execution, artifact generation and compliance reporting. These productivity packages also offer add-in products to address the unique demands of each of the industries, applications and required integrations. Weve strategically crafted these packages to support large-scale industry demands and the focused requirements of start-ups and small-to-medium-size companies that need tailored solutions fitting growth-scale budget constraints, Hennel added. These entities can now have all the necessary software tools to demonstrate compliance with even the highest levels of requirements assurance. See the new Productivity Packages at Embedded World LDRA will showcase its new Productivity Packages in booth 4-406 at Embedded World in Nuremberg on April 9-11. Additional information about how the LDRA tool suite helps software development teams can be found at https://ldra.com/ . About LDRA For more than 45 years, LDRA has developed and driven the market for software that automates code analysis and software testing for safety-, mission-, security-, and business-critical markets. Working with clients to achieve early error identification and elimination and full compliance with industry standards, LDRA traces requirements through static and dynamic analysis to unit testing and verification for a wide variety of hardware and software platforms. Boasting a worldwide presence, LDRA has headquarters in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and India coupled with an extensive distributor network. For more information on the LDRA tool suite, please visit www.ldra.com. Please send reader enquiries to: Mark James Email: mark.james@ldra.com # # # The proposed acquisition of Eczacbas-Monrol will: Build on existing partnership in Lu-177 creating a leading manufacturer of the isotope Add 12 PET sites to Curiums existing network in geographies where Curium is not present today Add SPECT manufacturing capabilities and extensive logistics infrastructure to Curium Benefit patients with strengthened reliability for diagnostic and therapeutic solutions PARIS, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Curium, a world leader in nuclear medicine, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Eczacbas Holding and Bozlu Group for the acquisition of Eczacbas-Monrol Nuclear Product Co. (Monrol), a dedicated specialist in nuclear medicine. The acquisition is expected to bring together highly complementary geographical footprints, lutetium-177 (Lu-177) capabilities, and PET & SPECT nuclear medicine infrastructure, as well as facilitate the development of cutting-edge radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals pipelines for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Importantly, the acquisition will add significant Lu-177 manufacturing capacity to Curium to meet the growing demand for Lu-177 around the world for the benefit of more than 100,000 critically ill patients worldwide over the next five years. It will expand Curiums PET footprint of 34 sites in Western Europe and Asia with the addition of 12 owned and partnered sites in Eastern Europe and MENA regions. In addition, Eczacbas-Monrols manufacturing and logistics infrastructure in Istanbul, Turkey, will add significant scale to Curiums vertically integrated production and distribution capabilities. Mr. Chaitanya Tatineni, Curiums CEO International Markets commented: We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement for the acquisition of Eczacbas-Monrol building on our existing strong partnership and the commitment of both companies to transform the lives of patients around the world. Eczacbas-Monrols complementary PET network, Lu-177 capacity, extensive manufacturing and logistics infrastructure, and location as a global distribution hub offers significant benefits for patients requiring life-changing diagnostic and therapeutic solutions once the transaction is completed. Mr. Aydin Kucuk General Manager of Eczacbas-Monrol added: Building on our existing two-year Lu-177 partnership, todays announcement is a natural evolution of the collaboration between our two companies. We are excited about the benefits of integrating with Curiums global footprint, product portfolio, and innovations in theranostics for the millions of patients that we serve. Mr. Emin Fadlloglu, CEO of Eczacbas Healthcare Group added: I am extremely proud of what Eczacbas-Monrols teams have achieved in developing new technology platforms, expanding the PET network, developing SPECT capabilities, and serving patients. The partnership of Curium and Eczacbas-Monrol will strengthen their future ambitions. The completion of this transaction is contingent upon meeting customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Eczacbas Holding and Curium are fully committed to navigating through this process efficiently and expect to finalize the transaction in due course. The Parties expect to be able to close this transaction once the customary regulatory approvals will have been obtained. About Curium Curium is a world leader in nuclear medicine. We develop, manufacture, and distribute world-class radiopharmaceutical products to help patients around the globe. Our proven heritage combined with a pioneering approach are the hallmarks to deliver innovation, excellence, and unparalleled service. With manufacturing facilities across Europe and the United States, Curium delivers SPECT, PET and therapeutic radiopharmaceutical solutions for life-threatening diseases to over 14 million patients annually. The name Curium honors the legacy of pioneering radioactive materials researchers Marie and Pierre Curie, after whom the radioactive element curium was named and emphasizes our focus on nuclear medicine. To learn more, visit www.curiumpharma.com For more information: Ben Valdimarsson Reputation Inc Mob: +44 (0)788 9805930 Email: bavldimarsson@reputation-inc.com Ross Bethell VP, Head of Global Communications Email: communications@curiumpharma.com About Eczacbas-Monrol Headquartered in Istanbul, Monrol is a nuclear medicine company leading innovation for the development and manufacturing of GMP grade radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals, Monrol distributes its world-class radiopharmaceutical products portfolio in global markets. As both a CMO and CDMO, Monrol provides early development support to customers and offers fully integrated services for nimble, lean, virtual companies taking new product concepts into clinical trials, demonstrating proof of concept, and going into first-in-human studies. Monrol is committed to transform and improve patient journey in cancer treatment through a portfolio of radiopharmaceutical products that it distributes to more than 70 countries around the globe. To learn more, visit www.monrol.com. Dublin, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Mobility and the Employment of Overseas Nationals Training Course" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This intensive training programme covers everything the in house lawyer needs to know when considering the employment of overseas nationals, including the risks involved and best practice. This one-day event will cover the most relevant, and fast changing, topics in the world of immigration with a focus on the UK. From the impact of Brexit, to the seismic shifts in working practices caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, this session will ensure you are fully up to date. The law and best practice around global mobility and the employment of overseas nationals is a fast-moving area. Are you aware of the latest changes and how they can impact your business? Prevention of illegal working This session will cover a detailed look at the rules and policies around the prevention of illegal working policies, including the new (and soon to be mandatory) online verification procedure, the proposed changes in right to work verification for settled individuals and British citizens, and the implications of the Covid-19 concessions. Whilst many businesses believe they are compliant, this is actually rarely the case due to the frequent changes introduced. Immigration compliance and discrimination This session will show you how to ensure you remain compliant with your obligations under immigration rules and policies, whilst also ensuring you remain compliant with employment law and the avoidance of discrimination to ensure inclusivity. Global flexible working With an increased focus on agile working, which is often across country borders, many employers are not aware of the full implications of this. This session will therefore look to provide a high level overview of all the risks when faced with cross border flexible working, including the immigration, tax, employment, health and safety and data security considerations. Immigration options This session will provide an overview of all UK immigration options for non-settled individuals looking to live lawfully in the UK for the purposes of work. It will cover all the primary routes employers should be aware of when looking to recruit an individual from overseas, and help them decide the most appropriate way forward. Who Should Attend: This event is primarily aimed at in-house lawyers but it will also be of interest and value to HR personnel and people managers looking to recruit overseas nationals. Why you should attend? Get to grips with the latest updates in immigration best practice Understand the risks involved in getting it wrong and what that could mean for your business Examine the primary recruitment routes available to employers Clarify the processes you need to follow to remain compliant with employment law Expand your knowledge of discrimination law and how to ensure inclusivity Learn about agile working and the implications of cross border flexible working Certifications: CPD: 6 hours for your records Certificate of completion Speakers: Adam Sinfield Osborne Clarke Adam Sinfield, Immigration Director, UK at Osborne Clarke, is an experienced global mobility specialist, specialising in UK inbound immigration for fast growth corporates and high net worth individuals. With over 15 years' experience in advising clients on all aspects of UK and global migration matters. Gavin Jones Osborne Clarke Gavin Jones, Head of Immigration, UK at Osborne Clarke, has over 20 years' experience advising on both business and personal immigration issues. He leads the firm's immigration practice and has a well-regarded reputation in the industry. His legal expertise comprises all areas of UK business immigration acting for multi-nationals through to start-up companies and he has advised on the full extent of entry clearance applications, as well as personal applications for UK residency and nationality, settlements and citizenship and student applications. Helga Butler Osborne Clarke Helga Butler joined Osborne Clarke in January 2017 and has over twelve years' immigration experience. She has in-depth knowledge and expertise comprising of UK business immigration and private immigration applications. For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/aycsyv 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. PITTSBURGH, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), a leader in advanced optical systems, announced today an agreement with the Space Foundation Discovery Center, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to provide on loan a demonstration mirror developed for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The JWST launched on December 25, 2021, after a 25-year construction project heralded as one of the most complex and ambitious projects in engineering and space exploration history. The telescope almost immediately revolutionized our understanding of the universe, much like the Hubble Space Telescope did, by providing unprecedented clarity and depth in its observations of the early universe, star and planet formation, and other key astronomical phenomena. Its observations are highly anticipated by the scientific community and are expected to yield groundbreaking discoveries in the years to come. The Space Foundation Discovery Center focuses on inspiring and educating individuals of all ages about space, science, and technology. Its mission is to serve as the leading advocate and gateway for lifelong education, trusted information, and collaboration for anyone interested in space exploration and industries influenced by space. This is achieved by advancing science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) in the context of space exploration, development, and utilization. The Discovery Center is currently nearing the completion of a renovation designed to improve visitor experience and add new exhibits, such as the JWST mirror. The hexagonal mirrors are not only a testament to the technological expertise behind the James Webb Space Telescope, but also a symbol of the collaborative spirit driving humanity's exploration of the universe, said Rachel English, Space Foundation Discovery Center senior curator. We are honored to have this piece on display where it will undoubtedly inspire curiosity and ignite imaginations of Discovery Center visitors for years to come. The JWST mirrors represent the most visible feature of the telescope. The 6.5 meter (21.3 feet) primary mirror is comprised of 18 hexagonal segments made from beryllium and coated in gold to maximize reflectivity in the infrared spectrum. The Coherent contribution to the mirror assembly consisted of the atomic engineering of the surface and applying advanced thin-film coatings to assure durability of the JWST hexagonal mirror segments, as well as the secondary, tertiary, and fine steering mirrors. The technology innovations necessary to complete the mirrors represent a series of engineering achievements that have crossed over to commercial markets, including the OLED display panel manufacturing for mobile devices. The iconic hexagonal segments that form the primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope comprise one of the highest performance of large-scale imaging optics used in space-based imaging, said Dr. Chris Koeppen, Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President of the Coherent Aerospace & Defense Business Unit. We are proud of our successful history in custom and large-format optics and in successfully supplying optical and thermoelectric solutions in over one hundred space missions. The JWST demonstration mirror will be transferred to the Discovery Center on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in a brief ceremony at the 39th Space Symposium. Attendees are invited to join Coherent and the Discovery Center representatives for this ceremony, which will take place at 4:00 p.m. MDT. About Coherent Coherent empowers market innovators to define the future through breakthrough technologies, from materials to systems. We deliver innovations that resonate with our customers in diversified applications for the industrial, communications, electronics, and instrumentation markets. Headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, Coherent has research and development, manufacturing, sales, service, and distribution facilities worldwide. For more information, please visit us at coherent.com. About Space Foundation Space Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983, offering information, education, and collaboration for the global space ecosystem. Driven by partnerships, Space Foundation unites the entire spectrum of stakeholdersbusiness, government, education, and local communitiesthrough support from corporate members, sponsors, fundraising, and grants. Visit Space Foundation at SpaceFoundation.org, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Contacts: Amy Wilson Manager, Corporate Communications corporate.communications@coherent.com Rich Cooper Vice President, Strategic Communications & Outreach Space Foundation (202) 596-0714 rcooper@spacefoundation.org Dottie ORourke TECHMarket Communications (650) 344-1260 SpaceFoundation@techmarket.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6b5720ff-6fb4-4e96-a081-7530f85bc6f1 TAMPA, Fla., April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AACSB International (AACSB)the worlds largest business education allianceannounces today its 2024 Class of Influential Leaders, a group of 22 AACSB-accredited business school faculty demonstrating impact through their research. Now in its ninth year, AACSBs Influential Leaders member spotlight program highlights the value that business schools bring to business and societywhether through the alumni who have used their business education to improve the industries and communities they serve, or the faculty leading positive impact through their research. All faculty from this years class are from one of AACSBs more than 1,000 accredited business schools worldwide. The 2024 honorees are advancing research in the areas of AI, healthcare, sustainability, finance, entrepreneurship, and more. The selected leaders exemplify the important role of business school faculty in developing new knowledge that provides timely and relevant solutions for business and societal challenges. These faculty changemakers are using their expertise to encourage environmental responsibility, improve healthcare outcomes, enable digital innovation, empower marginalized populations, and transform investment practices. The 2024 Influential Leaders demonstrate the potential of business school research to address some of todays most critical challenges, said Lily Bi, AACSB president and CEO. The knowledge theyre producing will help inform and create real change in the world. Each Influential Leader was nominated by their school, which shared inspiring research examples that demonstrate how the honoree leads in new knowledge creation, engages in timely solutions, and positively impacts business and society. Support for the 2024 Influential Leaders initiative is provided by Academic Partnerships. The unique stories of each honoree are available at aacsb.edu/influential-leaders. About AACSB Established in 1916, AACSB International (AACSB) is the worlds largest business education association, connecting business schools, business, and lifelong learners to create the next generation of great leaders. With members in over 100 countries and territories, AACSB elevates the quality and impact of business schools globally. Learn how AACSB and business schools from around the world are leading boldly in business education at aacsb.edu. Contact: Leah (Harms) McBride Public Relations Manager AACSB International MediaRelations@aacsb.edu A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/132ed6d1-5e2e-46a6-938f-3a66eb6e935f AI-Onboard Serves as the First Platform Partnership Between Infinite Reality and Vodafone Full Platform Expected to be Rolled Out Summer 2024 BARCELONA, Spain and LOS ANGELES, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Infinite Reality (iR), a global leader in artificial intelligence innovations and immersive virtual experiences, in partnership with telecommunications giant Vodafone, proudly showcased its groundbreaking automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) onboarding service, AI-Onboard, at the recent Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC) in Barcelona. The full service is expected to launch in the summer of 2024, marking the first stage of a strategic partnership between iR and Vodafone. Mobile World Congress, which ran from February 26-29, 2024, is an annual trade show and one of the worlds largest telecommunications, connectivity and technology events. MWC 2024 was attended by over 100,000 delegates, including the King of Spain, and served as a global platform for iR and Vodafone to unveil AI-Onboard. At the event, the AI-Onboard platform, built using capabilities from Vodafones new platform Pairpoint, was given its first look, captivating hundreds of daily visitors with its demo and its potential to transform the automotive retail landscape. As one of the 23 innovative divisions of Vodafone showcased at the event, Pairpoint stood out with its cutting-edge technology, setting a new benchmark for the industry and quickly became one of the highlights of the event. AI-Onboard introduced an exciting and immersive hybrid mixed reality and virtual reality experience demonstrating a variety of real-world scenarios where Pairpoint technology will become revolutionary. AI-Onboard leverages the latest in generative AI, augmented reality and virtual reality to provide an immersive and interactive experience that represents the future of customer engagement and retail. John Acunto, CEO of Infinite Reality, commented on the successful launch, The Mobile World Congress was an incredible stage to demonstrate the transformative power of AI immersive experiences in revolutionizing the buying and selling process. Pairpoint Technology was instrumental in bringing this vision to life, offering attendees a glimpse into the future of interactive and immersive retail. We are thrilled by the success of the event and look forward to continuing our innovative work with Vodafone. Jorge Bento, CEO of Pairpoint, also commented, This is just the beginning of our big journey. We need content, we need demonstrations, we need showrooms, and I want to bring Infinite Reality with us to wherever we are able to bring our technology. David Palmer, Chief Product Officer of Vodafone DAB, commented, We believe that AI-Onboard is an essential part of the future of products throughout virtual reality, mixed reality, and immersive experiences staffed by AI technology. Developed with our partners at iR, this virtual showroom technology is just one example of the use cases, industries and geographies we plan to rollout as part of our greater strategic partnership with iR. For more information about AI-Onboard and future collaborations between Infinite Reality and Vodafone, visit the websites of Infinite Reality and Vodafone. About Infinite Reality, Inc. Infinite Reality (iR) helps clients with audiences develop immersive experiences that convert those audiences into users. An iR powered virtual experience enables brands and creators to fully control the ways in which they commercialize their creations, distribute content, and communicate with their communities. With deep expertise in Hollywood production, iR develops world-class products and experiences that upend traditional, passive one-way viewership of events and static online retail transactions while shaping the future of audience engagement, brand loyalty, and fan commitment. The Services and Advisory teams manage, design, and oversee custom builds, leveraging the Technology teams platform development expertise. Infinite Realitys products are hardware agnostic, do not require any special equipment, and can be viewed and experienced on laptop, desktop, mobile phone, tablet, and Smart TV. iR Studios, one of the largest independent production studios in the country, works collaboratively with iRs expert Innovation team to develop proprietary technology for Metaverse creation and immersive experiences, including live event virtualization and remote collaboration tools, from their 150,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility. Visit theinfinitereality.com. About Vodafone Vodafone is the largest pan-European and African telecoms company. Our purpose is to connect for a better future by using technology to improve lives, digitalise critical sectors and enable inclusive and sustainable digital societies. We provide mobile and fixed services to over 300 million customers in 17 countries, partner with mobile networks in 46 more and are also a world leader in the Internet of Things (IoT), connecting over 167 million devices and platforms. With Vodacom Financial Services and M-Pesa, we have the largest financial technology platform in Africa, serving more than 71 million people across seven countries. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact to reach net zero emissions by 2040, while helping our customers reduce their own carbon emissions by 350 million tonnes by 2030. We are driving action to reduce device waste and achieve our target to reuse, resell or recycle 100% of our network waste by 2025. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com, follow us on Twitter at @VodafoneGroup or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone. Investor & Media Contacts: Brett Milotte, ICR Brett.Milotte@icrinc.com Company press@theinfinitereality.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e250e670-976c-4289-bbc3-fe13c83da0d3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/47318409-c6b3-47fc-8a88-ce7ffa61cb83 A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d805eef3-124f-4b40-ae52-cd9d3a9b30c9 Wakayama, Apr 08 (News On Japan) - A high school in Kushimoto Town, Wakayama Prefecture, known for its civilian rocket launch site, has inaugurated a new course specializing in space studies, holding an entrance ceremony for its first batch of students. The newly established 'Space Exploration Course' at Kushimoto Kozu High School focuses on space and rockets, offering students lessons from former JAXA employees on analyzing satellite data, among other subjects. With the presence of a civilian rocket launch site in the town, the introduction of the 'Space Exploration Course' at the high school aims to attract students nationwide, rejuvenating the town and aspiring to produce future astronauts. The seven incoming students attending the ceremony were full of anticipation. A new student from outside the prefecture expressed, "I'm excited to learn about space as part of the first cohort. I'm looking forward to enjoying the year and getting accustomed to Kushimoto." While primarily targeting students aiming for science and engineering universities, the course also seeks to cater to those interested in space-related tourism and other humanities fields. Source: ANN NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly two decades after launching as a custom software development partner delivering innovation to clients, Saritasa today unveiled a New Year brand refresh anchored by the overarching promise to serve as Builders of Better. In recent years, our client demographic has shifted from mainly startups to more established mid to large-sized businesses. With that, in addition to our core of web/app development, we have grown in the areas of design, user experience, and emerging technologies like Virtual and Augmented Reality, such as immersive training software for manufacturing and logistics companies, said Saritasa CEO Nik Froehlich. Our refreshed brand better communicates who we are today, what makes us unique, and how were positioned for the future. Froehlich led the year-long effort along with Saritasa Creative Director Drew Mehl, Marketing Director Konstantin Bukin, and Sales Administrator Sabrina Froehlich, shaped by feedback from clients and guided by tech marketing agency Binary Pulse. The refreshed Saritasa brand is grounded in a more defined purpose to empower businesses through technology and a detailed brand story about developing custom software solutions that simplify complex operations, create meaningful user experiences, and deliver scalable and enduring business value. Based on the pillars of purposeful innovation, results-based value, and earned trust, Saritasa is driven by three core principles: We believe in mutual success. We solve problems. We value partnerships over projects. To better embody these brand values, the Saritasa logo has been updated with fresh visual elements. The more clearly conjoined twin circles in its logo represent the harmonious unification of elements: challenges and solutions, process and integration, expertise and passion. Saritasas clients include innovative startups and large-scale enterprises across the U.S. They include industry-leading brands like iHeartRadio, BJ's Restaurants, Vance & Hines, and iWater. Its expertise in the design, development, and implementation of complex technologies, and its dedication to superior customer relations, have continuously earned the company market recognition, such as top rankings in Clutchs list of top custom software developers in Los Angeles and New York and Incs Annual Power Partners award. About Saritasa Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, Saritasa empowers global brands with innovative, customized solutions that fit their needs and support an ever-evolving technology ecosystem. Saritasa specializes in custom software development, mobile development, augmented reality and virtual reality development, IoT solutions, web, and database development, and DevOps. Founded in 2005, the Saritasa team employs over 200 employees and has delivered thousands of successful software, hardware, and mobile app projects to a range of clients across multiple industries. To learn more about the company, visit www.saritasa.com . Media Contact: Chelsea Freeman Firecracker PR Chelseaf@firecrackerpr.com (909) 573-7237 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/427edf65-ae6f-446b-a6be-c04c341266af Dublin, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Dark Spirits Market Report by Type (Whiskey, Rum, Brandy), Distribution Channel (On Trade, Off Trade), Application (Bars, Restaurants, Pubs, and Others), and Region 2024-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global dark spirits market size reached US$ 95.2 Billion in 2023. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach US$ 149.6 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2% during 2023-2032. Significant growth in the food and beverage industry across the globe is one of the key factors creating a positive outlook for the market. Moreover, the increasing preference for premium craft spirits, especially among the millennials, is providing a thrust to the market growth. Dark spirits are widely served across restaurants, hotels, bars and pubs and combined with exotic flavored juices and sparkling water to provide innovative experiences to the consumers. Additionally, the advent of online delivery services for alcohol is acting as another growth-inducing factor. Brands and retailers are participating in online promotional campaigns through social media platforms to increase the brand awareness among the consumers. Product manufacturers are also launching clean label dark spirits manufactured using organic, genetically modified organism (GMO)-free, additive-free and naturally sourced ingredients to meet the requirements of health-conscious consumers. Other factors, including significant growth in the spirit tourism industry, along with rising expenditure capacities of the consumers, are anticipated to drive the market toward growth. Key Market Segmentation The report provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global dark spirits market report, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2024-2032. The report has categorized the market based on type, distribution channel, application, and region. Breakup by Type: Whiskey Rum Brandy Breakup by Distribution Channel: On Trade Off Trade Breakup by Application: Bars Restaurants Pubs Others Breakup by Region: North America Asia-Pacific Europe Latin America Middle East and Africa Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. Bacardi Limited Brown-Forman Corporation Diageo plc Kirin Brewery Company Limited LT Group Inc. Pernod Ricard Remy Cointreau Suntory Holdings Limited (Kotobuki Realty Co. Ltd.) Key Questions Answered in This Report: 1. What was the size of the global dark spirits market in 2023? 2. What is the expected growth rate of the global dark spirits market during 2024-2032? 3. What are the key factors driving the global dark spirits market? 4. What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global dark spirits market? 5. What is the breakup of the global dark spirits market based on the type? 6. What is the breakup of the global dark spirits market based on the distribution channel? 7. What are the key regions in the global dark spirits market? 8. Who are the key players/companies in the global dark spirits market? Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 145 Forecast Period 2023-2032 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $95.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2032 $149.6 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.2% Regions Covered Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8lf4em About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Pinedale, Wyo., April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Animal welfare groups along with a steady stream of Wyoming residents who called them Friday, are expressing revulsion and outrage in the wake of news concerning a Wyoming man who ran over a wolf with his snowmobile, taped its mouth shut, tormented it, and paraded the injured animal around a local bar before finally taking it outback to kill it. Two groups, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, sent a letter to Sublette County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich and Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr, urging them to prosecute Cody Roberts of Daniel, Wyo., and seek felony-level penalties under the statute. The groups sent out a press release Friday and have been receiving a constant stream of calls from outraged Wyoming residents. Currently, Roberts, owner of C. Roberts Trucking, LLC, has faced only a $250 fine for possession of live wildlife. He has paid the fine, and his case is currently considered closed. The letter, signed by Scott Edwards, general counsel for Animal Wellness Action and the Center, reads in part: Roberts actions clearly warrant a punishment more severe than the $250 ticket he received for possession of live wildlifesuch an anemic response on the part of law enforcement will be seen by some as tacit approval of his crime and can only motivate other like-minded individuals driven by hatred of wolves to engage in similar, repugnant behavior. The letter cites Wyomings anti-animal cruelty law to encourage a more meaningful prosecution of Roberts, stating Article 10, section 6-3-1005(a)(ii) makes it a felony to 'knowingly, and with intent to cause death or undue suffering, beats with cruelty, tortures, torments or mutilates an animal.' The letter continues: While the term torment is not defined in the statute, dragging a wild animal into a bar with its mouth taped shut and subjecting it to the severe distress and anguish it must have suffered before being brought outside to be killed is a textbook example of torment. Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and who worked to make animal cruelty a felony in dozens of states and to make animal cruelty a federal felony, says that Cody should not escape prosecution under statutes designed specifically to address this sort of malicious crimes. The man who committed this atrocious act of animal cruelty cannot go without punishment under state or federal law, or both, Pacelle said. Running over and crushing an animal with a snowmobile, binding the battered and wounded animals mouth shut, and deciding to further torment the creature in front of an audience rather than putting him out of his misery is the textbook definition of malicious cruelty. A remorseless, cruel monster like this is a threat to other animals, and a threat to people. The law must speak. Violations of 6-3-1005 are a felony offense subject to up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000, punishments Roberts fully deserves given the sheer depravity and wanton disregard for common decency displayed by his actions. The complete letter may be viewed via this link. In addition to submitting the letter, the two groups are creating an online petition to compel the county officials to consider the felony charge of animal cruelty against Roberts. It will be available at www.animalwellnessaction.org and www.centerforahumaneeconomy.org Scott Beckstead, who teaches animal law and ethics at Willamette University College of Law says people who conduct this sort of vicious cruelty to animals pose a very real danger to people and animals. Wayne Pacelle and Scott Edwards are available for interview. Please contact Julie Marshall, Public Relations Director: 720-255-9831 or julie@centerforahumaneeconomy.org ABOUT Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state, and local levels that forbid cruelty to all animals. The group also works to enforce existing anti-cruelty and wildlife protection laws. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all. X: @AWAction_News. The Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty. The Center believes helping animals helps us all. X: @TheHumaneCenter. Attachment CHICAGO, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Landmarks Illinois, in partnership with Banterra Bank, has provided funding to two preservation efforts in Southern Illinois through the Preserve Southern Illinois Grant Program . The matching grants were awarded to Rendleman Orchards, Inc., in Alto Pass and Artspace 304 in Carbondale. Representatives from Landmarks Illinois and Banterra Bank will be in Alto Pass on Tuesday, April 9 and in Carbondale on Thursday, April 11 to present the recipients with their grant checks. Members of the public and press are welcome to attend the public events. Details on the check presentations and grant recipients are below. Migrant House, Rendleman Orchards, Inc. - Alto Pass Rendleman Orchards, nestled in the rolling hills of the Shawnee National Forest, has been in operation since the 1870s. The family farm contains original outbuildings like the former Migrant House that provided critical accommodations for those who worked on the farm during harvest seasons. The $2,500 grant through the Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois Grant Program will help Rendleman Orchards effort to restore the Migrant House, which is currently unhabitable so that it can feature pieces of the farms history to educate and inspire visitors. 607 S. Illinois Ave., Artspace 304 - Carbondale Artspace 304, a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the arts in Southern Illinois, is restoring a historic building at 607 S. Illinois Ave. in Carbondales downtown commercial district to serve as its secondary location for its programming. The new, interactive space will contain a gallery, artist studios and classrooms as well as a large retail area to sell locally made artwork. The organization will use the $2,500 grant through the Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois Grant Program to remove and replace an existing fence surrounding the buildings front patio to create a more welcoming entrance. Grant Check Presentations April 9 & 11 Landmarks Illinois and Banterra Bank will host check presentations with the recent grant recipients this week. A check presentation at Rendleman Orchards, Inc., 9680 IL Rt. 127 in Alto Pass, will take place on Tuesday, April 9 at 4 p.m. The Artspace 304 check presentation will take place Thursday, April 11 at 2:30 p.m. at 607 S. Illinois Ave. in Carbondale. About the grant program The Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois Grant Program provides monetary assistance to preserve or rehabilitate historic structures in downtowns and other commercial corridors of Southern Illinois to support economic development. Since 2022, the grant program has provided funding to preservation projects in the Southern Illinois communities of Elizabethtown, Golconda, Johnston City, Murphysboro and Sesser, in addition to the recent grant projects in Alto Pass and Carbondale. Visit our website to learn more. About Banterra Bank Founded in Southern Illinois, Banterra Bank approached Landmarks Illinois with the grant program concept, because they saw a need for preserving the regions historic downtown buildings and supporting small business development in the area. Banterra began as a single bank in Ridgway, Illinois in July of 1975. Today, Banterra has more than $3 billion in assets and is ranked in the Top Eight Percent of U.S. Charter Banks and Top Five Percent for Illinois Charter Banks by asset size. Banterra has 40 locations in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Utah, as well as a specialty lending division that serves customers nationwide. For more information, call 866-BANTERRA (226-8377) or go to www.banterra.bank . About Landmarks Illinois We are People Saving Places for People. Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based, historic preservation nonprofit organization serving the people of Illinois. We inspire and empower stakeholders to save places that matter to them by providing free guidance, practical and financial resources and access to strategic partnerships. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org . ### Attachment NEW YORK, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Sealed Air Corporation (Sealed Air or the Company) (NYSE: SEE). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Sealed Air and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On April 3, 2024, Bleecker Street Research (Bleecker) presented the Company as a short idea at the Sohn Investment Conference in New York City stating, in part, that Sealed Air (SEE) is a disaster in motion: its entire business is facing extinction as customers move away from the thin-film plastics the company makes. Sealed Airs e-Commerce business has collapsed as Amazon has moved away from the single-use plastics, formerly ever present in its packaging. On this news, Sharecares stock price fell $1.99 per share, or 5.56%, to close at $33.79 per share on April 3, 2024. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP dpeyton@pomlaw.com 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 CALGARY, Alberta, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TSX:SHLE FIRST QUARTER RESULTS RELEASE AND CONFERENCE CALL Source is pleased to announce that its first quarter financial results for the period ending March 31, 2024, will be released following the Toronto Stock Exchange market close on May 9, 2024. A conference call has been scheduled for 7:30 am (Calgary time) on Friday, May 10, 2024. Interested analysts, investors and media representatives are invited to register to participate in the call. Once you are registered, a dial-in number and passcode will be provided to you via email. The link to register for the call is on the Upcoming Events page of our website and as follows: Click Below to Register for the Results Conference Call: Source Energy Services Q124 Results Call Results Conference Call Playback Access: The call will be recorded and available for playback approximately 2 hours after the meeting end time, until June 10, 2024. Below are the details to access the call playback: Toll-Free Playback Number: 1-855-669-9658 (toll-free in Canada and the US) 1-604-674-8052 (long distance charges may apply) Replay Access Code: 0814 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Source also wishes to announce that its 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the AGM) will be held on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time) in a virtual, audio only, webcast format. Shareholder engagement is extremely important to Source and all shareholders will have equal opportunity to ask questions. Below are the details to attend the virtual-only AGM: Log in: https://web.lumiagm.com/231880343 Password: source24 If you experience technical or logistical issues related to accessing the virtual meeting, technical support is available: 1-888-290-1175 (toll-free in Canada and the United States) 1-587-885-0960 (long distance charges may apply) ABOUT SOURCE ENERGY SERVICES Source is a logistics company that focuses on the supply and distribution of high quality Northern White frac sand. Source provides its customers with a full end-to-end solution supported by its Wisconsin mines and processing facilities, its Western Canadian terminal network and its last mile logistics capabilities. In addition to its industry leading frac sand transload terminal network and in-basin frac sand storage capabilities, Source also provides storage and logistics services for other bulk oil and gas well completion materials that arent produced by Source. Source has also developed Sahara, a proprietary well site mobile sand storage and handling system. Sources full-service approach allows customers to rely on its logistics capabilities to increase reliability of supply and to ensure the timely delivery of their requirements for frac sand and other bulk completion materials at the well site. For more information about Source, please visit www.sourceenergyservices.com. Investor Relations Inquiries: Scott Melbourn Chief Executive Officer (403) 262-1312 investorrelations@sourceenergyservices.com Media Inquiries: Meghan Somers Communications Advisor (403) 262-1312 communications@sourceenergyservices.com Richmond, Virginia USA, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Richmond, Va.Virginia Credit Union, a $5.3 billion member-owned financial cooperative based in Richmond, Virginia, has received the 2024 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award for the second consecutive year. This years GEWAs recognize the worlds 60 best workplace cultures based on rigorous measurement of their employee engagement, leadership and performance. Given the fierce competition within the financial services industry, we long ago recognized that the only way to truly differentiate our organization and fuel our long-term success was to ensure employees are engaged, valued and deeply committed to our mission, said Chris Shockley, President/CEO of Virginia Credit Union. This award showcases our shared success in fostering a workplace that prioritizes and celebrates our people and a culture of excellence that drives service to more than 320,000 members and contributes to the strength and vitality of the communities we call home. The GEWA winners ratio of engaged employees to actively disengaged employees is 11 times higher than the global average. Worldwide, only 23% of employees are engaged that is, committed to their work and connected to their workplace and just 33% of employees in the U.S. workforce are engaged. Seventy percent of employees at winning GEWA organizations are engaged. At Virginia Credit Union, we value an enthusiastic and encouraging culture centered on employee wellbeing, connection and celebration, said Virginia Credit Unions MaryAnn Fatheddin, Executive Vice President - Human Resources & Enterprise Communications. This award is also a testament to the years-long commitment and investment weve made to ensure the success of our workforce remains the foundation of our business strategy. Gallups meta-analysis on team engagement and performance represents the most extensive workplace study to date, encompassing data from more than 2 million employees across 276 organizations spanning 54 industries and 96 countries. The findings reveal that highly engaged organizations, like Virginia Credit Union, consistently outperform their counterparts across various critical business metrics, such as customer/member ratings, profitability, productivity, turnover rates, absenteeism, quality standards, employee well-being and organizational citizenship. Congratulations to the 60 organizations that have redefined what it means to be a great place to work. Your commitment to creating environments where employees are listened to, valued and positioned to use their strengths every day is what sets you apart. Thank you for setting a new global standard in what it means to be a thriving workplace, said Jon Clifton, Gallup Chief Executive Officer. Virginia Credit Union is always seeking talented, passionate people. View our careers page for available opportunities. Virginia Credit Union is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Learn more at vacu.org/why-vacu/about-us/careers. About Gallup Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world. Learn more at gallup.com. About Virginia Credit Union A financial cooperative serving more than 320,000 members, Virginia Credit Union offers a variety of affordable banking services, loans, mortgages, and free financial education resources, with a focus on helping people feel more confident about their finances. Virginia Credit Union is an equal housing opportunity lender and is federally insured by NCUA. Learn more at vacu.org. We're sorry, you encountered a page that doesn't exist. TOKYO, Apr 08 (News On Japan) - As the hay fever season continues, one company has embarked on a bold initiative for its employees: work in Okinawa. The Tokyo-based IT firm Isaac offers its workers, such as engineer Yuki Ando, who can hardly part with tissues and eyedrops during work, a significant respite from hay fever symptoms. This year, Ando found relief during the peak pollen season not in the city but on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa. Ando shared, "Being completely free from pollen, I felt a lot better physically. Changing environments also helped refresh me, boosting my productivity at work. It's a great policy." Dubbed the "Tropical Escape," Isaak covers accommodation and other expenses up to 200,000 yen. Ando spent 11 days in Okinawa, refreshing with marine leisure activities in between work. The company's extensive engagement in hay fever mitigation reflects the undeniable negative impact of pollen allergies on work performance. Isaac's PR officer, Mayu Koseki, noted, "When asked about their performance compared to usual, many say it's about half due to drowsiness from medication. There's a significant drop in individual performance." Moreover, private sector estimates reveal substantial daily economic losses nationwide due to hay fever. With hay fever now a national affliction, the healthcare provider Laful introduced a hay fever allowance, subsidizing treatment costs up to 5,000 yen per session. Employees presenting hospital receipts can freely use premium tissues and masks. Laful's PR director, Naoto Ozawa, stated, "Last year, about 40% of our employees used the hay fever allowance." According to Panasonic's estimates, the economic loss due to reduced labor productivity from hay fever amounts to approximately 234 yen billion per day. More companies are expected to adopt serious measures against hay fever in the future. Source: ANN Perth, April 8, 2024 - Perseus Mining Ltd. (ASX/TSX: PRU) wishes to advise that its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr. David Schummer, has advised that he will resign from the Company with effect from September 30, 2024, to pursue new employment opportunities located closer to his family in North America. Mr. Schummer has agreed to remain in his role with Perseus until the end of September to manage a number of strategic work streams that are currently underway at the mine sites and to assist with the smooth transition to his successor. The process to select and appoint a new COO will commence immediately with consideration being given to both internal and external candidates for the role. Perseus's Chairman and CEO Jeff Quartermaine said: "On behalf of the Perseus Board and our employees, I would like to thank Dave for his commitment and dedication to Perseus and our operations, and for his contribution in addressing a number of operational challenges. We wish Dave and his family all the best for the future. We will commence the search for a new COO immediately and look forward to Dave's support in ensuring a smooth transition over the coming months." Perseus Mining Ltd. ASX/TSX CODE: PRU REGISTERED OFFICE: Level 2 437 Roberts Road Subiaco WA 6008 Telephone: +61 8 6144 1700 Email: IR@perseusmining.com www.perseusmining.com CONTACTS: Jeff Quartermaine Chairman & CEO jeff.quartermaine@perseusmining.com Stephen Forman Investor Relations stephen.forman@perseusmining.com Nathan Ryan Media Relations +61 420 582 887 nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au This market announcement was authorised for release by Jeff Quartermaine, Chairman and CEO of Perseus Mining Ltd.. Rio Tinto has appointed Bold Baatar to the role of Chief Commercial Officer, to lead the Group's commercial and business development activities globally. Bold will succeed Alf Barrios as Chief Commercial Officer, following his decision to retire from Rio Tinto. Bold, who is currently Chief Executive Copper, will take on accountability for business development immediately, and will relocate to Singapore to take up the role of Chief Commercial Officer on 1 September 2024. His successor as Chief Executive Copper will be announced in due course. In order to ensure a smooth transition, Alf will continue in his role as Chief Commercial Officer until the end of August, and thereafter as Chair for China, Japan and Korea, and Executive Committee member, until his retirement at the end of 2024. In his new role, Bold will lead Rio Tinto's commercial organisation, accountable for sales and marketing, procurement, marine, and logistics activities. He will also take on leadership for business development for the Group and maintain his role as Executive Committee lead for Guinea, continuing to lead Rio Tinto's relationships with its joint venture partners on the Simandou project. Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said: "Bold is ideally suited to help deliver our strategy of building a stronger Rio Tinto for the future and growing with discipline, as he leads our commercial and business development activities. He brings deep experience across geographies, commodities, and markets - and combines strong business development expertise with a focus on developing world class relationships. I look forward to seeing how his leadership will help us to create both value and growth." "I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Alf for his broad and significant contribution over a decade of service as an Executive Committee member at Rio Tinto. Alf strategically repositioned a number of Rio Tinto's business areas, delivering significant improvements in safety, operational and financial performance during his seven years leading our Aluminium business, and over three years in Commercial and as Chair for China, Japan and Korea." Bold Baatar said: "I am thrilled to be taking on my new role at a time when Rio Tinto has so much opportunity to deliver value for our shareholders, customers and partners through the innovation and growth needed to reach net zero. By being ambitious together, we can find new and better ways to create shared value." Alf Barrios said: "It has been an absolute privilege to have worked for over ten years in Rio Tinto with such caring, talented and committed colleagues, and in partnership with external stakeholders to drive safety and performance improvements and unlock value together. I look forward to seeing Rio continue to play an important part in finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs." Bold joined Rio Tinto in 2013 and has been an Executive Committee member since December 2016. In his time at Rio Tinto he has held diverse leadership positions across both product group and commercial teams. He was appointed Chief Executive Copper in February 2021 and prior to this, led the Energy & Minerals product group. Alf was appointed Chief Commercial Officer and Chair for China, Japan and Korea in 2021. He joined Rio Tinto in 2014 as Chief Executive Aluminium and has had over 30 years' global experience in the resources sector across operations, marketing, trading, and business development. This announcement is authorised for release to the market by Andy Hodges, Rio Tinto's Group Company Secretary. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240407547454/en/ Contact Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com Media Relations, United Kingdom Matthew Klar M +44 7796 630 637 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Australia Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Jesse Riseborough M +61 436 653 412 Alyesha Anderson M +61 434 868 118 Media Relations, Americas Simon Letendre M +1 514 796 4973 Malika Cherry M +1 418 592 7293 Investor Relations, United Kingdom Menno Sanderse M +44 7825 195 178 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Laura Brooks M +44 7826 942 797 Investor Relations, Australia Tom Gallop M +61 439 353 948 Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto Plc 6 St James's Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Ltd. Level 43, 120 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 riotinto.com Category: General Vancouver, April 8, 2024 - Riley Gold Corp. (TSXV: RLYG) (OTCQB: RLYGF) ("Riley Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce Mr. Paul Dobak has joined Riley Gold as a member of the technical advisory committee relative to its Nevada-based exploration including the Company's Pipeline West Clipper Gold Project ("PWC"). Riley Gold recently announced a USD$20M earn-in agreement on the PWC project with Kinross Gold Corp.. PWC constitutes a prospective exploration property for Carlin-type, disseminated and replacement gold deposits within a land package totaling approximately 24.7 square kms of unpatented mining claims and patented fee lands adjoining Nevada Gold Mines (a joint venture amongst Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Mining). PWC is situated along the Cortez Structural Zone of the exceptionally productive Cortez Trend within the Battle Mountain - Eureka Trend in north central Nevada (Figure 1). Todd Hilditch, CEO, commented, "I am extremely pleased to welcome Paul to Riley Gold. The opportunity to learn from, and draw on, his wealth of experience in the mineral exploration field will be invaluable, particularly within the Cortez Trend, where the Kinross/Riley Gold PWC Project is located. Mr. Dobak has direct practical experience in Nevada's style of mineralization and deposits having worked with Barrick Gold Corp. in positions of increasing responsibility for 25 years and prior to that for Newmont Corp. as a Senior Geologist at the Carlin Mine." About Paul Dobak: Paul's experience with Barrick Gold includes 15 years as Chief Geologist - North America. In this very senior role, Paul supported the development of district exploration programs at Goldstrike, Cortez, Turquoise Ridge, Bald Mountain NV and Donlin Creek AK resulting in significant resource/reserve growth and the discovery of the Goldrush and Fourmile gold mines. From 2000-2005, Mr. Dobak was Chief Geologist - U.S.A Exploration where he oversaw the exploration and development of the Dee and Rossi projects resulting in the discovery of the Arturo gold mine and development of the Storm underground gold mine. He supported joint venture efforts at Round Mountain NV and district exploration efforts at Ruby Hill/Eureka NV after the Homestake acquisition. As Senior Geologist from 1995-2000, he lead and executed generative exploration programs for Carlin-type gold deposits in the Eastern Great Basin NV and volcanic-hosted deposits in the Western Great Basin NV. The programs resulted in the generation of grassroots and advanced stage gold projects including the acquisition of the Dee and Rossi properties on the Carlin Trend NV. Prior to Barrick, Paul worked with Newmont for 8 years as a Senior Geologist in charge of exploration/development projects within the Lynn district of the Carlin-trend, including discovering the Northwest Extension at the Lantern deposit and completed the development work to bring Lantern to a production decision in 1995. Paul participated in the evaluation of the Yanacocha district in Peru and the Gaby Cu-Au porphyry in Ecuador. Mr. Dobak is a senior-level geologist with an extensive range of technical and managerial experience from greenfields to advanced-stage exploration, acquisition, development, and production-related geological programs. He is a graduate of Colorado State University with a Master of Science Degree (Economic Geology) and completed his bachelor's degree at the University of California - Santa Barbara in geology. Figure 1: PWC Location (project boundary approximate) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10015/204581_e186735b643c7b64_002full.jpg Stock Option Grant: The Company also announces that, pursuant to its stock option plan and subject to regulatory acceptance, it has granted an aggregate total of 1,180,000 incentive stock options to certain directors, officers, and consultants of the Company, subject to certain vesting provisions. These options will be exercisable at a price of $0.22 per common share and will expire on April 5, 2029. About Riley Gold Corp. Riley Gold is a mining exploration and development company focused in Nevada, USA. The Company's primary focus is on its Pipeline West/Clipper Gold Project located in the Battle Mountain Eureka Trend and the Tokop Gold Project located within the Walker Lane Trend. Riley Gold's founders and leadership team have a proven track record of maximizing shareholder value during each phase of the mining life cycle: exploration, development, and production. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Todd Hilditch Chief Executive Officer Tel: (604) 443-3831 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking information Certain disclosures in this release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (such statements being referred to as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by words such as the following: expects, plans, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, projects, assumes, potential and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its planned activities, and the Company's inability to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies. The reader is referred to the Company's public disclosure record which is available on SEDAR+ (sedarplus.ca). Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except as required by securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/204581 Element79 Gold Corp. ("Element79" or the "Company") (CSE: ELEM, OTC: ELMGF, FSE: 7YS0) announces that it has reached agreement with Condor Resources Inc. (TSXV:CN, "Condor") to revise the payment terms on a payment due March 31, 2024 of US$375,000 with respect to the Lucero project. Element79 are the owner of Calipuy Resources Inc., ("Calipuy"), and assumed Calipuy's obligations to acquire the shares of Condor's subsidiary, Minas Lucero del Sur S.A.C., the owner of the Lucero project. Element79 and Condor have agreed to restructure the U$375,000 payment as follows: US$100,000 was paid in cash on April 2, 2024; US$85,000 (US $75,000 payment plus US$10,000 bonus) will be satisfied by the issuance of approximately 499,413 Units of Element79 (per the Company's current Private Placement each comprising of a 0.23 share and a warrant convertible for one common share of the Company at 0.35 for two years); and the balance of US$200,000 will be paid in cash on the closing of Element79's sale of their Maverick Springs project, which sale is expected to close before the end of June 2024. In consideration of the restructure, Element79 will pay an additional US$20,000 with the US$200,000 payment. Element79 CEO and Director James Tworek comments: "We're making solid headway with both the local community and project development aspects at the Lucero project with a very busy development and mining season gearing up. We genuinely appreciate the solid support of Condor Resources through these efforts". About Condor Resources Condor is an active explorer focused exclusively on Peru, supplemented by a project generator and royalty model designed to generate exploration capital whilst minimizing shareholder dilution. Our objective in advancing our portfolio of projects is the discovery of a major new precious metals or base metals deposit in Peru. Project acquisition and exploration activities are managed by the Company's Lima based exploration team. About Element79 Gold Corp Element79 Gold Corp. is a gold and silver mining company committed to maximizing shareholder value through responsible mining practices and sustainable development of its projects. Element79 Gold's core focus is on developing its past-producing, high-grade gold and silver mine, the Lucero project located in Arequipa, Peru, with the intent to restart production in 2024. The Company also holds a portfolio of 5 properties along the Battle Mountain trend in Nevada, with the Clover and West Whistler projects believed to have significant potential for near-term resource development. Three properties in the Battle Mountain Portfolio are under contract for sale to Valdo Minerals Ltd., with an anticipated closing date in the first half of 2024. The Company has also signed an Option Agreement to sell the Maverick Springs project, an advanced-stage exploratory property with an Inferred Resource of 3.71MMoz AuEq (1.37MMoz Au and 175MMoz Ag) (see 43-101 technical report titled: Amended Technical Report on the Maverick Springs Project, Nevada, USA, by Allan Armitage, PhD., P.Geo, and Rohan Millar, B.Sc. P.Geo., dated October 7, 2022, available on SEDAR) and anticipates completing this sale on or before July 21, 2024. In British Columbia, Element79 Gold has executed a Letter of Intent and funded a drilling program to acquire a private company that holds the option to 100% interest of the Snowbird High-Grade Gold Project, which consists of 10 mineral claims located in Central British Columbia, approximately 20km west of Fort St. James. The Company has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Dale Property, 90 unpatented mining claims located approximately 100 km southwest of Timmins, Ontario, and has recently announced that it has transferred this project to its wholly-owned subsidiary, Synergy Metals Corp, and is advancing through the Plan of Arrangement spin-out process. For more information about the company please visit our official website at www.element79.gold Contact Information For corporate matters, please contact: James C. Tworek, Chief Executive Officer and Director E-mail: jt@element79.gold For investor relations inquiries, please contact: Investor Relations Department Phone: +1.403.850.8050 E-mail: investors@element79.gold Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in applicable forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in such statements. Neither the Canadian Securities 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. Vancouver, April 8th, 2024 - Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: JUGR) (OTCQB: JUGRF) (FSE: 4JE) (the "Company" or "Juggernaut") is pleased to announce a non-brokered financing of up to $510,000 dollars. Crescat Capital LLC ("Crescat") has agreed to make a strategic investment representing a 19.70% ownership of the Company post-funding on a partially diluted basis. Juggernaut welcomes this strategic investment from Crescat Capital and technical support from Dr Quinton Hennigh. Juggernaut's High-Grade Gold and Copper projects continue to garner strong interest and support from leading institutions and miners alike, confirming the quality of its three fully permitted, 100% controlled, drill-ready projects located in the geopolitically stable world-class geologic terrane of Northwestern British Columbia and the Golden Triangle. Through his role as technical and geologic director of Crescat Capital, Dr. Quinton Hennigh continues to provide technical advice to the Company. Dr. Hennigh is a world-renowned exploration geologist with more than 30 years of experience, including with major gold mining firms Homestake Mining, Newcrest Mining, and Newmont Mining. Dr. Hennigh stated, "Very promising results from 2023's maiden drill program confirmed strong potential for "Surebet" style intrusive-related gold-base metal lodes at Bingo. In addition, follow up drilling at Midas continues to demonstrate the presence of a large volcanogenic massive sulfide system in need of further work. With interest in the mining exploration space quickly heating up, it is critical that companies like Juggernaut get back to the job of making discovery. I look forward to working with the Company's team as plans are made for this year's drill campaign at both of these exciting projects. " View Juggernaut videos by Clicking Here. The funding will consist of up to 8,500,000 units ("Units"), priced at $0.06 each for gross proceeds of up to $510,000. Each Unit will consist of one common share plus one warrant to purchase one common share at $0.10 for a thirty-six-month period with no forced conversion. Upon completion of the offering projected to close on or before April 30th, Crescat has agreed to acquire a majority of these units representing a 19.70 % ownership in the Company post financing. "We look forward to helping Juggernaut continue their work at Bingo and Midas in the coming drill season, given the potential for a significant discovery, remarked Kevin Smith, Crescat's founder and Chief Investment Officer. "This is the same exploration team that delivered a major gold and silver discovery for us at Goliath Resources' Surebet. They are highly capable of doing the same at one or both of these targets." Directors and officers of the company may acquire securities under the placement, which participation would be considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). Such participation is expected to be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101. Mr. Dan Stuart, Director, President, and CEO of Juggernaut, states: "We are pleased to strengthen our relationship with Crescat Capital as a strategic investor and Dr. Hennigh as a Special Technical Advisor and investor. I look forward to working with our partners, who bring a proven track record of both financial and technical strength. This will enable Juggernaut to unlock the full potential of its assets over the long term, building value for all shareholders. This investment and strategic partnership, coupled with the ongoing support and interest from other globally recognized Institutions and senior miners, is a strong endorsement that clearly demonstrates the significant near-term expansion discovery potential of our 100% controlled properties-highlighting just one recent discovery on Bingo where multiple drill holes intersected high-grade gold-silver-copper mineralization along an extensive north-trending, west-dipping, shear-hosted vein with grades up to 11.42 gpt AuEq (7.57 gpt Au, 20.23 gpt Ag and 2.72 % Cu) over 5.11 meters, including 19.69 gpt AuEq (13.05 gpt Au, 24.93 gpt Ag and 4.70 % Cu) over 2.90 meters. The shear-hosted vein at the Bingo Main Zone is partially exposed at surfaces for over 600 meters, and only the main outcrop has been drill-tested to date, leaving the system open in all directions. With much anticipation, we look forward to expanding our high-grade gold and copper discoveries through the drill bit on both Bingo and Midas in the rapidly approaching summer of 2024." Link To Bingo High-Grade Gold Copper Discovery. Post financing, Juggernaut will have a tight capital structure, no debt, and a strong cash position. As such, we are well-positioned to move forward with our plans. The Company may pay finder's fees of the gross proceeds from the financing in cash, and compensation options on units being sold. This non-brokered private placement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. All shares issued pursuant to this offering and any shares issued pursuant to the exercise of warrants will be subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date. About Crescat Capital LLC Crescat is a global macro asset management firm headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Crescat's mission is to grow and protect wealth over the long term by deploying tactical investment themes based on proprietary value-driven equity and macro models. Crescat's goal is industry leading absolute and risk-adjusted returns over complete business cycles with low correlation to common benchmarks. The company's investment process involves a mix of asset classes and strategies to assist with each client's unique needs and objectives and includes Global Macro, Long/Short, Large Cap and Precious Metals funds. Crescat is advised by its technical consultant, Dr. Quinton Hennigh on investments in gold and silver resource companies. Dr. Hennigh became an economic geologist after obtaining his PhD in Geology/Geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines. He has more than 30 years of exploration experience with major gold mining firms, including Homestake Mining, Newcrest Mining, and Newmont Mining. Recently, Dr. Hennigh founded Novo Resources Corp and is serving as Chairman. Among his notable project involvements are First Mining Gold's Springpole gold deposit in Ontario, Kirkland Lake Gold's acquisition of the Fosterville Gold Mine in Australia, the Rattlesnake Hills gold deposit in Wyoming, and Lion One's Tuvatu gold project in Fiji, among many others. About Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. is a precious metals project generator in the geopolitically stable jurisdiction of Canada, focused on the prolific geologic setting of northwestern British Columbia encompassing the Golden Triangle. Qualified Person Rein Turna P. Geo is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for Juggernaut Exploration's projects. He supervised the preparation of and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release. For more information, please contact Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. Dan Stuart President, Director, and Chief Executive Officer 604-559-8028 info@juggernautexploration.com www.juggernautexploration.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT Certain disclosure in this release may constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties relating to Juggernaut's operations that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including its ability to complete the contemplated private placement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR AN INVITATION TO PURCHASE ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED IN IT. HOKKAIDO, Apr 09 (News On Japan) - Footage of a long-tailed tit or "snow fairy" shows this fluffy white bird tapping on a window, seemingly wanting to come in. A wildlife photographer gives insights into this little creature's cute behavior. The long-tailed tit is regarded as a "winter angel," native to Hokkaido, actively building nests during its breeding season from March to June. The footage was captured in Obihiro City, Hokkaido, when the photographer noticed a tapping sound against the window glass. This visit from the "angel on the window ledge" raises the question of why it seemed to knock on the window. Wildlife photographer Koichi Yamamoto suggests the long-tailed tit was in its breeding period, attempting to intimidate and ward off what it perceived as a rival. The reflection in the window likely made it think another long-tailed tit was encroaching on its territory, marking this as an exceptionally rare video capture. These images show the long-tailed tit not just as an adorable creature but also as a brave one, zealously guarding its nest against perceived threats. Source: ANN Williams very worried about chassis, spare parts crisis Alex Albon admits he is "very worried" about whether Williams can pick up the pieces ahead of Formula 1's next stop in China. Alex Albon, Japanese GP 2024 Williams The team's 2024 so far has been characterised by a devastating combination of delays, chassis and spare parts shortages - and a series of heavy crashes. There were two more big crashes at Suzuka - one for Logan Sargeant in Alex Albon's patched-up Melbourne chassis, and Sunday's big hit against the barrier for Albon following contact with Daniel Ricciardo. Before I hit the barrier I was thinking about the chassis, Albon said. It's exactly what we didn't need. So yeah, I was very worried, not for myself but for the car. Indeed, Williams needs to get through another race - Shanghai in a fortnight - before a third chassis is ready. A long way away, admits team boss James Vowles. But that's not the only problem, as Williams is also now getting dangerously low on critical spare parts - like front and rear wings. Clearly we don't have the whole organisation just working on the chassis, Vowles said. We're working at the same time on spares and updates and trying to get the throughput. He admits that Williams' team structure is in overload , having dispensed with a lot of old methods over the winter and designing a much more complex car - with more individual parts. In terms of the complexity of it, it's enormous, said Vowles. I mean, the chassis is thousands and thousands of pieces you're trying to bring together at the same time. The good news is that the Albon chassis appears to have survived Sunday's big whack against the barrier and Ricciardo's RB. But the lack of spare parts is arguably now an even bigger problem. I think for any team, this amount of big accidents would be a problem, said Vowles. It is believed the combined crash damage so far is at least $2 million, but Albon at least has the factor of being clearly the team's faster and preferred driver. As for Logan Sargeant, he needs to up his game, according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher. He just makes too many mistakes, he told Sky Deutschland on Sunday. It just keeps coming back to the same thing - he's simply overwhelmed and it's time for him to realise it and probably do something different. (GMM) KAGOSHIMA, Apr 09 (News On Japan) - A police officer from the Kagoshima Prefectural Police has been arrested on suspicion of violating the Local Public Service Act by leaking internal documents containing personal information of individuals involved in criminal cases to a third party. Last month, the prefectural police revealed that there was a high possibility that internal documents from over 100 cases had been leaked, and the connection is currently under investigation. The arrested officer is Sergeant Mitsuji Fujii (49), from the community affairs division of the So Police Station. According to the police, Sergeant Fujii, who was assigned to the Public Security Division of the Kagoshima Prefectural Police Headquarters in June of last year, used a messaging app on his smartphone to send information about a specific individual's criminal history to a third party. Additionally, last month he mailed several dozen pages of internal documents, including a list called the "Complaint and Accusation Case Processing Ledger," which contained personal information of individuals involved in criminal cases, thus allegedly leaking confidential information from his duties. In response to the investigation, he has admitted to the allegations and has stated, "I apologize for causing trouble to the citizens of the prefecture and the police organization." The leak of internal documents came to light when an article by an online media outlet, which questioned the investigation of a sexual assault case that occurred at a lodging facility for COVID-19 patients, published the "Complaint and Accusation Case Processing Ledger" with personal information redacted. Last month, the Kagoshima Prefectural Police disclosed that there was a high possibility that internal documents containing personal information of approximately 300 individuals from over 100 cases had been leaked, and they discovered this incident while investigating the route of the leak. Sei Ushigaki, Chief Inspector of the Kagoshima Prefectural Police Headquarters, expressed his apologies at a press conference, saying, "I deeply apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused by the leakage of information that should have been properly managed. We will deal with this matter strictly based on the results of the ongoing investigation." Source: NHK A few days ago a leak purportedly detailed the Motorola Edge 50 Pro's availability and pricing for Europe, and today Amazon Germany has gone ahead and listed the phone on its website, though with the wrong images. Regardless, Amazon says the Edge 50 Pro will be released in Europe on April 16, and we have no reason to doubt that. The phone is priced at 699 with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which is exactly the same price as was leaked before but with twice the storage. The Motorola Edge 50 Pro was first announced for India at the beginning of this month, but interestingly it maxes out at 256GB of storage over there. Then again, it is much cheaper - the 12/256GB version is priced at INR 35,999 which right now translates into 399 - that's a whopping 300 less than the price in the EU. The Edge 50 Pro comes with a 6.7-inch 144 Hz OLED screen with 2,000-nit peak brightness, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC, a triple rear camera system (50 MP main with OIS, 13 MP ultrawide with autofocus, 10 MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom), a 50 MP selfie snapper, and a 4,500 mAh battery with support for 125W wired, 50W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. It runs Android 14. These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. The United States Department of Commerce announced a new round of funding for TSMC under the CHIPS and Science Act. TSMC is in line to receive $6.6 billion in direct funding and $5 billion in loans for its semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. TSMC is also eligible to apply for an investment tax credit covering up to 25% of capital expenditures. TSMC semiconductor manufacturing fab site in Phoenix, Arizona TSMC announced its plans to build a third chipset fab at its Arizona complex in a bid to meet customer demand focused on 2nm chipsets which are expected to begin production by the end of this decade. The Taiwanese semiconductor contract manufacturer has invested upwards of $65 billion across its fabs in Arizona which accounts for the highest foreign direct investment as a project in U.S. history. TSMC plans to begin manufacturing 4nm chips in Arizona by next year, followed by 3nm and 2nm chips in 2028. Source The Guam Department of Education has more than 180 uncertified teachers, which demands efforts in maximizing classroom ratios and providing teachers with certification opportunities, former educator certification commissioner Michelle Santos told senators during an April 2 hearing on her re-appointment to serve on the Guam Commission for Educator Certification. More GDOE teachers are needed, she said. In (a) meeting with HR (human resources), there were over 180 people who were not certified. So, by maximizing and getting more certified teachers into the classrooms, thats excellent for our students, Santos told senators. Santos is a former dean at Guam Community College and assistant principal at GDOE. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero appointed her to serve on GCEC from 2014 to 2020, and re-appointed her this year for a full three-year term. Her appointment requires legislative consent. The Guam Commission for Educator Certifications main task is to ensure that all educators, counselors and administrators meet and maintain a professional level of knowledge, skills, and ethics to provide the best possible education for children on Guam. Santos said teacher certification is not only a piece of paper but a reflection of a teachers foundation and commitment to delivering quality education. A person just the other day said, Ive been teaching for six years. Why do I need certification? Just give me credit for the time that Ive been there, she said. You have people who say, its just a piece of paperAnd it tells the community, really, that a person has the foundation. They have the tools to be a good teacher. Santos went on to say the value of ensuring uncertified teachers are properly equipped with the right skills and tools for them to excel in teaching and earn certification. We can have our temporarily certified teachers who are there on a daily basis and give their heart to survive. But when we can prepare and ensure licensure and that they have the tools and the skills, thats when we can see them excel and succeed, Santos said. GCEC chair Roberta Abaday testified in support of Santos appointment. Dr. Santos, from the time she was a GCEC representative through her tenure as a community representative, attended every meeting of the commission, worked well with her colleagues, and was willing to take on additional responsibilities in the role of officer and committee chairpersons, Abaday told the senators. Abaday, who has worked at GDOE for almost 50 years, was also appointed as a community-at-large representative on the commission. She served as a commissioner from 2008 to 2014 and has been reappointed since 2017. Certification alternatives During the hearing, Abaday said a new standard operating procedure has been established over the last four or five months to assist teachers who fall short on practice tests through courses and monitoring options for improvement. "By five points, they are able to take courses and the university (GCC) is working on providing a course...and they can go online and find courses in order to supplement whatever reading, writing, or mathematics they may be missing in the core areas, she said. If they are going for practice 2, which is something that is, again, short by five points, we are willing to have them monitored by an administrator for two years and if they get exemplary recommendations or exemplary assessment, then we will, again, provide that as an alternative. Teachers can retake the test multiple times, but should promptly retake and pass the course, since temporary certificate holders only have a two-year window certification, Abaday said. The commission offers two certification options: one is valid for five years, which is equivalent to 90 course and work hours; and the other is 10 years, with a requirement of 120 hours. "Either training programs or the work that theyre doing, as long as they are recording the number of hours, Abaday said. We do so much with accreditation, they have meetings, if they can record all the hours they are working on those meetings, that counts. One of the standout issues that veterans raised during Mondays five-hour long legislative oversight hearing on the Guam Office of Veterans Affairs is the difficulty applying and getting approval for federal benefits. Local efforts to train and hire more representatives to help people file veteran benefit claims have not resulted in more assistance, officials said at the hearing, where some 50 veterans and advocates showed up. Navy veteran Raymond Perez told senators that he got out of the Navy in 1983 but never applied for medical benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs because he never got sick. Then, some 30 years later, he got sick six times in a single year, and decided to apply. He said he was exposed to asbestos, but was told by the government that he made too much money to qualify, and was questioned for waiting so long to apply. Perez said the VA denied him benefits four times over 14 years, and is still going through the process to get proper compensation. He had turned to a local veterans nonprofit group for help. How many people are like me? Perez said. Veteran Sulinda Adams Fawcett left the Army in 1998, but said she never filed a benefit claim until last month, because of how difficult the process was. Her father was an 86-year-old Air Force veteran, with 30 years in the service, who waited until 2017 to file a claim, and was denied any disability coverage. Besides having difficulties navigating the complex application process, some of his paperwork had been lost, Fawcett said. She asked that the local Office of Veterans Affairs do more to help vets navigate the process. I pretty much guarantee that many veterans, especially if theyre manamko, find this process so difficult that they just say forget it, Fawcett said. Not enough time in the day Tanya Eubanks, a veterans service representative working for the Office of Veterans Affairs, said theres not enough time in the day for veteran reps to help their clients. She said she meets in person with 10 clients a week, and entertains between 20 and 25 via phone and email during that time. Shes one of just five representatives on Guam who are accredited by the VA to legally assist with benefit claims. According to OVA Director Jose San Agustin, the office is tracking 24,000 veterans on the island with its registry. The agency needs to hire about six more to keep up with the demand, OVA administrative services officer Joe Meno told senators. No new hires Grant funded efforts to train up more representatives to help with veteran benefit claims havent resulted in more reps being hired at the office, Meno told Speaker Therese Terlaje. The speaker noted that the Leon Guerrero administration in 2021 announced a $40,000 grant to get 10 more VA-accredited representatives. Meno said the reps were trained on a volunteer basis, but an on-the-job training plan was never implemented by the previous director of the agency. Meno said he wasnt working at the office at the time, and couldnt account for why that had not happened. Eubanks said she was not aware, either. According to Meno, the office still had the certificates of some of those who were trained. Two people who said they went through the training course with the VA appeared at the hearing Monday, and both said they had yet to receive their certificates. Amy Jackson said she had filed for leave to go through the course but after completion, did not receive her certificate from the Guam State Clearinghouse. Jackson said she called the Clearinghouse but was told, We were waiting for a ceremony so that they could give us our certificates ceremoniously. She said she just wanted to get the certificate so I could do my training and move forward. But she added that she does not think its the fault of the veterans office. Corina Ballesta said she had also been trained but never got her certificate, either. We were told we were going to get computers, printers, and then the former director of the office said that he has room to hire. But then nothing ever happened, Ballesta said. She said trainees were informed that the vendor that did the training was paid. Appropriations Chairman Sen. Joe San Agustin said he wanted to help the agency, but was hesitant to fund their hires, because officials said they did not have the office space, or the computers to give new hires. According to office officials, they have a budget of about $1.2 million, but need $2.9 million to bump up staffing from 13 employees to 30. A woman was arrested and charged with five counts of vehicular negligence as a third-degree felony after allegedly driving drunk and crashing into another vehicle in Dededo, resulting in multiple injuries, according to a magistrate's complaint filed in local court. One of those in the car she hit was a 2-month-old baby girl, while the defendant also had a minor passenger. Rina Walder Unnuno, the suspect, told police that she consumed a tall can of Budweiser beer and a can of Cass beer, and had smoked marijuana prior to driving, court documents said. Unnuno faces 15 consecutive years in prison if convicted of the current charge of vehicular negligence, or three years per count. On Saturday, Unnuno was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. The crash happened at almost 9 p.m. on Friday, April 5. Guam Police Department officers responded to a crash with injuries on Ysengsong Road by La Familia Mart in Dededo, while Guam Fire Department medics were on scene lending aid to the occupants of two different vehicles, court documents said. A witness told police he observed the operator of a Nissan Altima, later confirmed as Unnuno, driving out of Nevermind Road and did not stop at a "stop" sign entering Ysengsong Road, documents said. Unnuno's Nissan Altima collided with a Nissan Sentra, causing both cars to spin out of control, the complaint said. The occupants of the Nissan Altima exited the car and began throwing beer cans out of the vehicle, documents said. Unnuno's passenger, a minor boy, complained of pain and was transported to the hospital by a medic. The other car, the Nissan Sentra, had five occupants including a 2-month-old baby girl. All the adult passengers complained of pain, the magistrate's complaint said. Both vehicles had to be towed and sustained disabling damages. Officers observed that Unnuno had an odor of intoxicating beverage and marijuana and had bloodshot, watery eyes. It's not the first time she's got a run-in with the law. She was arrested in 2023 for disorderly conduct. The successful drive to bring recreational marijuana to Floridas 2024 ballot is one of the most expensive marijuana legalization campaigns in U.S. history racking up a $40 million price tag so far but the journey to legalize adult use marijuana in the Sunshine State is far from over. Until recently, the initiative was funded exclusively by Smart & Safe Florida, through the steadfast support of Trulieve, a prominent Florida based medical marijuana provider but just three days after the courts April 1 approval, the campaign announced it has raised another $15 million in additional funding from several new donors, including Verano Holdings Corp., Curaleaf Holdings Inc., AYR Wellness Inc., Cresco Labs Inc., Green Thumb Industries Inc., and INSA Inc. Steven Vancore, a spokesperson for the Smart & Safe campaign, said the new funding will bolster their mission of securing victory this fall. He also acknowledged that the journey to bring the Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative to the ballot was hard won. To trigger a review by the state Supreme Court, the initiative needed the signatures of 891,523 Florida voters. However, organizers exceeded expectations by gathering 1,033,769 signatures, well surpassing the requirement. The court began its review of the amendments language in November and on April 1, announced that Amendment 3 also called the Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative would appear on the November 2024 ballot, giving voters the power to decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida. Now, Vancore said, the focus will turn to communicating the campaigns mission to the public and winning votes in November. We have a campaign to speak to the public, educate the public and communicate our mission, Vancore said but he admits, its like playing Whac-A-Mole with bad messaging. One such bad message he wants to eradicate is the misunderstanding over when and where people will be able to use marijuana if it is legalized. Addressing reporters on March 8, following the close of Floridas 2024 legislative session, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis raised concerns when he said the proposed amendment had some of the broadest language hes ever seen. Basically, nobody could ever be regulated or penalized in any way for possessing or using this, DeSantis said. I mean, you cant regulate it near a school, you cant tell people you cant smoke it seems to supersede any other regulatory regime that we have. And DeSantis told cannabis lobbyist Don Murphy that when he visits cities where adult marijuana use is legal, it smells. Everywhere it smells, DeSantis said. So, from a quality of life perspective, if you cant do time, place and manner restrictions, that is going to impact every Floridian one way or another. But Vancore said time, place and manner restrictions are something the government has the authority to enforce. Attorney John Bash was part of the legal team who represented the Smart & Safe campaign before the Florida Supreme Court. In an analysis written for The Capitolist, Bash recalled the governors comments and said, hes just wrong about concerns that the amendment would lead to rampant marijuana smoking in public spaces, like city sidewalks, hotels and near schools. As the attorney who represented the sponsor of the amendment before the Florida Supreme Court and as a longtime fan of Governor DeSantis I understand his apprehension. No one should have to endure the odor of marijuana while commuting to work, walking the dog, or relaxing at the beach, Bash wrote. But hes just wrong about what the amendment does. If voters approve the amendment, the legislature will have full authority to regulate or ban the use of marijuana in public places authority that it already exercises for tobacco and alcohol. The Governors concerns, while no doubt well-intentioned, are unfounded. As the initiative moves forward, maximum effort will go toward securing the 60% voter support needed to pass on Nov. 5, something only three other states have achieved at this point. According to Smart & Safe, recent public polls have consistently shown the ballot item polling in the high 60s or low 70s. A survey by the University of North Floridas Public Opinion Research Lab revealed that nearly 70% of Floridas registered voters are in favor of it. In 2016, Florida voters overwhelmingly supported a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana, with more than 70% in favor, paving the way for a significant number of Floridians to access medical cannabis. As of April 5, 2024, the state had 877,941registered medical marijuana patients. Jarkko Eloranta , the chairperson at SAK, on Thursday stated at a press conference that the central organisation decided to suspend the strikes in order to provide the government with room to manoeuvre. The government has stated that it wont look for new solutions with employees as long as the strikes continue. We didnt make any new decisions to continue the strikes. The strikes will be suspended on Monday, 8 April. Were ready to hold discussions already before that, he was quoted saying by Helsingin Sanomat. As SAK had extended the strikes twice by a week in similar circumstances with the government explicitly adamant about not making any meaningful concessions and not engaging in negotiations as long as the strikes continue the decision can be interpreted as a defeat for the central organisation. On Thursday, Eloranta was asked if waning public support for the strikes had any bearing on the decision to suspend the strikes. He said decreasing public support was not a decisive factor for the decision, highlighting that many union members continued to show widespread support for the strikes. He also rejected the interpretation that trade unions are looking to preserve their cash coffers for the labour market disputes that are expected in the second half of the year. About 7,000 employees participated in the strikes since 11 March, halting the handling of cargo at ports, disrupting rail freight services and complicating the operations of heavy industries such as the pulp and steel industries. Eloranta said he hopes specifically that the government will promise not to push forward the enactment of its bill for restricting political strikes. Set to limit the duration of political strikes to 24 hours, restrict solidarity strikes and raise fines for illegal strikes, the bill is presently under consideration and scheduled to come into effect on 1 July. Lawmakers, though, have the possibility to propose that the bill be enacted earlier, kindling public speculation that it could come into effect by May Day. SAK has also expressed its strong opposition to a government proposal to expand local bargaining. It has refused to engage in negotiations on an export-driven wage formation model until the government takes its concerns about other reforms better into account; the government has repeatedly stated that it considers the proposals in question as a single entity. Aleksi Teivainen HT This summer , Finavia is set to connect Finland more extensively to the global stage with over 140 international routes, including eight new and returning paths. The Finnish airport operator is expanding its offerings with a wide array of destinations, ensuring travelers have ample choices for their summer travels. From Helsinki Airport alone, around 130 international routes will be operational, alongside daily domestic flights. Petri Vuori, Senior Vice President of Route Development at Finavia, highlights the collaborative efforts with airlines and tourism operators to enhance Finland's connectivity. Among the notable additions is the return of Finnair's long-haul flights to Nagoya, Japan, starting in May. The summer schedule also features Finnair flying to five U.S. cities and ten Asian destinations, including Shanghai and Zhengzhou in China through Juneyao Airlines and Tokyo's Haneda Airport via Japan Airlines. Qatar Airways will continue to connect passengers to Doha, Qatar. European travelers will benefit from expanded options as well, with Finnair introducing a new route to Wrocaw, Poland, and resuming flights to Tartu, Estonia. Additional weekly flights are planned to Norwegian and Swedish cities, improving access to Scandinavia. Furthermore, Finnair is increasing its flights to popular Lapland destinations like Kuusamo, Ivalo, and Kittila, with multiple daily flights to Rovaniemi, also served by Norwegian. Adding to Helsinki Airport's diverse summer offering, Norwegian will commence flights to Sofia, Bulgaria, and Bergamo, Italy, while Ryanair introduces routes to Thessaloniki, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. These airlines collectively serve a broad spectrum of European destinations from Helsinki. Beyond the capital, international flights are accessible from other Finnish cities. Oulu Airport maintains its year-round connection to Munich via Lufthansa, while Tampere-Pirkkala Airport welcomes a new Air Baltic route to Palma de Mallorca, among other destinations. Turku Airport offers direct flights to Rome, Gdansk, Riga, Stockholm, and Mariehamn, and Vaasa Airport enhances its links to Stockholm with SAS doubling its weekly flights. Finavia's extensive network and the addition of new routes underscore Finland's growing role as a key hub for international travel, promising a vibrant summer season for both Finnish residents and international visitors. See the full list of all routes from Finavia airports for the 2024 summer season here. HT THE Caversham Picture Framer will welcome the family of the late painter and printmaker, Mary Louise Coulouris, this evening (Friday) to celebrate her works in its current exhibition. The special event starts at 5.30pm, with Marys daughter, Saro Wallace, giving a talk at 6.30pm. Visitors can meet Marys family, view some of her pictures and enjoy wine, nibbles and music at the gallery at 5A Church Road, Caversham. Coulouris (1939-2011) was born in New York and spent her formative years in Beverly Hills after her father, the actor George Coulouris, secured a role in Citizen Kane. She started painting at the age of 11 after visiting the Hollywood film studios. Later, she lived in West Lothian in Scotland and had a second home in Greece, where she would paint seascapes. She described herself as a post-postmodernist and her work included murals for Linlithgow station and Royal Edinburgh Hospital as well as watercolours for the House of Lords. The exhibition, featuring original paintings and limited edition prints, runs until Thursday, May 16. THAMES Water could be nationalised after shareholders pulled out of a deal to provide 500 million worth of emergency funding. Campaigners and political parties have called on the Government to bring the Britains biggest water company into public ownership following the news that the additional equity will not be forthcoming. The funding was subject to a number of conditions, including a business plan that the board agreed last year. The Reading-based company, which is struggling with debts of more than 18 billion, has since been in discussions with Ofwat and has asked the regulator to approve a 40 per cent bill increase and reduced penalties for polluting. Shareholders have said that the regulators requirements would make the business plan uninvestible. It is unclear how Thames Waters holding company, Kemble Water Group, will refinance a 190 million loan that is due to mature at the end of this month, prompting fears of a collapse. This comes in the wake of criticism of Thames Water and other water companies after the Environment Agency released data revealing raw sewage was discharged for more than 3.6 million hours into rivers and seas last year, a 105 per cent increase on the previous 10 months. The River Thames received 532 spills last year compared with 156 in 2022. Thames Water was responsible for the biggest increase in the number of discharges, with its overflows dumping on 16,990 occasions, a 112 per cent increase on 2022. The company is one of two which publish real-time data on raw sewage releases from outflows. The Oxfordshire branch of the Green Party has joined the Liberal Democrats in calling for Thames Water to be brought back into public ownership. It wants the company to be divided into smaller, publicly owned organisations and a long-term plan drawn up with transparency and accountability at its heart as well as infrastructure planning that prioritises long-term climate resilience and equitable access to fresh water and sanitation. In a statement, the branch said: In 1989, Englands 10 regional water monopolies were sold off with promises of improved service, reduced bills and action on leaks. But, 35 years on, privatisation has failed. Far from improving efficiency and service, privatisation has mainly served to enrich private, often foreign, shareholders and executives and failed to deliver on its promises on investment in infrastructure. England now faces a crisis as raw sewage is systematically dumped into rivers and streams, and water companies lose thousands of litres of drinking water every day to leaks. Thames Water loses 630 million litres a third of its water a day. In Oxfordshire, we are at the sharp end of this failure. The entire catchment of the River Thames which crosses our county is regularly full of raw sewage. A major housing development outside Oxford is a test case for the Environment Agencys ability to hold its nerve and Thames Water is ploughing ahead with its plans for a controversial 1.5 billion reservoir, already rejected by public inquiry. The provision of water and waste services is too important to be managed by private companies driven by shareholder return. Now is the time to bring Thames Water back into public ownership. Campaign group We Own It said: Thames Water is collapsing because it has racked up nearly 19 billion of debt. In 1989 it started out with zero debt. It has spent the last 34 years profiting at our expense. The company has paid out 7.2billion in dividends and in 2022 paid out 37million of internal dividends to its parent company. The largest stake in Thames Water is owned by a Canadian pension fund. Other shareholders include companies owned by the governments of Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and China. The Governments priority should be protecting the public from the mess caused by these financial institutions, protecting bill-payers and protecting our water and our rivers. Jo Robb, South Oxfordshire District Councils Thames champion and a Green councillor, said: The 35-year experiment with privatised water has failed. With Thames Water teetering on the brink of collapse and raw sewage pouring into our precious rivers, now is the time to take the company back into permanent public ownership and reverse the calamity of privatisation. Examples from across Europe, including in Paris, show that water and sewerage can be provided more cheaply while putting the health of people and planet first. Thames Waters shareholders are playing chicken with the regulator, refusing to inject much-needed capital and gaslighting the public by blaming Ofwat for holding them to proper regulatory standards. They are not fit to own a regulated entity, much less a water company on which our economy and our very lives depend. The raft of regulatory tightening proposed by the Government is mere tinkering at the edges and fails to recognise that privatised water is a scam. Privatisation is fundamentally incompatible with delivering water and sewerage services for the people who rely on them and for our natural environment. The Henley Mermaids, a group of five open water swimmers and river hygiene campaigners, have also called for the company to be taken back into public ownership. Laura Reineke, Joan Fennelly, Susan Barry and Fiona Print and Councillor Robb have signed up to We Own Its campaign. Ms Reineke said: It is vital that the regulators are given their teeth back and are free to prosecute. With robust regulation and cheaper loans for a publicly owned company, we can get back to healthy, happy waterways for wildlife, fish and humans to enjoy and call home. A Thames Water spokeswoman said: We regard any untreated discharges as unacceptable and were committed to stopping them from being necessary with the assistance of our regulators. Storm discharges are closely linked to rainfall and groundwater conditions and our region experienced above average rainfall for most of 2023, which saw an increase in the frequency and duration of storm discharges from our sites compared with 2022. Were taking action to reduce discharges and have led the industry in this area with the building of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. We have also published plans to upgrade more than 250 of our sewage treatment works and sewers. We remain the only company to publish an online map providing close to real-time information about storm discharges from all of our permitted locations and this near real-time data is available to customers as a map on our website. NETTLEBED Folk Clubs next gig will feature regulars Imar. The Glasgow five-piece are made up of current and former members of Manran, Mec Lir, RURA and Talisk. The band are well known on the trad folk scene and have won several BBC Radio 2 Folk awards and All-Britain-All-Ireland titles. Musicians Ryan Murphy (uilleann pipes, flute and whistle), Adam Brown (bodhran), Tomas Callister (fiddle), Adam Rhodes (bouzouki) and Mohsen Amini (duet concertina) return to Nettlebed as a stop on their international tour. The gig is at the Village Club in High Street, Nettlebed, on Monday, April 15, starting at 7.30pm (doors usually open by 7pm) and tickets cost 20 in advance or 21 on the door. For more details and to buy tickets, call 01628 636620 (between 10am and 8pm only) or visit www.nettlebedfolkclub.co.uk The recent outrage over a judicial magistrate in Rajasthan asking a rape survivor to show her injuries has brought into focus once again the gap between how survivors of sexual violence are treated and they should be treated. It also reopens the long-standing demand by civil rights groups for a trauma-informed approach by the judiciary and law enforcement. On March 30, the Dalit survivor filed a complaint stating that the Hindaun court magistrate asked her to strip in order to see her injuries. Over a period of time, safeguards on the rights of sexual assault victims have evolved, but incidents like these continue to evidence the fault lines in rape adjudication in India. The apex court has noted in Aparna Bhat v. The State of Madhya Pradesh (2021) that judicial officers must have the greatest extent of sensitivity and challenge harmful stereotypes instead of perpetuating them while issuing directions to judges for adjudicating cases of gender-based violence. In the Mathura rape case, Tukaram and Anr. v. State of Maharashtra (1978), the apex courts acquittal of two policemen who raped a 16-year-old tribal girl, and called it a peaceful affair, caused a public outcry. It was picked up by the womens movement and fuelled the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1983 which reversed the burden to prove consent from the woman to the accused i.e., in certain prosecutions of rape cases, absence of consent is the presumption, and the onus is on the accused to prove otherwise. Though the 1983 amendment wasnt able to stem stereotyping, there have been other important judicial interventions that protect the rights of survivors. Here are three important ones: In-camera proceedings introduced via the 2008 amendment to criminal procedure The 154th Report of the Law Commission of India (1996) and the Justice VS Malimath Committees report (2003) first recognised the need for a victim-friendly criminal justice system by acknowledging the need for trauma counselling and mental health support, rehabilitative services, interim compensation and so on. The 2003 report recognised that avoiding secondary victimisation of survivors was crucial. Subsequently, the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2008 among other major reforms introduced the vital victim-friendly procedural reform of in-camera proceedings of a trial for the offence of rape. In-camera proceedings protect the victims privacy as they are not conducted in open court, and it is impermissible for the media and the public at large to view them. The privacy of a rape victim has thus been granted primacy especially as we live in a society where sexual offences have a deep stigma attached to them. Questions on previous sexual experience of victims barred by the 2013 amendment Repealing of prejudiced provisions such as section 155(4) of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 which earlier permitted which provided that if a man is prosecuted for rape or attempt to ravish, it may be shown that the prosecutrix was of generally immoral character (repealed in 2003) have also contributed to the progress in protecting victims. However such improvements have often come only in the wake of heinous crimes. As it was in the aftermath of the outrage that followed the Nirbhaya gangrape in 2012 that an amendment (2013) was introduced which explicitly prohibited questioning a rape victim about her previous sexual history (section 53A in the Evidence Act). This was done for cross-examinations where the argument would be to establish the victims character, ridden with biases against sexually active women, and thus discrediting her entire testimony. The 2013 amendment barred such questions from being put to the victim and made the evidence of character or previous sexual experience of the victim irrelevant on the issue of consent. Two-finger test banned by the Supreme Court in 2013 judgement However, notwithstanding this progress, the cross-examination is inevitably a deeply hostile experience that causes re-traumatisation as rape victims continue to be asked sexually explicit questions about their past history and conduct. This amendment also introduced section 114A to the Evidence Act which provides for the presumption of absence of consent in certain cases such as where the perpetrator is in a position of trust or authority, substituting the earlier 1983 amendment. 2013 was also the year when the Supreme Court recognising the need to safeguard the bodily integrity of victims, banned the two-finger test, in the landmark judgement of Lillu @ Rajesh & Anr v. State of Haryana (2013) holding that it violated the right of rape survivors to privacy, physical and mental integrity and dignity. Protecting the interests of the victim and ensuring their welfare is central to the criminal justice system and therefore their potential loss of privacy should thus be seen sternly. This is accounted for in the law wherein it prohibits the disclosure of the identity of the victim in cases of rape under section 228A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. It makes revealing the identity of the victim a punishable offence. However, it is very often that one comes across instances of news publications or public figures making direct references to the identity or features of the victim. For instance, the Delhi High Court during the news coverage of the Kathua rape case in April 2018, took action and fined several news media organisations for disclosing the identity of the victim. More recently in October 2023, the High Court according to its judgement in Saleem v. The State of NCT of Delhi & Anr. (2023) issued practice directions to ensure the confidentiality of the victim is maintained in all filings in cases of sexual offences. The directions specified that details such as name, parentage, address, social media credentials and photographs of the victim must not be disclosed in filings. Why do hostile environments still persist? Despite these numerous reforms, the courtroom persists in being, to a great extent, a hostile environment for most victims of sexual offences. This may be due to the failure of proper implementation of laws, lack of consequences, bias and reliance on patriarchal notions, or judicial stereotyping by judges. It is necessary to ensure that victims are protected both inside and outside the courtroom. In another recent incident in Rajasthan, a private school prevented a class 12 gangrape survivor from appearing for her board examinations as it would spoil the atmosphere of the school. The absence of accountability mechanisms to ensure this will render progressive laws toothless if strict measures are not taken against stakeholders who violate these safeguards. The incident in Rajasthan is disturbing not simply because it is a gross violation of the bodily integrity and constitutionally guaranteed rights of the victim, but especially because it was inflicted by an officer of the court, which is why the booking of an FIR against the magistrate is a step in the right direction. If victims of crime, especially sexual violence, are continuously exposed to new cycles of harm by the very systems and stakeholders which are meant to protect them, it will significantly diminish their confidence in the judicial system and lead to decreased reporting rates. Avanti Deshpande is a Delhi-based lawyer. Her interests include human rights law and gender-based violence. Aquarius (20th January to 18th February) Daily Horoscope Prediction says, You are good as a guide Aquarius Daily Horoscope Today, April 09, 2024. Be sensible in official affairs and also utilize opportunities for better career growth. Carefully handle your love issues and office problems. Focus on productivity and also ensure you handle wealth smartly. Your health is also good today. Diligent handling of romantic affairs is the need of the hour. Be sensible in official affairs and also utilize opportunities for better career growth. Financial backing will be there and no major disease will hurt you. Aquarius Love Horoscope Today There can be twists and turns in the love affair today. While single Aquarius natives may fall in love, the first part of the day is not the perfect to express the feeling. Some romantic affairs, especially the new ones need time to settle down. Your parents will back your decision and marriage is also on the cards. Be sensible while having disagreements and also give proper space to the partner in the love life which will also strengthen the bonding. Aquarius Career Horoscope Today New responsibilities wait for you. Each one will be tougher and will also test your caliber. Your focus is as crucial as your attitude. Those who are keen to quit the job can update their profile on a job portal. Team leaders and managers will need to take the entire team towards a single goal. Traders may face issues from authorities related to licenses or policies which should be resolved before the day ends. Aquarius Money Horoscope Today Your day may not be productive in terms of finances. There can be issues associated with returns and this may also impact the routine life. Stay away from large-scale investments including speculative business. Some Aquarius natives will resolve a monetary dispute while females may be required to contribute to a celebration in office. Businessmen dealing with pharmaceuticals, textiles, automobiles, and leather will see good returns. Aquarius Health Horoscope Today Those who have a history of cardiac illness will develop minor issues in the first part of the day. Start the day with mild exercise and you should also drink plenty of water. Skip the meal rich in oil and grease to replace it with a protein and nutrient-rich menu. Those who drive must avoid hilly terrains, especially at night today. Aquarius Sign Attributes Strength: Tolerant, Ideal, Friendly, Charitable, Independent, Logical Weakness: Disobedient, Liberalistic, Rebel Symbol: Water carrier Element: Air Body Part: Ankles & Legs Sign Ruler: Uranus Lucky Day: Saturday Lucky Color: Navy Blue Lucky Number: 22 Lucky Stone: Blue Sapphire Aquarius Sign Compatibility Chart Natural affinity: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius Good compatibility: Leo, Aquarius Fair compatibility: Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, Pisces Less compatibility: Taurus, Scorpio By: Dr. J. N. Pandey Vedic Astrology & Vastu Expert E-mail: djnpandey@gmail.com Phone: 9811107060 (WhatsApp Only) Pisces (19th February to 20th March) Daily Horoscope Prediction says, Be sensible today Pisces Daily Horoscope Today, April 09, 2024. Do not let official issues impact professional productivity. Troubleshoot romance-related issues today and also be focused on the job. Avoid crucial monetary decisions and your health will also be good throughout the day. Resolve domestic issues with a mature attitude. Do not let official issues impact professional productivity. Avoid spending a big amount on luxury today. However, you are good in terms of health. Pisces Love Horoscope Today Some Pisces natives may not see any positive change in the relationship but do not lose the heart. Things will improve in a day or two. Sit with the lover to discuss the issues. Do not lose your temper today and also be sensitive towards the needs of the lover. Long-distance love affairs will face serious hurdles today. Avoid arguments today and resolve the troubles before things get heated up. Those who are married should take the support of their parents to stay happy. Pisces Career Horoscope Today The first half of the day may see many hiccups at the job. Sales and financial managers will need to struggle a little to keep the clients happy. Some professionals will see opportunities abroad and will make plans to relocate. There can be minor troubles related to egos at the office and you need to be diplomatic to handle them. Businessmen may face minor troubles in the partnership but things will be sorted out in a day or two. Pisces Money Horoscope Today Go for wise monetary decisions today. Despite the wealth pouring in, your priority should be to save money. Do not overspend, especially for luxuries. Today, you may also resolve a long-pending financial dispute with a relative. Females may buy jewelry as an investment. However, do not invest in speculative business as the returns may not be good. Pisces Health Horoscope Today No major health issue is visible today. But you may experience soreness in your throat. Sugar and hypertension patients need extra care. Viral fever is another common health issue and children may also complain about oral health issues. Some senior Pisces natives may complain about breathing issues which may require medical attention. Pregnant female Sagittarius natives must be cautious while riding a two-wheeler. Pisces Sign Attributes Strength: Conscious, Aesthetic, Kind-hearted Weakness: Sentimental, Indecisive, Unrealistic Symbol: Fish Element: Water Body Part: Blood Circulation Sign Ruler: Neptune Lucky Day: Thursday Lucky Color: Purple Lucky Number: 11 Lucky Stone: Yellow Sapphire Pisces Sign Compatibility Chart Natural affinity: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn Good compatibility: Virgo, Pisces Fair compatibility: Aries, Leo, Libra, Aquarius Less compatibility: Gemini, Sagittarius By: Dr. J. N. Pandey Vedic Astrology & Vastu Expert E-mail: djnpandey@gmail.com Phone: 9811107060 (WhatsApp Only) How did you discover Raul Gomez Jattins poetry? Essayist and translator of poetry, Katherine M Hedeen (Mumbai Poetry Festival 2024) In 1997, I visited Medellin, Colombia. While I was there, I was able to be part of Festival Internacional de Poesia de Medellin one of the most important international poetry festivals in the world. I heard about Raul for the first time then because he had just died. He was a close friend of the Cuban poet Victor Rodriguez Nunez, who is also my husband. He was devastated by the news. All the organizers of the festival a rebellious lot loved Raul, and so I began to read him. What were some of the personal and political reasons that led you and Olivia Lott to translate his work into English? In terms of the personal, from the beginning I thought that Rauls poetry needed to be translated. He is not an overly well-known poet in Spanish let alone English. In my translation workshops at Kenyon College, I used to assign students specific poets to translate, normally ones that had not been translated into English yet. I assigned Raul to Olivia Lott, a student in the class. This eventually became her Honors project in Spanish, which I advised. Later on, she asked me to collaborate with her on the book. As for the political, I am drawn to Rauls work for a lot of reasons. His voice is quite unique in Colombian poetry and in Latin American poetry more broadly, particularly because he offers readers a queer poetic subject that defies easy definitions. Published by the Cleveland State University Poetry Center How would you describe his place in Colombian literature today? Is he being more widely read, anthologised and taught? Raul is more recognized in Colombian poetry than he used to be, though he certainly does not receive the attention he deserves. It is my impression that he is still considered a poete maudit. It is a term in French; we really do not have a term for it in English. Maybe cursed poet. His readers are attracted to his rejection of bourgeois norms on the one hand and to his fierce queerness on the other. Why did you choose Almost Obscene as the title for this book? It sounds like a trigger warning for prudes. Was that your intention? We chose Almost Obscene first of all because it is the title of one Rauls most beautiful poems. I think, too, it demonstrates well the conflict and tension so present in most of Rauls work. His poems are, at once, erotic, sensual, heartbreaking, raw, tender, and often times trite. We thought Almost Obscene encapsulated the complexities of his work well. How have your translations of his poetry been received by LGBTQIA+ communities in Latin America and the wider Spanish-reading world? I am unsure of how it has been received in Spanish, since the book is in English translation and it is not a bilingual edition. I can tell you that it has been well-received by queer communities in the US. I am happy about that. One of the reasons I believe in this project so much is because Rauls openly queer poetics challenge US-centric notions of what queerness is. His poetry complicates any preconceived notion a US reader might have about Latin American or Colombian queerness. In the poem Poets My Love, he writes: Poets my love are/just to be read So dont pay attention/ to what they do in real life. What do you make of these lines? There are a few things going on. First off, these lines reflect a common theme throughout Rauls poetry. There is, at once, an intensity and determination to be as true to himself and his desires as possible, and then the inevitable guilt that comes from societys repression of those desires. At the same time, I think Raul is being slightly coy with his readers; he is suggesting that despite what seems like confessional poetry, the poet is not showing us all his cards. I like that he reminds us of the separation between poet and poetic subject. Readers often just assume the I in the poem is the poet. Raul is telling us thats not necessarily so. He worked as an actor, playwright and theatre director for several years. How was his craft as a poet influenced by his work for the stage? I dont have a definitive answer for that, though I would conjecture that some of the more (melo)dramatic parts of his poetry as well as the way he performed them at readings were related to his experience in the theatre. Much of his poetry is dark as it delves into loneliness and schizophrenia. What feelings did you go through while engaging closely with this work? How did it affect you? Rauls work is deeply compelling and often heartbreaking. It is impossible to translate The Book of Madness (the last poems that appear in the collection), for example, and not be affected by it. At the same time, those poems specifically are so valuable because it is rare to see mental illness documented as poetry in such a direct, genuine, honest way. It is incredibly brave, and I, as a translator, wanted to honour it. What strikes you about the way he writes about his desire for men? His poetry complicates definitions of queerness through its sincerity, directness, and openness. May the Girls Forgive Rafael Salcedo is an excellent example of this, but its throughout his work in poems like Navel Moon, Almost Obscene, Serenade. I leave it up to readers to interpret. Please tell us a bit about his Middle-Eastern heritage, and how that is reflected in his work. There is a significant population of Middle Eastern descent in Colombia. Rauls family belongs to it. He recognises his heritage in his poetry (Eastern Abuela, for example), but he identifies more with the region he is from in Colombia, Cerete and the Sinu Valley. If you could go back in time and meet him in person, what would you like to chat with him about? I think the first thing I would want to do if I could meet Raul is to hug him. Because of the intimate, often autobiographical nature of his poetry, I have the sensation that I know him a little already. More than talking to him, I would want to listen. Which other queer poets would you like to translate into English? Why? As a translator of poetry, my loyalties lie precisely with that: poetry. I am most interested in challenging a very limited canon of Latin American poetry in English translation by seeking out work that breaks with preconceived notions mostly by US Americans of what poetry from Latin America should be. All this is to say that I dont necessarily seek out work to translate because of a determined identity expressed in the work. Chintan Girish Modi is an independent writer, journalist and book reviewer. boAt Data Breach: Data of 7.5 million boAt customers has been leaked and is selling on the dark web, as per a report by Forbes India. Name, address, contact number, email ID, customer ID and more of boAT customers is available for purchase, it added. A hacker named ShopifyGUY claimed to breach the data of audio products and smartwatch maker boAt Lifestyle and dumped files of data breach with access to information of customers, it was reported. boAt Data Breach: Keeping aside the immediate loss of personal information, the data breach also makes boAT customers more vulnerable to financial fraud, scams and identity theft What could be the impact of the data breach? Keeping aside the immediate loss of personal information, the data breach also makes boAT customers more vulnerable to financial fraud, scams and identity theft as threat actors can use personal details of individuals to get access to bank accounts, conduct transactions and use credit cards. Threat Intelligence Researcher Saumay Srivastava told Forbes, The consequences for companies include a loss of customer confidence, legal consequences and reputational harm. The major implications make it even more essential to implement adequate security practice." What we know about ShopifyGUY- the leaker? The leaker's profile (ShopifyGUY) is relatively new and owing to the this breach, the hacker will gain a good reputation among the forum community, Rakesh Krishnan, senior threat analyst at NetEnrich told Forbes. He said, Considering the timeline, we can assume that the hackers gained access to the boAt customer database at least one month ago and put the data on the forum yesterday. Meanwhile Yash Kadakia, founder of Security Brigade said, The data is available for eight credits on some forums, so literally, it costs two euros to buy the data. It'll probably be available for free in a few days on Telegram. This data will be used by a lot of scammers for different phone and email scams. Founded in 2016 by Shark Tank judge Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta, boAt is the second most popular wearable brand in the third quarter of 2023, as per IDC report. Byjus crisis: Edtech firm Byjus started salary payments after delaying them for the past two months. This comes as the company is barred from using proceeds of recently floated rights issue. In an email to employees, the company said, We are pleased to inform you that salary disbursement has commenced today and will be completed over the next 10 days." It also said that it has not secured approval to access the rights issue funds. Byju's crisis: The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) directed Byju's to keep funds received from the rights issue in an escrow account.(Reuters) What is the conflict over Byju's rights issue? The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) directed Byju's to keep funds received from the rights issue in an escrow account till the disposal of a plea filed by four of the company's investors- Prosus NV, Peak XV Partners, General Atlantic and Sofina SA all of whom have opposed the company's decision to raise $200 million at a post-money valuation of $225 million. However, we have arranged an alternative line of credit to ensure timely payments. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this period, they said. What we know about Byju's holding salaries? Byjus held off its staff salaries as the company awaited a green signal from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to use funds from the rights issue as the company faced a major financial crisis. Meanwhile, Byjus-owned test prep firm Aakash appointed former Pearson India managing director Deepak Mehrotra as its new chief executive officer. Byjus acquired Aakash in April 2021 in an equity and cash deal- a 70 per cent cash component and 30 percent equity component. Indian onion shipment to UAE have been sold cheap despite high international prices, allowing importers in the Middle East country to make windfall profits at the cost of Indian farmers, traders and cultivators have alleged. Following Indias export ban, global onion prices have shot up in recent months to about $1200-$1500 a tonne. (HT file photo) India had allowed shipments of onions to a few countries on priority in response to diplomatic requests, but the worlds largest exporter of the item will continue to ban overseas shipments amid projections of lower output for two years in a row. The export ban imposed in December 2023 came on the back of a domestic supply crunch and after a 40% export tax failed to cool prices, which had more than doubled to reach 100 a kilo in some cities. Also Read: Onion, tomato price surge to blame? Veg thali rises by 7% in March On March 1, the Union government permitted the export of 14,400 tonnes of onions to the UAE, with a quarterly limit of 3,600 tonne. The commerce ministry last week cleared an additional 10000 tonne for the UAE over and above the quarterly quota. Indian traders have alleged that while Indian farmers were paid 12-15 a kg for the onions, importers in UAE sold these onions in stores for over 120 per kg. The Union government has also allowed the export of 50,000 tonne of onion to Bangladesh and 550 tonne to Bhutan, apart from 3,000 tonne to Bahrain and 1,200 tonne to Mauritius, an official said. Following Indias export ban, global onion prices have shot up in recent months to about $1200-$1500 a tonne. Rates have been pushed high also due to similar bans by Pakistan and Egypt. Exports from India however have been sent at around $500 to $550 a tonne, which has caused losses to Indian farmers, a farmer-trader from a Karnataka farmers producer organisation said, requesting anonymity. Onion shipments to UAE are being channelled through the National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) on a government-to-government basis. HT has learnt from the NCEL that the pricing and exporting entity are being fixed by an inter-ministerial committee. Om March 25, the Horticulture Produce Exporters Association has written to the NCEL, citing concerns that the prices at which onions are being exported are much lower than ruling international prices. K2 Infragen listing: On a day that the BSE Sensex hit an all-time high of 76,658 and Nifty hit a peak of 22,623 courtesy the push received from the good performance of the US markets last Friday, there was good news all around, even in the smaller indices where a flurry of activity was seen around K2 Infragen share price. Much to investors delight in the initial public offering (IPO) segment, K2 Infragen listing was extremely positive on the NSE SME platform today. Much to the delight of investors, K2 Infragen share price rocketed by as much as 40.34% on debut on NSE SME platform.(PTI) On debut, K2 Infragen share price opened at Rs. 167, and then surged by 40.34%. To put the the gains further in perspective, know that the issue price was Rs. 119. K2 Infragen IPO The IPO subscription for K2 Infragen opened on March 28 and closed on April 3 with the price band for the IPO ranging from Rs. 111 to Rs. 119 per share, with a face value of 10. Investors could bid on lots of 1,200 equity shares at a minimum. That much was expected from the K2 Infragen issue was clear when the subscription status jumped to 51.47 times on the fourth day. About K2 Infragen Founded in 2015, K2 Infragen Limited operates in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC). Previously known as K2 Powergen Private Limited, it comprises two divisions: EPC and Trading. Listed peers mentioned in the red herring prospectus include Markolines Pavement Technologie, W S Industries (India), Udayshivakumar Infra, and Advait Infratech. K2 Infragen performance The company saw a significant increase in profit after tax (PAT) between March 31, 2022, and March 31, 2023. In fact it increased by a massive 463.79% while revenue went up by 103.25% How the funds will be utilized The funds raised from the IPO will likely be allocated towards covering operational needs, expanding infrastructure, and supporting overall company objectives. The stated aim is to accelerate expansion plans in the Project Engineering, Power Engineering, and EPC sectors and that too across India. OpenAI used over a million hours of YouTube videos to train its large language model GPT-4, a report revealed as major tech companies are attempting to acquire more and more data to train their artificial intelligence (AI) models. The GPT-4 model was trained using a speech recognition tool named Whisper to transcribe YouTube videos, New York Times reported. As per this process, over one million hours of video content was transcribed which raised concerns about compliance with YouTube's policies as Google owned YouTube restricts use of its videos for independent applications. OpenAI logo is seen. As per this process, over one million hours of video content was transcribed which raised concerns about compliance with YouTube's policies (Reuters) This comes days after YouTube CEO Neal Mohan was asked if OpenAI's Sora video generator uses data from YouTube in an interview with the Wall Stree Journal. He said that he was not aware if OpenAI used any YouTube data to train it new video tool but claimed that it would be a problem if OpenAI used YouTube videos. The report also claimed that Google transcribed YouTube videos for AI training which could have potentially breached copyright laws. Even Mark Zuckerberg's Meta discussed acquiring Simon & Schuster to access a vast library of books. Why are AI companies obsessed with getting more and more data The effectiveness of AI models gets enhanced by the volume of data they're trained on. It was earlier reported that the demand for high-quality data is so high that some tech companies might exhaust available internet data by 2026. What have companies said on this so far? OpenAI said that each of its AI models is trained on a unique dataset while Google acknowledged training AI models on some YouTube content under agreements with creators. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma revealed that he used ChatGPT to know more about cooking oil. The artificial intelligence (AI) tool said that repeatedly heating oil could form hazardous compounds such as free radicals, he said. Replying to a post by fitness influencer Chirag Barjatya on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he said, "I asked ChatGPT to give more details of this and here is directly from GPT4. Reheating and reusing ghee or cooking oil can indeed impact its health properties, including potentially increasing the trans fat content. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder and chairman of One97 Communications Ltd., operator of Paytm, attends the Japan Fintech Festival in Tokyo, Japan.(Bloomberg) Explaining the process behind formation of trans fats, he said spoke about the way in which they could become oils when they are heated to high temperatures, This occurred as the high levels of heat can change the molecular structures, he said. "Trans fats are created through industrial hydrogenation but can also form when oils are repeatedly heated to high temperatures. This transformation occurs because the high heat can alter the molecular structure of the fats, converting some of the unsaturated fats into trans fats, which are known to be harmful to heart health, increasing bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and decreasing good cholesterol levels (HDL)," he wrote. He also urged people to reduce the use of oil and instead opt for alternatives that are fresher and healthier. Users were left unimpressed about his thoughts as one wrote, If possible ask ChatGPT, as to when Paytm IPO holders are going to make any money from investment while another said, Whats the point of sharing this? Stock market holiday: April 9 will be celebrated as Gudi Padwa in Maharastra- Marathi New Year which marks the start of the harvest season. In In West Bengal, this time is celebrated as Poila Boishak. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka celebrate Ugadi during this time. This could result in investors getting confused about whether market will open tomorrow (April 9) and if trading activity will continue on the NSE and BSE. In case you want to know this, you can look at the full list of Indian stock market holidays 2024 which is available on the official website of BSE. Stock market holiday: A screen inside the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai, India.(Bloomberg) Is stock market closed for Gudi Padwa or not? As per the list of stock market holidays in 2024, the Indian stock market will remain open on Tuesday on Gudi Padwa 2024. Trading activities at the BSE and NSE will take place as usual. As per the list, the immediate stock market holiday falls on April 11 and the month of April will also have another holiday on April 17. Stock market holidays in April 2024 On April 11, trading activities on NSE and BSE will remain suspended for Ramadan Eid or Eid-Ul-Fitr. On April 17, the Indian stock market will remain closed for Ram Navami. Except these two, there will be no stock market holidays falling in April 2024. In May, there is only one stock market holiday which falls on May 1 for Maharashtra Day celebration. In June and July as well , there is just one stock market holiday. Stock market will be closed in June 2024 on June 17 for Bakdi Eid whereas in July 2024, iy will remain closed on July 17 for Muharram. Billionaire Elon Musk is a known stickler for getting things done and that has led him to be dubbed a micromanager. However, he begs to differ. After spending years acquiring quite a reputation as a micromanager, billionaire Elon Musk, who runs a number of companies at the same time, from space, auto to social media, is looking to change the way he is perceived by the world out there. Is Elon Musk a micromanager? He begs to differ, says he just likes to give "attention to detail".(REUTERS) Musk says that smart employees dont really need to be micromanaged at all. In fact, they barely need to be told much about what to do, how to do and where not to tread. So, what exactly was he doing earlier? I wouldnt call it micro management, its just insisting on attention to detail, he said in an interview Monday with Nicolai Tangen, the chief executive of Norways wealth fund. What others refer to as micromanagement, he believes is simply something else. He explained, If youre trying to make a perfect product, then attention to detail is essential. While success has been following Musk around in most everything he does, the fact that he finds the time to pay attention to detail puts him in stellar company with the tech icons like Apples Steve Jobs and Microsofts Bill Gates, two of the most valuable companies in the world. Needless to say, he works long hours, as he himself has admitted. How to best handle employees With so many companies to handle, the number of employees is also high. How to handle them and get the job done? Musk said: Smart people, they manage themselves. These people will be goal achievers wherever you deploy them, he averred. He added that the best way to keep them them happy is to set out goals and let them figure out how to achieve them, Bloomberg reported. So I say, Look, this is the goal were after and this is what were trying to achieve. If you agree with that goal, then lets try to get it done, Musk said. However, there was a proviso. Musk said that he reserves the right to weigh in and take control if the situation so requires. Once in a while, you have to say, Guys, you have to trust me on this one. A North Carolina-based company sent a single-word rejection to an American job-seeker who was shocked after receiving the rudest rejection email ever, he said. The regional non-profit organisation sent a single-word rejection to the job-seeker who posted it on Reddit. Following this, the company apologised for its email and blamed it on a system malfunction. Sharing a screenshot on Reddit of the rejection mail, the job seeker wrote, In all my years, I've never seen a rejection letter so... I don't even know what to call this. Uncourteous? Rude? Unprofessional?? Users criticised the company for being unprofessional to which the company responded, We recently learned of a system malfunction." In the screenshot, it could be seen that the email did not begin or end with any salutations. It also did not give any reason for rejecting the candidate and simply read Declined. After this, users criticised the company for being unprofessional to which the company responded, We recently learned of a system malfunction with our online recruitment software where it automatically sent out replies to applicants for some openings with the single word "decline." We are very sorry this error occurred, as it does not represent who we are or how we treat people." It added, All applicants should be treated respectfully throughout the recruitment process, which includes receiving an appropriate, polite response with the outcome. We sincerely apologize for this mistake and believe we have found the source of the problem so this does not happen again. After the company's reply, the user wrote, Apparently my original post made so many waves that it reached the company, and I got sent this earlier today. Some of you sent me screenshots that you received the exact same email, and I know some of you reached out to the company itself to talk about it, so thank you all for that lol It's good to know that it's technical errr." The Tata Group-owned Vistara, which has been struggling with flight disruptions due to crew unavailability, has scaled down its operations by around 10% or around 25-30 daily flights, the airline said on Sunday. A Vistara Airbus A320 aircraft at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. (Reuters Photo) Vistara operates a little over 300 flights every day. The airline on Sunday said that the scaling down of 10% flights will take them to the same operations as in February this year. We are carefully scaling back our operations by around 25-30 flights per day, i.e. roughly 10% of the capacity we were operating. This will take us back to the same level of flight operations as at the end of February 2024, and provide the much-needed resilience and buffer in the rosters, the airline spokesperson said. The airline specified that only their domestic flights would be impacted due to the scaling back of operations. These cancellations are done mostly in our domestic network and much ahead of time to minimize inconvenience to the customers. Also, all the affected passengers have already been re- accommodated on other flights, as applicable, he added. The airline claimed that the situation of flight disruptions has gotten better. .. with this all the changes for the month of April 2024 have been done and the situation has already gotten better with our on-time performance improving for the last few days. Looking ahead, we are hopeful of stable operations for the rest of the month and beyond, the spokesperson said. Last week, many pilots reported sick that led to cancellation of around 150 flights from Monday, April 1 to Saturday, April 6. Looking at the urgency, the airline CEO Vinod Kannan on Wednesday had a townhall with the pilots and assured them of a better roster to have work-life balance. On Friday, he said that flight cancellations were a result of a cascading effect of a multitude of factors. Addressing the issue of pilots refusing to sign the revised contracts that would lead to a pay cut and reduced flying hours, Kannan said that 98% of the pilots had signed the new contracts. Vistara has been facing these issues at a time when the airline is nearing a merger with Air India. Industry experts said that fewer flights during the summer peak travel season will mean an increase in airfares, thus burdening passengers. Mark Martin of Martin Consulting said, This situation will only help airfares to shoot up dramatically, also because GoFirst has shut down and around 60 aircraft of IndiGo are grounded because of Pratt and Whitney (engine) issues. Voltas AC share price: Air conditioner maker Voltas said it recorded a 35 per cent sales growth to over two million units in FY24. With this, it became the first company in the domestic market to cross this mark in a performance flanked by consistent demand for cooling products during the year and strong offline and online distribution network, the Tata Group firm said. Voltas AC share price: A screen inside the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai, India.(Bloomberg) Voltas AC share price today Voltas AC share price gained 10% in the morning trades to scale 52-week highs. What Voltas AC said on sales growth? "The company achieved over 2 million AC units during this fiscal 2023-24, the highest ever sale of ACs by any brand in a financial year in India, with a volume growth of 35 per cent," it said. Voltas is "the first ever brand to achieve this extraordinary milestone in the Air Conditioning industry in India", it added. During the March quarter, the company "registered a significant volume growth of 72 per cent in AC sales during Q4 FY24. Voltas is the undisputed market leader and has maintained its number one position in the Room Air Conditioner category". The company's MD and CEO Pradeep Bakshi said, "We believe that our wide presence, focus on the emerging retail channels, excellent distribution network, strong brand equity and attractive consumer offers have helped us to achieve this significant milestone". What's next for Voltas? Voltas is now expanding its retail and distribution network to cater to its growing product portfolio, it said, adding, The company registered a significant growth in volume in other cooling products, including air cooler and commercial refrigeration products. Brokerage firm Jefferies downgraded Bandhan Bank Ltd's rating to "underperform" from "buy" as the bank's managing director and chief executive officer Chandra Shekhar Ghosh said that he will quit on the completion of his tenure in early July. Bandhan Bank MD and CEO Chandra Shekhar Ghosh speaks during a press meet.(PTI) Jefferies's target price for Bandhan Bank Jefferies slashed the target price of the stock to 170 from 290, citing the founder-CEO's resignation- a 14 percent downside from the stock's closing price of 197.40 on April 5. In the past six months, Bandhan Bank's shares have declined nearly 20 per cent. What Jefferies said on Bandhan Bank's stock? Jefferies expressed concerns about the uncertainty related to the appointment of a new CEO. The brokerage also said that there should be a smooth succession process considering that most senior management members are relatively new to the bank. Why Chandra Shekhar Ghosh resigned from Bandhan Bank? Chandra Shekhar Ghosh will retire on July 9 this year and has over 30 years of experience in microfinance and development. In his resignation letter attached with the regulatory filing, he said he would retire from Bandhan Bank to take on a broader strategic role within the group. He added, After leading the Bank for almost a decade including three consecutive tenure as MD & CEO, I feel that the time has now come for me to assume a larger strategic role at Bandhan group level. Hence, I have decided to retire from the services of Bandhan Bank at the end of my current tenure as MD & CEO, i.e. on July 09, 2024. In a tragic development, a biker died in Bengaluru on Monday after colliding with an SUV that allegedly belonged to Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje. The deceased is also said to have been a BJP worker, according to news agency PTI. (Representative file photo) The deceased has been identified as Prakash. He was 62 years old, according to NDTV. The incident unfolded in the city's K R Puram area near a Ganesha Temple. ALSO READ | 120-feet chariot crashes at Bengaluru temple fair, no one hurt The deceased is also said to have been a BJP worker, according to news agency PTI. He was following the minister's convoy as she headed to an election campaign. The collision happened when the car stopped and one of the occupants opened a door. The biker crashed into the open door of the car and was flung on to the road toward incoming traffic. He was tragically ran over by a bus coming from behind before he could move from the spot, causing him to die instantly. ALSO READ | 'Eshwarappa cannot use Modi's pictures, party will decide about him after nomination': Karnataka LoP R Ashoka Shobha Karandlaje, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture, is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha election from the Bengaluru North constituency. It is not yet known if the minister was inside the car at the time of the incident. ALSO READ | Health ministers wife approaches police against BJP MLA Yatnal over derogatory remark She spoke to reporters on the matter later and mourned Prakashs death. "We all are pained. Prakash was our dedicated worker, who used to be with us round-the-clock. We are with his family. We will pay the compensation from our party fund, She said. (With inputs from PTI) Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday claimed the BJP, according to an internal survey of the RSS, will not win even 200 seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls and won't cross even eight seats in the state. Congress leader Priyank Kharge(ANI file photo) Accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of "lying", for his recent statement alleging delay on the part of the state government in submission of a proposal to the Centre seeking drought relief, he said Shah should have been the "Minister of misinformation". "RSS' internal survey says they (BJP) won't get even 200 seats. RSS is saying it. In the state, they won't cross even eight seats. How will they win, in fourteen to fifteen seats there is internal fighting (in BJP)," Kharge claimed. READ | Rajeev Gowda will win Bangalore North Lok Sabha seat, says CM Siddaramaiah Speaking to reporters here, he said several senior BJP leaders are even speaking about the need to cleanse the party. "They (some BJP leaders) are saying that the BJP (in the state) is polluted because of one family. They are saying they want to reinstall the original BJP. Are we (Congress) saying it? No, they (BJP) are saying it. They are also claiming that injustice is happening to Hindutva leaders in BJP like- Basangouda Patil Yatnal, C T Ravi, Ananthkumar Hegde, Eshwarappa. They are fighting themselves, Congress did not create it," he added. BJP is aiming to win 370 seats in the country and more than 400 for NDA as a whole in the upcoming Parliamentary elections. READ | 'Eshwarappa cannot use Modi's pictures, party will decide about him after nomination': Karnataka LoP R Ashoka In the state, the BJP is targeting to win all the 28 Lok Sabha seats. Accusing Amit Shah of lying regarding drought relief to Karnataka, Kharge said he should have been the "Minister of misinformation". "Is the Chief Minister's meeting with the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and the Finance Minister (seeking relief) a lie? Is the IMCT (inter-ministerial central team) coming and doing a survey here and submitting a report a lie? Is the National Disaster Management Authority holding a meeting thereafter, and praising Karnataka's drought management efforts in writing, a lie? What is this? Why is Amit Shah lying so much?" he asked. READ | Health ministers wife approaches police against BJP MLA Yatnal over derogatory remark Addressing party workers and leaders in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Shah had said there is drought in Karnataka, and the state government was late by three months in sending a proposal to the Central government and "today the application for drought relief from the Centre is with the Election Commission." "They (Congress government) are doing politics over it now." Demanding answers from state BJP chief B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka, the Minister sought answers from them about the injustice happening to Karnataka from the Central government. "Please tell whether the state government has given the proposal or not? October 31 was the deadline, but we gave September 23. How can he (Shah) lie?" he asked. A police compliant has been filed against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Vijayapura Basavana Gowda Patil Yatnal on Sunday for his recent remarks against Congress leader and state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and his family, people aware of the matter said. The complaint against MLA Basavana Gowda Patil Yatnal has been filed by Gundu Raos wife, Tabu Rao. (HT photo) The complaint has been filed by Gundu Raos wife, Tabu Rao, they said. On Saturday, Yatnal made a derogatory remark, calling minister Rao half Pakistani referring to his wifes Muslim background. The MLAs remark came in response to Yatnals reaction after the National Investigative Agency (NIA) detained BJP leader Sai Prakash of Shivamogga, who was also a witness, in connection with the Rameshwaram bomb blast that occurred on March 1. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the minister allegedly ridiculed the BJP and asked what the saffron supporters of the state would say on the NIA action. Speaking to media persons outside the BJP office in Vijayapura, about the involvement of a BJP leader in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, Yatnal said that the man owned a sim card shop and that he did not know who his customers were. Asked about Dineshs statement on the blast case, Yatnal said, Pakistan is in Dinesh Gundu Raos house. His house is half-Pakistani. He also sought explanations from the BJP for targeting the Congress-led state government in Karnataka over the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. Minister Dinesh Gundu Raos wife, Tabu Rao on Sunday lodged a complaint with the Sanjayanagar police station. Previously, in a post on X, she urged BJP leaders to address MLA Yatnals inflammatory statements. I am not in politics. I dont even know who Basavanagowda Patil Yatnal is. I am involved in social work beyond religion, Tabu Rao told reporters after filing a complaint with the police. He made such a statement against me. Is this a part of BJPs politics to talk about someones wife and children? She asked if this is the respect given to women from those who always chant Bharat Mata ki Jai, she further said. Dinesh Gundu Rao is in politics. Talking about him is natural. But I cant stand talking about myself. Besides, it is enough to see the Muslim playing the card again and again. I have decided to file a criminal defamation suit soon, she added. Inspector of Sanjaynagar police station Bagyavathi said: We have received a complaint from Tabu Rao today and will take necessary action on the matter. This is the second complaint filed against Yatnal in this same incident. On April 6, Gandhinagar Block Congress Committee President J Saravanan lodged a complaint with Seshadripuram police station on Saturday. A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker riding a two-wheeler was killed while campaigning in Bengaluru on Monday after he collided with Union minister Shobha Karandlajes car, fell off his motorcycle and was run over by a bus. The victim, Prakash Kumar was riding on his motorcycle behind the ministers car when the incident took place. (HT photo) The incident, which took place in KR Puram in east Bengaluru, prompted the BJP to cut short the rally and the police to file a case against the driver of Karandlajes car. Read here: CM Siddaramaiah accuses FM Sitharaman of lying on drought relief fund to Karnataka The victim, 65-year-old Prakash Kumar, was riding his motorcycle behind the Union ministers Innova car MLN road, when her car came to a halt and the leftdriverdoor was opened abruptly, according to the police. He rammed into the door, fell onto the ground and was run over by a private local bus, leaving him with severe injuries to his waist, said police officers aware of the matter. BJP workers at the spot took him to the nearby KR Puram government hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Officers aware of the matter said the precise sequence of events leading to his death is under investigation and his body was sent for an autopsy. Prakash had attended a BJP meeting before the accident; his untimely death has plunged our family into grief, Shantha Mary, Prakashs sister, told reporters. Karandlaje called Prakash a loyal party worker. His death has pained us. Prakash was a very loyal worker of our party. He was with us 24 hours a day. We are all with his family. The party will provide suitable compensation for the family, she said. The mishap took place when the driver of the car opened the door abruptly, said KR Puram traffic police inspector Chetan Kumar. Read here: 'BJP won't win even 200 seats in LS polls as per RSS survey': Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge We have registered a case against the driver of the car, Raghunath, under the Indian Penal Codes sections 283 (causing obstruction in a public way), 279 (rash driving), and 304A (causing death by negligence), and the investigation is ongoing. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah exuded confidence in party candidate Rajeev Gowda on Saturday, saying that he is a qualified candidate with good knowledge and has all the chances to win. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah (AFP) "Rajeev Gowda is a qualified candidate with good knowledge, concern and populist ideology. He has all the chances to win from the Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency," he said. He said this after inaugurating the Women and Booth-Level Leaders Conference in Dasarahalli Assembly Constituency. READ | 'Eshwarappa cannot use Modi's pictures, party will decide about him after nomination': Karnataka LoP R Ashoka Rajeev Gowda will contest from the Bangalore North Lok Sabha constituency against the BJP's candidate, Shobha Karandlaje, in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. "Shobha Karandlaje did not raise her voice for a single day about the injustices done to the state for five years. Do these people value your vote? As the Vice-Chairman of the State Policy and Planning Commission, Rajiv Gowda, who has high academic qualifications and knowledge, and constantly raises his voice about the injustices of the state, will bring great dignity to your vote. Be sensible and make him win," he said. The Chief Minister criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that he has not implemented anything in the last ten years. He expressed that the mere act of making speeches cannot fulfil the promises of "Acche Din" (good days). READ | Health ministers wife approaches police against BJP MLA Yatnal over derogatory remark "Modi never implemented anything, he said in the last ten years. It did not bring in black money, did not create 2 crore jobs per year, and did not reduce the prices of petrol, diesel, gas, fertiliser, cooking oil and pulses. Acche Din has never come to the lives of Indians by merely making speeches, saying Acche Din Ayega," he said. Siddaramaiah also targeted former Prime Minister and JD (S) supremo HD Deve Gowda for allying with the BJP. Siddaramaiah pointed out that Deve Gowda had previously stated that he would leave India if Modi became Prime Minister again, but now he has joined Modi. "Devegowda, who had said that he would leave India if Modi became the Prime Minister again, has now joined Modi," he said. READ | 'Congress will wrest Kolar seat back': Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar CM Siddaramaiah urged Kannadigas to vote against the BJP for neglecting the state, causing it to receive less tax money than it deserved, and for failing to visit during times of natural calamities like floods and droughts. "The state has been subjected to extreme injustice in sharing the tax money of the people of the state. When the people of the state suffered from floods and drought, Modi and Amit Shah did not enter the state under any pretext. Till date, not a single rupee has been paid for drought relief from the state's share. Gain self-respect by defeating the BJP, which has continuously betrayed the people of the state," he said. Weeks after a car belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Naddas wife Mallika Nadda was stolen from a service centre at Govindpuri in southeast Delhi, the police on Sunday announced that they have arrested four men in connection with the crime, and have recovered the stolen Toyota Fortuner. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda(JP Nadda-X) The arrested men have been identified as Shivansh Tripathi, Md Saleem, Md Raees and Furkaan Ahmed. Three others are still at large, police said. Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Rajesh Deo said, The accused used a stolen Hyundai Creta car to gain access to the service centre and later lifted the car from there. Giving details of the case, police said the Fortuner was stolen on March 19, when Mallika Naddas staffers sent the vehicle for servicing in Govindpuri. Officers investigating the case said the driver dropped off the car at the service centre and left for lunch, but when he returned, he found that the car was missing and the staffers at the service centre had no clue about its whereabouts. Read here: JP Nadda hoists BJPs flag, hails partys achievements on 44th foundation day Subsequently, police said that a team was put on the case, and footage from several CCTVs were scanned. It was first found that the car was seen near Faridabad. We sent staff to look for suspects involved and auto thieves in the area. One of the accused, Tripathi, was identified with the help of local informers. He was not at his house and a search for him was initiated, said a senior police officer involved in the case, on condition of anonymity. The officer said that Tripathi was caught near Patiala House court on March 22, and during interrogation, the suspect said that his friend Shahid, Shahids son-in-law Farooq, and his associate Shahkul (all identified only by their first names) committed the theft. According to police, the stolen Fortuner was first taken to Farooqs farmhouse in Faridabad. The car had stickers and the accused knew it was a BJP leaders car. The men then took the car to a receiver named Saleem, who sells cars to other receivers and transporters who can take the car to the Uttar Pradesh districts of Moradabad, Sitapur, Hathras, and Mainpuri, along with northeastern states, the officer quoted above said. A receiver is someone who buys stolen property from thieves and sells it to others. DCP Deo said that based on the information they gathered, multiple raids were conducted at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, and Saleem was arrested. Saleem told us he sold the car in Sitapur to a man named Mohd Raees. We searched for Raees and arrested him. He told us he sold the car to Furkaan in Amroha. A police team was then sent to Amroha and later to Varanasi. The accused, along with the stolen Fortuner, were found in Varanasi, the DCP said. Police said while Tripathi is the main accused, he works with Shahid and his family to steal luxury cars. Saleem and the other receivers help the gangs to dispose of the vehicles and/or sell them. They were planning to send the car to Assam or other northeastern states soon to evade police, said the officer quoted above. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday slammed city ministers over their refusal to attend meetings convened to discuss the functioning of their ministries, following the arrest of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. In a letter addressed to the union home ministry, the governor said that the minister's refusal shows insensitivity and lack of seriousness. Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena (ANI) According to the letter, the governor had scheduled a meeting with key ministers dealing with the departments of water, education, health, transport, environment, and forest so that the routine works of governance are not hampered in the backdrop of Kejriwal's arrest. However, the ministers declined his invite on the specious ground that the model code of conduct was in force. Upon the arrest of Shri Arvind Kejriwal, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Delhi, and subsequent events, especially those related to public health infrastructure in the city, the impeding Summer Action Plan for water availability, etc playing out in the public domain, Lt Governor had decided to convene a meeting of key ministersAn intimation was sent to Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Atishi, and Saurabh Bharadwaj for a meeting on April 2, the letter read. It added, However, all the ministers have vide e-mails declined to attend the said meeting on the specious ground that since the model code of conduct is in force, such a meeting would not be appropriate at this stageHon'ble Lt Governor believes that a consultation of this nature was warranted so that routine works of governance are not hampered in the backdrop of arrest and detention of the chief minister. According to LG Saxena, the rationale adduced for not attending the meeting appears vague and exhibits lack of seriousness and insensitivity to matters affecting the day-to-day lives of the citizens of Delhi. AAP hits back at the Delhi LG Meanwhile, Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj hit back at the Delhi LG saying he needs to understand the Constitution. Water, health, environment, and forest are all transferred subjects of the elected government...When we tell him our problems, he says that they are transferred subjects but now he is calling a meeting of the ministers...If the LG is interested in running the government then he can fight the elections and defeat Delhi CM Kejriwal, he said. The AAP vs BJP battle in the national capital intensified after Kejriwal's arrest on March 21 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. He was the first sitting minister to be arrested and has been lodged in the Tihar jail till April 15. (With inputs from agencies) Digital smart classrooms will be established in 48 schools of UP Basic Education Council running within its urban limits, in a move that could provide a fillip to teaching and learning initiatives at government-run primary schools of the district. Students at a government primary school in Prayagraj. (HT File Photo) Request for Proposal (RFP) in this regard has been invited by the Prayagraj Smart City Limited and bids are expected to be opened as soon as the model code of conduct gets lifted, officials said. Prayagraj Smart City Limited has planned to increase the utilisation of ICT-based interventions for strengthening of more government schools in Prayagraj city through implementation of Project Phase-IV of Smart Schools. This would further help the Prayagraj Smart City Limited along with Prayagraj Education Department to strengthen and equip teachers to use the latest mode of education system in Government schools. To achieve this objective, Prayagraj Smart City Limited intends to select an implementation agency for the implementation of Smart Schools (Phase-IV) in Prayagraj Smart City, a senior official aware of the project said. The proposed smart classes will be designed to ensure a comprehensive learning experience for students, making the study process interactive and engaging. The key objectives of the project include providing ICT-enabled learning to boost the education system, making education more interactive with new technology and other resources, making possible access to quality education through provision of teaching learning tools, enhancing the learning environment and creating capacities among stakeholders (teachers, parents, and students and other third-party institutions), besides improving educational outcomes and overall quality of the education system and students experience in Prayagraj. Smart classes will provide access to Integrated Smart School Solution and would entail installation of projectors, speakers, power backup/UPS as well as other important components which are required for the operation of Smart school Systems, including network switches, routers, firewall, network and supporting equipments etc besides Interactive white board, computer systems etc. The initiative entails the agency setting up digital smart class to also bear the responsibility of maintenance for the next five years. The agencys experts will provide training to school teachers to operate the equipment. Assistant finance and accounts officer, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan Deepak Pandey said that efforts are going on at many levels to increase basic facilities in government run primary and upper primary schools. The government primary schools selected for setting up of these smart classes include Primary School, Rajapur-1, Old Katra-1, Baba Ji Ka Bagh, Balrampur House, Mehendauri, Kareli-I, Naini Bazaar, Sohbatiyabagh, Triveni Road, Abubakarpur, Begum Sarai, Tulsipur, Karelabagh Colony, Stanley Road, Phaphamau-1, Old Mumfordganj and Phaphamau. The other schools include those at Rasulabad, Pura Fateh Mohammad in Naini, Maheva-II, PAC Dhumanganj, Shivkuti, Police Lines, Teliarganj, Madhwapur, Foundation-I and II, Ambedkar Nagar Kharkoni, Beniganj, Sadiabad and Meerapur. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is expected to soon release the admit cards for the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (I), 2024 on its official website upsc.gov.in. Candidates will be able to download the admit cards by visiting the website. UPSC NDA NA I exam 2024 admit cards expected to be released soon at official website upsc.gov.in. (Screengrab) Once released, the candidates can go through the following steps to download the admit cards: Visit the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in. On the homepage, click on the NDA Admit Card 2024 link A new page will open where candidates will have to enter the required details Click on submit and the admit card will be displayed Check the admit card and download the page Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. Also read: ICAI CA 2024: Delhi HC rejects plea seeking postponement of inter, final exams; Surprised at such request, says Bench Notably, according to past trends, UPSC NDA (I) admit cards were released 20-30 days ahead of the NDA examination. The NDA NA (I) exam is scheduled to be held on April 21, 2024. The UPSC, through the exam, aims to fill 400 posts in the organization. There are 208 vacancies available in the Army, 42 posts available in the Navy, 120 posts in the Air Force, and 30 vacancies in the Naval Academy are available to be filled through the recruitment drive. Also read: AISSEE Counselling 2024: Seat allotment results expected to be released soon, check details here Candidates should note that they need to be careful about filling in details in the OMR answer sheet during the exam. As per the UPSC official notification, any omission/mistakes/discrepancy in encoding/filling of details in the OMR answer sheet, especially with regard to Roll Number and Test Booklet Series Code, will render the answer sheet liable for rejection. What are the items allowed in the exam hall? Clipboard or hardboard (on which nothing is written) Good quality Black Ball Pen for marking responses on the Answer Sheet Items banned inside the exam hall: Mobile phone (even in switched-off mode) Pager Pen drive Smart watches Camera or blue tooth devices Any other equipment or related accessories either in working or switched off mode capable of being used as a communication device. Also read: Delhi Government School Admission 2024: Class 6-9 registration from today on edudel.nic.in The Delhi High Court on Monday refused a petition seeking to reschedule the CA intermediate and final exams in the wake of the impending Lok Sabha elections, citing no rule prevents holding examinations during polls. ICAI CA 2024: The Delhi High Court has rejected a plea seeking postponement of inter, final exams. (Representative image) Also read: ICAI CA 2024 Live: Delhi HC dismisses Inter, Final exam postponement plea In its hearing, the court observed that the mere fact that candidates may face hardship in undertaking the exam cannot be grounds for the court to derail the exam which is to be taken by approximately 4.26,000 aspirants. This court is surprised that such a request has been made, said the Bench during the hearing. It may be mentioned here that the petitioners had highlighted transportation and other issues that may arise due to the upcoming General Elections. They also said that the use of loudspeakers during campaigning may affect the performance of the candidates. To this, the Bench said that those candidates who have issues appearing for the exams may refrain from taking it. Also read: Delhi Government School Admission 2024: Class 6-9 registration from today on edudel.nic.in Notably, the ICAI had previously changed the dates for the CA Inter and Final examinations owing to the Lok Sabha Elections. The CA Inter Group I exams are scheduled for May 3, 5, and 9, 2024, whereas Group II exams will take place on May 11, 15 and 17, 2024. Likewise, CA Final Group I exams will be conducted place on May 2, 4, and 8, 2024, while the Group II exam will be held on May 10, 14, and 16, 2024. The International Taxation -Assessment Test will be held on May 14 and 16, 2024. (With inputs from Shruti Kakkar in New Delhi) The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has issued a stern warning against copyright infringement of its educational materials. In an official notice, the NCERT pointed out that a few unscrupulous publishers were printing NCERT school textbooks available on its website, under their name without obtaining permission from the education body. NCERT has issued a stern warning against copyright infringement of its educational materials by unscrupulous publishers. (Representative image) NCERT, responsible for developing and disseminating textbooks for all stages of school Education, has long been regarded as an authorized repository of educational teaching and learning resources. It said that if any individual or entity is found to be publishing NCERT textbooks for commercial sale or in part or uses the textbook content in such publication without obtaining copyright permission from NCERT, action will be taken against them under the Copyright Act 1957. Also read: CUET UG 2024: Last day to make corrections on application forms, steps to edit and direct link here The NCERT also urged the public to stay away from such textbooks citing that the content may be factually incorrect as well as against the basic philosophy of NCF 2023. It further appealed to individuals who come across such pirated textbooks to immediately inform NCERT through email at pd.ncert@nic.in. Also read: IIT Kanpur's CSE Department to host information cum Q&A session on PG admission Further, the NCERT asked publishers who desire to use the name of NCERT in their publication to send a proposal to the Publication Division NCERT, Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi-16, or email at secy.ncert@nic.in. The full notice is below: Kangana Ranaut was spotted in Mumbai on Sunday, taking her new Mercedes Maybach out for a spin. The actor was spotted in a flowy white dress as she left a salon. She was clicked by the paparazzi as she stepped into her pristine new car. (Also read: Ranbir Kapoor takes Alia Bhatt out for a drive in new Bentley worth 8 crore. Watch) Kangana Ranaut was spotted cruising in a new Maybach in Mumbai. Kangana's swanky new ride Kangana, who already owned a Mercedes Maybach S680, recently bought her second Maybach, Mercedes-Maybach GLS. It is priced at 2.43 crore while S680 was bought at 3.6 crore. It is not clear if Kangana swapped the car with a cheaper one or simply added another version of the same brand to her collection. As per a Men's XP report, Kangana also owns a BMW 7-series 730LD, a Mercedes GLE 350D SUV and an Audi Q3. She has two properties in Mumbai: an office and a home. Kangana's entry into politics Kangana Ranaut recently announced her entry into politics as she joined the Bhartiya Janta Party. She will be contesting elections from Mandi consituency in Himachal Pradesh. She recently said that this is the election of PM Narendra Modi and if people vote for her, it will go to the Prime Minister. Addressing a public meeting in the Sundernagar area of Mandi district on April 4, Kangana said that the BJP is not run by the leaders but by its workers. "This is the election of PM Modi. If you vote for Kangana, it will go to PM Modi. There should not be any shortage in our area. I have done some work in the film industry due to which I have got the name in the country and all over the world. I feel that till now I have not done anything that the people should elect me as their representative," she said. "Our party is run not by leaders but by workers," she added. Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats: Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Kangra. The BJP had won all four seats in 2019. Kangana will be seen next in Emergency, based on the life of former PM Indira Gandhi. She has also directed the film. Nitanshi Goel, who debuted with Kiran Rao's directorial Laapata Ladies was lauded for her performance in the comedy-drama. The actor who portrayed the role of a village bride in the movie opened up about her first meeting with Aamir Khan. Nitanshi, in an interview with India Today, shared how Aamir encouraged her and called her heera (diamond) in front of her mom. (Also read: Possible to change status quo with small interventions: Kiran Rao on 'Laapataa Ladies') Nitanshi Goel spoke about an incident about Aamir Khan. Nitanshi opens up on Aamir Khan's words of praise Nitanshi had been selected to play Phool Kumari after she sent her audition tapes. The young actor was invited for lunch by film's producer. Aamir wanted to see her live performance. She said, After I was done performing, sir asked me where I learned acting from, an acting school or theatre. When I told him that it was through my audition process, he was amazed. He told my mother, 'Aapki beti heera hai' (your daughter is a diamond). He also said that now, whatever work I do, should be to my level of talent. It was such an emotional moment for me. I have always looked up to him since I was a child and to have him say something like that was very heartening. I did not know how to react then, but it's a memory for a lifetime," she added. Laapata Ladies is a satirical take on orthodox customs Laapata Ladies also marks the debut of Sparsh Shrivastav and Pratibha Ranta. The film features Chhaaya Kadam, Ravi Kishan and others in crucial roles. The story revolves around two young brides who get lost soon after their wedding. Due to the traditional custom of veil associated with married women in villages, a case of mistaken identity leads to confusion. In spite of being a comedy, the film takes a satirical take on orthodox practices and the way forward towards women's empowerment. Kiran's directorial released in theatres on March 1. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place New Delhi, There is a universality to women's experiences across classes and a lot of it goes unrepresented in cinema, says director Kiran Rao who has attempted to tell a story of self-discovery through two brides in her critical hit "Laapataa Ladies". HT Image The film, which had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, released in India to glowing reviews on March 1 and is still enjoying a run in theatres. Rao, who promoted her second directorial effort across tier-one cities and small towns, said the women she met have probably not experienced being under the veil, but they could still identify with the issues explored in the movie, set in rural India in the year 2001. "There's some sort of universality in a woman's experience across classes and a lot of that goes unacknowledged, unseen or unrepresented in cinema," the filmmaker told PTI in an interview. "Hearing the response to the film, I realised that it's possible to change the status quo with very small interventions and reclaim some space for ourselves, even within the setup that we, maybe, cannot change. That has been nice to hear from women," she said. "Laapataa Ladies" is a satirical drama revolving around two young brides, Phool and Jaya, who get swapped during their journey to their in-laws' but the comedy of errors, propelled by the long veil, ends up being an empowering journey for both. The hope, post the movie's theatrical run, is to take it to the nooks and crannies of the country where a story like this may make a difference, Rao said. "I'm still basking in the love that I'm getting and hoping that more people go and watch it if they have not seen it yet. Going forward, we want to collaborate with organisations that work with communities on gender and women's issues. "I have put a word out to people I know in the social sector... I really hope to take the film to villages. It's not a short-term plan, we'll build organically." The director said "word of mouth" has been her biggest support in taking the film, which stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Srivastav, and Ravi Kishan. "I'm grateful for that because it means there are people who will go out to watch a film without stars only on the basis of the trailer," she added. There have been some lessons along the way as well for the filmmaker, whose last release was her debut "Dhobi Ghat" in 2011. "You need a multi-pronged marketing campaign to reach people across the country because we have a diverse audience. There are some things that I would do differently when I make my next one," she said. Film promotions can be hectic but Rao was able to find some moments of quiet by taking detours and spending time with her parents in Bengaluru. "It's been crazy but in between promotional trips, I went to Bengaluru, I could spend a night with my parents. And that's always wonderful because the comfort of just hearing your parents puttering around, having that morning cup of coffee with them, not necessarily needing to talk if you don't want to, but also having loads to share with them, helped me along through it all," she said. The director said she also managed to have "little expeditions" on her own while travelling from one city to another to promote "Laapataa Ladies", which she backed via her Kindling Pictures alongside Aamir Khan Productions, the company run by former actor husband. Rao, who worked as an assistant director on films such as "Lagaan" and "Monsoon Wedding" and produced "Taare Zameen Par" and "Peepli Live", has many more stories planned and hopes that the gap between her movies will not be long. Filmmaking, she said, was something she stumbled into accidently during college. The filmmaker, born in Bengaluru and raised in Kolkata, completed her graduation from Sophia College, Bombay University and then joined Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, for a masters programme in mass communication. "I didn't know I wanted to make films. After my graduation from Sophia College, I knew I wanted to do something in the arts but I was not sure what. I also didn't want to commit to FTII which was a five-year course at the time," she said. Rao joined Jamia Millia Islamia's mass communication course and thought she may get into broadcast journalism. "In the second year, you study the moving image mediums and when I was doing that, I became interested because we got to watch amazing filmmakers from across ages. "By the final year, I was like, 'I want to direct'. That's when the penny dropped. I was lucky to have great professors, a wonderful faculty and a great institution that encouraged free thinking." This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Andrew Scott is considered to be one of the finest actors of his generation. The actor is basking in the acclaim for his leading turn in the new Netflix adaption Ripley. During his recent appearance at Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actor, however, said that any comparisons with Matt Damon- who played the same part in the 1999 movie, make it intimidating for him. (Also read: Ripley teaser: Andrew Scott plays the conman in upcoming series based on Patricia Highsmiths classic. Watch) Andrew Scott in Ripley (left), Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley. What Andrew said During the interview, when Jimmy Kimmel said that the show is receiving incredibly positive reviews, with critics opining that Andrew is better than Matt Damon, he laughed and said: For me, it was intimidating because, you know, it's a film that people love and I'm certainly included in that I absolutely adore that film. 'It's very Hitchcockian' The actor continued how he was convinced by the conviction of the creator, Steven Zaillian. But so that was that was one of my might be questions like, why are we doing this? But as Steven Zaillian, our writer-director, had just this very, very strong image when he read the book many, many years ago that he wanted it to be very film noir. It's all set in black and white. It's very Hitchcockian. You know, it's like it's sort of it's very crime based. And you know, he wanted it to feel of the period of set and very, very early 60s, and it's exquisitely shot. It really looks like like no other kind of form on television. And we get to spend a huge amount of time with the character, he added. Ripley is written and directed by Steven Zaillian. It also stars Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf, the 'vagabond son' and Dakota Fanning, as Ripley's girlfriend, who grows suspicious of his actions. It released on Netflix on April 4. Meanwhile, the 1999 film starred Matt, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow, was written and directed by Anthony Minghella. It was critically acclaimed and was nominated for five Academy Awards. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Dakota Fanning is 30 now and has an acting career almost just as long. She has acted in films such as War of the Worlds, Uptown Girls, Equalizer and many more. She even won the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Best Young Actor/Actress award in 2001 for her role in Sean Penn-starrer I am Sam. She beat the likes of Haley Joel Osment and Daniel Radcliffe to clinch the trophy. Dakota was 7 at the time. (Also read: Couldn't have asked for a better co-star: Dakota Fanning on working with Andrew Scott in Ripley) Dakota Fanning and Orlando Bloom shared a sweet moment at an awards ceremony in 2001. However, when it came delivering the speech after the win, Dakota faced an issue: she was too little to reach the mic! Thankfully, Lords of the Ring and Pirates of the Caribbean star Orlando Bloom was the presenter of the award. He quickly came to Dakota's rescue and hoisted her up to the mic. Dakota's impressive speech Dakota then delivered a speech far more mature than any other 7-year-old could have managed. I wasn't expecting this. Hi. Thank you. Well, first of all, I just want to thank everybody who got me here. It took a lot of people to and I guess really appreciate everybody. First of all, I want to thank God for all the things that he has given me and the best agent in the entire world. I want to thank the Broadcast Film Critics Association for letting me be nominated with Haley Joel Osment and Daniel Radcliffe. I just, I am so excited to be here tonight. And I want to thank my mom and my dad and my little sister Elle for everything. And I just wanted to thank, again the Broadcast Film Critics Association for everything I really appreciate it, she said. The audience laughed and cheered through it all. In 2008, Dakota was asked about the episode when she said, "I met him again later on the set of 'War of the Worlds' and we talked and had a laugh about it," Fanning told Pop Tarts at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Luncheon that year. It was funny, but Im actually a bit embarrassed thinking about it now. Dakota in Ripley Dakota is currently seen on Netflix series Ripley with Andrew Scott. The series is based on the enduring character created by novelist Patricia Highsmith in The Talented Mr. Ripley. It premiered April 4. I was so excited by getting to communicate so much with micro-movements in the face and a look that thing where you can read someones thoughts through their eyes, says Dakota Fanning, who plays the suspicious girlfriend of the rich dilettante Dickie Greenleaf. Allu Arjun turned 42 on April 8 and his wife, Allu Sneha Reddy hosted a birthday bash at their residence in Hyderabad on Sunday night. The bash, attended by their closest friends, loved ones and family, was all about celebrating the actor. (Also Read: Pushpa actor Allu Arjun greets a sea of fans outside his home on his birthday. Watch) Allu Arjun rang in his birthday with wife Sneha at their Hyderabad home. Allu Arjuns birthday bash In the pictures shared by Sneha on her Instagram stories, it can be seen that everything from the decor to the cake reflected Allu Arjuns achievements, particularly his recent wax statue at Madame Tussauds in Dubai. One of the pictures she shared shows a silhouette of the actor in his trademark red jacket from Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, pulling off the Pushpa gesture. Another picture shows a three-tier birthday cake in white and gold, with pictures of Allu and his wax statue cascading down. Sneha looked gorgeous in a white cut-out dress as she posed for happy pictures with her husband. Navdeep, who also attended the party, gifted the actor a bonsai. He shared a picture from the bash on his Instagram stories, writing, Puttinanduku thanks bava. (Thanks for being born) A screen grab of Allu Sneha Reddy and Navdeep's Instagram stories Fans lined up outside Allus home on Sunday night to catch a glimpse of the actor and wish him on his birthday. A few minutes after midnight, the actor walked out to greet them and thank them for all the love. In videos shared on X, he can be seen greeting them with folding hands and blowing kisses before heading back inside for his bash. Pushpa 2: The Rule teaser The teaser for Sukumars Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna-starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule will release on Monday. The film is a sequel to the 2021 hit Pushpa: The Rise, which won the actor a National Award for his performance. He plays the titular character in the film, Pushpa Raj, a daily-wage worker who rises in ranks to become a red sanders smuggler. Rashmika plays his wife Srivalli in the film which also stars Fahadh Faasil, Jagapathi Babu, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Dhananjay and others. The films music is composed by Devi Sri Prasad. Pushpa 2: The Rule will release on August 15 this year. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place. Actor Jagapathi Babu opened up in a recent interview about Trivikram Srinivas Guntur Kaaram. He played an antagonist called Marx in the Mahesh Babu-starrer that was released this January. Talking to Times Now, the actor expressed dissatisfaction in txwhe way the film turned out. (Also Read: Jagapathi Babu reveals Salman Khan made him dye his hair for KBKJ: He cant fight a person who is older) Jagapathi Babu played Marx in Guntur Kaaram I did what I had to In the film, Jagapathi played Dokka Marx Babu, an antagonist who butts heads with Maheshs father, played by Jayaram in the film. Later in the film, he also faces off Maheshs character Ramana. I would love to work with Mahesh Babu always. But, to be honest, I didnt enjoy Guntur Kaaram, he said. He further explained, Because, it was supposed to be very different, more characterisation was there. It became sort of messy after a while, it became difficult to finish it (the film). I did whatever I had to do. I dont want to waste our (Mahesh and his) combinations on such films, it should be the best. In production hell For the unversed, Guntur Kaaram was in production hell since it was announced in 2021. The family drama was initially promoted as an action thriller and the muhurtam pooja was held in 2022. However, reports soon surfaced of cast and crew walking out of the project, numerous reshoots, the whole script being overhauled midway through the project and more. Pooja Hegde walked out of the project with Sreeleela stepping in her role. Meenakshi Chaudhary was roped in to play the role Sreeleela was supposed to. Jagapathi was pumped to play an endearing yet scary character when the film went on-floors. However, his role was cut short to only a couple of scenes in the film. Upcoming work Jagapathi has numerous films lined up in various languages. In Telugu, he will soon be seen in Sukumars Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil-starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule. He was also recently roped in for Harish Shankars Mr Bachchan with Ravi Teja. He was last seen in Parasuram Petlas Family Star with Vijay Deverakonda and Mrunal Thakur. In Tamil, he will star in Sivas Kanguva with Suriya. In Hindi, he will be seen in Karan Lalit Butanis Ruslaan with Aayush Sharma. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place. New Delhi, The makers of "Pushpa 2: The Rule" on Monday launched the teaser of the much-anticipated film on the occasion of lead star Allu Arjun's 42nd birthday. HT Image Directed by Sukumar, "Pushpa 2: The Rule" follows the first installment "Pushpa 1: The Rise", which sets up a clash between Arjun's titular character and Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil's inspector Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat. Production banner Mythri Movie Makers shared the teaser on its official X page. Also starring Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli, the film will hit the screens on August 15. "Celebrate his arrival. Adore his fire within. Experience the goosebumps. #Pushpa2TheRuleTeaser out now. Happy Birthday Icon Star @alluarjun THE RULE BEGINS on 15th AUG 2024," the post read. Arjun, who greeted fans outside his Hyderabad house at midnight, expressed gratitude for their love and support. "I thank each and everyone of you for the birthday wishes! My heart is full of gratitude. Please take this teaser as my way of saying thank you!" he captioned the teaser of "Pushpa 2: The Rule" in an X post. According to a press release, the 1.08 minute-long clip features the 'jaathara' sequence from the upcoming film. 'Jaathara', also known as 'Sammakka Saralamma Jaathara', is a festival celebrated in the state of Telangana to honour the Hindu tribal goddesses. Steeped in colour and tradition, the teaser sees Arjun's Pushpa Raj decked up in a sari, jewellery and make-up, as he wields a trident and bashes up adversaries to music composer DSP's rousing soundtrack amid the 'jaathara' celebration. The first glimpse of the sequel may have presented the protagonist in a different avatar, but his swag remains the same. "Pushpa 1: The Rise" depicted the rise of a low-wage labourer in the smuggling syndicate of red sandalwood, a rare wood that grows only in the Seshachalam Hills of Andhra Pradesh state. It released in India in association with Muttamsetty Media on December 17, 2021 and went on to become one of the biggest money-spinners of the year earning over 350 crore. The film also established Arjun as a pan-India star, earning him his first bets actor National Award. Composer DSP also won his maiden National Award for "Pushpa: The Rise". This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Pushpa 2 The Rule teaser: The much-awaited teaser for Sukumars Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna-starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule was released on Monday. The film, which is a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise takes the story forward from where it left off. (Also Read: Allu Sneha Reddy hosts a birthday bash for Allu Arjun, looking stunning in white outfit. See inside pics) Pushpa 2 The Rule teaser: Allu Arjun pulls off a jatara look in high-octane thriller Pushpa 2: The Rule teaser The teaser begins with shots of a jatara taking place, with the crowd chanting and praying to Goddess Kali. Soon, were shown a shot of gunghroo, someone lining their eyes with kohl, showing off their jhumkas and a shot of the forehead with bottu. But its not a woman who has been wearing the blue pattu saree or twiling the trishul. Its Allu as Pushpa Raj, pulling off a jatara avatar and beating up baddies as the crowd watches in awe. The teaser ends with him threatening to beat up more goons than he already has. Allu Arjuns birthday Allu turns 42 on April 8 and he celebrated his birthday with loved ones, including close friends and family. His wife, Allu Sneha Reddy, threw a birthday bash for him at their residence in Hyderabad. The decor for the party celebrated the actors achievements, particularly his recent wax statue at Madame Tussauds in Dubai. Fans lined up outside the actors home to greet him on his birthday, with videos showing his whole lane filled up with them. A few minutes after midnight, the actor stepped out to greet them, thanking them for the love. About Pushpa 2: The Rule Pushpa 2: The Rule will see Allu, Rashmika and Fahadh Faasil reprise their roles as Pushpa Raj, Srivalli and inspector Bhanwar Singh Shekawat. The film, which also stars Jagapathi Babu, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Dhananjay, Ajay and others will release on August 15 this year. Allu won a National Award for his performance in the first film, so expectations are high on the second one. Pushpa 2: The Rule will see music by Devi Sri Prasad and sound design by Academy and BAFTA awards-winner Resul Pookutty. Where is Pushpa? On Allus birthday last year, the filmmakers revealed a glimpse titled Where is Pushpa? The glimpse revealed how Sukumar is taking forward the story of Pushpa Raj. It revealed that in 2004 Tirupati, Pushpa has escaped from jail but has been wounded by gunshots during escape. He is expected to have escaped to Seshachalam forest, where his shirt is found. However, people start protesting once they believe the police have killed Pushpa on purpose, indicating that since the last film, he has won the hearts of people by helping those in need. A month after that, new footage shows him on the night vision camera, showing that hes alive. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place. Queen of Tears featuring Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won has smashed records and become one of the highest-rated K-dramas in tvN's history. This romantic comedy has surpassed all expectations, not just in the domestic market but also among global audiences. On April 7, the series made a powerful comeback when it started its second half and soared to its highest ratings, leaving every other show of the day in the dust. Queen of Tears dethrones Reply 1988 to become 3rd highest-rated in tvN history; #1 on Netflix(tvN) Queen of Tears overtakes Reply 1988 in tvNs history The 2015 K-drama Reply 1988 was a fan favourite, featuring a star-studded cast that included Hyeri, Ryu Jun Yeol, and Park Bo Gum. However, a new drama is now taking the lead with the third-highest ratings of any tvN drama to date. Queen of Tears has surpassed Reply 1988 and is only outranked by two smash-hit dramas, Crash Landing on You and Goblin. Both the K-dramas were the only ones to have surpassed the 20 per cent benchmark. Queen of Tears becomes most-watched show on April 7 The K-drama 'Queen of Tears' has become the highest-rated program of any kind on Sundays. The show follows a married couple who go through burnout and divorce before rekindling their love after overcoming challenges. According to Nielsen Korea, the latest episode that aired on April 8 received an average nationwide rating of 19.0 percent. Queen of Tears has secured the top position in Netflix's non-English segment, garnering 4.3 million views this week and becoming the most-watched show in this category. Congratulations! Beauty and Mr. Romantic slips in ratings Meanwhile, Beauty and Mr. Romantic, a new romantic drama on KBS 2TV, which was previously the highest-rated drama during the weekend, saw a slight drop in viewership in its most recent episode, with an average nationwide 18.0% for the night. Television viewership for TVN's Hide concluded its first half on a higher-than-normal average, rising to 5.0% for the show's sixth episode. President Mokgweetsi Masisi's recent proposition to send 20,000 elephants to Germany has thrust this issue into the international spotlight and ignited a fiery debate on wildlife conservation, human-wildlife coexistence, and the ethical implications of trophy hunting. Germanys environment ministry had proposed banning imports of hunting trophies, but the proposal was not accepted by the Parliament. Instead, the country will reduce overall imports of hunting trophies of protected species. It is very easy to sit in Berlin and have an opinion about our affairs in Botswana. We are paying the price for preserving these animals for the world, Masisi told the German tabloid Bild, according to the Washington Post. Lets unpack that. At the heart of this debate is the question of how best to balance the needs of human populations with the conservation of these majestic creatures. Botswana is estimated to be home to over 130,000 elephants. This burgeoning population seems to profile the country's conservation efforts but also poses significant challenges of human-wildlife conflict including crop damage, property destruction, and threats to human life. Trophy hunting, a practice that has long divided opinions, emerges as a central theme as wildlife experts call the Botswana Presidents statement a political one, devoid of any ecological merit. Germany has no suitable habitat, said an international ecologist refusing to delve further into the issue. Trophy hunting is contentious. It typically involves paying for and pursuing a specific wild animal, often a large or iconic species like elephants, with the goal of killing them to obtain a trophy, such as the animals tusks, heads, or hide," explains Dr Neil D'Cruze, head of wildlife research at World Animal Protection. D'Cruze said there is widespread public opposition to trophy hunting, describing it as a cruel bloodsport that inflicts prolonged and undue animal suffering. However, conservation pragmatists argue that the size of the elephant population in Botswana, (estimates range from 200,000 to 130,000, as highlighted by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana) is more than what the ecosystem can sustain. Historically, Botswana has been celebrated for its conservation efforts, which have allowed the elephant population to thrive. However, this success has brought its own set of challenges, including increased human-elephant conflicts and debates over the carrying capacity of the land. In response to these challenges, the Botswana government lifted a ban on trophy hunting in 2019, which was in place since 2014. This decision was influenced by a committee comprising local authorities, affected communities, conservationists, and tourism organisations, which recommended lifting the ban as a means to manage the elephant population more effectively. The governments decision was framed as an effort to reduce human-elephant conflicts and manage the elephant population sustainably, although it sparked significant controversy and debate among conservationists, locals, and international observers," said Shubhobroto Ghosh, wildlife campaign manager at World Animal Protection, India. Ultimately, these discussions often boil down to a single issue: popular public opinion is against trophy hunting, but how could the financial revenue that it generates be replaced? DCruze asked. Botswana argues that it serves as an essential tool for population control and generates significant revenue for conservation efforts and local communities. The Botswana government contends that the practice has contributed to the country's conservation success, enabling the management of elephant populations and supporting rural livelihoods through revenue from hunting quotas allocated to community-based organisations (CBOs). This was communicated in a press release in 2022 by then director of the department of Wildlife and National Parks, Dr Kabelo J. Senyatso, in response to an international story alleging the failure of this practice (trophy hunting). A set of questions has been shared with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Government of Botswana. This story will be updated based on the responses. The press release clarified the reasons for resuming hunting in Botswana. The decision was driven by increased human-elephant conflicts causing loss of life and negative impacts on community livelihoods due to lost hunting income. Addressing these challenges, the Botswana Elephant Management and Action Plan 20212026 was developed to protect the elephant population while identifying benefits for communities through sustainable elephant use. Despite concerns, Botswana's CITES-approved hunting quotadeemed non-catastrophic for its large elephant populationaims to support rural livelihoods () by developing hunting value chains to create jobs and business opportunities by processing hunting by-products, enhancing local employment, and promoting wildlife conservation. D'Cruze, however, questions if trophy hunting is indeed indispensable for conservation and community development. Research in South Africa has provided new insights, along with clear evidence that there are other non-consumptive, wildlife-friendly alternatives. World Animal Protection commissioned research into public attitudes towards trophy hunting in South Africa, surveying 10,900 people from around the world including India, which revealed strong opposition to the blood sport. At a more extensive level, we also wanted to explore this contentious issue to test whether tourists would be willing to put their money where their mouth is. We found that the answer was a resounding, yes. They are, said Dr DCruze. The organisation also spoke to nearly 1000 people who were visiting, or planned to visit, South Africa. We found that over 80% were in favour of the idea of a wildlife protection fee at border entry points that could compensate for any lost revenue from trophy hunting were it to be banned. We calculated, on the basis of two scenarios, that the amount they were willing to pay could generate enough funds to equal, if not exceed, those currently generated by trophy hunting in South Africa. Although more research and due diligence is needed, we hypothesise that these types of efforts could also be successful elsewhere in Southern Africa as well, said Dr DCruze. What about population control of elephants? The dynamics of elephant population growth and management in Botswana are complicated by migration patterns and the impacts on neighbouring countries. Elephants move freely across borders in Southern Africa, and their movement patterns are influenced by environmental factors, available resources, and human activity. This cross-border movement necessitates regional cooperation in conservation and management strategies to ensure both the protection of elephant populations and the minimization of human-wildlife conflicts, Ghosh said and added that the Botswana debate is an important pointer for India not to fall into the trap of introducing lethal and unsustainable means of trophy hunting. Animals ought to be treated as sentient beings and not as commodities. The World Animal Protection research highlights the potential risks of relying solely on trophy hunting for wildlife conservation, which may neglect more compassionate, sustainable solutions. Having spent extensive time in regions rich with wildlife such as India and Southern Africa, I understand the frustrations leading to the radical idea of sending thousands of elephants to Europea notion that, while attention-grabbing for newspaper headlines, falls short of a genuine solution. However, as societies increasingly turn away from hunting, presenting trophy hunting as an ethical practice is unlikely to gain broad acceptance. Countries like Botswana must explore and embrace diverse, wildlife-friendly conservation strategies, moving beyond the stalemate of the trophy hunting debate to unlock overlooked potentials, said DCruze. Wildlife conservationists argue that culling or trophy hunting are not solutions to control the population of growing numbers of wild animals. They advocate for better intra-country coordination during times of migration, particularly for elephants, to ensure their safe passage across borders, the establishment of wildlife corridors and the implementation of population control methods, such as immunocontraception for overpopulated species like deer. These methods not only preserve the lives of these species but also maintain ecological balance and biodiversity. Ultimately, in light of human-induced climate change, habitat loss and overexploitation of wildlife, this is a pivotal moment for the future of Southern Africas biodiversity, said Dr DCruze. Stylish star Allu Arjun is celebrating his 42nd birthday today. On this special occasion, lets celebrate the actor by learning new things about him, which you probably didnt know before. Allu Arjun Favourite food The superstar is happily married to Allu Sneha Reddy and they are proud parents to two beautiful children, named Ayaan and Arha. In an Ask Me Anything session on social media, the actors wife had revealed that his all time favourite food is biryani. But which one? Well, according to buzz the Pushpa star loves indulging in spicy Hyderabadi biryani every now and then Family of stars Acting and films run in Allu Arjuns blood. His grandfather Allu Ramalingaiah was a well known comedian while his father Allu Aravind is a film producer. The actors paternal aunt Surekha Konidela is married to superstar Chiranjeevi, which makes Ram Charan his cousin. Allu Sirish, Arjun's brother, is also an actor. But the list does not stop there! His daughter Allu Arha is also following in her fathers footsteps. She made her acting debut with Samanthas film Shaakuntalam in 2023 Debut film Most fans know that Allu Arjun made his acting debut in the lead role with Gangotri in 2003. However, that wasnt his first official time on the silver screen. He worked as a child actor in his father Allu Aravinds 1985 film Vijetha and Swathi Muthyam (1986), before playing a dancer in Chiranjeevi-starrer Daddy (2001) Number 666 Many of the superstars cars, including his Range Rover Vogue and Mercedes Benz, have 666 written on the number plate. Reports suggest that even his phone number has these exact digits. He had once shared a picture of his number plate and in the caption he had explained how people consider 666 as Satan. However, the actor called it the number of the beast and described it as a style statement Favourite movie Chiranjeevi in Indra A lot of Allu Arjun starrers emerge as fan favourites. But which movie is on his must watch list? Well, the actors all time favourite film is Chiranjeevis 2002 action drama Indra. He has watched it over 15 times. After all, his uncle Chiranjeevi is also his guru Annual blood drive Allu Arjun is not only loved by audiences for his acting skills, but also because hes a good human being. Proof of the same is his annual blood drive, which he organises on his birthday every year. The superstar even donates blood himself On the work front, Allu Arjun will next be seen in Pushpa 2: The Rule on Independence Day. We wish him a super successful year ahead as we wait to see him shine onscreen in the most awaited film of 2024. After confining her political activity in just a few pockets of Uttar Pradesh for years, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has finally expanded her role in the campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. At the first rally of the opposition INDIA bloc in New Delhis Ramlila maidan on March 31, she not just read out the charter of demands of the alliance but invoked the Ramayana to hit out at the Narendra Modi government. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with Sonia Gandhi.(PTI Photo) On Saturday, Gandhi Vadra attended a Congress rally in Jaipur over its manifesto. Again, she not only read out the Nyay Patra, or the manifesto, but delivered a speech attacking the Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party. The signal was clear -- from here on Gandhi Vadra will be an important part of the national campaign of the Congress. To be sure, her tenure as general secretary has been far from inspiring. Two years ago, the Congress fought the Uttar Pradesh assembly election with Gandhi Vadra as in-charge. The party won just two seats as against seven in the last state election. Unemployment is at its peak. Unemployment has not been as high in 45 years as it is today. You have seen Modi jis government for 10 years, you have seen BJPs government, and if you ask each other, go to neighbouring houses, look into your own houses, then what do you find out? To remove unemployment, he had made big promises, made big announcements, but he did not fulfil even a single one, Gandhi Vadra said at the public rally in Jaipur in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi. Hitting out at Modi, she said, All you hear is 400 paar, you only hear where Modi ji is travelling. Sometimes they are flying in airplanes in the sky, in the air, sometimes they are down inside the sea, under water. So this is what you are seeing. But you are not seeing what the real conditions of this country are today. You are only seeing it in your life, you are seeing it in your experience, only you are recognizing your struggles. The government of this country is not recognizing it. Gandhi Vadra is set to campaign on a much wider canvas than she has ever done before, a Congress leader said, declining to be named. In her initial years in politics, she had confined herself to the family boroughs of Amethi and Raebareli and a few other areas of Uttar Pradesh. As her brother Rahul Gandhi assumed bigger roles and particularly in the years of his party presidency, she had taken over the task of designing his campaign and helping him to manage the party. Over a period, she also emerged as an important power centre and a crisis manager for the party. When the Congress was planning a change of guard in Punjab, Navjyot Singh Sidhu went to meet her in his bid to become the Punjab Congress chief. She also played a role in bringing five-time MP Pappu Yadav into the Congress fold, according to leader aware of the matter. A bunch of important Congress leaders such as Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Sachin Pilot are widely considered as a part of her core group. At the Ramlila maidan rally, Gandhi Vadra didnt shy away from invoking Lord Ram to counter the BJPs campaign, just as she greeted the Jaipur rally with Ram-Ram sa. When I was a kid, I used to come (here) with my grandmother Indira Ji and she used to narrate the Ramayana to me. Those in power today call themselves Ram bhakts. When I was sitting here, I thought that I should say something to them. I want to remind them of the 1,000-year-old tale and its message, she said at the Ramlila ground. When Lord Ram fought for truth, he did not have power, resources or even a chariot. Ravan had chariots, resources, army and gold, but Lord Ram had truth, hope, belief, love, kindness, modesty, patience, courage and truth, Gandhi Vadra said. I want to tell those in power and PM Narendra Modi that the message of Lord Rams life is that power is not permanent... and arrogance gets shattered. The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), in collaboration with the Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), is spearheading an initiative aimed at fostering collaboration and partnership in the realm of vocational education and training between Australia and India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.(AFP/File) According to a press release, a 33-member future skills delegation, comprising experts across digital technologies, energy, and infrastructure sectors, is set to embark on a transformative journey to India, where they will engage with key stakeholders to enhance collaboration in future skills training area - universities, and corporate entities. Scheduled from April 8- April 11, the Australia-India Industry Skills Partnership Summit in New Delhi is poised to be a pivotal event in the bilateral relationship between the two nations. Aligned with the Australian Government's commitment outlined in its Update to an India Economic Strategy to 2035, the summit aims to consolidate efforts to bolster vocational education and training linkages between Australia and India. In a concerted effort to strengthen bilateral ties and foster collaboration in the realm of skills development, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), on behalf of the Australian Government, orchestrated a landmark initiative. The delegation, comprising experts in digital technologies, energy, and infrastructure, is poised to engage with stakeholders in New Delhi, Pune, and Chennai. With a dual objective of enhancing market literacy and catalyzing skills partnership momentum, the delegation seeks to forge robust business ties between Australian and Indian entities. This endeavour is a crucial component of the Australian Government's Australia-India Future Skills Initiative (FSI), a strategic program aimed at facilitating collaboration between Australian skills providers, Indian skilling institutions, and corporates. The overarching goal is to identify collaborative models and partnerships for skills delivery in India, thereby addressing the nation's burgeoning labour force requirements. Following the summit, parallel 2-day Business Programs will unfold in Pune and Chennai from April 10 to April 11. These programs offer an invaluable opportunity for the Australian Future Skills delegation to engage directly with Indian counterparts, facilitating knowledge exchange and partnership exploration. Australia's education and training providers are renowned globally for delivering world-class skills training across nearly 50 locations worldwide. Driven by industry expertise and designed to meet evolving workforce needs, Australia's skills training sector operates across schools, vocational education and training, and higher education sectors, underpinned by robust quality assurance mechanisms. Commenting on the significance of the delegation visit, Catherine Gallagher, Minister-Commercial and Head of Austrade South Asia highlighted Australia's esteemed reputation in vocational education and skills training. Gallagher underscored the timeliness of the delegation amid the strategic and economic alignment between Australia and India, emphasizing its pivotal role in addressing India's critical labour force requirements. Gallagher said, "Australia has a reputation for world-class vocational education and skills training. This delegation comes at a time when Australia and India are more strategically and economically aligned than ever before. This delegation will connect Australian vocational education and training providers with Indian learners and industry to help meet India's critical and emerging labour force requirements". She added, "I am sure the Australia-India Industry Skills Partnership Summit and Business Program will support our skills ecosystems to forge meaningful partnerships and programs for the future", In the fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23), India emerged as Australia's 9th largest trading partner, while Australia secured the 13th spot in India's trading landscape. Major exports from India to Australia encompassed a diverse array of commodities, including petroleum products, engineering goods, drugs and pharmaceuticals, textiles and apparel, and gems and jewellery. The bilateral trade between India and Australia in FY23 stood at an impressive USD 25.9 billion, maintaining the momentum from the previous fiscal year which recorded trade at USD 25.0 billion. India's goods exports to Australia amounted to USD 6.89 billion, while imports totalled USD 19.01 billion during FY23. Notably, the bilateral trade in goods and services surged to USD 27.5 billion in 2021, showcasing a significant uptick from USD 18 billion in 2020. India's robust export portfolio to Australia comprised a myriad of products, with petroleum products leading the pack at USUSD 3.08 billion, followed by engineering goods, drugs and pharmaceuticals, raw cotton including accessories, and gems and jewellery, collectively amounting to USUSD 944 million, USUSD 305 million, USUSD 230 million, and USUSD 209 million, respectively, during April-November 2023. On the import front, India procured a substantial volume of commodities from Australia, with mineral coal, coke, and briquettes accounting for a significant chunk at USD 7.2 billion. Other major imports included natural and precious pearls, bulk mineral and ores, and processed minerals, totalling USD 1.6 billion, USD 545 million, and USD 389 million, respectively, during April-November 2023. The bilateral relationship between India and Australia has witnessed significant milestones and agreements, underscoring the commitment to bolster cooperation across various domains: The inaugural India-Australia 2 2 Ministerial Dialogue held in September 2021 highlighted the growing convergence on security issues and shared commitment to a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. The signing of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) on April 2, 2022, paved the way for duty-free access to a wide array of goods and relaxed norms to promote trade in services. This agreement is expected to boost bilateral trade to USD 45 billion in the next five years. Bilateral meetings, joint initiatives, and strategic dialogues between key officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, underscored the commitment to enhance collaboration across sectors. The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Australia came into effect on December 29, 2022, aiming to bolster trade ties and facilitate bilateral trade in goods and services, targeting a value of over USD 70 billion in the next five years. The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (#IndAusECTA) provides a robust institutional mechanism to encourage trade and covers a wide range of tariff lines, benefiting key sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles, engineering products, and automobiles. Eknath Shinde, whose June 2022 rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray caused a split in the Shiv Sena, on Sunday alleged that in the undivided party, the ex-Maharashtra chief minister treated functionaries as house-helps. Eknath Shinde (left) and Uddhav Thackeray (File) Balasaheb Thackeray (Uddhav's father and Sena founder) used to consider us friends, but he (Uddhav) thinks of us as house-helps, Shinde, who leads the faction that the Election Commission recognises as the real Shiv Sena, said at a meeting of party workers at Ramtek in Nagpur. He also explained the reason behind his revolt against Uddhav Thackeray. I broke away because the party's ideology was being compromised, he said, referring to Uddhav's decision to ally with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which are not ideological allies of the Sena. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition was formed days after the October 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, in which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Sena combine, was re-elected. However, a dispute over who would get the chief minister's chair, made Uddhav snap ties with long-time and ideological ally BJP, and go with Congress-NCP. The Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government collapsed in June 2022 after Shinde rebelled. The latter then joined hands with the BJP, and became the chief minister of Maharashtra, a position he currently holds. In July 2023, the real Sena and BJP were joined in the ruling alliance by Ajit Pawar and his faction in the NCP, after Pawar revolted against his uncle and NCP co-founder Sharad Pawar. In February, the Election Commission declared the Ajit-led group as the real NCP. On the other hand, Uddhav's Sena faction is now named Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Sharad Pawar's NCP faction is called NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). Meanwhile, at Sunday's Nagpur meeting, Shinde also appealed to people to vote for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets a third consecutive term. The seat-sharing details within the ruling alliance will be completed in two to three days he later told reporters at the Nagpur airport. The assembly polls in Maharashtra will be held later this year. Political turmoil erupted in the Matua-majority Thakurnagar area in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Sunday night after supporters of Union state minister and Bangaon Lok Sabha MP Shantanu Thakur and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Bala Thakur coming face to face over the control of a house where community matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as 'Boroma', lived till her death five years back, reported news agency PTI. In the purported video, Shantanu Thakur and his supporters were seen breaking the gates of the house where community matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as 'Boroma', lived till her death five years back.(TMC/Video grab) While the TMC alleged that the incident took place when Shantanu Thakur along with his supporters tried by force to take control of Boromas house, where Mamata Bala resides at present, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP claimed that Mamata Bala Thakur has been illegally occupying the entire property. It is to be noted that Shantanu Thakur is the grandson of Binapani Devi, while Mamata Bala Thakur is her daughter-in-law. BJP's hooliganism at its peak. Shocking visuals are coming from Bongaon where BJP candidate & their leader @Shantanu_bjp, along with his goons carrying sharp objects & arms, are planning a violent attack on our Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Thakurs residence," the TMC posted on the X (formally Twitter) handle along with a video of the incident. In the purported video, Shantanu Thakur and his supporters were seen breaking the gates of the house. HT, however, could not verify the authenticity of the video. What Shantanu Thakur said? Shantanu Thakur claimed that despite him being one of the legal claimants of the property, Mamata Bala Thakur has been illegally occupying the entire property and even turning a portion of it into a TMC party office". I am one of the legal heirs and have full right over half of this property. But Mamata Bala Thakur has taken full control of it illegally, the Union minister alleged. Mamata Bala Thakur's response Mamata Bala Thakur, a former Lok Sabha MP and now a Rajya Sabha member, denied the allegations and lodged a police complaint against the incident. I have lodged a complaint at Gaighata Police Station as Shantanu Thakur and his associates tried to break in at my house. They have forcibly entered into my residence, she said. Shantanu Thakur had defeated his nearest Mamata Bala Thakur, who is also an influential leader of the Matua community, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections where the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) issues were the main poll planks. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi, Political strategist Prashant Kishor has said that Bihar has a lot of space for a new party as it has "maximum anti-incumbency" following the nearly 35-year rule of ideologically similar formations headed by either Lalu Prasad Yadav or Nitish Kumar. HT Image His comments came as his ongoing 'Jan Suraaj' yatra through his home state is expected to end with the formation of a political party before the assembly polls in the latter half of the next year. Once the party takes shape, it will contest every election, Kishor said. Asked if Bihar, with two strong regional parties in Yadav-led RJD and Kumar-led Janata Dal besides the formidable BJP, the Left and the Congress, has space for one more political party, he told PTI that the state has more space than other states. "Almost similar formations built around Lalu and Nitish have been there for 35 years. They have similar ideologies more or less," he said, noting that issues like social justice, socialism and 'jungle raj' have been there all these years. "Anti-incumbency is maximum there. There has been no fundamental change in these 35 years. According to me, there is space," he said. Noting that it is one of the stated goals of his 'yatra' that people associated with it will form a political party, he said once such a party takes shape, it will contest every election. Having worked with many political parties in shaping their election campaigns, often successfully, before launching his 'padyatra' in Bihar with a stated goal to usher in transformative changes to boost the backward state's development, Kishor said he does not think he is doing anything drastically different. What he was advising political parties and their leaders earlier, he is now directly communicating to people, be the issues they should raise or building grassroots organisation, he said. He said when he started the 'Jan Suraaj' yatra on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2, 2022, he planned to identify 20 "right" people in every block but has received a massive response, with anywhere between 2,500 and 3,000 people willing to become its founder members. Kishore said he has so far travelled through 60 per cent of the state. Asked what role he sees for himself in the likely political party, he likened himself to a potter collecting raw materials to build a good earthen pot. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. In August 2016, several Buddhist and Muslim organisations in Ladakh, then a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, set aside differences to push for the status of Union Territory for the region bordering China. The unrest and violence that erupted in the Kashmir Valley triggered the escalation of the long-pending demand, following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen operative Burhan Wani. A child holds a placard during Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike in Leh-Ladakh last month. (ANI Photo) Worried that the unrest would spread to Ladakh, affect its economy that rests largely on tourism, local leaders led by the then representative in Parliament, Thupstan Chhewang, urged the Union government for trifurcation of the state and denote Ladakh as a UT. In Delhi, during closed-door meetings with government officials, the leaders confided that that the people of the region were apprehensive about their security in the wake of fresh violence and amid chatter of resurgence of insurgency in the state. They also nudged the BJP to set a date for the abrogation of Article 370, which was a prerequisite for granting UT status to Ladakh, hinting that its alliance with the PDP, with which it ran a coalition government in J&K, had sent out a message that political compulsions had pushed the BJP ideological commitment of abrogating Article 370 to the back burner. Three years later, in August 2019, there were celebrations and revelry in Ladakh. With the Parliament giving its nod to Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill that bifurcated the state into two UTs, Ladakhis were finally granted their wish. They were no longer tethered to Jammu and Kashmir. They would not have an assembly, but their political identity would no longer be hyphenated with J&K. For the ruling BJP, this was just the endorsement it wanted. In 2014, it won the lone Lok Sabha seat from Ladakh with the slimmest of margins that year (36 votes) and in 2019 it was feted for fulfilling a long-pending promise of abrogation of Article 370. The partys candidate Jamyang Namgyal won the seat in 2019 with a margin of 10,000 votes and the party was buoyant with the strides it made in the region. The celebrations did not last long. Clashes between the Indian Army and Chinese forces in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh in June 2020 cast a shadow and raised concerns. Amid fears of intrusion by the Chinese army into Ladakh, the governments attention was also drawn to the incipient demands for restoring the statehood in the region. In June 2021, local leaders in Ladakh began to push for an elected legislature. An apex body, which had representatives from political, social and religious organisations, asserted their demand for safeguarding land, jobs, environment, culture and language that existed prior to the formation of the UT be spelt out. The Union governments assurance and deputing minister of state for home Nityanand Rai to hold discussions did not break the ice with leaders who have since been pushing for the implementation of Schedule VI in the region. Residents want guarantees that they will have full rights on jobs and land and no industry or development work that threatens the fragile ecosystem of the high-altitude region will be allowed. At present, Ladakh has two autonomous district councils that have the mandate to decide on issues such as economic development, healthcare, education, land use, taxation, and local governance, but the people now want provisions of the Sixth Schedule, under Article 244 which allow autonomous development councils to frame laws on land, public health, and agriculture to protect the tribal population and provide autonomy. Multiple protests have been held in Ladakh and outside, demanding the implementation of Schedule VI. They also dismiss the governments explanation that Ladakh does not qualify for a separate assembly because a state needs at least 60 seats. There are examples of smaller states such as Goa, Mizoram, Puducherry have less than 60 seats, but separate assemblies. The government for its part says apart from monies sanctioned for development works and employment opportunities, land allotment prioritises locals over non domiciles; for jobs too, bona fide certificate of residence of Ladakh is a must. In an interview to HT in November, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Brigadier BD Mishra (Retd) said not one square inch of land has been given to anybody, not a single job has been given to any outsider, nor has any outsider been promoted for any business in Ladakh. As elections to the only Lok Sabha constituency draw close, there is a section of people on the ground that are unhappy with the BJP for not engaging with voices that have raised alarm over the threat to ecology. The absence of any communication or outreach from the government when well-known figure from the region, Sonam Wangchuk, went on a 21-day hunger strike demanding implementation of Schedule VI, has not gone unnoticed. Wangchuk called off the strike and also a pashmina march to the Changthang pasturelands that was scheduled for Sunday, after the government imposed Section 144, prohibiting the assembly of four or more. As murmurs of BJP showing indifference to the demands grow, a party leader admitted there are gaps in communication. What remains to be seen now is how the party will make last-ditch efforts to placate the dissenting voices, after all it has a target to win 370 seats and retain the lone seat in Ladakh. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Muslim League imprint remark on the grand old party's Lok Sabha election manifesto, saying that the ruling top leaders are spreading falsehood. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge (PTI) Kharge also asserted that BJP's ideological ancestors supported the British and the Muslim League against Indians in the freedom struggle, referring to the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (predecessor to BJP) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. "Modi-Shah's ideological ancestors opposed Mahatma Gandhi's call for "Quit India" in 1942, which was the movement chaired by Maulana Azad. Everyone knows how Syama Prasad Mookerjee formed his governments in Bengal, Sindh, and NWFP in the 1940s in coalition with the Muslim League," Kharge wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. He questioned, "Did Syama Prasad Mookerjee not write to the then British Governor about how the Quit India movement of 1942 can be "combated" and how the Congress should be suppressed? And for this, he said that Indians have to trust the British? Modi-Shah and their Nominated President are today spreading falsehood about the Congress ManifestoThere is a stink of RSS in Modi ji's speeches, BJP's electoral graph is plunging day by day, therefore the RSS has started remembering its best friend-the Muslim League, the Congress leader added. Kharge further claimed that his party's manifesto reflects the hopes and aspirations of 140 crore people of India. Their combined strength will put an end to Modi ji's 10 years of INJUSTICE!, he added. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also slammed Modi's jab on their manifesto, saying, the PM is "scared over the prospect of the BJP struggling to cross the 180-seat mark in the Lok Sabha polls and again resorted to the same cliched Hindu-Muslim script. On Saturday, PM Modi during one of his rallies at Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur hit out at the Congress manifesto saying it bears Muslim League imprint, part of it dominated by leftists. He continued the attack in Rajasthan's Ajmer saying, The Leftists have taken over whatever was left of this manifesto bearing the stamp of the Muslim League. Today Congress is left with neither principles nor policies. It seems as if Congress has given everything on contract and has outsourced the entire party. A Delhi Court on Monday denied interim bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in the money laundering case related to the now scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy. The ED had opposed the submission, claiming Kavitha destroyed evidence and influenced witnesses in the case. (ANI file photo) Kavitha had moved the application citing her 16-year-old sons exams and a provision in the anti-money laundering law favouring release of a female accused on bail. Special judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed her application after she reserved her verdict last week on April 4. Kavitha had, during the hearing on April 4, contended that she should be granted bail under the proviso to Section 45 of Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) that allows the court to release female accused on bail, bypassing the usual stringent bail conditions of the PMLA. Also Read: Delhi court grants time to CBI to reply on Kavithas plea opposing interrogation The need for her presence for her son was also highlighted, pointing out that the emotional support of a mother is necessary during exam time. ED opposed the bail plea on grounds that the exception for women under the proviso to Section 45 of PMLA is intended for women who lack agency, and not to someone like Kavitha who is a prominent politician. ED had averred that she is one of the main accused in the case, alleging her involvement in bribery and benefiting through proxies based on documents and WhatsApp chats. Zoheb Hossain, special public prosecutor for ED, also claimed that Kavitha had destroyed evidence, including data on her mobile phone, which was evident from forensic reports. Regarding Kavithas sons exams, Hossain pointed out that seven out of twelve papers were already completed, and that the 16-year-old boy had family members. She has also moved a regular bail application before the court which is listed for hearing the arguments on April 20. Kavitha, who was arrested by the ED on March 15 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, has been in judicial custody at Tihar Jail since March 26. While Kavitha has not been formally charged in any of the six ED charge sheets filed thus far, she has been referenced as a significant figure in court documents. The primary allegation against Kavitha revolves around her alleged involvement in a bribery scheme, known as the South Group, which purportedly paid kickbacks worth 100 crore to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in exchange for preferential treatment in securing retail zones under the Delhi excise policy. Additionally, Kavitha is also under scrutiny by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which issued a summons to her last month in connection with the case. Despite the summons, Kavitha cited an exemption granted by the Supreme Court and did not appear before the CBI. Last week, CBI also obtained permission from the court to interrogate her while during her judicial custody. Kavitha has also approached the court opposing the order seeking to keep it in abeyance till she is also heard. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday took over the probe into the death of 20-year-old undergraduate student who died by suicide after allegedly being tortured and starved by his hostel mates at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode in Wayanad for days, said people aware of the matter. CBI will also record the mans fathers testimony on Tuesday in Wayanad. (Representational Image) The four-member CBI team arrived in Kannur from Delhi on Saturday, travelled to Wayanad and met Kerala Police officers, including district superintendent of police T Narayanan and Kalpetta deputy superintendent of police TN Sajeev, who was the lead investigator in the case. CBI will also record the mans fathers testimony on Tuesday in Wayanad. The student, from Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram district, was found dead in a hostel washroom on February 18 this year. Police initially ruled out external motives, but the mans family pointed to several injuries on his body and said they believed he had been assaulted. Later, an interim report by the college anti-ragging squad, based on testimonies from several students, said the man was stripped down to his underwear, paraded and assaulted in the hostels open area. He was also reportedly starved of food and water for nearly three days, the family alleged. At least 18 people including members of the Students Federation of India-run college union and local leaders of the outfit have been arrested and booked in connection with the students death. SFI is the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)s student wing. The university has suspended all 18, who have been booked for abetment to suicide, wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means among other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as relevant sections of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act. The suspects include SFI unit secretary Amal Ehsan, college union chairperson K Arun and union member Asif Khan, all of whom are members of the Left student union. CBI took over the probetwo days after a Kerala high court order, which in turn came on the back of a plea by the victims father, who alleged a delay in the central agencys probe, despite the state government handing it the case files on March 23. The high court also pulled up the state government for delaying the transfer of the case files even though it had notified its decision to hand over the probe to the CBI on March 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lashed out at the Congress and INDIA bloc on the Ram temple issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of appeasement.(X/BJP) The dream came true after 500 years. It is natural for people of Chhattisgarh to be happy, as it is Lord Ram's maternal grandparents house. But Congress and INDI alliance are angry with the construction of Ram Mandir, the prime minister said at a rally in Chhattisgarh's Bastar. The royal family of Congress rejected the invite for Ram Mandir's Pran Pratishtha. The Congress leaders who termed this decision wrong, were removed from the party. It shows that Congress can cross any limit for appeasement, he added. Lok Sabha elections LIVE coverage Continuing his attack, the prime minister said that corruption had become India's identity under the grand old party's regime. After independence, Congress thought that it had the license to loot the country but after coming to government in 2014, Modi has cancelled the loot license of Congress and Modi was able to cancel the license because you gave Modi the license. Now their shop has been closed, will they abuse Modi or not? the prime minister was quoted by ANI as saying during his rally in Chhattisgarh's Bastar. ALSO READ: I remove corruption, Opposition strives to protect the corrupt: PM Modi in Bihar So who will protect me? These crores of my countrymen, my mothers and sisters, have become my raksha kavach today, he added. The tribal community was always insulted by Congress, the daughter of the same tribal community is today the President of the country. BJP has given the first tribal Chief Minister to Chhattisgarh. BJP has created a separate ministry and a separate budget for tribals, the budget for tribal welfare has been increased five times in the last 10 years, Modi said. ALSO READ: PM Modi slams Kharge's remark on J&K, calls it Tukde Tukde gang mindset He reiterated his attack on the Congress manifesto, calling it an imprint of Muslim League. The first phase of Lok Sabha elections begins on April 19. The other six phases will be held on April 26, May 7, 13, 20, 25 and June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. (With PTI, ANI inputs) The Congress on Monday moved the Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party with series of complaints ahead of Lok Sabha elections. The grand old party has lodged a complaint against the prime minister for calling its manifesto an imprint of Muslim League. The Congress manifesto completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League and whatever part of it is left is completely dominated by the leftists, the prime minister had said at rallies in Saharanpur and Ajmer last week. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to social platform X and said,"My colleagues @salman7khurshid, @MukulWasnik, @Pawankhera and @gurdeepsappal have just met with the Election Commission and presented and argued 6 complaints, including 2 against the PM himself." Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi at the launch of the party's manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, at AICC headquarters in New Delhi. This is the time for the Election Commission to demonstrate its independence by ensuring a level playing field for all parties. We live in hope that the Honble Commission will uphold its Constitutional mandate. For our part, we will continue to pursue all avenues, political and legal, to expose this regime, he added. Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said,"We are deeply saddened by what the Prime Minister says in his speeches, what he has said about our manifesto is a bundle of lies, we are deeply saddened by this. You can do a degree anywhere with any other party, you can argue it, you can dissect it, but to say that a national level party which has been involved in our national movement would write such a bundle of lies in its manifesto, whereas a very good manifesto has been written." ALSO READ: Atishi blasts Election Commission over show-cause notice: Subsidiary organisation of BJP? He also said that this seems to be the manifesto of the parties which were opposing the independence of our secular society...We are extremely saddened by this matter and we understand that the Prime Minister has no right to say such a thing. We have put this matter before the Election Commission and have made a special request to them to take it seriously and take action on it, the former Union minister was quoted by ANI as saying. (With PTI, ANI inputs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lashed out at the Congress and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) saying they were angry over on the Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bastar on Monday. (ANI) Ram Navami is not far away. This time, people will have a glimpse of our Ram Lalla in Ayodhya in a grand temple and not in a tent. If this dream has been fulfilled after 500 years, then it is very natural that Chhattisgarh, the nanihal [maternal grandparents home] should be most happy about it. But Congress and INDI Alliance are very angry with the construction of the Ram temple. The royal family of Congress rejected the invitation for the consecration of the temple, said Modi at a rally in Chhattsigarhs Bastar, which will go to the polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19. It shows that Congress can go to any level for appeasement. Congresss manifesto has the imprint of Muslim League. Modi said Congress leaders, who attended the consecration ceremony, were expelled from the party. He accused Congress of being apathetic to the poor and neglecting their pain for decades after independence. Modi said his government stopped the Congresss loot while accusing it of corruption. He added there were scams worth lakhs of crores before 2014. Modi targeted the Congress by referring to the late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhis statement on graft. In Congresss regime, only 15 paise out of a rupee meant for the welfare of the people reached them. I am not saying this, the Prime Minister of Congress [Rajiv Gandhi] said this. Modi said the BJP government has sent 34 lakh crore directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. Money sent from Delhi reached cent percent to the poor. Had the Congress been in power and 15 paise tradition continued, 28 lakh crore out of 34 lakh crore would have been embezzled. Modi said Congress thought that it had a license to loot. After coming to power in 2014, Modi cancelled this license. Modi was able to cancel this license because you [people] gave the license to Modi. Modi targeted the Congress over Chhattisgarhs opposition leader Charan Das Mahants remarks that his party needs a leader who can break the Prime Ministers head. When Congress shop was shut and their license to loot was cancelled, then they started abusing Modi. Who will protect me? It is the crores of my countrymen, my mothers and sisters Strict action is being taken over the corruption of the previous [Congress] government in Chhattisgarh. The investigation has been intensified against those who have duped the youth. Angry over it, they are now threatening to break Modis head. Modi said he was not afraid of threats. For Modi, my India is my family. I am busy in saving my country and my family from being looted. I say remove corruption and they say save the corrupt. The Congress and the opposition alliance are not holding election rallies but saving the corrupt. But all these people should listen carefully, no matter how many threats they give to Modi, the corrupt will have to go to jail. This is Modis guarantee. He said people wondered what would happen to the poor during the Covid-19 pandemic, but I said I would give free vaccines and ration to them. Due to my governments efforts, 2.5 million have risen above the poverty line. Modi claimed his government worked in the interest of tribals in the last 10 years.Tribal community has always been the priority of the BJP. The daughter of the tribal community is today the President. It is the BJP that has given a tribal chief minister to Chhattisgarh. The BJP has created a separate ministry and a separate budget for tribal people. The Congress on Monday moved the Election Commission (EC) against Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks that its party manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections carries the imprint of the Muslim League, even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued its offensive and accused the opposition party of conspiring to create conflict, confrontation and division in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (BJP) Read here: BJPs ancestors supported British, Muslim League': Kharge counters PM Modi on manifesto In a memorandum to the poll body, a four-member Congress delegation comprising former Union minister Salman Khurshid, Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Wasnik, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera and party member Gurdeep Sappal also complained about the alleged use of armed forces by the BJP in its ads. Both the memorandums were signed by Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and shared by Congress general secretary in-charge (communications) Jairam Ramesh on X. In their first memorandum, the party slammed Modis disparaging remarks against its manifesto, saying it was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). By propagating false, uninformed and vexatious claims, Shri Narendra Modi has attempted to evoke an emotional response from the electorate by using the horrors of Partition, in a bid to polarise voters, the memorandum said. It added that the remarks are nothing out of the ordinary but concerted effort of arousing communal discord to secure a larger vote share. At an election rally in Rajasthans Ajmer on Saturday, Modi said the Congress manifesto bears a Muslim League imprint while a part of it is dominated by the Leftists. You would have seen, the way Congress released its manifesto yesterday, it proved that todays Congress is cut off from the aspirations and expectations of todays India. The manifesto released by Congress reflects the same thinking that was prevalent in the Muslim League during the freedom struggle. The Congress manifesto completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League and the little remaining part, it is dominated by the Leftists. Congress is not visible in this, he said. The Congress, in their complaint to the poll body, said Modis remarks may endanger the wellbeing of supporters of the INC; by making the public believe that the INC wishes to divide India. Considering the gravity of the situation, this Honble Commission cannot turn a blind eye to the comments made by Shri Narendra Modi, it said. The opposition party called for stern and swift action against Modis conduct in raising communal tensions in the Indian society. Earlier in the day, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the party manifesto reflects the hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion people. The developments came even as the BJP continued its attack on the Congress over its manifesto and alleged the opposition party has become a proxy partner in the hidden agenda of the Muslim League. BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters: The Congress has become a proxy partner in the hidden agenda of the Muslim League which is conspiring to create conflict, confrontation and division in the country. In its second memorandum to EC, the Congress complained against the continuous use of defence forces in political advertisements by the BJP despite the poll bodys repeated advisories on the matter. It referred to a video clip posted by Union minister Smriti Irani on X on Sunday, featuring images of defence forces to highlight the achievements of the Modi-led BJP government. Read here: Modi running helter-skelter: Congress on PMs Muslim League imprint remark ...there is no doubt that the same forms part of the election campaign of the BJP which is evidenced by way of the election symbol of the BJP that appears at the conclusion of the advertisement, it said. This shows the utter disregard of the BJP party towards this Honble Commission and its pursuit of conducting free and fair elections, it added. After meeting EC officials, Khera said: Pictures of the prime minister wearing a military uniform are being misused during the election campaign. There is already an advisory of EC that this cannot be done during elections. We have urged EC to take action on this issue as the BJP is continuously committing such crimes. The Congress and INDIA alliance partner National Conference on Monday announced the seat sharing agreement in Jammu and Kashmir for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A file photo of Rahul Gandhi with National Conference president Farooq Abdullah in Lakhanpur, J&K, (Waseem Andrabi/HT) Congress candidates will contest from Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh Lok Sabha seats and National Conference candidates will contest from Anantnag, Baramulla and Srinagar Lok Sabha seats, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah announced in a joint briefing. The seat sharing deal between the two parties comes day after Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party (PDP) announced its candidates for three seats in the Kashmir Valley. ALSO READ: Congress assured us support on 3 Lok Sabha seats in Valley: Omar The PDP announced candidates after it decided to contest on all seats alone, blaming Omar Abdullah for non-cooperation over seat decision. When the INDIA bloc's meeting took place in Mumbai, I said there that since (NC president) Farooq Abdullah is our senior leader, he will take a decision (on seat-sharing) and will do justice. I had hoped he would keep the party interests aside," she had said. ALSO READ: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah won't contest Lok Sabha polls: Omar Responding to Mufti's charge, Abdullah said,"What can I say about this? It is their own will. How can I stop them? We announced candidates for the three seats of Kashmir based on their own formula." Omar Abdullah, who served as the J&K chief minister during the NC-Congress coalition rule between 2008 and 2014, said,"They told us that the candidates will be decided on the basis of the 2014 assembly polls. The decision was made that whoever had won the assembly seat will contest from that seat. So, in this parliamentary poll, the same formula was applied. Wherefrom we had won, we decided to field candidates." The Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory of J&K will be held in the first five phases on April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar) and May 20 (Baramulla). The counting of votes will take place on June 4. NEW DELHI: The Congress and the J&K National Conference (NC) have sealed an alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid announced on Monday. The National Conference and the Congress announced the alliance on Monday Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh will go to Congress and NC will fight in Anantnag, Baramulla and Srinagar, said Abdullah. Many people were curious what are we doing in J&K.... Whatever happens in J&K, it has a greater ramification, Khurshid added. This alliance means that Peoples Democratic Party, a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc that includes Congress and NC, would not be part of the arrangement. Abdullah and Khurshid maintained that there was a limited scope for bringing the PDP on board since there were only six seats; five in Jammu and Kashmir and one in Ladakh PDP is a part of our INDIA alliance but in a small state, there is limited scope of seat sharing, said Khurshid. Abdullah said they did make an effort. But in the six seats, out of which 3 are already with the NC, it becomes difficult. We had tried to negotiate for the assembly polls but that was not acceptable to her. Abdullah announced that the NC has started the campaign for Raman Bhalla and Lal Singh, the two Congres candidates for Jammu and Udhampur. We will expect the Congress to campaign for our candidates too, he added. Asked about Democratic Azad Party (DAP) leader Ghulam Nabi Azad deciding to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag parliamentary constituency, Abdullah said, If he had fought from Doda region, it would have hurt the BJP. Abdullah added that the alliance will win all six seats in the J&K and Ladakh. This election will also be a message on the abrogation of Article 370. This election will also give a reply to what happened in August, 2019, he said Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale, responding to party leaders being detained by Delhi Police on Monday for staging a 24-hour protest outside the Election Commission office, accused the police of kidnapping five party MPs and four former MPs. Delhi Police personnel detain TMC leader Saket Gokhale during a dharna of a TMC delegation after a meeting with Election Commission of India (ECI), outside ECI's office. (PTI) Gokhale claimed that the detained delegation was told they would be taken to Mandir Marg police station in Delhi, whereas, the bus was leading them to an unknown location. In a post on X, Gokhale said, Delhi Police has kidnapped us 5 TMC MPs & 4 former MPs. We were protesting at EC & were told well be taken to Mandir Marg Police Station. And then, suddenly, the bus has been diverted & going to an unknown location. The TMC's 10-member delegation staged a protest after they met the poll body member. The delegation included Derek O'Brien, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose, MLA Vivek Gupta, former MPs Arpita Ghosh, Santanu Sen and Abir Ranjan Biswas, and party's students' wing West Bengal vice president Sudip Raha. Gokhale further said in his post, Note this - 5 SITTING MPs & 4 former MPs assaulted, detained, & now being illegally taken to some unknown place by @DelhiPolice. After being detained, O'Brien said, speaking to reporters, We are here to fight. We will carry on our peaceful protest...This is 100% dictatorship but we are from TMC, we will fight this. Read Here: TMC lodges complaint with EC over action by central agencies Ghose, while protesting, said that the TMC delegation urged the EC to ensure that there is a level-playing field in Lok Sabha elections and stop any misuse of central agencies against opposition leaders. TMC alleged that several party leaders were pushed around and MP Dola Sen sustained injuries in her leg, PTI reported. The Mamata Banerjee-led party has continuously accused central probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the Income Tax (I-T) Department of unfairly targeting opposition parties on behalf of the BJP-led Centre. The detention took place as section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prohibiting large gatherings, was in effect in the area, and no permission was obtained for the protest, a police officer told PTI. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals personal assistant Bibhav Kumar and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Durgesh Pathak on Monday in investigation of the money laundering aspects of the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22, officers said. AAP leader Durgesh Pathak at ED office on Monday. (PTI) The team is trying to connect bribes allegedly paid by the so-called South Group to AAP leaders, according to officials familiar with the development who spoke on condition of anonymity. Read here: Lack of seriousness: Delhi LG slams ministers for not attending meeting. AAP responds ED needed clarifications on documents from Kumar and Kejriwals engagements, while Pathaks name surfaced in statements related to cash payments made during AAPs Goa assembly election campaign, an officer said. The questioning comes days after Delhi minister Atishi said that Pathak was among four AAP leaders who would be arrested by ED after Kejriwal, who was arrested in the case last month and is currently in Tihar prison. Kejriwals arrest one of the first of a sitting chief ministers in the country is the latest and most crucial development in a long, bitter political battle between his AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) . The party on Monday launched its Lok Sabha campaign with Kejriwals arrest as the central theme, urging voters to throw out the BJP government which it accuses of musing federal agencies to weaken its rivals ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due to begin next week. Senior AAP leaders called the summonses a conspiracy to curtail the partys campaigns. Officials in the chief ministers office did not respond to requests seeking comment. Kumar was questioned for around six hours and Pathak for five. Neither of them have been named as an accused in the excise case. EDs charge sheet has alleged that Kumar, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, and 34 others destroyed, used or changed 170 phones to conceal evidence of kickbacks worth thousands of crores of rupees in the alleged scam. Kumars mobile number IMEI changed four times between September 2021 and July 2022, according to the charge sheet. The agency contended that a 45 crore bribe, mostly taken through hawala from the South Group, was used in AAPs 2022 Goa election campaign. It cited statements from Sisodias close aide Dinesh Arora and individuals from companies involved in routing cash payments. The South Group, according to ED, is a conglomerate of politicians and business people that got at least nine retail zones in Delhis liquor business. The agency has named YSR Congress parliamentarian Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy (or MSR), his son Raghav Magunta, Sarath Reddy (promoter of Aurobindo Group), K Kavitha (daughter of Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao) and Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits. Cash payments were allegedly made to people engaged in AAPs Goa groundwork, managed by former AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair and MLA Pathak, ED has claimed. An AAP Goa candidate reportedly received cash from AAP volunteers for election expenses, corroborating the dissipation/utilisation of proceeds of crime by Sisodias representative in the Goa polls, according to the agency. ED has alleged that Kejriwal used his position as Delhis chief minister to commit money laundering and benefit AAP, making him and the party liable for prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It defines AAP as a company under the PMLA. The agency has said Kejriwal was not only the brain behind the AAP but also someone who controls its major activities. Kejriwal, in response, has accused ED of trying to implicate him in a false case. The chief minister argued his own case during the remand hearing, where he alleged that ED was pressuring witnesses in the case. They recorded statement after statement of (member of Parliament) Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy till he did not give a statement against me. After he changed his statement, he was released, he said, citing an example. Reddy was granted pardon after he became an approver and was released on bail by the Delhi high court in August last year. Kejriwal is the third major AAP leader to be arrested in the probe after his former deputy and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia as well as the partys Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. This apart, ED arrested Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader and Telangana lawmaker K Kavitha in the case. Read here: Delhi high court slams ex-AAP MLA on plea to remove Arvind Kejriwal as CM: Heavy costs Singh secured bail on April 2 after ED did not oppose his request. The concession from ED came an hour after the court asked the agency why Singh should be kept behind bars after serving six months in jail, considering that there doesnt appear to be any concrete evidence against him, and no money has been recovered from him to link him to the alleged money laundering offence. It is a conspiracy by the BJP to stop the AAP from campaigning. The BJP and ED have formed a political alliance. BJP wants to remove AAP leaders from election campaign at any cost, Atishi said in a statement. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the questioning was not unusual. Their names have cropped up during the investigation of the case and it seems they both were called for proper investigations, said Kapoor. Kiran Paswan has worked for as long as she can remember. She has three children two teenage sons and an 11-year-old daughter and is 40 years old. Yet, all her aspiration, chiselled away by penury and a life of hard labour, is now reduced to two desires. The first is a toilet, so women like her do not have to bear the indignity of relieving themselves along the road or farms in the open. The second is to save enough from the 100 she earns as a farm labourer everyday, to buy a ceiling fan for the kutcha home she shares with 12 others. It is a question not of comfort or honour, but life and death. For the heat in Ballia is killing. The Ghagra river has changed its course and is eating into Kharid village. About 40km from her village of Chitouni is Ballias district hospital, where in three days in June 2023, 70 people lost their lives from extreme heat. Most of the dead were the elderly, or those who worked as labourers on the farms that dot the banks of the Ghagra and Ganga in the northern and southern borders of the district. For women such as Paswan, the 9-10 hours under the searing sun is compounded by the five to six times they have to go to the farm around 300m away to relieve themselves. Read here: Climate crisis impacts citizens right to life: Supreme Court And yet, choosing not to work is not an option at all. If there is work, I will do it at all times of the day to make some money. I want a toilet for myself and my daughter. And a fan, she said. Across Ballia, in village after village, there is a marked separation and two clear worlds. There are the bhoomiheen the landless whose lives depend on work in the farms of communities higher than them in the social hierarchy. There are around 20 million landless agricultural labourers in Uttar Pradesh according to the 2011 census. It is the landless whose homes have no toilets, ceiling fans or pucca walls; and they find themselves most susceptible to Ballias growing crisis in recent years patchy, unpredictable monsoon, extreme humid heat and long months of unrelenting heat, a potent combination that is causing death. As election season approaches this desolate land, the travails of people such as Paswan comes into sharper relief the mercury is already rising across the Gangetic plains, the weather office has predicted a harsher summer to follow the warmest year on record in 2023. But the danger of extreme heat baking the heartland, and of such climate vagaries on the marginalised, elides the bustle of the poll campaign. HT reported on March 31, 2020 that an India Meteorological Department (IMD) study found a significant increase in heavy rainfall (6.5cm or more) days in Gujarats Saurashtra and arid regions of Kutch and south-eastern Rajasthan, as well as northern Tamil Nadu and northern Andhra Pradesh which are otherwise considered arid regions. The study also found a decrease in rainfall over the years in states in the Gangetic basin. CEEW found that nearly 11% of Indian tehsils witnessed a decrease in the past decade (2012-2022) by at least 10% compared to the climatic baseline, and that these were regions in the Indo-Gangetic plains, which contribute to more than half of Indias agricultural production, northeastern India, and the Himalayas. HT Graphics In Ballias district hospital, chief medical officer Dr Vijaypati Dwivedi has seen the number of patients suffering from heat exhaustion and strokes multiply every summer. Our bodys enzymes are produced normally at a certain temperature around 37C. What happens when it is two degrees higher? The body feels exhausted and the pulse increases. We sweat profusely to regulate our temperature but there is also a stage when sweating stops and body temperature increases losing control triggering a heat stroke and loss of consciousness. These have been recorded carefully and Ballia is seeing an increase in these cases, he said, adding that Ballia was also chosen as a model district for heat wave death prevention this year. In 2023, the three summer months of April, May and June saw 340 cases related to heat exhaustion brought to the Ballia district hospital, one surveillance officer said. Heat exhaustion was common earlier also but what we saw in 2023 was unprecedented, said the surveillance officer, requesting anonymity. Between June 15 and 18 in particular, three days when Ballia recorded temperatures between 43C and 45C, there was excess mortality with around 70 deaths. What we observed was that mortality was being seen mostly in those above 70; those with multiple comorbidities such as high blood sugar and high blood pressure. Some of them were recording sugar levels above 300mg/dL. We also found that a majority of these people were outdoors in peak hours between noon and 3pm. So heat was an additional factor, but perhaps not the only factor, he explained. Shilpa Kumari with her relatives in her village Hardia. The Ballia health department also found that most deaths came from people that lived near the Ghagra and Ganga river beds. We consulted with the meteorological department and they found that the mix of high humidity along the rivers and extreme temperatures may have led to an extreme heat index that became unbearable for some people, Dwivedi said. The string of deaths have struck fear in the hearts of the bhoomiheen, who face the double scourge of spending long hours in the sun outside, whether it be as agricultural or construction labourers, and then coming back to the oppressive heat of their tin shed and tarpaulin homes that have been baked by the heat, bereft of any cooling. Every basic human function such as ablutions becomes arduous, given the lack of toilets in many homes. But what can they do? In Chitouni village, 60-year-old Champati Devi said the option not to work simply didnt exist. I support my family and my husband is too old to work. That 100 a day that I earn brings us our food. Thinking of the heat is a luxury others have and I dont, she said. Tip of the iceberg The desolation of Ballias bhoomiheen is the proverbial tip of the iceberg of a problem that is only going to get more severe as more intense heatwaves scorch India, as is predicted this summer. HTs analysis of unit level data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), the official source of employment statistics in India, showed 18% of Indias non-farm workforce works outdoors. The overall share of workers who must work outdoors, irrespective of how hot it might be, increases to 49.4% once the share of workers employed in agriculture is counted. In absolute terms, this translates into an estimated 231.5 million workers. As the testimonies of Kiran Paswan and Champati Devi show, these workers are the ones with the lowest incomes and the most difficult work conditions which leaves them with no income cushion to opt for cooling devices or leave even if the heat makes them sick. But despite the scale of the problem, it sometimes fades in front of livelihood and other everyday issues of caste, communalism and jobs. Salempur Lok Sabha constituency will go to the polls on June 1 as part of the seventh and last phase of the general elections. The seat is held by Ravindra Kushwaha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who also won it in 2014. Before that, the seat was held alternatively by the two erstwhile regional giants, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. There are five assembly segments in the parliamentary constituency; the BJP and its ally, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party hold four of them, and the Samajwadi Party holds one. Karishma Rajbhar, 20, also from Chitouni village, waved her hand impatiently. She will only decide her vote on polling day. How does it matter? It is not like votes make a difference to our lives, she said, cradling a three-month old baby. In Kharid village, Savitri Devi, a Dalit farm labourer, appears to have made up her mind. The BJP has already told us what they will give. They have given us an empty jhola, she laughed. But that opinion is far from unanimous. Almost immediately, another villager disappeared inside her home, and emerged with a sack : Modi sarkar ki guarantee agle 5 baras muft anaj (Modis guarantee to provide free ration for next 5 years). The SP has not promised anything. There is some resentment among farmers against the BJP on the escalating costs of agriculture. Every farmer is in debt, said Vinod Chaudhry, a farm leader from Sikanderpur. But others point to the infrastructure uplifts that have connected this part of Purvanchal with the only big city in the region, Varanasi. All the roads that you see here have been built under BJPs regime. People used to be scared to step out both in Ballia and neighbouring Bihar districts because of high criminal activities. BJP has managed to change that, said Alok Pandey, a driver originally from Varanasi who now lives in Ballia. Along the banks of the Ghagra, in Kharid, labourers are staring at not just an intense summer, but a threat to their homes that they hope parties will address. The Ghagras course is shifting, they say, ostensibly impacted by the construction of a bridge along Kharid village. The river has started eating into the banks and has come very close to our village. This monsoon it may wipe out our homes and we have had no trustworthy assurance from the governments. We are poor Dalits that till the land that the Yadavs own. Both communities will suffer, said Savitri Devi. Campaign promises The heat is making people change their work pattern and hours. If some labourers wish, they can finish harvesting wheat by working the entire day. Some people choose to work only in the morning hours because the heat is unbearable in the day. Some who are paid daily wages may need to work full day, said 20-year-old Shilpa Kumari, a graduate from Hardia village who teaches at a private school for 2,000 a month. The BJP has kept its campaign focussed on Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity and the welfare schemes that have his name and photo stamped on them. We are trying to get the benefits of all central schemes to the ground level. We are focusing on roads, electricity, ration and so on. Toilets have been constructed in nearly all homes. An Ayurvedic Medical College has started in the Lok Sabha region and its OPD is already functional. Based on Modijis promise of Vikshit Bharat, we took out a procession called guarantee ki gaadi which settled issues related to toilets, ration, pension, has, housing then and there, said the BJP candidate Kushwaha. Read here: Pappu Yadav ignores Congress advice, remains in fray from Purnea Lok Sabha seat The SP blamed unemployment. Economic hardship is very high which can be seen in villages. The other major problem that several districts including Ballia are facing is complete collapse of health care systems, said Juhie Singh, national president, womens wing, Samajwadi Party. Heat might not make it to the campaign narratives, but its ever-present in Ballia. On June 1 last year, the mercury reached 43C and IMD has already predicted a series of heat waves this year. The brief respite that villages such as Paswan receive every night is also likely to fade, with minimum temperatures likely to be three to five degrees above normal. At the district hospital, the administration has readied a roadmap for what is set to be another punishing summer ample drinking water in all government hospitals; structural modifications such as cool, reflective paint on hospital walls; wet curtains; use of coolers; planting of trees to block sunlight ; and providing cotton gowns to patients. For what is clear, election or no election, is that in Ballias torturous summer, the patients will come. And Kiran still doesnt have a fan. This is the fourth in a series of election reports from the field that look at national and local issues through an electoral lens. The Association of Flight Training Organisations (AFTO) has requested the governments intervention to resolve what it says is a critical shortage of Avgas (aviation gasoline), linking the crisis to an overall shortage of pilots in the airline industry. Flight training organisations, FTOs, are flying schools that serve as stepping stones for commercial pilots. (Reuters file photo) Flight training organisations, FTOs, are flying schools that serve as stepping stones for commercial pilots, helping them chalk up the requisite number of flight time before aviators can apply for first officer roles. In the letter dated April 7 sent to civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, the association said the shortage is a threat that will impact the airline industry and policies of the government. .. while it is true that foreign entities may be able to offer better prices for wholesale volumes to IOC (Indian Oil Corporation), our countrys FTOs are dependent on the continuous supply of Avgas from IOC for smooth operations to create pilots, of whom there is an immense shortage at the moment, the letter read. Also Read: Thinking about flying? The price is only going up, up, up The Indian Oil Corporation and the civil aviation ministry did not respond to requests for a comment. In long runs, airlines pilots are produced by FTOs, which have been severely impacted by the shortage of Avgas and it needs immediate attention, said a former FTO owner. Aviation needs to be viewed with at least a three-to-four-year view of the impact and prospects, he added. A ministry official, who asked not to be named, said that the government has taken up the matter on priority and it has already taken it up with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG). The issue is likely to be resolved in a couple of days. On September 26, 2022, IOC launched indigenously produced Avgas fuel in the country to ensure uninterrupted supply of economically priced Avgas for Indias FTOs. The AFTO said that supplies had largely been continuous due to the aviation ministrys initiative and direct intervention but over the past month, IOC has expressed its inability to supply Avgas to FTOs, citing various reasons for the shortage. This is our cause of worry, a current FTO owner said, asking not to be named. Flight schools are grappling with a lot of problems like high insurance costs, increasing costs of spare parts etc. The shortage of fuel or any other critical constituent of training will only worsen the chances of retaining students to train in India. Foreign flight schools dont have to deal with such issues and offer smooth, time-bound training. Such issues in our country are hurting the Make in India initiative, another FTO owner said, asking not to be named. A suspicious SUV purportedly made an intentional attempt to hit the vehicle of the Naraingarh sub-divisional magistrate, Yash Jaluka, while he was patrolling to inspect the area for any unlawful mining activities on Sunday. The SUV chased Yash Jaluka's car, trying to strike it twice at considerable speed, but the official narrowly avoided the collision, news agency PTI reported citing officials. Naraingarh sub-divisional magistrate Yash Jaluka. It's believed that the occupants of the SUV, suspected to have ties with the mining underworld, fled the scene. The incident took place at 1am on the intervening night of March 27 and 28, and an FIR was lodged in the matter on Saturday, police added. Recently, two such inspections and raids were carried out to check illegal mining in the rivers of Naraingarh area. On the complaint of the SDM's security guard, Naraingarh Police registered a case on April 6 against the owner and driver of the SUV under various IPC sections, including obstruction in government work and attempt to murder, PTI added. Yash Jaluka, 29, is a 2021-batch IAS officer, and is currently posted as SDM Naraingarh in Ambala district. What FIR states Arvind Kejriwal Arrest News: The Delhi high court on Monday said heavy costs should be imposed on the petitioner as it transferred a plea filed by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Sandeep Kumar seeking to dislodge Arvind Kejriwal from holding the post of Delhi chief minister, following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy case, to a bench led by acting chief justice Manmohan. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters hold placards with a photograph of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal during a hunger strike organised by the AAP at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on April 7. (Bloomberg) A bench of justice Subramonium Prasad transferred the matter to a bench after taking note of the fact that two pleas seeking similar relief were heard and rejected by that bench. The court will hear the matter next on April 10. "This is just for publicity," justice Prasad said. "Since similar matters have been listed and disposed of by the Acting Chief Justice, list this petition before the bench headed by the Acting Chief Justice," he said. After transferring the petition, justice Prasad said, I would have imposed heavy costs. In his petition, Sandeep Kumar said after his arrest by the ED, Arvind Kejriwal has incurred an "incapacity" to carry out the chief minister's functions under the Constitution. The petition stated the AAP leader's "unavailability" complicates the constitutional mechanism and he can never function as the chief minister from prison according to the mandate of the Constitution. "Article 239AA(4) of the Constitution provides for the Council of Ministers with the chief minister at the head to aid and advise the lieutenant governor in the exercise of his functions in relation to matters with respect to which the legislative Assembly has power to make laws. The aid and advice to the lieutenant governor are practically not possible without the chief minister being a free person available to render his aid and advice under the Constitution," the news agency PTI reported citing petition. "Issue a writ of quo warranto against Respondent No.1 i.e. Mr Arvind Kejriwal, the incumbent chief minister of Delhi, by calling upon him to show by what authority, qualification and title he holds the office of the chief minister of Delhi under Article 239AA of the Constitution and after an inquiry, dislodge him from the office of the chief minister of Delhi with or without the retrospective effect," the petition added. Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the probe agency on March 21, is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. Delhi high court already rejected two pleas The high court had earlier rejected two public interest litigation pleas seeking Arvind Kejriwal's removal from the chief minister's post. On April 4, a bench of acting chief justice Manmohan and justice Manmeet PS Arora refused to entertain a PIL on the issue, saying it was Arvind Kejriwal's personal choice to continue as the chief minister. Earlier, the bench had dismissed a similar PIL, observing that the petitioner had failed to show any legal bar that prohibited the arrested chief minister from holding office. It had observed that there was no scope for judicial interference in the matter and that it was for the other organs of the State to look into the issue. (With inputs from PTI) Angelos Delivorias, a policy expert at European Parliamentary Research (EPRS), has predicted that India's GDP growth rate would continue to be better than that of China for the next few years. Angelos Delivorias, a policy expert at European Parliamentary Research (EPRS), has predicted that India's GDP growth rate would continue to be better than that of China. (File photo) He made the remarks in an interview by EPRS on the rise of 'India, why it matters, and what this means for the EU.' EPRS provides comprehensive research and analytical support to the Members of the European Parliament. "India has surpassed the growth rate of China, and experts think that it will continue doing so, at least in the short term," Delivorias was quoted by ANI as saying. Delivorias highlighted that India's growth would be fuelled by its comparatively younger population as compared to that of China. "From the economic perspective, the fact that India is the largest population on the planet, but also its population is younger, if we see the demographic pyramid of India, we see that it's younger than China's, implies that it has more people in the labour market and it has less expenditures in the health sectors or for pensions, which means it can keep growing its GDP in the next few years," he added. ALSO READ| View: China renaming 30 places in Arunachal shows Xi Jinping's great unifier ambitions Notably, India's GDP growth averaged over 7.5 per cent in 2023, while China's was 5.2 per cent. India's GDP growth rate is expected to reach 7 per cent by 2026, while China's GDP growth rate is expected to reach 4.6 per cent. The IMF projects China's 2024 growth at 4.6 per cent, declining towards 3.5 per cent in 2028. Delivorias also talked about the initiatives being taken today which will help sustain India's economic growth. He hailed India's infrastructure investments. "And apart from high GDP growth, India has done significant investments in national infrastructure projects to sustain that economic growth. It takes part in international infrastructure projects and last year we even see that it has a complete space programme. It landed on the moon. So it has a comprehensive economic strategy in that respect," the expert said. "India has increased its diplomatic importance as part of its strategy over the last decade. Its prominence grows in the Indo-Pacific region due to current geopolitical evolutions," Delivorias noted. The Delhi Rouse Avenue Court on Monday dismissed the interim bail application moved by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in the money laundering case related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. BRS leader K Kavitha being taken to Rouse Avenue court at the end of her Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in Delhi excise policy money laundering case in New Delhi. (ANI) K Kavitha's regular bail application is pending before the court and is listed for hearing the arguments on April 20. K Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15. Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, has been accused of being a key member of the "South Group", which allegedly paid the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi kickbacks of 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national capital. She was sent to 14-day judicial custody last Tuesday. The latest setback for K Kavitha comes two days after the BRS leader moved a Delhi court urging it to recall its order allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI to interrogate her in Tihar jail. The CBI is probing the corruption angle in the excise policy case. Kavitha's advocate Nitesh Rana told the court that the CBI thwarted the due process of law by filing a plea seeking permission to question her "behind her back". "I have grave apprehension that the CBI may not have divulged true facts in order to obtain a favourable order from the court," Rana said. The court heard the submission and posted the matter for hearing on April 10 after the CBI sought time to reply to Kavitha's plea. Special Judge for ED and CBI cases Kaveri Baweja, however, did not give any interim relief to K Kavitha. Rana later told news agency PTI that even though the court did not recall the order, according to judicial discipline, the probe agency must refrain from executing it as K Kavitha's plea was pending before the judge. (With inputs from PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday stressed the need for cooperation between the Centre and states regarding the release of funds as it considered a plea by the Karnataka government urging the central government to release 35,162 crore for drought relief, citing grave humanitarian distress and a calamity of severe nature faced by the southern state. The court was hearing a plea by the Karnataka government urging the central government to release 35,162 crore for drought relief. (HT Archive) Read here: Supreme Court grants bail to YouTuber: How many will be jailed before polls? Let there be no contest between the Centre and states. We see various state governments (have) filed petitions for it, remarked a bench of justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, favouring amicable resolutions of such disputes instead of litigation. Attorney general R Venkatramani and solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, sought time from the court to resolve the matter, expressing concern over the growing tendency among states to file such petitions. If somebody had spoken at some level, the problem could have been solved...Instead of filing 32 (writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution) they would have talked to us...We know the timing of these petitions. Lordships may not issue notice (since) it also becomes news, Mehta pointed out, questioning the timing of the petition amidst the ongoing election process. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karnataka, highlighted the urgency of the situation, mentioning the need to decide within a month about the release of funds, which had lapsed in December. Lets hope with your (senior lawyers) interventions, the problem can be solved, the bench responded, asking both the attorney general and solicitor general to take instructions and inform the court. The matter was posted for further consideration after two weeks. The Karnataka government, during the hearing, also sought to involve the Election Commission of India in the proceedings, but the bench clarified that once instructions are issued by the top court, the poll overseer would be bound by them. Sibal sought a formal notice, while Mehta suggested it may not be necessary. In its writ petition, Karnataka pointed out the failure of the Union home ministry to take a final decision and release financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), despite six months passing since the filing of a report by the Inter-Ministerial Central Team. The Karnataka governments plea, filed through advocate DL Chidananda, emphasised agriculture as a primary source of livelihood for a large section of the states population, highlighting the damage to crops and livestock due to the drought. The delay in convening a high-level committee meeting to approve relief from the NDRF was also criticised. The present drought situation has damaged crops and affected livestock, leading to lower yields, reduced income for farmers, and increased food prices. The situation has major economic impact resulting from losses in agriculture, impacting jobs, incomes, and overall economic growth of the state stated the petition. It further argued that the Centres inaction in releasing financial assistance for drought relief was illegal, arbitrary and violated fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (equality) and 21 (life and liberty) of the Constitution. The states citizens fundamental right to life has been harmed by the Centre, which has not called a meeting of the high-level committee to address the subcommittee report of the national executive committee on the memorandums submitted by the state government requesting financial assistance, the plea said. Last week, a similar petition was filed in the apex court by Tamil Nadu as well, which sought direction to the Centre to release 19,692.69 crore as financial assistance for damage caused by Cyclone Michaung in December, alleging that funds were not made available despite repeated requests. Read here: Climate crisis impacts citizens right to life: Supreme Court On April 1, a different bench in the Supreme Court had rejected the Kerala governments plea for directing the Union government to relax its borrowing cap restrictions so that the state could borrow additional funds in the current fiscal year, noting that any such an order might set a bad precedent in law that would enable states to flout fiscal policies and still successfully claim additional borrowings. The deluge of petitions by various states demanding directives to the Union government for the release of funds represents the judiciarys expanding involvement in scrutinising federal financial relations and state autonomy under Indias intricate fiscal system. In the latest development in Delhi's excise policy case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is currently questioning Bibhav Kumar, the personal assistant (PA) to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The central agency has repeatedly called Kejriwal the kingpin" of the alleged scam, and arrested him on March 21. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal (PTI Photo)(PTI) The ED has also sent summons to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Durgesh Pathak, asking him to appear on Monday itself. The summons to Pathak come days after Delhi minister Atishi claimed that the agency will arrest four other party leaders in connection with the scam: Atishi herself, her ministerial colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj, Pathak, and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who is in the United Kingdom for an eye treatment. That claim followed ED's statement in a court hearing after Kejriwal's arrest that the AAP national convenor had named both her and Bharadwaj. The Delhi CM is in judicial custody till April 15. ED needs some clarifications from Bibhav People familiar with the development told Hindustan Times that Kumar, the chief minister's PA, is being questioned as the Enforcement Directorate needs some clarifications regarding some documents in its probe. On Pathak, an officer who did not wish to be named, said that the former's name appeared in some statements related to cash payments in the February 2022 Goa assembly elections. The AAP win two out of 40 assembly seats, along with a vote-share of 6.8%, in the coastal state. Amit Palekar, its Goa unit head who contested as the CM candidate, has denied allegations of wrongdoing and asserted that he and other leaders of the local unit, were ready to face any inquiry. Pathak is expected to appear at ED headquarters in the afternoon, the officer quoted above, further said. Terrorists targeted and injured a Dehradun resident on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, officials reported. Officials have stated that his condition is currently stable. (File) According to the authorities, the attack occurred around 9pm in the Herpora area, where terrorists fired upon and wounded Dilranjeet Singh, a resident of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, PTI reported. Singh was immediately taken to the Shopian district hospital and was later referred to a Srinagar hospital for further treatment. Officials have stated that his condition is currently stable. After the attack, the J&K police sealed off the area and launched a search operation to catch the perpetrators responsible for the attack. On Friday, security forces in Jammu and Kashmir prevented an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district. In Uri's Sabura Nala Rustam area, army personnel detected suspicious movement along the LoC and identified intruders, who then engaged in gunfire, prompting the soldiers to retaliate, resulting in the death of at least one terrorist. One terrorist's body was recovered, with security forces suspecting that another may also have died. Additionally, arms and ammunition, including AK rifles, grenades, and currency, were seized from the encounter site. In another incident on April 2, police sub-inspector Deepak Sharma was killed along with wanted criminal Vasudev and special police officer Anil Kumar was also injured during a gunfight on the premises of Government Medical College (GMC) around 10:30 pm in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua. Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, special awareness camps have been launched for Kashmiri migrants across Jammu and Udhampur districts encouraging their participation in national elections. The elections in the Union Territoy are set to occur in five phases on April 19 (Udhampur) and 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), 13 (Srinagar), and 20 (Baramulla), with vote counting scheduled for June 4. These camps will be ongoing until April 14. The Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Muslim League imprint remark on the partys Lok Sabha poll manifesto saying that he is running helter-skelter after seeing the widespread discussion revolving around its manifesto called Nyay Patra (justice document). Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate addresses a press conference at the party office in Delhi on Monday (PTI) Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (B JP) is resorting back to the old narrative of Hindu-Muslim division as they are rattled by their dwindling poll prospects. She said, After seeing the widespread discussion revolving around the Nyay Patra (Congresss poll manifesto) by experts, economists and even the media, PM Modi is running helter-skelter. Modi in his election rallies on Saturday and Sunday said that the Congress manifesto that was released on Friday carries the imprint of the Muslim League with every page reeking of breaking India. Hitting back, Shrinate said the BJP has had deep love, affection and affiliation for the Muslim League and claimed that it is not newly acquired but rather it has remained from the ideological ancestors of the BJP. She said Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and his like-minded along with the Muslim League were running governments in Bengal, Sindh and North-West Frontier Province and gave written suggestion to the British to curb the national movements. Alleging that the BJP always favoured divisive forces, she said, PM must respect the sanctity of the position. She said that after 10 years in the government, Modi does not have one achievement that he can seek votes for and claimed that he has failed this country on every front. She said that even Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJPs surveys showed that the BJP is stuck at 180 (seats) and the tally is dwindling which has rattled Modi and the BJP and thus they have resorted back to the old narrative, the old script of Hindu-Muslim division. There was no immediate reaction available from the BJP to Shrinates remarks. Shrinate further said that the Congress manifesto has the imprint of youth, women, farmers, workers, oppressed, soldiers, people of Manipur, Kashmir and Ladakh, and the government institutions on whose foundation this nation has been built. She said it is the blueprint of Indias future and it presents a comprehensive approach to provide solutions for the problems that have been posed in the past 10 years. This is not made in a room with two crony capitalists. It has the voice of people, she added. She said that the Congress will conduct a nationwide socioeconomic caste census which will be like an X-ray of the Indian society, if the party comes to power. She also said that the Congress will return statehood to Jammu & Kashmir, give full statehood to Puducherry and special status to Andhra Pradesh and include Ladakh in the 6th Schedule. She said that the Congress has always fulfilled its promises unlike the jumla of the BJP. New Delhi: Myanmars junta has suffered another defeat with resistance forces taking control of Myawaddy town, a crucial border trading point with Thailand, following their success in capturing key regions on the frontiers with India, China and Bangladesh. The offensive launched last October by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which comprises Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), has seen the junta troops being driven out of large areas in Sagaing region on the border with India. (AP/Representative photo) Following attacks over the past week by the Karen National Union KNU), a resistance force in eastern Kayin state, and Peoples Defence Forces (PDF), which are part of Myanmars government in exile, the resistance forces captured several military bases and a command centre at Myawaddy on Sunday. Myawaddy was Myanmars main point for overland trade with Thailand, and the resistance forces earlier captured key trading and crossing points on the borders with India, China and Bangladesh since the launch of a coordinated offensive against the junta last October. Also Read: Myanmar junta facing existential threat: UN expert The fall of Myawaddy is being seen as yet another setback for the junta that will add to instability in Myanmar, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. There was no immediate reaction from Indian officials, though the external affairs ministry earlier expressed concern at the violence and instability in Myanmar and said developments in the neighbouring country have direct implications for Indias security. More than 600 people, including 477 troops and their family members, surrendered to the resistance forces over the weekend. The figure included 67 military officers and the troops also surrendered a large cache of weapons, including mortars, machine guns, and hundreds of assault rifles. Also Read: Thailand, India have to work together to address Myanmar crisis: Vice minister The Thailand government approved a request from Myanmars State Administration Council (SAC) or junta to mount three evacuation flights via, located a Mae Sot airportcross the border from Myawaddy. However, after one flight from Myanmar arrived at Mae Sot on Sunday, the SAC cancelled the remaining flights. Toe Kyaw Hlaing, a councillor of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), an advisory body to Myanmars government in exile, said the resistance forces had taken almost complete control of Myawaddy region. The SAC is now trying to evacuate their civil service personnel. They requested the Thai government for permission to use Mae Sot airport for the evacuation, he said. Resistance forces also attacked the Defence Services Academy at Pyin Oo Lwin near Mandalay with rockets early on Monday, Hlaing said. The offensive launched last October by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which comprises Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), has seen the junta troops being driven out of large areas in Sagaing region on the border with India, Shan state on the Chinese border and Rakhine state on the frontier with Bangladesh. The West Bengal Police has filed a molestation and house trespassing case against officials of the anti-terror National Investigation Agency (NIA) after the probe agency's raid in East Medinipur district linked to the 2002 bomb blast case. The district police filed an FIR against NIA officials under sections pertaining to molestation, as the attack on the officials sparked a political war between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in the state. NIA said its team came under violent attack by an unruly mob when they had gone to conduct searches in West Bengals Naruabila village on Saturday. (Representative Image) The FIR was filed by the West Bengal Police on Sunday, a day after a team of NIA officials was attacked by a mob during a raid in the East Medinipur district. The BJP alleged that the attack on the NIA was carried out at the behest of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. East Medinipur police registered the FIR against NIA and CRPF officials based on a complaint filed by a woman. She alleged that she and her husband were assaulted by the officials and her modesty was outraged. A case was registered under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 325, 34, 354, 354(b), 427, 448, and 509. Read more: TMC alleges Bengal BJP leader met NIA SP days before Bhupatinagar raid The incident took place when a team of NIA officials was allegedly attacked by a mob while attempting to arrest TMC's Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity in connection with the 2022 Bhupatinagar blast, which killed three people. Jana's wife Moni Jana lodged a complaint with Bhupatinagar police station alleging that NIA officers tried to outrage her modesty after forcibly entering her residence on the pretext of conducting a probe. They also allegedly vandalised her residence during their raid, a police officer told PTI on Sunday. IPC Section 354 (for assaulting any woman, with an intention to outrage her modesty) was attached to the complaint. The police are yet to arrest anyone in connection with the alleged attack on the NIA officers who have lodged a complaint with the Bhupatinagar police station. The matter is still being investigated, they said. After multiple allegations launched by TMC leaders, NIA issued a statement on Sunday saying its actions were bona fide, lawful and legally mandated, as part of its ongoing investigation into the heinous crime related to fabrication of crude bombs, leading to an explosion that killed three persons. (With inputs from PTI) There are 67 women among the 419 candidates for the upcoming Lok Saha polls announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) so far. At 16%, the number is higher than the 12% of women candidates the party fielded in 2019 (53 of 437), but it is lower than the 33% mentioned in the Womens Reservation Bill, 2023 that the party steered through Parliament last year. BJP candidate Navneet Rana during an election rally before filing her nomination from the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, in Amravati, on April 4 (PTI) The 67 number may increase marginally (as may the proportion), since the party is yet to announce names for about 20-30 seats, but party leaders admitted that it will take a few more years to identify and train women to take the proportion higher. Read here: BJP has not allowed us to enter Delhi. We will not let them enter our villages To be sure, the BJP has fielded more women candidates in every election since 2014, when women made up only around 9% of its candidates (38 of 428). That number was a drop from 2009, when women accounted for 10% of its candidates (44 of 433). Theres no clear trend in the outcomes, though: in 2019, 71% of the women candidates fielded by the BJP won, roughly the same as men; but in 2014, 78.95% did, much higher than the proportion of men that did. With 78 women, the 17th Lok Sabha boasted the highest proportion of women lawmakers, although this was still just over 14%. The Congress, which contested 262 seats, fielded 54 women (20%) in 2019, a higher proportion than the BJP, although only 11% of the women it fielded won. The Trinamool Congress, which contested 42 seats, fielded 16 women (38%), of which 56% won; and the BJD, which contested 21 seats, fielded six women (28%), of which 83% won. But in absolute terms, given its sweeping success across India, the BJP sent most women to the 17th Lok Sabha. The process of training women leaders is underway, but it will be a long-drawn process. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pushing for women-led development and their empowerment, which includes giving them political representation as well, said a party leader who asked not to be named. The leader, part of the PM-led central election committee, which takes a call on deciding the candidates, said that on several occasions, Modi nudged the state units to send the names of more women candidates. In 2009, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, he introduced the bill to increase reservation for women in panchayats and urban local bodies from 33 to 50%. The long-pending women reservation bill was passed in Parliament last year. He walks the talk on women led development and their empowerment. Women are one of the key constituencies that the BJP has nurtured since coming to power at the centre in 2014. As per the election commission 470 million women are listed as voters for the upcoming polls. The governments claims of being committed to their welfare are based on women-centric schemes, such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandhana Yojna and the recently announced interventions such as the Lakhpati Didi scheme that is aimed at helping women entrepreneurs, and the Drone Didi scheme for training women to become drone pilots for agricultural purposes. The party is however aware that nothing can burnish its credentials as a women-friendly party as political representation can. Party leaders claims that over the years there has been a conscious effort to draw more women to electoral politics. The representation of women in Parliament itself has risen over the years. In 1957 there were 22 women elected to Parliament of the 45 who contested. Over the next few elections, it hovered between 20 to 30, rising to 43 in 1984. While it is true that many women in politics, in most of the parties, including ours come from political families , there are many examples of women who have come from disadvantaged groups and sections of society. Some of them are from what are known as atipichda varg (most backward castes), said a second BJP functionary. The elevation of President Droupadi Murmu, from a party worker to the highest Constitutional Office, the leader said, is a shining example of the BJPs commitment towards women. That one example is the biggest draw for women from poor and backward families to consider stepping into a male bastion, the second person said, asking not to be named. He cited the example of Rekha Patra who is the party candidate from Basirhat in West Bengal and a victim of the violence in Sandeshkhali. The PM called her Shakti Swaroopa (embodiment of power) and now she represents the poor and voiceless women in Bengal and elsewhere, he said. Read here: PM Modi to kickstart BJP's mega Maharashtra campaign with Chandrapur rally But candidates such as Patra are too few and far between. It is for this reason that the Mahila Morcha has been focussing on identifying women leaders who do not come from privilege. There are villages where women in politics are looked down upon, even years after their presence at the Panchayat level. In some places men still rule by proxy...but we are striving to change that, said a senior functionary of the partys womens wing. Among the 67 candidates named so far, a sizeable number come from political families, including Bansuri Swaraj from New Delhi, daughter of late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj; D. Purandeswari from Rajahmundry, state unit president of Andhra Pradesh, a former minister in the UPA and daughter of the late N.T. Rama Rao ; and Kriti Singh Debbarma, sister of Tipra Motha Party founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma. The Congress on Monday responded to poll strategist Prashant Kishor's suggestion to Rahul Gandhi advising him to consider stepping back if the grand old party does not get the desired results in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Prashant Kishor said Rahul Gandhi needs someone who can execute what he thinks is right, which is not possible. "I do not answer on remarks by consultants. Talk about political people, what is there to answer on consultants?" Congress social media head Supriya Shrinate was quoted by PTI as saying. ALSO READ: Oppn missed chances to stop BJP, it's like dropping a catch: Prashant Kishor On Sunday, Kishor had told PTI, Rahul Gandhi, for all practical purposes, is running the Congress and has been unable to either step aside or let someone else steer the party despite his inability to deliver the results in the last 10 years. Kishor had declined to join the Congress in 2022, citing the party needs leadership and collective will to fix the deep rooted structural problems through transformational reforms. The poll strategist had cited Rahul Gandhi's decision to step down as Congress chief after the party's drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi had written that he will step back and let somebody else do the job. "Many Congress leaders will admit privately that they cannot take any decision in the party, even about a single seat or seat sharing with alliance partners "unless they get the approval from xyz," Kishor told the agency, referring to their need to defer to Rahul Gandhi. ALSO READ: Prashant Kishor finds 'no logic' in Rahul Gandhi's Nyay Yatra. Explains why The Congress and its supporters are bigger than any individual and Gandhi should not be stubborn that it must be him who will deliver for the party despite repeated failures, he added. "When you are doing the same work for the last 10 years without any success, then there is no harm in taking a break... You should allow someone else to do it for five years. Your mother did it," he had said, referring to Sonia Gandhi's decision to step aside after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991 and let PV Narasimha Rao take charge. (With PTI inputs) Two more people, allegedly linked to the ruling CPI(M), have been arrested in connection with the recent bomb blast at Panoor, said Kerala police officials on Sunday. One person was killed and two others were injured in the blast that took place on Friday. HT Image The arrested accused were identified as Amal Babu and Midhun who were in hiding ever since the blast took place on the terrace of an under-construction house at Muliyathode near Panoor in Kannur district on Friday, said an officer.With this, the total number of arrests in the case has reached six with six others absconding, the police added. Deceased Sherin (26), a resident of Kaivelikal, had succumbed to injuries sustained in the blast while Vineesh (24) has sustained grievous injuries in the incident and is currently under treatment, said police. The crude bomb explosion is reported to have occurred around 1 am Friday while the bombs were being made on the terrace of the building. The four people arrested on Saturday were identified as Shebin Lal, KK Arun, K Atul and Sayooj. Police are investigating if they have links to the CPI(M) which has come under the lens in the backdrop of the bomb blast as well as the ongoing campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, some local leaders of the CPI(M) paid a visit to the residence of deceased Sherin on Sunday raising questions on the partys links with those who involved in the bomb-making process. However, when questioned by reporters, CPI(M state secretary MV Govindan, replied, I dont know about that. The party doesnt have any link to0 the blast. The police on Sunday stepped up the vigil in politically-sensitive areas of Kannur and Kozhikode district in the backdrop of the blast. Purnea: Bihar leader Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadavs refusal to withdraw his candidature from Purnea Lok Sabha seat on Monday, the last day of withdrawing nomination, has put the Congress party in a fix. Bihar leader Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav. (PTI file photo.) Yadav , who is set to contest as an independent candidate, has been allotted the scissors election symbol. The Purnea Lok Sabha seat has gone to Congress alliance partner, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), in the seat-sharing formula in the Mahaghatbandhan, a coalition comprising the Congress, the Left parties besides the RJD. Yadav had merged his party Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) with Congress earlier. Talking to media persons in Patna last week, Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh had said: There is no debate over it in the Congress. The partys high command has already put its stamp over the seat sharing of the Mahagathbandhan. The Congress has not permitted any candidate to contest as an independent candidate. The party will not accept this. He will be advised that the date of withdrawal of nomination is not over yet, he should withdraw the nomination. Also Read: Pappu Yadav files nomination for Purnea seat, Cong says it backs RJD nominee The Congress will contest nine seats in Bihar and only two seats in Seemanchal-Kishanganj and Katihar. Yadav had filed his nomination as an independent and the question was whether the Congress party would take any action against him but that remains unclear. We have intimated it to the top leaders and they will (have to) take the decision in this regard. Our party is behind the grand alliance nominee Bima Bharti, said Purnea Congress party president Chhotu Singh. The matter is hypersensitive. The top party leadership has been informed and it is up to them to take any decision in this regard, a senior district Congress party leader told HT asking not to be named. Five-time MP Pappu Yadav has been busy campaigning aggressively for the election in Purnea where he won the parliamentary election thrice (1991, 1996 and 1999). He won the Madhepura seat twice (2004 and 2014). Now it is official that in Purnea contest is triangular with five time MLA Bima Bharti is in fray on RJD ticket against JD-U nominee Santosh Kumar while Pappu Yadav contesting as an independent candidate, said the leader quoted above. Purnea will go to poll on April 26 when about 19 lakh voters will be eligible to exercise their franchise to elect their representative among seven candidates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lashed out at the Congress, comparing it to a bitter gourd, accusing it of being the source of all problems in the country. Addressing his first rally in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections, the prime minister said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting in Mahrashtra's Chandrapur. (PTI) A bitter gourd's taste will never change even if it is fried in ghee or mixed with sugar, Modi said in Chandrapur, which will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19. Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE Coverage "The Congress is the source of all problems in the country. Who was responsible for the Partition of the country on the basis of religion...Kashmir (issue), Naxalism? Who opposed Ram temple construction and questioned the existence of Lord Ram. Who declined the Ram temple (inauguration) invite?" he asked the gathering. "The Congress is out of power for 10 years and we have been been able to resolve all problems faced by the country. Naxal menace has come down drastically. The Congress was soft on terrorism for vote-bank politics. Even its manifesto has the Muslim League imprint," Modi added. ALSO READ: Cong, INDI alliance angry with Ram Mandir construction: PM Modi in Bastar This is an election between stability and instability. On one side is the BJP, which believes in making strong and big decisions for the country. On the other hand, is the Congress party and the INDI alliance which says 'jaha bhi satta pao, khoob malai khao' (Reap as much benefits as possible wherever come to power), the prime minister added. ALSO READ: Mahayuti-MVA still unsure on candidates for 13 Lok Sabha seats of 48 Maharashtra sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The polling in the state will be held in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 23 seats, followed by undivided Shiv Sena winning 18 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that there has been a marked improvement in the situation in Manipur due to timely intervention of the Centre and state government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said emedial measures undertaken include a financial package for the relief and rehabilitation of people living in shelter camps in Manipur. "I have already spoken about this in Parliament. We have dedicated our best resources and administrative machinery to resolving the conflict. Because of the timely intervention of the government of India and efforts by the Manipur government, there has been a marked improvement in the situation of the state," PM Modi said in an interview to the Assam Tribune newspaper. ALSO READ: 41-day lull in ethnic violence holds ray of hope in Manipur Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's two-day visit to Manipur last year and holding 15-plus meetings with various stakeholders, when the conflict was at its peak, the prime minister said the process of relief and rehabilitation is ongoing. "Remedial measures undertaken include a financial package for the relief and rehabilitation of people living in shelter camps in the state," he added. ALSO READ: AFSPA extended for another 6 months in Manipur Last year, Prime Minister Modi in Parliament had expressed his commitment to addressing the suffering of the people of Manipur and bringing perpetrators of crimes against women to justice. "Many families have suffered. There have been grave crimes against women, this is unacceptable. Our government is committed to ensuring the strictest punishment against perpetrators, the prime minister had said. I want to assure the people of Manipur that India is with you. Parliament is with you. We will together find a solution to this challenge. We will establish peace again. I assure the people of Manipur that we will spare no effort in returning the state to the path of development," Modi added. Manipur has witnessed sporadic, sometime intense, ethnic clashes since May 3 last year between the majority Meitei community and the Kukis, resulting in the loss of more than 200 lives. While Meiteis have concentrated in Imphal city, the Kukis have shifted to the hills. Political strategist Prashant Kishor made a positive prediction for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, anticipating that the party will make a significant splash in eastern and southern states. Prashant Kishor predicted that the BJP could emerge at the top in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, which are strongholds of the opposition parties. Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor during an interview with PTI. (PTI Photo/Gurinder Osan) (PTI) In a recent interview with news agency PTI, Prashant Kishor predicted that BJP can become the top party with the maximum number of seats in southern and eastern India, seeing a massive bump in vote share in Tamil Nadu. Kishor told PTI, I had said this a year back that for the first time, I see the BJP in double digits in Tamil Nadu in terms of vote share. They (BJP) will either be first or second party in Telangana which is a big thing. The election strategist further added, They will be number one in Odisha for sure. You would be surprised as, in all likelihood, to my mind, the BJP is going to be the number one party in West Bengal. The BJP has asserted that they will garner more than 400 seats in the 520-seat Lok Sabha this election, but Prashant Kishor believes that the saffron party is unlikely to get over 370 seats. Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Kerala together account for 204 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha but the BJP couldn't cross 50 seats in all these states put together either in 2014 or 2019 when it won 29 and 47 constituencies respectively. The BJP over the years maintained its stronghold in northern and western India, but can only face heat in the upcoming elections if the opposition, especially Congress, makes sure that the former loses at least 100 seats these areas, said Kishor. Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Kishor said, Count the number of visits the prime minister had made to Tamil Nadu in the last five years versus Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi or any other opposition leader for that matter made in battleground states. Your fight is in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh but you are touring Manipur and Meghalaya. Then how you will get success. While speaking on Rahul Gandhi's reluctance on fighting the elections from the Amethi seat, the poll strategist said, If you do not win in UP, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, there is no benefit if you win from Wayanad. Strategically, I can say that letting that space (Amethi) go will only send a wrong message. (With inputs from PTI) Union minister Smriti Irani on Monday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of taking support from banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kerala's Wayanad. "We have received information that Rahul Gandhi took the support of the terrorist organisation PFI to contest the elections in Wayanad," Irani, who is seeking re-election as an MP from Amethi, was quoted by PTI as saying. While claiming that a chargesheet said PFI listed the number of Hindus to be killed in every district, Irani said,"Rahul Gandhi should tell the people of Amethi why he is contesting the Wayanad election with the help of such an organisation." In 2022, the Union home ministry had banned PFI for a period of five years, accusing it of being involved in numerous terror and criminal incidents. Union minister Smriti Irani had defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "I was in Wayanad a few days ago and I came to know that Rahul Gandhi has declared Wayanad as his family. It is said that people change colours. For the first time, it was seen that people change their families also," the minister who defeated Gandhi in 2019 to wrest Amethi from the Congress, said. Irani took a jibe at Gandhi, who served as the Lok Sabha MP from Amethi before losing to her. "Yesterday a Congress leader announced in Wayanad that Rahul Gandhi chose the seat as he feels that the people of Wayanad are more loyal. What about the loyalty of Amethi who tolerated an MP for 15 years who did nothing for them?" ALSO READ: Delhi mein hugging, Karnataka mein: Smriti Irani's jibe at Rahul Gandhi amid Amethi buzz We all know that out of the 15 years, there was Soniaji's government at the Centre for 10 years and the SP's government in the state. Rahul Gandhi did nothing for Amethi, she added. "BJP workers know that the Gandhi family will come to contest from Amethi. The question is that Narendra Modi sends rations to 19 lakh citizens in the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency but the Gandhi family opposes Narendra Modi. What is the message of the Gandhi family to the 19 lakh people who receive government rations," she asked. The Congress is yet to declare its candidates for the high-profile Amethi and Raebareli seat. ALSO READ: On Rahul Gandhi from Amethi speculation, Smriti Irani says, Strange that I know and many Congress leaders have made it public that there is internal strife in the Congress. There is a camp in the Congress which wants Rahul Gandhi to be relieved from leadership and a woman leader be given the command of the Congress, the minister added. "I want to assure that camp that you will see Rahul Gandhi losing again in Amethi and you can stake your claim for the leadership of the Congress," the BJP leader said. Polling in Amethi is slated for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 20. (With PTI inputs) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday kicked off a fresh campaign ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi centred around the slogan Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se (responding to jail with a vote), a two-pronged drive that aims to drum up support against chief minister Arvind Kejriwals arrest and to cash in on voter sympathy that the party hopes his incarceration will generate. AAP leaders at the party office on Monday. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo) Read here: We need to work harder because our chief is in jail: AAPs Sanjay Singh We want you (the voters) to empower Kejriwal, said senior AAP leader Sandeep Pathak, who launched the campaign along with his party colleagues Sanjay Singh, Gopal Rai and Pankaj Gupta at the AAP headquarters on Monday afternoon. The new campaign comes exactly a month after Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann flagged off the partys initial Sansad Me Bhi Kejriwal, Toh Delhi Hogi Aur Khushhal drive. AAP leaders said they will take the fresh campaign to the people and inform them that Kejriwal has been arrested in a fabricated case under a conspiracy to crush the AAP. The Enforcement Directorates (ED) arrest of Kejriwal on March 21 over alleged irregularities in the 2021-22 Delhi excise policy, however, forced the party to recalibrate its campaign and instead centre its pre-election drive on the chief ministers imprisonment. It is the partys key slogan and the entire campaign will revolve around it, Pathak said at the press conference in Delhi. Kejriwal is in Tihar jail in judicial custody till April 15. All seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, which are held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will vote in the general elections on May 25. The AAP, as part of its seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress, is contesting four of these seats New Delhi, South Delhi, West Delhi and East Delhi. The Congress is contesting the rest, but is still to name any candidates. The AAP used the campaign launch as a moment to revisit the partys flagship welfare programmes. I request people to remember Kejriwals face when they go to vote in the Lok Sabha polls, remember the face of their children who study in good schools, remember the zero electricity bill, remember the face of women taking free bus rides, senior citizens who have availed free pilgrimage. It was all done by Arvind Kejriwal. A dictator has put him (Kejriwal) in jail. You have to respond to it through your votes, he said. Singh was arrested in connection with the excise policy case last October and released on bail on April 3. Rai, Delhis environment minister and the AAPs Delhi convener, said the party will connect with every Delhi resident and ensure the BJP loses all seven seats. The BJP is threatening Delhi with Presidents Rule if Kejriwal does not resign, he said. Delhi gave birth to honest politics, but a conspiracy has been hatched to crush honest politics. Now it is Delhis responsibility to protect it, said Pathak. Read here: Respond to Arvind Kejriwals arrest with your vote, AAP tells Delhi in new pitch Tanvir Aeijaz, associate professor of political science at Ramjas College, said the AAP had earlier pitched its election campaign on Sansad Me Bhi Kejriwal, Toh Delhi Hogi Aur Khushhal but now they have changed it to focus on mobilising supporters over the arrest. This may help the AAP in gaining sympathy for its leaders in the ensuing elections, said Aeijaz. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, meanwhile, said that the AAPs Lok Sabha campaign is an admission by party leaders that Kejriwal will not get bail any time soon. AAP leaders are mistaken if they think that by showing pictures of Kejriwal behind the bars they can generate sympathy vote, people of Delhi are laughing at the campaign poster launched by the AAP. People of Delhi are saying that Jail ka Jawab Vote Se makes no sense, people will vote against the corruption of Arvind Kejriwal and vote them out, said Sachdeva. Expelled Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Monday claimed that Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut is the real kingpin of Khichdi scam, this amid the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issuing summons to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Mumbai North West Amol Kirtikar. Kirtikar has been summoned in connection with a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in distribution of khichdi during the Covid-19 pandemic. Expelled Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam (left) and Sanjay Raut. "When I started working on this scam, I came to know that the 'kingpin' was someone else. The kingpin in this whole scam is Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson, Sanjay Raut...," Nirupam, who was expelled for six years by the Congress, was quoted by ANI as saying. Continuing his attack on Raut, the former MP said,"In this scam, he has taken money in the name of his daughter, brother and partner. There is a company called Sahyadri Refreshment where Rajiv Salunkhe and Sujit Patkar were involved, who were partners of Sanjay Raut. The company received a contract worth 6.37 lakh to supply khichdi during Covid." The ED has alleged that agents linked to some politicians used influence to ensure the BMC awarded khichdi contracts to their associates. The khichdi suppliers cheated the BMC by supplying less than the agreed quantity and after submitting inflated bills, it was alleged. ALSO READ: After expulsion, Sanjay Nirupam jabs Congress over 5 power centres in party "Sanjay Raut's family and his friends took 1 crore as brokerage. ..He has taken bribes through cheques in the name of her daughter Vidhita Sanjay Raut, who herself is innocent and unaware of these things...," Nirupam added. On Kirtikar being summoned by the central agency, Nirupam said, What ED does after the interrogation, I don't know, but action must be taken against him. The entire people from the North-West district should know, how dishonest their possible candidate is. Uddhav's Sena responds to Nirupam Responding to Nirupam's attack, Shiv Sena (UBT) accused the former Congressman of intentionally trying to malign the image of its candidate. He is intentionally trying to malign the image of our leaders like Amol Kirthikar and Sanjay Raut when the elections are going to be held on May 20 in Mumbai. He is raising a four-year-old issue, why have you been silent for this long?... When Congress expelled him and he was roaming for a ticket, he asked every party for this and when nothing seemed to be working, he is now conspiring to malign the image of Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey told ANI. I appeal to the people of Mumbai not to get into these rumours. We aren't afraid of ED and all put us in jail and we will come out on bail. Our leaders are facing this difficult situation. He has learned the culture of BJP too soon, the BJP is the only party that tries to malign people's image by keeping the family forward, he added. (With PTI, ANI inputs) The vehicle of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda's wife that was stolen last month was recovered from Varanasi and three people were apprehended by the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS), the police said on Sunday. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda(JP Nadda-X) Along with the stolen vehicle, the police also recovered the vehicle used for the robbery. Complainant Joginder Singh lodged a complaint at Govindpuri Police Station, wherein he reported the theft of the said vehicle on March 19. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered under section 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was transferred to the Anti-Auto Theft Squad/SED. The team led by Inspector Rajender Singh Dagar started working on interstate auto lifters. During investigation, the team analysed the CCTV cameras. The investigative team developed specific clue about habitual auto lifters Shahid and Shivansh Tripathi, along with their gang. The police said that accused Shivansh Tripathi was apprehended by the police team at the instance of secret informer from the vicinity of Patiala House Court on March 22. During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he, along with his associates Shahid from Badkal Faridabad and his son-in law Farooq from Chandan Hola, Delhi along with a person named Shahkul, committed the theft of the concerned vehicle from Giri Nagar, Govindpuri. Thereafter at the instance of above accused, the police also recovered a car from Expressway Police Station, Gautam Buddh Nagar that was used in the robbery. During further interrogation, the accused disclosed that the stolen vehicle was shifted to the farmhouse of co-accused Shahid's son-in-law Farooq, in Faridabad, Haryana. The accused revealed that he along with Shahid sold the stolen vehicle to one habitual receiver of stolen cars namely Saleem, in Lakhimpur Khiri, Uttar Pradesh, the police said. According to the police, Saleem further sells the stolen cars across Muradabad, Sitapur, Hathras, Mainpuri and north-eastern states of the country. The police obtained the remand of accused Shivansh and conducted raids in Lakhimpur Khiri. Thereafter, at the instance of Shivansh, co-accused Saleem was apprehended. During interrogation, Saleem disclosed that he had further sold the stolen vehicle to one habitual receiver namely Mohd Raees alias Pappu. Based on this information, accused Mohd Raees was arrested from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. He disclosed that he further sold the stolen vehicle to one Furkan, a resident of Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. Thereafter, the police obtained four days police custody of accused Mohd Raees. Further, upon his instance, the stolen vehicle was recovered from Beniyabagh parking in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The AATS of Delhi Police also received assistance from the UP Police and Faridabad Police in nabbing the culprits. Further, further investigation is underway in the case, the police said. The Supreme Court on Monday favoured the release of an ailing 96-year-old terror convict, who was serving a life sentence in the 1993 train blast case in Rajasthan, saying that continued incarceration is like capital punishment. The man, identified as Habib Ahmed Khan was on parole and had moved the top court seeking a permanent parole given his poor health condition and age. SC releases 96-year-old terror convict: Continued time like capital punishment. (For Representation) Khan had been in jail for 27 years following which he was granted parole thrice, reported news agency PTI. A top court bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the Rajasthan government to consider his case from a human rights angle, adding that his incarceration would not serve a purpose. Just see his medical report, where will he go? It's the worst. Yes, he was convicted for a terror offence but he was not awarded capital punishment. Continued incarceration for him is like capital punishment, the bench said. According to the bench, at the age of 96, Khan is just counting his days and the law cannot be so insensitive. The bench also sought instruction on whether Khan could be granted remission or permanent parole. The court has listed the matter after two weeks. Khan was arrested in 1994 in connection with a series of train blasts in 1993. He was convicted in 2004 along with four others under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). The 96-year-old man's conviction and life sentence were upheld by the top court in 2016. In August 2018, the Rajasthan high court granted him parole for the first time for 20 days considering his age. Later, he was granted parole in 2020 for 20 days amid the Covid-19 pandemic. He was granted parole for the third time in February 2021 - which the Supreme Court has extended till date. (With inputs from PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday restored the bail granted to a YouTuber who was accused of making a derogatory speech against Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin in 2021. The Supreme Court of India. "If before elections we start putting behind bars everyone who makes allegations on YouTube, imagine how many will be jailed?" a top court bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan observed while setting aside the order cancelling bail to 'Sattai' Durai Murugan and opined that he could not be said to have misused the liberty granted to him, ANI reported. During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi while representing the state had requested the Supreme Court to impose condition on Murugan so that he does not make any scandalous remarks while on bail. Who shall decide whether a statement is scandalous or not, the bench told Rohatgi. He continues to be on bail for 2.5 years. All the same, we do not find grounds to cancel bail. We thus quash the High Court order cancelling bail, and restore the earlier order granting bail. Needless to say, cancellation of bail can be applied for if deemed fit, the bench ordered. What is the case about? The Supreme Court was hearing the YouTuber's plea in which he challenged a Madras high court order that cancelled his bail. The HC had observed that within a few days of giving an undertaking before the court (based on which he was granted relief), he indulged in further offence and made derogatory remarks against the Tamil Nadu chief minister. He allegedly made derogatory remarks with an intention to breach public peace and tranquillity. On a complaint of a DMK member, police registered a case against him. Murugan was arrested in October 2021. The Madras High Court had in November 2021 granted bail to the YouTuber. However, later a division bench of the High Court cancelled his bail. In 2022, the apex court had granted interim bail to Murugan. (With ANI inputs) The war of words over alleged attacks on officials of central probe agencies in West Bengal intensified on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of shielding extortionists and corrupt leaders. Modi, who hopes to return to power for a third consecutive time and equal first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehrus record of winning three back-to-back Lok Sabha elections, added that the TMC wants a licence for corruption and violence. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at a rally in Purulia. (ANI) TMC hit back claiming the BJP was trying to manage the referee through the use of central agencies to keep out the players during the Lok Sabha polls. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged the federal agencies were working as extended arms of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was earlier allegedly attacked in East Midnapore during raids in connection with its probe into the 2022 Bhupatinagar blast case. NIA said one of its officers was injured and a vehicle was damaged. Banerjee maintained the villagers acted in self-defense as the probe agency officials barged into houses in the early hours of Saturday. Mufti versus Azad in Anantnag Two former chief ministers are now in the fray for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday announced her candidature for the seat, where Ghulam Nabi Azad is also among the candidates. Azad quit the Congress in 2022 and formed his Democratic Progressive Azad Party. Tharoor vs Chandrasekhar battle heats up Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is seeking a fourth successive term as Thiruvananthapuram member of Parliament (MP), on Sunday accepted Union minister and his BJP challenger Rajeev Chandrasekhars call for an open debate. Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now. Let us debate politics and development. Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism, and the BJPs 10 years of propagating politics of hatred, the Thiruvananthapuram MP posted on X Bihars pride as RJD poll plank Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday expressed shock over a clip purportedly showing Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar touching Prime Minister Narendra Modis feet during a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rally, saying he felt very bad. RJD insiders said they would use the clip to raise the issue of Bihars pride as a poll plank. What has happened? Nitish Kumar is our guardian...There is no other chief minister as experienced as Nitish Kumar and he is touching the feet of Prime Minister Modi, Tejashwi said. Kumar was also trolled on social media over a gaffe. Kumar could be heard fumbling that NDA will win char lakh (400000) seats, before correcting himself and saying char hazaar se bhi zyada (more than 4,000 seats). RJD leaders, including Sarika Paswan, shared a video of the gaffe. The chief minister wanted to wish more than four lakh MPs to the PM. Then he probably thought it would be too much and 4,000 would be sufficient, Paswan wrote in a post on X in Hindi. Jairam Ramesh under attack from ex-colleague Days after defecting to the BJP from Congress, Gourav Vallabh attacked Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh without naming him, saying people who have not even contested an election even for a class monitor are handling the party now. In an interview with news agency ANI Vallabh said he was talking about the same person after the interviewer took Rameshs name. When I joined the Congress, they had 42 MPs thinking that they would encourage new thoughts. For example, the Congress manifesto for the last 30 years has been made by the same person. Had that persons ideas been strong, the party would not have come to this situation, Vallabh said. Trinamool Congress leaders were detained on Monday for staging a 24-hour dharna outside the Election Commission office in the national capital, demanding the removal of the current chiefs of central agencies - Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Income Tax Department. TMC leaders detained (PTI) A 10-member delegation of the TMC including - Derek O'Brien, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose, MLA Vivek Gupta, former MPs Arpita Ghosh, Santanu Sen and Abir Ranjan Biswas, and party's students' wing West Bengal vice president Sudip Raha - staged the protest after meeting a full bench of the poll body to press their demand. In a video posted by news agency PTI, the TMC leaders can be seen taken away by the Delhi police in a van. They can be heard shouting slogans like: Modi hatao, desh bachao (Remove Modi, save country). According to the Mamata Banerjee-led party, they are raising the issue of BJP's misuse of NIA to wrongfully intimidate its party workers ahead of the general election. We shall not tolerate such unconstitutional attempts to harm the sanctity of our democracy and have pledged to stand together to take all necessary steps to put an end to such activities, TMC wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. TMC MP Dola Sen told the media: The BJP is misusing central agencies against us. The way NIA, ED, and CBI are working and targeting TMC leaders is shameful. We request the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties. The protest comes as TMC has been alleging that the central probe agencies have been targeting opposition parties at the behest of the BJP-led Centre. On Sunday, it alleged an unholy alliance between the BJP and NIA, a day after a team of the NIA was attacked by a mob in West Bengal's East Midnapore district. The attack took place as the probe agency arrested two accused - Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity - in a 2022 blast case at a TMC leader's house. However, the NIA has issued a statement, refuting all the allegations of mala fide in its actions and clarified that the attack was unprovoked. According to the NIA, the attack by the mob was an attempt to obstruct it from carrying out its lawful duties. In India, as in many democracies, there has long been a discernible gender gap in citizens political participation. For decades, Indian men were significantly more likely to vote on election day compared to women. It is noteworthy that in the 2019 general elections, the historic gap between male and female turnout disappeared. Predictions for Indias upcoming 2024 general elections suggest that this trend is likely to continue. Although the gap between male and female voter turnout in India has been gradually shrinking, the convergence in electoral participation is nevertheless surprising for multiple reasons. First, the increase in female turnout in India is occurring while female labour force participation an important driver of womens political participation remains low compared to peer economies. Second, national-level data from Lokniti-CSDS National Election Study (NES) and other smaller studies confirms that women lag men across all measures of non-electoral political engagement, such as contacting elected representatives, attending public meetings, and participating in campaign activities. Third, women continue to be underrepresented in Indias Parliament and its state assemblies. Therefore, the increase in female turnout in what remains a largely male-dominated political arena raises two important questions. Why is womens turnout rising? And what impact might this have on electoral dynamics as India heads into the 2024 general elections? Why is female voter turnout rising? The upward trend in female turnout in India is likely a result of several factors at both individual and institutional levels. The self-empowerment hypothesis posits that rising literacy levels and media exposure have increased awareness among women who, in turn, feel more empowered to exercise political agency. Utilising NES survey data, at least two studies found a positive correlation between womens turnout and factors such as political knowledge, literacy, and media exposure. Another study draws on official turnout data across state and national elections to argue that the shifting trend is due to greater voluntary participation of women voters. The self-empowerment hypothesis itself is nested within traditional resource-based theories of female participation in electoral and non-electoral forms of political engagement. These theories, originating in the West, argue that as women gain access to material resources thanks to expanded literacy, financial autonomy, and greater information availability they are likely to increase their political engagement. However, in India, this explanation is complicated by the fact that female turnout rose even as female labour force participation declined. Therefore, while the self-empowerment hypothesis is a good start, it cannot fully explain the dramatic rise in turnout. In contrast, many observers have argued that institutional factors better explain the rise in female turnout. In 2009, the Election Commission of India (ECI) inaugurated the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation programme. A key objective of the programme was to increase female turnout and close the voting gender gap. Although a systematic study of the programme has not been conducted, the upward trajectory in female turnout clearly begins in 2009. Although ECIs efforts have likely aided womens turnout, women remain underrepresented on the countrys electoral rolls. One way of assessing this is to calculate the electoral sex ratio (ESR), which is the ratio of female electors to male electors. While Indias national ESR of 948 women per 1,000 men is in line with the skewed adult sex ratio (943 women per 1,000 men), multiple constituencies report much lower ESRs, implying that many women remain missing from the registration process. Therefore, it is likely that both individual and institutional factors are jointly responsible for observed shifts in electoral participation. Disappearing gender gap in voter turnout. Political parties take notice Irrespective of the reasons for the surge in female turnout, political parties across the spectrum have made serious efforts to attract the female vote. For instance, some have argued that an important reason the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won an overwhelming majority in last years Madhya Pradesh assembly elections was the popularity of its Ladli Behna scheme, which promised a 1,000 cash hand-out to women. Similarly, the central government implemented schemes such as Ujjwala Yojana, which provides subsidised gas cylinders to women from poor households. Furthermore, in September 2023, Parliament passed a womens reservation bill, which mandated that one-third of legislative seats in state and national assemblies be reserved for women in the future. Regional parties have also enthusiastically wooed female voters. In 2006, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar increased gender quotas in local government bodies from 33% to 50%. Later, in a bid to improve female enrolment in secondary schools, Kumar introduced a scheme that granted female students who finished Class 8 2,000 to purchase bicycles. More famously, in 2016, Kumars government instituted a total prohibition on alcohol. Similar pro-women policies have been enacted in West Bengal, where chief minister Mamata Banerjee implemented a bicycle scheme for women and increased compensation for grassroots female government workers. It is notable that many of the schemes being touted as pro-women are premised on the idea of women as caregivers preoccupied by domestic responsibilities who supposedly need to be protected. While the causal relationship between women-centric welfare schemes and electoral success is not conclusive, it is clear that political parties are ramping up their outreach to female voters. Women enjoy greater autonomy over voting related political engagement. Unpacking female voter turnout The study of gender in politics in India is often limited to evaluating the gender imbalance in voting. While important, this scope is excessively narrow, for at least two reasons. First, political engagement predominantly occurs between elections and is marked by repeated contact with the state. Moreover, the dearth of granular data on female political engagement means it is difficult to generate larger insights on women as political actors and their underlying motivations. To overcome these limitations, I conducted two surveys of female citizens in rural Bihar to collect comprehensive data on contextually sensitive measures of female political engagement. The 2022 survey sampled 1,900 women in rural Bihar and collected data on female political engagement. The 2023 survey randomly sampled 642 women from the 2022 survey and collected additional data on their perceptions of barriers to female political engagement using a vignette experiment. Data from these surveys, combined with the 2009 and 2014 NES, reveal three key results on female electoral participation. Muted gatekeeping norms for voting-related engagement Restrictions on womens mobility and public presence, including their political engagement, are quite common within Indian households. In patriarchal contexts characterised by gender-biased norms, a womans own family members might restrict her presence in public spaces to uphold conservative norms. Therefore, in the presence of gatekeepers, women might exhibit lower levels of political engagement. In a face-to-face survey experiment in Bihar, respondents were shown a vignette about the household structure of a hypothetical woman living in their neighbourhood. The vignette randomly varied the household structure by modifying the presence of gatekeepers within this hypothetical womans household. Respondents were then asked to identify an individual within the household who was likely to engage in a randomly chosen political engagement activity, such as registering for a voter card, attending a village meeting related to a family dispute, or going to court for a hearing about the theft of a bike from a household. Averaging across all household scenarios with and without gatekeepers, other family members (such as a womans husband, her in-laws, or her teenage son) were nearly 25% more likely to be selected over the woman featured in the vignette to represent the household at a village meeting or in court. Interestingly, this finding did not extend to registering a voter card: women were 20% more likely than their gatekeepers to register themselves. This finding confirms that gatekeeping severely restricts the ability of women to participate in the political arena. But it also suggests that, compared to other forms of engagement, gatekeeping is less pronounced in the case of voting. This finding implies that gatekeeping norms have a relatively muted effect on electoral participation, compared to their strong effect on other forms of political engagement. Testing the extent of women's political knowledge. BJPs electoral symbol dominates the consciousness of female voters in rural Bihar As discussed earlier, parties across the political spectrum have pursued policies to attract female voters. The BJPs outreach has centered around mobilising women through norm-compliant strategies that focus on their care-related responsibilities. In particular, Narendra Modi has exalted himself as the provider for women and their welfare. Fieldwork in northern Bihar revealed that women who might not know the names of their mukhiya (village head) or state chief minister were readily able to identify Modi. The survey also included questions that attempted to systematically measure the extent of womens political knowledge. For example, one survey question asked women to name their state chief minister. Around 30% of respondents were able to correctly identify Nitish Kumar, but over 18% incorrectly named Modi as Bihar chief minister and a majority were unable to answer. The BJPs strategy of promoting Modi as the face of the party in both national and state elections is creating a widely-held perception that the PM is the key political figure at both the federal and sub-national levels. The BJPs dominance over political discourse was further solidified when female respondents were asked to identify the party in power in Bihar and only 1.6% of respondents correctly identified the JD(U)-BJP coalition. However, almost 35% of respondents identified only the BJP (or kamal) as the primary party in power. Despite the JD(U) being the party of the state CM, fewer than 2% respondents correctly identified it as the primary party in power. While these results might not directly answer whether the BJP is disproportionately benefiting from women-centric welfare policies, they signal that the BJPs visibility far surpasses that of other local parties active in the state. Heterogeneity in womens voting decisions While the growth in female turnout is a welcome development, women exercise much less agency than men when it comes to their vote choice. The NES survey asks voters to name who had the most influence on their voting decision. In both 2009 and 2014, roughly 55% of women on average reported making the decision themselves compared to 70% of men. Men were more likely to rely on a mix of family and other network members. In contrast, women who typically have smaller social networks relied more heavily on household members, particularly their spouses, to make this decision. Women exhibit less autonomy over voting decisions. Looking ahead at the 2024 elections Female voters have become a formidable force in Indian elections. Now more than ever, political parties have made women a central preoccupation of both their electoral campaigns as well as their governing strategies once in office. However, the euphoria over female turnout must be placed within a broader social context. Despite rising female voter participation, the number of female candidates fielded by major parties in this years elections remains low. In 2019, female candidates made up less than one-tenth (8.9%) of the overall candidate pool a record high, but still paltry. Moreover, the rise in female turnout is occurring alongside an underwhelming female labour force participation rate and a persistent gender gap in many forms of political engagement. According to my own survey data, when asked about the key issues facing their village, women identified the dearth of employment opportunities almost as often as the need for clean drinking water a well-known female-centric public good. Therefore, parties discourse on women is excessively one-dimensional. It views women as caregivers and individuals who must be provided for. This not only entrenches patriarchal thinking, but it also fails to create a separate identity for women outside the household. For women to participate as equal citizens in society, strategies to improve womens voter turnout must also be accompanied by consistent efforts to improve female autonomy across social, political, and economic arenas. Rithika Kumar is a postdoctoral fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Beginning in fall 2024, she will be an assistant professor of political science at Rice University. In the weeks ahead, the Carnegie-HT India Elects 2024 series will analyse various dimensions of Indias upcoming election battle. Keep up to date with the project here. The sacred Kapilavastu relics of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni, discovered during the British rule in India during the famous Piprahwa excavations, reached Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh all the way from Sri Lanka to be presented to the Dalai Lama at his residence in McLeodganj. The relics, which carry significance for Buddhists worldwide, were offered to the Tibetan spiritual leader by Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayaka Thero from the Raja Guru Shri Subuti Mahavihara Monastery in Sri Lanka, who serves as the custodian of the Kapilavastu relics. The Sri Subhuthi Maha Viharaya, a Buddhist temple in Waskaduwa, Sri Lanka houses 21 relics of the Lord Buddha. Following the Buddhas passing away and the cremation of his mortal remains the relics that remained, fragments of bones and teeth, were divided among eight kingdoms and stupas were erected over them in Allakappa, Kapilavastu, Kushinagar, Pava, Rajagriha, Ramagrama, Vaishali, and Vethapida. During excavations at Piprahwa, which is identified with Kapilavastu, relics of the Buddha were discovered that had been enshrined by Shakyan relatives in Kapilavastu. British civil engineer William Peppe, who began an excavation of a mound near Piprahwa village in UPs Siddharthnagar district in 1897, gifted the relics to the Sri Lankan monk Waskaduwe Sri Subhuthi Mahanayake Thero (1835-1917) the following year. These were enshrined in Piprahwa by the Shakyan relatives of Buddha in Kapilavastu. Subhuthi Nayaka Thero brought 21 bone relics of Buddha to Sri Lanka after they were discovered during the excavation works carried out in Piprahwa stupa by Peppe. The monk demonstrated that the relics attributed to Buddha were indeed the authentic and original objects of veneration inscriptions preserved alongside the relic in a casket also authenticated them. Piprahwa is best known for its archaeological site and excavations that suggest that it may have been the burial place of the portion of the Buddhas ashes that were given to his own Sakya clan, the Siddharthnagar administrations website states. Some scholars have suggested that modern-day Piprahwa-Ganwaria was the site of the ancient city of Kapilavastu, the capital of the Shakya kingdom, where Siddhartha Gautama spent the first 29 years of his life, it adds. Dr Damenda Porage, founder president of the Sri Lanka-Tibetan Buddhist Brotherhood in Sri Lanka, approached me back in 2017 with the idea of presenting a Kapilavastu relic to the Dalai Lama. After six years of planning and preparation, we have finally been able to fulfil this request, the head priest of the temple said. During Ling Rinpoche's inaugural visit to Sri Lanka in 2022, I conveyed my earnest desire to make this offering and sought His Eminence's guidance on liaising with the office of His Holiness and organising the event. His Eminence graciously accepted my request and offered his invaluable assistance, he added. He added, It is with the utmost joy and a deep sense of fulfilment that I announce this long-awaited and cherished occasion today. After many years of unwavering effort and a profound desire, our wish to offer this precious relic of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha to the 14th Dalai Lama is finally fulfilled, he said. France is working on a new law to better regulate fast-fashion companies. Experts and activists welcome the measure although some would have preferred a different method. France's fast-fashion bill was voted through unanimously in the lower house of Parliament recently, creating a rare consensus in the National Assembly, where the government lacks an absolute majority and often faces stiff opposition. Fast fashion has come under scrutiny for its massive environmental costs.(java) But that unanimity doesn't mean everybody welcomes the government's method. The new rules will affect companies that roll out a certain minimum number of products per day a threshold to be defined later on by decree. The government is targeting fast-fashion giants like manufacturer Shein and online platform Temu, both based in China. Such companies will have to post clearly visible messages on their websites indicating their products' environmental impact and inciting customers to recycle items or else face fines of up to 15,000 ($16,160). A new eco-point system will evaluate fashion companies. Those that perform poorly will have to pay a levy of initially 5 and then, by 2030, up to 10 per item. And the government will ban publicity for fast-fashion companies and their products from 2025. Infringing that law will carry penalties of up to 100,000. The bill still needs to be greenlighted by France's Senate and could come into effect over the coming months. 'We have won a cultural battle' However, for Julia Faure, fashion designer and president of the group En Mode Climat which includes roughly 600 companies that produce fashion in a sustainable way, the draft law is already great news. "We have won a cultural battle, as fast fashion is an environmental, social and cultural disaster that wipes out everything but the luxury sector in the market, just like a huge juggernaut," she told DW. Faure thinks the government is sending the right signal when fashion made of cotton and produced locally gets a good eco-score while products manufactured far away and from synthetic fabrics are badly marked. "And yet, we need to stay alert and make sure the threshold through which fast-fashion companies are defined is not set too high," she added. But Philippe Moati thinks that this threshold shouldn't be too low, so as to make sure it doesn't include French brands. He's a professor of economics at Paris Cite University and the founder of Paris-based market research company ObSoCo. The right method? And he disagrees with the government's method. "The draft law stigmatizes these brands' clients who, according to a study we are conducting, are the less educated and less well off. It's important for them to be able to afford fashion to feel they are part of society," he told DW. The economist estimates that what he calls "ultra-fast fashion" makes up for about 3% of France's fashion market exact figures don't exist. Moati advocates that fast-fashion businesses should be regulated more strictly, but with existing tools. "The government should implement French laws such as the two-year guarantee for fashion items, the ban on selling under-cost and the obligation to calculate discounts using realistic reference prices," Moati noted. "Plus, we should levy import duties on all textile imports not just those costing at least 150 as right now," the expert urged, adding that ultra-fast fashion did have the upside that it produced a very small series of products which also meant there were practically no unsold items. Shein, Temu, Zara and H&M either declined or failed to answer requests for interviews with DW. France could lead the way Gildas Minvielle, director of the Economic Observatory at Paris-based fashion school Institut Francais de la Mode, thinks time will tell if the government's approach is the right one. "This is uncharted territory we need to test what works and what doesn't," he told DW. "In any case, though, it's crucial to remind consumers of fast fashion's devastating impact on the environment." For him, the unanimous vote in parliament shows French politicians have understood there's urgency for action. "The draft law is a reaction to the deep crisis which the pret-a-porter sector [designer clothes sold ready-to-wear] has been going through since 2022 with numerous brands filing for bankruptcy," he said. "France, the home of fashion, could now lead the way. These rules should be widened out to the whole of Europe as the fashion market is a European one," he said. There were some dissenting voices in the National Assembly such as Antoine Vermorel-Marques, a parliamentarian in the department of Loire in central France for the conservative party Les Republicains. "Fashion companies in my home county used to employ around 10,000 people in the 1980s, but that number has gone down to 2,000 after they outsourced production to Asia," he told DW. "Only recently they started to re-hire workers, as there's a trend to buy more locally produced items. Fast fashion has now created new downward pressure on costs we need to take countermeasures," said Vermorel-Marques. And yet, the politician doesn't welcome all the paragraphs of the draft bill. "The ban on publicity will stymie the market instead of regulating it. We should just focus on the eco-point system that'll allow us to take into account negative externalities, i.e. have companies pay for their products' negative environmental and social impact," he underlined. 'More measures needed' for climate targets But Pierre Condamine, spokesman of the group Stop Fast Fashion which includes several NGOs fighting for the protection of the environment, thinks the new rules don't go far enough. "The threshold defining fast fashion should be directly enshrined in the bill and be low enough to also encompass French companies such as sporting goods retailer Decathlon," he told DW. "Companies should also have to pay a minimum levy if they get a negative eco-score, something that's so far not included in the plans." He added that fast-fashion companies should have the obligation to publish their sales figures for France. "That's the only way we can actually understand what we are facing and try to work towards fulfilling the Paris Climate Agreement," Condamine stated, urging French citizens to buy "not more than five new fashion items per year and not 50 like it's currently the case." Chaitra Navratri 2024: The auspicious 9-day festival of Chaitra Navratri is just around the corner and we can't wait to celebrate this vibrant festival. The nine-day festival begins with Ghatasthapana and ends with Rama Navami, the day of Lord Rama's birth. Although there are four Navratris in a year, the Hindu lunar year begins on the first day of the month of Chaitra, which is celebrated as Chaitra Navratri. This year's celebrations will begin on 9 April 2024 and last until 17 April. During these nine days, Hindu devotees honour Maa Durga and her nine incarnations, which are Maa Shailputri, Maa Brahmacharini, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Kushmanda, Skanda Mata, Maa Katyayani, Maa Kaalratri, Maa Mahagauri and Maa Siddhidatri. (Also read: Chaitra Navratri 2024 fashion: 9 trendy celeb-inspired saree outfits for each day of the festival ) Chaitra Navratri 2024 colours: From fiery red of the first day to tranquil sky blue of the ninth, each day of Chaitra Navratri is associated with a specific colour representing one of the nine forms of Goddess Durga.(HT photo) Chaitra Navratri day-wise colours and significance During the nine days of Navratri, Hindu devotees believe that each of the nine forms of Goddess Durga is associated with a particular colour that symbolises good fortune. To honour this significance, participants in the festivities typically wear clothes of the particular colour associated with each day. Check out the day-wise colours and their significance. Day 1: Red Maa Shailputri is worshipped on the first day. Wear red on this day to commemorate Navratri. Apart from being the most popular shade of chunri offered to the goddess, red represents love and passion. The person wearing this colour is considered to be more energetic and vibrant. Day 2: Royal Blue The celestial aura of Goddess Brahmacharini, who dispels ignorance and darkness and leads her devotees to enlightenment, is reflected in royal blue. On Wednesday, wear royal blue to participate in the Navratri festivities with unmatched style and grace. Royal blue is a striking shade of blue that represents contentment and prosperity. Day 3: Yellow Wear yellow attire and pay homage to Maa Chandraghanta, the goddess of tranquillity and peace, to mark the third day of Navratri. The person feels happy all day with an incomparable sense of optimism and excitement when they wear yellow. Warm colours like this make people happy all day long. Day 4: Green The colour green symbolises nature and evokes a sense of growth, fertility, peace and serenity. Wear green on Friday and let the Goddess Kushmanda grant you tranquillity. Green is also the colour of new beginnings in life. Day 5: Grey Goddess Skandamata is worshipped on this day and the colour grey is associated with the day, representing balanced emotions and keeping the person grounded. For those individuals who want to wear a mildly undertone look while taking part in the celebrations of Navratri, this is also the right colour to wear. Day 6: Orange Worshipping Goddess Katyayani wearing orange colour on Sunday imparts qualities like warmth and exuberance to the person. This colour is full of positive energy and keeps the person cheerful. Day 7: White The colour white is synonymous with purity and innocence. Wear white colour on Monday to become worthy of Goddess Kalaratri's blessings and experience a feeling of inner peace and security. Day 8: Pink Wear pink colour on this day of Navratri celebrations to worship Maa Mahagauri. The colour pink represents peace, love, and care for all. This lovely colour gives a person a really charming and approachable appearance while also adding a lot of charm to their personality. Day 9: Sky Blue On the last day of Chitra Navratri, wear sky blue as it is directly associated with the sky and symbolises the vastness and unbounded nature. On the second Wednesday of Navratri, wear this colour to broaden your perspectives and horizons. Summary During the total solar eclipse tonight, the sun will briefly get completely cloaked by the moon and will be aligned with the Earth in a straight line, leading to darkness during the daytime in several countries, as the moon will block the sun completely and a result of this, the sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon to mark the end of Ramadan 2024 and beginning of Eid-ul-Fitr may be delayed until April 09, 2024. The sun will remain cloaked for a total of four minutes, during which its enigmatic outer layer will be illuminated. Since the Middle East, USA, UK, Canada etc started fasting on March 11, 2024, the Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia had called on all Muslims throughout the Kingdom to sight the new crescent moon on the evening of Monday, Ramadan 29, 1445 Hijri, corresponding to April 8, 2024, that would mark the end of Ramadan and the onset of the month of Shawwal. The Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted by the Muslims in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, Iran and other countries in the Middle East on April 8 evening, after breaking the Ramadan fast at maghrib or evening payers hence, chand raat there will be on Tuesday, April 09 and the day of Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated the next day i.e. on April 10, 2024, indicating that Muslims will observe a 30-day fast this Ramadan instead of 29 days. Happy Gudi Padwa 2024: This is that time of the year when New Year starts for a lot of people. Known by different names, many parts of the country celebrate the start of a fresh year during this time. In West Bengal, this time is celebrated as Poila Boishak, while Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka celebrate Ugadi during this time. Gudi Padwa is observed in Maharashtra. During this time, people decorate their homes and deck up in new clothes. Gudi Padwa is the Marathi New Year and is celebrated with a whole lot of pomp and grandeur. Gudi Padwa marks the start of the harvest season. Gudi Padwa is the Marathi New Year. ALSO READ: Gudi Padwa 2024: When is Gudi Padwa? Date, history, significance, celebration & all you need to know about the festival After the cold harsh winters, spring is marked by festivities. Gudi Padwa reinstates in us the beauty of beginnings. This year, Gudi Padwa will be celebrated on April 9. AS we gear up to celebrate the special day, we have curated a list of messages and images that you can share with your loved ones and let them know that you are thinking of them. Gudi Padwa wishes to share with loved ones Gudi Padwa marks the end of harsh winters and the start of spring. May the beauty of spring and blossom find a way to your life as well. Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. - Edward Everett Hale Gudi Padwa will be celebrated on April 9. Happy Gudi Padwa to you and your family. May your year be filled with love and prosperity. There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory. - Francis Drake Gudi Padwa marks the start of the harvest season. Remember tonight... for it is the beginning of always. - Dante Alighieri Gudi Padwa is the start of the New Year. It is observed in Maharashtra. This Gudi Padwa, may you be blessed with good news, togetherness of your loved ones and good fortune. The beginning is always today. - Mary Wollstonecraft Puran Poli and Shrikhand are relished with loved ones on Gudi Padwa. There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning. - Louis L'Amour People make beautiful rangoli designs on Gudi Padwa. Happy Gudi Padwa from me and mine to you and yours. May this year be filled with happiness for you and your near and dear ones. Ugadi, also known as Yugadi, is made up of two different words: adi (new beginning) and yug (era). This means that Yugadi literally means 'new beginning' and is observed as the Hindu New Year. It is considered the first day of the Hindu calendar, as Hindus believe it to be the day when Brahma created the universe. This year, the auspicious festival will be celebrated with much pomp and enthusiasm on Tuesday, April 9. It holds special significance for the people of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, while those in Maharashtra and Goa celebrate it as Gudi Padwa and the rest of the states as Chaitra Navratri. Ugadi is a traditional festival celebrated primarily by people in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra in India.(HT photo) In Hindu mythology, Ugadi, also known as Chaitra Navratri, is celebrated as a nine-day festival honouring the nine forms of Durga. It is thought that Brahma began the creation of the universe on this day, and this marks the beginning of the creation of mankind. If you are your family are celebrating Ugadi then here are some special wishes, messages, greetings and images to share with your loved ones on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. (Also read: Ugadi 2024: Date, history, significance, celebrations and everything that you want to know ) Ugadi 2024 wishes, images, messages and greetings May this year clear all darkness from your path and help you attain success. Happy Ugadi. May this Ugadi fill your life with happiness, prosperity, and success. Happy Ugadi! Ugadi is the start of a new year.(HT photo) May this Ugadi mark the beginning of a new chapter filled with positivity and success for you. Happy Ugadi! Wishing you a joyous and blessed Ugadi! May the new year bring you endless opportunities and abundant joy. Ugadi is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa.(HT photo) May the vibrant colors of Ugadi fill your life with brightness and positivity. Wishing you a Happy Ugadi! On this auspicious occasion of Ugadi, may your life be filled with laughter, love, and new beginnings. Happy Ugadi Ugadi will be celebrated on April 9.(HT photo) On this auspicious occasion of Ugadi, may your dreams blossom and your goals be fulfilled. Happy Ugadi! May the divine blessings of the new year bring you peace, prosperity, and good fortune. Happy Ugadi Pachadi is the quintessential dish of Ugadi.(HT photo) Here's to a Ugadi filled with the melody of laughter, the rhythm of joy, and the harmony of love. As you celebrate Ugadi, may your heart be filled with contentment and your home with abundance. Happy Ugadi! Happy Ugadi to everyone.(HT photo) May the spirit of Ugadi infuse your heart with optimism, your soul with serenity, and your life with fulfillment. May this Ugadi bring you closer to your dreams and inspire you to reach new heights. Happy Ugadi! Wishing you a Ugadi filled with laughter, prosperity, and blessings(HT photo) May the sunlight of Ugadi dispel the darkness of the past and illuminate the path to a brighter future. Cities are growing rapidly in Africa, but many countries lack effective technologies to measure the associated air pollution. Experts are finding new ways to track air quality in hopes of reducing health risks. Heavy air pollution in places such as South Africa leads to premature deaths (DW) Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, vibrates with the hum of engines. Exhaust from cars and factories mingles with the smoke from burning garbage and envelops the city in a gray smog. "With urbanization and economic development, there is more pollution of air in urban areas, which exposes people to diseases that are linked to this polluted air," Felix Assah, a member of the population health research group at the University of Yaounde, told DW. Such diseases include cardiovascular and respiratory ailments, along with cancer. ALSO READ: Heres how air pollution harms our bodies Experts and organizations working for cleaner air in Africa recently met in Yaounde to discuss how they can cooperate to monitor air quality using sensor technology. Innovative technology Until now, measurement has been costly, but there have been advances, said Deo Okure, an air quality scientist at Kenya's Makerere University. Together with fellow researchers, Okure developed a local air monitoring system in 2015 that is cheap but effective. One advantage is that the system can be operated with different energy sources, Okure said. "At the same time," he said, "instead of requiring Wi-Fi, we are able to transmit data through the GSM or the SIM card that is used in all parts of Africa." Although the technology provides important data, it is insufficient, Okure said, because it cannot yet clearly identify the sources of air pollution. In Yaounde, another project has installed devices that monitor air quality in real time. Despite technological limitations, Ashu Ngono Stephanie, from Cameroon's National Meteorological Department, expects that this will make it easier to keep an eye on dust. "Having measuring devices on site is very valuable because we will be able to follow exactly what is happening on time as it concerns the different dust concentrations in the atmosphere," she said. Yaounde is the 10th African city to use this technology to monitor air quality, with more than 200 monitoring devices installed across the continent. The data also serve as a basis for political decisions to reduce pollution. Overpolluted and underrepresented Some organizations warn that the measurement capacities are lagging behind urbanization. Africa is underrepresented in studies because data is either inadequate or not collected at all. This is also the case with the World Air Quality Report by the Swiss technology company IQAir, which specializes in developing air quality monitoring and air purification products. The report includes data from measuring stations in 134 countries and regions in 2023. But 34% of Africa's population is not represented in the report because of a lack of publicly available data on air quality, the authors say. Countries such as Chad and Sudan were not included at all. The report refers to PM2.5 values, or fine dust particles that are no larger than 2.5 micrometers in diameter roughly equivalent to the thickness of cobwebs. The World Health Organization recommends that these particles should not exceed an average of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air per year. The most polluted cities in Africa exceed this value by a factor of eight to 11, the report found. These include such capital cities as Kinshasa,Democratic Republic of Congo; Cairo, Egypt; Abuja.Nigeria; and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso). Two South African cities topped the list: the capital, Bloemfontein, and the coal-mining town of Benoni. Data sparks change Another new report by the international environmental protection organization Greenpeace found that Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa are the most polluted countries in Africa when it comes to the industrial and economic sectors, including the fossil fuel industry. Data from satellites and even fuel sales in the individual countries made it possible to investigate the source of emissions. "We found out that satellites monitoring air pollution regularly find emission hotspots that align with thermal power plants, cement plants, metal smelters, industrial zones and urban areas," Cynthia Moyo, climate and energy campaign manager at Greenpeace Africa in Johannesburg, told DW. "Six of the 10 largest nitrogen dioxide emission hotspots in the world and two of the 10 largest sulphur dioxide emission hotspots are here in South Africa." Areas such as Mpumalanga, in the east of the country, where burning coal to generate electricity is a major industry, stand out in particular, Moyo said. Eskom, a public utility whose sole shareholder is the South African government, operates many of South Africa's most polluting power plants, according to Greenpeace. Moyo finds it alarming that none of these conclusions are new. The air pollution crisis in Africa is well-documented, she said, yet there is still a lack of investment in clean energy. "When people have data, they have a voice to demand change," she said. "We need proper environmental monitoring to hold our governments and polluters to account and to help people to live healthy and long lives." Many holy places across the world earn a good amount of money from spiritual tourism every year. However, Bodh Gaya, a place of equal spiritual importance for Buddhists, is unable to attract as many tourists as it should be. The Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. It is believed to be the place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment, making it highly significant for Buddhists worldwide. Bodh Gaya struggles to attract as many tourists as other holy places despite its significance for Buddhists worldwide.(HT photo) As a result, there is a high demand for infrastructure development and improvements in the Mahabodhi corridor to accommodate the large number of pilgrims and tourists who visit the site every year. While talking to ANI, Suresh Singh, President of the Travel Association in Bodh Gaya said, "Bodh Gaya is completely dependent on tourists and these tourists are religious; they have faith. We have been demanding for a long time that a Buddhist corridor should be built for the tourists who come to Bodh Gaya but we are not able to move it. The government should focus on it." "Every Buddhist in 27 or 28 countries in the world wants to come here. We have put our point in front of the government that it should be developed in such a way that tourists come to Bodh Gaya throughout the year but flights stop after March. We will have to tell them that you can come here throughout the year; It has all the facilities," he added. Further, Suresh Singh said that the government should make such arrangements that there should be a special train from Banaras to Gaya so that tourists can easily come here. "I demanded from the government that, just like there is CMCH in the South, a Buddhist medical college should be opened in Gaya. Those who have religious sentiments attached to Buddhism will come for treatment. If tourists come, Gaya will benefit. The government should pay some attention. Bodh Gaya gives the most foreign exchange in Bihar," he said. Sudama Kumar, General Secretary of the Hotel Association, said that Bodh Gaya Corridor is a genuine demand for tourists. "You can see the corridor in Varanasi, which has changed the whole system. Many more tourist spots could be developed, but it did not happen. Bodh Gaya comes especially as a heritage site but its development has not been consistent. Such as the Niranjana river in our Bodhgaya. Continuous sand is being removed, which has reduced the water level of the river. We appeal to the Bihar government to at least do something for holy rivers like Niranjana," he said. While talking to ANI, one of the Buddhist monks said that there is a lack of hospital facilities in Bodhgaya and that a world-class hospital should be built here. Whats in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. goes the line in William Shakespeares play, Romeo and Juliet. But apparently, China does not think so, and it recently embarked on yet another exercise to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, bringing to the fore again the question of the unresolved border. The armies of India and China have been locked in a standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for around four years following the violent clashes in 2020. During this period, China has also attempted to change the status quo in other places along the LAC. The renaming comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Arunachal Pradesh last month to inaugurate the Sela Tunnel that will secure connectivity to Tawang. In 1962, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in Tawang, and yet again in December 2022, the Peoples Liberation Army made an unsuccessful bid to change the status quo in Tawang. The Sela Tunnel is a force multiplier for the Indian Army since it will improve its ability to move soldiers and armaments quickly to the India-China border. Beijing recently released a map showing Arunachal Pradesh within China, terming it as Zangnan. While asserting territorial claims, China has put roadblocks in the path of sportspersons from Arunachal with respect to their participation in the Asian Games and World University Games, which Beijing hosted in 2023. China is reportedly settling its citizens in the villages that it has constructed along the LAC. Back to the renaming row, Arunachal is being sucked into a vortex of Chinas larger aims with respect to religion, identity, and geopolitical contestation with India. In addition to Tawangs strategic importance, it has a special place in Tibetan Buddhism, being the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama. China has been trying to consolidate its hold on Tibet since its annexation in the 1950s. Tibets capital, Lhasa, has been rocked by unrest in 1989 and 2008. There have been waves of immolations by Tibetan clergy and activists to protest Chinas policies. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Tibet in 2021, making it the first visit to the region by a head of State in nearly 30 years. During the trip, he visited the newly constructed railway station at Nyingchi close to the Arunachal border Nyingchi has been linked to Lhasa via a high-speed train line. In the Xi era, efforts to sinicise the province where the current Dalai Lama is a revered figure have gathered momentum. Those advocating for the preservation of Tibetan language and culture have been prosecuted on charges of separatism. There have been efforts by the Chinese State to assert greater control over organised religion across China, particularly in Tibet. Senior officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) have emphasised the need to build a politically dependable religious class who bear affection for their nation and religion. In Tibet, the CPC has sought to discredit the institution of the Dalai Lama, dubbing the current temporal head as a separatist. It has also asserted control of Buddhist monasteries and sought to game the reincarnation process. For example, the 11th Panchen Lama, who was barely six years old when he was endorsed in the 1990s, went missing, following which Beijing propped up its own nominee for the important position in Tibetan Buddhism. Beijing has stepped up efforts to erase Tibets independent identity by trying to popularise its Mandarin nomenclature Xizang. In October 2023, China hosted the Xizang Trans-Himalayan Forum for International Cooperation which was attended by foreign delegates. Shortly after this gala, it released a white paper themed on Xizangs governance. India can ill afford to neglect this name game and map fare as cartographic warfare is followed by the real McCoy. The timing chosen by China to resuscitate the boundary dispute is important. It hopes that the border row may find resonance in the public debate ahead of the 2024 general election and thereby put the government on the back foot as the Opposition parties would demand pushback from the government. Chinese actions are a reminder that even as we enter a two-month-long election season, Beijing is unlikely to stay quiet. The challenge from China will continue to manifest in different guises. Harsh V Pant is vice president for studies and foreign policy at Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi and Kalpit Mankikar is fellow, China Studies, at ORF. The views expressed are personal A total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of North America on April 8, when the Moon will pass directly between the Sun and the Earth, causing a complete blockage of light for a few minutes. However, it comes as a surprise that India's Aditya L1 won't be able to witness this total solar eclipse. A graphic representation of ISROs Aditya L1 mission. The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Aditya L1 mission is the country's first solar-based mission, and is constantly studying the Sun. While Aditya L1 constantly monitors the star using its six tools, it won't be able to witness the rare total solar eclipse. The reason behind this is not because of any mistake or malfunction in Aditya L1, but actually due to its positioning on the orbit. The solar probe has been strategically placed 1.5 million km from Earth in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) between the Earth and the Sun. "Aditya L1 spacecraft will not see the solar eclipse as the Moon is behind the spacecraft, at the Lagrange Point 1 (L1 point), the eclipse that is visible on Earth doesn't have much significance at that location," ISRO chairman S Somanath told NDTV. This means that due to its position, it has an uninterrupted 24x7, 365-day view of the Sun. Aditya L1 has been placed so that its view of the Sun is never interrupted by any eclipse or space phenomena, which is why it won't be able to catch a glimpse of the total solar eclipse tonight. Read more: Isro successfully conducts 2nd landing test of Pushpak in Karnataka The total solar eclipse will only be visible from some countries in North America, and won't be visible from India. The rare eclipse, however, can be viewed through multiple live streams on YouTube and social media. NASA will commence its live stream of the eclipse at 10:30 pm IST on its social media handles. Total solar eclipse in US, Canada today A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is completely between the Sun and the Earth, obstructing the view of the Sun from the planet. The corona (outer layer) of the Sun will also be visible from the Earth momentarily, shining bright while the moon blocks the star. The corona of the Sun, usually, is not visible from the Earth. The solar eclipse will only be visible from certain countries in North America, such as the United States, Mexico and Canada. It will be visible from major cities such as Buffalo, Dallas, Cleveland, Lancaster and Little Rock. India's solar probe Aditya L1 will track the behaviour and rays of the Sun on Monday, April 8, during the total solar eclipse. During this time, the Sun will briefly get completely cloaked by the Moon, creating a moment of complete darkness in several countries. A graphic representation of ISROs Aditya L1 mission. During the total solar eclipse on April 8, the Sun, Moon and the Earth will align in a straight line, leading to darkness during the daytime as the Moon will block the Sun completely. The Sun will remain cloaked for a total of four minutes, during which its enigmatic outer layer will be illuminated. Aditya L1, which is the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) maiden solar mission, is in a position to track the Sun during the total solar eclipse. This will help the ISRO further study the chromosphere and corona of the star. Read more: Isro successfully conducts 2nd landing test of Pushpak in Karnataka Aditya-L1 reached the Lagrange Point 1 (L1 point) earlier this year on January 6, four months after it was launched. The mission is loaded with six instruments as it tracks and observes the Sun from the Lagrange Point, which is 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth. Aditya L1 will use two of its six instruments to track the Sun during the solar eclipse. These two instruments are the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) and the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT). During this eclipse, the corona (outer layer) of the Sun will be briefly visible from Earth as the moon blocks the star. The corona, otherwise, is not visible from the Earth. The Aditya L1 mission aims to deepen our understanding of the impact of solar phenomena, including the solar corona and photosphere. It also studies the impact of the solar winds and related radiations. Total solar eclipse on April 8 The total solar eclipse will happen when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The areas located in the middle of the moon's shadow will experience a moment of complete darkness during the daytime. During this time, the Sun's corona will be briefly visible from Earth. The total eclipse will be visible from parts of North America, including Mexico, the United States and Canada. The major cities from where it will be visible are Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo and Burlington. The first solar eclipse of 2024 will not be visible from India. Anant Ambani, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani's youngest son, was recently seen shopping in Dubai. He turned up at the famous Dubai Mall in a stunning orange Rolls Royce Cullinan Black Badge with heavy security around him. As he stepped towards the luxurious vehicle, bystanders couldn't help but stop and admire the car. However, have you ever wondered how much this Rolls Royce Cullinan Black Badge is priced? The luxury car is priced at 6.95 crore. (Also Read: Anant Ambani spotted shopping at Dubai Mall, arrived in Rolls Royce Cullinan with 20 security SUVs. Watch) Anant Ambani walking towards his Rolls Royce in Dubai. (Instagram/@Ali Muntazir Khan) Take a look at Anant Ambani's Roll Royce here: The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is available in a single petrol type. The transmission is automatic. 6.6 km/l is the average stated mileage for this five-seater car, depending on the fuel type and driving circumstances. The Cullinan has a wheelbase of 3,295 mm and dimensions of 5,341 mm in length and 2,000 mm in width. In the Indian market, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a five-seat variant, is classified as an SUV. (Also Read: 5 best moments from Anant Ambani, Radhika Merchant's star-studded Jamnagar bash) More about Anant Ambani's car collection: The Ambani family is one of India's wealthiest families and has an opulent car collection. More often than not, members of the Ambani family are seen going around cities in luxury cars that make head turns. According to English Jagran, Anant Ambani owns a Bentley Bentayga, Bentley Continental GP Flying Spur, Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Cullinan, Ferrari SF-90, and Mercedes Maybach S660-Guard. This isn't the first time that one of Anant Ambani's possessions has impressed people. During the pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan were surprised after seeing one of Anant's watches. Impressed with his high-end watch, the couple couldn't hold back their thoughts. Chan told him, "This watch is fantastic, that is so cool," to which Zuckerberg agreed. When booking a cab, many of us tend to check both Ola and Uber in order to save time and money. And if we are in a hurry, we often choose the ride that arrives first. Recently, a man booked a cab on both ride-hailing apps and was flabbergasted to find that he got the same driver for both rides. The man shared this incident on social media, and it has since received a lot of attention, with many people praising the cab driver for being a true hustler. The screenshot was shared by the X user, who got the same driver arriving in his White Tyoto Etios to pick him up.(X/@shek_dev) Got the same ride on both Ola and Uber. Hows this even possible? reads the caption to the post shared on X. The screenshot displays the booking screen of both Ola and Uber, where the driver Ananda S can be seen arriving in his White Tyoto Etios to pick up the customer. Take a look at the post right here: The post was shared on April 4 on X. It has since then accumulated more than 1.8 lakh views. Many even took to the comments section of the post to share their thoughts. Check out how people reacted to the post: "Double spending; blockchains solve this problem!" posted an individual. Another added, "True hustler." "Driver also has both apps! What's the impossibility here?" shared a third. A fourth expressed, "The driver enabled both Ola Cabs and Uber. But why did he accept both rides." "It happens a lot. They also end up cancelling the Uber ride as Ola pays more (maybe since Ola is comparatively costlier)," wrote a fifth. A sixth joined, "Most of the drivers use multiple apps for booking. Whichever app picks the ride will stick to it." Bandung, There are risks with making cohabitation illegal, so striking a balance is essential. HT Image When Indonesia announced a new law that meant unmarried couples who choose to live together could face jail time, it sparked a media frenzy around the world. The UN called the law a threat to human rights. There were concerns foreign tourists could be arrested and imprisoned newspapers in Australia shouted about a Bali bonk ban though officials were quick to allay those fears. Under the revised code, which legislators said would uphold Indonesian values, police could only act if family members or spouses made a complaint about a couple. For one political candidate in South Sumatra, however, it was complaints from neighbours that landed him and his partner in trouble. Instead of contacting police, residents took the law into their own hands. The man claimed he already performed siri but this was deemed invalid because he did not use a legal marriage guardian. While the case was settled amicably, it highlighted one of the problems surrounding cohabitation in Indonesia. From local culture and values, cohabitation is also known as kumpul kebo . Indonesias Civil Code does not specifically regulate the prohibition of cohabitation. But it is considered a crime under the Criminal Code. The challenge for Indonesia is striking a balance between Indonesian values and the rights of private citizens. After the initial reaction to the new code, Indonesias Minister of Law and Human Rights responded that police could only act if there was a complaint from parents or a spouse. So, for foreigners, as long as there is no complaint, the authorities cannot act. The danger, of course, is an increase in unjustified police and vigilante raids targeting family members based solely on suspicion. It may also embolden abusive family members to falsely accuse domestic violence survivors of crimes. Criminalising the act of living together also violates people's privacy, which is protected by international human rights law such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights , which Indonesia is obligated to uphold. There are opinions that issues of decency should not be regulated by the state. Many assert that the state has entered the realm of private life. The "interest" of cohabitation intervention by the Indonesian state in this case is based on the first principle of "God Almighty" in its states ideology as a sign that Indonesians hold religious principles. Many religions do not allow adultery for married or unmarried couples. The separation of private life is a challenge for countries that recognise the principle of divinity such as Indonesia. Indeed, there are many challenges in implementing this cohabitation rule in Indonesia. As a country that holds the principle of religious diversity, cohabitation does need to be regulated specifically. In designing a law or formulating a rule of law, it must lead to the formation of rules that can accommodate the needs of the times. But it must also fulfil a sense of justice for the community in the long term by looking at the cultural and philosophical aspects of the nation. GRS GRS This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Tensions between Elon Musk and Brazil escalated on Sunday when a Supreme Court judge initiated an inquiry into the billionaire's actions following Musk's announcement that he would reinstate accounts on the social media platform X, despite the judge's prior orders to block them. X owner Elon Musk(REUTERS) Shortly after Musk initially criticised Judge Alexandre de Moraes, Brazil's Attorney General Jorge Messias urged urgent regulation of social networks. According to news agency AFP, Judge Moraes accused the owner of X of criminal instrumentalisation of the platform in the document. Judge Moraes said, The social network X must adhere to court directives, which includes abstaining from reactivating an account that the Supreme Court has instructed to be suspended. The judge said that if X does not adhere to the directive to block specific accounts, the company will face fines of 100,000 reais ($19,740) per day, as per a statement provided to the press. Also Read | Mr Beast is loving X and finds it way more profitable, Elon Musk responds Musk, X, and Brazilian authorities have not revealed the specific social media accounts subject to the blocking order. X initially mentioned the blocking order on Saturday, but the timing of the directive's issuance remains unclear. What is the case that ordered blocking of X accounts? Judge Moraes has been leading the charge against misinformation in Brazil. Over the past few years, according to AFP, he has directed the suspension of accounts belonging to influential social media figures, many of whom are supporters of Jair Bolsonaro. In his directive, the judge emphasised, in capital letters, that "social networks are not lawless territories." Starting Saturday evening, Musk on X (formerly Twitter), which he acquired in 2022, launched a series of criticisms against Moraes. Responding to Moraes's threats of significant fines and potential platform access restrictions, Musk said, We will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. He added, But principles matter more than profit. Bolsonaro is also being investigated over an attempted coup to prevent his 2022 electoral defeat against the current leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, after a crowd of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the headquarters of the country's three branches of power in Brasilia. "We cannot live in a society where billionaires who live abroad control social networks and show themselves willing to violate the rule of law, disobeying judicial orders and threatening our authorities," Judge Moraes said on X, without mentioning Musk by name. Musk, in an X post on Saturday evening, accused Moraes of brazenly and repeatedly betraying the constitution and people of Brazil. This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil, he said in the post. Who is Judge Alexandre de Moraes? Judge Alexandre de Moraes is a polarising figure in the judiciary. Some view him as authoritative, while others consider him a staunch defender of democracy. He is one of the 11 members of Brazil's high court and heads the country's Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE). In 2023, Moraes, in his capacity at the TSE, rendered the far-right former president ineligible to seek office due to his dissemination of false information about Brazil's electoral system. Critics allege that Moraes restricts and censors free speech in Brazil. Nonetheless, the judge is recognized for spearheading the fight against misinformation in the country, evidenced by his recent orders to block social media accounts belonging to influential individuals. (With inputs from Reuter, AFP) The leaders of France, Egypt and Jordan warned Israel on Monday against launching a threatened offensive against the southern Gaza city of Rafah, urging an "immediate" ceasefire in its war on Hamas. Palestinians who had taken refuge in Rafah in the Gaza Strip leave the city to return to Khan Yunis (AFP) "We warn against the dangerous consequences of an Israeli offensive on Rafah," said a joint editorial published in several newspapers by France's President Emmanuel Macron, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II. They urged that a UN Security Council call for a ceasefire "be fully implemented without further delay". The Kapitan Andreevo border post, one of the busiest in Europe, is more than 150 kilometres from the nearest sea, but Bulgarian customs officer Georgi Gospodinov is on the lookout for dinghies. HT Image The crossing between Turkey and Bulgaria is also more than 2,500 kilometres from the English Channel, where Britain has sought to halt a record number of undocumented migrants crossing in small boats. Gospodinov and other customs officers at the Kapitan Andreevo post have made a key contribution to that campaign. In a little over a year, 52 motors, 49 rubber boats, 755 hand pumps and 110 life jackets have been seized mostly on Turkish trucks travelling to western Europe. British authorities reached out to the Balkan country in late 2022 to stem the entry into the European Union of small boats used for the perilous journeys. Bulgarian customs officers first set out to prove that the boats they find are intended for the French coast where the crossings to Britain are launched. "We left specific marks on the outboard motors and notified our British partners, who were then able to identify abandoned motors on the British shores," he told AFP. Once it was proven that the same boats were later used by smugglers organising the Channel crossings, imports into the EU of small inflatable boats, motors and life jackets were restricted. Customs officers with sniffer dogs inspect hundreds of westbound trucks at the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint each day after they pass through an x-ray scanner. According to the officers, the special shape of the engines is easy to detect, and with time they have become better at recognising the bags containing the carefully folded dinghies. A sniffer dog specifically trained to detect the smell of rubber was sent by British authorities. London has provided a total of 1.2 million to train personnel and provide equipment, including surveillance drones. During a visit to Sofia in February, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the partnership with Bulgaria was vital to stop the "illegal... terrible trade in human beings" as "many people lose their lives". Britain has launched a similar cooperation with France. "Politically, it is a big problem," especially since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the European Union, said Nando Sigona, an international migration expert at the University of Birmingham. "One of the Brexit promises was to 'take back control' of UK borders," he told AFP, so the "failure to stop arrivals... can be politically lethal". The situation has weakened Britain's ruling Conservative party. The opposition Labour party is widely predicted to regain power for the first time since 2010 at an election expected this year. In the first quarter of 2024, British officials processed 5,373 migrants landing on the shores of southern England after crossing the Channel in small vessels. It is a nearly 42 percent rise from last year, according to Britain's interior ministry. Since the beginning of the year, at least seven migrants, including a seven-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, have lost their lives trying to reach England. In 2023, there were nearly 30,000 cross-Channel arrivals in total. Afghans, Iranians, Turks, Eritreans and Iraqis make up the majority of migrants. The British government's agreements with several European countries, in particular with Albania which resulted in a sharp reduction in arrivals from the Balkan country are "producing some effects", Sigona said. However, "smuggling networks are very resilient and other sources of boats are continuously being identified and pursued," he said. "You can't solve a problem by tackling the consequences," said Nikolai Posner, a spokesperson for the French aid group Utopia 56, noting that these boats first appeared in 2018 when controls at road crossings were tightened. "The more barriers, the greater the police presence, the more risks the smugglers take," he said. ds/anb-kym/spb/tw This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Country music capital Nashville was once also a hotbed of blues, rock and jazz, thanks to a historically Black neighborhood that brought then-budding greats like Jimi Hendrix to town. HT Image But Jefferson Street's vibrant community and its robust club scene faced mid-20th century decimation after the construction of an interstate highway slashed it in two, a classic tale of ruinous urban planning that all but extinguished the area's rich musical legacy. Lorenzo Washington, a lifelong Nashville resident who grew up in the area, has been vying to keep that history alive, operating a small museum out of his home that's chock-full of music ephemera as well as records and maps exhibiting the district's long-lost vitality. "We had it all. We had banks, we had grocery stores, clothing stores, flower shops, ice cream parlors just whatever you would need to survive as a community was right here on Jefferson Street," the 81-year-old told AFP. He recalls a strip lined in revelers spilling out from supper clubs, speakeasies, dance halls, dives and pool rooms, a string of venues where on any given night you might catch stars from Hendrix to Etta James, Ray Charles to BB King. "Everybody had fun on Jefferson Street," Washington said with a wide smile, sporting a sharp blue suit jacket and felt hat. "That's just the atmosphere that we had built." For decades Jefferson Street was a hotspot on the Chitlin' Circuit, a network of venues where Black entertainers were welcome to perform in the era of racial segregation in the United States. Hendrix arrived in the early 1960s, nabbing a residency at the Club Del Morocco and living in a Jefferson Street walk-up. But the 1968 construction of Interstate 40, a major east-west thoroughfare, cut directly through the neighborhood, displacing more than a thousand Black residents and destroying the cultural and business district, triggering a severe economic decline. The clubs shuttered and all but one, Club Baron, was demolished. Artists gravitated elsewhere Memphis or Chicago, for example and "the blues left Nashville," said Washington. "That was tragic to the city when we lost Black music," he continued, saying the city was focused on its country scene and paid little attention to Jefferson Street. "It was tragic to see our musical culture being split up like it was, the different artists and musicians just sort of scattered," Washington said. "They went to wherever they could find work, or a record label, that would record them." "So it all left Nashville, and it was heartbreaking." Washington is not a musician himself, but he did own a record shop throughout the 1970s and grew up surrounded by artists, his friends including Jefferson Street fixtures like Herbert Hunter and Marion James. He moved back to the neighborhood in 2010, inspired by a newspaper article he'd seen in which a councilman friend of his said the only way to revitalize Jefferson Street was for Black folks to return and open businesses again. "I need to move back to Jefferson Street to my part of town," Washington recalls thinking. "And so that's what I did." Friends of his including the late James Nashville's "Queen of the Blues" encouraged him to open the museum in a bid to "do more about keeping our legacy going." "They said you could be the curator. And I said, 'The curator? Now what does a curator do?'" he remembers with an infectious chuckle. Well over a decade later, he says, "I'm still here on Jefferson Street representing the artists and musicians." Along with the museum, which officially opened in 2011, Washington operates a recording studio out of his home, along with a small performance space. Washington was integral to ensuring the Club Baron where then up-and-comer Hendrix lost a famous guitar duel to Nashville bluesman Johnny Jones would get protection via designation as a local historic landmark. The building now is owned by the local Elks Club, a fraternal order, and efforts are underway to begin hosting shows there once more. Today's Nashville is "an aggressive city" compared to the city Washington knew growing up, he said, where high rollers call the shots. "It's sort of sad to see that all of this isn't existing now," Washington says, as he points out all the old haunts on a lot map hanging in his museum. "My intention was to... encourage other businesses to move back to Jefferson Street, so we could pick up sort of where we left off at." "This little place has gotten attention," Washington said. "There's not a lot that's going on publicly in this city that represents the Black community, and that's what we're representing." "It's not huge, but I can see growth." mdo/caw This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. An Indian-origin man has been charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm over suspicion that he threatened staff at a Post Office in London to steal a large quantity of cash, Scotland Yard said on Monday, reported news agency PTI. An Indian-origin man has been charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm over suspicion that he threatened staff at a Post Office in London to steal a large quantity of cash, Scotland Yard said on Monday. The man named Rajvinder Kahlon was arrested last week at his home address after a robbery at the Post Office on Brabazon Road, Hounslow, on April 1. The Metropolitan Police said its Flying Squad officers responded to the reports and detectives were able to piece together the suspects identity. At around 1800hrs on April 1, a man entered the Post Office in Brabazon Road, Hounslow. The man threatened two members of staff with what they believed was a firearm before making off with a large quantity of cash, the Met Police said in a statement. Flying Squad officers responded immediately, and detectives used a range of tactics to identify a suspect. On Thursday, 4 April, Rajvinder Kahlon, 41, was arrested at his home address in Hounslow. He appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Saturday, 6 April, charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm, the statement added. Kahlon continues to be in custody and will next appear at Isleworth Crown Court in west London on May 6. ALSO READ| Indian origin student on rejection from Stanford University: 'I'm going to change the world' Earlier, in January, an Indian-origin couple in the UK, was convicted of exporting more than half-a-tonne of cocaine to Australia. As per investigation, it was found that they were behind a front company that had sent the drugs by plane under a cover load of metal toolboxes. Nairobi-born British Indian Arti Dhir (59), whose family hails from Punjab, and her 35-year-old husband, Kavaljitsinh Raijada, an Indian national from Gujarat, were convicted of 12 counts of exportation and 18 counts of money laundering by a jury following a trial at Southwark Crown Court. Israel's military announced Sunday it had withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, wrapping up a key phase in its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group and bringing its troop presence in the territory to one of the lowest levels since the six-month war began. Palestinians who had taken refuge in Rafah, leave the city to return to Khan Yunis after Israel pulled its ground forces out of the southern Gaza Strip, on April 7, 2024, six months into the devastating war sparked by the October 7 attacks.(AFP) But defense officials said troops were merely regrouping as the army prepares to move into Hamas last stronghold, Rafah. The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping, said the military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. Local broadcaster Channel 13 TV reported that Israel was preparing to begin evacuating Rafah within one week and the process could take several months. Still, the withdrawal was a milestone as Israel and Hamas marked six months of fighting. Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under army policy, said a significant force remained in Gaza to continue targeted operations including in Khan Younis, hometown of the Hamas leader, Yehya Sinwar. ALSO READ| Six months of bloodshed: the Gaza war in numbers AP video in Khan Younis showed some people returning to a landscape marked by shattered multistory buildings and climbing over debris. Cars were overturned and charred. Southern Gaza's main hospital, Nasser, was in shambles. Its all just rubble, a dejected Ahmad Abu al-Rish said. Animals cant live here, so how is a human supposed to? Israel for weeks has vowed a ground offensive in nearby Rafah. But the city shelters some 1.4 million people more than half of Gaza's population. The prospect of an offensive has raised global alarm, including from Israel's top ally, the U.S., which has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Allowing people to return to nearby Khan Younis could relieve some pressure on Rafah. White House national security spokesman John Kirby repeated on Sunday the U.S. opposition to a Rafah offensive and told ABC the U.S. believes that the partial Israeli withdrawal is really just about rest and refit for these troops that have been on the ground for four months and not necessarily, that we can tell, indicative of some coming new operation for these troops." Israel's military quietly drew down troops in devastated northern Gaza earlier in the war. But it has continued to carry out airstrikes and raids in areas where it says Hamas has resurfaced, including Gaza's largest hospital, Shifa, leaving what the head of the World Health Organization called an empty shell." ALSO READ| Israeli military withdraws most ground troops from southern Gaza: Report The six-month mark has been met with growing frustration in Israel, where anti-government protests have swelled and anger is mounting over what some see as government inaction to help free about 130 remaining hostages, about a quarter of whom Israel says are dead. Hamas-led militants took about 250 captives when they crossed from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7 and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Several thousand protesters called for a hostage deal now at a rally outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, organized by hostages' families. In southern Israel, weeping relatives gathered at the site of a music festival where more than 300 people were killed on Oct. 7. Its an impossible reality for us, its an impossible reality for the Gazans and the people of this country. We just want to live, said one protester, Talia Ezrahi. I would agree to anything to return the hostages and stop the mass killings in Gaza, said another protester, Michal Fruchtman. Negotiations in pursuit of a cease-fire in exchange for the hostages release were expected to resume in Cairo on Sunday. An Israeli delegation led by the head of the Mossad intelligence agency was going to Cairo, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media. Pressure rose for action now. This doesnt seem a war against terror. This doesnt seem anymore a war about defending Israel. This really, at this point, seems its a war against humanity itself," chef Jose Andres told ABC, days after an Israeli airstrike killed seven of his World Central Kitchen colleagues in Gaza. Aid deliveries on a crucial new sea route to the territory were suspended. Humanity has been all but abandoned in Gaza, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement. The U.N. and partners now warn of imminent famine for more than 1 million people in Gaza as humanitarian workers urge Israel to loosen restrictions on the delivery of aid overland, the only way to meet soaring needs as some Palestinians forage for weeds to eat. Thousands of aid trucks have been waiting to enter Gaza. Its a slow-motion massacre of people to subject them to the kind of deprivation of food and water that they have been subjected to for the last six months, Doctors Without Borders USA executive director Avril Benoit told CBS. Mothers who have given birth in Gaza since the war began are especially vulnerable. The Health Ministry in Gaza said the bodies of 38 people killed in Israels bombardment had been brought to the territorys remaining functional hospitals in the past 24 hours. It said 33,175 have been killed since the war began. It doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants but says two-thirds of the dead are children and women. Israels military continued to suffer losses, including in Khan Younis, where the military said four soldiers were killed. Over 600 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7, according to Israels government. Concerns about a wider regional conflict continued as a top Iranian military adviser warned Israel that none of its embassies were safe following last weeks strike in Damascus blamed on Israel that killed two elite Iranian generals and flattened an Iranian consular building. Israel has not directly acknowledged its involvement. None of the embassies of the (Israeli) regime are safe anymore, Gen. Rahim Safavi, a military adviser to Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim agency. Hamas said Monday it is studying a proposal for a truce and hostage-prisoner swap after talks in Cairo, as Israel's defence minister said it is the right time for a deal, six months into a war with the Islamist militants in Gaza. Smoke billowing over the Palestinian territory during Israeli bombardment amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas.(AFP) Israel is under growing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire, including from its top ally and arms supplier the United States. Late Monday a Hamas source close to the negotiations said the group was reviewing the proposal that would see a six-week truce and Israeli women and child hostages freed in exchange for up to 900 Palestinian prisoners. The source, asking for anonymity, said the first phase would also involve the return of displaced Palestinian civilians to northern Gaza, and the delivery of 400 to 500 trucks of food aid daily to the territory, where the United Nations has warned of imminent famine. But while negotiations continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date had been set for sending troops into Gaza's far-southern Rafah city. "It will happen -- there is a date," Netanyahu said in a video statement which did not specify the timing. He insists "victory" over Hamas militants in Gaza requires troops to go into Rafah, where around 1.5 million people have sought shelter. The prospect of a Rafah invasion has alarmed world leaders and humanitarians. After Netanyahu's comment, the US State Department reiterated that an invasion would have "an enormously harmful effect" on civilians, and ultimately Israeli security. - 'Shocked' - A day earlier, the army announced the withdrawal of its forces from Khan Yunis city, to Rafah's north, prompting thousands of displaced Palestinians to trudge back through an apocalyptic landscape of dust and destruction. "I am shocked at what I saw," said Umm Ahmad al-Fagawi, in a voice that seemed choked with emotion. "All the houses are destroyed, not only mine but also those of all the neighbours around us," she said surrounded by a grey landscape of rubble. The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said at least 38 more people were killed over the previous day. Witnesses told AFP that more Israeli air strikes and artillery fire hit north and central Gaza, as well as in Rafah where Israel has regularly bombed targets even ahead of any invasion there. The war began with the October 7 attack against Israel by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, Israeli figures show. Palestinian militants also took more than 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, 129 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead. - Intense pressure - Netanyahu is under intense pressure at home from families and supporters of hostages, and from a resurgent anti-government protest movement. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a retaliatory offensive that has killed at least 33,207 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday said troops left Khan Yunis after months of fighting to "prepare for future missions, including... in Rafah" on the Egyptian border. Amid the threats and ongoing fighting, Netanyahu has sent negotiators to fresh truce talks that started in Cairo on Sunday, joined by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators. US President Joe Biden dispatched CIA chief Bill Burns to the talks, three days after a tense phone call with Netanyahu in which Biden demanded a halt to the fighting and greater steps to help and protect Gaza civilians. His demands followed an April 1 Israeli drone strike which killed seven aid workers for the US-based charity World Central Kitchen, increasing global outrage against Israel. United States National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said negotiators had presented Hamas with a proposal for a ceasefire deal and "it's going to be up to Hamas to come through." Egypt's state-linked news outlet Al-Qahera reported "significant progress being made on several contentious points of agreement", citing an unnamed high-ranking Egyptian source. The Qatari and Hamas delegations had left Cairo and were expected to return "within two days to finalise the terms of the agreement", it said, while the US and Israeli teams were also planning consultations. Gallant on Monday told Israeli army recruits that, "I think we are at an appropriate moment" to do a deal with the Islamist militants. "The relentless pressure on Hamas and the position of strength from which we come into this campaign, allow us flexibility and freedom of action," he added, according to a statement from his office. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, on a visit to Washington, said a hostage deal would be "difficult" but "it's doable and therefore needs to be made." - Body parts - Majed al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar's foreign ministry, told the BBC he was "more optimistic today than I was a couple of days ago" but added: "We are by no means at the last stretch of the talks." A siege has deprived Gazans of most water, food and other basic supplies -- the dire shortages only minimally eased by aid trucks and, in recent weeks, airdropped relief supplies. Charities have accused Israel of blocking aid, but Israel has blamed shortages on aid organisations' inability to distribute assistance once it gets in. After the phone call with Biden, Netanyahu's office said Israel would allow "temporary" aid deliveries via Ashdod port and Erez checkpoint into northern Gaza. Israeli government spokesman Avi Hyman said 322 trucks entered Gaza over the previous 24 hours, "the highest in a single day since the start of the war." White-clad forensic technicians gathered in the sandy courtyard of the blasted-out and burnt remains of what was Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa. Khalil Hamada, the hospital's forensic chief, said they were trying to identify decomposing body parts "which were buried in a barbaric way". The hospital was the scene of a fierce two-week battle. Calls to halt arms shipments to Israel have increased. Nicaragua argued before the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Monday that Germany is in breach of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention by furnishing Israel with weapons. Germany's top lawyer called the case grossly biased. NEW YORK Maia Kobabes graphic memoir Gender Queer continues its troubled run as the countrys most controversial book, topping the American Library Associations challenged books list for a third straight year. HT Image Kobabes coming-of-age story was published in 2019, and received the library associations Alex Award for best young adult literature. But it has since been at the heart of debates over library content, with conservative organizations such as Moms for Liberty contending that parents should have more power to determine what books are available. Politicians have condemned Gender Queer and school systems in Florida, Texas and elsewhere have banned it. Last December, police in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, responded to a complaint from a custodian about the book by showing up and searching for it in an 8th grade classroom. The ALA released its list Monday, along with its annual State of Americas Libraries Report. A few advocacy groups have made 'Gender Queer' a lightning rod, says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. People are trying to shut down conversation about gender identity." Many books on the ALAs top 10 snapshot had LGBTQ themes, including the four works immediately following Gender Queer: George M. Johnsons All Boys Arent Blue, Juno Dawsons This Book is Gay, Stephen Chboskys The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Mike Curatos Flamer. The lists other five books all were cited for being sexually explicit: Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, Ellen Hopkins Tricks, Jesse Andrews Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Erika Moen and Matthew Nolans Lets Talk About It and Patricia McCormicks Sold. These books are beyond the pale for some people simply because they touch upon sex, Caldwell-Stone says. In March, the ALA reported that bans and attempted bans in 2023 again reached record highs since the association began tracking complaints in the early 2000s. More than 4,240 works in school and public libraries were targeted, compared to a then-record 2,571 books in 2022. Many of the books challenged 47% have LGBTQ and racial themes. The ALA defines a challenge as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. The association bases its findings on media accounts and reports from librarians but has long believed that many challenges go uncounted, or that some books are pulled by librarians in anticipation of protests. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Mariyam Shiuna, a Maldivian politician who is among three deputy ministers suspended earlier this year over social media posts targeting the Indian political leadership the remarks had triggered a diplomatic row has offered sincerest apologies for a fresh post that allegedly disrespected the Indian Tricolour. Suspended deputy minister Mariyam Shiuna (right) with President Mohamed Muizzu (X/@shiuna_m) Shiuna, who has since deleted the said post, clarified that she did not intend to disrespect India or the country's national flag. Also Read: Maldives thanks India for allowing export of essential commodities amid row I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offence caused by the content of my recent post. It was brought to my attention that the image used by me bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional. In future, I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share, to prevent such oversights, she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). She added that the image was meant to take a jibe at the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP); the archipelago nation will hold parliamentary elections on April 21. Maldives deeply values its relationship, and the mutual respect we share with India, the suspended deputy minister, who belongs to President Mohamed Muizzu's ruling People's National Congress (PNC), said. In the deleted post, which targeted the opposition MDP's campaign poster, the opposition party's logo was replaced with what looks like the Ashok Chakra; in the Indian flag, the Navy Blue-coloured Ashok Chakra appears on the white central band. The MDP is heading towards a big slip. The people of Maldives do not want to fall and slip with them, the post read. Also Read: Maldives says 2nd batch of Indian military personnel will be withdrawn by April 10 In January, Shiuna and two colleagues Abdulla Mahzoom Majid and Malsha Shareef were suspended by the Muizzu government, which is widely seen as anti-India and pro-China. The ministers' comments stemmed from what they saw as the Indian leadership attempting to promote the country's Lakshadweep islands as a tourist destination that rivals the Maldives. New Zealand tightened its visa regulations citing high unsustainable net migration levels and introducing additional criteria like skills and language requirements as well as shortening the lengths of work permits issued to international citizens. A view of Dunedin, New Zealand. Otepoti (Dunedin) is widely known for its Scottish influence, but the area is also home to Maori history and stories of the manawhenua that settled here long before the Europeans arrived. (Luciano Brito / Shutterstock) Country's Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said on Sunday that the changes to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV) scheme were effective immediately and New Zealand will be better testing the local labor market and reducing the risks of putting New Zealanders out of work. A statement by Stanford added, The Government is focused on attracting and retaining the highly skilled migrants such as secondary teachers, where there is a skill shortage. At the same time we need to ensure that New Zealanders are put to the front of the line for jobs where there are no skills shortages. Why is New Zealand tightening its visa regulations? As per the statement, 173,000 non-New Zealanders migrated to the country in 2023. With a population of 5.3 million, New Zealand has been seeing a surge in migration since 2022, BBC reported. The government is concerned that several New Zealand citizens would be put out of work. It wants to ensure that New Zealanders are put to the front of the line for jobs where there are no skills shortages. Through these rules, the New Zealand government is planning to develop a smarter immigration system which would eventually lead to managing net migration. The statement read, These changes are the start of a more comprehensive work programme to create a smarter immigration system that manages net migration, responds to our changing economic context, attracts top talent, revitalises international education, is self-funding and sustainable, and better manages risk. What have been the major changes in visa regulations? The authorities introduced an English language requirement for migrants who will be applying for low-skilled roles. In most work visas, applicants will be required to show work experience and would be required to possess certain skills. Before offering a job, employers will have to ensure that candidates possess these. The length of several work visas has also been reduced to two years and the maximum continuous stay period has been reduced to 3 years. Authorities have changed plans to add 11 new roles to the Green List a list of highly skilled roles that the country wasn't able to fill and these provide fast-track citizenship. These included welders, turners and fitters. Issuing new AEWVs for employers would mean that the organisations will have to ensure that migrants are employed for at least 30 hours every week. How long has New Zealand faced the migrant crisis? New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon last year said that the country was seeing such high net migration rates which seemed unsustainable. He said, We're inheriting a system that's been a complete hash. Luxon, said in an interview in December, that the country's immigration system was closed at a time when employers were looking for workers [during the pandemic]... and then Labour opened the floodgates just as the economy was starting to slow. New Zealand's neighbour Australia has also been seeing a major influx of migrants. The country announced last year that it would halve its migrant influx. A Russian missile attack on Monday hit an industrial facility in Ukraine's southern city of Zaporizhzhia, injuring at least six people, local authorities said. Ivan Fedorov, the regional governor, did not provide any details regarding the type of facility in his message on the Telegram. A Russian missile attack on Monday hit an industrial facility in Ukraine's southern city of Zaporizhzhia, injuring at least six people, local authorities said. (Representational picture)(REUTERS) Last Friday, an unidentified industrial facility in the city was struck by a Russian missile strike which also damaged residential buildings and killed four people. It was not clear if Monday's strike targeted the same site. ALSO READ| Cities in Russian Urals, west Siberia brace for worst floods in decades Separately, Russian officials accused Ukraine of launching drone strikes against the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, located southwest of the city and occupied by Moscow troops. Moscow-installed officials have made a series of claims since last week. Kyiv said it has nothing to do with incidents at the power station reported by Russia and called them "armed provocations". The United Nations Security Council said Monday that it would decide this month on the Palestinians' bid for full UN membership, with the longshot campaign unlikely to survive US opposition. HT Image As the Gaza war rages on into its seventh month, the council's move was described as "historic" by the Palestinians, but angrily denounced by Israel. Maltese Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, who holds the rotating presidency of the council, said that "the council has decided that this deliberation has to take place during the month of April." Any request to become a UN member state must first pass a vote by the Security Council where Israel's ally the United States wields a veto and then be endorsed by the General Assembly. The Palestinians, who have had observer status at the world body since 2012, have lobbied for years to gain full membership, which would amount to recognition of Palestinian statehood. "Today is a historic moment," Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters Monday as the Security Council started the review process after the Palestinians last week relaunched its formal 2011 bid. "All we ask for is to take our rightful place among the community of nations, to be treated as equals, equals to other nations and states to live in freedom and dignity in peace and security in our ancestral land," Mansour said in the general Assembly. But Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan launched bitter criticism from the assembly podium. "The Security Council is busy right now discussing the recognition of a 'PalestiNazi' state instead of designating Hamas as a terror organization. This will be the vilest reward of the vilest crimes," he said. The Gaza war was sparked by the October 7 attack against Israel by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, Israeli figures show. Palestinian militants also took more than 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, 129 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,207 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. "The Security Council is deliberating granting the perpetrators and supporters of October 7 full membership status in the UN," said Erdan. "The very fact this discussion is even being held, it's already a victory for genocidal terror." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for decades resisted creation of a Palestinian state and leads a far-right government with members hostile to the Palestinian Authority, which holds limited autonomy in sections of the West Bank. And under US legislation, the United States is required to cut off funding to UN agencies that give full membership to a Palestinian state. The Palestinians' campaign faces decisive US opposition in the UN Security Council. Washington previously opposed the effort when it was raised in 2011. "Our position hasn't changed," said Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood. abd/mdl/bgs/dw This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Eclipse mania gripped North America on Monday as a breathtaking celestial spectacle captivated tens of millions of people, offering a rare blend of scientific interest, commercial opportunity and daytime partying. In this composite of eight photographs, the moon passes by the sun into totality and away again during a total solar eclipse in Bloomington, Indiana.(AFP) The Moon's shadow plunged the Pacific coast of Mexico into total darkness at 11:07 am local time (1807 GMT) then swept across the United States at supersonic speed, returning to the ocean over Canada's Atlantic coast just under an hour-and-a-half after landfall. Festivals, viewing parties and even mass weddings took place along the eclipse's "path of totality," where the Sun's corona glowed from behind the Moon in a display that left crowds awestruck. "It was spectacular. I had never witnessed anything like it," said Paulina Nava, a 36-year-old resident of the beachside Mexican city of Mazatlan. People "screamed, they applauded, some were taking photos, others were kissing," she added. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who traveled to the city, called the event a "very beautiful, unforgettable day." Thousands of miles away in downtown Montreal, Canada, office workers spilled out of skyscrapers to snap pictures with their eclipse glasses held to their phones. "My heart was beating really fast," said 26-year-old Erica Park. The path of totality was 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide and home to nearly 32 million Americans, with an additional 150 million living less than 200 miles from the strip, according to NASA, which ran a live webcast throughout. School closures, mass weddings Hotels and short-term rentals in prime viewing locations were booked solid for months in advance across states including Texas, Arkansas, Ohio and Maine. In Ingram, Texas, at the Stonehenge II park -- a replica of the prehistoric monument in England -- eclipse watchers gathered from around the world, undeterred by overcast conditions. Jeni Lyn Hunter, 57, and her husband Charles Guillory, 60, had traveled from Floresville, Texas. The couple identified as "pagans" and wore Merlin hats. "It means a lot to me because I have stage four cancer, but I'm not giving up, this is a rebirth of the Sun of life," Hunter told AFP. And in Russellville, Arkansas, more than 300 couples reportedly exchanged vows at "A Total Eclipse of the Heart" mass wedding ceremony. Delta airlines had planned two special flights along the path, while many schools in the zone shut for the day. Donald Trump, who on Monday released a campaign ad of his head blocking out the Sun, famously ignored all safety advice and gazed directly at the eclipse in 2017 when he was in the White House. This election year, President Joe Biden made fun of his rival with a social media post saying "Don't be silly, folks." Health professionals likewise urged people to use certified eclipse glasses to prevent permanent retinal injury. Only those within the totality path could safely remove eye protection for a few precious moments that won't come around again until the next solar eclipse for much of North America, in 2044. Diamond ring The eclipse was also a windfall for scientists. NASA launched a trio of sounding rockets before, during and just after the eclipse to measure changes caused by the sudden darkness to the ionosphere, an upper layer of the atmosphere important for long-distance radio communication. It also offered a golden opportunity to study the Sun's corona, the outer layer of its atmosphere which is normally hidden by the blinding light of the surface, but has an outsized impact on everything from satellites to power grids. "There's a few high clouds but the beauty of the corona is clearly visible," said NASA heliophysicist Michael Kirk as the eclipse passed through Dallas. "You can see that spiky structure just poking out -- it is heart-stoppingly beautiful," he added, pointing out the corona was "asymmetrical" as a result of the Sun approaching the peak of its 11-year-cycle. As the eclipse unfolded, the rugged lunar topography revealed itself in a stunning "diamond ring" effect, while the planets Venus and Jupiter briefly appeared in the sky. Startling animal behavior has been noted during past eclipses, such as roosters crowing as they believe it is dawn when the darkness ends. In humans, eclipses trigger feelings of wonder as we confront our tiny place within the cosmic order. Individuals also exhibit more "prosocial" feelings towards each other in the aftermath of the shared experience. French and British troops on Monday swapped roles to take part in ceremonies outside the palaces of the other country's head of state, in a historic move to celebrate 120 years since the Entente Cordiale. British members of Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards march along the street outside the Elysee Palace, as they make their way into the courtyard, in Paris (AFP) Signed in 1904, the accord cemented an improvement in relations after the Napoleonic Wars and is seen as the foundation of the two NATO members' alliance to this day. Even after Brexit and with war back in Europe, "this entente cordiale is somehow the cornerstone... that allows us to maintain the bilateral relationship", French President Emmanuel Macron said in a social media video. "Long live the entente cordiale and long live the Franco-British friendship," he said, switching to English. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed the anniversary as "a powerful symbol of the enduring friendship between our nations" in a call with Macron. They also discussed shared challenges, from wars in the Middle East and Ukraine to migrants crossing the Channel on small boats, Sunak's office said. Macron and Britain's ambassador to France Menna Rawlings watched British guards taking part in the changing of the guard outside the Elysee Palace. French guards then did the same in London outside Buckingham Palace, the official residence of King Charles III. At the Elysee, 16 members of the Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards, wearing traditional bearskin hats, relieved French counterparts from the first infantry regiment. The French army choir then sang the two national anthems -- God Save the King and La Marseillaise. - 'More to defeat Russia' - British Foreign Minister David Cameron and his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, celebrated their countries' "close friendship" in a joint op-ed. They said it was key at a time when NATO is mobilised to ensure Ukraine does not lose its fight against Russia. "Britain and France, two founding members and Europe's nuclear powers, have a responsibility in driving the alliance to deal with the challenges before it," the diplomats wrote in Britain's The Telegraph newspaper. "We must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching -- and will judge us if we fail." A French presidential official said it was "the first time in the history of the Elysee" that foreign troops had been invited to participate in the military ritual. At the end of 2023, Macron made the changing of the Republican Guard public again, on the first Tuesday of each month, although the ceremony is less spectacular than the event outside Buckingham Palace. Two sections of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiment of France's Republican Guard participated in the London ceremony alongside guards from F Company Scots Guards and other British forces, the French presidential official said. It was watched by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh -- Prince Edward and his wife Sophie -- accompanied by the UK chief of the general staff, General Patrick Sanders, and French chief of the army staff Pierre Schill. - Tensions after Brexit - The event on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace was the first time a country from outside the Commonwealth -- mostly English-speaking former British colonies and possessions -- has taken part in the changing of the guard. Tourists crowded around the palace fence as the two groups of soldiers conducted the unprecedented ceremony. "It really is a monumental occasion," said Jamie Drummond-Moray, Officer Commanding F Company Scots Guards. The signing of the Entente Cordiale on April 8, 1904, is widely seen as preparing the way for France and Britain to join forces against Germany in World War I. While the accord is often used as shorthand to describe the Franco-British relationship, ties have been bedevilled by tensions in recent years, particularly since Britain left the European Union. Migration has been a particular sticking point, with London pressuring Paris to stop undocumented migrants crossing the Channel. But a state visit by King Charles last year was widely seen as a success that showed the fundamental strength of the relationship. Amid escalating tension between China and the US, President Joe Biden announced a multi-million-dollar deal with a Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturer to bolster America's chip manufacturing. Taiwan chip giant, which is headquartered in Hsinchu, will support the construction of facilities across the United States, including one in Arizona.(AP) Taiwan chip giant, which is headquartered in Hsinchu, will support the construction of facilities across the United States, including one in Arizona. The preliminary agreement between the TMSC and the US Commerce Department is based on a crucial investment law called the Chips and Science Act. TSMC has decided to construct a third semiconductor plant in Arizona, bringing its total investment in the country to $65 billion. TMSC will get up to $6.6 billion in direct funding from the US under the new deal and it may receive another $5 billion as loans. Also Read: Explained: Chinas new rules for chips in government computers with a US snub Biden hails historic progress as TSMC set to build third chip factory in Phoenix In addition to allowing a third chip facility in Phoenix, the investment will "support the manufacturing of leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing facilities right here in the United States," according to a statement from Biden. Recalling his visit to TSMCs first new fab in Phoenix around 1.5 year ago, Biden said the agreement also includes $50 million for workforce development and training, TSMCs renewed commitment to the United States, and its investment in Arizona represent a broader story for semiconductor manufacturing thats made in America and with the strong support of Americas leading technology firms to build the products we rely on every day. By 2030, the United States will be able to generate 20 percent of the world's highly advanced semiconductors with the help of these facilities. Also Read: China blocks use of US-made Intel & AMD chips in govt computers: Report Know about TMC and how new deal will benefit United States Meanwhile, Biden's chief economic adviser Lael Brainard hailed the deal as "a new chapter for America's semiconductor industry." Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said that it will be the first time ever that the US will be producing the most advanced semiconductor chips on the Earth. These are the chips that underpin all artificial intelligence, Raimondo said. She also disclosed that TSMC would be able to generate around 6,000 direct high-tech jobs, as well as, it has planned to offer tens of thousands of indirect employment and 20,000 positions in the establishment of the factories. Speaking about the remarkable deal, TSMC chairman Mark Liu said that their US operations enable them to provide excellent customer service to their US clientele. TSMC is known for generating more than half of the world's semiconductor and the company also intends to produce chips in Germany and Japan. The Congress approved the CHIPS law in 2022 with bipartisan support, and the arrangement with the Taiwanese corporation represents the latest investment made through this legislation. Biden is an ardent supporter of the CHIPS and Science Act as he has often pointed out how common microchips are in devices like phones, automobiles, home appliances, and more. According to officials, the bill is essential to increasing local chip production and reducing America's dependence on foreign supply chains. Ahead of the presidential elections and Biden's second bid for the White House, this law is a cornerstone of his government's efforts to preserve and bolster the industrial strength of the United States. Chants of Death to America and Death to Israel were hurled at the International Al-Quds Day rally held in Michigan on the last day of Ramadan. Tarek Bazzi at an anti-America rally in Michigan's Dearborn with many in audience chanting, 'Death to America' "Imam Khomeini, who declared the International Al-Quds Day, this is why he would say to pour all of your chants and all of your shouts upon the head of America," Tarek Bazzi, a Michigan-based activist linked to the Hadi institute, said in a video from the rally. Bazzis remarks were resonated with chants of Death to America!. According to him an anti-America rally is being held in the country because of America's Israel policy and its decision to fund the Gaza war. A video from the rally is now viral on social media. The activist went on to claim that US is "one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this Earth," while arguing to eliminate the entire American "system." "Its not just Genocide Joe that has to go," Bazzi said, referring to President Biden. "It is the entire system that has to go. Any system that would allow such atrocities and such devilry to happen and would support it such a system does not deserve to exist on Gods Earth." When Bazzi asked his audience, when "fools" ask them "if Israel has the right to exist," they chant "Death to Israel" is "the most logical chant shouted across the world today." The remarks were followed by chants of "Death to Israel" from protesters in the crowd. Soon after, Israeli flag was desecrated at the pro-Palestinian event held on the last Friday of Ramadan in Dearborn. Protesters were even heard chanting "Free Palestine" and "From the river to the sea," a controversial phrase classified as "hate" by many American Jews. Dearborn called America's Jihad Capital by WSJ According to US media Dearborn has become a "hotbed of hate for many years, with the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) Executive Director Steven Stalinsky calling it America's Jihad Capital. Almost immediately after... and long before Israel began its ground offensive in Gaza,' Stalinisky wrote, 'people were celebrating the horrific events of that day in pro-Hamas rallies and marches throughout Dearborn.' The city witnessed huge protests against US President Joe Biden last month, with activists from the town encouraging Democrats to vote "uncommitted" instead of supporting the presidents re-election bid. "This type of extremism, this type of rhetoric, this type of division threats of violence was a Middle East thing, it seems like a lot of that was limited to the Middle East, and now its come to our doorstep," Rep. Phil Green told Fox News Digital Green said the majority of Dearborns citizens are peaceful and dont promote violence, but he acknowledged the movements bubbling up from the town are worth monitoring closely for lawmakers. ' Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-girlfriend Yung Miami has spoken out after being accused of engaging in sex work for the artist in a bombshell lawsuit. This follows a similar denial from Instagram model Ramey, who faced accusations in the same lawsuit. The legal filing also alleges that Miami, 30, transported an illicit drug referred to as "pink cocaine" for her ex-boyfriend in April 2023. Diddys ex Yung Miami hits back: 'I'm Not a Prostitute' following pink cocaine and sex worker allegations(Getty image for Karl Lagerfeld) Diddys ex Yung Miami denies sex worker allegations Also read: Diddys sex worker allegations: Instagram model accused in Lil Rods lawsuit speaks out Caresha Romanek Brownlee aka Miami Yung, a former member of the City Girls, has been named in a lawsuit claiming that Sean Diddy Combs paid her and two others a monthly stipend in return for sex work. The lawsuit was filed by music producer Rodney Lil Rod Jones and is seeking damages of $30 million. Diddys biggest rival, 50 Cent, responded to the allegations on social media and it soon became a heated topic. 50 Cents attacks Yung Miami in his social media post 50 Cents posted a video of Yung Miami calling herself a "wh***" during her appearance on The Jason Lee Show on Instagram. In the video, 48-year-old 50 Cent stated the definition of "wh***," which is "a prostitute." its ok to be a wh*** just make sure you're being overpaid. See a Sucker, catch a Sucker, You go girl LSW LOL @bransoncognac @lecheminduroi, he captioned the post on April 7. Yung Miami hits back on sex worker allegations in Diddys case The video quickly gained traction, sparking thousands of comments. Yung Miami also joined the discussion in the comments section to address and refute the false allegations being spread about her. I think this got taken out of context, its a gay slur Whats up wh*** is something my gay cousin always said to me. Its ct its a slang that we said to each other thats what I was trying to explain to Jason because hes gay and he got what I was trying to say. Im not a prostitute. I never sold a day in my life. & I hate how this is getting spun. The music artist's emotional response led to a change of heart. 50 Cent took a snapshot of the same comment and wrote again. I like at @yungmiami305. I dont want to hurt her, or her feelings. Also read: Meghan Markle strongly warned ahead of Prince Harrys UK visit for how she has acted for Yung Miami slams pink cocaine allegations Lil Rod, in his updated lawsuit against Sean Diddy, claimed that Miami helped Diddy obtain a mix of cocaine and ecstasy called "tuci." However, sources close to Miami are upset about Rod's claims. According to TMZ's sources in the hip-hop community, Miami was actually busy getting fitted for her glamorous Met Gala dress with her styling team during the time that Rod alleges she was involved in the situation. Former US President Donald Trump has proposed a plan to end the Ukraine war by giving Ukraine back territory to Russia, according to The Washington Post. Some foreign policy experts believe that Trumps proposal would effectively hand Russias President Vladimir Putin a victory and validate the use of military force to break international borders. Former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives for a GOP fundraiser, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)(AP) Trumps Plan- Kyiv to yield territory to Russia The top GOP candidate has a plan to try to convince the American ally to cede some of its land to Russia in an effort to end the war. The former President has repeatedly said that if he were to return to office, he could put an end to the war in a matter of weeks. The Washington Post quotes anonymous sources who have spoken to Trump or his advisors as saying that his goal is to push Ukraine to cede Crimea and the border regions of Donbas to Russia. This comes after the leaders of Ukraine steadfastly refused to give up any territory during the conflict. Russia and Ukraine want to save face, they want a way out According to the report, the former POTUS, who is striving to return to the White House, strongly believes that both Russia and Ukraine "want to save face, they want a way out," as confirmed by a source who discussed the plans with him privately. Also read: Scary video shows Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 engine ripping apart during takeoff Crimea fell to Russia back in 2014. The Donbas region in eastern Ukraine has been at war with pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces for years. With the latest invasion, Russia has gained even more territory there. The former president seems to think people in those areas wouldn't mind becoming part of Russia, according to the report. The whole thing is fake news from the Washington Post. Theyre just making it up, Trumps campaign advisor slammed the news as fake. President Trump is the only one talking about stopping the killing. Joe Biden is talking about more killing. Advisor Jason Miller told the NY Post. Also read: 'Joe, we're gonna..': What went down in the phone call between President Biden and Netanyahu Reacting to the reported plan of Trump, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's Internal Affairs Ministry said, In reality, that would mean the ultimate collapse of the post-WWII world order and a signal that the law of force now supersedes the force of law. While reiterating his vitriol against immigrants from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, former US President Donald Trump on Saturday bemoaned the lack of immigration to the United States from "nice" countries. Speaking at a multimillion-dollar fundraiser at billionaire financier John Paulson's mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, Donald Trump ranted against illegal migrants entering the United States.(AP) Speaking at a multimillion-dollar fundraiser at billionaire financier John Paulson's mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee started ranting about illegal migrants entering the United States. His criticism comes at a time when the Joe Biden administration is facing a massive backlash over migrants influx at the southern border. Trump told the guest at a fundraiser that these people are coming in from jails and countries that are disasters," as per an attendee, NY TIMES reported. At the dinner, Trump went on to say that they are entering the US from a country like Yemen, where theyre blowing each other up all over the place. He also expressed his regret about the surge in immigration, especially from Latin America, stating that the members of gangs "make the Hells Angels look like really nice people." Claiming that most of them are residing on West Palm, the GOP leader declared, They've been brought in, shipped in, deposited in our country, and they're with us tonight. Also Read: Donald Trump plans to pressure Ukraine to give up its land to Russia to end the war: Report What are the NICE countries? Trump further asked the guests that why doesn't the United States allow people from "nice" countries such as Denmark, Switzerland and Norway. Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway? he said. Also Read: Donald Trump makes bizarre claim about Biden's worst SOTU address: 'He was higher than a kite' Trump says Biden 'soiled' resolute desk of White House Trump further chastised Biden and his staff for what he claimed were poor choices made in connection with the resolute desk and he held the incumbent president responsible for the surge of immigration. "The Resolute Desk is beautiful," Trump remarked, adding that it was used by Ronald Reagan and other presidents. In 1880, the British Queen Victoria gifted the resolute desk to then President Rutherford B. Hayes. The desk was created using oak timbers of the British ship HMS Resolute, which was used during an arctic expedition to find explorer Sir John Franklin in 1852. And hes using it. I might not use it the next time. Its been soiled. And I mean that literally, which is sad. The attendee said that crowd at the dinner chuckled when they realised that Trump was suggesting that Joe Biden has defecated on the desk. As the US counts down the final hours to the highly anticipated total solar eclipse on April 8, the astronomical spectacle will be witnessed across 15 states over North America. HOULTON, MAINE - APRIL 07: Eclipse glasses are worn by a statue of George Washington on April 07, 2024, in Houlton, Maine. Millions of people have flocked to areas across North America that are in the "path of totality" in order to experience a total solar eclipse. During the event, the moon will pass in between the sun and the Earth, appearing to block the sun. Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Photo by JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP) The once-in-a-blue-moon marvel is as mindboggling as it is detrimental to the eyes. Filled with intrigue, millions of spectators may feel the rush to watch the event with their naked eye. However, a senior Henry Ford ophthalmologist has some words of caution for you, some of which even touch upon potential permanent eye damage. Here are some highlights of Dr Nitin Kumar's unmissable conversation with The Detroit News: How to watch the solar eclipse without fearing permanent vision damage? Eye safety gear for the eclipse viewing experience First things first Most people experiencing this miraculous phenomenon may wonder if they can directly view the eclipse without any safety gear. Dr Kumar's negative nod advises you not to do so unless you're in totality. Even then, accurately timing the totality could be a hefty task. If not done correctly, it will result in unrepairable damage to your retina. The ophthalmologist guides people to wear proper filter protection covering the eyes. He even suggests that people in places experiencing totality should sport proper eye protection. Also read | NYC earthquake caught on TikTok live stream: Though harmless, rare seismic activity disconcerts residents People often lead with misplaced trust in regular sunglasses as an effective protective gear for such an event. However, the expert disregards even the most expensive sunglasses in this case. Instead, he mentions the International Organisation of Standards' specific limit - ISO 12312-2- as the ideal standard for preparing any requisite filter to look at the sun. Even UV-protected sunglasses don't fit the bill in this case. Similarly, while looking at the sun through a camera or a telescope, you must shield their lenses. Once you fit the suitable shield onto the end, the major amount of the sun's light will be filtered out, making it safe for viewing. Then comes the bigger question: What will happen if people look directly at the sun during the partial eclipse? The eye lens and cornea work together to focus light on the retina, which ultimately helps us see things clearly. If you choose to look at the sun during the eclipse without any protective gear, these two will focus damaging rays directly on the retina. As that happens, the retina's special cells, called photoreceptors, that turn light into electrical signals, would be fried. The resulting damage is generally a permanent hazard. Also read | Real or Fake? How to tell if your Eclipse glasses are safe amid phoney versions in US market Symptoms of permanent eye damage include solar retinopathy or eclipse retinopathy. An after-effect of sungazing or eclipse viewing, this is explained as a photochemical injury to the central retina. The mild to moderate loss of central vision can be irreversible, for which no proven treatment has been found. As you incur this damage, its common symptoms are developing a blind spot in the affected eye or both eyes. American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus also lists abnormal colour vision, twisting of the central vision, seeing objects smaller than they are and headaches as other solar retinopathy symptoms. Prince Harry's upcoming trip to the UK has the potential to be a turning point in his fractured relationship with Prince William. Royal experts believe that Harry's visit for his Invictus Games commitment might mend royal rift. Harry is set to appear at St. Paul's Cathedral on May 8, but Meghan's attendance remains unconfirmed. Prince Harry Memoir Spare Leaked: Britain's William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry are seen. (Reuters) The Sussexes do spring surprises After Kate Middleton and King Charles announced their cancer diagnoses, several UK publications have reported that Harry and Meghan have been keeping in touch with the royal family. Harry has hinted at plans to visit the UK, but there is concern that the situation could become awkward if he chooses not to visit his sister-in-law Kate and her family. But as per royal expert, The Sussexes do spring surprises. But, Harry still needs Meghan's help in this. Biographer Richard Fitzwilliams, speaking to The Sun, mentioned, "This has happened before, and you never know what might happen in the coming weeks or months. But I don't think Harry would do anything without Megan's consent. Also read: Prince Harry, Meghan alarmed as money is disappearing fast', have to make choices about Harry and Prince William to end royal rift? In 2020, Harry and Meghan decided to step down from their royal duties and have been living in the US since then. Despite maintaining limited contact with the UK royals, it seems that their decision to do so may be changing now. The best way to deal with this situation and resolve the rift, if it is to be resolved, is to handle it privately. Adds Richard Fitzwilliams in his statement to the outlet. With Catherine and the Kings illness - that is an enormous game changer even when there are deep family rifts. The two very senior members of the royal family, are very, are seriously ill, and you can't really predict what's what's going to happen." He continued. Also read: Meghan Markle strongly warned ahead of Prince Harrys UK visit for how she has acted for Prince William is feeling sad and bewildered According to royal expert Tom Quinn, Prince William is feeling "sad and bewildered" by his brother Prince Harry's behaviour, in the run-up to Harrys visit to the Great Britain. As per him, it seems that William is being practical about the situation, acknowledging that Harry has always been challenging. But, "Things are more difficult for Harry because unlike his brother he doesnt have a job," Quinn adds in his statement to the Mirror. 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Lucky for you if you are in Vermont, Maine, and parts of Canada as clear skies will make the astronomical event even more memorable for you. However, for those along the rest of the eclipse's path, the weather outlook remains uncertain as there are predictions of cloudy and rainy conditions. People gather two days ahead of a total solar eclipse at the Malecon in Mazatlan, Mexico April 6, 2024. REUTERS/Henry Romero(REUTERS) Total solar eclipse 2024 weather condition According to the latest weather forecast, almost everyone along the totality path will have the chance to see the eclipse, even with cloudy skies. However, some viewers have scored a perfect score, including those in Maine. On Sunday morning, the National Weather Service predicted a "near-perfect day" for eclipse viewing in Maine. The Burlington, Vermont weather service also had a sunny outlook, although there is still a chance for some high clouds to roll in in the afternoon. Also read: Real or Fake? How to tell if your Eclipse glasses are safe amid phoney versions in US market Cloud cover in Texas during Total eclipse Those who are actually worried about missing out on this once-in-a-lifetime astronomical are the stargazers of Central Texas. Forecasters see a high likelihood of cloud cover in the region. Texas has reported growing concern about severe storms, including hail and possibly tornadoes, that could occur within hours of totality in most of the state including Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. According to Mr. Anderson, he has witnessed eclipses even with 50-60% cloud cover forecasts. However, if the forecast is around 90%, which means almost completely overcast, it would take a miracle to make viewing possible. Therefore, there remains a chance for viewers to witness this mega event. Jay Anderson also believes the eclipse could be visible from Dallas to Columbus despite thin, high clouds. Not the best conditions but tolerable," he said. Also read: Total Solar Eclipse: All you want to know about the rare celestial event of April 8 A nearly perfect day for some Federal weather officials have stated that the best possibility of clear skies during the total eclipse will be in the northern region of New England, even though it is expected to be cold. According to AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham, the best viewing locations will include, the Southwest deserts, much of California, New England and parts of the Southeast." However, severe weather conditions can be expected from Missouri and Kansas to central and eastern Texas. Total solar eclipse 2024: path of totality Cleveland, along with most of northern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania, will see a total eclipse in the mid-afternoon. The path of totality will begin in Texas and then travel through Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, and Maine. Issuing a stern warning against 'gender theory', the Vatican on Monday declared sex-change surgery and surrogacy as grave threats to human dignity, according to a new document that has been approved and signed off by Pope Francis on March 25. The Vatican document titled Dignitas Inifinita, which means infinite dignity, declares that any efforts to hide "the sexual difference between man and woman" should be dismissed.(AP) The document titled Dignitas Inifinita, which means infinite dignity, declares that any efforts to hide "the sexual difference between man and woman" should be dismissed. Refuting the notion that an individual's gender can be altered, the document stated that God made man and woman to be physiologically distinct and that they should not change that plan or attempt to "make oneself God." It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception, the document said. Also Read: Ukraine summons Vatican envoy over Pope Francis' 'white flag' remarks What did the Vatican says on surrogacy and abortion? On abortion, the document essentially restates Catholic teachings on these subjects, stressing that every person is entitled to the same dignity regardless of their circumstances. The pontiff's previous statements that the "defense of unborn life is closely linked to the defense of each and every other human right" are firmly reiterated in this regard. In addition, the text discusses surrogacy, claiming that it "violates" the woman's and the child's dignity by turning them into "means subservient to the arbitrary gain or desire of others." Recently, Pope Francis advocated for the outlawing of surrogacy. Also Read: Pope Francis says he's 'much better' but still gets tired if he speaks too much It claims that sexual difference is "the most beautiful and most powerful" thing to differentiate between living beings, but gender theory "intends to deny that difference." The document asserts that medical intervention is allowed for those with "genital abnormalities", but insists that sex change surgery should be avoided since "the body serves as the living context in which the interiority of the soul unfolds and manifests itself". Dismissing the gender theory, the text also blasts countries like Africa that prohibit homosexuality, confirming Francis' claim that "being homosexual is not a crime". The Congregation for Catholic Education rejected the notion that humans may decide or alter their gender, which led to the Vatican issue its position on gender in 2019. The publication of the document coincides with ongoing pushback against transgender people, including in the US, where state legislatures led by GOPs are planning to bring a new legislation that would ban medical care for transgender youth and even for adults in certain situations. A suspect was arrested in connection with the apparent arson at Sen. Bernie Sanders' Vermont office, federal officials said Sunday. Shant Soghomonian, 35, was charged with "using fire to damage the building at One Church Street in Burlington," the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont said in a statement. On Friday, the Burlington Fire Department said that it was notified of a fire via phone call and discovered a blaze set approximately between the vestibule, the elevator, and the entrance door of Sanders' third-floor office. "A significant fire engulfed the door and part of the vestibule, impeding the egress of staff members who were working in the office and endangering their lives," Burlington police said at the time. Federal officials allege that Soghomonian entered the building on Friday morning and immediately headed toward Sanders' office. "Soghomonian was recorded on a security video spraying a liquid near the outer door of the office and then lighting the area with a handheld lighter," the US Attorney's Office said. "A blaze quickly began while Soghomonian departed via a staircase." While there were several employees inside the building during the fire, there were no injuries reported. If convicted, Soghomonian could face between five and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. China's military said Sunday that it launched air and sea patrols in the South China Sea in an apparent response to naval drills by the U.S. and its allies. The dueling operations come amid rising tensions in the region, particularly in long-running territorial disputes between China and the Philippines. Defense officials from the U.S., Japan, Australia and the Philippines announced Saturday that they would conduct joint exercises in the sea on Sunday. On Sunday, the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command said that it had launched patrols that determined "all military activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create hotspots are under control," according to the Associated Press. China's statement did not mention the United States or the naval drills, just as the statement by the U.S. and its allies did not mention China. But the operations unfolded against a backdrop of long-simmering international tensions in the sea. Despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that struck down China's far-reaching territorial claims in the sea, China has maintained disputes with several nations in the region, including the Philippines. Last month, the Chinese coast guard fired water cannons at a Philippine supply ship near the Second Thomas Shoal, prompting the Philippines to summon China's envoy and enhance their maritime security measures. Former President Donald Trump stopped short of endorsing a federal abortion ban, instead arguing that the issue should be left up to the states. "My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint," the presumptive Republican nominee said in a video shared to Truth Social on Monday morning. . "The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state." In the Truth Social video, Trump emphasized the importance of a November victory, telling voters to follow their hearts before adding, "but we must win. We have to win." "Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others, and that's what they will be," he said. The former president also advanced several false claims about Democratic policy surrounding abortion. He said that "radical" Democrats wanted abortion to be legal "up to and even beyond the ninth month" and "execution after birth." Trump also said that he was "strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother." The former president also broke ranks with some of the most conservative Republicans who have advocated for bans on in vitro fertilization. He praised the Alabama legislature for acting "very quickly" to undo the legal consequences of LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine - a state Supreme Court decision that held that frozen embryos are living beings. "I strongly support the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby," Trump said. "What could be more beautiful or better than that?" In the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion has increasingly proved to be a losing issue for Republicans. Many attributed the GOP's underperformance in the midterms to anger about the abortion bans sweeping the country. Referenda on abortion access have overwhelmingly resulted in victories for reproductive freedom advocates. Even in Republican-dominated states, like Kentucky, Kansas and Montana, putting abortion on the ballot has resulted in pro-choice victories. "Abortion is to Republicans what immigration is to Democrats," former Republican Representative Carlos Curbelo told Politico, last week. "If they're talking about it, they're losing." A Florida college student confessed to fatally stabbing his mother, a beloved teacher, to death because she "irritated" him, authorities said. 21-year-old Emmanuel Espinoza, a pre-med student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, was coming home for a family event. He had asked if he could stay with his mother, 46-year-old Elvia Espinoza, in Frostproof, about 60 miles south of Orlando, for the weekend, according to the Polk County Sheriff. He arrived at her home at around 2 p.m. on Saturday. When she opened the door, her son started repeatedly stabbing her. "She ran from him," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a video statement. As it happened, "she was talking to a family member on the phone." The sheriff said he continued to stab her until she fell to the ground and died. Emmanuel Espinoza immediately called 911 and confessed, according to Judd. "We talked to him, and he confessed," Judd said. "He said, 'You know, I have wanted to kill my mother for many years because she got on my nerves.'" When investigators asked him what his relationship with his mother was like, "He said, about an eight out of 10 that he really loved her, but she irritated him and he made up his mind today on his way from Gainesville that he would murder her," Judd said. Elvia Espinoza was a second-grade teacher at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School in Frostproof. "Her family, friends, students, and colleagues at the school and with Polk County Public Schools are in our prayers," Judd said. School board member Justin Sharpless said in a Facebook post: "She was a kind person who cared about her family, students, co-workers, and the Frostproof community." Emmanuel Espinoza was arrested on first-degree murder charges. He was being held without bond at the Polk County Jail. --TMX contributed to this report. An Idaho white supremacist prison gang member who escaped during a gunfight ambush at a hospital was due in court on Monday afternoon. Skylar Meade was scheduled to face a judge for a preliminary hearing hours after two co-defendants agreed to have their hearings delayed. Meade and Nicholas Umphenour were taken into custody in Twin Falls, Idaho last month after being on the run for about 36 hours. Umphenour was wanted on two charges of aggravated battery against law enforcement and one charge of aiding and abetting, in connection with Meade's prison break, which resulted in the shootings of three officers. Authorities allege Umphenour helped facilitate Meade's "brazen" and "coordinated" escape from a Boise hospital in the middle of the night, where the inmate was taken for treatment for an alleged self-inflicted injury. Authorities were also investigating two homicides in the nearby counties of Nez Perce and Clearwater for a possible connection to the two men. No charges have been filed yet in those killings. Meade was serving a 20-year prison sentence for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a firearm enhancement and was previously convicted of drug charges, grand theft, and introduction of contraband into a correctional facility when he escaped, police said. He had been locked up since October 2016 and his sentence was set to end in October 2036. The Idaho Department of Correction claimed Meade and Umphenour are members of the Aryan Knights white supremacist prison gang. Tia Garcia, 27, of Twin Falls is also charged in connection with the escape. She is accused of aiding and abetting escape in connection with the case. The Boise Police Department says Garcia had knowledge and was involved in the planning and execution of the escape. She is accused of falsely reporting her car stolen just after the attack. She was allegedly driving the truck Meade was in when police arrested him. Umphenour and Garcia appeared by video link from jail on Monday, and both agreed to have their preliminary hearings delayed until April 29. Meade did not agree to the delay. Attorneys for the Florida woman accused of hiring a hitman to "ambush" her Microsoft executive ex are making a bid to remove the prosecutors from the high-profile case. Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, 37, and her husband, Mario Fernandez-Saldana, 35, have been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse, in connection with the February 2022 slaying of Gardner-Fernandez's ex-husband, Jared Bridegan, a Microsoft senior design manager, according to court records. They pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty after Gardner-Fernandez and Fernandez-Saldana allegedly hired 62-year-old hitman Henry Tenon, to shoot and kill Bridegan in front of his then-2-year-old during their drive home after dropping off the twins he shared with his ex-wife. Bridegan got out of his car to remove a tire from a Jacksonville, Florida, roadway, when he was shot to death, according to police. Tenon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against the couple. In March, the defense teams for both Gardner-Fernandez and Fernandez-Saldana filed a motion to have the State Attorney's Office Fourth Judicial Circuit removed from their cases, citing a mishandling of attorney-client privileged communications, WTLV-TV reported. Both sides are arguing over who should make the decision over the fate of the State Attorney's Office. The state wants Special Master Judge Robert Foster to decide, while the defense is demanding Judge London Kite make the ruling. Subsequently, Kite ruled she'll make the determination over whether or not the current prosecutors will stay on the case, according to the outlet. Hearings for the motion are set for April 19 and May 3. Russian internet trolls are posing as American citizens and creating social media content in an attempt to undermine support for the Ukrainian people and influence American aid distribution, a new report revealed. Moscow public relations professionals, including Ilya Gambashidze, directed trolls to write internet comments with "no more than 200 characters in the name of a resident of a suburb of a major city." The United States previously sanctioned Gambashidze for his role in a "persistent foreign malign influence campaign." A hypothetical American, created by Russian bots would be someone who "doesn't support the military aid that the U.S. is giving Ukraine and considers that the money should be spent defending America's borders and not Ukraine's. He sees that Biden's policies are leading the U.S. toward collapse," the Washington Post reported. The Washington Post was given more than 100 documents that were written and distributed between May 2022 and August 2023, indicating that Russia is continuing to use propaganda against American citizens - much in the same way that it did during the 2016 presidential election. The Kremlin documents characterize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as corrupt, while also drawing attention to the ongoing migrant crisis. This comes as Republicans on Capitol Hill continue to clash over American support for Ukraine. Conservative hardliners have broken ranks with Speaker Mike Johnson over the issue, with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene describing funding Ukraine as "egregious." In at least one instance, pro-Russia factions were able to successfully disseminate a fake news story that claimed Zelenskyy bought two yachts with American aid money. The story was even shared on social media by Greene. North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis subsequently told CNN that aid distribution talks stalled in Congress, at least partially because politicians were worried that "people will buy yachts with this money." Trolls are also encouraged to bring up funding border security as a more important priority for the U.S. and suggest that "white Americans" will be the primary losers in foreign aid distribution. "It is Russia's top priority to stop the weapons, so they are throwing things at the wall to see what sticks," a Republican staffer told the Washington Post. "We are seeing a broad-based campaign that has multiple lines of effort, some of which work better than others. The Russians don't care. They are just trying to seed the environment." Laurens Zieren has been appointed as the General Manager of Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, a luxurious oceanfront haven situated in Fort Lauderdale with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean. With over three decades of experience in the hospitality industry, including two decades spent in various roles across Europe, Zieren brings a wealth of expertise to his new position. Prior to joining Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, he served as the general manager at The Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood, Curio Collection by Hilton in Florida. His career highlights also include being part of the opening team at Disneyland in Paris, serving as the general manager of New York Hilton Midtown, and holding the position of regional vice president at a prominent hospitality management company. Zieren's leadership style emphasizes fostering a strong recognition of hotel culture and maintaining close connections with both his team and guests through his "management-by-walking" approach. Fluent in four languages - German, French, Dutch, and English - he has been actively involved in hotel associations across the United States and Europe, including New York, Illinois, and Ireland. Originally hailing from The Hague in the Netherlands, Zieren graduated from Haagland with a degree in Hotel/Motel Administration and Management. Now, he is set to bring his extensive leadership experience to Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, overseeing its 374 all-suite accommodations, diverse culinary offerings, rooftop pool, spa, fitness center, and expansive meetings and events space while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of North Fort Lauderdale Beach. With heightened interest in the hotel franchise model, particularly in Asia, La Vie Hotels & Resorts has moved to appoint highly respected hospitality leader, David Wray to the position of Senior Director, Growth & Development, ASIA. With a strong history of strategic acquisitions and growth in brand development across Asia Pacific, David brings more than three-decades of industry experience and an extensive network across South East Asia to the newly created role. Previous to La Vie, David was Senior Vice President - Acquisitions & Development at Travel + Leisure Co (formerly Wyndham Vacations Resorts) for 19 years, where he played a pivotal role in expanding the group's timeshare model and entering hybrid operations. Previous to this, he was at Choice Hotels where he was Franchise Director. As Senior Director, Growth & Development, ASIA, David's key priority will be driving significant growth in the region by working closely with owners to procure franchise agreements with major hotel brands with a particular focus on building the portfolio in Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea and China. David will be based in Singapore but will travel regularly between La Vie's Head Offices in Bangkok and Sydney. Since joining Peachtree in 2014, Harper has distinguished himself through a succession of leadership roles, directing the company's credit business, particularly in loan originations and strategic acquisition of credit portfolios. Since joining, he has led the team through over 500 investments totaling over $6 billion. As president, he is responsible for the entirety of Peachtree's credit platform for hotels, guiding all facets of the credit business. Peachtree Group Atlanta, Georgia United States Website In September 2023, one of the world's leading luxury hotel brands expanded its portfolio of deluxe properties with the opening of The Peninsula London, a five-star development dripping in lion-guarded splendor. Dubbed the Big Smokes first "billion-pound hotel," the Peninsula's newest outpost has been in the making for more than 30 years and now, it arrives just in time to carve its name alongside the big players of London's ever-emerging luxury hotel scene. Staying close to its flagship hotel in Hong Kong and every other Peninsula worldwide one of the first things guests will notice is the Chinese lions standing high and proud by the entrance doors. The statement pair (male and female) exist harmoniously to warn off harmful influences, protecting and welcoming all who cross its threshold. First impression grandeur continues as guests arrive in The Lobby, the central area occupying the ground floor. The light and airy space is home to triple-height ceilings, palm trees, and nature-inspired hand-painted murals by de Gournay, with muted tones and a light earthy palette introducing a zen-like calmness. The Rooms Our Grand Premier room spanned more than 550 square feet larger than most city apartments with a large bedroom compromising soft furnishings for relaxation, a work desk area, and state of the art audio audio-visual center. Overlooking Wellington Arch and the daily parade of the Buckingham Palace mounted guards, the floor-to-ceiling picture-like window frames have views that uniquely place you in the heart of the capital. Continuing to hit the mark with style and luxury, the bathroom, adorned in honey onyx marble, double vanities, a generously sized bathtub, and a spacious walk-in shower, beckons you to wind down. Read the full article at Travel + Leisure UTRECHT, The Netherlands - According to BCD Travels Cities & Trends 2023 United States edition, Europe accounts for seven of the 10 most visited intercontinental cities for American business travelers, with London being the most popular. The report is based on BCD flight and car rental data in 2023 in the U.S. Top 10 business travel cities The list of most visited domestic cities for business travel is led by Atlanta. The home of many Fortune 500 companies such as Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola, Atlanta is also recognized as the city with the fastest growth in people starting a new business. Dallas-Fort Worth, featuring a robust network of major companies and corporate headquarters, and Chicago, with a growing reputation as a tech hub, follow in second and third place. Europe is clearly leading with the top 10 intercontinental cities. According to the European Commission, the EU and U.S. have the largest trade and investment relationship in the world. Together, both economies account for one-third of global trade in goods and services. Apart from business hotspot London in first place, other European cities in the list include Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Zurich and Dublin. The ranking also includes three Asian cities: Tokyo, Seoul and Dubai. Source: BCD Travel Top 5 business travel states and countries Texas is leading the top five domestic states for business travel. With no corporate or personal income tax, Texas is an appealing option for both companies and employees. In recent years, the state has attracted many corporate relocations from Silicon Valley, including high-profile companies such as Tesla and Hewlett Packard. Nevertheless, California in second place remains a top state for doing business. Again, the intercontinental ranking with the U.K., Germany, Netherlands and France demonstrates the strong trade relationship with Europe. Source: BCD Travel On a global level, business travel has recovered to 90% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels. Factors like economic conditions, remote work and sustainability developments will continue to have an impact on business travel. For example, in 2024, a fifth of offices in the U.S. will be empty, as 60% of firms allow remote working. But anyone in a team made up of remote workers will need to meet face-to-face occasionally. Companies are responding to this development, encouraging remote teams to meet at head offices or other convenient meeting locations. As the commuter of yesterday becomes the business traveler of tomorrow, remote work could potentially lead to more travel. Craig Bailey, BCDs president, Americas Top 10 business travel routes New York City is the most often used departure hub for intercontinental routes1, with flights to London, Frankfurt and Paris. The top 10 arrival hubs for intercontinental flights are all in Europe and dominated by London and Frankfurt, together accounting for eight positions in the top 10. Amsterdam and Paris complete the list. Source: BCD Travel Cabin class When booking intercontinental flights in 2023, U.S. business travelers chose mostly business class (53%) and economy class (36%). Premium economy (10%) and first class (1%) were booked the least. Flight type When traveling for business in the U.S., 80% of booked flights were direct with only 20% as connecting flights. For intercontinental travel, the breakdown is almost equal: 47% of booked flights were direct, 53% were connecting flights. Travelers usually choose their flight and cabin class as per their companys policy, schedule and personal preferences. If travelers want to reach their destination early, they tend to book a direct flight. If they dont have a time limit and want to save money, they might opt for a connecting flight. For intercontinental flights, theyre also highly dependent on whether direct flights for their destination are available. Car rental For 44% of all air bookings in the U.S., business travelers booked a rental with an average of four days. Dallas-Fort Worth leads the ranking of car rental cities, followed by Chicago and Atlanta. When traveling for business, especially to a spread-out city like Dallas-Fort Worth, renting a car provides a convenient and flexible way to get around, Bailey added. It offers the freedom to make your own schedule, without having to rely on public transportation, taxis or ride-sharing services. According to a global car rental survey recently conducted by BCD, 83% of U.S. business travelers said they never rent an electric car on business trips. This is mainly because of complex logistics, low availability at the rental location and short range. Those who rent electric cars are mostly motivated by sustainability or their desire to try an electric vehicle. Click here for more findings from the car rental survey. The full Cities & Trends 2023 United States Report with insights about U.S. business travelers can be found here. Ref. 1: Top routes combine data of multiple airports for the following cities: London (Heathrow, London Gatwick and London City); Paris (Charles de Gaulle and Orly); New York City (John F. Kennedy, Newark and La Guardia) and Dallas-Fort Worth (Dallas-Fort Worth International, Love Field and Addison). About the report Business travel can be a seismograph of economic growth. The rise and fall of business travel volumes reflect the level and health of economic activity within a region or country. BCDs latest Cities & Trends 2023 United States edition shows the top destinations for U.S. business travelers with insights into how they travel. The findings are based on BCD flight and car rental data from 2023 in the U.S. This report follows the recently published Cities & Trends 2023 Europe edition. The reports are produced annually. About BCD Travel BCD Travel helps companies travel smart and achieve more. We drive program adoption, cost savings and talent retention through digital experiences that simplify business travel. Our 13,000 dedicated team members service clients in 170+ countries as we shape a sustainable future for business travel. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com. About BCD Group BCD Group is a market leader in the travel industry. The privately owned company was founded in 1975 by John Fentener van Vlissingen and consists of BCD Travel, its subsidiaries BCD Meetings & Events and Advito, and Park "N Fly. For more information, visit www.bcdgroup.com. ATLANTA - IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the worlds leading hotel companies, has been named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2024 List by Great Place To Work and Fortune magazine, coming in at No. 28. Earning a spot means that IHG Hotels & Resorts has surpassed rigorous benchmarks, establishing itself as one of the countrys best places to work. To determine the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Great Place To Work analyzed the anonymous survey responses of more than half a million employees from Great Place To Work Certified companies with at least 1,000 workers. Companies also submitted essays describing their efforts to offer generous and innovative support for workers, which were validated against employee survey responses. This ranking serves as an important benchmark as we continue to create a performance-led culture at IHG, leveraging the power of our exceptional talent to deliver on our goals and priorities as a business. Id like to thank all our colleagues for their commitment and care and for sharing their perspectives on what makes IHG a great place to work. It is paramount to all of us as a leadership team to ensure that IHG continues to be an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and feel welcome. Rani Hammond, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Americas, IHG Hotels & Resorts IHGs commitment to being a top employer is evidenced by its unique culture and by the company offering a wide array of benefits in the US that support the diverse needs of each of its employees and their families. Beyond competitive pay and benefits, colleagues can also expect recognition for their hard work, a healthy working environment, and the right work-life balance. Making the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list is highly competitive. Ranking is determined by employee survey responses and more detailed essay submissions that provided greater insight into IHGs culture. Honorees were selected based on their ability to offer positive outcomes for employees regardless of job role, race, gender, sexual orientation, work status, or other demographic identifier. Its in times like these that the best workplaces separate themselves. In a challenging economy, many companies reduce investments in their people and scale back goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion. But these companies, the 100 Best, relentlessly pursue a better work experience for every employee, and if anything, double down on the employee experience regardless of title, tenure, gender, or ethnicity. These companies know this is how you increase performance, productivity, and your innovation velocity when your firm needs it the most. Michael C. Bush, CEO, Great Place To Work Fortune is pleased to have collaborated once again with Great Place To Work to recognize the 100 Best Companies to Work For. We congratulate all the organizations included in this years ranking for creating positive work environments and value for their employees, especially during this period of economic uncertainty. Alyson Shontell, Editor-in-Chief, Fortune This recognition aligns to IHGs Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan, which includes a set of ambitious sustainability commitments to drive change for people, communities, and the planet. To learn more about IHGs commitment to responsible business, visit www.ihgplc.com/en/responsible-business. To view open jobs available at IHG, visit www.careers.ihg.com. About theFortune 100 Best Companies to Work For Great Place To Work selected the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list by analyzing survey responses of over half a million employees who work for Great Place To Work Certified companies with at least 1,000 workers. The survey contained 60 employee experience questions that make up the Great Place To Work Trust Index. Companies also submitted essays about their workplace benefits and employee support programs, which were validated against employee survey data. As of the Aug. 2, 2022 deadline for this list, Great Place To Work surveyed companies employing 7.5 million people in the U.S. and received 1.3 million survey responses. Of those, over half a million responses were received from employees at companies who were eligible for the 2023 100 Best and this list is based on their feedback. Great Place To Work determines its lists using its proprietary For All Methodology to evaluate and certify thousands of organizations in Americas largest ongoing annual workforce study. Read the full methodology. To get on this list next year, start here. About Great Place To Work Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, we have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Our employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make data-driven people decisions. Everything we do is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work for all. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. About Fortune The Fortune mission is to change the world by making business better. We achieve that by providing trusted information, telling great stories, and building world-class communities. We measure performance by rigorous benchmarks. And we hold companies accountable. Our goal is to make Fortune a force for good through its second century and beyond. For more information, visit www.fortune.com. About IHG IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 in the development pipeline. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Katie Shuford IHG From Bordeaux to Flasch: the evolving landscape of wine investment and the role of Switzerland - Instead of stocks, bitcoin or gold, you can also invest in luxury goods such as wine. In fact, not all wines qualify, as they must meet certain requirements in order for them to be suitable for trade. Dr. Jean-Philippe Weisskopf, wine connoisseur and professor at EHL Hospitality Business School, explains how best to invest in wine. HIGHLIGHTS Wine investment is in a worldwide boom. Not all wines are suitable for investment. You can make a profit by trading wine. For the wine investment to be lucrative, several criteria need be taken into account. What kind of people invest in the wine trade? On the one hand, we have investors who are not necessarily wine connoisseurs who aim to make money from it. On the other hand, there are the classic collectors, similar to those who like to collect luxury watches or classic cars. These people sometimes attach great importance to the reputation or the rarity of a wine brand or winery. And then, of course, theres the wine enthusiasts. What criteria must a wine meet to be suitable for trade or to be referred to asfine wine? A key criterion is undoubtedly the shelf life of a wine. If it can only be stored for a short time, it is not worth investing in. Indeed, wines must have a certain shelf life in order to be tradable once or multiple times. Are there any differences, for example, depending on the region? No, most reputable regions can produce wines suitable for a longer shelf life in an appropriate warehouse. So, do you need a large wine cellar at home to store large quantities? Of course, this would be the perfect solution. However, numerous suppliers are available with whom you can store fine wines professionally at the optimal temperature and humidity. What else do you have to consider in order to select the right wine as an investment? Rarity, production must be limited. For example, if only a certain quantity of a variety and a vintage was produced, this helps increase the value over time. How small does such a production have to be? This depends on the region and the other four criteria. In Bordeaux, we are talking about 200000 to 300000 bottles, while in Burgundy or Piemont, we're talking about production runs of less than 5000 or even 1000 bottles. You should also pay attention to the quality of the wine. Because over the long term, only excellent wines can increase in value. So, are only very rare wines suitable for trading? No, because in order to trade wine properly, it must be available relatively quickly in significant quantities. In other words, market liquidity needs to be high enough. Thus, you have to estimate how many bottles are available on the market and how many the producer releases at which time. This has become a key strategic advantage and is a well-kept secret by producers, especially in Bordeaux. Is it better to rely on well-known wine producers or certain varieties? A brands reputation and history certainly play into a wines value. However, its definitely not everything. For example, despite Swiss wines having a good reputation in this country, they are hardly known abroad. For instance, Switzerland only exports around 2% of its production, which does not help create international visibility. At the same time, the brand Switzerland is strong in terms of quality and can thus increase the value of a product. Where can you trade wines? Is there a wine exchange? Currently, this is still limited in Switzerland. In Zurich, for example, Steinfels and other smaller merchants allow customers to buy and sell wines or conduct auctions. Internationally, this is done through private networks, large wine merchants, auction houses, and increasingly via the Liv-ex platform. However, overall buyers of fine wines are today mostly coming from Asia. Burgundy wines are currently the most traded (in value terms) on the platform. Bordeaux wines, Champagne, and Italian wines follow. In 54th place are Rhone Valley wines, and in 6th place US wines and. Around 2-3% come from other parts of the world. Source: EHL Source: EHL About EHL Group EHL Group is the global reference in education, innovation and consulting for the hospitality and service sector. With expertise dating back to 1893, EHL Group now offers a wide range of leading educational programs from apprenticeships to master's degrees, as well as professional and executive education, on three campuses in Switzerland and Singapore. EHL Group also offers consulting and certification services to companies and learning centers around the world. True to its values and committed to building a sustainable world, EHL Group's purpose is to provide education, services and working environments that are people-centered and open to the world. www.ehlgroup.com EHL Hospitality Business School Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source NEWTON, MA - Sonesta International Hotels Corporation (Sonesta) announced the opening of two new upper-midscale Sonesta Essential hotels in March. Sonesta Essential Morgantown is a 57-room hotel located at 15 Lawless Road in Morgantown, West Virginia, and Sonesta Essential Gonzales is a 52-room hotel located at 2019 Water Street in Gonzales, Texas. The opening of two new Sonesta Essential hotels showcases the continued growth of one of Sonestas newest brands. As experienced hotel owners and operators, we have created a fast, friendly, and flexible model for our franchisees that allows for swift conversions into our portfolio. Keith Pierce, Sonestas EVP and President Franchise & Development Sonesta Essential is a limited-service brand that provides guests with only the essentials for their stays. Sonesta Essential features elevated bedding as part of the brands unique sleep program, high-speed complimentary WiFi, complimentary hot breakfast, premium all-day coffee and a fitness center. Guests booking at Sonesta Essential can earn or redeem points in the award-winning Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program. About Sonesta Sonesta is the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. according to Smith Travel Research (STR) with approximately 1,100 properties totaling 100,000 guest rooms across 13 brands in eight countries. Sonesta owns, manages and/or franchises under The Royal Sonesta; The James, Classico Collection by Sonesta, Sonesta Hotels, Resorts & Cruises; MOD Collection by Sonesta, Sonesta Select; Sonesta Essential, Sonesta ES Suites, Sonesta Simply Suites, Red Lion Hotels, Inns & Suites by Sonesta; Signature Inn by Sonesta; Americas Best Value Inn by Sonesta and Canadas Best Value Inn by Sonesta. Redefining hospitality through its award-winning Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program, Sonesta offers guests the opportunity to earn and redeem points for unparalleled value and personalized experiences. Sonesta Travel Pass members receive the best rates, earn immediate points towards free nights, and accelerated status progression based on stays. For more information about Sonesta, visit Franchise.Sonesta.com, email [email protected] or call 1.617.658.1596. Lorie Juliano Sonesta International Hotels Corporation +1 617 421 5429 Sonesta LodgIQ and Skyware Announce Strategic Partnership and Product Integration to Enhance Hotel Operations In an industry-first move, LodgIQ and Skyware have joined forces to announce a strategic partnership introducing a seamless technology integration. This collaboration is set to address the critical needs of hoteliers by offering an innovative solution that simplifies and optimizes hotel operations. The partnership arises from a shared vision of providing exceptional customer service and a response to the growing demand for more reliable and efficient hotel management solutions. LodgIQs expansion into integrated technology solutions finds a perfect match in Skywares renowned high-touch customer service, creating a synergy that benefits hoteliers and their guests alike. We are thrilled to join Skyware in optimizing hotel operations, says David Millili, LodgIQ, CEO. He continues, LodgIQ brings advanced revenue management within its commercial strategy platform to Skywares property management system, enriching it with sophisticated yet accessible yield and revenue management capabilities. This integration is: A strategic enhancement that empowers hoteliers to make informed decisions, streamline operations, and improve guest satisfaction. Sophisticated yet accessible yield and revenue management capabilities. Designed to be simple, reliable, and effective. Allows for a seamless flow of critical data, enabling hoteliers to access important information effortlessly. A deep two-way integration. Eliminates the need for complex workarounds, focusing instead on a solution that just works. At the heart of this partnership is a commitment to the customer. Both companies have emphasized the importance of not just meeting but exceeding hoteliers expectations with a solution that is as powerful as it is easy to use. By combining cutting-edge technology with a focus on simplicity and reliability, LodgIQ and Skyware are redefining what hoteliers can expect from their tech partners. With deep industry knowledge and top-rated North American-based support, Skywares patented technology accelerates its customers; ambitions, whether to grow and transform or simply become more efficient, productive, and profitable, says Robert Palloni, Managing Director of Skyware Systems LodgIQ and Skywares collaboration marks a significant milestone in hospitality technology. By focusing on the needs of hoteliers and placing a high value on customer service, this partnership sets a new standard for whats possible in hotel management technology. For hoteliers seeking a solution that combines advanced functionality with ease of use, the LodgIQ and Skyware partnership represents a new era of opportunity. About Skyware Hospitality Solutions Skyware Hospitality Solutions is the industrys most innovative all-in-one hospitality technology platform trusted by leading independent hotels, resorts, RV parks, and multi-property groups. The company has reimagined the fragmented, complex legacy landscape into a visionary universe of modern, integrated solutions with limitless possibilities. With more than 30 years of hospitality technology experience, Skywares solutions are carefully curated to fit the unique needs of each property and built to respond flexibly to the demanding requirements of a fast-changing industry. Built from the ground up to centralize and simplify operations, the end-to-end cloud-based PMS suite includes Online Booking Engine, POS, Sales, and Catering, and Activity/Spa Scheduling. The easy-to-use system is up and running quickly and seamlessly, delivering a scalable, cost-effective solution that can work with or replace existing hotel systems and technology investments. With deep industry knowledge and top-rated North American-based support, Skywares patented technology accelerates its customers' ambitions, whether to grow and transform or simply become more efficient, productive, and profitable. Currently, over 200 unique hotel customers in over five countries look to Skyware for tools, technology, and world-class expert support. Founded in 2009, the privately held company is headquartered in Crestview, Florida. For more information, please visit skywaresystems.com. Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn Guestroom at the Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn Fairfield by Marriott expands its global footprint with the opening of Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn, marking its first hotel opening within Europe Fairfield by Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy's global portfolio of over 30 extraordinary hotel brands, announces its debut in Europe with the opening of Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn. Situated in Copenhagen's vibrant North Harbour district, the opening marks a momentous milestone for the trusted brand and its continued global growth. Fairfield by Marriott is the second largest brand within Marriott Bonvoy's global portfolio with a footprint of over 1,290 open hotels and a healthy pipeline of over 450 properties globally, including 17 additional hotels predicted to open across Europe and the Middle East. Fairfield celebrates the beauty of simplicity with a seamless, reliable hotel experience focused on productivity and a great night's sleep, all at great value. Inspired by the heritage of the Marriott family country retreat, Fairfield pays homage to the restorative setting that fosters the feelings of pure joy and natural ease, founded on the principles of warm hospitality, trusted service and backed by the Fairfield Guarantee. "As the brand's inaugural property in Europe, the opening of Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn marks a significant milestone in our strategic growth plan for the Fairfield by Marriott brand," said Mary Garris Vice President, Classic Select Global Brand Management. "Fairfield by Marriott is known for its rich heritage that values a simple, seamless, and stress-free experience which pairs well with modern Scandinavian culture and design, making Copenhagen the ideal city to introduce our European-inspired aesthetic." Fairfield properties globally offer a design aesthetic that is simple, timeless and contemporary. The brand's European design has been carefully considered, fusing creative cues from nature and the heritage of the Fairfield country retreat with a light, modern Scandinavian style to offer an effortlessly relaxed yet efficient hotel design. Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn is the first hotel to showcase the brand's European prototype created by OCCA Design Studio and will act as a blueprint for the Fairfield by Marriott design across Europe. OCCA Design Studio collaborated with Scandinavian-based Mette Fredskild Design and Henning Larsen Architects to amplify the design locally and fully capture the essence of Danish "hygge" for travellers seeking comfort and balance while visiting the city. The design of the hotel's public spaces and 222 guestrooms, 20 of which offer sea views, draws upon a soothing palette of natural colours and materials, including green tones and wood, alongside a mix of soft organic and simple geometric forms to help guests feel calm. Guestrooms feature comfortable beds, a shower, complimentary Wi-Fi and mobile desk spaces to suit both business and leisure travellers. Advertisement Staying true to the brand's legacy, Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn offers a relaxing waterfront setting in the charming Arhusgadekvarteret neighborhood - a creative hub for local architecture, design, restaurants, cafes providing travellers with a retreat from bustle of the city centre while remaining well connected. North Harbour is one of Northern Europe's largest new urban development projects, which is planned to be a fully sustainable, energy carbon-neutral hub. Based on the principles of a "Five-minute City," public transport, city districts, local facilities, green areas and the waterfront are all within five minutes reach. The hotel showcases Fairfield's flexible public spaces, signature elements of all properties, ideal for connecting with other travellers, working or simply to relax. The Social Market is at the heart of the Fairfield guest experience, offering a complimentary healthy breakfast that provides guests with a nutritious start to the day. For a quick refreshment on the go, guests can make use of the convenient 24/7 market, stocked with snacks and beverages. The spacious lobby offers a bright, comfortable and transitional space from day to night, well suited for connectivity and productivity, and the Fitness Center allows guests to maintain routines and balance away from home. Further awaited openings from Fairfield by Marriott in Europe are anticipated in key business and leisure destinations including; Fairfield by Marriott Bordeaux Train Station (France), set to feature 191 guestrooms just a short walk from Bordeaux-Saint-Jean railway; the 158-guestroom Fairfield by Marriott Erding (Germany) located in the quintessential Bavarian town of Erding to the north-east of Munich; Fairfield by Marriott Istanbul Yenibosna (Turkey), set to offer 192 guestrooms as part of a mixed-use development in the Yenibosna district; plus the 142-guestroom Fairfield by Marriott Warwick (United Kingdom), ideally situated for guests to discover the motoring heritage of the area being within close proximity to the British Motor Museum. The former three properties are expected to open in 2025. The brand's debut in the Middle East is currently anticipated to follow in 2027 with the opening of its first two properties in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Chicago, IL (60637) Today Windy early with showers becoming likely after midnight. Low 48F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Windy early with showers becoming likely after midnight. Low 48F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60%. By SA Commercial Prop News File photo shows an avenue leading to the Atlantis hotel on the Palm Jumeirah Island in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), a Dubai government conglomerate behind some of the emirate's industrial powerhouses says it has bought a "significant" stake in the Kerzner International Holdings, a hotel operator that runs the Atlantis hotel on the city's main palm-shaped island. Investment Corporation of Dubai said Thursday last week that it bought the stake in Kerzner International Holdings from the family of founder Sol Kerzner and several institutional investors. It did not disclose the size of the stake or the purchase price. The transaction will see ICD executive director and CEO Mohammed Al Shaibani take over as chairman of the operator from South Africa-born hotel magnate Sol Kerzner who founded the company in 1994. The value of the deal was not disclosed in a statement the ICD issued on Thursday. Kerzner International Holdings operates globally under the One&Only and Atlantis brands significantly in Dubai with three resorts along with two in the Bahamas and others in Mauritius the Maldives Mexico South Africa and soon Australia. Debt restructuring agreements last year saw Kerzner International Holdings handing over its Atlantis resort properties in Dubai and the Bahamas effectively leaving it as a resort management branding and development company. State-run investment firm Istithmar World paid $250m to buy out Kerzner International Holdings which had held a 50% stake in the Dubai Atlantis hotels. Mr Shaibani said on Thursday that the Kerzner business and its brands were synonymous with the luxury hotel industry a sector which is of strategic importance to Dubai. Mr Kerzner said: I am exceptionally proud of all that has been accomplished at Kerzner International. This is a significant milestone in my life after a long and happy career in the tourism industry and I wish the company well. I am confident that with ICDs guidance the company will fulfil on its upcoming expansions towards further growth and global reach. Kerzner International Holdings CEO Alan Leibman will continue to oversee the companys expansion including a new Atlantis resort in China and four One&Only resorts being developed around the world. ADVERTISE Hypebot & MusicThinkTank With the internet and digital technologies driving rapid change within the music industry, articles about new releases and who has been hired and fired are no longer enough. Our up to the minute industry news alongside insightful commentary helps our readers sift through the rumors and developments to find the information they need to keep their businesses moving forward. Hypebot is read daily by more than 30,000 music industry professionals including executives and senior staff of music related tech firms, internet based music sites, every major label group and most indies as well as many managers, artists and members of the live music community: Contact us for the latesst stats, ad rates and sponosorship opportunites. We also offer combined rates with MusicThinkTank. Lenox Library to Host Program on the Birds of Kennedy Park LENOX, Mass. Lenox Library will host a multimedia presentation by Mark Ameigh on the "Birds of Kennedy Park" on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. in the Library's Welles Gallery, located at 18 Main Street. The program will highlight roughly 50 birds that can be found in Kennedy Park, most of which are summer-only residents that arrive in late April and are gone by early August. These include warblers, vireos, fly-catchers, Grosbeaks, and other migratory species, each staking out a territory in their favored habitats. Using drawings and a copy of the trail map displayed on kiosks throughout the park, Mark Ameigh will show where he encountered various birds in the summer of 2023. Due to their diminutive size, elusive nature, and camouflaging plumage, many birds are nearly impossible to see and can only be heard. Cell phone apps recently have become available to capture their songs and identify which bird is calling. One such app is Merlin Sound ID from Cornell Universitys Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY. Ameigh will demonstrate how this app works so attendees can identify more of the birds they hear in Kennedy Park. Attendees are encouraged to bring their favorite birding field guide for personal reference during the program. Presenter Mark Ameigh lives in Lenox. A self-described "amateur naturalist" who moved from Buffalo, NY to Western Mass in 1983, he has spent years scouting the nature reserves of the region in search of birds, butterflies, wildflowers, and other wildlife that make the highlands of Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires so special. In the spring of 2023, he began to maintain a daily journal of bird species he encountered, primarily in Kennedy Park and Mass Audubons Pleasant Valley and Canoe Meadows wildlife reserves. After reading two articles on drawing birds published in the New York Times in the summer of 2023, he took up the challenge of learning to draw birds himself and looked to his journals for subjects to illustrate. This program is free and open to the public. Many Forks Farm in Clarksburg will have its future preserved as agricultural land. BNRC Ensures Many Forks Farm Will Continue Under New Farmer Many Forks Farm has a new farmer, Molly Comstock, already at work planting seeds. CLARKSBURG, Mass. Molly Comstock and Sharon Wyrrick have traveled in the same circle for years, both farming at opposite ends of Berkshire County. Around the time Wyrrick was looking for a successor after more than a decade at her farm in Clarksburg, Comstock's lease in Alford was suddenly not renewed. The future of Many Forks Farm and Colfax Farm hung in limbo. It took some time but, ultimately, with the help of the Berkshire Natural Resource Council, Wyrrick and Comstock were able to work out a plan for Many Forks Farm to continue under Comstock's ownership. Their stories are not unique; across the nation older farmers are aging out while many younger farmers struggle to access land they can farm on. It's a complicated situation and finances impact what options exist. "A generation of farmers are aging out of their profession," said Mackenzie Greer, director of public programs at BNRC. "Younger farmers struggle to secure farmland at reasonable prices, as the cost of Massachusetts farmland is rising as quickly as any in the country." Making the best options affordable for retiring farmers and newer farmers can require resources, assistance from professionals, time and a bit of matchmaking. Initially, Comstock worked with the Berkshire Land Trust, hoping to follow a model used by Indian Line Farm in Great Barrington to create a community land trust where Colfax Farm could relocate. At the same time, Wyrrick was working with the Berkshire Natural Resources Council to ensure the land of Many Forks Farm would be conserved as farmland, preferably as a working farm. "I knew she was looking for somebody but North County felt like it was practically Vermont, which it is is," said Comstock. (The border is a couple hundred yards down the road.) "But I came up here and I saw this an amazing farm, I realized how much Sharon had sacrificed, how she had bought a second parcel of land to make the farm whole." That was 18 months ago. Over the following months, Comstock started working at Many Forks Farm two days a week for the 2023 season, and they went over ways they could envision the future. "Initially, I wasn't thinking long term at all, because I was leasing on the site. I guess I thought it would become clearer to me what the long-term picture would be as I went," Wyrrick said. "It was pretty quickly that I started to feel the limits of my situation because I was leasing." Not having access to running water or electricity and not having a place to store produce after harvest were the most pressing needs. While there are a number of avenues she could explore, "funding and grant opportunities are limited if you are not the land owner or don't have a long term lease," Wyrrick explained. Wyrrick purchased the parcel that included a house and the two acres she had started the farm on, and then later was able to purchase another parcel to make the farm nearly 20 acres. The two properties had once been a single parcel and had been separated a couple of decades ago, so Wyrrick was putting it back together. Having dealt with the roadblocks associated with short-term leasing, Wyrrick understood the importance of a long-term lease or land ownership for any successor. Rich Montone, director of development at BNRC, said the plan ultimately agreed upon was that BNRC would purchaes the farm from Wyrrick at a generously low price and place legal conservation instruments on the farm that will remain with the deed in perpetuity. Comstock will lease for two to three years and then purchase the farm, with the conservation restrictions, keeping not just the land conserved but the farm business intact as well. The value of land under conservation restrictions is lower than land that can be developed for other uses, so BNRC pays more when purchasing the land than when it sells to the new farmer. Montone explained, "BNRC can take that hit because it has donor support. Donors understand they are making a gift to the Berkshires so that Berkshire farming can continue." BNRC reviews many factors when considering a conservation project. They are mapped into a tool used to score each property, considering, for example, carbon storage, clean water, wildlife habitat, food security, and adjacency to other conserved properties. "We think about the scale of the project and if we are the right partner for it. Sometimes we might connect a land owner to a local land trust, such as one that's run by a town. We might connect them to a state agency or statewide entity like Trustees of the Reservation, if we think the project scale is better suited to them," said Montone. "Farms this size can really contribute to a community and a farm this size make sense in this community," said Wyrrick. Affordable housing for farmers and farm workers can often be scarce but the Many Forks property has a house as well. Workers from two nearby farms are living there now and helping out at Many Forks, too. This is another strength of the project. Another factor is what the retiring farmer needs. If all of their family assets are tied up in a farm, their bottom-line price for selling will be higher. Market price for the property will be much higher if they just sell it with no restrictions. What the current owner wants will have great impact on whether a conservation project can happen. "Early on, I knew that succession would become an important thing to begin to understand. I was a little bit aware right after I moved to the Berkshires, Caretaker Farm [in Williamstown] started their process. I wasn't part of the process but I knew how long it would take and it was a good lesson for understanding how it would work," explained Wyrrick. "I had my first real thought in 2018 and 2019 when I had a consult with Land for Good to talk about options." Montone said Wyrrick was generous in offering the farm at a bargain sale. "If she had gone to market and sold the property to someone who wanted to be a gentleman farmer or just a beautiful property in the Berkshires, she could have gotten a lot more," he said. But she did a bargain sale to BNRC because she was conservation-minded and that was generous of her." Comstock added, "Sharon worked so hard. We need more people like her, who are generous and thinking about land affordability and access, the shift in wealth and land ownership and that connection to farmers and especially to young people having access to land to grow food so people can eat." It's the most important things we need as human beings, we need to eat and we need to have shelter, she continued. "I greatly admire her that she went through all of this incredible effort to make this farm affordable for another farmer without much benefit to herself. "We need a hundred more people to do that in this county alone!" "I'm grateful for Sharon's stewardship and generosity, for Molly's resolve and vision, and for all the donors who make agriculture in the Berkshires possible," said BNRC President Jenny Hansell said she was grateful for Wyrrick's stewardship and generosity. On a snowy March day, there was already much preparation going on at the farm. "BNRC is proud to play a unique role among an impressive and inspiring cast of farm-forward organizations that are working in the Berkshires to protect and promote the farming traditions of this special, beautiful region of the world," she said. Montone said BNRC is developing strategies to help young farmers secure long-term access to agricultural land in a way that will enable them to make capital investments. "We have a number of talented farmers who can take over a farm with decades and decades of runway ahead of them in terms of managing that farm and making it a successful business that benefits the local community," he said. "Because the cost of farmland is sky rocketing nationwide and particularly in Massachusetts, it's difficult for a lot of farmers to put down the capital to get secure access to that farmland in an ownership kind of way. ... "We are also helping farms continue in general because people are looking for is a way to pass farms on to the next generation." BNRC has long conserved farm land in terms of putting protections on the land. Montone said the organization has recognized in recent years that it can play a big role in helping farmers. "That's what we are trying to do here," he said. Now that Comstock is in place at Many Forks Farm, Wyrrick said, "you're happy because you supported something good happening but then you're sad because it's leaving your life." As for plans for the future, she said, "one likes to be useful and involved. I'm not good at doing nothing." If you or a family member had an accident, injury, disease, or condition that makes it difficult to participate in daily activities, Southwestern Vermont Medical Centers occupational therapy (OT) department is staffed with eight highly-trained professionals that can help you navigate the now what? of recovery and beyond. Simon's Rock Theater to Perform 'She Kills Monsters' GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. Bard College at Simon's Rock's Theater Program will perform "She Kills Monsters" by Qui Nguyen on April 11-13 at 7:30 p.m. and April 14 at 2:00 p.m. at the McConnell Theater at the Daniel Arts Center. Directed by faculty member and Simon's Rock alum Sara Katzoff, this production brings together a company of over 30 theater makers including students, faculty, staff, alumni and guest artists working across disciplines of design, technical theater, and performance. According to a press release: Filled with gremlins, sword fights, demon queens, and dark elves, She Kills Monsters is an offbeat adventure that awakens the inner geek warrior in us all. Cast of Set in Athens, Ohio in the mid '90s, She Kills Monsters tells the story of two sisters from very different worlds and an unexpected game that unites them. While Agnes is an average teen desperate to fit into the mainstream, her younger sibling Tilly is obsessed with magic and all things Dungeons & Dragons. After Tilly's unexpected death, Agnes finds her sister's homemade Dungeons & Dragons module and becomes catapulted into the imaginary realm that was her sister's refuge. In the hopes of forging a connection with the sibling she never really had a chance to understand, Agnes enlists the help of Tilly's highschool D&D network to play out her final campaign. The cast and production team include: Director: Sara Katzoff; Production Stage Manager: Leo Earl; Fight, Movement, and Intimacy Direction: Sara Katzoff and Laura Standley; Choreography: Rowan Truman and Lydia Helmstadter; Scenic & Lighting Design: Juliana von Haubrich; Lighting Supervisor: Jean Volff; Costume & Armor Design: George W. Veale VI; Sound Design: Oskar Hurst; Production Dramaturg: Rimon-Hadassah Walker; Assistant Stage Managers: Frey Letton and Frances Zehner; Scenic, Props, Puppets, and Lighting Assistants: Saltinat Talentbak, Wren Faris, Michael Barrett, Rowan Truman, and Beltower Gunter; Featuring: Julianna Duran, Quinn Raper, Raahim Waqas, Reuben Guinta, Finley Baack, Agnas Allman, Emma Doucet, Eliza Doucet, Lydia Helmstadter, Gilbert Otten, Wilkinson McCallister, Olha Borovets, Leo Below, and Jojo Vinai. The production is free and open to the public. Cash donations are welcome at the door. Reservations are strongly recommended. Reserve tickets here Qui Nguyen is a playwright, screenwriter, and Co-Artistic Director of the OBIE Award-winning theater company, Vampire Cowboys. Additionally, Nguyen is an award-winning fight director who has worked extensively as an instructor and choreographer for such places as Columbia University, LAByrinth Theater, Ma-Yi Theater, Long Wharf, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Public, HERE Arts Center, and many others. Construction workers look at the collapsed section of the southbound lane of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek Bridge on Thursday in Big Sur. The break has caused the closure of the scenic road. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Associated Press Caltrans is set to begin emergency repairs to a cratered portion of Highway 1 near Big Sur in Monterey County that collapsed during heavy rains last month, temporarily stranding more than 1,600 travelers during Easter weekend. Repair crews on Tuesday will begin drilling vertical anchors into the rocky soil beneath the collapsed oceanside roadway south of Rocky Creek Bridge at Palo Colorado in an effort to stabilize the damaged southbound lane, transit officials said in a statement Sunday. Engineers with the California Department of Transportation are working with a contractor to carry out the repairs, officials said, with the hope of temporarily stabilizing the areas that crumbled into the ocean on March 30. It was unclear when the emergency repair work would be completed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Full repairs could take years and are complicated on the iconic, winding road. Infrastructure work on the highway is expensive and often requires lengthy closures. The repairs would likely resemble those already underway on Highway 1 south of Big Sur, where heavy rain ripped out a landslide-prone chunk of pavement in 2021, said Kelly McClain, a representative of Caltrans District 5. The exact timeline of repairs remained unclear, McClain said, but the transit agency is hoping to install a temporary traffic signal that would allow locals and visitors to pass without limitation. Hundreds of local residents and emergency workers have been crossing the damaged portion in convoys organized twice daily by transit officials. The Big Sur Chamber of Commerce is urging officials to open the convoys to tourists, estimating that businesses in the popular coastal hub are losing an estimated $1 million daily while the highway remains closed to visitors. It is the main route to hiking trails and campgrounds in Big Sur. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The slip-out occurred during severe thunderstorms that produced rainfall of up to 2 inches per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Easter weekend visitors to Big Sur were among those stranded by the highway closure and had to spend the night in temporary lodging and emergency shelters. Some people slept in their cars, while others sought shelter at hotels and the Big Sur Lodge, which opened a conference room to stranded travelers, according to county officials. Monday 8 April 2024, 17:06 - Last updated: 12 April, 01:35 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This article is automatically translated "The investigation begins now. We are very curious to understand what he had come to do in Rome," the investigators from the Digos of Rome are working on Ilkhomi Sayrakhmonzoda, a 32-year-old Tajik and "active member of ISIS," arrested in the morning at Fiumicino as he was about to board a train headed for the Capital. The handcuffs clicked because the man was the recipient of a 'red notice' from Interpol - an international arrest request - issued by Tajikistan, as Sayrakhmonzoda had enlisted in the ranks of the Islamic State in 2014 and had gone to fight in Syria. Previously, he had been arrested in Belgium. Terrorism alert in Rome, snipers, and checks: the city fortified for the Easter holidays, the task force in the center. The nationality of the arrested - in a moment of high tension due to ongoing conflicts - recalls the fire group that struck at Crocus Hall in Moscow on March 22; an attack that was claimed by ISIS. At the moment, however, there are no elements that would show links with that action. Tajikistan is one of the nations that provide a significant number of militants to ISIS Khorasan, a formation that would count on sleeper cells also in Europe. What is known is that the Tajik - short hair, beard, dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt, and sneakers, suitcase in hand - landed at 11:45 at Fiumicino coming from Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, under false identities. The Police officers then detected his fingerprints which led to the person sought by Interpol at the request of Tajikistan. His movements at the Fiumicino airport were monitored to see if someone was waiting for him. But the man from the arrivals area moved alone towards the train that leads to Rome and at that point, the agents intervened by blocking him. His cellphone and about two thousand euros in cash were seized. Rome was therefore not an intermediate stop, but his destination. He did not have another plane ticket to leave. Sayrakhmonzoda is 'unknown' to the databases of the Italian law enforcement agencies, therefore he does not have a history on the national territory. However, he has numerous aliases with different nationalities and dates of birth, especially from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine. The investigators now count on the analysis of the mobile phone to trace any Italian contacts of the man. Indeed, because his arrival in Rome opens up disturbing questions: was he planning an action? Was he supposed to recruit someone? Was there a network waiting for him? At this moment, he is at the disposal of the judicial authority which will have to evaluate the extradition request from Tajikistan. An operation, that of today, which shows the high alert of the security apparatus with the enhancement of control activities especially in a sensitive and neuralgic point like Fiumicino airport. The arrest, commented the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, is "a very important result, the fruit of the effective prevention activity carried out by our apparatuses on the national territory to counter the terrorist threat." It is the confirmation, he added, of the "profitable cooperation with the Police Forces of other countries. With our international partners, in fact, there is a constant sharing of both the information heritage and the operational strategies to effectively face the risk profiles." Since October 7, about 51 people have been expelled from Italy for security reasons. 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 Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy J Cole has taken a u-turn in his spat with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar, apologising to his former collaborator mere days after calling him out. The Power Trip artist unexpectedly released his latest album, Might Delete Later on Friday (5 April). In its closing track, 7 Minute Drill, Cole, 39, hits out at Lamar, following Lamars prior declaration that he is a cut above Cole and Drake in the rap industry. During a performance at his Dreamville festival in North Carolina on Sunday (7 April), Cole told the audience of his regrets about responding to Lamar on the track. Im so proud of [Might Delete Later], except for one part, Cole began his address. Its one part of that s*** that makes me feel like, man thats the lamest s*** I did in my f***in life, right? And I know this is not what a lot of people want to hear. In 7 Minute Drill, Cole criticised some of Lamars work, calling his 2022 album, Mr Morale & the Big Steppers, tragic and claiming that the Humble artist fell off like The Simpsons. However, at the festival, Cole told his fans that even though he didnt want to comment, he felt moved to make the track because the world wanna see blood. I was conflicted because, one I know my heart and I know how I feel about my peers, these two n****s that I just been blessed to even stand beside in this game, let alone chase they greatness, Cole explained, referring to Lamar and Drake. So I felt conflicted cause Im like, bruh I dont even feel no way. He then went on to note that releasing the diss track spiritually [felt] bad on me before prompting the audience to show some appreciation for Lamar. open image in gallery J Cole and Kendrick Lamar ( Getty ) I want to say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest motherf*****s to ever touch a f***in microphone? Dreamville, yall love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up So, Cole continued, I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest s***. I say all that to say it made me feel like 10 years ago when I was moving incorrectly. And I pray that God will line me back up on my purpose and on my path, I pray that my n**** really didnt feel no way and if he did, my n****, I got my chin out. Take your best shot, Ima take that shit on the chin boy, do what you do. All good. Its love. And I pray that yall are like, forgive a n**** for the misstep and I can get back to my true path. Because I aint gonna lie to yall. The past two days felt terrible. It let me know how good Ive been sleeping for the past 10 years. During a guest verse on Future and Metro Boomins song Like This in March, Lamar dismissed claims that he, Drake and J Cole were considered equals at their craft. While many rap fans have dubbed the artists as the big three, Lamar retorted: Its just big me. Drakes only response to Lamars words so far has been a brief comment made during a performance in Florida, days after the tracks release. You can find a breakdown of Drake and Kendrick Lamars simmering feud here. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Amanda Holden has been praised on social media after she posed nude for a life-drawing class, live on Heart Radio. The presenter and musical theatre actor, 53, co-hosts the networks weekday breakfast show with Jamie Theakston, where they regularly entertain their listeners with on-air games and challenges. On Monday morning (8 April), the Britains Got Talent judge bared all in the studio, posing as a life model while members of the Heart team drew her. Weve transformed the Heart Studio into an art studio this morning, Theakston told listeners. Whats slightly distracting Amandas in the corner of the studio without any clothes on, which is a first for not for her, of course, but certainly for most of us. After the guests and other team members laugh in the background, voices are then heard complimenting Holden for how she looks, and how comfortable she seems being naked in that unusual circumstance. Am I allowed to see anything? Holden asks, curious to see her colleagues interpretations of her naked body. However, Theakston soon quipped: Amanda, can you put a top on? Because Im not- its slightly distracting. After Holden posted a clip of highlights from her life modelling stint on social media, fans of the former Shrek: The Musical star were quick to share their thoughts on her actions. While some have criticised Holden for showing off, many have responded to the stars bravery with words of encouragement and celebration. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Amazing! So glad shes advocating body positivity and nudity! Natural and beautiful everyone! one follower said. Another complimentary message reads: What Id do to have those family genes and incredible figure! while a different fan added: If I had a body like that I wouldnt wear clothes!!!! Well done Amanda!!!!! open image in gallery Amanda Holden poses for life-drawing class ( Heart / Global ) When asked about her health routine in 2021, Holden expressed her fondness for enjoying things in moderation. Life is too short to be strict, she explained to the health publication, Top Sante. Life is for living, so I believe in everything in moderation. Holden is no stranger to stoking debate with her social media posts. Back in January, her dance routine to Sophie Ellis-Bextors Murder on the Dancefloor at her daughter Lexis 18th birthday party split some onlookers. While some commended her for having a good time at the event, others considered Holdens behaviour inappropriate for the setting. One unimpressed commenter wrote: How not to act at your daughters party. As well as Lexi, Holden also has a daughter named Hollie, 12, whom she shares with her husband, record producer Chris Hughes. Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A new Riz Ahmed documentary will reveal the hidden history of British-Asian resistance to the violence of the 1970s and 1980s Britains era of P***-bashing, skinheads and the National Front. I was too young when a lot of this was going on but Id hear stories from my uncles about really having to fight to survive, Oscar-nominated Ahmed, 41, told BBC Radio 4. Sometimes that fight would be against the far right, sometimes it would be police officers who wanted to trouble some lads who were fresh to the country. Defiance: Fighting the Far Right, is produced by the Bafta and Emmy award-winning Rogan productions following acclaimed series, Uprising, which documented events relating to the black community during the same period. It is created in conjunction with Oscar-winning filmmaker and producer Ahmeds Left Handed Films, responsible for his Academy Award winning short film The Long Goodbye. The series follows the protests sparked by three key mobilising events: the murder of 19-year-old Sikh youth Gurdeep Chaggar in Southall by neo-Nazi skinheads in 1976, the killing of Muslim father Aftab Ali near Brick Lane in 1978, and Parveen Khan and her three children including a baby, who perished during an arson attack on their home in Walthamstow in 1981. The attacks led to a wave of resistance and protests by British Asians, during which period a series of landmark arrests, judgments, and laws were made. Sadly, its a history that not many people are aware of, Ahmed continued. One of the aims of this is to take people on this ride and open their eyes to this rich history of defiance in the face of the rising far right. open image in gallery Oscar winner Riz Ahmed said he was proud of the series which he has co-produced ( Getty Images ) Its a sentiment that director Satiyesh Manoharajah, echoes. Manoharajah produced and directed Emmy award-winning TV series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and Vishal an acclaimed BBC podcast on the kidnap and murder of a young Asian boy on the day of Charles and Dianas wedding. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free One of the things thats so interesting is that these look like unassuming uncles and aunties, but they were beating up fascists on the street, he told The Independent. I dont know where this idea of Asian people being meek comes from. People think we came here, worked hard and kept our heads down- and then Rishi Sunak became prime minister. open image in gallery Suresh Grover played an instrumental part in the uprisings against fascist violence ( Channel 4 ) But in the middle there was a lot of pain, and people had to fight for their lives. They did fight and they won. We know all about Martin Luther King and the movements in America - but this was our civil rights movement here in Britain. Someone who knows about fighting for their life is Suresh Grover who arrived on a beautiful ship in Folkestone aged 10, to a mob of right-wing protestors shouting at him to go back home. Grover recalls being asked, Are you Tarzans son? by teachers while at a school in Lancashire. He remembers the popularity of far-right politician Enoch Powell, with Enoch! often shouted out in class as a rallying cry to intimidate others. It was the era of p***-bashing. One Asian boy brought a penknife in to school because the teachers did nothing. It soon stopped, he said. open image in gallery The documentary follows a series of British Asian protests in the 1970s and 1980s ( Bill Cross/ANL/Shutterstock ) He has since gone on to coordinate campaigns for Stephen Lawrence and Victoria Climbie and is working on supporting the victims of a number of racially charged murders, including the death of 13-year-old Christopher Kapessa in 2019. But he says that the scars from that time, both physical and emotional, remain. I still have marks from where I was stabbed in my temple and legs, he told The Independent. Im still conscious of it. Even though things have changed, it was not long ago that I was called a p*** on the street. Anoop Pandhal, series producer for Defiance, believes there is a message in the series that is pertinent to this day, although countless stories, deaths and events were left out due to time constraints. open image in gallery The protests were often referred to as riots in the media ( Paul Fievez/ANL/Shutterstock ) She told The Independent, It kind of shows how far it can go when you ignore what people are telling you, you know its like the death of Gurdeep Chaggar, which is bad enough in itself, but they get very lenient sentences. Parveen Khan shows that racism escalated and escalated to such an extent that people were dying in their own homes while they were asleep at night with their family. Imagine being killed along with your family? Pandhal continued: When I was doing that story I thought a lot about Parveen Khan and her three children, and I felt like Im doing this for her and for them. Although it has taken over 40 years to tell the story, Ahmed believes, For a whole swathe of the country, I think this is going to give them chills. The Nightcrawler and Four Lions actor took to social media to add, Proud to tell this story. Proud of our history. Our future depends on knowing it. We stand on the shoulders of these giants. Defiance: Fighting the Far Right airs on Channel 4 on Monday (8 April) at 9pm and continues on Tuesday (9 April) and Wednesday (10 April) at 10pm. It is also available on Channel 4 On Demand. A full annular solar eclipse is seen from Valley of the Gods outside Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, on Saturday, October 14, 2023. The eclipse was visible throughout most of the western United States. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Determined to witness a total solar eclipse for the first time, San Francisco resident Roxanne Makasdjian flew to Texas last week. On Sunday, when she learned that clouds may obscure the rare North American eclipse in that state, Makasdjian drove eight hours to southern Arkansas. In her fervor to find clear skies on Monday, Makasdjian even considered flying further north, until eye-popping airline prices forced her to reconsider. It sounds like this unbelievable spiritual experience, she said Sunday in an interview from her last-minute hotel room in Malvern, Ark., population 11,000. So many people, once theyve seen one eclipse, end up wanting to see it again and again. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Makasdjian, a nonprofit director, is hardly alone in her willingness to travel great distances to witness the most significant celestial event of the year: an eclipse considered extraordinary by astronomers both for how widely it can be seen and how long it will appear in the sky. Many Bay Area eclipse enthusiasts have joined hordes of travelers hoping to witness the highly anticipated phenomenon in one of the 13 states where the moon will completely block out the sun for an expected four minutes if the weather cooperates. More than 30 million Americans live in the eclipses path of totality a 115-mile-wide belt stretching from southern Texas to northern Maine. But for many who live outside that diagonal arc, missing the generational cosmic event was not an option. The ensuing travel frenzy has inundated hotels and airlines, clogged highways, overwhelmed gas stations and jammed cell towers across the path of totality. Arkansas declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the crowds, while police in upstate New York warned that drivers could see gridlock for up to 12 hours on remote mountain roads. The entire flight from San Francisco to Austin was filled with eclipse people, Isabel Hawkins, an astronomer at San Franciscos Exploratorium, said from her hoped-for viewing spot of Junction, Texas, on Sunday. Hawkins, co-host of the museums Spanish language eclipse webcast featuring scientists from the Exploratorium and NASA, said hotels are booked and anticipation has reached a fever pitch in tiny Junction population 2,600 where she and other museum staffers are headquartered. In addition to the webcast production team, Hawkins was surrounded by journalists, photographers and a group of students planning to launch weather balloons during the eclipse. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its incredibly fun, Hawkins said of this eclipse experience, her ninth. I think people love it because it gives us a chance to recover our sense of awe. We are so stuck on our screens we have forgotten to be awed at beauty, at strangeness, at cosmic connection. Robert Sanders traveled from Berkeley to Austin, Texas, with his daughter to see the fleeting phenomenon. Its not his first eclipse, but Sanders, a science writer for UC Berkeley, said he is eager to again witness the sun produce spectacular flares of light, a halo known as the corona, as it passes through the moons shadow. Photos dont really capture what it looks like, Sanders said Sunday. He, like many who had traveled long distances, were anxious about the predicted weather. Clouds are expected to blanket the skies in much of the southern United States in the path of totality Monday during the eclipse. Alexei Filippenko, an astrophysicist and professor at UC Berkeley, traveled last week with his family to Fredericksburg, Texas, to see the eclipse, which he said will be his 20th. They planned to study the weather Monday morning to decide whether to stay put or join the thousands of drivers heading for a location where the viewing odds are significantly better. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Witnessing at least one total solar eclipse should be on every person's bucket list, Filippenko said. By his standards, Texas is a relatively close travel destination. The astrophysicist has previously gone to view eclipses in Antarctica and more than a dozen countries, including Zimbabwe, Peru, Turkey and Mongolia. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Philippines president called on Beijing to hold talks over the South Sea China incidents that have lately sparked more tension between the two nations. Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday invited Chinese authorities to engage in dialogue to prevent incidents like ramming vessels and the use of water cannons in the contested South China Sea. Earlier last month, the Philippines accused the Chinese coastguard of engaging in reckless and illegal actions in the South China Sea after a collision between two vessels resulted in minor structural damage to their ship. Jay Tarriela, the Philippine coast guard spokesperson, wrote on X that its vessels had faced dangerous manoeuvres and blocking from the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia. Video shared by the Philippines captured the moment its crew hurried to insert a buffer between the colliding coast guard ships, while their Chinese counterparts were observed recording the incident. Hostilities between China and the Philippines have worsened since last year, resulting in minor collisions at sea and injuries to a few Filipino crewmen, sparking a war of words. Last month, the Philippines strongly protested after two Chinese coast guard ships sprayed water cannons at a Philippine navy-operated supply boat in the latest and most serious clash between the two nations. The incident occurred near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal that Chinese vessels are surrounding in an attempt to remove Philippine forces from there. The water cannon assault resulted in injuries to Filipino Navy crew members and severe damage to their boat in the contested South China Sea. The Chinese Embassy in Manila issued a statement by the Chinese coast guard that warned the Philippines against playing with fire. Mr Marcos said that the Philippines continues to talk with China, exploring all avenues to engage Chinese leadership, aiming to ease tensions in the waterway. The president said that the recent joint maritime exercise with Japan, Australia, and the United States will help mitigate sea incidents with China. Leaders from Japan, the United States, and the Philippines will convene in Washington later this week to address recent incidents in the South China Sea. Last month, Chinese coast guard ships backed by a military helicopter attempted unsuccessfully to block two Philippine government vessels carrying scientists from reaching two sandbars in the disputed South China Sea, according to Philippine officials. Chinese coast guard personnel blew the horn on one of their ships for half an hour and repeatedly transmitted radio warnings during the confrontation, but the Filipino scientists managed to complete their four-hour marine and biodiversity research at the barren sandbars called Sandy Cay, the officials said. The United States has repeatedly warned that its obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack. Additional reporting with 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A former Maldives minister apologised on Monday after facing backlash for a social media post using a symbol that resembled the Ashok Chakra, a prominent feature of the Indian flag. The post targeting the opposition, which has since been deleted, featured a campaign poster of a political party with the Ashok Chakra superimposed on the Maldivian flag. Mariyam Shiuna, a member of president Mohamed Muizzus ruling party, used the post to criticise the opposition and urge support for her party. However, it led to outrage from Indian social media users, prompting her to remove it and apologise, clarifying that it was unintentional. I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offence caused by the content of my recent post, she wrote on X. It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused. Maldives deeply values its relationship and the mutual respect we share with India. In future I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights, the former member of parliament said. Ms Shiunas post and apology come at a time of strained relations between the Maldives and India, exacerbated by remarks made by Maldivian officials, including Ms Shiuna, following Indian prime minister Narendra Modis visit to Lakshadweep. Earlier this year, Ms Shiuna was one of three deputy ministers who were suspended for posting derogatory comments about Mr Modi after they triggered a diplomatic row and a tourism boycott by its powerful South Asian neighbour. The three ministers had called Mr Modi a clown, terrorist and puppet of Israel in posts on X after the Indian leader shared videos and pictures of himself visiting the Indian island of Lakshadweep to promote tourism. Mr Modis posts praising the stunning beauty of its islands were seen by some social media users in Male as an attempt to lure tourists away from the Maldives to Lakshadweep. Many Indians reacted to the posts proposing that Lakshadweep could serve as their countrys equivalent of the Maldives, which led to comparisons between the two and quickly escalated into a slugfest. The Indian Foreign Ministry summoned Ibrahim Shaheeb, the envoy to the Maldives, over the remarks by the three ministers. The ministry swiftly distanced itself from the comments and said these opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives. Despite ongoing tensions, India remains a significant economic partner for the Maldives, providing essential imports like rice and medicine. However, there is a growing anti-India sentiment in the Maldives, fueled partly by concerns over Indias military presence and Chinas increasing influence in the region. Mr Muizzu last year formally requested the Indian government to withdraw its military personnel from the country, according to a statement from his office. In January this year, the president took a jibe at India saying that the Maldives may be small but it doesnt give them the licence to bully us, referring to India without naming it. 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 Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A massive rally called by a climate activist in Indias remote Leh region has been called off due to fears of violence and unrest. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk called for a march towards the border on Monday to shed light on how much land Indian cattle grazers are losing due to the increasing presence and encroachment by China in Leh. Mr Wangchuk, who had been sitting on a fast in recent weeks to seek protection for the fragile ecology and the indigenous culture of Ladakh, started fresh protests to demand statehood for his region. However, even before his march could begin, the Indian government decided to impose severe restrictions, including increasing security presence and banning internet in the region. The activist said he is cancelling the march and he fears the governments overreaction may lead to clashes and riots. There may be attempts to upset this peaceful agitation and then blame it for violence and make it an excuse to disallow the peaceful protests in Ladakh, said Mr Wangchuk in a video posted on his Instagram. He said his recent protests have created awareness among people across the country, and the government fears that the border march may impact their votes in the upcoming elections. So they decided to stop me from marching to the border even at the cost disturbing peace, he said. Mr Wangchuk has inspired widespread protests in India in recent days as he slept outdoors over the last three weeks in Lehs shivering cold, without eating anything and just surviving on water and salt to mobilise people for his region that he says in becoming a war zone. His fast comes weeks before the national elections where Narendra Modi is trying to return to power for the third time. Mr Wangchuk urged people to use their ballot power very carefully this time, in the interest of the nation. In an earlier video, Mr Wangchuk had said that his climate fast is an opportunity to remind the government of India of their promise to safeguard and protect the fragile land of the Himalayas and to restore democracy. On one side, they are losing land to Indian corporates roughly 150,000sqkm of prime pasture land. And on the other hand, they are losing pasture land to China, which is encroaching from the North, who have captured huge chunks of Indian land in the last five years. His protests have earlier attracted thousands of Ladakhis to shut their shops and businesses and march with him. Announcing Mondays march, Mr Wangchuk said:10,000 Ladakhis people will March to the borders. Mr Wangchuk added that the nomadic leaders, who he will march with, will show us how far they used to go grazing earlier and now where they have to stop. open image in gallery Sonam Wangchuk, lying under blankets, is surrounded by supporters during his hunger strike ( AP ) However, the Indian government, which has clamped down heavily on protests in neighbouring Kashmir too, responded by imposing Section 144, which criminalises assembly of crowd. Ladakh region, which was earlier part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, was separated when Mr Modis government abrogated the historic article 370 which gave the disputed territory special powers. Since the abrogation, both Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir have been governed by Indias central government. However, there have been calls to reinstate the special powers of the state. Mr Wangchuk and his supporters are demanding the government to implement the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for Ladakh. The law guarantees certain protections for land and a nominal autonomy for citizens in designated tribal areas. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A US national who was travelling in India was allegedly molested by a tourist guide during a photography session at the Taj Mahal, police said. The tourist guide, identified as Manmohan Arya, 54, has been arrested by police in Agra and charged with molestation, police told The Independent. The American couple in their 50s was visiting the Taj Mahal, the iconic 17th century historical marvel, at Agra city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday when the guide approached the couple to offer his services. He was clicking their photographs near the central tank area when he allegedly tried to kiss the woman, an official at the Taj Mahal tourist police station told The Independent. The couple confronted the guide and reported the incident to the security personnel posted at the monument. The guide was apprehended and handed over to the police. The couple arrived to see the famous white marble architectural masterpiece from national capital Delhi. The accused would be presented in court on Monday. The guide has been remanded to judicial custody and a complaint has been registered, the assistant commissioner of police in charge of Taj Mahals security, Syed Arib Ahmed, said, according to India Today. The Unesco world heritage site, known as the symbol of eternal love, was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a testament to his grief, following the death of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. open image in gallery In this photograph taken on October 29, 2022, tourists visit the Taj Mahal in Agra ( AFP via Getty Images ) The monument has been visited by top world leaders and personalities over the years, including Diana, the Princess of Wales, former US president Donald Trump, and others. The incident happened on the same day as a police officer purportedly thrashed a man for attempting to shoot a video reel within the monument premises where filming is prohibited. The video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The man who was visiting the monument got into a heated argument with the security officer who allegedly confiscated his phone. The security officer is seen in the video pushing the tourist to the ground. The security officer said that the man used physical violence. The incident is under investigation. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Taliban are stepping up security after it emerged that Isis could attack its reclusive supreme leader during his expected visit to a Kandahar mosque for Eid prayers, local media reports said. Hibatullah Akhundzada is an Islamic scholar who almost never appears in public. He rarely leaves the Taliban heartland in southern Afghanistans Kandahar province. He and his circle have been instrumental in imposing restrictions on women and girls that have sparked an international outcry and isolated the Taliban on the global stage. Photos and videos from Kandahar on Sunday showed Taliban fighters transporting and laying a brick barrier around a mosque ahead of Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Reports had emerged on Friday that Isis, which is opposed to the Taliban, was mulling an attack on the Afghan regimes leaders. The local Taliban administration decided to pick the prayer venue for Mr Akhundzada just a night before the occasion, Afghanistan International reported, adding that they feared Isis fighters could mingle with the local worshippers to gain entry into the mosque. They have since finalised two mosques in Kandahar and are now scaling up security measures around both, the report added. The Independent has not verified the authenticity of the visuals from Kandahar. On Saturday, Mr Akhundzada released a written Eid message urging Taliban officials to set aside their differences to serve Afghanistan. Taliban officials should live a brotherly life among themselves, avoid disagreements and selfishness, he added in a message distributed in seven languages including Uzbek and Turkmen. Mr Akhundzada also mentioned diplomatic relations, Afghanistans economy, the Talibans justice system, charity, and the virtues of meritocracy in his message. He said security did not come from being tough and killing more; rather, security is aligned with Shariah and justice. He, however, did not speak about the ban on education for girls and women in Afghanistan. Human rights groups have accused the Talibans hardline regime of gender apartheid in their second rule, which started after the US and Nato forces pulled out of the country in August 2021. The group has since erased the presence of girls and women from the public by banning them from work, schools, education, public parks, gyms and national parks. In January this year, Mr Akhundzada claimed in a rare audio message that his ultra hardline regime has ensured the rights of women and girls better than any previous government. Mr Akhundzada said his regime does not marry off women and widows by force a claim countered by women activists witnessing the crimes on the ground in Afghanistan. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The U.S. has denounced Hong Kongs new national security law as a tool to potentially silence dissent both at home and abroad, but so far the action from Washington has been notably muted, disappointing those fighting for the Chinese territory's democracy and freedoms. Since the laws swift passage on March 19, the U.S. has announced visa restrictions on an unspecified number of unnamed Hong Kong officials but taken no further action. Thats a far cry from 2020, when Beijing imposed national security restrictions to end months of unrest on Hong Kong streets. The U.S. responded by hitting the citys highest-ranking officials with sanctions and depriving the territory of its preferential trading status. While the new law, known as Article 23, now expands the Hong Kong governments powers to go after those it accuses of spying and to target dissidents anywhere in the world, Washington has been treading carefully. The State Department declined to preview or comment on any potential actions but said it is considering all options. Analysts suggest the Biden administration may not want to rock relations with China in an election year, especially when the impact of the law might take a while to manifest itself and any punitive U.S. measures would be unlikely to bring about meaningful change. U.S. policymakers appear resigned to the fact that Chinas takeover of Hong Kong is, for all intents and purposes, complete and irreversible, said Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a research institute based in Washington. Moreover, its not entirely clear that any specific actions from Washington would prompt Beijing to meaningfully reassess its approach towards Hong Kong, with Chinese policymakers having more or less signaled that Hong Kongs fate is not up for debate. Rorry Daniels, managing director of Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, said the U.S. could be "trying to calibrate the response to the effects of the legislation and its use, rather than just to its enactment. The language of the new law is vague, and its implementation will depend on how it is interpreted, which in itself is worrisome and could erode Hong Kongs status as a safe place for international contract settlement, Daniels said. The new security law has come at a time when the White House wants to protect the fragile U.S.-China relationship, which has only stabilized in recent months, said Willy Lam, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, another Washington-based think tank. I think they dont want the relationship to deteriorate ahead of the election," Lam said. Hong Kong and the latest legislation was brought up during the phone call between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 2. Xi told Biden the law reflected a constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security," which he said would protect the well-being of Hong Kong's people and the interests of global investors, according to China's foreign ministry. The U.S. needs to respect Chinas sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, and should not disrupt, still less interfere, in the process, said ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. In Congress, a bill to strip Hong Kong's trade offices in the U.S. of their diplomatic privileges has not moved forward and neither has one that would require the president to consider sanctioning the city's judges, prosecutors and police commissioner if they were found to have undermined civil freedoms there. The latest response by the Biden administration has honestly concerned me about the administrations commitment to stand up against Beijings aggression, said Frances Hui, policy and advocacy coordinator for the Washington-based Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. A more robust response from the U.S. is needed to facilitate future behavioral changes among (Chinese) and Hong Kong officials. A visa ban is something but not enough. The committee and 23 other Hong Kong advocacy groups issued a joint statement on Thursday calling the Biden administration's response inadequate and concerning." They urged the government to sanction Hong Kong officials responsible for the intensifying crackdown and offer haven in the U.S. to dissidents. They also urged Congress to pass the stalled legislation. Singleton said action by the private sector might be more meaningful. American companies are quietly scaling back in Hong Kong amid growing safety concerns, with many fearing potential arrests for routine business activities, he said. The private sectors shifting sentiments toward Hong Kong, rather than any single U.S. government action, will likely have the biggest impact on Beijings ability to leverage Hong Kongs unique status to reverse Chinas downward economic spiral. Lam said the U.S. government might be holding off until the conclusion of the trial against Jimmy Lai, a prominent publisher, in a high-profile national security case. Should a Hong Kong court jail Lai for 20 years or more, which would equal life imprisonment given he is 76, "the U.S. government cannot afford to be seen not doing anything, Lam said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Downing Street has insisted the Government is completely united over the conflict in Gaza despite claims of a Cabinet split. Divisions appeared to have emerged over the weekend with the Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, taking a more strident approach to criticism of Israel than some of his colleagues, including Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden. Mr Dowden suggested on Sunday that Israel is being held to an incredibly high standard compared with other nations and claimed there is a bit of relish from some people about the way in which they are pushing this case against Israel. But on Monday, the Prime Ministers official spokesman denied there is a split, saying Lord Camerons and Mr Dowdens words are consistent with Rishi Sunaks statement on Sunday. The whole Government is focused on bringing this conflict to an end, getting hostages out and more aid in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman In that statement, marking six months since Hamass October 7 attack on Israel, Mr Sunak said: We continue to stand by Israels right to defeat the threat from Hamas terrorists and defend their security. But the whole of the UK is shocked by the bloodshed, and appalled by the killing of brave British heroes who were bringing food to those in need. This terrible conflict must end. The hostages must be released. The aid which we have been straining every sinew to deliver by land, air and sea must be flooded in. The spokesman added: The whole Government is focused on bringing this conflict to an end, getting hostages out and more aid in. Meanwhile, the Government continues to resist pressure from opposition parties to publish legal advice on Israels compliance with international humanitarian law amid continuing demands to suspend arms exports to the country. The UKs arms exports regime would prevent the supply of weapons to Israel if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We are obviously aware of the interest in this issue and we will always look to be transparent about our decisions on these matters, whilst respecting the long-standing convention that we dont publish legal advice on these issues. The Foreign Secretary is expected to comment further when he faces questions at a press conference with US counterparts later this week as part of a visit to Washington DC. Earlier on Monday, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride also cited long-standing convention about publishing legal advice, but added that Israel abides by the rule of law. Mr Stride stressed, however, that UK support for Israel is not unconditional, saying: We expect Israel not to do the kinds of things that happened with the aid workers, and we have made it very clear that we are appalled by what happened there. British nationals John Chapman, 57, James Jim Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47, were among seven aid workers killed in an Israeli air strike on April 1, prompting condemnation from London and other Western capitals. More than 1,200 lawyers and academics, including former lord chief justice Lord Woolf, and ex-Supreme Court justices Lord Collins and Lord Dyson, have signed a letter insisting there is no legal requirement to impose an arms embargo. The UK Lawyers for Israel-organised letter comes in response to calls from more than 600 lawyers, including former Supreme Court justices, to suspend arms sales. But Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said arms exports should be blocked, regardless of the Governments legal advice. He said: Liberal Democrats believe the Government should publish this legal advice, or at least a summary of it. But often people are raising this in the question of whether there should be an arms embargo against Israel, and Liberal Democrats think there should regardless of what the legal advice says. We think the case has already been made that the safety of civilians is not being taken into account anywhere near enough. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A nationwide manhunt has been launched for a student suspected of stabbing a mother to death while she was pushing her baby in a pram in Bradford. The 27-year-old woman, who is yet to be named by police, was repeatedly stabbed in a horror daylight attack on Saturday and died a short while later in hospital. The womans baby, said to be a boy aged around five months, was unharmed. West Yorkshire Police have launched a UK-wide search and released an image of the suspect, who they identified as 25-year-old Habibur Masum. The public have been warned not to approach him. According to social media sites believed to belong to Masum, he was studying for a masters in digital marketing at the University of Bedfordshire and is understood to have entered the UK on a student visa from Bangladesh. Youtube videos connected to the Facebook profile include one of him setting up a childs cot, as well as a video of him shopping in Primark. There is also a recent vlog of his trip to Barcelona. The mother was stabbed several times in the neck in Bradford shopping centre ( West Yorkshire Police/PA Wire ) It comes after a shopkeeper spoke out about the moment that passers-by attempted to save the womans life during the daylight attack. Speaking to The Sun, greengrocer Geo Khan, 69, recalled hearing blood-curdling screams on Drewton Road, in the Westgate area of the city, just before 3.30pm. I was working on Saturday and I heard screams and ran out of my shop, he said. I saw that lady was lying face down on the pavement next to a pushchair with her five-month old baby boy inside. I turned her over. There was a lot of blood and I checked for a pulse, but couldnt find one. He claimed the womans neck was covered in knife wounds and that he attempted to carry out CPR while her friend ran into a nearby food store and was screaming. Shopkeeper Geo Khan went to the aid of the young woman after shed been stabbed ( Dave Higgens/PA Wire ) A doctor was passing in a car and stopped to help. He picked up a pulse and I got a sheet to put over her until the ambulance came, he added. Other locals recalled seeing the pram with a baby inside, while police officers swarmed the area and launched a manhunt to detain her suspected killer. A knife was also recovered from the scene, with officers stating that the victim and her alleged attacker had been known to one another. Masum is described as an Asian man, of slim build. He was pictured on CCTV wearing a duffle coat with three large horizontal lines of grey, white and black, light blue or grey tracksuit bottoms with a small black emblem on the left pocket and maroon trainers. A witness also reported seeing him wearing a grey hoodie with the hood up. He is believed to have links to the Burnley and Chester areas. Police say he was known to the suspect and it was not a random attack. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Monday, West Yorkshires deputy mayor for policing and crime Alison Lowe said: Habibur Masum is still at large. There is a very complex investigation currently ongoing with all forces in the country trying to locate the suspect. She was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead ( Google ) We dont think this was a random killing, the police know the two people were known to each other. Detective chief inspector Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Polices homicide and enquiry team, said: We have had significant resources following up a number of lines of enquiry to locate Habibur Masum but at this time his whereabouts are unknown. A knife was recovered from the scene of the murder, but we cannot say if Habibur Masum is armed, and I would urge anyone who does see him not to approach him but to call 999 immediately. If anyone has any information about his movements or whereabouts since 3.20pm on Saturday please contact police as a matter of urgency. We understand that the murder of a young woman in such shocking circumstances has caused considerable concern in the local community. Residents can expect to continue to see a significant police presence in Bradford as we make further enquiries and conduct reassurance patrols in the area. Any current sightings of Masum should be reported to West Yorkshire Police via 999. Any other information that could assist the investigation should be reported via Live Chat online or by calling 101, quoting log 1071 of April 6. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A mother who was fatally stabbed to death while pushing her baby in a pram in Bradford has been named as 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter. A national manhunt has been launched for suspect Habibur Masum, who is believed to have entered the UK on a student visa from Bangladesh. It has since emerged that Greater Manchester Police have referred themselves to the police watchdog the IOPC over previous contact with the victim and Masum. Officers are appealing for members of the public to report any sightings of Habibur Masum ( West Yorkshire Police ) Masum was conditionally bailed by Manchester Magistrates Court in November, despite prosecutors objecting to his release. Masum pleaded not guilty to both offences at a hearing on November 27 last year and was ordered not to contact Ms Akter, it is understood. CCTV of Habibur Masum after the Bradford attack ( West Yorkshire Police/PA Wire ) His bail conditions also prevented him from contacting a second person, or visiting a particular address. Court documents show that Masum, whose address was listed as Oldham, Greater Manchester, was charged with threatening to kill Ms Akter on November 24 and assaulting her on November 23. Both offences were alleged to have happened in Manchester. Officers hunting for the alleged killer have also arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of assisting an offender, following raids at addresses in Burnley, Chester and Oldham. Emergency services were called to the Westgate area of the city centre at 3.21pm on Saturday after receiving reports that a woman had been stabbed multiple times. The mother was stabbed several times in the neck in Bradford shopping centre ( West Yorkshire Police/PA ) Despite their best efforts, Ms Akter was pronounced dead in hospital. Addressing a press conference on Monday afternoon, West Yorkshire Police Officer Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller said: On Saturday April 6, shortly before 3.20pm Kulsuma Akter was walking in Bradford city centre. Kulsuma was with her young baby at this time, and was walking along Westgate when she was attacked and stabbed multiple times. The emergency services were called at 3:21pm. However, despite the best efforts of members of the public, ambulance crews, and hospital staff, Kulsuma sadly lost her life due to the injuries. Her baby is safe and well and was not harmed in this incident. CCTV quickly identified Masum as a suspect and the last confirmed sightings saw him getting on a bus on Market Street at 3.30pm, before exiting at 3.42pm. Recalling the horrific moment Ms Akter was stabbed, shopkeeper Geo Khan said: I was sitting in my shop and heard screaming. I came out and I tried to check the pulse. There was no pulse. He said: Blood was all over on the floor and there were stab wounds in her neck. Mr Khan added that woman who died came into his shop the day before the incident, and he believes she only came to the area a few weeks ago. He said: She was a very, very innocent person the smile on her face. According to his LinkedIn profile, Masum studied for a masters in marketing and digital marketing at the University of Bedfordshire between 2021 and 2023. He reportedly received support from Samins UK Visas Support Centre in applying for a Schengen visa, after approaching organiser Samin Ahmed in December. Mr Ahmed said: I (was) shocked when I heard this news, he is a familiar person nearby me. I did not know anything. I am really shocked. A photograph of Masums Schengen visa was posted to the Samins UK visas support centre Facebook group in January, and social media images show that he recently travelled to Barcelona. It came as police hunting Masum conducted a number of raids in Burnley, Oldham, and Chester. Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller added: There is significant resources conducting CCTV and house-to-house inquiries. And we also have local Bradford officers carrying out increased patrols in the area, which I hope will be of some reassurance to residents. With the support of other forces weve conducted a number of raids in the Burnley and Oldham and Chester areas in the search for Masum, and during the searches a 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and is now in police custody. He said Masum was last seen walking in the direction of a park having got off a bus. Masum is a slim Asian man and was last seen wearing a duffle coat with three large horizontal lines, grey tracksuit bottoms and maroon trainers, he said. On Saturday he was captured on CCTV getting on a bus. He was last seen walking in the direction of Bradford Moor Park, this is our last confirmed sighting of him. ( PA ) 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 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Aristocrat Constance Marten is returning to court on Monday as the trial into the death of her newborn baby enters its final days. Marten, 36, and her partner Mark Gordon, 49, have been accused of manslaughter after their daughter Victoria died while they were camping on the South Downs in sub-zero temperatures last January. The couple had gone on the run in a bid to keep their baby, after four previous children were taken into care. Following their arrest almost two months later, Victorias badly decomposed remains were found in a Lidl shopping bag in an allotment shed. During her evidence, Marten told jurors she had intended to find someone to smuggle them abroad illegally, and claimed her daughter had died in her arms on 9 January after falling asleep in her jacket. The couple deny charges of gross negligence manslaughter of Victoria between 4 January and 27 February last year, charges of perverting the course of justice by concealing the body, along with concealing the birth of a child, child cruelty, and allowing the death of a child. The trial continues. Shai Shahar, 12-year-old daughter Emma Shahar and wife Efrat Shahar, relatives of Israeli hostage Naama Levy, rally on the University Avenue overpass in East Palo Alto on Sunday, six months since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Supporters of the Israeli hostages in Gaza gather at the University Avenue overpass in East Palo Alto for the vigil. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Six months after his 19-year-old cousin was stuffed barefoot and bleeding into the back of a jeep, Shai Shahar of Campbell walked up onto a freeway footbridge to join a vigil called Bring Them Home Now. It was a quiet rally Sunday on the pedestrian overcrossing of Highway 101, south of University Avenue in East Palo Alto. The gathering had protest signs but no chanting, which allowed Shahar to be with the thoughts that had not left his mind for 183 consecutive days since Naama Levy, a 19-year old soldier, was dragged from her bed at 6:33 a.m. on Oct. 7 and disappeared, only to reappear over and over again on video. You eat something, you think, Is she getting enough food? You go to sleep, you think, Does she have a blanket? he said. You take a shower, you wonder, Are they letting her take a shower? Advertisement Article continues below this ad With that, his mind went off to a dark place, and Shahars wife, Efrat, finished the thought. Who is watching her naked in the shower? Efrat Shahar, a relative of Naama Levy, wears a shirt at the Palo Alto vigil calling for the Israeli hostages release. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle The rally was attended by 20 or 30 people as one of three simultaneous actions on footbridges across the freeway on the south Peninsula, and a sister rally on an overpass along Highway 24 in Lafayette. Participants hung banners and American and Israeli flags from the chain-link fence in the hope that motorists would honk and give a thumbs-up, and maybe take greater notice at the banner farther down the freeway. That was the extent of the message as conveyed by people who stood on the overpass holding yellow balloons that were trying to escape into the midday breeze. No permit was required, provided they took everything with them, which they did after two hours. There is nothing political about it. This is strictly humanitarian, Efrat Shahar said. We are just trying to raise awareness that we are here. Bring them home. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It was a day for numbers. Cars traveling one direction on the eight lanes of Highway 101 saw the 183 in big letters to indicate the number of days hostages have been held. Motorists traveling the other direction saw 133 in block letters to indicate the number of hostages held. Shar had a third number in mind 55 the total days since his first cousins daughter, Levy, had been seen alive by a hostage who was released. To that end, the 133 that hung on the sign was hopeful. It had been 134 on Saturday, but the body of a hostage was returned so the sign had to be changed. Cohava Mor waves at cars on Highway 101 during the vigil in East Palo Alto to mark six months since the Hamas attack. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle We dont want the dead bodies. We want them alive, said Rony Sagy, a San Francisco attorney who came down to East Palo Alto on behalf of Carmel Gat, a distant niece who has earned some fame among the hostages for teaching yoga to fellow captives to help deal with the stress. We dont know that shes alive, Sagy said. Shes in my heart every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to sleep. Revital Ganon Baruch stood on the bridge holding an Israeli flag that shed normally flown only on Independence Day. She brought it to the first protest after the kidnappings, and after six months of use, the edge is tattered like a cavalry flag, from overwork. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Now, unfortunately, I use it all the time, she said. But there is always hope the flag could be put away. Banners on the University Avenue freeway overpass in Palo Alto remind motorists Sunday of the Israelis held hostage in Gaza. The sign was created Thursday, 180 days since Hamas took Israeli hostages. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Bring Them Home Now was formed by family members of the hostages, with its first rally on Oct. 9. The freeway vigils started in November on the El Curtola overpass on Highway 24. Yoav Harlev and Itzik Goldberger began with a daily vigil of five people, and Sunday it grew to 300. Every time, we are hoping this is the last time we have to go out and call for their return, said Yael Wieder, an Israeli immigrant who lives in Sunnyvale, works in tech, and is one of the volunteer organizers of Bring Them Home Now. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Detectives investigating human remains found in a park in Croydon have released a picture of the victim. Scotland Yard said the family of 38-year-old Sarah Mayhew, from Croydon in south London, have been informed of her death and are currently being supported by family liaison officers. A 44-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman were arrested on Saturday on suspicion of Ms Mayhews murder and both remain in custody. An investigation was launched last Tuesday after officers received reports of possible human remains found on Rowdown Fields in Croydon. Members of the public near the scene in Rowdown Field ( Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire ) DI Martin Thorpe, leading the murder probe, said: My thoughts are with Sarahs family as they deal with this heartbreaking news. No family should have to lose a loved one in such tragic circumstances, and we will continue to provide our support as our investigation progresses. The two people in custody were known to Sarah and at present we are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death. A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder ( Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire ) Chf Supt Andy Brittain, lead for policing in Croydon, added: While I hope these updates will offer some reassurance to the local community, we are aware of the understandable concern this incident has caused across New Addington. Your local policing teams will continue to be visible and available to discuss your concerns, and answer any questions you may have as best we can. We repeat our thanks for the support and patience of the public, which has allowed officers to carry out important enquiries at the scene. Rowdown Fields, a park in Croydon, south London where human remains were found ( Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire ) Searches of the area near New Addington were subsequently conducted, involving police forensics and dog teams, with a large cordon in place for days. Local residents expressed their shock at the discovery. Matthew Popoola said: Its really shocking to hear there were human remains here. Sam Urquhart, 52, added: No one expects body parts to be found, do they? Matthew Popoola, who lives locally, said of the discovery: Its quite barbaric. Its not really a normal thing around this area. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation who has yet to speak with police is asked to call 101, quoting reference 1656/02Apr. 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 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A bomb squad was called in to investigate suspicious items in a Stockport home after a man was found dead at home. Neighbours in Woodhall Crescent in Reddish, Greater Manchester, were told to stay inside their homes at around midday on Monday. Police were responding to a welfare concerns report when they found a man dead at a property on the street. It is thought old firearms were found in the house, with Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) then scrambled to the scene. Bomb disposal officers were seen removing a red box from the property before leaving shortly before 5pm. Resident Philip Nightingale said he returned from a shopping trip to find his flat in the middle of a large police cordon. I was a bit scared when I saw the bomb squad, he told Manchester Evening News. I thought what the hell is going on here? Half of the neighbours were out. The police officer said stay in the house. Its never a dull moment around here. A police spokesperson said: Greater Manchester Police were called to Woodhall Crescent in Stockport at around midday today to a report for the concern of the welfare of a man. Officers attended and sadly found a man deceased at the scene which is believed to not be suspicious and next of kin have been informed. Whilst entering the property suspicious items were found and EOD subsequently attended to inspect. This has now been completed and those items deemed safe. Enquiries are ongoing, with a cordon put in place at the time, to establish the full circumstances and ensure the safety of residents. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Abortion must be decriminalised to stop women suspected of illegal terminations being harassed via police investigations and prosecutions, a high-profile Labour MP has warned. Stella Creasy, who is backing proposals to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, told The Independent that abortions must be treated as healthcare rather than a criminal matter. Ms Creasy is one of a group of cross-party MPs putting forward an amendment to the governments Criminal Justice Bill which would decriminalise abortion during the current time limit of 24 weeks and safeguard medics who help provide terminations. The legislation is expected to be debated towards the end of April but it is not yet clear which of the various amendments to the bill will be voted on. Ms Creasy said: We have seen 15-year-old girls who have had stillbirths being investigated and having a police officer turn up at their hospital bed when actually what they need is a counsellor. The case for decriminalisation is overwhelming. The Labour MP for Walthamstow, who is an outspoken campaigner for abortion rights, argued there would be an outcry if men were asked to justify a vasectomy by two doctors and subject to the same conditions as women who have abortions. Women must be able to access abortions in dignity and privacy without anybody questioning their choice because it is their choice to make, Ms Creasy added. Abortions can legally be carried out within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in England, Scotland and Wales. But pregnancy terminations must be approved by two doctors, with the health professionals agreeing that continuing with the pregnancy would be riskier for the physical or mental health of the woman than having an abortion. If a medical professional delivers an abortion outside of the terms of the 1967 act, they are at risk of being prosecuted. Legislation passed in 1861 means any woman who ends a pregnancy without getting legal permission from two doctors can face up to life imprisonment. Current abortion rules lead to women facing delays and sometimes not being able to access terminations until later on in their pregnancy, Ms Creasy said. The newly proposed amendment to the Criminal Justice bill, which was tabled last week, will make sure individuals who have abortions after the legal time limit are not imprisoned and prosecutions will only take place if the Director of Public Prosecutions decides doing so is in the public interest. On top of this, the amendment will also implement a lock to ensure future legislation and guidance safeguards the right to have an abortion and terminations can only be restricted if parliament expressly decides this. Discussing the lock, Ms Creasy said: Given the growing evidence of increased anti-abortion activism, and the huge amounts of money they are raising to campaign, this would be an important part of protecting future services. She explained she had seen first-hand how organised and mobilised anti-abortion activists are - adding there is genuine concern that the backlash is already well-funded and ready to go. It comes after Ms Creasy recently toldThe Independent that US-funded anti-abortion activists have begun a crusade of harassment against her - targeting her in a persistent and sustained pattern, accusing her of killing babies. Speaking in an exclusive interview, the politician said she is facing a bonfire of abuse from anti-abortion ideologues on social media in punishment for campaigning on abortion rights. Protesters have harassed nearby residents and leafletted her constituency with graphic imagery, she said. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: We understand this is an extremely sensitive issue and all women have access to safe and legal abortions on the NHS. Decisions to prosecute in England and Wales are for the Crown Prosecution Service and any change to the law in this area would be a matter of conscience for individual MPs rather than the government. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} French soldiers have guarded Buckingham Palace for the first time marking a historic moment in cross-Channel relations. France became the first non-commonwealth country to take part in the Changing the Guard ceremony on Monday in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale. ( Getty Images ) Crowds looked on as 32 members of the Gendarmeries Garde Republicaine and 40 Guardsmen from the F Company Scots Guards marched together on the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace, where they were inspected by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the French Ambassador. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of King Charles III, watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace ( Victoria Jones/PA Wire ) The French Gendarmerie were marched on and off the palace forecourt by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, who performed both countries national anthems as a symbol of the strength of the relationship between the two countries. Meanwhile, sixteen soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards joined troops from 1er Regiment de la Garde Republicaine to provide the Presidential Guard outside the Elysee Palace in Paris. The landmark procession was organised to mark the historic diplomatic agreement between Britain and France that laid the groundwork for their collaboration in both world wars. ( Getty Images ) Royals Edward and Sophie joined the keen onlookers as they inspected the event. The royals stood alongside the UK Chief of General Staff (CGS), General Sir Patrick Sanders, the French Chief of the Army Staff, General Pierre Schill, and the French ambassador to the UK Helene Duchene. Lt Col James Shaw, who has been responsible for designing the ceremony said: This is a sign of the strength of our relations. The French are some of our closest friends. And who knows when we might need each other? The procession followed a similar guard change attended by President Macron in Paris earlier on Monday. The Duke of Edinburgh inspects the troops (Victoria Jones/PA) ( PA Wire ) While the French troops will participate in the ancient ceremony in London, they will not take the place of their British counterparts in guarding the King as this responsibility is only afforded to members of the British Armed Forces and Commonwealth troops. The Ministry of Defence said the appearance by French personnel at Buckingham Palace forms part of a longer-term programme of joint UK-French activity that celebrates the two nations historic military and diplomatic ties in 2024. This will include military sporting events, participation in each others air shows, and major events in Normandy this June to commemorate the heroic service of Allied veterans who fought to liberate France from Nazi occupation. ( Victoria Jones/PA Wire ) Garrison Sgt Maj Andrew Stokes, who has been responsible for delivering all ceremonial training, added: It is crucial for everyone in Nato to have a strong relationship. And this is an opportunity to both celebrate the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente Cordiale and also demonstrate our close relations with the French. Our first rehearsal went really well so were not nervous at all. It will be a wonderful celebration and an opportunity for the public to witness such a spectacle. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Home Office demands for families living in war-torn Gaza to provide fingerprints and photographs before they can relocate to the UK have been condemned as irrational and unreasonable by an immigration tribunal. Legal challenges were brought against the goverment after the Home Office told Gazans that they would not decide on their applications to be reunited with family members in the UK unless they provided biometric data. This is despite the visa application centre inside Gaza being closed and families struggling for survival amid dwindling food aid and bombardment from Israeli troops. In a ruling published on Monday, Judge Jackson said the Home Office had failed to consider the families situations in a rational manner when demanding biometric data. The judge also said that asking the families to prove that they were more at risk than other Gazans was irrational and unreasonable. The Home Offices decisions were a disproportionate interference with the applicants and sponsors rights to respect for private and family life, the judgement found. The cases of two Palestinian families were heard together at the Upper Tier Immigration Tribunal. One of the families, referred to as RM and others, is made up of parents and two children, aged 13 and 17, who are trying to reunite with their daughter/sister, a student in the UK. The second family, known as WM and others, is a Palestinian mother with four children, who wants to join her British brother in the UK. Palestinians line up for a meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) They are both living in the south of Gaza after being forced to flee their homes. The Islington Law Centre and Asylum Aid supported the families to bring the legal challenges. Family RM fled their home in Rimal, Gaza City, at the beginning of the conflict after the building in front of theirs was destroyed and their home damaged, the immigration tribunal judgement detailed. They are currently staying in an overcrowded apartment with other relatives in Deir al-Balah, southern Gaza, which was described in the judgement as an area heavily targeted by tanks and airstrikes and where there is a lack of food, clean water and access to medical treatment. Close friends and family of the couple have been killed and injured and the couple are suffering from acute mental stress, documents said. The Home Office had argued that although there are difficulties in obtaining food and water it is not suggested that they have been unable to do so. Their position is not therefore materially different to other people in Gaza. Referring to the daughter who is in the UK, Home Office lawyers said: As for the sponsor I note that she has support in the UK by way of friendship groups and can access medical treatment if this is needed. In the case of WM, a mother with four minor children, aged between three and nine, the court heard that they were living in a container in Rafah. The Home Office argued that there is nothing to suggest that they are of a targeted interest from those directly involved in the fighting, adding: It was not accepted therefore that they would be personally at risk of harm. In light of the judgement, Anastasia Solopova, solicitor at Asylum Aid, said:The Home Office must now comply with this judgement, amend its policies and approach and adopt a lawful approach to the biometric enrolment requirement, so that more families from Gaza and elsewhere are not unlawfully deprived of decisions on their entry clearance applications. A Home Office spokesperson said: We have received the outcome of the judicial review proceedings and are considering the impact. It would be inappropriate to comment further. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nearly 2,500 homeless people in England and Wales have been arrested in the past five years under the 200-year-old Vagrancy Act, new figures have revealed. There have been a total of 2,412 people arrested under the Act created in 1824, which was originally introduced to combat the increased number of rough sleepers following the Napoleonic wars. The law criminalises rough sleeping and gives police the power to arrest and prosecute any homeless person found begging in public. Merseyside police made the most arrests under the Georgian era law, arresting 866 people, followed by West Midlands Police, with 307, and Devon and Cornwall, with 135. Campaigners have urged the government to repeal the Vagrancy Act and amend the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. In April 2022, the government announced they will repeal it, but have yet to do so stating that it will not come into force until they introduce appropriate replacement legislation". It comes as Rishi Sunak faces a Tory revolt over plans to criminalise homelessness as part of the Criminal Justice Bill. The plans as they stand would grant police the power to fine nuisance rough sleepers, a definition that includes excessive noise and smells. It would alsomake it a criminal offence to sleep rough where someone is causing or, could potentially cause, damage, distress, or a health and safety risk. Failure to comply with a nuisance rough sleeping prevention notice carries a punishment of up to one month in prison. The figures, revealed through an Freedom of Information Request from the Liberal Democrats, also found that since the government announced they would appeal the act, a further 469 homeless people have been arrested. The number of people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night was 3,898 in 2023 an increase of 27 per cent from 2022, according to official government statistics. Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon Layla Moran, who spearheaded the cross-party campaign to scrap the Vagrancy Act, said: It is shocking that police continue to have the powers to arrest rough sleepers due to the governments delay in replacing the Vagrancy Act and to use those powers to such great effect. No one should be criminalised for sleeping rough, especially by a piece of legislation passed in the Georgian era. The Criminal Justice Bill is just the Vagrancy Act 2024. Experts across the sector have long advocated for a compassionate approach to homelessness. But instead, this government is intent on treating rough sleepers with cruelty and criminalisation. A government spokesperson said: We are determined to end rough sleeping for good and we have a plan to tackle the root causes of why people end up on the streets, backed by an unprecedented 2.4 billion. We are repealing the outdated Vagrancy Act and replacing it with new legislation focused on supporting people to get off the streets, while allowing local authorities and the police to address behaviour that can make the public feel unsafe, such as begging at cashpoints. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Metropolitan Police has launched a formal investigation into messages sent to MPs in the Westminster honeytrap scandal. The force confirmed on Monday that officers from the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command are carrying out a probe into unsolicited messages sent to a number of MPs. The full investigation comes after last week the force said it was assessing reports and is in contact with colleagues at Leicester Police, which is also investigating malicious communications sent to a Leceistershire MP. Conservative MP for Bosworth Luke Evans last week announced he was a victim of cyberflashing and had contacted police after receiving unsolicited explicit messages over WhatsApp. His admission came after Conservative MP William Wragg revealed he was blackmailed into sharing his colleagues phone numbers for fear of intimate images of him being leaked. Mr Wragg said on Thursday he was manipulated into giving the personal phone numbers of colleagues to man he had met on a dating app. A Met Police spokesman said on Monday: Officers from the Mets Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command are carrying out an investigation following reports that a number of unsolicited messages were sent to MPs over recent months. We are working closely with other forces and are in contact with colleagues in Parliamentary Security, who are providing support and advice around anyone affected. Dr Luke Evans who is the Conservative MP for Bosworth (David Woolfall/UK Parliament) ( PA Media ) The Prime Ministers official spokesman said he would not comment specifically on the recent revelations as they were the subject of an ongoing police investigation, but urged politicians to be wary. He added: Its clearly important for anyone in public life to be sceptical of unsolicited communications. In a video posted to Facebook on Friday, Dr Evans said: A month ago I was a victim of cyberflashing and malicious communications and blew the whistle by reporting it to the police and the parliamentary authorities as soon as this happened. The first set of messages I got was on a day I was with my wife and I got a one-time open photo on WhatsApp of an explicit image of a naked lady. As soon as I got these the next day I reported it to the police, the authorities and the chief whip. Ten days later I got another set of messages, this time however, I was sat with my team in the constituency office, so we were able to record the conversation and catch photos and videos of the messages coming through including another explicit female image. Leicestershire Police previously confirmed it is investigating a report of malicious communications after a number of unsolicited messages were sent to a Leicestershire MP last month. A spokesperson for the force said: They were reported to police on Tuesday March 19. Enquiries are currently ongoing. A number of MPs are said to have been sent messages in the honeytrap scam (PA) ( PA Wire ) MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester Mr Wragg last week apologised for sharing phone numbers with a man he had met online because they had compromising information on him. He told the Times: I got chatting to a guy on an app and we exchanged pictures. We were meant to meet up for drinks, but then didnt. Then he started asking for numbers of people. I was worried because he had stuff on me. He gave me a WhatsApp number, which doesnt work now. Ive hurt people by being weak. I was scared. Im mortified. Im so sorry that my weakness has caused other people hurt. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ofcom is investigating whether shadow foreign secretary David Lammys show on LBC breached broadasting rules, the watchdog has said. The regulator said it was probing whether the Labours frontbenchers programme on 29 March broke our rules on politicians acting as news presenters, it said on Monday. During that broadcast, Mr Lammy read out a breaking news bulletin, informing listeners of his LBC show that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had resigned as DUP leader after being charged with allegations of a historical nature. Ofcom is understood to be investigating the programme in relation to two sections of the Broadcasting Code, which state that news in whatever form must be presented with due impartiality, and that politicians cannot act as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes without exceptional editorial justification. As such, the regulator concluded last month that five programmes on GB News featuring politicians acting as news presenters broke broadcasting due impartiality rules. Days later, GB News broadcaster Darren Grimes was among those sharing a clip of Mr Lammys progrmame on 29 March as he broke the news of Sir Jeffreys resignation. Mr Grimes wrote: Dear Ofcom, I assume youll be sanctioning them for this, as you did GB News. Ofcom is understood to have received 53 complaints about Mr Lammys broadcast. While the arrival of GB News and its penchant for employing former and sitting Conservative MPs has intensified debate over the role of politicians in broadcasting, Ofcom chief Baron Michael Grade told the BBC last year that we dont want to be in the business of telling broadcasters, licensees, who they can employ, who they cant employ. Jacob Rees-Mogg hits out at 'old-fashioned' Ofcom after GB News ruling He added: Our job is to ensure within the rules of due impartiality that there is plenty of choice and freedom of expression on the airwaves. In addition to its probe into Mr Lammy, Ofcom announced on Monday that it had warned TalkTV after potentially highly offensive comments were made by presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer. In an interview about the Israel-Gaza war, Ms Hartley-Brewer had claimed that Dr Mustafa Barghouti, the general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, was perhaps not used to women talking. Ofcom said: Strong guidance has been issued, but following a careful assessment we have decided not to formally investigate. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Labour has pledged to give every child with type 1 diabetes a smartphone so they can access new glucose monitoring technology. The phones track blood sugar levels and work in conjunction with an artificial pancreas which automatically provides the patient with insulin when their levels are high. Monitoring childrens glucose levels prevents them from passing out or having a fit. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it is a travesty that only those who can afford a smartphone are currently able to access the new technology. In partnership with Virgin Media O2 and the Supporting Children with Diabetes charity, the party aims to ensure every family can benefit from a smartphone which is compatible with the new technology. Sir Keir told ITV News: Its a travesty that hundreds of children with type 1 diabetes cant afford smartphones to take advantage of new monitors which check and monitor glucose levels. This new technological breakthrough should be available to all children who need it, not to those who can afford a device. We need an innovative and collaborative approach to tackle this head-on. Thats why my Labour government will work hand in glove with leading businesses to break down the barriers to access. Our 10-year plan for change and modernisation of the NHS will bring our analogue service into the digital age. We will secure the benefits of the revolution in medical technology for all. This is implementing traditional values in a modern setting. Thats what an incoming, mission-led, Labour government will be all about. Under my leadership, a strong partnership between government, business and civil society will make our NHS fit for the future and give all children the best possible start in life. This new technological breakthrough should be available to all children who need it, not to those who can afford a device Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer Around 32,000 children in the UK are currently living with the condition, but founder and CEO of the charity Supporting Children with Diabetes Carolyn Goldhill said many cannot afford a new smartphone and are forced to finger prick to test levels. Labour said the NHS will identify children with type 1 diabetes who are not using modern glucose monitors and direct them to the charity so it can provide them with a smartphone. The announcement comes after Sir Keir and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting visited Kings Mill Hospital Sutton-in-Ashfield in the East Midlands to meet nurses and patients in the maternity ward. The pair toured the hospital and highlighted the partys pledge to digitise the red book given to parents for childrens medical records, as part of a series of changes to the NHS app. Mr Streeting said: There is a revolution in medical technology taking place before our eyes. Under the Tories, the NHS is failing to secure the advantages of AI and new treatments for its patients, but private healthcare wont. If this continues, the two-tier healthcare system that is emerging in our country today will grow, the gap between public and private widen, and the NHS will become the poor mans service. That is the future we must avoid. Labour will reform the NHS so it takes full advantage of modern technology to deliver better care for all patients. Ms Goodhill said she was delighted with the partnership, adding: Since the NHS began supplying continuous glucose monitors to children with type 1 diabetes nearly two years ago, we have been inundated with requests for phones. This technology enables young children to lead normal lives, whist their parents and diabetes nurses check their blood sugar levels remotely to ensure they are safe. Many families dont have the funds to buy a mobile phone that is compatible with the device and, without our charity, parents would be forced to revert to constant finger pricking to test blood sugar levels, and would not be able to be separated from their child. This partnership will allow us to continue supplying phones to support children from deprived backgrounds, so they can benefit from the latest tech on the NHS. Corporate Affairs director of Virgin Media O2 Nicola Green said: As someone with type 1 diabetes, I have firsthand experience of how smartphone technology can help manage the condition. The recycled devices that Virgin Media O2 is donating to Supporting Children with Diabetes will reduce the hassle and stress for those families affected by Diabetes, making it faster and easy to monitor blood glucose levels. 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 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rachel Johnson has said Brexit is a s*** idea and suggested her brother, Boris Johnson, thinks the same, in a resurfaced interview. Speaking on a Norwegian talk show presented by Fredrik Skavlan, Ms Johnson revealed Brexit divided the family. Brexit has divided the family. Mainly into members who think Brexit is a s**t idea, and those who think its a really s**t idea, she said. Ms Johnson then apologised for her language before being told it is okay to swear because she is in a free country now. This is what I was getting to.. Nothing nothing nothing, that Brexit is anything but a bad idea, the journalist added. During the Brexit campaign, the Johnson family publicly showed their division over the European Union. Boris Johnson and Rachel Johnson ( PA ) The former prime ministers brother Jo Johnson quit his ministerial post in protest at the direction his brothers government was taking and his sister Rachel, a prominent Remain supporter, publicly criticised his behaviour in the House of Commons. When quitting, Jo Johnson said there had been an unresolvable tension between family loyalty and the national interest. Their father Stanley Johnson served as a Conservative MEP from 1979-84 and supported the Remain campaign. However, in October 2017 he came out in support of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, stating that the time has come to bail out. Stanley Johnson with Carrie Symonds, Boris Johnsons wife ( Press Association Images ) Boris Johnson also revealed his mother, Charlotte Johnson Wahl, voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in 2019, the then prime minister said: I am going to quote that supreme authority in my family, my mother. And I know there are some keen students of the alleged divisions in my family on matters of the EU. Well I want you to know, conference, that I have kept my ace up my sleeve my mother voted Leave. Ms Johnson previously revealed that the Johnson family avoid Brexit chat at the dinner table. In a tweet, she said: The family avoids the topic of Brexit, especially at meals, as we dont want to gang up on the PM [Boris Johnson]. A sign directs travelers to Oakland International Airport. The Port of Oakland is proposing to change the airports name. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle San Francisco and Oaklands escalating fight over the potential renaming of the East Bays international airport could reach the courtroom. San Francisco on Monday said it will sue the Port of Oakland for alleged trademark infringement if it moves forward with plans to rename Oaklands airport as the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Port of Oakland, in response, said its justified in pursuing the name change and would defend its right to use this accurate geographic identifier. The threat of legal action comes days before the Board of Port Commissioners are expected to vote on approving the name change for whats currently known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, with the airport code OAK. Its also the latest escalation in San Francisco officials miffed response to the idea that the East Bay airport and San Francisco International Airport could share similar names. Oakland leaders in late March unveiled a proposal to attach San Francisco Bay to OAK airport in a push to boost passenger traffic. The name change, they said, would help increase awareness from outside travelers by associating the airport with the broader region. The new name, if approved, wouldnt change the airports code or visual branding, according to the Port of Oakland. A proposal to change the name of the Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport has received criticism, particularly from San Francisco city and airport officials. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle Port officials pointed to focus group research showing that 51% of international travelers didnt know that the Oakland airport was in the Bay Area. The potential for more travelers, Oakland officials say, could lure airline companies to expand operations at the East Bay airport and aid its post-pandemic recovery. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But the proposal has attracted intense pushback from city officials across the bay. San Francisco officials spoke out against the name change within days of Oakland leaders announcement and accused them of trying to steal SFOs name to boost traffic. The name change, they say, would likely confuse travelers looking to fly to SFO only to travel to the East Bay airport. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution opposing the name change. On Monday, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu threatened to sue the Port of Oakland for trademark infringement if it approved the name change. Chiu told Oakland port commissioners in a letter that the city has held these registrations for such a long time that they have become incontestable under federal law. We want to see the entire Bay Area thrive as a tourist destination and expand our offerings to visitors, but this proposal is not a legal or practical way to go about it, Chiu said in a statement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If Oakland moves forward with this proposal, San Francisco will pursue legal action to prevent misuse of our trademark. The Port of Oakland said it would fight back against legal threats. The proposed name modification will clarify, not confuse, a Port of Oakland spokesperson said in a statement. The new name identifies where OAK is actually located, which is on the San Francisco Bay. If the proposed name modification is approved by the Board, the Port will take all appropriate measures to defend its right to use this accurate geographic identifier. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vladimir Putin will seek to exploit Rishi Sunaks retreat from the European Convention on Human Rights, Gordon Brown has said in a stark warning to the prime minister. The former Labour PM accused Mr Sunaks government of systematically undermining international law, warning that the Russian president who is subject to an international arrest warrant over war crime allegations would capitalise on any steps to ridicule the legitimacy of human rights law. Mr Sunak has threatened to pull the UK out of the convention if it stymies his flagship policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda. His looming new legislation will disapply sections of both the ECHR and the Human Rights Act after British judges ruled the East African country was not safe for refugees. The UK has previously urged Russia to abide by a European court order relating to Moscows jailing of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny ( Getty ) Warning that ministers have already taken the power to ignore interim measures by the European Court of Human Rights, Mr Brown cautioned that the new notwithstanding clauses in the governments new bill are of a completely different order of magnitude. These clauses assert that the provisions of the bill override any interpretation of international law as well as of domestic law by a court or tribunal, giving the home secretary the power to decide whether to abide by any interim European injunction, such as temporarily halting flights to Rwanda, the former PM noted. Writing for The Times, Mr Brown said: When Sunak arrived in No 10, he had an opportunity to reaffirm core British values after the years of Johnson and Truss playing fast and loose with them. Yet, while stopping short of formally leaving the ECHR the issue he has with the ultra-right of the party he appears to have renounced its core elements. Under this Conservative administration, the whole system of international law not just the ECHR, but also the Refugee Convention and general human rights and humanitarian law is being systemically undermined. The result? Russia will exploit the British retreat to ridicule the legitimacy of international human rights law and our voice in the world will increasingly go unheard. Former prime minister Gordon Brown has previously warned of the dangers of undermining international human rights law ( Lucy North/PA ) It is not the first time Mr Brown has issued such a warning, having written in January that countries like Hungary and Turkey will inevitably cite the UKs actions when they refuse to comply with the ECHR and similar instruments. The South African government recently proposed that it will choose which Refugee Convention obligations it should comply with. It will not be the last, Mr Brown said. In keeping with growing clamour from the right of the Tory party, Mr Sunak has hardened his rhetoric and stance towards the ECHR in recent months, declaring last week that controlling immigration is more important than membership of a foreign court which Britain helped to establish 70 years ago. Moderate One Nation Tory MPs have warned against leaving the convention, however, while others have cautioned that such a move would breach the Good Friday Agreement, which includes a requirement to incorporate the ECHR into Northern Irish law. And Rwandas foreign affairs minister Vincent Biruta warned the government in December of the need for the legislation to comply with the highest standards of international law cautioning that Kigali would not be able to continue in the asylum deal without lawful behaviour by the UK. The following month, Mr Sunak was told by the president of the European court, Siofra OLeary, that he would be breaking human rights law if his government ignored orders intended to stop asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda, dubbed rule 39 measures. The UK previously urged Mr Putin to abide by a rule 39 measure in 2021 relating the release of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic penal colony in February. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} There arent many in Westminster who could namecheck the Krays, armed robberies, and their mother being born in prison when giving a summary of their family background. But Wes Streeting, who currently serves as Labours shadow health secretary and is often tipped as a future party leader, isnt typical of most politicians. Now aged 41, the MP for Ilford North has become one of the loudest and most forthright voices on Keir Starmers tightly reined frontbench, appearing to embody the type of messaging Labour HQ believes is most likely to entice voters to send them into No 10 in just a few months time. The politician has enjoyed a rapid rise from the backbenches in the wake of Jeremy Corbyns downfall, of whom as a former member of the Blairite pressure group, Progress Streeting has been an ardent and unceasing critic. An unusually direct communicator, Streeting has been unafraid to depart with both long-held Labour orthodoxy and mainstream progressive opinion in service of his own particular brand of supposedly straightforward and common sense politics. This was notably evident this week, as he repeated his intention of increasing private access to the NHS to help cut waiting lists, in a characteristically punchy appeal to readers of The Sun newspaper. Warning that the NHS would get no extra funding from his department without undergoing major surgery and reform, the shadow health secretary insisted he was up for the fight with health unions and would not be deterred by middle-class lefties crying betrayal over privatisation. While marking no material departure from the rhetoric Streeting has been espousing for years, the pugilistic piece softened somewhat by a reference to his own personal brush with kidney cancer, aged 38 still managed to set social media alight on Monday, with detractors spreading his message far and wide. The shadow health secretary, pictured behind Keir Starmer, has spoken of his own personal brush with kidney cancer at the age of 38 ( Jacob King/PA Wire ) But amid chatter of Streetings potential to one day hold the keys to No 10 himself, his own path to Downing Street would be a far cry from the Eton-marked route trodden by so many before him. Born in 1983 to teenage parents, who later separated, and growing up in a council flat in Londons East End, Streeting previously told the Daily Mail that he could trace many of his views on law on order and his Christian faith to his paternal grandfather. Streeting said he was a former merchant seaman, a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps working-class Tory, who only ever voted Liberal to keep Labour out and was very proud of Queen and Country. The issue of law and order was one that loomed large in Streetings family history. In his autobiography, One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry-Up, Streeting has recalled his maternal grandfather Bill Crowley, a career criminal known to the Krays whom Streeting would visit in prison while at primary school wearing a grotesque rubber mask while carrying out armed robberies, which he named Claude. It is believed that Streetings mother Corinna may even have been born in prison, while his grandmother Libby Crowley served a stretch in HMP Holloway prison over an offence linked to her husband where she shared a cell with Christine Keeler, the model and showgirl at the heart of the Profumo Scandal. Describing his grandfathers relationship with his mother as toxic, sometimes violent, Streeting also previously told The Times of how his mother entered an abusive relationship when he was two with an extremely violent man who once dangled my mums younger sister over the balcony and threatened to drop her as part of coercive control. Outrage over Labour plans for private involvement in NHS misplaced, Wes Streeting says The man was jailed before Streeting was old enough to remember any of that period, and Streeting has previously described how his mother, after considering an abortion and having decided to keep me, was absolutely determined to prove herself as a mother. When I was growing up, there was always a bookshelf with books. She said, Im not going to let you be made to feel stupid in the way that I was growing up, Streeting said last June, describing his driving mission in politics as being to make sure that children from backgrounds like mine have the security and opportunity they need to realise every ounce of their potential. When youve grown up in poverty, and youve escaped poverty, it gives you both an insight and a special responsibility to help tackle it. But although Streeting himself has no memory of the violence of that early relationship, once he reached school in inner-city London, he described himself as one of the sensitive kids, slightly camp and effeminate with the bruises to prove it. By the time I sat my GCSEs, I felt like I had survived, rather than thrived, at Westminster City, he wrote inThe Mirror. With the encouragement of his teachers, a teenage Streeting applied to join a summer school at Cambridge University, which was run by the Sutton Trust charity. Streeting went on to apply to Cambridge University and secured a place to read history at Selwyn College in 2001, where he would come out as gay in his second year. He wrote: Coming out in Cambridge felt liberating. Coming out at home felt terrifying, but recalling eventually telling his father, he said: It didnt take long for us to deal with any lingering awkwardness in our usual Streeting family way: with humour. I felt loved and accepted. Streeting came out as gay in his second year of university ( Getty Images ) Quickly becoming involved in student politics, Streeting who reportedly briefly quit the Labour Party in opposition to the Iraq War first came to prominence as president of the National Union of Students, where he served two terms between 2008 and 2010, and backed the then-Labour policy of university fees at a time when this was opposed by the Liberal Democrats. He went on to become chief executive of the social mobility-focused Helena Kennedy Foundation, and head of education at LGBT+ rights charity Stonewall, before working at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a public sector consultant. Entering local politics as a Labour councillor in 2010, Streeting served as deputy leader of Redbridge Council before stepping down after becoming an MP in May 2015. Claiming to have turned down multiple requests to serve on Corbyns frontbench because there is no way that I could have been a part of that, Streeting in 2020 cited fundamental concerns over antisemitism, a bullying culture in Labour, Corbyns response to the Salisbury attack, and the endless wishlist of promises that I just couldnt credibly tell my own voters that we could deliver. Instead while actively seeking to replace Corbyn, notably in a 2016 coup attempt, Streeting made a name for himself as a member of the cross-party Treasury committee, and was later rewarded by Sir Keir with a role as shadow exchequer secretary. While he was forced to apologise after being caught calling Corbyn senile in 2022, and later calling him an albatross around Labours neck, he conversely said of Sir Keir in 2020: Hes just a fundamentally decent human being, and that counts for a lot. Hes got integrity by the bucketloads. The Labour leader in 2021 described Streeting as a friend as well as a colleague. That affirmation from his boss came as Streeting announced days after being promoted to shadow child poverty secretary that he was temporarily stepping back from politics following a diagnosis of kidney cancer. While it could have been the moment to throw in politics, Streeting did the opposite and was promoted to shadow health secretary just months later. A Guardian piece would later suggest that Streetings illness turned him into the patients champion, one who simply will not allow the government to use the pandemic as an excuse for the now terrifyingly long NHS waiting lists. Wes Streeting announces he has kidney cancer Since taking on the brief, Streeting has been no hostage to Labour convention on the NHS, frequently parking his tank on the Tories lawn in a manner which has made him no stranger to criticism from those on the left or those in the health service, notably when he argued that GPs were claiming money for old rope during the Covid vaccination drive. Since his first months in the role, Streeting has called for greater private involvement to help cut NHS waiting lists but has insisted that privatising the health service could not be further from my politics, values or aims. He also notably diverged from Labour colleagues by answering question on transgender rights oft-posed by right-wing commentators, telling TalkRadios Julia Hartley-Brewer in March 2022: Men have penises, women have vaginas, here ends my biology lesson, adding: That doesn't mean by the way that there aren't people who transition to other genders because they experience gender dysphoria and we should acknowledge that and conduct the debate in a respectful way that respects those people's rights and dignity. And in March, he stole headlines by telling The Telegraph he wanted the NHS to stop being right on and doing daft things well-meaning things in the name of diversity and inclusion. But it is an approach that Streeting likely feels has served him and his party well, and would ultimately do the same for voters. On his position on private involvement with the NHS, he told The New Statesman in March 2023: Its pragmatic and its definitely popular with those swing voters we need to win over. I dont think I would be able to look someone in the eye and say: Im sorry, I know your grandmother could get her hip or knee replacement up the road at a private hospital but my principles mean she cant. Echoing this on Monday, he told the Today programme: Thats why as the howls of outrage pour in, as they already are on my social media mentions this morning, I take it as water off a ducks back. With Labours vast lead showing no let-up in the polls, Streeting may well have reason to feel vindicated and indeed, sounded characteristically buoyant as he expressed hopes that a future Labour government would set out long-term investment and reform of social care that can command consensus across the divide and last for generations, as we did on the NHS in 1948. Whether or not the Conservative Party will be in a reasonable state to have a reasonable conversation I dont know, he added. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At least 94 people have died and 26 are missing after an overcrowded makeshift ferry capsizedin northern Mozambique amid panic over a cholera outbreak, officials said. The ferry carrying around 130 passengers sank off the coast of Nampula province as many panic-stricken passengers tried to escape the cholera outbreak on the mainland while some to attend a fair. Lourenco Machado, an administrator of the countrys Maritime Transport Institute, informed of an updated death toll on state television on Monday as rescue workers found more bodies. Nampulas secretary of state Jaime Neto said casualties include many children while five were rescued. "Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuited to carry passengers it ended up sinking," Mr Neto said. A search and rescue operation was launched to find more survivors but the conditions in the sea made the operation difficult. A graphic video showed dozens of bodies lined up on the beach as family members and relatives mourned their loss. The vessel was journeying from Lunga to Mozambique Island, situated off the shores of Nampula. Mr Neto blamed the disinformation surrounding the cholera outbreak as the reason for people taking risky rides. It comes as Nampula province of southeastern Africa has been worst hit by the cholera outbreak, which has spread across multiple countries in southern Africa since January 2023. Mozambique has reported around 14,000 confirmed cases and 32 deaths since October, according to government data. Unicef has said the outbreak is the worst in the last 25 years and expressed alarm over rising cases among children. "The key drivers are long-term poor water sanitation and hygiene conditions, exacerbated by changing weather patterns, climate change leading to floods and droughts, end-of-year festivities, inadequate community sensitization [and] late care-seeking behaviour for those that are affected, Dr Paul Ngwakum, the regional health adviser for Unicef said. The cholera crisis comes at the top of the Islamist insurgency in the country, which has resulted in the displacement of over 780,000 people and claimed the lives of at least 4,000 since its inception seven years ago. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Part of an engine covering has fallen off a Boeing airplane in the US during takeoff and struck the wing flap. Southwest flight 3695 was leaving Denver International Airport on Sunday morning at 8.15am when the engines cowling detached and hit the wing, according to Reuters. A video posted to social media, the engine cowling can be seen flapping in the wind before it detaches completely and bangs against the aircrafts wing. The Houston-bound flight, carrying 135 passengers, returned to the Colorado airport without incident. No injuries were reported. Southwest said the plane landed safely after experiencing a mechanical issue, according to ABC News. The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Sunday that it will investigate the incident on the Boeing 737-800, the latest involving the aircraft manufacturer. A passenger, who gave the name Lisa C, told ABC News said the cowling detached approximately 10 minutes after boarding was completed. "We all felt kind of a bump, a jolt, and I looked out the window because I love window seats, and there it was," she told the outlet. Another passenger, Cooper Glass, told ABC News that the incident was "frightening," but that the pilot did an excellent job returning to the airport. Southwest Airlines said its maintenance teams were examining the aircraft. The affected passengers were flown on another flight to Houston about three hours behind their scheduled arrival time. The incident is the latest in a string of issues to plague Boeing. open image in gallery The engine cover on a Southwest-operated Boeing aircraft detaches as it leaves Denver International Airport on 7 April, 2024 ( @SweeneyABC/X/Twitter ) On 5 January, a door plug panel on a new Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft tore off while it was cruising at 16,000 feet. The FAA subsequently grounded 171 of the company's MAX 9 aircrafts for review. It has also prohibited the company from increasing production of the MAX series aircraft, and has ordered it to develop a comprehensive plan to address "systemic quality-control issues". The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines incident. The investigation will centre on whether Boeing complied with a 2021 settlement it agreed to after a pair of deadly crashes that were attributed to faults in its 737 MAX Maneuvering Characterists Augmentation System, Forbes reports. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 12-year-old boy died after he was trapped in a truck that went off the road into a river in Colorado on Saturday, local law enforcement said in a statement. The vehicle was submerged in Clear Creek by the time deputies arrived at the crash site at Empire Junction on Interstate 70 around 9pm, Clear Creek County Sheriffs office said. The officials found two women with cuts on their faces and a man screaming for help running up to the embankment of the river. They soon learned that a 12-year-old boy was trapped inside the submerged vehicle, with several deputies, officers from Idaho Springs and Georgetown police and civilians jumping into the water to rescue the minor. The boy, who has not been named, was stuck between a boulder and the vehicle, said the official statement. The team responding to the scene was able to lift the vehicle enough to pull the boy out, but he could not be saved even with resuscitation attempts. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital, the sheriffs office said. The cause of the crash is yet to be determined. The victims identity and the exact cause of his death are expected to be released soon. Earlier on Saturday, two people were killed after a Washington State Patrol trooper crashed into their car near Seattle. While the trooper suffered injuries, Washington residents Charles Ferree, 72, and Deolia Blandford, 49, were killed in the accident. The trooper, not officially named, was driving on US 101 with emergency lights and sirens on when it T-boned a Toyota Prius at an intersection, said Matt Colbenson, a spokesperson for Mason County Sheriffs office. The trooper was heading to another call in the area, responding with lights and siren, and the other vehicle pulled onto the highway, he added. "Unfortunately the other vehicle that was in that collision, the two occupants were pronounced dead on scene, he told ABC affiliate Komo News. Washington State Patrol released a brief statement Saturday about the crash and declined to comment, citing the agencys own involvement in the case. Additional reporting by agencies The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} US Coast Guard officials said the locations of the remaining three Baltimore Bridge victims who plunged to their deaths are unknown because theres so much stuff underneath you cant see. On 26 March, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed over the Patapsco River, sending at least seven out of eight construction workers on top of it into the water. One of the victims was immediately rescued from the water. Its not clear how the other was saved. A day later, the bodies of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, from Mexico and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Guatemala were recovered from the scene. On Friday, police recovered the body of 38-year-old Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval. The bodies of three men: Jose Mynor Lopez, Miguel Luna and Carlos Hernandez remain missing. Recovery operations for the victims were called off last month. But the Coast Guard said safety parameters have been established in case they are discovered accidentally. Theres so much stuff underneath that you cant see, US Coast Guard petty officer 3rd class Carmen Carver told The Independent. We cant speculate where they might have fallen or gotten trapped under. The agency is the federal on-scene coordinator tasked with maintaining the transportion system and ensuring the port is safe to reopen. Last month, Superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police Colonel Roland L Butler Jr said that divers were not able to get into the area where they believed bodies to be because of debris in the water. The sonar simply said that they cannot get to that area because it was fully encased in the superstructure, Mr Butler said. In a statement responding to the Coast Guards claim, he said, The collapse of the Key Bridge is undoubtedly one of the most challenging tragedies we have faced as a law enforcement agency. Along with our local, state and federal public safety partners, we will not give up. There are families still waiting to hear if we have found their loved one. I can promise you, we are fully committed to finding closure for each of these families. Unified Command has been able to establish two temporary channels in an effort to reopen the Port of Baltimore. Still, those efforts do not allow for the flow of commercial traffic. Authorities hope to open a third channel at the end of April with a depth of 35 feet and width of 280 feet, according to a timeline released by the US Army Corps on Engineers last week. The Port of Baltimore should open by the end of May as officials work to create a permanent federal channel that is 700 feet wide and 50 feet deep. When the port is finally cleared, the Dali, the ship that crashed into the bridge, will be able to move. US Coast Guard petty officer 1st class Claudio Giugliano, a marine science technician, told The Independent that if remains are found during future dive operations, then all work will stop. The proper division will be alerted and they will come conduct dive operations and recovery will happen, he said. The government agencies responding to the search, which include the US Coast Guard, Maryland State Police and US Army Corps of Engineers said they want to return the victims remains to their families but that little can be done until they remove the bridges wreckage, citing unsafe conditions for divers. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A security guard who intervened in an altercation at a Florida bar was shot dead, while six others were also wounded. Police were called out to a bar in City Place, Doral, just after 3.30am on Saturday, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department. Officers from the City of Doral Police Department had arrived within minutes of the call and there was an exchange of gunfire with the subject, MDPD added. During the incident, six bystanders were hit, while a police officer was also shot. The shooter, Jamal Wayne Wood, 37, was killed, along with the security guard, with both pronounced dead at the scene. The security guard was later identified as George Alejandro Castellanos, 23. George Castellanos died while working as a security guard at a bar in Doral, Florida, on 6 April 2024 ( NBC 6 News ) A GoFundMe set up in his memory explained that Mr Castellanos had a one-year-old daughter and was just about to graduate from university. Tragically, George was taken from us far too soon due to an unforeseen and devastating event, the page said. His infectious smile and uplifting energy had the power to brighten any room he walked into. George was on the cusp of achieving his dreams, as he was set to graduate from Florida International University next month with a degree in Biological Science and a minor in Criminal Justice. The security guard was taking steps to become a police officer, his family said. He was excellent, he would pick up his daughter in the afternoon, bathe her and get her ready so he could go to work, his mother Jeanina Castellanos told NBC 6 News. Five of the other victims and the police officer were listed in stable condition, while the other injured person was listed as in critical condition on Monday morning. As the investigation is ongoing, it is too early to determine how the bystanders were injured, MDPD said in its statement. Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez said he was extremely proud of his officers actions. The heroic actions of our police officers today prevented an incident from escalating, Chief Lopez told reporters on Saturday. He said that the extensive training carried out by officers meant that they knew how to respond and eliminate the threat. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the police-involved shooting, while the MDPD is investigating the homicide, with Doral PD involved in both cases. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Marvel star Jonathan Majors managed to avoid jail time after being convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, during an altercation on a New York City street in March 2023. During his highly-anticipated sentencing on Monday, Judge Michael Gaffey said Majors did not need to go to jail but ordered him to attend 52 weeks of domestic violence programming in Los Angeles, pay $250 in surcharge and continue going to therapy. The judge also placed a protective order over Ms Jabbari. It comes after a high-profile trial, where jurors heard how Majors pulled Ms Jabbaris finger, twisted her arm, hit her and pushed her in a way that caused her to fall onto the pavement. Surveillance footage showed Majors shoving Ms Jabbari into a vehicle before pulling her back out of the car and dragging her onto the sidewalk. Majors best known for his roles in Marvel movies and Creed III was arrested on the night of the incident after officers responded to a 911 call to his Chelsea penthouse apartment. He was subsequently charged with multiple counts of misdemeanour assault and harassment. In December 2023, Majors was convicted of two charges. Here are the key revelations from the trial: Grace Jabbari confronted with videos on night of assault The dancer asked not to watch body camera footage presented to the jury last week taken on the night of the alleged assault. When presented with the footage for the first time, the dancer began to cry and took a short break. When she returned to the courtroom, she pleaded with the judge not to watch the videos, which were part of a cache of evidence released to the media on Wednesday. Do I have to? Ms Jabbari was heard asking Judge Michael Gaffey. Explaining why she was in the walk-in closet, she said I was trying to sleep and got sick. Grace Jabbari leaves court after giving testimony ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Damning text messages revealed Text messages between the dancer and actor were presented to the jury during the trial which appeared to show Majors admitting to injuring his ex-girlfriend in a separate incident that allegedly occurred in September of 2022. In the messages, the actor appeared to be dissuading her from seeking medical attention following the alleged altercation. I fear you have no perspective of what could happen if you go to the hospital, Majors writes to Ms Jabbari. They will ask you questions and I dont think you actually protect us it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something. Ms Jabbari responds: I will tell the doctor I bumped my head, if I go, Im going to give it one more day, but I cant sleep and I need some stronger painkillers. Thats all. Why would I tell them what really happened when its clear I want to be with you. During the trial, the dancer said that she was nervous about contacting the authorities in regards to the actors alleged behaviour because of his concerns relating to police treatment of Black men. Jonathan Majors and Jabbari attend the Devotion premiere in Toronto ( Getty ) Audio released of Jonathan Majors calling himself a great man On Wednesday, Judge Gaffey released audio of Jonathan Majors referring to himself as a great man and telling Ms Jabbari that he needs a great woman similar to Coretta Scott King or Michelle Obama. In the audio, which is part of a separate incident, Majors sounds angry and is accusing Ms Jabbari of coming home drunk. How dare you come home drunk and disturb the peace of our house when we have a plan, the actor is heard saying. I would like to get to the point where your friends know what job Im on and go, I think Grace is gonna be out of commission. Ms Jabbari responds: I know I shouldnt have gone out. To which Majors replies, Let me just lay it out for you, right? If I am Im just gonna say this My temper, my s*** all that said, I am a great man. A great man. I am doing great things, not just for me, but for my culture and for the world. Driver recalls night of assault Naveed Sarwar, the driver who drove the couple on March 25, said that he thought Ms Jabbari had hit the actor. He was not doing anything, the driver said of Majors while on the stand. She was doing everything. He added: Many things were happening. I had the feeling the girl had hit the boy. Mr Sarwar continued his testimony by saying Majors was trying to get rid of Ms Jabbari. He was trying to get rid of her, he said. He was saying, Leave me alone, I have to go. The driver testified for the prosecution. Holly Blakey testifies about how Grace was very broken One of Grace Jabbaris friends, Holly Blakey, took the stand last week. She told jurors she spoke to her friend several times following the alleged assault. She said she met the actor multiple times and found him to be a very sweet, charming person. She described the couple as very close and serene. They even finished each others sentences, she said. Following the alleged incident on March 25, Ms Blakey said she noticed her friend sounded very broken and very traumatised, following the alleged assault. Majors and his current girlfriend Meagan Good arrive at court during his trial ( AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura ) Ms Jabbari told her that Majors had hurt her, the choreographer said on the stand. Grace Jabbari breaks down in tears describing past alleged abuse While on the stand, the dancer said that Majors allegedly used threats of suicide to keep her in the relationship. She said she stayed with him even though she was scared of the actor. The relationship caused her to be on edge because she was unsure how her then-boyfriend would react. At points, she said, the actor would throw things and yell at her. I had low self-esteem, I lost a lot of weight, she told the court. I felt really dependent on him because he was the only one who knew what went on. I still did try to see my friends and family but I felt like I was lying to them. She added: I felt isolated. When she went to visit him in Atlanta in December 2021, she said the actor became particularly angry when she brought up her ex-boyfriend. The Marvel star had also apparently given her instructions on how to act around his dog. Ms Jabbari said the only experience she had with dogs was with one her ex-boyfriend owned. The actor then proceeded to tell her it was embarrassing that she dated the man and called his dog pathetic. She said after that incident, I knew to never mention my ex again. Ms Jabbari teared up several times while testifying and had to take breaks. Jabbari probed over her injuries Majors attorney, Priya Chaudhry, peppered Ms Jabbari with questions regarding the injuries she allegedly sustained during the altercation. While watching surveillance footage of Ms Jabbari recorded on 25 March, Ms Chaudhry asked her if it hurt the dancer to play with her hair even though she said she had hurt her right middle finger and had a cut behind her ear. Ms Jabbari responded that the action did not hurt her, adding that being a dancer for most of her life has taught her to withstand pain. The attorney accused her of lying on the stand and attacking Majors on the night of the alleged incident, instead of the other way around. At one point, Ms Chaudhry asked Ms Jabbari how she takes her tequila shots. Jabbaris injured finger ( Manhattan DA ) Officers testify during trial Officer Brendan Swayne, a domestic violence prevention officer who responded to the 911 call and arrested Majors on 25 March, took the stand in the trial. The officer said he observed that Ms Jabbaris middle right finger had been bruised and she had a cut behind her ear. The officer told the jury Ms Jabbari said that she didnt want him [Majors] right outside the room. She seemed scared and started to cry. Another officer, Detective Ronnie Mejia, who arrested Ms Jabbari in October after Majors filed a domestic complaint against her, also took the stand. He said he took Majors statement over a FaceTime call, while the actors attorney, Priya Chuadhry, walked into the precinct to file a report. It was brought to my attention that this was an important case, the officer said. Witnesses who went to bar with Jabbari after assault Chloe Zoller, a woman who Ms Jabbari met on the streets of Manhattan after she ran after Majors, testified for the prosecution along with her boyfriend. She described the dancer as being very upset because she said she had just discovered her boyfriend had been cheating on her. During the alleged altercation, Ms Jabbari also said shed misplaced her phone, wallet and keys. As a result, Ms Zoller invited Ms Jabbari to join her, her boyfriend and a friend to a birthday party they were planning to attend. Max Manning, Ms Zollers boyfriend, also took the stand but was quickly dismissed. Doctor testifies about injuries Bellevue Hospital doctor William Chiang told the jury he treated Ms Jabbari for injuries she allegedly sustained on the night of 25 March. He told the courtroom that the injuries Ms Jabbari said she sustained were consistent with her account of the alleged assault. According to the medical professional, a psychiatric evaluation found that Ms Jabbari was not at risk of suicide or severe depression. However, one assessment conducted determined that she could be at risk for alcohol abuse disorder. Jonathan Majors found guilty on two counts The actor was found guilty of two counts, one of harassment in the second degree and another of third-degree recklessly causing physical injury on 18 December. Both charges are misdemeanours. The jury found the actor not guilty of one count of assault in the third degree and not guilty of aggravated harassment in the second degree. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An attorney and his wife have been killed in a horror shooting at a Las Vegas law office, where a gunman opened fire during a child custody hearing before turning the gun on himself. The shooter, a man in his 70s, killed himself after fatally shooting across the table at two people during the deposition hearing in the City National Bank building, police said. Las Vegas police said that the gunman had very specific targets during the attack. The three deceased from the law firm shooting have been named by the Clark County Coroners Office as 57-year-old Dennis Prince, 30-year-old Ashley Prince and 77-year-old Joseph Houston. The case and manner of death of each individual are yet to be released by the coroner. Law enforcement officials have not confirmed the identity of the shooter but did say he was a man in his 70s or the victims a man in his 50s and woman in her 30s. Nevada Attorney General Aaron D Ford named the victims as his friend Dennis Prince, a Las Vegas attorney, and wife Ashley Prince. Dennis Prince, a top Las Vegas attorney, was killed in the shooting ( Supplied ) Im devastated, Mr Ford wrote on X. Dennis Prince was not only a brilliant attorney, but he was also my former law partner and my friend. I cant believe hes gone. Im extremely saddened by his and Ashleys death, and my heart goes out to their families, especially their children. Princes former law partner Robert Eglet remembered him as a father of four whose death is not just a loss to his family, but also to the community, reported 8 News Now. The shooting unfolded on Monday in Princes law firm office Prince Law Group in a mid-rise office building on West Charleston Boulevard. Las Vegas Police Homicide Lieutenant Jason Johansson told reporters at a news conference that seven people were in the room at the time of the deposition hearing. Several minutes after the hearing began, the shooter suddenly stood up and opened fire at the two victims across the table, Lt Johansson said, calling it a traumatic event. The victims were in the room for a child custody hearing, police say ( AP ) The shooting occcurred in the Prince Law Group office suite ( CBS ) The four other people in the room, including a court reporter, were able to quickly escape and call the police, he said. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said officers were called to the scene just after 10am local time, they wrote in a series of updates on X. The two victims and the shooter were all pronounced dead at the scene. A specific motive for the attack has not been confirmed by police but the LVMPD said they believe it was targeted. Hundreds of people inside the building were evacuated during the incident, the department wrote on X, with Lt Johansson adding that they were taken to the Red Rock Casino across the road and then slowly escorted back to retrieve their belongings. Dan Musgrove, who works down the hall from the law firm, told FOX5 that he saw two people from the deposition screaming and were visibly upset, telling him that there was a shooter in their office, so he ushered them inside his office and locked the door. I think they were in shock, and it was tragic to see what was going on. They knew shots had been fired. They believed someone was shot and potentially killed, he told the outlet. Mr Musgrove also said the sense of shock also overcame him in the moment. We were all just nervous as to what would happen if the shooter came to our office on the same floor, he added. Mr Eglet told 3 News that the shooting was senseless and tragic, saying that Prince leaves behind four children including a son around the age of 12, two adult children, and a baby with Ashley. His oldest son allegedly works at Princes office, but Mr Eglet told the outlet he was not there at the time of the shooting. Hundreds of workers had to be evacuated from the City National Bank building on West Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas ( AP ) Tom Letizia, a friend of Prince and a political consultant, said in a statement to 8 News Now that Dennis was not only a close friend of mine but also a respected figure within our legal community, whose absence has left us all in mourning. The news of this tragedy has profoundly shocked me and our entire community, he added. The Prince Law Group acknowledged the tragedy in a statement on Monday evening. With profound sadness, Prince Law Group would like to thank everyone who has reached out to us with heartfelt messages of concern and sympathy over the tragic violence that occurred this morning in our offices, the law group wrote. Police swarm the outside of the City National Bank following a shooting at a law firm office ( 8 News Now ) According to a profile for Prince on the Prince Law Group website, he founded the law firm and is recognised as one the best trial lawyers in the State of Nevada. Prince was admitted to the bar in 1993 and has gone on to successfully handle more than 50 cases at the Nevada Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals among other achievements. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The father of the US-Canadian aid worker in Gaza who was killed in drone strikes confronted the United States secretary of state, telling him over the phone that his son might be alive today if the US threatened to suspend aid to Israel. The State Departments Anthony Blinken called John Flickinger with condolences after his son, Jacob Flickinger, died at just 33 years old while helping to deliver food to those who need it most in Gaza. He was one of seven humanitarian aid workers with World Central Kitchen killed last week when the convoy they were travelling in was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Jacob Flickinger had been volunteering in Gaza since early March to help distribute food to Palestinians. Mr Flickinger told the Secretary of State that the killings by Israel must end and that the United States should use its power and leverage to make that happen, according to The Associated Press. If the United States threatened to suspend aid to Israel, maybe my son would be alive today, Mr Flickinger told the news agency while describing the 30-minute conversation he had over the phone with Mr Blinken on Saturday. While Mr Blinken did not pledge any new policy actions during their talk, he did say that the Biden administration has sent a strong message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if the Israeli Defense Forces do not show more care for Gaza civilians, then the relationship between Israel and the United States may change, the outlet said. Jacob Flickinger had been working in Gaza since early March before he was killed ( World Central Kitchen/WCK.org/PA Wire ) President Joe Biden told Mr Netanyahu on Thursday in a phone call that future US policy towards Israel will be determined by whether its government takes action to protect aid workers and civilians in Gaza. Im hopeful that this is the last straw, that the United States will suspend aid and will take meaningful action to leverage change in the way Israel is conducting this war, Mr Flickinger told the outlet. Israeli officials admitted to making a grave mistake after its forces killed the aid workers in a drone strike. They blamed poor communication and attention to detail and have sacked two of its officers. They concluded after a four-day investigation that a charity worker carrying a bag was mistaken for a man holding a gun. Mr Flickinger, however, is not so convinced, telling the Associated Press that, in his view, the strike was a deliberate attempt to intimidate aid workers and to stop the flow of humanitarian aid. The World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore has also released a statement slamming the attack on the aid workers, saying that it is an attack on humanitarian organisations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. Aside from his call with Mr Blinken, the aid workers father said that the Secretary of State also spoke with his sons partner, Sandy Leclerc, who is now left to care for their one-year-old son. The Canadian government has also reached out to the family and offered financial support to Ms Leclerc to move her and her son back to Quebec province to be closer to family, Mr Flickinger said. Jacob and his partner had started a new life in Costa Rica, raising their newborn before he started working in Gaza. Mr Flickinger described his son to the Associated Press as larger than life and a loving son, a devoted dad who died doing what he loved, which was serving and helping others. The aid workers father added that his sons remains are in Cairo, Egypt, pending the issuance of a death certificate by Palestinian authorities. After that happens, the family has made arrangements for them to be transported to Quebec. Chef and restaurant owner Mourad Lahlou at his downtown San Francisco restaurant Mourad. His new restaurant in Napa, called Moro, is now open. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to The Chronicle The latest restaurant from the famed chef behind two Moroccan restaurants in San Francisco is finally open. Moro, from chef Mourad Lahlou, is now serving customers at Napas Oxbow Public Market, a representative for the market confirmed. Lahlous first restaurant in Wine Country leans more casual than its S.F. sibling restaurants, Aziza and Mourad: The counter-service restaurants menu offers steamed couscous, wraps and salads, with a choice of roasted cauliflower slathered with rich harissa paste ($16), shrimp in red chermoula ($18) or grilled meat like lamb shoulder enhanced with cumin and preserved lemon ($18) and chicken seasoned with red chermoula and tahini ($16). Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lahlou told the Chronicle he decided to open a restaurant in Napa after relocating to the city during the pandemic. The restaurant was first announced in early 2022 after the former location of C Casa became available when the Mexican restaurant relocated to a larger space inside the upscale market. The exterior of the Oxbow Market, where Moro has now opened. John Storey/Special to the Chronicle Moro takes inspiration from markets in the historic Medina district of Lahlous native Marrakech, including the famed Jemaa el-Fnaa night market. The more time he spent cooking at home during the early pandemic, he said, the more he would remember visiting this market with his mother, mesmerized by its many vendors and flavors. As a teenager, he would ride his bike from the outer suburbs into the market looking to bite into wraps and sandwiches which left his hands filled with sauces. Youd be hard pressed to not get any (sauce) on your shirt or drop chunks of meat on your lap, he said. It was comforting and approachable. That appealed to me during the pandemic. Lahlou previously told the Chronicle some of Moros offerings, such as dips and spreads, would be similar to the ones at Aziza. A small selection of wines are available along with craft beers. Dessert includes treats like chocolate chip cookies ($5) and baklava with pistachio ($6). And soft-serve ice cream ($8) is available in flavors including orange blossom and honey-almond. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The more casual, unadorned menu is the kind of thing I would never have be caught cooking before, said Lahlou, known for his often elaborate dishes. But the experience has been liberating, he added. Its back to humble beginnings. Moro. 11 a.m. 8 p.m. 610 First St., Napa. moronapa.com This story has been updated to include additional menu details from Moro. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An Indian student has died in Cleveland, Ohio - the latest in a string of deaths among students visiting from the country, and the Indian-American community, this year. The death of Uma Satya Sai Gadde was reported by the Indian Consulate in New York on Friday. In a statement posted on X/Twitter, the consulate wrote: Deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of Mr Uma Satya Sai Gadde, an Indian student in Cleveland, Ohio. The consulate said it had contacted Mr Gaddes family in India and that police are investigating. The Independent has contacted the Cleveland Police for comment. All possible assistance is being extended including to transport Mr Uma Gaddes mortal remains to India at the earliest, the consulate added. Classical dancer Amarnath Ghosh, 34, was shot and killed in St Louis, Missouri in February ( Washington University in St Louis ) The student is the latest suspicious fatality this year from the Indian community, with the number of deaths estimated at between six and ten people. Some Indian students have linked the deaths to increased threats and discrimination. The Indian Embassy held virtual sessions in February for students on wellbeing and how to remain in touch with the diaspora, meetings that took on new meaning following the deaths, according to NDTV. Students from 90 universities took part in the session led by Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan and attended by consul generals in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. The Independent has contacted the Indian Embassy in Washington DC and the US State Department for comment. There are around 4.4 million Indian-Americans, and 268,923 Indian students came to the US for the 2022-2023 academic year. Several thousands more people come from India to the US on work visas. In March, classical dancer Amarnath Ghosh, 34, was shot and killed in St Louis, Missouri. The homicide investigation led by the St Louis Metropolitan Police Department is ongoing. IT executive Vivek Taneja, 41, of Alexandria, Virginia, died from his injuries days after being struck in the head outside a restaurant on 2 February, according to Washington DC Metropolitan Police. Charges are pending against an unidentified suspect. At least four other Indian students have died in the US in the first few months of this year. Vivek Saini, 25, was killed at a convenience store in Georgia where he worked after he allegedly refused to give free food to a homeless man, NDTV reported. Shreya Reddy Beniger, 19, who was studying at the Lindner School of Business in Ohio, was found dead in February. Police investigation is underway. At this stage, foul play is not suspected, the Indian consulate in New York wrote on X on 1 February. Student Neel Acharya,19, was found dead on the campus of Purdue University on 28 January in West Lafayette, Illinois. The coroner found the cause of death to be asphyxia, with cold exposure and ethanol intoxication contributing, according to WTHR. Indian-American student Akul Dhawan, 18, was found dead at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign after going missing on 20 January. He died of hypothermia, the Champaign County Coroner said. Indian student Jaswant Singh told India.com that in the past couple of years in the US, there has been growing racism against Indians. Somehow there is a lot of prejudice against Indians, as ... the local people here think that we are taking their jobs and they don't sometimes like our culture, and there's a lot of stress that the students are facing, he said. One of my close friends is not able to talk to his parents because he's scared to tell them the ordeal that he's facing here right now. So the situation is pretty bad for the International Indian students here, he added. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden said on Monday at an event in Madison, Wisconsin, that his latest efforts to reduce or eliminate student debt would be a boon to the US economy. Mr Biden said his administrations newest initiatives are an outgrowth of his promise to find alternative paths to reduce student debt loads that have become so burdensome that many borrowers simply cant repay what they owe, making student debt a problem because it keeps Americans from starting businesses, or buying homes, or starting families in many cases. Its a drag on economies... when you cant afford to buy a home, start that small business, chase that career that youve been dreaming about for a long time, he said. He also said the new programmes would give everybody a fair shot and the freedom to chase their dreams by building on two existing programmes his administration has reformed Public Service Loan Forgiveness and the Income-Driven Repayment Plan both of which now help more than 25,000 Americans per month to see their student debts entirely forgiven, and have lowered payments for hundreds of thousands more. The presidents trip to Madison, the Badger States capital and the location of its flagship state university, came as part of a push to shore up support from younger voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. During his 2020 campaign against then-president Donald Trump, Mr Biden made forgiving Americans student loans a significant part of his pitch to college-aged and millennial-generation voters, many of whom are saddled with massive debts from undergraduate or graduate studies. An initial attempt by Mr Biden to forgive $10,000 of debt for every student borrower using Covid-era authorities died after the US Supreme Court sided with Republican attorneys general, who sued to block the proposal. At the time, he vowed to press on with debt relief efforts. And since then, the president has rolled out several new initiatives, making use of different statutory provisions allowing the Department of Education to waive or modify loan provisions or forgive debts under some circumstances. His administration has also worked to make it easier for borrowers to access income-based repayment plans under which debt can be forgiven after many years of repayment. Speaking to reporters ahead of Mr Bidens visit to Wisconsin, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mondays announcement is a result of his promise to press on with debt relief and said the new initiatives could be up and running as soon as this fall. The programmes unveiled on Monday are part of a new tranche of efforts to reduce young voters debt loads, which the White House says would provide relief to more than 30 million Americans when combined with other initiatives. The White House also said the administration has thus far eliminated $146bn in student debt relief for four million Americans through more than two dozen executive actions since Mr Biden took office in January 2021. Last June, in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision blocking the Biden-Harris Administrations original student debt relief plan, President Biden vowed to keep fighting to deliver student debt relief to borrowers held back by the burden of student loan debt. Immediately following that, the Department of Education began pursuing an alternative path to debt relief through negotiated rulemaking under the Higher Education Act, the White House said in a statement, adding later that the plans announced today would fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million borrowers, would cancel the full amount of student debt for over four million borrowers, and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in debt relief or more. One new programme would eliminate up to $20,000 in accrued interest for borrowers who now owe more interest than when they began to repay their loans. For borrowers under a certain income threshold, it would cancel all of the interest-based debt accrued by those borrowers. Another new action would automatically forgive debt for borrowers who are eligible for the public service programme but have not applied for it because they were unaware of it, while yet another new initiative would forgive loans for borrowers whove been repaying their debt for more than two decades. This relief can be life changing, said Mr Biden, who added that the new programmes would be for the good of our economy. Its growing stronger and stronger and by freeing millions of Americans from this crushing student debt, it means they can finally get on with their lives, he said. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former President Donald Trump finally responded to criticism of his murky stance on reproductive rights on Monday and issued a video statement outlining abortion policy under a Trump second term. The four-minute address was posted to his Truth Social media platform and proclaimed that the GOP would remain fundamentally opposed to abortion rights under his leadership. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, said Mr Trump. He added: Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative than others and thats what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. In short: the former president would encourage states to set their own policies determining the extent of a womans right to an abortion if it is recognised at all. Notably, Mr Trump did not say that he would reject legislation banning the practice after a certain point in the pregnancy at the national level, a key carve-out that lays the groundwork for a future rightward shift. And Mr Trump also repeated one of his favourite smears: the claim that Democrats want abortion to be legal up until the point of childbirth, and even after a baby is born murder of a living person, as its more commonly known. Its an egregious accusation that is not based in any real policy supported by a single elected Democrat in the country, and one that seems particularly alarmist given the fact that the incumbent Democratic president appears personally uncomfortable with even using the term abortion and has only pledged to go as far as passing legislation to restore the federal standard under Roe v Wade, which prohibited abortion bans from taking effect before the second month of pregnancy has ended. It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position because they support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month. The concept of having an abortion in the later months and even execution after birth. And that's exactly what it is. The baby is born, the baby is executed after birth is unacceptable. And almost everyone agrees with that, he said in his address Monday. Nevertheless, its a smear that Mr Trump and his allies on the far right, such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz, have repeated ad nauseum over the past several years. The goal appears to be to blunt the clear headwinds Democrats have enjoyed on the issue, where the party enjoys a clear advantage over Republicans. The GOP has suffered a series of embarrassing defeats waged over abortion-related ballot measures and in races where reproductive freedoms were made into a key election issue Tudor Dixons defeat in key swing-state Michigan, for example. The 2023 sweep by Democrats in Virginias state legislature elections solidified the feeling that the right was facing a backlash from suburban women in particular. Mr Trump first began spreading the lie in 2019 , at the time still in the third year of his presidency and reeling from his loss of control in the House of Representatives in the midterms a year earlier. At the time, the former president pursued the line of attack against Ralph Northam, then the Democratic governor of Virginia. It appeared, in 2019, to have originated with the testimony of a Democratic member of the state legislature before a committee in January of that year; Kathy Tran told her colleagues that legislation she was proposing would allow a woman to have an abortion if deemed medically necessary to save her life while she was showing signs of labour. She later said that she misspoke, as an abortion would not be pursued in that circumstance. But the damage was done, and five years later the GOP is still attempting to convince voters that their political rivals want to murder children. Another crucial point in his address was a full-throated endorsement of the availability of fertility services including IVF; the Republican Party faced a political backlash recently when the practice was temporarily banned in Alabama. It was his latest stop on the long, winding trail of anti-abortion sentiment he has embraced since becoming the champion of Americas Maga movement, the possible culmination of a political alliance with evangelical Christians that began nearly 10 years ago. Having once referred to himself as very pro-choice in 1999, his positions shifted upon his entrance into national politics as he became the far-rights champion in 2016. The alliances he forged necessitated the embrace of a conservative stance on abortion and never looking back. He would go on to be the first incumbent president to address the annual anti-abortion March for Life in Washington DC, even as he has never explicitly endorsed a national abortion ban or even said that he would sign one (though he almost certainly would, were a GOP Congress to pass it). He has also infuriated some on the anti-abortion right by acknowledging the clear political challenges that Republicans face surrounding reproductive rights; his opposition to the Alabama IVF ban just the latest example. The New York Times reported earlier this year that Mr Trump privately supported a 16-week national abortion ban, though a spokesperson denied this. As President Trump has stated, he would sit down with both sides and negotiate a deal that everyone will be happy with, Trump 2024 national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in February. For that reason Mondays news was at once a moment of pause for both pro-choice Americans as well as the anti-abortion right, the latter of which reacted to his pledge with a mixture of disappointment and resigned acknowledgment that Americas 45th president, hardly a true believer, remains the president with the strongest track record of rolling back abortion rights in modern history. His contributions to a far-right conservative majority on the Supreme Court remain a point of pride for many evangelicals, even if they do not in all cases appreciate his bombastic and often-times acidic rhetoric. The Republican Party is facing a political reckoning. Mr Trump is running for the presidency for a third time, now a more damaged candidate than ever and facing resentment from members of both parties resulting from his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The larger GOP is seeking to retake control of the Senate after failing to do so in 2022, while facing the prospect of protecting one of the thinnest House majorities in history. And on top of all of that is the issue of abortion, and the greater realm of reproductive freedoms. 2024 will be the first presidential election to take place since the ending of federal protections established by Roe v Wade, and the Republican candidate is on tape bragging about killing them. With the rights of patients to seek abortion care services set to be on the ballot in several states including Florida and Arizona (two major battlegrounds), the issue is set to reach a national level of importance which it has rarely enjoyed. With Donald Trumps announcement, it seems certain that Democrats will go on the offensive and try to tie their opponents to his words in key swing races up and down the ballot. The questions for Mr Biden are therefore simple: can his party effectively deliver that message and use it to make real gains in places like Florida, where the party saw a complete political collapse over the Trump era? And will that messaging be enough to convince voters to vote for a man who wont even say the word? 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Maine lawmakers and activists are hotly debating legislation that could have prevented the deadliest mass shooting of 2023. On Friday, a town hall debate in Augusta, Maine stretched for hours as lawmakers and citizens contemplated a proposed red flag gun law, the Associated Press reports. The proposed legislation would allow family members and law enforcement to file a crisis intervention order for gun owners they believe could harm themselves or others. Maine gun control advocates attend a rally for gun safety in January 2024 in Augusta, Maine. Now, lawmakers and activists are debating the merits of a red flag gun law ( AFP via Getty Images ) This could apply to gun owners that family or police officers believe have attempted to harm someone, have caused someone to fear harm, have placed someone in their care in danger or threatened to harm themselves. Orders would require a court hearing within two weeks and could be handed down in hours if there is an imminent threat. Once the order is approved, the gun owner would not be allowed to possess or buy a firearm. The order can last for a year. The debate comes almost six months after US military veteran Robert Card committed the deadliest mass shooting of 2023, killing 18 people in Lewiston, Maine on 25 October. Police later found Card dead by suicide. In the months leading up to the murders, Cards family and US military officials raised alarms about his increasing paranoia and aggressive behaviour. Yet, he was never taken into protective custody or given the mental health evaluation needed to trigger Maines yellow flag law. Maine currently has a yellow flag law in place, the only one of its kind in the country. Robert Card, pictured, killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine after his family and military officials raised alarms about his concerning behaviour ( AP ) Unlike the proposed legislation, Maines current law does not allow family members to file for a crisis intervention order and police are required to take the individual in question into custody before moving forward. Police then can choose to ask a judge to temporarily halt the persons access to firearms. Gun rights activists in Maine spoke out against the law on Friday, claiming the current yellow flag law could have prevented Cards mass shooting if police used it, Maine Public Radio reports. Meanwhile, supporters argued that the law would have given Cards family the ability to take further action on their concerns ahead of the shooting. Lawmakers in 21 states and Washington, DC have already adopted red flag laws. While the specifics differ state-by-state, the laws typically allow those close to the person in question to apply for an emergency order against them. If a judge approves it, they lose access to their firearms. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has hinted that his long-awaited policy on abortion would include exceptions for rape and incest as well as protection for the life of the mother. The Republican presidential candidate said he would outline the policy on Monday. Although he did not provide further details, it is expected to call for a federal abortion ban less restrictive than the six-week prohibition passed in Florida and Georgia. In the past, the former president has argued that a more moderate position on abortion is necessary for Republicans to prevail in the November election. "Republicans, and all others, must follow their hearts and minds, but remember that, like Ronald Reagan before me, I, and most other Republicans, believe in EXCEPTIONS for Rape, Incest, and Life of the Mother," Mr Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday. He added: "...we must use common sense in realising that we have an obligation to the salvation of our Nation, which is currently in serious DECLINE, TO WIN ELECTIONS, without which we will have nothing other than failure, death, and destruction. The regulation of abortion has been a matter left to individual states since the Supreme Court overturned constitutional protection for the procedure in 2022. Mr Trump, who has repeatedly dodged questions about signing a national abortion ban, has been under pressure from anti-abortion groups to detail his stance. However, he has continued to take responsibility for terminating the Roe v Wade judgment through his appointment of three judges. A less-stringent proposal could make those anti-abortion advocates unhappy while at the same time galvanising abortion-rights groups who have warned that Republicans would seek a federal ban if they gain control of the White House and Congress. In a September interview, Mr Trump called Florida's six-week ban a "terrible thing and a terrible mistake". "I think the Republicans speak very inarticulately about this subject," he told NBC. Mr Trump also indicated last month that he would support a 15-week federal abortion ban. The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15, and Im thinking in terms of that, and itll come out to something thats very reasonable, he told WABC. President Joe Biden, who is Mr Trump's rival in the upcoming polls, has made the Republican's opposition to abortion rights a key tenet of his re-election campaign. There isnt a statement Donald Trump can make that changes the facts he BRAGS about overturning Roe, and that without him there would be no abortion bans at all, and he is responsible for the hellscape women live in today," Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said on X. "Those are his words. Its all on tape." 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has claimed that President Joe Biden soiled himself in the Oval Office in yet another baseless, wild rant about his political nemesis. The former president made the remarks during a speech at a fundraiser hosted by billionaire financier John Paulson in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday night an event that the Trump campaign claims raked in a record-busting $50.5m haul. In his 45-minute presentation, Mr Trump lambasted Mr Bidens border policy and mocked him for making what he claims to be poor decisions behind the Resolute Desk, the iconic Oval Office desk which was gifted to the US by Queen Victoria in 1880. The Resolute Desk is beautiful, Mr Trump allegedly said, an attendee told The New York Times. Ronald Reagan used it, others used it. And hes using it, he added, referring to Mr Biden. Mr Trump then went on to claim that he might not use the infamous Resolute Desk if he returns to the Oval Office, claiming that Mr Biden had defecated on it. Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump, arrives at the home of billionaire investor John Paulson, with former first lady Melania Trump, on April 6, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida ( Getty Images ) Its been soiled. And I mean that literally, which is sad, he commented. The remarks reportedly elicited a laugh from guests, who interpreted the remark as the former president saying that Mr Biden had literally defecated on the desk. The unnamed attendee also recalled Mr Trumps tirade against the presidents immigration policies. The former president allegedly faslely claimed that Mr Bidens immigration policy includes migrants being shipped in, brought in, deposited in our country, adding that the newly arrived migrants make the Hells Angels look like extremely nice people. These are people coming in from prisons and jails, Mr Trump said. Theyre coming in from just unbelievable places and countries, countries that are a disaster. Joe Biden sitting at the Resolute Desk ( Getty Images ) He then appeared to allude to his contentious 2018 remark where he labeled Haiti, El Salvador, and several African nations as s***hole countries while saying he only wants people arriving from so-called nice countries. And when I said, you know, why cant we allow people to come in from nice countries, Im trying to be nice, he reflected. Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway? Mr Trump went on to say that there were people coming from Yemen where theyre blowing each other up all over the place. From left, John Paulson, Alina de Almeida, Melania Trump, and Donald Trump gather for a fundraiser at Paulsons Palm Beach home on 6 April, 2024 ( AP ) During his rallies, Mr Trump is often accused of pushing racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric about migrants from several countries from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In some of his most inflammatory comments, he accused immigrants of poisoning the blood of the country language which appears to mirror that of Adolf Hitler. He has also blamed the rise in migrants crossing the USs southern border for a spike in crime. But this claim is not supported by data. Nationwide crime declined in 2023, according to the FBI, with homicides decreasing by 13 per cent from the previous year. This followed an unprecedented spike in homicides from 2019 to 2020 when Mr Trump was in office. Meanwhile, a 2020 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that US-born citizens are over two times more likely to be arrested for violent crimes than undocumented immigrants. Mr Trump ended his presentation by giving a grave assessment of Americas future. This could very well be the last election this country ever has, he allegedly said. July 4 is not as important as this as far as Im concerned. Melania Trump, who has barely been seen in public since her husband left office, made a rare appearance with him at the fundraiser. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The port of Baltimore will be reopened by the end of May, less than three months after the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse, Maryland's governor declared on Sunday. The bridge collapsed on 26 March, killing six construction workers who were repairing roads and shutting down all sea lane access to the Port of Baltimore, one of the largest freight seaports on the East Coast. The federal government has already authorised $60m in relief funding for the disaster response effort, with hundreds of millions more expected to be needed before the project is completed. The governor appeared on CBSs Face the Nation and said that President Joe Bidens goal of completing work to reopen both the federal and state shipping channels by the end of May was possible to achieve with 24/7 effort from first responders, recovery diving teams, and teams tasked with removing the wreckage. Its realistic, Mr Moore said of goal to have the Port of Baltimore fully reopened by the end of May. We are going to do everything in our power to make sure were bringing closure and comfort to these families, to be able to reopen this channel, to be able to support our workers and support families who have been impacted by it, and also begin the process of the rebuild of the bridge. It is an aggressive timeline, but we are going to work around the clock to make sure that we hit this timeline, said the governor, who noted that salvage teams have already removed hundreds of tons of steel and concrete from the Patapsco River. Maryland Governor Wes Moore shakes hands with President Joe Biden as they visit the site of the Key Bridge collapse on 5 April ( Getty Images ) The US Army Corps of Engineers tentatively expect[s] to open a limited access channel for ... some vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment by the end of April, the White House said this week. It added that workers should be able to restore the port to normal capacity by the end of May. President Biden pledged the support of the nation during his visit to the scene of the collapse on Friday, telling Mr Moore that he expects Congress to rally to their cause and pass funding for the reconstruction effort as well. Were going to move heaven and earth to rebuild this bridge as rapidly as humanly possible, the president said. We will do so with union labor and American steel. My vow is: We will not rest...until the cement has dried and the entirety of a new bridge, a new bridge, [is built]. The collapse of the iconic bridge was a shock to the state of Maryland and represents a major threat to the economy of Baltimore, much of which is tied to the port. Currently, a limited channel is open allowing smaller vessels to pass through the scene of the collapse but larger container ships like the one responsible for striking a key support beam and destroying the bridge cannot reach the port. The timeline for the construction of a new bridge remains unclear. The Francis Scott Key Bridge, opened in 1977, took five years to build but experts have cautioned that construction efforts may not take as long. Mr Moore has hosted near-daily press conferences updating Marylanders on the collapse, which is believed to have killed six people. Members of law enforcement were able to block traffic on both sides of the bridge moments before the destruction occurred, but a six-member team of construction workers who according to local officials were filling potholes were not able to be evacuated in time. Three deceased individuals have been recovered from the waters so far; the search continues for the bodies of the remaining workers. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A huge container ship lost propulsion in New Yorks harbour and came to a halt close to the Verrazzano Bridge over the weekend in an eerily similar scenario to the deadly disaster in Baltimore less than two weeks earlier. The 1,145-foot-long APL Qingdao lost propulsion in the waters around New York City on Friday evening, the US Coast Guard told The Independent. The Coast Guard said that it received a report at about 8.30pm about the incident, while the huge vessel was making its way through the Kill Van Kull waterway. The Kill Van Kull channel is a three-mile long, 1,000 feet wide tidal strait between Staten Island in New York City and Bayonne, New Jersey which connects Newark Bay and Upper New York Bay. It is considered one of the most heavily travelled waterways in the port area, the United States Army said. The massive ship was able to regain propulsion and was assisted by three towing vessels to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazzano Bridge, the Coast Guard said. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with a different vessel under it, the CMA CGM Marco Polo, in 2021 ( REUTERS ) These towing vessels were escorting the vessel as a routine safety measure, which is a common practice for large vessels departing their berth. The ship came to a rest and anchored near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the 13,700-foot-span bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island, NYC Parks states. The 12-year-old ship, registered in Malta, is now currently en route to Norfolk, Virginia, according to Vessel Finder. The Dali crashed into The Francis Scott Key Bridge after it lost power ( AP ) Repairs were made and the ships system was assessed as fully operational before it departed New Yorks harbour again on Sunday morning, CBS reported. The Coast Guard said that the ship did not lose power, just propulsion, unlike the Dali container ship which appeared to lose its power as it approached the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the early hours of 26 March. As a result, the Dali slammed into the bridge, causing it to collapse into the water of the Patapsco River. Six construction workers died in the tragedy and the collapse has had a huge knock-on effect on the marine-based industries within the area. The Independent has contacted the US Coast Guard for further information. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two people have been arrested in Nigeria over an alleged sextortion racket involving an Australian schoolboy . The New South Wales (NSW) teenager, who had traded explicit pictures online with the accused men, killed himself last year after they started to blackmail him. The accused, described as young males, threatened to release the images if the victim did not pay Aus$500 (260), the NSW police said. The men were traced by the NSW state crime commands cybercrime squad to a slum in Nigeria that houses over 25 million people. "The messages are horrific. Theyre aggressive and put a lot of pressure on the boy to pay the money," NSW polices cybercrime commander Matthew Craft told the Sydney Morning Herald. The boy spent his final evening messaging the two men, who posed as a woman. It was a jovial banter at first until they sent the boy a racy picture of a woman and encouraged him to send his, the commander said. Soon as he did, the tone of the messages changed and the extortionists started demanding money. If he didnt pay, they threatened to send his pictures to his family and school friends. The boy died by suicide hours later. The investigation found that the arrested men had allegedly tried to extort other people, according to their phone records. The males will be dealt with locally, where authorities have the power to prosecute for Australian based offences, police said. The case hints at a wider sextortion racket run by West African crime gangs as it was similar to the deaths of schoolboys Robin Janjua and William Doiron of Canada and Jordan Demay of the US. DeMay,17, died by suicide on 25 March 2022, after two Nigerian men posing as a woman threatened to release his nude photos to the world. His last message read: Im killing myself right now. Because of you. Commander Craft said young people did not need to suffer in silence and should report such cases to police. Weve seen a huge spike in sextortion cases, which are up nearly 400% in the last 18 months, he said. We want young people to continue to report these cases and to never be embarrassed to talk to police. If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers 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. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making an official visit to the United States this week. He will hold a summit with President Joe Biden that's meant to achieve a major upgrading of their defense alliance. He will also join a first-ever summit of the U.S., Japanese and Philippine leaders in Washington to showcase their cooperation in the face of an increasingly assertive China. The Associated Press explains the significance of Kishidas visit and the two summits. WHAT DOES KISHIDA WANT TO ACHIEVE? The biggest event during the weeklong trip is his summit with Biden on Wednesday. Kishida hopes to further strengthen the alliance as China's influence grows in the Indo-Pacific. Kishida is also reaching out to the American public to showcase Japans contribution to the U.S. economy and ensure stable relations regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election later this year. Kishida, who has pushed sweeping changes fortifying Japans defense capabilities since taking office in 2021, will emphasize that Japan and the U.S. are now global partners working to maintain a rules-based international order, and that Japan is willing to take on a greater international role in security, economy and space to help Washington. Expanding arms equipment and technology cooperation between the two countries and other like-minded partners is also highly important, Kishida on Friday told selected media, including AP. Kishida, stung by a corruption scandal, needs a successful U.S. visit to shore up low support ratings at home. WHAT IS A STATE VISIT? As a state guest, Kishida will be welcomed in a White House arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, a formal state dinner and other official events. He is the fifth state guest of Biden, who has also hosted leaders of India, Australia, South Korea and France, underscoring Americas focus on Indo-Pacific security partnerships. Kishida is the first Japanese leader to make a state visit since Shinzo Abe in 2015. Abe made a major revision to the interpretation of Japans pacifist Constitution, allowing its self-defense-only principle to also cover its ally, the United States. WHY THE DEFENSE FOCUS? Defense tops the agenda because of growing worries about threats from China, North Korea and Russia. Chinese coast guard ships regularly approach disputed Japanese-controlled East China Sea islands near Taiwan. Beijing says Taiwan is part of its territory and will be brought under control by force if necessary. There are also worries about North Korean nuclear and missile threats and Russias invasion of Ukraine. Kishida has warned that the war in Europe could lead to conflict in East Asia, suggesting that a lax attitude to Russia emboldens China. While we maintain the Japan-U.S. alliance as a cornerstone, we believe it is important to cooperate with like-minded countries, including the Philippines, Kishida said. WHAT ARE THE SUMMIT'S MAIN ISSUES? Biden and Kishida are expected to agree on a plan to modernize their military command structures so they can better operate together. America stations 50,000 troops in Japan. The Japanese Self Defense Force is preparing to restructure so it has a unified command for ground, air and naval forces by March 2025. Also expected are new initiatives for defense industry cooperation, including co-production of weapons, possibly a new missile, and the repair and maintenance of American warships and other equipment in Japan to help U.S. operations in the western Pacific. Japans possible participation in a U.S.-U.K.-Australia security partnership to develop and share advanced military capabilities, including artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and hypersonics, may also come up. Kishida and Biden are also expected to confirm Japans participation in NASAs Artemis moon program and its contribution of a moon rover developed by Toyota Motor Corp. and the inclusion of a Japanese astronaut. The rover, which comes at a roughly $2 billion cost, is the most expensive contribution to the mission by a non-U.S. partner to date, a U.S. official said. WHAT'S JAPAN'S DEFENSE AIM? Since adopting a more expansive national security strategy in 2022, Kishidas government has taken bold steps to accelerate Japans military buildup. He hopes to show Tokyo is capable of elevating its security cooperation with the U.S. Kishida has pledged to double defense spending and boost deterrence against China, which Japan considers a top security threat. Japan, working to acquire what it calls a counterstrike capability, has purchased 400 U.S. Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles. After prohibiting almost all weapons transfers, it has relaxed export guidelines twice in recent months, allowing the sale of lethal weapons to countries from which they were licensed and the overseas sales of a fighter jet its co-developing with the U.K. and Italy. The changes have allowed Japan to ship Japanese-made PAC-3 missiles to the U.S. to help replace those contributed by Washington to Ukraine. WHAT ABOUT THE SUMMIT WITH THE PHILIPPINES? The first-ever trilateral summit between Biden, Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. comes as the Philippines faces escalating maritime tension with China over their contested South China Sea claims. Biden wants to show that the three maritime democracies are unified as they face aggressive Chinese action against the Philippine coast guard and its supply vessels off the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, according to a senior Biden administration official. Japan has sold coastal radars to the Philippines and is now negotiating a defense agreement that would allow their troops to visit each others turf for joint military exercises. The trilateral comes eight months after Biden hosted a meeting with leaders from Japan and South Korea at Camp David. Cooperation among our three countries are extremely important in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and in defending a free and open international order based on the rules of law, Kishida said Monday before leaving for Washington. WHAT HAPPENS IN NORTH CAROLINA? Kishida also wants to highlight Japans economic contributions in the U.S. There is growing uncertainty in Tokyo about U.S. elections, reflected by questions about what happens if former President Donald Trump wins, though experts say there is a bipartisan consensus on a stronger U.S.-Japan alliance. Kishida will meet with business leaders and visit Toyotas electric vehicle battery factory under construction for a planned launch in 2025, and Hondas business jet subsidiary in North Carolina. He will also meet students at North Carolina State University on Friday. In his congressional speech on Thursday, Kishida said he plans to convey what Japan and the United States want to hand down to future generations and what we need to do for them. It isnt just flared jeans and Fleetwood Mac. Theres another relic of the 1970s experiencing a comeback: the decades Napa Valley wines. Younger California vintners these days routinely cite Napa from the 1970s as their inspiration. Lately, the subject has come up almost weekly in my interviews with winemakers, including many who arent making wine in Napa Valley at all. They describe their intended style as retro. What these 70s worshipers are trying to emulate, broadly, is Cabernet Sauvignon that was low in alcohol, with chewy tannins and plenty of vegetal flavors a style that fell out of favor in the 80s and 90s when Napa Valley wines got riper, fruitier and more polished. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Yet 70s Napa may have become so idealized now that its entered the realm of myth. There is something very romantic about those wines thats worthy of worship, said Kelli White, author of Napa Valley Then & Now. But also, people are making a lot of assumptions about how these wines were made that arent necessarily true. Bottles from three renowned estates in 1970s Napa Valley: Mayacamas, Heitz and Freemark Abbey. Craig Lee/The Chronicle When asked about their protocols, many winemakers who were working in Napa throughout the 70s laughed. It was simple: Nobody knew what they were doing, said Randy Dunn, who worked at Caymus Vineyards from 1975-1985. It was the blind leading the blind. The winemakers from that period are unequivocal: I think our wines are far better now than they ever were in the 70s, said Tim Mondavi, who joined his familys Robert Mondavi Winery fulltime in 1974. Advertisement Article continues below this ad If these vintners feel nostalgic for the 70s, its because it felt like a magical, heady time, said Mondavi, a time of experimental endeavor. Its not because they miss the wines themselves. Napa wines modern era is often considered to have begun in 1966, with the founding of Robert Mondavi, the first significant new winery to open after Prohibition. Its early success, coupled with a widely read bank report that predicted wine would become a sound financial investment, led to an explosion of new wineries in the early 1970s. A single year saw the creation of so many estates that the group has become known as the class of 1972. The famous Judgment of Paris, in 1976, in which French wine experts judged California wines to be superior to their own, established Napa Valleys reputation as a world-class wine region for the first time. Grapes are dumped into a truck, which will take them to the crusher at Charles Krug Vineyards, on Sept. 9, 1970. Gordon Peters/San Francisco Chronicle The energy was so experimental, in fact, that the most distinctive qualities of 70s Napa wines are largely accidental. Those low alcohol levels of 11%-12%? (Thats far lower than the 14%-15% thats common among Napa Cabernets today.) That was simply because many of the valleys vineyards were infected with viruses and couldnt get very ripe. We didnt see alcohol as a choice, said Zelma Long, the Robert Mondavi winemaker from 1970-1979. Those gritty, rustic tannins? Partly the result of crude machinery (Dunn described his crusher as a meat grinder monster) that tore up the grapes, releasing harsh, astringent textures from the grape skins and seeds into the juice. Nobody whos lived through the 70s wants to go back to that equipment, said Stu Smith, who co-founded Smith-Madrone Vineyards in 1974. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Those green, herbal flavors? Those are due to compounds called pyrazines, which can be mitigated by increasing the sun exposure on the vine. But we didnt know anything about that until the late 70s, said Smith. The flavors appeared whether the winemakers wanted them or not. Many practices that were standard in the 70s would make todays minimal-intervention-minded winemakers shudder. Terms like organic farming were not in the lexicon. Old, poorly cleaned barrels could imbue wines with unwanted bacteria. It was common to dilute unbalanced wines with large volumes of water. You didnt really talk about adding water, but everybody did it, said Dunn. Randy Dunn, seen at his Dunn Vineyards in 2021, was the winemaker at Caymus from 1975-1985. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Today, winemakers love to say that wine is made in the vineyard, boasting of their involvement in the farming process. In the 70s, many farmers wanted to keep the winemakers as far away from the vines as possible. Tom Ferrell, who became the Inglenook winemaker in 1970, recalled that once, when he brought interns to a vineyard to inspect the ripening grapes, the vineyard owner fired a shotgun over the students heads to shoo them away. As with the decades music, art, fashion and film, the wines of the groovy 1970s preceded those of the glitzy, opulent 1980s. In 1979, the Rothschilds the most famous family in Frances Bordeaux came to Napa to co-found, with the Mondavis, Opus One Winery. The presence of French wine royalty signaled that Napa Valley had really arrived. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And by the late 1980s, with the grape pest phylloxera having wiped out the majority of Californias vineyards, a massive replanting effort was underway. The new vineyards were virus-free, and the vines were trellised in a novel way that promoted sun exposure, maximizing ripeness and minimizing pyrazines. Napa was now transforming into a valley of sparkly new grapevines and alluring, seductive wines. The winemakers who lived through those decades believe that the new technology, knowledge exchange with other global regions and improved farming techniques all changed their wines for the better. Todays wines have warmth and lusciousness and delicious, ripe tannin, said Ric Forman, the winemaker at Sterling Vineyards from 1969-1978. Theyre not these mean, tart little Cabernets. Bob Travers, the late owner-winemaker at Mayacamas Vineyards in Napa Valley, is often cited as an inspiration by younger winemakers. This photo is from Dec. 13, 1971. Dave Randolph/Chronicle Archives White doesnt see the 70s wines as mean and tart. They are incredibly perfumed, she said. They have this freshness, bright acidity. In the end, the younger set may have more love for these wines than the winemakers who made them. They wouldnt be the first to embrace decades-old trends that their parents generation outgrew, or to rekindle nostalgia for a time they never lived through. I think what they may be saying is they dont want to make wines that all taste alike, said Dunn of his younger industry colleagues. More than the pyrazine, the low alcohol, the gritty tannin or any other specific trait, maybe what they love about these wines is how idiosyncratic they are, unburdened by the heavy expectations that came to weigh on Napa Valley in the years to come. Transformative, countercultural, free: It doesnt get more 70s than that. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Russians left homeless by floods have turned their anger to Putin and other officials. At least 100 asked for help from President Vladimir Putin on Monday in a city struck by the worst flooding ever recorded, chanting shame on you at local officials who they said had done too little to help their plight. Russia declared an emergency in the Orenburg region near Kazakhstan after the Ural River, Europes third longest river, swelled several metres in hours on Friday, and burst through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk. Swathes of Orsk, a city of 230,000 about 1,800 km (1,100 miles) east of Moscow, have been left submerged. People came out in front of the local administration in Orsk, some chanting shame on you, shame on you and Putin help, according to video footage from the scene published by local media. Many stood in groups in the shadow of a statue to Bolshevik Vladimir Lenin and shouted at Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa, who tried to calm residents. With their properties either destroyed or severely damaged, some are unhappy with the compensation offered by the authorities. Some are also unhappy that the dam embankment built in 2010 was unable to defend their city. Orenburg Governor Denis Pasler spoke to a resident group in Orsk and said it was easy to apportion blame and turn into some sort of unruly crowd but that many residents had tried to help the rescue efforts and been true patriots. Amid the problems, other people, unfortunately, have started to appear, Pasler said, adding that he had not changed his clothes or slept for days. He called for unity. Russia Floods ( Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service ) Orenburg regional prosecutors cautioned citizens against taking park in mass meetings. Please take note that this mass event has not been coordinated with the authorities in accordance with the procedure established by law, the prosecutor said. After the dam embankment in Orsk was breached, Putin ordered Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov to visit the area and has held several online meetings with governors of the affected regions - including Orenburg, Kurgan and Tyumen regions. Some residents were angered by Kurenkovs remarks that locals had ignored an order to evacuate a week ago. Russian media said the evacuation only began on April 5. Another part of the dam collapsed on Monday, drone footage filmed by state news agency TASS showed. The footage showed that swathes of the city appeared to be a vast lake with houses submerged up to their roofs. More than 10,400 homes across Russia have been flooded, with the Urals, Siberia, the Volga and central regions the worst hit, according to the ministry. Footage from Orsk, 1,800 km (1,100 miles) east of Moscow, showed one man wading through flood water which reached his neck. He held his keys in his mouth and a black cat above his head. The Ural River, which rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, will reach dangerous levels on Monday in Orenburg, a city of more than half a million down river from Orsk, and the peak is expected there on April 10, Russias emergency ministry said. An emergency was also declared in Tyumen region, one of Russias key oil producing areas of Western Siberia, Governor Alexander Moor said. Rising water was forecast in Siberias Ishim and Tobol rivers, tributaries of the Irtysh river, which along with its parent, the Ob, forms the worlds seventh longest river system. The mayor of Orenburg, Sergei Salmin, said the Ural River was expected to break the previous record of 9.46 metres. It is currently 8.93 metres. Russia Flood ( Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service ) Absolutely everyone who is in the flood zone needs to leave their homes, Salmin said. Do not delay the evacuation! The situation will only get worse in the next two days. The governor of Kurgan, Vadim Shumkov, said the water levels were likely to be much higher than a previous record reached in 1994. He also declared an emergency. To all those who live in all settlements along the floodplain of the Tobol River - evacuate. Do not wait for the arrival of water. It will come at night and unexpectedly, arriving quickly, in the form of a large wave, Shumkov said. He said the central part of the city of Kurgan, a city of more than 300,000, would be flooded as would several other districts. It was not immediately clear why this years floods were so bad as the snow melt is an annual event in Russia, one of the coldest countries in the world. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Another country will scrap the so-called golden visa programme granting residency rights to foreigners who make large investments in real estate. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told announced the news on Monday Ending the scheme would help make access to affordable housing a right instead of a speculative business, Sanchez said. The programme awards non-EU citizens investing at least 500,000 euros ($541,250) - without taking out a mortgage - in Spanish real estate a special permit allowing them to live and work in the country for three years. Today, 94 out of every 100 such visas are linked to real estate investment...in major cities that are facing a highly stressed market and where its almost impossible to find decent housing for those who already live, work and pay their taxes there, Sanchez said. He added that the government would launch the process to eliminate the scheme in Tuesdays weekly cabinet meeting after studying a report submitted by the Housing Ministry. Neighbouring Portugal has recently revamped its own golden visa scheme and excluded real estate investment to tackle a housing crisis. Foreigners who want to secure residency rights can still put their money into investment funds. The European Commission has long called for an end to all such programmes, citing security risks. The Greek parliament voted on last week to amend its legislation. Third-country citizens from now must pay 800,000 euros for a five-year residence permit. In January Australia also ended its scheme, which granted those who invested more than AU$5m (2.6m) into the country the chance for permanent residency. Thousands of Significant Investor Visas (SIVs) have been granted since 2012, but critics say that while they benefit wealthy individuals, they provide little for the Australian economy, It has been obvious for years that this visa is not delivering what our country and economy needs, minister for home affairs Clare ONeil said in a statement on Monday. Instead, Australia will issue more skilled workers visas, the government said. Several countries are reviewing visa schemes which allow wealthy investors quick residence. The UK axed its fast-track visa services for rich investors in 2022 after concerns grew over Russian money coming into the country. Close UK has fasttracked the production of laser energy and radio waves weaponry 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 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} German chancellor Olaf Scholz said he urged Chinese president Xi Jinping to press Russia to end its war in Ukraine. Mr Scholz told Mr Xi in a meeting in Beijing on Tuesday that Chinas word carries weight in Russia. I have therefore asked president Xi to influence Russia so that Putin finally calls off his senseless campaign, withdraw his troops and ends this terrible war, he wrote on social media platform X. Earlier, a Russian source said Moscow was ready to redeploy Wagner troops working in Africa to bolster its offensive in Ukraine. The source claimed Russian authorities are preparing to redeploy unspecified detachments of the Africa Corps from Africa to Belgorod, Ukraine, according to US think tank Institute for the Study of War. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The United Nations has urged restraint from Russia and Ukraine after numerous drones were shot down over Europes largest nuclear power plant as the organisation warned that such activity around the plant risked causing a major nuclear accident. Russia claimed on Monday that it had shot down a Ukrainian drone over the roof of reactor 6 at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP), less than 24 hours after the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed three earlier attacks on Sunday. Today, a kamikaze drone was shot down over the plant. It fell on the roof of unit 6, the Russia-controlled plant posted beneath a picture of reactor 6, which is currently shut down. The Zaporizhzhia NPP has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235. They were all built in the 1980s, though the sixth only came online in the mid-1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. All but one of the reactors are in cold shutdown. Reactor unit 4 is in hot shutdown, mainly for heating purposes. Ukraine denied both drone attacks, claiming that Russia was carrying out imitation strikes designed to implicate Kyiv. Ukrainian intelligence agency spokesperson Andriy Usov said the drone strikes were carried out by Russia and were being used to accuse Ukraine of terrorism. He said this was a well-known criminal practice of the invaders. An official at Energoatom, Ukraines atomic energy company, blamed Russia for the attacks, saying they were a provocation orchestrated to malign Ukraine. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the record. The IAEA, which has workers present at the site, declined to attribute blame for the attacks, choosing instead to reiterate the risk of a disaster at the plant. Russian troops engaged what appeared to be an approaching drone, the agency said after the strikes on Sunday. This was followed by an explosion near the reactor building. They said they had not observed any structural damage and that the containment structures of the nuclear reactors are made of steel-lined reinforced concrete, designed to withstand the impact of a small plane crash. The IAEA has declined to attribute blame for the attacks, choosing to reiterate the risk of a disaster at the plant ( Reuters ) But agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said the attack was nonetheless reckless. This is a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, he said. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately. Mr Grossi has previously said that fighting a war around a nuclear plant has put nuclear safety and security in constant jeopardy. Located on the front line in the city of Enerhodar, the plant was wrested from Ukrainian control shortly after Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Special Russian military units guard the facility and a unit of Russias state nuclear company, Rosatom, runs the plant. It is just 300 miles from the site of the worlds worst nuclear accident, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova urged world leaders to condemn what she called an act of nuclear terrorism, using propagandistic language often employed by the Kremlin to describe Ukrainian activity. It came as Ukrainian officials reported a spate of Russian attacks across the wider Zaporizhzhia region, around 25 per cent of which is outside of the Kremlins control. Three people were killed and three people were wounded in the Pologovsky district, wrote local governor Ivan Fedorov on the Telegram messenger service, referring to an area of the region some 100 miles from the nuclear power plant. He later wrote that another six people had been injured during a strike on an unnamed industrial facility elsewhere in Zaporizhzhia. British foreign secretary David Cameron is in Washington this week where he said he will urge Mike Johnson to push through a $60bn military package for Kyiv ( AP ) Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, accused Russia of committing heinous crimes with its relentless bombardment of the northeastern border city of Kharkiv. Ukraines second-largest city, less than 20 miles from the Russian border, has been heavily bombed by Kremlin forces over the past month. Officials have reported that fighter jets have even dropped guided aerial bombs, nicknamed building-destroyers. Kharkiv. Every day and night, the city is subjected to heinous Russian attacks, Mr Zelensky wrote on Twitter/X. We are making every effort to provide better protection for it. He added: Our partners can assist with air defence and exerting pressure on Russia. And I thank everyone who is already assisting. Mr Zelensky was issuing the latest in his now daily plea for more air defences as British foreign secretary David Cameron announced that he will travel to Washington this week to urge the US to finally push through a $60bn (47.5bn) military package for Kyiv. The bill has been trapped for seven months in the lower chamber of Congress, the House of Representatives, where it has fallen victim to Donald Trump supporters determined to secure more funds for shoring up the southern border with Mexico. Lord Cameron will meet with Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, who has blocked a vote on passing the aid bill, in an effort to convince him to change his mind. Speaker Johnson can make it happen in Congress, Lord Cameron said in a video posted on Twitter/X. Im going to go and see him next week and say, Ukraine needs that money. It is American security, its European security, its Britains security thats on the line in Ukraine, and they need our help. 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 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The UN atomic watchdogs head has warned of a major nuclear accident after a new drone attack on Ukraines Zaporizhzhia power plant. An explosion near the reactor building and blood stains suggesting one casualty on Sunday were also reported, including a hit on the dome of the plants sixth power unit. The International Atomic Energy Agencys (IAEA) head, Rafael Mariano Grossi, called the attacks reckless. This is the direct targeting of the nuclear facility for the first time since November 2022 in military action, endangering nuclear safety and security. Shortly after the attacks were reported, experts of the nuclear body were sent to three affected locations and able to confirm the physical impact of the drone detonations, the IAEA said. The attack targeted one of the sites six reactors buildings housing surveillance and communication equipment, it said. While they were at the roof of the reactor, unit 6, Russian troops engaged what appeared to be an approaching drone. This was followed by an explosion near the reactor building, the IAEA said in a statement. The IAEA team observed remnants of drones at this and two other impact locations at the site. At one of them, outside a laboratory, they saw blood stains next to a damaged military logistics vehicle, indicating at least one casualty, the IAEA said. Loud explosions and rifle fire were heard on the nuclear site throughout the day by the experts. Additionally, the IAEA team heard several rounds of outgoing artillery fire from near the plant, an IAEA statement added. This is a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately, Mr Grossi said. The director general of IAEA warned that no one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities. Attacking a nuclear power plant is an absolute no go, Mr Grossi said. Military decision makers should abstain from any action violating the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities, he added. Officials at the Russia-controlled plant said no critical damage or casualties were reported and radiation levels at the plant were normal after the strikes. However, officials blamed Ukraine for the military drone attacks. A Ukrainian intelligence official denied the accusations and said Kyiv has nothing to do with incidents at the plant. Ukraine is not involved in any kind of armed provocations on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant illegally occupied by Russia, Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraines Main Directorate of Intelligence, told the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet. Russian strikes, including imitation ones, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant have long been a well known criminal practice of the invaders, he said. Zaporizhzhia, Europes largest nuclear facility, has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine for invasion in 2022 and seized the facility within days. The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear power plant amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. Both Ukraine and Russia have regularly accused the other of attacking the plant, which is still close to the front lines. The plants six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Palestinians are slowly returning to the devastated city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza to find their homes completely destroyed with piles of rubble lying in bombed-out craters. Picking their way through twisted metal and shattered buildings, it seems extraordinary anyone would ever go back but they fear what the Israeli military may have planned next. Many of those heading home, after months of heavy bombardment and battles in the streets, have come from the city of Rafah, at the southernmost tip of Gaza. Israeli officials say the withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis was part of a regrouping in preparation for an offensive on Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are believed to be sheltering. For Khalil Haddad, his wife and three children, there is nothing left of their home in Khan Younis. But they feel an overwhelming sense of relief that they will not be in Rafah and threatened by an Israeli onslaught. People are terrified of what could happen in Rafah. The main thing is to keep the family alive. Khan Younis has really been destroyed, but at least there wont be any fighting. Well find somewhere to stay and then bring my father and mother out. I cannot rest until we do that, said the 48-year-old carpenter. We cannot really stay in our house. We also had relations living here, maybe they have somewhere we can live for the time being. I dont know what will happen in the future here. It has been really terrible for the last six months since the war started. But we were afraid if we stayed in Rafah some of us could die. In a video address as people streamed back into Khan Younis, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his pledge to invade Rafah, declaring: There is a date. Mr Netanyahu said the Rafah operation is essential for victory. It will happen, he said, without elaborating. The US State Department later said it hadnt been briefed on a date for an assault on Rafah. Palestinians walk through the destruction yesterday left by the Israeli air and ground offensive in Khan Younis ( AP ) Jamila El Masry said Khan Younis is unrecognisable from when she and her family fled to Rafah on the instructions of the Israeli military. We knew they had been bombing [the city] for months. But we did not expect this. They have spared nothing. It will all have to be rebuilt. But whos going to do it? It comes as calls grow for a ceasefire in Gaza, with the Palestinian death toll at more than 33,000 according to health officials in the Hamas-run strip. Nations including the UK and US Israels staunchest ally have been calling for Mr Netanyahus government to allow more aid into Gaza. Months of aerial bombardment, a ground assault and a blockade triggered by the Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October have left areas of northern Gaza facing famine. Around 1,100 Israelis were killed and another 250 were taken hostage in the Hamas attack. The US has also stepped up its calls for a ceasefire in recent weeks and on Monday the White House said the director of the CIA, William Burns, had been in Cairo for a serious round of negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, believed to number around 130 although Israel believes a quarter of that number are dead. White House spokesperson John Kirby said the United States was taking the discussions very seriously and that a deal to release hostages would include a ceasefire of around six weeks. Although Hamas rejected the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal suggested at discussions in Cairo on Monday night, mediator Qatar said there was cautious optimism around the talks, with a new proposal potentially closing the gaps between Israel and Hamas. Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Mohammed al-Ansari told the BBC: If you ask me if Im more optimistic today than I was a couple of days ago, I would say, yes. However, he cautioned: We are by no means at the last stretch of the talks. Many former residents are returning to find their homes reduced to rubble in Khan Younis ( AFP ) Two Egyptian security sources and the state-run Al-Qahera News said on Monday some progress had been made in the Cairo talks. The security sources told Reuters that both sides had made concessions that could help pave the way for a deal for a truce which as proposed during previous talks would be staggered over three stages, with the release of any remaining Israeli hostages and a long-term ceasefire addressed in the second stage. However, a Hamas official claimed to Reuters that no progress was made in the latest talks. Asked about the talks by reporters on Monday, Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman would not go into detail, saying only: The most important thing is that the right people are in the right place at the right time to discuss a way in which the 133 Israeli hostages can be released. In terms of aid, the White House said that 300 aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday, and that it would keep pressing for more. Qatars Mr Ansari said his nation was encouraged to see more aid taken into the besieged territory, but that it was nowhere near what was needed. For those returning to Khan Younis, they have lost everything. Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani, who fled to Rafah in December, found him and his neighbours houses flattened. Many areas, especially the city centre, have become unfit for life, he told the Associated Press. One woman clambered over slabs of collapsed concrete atop a mountain of wreckage that was once her home. Her son crawled on all fours into a hollow under the rubble and twisted rebar, clearing away concrete blocks. A Palestinian family returns to Khan Younis ( Reuters ) There are no words to describe the pain inside me, the woman said to the AP, her voice breaking. Our memories, our dreams, our childhood here, our family we were raised with them here its all gone. The woman, who identified herself only by her first name, Hanan, put a few items they found into a backpack, including a plastic red flower. There is also the threat of unexploded bombs or other remnants from Israels fight with Hamas. An estimated 55 per cent of the buildings in the Khan Younis area around 45,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged, according to the latest figures from two researchers, Corey Scher of City University of New York and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University, who have been using satellite imagery to track destruction throughout the war. Israels military quietly drew down troops in devastated northern Gaza earlier in the war. But it has continued to carry out airstrikes and raids in areas where it says Hamas regrouped, including Gazas largest hospital, al-Shifa, leaving what the head of the World Health Organization called an empty shell. Israel blames Hamas for the damage, saying it fights from within civilian areas. The move to withdraw most Israeli troops from southern Gaza sparked alarm among far-right members of Mr Netanyahus governing coalition. Israels national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, warned that if Netanyahu decides to end the war without an expansive assault in Rafah, he wont have the mandate to serve as prime minister. The UK is among those to have warned against an assault on Rafah, and over the weekend, the foreign secretary, David Cameron, said that Britains support for Israel to defend itself would not be unconditional. Writing in The Sunday Times, he said: Of course our backing is not unconditional: we expect such a proud and successful democracy to abide by international humanitarian law, even when challenged in this way. As an occupying power, Israel has a responsibility to the people of Gaza. On Saturday, Lord Cameron said a Royal Navy ship had been deployed to help supply life-saving aid to Gaza, with the situation inside the strip being dire as the prospect of famine is real. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are advancing in Cairo, with all involved parties reaching a consensus on basic points, according to an Egyptian official on Monday. The state-affiliated Egyptian TV channel, Al-Qahera News, quoted a senior official as saying that Hamas and Qatars delegations have departed Cairo but were expected to return within two days to finalise the terms of the final agreement, Reuters reported. Israeli and US delegations were still in the Egyptian capital, Al-Qahera said. The report added that negotiations would continue over the next 48 hours. None of the parties involved in the negotiations has confirmed the Al-Qahera report so far, Reuters noted. However a Hamas official told Reuters on Monday that no progress has been made at the new round of ceasefire talks. Hamas is reported to have reiterated its demands for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages. The Israeli offensive in Gaza, which began on October 7, has killed at least 33,100 Palestinians, according to Gazas Hamas-run health ministry. Israeli bombardment has also turned vast swathes of the densely populated territory into rubble and forced nearly 1.9 million people, 80 percent of the population, to flee their homes. According to Al Jazeera, Hamas said its aim for the negotiations was an agreement that achieves a complete cessation of aggression by Israeli forces. The withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. The free return of the displaced in the Gaza Strip to their areas and places of residence. Relief for Palestinians in Gaza and the beginning of the reconstruction. A deal for the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas and the other groups in Gaza, it added. According to Haaretz, the Israeli delegation in Cairo included David Barnea, head of the national intelligence agency Mossad, Ronen Bar, chief of the internal security service Shin Bet, and Nitzan Alon, head of Hostages Headquarters. The talks also included CIA director William Burns from the US and prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani from Qatar. The Israeli newspaper quoted a source as saying that the US was expected to present a new proposal for prisoner exchange that would require significant concessions from both Israel and Hamas. The significant involvement and pressure applied by the US can influence the standstill that the negotiations are in, it added. 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 policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Palestinians filed into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Monday to salvage what they could from the destruction left in the wake of Israels offensive, a day after the Israeli military announced it was withdrawing troops from the area. Many came back to the Gaza Strips second-largest city to find their former hometown unrecognizable. With scores of buildings destroyed or damaged, piles of rubble now sit where apartments and businesses once did. Streets have been bulldozed. Schools and hospitals were damaged by the fighting. Israel sent troops to Khan Younis in December, part of its blistering ground offensive that came in response to a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 into southern Israel. Israeli authorities say 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and roughly 250 people taken hostage. The war, now in its seventh month, has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, displaced most of the territorys 2.3 million people and left vast swaths of the beleaguered Gaza Strip uninhabitable. Many areas, especially the city center, have become unfit for life, said Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani, who fled Khan Younis in December when Israel began its ground invasion of the city. I found that my house and my neighbors houses turned to rubble. Israels withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis signaled the end of a key phase in its war against Hamas and brought Israeli troop levels in the tiny coastal enclave to one of the lowest since the war began. Palestinians inspect the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive after they withdrew from Khan Younis ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Israel said the city was a major Hamas stronghold and says its operation over the past few months killed thousands of militants and inflicted heavy damage to a vast network of tunnels used by Hamas to move weapons and fighters. It also claimed to have found evidence that hostages were held in the city. With no military presence in the city, Hamas could seek to regroup there as it has in other areas where the military has scaled back forces. The latest Israeli withdrawal also cleared the way for some Palestinians to make their way back to the area to comb through the mountains of debris to try to hold on to any possessions that remained. Najwa Ayyash, who also was displaced from Khan Younis, said she was unable to reach her familys third floor apartment because the stairs were gone. Her brother climbed his way up through the destruction and pulled down some possessions, including lighter clothes for her children. Bassel Abu Nasser, a Khan Younis resident who fled after an airstrike hit his home in January, said much of the city turned into rubble. There is no sense of life there, the 37-year-old father of two children said. They left nothing there. On Sunday, shortly after the military announced it had withdrawn, lines of Palestinians could be seeing leaving Khan Younis with scant possessions. By foot and on bicycle, they carried plastic bags and laundry hampers with whatever they could gather back to where they were displaced to. One carried a rolled-up mattress. Another a standing fan. One man used his bike to move plywood. Palestinians walk through the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) The military exodus from Khan Younis comes ahead of an expected Israeli offensive in Rafah, Gaza southernmost city where hundreds of thousands have fled fighting elsewhere to seek shelter and which Israel says is Hamas' last major stronghold. The city shelters some 1.4 million people more than half of Gazas population. The prospect of an offensive has raised global alarm, including from Israels top ally, the U.S., which has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Allowing people to return to nearby Khan Younis could relieve some pressure on Rafah, but many have no homes to return to. The city also is likely filled with dangerous unexploded bombs left by the fighting. Israels military quietly drew down troops in devastated northern Gaza earlier in the war. But it has continued to carry out airstrikes and raids in areas where it says Hamas regrouped, including Gazas largest hospital, Shifa, leaving what the head of the World Health Organization called an empty shell. Israel blames Hamas for the damage, saying it fights from within civilian areas. Khan Younis main Nasser Hospital has also been that target of Israeli raids, with troops storming it earlier this year because the military said the remains of hostages were inside. The precise state of the hospital after the troops withdrawal was unclear. Video from the hospital showed the emergency building appearing to be intact, but debris was strewn around its interior where thousands of displaced people once sought shelter before being forced to evacuate by the military. Israel says its war aims to destroy Hamas military and governing capabilities and return the roughly 130 remaining hostages, a quarter of whom Israel says are dead. Negotiations brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. meant to bring about a cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages are underway. Commuters board a bus at Kearny and Geary streets in San Francisco. Transit-centric cities pollute less, consume less energy and open space, and provide greater mobility for residents. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2022 In my 30 years in city planning, farebox recovery in public transportation was a point of pride. The more that transit services were paid for by riders, rather than government subsidies, the better. Before the pandemic, BART and Caltrain recovered over 70% of their operating costs through fares, whereas the national average for public transit agencies was 36%. The pandemic that drove people away from transit also drove home the point that the higher the farebox recovery, the harder the impact of lost ridership. This dilemma underscores the importance of transit as more than moving people from point A to point B. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Transit-centric cities pollute less, consume less energy and open space, and provide greater mobility and access for their citizens when compared to automobile-centric cities. If anything, the blind push for higher farebox recovery incentivized overcrowding: Remember how miserable it was to ride BART and Caltrain in 2019? We dont consider congested freeways a success, so why do we demand that of transit? The pandemic taught us many lessons. Committing to a healthier future must include ensuring we sustain robust transit service through thick and thin, rather than let transit starve into a downward spiral of service cutbacks. Peter Albert, San Francisco S.F. needs law and order My great-grandfather helped save San Francisco as fire marshal of the city in 1906, my wifes family were steelworkers who built its buildings and the bridges. The San Francisco they loved no longer exists. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Being a liberal city means free thinking and expression, the chance to be yourself. So how did we get from there to open-air drug markets, homelessness, organized shoplifting and rampant corruption at City Hall? The answer is that there are no repercussions for illegal activity. Honest hardworking taxpayers are not receiving the protection and services they deserve. Its time to bring the hammer down and make people responsible for their actions. We cant afford to light the Bay Bridge, but we can spend millions of dollars on undocumented immigrants, addicts and drug dealers who are dragging the city down the drain. Time to decide what type of city we want: a cesspool or a world-class city. Roy Hendricksen, San Carlos Advertisement Article continues below this ad Utility fee wont help Regarding California proposes a $24 flat fee on utility bills in exchange for lower electricity prices (Climate, SFChronicle.com, March 28): While the fixed charge will lower bills for some low-income customers, it will raise bills for Californians with a small energy footprint. Millions of Californians who live in apartments or small homes that use modest amounts of electricity would see their net utility bill increase. Yet millionaires with large homes using huge amounts of energy would see their net utility bill drop. And, theres no cap on the fixed charge. Even low-income customers who get small savings will see those savings wiped out with the next utility rate increase (and theres always another rate increase). The state legislature is responsible for this, so the legislature needs to stop it by passing AB1999, which would limit the fee. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Michael Volk, Oakland Truth about Peoples Park The myth that UC Berkeley acquired the Peoples Park site to build student housing has been repeated in news articles about the recent legal battle over the parcel. About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies In fact, when UC Berkeley used its power of eminent domain to seize the site, it was to become an intramural playing field. After UC Berkeley failed to build the promised field, leaving a dirty vacant lot for over a year, Peoples Park was built by community activists. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The plan to build dorms on the site wasnt announced until after the original Peoples Park was demolished in the summer of 1969. While this may seem a minor historical quibble, it is central to the meaning of Peoples Park, a rebellion against urban renewal, not against student housing. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse on 8 April will cross directly over 44 million people in North America, while hundreds of millions more have the chance of witnessing a partial solar eclipse. The celestial spectacle will see the Moon pass directly in front of the Sun, turning the sky dark for several minutes under the path of tatality. Beginning over the South Pacific Ocean on Monday, it will reach the west coast of Mexico at around 11.07am PDT (7.07pm BST). The path of totality will then cross over to Texas before it passes over Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermonth, New Hampshire and Maine. View more The solar eclipse will then cross over into Canada, passing over Southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. Major cities beneath the path of totality include Durango, Austin, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Toronto and Montreal. The path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse on 8 April crosses North America, so will only be visible from Mexico, the United States and Canada, however a partial eclipse will be visible from as far away as the UK and Ireland. Glasgow will see 11 per cent obscuration of the Sun, while Galway in the west of Ireland will see more than a third of our closest star covered by the Moon. In England, Manchester and Liverpool will see less than 1 per cent obscuration, with the event taking place just before sunset. Jonathan Blazek, an assistant professor of physics at Northeastern University in the US, said even those not directly beneath the path of totality will have the opportunity to gain a few minutes of cosmic perspective during Mondays eclipse. The eclipse is a powerful reminder of our place in the Solar System, Professor Blazek told The Independent. The Sun is such a constant in our lives that it is easy to forget that it is actually a very large star that is quite far away. When the Moon passes in front, it becomes a bit easier to grasp where we are and how we are just a small part of the whole. The eclipse comes just seven years after the last total solar eclipse in the US, while another one is set to take place in North America in 2033. The next solar eclipse over the UK will not take place until 2090. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Sun is going to disappear from the sky in the US before coming back again, almost five minutes later. A total solar eclipse on 8 April, visible across North America, means that day will briefly turn into night. And this time around it is relatively easy to see. The eclipse is much longer than the previous one. This time around, the total darkness will last up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds twice as long as a similar event in 2017. It will also go through a more populated route, meaning more people are likely to see it. It will start on the Pacific coast of Mexico, before heading up and east: taking in Texas, Oklahoma and all the way up to New England, before disappearing in Canada. An estimated 44 million people live inside the 115-mile-wide path of totality stretching from Mexico to Canada. About 32 million of them are in the US, guaranteeing jammed roads for the must-see celestial sensation. The eclipse will allow many to share in the wonder of the universe without going very far, said NASA's eclipse program manager Kelly Korreck. Here's what to know about April's extravaganza and how to prepare: What happens during the total solar eclipse? The moon will line up perfectly between the Earth and the sun, blotting out the sunlight. It will take just a couple hours for the moon's shadow to slice a diagonal line from the southwest to the northeast across North America, briefly plunging communities along the track into darkness. Fifteen U.S. states will get a piece of the action, albeit two of them Tennessee and Michigan just barely. Among the cities smack dab in the action: Dallas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Indianapolis, Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; and Montreal making for the continent's biggest eclipse crowd. Don't fret if you don't have front-row seats. Practically everyone on the continent can catch at least a partial eclipse. The farther from the path of totality, the smaller the moon's bite will be out of the sun. In Seattle and Portland, Oregon, about as far away as you can get in the continental U.S., one-third of the sun will be swallowed. Why is totality longer? By a cosmic stroke of luck, the moon will make the month's closest approach to Earth the day before the total solar eclipse. That puts the moon just 223,000 miles (360,000 kilometers) away on eclipse day. The moon will appear slightly bigger in the sky thanks to that proximity, resulting in an especially long period of sun-blocked darkness. What's more, the Earth and moon will be 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from the sun that day, the average distance. When a closer moon pairs up with a more distant sun, totality can last as long as an astounding 7 1/2 minutes. The last time the world saw more than seven minutes of totality was in 1973 over Africa. That won't happen again until 2150 over the Pacific. How do I safely watch the eclipse? Sunglasses won't cut it. Special eclipse glasses are crucial for safely observing the sun as the moon marches across the late morning and afternoon sky, covering more and more and then less and less of our star. During totality when the sun is completely shrouded, it's fine to remove your glasses and look with your naked eyes. But before and after, certified eclipse glasses are essential to avoid eye damage. Just make sure they're not scratched or torn. Cameras, binoculars and telescopes must be outfitted with special solar filters for safe viewing. Bottom line: Never look at an exposed sun without proper protection any day of the year. Where are some eclipse watch parties? Towns up and down the path of totality are throwing star parties. Festivals, races, yoga retreats, drum circles and more will unfold at museums, fairgrounds, parks, stadiums, wineries, breweries and even one of Ohio's oldest drive-in movie theaters and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Besides looking up, you can attend a space prom in Texas Hill Country, get married at eclipse-themed ceremonies in Tiffin, Ohio, and Russellville, Arkansas, or brush up on moonwalking history at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio Neil Armstrong's hometown. As the eclipse unfolds, NASA will launch small rockets with science instruments into the upper atmosphere from Virginia and chase totality's shadow from high-altitude planes. Satellites and the International Space Station crew will attempt to capture the show from space. When is the next total solar eclipse?Full solar eclipses occur every year or two or three, often in the middle of nowhere like the South Pacific or Antarctic. The next total solar eclipse, in 2026, will grace the northern fringes of Greenland, Iceland and Spain. North America won't experience totality again until 2033, with Alaska getting sole dibs. Then that's it until 2044, when totality will be confined to Western Canada, Montana and North Dakota. There won't be another U.S. eclipse, spanning coast to coast, until 2045. That one will stretch from Northern California all the way to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Aside from Carbondale, Illinois, in the crosshairs of both the 2017 and 2024 eclipses, it usually takes 400 years to 1,000 years before totality returns to the same spot, according to NASA's Korreck. Additional reporting by Associated Press Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The US has been plunged into darkness as a total solar eclipse swept across America. The celestial spectacle arrived in the US, at Eagle Pass in Texas, from Mexico. Its path then takes it to the north east corner of the country and onto Canada though it could be visible elsewhere, such as the UK. But many were unable to see the event because of clouds that covered much of the country, including many metro areas. View more Meteorologists said however that some people may still be able to see at least some of the sight, if the clouds are high and thin. And everyone should be able to experience some of the dark and cold that arrives with totality. During Mondays full eclipse, the moon slipped right in front of the sun, entirely blocking it. The resulting twilight, with only the suns outer atmosphere or corona visible, would be long enough for birds and other animals to fall silent, and for planets, stars and maybe even a comet to pop out. The out-of-sync darkness lasts up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. Thats almost twice as long as it was during the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse seven years ago because the moon is closer to Earth. It will be another 21 years before the U.S. sees another total solar eclipse on this scale. It will take just 1 hour, 40 minutes for the moons shadow to race more than 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) across the continent.Eye protection is needed with proper eclipse glasses and filters to look at the sun, except when it ducks completely out of sight during an eclipse. The path of totality approximately 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide encompasses several major cities this time, including Dallas; Indianapolis; Cleveland; Buffalo, New York; and Montreal. An estimated 44 million people live within the track, with a couple hundred million more within 200 miles (320 kilometers). This may be the most viewed astronomical event in history, said National Air and Space Museum curator Teasel Muir-Harmony, standing outside the museum in Washingon, awaiting a partial eclipse. Experts from NASA and scores of universities are posted along the route, poised to launch research rockets and weather balloons, and conduct experiments. The International Space Stations seven astronauts also will be on the lookout, 270 miles (435 kilometers) up. Additional reporting by agencies Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Billionaire Elon Musk has called for either resignation or impeachment of Brazil's Supreme Court justice for "censorship" of X accounts suspected of spreading disinformation. The stand-off between the Tesla boss and Alexandre de Moraes escalated on Sunday after the judge opened an inquiry into Mr Musk. Mr Musk the owner of X and a self-declared free speech absolutist challenged a decision by Justice Moraes ordering the blocking of certain accounts, stating that he would lift all the restrictions because they were unconstitutional. The social media platform first posted about the order to block on Saturday but Mr Musk, X, or Brazilian authorities disclosed which social media accounts would be impacted. Justice Moraes is investigating "digital militias" that have been accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the government of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro and is also leading an investigation into an alleged coup attempt by the politician. Mr Musk, in an X post on Saturday evening, accused Mr Moraes of "brazenly and repeatedly" betraying the constitution and people of Brazil. "He should resign or be impeached," Mr Musk said. "Shame, Alexandre de Moraes. Shame," he added. "This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil," he said in a post. "As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit." Mr Musk on Sunday claimed the order to block accounts were "the most draconian demands of any country on Earth" as he urged people in Brazil to use VPN to access their accounts. The billionaire has pledged to legally challenge the order blocking X accounts where possible. Justice Moraes responded on Sunday by adding Mr Musk to the investigation he is leading into fake news on social media, and opening an inquiry into what he called an obstruction of justice. Mr Musk has been accused of criminal instrumentalization of X, according to AFP. In his decision, the justice said: "X shall refrain from disobeying any court order already issued, including performing any profile reactivation that has been blocked by this Supreme Court." If X fails to comply with the order to block certain accounts the company will be fined 100,000 reais (15,653) per day, the judge said in a statement released to media. Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's leftist government expressed support for the justice, with solicitor general Jorge Messias criticising Mr Musk and calling for the regulation of social media networks to prevent foreign platforms from violating Brazilian laws. "We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law, failing to comply with court orders and threatening our authorities," justice de Messias said in a post on X. Last year, justice Moraes also ordered an investigation into executives at social messaging platform Telegram and Alphabets Google, who were in charge of a campaign criticizing a proposed internet regulation bill. Additional reporting by agencies. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A passenger has been fined for urinating in a cup during a delay in deplaning. The incident happened after landing at Sydney Airport after a three-hour Air New Zealand flight from Auckland. It happened last December and a Sydney court fined the 53-year-old man 600 Australian dollars ($395) for offensive behavior in February, officials said on Friday. The incident only came to public attention on Friday, when New Zealand news website Stuff reported that a passenger in the same row, identified only as Holly, said she had reported the behavior to the air crew. She said she and her 15-year-old daughter were sitting in the aisle and middle seats when the man in the window seat, whose name has not been released, was urinating in a cup. Holly said the plane had been on the tarmac for about 20 minutes, waiting for a terminal gate to be allocated, when she heard the unmistakable sound of the passenger urinating in a cup, Stuff reported. open image in gallery Air New Zealand has refused to comment on the incident ( AP2003 ) She said the man was obviously quite drunk and spilled urine on a flight attendant as he left the plane, it reported. But the mishap with the attendant wasnt his crime. Australian Federal Police said in a statement that officers removed him from the plane because he had urinated into a cup while in his seat. Air New Zealand said it does not comment on individual incidents. It said it bans between five and 10 customers each month for disruptive behavior, including intoxication. Last year, a passenger was filmed urinating on the floor of a plane cabin in footage shared online. The woman, who can be seen squatting in a corner with her trousers down, claimed that flight attendants would not let her use the toilets onboard for a number of hours. A few months before that, a LOT Polish Airlines passenger removed his pants and urinated on the plane door during a New York-Warsaw. The man was allegedly drunk when the incident occurred, half an hour before the aircraft was due to land at Chopin Airport. He has since been banned from flying with LOT for life. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said that he will not publicly endorse any presidential candidate in the upcoming 2024 election. Following his endorsement of Joe Biden in 2020, Johnson cited concerns over the division his previous endorsement caused. "I realised, what that caused back then, was something that tears me up in my guts back then and now, which is division. And that got me, he said. Despite his decision, Johnson pledged to support whoever is elected, expressing trust in the American people's choice. Addressing rumors about his potential political aspirations, Johnson said, "Thats not my intention. Im not a politician, Im not into politics." Actress Miriam Margolyes has condemned Israels action in Gaza stating Hitler has won. In a video shared by The Jewish Council of Australia, the Jewish and Australian citizen shared how ashamed she is of Israel. In the post, shared on 6 April, the 83-year-old said: I have never been so ashamed of Israel as I am at this moment. To me, it seems as if Hitler has won. He's changed us Jews from being compassionate and carrying into this vicious, genocidal, nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children. The Wests enemies are working more closely as an alliance of authoritarian powers including Russia, Iran and China, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has warned. Mr Stoltenberg has described growing links between the three countries and North Korea, as he warned the world has become much more dangerous. Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg (7 April), Mr Stoltenberg said: China is propping up the Russian war economy, delivering key parts to the defence industry, and in return Moscow is mortgaging its future to Beijing. He also accused Russia of giving technology to Iran and North Korea in return for ammunition and other military supplies. Tory MP William Wragg gives MPs blackmail advice two years before his honeytrap sexting scandal, in a resurfaced clip. Mr Wragg said MPs should report matters to the speaker and the Metropolitan Police if being blackmailed, as he addressed Parliament in the 2022 clip. Westminster has since been rocked by the sensational expose of a honeytrap sexting scam targeting MPs, political journalists and parliamentary staffers. Mr Wragg revealed he lay at the heart of the scandal, admitting that he shared his colleagues phone numbers for fear of intimate images of him being leaked. Latino workers have told The Independent they are too afraid to take on jobs rebuilding the Baltimore bridge after six migrants died in its collapse last month. Miguel Velasquez, who has worked in construction for over 10 years, says that he would not work on the construction of a new Francis Scott Key Bridge because of how dangerous it would be. Lives are always lost on those kind of big projects he said, standing in front of the memorial to the Latino men who lost their lives. Fernando Sajche, another Baltimore construction worker, says others do not have the luxury of choice. Spanish people come here to work. It doesnt matter what, they will do it, because somebody has to. The bodies of three men are still missing, as the US Coast Guard and Maryland State police begin the painstaking process of removing parts of the crumpled bridge from the Patapsco River. According to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., by the end of February 2024, the railway service connects 120 Chinese cities with 219 cities across 25 European countries. The China-Europe Express Rail is also less vulnerable to extreme weather or geopolitical tensions, thus better ensuring the unimpeded flow of international industrial and supply chains. BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A freight train loaded with containers of goods was departing from China's northern city of Shijiazhuang to the European city of Belgrade, capital of Serbia, in late March. The train marks the launch of a new route of the China-Europe Railway Express, also the first direct rail line connecting the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region with Serbia. The China-Europe Express Rail transport service has witnessed tremendous expansion since its launch in 2011 and has provided transport and logistics support for Belt and Road cooperation over the years. What has contributed to its evident growth? REMARKABLE PROGRESS The China-Europe Express Rail served as a safe and reliable rail line linking Asia and Europe, transporting over 50,000 types of goods, including automobiles, spare parts, clothing, cereals, wine, coffee beans, and timber. According to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., by the end of February 2024, the railway service connects 120 Chinese cities with 219 cities across 25 European countries, making it one of the main transport arteries between China and Europe. The service has expanded steadily in the first two months of this year, with the number of trains reaching 2,928 in January and February, a year-on-year increase of 9 percent. It also transported approximately 317,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods during the first two months of this year, up 10 percent from last year. SAFE SOLUTION During the COVID-19 pandemic, the China-Europe Railway Express has proven itself to be a more secure and stable way of cargo transportation as it was less affected compared with other transportation solutions like ships and planes. Businesses have preferred to choose the railway to transport large quantities of goods and cross-border e-commerce parcels. Metrans, a major logistics company in Europe, launched its first China-Europe train service in 2017. It now has 20 container terminals across Europe. "We see the significant importance of cargo going from China by rail, that is why we bought the terminal in Malaszewicze, Poland in January 2022, which is very much connected to the Silk Road and we started to boost the connection to China via Malaszewicze," said Martin Koubek, director of the Silk Road and CIS division of Metrans. The China-Europe Express Rail is also less vulnerable to extreme weather or geopolitical tensions, thus better ensuring the unimpeded flow of international industrial and supply chains. "The railway to Europe is a viable alternative and we are seeing increased demand for that route," Marco Forgione, director general at the Institute of Export & International Trade told South China Morning Post in an interview. Michael Aldwell, head of sea logistics at Kuehne & Nagel, told the Financial Times in March that there was "more demand" to move goods from Asia to Europe by rail under current circumstances, adding that "high-value cargo has always been popular on that route." INCREASED EFFICIENCY In recent years, the China-Europe Express Rail service has continued to be more efficient. Today, it takes only about 10 days for a train to travel from China's northwestern city of Xi'an to Duisburg in Germany, two days less than the time it took in 2023. Julija Sciglaite, RailGate Europe's chief business development officer, told CNBC in February that the company uses the China-Europe Express Rail to transport its products as the journey time is "significantly better" than the sea route. "Along the routes of China-Europe Express Rail, customs clearance and inspection have become increasingly convenient, the business environment at entry ports has been continuously improved, and rules and regulations related to cross-border transport have become more standardized," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a press conference on Feb. 29. The Alataw Pass and Horgos Port, two major railway ports in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China, have optimized the procedures and expanded port capacity to promote transport efficiency along the route. In 2023, the stopover time of China-Europe freight trains at these ports was reduced to 6 or 8 hours, said Yan Huapeng, an official at the Alataw Pass. The China-Europe Express Rail service is also developing beyond rail, with the introduction of integrated sea-rail transport routes. A shipment of electric water heaters was delivered from Thailand to Germany about a month ago through multiple transport solutions, passing through Laos, Vietnam, and China. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), of which the China-Europe Express Rail is a flagship project, is a blueprint that every nation needs in an age of "uncertainty and disruption," said an article published in January in American magazine Foreign Policy, adding that the BRI represents what all countries should do in their own national interest. Devotees of TikTok protest passage of House bill that would ban the popular video app if its China-based owner doesnt sell it to a U.S. company. J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press Two years ago, I decided to start a social media account with a medical school classmate to answer common questions we got from our patients. Is my back pain from kidney disease? Should I worry about my cold lasting more than a week? Our patients were finding medical information websites like WebMD more confusing and anxiety-provoking, often needlessly spending hours in waiting rooms to see us. TikTok quickly became our platform of choice. It was by far the easiest to record, edit and share our content. The video format enabled us to talk to people as we often do to our patients, rather than condense complex information into texts or pictures. On TikTok, we felt we could be our authentic selves rather than idealized versions while having the most impact; more people watched our videos and followed us on the platform than on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook combined. When I heard that the House had passed legislation a few weeks ago that could potentially ban TikTok, it surprised me that my immediate reaction was not anger like many content creators and users but rather deep ambivalence. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I know firsthand that TikTok is an effective way for people to amplify their voices. Although TikTok started in 2016 as a platform for mostly short-form videos focused on dance and comedy, now content of all types thrives on it. A 94-year-old grandma influencer garnered tens of millions of followers by comically depicting her life, which often involves satirical spats with ladies in the senior center. Rep. Jeff Jackson, a freshman Democrat from North Carolina, built a large following by succinctly and clearly explaining what is happening in Congress. Keith Lee reviews and supports restaurants, many of them Black-owned, which can instantly create a line around the block for them. These creators have built an audience, even livelihoods, with the content they create on TikTok. Plenty of people find TikTok and content on the platform valuable, so much so that some have even unwisely resorted to threatening members of Congress over the proposed ban. Yet, despite the substantial value TikTok brings me as a creator and user, I have reservations about the apps place in our society and my life. Alongside entertaining or informative content, TikTok has been shown to push harmful mental health information to children. Conspiracy theories generated by artificial intelligence are reaching millions of people. Medical and political misinformation abounds in TikTok. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Personally, TikToks highly targeted and engaging videos most with no lasting value can hijack my attention for hours, feeding on my dopamine rewards circuit. After mindlessly scrolling on TikTok, I find myself less at ease, less patient with my young kids and wife, and generally in a foul mood. I call TikTok my anti-meditation. When my friends who are not on TikTok ask me about it, my usual response is, If you are not already on it, dont get on it. I have gone weeks without opening the app. I have set a TikTok-specific screen time limit on my phone, which can be effective, but only sometimes. Yet, when I feel compelled to share something, I inevitably open the app because, regardless of how I feel about it, TikTok is where people, especially the young, consume content and search for information. It is precisely TikToks ubiquitous presence on peoples phones, and the potential for the app to share sensitive personal data with the Chinese government, that concerns lawmakers. However, I believe that the proposed TikTok ban is a temporary fix, and we would be better off making all social media platforms secure and safe. First, TikTok is not the only popular app owned by a Chinese company. For example, Temu, a popular discount shopping app, faces a multistate class-action lawsuit for allegedly collecting a wide array of information including fingerprint data, precise locations and text messages (Temu has denied the allegations). Advertisement Article continues below this ad Moreover, data privacy concerns are not exclusive to TikTok and Temu. Meta, the parent company for Facebook and Instagram, and Google have recently settled lawsuits over allegations of privacy violations and sharing user data with third parties. Moreover, one can easily and legally find sensitive personal information such as address, age, phone number and relatives on websites like truepeoplefinder.com. Instead of playing whack-a-mole with tech companies over privacy and data security, it would be more prudent to enact and enforce data privacy law at the federal level similar to the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation. About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies Furthermore, we need a federal approach to curbing misinformation and negative mental health impacts on all social media platforms. We can follow the example of the EUs Digital Services Act, which requires companies to restrict illicit content. As for me, I am not so sure how much longer I will remain active on TikTok. But I hope the decision is my choice and not because it is banned. Drinks 'It was around five years ago when we done the last round. The world is a different place a much more expensive place to be,' says MD Barry Spellman Since its last raise, Killarney has opened a large 62,000 sq ft brewery, distillery and visitor centre in Fossa, Co Kerry The company behind one of the largest independent breweries and distilleries in the State is in the process of raising 7m, mainly from investors in the US. In an investor pitch deck, seen by the Sunday Independent, Killarney Brewing and Distilling Co has been carrying out a Series C funding round since October, and has approached accredited investors. The business is set to go on a roadshow in the US next month, meeting potential backers in New York, Chicago and Wisconsin. Barry Spellman, managing director of Killarney Brewing and Distilling Co, said it had received considerable interest in the funding round so far with just under half raised already. This round is to bolster our future growth so it is very important, he said. Like all businesses that have gone through Covid and done projects of this size, scale and ambition, there are cost overruns. The Killarney Brewing Company's headquarters It was around five years ago when we done the last round. The world is a different place a much more expensive place to be. So, in order to execute on the growth plans we need to raise this money. Spellman said the raise had been going very well so far, with hopes that it would be complete by the end of the year. Killarneys recent results for 2022 included news of the raise. They said the funding would help drive sales through increased marketing and distribution, warehousing opportunities and the development of green initiatives like solar panels. The Co Kerry firm, which started trading in 2015, recorded a loss of 1.6m for 2022, up from a loss of 513,000 the previous year. Sales hit over 2m, up from 850,000 in 2021. According to the pitch deck, Killarney, which raised $1.7m in 2014 and 12m in 2020, projected sales would grow to 5.7m in 2023. Spellman said he remained hopeful Killarney would progress and hit its sales targets. We have gone from a small local taproom brewery and skipped several rungs in the ladder We are very hopeful. This is a very expensive business to be in. We have got to raise this money and get the product out there and finish what we started. We have gone from a small local taproom brewery and skipped several rungs in the ladder and are hopefully going to be a significant player in this industry. That takes time. 'It was around five years ago when we done the last round. The world is a different place a much more expensive place to be,' says MD Barry Spellman Since its last raise, Killarney has opened a large 62,000 sq ft brewery, distillery and visitor centre in Fossa, Co Kerry. Media reports from 2021 suggest the huge site near the Ring of Kerry would represent an investment of over 20m An article in the Irish Examiner from 2021 said the brewery would employ more than 85 people and aim to attract in excess of 100,000 annual visitors once fully operational. Killarney is also launching a sourced whiskey product in Ireland and the US by June. Paddy Cosgrave has confirmed his return as chief executive officer of Web Summit less than six months after he stood down from the role following reaction to comments he posted on social media about the Israel-Gaza conflict. Paddy Cosgrave, whod remain the companys biggest shareholder, confirmed his return on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The posting made no reference to the reasons he had stepped down in October. Today Im returning as CEO of @WebSummit. When I stepped back last year, it was the first time I had taken time off in 15 years. It gave me time to think about Web Summit, its history, why I started it on my own from my bedroom and what I wanted it to be. Read more Paddy Cosgrave back to top at Web Summit as he resumes CEO role after quitting over online posts on Israel-Hamas war I took the time to reconnect with old Web Summit friends and I listened to what they had to say and what they wanted from Web Summit. Some incredible tech advancements, relationships, partnerships, and companies have grown from our events and I want to continue building on this. If anything I want to supercharge this mission even further to build even stronger communities within Web Summit. In a very real sense, as Web Summit becomes bigger, our aim should be to make it smaller for our attendees. More intimate. More convivial. More community focused. We will seed small communities at our events, and then help those communities thrive long after each event. Im incredibly excited for the future with loads more to share, he wrote. The statement confirmed a report of his return to the business in the Sunday Independent. Back in October Paddy Cosgraves online posting about Israel and Gaza provoked a backlash from tech firms including Google parent company Alphabet and Meta, Siemens and Amazon, Intel and Stripe just ahead of Web Summits main conference was due to kick off in Lisbon, throwing the business into a crisis. In a statement on October 21, giving reasons for his resignation Mr Cosgrave said: Unfortunately, my personal comments have become a distraction from the event and our team, our sponsors, our start-ups and the people who attend. I sincerely apologise again for any hurt I have caused. Web Summit then appointed US executive Katherine Maher as CEO on October 30. However, Ms Maher left the role three months later to head-up US radio network NPR. Staff at Web Summit, which employs 300 people including 200 in Ireland, were told on Friday of Cosgraves decision to return as CEO. A court will decide tomorrow if Ireland shares responsibility for breaching the human rights of children through insufficient action on the climate crisis. The ruling will be delivered by the European Court of Human Rights in a case taken by six young Portuguese climate activists against the 27 EU member states and six neighbouring countries. Attack victim Natasha OBrien: My issue is not with Cathal Crotty, its with the system. Its not about head-hunting its a lot bigger than him Father of young man beaten to death by Dublin gang says he was taken off life support due to brain damage The people who did this were animals less than animals to treat those two people like this. Josip Strok had been on life support after the gang attack in Clondalkin Patrick O'Connell Mon 8 Apr 2024 at 11:00 The heartbroken father of a young Croatian man who was beaten to death in Dublin has told how his son clung to life for four days before succumbing to the fatal brain injuries he sustained during the attack. The damaging impact of social media is creating "broken people" and young patients are increasingly turning up to the emergency department of one of the country's biggest hospitals in a state of distress, a psychiatrist has warned. Prof Matthew Sadlier, who works in north Dublin, said during his rosters as an on-call psychiatrist, he is seeing patients attending the Mater Hospital who are suffering from mental health problems rather than mental illness with online platforms among the background to their anguish. "They are problems we can't really solve," he added. The hospital has experienced an increase in self-harm presentations from around 500 cases a year in the mid 1990s to around 2,500 a year now and although there are a number of reasons behind this, he believes the pain triggered by excessive social media use is partly to blame. Social media has an influence on their mood and their an ability to respond to their environment. It is creating broken people, he told the gathering of doctors at the annual meeting of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) in Killarney during a debate on the dark side of social media. He described how he carried out a survey of 185 GP trainees last November and found around half spent one to two hours on social media a day and 30pc longer than that. A high number admitted that imade them more anxious. These are findings among a group who should be well insulated because of position. "The average age was 31 and they had third level education. By any metric, they would not be seen as vulnerable." There is a link between higher use of social media use and greater levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness and suicidal tendencies among teenagers, he added. Prof Debbie Ging, Professor of Digital Media and Gender at the Dublin City University School of Communications, pointed to risks posed by mysogynistic content from people like Andrew Tate and the use of algorithms which are designed by social media companies to fuel users with customised content to keep them browsing. Research to be published shortly by the university will show how after setting up fake accounts for teenagers, they were fed toxic content within minutes. She said she supported calls or algorithms to be turned off by default and said there is a need for education and discussion about social media, starting in primary school. Clare Daly, a solicitor on the board of CyberSafeKids said a survey by the organisation of children aged eight to twelve had high levels of smartphone use and many had their own social media account. This was despite the rule that the age threshold to have an account is thirteen. They are being exposed to cyberbullying and dangerous content on self-harm as well as pornographic material, she warned. It can take two weeks to remove offensive posts which leaves children in agony as it circulates among friends and their classmates. The annual meeting passed motions urging primary schools to ban smartphones and they also called on the Department of Education to start a programme to tackle social media addiction and harm. The doctors also supported a call on the Attorney General to take legal action against social media owners where there is evidence of luring children and teenagers to addictive use. If you have been affected by the contents of this article, click here for more information. Restrictions stop new data centres locating in areas where the electricity network is under strain. Photo: Getty Demand for new gas supplies will soar over the coming decade as data centres look to generate their own power on site. Gas Networks Irelands (GNI) latest forecast shows additional demand from data centres is likely to grow at least 10 times between now and 2032. That is because data centres, which need large amounts of power to operate, are looking for ways around restrictions that stop new facilities locating in areas where the electricity network is already under strain. However, the trend will hamper efforts to reduce national dependence on fossil fuels. GNI says its best estimate is for overall national demand for fossil gas to fall by 21pc by 2032, and possibly as much as 34pc. The bigger reduction would happen if the switch to renewable electricity is faster than projected or if more than anticipated renewable gases, such as biomethane and hydrogen, become available. However, the reduction could also be as low as 2pc if there are not enough wind and solar installations to meet the increase in demand for electricity as extra gas would be needed to fuel electricity generators. Large users, particularly data centres, will also influence demand. GNIs best estimate of a tenfold increase in demand for new supplies in that sector covers only data centres that already have a connection agreement with gas company but have not yet activated it. The data centre market continues to seek further growth in Ireland, GNIs forecast states. New demand, which cannot be met solely by the current electricity grid is leading to some data centres taking the decision to complement finite electricity grid capacity connections with on-site electricity generation. GNI indicated even the high estimate figure was somewhat conservative as it represented only a portion of the enquiries received by Gas Networks Ireland to date. Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has spoken recently of the need for data centres to find carbon-neutral ways of supplying their own power. Sinn Fein spokesperson on climate justice, Senator Lynn Boylan, said the ministers words did not match the reality on the ground. Minister Ryan is on the record as telling Gas Networks Ireland not to connect more data centres, but its clear from GNIs statements they disagree and want to connect them anyway, she said. Gas Networks Ireland appear to claim that the data centre demand could be offset by biomethane and green hydrogen, but the evidence simply isnt there to back this up. Draft legislation to restructure GNI is currently being debated and Sinn Fein has proposed an amendment that would prohibit GNI from supplying new connections to data centres. Minister Ryan should now accept Sinn Feins amendments to the Gas Bill to end connections of data centres to the gas grid, Ms Boylan said. GNIs forecasts are in its new Network Development Plan which the energy regulator, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), has put out for public consultation. The CRU is seeking consultation on any aspect of the plan, but in particular on the annual large new industrial and commercial demand loads forecast in the plan. Educate Together row after antisemitism allegations in wake of CEOs protest post, and call for boycott of Israel Jewish parents fear their children will be marginalised in classrooms Emer Nowlan Ellen Coyne Mon 8 Apr 2024 at 03:30 Educate Together, the multi-denominational school group, has been plunged into an antisemitism row over fears Jewish children are being marginalised by what their parents claim is a pro-Palestinian bias. Belfast native Realtan Ni Leannain, who lives in Lucan, was travelling to Donegal Airport when the incident occurred. Photo credits: Aoife Herrity Belfast native Realtan Ni Leannain, who lives in Lucan, was travelling to Donegal Airport when the incident occurred. Photo: Aoife Herrity Dublin Airport has launched an investigation after a woman who had a mastectomy was forced to remove her breast prosthesis in public view after it set off new security scanners. Realtan Ni Leannain, who is originally from Belfast, was travelling from Dublin Airport to Donegal Airport when a member of security stopped her after new body scanners flagged her breast prosthesis as she passed through. After telling the female staff member what it was, Ms Ni Leannain was told to remove it, and did so in a crowded security area last month. I sat and cried the whole way on the flight to Donegal after realising what the hell had just happened, Ms Ni Leannain, who lives in Lucan, said yesterday. I am 15 years out from diagnosis and 15 years wearing a prosthesis. I still find it has affected me more than any single other aspect in those years. It surprised me how much it upset me. According to airport policy, if a customer activates the walk-through metal detector, a search must be undertaken to establish the cause, with customers having the right to request a private hand search. Ms Ni Leannain said she was not offered a private search and was unaware she could request one. Dublin Airport said it facilitated private searches for passengers to protect their privacy and dignity. However, Ms Ni Leannain, who first spoke on Liveline yesterday, has said her dignity was not protected on that day. I still want to know when I travel what do I say to them, she said. I want to know that no other woman post-breast cancer or post-mastectomy will be affected by the implementation of the new technology. Glasgow, Donegal and Amsterdam seem to be coping with the new scanning technology much more sensitively than Dublin, she said, adding that Dublin Airport must do better. DAA, the operator of Dublin Airport, said in a statement it was sorry Ms Ni Leannain had had a negative experience. A full investigation into the incident was carried out by the team and the situation should have been handled better, the DAA said. All passengers in such situations can request a private screening, which is then facilitated by a trained member of staff. We offer a full apology to the passenger and can assure her that steps have been taken to ensure a similar situation is avoided in the future, the statement added. Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th April 2024 The DAA said it welcomed passengers from all walks of life on a daily basis and prided itself on offering high levels of customer service to all while also adhering to the extremely strict security requirements that ensured the safety of passengers and staff. The airport said it would get back in touch with Ms Ni Leannain and added that it looks forward to welcoming her back to Dublin Airport soon, when we can assure her of a much more positive experience. Corrinne Hasson, director of services at the Irish Cancer Society, said changes to a persons body post-surgery can affect a cancer survivors self-esteem and confidence. "We believe people with prostheses deserve a dignified search, and should be made aware that a private space for an airport search is available to make them as comfortable as possible, she added. Anyone with questions or concerns about cancer can contact the Irish Cancer Society Support Line on Freephone 1800 200 700 or email supportline@irishcancer.ie. I was paralysed, but there were just no beds available hospital consultant spent nearly four days on trolley Out-of-control patient fell on medic during his hospital ordeal Dr Mick Molloy experienced what a lot of patients go through first-hand Eilish O'Regan Mon 8 Apr 2024 at 03:30 A prominent hospital emergency consultant has revealed his nearly four-day ordeal after ending up as a patient on a trolley, waiting for a bed. Supervisor Aaron Peskin appears at City Hall to file papers to run for mayor in San Francisco on Friday. Jonah Reenders/Special to The Chronicle Supervisor Aaron Peskins entry into the San Francisco mayors race is already inspiring a mantra from his more moderate challengers: Anybody but Peskin. But their effort to paint Peskin as a bogeyman wont be a cure-all and is one of many ways the longtime supervisor from North Beach will reshape the citys most unpredictable mayoral battle in decades, one made all the more complex by San Franciscos ranked-choice voting system. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Peskins entry has spurred some of the candidates to try to game out how to use the ranked-choice system to win. The campaign will be a referendum on San Franciscos biggest challenges: public safety, homelessness and the lack of affordable housing. And, and as typically is the case, it will be a referendum on the incumbent, Mayor London Breed. The moderate candidates Breed, former interim Mayor Mark Farrell and nonprofit founder Daniel Lurie hope that the specter of the more left-leaning Peskin becoming mayor will lure voters at a time when San Francisco is edging to the center. But that wont provide them a clear path to victory, nor will it likely eliminate Peskin. Thats because though Supervisor Ahsha Safai is running a left-leaning mayoral campaign, analysts say Peskin has the inside track to leverage the 35%-45% of the electorate who are progressives to become one of the top two contenders. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Aaron is an established, credible progressive figure, where Ahsha has never built a base of support, said Jim Ross, a longtime Democratic consultant who advised progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudins 2022 anti-recall campaign. Supervisor Ahsha Safai, a candidate for mayor, chats with supporters and members of the AAPI community at Far East Cafe on March 8. Camille Cohen/Special to the Chronicle Safai, a former union leader who was born in Iran, said he was amassing support from immigrant families, labor groups and everyday San Franciscans. Still, Farrell and Lurie have so far been Breeds most serious challengers, polling shows. And unlike them, Peskin is not a moderate. He is a veteran of San Franciscos progressive political wing, which has very different ideas about how to respond to the citys most urgent issues, especially housing and drug policy. While Breed and her moderate allies push for an aggressive expansion of housing at all income levels, Peskin and his fellow progressives are often skeptical toward market-rate projects. Peskin is a staunch supporter of rent control and other policies to protect low-income tenants, but he also has a long history of seeking to block development, especially within his district. And although Peskin agrees that the city needs to do more to shut down open-air drug markets, he was sharply critical of Breeds successful March ballot measure to mandate drug screening for welfare recipients. Speaking to hundreds of supporters at a Saturday rally launching his mayoral campaign, Peskin said he supported arresting drug dealers. But arresting users as police have done at Breeds direction is a cynical and dangerous policy that often results in more overdoses and not more treatment for addiction, Peskin said in his speech. Before Peskin began his rally at Chinatowns Portsmouth Square, about 30 protesters loudly demonstrated against his entry into the mayors race. They held up signs scribbled with various anti-Peskin messages, including Anybody but Aaron and Aaron Peskin Not in My Backyard. They repeatedly slapped plastic fly swatters against their signs while shouting Pesky Peskin and other chants. Jade Tu, Farrells campaign manager, led the chants through a bullhorn. People think moderates are fractured, but right now, were more united than ever to get Aaron not to be mayor, Tu told the Chronicle as the protest continued around her. As the candidates thrash it out over housing and public safety over the next seven months, the wild card in the campaign is the citys ranked-choice voting system. In ranked-choice systems such as San Franciscos, voters can rank up to 10 candidates in order of preference on their ballots. If no one receives a majority in the first count, the lowest-ranking candidate is dropped from the ballot, with their votes automatically going to each voters second choice. That process continues until someone has 50% plus one vote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The system can often lead to surprises, as the candidate who initially gets the most first-place votes doesnt necessarily get crowned mayor. That has happened twice in Oakland this century. The campaigns say it is too early for the candidates to start talking about who they would form an alliance with. For one, most voters arent paying attention to the race yet. A Chronicle-commissioned poll in February found that 40% of the electorate was undecided. Plus, no candidate wants to link arms with another candidate too early. To some, saying, Make me your second choice if Im not your first, might seem like an admission of weakness. But Deb Otis, director of policy and research at FairVote, which studies ranked-choice elections, said the system can help multiple moderate candidates remain in the race. With (ranked-choice voting), supporters of the moderate faction will be able to rank all of the moderate candidates as their top few choices. If one moderate is eliminated, their supporters will all have their ballot count for their next choice, Otis said. In that way, the moderates can stay in the race without worrying that theyre taking votes away from an ideologically similar candidate. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mayor London Breed stops at a business along Stockton Street promoting several ballot measures in Chinatown on Election Day in San Francisco on March 5. Benjamin Fanjoy/The Chronicle So far, Breed has shown little interest in using the citys ranked-choice voting system to thwart Peskins chances of becoming mayor. She is instead focused on winning as many first-choice votes as possible, though she may adjust her strategy to target more second- and third-choice votes in the months ahead. That might be a mistake, said Jason McDaniel, a political scientist at San Francisco State University. He said campaigns in ranked-choice systems often wait too long to start making public alliances. In my experience, I dont think that works very well, he said. For this kind of an anybody but Peskin slate to be effective, they need to do a clear message to voters and they need to do it early and often. Another reason for Breed shrugging off an alliance is that it might be hard to find a partner. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Not only did the February Chronicle poll find that 71% of the respondents disapproved of Breeds job performance, 35% said Breed would be their fourth choice among the four major candidates running. (The survey was taken before Peskin entered the race.) McDaniel said if the moderate candidates would rather see any of them win the race over Peskin, they need to run in a way that is explicitly a little more cooperative and where they are compared to where Peskin is. That message could get through to voters, but its going to take time and effort, McDaniel said. Steven Buss, co-founder of the moderate pro-housing organization GrowSF that was a key player in electing moderates in the March primary, posted on X that Anybody telling you to vote for a single mayoral candidate just wants Aaron Peskin to win. Rank everyone youd find tolerable over Peskin, so dont forget about Lurie and one of the long-tail candidates for 4th. Some of the major candidates in the race are openly contemplating a ranked-choice strategy. Our campaign is embracing (a ranked-choice voting) strategy to put ourselves in the strongest position to win, Farrell said in a statement. It is in the best interest of San Francisco and all of the moderate candidates to work together to stop Aaron Peskin from becoming Mayor. Tu, his campaign manager, told the Chronicle at the anti-Peskin protest on Saturday that moderates have to come together to do ranked choice to defeat Peskin. She said she hoped voters would rank Farrell first, followed by Lurie and Breed in any order. I have been very clear about us needing a ranked-choice strategy to ensure Aaron doesnt become mayor, because he would make a horrible mayor for our city, she said. Safai, who was elected as a moderate but has been trying to appeal to progressives in his mayoral campaign, said its too early to get into specifics about ranked-choice strategies. For there to be a path to victory for anybody, theyre going to have to have alliances, Safai told the Chronicle. Lurie, the only major candidate who is not a current or former office-holder, could be a beneficiary of the ranked-choice system. The February Chronicle poll found that Lurie won the most (24%) second-place votes, with most of that support coming from Farrells supporters. Mayoral candidate Daniel Lurie speaks at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of America as one of his opponent,s former Mayor Mark Farrell, left, prepares to leave the room on March 30. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to The Chronicle Peskins entrance into the race absolutely helps. The more people who are talking about voting for anyone but Peskin means that we will be able to grab a ton of those, said Lurie campaign consultant Tyler Law. San Francisco voters havent elected a progressive mayor since Art Agnos in 1987, but Peskin thinks he can change that. The policies that our moderate-to-conservative mayors have pursued have not yielded the results San Franciscans are searching for, he told the Chronicle. San Franciscos electorate is very smart. I think they are very open to electing a mayor who knows how to make San Francisco work again. McDaniel said he thinks Peskin is well positioned to win this race and may end up with the most first-choice votes if moderates support splinters too much among Breed, Farrell and Lurie. But McDaniel said he thinks second- and third-choice votes will also be important, possibly to the benefit of Peskin or a candidate such as Farrell, if hes able to rise up and become the favored choice of moderates. Supervisor Aaron Peskin answers questions after a press conference to denounce the Stop Crime SF group and the candidates its backing who are challenging sitting judges on the steps of City Hall in San Francisco on Nov. 9, 2023. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle I can still see a path for the mayor, McDaniel said of Breed, but its getting narrower. I think right now, Peskin-Farrell in some order those are the two I think would be most likely at this point. Todd David, political director for the more centrist, pro-housing group Abundant SF that backs Breed, thinks too much energy is being spent gaming out ranked-choice scenarios. Many voters, he said, dont think of the system in the same strategic ways that political operatives do. For example, in San Franciscos 2019 district attorneys race, after moderate candidate Nancy Tung was eliminated, a nearly equal number of her votes went to the progressive Boudin as did to the more moderate Suzy Loftus. Irish wind farms set a new record for March, generating 43pc, or 1,541 gigawatt-hours (GWh)of power last month, new figures show. It surpassed the previous record for the month which was set in March 2020, when 1,392 GWh were generated. The latest report from Wind Energy Ireland shows the average wholesale price of electricity last month was 88.67, down 40pc from 145.25 in March 2023. Wind energy provided 43pc of the nations electricity last month, with Kerry providing more wind power than any other county with 187 GWh generated. Cork generated 163 GWh, amounting to 11pc of total electricity demand, while Tipperary produced 106 GWh, amounting to 7pc. The three counties generated enough electricity to meet nearly a third of Irelands total electricity demand, the report found. Galway generated 7pc of Irelands electricity demand with 104 GWh and Mayo produced 6pc at 87 GWh. The latest report found that 40pc of Irelands power came from wind farms in the first three months of this year. While last month set a record for March, it was the seventh best month on record for wind power production overall. The most electricity ever produced by wind was generated in February 2022 with 1,868 GWh of electricity. Irish wind farms produce power without burning imported fossil fuels, which means we can cut our carbon emissions at the same time as we cut our fuel imports, said Justin Moran, the director of external affairs at Wind Energy Ireland, the representative body for the Irish wind industry. Every time a wind turbine is generating electricity it is reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels, helping to push down wholesale electricity prices and increasing our supply of clean energy to power our homes, businesses and local communities. He said the quicker more wind farms are built, the sooner the cost of electricity can be brought down and struggling electricity customers can be supported. We hope to see the new Planning and Development Bill enacted this year which will help to modernise the Irish planning system and ensure that planning applications are thoroughly, but quickly, examined, he said. Irish wind farms, and particularly those in Kerry, are playing an enormous part in reducing Irelands carbon emissions by over 4 million tonnes a year and creating significant opportunities in job creation and funding for rural communities, he said. As new wind farms connect to the grid the amount of money invested by our members in local communities will only grow. By developing our renewable energy sector, we can build an Ireland that is energy independent, delivering warmer homes and cleaner air. Former leader may avoid Westminster as criminal probe proceeds... but he can continue to collect 91,300 salary Jeffrey Donaldson is set to stay on as MP for his constituency of Lagan Valley and keep collecting his salary of 106,000, sources say. There has been intense speculation about his intentions in the wake of the former DUP chief being charged with serious historical sexual offences, including rape. He immediately tendered his resignation as party leader and his membership was subsequently suspended, effectively making him an independent MP. He and his wife Eleanor were arrested at their Dromore, Co Down, home before 7am on March 28, before being taken to Antrim PSNI station, where they were charged. The timeline of the inquiry was confirmed by the PSNI yesterday when they said: Police first received a report on March 7, 2024. There had been speculation that Mr Donaldson would stand down in a similar move to that when he resigned as DUP leader sparking a potentially damaging by-election as he fights the charges he faces. But there has been no indication that he has an intention of relinquishing his seat. Read more The 11 sex crime charges levelled against Jeffrey Donaldson revealed for first time Mr Donaldson is believed to be staying at his London address as part of his bail conditions in advance of his court appearance with his wife on April 24. Political sources have said Mr Donaldson is likely to stay in place as he maintains his innocence. It had been thought he might step back to concentrate on the fight to clear his name but there is no compunction for him to do so. The veteran politician asserts he has no case to answer and remains an innocent man until proved otherwise, so there is no reason for him to quit. Jeffrey Donaldson with his wife Eleanor Theres a possibility he will not enter the Westminster estate as the criminal investigation proceeds and this week it was confirmed he has been suspended from his role as a UK trade envoy to Egypt and Cameroon. So, for at least the coming months, Mr Donaldson can continue collecting his salary of 91,000 (106,000), even though he is prevented from fully doing his job at Westminster and in his constituency. The only way an MP can be removed from his seat is if he or she resigns. Even then, there is a considerable process to be gone through before it is confirmed. The other is by way of a recall petition, which requires one in 10 constituents signing the document to spark a by-election. Mr Donaldsons former party colleague Ian Paisley faced a recall petition after he had failed to declare five-star foreign holidays given to him. A recall petition can only be put in place under specific circumstances conviction of an offence which results in imprisonment, a sentence of more than 12 months which automatically disqualifies someone from being an MP, suspension from the House on the recommendation of the Committee on Standards, and for making misleading parliamentary expenses claims. None of these conditions applies to Mr Donaldson. Alliances Sorcha Eastwood is a strong performer Mr Donaldson retained the Lagan Valley seat with a margin of more than 6,000 votes in 2019, but it is seen as vulnerable with the Alliance Partys Sorcha Eastwood a strong performer. Mr Donaldsons intention to remain as MP for now removes the prospect of the DUP having to fight a by-election in unprecedented circumstances and at a time when the party has been sent reeling by the charges their former leader faces. However, with a general election likely to be called in the coming months probably November the party faces some difficult decisions. There are no obvious candidates. The constituencys two DUP MLAs Paul Givan and Emma Little-Pengelly have ministerial jobs. Edwin Poots, who moved from Lagan Valley to South Belfast, has been happily installed as Assembly Speaker. Technically, it is not inconceivable that Mr Donaldson will put his name forward. He is an innocent man and therefore entitled to run, but whether he could count on the support of political backers is a major doubt. With a criminal trial not likely before 2025, he may feel his reputation as an MP of 26 years standing and with a 40-year career in frontline politics may be enough to get him over the line. There is some precedent. Tory MP Andrew Rossindell returned to the benches in February after a two-year police investigation exonerated him of alleged sex offences. For its part, the DUP has tried to quieten the chatter around their former leader. Party members have been urged not to contribute to the social media debate around the controversy. Jeffrey Donaldson at an Orange Order parade Interim leader Gavin Robinson has been keen to focus minds on the job at hand. He said that the week since Mr Donaldsons arrest and charge had been extremely difficult and, in the leaders weekly message to party members, he urged people to stay strong. He accused opponents of the restoration of Stormont of seeking to deliver a wreckers charter that would weaken and divide unionism. Mr Robinson reaffirmed his partys commitment to devolution and insisted it would not be taking a backward step on his watch, saying the Executive and Assembly were in the best interests of Northern Ireland. He attacked critics on the margins of the unionist cause, warning their actions could lead to reduced representation for unionism at Westminster and a propaganda boost for Sinn Fein. His comments came as the TUV announced plans for a major anti-Protocol rally in Co Down later this month. He said there was a unity of purpose in the DUP to deliver for people and promote and strengthen Northern Irelands place within the United Kingdom. That has not changed, nor will it under my leadership, he told members. Mr Robinson said recent events have been profoundly shocking and my thoughts remain with those who are suffering. The DUP is a party that supports devolution and we make no apology for that, he said. Since early February, we have seen the return of local government where decisions have been taken in the best interests of everyone in Northern Ireland. However, there is much more to do, and with the current budget restraints we must act sensibly and honestly as we tackle the long-term challenges ahead. The restoration of the Executive and Assembly is in the best interests of Northern Ireland and time will prove that a prosperous Northern Ireland one that provides opportunity for everyone everywhere will lead to a stronger Northern Ireland at ease with itself. This is a powerful line of defence against those who would promote the fantasy and economic illiteracy of a so-called united Ireland. Mr Robinson conceded the so-called Donaldson Deal that brought about the restoration of power-sharing was far from perfect but had secured significant guarantees for Northern Irelands constitutional position, stating: Problems still exist and I will always be open and honest about that. But he added: I am not in the business of taking a backward step or talking down what we have achieved. The DUPs most outspoken detractor, TUV chief Jim Allister, this weekend renewed his attack, claiming the DUP had accepted the Protocol. He accused the DUP of engaging in a sham fight over post-Brexit trading arrangements. Mr Allister, whose party last month agreed a link-up with Reform UK ahead of the general election, said that part of the deceptive salesmanship of the tainted Donaldson Deal was the pretence that the party was still fighting to secure concessions. Like the patently false claims that the Irish Sea border was gone with zero checks, zero paperwork, the claim of ongoing demands is equally false, he added. The sad truth is that the DUP, once it gave up the only leverage it had namely, the Stormont Executive boycott at the same time gave up resisting the Protocol and metamorphosed into Protocol implementers. Henceforth, the DUPs fight is a sham fight, just like the Donaldson surrender deal which changed not one word of the Protocol nor dis-applied one syllable of EU law. The claims of Sir Jeffrey, now repeated by the continuity leadership, that more would be obtained mirrors and adopts the UUP nonsense of fighting the Protocol from within an Assembly with no power or inclination to change one word of the Union-dismantling Protocol. Fine Gael leader Simon Harris to be appointed Irelands youngest-ever taoiseach tomorrow The 37-year-old is expected to reshuffle his ministerial team after his appointment Leo Varadkar said he has not decided whether he will contest the next general election If theres regret, its excessive caution Leo Varadkar on his time in office as he resigns as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has officially resigned as taoiseach after handing in a letter of resignation to President Micheal D Higgins. Mr Varadkar arrived at Aras an Uachtarain shortly before 6pm yesterday to formally tender his resignation to President Higgins. Mr Higgins is understood to have greeted Mr Varadkar in the Presidents study, where a letter of resignation was handed to his secretary general. Speaking to RTEs Six One News, Mr Varadkar said being taoiseach was a high point in his political career, and said he was proud of Irelands response during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Its widely accepted that Ireland outperformed most other countries when it came to the management of the pandemic, Mr Varadkar said. Also, the economic situation, weve full employment, a Budget surplus. Thats the envy of Europe and the envy of the world. The former taoiseach said he was proud Ireland was a more modern country since he took office in 2017, nodding towards the repealing of the Eighth amendment, and the marriage equality referendum. I dont claim personal credit for any of these things, but having had a significant role to play is something that I am proud of, he said. If theres regret, it would be excessive caution at certain points. In 2011-2012, we never thought the economy would bounce back so quickly from the crash. When the pandemic happened, we never thought that the economy would bounce back so quickly, and because of that there were big investment decisions and spending decisions that we could have made a year or two earlier that would put us in a better position today when it comes to things like housing, but unfortunately, that was the advice at the time and we took it. Its easy with hindsight to know these things we didnt know at the time, he added. He left Aras an Uachtarain at 6.40pm after having some refreshments with Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina. He waved to the media before getting into a waiting car. Mr Varadkar (45), who is still a Dublin West TD, has said he has not decided whether he will contest the next general election. His resignation announcement last month was an unexpected political earthquake. He said after 13 years serving in the Cabinet, he felt he was no longer the person to lead the country. Mr Varadkar announced three weeks ago that he was resigning as Fine Gael leader immediately and would stand down as taoiseach once his successor had been appointed. A man is due in court following a suspected incident of criminal damage by fire in Dublin last year. Gardai investigating the incident that occurred on Monday, August 14, 2023, at a vacant building on the Shanganagh Road in Ballybrack, Dublin, have arrested a male as part of their investigations. The man, aged in his 20s, is due to appear before Dun Laoghaire District Court this morning at 10.30am. Patients are having to undergo more investigations and referrals because doctors are frightened of being sued in what they view as an unfair medical litigation system, a doctors' leader has warned. Dr Denis McCauley, the new President of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), said: Medical negligence litigation is having a detrimental effect on how doctors practice medicine. It is creating a climate of fear that is driving doctors out of Ireland, he said. Medical negligence is proven when a doctor deviates from the standard which is actually applied by competent professionals of similar specialty in an area. But case law is moving beyond that, he said in his address to the annual meeting of the IMO in Killarney. "In Dunne v The National Maternity Ward 1989, it was found that even if a doctor is shown to have followed the standard practise that a competent professional would apply, negligence may still apply if a plaintiff can establish that such a practice has inherent defects. Legal practitioners and the judiciary which assess these cases must fully understand the models of care which each specialty follow, Dr McCauley said. "They must recognise that in a hospital setting that the clinical staff are essentially working with one hand tied behind their back due to staff shortages and infrastructural deficiencies. A failure to do this is leading to Ireland being an outlier in medical litigation, it is encouraging the exodus of well-trained competent medical staff from our shores to other health systems where this is not an issue. "More importantly, it is leading to altered patterns of medical practice which is leading to increased investigations and referrals from primary care to a secondary service that will soon collapse under this legally induced demand." Dr McCauley, a GP in Donegal, also warned that public waiting lists are now "frighteningly long" and despite a new work contract for consultants, one in five posts are vacant. The new contract allows for doctors to be rostered in the evenings and weekends but it is essential this work simply does not replace the work which is being done on other days currently, Dr McCauley told the gathering of medics. "We need to build trust we need an acknowledgement from the system that consultants already provide care 24/7 through the on-call system. "And we have to ensure that we properly support the consultants working on weekends so that we dont simply move work from the middle of the week to the weekend. "Lets make sure that weekend work adds to the volume of work undertaken across the week rather than simply replaces the work done on other days currently. He also stressed the need for more hospital beds and said another 5,000 should be opened to relieve overcrowding. Bed occupancy is running at 88pc which is 11pc over the recommended upper limit and cancellation of surgeries are now a feature throughout the year to cope with the trolley crisis, said Dr McCauley. Officials are frantically dusting off books of protocol and making arrangements for the resignation of one Taoiseach and appointment of another. The key scenes will be at Leinster House, Government Buildings and Aras an Uachtarain. Viewers will be able to watch online or on television as they take place. This afternoon, Leo Varadkar returns from a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC), the first such face-to-face in nearly four years. It is being held in Armagh. His last official function, in a Northern Ireland whose politics has been transformed in recent times, Mr Varadkar will be driven with outriders to the Aras in the centre of Phoenix Park to return his seal of office to President Michael D Higgins. The two men will greet each other at the front (North) entrance to Aras an Uachtarain at 6pm. Photographers and TV cameras will be on site to capture Leos last political act. Tuesday, April 9 While resigned, Varadkar technically holds caretaker power for a few hours pending the elevation by the Dail of his successor. The Dail sits at 10.30am after a prayer invoking the inspiration of the Most Holy God after which Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail calls for nominations for the post of Taoiseach. There will have to be TDs nominating and seconding the candidate/s, with brief speeches. Simon Harris will be validly proposed and seconded and a vote will take place. He will then assuming he wins the mandatory vote on the appointment of Taoiseach receive the congratulations of colleagues and make an acceptance speech, seven years and one month to the day since his maiden speech in Dail Eireann to propose Enda Kenny as Head of Government. The Leader of the Opposition, Mary Lou, will make a speech in reply. Sinn Fein will not nominate Ms McDonald for the post of Taoiseach tomorrow. The party made the decision today, and previously decided to contest the rotating-Taoiseach move when Micheal Martin stood down to be replaced by Leo Varadkar in December 2022. But Mary Lou McDonald did bid to become Taoiseach at the start of this 33rd Dail. When it reconvened following the General Election in February 2020, nominations were invited. Mary Lou lost the vote to become Taoiseach, but got the most votes. It was before Fine Gael and Fianna Fail retired for talks, soon involving the Green Party, that led to the formation of the current coalition. On that occasion, Mary Lou received 45 votes in favour, but with a whopping 84 against, a nearly two-to-one ration. A total of 29 TDs abstained on that occasion. Asked if Sinn Fein would nominate Mary Lou McDonald for Taoiseach on this occasion, a party spokesman said this afternoon: No. We believe there should be a General Election. The party will vote against the Dails election of Simon Harris on Tuesday. Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (Brian Lawless/PA) There will also be ten-minute speeches by Ivana Bacik of the Labour Party, Holly Cairns of the Social Democrats, Richard Boyd Barrett of People Before Profit/Solidarity, and representatives of the Regional Group, the Rural Independents and the Independent Group. At about 1pm the House will adjourn for four hours. But Simon Harris will still not technically be Taoiseach. He will merely be Taoiseach-elect. He is only formally in office, pursuant to Article 13 of the Constitution, once presented with his seal of office on foot of that Dail vote by the President of Ireland. After being cheered by a crowd of supporters at Leinster House, he will leave by limousine with Garda outriders via the Kildare Street gate, heading for the Aras by means of the south quays. Mr Harris will be formally greeted by the President at the same entrance where he received the Taoiseach the day before. Once more photographers and camera crews will capture the arrival. President Michael D Higgins said. Photo: Steve Humphreys Mr Harris will be escorted into the State Reception Room of the former Viceregal Lodge, where the President will sign the Warrant of Appointment and hand the Seal of the Taoiseach and Seal of Government to Mr Harris. He is now indisputably the Taoiseach. Back at Leinster House, the Dail will sit again at 5pm. It will transact some routine business until the Taoiseach is ready to enter the chamber to announce his Cabinet, with all focus on the new members. Once more they are not actually in office until around 7.45pm, when President Higgins will once more meet the Taoiseach and proposed members of the Cabinet. The Uachtaran signs warrants of appointment, not forgetting one for the Attorney General, each of which will be countersigned by the Taoiseach. President Higgins then hands over individual seals of office to formally appoint the men and women involved as Government Ministers. There will be a photo opportunity of the President and the new Government seated together in the State Reception Room. All smiles until they get down to the tough issues facing Ireland ahead of the next General Election. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Patrick ODonovan and Hildegarde Naughton locked in cabinet reshuffle race as Simon Harris faces a headache on geographical representation Simon Harris: "No part of Ireland will be lawless" as he vows to support gardai as anti-immigration protests increase There are fears within the highest ranks of Fine Gael that moving Helen McEntee out of the Department of Justice could feed into the far-right, anti-immigration agenda. Three junior ministers Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Patrick ODonovan and Hildegarde Naughton are locked in a battle for the final Fine Gael job as a cabinet minister. But Fine Gael leader Simon Harris is weighing up his options ahead of his cabinet reshuffle tomorrow and a key decision he has to make will be around the future of Ms McEntee. There has been widespread speculation in Fine Gael that the new leader will move the Justice Minister out of her portfolio but leave her in the Cabinet. There are concerns within Fine Gael about her performance in the Justice role and Mr Harris pledged to put a renewed focus on law and order once he is taoiseach. However, party sources say there is also concern that moving Ms McEntee could be seen as bowing to a far-right narrative that has made the Justice Minister a target for anti-immigration protesters. Fine Gael previously hit out at Sinn Fein for tabling a motion of no confidence in Ms McEntee in the aftermath of the Dublin riots in November. Moving her out of the portfolio a few months later could be viewed as giving in to Sinn Fein demands. Mr Harris will consider whether appointing a new minister to such a vast portfolio as Justice is wise given the appointee will have at most 11 months to read into the brief. Another factor being taken into consideration is the fact Ms McEntee comes from a Fine Gael dynasty. Mr Harris has already lost one member of party royalty, with Simon Coveney announcing he would not be seeking a cabinet position and the impact of losing two big Fine Gael names at the senior ministerial level is also being considered ahead the reshuffle. Mr Harris is weighing up who to pick for a full cabinet ministry and the post of Government Chief Whip a junior minister who sits at the cabinet table. Only one of the three junior ministers will be the big winner, with a second getting a consolation prize. He has been warned by senior party figures that he cant leave half the country without a cabinet minister. Mr Harris has admitted geography will be a factor in his cabinet picks. The taoiseach-designate will announce his new line-up of Fine Gael ministers in a reshuffle prompted by the departure of Leo Varadkar and Mr Coveney. There is a vacancy in the higher education ministerial position, due to Mr Harris becoming taoiseach, and another arising due to Mr Coveney stepping down as Enterprise Minister. Junior minister Peter Burke is regarded as a dead cert for promotion to the Cabinet. Government sources now say the final two seats are between three people. The move means Ms Naughton is expected to be moved from the chief whips post, one way or another. Mr Harris has also been advised he will have to suck it up and that he cant be banging on about rural Ireland and leave half the country without a proper cabinet minister. The warning from former ministers close to Mr Harris points towards Ms Naughton from Galway or Mr ODonovan from Limerick for promotion as Connacht and Munster are unrepresented. This leaves Mr Harris with an issue around Ms Carroll MacNeill from Dublin. The junior finance minister had been linked with the Justice Ministers portfolio. Mr Harris has been speaking to senior figures within the party ahead of the reshuffle. One former minister specifically told Mr Harris to promote from the south or west and even advocated for one of the contenders. Harris was told hell have to suck it up and he cant be seen to be Dublin-centric, a senior party source said. Another former minister close to Mr Harris wasnt specific about who should be in the Cabinet but told the new leader there had to be a minister from Connacht or Munster. He cant be banging on about rural Ireland and leave half the country without a proper cabinet minister. The only guarantees are Peter Burke in Cabinet and Colm Burke as a junior minister. The rest is all still up for grabs. Donovan [Patrick ODonovan] and Hildegarde [Hildegarde Naughton] are still in the running, the former minister said. McEntee is damaged from everything going on in Justice, so thats a problem for him. The new Fine Gael junior ministers will be announced on Wednesday. Three slots are available to replace those promoted to the Cabinet and former junior minister Josepha Madigan, who has stepped down from her role. Those linked with these roles include new TDs Colm Burke, Alan Dillon and Emer Higgins, unless Mr Harris calls on former ministerial office holders. Mr Coveneys departure will leave a cabinet gap in Munster. Assuming Mr Burke is promoted, he will then join Mr Harris, Ms McEntee and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe as a Leinster-based minister. Social Welfare and Rural Affairs Minister Heather Humphreys is from Ulster. Taoiseach Leo Varakdar and then-taoiseach Micheal Martin came in for criticism four years ago when they failed to appoint a senior cabinet minister from west of the Shannon in their first government line-up. Then-government chief whip Dara Calleary and then-super junior minister Naughton are from Mayo and Galway respectively, but they did not hold full cabinet portfolios. Government sources said at the time that Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin did not know who each other was appointing. Mr Calleary then replaced Barry Cowen as agriculture minister, and he was subsequently replaced by Charlie McConalogue from Donegal. But Fine Gael hasnt had a full cabinet minister from west of the Shannon since Michael Ring and Joe McHugh departed in 2020. Fine Gael has been concerned about losing ground to rural Independents. The party has been devising strategies to counter these threats to its seats. In his Fine Gael ard fheis address, Mr Harris put an emphasis on farming and rural affairs. And to the people of rural Ireland I want to say Fine Gael has got your back,he declared. Mr Harris did indicate that the considerations he has to balance in his cabinet picks include geography, gender, ability to deliver. The Fine Gael leader said he was now beginning to give his ministerial selections serious consideration. I still havent finalised some elements of it, he told RTEs This Week. Mr Harris also clearly indicated he plans to hold the general election next year, letting the Coalition see out its full five-year term. He said it was absolutely not my intention to have an election this year. Mr Varadkar will resign as Taoiseach this evening ahead of Mr Harriss appointment as taoiseach tomorrow. Mr Varadkar will call to President Michael D Higgins at Aras an Uachtarain to formally submit his resignation. Mr Harris will be appointed following a vote in the Dail tomorrow morning. He will then head to the Phoenix Park where the President will sign the Warrant of Appointment and hand the Seal of the Taoiseach and the Seal of Government to the taoiseach. The new taoiseach will then head back to Government Buildings to tell his ministers who is in and out, before they are announced in the Dail and head to the President again. If the rain doesnt stop soon, I may well have to emigrate. Its been basically nine months of sodden, soaking, saturated weather punctuated with the odd hour of sunshine to tantalise us. Worse, a study found that bad weather prompts hunger cravings, a result of overcast skies blocking sunlight and decreasing the serotonin hormone. Lovely. Bad enough we must endure climatic depression without the added side order of carbohydrates. So where best to escape this incessant Celtic drizzle, mizzle, deluge and downpour? Why not Finland, voted the worlds happiest country seven years in a row. How does a nation famous for reindeer racing and pickled herring produce a population consistently top of the happiness class? How about clean energy, free education, nature in abundance and a solid work-life balance. Ultimately, it all comes down to trust. While Finland has developed an infrastructure of happiness based on top-class healthcare, education and human rights, it is the nations confident faith in their system that underpins the whole box of tricks. Of course, it also doesnt hurt to be the home of Santa Claus Editor of the World Happiness Report, Professor John F Helliwell agrees that Finlands social support, healthy life expectancy and personal freedoms are key elements in its number-one standing, but adds: Where the Nordics are really on top is in trust and benevolence, both within their official institutions and their private behaviour. Where Finns are markedly different is their abiding confidence that elected leaders will do right by them Of course, it also doesnt hurt to be the home of Santa Claus the ultimate symbol of joyful good fortune. As it turns out, Finland and Ireland share a number of similarities: comparable populations, parallel tech economies and a common history of dominance by a powerful neighbour. Yet, where Finns are markedly different is their abiding confidence that elected leaders will do right by them. Faith in the police runs above 95pc, backed by a historically low crime rate. The feeling of safety is palpable right across society, a fact embodied in the daily sight of young kids in Helsinki walking considerable distances to school by themselves. In 2019, the capital city made global headlines by going an entire year without a single pedestrian or cyclist fatality. Add to that the Finnish aversion to celebrity. Rather than bow before stardom and fame, they prefer to maintain an equal relationship with rank and prestige. Rock stars and government ministers will often be found in the morning coffee queue, or in the evening line-up at the supermarket checkout. Little wonder a popular local saying translates as: Best not to praise, or theyll believe theyre worth it. Clearly Ireland needs new tactics in the happiness league. Our ranking dropped three places to 17th this year. Blame the rain, perhaps? Actually no. Temperatures in Finland dont often breach the 15C barrier not to mention their extended cold and dark winters. And the Finns have another appropriate motto for dealing with that: Forward, said granny in the snow. In other words, stop moaning and get on with it. Ill try. Previously the headquarters of Old Navy, 550 Terry Francois Blvd. in San Francisco could be receiving interest from a tech company. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle After inking a massive lease in San Franciscos Mission Bay neighborhood late last year, OpenAI could be eying an expansion in the area, multiple individuals with knowledge of the companys real estate strategy have confirmed. While the fast-growing tech company, best known for developing chatbot ChatGPT, does not appear to be planning on growing its footprint at Ubers office campus on Third Street, where it subleased two of four buildings in October, it could be landing nearby. OpenAI is said to have its eyes on Old Navys former headquarters at 550 Terry Francois Blvd. Real estate market participants would not comment on the status of potential negotiations between OpenAI and investment firm DivcoWest, the buildings landlord. Though, one source confirmed to the Chronicle that the company recently toured the building, as have other potential tenants. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Real estate sources say OpenAI is looking to grow its office space by roughly 400,000 square feet, and has also been considering its options in Silicon Valley, though the Chronicle could not independently verify this information. The six-story office building at 550 Terry Francois spans roughly 315,000 square feet and represents a logical expansion for OpenAI, as it sits adjacent to Ubers headquarters, where the company has scooped up a total of 486,600 square feet at 1515 and 1455 Third streets six months ago. When that deal was signed last year, a spokesperson for Uber which listed roughly half of its new Mission Bay headquarters campus for sublease in the wake of the pandemic said the ride-hailing platform would retain the two remaining buildings that make up the rest of its campus for its own employees. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday, while DivcoWest declined to comment. A representative of Raise Commercial Real Estate, the brokerage representing the artificial intelligence firm, neither confirmed nor denied potential negotiations between the two parties when contacted last week. The face of 550 Terry Francois Blvd. is seen rising above a chain link fence surrounding it in San Francisco in 2023. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle The building at 550 Terry Francois has been described as one of the most desirable properties in Mission Bay it comes with a fourth floor rooftop terrace, a hospitality-inspired lobby and bayfront views. More importantly, it is located just one block from UCSFs medical campus and Chase Center, the home venue for the Golden State Warriors. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It previously served as the headquarters building for Old Navy until 2021, when Gap Inc. Old Navys parent company announced it would be closing the Mission Bay office with plans to relocate Old Navys employees into an office on the Embarcadero. DivcoWest purchased 550 Terry Francois from Gap the following year. The landlord paid roughly $356 million, or $1,130 per square foot, for the property, with plans to reposition it for life sciences and biotech tenants, due to the buildings location in Mission Bay, which is home to a cluster of medical and biotech companies. In 2021, the area boasted a less than 1% vacancy rate. Since then, demand for lab space in Mission Bay has cooled significantly, surpassing 14% last year. And with more than one-third of offices across San Francisco sitting vacant some four years after the pandemic began, continuing to capture OpenAIs growth would come as a much-needed boost for the citys ailing office market. San Francisco Mayor London Breed has publicly cheered on OpenAI and other AI startups that have committed to office space in San Francisco in recent months. But, San Francisco appears to have competition on that front. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has actively been promoting downtown spaces in an effort to lure AI startups to the city. A study published last week that found the initial cost of a united Ireland would be at least 8bn a year, rising to potentially 20bn a year for 20 years, has introduced a much-needed dose of reality to the discussion around this issue. Published by the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), the analysis focuses on subvention, or the shortfall between what is raised in taxes in Northern Ireland and the amount spent on public services there. One of the authors of the report, Professor John FitzGerald, said that absorbing Northern Ireland could put huge financial pressure on people in the Republic that would result in an immediate, major reduction in their living standards. But Prof FitzGerald argued the cost of unification could be substantially reduced if Northern Ireland made major changes in its economy to raise its productivity. His co-author, Prof Edgar Morgenroth, said some costs would also eventually be offset by the benefits of integration into the wider EU economy, but this would take some considerable time at least two decades. In the Republic, there has long been a general view in favour of Irish unity, reflected again in todays Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks opinion poll that finds 60pc in favour, 25pc who would prefer Northern Ireland to remain in the UK and 15pc unsure. However, the poll also finds the issues raised by the IIEA to be of considerable relevance to citizens in the Republic: only 12pc would be prepared to pay significantly higher personal taxation to fund a united Ireland, while 31pc would be prepared to pay moderately higher taxes a combined 43pc willing to take a hit in the pocket; 42pc would not countenance any higher taxes, and 10pc would not vote for a united Ireland regardless of the cost, with 5pc unsure. Sinn Fein, which strongly advocates for Irish unity, has disputed the methodology of the IIEA publication, arguing that the actual subvention would be much less and stating that the report assumes there will be no economic growth in Northern Ireland. Supporters of a united Ireland have also pointed to German reunification, applying the same model, and argued that unity could boost the all-island economy by 35bn over eight years. The reports authors, though, have stoutly defended their analysis, pointing to other factors such as evidence that regions that lag in productivity, such as Northern Ireland, tend not to actually catch-up quickly with the richer regions, such as the Republic. Prof Morgenroth, who previously worked on German unification, also pointed out that decades later, costs are still mounting there, into the trillions of euro, but said three-quarters of German people, when asked, were happy with unification and willing to for it. However, there remains compelling arguments as to why the same policy mix in the two parts of the island, post-unity, would see Northern Irelands economy continue to perform poorly in comparison with the Republic. The evidence in our poll suggests people here would be more unwilling than Germans to pay for unification through personal tax rises and, indeed, cuts to public services. As such, the IIEA report should give those who assume that people here would support unification, irrespective of personal cost, considerable pause for thought. And so Fine Gael tries to reverse its fortunes with a new leader. After the heady days of 2011, when the public entrusted Enda Kenny to get us out of the bailout by electing 76 Fine Gael TDs, the partys support slipped back to more modest levels in 2016. Coming back with 50 seats was quite the reality check for the party and precipitated Kennys departure a year later. Along came Leo Varadkar as the choice of a new generation but he fared even worse, returning with just 36 seats. The result led to question marks over Varadkars leadership and caused Fine Gael to fall into coalition with the auld enemy of Fianna Fail. Beyond a brief flurry of patriotic rallying around the party in government at the outbreak of Covid-19, Fine Gael has bobbled along with no sign of a bounce-back. Now the torch is passed to Simon Harris. The new Fine Gael leader is offering energy to a beleaguered party facing a wave of resignations, retirements and retreats from the political field. The question of what exactly Mr Harris stands for still remains. In advance of becoming taoiseach this week, Mr Harris used his first ard fheis leaders address to outline the Fine Gael leaders vision and values or so we were told. The taoiseach-designate set about focusing on a number of key areas he intends to prioritise in government. Thats a tall order in its own right given the Coalition is now well into its final year. Harris touched on the main policy bases. He predictably confirmed the need for additional supports for families, farming and businesses. He also repeated pledges on the economy and investment in health, education, disabilities and childcare, and focused on law and order. Now there are plenty of worthy initiatives in there and nothing much that anybody will object to. Building more houses and delivering better public services, while reducing the tax bills faced by families, is a fine aspiration. How to achieve it is another mission entirely. Its certainly welcome that Mr Harris is putting a focus on law and order and his Dublin city centre taskforce bringing all the relevant agencies together to address the absence of safety on the capitals streets represents a common-sense move. After completely forgetting its heritage for the best part of the decade, Fine Gael has finally remembered it is supposed to be the law and order party. Upon his election as taoiseach in the Dail tomorrow, Mr Harris needs to differentiate between what will be achieved in the remaining lifetime of this Government and what polices are just promises for the next general election. The ramping up of construction of homes is not to be sneezed at, but nor can it just be thrown out there vaguely without any indication of how it will be achieved. The government parties quite rightly criticise the opposition parties for not providing enough detail on their lofty ambitions. The competition for election promises cannot become a race to the bottom. The change of taoiseach will cause enough disruption in the Government, so Mr Harris has to ensure the Coalition gets straight back to work. I must congratulate Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in equalling the chutzpah of the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. In Mr Amir-Abdollahians commentary of Israels role in the ongoing crises in Gaza (Letters, April 6), it is remarkable that he failed to mention Hamas once. Why no mention of the cause of the crisis, which was Hamass unprovoked attack on Israel last October 7? Or of the dozens of hostages that Hamas captured and still refuses to release after months of captivity? Why not mention that the misery of the people of Gaza is being prolonged by Hamass refusal to surrender, disband and respect Israels right to exist? Why has the Iranian foreign minister omitted to mention that his government sponsors, funds, trains, equips and supports Hamas? The Iranian government has the tools and influence over Hamas to end the suffering of the people of Gaza, and yet it refuses to do so. Can the Iranian foreign minister explain why? Jason Fitzharris, Swords, Co Dublin No amount of apologies can excuse callous killing of aid workers by the IDF The incident in which seven charity workers for the World Central Kitchen were targeted and killed by the IDF in Gaza is another tragedy in this brutal war. No amount of apologies by IDF spokespeople can reduce the anger and hurt felt by the victims families. This tragic event should be a watershed moment for all those engaged in this barbaric war. Hamas and IDF may feel justified in reciprocal actions they have taken so far, but nothing justifies the taking of so many innocent lives. While Benjamin Netanyahus explanation that the targeting of these aid workers was a tragic accident, it does not excuse or absolve him or the Israeli army for so many deaths that have occurred since the October 7 massacre. How many of the 32,000 people killed in Gaza so far were tragic accidents that shouldnt have happened and could have been avoided? Among those figures how many were Hamas militants? This terrible tragedy shows the dangers not experienced just by aid workers trying to distribute food to a starving population, but by the population itself. Since the start of this war, more than 200 aid workers, 103 journalists and 32,000 Palestinians have been killed, with 200,000 people in northern Gaza now at risk of famine. Only 10 hospitals are partially operating out of a total of 36 that have been targeted by the IDF. Where is Israels moral duty of care to all those innocent victims and health institutions under international law? Where was Hamas and its duty of care when it slaughtered so many civilians last October 7? The world, and those of us who believe in democratic and social norms, must call a halt to those who stage wars, otherwise our angry world will only become more polarised as a result of further unnecessary and futile deaths. Christy Galligan, Letterkenny, Co Donegal When it comes to showing our solidarity, actions speak louder than words Simon Harris, the new leader of Fine Gael, made some strong comments regarding the ongoing crisis in Gaza at his partys ard fheis on Saturday. Actions are stronger than mere words, and if he wants to do something constructive then the Irish State needs to recognise the Palestinian State. Let him do that when the Dail resumes this coming week. Paul Doran, Dublin 22 Fine Gael is attempting to whitewash treatment of women and home carers The Taoiseach-designate stated during his address to his partys ard fheis in Galway that Fine Gael was the party of women, and quite emphatically, the party of older people that has increased the state pension over the last three Budgets. One is left scratching ones head at those comments. Is this the same party that has been in power since 2011? The same party that changed the PRSI rules in 2012 to restrict the pensions of tens of thousands (mainly women), who were historical carers in the home? Is this the same Fine Gael that introduced a home carer tax credit in 2019 but sneakily capped it at 20 years (that cap being inclusive of other PRSI credits). There are currently many women in Ireland today on reduced pensions because of Fine Gael. Simon Harriss attempts at whitewashing history simply wont wash with the electorate. Thomas OConnor, Crumlin, Dublin 12 Simon Harris threw his FF colleague under the bus with big housing promises Ah, how the new brush sweeps clean. Amazing really. While Housing Minister Darragh OBrien is getting mauled for not delivering adequate housing quick enough, in swans Simon Harris armed with information not accessible to poor old Mr OBrien and promises 250,000 new homes in five years. If that isnt throwing your now-junior colleague under the proverbial bus, I dont know what is. Eamon Kearney, Ayrfield, Dublin 13 We must have a fair and tolerant country before we consider a united Ireland Assuming that a majority of people in Northern Ireland assent to a united Ireland, the question of cost would be relevant. A new study has found a united Ireland would cost 20bn a year over 20 years. Our Government claims there is insufficient funding to deal with the multiple problems we have and lacks the capability to alleviate these problems. Before the indecent haste to achieve reunification, it is necessary to create and demonstrate that we in the Republic live in a fair, just, tolerant and egalitarian society. Our society, with its multiple problems, is not attractive to unification. This present government, in its agreed Programme for Government, committed to trialling Universal Basic Income (UBI) within its life. We in Ireland have historically been foolish to believe that programmes for governing and political party promises will be adhered to and delivered. Now is the time to implement UBI to start the process towards a fair, just, tolerant and equal society in this jurisdiction before adding nearly two million people into our present unjust, discriminatory and unequal society. Hugh McDermott, Dromahair, Co Leitrim Nineteen years ago today, Emer OLoughlin, a 23-year-old artist, died in a mobile home fire near Gort, Co Galway. Emer was studying art in Galway and was living with her boyfriend in a mobile home in Ballybornagh. On April 8, 2005, she was preparing to go to college. She needed to charge her phone, but there was an electrical problem at their mobile home. Her boyfriend suggested she use the electricity in a neighbouring mobile home owned by John Griffin. Soon after, a fire broke out in Griffins mobile home and Emers body was discovered inside the burnt-out caravan. Her remains were so badly damaged that forensic experts were initially unable to establish whether they were male or female. In the days after, Griffin was nowhere to be found, until gardai traced him to Galway city. When interviewed, he said he had stayed with a relative the night before Emers death and knew nothing about the blaze. Two days after gardai tracked him down, Griffin barricaded himself inside Dun Aonghasa fort on Inis Mor. After a nine-hour stand-off with gardai, he was overpowered. It was after this incident that he entered psychiatric care, only to later check himself out. On April 18, having shaved his head and beard, he boarded a ferry to Inis Mor. A pile of his clothes was later found folded on the edge of a cliff on the island. It was a cunning attempt to stage an apparent suicide, but few people, least of all Emer OLoughlins family, believed Griffin was dead. In 2010, following pressure from Emers family, her remains were exhumed and re-examined. An X-ray of her bones found marks indicating she had been attacked with a machete-type knife a similar knife was found in the charred remains of the caravan. Gardai finally told Emers family they believed she died violently before the blaze Today on The Indo Daily, Ellen Coyne is joined by Catherine Fegan, special correspondent with the Irish Independent, and Emers dad, Johnny OLoughlin, to examine Emers murder and a 19-year-long search for justice. Tickets go on sale this week! British singer-songwriter Tom Odell is the latest act announced to play Live at the Marquee Cork this summer on Tuesday, June 25. It will be a big night for gig-goers in Cork as Tom Odell's concert at the Marquee will take place at the same time that country-pop top-selling star Shania Twain hits the stage nearby in Virgin Media Park. Winner of both the prestigious BRIT and Ivor Novello Awards, Tom Odell has enjoyed a decade-long impressive career, with six immersive albums that have earned him over 29 million monthly listeners on Spotify, four billion career streams, and a social reach of eight million across platforms. This is Cork Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Cork newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details His new album, Black Friday, was released in January and his stop in Cork comes fresh off his biggest UK and European tour to date. Tom Odell's track Another Love struck viral gold in 2022, resulting in over 4M creates on TikTok, over two billion streams, and placement on the Top 10 in the UKs Official Chart and the U.S. Hot AC Chart. Tickets for Tom Odell, Live at the Marquee Cork on June 25 go on sale this Thursday, April 11, at 10am through Ticketmaster. Tom Odell will join a stellar line up of acts already confirmed to play the big tent including NE-YO, The Sugababes, Van Morrison and Bryan Adams to name a few. A man from Cork is claiming his old cowboy hat ended up as part of Bonos extensive hat collection through the help of a mutual friend. During a segment of Drive It with the 2 Johnnies on RTE 2FM last week, the Tipperary hosts were asking listeners to call and share with them their personal theme songs. One of the callers was a man named Ciaran, originally from Cork but living in southern California for the last 25 years with his wife. This is Cork Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Cork newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details He shared that his personal theme song was Rebel Rebel by David Bowie, and it was one of the first albums he ever bought. Then the seemingly normal conversation took an interesting turn when Ciaran began sharing a story about when he was younger and still living in Cork. Back in the 70s I had a cowboy hat, but I couldnt wear it cause all the fellas used to tease me like heck. So I walk into work one day with it and one of the cashiers asked where I got it. I told her I bought it in Pierres but I cant wear it much because I get mocked, Ciaran shared. He explained that the cashier had a friend in a band and hed love that hat. I gave her the hat and asked whats the name of the band, she said U2 and her friends name is Bono. So I believe he has a hat that belonged to me, said Ciaran. The 2 Johnnies couldnt believe what Ciaran was telling them. Hang on, are you making that up, are you telling us one of the first times we saw Bono wearing a cowboy hat its because you gave it to his friend? questioned Johnny B. Thats the truth. Im not too sure but you can go back and look up Bono wearing hats and youll see hes wearing the cowboy hat that used to be mine. Its a true story and I verified with an old school friend recently, we worked together in Punches and he said its exactly how it was. Ciaran assured. The hosts were in awe of the story, and said theyd love to investigate it further to see if they can trace Ciarans hat on Bono in a music video or on album cover. I hope thats true, its a great story if it is. I actually dont even care if its true or not thats a cracking story. Imagine if Bono is wearing that hat because a man in Cork got mocked too much for it, said Johnny Smacks. TWO men have denied the murder of a young man who died from a blunt force trauma injury to the brain after allegedly being punched and kicked while on the ground. A Central Criminal Court jury was told that the murder trial of Jordan Deasy (19) and Ricardo Hoey (21) could last for three weeks and involved up to 100 witnesses. Both young men have denied the murder of Matt O'Neill (29) at Glenwood, Carrigaline, Co Cork on December 28 2022. Matt O'Neill Deasy of Ravensdale, Heron's Wood, Carrigaline, Co Cork and Hoey of Ardcarraig, Carrigaline, Co Cork pleaded not guilty when they were formally arraigned before Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford and a Central Criminal Court jury of six men and six women. Jane Hyland SC, for the State, said that the murder trial, sitting in Cork, could last for up to three weeks with over 100 witnesses on the initial hearing listing. Each defendant is charged with the murder of Mr O'Neill at Glenwood in Carrigaline on December 28 2022 contrary to common law. Mr O'Neill died eleven days after suffering critical injuries in a Christmas incident a short distance from his home. He had undergone emergency surgery after being found badly injured on a roadway in Glenwood on December 28 but failed to recover. In opening the State case, Ms Hyland said the State will enter evidence indicating that Mr O'Neill suffered his fatal injuries during a confrontation as he walked back to his home having bought a bottle of wine at a local garage. She said that Mr O'Neill suffered from alcohol and drug addiction issues and was living at home with his parents. While he had a number of jobs, he was unemployed at that time due to his addiction issues. On the afternoon of December 28, he left his home to go to a nearby garage. Having purchased a bottle of wine, he was then walking back to his home. Ms Hyland said that a local resident, John McGovern, will tell the trial he saw an Opel car stopped in the Glenwood estate with both its front doors open. Two men were standing by the vehicle while a third male was lying prone on the ground. The jury was told a brief exchange then took place between the resident and the two men. Mr O'Neill was lying bleeding and unconscious on the ground and the alarm was immediately raised. He was attended by a local doctor, Dr Eoin Sheehan, before being rushed to Cork University Hospital (CUH). He underwent emergency surgery but never regained consciousness. Mr O'Neill was pronounced dead on January 8 after his life support machine was turned off. Ms Hyland said that the State will allege that Hoey pushed Mr O'Neill a few minutes after the Opel car containing himself and Deasy had stopped in the Glenwood estate. Hoey was driving while Deasy was in the front passenger seat. After Mr O'Neill fell to the ground, the prosecution will say he was punched several times in the face by Deasy. "Ricardo Hoey then kicked Mr O'Neill in the head," Ms Hyland said. She told the jury that substantial amounts of CCTV security camera footage were harvested by Gardai to indicate the movements that day of Mr O'Neill as well as the two defendants. But she said CCTV footage will only be of limited value in respect of the actual interactions between the deceased and the two defendants in Glenwood. Ms Hyland said that a full post mortem examination was conducted by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster at CUH. She ruled that Mr O'Neill had died from a brain injury due to blunt force trauma to the head consistent with blows to the head. Ms Hyland said the State will also say that Mr O'Neill's blood was found on a sock belonging to Hoey. Hoey is represented by Tom Creed SC and Emmet Boyle BL while Deasy is represented by Brendan Grehan SC and Paula McCarthy BL. The case continues. Mr O'Neill's Requiem Mass heard in January 2023 that he was a devoted son who adored swimming and who had bravely helped save the lives of six people during a water rescue in Kerry in 2006 when he was just 13 years old. His father, Pat, said he was "the body and soul" of his family. He said his son adored swimming, surfing and kayaking and camping holidays in Kerry. "Being in the water was Matt's favourite place," he said. It is hoped that this years annual four-mile road race will attract a record number of participants Buttevant Running Club is gearing up to hold its sixth annual 4-Mile Road Race on May 17, with hopes that this years event will attract a record number of competitors. Marie Dineen of Buttevant Running Club told The Corkman that each edition of the race, run every year since 2018 except for 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has had a good turnout and this year could well be the most popular event so far. Weve been doing quite well, weve worked quite hard at it. Weve been in or around the 300 mark the last few years, Marie explained. With Covid we took a small bit of a dip but for a local race those type of numbers are quite good. But were hoping for a bit more this year, reason being were part of the Rebel Diamond League. This is Cork Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Cork newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details The Rebel Diamond League, Marie explained, is made up of four north Cork running club events, consisting of the Banteer 5-Mile, Dromohane 5k, Bweeng 5k and Buttevant 4-Mile, which has so far attracted runners from around the county and helped the clubs involved raise vital funds. Marie said that the club in Buttevant is hoping that its gets up to 350 participants for its 4-Mile race, which has already had runners from clubs around Cork, Tipperary and Kerry sign up to compete. The race, sponsored by Greenhall Motors, will follow a looped route around Buttevant which starts on the Kanturk Road and run past the local GAA pitch before heading out towards Churchtown and cutting across hilly countryside before finishing on New Street. Marie said that this route has thrown up a variety of winners in the mens race, which has had a different winner each year. In the mens category, the course record is held by Rebel ACs Sean Doyle while in the womens category it is held by the phenomenal Carol Finn, who has each edition of the race since it was first held. Following this years event, a prize giving ceremony and refreshments will be provided at the Buttevant GAA Hall. Marie said that the first three male and female runners to cross the finish line will receive prizes while there will also be awards for the best male and female finishers over 40, 50, 60 and 70 years of age as well as in juvenile categories. A team event will also be up for grabs, which will see the club with the fastest four finishers awarded and there will also be prizes for the quickest visually impaired runners and wheelchair competitors. Each participant will be timed by race management company Pop Up Races. Those interested in competing in the Buttevant 4-Mile Road Race can sign up for the event via eventmaster.ie. John has lived in Bandon since 1987, having bought Chaplins Bar on Kilbrogan Hill with his late wife Mary McCarthy in 1988. Since then he has become a well-known figure within the community. John first became interested in politics through the community work of his late mother Patricia and late uncle Michael McCarthy, who served as director of elections for the late Labour TD Michael Pat Murphy. Since 2016, John has been an integral part of his brother Michael Collins TD's team and is actively engaged in constituency work alongside his younger brother, Councillor Danny Collins. "I have witnessed first hand the challenges our community faces, and I am committed to working tirelessly to bring about positive change at the local level. Joining Independent Ireland allows me to be part of a team that prioritises the needs of the people and offers a genuine alternative to the status quo, said John. One of the key parts of Johns campaign is to address the many concerns of business owners and employers in the area. The issue is one close to home as his wife Diane comes from a well-known Bandon business family that has helped to provide employment in the area for decades. Party Leader Michael Collins TD praised his brother Johns dedication to his community, stating: John has a deep understanding of the issues affecting the residents of the Bandon/Kinsale LEA, he has worked in my Bandon office since 2016 and is a hugely popular figure with the people that we advocate for. Johns commitment to serving the people is unwavering. His experience and passion makes me extremely proud to announce him as our candidate for Bandon-Kinsale, he added. John has also played a pivotal role in assisting individuals in accessing urgent medical care through the Belfast or Blind service, facilitating sight-saving and life-changing operations for thousands of people across Cork and beyond as part of the cross-border directive. Local meetings are taking place to work with the community to protect this vital Kerry tourist attraction Sceilg Mhichil off the coast of Kerry is one of only 10 projects selected world-wide to take part in a climate change project to protect the future of the UNESCO heritage site. The world-famous island is to take part in the international ICOMOS-National Geographic Preserving Legacies: A Future for our Past project, and is the only European site selected. It joined prestigious locations such a Petra in Jordan, the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras and Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia as part of the research project which aims to understand the implications of climate change on the tourist locations and steps that can be taken to protect this site. This is Kerry Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Kerry newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Given its location off the coast of Kerry the UNESCO heritage site is subjected to significant damage each winter from rough seas and high waves that given climate change could cause lasting damage to the much visited location. Fundamental to the Preserving Legacies project is engagement and collaboration to inform communities on the implications of climate change on the World Heritage sites, and to enable them to safeguard their cultural and natural heritage against future impacts. The Outstanding Universal Value of Sceilg Mhichil transcends boundaries but at its heart are the communities who live with Sceilg on their doorstep. The National Monuments Service (NMS) in partnership with the Office of Public Works (OPW) represent Ireland on the project. Over the coming weeks there will be two public meetings in Portmagee, organised by the NMS and OPW to discuss the roles of the State bodies responsible for the management and protection of Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichil) and to encourage community participation in discussions on climate change and the World Heritage site. Both events are open to all to attend. Connie Kelleher, Senior Archaeologist with NMS said that the project will work with the community to protect Skellig Michael. The idea is to equip communities with the tools to safeguard heritage against the impact of climate change. By anticipating and assessing the effects of climate, we hope to help and turn scientific knowledge into action to protect sites. The first meeting on Monday, April 8 brings together the three state bodies who manage the site: the OPW, the NMS and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Each will discuss their roles in managing and protecting the World Heritage Property and Natura 2000 site and will be on hand to answer questions about Sceilg Mhichil. Later this month, on April 27, a Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) community workshop will address the work being done to anticipate climate change impacts and put in place adaptation measures to address them. Community participation in the workshop is important to harness local knowledge of Sceilg Mhichil, with particular interest in how community members perceive current and future impacts from climate change on the island. This will help to map out the priorities and inform measures that can be made to protect its future. Anticipating and assessing the effects of climate can inform adaptation measures that will help protect Sceilg Mhichils unique heritage into the future while working together to ensure local and visitor alike can continue to experience the wonder of this exceptional site. People can read more about the international conservation project on Preserving Legacies: A Future for our Past. Sceilg Mhichil public information night takes place on Monday, April 8 at 7pm in Portmagee Community Centre Sceilg Mhichil community climate vulnerability assessment (CVA) workshop takes place Saturday, April 27 from 11.30 am in Portmagee Community Centre. by Ruwantissa Abeyratne There is an urgent need to-day for the citizens of a democracy to think well. It is not enough to have freedom of the Press and parliamentary institutions. Our difficulties are due partly to our own stupidity, partly to the exploitation of that stupidity, and partly to our own prejudices and personal desires.Susan Stebbing A Record Year for Elections Worldwide The year 2024 marks a significant juncture in worldwide political affairs as numerous nations prepare for crucial general elections. A remarkable tally of no fewer than 64 countries, alongside the European Union, are gearing up for their respective national electoral processes, collectively representing about half of the global population. The outcomes of these democratic undertakings are poised to resonate across the international arena, influencing trajectories and shaping geopolitical landscapes for the foreseeable future. Supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of Pakistan celebrate after the parliamentary elections in Karachi on Feb. 11, 2024. | Fareed Khan/AP In the roster of notable elections slated for 2024, Bangladesh takes center stage, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina secured a fifth consecutive term amidst controversies surrounding opposition suppression and declining voter turnout. In Pakistan, despite challenges such as the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, electoral activities unfolded in February. Likewise, in Russia, President Vladimir Putins bid for reelection appeared par for the course, although the conduct of segments of the public offered insights into his enduring public support. Simultaneously, Ukraine braces itself for another electoral cycle as incumbent leader Volodymyr Zelensky persists in his reelection campaign amid the backdrop of martial law and ongoing internal tensions. In the United Kingdom, economic uncertainties set the stage for a potentially robust performance by the opposition Labor Party in the upcoming general elections. Nevertheless, global attention remains focused on the United States, where the presidential race scheduled for November holds profound implications for international affairs, particularly if former President Donald Trump secures a second term. Furthermore, the electoral panorama in 2024 transcends national borders, with eight of the worlds ten most populous countriesincluding Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, and the United Statespoised to undergo democratic processes. Across the breadth of Asia and the Pacific, a flurry of electoral activities is anticipated, encompassing nations such as India, Indonesia, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and three Pacific Island nations. Undoubtedly, 2024 emerges as a pivotal year in the annals of global democracy, heralding an epoch of significant electoral importance that is set to mold the contours of democratic governance and geopolitical dynamics on a global scale. John Stuart Mill on Voting In the annals of political theory stands John Stuart Mill, a luminary whose ideas illuminated the path of liberal political philosophy in the 1800s. His magnum opus, Reflections on Representative Governance, plumbs the depths of democracy, seeking to refine its mechanisms and ensure equity in political engagement. Foremost among his proposals is the notion of apportioning voting privileges according to societal strata, a concept that this discourse endeavors to explicate. Mills advocacy for differential voting rights arises from his acknowledgment of societal disparities. He discerns that economic, educational, and social gaps can distort the dynamics of political power, potentially marginalizing certain demographics. To counteract this, Mill posits a system of plural voting or weighted suffrage, wherein individuals receive varying numbers of votes based on predetermined qualifications. At the heart of Mills proposition lies the principle of proportional representation, which involves granting additional voting power to those possessing attributes conducive to informed and conscientious citizenship. Rejecting the one-person-one-vote paradigm, Mill argues for the recognition of traits such as education, intellectual acuity, and civic engagement as determinants of electoral influence. By prioritizing these qualities, Mill aims to elevate the caliber of political discourse and decision-making, thereby promoting societal welfare. Mill delineates several benchmarks for determining voting allocations, encompassing both objective and subjective criteria. Educational attainment emerges as a cornerstone, with Mill advocating for increased suffrage for the highly educated. He contends that educated individuals are better equipped to comprehend complex issues, critically assess candidates platforms, and contribute meaningfully to public dialogue. Moreover, education nurtures civic responsibility and societal awareness, crucial attributes for effective democratic participation. In addition to education, Mill underscores intellectual prowess as a criterion for augmented voting rights. While acknowledging the challenge of objectively quantifying intelligence, Mill suggests that individuals exhibiting intellectual acumen through professional achievements or public service should be granted extra suffrage. By valorizing intellectual excellence, Mill seeks to incentivize the pursuit of knowledge and expertise, enriching the democratic process with diverse perspectives and informed opinions. Furthermore, Mill advocates for weighting suffrage based on individuals societal contributions. He argues that those actively involved in public service or philanthropy demonstrate a commitment to the common good, deserving of heightened political influence. By incentivizing civic engagement through expanded suffrage, Mill aims to cultivate a culture of collective responsibility and altruism, fostering a more cohesive society. Critics of Mills proposition raise legitimate concerns regarding its potential to exacerbate existing disparities and perpetuate elitism. Privileging certain attributes, such as education and intellect, may be perceived as exclusionary, reinforcing hierarchies of privilege, and disenfranchising marginalized groups. Moreover, the practical implementation of voting quotas presents logistical hurdles, including defining and measuring qualifying criteria and guarding against manipulation or abuse. Despite these criticisms, Mills advocacy for voting quotas offers valuable insights into the complexities of democratic governance and the pursuit of equitable representation. While imperfect, his proposal underscores the importance of exploring alternative electoral models to reconcile the tensions between equality and excellence in democracy. By grappling with these challenges and interrogating assumptions about citizenship and political engagement, society can strive toward a more inclusive and resilient democratic framework, in accordance with Mills vision of truly representative governance. Trends in Governing Notwithstanding the above, current trends are that across the world, each person gets a single vote irrespective of the voters literacy or illiteracy. Although it would be natural to assume that John Stuart Mills formula, calculated to ensure that the academic literati, with more votes than the hoi polloi, would ensure majority governance by their peers, and that an equal vote all would dilute this equation, allowing inept legislators to enter the legislature, this has not come about, at least in the western world. The overwhelming majority of U.S. representatives and senators possess a college education, a pattern that has persisted for many years. According to an examination by the Pew Research Center of biographical information from the U.S. House and Senate, 94% of representatives and nearly all senators in the 118th Congress have attained at least a bachelors degree, with only one senator lacking this level of education. In Canada, lawmakers exhibit higher levels of educational attainment in comparison to the general voting population. Approximately 77.8% of legislators have obtained postsecondary qualifications, while only 57.3% of adult Canadian citizens have done so. This disparity is particularly notable concerning individuals with a university degree, as 45.1% of legislators hold one, whereas only 23.1% of eligible voters possess such credentials. In the United Kingdom 85% of parliamentary members have had the benefit of post-secondary education. In France, the National Assembly comprises a blend of parliamentarians with and without university qualifications. Before the last election, 86% of Members of Parliament (MPs) had pursued higher education. Following the election, this figure has dipped slightly to 85%. Interestingly, 99 MPs (15%) elected in the 2019 election did not pursue university education. In the recently established parliament, the vast majority of legislators, constituting 87%, hold university degrees, which is a prominent indicator of social status in Germany. In the Netherlands, at the national level, approximately 90% of members in the Dutch lower house of parliament have completed higher vocational or university education. This significant educational achievement among legislators has led some to characterize the Dutch parliamentary system as a platonic meritocracy. Is Too Much Education in the Legislature Good? In his essay Does it Matter that Most Representatives are Higher Educated? Armen Hakhverdian of the University of Amsterdam argues that according to academic research proportional representation fosters a closer alignment of ideological positions between political elites and the general public. In simpler terms, countries with more proportional electoral systems tend to have governments and voters who share similar left-right political views. This also extends to the similarity between the composition of the legislature and the preferences of the electorate. Electoral systems based on proportional representation are more likely to result in legislative bodies that mirror the ideological spectrum of the countrys population. Given that the Netherlands boasts one of the most proportional democratic systems globally, it should theoretically minimize or even prevent distortions in political representation, as highlighted earlier. While many focus on the descriptive representation of socio-economic factors such as social class or income, its pertinent to consider the educational backgrounds of elected representatives. The aftermath of the financial crisis brought economic inequality to the forefront of political discourse in numerous European nations. However, prior to this resurgence, debates regarding the discrepancy between political elites and the public in Western Europe primarily centered around socio-cultural issues like European integration and immigration. Hakhverdian says that another commentator Hanspeter Kriesi and his colleagues have notably argued that Western Europe has witnessed the emergence of a new societal divide, where individuals categorized as winners and losers of globalizationdefined by their educational attainment rather than social class or incomeare in opposition to each other. Michael Sandel, a professor of political philosophy at Harvard University and erudite scholar of political thought, delves into the matter of most lawmakers holding university diplomas in his analysis of fairness and governance. Sandel frequently scrutinizes the supremacy of the highly educated elite within democratic structures, suggesting that it could create a gap between political leaders and the general populace. He proposes that the overabundance of university-educated individuals in political spheres might sideline the viewpoints and concerns of those lacking advanced education. Sandel argues that the focus on academic qualifications in politics could lead to a limited array of viewpoints and life experiences being represented in legislative bodies. This could, consequently, erode the democratic principle of equal representation and result in a dearth of diversity in policy formulation. Additionally, Sandel expresses apprehension regarding the potential emergence of elitism and technocracy in governance when most lawmakers hail from privileged academic backgrounds. He contends that a more inclusive and democratic political framework should aim to integrate a wide spectrum of voices and backgrounds, including those without university degrees. In summary, Sandels examination of the prevalence of university-educated legislators highlights broader inquiries concerning the essence of democracy, representation, and equity in contemporary political frameworks. My Take Whichever way it goes whether the hoi polloi elect the hoi polloi or whether the educated elite elect their peers, the trend of one vote per person has resulted in the proliferation of university degrees and diplomas in many western legislatures although it may not necessarily be the case the East.. One cannot assume that the ordinary, uneducated person elects the educated for their maturity and judgment inasmuch as one cannot assume that everyone gets an equal go at getting on the list of candidates in an election. On many occasions, persons of privilege, through birth or inherited wealth, are prominently in the fray. Regrettably, in addition to the well-meaning politicians with credentials, thieves and vagabonds get in, not to mention illiterates and buffoons of unparalleled ineptitude. In Many instances corruption, bribery and wheeler dealings are corollaries to this misfortune. While university education is highly desirable for a leader to exhibit judgment and maturity, the qualifications of a good legislator should primarily be steeped in leadership and moral integrity. In his famous work The Republic, Plato discusses the qualities of a philosopher king, who embodies wisdom, intelligence, and moral excellence. Plato suggests that a philosopher king possesses a profound love for truth and knowledge, engages in rigorous intellectual inquiry, and demonstrates a deep understanding of the fundamental principles underlying reality. Moreover, Plato argues that a philosopher king is inherently just and morally upright, governing with fairness and benevolence for the betterment of society as a whole. This ruler is guided by reason and strives to promote wisdom and virtue among both themselves and their subjects. Additionally, Plato emphasizes the importance of education and philosophical training for those aspiring to become philosopher kings. These potential rulers undergo extensive education aimed at instilling them with the necessary knowledge, critical thinking abilities, and moral virtues required for wise and just governance. Overall, Plato envisions the philosopher king as a wise and virtuous leader who governs with compassion and justice, guiding society towards the realization of its highest ideals. These criteria would obviate what professor Sandel decries as the evil of meritocracy which rewards entitlement; blocks the underprivileged and left behind; and creates an unbridgeable divide in society. As John Allen Fraser said If the institutions of parliamentary democracy are worth preserving, the duty to explain them to the people they are meant to serve becomes vitally important. Dr. Abeyratne teaches aerospace law at McGill University. Among the numerous books he has published are Air Navigation Law (2012) and Aviation Safety Law and Regulation (to be published in 2023). He is a former Senior Legal Counsel at the International Civil Aviation Organization. If you sat in your car for 16-hours before seeing a mechanic you wouldnt say it was much of a garage, would you? If forced to wait the same time for a flight, youd question the merits of an airport. So when people are forced to wait hours to see a doctor at University Hospital Kerrys A&E, why aren't the same questions asked? I recently had what I can only describe as a disastrous experience when attending A&E at UHK. Without doubt, for me it ranks as one of the harshest and most discomforting episodes an individual can go through. Accident and emergency is meant to represent prompt and efficient medical care at the point of contact but, for me, this certainly wasnt the case. Tributes have been paid this week to the former Honorary Secretary of the Kerry Red Cross, Maura McMahon, who passed away at her home in Tralee late last month. Ms. McMahon first joined the Tralee Red Cross back in 1975 and subsequently became Honorary Secretary of the Tralee branch of the society, a position that she would go on to hold for 32 years. During this time, she also served terms as Honorary Secretary to the Kerry Red Cross and was well known and respected in Red Cross circles throughout the county. Paying tribute to Maura at the monthly meeting of the Tralee Red Cross, Chairman Joe McDonnell detailed Maura's voluntary work and involvement with the humanitarian society. Describing her as ''being super efficient'', Joe outlined her various roles within the society over the many years. In her early years with the group, Maura was also involved as an active member of the Red Cross First Aid unit in the town and even visited Aras an Uachtarain on a number of occasions where she met various Presidents. Other Red Cross members present at the meeting associated themselves with the tributes and a minutes silence was held following a vote of sympathy to her family. Maura started out her working life as an insurance clerk in Diggin's Insurance in Lower Rock Street in the 1970's before it was incorporated into O'Keeffe's Insurance in Staughton's Row and then in 1997 as McCarthy's Insurance at Abbey Court before she retired in the early 2020's. She was remembered as a courteous and efficient lady by the many customers who passed through the door of the insurance broker. Delivering the homily during her requiem mass in Our Lady and St. Brendan's Church on Friday, the celebrant, Fr Amos, described how he got to know Maura as a person of great faith who attended mass daily and had also helped out in various parish works. An accomplished Irish dancer in her youth, Maura held numerous medals and awards for various competitions in the 1970's, one of which was presented at the alter, along with a Red Cross long service award and an insurance certificate as symbols of her life long journey. Maura's brother Ben told the sizable congregation in his eulogy that Maura was always interested in and caring towards other people. Former and current members of Tralee Red Cross provided a Guard of Honour for Maura's remains as they were brought from the church to the hearse. The cortege then passed her family home in Cronin's Terrace, Upper Rock Street, before continuing to Rath Cemetery, where interment took place. Maura is survived by her brother Ben, her niece Ciara, nephews John, Edward and Rory, uncle Eddie, aunts-in-law Loretta, Mary & Eileen, Bens sister-in-law Anne, former colleagues in McCarthys Insurance- Tralee, her relatives and friends. There were heartbreaking scenes as Longford bid a tear-jerked farewell to the tragic New York murder victim You were beautiful, unique. We loved you funeral of Sarah McNally told loved ones left shell-shocked by murder The funeral of tragic Longford woman Sarah McNally has remembered a young woman with a heart of gold and someone who would light up rooms everywhere she went. They were the heartrending words which echoed around the hushed surrounds of St Mels Cathedral in Longford town this morning as mourners paid their final respects to the 41-year-old barely a week since her murder in a New York bar sent shockwaves through communities on both sides of the Atlantic. The much cherished and admired bartender was fatally stabbed inside the doors of the Ceili House Pub in Queens on March 30, an establishment she had been a deeply respected staff member of for almost a year. Her former boyfriend, Marcien Pieciak remains in a New York hospital with self-inflicted wounds having been formally indicted by a Grand Jury in New York over her murder. Traffic was brought to a standstill as a hearse carrying the remains of the much loved Longford woman slowly made its way through the midlands town and towards the cathedrals front gates. The late Sarah McNally. Inside, a single framed photograph of the former Mean Scoil Mhuire student sat perched on top of white wicker coffin in front of the altar. Those modest, yet unerringly poignant symbol was one chief celebrant Fr Michael McGrath alluded to as she told of how Ms McNallys untimely death had stunned us in our tracks. In a moving reflection, Fr McGrath said there was a tragic irony in how the same venue which was now hearing the car loving enthusiasts funeral had been the setting for an evening of Easter celebrations on the same night Ms McNallys life was quenched in the most horrific manner. He said the pain of the sense of shock, anger and disbelief brought about by the events nine days earlier in New York could not, however, override the lasting legacy Ms McNally had left behind. Those who knew Sarah best remember a vivacious young woman who loved life, her loud souped up cars, he said. Former colleagues remember her as someone who could have invented online shopping before it became the in thing. Her nature was adventurous and generous. Her laughter and sense of fun was wildly infectious. In her short life of 41 years, she has left behind a trail of joyful light. Those stirring anecdotes were ones that were matched by her friend Aine, who spoke lovingly of Ms McNallys unmistakeable zest for life, her willingness to help others alongside an unflinching love for those closest to her. How do you sum up Sarah McNally? You cant, she said. She was larger than life, she was someone special and a unique force to be reckoned with who was made for great things. Everyone in her community at home and abroad are shell-shocked. That sense of disbelief were emotions, she added, that had failed to sour the indelible imprint Ms McNally had left etched in the hearts and minds of all who knew her. The remains of Sarah McNally who was murdered in New York, are taken from St. Mel's Cathedral, in Longford town this morning after her funeral mass.. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin Talking to people about Sarah was her kindness, she said, while revealing how her unbridled penchant for US rapper Tupac Shakur had led her to inscribe the tattoo Never stop dreaming, no one can take away your dreams on her arm. She had a heart of gold. She loved everyone and she made a lasting impression on people and one that we will all remember forever. Sarahs uncle, whom she affectionately called Uncle Ed, followed suit as he heaped thanks on all those who had played a part in bringing the late Ms McNally home. Most notable among them were her many friends and colleagues at The Ceili House Bar, the NYPD, the emergency services and The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. Addressing his niece directly, he said movingly: You were beautiful, unique, very special, kind and a very loving girl with the most beautiful smile. You lit up the room everywhere you went. We all loved you so much and we still will and we are going to miss you so, so much. Following funeral mass, mourners quietly gathered to pay a final salute to the late Longford woman ahead of a private cremation service. The late Sarah McNally is survived by her loving mother Dorrie, dear father Des, grandmother Kathleen OConnor, aunts, uncles, relatives, extended family and a wide circle of friends in Longford and New York. Bank of Ireland bosses have been given the go-ahead to install a new ATM and new internal secure room to facilitate a second cash dispensing facility inside. Bank of Ireland bosses have been given the green light to carry out extensive renovations to its Navan based branch offices. Senior officials lodged plans last July for a new external ATM and illuminated surround panel along with the construction of a new internal secure ATM room. The works, which were approved subject to five conditions involve lowering a portion of the banks existing internal floor to accommodate the external accessibility level of the new ATM. Local authority chiefs wrote to senior executives from the bank last August requesting further information seeking a revised design of the proposed ATM to omit any impacts on the building which is classed as a protected structure. In February, architects on behalf of the bank told of how discussions had taken place as to whether an internal solution could be considered. The revised design submitted involved designs concerning a new internal ATM room off the existing entrance lobby which it was contended had no impact on the buildings protected structure. Erin Fox ,Sligo who received a MA in Social Media and Communications during the Spring Graduation Ceremony in the DCU Campus. Pic: Kyran OBrien/DCU She was diagnosed with hearing loss at the age of nine and used hearing aids, but Erin didnt see this as an obstacle. You know, I never let that pull me back from pursuing an education or a career in journalism. Funeral took place on Monday in Sligo of mother of seven The funeral of a Sligo woman stabbed to death in the UK heard her described as being a beautiful mother who couldnt do enough for her seven children. Pauline Sweeney (50), originally from Finisklin was laid to rest in Sligo on Monday following Mass of Christian burial at Sligo Cathedral at 12 noon. Ms Sweeney was found with stab wounds at Long Close Avenue in Allesley in Coventry city on Wednesday 20 March at about 8.30pm. The Sligo woman died a short time later, said West Midlands Police. This is Sligo Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Sligo newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Partner William Brady, 57, has been charged with her murder and remanded in custody after appearing at Warwick Crown Court on Monday March 25. He is set to appear at a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing on Thursday, May 9. In a statement, Ms Sweeneys family said: Pauline Sweeney was our mother. She was the life and soul of every room she walked into. She was a strong woman who wouldnt let anything bring her down. Well remember her with a tear in our eye and love in our hearts. Rest in peace. Love from your seven children. A spokesperson for West Midlands police said: Our thoughts remain with Paulines loved ones at this distressing time and well be doing all we can to support them. Mondays funeral was attended by Ms Sweeneys children and grandchildren along with her father, Michael and extended relatives. Celebrant Fr Victor Samugana told the congregation in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo that they were offering prayers to God on behalf of their departed sister, Pauline and were commending her into the hands of God and asking God to bless her at this time and to give strength to her family. One of the Prayers of the Faithful read by Ms Sweeneys children and grandchildren recited said: You love us and always wanted us to be happy. Ms Sweenys son, Dave delivered a eulogy on behalf of the family in which he spoke about his beautiful mother who he said was now at peace with her late mother and brothers. He said his mother was not only a mother but also a teacher and a friend. You were the best mother you could possibly be to us. You did everything you could for us. You were not just a mother to us all but a father too, he said, adding that his mum had lived a beautiful life. Following the Mass, Ms Sweeney was laid to rest at Sligo cemetery. There was a full house in the Vicar's Choral in the Rock of the Cashel for the unveiling of the St Declan's Way Strategic Plan, a Path to Growth for a Sacred Irish Camino, 2024 - 2028 Minister Mary Butler commended the Steering Committee's leadership and particularly that of Grainne Moynihan, Chairperson of the St Declans Way Steering Committee Minister Mary Butler (pictured in red, centre), was supported by Tipperary TDs and Councillors in unveiling the St Declan's Way Strategic Plan, a Path to Growth for a Sacred Irish Camino, 2024 - 2028, in the Rock of Cashel on Friday morning, April 5 A new plan to promote the St Declans Way pilgrims route known as the Sacred Irish Camino linking Tipperary to Waterford was unveiled in the Rock of Cashel on Friday. Minister Mary Butler unveiled the Strategic Plan 2024-2028 for St Declans Way at a ceremony held in the Hall of the Vicars Choral at the majestic Rock of Cashel. The plan has been co-authored by the St Declans Way Steering Committee and Tourism Development international and it represents a significant development for Irish heritage and outdoor tourism, said a spokesperson. The event and the plan aim to elevate this ancient pilgrim path to new heights of national and international prominence. Follow Independent Tipperary on Facebook Spanning 115 kilometres from the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary to Ardmore in County Waterford, St Declans Way is a path that connects two significant sites in Ireland's early Christian history dating back to the 5th Century. This route, inspired by St Declans Journey to confer with St Patrick, offers a unique blend of historic and spiritual heritage with a journey through Ireland's breathtaking landscapes, from the lush tillage fields of the Golden Vale and the rugged terrain of the Knockmealdown Mountains to the serene rolling hills of West Waterford, culminating at the seaside of Ardmore. The resurrection of St Declans Way has been a long-term project, brought to fruition through the collaboration of 60 landowners, the dedication of the Steering Committee established in 2015, and the substantial support from a consortium of stakeholders, including Tipperary County Council, Waterford City and County Council, South Tipperary Development Company, Waterford Leader Partnership, Munster Vales, and Failte Ireland. The leadership and event management capabilities of Knockmealdown Active organising the famed annual pilgrimage must also be acknowledged, said a spokesperson. The trail's reopening, following extensive development from 2017 to 2020, and its subsequent approval by Sport Ireland in 2021, underscore a shared commitment to preserving and promoting Irelands rich pilgrimage tradition. The new Strategic Plan outlines an extensive roadmap for enhancing the trails infrastructure, boosting visitor numbers and increasing its appeal to both domestic and international tourists. Key initiatives include hiring a development manager, improving off-road paths and launching targeted marketing campaigns aimed at capturing the growing interest in walking tourism. With an estimated investment of 2.4 million, the plan envisions attracting over 20,000 walkers annually by 2029, aiming to generate a significant economic impact estimated at 35.4 million. This growth is not only expected to bolster local economies but also to position Ireland as a premier destination for pilgrim walkers worldwide, like its counterparts on the revered Camino de Santiago and the Via Francigena. Speaking at the launch of the plan, Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Gerard Darcy complimented everyone involved in the initiative, and wished the Steering Committee well on its endeavours in the further development of St Declans Way. During the launch, Grainne Moynihan, Chairperson of the St Declans Way Steering Committee, emphasised the trails capacity to draw national and international attention, thanks to the unique combination of cultural, historical, and natural assets along its route including the Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle, Lismore Castle, Mount Melleray Abbey, and the Ardmore Round Tower. The strategic plan, she noted, is a testament to the collective vision and effort to showcase this "Sacred Irish Camino" on the world stage. Echoing these sentiments, David McNulty of Tourism Development International praised the steering committee's vision and focus and the trails potential to significantly contribute to Irelands tourism and economic development over the coming years. Mr McNulty also emphasised the need for tourism policy to spreading the benefits that tourism brings, something which he extoled St Declans Way for promoting. In her remarks, Minister Butler commended the Steering Committee's leadership and particularly that of Grainne Moynihan, Chairperson of the St Declans Way Steering Committee, and congratulated her on driving on the committee to bringing the launch of the plan to fruition. She also praised the excellent work of the committee and all the stakeholders involved for being the perfect example of what can be achieved when people start working together for the good of the community, ensuring that the Irish Camino is alive and well in West Waterford and South Tipperary. Minister Butler also noted the support of the Waterford Leader Partnership for their part in funding the project. She highlighted the potential of the trail having witnessed the difference it has made to communities in the region. She looked forward to witnessing the execution of the strategic plans initiatives, particularly the development of new off-road sections and the enhanced state support for the trail, with a focus to bringing more visitors to the region in the near future. Echoing the remarks made prior by Chairperson Moynihan in relation to a spiritual dimension, the Minister for Mental Health and Older People also highlighted St Declans Way as a way for people to have some down time, and indeed a mechanism for benefiting mental health and enjoy the peace and tranquillity that it brings. The Post Office in An Rinn, in the west Waterford Gaeltacht, faces possible closure at the end of April, a spokesperson has confirmed Maire Breathnach is the current Postmaster in Ring in Waterford. The Post Office is in the family for 140 years Maire Breathnach is the current Postmaster in Ring in Waterford, and says she is worried that the Parish will blame her when they have no Post Office in the area A post office in the West Waterford Gaeltacht that is a vital lifeline for hundreds of Irish speakers in the region, is set to close at the end of April as the Postmaster retires. Maire Breathnach is the current Postmaster in Ring in Waterford. The Post Office is in the family for 140 years. Maire is 74 and due to retire in a few weeks, and says she is worried that the Parish will blame her when they have no Post Office in the area. If the Ring post office closes, the nearest one is 10k away in Dungarvan. Follow Independent Waterford on Facebook A local shop owner has expressed an interest in taking on the franchise but An Post are offering far below what is required to cover the costs of service, said Sinn Fein Cllr Conor McGuinness. Its important to have public services available through Irish here and this is the last service still available in the area, he said. The Spar shop owner is interested in taking on the franchise but An Post is offering far below what is required to cover the costs of service. The absolute minimum not to incur a loss would be 40,000 per annum. An Post is unwilling to negotiate anything above their 21,000 offer. That would mean he would be making a significant loss. This contract excludes the additional start-up costs, such as equipping a desk and kitting out the facility with security. He would do it if he could break even, said Cllr McGuinness. People are very concerned about another service leaving the area, and that they wont be able to access the same level of service. I've written to An Post, the Minister for Communications and the Gaeltacht Minister, and there is no appetite to intervene, said Cllr McGuinness. The last public service in the Gaeltacht is set to close because no one can find 19,000 per annum. The Post Office serves the Gaeltacht na nDeise, which is comprised of two parishes, An Rinn and An Sean Phobal. The Post Office is in An Rinn, and serves a growing but rural community. If the Post Office closes, residents would have to travel all the way to Dungarvan or to Grange, a round trip of at least 20 to 30 minutes. However, many of the elderly customers do not drive and public transport is threadbare. This is quite a densely populated area, albeit a rural area. There is a very large community here, said Cllr McGuinness. Its the one Gaeltacht community that has actually grown in the number of Irish speakers, over the last two censuses. The Post Office is the only public service provided in the West Waterford Gaeltacht, as there is no Garda Station, no social welfare branch office and no doctor, or HSE clinic. Its the only public service that is open in the Gaeltacht five days a week, and its available through Irish. Its a hub for the community, so it would be a huge loss to not have a Post Office in the Gaeltacht, and for local people to not be able to avail of that service through Irish, said Cllr McGuinness. Its a huge blow. Councillor McGuinness said the State has approved a language plan for the West Waterford Gaeltacht. It has funded it, and provided significant multi-year funding to that plan, and one of the chief objectives in that plan is the provision of public services through the medium of Irish. This is the only public service being provided in the Gaeltacht, and the State and the Government and the Ministers seem to content to just sit by and let it happen. Councillor McGuinness has written to the Communications Minister, Eamon Ryan, who has not responded so far. A petition to keep the office open is available to sign at Change.org/OifigAnPhoist. Hardcopy paper versions of the petition are also circulating locally. An Post and the Government must ensure that this essential public service will be maintained in An Rinn into the future. We need action from this public company and from the Government. We are calling on An Post to offer a realistic contract so that our community is not left without this service. We are also calling on both the Communication Minister and Gaeltacht Minister to ensure this offer is made without delay, added Cllr McGuinness, who created the petition. Comhlucht Forbartha na nDeise, the Deise Development Association, is also calling on the public to support the petition, and has written to An Post, and the Minister for the Gaeltacht, urging them to ensure the future of the An Rinn Post Office and a service through Irish therein. A spokesperson for An Post said: We do face the very real prospect of An Rinn post office closing. The Postmaster there is retiring and will quit the business at the end of April. We have advertised the post office contract a number of times and canvassed the local area but to no avail. An Rinn, like most post offices is run by a postmaster, a self-employed contractor, rather than directly by An Post. If we are forced to closed the post office we will transfer customers to Dungarvan. This is regretted by An Post given our ongoing commitment to preserving Gaeltacht and Island post offices in particular. Rather than being offered by An Post, Postmaster contracts are based on payments per transaction and reflect the number of transactions carried out in an office, explained the spokesperson. In general terms, potential contractors have a commercial decision to make, to balance the number of possible transactions through an office and the footfall it brings against the advantages to say an existing business like a shop for example. In these circumstances a better offer is not possible as contracts are based on existing or possible future transactions. We will continue looking for a suitable contractor to take over the running of An Rinn Post Office but we are facing the very real and regrettable prospect of closure, added the spokesperson. The closure of the Ring Post Office was discussed on Lunchtime Live with Andrea Gilligan on Newstalk, on Friday, April 5. I always thought one of my children might do it but it wouldnt be viable, they wouldnt afford to raise a family with the new contracts, said Maire. There is not support from Government or An Post and the contracts arent good enough to run an office, and with insecurity and youre working five and a half days a week for probably less than minimum wage. They should be offering better contracts in my opinion. When speaking about the history of the post office, Maire told Andrea: It has been there for three generations and its a big part of the community. I have my customers asking me what theyre going to do. You have rates to pay, you have high insurance and security is a huge part of it, youre minding somebody elses money. Maire also spoke about having some customers who come to the Post Office and they might not see somebody else for the rest of the week, and all these things arent taken into account. Meanwhile, Fianna Fail County Cllr Michael Sheehan has been campaigning to keep the New Ross Post Office open in Wexford. Councillor Sheehan spoke about how the Post Office is more than just a commercial service, but a vital social, economic and a community service. Weve had a post office in New Ross for 120 years and the current post office is a beautiful heritage building in the middle of the town, which is a key building for the town of New Ross and what essentially is going to happen is that theyd put the contract out for the new Postmaster and An Post is going to appoint a new person or new company and they have the option of removing the service from the building. It is key to the 5,000 people who use the post office in New Ross every week. Its not just a rural issue, its an urban issue. This would matter to you in Donnybrook or Stillorgan as it would in New Ross. Its an opportunity for people who maybe dont meet others any other time in the week, said Cllr Sheehan. With more rain falling, farmers across Wexford sit perched in their tractors, looking out over rain-sodden fields, wondering how theyll manage to make it through this Spring. In recent days, theres been warnings of a major potato shortage because of the persistent wet weather. While usually February and March are the time for planting potatoes, only a fraction of the 21,000 acre crop is in the ground at present. The weather has also delayed livestock turnout and caused difficulties with other fieldwork, as farmers also wade through mountains of red tape something highlighted with their recent Enough is Enough protest at Wexford County Council. In fact, at the Johnstown Castle weather station in Wexford, Met Eireann has recorded 153.7mm of rainfall in March almost double the March long term average rainfall of 79mm. With all this in mind, Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe is calling for significant supports to be made available to Wexford farmers battling the elements. I know how important agriculture is to the local economy and Fine Gael is committed to delivering for rural Ireland and farmers, he said. Right now, weather conditions are hammering farmer morale and we are moving into an unprecedented territory on farms. Farmers are acting responsibly but the reality is that the weather is preventing livestock turnout, spring planting, and other fielding right across the country, including in County Wexford. Paul Kehoe This is causing untold stress for farmers who are trying to manage a difficult situation. I welcome the pausing of all non-essential farm inspection until 22 April to provide farmers with breathing space. We are in a position where every and all option to support them needs to be considered if these difficult conditions persist. Deputy Kehoe called on Government and all actors in the sector to come together to provide a co-ordinated response to the situation facing farmers. His party colleague Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon has vowed that every measure which could offer a reprieve for farmers until conditions improve is being looked at. Fine Gael Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon said that any measure which could offer a reprieve for farmers until the conditions improve was being looked at. We are engaging with financial institutions to emphasise the need for short term finance on farms where cashflow is a difficulty, he said, by way of an example. In addition to pausing non-essential inspections we are exploring any flexibilities that can be offered around schemes and administration. Locally, having spoken out in support of farmers on several occasions before, Aontu councillor Jim Codd had major concerns that government supports would not go far enough. "I was talking to an old farmer last night who told me that he cannot remember a wetter year than this and he genuinely fears for the future of his and neighbours farms, he said. "The government has no control over the weather but they can help ease the worry of farmers by being clear and concise in what supports they are offering to both the tillage and cattle sectors. "They need to be clear if the fodder support scheme is on the table instead of mumbling mixed messages, he concluded. The knock-on effect of doing nothing will be detrimental to the local economy across a rural county like Wexford. by Vijay Prashad Sabah, Libya, is an oasis town at the northern edge of the Sahara Desert. To stand at the edge of the town and look southward into the desert toward Niger is forbidding. The sand stretches past infinity, and if there is a wind, it lifts the sand to cover the sky. Cars come down the road past the al-Baraka Mosque into the town. Some of these cars come from Algeria (although the border is often closed) or from Djebel al-Akakus, the mountains that run along the western edge of Libya. Occasionally, a white Toyota truck filled with men from the Sahel region of Africa and from western Africa makes its way into Sabah. Miraculously, these men have made it across the desert, which is why many of them clamber out of their truck and fall to the ground in desperate prayer. Sabah means morning or promise in Arabic, which is a fitting word for this town that grips the edge of the massive, growing, and dangerous Sahara. More and more migrants have sought the Niger-Libya route after the fall of the Libyan state in 2011 and the crackdown on the Moroccan-Spanish border at Melilla and Ceuta. [ Image: themigrantproject.org] For the past decade, the United Nations International Organization of Migration (IOM) has collected data on the deaths of migrants. This Missing Migrants Project publishes its numbers each year, and so this April, it has released its latest figures. For the past ten years, the IOM says that 64,371 women, men, and children have died while on the move (half of them have died in the Mediterranean Sea). On average, each year since 2014, 4,000 people have died. However, in 2023, the number rose to 8,000. One in three migrants who flee a conflict zone die on the way to safety. These numbers, however, are grossly deflated, since the IOM simply cannot keep track of what they call irregular migration. For instance, the IOM admits, [S]ome experts believe that more migrants die while crossing the Sahara Desert than in the Mediterranean Sea. Sandstorms and Gunmen Abdel Salam, who runs a small business in the town, pointed out into the distance and said, In that direction is Toummo, the Libyan border town with Niger. He sweeps his hands across the landscape and says that in the region between Niger and Algeria is the Salvador Pass, and it is through that gap that drugs, migrants, and weapons move back and forth, a trade that enriches many of the small towns in the area, such as Ubari. With the erosion of the Libyan state since the NATO war in 2011, the border is largely porous and dangerous. It was from here that the al-Qaeda leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar moved his troops from northern Mali into the Fezzan region of Libya in 2013 (he was said to have been killed in Libya in 2015). It is also the area dominated by the al-Qaeda cigarette smugglers, who cart millions of Albanian-made Cleopatra cigarettes across the Sahara into the Sahel (Belmokhtar, for instance, was known as the Marlboro Man for his role in this trade). An occasional Toyota truck makes its way toward the city. But many of them vanish into the desert, a victim of the terrifying sandstorms or of kidnappers and thieves. No one can keep track of these disappearances, since no one even knows that they have happened. Matteo Garrones Oscar-nominated Io Capitano (2023) tells the story of two Senegalese boysSeydou and Moussawho go from Senegal to Italy through Mali, Niger, and then Libya, where they are incarcerated before they flee across the Mediterranean to Italy in an old boat. Garrone built the story around the accounts of several migrants, including Kouassi Pli Adama Mamadou (from Cote dIvoire, now an activist who lives in Caserta, Italy). The film does not shy away from the harsh beauty of the Sahara, which claims the lives of migrants who are not yet seen as migrants by Europe. The focus of the film is on the journey to Europe, although most Africans migrate within the continent (21 million Africans live in countries in which they were not born). Io Capitano ends with a helicopter flying above the ship as it nears the Italian coastline; it has already been pointed out that the film does not acknowledge racist policies that will greet Seydou and Moussa. What is not shown in the film is how European countries have tried to build a fortress in the Sahel region to prevent migration northwards. Open-Air Tomb More and more migrants have sought the Niger-Libya route after the fall of the Libyan state in 2011 and the crackdown on the Moroccan-Spanish border at Melilla and Ceuta. A decade ago, the European states turned their attention to this route, trying to build a European wall in the Sahara against the migrants. The point was to stop the migrants before they get to the Mediterranean Sea, where they become an embarrassment to Europe. France, leading the way, brought together five of the Sahel states (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger) in 2014 to create the G5 Sahel. In 2015, under French pressure, the government of Niger passed Law 2015-36 that criminalized migration through the country. G5 Sahel and the law in Niger came alongside European Union funding to provide surveillance technologiesillegal in Europeto be used in this band of countries against migrants. In 2016, the United States built the worlds largest drone base in Agadez, Niger, as part of this anti-migrant program. In May 2023, Border Forensics studied the paths of the migrants and found that due to the law in Niger and these other mechanisms the Sahara had become an open-air tomb. Over the past few years, however, all of this has begun to unravel. The coup detats in Guinea (2021), Mali (2021), Burkina Faso (2022), and Niger (2023) have resulted in the dismantling of G5 Sahel as well as the demand for the removal of French and U.S. troops. In November 2023, the government of Niger revoked Law 2015-36 and freed those who had been accused of being smugglers. Abdourahamane, a local grandee, stood beside the Grand Mosque in Agadez and talked about the migrants. The people who come here are our brothers and sisters, he said. They come. They rest. They leave. They do not bring us problems. The mosque, built of clay, bears within it the marks of the desert, but it is not transient. Abdourahamane told me that it goes back to the 16th century, long before modern Europe was born. Many of the migrants come here to get their blessings before they buy sunglasses and head across the desert, hoping that they make it through the sands and find their destiny somewhere across the horizon. This article was produced by Globetrotter. In the last couple of months at various meetings such as Gorey/Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council, Wexford County Council, Wexford Joint Policing Committee as well as social media posts by elected and non elected politicians, Cllr Sullivan said he has noticed that Courtown Harbour in particular is being portrayed as a crime ridden place or at best a place where law enforcement could be enhanced. I would have to take issue with the above in my opinion I believe Courtown Harbour is a safe and welcoming place to visit and indeed I would encourage anybody visiting north Wexford to include Courtown Harbour and indeed the general Courtown area in their list of destinations to visit during their stay, said Cllr Sullivan. Cllr Sullivan named a number of attractions in the area that are worth a visit such as Active Tribe Leisure Centre, The Seal Sanctuary and Courtown Woods. "While walking in the woods one will encounter the ancient Kilbride Cross and can view the historic Ballinatray Bridge from the level of the Ounnavarragh River as it flows to the sea. If you are into walking or hiking the Courtown-Kiltennell trail will bring you 3kms north on a peaceful journey through woodland. In Courtown Village itself you will find the usual seaside attractions amusements, ice cream outlets, coffee shops, restaurants, public houses, gift shops and indeed a turf accountant should you want to have a punt while there. A short walk across the footbridge will bring you to the newly refurbished plaza area beside the RNLI Station and Gift Shop. This is a relaxing seaside area with ample seating provided to unwind, said Cllr Sullivan. Senator Byrne also responded to the criticisms and agrees with Cllr Sullivan that there has been too much negativity surrounding the area. Courtown Harbour and Riverchapel is the fifth biggest urban settlement in Co. Wexford and has beautiful walks and is kept in an immaculate condition. I will also stand up for the people who live there and for the wonderful volunteers who do so much to make it a great place to live and visit, said Senator Byrne. He added that it remains critical that Wexford County Council follow through on commitments to complete the Gorey to Courtown footpath. Finishing this vital piece of infrastructure has taken far too long. The executive of Wexford County Council failed to move the project along and I can only hope with a new Chief Executive that it might finally get priority over twenty years after it started, said Senator Byrne. Independent TD says government out of touch with people and calls for an election Speaking from Wexford, Deputy Murphy said: Unfortunately, due to government decisions motorists and transport companies will have seen the cost of fuel rise this week. Decisions like this are absolutely unnecessary and show that the government is completely out of touch with the people. At a time when government finances are very strong, re-imposing higher taxes on fuel serves only one purpose and that is to punish motorists for going about their daily business. The Independent TD said rising fuel prices not only result in higher bills for the motorist and transport companies, but will also result in every item in the shops being more expensive. "It also means that travelling to work is more costly. The increase in excise duty may actually have a negative impact on government income as people in the seven border counties will be incentivized to head to Northern Ireland to purchase fuel. In summary, this measure increases the hardship on Irish people and will help the UK economy. Concluding, Deputy Murphy said: The government will rise fuel costs even further by increasing carbon taxes later this year. As long as this government remains in power, with the Green Party pulling the strings, the attack on the motorist will continue relentlessly. We need an election now. The HSE launched the MMR vaccine catch-up programme to address the increasing cases of measles and clinics are taking place in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and South Tipperary (stock image) A number of free Measles Mump and Rubella (MMR) catch up vaccination clinics, open to members of the public are taking place across the south east region this week. The HSE launched the MMR vaccine catch-up programme to address the increasing cases of measles, and clinics are taking place in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and South Tipperary. Follow Independent Tipperary on Facebook Follow Independent Waterford on Facebook Follow Independent Carlow on Facebook Follow Independent Kilkenny on Facebook Measles poses significant health risks, especially to vulnerable groups such as children under 12 months, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Despite prior efforts, MMR vaccination rates remain below the recommended 95pc set by the World Health Organisation. Measles cases are rising internationally and already this year in Europe there have been more cases of measles reported than in the whole of 2022. In August 2023 the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) reported a small number of cases of measles in Ireland, the first outbreak since 2019. The HSE is asking anyone who may not have received their MMR to please come forward for their free vaccine at one of the HSEs dedicated Vaccination Clinics in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford and South Tipperary, said a spokesperson. The HSE is also asking people to start having the discussions with their family members and friends, to encourage others to come forward too. Member of the public wishing to make an appointment, can log onto the HSE website at the following address: www2.hse.ie/services/mmr-vaccine/vaccination-clinics. Alternatively, they can just walk in to one of the HSEs clinics and they will be seen. The clinics are in the following locations: Carlow Carlow Vaccination Centre, in the Grounds of St. Dympna's Hospital, Athy Road, Carlow Town, R93 X7TV. Thursday, April 11, from 10am to 3 pm Kilkenny Grounds of Kilcreene Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene, Kilkenny City, R95 DK07. Tuesday April 9, from 10am to 3pm. South Tipperary South Tipperary Vaccination Centre Grounds of St. Luke's Hospital, Clonmel, E91 PR83. Saturday, April 13, 12 noon to 4pm. Waterford Waterford Vaccination Centre, Old St Martins School, Cherrymount, Waterford City, X91 EY73. Wednesday, April 10, from 12 noon to 4pm. Wexford Wexford Vaccination Centre, Grounds of St Johns Hospital, Munster Hill, Enniscorthy, Y21 H4CF Monday, April 8, from 12 noon to 4pm. New Ross Health Centre, New Ross Hospital Grounds, New Ross, Co. Wexford Y34 WY1. Tuesday, April 9, from 10am to 1pm. Gorey Health Centre, Corporation Lands, Gorey, Co. Wexford, Y25 N5K6, on Friday, April 12, from 10am to 1pm. Confirmation by the National Transport Authority (NTA) that the operator for the long-awaited Bus Connects plans for Bray and Greystones will be Go Ahead Ireland, rather than Dublin Bus, has been described as disastrous news for commuters and residents. In March, the NTA published a revised plan for the L1, L2 and L3 Bus Connects routes for Greystones and Bray, which will serve the two towns and include the long-awaited loop service. The new routes are due to be rolled out at the end of June, and will include: Route L1 will run every 30 minutes between Bray and Newtownmountkennedy via Greystones, Delgany and Kilpedder. &lt;img alt="This is Wicklow Newsletter" src="https://www.independent.ie/editorial/newsletters/images/wicklow.png"&gt; This is Wicklow Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wicklow newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Route L2 will run every 30 minutes between Bray and Kilcoole and every 60 minutes between Kilcoole and Newcastle via Greystones, Charlesland and Kilcoole. Routes L1 and L2 will offer a combined service every 15 minutes between Greystones and Bray. Route L3 will run every 30 minutes between Delgany and Charlesland via Greystones. The L5050 road at Newcastle Upper will not be served due to significant works being needed to make this a suitable road for two-way, double-deck bus routes. However, the Greystones Labour candidate for the forthcoming Local Elections 2024, Anne Waithira Burke, has expressed disappointment with the news from the National Transport Authority that the licence for the new north Wicklow routes has been given to Go Ahead Ireland, rather than Dublin Bus. Ms Burke was told by the NTA that the start date for the new routes of Q3 2024 was subject to operational readiness and added: It has also been confirmed to me that when these route changes are implemented that most bus routes operating from the Greystones Municipal Area will be operated by Go Ahead Ireland, which is particularly disastrous given that Go Ahead Ireland has a depot very far from Greystones and has had a large number of fines for late and no-show buses in the Greystones area. Overall, I do welcome the planned bus changes for the Greystones area. It will be brilliant to have a new round Greystones route and to have a bus service serving a lot of the new Greystones estates, however it is disappointing for it to be pushed back again into the 2nd half of 2024, she added. Go Ahead is headquartered in Ballymount, County Dublin. It operates the 184 route to Greystones and comes in for a lot of criticism over delays and no-shows. One of the issues the transport provider has to contend with is journey time from the Ballymount depot, and if a vehicle breaks down another has to be dispatched from Ballymount. The firm needs, and hopes, to get land in Wicklow to have a hub in the local area. Congestion is also a huge challenge, with the greatest impediment to a smooth flow of buses being the congestion on Bray Main Street. Consumer behaviour is changing and online spending is increasing rapidly. There is a big opportunity for Irish businesses to grow and access a wider market, expand their business and create more jobs. Statistics suggest that only 32 per cent of small companies are engaged in e-commerce sales in Ireland and that 70 per cent of the 850,000 spent online by Irish consumers per hour is going overseas. The Trading Online Voucher scheme, financed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, aims to encourage small businesses to develop their online presence through a website or digital marketing strategy by availing of a Trading Online Voucher of up to 2,500 or 50 per cent of their eligible expenditure. Businesses looking to apply for the voucher must be trading for a minimum of 6 months to qualify and be located in County Wicklow. This seminar will help participants to understand and determine the best approach to establish and increase their online presence and trade online. Applicants for the Trading Online Voucher must attend one of these TOV Information Seminars. You can book online at localenterprise.ie/wicklow. The seminar runs from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Jane Clarke and Anne Savage at the official opening of the new Rathdrum Cancer Support premises at Gilbert's Row, Rathdrum. Photo: Michael Kelly Local youngsters join the with the members of the Rathdrum Cancer Support Group for the cutting of the cake at the official opening of the new Rathdrum Cancer Support premises at Gilbert's Row, Rathdrum. Rathdrum Cancer Support held the launch of their new premises on Saturday, with founding member Andrea Leonard officially cutting the ribbon at 11 Gilberts Row. Established in 2008 by Bill Porter, Andrea Leonard and Ann OLoughlin, Rathdrum Cancer Support provides a vital service for their community, connecting cancer patients and their families with counselling support services and providing transport for patients receiving treatment in Dublin. More than 180 people attended the launch at the refurbished premises, which used to be the old library in Rathdrum, Bill Porter said: We bought the premises two years ago and it involved lots of hard work carried out by the committee. We are only two minutes away from Main Street, with plenty of parking. We have our own office, a room for people to meet and chat and also a treatment room. The premises and toilets are fully accessible for all, including wheelchair users, and we have a nice space in the backyard. I have to thank the hard working committee and the generosity of the local community who provided donations, as without their support, we wouldnt be where we are now. As a charity we are incredibly grateful for all the support and it assists us greatly. We currently have two jeeps and generally carry out around 250 to 300 hospital trips a year. Speaking about why Andrea was given the honour of cutting the ribbon, Bill added: Before Rathdrum Cancer Support was formed, we used to do the Terry Fox run each year from 1985 in order to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Support, and Andrea always helped out. In 2007 we recognised the need for a local service in Rathdrum and Andrea contacted the Irish Cancer Support and looked into how to establish a local group. We formed in 2008 and actually held our first meeting in a cabin in my backyard. We then moved to Main Street and later to Lower Street. We now have our new premises in the old library, which should prove to be a wonderful addition to the services we provide. Social Democrats TD for Wicklow, Deputy Jennifer Whitmore has welcomed the announcement that school bus route B9212 has finally been reinstated for the first time since September 2023. Whitmore made the comments following communication received from the Regional Transport Manager responsible for the Wicklow school service. The B9212 was supposed to cater for Wicklow post primary schools and carry up to 53 students and Deputy Whitmore had been critical over the fact it had yet to enter service, prior to Tuesdays announcement last week. This is Wicklow Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wicklow newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Deputy Whitmore said: It is very welcome news to hear that the B9212 route, which is one of the last remaining routes to be reinstated in Wicklow will recommence on Monday, April 8. I know parents are relieved that this route has now finally been resolved, albeit for the last term of the school year. The impact that the non-operation of this service had on parents and students cannot be understated. With one of the main difficulties faced by Bus Eireann being the recruitment of drivers for Bus Eireann, I am heartened to hear that a newly recruited driver will be driving on this route for Bus Eireann for the remainder of the year. The timetable is as before with no changes. The bus will drop pupils in Wicklow town as previously, including dropping and collecting pupils from Colaiste Chill Mhaintain. The service will also operate at the earlier school times on a Wednesday afternoon as the previous timetable did. "Official notification has also been sent to the parents of pupils who have been issued with tickets for this service. A list of pupil names will also be given to the driver to cover any lost or mis-laid tickets. There are still two routes outstanding and Deputy Whitmore has been assured by Bus Eireann that they are working very hard on getting the remaining routes operational as soon as is possible. While Deputy Whitmore has encountered similar issues each year, she feels this school year was particularly bad. She said: The same problems are raised time and again with routes being cancelled or capacity issues arising and leaving children stranded at the side of the road and families with no way to get their kids to school at the last minute. Every year the lack of trained and certified drivers is mentioned as a reason. "The Government have had the benefit of hindsight and sufficient time to put measures in place to make sure that there are enough drivers for the next school year intake in September 2024. Casualty and Waterloo Road actress Christine Tremarco is joining the cast of ITV soap Emmerdale (Lizzie Shepherd/ITV Studios/PA) Casualty and Waterloo Road star Christine Tremarco will join the cast of ITV soap Emmerdale later this month. The actress will play Rose, who may stir up drama for Kim Tate (Claire King). Rose, who has moved to the Dales from Benidorm, is set to cause trouble because she knows Kims husband Will Taylor (Dean Andrews), a fact he fails to tell his wife. Tremarco said she is thrilled to be joining Emmerdale. Christine Tremarco is joining the cast of Emmerdale as Rose and is due to cause trouble for Will Taylor, played by Dean Andrew (Mark Bruce/ITV/PA) She added: To be working with such a wonderful cast and crew along with the brilliant writing and production team is an absolute joy! Rose is so much fun to play. She is free-spirited, boisterous and totally mischievous with a steely edge and a big heart. Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said she is delighted that Tremarco is joining the cast, praising her wealth of experience and talent. Playing the character of Rose, a true free spirit with an exuberant outlook on life, she certainly promises to cause a real storm for some of our villagers, she said. Tremarco is no stranger to dramatic plotlines. As a series regular in Waterloo Road, her character, Davina Shackleton, was once accused of inappropriately touching one of her students after she rejected a date with his father. Meanwhile, in The Responder, Tremarco played the sister of a drug lord, while she was nurse Linda Andrews in Casualty for two years. Her appearance in Emmerdale marks the second time the actress has worked on an ITV soap set in the North of England in 1998 she made a guest appearance in Coronation Street, playing Lucy Johnson, a friend of Spider Nugent (Martin Hancock), who chats up Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy) at a party because she feels sorry for him. The producer who secured Emily Maitliss infamous Newsnight interview with the Duke of York has said it was hard to keep a poker face while Andrew was speaking (BBC/PA) The producer who secured the infamous Newsnight interview with the Duke of York has said it was hard to keep a poker face while Andrew was speaking. The story of how Sam McAlister secured the interview about Andrews friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is told in the new Netflix film Scoop, based on her memoir. McAlister is played by Billie Piper, while Andrew is played by Rufus Sewell and interviewer Emily Maitlis is played by Gillian Anderson. Sam McAlister (left) and Billie Piper attend the world premiere of Scoop (Ian West/PA) Recalling what was going through her mind as Andrew made claims about his ability to sweat, standard shooting weekends and a trip to a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking, Surrey, McAlister told ITVs Good Morning Britain: I was sitting about 15 feet behind him. I had two parts of my brain. Im an ex-criminal defence barrister, so my lawyer brain was going OMG the prosecution have won the lottery here. Because if those statements were false, they were very easy to disprove. And my journalist brain is going OMG weve won the lottery here. So, really, it was quite hard to keep a poker face for 50 minutes of that, with those kinds of answers. I was basically looking at the floor a lot, trying not to make eye contact. And it really was an extraordinary experience to hear this avalanche of answers. Rufus Sewell as the Duke of York, Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis and Keeley Hawes as Amanda Thirsk in Scoop (Peter Mountain/Netflix/PA) Another version of the story of the interview will be told in the Amazon series A Very Royal Scandal, starring Ruth Wilson as Maitlis and Michael Sheen as Andrew. Maitlis, who left Newsnight to host The News Agents podcast with former BBC journalists Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall, is an executive producer on the production. McAlister described the other version as complementary rather than a rival, adding: Its fantastic. Obviously this movie is told from my perspective, inevitably, because its from my book, and Emilys will be from her perspective. Its great theres so much interest and Im so sorry to disappoint I know everyone loves a scrap between women but no, (there is) absolutely none whatsoever. I wish her nothing but happiness and success and Im sure she feels the same about me. Ive never felt jealousy or rivalry in my entire life. Fans of Clarksons Farm have watched the relationship between the actress and the former Top Gear star over the last couple of years Jeremy Clarksons partner, Lisa Hogan, has opened up her hopes of getting engaged to the former Top Gear presenter. Fans of the farming docuseries Clarksons Farm have watched the relationship between the Irish-born actress and the 63-year-old TV star over the last couple of years. In an interview with The Sunday Times ahead of the shows series three launch, the interviewer recalls that the topic of proposing was brought up while the couple were out on a walk. Clarkson reportedly told Hogan that he had a big surprise for her and after she asked if it was a proposal, he apparently pretended not to hear and instead showed her a fallen willow tree bursting back into life. After she followed up about the proposal, he said: Ill think about the proposal, OK? Im not ready yet. Discussing the exchange, Hogan said: I just thought I might surprise him. When asked if she had taken advantage of February 29 to do a leap year proposal, when women typically propose, she added: Jeremy doesnt think I proposed but he wasnt wearing his hearing aids, so no-one will know. Clarkson was previously briefly married to Alexandra James and later to Frances Cain, with whom he has three children. The TV star is due to return to screens in May as the highly-anticipated third series of Clarksons Farm launches on Prime Video. It will follow Clarkson, Hogan, farming contractor Kaleb Cooper and the rest of their team as they run the Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire. In The Sunday Times interview, Clarkson revealed that behind the scenes everything that could go wrong has gone wrong due to a number of issues including changing weather conditions. The TV star has also pivoted to look after pigs after struggling to rear sheep and cows as he felt they would bring a bit of genuine happiness. However, he said that it was initially unbelievably sad as many of the piglets died. He recalled: Ive never seen Lisa so upset. The film crew looked shellshocked. We had a catastrophically high level of deaths and I was desperately worried we were doing something wrong, but it turned out we werent, it was just that pigs are bad mothers the sandy and black (breed) particularly so. Thats why its a rare breed. Today's weather forecast as Met Eireann issues Status Yellow warning for five counties A Status Yellow rain warning is in place for six counties as heavy rain could lead to flooding in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Waterford and Cork. Heavy rain is expected, bringing with it the chance of poor visibility and difficult travelling conditions in the impacted counties. It will remain in effect until midnight. The alert for Cork will come into force at 1pm today and last until 10pm. Met Eireann forecasts rain and drizzle that will continue to push northwards to most areas during the afternoon and early afternoon, but it will remain largely dry in some western coastal counties with just a few showers. The rain will continue throughout the day across the midlands, south and east. It will be heaviest in the southeast where flooding will be likely. Winds will increase throughout the day and will become strong along southern coasts. Temperatures have cooled, with highs of only 5 to 10 degrees expected today and lows of 2 to 6 degrees overnight. Rain will remain over the east coast tonight but will clear slowly into the Irish Sea. Tomorrow will see some showers, though the day will be generally dry with some sunny spells. Highest temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees are expected. In the coming days, Met Eireann forecasts milder conditions but it will remain unsettled. Wednesday will see dull, misty and wet conditions with outbreaks of rain or drizzle continuing for much of the day. Highest temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees are expected. It will remain dry on Thursday with sunny spells broken by just a few showers, though cloud will increase from the southwest with rain moving into the west of the country by the evening. Further outbreaks of rain will be heaviest in the northwest with patchy rain and drizzle elsewhere, Met Eireann forecasts. The following days look likely to become cooler with further spells of rain and showers for the coming days. Experts warn public never to look at the sun with the naked eye, through a telescope or binoculars or through sunglasses even several pairs of sunglasses are not enough The partial eclipse will be visible over Ireland on Monday evening - weather pemitting. Photo: Stock image Ireland will have a chance to observe a partial solar eclipse this evening, when the moon will partially cover the sun in the sky if the weather doesnt get in the way. Experts warn public never to look at the sun with the naked eye, through a telescope or binoculars or through sunglasses even several pairs of sunglasses are not enough as this can result in permanent eye damage. Tips on how to safely view are included below. Experts have described it as one of the best sights in nature. But what is a solar eclipse and where can you get the best views of it in the country? News in 90 - Monday April 8 What exactly will we see? Large parts of the US will experience a total solar eclipse, a one-in-400-year event, but ours will only be partial which is a more frequent event. A total eclipse results in the sky darkening as if it were dawn and dusk. Although the solar eclipse will be only partially visible in Ireland and is less dramatic, we can still see it for a few minutes. With the forecast not looking good, viewers will have to be lucky to see the phenomenon for a few minutes shortly after 8pm this evening. Chief executive of Astronomy Ireland David Moore said Ireland will see the start of the eclipse as the sun sets shortly after 8pm, and he appeals to the public to follow essential safety tips to avoid permanent eye damage. Officially the eclipse will start at 7.55 and end at 8.13pm, reaching its maximum 0.26 magnitude at 8.10pm. The total path of the eclipse is all the way over North America, he told the Irish Independent. "If you're watching this on a Monday evening, around the 8 o'clock mark, you'll see a small bite taken out of the bottom of the sun, and that bite will get bigger and bigger until the sun sets. If you lived over in Texas, for instance, you would see that by getting so big it would cover the entire sun and at that stage, it would turn to night and the stars would come out just for a few minutes. The path where you get to see the total eclipse goes from Mexico through Texas, up to the north of New York. They will only see the eclipse for two or three minutes, he added. Where in Ireland can we see it and whats the best spot? The west of Ireland will get the best views of the partial solar eclipse. The ultimate place would be on the west coast on top of a hill looking out over the ocean, Mr Moore said. People in the west of Ireland will see it a little bit more than people in the east. Galway, Mayo or Kerry might get the best eclipse views, looking out over the ocean in the clear weather conditions. "On the day, knowing Ireland, the best place would be wherever is forecast to be clear. "If you're near a lake or inland, that will be good looking across a big lake. And you want to find somewhere where you can see right the way down to the horizon, he said. Mr Moore also said a nearby park or a hill when youre looking west down the horizon while the sun sets would be another good way to observe. How can we watch it without damaging our eyes? It is important to be aware of how dangerous looking at the sun is. David Moore has advised to be careful and shared a few tips on how to watch and enjoy the solar eclipse safely. Whether youre planning to observe the eclipse or have relatives in the United States who will watch it, the important thing to remember is that sunglasses arent sufficient protection. "Even multiple pairs of sunglasses aren't good enough, he said. "If you're looking at the sun from Ireland, we're never going to have the total eclipse but then most of the sun is still there and it can damage your eyesight if you look at it. "You should never use any binoculars or telescopes. I always warn people with children, they are drawn like a magnet to look into telescopes. EU-certified Eclipse Glasses are available to buy, but another option is using protective welding glass glasses that can be found in some hardware shops. You can also project an image of the sun through a pinhole thats very simple. "You get a piece of cardboard, pinch a tiny hole in and you hold a sheet of white paper a few feet behind this. "Sunlight goes through the pinhole onto a piece of white paper and actually produces a very small crude image of the sun and you'll see it won't be round, there will be that bite taken out of it thats one safe way of viewing it, he said. Why is this eclipse particularly special and whens the next one? Mr Moore said the eclipse hasnt happened on Irish soil since 1724 and wont happen again until 2090. "They say it's the most beautiful sight in nature, and I haven't seen anything better yet myself, he said. With today's technology, we can all travel, so you can actually see several eclipses in your life. There's a group of people called the eclipse chasers. They make it their annual holiday to go wherever it is in the world. The next solar eclipse near Ireland will take place on August 12, 2026, and will go through Spain. The eclipse that happened in 1999, the path of totality went through south of Ireland and went over France. There was one airport in France, I knew people flew to the airport, watched the eclipse from the car park, and then flew back to Ireland. You will be able to do that in 2026. "If you travel, you'll see an eclipse in your lifetime. But otherwise, if you wait in this country, you might see one in 2090 or 2600 but it will probably be cloudy, he said. Whats the weather forecast? Mr Moore said the cloud cover is one of the most difficult things to predict. One of those rare days when the entire skies clear that's what we would dream of. The weather forecast for Monday is showers at the moment, Mr Moore added. I've done this before. Forecasts can reverse by the time the day comes around." His advice is to always stand outside at the time of the eclipse, even if the forecast is bad, or ignore the forecast at all. If you really want to see the eclipse, it might not hurt just to stand outside in the evening for 30 minutes, he said. News 'I tried to convince my partner it was the washing machine' - Irish in Australia react to 6.6 magnitude earthquake Woman who murdered her parents and lived with their bodies for four years is jailed for life A view of the rubble at the destroyed Al Shifa Hospital during an inspection by the World Health Organisation, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City in this handout image released April 6, 2024. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus/Handout via REUTERS A Hamas official said on Monday no progress was made at a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo also attended by delegations from Israel, Qatar and the U.S., shortly after Egyptian sources said headway had been achieved on the agenda. Israel pulls most of its army out of Gaza to give troops a rest as IDF claims 18 of the 24 Hamas battalions are dismantled Pressure grows as 100,000 protesters take to Tel Aviv streets calling for Benjamin Netanyahu to go Protesters gather in Tel Aviv against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Photo: AP Melanie Swan Telegraph.co.uk Mon 8 Apr 2024 at 03:30 Israel has withdrawn most of its ground troops from Gaza to recuperate and prepare for future operations after months of fighting. US President Joe Biden announces a new plan for federal student loan relief during a visit to Madison Area Technical College Truax Campus, in Madison, Wisconsin. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque President Joe Biden announced on Monday plans to ease student debt that would benefit at least 23 million Americans, addressing a key issue for young voters whose support he needs as he seeks re-election in November. The plans, which the Democratic president detailed in Madison, Wisconsin, include cancelling up to $20,000 of accrued and capitalised interest for borrowers, regardless of income, which Biden's administration estimates would eliminate the entirety of that interest for 23 million borrowers. Indias Dedicated Freight Corridor Program: Progress and Prospects Indian Railways has operationalized over 90 percent of its Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), covering a distance of over 2,800 kilometers. Utilizing the advantages of this freight-focused infrastructure, India intends to build more DFCs connecting important sites. It is anticipated that the widespread use of DFCs will improve rail-freight logistics in India and give rail a competitive advantage over other modes of transportation. The establishment of Dedicated Freight Corridors, or DFCs, is expected to lower logistics costs through the use of higher axle load trains, Double Stack Container trains (DSC), and enhanced access to the Northern hinterland via Western Ports. Additionally, it is anticipated to stimulate the development of new industrial hubs and Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals. Indias dedicated freight corridors: Status of the EDFC and WDFC Indias Ministry of Railways has undertaken the construction of two DFCs, namely the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) from Ludhiana to Sonnagar (1337 km) and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT) to Dadri (1506 km). The construction of EDFC has been fully completed, while 1220 km out of 1506 km of WDFC has been completed, accommodating more than 300 trains daily in the country. The total expenditure for making this network operational amounts to INR 1240 billion (approx. US$14.87 billion). Efforts are currently in progress to extend the operational route coverage of WDFC to beyond 95 percent by the conclusion of April this year. Trains are achieving speeds ranging from 50 to 60 kilometers per hour (kmph), with the potential to reach up to 100 kmph, significantly surpassing the average speeds of goods trains on regular Indian railway tracks, which typically range from 20 to 25 kmph. However, there are pending inspections and trials along a recently commissioned 138-kilometer section. It is anticipated that by the end of April 2024, the 138-kilometer stretch between Sanand and Makarpura will also get operationalized. What is the route of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor? The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor stretches over 1,506 kilometers, connecting the JNPT port in Mumbai to Dadri, and traversing through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Currently, WDFC operational routes cover 938 kilometers from Dadri to Sanand, 244 kilometers from Makarpura to Gholvad, and 77 kilometers from Gholvad to Vaitarna; the 138-kilometer Sanand-Makarpura segment is on the brink of operationalization. Work is ongoing along the 110-kilometer stretch between Vaitarna and JNPT port, with completion expected within a year, subsequently enabling the entire WDFC to be operational, currently serving 100 trains. What is the route of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor? The entire 1,337-kilometer Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor is already operational, with routes from Sahnewal to Khurja (401 km), Khurja to Bhaupur (351 km), Bhaupur to DDU (Deen Dayal Upadhyay junction, formerly called Mughalsarai) (402 km), DDU to Sonnagar (137 km), and the Khurja to Dadri section (46 km). The EDFC network spans across the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar, with 200 trains running daily. Freight corridors in India: Understanding the infrastructure blueprint Indias freight corridors Area covered Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor 1873 kms East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor Received Approval East Coast Dedicated Freight Corridor Received Approval Western Dedicated Freight Corridor 1,506 kms North-South Dedicated Freight Corridor Announced Southern Dedicated Freight Corridor (Proposed) Proposed Rail corridor To ensure on-time completion of the Dedicated Freight Corridor program, India has ensured timely provision of funds and monitored project land acquisition activities through close coordination with state governments directly and in various forums such as the Project Monitoring Group (PMG), among others. Scale of the Dedicated Freight Corridor Project in India Dedicated freight corridors cover: 2,843 Route kilometers and pass through 7 states of India Mega-railway projects with a total track linkage of: 6,000+ kilometers Challenging land acquisitions of: 11,827 hectares The freight corridor project involved earthwork of: 2,371 lakh cubic metres Major bridges: 543 Minor bridges: 4,643 Road Over Bridges (ROBS): 304 Road Under Bridges (Rubs): 557 Rail Fly Overs (RFOS): 53 Stations along the alignment: 114 Data Source: Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited, Annual Report 2022-23 Meanwhile, Indias Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has also spoken on the feasibility studies for the development of high-speed rail corridors that have been initiated on three Golden Quadrilateral routes: Delhi-Kolkata, Delhi-Mumbai, and Mumbai-Chennai. In February 2024, Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, that the railway has drafted detailed project reports (DPR) for the establishment of high-speed rail corridors on seven routes, which include Delhi-Varanasi, Delhi-Ahmedabad, and Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar. Indias freight logistics infrastructure plan 2024 Railway Budget announcement Indian Railways has proposed a massive investment of INR 11,000 billion (US$1318.9 billion) across three upcoming economic corridors in a significant development. These corridors, comprising the energy, mineral and cement corridors, the port connectivity corridor, and the high traffic density corridors, are poised to transform freight and cargo transportation in the nation. This extensive plan encompasses 434 smaller projects, covering a distance of over 40,000 km, with an expected completion timeline of six to eight years. During the presentation of the Interim Budget 2024-2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman underscored the strategic significance of these projects under the PM Gati Shakti banner, stressing their role in enhancing multi-modal connectivity in India, optimizing logistics, and reducing costs. The anticipated alleviation of congestion in high-traffic corridors is predicted to have a positive impact on passenger train services, leading to enhanced safety and increased travel speeds for commuters. Freight corridors are broad-gauge freight corridors under construction in India by the railway authority, Indian Railways. They are high-capacity railway corridors exclusively meant for the transportation of goods and commodities. India announced the creation of Dedicated Freight Corridors in Parliament while presenting the Railway Budget for 2005-06. In April 2005, the DFC project was discussed at the Japan-India Summit Meeting. It was included in the declaration of co-operation signed between the Prime Ministers of India and Japan for a feasibility study and possible funding of the dedicated rail freight corridors by the Japanese Government. The feasibility study report was submitted to Indias Ministry of Railways in October 2007. In the meantime, the ministry initiated action to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the DFCs. This led to the establishment of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) to undertake planning & development, mobilization of financial resources, construction, operation & maintenance, and business development of the DFCs. DFCCIL was incorporated as a Schedule A company under the Companys Act 1956 on October 30, 2006. In other developments, India is set to witness the implementation of a high-speed rail project, namely the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project, sanctioned by the government, with technical and financial support provided by the Government of Japan. The Largest Railway Networks in the World Country Length (km) Electrified length (km) % of the total electrified Area (km) per route km Population per route km Historical peak length (km) Nationalized or private United States 250,000 2,025 0.92% 43.2 2,060 408,833 Freight services private. Passenger operations primarily public. Infrastructure mostly privately owned. China 140,000 100,000 50% 63.8 9,570 200,000 (in 2024) Nationalized India 92,952 84,140 90.52% 35.37 15,290 111,000 Nationalized Russia 85,000 54,054 51.48% 162.84 1,367 150,000 Nationalized Canada 49,422 129 0.20% 214.48 674 N/A Freight services private. Passenger operations primarily public. Infrastructure mostly privately owned. Germany Approximately 42,000 22,500 55.38% 9.26 2,145 64,000 Nationalized, with private freight and passenger operators. Argentina Approximately 37,000 km 190 0.51% 77.45 1,117 47,000 Both Australia Approximately 38,500 3,393 10.23% 231.91 742 N/A Both Brazil Approximately 29,000 9,025 30.27% 299.6 7,225 N/A Both France Approximately 29,500 15,687 53.59% 22.78 2,374 42,500 Nationalized Gati Shakti policy and Indias freight corridor program In 2022, the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) announced the Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal (GCT) policy via a circular dated December 15, 2021. The step aims to encourage industry investment in the development of additional terminals for handling rail cargo. DFCCIL, based on the GCT policy, has requested approval for its implementation, mutatis mutandis. The Railway Board, through its referenced letter (2), and the Board of Directors (BOD) of DFCCIL, granted approval for the implementation of the GCT policy across DFCCIL, except for 14 PFT (private freight terminal) locations, which have been authorized under the RFP for Development of Logistic Parks/Freight Terminals/Parcel Terminals and their connectivity with DFC stations through private investment. This policy is in supersession of existing DFCCILs Private Freight Terminal policy, Private Siding Policy and Port Rail Terminal Connectivity Policy. All new as well as underconstruction/under-approval terminals (under earlier DFCCILs PFT/Pvt. Siding/Port Rail Connectivity policies) shall be covered under this GCT policy. Existing Siding/Terminals can also migrate to the new GCT policy by submitting request to GGM(OP&BD)/CO, DFCCIL. The GCT policy of the Ministry of Railways is being adopted on DFCCIL mutatis mutandis w.e.f. 05.05.2022 except 14 PFT locations which have been permitted under RFP for Development of Logistic Parks/Freight Terminals/ Parcel Terminals and their connectivity with DFC stations through private investment. All the terms and conditions as brought out in the GCT policy Ministry of Railway dated t5.L2.2O2L and its amendments from time to time will be implemented over DFCCIL. Indias railway sector awaits private investors participation India has made various efforts to attract private participation in its railways infrastructure through different avenues, such as wagon investment schemes, liberalizing container policies, implementing schemes like the Special Freight Train Operator (SFTO), Automobile Freight Train Operator (AFTO), and Special Parcel Train Operator (SPTO) schemes, allowing private freight terminals, and constructing and opening dedicated freight corridors. In India, 100 percent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in railways is allowed under the automatic route for the following: Construction, operation and maintenance of suburban corridor projects through PPP high-speed train projects Dedicated freight corridors Railway electrification Signaling systems Freight terminals Passenger terminals Infrastructure in industrial parks pertaining to railway line/siding including electrified railways lines and connectivity to main railway line, Mass Rapid Transport Systems (MRTS) However, the current lack of separation in the regulatory, policy making, and operator roles within the Railway Board means that freight tariff setting is not aligned with market principles, leading to a lack of trust among private stakeholders. There have been notable recommendations from several committees in the past, including the Rakesh Mohan Committee, Sam Pitroda Committee, and Bibek Debroy Committee, to delink the regulatory role by establishing an attached office or statutory body. Although the country announced the formation of a Rail Tariff Authority in 2014 and a Rail Development Authority in 2017, these entities are yet to be formally set up in India. Conclusion The operationalization of Indias long-awaited Dedicated Freight Corridor signifies a big step toward revolutionizing the countrys freight and cargo transportation. With ambitious plans to expand the DFC network and connect strategic locations, India will optimize its rail-freight logistics, fostering greater competitiveness within the transportation sector. The robust expansion of rail freight infrastructure is necessary for the efficient movement of logistics and supply chains across the length and breadth of India. This is more so as major industrial hubs are inland or not all connected with ports, which dominate logistics routes. Globally, the distribution of freight transportation across various modes of transportation is influenced by geographical factors, commodity types, legal regulations, vehicle availability, and infrastructure conditions. The DFC is poised to reduce Indias logistical costs, promote environmental sustainability, and stimulate the development of new industrial hubs and cargo terminals. However, to fully capitalize on these advantages, India must address regulatory hurdles and incentivize greater private sector involvement in the railway industry. By aligning policies with market principles and establishing regulatory frameworks, India can unleash the full potential of its rail network, facilitating sustainable economic growth and efficient freight transportation. (US$ 1= INR 83.30) Photo courtesy: X/@NationalEclipse Toronto/IBNS: North America is all set to experience a rare celestial phenomenon of a total solar eclipse for the first time in seven years. This is a phenomenon in which the moon passes directly in front of the sun, blocking out its light and turning day, for a few minutes, into night. During this event, parts of the earth would be plunged into total darkness when the moon slides in front of the sun. Beginning in the southern Pacific Ocean. The solar eclipse would be first seen by the people in southern Mexico from shore around 11 a.m. ET. , as long as the clouds hold off. Moving up into the United States, starting in Texas the darkness would then continue northeast before coming to an end off the coast of Newfoundland just after 5:15 p.m. ET. In Canada, the stretch where the moon will block the sunlight entirely would include parts of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland. People outside the path of totality will see a partial solar eclipse, with just some of the sun obscured by the moon. A chance of viewing the solar eclipse in Toronto Monday could be hampered by cloud cover. Nevertheless, if weather permits, skywatchers could still be able to catch a glimpse of the rare celestial event. Toronto's Golden Horseshoe area could be hit by the clouds and isolated showers from sunrise to late afternoon owing to a low-pressure system, the centre of which is moving from the upper Midwest in the United States to northwestern Ontario. However, Meteorologist Bill Coulter was reported saying that the forecasting models predict there is a chance there will be a few clear breaks by mid-afternoon right when the solar eclipse is set to take place. In other words, we could get lucky. But, anticipate mainly cloudy skies at eclipse time for Toronto and Niagara. Im keeping my fingers crossed, Coulter said. Astronomers have said that even if it is cloudy, one should still be able to experience some of the effects of the eclipse as long as you are in a location along the so-called path of totality, like Niagara Falls including the gradual reduction of daylight and change in temperature, But in Toronto, not being in the path, these effects will be less pronounced even without clouds. In Toronto the eclipse is set to peak at 3:19 p.m, but some astronomers have said people in Toronto may not even notice anything is happening when the event takes place. In Niagara Falls, being listed as one of the best places in Ontario to see the moon cross in front of the sun, the eclipse starts at 2:04 p.m., peaks at 3:20 p.m. and ends at 4:31 p.m. (Reporting by Asha Bajaj) In image view of solar eclipse from Mexico/ courtesy: NASA video posted on X A rare total solar eclipse hit the Pacific coast of Mexico and plunged complete darkness in the area at 11:07 am (1807 GMT) on Monday. This was a rare celestial phenomenon of a total solar eclipse for the first time in seven years. This is a phenomenon in which the moon passes directly in front of the sun, blocking out its light and turning day, for a few minutes, into night. The "path of totality," where the Moon completely obscures the Sun's light, hit across Mexico and the United States, before returning to the ocean over Canada's Atlantic coast. The celestial spectacle is being witnessed by tens of millions of people. Beginning in the southern Pacific Ocean, the solar eclipse was first seen by the people in southern Mexico from shore. Moving up into the United States, Texas witnessed darkness and the celestial phenomenon would then continue northeast before coming to an end off the coast of Newfoundland. In Canada, the stretch where the moon will block the sunlight entirely would include parts of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland. People outside the path of totality will see a partial solar eclipse, with just some of the sun obscured by the moon. NASA tweeted saying: "We're getting our first views of the 2024 total solar #eclipse as its shadow makes landfall in Mazatlan, Mexico." Take it all in. We're getting our first views of the 2024 total solar #eclipse as its shadow makes landfall in Mazatlan, Mexico. pic.twitter.com/FdAACmQGkm NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2024 The next total solar eclipse that can be seen from a large part of North America won't come around until 2044. Festivals, viewing parties, and even mass weddings have been planned along the eclipse's "path of totality". Photo Courtesy: BAPS Abu Dhabi Instagram page The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi recently hosted an interfaith cultural evening called Omsiyyat which witnessed the participation of more than 200 leaders and community members from diverse faiths and backgrounds. Set against the striking backdrop of the newly inaugurated Mandir, a profound convergence of faith, culture, and dialogue took place. This momentous event was graced by the esteemed presence of several notable UAE figures, including Sheikh Nahayan bin Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development, amongst others, whose presence added a significant layer of respect and honour to the evening. "In addition to the local leadership, leaders of local religious communities were also in attendance: Rabbi Jeff Berger of the Abrahamic Family House, Rabbi Levi Duchmann, Father Lalji of the Church of South India Parish, and Bahai community leaders," BAPS Abu Dhabi said in a statement. Rabbi Jeff Berger from the Abrahamic Family House said, Unity in diversity is not just a principle; it is a practice, vividly demonstrated here tonight. This event symbolizes our shared journey towards understanding and respect. Sheikh Nahayan emphasized the tremendous impact of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, said, In these troubled times that are threatened by separatism, distrust, intolerance, and conflicts, [the BAPS Hindu Mandir] brings hope to the world I commend the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi for organizing this interfaith meeting You share a respect for beliefs and an admiration for each others good-hearted intentions. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to promoting the values of peace, harmony, fraternity, and coexistence. Your strong resolve to work together across cultural and spiritual lines for the good of all humankind is truly noble. Omsiyyat: An Interfaith Cultural Evening touched the hearts of those not only in attendance, but also the community of the UAE and the world, demonstrating that, though interfaith harmony is an ongoing mission, for a moment, it has been achieved. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Narendra Modi Chennai/UNI: As the campaigning for the April 19 single phase polling for Lok Sabha elections gained momentum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be arriving in Chennai on Tuesday to garner votes for the BJP-led NDA candidates. Modi will be holding a road show tomorrow evening, top BJP sources told UNI on Monday. Tight security arrangements have been made in view of Modi's visit to the city. Modi, who will be arriving around evening on Tuesday, will start the road show at the T.Nagar area. He will be travelling in an open jeep along with the contesting candidates, the sources said. He will be canvassing for the BJP candidates in all the three Chennai constituencies, Chennai South, Chennai Central and Chennai North. While the BJP has fielded former Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lt.Governor Ms Tamilisai Soundararajan,who had returned to active politice after resigning her gubernatorial posts, from South Chennai, BJP's Vinod Selvam and Legal Wing leader Paul Kanagaraj are the candidates from the Central Chennai and North Chennai respectively. After his brief Chennai visit, Mr Modi is also likely to visit other districts for electioneering, though an official confirmation is awaited. It is likely in Vellore and Kanyakumari, besides Coimbatore, where the BJP has a good following in the western belt of the state forming part of the Kongu region. A.C.Shanmugham of NJP an ally of BJP, is contesting in Vellore, while former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Pon Radhakrishnan and BJP State President K.Annamalai are contesting from Kanyakumari and Coimbatore respectively. Meanwhile, police have made elaborate security arrangements in view of Modi's visit. Senior police officials reviewed the security situation and also banned flying of drones during his visit. More than 2,000 police personnel are deployed on security duty. A Police release said that "the Honble Prime Minister of India is visiting Chennai on 09.03.2024 to attend a Road Show at T.Nagar, Chennai." "On the order of the Chennai City Commissioner of Police, Sandeep Rai Rathore, Drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are banned to fly within the Greater Chennai Police jurisdiction u/s 144 of Criminal Procedural Code." Image Credit : facebook.com/rahulgandhi Bhopal/UNI: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address election rallies in Madhya Pradesh on Monday. According to information provided by the party, Gandhi will address election meetings at Dhanora village in Seoni district of the state at 2 p.m. and Shahdol district at 4 p.m. and campaign in support of party candidates. He will be accompanied by state party president Jitu Patwari, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Umang Singhar, and other senior leaders. Photo courtesy: Facebook/K Kavitha New Delhi/UNI: A Delhi court on Monday denied interim bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in the Delhi Excise Policy case. Special Judge (PMLA) Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts pronounced the order after the Enforcement Directorate said that the investigation is at a crucial stage and Kavitha will influence the witnesses if granted bail. The court had reserved its verdict on April 4. Kavitha was arrested on March 15 evening from Hyderabad, hours after the ED) team searched the premises and interrogated her. She is presently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kavitha, argued that the proviso to Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) which allows the court to release woman-on bail notwithstanding the rigorous bail conditions under the Act. He argued that the son of the accused is taking exams and would need his mother's emotional support. Appearing for the ED advocate Zoheb Hossain, said that the exception to women under the proviso to Section 45 of PMLA is "not for a woman who is in public life and a leading politician of the state". Opposing the bail plea, Hossain said that Kavitha is one of the main accused in the case and ED is on the verge of a breakthrough in the probe. Granting interim bail to Kavitha at this stage will derail the investigation, and she has already attempted to influence witnesses, Hossain alleged. Hossain explained how Kavitha was one of the main accused in the case. "She is one of the prime persons accused of giving bribes. She is a beneficiary through her proxies. This is not based only on statements but based on documents and WhatsApp chats. This is all corroborated," he contended. Hossain claimed that Kavitha destroyed evidence against her including evidence on her mobile phone. We have a forensic report which shows how evidence was destroyed. She deleted evidence from her mobile phone. This was done on the date she was issued a summons, Hossain alleged. Hossain further said, "There was no data in apps like FaceTime. On March 11, she said she would produce the phone on the next date. On the next date, she produced 9 phones. But these were formatted. "She said she did not do it. When we pressed, she was evasive. The forensic report shows they were formatted after March 11." "We want to highlight that there is influencing of witnesses. The attempt is to make witnesses retract the statement. A person has come forward and told us he was forced. There is destruction of evidence as well," Hossain stated. Regarding Kavitha's son's exam, Hossain stated, "Her son's 7 out of 12 papers are already over. He is not alone. He has a father and an elder brother. The young man is not alone." Photo courtesy: X/@KanganaTeam New Delhi/IBNS: Actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has lashed out at a Congress leader for claiming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Mandi candidate consumed beef in the past. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has claimed Kangana had earlier shared a post referring to her preference for beef. Hitting back at Wadettiwar, Kangana said in an X post, "I dont consume beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me, I have been advocating and promoting yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now such tactics wont work to tarnish my image. "My people know me and they know that I am a proud Hindu and nothing can ever mislead them, Jai Shri Ram." I dont consume beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me, I have been advocating and promoting yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now such tactics wont work to tarnish my image. My people know me and Kangana Ranaut (Modi Ka Parivar) (@KanganaTeam) April 8, 2024 Last month, Kangana kick-started her Lok Sabha poll campaign from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi with a fiery speech. Kangana addressed a massive gathering where she pitched herself as the "sister and daughter" of people from her home state. "Don't think Kangana is a star or a heroine, consider me as your sister and daughter. All are my relatives," said the 'Queen' star in her first words as a politician. Her words triggered "Jai Shri Ram" chants from the BJP supporters. #WATCH | Lok Sabha elections 2024 | Himachal Pradesh: BJP candidate from Mandi and actor Kangana Ranaut addresses people as she conducts a road show here. She says, "...Don't think that Kangana is a heroine, that she is a star. Consider Kangana your sister, your daughter. pic.twitter.com/6wcAjBYnCs ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2024 Kangana, who has always remained a supporter of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, last year had expressed her wish to contest the parliamentary elections. The 37-year-old actress, who hails from Himachal Pradesh's Bhambla, has a career spanning for two decades. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash The Vijayawada police seized over 30 kilograms of donkey meat during the raids conducted at three places under the NTR police commissionerate, and FIRs have been booked against five donkey meat sellers. Based on a complaint from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and Eswari Pausmarti Animal Rescue Organisation, the NTR Police Commissionerate has taken action, and first information reports (FIR) were registered, PETA said in a statement here on Monday. FIRs were registered by Krishna Lanka, Satyanarayanapuram, and Patamata Police stations under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. A total of five donkey meat sellers were booked. The seized meat was destroyed by municipal authorities after completing the necessary formalities. PETA Indias previous action has resulted in 78 donkeys being rescued from the trade in Andhra Pradesh and over 1000 kilograms of meat being seized and destroyed. Donkeys are emotional, clever animals who form deep bonds with their families and friends. Yet in Andhra Pradesh, these sensitive animals are being hacked up for their flesh," said PETA India Cruelty Case Division Legal Advisor and Manager Meet Ashar. PETA India is calling on everyone to report illegal donkey slaughter to authorities and extend compassion to all animals by eating vegan. In India, killing donkeys and eating their flesh violates a number of laws. Donkey slaughter violates Section 429 of the IPC, 1860, and is punishable with a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both. Killing donkeys is also an offence under Section 11(1)(a) and (l) of the PCA Act, 1960. Consumption of donkey meat is illegal under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and slaughtering animals in public places is banned under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001. (With UNI inputs) Photo Courtesy: Unsplash Bhawana Kesar, hailing from Nowshera in Rajouri district, who is the daughter of a tailor, has written her name in the history of the UT by becoming the first woman from her hometown to clear the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Judicial) examination. Bhawana told Kashmir Life that despite facing financial constraints, her parents stood by her side, ensuring she received the education she deserved. Bhawana studied BA LLB from Punjab University after completing her schooling. Living near the Line of Control (LoC) did not deter Bhawana from pursuing her dreams, reported Kashmir Life. She now aims to inspire more individuals from her region to contribute to the judicial system. In image Congress delegation to ECI led by Salman Khurshid/ courtesy: UNI New Delhi/IBNS/UNI: The Congress party Monday met the Election Commission of India and raised a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making comments against the grand old party alleging that its manifesto is attempting to divide the country and imposing the pre-independence ideology of the Muslim League. The Congress party delegation composed of Salman Khurshid, Mukul Wasnik, Pawan Khera and Gurdeep Sappal met the Election Commission of India at the Nirvachan Sadan here. Speaking to the media after meeting the ECI, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, We were hurt by the Prime Ministers speeches during the election rallies that our manifesto is a bundle of lies. You can disagree with a party and criticise it but claiming that a national party which participated in the freedom struggle can write a bundle of lies in the manifesto is not acceptable. "He has no right to make such remarks against our manifesto. We have written a very good manifesto. We have raised our complaint with the EC." He said the party also raised a complaint against the use of Armed Forces in election campaigning by the BJP as a violation of the MCC. Moreover, the party has also objected to life-size hoardings and banners of the PM at various colleges of Delhi University under the 'Vikshit Bharat @ 2047: Voice of Youth Campaign and complaint against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar for allegedly giving false information pertaining to his financial status in his election affidavit. He said that the Election Commission had instructed the MCD and other relevant agencies to take down all such hoardings of the Prime Minister or any other cabinet Ministers that have been put up. The party has also raised objection to Doordarshan telecasting "the Kerala Story" and complaint against the RO of Tripura West Parliamentary Constituency for pressurising the candidate to share the commercial agreement between him and the vendor responsible for publishing banners and the posters of the candidate. New Delhi/IBNS: The Delhi High Court Tuesday will pronounce its verdict on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam. A single bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma will pronounce the judgement tomorrow at 2.30 pm. The Delhi High Court had on April 3 after hearing lengthy arguments from both sides reserved its judgement. Kejriwal has questioned the timing of his arrest by the central agency, alleging it is in contravention of the basic structure of the Constitution, including democracy, free and fair elections and a level playing field. Kejriwal was arrested on the night of March 21. The trial court had on March 22 remanded him to six days of ED custody which was extended by a further four days. On April 1, he was remanded to judicial custody till April 15 by the trial court. He is currently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appearing on behalf of ED had opposed the bail plea of Kejriwal saying that the investigation is at a nascent stage. Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Kejriwal argued that the Enforcement Directorate did not comply with Section 50 PMLA which empowers it to issue the summons, collect evidence, etc. Singhvi had questioned the necessity of arresting the Delhi Chief Minister amid upcoming general elections. "The only object is to insult, humiliate and disable...So that the petitioner is unable to participate in the election process and to try to demolish the party before the first vote is cast," the Senior Advocate argued. ASG argued that Kejriwal received kickbacks and no calculation was done as to why 5 percent profit was converted to 12 percent in the now scrapped liquor policy. "The only inference drawn is that it was done so that 7 percent of the portion is used for giving kickbacks." Raju said evidence shows that kickbacks were used for the election campaign of AAP in Goa. The beneficiary of kickback proceeds was AAP. The offence is committed by AAP, which is an association of individuals, ASG said. Allegations against Kejriwal are that he skipped nine summons issued to him by the agency. AAP leader Sanjay Singh, also accused in the case, was granted bail by the Supreme Court on April 2 after 6 months remaining in custody. Another AAP leader Manish Sisodia is currently in judicial custody for more than a year in the same case. [With UNI inputs] Photo Courtesy: Pixabay New Delhi/IBNS: The Supreme Court Monday sought Google LLCs response on the vital issue of whether a condition of sharing the live location is imposed on an accused while granting bail violates the person's right to privacy. A bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on the last date had directed Google India to file an affidavit along with the necessary documents explaining the working of Google PIN in the context of putting a condition in the order while granting bail. Google India informed the Supreme Court that the product is manufactured by Google LLC, not by them (Google India). It suggested that it would be appropriate for Google LLC to respond to the court's query. Google LLC had filed an affidavit before the apex court but it was not taken on record (as notice was issued to Google India). After noting that Google LLC was not a party in the present case, The bench issued formal notice to Google LLC and discharged Google India. The bench further directed the Registry to take on record Google LLC's affidavit and said, "We will go through the affidavit and then hear the parties." In the present case, the court is examining two issues. First, if a foreign national is arrested in India and at the time of granting bail to him, the courts have two options while granting bail to him. The foreign accused can be granted bail on obtaining an assurance from the concerned Embassy that they will not leave India. Second, whether the condition that the Google PIN location should be shared by the accused with the investigating officer be imposed, and whether this condition violates the basic issue of the right to privacy or not. [with UNI inputs] Photo courtesy: Facebook/Mallikarjun Kharge New Delhi/IBNS: The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party exchanged sharp barbs Monday over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Muslim League imprint" and "bundle of lies" jibe at his rival's manifesto for the Lok Sabha election. Reacting to the remark, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the BJP is aware it is going to lose this election and is acting out of fear. "Modi-Shah's political and ideological ancestors supported the British and Muslim League against the Indians in the Freedom Struggle. Even today, they are invoking the Muslim League against the 'Congress Nyay Patra' guided and shaped according to the aspirations, needs and demands of common Indians," Kharge said in a sharp response. "Modi-Shah and their Nominated President are today spreading falsehood about the Congress Manifesto. There is a stink of RSS in Modi ji's speeches, BJP's electoral graph is plunging day by day, therefore the RSS has started remembering its best friend-the Muslim League!" Modi-Shah's political and ideological ancestors supported the British and Muslim League against the Indians in the Freedom Struggle. Even today, they are invoking the Muslim League against the 'Congress Nyay Patra' guided and shaped according to the aspirations, needs and Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 8, 2024 The party has filed a complaint with the Election Commission. On Saturday, while addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, the Prime Minister declared the Congress' manifesto "completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League". "Congress issued a bundle of lies in its manifesto... every page reeks of attempts to tear India apart. It reflects the thoughts the Muslim League had before independence," the PM had said. BJP President JP Nadda also repeated the same and said, "Congress has been repeatedly rejected but they are insistent on politics of appeasement. I saw the manifesto and was surprised. Is it their manifesto or that of the Muslim League..." The Congress party Monday met the Election Commission of India and raised a complaint against PM Modi for making comments against the grand old party alleging that its manifesto is attempting to divide the country and imposing the pre-independence ideology of the Muslim League. The Congress party delegation composed of Salman Khurshid, Mukul Wasnik, Pawan Khera and Gurdeep Sappal met the Election Commission of India at the Nirvachan Sadan here. Speaking to the media after meeting the ECI, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, We were hurt by the Prime Ministers speeches during the election rallies that our manifesto is a bundle of lies. You can disagree with a party and criticise it but claiming that a national party that participated in the freedom struggle can write a bundle of lies in the manifesto is not acceptable. "He has no right to make such remarks against our manifesto. We have written a very good manifesto. We have raised our complaint with the EC." Photo courtesy: Wikipedia/Congress X handle New Delhi/IBNS: The Congress Monday brushed off the latest advice to Rahul Gandhi by political strategist Prashant Kishor, saying "consultants' remarks" do not require any comment. In an exhaustive interview with the Press Trust of India, Kishor has advised Rahul Gandhi to "take a break" from leading the grand old party if it fails to put up an impressive performance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Asked about Kishor's remarks on Monday, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "I do not answer on remarks by consultants. Talk about political people, what is there to answer about consultants?" In an interview with PTI, Kishor said it would be "undemocratic" on his part to continue spearheading the party if Congress loses the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Kishor said, "He needs to take a break. He has fought three elections without success for any reason. There is no harm in stepping back and handing over the responsibility to someone else for five years. "So I feel it's undemocratic on his part to not let go of the leadership despite not being able to succeed." If Congress loses the upcoming elections, it would be the third consecutive term where the grand old party will be out of power. After being routed in 2014, Congress lost the 2019 General Elections facing the Modi wave across the country. "He (Rahul Gandhi) is doing exactly the opposite thing to what he had said in the resignation letter in 2019. He should make this issue a matter of ego because Congress is beyond an individual or any particular formation," Kishor said. Kishor, who aided a number of opposition leaders over the years, had started talks with the Congress top brass in signing a deal to revive the grand old party. However, the two sides failed to meet at an agreement and Kishor went on with his political venture. Analysing Rahul's style of working, Kishor, who helped Congress to win Punjab in 2017, said, "As long as a leader does not recognise that he needs help, no one would be able to help. A leader is someone who is aware of his strengths and weaknesses. "Then they go out and actively search for those who can fill that gap. Rahul Gandhi feels he knows everything. He needs somebody who can come and execute what he thinks is right. That is not possible." The 2024 General Elections will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The results will be declared on June 4. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash At least three people died after a fire erupted following a suspected explosion that occurred at an eight-storey apartment building in Paris on Sunday (April 7, 2024). The origin of the explosion is still not known. According to French news channel BFMTV, the fire started at around 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) in the building located at 146 rue de Charonne in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, reported Xinhua news agency. Seventeen fire engines from the Paris fire brigade rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control. Preliminary indications show that an explosion was heard in the early evening before the fire broke out, but the cause of the blast has yet to be determined, French newspaper Le Parisien reported as quoted by Xinhua. A criminal investigation into the incident has been launched. Police have not ruled out the possibility of a gas explosion. Four IDF soldiers killed in Hamas ambush in Gaza tunnel. Photo Courtesy: IDF X page At least four Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed in a Hamas ambush in Gaza's Khan Younis area on Saturday (April 6, 2024). The four were killed Saturday when gunmen came out of a tunnel in a destroyed building and opened fire at troops carrying out a patrol along the IDFs logistics route in Khan Younis, according to an initial military probe as reported by The Times of Israel. The operatives reportedly managed to flee from the spot. Soldiers who tried to pursue the attackers noticed that the escape route was booby-trapped and therefore held back, the news portal reported. According to reports, a tank came under RPG fire from another cell in the area. No injury was reported in the incident. The tank returned fire, killing members of the second cell, according to the IDFs probe, reported The Times of Israel. Hamas group is alleged to have dug hundreds of kilometers of tunnels under Gaza as part of its military infrastructure. IDF withdraws ground troops from south Gaza The Israel Defense Forces withdrew its manoeuvring ground forces from the Gaza Strip on Sunday, a move made at a time when the conflict between the two groups entered its sixth month. According to reports, the IDF has kept just one brigade to secure a corridor splitting the Palestinian enclave. Troops of the 98th Division were pulled out of the Khan Younis area after four straight months of fighting, the IDF said as quoted by The Times of Israel. The Nahal Brigade, which is currently in the region, has been tasked with securing the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which crosses Gaza from the Beeri area in southern Israel to the Strips coast. Rishi Sunak says UK will continue to stand by Israels right to defeat the threat from Hamas As the conflict entered its sixth month, British PM Rishi Sunak issued a statement where he said: "Six months later, Israeli wounds are still unhealed. Families still mourn and hostages are still held by Hamas." "We continue to stand by Israels right to defeat the threat from Hamas terrorists and defend their security," he said. "This terrible conflict must end. The hostages must be released. The aid which we have been straining every sinew to deliver by land, air and sea must be flooded in," he said. Highlighting the issue of ceasefire, Sunak said, "The children of Gaza need a humanitarian pause immediately, leading to a long-term sustainable ceasefire." Gaza and healthcare situation With the largest hospital in Gaza largely destroyed and out of action, access to healthcare has now become totally inadequate following six months of brutal fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday. Thats the assessment following a WHO-led multi-agency mission to Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza on 5 April which examined the extent of destruction following a weeks-long Israeli offensive aimed at rooting out militant forces who were allegedly operating inside. The highly complex mission was conducted in collaboration with the acting Hospital Director. Prior to the mission, WHOs efforts to reach the hospital to evacuate patients and staff and conduct an assessment, were denied, delayed or impeded six times between 25 March and 1 April. Sunday marked the completion of the sixth month since the conflict between Israel and Hamas started on October 7. The Hamas attack left 1200 people dead and beginning of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip which has left around 33,000 people dead. Photo Courtesy Unsplash At least two people died and five others were injured after a bomb explosion hit Khuzdar town in Pakistan on Sunday. Police told Dawn News that the powerful blast took place at Umar Farooq Chowk, a busy shopping area of Khuzdar. At the time of the explosion, a large number of people, including women and children, were busy shopping in the market. Two people have been killed and five others injured in the explosion, a senior officer told Dawn News, adding that police and other law enforcement forces rushed to the explosion site and shifted the bodies and injured to Khuzdar Teaching Hospital. Hospital officials told the Pakistani newspaper, We have received two bodies and five injured individuals at the hospital. Police officials stated that unknown miscreants planted an improvised explosive device (IED) on a motorbike and parked it at Umar Farooq Chowk. It seems, the motorbike IED was detonated with a remote control, police said. Investigation into the incident is currently underway. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash Chinas military conducted a naval and air patrol in the disputed South China Sea on Sunday (April 8, 2024), amid joint drills conducted in the area on the same day by the Philippines, US, Japan and Australia. The Southern Theatre Command of the Peoples Liberation Army will conduct a joint air and sea combat patrol in the South China Sea on April 7, the Southern Theatre Command announced on its WeChat account on Sunday morning as quoted by South China Morning Post. In what appeared to be a reference to the joint drills by the US and the three other countries, the command said that military activities intended to sabotage the situation and create hotspots in the waters were well under control. Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States last week uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, and respect for maritime rights under international law, reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). "Demonstrating our collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, our combined defense/armed forces will conduct a Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone on April 7, 2024," read a statement issued by the Department of Defense. The MCA will be conducted by naval/maritime and air force units in a manner that is consistent with international law as well as domestic laws and rules of respective nations, and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other States. "It will also demonstrate professional interactions among naval/maritime and air forces. Ultimately, the MCA will strengthen the interoperability of our defence/armed forces doctrines, tactics, techniques, and procedures," read a statement issued by US Department of Defense. "We stand with all nations in safeguarding the international order based on the rule of law that is the foundation for a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region. Our four nations reaffirm the position regarding the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award as a final and legally binding decision on the parties to the dispute. Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, United States, said: "Every country should be free to conduct lawful air and maritime operations. These activities with our allies Australia, Japan, and the Philippines underscore our shared commitment to ensuring that all countries are free to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows. Our operations together support peace and stability at the heart of our shared vision for a free and open region." Photo Courtesy: Salih Hudayar X page He made the remark while participating in a virtual discussion organised by the Asian Human Rights Forum. The situation in East Turkestan is not just a regional issue. Its a global concern that demands the immediate international attention of the international community and action. East Turkestan, an occupied country located in the heart of Asia, in Central Asia, has a history of over 6,000 years, he was quoted as saying by ANI. Hudyara added, Unfortunately, this legacy has been under threat since 1876, when the Manchu Qing Empire invaded and subsequently annexed East Turkestan in 1876 and subsequently annexed it in 1884, renaming East Turkestan to Xinjiang, which translates to the colony or the new territory in the Chinese language. However, the people of East Turkestan never gave up their struggle to reclaim their independence. He further highlighted that the people of East Turkestan are facing a brutal campaign of colonization and genocide by the Chinese government for over 70 years. For the past 74 years, the people of East Turkestan have endured a brutal campaign of colonization, genocide and occupation by the Chinese government. These campaigns of genocide include mass internment, forced sterilization, systematic rape, organ harvesting, torture, forced enslavement and forced indoctrination. At the very moment, millions of our people remain locked up in concentration camps, while millions more have been given official sentences for so-called crimes of separatism or for simply being in prisons, he said. At the same time, over 890,000 of our children are currently forcibly separated from their families and put into state-run institutions or internment camps aimed at erasing their identity and assimilating them into what is essentially so-called loyal Chinese citizens, as the Chinese government calls it, he said. He highlighted that mosques and other religious sites have also been destroyed and practising Islam or any other religion in the country is criminalised. Unfortunately, even our religious and cultural identity is under siege. More than 16,000 mosques and other religious sites have been destroyed. Practising Islam or any other religion for that matter in East Turkestan has been effectively criminalized. Thousands of our scholars and intellectuals have been given prison sentences anywhere from 15 years to life imprisonment for simply advocating for the practice of our religion, for advocating for retaining our history, advocating for retaining our culture, he said. Photo Courtesy: X page video grab A Pakistani committee tasked to probe the suicide attack on a vehicle which was carrying Chinese nationals found significant lapses in the security detail of the engineers and a blatant disregard for the standard operating procedures (SOPs). Sources told Dawn News that a three-member committee, comprising two senior officials from the federal and one from the KP government, had been directed to assess if the movement of the Chinese nationals on March 26 was in accordance with the SOPs. At least six people, including five Chinese nationals, were killed after a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the bus in Bisham last month. During the course of the probe, the investigators found that the bus transporting the foreign nationals was not even bulletproof, let alone bombproof, which is a requirement under the security SOPs, Dawn News reported. Sources told the Pakistani newspaper that the committee pointed out multiple flaws in the provision of security to Chinese nationals. Sources said the committee was shocked to learn that the vehicle carrying the Chinese nationals should have been bombproof but the vehicle was not even bulletproof. They further said the company that was required to provide bullet- and bombproof vehicles to transport Chinese workers, and duly paid for, failed to meet its contractual obligations. Vehicles carrying the Chinese nationals should be bombproof, according to the SOPs but two forensic audits show they were not even bulletproof, the sources said, adding that the committee also informed the federal government that it was difficult to pinpoint inefficiencies because there was no unity of command in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) task force. Sources privy to the report filed by the committee said the district police officer in Upper Kohistan was supposed to be informed about the convoy movement seven days in advance but not only was the DPO informed late, but the police officer totally forgot to convey the message about the Chinese nationals movement to anyone further. They said that the committee also held the security director of the Dasu dam as well as the director general of the Special Security Unit negligent. Sandeep Reddy Vanga's next film titled Spirit will star Prabhas in the lead role. The filmmaker who is basking in the success of Animal recently shared details about the highly-anticipated movie. Here's all you need to know. Sandeep Reddy Vanga has predicted that the movie will cross Rs 150 crore on its first day of release Talking to Galatta Plus, he said, "I think because the kind of budget they are putting, I feel the producer is safe. With Prabhas and my combination along with satellite and digital rights, we can recover our budget there itself. If everything goes well with the teaser, trailer and songs pre-release and whatever we do to grab the audiences attention, opening day would be 150 crore. It's a trade calculation. It should be worldwide or pan-India. Easily it could be 150 crore in one day for a film like this if the material is good." All about Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit with Prabhas Sandeep Reddy Vanga about #Prabhas and Spirit The Qualities of Prabhas Like Fear of reaction when Something Wrong Happen for his duty like Sudden Aggressive Turns and also His Eyes and persona which I can play for long time in a film.#Spirit #Kalki2898AD pic.twitter.com/x17BXxXxm9 Prasanth (@Prastweetzz01) April 8, 2024 Spirit is a Telugu pan-India action saga. The shooting of the film will begin in November or December 2024. As of now, 60 percent of the script is ready. Is Spirit a Hollywood remake? Sandeep Reddy Vanga said that he rejected the idea of making a Hollywood remake with Prabhas. He said that later, when he was shooting for Animal, he approached Prabhas with Spirit and the Baahubali actor instantly liked the idea. Is Spirit a supernatural thriller? Earlier, it was said that the movie was going to be a supernatural thriller. However, Reddy Vanga debunked the rumour. Spirit plot details The Animal filmmaker revealed that it is the story of an honest Police officer played by Prabhas. He kept other details about the plot under the wraps. Spirit release date While the release date of the movie has not been announced yet, Vanga said that Spirit will arrive in theatres before Animal Park. Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit budget The budget of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit is Rs 300 crores. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Happy Chaitra Navratri 2024: Navratri is a significant Hindu festival celebrated in India, honoring the mighty valor of Goddess Durga and her various incarnations. It occurs twice a year, once during Spring and again during Autumn. The Spring Navratri is referred to as Chaitra Navratri, typically observed in the months of March-April in the Gregorian calendar. This year Chaitra Navratri will be celebrated from April 9 to April 17. Throughout the auspicious days of Navratri, nine manifestations of the goddess are worshipped with much grandeur. They include Maa Shailputri, Brahmaachaareenee, Chandraghanta, Kushmaanda, Skandmaata, Kaatyaayeenee, Kaalraatree, Mahagauri, and Sidhidaatree. Hence, on this occasion, here are some Chaitra Navratri wishes, quotes and Navratri messages for WhatsApp you can share with your friends and family. Happy Chaitra Navratri 2024: Best Navratri Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Seek Maa Durga Blessings We present to you the best and latest Chaitra Navratri wishes for 2024. Here's a collection of unique Chaitra Navratri wishes in English, Happy Navratri messages that make wonderful Facebook posts and WhatsApp statuses: 1. "Wishing you a very Happy Chaitra Navratri. May Maa Durga always bless you with the strength to overcome all your challenges." 2. "On the occasion of Chaitra Navratri, I pray that Goddess Durga showers her blessings and love upon you and your family. Happy Chaitra Navratri!" 3. "May the celebrations of Chaitra Navratri fill your life with positivity and bring you immense joy. Wishing you a blessed Chaitra Navratri 2024." 4. "May Maa Durga empower you with the strength to face difficulties and emerge victorious in life. Happy Chaitra Navratri 2024!" 5. "Warm wishes on the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Navratri. May this festival bring prosperity, happiness, and success into your life." 6. "On this Chaitra Navratri, may each day be blessed by the nine Goddesses. Wishing you a Happy Chaitra Navratri!" 7. "Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Chaitra Navratri. Let us celebrate the blessings of the Goddesses on this auspicious occasion." 8. "Let us express our gratitude to all the Goddesses for their love and blessings on the occasion of Chaitra Navratri. Warm greetings to all." 9. "Happy Chaitra Navratri to you. May you find happiness, health, and prosperity along with the choicest blessings of the Almighty." 10. "May this Chaitra Navratri bring an end to all the negativity around you and fill your life with happiness and smiles. Happy Chaitra Navratri." Happy Navratri wishes image | Photo: Freepik Happy Chaitra Navratri 2024 Messages 11. "Wishing you a beautiful and spirited start to the new year. Happy Chaitra Navratri!" 12. "Sending warm greetings on the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Navratri. May the year ahead be happy and cheerful for you." 13. "May you find happiness, health, and prosperity in the coming year. Wishing you a blessed and Happy Chaitra Navratri." 14. "May this Chaitra Navratri bring new hopes, opportunities, and challenges to make your life prosperous. Happy Chaitra Navratri!" 15. "May all the Goddesses shower their blessings upon you for safety and security from unnatural events. Happy Chaitra Navratri!" 16. "Heartfelt congratulations on Chaitra Navratri. May Lakshmi always be by your side. May Saraswati's blessings always be upon you." 17. "Durga and Laxmi, Saraswati and Katyayani, may they all bring thousands of joys into your life. Best wishes to you and your family on Chaitra Navratri." 18. "Warm wishes to everyone on Chaitra Navratri. May this festival mark the beginning of a year filled with glory and achievements." 19. "May all your problems diminish and your opportunities brighten on the occasion of Chaitra Navratri. Happy Chaitra Navratri to everyone." 20. "Wishing everyone a joyful start to the upcoming year on the occasion of Chaitra Navratri. Happy Chaitra Navratri!" Happy Navratri wishes image | Photo: Freepik Chaitra Navratri Quotes And WhatsApp Status 21. "May the Goddesses always empower us with the strength to face life's challenges. Warm greetings to all on Chaitra Navratri." 22. "Chaitra Navratri reminds us of the blessings showered upon us by our Goddesses. Warm greetings to everyone on this auspicious occasion." 23. "Let us celebrate the power, courage, glory, and prosperity bestowed upon us by the nine Goddesses on the occasion of Chaitra Navratri." 24. "May you be blessed with good health, great fortune, amazing success, and a fantastic life. Warm wishes on Chaitra Navratri." 25. "May this auspicious occasion of Chaitra Navratri bring an end to all the problems and negativity surrounding you. Warm wishes on Chaitra Navratri." 26. "May Maa Durga always bless you with the strength to fulfill your dreams. Happy Chaitra Navratri!" 27. "On Chaitra Navratri, I pray that Maa Durga guides and protects you from all negativity. Happy Chaitra Navratri!" 28. "Wishing a very Happy Chaitra Navratri to you and your loved ones. May Goddess Durga shower her love and blessings on you." 29. "May you always be blessed with prosperity and success in life with the blessings of Durga Mata. Happy Chaitra Navratri to you!" 30. "I wish you the best of fortune, health, and life. May you receive the choicest blessings of Durga Maa. Happy Chaitra Navratri!" 31. "Wishing a very Happy Chaitra Navratri to you. May Maa Durga is always there to impart you with great strength to fight all your challenges." Happy Chaitra Navratri 2024 Greetings 32. "On the occasion of Chaitra Navratri, I wish the Goddess Durga is there to shower her blessings and love on you and your family. A very Happy Chaitra Navratri to you." 33. "May the celebrations of Chaitra Navratri surround you with positivity and bring you immense joy. Wishing a blessed Chaitra Navratri 2024 to you." 34. "May Maa Durga is there to empower you with strength to face difficulties and problems in life and emerge a winner. Happy Chaitra Navratri to you." 35. "Warm wishes on the occasion of Chaitra Navratri to you. May this auspicious occasion bring prosperity, happiness, and success into your life." 36. "On the occasion of Chaitra Navratri, I wish that each and every day of your life is blessed by the nine Goddesses. Happy Chaitra Navratri to you." 37. "Wishing a very Happy Chaitra Navratri to you and your loved ones. Let us celebrate this auspicious occasion by embracing the blessings of the Goddesses." Happy Chaitra Navratri 2024: Best Navratri Wishes, Messages And Quotes To Seek Maa Durga Blessings 38. "On the occasion of Chaitra Navratri, let us thank all the Goddesses for their love and blessings. Warm greetings on this auspicious occasion to all." 39. "A very Happy Chaitra Navratri to you. May you find happiness, health, and prosperity along with the choicest blessings of the Almighty." 40. "May this Chaitra Navratri put an end to all the negativities that surround you and leave you with happiness and smiles. Happy Chaitra Navratri." 41. "Wishing you a beautiful and high-spirited beginning to the new year. Wishing you a blessed and Happy Chaitra Navratri." 42. "On the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Navratri, I am sending warm greetings to you for a happy and cheerful year ahead." 43. "May you find happiness, health, and prosperity in this coming year. Wishing you a blessed and Happy Chaitra Navratri." 44. "May this occasion of Chaitra Navratri bring into your life new hopes, new opportunities, and new challenges to make it prosperous." 45. "Asha hai aapke Jeevan main barse sabhi deviyon ka ashirvad. Mubarak ho aapko Chaitra Navratri ka yeh tyohar." 46. Maa Durga ka aashirwad tum par sada bana rahe, Navratri ki hardik shubhkamnayein! 47. May the divine blessings of Maa Durga be with you always. Happy Navratri! 48. "May the blessings of Goddess Durga fill your life with joy, prosperity, and love this Navratri." 49. Navratri ke is pawan avsar par, khushiyan aur shanti se bhara rahe tumhara jeevan. 50. Sending you heartfelt wishes for a Navratri filled with love, light, and laughter. 51. May the nine days of Navratri bring you closer to your goals and dreams. Happy Navratri! For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Happy Hindu New Year 2024: The Hindu New Year starts in March or April, not January like the regular New Year. It's called Chaitra Navratri. In 2024, it starts on April 9. According to Hindu beliefs, it begins on the first day of Chaitra Navratri. The Hindu New Year starts on the first day of the bright fortnight of the Chaitra month. It's said that creation happened on this day according to the Brahma Purana. Different places in India celebrate the New Year differently. In North India, it's Baisakhi, in South India, it's Ugadi or Puthandu, in Maharashtra, it's Gudi Padwa, and in Odisha, it's Maha Vishubha Sankranti. The Chaitra New Year brings new beginnings, hopes, and plans. People pray to Goddess Durga, Goddess Laxmi, and Lord Kuber. They follow their own traditions, decorate their homes, make rangoli, cook special foods, wear new clothes, and visit holy places to seek blessings. They also share sweets with loved ones. This year, Saturn is the ruling planet, which symbolises hard work and justice. Those who've worked hard may see rewards, but there might be challenges for those who've made mistakes. It's advised to do spiritual activities to counter Saturn's negative effects, be kind to everyone, follow righteousness, and discard bad habits to lead a disciplined life, as Saturn is considered a strict judge. As we celebrate the Hindu New Year which is also celebrated as Chaitra Navratri, And Gudi Padwa today let's make this auspicious occasion even more memorable, we have compiled a list of Happy New Year wishes, messages, and WhatsApp SMS that you can share with your friends and family. Happy Hindu New Year wishes, images, quotes, and WhatsApp statuses for loved ones Wishing you a joyous Hindu New Year filled with blessings, prosperity, and happiness! May this Hindu New Year bring you abundant success, peace, and harmony in all aspects of your life. Naye saal ki hardik shubhkamnaye! Iss saal aapko khushiyan aur safalta mile. Happy Hindu New Year Wishes images | Photo: Freepik Happy Chaitra Navratri! May the new year shower you with endless opportunities and positivity. "May the dawn of the Hindu New Year bring joy, prosperity, and peace to your life." Warm wishes for a wonderful Hindu New Year! May your dreams turn into reality and your aspirations soar high. Nav varsh ki mangalmay shuruat ho! Khushiyon se bhara ho aapka naya saal. "Wishing you a year filled with happiness, success, and abundance. Happy Hindu New Year!" As we welcome the Hindu New Year, may it bring new hope, new goals, and new achievements for you and your family. Iss naye varsh mein har khushi aapke paas aaye! Naye saal ki bahut saari mubarakbad. Happy Hindu New Year Wishes images | Photo: Freepik "As the new year begins, may it bring new opportunities and blessings into your life. Happy Chaitra Navratri!" Happy Gudi Padwa! May this auspicious day mark the beginning of a fruitful and fulfilling year ahead. Naye saal ki shubhkamnayein! Aapke sapne poore ho aur manzil hasil ho. Wishing you a prosperous and blissful Hindu New Year! May your life be filled with love, laughter, and good health. "May the divine blessings of Goddess Durga and Lord Kuber shower upon you in this auspicious Hindu New Year." Nav varsh ki hardik shubhechha! Khushiyan aur pyaar se bhara ho aapka naya saal. On this sacred occasion of Ugadi, may you be blessed with happiness, peace, and prosperity throughout the year. Happy Nav Varsh! May the Hindu New Year bring you endless joy, prosperity, and success in all your endeavours. Sending you heartfelt wishes for a bright and prosperous Hindu New Year! May each day be filled with positivity and blessings. Naye saal ki bahut saari shubhkamnaye! Aapke jeevan mein nayi raho ki roshni ho. Happy Hindu New Year Wishes images | Photo: Freepik "Let us welcome the Hindu New Year with open hearts and hopeful spirits. Wishing you a year of fulfilment and contentment." May the divine blessings of Goddess Durga and Lord Kuber shower upon you on this Hindu New Year, filling your life with abundance and happiness. Happy Puthandu! May the new year bring you new opportunities, new beginnings, and new reasons to celebrate. "May the light of this New Year illuminate your path towards success and fulfillment. Happy Gudi Padwa!" Wishing you a year filled with laughter, love, and success as we embark on this journey of the Hindu New Year together. May the festival of Baisakhi usher in a year full of happiness, prosperity, and peace for you and your loved ones. Nav varsh ki anmol shubhkaamnayein! Aapke har din khushiyon se bhara ho. Warmest greetings on the occasion of Maha Vishubha Sankranti! May this Hindu New Year bring you immense joy and fulfillment. "Sending you heartfelt wishes for a joyous and prosperous Hindu New Year. May this year be filled with love and laughter." Happy Hindu New Year Wishes images | Photo: Freepik Wishing you a joyous Hindu New Year filled with blessings, prosperity, and happiness! "May the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Navratri bring peace, happiness, and prosperity to you and your loved ones." Naye saal ki mangal kamnaye! Aapke jeevan mein safalta aur samriddhi ka vaas ho. May this Chaitra Navratri bring new beginnings and abundant success into your life. Happy Hindu New Year! As we welcome the Hindu New Year, may it usher in a year filled with love, peace, and prosperity for you and your loved ones. Naye saal ki dher saari badhaiyan! Har din ho apke liye naya aur anokha. May the divine blessings of Goddess Durga and Lord Kuber be with you throughout the year. Happy Chaitra New Year! Wishing you and your family a year filled with laughter, good health, and countless blessings. Happy Hindu New Year! May this auspicious occasion of the Hindu New Year bring you closer to your goals and dreams. Have a blessed year ahead! "On the occasion of the Hindu New Year, may you be blessed with good health, wealth, and wisdom. Happy Ugadi!" On this joyous occasion, may you find success in all your endeavors and happiness in abundance. Happy Chaitra Navratri! Nav varsh ki shubh kamnayein! Aapke jeevan mein nayi umang aur utsah bhar de. Sending you warm wishes for a prosperous and fulfilling Hindu New Year. May all your wishes come true! May the divine grace of Goddess Laxmi shower upon you and your family, bringing wealth and prosperity throughout the year. Happy Chaitra New Year! Wishing you a year filled with positivity, optimism, and opportunities. Happy Hindu New Year! May the brightness of this New Year illuminate your life with joy, peace, and prosperity. Happy Chaitra Navratri! "As we embark on this new journey, may the blessings of Lord Shani guide us towards righteousness and prosperity. Happy Hindu New Year!" As we embark on this journey of a new year, may it bring you closer to your aspirations and dreams. Happy Hindu New Year! May the divine energy of Navratri bless you with strength, courage, and determination to overcome all obstacles. Happy Chaitra New Year! Wishing you a year filled with love, laughter, and memorable moments with your loved ones. Happy Hindu New Year! May this Hindu New Year mark the beginning of a beautiful chapter filled with love, happiness, and success. Warm wishes to you and your family! Best Happy Sikh, Tamil, Bengali, Odia, Malayalam, Tripura New Year wishes and messages Welcome to a celebration of diverse cultures and traditions! As we embrace the dawn of new beginnings, we extend heartfelt wishes to our Sikh, Tamil, Bengali, Odia, Malayalam, and Tripura friends on their respective New Year festivities. In this tapestry of joy and unity, we rejoice in the richness of our cultural heritage. May this auspicious time bring boundless happiness, prosperity, and peace to each heart and home. Together, let us cherish the values of love, harmony, and togetherness as we embark on a journey filled with hope and promise. Join us in spreading warmth and good cheer as we celebrate the spirit of New Year across vibrant communities. May this Sikh New Year bring you abundant joy, prosperity, and peace. Wishing you a year filled with blessings and success ahead! Warmest greetings to all our Tamil friends on this New Year! May the coming year be filled with happiness, good health, and prosperity for you and your loved ones. ! Wishing all our Bengali friends a joyful and prosperous New Year. May this year bring you endless opportunities and happiness. ! Happy Odia New Year to all. May this year be filled with love, laughter, and success. Wishing all our Malayalam friends a Happy New Year filled with prosperity, health, and joy. May this year be as beautiful and colorful as the blooming flowers of Kerala! ! Happy Tripura New Year to everyone celebrating. May this year bring you closer to your dreams and aspirations. On this auspicious occasion of the Sikh New Year, may Waheguru bless you with happiness, success, and prosperity. Happy New Year! ! Wishing you a year filled with love, laughter, and prosperity. Happy Tamil New Year! ! May this Bengali New Year bring you new hope, new aspirations, and new achievements. Wishing you joy and success in the coming year. ! Happy Odia New Year to all. May this year bring you prosperity and happiness. Wishing all our Malayalam friends a Happy New Year filled with love, laughter, and prosperity. May this year be a wonderful journey of success and growth. ! Happy Tripura New Year to everyone celebrating. May this year be filled with joy, peace, and prosperity. May the blessings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji be with you on this Sikh New Year. Wishing you and your family happiness, peace, and prosperity in the coming year. ! May this Tamil New Year bring you abundant happiness, success, and prosperity. Have a wonderful year ahead! ! Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with joy, prosperity, and success. May this Bengali New Year bring you closer to your dreams. ! Happy Odia New Year to all. May this year be filled with happiness and prosperity. Wishing all our Malayalam friends a Happy New Year filled with love, peace, and prosperity. May this year bring you closer to your goals and dreams. ! Happy Tripura New Year to everyone celebrating. May this year be filled with happiness, success, and prosperity. On this Sikh New Year, may Guru Gobind Singh Ji bless you with strength, courage, and wisdom. Wishing you a year filled with joy and prosperity. ! Wishing you a Happy Tamil New Year filled with happiness, prosperity, and success. May this year be auspicious and joyful for you and your family. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Happy Ugadi 2024: Ugadi, also known as Yugadi or Ugadhi, marks the beginning of the Telugu New Year. It is a significant Hindu festival celebrated with immense joy and enthusiasm by the people of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. The term "Yugadi" is derived from two Sanskrit wordsYuga, which means age, and Adi, meaning beginning. The new year is celebrated according to the regional calendar, and the Telugu New Year will be observed on April 9 this year. Additionally, the people of Maharashtra will also celebrate the Marathi New Year on the same day. So today, make an extra effort and send these Ugadi wishes, messages and Telugu New Year WhatsApp Status to your friends and family members: Why It Is Considered As Telugu's New Year Ugadi 2024: Telugu New Year Wishes and Greetings Yug Adi (Ugadi) means the beginning of a new Yuga (year). Lets begin this new year with a new hope. Wishing you and your family an auspicious Ugadi. May the Lord bless you with good health, wealth, peace and prosperity! May your year be filled with happiness. Happy Ugadi 2024! Heres wishing you and your family a very Happy Ugadi. May the Lord shower his blessings on you and your family. Praying for a New Year that has sweetness and happiness in abundance for you, your family, and everyone else across the globe. On this auspicious day, sending Ugadi greetings to you and your family. Happy joyous Ugadi 2024! On the occasion of Ugadi, I extend my heartfelt greetings to you and your loved ones. Have a blessed year ahead.! May you have a blissful start to a wonderful New Year. Happy Ugadi! The beginning of a New Year is all about hope and happiness. And Ugadi is an occasion to cherish and make memories. May God grant all your wishes and may your entire dream come true. You with all that you have dreamt of. May you be blessed with his choicest blessings. Happy Ugadi. Happy Ugadi 2024: Best Telugu New Year Wishes, Messages Greetings And Ugadi WhatsApp Status To Share On Yugadi Festival 2024 Wishes and messages for Ugadi Brighter love, happier association and lots of love is what I have prayed for this Ugadi Wishing a very warm Ugadi. May you are showered with choicest blessings of Almighty on the occasion of Ugadi and you the best year ahead full of success and great fortune. May God bless you with all that you have dreamt of. May you be blessed with his choicest blessings. Happy Ugadi 2024! May the bright colours of Ugadi bless you with high spirits and new goals and give you all the strength to make them a reality. Happy Ugadi 2024. Ugadi is a symbolic festival that pronounces life as neither completely sour nor completely sweet. Wishing you a Happy Ugadi 2024! Here's to a Fresh Start and an Exciting Year Ahead. May You and Your Family Enjoy a Happy Ugadi. May this Ugadi mark the beginning of a new chapter filled with positivity and success for you. Happy Ugadi! There is nothing impossible in this world once you have decided that you want to achieve something. Wishing a very Happy Ugadi to you. Long live the tradition of hindu culture and as the generations have passed by hindu culture is getting stronger and stronger lets keep it up. Best Wishes for Ugadi. Telugu New Year Wishes and Greetings 2024 On this auspicious occasion of Ugadi, may your dreams blossom and your goals be fulfilled. Happy Ugadi! May this Ugadi fill your life with happiness, prosperity, and success. Happy Ugadi! May the sunlight of Ugadi dispel the darkness of the past and illuminate the path to a brighter future. May the flavour of raw mangoes, raw neem, and jaggery remove all bitterness and add sweet flavours to your life. Happy Ugadi! Sending you lots of smiles on Ugadi.. Sending you lots of enjoyment and celebrations on Ugadi.. Sending you best wishes on Ugadi. May you are showered with all the strength and focus to study hard and pass with flying colours. Best wishes on Ugadi to you. Only a student has the power to bring success to his teachers. On the occasion of Ugadi, I wish you the best of luck to have a successful year ahead. This year is the year to achieve all that we have been working hard for. Have a great year ahead. Happy Ugadi 2024: Best Telugu New Year Wishes, Messages Greetings And Ugadi WhatsApp Status To Share On Yugadi Festival Facebook & WhatsApp status on Ugadi in English May the occasion of Ugadi bring along more smiles and more happiness to all of you. Sending my warm wishes on Ugadi. Ugadi is a reminder that another year has begun and we must start with fresh by leaving all the bad memories behind. Cheers on Ugadi to you. May you are surrounded with colours and brightness, sparkles and joy in each and every day of your life. Wishing a very Happy Ugadi to you my friend. May the upcoming year be as bright as the sunshine for you. Wishing a cheerful and blessed Ugadi to you. May this year clear all darkness from your path and help you attain success. Happy Ugadi. Wishing you a joyous and blessed Ugadi! May the new year bring you endless opportunities and abundant joy. As you celebrate Ugadi, may your heart be filled with contentment and your home with abundance. Happy Ugadi! May this Ugadi bring you closer to your dreams and inspire you to reach new heights. Happy Ugadi! On this auspicious occasion of Ugadi, may your life be filled with laughter, love, and new beginnings. Happy Ugadi Warm wishes to everyone on the occasion of Ugadi. Happy Ugadi 2024: Best Telugu New Year Wishes, Messages Greetings And Ugadi WhatsApp Status To Share On Yugadi Festival Happy Ugadi 2024 Wishes for Whatsapp Status Wishing you and your family a Happy Ugadi. Let us welcome the new year with beautiful Ugadi celebrations. Let us make it an unforgettable occasion full of happiness and joy. May the goodness of positivity and happiness of hearts make this occasion of Ugadi all the more special. Best wishes on Ugadi! , , , , .. . , . . , , , , .. . , . Best Happy Sikh, Tamil, Bengali, Odia, Malayalam, Tripura New Year wishes and messages Welcome to a celebration of diverse cultures and traditions! As we embrace the dawn of new beginnings, we extend heartfelt wishes to our Sikh, Tamil, Bengali, Odia, Malayalam, and Tripura friends on their respective New Year festivities. In this tapestry of joy and unity, we rejoice in the richness of our cultural heritage. May this auspicious time bring boundless happiness, prosperity, and peace to each heart and home. Together, let us cherish the values of love, harmony, and togetherness as we embark on a journey filled with hope and promise. Join us in spreading warmth and good cheer as we celebrate the spirit of New Year across vibrant communities. May this Sikh New Year bring you abundant joy, prosperity, and peace. Wishing you a year filled with blessings and success ahead! Warmest greetings to all our Tamil friends on this New Year! May the coming year be filled with happiness, good health, and prosperity for you and your loved ones. ! Wishing all our Bengali friends a joyful and prosperous New Year. May this year bring you endless opportunities and happiness. ! Happy Odia New Year to all. May this year be filled with love, laughter, and success. Wishing all our Malayalam friends a Happy New Year filled with prosperity, health, and joy. May this year be as beautiful and colorful as the blooming flowers of Kerala! ! Happy Tripura New Year to everyone celebrating. May this year bring you closer to your dreams and aspirations. On this auspicious occasion of the Sikh New Year, may Waheguru bless you with happiness, success, and prosperity. Happy New Year! ! Wishing you a year filled with love, laughter, and prosperity. Happy Tamil New Year! ! May this Bengali New Year bring you new hope, new aspirations, and new achievements. Wishing you joy and success in the coming year. ! Happy Odia New Year to all. May this year bring you prosperity and happiness. Wishing all our Malayalam friends a Happy New Year filled with love, laughter, and prosperity. May this year be a wonderful journey of success and growth. ! Happy Tripura New Year to everyone celebrating. May this year be filled with joy, peace, and prosperity. May the blessings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji be with you on this Sikh New Year. Wishing you and your family happiness, peace, and prosperity in the coming year. ! May this Tamil New Year bring you abundant happiness, success, and prosperity. Have a wonderful year ahead! ! Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with joy, prosperity, and success. May this Bengali New Year bring you closer to your dreams. ! Happy Odia New Year to all. May this year be filled with happiness and prosperity. Wishing all our Malayalam friends a Happy New Year filled with love, peace, and prosperity. May this year bring you closer to your goals and dreams. ! Happy Tripura New Year to everyone celebrating. May this year be filled with happiness, success, and prosperity. On this Sikh New Year, may Guru Gobind Singh Ji bless you with strength, courage, and wisdom. Wishing you a year filled with joy and prosperity. ! Wishing you a Happy Tamil New Year filled with happiness, prosperity, and success. May this year be auspicious and joyful for you and your family. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Ugadi 2024: The festival of Ugadi will be celebrated in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on April 9. Ugadi marks the beginning of the Telugu New Year. In Karnataka, the New Year will also be celebrated the same day and the Kannada New Year is celebrated as Yugadi. The day is also observed as Gudi Padwa by Marathis and the Konkani Hindus. The day marks the start of the harvest season for rabi crops. Ugadi 2024: Date, Time And Muhurat According to Drikpanchang, Ugadi will be celebrated on April 9 this year. The Pratipada Tithi starts at 11:50 PM on April 8, 2024, and ends at 8:30 PM on April 9, 2024. Ugadi, Gudi Padwa Bank Holiday: Banks Will Be Closed In These States. Check All Details Here All About Ugadi - a New Year celebration Ugadi is a special celebration for people in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana states in India. The word Ugadi comes from Sanskrit and means the start of a new age. It's celebrated on the first day of the Hindu calendar month called Chaitra, which usually falls in March or April. According to tradition, it's believed that Lord Brahma began creating the Earth's elements on this day. People get ready for Ugadi almost a week earlier by cleaning their homes and buying new clothes and gifts for their family. They start their day with a special bath, followed by an oil treatment, and then go to the temple to pray for good health and prosperity in the new year. A special dish called pachadi is made and enjoyed in every home. Pachadi includes sweet, salty, bitter, and sour flavors, symbolizing that life brings various experiences. Ugadi is also seen as an auspicious day to start new ventures like businesses, buying homes, or vehicles. The festival's message is about embracing all experiences in lifehappiness, sadness, failure, and successand making the most of them. Why Ugadi is Called New Year? The word Ugadi or Yugadi has been derived from the Sanskrit words Yuga (Age or period) and Adhi (beginning). So, Ugadi refers to the beginning of a new year. An interesting fact related to Ugadi is that the country of Mauritius, which has a sizable Hindu population, treats the day as a public holiday. How is Ugadi or Telugu New Year Celebrated in India? Here's a list of customs and traditions observed during the Ugadi festival: 1. People draw beautiful rangoli designs called kolamulus on the floor and decorate their doors with mango leaves, known as toranalu. 2. Tying mango leaves on doors is believed to bring general well-being and a good crop, as Kartik and Ganesha, sons of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, loved mangoes. 3. Idols of Gods and Goddesses are cleaned with oil on Ugadi. 4. People exchange gifts such as new clothes, sweets, and jewelry as tokens of love and care. 5. Offering charity to the poor and needy is a significant tradition during the Ugadi festival. 6. People gather to hear the recitation of the religious Panchangam of the New Year and the forecast for the coming year, known as Panchanga Sravanam. 7. A beneficial juice is prepared by mixing neem flowers, jaggery water, and mango scraps, consumed on an empty stomach after the pujas. 8. Special dishes and sweets like Bobbatu, Atukulu Payasam, Pulihora, Nimmakaya Annam, and Rava Pulihora are prepared and enjoyed by family members. 9. Street processions, traditional dance performances, and flag-waving are part of the festivities on Ugadi. Best Happy Sikh, Tamil, Bengali, Odia, Malayalam, Tripura New Year wishes and messages Welcome to a celebration of diverse cultures and traditions! As we embrace the dawn of new beginnings, we extend heartfelt wishes to our Sikh, Tamil, Bengali, Odia, Malayalam, and Tripura friends on their respective New Year festivities. In this tapestry of joy and unity, we rejoice in the richness of our cultural heritage. May this auspicious time bring boundless happiness, prosperity, and peace to each heart and home. Together, let us cherish the values of love, harmony, and togetherness as we embark on a journey filled with hope and promise. Join us in spreading warmth and good cheer as we celebrate the spirit of New Year across vibrant communities. May this Sikh New Year bring you abundant joy, prosperity, and peace. Wishing you a year filled with blessings and success ahead! Warmest greetings to all our Tamil friends on this New Year! May the coming year be filled with happiness, good health, and prosperity for you and your loved ones. ! Wishing all our Bengali friends a joyful and prosperous New Year. May this year bring you endless opportunities and happiness. ! Happy Odia New Year to all. May this year be filled with love, laughter, and success. Wishing all our Malayalam friends a Happy New Year filled with prosperity, health, and joy. May this year be as beautiful and colorful as the blooming flowers of Kerala! ! Happy Tripura New Year to everyone celebrating. May this year bring you closer to your dreams and aspirations. On this auspicious occasion of the Sikh New Year, may Waheguru bless you with happiness, success, and prosperity. Happy New Year! ! Wishing you a year filled with love, laughter, and prosperity. Happy Tamil New Year! ! May this Bengali New Year bring you new hope, new aspirations, and new achievements. Wishing you joy and success in the coming year. ! Happy Odia New Year to all. May this year bring you prosperity and happiness. Wishing all our Malayalam friends a Happy New Year filled with love, laughter, and prosperity. May this year be a wonderful journey of success and growth. ! Happy Tripura New Year to everyone celebrating. May this year be filled with joy, peace, and prosperity. May the blessings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji be with you on this Sikh New Year. Wishing you and your family happiness, peace, and prosperity in the coming year. ! May this Tamil New Year bring you abundant happiness, success, and prosperity. Have a wonderful year ahead! ! Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with joy, prosperity, and success. May this Bengali New Year bring you closer to your dreams. ! Happy Odia New Year to all. May this year be filled with happiness and prosperity. Wishing all our Malayalam friends a Happy New Year filled with love, peace, and prosperity. May this year bring you closer to your goals and dreams. ! Happy Tripura New Year to everyone celebrating. May this year be filled with happiness, success, and prosperity. On this Sikh New Year, may Guru Gobind Singh Ji bless you with strength, courage, and wisdom. Wishing you a year filled with joy and prosperity. ! Wishing you a Happy Tamil New Year filled with happiness, prosperity, and success. May this year be auspicious and joyful for you and your family. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Relationship Tips: How about having a drink on the rocks with your partner to make your relationship better and long lasting. Pinterest couples who share similar drinking habits As per a study, published in the journal the Gerontologist, couples who drink together and who have similar drinking habits are more likely to live longer and have a healthier relationship. Kira Birditt, author of the study and a professor at the University of Michigan, explained that couples who share similar drinking habits, known as a "drinking partnership" in alcohol research, tend to experience fewer marital conflicts and enjoy longer-lasting relationships. However, researchers remain uncertain about the exact reasons why drinking with a spouse correlates with improved survival rates. Also Read: Long Distance Love: 9 Tips For Couples To Keep Their Relationship Strong Pinterest In a U-M press release, she said, The purpose of this study was to look at alcohol use in couples in the [universitys] Health and Retirement Study and the implications for mortality." Pinterest The key factor in any study regarding alcohol consumption and relationship satisfaction is moderation. Healthy relationships are built on mutual respect, communication, trust, and shared values, rather than relying on alcohol consumption as a measure of happiness. As with any aspect of life, moderation and understanding one's limits are key to maintaining a happy and fulfilling relationship. Also Read: Here Are 9 Signs That Tell If Someone Is Thinking About You Did you know that some big companies in rich countries send their jobs to other countries to save money? Yup, it's true! They pay people in countries like Southeast Asia and South America less money to do the same job, and sometimes even more work! company is called happy cashier no website but operating in 5 asian fast food places in new york city brett goldstein (@thatguybg) April 6, 2024 So, there's this guy named Brett Goldstein who's into starting businesses and knows a bunch about tech stuff. He recently shared a bunch of stuff on X (which used to be Twitter) about meeting a worker. But get this, the worker was all the way in the Philippines, and yet, they were working as a cashier in New York! this is insane cashier is literally zooming into nyc from the philippines pic.twitter.com/opAyS8AYUs brett goldstein (@thatguybg) April 6, 2024 How did they do it? Well, they used super cool video calls to connect to the store. Goldstein's posts on X show how companies are now sending jobs like being a cashier, receptionist, shop helper, and even security guard to faraway places. In South America I saw this too A LOT Many hotels, shops and office buildings had remote security people and doormen You can see them and they can see you Not sure where they work from but might as well be the cheapest country in South America (or the world!) Remote jobs https://t.co/fAlBYkIlJZ pic.twitter.com/Li9YlztaAk @levelsio (@levelsio) April 7, 2024 Goldstein talked about his chat with the Filipino cashier, saying, "At first, I thought it was awesome. But now I'm starting to think about a future that's a bit scary. Imagine living in a city where none of the people you see in stores are real humans. It's like a punishment for not treating retail workers better." Someone else on X talked about how technology like this takes away jobs. They said, "We all know the story: machines take over jobs, but now the work is split between us (like using self-checkouts) and people in other countries who get paid very little." now lets use this tech to allow disabled people to work remotely instead of using it solely for cheap overseas labour!!! https://t.co/hoQrdBCXzF ellie middleton (@elliemidds) April 7, 2024 Another X user shared a video from Uruguay. It showed virtual workers helping out in lots of different businesses. They said, "I've seen this a lot in South America too! Many hotels, shops, and offices have remote workers doing jobs like security and being doormen. They can see us, and we can see them. We're not sure where they work from, but it's probably the cheapest place in South America, or even the whole world! Remote jobs are really going to the next level now." The Bombay High Court has rejected the Mumbai Motor Accident Claims Tribunal's argument that a road accident was an Act of God, and awarded compensation to the next of kin of the victim. The Bombay HC division bench of Justice AS Chandurkar and Justice Jitendra Jain made the observation while overturning a MACT ruling that denied compensation to the victims of a between a Maruti car and a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus in 1997. BCCL Accident happened in 1997 The car carrying four people met with a bus leaving all the occupants injured. While three of them later recovered, the owner of the car, who was also behind the wheel at the time of the mishap, Rajesh Shejpal had suffered serious injuries. He was hospitalised for nearly five months and remained bedridden till his death. Shejpal who was working as a deputy finance manager with Reliance Industries had approached MACT, initially seeking compensation of Rs 1 Crore, which was subsequently increased to Rs 10 Crore. Act of God However, in 2005 the MACT rejected the plea and held that since neither of the two drivers involved were at fault, the accident was an 'act of God'. BCCL Shejpal's family filed an appeal in the Bombay HC, which on April 4 rejected the notion of an 'act of God'. Why it was not an Act of God The two-judge bench noted that an 'act of God' would mean something that is not in control of the human being, but in this case, there was no averment like foggy weather and the collision was in the middle of the road. "Hence, it cannot be a case of an act of God and the principle of elimination applied by the tribunal is erroneous," the bench said. BCCL Both drivers partly at fault "The negligence has to be on the part of one or both the drivers. Therefore, the reasoning adopted by the tribunal cannot be sustained," the court said. The court further directed the New India Assurance Company and MSRTC to pay a compensation of Rs 40,34,000. Out of this, half of the amount -- 20.17 lakh was to be given to the family members of Shejpal as the court held him partly responsible for the accident. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. 100 people and 600 goats -- this is the population of Alicudi, a tiny Italian island in Sicily's Aeolian archipelago. The island which has a total area of 5.2 km has been dealing with an overpopulation of wild goats for some time now. To deal with this unusual crisis, local authorities have come up with an out-of-the-box solution. Unsplash Adopt a goat The mayor of Alicudi Riccardo Gullo has launched an "adopt-a-goat" program where anyone who can catch the goats can take them home for free, no matter how many. All that people have to do is to send an email request to the local government and pay a $17 (Rs 1400) "stamp fee". In return, they can take as many goats as they wish, as long as they transport them off the island within 15 days of approval. Unsplash Free to do whatever with the goat "Anyone can make a request for a goat, it doesn't have to be a farmer, and there are no restrictions on numbers," Gullo told The Guardian. While those taking the goas, away are free to do whatever they want with the animals Gullo said "Ideally, we would like to see people try to domesticate the animals rather than eat them." To keep goat numbers under check He said the scheme is currently available until April 10, but he will extend the deadline until the goat population is back down to a more manageable number. And the offer seems to be working as Gullo said he has received interest from dozens of people including a farmer from the nearby island of Vulcano, who produces goat cheese, since it was announced. Unsplash How goats ended up in Alicudi Goats were introduced on the tiny island only around 20 years ago when they were brought by someone who intended to breed them. But some of them managed to escape and became wild. The feral goat population soon exploded leading to the current crisis. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. On April 5, a leopard and bear were observed roaming a residential suburb in Yellanahalli, causing concern among Ooty residents. Video footage of the animals on a rooftop and scaling walls sparked safety worries. Where were the animals spotted in Ooty? Villagers in Yellanahalli were alarmed by the leopard | Image: ANI Villagers in Yellanahalli, alarmed by the leopard and bear sightings, have requested forest officials to seize the animals and place them in cages immediately. This, according to ANI, attempts to prevent such encounters and safeguard public safety. Who shared the video on the internet? Parveen Kaswan, an Indian Forest Service officer, published the video on the social media platform X, implying that the animals were holding a secret meeting. A bear was also spotted on the same night | Image: X Kaswan wrote: "Seems some secret meeting is taking place in that house. A leopard & bear decided to visit a house together near Ooty. Interesting !!" The sight of a leopard and bear on the loose has sent shivers down people' spines, forcing them to stay home. The video elicited various replies on the X platform. How did people on the internet react? Commenting on the video, one user remarked, "Trying to figure out what to do with these humans." Another user remarked, "Baloo and Bagheera probably visiting Mowgli" "It's Bagheera and Baloo figuring out how to save Mowgli from Sherkhan," the third user said. "There to attend their secret society meeting," the fourth user wrote. "For certainly, something drew both hungry wilds to the same dwelling. I'm guessing they threw some meat or food openly," the fifth user wrote. Check the viral video here. Seems some secret meeting is taking place in that house. A leopard & bear decided to visit a house together near Ooty. Interesting !! pic.twitter.com/3067fTx7QM Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 6, 2024 This is not the first time a leopard has been spotted near a residential area. Previously, two leopards were sighted roaming around Maharashtra's Nashik city, sparking concern among people. Forest officials have trapped one of the creatures while searching for the other. What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. The shortages are due to a combination of factors including the annual hunt for seasonal employees at the start of the tourist season, persistent skills gaps in the IT sector , and a shortage of hands in Greeces booming construction industry. Embattled former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Monday, rejected his impeachment. Shaibu who described the proceedings as a threat to democracy published a video via X shortly after the State House of Assembly panel voted to sack him from office for leaking state governments secrets. My good people of Edo State, I thank you all for standing by me in these troubling circumstances as the Deputy Governor of Edo State. Advertisement It is with a heavy heart, yet a resolute spirit, that I come before you to address the recent events that are unfolding in our dear state. I denounce, in strongest terms, the illegal impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly over trumped-up charges. It is a dangerous descent into dictatorship, Shaibu said in the video. This is not just an attack on me as an individual but on the democracy that we hold dear. It is a dangerous descend into dictatorship and a threat to the foundation of our democracy. Let it be clear that this impeachment was hatched because of my ambition to contest the Edo State 2024 governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. An ambition that is a legal right to all citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is a sad reality that in our political landscape, ambition is met with resistance. Those in power seek to silence opposition through illegitimate means. I have devoted my life to serving the good people of Edo state with integrity and honesty. I have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of our citizens. I have upheld the values of democracy and justice and yet in return, I am faced with baseless accusations and a blatant disregard for due process and the rule of law. The allegations brought against me are nothing more than a smokescreen to conceal the true motive behind this impeachment. Its a flagrant abuse of power and a betrayal of the trust the people of Edo have placed in their elected officials. READ ALSO: Stop Dragging Tinubu Into Your Corrruption Saga Gov Yusuf Tackles Ganduje, Demands EFCC Report On Dollar Video We refuse to stay inactive while our democratic institutions manipulate and exploit for personal gain. We will fight this injustice with every atom of strength in our veins for the sake of the people of Edo State and the future of democracy. I call upon all well-meaning citizens of Edo and indeed all Nigerians who believe in the principle of democracy and justice to stand with us in this moment of crisis. We cannot allow tyranny operation to take root in our society, we must resist the forces that seek to undermine our freedom and trample upon our rights. He however appealed to the judiciary to ensure justice prevails, saying, To the members of the Edo State House of Assembly who have chosen to forsake their oath of office and partake in this charade, I say this, history will judge harshly for your betrayal of the people who elected you to represent their interests. But know this, you do not have the power to silence the voice of justice and truth. I call upon the judiciary and all relevant authorities to intervene and uphold the principles of justice and fairness. Let the truth prevail over lies. Let the rule of law triumph over lawlessness. I am confident that the legal system will vindicate me and expose the sham that has been orchestrated against me. Immediately after his sack, Governor Godwin Obaseki appointed Omobayo Godwin, as his new Deputy. Omobayo, an engineer who hails from Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the State was born on July 19, 1986. The 38-year-old holds a B.Eng degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and an MSc in Public Administration from the University of Benin. He is a registered member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria. Before his new appointment, he served as a Senior Maintenance Engineer at Dresser Wayne West Africa Limited, with operations in the South-South area, providing top-notch services and growing the business in the region. The engineeer has since been sworn in by the Edo State Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa. In his speech, Omobayo said he would support Governor Godwin Obaseki to finish strong in his second term. Omobayo contested as the Labour Party candidate for Federal House of Representatives seat in Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency during the 2023 elections. The spokesperson for the Senate, Yemi Adaramodu, has said that only the Red Chamber has the right to decide on the suspension of one of its members, representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi. Recall that Ningi was suspended by the Senate for alleging that the National Assembly padded the 2024 Renewed Hope Budget with the total sum of N3.7tn. READ MORE: Ningis Suspension Not My Decision Akpabio Replies Falana Advertisement However, his suspension came after a motion by Senator Adeola Solomon, Ogun West, moved against the Bauchis lawmaker, over a breach of privilege. Meanwhile, responding to whether Ningi had been reinstated, the Senate spokesperson said:Only the Senate has the statutory power to reinstate Ningi. Senator Ningi was collectively suspended by the Senate and there is no decision that can be taken unless the Senate resumes. The Senate is currently on recess and no decision can be taken while the Senate is still on break. He was suspended in the open, in the presence of everyone, with the involvement of 108 other lawmakers and Ningi himself. So, a decision cannot be taken haphazardly. The Edo State House of Assembly, on Monday, reportedly sacked the embattled state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the development came following the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the state Chief Judge to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu. The panel was headed by Justice S.A. Omonua (retd.), and it ended its sitting on Friday after Shaibu failed to appear before it. Advertisement He was probed on allegations of perjury and leaking of governments secrets. The panel had adjourned till Thursday for Shaibu to open his defence, and when he didnt show up, he was given till Friday to come and defend the allegation against him, which he failed to do. However, the state assembly, which is the petitioner in the case, had opened and closed its case, paving the way for Shaibu to defend the allegations levelled against him. READ MORE: Edo Assembly Moves To Impeach Philip Shaibu As Deputy Governor Shaibus counsel, Oladoyin Awoyale, attended the Wednesday (the opening day) sitting but excused himself in the middle of the hearing after the panel refused his prayer to suspend the proceedings pending the outcome of a suit filed in Abuja by Shaibu challenging the impeachment move against him. Omonuwa upheld the opposition to the suspension prayer by the Assembly, represented by its Deputy Clerk, Joe Ohiafi. After Awoyale excused himself, Ohiafi went on to state the Assemblys case against Shaibu. Shaibu and his boss, Godwin Obaseki have been having loggerhead for many months, as ago. People believed that the Deputy Governor is facing the struggle due to what they described as over ambitious attitude toward the next governorship election. Shaibu, under the umbrella of Peoples Democratic Party, is contesting with Obasekis anointed candidate, Asue Ighodalo. Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, on Sunday, reacted to the latest increase in electricity tariff, suggesting that the Federal Government eliminated electricity subsidies in 2022. Speaking on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics, Falana said that Nigerians are paying for the inefficiency and incompetence of those managing the power sector. Advertisement As far as the federal government of Nigeria is concerned, electricity subsidy ended in 2022. What they are now doing, is to make Nigerians pay for the inefficiency, for the profligacy and the incompetence of those who are managing the electricity sector in Nigeria, Falana said. His comment comes just as Nigerians continue to lament the latest increase in tariff. He added: Under that law, there are certain steps to take and we are going to embark on those steps tomorrow (Monday) which is to raise serious objections with respect to the impunity that has characterised the recent increase. READ ALSO: Things Nigerians Must Do To Keep Dollar Below N1300 Reno Omokri At the appropriate time if there is no response, we will have to go to court because the government had warned, the minister had warned that the increase this time around will only fetch the government or the discos N1.6trn whereas the destination is N3trn. So, the poor people that he (the minister) is talking about, the other bands, very soon, the government is going to extend the increases to them so that the N1.4trn the minister is talking about will be recovered. They (the government) are increasing tariff to assist the cash-strapped discos majority of which have now been taken over by the banks and AMCON, and the banks and AMCON have no competence to run electricity companies. The Presidency has reacted to claims of the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu puts personal business interests before Nigerian Infrastructure. Atiku had alleged that the Tinubu administration is engaged in questionable dealings amidst the development of the 700km Lagos-Calabar coastal highway. Advertisement Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who faulted former Atikus comments on Sunday, described it as erroneous and irresponsible. So what Atiku has done is just an attempt to run down the government. Its unwarranted and very irresponsible of them to have said what they said. READ ALSO: Best Alternative To PDP, APC Is NNPP Kwankwaso They are confusing many things. Number one, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road was never awarded by Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari. It is a new project. So all these he is talking about, Jonathan awarding it to the China Civil Engineering Construction Company at N1.97bn, was about the rail line from Lagos to Calabar, not the coastal road. They collated a lot of errors in the race to denigrate Bola Tinubu. They didnt get it right. Comparing the cost is unfounded. They are not related, Onanuga told The Punch. In fact, it will make the journey from Lagos to Calabar short by I think about 200 kilometres. So, how can anyone in his right mind attack a project or an administration doing such a project that would better our country? The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. What the Federal Executive Council has approved is just the first phase. The same Federal Executive Council will approve the second, third, or fourth phases. This project has four or five phases. Who says the next one wont start from Calabar? he queried. Atiku Abubakar, Former Vice-President, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu placed his personal business interest ahead of Nigerians with the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project. The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party spoke in a statement signed by Paul Ibe, his media adviser, on Sunday. Advertisement According to him, the 700-kilometre (km) Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Limited (Hitech), owned by Gilbert Chagoury. Abubakar, who said Tinubus administration has inadvertently revealed its penchant for dubious and shady deals through the project, described Chagoury as Tinubus business partner. More curious is the fact that the entire pilot phase of this project begins and ends in Lagos, especially within the axis of Bola Tinubus business interests. It is no secret that both Tinubu and Chagoury are business partners. This same Hitech, owned by Chagoury, was unable to complete the 50km Lekki-Epe Expressway. Despite installing two tollgates along the axis, Hitech which was part of the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) consortium was only able to construct about 20km, forcing the Lagos State Government to buy it back at the cost of N7.5 billion ($50 million at the time) in 2013 which came at a loss to the people of Lagos. Tinubu has once again put his personal business interest ahead of that of the Nigerian people in violation of his oath of office where he swore that I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions, Abubakar said. The estimated Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, he noted, could cost the Federal Government N15.7 trillion. He said the estimate is based on the N1.06 trillion earmarked for 47.47 kilometres (km) (pilot phase) of the coastal highway by Dave Umahi, Minister of Works. But if 47.47km costs about N1.06tn, it means each kilometre is being built at N22.5 billion or $18 million. For a project that is going to be 700km, it means the total cost could be N15.7 trillion or $12.56 billion, which is higher than previous estimates, he said. Atiku recalled that in September 2023, Umahi assured that the project wont cost Nigeria a penny after the project was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Limited, adding that the agreement between the company and the Federal Government was a public-private partnership (PPP). He said Hitech would build, operate and transfer, meaning after operating it for some years and recouping its investment through tollgates, the company will hand over to the Nigerian government. READ ALSO: Leadership Crisis: Im For Peace, Not Leaving Labour Party Obi Replies NLC Umahi, on September 23, 2023, had said the company had already found the money needed to finance the project, however, Abubakar said in March 2024, the minister returned to federal executive council (FEC) with a memo, seeking the approval of N1.06 trillion that would be paid to Chagourys firm for the first phase of the project which is wholly in Lagos. Umahi refused to reveal how much the project would cost. He only explained that it would run through nine states and would have a rail road running through the middle. Most importantly, the works minister said the project would come at zero cost to Nigeria, which is currently facing an all-time high level of debt, he said. The works minister even stated, Let me announce that it is under public-private partnership. The Hitech group are going to look for the money. They have already found the money, and that is the good news because we dont waste our time talking and holding meetings and wasting resources. Abubakar said because the project did not require public funds, it did not go through approval from the national assembly, which holds the power of appropriation. Also, Abubakar said the project only went through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) with no record of competitive bidding because Hitech was to fund the project 100 percent. This pilot phase was to begin from the edge of Chagourys Eko Atlantic City on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, and terminate at the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Ibeju-Lekki, a distance of 47.47km. Till date, the Tinubu administration has refused to reveal how much the project will cost in total. Umahi, who even came on Channels Television recently, evaded questions as to the total cost of the project, he said. Abubakar condemned the Tinubu-led government for not disclosing the total cost of the project as done by Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buharis administrations, saying it has been shrouded in secrecy. He said Tinubus administration has significantly increased the cost of the project, from $11.97 billion negotiated by Jonathans government with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the $11.1 billion later agreed on after Buharis administration renegotiated. This project returned to public discourse at the twilight of the Goodluck Jonathan administration in November 2014 wherein it was announced President Jonathan had signed the 10-state, 22-station project with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) at a cost of $11.97bn. However, former President Jonathan could not begin the project before he lost the election. But his successor, former President Muhammadu Buhari expressed his intention to begin it and announced in 2016 that the project had been renegotiated downward by $800m to $11.1bn and that it would be ready within three years. But it continued to stall. In August 2021, while Buhari was on vacation, it was announced by then Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, that the FEC had approved the memo for the ratification of the presidents approval for the award of the $11.1 billion project, and that it would be completed in six years. But nothing was done, he added. International Breweries Plc (IBPLC), a proud member of AB InBev, the worlds largest brewer with over 500 beer brands, has concluded its one-year Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) programme in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The pioneering initiative, aimed at promoting responsible drinking and discouraging harmful use of alcohol, was successfully concluded leaving a positive impact on communities and members. The RBS initiative by International Breweries was conceived by the AB InBev Foundation, the programmes sponsor. It delivered targeted training to bar owners and managers through comprehensive sessions, simultaneously breathing new life into local communities via initiatives like clean-up exercises. The intervention programme aimed to mitigate alcohol-related harms attributed to problems such as drunk driving, underage drinking, binge drinking, and alcohol consumption by pregnant women. These efforts were focused on encouraging positive drinking habits and mitigating the adverse effects of abusive alcohol consumption. Advertisement During the exercise, the team engaged in various outreach programmes, including health sensitisation sessions for pregnant women and those of reproductive age at the Model Primary Health Centre in Orogbum. Executive training sessions were also conducted for members of the Association of Hotel Owners and Managers at the Mimi Fish and Lounge, Old Aba Road, Rumuomasi. The initiative also extended its revitalisation efforts to Ambassador Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumene, amongst other institutions. In Rivers State, the initiative saw 302 proprietors and administrators of alcohol service establishments get equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively implement responsible beverage service. 387 servers, bar attendants, and security personnel were also trained on RBS practices, resulting in improved service delivery in the hospitality sector. The RBS project impacted a total of 9,667 persons directly and an estimated 101,663, amounting to about 5% of the population of the target Local Government Areas. Mrs Edna Tekena, a bar manager who attended the training session expressed her gratitude to IBPLC for enlightening her on the dangers inherent in excessive alcohol consumption. According to her, I appreciate International Breweries Plc for the Responsible Beverage Service training. After the training, I stopped serving pregnant women requesting for alcohol and I have been educating them on the dangers of consuming alcohol while pregnant. I encourage them to abstain for the sake of having healthy babies. One of the pregnant women who benefited from the AB InBev-sponsored RBS campaign, Mrs Gladys Onoh, said When I was pregnant my doctor warned me to stay away from alcohol because of the baby but when International Breweries Responsible Beverage Service came to my area in Port Harcourt with the same message I was reminded to take it seriously. Today, anytime I look at my baby I am glad I listened. I am grateful to AB InBev Foundation and International Breweries for this initiative. On his part, James Ogunro, a hotel owner said he has learnt how to best manage his business as an entrepreneur. I have a better rapport with our customers as I have been equipped to manage and enlighten them on the benefits of consuming alcohol responsibly, thanks to the training I attended courtesy of the responsible beverage service programme by the AB InBev Foundation. Corporate Affairs Manager, Corporate Affairs and Regulatory Department, International Breweries Plc, Damian Igwe emphasised the significance of the Responsible Beverage Service programme. At International Breweries, we believe in promoting responsible consumption, and our commitment goes beyond making great products and profits; its also about ensuring our products are consumed responsibly because we thrive when our communities thrive. We are satisfied with the outcome of this intervention where we have been able to train 689 people in the two years of running the programme in Lagos and Rivers states. Our training initiatives are evidence-based and backed by an evaluation and monitoring system that helps us to record progress made, he said. In 2015, AB InBev launched the Global Smart Drinking Goals, with a target to reduce harmful alcohol use by at least 10% in six cities by the end of 2020, this objective was successfully achieved. In Nigeria, following the first phase of success in Lagos, over 10,000 individuals across five local governments Ibeju Lekki LGA, Amuwo-Odofin LGA, Surulere LGA, Eti-Osa LGA, and Kosofe LGA benefited from the RBS initiative in 2022; Port-Harcourt was selected as one of the cities for the second phase roll-out which has now been completed. Through its collaboration with relevant stakeholders such as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Beer Sectorial Group (BSG), International Breweries Plc has embarked on roadshows, outreaches, and sensitisation initiatives that have impacted over 15 million people nationwide while educating them on responsible alcohol consumption. By the end of 2025, IBPLC aims to extend this global best practice by further impacting communities positively and fostering a culture of responsible drinking in Rivers State. Through the support of the ABInBev Foundation, International Breweries through its many smart drinking initiatives has been contributing to the goals of the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), and the Worldwide Brewing Alliance (WBA) in promoting responsible consumption. Ayo Makun, often known as AY, a Nigerian comedian and actor, has confirmed that his marriage to Mabel Makun has ended. In a lengthy message on his Instagram page, he advised the audience not to assume that being loud is strong and being quiet is weak. He acknowledged that he has found himself doing things he is not proud of today, and it is terrible to see his 20-year friendship and marriage slip away from him. Advertisement However, it is another matter for the people involved to comprehend how to assign blame in an environment where most women are expected to constantly play the victim and win. He admitted that neither he nor his wife are fully innocent, and that he enjoys the speed with which lies about him spread on blogs. READ MORE: Please Let Idris Go Home, But Leave Bobrisky In Detention Verydarkman Tells EFCC He penned, Never assume that loud is strong and quiet is weak. Many people believe that staying silent simply means that one is incapable of dealing with issues. Projecting a negative narrative against someone who is not struggling to defend himself doesnt mean he is weak. Some of us are just logical enough to understand the difference between opinions, values, beliefs, and facts. The personality and ability that I possess simply confirm that I have reached that stage in my life where I can not be entertaining the public with deep personal family issues. They just might be too much to handle concerning the individuals involved. Not even when I have a grown-up daughter who has access to social media. Her mental health needs to be protected from seeing things she can not be proud of online. Yes! Without compromising my family, I have found myself doing some things that I am not proud of today. It is one thing to watch my friendship/ marriage of 20 years slip off my hands, but its another thing for the parties involved to understand how to appropriate the blame in a space that is designed for most women to always play the victims and win. I can tell you for free that no one is completely INNOCENT enough to cast stones. Presently, I am loving the way that lies about me in all these blogs are traveling faster than the truth. But my painful truth will eventually beat away all the lies. Ruth Kadiri, a well-known actress and filmmaker, has issued a stern warning to her colleagues, telling them not to recruit her artists for film jobs. She stated that they purchase YouTube views and should thus avoid her artists, without naming the specifics. Advertisement The filmmaker, known for her prolific YouTube video production and distribution, issued the warning on her Instagram story, saying they should either organically expand their channel or groom their own artists. READ MORE: Married Women Should Stop Telling Single Ladies That Marriage Is Hard Janemena Cautions She wrote: If you know youre one of those buying views on YouTube! Stop calling my artist!! I will not work for you to destroy! Once they appear on your channel, their rpms become messed up! I will not warn you again! If you cannot grow organically, groom your own casts. Thanks. Just a few years ago, a prompt was something English teachers used for homework assignments, which filled up weekends and kept students inside on sunny days. Now it seems were all teachers, tasked with distributing perfect prompts that direct large language models to do our bidding. These prompts are also endowed with the power to ruin weekends, but its not the machines that are suffering. The power of prompts can seem downright magical. We toss off a few words that approximate a human language and, voila! Back comes a nicely formatted, well-structured answer to whatever question we asked. No topic is too obscure and no fact is out of our reach. At least as long as its part of the training corpus and approved by the models shadowy controllers. Now that weve been doing this for a while, though, some of us have started noticing that the magic of prompting is not absolute. Our instructions dont always produce what we wanted. Some magic spells work better than others. Now that the first quarter of this year is history, insiders of China's A-share market are convinced the challenges and chaos that seemed daunting at the beginning of the new year remain stiff, with quick solutions appearing unlikely. Investors' nerve was initially shaken by the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index sinking to below 2,700 points. The bumpy trading eventually ended in early February with the "national team" mainly the sovereign wealth fund's investment arm Central Huijin injecting more liquidity and regulators straightening up trading rules. This helped the SCI regain the psychological fulcrum of 3,000 points shortly after Spring Festival in early February. While trading becomes active again as indexes rise, talk on the high-quality development of the A shares, on which will depend a sustained long-term bull market, has picked up heat again. Looking back at the chaos at the beginning of the year, market mavens blamed it all on inadequate market liquidity. The collective redemption of mutual fund products due to their declining net asset value, the collective knock-in of auto-callable notes (meaning investors needed to increase investment or confront forced closing of positions for this structured product) and the closing positions for many margin trading-based products, had dragged down the SCI and seriously impaired market sentiment, resulting in panic and a sell-off. Now, the focus has shifted to the anticipated introduction of a stock market stabilization fund. Liu Yuhui, a council member of the China Chief Economist Forum, compared today's Chinese stock market to a "voting machine" that reflects investor confidence. The anticipated market stabilization fund, or even a simple announcement about its introduction, will likely profoundly improve investor sentiment, he said. "When the market is jittery, the stabilization fund may not make any move at all. The fund itself serves as a symbol of bolstered confidence. People do not really care about how much money is poured into the stabilization fund. The felt solid government presence behind the fund is what investors truly value," he said. Market entities, nevertheless, have their own expectations of the fund's corpus. CITIC Securities estimates that a stabilization fund valued between 2 trillion yuan ($277 billion) and 5 trillion yuan will be enough as such a fund usually takes up 3 percent to 6 percent of the stock market value in other mature markets. "The introduction of a stabilization fund is quite necessary and China is ready for that," said Li Xunlei, chief economist of Zhongtai Securities. Another hot topic to figure in market buzz is the possible replacement of the current T+1 trading mechanism with a T+0 mechanism after the A-share market stabilizes. The T+0 system will allow purchase and sale of the same shares within the day. Independent stock market analyst Pi Haizhou said one major merit of the T+0 mechanism is that it can largely increase investors' capital efficiency and boost trading activity. He Qiang, a professor of the School of Finance at the Central University of Finance and Economics, said the T+0 mechanism can help retail investors to reduce losses by taking prompt corrective action upon wrong moves. Trials can be first undertaken for trading blue-chip large-caps or at the Beijing Stock Exchange, the youngest of the bourses on the Chinese mainland, he said. "Futures trading, which entails higher risks, is conducted under the T+0 mechanism all over the world, only to avoid risks by reducing losses on a daily basis," he said. Tian Xuan, associate dean of Tsinghua University's PBC School of Finance. said that the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses are the only two exchanges using the T+1 trading mechanism. The T+0 mechanism is adopted at 42 stock exchanges across the world. "Under the T+1 mechanism, institutional investors can use stock index futures, exchange-traded fund arbitrage and reverse margin trading to cover losses or even seek gains on days of higher market fluctuations. But retail investors are deprived of such choices. They are not able to make up for or reduce their losses under the current T+1 mechanism within the day once they make mistakes," said Tian. "This is contrary to the principle of market fairness, and is not conducive to the financial market's stability." Tian further said China briefly used the T+0 mechanism at the beginning of its modern-era stock market. But it shifted to T+1 in 1995 due to the then inadequate supervision and legal system and the limited choices in the stock market. "But the Chinese capital market has made substantial progress over the past decade. The supervision, legal system, investable target and financial tools have all been completed. I think it is time to talk about restoring the T+0 mechanism," he said. Voices are growing that China should improve its listed companies' quality. Part of regulators' efforts to address such concerns has been to tighten their grip over IPOs. This, many market mavens said, can help control the quality at the very beginning. One month after taking over as chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Wu Qing was outspoken in his criticism of questionable market practices. During a news conference at this year's two sessions in early March, he said "profiteering should not be the purpose of IPOs". That was in keeping with his reputation of being a no-nonsense official: Wu was known for his stern attitude toward violations and illegal activities during his earlier stints at the top market watchdog. "While adhering to laws and regulations, stricter evaluation of IPO registration must be taken," said Wu. On Aug 27, the CSRC had announced that it will tighten the pace of IPOs. Only 26 IPOs had been reported as of March 22, down nearly 50 percent year-on-year. But at least 670 companies have been waiting for the CSRC's evaluation of their IPO applications. In an unprecedented development, at least 75 companies have withdrawn their IPO applications on their own till date. "In some cases, IPO had come to mean large-scale profit distribution. Under such circumstances, self-discipline will not suffice as stakeholders will be easily enticed by huge profits," said Xue Hongyan, deputy director of the Star Atlas Institute of Finance. In this sense, a tighter grip over who enters the Chinese stock market is quite important. It is with a clearer accountability mechanism and strengthened punishment that people violating laws and regulations may eventually face the results of bankruptcy. Only serious crackdowns can deter fraudulent issuances or financial frauds, said Xue. Both entry into and exit from the A-share market should be improved, experts said. At the March news conference during the two sessions, Wu of the CSRC said that stricter delisting standards will be adopted to ensure that the disqualified ones will be removed from the market. The regulator will also encourage weak or unhealthy companies to delist voluntarily, he said. By March 29, six companies had delisted this year, on a par with the quarterly high reached in the first quarter of 2021. Yang Chengzhang, chief economist of Shenwan Hongyuan Securities, said delisting criteria should be differentiated for different A-share boards. Private equity firms and secondary funds should be more actively included in the regional equity trading markets so that over-the-counter market can receive delisted companies. "Delisting is of much importance in advancing the high-quality development of the Chinese capital market. More attention should be directed to delisting and companies' restructuring so that supply and demand can be more reasonably balanced in the stock market," he said. "Efforts should be made to help local governments, companies and investors understand delisting in a more comprehensive way. Delisting is just a common practice in the capital market. It should not be considered a smirch on companies' reputation or business." Regional financial regulators in Beijing and Shanghai were in the spotlight in late March, mainly because of their on-site inspections of a large number of mutual funds. Although they clarified that these were regular inspections, "not raids", their actions were conducted shortly after the CSRC said in a guideline released on March 15 that daily supervision, on-site inspections and law enforcement should be strengthened. Data from the Asset Management Association of China showed that the size of the Chinese mutual fund market had approached 30 trillion yuan by the end of February. Up to 200 million Chinese had invested in the country's stock market, and 600 million Chinese had accessed the capital market by purchasing fund products sold via various platforms, said Yang Delong, chief economist of Shenzhen-based First Seafront Fund. "Therefore, the sound development of the Chinese capital market is not only about the wallets of hundreds of millions of Chinese, but also the sustainability of societal development. Supervision should be strengthened and confidence should be consolidated," Yang said. shijing@chinadaily.com.cn Ana Maria Tolomello is escorted out of the Bucks County Courthouse after pleading guilty Monday to third-degree murder. Read more A Bucks County woman admitted Monday that she killed her longtime boyfriend, a popular Chalfont pizzeria owner, by shooting him in the head, and then hid his body for nearly two weeks in the bedroom of the house they shared. Ana Maria Tolomello, 50, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the 2022 death of Giovanni Gallina, owner of Pinas Pizzeria and her longtime beau. Advertisement After killing Gallina, Tolomello wrapped his body in bed linens and a tarp, disposed a bloody mattress from the crime scene, and hired a contractor to dig a hole in her driveway that was roughly the size of a makeshift grave, according to prosecutors. The contractor grew suspicious and alerted authorities, leading to her arrest. She initially told investigators she shot Gallina in self-defense, saying he had been choking her in the moments before she killed him on March 16, 2022, but that story quickly unraveled. Tolomello admitted her guilt Monday on what was expected to be the first day of her murder trial. A plea offer from Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Rees allowed her to avoid the possibility of a life sentence if convicted of first-degree murder. Instead, she is expected to be sentenced in coming weeks to 18-to-40 years in state prison. Tolomellos attorney, Antonetta Stancu, said after Mondays brief hearing that the case was complicated from the beginning, and a challenging one to present to a jury. I think that she recognizes the challenges and the fact this was a fair offer in the case, Stancu said, in explaining Tolomellos decision. Rees, the prosecutor, said the plea offer was reached in consultation with Gallinas family, including his son and daughter. They recognize that no sentence and no conviction will result in their father coming back in their lives, he said. But when they factored in all the components of this plea and everything we know about this case and the defendant, they ultimately agreed this was a just outcome. Regulars at Gallinas pizzeria grew concerned when the 65-year-old owner suddenly stopped showing up at the restaurant. When people including his family in Italy asked Tolomello about his whereabouts, she simple told them he was away, and said she hadnt seen him in some time, prosecutors said. In truth, his corpse was in the home the couple shared. For 13 days after the shooting, Tolomello kept Gallinas corpse in their bedroom, wrapped tightly in bed linens and a tarp. Detectives found Gallinas bound body in the master bedroom. Tolomello later told them she cleaned up after the crime and hauled the blood-soaked mattress away and put it in a dumpster outside Pinas Pizzeria, according to the affidavit of probable cause for her arrest. She called a local contractor and asked him to dig a very specific hole on her property: 7 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. That would be her undoing, prosecutors said. That contractor was the brother of a local police officer, and contacted Bucks County investigators after growing suspicious of Tolomellos request, particularly when she declined his offer to fill in the hole and told him she would do it herself. When investigators came to Tolomellos house with a search warrant on the day she had planned to bury Gallina, prosecutors said, she said she knew why they were there and led them to his body. A 3-year-old girl who unintentionally shot herself with her fathers unsecured gun over the weekend has died, police said. The child, Kayden Barnes, found the weapon on a dresser inside of her home on the 500 block of East Chelten Avenue, and fired it once, striking herself in the right eye, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore. Kaydens father found her, and rushed her in a private car to Einstein Medical Center, before she was airlifted to St. Christophers Hospital for Children. Advertisement Doctors worked to save the child, but her injuries were severe. Kayden died shortly after 2:30 a.m. Monday, Vanore said. The gun was registered to the girls father, who had a license to carry, said a law enforcement source with knowledge of the shooting. Vanore declined to discuss the particulars of the weapon. He said no one has been charged in the shooting, but investigators are reviewing evidence with the District Attorneys Office. READ MORE: The stories of children killed by guns in 2023 Experts have said that unintentional shootings of children are preventable as long as gun owners keep their weapons stored safely and securely inside their homes. Children are naturally curious and can easily find weapons hidden in places adults think may be secret. Research has shown that children as young as 2 are strong enough to pull the trigger, and that most know where a parent stores their weapons. Just last month, a 4-year-old girl in Northwest Philadelphia found a gun inside of a second-floor bedroom and shot herself in the abdomen. She was hospitalized in stable condition. And last summer, 2-year-old Diora Porter Brown was shot and killed after police said the girls 14-year-old cousin with an intellectual disability found his grandmothers gun inside an upstairs closet, then fired it, striking Diora in the head. The grandmother, Twanda Harmon, pleaded guilty last month to involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of children, and is scheduled to be sentenced in May. Pennsylvania has no law that requires a gun owner to store a weapon in a certain way. The Philadelphia Sheriffs Office, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, and Temple University Hospital all provide free gun locks to anyone in need, no questions asked. A 19-year-old rapper who was shot and killed in North Philadelphia over the weekend may have been unintentionally struck by a bullet fired from a member of his own crew, police say. Officers responded to the 2500 block of Harlan Street around 5:40 p.m. Sunday and found over a dozen shell casings from three different caliber guns, and a trail of blood down the block, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore. Advertisement Namir Jernigan, better known as local rapper Jumpout BM, had been shot in the head, and friends rushed him to Temple University Hospital, where he died three hours later, Vanore said. Police initially investigated the shooting as a homicide, but after recovering surveillance video from the scene, detectives believe it may have been an accident, Vanore said, declining to elaborate. But according to a law enforcement source with knowledge of the shooting, detectives believe Jernigan and two others were on the block to commit a shooting themselves. As the three fired down the street, one of the bullets unintentionally struck Jernigan in the head, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. The source said surveillance video recovered from the scene shows three men with guns getting out of a car and running around the corner. Within seconds, they are seen carrying Jernigans body to the car, then rushing him to the hospital. No weapons have been recovered. There is no video of the shooting, said the source, only the before and after but shell casings recovered from the scene were concentrated in one area, and there was no evidence that indicated someone fired back from down the block. No one else was struck by gunfire, the source said. Relatives of Jernigan could not be reached. Jernigan was a fairly well-known voice in Philadelphias drill rap scene. Just days ago, he released a song called Murder 1. Drill music has been on the rise in Philadelphia for the last five years and has become an increasing driver of shootings, alongside social media, police have said. The music, a subgenre of hip-hop that originated in Chicago in the mid-2010s, is known for lyrics depicting and sometimes glorifying violence. Drill is another word for a shooting. The style has become controversial some young people see it as a way to make money and gain recognition in the music industry, and as an outlet for young Black men to document the reality and struggles around the cycle of gun violence. READ MORE: How a mother, thrust into a West Philly gang war, defended her son at all costs But authorities say rappers have used it to antagonize members of rival crews and diss people whove died something that can fuel retaliatory shootings and further the pain of victims families. The result is that the city has seen multiple drill rappers killed or charged with murders in recent years. Sadiq Dove, better known as Deek Loko, was fatally shot in July, and Anthony Watson, a.k.a. Blumberg Geez, was shot and killed last year while on the run for a homicide. Among those accused of murder are Aysir Clarke, a.k.a. Lil Bape, who is charged with killing a 16-year-old; Semaj Nolan, a.k.a. Reek12Hunnit, who was convicted of killing two teens in one day; and Kyzir Reeves, or HopOutBlick, who is in custody after being charged in connection with a shooting that killed three teens last April. Jahlil Williams, a.k.a. 25st Bill, is set to go to trial next month on allegations he shot and killed a 14-year-old in 2021. President Joe Biden speaks about health care and prescription drug costs at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas in 2023. Read more The University of Pennsylvania and top research universities nationwide say a Biden administration proposal could make it harder, and possibly less lucrative, to license faculty inventions developed with government funding for research. The change is part of President Joe Bidens push to reduce prescription drug costs, including his widely watched plan for Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers for the first time. Advertisement A less publicized effort centers on the federal governments major role in paying for basic scientific research. A proposed change in regulatory guidance would make clear that high prices could be a factor in deciding to license taxpayer-funded drug patents to generic manufacturers as a way to cut drug prices it considers unreasonable. Prescription drug prices were 2.78 times higher in the United States in 2022 than in other comparable countries, Rand, a nonprofit research organization, reported in February. Top research universities nationwide, including Penn, have in public comments decried the proposed change. Penn says the new guidance would stifle commercialization efforts that have made the Philadelphia region a strong player in the development of new cell and gene therapies. Penn scientists developed a technology underlying the most common COVID-19 vaccines, resulting in more than a $1 billion in royalties for the university from licensing agreements. The proposal is already complicating negotiations with companies interested in licensing Penn inventions, the university said. READ MORE: How Penns chief innovation officer helps turn faculty research into a multibillion-dollar windfall Small impact expected If the change goes into effect, the tactic would work only for a small number of drugs, according to research by professors at Stanford and Arizona State published in March by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Thats because all the patents on a drug have to be based on government-funded research for federal regulators to have so-called march-in rights to license patents to a generic manufacturer. Thats rarely the case. Only 2.5% of the 883 new drugs the FDA approved from 1985 to 2022 are based only on public-sector patents, Stanford Law Schools Lisa Larrimore Ouellette and Arizona States Bhaven N. Sampat wrote. That totals just 22 drugs in nearly four decades. While the new march-in rules could be a tool to lower prices for a few drugs, their overall impact on prices or expenditures will likely be limited, they wrote. The researchers cited a high-cost prostate cancer treatment as a rare example of high-cost drug developed exclusively through taxpayer-funded research. The drug costs as much as $190,000 a year. Even so, the National Institutes of Health in March rejected a petition to license the three Xtandi patents to a generic manufacturer, because the treatment is widely available. Still, the threat of march-in rights at times has led to voluntary, isolated price reductions, according to Knowledge Ecology International, a nonprofit research group that focuses on public health, competition, and other issues. Ouellette and Sampat did not include biopharmaceutical treatments, which are disproportionately represented among high-cost drugs, because little public information on those patents is available, the authors said. Those treatments typically have even more patents, making the public-sector patents an even smaller segment, they said. The Bayh-Dole Act Congress passed the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980 out of concern that not enough taxpayer-funded research was reaching the market. The law allowed universities and other contractors to keep patent rights on inventions created with government support and license them to companies that wanted to market them for profit. The law also allowed the government to grant licenses on its own under certain circumstances by exercising its march-in rights. These circumstances include when the invention was not being used in a reasonable amount of time or the government identified an unmet health or safety need, according to a February summary of the law and proposed guidance change by the Congressional Research Service. The law did not mention drug pricing considerations. And the government has never exercised its march-in rights. The proposed guidance would make clear that agencies could consider price as a factor in deciding whether the government should exercise march-in rights. If the guidance goes into effect it would not carry as much legal weight as formal regulations, the Congressional Research Service said. Penns Jan. 31 comment said the proposed change is already having an impact on negotiations with companies that want to license inventions by Penn scientists. They are asking for unacceptable ironclad guarantees the results of company-funded R&D will not be subject to federal march-in rights, Penn said. Some will steer clear of technologies that had federal support, the letter said. Despite such warnings by Penn and research universities, the Arizona State and Stanford researchers said no one knows how much impact it would have if price were a factor in the use of march-in rights. Ouellette and Sampat wrote: Would commercialization rates drop 1%? 50%? Not at all? Over 40 years after Bayh-Doles enactment, we dont know. Guillermo Garcia, who has lived next to Hope Park for three decades, says crime has plummeted. Read more Three winters ago, bonfires burned day and night in Hope Park. A homeless encampment with dozens of residents sprawled across the half-acre green space a few blocks west of Kensington Avenue. Drug-fueled shootings and open-air dealing engulfed the street. Neighbors felt besieged by chaos. Advertisement People wouldnt even come out they houses, said Guillermo Garcia, 52, who has lived next to the park for three decades. Like many other Kensington residents, Garcia witnessed the opioid crisis push homelessness and addiction onto his doorstep, and as the pandemic raged the neighborhood seemed to be breaking. Today, thanks to a $32 million public and private investment over the last two years, Hope Park is finally living up to its name. An ongoing revitalization effort has converted a long-vacant textile mill into a 48-unit affordable-housing complex, provided emergency home repairs to 17 struggling homeowners, and cleaned up nearly a dozen vacant lots once piled with trash and abandoned cars. At the residents request, both the lots and most of Hope Park itself have been fenced off to the wider public. And only neighbors hold the keys. Garcia said crime has plummeted as a result of the comprehensive investment. An Inquirer analysis of police data shows that, within a roughly two-minute walk of Hope Park, reports of violent incidents fell in the six months after the mill development opened. Between August 2023 and February 2024, violent crimes dropped 36% compared with the same period in 2021, while property crime decreased 28% in that time frame. While Hope Park is far from utopian, Impact Services, the community development nonprofit that led the revitalization effort, said it could provide a model for Mayor Cherelle L. Parker as she maps her plan to shut down Kensingtons infamous open-air drug market and stabilize larger swaths of the neighborhood. READ MORE: How Kensington Avenues open-air drug market went international and the citys fight to take back the neighborhood The key, according to Impacts CEO, Casey ODonnell, was rooting change in a landmark redevelopment project while improving the quality of life nearby, with residents such as Garcia guiding the way. Im not saying its Pastorius Park in Chestnut Hill, ODonnell said, but Hope Park is dramatically changed, and thats because its resident-driven and grounded with an anchor project. This is what happens when people are working together and there are substantial resources. Lawmakers are already negotiating how much more the city can invest in Kensingtons public spaces, including the much larger McPherson Square. Its there, on the grounds of a Greek Revival library, where open drug use and overdoses have for years been commonplace. Parker has proposed that the city spend more than $7 million to clean up parks and libraries across the city, with a portion of that funding earmarked to safely dispose of syringes in McPherson. Other improvements to the library are already underway, and members of City Council wrangled millions more in funding to remake the building and clean the park that surrounds it. Whether such an investment could transform that troubled park remains a subject of debate and could hinge on other nearby investments. Nothing gets done overnight, Garcia said. For other communities in this situation, all it takes is to have a little bit of patience patience and money. How Hope Park was stabilized Impact obtained the mill after Downs Carpet Co. fled the city in 1981, and while it was repurposed afterward as an office space, ODonnell said, the 140,000-square-foot building had sat vacant since 2009. The blueprint for Hope Parks makeover dates to 2016. Seeing people openly using drugs and sleeping on an old ramp next to the mill, Garcia called ODonnell and urged him to put the factory to work. Construction broke ground in 2021 after Impact secured state and private funding. Last summer, the nonprofit began leasing the affordable units with vaulting ceilings, skyline views, and modern amenities. Units are leased to tenants who make 20% to 60% of the area median income, for as low as $300 a month. The restoration has brought dozens of families to the community but that was only part one of the plan. At the same time, Impact worked with local politicians and philanthropies to clean and green the surrounding area. The Neubauer Family Foundation contributed $750,000 to spruce up parks, paint murals, and provide home repairs. With aid in hand, Garcia went door to door identifying long-term homeowners who needed help. In this swatch of Kensington, 39% of homes are owner-occupied, with more than half of the residents living in deep poverty. The destitution that Garcia saw behind the front door of the homes broke his heart. Families of up to nine people live in some two-bedroom rowhouses without functional roofs or floors. Their roof collapses, and they cant fix that, he said. So they put up tarps, and just have the water run down through the tarp and out the back door. Some people, you go into their houses, and you see the basement right through the floor. As a human being, it hurts to see people living like that. Garcia jokes that neighbors now call him as the mayor, but he emphasizes that all he did was connect people to the available resources. The difference has been palpable. Everybody loves it, Garcia said. They see the changes in the last few years. Former 7th District Councilmember Maria Quinones Sanchez, a Democrat, helped secure fencing around Hope Park. Restricting public space was a bittersweet trade-off, she said, but one that had become necessary in so many parts of Kensington. Theres a lot of debate among the community members, and some people get upset, she said. But if [the park] is not staffed, its very, very hard, and you could lose it really quick. As in other pockets of Kensington, the Hope Park area has seen drug traffic ebb and flow over the years, as police enforcement strategies shift and drug traffic moves around the corner. A police cruiser now sits watch on the corner of Hope Park. A few blocks away, high-intensity drug traffic prevails. READ MORE: Philadelphia City Council passes a mandatory curfew for some Kensington businesses Work also remains to be done. Impact still needs to secure $1 million to finish building a gymnasium in the mill building. The nonprofit has struggled to find a tenant for the ground-floor commercial space, after residents rejected the idea of a methadone clinic. But the hope is that the investments around Hope Park will build a bridge with other targeted areas in Kensington to come, creating greater stability. This is a billion dollar drug market, I dont think were fooling ourselves, said Dan Berkowitz, chief strategy officer for the the Neubauer Family Foundation. But we can look at these pockets of progress and scale up over time, block to block. A model for Kensington? Each of Kensingtons parks has received $100,000 from opioid settlement dollars to spend on improvements chosen by community members. Opioid settlement funds have also been dedicated for 400 more home repairs in the 19134 zip code, up to $5,000 per project. But thats a pittance given the extent of the issues facing public space in Kensington. City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, who represents parts of Kensington and has led the effort to legislate changes in the neighborhood, said that the city has committed $8.5 million to renovate the library, but that the final cost could exceed $20 million. In addition, Lozada said, the city secured $1 million in federal grant support and has applied for more money through state grants. Some construction on the library is already underway as part of the citys Rebuild initiative, which was established under former Mayor Jim Kenney and aimed to remake dilapidated public spaces across the city. Rebuild spokesperson Joy Huertas said the work is largely repairs, including replacing the outside of the existing dome and restoring some of the masonry. READ MORE: As overdoses mount, a life-or-death deja vu at McPherson Square A larger restoration is a longer-term proposition, and one of Lozadas predecessors, Quinones Sanchez, said she didnt support it. She said that library officials did not have a long-term staffing and safety plan, and that she preferred to spend the millions of dollars available on securing the park itself and making it safe for people to live and work there. This is not about buildings; this is about people, Quinones Sanchez said. But Lozada said she sees great potential in McPherson and negotiated this spring for additional renovations. As Parkers administration sought approval from Council for funding its own priorities, Lozada asked Finance Director Rob Dubow to publicly commit to set aside money for improvements at McPherson Library through a planned bond issuance in June. He did so Wednesday. The upgrades, Huertas said, could include the buildings mechanical and plumbing systems, the facade, and interior rooms. A community engagement and design process could begin by this fall. Lozada said the transformation at Hope Park has been inspiring to watch, but cautioned that fencing off McPherson isnt viable. People who live near the park have said overwhelmingly that they want it to appear accessible, she said. Hope Park is an example of the possibilities when community residents come together and take over their spaces, Lozada said. If theres an investment by the city [in McPherson], if theres support poured into that space, and if we engage community residents to be a part of the cleanup process, imagine how that looks. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during a campaign stop in St. George, S.C., in 2020. Read more A man was arrested Sunday for allegedly lighting a fire outside the Burlington, Vt., office of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), authorities said. Shant Soghomonian, 35, is charged with using fire to damage the building, according to the U.S. attorneys office for Vermont. No injuries were reported, the office said, and Soghomonians motive remained unclear as of Sunday afternoon. Advertisement Soghomonian entered the building on Friday morning and headed directly to the third floor, where Sanderss Vermont office is located, the U.S. attorneys office said in a statement. Security video footage showed Soghomonian spraying a liquid near the door of the office, then lighting the area with a handheld lighter. A significant blaze began, which engulfed the door and hindered multiple staffers from fleeing, according to a statement from the Burlington Police Department. The fire damaged the doors exterior, and the hallway, and set off the buildings sprinklers. The sprinkler system largely extinguished the fire, the police department said. Sanders was not in the office at the time, according to the police department. Soghomonian, previously of the Northridge neighborhood in California, could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A lawyer has not yet been identified for him, the U.S. attorneys office said in its statement. Multiple agencies investigated Fridays incident, according to the statement, including the Burlington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Vermont State Police and U.S. Capitol Police. I am grateful for the collaborative effort by local, state and federal partners to identify and apprehend a suspect in the arson that took place at One Church Street on Friday, April 5, Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said in a statement Sunday, adding that her office will stay in contact with Sanderss staff. Sanderss office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. This year began with a spate of violent political threats, The Washington Post reported, which U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland had called a deeply disturbing spike. While acts of physical violence toward public officials remain relatively rare, even the possibility of harm undermines the health of the nations democracy, experts told The Post. Viewers stop in front of Philadelphia City Hall in August 2017 to gaze at at the last solar eclipse. Today's eclipse will begin across the Delaware Valley a little after 2 p.m. Read more Eclipse day is finally here, with people in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania joining millions more across North America to watch the moon block out light from the sun for a few hours. Philadelphia isnt in the path of totality, where suns light will be completely obscured by the moon for roughly four and a half minutes. But that doesnt mean the city wont get a show according to NASA, 85% to 90% of the suns light will be blocked by the moon by around 3:20 p.m., the most in nearly 40 years. Advertisement READ MORE: Solar eclipse in Philadelphia: Live updates Its exhilarating and wonderful and once you see one youve got to see more, Deborah Skapik, an adjunct physics professor at St. Josephs University and a NASA eclipse ambassador, told The Inquirer. I wish more people would find the joy in this because its so bizarre. Just make sure you cover your eyes with the proper protection. The eclipse will darken the sun and make it easier to look at, giving its light rays a chance to damage your eyeballs. Across Pennsylvania, Erie is in the direct path of the eclipse, and is expected to experience totality around 3:16 p.m. However, the forecast there calls for a cloudy day with a chance of rain, which could obscure the view for thousands of tourists who have traveled there to witness the historic astrological event. The last time the Delaware Valley experienced a solar eclipse was on Aug. 21, 2017, when 75% of the suns light was obscured. Ninety-five percent was blocked in Philadelphia during an eclipse on May 30, 1984, but cloudy skies obscured the celestial show. Philly is expected to be in the path of totality of a solar eclipse on May 1, 2079, roughly 600 years after Lenape Native Americans the citys first inhabitants watched it happen back in 1478. The United States will get another total eclipse in 2045, this time across the South. Heres everything you need to know to watch or stream the solar eclipse in Philadelphia: What time does the solar eclipse start today? The solar eclipse will begin on the Mexican Pacific Coast a little after 2 p.m. Eastern (around 11 a.m. local time). It will slice northeast across Mexico and the United States, crossing into Texas around 2:27 p.m. Eastern (1:27 p.m. local time). In Philadelphia, the solar eclipse is expected to begin around 2:08 p.m., with 90% of the sun blocked around 3:23 p.m. The entire event is expected to last about two and a half hours, with the moon revealing the full sun by about 4:35 p.m. The eclipse will hit Maine around 3:35 p.m. Eastern, and make its way into Canada though Newfoundland before crossing out over the Atlantic Ocean. READ MORE: Six reasons to be excited for the solar eclipse, from someone freaking out about it How to watch the solar eclipse on TV If its cloudy where you live or you cant make it outside, coverage will be easy to find on television. Most of the major broadcast companies and cable news networks are breaking into their schedule to provide special live coverage. Heres a rundown of their coverage plans: 6ABC: ABCs live coverage will begin at 2 p.m., anchored by World News Tonight anchor David Muir and ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis. Action News will air at 4 p.m. CBS3: CBS will also break into live coverage at 2 p.m., anchored by CBS Evening News anchor Norah ODonnell and CBS Mornings cohost Tony Dokoupil. The networks coverage will feature former NASA astronauts and science experts, including Bill Nye The Science Guy and astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz. NBC10: NBCs live coverage, anchored by NBC Nightly News Lester Holt, will begin at 2 p.m. from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the worlds largest viewing site for this years eclipse. Members of the Today show including Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, Carson Daly, Sheinelle Jones, and Al Roker will join the live coverage. CNN: Live coverage on CNN will begin at 1 p.m. on CNN News Central with Brianna Keilar and Boris Sanchez. As part of CNNs coverage, the network will have a team reporting onboard a Delta Air Lines Path of Totality flight. MSNBC: Katy Tur will anchor special coverage on MSNBC beginning at 2 p.m. NewsNation: Senior national correspondent Brian Entin will coanchor a special broadcast from the networks headquarters in Chicago from 1 to 4:30 p.m., alongside NewsNation Now anchors Nichole Berlie and Connell McShane. READ MORE: Block out your schedule for historic eclipse day How to stream todays solar eclipse If youre stuck at your computer or otherwise cant get outside, you can stream the entire event right here, thanks to NASA: Weather forecast for solar eclipse in Philly After a dreary week of rain and flooding across the Delaware Valley, theres not a drop of rain in Mondays forecast. Temperatures will be ideal for eclipse viewing, forecast to reach the low 60s in the afternoon. Some high, see-through clouds are expected, National Weather Service meteorologist Amanda Lee told The Inquirer. But the sun should remain visible in and around Philadelphia. Youre not dealing with a solid low cloud deck. Thats certainly good news, said Brian Thompson, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. READ MORE: Phillys eclipse forecast isnt perfect, but has a bright side Where to watch the solar eclipse in Philly Here are some interesting spots in and around Philadelphia where you can watch the eclipse with like-minded amateur astronomers: Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes explores the ways in which philosophies from movements such as labor, womens, and civil rights have influenced the movement for queer rights, while showcasing the immense diversity that existed within the LGBTQ liberation movement. Read more How is democracy preserved and achieved? And what are the roles and responsibilities of individuals and communities to do so? The Stonewall National Museum, Archives and Library wants to prompt people to explore these questions through two upcoming exhibits highlighting the history and intersectionality of queer activism. And the traveling exhibits will be making their first stop in Philadelphia starting April 16. Advertisement Philadelphia is the birthplace of the nation, Robert Kesten, executive director of the Stonewall National Museum and curator of the exhibits, said of the choice to debut the exhibits in Philadelphia. Being in a city where so many people of all different races, creeds, and colors have stood up is very important to make an integral part of any call to be awake for the upcoming election, and the role that citizens must play in preserving and strengthening democracy. The decision to start the traveling exhibit in Philadelphia is emblematic of the citys thriving queer communities and history, residents say. Many people believe that LGBT history started and was accomplished in cities like New York and San Francisco, but Philly has its own really proud history of change among the LGBT community, said John Anderies, director of the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives and Library and the William Way LGBT Community Center. READ MORE: Ada Bello, pioneering LGBTQ activist and longtime laboratory chemist, has died at 89 From the Philadelphia-born Homophile Movement to the Annual Reminder Days picketing in front of Independence Hall in the 1960s, Philly was home to vibrant gay liberation movements and leaders such as Barbara Gittings well before the uprising at Stonewall, Anderies said. Change very definitely happened here because of the people here and the work that they did, he said. One of the upcoming exhibits, named Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes, captures the importance of intersectionality in advancing equal rights across communities. As we were looking at the history of the LGBTQ liberation movement, it has become clearer and clearer, theyre in many ways built on the movements that came first, Kesten said. And yet, historically, often when we looked at the LGBTQ liberation movement, we saw gay white men. READ MORE: Finally, Bayard Rustin, chief organizer of the March on Washington, gets his due in new book and movie Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes explores the ways in which philosophies from movements such as labor, womens, and civil rights have influenced the movement for queer rights, while showcasing the immense diversity that existed within the LGBTQ liberation movement. The exhibit will feature bigger-than-life-size portraits of people who have had a direct impact on LGBTQ rights as far as back as the 1940s, such as Barbara Jordan, the first Black member of Congress from Texas and a lesbian, or Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, trans women who started Star, the first trans organization to support homeless children within the community. Were hoping people recognize that the queer community is every other community, Kesten said. What this exhibit says to us is that we really are the bridge to every other community and [we are] the people who can unlock that commonality we all have, because were in every religion, every color, every nationality, every ethnicity. I hope that an exhibit like this shows us our power. Nellie Fitzpatrick For some queer Philadelphians, the exhibit resonates deeply with a city that has a thriving grassroots activist scene, in many ways thanks to the intersectionality that exists across the citys diverse communities. I have always believed that the LGBTQ community, we truly have something so special in the sense that we are so incredibly diverse, said Nellie Fitzpatrick, a Philadelphia lawyer. I hope that an exhibit like this shows us our power, and that coming together and understanding that power is needed now more than ever. The other exhibit, Never Silent, takes inspiration from the resounding lesson of the AIDS epidemic: Silence equals death. We look at what it means to be silent, Kesten asked. Those who try to silence are the ones who try to take away democracy and human rights. And those who are the loudest are the ones who are trying to preserve those things. The exhibit will be juxtaposing those two types of people the ones who silence, and the ones who refuse to remain silent with large portraits of each, such as conservative commentator Candace Owens and queer comedian, actress, and activist Wanda Sykes. We look at what it means to be silent. Robert Kesten There will also be pictures of libraries: shelves devoid of books in school libraries because of growing book bans across the country, and shelves at the Stonewall Museum stacked with books that would have been banned. If people dont have access to books, Kesten said, there cannot be a more perfect union. We are so close to having the world we would like, the exhibit ends with. But so are they. Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes and Never Silent will be on display at the Drexel URBN Center. The exhibition is open to the public by appointment only, weekdays from 10am 4pm, from April 16 23. Visitors should schedule a time to access the exhibition by contacting Tashera Dean at 215-895-2319. After the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore Harbor, every politician representing the area, at every level of government, promised plenty of money and the swiftest possible restoration. Theyll probably succeed in cutting the time down to a fraction of what is typical in government construction. When the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapsed in 2007, the new bridge was opened in a little over a year. Likewise, in our own backyard, when part of I-95 collapsed in a fire in Northeast Philadelphia last year, traffic was restored in just 12 days. Advertisement A highway on land is a lot less complicated than a bridge over an active shipping channel, but both projects showed that things can still get built quickly and successfully in America if the political will and the money is there. However, this is not the way things typically go in transportation construction. And its been this way for a while. The Key Bridge was already delayed and over budget when construction began in 1972. It was a further five years before it opened, the final piece in the 23-year struggle to build a Baltimore beltway. One reason the main reason, in my opinion for continual delays in transportation construction is the National Environmental Protection Act of 1969 (NEPA). Despite the name, the environment as we usually understand that term is not the choke point here a near-endless litigation and consultation process is. READ MORE: New city hiring practices replace merit with patronage | Kyle Sammin NEPA requires a federal review process of any change that might significantly affect the environment with both significantly affect and environment being defined very broadly. Every bit of a highway or transit project or other federal action requires an environmental impact statement, with federal including many things you might think of as local because federal funding is involved. The average environmental impact statement, according to a 2020 federal analysis of the problem, ran to 661 pages and took four and a half years to complete. All of that analysis, the hearings about the analysis, and the court challenges to the analysis all have to be finished before the first shovel hits the ground. And it typically follows years of internal analysis that governments do even before proposing something to the public. The law says that environmental impact statements shall not be encyclopedic, but a new edition of the World Book encyclopedia would take less time and effort than the typical impact statement to complete. This process even applies to things that arent really construction projects. For example: New York has been considering assessing a congestion charge on vehicles entering the most crowded parts of Manhattan. A bill to that effect passed the state legislature in April 2019. A New York Times article published that month said that tolls are expected to start in 2021. They didnt. And now in 2024, they still havent. Thats not because the legislature changed its mind and repealed the bill. Its because the federal government required an environmental impact statement under NEPA, and it was only finished in June. The state of New Jersey then sued, saying the process wasnt done correctly, and the wait continues. All this for some E-ZPass readers? Its a ridiculous waste of time. And lets not even get into Californias High-Speed Rail project: Authorized in 2008, after 16 years and $11 billion spent, not one passenger has ridden it, as it continues to clear bureaucratic hurdles. Why do we do this? Its because during the massive highway boom of the 1950s and 1960s, the system was arguably even worse. Massive projects were rammed through legislatures and planning commissions with little or no public consultation. Homes and businesses were condemned, and superhighways were built. Not coincidentally, these were typically built through poor neighborhoods, where residents lacked the political power to protect their communities from the government wrecking balls. Where the federal government used to lumber through neighborhoods like a giant, it is now held down by a thousand strands of red tape. But unlike Jonathan Swifts Gulliver, our government has, itself, built the restraints that immobilize it. A government willing to limit itself is often a good thing, but weve limited it so much that it takes an emergency to get anything built in under a generation. NEPA shifts power from the majority who want a project built to the few residents or even nonresidents who want to stop all progress in its tracks. Anyone who can afford the litigation costs can delay a project for years, even decades. READ MORE: Democrats and Republicans agree on something: no outside competition | Kyle Sammin Whether you love congestion pricing or hate it, this is not the way a democratic republic should decide on policy. A lengthy environmental review process killed the Norristown High-Speed Line extension, and it will probably kill the Roosevelt Boulevard extension of the subway, should that project ever get funded. Again, love them or hate them, the fate of these projects should be decided after debates and votes in the legislature the body of people elected to carry out the popular will not in high-priced litigation and death by a thousand bureaucratic paper cuts. This isnt environmentalism, its sclerosis and national decline. All the politicians around here patted themselves on the back when I-95 reopened, and the ones in Maryland and Washington, D.C., will do the same when the Key Bridge gets rebuilt in a faster-than-usual style. Then, theyll go back to business as usual. These emergency projects show us how efficiently things can get done in 21st-century America. We need to make that the standard, not a feel-good exception to the rule. NEPA was an improvement over the lack of process that led to mass neighborhood destruction, but we need further improvement still by repealing this self-defeating law and replacing it with one that lets America build again. Phillies pitcher Connor Brogdon hands manager Rob Thomson the ball after pitching to the Reds and giving up a grand slam during the 10th inning at Citizens Bank Park on April 1. Read more WASHINGTON Right-handed reliever Connor Brogdon was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for left-handed reliever Benony Robles, the Phillies announced on Saturday. Brogdon, 29, had been designated for assignment by the Phillies on April 2, the day after allowing a 10th-inning grand slam homer in a 6-3 loss to the Reds. In a total of two innings across three games, he had allowed six earned runs. Brogdon has been placed on the Dodgers 40-man roster. Advertisement Robles, 23, is from the Dominican Republic. He is coming off a strong season, after pitching in a career-high 33 games for high-A Dodgers affiliate Great Lakes, posting a 3.86 ERA over 32 innings. He has some starting experience but has been used primarily as a reliever over the past three seasons. He has a 4.67 ERA over five minor league seasons, with 134 walks and 277 strikeouts. When the Dodgers signed him in 2017, he was throwing 84-86 mph. Now, he is more in the mid-to-high-90s range. He throws three pitches: a slider, a changeup, and a cutter. Robles has good extension and is a tough look for left-handed hitters, but has struggled to get right-handed hitters out. READ MORE: The Phillies City Connect jerseys are officially out. Reviews are mixed. Robles induces a lot of swing-and-miss. He struck out 38.7% of the batters he faced at high-A in 2023, after striking out 21.6% of the batters he faced at single-A the year before. He has struggled with his control, which is part of what has kept him from advancing to the upper levels of the minor leagues. His upper half and lower half can get disconnected at times, which has hurt his timing and has led to more pitches out of the zone. He posted an 11.5% walk rate in 2022 and a 13.9% walk rate in 2023. Brogdon had been struggling since his dominant outings in the 2022 World Series, and spent the second half of the 2023 season at triple-A Lehigh Valley. He was struggling to maintain proper mechanics consistently. His velocity dropped a few ticks, from 96-97 mph in 2022 to 92-93 mph in 2023, and he struggled with his control. Brogdon was drafted in the 10th round by the Phillies in 2017 and spent parts of the past five seasons with the big league club, posting a 3.88 ERA over 144 innings. Taijuan Walker throws live batting practice Taijuan Walker (right shoulder soreness) threw three innings (46 pitches) of live batting practice on Saturday morning at Nationals Park. Thomson said Walker was clocked at about 90 mph, which he was happy with, considering the cold weather. [It was] good, Thomson said. The stuff was OK. Three innings, 46 pitches. A lot of soft contact, a lot of swings-and-misses, fastball averaged about 90, which on a day like today, isnt too bad. It was a little encouraging. The Phillies are going to see how Walker feels when he comes in on Sunday, and based on that, decide whether he needs another live BP before going on a rehab assignment. Kerkerings rehab assignment pushed back Orion Kerkering (right forearm strain) had a great outing on Friday night in single-A Clearwater, retiring four of the five Bradenton hitters he faced with four strikeouts. The other batter was hit by a pitch. The Phillies would like to have him go pitch off pitch before he returns to the big league club meaning pitching with just one day off between outings. Hell pitch Tuesday, take off on Wednesday, and pitch on Thursday. He could be back with the Phillies by Saturday. Spencer Striders MRI reveals UCL damage in UCL in right elbow There was some big news on Saturday within the division: The Braves announced that right-handed pitcher Spencer Strider underwent an MRI, which revealed damage to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. He is going to undergo further evaluation by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. Its unclear whether Strider will need Tommy John surgery, but if he does, itll be the second time hes undergone the procedure. Strider had Tommy John surgery in 2019 when he was in college at Clemson. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a round-table on student debt relief at William Cramp Elementary School in Philadelphia on Monday. Read more Vice President Kamala Harris visited Philadelphia on Monday to promote the Biden administrations latest plan to provide student loan debt relief, stopping at the William Cramp School in North Philadelphia to highlight relief available to teachers and other public servants. Harris visit to Pennsylvania, a battleground state that could decide the election, comes as President Joe Biden looks to revive his promise to cancel student debt for millions of low- and middle-income Americans ahead of his November rematch with former President Donald Trump. Advertisement What can we do to relieve some of the burden? Harris said. ... For those individuals who have received this forgiveness, thats more money in their pocketbook to pay for things like child care. More money in their pocket to get through the month for things like rent or a mortgage. Harris second trip to Pennsylvania this year comes roughly two weeks before the states April 23 primary. The vice president spoke during an informal, roundtable discussion, which included U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Philadelphia) and several Philadelphia school and city employees who have benefited from student debt relief. You have shown the type of leadership that we need today, Evans told Harris. And you do not you, nor the president do not let the Supreme Court get in the way when you think that there is something that needs to be done right for workers and middle-class people. READ MORE: Whats in the Biden student loan forgiveness plan that Kamala Harris touted in Philly Monday Bidens first attempt at canceling student debt was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court last year. Since then, the administration has used more narrow channels to eliminate around $140 billion in loans for around four million borrowers despite falling short of its goal to cancel tens of thousands worth of debt for a wide swath of borrowers. Bidens new plan would automatically cancel debt for people who would qualify for the existing debt relief programs but who have not applied, including from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which can provide relief teachers and other public servants. We dont pay our teachers nearly what they deserve in terms of the value that they give to society as a whole, Harris said at the North Philadelphia school. Cramp School enrolls about 350 students in grades K-5. All of its students are considered economically disadvantaged; 24% are English-language learners, and 17% require special education services. The school has a dual-language program that teaches children to become bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish. Harris said teachers and other civil servants should not have to choose between public service and being able to pay their bills. The administration is looking to expand relief to over 30 million borrowers, according to the White House. That includes canceling up to $20,000 of runaway interest on loans for most income-eligible borrowers, federal loans that have been in payment for two decades or longer, and loans held by those experiencing hardships like medical debt and childcare costs, among other goals. Black and Latino borrowers are likelier to experience growth in their student loan balances due to excessive interest accumulation, according to figures provided by the White House, and four years after graduation, Black bachelors degree borrowers on average owe more than they borrowed. The vice president listened with empathetic nods as two Philadelphia public servants shared their experiences with student loan debt. Kelli Gray, a childrens social worker, shared a tearful story about her loans, which ballooned to over $300,000 as she pursued education degrees. My student debt story is like everyone elses, Gray said. I knew I wanted a better life for myself and twin daughters. Gray, who works with the Department of Human Services, became emotional as she described how relief programs enabled her to clear her debt and buy a home. I just want everyone to know theres help out there, Gray said. Biden spent Monday in Wisconsin another pivotal state in his reelection campaign to announce the proposal; Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona traveled to New York City; and Harris husband, Douglas Emhoff, touted the plan in Arizona. Too many people feel the strain and stress, wondering if they can get married, have their first child, start a family, because even if they get by, they still have this crushing, crushing debt, Biden said in Wisconsin. National Republicans attacked the string of events as election year theater. Kamala Harriss empty rhetoric will never erase the high-costs Pennsylvanians are paying for Bidenomics, the Republican National Committee said in a statement as Harris event in Philadelphia kicked off. The administrations plan is hardly final and is expected to face months of public comment and objections from Republican lawmakers before any parts take effect. Should the plan survive a likely host of legal challenges, it would clear the full student loan debt owed by four million people, while 10 million borrowers would see $5,000 or more in relief, a spokesperson from the White House said. Following the student debt event, Harris was whisked from North to South Philadelphia for a special appearance at the Philadelphia Democratic City Committees annual cocktail party. Harris arrived by motorcade at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Banquet Hall for the event, which was attended by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Philadelphia Democratic Chair Bob Brady, and other influential names in city politics. Staff writer Kristen A. Graham and the Associated Press contributed reporting. Democrats may miss a deadline to get President Biden on the general election ballot in Ohio, according to the states election management office. In a letter seen by The Washington Post, the Ohio secretary of states office told Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters that the Democratic National Committees nominating convention is scheduled too late for Biden to make the Ohio ballot because a state law requires nominees to be certified at least 90 days before the general election. Advertisement The letter, citing Ohios presidential ballot laws, said the deadline to certify a presidential candidate in Ohio is 90 days before the general election. The election is Nov. 5 this year, putting the Ohio deadline at Aug. 7 but the Democratic National Convention, which is expected to nominate Biden for a rematch against Donald Trump, isnt scheduled to convene until Aug. 19. The letter from Paul DiSantis, chief legal counsel for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), asked Democratic state legislative leaders for clarification to assure the partys timely compliance with Ohio law. Ben Kindel, a spokesperson for LaRose, shared the letter with The Post but declined to comment further. Members of the Ohio Democratic Party who were copied in the letter - Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo and Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio - did not respond to The Posts request for comment Sunday morning, but the Biden campaign said the president would appear on the ballot. Were monitoring the situation in Ohio and were confident that Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states, Josh Marcus-Blank, a Biden-Harris 2024 campaign spokesperson, told The Post in an email. LaRoses office suggested that either the Democratic National Committee move up its nominating convention to meet the Aug. 7 deadline or that the Ohio General Assembly create an exception to the law for the Democrats nominee. Ohio voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020. David Niven, a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati, said he expects the Republican nominee to win Ohio again this fall, even if Biden is on the ballot. But if Biden were omitted, Niven said, fewer Democrats would vote, hindering the partys candidates for Senate and House seats. If this were to actually occur and President Biden were held off the ballot, it would be devastating to the general sort of faith in democracy, Niven said. This isnt the first time Ohios law has created scheduling conflicts. In 2020, the Democratic and Republican parties scheduled their conventions for after Ohios deadline. Knowing this, state lawmakers made a one-time change to reduce the deadline from 90 days before the election to 60, Niven said. But Niven said that decision benefited both parties. In Ohio, where the Republican Party controls both legislative chambers and the governors mansion, Niven said hes unsure whether Republicans will want to implement another exception. If the legislature doesnt make an exception, he said, the Democratic Party might have to name Biden its nominee before the convention or list Biden on the ballot as a third-party candidate. My assumption is that, at least in this moment, democracy will win out, Niven said. But because this is Ohio, it wont be easy. It would be surprising for a Democratic or Republican nominee not to appear on the general election ballot of all 50 states, but in this years Democratic primaries, Biden was not on the ballot in New Hampshire. Democrats revamped their primary schedule for 2024 to make South Carolina the first contest, but New Hampshire - where a state law requires that its primaries are the first in the nation - did not push its Democratic primary in response. The national party urged candidates not to participate, and Biden opted not to put his name on the ballot, but he won as a write-in candidate anyway. In 2016, Trump almost missed appearing on the general election ballot in Minnesota because of a miscue from that states Republican Party. In December, Colorado disqualified Trump from the states primary ballots, but the Supreme Court unanimously overruled that decision. Both major candidates have visited Ohio, which has 17 electoral votes, this year. Biden visited East Palestine, Ohio, in February, more than a year after a train derailment there caused environmental issues and political disputes. Last month, Trump held a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, where he said that some immigrants accused of crimes are not people and that there would be a bloodbath for the country if he isnt elected. Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. introduced a zoning overlay bill on Thursday that targets a small corner of West Philadelphias Wynnefield Heights neighborhood. The bill bans medical, dental, health or hospital uses from the area around 3905 Ford Rd., the site of a proposed 300-bed inpatient alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility. Previously the building was the West Park Hospital and then Wordsworth Academy, a residential treatment center for boys with severe behavioral issues. Advertisement The reason is the average property value up there is upward of $300,000, said Jones, when asked why he introduced the legislation. The neighborhood is full of lawyers, doctors, judges, and retired politicians, he noted. Jones said a rehab facility would attract drug dealers to the nearby park in hopes of luring inhabitants of the proposed facility. Im not an assessor, but I would imagine if you were to go with that use, you would have every drug dealer from here to Kensington waiting for the rehabbed person to graduate, Jones said. Congratulations on your rehab, come down to the park, I got a free sample for you. With that comes all kinds of other things I dont want to wish upon that community. Critics of Jones bill say that using land use regulations to forestall treatment sites will harm Philadelphias most vulnerable residents and potentially drive these kinds of facilities to less accessible locations. Substance use treatment is critical for improving community health and is key to preventing overdose, said Alexis Roth, associate professor of community health at Drexel University. While the use of zoning laws to prohibit establishing treatment services in a particular jurisdiction may appear to be class and race neutral, the effects are not. The developer, BG Capital, already has two building permits for the property with total improvements listed at over $15 million. It was sold in mid-2022 for $10.75 million. But Jones says that BG Capital hasnt received the necessary licensing for the rehab facility from the state and that it will be difficult to finish the project given opposition from City Hall and the neighborhoods Harrisburg representatives. They never even put an application in at the city or at the state, Jones said. Sen. [Vincent] Hughes, the mayors administration, they are all looking at this. So the likelihood of it happening is diminished. He said his office is trying to convince the developer to open a teaching hospital instead. Negotiations are ongoing, but he is hopeful a non-rehab use will be found. The property owner and our team are working collaboratively with the councilmans office, the state senators office, and community stakeholders to provide a project that benefits everyone, said Rachael Pritzker, the zoning lawyer representing BG Capital. We appreciate the continued leadership, coordination and efforts from everyone involved. Jones said BG Capital began renovating the building for the rehab facility without talking to him or local community groups. Once the community found out, all hell broke loose, he said. Ergo, this legislation. Jones introduced an earlier bill that sought to ban rehab facilities from this corner of the neighborhood, but he was advised that such a law would be unconstitutional. Thats why the current bill would instead ban all medical uses. Similar bans on medical offices were enacted by Councilmembers Bobby Henon and Brian J. ONeill across large swathes of their districts in the Northeast in 2013 in an attempt to block methadone clinics from being established. Jones bill is part of a larger pushback in city government against harm reduction and rehabilitation programs. Last year, City Council created an overlay to block supervised drug use sites from most of the city. Councilmember Quetcy Lozada urged a landlord to not renew the lease of the harm reduction nonprofit Savage Sisters and said she had serious concerns about Prevention Point, the oldest syringe exchange program in the city. Then Mayor Cherelle L. Parker stripped municipal funding from the citys syringe exchange programs. Critics argue that this kind of oppositional policy-making is counterproductive in a city ravaged by substance abuse issues and where opioids have taken an especially deadly toll: 6,500 people have died of overdoses in the last five years. The facility proposed for 3905 Ford Rd. was of a kind thats often less controversial. It was meant to be an inpatient practice, meaning that people would be staying there to get sober not receiving treatment and leaving as they might at a methadone clinic or another type of outpatient practice. In a city where overdose rates continue unchecked, any policy limiting treatment access makes no sense, said Roth, of Drexel University. Given treatment rates are lowest among communities of color and overdose rates are highest among our Black residents, [now is] the time to establish treatment facilities in West Philadelphia where overdoses are disproportionately high. Jones said that changing the zoning would mean that any future proposal would have to go through the citys Zoning Board of Adjustment for approval, which necessitates a meeting with the community first. It would also add uncertainty that could discourage development of this kind. Tweaking the zoning of a particular plot of land to frustrate a specific development so-called spot zoning has been determined to be illegal in some cases. Some would call it spot zoning, Jones said. I call it preventative by-right [zoning]. At a time when so many glass buildings are afflicted by a deadening flatness, the architects at Ennead have energized Jefferson Health's new Honickman building at 11th and Chestnut by wrapping it in a rippled glass screen. Read more I really wanted to write a rave of Jefferson Healths new Honickman Center, the glittering, 19-story ice palace at the corner of 11th and Chestnut. Its a design that is full of grand gestures and small satisfying details. At a time when so many glass buildings are afflicted by a deadening flatness, the architects at Ennead have energized Honickmans facade by wrapping it in a rippled glass screen that causes sunlight to rake the surface like a breeze across a pond. The same commitment to quiet luxury continues inside, where Stantec designed Honickmans outpatient facilities to feel more like an upscale spa than a standard medical building. Advertisement Surely a design this good should be a shot in the arm for struggling Chestnut Street. But as I left the official tour, my eye strayed to the next block of Chestnut Street, and my enthusiasm for Jeffersons latest bauble began to wane. Even though the hospital campus is in the heart of Center City, close to multiple transit lines, Jefferson has managed to turn its portion of Chestnut Street into a two-block dead zone. The disconnect between Honickmans dazzle and Jeffersons self-inflicted blight couldnt be more extreme. Just a few steps from Honickman, on the 1000 block, the shop windows in Jeffersons Gibbon Building are sealed tight. They were papered over two decades ago so hospital staff could occupy the spaces. The bleakness continues on the 900 block, where Jefferson leveled a row of handsome 19th-century buildings in 2004. At the time, Jefferson promised to build a new medical building on the empty site. Twenty years on, the block is home to a large surface parking lot, a garage and a few fast-food chains. Most of the remaining stores across from Gibbon have closed, unable to survive this arid environment. A me-first approach to planning Hospitals, which have long practiced a me-first approach to planning, are notorious for walling off their campuses with sky bridges, garages and long driveways. The proliferation of such auto-centric features is bad enough in a self-contained medical district, such as the area next to Penn. But they can be devastating in Center Citys core, which depends on variety to attract pedestrians. While Jefferson certainly isnt the only entity responsible for Chestnut Streets recent troubles, its treatment of these two blocks creates a yawning gap in retail activity midway between Broad Street and Independence Mall, and makes it harder for nearby shops and restaurants to thrive. The pandemic and its aftereffects have only worsened the situation. In the last year, the east side of Chestnut Street lost its two biggest retailers: Target, which was located across from the Honickman site, and West Elm, which occupied a space near Broad Street. Wawa also shut a large store at 13th and Chestnut in late 2021, citing safety concerns. About the same time, the Wanamaker Building went into receivership after losing its main office tenant. Given Macys plan to consolidate its operations and reduce its store count, many fear the company will abandon its space in the historic department store when its lease expires in 2027. Like the rest of Center City, the east side of Chestnut Street has struggled to keep up with changes in shopping habits over the last few decades. Before the pandemic, the corridor seemed to be on the rebound, thanks to the expansion of the National Real Estate Developments East Market project, which brought new apartments, hotels, and retail to the area. In 2016, the opening of the Collins, a large residential building on the 1100 block, promised more improvements. A few doors away, the MilkBoy music club and the haute streetwear store Lapstone & Hammer both emerged as popular destinations. Then the pandemic hit. During a recent walk, I counted 30 vacant storefronts on Chestnut between Ninth and Broad Street. There is a tendency to blame the streets retail woes, as Wawa did, on such things as shoplifting and the perceived lack of safety. Its certainly hard to miss the panhandlers and people stretched out on the sidewalks. But the sealed-up storefronts and neglect have also been an enabler. What struck me during my walk is that the problems on Chestnut Street are not spread uniformly along the corridor. Some blocks have no retail vacancies, while others have clusters of empty storefronts. Jeffersons dead zone contains one cluster. The other was centered in the 1300 block, where the magnificent Cunningham Piano building sits vacant and dilapidated. Its owner, the Church of Scientology, has been promising to develop the building since acquiring it in 2007, yet its condition continues to decline, bringing down the whole block. That stretch, incidentally, is right across from Macys entrance. We can see a similar dynamic at work on East Market Street. While National Real Estate Development has regenerated the area between 11th and 12th, its neighbors have allowed their properties to languish. Both the Goldenberg Group and the Oliver Tyrone Pulver Corp. have been sitting on two large sites at either end of the retail corridor at Eighth and 13th Streets, respectively since the 1990s. Even though East Market is the most transit-accessible area of Philadelphia, Goldenberg and Pulver continue to use that land for parking cars. The subpar renovation of the former Gallery, now the Fashion District, didnt help matters. Right now, some people are championing the Sixers arena proposal as the best hope for reviving the East Market neighborhood. But if Nationals $1 billion mix of apartments, hotels, and offices couldnt get Goldenberg and Pulver to budge, what is the likelihood that a project open only 150 days a year will change their behavior? Thousands of patients a day There are two things that might break the logjam: incentives and enforcement. The city could introduce tax incentives to encourage more mixed-use development and discourage surface parking lots in the quadrant east of Broad Street. At the same time, it could get tough with speculators who mothball their buildings for decades and allow them to crumble in plain view. But for these measures to work, they would have be part of a larger, coordinated planning effort. Since taking office, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has been talking up the need to get people back into their offices for the sake of Center Citys economy, which is a large part of Philadelphias economy. But its not enough for workers to return to their old desks from 9 to 5. They also need places where they can shop and eat. In theory, Jeffersons expanding presence could be a boon for the area. Despite their tendency to wall off their territory and force out other uses, hospitals are a destination. They attract people round-the-clock, seven days a week. When Honickman formally opens April 15, Jefferson expects to see a thousand patients a day including weekends for medical treatment. Unfortunately, those visitors wont find any shops along the buildings main frontage, Chestnut Street. Because the tower sits on a relatively small footprint, the architects say, they were forced to push the elevators up against the buildings southern facade to ensure that there would be a contiguous area on each floor for medical uses. But that arrangement means there is no room left at street level for retail. Although the architects did try to liven up the ground floor with transparent glass walls and art installations, that combination isnt enough to provide the retail continuity that Chestnut Street needs. Still, its unlikely that Honickman would have turned out as well as it did without the help of National Real Estate. Because the tower is on Nationals property, the developer oversaw the project, selecting Ennead as the buildings architect and helping Jefferson to shape the design. Being part of East Market also allowed Jefferson to take advantage of the existing infrastructure, making Honickman a better building. Since the East Market project was designed to accommodate a 300-car underground garage, Jefferson didnt need to impose another parking structure on the street. The garage was laid out so vehicles enter from a small alley behind the tower. That means visitors can drop off their cars without terrorizing pedestrians on Chestnut. While that infrastructure made it possible for Ennead to design a tower that feels like an urban office building, Honickman wasnt cheap or easy to build. The project set Jefferson Health back $762 million. For context, thats roughly half of what the Sixers say they plan to spend for a Market Street arena. The big price tag is partly a reflection on the state of health care right now. As more hospitals consolidate into sprawling health systems, the competition for paying patients, especially those seeking high-priced specialty treatments for cancer, gastrointestinal conditions and infectious diseases, has become intense. One way to attract such patients is by offering personalized medical care in a luxe environment. Before designing the interior spaces, Jefferson conducted extensive consumer research that informed everything from the layout of exam rooms to the height of the check-in desks. As a result, Honickmans interior often resembles an upscale hotel. When patients step off the elevators on the treatment floors, they will be greeted by trained concierges and then escorted to sun-dappled lounges with spectacular skyline views to wait for their appointments. The furniture and decorative elements including $3.8 million for art give the spaces an unusual serenity. Because patients may have to spend all day at Honickman visiting different specialists, Jefferson also carved out secluded work spaces where they can set up their laptops between appointments. There are even designated spaces for pets. Jefferson deserves credit for working so hard to create a facility that makes patients feel comfortable and welcome as they undergo difficult medical procedures. Now we need them to apply the same treatment to Chestnut Street. Last year, Pennsylvania didnt have any communities where the typical home was worth $1 million or more. This year, it has two both in the Philadelphia area on the Main Line, according to an analysis Zillow published last week. Advertisement Gladwyne in Montgomery County and Villanova in Montgomery and Delaware Counties made Zillows list of places where the typical home was worth $1 million or more in February. Zillow calculated the average value of the middle third of homes in the region. This year, the United States has a record number of what Zillow calls million-dollar communities 550, up from 491 a year ago. A lack of homes on the market and continuing buyer demand have driven up property values. The typical U.S. home is worth 4% more now than a year ago, according to Zillow. READ MORE: The Philly area is one of the major U.S. metros where households dont need to make six figures to afford the typical home New Jersey has the third-most million-dollar communities 49, behind California and New York. Since last year, New Jersey has gained the most of these places out of any state. Its 14 new million-dollar communities are all in North Jersey, in the metro area that includes New York, Newark, and Jersey City. Its recurring million-dollar communities in South Jersey are Shore towns. The spring real estate market is in full swing, and more home buyers are jumping in. Competition will stay fierce, especially for the most attractive and well-priced homes, Anushna Prakash, an economic research data scientist at Zillow, said in a statement. And if mortgage rates drop this year, Prakash said, we may see a surge in million-dollar cities as even more buyers jump in and drive prices higher. READ MORE: Philly-area buyers need to make thousands of dollars more than last year to afford a starter home The Main Line effect On the Main Line, Villanova has about 11,300 people within its zip code, according to census figures, and is dominated by the university. Gladwyne, while not on the train line, is considered a Main Line enclave of Lower Merion Township with about 4,100 people in its zip code. The median household income in both communities is $250,000+, which is the Census Bureaus highest income tier. According to Zillow, Villanovas typical home value in February was $1.3 million and Gladwynes was $1.37 million. READ MORE: The $57 billion cost of racial and ethnic inequity in Philadelphias housing market In both communities, you have some majorly expensive properties and significant estates, said Jennifer LeBow, a real estate agent in Compass Main Line office. She said she hasnt seen anything happening in Gladwyne or Villanova recently that would explain why their typical home values rose above $1 million over the last year. I think its just the general increase in prices across the board, she said. What she has seen is continued interest from home buyers who want to be on or near the Main Line in general. People are drawn there for highly rated school districts and jobs in medical and education fields, she said. Two of her current clients are newly hired tenured professors at Bryn Mawr College. LeBows clients have come from states such as California, Maryland, and Arizona, and many have moved from Texas, she said. We always have more people who want to come to the Main Line, and homeowners dont want to leave, she said. That creates a home supply imbalance that drives up prices. READ MORE: Philly-area homeowners are building wealth quickly, thanks to rising prices LeBow tends to work with clients who have budgets somewhere within the range of the high $700,000s to $1.4 million, she said. If a house is in good condition, has a desirable location and layout, and is priced in the high $800,000s or low $900,000s, its not uncommon for the property to get more than 10 offers and for the price to shoot up, LeBow said. I have a lot of clients who want to move to the Main Line, and they see the numbers and say, I cant do this, she said. When the price gets above $1.3 million, the buyer pool dwindles. There arent as many people who can afford that, LeBow said. But, there are still plenty of people out there with a lot of money. Million-dollar states The million-dollar communities in South Jersey are all at the Shore and havent changed since last year. Typical home values in Longport in Atlantic County; and Strathmere, Cape May Point; and Sea Isle City in Cape May County, ranged between $1.2 million and $1.4 million in February. The typical home in Stone Harbor was worth about $2.3 million and in Avalon was worth about $2.5 million. READ MORE: Things to do in Stone Harbor, Avalon, Sea Isle City, and Strathmere -- The Main ShoreLine The state with the most million-dollar communities is California, which has 210, up from 198 last year and more than the next five states put together. New York has the second-highest number at 66. It gained 12 from last year. Delaware, on the other hand, has one fewer million-dollar community than it did last year. The typical home value in Dewey Beach slipped from almost $1.1 million last year to just above $930,000. South Bethany remains on the million-dollar list, with a typical home value of just over $1.1 million. Scott was an integral part of our business in Asia over a 10-year period between 2010 and 2020; I have watched his star rise, and it's therefore fantastic to welcome him back, said Andrew Bart, CEO of international operations at Crawford. He is an ideal balance between being exceptional from a technical perspective, with first-hand understanding of the value of loss adjusting in the claims lifecycle, while at the same time he has a proven track record of creating high performing and well-functioning teams, he said. What to expect from SIRA's regulatory framework The framework serves as a roadmap for SIRA's operational priorities, aiming to efficiently allocate resources towards personal injury and home building compensation schemes. It aims to shed light on the roles and responsibilities of SIRA, enhancing understanding and transparency for individuals, businesses, and other stakeholders involved in these schemes. We have deployed our NRMA Insurance Mobile Claims HELP Response Vehicle to the Hawkesbury-Nepean region to help customers lodge their claims and receive emergency support at a location convenient to them. From [yesterday], the NRMA Insurance HELP Response Vehicle [has been] located at Richmond Club, 6E Market Street, Richmond, he said. We also have another HELP Response Vehicle based in the Wollongong region at the Bulli Community Centre, 328 Princess Highway, Bulli, from [today] (Tuesday 9 April). According to ABCs report, among those affected is the MacDonald family, who had barely settled into their Thirroul home when they were forced to flee from rising floodwaters that swiftly invaded their residence. Our Healthy Living Extras product has been designed to provide our younger customers with access to what they told us was important, such as low-cost preventative health services, particularly as more Australians are dealing with cost-of-living pressures, he said. Many young Australians get hospital cover when they turn 31 before the governments Lifetime Health Cover loading kicks in, so this product is designed to give them a taste of the experience of having health cover as well as getting access to our most popular services that come with being a Medibank customer. With an expansive career spanning over 15 years in the reinsurance market, Ali joined Active Re in 2019 as deputy chief operating officer. Throughout his tenure, he has been key in driving the companys growth and success through his leadership skills and strategic insights, it was stated. The broker has recently been expanding its portfolio into complementary lines and extending its geographical footprint, with recent moves into the US, Canada, Australia, and South Africa, along with new offices in Guernsey and Cayman. The company aims to rapidly grow its presence in the global casualty and natural resources sectors, with additional team members expected to join later this year. Rnjaks addition is just the latest in a string of recent developments for the re/insurance broker. On the first of April, Miller announced that GIC had completed its acquisition of shares from Cinven in the firm, with the former now the majority shareholder. Less than a month before the plans rollout, a CBC News report quoted Carr as saying: Im hearing that the sign-up is slow. I do not think its as high as we would hope in order for this plan to be successful. This is a significant milestone in the strategic development of Lancashire, giving us access to business that we could not write before through new distribution channels and with new clients, he said. We are pleased to welcome the new US team to the Lancashire Group and look forward to working with them. It has always been our belief that our clients are our partners and must be treated with honesty and respect. Honor, trust, integrity and ingenuity are the core principles which guide us in our daily pursuit of providing exceptional service to our client partners, DiMattina stated. This is the first time were going to have a real coordinated response before the disaster happens, which is critical, said California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who co-chairs the NAIC Climate and Resiliency Task Force. [States] are all in this together, and we all need to succeed. The challenges we face today are unprecedented and national in scope, requiring a unified approach by our state regulators, who are the true experts in our individual markets. The insurer went on to say: PGL takes this incident and the security of information in its care seriously. Upon learning of this incident, PGL secured its environment and investigated to determine the nature and scope of the incident. PGL continues to implement additional technical safeguards to help prevent a similar incident in the future. A former Maryland title insurance agent recently pleaded guilty to carrying out a multi-year theft scheme netting her more than $369,000, according to the state attorney general. Cheryl Leigh Gray was a licensed insurance producer working as the operations manager at Passport Title Services in Rockville, Maryland. Passport Title is a real estate settlement firm and title insurance agency in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. From May 2016 through July 2021, prosecutors say Gray stole $369,492.01 from Passport Title. The funds consisted of settlement proceeds being held for disbursement in real estate transactions handled by Passport Title. According to Attorney General Anthony Browns office, over the six-year scheme, Gray used her position as operations manager to execute 58 wire transfers from Passport Titles escrow accounts, transferring the funds to her personal bank account maintained in Frederick County. Gray was sentenced to five years of incarceration, with all but one year suspended. Upon release, Gray will be on supervised probation for five years and will be required to pay $63,536.46 in restitution. Prior to the guilty plea and sentencing, Gray repaid $305,995.55 to the victim. Topics Agencies Fraud Maryland Greece is investing 2.1 billion ($2.27 billion) to protect the nation from natural disasters caused by climate change as wildfires are already breaking out ahead of fire season, which normally starts in May. The Aegis program is the first of its kind in Greece. According to Panagiotis Stampoulidis, the executive director of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, which will oversee procurement for it, it will also be Greeces biggest-ever procurement program. The initiative will provide new and upgraded equipment to the Ministry of Civil Protection, including amphibious firefighting aircrafts, drones for aerial monitoring, fire detection and extinguishing systems, fire control centers and more than 1,000 firefighting vehicles. Key procurement projects will be handled by HRADFs Project Preparation Facility, or PPF, which has a 592 million budget and to date has issued 16 tenders. In total, HRADF is managing a portfolio of projects for Aegis that amount to about 970 million, Stampoulidis said in an interview in Athens. Climate change-related fires have been a serious problem for Greece in recent years. In 2023, wildfires scorched almost 675 square miles of forest, or 1.3% of the countrys total land area. Thats up from an average of just under 168 square miles a year between 2006 and 2022, according to the European Unions European Forest Fire Information System. Last August, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged to upgrade the countrys technological toolkit for preventing wildfires after Greece suffered the most fire-related destruction in 16 years. Around 19,000 people, including thousands of tourists, were evacuated the month prior from parts of the island of Rhodes after wildfires broke out amid a heat wave that set temperature records across southern Europe. Aegiss aim is to protect human life, property, forests and the countrys natural beauty and ecology amid mounting climate threats, Climate Change and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said last week. Funding for the program comes from the EUs Recovery and Resilience Facility, the National Strategic Reference Framework and the European Investment Bank, he said. HRADF also has a budget of 198 million this year for the Anti-Nero III program, which supports wildfire prevention measures such as cleaning forests, upgrading and maintaining forest access roads and creating and maintaining anti-fire zones. Anti-Nero III, which is already underway for 2024, covers the cleaning of more than 14,300 acres of forest and provides for the creation and maintenance of almost 20,000 acresof fire prevention zones. Meanwhile, the outlook for this years wildfire season, which historically runs from May to October, is grim. Along with its southern European neighbors, Greece has been affected by ongoing drought conditions, according to the European Unions Copernicus service, which often lead to more fires. In the second 10-day period of March, our #EDO CDI showed that Southern Europe, particularly the #Mediterranean region, continued to be affected by #drought conditions Alert conditions persisted in southern #Italy and #Spain More athttps://t.co/jbAFISFCQT pic.twitter.com/XxnzujTvKy Copernicus EMS (@CopernicusEMS) March 28, 2024 Over a 12 hour-period on April 6, 71 bush and forest fires broke out across the country, according to the Climate Change and Civil Protection Ministry, which elevated the national fire alert warning to the second-highest level. Villages on the island of Crete were among those evacuated after a fire spread in a forested part of the Lasithi region. Crews had been removing natural and man-made debris in forests across the country over the past few weeks to prevent such a disaster, Stampoulidis said. Additional crews will start operating in more forests very soon and their work will be completed by July. Their presence in forest areas is a preventive measure in itself. In 2022 and 2023, in areas where crews operated, no fires broke out, he said. Photograph: A firefighter watches a wildfire burn near Sikorrachi, Greece in August 2023. Photo credit: Konstantinos Tsakalidis/Bloomberg Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. Topics Climate Change Karen Nickel has been dealing with lupus and other illnesses for years, illnesses she blames on childhood exposure to a suburban St. Louis creek where Cold War-era nuclear waste was dumped decades ago. Its time, she said Friday, for the federal government to start making amends. People have died and are still dying, Nickel, co-founder of the activist group Just Moms STL, said. Nickel and others impacted by nuclear waste exposure in the St. Louis region joined Democratic U.S. Rep. Cori Bush at a news conference at a park that sits near long-contaminated Coldwater Creek. They urged renewal of a law initially passed more than three decades ago that would provide an estimated $50 billion to compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government. Last month, the Senate approved legislation by Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico that would not only extend the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, but expand its scope to include Missouri and other states adversely affected by the nations nuclear weapons program. But the compensation plan was excluded from a spending bill. The Senate did its job, but House leadership has failed to act, Bush, of St. Louis, said. This injustice cannot stand. The plan isnt dead. It could still pass as a stand-alone bill, or be attached to another piece of legislation. But time is of the essence, Bush said. The RECA program expires June 7. Uranium processing in the St. Louis area played a pivotal role in developing the nuclear weapons that helped bring an end to World War II and provided a key defense during the Cold War. But eight decades later, the region is still dealing with contamination at several sites. In July, an investigation published by The Associated Press, The Missouri Independent and MuckRock showed that the federal government and companies responsible for nuclear bomb production and atomic waste storage sites in the St. Louis area were aware of health risks, spills, improperly stored contaminants and other problems but often ignored them. While it is difficult to prove definitively that the waste caused residents illnesses, advocates argue that there is more than enough evidence that it has sickened people. Since the RECA program began, more than 54,000 claims have been filed and about $2.6 billion has been awarded for approved claims in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. In New Mexico, residents in the communities surrounding the area where the first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945 the top-secret Manhattan Project were not warned of the radiological dangers and didnt realize that an atomic blast was the source of the ash that was raining down upon them. Advocates also have sought to bring awareness to the lingering effects of radiation exposure on the Navajo Nation, where millions of tons of uranium ore were extracted over decades to support U.S. nuclear activities. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in 2022 extending RECA for two years, into June. Hawleys bill would extend the law for five years and expand coverage to include people in Missouri as well as Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alaska and Guam. The White House has indicated that Biden would sign the legislation. The President believes we have a solemn obligation to address toxic exposure, especially among those who have been placed in harms way by the governments actions, the White House said in a statement earlier this year. Others worry about the cost. The taxpayer advocacy group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said that the legislation should include budget offsets to pay for it. Nuclear waste stored near St. Louis Lambert Airport made its way into Coldwater Creek in the 1960s. Many people who grew up or live near the meandering creek believe the contamination is responsible for cancers and other illnesses, though experts say connecting radiation exposure to illness is complicated. Cancer concerns also have been raised by people in nearby St. Charles County, Missouri, where uranium was processed and a large quarry became contaminated, resulting in a Superfund cleanup. In 2022, a St. Louis County grade school closed amid worries that contamination from Coldwater Creek got onto the playground and inside the building. The Army Corps of Engineers announced last month that it is testing a few homes near the creek after high radiation levels were found in their backyards. Like Nickel, Democratic state Rep. Doug Clemens grew up along Coldwater Creek. He said every man in his childhood neighborhood eventually died of stomach or intestinal cancer. They knew they were poisoning us for 75 years, Clemens said of the government. RECA is a step. We must do RECA now. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Talent Missouri German software developer Andres Freund was running some detailed performance tests last month when he noticed odd behavior in a little-known program. What he found when he investigated has sent shudders across the software world and drawn attention from tech executives and government officials. Freund, who works for Microsoft out of San Francisco, discovered that the latest version of the open-source software program XZ Utils had been deliberately sabotaged by one of its developers, a move that could have carved out a secret door to millions of servers across the internet. Security experts say its only because Freund spotted the change before the latest version of XZ had been widely deployed that the world was spared a digital security crisis. Microsoft Faulted for Inadequate Cyber Practices in US Report We really dodged a bullet, said Satnam Narang, a security researcher with Tenable who has been tracking the fallout from the find. It is one of those moments where we have to wipe our brow and say, We were really lucky with this one.' The near-miss has refocused attention on the safety of open-source software free, often volunteer-maintained programs whose transparency and flexibility mean they serve as the foundation for the internet economy. Many such projects depend on a tiny circle of unpaid volunteers fighting to get out from under a pile of demands for fixes and upgrades. XZ, a suite of file compression tools packaged into distributions of the Linux operating system, was long maintained by a single author, Lasse Collin. In recent years, he appeared to be under strain. In a message posted to a public mailing list in June 2022, Collin said he was dealing with longterm mental health issues and hinted that he working privately with a new developer named Jia Tan and that perhaps he will have a bigger role in the future. Update logs available through the open source software site Github show that Tans role quickly expanded. By 2023 the logs show Tan was merging his code into XZ, a sign that he had won a trusted role in the project. But cybersecurity experts whove scoured the logs say that Tan was masquerading as a helpful volunteer. Over the next few months, they say, Tan introduced a nearly invisible backdoor into XZ. Collin didnt return messages seeking comment and said on his website that he would not respond to reporters until he understood the situation well enough to do so. Tan did not return messages sent to his Gmail account. Reuters has been unable to ascertain who Tan is, where he is, or who he was working for, but many of those whove examined his updates believe Tan is a pseudonym for an expert hacker or group of hackers likely one working on behalf of a powerful intelligence service. This is not kindergarten stuff, said Omkhar Arasaratnam, the general manager of the Open Source Security Foundation, which works to defend projects like XZ. This is incredibly sophisticated. We Lucked Out Tan could easily have gotten away with it had it not been for Freund, the Microsoft developer, whose curiosity was piqued when he noticed the latest version of XZ intermittently using an unexpected amount of processing power on the system he was testing. Microsoft declined to make Freund available for an interview, but in a publicly available email and posts to social media, Freund said a series of easy-to-miss clues prompted him to discover the backdoor. The find really required a lot of coincidences, Freund said on the social network Mastodon. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella congratulated Freund over the weekend, saying in a post to the social network X that he loved seeing how the developer, with his curiosity and craftsmanship, was able to help us all. In the open-source community, the discovery has been sobering. The volunteers who maintain the software that underpins the internet arent strangers to the idea of little pay or recognition, but the realization that they were now being hunted by well-resourced spies pretending to be Good Samaritans was incredibly intimidating, said Arasaratnam, of the Open Source Security Foundation. Government officials are also weighing the implications of the near-miss, which has underlined concerns about how to protect open source software. Assistant National Cyber Director Anjana Rajan told Politico that theres a lot of conversations that we need to have about what we do next to protect open source code. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says it has been leaning on U.S. companies that use open-source software to plow resources back into the communities that build and maintain it. CISA adviser Jack Cable told Reuters the burden was on tech companies not just to vet open software but to contribute back and help build the sustainable open-source ecosystem that we get so much value from. Its not clear that software companies are properly incentivized to do so. Online open source mailing lists are teeming with complaints about tech giants demanding that volunteers troubleshoot issues with open source software those companies use to make billions of dollars. Whatever the solution, almost everyone agrees the XZ episode shows something has to change. We got unreasonably lucky here, said Freund in another Mastodon post. We cant just bank on that going forward. (Reporting by Raphael Satter, editing by Chris Sanders and Nick Zieminski) Topics USA Cyber InsurTech Tech Owning a home can feel like risky business, from coming up with the mortgage payment every month to worrying about disasters like fires or floods or tornadoes. But here is something riskier still: Going without home insurance in the U.S. altogether. It is called going bare, and 12% of American homeowners report doing just that, according to a study from the Insurance Information Institute (III) and Munich Re. That is up from just 5% in 2015. US Home Insurance Premiums May Hit a Record This Year, Report Warns In some areas, it is estimated to be even higher than that between 15-20% of homeowners in Florida, the highest percentage in the country, according to the III. That means if disaster strikes, you are self-insured a fancy way of saying you will have to find the funds to rebuild. Unless you happen to have hundreds of thousands of dollars just sitting around, that wont be pleasant. Thinking you can recover from a major catastrophe like a hurricane, tornado or wildfire without property insurance is unrealistic for 99% of U.S. homeowners, says Mark Friedlander, IIIs communications director. Going bare is still fairly uncommon: That is because if you take out a mortgage on the property, lenders typically require proof of home insurance. And yet, some homeowners are choosing to take on this risk. One reason for that is sky-rocketing costs: Average home insurance premiums are now $1,759 annually for $250,000 of dwelling coverage, according to financial information site Bankrate.com. That is a whopping 23% more than a year ago. Secondly, coverage may be hard to find, since some insurers are not writing new policies, or are pulling back altogether from high-risk areas. After all, they face their own rising costs, from severe weather events to increasingly expensive building materials. As a result, some homeowners are taking the biggest bet and going without any coverage at all which is enough to make their financial planners tear their hair out. I live in Florida, and there is no good solution here, laments Dennis Hunt, a planner in Melbourne, Florida. I have a couple of different client families that have chosen to drop their home insurance coverage due to the skyrocketing premiums. I obviously advised against this. To avoid taking such a huge gamble, here are a few pointers. Shop Around and Hunt for Discounts Before you give up, put the work in and see what kind of rates you can get. That means diligent comparison shopping according to Bankrate research, the insurers Erie, Auto-Owners and USAA offer some of the lowest rates available. It also means loading up on any potential discounts, which you may not even realize you qualify for. These include bundling with another policy such as auto insurance (generates an average 10%-25% discount on both policies), being claims-free, loyalty discounts (being a long-time customer of your insurer), installing a security system, adding smart home devices or being a retiree or senior citizen, says Friedlander. Consider Personal Circumstance There is no one-size-fits-all solution here and some planners say that in limited, rare cases, self-insuring could be a legitimate option. What if the land is worth more than the house? asks Kevin Dunleavy, a financial planner in Orlando. What if its a rental that it is really a teardown? What if the client has enough investable assets to consider self-insuring? I think there are cases when forgoing dwelling coverage for much less expensive liability-only coverage makes sense. Tweak the Policy If the punishing premiums are scaring you off, there are ways to mitigate the costs. One common method is to increase the deductible. That means you will have to cover more modest claims out-of-pocket, but at least you will still be covered in the event of catastrophic loss. In addition, you could change your policy type from an HO-3 to an HO-2, suggests Bankrate insurance analyst Shannon Martin. An HO-2 policy is more basic coverage, where particular perils have to be named. Both changes may offer significant savings, Martin says. If you do decide to go bare, just realize that the bill may eventually come, and it could be a very high one indeed. Just ask financial planner Paul Monax of Littleton, Colorado, whose town was ravaged by major hailstorms last summer, damaging roofs up and down his street. I have a neighbor that decided to self-insure, Monax remembers. They are replacing their roof out-of-pocket for about a decades worth of premiums. (Editing by Lauren Young and Aurora Ellis) Photograph: A woman walks near an uprooted tree, a flipped vehicle and debris from homes damaged by a tornado on March 27, 2023, in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) Topics Florida Homeowners With one month left in the South Carolina legislative session, two bills designed to ease liquor liability insurance costs are evolving and moving forward. The state House of Representatives late last month voted 106-2 to approve House Bill 5066, which was changed significantly after it was introduced in February. The initial measure would have established a liquor liability fund financed by an excise tax on drinks, but that idea was removed in the House Judiciary Committee and members added a new plan: Allowing establishments to set up their own captive insurance companies, which would provide at least half of the needed liability coverage. The bill, sponsored in part by Rep. Jason Elliott, R-Greenville, would keep the states controversial requirement that bars and restaurants maintain at least $1 million in liquor liability coverage. Hospitality groups have said for months that the liability requirement, mandated in 2017, is a big reason behind soaring insurance premiums and a dearth of insurers willing to write that much. But the amended bill, if approved by the Senate and signed into law, would tweak the wording. Instead of a total coverage of $1 million, the amended bill would mandate an annual aggregate limit of $1 million. It also would allow that coverage amount to be cut in half if owners undertake a mitigation program, which includes certified training of serving staff. Also, Insurers must establish liquor liability mitigation measures and offer premium discounts for compliance therewith that reduce the risk to the general public associated with the service of on-premises consumption of alcohol, HB 5066 reads. To comply with the mitigation plan, the earlier version also would have required bars and restaurants to stop serving booze at 10 p.m. and keep alcohol sales below 30% of total revenue, something some bar owners in the tourism-heavy state said would be impossible. The amended bill changes the hours to midnight and raises the alcohol-sales limit to 40%. Bars and restaurant owners also have complained that South Carolinas joint-and-several liability law has worked in tandem with the liquor liability coverage requirement to send premiums bubbling over in the last few years. Senate Bill 533 would allow juries to apportion fault, potentially reducing the amount of damages a bar owner may face after negligently serving alcohol to a person that later caused an accident. That bill, after seeing little action for more than a month, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee March 27 and could be voted on by the full Senate this week. Topics Liability South Carolina PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) A wildfire in the Florida Panhandle has destroyed a home and damaged at least 15 others. The Florida Forest Service said Friday that the blaze, which broke out Thursday near Pensacola, was now more than 60% contained over an area of 50 acres (20 hectares). No injuries were reported. Spring is the height of wildfire season in the Southeast, before summer brings humidity and drenching thunderstorms to the Gulf Coast. The cause of the fire was unknown and remained under investigation. Homes were evacuated Thursday in some parts of Escambia County north of Pensacola Naval Air Station. A few people stayed overnight in a shelter at a church. The Florida Forest Service used bulldozers and plows to cut fire lines, and crews were patrolling the perimeter. Theyre continuing to mop up around some of the homes that are showing some heat nearby, Blackwater Forestry Centers Operations Administrator David Smith told the Pensacola News Journal. But there are no threats at this time. The fire melted vinyl siding off some homes in neighboring subdivisions. Jeremy Mixon told WEAR-TV that his home is currently unlivable. Oh man, inside theres smoke damage in there real bad, Mixon said. Another resident, Schye McGruder, feared losing her house as flames roared high up in the trees. I didnt even walk off my porch and just turned around, and they were just over the roof, it was so bad. It was terrible. I was frightened. I was so scared, McGruder said. A separate fire to the west near Pascagoula, Mississippi, caused blowing smoke across Interstate 10, contributing to four crashes around 1 a.m. Saturday. State Highway Patrol spokesperson Cal Robertson told WLOX-TV that three of the crashes involved two vehicles, while one involved four vehicles. Three of the crashes caused injuries, but no one was killed. Report: Wildfire Threat Grows in Florida as Droughts Worsen Premiums Rising as Wildfires, Storms Become More Frequent Climate-Exacerbated Fires Cost U.S. up to $890 Billion A Year Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Florida Wildfire DORAL, Fla. (AP) A gunfight at a suburban Miami bar left two people dead and seven injured early Saturday. Investigators said a fight between customers broke out around 3:30 a.m. at the Martini Bar in the CityPlace Doral development in Doral, Florida. When a security guard intervened, an unnamed man took out a gun and shot and killed the security guard, Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said. Two Doral police officers who were also providing security returned fire, with one of them killing the shooter. One of the officers, a four-year veteran of the force, was shot in the thigh and applied a tourniquet to himself, Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez told reporters. Even after he discharged his firearm, the extensive training that our police officers undergo is a testament to why that officer is alive today, Lopez said. Six other bystanders were also hit by gunfire four men and two women, officials said. The wounded officer has been released from a hospital, WTVJ-TV reported. The six bystanders remain hospitalized, with two in critical condition, Zabaleta said. The mixed-use development includes shops, with apartments above some of the stores. A resident of a nearby apartment told WPLG-TV that he heard a hail of gunfire. Around 3:15 or 3:30 in the morning, I heard three initial gunshots, said William Suedois. Didnt really know where it was coming from. I thought it was fireworks. Then I heard probably 10 or 15 directly after that very, very fast and very loud. It was very scary very scary. Zabaleta said its way too early to know who shot who. Lopez later told the Miami Herald that the two officers and the initial assailant were the only ones with guns. He said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shootings, while Miami-Dade Police are investigating the two deaths. The gunman and the security guard who were killed have not yet been identified. Investigators said Saturday they could not yet say why the fight broke out. Officers continued to interview witnesses at the bar well after sunrise Saturday, while parts of the mall remained roped off as crime scene technicians gathered evidence. Mall managers said in a statement that they had put additional security measures in place and that part of the development would reopen Saturday night. The bars owners said they were cooperating with authorities and conducting their own investigation. This trauma will be felt deeply by us all for a long time to come, and we are here for our community today, and always, the statement said in part. Security Concerns: Big Verdicts from Shootings on Premises Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida April 8, 2024 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a global news source and expert investing resource, announces today's roundup of stocks to watch in the Mining sector. The newest mining companies are exploring for green metals and critical metals such as phosphate, cobalt, lithium, graphite, and copper. New Stocks Added to the Mining Directories: Battery Mineral Resources Corp. (TSX-V:BMR) is a battery minerals company providing shareholders exposure to the global mega-trend of electrification while being focused on growth through cash-flow, exploration, and acquisitions in favourable mining jurisdictions. Battery Mineral's mission is the discovery, acquisition, and development of battery metals (namely cobalt, lithium, graphite, and copper), in North America, South America and South Korea and to become a premier and responsible supplier of battery minerals to the electrification marketplace. BMR is currently pursuing a near-term resumption of operations of the Punitaqui Mining Complex, a past copper-gold-silver producer, in the Coquimbo region of Chile. BMR is the largest mineral claim holder in the historic Gowganda Cobalt-Silver Camp in Ontario, Canada, and continues to pursue a focused program to build on the recently announced, +1-million-pound high-grade cobalt resource at McAra. In addition, Battery Mineral owns 100% of ESI Energy Services, Inc. (including ESI's wholly owned USA operating subsidiary, Ozzie's, Inc.), a profitable mainline pipeline and renewable energy equipment rental and sales company with operations in Alberta, Canada and Arizona, USA. Battery Mineral Resources is based in Canada First Phosphate Corp. (CSE:PHOS) is a mineral development company fully dedicated to extracting and purifying phosphate for the production of cathode active material for the Lithium Iron Phosphate ("LFP") battery industry. First Phosphate is committed to producing at high purity level, at full ESG standard and with low anticipated carbon footprint. First Phosphate plans to vertically integrate from mine source directly into the supply chains of major North American LFP battery producers that require battery grade LFP cathode active material emanating from a consistent and secure supply source. First Phosphate holds over 1,500 sq. km of royalty-free district-scale land claims in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean Region of Quebec, Canada that it is actively developing. First Phosphate properties consist of rare anorthosite igneous phosphate rock that generally yields high purity phosphate material devoid of high concentrations of harmful elements. Refined Energy Corp. (CSE:RUU) formerly Refined Metals Corp- is a junior mining company dedicated to identifying, evaluating and acquiring interests in mineral properties in North America. In addition to the Dufferin Project, Refined is also exploring a lithium property, the Simard Property, located in the Lac Simard region of Quebec. The Simard Property covers 5,551 hectares and has over 96 claim blocks. The Company is also party to an option agreement in respect of the Horizon South Property, a prospective, exploration-stage lithium property located in Tonopah Nevada. The Company continues to review other mineral properties in North America for possible acquisition in the future. Advance Metals Ltd (ASX:AVM) is a mining company focused on developing its flagship projects the Augustus Project and the Garnet Skarn Project. The Augustus Project located in Central Arizona is a district wide advanced exploration and development Copper-Gold project that has been previously explored and drilled by majors such as Teck Cominco, Free Ports and Asarco. The directories are not meant as recommendations but as a research tool to discover opportunities and trading ideas in a particular sector. About Investorideas.com - Big Investing Ideas Investorideas.com is the go-to platform for big investing ideas. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Learn more about our news, PR and social media, podcast and ticker tag services at Investorideas.com https://www.investorideas.com/Investors/Services.asp Learn more about advertising and guest posts https://www.investorideas.com/Advertise/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/Investorideas Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Investorideas Follow us on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/Investorideas Contact Investorideas.com to be added to our stock directories or learn more about us Dawn Van Zant and Cali Van Zant 800 665 0411 The States bad bank asked the government to set up a Nama resolution unit because there was no way they could finalise all legal cases, insolvency, and property disposals before their official wind-up at the end of 2025. Nama is due to be shut down at the end of next year but informed the Department of Finance it will still have property on its books as well as outstanding litigation. It told the department a resolution unit could potentially operate as part of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) to manage the last of its business. In an update for the Department of Finance late last August, Nama said it faced seven key challenges in finishing its work by December 2025 as they came up against significant pressure to sell off the last of their assets and manage debtors. Nama said they were facing considerable difficulties in retaining staff with a broad set of skills and expertise as employees were leaving knowing their jobs were soon to disappear. The asset management agency also said there was limited scope for them to resolve litigation where it was the defendant. Therefore, it is possible that some cases may still be unresolved by end-2025. There is the potential for new litigation to emerge and must be resolved, said the presentation. It warned too of difficulties in wrapping up insolvency cases and that some were almost certain to continue after the date of Namas closure. It said: The timing of [these] is controlled by bankruptcy trustees or the courts. There is the potential for new insolvency proceedings to be required. Nama referred as well to the resolution of some challenging cases that may require significant remediation activity and cost that were not certain to be concluded. The agency said also they were receiving a very high volume of queries on historical transactions and that there was no sign that this was slowing down. The agency said they were concerned too that delays in changes to the Nama Act to facilitate the formal wind-down would not be implemented in time by the Oireachtas. The briefing said: Recent evidence from the delay in implementing the required change to the LDA [Land Development Agency] Act to facilitate the transfer of the National Asset Residential Property Services demonstrates this possibility. In an overview of its loan portfolio, Nama said it had around 500 million in debtor loans remaining including largely complex assets that required ongoing management and monitoring. More than half of the remaining land under their management is in North County Dublin, and 94% in total is in Dublin and the surrounding commuter counties. It said there were challenges in deleveraging with changing market conditions and the potential for assets to realise lower prices at a slower pace than projected. The briefing explained as well how there were many small holdings in the property portfolio which, despite their size, required significant activity. On litigation, Nama said it would continue to pursue settlement options but only where it was commercially advantageous. They again warned of the risk of being seen as an easy target for legal cases because of the wind-down with a risk of vexatious and costly new litigation. Asked about the records, a spokesperson for Nama said they had nothing further to add to their contents. Early last month, the Department of Finance announced they would proceed with plans for a resolution unit to manage any residual activity from the asset management agency. Crude oil prices fell by over $1 a barrel after Israel reduced its troops in southern Gaza and began a fresh round of ceasefire talks with Hamas. Brent crude futures fell $1.60, or 1.8%, to $89.57 a barrel, with investors focusing on Israels decision to withdraw more soldiers from southern Gaza on Sunday. The Sunday Israel announcement (withdrawing its ground forces part of the Gaza strip) has reduced somewhat the geopolitical risk premium, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said. A Hamas official said on Monday that the talks with Israel remain deadlocked, although an Israeli minister earlier described the talks as the closest the sides have come to a deal since November. Also weighing on oil prices were expectations that US crude oil stocks likely rose last week, Mr Staunovo said. However, the decline in oil prices should be modest until it becomes clear how Iran will respond to the bombing of its consulate in Syria last week. Tehran has said it will take revenge on Israel for the airstrike which killed two Iranian generals. Among the factors affecting oil's demand outlook, a US employment report last week suggested the US economy ended the first quarter on solid ground, which could prompt the US Federal Reserve to delay interest rate cuts this year. Investors will be scouring consumer price index data from the US and China this week for further clues on the timing of possible Fed rate cuts and to gauge the economic health of the world's top two oil consumers. Over the past 40 years, Denis OConnor has won acclaim for his public sculptures throughout Britain and Ireland, which he creates at his studio in Derbyshire or at his second home in Barna, West Cork. A native of Millstreet, OConnors works in Ireland include two in Cork city; The Hurlers at Blackpool Bypass, and Lost Industries on Leitrim St, which commemorate Glen Rovers hurling club and the old textiles mill at Pouladuff, respectively. While those sculptures, like much of his public work, were Per Cent for Art Scheme commissions, OConnor has spent much of the past few years creating more personal pieces, a selection of which he is currently showing in an exhibition called In My Time at the LHQ Gallery at Cork County Hall. I spend so much time travelling between Derbyshire and West Cork, he says. Ive often wondered, where is home? The last time I was on the ferry with my two daughters, we could see the hills of Wales in one direction and the hills of Wicklow in the other. I made an artwork about the journey that draws a line between the two places I live in, but also talks about emigration and the refugee crisis. That sparked the idea for the exhibition, really. Making big public sculptures is my bread and butter, but In My Time features work thats a lot more autobiographical. One of the sculptural works by Denis OConnor. Photo: Richard Richards OConnor first caught the ferry to Britain in the early 1980s, when, having completed his degree at Limerick School of Art, he began studying for his Masters in Birmingham. I was offered places at college in Belfast and Birmingham, and I chose Birmingham because I thought I should move out of Ireland altogether for a spell. Living as an Irishman in Britain brought its own issues. There was still a lot of political upheaval in those days, paramilitary bombings and so on, so you felt you had to keep your head down a little. On the train from Birmingham to Holyhead, youd listen out for Irish voices; I remember one time sharing a compartment with four native Irish speakers. But the whole experience of crossing the Irish Sea has changed so much in the meantime. These days, the Stena ferry is like a cruise liner. You drive on, and theres a proper lounge to relax in, and a nice place to eat. OConnors Sculpture Works studio is in Wirksworth, a market town in the Derbyshire Dales, but his work has brought him all over Britain, where he has often encountered Irish emigrants who have never found reason to come home. One of the sculptures in the exhibition features a chair and a shovel. The chair stands for the stability of home theres even a little house at the top of it - and the shovel is upturning that stability. But the shovel is also the very thing that Irish labourers earned a living with in England, of course. A piece by Denis O'Connor. Another sculpture features a rose, which refers to a poignant incident in his own life. OConnor was adopted, and never met his biological father. But I did get to know my natural mother, he says, and I discovered I have three sisters and a half-brother. My natural mother died during covid, and my siblings put five roses on her coffin. The funeral was broadcast live, and that was the first time a lot of people even in the family learned of my existence. OConnors adoptive parents were wonderful, he says, and he credits his fathers occupation as a shoemaker with inspiring his own career in art. It was just that idea of making things, he says. I always loved to watch him work; I remember the care he put into making a pair of boots for the local baker, Bob Justice. I couldnt find my fathers hammer, so I remade one out of steel, along with the heel of a shoe. And thats in the exhibition too. These days, OConnor spends as much time in Ireland as he can. On their stays in Barna, he and his partner, the printmaker Bernardine Rutter, work at their art projects or pursue their shared love of outdoor pursuits; walking and cycling and kayaking in the sea. I find the return journey to England a little harder each time I come over, he says. My daughters and son all live in England, so I still go back, of course. But to answer my own question, where is home? Even after all my years in Britain, I think West Cork is home. Denis OConnor, In My Time runs at the LHQ Gallery, Cork County Hall until April 26. A free Artists in Conversation event about Public Art will be held on Thursday, April 25 at 1pm. To register for this event, please email arts@corkcoco.ie. Further information: The BBC travel programme, now on its fourth series, sees five teams of intrepid travellers take part in an epic race from one global location to another by foot, road, rail, bus or boat no planes allowed with a budget of just the cost of the equivalent air fare. The racers have to be prepared to rough it on the road, including extreme budgeting, taking on odd jobs, sleeping on the move and asking strangers for handouts to get to the finish line the fastest, and without running out of money. They dont have access to their smartphones, the internet, or bank cards, so they get to travel the world in a totally new way and be in with a chance of winning a life-changing cash prize of 20,000. When Race Across The World returns to BBC One for its fourth series, the teams will start their adventure in Japan. They set off from Sapporo, the capital city of northernmost island Hokkaido, and must make their way to Lombok in Indonesia via a number of checkpoints. Ahead of the new series starting, lets hear from this years travellers. Theres Owen and Alfie, both 20, best friends from Hertfordshire; brother and sister Betty, 25, and James, 21, from Yorkshire; mother and daughter Eugenie, 60, and Isabel, 25, from Barking and Birmingham; Kent-based mother and daughter Sharon, 52, and Brydie, 25; and retired couple Stephen, 61, and Viv, 65, from Rutland. EUGENIE AND ISABEL, YOURE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WHY DID YOU WANT TO SIGN UP FOR THIS TOGETHER? Isabel: The past few years, weve not really had that time to spend with one another, so its about embracing that. Eugenie: Our conversations could be a bit deeper emotionally. Sometimes were at loggerheads I say sometimes because its not all the time, but its about learning how to understand each other. Isabel: I almost think we dont know each other very well, so its an opportunity to actually get to know each other. Eugenie: I think for us its more emotional, its more about emotions and feelings and understanding each others emotions and feelings and how to run with it. Thats what I think it is. ALFIE AND OWEN, YOURE THE YOUNGEST RACERS THIS SERIES. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES WILL BE? Alfie: Finances and staying sane would be probably fair. Obviously, finances is the tangible one and I just think as time goes on were going to get more and more dragged down, particularly if were low on sleep, low on food, low on money, its going to add up very quickly. Were both quite young so weve still got that drive in us, but well see how that looks in week six with no sleep. Owen: I can work in a high pressure situation as long as I dont let it get to my head too much. If I let it get to me thats when it would be a problem, but if I can keep the pressure out then I can deal with it. BETTY AND JAMES, AS BROTHER AND SISTER, WHAT DO YOUR FAMILY THINK OF YOU DOING THIS TRIP TOGETHER? James: Mum and Dad, I know they will be excited for us, proud and nervous but its quite hard to grasp because they havent really said anything. Betty: They said they think it will make us stronger. Were not super close as brother and sister. BRYDIE AND SHARON, WHAT KIND OF TRAVELLERS ARE YOU? DO YOU LIKE YOUR CREATURE COMFORTS OR ARE YOU HAPPY TO ROUGH IT? Sharon: In fact, Id probably be more at home roughing it than 5 stars! Brydie: Yes, we can sleep anywhere, you can leave us on the floor with our backpacks on and well sleep. Were good like that. Thats a strategy right there! Also, we dont belong somewhere like a 5-star hotel. Sharon: Id always feel a bit uncomfortable. Brydie: Were quite close, some people would say were too close, but we dont care if we have to even share a bed. Wed happily share a bed in the race. STEPHEN AND VIV, HAVE YOU PICKED UP ANY TIPS FOR YOUR RACE FROM PREVIOUS SERIES? Viv: Weve watched the series three or four times over and yes, I think theres lots of tips you can say. I think you both have to trust each other, you both have to listen. Different opinions will happen, I think youve got to give a reason behind your opinion and I think we just have to listen to each other and go along with what the consensus of opinion is. Stephen: I think talking to other people is going to be, or always seems to be a strength in the other series, certainly. So, people can listen to strangers, listen to friends and that gives them ideas that perhaps we wouldnt have thought of ourselves, thats all. WOULD YOU ALL SAY YOURE ADVENTUROUS? Betty: Yes, what did I say on the way here? I said, Ill try anything once. James: Ive tried ramen today for the first time! Also, I think on the plane was the first time Ive ever had seaweed. Im getting there. Im open to trying most of the food at least. Owen: I think we are, we put ourselves forward quite a lot. We dont really shy away from opportunities, such as this one, and we dont like wasting the time we spend in other countries, we try and see and do as much as we can whilst were there, maximising the time. Brydie: Were a very adventurous family. Sharon: I just think were up for it. And I think youve got to give anything and everything a go, even if you dont like it, you just dont do it again! Stephen: Oh, I would say so. I think well have a go at most things. Viv: Yes, I think were a bit gung-ho and we dont sort of sit back and think: No, I dont think we can do that but we certainly do like to know where our bed is and where we can have a bath, so yes, this is going to be out of our comfort zone! A lifeboat volunteer who jumped into the sea to save a young girl has revealed that pockets of air trapped under her coat helped keep her afloat before the rescue. Andrew Sykes was on board the RNLI lifeboat that reached the girl and pulled her out of the water within eight and a half minutes of receiving the emergency call on Saturday evening. The operation was mounted after the girl was swept out to sea from the east pier of Dun Laoghaire Harbour at around 8.20 pm. The incident came amid rough seas as Storm Kathleen hit Ireland. Mr Sykes, a volunteer helm with the RNLI, said the stormy conditions made the rescue operation difficult. With the high winds and storm we were experiencing, with large waves and surge coming off the pier, to get alongside her was extremely difficult. She would be pushed one way and we would be pushed another, he told the PA news agency. After two attempts to reach the girl from within the boat, Mr Sykes entered the water to grab hold of her and help her onboard. He said she was calm and alert and was lying on her back in the water with her arms out wide. Mr Sykes said the air trapped in her coat was crucial. She had a jacket on and capsules of air had become trapped in it those kept her afloat, he said. Ed Totterdell, lifeboat operations manager at Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat Station, praised the skills of the crew members involved in the rescue. It showed the talent of the crew on board that they were able to do it, they were ready for it, he said. After being pulled from the water, the girl was taken to hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. The Coast Guard, RNLI, Garda, ambulance service and Dublin fire brigade were all involved in the operation. The Coast Guards Rescue 116 helicopter was also deployed. Dun Laoghaire Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill praised the extraordinary efforts of the rescuers. Fianna Fail TD Cormac Devlin described the rescuers as heroic. Thank you and I hope that the young girl is recovering well, he posted on X, formerly Twitter. In a statement on Sunday, gardai said: Gardai assisted emergency services in the rescue of a female child who had gone into the water at Dun Laoghaire harbour yesterday evening. The child was rescued from the water by emergency services and taken to hospital in south Dublin to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Around 34,000 customers lost electricity supply on Saturday as Storm Kathleen swept across the island, with orange wind warnings in effect in southern and western parts. A few thousand customers remained without power overnight but by Sunday afternoon almost all had had their supply restored. A yellow wind warning covering Donegal, Mayo and west Galway was lifted at 4pm on Sunday. A bogus self-employed worker within RTE has spoken of absolute frustration at not being allowed to give evidence to the Oireachtas Media Committee regarding their experiences at the broadcaster. The Media Committee has instead invited representatives from the three unions operating in RTE to a public hearing on April 24. That invitation was issued after the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers (OPLA), the in-house legal team for the Oireachtas, advised that the Media Committee would be an inappropriate forum for those allegedly bogus self-employed to tell their stories as it has no powers to mediate on workplace grievances. The three unions Siptu, the NUJ, and Connect will instead be invited to send two representatives to the public hearing, and to provide submissions on RTEs future strategy, and the issue of bogus self-employment. While the individual employees will not be invited to the session, they are instead to send written submissions regarding their experiences, which will be anonymised and redacted of any sensitive information. However, the employees in question are unimpressed at not being given a chance to tell their story, and say they have little faith in the unions to do so for them. We are totally pissed off, its just absolute frustration, the worker, confirmed by the Department of Social Protection as having been incorrectly labelled as self-employed by RTE for nearly 10 years, said. I think its really bad were not being allowed in, the unions dont properly represent us. Were semi-state employees, we want to have a voice, they said. As things stand, the committee will be taking second-hand information from people, the unions, who dont really care, whereas its a really big deal for us. There has been speculation that the unions could circumvent the committee denying the bogus self-employed the chance to speak by using one of their two spaces at the April 24 meeting to accommodate members who had experienced the problem first hand. RTE has been struggling with the issue of bogus self-employment where self-employed contractors are denied the benefits and entitlements of full-time employees despite doing the same job for the past six years, following a review performed by consultants Eversheds which found that more than 150 contractors at the broadcaster displayed attributes akin to employment. The broadcaster has subsequently been subject to a review of the working conditions of nearly 700 employees by the Department of Social Protections employment status office Scope for the past three years. However, no compensation has been offered to date to any of the at least 89 workers who have been informed they should have been full-time employees of the station for the duration of their tenure there. RTE has provisionally budgeted its PRSI liability to the Department of Social Protection for unpaid social insurance contributions at 15m. A hotel guest who left his room with a window that was evidently smashed from the inside and left beer bottles strewn around the floor has been sentenced to five months in jail for causing criminal damage. Jake OSullivan, aged 23, from Fairfield Road, Farranree, Cork, told gardai investigating the criminal damage complaint from the hotel that he was so intoxicated he had no memory of it. However, he did plead guilty at Cork District Court to a charge of recklessly or intentionally causing criminal damage to the room. Sergeant John Kelleher said the crime was committed at the Maldron Hotel on John Redmond Street, Shandon, Cork, on December 5, 2022. When staff entered the room they found a window broke and empty glass beer bottles around the room. The room had been used by a single male occupant, Jake OSullivan. The window appeared to be broken from the inside as most of the shattered glass was found outside. Jake OSullivan used his passport as identification to book the room and he left his passport behind after him, Sgt Kelleher told Cork District Court. When questioned later by gardai in relation to the complaint, Jake OSullivan stated he had no memory of it but accepted he caused the damage. The cost of the damage was put at 500. Shane Collins-Daly, defence solicitor, said the young man was living out of home at the time and had a significant addiction to cocaine and was drinking heavily. He went off the rails during that time. Drink and drugs were keeping him down. He was beginning to deal with his addiction before he went into custody but it was too little too late. He does have good prospects if he stays off the drink and drugs. "He has no recollection of this incident but accepts he must have caused it, Mr Collins-Daly said. Judge Mary Dorgan imposed the five-month jail term on O'Sullivan. Two teenagers have been arrested after an incident in which police officers were assaulted in west Belfast over the weekend. The PSNI has said that although the officers were not seriously injured, assaults are not acceptable as a part of the job. Four officers were assaulted and two police vehicles were damaged when police responded to a gathering of young people in the Falls Park area on Saturday evening. Police said they received a report at around 6.50pm of concerns that a large group of young people had congregated in Falls Park and that alcohol was being consumed by children. Officers attended and a significant amount of alcohol was confiscated, supported by local council staff. Police officers dealt with issues of antisocial behaviour, assaults and criminal damage, which included fires and a quad bike being seized. The PSNI said that as officers dealt with these concerns, they were assaulted by some of the young people and the back windscreens of two police vehicles were damaged. Two youths aged 12 and 14 were arrested and one spent the night in custody. While thankfully no officers received any serious injuries and all were able to remain on duty, these assaults to our officers when simply doing their job are not acceptable, said neighbourhood inspector Roisin Brown. Officers are trying their best to keep the local community of west Belfast safe and they do not come to work and expect to be assaulted. Assaults on police must not be tolerated as simply being part of the job. Three young people aged 13, 14 and 15 have been reported to the Youth Diversion Officer for restorative outcomes, whilst two other young people aged 12 and 14 were arrested, one spending the night in custody. A number of young people were taken home to their parents and guardians after consuming alcohol. She added: We are aware of the ongoing issues in the Falls Park area and continue to listen to the concerns of the local community. This requires a multi-agency approach involving a number of key stakeholders to help deal with this matter and we are committed to finding solutions for the whole community. Anyone who is engaging in this type of reckless activity needs to stop and think of the consequences, not just for them, but also how it affects people living in the area. People have a right to live in peace and to feel safe where they live. Those who choose to engage in antisocial behaviour are only hurting their own communities, neighbours and friends. We ask parents and guardians to speak to their young people and to know where they are to prevent them from engaging in behaviour which could result in injury or a criminal record. I want to reassure the community that police will continue to carry out additional patrols across west Belfast, and I ask anyone who witnesses antisocial or criminal behaviour to contact police on 101 so that we can respond. Irish hospitals are often running at 105% capacity, far above the internationally recommended rate of 85%, the Oireachtas health committee was told on a visit to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on Monday. UHL is "a severe example" of overcrowding nationwide, members of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), told politicians. On Monday, some 80 people were waiting on trolleys at UHL, again the highest figure in the country. Dr Alan Watts and Dr John McManus, both consultants at UHL, attended the special meeting. They said that internationally it is accepted a bed occupancy rate of anything over 85% creates challenges in freeing up beds for emergency admissions. When the patients waiting for admission on chairs and trolleys are taken into account the actual occupancy rates in Ireland often exceed 105%, which compromises care and increases mortality, they said. Services in Ennis and Nenagh were closed in 2009 as part of a reconfiguration policy and the medics said that adequate capacity was not made available in UHL at the same time leading to the current issues. The capacity was not sufficient to meet the needs of the population then and in the intervening years we have seen a rapid growth in population and significant growth in the elderly population, the IMO said. Research has shown, they said, overcrowding is known to be associated with preventable death in patients attending Emergency Departments". Overcrowding has been proven to delay time to antibiotics for patients suffering with sepsis, delay interventions for patients suffering heart attacks and strokes, delay the delivery of pain relief. It is also linked to longer ambulance turnaround times they said. Dr Peadar Gilligan, a member of the IMOs consultant committee, urged the government to deliver an extra 5,000 beds to meet demand. To blame doctors or other healthcare staff for problems that have been directly caused by decades of under-investment, by successive governments, is unhelpful and is leading to even lower morale., he warned. There are simply not enough hospital beds, doctors, and allied health professionals to deliver the ever-increasing needs of the population. He added: Despite this, we have an ongoing recruitment freeze imposed by the HSE due to lack of funding from Government. HSE ceo Bernard Gloster said at the weekend there is no end-date set for the recruitment freeze. Leo Varadkar has expressed hope that negative perceptions of him among some unionists will be reassessed in the future. The outgoing Taoiseach was often portrayed within sections of the unionist community as a divisive figure during the Brexit process, amid claims his drive to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland ultimately led to the EU and UK agreeing trading arrangements that created economic barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Mr Varadkar was asked about the hostility he provoked among some unionists and loyalists as he attended his final engagement as Taoiseach north of the border. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and First Minister Michelle ONeill attend a press conference after a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) (Oliver McVeigh/PA) Speaking to reporters at the end of the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh, only hours before formally stepping down from office, the former Fine Gael leader acknowledged the turbulence generated during the Brexit negotiations. Asked if he thought unionist criticism of him was fair, he said: I would hope perhaps in a few years time, with the fullness of time, when things look a bit different, with hindsight, that might be reassessed. You know, certainly Brexit, the decision of the UK to leave the European Union, was very disruptive. And I spent a huge amount of my time as Taoiseach trying to make sure that it didnt create a hard border between north and south and didnt adversely affect Irelands position in the European Union. And that did take a lot of work. Ultimately it required three different agreements to be negotiated with the UK government, all of which were negotiated while I held office as Taoiseach. And we now have one (Windsor Framework) that I think is going to hold and (it is) important now that we make things work and that we try to make sure that we have a good and close relationship with Britain into the future and that, as much as possible, whoever holds the office of Taoiseach or whoever serves in the Irish government tries to reach out to all communities in Northern Ireland. DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly, who also attended the meeting in Armagh, spoke of the past tensions. I think the Taoiseach is well aware that relationships between ourselves in the DUP and the Taoiseach, (and) with unionism in general, has been difficult in the past, she said. Ive no doubt that I have personally criticised the Taoiseach on the record in the past as well. But, as Ive said, I wish the Taoiseach all the best in his steps ahead. And, of course, I am a unionist, Im a very passionate unionist, my interest is in strengthening the United Kingdom. ButI want to be in this role, and in any role that I play, a good neighbour. I want there to be good relationships with the Republic of Ireland. That is what I will be moving forward to try to establish. Of course there are areas of mutual concern but my focus first and absolutely is to be a champion for Northern Ireland and to strengthen this union of the United Kingdom. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly speaks after the NSMC (Oliver McVeigh/PA). Tanaiste Micheal Martin paid tribute to Mr Varadkars contribution. (I want to) take the opportunity to thank the Taoiseach for his contribution to politics and particularly to the north south agenda, he said. There will always be agreements and disagreements and there have been many over the 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement but I think the key point is commitment and a sense of public service in the discharge of ones duties. And I think the Taoiseach did that commendably over his time as Taoiseach and as a minister in the context of the North South Ministerial Council, and I want to put that on the record publicly to thank him for that. Last month, Mr Martin criticised comments made by Stormont First Minister Michelle ONeill on the resignation of Mr Varadkar. He branded the Sinn Fein vice presidents remarks very partisan and said they left a lot to be desired. That came after Ms ONeill accused Mr Varadkars party Fine Gael of 13 years of failure as she insisted it was time for a general election in the Republic of Ireland. Ms ONeill did not repeat that criticism as she commented on the Taoiseachs departure following the NSMC meeting in Armagh. I want to wish you the very best personally for whatever comes next in your lifes journey, the very best to you and to your family, she told Mr Varadkar. And I think that was universally expressed in the North South Ministerial Council meeting itself. Ms ONeill added: I think just in terms of the Brexit debate, the last number of years thats been very complicated, its been very challenging at times. But I also think its right to recognise that my political aspirations and Emmas are different, but this goes right to the heart of the Good Friday Agreement, this is what making politics in the north is all about and if we cant respect our differences of approach, thats a problem, because thats what the Good Friday Agreement speaks to. I am determined to do that. I think we can confidently govern together whilst we also look towards the future and where we want this place to go. So I want to commend the work thats been done with the Irish government over many, many years of the Brexit ups and downs. I think its been hugely, hugely challenging. Im glad we all are where we are today and Im glad that we are in a situation where we now have an opportunity, an economic opportunity, to speak about, and we need, in Executive terms, need to work together to ensure that we maximise that opportunity that we now have. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has prompted calls for Washington to put conditions on the billions of dollars in military funding and other assistance it provides to Israel, which has received more US foreign aid since World War Two than any other country. The following are details of US support for Israel as it fights Hamas militants in Gaza. WHAT AID IS MANDATED BY LAW? In 2016, the US and Israeli governments signed a third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding, covering the period from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2028. The MOU provides a total of $38 billion in military aid over the 10 years, $33 billion in grants to buy military equipment and $5 billion for missile defense systems. WHAT ADVANCED WEAPONS SYSTEMS DOES ISRAEL GET? Israel is the first international operator of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, considered the most technologically advanced fighter jet ever made. Israel is in the processes of buying 75 F-35s and - as of last year - had taken delivery of 36, paying for them with US assistance. The United States has also helped Israel develop and arm its Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system, developed after the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah. The United States has repeatedly sent Israel hundreds of millions of dollars to help replenish its interceptor missiles. Palestinians walk through the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive after they withdrew from Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, April 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah) Washington has also helped fund the development of Israel's "David's Sling" system, designed to shoot down rockets fired from 100km to 200km away. WILL ISRAEL GET MORE FOR ITS CAMPAIGN AGAINST HAMAS? Last year, President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve a $95 billion supplemental spending bill that included $14 billion for Israel, in addition to $60 billion for Ukraine, support for Taiwan and billions in humanitarian assistance. Protesters demonstrate in support of Palestinians at Dupont Circle in Washington, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) That package passed the Senate with 70% support in February but has been blocked in the House, whose Republican leaders will not call it up for a vote, largely because of their objection to further funding for Ukraine. It also faces resistance from a handful of left-leaning Democrats who object to sending more money to Israel while it pursues a military campaign that has killed more than 30,000 civilians in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. Protesters demonstrate in support of Palestinians at Dupont Circle in Washington, Saturday, March 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) HOW ELSE DOES WASHINGTON SUPPORT ISRAEL? The United States has long used its veto power on the UN Security Council to block resolutions seen as critical of Israel. Earlier in the six-month-long war in Gaza, it vetoed measures that included calls for an immediate ceasefire. To pass in the Security Council, a resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no veto by the US, France, Britain, Russia or China. Late last month, Washington dropped its traditional protection of Israel by abstaining from a vote on a resolution demanding a ceasefire, instead of casting a veto, although it described the brief text as 'non-binding.' Washington has taken Israel's side elsewhere. Former Republican President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the world's most important human rights body, the UN Human Rights Council, in protest of its criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Also under Trump, it left the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, partly because of what his administration called a bias against Israel. Trump also reversed decades of US policy in 2017 by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions - has been one of the biggest obstacles to reaching a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. - Reuters If youre nowhere near the path of totality or if clouds spoil your view, you can still catch the total solar eclipse online. Weather permitting, tens of millions who live along a narrow stretch from Mexicos Pacific coast to eastern Canada can just look skyward Monday to glimpse day turn to twilight when the moon blots out the sun. Eclipse glasses are a must to prevent eye damage. The only time its safe to ditch protective glasses is during totality, or the few minutes of complete darkness. Here are some alternatives if youre clouded out during the eclipse or if you cant travel to the path: NASA goes live from different eclipse cities NASA is offering several hours of streaming online and on NASA TV starting at 5pm Irish time (1 pm EDT) from several cities along the totality path. The space agency will show telescope views of the sun and there will be appearances by scientists and space station astronauts. During the eclipse, small rockets will blast off from Wallops Island, Virginia, with science instruments into the electrically charged portion of the atmosphere near the edge of space known as the ionosphere. AP hosts live show from totality path Associated Press journalists will fan out along the path of totality to bring live coverage of watch parties and festivities. The AP livestream will start at 2pm Irish time (10 am EDT) with views from Mazatlan, Mexico, and other locations. Commentary will run from 5.30pm to 7.30pm Irish time (1.30 pm to 3.30 pm EDT) featuring interviews with organizers, scientists and live views from along the path. Telescopes and experiments focus on the sun The Exploratorium museum will feature live telescope images of the sun from Junction, Texas, and Torreon, Mexico. An amateur astronomer prepares her telescope a day before a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, Sunday Researchers and students from the University of Maine will launch high-altitude balloons in an experiment that will be livestreamed from the stratosphere. Time and Date will show the sun from different telescope feeds. Slooh will broadcast from Texas and will have a network of partner telescopes along the path. Streams of Palestinians have filed into Khan Younis to salvage what they can from the vast destruction left in the wake of Israels attack on the southern Gaza city. Many came back to the Gaza Strips second-largest city a day after the Israeli military announced it was withdrawing troops from the area to find their former hometown unrecognisable. With scores of buildings destroyed or damaged, piles of rubble now sit where apartments and businesses once did, streets have been bulldozed and schools and hospitals were damaged by the fighting. Palestinians inspect the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive after they withdrew from Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip (Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP) Israel sent troops to Khan Younis in December, part of its ground offensive that came in response to a Hamas-led attack on October 7 into southern Israel. Israeli authorities say 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and roughly 250 people taken hostage. The war, now in its seventh month, has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, displaced most of the territorys 2.3 million people and left vast swathes of the Gaza Strip uninhabitable. Many areas, especially the city centre, have become unfit for life, said Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani, who fled Khan Younis in December when Israel began its ground invasion of the city. I found that my house and my neighbours houses turned to rubble. Israels withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis signalled the end of a key phase in its war against Hamas and brought Israeli troop levels in the tiny coastal enclave to one of the lowest since the war began. Israel said the city was a major Hamas stronghold, adding that its operation over the past few months killed thousands of militants and inflicted heavy damage to a vast network of tunnels used by Hamas to move weapons and fighters. Palestinians walk through the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive after they withdrew from Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip (Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP) It also claimed to have found evidence that hostages were held in the city. With no military presence in the city, Hamas could seek to regroup there as it has in other areas where the military has scaled back forces. The latest Israeli withdrawal also cleared the way for some Palestinians to make their way back to the area to comb through the mountains of debris to try to hold on to any possessions that remained. Najwa Ayyash, who also was displaced from Khan Younis, said she was unable to reach her familys third floor apartment because the stairs were gone. Her brother climbed his way up through the destruction and pulled down some possessions, including lighter clothes for her children. Bassel Abu Nasser, a Khan Younis resident who fled after an airstrike hit his home in January, said much of the city turned into rubble. Palestinians drive by the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive after they withdrew from Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip (Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP) There is no sense of life there, the 37-year-old father of two children said. They left nothing there. On Sunday, shortly after the military announced it had withdrawn, lines of Palestinians could be seeing leaving Khan Younis with scant possessions. By foot and on bicycle, they carried plastic bags and laundry hampers with whatever they could gather back to where they were displaced to. One carried a rolled-up mattress, another a standing fan and oe man used his bike to move plywood. The military exodus from Khan Younis comes ahead of an expected Israeli offensive in Rafah, Gazas southernmost city where hundreds of thousands have fled fighting elsewhere to seek shelter and which Israel says is Hamas last major stronghold. The city shelters some 1.4 million people more than half of Gazas population. The prospect of an offensive has raised global alarm, including from Israels top ally, the US, which has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Allowing people to return to nearby Khan Younis could relieve some pressure on Rafah, but many have no homes to return to. The city also is likely filled with dangerous unexploded bombs left by the fighting. Sweden has expelled a Chinese journalist, saying the reporter was a threat to national security, Swedish media has reported. The journalist, an unnamed, 57-year-old woman, was arrested by the Swedish security service in October and expelled by the government in Stockholm last week, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported. She is banned from returning. The woman arrived in the Scandinavian country some 20 years ago. She held a residence permit and was married to a Swedish man, with whom she has children, according to the broadcaster. The woman has had contacts with the Chinese Embassy and with people in Sweden who are connected to the Chinese government, SVT said. Her lawyer, Leutrim Kadriu, told SVT the woman doesnt believe she poses a threat to Sweden. It is difficult for me to go into exact details given that much is shrouded in secrecy, as this is a national security matter, Mr Kadriu told the broadcaster. In neighbouring Norway, broadcaster NRK said the journalist had also reported from there, and from other Nordic countries including Denmark, Finland and Iceland. Relations between Stockholm and Beijing have been tense for years. In 2020, a court in eastern China sentenced Chinese-born Swedish national Gui Minhai to 10 years in prison for selling books that were critical of the ruling Communist Party. He was charged with illegally providing intelligence overseas. China has rebuked Swedens demands for Guis release. He first disappeared in 2015, when he was believed to have been abducted by Chinese agents from his seaside home in Thailand. The case led to an investigation of Swedens ambassador to China over a meeting she arranged between Guis daughter and two Chinese businessmen whom the daughter said threatened her father. The ambassador, Anna Lindstedt, was eventually cleared. Irans foreign minister on Monday accused the United States of giving Israel the green light for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials including two generals. Hossein Amirabdollahian reiterated Tehrans vows that it will respond to the attack, widely blamed on Israel, that appeared to signify an escalation of Israels targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an address Monday reiterated the Iran-backed groups support for a Tehran military response to the attack that killed General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior military official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, and worsened fears of the war spiralling into the rest of the Middle East. Since the war in Gaza began six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on October 7, is also backed by Iran, as well as an umbrella group of Iraqi militias targeting US military bases and positions in Syria and Iraq. Though Israel has regularly conducted strikes targeting Iranian military officials and allies, Gen Zahedis death was the most significant blow for Tehran since a US drone targeted and killed Quds Force chief General Qassim Soleimani in 2020 in Baghdad. Id like to say with a very loud voice from here in Damascus that America has a responsibility in what happened and must be held responsible, Mr Amirabdollahian told reporters in Damascus during a visit where he met his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, who condemned both the strike and Israels offensive in Gaza. Mr Amirabdollahian also met President Bashar Assad, with whom he discussed Gaza and the wider situation in the region, a statement from Mr Assads office said. The Iranian foreign minister, who earlier that day inaugurated the opening of a new consular section in a nearby building, justified his claims by saying that Washington and two European countries did not condemn the attack on the diplomatic building. Syrian foreign minister Faisal Mekdad, right, speaks to Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian during a joint press conference in Damascus, Syria (Omar Sanadiki/AP) The Biden administration has insisted that it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike. Washington is Israels vital military ally. Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the strike in the Syrian capital. However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said last week that the US has assessed Israel was responsible. Initially after the strikes, Iranian state media said Gen Zahedi led the Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016. Then, in a public address Monday, Hezbollahs Nasrallah said Gen Zahedi was a key figure for the Lebanese group, and had three four-year stints in the tiny Mediterranean country. Nasrallah, like Syria, and other key allies of Tehran, have said they remain committed to backing Iran. Its a natural right for Iran. Its natural for the Islamic Republic to conduct this response (to the consulate attack), Nasrallah said. Nasrallah said Gen Zahedis first involvement was until 2002, overseeing Israels withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and helping Hezbollah scale up. Gen Zahedis second term covered some of the fiercest fighting in Syrias uprising turned civil war, where Tehran and Russia played a key role in backing Mr Assad against opposition forces. Gen Zahedis final stint began in 2020 and ended when he was killed. Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have clashed along the tense Lebanon-Israel border since October 8, the day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel. Earlier on Monday, Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon killed Ali Ahmad Hussein, an elite commander of Hezbollahs secretive Radwan Force. Hezbollah announced Husseins death, but did not give any details on the circumstances or his role with the group in line with how it makes public the deaths of its members. Pope Francis on Monday met relatives of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, marking the six-month anniversary of the attack in southern Israel with an hour-long audience. The Vatican released photos of the encounter, showing relatives of several of the hostages sitting in a semicircle in front of Francis in his private library in the Apostolic Palace. Each one held a poster with a photo and the name of a loved one. In the Monster 2024 Work Watch Report, 95% of American workers stated they either want to find or plan to seek a new job, citing the increasing cost of living, burnout, and the need for flexible work hours. This year, 83% of workers faced unfavorable employment situations. Regardless of motivation, many individuals' primary focus this year will be securing a new or improved job, with location playing a significant role. U.S. Cities Where High-Paying Jobs are Easiest to Secure According to Career.io, high-paying job availability differs significantly across U.S. cities. Analyzing the 200 largest cities by population and the five largest cities in each state, Career.io identified several competitive cities, such as Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Denver, San Jose, and Kansas City. The most prevalent high-paying jobs, which are not competitive, are in healthcare and sales. The cities with the fewest applicants are often located in low-density states focusing on agriculture. It is generally easier to find well-paid jobs in smaller cities, as they have a higher proportion of lucrative job openings with less competition. READ ALSO: List of High-Paying, Creative Jobs for Introverts that Pay As Much As $100,000, Research Finds Challenges with Candidates' Shortage Taylor Tomita, a senior outreach specialist at NeoMam Studios, a creative marketing agency collaborating with Career.io, explained that the salaries of high-paying jobs are relative to the median salaries in each state or city. Hence, the competition rates are more indicative of a shortage of candidates rather than it being a lower-paying market. Using Parkersburg, West Virginia, as an example, CNBC Make It clarified that the least competitive cities do not necessarily offer fewer high-earning opportunities; they simply receive considerably fewer job applications. At the time of the analysis, Parkersburg had 52 high-paying job listings, but according to Tomita, absolutely no applications were submitted to these roles. Below are the cities where competition for highly-paid jobs is minimal, determined by their average daily applicant per job statistics, along with the potential earnings from securing such positions in each city: Parkersburg, West Virginia: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $72,051 or more Nampa, Idaho: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $83,200 or more Butte, Montana: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $86,154 or more Sitka, Alaska: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $106,496 or more Grand Island, Nebraska: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $83,574 or more Kearney, Nebraska: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $78,333 or more Dover, New Hampshire: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $81,702 or more Laredo, Texas: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $66,269 or more Morgantown, West Virginia: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $80,163 or more Olathe, Kansas: high-salary jobs offer salaries of $92,809 or more On the other hand, here are the cities with the most competitive environments for highly-paid jobs: According to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, while the benefits of having children are shared between both parents, it is mothers who primarily bear the costs. The Persisting Disparity in The Workplace Despite the rising levels of education among women and their increased representation in senior leadership roles at work, women are still more inclined than men to take breaks from the labor force or reduce their working hours due to caregiving duties. Some studies indicate that some women also opt for occupations that offer lower pay but greater flexibility to accommodate their family responsibilities. Those caregiving responsibilities have significantly contributed to the ongoing gender pay gap, commonly known as the motherhood penalty. The study authors from PNAS observed that for mothers, both employment rates and earnings, when considering employment, decline sharply around the time of childbirth for women and may persistently remain lower even long after childbirth. According to Jasmine Tucker, vice president of research at the National Women's Law Center, a perpetuating dynamic exists. When a child falls ill and someone needs to take time off from work, it tends to be the woman due to her lower wages. From an economic standpoint, creating a self-perpetuating prophecy makes more sense. Contrarily, men do not encounter a penalty as parents. A separate report by the British Trade Union Association TUC suggests that full-time working fathers often receive a wage bonus when they have children, making roughly 20% more than men without children. READ ALSO: What Working Mothers Need to Achieve Work-Life Balance Breadwinner Moms Have a Heavier Load at Home Even in cases where women outearn their husbands, they tend to shoulder a more significant burden in caregiving responsibilities, highlighted in a separate survey by the Pew Research Center and an analysis of government data. Richard Fry, a senior researcher at Pew, emphasized that even though there may be more egalitarian marriages, their duties at home have not been equalized, noting that the gender disparity in caregiving persists, even if wives are the primary breadwinners. Indeed, the PNAS study also discovered that the motherhood penalty is even more pronounced in female-breadwinner families, where women who earn more experience a 60% decrease in earnings compared to their male partners before childbirth. Hybrid Jobs Can Help Breadwinner Moms While the significant expense of childcare in the U.S. remains a burden on women's labor force participation, changes in workplace dynamics may offer some relief, according to Lauren Sanfilippo, senior investment strategist at Bank of America's Chief Investment Office. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous employees resisted returning to traditional office settings, prompting the adoption of a hybrid work model, which typically involves working three days a week in person, which has become more the norm than the exception. Office attendance has settled at 30% below pre-pandemic levels, as indicated by a report from the McKinsey Global Institute, which is aiding women in remaining in the workforce after having children, as suggested by other reports. The hybrid work environment since the pandemic may help alleviate the motherhood penalty somewhat, providing more flexibility and improving opportunities for working mothers, said Sanfilippo. RELATED ARTICLE: Career Over Children: Here's Why Sarah Silverman Made Her Choice 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. California workers might soon have the legal right to ignore messages from their boss during non-working hours. The Bay Area, a hub of the smartphone industry, has been instrumental in enabling bosses to contact workers at all hours via calls, texts, or Slack, including nights and weekends. However, a San Francisco lawmaker seeks to address this issue by introducing new legislation to make California the first state in the U.S. to grant employees the legal right to ignore calls from their boss after work hours until they return to their scheduled hours. The Growing Demand for Working Outside Work Hours The demand to reply to work messages after hours has grown, especially with remote work during the pandemic. This has blurred work-life boundaries, worsened worker burnout, and led many countries to consider right to disconnect laws, says the World Economic Forum. In California, a Democratic lawmaker aims to address this by codifying workers' right to disregard communications from their boss after work hours. Assemblymember Matt Haney highlighted the issue, stating that people often find themselves constantly connected to work, noting the challenge of a gray area where employees are expected to respond at all times despite officially working a 9-to-5 job. Assembly Bill 2751 Assembly Bill 2751 would mandate public and private employers to create a policy granting employees the right to disconnect from any communications outside work hours, with exceptions for emergencies or scheduling purposes. This effectively grants workers the right to disregard employer communications during non-working hours, as outlined in the bill's text, which would be established between the workers and employers through a written agreement and subjects the employer to a civil penalty of at least $100 if found violating the rule. READ ALSO: Physically Present but Not Engaged? Here's What You Should Know about "Resenteeism" This is not intended to say people cannot work long hours or have an agreement for a contract where they are on call, but it should be made clear, said Haney, who represents the San Francisco area. The bill is currently in the Assembly's Committee on Labor and Employment, where it has undergone two readings and amendments. It will probably need to go through a fiscal committee before being read a final time on the State Assembly floor for a vote. If it garners a majority vote, it will proceed to the State Senate for a similar process. More and More Countries Enacting the Law California would be the country's first state to consider such a law. However, more than a dozen countries have already enacted similar laws. According to the World Economic Forum, Kenya is the latest to do so, and France was the first to enact a right-to-disconnect law in 2017. Haney's office informed FOX 5 that studies showed workers were "healthier, happier, and more productive" after these laws were enacted. The law would assist the state in competing more effectively against other states for skilled workers, such as Texas and New York for California. RELATED ARTICLE: Australia Proposes "Right to Disconnect" Bill, Allowing Workers Switch Off Devices Outside Working Hours 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla is facing a new proposed class action lawsuit over alleged numerous wage law violations against its California factory and warehouse workers amid recent accusations of workplace bias and union interference. Two former Tesla assembly plant employees in Fremont, California, filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Sacramento on Thursday, demanding over $5 million in damages on behalf of numerous Tesla workers statewide. Tesla's Breach of Contract and Unfair Labor Practices According to the lawsuit, Tesla breached multiple California labor laws by neglecting overtime compensation, offering meal and rest breaks, providing paid sick leave, reimbursing work-related expenses, and furnishing written descriptions of quotas employees had to meet. Tesla has not provided a comment in response to the allegations when requested. READ ALSO: Tesla Settles with Black Worker, Pays $3.2M Over Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Series of Tesla's Class-Action Lawsuits The lawsuit comes amid Tesla's accusations of permitting widespread racial discrimination and harassment against Black employees at its Fremont plant and other facilities in California, which it has vehemently denied. A case filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which is responsible for enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws, was dismissed by a federal judge last week. Tesla faces lawsuits from a California civil rights agency and a class of 6,000 workers. Tesla recently reached a lawsuit settlement brought by a former Black factory worker, whose terms were not disclosed after a jury awarded him $3.2 million. Tesla is also confronted with allegations that CEO Elon Musk violated workers' labor rights by implying in a 2018 tweet that employees could lose stock options if they unionized and that it unlawfully impeded a unionization effort at a New York facility. As per The National Labor Relations Board, Tesla breached labor regulations by terminating a union activist, tweeting: "Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted. But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing?" Tesla has refuted wrongdoing in the New York case and clarified that Musk's tweet was meant to highlight that most unionized workers typically do not receive stock options. However, the federal agency instructed the CEO to remove his tweet and reinstate the terminated employee, Richard Ortiz. Additionally, the company must compensate Ortiz for lost wages, benefits, and any adverse tax outcomes resulting from his dismissal, as directed by the regulator. The board also directed Tesla to distribute notices nationwide and conduct meetings at its primary US car plant in Fremont, California, to educate workers about their protected rights. During these meetings, either Musk himself or a board agent in Musk's presence must read the notice to workers, security guards, managers, and supervisors. In another case in November, a US appeals court ruled that Tesla did not breach federal labor law by prohibiting factory workers from wearing T-shirts endorsing a union campaign. RELATED ARTICLE: Elon Musk's Legal Battle Continues As Ex-Twitter Executive Demands Unpaid Severance Over a Breach of Contract 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. , - 4% 20... MBABANE Finsure Assurance Limited is taking steps into developing some of its products and systems. Finsure Assurance Limited is a subsidiary wholly owned by Eswatini Development Finance Corporation (FINCORP) set up as part of a strategy to diversify the companys service offering. Finsure Assurance Limited is currently predominantly a credit life insurance business with complementary funeral cover. However, the strategic growth objective is to develop a full bouquet of life insurance products. Finsure Assurance Limited currently holds a book of around 12 000 individual customers, which is growing from month to month and is projected to exceed 16 000 in the next three years. The company has, therefore, engaged a company from Kenya to provide the services for the development and implementation of a life insurance administration system for Finsure Assurance Limited. Service The company called Softclans Technologies Limited, is expected to provide the above service a proposed contract price of E 3 100 000 (VAT inclusive). The company scored 91 per cent during the competitive bidding process conducted in terms of Section 45 of the Public procurement Act No. 7 of 2011. The company was competing with two other companies from South Africa and Eswatini respectively. JMR Software (PTY) LTD from South Africa scored 89 per cent while Computronics Systems (PTY) LTD from Eswatini had a score less than the required technical score. The consultant is expected to develop and implement a life insurance administration system for the end-to-end transactional management of companys clientele records, with the potential for integration into complementary business systems. The consultant will work with Finsure Assurance Limited to understand their specific business and requirements for the new administration system. This may involve conducting interviews, workshops and surveys, as well as reviewing existing documentation. The consultant will design and develop a new administration system that meets Finsure Assurance Limiteds requirements. This may involve developing new software modules, integrating with existing systems, and configuring the system to meet the companys business processes. According to the 2022/23 Annual Report for FINCORP, the transition of Finsure Assurance from a brokerage company to a fully-fledged insurance company in October 2021 has proven to have been a positive and beneficial strategic move. The companys performance for the 2022/23 financial year showcases outstanding performance, with an impressive growth of topline business results compared to the previous year. Performance Finsure Assurance Limiteds underwritten insurance portfolio reached an impressive E1.3 billion in the companys first full year of operation. During this period, Finsure Assurance paid out E3 million in claims, further highlighting the companys commitment to fulfiling its obligations to policyholders. Looking ahead, the company is confident in its future outlook and anticipates even better performance going into the future. Finsure Assurance Limiteds above-budget plan growth is a testament to the companys dedication to excellence and its commitment to delivering value to its stakeholders. The strategic plan that will be rolled out in the coming years shows promising prospects for future growth and increased profitability. Chicago (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) The colonized took up arms not only because they were dying of hunger and witnessing the disintegration of their society, wrote Frantz Fanon in his incendiary book The Wretched of the Earth. But also because the colonist treated them like animals and considered them brutes. As soon as they are born, it is obvious to them that their cramped world can only be challenged by out and out violence. The name Frantz Fanon has become inseparable from both the horrors of colonialization and the history of liberation movements. He inspired generations of militants to fight colonialism. Since the 1961 publication of The Wretched of the Earth, which has been called the Bible of Decolonialization, Fanon the Black West Indian psychiatrist who fought for Algerian independence has been idealized by activists in the global south and beyond. For them, Frantz Fanon is the uncompromising prophet of revolution. In The Wretched of the Earths infamous first chapter On Violence, Fanon described colonialism as a pathological system the complete imposition of violence by the settler on the natives, who are given a colonial identity, reduced to the state of an animal, and thereby dehumanized. The colonist uses a language of pure violence and derives his validity from the imposition of violence. The colonial system, Fanon emphasized, was itself founded on genocidal acts of dispossession and repression. Since Hamass brutal October 7 attack, Fanon has been frequently invoked, seeming more popular than ever. Quoted in essays and social media posts, Fanons provocative ideas have been used by supporters of Palestine to contextualize or justify Hamass horrific assault as well as to castigate Israels colonial subjugation and genocidal obliteration of Gaza and its people. The Israeli bombardment has slaughtered more than 33,000 Palestinians with uncounted more buried under the rubble and has wounded over 75,000 people while starving the surviving population. The ongoing calamity for Palestinians is not limited to the besieged Gaza Strip it also afflicts those in the occupied West Bank, which has been all but shut down since October 7. Road closures, checkpoints, and the increased risk of military and settler violence have kept West Bank Palestinians restricted to their towns and villages. As Israeli soldiers carried out a mission of dispossession, U.N. data showed that 2023 had been an especially deadly year for Palestinians, with Israeli forces killing more of them 499 than in any other non-conflict year since 2005. According to Hamass leaders, this provided motivation for their attack. The pure violence of the Israeli Occupation has never been more clear. Colonialism is not a thinking machine, wrote Fanon. It is violence in its natural state, and it will only yield when confronted with greater violence. The way out of colonial oppression and the colonized persons inferiority complex and his despairing attitude, is through the cleansing force of violence. Fanon believed that violent resistance would restore the humanity of the colonized, elevate them psychologically to a position of equality, and deliver social justice: The native discovers that his life, his breath, his beating heart are the same as those of the settler. He finds out that the settlers skin is not of any more value than a natives skin. Fanons concepts have become integral to the rationalization of Hamass terrorism. On X, TikTok, and Instagram, Fanon quotes proliferated after October 7: Decolonization is quite simply the replacing of a certain species of men by another species of men and Decolonization is an inherently violent phenomenon among many others. H/t Wikimedia. An article in the Middle East Eye declared, Dont ask Palestinians to condemn Hamas they are already condemned to live in hell on Earth and concluded those bearing the brunt of the onslaught today arent caught up in the semantic trap of condemnation. For Palestinians in Gaza and beyond, for the wretched of our shared earth, as for Fanon, to fight is the only solution. In a statement titled Oppression Breeds Resistance, Columbia University students began by mourning the tragic losses experienced by both Palestinians and Israelis but concluded with a Fanon quote: When we revolt its not for a particular culture. We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we can no longer breathe. Many of Fanons contemporary admirers have apparently not read past the first chapter of The Wretched of the Earth; or, they have ignored the final chapter Colonial Wars and Mental Disorders a series of disturbing case studies that depict the debilitating and long-lasting effects of violence. By regurgitating his provocative phrases alone, Fanons devotees portray this complex and challenging thinker as nothing more than a sloganeer of political violence. In a timely new biography The Rebels Clinic: The Revolutionary Lives of Frantz Fanon author Adam Shatz, an editor at the London Review of Books, rescues Fanon from reduction while still agreeing that he wrote some of the most memorable catchphrases of the liberation struggle. The Rebels Clinic elaborates the drama and contradictions in Fanons life story and political writings, striving to explain why he is such a compelling figure more than 60 years after his death. Significantly, Shatz points out that Fanons practice as a healer who pledged to do no harm contradicted his practice as a revolutionary, who advocated violence which is harmful to both the victim and perpetrator. As a psychiatrist, Fanon believed that the violent struggle of the colonized for liberation was a kind of shock treatment that would restore confidence to the colonized mind and overcome the paralyzing sense of hopelessness induced by colonial subjugation, but was only a first step toward the birth of a new humanity. The Rebels Clinic provides a comprehensive perspective on Fanon one that social media slogans cannot suggest. As for Fanons advocacy of violence, Shatz calls it alarming at one point but emphasizes the humanist side of Fanon a dashing and sophisticated intellectual who earned the admiration of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. Though Fanon would eventually identify with the powerless, he was a child of empire born into a middle-class family on the island of Martinique, a French colony. A fervent French patriot, Fanon eagerly joined the Free French Army. He fought against the Nazis in North Africa and Europe, even sustaining a shrapnel injury. Experiencing racism in the Army, his relationship to France and his own racial identity underwent a radical change from French patriot who fought for empire to Black West Indian who rebelled against it. His first book Black Skin White Masks, published in 1952, diagnosed the pathological symptoms of racism in everyday life. After completing his studies, Fanon directed a psychiatric hospital in colonial Algeria, where he discerned the many ways that French colonialism itself was the main cause of his patients psychological ailments. Algerians like Palestinians today were violently uprooted, their lands were confiscated, while their culture, language, and religion were denigrated. These experiences of dispossession, violence and alienation constituted a profound psychological trauma. Mental illness could never be divorced from racist social conditions, writes Shatz, so Fanon approached psychiatry as if it were an extension of politics by other means. He turned against French colonialism, joined the revolt orchestrated by the National Liberation Front (FLN) in 1954, and fought for Algerian independence. Subversively, Fanon used the hospital as a hideout for anti-French fighters as well as a treatment center for all walks of colonial Algeria, including FLN militants who had been tortured by French forces. The Martiniquais philosopher later incorporated his insights and experiences as a psychiatrist and a revolutionary into what would be his final book. The Wretched of the Earth was published in 1961 as Fanon, 36, lay perishing from leukemia in a Maryland hospital in the heart of the American empire he despised as the country of lynchers. He would never see a free Algeria, dying three months shy of its liberation in March, 1962. The Wretched of the Earth was the culmination of his thinking about anti-colonial revolution and, writes Shatz, one of the great manifestos of the modern age. The Wretched of the Earth spread across the planet within a few years of its appearance transforming Fanon into a hero among leftwing and developing-world revolutionaries and inspiring radicals in the national liberation movements of the 1960s and 1970s. It was translated widely Che Guevara commissioned a Cuban version and cited worshipfully by the Black Panthers. Huey Newton, for example, spoke of Black people as an occupied colony in imperialist America whose only option was revolutionary violence. According to Shatz, Fanons book helped galvanize the Black Consciousness movement in South Africa, Latin American guerrillas, the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Islamic revolutionaries of Iran, Black Lives Matter activists, and not least the Palestinian fedayeen in training camps in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Helping to propel the books proliferation, especially in the West, was Gillo Pontecorvos 1966 movie The Battle of Algiers. Though not an adaptation, The Battle of Algiers functioned as a filmic depiction of The Wretched of the Earth. A strikingly realistic, politically radical film that sympathized with the revolutionaries, The Battle of Algiers reconstructs the oppressive colonial social conditions, the French brutality in response to anti-colonial demonstrations, the FLN attacks on French policemen, the torture of Algerian civilians, and the terror bombings that marked the four-year insurgency in the streets of Algiers leading to independence. Summoning Fanon in support of Hamas implies that the war in Gaza is the battle of Algiers of our time. However, the Gaza catastrophe is less a reenactment of The Battle of Algiers, more Hotel Rwanda or Apocalypse Now. Israel cannot extinguish Palestinian resistance through indiscriminate violence any more than Palestine can win an Algerian-style war of liberation. Palestine today is not Algeria in 1956, notes Al Jazeera, which was Fanons most important reference point. There will be no long-fought war of independence resulting in the vast majority of Jews being evicted from a reconquered Palestine. Further, the outcome in Algeria does not provide a model for a free and democratic Palestine. In The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon stressed that mere violence as an end in itself, disconnected from any wider achievable political and social goal, would only reproduce the power relations of the colonizer. He suggested that liberation movements can become new oppressors once they attain power, thus exchanging one barbarism for another. Though Fanon did not live to see it, Algeria descended into one-party rule built on state terror and religious fanaticism. Fanons warnings about the obstacles to post-colonial freedom: corruption, autocratic rule, religious zealotry, the enduring wounds of colonial violence, and the persistence of underdevelopment and hunger came to pass and still haunt liberation movements today. The militant who confronts the colonialist war machine with his rudimentary resources realizes that while he is demolishing colonial oppression he is indirectly building up yet another system of exploitation, wrote Fanon. Such a discovery is galling, painful, and sickening. It was once all so simple with the bad on the one side and the good on the other. The people discover that the iniquitous phenomenon of exploitation can assume a Black or Arab face. In a passage that none of his latter-day followers have cited, Fanon warned that racism, hatred, resentment, and the legitimate desire for revenge alone cannot nurture a war of liberation one does not endure massive repression or witness the disappearance of ones entire family in order for hatred or racism to triumph. Fanon the authentic revolutionary shows himself more doubtful of violent resolutions than his less courageous social media acolytes, who indulge in easy revolutionary talk from positions of comfort. The social media application of The Wretched of the Earth to Palestine eliminates the aspirational aspects of his anti-colonial prescription. Fanons advocacy of anti-colonial violence cannot be separated from his belief in a revolutionary humanism, emancipated from colonialism and empire. He wrote that the overthrow of the colonial oppressors will inevitably lead to a new humanism written into the objectives and methods of the struggle. Fanon asserted that a violent uprising by the native people would be the first step in a transformative process that would lead to a postcolonial society based on universalist ideas of freedom and equality for all a society that might very well include the former colonizers. Palestine, however, is a long way from this social transformation that would deliver a political solution rooted in equality, dignity and justice for both Palestinians and Israelis. The Caribbean thinker perceptively diagnosed the disease of colonialism that Israel continues to propagate as it replicates its primary pathology: the obliteration of Palestinians. As a new UN report states: Israels genocide on the Palestinians in Gaza is an escalatory stage of a long-standing settler colonial process of erasure. For over seven decades this process has suffocated the Palestinian people as a group demographically, culturally, economically and politically seeking to displace it and expropriate and control its land and resources. Fanon, the psychiatrist, did not enunciate a enduring cure for this vengeful colonial pathology. Surprisingly, Fanon concluded The Wretched of the Earth in the same place as John Lennon in his utopian song Imagine, which conceives of no wars and a brotherhood of man. Fanon ended The Wretched of the Earth with an idealistic challenge to imagine a new world: For humanity, comrades, we must make a new start, develop a new way of thinking, and endeavor to create a new man. But Fanon did not clarify how we would arrive at this new, more equitable reality. Despite this apparent disconnect, we read Fanon today for his startlingly prescient analysis of contemporary ills: the enduring trauma of racism, the persistent plague of white supremacy and xenophobia, the scourge of authoritarianism, and the savagery of colonial domination. Poetic, enraged, and insubordinate, Frantz Fanon gave voice to the anguish of the colonized voiceless and his words continue to resonate with a new global wretched of the earth. ( Tomdispatch.com ) Last weekend my father, Larry Greenberg, passed away at the age of 93. Several days later, I received an email from the French film director Phillippe Diaz who sent me a link to his soon-to-be-released I am Gitmo, a feature movie about the now-infamous Guantanamo Bay detention facility. As I was soon to discover, those two disparate events in my life spoke to one another with cosmic overtones. Mind you, Ive been covering Guantanamo since President George W. Bush and his team, having responded to the 9/11 attacks by launching their disastrous Global War on Terror, set up that offshore prison to house people American forces had captured. Previewing Diazs movie, I was surprised at how it unnerved me. After so many years of exposure to the grim realities of that prison, somehow his film touched me anew. There were moments that made me sob, moments when I turned down the sound so as not to hear more anguished cries of pain from detainees being tortured, and moments that made me curious about the identities of the people in the film. Although the names of certain officials are mentioned, the central characters are the detainees and individual interrogators, as well as defense attorneys and guards, all of whom interacted at Guantanamos prison camp over the course of its two-plus decades of existence. While viewing it, I was reminded of a question that Tom Engelhardt, founder and editor of TomDispatch, has frequently asked me: What is it about Guantanamo thats so captivated you over the years? Why is it, he wanted to know, that year after year, as its story of injustice unfolded in a never-ending cycle of trials that failed to start, prisoners cleared for release but still held in captivity, and successive administrations whose officials simply shrugged in defeat when it came to closing the nightmarish institution, it continues to haunt me so? Would you be willing, he asked, to reflect on that for TomDispatch? As it turned out, the death of my dad somehow helped me grasp a way to answer that question with previously unattainable clarity. The Missing Outrage As a start, in response to his question, let me say that, despite my own continued immersion in news about the prison camp, Im struck that, in the American mainstream, there hasnt been more headline-making outrage over the never-ending reality of what came to be known as Gitmo. From the moment it began in January 2002 and a photo appeared of shackled men bent over in the dirt beside the open-air cages that would hold them, wearing distinctive orange jumpsuits, its horrid destiny should have been apparent. The Pentagon Public Affairs Office published that immediately iconic image with the hope, according to spokesperson Torie Clarke, that it would allay some of our critics (who were already accusing the U.S. of operating outside of the Geneva Conventions). Rather than allay them, it caught the path of cruelty and lawlessness on which the United States would continue for so many endless years. In April 2004, the world would see images of prisoners in American custody at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, naked, hooded, cuffed, sexually humiliated, and abused. Later reports would reveal the existence of what came to be known as black sites, operated by the CIA, in countries around the world, where detainees were tortured using what officials of the Bush administration called enhanced interrogation techniques. For 22 years now, through four different administrations, that prison camp in Cuba, distinctly offshore of any conception of American justice, has held individuals captured in the war on terror in a way that defies any imaginable principles of due process, human rights, or the rule of law. Of the nearly 780 prisoners kept there, only 18 were ever actually charged with a crime and of the eight military court convictions, four were overturned while two remain on appeal. A large number of those captured were originally sold to the Americans for bounty or simply picked up randomly in places in countries like Afghanistan known to be inhabited by terrorists and so assumed, with little or no hard evidence, to be terrorists themselves. They were then, of course, denied access to lawyers. And as I was reminded recently on a trip to England where I met with a couple of released detainees, those who survived Gitmo still suffer, physically and psychologically, from their treatment at American hands. Nor have they found justice or any remedy for the lasting harms caused by their captivity. And while the post-9/11 war on terror moment has largely faded into the past (though the American military is still fighting it in distant lands), that prison camp has yet to be shut down. A Generation Comes of Age A second and more timely answer right now to Tom Engelhardts question is that my unwavering revulsion to the existence of Guantanamo has stemmed from a worldview that distinctly marked my father and many in his generation men and women who came of age in the 1940s and early 1950s, whose first moments of adulthood coincided with the postwar emergence of the United States as a global superpower that touted itself as a guardian of civil rights, human rights, and justice. The opposition to fascism in World War II, the support for international covenants protecting civilians, a growing commitment at home to civil liberties and civil rights those were their ideological guideposts. And despite the contradictions, the hypocrisy, and the failure that lurked just behind the foundational tenets of that belief system, many like my father continued to have faith in the honorable destiny of the United States whose institutions were robust and its motives honorable. To be sure, there was deep denial involved in his generations sugar-coated version of the American experience. The revelation of the Phoenix Program in Vietnam; decisions to overthrow elected governments in Guatemala, Iran, and elsewhere; the profound and systemic domestic racism of the country as described in Michelle Alexanders The New Jim Crow; even the dirty dealings of the Nixon White House during Watergate; and, in this century, the official lying that set the stage for the disastrous Iraq War all should have dampened their rose-colored assessment of American democracy. Still, in so many ways he and many of his compatriots held fast to their belief in the power of this country to eternally return to its best self. True to his belief in the American dream, my father took me to see movies and plays at our local college that amplified a worldview that he, like so many of his generation, embodied. I was often the youngest attendee at those films with stars like Spencer Tracy in Inherit the Wind, an ode to free speech; Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird, with its portrayal of the evils of racism; and Henry Fonda in Twelve Angry Men, whose message doubled down on the tenet that the accused are always innocent until proven guilty. And lets not forget Judgement at Nuremberg, the dramatization of the post-World War Two war crimes tribunals, led by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, a series of trials in which Nazi leaders were convicted of committing genocide. Those films, crying out for fairness, equality, and an end to racism, gave voice to champions of democracy, and energy to my fathers generations firm embrace of American possibilities. Memory and Forgetting A third answer, also underscored by my recent personal encounter with lifes fleetingness, is my growing fear, as an historian, that Guantanamo will simply be forgotten. In a sense, in the world of Donald Trump, collapsing bridges, and blazing wars in distant lands, it already seems largely forgotten. Although 22 years later its still home to 30 detainees from the war on terror, Guantanamo attracts little attention these days. If it werent for the invaluable work of Carol Rosenberg at the New York Times, who has reported on Gitmo since Day One in January 2002, as well as a handful of other dedicated reporters including John Ryan at Lawdragon, few could know anything about whats going on there now. As sociology professor Lisa Hajjar points out, Media coverage at Guantanamo has become a rarity. While the press pool for the hearings of the military commissions that are still ongoing there averaged about 30 reporters until perhaps 2013, its now been whittled down to, at most, about four per trip, according to Hajjar. Gitmo media coverage (and so public attention) has essentially disappeared hardly a surprise given the current globally crushing issues of war and deprivation, injustice and extralegal policies, not to speak of the mad discomfort of election 2024 here in America. Guantanamo, whose last inmate arrived in 2008 and whose viable path to closure has remained blocked year after year (no matter that three presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden each declared his desire to shut it down), persists, its deviations from the law unresolved. As it happens, flagging interest in Guantanamo has coincided with an eerie larger cultural phenomenon a turn away from history and memory. In the world of social media and the immediate moment, a malady of forgetfulness about past events should be a cause of concern. In fact, Mother Jones Washington bureau chief David Corn recently published a striking piece on the phenomena. Citing an Atlantic article by psychiatrists George Makari and Richard Friedman, Corn noted that, while forgetting can help people get on with their lives after a traumatic experience, it can also prevent trauma survivors from learning the lessons of the past. Rather than confront the impact of whats occurred, its become all too common to simply brush it all under the rug, which, of course, has its own grim consequences. As clinical psychiatrists, they write, we see the effects of such emotional turmoil every day, and we know that when its not properly processed, it can result in a general sense of unhappiness and anger exactly the negative emotional state that might lead a nation to misperceive its fortunes. In other words, events like the 9/11 attacks and what followed from them, the Covid pandemic, or even the events of January 6, 2021, as Corns psychiatrists point out, can bring such pain that forgetting becomes useful, even at times seemingly healthful. Not surprisingly, an increasing forgetfulness about traumatic events is echoed on an even broader scale in a contemporary trend toward the abandonment of history, presumably in favor of the present and its megaphone, the social media universe. As historian Daniel Bessner has pointed out, this country is now undergoing a profound reconsideration of the very purpose and importance of the historical record. Across the country, universities are reducing the size of their history faculties, while the number of undergraduates majoring in history and related fields in 2018-2019 had already declined by more than a third since 2012. No wonder Guantanamo has been relegated to the past, a distant chapter in the ever-diminishing war on terror and no matter that it continues to function in the present moment. For example, two death penalty cases are currently in pretrial hearings there. One involves the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, a Navy destroyer, which resulted in the deaths of 17 American sailors. As the intrepid Carol Rosenberg points out, the case has been in pretrial hearings since 2011. The other involves four defendants accused of conspiring in the attacks of September 11th. A fifth defendant, Ramzi bin al Shibh, was recently removed from the case, having been found incompetent to stand trial due to the post-traumatic stress disorder that resulted from his torture at American hands. As for the remaining defendants, originally charged in 2008 and then again in 2011, no trial date has yet been set. The ever-elusive timetable for those prosecutions tells you everything. Evidence tainted by torture has made such a trial impossible. The Cycles of American History Its hard to fathom how my fathers generation, stubbornly rose-colored in their vision of the country, swallowed the blatant failures of the post-9/11 years. My sense is that many of them, like my dad, just shook their heads, certain that the true spirit of American democracy would ultimately prevail and the wrongs of indefinite detention, torture, and judicial incapacity would be righted. Still, as the country spiraled into January 6th and its aftermath, the reality of Americas lost grip on its own promises of justice, morality, lawfulness, and accountability actually began to sink in. At least it did with my dad, who expressed clear and present fears of a country succumbing to the specter of his childhood, fascism, the very antithesis of the America he aspired to. Philippe Diazs film about Gitmo (which I encourage readers to catch when it premieres at the end of April) should remind at least a few of us of the importance of living up to the image of the country my father and others in his generation embraced. Isnt it finally time to highlight the grave mistake of Guantanamo? Isnt it finally time to close that shameful prison, distinctly offshore of American justice, and reckon with its wrongs, rather than letting it disappear into the haze of forgotten history, its momentous violations unresolved. In 2005, in his confirmation hearings for attorney general, George W. Bushs longtime legal counsel Alberto Gonzales maintained that the ideals and laws codified in the Geneva Conventions were quaint and obsolete. That phrase, consigning notions of justice and accountability to the dustbin of history, encapsulated this countrys post-9/11 strategy of evading the law in the name of security. And as long as Guantanamo remains open, that strategy remains in place. Wouldnt it be nice if, rather than letting Gonzalez etch in stone an epitaph for the ideals my father and his generation so revered, we could find hope in a future where their trust in the rule of law and in a government of responsible citizens who put country above personal fortune, law above fear, and peace above war might prevail? As we lay my dads generation to rest, shouldnt we take some consolation in the possibility that their spirit may still help us find our way out of todays distinctly disturbing and unnerving times? Copyright 2024 Karen J. Greenberg Via Tomdispatch.com 43% increase in silver production over Q4 2023 COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho / Apr 08, 2024 / Business Wire / Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) today announced its preliminary production results for the first quarter of 2024. HIGHLIGHTS 1st Quarter 2024 compared to 4th Quarter 2023 (prior quarter) Silver production of 4.2 million ounces, a 43% increase. Gold production of 36,592 ounces, in line with prior quarter. Greens Creek silver production increased 10% and gold production in line with prior quarter. Lucky Friday completed ramp-up to full production with 1.1 million ounces of silver produced. Keno Hill throughput increased 29% as the ramp-up continues. Lead production increased 129%; zinc production increased 28% due to ramp-up at Lucky Friday. The 43% increase in silver production reflects the consistent, strong performance from Greens Creek, Lucky Fridays reaching full production in March and Keno Hill continuing its ramp-up," said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., President and CEO. "Casa Berardi continues to execute on its plan as it transitions to a fully surface operation." Baker continued, Hecla is on track to produce about 17 million ounces in 2024, expected to increase to about 20 million ounces by 2026. Silver is necessary for the energy transition - in 2023, silver used in solar increased about 35% to 190 million ounces with more growth expected. Heclas increasing production in safe jurisdictions well-positions our shareholders to benefit from the continuing deficit in silver supply. OPERATIONS Greens Creek The Greens Creek mine produced 2.5 million ounces of silver, an increase of 10% over the prior quarter. Gold production was 14,588 ounces, unchanged over the prior quarter. The mill achieved throughput of 2,552 tons per day (tpd) during the quarter. Increased silver production was primarily due to higher throughput and a 4% increase in grades. Lucky Friday The Lucky Friday mine produced 1.1 million ounces of silver as the mine completed ramp-up to full production in March. Mill throughput was 948 tpd during the quarter. The Company continues to work with the property insurer and has collected $17.4 million of insurance proceeds during the quarter and expects to receive the remaining proceeds during the year. Casa Berardi The Casa Berardi mine produced 22,004 ounces of gold in the quarter, in line with the prior quarter, as a 5% increase in throughput was offset by lower grades. The mill operated at an average of 4,194 tpd during the quarter. Keno Hill Keno Hill produced 646,312 ounces of silver, an increase of 6% over the prior quarter. The increase in production was attributable to higher throughput, which averaged 277 tpd, an increase of 29% over the prior quarter, partially offset by lower silver grades which were 26.3 ounces per ton. The mine continues to advance ramp-up to full production, which is expected during the year. The Company continues to work through safety and environmental standards at the mine; with these standards driving the pace of production. PRODUCTION SUMMARY Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023 Production Increase/ (Decrease) Silver (oz) 4,192,098 2,935,632 43 % Gold (oz) 36,592 37,168 (2)% Lead (tons) 12,100 5,282 129 % Zinc (tons) 16,211 12,669 28 % Greens Creek - Silver (oz) 2,478,594 2,260,027 10 % Greens Creek - Gold (oz) 14,588 14,651 (0)% Lucky Friday - Silver (oz) 1,061,065 61,574 1,623 % Keno Hill - Silver (oz) 646,312 608,301 6 % Casa Berardi - Gold (oz) 22,004 22,517 (2)% (1) See cautionary statement regarding preliminary statements at the end of this release. ABOUT HECLA Founded in 1891, Hecla Mining Company (NYSE: HL) is the largest silver producer in the United States. In addition to operating mines in Alaska, Idaho, and Quebec, Canada, the Company is developing a mine in the Yukon, Canada, and owns a number of exploration and pre-development projects in world-class silver and gold mining districts throughout North America. Cautionary Statements Regarding Estimates and Forward-Looking Statements All measures of the Company's first quarter 2023 operating results contained in this release are preliminary and reflect the Companys expected results as of the date of this release. Actual reported first quarter 2023 results are subject to management's final review as well as review by the Company's independent registered accounting firm and may vary significantly from current expectations because of a number of factors, including, without limitation, additional or revised information and changes in accounting standards or policies or in how those standards are applied. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections and other applicable laws, including Canadian securities laws. Words such as may, will, should, expects, intends, projects, believes, estimates, targets, anticipates and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements may include, without limitation: (i) the Company will produce 17 million ounces of silver in 2024 and increase production to up to 20 million ounces by 2026; (ii) approximately $50 million in proceeds from the Company's property insurance policy will be collected in 2024; (iii) Keno Hill's will achieve full production in 2024; (iv) Casa Berardi will transition to a full surface operation in 2024. The material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information include that the Companys plans for development and production will proceed as expected and will not require revision as a result of risks or uncertainties, whether known, unknown or unanticipated, to which the Companys operations are subject. Estimates or expectations of future events or results are based upon certain assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect, which could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements. Such assumptions, include, but are not limited to: (i) there being no significant change to current geotechnical, metallurgical, hydrological and other physical conditions; (ii) permitting, development, operations and expansion of the Companys projects being consistent with current expectations and mine plans; (iii) political/regulatory developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations; (iv) the exchange rate for the USD/CAD being approximately consistent with current levels; (v) certain price assumptions for gold, silver, lead and zinc; (vi) prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; (vii) the accuracy of our current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; (viii) there being no significant changes to the availability of employees, vendors and equipment; (ix) the Companys plans for development and production will proceed as expected and will not require revision as a result of risks or uncertainties, whether known, unknown or unanticipated; (x) counterparties performing their obligations under hedging instruments and put option contracts; (xi) sufficient workforce is available and trained to perform assigned tasks; (xii) weather patterns and rain/snowfall within normal seasonal ranges so as not to impact operations; (xiii) relations with interested parties, including First Nations and Native Americans, remain productive; (xiv) maintaining availability of water rights; (xv) factors do not arise that reduce available cash balances; and (xvi) there being no material increases in our current requirements to post or maintain reclamation and performance bonds or collateral related thereto. In addition, material risks that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: (i) gold, silver and other metals price volatility; (ii) operating risks; (iii) currency fluctuations; (iv) increased production costs and variances in ore grade or recovery rates from those assumed in mining plans; (v) community relations; and (vi) litigation, political, regulatory, labor and environmental risks. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors, see the Company's 2023 Form 10-K filed on February 15, 2024 for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation and has no intention of updating forward-looking statements other than as may be required by law. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 8, 2024) - Renegade Gold Inc. (TSXV: RAGE) (OTCQX: TGLDF) (FSE: 070) ("Renegade" or the "Company") announces that, further to its news release of March 27, 2024, it has closed its private placement of 17,000,000 units (the "Units") at $0.20 per Unit for total gross proceeds of $3,400,000 (the "Placement"). Each Unit consists of one common share and one transferable share purchase warrant, each warrant exercisable into one additional common share for a period of three years from date of issue at a price of $0.25 per share. All securities issued and made issuable under the Placement are subject to hold periods expiring August 6, 2024. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Placement to extinguish debt, for exploration work on the Company's exploration properties and for general working capital. A company controlled by two directors of the Company acquired 1,250,000 Units under the Placement for a total purchase price of $250,000 and a company controlled by an officer of the Company acquired 100,000 Units under the Placement for a total purchase price of $20,000. Accordingly, the Placement is to that extent a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of any securities issued to, or the consideration paid by such persons, exceed $2,500,000. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing of the Placement as the details of the participation therein by related parties of the Company were not settled until shortly prior to closing of the Offering and the Company wished to close on an expedited basis for sound business reasons. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Renegade Gold Inc. Renegade Gold Inc. is a growth focused company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario. As part of its regional-scale consolidation strategy, the Company has assembled one of the largest prospective land packages in and around the Red Lake mining district in proximity to major mines and deposits, as well as along the Confederation Lake and Birch-Uchi greenstone belts. The recent completion of the acquisition of Pacton Gold Inc. extends the Company's ownership in Red Lake to over 89,600 hectares of prospective and diversified exploration properties with significant potential for gold and critical minerals on trend with the major structures hosting known gold occurrences in the Red Lake mining district today. The Company also holds a portfolio of prospective projects in Western Australia. For further information, please contact: Renegade Gold Inc. Nav Dhaliwal President, CEO and Director This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 604-678-5308 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note regarding Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, the intended use of proceeds from the Placement. The words "anticipate," "significant," "expect," "may," "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the Forward-Looking Information. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; that all requisite approvals will be received, and all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Factors that may cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to, inaccurate assumptions concerning the exploration for and development of mineral deposits, currency fluctuations, unanticipated operational or technical difficulties, risks related to unforeseen delays; general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes; timeliness of regulatory approvals, the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets and the inability to raise additional financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this Forward-Looking Information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this Forward-Looking Information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Vancouver, British Columbia April 8th, 2024 Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: JUGR) (OTCQB: JUGRF) (FSE: 4JE) (the Company or Juggernaut) is pleased to announce a non-brokered financing of up to $510,000.00 dollars. Crescat Capital LLC (Crescat) has agreed to make a strategic investment representing a 19.70% ownership of the Company post-funding on a partially diluted basis. Juggernaut welcomes this strategic investment from Crescat Capital and technical support from Dr Quinton Hennigh. Juggernauts High-Grade Gold and Copper projects continue to garner strong interest and support from leading institutions and miners alike, confirming the quality of its three fully permitted, 100% controlled, drill-ready projects located in the geopolitically stable world-class geologic terrane of Northwestern British Columbia and the Golden Triangle. Through his role as technical and geologic director of Crescat Capital, Dr. Quinton Hennigh continues to provide technical advice to the Company. Dr. Hennigh is a world-renowned exploration geologist with more than 30 years of experience, including with major gold mining firms Homestake Mining, Newcrest Mining, and Newmont Mining. Dr. Hennigh stated, "Very promising results from 2023s maiden drill program confirmed strong potential for Surebet style intrusive-related gold-base metal lodes at Bingo. In addition, follow up drilling at Midas continues to demonstrate the presence of a large volcanogenic massive sulfide system in need of further work. With interest in the mining exploration space quickly heating up, it is critical that companies like Juggernaut get back to the job of making discovery. I look forward to working with the Companys team as plans are made for this years drill campaign at both of these exciting projects. " View Juggernaut videos by Clicking Here. The funding will consist of up to 8,500,000 units (Units), priced at $0.06 each for gross proceeds of up to $510,000.00. Each Unit will consist of one common share plus one warrant to purchase one common share at $0.10 for a thirty-six-month period with no forced conversion. Upon completion of the offering projected to close on or before April 30th, Crescat has agreed to acquire a majority of these units representing a 19.70 % ownership in the Company post financing. We look forward to helping Juggernaut continue their work at Bingo and Midas in the coming drill season, given the potential for a significant discovery, remarked Kevin Smith, Crescats founder and Chief Investment Officer. This is the same exploration team that delivered a major gold and silver discovery for us at Goliath Resources Surebet. They are highly capable of doing the same at one or both of these targets. Directors and officers of the company may acquire securities under the placement, which participation would be considered to be a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (MI 61-101). Such participation is expected to be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101. Mr. Dan Stuart, Director, President, and CEO of Juggernaut, states: We are pleased to strengthen our relationship with Crescat Capital as a strategic investor and Dr. Hennigh as a Special Technical Advisor and investor. I look forward to working with our partners, who bring a proven track record of both financial and technical strength. This will enable Juggernaut to unlock the full potential of its assets over the long term, building value for all shareholders. This investment and strategic partnership, coupled with the ongoing support and interest from other globally recognized Institutions and senior miners, is a strong endorsement that clearly demonstrates the significant near-term expansion discovery potential of our 100% controlled propertieshighlighting just one recent discovery on Bingo where multiple drill holes intersected high-grade gold-silver-copper mineralization along an extensive north-trending, west-dipping, shear-hosted vein with grades up to 11.42 gpt AuEq (7.57 gpt Au, 20.23 gpt Ag and 2.72 % Cu) over 5.11 meters, including 19.69 gpt AuEq (13.05 gpt Au, 24.93 gpt Ag and 4.70 % Cu) over 2.90 meters. The shear-hosted vein at the Bingo Main Zone is partially exposed at surfaces for over 600 meters, and only the main outcrop has been drill-tested to date, leaving the system open in all directions. With much anticipation, we look forward to expanding our high-grade gold and copper discoveries through the drill bit on both Bingo and Midas in the rapidly approaching summer of 2024. Link To Bingo High-Grade Gold Copper Discovery. Post financing, Juggernaut will have a tight capital structure, no debt, and a strong cash position. As such, we are well-positioned to move forward with our plans. The Company may pay finder's fees of the gross proceeds from the financing in cash, and compensation options on units being sold. This non-brokered private placement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. All shares issued pursuant to this offering and any shares issued pursuant to the exercise of warrants will be subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date. About Crescat Capital LLC Crescat is a global macro asset management firm headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Crescats mission is to grow and protect wealth over the long term by deploying tactical investment themes based on proprietary value-driven equity and macro models. Crescats goal is industry leading absolute and risk-adjusted returns over complete business cycles with low correlation to common benchmarks. The companys investment process involves a mix of asset classes and strategies to assist with each clients unique needs and objectives and includes Global Macro, Long/Short, Large Cap and Precious Metals funds. Crescat is advised by its technical consultant, Dr. Quinton Hennigh on investments in gold and silver resource companies. Dr. Hennigh became an economic geologist after obtaining his PhD in Geology/Geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines. He has more than 30 years of exploration experience with major gold mining firms, including Homestake Mining, Newcrest Mining, and Newmont Mining. Recently, Dr. Hennigh founded Novo Resources Corp and is serving as Chairman. Among his notable project involvements are First Mining Golds Springpole gold deposit in Ontario, Kirkland Lake Golds acquisition of the Fosterville Gold Mine in Australia, the Rattlesnake Hills gold deposit in Wyoming, and Lion Ones Tuvatu gold project in Fiji, among many others. About Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. is a precious metals project generator in the geopolitically stable jurisdiction of Canada, focused on the prolific geologic setting of northwestern British Columbia encompassing the Golden Triangle. Qualified Person Rein Turna P. Geo is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for Juggernaut Explorations projects. He supervised the preparation of and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release. For more information, please contact Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. Dan Stuart President, Director, and Chief Executive Officer 604-559-8028 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.juggernautexploration.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT Certain disclosure in this release may constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties relating to Juggernauts operations that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including its ability to complete the contemplated private placement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR AN INVITATION TO PURCHASE ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED IN IT. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 7, 2024) - Canter Resources Corp. (CSE: CRC) (OTC Pink: CNRCF) (FSE: 6O1) ("Canter" or the "Company") is pleased to report that, after interpreting recently acquired third party data and completing 3D modeling, the Company's technical team immediately mobilized to site to stake the limited open ground along the western edge of the Columbus Lithium-Boron Project ("Columbus" or the "Project"). The full surface sampling dataset, shown in Figure 1, includes highly anomalous lithium ("Li") values along the Company's previous western boundary and beyond. Furthermore, the Company's 3D modeling, and particularly the HSAMT resistivity shells, highlighted a broadening and open-ended conductive zone trending west with only two (2) kilometres to the limits of the Company's previous property boundary (see press release dated March 30, 2024). The land package now stands at a commanding 29,600 acres (119 km). "We are thrilled to have significantly expanded our land package at Columbus to encompass the full extent of the most prospective ground for lithium-enriched brines before commencing our drill campaigns," stated Joness Lang, CEO of Canter Resources. "Our team sees tremendous potential at Columbus and we are excited to get underway with Geoprobe drilling, which will commence imminently." Watch: Video animation highlighting Columbus surface and 3D model results, newly staked ground and substantial Li-brine target with initial drill locations. Watch Video Here > The 3D modeling has been instrumental in revealing the expansive potential within the Columbus Project area. By carefully analyzing the geological structures and resistivity patterns, the Company has identified a westward-trending conductive zone that signifies a broadening corridor of potential lithium-bearing brines. This insight is critical, as it suggests a continuous zone extending beyond the original property boundaries (see Figure 1). Moreover, the HSAMT data has been pivotal in understanding the subsurface characteristics of the Project area. The HSAMT survey's leading edge terminated within an area exhibiting extremely low resistivity, indicative of highly conductive material likely associated with brine concentrations. This cutoff, due to the survey reaching its westernmost extent, aligned with the trend of anomalous lithium values in surface sediments extending westward. This discovery underpins the decision to expand the land package, thereby increasing the scope for further exploration and potential resource identification. Figure 1: Figure showing expanded land package, differentiating between current claim boundary and newly staked ground, highlighting the <0.5 ohm-metre HSAMT openness to the west and full third-party data including the western flank samples within previous boundary and extending beyond. Canter Resources is now poised to implement a more comprehensive Phase II exploration program. This next phase will include expanded geophysical survey coverage, aiming to thoroughly map out the resistivity and structural profiles across the newly acquired acreage. Photo 1: Canter's Senior Geologist, Trevor Hawkins, staking a Geoprobe collar location during the recent western expansion claim staking trip at the Company's Columbus Lithium-Boron Project. Qualified Person (QP) The technical information contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Eric Saderholm P.Geo, Director and Technical Advisor of Canter Resources, a Qualified Person (QP), as defined under National Instrument 43- 101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Canter Resources Corp. Canter Resources Corp. is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company advancing the Columbus Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada, USA and the Beaver Creek Lithium Property in Montana, USA. The Company is preparing for a Phase I drill campaign at Columbus to test a highly prospective lithium-brine target and plans to leverage the Company's critical metals targeting database to generate a portfolio of high-quality projects with the aim of defining mineral resources that support the domestic clean energy supply chain in North America. For further information contact: Joness Lang Chief Executive Officer Canter Resources Corp. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For investor inquiries contact: Kristina Pillon, High Tide Consulting Corp. Tel: 604.908.1695 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Beijing. It is hoped that the United States will abide by the basic norms of market economy including fair competition and open cooperation, refrain from turning economic and trade issues into political or security issues, and view the issue of production capacity objectively and dialectically from a market-oriented and global perspective, Li said. The development of China's new energy industry will make important contributions to the global green and low-carbon transition, Li added. Noting that the China-U.S. relationship is beginning to stabilize under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, Li said that China hopes the two countries will be partners rather than adversaries, with mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. It is hoped that the U.S. side will work with China to continue implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and translate the San Francisco vision into reality, he said. As the world's two largest economies, China and the United States have deeply intertwined economic interests, Li said, adding that strengthening economic and trade cooperation is of great significance to each other's development and global economic growth. He said the two sides should strengthen communication to jointly find ways to manage and resolve differences, so as to make China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation stable, smooth and efficient, create more benefits for the enterprises and people of the two countries, and contribute to the world's economic development and improvement of people's livelihoods. China is willing to strengthen policy coordination with the United States on climate change and other issues to jointly address global challenges, he added. Yellen said that with the joint efforts of both sides, the U.S.-China relationship has become more stable. As the world's two largest economies, the United States and China should manage their bilateral economic relationship responsibly. She said the United States appreciates the progress made in U.S.-China economic dialogue and cooperation, does not seek "decoupling" from China, and stands ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two presidents in San Francisco, communicate candidly, avoid misunderstandings, deepen exchanges and cooperation, properly manage differences, jointly cope with pressing global challenges and promote the steady development of bilateral relations. The worlds worst, most complex and cruel crisis is unfolding in Sudan without making it into our prime-time news, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. With nearly nine million displaced within the country half of them children and almost two million refugees abroad, Sudan is indeed currently the largest displacement crisis in the world. And the worst is still to come: Combat disrupted planting seasons in Sudans most fertile regions. Nearly 20 million people, almost one of two Sudanese, are facing acute food insecurity in a country that used to be a major food producer. On April 15, Sudans war will enter its second year. On this day, the EU, with France and Germany, will host a high-level conference in Paris to plead for additional humanitarian aid and call for an end to this conflict. It must be a wake-up call for Africa, Europe and the whole international community. We know who is responsible for this disaster. With their joint military coup in October 2021, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hijacked the aspirations of the democratic Sudanese revolution. Their coup alliance unravelled and descended into war between them on April 15, 2023. The two belligerents decided to wage war, not only against each other, but also against Sudan and its people. In Darfur, the genocidal atrocities against civilians based on their ethnicity that put Sudan in the headlines in 2003 have resumed. Throughout the country, aid is being deliberately withheld and humanitarian workers are being denied access. Hundreds of thousands Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries, notably Chad and South Sudan, two countries already facing their own humanitarian and food security crises. The suffering is entirely manmade and could be stopped today. External sponsors, bringing in cash and weapons, fuel the fighting. Players like Iran are delivering arms, including drones, to the SAF. The United Arab Emirates has also direct leverage on the RSF that they should use to end the war. Russia plays both sides in the hopes to get access to strategic infrastructure and resources, including with mercenary PMCs, which are mainly after gold and minerals. The Red Sea is Europes most important maritime connection to Asia and the Pacific and Sudan could become a revolving door for human trafficking, radical fighters, weapons and all kinds of illicit trade between the Sahel, North and Sub-Saharan Africa. Europes security is at stake. Before the war, during the victorious popular uprising against a brutal dictatorship, the many young activists, womens rights defenders and community leaders have shown to the world their will and determination to build a democratic and peaceful Sudan. Ever since, the EU and its member States have stood firm in their view: The only side we take in this conflict is the side of civilians and the hope they have for their country. We will continue to engage with the belligerents from a neutral position that puts peace and respect for civilians lives and rights front and centre. April 15, in Paris, must become a joint rallying cry for peace. It has to be the on-ramp for more comprehensive, concerted and consequential action of Europe, Africa and the international community on Sudan. Chief among the goals of today must, of course, be to avert the looming famine in Sudan and to support the countries and communities that have taken in people fleeing the war. The available aid held up by the belligerents on political calculus must reach the people in need, wherever they are. Such war tactics violate international law and may amount to war crimes. We expect, also, the two leaders of the belligerent parties, Generals Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Hemedti, to finally heed the calls to stop this carnage and come to the negotiating table. Failure to do so would have consequences. Our action on Sudan is not isolated: In Sudan, as in Ukraine or elsewhere, democratic aspirations should not be fought through the barrel of a gun. The Sudanese people have demanded no less since they took over the streets of Khartoum five years ago. This is why we are tirelessly calling for a ceasefire without delay, unfettered access of aid and the return to the path of a democratic transition in Sudan. We always favour African solutions to African problems. As Sudan enters the second year of its most fateful war, we look to the region to take responsibility. Alongside our regional and international partners, we stand ready to help Sudan in its darkest hour. By Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission and Janez Lenarcic, European Commissioner for Crisis Management LITTLETON, CO / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSE American:URG) (TSX:URE) (the "Company" or "Ur-Energy") is pleased to announce the appointment of John Paul Pressey and Elmer W. Dyke as new members of the Ur-Energy Board of Directors. Ur-Energy also announces the anticipated retirement of founding Director James M. Franklin and Director, and former President and CEO, W. William Boberg. Both will continue to serve the Board until the Company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders, June 6, 2024, though neither will stand for re-election at the Meeting. The Company is pleased that our new Board members will be able to benefit from this transition period prior to Dr. Franklin and Mr. Boberg's retirement from the Company. Ur-Energy Chairman and CEO, John Cash, stated, "We are excited to welcome John Paul (JP) Pressey and Elmer Dyke as Directors on Ur-Energy's Board. Mr. Pressey has nearly 30 years of valuable audit and assurance experience from his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, including 16 years as a partner. We are pleased that Mr. Pressey brings to our Board his wide-ranging experience having worked with numerous publicly traded companies, including international mining companies, while at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Dyke is widely known as a leader in the global nuclear community and brings 35 years' experience working in senior positions on issues such as the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear non-proliferation and marketing of nuclear fuel. Welcome aboard JP and Elmer. We look forward to working with you to advance Ur-Energy's interests as the world is increasingly turning to nuclear power. "Personally, and on behalf of the Company, I wish to thank Dr. Jim Franklin and Mr. Bill Boberg for their many years of unwavering service to Ur-Energy. While their contributions are too many to list, it is worth noting that Jim Franklin was a founding Director of Ur-Energy when he and original management of the Company recognized in the early 2000s the impending uranium supply gap. Jim's assessments were accurate, and the timely formation of Ur-Energy positioned us to grow the Company to our current ability to capitalize on a strong market for nuclear fuel. Bill Boberg contributed throughout the years serving as a Director and an executive of the Company, but he is perhaps best known for the acquisition of the Great Divide Basin assets in Wyoming, including the property which became our flagship producing mine, Lost Creek. Jim and Bill, thank you so much for your guidance over the years. Without your leadership, Ur-Energy simply would not be the strong company it has become." John Paul Pressey had a nearly three-decade long career in the assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, with 16 years as a partner. With a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, Mr. Pressey is a Chartered Professional Accountant with extensive experience working with U.S. and Canadian publicly traded companies in the mining industry, and other industries including manufacturing, utilities, and alternative energy. His experience includes acquisitions and capital markets transactions, working with clients to identify and implement practical business solutions to accounting, audit and financial issues. Well-respected for his ethics and integrity, Mr. Pressey spent six years at PricewaterhouseCoopers as its Assurance Leader for British Columbia, overseeing all aspects of PricewaterhouseCoopers's assurance results and operations for that Province. Mr. Pressey has significant experience presenting to and working with boards of client companies and has facilitated sessions at the Institute for Corporate Directors. Elmer Dyke is a recognized global leader in the commercial and government nuclear industry with over 35 years' experience. Mr. Dyke has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Political Economy from Davidson College and served as a U.S. Army Officer for thirteen years. Mr. Dyke's professional career includes a tenure with the U.S. Department of State during which he directed international security programs, including nuclear nonproliferation and high technology projects and was detailed to the Departments of Defense and Commerce. Mr. Dyke has worked within global firms NAC International and Booz Allen Hamilton where he served as an expert on nuclear nonproliferation, strategy and nuclear fuel cycle. More recently, Mr. Dyke filled senior executive roles at Centrus Energy Corporation, a global nuclear fuel supplier and technical services provider. At Centrus Energy and in prior executive roles, Mr. Dyke led strategic planning and business development, financial performance, and risk management for the businesses. Currently, Mr. Dyke leads New Horizons Nuclear Associates, LLC, a global nuclear consulting firm he formed in 2022. Mr. Dyke is intimately involved with the entire nuclear fuel cycle and has served terms on the board of directors of the World Nuclear Association and the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council. About Ur-Energy Ur-Energy is a uranium mining company operating the Lost Creek in-situ recovery uranium facility in south-central Wyoming. We have produced, packaged, and shipped approximately 2.8 million pounds U 3 O 8 from Lost Creek since the commencement of operations. Ur-Energy has all major permits and authorizations to begin construction at Shirley Basin, the Company's second in situ recovery uranium facility in Wyoming and is in the process of obtaining remaining amendments to Lost Creek authorizations for expansion of Lost Creek. UrEnergy is engaged in uranium recovery and processing activities, including the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of uranium mineral properties in the United States. The primary trading market for UrEnergy's common shares is on the NYSE American under the symbol "URG." UrEnergy's common shares also trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "URE." Ur-Energy's corporate office is in Littleton, Colorado and its registered office is in Ottawa, Ontario. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT John W. Cash, Chairman, CEO & President 720-981-4588, ext. 303 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws regarding events or conditions that may occur in the future (e.g., when the Company will receive all remaining regulatory authorizations for the Lost Creek expansion; the ability to progress the planned construction and buildout of Shirley Basin as currently projected; and what further growth of the Company is achieved and on what timing) and are based on current expectations that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, inherently involve a number of significant business, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties and contingencies. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans," "expects," "does not expect," "is expected," "is likely," "estimates," "intends," "anticipates," "does not anticipate," or "believes," or variations of the foregoing, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "might" or "will be taken," "occur," "be achieved" or "have the potential to." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements express or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, capital and other costs varying significantly from estimates; failure to establish estimated resources and reserves; the grade and recovery of ore which is mined varying from estimates; production rates, methods and amounts varying from estimates; delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals; inflation; changes in exchange rates; fluctuations in commodity prices; delays in development and other factors described in the public filings made by the Company at www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date hereof and Ur-Energy disclaims any intent or obligation to update them or revise them to reflect any change in circumstances or in management's beliefs, expectations or opinions that occur in the future. TORONTO, April 7, 2024 /CNW/ - Karora Resources Inc. (TSX: KRR) (OTCQX: KRRGF) ("Karora") and Westgold Resources Limited (ASX: WGX) (OTCQX: WGXRF) ("Westgold") have agreed to combine in a merger pursuant to which Westgold will acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Karora ("Karora Shares") by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act ("CBCA") ("Transaction"). Transaction Highlights: Karora shareholders will receive 2.5241 Westgold fully paid ordinary shares (" Westgold Shares "), A$0.68 ( C$0.61 1 ) in cash and 0.30 of a share in a new company to be spun-out from Karora (" SpinCo ") for each Karora Share held at the closing of the Transaction (" Offer Consideration "). The Offer Consideration represents approximately A$6.60 ( C$5.90 2 ) per Karora Share based on Westgold's closing share price on the ASX of A$2.28 on 5 April 2024 . "), ( ) in cash and 0.30 of a share in a new company to be spun-out from Karora (" ") for each Karora Share held at the closing of the Transaction (" "). The Offer Consideration represents approximately ( ) per Karora Share based on Westgold's closing share price on the ASX of on . SpinCo's assets will comprise Karora's existing 22.1% interest in Kali Metals Limited (ASX:KM1) (" Kali "), a 1% lithium royalty on certain mining interests held by Kali, the right to receive a deferred consideration payment due to Karora relating to the on-sale of the Dumont asset and A$6 million ( C$5 million 2 ) in cash. SpinCo will be owned 100% by existing Karora shareholders. "), a 1% lithium royalty on certain mining interests held by Kali, the right to receive a deferred consideration payment due to Karora relating to the on-sale of the Dumont asset and ( ) in cash. SpinCo will be owned 100% by existing Karora shareholders. The Offer Consideration represents a 10.1% premium to Karora's closing share price on the Toronto Stock Exchange (" TSX ") of A$5.995 ( C$5.360 2 ) on 5 April 2024 and a 25.3% premium to Karora's and Westgold's 20-day volume weighed average price (" VWAP ") on the TSX of A$5.552 ( C$4.964 2 ) and on the ASX of A$2.421 ( C$2.164 2 ) up to and including 5 April 2024 . ") of ( ) on and a 25.3% premium to Karora's and Westgold's 20-day volume weighed average price (" ") on the TSX of ( ) and on the ASX of ( ) up to and including . Upon completion of the Transaction, Westgold shareholders will own approximately 50.1% of the combined company (Westgold after completion of the Transaction referred to as " Enlarged Westgold ") and former Karora shareholders will own approximately 49.9% . of the combined company (Westgold after completion of the Transaction referred to as " ") and former Karora shareholders will own approximately . Enlarged Westgold will have a market capitalization of approximately A$2.2 billion 2 ( C$1.9 billion 2 ). ( ). Enlarged Westgold will have a portfolio of assets from an exclusively Western Australian asset base, a clear pipeline of growth projects and high-quality exploration targets. The Enlarged Westgold intends to apply for quotation of its Westgold Shares on the TSX on completion of the Transaction. The Transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of Westgold and Karora, and Karora's board of directors will recommend that the shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. Directors and members of senior management of Karora holding approximately 1.2% of Karora Shares have entered into voting support agreements pursuant to vote their Karora Shares in favour of the Transaction at the meeting of shareholders to be called by Karora to approve the Transaction (" VSAs "). In addition, key institutional shareholders with a combined shareholding of approximately 9% including Eric Sprott have signed VSAs or otherwise have indicated they would support the Transaction. "). In addition, key institutional shareholders with a combined shareholding of approximately 9% including have signed VSAs or otherwise have indicated they would support the Transaction. The Transaction represents a transformational step change in growth for both Westgold and Karora shareholders: Creates a globally investable, mid-tier gold producer operating exclusively in Western Australia with a highly complementary combination of mining and processing assets, people and balance sheet; Top 5 largest, ASX listed Australian gold producer based on the pro forma market capitalization; One of the largest unhedged Australian gold producers on completion of the Transaction providing investors with full exposure to the gold price 3; Combined pipeline of advanced organic growth options and exploration targets across Karora's Beta Hunt and Higginsville properties and Westgold's Murchison and Bryah properties; Estimated operating synergies 4 of A$209 million ( C$187 million 2 ) and estimated corporate savings 5 of A$281 million ( C$251 million 2 ); Robust balance sheet with financial resources of circa A$160 million ( C$143 million 2 ) in cash and liquidity through Westgold's existing corporate revolver facility (subject to requisite consents) and following full repayment of Karora's existing A$44 million ( C$39 million 2 ) revolving facility to support an accelerated resource development program at the Beta Hunt Fletcher Zone and Bluebird-South Junction; Enhanced capital markets profile with increased scale, trading liquidity and quality to be attractive to both gold and generalist investors across ASX, TSX and OTCQX; Significant re-rating potential via increased scale and increased index weighting, such as the GDX and GDXJ indices; and Combined board of directors comprising experienced mining professionals with a proven track record of maximizing value for shareholders. Westgold Managing Director and CEO Wayne Bramwell commented: "The prize here is Beta Hunt's gold potential. Rarely do you find a gold asset of the quality and potential of Beta Hunt hiding in a nickel belt and drilling is expected to further unlock value at this mine. This merger brings the large Beta Hunt mine together with Big Bell, the emerging Bluebird and the iconic Great Fingall mine under one Australian management team. These assets combined create the foundations of a new Australian gold mining powerhouse that is focused on free cash generation, is internationally relevant and investable and can stand head and shoulders alongside the biggest names in the Australian gold sector. The Westgold and Karora teams have independently been structuring our businesses for growth for several years and now is the time to bring these two businesses together. Overprint an experienced and expanded team with similar corporate journeys, strong safety and cultural alignment and a shared commitment to developing its people and we have a new business dominant across two historic, yet under-explored goldfields. The expanded business will have several large mines, be well funded, fully leveraged to the gold price and have optionality over an enviable selection of growth opportunities. Importantly, the business will have expanded human and physical resources to extend mine lives and production scale rapidly. Westgold welcomes the Karora team, shareholders and stakeholders to the Westgold family and looks forward to creating value across two of Western Australia's most iconic goldfields." Karora Chairman and CEO, Paul Huet commented: "For the last two years, Karora has watched Mr. Bramwell and the team consistently unlock material value for shareholders at Westgold. One of the more unique aspects of this transaction is a very strong cultural fit between both companies which will serve shareholders of the enlarged company well for a very long time. The merger is estimated to unlock approximately A$490 million of operational, G&A and capex synergies while shareholders will become proud owners of the largest unhedged gold producer in Australia at completion of the Transaction certainly a compelling opportunity in the current gold price environment. The team at Karora have worked diligently to execute on our strategy to build the next +200 kozpa Australian gold producer6. We have delivered value to shareholders through a disciplined growth approach by investing in our cornerstone asset in Beta Hunt, which will be fully ramped up to 2 Mtpa7 later this year, our pipeline of projects at Higginsville and through strategic asset acquisitions such as the Lakewood Mill and Spargos Gold Mine to establish the next emerging junior gold producer in the Western Australia gold fields. With the combination of Westgold and Karora, we are taking the next step by combining two highly complementary, free cash flow generating asset bases in one of the world's finest mining jurisdictions to create a premier Western Australian mid-tier gold producer. Karora shareholders will benefit from having very meaningful ownership in a larger, more diversified gold producer with a highly experienced management team located entirely in Western Australia. The prospects for the combined company are tremendous, with over 3,200km2 of combined exploration tenements in Australia's most prospective gold mining regions coupled with a significantly enhanced balance sheet poised and ready to deploy into a highly compelling combined growth and exploration strategy. The combination provides Karora shareholders with significant exposure to one of the largest Australian gold producers with significant potential for an eventual share price re-rate as the operational synergies and enhanced scale of the combined portfolio are realized." Transaction Details: Westgold and Karora have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement dated 8 April 2024 (the "Agreement"), pursuant to which Westgold will acquire all of the Karora Shares by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the CBCA. The Transaction will create a diversified Western Australian focused ASX, TSX and OTCQX-listed gold company with a robust portfolio of exploration, development and production assets. Enlarged Westgold will have a strong pipeline of growth opportunities. Under the terms of the Agreement, each Karora Share outstanding at the effective time of the Arrangement will be exchanged for the Offer Consideration comprising of: 2.524 new Westgold Shares, representing A$5.755 ( C$5.145 2 ) per Karora Share held based Westgold's last closing share price on the ASX of A$2.28 on 5 April 2024 ; ( ) per Karora Share held based Westgold's last closing share price on the ASX of on ; A$0.680 ( C$0.608 2 ) in cash; and ( ) in cash; and 0.30 of a SpinCo share, with an implied value of A$0.164 ( C$0.147 2). The Offer Consideration represents an approximately A$6.60 (C$5.902) per Karora Share and a fully diluted equity value of A$1,233 million (C$1,103 million2) based on Westgold's closing share price on the ASX of A$2.28 on 5 April 2024. The Offer Consideration represents a 10.1% premium to Karora's closing share price on the TSX of A$5.995 (C$5.3602) of 5 April 2024 and a 25.3% premium to Karora's and Westgold's 20-day VWAP on the TSX of A$5.552 (C$4.9642) and on the ASX of A$2.421 (C$2.1642) up to and including 5 April 2024. Upon completion of the Transaction, existing Westgold and Karora shareholders will own approximately 50.1% and 49.9% of Enlarged Westgold, respectively. Westgold intends to make an application for a secondary listing on the TSX as part of the Transaction. The Enlarged Westgold board will be comprised of the current directors of Westgold and two (2) directors from Karora. The Hon. Cheryl Edwardes AM will be the Chair of Enlarged Westgold and Wayne Bramwell will be Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Leigh Junk, currently Managing Director, Australia and Shirley In't Veld, a director of Karora, will be included on the Enlarged Westgold board. Paul Huet, Chairman & CEO of Karora, will continue with Enlarged Westgold in a special advisory role for six (6) months post-completion of the Transaction. In connection with closing of the Transaction, Karora will spin-out certain assets to former Karora shareholders, being its shareholding in Kali, a 1% lithium royalty on certain mining interests held by Kali, the right to receive future payments related to the sale of the Dumont asset and cash of A$6 million (C$5 million2) to a newly formed SpinCo. Under the Arrangement, Karora shareholders will receive 0.30 of a SpinCo share for each Karora Share held. Strategic Rationale & Highlights 1. Creation of a leading mid-tier gold producer Top 5 Australian gold producer with a pro forma market capitalization of A$2.2 billion ( C$1.9 billion 2 ). 8 ( ). Positioned as one of the largest unhedged Australian gold producer providing investors with full exposure to gold prices following Transaction completion. 9 Flexibility and optionality from a combined total of five (5) mills and 6.9Mtpa of processing capacity in Western Australia . . Significant exploration upside through highly prospective ~3,200km 2 land package across two of Western Australia's most prolific goldfields. land package across two of most prolific goldfields. Best-in-class team with extensive resources and complementary underground mining and exploration expertise. Tremendous platform for future organic growth and optionality over nickel co-production at Beta Hunt. 2. Diversified production in Tier 1 jurisdiction Diversification across four (4) production centres in Western Australia . . Leveraging Westgold's established management team that has significant experience in Western Australia . . Westgold's operating hub model is well-suited to optimizing value of Karora's two (2) strategically located mills. 3. Exciting organic growth pipeline Significant near-mine and regional-scale exploration opportunities across Karora's assets provides exciting potential to realize major resource growth at Beta Hunt / Higginsville. Creates a strong organic growth pipeline when combined with Westgold's highly prospective exploration ground in the Murchison region. Option for growing nickel by-product production from Karora's Beta Hunt asset. 4. Material synergies driving substantial value creation The merger delivers key strategic synergies including: Increased mining and processing facilities offer operating flexibility and optionality; Ability to leverage and complement Westgold's sizable mining and drilling fleet with an estimated replacement value of approximately A$200 million 10 ( C$179 million 2 ) with Karora's newly purchased equipment; Combined in-house expertise enables rapid development of new projects (eg. Spargos); and Increased ability to attract and retain talent as a larger and more significant Western Australian employer. Estimated A$490 million ( C$438 million 2 ) in total synergies available via the business combination: Estimated A$281 million ( C$251 million 2 ) of identified potential cost benefits through elimination of duplicate corporate, operational and administrative functions. 11 Estimated A$209 million ( C$187 million 2 ) in identified potential operational savings in procurement and supply chain through leveraging of increased scale. 12 ( ) in total synergies available via the business combination: 5. Financial resources to execute Enlarged Westgold will have financial resources of circa A$160 million ( C$143 million 2 ) including Westgold's existing corporate revolving facility (subject to requisite consents) and following the repayment of Karora's existing A$44 million ( C$39 million 2 ) revolving facility, combined with an outstanding forecast free cash flow profile. ( ) including Westgold's existing corporate revolving facility (subject to requisite consents) and following the repayment of Karora's existing ( ) revolving facility, combined with an outstanding forecast free cash flow profile. Strong financial platform to continue investing in organic growth opportunities. Westgold's inaugural FY24 dividend policy will be enhanced by the increased production and cash flow generation from Karora's assets. 6. Enhanced capital market profile Enhanced profile of Enlarged Westgold to elevate the company's capital markets' presence and value proposition to a wider range of global investors. Increased scale and diversity to enhance potential demand from index funds tracking the GDX and GDXJ, amongst others. Transaction and the Plan of Arrangement The Transaction will be effected by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement under the CBCA, requiring the approval of 66 % of the votes cast by Karora shareholders at the annual and special meeting of shareholders of Karora ("Shareholder Meeting"), and if required under Canadian law, a simple majority of the votes cast by Karora shareholders excluding for this purpose the votes held by any person required under Multilateral Instrument 61-101. Karora expects to call a Shareholder Meeting to be held in July 2024 to seek approval for the Transaction. Closing of the Transaction is currently expected to occur in late July 2024. In addition to shareholder and court approvals, the Transaction is subject to applicable regulatory approvals, including those of FIRB, TSX and ASX, and the satisfaction of certain other closing conditions customary for a transaction of this nature, including, among others receipt of key third party consents, no material breaches of the representations, warranties and covenants of the parties, no material adverse effects being suffered by the parties and no more than 5% of Karora shareholders having exercised dissent rights provided for under the CBCA. The Agreement also includes customary reciprocal deal protections, including fiduciary-out provisions, non-solicitation covenants, and a right to match any superior proposals. A mutual reciprocal break fee of A$45 million (C$40 million2) is payable in certain circumstances and a reciprocal expense reimbursement fee of A$2.2 million (C$2 million2). The Agreement may be terminated in certain circumstances including (but not limited to) by either party if the Transaction is not approved by shareholders or if certain third party consents and approvals are not obtained, if the Transaction is not completed by 30 September 2024 (unless extended by the parties), if a party breaches its representations and warranties or fails to perform any covenants or a there has occurred a material adverse effect to the other party that is not capable of being cured by 30 September 2024, or if either party enters into a superior proposal. The directors, members of senior management of Karora [and certain shareholders] holding approximately []% of the issued and outstanding Karora Shares have entered into VSAs pursuant to which they agreed to vote their Karora Shares in favour of the Transaction at the Shareholder Meeting. Under the Agreement, all incentive securities of Karora shall be conditionally accelerated and redeemed or exercised immediately prior to closing of the Arrangement so that such holders may participate in the Transaction as Karora shareholders. In connection with closing of the Transaction, Karora will spin-out certain assets to Karora shareholders, being its shareholding in Kali, a 1% lithium royalty on certain mining interests held by Kali, the right to receive future payments related to the sale of the Dumont asset and cash of A$6 million (C$5 million2) to a newly formed SpinCo. Under the Arrangement, Karora shareholders will receive 0.30 of a SpinCo share for each Karora Share held. Full details of the Transaction will be included in the meeting materials which are expected to be mailed to Karora shareholders in June 2024. The Agreement will be filed on SEDAR+ under Karora's profile. Boards of Directors' Recommendations The Transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of Westgold and Karora, and Karora's board of directors unanimously recommends that Karora shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. The board of directors of Karora has received opinions from Cormark Securities Inc. and Haywood Securities Inc. and the special committee has received an opinion from Desjardins Capital Markets and Cormark Securities Inc. that based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations, and qualifications stated, the Offered Consideration to be received by Karora shareholders pursuant to the Transaction is fair, from a financial perspective, to Karora shareholders. Advisors Westgold has engaged Argonaut PCF as financial advisor, Thomson Geer as Australian legal advisor and Stikeman Elliott LLP as Canadian legal advisor in relation to the Transaction. Karora has engaged CIBC World Markets Inc., Desjardins Capital Markets and Cormark Securities Inc. as co-advisors, HopgoodGanim as Australian legal advisor and Bennett Jones LLP as Canadian legal advisor to the Transaction. Conference call / Presentation Westgold and Karora will host a joint investor call at 9:00am AWST on 8 April 2024 / 9:00pm EDT on 7 April 2024 . It is recommended that you log on at least five minutes before the scheduled commencement time. To participate please use the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8456233316831746139 About Westgold Westgold Resources Limited (ASX: WGX, OTCQX: WGXRF) is an innovative Western Australian gold miner producing circa 220-230koz per year.13 With more than 1,300km2 of highly prospective tenure, Westgold is the dominant gold miner in the Murchison and Bryah regions of Western Australia and uniquely an owner-operator of its five underground mines. With proven team, a history of cash flow generation, new cash flow-based dividend policy, increasing operational delivery, no debt, unhedged gold sales and a strong balance sheet consisting of A$247 million in cash and bullion at 31 March 202414, Westgold is structuring for continued profitability and shareholder returns in FY24. About Karora Karora is focused on increasing gold production at its integrated Beta Hunt Gold Mine with beneficial nickel by-product production and Higginsville Gold Operations in Western Australia. Ore is processed at two centralised plants: the 1.6 Mtpa Higginsville mill and the 1.2 Mtpa Lakewood mill, both located near its mining operations. Karora is continuing to build off its strong history of delivering consistent gold production and cash flow with 2024 gold production guidance at 170-185koz15 and AISC cost guidance at US$1,250US$1,375 per ounce sold. Beta Hunt hosts a robust gold Mineral Resource and Reserve in multiple gold shears, with gold intersections along a 7 km strike length remaining open in multiple directions. Higginsville has a substantial Mineral gold Resource and Reserve and highly prospective land package totalling approximately 1,900 square kilometres. Karora's Shares trade on the TSX under the symbol KRR and on the OTCQX market under the symbol KRRGF. Qualified Person's Statement The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Steve Devlin B.Eng. MAusIMM. Mr. Devlin is a "qualified person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Devlin is a full-time senior executive of the Company. Disclaimer This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation (i) the expected outcomes of the Transaction; (ii) the ability of Karora and Westgold to completed the Transaction on the terms described herein in a timely manner, or at all, including the receipt of required approvals and satisfaction of other closing conditions; (iii) the impact of the Transaction on stakeholders, including the expected benefits to Karora shareholders; (iv) discussions of future plans, projects, objectives and potentials synergies and potential rerating; and (v) statements relating to production guidance and the potential of the Beta Hunt Mine and Higginsville Gold Operation. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Karora to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; results of exploration programs; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, projected cash operating costs, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Karora 's filings with Canadian securities regulators, including the most recent Annual Information Form, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Karora has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Karora disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. VANCOUVER, British Columbia / Apr 08, 2024 / Business Wire / Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE: PAAS) (TSX: PAAS) ("Pan American" or the "Company") releases results from the ongoing infill and geotechnical drill program at its La Colorada Skarn project in Zacatecas, Mexico (the "La Colorada Skarn"). Eight new drill holes totaling 8,101 metres returned additional wide intercepts from the 902 mineralized zone of the western part of the La Colorada Skarn. Drill hole U-121-22 returned the highest-grade interval to date with 22.50 metres at 1,435 g/t Ag, 31.93% Pb and 20.49% Zn. The 902 zone at the La Colorada Skarn continues to return long intercepts in multiple drill holes, with the most recent drill holes returning some of the highest grade intercepts since we discovered the La Colorada Skarn in 2018. Hole U-121-22 contains the highest silver grade intercept in the Skarn, to date, of 22 metres averaging 1,435 g/t Ag, 31.9% Pb and 20.5% Zn within a broader interval of 78 metres of 568 g/t Ag, 12.5% Pb and 9.6% Zn," said Christopher Emerson, Pan Americans Vice President of Exploration and Geology. "Exploration drilling continues to define the La Colorada Skarn mineral resource, and we look forward to presenting an updated mineral resource estimate in August 2024. Drill highlights include: U-121-22: 26.85 m at 127 g/t Ag, 7.19% Pb and 11.12% Zn and 77.85 m at 568 g/t Ag, 12.45% Pb and 9.59% Zn, including 22.50 m at 1,435 g/t Ag, 31.93% Pb and 20.49% Zn U-91-23: 372.10 m at 77 g/t Ag, 3.91% Pb and 5.79% Zn, including 83.85 m at 172 g/t Ag, 8.48% Pb and 10.49% Zn and including 26.90 m at 127 g/t Ag, 7.02% Pb and 11.69% Zn U-03-24: 68.00 m at 80 g/t Ag, 3.98% Pb and 6.98% Zn, including 29.00 m at 136 g/t Ag, 7.45% Pb and 12.82% Zn U-121-23: 91.20 m at 31 g/t Ag, 2.61% Pb and 4.98% Zn U-137-23: 87.25 m at 32 g/t Ag, 1.41% Pb and 3.90% Zn and 134.55 m at 29 g/t Ag, 0.14% Pb and 6.58% Zn U-148-22: 23.15 m at 57 g/t Ag, 3.32% Pb and 5.59% Zn La Colorada Skarn - summary of drill results The following table provides the drill results for the La Colorada Skarn deposit included in this news release. Previous drill results that are not included in this table as well as cross sections, plans and images of the La Colorada Skarn mineralized core are available on our website at: https://panamericansilver.com/operations/silver-segment/la-colorada-skarn/ Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m)(1) Ag g/t Cu % Pb % Zn % U-03-24 489.25 504.55 15.30 47 0.05 2.52 4.97 And 540.55 608.55 68.00 80 0.08 3.98 6.98 Including 559.90 588.90 29.00 136 0.11 7.45 12.82 U-07-23 486.55 497.95 11.40 34 0.07 1.41 1.71 And 548.60 614.95 66.35 17 0.07 0.97 1.65 And 692.20 716.10 23.90 21 0.12 1.95 2.78 U-121-22 565.70 592.55 26.85 127 0.13 7.19 11.12 And 657.30 735.15 77.85 568 0.12 12.45 9.59 Including 661.05 683.55 22.50 1435 0.12 31.93 20.49 And 783.50 878.50 95.00 22 0.07 1.56 2.52 U-121-23 48.00 66.05 18.05 196 0.07 1.04 1.73 And 518.80 533.25 14.45 83 0.11 3.61 4.99 And 712.85 726.00 13.15 26 0.08 2.83 4.41 And 742.90 760.70 17.80 23 0.09 2.42 4.08 And 803.60 894.80 91.20 31 0.11 2.61 4.98 And 1,013.00 1,066.40 53.40 25 0.07 0.17 4.63 U-137-23 460.30 475.20 14.90 63 0.03 2.34 3.59 And 532.95 574.85 41.90 56 0.04 2.47 2.13 And 661.05 748.30 87.25 32 0.08 1.41 3.90 And 905.15 1,039.70 134.55 29 0.18 0.14 6.58 U-148-22 373.40 383.25 9.85 161 0.08 3.62 3.83 And 587.35 610.50 23.15 57 0.13 3.32 5.59 U-91-23 545.65 917.75 372.10 77 0.11 3.91 5.79 Including 588.90 672.75 83.85 172 0.22 8.48 10.49 Including 742.15 769.05 26.90 127 0.28 7.02 11.69 And 966.50 1,003.30 36.80 25 0.12 0.43 6.57 U-112-23 1,018.10 1,040.20 22.10 84 0.71 0.14 1.52 (1) True widths of the mineralized intervals are unknown at this time. La Colorada Skarn - drill hole collar information Drill Hole ID Type East Local North Local Elevation Length (m) Azimuth Avg (0) Dip Avg U-03-24 Infill 4,845.1 5,323.6 1,995.5 1,176 343.6 -76.1 U-07-23 Geotech 4,845.8 5,316.9 1,995.5 732 161.9 -77.9 U-112-23 Exploration 4,493.8 5,333.3 2,070.5 1,161 326.9 -85.8 U-121-22 Infill 4,844.0 5,321.5 1,995.8 1,041 221.7 -84.8 U-121-23 Infill 4,846.1 5,320.7 1,995.9 1,109 60.8 -87.0 U-137-23 Infill 4,844.5 5,324.3 1,995.5 1,080 339.7 -83.8 U-148-22 Geotech 4,843.7 5,323.1 1,997.7 703 315.7 -77.4 U-91-23 Infill 4,842.6 5,323.0 1,995.3 1,101 267.3 -84.2 Total metres 8,101 General Notes with Respect to Technical Information Grades are shown as contained metal before mill recoveries are applied. All samples provided in this news release were assayed by ALS Global, Mexico using acid digestion with ICP finish for silver, lead, zinc, and copper. For samples above the detection limits of ICP, they were finalized with absorption spectrometry ("AAS"); For lead and zinc grades greater than 30%, the determination was made by volumetric titration. Samples sent to ALS Global were prepared in Zacatecas and Hermosillo, Mexico laboratories and sent to Vancouver, B.C. Laboratory for assay. Pan American implements a quality assurance and quality control ("QAQC") program including the submission of certified standards, blanks, and duplicate samples to the laboratories. The results of the QAQC samples submitted to ALS Global demonstrate acceptable accuracy and precision. The Qualified Persons have verified the data disclosed in this news release and they are of the opinion that the sample preparation, analytical, and security procedures followed for the samples are sufficient and reliable for the purpose of any future mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates. Pan American is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data reported herein. ALS Global is independent from Pan American. See the Company's Annual Information Form March 26, 2024, available at www.sedarplus.ca for further information concerning QAQC and data verification matters, and for a detailed description of known legal, political, environmental, and other risks that could materially affect the Company's business and the potential development of the Company's mineral reserves and mineral resources. Technical information contained in this news release with respect to Pan American has been reviewed and approved by Christopher Emerson, FAusIMM, Vice President Exploration and Geology, and Martin Wafforn, P.Eng., Senior Vice President Technical Services and Process Optimization, each of whom is a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Pan American is authorized by The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the Province of British Columbia to engage in Reserved Practice under Permit to Practice number 1001470. About Pan American Silver Pan American is a leading producer of silver and gold in the Americas, operating mines in Canada, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. We also own the Escobal mine in Guatemala that is currently not operating, and we hold interests in exploration and development projects. We have been operating in the Americas for three decades, earning an industry-leading reputation for sustainability performance, operational excellence and prudent financial management. We are headquartered in Vancouver, B.C. and our shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "PAAS". Learn more at panamericansilver.com Follow us on LinkedIn Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: the extent of, and success related to any future exploration or development programs, including with respect to the exploration program at the La Colorada Skarn; expectations regarding exploration drilling; and plans to present an update to the mineral resource estimate for the La Colorada Skarn in August 2024. These forward-looking statements and information reflect Pan Americans current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Pan American, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include: tonnage of ore to be mined and processed; ore grades and recoveries; prices for silver, gold and base metals remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; our mineral reserve and resource estimates and the assumptions upon which they are based; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions at any of our operations; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals for our operations are received in a timely manner; our ability to secure and maintain title and ownership to properties and the surface rights necessary for our operations; and our ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Pan American cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and Pan American has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in silver, gold and base metal prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the PEN, MXN, ARS, BOB, GTQ, CAD, CLP, and BRL versus the USD); operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mining (including environmental accidents and hazards, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather); risks relating to the credit worthiness or financial condition of suppliers, refiners and other parties with whom Pan American does business; risks related to taxation, including but not limited to the results of ongoing tax audits in Mexico; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations; relationships with, and claims by, local communities and indigenous populations; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices in the jurisdictions where we operate, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and political, legal or economic developments in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala, Chile, Brazil or other countries where Pan American may carry on business, including legal restrictions relating to mining, risks relating to expropriation, and risks relating to the constitutional court-mandated ILO 169 consultation process in Guatemala; diminishing quantities or grades of mineral reserves as properties are mined; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; and those factors identified under the caption "Risks Related to Pan American's Business" in Pan American's most recent form 40-F and Annual Information Form filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities, respectively. Although Pan American has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help readers understand management's current views of our near and longer term prospects and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Pan American does not intend, nor does it assume any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, changes in assumptions, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. Thousands of people turned out Saturday to see Ivory Coast's former president Laurent Gbagbo announce his bid to return to office even though he is ineligible. Supporters came from all over the country to Agboville, 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of Abidjan, to hear 78-year-old Gbabgo denounce "the high cost of living" in a lengthy speech lasting more than two hours. Gbagbo, who was president from 2000 to 2011, would like to represent the African People's Party-Cote d'Ivoire (PPA-CI) but is barred from running because of a 20-year jail sentence for looting the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in 2011 during a bloody post-election crisis that left 3,000 dead. Even if he was acquitted in 2021 by the International Criminal Court of human rights abuses allegedly committed during the crisis and pardoned by President Alassane Ouattara a year later for the BCEAO case, he has not been amnestied, which bars him from electoral lists. "I am not guilty", he declared Saturday, saying he would divulge documents in the coming days to "reveal the truth." "For peace, for cohesion" we must adopt an "amnesty law", said Bertin Kouassi Kouadio, federal secretary of the PPA-CI in Yopougon, a working class area of Abidjan. - 'Remobilise the troops' - Gbagbo's supporters are already organised for the elections that must be held within 18 months. On Saturday, they paraded through the streets of Agboville, to the rhythm of traditional drums and singing in praise of their "president". Eloge Paibo, head of the PPA-CI in Abidjan, said the rally would "remobilise the troops". "This mobilisation should show the whole world that president Gbagbo has the means to win," said Ines Nadege Blezir, a pro-Gbagbo activist for more than 30 years, who held a banner in the party's blue colours. The wider popularity of Gbagbo, who spent almost 10 years outside Ivory Coast when he was imprisoned at the ICC, is difficult to measure. In the 2023 local elections, the PPA-CI won only a handful of towns and its leaders lost in many municipalities and regions. So far, Gbabgo is the only political heavyweight to have declared their candidacy. Tidjane Thiam, leader of the main opposition party, is expected to be named by the Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI), but President Ouattara has yet to say if he's running for a fourth term. French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday marked 80 years since Nazi forces raided a Jewish orphanage in the southeast of France and sent almost all its occupants to extermination camps. The event is among the first of a sequence of ceremonies Macron will lead this year to mark eight decades since the penultimate year of World War II that in summer 1944 saw D-Day followed by the liberation of Paris from Nazi occupation. A handful of former residents of the orphanage in the village of Izieu attended the ceremony headed by Macron late Sunday afternoon. Earlier in the day, he also visited a remote Alpine plateau to pay tribute to resistance heroes who, in early spring 1944, were killed or captured by Nazi forces and French collaborators. On April 6, 1944, the 44 Jewish children aged four to 12 hosted in the orphanage were rounded up by the Gestapo with their seven instructors, also Jewish. The raid was carried out on the orders of Klaus Barbie, the notorious Nazi known as the "Butcher of Lyon". Barbie fled to South America after the war but was extradited from Bolivia to France in 1983 and in 1987 was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of crimes against humanity. He died in prison in 1991. All the Izieu victims were deported to the death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland or to German-occupied Estonia. Only one instructor survived. "You are going to tell me your stories," Macron told four former residents of the orphanage who attended the ceremony at the building, a museum for the last three decades. "I didn't understand anything about this war which was above me. I was angry, I didn't eat anymore," Helene Waysenson, 8 years old at the time, who had arrived from Luxembourg with two of her brothers, told the president. "It takes a lot of resilience to come and talk to you," added Roger Wolman, who, in 1943, aged five, spent a few weeks in the house when his parents were deported. Between May 1943 and April 1944, the Izieu colony, founded by Sabine Zlatin, a Jewish resistance fighter of Polish origin, took in around 100 children whose parents had been deported. Until the raid, it had been left relatively untouched. - 'French tragedy' - The event marked the celebration of "the commitment of those who stood up against Nazism by welcoming the victims of persecution, and of those who opposed the abomination of republican values, by bringing the executioner Klaus Barbie to justice," the French presidency said. Macron earlier paid tribute to 106 fighters buried in mountain plateau of Glieres, also in the Alps, which was an important resistance hub against Nazi rule. From January to March 1944, 465 partisans gathered at Glieres to receive airdrops of weapons in the run-up to the Allied landings in the south of France in August 1944. But the German army -- with the assistance of a French collaborationist militia -- decided to attack in late March of that year. Two thirds of the resistance fighters were taken prisoner and 124 killed during the fighting or shot. Nine disappeared and 16 died in deportation. "At an altitude of 1,400 meters, France rose up. It lived as it should never have ceased to live, as it should never cease to exist," Macron said. Macron emphasised that the battle was not simply as French fighting Germans. "French people imprisoned French people, French people murdered French people," he said, referring to the collaborators and describing it as a "French tragedy". This year's commemorations peak in June with the 80th anniversary of the 1944 Normandy landings. A host of world leaders are expected to attend, including US President Joe Biden. In August, the liberation of Paris from Nazi occupation will be marked. Rwanda's President Paul Kagame on Sunday said the international community had "failed" his country during the 1994 genocide, as he paid tribute to victims 30 years after Hutu extremists tore apart the nation. "Rwanda was completely humbled by the magnitude of our loss. And the lessons we learned are engraved in blood," Kagame said in Kigali during a solemn ceremony to commemorate a 100-day massacre that claimed the lives of 800,000 people, largely Tutsis but also moderate Hutus. "It was the international community which failed all of us, whether from contempt or cowardice," he said, addressing an audience that included several African heads of state and former US president Bill Clinton, who had called the genocide the biggest failure of his administration. In keeping with tradition, the ceremonies on April 7 -- the day Hutu militias unleashed the carnage in 1994 -- began with Kagame placing wreathes on mass graves and lighting a remembrance flame at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims are believed to be buried. The tiny nation has since found its footing under Kagame's rule, who led the RPF rebel militia which ended the genocide, but the scars of the violence remain, leaving a trail of destruction across Africa's Great Lakes region. The international community's failure to intervene has been a cause of lingering shame, with French President Emmanuel Macron expected to release a message on Sunday saying France and its Western and African allies "could have stopped" the bloodshed but lacked the will to do so. The assassination of Hutu President Juvenal Habyarimana on the night of April 6, when his plane was shot down over Kigali, triggered the rampage by Hutu extremists and the "Interahamwe" militia. According to Rwanda, hundreds of genocide suspects remain at large, including in neighbouring nations such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Rwanda on Sunday marked 30 years since the 1994 genocide that killed more than 800,000 men, women and children, mainly Tutsis but also moderate Hutus. Here are some of the notable quotes as the tiny African nation commemorated the mass slaughter orchestrated by Hutu extremists targeting the Tutsi minority over 100 bloody days in 1994. - Rwandan President Paul Kagame - "Rwanda was completely humbled by the magnitude of our loss. And the lessons we learned are engraved in blood." "It was the international community which failed all of us, whether from contempt or cowardice." - US President Joe Biden - "We will never forget the horrors of those 100 days, the pain and loss suffered by the people of Rwanda, or the shared humanity that connects us all, which hate can never overcome." - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres - "This year, we remind ourselves of genocide's rancid root: hate. To those who would seek to divide us, we must deliver a clear, unequivocal and urgent message: never again." - African Union Commission head Moussa Faki Mahamat - "No one, not even the African Union, can absolve itself of its inaction in the face of the chronicle of a genocide foretold. Let us have the courage to recognise this, and to take responsibility for it." - French President Emmanuel Macron - "We have all abandoned hundreds of thousands of victims to this infernal closed door. "When the phase of total extermination against the Tutsis began, the international community had the means to know and act. "France, which could have stopped the genocide with its Western and African allies, did not have the will." - European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen - "Today we mark 30 years since the genocide against the Tutsi. We honour the victims. And we praise Rwanda's journey from darkness to hope, and from pain to progress. It's an example for the world." - UN human rights chief Volker Turk - "The Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi was a clear reminder: Genocide doesn't erupt from thin air -- it follows years of normalised fear-mongering, hate and dehumanisation. "Governments must do everything in their power to combat hate, discrimination and other root causes before it's too late." - President of genocide survivors group Ibuka, Philibert Gakwenzire - "Genocide is caused by bad politics based on creating divisions based on ethnic, religious and other differences, and we see such things happening across the world. "When xenophobia and hate speech is tolerated by governments, it can reach a level where they have genocide can happen again. Macron said the truth, there was no political will to stop the genocide by the international community. They had the means but had no interest in stopping it." - Human Rights Watch executive director Tirana Hassan - "The genocide in Rwanda remains a stain on our collective conscience and, 30 years later, lessons can still be drawn from the actions -- or lack thereof -- of world leaders in the face of ongoing atrocities." - UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu - "One should never lose sight that for people who experienced genocide, the warning signs were there." - East African Community - "As we commemorate a 30th time, it is important to reaffirm the fundamental truth that we are all created equal, and we have certain undeniable rights that include the right to life and no one has the right to take it away as it was done 30 years ago." Three months after convicting two Rwandans for participating in the 1994 genocide, the Brussels Assize Court was preparing to try two others as of April 8, which coincides with the thirtieth commemoration of the genocide. In the end there will only be one. On March 19, the court ordered that they be tried separately, so Emmanuel Nkunduwimye will face his judges alone. A particular aspect of this trial is that it is a kind of distant echo of another well-known case opened 25 years ago before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania. According to the Belgian prosecutors indictment, Nkunduwimye was a close friend of Georges Rutaganda, vice-president of the national committee of the Interahamwe, the militia that spearheaded the massacres committed between April and July 1994 in Rwanda. Nkunduwimye is accused of having committed an indeterminate number of murders, one rape and an attempted murder in the Amgar complex in Kigali belonging to Rutaganda, who had an automobile garage there. Amgar was one of the sites central to the Rutaganda trial before the ICTR. According to the indictment, Nkunduwimye operated the garage there. The shadow of the ICTR trial The Belgian investigators have gathered testimonies claiming that Nkunduwimye often moved around with Rutaganda during the genocide, armed and wearing a military jacket. The testimonies say he was also a member of the national committee of the Interahamwe. Nkunduwimye is not listed as one of its 11 members. However one of them, Ephrem Nkezabera who was tried and convicted in Belgium before he died, stated that Nkunduwimye was a member of the committee without having an official function. Other witnesses say that on the contrary, the accused needed to go around with Rutaganda for protection from the militiamen because his brother-in-law was funding the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) Tutsi rebels fighting the Hutu government. It was perhaps also during the Rutaganda trial that Nkunduwimye drew the eye of judicial authorities. According to the indictment, he gave testimony that was very favourable toward Rutaganda on February 17 and 18, 1999 during the latters trial. He is said also to have tried to convince other Rwandans to come and paint a favourable picture of Rutaganda. During his testimony at the ICTR, Nkunduwimye denied that there were arms, grenades and ammunition at Amgar. He also denied that he had himself received money with Rutaganda to smuggle persecuted Tutsis and Hutus into the Hotel des Mille Collines in central Kigali, where dozens of them took refuge in April and May 1994. Nkunduwimye himself told Belgian police on May 13, 2011 that the ICTR investigators had vowed he in turn would be prosecuted for refusing to testify against Rutaganda. His case caused controversy at the time over the UN investigators methods. Rutaganda, who was sentenced to life by the ICTR, died in prison in 2010. Nkunduwimye has also attributed his judicial troubles to a certain Augustin Ntazinda, with whom he had a business conflict and who had sworn his downfall. An accused almost juvenile during the genocide This latest Belgian trial was supposed to be dealing also with a man who was only 18 at the time of the genocide. However, Ernest Gakwaya will not be in the box next to Nkunduwimye. He was due to be released in February in Burundi, where he was serving time for falsifying documents. But he has not yet been transferred to Belgium. No date has yet been set for his trial. He will in any case be the youngest person accused of genocide in Rwanda to be tried by a foreign jurisdiction. When the genocide began on April 7, 1994, he was an electro-mechanics student living with his parents in the Nyamirambo district of Kigali. Numerous witnesses have told the Belgian investigators that he joined the Interahamwe of his neighbourhood and that he went to the Beau Sejour cafe, where these militiamen convened. It was there, according to Belgian investigations in Rwanda, that many young Tutsi women were held captive as sexual slaves of the Interahamwe. Several witnesses have accused Gakwaya of participating notably in three bloody attacks in Nyamirambo: at the Charles Langwa parish, where 500 to 600 moderate Hutus had taken refuge; at the Freres Josephites convent; and at the Chez Gasamagera home, where young Tutsi women were hiding. He is accused of five rapes, of which four at the Beau Sejour cafe and one at the Freres Josephites convent. Between 2001 and 2021, Belgian justice judged eleven Rwandans in six different trials. Forty-nine cases (including Nkunduwimye and Gakwaya) are still open to date in Belgium against individuals suspected of having participated in the genocide of the Tutsis. Four are close to being brought to trial, 33 are still under investigation, and 12 are at a preliminary stage. Shocking truths are revealed about Kwon Sun Yul's mother's accident and the mastermind behind the death of Eun Soo Hyun's son in "Wonderful World" episode 12. 'Wonderful World' Episode 12: Eun Soo Hyun Investigates Again Gun Woo's Case It was revealed that after Eun Min, Sun Yul's mother was indebted to Soo Hyun, she demanded leniency from Kim Joon (Park Hyuk Kwon) and threatened to reveal the truth. Due to this, Kim Joon conspired to silence Eun Min by involving her in a car accident and killing her. He pretended to be concerned about Sun Yul. The young man, on the other hand, already sensed that the accident was Kim Joon's fault. While investigating Eun Min's case, Soo Hyun realized that the lawyer in charge was involved in Gun Woo's case and had a connection with Kim Joon. She remembered that Kang Su Ho investigated the case and during the process, her husband discovered that Kim Joon had been at the center of Gun Woo's case. She went straight to Su Ho and asked why he covered up the truth, and said that he had no power at that time. Soo Hyun was disappointed again and turned cold to her husband. Meanwhile, Kim Joon continued his presidential campaign and shocked the public when Su Ho supported him. Due to this, he received hate from his colleagues. It was shown that Su Ho was also investigating something secretly. On the other hand, Sun Yul started planning to take down Kim Joon in earnest. Since he has been acting as Kim Joon's secret agent, he used his connection to gather information to use against Kim Joon. He also dug into the Junseong Foundation with the help of Soo Jin. Kwon Sun Yul & Eun Soo Hyun Team Up to Prove Kim Joon's Criminal Acts Eun Soo Hyun told Sun Yul about Kim Joon's involvement in the deaths of their loved ones. She advised him to think again if he missed anything related to his mom's case since Soo Hyun would dig into Gun Woo's case. Sun Yul said that Eun Min mentioned the tablet' right before she died and that Kim Joon seemed to be looking for it as well. The tablet then emerged as their clue. Hye Geum revealed to Soo Hyun that they would leave for abroad and warned her to be careful of Kim Joon. Soo Hyun then remembered the day Gun Woo went missing, Hye Geum was filming in front of their house. Hye Geum said that the only thing she remembered was Gun Woo was holding a tablet before he left. Soo Hyun then realized that Eun Min was about Gun Woo's tablet. She started searching Eun Soo Hyun & Kwon Sun Yul Discover Devastating Truths At the same time, Sun Yul recalled a memory while listening to an old recording on his mom's phone. He remembered the pendant that Eun Min gave to him and told Sun Yul not to ever lose it. He sensed that Ji Woong and Eun Min had hidden something inside the pendant. He found an SD card inside the pendant and through this Soo Hyun located the pawnshop where Gun Woo's tablet was entrusted. After getting the tablet, she found out that the whole accident was recorded. It was Kim Joon who hit Gun Woo and to cover up, he called Ji Woong and switched seats. It was also revealed that Ji Woong asked Kim Joon to protect his son Sun Yul in exchange for the incident. The series ended with Soo Hyun and Sun Yul falling into indescribable shock. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article. Shai San Miguel wrote this. SITSATSAWENI Over 60 pupils enrolled in both primary and high schools in Siteki will miss lessons today following the damage to the road connecting Sitsatsaweni and Siteki town. According to a resident, Sipho Mvila, the heavy downpour, which started three days ago and is being experienced by the whole country, has worsened the state of the road that was damaged by the effects of Tropical Cyclone Filipo, which hit Madagascar in March. According to Mvila, the road is in a very bad state, making it impossible for public transport to traverse. Rehabilitate The resident said the ongoing rains came at a time when they were planning to rehabilitate the road with the assistance of Lugongolweni Member of Parliament, Joseph Souza and Indvuna Yenkhundla Mfana Mamba, who had provided a top loader backhoe (TLB) and a truck. He said their children and commuters who were employed by businesses situated in Siteki town would be hugely affected as they would not be able to go to their respective workplaces and schools. The Times has established that over 40 residents work in Siteki town and will also fail to report to work today due to the bad state of the road and the unavailability of public transport servicing the route. The residents have urged government to intervene by rehabilitating the road. Sitsatsaweni Community Councilor (Bucopho) Khulile Mpofu also appealed to government to assist with the rehabilitation of the road. The councillor mentioned that pupils enrolled at schools in the town would miss lessons today as the area was inaccessible due to the heavy downpour that was experienced in the past three days that damaged the road. Mpofu pointed out that governments intervention could make their lives better as those who operate grocery shops within the community would not be able to travel to town to restock due to the bad state of the road. She said the community had been lagging behind in development initiatives due to the poor road network and expressed her satisfaction that the Big Five Game Park will bring development to the area as the road will be upgraded to a bitumen standard. Lugongolweni Indvuna Yenkhundla Mfana Mamba also shared the same sentiments and indicated that the government needs to act swiftly and rehabilitate the road. He highlighted that the issue of the bad state of the road has been raised several times but it has not been attended to by the government. Communicate Lubombo Deputy Regional Education Officer (REO) Thami Dlamini urged parents to communicate with head teachers to inform them about the situation. Dlamini said the Lubombo Region was the most affected in the country by the recent rains.He also appealed to parents to be responsible and ensure that their children remained at home if there would be public transport operating today. Interviewed recently about governments stance on the rehabilitation of gravel roads across the country, Minister of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlanza Ndwandwe assured communities that the government has engaged a higher gear in ensuring that roads were rehabilitated. Lee Joon managed to turn things around against Uhm Ki Joon in "The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection" episode 3. The Makjang series returned with an interesting sequel featuring the journey of seven individuals who were manipulated by Matthew Lee, played by Uhm Ki Joon. In season 2, viewers get to see their revenge, especially Min Do Hyuk (Lee Joon) and Geum Ra Hee (Hwang Jung Eum), in an attempt to end his evil plans. 'The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection' Episode 3 Rating: Sequel Meets Slight Viewership Boost After having a successful week during its premiere, the SBS K-drama continues to impress viewers with unexpected twists. In a report by Nielsen Korea, "The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection" Episode 3 recorded an average nationwide rating of 3.8 percent. It is a minimal boost from its previous episode of 3.2 percent. Meanwhile, viewers get to watch the latest episode on SBS, while a global audience can stream it via Viki and Kocowa every Friday and Saturday. 'The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection' Episode 3: Is Noh Ha Na Matthew Lee's Kryptonite? The third episode highlighted Geum Ra Hee and Min Do Hyuk's secret collaboration. With her mission to pay for her sins and witness Matthew Lee's downfall, he was secretly helping Min Do Hyuk rise against the vicious Tikitaka Chairman. The first scene showcased Matthew Lee's disappointment, expressing fury after knowing that Min Do Hyuk was still alive and was posing as Sim Jun Seok. Min Do Hyuk warned Matthew Lee that this would be the start of destruction and payback for his sins against his family. After seeing that Do Hyuk was still alive, he immediately called Geum Ra Hee to look into this. As for her, she raised speculation that one of them might be the traitor who was helping Do Hyuk. Han Mo Ne was accused of being a Do Hyuk spy after Ra Hee and Matthew Lee saw a loophole between her and Michelle, who was also working with Do Hyuk's side. On the other hand, Min Do Hyuk was slowly clearing his name in the public and painting Matthew Lee as evil. He managed to get the sympathy of the public after he exposed the incident that happened to his family. With this, Matthew Lee was having a hard time working on his plan, especially now that the Seoul Mayor had left his side. One of the highlights in "The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection" Episode 3 was the identity of No Han Na. Since Han Mo Ne and her mother, Yoon Ji Sook, have agreed that they would hide Han Na's identity, Yoon Ji Sook was caught up in a tricky situation after she failed to give the child's identity to the hospital. It was after the kid was rushed to the hospital due to an accident. However, the hospital staff speculated that the child was kidnapped, but Han Mo Ne vouched regarding the child's identity. Unfortunately for her, this was heard by Geum Ra Hee, who immediately notified Matthew Lee about it. He asked his men to get Noh Ha Na, but was saved by Min Do Hyuk. Min Do Hyuk and Kang Ki Tak's plan was to expose Han Na's identity to protect him from Matthew Lee. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores Go Yoon Jung is reportedly the newest endorser of South Korea's NH Bank, replacing Han So Hee. Is It True? Go Yoon Jung Replaces Han So Hee as NH Bank Endorser? The news came after the "My Name" star got involved in a dating controversy with now-ex Ryu Jun Yeol. At the height of the issue, reports said that the bank ended its contract with Han So Hee after 3 years. According to a news outlet, NH Bank will introduce its new model this April. They tapped the actress for showing her "bright and sophisticated image" as she emerged as a blue chip in the advertising industry. Following the news, NH Bank will release print advertisements featuring Go Yoon Jung for their promotions across different platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TV, and more. Other than Go Yoon Jung, the bank previously worked with several stars like Kang Ha Neul and Han So Hee as their models. After the contract with the "Nevertheless" star expired, they have been actively looking for a celebrity who could represent the brand. To recall, Han So Hee has worked with NH Bank since 2021; however, following the controversy, there has been a mutual decision not to renew their contract. The issue highlights the actress' relationship with fellow actor Ryu Jun Yeol. Unfortunately, the dating rumors became messy after Ryu Jun Yeol's former girlfriend, Hyeri, got involved. In addition, the SNS incident added fuel to the fire, causing speculations regarding an alleged love transit. Meanwhile, NH Bank's newest endorser, Go Yoon Jung, is best known for her roles in "Sweet Home" and "Law School," but had her breakthrough after headlining "Alchemy of Souls" as Naksu, and Disney+'s "Moving" as Ryu Seung Ryong's on-screen daughter. What's Next for Go Yoon Jung? The 27-year-old actress will be returning to the small screen with a new K-drama, "Resident Playbook," also known as "Wise Resident Life." A spin-off to the hit medical series "Hospital Playlist," Go Yoon Jung takes on the character of a gynecology trainee. Joining her are Jung Joon Won, Kang Yoo Seok, Shin Shi Ah, and Han Ye Ji. Interestingly, Go Yoon Jung and the cast have recently wrapped up production and are gearing up for its broadcast. Viewers will get to see the actress take on a challenging role as "Resident Playbook" is set to premiere in the first half of 2024. The upcoming K-drama will be released through tvN and will also be available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Flores With his ongoing popularity, "Queen of Tears" antagonist Park Sung Hoon became the talk of the town for his amazing performances, and now, his impressive family background. Known for his villain roles in smash hit series "The Glory" and "Queen of Tears," the breakout star knocks it out of the park with whatever character he's committed to. As he gained recognition from the public, all eyes were on Park Sung Hoon, making fans search for him almost everywhere. Keep on reading to learn more about the K-drama star! Park Sung Hoon Comes From Wealthy Family of Doctors & Lawyers From reels to real, Park Sung Hoon is like living in a K-drama after his family background is revealed. While Park Sung Hoon is breathing life into his most notable on-screen characters, he didn't have to depend on his acting chops alone. Feeding the fans' curiosity, it was revealed that the actor was actually from a rich family. Park Sung Hoon's famous roles in "The Glory" and "Queen of Tears" have something in common. Both Jeon Jae Jun and Yoon Eun Sung are men of power and money. But different from his characters, the actor has a warm personality and an impressive family background. According to reports, Park Sung Hoon is actually from a family of lawyers and doctors, which might explain why he naturally exudes a confident vibe. In tvN's show "Free Doctor" which aired in February 2023, the episode covered the privileged celebrities who were born with a silver spoon. Among the stars mentioned was Park Sung Hoon. One panelist from the show revealed, "Only a few know this, but Park Sung Hoon is actually from a very wealthy family, just like his role in 'The Glory.'" Another panelist chimed in and said that the actor's family members are highly educated. "His family is pretty well-off. Everyone in the family except for Park Sung Hoon either went to a medical or law school." Park Sung Hoon Owns Luxury Apartment in Seoul Since he is from a well-off family, it has been said that another proof of his affluential status is his luxury apartment in Geumho-dong, Seoul. According to a source, the male star purchased the place late in 2023 for approximately 1.4 million USD (1.9 billion krw). Apart from him, other known celebrities who own a place in the said location are Jung Kyung Ho, Namgoong Min, Park Bo Young, Yoo Seung Ho, and Ryu Jun Yeol. What can you say about the news? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Shai San Miguel wrote this. After winning the public favor during the dating fiasco with Ryu Jun Yeol and Han So Hee in the past weeks, Hyeri creates rounds in the Internet once again when she is speculated about profiting over real estate ventures. Read to know more. Hyeri Raises Concerns For Real Estate Speculations On April 8, concerns about Hyeri's real estate ventures made rounds around various online communities. According to the reports, the idol-actress purchased a 245.3 m2 building with land in Gangnam, Seoul at an estimated price of 4.3 billion KRW (approx. 3.1 million USD) in 2020. With newly built floors, the property is now priced to be more than 7.5 billion KRW (approx. 5.5 million USD), earning Hyeri a substantial profit of around 3 billion KRW (approx 2.2 million USD). However, the reports stated that the actress transferred the ownership by creating a collateral trust bond with Hana Asset Trust, suggesting that it didn't have any real estate mortgage. The news sparked discussions in various online communities, targeting Hyeri's decisions to evade mortgage and acquisition taxes. However, it was later revealed that it was a choice to increase loan limits and reduce additional costs. Thanks to the clarification, speculations that could lead to further confusion have been stopped right away from distorting the reality, and further creating a bigger controversy. In addition, many media outlets lauded Hyeri as a real estate entrepreneur as her multiple ventures, apart from her acting career, continue to soar to success. Here's Where To See More of Hyeri This 2024 This 2024, Hyeri is set to dominate the big screens with her upcoming films. Currently, the idol-actress is preparing for her most daring role yet. She transforms into a pole dancer in Thailand in the new film "Tropical Night" with Woo Do Hwan. Through the production, she's expected to showcase a different side of her as a mature actress. Moreover, she will also star in the drama film "Victory" as a cheerleader. Set in beautiful Seoul in the year 1999, the film follows the stories of cheerleaders as they go about their lives managing expectations in life while trying to win competitions. Both works are currently underway, however, they haven't announced their release dates yet. The films are expected to hit the silver screens in the second half of 2024 so stay tuned. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mariscotes. Monday, April 8, 2024 - The Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has announced plans to mediate talks between the doctors and the government to end the ongoing strike. Speaking during the COTU steward's meeting, Atwoli decried accusations levelled against him of keeping quiet on the ongoing doctors' strike. According to Atwoli, he had already initiated a plan with his colleague workers in COTU to help resolve the escalating stalemate. The Secretary-General announced he had already contacted the Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha concerning the planned talks. He further noted that he would similarly contact the leadership of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) to initiate the truce. However, the Secretary-General maintained that the organisation would only give its stand on the matter and the two rival parties would then decide on whether to bury the hatchet or not. We cannot make a decision for the government or doctors but we can narrow the gap on issues and get a Return-to-Work-Formula, Atwoli stated. "And this morning I came late because of the doctors' strike, and now people are saying Atwoli is not talking but we are consulting and I have been in touch with the minister this morning," he added. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, April 8, 2024 The suffering of Kenyan patients as a result of the ongoing doctors' strike is far from over. This is after Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Davji Atellah turned down President William Ruto's offer to hire interns and pay them a Ksh70,000 stipend. In a statement on Sunday shortly after the Head of State made the offer, Atellah revealed the doctors' stance, arguing that the money offered will be lower than in previous years. He further indicated that the medical doctors will not compromise their worth and will only gun for the amount agreed upon in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). "As Doctors, we refuse to be scapegoats for wage bill reduction. Our salaries, vital like any Kenyan's, are based on fair agreements," he stated. "Despite government pressure, doctors' salaries, anchored on CBA, are non-negotiable. We won't compromise on fair compensation for our hard work. "It's unjust to target us for wage bill control while state officers enjoy hefty paychecks. We stand united against exploitation." Earlier, the Head of State while speaking during a church service in Eldoret had asked the doctors to return to work and accept their payment terms. He further explained that the pay would cover the interns for a year before they were absorbed, indicating that the government did not have the resources to offer more money. Ruto had also indicated that the government was working to lower the wage bill, which accounted for over 45 per cent of the state's total annual revenue. The doctors went on strike four weeks ago and were joined by their peers from the Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union, alongside the Pharmaceutical Technologists and Nutritionists. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, April 7, 2024 Former CNN anchor, Don Lemon tied the knot with his longtime partner Tim Malone on Saturday, April 6. Lemon, 58, and the real estate broker, 40, exchanged vows during a ceremony at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in midtown Manhattan, New York in front of approximately 140 guests, according to People magazine. A number of those guests included celebrities like former Today show host Matt Lauer, View co-hosts Sunny Hostin, Joy Behar, and Ana Navarro, Alec Baldwin, Clive Davis, Real Housewives of New York City alum Luann de Lesseps and Tamron Hall. After saying I do, the grooms flashed huge smiles as they exited the church carrying their three dogs who were part of the event. See photos below Sunday, April 7, 2024 Police have arrested four suspects after a 33-year-old teacher, Palesa Mofokeng was shot and killed in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, South Africa on Friday, April 5, 2024. It was gathered that Palesa was driving to the school where she worked when assassins opened fire towards her car on the robots adjacent to Curro and North-West University, Vaal Campus. Palesa had multiple bullet wounds on her body and was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. Among those arrested is a medical doctor, who is reported to be the ex-husband of the deceased. In a statement on Saturday, Gauteng Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said on Friday, at approximately 08h00, police responded to a complaint of a shooting incident in Hendrik van Eck Boulevard in Vanderbijlpark. On their arrival at the scene, police found the woman who was in the drivers seat of a Nissan NP200 bakkie, with multiple bullet wounds on her body. She was certified dead on the scene, he said. "Preliminary investigation revealed that suspects, who were driving a Honda FRV motor vehicle, shot the woman while at the robots. Police immediately established a task team consisting of Sedibeng District Trio Task Team, Tactical Response Team, K9, Tracking team, and Provincial Crime Intelligence to trace and arrest the suspects, Through the intelligence-led investigation, information led the team to Kliprivier, Sebokeng, Sharpeville, and Vereeniging, where four suspects were arrested. Police also recovered the firearm and seized the vehicle used during the commission of crime, he added. Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni applauded the police from Sedibeng District and Provincial Crime Intelligence for working with speed and diligence to ensure that the suspects are traced and arrested. "I am pleased with the manner in which the team handled this investigation and the swift response in arresting the suspects. Gender-based violence remains one of the top priorities of the police in Gauteng. The suspects will be brought to book for the gruesome murder of a woman, said Mthombeni. All four suspects are expected to appear at Vanderbijlpark Magistrates Court on Monday, 08 April 2024, facing a charge of murder. Palesa was a much-loved teacher at Riverside High School Three Rivers East. She leaves behind her little daughter. Sunday, April 7, 2024 A man who murdered his wife before cutting her into more than 200 pieces had previously killed her pets in a horrifying manner. Nicholas Metson, 28, stabbed Holly Bramley, 26, at least 4 times in March 2023 before dismembering her body and storing her body parts in the kitchen larder of a flat they shared in Shuttlesworth, Lincoln, UK Joking with police officers he said she might be hiding under the bed when they came to investigate her disappearance, Lincoln Crown Court was told. Metson then offered his school friend Joshua Hancock 50 to help with a job, which, it transpired, involved dumping Ms Bramleys remains in the River Witham in Bassingham. Some of her body parts were found in the river on March 25 by a member of the public, who initially thought they belonged to an animal until he noticed a human hand. Police made the findings more than a week after she was last seen walking into her flat on March 17. According to the Daily Mail, Metson had a history of being cruel to animals and previously killed their pets in brutal ways in order to punish Ms Bramley. A source told the publication that Metson once put their new dog in a washing machine, leaving his wife to find the dead dog inside with the drum still spinning. He also allegedly killed her hamsters by putting them in a food blender and microwave. Ms Bramleys mother Annette described Metson as an evil monster and described her daughter as beautiful, kind and loving, She added: Her last moments being filled with pain will haunt us forever. Her life was taken by someone who quite clearly has no regard for human life. We were prevented from seeing Holly in the years leading up to her murder. We were prevented from seeing her before her death and due to his monstrous actions, he made sure we were prevented from seeing her after her death. The court heard the pair had only been married 16 months when Metson killed Ms Bramley and were on the verge of separating. Metson told officers his wife had left their home on March 19 with two members of a local mental health crisis team. Police noticed a strong smell of bleach and ammonia in the flat, noticed a saw on a towel, bloodstained sheets in their bathroom and a large bloodstain on their bedroom floor. Metson initially denied killing his wife but changed his plea to guilty on February 23. He had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by disposing of Ms Bramleys body. He now faces possible life imprisonment. The case continues Monday, April 8, 2024 - Controversial lawyer and barrister, Miguna Miguna, has called for an urgent probe after former Lugari Member of Parliament, Cyrus Jirongo, revealed that late former President Daniel Moi, allowed the dumping of nuclear waste in the country. Jirongo, who hosts the Savage Politics segment on the Alfa House YouTube channel, disclosed this during an interview with renowned scholar, Prof. P.L.O. Lumumba The former KANU stalwart revealed that Moi allowed the dumping of nuclear waste in the country. "I worked with Jim Choge, a lawyer for the late Nicholas Biwott. He came to my office and gave me documents detailing where toxic waste was being dumped in the country. "In my stupidity, I took those documents and confronted President Daniel Moi," Jirongo narrated. Following Jirongos damning revelations, Miguna has asked the government to investigate the claims and give Kenyans answers. Any genuinely independent, sovereign, and self-respecting country and people wouldnt ignore, conceal or distract from this. We unequivocally DEMAND answers and a comprehensive investigation. No Ifs or Buts, Miguna wrote on X. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, April 7, 2024 Mexico has announced it will be breaking diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police raided the Mexican embassy in Quito, Ecuador to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who had been seeking asylum there. Mexico decried the raid as an outrage against international law. Confirming the move in a statement to CNN, a foreign ministry spokesperson said all Mexican diplomatic staff would leave Ecuador immediately. Video from the scene showed armed police officers entering the embassy, a shocking move as Embassies are generally considered protected spaces under diplomatic laws. Glas was then transferred to a maximum-security prison in Guayaquil known as La Roca, the national prisons agency SNAI announced Saturday, April 6. A rift between Ecuador and Mexico, two Latin American countries, had been growing for several days, resulting in Mexicos decision to grant political asylum to Glas, who served as vice president under leftist ex-President Rafael Correa between 2013 and 2017. Convicted twice on corruption charges, Glas claims to be under political persecution and had been sheltering inside the embassy. He has been accused by Ecuadorian authorities of embezzling government funds meant to help rebuild the country after a devastating 2016 earthquake. On Friday, Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on his official X account, said he had been informed that police from Ecuador forcibly entered the Mexican embassy and took Glas who was a refugee and processing asylum because of the persecution and harassment he faces. A statement released by Ecuadors government on X also confirmed the arrest. Glas was sentenced to imprisonment by the Ecuadorian justice system, the statement from Ecuadors government read, and was arrested tonight and placed under the orders of the competent authorities. He had been granted diplomatic asylum contrary to the conventional legal framework, the government said. What you have just seen is an outrage against international law and the inviolability of the Mexican embassy in Ecuador, Roberto Canseco, head of chancellery and policy affairs of the Mexican embassy, told a reporter from CNNE, calling Glass arrest totally unacceptable. It is barbarism, Canseco added. It is impossible for them to violate the diplomatic premises as they have done. At a news conference Saturday, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld said the decision to raid the Mexican embassy to arrest Glas was made in the face of a real risk of imminent escape. Sommerfeld also accused Mexico of violating the principle of non-intervention by letting Glas stay in the embassy and evade an order to appear before authorities in a corruption probe. The Mexican embassy, by receiving Mr. Glas Espinel, contributed to the failure to comply with the obligation to appear weekly before the judicial authority, thus affecting the democratic institutions of Ecuador, clearly contravening the fundamental principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states, she said. Sommerfeld dismissed Mexicos claim that Glas was being politically prosecuted, saying, For Ecuador, no criminal can be considered a politically persecuted person when he has been convicted with an enforceable sentence and with an arrest warrant issued by the judicial authorities. Mexico plans to lodge a complaint with the International Court of Justice to denounce the Ecuadorian polices actions, the spokesperson for Mexicos foreign secretary added. Watch video below Monday, April 8, 2024 - United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Cleophas Malala has revealed that they are aware of Azimios planned mass protests as former Prime Minister Raila Odinga heads to the African Union. Speaking yesterday, Malala noted that the threat by the Azimio coalition to go to the streets was largely fuelled by a few leaders seeking political mileage. Malala stated that with Raila concentrating on clinching the African Union Commission chairperson position, his lieutenants were devising ways to fill the leadership vacuum. The SG dismissed reports that the opposition would be demonstrating due to the rising cost of living. We have seen President William Ruto doing diplomatic shuttle to make sure Kenyans go to work abroad including Raila, Malala explained how Kenya Kwanza was tackling the issue of cost of living. The issue of going back to the streets is a political strategy for them to start filling in the steps of Raila. Wishing his opponents all the best as they planned a wave of demos, Malala remarked that the majority of Kenyans would not join the protests. He explained that due to interventions like subsidized fertilizer, Kenyans would be busy on their farms and would not avail themselves for the picketing. Malala repeated sentiments made by the Executive that they had inherited a run-down economy from former President Uhuru Kenya. As such, when they came into power, the cost of basic goods and services was high making it easy for Kenyans to join the Opposition-organized protests. The former Kakamega senator remarked that now Kenyans were settled as the cost of living had considerably gone down. He added that while Azimio continued to plan for protests, Kenya Kwanza would continue working on delivering its manifesto as promised during the campaigns. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, April 8, 2024 - Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has called for the impeachment of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja over gross misconduct and financial mismanagement. This comes after the Auditor General painted a picture of fiscal irregularities within the county. In a statement, Babu highlighted several concerning findings from the auditor report for the year ending June 2023. These findings included glaring anomalies in asset acquisition, ghost workers, pending bills, suspicious bank accounts, and unaccounted payments amounting to billions of shillings. Governor Sakaja, in his State of the County address delivered just a day prior, painted a rosy picture of Nairobi's future, envisioning a city of order, dignity, hope, and opportunity. "We have lived up to that standard," Sakaja remarked, referring to an end to corruption and nepotism. However, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu's report tells a different story. It reveals over-expenditure, dubious payments, and suspect asset acquisition under the administration of Governor Sakaja. Irregular payments totalling Ksh17 million to 26 county workers, including basic pay, rental, house supplementation, and service gratuity, were flagged by the audit. Furthermore, the report highlighted a failure to recover PAYE from the salaries of 393 officers as required by law, along with instances where employees were earning net salaries less than a third of their basic pay, contrary to established human resource policies. Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, in her report, expressed dissatisfaction with the financial statements of the Nairobi County Executive, stating they did not accurately represent the financial position of the county as of June 30, 2023. The audit further revealed discrepancies in financial statements, inaccuracies in pending accounts and payables, and unsupported utilities, supplies, and services. Additionally, Governor Sakaja's failure to appear before the Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee to address the queries raised by the Auditor General has drawn criticism. Babu Owino has urged County Assembly members to take decisive action to safeguard public funds and ensure accountability in Nairobi County. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, April 8, 2024 Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha now faces imminent sacking, going by the demand of Deputy President Rigathi Gachaguas ally. Speaking during a graduation ceremony at the Kieni Technical Training Centre, area MP Njoroge Wainana asked President William Ruto to dismiss Nakhumicha, citing what he described as popular public opinion of her failing to properly discharge her mandate. Njoroge Wainana called upon Ruto to replace the CS with someone else better equipped for the job. When I listen to the Kenyan people they are stating that Nakhumicha is a Minister but not good for the Ministry of Health, we are however not challenging the appointing authority, stated Njoroge Wainana. Further, the MP requested the President to reassign Nakhumicha to another ministry, stating that she might be a better fit for another docket. He also justified his argument by stating that the Health CS may not be in a position to see the country through a health crisis like COVID-19 if it were to occur. For that reason, I am appealing to the appointing authority, to bring a serious person into the ministry, that is my take, emphasised Njuguna Wainana. The MP's political stance comes after Embakasi Member of Parliament, Babu Owino filed an impeachment motion on April 3 in Parliament seeking to oust the CS from her position. However, the motion is yet to be debated. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, April 8, 2024 - President William Ruto has broken his silence over the ongoing doctors strike that has paralyzed the public health sector in the country. Speaking during a church service at AIC Fellowship in Eldoret yesterday, Ruto told the striking doctors to take what the government is offering them or leave it. According to Ruto, the State is ready to pay intern doctors Ksh70,000 for one year as he calls for an end to the strike. The Head of State characterized the offer as a stipend the medical interns would be subjected to for a year before they were absorbed. "I know we have a situation in Kenya with our doctors and interns. I want to implore on them that it is important for us as a nation that we must live within our means," he stated. "We cannot continue to spend the money we do not have. I am telling the doctors that we mind them and we value the service that they give to our nation but we must live within our means." He noted that the government could only offer the money because it was the only resource it could amass to bring an end to the strike. "The resources we have are only sufficient to pay Ksh70,000 for intern doctors. It is not a salary, it is a stipend for one year and then they are employed," Ruto added. "All our doctors and doctor interns will be taken in. That is why we are going to spend the resources we have to make sure that all the 1,500 doctors are absorbed at once. As a nation, we must live within our means." This comes even as medical personnel allied to the Kenya Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) embarked on a strike demanding the State to honour earlier negotiations and deploy medical interns among other ultimatums. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, April 7, 2024 36-year-old UFC Champion, Jon Jones has denied threatening a drug tester. Sharing an insight into what happened, Jones said he was at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico last weekend when out of nowhere, a UFC-certified official showed up to test his blood while he was celebrating a birthday. In a police report filed by the alleged tester, Jones is accused of grabbing the official's phone and threatening to kill her but he says there's video to prove there was no bad blood. The UFC superstar said in a statement; "I want to address reports about me allegedly threatening a drug tester's life and taking a phone. I want to clarify that there is a video showing both drug testers leaving my home after the testing session, where we exchanged a high five and a hug. Although I was frustrated with the unprofessionalism and used profanity out of frustration it ended friendly and amicably, nothing threatening at all. "I was actually celebrating a friend's birthday party at my home, and I believe it's perfectly normal to celebrate in the comfort of my own home. "I must say, this particular tester behaved quite unprofessionally and even breached standard protocol along with HIPAA laws. Throughout my 20 years of being subjected to drug tests, I have never encountered such an incident with a DCO officer before." Monday, April 8, 2024 - Former president Uhuru Kenyatta has rejected an office he has been offered by President William Rutos Kenya Kwanza Alliance government. Ruto's government wants Uhuru to occupy the office block in Nairobis Nyari Estate that was assigned to the late former President Mwai Kibaki. But Uhuru through his aides said he wants to use his private residence as his office. The retired president wants to convert his private Caledonia residence, where the government will have to pay him rent for his own house. According to the law, a living retired president shall be given an office and permanent staff, who shall be public officers remunerated on the terms dictated by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), a retirement package, and insurance costs, among others. The government is uncomfortable allowing Uhuru to use his private residence, citing it as a misuse of public funds, yet the Gigiri office remains unoccupied. If the retired presidents wish goes through, it will mean that the government will pay him rent for his own property. The Kenyan DAILY POST MBABANE - I cannot recall what happened on that day and I am remorseful for my actions. This was said by the man who is accused of killing the mother of his child by stabbing her several times all over the body at Sitibeni in Mbabane. Saneliso Doctor Simelane made his first court appearance at the Mbabane Magistrates Court on Friday, where he made an hour-and-a-half-long confession before Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati. Simelane (33) of Madulini stands accused of the murder of Gabsile Mayaba, who was employed by OK Foods in Mbabane. During his confession, Simelane narrated to the court events leading to the killing of Mayaba. He claimed that the deceased was his girlfriend and she had not ended their relationship. Simelane said he was agitated by endless phone calls received by Mayaba, which were from her purported husband-to-be. He narrated that during the incident, he blacked out and did not remember how he eventually stabbed Mayaba several times. Murder Simelane is facing a murder charge in that he allegedly killed Mayaba by stabbing her several times in the neck, head and chest with an Okapi knife. The incident happened last Wednesday at Sitibeni in Mbabane. Mayaba was employed at OK Foods situated at The Bridge near Checkers in Mbabane. She was the mother of Simelanes child, who is eight years old. Mayaba (35) was certified dead upon arrival at Mbabane Government Hospital. Simelane was remanded in custody until this Friday. During his confession, which he said he was doing voluntarily, he promised to speak the truth. According to Simelane, on the fateful day, he received a call from Mayaba, who requested money for his daughters lunchbox. Simelane confessed that they agreed to meet after work, where he boarded a kombi from the Mbabane Bus Rank and met Mayaba by the OK Foods store. He stated that at the store, he met Mayaba and gave her E450 to buy the childs lunchbox items. Simelane narrated that Mayaba decided that she would no longer buy the items on the day in question but on the following day. According to Simelane, they boarded a kombi and alighted at the junction leading to Sitibeni. Confess He went on to confess that along the way to the junction, Mayabas cellphone allegedly rang non-stop. He confessed that he questioned Mayaba on why she was not picking up her phone, but she responded by saying, they were not in a relationship and she was not her husband. Simelane narrated to the court that Mayaba was allegedly his girlfriend and they were still in love. He explained that the cellphone continued to ring, which Mayaba eventually answered and alerted the caller that she was going home to drop off her lunchbox, and they would see each other thereafter. Simelane stated that after that call, he could not recall what happened as he blacked out and did not remember how he stabbed Mayaba. Furthermore, he confessed that he did not remember how many times he stabbed the mother of his child. He mentioned that he only learned about Mayabas purported marriage on Friday and further saw the husband-to-be. Simelane shared that he was pained by the fact that his child would see him as her mothers killer, something which he did not know how it happened. He revealed that he shared the incident events with one of his friends, who advised him against running away from the crime. Simelane confessed that his friend advised him to go to work and the police would find him there. Monday, April 8, 2024 - Githunguri Member of Parliament, Gathoni Wamuchomba, has called on the government to sort out the doctors' strike. Speaking on Spice FM on Monday, Wamuchomba said it is the poor Kenyans who have continued to bear the brunt of the strike. She noted that pregnant mothers who cannot afford services in private maternity facilities are delivering under tough conditions. Wamuchomba further raised concern that patients suffering from chronic ailments such as cancer have continued to suffer due to a lack of specialists to attend to them. "Does it mean those of us who cannot get to a nice maternity hospital or a privately operated maternity facility should continue getting our babies on floors of public hospitals," Wamuchomba paused. "Should we continue languishing in agony and pain just because there is no money to pay doctors?" Wamuchomba further noted that the government was giving more weight to affordable housing at the expense of other matters of public concern including the doctors' strike. "What is our priority, is it affordable housing or is it our medication? Is it our dying cancer patients or is it affordable housing? Our priorities are wrong and we must go back to the drawing board," she said. On Sunday, President Ruto said that doctors need to understand that the country cannot afford to increase the salaries of its workers. President Ruto stressed that the county must manage its available resources instead of resorting to borrowing to pay wages. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, April 8, 2024 - National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula, has warned Trans Nzoia County Governor George Natembeya for constantly attacking him. Speaking on Sunday at a funds drive at Bulimbo Catholic Church, Kakamega county, Wetangula said Natembeya's attacks on him are damaging the credentials of the Luhya community. Wetangula said the national respect given to him and Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, is damaged when Natembeya attacks them. As a region, we want to be somewhere come 2027 but it will be impossible to even convince other communities to support us if we continue fighting among each other. We want a community to speak in one voice, he said. Despite the widening rift between him and Natembeya stemming from the burial incident, the Ford-Kenya leader emphasised that politicians who engage in physical altercations will face judgment from the electorate. He urged political leaders to redirect their efforts towards serving Kenyans. Natembeya has in recent days attacked Wetangula and Mudavadi, accusing them of being behind the problems facing the Luhya community. The Kenyan DAILY POST In the English Rule, the losing party in a lawsuit pays all legal costs. It is accepted worldwide; however, in the United States, it was replaced by the American Rule. In the American Rule, both the plaintiff and defendant in a lawsuit pay their own legal costs. Of course, there are exceptions. In theory, the American Rule encourages meritorious lawsuits and discourages frivolous and even malicious ones. It is noteworthy that, before the contingency fee, with the American Rule, there were far fewer medical malpractice claims. Medical malpractice plaintiff attorneys effectively junked the American Rule in favor of the contingency fee, in which 30% to 40% of any judgment is theirs if they win and, if they lose, they get nothing. Their rationale is that the American Rule stifles claims when a party, legitimately injured by a doctor, cannot afford the cost of litigation. Plaintiff attorneys are not so altruistic. They choose to represent cases with minimum merit but maximum value for damages. They would reject cases with maximum merit if there are minimum damages. Hence, rather than discouraging frivolous lawsuits, as was the case with the American Rule, these lawyers encourage them. Their mantra is, You dont pay if we dont win. What is left unsaid in this mantra is depending on the value of the case and if we represent you. Because of the contingency fee and the rejection of the American Rule, medical malpractice lawsuits skyrocketed. Formerly, there were less than 1,000 medical malpractice claims per year; now, there are 86,000. Formerly, there were a handful of malpractice carriers; now, there are over 50 plus many more self-insurance plans. Formerly, malpractice premiums were affordable; now, they are so draconian that doctors are willing to sacrifice their patients and their very autonomy in return for coverage. Defense attorneys in medical malpractice litigation are not so innocent, either. They are hired by the malpractice carrier and are paid by the hour, regardless of the merits of a claim. Not only do defense attorneys have an innate conflict of interest between the carrier and the doctor, both of whom are clients, but they make a tremendous amount of money. These cases, traditionally, linger on for years and have lots of billable hours. This also favors malpractice carriers. Over time, carriers charge more premiums and increase their tax-exempt reserves. Damages, whether legitimate or not, increase. Legal transaction costs increase. Premiums increase. More doctors become medical experts or hired guns for medical malpractice attorneys. Malpractice carriers regard doctors as the goose that lays the golden egg because premiums are always paid. What emerges from this chaos is an entire medical liability litigation cartel, which earns in excess of $30 billion per year. All this and more because plaintiff attorneys rejected the American Rule. Most negatively impacted are patients who legitimately are injured by a medical error. They are typically older. Damages are limited by life expectancy, which probably, is shortened by the injury. It does not take much to make such a person, who was independent before being a victim of a medical error, an infirm invalid after a medical error. Yet, this victim cannot find a lawyer, even though the cause of the injury is a bona fide medical error. Damages are simply not worth a plaintiff attorneys time or effort to represent. All this and more because of the contingency fee. The most lucrative claim for a medical malpractice plaintiff attorney would be a neurologic condition in a newborn, even if such a condition is a random spontaneous error of nature, which would have happened in any event. Plaintiff attorneys salivate over this kind of client because the damages are massive. Such was the case in Byrom vs Bayview Hospital, which resulted in a $229 million verdict that was later reversed for lack of merit. These cases take years to resolve when, in fact, they can be remedied in a single investigation. I know this because I developed the methodology for such an investigation, which is discussed in earlier posts and available for anyone interested. Employing this methodology in medical malpractice litigation will not change standard legal practices, but it will improve them by making them more efficient and effective. Among other things, it makes defendants, plaintiffs, and their lawyers immediately aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their cases and enables the expeditious settlement of a meritorious claim and the prompt dismissal of a frivolous one. This will take weeks, not years. It reduces legal transaction costs, total costs of claims and premiums, which together account for $443 billion or 2.15% of the GDP. It reduces the cost of health care itself today by $4.5 trillion. It restores ethical principles in the legal and medical professions and makes the American health care system the undisputed envy of the world. Finally, it restores the American Rule, but in a new rendition. Both sides will pay their own legal costs. As always, medical malpractice insurance protects doctors as defendants, but there would be a counterpart insurance that protects lawyers as advocates. Defense legal costs will be paid by malpractice insurance. Doctors, as defendants, will continue to pay these premiums. However, plaintiff legal costs will be paid by plaintiff litigation insurance or trial insurance, purchased on a case-by-case basis by plaintiff attorneys. The plaintiff attorneys client will pay these premiums. This replaces the contingency fee. This approach is not so novel. It is already a pilot project in Canada, which has only a fraction of medical malpractices compared to the United States. Frankly, I am surprised that this is a Canadian initiative and not one of the United States. It is time to end the tyranny of plaintiff malpractice attorneys and not buy into their mantra of you dont pay if we dont win. Because of them, everyone pays. What happens next is up to us. Howard Smith is an obstetrics-gynecology physician. In February 2024, the resident physicians in South Korea resigned in waves. This was not a strike; striking seemed meaningless, and the residents went right on quitting. This occurred after the Korean government promulgated health care reform plans to tackle major problems brewing under the nations universal health insurance system. One of the plansto increase the medical school quota across the nation by 66 percent (2,000 more medical students a year) immediatelyparticularly drove the young physicians into hopelessness. We would like to examine factors that may have contributed to these young doctors losing hope about their training and their future bound to the nations singular insurance company. Young physicians gave up hope for the resolution of the perpetuating problems in the health care system after hearing the governments plans. The lifesaving (called essential or [pil-soo] in Korea) medical fieldssuch as cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery (brain), pediatrics, pediatric surgery, and obstetricshave been long fighting for their existence in Korea for two major reasons. First, the reimbursable costs for most medical procedures were set and strictly regulated by the government; the costs were set on average at 80 to 90 percent of their prime cost. The inevitable monetary loss inflicted on the hospitals from these low price tags had to be compensated by adding more non-regulated medical procedures or unnecessary non-medical services. The result was that the Korean tertiary hospitals could not hire enough attending physicians in these essential fields, which barely had room to compensate for their big revenue loss. Second, there have been an increasing number of reports on medical accidents resulting in criminal prosecutions, risking the medical license. Young doctors grew unwilling to pursue these fields; their calling was outweighed by the mounting risks. Instead of addressing these two issues, the Korean government decided to pour more physicians into the broken pipeline, hoping somebody would eventually trickle down to the now underserved fields. Furthermore, the lack of scientific evidence in the new reform plan made young physicians hopeless. The new medical school quota was not based on the pooled results from the three projective analyses of future physician supply in Korea. Even the lead researchers rebutted the way the government extrapolated and distorted their analytic results. The government refused to explain how the figureexactly 2,000, not less or morewas concocted. Rather, the government insisted that the number of physicians per capita (2.6 per 1,000) was smaller than the average (3.7 per 1,000) among the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries with highly varied health care systems. The governments non-budging stance on the number of new quotas further fueled frustration among the trainees. The trainees daily pursuit for excellence in evidence-based care was disparaged by the evidence-less policy. Even more, the abrupt expansion of the medical school quotathus more residentsmeant a worsening of the training quality for the residents. Korean residents work up to 80 hours a week and up to 36 hours a shift with minimal supervision. For the teaching hospitals in Korea to generate revenue at the low medical fee, they had to rely heavily on the residents workforce. Now, the resident physicians constitute approximately 35 to 45 percent of physicians in Koreas five biggest teaching hospitals; while this figure hovers around 10 percent for the leading U.S. teaching institutions. Under this structure, attendings and residents could hardly spend time together for teaching and learning to occur. Their roles are stretched so thin to cover as many patient encounters as possible. Their scanty time together is generally filled with a military-style top-down mode of communication, depriving the residents of the opportunities for in-depth discussion and direct (or indirect) supervision. It was only when we stepped into the U.S. training hospitals that we, the authors, realized that the training could be different. In Korea, the residents scutwork comprises a constellation of jobs undone by other professions in the hospital. We, as a resident, performed electrocardiograms, inserted nasogastric tubes, dressed the wounds, did enemas, and scheduled the transfers, surgeries, and imaging studies. We had no protected time for didactic series but rather had to prepare for scholarly presentations after work to educate each other. At times, we took care of 20 or more inpatients without being teamed up with a senior resident. But nobody could complain since we knew that the attendings were seeing more than 100 patients a day in their clinic downstairs. The field of psychiatry was no exception: Psychiatry residents graduated without being able to observe a full 60-minute psychiatric assessment done by anybody at their teaching hospital. Korean residents were often forced by the department leadership to corroborate with the false curriculum and fabricate documents to check off the training requirements set by the ACGME-like governing bodies in Korea. Korean President Yoon is chanting a hollow reassurance that the training quality will stay the same even with 60 percent more trainees. This may be true; there is barely room to go down from here. Last but most importantly, trainees grew hopeless by the fact that their constitutionally reserved rights for freedom could be taken away at any moment for the collective good of the people. Anticipating a medical crisis amidst the trainees absence, the Korean government ordered the teaching hospitals not to approve the residents resignation. Another executive order followed, forcing the residents to return to their hospitals by the end of Februaryor face medical license suspension for three months or longer. Furthermore, the government pressured young physicians to be held accountable for medical accidents attributable to their vacancies. Despite the governments threats, as of March 9, 2024, a total of 11,985 (92.9 percent) residents were still not at work. The World Medical Association released a statement that in civilian life, doctors, like any other professionals, have the autonomy to select their roles. If working conditions become untenable, they reserve the right to advocate for improvements or choose alternative employment. The Korean media were in full throttle to depict the resigned residents as greedy betrayers for relinquishing patient care duties merely for better compensation. The viewers responses visible under online news articles were filled with responses approving the governments swift, unwavering stance toward the resigned residents. The residents suddenly came to realize that they would be forced to work by the government that does not address trainees dire working/learning conditions and that brought a wrong remedy to clearly elucidate problems in the health care system. Hopelessness has trickled down from residents to the medical students, who refused to show up in their classrooms for the new academic year. What keeps resident physicians from carrying on with their under-appreciated, tenuous work is the feeling of hope. They should be able to project themselves into the future and reassure that they will be working under a reasonable reimbursement system, have the right to quit if the job is unsustainable, be protected from criminal prosecution for medical accidents, and be educated under a sufficient degree of supervision. If a health care reform suddenly makes most young providers future opaque, policymakers should listen to their concerns. If a health care policy reduces the role of resident physicians into a cost-saving cogwheel, they will walk away. What other options do the young physicians have in this toxic environment? We hope the Korean government shows a willingness to come up with new reform plans that all partiesthe national insurance entity, providers (trainees and attendings), patients, and healthy citizenscan somewhat agree upon. The Korean government must embrace physiciansparticularly the traineesas inevitable partners: providers who could tangibly translate the policy into better health outcomes for its people. Joo-Young Lee is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Jinwook Park is a nephrologist. MBABANE - The Botswana President, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, has criticised Eswatini over the presence of their ex-president, Ian Khama in Eswatini, but the local government has received no formal complaint about this. Neither is there a request for extradition for Khama, who has a warrant of arrest issued against him by a Botswana court for failing to appear to answer on charges of allegedly being in possession of illegal firearms. Khama has denied these charges and deemed them as fabricated, because he is seen as a threat in the 2024 elections. Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo has said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation would have received correspondence on the subject matter. Concerns This comes after Masisi addressed the ongoing 2024 Heads of Missions Conference for Botswana Envoys last Thursday in Gaborone, where he raised concerns about matters related to Khamas administration and his alleged reluctance to return to Botswana to respond to them. The conference is held under the theme Advancing Botswana Towards a High Income, Inclusive and Knowledge-based Economy Through Strategic Global Engagements. As part of the first phase, the envoys met with the president to discuss issues of strategic and national interests. Broadcast The session, where Masisi spent over 40 minutes speaking on a variety of national issues, was broadcast live by Btv on social media platforms including Facebook. It was when he had engaged broadly on the agreement between Botswana and South African diamond giant De Beers that he then mentioned how disappointed he was with both the Kingdom of Eswatini and neighbouring South Africa. On the part of Eswatini specifically, the Botswana president said Khamas other home was in the kingdom, which he referred to as an absolute monarchy. In response to this, Nxumalo said the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that there was no correspondence referred to a demarche within the diplomatic circles and language, which has been received by the Kingdom of Eswatini concerning this subject matter. Therefore, it suffices to say that the Government of Eswatini has nothing in hand as a basis on which to respond to, in this matter. Elaborating, Nxumalo said when a head of State responded to another, it was done through diplomatic channels (Foreign Affairs), not through spokespersons, as it was widely reported by some entities nowadays. When the King responds to President Masisi, it will be done through the framework of the mutual diplomatic relations between the two countries, which is managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Anything in between remains just good intentions and sentiments, Nxumalo said. Meanwhile, Nxumalo had earlier advised that if there was any misunderstanding with the Republic of Botswana, it can be sorted without friction. He added that it would be rather difficult to respond to the sentiments by the Botswana president adequately, without knowing exactly the context in full. Government will familiarise itself first with the perspective of the president in respect to his pronounced position and if need be, appropriate communication through the normal diplomatic channels will be made, said Nxumalo. He added: One must hasten to point out that the Republic of Botswana has good, warm and cordial diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Eswatini. Any misunderstanding (real or perceived), should be handled without any friction whatsoever. The latest developments have raised eyebrows, especially since Botswana and Eswatini are known to enjoy excellent bilateral relations which date back to the establishment of the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (BOLESWA). Commended Ever since he became President, Masisi has on numerous occasions commended Eswatini for maintaining the cordial bilateral relations with Botswana, which he said were epitomised by the commitment to contribute towards the advancement of regional and continental development agenda. He said Botswana appreciated the diplomatic relations shared with the kingdom from time immemorial, which he described as built on shared bonds, cooperation and devoted membership in international organisations such as the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as a shared commitment to democracy, respect for human rights, peace and security. President Masisi has also visited the Kingdom of Eswatini before. He did so in April 2021, whereby he came for a one-day work visit, where he met Their Majesties. During the meeting with His Majesty the King, the two heads of State discussed a wide range of issues, from exchange of human capital, collaboration in the areas of education, health as well as other possible areas of trade and cooperation between the two countries. The president also used the opportunity to present Botswanas candidate for the SADC Executive Secretary position, Elias Mpedi Magosi, whom he described as the right candidate for the position. He said Magosi was an embodiment of all the good that Botswana is known for, such as good governance, prudent management of resources, respect for the rule of law and development driven. The president also briefed His Majesty about the political developments in Mozambique, as at that time he was the chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. The two leaders agreed on the urgency for Mozambique to be assisted and ensure the insurgency did not destabilise the people of that country. The two leaders also agreed that the terrorists had to be repelled before their actions spilled into the whole region. The King also commended Masisi for his commitment to nurturing Botswanas relations with other countries, a noble impressiveness he said he is following with great admiration. Exports According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an international trade data visualisation site, Botswana exports goods worth millions to Eswatini. Meanwhile, Eswatinis exports to Botswana are believed to be worth over E500 million, with the main products being scented mixtures, raw sugar, as well as industrial fatty acids, oils and alcohols. Meanwhile, Khama, the son of Botswanas first President Sir Seretse Khama, was the fourth president of the southern African country. After serving as commander of the Botswana Defence Force, Khama was vice president from 1998 to 2008 and then became president when Festus Mogae retired. Khama was reelected in the 2009 elections and won reelection again in 2014, leaving office after completing two five-year terms. He quit the ruling Botswana Democratic Party in 2019 and is now a patron of the splinter Botswana Patriotic Front. He has, in recent times, become a familiar face at national events in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Just last Friday, he joined the many dignitaries who graced the Army Day held at Nokwane, where he sat next to another former President, Jacob Zuma, of South Africa. The two former presidents were gifted two cows each by the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF). Khama was also part of the dignitaries who attended the Buganu Ceremony at Hlane Royal Residence. It should be noted that Botswana is expected to hold its general elections towards the end of the year and Masisi, according to Botswana media, has said that he is prepared to be re-elected. Establish Khamas status first, then respond - PQ MBABANE - Retired University of Eswatini Political Science lecturer Dr Qambukusa PQ Magagula says there is a need for clarity on the status of former Botswana President Ian Khamas visit to the country. Magagula said people needed to know if Khama was in the country as a refugee or something else. He said there was also a need to establish why he left South Africa and came to Eswatini. According to Voice of America (VOA) News, Khama fled to South Africa after a warrant of arrest was issued against him, where he is allegedly facing 14 charges ranging from unlawful possession of firearms to money laundering. VOA News reported that Khama was formally charged in absentia in April 2022, but had not made a single court appearance. Persecuted Magagula said in international law, any country had a right to accept a person who they believed was being politically persecuted in their home country. He said there was a need to establish his status in the country before commenting on the allegations he was facing in his home country. According to Magagula, people deserve to know if the former head of State is in the country as an asylum seeker or has been given any other status. He explained that such scenarios needed to be investigated and answers obtained, as to why he moved from South Africa to Eswatini. For me, I need to know if he is an asylum seeker or not. The last time I checked, one doesnt need a permit to stay in a SACU/Commonwealth country for a certain number of days. In this case, one should know if Khama has stayed beyond the said days and what his status is in the country. When he was in South Africa, we should know what his status was, Magagula said. Status Adding, the political analyst stated that once they were able to establish Khamas status, they would then be able to comment on the accusations levelled against him by the Government of Botswana. Political talks can be misleading sometimes. What Botswana is saying will be followed up after we know Khamas status in the country, he said. Magagula went on to state that countries would always talk. He mentioned that political relations were not established on who says what but established on what was happening on the ground. Furthermore, Magagula emphasised on the need to establish the truth about Khama before one could speculate. In the same vein, he said if the allegations that Khama was politically persecuted, there should be an independent arbiter, who would determine Khamas case. Magagula said the arbiter would get all the truths from both parties and adjudicate the matter fairly. Whatever the case may be, any person who finds themselves in such situations needs to be provided an independent arbiter who will adjudicate the matter, he said. The North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) has today announced the appointment of two new Directors to the board of Tourism Ireland: Karen Sugrue Hennessy as Director and Vice Chairperson and Paul Gallagher as Director. Each will serve a five-year term. On behalf of the board of Tourism Ireland, I warmly welcome our two new board members, Karen Sugrue Hennessy and Paul Gallagher," said Tourism Irelands Chairman Christopher Brooke. "They bring a wealth of experience and expertise and I look forward to working with them as Tourism Ireland continues to increase the value of overseas tourism to the island of Ireland, sustainably supporting economies, communicates and the environment by inspiring visitors and strengthening strategic partnerships. I wish them well in their roles. Karen Sugrue Hennessy, originally from Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny is the former CEO of the Design & Craft Council of Ireland. For the past four years she has been CEO of agri-tech company Real Leaf Farm, which is leading the development of sustainable hydroponic farming in Ireland and the UK. She has a track record of over 25 years of leading organisations and delivering game-changing transformation in both the private and public sector across food, design, sustainable agritech and finance. She has a strong commitment to sustainability and ESG and is dedicated to driving growth and value for businesses. Karen also has experience in scaling food businesses, having spent nine years in Glanbia plc where she was responsible for acquiring Glanbias first nutritional businesses. Karen is a board member of the Port of Waterford (POW) and is Chair of the POW Green Committee and Audit Risk Committee. Previous directorships include Chair of Showcase Ireland Events Limited, Vice-President of the Bureau of European Design Associations and Board Member of Kilkenny Carlow Education Training Board. A qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Director, Karen holds an MBA from UCD Smurfit School and recently completed the Business Sustainability Management programme at the University of Cambridge. The company which has been awarded the contract to operate search and rescue operations for the Irish Coast Guard has announced the appointment of its new director. Bristow Ireland Limited has confirmed that Philip Bartlett will take up the role as Director, Irish Search and Rescue with immediate effect. With over 33 years experience in Irish and U.K. aviation, he brings a thorough understanding of the Irish aviation industry to the new role which will have overall responsibility for leading the Bristow Ireland team as they carry out life-saving missions across the country. Last August, Bristow Ireland signed a contract with the Department of Transport for the provision of rotary and fixed-wing aviation services for the Irish Coast Guard and in early February it received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). The search and rescue service is currently operated by another company - CHC Ireland - and its contract remains in place until July 2025. Most recently, Philip Bartlett was the Chief Technical Officer for Shannon Technical Services, a global technical services provider for aircraft owners, lessors, and airlines which is based in Clare. As part of the senior leadership team, he established the Continuous Airworthiness Management Organisation department for a wide range of regional, commercial, and corporate aircraft, including several helicopter types. Prior to that, he was a Technical Operations Manager for Nordic Aviation Capital, where he gained a perspective on the regional aircraft leasing business, including managing aircraft deliveries and returns, to and from various international airlines. Commenting on his appointment, Philip Bartlett said: I look forward to joining the experienced and skilled Bristow Ireland team as we transition to this new contract and establish the next generation of search and rescue operations on behalf of the Irish Coast Guard. Neil Ebberson, Bristow director of government services, added: Philip brings significant experience of Irish aviation to Bristow. His appointment follows the recent award of the Air Operator Certificate, which is a fundamental requirement for delivering search and rescue operations in Ireland. We are delighted to welcome Philip to the team and look forward to his leadership of the transition to the new contract getting underway this autumn. The new SAR contract will see Bristow Ireland operate six SAR-configured AW189 helicopters from dedicated bases in Shannon, Co Clare; Sligo; Waterford, and Weston in Dublin. In an expansion to the current service, the new contract will also include a day and night fixed-wing service operating out of Shannon. Northern Irelands First Minister has insisted it is business as usual at Stormont despite the leadership upheaval within the DUP. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill was commenting after joining ministerial colleagues at a meeting with counterparts from the Irish government in Armagh. The first meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in almost three years was the first substantive engagement for Stormont ministers following the Easter recess a period in which Sir Jeffrey Donaldson quit as DUP leader after being charged with historical sexual offences, including a count of rape. Outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, whose attendance at the meeting came on his last day in office as Irish premier, also expressed confidence that the institutions would withstand the recent political turmoil. Sir Jeffreys exit from the political front line sent shockwaves through the political establishment in Northern Ireland, less than two months after devolution was restored following a two-year stalemate over post-Brexit trading arrangements. It is understood that in a letter to party officers informing them of his resignation he made clear he would be strenuously contesting all charges against him. East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has replaced him as DUP interim leader. Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey was pivotal to the deal that resurrected powersharing, and his sudden departure, and the manner of it, created the first major challenge for the recently formed four-party coalition. Since the resignation on Good Friday, Ms ONeill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly have been keen to offer assurances over the continued stability of the powersharing institutions. The joint leaders struck the same tone in Armagh on Monday as they faced reporters following the NSMC meeting. Ms ONeill said it was business as usual as far as the Executive is concerned. Were here today as joint heads of government to be part of the North South Ministerial Council meeting, and what the public deserve and want is leadership, and were prepared to provide that leadership, she added. Weve spoken to all Executive colleagues, everybody was here today to play their part in terms of their own ministerial responsibility. Were leaving here very quickly to get back into the Assembly because weve much business to do. Thats where we need to be focused and thats certainly where Im focused. I think the public rightly want leadership at times of crisis, and Im determined, and I believe Emma is also to provide that leadership. Ms Little Pengelly said she was determined to provide stability to ensure the Executive could continue in a positive tone. We have an important number of weeks coming up where well be discussing the draft programme for government and the budget. Those are two key documents in terms of the agenda for government, she said. The people of Northern Ireland demand that stability, they demand that delivery, I am very conscious of that and that is what Ill be focusing on. Mr Varadkar expressed confidence that the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland would prove sustainable. Events happen in politics, whether its changes in leadership, therell be elections for the House of Commons, therell be elections for the Dail all within the next year, and whats really important is that institutions should be able to function through them and withstand any disruption that may occur, he said. And thats happened in the past, and Im sure it can in the future. And I know from my experience, having served in government for quite some time and having observed the institutions functioning and not functioning, what we know is that whenever they fall, they tend not to be re-established for many years. And I think we should always bear that in mind and make sure that we dont see another break happen. Irelands deputy premier, Tanaiste Micheal Martin, also stressed the need for ongoing stability at Stormont. I think stability and certainty are essential for economic development, for foreign direct investment and for cohesion within society, he said after the NSMC meeting. And we witnessed this morning, I thought, a very keen engagement and very keen commitment from the members of the Executive and indeed from our own cabinet to the agenda that was ahead of us on a north-south basis, so I think there was a resilience there. And I think that continuity, that certainty, that stability, I think its important for the people of Northern Ireland. Mr Varadkars successor as Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, was also at Monday mornings council meeting in one of his final jobs as Irelands higher education minister before his expected election as taoiseach in the Dail on Tuesday. The council is the primary north-south political body established under the Good Friday Agreement. It was unable to function during the two-year political impasse at Stormont, but the restoration of devolution earlier this year enabled its reactivation. The last meeting was a virtual one held during the Covid pandemic in July 2021. The last in-person meeting of the council was in July 2020. Discussions on Monday focused on trade and business issues and investment in areas of mutual interest, including major infrastructure projects such as the upgrade of the A5 transport corridor, the redevelopment of Casement Park stadium in Belfast, the construction of the cross-border Narrow Water Bridge and the restoration of the Ulster Canal network. A talk on the life and work of Charles Darwin will take place at 11am on Tuesday (April 16) at a Probus meeting in the Clubhouse Hotel Ballroom in Kilkenny. All interested non-members are welcome and advised to to come early. There is no charge. The talk will be led by Dr Peter Boyle, a Fellow Emeritus of TCD who was brought up in County Sligo in the house in which the famous Cambridge mathematician, Sir Gabriel Stokes (of Stokes Law fame) was born. He was educated at The Kings Hospital School in Dublin and then in Trinity College where he was elected a Scholar and then took a moderatorship in chemistry followed by a Ph.D. He joined the academic staff of Trinity and was elected a Fellow of the college in 1972. For several years he served as Senior Dean of the college. He remained working in Trinity until his retirement with periods abroad working in the USA and Germany. In 2015 he published a new book on the Provosts of Trinity College. When Charles Darwin left school at the age of sixteen in 1825 he remarked about himself: I was considered by all my masters and by my father as a very ordinary boy, rather below common standard of intellect. When he died in 1882, his name was a household word. Today, Darwin is arguably the most written about and most widely discussed scientist of all time. It could be said that no other scientist in history was to cause such a dramatic change in how ordinary people perceived themselves and their place in the world. This talk will review the life, times and career of this extraordinary man. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE AUT have published their 5th annual trust in news report and the results are devastating. Rather than blame their woes on Google and Meta, every media organisation in NZ should be critically self-reflective on how they have contributed to this distrust, and what they could do differently to improve things. Some key data: NZers who trust the news has fallen from 53% in 2020 to 33% in 2024 The drop just in the last 12 months was 9% This is not due to international trends. In 2020 NZ was 11% above the global average of 42% and in 2024 NZ was 7% below the global average of 40%. This is about NZ media. Trust in news is significantly lower than Australia and Canada NZ has the highest proportion (75%) of people who actively avoid the news or selected media The only news brand with a (just) positive score is ODT on 5/10 Radio NZ has gone from 7.0 to 4.9 TVNZ from 6.8 to 4.8 NZ Herald from 6.3 to 4.7 Stuff from 6.1 to 4.6 87% of those who distrust news think the news is biased and not balanced 82% think news too much reflects the political leanings of newsrooms 59% think Government support for the media means you cant trust media to hold Govt to account In any normal industry this would be seen as a crisis. When so many think you are biased and not balanced, your number one priority should be how to fix it, rather than deny it. Amusingly one journalist in a fit of irony tweeted that the 20% drop was all due to the Atlas Network. You couldnt be funnier if you tried. Heres some things media could to restore trust: Welcome diversity of political views amongst staff (and by that I dont just mean diversity between hard left and centre left) so centre-right people would feel welcome in your organisation Abolish corporate policies that forbid people to have conservative views on issues such as whether men can get pregnant Dont have topics where you dont allow debate such as on the Treaty, trans issues, preferred climate change response etc Ensure you have some journalists who dont automatically think equality of outcome is desirable, as opposed to equality of opportunity Have more journalists who understand economics Have more journalists who will as aggressively interview Te Pati Maori and Green MPs as they do ACT and NZ First MPs Or you can ignore all off the above and conclude the public, like me, are the ones who are wrong and there is no need to change anything you just need more money from taxpayers or social media companies. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Iraq has reportedly launched the local production of what seems to be the Chinese VN22, a 6x6 Armoured Personnel Carrier, Army Recognition reported. The VN22 showcased in the DIC video is equipped with a one-man weapon station, armed with a Norinco 12.7 mm LM5 three-barrel Gatling-type machine gun, Al Defaiya reported. The VN22 is a Chinese-made 6x6 armoured personnel carrier vehicle that was unveiled by the Chinese defence company NORINCO during the Zhuhai Air China in October 2021. In January 2024, it was announced that Cote dIvoire acquired an undisclosed number of Chinese-made VN-22B. According to another source, the vehicle is also in service with Senegal Police Forces. Strategic blueprint The Iraqi Defence Industries Commission is actively pursuing a strategic blueprint aimed at bolstering Iraqs defense capabilities. Among its key objectives, the establishment of a cutting-edge defence industrial base stands out. This initiative seeks to fulfil the comprehensive needs of Iraq's armed forces and security apparatus, encompassing a wide array of weapons, equipment, and ammunition. The Iraqi militarys equipment primarily comes from various international manufacturers, including the US, Russia, and Soviet Union-origin vehicles and weaponry. While there is significant diversity in the origins of Iraqs military hardware, the current publicly available information does not specifically list modern Chinese military equipment as part of their arsenal. Recent defence relations between China and Iraq have significantly deepened, primarily centered on economic cooperation, infrastructure development, and energy. These developments come amidst Iraqs broader attempts to rebuild and stabilise the country following years of conflict. China has been a key player in Iraqs reconstruction efforts, especially in the oil, agriculture, and housing sectors. In 2019, Chinese companies agreed to construct 8 million residences across almost all provinces in Iraq, showcasing the scale of China's involvement in the countrys infrastructure development. This agreement was part of a broader initiative during the visit of the then-Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi to Beijing, highlighting a quantum leap in bilateral relations between the two nations. Energy cooperation has been a cornerstone of the China-Iraq strategic partnership. Since 2013, when China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Iraq has emerged as an essential partner for energy engagement within this framework. Chinese imports In 2022 alone, China imported a significant amount of crude oil from Iraq, marking a substantial increase in Iraqs oil exports to China and underscoring the strategic importance of their bilateral relations in terms of energy policies. The Defence Industries Commission (DIC) was established by a decree of the President of the Republic after the House of Representatives voted on Law No 25 of 2019, which was published in the official Gazette on 4/11/2019 to form this body, which is located in the capital, Baghdad, and is linked to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, according to the Commissions website. The Defence Industries Commission has a set of goals that it is working to achieve on the ground, and one of its most prominent goals is the establishment of an advanced base for defense industries in Iraq and to meet the needs of the armed forces and security services in all their parts of weapons, equipment and ammunition, and the production and export of civilian materials, as well as to contribute to maintaining the National security, strengthening national sovereignty, and preparing and rehabilitating scientific and technical cadres specialised in the Defence industries according to plans set by the commission. Specialised factories The Defence Industries Commission seeks to achieve the aforementioned goals, by a number of methods and means, the most important of which is the establishment of specialised factories in the field of Defence industries, rehabilitating the existing ones, equipping them with the latest technology, setting scientific and practical plans to direct human resources and energies in the field of Defence industries and benefiting from national expertise and competencies in industries. In addition to the above, a commission is working to rehabilitate and develop companies and factories and improve their production by means of research and development to reach products with high specifications and conduct studies and research related to the commissions objectives and benefit from the capabilities of the private sector by providing opportunities for it to participate in the defence industries.--TradeArabia News Service Adani firm, MG Motor sign pact for EV charging infra New Delhi, April 8 (UNI) Adani TotalEnergies E-Mobility Limited (ATEL) and MG Motor India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the EV charging infrastructure in the country. "The joint collaboration to develop the charging solutions for electric vehicle (EV) and value-added services to MG's EV customers nationwide and will underpin India's rapidly evolving EV ecosystem by helping build a robust and efficient charging infrastructure," an official release said on Monday. As per the MoU, Adani TotalEnergies E-Mobility will set up CC2 60 kW DC chargers at upcoming MG dealerships to bolster the charging network and enhance customer accessibility. "The partnership will also provide a comprehensive solution encompassing supply, installation, commissioning, operations, and maintenance of charging infrastructure. In addition, a digital platform will be launched to facilitate a seamless customer experience, covering discovery, user authentication, charging, and billing settlement through a dedicated mobile application," said the company. Gaurav Gupta, Chief Growth Officer, MG Motor India, said that MG Motor is committed to carbon neutrality, sustainability, and green mobility. "This strategic partnership reflects our commitment to sustainable mobility and our vision to revolutionise the EV landscape by building a robust charging infrastructure. The combined synergies aim to empower Indian consumers to embrace electric mobility, he said. Suresh P Mangalani, ED & CEO, Adani Total Gas Ltd (ATGL), said, The world is embracing more sustainable and clean energy sources and electric vehicles are at the forefront of this transition. Adani TotalEnergies E-Mobility Limiteds and MG Motor Indias partnership to develop charging infrastructure marks a significant milestone and will play a crucial role in accelerating India's energy transition." Adani Total Energies E-Mobility is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Total Gas Ltd. UNI NK CS Mondays total solar eclipse will help boost tourism in Missouri, according to the director of the state's tourism division. On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America for the first time since 2017. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun. Stephen Foutes, the director of the Missouri Division of Tourism, said the event causes people both in and out of state to travel. Its something that does generate a lot of interest and does inspire a lot of people to travel, and they plan for these things years out, Foutes said. Foutes said that an event like Mondays can be an introduction to the state for first-time Missouri visitors. I think this is one of those things that can be a little bit of a hook, if you will, to get people interested in learning more about Missouri, he said. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Southeastern Missouri, including cities like Poplar Bluff and Cape Girardeau will be in the path of totality. Mid-Missourians can view the eclipse at 94% of its total darkness. A lot of our communities are expecting hundreds, thousands, and, in some cases, tens of thousands of visitors for this event, Foutes said. What that does is it fills up hotels, (and) it fills up restaurants. Foutes said that an average day-tripper to the state spends roughly $100 a day. Let's say 20,000 people come and spend $100 a day for a couple of days that can (have) a significant impact and generate a lot of tax revenue for the state of Missouri, he said. Expenses like shopping, dining and overnight stays can all affect these numbers. After the backlash that "Music Bank" MC Chaemin faced for cutting off NCT Renjun's speech, the latter has finally addressed the controversy. On April 5, the KBS music show "Music Bank" announced NCT Dream, who made a comeback with "Smoothie" on March 25, as the first-place winner. However, fans' delight became anger when an unfortunate mistake happened while member Renjun was giving his speech. This was later on blamed to MC Lee Chaemin. 'Music Bank' MC Chaemin Under Fire For 'Cutting Off' NCT Dream Renjun's Speech The incident happened when the boy group was given the time to give their acceptance speech. During this part, NCT Dream thanked everyone who supported them, especially NCTzens. Just when Renjun was given the mic to briefly express his gratitude, MC Chaemin cut him off and proceeded on giving the program's ending ment. At the time, NCT Dream members were visibly surprised, but they remained professional as Renjun, until the end of the show, wasn't able to continue his speech anymore. Without everyone's support.. (CUT ) RenJun didnt have time to finish his Chinese thanks pic.twitter.com/jeUrkYoatF (@POPCORNBOBO323) April 5, 2024 renjun hugging mark after being cut off immediately during his speech.... jisung comforting him afterwards pic.twitter.com/36rBuM80uP xhen (@renjuniejunjun) April 5, 2024 ALSO READ: NCT Dream Renjun Opens Up on Weight Gain Following Viral Comeback Showcase Photos Following this mistake, NCTzens called out Lee Chaemin for being "rude" to Renjun. While fans understood that the MC had to give the ending ment already as they were running out of time, they emphasized that he could have made it up to the idol by letting him continue even one sentence. What disappointed fans was that he didn't even apologize to Renjun on the spot, leaving the idol in that embarrassing moment. I swear theres something abt this era thats just so cruel to renjun and i need it to fucking stop https://t.co/5Rg1c0VDiI pic.twitter.com/hEbBHunsrK April 5, 2024 why would you do tHAT at least let him finish one sentence https://t.co/ric6QOy6vj pic.twitter.com/0schSwJa2U (@luxurybevvy) April 5, 2024 i dont care if there is limit time but cutting him like this out of nowhere in the middle of his speech is plainly disrespectful and wrong this could have be done better im so mad https://t.co/b6UXyu2ZOS (@renjuns323) April 5, 2024 NCT Dream Renjun Addresses Controversy of Being Cut Off by Lee Chaemin Apparently, not only NCTzens were offended, but even NCT Dream members weren't happy about it. During the group's Weverse Live on the 7th, the members recalled the time when Renjun was cut off on "Music Bank." Their tones made the topic lighthearted, but their facial expressions gave the atmosphere that they were also disappointed about it. Hearing this, Renjun revealed that they already clarified the issue and Chaemin apologized to him. why did you cut me off he probably didn't hear it he said it was because the broadcast only allows two people to do a speech and apologized. so i was like ah then buy me a meal buy me a meal right, [he should] treat you ahh then you hang up arika (@renjeonah) April 6, 2024 The idol narrated that after what happened, Renjun confronted Chaemin, who turned out to be his friend, and asked why he cut him off. Chaemin then explained that it was because only two members could give a speech and apologize to the idol. As they were friends, Renjun decided to settle it by asking the MC and actor to treat him to a meal instead, and the latter agreed. READ MORE: Czennies Defend NCT Dream Renjun After Idol Earned Malicious Comments for Visuals For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dela Cruz Kuwait City, Apr 8 (UNI) Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issued on Sunday a decree accepting the cabinet's resignation and another decree calling on the National Assembly to hold its first session on April 17. The first decree, carried by the official news agency KUNA, stated that the emir accepted the resignation of the prime minister and other ministers, adding that they would continue to handle the urgent matters of their respective positions until the formation of a new cabinet. Another Emiri decree called on the National Assembly, the parliament, to convene the first regular session of the 18th legislative term on April 17. Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah submitted his cabinet's resignation to the emir on Saturday. The resignation, following the election of a new parliament on Thursday, is a procedural move as the current government has to resign before the legislature's inauguration. Kuwaiti voters cast their ballots on Thursday to elect members of the National Assembly. According to the vote count the next day, 50 deputies were selected from a pool of 200 candidates. UNI/XINHUA GNK London, Apr 8 (UNI) The United Kingdom has condemned the storming of the Mexican embassy in Ecuador by the local police to detain former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said. In the night from Friday to Saturday, the Ecuadorian police stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito using armed vehicles to arrest Glas, who had been sheltering in the diplomatic mission for a long time, media reported. Following the events, Mexico City suspended diplomatic ties with Quito, saying that some Mexican diplomats had been injured as a result of the storming. Mexico City also vowed to appeal to the UN International Court of Justice and urge it to condemn the actions of the Ecuadorian authorities. "The UK government condemns the actions taken by the Ecuadorean authorities at the Mexican Embassy in Quito on 5 April. All governments must respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions, as set out in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. The safety and security of diplomatic premises and staff is a fundamental principle guiding diplomatic relations," the spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. Glas served five years in prison for bribery and criminal conspiracy before being released in late 2022. However, already in December 2023, he was sentenced to six more years in prison in a corruption case involving Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, currently known as Novonor. Glas took refuge in the Mexican diplomatic mission in the same month, before an official warrant for his arrest was issued. On April 5, 2024, Mexico granted Glas political asylum. Ecuador called Mexico's decision illegal and demanded the extradition of the politician. UNI/XINHUA GNK PRNewswire Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 8: CGI, (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, hosted Envision 2024, a technology conference powered by Microsoft, in Bengaluru. Themed 'Pioneering Digital Evolution', this event attracted a global audience of dignitaries to exchange on topics such as navigating major transformations in today's economy and the crucial role of skilled professionals, generative AI, digital services, and innovative business models. Also Read | Eid al-Fitr 2024 Celebrations Around the World: Exploring the Rich Diversity of Customs and Traditions Across Various Countries and Cultures. The speakers deep-dived into the latest trends and upcoming innovations in AI, data analytics, cloud technologies, the future of retail, technological innovations, case studies on generative AI, cloud trends, and how to strategically leverage automation. Experts from CGI, our partners and clients shared their perspectives on the current tech trends and how to leverage them for business benefits. On this occasion, Dr Rahul Ghodke, Senior Vice President, CGI Global Technology Operations, Asia Pacific Global Delivery Centers of Excellence, remarked, "In a digital native era, clients are working on disruptive procurement policies and IT service providers are piloting and deploying emerging technologies which require stricter norms and guardrails. At CGI, we combine innovation with a safety-first approach to engineering AI. As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of emerging technologies, we remain at the forefront, poised to continue driving positive change and delivering business outcomes for our clients and the broader global community." Also Read | Nitish Kumar Trolled for Faux Pas at PM Narendra Modi's Rally in Nawada As Bihar CM Predicts NDA Will Win 'More Than 4,000 Seats' in Lok Sabha Election 2024 (Watch Video). Representing Microsoft, Aruna Chakkirala, Senior Cloud Solutions Architect, added, "As Generative AI captures our imagination and drives impact, CGI Envision has aptly captured the essence of this AI world and the tools we need to step forward." Envision 2024 served as a transformative event where global tech leaders and enthusiasts alike were immersed in a dynamic exchange of ideas and profound insights, exploring AI's role in driving the future of business. As the event concluded, the anticipation builds up for the next year, where curious minds will converge again. About CGI Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 90,500 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2023 reported revenue is CA$14.30 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com. Stock Market SymbolsGIB.A (TSX)GIB (NYSE)www.cgi.com/newsroom Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043083/CGI_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 8: Unified Brainz Group, a globally recognized branding and management consulting firm, alongside its media and publication arm, commemorated a decade of excellence with the 10th Anniversary of Unified Brainz Group and the 5th Anniversary of Passion Vista magazine. The prestigious event took place on April 6th at The Club Mumbai, Mumbai. Also Read | Generative AI in India: 50% of Indian Government and Public Service Organisations To Execute First GenAI Solutions Within One Year, Says Report. Dr. GD Singh, Founder & President of Unified Brainz Group and Chairman of the Asian African Chamber of Commerce & Industry (AACCI), inaugurated the forum, reflecting on the group's transformative journey over the past ten years, evolving from a branding & management consulting firm to a publication & production house, keeping the old legacy while adopting the newer trends and technology. Dr. Neetu Singh, Managing Director of the group, outlined the new Vision and Mission of the group companies, emphasizing their commitment to embracing contemporary trends and technologies while staying true to their foundational principles. The event attracted distinguished guests including HE Demeke Atnafu, the Honorable Ambassador of Ethiopia to India, prominent film and fashion personalities, over 50 foreign delegates from various nations, and notable figures from the business and industry sectors. Also Read | ED Questions Arvind Kejriwal's PA Bibhav Kumar, AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak in Delhi Excise Policy Case. Renowned speakers from across the globe shared profound insights and wisdom on diverse topics, encouraging attendees to navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape with resilience and foresight. A particular highlight was a captivating Panel Discussion on Artificial Intelligence, where experts delved into the ethical implications and transformative potential of AI technologies. The program featured accolades and announcements across multiple domains, celebrating innovation, leadership, and societal impact. The 6th Global Business Leadership Awards honored individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions across over 40 industries and 25 award categories, underscoring the importance of visionary leadership in driving positive change. Passion Vista unveiled two special editions: 'Hall of Fame 2024' and 'Circle of Excellence', showcasing the timeless wisdom and enduring legacies of global business leaders and visionary individuals who have left an indelible mark on society. Through their courage, tenacity, and unwavering commitment to excellence, these trailblazers inspire future generations to reach for greatness. Furthermore, Passion Vista unveiled the inaugural edition of 'Achievers of Asia & Africa', providing a platform to amplify the voices and strategies of businesses across these continents. This groundbreaking initiative reflects the interconnectedness of global economies and the importance of collaboration in fostering sustainable development and prosperity. A significant moment of the event was the launch of the special collector's edition of Passion Vista - Women Leaders to Look Up to in 2024, celebrating the remarkable achievements and leadership of women who exemplify grace, resilience, and empowerment. These trailblazers serve as beacons of inspiration, demonstrating the transformative power of diversity and inclusion in driving organizational success. The highlight of the day was the 'Passion Vista Glamour & Style Awards', where creative talents and emerging stars in the film and fashion industry were honored for their contributions to art and culture. Their passion and creativity serve as a reminder of the enduring power of imagination and innovation in shaping our collective future. Additionally, the World Peace & Diplomacy Organization (WPDO) bestowed Peace titles upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to both personal and societal goals, embodying the principles of compassion, empathy, and global citizenship. The event also witnessed strategic collaborations and announcements, including memorandum signings with the India Africa Business Forum and World Medicaas International, as well as the establishment of new chapter offices in Tamil Nadu and Kenya by the Asian African Chamber of Commerce & Industry. These initiatives underscore the importance of cross-border cooperation and partnership in addressing shared challenges and unlocking new opportunities for growth and development. The forum concluded with a blend of knowledge, glamour, and inspiration, leaving attendees with cherished memories and renewed determination to pursue their dreams. As the world continues to evolve and transform, Unified Brainz Group remains committed to fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence, driving positive change and shaping a brighter future for generations to come. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lucknow, Apr 8 (PTI) A total of three candidates withdrew their nominations on Monday, the last day of withdrawal for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, according to official statement issued here. After the last date of withdrawal of nominations in eight Lok Sabha constituencies of the second phase, a total of 91 candidates are in the fray, it said. Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir Terror Attack: Non-Local Driver Attacked by Terrorists in Shopian (Watch Video). UP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navedep Rinwa said the nomination for the second phase started on March 28 and on Monday, which was the last date of withdrawal, three candidates including one from Meerut and two from Aligarh withdrew their nominations. He said independent candidate Mohd Afzal from Meerut Lok Sabha constituency, and Mukesh Kumar of Rashtriya Jan Sanchar Dal and independent candidate Bhupendra Pal Singh from Aligarh withdrew their names. Also Read | Bomb Threat: Security Beefed Up Across Kolkata, Other Districts After Bomb Threat to 200 Schools. He said there are 1.67 crore voters in these eight Lok Sabha constituencies of the second phase, out of which 90.11 lakh are male voters, 77.38 lakh are female voters and 787 are of third gender. There are a total of 7797 polling stations and 17677 polling booths in these constituencies. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati (Assam) [India], April 8 (ANI): The Assam Rifles organised a medical camp at Mimbung and Lungpuk villages in Mizoram on World Health Day, Sunday. The medical camp aimed to provide the locals with much-needed medical treatment and medicines. Also Read | Nagpur Shocker: 24-Year-Old Woman Smoking Cigarette Stabs Man to Death for Staring, Passing Lewd Remarks at Her in Paan Shop on Manewada Cement Road, Arrested. The specially constituted medical team provided the requisite medicines to needy locals for their ailments. Apart from providing medical assistance, basic knowledge of health education, including precautions against common viral diseases, was imparted to the villagers. Also Read | Noida: Man Dies After Taking Water Slide at Mall, Probe Underway (Watch Video). In addition, the team also elaborated on the significance of hygiene and sanitation for better living standards. The local populace expressed their deep gratitude towards Assam Rifles and appreciated the sincere efforts by Assam Rifles to provide specialist medical care in such far-flung areas. World Health Day is celebrated on April 7th every year. It marks the founding of the World Health Organization in 1950. On World Health Day 2024, the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students (NTF) launched the innovative initiative "My Health, My Rights" on Sunday. Key components of the initiative include mental health support services, confidential counselling, therapy, and resources to address stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. Under the theme "My Health, My Rights," individuals are encouraged to take ownership of their health through activities such as exercise, nutrition, meditation, social engagement, and environmental stewardship. The initiative also introduces holistic wellness programmes focusing on physical health, emotional resilience, and work-life balance, including yoga, mindfulness meditation, stress management workshops, and nutritional guidance. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai, Apr 8 (PTI) In what could be a likely David vs Goliath battle, the Central Chennai constituency will see the DMK's Dayanidhi Maran take on BJP's Vinoj P Selvam for the April 19 Lok Sabha elections, in which the AIADMK-led bloc's nominee and Naam Tamilar Katchi are also in the fray. Chennai Central, with over 23 lakh voters, is among the smaller constituencies in Tamil Nadu, which has a total of 39 Parliamentary segments. Also Read | Gold Rate Today, April 8, 2024: Ahead of Gudi Padwa, Check Prices of Yellow Metal in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Other Metro Cities. The constituency consists of Villivakkam, Egmore, Harbour, Chepauk, Triplicane, Thousand Lights, Anna Nagar assembly segments. The famous Marina beach, several commercial buildings, high-rise residential complexes and few other educational institutions are also present in the constituency which is home to several industrialists, celebrities, famous temples, churches and mosques. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: 20-Year-Old Killed, Two Injured While Filming Dhaba Fire Explosion As Cylinder Falls on Them in Kanpur, Probe On. According to locals, some of the issues they face here include erratic water supply, traffic congestion, lack of flood control measures during monsoon, among others. The constituency is seen as a strong hold of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Key DMK leader and parliamentarian, Dayanidhi Maran is testing his electoral fortunes for a fourth time from this segment, even as he won by a massive marging in 2019, defeating Sam Paul of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). Maran had then secured 4,47,150 votes as against 1,46,813 votes bagged by Paul. This time, Maran is pitted against BJP's Vinoj P Selvam, a state secretary of the saffron party. Late actor Vijayakanth's DMDK, fighting the polls as an AIADMK ally, has fielded B Parthasarathy. Actor-politician Seeman NTK has nominated Dr R Karthikeyan who is in the fray for the second time. He lost from here in 2019 by securing just 30,809 votes then. Maran may face the challenge of anti-incumbency, but may sail through, political observer Sumanth Raman said. "Though there is anti incumbency against Maran, he is likely to win easily as both his opponents (from BJP and DMDK) are political lightweights and neither the DMDK nor the BJP has much of a presence in Central Chennai", Raman told PTI. After emerging victorious in the 2004 elections, Maran had become the Union Minister for Information Technology in the Congress-led UPA I regime. Meanwhile, NTK candidate Karthikeyan said he would face the people with his honesty and integrity. "Unlike other candidates who are contesting in this constituency, I do not have any cases against me. I am not involved in any corruption. I will speak to them as a representative of a common man and take up their issues in Parliament," he told PTI. Several issues have been put forth to him by the people during his campaign. Water scarcity, traffic congestions and lack of storm water drainage facilities are some of the issues that need to be addressed immediately. "I will seek to address these issues as people have been facing difficulties every year. I have prepared a detailed strategy on how these issues need to be sorted out. And during my poll rally, when I explained this to them, they give me a positive response" he said. "I also see a good response from the people as they are dissatisfied with the current MP (Maran). The response I have received so far, has been encouraging when compared to those candidates nominated by other parties," he claimed. The Central Chennai constituency comprises 6,64,076 men voters, 6,78,658 women and 433 transgenders, totaling 23,58,526 electors. (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 8 (ANI): The Congress on Monday complained to the Election Commission of India against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his objectionable comments against the party manifesto, saying it had an imprint of the Muslim League. A delegation comprising former union minister Salman Khurshid, senior leaders Mukul Wasnik, Pawan Khera and Gurdeep Sappal met the commission officials and lodged the complaint. Also Read | Nainital Fire: Three Dozen Shops Gutted As Massive Blaze Erupts in Garjiya Temple Complex in Ramnagar (Watch Video). Later briefing reporters, the leaders said they urged the ECI to take a serious view of the Prime Minister's remarks against the Congress party's manifesto. The party also raised the matter of the Prime Minister's hoardings in Delhi and the misuse of his pictures with the defence personnel. The party leaders said they also showed the EC officials its earlier advisory against such practice. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Slams Congress and INDIA Bloc, Says '2024 Lok Sabha Elections a Battle Between Stability, Instability' (Watch Video). The party delegation also flagged for the attention of the commission the curbs on free speech, like the banning of YouTube channels or the handles of people and journalists at the behest of the government. They said they told the EC that the authority to ban any channel during the elections should be with the commission and not with the government. The delegation said that the commission agreed with the party's suggestion that there must not be any curbs on free speech. Party general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, later, in a tweet, said, "This is the time for the Election Commission to demonstrate its independence by ensuring a level playing field. We live in hope that the Honourable Election Commission will uphold its constitutional mandate." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) CPC launches education campaign on Party discipline Xinhua) 07:54, April 08, 2024 BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has issued a circular to launch a Party-wide campaign on CPC discipline education. During the campaign, running from April to July, CPC members will be studying the newly revised Party regulations on disciplinary action, to strengthen their discipline awareness and always remain loyal, clean and responsible, according to the circular. Stressing that the education should focus on integrating into everyday work and be consistently implemented, the circular urges discussions among Party members on the study, as well as efforts to use typical violation cases as cautionary lessons so that Party members will understand the bottom line and respect the rules. The circular also calls on Party committees at all levels to meticulously carry out the education, and warns against pointless formalities. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) TIANJIN, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Cruise ship Serenade of the Seas docked at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China's port city of Tianjin on Sunday morning, with over 1,800 tourists from 50 countries and regions aboard. The 275-day cruise on the ship, which is registered in the Bahamas and operated by Royal Caribbean Group, is the longest round-the-world route at present. Tianjin is its only stop in Chinese mainland, according to the company. The ship will dock at Tianjin for two days and one night, carrying over 800 crew members and over 1,800 tourists. Most of the tourists will go sightseeing in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin. "We work with the cruise line and the port company to streamline passenger clearance procedures and let them have more time to travel in China," said Bi Linlin, a local immigration inspection officer, adding that with the rapid recovery of China's cruise industry, the demand from foreign tourists to visit China's scenic spots and historic sites is growing. Liu Zinan, chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Asia said, "We always stick to the Chinese market, and we are committed to creating value for Chinese consumers, social and economic development, as well as inbound and outbound travel. We have full confidence in the resilience of the Chinese economy." Royal Caribbean International announced its new China route deployment plan in March, with two cruises deployed in the ports of Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong. The plan's sailing time frame ranges from February 2025 to April 2026. Tianjin International Cruise Home Port has welcomed 22 cruise ships and seen 68,000 tourist visits so far this year, according to Dong Zichen, deputy general manager of Tianjin International Cruise Home Port Co., Ltd. "We are quite optimistic about the recovery of the cruise tourism industry in Tianjin," Dong said, adding that the port is estimated to receive 100 cruise ships and 300,000 inbound and outbound tourist visits this year. New Delhi [India], April 8 (ANI): Delhi's Dwarka Court has discharged seven members of Lawrence Bishnoi-Kala Jatheri Gang who were accused of firing on two jewellery shops including PC jewellers in Najafgarh in a bid to extortion in 2020. The Court discharged the accused persons could not be identified by the witnesses as they were wearing masks at the time of firing. The witness said that they cannot identify the accused persons as they were wearing masks. Also Read | TMC Delegation Meets West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, Abhishek Banerjee Slams EC for Detention of Party Leaders in Delhi. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rajat Goyal of Dwarka court discharged seven accused namely Parvinder alias Buttu, Vikas alias Diljale, Brijesh,Manjeet Panghal, Naresh Yadav alias Sethi, Rishi Raj alias Sonu alias Lambu and Harish. "Thus, there is no material to justify framing of charge against accused persons," CMM Goyal said in the order passed on April 6. Also Read | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Election Commission To Install GPS Location Tracking System in Vehicles Used for LS Polls. The seven persons were accused in two FIRs related to alleged incident of Firing on two jwellery shops in Nahargarh area. While discharging the accused persons the court pointed out major lapses in investigation by the Delhi Police and said, "Matter cannot be kept pending indefinitely in the hope that investigating agency will awake from its slumber and take steps to collect reliable evidence." As per prosecution, masked assailant fired two rounds on shops of PC Jewellers and Gehna Jewellers on June 23, 2020. One of the assailants threw a paper slip at the counter of PC Jewellers threatening the owner that the next bullet would be fired on his chest. The paper slip was written by the Lawrence Bishnoi-Kala Jatheri group, the Prosecution said. Delhi police had filed charge sheets in August 2020. "Even after expiry of more than three years, no steps have been taken by either the prosecution or by the investigating agency to take handwriting samples of any of the accused persons," the court noted. "Matter cannot be kept pending indefinitely in the hope that the investigating agency will awake from its slumber and take steps to collect reliable evidence. Thus, there is nothing to even prima facie suggest that the said chit was written by or under the instructions of any of the accused persons," the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate said. It was stated by the prosecution witness Subodh Kumar that around 15 minutes before the said incident, two persons on one motorcycle andthree persons in one Honda Amaze car were pointing out towards the shop of PC Jewellers and that upon checking CCTV footage, he can say that person who had fired on the shop of PC Jewellers is the same person who had fired on the shop of Gehna Jewellers. "However, admittedly, all the said persons on the bike and in the Honda Amaze car were wearing masks on their face and it was stated by witness Subodh Kumar that he cannot identify any of the said persons," the court noted in the order. The car was recovered from the possession of accused Parvinder, while the bike was seized from another accused Harish and it shows complicity in commission of offence, the additional public prosecutor said. The CMM said, "However, I do not find myself to be in agreement with his submissions. Merely because persons in Honda Amaze car were pointing out towards the shop of PC Jewellers, it cannot be said that they were involved in the incident in question." The court also noted that All the other accused persons have been charge-sheeted merely on the basis of disclosure statements, either of themselves or of other co-accused. "However, the said disclosures statements have no evidentiary value as no recovery is stated to have been made in pursuance of the same," the court said. Advocate Deepak Sharma, counsel for accused Naresh Yadav and Manjeet Panghal argued that there is no incriminating material against the accused persons. They have been charged sheeted on the basis of disclosure statement of each other. "There in no material to come to the conclusion that there is any definite connection between person who had carried out firing in question and persons on motorcycle or in Honda Amaze car," the court held. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], April 8 (ANI): The Rouse Avenue court in the national captial on Monday dismissed the detailed interim bail application of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha. She had sought interim bail on the grounds that her minor son had school examinations. She is in judicial custody after the ED remand in the excise policy case. Also Read | Nitish Kumar Trolled for Faux Pas at PM Narendra Modi's Rally in Nawada As Bihar CM Predicts NDA Will Win 'More Than 4,000 Seats' in Lok Sabha Election 2024 (Watch Video). Special judge Kaveri Baweja had dismissed the interim bail application this morning. A detailed bail order has yet to be uploaded. Also Read | How Many Seats Are There in Lok Sabha, 543 or 545? Know State-Wise Lok Sabha Constituency Numbers in India. The bail application of the BRS leader was opposed by the counsel for ED, who argued that Kavitha destroyed the evidence in her phone and that witnesses were forced to retract their statements. Kavitha had filed an application seeking interim bail given the examination of her school going son. Advocates Nitesh Rana and Deepak Nagar also appeared for her. At the outset, it was argued that being a woman, the rigours of the twin condition under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) do not apply to K Kavitha. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi had submitted that when a person falls under exceptions, the twin condition does not apply to that person. As per Section 45 of PMLA women fall under the category of exceptions for granting bail by the court, Singhvi said. Singhvi further submitted that there is no flight risk when the passport is submitted. Senior advocate Singhvi submitted that the woman who is accused in this case has a minor child whose exams are this month. "Her child is 16. It is the question of moral emotional support in this situation. There is an exam anxiety. PM gives a lecture on radio on how to cope with exam anxiety," Singhvi argued. "The perspective of the mother can not be substituted by the father or other family member. The father is the one who is managing the legal battle in Delhi and the child is in Telangana," the senior advocate argued. The bail application was opposed by advocate Zoheb Hossain, the special counsel for ED. He submitted that the proviso related to bail under Section 45 of the PMLA should be exercised judiciously. Exceptions are not for women who are leading politicians in the state. He further submitted that Kavitha was a beneficiary in Indo Spirit and Arun Ramchandra Pillai was his proxy in the company. "I am not relying on the statement only. I have WhatsApp chat and other evidence," Hossain asserted. The court asked to show the material. The investigation officer showed some documents to the court. Hossain further argued that Kavitha was involved in the destruction of evidence and influencing witnesses. Special counsel Zoheb Hossain said that he had the case diary and FSL report, which shows how this was done. The special counsel said that she deleted evidence from her phone, deleted data and content on the date she was issued a summons and that no data was found in the App like FaceTime. The BRS leader had deleted evidence from her mobile, Hossain submitted. ED's Counsel submitted that on March 11, when Kavitha was confronted, she evaded the question. Hossain submitted that on March 11, she said she would produce the phone on the next date. Though she produced nine mobile phones, these phones were formatted. On being asked about this, she was evasive. The forensic report shows mobile phones were formatted after March 11. On March 14 and 15, she deleted data from four mobile phones. This phone was tampered with by her. These phones were completely wiped out and it was revealed after an offer to provide a copy of the phones. The ED's counsel argued that it was not the first time that this had happened and that over 100 devices have either disappeared or wiped out. The ED's counsel argued Hossain submitted that this phone was formatted before being handed over and this, he said shows the destruction of evidence, ED's Counsel further submitted that Arun Ram Chandra Pillai was the proxy of K Kavitha in Indo Spirit. Hossain submitted that the ED was at the stage of making a breakthrough and any interim relief to the BRS leader would derail the probe as she is very influential and could influence the people. Hossain said that witnesses have been called upon and forced to retract their statements. And there are some statements which have been retracted. Her CA has also retracted the statement, the advocate said. The ED counsel referred to the November 11, 2022. statement of Arun Pillai who was arrested on December 6, 2022. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], April 8 (ANI): Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Judge, Supreme Court of India and Executive Chairman, National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), formally released a framework and schedule for quarterly meetings of Under Trial Review Committees in the year 2024. The meetings are scheduled on April 15, July 15 and October 16. This initiative is in furtherance of several directives of the Supreme Court of India for conducting periodic reviews of the detention of all prisoners. Also Read | Bomb Threat: Security Beefed Up Across Kolkata, Other Districts After Bomb Threat to 200 Schools. The virtual launch was attended by the Executive Chairpersons and Learned Member Secretaries of the various State Legal Services Authorities; Ld. Chairpersons and Secretaries of the DLSAs and other members of the UTRCs. The UTRC is a district-level committee headed by the District and Sessions Judge, with the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority and Officer-in-charge of Prisons as members. Also Read | Nainital Fire: Three Dozen Shops Gutted As Massive Blaze Erupts in Garjiya Temple Complex in Ramnagar (Watch Video). It is mandated to conduct quarterly reviews of cases of prisoners in their district and give recommendations for release in appropriate cases. In 2024, these meetings will be conducted across all districts in India as per the schedule launched today. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, while highlighting the crucial mandate of UTRCs to prevent long periods of incarceration during the pendency of trial, gave a rallying call for further streamlining, strengthening, and reinvigorating the functioning of the UTRCs in every district across India. He emphasized upon the need to increase awareness among lawyers about the fourteen categories of prisoners eligible for review, timely filing of bail applications, and recourse to appellate remedy where bail applications are rejected. Justice Khanna asserted the need to undertake confidence-building steps with prisoners as well as their families, to boost their trust in legal services. The fact that not only has the prison population of India grown substantially in the last decade but there has also been a considerable increase in the percentage and duration of custody of under-trial prisoners. "In the last five years, the UTRCs across the country have recommended the release of nearly 2.24 lakh prisoners, resulting in the release of over 1.06 lakh prisoners across India," Justice Sanjiv Khanna observed. He also observed that during the two special campaigns of NALSA in the years 2022 and 2023, around 50,000 prisoners were released from the prisons. He stated that these figures were a testament to the seminal role played by the UTRCs. He however, sounded a note of caution here and stated, "Though on the face of it, the numbers of prisoners released were encouraging, an institutional reflection and analysis of the functioning and efficacy of UTRCs done by NALSA, revealed some gaps, which need to be addressed at the earliest to enhance UTRCs reach and efficacy." He further mentioned that if the UTRCs are conducted in a uniform and concerted manner across the country, as is being sought to be done by this "Framework and Quarterly Schedule of UTRC Meetings", the outcomes are bound to be much better -- every prisoner's case will be reviewed every quarter, which could lead to recommendation and releases in a higher number of cases. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Faridabad (Hry), Apr 8 (PTI) The Faridabad Police arrested cow vigilante Rajkumar Panchal alias Bittu Bajrangi, an accused in the recent violence in Haryana's Nuh violence, on Sunday night for allegedly beating up a man with sticks at Nangla Enclave and making a video of the act viral on social media, officials said. Departmental action and dismissal from service have been recommended against a police personnel who was seen in the video watching Bajrangi thrashing the man. The police personnel was deployed for Bajrangi's security. Also Read | Tata Group Likely To Acquire Pegatron's iPhone Manufacturing Facility in Chennai After Wistron, May Hold 65% Stake in Joint Venture: Report. Bajrangi got bail on Monday after he joined the investigation. Police made him sign an affidavit that he will not indulge in any kind of such incidents in the future. Inspector Sangram Dahiya, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Saran police station, said police will keep an eye on Bajrangi in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. If he is found involved in any untoward incident, he can be arrested, the officer added. Also Read | Pune Shocker: Condoms, Gutka and Other Things Allegedly Found in Samosas Served in Canteen of Reputed Company in Pimpri-Chinchwad. "Departmental action and dismissal from service have been recommended to higher officials against the gunman deployed for Bajrangi's security. The cyber police team is continuously monitoring Bajrangi's social media accounts," Dahiya said. The Faridabad Police registered a case against Bajrangi last Wednesday after the video went viral in which he is seen beating up a man with a stick in the middle of a street. The FIR was lodged against Bajrangi and his associates under sections 323 (causing hurt), 341 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code at the Saran police station. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) The cargo bus was taken to the police station (Photo/ANI) Eluru (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 8 (ANI): Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, police and poll officials seized "unauthorised" cash worth Rs 22 lakh from a bus during checking in Andhra Pradesh's Eluru district, police said on Monday. They said the cash was seized from an Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation cargo bus arriving in Jangareddygudem from Hyderabad on Sunday. Also Read | Lucknow: Couple Arrested for Mysterious Death of Retired NBRI Employee in Hazratganj. Jangareddygudem Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi Chandra stated they were conducting checks based on information about cash being transported in APSRTC cargo buses. "The bus was searched while cargo parcels were unloaded at an electronic shop on Buttaigaudem Road. During the search, Rs 22 lakh of unauthorised cash was found without any bills or evidence. Following election rules, the cash was confiscated, and the cargo bus was taken to the police station." Also Read | Pune Shocker: Woman Engineering Student Kidnapped, Murdered for Ransom in Ahmednagar; Friend Among Three Arrested. "An inquiry will be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken," DSP Chandra said. With the announcement of the poll schedule on March 16, the Model Code of Conduct came immediately into force. The Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled for May 13, with vote counting set for June 4. Notably, the Andhra Pradesh Assembly consists of 175 seats and a party would need at least 88 seats to form a government. In the 2014 Assembly elections, the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP won with a majority of 102 seats. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP won 67 seats. The BJP could only win four seats by contesting against the two regional heavyweights. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the YSRCP won with a thumping majority of 151 seats, while the TDP was confined to 23 seats. The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha as well as the assemblies will take place on June 4. (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 (Tripura) [India], April 8 (ANI): BJP MP and party candidate from West Tripura constituency Biplab Kumar Deb on Monday participated in a bike rally in Banamlipur as part of his election campaign. Hundreds of young party workers, including girls and boys, participated in the bike rally that was organised in the 9-Banamlipur constituency despite the rainy weather. Also Read | Supreme Court Seeks Response of Centre, CARA on PIL Alleging Unregulated Sex Change Surgeries in India. The event which saw major participation from the members of the Yuva Morcha, and the youth wing of the BJP, witnessed an overwhelming turnout, with participants navigating their bikes through the showers, symbolizing their unwavering commitment and support. The rally highlights the importance of youth involvement in the electoral process, demonstrating their readiness to be a part of and influence the democratic journey of the nation. Also Read | Telangana Student Suicide: Second-Year Degree Student Dies by Suicide After Failing Exams in Jangaon. The bike rally led by Biplab Deb in the 9-Banamlipur constituency is a testament to the vibrancy and dynamic nature of political campaigning in India. It reflects a deep-rooted belief in democratic values and the power of collective action. The event underscores the importance of youth involvement in politics, not just as voters but as active participants in the electoral process, advocating for issues and policies that matter to them. Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha advocated for the re-election of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasising their crucial role in the socio-economic development of the country. Addressing a public rally in Gabardi, West District, on Sunday, CM Saha highlighted the transformative policies and developmental strides made under PM Modi's leadership while also sharply criticising the CPIM and Congress for their alleged exploitation of the indigenous people of Tripura. He also criticised opposition parties for their historical approach towards the indigenous population of Tripura, accusing them of engaging in vote-bank politics. CM Saha pointed out the BJP-led government's recognition of seven eminent indigenous figures with the Padma Shri Award and the joining of Tipra Motha to their cause as a testament to their commitment to the development of indigenous communities. He further underscored PM Modi's achievements, including the resolution of the Ram Mandir issue and the peaceful abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, as evidence of the Prime Minister's ability to tackle long-standing national issues effectively. Tripura is set for two-phase elections this time. The West Tripura constituency goes to poll on April 19, while the poll battle in East Tripura is scheduled for April 26. (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 (Tripura) [India], April 8 (ANI): Ahead of the general elections, scheduled from April 19, the Tripura State Lok Sabha Management Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced the near completion of its organizational activities, adhering strictly to the guidelines issued by the party's central leadership. Rajib Bhattacharya, the president of the State Lok Sabha Election Management Committee said that the BJP aims for the maximum voter turnout in the Lok Sabha elections. Also Read | Nitish Kumar Trolled for Faux Pas at PM Narendra Modi's Rally in Nawada As Bihar CM Predicts NDA Will Win 'More Than 4,000 Seats' in Lok Sabha Election 2024 (Watch Video). "Under the direction of BJP National President JP Nadda, every member of the party, from the highest echelons to the booth-level workers, has committed to ensuring an election process that is not only free and fair but also devoid of fear, aiming for maximum voter turnout," he said. He further said that the Committee's efforts reflect a comprehensive approach to election management, focusing on meticulous planning and execution of strategies to facilitate a smooth electoral process. Also Read | How Many Seats Are There in Lok Sabha, 543 or 545? Know State-Wise Lok Sabha Constituency Numbers in India. Bhattacharya also said that this commitment to peaceful elections underscores the BJP's dedication to upholding democratic values and ensuring that the electoral process remains a safe and dignified exercise for the citizens of Tripura. "By emphasizing the importance of a free, fair, and fear-free election, the BJP aims to set a standard for electoral conduct, not just in Tripura but across the nation," he added. Pranajit Singha Roy, the convener of the state committee, while speaking to ANI said that the members of the State Lok Sabha Election Management Committee have been actively involved in reviewing and finalizing the preparations to guarantee a hassle-free voting experience for all participants, emphasizing the importance of full participation by voters from all demographics. "In view of the upcoming Lok Sabha Election, a committee has been formed consisting of 99 members. Our state president Rajib Bhattacharya is the chairman, and I am the convener. The BJP along with our national president has taken this election very seriously and all the members of our party are working very hard. We had prepared two different committees for both parliamentary seats of the state," Roy said. Polling for the two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura will be held in two phases. While the Tripura West seat will go to the polls on April 19, voting in the Tripura East seat will be held on April 26, it said. The bypoll to the Ramnagar assembly constituency will be held on April 19. The BJP has fielded former CM Biplab Kumar Deb in the Tripura West seat, while Kriti Singh Debbarma, who is the sister of Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Debbarma, was named as its candidate in the Tripura East seat. The Congress has named its state president Ashis Kumar Saha as its candidate for the Tripura West constituency, keeping the doors open for a CPI(M) candidate in the Tripura East seat. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Nagpur, April 8: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde hit out at his former party colleague Uddhav Thackeray, saying that despite holding the top job in the state, he performs all the duties of a party worker, as there is no concept of boss or servant in his faction of the Shiv Sena. "I am a CM, but I work as a worker even now. There is no boss or any servant in our party. We are all working in cooperation with each other," Shinde said while speaking at a public meeting in Nagpur on Sunday. 'Truth Has Won': Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Hails Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar's Decision, Calls It 'Victory of Democracy' (Watch Video). In an attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray over dynastic politics for favouring his son Aditya Thackeray, Shinde said, "(In our party) the king's son will not become the king. Only the one who works will become the king. Balasaheb Thackeray considered his colleagues as friends, but he (Uddhav) considered us as domestic servants." "A party or the state can never be run sitting at home," Shinde added. Earlier, the Maharashtra CM hit out at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), saying that the opposition is "Teen Tigada Kaam Bigada," adding that the Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP is going to win all seats in Vidarbha." We Will Fight Together Along With People of the State, Says Uddhav Thackeray After Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Announces Eknath Shinde Faction As Real Shiv Sena (Watch Video). "Mahayuti (the BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP alliance) is getting a good response in Vidarbha. There is such an atmosphere that the Mahayuti will win all the Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha. In two to three days, the Mahayuti will decide on the remaining seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi is 'Teen Tigada Kaam Bigada'. They have no agenda," CM Shinde said. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena (undivided) with 18 seats. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Pune, April 8: Three people have been arrested after a 22-year-old engineering student who allegedly went missing last month was found dead in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, police said on Monday. According to DCP Crime Branch Anol Zende, the deceased had gone missing on March 30 and his body was found yesterday. DCP Zende said that upon receiving the information of the incident from her parents, the police launched a massive search operation to trace and nab the accused. During a search, the police recovered the body from Supa tahsil of Ahmednagar district. Maharashtra: Class 12 Student Goes Missing on Exam Day in Navi Mumbai, Police Launch Search. "The victim was allegedly kidnapped and later murdered. The accused took her phone and asked Rs 9 lakh ransom from her parent. As of now police have arrested two persons from Jogeshwari area of Mumbai and one from Vima nagar of Pune," the police official said. The police said that the arrested accused will be produced in the Pune court by today. "Out these three arrested accused one was deceased's friend and other two were mutual friends. The police will produce the accused in Pune court today afternoon to seek custody for further investigation," they said. Thane Shocker: Seniors Thrash NCC Students With Stick on Pretext of Punishment in Joshi Bedekar College, Terrifying Video Surfaces. The police informed that the student was pursuing engineering from a college in Wagholi area of Pune. All three accused have been booked for kidnapping and murder charges at Vimantal police station under Pune City police jurisdiction. Further investigation into the matter is underway. (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 8 (ANI): Prominent BJP leader in Haryana and former Union minister Chaudhry Birendra Singh is likely to soon join Congress party, according to sources. The move comes after his son Brijendra Singh who is the sitting MP from Hisar resigned from Lok Sabha and the BJP and joined the Congress last month. The Hisar MP had cited "compelling political reasons." Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Former IPS Officer Vijay Kumar, Wife Anupama Join BJP. As per the said sources, the announcement about Singh's joining will likely be made on Tuesday. In the past, the father-son duo had often defied the BJP's stand on several issues. Also Read | Eid 2024 Date: Will Kerala and Karnataka Celebrate Eid al-Fitr Before Rest of India? Know Tentative Shawwal Chand Dates. In 2020, they sided with the protesting farmers to demand the withdrawal of the now-repealed farm laws. Both leaders also expressed solidarity with wrestlers who protested against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. The Hisar MP, after resigning from the BJP had said that the BJP's decision to ally with the Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) was also one of the reasons for his exit from the party. Brijendra defeated Chautala by more than two lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP swept the state, winning all 10 seats. However, a few months later in the Assembly elections, the JJP chief defeated Brijendra's mother Prem Lata by more than 40,000 votes from Uchana Kalan. Following the elections, the BJP allied with the JJP, a move that did not go down well as the contenders for the Hisar seat began to grow, especially with the induction of former Hisar MP Kuldeep Bishnoi into the BJP in 2023. Birender resigned from the Upper House in 2020 after Brijendra, a 1998-batch IAS officer who opted for voluntary retirement to enter politics, was elected Hisar MP. The Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, both part of the opposition bloc- INDIA will contest in alliance in Haryana. As per the agreement reached by both parties, AAP will contest Kurukshetra while Congress will contest the remaining nine seats in the state. Currently under the sway of the BJP-led NDA alliance, with all 10 Lok Sabha seats in its grasp, the state's political climate is undergoing scrutiny and potential transformation as the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections loom ahead. The state will go to polls in a single phase on May 25. The results will be declared on June 4. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Fireworks displayed on eve of Vikram Samvat New Year in Bhopal (Photo/ANI) Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 8 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday greeted people on the eve of the Hindu New Year, Vikram Samvat. It is a solar calendar that uses 12-13 lunar months per solar sidereal year. The Vikram Samvat calendar is usually 57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar, except for January-April when it is 56 years ahead. Also Read | TMC Delegation Meets West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, Abhishek Banerjee Slams EC for Detention of Party Leaders in Delhi. Meanwhile, 'Karmashree Sanstha' organised a fireworks display on the eve of the Hindu New Year in Bhopal. It is celebrated with different names across the country. In Maharashtra, people call it Gudi Padwa. Also Read | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Election Commission To Install GPS Location Tracking System in Vehicles Used for LS Polls. The Governor of Maharashtra Ramesh Bais greeted the people ahead of Gudi Padwa. In a message, the Governor said, "I extended my heartiest greetings to all on the occasion of Gudi Padwa and the commencement of the New Year." The Vikram Samvat is named after the legendary King Vikramaditya of Ujjain, who by tradition started this calendar back in 57 BC, though this is no historical evidence of the calendar being used before the 9th century. The common New Year's Day in the Vikram Samvat calendar is the start of the month of Chaitra in April. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kurukshetra (Haryana) [India], April 8 (ANI): Punjab Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann held a roadshow in support of the party's Kurukshetra candidate, Sushil Gupta, on Wednesday. Sushil Gupta is also the AAP Haryana State President. Also Read | Bomb Threat: Security Beefed Up Across Kolkata, Other Districts After Bomb Threat to 200 Schools. In Haryana, the Congress and the AAP will fight in alliance, with the Congress contesting nine Lok Sabha constituencies while one seat from Kurukshetra has been given to the AAP. The BJP has fielded Naveen Jindal from the Kurukshetra seat. Also Read | Nainital Fire: Three Dozen Shops Gutted As Massive Blaze Erupts in Garjiya Temple Complex in Ramnagar (Watch Video). Notably, Jindal represented the Kurukshetra parliamentary constituency from 2004-2014 when he was in Congress. However, he lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party's Raj Kumar Saini in the 2014 national elections and was not fielded by the Congress in 2019. The former Congress leader Naveen Jindal had joined the ruling BJP recently. "During my 10-year tenure with Congress, I worked for people and raised several issues in parliament. I don't want to comment on negative people who keep saying negative things. Today the kind of situation Congress has, is because of the negative talks by the negative people and that's why I believe in positive politics and want to fulfil PM Modi's dream of making India a developed nation by 2047," he said. Lok Sabha elections in the 10 parliamentary constituencies of Haryana will be held in a single phase on May 25. The counting of votes will be on June 4. In the 2019 Indian general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the dominant force in Haryana, securing a landslide victory by winning all 10 parliamentary seats. (ANI) (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 8 (PTI) Opposition parties in Punjab on Monday accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of insulting freedom fighter Bhagat Singh after AAP leaders and ministers in the state held a day-long fast at Khatkar Kalan to protest the arrest of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal. Khatkar Kalan is the ancestral village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Also Read | Ramadan 2024 Calendar: Sehri and Iftar Timings for 29th Roza of Ramzan on April 9 in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Other Cities of India. On the AAP's call for a nationwide collective fast, Mann and several ministers and AAP MLAs gathered at Khatkar Kalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district on Sunday for a day-long fast. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is also the AAP national convener, was arrested last month by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case. He is in judicial custody till April 15. Also Read | Tejashwi Yadav Taking False Credit for Jobs, Says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal said, "It is shocking that Bhagwant Mann, who has used to swear by the name of the martyr, misused the Shaheed Bhagat Singh museum to hold a party protest which seeks the release of Kejriwal who has been denied bail in the liquor scam case by courts." During his Punjab Bachao Yatra in Samrala and Bassi Pathana, Badal urged people to boycott Mann and accused the chief minister of "insulting" Bhagat Singh by "misusing" his native village. "Mann did not visit Khatkar Kalan March 23, the martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, and now he is misusing the site to seek relief for his boss Kejriwal," the SAD chief said. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh also came down heavily on the AAP government in Punjab for staging the protest at Khatkar Kalan. In a statement, Chugh condemned the chief minister and ministers for "taking shelter under the name of Bhagat Singh to hide corruption done by the senior party leaders led by Kejriwal". "It is a big insult to Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The people of Punjab will never forgive the AAP leaders", he said. Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also slammed the AAP for its day-long fast in support of Kejriwal. "It is highly shameful for the AAP to organise a hunger strike at such a pious place against the arrest of Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED in a liquor-related case," he said in a statement. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhopal, Apr 8 (PTI) It's a tale of two spouses, one royal and the other wife of one of the richest candidates, who have got into the heat and dust of electioneering in Madhya Pradesh in a bid to ensure their husbands, belonging to rival parties, win the Lok Sabha polls. Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, wife of Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who hails from a royal clan, and Priya Nath, wife of Congress leader Nakul Nath, who is one of the richest candidates, have been beating the extremely hot weather and reaching out to people to campaign for their spouses. Also Read | Lucknow: Couple Arrested for Mysterious Death of Retired NBRI Employee in Hazratganj. They have been seen meeting vendors, singing bhajans, engaging in activities appealing to the common people, with one of them also entering a farm to harvest crops, as their husbands look for a win in the electoral arena. Chhindwara's sitting MP Nakul Nath declared Rs 697 crore assets in the poll affidavit this time, and had topped the list of 475 Lok Sabha crorepati members in 2019. Also Read | Pune Shocker: Woman Engineering Student Kidnapped, Murdered for Ransom in Ahmednagar; Friend Among Three Arrested. His wife was recently seen cutting crops at an agricultural field in Chourai under her husband's parliamentary seat. During campaigning, she reached Navegaon under Junnardeo assembly seat of Chhindwara parliamentary constituency and danced along with village women to the tune of devotional songs at a Bhagvat Katha Pandal. Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, who hails from the Gaekwad royal family of Vadodara, has been hitting the streets of Guna constituency, from where her husband Jyotiraditya Scindia is contesting the Lok Sabha poll, meeting voters at market places and telling the people how much the Gwalior "Maharaj" (as the BJP leader is popularly called) cares for them. Addressing a programme last week, Raje told a gathering that she has been watching Maharaj for the past 20 years and seen how much affection he has for the people of Guna-Shivpuri-Ashoknagar area (the three districts which are part of Guna parliamentary seat). During the COVID-19 crisis, he was worried everyday that there should be no shortage of oxygen cylinders, tankers, medicines in hospitals as well as food, water and other essential requirements for the people of Guna Lok Sabha constituency, she said. In Chhindwara, Priya Nath has been trying to keep up the morale of her husband's supporters and hitting out at her father-in-law Kamal Nath's close associates who joined the BJP recently. "Never give up. Wherever I go, my sisters tell me that didi, never be nervous, we are with you. I ask, is there any nervousness visible on my face? I am not nervous but I definitely feel sad for papa Kamal Nath ji, whom they (turncoats) betrayed when the time came for his agnipareeksha," she told a gathering last week. "We definitely feel sad because we had accepted them wholeheartedly as our family," she added. Exuding confidence, Priya Nath also said the people of Chhindwara and Nath family have been together for 44 years and no power can break this relation in 44 days (ahead of the polls). Sravani Sarkar, a senior journalist from Bhopal, told PTI that the electoral politics scenario has undergone significant changes in the past decade. "The common voters are much more aware of issues and are clear about their choices. They also seem to have realised that lawmakers should truly be representatives of the commoners," she said. Sarkar claimed that voters now do not revere the elite like they once did and want a "down-to-earth attitude". The electoral battle for both Nakul Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia seems tough this time, she said. Scindia is moving ahead carefully as he faced defeat last time from Guna. Chhindwara has been the BJP's target in the last 4-5 years as it was the only seat which the saffron party failed to win in 2019, Sarkar said. Congress veteran Kamal Nath was elected from Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat for nine times and his son Nakul Nath was the lone winner for the grand old party from MP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Nath family won all the elections from Chhindwara after 1980, except once in 1997 when Kamal Nath was defeated by former BJP chief minister Sundarlal Patwa. The Congress has this time renominated Nakul Nath. The Guna Lok Sabha seat has been won by Scindia family members 14 times, but the family faced a defeat in 2019 when Jyotiraditya Scindia lost the poll. His father Madhavrao Scindia was elected from the seat four times while his grandmother Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia won the constituency six times between 1957 and 1998. Jyotiraditya Scindia also got elected from Guna four times between 2002 and 2014. In 2019, he contested as a Congress candidate. This time he is in the fray on BJP's ticket. Chhindwara will go to polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19 and Guna in the third phase on May 7. (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 8 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday favoured remission to an ailing 96-year-old convict who is serving life term in the 1993 train blast case in Rajasthan and is currently on parole, saying continued incarceration is "like capital punishment". Habib Ahmed Khan had moved the top court seeking permanent parole given his deteriorating health condition and age, and a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the Rajasthan government to consider his case from the human rights angle. Also Read | Ramadan 2024 Calendar: Sehri and Iftar Timings for 29th Roza of Ramzan on April 9 in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Other Cities of India. The counsel for Khan said he has been in jail for over 27 years after which he was granted parole thrice. The third parole is being now extended by this court from time to time. The bench, which perused the medical reports of Khan, said at this juncture what purpose will be served by his incarceration. Also Read | Tejashwi Yadav Taking False Credit for Jobs, Says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. "Just see his medical report, where will he go. It's the worst. Yes, he was convicted for a terror offence but he was not awarded capital punishment. Continued incarceration for him is like capital punishment," the bench told Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee, appearing for the Rajasthan government. The bench asked Banerjee to consider his remission and see the case from a human rights angle. The ASG submitted that for remission, the convict has to make an application to the state government but in the instant case, his conviction for terror offence would be a hindrance. Then what is Article 21 in the Constitution for, Justice Oka told the ASG, adding that Khan can neither walk nor see properly according to his medical reports. Justice Bhuyan said that at 96, Khan is just counting his days and the law cannot be so insensitive. Banerjee said, "This court has all the powers in the world and if it were to use the power under Article 142 of the Constitution for remission, then I would urge not to do so. Because remission can only be granted by the state government." Justice Oka said, "Not all the powers in the world but all the powers under the Constitution. Ultimately, there has to be some balance." The bench asked Banerjee to seek instruction on whether Khan could be granted remission or permanent parole and listed the matter after two weeks. Khan was arrested in 1994 in connection with a series of train blasts in 1993 and was convicted in 2004 by the Ajmer trial court along with 14 others under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). Khan's conviction and life sentence were upheld by the top court in 2016. He was lodged in Jaipur jail before being granted parole in 2021 by the top court. In August 2018, the Rajasthan High Court granted Khan parole for the first time for 20 days while taking into consideration his age and the fact that a co-accused in the same case Asfaq Khan was granted parole. Khan was again granted parole for 20 days in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was granted third parole in February 2021 by the high court for three weeks, which is being extended by the Supreme Court till date, due to his deteriorating health. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Wellington (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 8 (ANI): Army chief Gen Manoj Pande identified identified technology as the new strategic competition arena in the world with its weaponisation extending across various domains from Information to Supply Chains. In his address at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, he further discussed the expansion of warfare into new domains, including Space, Cyber, Electro-Magnetic Spectrum, and Information. Also Read | Only One Person Applied for Citizenship Under CAA: Himanta Biswa Sarma Launches Sharp Attack on People Protesting Against CAA Rules. General Manoj Pande was addressing the faculty and officers of the 79th Staff Course, including 36 officers from friendly foreign nations, on Monday. His discourse covered critical topics such as National Security, the geostrategic landscape and emerging trends, and the Indian Army's Transformational Initiatives. General Manoj Pande emphasised the importance of cross-functional synergy among the three services to effectively assess threats, articulate strategies, identify capabilities, formulate policies, achieve preparedness, and respond appropriately within the National Security framework. Also Read | Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase-1: ADR Analysis Shows 41% Constituencies Have Three or More Candidates With Criminal Cases. Addressing the geo-strategic landscape and emerging trends, the Chief of Army Staff highlighted the unprecedented scale and speed of change in the current global arena. He pointed out the emergence of new trendlines triggered by this rapid change, underscoring how disruptive technologies are reshaping conventional combat force ratios. General Manoj Pande identified 'technology' as the new strategic competition arena, with its weaponization extending across various domains from information to supply chains. He discussed the expansion of warfare into new domains, including space, cyber, the electro-magnetic spectrum, and information, the release stated. The Chief of Army Staff also noted the rapid technological advancement in kinetic war instruments, making the battlefield increasingly complex, contested, and lethal. He urged the officers to always be prepared for Black Swan events and "expect the unexpected." Highlighting India's ascent on the global stage, he stressed the growing need to safeguard India's national interests across expanding strategic horizons. General Manoj Pande called for strategic balance, underscoring the necessity for India to be strong and self-reliant in its defence capabilities. He also shed light on the Indian Army's ongoing transformative initiatives, particularly emphasising the 'Year of Tech Absorption' in 2024. Highlighting the key areas of focus in the ongoing process of tech absorption, General Manoj Pande stressed aligning and synergizing technology at strategic, operational, and tactical levels within existing systems; mapping futuristic and emerging technologies as drivers of military technology; strengthening the defence technology ecosystem to maintain a lead in the military technology curve; ensuring that acquisition and procurement facilitate the seamless induction of technology; and fostering techno warriors and commanders, the release stated. General Manoj Pande urged the student officers to drive the ongoing transformation in the Indian Army and asked them to maintain the highest standards of professionalism, while always keeping organisational interests supreme. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thane, Apr 8 (PTI) A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has acquitted a man and four of his other family members accused of subjecting his wife to cruelty, noting the woman "resiled" and did not support her own version. Additional Sessions Judge Amit M Shete, in the order passed on April 3, gave benefit of doubt to the accused and held the prosecution has failed to prove the charges against all of them and hence they need to be acquitted. Also Read | Nitish Kumar Trolled for Faux Pas at PM Narendra Modi's Rally in Nawada As Bihar CM Predicts NDA Will Win 'More Than 4,000 Seats' in Lok Sabha Election 2024 (Watch Video). A copy of the order was made available on Monday. Those acquitted include the woman's 34-year-old husband, her in-laws, sister-in-law and a brother-in-law who is an Army man. Also Read | How Many Seats Are There in Lok Sabha, 543 or 545? Know State-Wise Lok Sabha Constituency Numbers in India. They were charged under various Indian Penal Code sections, including 498-A (cruelty), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman's consent), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 ( criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention). The prosecutor told the court that the woman got married on August 3, 2013. Her husband and in-laws then started harassing her mentally and physically over household work, dowry demand of Rs 4 lakh and other miscellaneous reasons. The accused used to keep her starving and torture her by assaulting and threatening her. While the informant (victim) was pregnant, her husband also assaulted her in the stomach, due to which she suffered a miscarriage, the prosecution alleged. In his order, the judge said, "The informant resiled and not supported her own version. The complaint remained unproven." The panchanamas only go to show the arrest of the accused and nothing else, the court noted. On perusal of the medical certificate, it transpires that the informant had sustained no external injuries, it said. "The medical examination of the informant revealed no pregnancy. It is specifically mentioned in the certificate that there was no sign of pregnancy. The informant missed the MC (periods) and therefore, she might have carried the impression of pregnancy, however, the certificate is very clear, and without any doubt, the informant was not carrying a pregnancy," the court said. Thus, the serious charge of causing miscarriage, which is a cognisable offence triable by the court, stands disproved, the judge said. The court also noted that the woman's brother-in-law, who is an Army person, is said to have been posted in Jammu and Kashmir and therefore, he remained absent (during the hearing). "The law is settled, if there is an acquittal order, it can be extended to the absent accused," the court said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], April 8 (ANI): Two persons were arrested by the Delhi police for allegedly saying that they were carrying a 'nuclear bomb' during frisking at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport on April 5, officials said on Monday. They were identified as Jignesh Malani and Kashyap Kumar Lalani, residents of Rajkot in Gujarat. Also Read | SHARP India Appoints Sujai Karampuri As Chairman of Its India Business To Lead Company's Display Business in the Country and Enhance Brand Presence. According to police, the passengers, Jignesh Malan and Kashyap Kumar Lalani, questioned the necessity of security screening and said they were checked before boarding the Akasa Air flight. According to FIR filed by the airline staff of Akasa Air, "Secondary Ladder Point Security (SLPC) for Akasa Air flight (DEL-AMD) was going... staff asked Jignesh Malani and Kashyap Kumar Lalani for frisking. During frisking, one of them commented, "What are you checking when it is already done?" Also Read | Swiggy Houseboat Delivery: Online Food Platform Now Delivers to Tourists Staying on Houseboats on Dal Lake in Srinagar. The staff replied very politely, "Sir, it is a duty and an additional security measure for the security of the aircraft and its occupants." In response, one of the passengers allegedly replied, "Aap kya karoge main nuclear bomb le jaa raha hun? (What would you do if I'm carrying a nuclear bomb?)" After that, the passengers were not allowed to board the aircraft to ensure the safety of all occupants and the aircraft itself. A case under Section 182, 505(1)(b) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered based on the complaint and subsequent inquiry. Further details are awaited. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Prayagraj, April 8: Devotees celebrated Somvati Amavasya on the banks of the River Ganga at Prayagraj on Monday. Somvati Amavasya holds a special significance in Hinduism wherein devotees perform bathing, charity, worship, and rituals for their ancestors. It is believed that bathing in holy rivers and doing charity on this day leads to the attainment of merit. Devotees performed special rituals for their ancestors on Somvati Amavasya. Those who came to bathe expressed joy in participating in the baths, worship, and rituals on the banks of the Ganga on this auspicious day. Somvati Amavasya 2024: Devotees Throng River Mandakini To Offer Prayers on Auspicious Occasion in Madhya Pradeshs Chitrakoot (Watch Videos). Devotees Take Holy Dip in River Ganga at Prayagraj #WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Devotees take a holy dip in river Ganga, in Prayagraj, on the occasion of Somvati Amavasya. pic.twitter.com/FWLnfEm33L ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2024 Speaking to ANI, a devotee, Seema Rai said, "As part of the ritual, I have come to take a holy dip in the River Ganga. I have performed rituals, offered donations and prayed for peace of our ancestors." Another devotee, Asha Soni told ANI, "Rituals for ancestors, tarpan, charity, and merit are considered important on the auspicious day of Somvati Amavasya. Therefore, devotees bathe in the Ganga and circumambulate the Peepal tree. The morning Ganga Aarti holds special significance." Somvati Amavasya is dedicated to worshipping ancestors or forefathers and hence people are advised to use it to get rid of 'Pitru Dosha'. Chaitra Navratri 2024 Prasad Items for 9 Days: List of Offerings for the Nine-Day Hindu Festival Dedicated to Goddess Durga. On this day, people go for a holy dip in the Ganga and perform rituals like havan and yajna, charity, feeding animals, and reciting mantras. Monday (April 8) is the first Somvati Amavasya in 2024 where devotees are offering prayers to their ancestors to get rid of 'Pitru Dosha'. Pitra Dosha, also known as 'Pitru Dosh', is a negative astrological condition that can be detected in a person's birth chart. It's said to occur when Rahu and Sun are in conjunction in the ninth house of the birth chart, which is associated with ancestors and fathers. An Amavasya falling on Mondays has a special significance and hence is being celebrated as Somvati Amavasya to honour ancestors. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], April 8 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday expressed grief over the fire incident in the shops of Garjiya Devi temple complex located in Ramnagar of Nainital district. The Chief Minister, while expressing condolences to the people affected by the incident, has also directed the District Magistrate Nainital to investigate the causes of the incident. Also Read | TMC Delegation Meets West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, Abhishek Banerjee Slams EC for Detention of Party Leaders in Delhi. Taking to X CM Dhami posted, "Very sad news was received about fire in shops located in the premises of Garjiya temple (Ramnagar, Nainital). My condolences are with the shopkeepers who suffered losses in this incident. After talking to the District Magistrate through telephone, and getting detailed information about the situation, he was directed to investigate the causes of the incident and carry out relief work." The Chief Minister directed that effective arrangements should be ensured to prevent the recurrence of such incidents at religious places. Also Read | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Election Commission To Install GPS Location Tracking System in Vehicles Used for LS Polls. The Chief Minister said that necessary management should also be paid attention to so that the devotees do not face any difficulty in worshipping in the temples during the Navratri festival. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) by Ed Simon Demonstrating the utility of a critical practice thats sometimes obscured more than its venerable history would warrant, my 3 Quarks Daily column will be partially devoted to the practice of traditional close readings of poems, passages, dialogue, and even art. If youre interested in seeing close readings on particular works of literature or pop culture, please email me at [email protected] A short lyric can be an ingenious device, a clever mechanism, an engine for generating multiple meanings thats the first axiom of my argument. The second axiom is that all truly great poetry is, at some level, about poetry itself (if not about the individual poem itself). Robert Bernard Hass The Metaphysics of Presence, which was published in the December 2023 issue of Poetry magazine, is an exemplary example of both of these aforementioned principles; a lyric that ironically draws attention to itself, to Your hipster cynical voice and to clever puns, but in the deferral between ultimate meaning and surfaces suggests a far more profound, if ineffable, lesson than the playfulness which the work itself initially implies. The title of the work is consciously foreboding, with The Metaphysics of Presence sounding as if something that would be emblazoned on the spine of a door-stopper of continental philosophy. Its not incidental, however, for thats precisely and literally what Hass poem is concerned with, which is to say the relationship between what language represents and the thing-in-itself, between the sign and signified, the presence and the inevitable absence of words falling short of ultimate reality. To that end, The Metaphysics of Presence is a love poem. Hass even says so, writing in as straightforward a manner as is conceivable at the tenth line that Youre in the presence of a love poem, which is both accurate and not, and an example of a literal declaration in a poem that has fun with the incommensurability of literal declarations all while gesturing to something that lay beyond language. Hass work is an immaculate example of a self-referential poem, a work that is about poetry itself, and about this poem itself. If a love poem, than the poem works as a blazon of itself. Fourteen lines long, The Metaphysics of Presence is a love poem (or a poem about love poems) which harkens towards the most popular form for expressing such sentiments. Though matching the simplest definition of a sonnet, Hass doesnt necessarily adhere to expectations of rhyme, rhythm, and meter in that regard. This isnt necessarily a Petrarchan or a Shakespearian sonnet, Spenserian or Onegin. Rather, the formalism is more abstract, born not in the relationship between sounds and sense per se, but in the interaction between the words-themselves and what theyre supposed to mean. A nifty, metaleptic formalism that breaks the fourth wall of the lyric. So, for example, as Hass begins the poem with the first two words of his first line, he writes the punctuated sentence fragment of the words A fragment. What follows the caesura in that first line before the end-stop is To be followed by an infinitive phrase, which is of course an infinitive phrase. Its the second line that begins with Your hipster cynical voice, an interjection of lyrical narration at the third semantic beat of the poem, when the reader has intuited the conceit. The pronoun is particularly interesting; composed in the second-person, were to wonder if Hass is referring to himself, to an idealized poet, perhaps to the reader as a partner in the penning of the work. There is, almost, a sense that were to read this as an instruction manual of sorts, a type of poetic Mad Libs where the aspiring versifier is to plug in their own word choices (indeed at line eight, half-way through the work, he presents an actual spatial gap, to which Ill return). As if to affirm the conceit after drawing attention to the irony of the piece, Hass concludes the second line with One. Then Two. Then three words, all of which obviously refer to themselves, the first sentence fragment composed of one word, the second of two, and the third of three. The Metaphysics of Presence continues with its metaleptic trick; by the end of the fourth line were told to expect the obligatory foreign phrase, which is dutifully supplied in the form of the German-word Sprachspiele a line later (to which obligatory foreign phrase has also included alongside it And obscure allusion). An appropriate obscure allusion, for Sprachspiele is one of those untranslatable Teutonic words that fulfills a need, in this case roughly translating to language game. That word was popularized by the Austrian analytical philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein his second major work Philosophical Investigations, with the thinker in some ways the haunting presence of Hass poem. Wittgenstein, who made language his lifes work, explained how words relate to existence in two radically different theories in his only two works, famously writing in his 1918 tome Tractatus Logicus-Philosophicus that the limits of my language are the limits of my world. This is the same theme of Hass poem, that there are spaces/Between letters, between words, the distance between/You and me, the god of the gaps. In this manner, Hass has presented an anti-poem, a self-referential work about the failure of language in general and of poetry in particular what critic Stanley Fish calls a self-consuming artifact. The language game of the poem is the awareness that words are capricious and lines mercurial, that there is always a gap between reality and representation. Indeed Hass deployment of the phrase god of the gaps, which normally refers to the manner in which theology has often been deployed to explain that which the natural sciences (currently) cant explain, does dual service here, a gesture towards the concept of inexplicability as well as the jocular invention of a being that acts as a deity for these pockets of nothingness. Following the invocation of this god of the gaps Hass gives an actual space of whiteness, a capsule of nothing the space of an indentation, the absence of language speaking to the titular metaphysics of presence, before writing The present/Absence so rich in irony (note the homophonic pun that generates a logical paradox in the form of presence/absence). Two lines later the poet writes By now you may have guessed/Youre in the presence of a love poem. Or maybe you see/Something more. What is this Something more (the enjambment necessitating that ominously significant capitalization at the start of the line)? In the following fragment Hass provides an answer The futility. The futility of what then? Of what the poem claims to be about, about properly being able to name love, or anything else for that matter. In the Tractatus, Wittgenstein writes that Even when all the possible scientific questions have been answered, the problems of life remain completely untouched. Apophatically speaking, those are the subjects which remain the purview of poetry, of Whatever it is, it elides meaning, as Hass writes. The poem poetry must always fail, yet in its failures Hass suggest that there can be a necessary playfulness, the endless deferrals of the Sprachspiele. If this is a love poem and it is it concerns the failure of communication, where words are by necessity even more abstract than the painting that declares Ceci nest pas une pipe below the image of a pipe. Despite this, even though language games may be games, theyre where were able to construct our own meanings, for they leave you alone to make of it what you like, a space in which love that singularly ineffable thing can exist. A love poem not about a beloved, then, but about the very possibility of love. Ed Simon is the editor of Belt Magazine, an emeritus staff-writer for The Millions, and a columnist at 3 Quarks Daily. The author of over a dozen books, his upcoming title Relic will be released by Bloomsbury Academic in January as part of their Object Lessons series, while Devils Contract: The History of the Faustian Bargain will be released by Melville House in July of 2024. Guwahati/New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that the past decade of BJP governance at the Centre has been dedicated to transforming the Northeast from an "abandoned region" to an "abundant region". There has been a marked improvement in the situation in trouble-torn Manipur due to the timely intervention of the Centre and state government, the Prime Minister said in an interview to The Assam Tribune newspaper. Also Read | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: AAP Launches 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' Campaign Ahead of LS Polls. He also said that the Union government is making all possible efforts to successfully conclude the peace talks with Naga groups at the earliest. Modi said 11 peace agreements have been signed over the last 10 years, marking a significant milestone in efforts to bring peace and stability to the region. Also Read | NEET UG 2024: NTA to Reopen Application Window for Medical Entrance Exam on April 9 at neet.ntaonline.in, Know How to Apply Online. He also highlighted that more than 9,500 insurgents have surrendered since 2014 and integrated into the mainstream, showcasing a substantial step towards peace and development in the region. "When we formed the government, it was my firm commitment to change the status quo in the Northeast. We replaced the policy of isolation and ignorance with a policy of integration. In the last 10 years, we have ended Northeast's isolation and developed it as Bharat's gateway to the East," he said while pointing out that he had visited the region nearly 70 times. Modi said "Aaj Northeast na Delhi se door hai aur na dil se door hai!" (Today, the northeast is neither far from Delhi nor our hearts). "Given the Northeast's strategic location, our vision is that the region should be developed as a base for India's growing economic links while also ensuring that the aspirations of the people are fulfilled... We have transformed the Northeast from an 'abandoned region' to an 'abundant region' with over Rs 5 lakh-crore spent by ministries of the government of India over the last 10 years," he said. While speaking on the Manipur situation and the opposition's criticism of the issue, the Prime Minister said it is a collective responsibility to deal with the situation sensitively. "I have already spoken about this in Parliament. We have dedicated our best resources and administrative machinery to resolving the conflict. Because of the timely intervention of the government of India and efforts by the Manipur government, there has been a marked improvement in the situation of the state," he said. Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's two-day visit to Manipur last year and holding 15-plus meetings with various stakeholders, when the conflict was at its peak, Modi said the process of relief and rehabilitation is ongoing. "Remedial measures undertaken include a financial package for the relief and rehabilitation of people living in shelter camps in the state," he said. Speaking about the Centre's achievement in controlling insurgency, Modi said there has been a 71 per cent reduction in insurgency-related incidents in 2023 compared to 2014. "Similarly, in this period, casualties of security forces have come down by 60 per cent and civilian deaths by 82 per cent. Due to improved security situation, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been withdrawn from most parts of the Northeast," he said. Asked about China's claims over parts of Arunachal Pradesh for years, Modi said, "Arunachal Pradesh is, was, and shall always be an integral part of Bharat." Listing various development projects worth thousands of crores for Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister said, "Today, development works are reaching the Northeast like the first rays of the sun, faster than ever before." On the final solution of the framework agreement with NSCN(IM), which was signed in 2015, he said, "The official representative of the government of India is holding talks with NSCN(IM) and other Naga groups. The Centre is making all possible efforts to successfully conclude the peace talks with Naga groups at the earliest." Reacting to infiltration from Myanmar into Mizoram, Modi said the issue has been raised with the authorities of the neighbouring country as this directly impacts India, particularly the Northeastern states. "To prevent infiltration and secure our borders, several steps have been taken by the government. These steps include the decision to scrap the Free Movement Regime between India and Myanmar, increased and effective deployment of border guarding forces along the Indo-Myanmar border, and close coordination among various security agencies," he said. Modi said the Union government has urged the Mizoram government to initiate a campaign to collect biometric data from illegal migrants, and provide devices and support for the implementation of the biometric capture plan. "We are bringing about policy changes to adjust to the changing realities on the ground. We want to see peace and stability return to Myanmar at the earliest so that these people can return to their home country peacefully," he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) West Medinipur (West Bengal) [India], April 8 (ANI): West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday, visited the family of Bharatiya Janata Party worker who died in mysterious circumstances in West Medinipur. He said that murder is not a question of statistics, but has a human factor involved, while vowing that the culprit behind the incident will be sent behind bars. Also Read | Dutch Far-Right Leader Geert Wilders Holds Phone Conversation With Suspended BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Speaking to the reporters, Bose said, "I have come to see what happened here... This is no joke or a small matter...This child has lost his father. This lady has lost her husband. There is a human factor involved in this." "Murder is not a question of statistics, there is no politics, no caste in murder... We will ensure that whoever has done this goes to jail," he added. Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir Terror Attack: Non-Local Driver Attacked by Terrorists in Shopian (Watch Video). This comes after a BJP worker was found dead under mysterious circumstances in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur. This comes on the heels of the allegation levelled by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that its team came under violent attack by an unruly mob when they went to conduct searches in Naruabila village on Saturday in connection with a probe. The NIA on Saturday arrested two accused, Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity, for their involvement in the crude bomb explosion case. Following the Special Court's order, the NIA conducted the searches on Saturday, which culminated in the arrest of the two accused, who were found to be involved in the case. Polling for the Lok Sabha in Bengal will take place across all seven phases, spanning from April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, TMC won the maximum of 22 seats, but the BJP showed a significant improvement in its tally by winning 18 seats. The Congress's tally dropped to just 2 seats, while the Left scored a blank. (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 8 (PTI) Fintech firm BharatPe is learnt to have rejigged senior management of its payment and lending unit verticals, according to sources. The company has elevated its banking and alliance Chief Business Officer Sandeep Indurkar as CEO of payment vertical -- Resilient Payments Pvt Ltd. Also Read | BJP Foundation Day 2024 Date: Know the History and Significance of BJP Sthapna Diwas That Celebrates the Formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. CEO BharatPe's Zillion -- erstwhile Payback India -- Rijish Raghavan will now handle device business of the company. The company's head for consumer lending vertical Kohinoor Biswas will handle Zillion in place of Raghavan. Also Read | AMC Raising Day 2024: Army Medical Corps Celebrates 260th Raising Day as They Live Up To The Corps Motto. All three will report to BharatPe's CFO and interim CEO Nalin Negi. An emailed query sent to BharatPe elicited no response. There has been no change in the merchant app vertical. The company has seen improvement in business with 182 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue from operations to Rs 904 crore in FY23, while loss before tax fell to Rs 886 crore from Rs 5,594 crore during the period. A significant progress was made in reducing loss before tax, from Rs 5,594 crore to Rs 886 crore, according to the company. BharatPe reported its first operational profit in October 2023. PTI (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Gurugram, Apr 8 (PTI) The Gurugram Police has arrested two men, including a private bank employee, for duping people on the pretext of work-from-home job opportunities, officials said on Monday. So far Rs 30,000 has been recovered from the duo and further questioning is on, they said. Also Read | BJP Foundation Day 2024 Date: Know the History and Significance of BJP Sthapna Diwas That Celebrates the Formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The accused have been identified as Zaildar Barar (31), a former employee of AU Small Finance Bank, and Nitesh (38), who worked with an insurance company, they said. The duo used to lure people to earn money through a gaming app, where they were required to attach their bank accounts, the police said. Also Read | AMC Raising Day 2024: Army Medical Corps Celebrates 260th Raising Day as They Live Up To The Corps Motto. A man, who registered an FIR at the cyber police station in Manesar on January 25, had alleged that he was duped of around Rs 1.3 crore by the fraudsters, they said. The complainant had said that he saw an advertisement about Renault Car Hire on Snapchat and filled in his details. He was later contacted on Telegram by some people, who told him about earning money from home and later duped him, the police said. While investigating the matter, the cyber police on Sunday arrested Barar and Nitesh, both residents of Jaipur, they added. "During interrogation, Barar revealed that they defrauded Rs 26 lakh from the victim which was transferred to a bank account named Akhil Trading, owned by one of their associates, Akhil," ACP Cyber Priyanshu Dewan said. Akhil later shared the complainant's bank account details with cyber fraudsters in return of Rs 1 lakh and 2 per cent commission, the ACP said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) Online travel firm MakeMyTrip on Monday announced expansion of its global reach with its services becoming accessible in over 150 countries. MakeMyTrip has expanded its reach to several countries, including major travel markets like the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, France, and many others, from previously being operational in India, the US, and the UAE, the company said in a statement. Also Read | BJP Foundation Day 2024 Date: Know the History and Significance of BJP Sthapna Diwas That Celebrates the Formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The company has adhered to multiple international compliances, including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) to accomplish this feat, it added. "The rigorous standards of compliance and commitment to data protection we have in place for our Indian business, helped us transition smoothly towards stringent international compliances," MakeMyTrip Co-founder & Group CEO Rajesh Magow said. Also Read | AMC Raising Day 2024: Army Medical Corps Celebrates 260th Raising Day as They Live Up To The Corps Motto. The decision to make MakeMyTrip accessible globally is a result of testing its processes against rigorous protocols across the world to enable travellers book or modify their travel purchases on the platform without any roadblocks wherever they are geographically, he added. Magow said the travel platform is focusing on increased in-bound tourism. "Our global accessibility will help us reach the vast Indian diaspora. Importantly, this expansion will enable us to cater to a broader audience, fostering increased inbound travel to India," he said. The company's coverage, offering accommodations in more than 2,000 cities, will assist international tourists in discovering the hidden gems of India, he added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thane, Apr 8 (PTI) A 44-year-old man working with a powerloom unit in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra's Thane district has been murdered allegedly by an unidentified person, police said on Monday. The body of Anwarali Vakil Ansari, with injuries on various parts including head, ears and eyes, was found near the Kamwari river on Friday evening, an official from Bhiwandi taluka police station said. Also Read | BJP Foundation Day 2024 Date: Know the History and Significance of BJP Sthapna Diwas That Celebrates the Formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The motive behind the killing was not yet known, he said. The proprietor of the powerloom unit where Ansari was employed identified the body and filed a police complaint. Also Read | AMC Raising Day 2024: Army Medical Corps Celebrates 260th Raising Day as They Live Up To The Corps Motto. The deceased used to consume liquor often with a colleague, the police said quoting a complaint. The body was sent to a government hospital for postmortem. The police have registered a case against an unidentified person under Indian Penal Code section 302 (murder) and launched a probe into it, the official said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) India has again invoked the peace clause of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to provide excess support measures to rice farmers in the 2022-23 marketing year to sustain its existing public stockholding programmes for food security purposes. Under the Peace Clause, WTO members refrain from challenging any breach in the prescribed subsidy ceiling given by a developing nation at the dispute settlement forum of the Geneva-based organisation. Also Read | BJP Foundation Day 2024 Date: Know the History and Significance of BJP Sthapna Diwas That Celebrates the Formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Subsidies over and above the prescribed ceiling are seen as trade-distorting. The limit is fixed at 10 per cent of the value of food production for developing countries like India. "India notifies the Committee on Agriculture that it has exceeded the de minimis limit specified under...the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) for rice, a traditional staple food crop, for the marketing year 2022-2023. The de minimis level for rice has been exceeded pursuant to the support provided through public stockholding programmes for food security purposes, which were in existence as of the date of the Bali Ministerial Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes," according to a submission made by India to the WTO. Also Read | AMC Raising Day 2024: Army Medical Corps Celebrates 260th Raising Day as They Live Up To The Corps Motto. New Delhi has made its submission that the country has fulfilled and continues to fulfil its domestic support notification requirements under the AoA. India has notified the WTO that while the value of India's total production of rice stood at USD 52.8 billion in 2022-23, a subsidy worth USD 6.39 billion was given to farmers during the marketing year. India has time and again called on WTO members to find a permanent solution to the long-pending public food stockpile issue, saying it is directly related to achieving the sustainable development goal of zero hunger by 2030. The PSH (public stockholding) programme is a policy tool under which the government procures crops like rice and wheat from farmers at the minimum support price (MSP) and stores and distributes foodgrain to the poor. Under the global trade norms, a WTO member country's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production based on the reference price of 1986-88. India has been seeking amendments to the formula for calculating the food subsidy cap. As an interim measure, the WTO members at the Bali ministerial meeting in December 2013 had agreed to put in place a mechanism popularly called the Peace Clause and committed to negotiating an agreement for a permanent solution. Under the Peace Clause, WTO members agreed to refrain from challenging any breach of the prescribed ceiling by a developing nation at the dispute settlement forum of the WTO. This clause will be there till a permanent solution is found to the food stockpiling issue. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Vienna, Apr 8 (AP) Austria faces its biggest espionage scandal in decades as the arrest of a former intelligence officer brings to light evidence of extensive Russian infiltration, lax official oversight and behaviour worthy of a spy novel. Egisto Ott was arrested March 29. The 86-page arrest warrant, obtained by The Associated Press, alleges among other things that he handed over cellphone data of former high-ranking Austrian officials to Russian intelligence, helped plot a burglary at a prominent journalist's apartment, and wrote up suggestions for improvement after a Russian-ordered killing in Germany. Also Read | Solar Eclipse 2024: Should You Turn Off Mobile Phone During Eclipse? Will Total Solar Eclipse Disrupt Cell Services? Know All the Answers Here. Ott is suspected of having provided sensitive information to Jan Marsalek, a fugitive fellow Austrian wanted on suspicion of fraud since the collapse in 2020 of German payment company Wirecard, where he was the chief operating officer. The warrant says chat messages provided by British authorities link Marsalek directly to the Russian intelligence agency FSB. German and Austrian media have reported that Marsalek is believed to have had connections to Russian intelligence since at least 2014. He is now thought to be in Russia. Also Read | France: Couple Faces Jail Sentence, Permanent Pet Ban After Authorities Rescued Over 100 Dehydrated and Malnourished Pets From Their Apartment in Nice. Thomas Riegler, a historian and espionage expert affiliated with the Austrian Center for Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies, said the case has the potential for one of the biggest espionage stories in recent Austrian history. The case is special given its international dimension and the fact that it is not only about espionage but also about the infiltration of the Austrian political system and the weakening of the country's internal security, he said. Austria, which was located next to the Iron Curtain during the Cold War and long had good connections with Moscow, is a European Union member with a policy of military neutrality and a longstanding reputation as a spying centre. UNRAVELING THE SPIDER'S WEB Ott, a former police officer, was an intelligence officer in Turkiye and Italy from 2001 to 2012 before moving on to manage undercover agents at Austria's now-defunct domestic intelligence agency, the BVT. He was suspended from the BVT in 2017 when allegations emerged for the first time that he could be spying for Russia, but reassigned the following year to work for the Austrian police academy. In 2021, he was suspended pending further investigation into his alleged ties to Russia and taken into custody. Authorities concluded the evidence was too thin and released him about four weeks later. At the BVT, Ott served under Martin Weiss, the former chief of Austrian intelligence operations. Prosecutors alleged that Ott and Weiss have a close friendship. In the arrest warrant, they say that Weiss began to work for Marsalek and Wirecard after leaving the intelligence agency in 2018, and that he passed orders from Marsalek and Russian operatives to Ott. According to the arrest warrant, Marsalek said in a text message that he helped "evacuate" Weiss to Dubai. Ott's lawyer declined to comment, saying he had only recently taken over Ott's defense. Ott has previously denied the espionage allegations and any wrongdoing. Marsalek, 44, appears to be the spider in the web who is pulling the strings, Riegler said. There was no immediate response to an email seeking comment from Marsalek's lawyer. DISSIDENTS, SPIES AND DATABASES Between 2017 and 2021, the Austrian warrant says, Ott collected sensitive information on people of interest to Russia for the purpose of transmission to Jan Marsalek and to unknown representatives of Russian authorities" by conducting numerous searches in national police databases and making requests to other European police officers, including in Italy and Britain. Ott also allegedly requested data from the information system of Europe's border-free travel area to ascertain whether suspected Russian operatives and former Wirecard employees were wanted or subject to travel restrictions. The warrant contains a long list of people who were spied on, including Russian dissidents, businesspeople and a former officer who had quit the FSB. A BURGLARY, SOAKED CELLPHONES AND LESSONS LEARNED While allegations that Ott sought information for Russia first surfaced in 2017, British intelligence recently provided Austria with significant new information. Five Bulgarian citizens who allegedly worked as part of a network with Marsalek were arrested last year in Britain and another in February. According to the Ott arrest warrant, chat messages between Marsalek and one of the suspects in that case, Orlin Roussev, that were seized by Britain's MI5 intelligence agency point to further operations by Marsalek and his Austrian helpers. Just five weeks after Ott was released from custody in 2021, prosecutors say he requested the address of Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev in Vienna and supplied it to Marsalek. They say Marsalek later commissioned a team to break into Grozev's apartment and steal a laptop and USB stick. Grozev, who tracked down Russian officers allegedly involved in the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in 2018 and Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020, relocated from Vienna last year after Austrian authorities told him they could no longer guarantee his security. Ott also allegedly got hold of the cellphones of three former high-ranking Austrian Interior Ministry officials, including a former minister's chief of staff, when they were supposed to be repaired by BVT IT specialists after falling into the water during a boat excursion on the Danube in 2017. Prosecutors say the phones were given to an unknown agent working for Marsalek at the Vienna apartment of Ott's former son-in-law and transferred to Moscow for further analysis. They say the phones contained sensitive official and private data. Ott also allegedly helped Marsalek smuggle a stolen SINA computer, a device used by many European governments for transmitting classified information, to Moscow. After a handover at the same Vienna apartment, Marsalek wrote in a message that the device was successfully transported to the Lubyanka where the FSB has its headquarters in Moscow according to prosecutors. Investigators also found a lessons-learned analysis on Ott's mobile phone that contained suggestions for improvement for Russian intelligence operations in Europe following the 2019 killing in Berlin of a Georgian citizen of Chechen ethnicity. A Russian man was caught and convicted in that case; German judges said he acted on the orders of Russian authorities. WHAT IS AUSTRIA DOING NOW? Ott remains in custody awaiting a decision on whether he will be officially charged, a process that will likely take a while. However, the case has dominated the news headlines, with the various political parties blaming each other for the failure to stop Ott earlier. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has convened a meeting of the National Security Council for Tuesday and said the country needs to boost its security to thwart Russian infiltration. His justice minister said she plans to tighten the country's laws on espionage, which currently is explicitly banned if directed against Austria itself but not if it targets other countries or the many international organisations Vienna hosts. (AP) (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 8 (AP) French troops joined their British counterparts in the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace for the first time on Monday, marching together in a display of solidarity between Britain and France amid the war in Ukraine. At a parallel ceremony in Paris, British soldiers donned tall bearskin hats to take part in an unprecedented joint military parade in front of the presidential Elysee Palace, as the French army choir sang the two national anthems, God Save the King and La Marseillaise. Also Read | Eid Moon Sighting 2024 in Saudi Arabia Live News Updates: Preparations Underway To Sight Shawwal Crescent, Know Sunset Time. The twin events were to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, the 1904 diplomatic agreement between Britain and France that paved the way for their collaboration in both World War I and World War II. In a video message posted on social media on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the alliance was a foundation for deepening Anglo-French relations particularly at a time of the return of war. Also Read | Eid 2024 Moon Sighting Live News Updates: Preparations Underway To Sight Shawwal Crescent in UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Other Countries. Our Entente Cordiale remains as relevant as ever, Macron said. Faced with the resurgence of war in Europe, we stand together to defend the values we share and to support Ukraine as it defends itself against its aggressor. Prince Edward and his wife Sophie inspected the joint parade, which included 32 members of the Gendarmerie's Garde Republicaine and 40 guardsmen from the Scots Guards. King Charles III, who is continuing his cancer treatment, was not at Buckingham Palace. It was the first time a country that isn't part of the Commonwealth group of nations has taken part in the traditional Changing of the Guard ceremony, though the French troops did not participate in guarding the royal residence a ceremonial duty that can only be performed by UK or Commonwealth troops. In Paris, 16 members of the Coldstream Guards were the first foreign troops ever to take part in guarding the French presidential residence. Britain and France said Monday's ceremonies were part of a wider programme this year to celebrate the two countries' historic military and diplomatic ties. This includes major events in Normandy in June to commemorate the service of Allied veterans who fought to liberate France from Nazi occupation. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Streaks of Light Seen in California. (Photo Credits: Video Grab) Lahore, Apr 8 (PTI) A Pakistani court on Monday sentenced a senior lawyer to six months in jail for using foul language against a judge of the high court. Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan handed down a six-month jail term to Advocate Zahid Mahmood Goraya under a contempt of court charge for misbehaving with Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad of LHC. Also Read | Solar Eclipse 2024: Partial Eclipse Begins Over South Pacific as Moon Starts to Cover Up Sun. Also, the judge imposed a fine of PKR100,000 on him. Judge Ahmad had filed a case to LHC Chief Justice Khan against Goraya for using foul language against the senior judge during the hearing of a case. Also Read | 'Minimum Skills, Work Experience': New Zealand Tightens Work Visas, Announces New Rules With Immediate Effect Amid Record Migration. "Although Advocate Goraya submitted an unconditional apology, but the LHC chief justice indicted him under the contempt charges and convicted him after the prosecution played a video proof of his outburst against the judge," a court official said. Lawyers rarely get convicted for misbehaving with judges. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) by Richard Farr Im writing this 37,000 feet above Vestmannaeyjar, a chain of islands off Icelands south coast. Or so the screen tells me I cant see the view because Im wedged into 38E, a middle seat at the back near the loos. The ambient noise and vibration are roughly what youd experience with your back to the railing at Niagara. As if pleased with the roar, this part of the airframe wags intermittently, like the rear end of a hopeful dog. Objects made of metal have no right to be this flexible especially not airtight objects that are essentially several thousand small tin trays tacked together. (Welded? Bolted? Riveted? What is a rivet anyway? How is it possible to reach my age with essentially no idea what a rivet is?) When I read Simon Winchesters history of engineering, The Perfectionists, I must have missed the bit about rivets, but I did learn that the turbine blades in a jet engine have to be manufactured by advanced magi of the alchemical arts, who employ exotic alloys and mind-bogglingly fine tolerances to fight metals very natural desire to melt or shatter when spun at ferocious speeds inside a furnace. I try not to think about the fact that a manufacturing imperfection the size of a fleas toenail could get me into a news story. According to my watch were at 6,000 feet, but thats only an indication of the lowered cabin pressure. Its nothing, from a climbers point of view, but presumably it explains why my head hurts, my hands look like a pair of lizard skin gloves, and half the passengers are farting. A quarter century ago, also traveling from Heathrow to Seattle, I was in exactly this sliver of airspace and did see the view. My young sons being adorable, they and I were invited to come forward, visit the cockpit, and meet the pilots. We were on a 747, either a 200 or 300 series presumably since they still had an engineer in addition to the two pilots. My sons were mesmerized by the avionics, and also by the fact that the engineer at his sideways-facing console had a Wallace and Gromit coffee mug. My own focus of attention, after admiring the six-mile drop, was the view directly ahead: a pale white wall of lethally cold nothing, towards which we were hurtling at a substantial fraction of the speed of sound. The co-pilot had gone for a pee. The captain and engineer were both bantering with my sons and neither was looking out the front. It was terrifying. What would happen if a slow-moving London double-decker lumbered into view from behind a cloud? Today nobody gets to visit the cockpit, especially not someone like me, who has no little boys in tow and bought the class of seat that comes with a surcharge for breathing. Not that I want to breathe, mind you: the air back here smells worse than the back wall of a country pub after a barn dance. And the man with his elbow in my ribs, one of the farters, keeps coughing without covering his mouth. This aircraft is a 777. Living near Seattle should make me a fan of Boeing, but in recent years and days those loyalties have been tested. I glance at the nearest window seat and am glad not to be in it. My thoughts drift from failed door plugs to the 737-MAX, and from there to what a local journalist wittily dubbed the Dreamsmoker. A question for further research: has anyone yet tried to calculate the total cost of hiring executives who were going to save the company money? With a quick check before stowing the phone for takeoff I was able to confirm that the 777 has been in the sky since 1995. Surely this one is more recent? I try not to think about it. Further quick checks on the tarmac in London indicated that we are burning about five gallons of jet fuel per mile. On this flight my personal contribution to the choked and coughing troposphere will be ten times my own body weight in carbon dioxide. I try not to think about that either. There are 133 movies on offer, of which Ive seen four; for some reason I cant muster any enthusiasm for the others. In theory I could read my e-book, but all my current reads are library downloads and a perky message informs me that all of them have, mysteriously, been returned early. Luckily by chance I have an actual, physical New York Review of Books in my bag. I spend a couple of hours distracted from aviation mechanics by reading it from cover to cover; among other things I learn a great deal about Robert Louis Stevensons essays, Byrons sex life, Alexei Navalnys tactical brilliance in fighting the disease that eventually killed him, and political sepsis of a similar kind in Indonesia. Looking around the cabin, I catch myself experiencing complicated feelings about the fact that, uniquely, my reading is in the antique format of a newspaper. We gave up our New York Times a year ago when it was no longer possible to get it delivered regularly; after a lifetime of real newspapers, and despite the myriad reasons the Gray Lady irritated me, I still miss her deeply. What a privilege and a half-forgotten joy it is then, to spend a few hours reading intelligent writing about the issues of the day, and of other days, in long form, without pop-ups or hyperlinks, untethered from the little glowing stone that were supposed to think Steve Jobs a genius for having set loose upon us. (How am I writing the words you are reading? Given that last remark, surely in the tattered Moleskine notebook of travel writer legend? But no. Bruce Chatwin, Norman Lewis, Laurie Lee, Freya Stark and Robert Byron all writers I idolized when I first got the itch are probably turning in their graves: Im writing with my thumbs, on my little glowing stone. ) The cabin crew seem overworked, unsure of themselves, frazzled. They completely missed our section with the drinks trolley at lunch. I was looking forward to a glass of cheap red to go with my tin coffin of pasta, because it might have cut the greasiness while proving mildly anesthetic. But one of the Stoics says somewhere that you should treasure these moments of everyday deprivation, because they offer you an opportunity to practice your immunity to fortune. Ok then: No doubt Im better off without the wine anyway. I scoff at these bodily desires. The wine is nothing to me. Nothing! Speaking of acceptance, stories of bad passenger behavior are legion but I see no grounds for draconian measures today. On the contrary Im once again amazed by the patience people reveal in these conditions. Once settled, many of them wrap a blanket around themselves, retreat behind their shades and headphones, and slump motionless for the full duration, like gelatinous sea creatures attaching themselves to an abyssal rock. Me? Im skinny, flexible and decently fit, but I squirm constantly, find the confinement in one position almost immediately unbearable, and always pick an aisle if possible so that I can get up regularly. Often I spend most of the flight standing at the back, getting in the way of the stewards, stretching or reading. Im not really all that much of a nervous flier but I do hate landing. An object that weighs three-quarters of a million pounds should not be able to get into the air in the first place the concept of lift, which I have tried to understand in real technical depth by e.g. reading the Wikipedia article, is clearly nothing but a story that engineers with a sense of humor invented to tease the gullible. But it seems even more implausible that after relying on magic for ten hours we can thump onto the tarmac at 150 mph, fail to tip sideways or collapse the landing gear or cartwheel off the end of the runway in a halo of flame, and after only a few alarming noises come safely to a stop. Welcome to Seattle, where as always its 50 degrees fahrenheit with a light drizzle. The local time is I block my ears. The local time is another thing I dont want to think about. * One day later: I now know what a rivet is. Two days later: Mastering the Costs-to-Boeing-from-Major-Recent-Screwups question, on the other hand, is like trying to bushwhack my way through a trackless financial jungle armed only with a paring knife. I admit defeat after less than an hour and can only say: tens of billions. This puts executive compensation in some perspective. David Calhoun, who recently said he would step down as CEO in the wake of the most recent SNAFU, was only costing the company about $20 million a year in compensation. So youd have to pay at least ten such executives that much, for at least 100 years, to even come close to the price of messing up a once-unassailable engineering culture. Some economists like to defend the American taste for stratospheric executive pay. Now I see that in a way they have a point: its a rounding error. Three days later: I have aches, chills, a thick cough and a bad headache. I could have worn a mask on the flight but like my 350 fellow passengers I couldnt be bothered. At least its not COVID. I blame the man with the elbow. Islamabad [Pakistan], April 8 (ANI): At least two people were killed, and five, including a woman, were injured in a blast near Umer Umar Farooq Chowk in Khuzdar city of Balochistan on Sunday, ARY News reported citing a government official. According to Khuzdar Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Arif Khan, the bomb was planted in a motorcycle parked in the middle of a commercial centre. Also Read | Live Breaking News Headlines & Updates, April 8, 2024. The bodies and the injured were moved to the nearby hospital, he added. Notably, blasts, robbery attempts and killings have become the new normal in Pakistan, as the law and order of the country continues to deteriorate. Also Read | Arvind Kejriwal Arrest: Indians Living in 13 Countries Took Part in Fast to Protest Against Delhi CMs Arrest, Says AAP. Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister of Balochistan, denounced the explosion and called it a barbaric strike that targeted innocent civilians, reported ARY News. Bugti vowed to punish the perpetrators of the bombing, saying that security forces will eradicate terrorism in the nation. (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 York, Apr 8 (AP) Former President Donald Trump says he will finally announce Monday when he believes abortions should be banned, after months of refusing to stake a position on an issue that could decide the outcome of November's presidential election. The presumptive Republican nominee wrote on his social media site Sunday night that he plans to issue a statement on abortion and abortion rights." Also Read | Eid Moon Sighting 2024 in Saudi Arabia: When Is Eid al-Fitr? Supreme Court in KSA Calls Upon Muslims to Attempt to Sight Shawwal Crescent Moon Today to Decide Eid-Ul-Fitr Date. He told reporters last week he would make a statement soon after being asked about Florida's six-week abortion ban going into effect. Trump for more than a year now has declined to say when in a pregnancy he would try to draw the line, even as Republican-led states have ushered in a wave of new restrictions following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Also Read | Brazil: Supreme Court Justice Alexandre De Moraes Opens Investigation Into Elon Musk Over Fake News and Alleged Obstruction. His announcement will be closely watched both by Democrats who believe the fight over abortion rights helps them at the polls and Republicans who failed to push Trump to endorse a national abortion ban during the GOP primary. Great love and compassion must be shown when even thinking about the subject of LIFE, Trump wrote on his social media site, "but at the same time we must use common sense in realising that we have an obligation to the salvation of our Nation, which is currently in serious DECLINE, TO WIN ELECTIONS, without which we will have nothing other than failure, death, and destruction. Trump had long argued that the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe gave those who oppose abortion rights tremendous power to negotiate. He said he wanted to use that leverage to strike a deal that he hoped would make both sides happy and bring the country together even though the issue is one of the most contentious in American politics, with opponents viewing abortion as murder and proponents seeing it as a fundamental women's right. Trump suggested last month in a radio interview that he was leaning toward supporting a national abortion ban at around 15 weeks of pregnancy early in the second trimester. The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And I'm thinking in terms of that," he said on WABC radio. "And it'll come out to something that's very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at. At the same time, Trump seemed reluctant to embrace a federal ban. Everybody agrees you've heard this for years all the legal scholars on both sides agree: It's a state issue. It shouldn't be a federal issue, it's a state issue, he said. Trump has tried to thread the needle on abortion throughout the campaign. He routinely takes credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, which he has called a moral and unconstitutional atrocity," and has called himself the most pro-life president in American history. But he has also repeatedly criticized fellow Republicans for being too hard-line on the issue, blaming candidates who did not allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the pregnant person is at risk for the party's losses that November. A lot of politicians who are pro-life do not know how to discuss this topic and they lose their election. We had a lot of election losses because of this, because they didn't know to discuss it. They had no idea, he said at the Concerned Women of America 2023 Leadership Summit. Democrats and President Joe Biden's campaign, meanwhile, have been spotlighting the issue as they work to draw a contrast with Trump. Polling has consistently shown that most Americans believe abortion should be legal through the initial stages of pregnancy. About half of US adults said abortions should be permitted at the 15-week mark, according to an Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research poll conducted last June. Data compiled by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention show that the vast majority of abortions from 2012 to 2021 were performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. The Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision established the constitutional right to abortion until the time of viability, at around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy. Abortions later in pregnancy are rare and are often performed due to serious fetal abnormalities, when the life of the mother is at risk, or when women have faced significant delays accessing the procedure, according to the health policy research firm KFF. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kolkata, April 8: Security has been beefed up across Kolkata and other districts of West Bengal, mainly around schools and educational institutions, after an email was received by a school in Kolkata that threatened to blow up 200 schools. A call was received at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar from a well-known school in Behala claiming that it received the threat through e-mail on Monday afternoon. The list includes several schools in the Behala area as well as elsewhere. What Will You Do if I Am Carrying a Nuclear Bomb: Tow Men Held at Delhi Airport for Bomb Threat "This seems like a hoax but we are not leaving anything to chance. Security and surveillance have been enhanced at all locations. Any suspicious activity will be monitored. We have also informed all the concerned agencies to step up monitoring from their end," a senior Kolkata Police officer said. No official statement has been issued as yet though. The authorities are reportedly not taking any chance with the Lok Sabha elections around the corner. Bomb Threat to Ram Mandir: 21-Year-Old Man Held in Bihar for Threatening To Blow Up Ram Temple in Ayodhya With the first phase of polling scheduled in West Bengal on April 19, cyber experts are now busy attempting to trace the source of the email. "Security has been tightened at the railway stations, bus stops, market places and other locations where people are expected to gather in large numbers ahead of the festive season. Eid is to be celebrated in a couple of days while the Bengali New Year Day falls on April 15. This could be a diversionary tactic to create chaos and cause disharmony. Adequate measures are being taken," the officer added. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2024 10:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, March 31: Online food delivery platform Zomato on Sunday said it has delisted the restaurant from its platform as well as debarred its owner after a 10-year-old girl died post eating a birthday cake ordered online from the restaurant in Patiala. After facing heavy criticism on social media, the company said they are heartbroken and deeply shaken up by the recent tragic incident that happened in Patiala. Cake Kanha Bakery Case: How Patiala Family Used Zomato to Trace the Cake Shop Following Their Daughter's Death. As soon as we learnt about the incident, which is now under police investigation, we immediately delisted the restaurant from the Zomato platform. We have also debarred the restaurant owner from operating any entity on Zomato, a company spokesperson told IANS. We are extending our complete support to the law enforcement agencies in the matter, the spokesperson added. A case under Sections 273 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered by the police, following a complaint lodged by the girl's family members, alleging that the girl died after consuming the birthday cake. Other family members also fell ill after consuming the cake. Cake Kanha Owner Gurmeet Singh Remains Absconding After Minor Girl's Death, Patiala Police Arrest Three Workers of Bakery. As per the bill copy of the cake, which was ordered by the deceased girls mother Kajal, there is no shop named Cake Kanha at the registered address in Patiala. The police suspect that the bakery is a cloud kitchen. Additionally, another receipt invoice from Zomato shows billing done from Amritsar, not Patiala. Netizens slammed the online food delivery platform for poor regulation over Cloud kitchens listed as food-delivering apps. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2024 08:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, April 8: Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders on Monday held a telephonic conversation with suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Wilders, who leads the nationalist Freedom Party in the Netherlands, posted a message on X: "Had a great talk with @NupurSharmaBJP today, she is a symbol of freedom, not only for India but for the whole free world. Her loss of personal freedom and legal troubles in the last two years are most unfair cause she did nothing wrong but speak the truth. What a brave lady!" Nupur Sharma Makes First Public Appearance in Delhi After a Year During Promotional Event of Upcoming Movie 'The Vaccine War' Nupur Sharmas controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed triggered widespread protests in 2022. Wilders had in February sent a personal message of support to her describing her as a brave leader. Taking to his official X account, Wilders had then posted a message, saying: "I sent a personal message of support to the brave Nupur Sharma, who is threatened by Islamists for years now only for speaking the truth. Freedom loving people of all over the world should support her. I hope to meet her one day while visiting India." Nupur Sharma Prophet Remarks: Jharkhand Police Seek Warrants Against 39 Accused Involved in Ranchi Violence The Dutch leaders Freedom Party (PVV) had won the election last year but was well short of a majority and needed coalition partners. As a result, the anti-Islam populist leader abandoned his bid to become Prime Minister. "I can only become prime minister if ALL parties in the coalition support it. That was not the case," he wrote on X. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2024 11:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Guwahati, April 8: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday launched a sharp attack on people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) claiming that to date only one person has applied for citizenship under CAA rules. Many days have passed since the implementation of CAA. But to date, only one person from Assam has applied for the citizenship under provisions laid down by CAA, Sarma told media persons. Congress Manifesto is More for Pakistan and Less for India: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma He said that some people are opposing CAA and claiming that lakhs of people would apply for citizenship under the new rules of CAA. Now they must be held answerable, the Chief Minister said. He said that in Bengali-dominated areas in the state, CAA does not have any impact on the ground. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Dances With People During Public Meeting in Sivasagar, Video Surfaces You can take the Sonari assembly constituency as an example. Many Bengali-speaking people are residing here. But no one has applied for citizenship under the new rules, he added. Notably, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and several other organisations protested in the state soon after the rules of CAA were notified by the Central government last month. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2024 05:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Kolkata, April 8: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday criticised the detention of party leaders by Delhi Police during their peaceful protest outside the Election Commission's office, denouncing it as a "black day in democracy." Banerjee, who led an 11-member TMC delegation to Raj Bhavan including senior leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Bratya Basu and Sashi Panja, told reporters after meeting Governor C V Ananda Bose that the EC's role in the entire incident was "unfortunate and deplorable". Banerjee said the commission cannot evade responsibility for the unjust treatment of Bengal's representatives. "What happened in Delhi is a black day in democracy. None of our leaders, many of them MPs or former MPs, was carrying arms. Yet they were bodily lifted during the peaceful protest and bundled into waiting vehicles by Delhi Police. The poll panel cannot absolve its responsibility in the incident," he told waiting reporters outside Raj Bhavan. BJP Misusing Central Agencies: TMC Delegation Meets Full Bench of EC, Demands Chiefs of CBI, I-T, NIA and ED Be Changed The delegation pressed upon the governor to step in and urge the Election Commission to address the treatment meted out to TMC leaders and to investigate the alleged collusion between the BJP and central agencies such as the NIA and ED. The delegation emphasised to the governor that while they appreciate his commitment to upholding the Constitution and ensuring peaceful voting by hitting the streets during polling days, as the custodian of the Constitution, shouldn't he urge the EC to address the TMC's complaint about the removal of the ED and NIA directors, whose alleged links with the BJP have now come under scrutiny, he added. The delegation pointed out that they had provided indisputable evidence to the EC about an NIA official meeting a BJP leader after the announcement of the poll dates. "In contrast, the EC immediately transferred several officials including the DG of the state after announcement of poll dates. So the EC is overactive in West Bengal but looks the other way when it comes to central agency officials despite getting complaints," he said. Banerjee said the governor promised to inform the TMC about the response of the EC after mailing the complaints of the ruling party of West Bengal to the poll panel. TMC Delegation to Meet WB Governor After Some Leaders Detained by Delhi Police TMC leaders were detained by the Delhi Police while they were holding a dharna outside the Election Commission's office, demanding that the chiefs of CBI, NIA, ED and Income Tax Department be changed. The delegation announced the dharna after meeting the full bench of the EC. The delegation urged the commission to ensure a level playing field in the Lok Sabha polls and stop the "misuse" of the central agencies against opposition parties and leaders, TMC Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose, who was among the leaders who met the poll panel, said. Riyadh, April 8: Muslims in Saudi Arabia and around the globe are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the conclusion of the fasting month of Ramadan, with the commencement of Shawwal. The exact date of Eid al-Fitr 2024 in Saudi Arabia is determined by the sighting of the moon, a tradition known as Chand Raat. This year, the moon sighting for Shawwal is scheduled for April 8 in Saudi Arabia, where Ramadan began on March 11. Should the crescent moon be sighted on April 8, Eid al-Fitr will be joyously celebrated on April 9. However, if the moon eludes observation, the festivities will shift to April 10, following the completion of 30 days of Ramadan. Ramadan Explained: Why and How Do Muslims Fast? Are There Exemptions From Fasting? What Are Some Cultural and Social Traditions Associated With Ramadan? Eid Moon Sighting 2024 in Saudi Arabia NEWS | The Supreme Court calls upon all Muslims within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to attempt to sight the Shawwal crescent moon. The Court has urged those who are able to observe the crescent moon, either with the naked eye or through visual aids, to approach the nearest court pic.twitter.com/kBmwaBglph (@HaramainInfo) April 8, 2024 The Islamic calendar follows a lunar system consisting of 12 months in a year, with Ramadan being the ninth month, culminating in Eid Al Fitr, signifying the end of Ramadan. In celebration of Eid Al Fitr, Saudi Arabia has announced paid holidays for public and private sector employees, six days off from Monday, April 8, including the weekend, until Saturday, April 13. In contrast, Oman, Jordan, and Iran, which observed the start of Ramadan on March 12, will conduct their moon sighting on April 9. The crescent moon's sighting on this date will lead to Eid al-Fitr celebrations on April 10; otherwise, the observance will be on April 11. Ramadan and Lent Fasts Could Have Cardiovascular Benefits: Aligning Healthcare and Religious Practices. Eid al-Fitr is a significant Muslim festival characterised by special prayers, community gatherings, and a spirit of forgiveness and gratitude. It is a time when Muslims come together to celebrate the end of a sacred period of reflection and fasting. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2024 09:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Mumbai, April 8: The Google Pixel 8a launch is expected in India around next month; however, there has yet to be an official confirmation from the company. Ahead of the launch, many specifications and leaked leaked online saying that the smartphone would feature a 120Hz display with 1,400 nits brightness. The Google Pixel 8a is also said to launch with Google's latest Tensor G3 processor. According to a report by New18, the Google Pixel 8a price has leaked for the Indian market ahead of the launch confirmation. The report said that the Google I/O 2024 dates were already confirmed for mid-May, and the tech giant is expected to reveal more details about the upcoming Google Pixel 8a launch. The report said that the price of the Pixel 8a model leaked online ahead of the launch. Samsung Galaxy M55 5G, Samsung Galaxy M15 5G Launched in India; Check Prices, Specifications and Features of New Samsung Galaxy M Series Smartphones. Google Pixel 8a Price in India (Leaked) The report said the upcoming Google Pixel 8a price in India would likely be around Rs 44,000 (between $500 and $550). The predecessor, the Google Pixel 7a, was introduced in the Indian market around Rs 43,000 in 2023, and News18 said it would hope that the company might keep the Google Pixel 8a price similar to the Pixel 7a. It mentioned that Google would make its upcoming Pixel 8 series in India in 2024, and it is expected to help the brand minimize the duty and import taxes. As per the report, the Google Pixel A-series would be hard to sell for buyers above Rs 45,000 as people would have other options. Redmi Turbo 3 Design Revealed Ahead of Official Launch in China on April 10 (See Pics). Google Pixel 8a Specifications, Features and Other Expected Details According to a report by Times Now News, the Google Pixel 8a battery is expected to be 4,500mAh, more significant than the 4,385mAh found in the Google Pixel 7a. Also, the report highlighted that the smartphone could offer up to 27W fast-charging support. It mentioned that the upcoming Pixel 8a camera setup could resemble the Pixel 7a. The new model is anticipated to have a 64MP primary OIS camera, a 13MP ultra-wide camera and a 13MP front camera. The improvement will reportedly be seen in the battery area, performance, and camera of the upcoming Google Pixel 8a. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2024 07:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, April 8: Snapchat, a popular social media platform known for its engaging and often short content, recently introduced the Snapchat Solar System feature in 2022. The Snapchat "Friend Solar System" feature quickly gained attention for its unique approach. Snapchat's initiative was a strategic move to attract users to subscribe to Snapchat+ by providing a new feature. However, despite its initial popularity, Snapchat has decided to disable the feature. As per a report of Times of India, Snapchat is disabling the "Solar System: feature. Speculation revolves around the safety and well-being of the app's mostly young user base. Snapchat, which is widely used by teens, has often been at the forefront of introducing interactive elements to its platform and the disabling of the Snapchat Solar System feature may reflect a cautious approach to ensuring user safety. X Accounts Banned in Brazil: Elon Musk Advises Brazilian Users To Access X Platform via VPN Apps Amid Tussle With Judiciary. What is Snapchat's Solar System Feature? The solar system describes a feature on Snapchat where a user's top eight friends are likened to planets based on the frequency of interaction. The closest friend is represented by Mercury, the planet nearest to the Sun and the friends are ranked up to the eighth, symbolised by Neptune, indicating decreasing levels of interaction. Users can explore this planetary arrangement by selecting the "Best Friends" or "Friends" badges to see the positioning of their friends within this solar system feature. Why Snapchat Is Disabling the Solar System Feature? The exact reasons for the disabling of the Snapchat Solar System feature have not been disclosed by the company. However, it is not uncommon for social media giants to pull back features after evaluating user feedback and potential risks. Realme P Series: Realme Announces Its New Smartphone Series for Indian Market in Mid-Range Segment; Check Details. As per a report of India TV, the Solar System feature on Snapchat might have negative consequences for teenagers. This feature, which ranks the position of a user's planet compared to their friends, can cause distress if a teenager's planet is ranked lower than their friends, which might lead to feelings of anxiety and insecurity. The impact of this feature might extend beyond social media, affecting real-life relationships and mental well-being. The digital ranking can become a source of unhealthy emotional attachment for young people, who may take much importance on it. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2024 12:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Chileans are known for their love of fun, their knack for creating quirky drinks, and their enjoyment of watching foreigners try them! But don't worry, most of these drinks are delicious, per Scope. While you might be familiar with famous Chile alcoholic drinks like red wines and pisco sours, there's a whole world of lesser-known Chilean beverages waiting to be discovered, especially if you venture into the countryside. Here are some alcoholic drinks that you absolutely must try while you're in Chile. Let's dive in and explore the flavors of this vibrant country! Pisco Sour The Pisco Sour is a favorite drink in both Peru and Chile, sparking a friendly debate over its origins, EmmaJean's Travels noted. Peruvians claim it's theirs because they have a town called Pisco, while Chileans argue their northern Pisco locations prove it's Chilean. Truth be told, Pisco likely originated from both places long before country boundaries were drawn. Pisco, a type of brandy, isn't just for Pisco Sours, though it's the star of the show. You can find this iconic drink all over Chile, especially in the north. The Pisco Sour is tangy, made with lemon juice, and topped with a tantalizing foam. It's a must-try Chile alcoholic drinks for anyone visiting the country! Local Tap Beer Craft beer gains traction in Chile, with homemade options gracing restaurant taps, offering blonde, amber, and black varieties. Beer festivals showcase local brews. Pro tip: Sample a Michelada with local blonde beer. Kunstmann Brewery, situated near Valdivia, presents affordable, delightful brews at its location. Cheers! READ NEXT: Top Beverages Every Tourist Must Try in El Salvador Chicha with Harina Tostada If you're up for a unique experience, try adding some toasted flour, known as harina tostada, to your chicha. This is a common practice in the central region of Chile, especially in the Maule region. It might take some getting used to because it's a bit strange to drink something that usually should be eaten. The texture might seem a little odd at first, and you'll find a good amount of flour settled at the bottom of your drink. But don't worry, just add some more chicha, stir it, and sip again! In addition to adding harina tostada to chicha, Chileans sometimes mix it with red wine or malt, especially in the countryside rather than in cities. It's all part of the diverse and fascinating drinking culture of Chile! Carmenere - The Emblematic Chilean Red Wine Carmenere holds a special status in Chile's wine landscape, reminiscent of Argentina's famed Malbec, according to Authentic Food Quest. Originating from Bordeaux, France, Carmenere vines were thought to have vanished after the Phylloxera outbreak in 1867. Surprisingly, they resurfaced in Chile in the mid-1990s, having been mistaken for Merlot for decades. Our introduction to Carmenere took place in the Maule Valley and Maipo Valley, both significant wine regions in Chile. The Maule Valley, where Chile's earliest vines were planted in the 16th century, boasts a rich wine history. In the Maipo Valley, renowned for producing top-quality red wines, we indulged in Carmenere at various vineyards, including the prestigious Concha y Toro. This red wine enchants with its deep color and soft, rounded taste. Its bouquet of floral aromas intertwines with luscious berry flavors and subtle hints of smoky tobacco. Carmenere stands as one of most delightful Chile alcoholic drink, a testament to its diverse and captivating drinking culture. READ MORE: Brazil's Must-Try Cocktails: Taste the 'Land of Parrots' This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: New Wine Recommendations: Carmenere, Chile's Best Red Wine? - From Wine Living: Wine, Spirits & Food with Marc Supsic Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been seething after Ecuador conducted a police raid on Mexican soil to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas inside the Mexican Embassy in Quito. Meanwhile, the rest of the world condemned the Daniel Noboa administration over the raid as it violated Mexico's sovereignty. A Mexican foreign ministry spokesperson spoke with CNN and confirmed that all Mexico Embassy staff in the country would be leaving the country immediately as the row between the two Latin American countries continues. Mexico was not happy at the raid in its embassy, calling it "an outrage against international law." Meanwhile, the United Nations voiced concern over Daniel Noboa's actions as embassies are generally considered protected spaces under diplomatic norms. Glas was convicted twice on charges of corruption. However, he fled to the Mexican Embassy and sought political asylum and has been sheltering there over the last few days. Mexico then decided to grant him political asylum and this was when the rift between Noboa's and AMLO's respective governments started. Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed on Friday that he had been informed that "police from Ecuador forcibly entered" the embassy and took Glas, whom he described "was a refugee and processing asylum because of the persecution and harassment he faces." In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Daniel Noboa administration said that Glas was "sentenced to imprisonment by the Ecuadorian justice system" and that he was "arrested tonight and placed under the orders of the competent authorities." Even with Glas being inside what was considered Mexican soil and, therefore, Ecuador having no jurisdiction there, the Ecuadorian government stated that his diplomatic asylum was "contrary to the conventional legal framework." The former VP has been transferred to a maximum-security prison in Guayaquil known as La Roca. Mexico Warns Ecuador Government Could Kill Former Vice President Jorge Glas To get inside the Mexican Embassy, Ecuadorian police broke down the building's external doors and forcibly entered the main patio to arrest Glas. Mexico is now claiming that the former VP's life may be in danger, with Roberto Canseco, head of chancellery and policy affairs of the Mexican embassy, telling local Ecuadorian press saying so. READ MORE: Ecuador Declares Mexico Ambassador Persona Non Grata After Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Comments "This is not possible, it cannot be, this is crazy," said Canseco in a press conference held outside the embassy after the raid. "I am very worried because they could kill him. There is no basis to do this, this is totally outside the norm." "It is barbarism," the Mexican diplomat added. "It is impossible for them to violate the diplomatic premises as they have done." US and Spain Condemn Ecuador's Daniel Noboa Administration Over Mexico Embassy Raid Meanwhile, two of Mexico's biggest allies, the United States and former colonizer Spain, also condemned Ecuador, calling the Daniel Noboa government's actions a violation of international law, according to the Associated Press. "The United States condemns any violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and takes very seriously the obligation of host countries under international law to respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions," said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller before calling on the two countries to resolve their differences. Meanwhile, the Spanish Foreign Ministry released a statement, saying, "The entry by force into the Embassy of Mexico in Quito constitutes a violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We call for respect for international law and harmony between Mexico and Ecuador, brotherly countries to Spain and members of the Ibero-American community." READ MORE: Ecuador Political Violence Continues as Local Political Leader Is Killed This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Mexico outraged: Ecuadorian police violate sovereignty to make arrest | DW News Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and CEO of X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, has taken a defiant stance against a decision by a Brazil judge, Alexandre de Moraes. Justice Moraes had ordered restrictions on certain X accounts, prompting Musk to call for his resignation or impeachment, Reuters noted. Musk accused the judge of violating Brazil's constitution and people's rights. He vowed to legally challenge the order and criticized Moraes for imposing fines, threatening arrests, and even potentially cutting off access to X in Brazil. Despite the potential financial loss, Musk emphasized that principles matter more than profit. READ NEXT: Trump Seeks Musk's Help Amid Financial Woes Legal Battles and Free Speech Concerns The conflict between Elon Musk and Justice Alexandre de Moraes stems from the restrictions imposed on X Corp by Brazilian courts, according to India TV. These restrictions led to the blocking of several popular X accounts in Brazil, but X Corp stated that it was not provided with reasons for these orders or information on which posts were alleged to be unlawful. In response, Musk publicly questioned Moraes' motives and announced the lifting of all restrictions on the platform, defying the court's orders. This clash is not the first time Musk has challenged Brazilian authorities over content restrictions on his platform. Previously, X resisted hundreds of requests from Brazil's Justice Ministry to remove posts and profiles suspected of inciting violence. While some content was eventually removed, Musk criticized such censorship, arguing that it violates Brazilian law and the will of the people. This resistance echoes his broader commitment to free speech principles. Musk's Allegations and the Response from Brazilian Officials Elon Musk's criticism of Brazil judge Alexandre de Moraes extends beyond the recent social media restrictions. He accuses Moraes of betraying Brazil's constitution and people, particularly by allegedly cracking down on free speech and targeting influential figures, including supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Fox Business reports. Moraes' decision to block X accounts of Bolsonaro supporters and declare the former president ineligible for office has stirred controversy and drawn criticism from Musk and others. In response to Musk's actions, Brazil's solicitor general, Jorge Messias, called for regulation of social media networks to prevent foreign platforms from violating Brazilian laws. Messias argued against allowing billionaires like Musk, who are based abroad, to control social networks and defy court orders, emphasizing the importance of upholding the rule of law. Elon Musk's confrontation with Brazil judge Alexandre de Moraes underscores broader tensions surrounding free speech, censorship, and the regulation of social media platforms in Brazil. While Elon Musk argues for the primacy of principles over profit, Brazilian officials emphasize the need for accountability and adherence to legal frameworks. The outcome of this conflict will not only shape the future of X Corp in Brazil but also have implications for the broader debate over online speech and platform governance worldwide. READ MORE: Musk Declines Donations to Biden, Trump This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Elon Musk Gets Pissed When Don Lemon Blames His Success on 'White Privilege' - From The Rubin Report A violent Florida bar shooting erupted at a martini bar within the bustling CityPlace Doral complex in Miami early Saturday, resulting in tragic consequences. The confrontation began around 3:30 AM, and a dispute between patrons escalated, prompting a security guard to intervene, the New York Post reports. Amid the Florida bar fight, one individual produced a firearm, fatally shooting the security guard, identified as George Castellanos. Witnesses described a harrowing scene as gunfire erupted, leaving bystanders and law enforcement personnel wounded. William Suedois, a witness, described the loud music from his nearby apartment, feeling vibrations in his chest. He expressed fear and observed panicked patrons fleeing the bar before the police arrived. Unsure of injuries, he described the scene as chaotic. Two police officers responded swiftly, engaging the Florida gunman in a shootout. Despite the swift action taken by the officers, one of them sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. The injured officer, a four-year veteran, demonstrated remarkable resilience by applying a tourniquet to himself immediately following the incident. In the aftermath of the shooting, seven individuals, including the slain security guard and the alleged gunman, were left injured. Two bystanders remain in critical condition, underscoring the severity of the incident. READ NEXT: Florida Teen Arrested for Brandishing Gun on Beach Family Mourns Loss of Security Guard The devastating impact of the Florida bar shooting reverberates through the family of George Castellanos, who tragically lost his life while performing his duties as a security guard, according to NBC Miami. Castellanos' mother, Jeanina Castellanos, expressed profound grief, describing their family as utterly shattered by the loss. George, a dedicated student at Florida International University scheduled to graduate next month, leaves behind a young daughter. As details of the Florida bar fight emerged, it became evident that George Castellanos' courageous intervention cost him his life. He was described as an exemplary individual, devoted to his family and responsibilities, leaving behind cherished memories and a profound legacy. Community Response and Safety Measures City officials and law enforcement agencies swiftly responded to the tragedy, emphasizing the need for heightened security measures and community safety initiatives, Local 10 noted. Mayor Christi Fraga announced plans for a special meeting to address pertinent ordinances and strategies to ensure the safety of nightlife establishments in Doral. The Florida bar fight at CityPlace Doral underscores the importance of preparedness and training in mitigating the impact of such crises. A mass casualty training exercise conducted at the venue one year ago is credited with saving lives during the recent shooting, highlighting the critical role of proactive measures in safeguarding communities. As the investigation into the Florida bar shooting continues, the community grapples with the profound loss of George Castellanos and the sobering reminder of the fragility of life in the face of senseless violence. READ MORE: Florida Woman Flees Captor After Months of Torture This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Ross Key WATCH: Gunfight at south Florida bar leaves 2 dead, 7 injured - From ABC 7 Chicago If youve always admired Princess Dianas signature, preppy style, to the point that youve dreamt about slipping into her shoes, then nows your chance! Danish-domestic designer, Anine Bing, and heritage brand, Reebok, have collaborated on a capsule collection inspired by British royaltys forever fashion muse: the late Diana, Princess of Wales. It will launch on Tuesday, April 9 at 12 a.m. ET. News of the highly anticipated launch was first announced in an exclusive interview for WWD, revealing that the 16-piece unisex and womens collection will include footwear and apparel with a collegiate prep look, classic cuts and vintage-inspired washes. According to the LA-based fashion house and its Chief Creative Officer, the new items arent just simple loungewear or sportswear, theyre meant to be mixed and matched with tailored blazers and denim. While the oversized sweatshirts, bike shorts, tees and joggers are sure to be coveted by athleisure enthusiasts alike, its the vintage, high-top sneakers for $250 that will probably sell out fastest next to two other reimagined Reebok styles: the Reebok X ANINE BING Classic Slides, for $150 and the Reebok X ANINE BING Classic Nylon Shoes, for $220. The Reebok X ANINE BING Freestyle Hi Shoes take cues from Reeboks legendary 80s classic, with their garment-leather upper and hook-and-loop ankle straps, but also incorporate hallmarks of Bings chic, modern and effortless everyday aesthetic. There are no options to pre-order the sneakers and other styles, but you can purchase everything beginning at 12 a.m. ET on the Reebok website, AnineBing.com, and select retailers, like Bloomingdales.com, and Anine Bing stores around the globe. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Danielle Halibey can be reached at dhalibey@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. Dozens of Dieruff High School teens got only a glimpse of the solar eclipse over Allentown. But what spectators could make out during the cloud-cast light show was still a rare occasion, said senior Logan Willburn, a member of the Science National Honors Society. Willburn was part of the crew that helped to plan and educate students about the astronomical phenomenon on Monday. He teamed up with Dieruff High School faculty, the Da Vinci Science Center and the Lehigh Valley Astronomical Society to teach his 700 classmates how to use telescopes, identify constellations and learn the history of space exploration. Its about the students understanding whats happening in the world around them. And then the other part is that they get to form this memory, said Dr. Leila Little, chair of the Dieruff High School Science Department, and the leader behind the effort to see the sun get mooned, as illustrated on T-shirts worn by faculty and students at the event. Willburn told lehighvalleylive.com he was surprised by the turnout after his school dismissed early. Dozens of teens and their families gathered in the Dieruff parking lot to watch the solar eclipse. I dont think Ive seen this many people gathered in one place since Husky Fest last year, Willburn said. Watchers tossed their heads back hurriedly each time the clouds parted, eager to glimpse the moons shadow as it inched a bit closer to totality. Willburn sat beside a group of his classmates with goggles at the ready and his personal telescope stashed nearby. He ooh-ed and aah-ed with everyone else. This was also his first eclipse of more than 90% coverage, he said. Hed seen other partial ones in the past. This one wont likely be his last, he said. I like to describe myself as the kid who never wanted to stop dreaming about being an astronaut, he said. Ive been like that my whole life, and its stuck with me until now. His friends arent avid-stargazers, but said they wouldnt miss the once-in-a-lifetime moment either. Its a living moment to witness this and Im here with my close friends, said Dieruff senior Tevin Le, one of Willburns friends. He most liked the disruption the event created in his normal day-to-day structure. Its something different. I like that, Le said. Solar eclipses happen every year, mostly in the Pacific Ocean and sometimes Antarctica, said Felipe Maldonado, a bilingual STEAM educator at the Da Vinci Science Center. Most of the time they dont show up in the continental United States or near solid ground, he said. Youll have to travel to see the next solar eclipse or wait 20 years for its return to America. Maldonados already planning his trip to Spain, he said. This year he didnt travel, thinking he could be of better use in the Lehigh Valley while the science center is temporarily closed, he said. The Da Vinci Science Center is scheduled to move from Cedar Crest College to the PPL Pavilion in the coming year where the public can better access it, he said. Its important that kids see and learn about the natural world. Seeing a picture on your phone is not the same as looking at it yourself with your own eyes, he said. Raymond Harris said something similar. Hes an amateur astronomer, although one could argue hes more of a professional hobbyist. Like Willburn and Maldonado, Harris said he got the stargazing bug as a young child and his interest, too, could not be tamed by re-run episodes of Star Trek and journeys into the cosmos with Carl Sagan. Harris says hes traveled to watch three total solar eclipses in his lifetime. He hitchhiked to witness his first in Virginia in 1970, then traveled in 1991 and 2017 to see others in Mexico and Tennessee, respectively. Mondays marks his fourth. Theres nothing like seeing it with your own eyes. Theres nothing like it, he said. Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on X (formerly known as Twitter.com), Facebook and Threads. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe to lehighvalleylive.com today. Retail giant Tesco is expanding in Laois where it is opening a new supermarket in Portlaoise. The Leinster Express / Laois Live understands that it is expanding its business operations in the county town by moving to the Mountmellick side of town. Tesco is opening in the Fairgreen Retail Park at Gandon Court which is located off the busy N80 national road that is the main route between Portlaoise and Tullamore. Apart from being located on a busy road, the new shop is located in a heavily populated residential area on the outskirts of the town. Tesco confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that more than 40 jobs have created as part of setting up the outlet which will be smaller than the main Tesco located in the town centre. "Were looking forward to opening our newest Laois Tesco, creating 44 new jobs. This will be our 173rd store in the country, and Tesco Gandon Court, Portlaoise will be managed by Denise Barry, an experienced retail manager who has 20 years service with Tesco Ireland," he said. Tesco's new shop in Portlaoise is set to open on Thursday, April 11. Tesco is moving into a premises that formerly housed an Iceland supermarket. Ireland's Iceland operation ran into trading problems in the summer of 2023 when the High Court appointed an interim examiner to the company that operated the Iceland supermarkets in Ireland. The Portlaoise outlet subsequently shut down in September 2023. The Iceland closure has been one of the few big supermarket failures in the Laois county town in recent times. MORE BELOW PICTURE. The multinational retail group already has a big footprint in Portlaoise where it is the anchor client in the Laois Shopping Centre. Portlaoise Tesco is located in a 88,000sq ft retail space in Laois centre. It moved into its expanded premises in 2011 after the shopping centre underwent huge redevelopment which was stalled by the property crash. Dunnes Stores operates two outlets in the town. The Irish chain carried out an extensive redevelopment of its original Laois store on the Mountmellick Road in 2023. Lidl invested millions in the rebuilding of a new bigger store in Portlaoise in 2022. Aldi is located near Lidl and there are two SuperValu outlets in the town. In August 2023, Tesco announced it would open eight new Tesco Express stores and upgrade 50 other outlets around Ireland. Communities around Durrow, Rathdowney and Mountrath are being invited to apply for support from a new 100,000 fund from St Canices Credit Union. The credit union, which has branches in its three towns, says it is thrilled to announce the launch of its Community Connect Fund as part of its 60th-anniversary celebrations. It says the fund, which was launched locally in Durrow, will support capital projects that will have a lasting and positive effect on our community and is now accepting applications. The Kilkenny headquartered credit union is seeking projects that demonstrate sustainability, address a recognised community need and align with its ethos and values. Carmel Butler, CEO of St Canices Credit Union is looking forward to hearing from groups and societies across the region. MORE BELOW PICTURE. Pictured: Tom McWey and Jackie Kealy from St. Canices Credit Union with members Martin Lawlor, Cllr Ollie Clooney, Breda Kearney, Mary Monahan and Ethel Dunphy at the St. Canices Credit Union Community Connect Fund launch at their branch in Durrow. Picture: Alf Harvey. The last time we opened our Community Connect Fund, we were so impressed with the applications we received. The range of initiatives and standard of the work being carried out in communities across our common bond is phenomenal, she said. With an allocation of 100,000 in 2024, the Community Connect Fund aims to make a meaningful impact within the common bond area. This area encompasses branches in High St, Kilkenny, Bagenalstown, Callan, Piltown, Graiguenamanagh, Ballyragget, Durrow, Mountrath, and Rathdowney. St Canices is one of the largest community Credit Unions in Ireland with an asset size of over 475 million and products ranging from term deposit accounts to current accounts and mortgages. As St. Canices has grown and its membership expanded, it says a significant effort has been made to ensure the credit union remains focused on its commitment to be a community-focused not-for-profit organisation. The Community Connect Fund is just one of the ways we give back to our members and it is only possible through the support of those members who continue to use the Credit Union as their financial provider of choice in record numbers, said Ms Butler. MORE BELOW PICTURE. Pictured: Tom McWey and Jackie Kealy from St. Canices Credit Union with Izzie Dunne after opening her account at the St. Canices Credit Union Community Connect Fund launch at their branch in Durrow. Picture: Alf Harvey In previous years, the fund has supported a wide range of initiatives spanning sports, social inclusion, healthcare, and everything in between. It is anticipated that once again in 2024, there will be a diverse range of groups awarded funding. Community groups of all sizes and backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. If any applicants have further questions or require assistance, they can reach out to St Canices Credit Union at 056 7722042 and ask for the Marketing Department. St Cancie's says organisations interested in applying for support from the Community Connect Fund can access the application form on the St Canices Credit Union website. www.stcanicescu.ie The closing date is May 31, 2024. "The very best of luck to all who take the time to apply," concludes the statement. The Newbridge-based InkTank Creative Writing Group has published a brand-new book. The group's latest story Behind the Bookshelves, succeeds its first two books, Timeless in Kildare from 2019 and Let Me Tell You Something in 2020. Both of these books are anthology books filled with a range of short stories, essays and poetry. Commenting on the origin on Behind the Bookshelves, Maria McDonald, one of the members of InkTank, said: "During the Covid-10 lockdown, seven members of the group took up the writing challenge, while several others took up the task of editing and the result is within these covers." She added: "We didn't expect the twists and turns our story took but with seven different writers, it was inevitable, and now, the final product is now ready for readers." Ink Tank has decided that all monies raised from the sale of its latest novel will go towards supporting a local charity, Samaritans Newbridge and Kildare. The group's members covered all design and printing costs, along with a publishing grant from Kildare County Council. The premise of Behind the Bookshelves reads as follows: "What happens when a small-town writing group is taken hostage in their local library?" "Lives will be threatened, and mayhem will ensue... will anyone survive unscathed?" Behind the Bookshelves is now available in local independent bookshops throughout County Kildare. A Naas District Court judge imposed a three-year barring order on a man whose ex-partner was allegedly beaten 'to a pulp.' Judge Desmond Zaidan made the decision while presiding over the case on Thursday, April 4 last. The case was heard in-camera (in private). The woman involved in the case attended the court on the date in question in order to appy for a full barring order against her partner. Judge Zaidan remarked that the last time he saw the woman, her face was 'swollen' from the injuries allegedly inflicted by her ex-partner. It was heard that a medical report was provided to the gardai in relation to the woman's injuries. When the judge said that he recalled that the woman 'had been beaten to a pulp', she became emotional in the stand. Defending solicitor Seamus Boyle told Judge Zaidan that his client was willing to abide by the barring order. The judge decided to impose the barring order, which will take effect for the next three years. Commenting on the case, Judge Zaidan said: "In the 19 years I've been on the bench, I've probably granted five barring orders in total. "However, this is a very serious case (of alleged domestic violence)." Speaking directly to the woman, the judge said: "You are not on your own." He said that he recently encountered a separate alleged domestic violence case in which the alleged injured party admitted that she initially relented from telling the gardai about her alleged situation because she was embarrased to seek help. "Physically, she was 100 times worse than you (physically) on the last occasion," he told the woman: "it was a very shocking case; very hard to preside over, as a human being." The judge added that the woman involved in that case is now in touch with a domestic violence prevention service. Referring back to the case at hand, Judge Zaidan said that he would give liberty for the alleged injured party to seek variations to the barring order. He further praised her for coming forward to the court: "You did the right thing; you didn't do anything wrong." The judge also recommended for her to seek counselling. Judge Zaidan adjourned the case involving the male defendant and the woman to a later date. If you have been affected by this article, you can find resources to help you by contacting Women's Aid at 1800 341 900 or emailing helpline@womensaid.ie, or Men's Aid by ringing 01 554 3811 or emailing hello@mensaid.ie. Additionally, you can find resources to help you by emailing Samaritans Ireland at jo@samaritans.ie, or by ringing 116 123. A meeting is being held in Rathangan this evening to discuss the proposed change of the local garda station from Kildare Garda District to Leixlip Garda District. Locals believe that response times to incidents could be three times longer as gardai would have to travel from Leixlip which is 45km away compared to Kildare town which is about 10km of a distance. Local Fianna Fail Senator and Rathangan native, Fiona OLoughlin said she has called a public meeting for 8pm in the Rathangan Community Centre in conjunction with local Cllr Anne Connolly. A statement by Senator O'Loughlin said: "This meeting will be attended by new Kildare Superintendent, Garda Paul Burke. The meeting will focus on policing issues facing the community of Rathangan. Other local Gardai will also be present to facilitate a Q&A style meeting with the community. Senator OLoughlin added: Ensuring a co-operative and effective community policing model in our towns and villages is essential. We have a wonderful community and great local Gardai who work hard to keep our community safe. The meeting will raise issues of local concern, but the primary focus will be to discuss the recent proposal to move the village of Rathangan from the Kildare district to the Leixlip district of the Gardai. This would be a retrograde step in my view. Rathangan has fallen under the Kildare district for many years, and the Gardai in the district have built up a bank of local knowledge and most importantly local connections. To break that vital connection is wrong in my view. A major concern I would have is around response times. In a situation where Rathangan station is closed, a Garda call out from Kildare is a 10km journey. We are looking at about 45km to Leixlip. The quickest sat nav route is roughly a 45-minute journey time, that is not acceptable. Senator OLoughlin concluded: I have written to the Deputy Commissioner for Policing & Security as well as the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to highlight my concerns. "I will also be collating signatures at tonights meeting in order to submit a community petition on this change to the Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of An Garda Siochana. More than 3.5 million has been announced by the International Fund for Ireland for peacebuilding initiatives across the island. The funding will support those working to reimage or remove peace walls, among other projects. There are estimated to be more than 100 barriers in place, mostly in Belfast but also in Co Armagh and Derry, ranging from high concrete walls to gates, fences and buildings. Peace walls were initially erected from the 1970s in response to attacks and disorder during the Troubles, and are owned by a number of different organisations, including the Department of Justice, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and private bodies. The IFI said six projects across Belfast and Derry have received 2,405,681 through the Peace Barriers Programme (PBP) to help interface communities bring about the conditions that can allow for the removal of barriers. They said there are more than 1,000 residents involved in various discussions. Two projects received 420,981 to build cross border relationships and two projects under the Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP) have received 386,788 to support the most at-risk young people in society. The Peace Impact Programme is receiving 301,761 to work through sensitive interventions in communities that have not previously, or have only partially, taken part in peacebuilding and reconciliation activities. IFI chairman Paddy Harte said the support comes at a critical time in our peacebuilding journey. Whilst we acknowledge much progress has been made since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement over 25 years ago, it is apparent that significant challenges remain, he said. Our projects are working against a challenging backdrop. Tensions remain around increased paramilitary activity and recruitment of young people, sectarianism, criminal activity, anti-social behaviour, culture, and identity. We also understand that the fallout from the Windsor Framework has caused some communities to regress, creating further polarisation. The IFI remains one of the few organisations that can engage with the most marginalised in society. We are committed to working closely with communities through sensitive dialogue and conflict resolution to tackle the difficult remaining areas of peacebuilding. The IFI was set up by the British and Irish Governments as an independent international organisation in 1986 and is supported by international donors including the Irish, British, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand governments and the European Union. It currently supports 81 projects in Northern Ireland and 20 in the southern border counties. Renalys Pharma Submits an IND Application for a Phase III Clinical Trial of sparsentan for IgA Nephropathy in Japan TOKYO, April 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Renalys Pharma, Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; "Renalys Pharma") announced that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for sparsentan to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) for a Phase III clinical trial in Japan. The Phase III study is a multicenter, open-label, single arm study in Japanese patients with IgA nephropathy, and is planned to confirm the efficacy and safety of sparsentan in approximately 30 Japanese patients. First Patient In (FPI) is expected in the second half of 2024. Sparsentan was developed by Travere Therapeutics, Inc. ("Travere") and Renalys Pharma has an exclusive license for development and commercialization of sparsentan in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. In 2023, Travere received FDA accelerated approval for sparsentan (U.S. brand name: FILSPARI) to reduce proteinuria in adults with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) at risk of rapid disease progression*. In addition, Travere submitted a supplemental New Drug Application to FDA in March 2024, for conversion of the existing U.S. accelerated approval to full approval based on 2-year confirmatory results from the Phase III PROTECT Study, the only head-to-head study in IgA nephropathy versus an active comparator. In the PROTECT Study, FILSPARI demonstrated a significant reduction in proteinuria, preservation of kidney function and a well-tolerated safety profile compared with active control irbesartan. Renalys Pharma is committed to advancing its business to contribute to improving the lives of patients in Japan and Asia through the development of innovative therapies that can improve the management of kidney disease, first and foremost by delivering sparsentan as soon as possible. *FILSPARI (sparsentan) U.S. Indication: FILSPARI is an endothelin and angiotensin II receptor antagonist indicated to reduce proteinuria in adults with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) at risk of rapid disease progression, generally a UPCR ?1.5 g/g. About IgA Nephropathy The management of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has become a social issue that places a heavy burden on the Japanese healthcare system. IgA nephropathy is widely known as one of the main causes of kidney failure, and is considered to develop when abnormal IgA proteins are deposited in kidney tissue, inhibiting kidney function and causing inflammation. IgA nephropathy is a rare intractable disease (designated as an intractable disease 66) with many unresolved mechanisms of onset and severity. Currently, there is a lack of treatment for IgA nephropathy and an unmet need for such treatment in Japan. About Renalys Pharma, Inc. Renalys Pharma is a private, late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company in Japan committed to the development of multiple innovative therapeutics that address unmet needs in the management of renal disease for Japanese and Asian patients. The company was established by Catalys Pacific and SR One to address the growing problem of "drug loss" by catalyzing an access to new treatments for kidney disease patients in Japan and other Asian territories. Company Name: Renalys Pharma, Inc. Address: 3-11, Nihonbashi-honcho 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan Representative: BT Slingsby, MD, PhD, MPH Established: April 2023 URL: https://renalys.com/ [Disclaimer] Information concerning pharmaceutical products (compound under development) contained herein is not intended as advertising or as medical advice, but intended for disclosure of management information. SOURCE Renalys Pharma, Inc. 7 april 2024 at 21:00 News published onand distributed by: Jiachen (2024) Qingming Festival Memorial Ceremony for the Yellow Emperor was held in Shaanxi Province HUANGLING, China, April 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 400 Chinese people, including overseas Chinese, attended a ceremony in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on April 4 to pay homage to Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor. The ceremony is traditionally held on Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, which falls on Thursday this year. Chinese people mourn their deceased family members and worship their ancestors during the Qingming holiday. The legendary Huangdi is considered to have been the founder of the Chinese civilization and the common ancestor of all Chinese people. Those who participated in the ceremony made offerings of flower baskets to Huangdi during the ceremony. Participants included Peng Qinghua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Jiang Zuojun, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, Zhao Yide, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shaanxi Provincial Committee, and Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. As the Memorial Ceremony was completed, the attendees visited the Xuanyuan Hall and the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, they then planted the Qiaoshan cypresses. This year's ceremony was co-hosted by the Shaanxi provincial government, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. SOURCE Shaanxi Provincial Government 7 april 2024 at 21:17 News published onand distributed by: Yinhawangka People and Rio Tinto partner to co-design ?Living Cultures Program' The Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation and Rio Tinto have collaborated to design a new program aimed at protecting and preserving Yinhawangka culture and supporting a strong, healthy and connected Yinhawangka People. The ?Living Cultures Program' will deliver projects to record, preserve and transfer cultural knowledge. This includes language, living history and heritage, women's business, arts and culture, songlines and traditional stories. The partnership also aims to increase local economic development opportunities, improve social and emotional wellbeing for community, enhance cultural land management by Yinhawangka and develop and deliver cultural awareness training. These programs will provide a range of opportunities for Yinhawangka People to develop new skills and provide employment opportunities. Rio Tinto will provide $9.5 million to the ?Living Cultures Program' over six years. Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation Chair, Lorraine Injie said "Firstly, let me acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Yinhawangka people and Rio Tinto in bringing to life this Living Cultures Project. The preservation, maintenance and protection of our lived history, cultural knowledge of Country and providing programs and activities will support and assist us towards a better future. "This project brings an opportunity for changing the way in which Aboriginal programs are conceptualised, planned, and implemented. The Living Cultures project aims to take back Yinhawangka people's control of our knowledge and travel further on our journey as Traditional Owners of our land and in improving social and economic outcomes for our people. "I look forward to furthering the close working partnership between Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation and Rio Tinto. I am very grateful to them for sharing our vision for a better future for our children and the preservation of Yinhawangka people's history and culture, where our story and songs, carried down by our old people throughout time, are remembered and revered." Rio Tinto Vice President, Health, Safety, Environment and Communities Cecile Thaxter said "The Living Cultures Program is the result of strong collaboration between the Yinhawangka People and Rio Tinto. "Together we are dedicated to preserving and enhancing the culture, people, and Country of the Yinhawangka People through programs that promote positive, intergenerational outcomes. "We are in a world where ancient and precious cultural heritage is at risk of being lost forever but through this program, we have a unique opportunity to work together to protect and preserve the Yinhawangka People's culture." Note to the editor Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation and Rio Tinto have also co-designed the Western Range mining project and jointly developed a Social and Cultural Heritage Management Plan. Western Range is Rio Tinto's first co-designed mine. More information is available here. 7 april 2024 at 21:50 News published onand distributed by: Accenture to Acquire CLIMB to Expand Technology Capabilities Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire CLIMB, a technology services provider specializing in system integration, IT infrastructure management and operations, primarily in the Gunma Prefecture. The acquisition of CLIMB brings more critical skills for global organizations in Japan to navigate technology change. In particular, CLIMB's expertise will accelerate application and infrastructure modernization services for financial institutions and government agencies to achieve digital transformation. Accenture's investment in CLIMB will also enable local teams to continue to revitalize the local ICT (Information Communication Technology) industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Since its establishment in 1989, CLIMB has demonstrated a high level of expertise in multiple areas from the development of core banking and mission-critical systems to the management and operations of IT infrastructure for organizations, such as domestic financial institutions, manufacturers, telecommunications carriers and government agencies, mainly in Maebashi City, where the company was founded. Currently, CLIMB has approximately 200 engineers who are trained in cloud and security technologies and application management services. The CLIMB engineers will join Accenture Technology. "There are many talented engineers in regional areas of Japan who are leading digital transformation work," said Atsushi Egawa who leads Accenture's business in Japan. "Providing opportunities for these individuals to shine on the global stage will help elevate their skills to new heights, while at the same time revitalizing the local economy. With a clear trend of people and businesses returning to the domestic market, the vibrant growth of local communities is essential for the sustainable development of Japan. Adding the CLIMB team, who take an innovative and exemplary approach especially to the financial industry, demonstrates how we continue to invest in Japan. We are planting more local roots through our team's high value work in local communities." Oramu Kanai, CLIMB's President, stated, "CLIMB's most important management principle is 'maximizing employee happiness.' Only when every employee is happy can we provide rewarding work and value-added services to our clients. By joining Accenture, our people will have unprecedented growth and exposure opportunities. With Accenture's unique ability to resolve issues faced by clients and society with a holistic approach, we will be able to maximize the happiness of our people who, in turn, will contribute to the further enhancement of the ICT industry in the region." Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. About CLIMB Since its founding in 1989, CLIMB has been committed to its mission of making people's lives and society more convenient through ICT, and making everyone in the world happier, with the happiness of its employees as its highest objective. For more information about CLIMB, please visit https://www.climb-net.co.jp/ About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services?creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 742,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world's leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360 value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360 value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "aspires," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook," "goal," "target" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance nor promises that goals or targets will be met, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and CLIMB will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties' ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture's results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture's business depends on generating and maintaining client demand for the company's services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company's results of operations; if Accenture is unable to match people and their skills with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture faces legal, reputational and financial risks from any failure to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; Accenture's environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments and disclosures may expose it to reputational risks and legal liability; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key ecosystem partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company's results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture's profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accenture's level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company's effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture's results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; as a result of Accenture's geographically diverse operations and strategy to continue to grow in key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; Accenture's business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture's global operations expose the company to numerous and sometimes conflicting legal and regulatory requirements; Accenture's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture's services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations. Copyright 2024 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are trademarks of Accenture. 7 april 2024 at 22:10 News published onand distributed by: SIRONA BIOCHEM Corporate Update April 2024 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sirona Biochem Corp. (TSX-V: SBM) (FSE: ZSB) (OTC: SRBCF) ("Sirona" or the "Company") provides the following update: Dear shareholders, We are pleased to provide an update on our recent milestones and strategic decisions shaping Sirona Biochem's path forward. AGM Last week, during our Annual General Meeting (AGM), we successfully gained another year of backing for our management team. Although it's common for many shareholders to abstain from voting, we're pleased to report that we've received numerous messages from our shareholders expressing their support for our ongoing corporate strategy. Financing We have closed our financing well below its anticipated goal. The small cap marketplace in the Canadian market is very challenged at this time. Our past supporting brokers do not have the fund-raising capabilities of the past. Instead of dropping the financing share price we are in discussion with investment funds to assist with our financial needs. This includes funds based in Europe, North America, and Asia, linking future investments to our commercialization of GlycoProteMimTM. The commercialization of GlycoProteMimTM offers substantial potential for financial returns, benefits from clinically validated technology, and has a relatively swift path to generating revenue. We persist in exploring non-dilutive funding sources from France and Canada as our preferred financing option whenever feasible. Branding of GlycoProteMimTM (TFC-1326) We have successfully selected the brand name for our anti-aging product. We will soon be proceeding with the formal trademark registration. The name will be made public closer to launch. Our cosmetic branding expert, based in Paris, is currently concentrating on developing brand messaging to establish this new product line as a premium offering in the anti-aging market. Preparation for Commercialization of GlycoProteMimTM We are on track for a commercial launch of our first consumer products containing GlycoProteMimTM in Europe and North America in early 2025 through our subsidiary, Sirona Laboratories, with plans to expand to other international markets afterward. Additionally, we've expanded our strategy to include the development of a second GlycoProteMimTM-infused product. Our brand and marketing team is convinced that broadening our product range is essential for achieving the best market penetration and ensuring consumer satisfaction. An initial production batch of custom cosmetic containers, tailor-made for our products, is currently being manufactured by a premier French company. We have engaged a South Korean specialist in product label design to create our labels. Furthermore, a renowned Parisian facialist is crafting a specific massage protocol for the application of our products. Product Samples The demand for product samples has arisen earlier in the development phase than expected, prompting us to adjust our plans to accommodate this interest. It's clear that people are eager to physically interact with the product themselves. At this point, our capability to provide samples is limited to key potential stakeholders around the world who require a hands-on experience with the product to build their investment confidence. Overall GlycoProteMimTM Strategy Our strategy involves launching in Europe and North America in early 2025, with a view to exploring licensing opportunities in pivotal markets such as South Korea, Japan, and China, where partnering is the favored approach for market entry. We foresee a variety of commercialization paths. Possessing established products significantly enhances our ability to achieve this objective. Key contacts have been pinpointed, and we are in the process of identifying additional ones. Our strategy does not encompass any solitary licensing agreement. Our patent application for GlycoProteMimTM spans 54 countries, encompassing all major markets. Pipeline Sirona Biochem is currently honing its focus on the cosmetic and therapeutic skincare sector, where we identify the most significant commercial potential. Our pipeline includes a variety of projects, some of which have been made public, while others are kept under wraps due to competitive reasons and intellectual property concerns. Our scientific team is continuously at the forefront of innovation, discovering incredibly promising opportunities. TFC-1067 Global License Agreement Allergan Aesthetics is actively progressing with the integration of TFC-1067 into its product lineup. We will inform our shareholders of any developments as soon as it is feasible. The introduction of TFC-1067 into the market presents a significant chance to enhance our company's value and expand our growth prospects. It's important for shareholders to recognize that this is a global licensing agreement, which represents a considerably greater value to Sirona compared to the prior supply agreement with Rodan and Fields. Summary Navigating the financial challenges in this market is complex, but we have strategies in place to address them. While there are concerns among shareholders about dilution, our plans carry substantial potential to benefit our shareholders significantly. Although some level of dilution may occur, our goal is to enhance value to a degree that more than validates our approach. The continued support from our shareholders is crucial for our collective success. About Sirona Biochem Corp. Sirona Biochem is a biotechnology company focussing on innovative cosmetic and dermatology active ingredients with a proprietary platform technology. Sirona specializes in stabilizing carbohydrate molecules with the goal of improving efficacy and safety. New compounds are patented for maximum revenue potential. Sirona's compounds are licensed to leading companies around the world in return for licensing fees, milestone fees and ongoing royalty payments. Sirona's laboratory, TFChem, is in France and is the recipient of multiple French national scientific awards and European Union and French government grants. For more information, please visit www.sironabiochem.com. For more information regarding this press release, please contact: Investor Enquiries: Christopher Hopton Chief Financial Officer Phone: (604) 641-4466 Email: [email protected] Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. 8 april 2024 at 02:00 News published onand distributed by: Curium Plans to Significantly Expand Lutetium-177 Capacity and Pet Footprint With Agreement to Acquire Eczaciba?i-Monrol The proposed acquisition of Eczac?ba??-Monrol will: Build on existing partnership in Lu-177 creating a leading manufacturer of the isotope Add 12 PET sites to Curium's existing network in geographies where Curium is not present today Add SPECT manufacturing capabilities and extensive logistics infrastructure to Curium Benefit patients with strengthened reliability for diagnostic and therapeutic solutions PARIS, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Curium, a world leader in nuclear medicine, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Eczac?ba?? Holding and Bozlu Group for the acquisition of Eczac?ba??-Monrol Nuclear Product Co. (Monrol), a dedicated specialist in nuclear medicine. The acquisition is expected to bring together highly complementary geographical footprints, lutetium-177 (Lu-177) capabilities, and PET & SPECT nuclear medicine infrastructure, as well as facilitate the development of cutting-edge radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals pipelines for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Importantly, the acquisition will add significant Lu-177 manufacturing capacity to Curium to meet the growing demand for Lu-177 around the world for the benefit of more than 100,000 critically ill patients worldwide over the next five years. It will expand Curium's PET footprint of 34 sites in Western Europe and Asia with the addition of 12 owned and partnered sites in Eastern Europe and MENA regions. In addition, Eczac?ba??-Monrol's manufacturing and logistics infrastructure in Istanbul, Turkey, will add significant scale to Curium's vertically integrated production and distribution capabilities. Mr. Chaitanya Tatineni, Curium's CEO International Markets commented: "We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement for the acquisition of Eczac?ba??-Monrol ? building on our existing strong partnership and the commitment of both companies to transform the lives of patients around the world. Eczac?ba??-Monrol's complementary PET network, Lu-177 capacity, extensive manufacturing and logistics infrastructure, and location as a global distribution hub offers significant benefits for patients requiring life-changing diagnostic and therapeutic solutions once the transaction is completed." Mr. Aydin Kucuk General Manager of Eczac?ba??-Monrol added: "Building on our existing two-year Lu-177 partnership, today's announcement is a natural evolution of the collaboration between our two companies. We are excited about the benefits of integrating with Curium's global footprint, product portfolio, and innovations in theranostics for the millions of patients that we serve." Mr. Emin Fad?ll?o?lu, CEO of Eczac?ba?? Healthcare Group added: "I am extremely proud of what Eczac?ba??-Monrol's teams have achieved in developing new technology platforms, expanding the PET network, developing SPECT capabilities, and serving patients. The partnership of Curium and Eczac?ba??-Monrol will strengthen their future ambitions." The completion of this transaction is contingent upon meeting customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Eczac?ba?? Holding and Curium are fully committed to navigating through this process efficiently and expect to finalize the transaction in due course. The Parties expect to be able to close this transaction once the customary regulatory approvals will have been obtained. About Curium Curium is a world leader in nuclear medicine. We develop, manufacture, and distribute world-class radiopharmaceutical products to help patients around the globe. Our proven heritage combined with a pioneering approach are the hallmarks to deliver innovation, excellence, and unparalleled service. With manufacturing facilities across Europe and the United States, Curium delivers SPECT, PET and therapeutic radiopharmaceutical solutions for life-threatening diseases to over 14 million patients annually. The name ?Curium' honors the legacy of pioneering radioactive materials researchers Marie and Pierre Curie, after whom the radioactive element curium was named and emphasizes our focus on nuclear medicine. To learn more, visit www.curiumpharma.com For more information: Ben Valdimarsson Reputation Inc Mob: +44 (0)788 9805930 Email: [email protected] Ross Bethell VP, Head of Global Communications Email: [email protected] About Eczac?ba??-Monrol Headquartered in Istanbul, Monrol is a nuclear medicine company leading innovation for the development and manufacturing of GMP grade radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals, Monrol distributes its world-class radiopharmaceutical products portfolio in global markets. As both a CMO and CDMO, Monrol provides early development support to customers and offers fully integrated services for nimble, lean, virtual companies taking new product concepts into clinical trials, demonstrating proof of concept, and going into first-in-human studies. Monrol is committed to transform and improve patient journey in cancer treatment through a portfolio of radiopharmaceutical products that it distributes to more than 70 countries around the globe. To learn more, visit www.monrol.com. 8 april 2024 at 03:30 News published onand distributed by: Vivet Therapeutics Doses First Patient in Cohort 2 in Phase 1/2 GATEWAY Clinical Trial for Treatment of Wilson Disease Dosing of first patient completed in Cohort 2 following Data Monitoring Committee approval to proceed Encouraging safety, tolerability and early pharmacodynamic changes observed in Cohort 1 with lead program VTX-801 PARIS, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vivet Therapeutics ('Vivet'), a clinical stage biotech company developing novel and long-lasting gene therapies for rare inherited liver metabolic disorders, today announces that it has dosed its first patient with its lead program VTX-801 in Cohort 2 of its ongoing GATEWAY Clinical Trial for the treatment of Wilson Disease (WD). Initiation of Cohort 2 followed the successful completion of Cohort 1 and approval from an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) to proceed. WD is a disorder that leads to a build-up of toxic levels of copper in the liver and brain and causes debilitating neurological and hepatic morbidity. Recent evidence indicates that WD can frequently lead to premature death, with a higher mortality rate ranging from 2 to 4 times more than in the general population, despite existing standard of care (SOC) treatments1,2. The disease affects approximately 1 in 30,000 people ?12-15,000 in the US and around 17,000 in Europe. The GATEWAY clinical trial is an ongoing, actively enrolling, non-randomized, open-label Phase 1/2 trial taking place across several clinical sites in the US, UK, Germany and Denmark and is designed to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacological activity of a single intravenous infusion of VTX-801 at increasing dose levels in adult patients with WD. Jean-Philippe Combal, Chief Executive Officer at Vivet Therapeutics, said: "Receiving DMC approval to advance to a higher dose level is highly encouraging and accelerates our ability to further inform clinical development of VTX-801, as we evaluate its potential as a disease modifying treatment option for sufferers and their families whose lives are disrupted by WD. We are encouraged by the initial safety, histological and pharmacodynamic data that VTX-801 has demonstrated to date and we are pleased that the first patient has been successfully dosed in Cohort 2 in the GATEWAY clinical trial. 2024 is shaping up to be a transformative year for Vivet and its gene therapy platform and we look forward to providing further data on our GATEWAY clinical trial at upcoming scientific conferences." Prof Michael Schilsky, Director of the Center for Excellence for Wilson Disease at Yale and Principal Investigator at the Yale clinical trial site in New Haven for the US VTX-801 clinical trial, commented: "Evaluation of VTX-801 as a treatment option for WD is making good progress with no detected serious adverse events in the first dose, Cohort 1 patients. Existing treatments for WD are lifelong and adherence to daily treatment often requiring multiple medication doses aimed at removing excess copper from the body is a serious problem. Additionally, current treatments are not universally effective and can cause adverse side effects in some patients. VTX-801 is designed to restore the normal copper metabolism by providing an engineered, fully functional version of the ATP7B copper transporter gene in the liver, and gives hope to the possibility of eliminating the need for additional medical therapy for this disorder. Early, encouraging data from Cohort 1 has shown detectable vector transduction and transgene expression with early signs of improvement in liver function and histology. We look forward to moving this ground breaking program further through the GATEWAY study and future clinical trials as we seek to demonstrate its transformative potential for patients with WD." Following approval from the DMC, Vivet has safely dosed its first patient at a higher dose level in cohort 2, based on encouraging safety, tolerability and early pharmacodynamic changes observed in two patients in Cohort 1. No unexpected treatment emergent adverse events (TEAE) were observed at the first dose level in Cohort 1. Ongoing patient monitoring in Cohort 1 has demonstrated sustained increase of ceruloplasmin enzymatic activity and ATP7B minigene mRNA hepatic expression with liver histology improvement confirmed in one biopsy at 12 months. Due to results observed with a specific radio-labelled copper(64Cu) biomarker, both patients have been deemed insufficient responders and their SOC treatments are being maintained. Further data readouts on the GATEWAY clinical trial will be reported at upcoming scientific conferences in 2024. About Vivet Therapeutics Vivet Therapeutics is a private, clinical-stage biotech company developing novel and long-lasting gene therapies for rare inherited metabolic conditions, including Wilson's Disease. Vivet's gene therapy platform uses recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) as vectors and has initiated two clinical programs and four pre-clinical assets to date. Its most advanced therapy is VTX-801, a novel gene therapy for Wilson's Disease, with key clinical read-outs expected by the end of 2024. Vivet Therapeutics was founded in 2016 by CEO Dr Jean-Philippe Combal and CSO Dr Gloria Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza and is led by a highly experienced management team with deep expertise developing gene therapies and orphan drugs. Vivet Therapeutics is backed by international life science investors including Novartis Venture Fund, Roche Venture Fund, HealthCap, Pfizer Inc., Columbus Venture Partners, Ysios Capital, Kurma Partners and Eurazeo. In 2019, key investor Pfizer contributed a ?45M investment to collaborate with Vivet in recognition of its scientific expertise and innovative technology platforms. For more information, please visit www.vivet-therapeutics.com - Follow us on LinkedIn @Vivet Therapeutics and Twitter @Vivettherapeutics 1-Cz?onkowska A, Niew ada M, Litwin T, Krai?ski ?, Skowro?ska M, Piechal A, Antos A, Misztal M, Khanna I, -Kurkowska-Jastrz?bska I. Seven decades of clinical experience with Wilson's disease: Report from the national reference centre in Poland. Eur J Neurol. 2022 Nov 25. doi: 10.1111/ene.15646. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36427277. 2-Daniel-Robin T, Benichou B, Leboucher C, Blein C, Combal JP. Epidemiology, treatment and burden of Wilson disease in France: A 10-year analysis of the national health insurance database. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2022 Dec;46(10):101992. doi: 10.1016/j.clinre.2022.101992. Epub 2022 Jul 3. PMID: 35793759. SOURCE Vivet Therapeutics 8 april 2024 at 03:30 News published onand distributed by: Goliath Resources Limited Pre-Selected by Noble Capital Markets Inc. to Present at NobleCon20 TORONTO, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goliath Resources Limited (OTCQB: GOTRF) (TSX-V: GOT) (FSE: B4IF) (the "Company" or "Goliath") is pleased to announce it has been pre-selected by South Florida-based Noble Capital Markets Inc. ("Noble") to present at its 20th annual NobleCon emerging growth equity conference and will also be co-hosting the "After" at Privaira Hangar, Boca Raton Airport. This is Noble's 40th year anniversary of supporting emerging growth companies. "We are very excited to have been pre-selected and hand picked from a long roster of companies to receive Noble's endorsement to participate and help celebrate their 40th Anniversary and 20th NobleCon emerging growth equity conference," stated Roger Rosmus, Founder & CEO of Goliath. NobleCon20 will be held December 3 ? 4, 2024 at the Florida Atlantic University's College of Business Executive Education programs complex. This year three of the original "Sharks" from the ABC hit series "Shark Tank" will be in attendance for a two-day event focused on business pitches, keynote speakers and networking. Venture capitalist Kevin O'Leary (commonly referred to as "Mr. Wonderful"), FUBU apparel founder Daymond John, and cyber-tech giant Robert Herjavec will be featured on the same stage where last year's keynote speaker, former President George W. Bush, captivated the audience. Bringing all three celebrity investors together was no small challenge and their joint appearance for a 95-minute, two-part event on the NobleCon20 stage will be one of a kind. First, the trio will give a moderated fireside chat, followed by a series of business pitches from hopeful entrepreneurs selected by Noble and from Florida Atlantic students and alumni. NobleCon20 will also feature two topical panel presentations featuring notable opinion leaders, an expanded one-on-one meeting schedule, presentations from emerging growth public company senior executives and an opening-session keynote speech. The disco-themed 2024 edition of the "After," hosted in conjunction with Goliath Resources and Money Channel NYC / Moneyball Networking, will be held at the Privaira Hangar at the Boca Raton International Airport. "For NobleCon20 we want to focus on the importance of entrepreneurship, the economic significance of emerging growth companies, and the methodology of making strategic and disciplined investments. These ?Sharks' brings all of that to the stage," Mark Pinvidic, Noble's managing partner, said. "It's our 40th anniversary and our 20th NobleCon, so expectations are high, particularly considering some of the networking events we've done in the past. Rest assured, this ?After' will be one for the record books." Noble has now opened the selection process for public company executives who would like to join the roster of speakers. General attendance registration will be available in July. Preliminary info can be obtained at www.nobleconference.com. About Florida Atlantic University: Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the southeast Florida coast. In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence, FAU embodies an innovative model where traditional achievement gaps vanish. FAU is designated a Hispanic-serving institution, ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report and a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.fau.edu. About Noble Capital Markets, Inc. and Channelchek: Noble Capital Markets Inc. was established in 1984 as a full-service SEC / FINRA registered broker-dealer, dedicated exclusively to serving underfollowed emerging growth companies through investment banking, wealth management, trading & execution, and equity research activities. Over the past 40 years, Noble has raised billions of dollars for companies and published more than 45,000 equity research reports. Noble launched www.channelchek.com in 2018 - an investor community dedicated exclusively to public emerging growth and their industries. Channelchek is the first service to offer institutional-quality research to the public, for FREE at every level without a subscription. More than 7,000 public emerging growth companies are listed on the site, and content including equity research, webcasts, and industry articles. For more information, visit www.noblecapitalmarkets.com Golddigger ? Goliath Resources' Flagship Property The Golddigger Property is 100% controlled covering an area of 64,264 hectares (158,800 acres) and is in the world class geological setting of the Eskay Rift within the Golden Triangle of British Columbia and within 3 kilometers of the ?Red Line' that is host to multiple world class deposits. The Surebet discovery has exceptional metallurgy with gold recoveries of 92.2% inclusive of 48.8% free gold from gravity alone at a 327-micrometer crush (no deleterious elements and no cyanide required to recover the gold based on metallurgical work completed to date). It is in an excellent location in close proximity to the communities of Alice Arm and Kitsault where there is a permitted mill site on private property. It is situated on tide water with direct barge access to Prince Rupert (190 kilometers via the Observatory inlet/Portland inlet). The town of Kitsault is accessible by road (190 kilometers from Terrace, 300 kilometers from Prince Rupert) and has a barge landing, dock, and infrastructure capable of housing at least 300 people, including high-tension power. Additional infrastructure in the area includes the Dolly Varden Silver Mine Road (only 7 kilometers to the East of the Surebet discovery) with direct road access to Alice Arm barge landing (18 kilometers to the south of the Surebet discovery) and high-tension power (25 kilometers to the East of Surebet discovery). The city of Terrace (population 16,000) provides access to railway, major highways, and airport with supplies (food, fuel, lumber, etc.), while the town of Prince Rupert (population 12,000) is located on the west coast and houses an international container seaport also with direct access to railway and an airport with supplies. Qualified Person Rein Turna P. Geo is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, for Goliath Resource Limited projects, and supervised the preparation of, and has reviewed and approved, the technical information in this release. About Goliath Resources Limited Goliath Resources Limited is an explorer of precious metals projects in the prolific Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia and Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Quebec. All of its projects are in world class geological settings and geopolitical safe jurisdictions amenable to mining in Canada. The Company currently has ample funds in its treasury to initiate a significant 2024 drill program and has key strategic shareholders that include Crescat Capital, as well as cornerstone billionaire exploration resource investors Mr. Rob McEwen and Mr. Eric Sprott. For more information please contact: Goliath Resources Limited Mr. Roger Rosmus Founder and CEO Tel: +1.416.488.2887 [email protected] www.goliathresourcesltd.com Widths are reported in drill core lengths and the true widths are estimated to be 80-90% and AuEq metal values are calculated using: Au 1924.79 USD/oz, Ag 22.76 USD/oz, Cu 3.75 USD/lbs, Pb 2128.75 USD/ton and Zn 2468.50 USD/ton on December 23, 2023. There is potential for economic recovery of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc from these occurrences based on other mining and exploration projects in the same Golden Triangle Mining Camp where Goliath's project is located such as the Homestake Ridge Gold Project (Auryn Resources Technical Report, Updated Mineral Resource Estimate and Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Homestake Ridge Gold Project, prepared by Minefill Services Inc. Bothell, Washington, dated May 29, 2020). Here, AuEq values were calculated using 3-year running averages for metal price, and included provisions for metallurgical recoveries, treatment charges, refining costs, and transportation. Recoveries for Gold were 85.5%, Silver at 74.6%, Copper at 74.6% and Lead at 45.3%. It will be assumed that Zinc can be recovered with the Copper at the same recovery rate of 74.6%. The quoted reference of metallurgical recoveries is not from Goliath's Golddigger Project, Surebet Zone mineralization, and there is no guarantee that such recoveries will ever be achieved, unless detailed metallurgical work such as in a Feasibility Study can be eventually completed on the Golddigger Project. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), nor the OTCQB Venture Market accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Goliath's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the ability of the Company to complete financings and its ability to build value for its shareholders as it develops its mining properties. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to Goliath. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the proposed transactions will occur, or that if the proposed transactions do occur, will be completed on the terms described above. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and Goliath is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. This announcement does not constitute an offer, invitation, or recommendation to subscribe for or purchase any securities and neither this announcement nor anything contained in it shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. In particular, this announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer would be illegal. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN. 8 april 2024 at 07:10 News published onand distributed by: Unlocking the Next Era: Drager's Sneak Peek into the Future AirBoss SCBA At FDIC International 2024, attendees will have the unique opportunity to step into the future of Drager's firefighting innovation, experiencing enhanced ergonomics, robust safety, and futuristic advanced connectivity. Lightweight Design for Maximum Mobility Tailored to Every Firefighter 360-Degree Visibility Integrated Future-proof Technology HOUSTON, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In an electrifying fusion of tradition and innovative modernization, Drager is thrilled to announce an exclusive sneak peek of its latest breakthrough at FDIC 2024: the AirBoss Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), representing the pinnacle of Drager's firefighting excellence. Set against the dynamic experiential display of Dragertown at Booth #2311, this much-anticipated reveal will take center stage in Downtown Indianapolis from April 18 to 20, paying homage to the bravery and dedication of firefighters while showcasing a revolutionary leap in safety technology. In Dragertown, firefighters can immerse themselves in a firsthand introduction to advanced gear poised to redefine firefighting standards, providing attendees an unprecedented chance to engage with Drager's upcoming breakthrough. Featuring over 10 units ready for hands-on trials, the AirBoss stands as the crown jewel of Drager's showcase, embodying an exceptional fusion of ergonomic innovation and lightweight construction, meticulously engineered for the immense rigors of firefighting. Crafted with user-centered development principles, the AirBoss marks a significant leap forward in designing the symbiosis between firefighters and their vital equipment. Evolving from the esteemed Drager PSS 7000 lineage, the AirBoss progresses with detailed attention to the diverse pressures of today's and tomorrow's firefighting challenges. Further boasting a harmonious blend of durability, versatile adaptability, and enhanced visibility through Drager's signature "Buddy Lights," this engineering philosophy is complemented by a streamlined maintenance process tailored to meet the critical pace of emergency response scenarios, with no tools required. Additionally, Drager underscores the SCBA's forward-thinking capabilities by embedding latent technologies positioned to activate in response to future advancements, suggesting its longevity and adaptability in the face of emerging challenges. "At Drager, ensuring every firefighter returns home safely is our core commitment. The AirBoss, designed with the firefighter's well-being and ergonomics in mind, embodies our more than a century-long dedication to safety," stated John Wilson, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing at Drager, Inc. "Incorporating feedback from those on the front lines, we've developed the AirBoss to stand resilient in the most demanding situations, equipping firefighters to thrive in challenges, with gear that's poised for the advancements of tomorrow." The AirBoss in Town: Ergonomics, Safety, and Future-Ready Design Custom Comfort for All: Engineered with a three-height adjustment system, versatile and extendable shoulder straps, and a custom-fit waist belt, this blueprint offers a snug, comfortable fit for firefighters of all sizes, enabling a greater range of motion and reduced physical strain during intense operations. Feel Light, Move Right: The AirBoss hones a "floating" waist belt, aimed to redistribute weight from the shoulders to the hips comfortably. Designed to shift the weight and wear like a toolbelt, not a backpack, this intention also helps to mitigate the risk of heat and flame exposure, particularly in situations where an SCBA might lift the back of a firefighter's turnout gear. Stay Alert, Stay Safe: Equipped with the Sentinel system's advanced sensors, the AirBoss provides crucial alerts such as thermal hazards, providing firefighters with timely information for swift action. Reset, Refocus, React: With a quick tap, firefighters can reset alarms, promptly clear any alerts, and return their full attention to the tasks at hand with the swift reset capability. Be Seen, Be Safe: Offering 360-degree visibility, the AirBoss helps ensure firefighters remain conspicuous in low-light conditions or dense smoke through strategic reflective placements and Buddy Lights . . Ready for Tomorrow: Beyond addressing today's demands, the AirBoss is equipped with adaptable and scalable technology, geared to evolve with future challenges in the firefighting landscape. For more information, please visit the Drager AirBoss SCBA page to view the product information sheet about technical data. Dragertown, A Town for Firefighters Dragertown, Drager's annual exhibit at FDIC, creatively marries original storytelling with profound innovation, evolving each year with captivating themes and destinations ? from the vibrancy of a historic main street to the communal spirit of a stadium, and this year, to the solidarity of a fire station. This imaginative venture, set against the backdrop of industry seriousness, underscores Drager's dedication to advancing lifesaving technologies while celebrating the essence of the firefighting community in a manner that's both engaging and reflective of their unwavering commitment to safety. Drager. Technology for Life Drager is an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology. Our products protect, support, and save lives. Founded in 1889, Drager generated revenues of around EUR 3.4 billion in 2023. The Drager Group is currently present in over 190 countries and has more than 16,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.draeger.com. Note: Not all of the products named in this press release are available worldwide. Equipment packages can vary from country to country. We reserve the right to make changes to products. Up-to-date information is available on the Dra?ger website of your country or from your Dra?ger representative. Contact: Communications: Melanie Kamann, Tel. +49 451 882-3202, [email protected] Press Contact North America: Richard Beckwith, Tel. +1 281 387 4410, [email protected] Investor Relations: Thomas Fischler, Tel. +49 451 882-2685, [email protected] SOURCE Draeger 8 april 2024 at 07:10 News published onand distributed by: Decklar Resources Announces Changes to Board of Directors CALGARY, Alberta, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Decklar Resources Inc. (TSX-V: DKL) (OTC: DKLRF) (FSE: A1U1) (the "Company" or "Decklar") announces changes to the Company's Board of Directors. Appointment of Mr. Zachary ("Zack") Malone to Decklar's Board Decklar is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Zack Malone to the Company's board of directors. Mr. Malone has over 30 years of experience managing drilling operations, with the last 19 years spent working in Nigeria including 10 years as Mart Resources Inc. drilling and completions manager and the past nine years as an independent consultant working for various indigenous oil and gas and drilling services companies including operations for Decklar Resources. Mr. Malone had previous experience as a rig manager for large international drilling contractors in Canada. Confirmation of Mr. Malone's appointment is subject to TSX-V approval. Appointment of Mr. Robert Samuel ("Sam") Grier to Decklar's Board Decklar is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Sam Grier to the Company's board of directors. Mr. Grier has over 30 years of experience in the investor relations business for natural resource companies. Mr. Grier was the founder and CEO of Stirling Merchant Capital Inc. in Calgary, an investor relations and marketing firms working for natural resource companies. Sam started his career working in-house corporate investor relations, and later for a national investor relations firm before founding his own practice in 2005. Mr. Grier has an Economics degree from University of Calgary and completed the Canadian Securities Course. Sam has built solid relationships in the investment industry in Canada and is a member of the Mineral Exploration Group, Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Saskatoon Club, and is an alumni member of the University of Calgary Dinos wrestling team. Confirmation of Mr. Grier's appointment is subject to TSX-V approval. Resignation of Director Mr. Denis Poelzer has resigned from Decklar's board effective immediately. The Company thanks Mr. Poelzer for his valuable input and service. Sanmi Famuyide, CEO of Decklar Resources, commented, "I am delighted to welcome Sam Grier and Zack Malone to the Board of Directors of Decklar Resources. Zack brings with him invaluable experience and knowledge of the Nigerian oil and gas industry and will make a significant contribution to the growth of our company. Sam is very experienced and well connected in the natural resource capital markets sector as well as investor relations and public company event management. Sam's relationships and knowledge will be very beneficial to growing market awareness of Decklar Resources. I would also like to thank Denis Poelzer for his contribution and valuable services to Decklar and wish Denis all the best in his future endeavours." For further information: Sanmi Famuyide Chief Executive Officer Telephone: +234 703 332 2265 Email: [email protected] David Halpin Chief Financial Officer Telephone: +1 403 816 3029 Email: [email protected] Investor Relations: [email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Language Certain statements made and information contained herein constitute "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Such statements and information (together, "forward looking statements") relate to future events or the Company's future performance, business prospects or opportunities. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking 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. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things, changes in oil prices, results of exploration and development activities, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of materials and equipment, timeliness of government or other regulatory approvals, actual performance of facilities, availability of financing on reasonable terms, availability of third party service providers, equipment and processes relative to specifications and expectations and unanticipated environmental impacts on operations. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company provides 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 does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. 8 april 2024 at 08:00 News published onand distributed by: Stonebranch Announces Significant Minority Investment from EMH Partners Stonebranch ("the Company"), a leading provider of service orchestration and automation solutions, today announced a significant minority investment from EMH Partners, a leading growth investment firm that partners with technology businesses and entrepreneurs. Under the agreement, funds advised by EMH Partners obtain a significant minority stake, while Elvaston continues to have majority ownership. The investment will be used to support organic growth, platform enhancements, and geographic expansion. "We are thrilled to have the experience and backing of EMH," states Giuseppe Damiani, CEO at Stonebranch. "EMH Partners and Stonebranch share a customer-centric approach and the vision to constantly challenge the status quo. This investment accelerates industry-defining innovation that our customers and partner ecosystems require to modernize their IT automation and orchestration programs." "EMH is delighted to back Stonebranch and its established track record as the go-to option for enterprises focused on modernizing their IT automation program," adds Jens Zuber, Partner at EMH. "Together, we will continue to change, for the better, the way enterprises orchestrate their ever-changing hybrid IT environments," he concludes. "Elvaston firmly believes in Stonebranch's mission to bring the power of enterprise IT automation into everyone's hands," said Dr. Oliver Thum, Managing Partner at Elvaston. "EMH is an important partner in this goal." The company, with headquarters in Alpharetta (GA, USA) and Frankfurt (Germany), assists enterprise customers in transitioning their IT environments from basic IT task automation into sophisticated, real-time business service automation. The Stonebranch Universal Automation Center (UAC) empowers enterprises to centrally automate and orchestrate workloads across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid IT environments. IT operations, developers, data teams, and cloud operations groups leverage UAC to collaborate and innovate within a single future-proof platform. Founded in 1999, Stonebranch serves a loyal global customer base of 350 blue-chip enterprise clients, including many of the world's largest financial, healthcare, and technology institutions. Gartner has recognized the company in their Market Guide for Service Orchestration and Automation Platforms since its inaugural publication in 2020. In addition to other market guides and recognitions, Stonebranch was recently recognized as a representative vendor in the 2024 Gartner Market Guide for Global Infrastructure Automation and Orchestration Tools. Arma Partners acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Stonebranch. Paul-Noel Guely, Managing Partner of Arma Partners, commented, "We are pleased to have advised Elvaston and Stonebranch on this exciting new chapter for the company. Giuseppe Damiani and the leadership team at Stonebranch have created a truly unique platform that will continue to innovate and lead the enterprise IT automation segment for years to come. We look forward to Stonebranch's exciting future with its new partners as it embarks on its next phase of growth and development." The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. The transaction is expected to close subject to customary regulatory approvals. About Stonebranch Stonebranch builds IT orchestration and automation solutions that transform business IT environments from simple IT task automation into sophisticated, real-time business service automation. No matter the degree of automation, the Stonebranch platform is simple, modern, and secure. Using the Stonebranch Universal Automation Platform, enterprises can seamlessly orchestrate workloads and data across technology ecosystems and silos. Learn more at www.stonebranch.com About Elvaston: Elvaston is a leading private equity investment firm with 10+ years of history. Its focus is on medium-sized software and technology companies, which will be supported with capital and strategic advice. Throughout the last decade, Elvaston's portfolio grew to 20 platform companies, generating a combined annual revenue of approximately ?1,150 million with over 90,000 customers. Learn more at www.elvaston.com About EMH Partners: EMH Partners is a leading growth investment firm that partners with technology businesses and entrepreneurs. ?With its true entrepreneurial heritage, EMH helps businesses through strategic capital, deep industry expertise, and a shared vision for growth. ?EMH Partners has more than ?1.5bn in committed capital to build long-term value alongside entrepreneurs and management teams. Learn more at www.emh.com About Arma: Founded in 2003, Arma Partners, acting as trusted independent corporate finance advisors, serves companies, investors and entrepreneurs working in the global digital economy. Since its inception, Arma Partners has grown and evolved in tandem with the global technology ecosystem, advising on over 300 deals valued at more than $130 billion in aggregate. Arma Partners is headquartered in London and has offices in Munich. Today, Arma Partners employs a 100+ dedicated advisory team with unparalleled domain expertise and an enviable track record in each of the diverse sub-segments. To learn more, visit www.armapartners.com 8 april 2024 at 08:15 News published onand distributed by: Ameresco Begins Construction of Biogas Cogeneration Project in Sacramento, California Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE: AMRC), a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, today announced it entered a nearly $140M contract to develop and construct an advanced technology biogas cogeneration facility for the Sacramento Area Sewer District located at the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility (EchoWater Facility) near Elk Grove, California. This on-site renewable energy facility will beneficially utilize biogas (methane), a byproduct of the EchoWater Facility's solids treatment process, to produce renewable electricity and heat for the EchoWater Facility through an integrated 13.4 MW cogeneration plant that will utilize fuel cell and engine technology. By incorporating the fuel cell system, the project will have exceptional efficiency and reduced pollutant emissions, making it a clean, reliable baseload dispatchable resource. Additionally, the system will allow for the expandability to produce hydrogen in the future. "SacSewer is committed to being a leader in environmental stewardship. Through our sustainable efforts in resource recovery, we maximize the reuse of treatment process by-products such as biogas," shared Christoph Dobson, SacSewer's General Manager. "This project is yet another example of how we're working every day to fulfill our mission of protecting public health and the environment by collecting, treating, and recovering resources from sewage." "We are thrilled to partner with SacSewer, supporting their efforts to optimize the use of the biogas that is generated as a byproduct of the sewage treatment process," said Michael Bakas, Executive Vice President of Ameresco. "Capturing and repurposing biogenic methane, that is already in our environment and produced by society, to displace fossil fuel is a powerful example of the circular economy in action, where waste is not discarded, but turned into a valuable asset. This voluntary act by SacSewer, backed by a material investment into this advanced renewable energy center, speaks volumes to their commitment to our environment and their surrounding community." Construction of the new facility is expected to be completed by July 2026. To learn more about the energy efficiency solutions offered by Ameresco, visit www.ameresco.com/energy-efficiency/. About Ameresco, Inc. Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading cleantech integrator and renewable energy asset developer, owner and operator. Our comprehensive portfolio includes solutions that help customers reduce costs, decarbonize to net zero, and build energy resiliency while leveraging smart, connected technologies. From implementing energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrades to developing, constructing, and operating distributed energy resources ? we are a trusted sustainability partner. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with Federal, state and local governments, utilities, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has more than 1,500 employees providing local expertise in North America and Europe. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com. About the Sacramento Area Sewer District The Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) is the Sacramento region's largest sewage collection, treatment, and resource recovery utility?providing service to more than 1.6 million people. They are the second largest sewage collection utility in California, and they own and operate the second largest water resource recovery facility of its kind in the nation?the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility located near Elk Grove. Learn more at sacsewer.com. The announcement of a customer's entry into a project contract is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such contract, of the company's overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in the company's overall total project backlog. This project was included in our previously reported awarded backlog as of December 31, 2023. 8 april 2024 at 08:25 News published onand distributed by: BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MASSACHUSETTS TO BOOST INVESTMENT IN SMALL INDEPENDENT PRIMARY CARE PRACTICES Up to $20 million in new funding will be distributed to eligible practices amid state's primary care crisis BOSTON, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts ("Blue Cross") today announced it will increase reimbursement rates to qualifying small, independent primary care practices in Massachusetts. The announcement comes at a critical time, as the percentage of Massachusetts patients who report being able to see their doctor when needed fell to a record low in 2023. As part of this new initiative, eligible primary care practices in Blue Cross' network will start receiving increases in their reimbursements - as much as 30%. The funding will assist small independent primary care practices and is not expected to increase members' total costs. "We need to support our primary care clinicians now more than ever before," said Sarah Iselin, president and CEO of Blue Cross. "We are committed to doing our part to sustain and strengthen primary care in the Commonwealth to help ensure everyone can access the care they need, when they need it most." Over 1,000 primary care providers, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, will be eligible for the increases. The investment builds on Blue Cross' leadership in value-based payment models and the health plan's commitment to guiding members to the care that meets their needs. "Investing in primary care should start where it is needed most ? with small, independent practices," said Mark Friedberg, MD, senior vice president, performance measurement & improvement at Blue Cross. "These practices provide high-value services for our members, and we need to do what we can to support them during this critical time. We also know that strengthening primary care helps improve outcomes and overall health care affordability." Expanding access to primary care Blue Cross has grown its primary care network by 10% over the past five years, with 93% of its primary care network reporting having openings within 45 days for routine or preventive care visits. Some of Blue Cross' newer primary care groups include Eden Health and On Belay Health Solutions. Blue Cross' "Virtual Care Team Feature" also gives members access to a team of primary care providers through Carbon Health and Firefly Health. About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.org) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to showing up for everyone like they're the only one and guiding our members to the exceptional health care they deserve ? affordably, equitably and seamlessly. In keeping with our commitment, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts 8 april 2024 at 08:50 News published onand distributed by: Trinity Investments and Partners Group Acquire The Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas A joint venture between Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm, acting on behalf of its clients, and funds managed by Trinity Investments ("Trinity"), announced today the acquisition of The Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas (the "Resort"), located in Paradise Valley, Arizona. The Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas features 404 rooms spread across the central hotel and surrounding villa suites, as well as 50,000 square feet of meeting space. The transaction also includes the potential for expansion with entitlements secured by the seller. In recent years, Phoenix has become one the most populous and fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S., and is a leading destination market, hosting more than 23 million visitors annually. The Resort is located on nearly 40 acres of land in one of Phoenix's nicest towns, Paradise Valley, and is directly adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Residences, Paradise Valley, and its surrounding developments. "The Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas is a prime example of an excellent property coming to market in need of a significant capital investment from a partnership like Trinity and Partners Group that can deliver a development plan for future growth," said Sean Hehir, Managing Partner, President, and CEO of Trinity. "We are pleased to work with Partners Group again as we execute on our repositioning and enhancement plan for this already well-performing asset." As part of its acquisition strategy, Trinity will execute a targeted capital plan intended to create a cohesive resort experience, specifically catering to large groups, friends and family, and premium leisure travelers. The Resort will remain unencumbered of brand and will continue to be managed by Highgate. "Trinity has been an excellent partner in creating, managing and delivering additional value on our joint investments," said Jason Longo, Senior Investment Leader, Partners Group. "I am looking forward to continuing to build our real assets portfolio and platform together." This acquisition extends the partnership between the two firms, which began with their first joint venture in 2022 with The Las Colinas Resort in Dallas, which recently converted to The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas. About Trinity Investments Trinity is a private real estate investment firm with a 28-year history of specializing in value-add opportunities. Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, with offices in Los Angeles and London, Trinity focuses on unique real estate investments in world-class markets. As of April 2024, Trinity has invested more than US $9.8 billion in the United States, Mexico, Europe, and Japan by leveraging its deep institutional knowledge and longstanding local relationships. For additional information, please visit Trinity's website at www.trinityinvestments.com. For updates on Trinity's investment activity, follow Trinity on LinkedIn. About Partners Group Partners Group is a leading global private markets firm. Since 1996, the firm has invested USD 210 billion in private equity, private real estate, private debt and private infrastructure on behalf of its clients globally. Partners Group seeks to generate attractive returns through capitalizing on thematic growth trends and transforming attractive businesses and assets into market leaders. The firm is a committed, responsible investor and aims to create sustainable returns with lasting, positive impact for all its stakeholders. With USD 147 billion in assets under management as of 31 December 2023, Partners Group provides an innovative range of bespoke client solutions to institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and private individuals globally. The firm employs more than 1,900 diverse professionals across 20 offices worldwide and has regional headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland; Denver, USA; and Singapore. It has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2006 (symbol: PGHN). For more information, please visit www.partnersgroup.com or follow us on LinkedIn. 8 april 2024 at 09:20 News published onand distributed by: Fairbanks Morse Defense Reshaping U.S. Shipbuilding Supply Chain with Strategic Acquisitions Supply chain impacts from the pandemic and conflicts in Ukraine and the Red Sea make it clear that the United States cannot be overly reliant on foreign sources for critical national defense equipment. Fairbanks Morse Defense is taking steps to bolster the domestic shipbuilding supply chain with acquisitions that ensure a continuous supply of critical components and equipment are available for maritime defense. "Revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding industry requires us to adopt a new approach, but we can't do that if we don't have control over our national defense supply chain," said Fairbanks Morse Defense CEO George Whittier. "Through our expansion and acquisitions, Fairbanks Morse Defense is taking steps to ensure unimpeded access to essential marine equipment." While traditionally known as an engine manufacturer, Fairbanks Morse Defense has acquired 11 companies since the end of 2020, adding domestically produced motors, valves, water filtration equipment, fans, blowers, electrical system hardware, and more to its product portfolio for U.S. maritime defense customers. The State of American Shipbuilding U.S. shipbuilding has declined since the 1980s when Federal policies supporting a robust American shipbuilding industry were abandoned. Of the six U.S. companies manufacturing large medium-speed diesel engines before 1980, Fairbanks Morse Defense is the only remaining domestic producer. Today, China produces approximately 50% of the world's commercial ships, contrasting starkly with the meager 0.5% produced by the U.S. This economic disparity not only favors China but also provides a substantial reservoir of commercial vessels that could be mobilized to support a naval fleet of 350 ships compared to a U.S. fleet of about 290 vessels. Despite the superior power, capabilities, extremely well-trained sailors, and technology of U.S. vessels, the sheer numerical advantage of the Chinese fleet poses a considerable threat, potentially overwhelming adversaries. Competing with China requires revitalizing American shipbuilding. This objective poses several big challenges, but no solutions can be pursued without domestic control of the supply chain. Many voices in the industry believe that securing foreign-made parts is the only way to get their job done on time and within budget. In some cases, there have not been any choices. According to the Naval Supply Systems Command, 20% of defense sector suppliers left the industry from 2015 to 2020 due to supply chain, economic, and labor challenges, with few new U.S. companies to replace them. Many of these vendors were small-to-mid-sized companies that provided essential "niche" parts or services to the military and shipbuilders that could not be procured from another domestic supplier. Fairbanks Morse Defense's acquisitions of small-to-mid-sized companies such as American Fan and Maxim Watermakers are just a few examples of how the defense contractor is stepping in to preserve the domestic supply chain by ensuring these vendors continue providing products and services for national defense. Reshoring American Manufacturing Spurred by trade policies that view China as an adversary rather than a peer, larger companies are drawing their resources out of Asia and bringing them back to the U.S. In some instances, the U.S. has incentivized this reshoring, such as with the CHIPS Act. "Buy America" provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act also send a demand signal to the industry that would encourage reshoring of critical military equipment. Even with incentives and "Made in the USA" trade policies, reshoring requires a massive amount of infrastructure investment. Exploring the regulations around domestic manufacturing capabilities and considering tax and other incentives to support domestic onshoring as a complement to Defense Production Act grantmaking would provide much-needed financial support for these companies to bring their manufacturing back to the U.S. Technology and the Supply Chain Leveraging technology is yet another way of controlling the domestic supply chain. In the case of U.S. shipbuilding, casting stands out as one of the biggest constraints. China is the world's leading producer of castings, producing more than the combined total output of the next seven countries and five times more than the U.S. Through Hunt Valve, Fairbanks Morse Defense is working with the Maritime Sustainment Technology and Innovation Consortium (MSTIC) to develop the first 3D-printed valve assembly to be installed in a U.S. submarine. The process reduces production time by two-thirds and eliminates the challenges of casting. Fairbanks Morse Defense's acquisition of AMMCON provides the defense contractor with this infrastructure for fittings. Highlighted FMD Acquisitions Learn more about how Fairbanks Morse Defense is reshaping the U.S. shipbuilding supply chain by visiting booth #527 during the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space April 8-10, 2024, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Contact Randy Garner [email protected] to arrange a meeting about our product portfolio. About Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) builds, maintains, and services the most trusted naval power and propulsion systems on the planet. For nearly a century, Fairbanks Morse Defense has been a principal supplier of a growing array of leading marine technologies, OEM parts, and turnkey services to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and Canadian Coast Guard. FMD stands ready to rapidly support the systems that power military fleets without compromising safety or quality. In times of peace and war, the experienced engineers and technicians of FMD demonstrate our commitment to supporting the mission and vision of critical global naval operations wherever and whenever needed. FMD is a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management. To learn more, visit www.FairbanksMorseDefense.com. 8 april 2024 at 10:20 News published onand distributed by: Chicago Atlantic Closes $20 Million Facility with Nova Farms Chicago Atlantic has closed a $20 million facility in senior secured financing to Nova Farms, a fully integrated cannabis operator managing a Massachusetts cultivation farm, seven retail brands and five full-service dispensaries across Massachusetts, Maine and New Jersey. Chicago Atlantic's capital investment will support Nova Farms' efforts to expand its footprint of dispensaries in key states, including New Jersey, a burgeoning market that has earned more than $1.3 billion since the beginning of adult-use cannabis sales in April 20221, and Connecticut, which legalized adult-use cannabis in January 2023 and saw $274 million in revenue its first year2. Nova Farms secured its first licenses in Massachusetts shortly after the state's legalization of adult-use cannabis in 2016, and its new openings to date have shown a consistent track record of growth and profitability. "Nova Farms has demonstrated its ability to operate successfully and identify attractive opportunities to accelerate progress. We have every confidence in their plans to open additional locations across the Northeast, which will support their mission to increase safe and positive accessibility," said Peter Sack, Partner at Chicago Atlantic. With the legal U.S. cannabis industry expected to reach nearly $40 billion in 20243, Nova Farms and other multi-state operators are experiencing increased demand for high-quality retail products and convenient points of purchase. "Our partnership with Chicago Atlantic marks a new chapter in our longstanding contributions to the industry. We are extremely proud of our ability to control quality and efficiency in each element of our supply chain. It's an honor to have a financial partner who believes in our integrated approach working directly with our team to chart a roadmap for the realization of our goals," said Derek Ross, CEO of Nova Farms. The next Nova Farms retail opening is planned for late 2024. 1 NJ.gov, March 2024. 2 NBC Connecticut, December 2023. 3 Statista Market Insights, April 2024. About Chicago Atlantic Chicago Atlantic is a private markets alternative investments manager focused on industries and companies where demand for capital exceeds traditional supply. Founding Partners John Mazarakis, Tony Cappell and Andreas Bodmeier established Chicago Atlantic in 2019 to provide capital solutions to state-licensed cannabis operators. The firm's private investment strategies have grown to include opportunistic credit, private equity, digital mining and impact investing, with focuses on loans to esoteric industries, specialty asset-based loans, liquidity solutions and growth and technology finance. Chicago Atlantic has made over $2 billion in credit and equity investments to date. Chicago Atlantic's team of over 75 professionals has offices in Miami, Florida and Chicago, Illinois. For more information on Chicago Atlantic's financing products, visit chicagoatlantic.com. About Nova Farms Nova Farms was established by a group of cannabis entrepreneurs which burgeoned into an organized group of industry pioneers. The business began with several licenses and a farm in Massachusetts, and currently includes adult-use cannabis retail brands and full-service dispensaries in Massachusetts (Attleboro, Dracut and Framingham), Greenville, Maine and Woodbury, New Jersey. For more information, visit NovaFarms.com. 8 april 2024 at 12:45 News published onand distributed by: ALTIVIA Appoints Scott Barnum as Director of Manufacturing and Dean Hale as Corporate Engineering Manager HOUSTON, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ALTIVIA today announced that it has named Scott Barnum as Director of Manufacturing and Dean Hale as Corporate Engineering Manager. Mr. Barnum will oversee the process management, quality, and operations of ALTIVIA's Specialty and Oxide Chemicals' units. Mr. Hale will lead the development and management of ALTIVIA's Corporate Engineering Department. "We look forward to welcoming both Scott and Dean as ALTIVIA furthers its investment in growth, sustainability, and world-class operating performance," said Michael Jusbasche, ALTIVIA's Chief Executive Officer. "Their proven leadership and experience in the chemicals industry will fuel ALTIVIA's growth." Scott Barnum Mr. Barnum has 30 years of experience in the chemicals industry, including phosgenation, chlorination, sulfonation, and esterification processes. Prior to joining ALTIVIA, Mr. Barnum served as the Director of Manufacturing at Niacet Corporation, a division of Kerry Group, plc (OTC Markets KRYAY), an industry-leading manufacturer in food feed, and pharmaceutical additives. Mr. Barnum served as board member of the Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance, representing 194 member companies. During his career, Mr. Barnum has been recognized for his contributions to environmental, safety, and health management. Mr. Barnum holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from The State University of New York. Dean Hale Mr. Hale has spent the last 33 years in various engineering capacities in the chemicals industry, focused on process development, implementation, and optimization. He brings a breadth of industry experience in applications including petrochemicals, semiconductor chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food additives. Prior to joining ALTIVIA, he most recently served as the Engineering Manager for Niacet Corporation, a division of Kerry Group, plc (OTC Markets: KRYAY), and has held various engineering and project management roles for DOW (NYSE: DOW) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). Mr. Hale has been a recipient of the Pfizer Innovation Award and the Teamwork Award, and Pharmacia's Outstanding Performance Recognition Award. Mr. Hale holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University and is certified as a Project Management Professional. Mr. Barnum's and Mr. Hale's leadership were instrumental in Niacet's winning the American Chemistry Council's (ACC) Company of the Year Award for outstanding environmental, safety, health, and security performance. About ALTIVIA Headquartered in Houston, Texas, privately held ALTIVIA was founded in 1986 and today operates four petrochemical and specialty chemical manufacturing facilities in Texas, Ohio, and West Virginia. ALTIVIA Petrochemicals, with facilities in Haverhill, Ohio, is the third largest merchant producer of Phenol, Acetone, and alpha-methyl-styrene in the Americas. ALTIVIA Specialty Chemicals, the largest producer of Phosgene derivative intermediates in the Americas, including chloroformates and acid chlorides, serving the pharmaceutical, organic peroxide, and agricultural markets from its operations in LaPorte, Texas . . ALTIVIA Ketones & Additives, a global leader and producer of ketones and carbinols at its facilities in Institute, West Virginia . This business was acquired from The Dow Chemical Company in 2019, and it serves the coatings, industrial and automotive lubricants, and adhesives industries. . This business was acquired from The Dow Chemical Company in 2019, and it serves the coatings, industrial and automotive lubricants, and adhesives industries. ALTIVIA Oxide Chemicals specializes in custom production of various chemical intermediates serving surfactant, lubricant, and fuel additives markets. The production facility in Crosby , Texas, includes 31 reactors and distillation trains with ethoxylation, propoxylation and a range of organic reaction capabilities. For more information contact: Kelly Kimberly +1.713.822.7538 [email protected] SOURCE ALTIVIA 8 april 2024 at 12:44 News published onand distributed by: Americraft Marine Appoints Peter Fetten as Chairman Owner of St. Johns Ship Building appoints industry veteran to key role as part of strategy to meet significant need for Jones-Act vessels. NEW YORK, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Americraft Marine, one of the maritime subsidiaries of Libra Group that owns and operates a Jones Act ship building facility in Palatka, Florida, has announced the appointment of Peter Fetten as Chairman of Americraft. Americraft Marine Appoints Peter Fetten as Chairman A seasoned leader with four decades in the marine engineering and shipbuilding sectors, Fetten will help shape the strategic direction of Americraft Marine as it works to advance U.S. shipbuilding and the demand for Jones Act vessels. Americraft Marine owns and operates St. Johns Ship Building, a Palatka, Florida-based Jones Act shipyard with a focus on new construction and repair of a wide variety of steel and aluminum vessels, including ferries, tugs, deck and tank barges, landing crafts, and general cargo vessels. Significantly, it is also one of the few U.S. shipyards that builds vessels, such as the crew transfer vessels (CTVs), that support and service offshore wind farms. A shipbuilding industry veteran, Fetten's experience includes the design, construction, and ship management experience of some of the world's largest ships. Prior to this he held senior roles at Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruise, as well as Blohm and Voss where he worked for 15 years. He is also the initiator/developer of Grand Bahamas (Freeport) Shipyard. He holds degrees in naval architecture and welding engineering from the University of Hamburg. Omear Khalid, CEO of Americraft Marine, said, "We are committed to delivering excellence in shipbuilding, including supporting skilled American workers that are the backbone of a strong Jones Act fleet." He continued, "Leveraging Peter's significant global expertise, we look forward to advancing our capabilities to meet the needs of our clients, both today and tomorrow, and to support a strong and vibrant U.S. economy." Fetten's appointment comes at a key inflection point for the company as it ramps up its production, including CTVs used to service offshore wind. Last year, St. Johns delivered the WINDEA Courageous CTV supporting the construction of Vineyard Wind I, the nation's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm located in New Bedford, Mass. Peter Fetten, Chairman of Americraft, said, "We are at a pivotal moment in American shipbuilding, which is the cornerstone of economic competitiveness. Investment in this vital sector is critical to ensure the U.S. continues to lead in the global economy," said Fetten. "I am honored to support the mission of Americraft Marine, working with its strong leadership, as it aims to bolster its work at St. Johns, and beyond." Americraft Marine is one of three maritime subsidiaries of Libra Group, a privately owned business group whose 20 subsidiaries have assets and operations in nearly 60 countries. Other maritime subsidiaries include Lomar Shipping and Seapath, a company formed to address the need for critical investments in America's maritime economy, including marine industrial technologies and Jones Act vessels. About Americraft Marine Americraft Marine was launched with the sole purpose to support and strengthen the U.S. shipbuilding industry and infrastructure. Americraft Marine is at the forefront of the U.S. shipbuilding industry, dedicated to revolutionizing Jones Act shipbuilding and supporting the nation's maritime infrastructure. Leveraging decades of maritime experience and a commitment to innovation and sustainability, Americraft Marine aims to lead the evolution of the shipbuilding industry, creating stable jobs, advancing clean energy technologies, and building the innovative ships of tomorrow. SOURCE Americraft Marine Group 8 april 2024 at 12:47 News published onand distributed by: World leaders gathered in Rwanda to mark the 30th anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi KIGALI, Rwanda, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- World leaders past and present gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, to remember the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Over a dozen current and former Heads of State, including South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, and former US President, Bill Clinton, attended. They joined President Paul Kagame to lay wreaths and light the flame of remembrance at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, and thereafter they participated in the national ceremony at BK Arena, marking the official start of Kwibuka30. Kwibuka means 'to remember' in Kinyarwanda (the national language of Rwanda). To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9260351-world-leaders-gather-rwanda-30th-anniversary-genocide-against-tutsi/ On 7 April 1994, a genocide was unleashed against the Tutsi minority of Rwanda, leaving over a million dead in just 100 days, in full view of the world. A minimal United Nations peacekeeping force stood by and watched the genocide unfold, after a decision was made by the Security Council to withdraw most of the peacekeepers. In his speech, President Kagame said Rwanda learnt three key lessons from its experience: "First, only we as Rwandans and Africans can give full value to our lives. After all, we cannot ask others to value African lives more highly than we ourselves do. That is the root of our duty to preserve memory and tell our history as we lived it. Second, never wait for rescue, or ask for permission to do what is right to protect people. That is why some people must be joking when they threaten us with all kinds of things, they don't know what they are talking about. In any case, that is why Rwanda participates proudly in peacekeeping operations today, and also extends assistance to African brothers and sisters bilaterally when asked. Third, stand firm against the politics of ethnic populism in any form. Genocide is populism in its purified form." Four memorials to the Genocide against the Tutsi recently inscribed as UNESCO world heritage sites will be illuminated each night for the week of commemoration. As a sign of international solidarity, iconic monuments in cities around the world will be lit in the colours of the Rwandan flag, as part of a joint Rwanda-UNESCO initiative. This year's historic anniversary is an opportunity for Rwandans and the rest of the world to honour victims, comfort survivors, and reflect on Rwanda's journey of recovery, reconciliation, and resilience, with national unity at the core of the country's stability and progress. Notes to the editor For audio visual content from today's events please visit here For more information, please visit kwibuka.rw To request an interview in the coming days, please email [email protected] Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2381723/Kwibuka.mp4 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2379424/4636815/Kwibuka_Logo.jpg 8 april 2024 at 14:38 News published onand distributed by: Congressional Medal of Honor Society Announces Passing of Medal of Honor Recipient Ralph Puckett Jr. Last living Korean War Medal of Honor Recipient Earned Nation's Highest Award for Valor during Korean War. MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C., April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Congressional Medal of Honor Society regretfully announces that Ralph Puckett, Jr., the last living Korean war Medal of Honor recipient, passed away on April 8, 2024, in Columbus, Georgia, at the age of 97. President Joseph Biden Jr. presented Puckett with the Medal of Honor at the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2021, for his actions during the Battle of Unsan in North Korea. During the period of Nov. 25 to Nov. 26, 1950, then 1st Lt. Ralph Puckett Jr. led his Rangers company in an attack on Hill 205 in North Korea exposing himself to deadly enemy fire on multiple occasions. He intentionally ran across an open area three times to draw enemy fire, thereby allowing the Rangers to locate and destroy the enemy positions and to seize the hill while showing extraordinary leadership as he inspired and motivated the Rangers. As the battle over Hill 205 waged on, the Rangers were outnumbered 10 to 1. During the enemy's first attack of six, Puckett was wounded by grenade fragments, but he refused evacuation and continually directed artillery support that decimated attacking enemy formations and repeatedly abandoned positions of relative safety to make his way from foxhole to foxhole to check the company's perimeter and distribute ammunition amongst the Rangers. During the sixth attack, Puckett sustained grievous injuries from mortar rounds and commanded his company to leave him behind to evacuate, however, the Rangers refused the order and retrieved their commander from his foxhole while still under fire. Speaking about receiving the Medal of Honor 71 years after the Battle of Unsan, Puckett said, "I was surprised at that. But I mainly thought there's about 50 Rangers in the past that've really done an outstanding job and taken themselves from noncombat basic armed soldiers into being some of the best our country has ever produced. But I certainly feel that my Rangers deserved recognition and that kind of award for what they had done. They did the work. They did the fighting. Two of them carried me off the battlefield. They're the ones who should get the credit." Puckett was born in Tifton, Georgia, Dec. 8, 1926. He enlisted at age 17 in the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps. A few years later he was discharged so that he could attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1949. He then went to Japan to prepare for deploying to fight in the Korean War. Before he arrived in Korea, he was asked to command a newly activated Rangers company. The Rangers had not been active since World War II. Puckett was also a veteran of the Vietnam War. He retired as a colonel following a 22-year career. The Medal of Honor was an upgrade from his first of two Distinguished Service Crosses. He also was awarded two Silver Stars in Vietnam and earned five Purple Hearts across the two wars, as well as two Bronze Stars with "V" device for valor. He has remained an important figure among U.S. Army Rangers, and he served as an "honorary colonel" for the 75th Ranger Regiment and regularly met with Rangers at Fort Benning, Georgia. He is survived by numerous family members. Burial arrangements are pending. A Celebration of Life will be held at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia, on April 20, 2024. There are now 62 living Medal of Honor Recipients. About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor (the United States' highest award for military valor in action) and its Recipients, inspiring Americans to live the values the Medal represents, and supporting Recipients as they connect with communities across America. Chartered by Congress in 1958, the Society's membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society at cmohs.org. Contact: John Falkenbury [email protected] SOURCE Congressional Medal of Honor Society 8 april 2024 at 16:08 News published onand distributed by: Mayor's Fund's Eviction-prevention Program Receives $2.8 Million Investment from Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation and Health Net Join L.A. Care Health Plan prior donation to become top donors to We Are LA program LOS ANGELES, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing the importance of preventing evictions in overcoming Los Angeles's homelessness crisis, The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation has donated $1.5 million and Health Net $1.3 million to support the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles' We Are LA program. We Are LA connects people at risk of eviction to every resource available to them to help them maintain stable housing. The two organizations join L.A. Care Health Plan, which made previous investments totaling $1.8 million, as the program's biggest donors. L.A. Care's early support was critical for getting the We Are LA program off the ground and establishing its success. "We must bring unhoused Angelenos inside while doing all that we can to prevent people from falling into homelessness in the first place, and that means local government partnering with businesses and philanthropists across the city to confront this crisis," said Mayor Karen Bass. "Earlier this year, L.A. Care Health Plan made a generous donation to the Mayor's Fund for this important effort and now I want to commend The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation and Health Net for taking this courageous step and joining this effort. This is not a fight we will win if private philanthropy does not lock arms with us in this effort to provide the life-saving resources that Angelenos deserve. Thank you to our philanthropic partners for locking arms and partnering with us to confront the greatest challenge facing our city." We Are LA has reached out to over 411,000 at-risk Angelenos, including targeted outreach to people who have received notices of intended eviction. We Are LA also operates a hotline and organizes tenant resource clinics to help reach anyone who fears they may lose their home. Once the team connects with a person who wants help, caseworkers assess all of the resources available to that individual and help them navigate the bureaucracy of applying for government and charitable programs. The program has served over 32,000 individuals and families to help them avoid eviction and stay housed. The Mayor's Fund has also recently formed a partnership with U.S. VETS to help service veterans in Los Angeles and is beginning new programs to directly serve vulnerable populations, like former foster youth. "The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation is proud to support Mayor Karen Bass' emergency homelessness plan with We Are LA and their efforts to reach out to hundreds of thousands of Angelenos facing the threat of eviction and connecting them to services and support," said Linda Hope, Chair and CEO of the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation. "In addition, the Mayor's Fund and We Are LA also help ensure that any veteran who asks for help will not end up on the streets. My mom and dad always had a heartfelt devotion and concern for those individuals who have and continue to serve our country. They believed that prevention was an intricate step in any effort to help those at risk, and their foundation was created, in part, with the hope of meeting the needs of all those individuals." Since its creation more than eight months ago, We Are LA has engaged with more than 411,000 Angelenos wanting help stabilizing their housing situations. It has connected them to programs like Medi-Cal, CalFresh and earned income tax credits to help stretch their dollars further, in addition to recruiting more than 350 pro bono attorneys to provide legal information and defense. "Housing is a critical key to health, with research showing that housing stability, quality, safety and affordability all affect our physical and mental health outcomes. Moreover, homelessness significantly undermines preventive health measures and exacerbates existing health issues," said Martha Santana-Chin, President of Medi-Cal and Medicare at Health Net. "We are proud to support the important work of We Are LA, which is creating tangible impacts in the lives of thousands of deserving Angelenos. We will continue to invest in the communities we serve, aiming to transform the health of Californians, one person at a time." These donations will allow the Mayor's Fund to continue and expand the important work of the We Are LA program. "There were nearly 6,000 notices of eviction filed in March alone," said Conway Collis, President and CEO of the Mayor's Fund. "These are life-saving gifts that will help us prevent thousands of Angelenos ? including many families and children ? from falling into homelessness. Mayor Bass and her team are doing enormously effective work in moving people into shelter and permanent housing with needed services, but to address this crisis we also have to prevent Angelenos from becoming homeless in the first place. These generous gifts will help us do exactly that." About The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles The Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles is an independent 501(c)(3) which brings together business, philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, and local government to address the most urgent needs of all Angelenos. The Mayor's Fund is operating and supporting programs to help prevent Angelenos from falling into homelessness through outreach, case management and expanded legal services. More information at: www.MayorsFundLA.org . About Health Net Founded in California more than 40 years ago, Health Net, a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, believes that every person deserves a safety net for their health, regardless of age, income, employment status or current state of health. Today, we provide health plans for individuals, families, businesses of every size and people who qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare. Together with our 90,000 network providers, Health Net serves three million members across the state. We also offer access to substance abuse programs, behavioral health services, employee assistance programs and managed health care products related to prescription drugs. We make these health plans and services available through Health Net, LLC and its subsidiaries: Health Net of California, Inc., Health Net Life Insurance Company and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. These entities are wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), a leading healthcare enterprise committed to transforming the health of the communities we serve, one person at a time. Health Net employs more than 6,300 people in California who work at one of five regional Talent Hub offices. For more information, visit www.HealthNet.com . About the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation ( BobHope.org ) supports organizations that bring "HOPE" to those in need and those who served to protect our nation. The Foundation also supports charitable organizations that preserve and honor the legacy of Bob Hope as an American entertainer, humanitarian, patriot, sportsman and supporter of military personnel and their families. SOURCE Health Net 8 april 2024 at 17:51 News published onand distributed by: Ecuadorian police raid on the Mexican embassy, Quito, April 5, 2024. DAVID BUSTILLOS / AP Latin America has a long tradition of granting asylum, so the bizarre images of Ecuadorian law enforcement officers forcing their way inside the Mexican embassy in Quito on the evening of Friday, April 5, sparked a public outcry. The police removed former Ecuadorian vice-president Jorge Glas, who had been living in exile in the embassy since December 2023. Wanted by his country's justice system, he had requested and obtained political asylum in Mexico a few hours before his arrest. Denouncing a "flagrant violation of international law and Mexico's sovereignty," Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador known as AMLO subsequently broke off his country's diplomatic relations with Ecuador. Nicaragua's president, Daniel Ortega, followed suit and did the same "out of solidarity." Mexico's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alicia Barcena, announced that Mexico would take the case to the International Court of Justice. The images of Mexican consul Roberto Canseco being beaten and thrown to the ground by a police officer shocked the country. The Mexican diplomats returned to their country on Sunday, accompanied at Quito airport by the German, Panamanian, Cuban and Honduran ambassadors. "Our diplomatic staff are leaving everything behind in Ecuador and returning home with their heads held high. Even the dictator [Augusto] Pinochet didn't dare enter the Mexican embassy in Chile," Alicia Barcena told a press conference on Sunday, surrounded by her diplomatic staff, whom she hugged for a long time. She added that 18 Latin American countries and 20 European countries supported Mexico. Left-leaning Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Venezuela immediately condemned the Ecuadorian police operation and the violation of international law. The Organization of American States (OAS), the UN and almost every country on the continent followed suit. The Secretary General of the OAS, Uruguay's Luis Almagro, recalled that "States cannot invoke internal norms to justify non-compliance with their international obligations." United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "alarmed" by the raid, his spokesperson said. 'Risk of imminent leak' The United States and Javier Milei's Argentina, close allies of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, also denounced the violation of the Vienna Convention on the immunity of diplomatic personnel and the inviolability of embassies. Six Venezuelan opponents have been taking refuge in the Argentinean embassy in Caracas since the end of March. Buenos Aires has been trying to obtain their safe passage. You have 63.48% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Peter Pellegrini, left, with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, on the day the results of the presidential election were announced, in Bratislava, Slovakia, on April 7, 2024. RADOVAN STOKLASA / REUTERS The populist, pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico emerged as the clear winner from the presidential election held in Slovakia on Saturday, April 6. With over 53% of the vote, the victory of the candidate he supported, Peter Pellegrini, shows that a solid majority of the 5.5 million inhabitants of this small Central European country support his government's authoritarian drift and its emulation of Viktor Orban's policies in Hungary. "Slovaks showed today that they recognize the threats posed to this country by liberal media, activists, NGOs and progressives," said a celebratory Fico on Saturday night, following his ally's victory in a ballot that many considered a test of the ruling majority's power in Bratislava since October. The prime minister invited commentators to "write" that this referendum "had gone well." Read more Subscribers only Slovakia's presidential election is polarized by war in Ukraine The presidential office is largely honorary in Slovakia, but the head of state can still influence many political appointments or propose legislation for parliamentary review. Pellegrini, the 48-year-old winner of the vote and current president of Parliament, ran his entire campaign promising to work with the government, in contrast to his opponent, the pro-Western diplomat Ivan Korcok, 60, who promised to "do his utmost to ensure that the country remains free and democratic." Pro-Russian sentiment With a voter turnout not seen since 1999, the presidential election provided the legitimacy Fico lacked, particularly considering the tens of thousands of Slovaks who have been taking to the streets for months to protest against his justice reforms. Having already governed three times between 2006 and 2018, he became prime minister again after winning only 23% of the vote in the September parliamentary elections and having to form a coalition with the far right and Pellegrini's HLAS party. Celebrating his victory on Saturday evening, Pellegrini once again promised "to support the government in its efforts to improve the lives of the Slovak people." Fico, the target of multiple corruption scandals, has been conducting massive purges of the judiciary and police since October and is now trying to take control of public broadcasting. He has also halted arms donations to Ukraine, a country he has described as "among the most corrupt in the world." Read more Subscribers only Slovakia is on the verge of rapprochement with Russia The subject of Slovakia's support for its large eastern neighbor had become the main campaign theme of the presidential election. Pellegrini accused his opponent, who favored support for Kyiv, of wanting to "drag Slovakia into the war." Even if the president does not have the authority to deploy the army to fight abroad, this rhetoric clearly impacted a country where conspiracy theories and pro-Russian sentiment are prevalent. You have 41.83% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. THE Oireachtas Committee on Health held a special meeting at University Hospital Limerick on Monday. The group are visiting UHL to receive submissions regarding the ongoing overcrowding crisis at the hospital. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has described the overcrowding in the Emergency Department in UHL as a severe example of the national issue of overcrowding which is happening across Irish acute hospitals. Dr Alan Watts and Dr John McManus of UHL attended the special meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Health, where the IMO warned Irish hospitals are operating significantly above the internationally recommended occupancy levels owing to a lack of available hospital beds. In their submission, the IMO made clear that Ireland has a quoted hospital bed occupancy rate in excess of 97% whereas internationally it was accepted that with an occupancy rate in excess of just 85% hospitals will be challenged in making a bed available in a timely manner to patients admitted through the Emergency Department. When the patients waiting for admission on chairs and trolleys are taken into account the actual occupancy rates in Ireland often exceed 105% which compromises care and increases mortality. The IMO believe that the fundamental issue in UHL is that services in Ennis and Nenagh were closed without adequate capacity being made available in UHL. The capacity was not sufficient to meet the needs of the population then and in the intervening years we have seen a rapid growth in population and significant growth in the elderly population. This increase has quite simply not been matched by investment in the required capacity or workforce, says the organisation. The IMO said it was important not to understate the impact of crowding in Emergency Departments. Crowding of Emergency Departments has been proven to compromise care, delay time to antibiotics for patients suffering with sepsis, delay interventions for patients suffering heart attacks and strokes, delay the delivery of pain relief, delay ambulance turnaround time and increase the risk of infection. READ MORE: Upgrade to Limerick road which has taken battering over new bypass It is known to be associated with preventable death in patients attending Emergency Departments. Dr. Peadar Gilligan of the Consultant Committee of the IMO cautioned against blaming doctors and nurses for the crowding of Emergency Departments and said Government should focus on delivering the additional 5,000 beds required. He said: To blame doctors or other healthcare staff for problems that have been directly caused by decades of under investment, by successive governments, is unhelpful and is leading to even lower morale. "There are simply not enough hospital beds, Doctors and allied health professionals to deliver the ever increasing needs of the population. Despite this we have an ongoing recruitment freeze imposed by the HSE due to lack of funding from Government. OVER 15 years after innocent rugby player Shane Geoghegan was shot dead in a case of mistaken identity, the Limerick gangster who ordered the hit, John Dundon, has been allocated a new legal team and will have his appeal against his murder conviction heard this month "come what may". Last month, Dundon was accused of engaging in a "cynical ploy" after he sacked his lawyers and asked for an adjournment of his appeal against the conviction. Dundon told the Court of Appeal that he discharged his lawyers after discovering that they were unable to advance a ground of appeal that the appellant said had been identified in recent months. The three judges of the court granted an application for Dundon's then lawyers to withdraw from the case. Dundon said he did not want to go into detail about an additional ground of appeal but said it related to things that were not disclosed to him ahead of his trial and that he was told did not exist but he is now in a position to prove did exist. Dundon said he had instructed his legal team to raise this ground of appeal but decided to discharge them when he claimed he was told they "hadn't done it properly". Sean Guerin SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Dundon was engaging in a "cynical ploy" and that he had used a similar tactic at his trial in 2013. At the Court of Appeal on Monday, solicitor Phelim O'Neill, instructing Morgan Shelley BL, applied to come on the record for Dundon and was told that the appeal hearing would go ahead on April 22. Dundon was also granted free legal aid for his new team. Dundon spoke only to confirm to the judges that he wished to hire Mr O'Neill. Mr Justice John Edwards said the matter had been marked as peremptory against Mr Dundon regarding the April 22 date. "The expectation is that it is to proceed on April 22, come what may... and that's the end of the matter," said Mr Justice Edwards. Mr Justice Edwards said motions for new grounds of appeal and sworn affidavits were to be completed in advance of April 22 and said the court "will expect total clarity on what is and is not being proceeded one week in advance of the hearing". Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said Dundon's team also had to serve the State with any relevant documents "in sufficient time for the State to address it". "You have to move this week, really," said Mr Justice McCarthy. A 'MAJOR national demonstration' is planned at Shannon Airport to protest its use by the US military during the Israeli-Gaza conflict. It will call for an immediate end to the use of the airport by the US military, particularly in the context of the ongoing military support by the US for Israels genocide in Gaza. The gathering, which will take place this Sunday, April 14, is supported by all the major anti-war organisations in the country, and by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Speaking ahead of the demonstration, Edward Horgan of Shannonwatch said We welcome the Irish governments calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and their intervention in South Africa's genocide case against Israel. "However, this means nothing if they dont do everything in their power to cut off the supply of weapons and other support to Israel. One of the immediate actions Ireland must take is to end the movement of US military planes through Shannon Airport and Irish airspace. If they dont do this, they are supporting genocide. US military contracted aircraft with munitions on board typically land at regional bases in Eastern Europe for Ukrainian supplies, or at bases in the Middle East. However, tracking where the munitions eventually end up is difficult, and the Irish government makes no effort to do so. Shannonwatch have also documented US Air Force planes that have been in Israel within days of landing at Shannon or flying through Irish airspace. The organisations calls over many years for these planes to be inspected at Shannon have been ignored by the government who say they rely on US assurances that the aircraft are unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives, are not engaged in military exercises or operations. Shannonwatch, who have long mobilised against the use of Shannon Airport by the US military, have also organised regular protests at the airport since the beginning of the Israeli-Gaza conflict in October 2023. Zoe Lawlor, Chairperson of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign said We cannot be silent while Israel commits genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. We demand action from our government to sanction that state, enact the legislation on its illegal settlements and to stop the US military use of Shannon Airport." "The majority of people in Ireland support sanctions on Israel and have come out onto the streets in their thousands for 6 months to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and total rejection of these endless atrocities. "Ireland cannot have one iota of complicity with this genocide and must stop enabling the US military to participate in it. We commend the activists who have highlighted this grievous misuse of Shannon," she continued. LIMERICKS new executive mayor must be an advocate, champion and an ambassador for the city, says Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald. The leader of the opposition was in the city to launch the mayoral campaign of local TD Maurice Quinlivan. Mr Quinlivan, who topped the poll in Limerick City at the last general election, is bidding to become the first executive mayor. He was formally selected at the partys Ard Chomhairle at the weekend. On a visit to the Southill Area Hub, on the southside, Ms McDonald said: Nobody loves Limerick quite like Maurice Quinlivan. I think he will bring a lot of experience, a huge amount of empathy and, perhaps, above all else, he brings a sense of ambition for the role, said the Dublin TD. She also backed his idea of becoming a so-called Minister for Limerick. Thats the best way to describe what the mayor can be, and what the mayor must be. They must be an advocate, a champion, an ambassador for the city and county, for development, for tourism and all the big ticket items, Ms McDonald added. As well as a mayor, Limerick will elect local councillors and Members of the European Parliament on June 7 next. Sinn Fein is running multiple candidates locally, and will also field Castleconnell-based Senator Paul Gavan in the Ireland South European constituency. Everywhere we are running, we are running to win. We have Tom Collopy and Sharon Benson as sitting serving councillors. But we expect we will increase that come June 7. Were taking nothing for granted. We know you need to go out and work hard to make it clear to people we are here to serve, to work hard in the community and roll up our sleeves. Our candidates have a hunger to be elected and for a strong campaign, the Sinn Fein TD said. READ MORE: Fear the office of mayor will be a flop and not a success Ms McDonald, a former student of University of Limerick (UL), also said the colleges staff need to make themselves available to answer questions following the latest crisis. UL bosses were to appear before the Public Accounts Committee this Thursday in relation to a 5.2m overspend on housing in Rhebogue. Its unclear whether they will now, with president Kerstin Mey declaring herself incapacitated and unable to attend due to illness. She has indicated she hopes to appear in future. Ms McDonald said: The president needs to make themself available to the Public Accounts Committee. Thats how it works. Ministers from both sides of the Irish border are to convene for the first meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in almost three years. The meeting will be the last major political engagement for Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach. The gathering in Armagh comes hours before he formally resigns as premier when he meets the president of Ireland Michael D Higgins in Dublin on Monday evening. His successor as Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, will also be at the council in one of his final jobs as Irelands higher education minister before his expected election as taoiseach in the Dail on Tuesday. The council is the primary north-south political body established under the Good Friday Agreement. It was unable to function during the two-year political impasse at Stormont, but the restoration of devolution earlier this year enabled its reactivation. The last meeting was a virtual one held during the Covid pandemic in 2021. The last in-person meeting of the council was in July 2020. The meeting in Armagh will be chaired by Stormont First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly. Discussions are set to focus on trade and business issues and investment in areas of mutual interest. Mr Varadkar said it was an honour to end his tenure as Taoiseach by attending the council. This plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council is a really significant and positive moment for the island of Ireland, he said. Its an honour to lead the Irish delegation of ministers to meet with our Northern Ireland Executive counterparts in my last major engagement as Taoiseach. Many of the challenges facing the world today are shared across the island, whether climate change, energy security, good jobs, and ensuring that our workforces have the skills they need for the future. I will also take this opportunity to wish the First Minister and deputy First Minister well in their roles to achieve the best for all the people of Northern Ireland. We are working with the Executive to build on the peace and prosperity of the last 26 years to make sure it is shared by all. A lifeboat volunteer who jumped into the sea to save a young girl has revealed that pockets of air trapped under her coat helped keep her afloat before the rescue. Andrew Sykes was on board the RNLI lifeboat that reached the girl and pulled her out of the water within eight and half minutes of receiving the emergency call on Saturday evening. The operation was mounted after the girl was swept out to sea from the east pier of Dun Laoghaire Harbour in Co Dublin at around 8.20pm. The incident came amid rough seas as Storm Kathleen hit Ireland. Mr Sykes, a volunteer helm with the RNLI, said the stormy conditions made the rescue operation difficult. With the high winds and storm we were experiencing, with large waves and surge coming off the pier, to get alongside her was extremely difficult. She would be pushed one way and we would be pushed another, he told the PA news agency. After two attempts to reach the girl from within the boat, Mr Sykes entered the water to grab hold of her and help her onboard. He said she was calm and alert and was lying on her back in the water with her arms out wide. Mr Sykes said the air trapped in her coat was crucial. She had a jacket on and capsules of air had become trapped in it those kept her afloat, he said. Ed Totterdell, lifeboat operations manager at Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat Station, praised the skills of the crew members involved in the rescue. It showed the talent of the crew on board that they were able to do it, they were ready for it, he said. After being pulled from the water, the girl was taken to hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. The Coast Guard, RNLI, Garda, ambulance service and Dublin fire brigade were all involved in the operation. The Coast Guards Rescue 116 helicopter was also deployed. Dun Laoghaire Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill praised the extraordinary efforts of the rescuers. Fianna Fail TD Cormac Devlin described the rescuers as heroic. Thank you and I hope that the young girl is recovering well, he posted on X, formerly Twitter. In a statement on Sunday, the Garda said: Gardai assisted emergency services in the rescue of a female child who had gone into the water at Dun Laoghaire harbour yesterday evening. The child was rescued from the water by emergency services and taken to hospital in south Dublin to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Around 34,000 customers lost electricity supply on Saturday as Storm Kathleen swept across the island, with orange wind warnings in effect in southern and western parts. A few thousand customers remained without power overnight but by Sunday afternoon almost all had had their supply restored. A yellow wind warning covering Donegal, Mayo and west Galway was lifted at 4pm on Sunday. A man in his 20s arrested as part of an investigation into this drugs seizure has been charged and will appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice, Dublin, Court 3, at 10:30am this morning. Gardai seized approximately 135,000 of suspected drugs and arrested one man during a search operation in Dublin 12 on Friday, April 5, 2024, conducted as part of Operation Tara. The search was undertaken shortly after 9pm at a residence on the Kildare Road in Crumlin by Gardai from the Crumlin District Drugs Unit, with assistance by regular units from Crumlin and Sundrive Road Garda Station and the Garda Dog Unit. The operation is part of ongoing investigations into the sale and supply of drugs in the Dublin 12 area. During the search, suspected cocaine worth an estimated 87,000 and suspected cannabis worth 48,000 were seized. An industrial hydraulic press, a large vacuum packing machine, blenders and a weighing scales were also located and seized. All of the seized items were located in a shed at the rear of the property, concealed behind larger items. A man in his 20s was arrested at the scene. He is currently being detained at a Garda Station in the Dublin Region under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996. The seized drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis. A partial solar eclipse is said to be visible across Ireland this evening. The spectacle is due to begin on Monday April 8, 2024 at 7:55pm, and is expected to occur on or before 8:10pm, before it ends at roughly 8:13pm. Depending on cloud coverage, astronomers at Astronomy Ireland say: "As it will be close to sunset a good vantage point with a clear view to the setting sun on the western horizon is advised." On how to watch the spectacle, a spokesperson for Astronomy Ireland has said: "Of course it can be highly dangerous to view the sun and a partially eclipsed sun is just as dangerous perhaps more so as people will be drawn to looking at it. Never look at the sun with any optical aid (binoculars or telescopes) as permanent eye damage can happen instantly. "It is not even safe to look at the sun with just the naked eye and even several pairs of sunglasses should not be used. "You should keep these glasses after the eclipse for viewing giant naked eye sunspots that appear from time to time (especially with a new solar maximum on its way)." Parts of Canada and the US will experience a total solar eclipse, but the next total eclipse of the sun visible from Ireland will not be until the year 2090. Leo Varadkar has expressed hope that negative perceptions of him among some unionists will be reassessed in the future. The outgoing Taoiseach was often portrayed within sections of the unionist community as a divisive figure during the Brexit process, amid claims his drive to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland ultimately led to the EU and UK agreeing trading arrangements that created economic barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Mr Varadkar was asked about the hostility he provoked among some unionists and loyalists as he attended his final engagement as Taoiseach north of the border. Speaking to reporters at the end of the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh, only hours before formally stepping down from office, the former Fine Gael leader acknowledged the turbulence generated during the Brexit negotiations. Asked if he thought unionist criticism of him was fair, he said: I would hope perhaps in a few years time, with the fullness of time, when things look a bit different, with hindsight, that might be reassessed. You know, certainly Brexit, the decision of the UK to leave the European Union, was very disruptive. And I spent a huge amount of my time as Taoiseach trying to make sure that it didnt create a hard border between north and south and didnt adversely affect Irelands position in the European Union. And that did take a lot of work. Ultimately it required three different agreements to be negotiated with the UK government, all of which were negotiated while I held office as Taoiseach. And we now have one (Windsor Framework) that I think is going to hold and (it is) important now that we make things work and that we try to make sure that we have a good and close relationship with Britain into the future and that, as much as possible, whoever holds the office of Taoiseach or whoever serves in the Irish government tries to reach out to all communities in Northern Ireland. DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly, who also attended the meeting in Armagh, spoke of the past tensions. I think the Taoiseach is well aware that relationships between ourselves in the DUP and the Taoiseach, (and) with unionism in general, has been difficult in the past, she said. Ive no doubt that I have personally criticised the Taoiseach on the record in the past as well. But, as Ive said, I wish the Taoiseach all the best in his steps ahead. And, of course, I am a unionist, Im a very passionate unionist, my interest is in strengthening the United Kingdom. ButI want to be in this role, and in any role that I play, a good neighbour. I want there to be good relationships with the Republic of Ireland. That is what I will be moving forward to try to establish. Of course there are areas of mutual concern but my focus first and absolutely is to be a champion for Northern Ireland and to strengthen this union of the United Kingdom. Irelands deputy premier Tanaiste Micheal Martin paid tribute to Mr Varadkars contribution. (I want to) take the opportunity to thank the Taoiseach for his contribution to politics and particularly to the north south agenda, he said. There will always be agreements and disagreements and there have been many over the 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement but I think the key point is commitment and a sense of public service in the discharge of ones duties. And I think the Taoiseach did that commendably over his time as Taoiseach and as a minister in the context of the North South Ministerial Council, and I want to put that on the record publicly to thank him for that. Last month, Mr Martin criticised comments made by Stormont First Minister Michelle ONeill on the resignation of Mr Varadkar. He branded the Sinn Fein vice presidents remarks very partisan and said they left a lot to be desired. That came after Ms ONeill accused Mr Varadkars party Fine Gael of 13 years of failure as she insisted it was time for a general election in the Republic of Ireland. Ms ONeill did not repeat that criticism as she commented on the Taoiseachs departure following the NSMC meeting in Armagh. I want to wish you the very best personally for whatever comes next in your lifes journey, the very best to you and to your family, she told Mr Varadkar. And I think that was universally expressed in the North South Ministerial Council meeting itself. Ms ONeill added: I think just in terms of the Brexit debate, the last number of years thats been very complicated, its been very challenging at times. But I also think its right to recognise that my political aspirations and Emmas are different, but this goes right to the heart of the Good Friday Agreement, this is what making politics in the north is all about and if we cant respect our differences of approach, thats a problem, because thats what the Good Friday Agreement speaks to. I am determined to do that. I think we can confidently govern together whilst we also look towards the future and where we want this place to go. So I want to commend the work thats been done with the Irish government over many, many years of the Brexit ups and downs. I think its been hugely, hugely challenging. Im glad we all are where we are today and Im glad that we are in a situation where we now have an opportunity, an economic opportunity, to speak about, and we need, in Executive terms, need to work together to ensure that we maximise that opportunity that we now have. In the wake of Storm Kathleen, Ireland is bracing itself for another deluge to sweep across the country following the issuance of a Status Yellow weather warning. The warning, effective from 12am Monday, April 7, to 12am Tuesday, April 8, has already brought an onslaught of heavy rain to the Southeast, for counties including Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow & Waterford. According to Carlow Weather, the latest overnight charts reveal a significant uptick in rainfall totals for the Southeast, with some areas in Wexford potentially facing over 50mm of rainfall. Moreover, many parts of the Southeast are expected to experience over 30mm of precipitation. This substantial rainfall is anticipated to persist throughout the day, with the eastern regions likely to bear the brunt of the downpour. The rain has arrived and latest overnight charts show an increase in rain totals for Southeast with over 50mm possible in parts of Wexford and over 30mm in many parts of Southeast. pic.twitter.com/pnw8Pq8Ltk Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) April 8, 2024 The meteorological service warn of the risk of flooding in certain parts, advising residents to remain vigilant and alert. The precipitation is expected to gradually taper off later tonight, providing some respite from the relentless rain. Impacts of the warning, according to Met Eireann, include flooding, poor visibility and difficult travelling conditions. Nationally, Met Eireann report: "Rain and drizzle will continue to push northwards to most areas during the morning and early afternoon but it will stay largely dry in some western coastal counties with just a few showers. The rain will persist for much of the day across the midlands, south and east, heaviest in the southeast with flooding likely. "Winds will be light and variable at first but will increase mostly moderate to fresh north to northwest through the day, becoming strong along southern and southwestern coasts. Cooler than the weekend, with afternoon highs of only 5 to 10 degrees." Tonight: "Rain will linger over the east coast early tonight, gradually clearing into the Irish Sea. Elsewhere, there will be clear spells and scattered showers. Lowest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees in moderate to fresh northwest winds." Tomorrow: "A few showers around on Tuesday, but generally a dry day with sunny spells. Breezy with a moderate to fresh northwesterly wind. Highest temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees." NEW DELHI : Big Tech firms like OpenAI, Google and Meta agreed to add checks and balances to deepfakes and election-related discussions on online platforms, after meeting with officials at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity), including Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Rajeev Chandrasekhar. At least three senior officials close to the developments told Mint that the meetings gave the tech firms informal directives" to tackle issues of misinformation, by curbing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven content and generative results about highly sensitive keywords". Union IT minister Vaishnaw confirmed the meetings, in response to Mints queries. Since participating in these meetings, Google and Meta have both published notes on tackling AI-altered content and advertisements on intermediary, search and conversational AI platforms, which include ChatGPT, Facebook, Gemini, Google Search, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube, among others. Each of these firms were recommended to take a precautionary" approach to information generated by AI, including clearly labelling such content on political advertisements, and restricting AIs ability to produce search results on key political personalities, parties, or any opinion related to the upcoming 2024 general elections. US-headquartered firm Adobewhich runs Photoshop, one of the worlds largest creative visualization toolshas taken a similarly careful approach towards how its generative tool, Firefly, can be used to manipulate or create imagery that could be used in political campaigns, said Andy Parsons, senior director of Adobes content authenticity initiative, in an interview with Mint. The Centre also discussed how the above-mentioned intermediaries (barring Adobe), which enjoy safe harbour protection as defined by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, may be held liable for prosecution, if they fail to curb AI-aided misinformation from spreading widely across internet platforms. The discussions were held in light of a steady proliferation of AI in commonplace content across the internet, leaving top tech firms scrambling to adopt techniques such as watermarking and tagging of metadata, all of the officials cited above said. The ability of the Centre to urge censoring of specific keywords comes amid a better understanding of the impact that AI can have in public discourse," said Adobes Parsons. Governments are understanding that there is no single silver-bullet solution to what could prevent misinformation, and are only now coming to realize how the Munich Accord could impact Big Tech and elections. This could help in government decision-making on how democracies like India can take on sensitive AI-driven misinformation." Signed on 16 February, 20 companies including Adobe, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and X (formerly Twitter) signed the Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections. The accord, signed at the Munich Security Conference, proposed implementing technology to mitigate risks related to deceptive AI election content, assessing AI modelsto understand risks, detect distribution and fostering cross-industry resilience," as part of eight key agreements between tech firms. Google and Metas election-specific strategy disclosures, published on 12 March and 19 March, respectively, elaborate further on the accord. In a post attributed to Google India Team, the tech firm stated that it will disclose when AI is used in political ads, label AI-generated content on YouTube, and use digital watermarking to identify modified content. On its generative AI platform Gemini, the post said, We have begun to roll out restrictions on the types of election-related queries for which Gemini will return responses." Meta, in its post, said that the company is operating 12 fact-check teams that will independently verify AI-generated content, and altered political content would be restricted across its platforms. Once a piece of content is rated as altered, or we detect it as near identical, it appears lower on Facebook. We also dramatically reduce the contents distribution. On Instagram, altered content is featured less prominently in feed and stories. This significantly reduces the number of people who see it," the post said. Neither of the two companies responded to Mints emailed queries seeking details on their meetings with Meity officials and ministers. Senior legal and policy experts said that existing clauses under both the IT Rules, 2021 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) could be applicable to both Big Tech as an enterprise, as well as users promoting such contentdepending upon the issues at hand. If an intermediary faces a court order due to their inaction towards proactively curbing AI-driven misinformation on their platforms, they will be liable to face Rule 7 of the IT Rules, 2021which will therefore turn the tackling of election-time AI misinformation from a responsibility to a liability for these companies," said NS Nappinai, senior counsel at Supreme Court and founder of Cyber Saathi Foundation. A senior partner at a top law firm, who requested anonymity since the firm represents one or more of the Big Tech enterprises mentioned here, added that a key challenge to effectively curbing AI threats comes due to an umbrella definition of intermediaries." There is a lack of clear definition of platforms and intermediaries, which leaves our regulatory mechanism with a broad-brushed approach in terms of whom the responsibility and liability lies with. This could pose a challenge in effective, urgent curbing of AI content during the election period," the lawyer said. Rule 7, as cited above, states that if a company fails to conduct due diligence of curbing identity infringement or manipulation of various forms, they will be liable for punishment under any law for the time being in force including the provisions of the Act, and the Indian Penal Code." Kazim Rizvi, founding director of policy think-tank The Dialogue, added that effective penalization, a step that could help curb misinformation, would need greater efforts towards enforcement of existing legal frameworks, rather than an overemphasis on creating new regulations." The current legislative environment already provides a comprehensive foundation to address deepfakes, including Rule 3(1)(b) of the IT Rules, 2021. The nature of synthetic media is not inherently detrimental, and holds significant potential in fields like education, content creation, crime prevention and government programme awareness. Over-regulation might inadvertently constrain these positive applications, thereby diminishing the broader benefits of AI-based technological advancements. The key, therefore, lies in seamlessly operationalizing the existing legal structures, enhancing the capabilities of law enforcement, ensuring that platforms comply with the regulations, and educating the public about their role in identifying and reporting deepfakes, effectively creating a more aware and proactive digital community," Rizvi added. Tesla is preparing for one of the biggest tests of its driver-assistant Autopilot: defending the companys position that drivers, not the automaker, are ultimately responsible for crashes that involve the technology. In a wrongful-death suit set for trial this week, a jury will determine who is at fault in the 2018 fatal crash involving 38-year-old Apple engineer Walter Huang. The driver died on Highway 101 in California after his Model X sport-utility vehicle crashed into a highway barrier while he was using Teslas driver-assistance technology. Huangs family is going after Tesla in a distinctive fashion by questioning whether the automaker oversold Autopilots capabilities and didnt take sufficient actions to prevent customers from misusing the technology. Tesla says Huang is responsible because he was playing a videogame while the vehicle was engaged in Autopilot. Government investigators and the Huangs agree that he was distracted in the moments leading up to the crash, but the family says Tesla is at fault because of its marketing of Autopilot. If the Huangs prevail, the suit could represent a major financial liability for Tesla, potentially spurring additional cases that seek notable awards. The automaker is facing other disputes involving Autopilot. Every plaintiffs lawyer that has one of these cases will be watching this," said Matthew Wansley, associate professor at Yeshiva Universitys Cardozo School of Law, who has researched automated-driving systems and criticized Teslas marketing of the technology. The damage award could be significant here," he said, adding that juries in these cases typically award damages based on the victims lost income. Tesla didnt respond to requests for comment from The Wall Street Journal. Jury selection for the case starts Monday in San Jose, Calif., with opening arguments to follow as early as Thursday. The trial is expected to last several weeks. A history of scrutiny Several agencies have been investigating Autopilot, including the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission, which have launched separate probes examining whether Tesla misled customers and investors about how Autopilot performs. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also been examining Autopilot and the automakers more expansive tech called Full Self-Driving Capability" for years, raising concerns that not enough guardrails are built-in to ensure drivers use the systems appropriately. The regulator has launched more than 40 investigations into accidents suspected to be tied to Teslas Autopilot that resulted in 23 deaths. Autopilot is available on all new Teslas and is designed to help with driving tasks such as steering and lane changes typically on highways. The Full Self-Driving upgrade features navigation on city streets. Tesla sells subscriptions to enhanced versions of Autopilot as well as to Full Self-Driving. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has said such sales could be significant profit drivers for the company. The automaker says the Autopilot software isnt designed for fully autonomous driving and allows for drivers to take control when the technology is engaged. Tesla says its website and user manuals make clear that the software requires active driver supervision. The system deploys a series of warnings to alert drivers if they arent paying attention to the road. In December, Tesla issued a safety recall that updated the software underpinning Autopilot, adding more warnings for drivers to ensure they adhere to their continuous driving responsibility," the company wrote in a regulatory filing. Tesla said it made the changes to resolve an investigation by regulators. The automaker has prevailed in the last two trials, with jurors in the most recent one finding the company wasnt responsible for the crash because they found no manufacturing defect with Autopilot. Huang family suit In the Huang case, the family alleges Tesla drivers were sold on the idea that Autopilot was safer than a human-operated car, but the automaker knew the technology had serious flaws that customers wouldnt expect to encounter based on how Autopilot was marketed. On the morning of the March 2018 crash, Huang was making his commute to work after dropping his son off at preschool. With Autopilot engaged while on the highway, Huangs Model X approached a dividing area that sits between travel lanes of the highway and an exit ramp. The Autopilot system moved the vehicle off the highway and into the dividing area, and then struck a barrier at about 70 miles an hour. Huang died as a result of blunt force trauma injuries sustained in the crash. His familys attorneys say Tesla is to blame for the incident because reasonable drivers believe Autopilot is safe and can navigate highway roads, according to court filings, citing statements and advertising by Musk and the carmaker. Among the familys evidence is an email from former Tesla President Jon McNeill. Two years before Huangs crash, McNeill emailed the companys head of Autopilot and Musk, saying he had driven several hundred miles in a Model X with the technology activated. I got so comfortable under Autopilot, that I ended up blowing by exits because I was immersed in emails or calls (I know, I know, not a recommended use)," McNeill wrote in a March 25 email that year. One of the Huang familys attorneys read the email during a deposition, according to a transcript reviewed by the Journal. The Journal couldnt obtain the full text of his message. Prove your case The Huangs will have to demonstrate that Tesla could have improved its warning system for drivers who used Autopilot, which by then had been in use for a little more than two years, said Richard Cupp, law professor at Pepperdines Caruso School of Law. Tesla has said Huangs hands werent detected on the wheel for six seconds before the crash, and that he knew his vehicle had trouble using Autopilot at this particular spot on the highway before, citing testimony from Huangs wife and text messages. The company also says Huang was playing a videogame on his phone at the moment of impact. The sole cause of this crash was his highly extraordinary misuse of his vehicle and its Autopilot features so that he could play a videogame," Tesla said in a recent court brief. Tesla has strong support for its argument that Huang was misusing Autopilot in the seconds before the crash, Wansley said, a point his familys attorneys concede in court filings. But the case highlights the issue of drivers becoming too complacent with partially automated technology, Wansley said. These crashes are happening because misuse happens all the time," said Wansley, adding that a significant verdict could force the company to do more to ensure drivers are responsible. Write to Ryan Felton at ryan.felton@wsj.com Population Driving the Growth of Tile and Ceramic Industry Why is it so that business owners have been behind in acquiring, investing, or starting a business in the Tile and Ceramic Industry? Is it just a trend or something that holds a long-term benefit? Well, the very basic thing that no one tells businesses is that the growing population is one of the things affecting the Tile & Ceramic Market! Data-Driven Strength of the Tile & Ceramic Industry At Elsner Technologies, data-driven decisions are made because here, the innovators are passionate about the ever-evolving tile & ceramic industry. These compelling statistics paint a vibrant picture of this resilient and flourishing sector. Market Growth on a Global Scale The global tile & ceramic market is projected to reach a staggering USD 200.2 billion by 2028, reflecting a steady growth rate of 4.2% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate). This growth is fueled by a rising demand for aesthetically pleasing and durable surfaces in residential and commercial construction. The Power of Trends Consumers are increasingly drawn to large format tiles, with the global market for these giants expected to reach USD 37.5 billion by 2025. This trend signifies a desire for seamless and expansive spaces. Sustainability is a key influencer, with a growing preference for eco-friendly tiles made from recycled materials. Elsner Technologies is proud to be at the forefront of this movement. Regional Powerhouses The Asia Pacific region leads the charge, accounting for over 50% of the global market share due to rapid urbanization and infrastructure development. North America and Europe remain significant players, with a focus on high-end tiles and technological advancements. What are the challenges faced by the Tile and Ceramic Market today? The tile and ceramic industry, a cornerstone of aesthetics and functionality in construction, finds itself amidst a confluence of challenges. While the global market is projected to reach a value of USD 200.02 billion by 2 2032 (Ceramic Tile Market) It also requires addressing several key issues that have been hindering growth in the Industry: 1. Fluctuating Raw Material Costs The industry faces significant volatility in the prices of raw materials like clay and natural minerals. This volatility squeezes profit margins and disrupts production planning. A 2023 report by EIRI India highlights how rising raw material costs force manufacturers to raise prices, potentially leading to decreased consumer demand [Future growth prospects and challenges faced by the tile manufacturing industry in India]. 2. The Sustainability Imperative: Consumer awareness regarding environmental impact is driving demand for sustainable products. The tile and ceramic industry, with its traditionally high energy consumption and potential use of harmful chemicals, must adapt. Research by the University of Jaume emphasizes the need for the industry to embrace practices like using recycled materials and eco-friendly glazes to meet this growing demand for sustainability [Current and future challenges of the ceramic tile firms]. 3. A Competitive Landscape The global tile and ceramic market is fiercely competitive, with established players and new entrants vying for market share. This necessitates constant innovation in design, quality, and marketing strategies. A 2017 report by Motilal Oswal highlights this competitive landscape, particularly in the Indian market [The Big Leap: Tiles - Huge opportunity, but challenges too Detailed Report]. 4. Economic Uncertainty Geopolitical tensions, currency fluctuations, and broader economic uncertainty can significantly impact the construction industry, which in turn affects demand for tiles and ceramics. Industry leaders must prioritize agility and diversification to navigate these external challenges [Short and medium-term challenges in the ceramic tile industry]. The Functional Advantages that go beyond just aesthetics Tiles and ceramics offer unmatched durability and low maintenance, making them ideal for high-traffic areas. Their fire resistance and waterproofing properties enhance safety and longevity. Energy efficiency is another advantage, with tiles contributing to cooler interiors and potentially lower energy bills. Elsner Technologies- Partner in Digital Progress As these trends and statistics showcase, the tile & ceramic industry is booming. At Elsner Technologies, This data is used to stay ahead of the curve. We invest in cutting-edge technology to manufacture high-quality, eco-conscious tiles that cater to the evolving needs of our customers. Join us in shaping the future of this dynamic industry. Let's make use of the power of data and innovation to create beautiful, functional, and sustainable spaces for generations to come. Contact Elsner Technologies today to explore our extensive product portfolio and discuss how your next project can be kickstarted. Company Name: Elsner Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Contact Person: Harshal Shah Phone: +1 (607) 524-4040 Address:405 Pennsylvania Common City: Fremont State: CA 94536 Country: United States Air India has selected Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport as its second aviation hub in the country, as the Tata Group-backed airline seeks to strengthen its operations beyond the capital. Air India, along with other Tata Group airlines Air India Express and Vistara, will collaborate with Bengaluru airport, the countrys third-busiest, to enhance international connectivity, operational efficiency, and passenger experience over the next five years, the airline announced on Monday. Air India also plans to establish a dedicated domestic lounge at the Bengaluru airport for premium and frequent travellers of all Tata Group airlines. The Union government has been pushing for aviation hubs to be developed across the country to enable one-stop international connectivity via India to overseas destinations, which, in turn, would help bring in more investments and commerce. Currently, New Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport is the largest international hub in the country for major Indian airlines such as IndiGo and Air India. Mint had reported in October that Air India was planning a second hub at an airport in South India to strengthen its international and domestic operations and maximise network utilisation. Air India and Air India Express hold a cumulative 19.9% share of the international air traffic to and from India, which is the highest. This is followed by IndiGos 18.2% share and Vistaras 3.6%, as per the latest data for October-December from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The establishment of a hub at the Bengaluru airport and enhanced international connectivity for southern India will work under a hub-and-spoke system. In aviation, this system is built around a central airport to which all traffic from the spoke airports is directed. The hub serves as a transfer point to fly passengers to their final destination. Some prominent international hub airports are Dubai for Emirates, Hong Kong for Cathay Pacific, and London Heathrow for British Airways. "Airline-airport synergy is key to elevated customer experience and efficient operations, while Bengaluru is highly attractive as an origin and destination market as well as a connecting hub, Campbell Wilson, chief executive officer and managing director, Air India, said in a statement. Air India has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Karnataka to also establish maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities at the Bengaluru airport, as it plans more direct long-haul routes from southern India. Mint reported earlier on the Union governments plans to transform Indian airports into aviation hubs, beginning with the Delhi airport, to ensure seamless connectivity and minimise connection time between flights. This collaboration (between Air India and Bengaluru airport) aligns perfectly with the ministry of civil aviation's vision of developing Indian airports as hubs, said Hari Marar, managing director and CEO of Bengaluru International Airport Ltd. Given that over half of the international outbound travellers from Bengaluru and our catchment head to Europe, North America, Australia, and the Far East, our alliance with Air India represents a substantial leap towards this goal. Kempegowda International Airport is the busiest in southern India and the third-largest in the country. The airport handled 31.9 million passengers in FY23, behind Mumbai airports 44 million passengers and Delhi airports 65.3 million passengers, as per Airports Authority of India data. SAO PAULOElon Musk vowed to fight an order by Brazils Supreme Court to remove several X accounts, calling for the removal of one of the countrys most powerful judges in an increasingly tense showdown over free speech in Latin Americas biggest nation. X, formerly known as Twitter, initially complied with the order, which comes as part of a broader clampdown by Brazil on social-media accounts that are deemed to be propagating hate speech and false information. But Musk, who has owned the platform since 2022, said in a series of posts over the weekend that all these accounts would be reinstated. We are lifting all restrictions," Musk wrote on Saturday night. As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit." Then on Sunday, Musk wrote that X would soon publish details of the order, which he said was given by top Justice Alexandre de Moraes. This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached," Musk wrote. X declined to comment on whether the said accounts had already been unblocked. Brazils Supreme Court didnt reply to requests for comment. Musk, who has called himself a free-speech absolutist, dismantled much of Twitters infrastructure around content moderation in the weeks after he took over the company in October 2022. He also said X generally should intervene only to comply with local laws. We cant go beyond the laws of a country," Musk said last year of his content-moderation approach in a BBC interview. If we have a choice of either our people go to prison or we comply with the laws, we will comply with the laws." Musks decision to defy the Brazilian court order was met with both delight and anger by politicians, lawyers and other public figures in Brazil over the weekend. Musk had more courage than Brazils own senators in standing up for democracy," wrote conservative Brazilian congressman Carlos Jordy on X, while congressman Nikolas Ferreira praised Musk as unstoppable." Meanwhile, Gleisi Hoffmann, head of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas leftist Workers Party, accused Musk of inflaming the far-right" in Brazil. The unwanted and abusive comments by the billionaire American Elon Muskare an attack on Brazilian sovereignty," she wrote on X on Sunday. De Moraes, who is heading an investigation into former President Jair Bolsonaro over allegations he was planning a military takeover of the country before losing the 2022 presidential elections, has led many efforts to clamp down on disinformation, arguing that it is necessary to safeguard Brazils fragile democracy. Bolsonaro has denied the existence of a coup attempt. In his other role as temporary head of the countrys electoral court, de Moraes also led a trial last year that resulted in Bolsonaros ban from political office until 2030, further sparking the ire of many conservatives. De Moraes has also threatened other social-media platforms with bans and fines over recent years, including Facebook and the messaging platform Telegram, with Brazils leftist government recently saying that it wants to turn the country into a global role model on how to combat misinformation. Brazil is a natural leader on this issue," Joao Brant, the governments secretary for digital policies, said in an interview last year, describing the country as the perfect laboratory" to test out policies to deal with misinformation that could be helpful elsewhere. Musk has found himself knee-deep in Brazilian politics before. Toward the end of Bolsonaros term in office in May 2022, when the conservative was already under investigation by the court for spreading misinformation, Musk visited Brazil to announce a plan to install tens of thousands of satellites over the Amazon rainforest. Bolsonaro called Musk a legend of freedom," saying their meeting was the beginning of a love affair." Since then, many supporters of Bolsonaro and conservative politicians have called on Musk to help him ward off efforts by the Supreme Court to control social media. As the head of Tesla, rocket maker SpaceX and owner of X, Musk is frequently at the center of political influences, global agendas and corporate risks, from the use of SpaceXs satellite internet system in the war in Ukraine to bad actors spreading false or misleading information on X ahead of elections. Last May, Twitter, as X was then known, restricted access to some content in Turkey on the eve of the countrys national elections. Alexa Corse contributed to this article. Write to Samantha Pearson at samantha.pearson@wsj.com On April 6th, at the site of the Feidong Centralized Drinking Water Source Protection and Watershed Ecological Restoration (Phase I) Project upstream of Zhongxing Reservoir in Yuantuan Town, Feidong County, workers gave up their holiday rest to expedite construction efforts, ensuring that the main water reservoir is safer and more reliable. The Feidong Centralized Drinking Water Source Protection and Watershed Ecological Restoration (Phase I) Project aims to improve the water quality of the main tributaries entering Zhongxing Reservoir, establish a water ecosystem, and create a stable and comprehensive self-purification system for the aquatic ecology. The total investment for the project is 135.0295 million yuan, which includes environmental remediation and ecological restoration projects for Zhongxing Reservoir and Daishan Reservoir, isolation and protection projects, and eutrophication control projects for the water source area. The project involves five towns and townships: Yuantuan Town, Bailong Town, Gucheng Town, Zhongxing Township, and Paifang Hui and Manchu Ethnic Township in Feidong County. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. By then, the domestic water supply for Feidong County and Longgang District in Hefei will be healthier and safer. Source: anhuinews.com The US Commerce Department has signed an accord with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to build the world's most advanced semiconductors at Arizona in Phoenix by the end of 2030. It has also awarded $6.6 billion as subsidy and $5 billion in low-cost government loans to TSMC for the advance production unit, aimed to boost the supply chain of semiconductors in the US, Reuters reported. The US Commerce Department said the TSMC the world's largest contract chipmakerhas agreed to expand its planned investment by $25 billion to $65 billion, and to add a third Arizona fabrication by 2030. The Taiwanese company will produce the world's most advanced 2-nanometer technology at its second Arizona fab expected to begin production in 2028, the department added. Also Read | Big data breach! 7.5 million BoAt Lifestyle customers' data surfaced on dark web "These are the chips that underpin all artificial intelligence, and they are the chips that are necessary components for the technologies that we need to underpin our economy, but frankly, a 21st century military and national security apparatus," Reuters quoted Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as saying. TSMC Arizona, a major supplier to Apple and Nvidia, has also committed to support the development of advanced packaging capabilities through partners in the US, the department said, adding 70% of TSMC customers are US companies. Also Read | Jamie Dimon warns US might face interest-rate spike The company would help US tech firms "unleash their innovations by increasing capacity for leading-edge technology through TSMC Arizona," TSMC CEO C.C. Wei said. At full capacity, the three fabrication units of TSMC in Arizona will manufacture tens of millions of leading-edge chips in 5G/6G smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and AI data centre servers, the commerce department said. Also Read | Uttarakhand news: Fire breaks out around Garjiya Devi temple Through the fabrication unit in Arizona, the chipmaker will support key customers like Apple, Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Qualcomm "by addressing their leading-edge capacity demand, mitigating supply chain concerns, and enabling them to compete effectively in the ongoing digital transformation era," the US Commerce Department added. The $65 billion-plus investment by TSMC is the largest foreign direct investment in a completely new project in US history, the Commerce Department said. In 2022, the US had barred domestic companies from shipping equipment to Chinese factories producing advanced chips, in a bid to curb Beijing's technological advances, citing security concerns. MUMBAI : Homegrown private equity firm Everstone Capital has returned almost $1.2 billion through exits in the last five years, a senior official at the firm said in an interview with Mint . The firm has also been backing founders of Indian origin who aim to build global businesses out of the US across healthcare and IT services, which has yielded good returns, said Avnish Mehra, vice chairmanprivate equity, at Everstone Capital, in an interview. In the last five years, we have deployed about $600 million and returned to our investors close to $1.2 billion. Including co-investments, we have returned $2 billion," he said. In every one of the last five years, we have returned more or the same amount of capital that we have deployed in that year." Everstone Capital booked an exit out of IT services business Everise when it sold its stake to Warburg Pincus in October. Some of its other exits last year included stake sales in SJS Enterprises in August, and a $180 million partial stake sale in Restaurant Brands Asia, which operates the brand Burger King in India and Indonesia. The PE firm is also working on exiting its investment in Calibre Chemicals, Mint reported last month. Everstone Capital is also working on exiting its stake in Omega Healthcare Management, ET Now reported in March. Everstone Capital is currently investing out of its $300 million fourth fund, which was raised as a bridge fund. The fourth fund was a bridge fund given that the market conditions were tricky with the Ukraine war," Mehra said. With co-investments, Everstone expects to end up investing over $600 million to $700 million from its fourth fund. We have already returned 40% of the capital invested from Fund 4 on the back of the Everise exit," Mehra said. Everstone's third fund, raised in 2016, had a corpus of $730 million, and with co-investments of its limited partners, or investors, it ended up pumping in close to $2.1 billion. The third fund has a DPI (Distributed Paid-in Capital) of 0.9x, Mehra said. DPI refers to the amount of capital a firm has returned to its investors. In this case, Everstone returned 90% of the capital invested through Fund 3 (90% of $730 million). Everstones Fund 3 still has six investments left to exit. In Fund 3, the firm is already hitting an internal rate of return of 26% on the overall portfolio of deals, and 32% on the companies it has exited, Mehra said. Almost 90% of our time is going into the current portfolio. We just want to make sure all the hard work we've done since 2016, on Fund 3 and Fund 4, results in really good outcomes for our investors," Mehra said. The fifth fund, likely to be launched later this year or next year, will be larger than the third fundlikely close to a billion dollars in size, Mehra said. We would like to put in close to $100 million dollar cheques in controlled situations. For a good, diversified portfolio, you would want at least eight to 10 assets in that portfolio," he said. Everstone focuses on investing in mid-market companies with earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) between $10 million and $20 million, where the firm can deploy between $75 million and $225 million of the firm's equity to take control. Through fund three, we did 35 bolt-on acquisitions in our portfolio. In the last 10 years, we have done 60 controlled deals, including bolt-on acquisitions," Mehra said. For Everstone, which has more than $7 billion of assets under management, sectors such as healthcare and technology will continue to be core verticals, Mehra said. Asked about the increasing competition in the growth-stage funding, Mehra said that while competition has increased, so has the supply of assets. In the mid-market space where we operate and do controlled (deals), we have almost no competition," he said. Even as the firm avoids auction and investment-bank driven processes, it is looking for greener pastures in deal making. Everstone is also going after the Indian diaspora in the US, where it has seen successful investments such as Everise and Omega Healthcare. Half of my hunting is happening in India and other half is happening with Indian entrepreneurs in the US, where there are over 5,000 Indian entrepreneurs who have their own companies in healthcare, technology, manufacturing and speciality chemicals, and I spent as much of my time hunting with them as well," Mehra said. According to him, Indian origin founders understand the US-end market, but they also understand Indian capability extremely well. They understand India's chemistry skills in pharmaceuticals, they understand India's technology skills," Mehra said, so they are very good at marrying the demand in the US with the supply and export orientation of India to create very interesting businesses." BEIJINGWhen Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met her Chinese counterpart in Switzerland early last year, she tiptoed around controversial issues, only raising trade disagreements during a brief, one-on-one coffee break with Liu He, then Chinas vice premier, according to people familiar with the meeting. In China over the past few days, Yellen wasnt so shy. She hammered Chinese officials for exporting too many clean-energy goods, warning regional officials, as well as Vice Premier He Lifeng and Premier Li Qiang, to scale back industrial production. This is a very important concern of ours. I think my job here is to make sure Ive explained this very thoroughly and presented this concern at the highest levels of Chinese leadership," Yellen said at a press conference Monday, at the end of her trip. I do not want to see the U.S. economic relationship or overall relationship with China deteriorate or fray." The pointed messagedelivered in Beijing and in Guangzhou, a metropolis in Chinas industrial southwill test a delicate detente between the U.S. and China. President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have spent more than a year seeking to re-establish a modicum of trust between the worlds two largest economies and prevent a spiral into deeper hostilities. Now, the U.S. is expending some of that goodwill on addressing a growing irritant in Washington: trade. The Biden administration fears that a wave of Chinese goods could overwhelm American industry, leading to job losses and business closures in a repeat of the China shock, when Chinese exports disrupted global markets at the start of the 21st century. In response, Washington is preparing to raise tariffs on some Chinese goods, including electric vehicles. Chinese officials and state media outlets, meanwhile, have dismissed Yellens warnings about overproduction as a pretext to suppress Chinas rise. Beijing is also moving forward with its own challenge to U.S. industrial practices at the World Trade Organization. On Saturday, after Yellens meetings with He in Guangzhou, the two sides agreed to continue conversations on balanced economic growth." A central U.S. concern is that the Chinese economy has a shortage of domestic demand to absorb its industrial supply, meaning the excess is shipped to global markets, where it depresses prices. Chinese officials will travel to the U.S. next week to continue the talks. Yellen said that Chinese policymakers should take steps such as bolstering public retirement benefits and making education more affordable to help spur consumer spending. That would help close the imbalance between supply and demand in the Chinese economy, she said. And so one possible approach would be to boost demand and to see a larger share of GDP accrue to households to bolster their income," she said at the press conference. But the talks may not do much to resolve the issue, with both sides likely to dig in. Chinese officials see green industry as a potential antidote to their ailing economy, as a prolonged downturn in the property market has dragged on growth. During the talks, Chinese officials pointed out that the U.S. is also providing generous subsidies to its clean-energy industry, according to a senior Treasury official. In the U.S., Novembers presidential election could prompt the Biden administration to keep up the pressure on Beijing. Bidens Republican rival Donald Trump, who first placed tariffs on Chinese imports during his presidency, has called for dramatically raising the levies. Democrats in swing states, meanwhile, are also pushing Biden to take more measures against Chinese industry. Repeatedly asked about the possibility of raising tariffs, Yellen said she didnt want to get ahead of the Biden administrations policy actions. This is a complicated issue that involves their entire macroeconomic and industrial strategy. Its not going to be solved in an afternoon or a month," Yellen told reporters in Guangzhou. Other contentious topics cropped up during Yellens trip. Chinese officials complained about Washingtons steps to cut off their access to advanced U.S. technology and investment, as well as an effort in Congress to ban TikTok, the viral short-video app owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, in the U.S. Yellen raised concerns about Chinese firms and financial institutions helping provide goods to Russia that Moscow is using in its invasion of Ukraine. I reinforced that any banks that facilitate significant transactions that channel military or dual-use goods to Russias defense industrial base expose themselves to the risk of U.S. sanctions," she said. Still, Yellen was given a warm welcome. In Guangzhou, she and He Lifeng, the Chinese vice premier, took a boat cruise along the Pearl River, while in Beijing, Yellen toured the Forbidden City. The former Federal Reserve chair is something of a celebrity in China, where her dining choices are closely scrutinized on social media. When she last visited Beijing in July, her visit to a restaurant specializing in the cuisine of Yunnan province became a viral sensation. The restaurant quickly released a list of the dishes Yellen and her staff ate as the Money Gods menu," which included a dish of mushrooms with hallucinogenic properties when left uncooked. In Guangzhou, footage of Yellen eating at a dim sum restaurant quickly made the rounds on Chinese social media. State media praised what they described as her proficient use of chopsticks." After she ate at a Beijing restaurant on Saturday serving spicy dishes from Sichuan province, one closely watched Chinese social-media account believed to be tied to state media used the meal as an opportunity to underscore the importance of managing the heat" in U.S.-China bilateral ties. Some of the mood music was more ominous. During a visit to Peking University, officials at the elite Beijing university requested that the media not photograph students who were meeting with Yellen, citing a desire to protect them from online harassment for having hobnobbed with a senior U.S. official. Chinese netizens have been following your trip since the moment you landed in Guangzhou," Premier Li told Yellen when they met in Beijings Great Hall of the People. That shows the high expectations they have for the outcomes of your visit and also the expectation and hope for the China-U.S. relationship to continue to grow." Shen Lu contributed to this article. Write to Andrew Duehren at andrew.duehren@wsj.com Delhi School Admission 2024: The Delhi Directorate of Education (DoE) on Monday said it has started the online registration process for admission for the Academic Session 2024-25 to Delhi government schools for classes 6 to 9 today, i.e April 8, 2024. As per the DoE notification, the online registration forms will be made available on the official website of DoE at edudel.nic.in at 12 pm on Monday and the same will be closed on April 17, at 5pm. According to the official notice, the admission process for Delhi government schools in the non-plan category will occur in three cycles. The cycle 1 (the current) is for fresh candidates only (non-plan admissions), and those currently studying at government and government-aided schools need to visit their schools for transfer or re-admission. The registration deadline for the first cycle is April 17. On April 29, the DOE will release the school allotment list for registered students of cycle 1, and the candidates featured in the list must submit/verify their documents for admission to the allotted school between April 30 to May 10, 2024. It is important to note that only parents/children who are residing in Delhi are eligible to apply for admission to classes 6 to 9 at government schools under the non-plan scheme. Delhi School Admission 2024: Important dates for Cycle -1 Online Registration: 08-04-24 (Monday) 12:00 noon to 17-04-2024 (Wednesday) 05.00 pm Display of Allotted Schools: 29-04-24 (Monday) Submission / Verification of Documents: 30-04-24 (Tuesday) to 10-05-24 (Friday) Delhi School Admission 2024: Documents required The following documents are required while submitting the application forms: Personal details like name of candidate, father's name, mother's name, residential address Details of the last school attended. Aadhaar Number/ UID of the child (desirable). The Bank account number of the child along with the name of the bank's branch and IFSC (desirable). Date of birth of the applicant. The mobile number of the parent The online registration form has been designed in a simple format. It can be filled using a smartphone also. However, if any parent requires support in filling it, they can approach the Help Desk at the nearest school. The desk will also assist the parents in filling and submitting online forms, the DoE said. Delhi School Admission 2024: Age (Normal age criteria (without any relaxation) as of 31-03-2024) Class 6: Completed the age of 10 years but less than 12 years Class 7: Completed the age of 11 years but less than 13 years Class 8: Completed the age of 12 years but less than 14 years Class 9: Completed the age of 13 years but less than 15 years JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS, Calif.: About a mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border, a makeshift collection of multi-colored blankets and tarps blooms in the desert. The people waiting there are migrants from around the world, most of whom snuck through a gap where an 18-foot steel wall meets a rocky hill outside this desert town about an hour east of San Diego. The camp has a name, hand-painted on a plywood sign and lit with a solar-powered light for people arriving at night: Campo de Asilo, or Asylum Camp. Run by an aid group, its a destination for migrants planning to turn themselves in to U.S. border agents and request asylum. That simple request is the main driver of record illegal immigration around the Western world. People travel thousands of miles, mostly on foot, to turn up at the land borders of rich countries to ask for asylum, a form of legal protection for people who face persecution in their home country. Its also become a key loophole for economic migrants, who arent under threat but want better working opportunities. Quirks in the law and an overwhelmed processing system nearly guarantee entry, at least for a time. The U.S. received more than 920,000 applications for asylum during its 2023 fiscal year, compared with just 76,000 in 2013. Since a single application can cover multiple members of a family, the figures underestimate the actual numbers of people seeking asylum. Family groups, who now almost always ask for asylum, make up about half the roughly two million people encountered by authorities who illegally crossed the U.S. frontier with Mexico last year. Another half million came through legal ports of entry, many using a Border Patrol smartphone app that launched in January 2023 to make an appointment to cross and ask for asylum. Part of the surge is caused by events including the war in Ukraine, the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Syrias civil strife and the brutal rule of authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. There is greater mobility nowadays, and sophisticated networks of smugglers are willing to move people across borders. And tips for using the asylum law now abound on social media. The law in the U.S. typically gives migrants who have a reasonable claim of persecution the right to live and work in the country while their cases progress through the courts. So many are now coming that the U.S. lacks the capacity to quickly screen their cases, either at the border or in courts, where a typical asylum case now takes four years. Even if an application is ultimately rejected, migrants by then have put down roots, often had American children and are rarely deported because of the costs and logistical challenges. They are left in limbothey lose the right to work legally but arent kicked out. Yet with the road to legal migration increasingly difficult even for migrants with high-tech skills, asylum is for many seen as the most viable way into the U.S. If its not asylum, there are very, very few options," said Rebecca Press, an immigration lawyer in New York who frequently handles asylum cases. Kevin Chiluisa, an Ecuadorean who crossed the border in the desert into Arizona in September, said he wasnt fleeing violence or oppression. He simply wanted a better life than the one he had in a small town in Ecuadors eastern jungle region. Like many others, he wasnt asked why he came when he handed himself in to Border Patrolagents just began treating him as an asylum seeker. He now lives in Chicago with a cousin and gets by working odd jobs while awaiting his first immigration court hearing. Hes not sure if hell be eligible for asylum, or whether he should even turn up to court. They want to verify what youre saying is true," he said of the hearings. I dont have that." If he loses, or decides to give up and stop showing up to immigration court, he is considering simply melting into the underground society of undocumented migrants and making a new life. Top political issue The numbers have overwhelmed the courts, Customs and Border Protection and the budgets of cities offering shelter to migrants, putting the issue of immigration at the top of political debates and the coming presidential election. A Wall Street Journal national poll conducted in late February found that 20% of voters now rank immigration as their top issue, ahead of the economy, which had taken the top spot in December. Texas has fought to take more control of immigration across its borders. Its aim to arrest and deport immigrants, being contested in federal court, has added even more disarray to U.S. immigration policy. Its a global issue. Europe, which has even greater protections for would-be asylees than the U.S., received 1.14 million asylum seekers last year, the highest since 2016, when a wave of migrants sparked by Syrias civil war overwhelmed European borders. The issue has fed the rise of the far-right in countries across the continent. The U.K. spends the equivalent of $3.9 billion a year putting up asylum seekers in hotels while they wait for their cases to journey through overcrowded courts. Germany received more than 330,000 asylum applications from people who turned up at its border last yearnot including those from Ukrainea more than 70% rise from 2022. Canadas asylum applications more than doubled last year to nearly 138,000. Globally, the U.N. registered a record 2.6 million asylum applications in 2022, the latest year of available data and a 30% rise compared with pre-pandemic levels. Countries are grasping for solutions. Italy recently struck a deal to make asylum seekers wait for their decisions in Albania. The U.K., Denmark, and Germany are all exploring ways to send asylum seekers permanently to third countries, including in Africa. The original idea was to provide protection for people who needed it, but what its become is a pathway to immigration," said Alexander Downer, the former foreign minister of Australia, which has taken the hardest line against asylum seekers of any country in the West. In 2013, when more than 20,000 people in small boats turned up in Australiawith scores more dying at seathe country essentially suspended territorial asylum. Australia still accepts refugees, but only those who process their claims abroad and fly in. Small boats now get intercepted at sea, and people seeking asylum are sent to another country paid to house them. Even if they win their case, they are usually not resettled in Australia. Within two years of the policy, boat arrivals dropped to zero. In the U.S., so many people illegally entering now request asylum that the Border Patrol rarely bothers asking migrants if thats why they have arrived. They simply direct them to wait in places set up by migrant aid groups, such as Campo de Asilo, until they can be driven to Border Patrol stations to be fingerprinted, given information for their first court appearance and returned to aid groups or dropped off at bus stops. On a recent morning inside the Asilo camp, about 100 people from countries including Ecuador, Vietnam and Turkey braved an early morning chill waiting for Border Patrol agents to pick them up. Spread out in small groups among the rocky encampment, migrants lined up for snacks and drinks handed out by volunteer aid workers. The Border Patrol arrived within a few hours and directed migrants to walk to a nearby road where a bus was waiting to drive them away from the border. Nearly everyone at the camp and a similar one nearby said they learned they should ask for asylum from social-media posts by migrants who came before them. Sardor, a 27-year-old Russian man, said he learned about asylum from posts on Telegram. Sebastian Fernandez, a 19-year-old from Ecuador, said he saw internet posts and news reports explaining that he could ask for help" at the U.S. border. He hoped to make it to New York, he said, where a brother has been living. Yacoubou Ismael, a 35-year-old man from Benin, said he hopscotched around the world after seeing other migrants post about entering the U.S. and requesting asylum. In one month he traveled to Greece and then Latin America, before making his way north through Mexico. It was difficult, but America was always the objective," said Ismael. Looking backwards Republican and Democratic lawmakers agree the asylum system needs overhauling, but have long been unable to pass an immigration reform package. The most recent proposal, which failed in a Senate vote, would have created a rapid asylum decision process and a toughened initial screening. International law began compelling governments to grant asylum to immigrants who suffered or had a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country in the late 1940s, after many nations had earlier refused to give shelter to Jews fleeing the Holocaust. In the following decades, the U.S. took in refugees through a series of policies that often targeted a single area, including some 200,000 fleeing Communist countries in the 1950s. In 1980, the U.S. adopted the Refugee Act, which allowed entry of up to 50,000 refugees a year from all over the world. A refugee is typically someone who has been determined by a court or an expert to qualify for asylum. Cases were usually processed while people were still overseas. Defectors and dissidents or refugees from places such as Vietnam or Cambodia who had been pre-vetted and granted visas made up the bulk of the numbers. In an age before mass transit and instant communications, few people pictured masses of asylum seekers turning up at land borders unannounced. Despite its cap on refugee entries, the U.S. still doesnt regulate the number of people physically crossing the border and asking for asylumif a person arrives, the law requires that the case be heard. Within months of the Refugee Act, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro announced that any Cuban wishing to go to the U.S. was free to leave from the port of Mariel. About 125,000 people, including people released by Castro from prisons and mental institutions, took him up on it, forcing the Carter administration to allow them in under separate legal authority called humanitarian parole. The paradox is we enacted the Refugee Act looking backwards at the experiences we already had rather than forwards to what might happen, and we suddenly realized, Oh, my gosh, this might not just be small groups of people," said Doris Meissner, who was head of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service under the Clinton administration. Things began to change around 2014. The Border Patrol, accustomed to chasing down single Mexican men who snuck across the border looking for work, suddenly began encountering families from Central America turning themselves in and asking for asylum. The new wave of asylum seekers slowly caught on, fueled by migrant families telling others back home that they had successfully made it into the U.S. The rise of smartphones made it easier for migrants to spread the word. Popular social-media accounts in the U.S. and Latin America tout asylum as a simple way to enter the U.S. and offer practical tips. You have to have a script," one video says. You have to tell your story in a chronological order, with dates, with times and with a sequence of how the events that affected you happened. Many people do not prepare and their memory betrays them." The growing use of asylum claims overwhelmed the system and made it nearly impossible to address cases on the spotimmigration officials at the border can screen entrants and determine whether they have a credible fear" of being returned to their own country, rejecting those outright who dont meet that requirement. Only a few hundred screenings a day out of several thousands of border encounters now take place. In fiscal 2013, just over 80% of all border encounters ended in repatriation. But as asylum claims grew, that number fell to about 30% in 2019, the most recent year of data available, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The percentage of families repatriated within three years of their initial arrival at the border fell from 44% in 2013 to 6.2% in 2018, the latest year with available data. It is now likely even lower, immigration experts said. Andrea Holguin, 33, was fed up with life in Venezuela and was having trouble feeding her daughters. In 2019, she left for Ecuador, which wasnt much better. In August, she set out for the U.S., leaving the two girls with her parents. She first had to cross the Darien jungle in Panamaa dangerous stretch of wilderness without roads that separates South America from Central and North America. The number of people crossing the territory has risen from 559 in 2010 to 520,000 last year, according to Panamanian government data. Most are headed for the U.S. border. Holguin then rode by bus to Mexico City and eventually to the border. From there, she tried to use the Border Patrols smartphone app, called CBP One, which offers 1,450 appointments a day for would-be asylum seekers to cross the border legally and have a credible fear interview with officials. But after weeks of waiting, she ran low on money and gave up, so she walked across the border near El Paso, Texas, and surrendered. She was housed along with other migrants in a large, dormitory style tent. Immigration authorities took her name, fingerprints and other biographical information, as well as her photograph. When they took my fingerprints, a migration official asked if I was pregnant and if I was allergic to any medicine," Holguin said. Thats all they asked me." She signed some paperwork and was let go. Within three days, she was heading for the Bronx to join her Venezuelan boyfriend, where she now lives. The two share a small room, paying rent of $800 a month, with one lightbulb attached to the ceiling for illumination. The building is packed with other migrants from Latin America. On Friday, Holguin took the subway for her first hearing before an immigration judge, Anna Diao, who explained to her and a group of migrants the steps needed to secure asylum. Holguin now has to apply in writing and return for a longer hearing on the merits of her case next March. Thats where you have to say, I fled Venezuela, and why Im asking for asylum here," Holguin said, dressed in jeans and only a white sweatshirt on a chilly day. Obviously, as the judge said to us, we have to present proof, what a witness said, the documents that can help with that." Holguin said she will describe in her application, and later tell an immigration court, how the father of her daughters in Venezuela had been physically abusive. And she will also talk about how pro-regime supporters in Venezuela threw rocks at her when she had refused state-paid boxes of food, which the government uses to get voters to the polls. Holguin, though, said shes worried she cant come up with the evidence needed to get asylum since old text messages and photographs may be gone and people who know about her situation remain in Venezuela. If she doesnt get asylum, Holguin said she would try to find another way to stay. Ill appeal to see if I could stay under another migratory statusit wouldnt be asylum, but some other method." Yearslong cases There are two ways to claim asylum in the U.S.both of which have been stretched to the breaking point. People already in the U.S., such as tourists or students, or migrants using the CBP One smartphone app, apply for affirmative" asylum. They go through DHSs U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which says its case officers have the capacity to handle 50,000 asylum cases a year. The numbers far exceed that capacity. The government had 431,000 cases in the fiscal year that ended in September. People caught crossing the border illegally, such as Holguin, are entered into the immigration court system and usually claim defensive" asylum, so called because they are using asylum as a defense against being deported. Their cases are sent to one of the Justice Departments roughly 70 immigration courts, which handle asylum and other types of immigration cases. The systems 700 or so immigration judges each usually handle a few hundred cases a year. Last year, some 465,000 migrants filed new defensive asylum claims, part of a broader backlog of 3.4 million immigration cases, of which more than a million are asylum claims. During the court process, the applicant tries to prove they face persecution in their home countries with whatever evidence they can musterthreatening text messages from a government or gang, for instance, or even newspaper articles. About one in five people win their cases. Those that lose, though, rarely have to worry about being deported, because of the resources it takes to expel migrants. Immigration agents have to identify where the person lives, know when they will be home and turn up with agents and firepower in case the person or their family resist. Such raids often spark negative publicity and protests. Repatriationoften done via airplaneis expensive. And some countries wont take people back. Venezuela, for instance, has cut off permission for the U.S. to send back migrants. DHS says on its website that noncitizens who arent repatriated within 12 months of being encountered at the border are rarely repatriated after that." As a result of the logjam in the system, asylum seekers that appear to have valid claims of persecution have to wait for their cases alongside those who concede they are economic migrants. Ibrahima Bah decided to flee Guinea after his in-laws took his daughter Assiatou to undergo genital mutilation. The 7-year-old died during the procedure. He feared the same fate could befall Assiatous twin, Hadja, and that their older sister, Fatoumata, would soon be forced to marry against her will. Bah, his wife and two surviving daughters flew to Brazil before braving bus trips through the Amazon, a slog through the Darien jungle and corrupt police in Mexico. They reached the U.S. in September. I want my daughters to be protected," he said. To grant them asylum and be protected, and also for them to have a better education and to have a life that they are free to live." The family has taken part in one preliminary immigration court hearing, carried out online. Bah doesnt yet have permission to work, and the family sleeps in one room in his friends house. He said he is eager to have his case heard by a judge but has no idea how long it will take. 2024 DOW JONES & CO. INC. India and Brazil are putting together a list of two dozen defence products for possible co-development and production as part of efforts towards deepening security ties, according to persons aware of the matter. This follows a flurry of high-level defence delegations from Brazil visiting India recently. During the latest such visit, Brazils defence products secretary Rui Mesquita told Mint that the two countries were looking at agreements on sharing military information and cooperation on defence technology. The short-list for co-development of defence products includes armoured cars and small arms. Defence companies from both nations are closely involved in the discussions, according to the people familiar with the developments. The Indian government and the Brazilian embassy in New Delhi did not immediately reply to emailed queries on the development. Defence has emerged as one of the key pillars of the Indo-Brazilian relationship, alongside energy and agricultural trade. Security cooperation featured in bilateral talks between Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during last years New Delhi G20 Leaders Summit. At the moment, there are moves toward acquisitions, joint ventures between our strategic defence companies, and the provision of services, Mesquita told Mint in an earlier interview, when he was in India for talks as part of the India-Brazil Sub Group on Defence. Some areas of collaboration include proposals for the exchange of information and military technology, cooperation in capacity building and training, building partnerships in the development of defence systems and equipment, managing maintenance services, and strengthening the supply chain for our defence systems, he had said. Mesquita has previously broached the idea of a Scorpene club of nations, comprising countries that use the Scorpene submarine, which are developed by the French Naval Group and the Spanish shipbuilding company Navantia. India and Brazil operate Scorpene submarines and, according to media reports, may conclude an agreement to cooperate on this front. Brazilian defence firms have established a presence in India in recent years. Earlier this year, Brazilian aerospace company Embraer S.A. and Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd signed an agreement to work on the Indian Air Forces requirement for a medium transport aircraft. Embraer is looking to offer its C-390 Millennium aircraft for this purpose. MUMBAI : Banks in India struggled to attract deposits in 2023-24 even as credit growth turned stronger. Data from RBI showed the credit-deposit ratio at its highest in at least 20 years as loan offtake rose across categories including home loans and other loans for consumption. At 80%, the credit-deposit or CD ratio is at its highest since 2005, from when this ratio is available, showed data from RBI. The CD ratio indicates how much of a banks deposit base is being utilized for loans. The FY24 data is up to 22 March, the last fortnight for the previous financial year. Customers are chasing high-return, equity linked-products," said Bhavik Hathi, managing director of consulting firm Alvarez and Marsal, adding that the solid performance of equity markets in the past few months and rising financial literacy have encouraged investors to put in money into such securities for higher returns. Banks hiked deposit rates last financial year to draw in retail deposits, as they faced increased competition from peers, other investment avenues, and some shift in preferences from financial assets towards real assets. The next set of data on credit and deposit is expected to be released for the fortnight ending 5 April. To be sure, Mint used the aggregate bank credit data and not just the non-food data bank credit after adjusting for loans given to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to calculate the CD ratio. Experts said that high CD ratio increases the reliance of lenders on high-cost, bulk deposits, which may also not be part of the core depositor base of the bank. Such bulk deposits may also be prone to higher outflows, which may pose liquidity risk to banks," said Anil Gupta, senior vice-president, co group head-financial sector ratings, Icra Ltd. Also read: Behind the worst bank deposit crunch in nearly 20 years Subha Sri Narayanan, director, Crisil Ratings said that in the past few quarters, lenders have used their excess statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) holdings, which supported credit growth despite the lower deposit growth. Mint reported in January that banks were liquidating some of their investments in sovereign securities to fund an insatiable demand for loans. SLR is the proportion of deposits that banks have to mandatorily invest in approved securities. The pace of growth of bank credit surpassed deposit growth in FY24, the data showed. In FY24, while deposits grew 13.5% to 204.8 trillion, non-food credit grew 20.2% to 164.1 trillion as on 22 March. In FY23, deposits grew 9.6% and credit 15.4%. To be sure, the deposit and credit growth in FY24 would have declined to 12.9% and 16.3%, respectively, if additions owing to erstwhile mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corp. (HDFC) and HDFC Banks merger on 1 July are removed. The merger led to HDFCs loans and deposits becoming part of the banking system, adding to the overall numbers. This gap between credit and deposit growth has narrowed from the previous high of about 500 bps (basis points) in FY23, driven largely by periodic deposit rate hikes by most banks in a bid to attract depositsa trend that started around October 2022. However, at 300 bps, it remains significant," said Narayanan. A basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point. Meanwhile, a clutch of banks has made progress on the CD ratio front. The March quarter business numbers published recently by several banks showed that many private banksHDFC Bank, RBL Bank, Yes Bank, Bandhan Bank, besides othersposted lower CD ratio or loan-to-deposit ratio, per an analysis by Macquarie. That said, experts are divided on the trajectory of CD ratio for the banking sector. As per Gupta of Icra, the overall CD ratio for the banking sector is likely to remain high. Others see some moderation going ahead. According to Hathi of Alvarez and Marsal, the higher funding cost, rising asset-quality risk in unsecured retail loans, and RBIs recent actions to curb such loans will see a slowdown in the credit growth to 12-14% year-on-year over FY25 to FY27. Moreover, a likely rise in overall deposit growth to 13.5%-14.5% y-o-y over FY25-FY26 will promote moderation of CD ratio going forward," said Hathi. Biocon Ltd. is pivoting to anti-obesity therapies as patents for the blockbuster medications start to expire, unleashing a wave of generic supply for the global weight-loss market thats expected to touch $100 billion by 2030. The Bengaluru-based firm, that has been churning out off-patient medicines treating diabetes, scored an early win with the UK approval for the first generic version of liraglutide injectible, whose patent ends in November. The weight loss drug, sold under the brand name Saxenda by patent holder Novo Nordisk A/S, is among the first of the groundbreaking medications in this category to lose patent protection. While Saxenda is far less effective for weight loss than later iterations like Wegovy and Ozempic, its generic version is just the beginning of a jackpot that drugmakers like Biocon are awaiting. My leadership team and organization is ensuring that we do not give up the lead position we have now," Chief Executive Officer Siddharth Mittal said in an interview. Another 15 peptide formulations are under development, of which one or two drugs will seek regulatory approval this year, he said. Biocon has also filed applications before the US and European regulators for liraglutide. The company, helmed by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, is leading the charge among Indian drugmakers the worlds largest supplier of generic medicines as they race to grab a slice of the obesity drugs market. The global frenzy around these medicines has already lured sector giants Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd., and Cipla Ltd., who are also developing their anti-obesity drugs. Gearing Up Last year, China also granted approval to a liraglutide biosimilar developed by diabetes drug maker Huadong Medicine Co. as an obesity treatment. Several drug makers are gearing up to launch generic versions of liraglutide this year, including Sandoz Group AG and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Both firms have already settled patent disputes with Novo Nordisk in the US over the launch of generic versions of Victoza, which is liraglutide for type 2 diabetes. Weight loss drugs have already produced record profit for innovative pharmaceutical companies from Novo Nordisk to Eli Lilly & Co. The gold rush is set to spread to generic makers like Indias biggest players when patents expire in the coming years on Ozempic and Wegovy, allowing cheaper copies of the medication to flood the market and plug supply gaps. Novo Nordisks Ozempic and Wegovy are made with the same active ingredient, semaglutide, while Eli Lillys tirzepatide drug is sold as Zepbound. These, along with liraglutide, are part of a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, agonists. Biocon is building capability to take advantage of what could be a very, very strategic peptide opportunity with GLPs at the center," Group Chief Executive Officer Peter Bains told analysts in November. Very Complementary The loss of exclusivity for GLPs will create a multibillion dollar market over the next 10 years and this opportunity was very complementary" to Biocons current biologics business, according to Bains. In the UK, Mittal said the company will wait for the publicly-funded, National Health Service, to issue a tender to launch its liraglutide injectible. Biocons UK application was filed through its European partner, Zentiva SA. The total addressable UK market opportunity for GLP-1 in diabetes and weight loss is $425 million, according to a March 27 statement by Biocon. Biocons shares rose 1.1% on Monday in Mumbai, pushing this years gains to 9.7%, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Despite the weight-loss segment being a rage globally, these drugs are yet to make an widescale appearance in India whose 1.4 billion-plus population is rapidly getting more affluent and obese. Novo Nordisk, which only sells its semaglutide-based pill Rybelsus in India, is planning to introduce injectibles Wegovy and Ozempic in 2026, Reuters reported in February. Eli Lilly is conducting clinical trials in India for weight-loss pill, orforglipron. Biocon has not yet filed for liraglutide approval in India and it is working with the local drug regulators to see if the requirement of a clinical trials can be waived, Mittal said. The company is also looking for a partner to market its obesity drugs in India after it sold its branded formulations business to Eris Lifesciences Ltd. last month. Over the next 20 years, this is a very attractive space", Mittal said. The UK approval shows that Biocon can confidently capture the opportunity in the coming years." More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2024 Bloomberg L.P. In recent months Tesla has had a bumpy ride. In January the electric-vehicle (EV) pioneer warned that growth would be notably lower" this year, as motorists enthusiasm for battery power loses charge. The same month it had to suspend most production at its giant factory near Berlin because of supply disruptions caused by turmoil in the Red Sea. Its market share in China, the worlds biggest EV market, is falling as it fends off cheaper local competition, especially from BYD, which late last year briefly eclipsed Tesla as the worlds biggest EV-maker. Tesla hit another big pothole on April 2nd, when it reported that it had delivered fewer than 390,000 cars in the first quarter. That was down by 8.5% from a year agoand considerably worse than already cautious Wall Street analysts were expecting. Teslas market value has slumped by a third this year, to less than $550bn. That is still more than any other carmaker but a far cry from the $1.2trn it was worth in 2021. Its boss, Elon Musk, is now only the worlds third-richest man. If you think the billionaire and his firm are having a rough time, spare a thought for their once-white-hot imitators. Three years ago, as Mr Musk showed that EV-making could be a trillion-dollar business, investors scrambled to back the newcomers promising to be the next Tesla. Two American startups that had gone public earlier that year were accelerating as briskly as their cars. The market capitalisation of Lucid Motors, founded in 2007, exceeded $90bn; that of Rivian, created two years later, hit around $150bn. Each was worth more than Ford, which was nearly 120 years old and sold 4m vehicles in 2021, compared with 125 for Lucid and 920 for Rivian. Chinese rivals such as Li Auto (founded in 2015), Nio and Xpeng (both in 2014) were also valued richly. In late 2021 the combined market value of six prominent Tesla wannabes hit a stonking $400bn. View Full Image Graphic: The Economist Today the six are worth $65bn, and falling (see chart). Fisker, an eight-year-old American firm, and HiPhi, a five-year-old Chinese one, have paused production. On March 25th a crumbling share price caused the trading of Fiskers shares to be suspended and the firm may soon be delisted. HiPhi may be looking to sell itself to a big established Chinese carmaker. Faraday Future, which sold barely 11 of its upmarket EVs last year, is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Lordstown, an American startup founded in 2018 to make electric pickups and SUVs, went bust in 2023. Even somewhat sturdier firms are struggling. VinFast, a Vietnamese firm which was set up in 2017 and went public last year, brieflyand bafflinglyalmost touched $190bn in market value last August. It sold 35,000 EVs in 2023 and is now worth $11bn. Rivian sold 50,000 and is worth a fifteenth of its peak in 2021. Lucid sold 6,000 and is also worth one-fifteenth. Li Auto, Leapmotor, Nio and Xpeng, which delivered over 800,000 cars between them last year, have also seen their share prices shrivel. Only Li turns a profit, mostly because it manufactures nothing but hybrid vehicles; its market value plunged recently after it revealed its first pure EV. Survivinglet alone thrivingin what was meant to be a brave new electric world is proving tough. Which Tesla wannabes, if any, will make it? It was all meant to be different. Making money from internal combustion engines, whose thousands of moving parts drove up complexity and costs, required carmakers to churn out large volumes. In contrast, the new economics of battery power was supposed to bring down barriers to entry. The electric upstarts, apeing Tesla by styling themselves as tech firms rather than manufacturers, reckoned they could keep costs in check by using simpler designs and reimagining the production process in a way stodgy incumbents could not. Components such as batteries and electric motors can be bought off the shelf, leaving the EV-makers to focus on developing whizzy software that would allow their vehicles to stand out thanks to a better in-car experience, from infotainment to mood lighting. Some companies, like Fisker, simply outsourced the metal-bending. These advantages have, however, failed to outweigh the old-school need for critical mass. Turning a profit from cars still requires producing perhaps 500,000 vehicles a year. Scale is vital and manufacturing is hard," sums up Tu Le of Sino Auto Insights, a consultancy. Though Tesla began as a luxury marque, putting big and pricey batteries in big and pricey cars, it always eyed the mass market. Profits started streaming in only once it overcame the near-death experience production hell", in Mr Musks wordsof trying to churn out high numbers of its cheaper Model 3. The Tesla wannabes, for their part, have taken too long to start production and are now taking too long to launch new models, says Pedro Pacheco of Gartner, a consultancy. The chances of survival by serving only a high-margin high-price niche are low, notes Philippe Houchois of Jefferies, an investment bank. Just look at the possibly futureless Faraday Future, whose models start at $250,000. The electric insurgents are waking up to the reality. Their first step is to look downmarket. On March 7th Rivian announced three less expensive models that will start arriving in 2026. Last year Xpeng signed a deal with Didi Global, a Chinese ride-hailing giant, to make cheaper cars and forged a partnership with Volkswagen to make mass-market EVs for China. Nio plans to launch two affordable sub-brands, Alps and Firefly. Even Lucid, whose cars go for as much as $250,000, plans to launch somewhat less exclusive $50,000 models within a few years. In October Leapmotor sold a 20% stake to Stellantis, a mass-market behemoth whose marques include Citroen, Chrysler, Fiat and Peugeot (and whose largest shareholder part-owns The Economists parent company), for $1.6bn. The pair will team up to make EVs. To succeed, these efforts must still produce a competitive product with unique features. Tesla pulled it off by putting technology first. The result was a desirable EV that wasnt cheap but offered a svelte look and decent range; the legacy industrys earlier attempts, such as the Nissan Leaf, were expensive but also ugly and short of juice. Despite a strong tech focus like Tesla, most startups have failed to deliver unique products at competitive cost, as they continue to lack scale, says Patrick Hummel of UBS, a bank. Now the novelty of clever EV technology has worn off", adds Becrom Basu of LEK, another consultancy. Good range and other once-cutting-edge tech is considered table stakes, including for incumbent carmakers with considerably beefier manufacturing chops. As a result, many of the EV entrants lack unique selling features. The cars made by Rivian and Lucid are technologically unremarkable. Their good looks alone do not justify the hefty price tag. Rivians cheapest electric pickup costs around $70,000, half as much again as Fords F-150 Lightning without offering one-and-a-half as much car. In Europe the Lucid Air, a luxury saloon, is significantly pricier than comparable electric BMWs or Mercedes. Fiskers mass-market EVs are also well designed but still cost more than Chinese rivals with similar features, partly because its asset-light outsourcing strategy does not work well for cheaper cars. Why anyone would buy a VinFast remains a mystery; reviews of its VF8 SUV were damning, to put it charitably. With demand for their products tepid many of the companies need more capital to keep going. On March 25th Lucid said it had managed to wangle another $1bn from its biggest investor, Saudi Arabias sovereign-wealth fund. Many rivals are not so lucky. Rivian had $9.4bn in net cash at the end of 2023 but will need billions more to build its cheaper models. Gone are the days when moneymen would throw treasure at any firm with a plausible PowerPoint presentation and an artists impression of a sleek electric car. Having put up billions of dollars in the years leading up to 2021, only to see billions torched, they look askance at missed deadlines, disappointing new models and ever receding prospects of profits. Their second thoughts have not been dispelled by the recent slowdown in growth of EV sales in many countries. Incumbent carmakers have no interest in rescuing the insurgents. Mr Hummel of UBS thinks that most of the startups will simply disappear. The likeliest to survive are the Chinese. One reason is that they appear to be the most innovative of the bunch. Nios upmarket EVs come with the option of battery swapping and, in China at least, a vast network of stations to do it. Drivers can be on their way in minutes without getting out of the car. Bernstein, a broker, considers Xpeng one of the leaders in autonomous-driving technology. They are also a relative bargain compared with their Western rivals. Both Nio and Xpeng, as well as Li Auto, have benefited from an impressive battery supply chain, dominated by Chinese firms like CATL, and steadfast support from central and local governments, notes Mr Le. That in turn has allowed the Chinese companies to keep both their costs and their prices down. The result has been rapid uptake of EVs in their giant domestic market, and with it greater economies of scale. And another wave of carmaking disruption may be swelling in China, courtesy of Chinese big tech. In 2021 Seres, an established Chinese car company, and Huawei, the closest thing China has to a national tech champion, jointly launched AITO, a new brand dripping with fancy tech. In January the venture delivered 33,000 cars. On March 28th Xiaomi, which has hitherto made mostly smartphones, launched its first SUV. The car, made by BAIC, a state-owned car giant, and costing as little as $30,000, attracted 90,000 orders in 24 hours. Xiaomi aims to take on, at least in China, both Tesla and BYD. Alibaba, Chinas e-commerce behemoth, and SAIC, another big state-owned carmaker, have been producing cars together for two years and sold 38,000 last year. Foxconn, a Taiwanese contract manufacturer better known for assembling iPhones for Apple, many of them in China, aspires to build half the worlds EVs for its own brand or others. If Tesla and any other survivors of the current EV shake-out thought they could catch a breath, they should think again. 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com A significant pickup in Chinas industrial production has led to a surge in commodity prices. Chinas industrial production grew 7% in the first two months of 2024, a notable rise from the 4.6% growth seen in the whole of 2023. It is highly likely that Chinas crude oil consumption has risen in line with the growth in its industrial production, which is reflected in the rise in Brent crude oil prices. From the low of $73 a barrel seen on 12 December, Brent crude oil prices have jumped to around $90 currently. Prices have gained nearly 7% in the last fortnight alone, which is a big worry for an import-dependent country like India. Even for oil-producing companies Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd and Oil India Ltd the upside could be limited as there is a fear that the government might raise windfall tax in response to higher crude prices. Though high crude oil prices augur well for the biofuel manufacturing industry, ethanol manufacturers may not get any immediate boost in the form of an upward revision in prices. Leaving aside higher prices for ethanol, even volume growth prospects are sometimes clouded by the availability of raw material owing to the food versus fuel debate. The future belongs to the bio-fuel made from multi-feedstock plants, which can operate using multiple sources such as sugarcane, corn, and maize as raw material. Praj Industries Ltd, which is in the business of providing technology and engineering for the multi-feed based biofuel plant, for example, is a company that can benefit from this trend. Still, the moot question remains: Are bio-fuels losing relevance with the advent of electric vehicles? While electric vehicles are being promoted as an environment-friendly option to traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines, some analysts think otherwise. EVs are not an immediate solution for India, biofuel is. Ethanol is available here and now. EVs may not be as cheap and environment friendly, if we include the environmental cost of batteries and electricity (still mostly from coal!) and the cost of charging infrastructure," says Vikram Suryavanshi, analyst at Phillip Capital. Praj with its leadership in biofuel technology should benefit from upcoming opportunities in bio-energy with a global push for a sustainable environment. The company has a strong balance sheet with net cash of around 640 crore and a scalable business model. Based on FY26 estimated earnings by Phillip Capital, the stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 25x. (Bloomberg) -- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is seeking to raise commercial property tax rates to help protect homeowners from the brunt of the historic slump in office property values. Wu has submitted a petition for a temporary increase of the citys tax-rate ceiling for commercial properties relative to residential levies. The proposal aims to redistribute the tax burden while continuing to fully fund all city services, according to Ashley Groffenberger, Bostons chief financial officer. The tax adjustment wont raise additional revenue for the city. The proposal we put forward is really focused on creating stability and not having an outsize impact on residents, Groffenberger said in an interview. The move would favor homeowners while potentially deepening the pain for commercial real estate amid a nationwide slump in office demand spurred by the rise of remote work. Bostons fiscal health is particularly vulnerable to the decline, with more than a third of its tax revenue tied to commercial property taxes. By comparison, cities like Chicago, Miami, New York and Washington rely on such taxes for between 5% and 15% of their revenue. Currently, commercial properties in Boston are taxed at a rate of about 2.5%, compared with around 1.1% for residences, according to an analysis by Tufts Universitys Center for State Policy Analysis and the nonprofit Boston Policy Institute. Read More: Manulife Faces 40% Decline in US Office Investments From Peak Boston is facing a record vacancy rate, with almost a quarter of its 69 million square feet of Class A and Class B office spaces unoccupied, according to Jeff Myers, head of research at Colliers Boston office, citing data going back to the 1980s. Its against this backdrop that a plunge in the assessed value of Bostons office buildings could necessitate a rebalancing of commercial and residential property taxes, said Groffenberger. She likened Massachusetts property taxation to a pie that remains constant in size, regardless of real estate value fluctuations. If commercial property values plummet without a corresponding tax adjustment, residential rates would have to rise. Read More: Boston Faces $1 Billion Tax Deficit From Faltering Office Market Evan Horowitz, executive director of Tufts Center for State Policy Analysis, said that while Bostons tax structure has been effective for decades, it doesnt work now because it will give you rates that would cause a political firestorm. Any attempt to raise taxes for homeowners would be highly unpopular, particularly in a city thats already struggling with housing affordability, he said. On the other hand, increasing commercial property taxes could exacerbate the distress in the office market. If the status quo persists and property rates stay at their current levels, Boston faces a more than $1 billion cumulative shortfall in tax revenue over five years, according to the Tufts and Boston Policy Institute report. Wus plan is modeled after a similar reclassification of property tax rates that occurred two decades ago to save homeowners from a massive tax increase after the burst of the dot-com bubble dragged down the commercial property market. The fact that its rooted in precedent is helpful to understand that this is a powerful tool, but also a tool that will not cause the sky to fall, Groffenberger said. One important difference between 2004 and 2024 is the prevalence of remote work, which may permanently curb the amount of office space that companies need. This is really the most challenged office market on record for the city of Boston, Myers said. The pain is here, its going to get worse in the near term, and its going to put more pressure on those owners to find ways to save costs. Read More: GE Bet on Being the Biggest, Then It Had to Break Up to Keep Up Mitchell Moss, an urban policy and planning professor at New York University, warned that Bostons unique geographical context heightens the risk of driving businesses and property owners to alternative locations for office space, such as nearby Cambridge, Massachusetts a separate but very close-by municipality with plenty of vacant office space, too. GE Vernova Inc., the energy business spun off from General Electric Co. this month, put its new headquarters there. Before the breakup, GE was based in Boston. The remaining GE Aerospace jet-engine business will be based in Cincinnati, Ohio. You dont raise taxes on an industry which is suffering because youre going to make it less competitive, Moss said. The mayors proposal allows for a three-year window to implement the changes to commercial and residential property rates, giving the city the opportunity to respond to the actual financial impact once building valuations have been calculated for tax purposes. Property values in Boston are assessed as of Jan. 1 for the fiscal year that begins in July. The core of this is insuring residential affordability, Groffenberger said. Whats good for residents is good for the whole city. (Updates with assessment dates in second-last paragraph) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) An appellate court on Monday granted Disneys request for a two-month pause in a federal lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his appointees to Walt Disney Worlds governing district after the two sides reached a settlement on separate litigation in state court. Disneys request last Friday to the federal appellate court was motivated by last months settlement deal involving two Florida lawsuits between Disney and the DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. After DeSantis took over the theme parks governing board, the company and the district began fighting in state court over how Disney World will be developed in the future. As part of the settlement, Disney agreed to pause the separate federal lawsuit, which is being appealed, pending negotiations on a new development agreement with the DeSantis appointees. The district provides municipal services such as firefighting, planning and mosquito control, among other things, and was controlled by Disney supporters for most of its five decades until the DeSantis appointees took it over last year. Disney had a deadline of next week to file an opening brief in its appeal to the federal Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, but that deadline is now set for mid-June. The settlement deal halted almost two years of litigation that was sparked by DeSantis takeover of the district from Disney supporters following the companys opposition to Floridas so-called Dont Say Gay law. The 2022 law banned classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and was championed by the Republican governor, who used Disney as a punching bag in speeches while running for president earlier this year. He has since dropped out of the race. As punishment for Disneys opposition to the controversial law, DeSantis took over the governing district through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and appointed a new board of supervisors. Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the companys free speech rights were violated for speaking out against the legislation. A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit in January, but Disney appealed. Before it was filled with DeSantis appointees early last year, the board then composed of Disney supporters agreed to give Disney control of Disney World's design and construction. The new DeSantis appointees claimed the eleventh-hour deals neutered their powers and the district sued the company in state court in Orlando to have the contracts voided. Disney filed counterclaims and asked the state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable. Under the settlement, the development agreement and covenants giving Disney design and construction control would be considered null and void, and the new board agreed to operate under a master plan that had been in effect before DeSantis took over the district. ___ Exide Industries witnessed a remarkable 13 percent surge during Monday's intraday trading session, reaching a record high of 363.35 after South Korean auto giants Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation announced a partnership with Exide Energy Solutions Ltd, a subsidiary of Exide Industries for electric vehicle (EV) battery localisation in India. The collaboration signals a significant development in the country's electric vehicle sector. This partnership not only boosts Exide Industries' market presence but also underscores its pivotal role in catering to the burgeoning demand for electric vehicle components in India. Read here: D-Street Record: BSE-listed companies reach 400 lakh crore market cap for first time Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Exide Energy Solutions Ltd, a prominent Indian battery company, as part of their expansion plans in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, Hyundai Motor Group announced in a statement. The MOU signifies Hyundai and Kia's commitment to localizing their production of EV batteries, particularly focusing on lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells, aligning with their ambitious EV plans for the Indian market. By leveraging domestically produced batteries, Hyundai and Kia aim to position themselves as pioneers in integrating locally sourced batteries into their upcoming EV models for the Indian market, according to the statement. Read here: Stocks to buy: ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank and SBI - top banking stock picks Highlighting India's significance in vehicle electrification, Heui Won Yang, President and Head of Hyundai Motor and Kia's R&D Division, emphasized the importance of securing cost competitiveness through localized battery production, given the government's carbon neutrality objectives. The collaboration with Exide Energy Solutions Ltd represents the initial step in Hyundai and Kia's endeavor to expand their battery development, production, supply, and partnerships exclusively for the Indian market, Yand added. Hyundai Motor India has already disclosed plans to introduce its high-volume EV model by 2025, adding to its existing EV lineup consisting of models like IONIQ5 and Kona. Meanwhile, Kia India offers the EV6 model. Read here: Info Edge share price hits 52-week high after strong Q4 business update Exide Energy Solutions (EES) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kolkata-based Exide Industries Ltd, boasting over 75 years of experience and market leadership in lead-acid batteries, making it a key player in India's battery industry landscape. Stock Price Trend Exide Industries has surged almost 78 percent in the last 1 year and 15 percent in 2024 YTD, giving positive returns in two and negative in two in the 4 months so far of this year. It has rallied 20 percent in April till date after a 4.9 percent decline in March and a 4.4 percent fall in April. Meanwhile, it rose 5.4 percent in January 2024. Shares of polyester manufacturing firm Shekhawati Poly-Yarn have given stellar returns to their investors in the last 1 year. This penny stock has soared almost 307 percent in this period, from 0.65 in March 2023 to currently trade at 2.63. Meanwhile, in the last 4 years, since March 2020, the stock has given multifold returns, skyrocketing 1215 percent from 0.2. However, in 2024 year-to-date (YTD), the stock is up a little over 44 percent, giving positive returns in 2 of the 4 completed months. It jumped almost 14 percent in April so far after a 4.4 percent fall in March and a 13.5 percent decline in February. Meanwhile, it rallied 53 percent in January this year. The stock hit its 52-week high of 2.63 in intra-day deals today, April 8, 2024. It has now soared around 472 percent from its 52-week low of 0.46, hit on September 7, 2023. Read here: 1.50 to 87: Penny stock turns multibagger in 10 years. Shares rise 5700% Shekhawati Poly-Yarn Limited engages in the manufacture and sale of polyester texturised, and twisted yarns and knitted fabrics in India. Founded in 1990, it manufactures Texturising Yarn, Twisting Yarn and various Knitted Fabrics (including Sarina, Lycra, Bright, Spun Lycra, and Cationic) for both domestic and international markets. The companys products are used in the weaving of fabrics to manufacture suiting, shirting, dress materials, saris, hosieries, knitted fabrics, zipper fasteners, curtains, and industrial cloth products, as well as to manufacture fancy yarns for dress materials and upholstery. Earnings In the December quarter, the net profit of Shekhawati Poly-Yarn was at 2.36 crore as against a net loss of 2.66 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2022. However, its revenue in the quarter ended December 2023 declined almost 49 percent to 13.11 crore versus 25.53 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Read here: Multibagger! Penny stock Blue Chip India soared 2600% in 4 years, 671% in 1 year Brokerage view According to ICICI Direct, Shekhawati Poly-Yarn exhibits several strengths, like growth in its quarterly net profit with increasing profit margin on a YoY basis. Additionally, the stock has demonstrated strong momentum, with its price above short, medium and long-term moving averages. These strengths underscore the company's ability to generate profits, optimise capital utilisation, and deliver value to its shareholders. Meanwhile, its weaknesses, as per the brokerage, are - - Inefficient use of assets to generate profits - ROA declining in the last 2 years - Declining revenue every quarter for the past 3 quarters - Low Piotroski Score: Indicating a company with weak financials Read here: Over 15000% returns in 4 years! This multibagger stock turned 1 lakh into 1.5 crore About penny stocks Investing in penny stocks can offer potentially high returns, but it's essential to recognise the significant risks involved. These stocks may not be suitable for all investors, particularly those who are risk-averse. Only individuals comfortable with high-risk investments and willing to allocate a small portion of their portfolio should consider them. Seeking advice from a financial advisor before making any decisions is strongly recommended. Penny stocks present several challenges. They are often small, obscure companies with minimal analyst coverage and limited publicly available information. Additionally, the lack of transparency and access to management insights complicates investment decisions further. Read here: Multibagger! Up over 1200%, penny stock Frontier Capital turned 10,000 into 1.32 lakh in just a year Moreover, penny stocks are prone to various risks, including illiquidity, high-impact costs, and difficulties associated with low trading volumes. Unless there are compelling reasons supported by thorough research, investing in penny stocks is generally not advisable for serious, long-term investors seeking stability and growth in their portfolios. After an astounding 235 percent returns in the last 1 year, brokerage house Yes Securities sees another 86 percent upside in realty company Puravankara. "Residential real estate has witnessed a strong uptick in the last 2-3 years wherein most Tier-I developers have witnessed quick monetisation of project launches. PURVA significantly benefited from the ongoing demand which helped it monetise completed inventory at a very good pace and helped generate a strong cash flow," said the brokerage. The brokerage has initiated a buy call on the stock with a target price of 452, indicating an upside of over 86 percent from its current market price of 242.60. Read here: 24 stocks in Nifty Microcap index delivered gains between 200% and 470% in last 1 year Yes Securities initiated the rating on Puravankara Ltd (PURVA) based on the following factors: (1) Presales to grow at 20 percent CAGR over FY23-26E, (2) Debt and debt coverage well under control, (3) Strong execution track record over the decade, (4) Strong P&L (profit and loss) recognition expected in next 5-7 years, (5) Paradigm shift in focus following onboarding of new CEO. Stock Price Trend Given multibagger returns in the last 1 year, the stock has jumped over 32 percent in 2024 YTD with positive returns in 2 and negative in the remaining 2 of the 4 months this year so far. It rose 18 percent in April so far after a 12.13 percent decline in March and an 8.12 percent decline in February. Meanwhile, it rallied 39 percent in January this year. Before declining in February, the stock had given positive returns for 10 straight months between April 2023 and January 2024. In this period, the stock soared 297.5 percent. Read here: TCS share price on cusp of breakout. Should you buy before Q4 results 2024? The stock has also advanced almost 235 percent from its 52-week low of 72.50, hit on April 4, 2023, meanwhile, it is still 10 percent away from its 52-week high of 269.15, hit on January 30, 2024. Investment Rationale Presales to grow at 20 percent CAGR over FY23-26E: As per the brokerage, PURVA is poised to achieve significant presales totaling approximately 10.08 million square feet (msf) from Q4FY24 to FY26E, leveraging the available unsold area of 13.14 msf across ongoing projects, including those not yet open for sale. With 11.55 msf of projects currently under various stages of approval, anticipated for launch within the next 9-12 months, PURVA is expected to add incremental presales of 5.72 msf during the same period, it predicted. The company also aims to sell all projects in the pipeline within the next six years, comprising both ongoing and upcoming projects. Thus, the brokerage projects a robust 20 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in presales from FY23 to FY26E. Considering a net discounted cash flow of approximately 6500 crore at a 13.5 percent weighted average cost of capital (WACC), Yes Sec has prudently spread its estimates over a six-year timeframe, accounting for potential upside risks to presales and cash flow projections. Controlled debt & debt coverage to boost growth: The brokerage pointed out that over the past few years, PURVA has demonstrated effective risk management strategies and a concerted effort to reduce debt levels. At the end of FY19, the net debt stood at 2,743 crore, which has significantly decreased to 1,741 crore as of Q3FY24. It's noteworthy that despite executing projects covering only 13 million square feet (msf) when the net debt was 2,743 crore, PURVA now manages 22 msf of projects while carrying a reduced debt burden, noted Yes Sec. This achievement has led to a remarkable drop in debt per square foot from 2,077 to 791 over the same period. Moreover, with a repayment plan in place, the company is set to retire 1,455 crore in debt over the next two years through normal business operations, it added. The brokerage anticipates that the net debt-to-equity ratio will further decline to 0.55x by FY26E from 1.29x in FY23, indicating a strengthening financial position for PURVA. Strong execution track record over the decade: Being one of the top players from Bengaluru, PURVA was always mindful of its brand equity. It has an impeccable track record of delivering projects on time. Presales have grown by 18 percent over FY16-24, stated the brokerage. It further highlighted that in the last decade, many sector players were under tremendous pressure due to lower demand, higher developer commitments, soaring debt, and steady accumulation of completed inventory. However, PURVA was execution-focused which helped it protect its brand equity and sail through tough times. Since FY15, PURVA has commendably launched 30.5 msf till Q3FY24 and delivered 27.7 msf over the same span, it informed. Read here: Multibagger: This penny stock surged 307% in last 1 year, 1215% since March 2020 Strong P&L recognition in next 5-7 years: PURVA is currently executing 26.37msf and plans to launch another 13.1msf in the next 6-12 months which will be recognised in the next 4-5 years in a phased manner, said the brokerage, adding that P&L will consequently witness strong profitability in next 7 years. As per its estimates, PURVA is expected to cumulatively recognise revenue of 26,150 crore and profit of 5,970 crore over the next 7 years. Given that most projects are on historical land bank margins, the firm is poised to move up from the 18-22 percent band to the 30-35 percent band on average, it projected. Yes also expects that strong profitability will improve the return on equity and capital employed. Paradigm shift in focus under new CEO: Under Abhishek Kapoors 4-year tenure as CEO, the company has achieved a paradigm shift in operations. It has reduced debt by selling non-core land parcels and stronger risk assessment/mitigation has seen calibrated launches. PURVA has made it a norm to launch subsequent phases only after 65-70 percent sales of the current phase, which boosts cashflow recognition devoid of the burden of mounting debt, noted the brokerage. Read here: Wipro CEO Thierry Delaporte resigns: What it means for company and stock? View The brokerage believes that Puravankara is on the right track now and will achieve strong presales in the next 5-7 years resulting in a strong cashflow generation. Additionally, the company is expected to expand its operations in new geographies like MMR & Pune. Most importantly, with expanding execution, the company is expected to manage debt in a better way with net D/E coming down to 0.55x by FY26E on the back of a strong cashflow generation, highlighted the brokerage. Gujarat Toolroom Limited announced an interim dividend during its board meeting held on April 8, 2024. The move highlights the company's robust financial position, with the record date set for April 20, 2024. The face value of Gujarat Toolroom is 1. Consequently, the 100 per cent dividend equates to 1 per stock, which means that Gujarat Toolroom will distribute 1 dividend per stock to its investors. Also read: Indian stock market to remain closed on May 20 amid Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai After thorough discussions and careful consideration of the company's financial performance, the Board of Directors has unanimously considered and declared an interim dividend of 100 per cent. The interim dividend shall be paid within 30 days from the date of its declaration. This decision reflects our confidence in the company's robust financial health and our commitment to rewarding our valued shareholders for their steadfast support and trust, the company said in an exchange filing on April 8. The announcement of this dividend aligns with Gujarat Toolroom's strong order book, valued at 3000 crore, comprising contracts from domestic and international markets. With a diversified portfolio covering infrastructure, mining, gemstones, and precious metals, the company is strategically positioned for continuous growth and maintaining market leadership. Founded in 1983, Gujarat Toolroom Limited is a versatile business conglomerate involved in various sectors including mining, precious gems and metal trading, infrastructure development, and import-export of industrial supplies. Following a period of dormancy, the company underwent a remarkable resurgence in 2022 under new management, propelling it into a phase of substantial expansion. Based in Gujarat, the company is a significant player in the import-export and infrastructure sectors. Gujarat Toolroom has recently secured substantial contracts to supply construction materials to leading firms such as Reliance Industries Limited, Adani Gas & Power, Gujarat Gas and Indian Oil. Stocks to buy: Indian stock market benchmark Nifty 50 opened with mild gains on Monday, April 8, with a majority of stocks in the green. In the previous session, Nifty 50 ended flat after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintained the status quo on policy rates and stance. On a weekly scale, the index rose about a per cent last week but formed a 'Doji' candle on the weekly chart, indicating market participants are indecisive about the market. As per brokerage firm Axis Securities, the chart pattern suggests that if Nifty crosses and sustains above the 22,650 level, it would witness buying, leading the index towards 22,800-23,000 levels. However, if the index breaks below the 22,400 level, it would witness selling, taking the index towards 22,200-22,100. "The weekly strength indicator RSI (Relative strength index) is on the verge of crossing over above its reference line, indicating the trend may change to positive. For the week, we expect Nifty to trade in the range of 23,000-22,100 with a mixed bias," Axis Securities said. Experts recommend focussing on technically and fundamentally sound stocks for the short term. Based on the recommendations of several experts, below are 12 stocks that one can consider buying for the next three to four weeks. Take a look: Axis Securities Bharat Electronics (BEL) | Last traded price (LTP) 224.50 | Buying range: 221-216 | Target price: 248-255 | Stop loss: 204 | Upside potential: 14% On the weekly chart, BEL has broken out of an eleven-week consolidation zone ranging between 217 and 179. This breakout is accompanied by a robust bullish candle, indicating a potential continuation of the medium-term uptrend. Volume activity has increased at the breakout, indicating a surge in market participation at the breakout. The stock is currently demonstrating a medium-rising channel trend, finding recent support at the lower band and poised to advance towards the upper band. The weekly strength indicator RSI has given a crossover above its reference line, generating a buy signal. IDFC First Bank | LTP: 80.65 | Buying range: 80-78 | Target price: 87-91 | Stop loss: 75 | Upside potential: 13% On the weekly chart, IDFC First Bank has broken out above the falling channel pattern at 80, signalling a shift in trend towards a positive bias. It has found support above the 50 per cent Fibonacci retracement level of the rally from 52 to 101 at 77, establishing a medium-term base for potential further upward movement. Post-breakout, the stock is anticipated to sustain its medium-term uptrend as it undergoes profit booking, amounting to 50 per cent of the recent rally, followed by a reversal breakout. The weekly strength indicator RSI has given a crossover above its reference line, generating a buy signal. Escorts Kubota | LTP: 2,998.35 | Buying range: 2,970-2,910 | Target price: 3,285-3,390 | Stop loss: 2,768 | Upside potential: 13% On the weekly chart, Escorts Kubota has broken out above the falling channel pattern at 2,885, accompanied by a strong bullish candle, signalling a positive bias. It has found support above the 50 per cent Fibonacci retracement level of the rally from 1,808 to 3,440, at 2,621, potentially setting a medium-term base for further upward movement. The stock maintains levels above the key moving averages, including the 20, 50, 100, and 200-day SMAs (simple moving averages), suggesting a positive bias in its trend. The weekly strength indicator RSI has given a crossover above its reference line, generating a buy signal. BASF India | LTP: 3,627.50 | Buying range: 3,580-3,510 | Target price: 3,945-4,120 | Stop loss: 3,345 | Upside potential: 14% BASF has exhibited a breakout above the multiple resistance zone around 3,500 on the weekly chart, indicating a positive bias. The medium-term resistance zone around the 3,500 level is expected to transition into a support zone, due to the principle of change in polarity in technical analysis. The stock is forming higher highs and higher lows on the weekly chart, while also maintaining above an upward-sloping trendline, indicating an upward bias. The weekly RSI is also exhibiting a higher high-low formation, confirming the movement in the stock price. Jigar S. Patel, Senior Manager of Equity Research at Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers Hindustan Unilever (HUL) | LTP: 2,266.95 | Buying range: 2,250-2,280 | Target price: 2,500 | Stop loss: 2,145 | Upside potential: 10% After reaching the level of 2,769, HUL experienced a notable downturn, witnessing a significant decline of approximately 435 points, or about 16 per cent. However, in the subsequent six trading sessions, the stock displayed resilience, avoiding further declines and instead consolidating within a range spanning from 2,230 to 2,280. Within this price range, a bullish AB=CD pattern has formed on the daily chart. This range also corresponds with the 0.50 per cent retracement level of a price swing observed between March 2022 and July 2023. On a daily scale, the RSI has exhibited a complex structure (W shape) along with some regular bull divergence on the four-hour chart. The range of 2,230-2,280 aligns with the S3 weekly Camarilla Pivot, suggesting a potentially attractive buying opportunity. AU Small Finance Bank | LTP: 634.75 | Buying range: 620-640 | Target price: 725 | Stop loss: 585 | Upside potential: 14% AU Small Finance Bank reached a peak of 813 on January 9, 2024, and experienced a decline of about 32 per cent thereafter. However, in the past two weeks, the stock has shown a significant recovery, indicating a bullish sentiment. On the indicator side, the weekly scale Stochastics indicator has identified a "hidden bull divergence" close to its previous low point recorded on March 20, 2023. This divergence suggests the possibility of upward momentum and indicates a potential bullish sentiment. Orient Cement | LTP: 217.10 | Buying range: 210-220 | Target price: 250 | Stop loss: 195 | Upside potential: 15% Following a peak near 293, Orient Cement encountered a notable downturn, marked by a sharp decline of almost 103 points, equating to a substantial 35 per cent decrease in its overall value. Despite this downturn, Orient Cement has shown signs of stabilisation around the 200 level for the week, establishing a sustained support base. The 190-200 level coincides with the Fibonacci ratio clustering. Moreover, during this period, a 1:1 leg has also been formed around this support zone, further reinforcing a bullish sentiment in the stock. The analysis of the daily scale RSI indicator reveals a bullish hidden divergence, suggesting a favourable outlook for Orient Cement. Shiju Koothupalakkal, Technical Research Analyst, Prabhudas Lilladher West Coast Paper Mills | LTP: 636.25 | Target price: 730 | Stop loss: 615 | Upside potential: 15% The stock witnessed a decent correction from its peak of 815. It bottomed out near 580 to indicate a decent pullback. Further, it arrived near the confluence of the 200-period moving average (MA) and 50-exponential moving average (EMA) level of 645. "A decisive breach above should further strengthen the trend with the next targets of 700 and 730 levels anticipated. The near-term support would be around 615," said Koothupalakkal. NBCC (India) | LTP: 138.35 | Target price: 159 | Stop loss: 126 | Upside potential: 15% The stock has gained strength after the consolidation and a decent pullback, moving past the 50EMA level of 119, has improved the bias. The RSI is on the rise and has already indicated a trend reversal with much upside potential. Railtel Corporation Of India | LTP: 395.55 | Target price: 448 | Stop loss: 375 | Upside potential: 13% The stock, after the steep correction, picked up significantly to move past the important 50EMA level of 378. The RSI has recovered from the highly oversold zone and witnessing a gradual rise to strengthen the bias. Riyank Arora, Technical Analyst, Mehta Equities Shriram Properties | LTP: 130.35 | Target price: 140.90 | Stop loss: 122.60 | Upside potential: 8% The stock has successfully broken out above its trendline resistance level of 127 on the daily timeframe charts. With the RSI (14) showing a reading of 63.58 and indicating an upward trend, there's considerable momentum in the stock. Bajel Projects | LTP: 226.50 | Target price: 250 | Stop loss: 209 | Upside potential: 10% Bajel Projects witnessed a notable breakout above its recent consolidation trendline resistance at 225.45 on the daily charts. With a positive overall chart structure and the stock closing above minor trendline resistance, it's anticipated to ascend to 250 and beyond. Read all market-related news here Three months ago, Mumbai-based Devanshi Ashar was getting ready for her much awaited holiday in Europe. Her travel destination and itinerary had been planned months in advance, and the flight tickets and hotels booked. Ashars employer had also approved her leave! And then, disaster struck. Her Schengen visa application for France was rejected. She reapplied, but it was rejected again. Ashar says the reason given by the French embassy for rejecting the visa was vague. The rejection letter said the reason for my travel was not justified. Im not sure what that even means. The purpose of a tourist visa is tourism, so what more reasons do they need?" said Ashar, a research analyst and content strategist. The visa rejection not only wrecked her travel plans but also cost her about 47,000 in visa costs and agent fees as well as the charges for cancellation of flight tickets and hotel bookings. To add to her woes, the travel insurance was non-refundable. Ashars monetary loss was equal to what she had paid for the round-trip flight tickets. Ashar is not the only person whose Schengen visa application has been rejected thus far. Data from Schengen Visa Info shows that about 18% of the total 671,928 applications for Schengen visa (including tourist and business visas) from India were rejected in 2022. That year, India had the third largest number of Schengen visa applications among 167 countries. To be sure, visa rejections are not limited to Schengen statesan area encompassing 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. The application process for most western countries, too, carry stringent entry restrictions and involve heavy and cumbersome paperwork. In 2023, about 10% of the total applications for US B-visas made by Indian citizens were rejected, as per data from The US Department of State. Moreover, tourist visas for the US also have seen tediously long waiting periods, which add to the travel woes of applicants. Currently, the slot for a US B2 visa is available only next year. So, if you are gearing up to plan the perfect summer vacation overseas this upcoming season, you will need to carefully study the visa process involved before zeroing in on the country you want to visit. Consider costs holistically Visa fees for western countries are quite steep. For instance, Turkey demands the highest fee of 17,500 per traveller. US and UK are next in line, with 15,540 and 12,600 fee per person, respectively. Fees for most Schengen countries range between 6,500 and 7,500. There are other costs as well. The total amount you pay to get a visa typically includes the visa fee charged by the respective countrys embassy, service fee charged by the Visa Application Centres (VACs), including the likes of VFS Global, BLS International or Gateway Visa Services, mandatory travel insurance and other ancillary expenses like appointment fee, convenience fee, passport courier service charges, etc. For instance, the visa fee for France is 7,100. VFS Global, the visa outsourcing company that processes Schengen visas, charges a service fee of about 1,825 and a convenience fee of 150. The total visa process fee comes to at least 9,000 per adult. So, a family of four can expect to lose about 40,000 if the visas are rejected. Optional services, like premium lounge, courier services, printing at the centre or collection of documents from home, among others, add to the total cost. Moreover, most countries also ask for confirmed air tickets and hotel bookings as part of the visa application process. If you book a non-refundable ticket, you stand to lose the entire airfare in case of visa rejection. To protect against the risk of rejection, you can consider booking refundable tickets, which can cost 15-20% more. For instance, Ashar had paid 15% higher on refundable air tickets. So, she got a refund after the cancellation fees was deducted. Take note that the convenience fee charged by a VAC is approved by respective governments. The VFS Global service fee is duly approved by governments as per contractual agreements. For example, in the case of Schengen countries, the service fee for short stay visas can go up to a maximum of 40 (approximately 3,500) as per the EU visa code regulation. The service fee is different for each country according to what governments approve," a VFS Global spokesperson said in an interaction with Mint. View Full Image (Graphic: Mint) Plan ahead Visa rejection risk and long waiting periods are typically prevalent where applications to Western countries are concerned. Experts advise that prospective travellers should plan in advance, especially in the case of Schengen visas because the peak travel season for Europe is approaching. Slots for France, Spain, Netherlands and other countrieswhere the visa approval rates are higher and are available within a month are filling up fast," said Priyesh Sharma, a travel consultant with expertise in Schengen and Canadian visas. Yudhbir Singh, director-owner, Trimax International, a visa assistance provider, recommends that people apply for visas at least four months in advance. The processing time across countries is not standard and can take about a month in some cases. Moreover, applying early for the visa will help as it will leave room to reapply in case of rejection or withdraw and apply again if there are delays," he said. To increase approval chances, you should carefully read the instructions before your biometric appointment date and carry all the required documents. Going through an agent may help, especially for those who are short on time or are applying for the first time as these agents are aware of the reasons that lead to approvals or rejections and can clearly inform you on the hygiene practices to follow. Small details like what to include in the cover letter or the minimum balance to show in the bank account can influence the approval chances," said Nikita Dresswala, founder, Teleport, a tech platform that simplifies visa applications. Agents typically charge 500-5,000 for basic services like sorting the right documents, providing guidance on the cover letter, submitting the application at the embassy, etc. This small premium can help you save on the many ancillary charges that are slapped at the centre if one is not well informed. People are typically anxious for Schengen and US visas as these involve a lot of paperwork. For instance, the UK may reject a visa request if the applicants bank account statements show sudden withdrawals or deposits. If we notice such activity while reviewing documents, we ask the applicant to explain such transactions in the cover letter so that it doesnt affect visa approval," said Dresswala. Sharma pointed out that some agents charge a higher premium of about 10,000-20,000 and get an early appointment slot. But, travellers should not confuse this with a guaranteed visa. No agent can guarantee a visa, so dont fall for that pitch and end up paying through your nose." If your application gets rejected, Singh advises that the traveller must apply again. Rejections dont have a bearing on future applications as long as the rejection is not done on the account of fake documents and misleading information." Look at easier options Several countries, including Thailand, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, have lately waived off visa fees for Indian citizens. In some cases, like in Kenya and Malaysia, you have to register online before travelling, and the application gets processed in one day, whereas for Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka, you get free-of-cost visa-on-arrival. You may consider these countries to avoid the hassle of taxing visa processes and expensive fees. Other countries that follow an entirely online visa process, like Singapore, Egypt and Indonesia, among others, are also good alternatives with cheaper visa fee and shorter processing period. (Bloomberg) -- A jailed trader accused of stealing $110 million on the Mango Markets exchange faces a criminal trial this week that will test the reach of a US crackdown on cryptocurrencies. Prosecutors charged Avraham Eisenberg with manipulating Mango Markets futures contracts on Oct. 11, 2022, to boost the price of swaps by 1,300% in 20 minutes. He then borrowed from the exchange against the inflated value of those contracts, a move the government claims was a theft. Jury selection began Monday in New York federal court, where groundbreaking crypto cases have played out. FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced there last month to 25 years in prison for orchestrating a multibillion-dollar scheme, while Terraform Labs Pte. and co-founder Do Kwon were found liable Friday for fraud in civil trial over the firms 2022 collapse, which wiped out $40 billion in investor assets. Eisenberg, a self-described applied game theorist, claims his actions werent theft at all. Rather, he says, he legally exploited a weakness in the decentralized finance application. The trial will apparently be the first time a US criminal jury will weigh what type of DeFi transactions are legal. In the crypto world, where digital blockchains govern who owns what, the virtual ecosystem is built around the notion that code is law. It means that if something isnt explicitly forbidden by terms of a crypto platform, then government cant intercede. But prosecutors say those rules cant protect traders against possible criminal charges for market manipulation or fraud. It touches on the big argument within crypto is code law? said Chris Janczewski, head of global investigations at TRM Labs. If the code allows somebody to do that, does the actual law? Obviously, the government took a different approach that code is not law. Just because there is an opportunity to exploit it does not mean that its legal. Eisenberg targeted Mango Markets, a decentralized autonomous organization that lets people borrow, lend and trade cryptocurrencies and sets its own rules for participants. The theft alleged by prosecutors in this weeks trial is one of the largest in criminal cases involving a DAO. Four days after his transactions on the exchange, Eisenberg posted on Twitter: I was involved with a team that operated a highly profitable trading strategy last week. He also said he believed all of our actions were legal open market actions, using the protocol as designed. In a deal with the Mango DAO, Eisenberg agreed to return $67 million of what hed gotten from depositors in exchange for them agreeing to release him from legal claims and not pursuing his prosecution. Eisenberg left Puerto Rico, where he was living, the day after his Mango trades and flew to Israel. When he returned to Puerto Rico on Dec. 26, 2022, US agents arrested him. Hes been in jail ever since, as a judge ruled he poses a risk of fleeing before trial. He was indicted on charges of commodities fraud, commodities manipulation and wire fraud. Hes pleaded not guilty. The US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission also sued Eisenberg, as did Mango Labs LLC, which claimed his deal with depositors was unenforceable and made under duress. All of those civil lawsuits are on hold pending the criminal trial before US District Judge Arun Subramanian. In screening potential jurors, Subramanian dismissed one woman who said she had very negative views of crypto. The judge has scheduled opening statements for Tuesday. Jurors will have to digest a complex set of facts about crypto trading, market manipulation and decentralized finance protocol. Anonymous Accounts Prosecutors allege Eisenberg deceptively used two anonymous accounts at Mango markets to buy and sell himself futures contracts. Those contracts were based on the relative value of Mangos token, known as MNGO, and a stablecoin called USDC. The price of the futures sales was set by computer programs, known as oracles, that looked at exchange rates on various crypto platforms. On the afternoon of Oct. 11, 2022, Eisenberg funded each of his anonymous accounts with $5 million in USDC, prosecutors allege. He used one account to sell MNGO futures contracts, and another to buy them. He then bought a large number of MNGO tokens, which boosted their value relative to USDC, sending the futures contracts up by 1,300%. Eisenberg then exploited a feature of the exchange that allowed participants to borrow against their holdings, withdrawing $110 million in cryptocurrencies from Mango Markets, but he had no intention of repaying them, the US charges. The price of MNGO futures contracts immediately collapsed. An attorney for Eisenberg and a spokesman for federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York declined to comment. Eisenberg, who grew up in Suffern, New York, had a bail hearing in Puerto Rico in December 2022. The lawyer said Eisenberg was a very bright crypto trader who was a math major at Yeshiva University. He specializes in game theory and these cryptocurrency markets are a lot about that, said his attorney at the time, Manuel San Juan Demartino. Eisenberg, who lived in Puerto Rico, flew to Israel the day after the alleged theft, a prosecutor said. Eisenberg, a US citizen, also got Israeli citizenship before returning to Puerto Rico, the prosecutor said. The criminal case is US v. Eisenberg, 23-cr-00010, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). --With assistance from Olga Kharif. (Updates with jury selection beginning, opening statements set for Tuesday. A previous version corrected the name of the judge in paragraph 11.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Elon Musk, the Tesla boss, on April 7, called for the removal of a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, accusing him of censorship for blocking accounts suspected of spreading disinformation. The billionaire entrepreneur said Alexandre de Moraes has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached. The series of scathing attacks against the Brazilian justice began on Saturday evening, as the Space X chief took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and stated, We will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. Elon Musk alleged that Alexandre de Moraes was threatening to cut off access to the platform and said, But principles matter more than profit. Also read: Elon Musk's Tesla starts site search in India to build electric cars; Maharashtra, Gujarat & Tamil Nadu on list: Report On Sunday, the Brazilian Supreme Court Justice opened an inquiry into Elon Musk, accusing him of obstructing justice through his social media company X, as per a court document. Also read: Elon Musk's X activates 'Community Notes' programme in India. Here's how it works Alexandre de Moraes ruled, X shall refrain from disobeying any court order already issued, including performing any profile reactivation that has been blocked by this Supreme Court. The judge further imposed a penalty for non-compliance and said, If X fails to comply with the order to block certain accounts, the company will be fined 100,000 reais (USD 19,740) per day. All about Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes The Brazilian Supreme Court justice, who is in the limelight, is one of the 11 members of Brazil's High Court who presides over the country's Superior Electoral Tribunal, or TSE. Critics accuse Alexandre de Moraes of limiting and prohibiting free speech in Brazil. However, the judge is known to have led the battle against disinformation in Brazil. Recently, Moraes ordered blocking accounts of influential figures on social media. It was reported that most of these blocked influential figures were supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Months after Pakistan branded a few Indians as Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agents and accused them of targeted killings in the country, Dubai-based Ashok Kumar Anand, one of the accused, has called the allegations to be false and unfortunate. Anand called himself a simple businessman and rejected Pakistan's claims of his connection with the Indian agency. Moreover, he also said that he is facing death threats after Pakistan's claims about his link with the killings, reported India Today. Tensions between India and Pakistan heightened earlier in the year after Islamabad accused RAW of assassinating two Pakistani figures. Moreover, it named a few Indians claiming their involvement in the case. "I had no idea about this. I was at my office in Dubai when I got calls from friends and relatives in India that my name was appearing on TV. I told them I had no clue what was going on and there was no truth to the claims whatsoever, India Today TV quoted Anand as saying. Who is Ashok Kumar Anand? Ashok Kumar Anand is currently living in Dubai and is a businessman. He denied any connection to the Indian intelligence agency and maintained that he was innocent and had nothing to do with killings. He also admitted that the Pakistani media has been circulating his photo and passport in the case and said that since his details have been made public, he has been receiving threatening calls. He also accused the Pakistan government of a bid to defame him by sharing his personal information. Fearing risk to his life, Anand returned from Dubai and is now waiting for what will happen next, he told India Today TV. A BJP worker on a bike was killed after he reportedly crashed into the open door of a car belonging to Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje at KR Puram in Bengaluru, Karnataka on Monday. According to police, the incident occurred near Ganesha Temple in the locality. The deceased was identified as Prakash. According to PTI, Prakash was following Karandlajes convoy during her election campaign. Sources told the news agency that the minister was inside the car. "As soon as the door of her car was opened, Prakash crashed into it and fell down," the report added. Meanwhile, the minister was quoted as saying the worker was run over by a bus coming from behind, killing him instantaneously. It was not known if it was Karandlaje who opened the door or someone else. The Delhi High Court is set to pronounce verdict on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case at 2:30 pm on Tuesday, April 9. In his plea, Kejriwal had challenged his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the liquor policy case. Last week on April 3, the high court had kept the matter reserved after the conclusion of detailed arguments from both sides Arvind Kejriwal and the ED. During the hearing, Kejriwal questioned the timing of the arrest which came just ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. ""The timing reeks of democracy issue, level playing field issueThe only object is to humiliate and insult. The true object of the arrest is to disable me," Kejriwal's lawyer argued. Meanwhile, the ED opposed Kejriwal's plea, saying that the investigation is not over and that it is at a nascent stage. The ED further claimed that the AAP is a company under section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It said Kejriwal's "role" is not required in the case. But "what is required to be looked at is that he was responsible for the affairs of the company/party," the agency was quoted by legal news portal Bar and Bench as saying. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is questioning Bibhav Kumar personal assistant (PA) to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on April 8. Kejriwal is currently housed at the Tihar Jail under money laundering charges related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Further, Aam Admi Party (AAP) MLA Durgesh Pathak has also been summoned by the ED today (April 8) concerning the Delhi excise policy case probe. K Kavitha's bail denied Earlier today, the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court dismissed the interim bail application moved by BRS leader K Kavitha in the money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. The arrested BRS leader on Saturday, April 6, moved a city court urging it to repeal its order that permitted the CBI to interrogate her in Tihar jail. Advocate Nitesh Rana representing Kavitha's stance alleged that the CBI thwarted the due process of law by filing a plea that sought permission to question her behind her back", reported PTI. "I have grave apprehension that CBI may not have divulged true facts in order to obtain a favourable order from the court," Rana informed the court as the CBI probes the corruption angle in the excise policy scam. The advocate asked the court to suspend its Friday, April 5 order that allowed Kavitha's questioning in judicial custody until her stand was heard and taken into account. Also read: K Kavitha moves SC against arrest by ED in Delhi liquor policy case The next hearing date over the matter was scheduled for April 10 after the CBI sought time to reply to Kavitha's plea. However, special Judge Kaveri Baweja did not grant any interim relief to Kavitha for Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI cases. The BRS leader was arrested on March 15 from Hyderabad by the ED for the money laundering accusations and was sent to 14-day judicial custody last Tuesday. Also read: Delhi Court sends BRS leader K Kavitha to judicial custody till 9 April Mariyam Shiuna, a Maldivian politician suspended earlier this year over derogatory remarks on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has on April 8 apologised for a recent post that allegedly showed disrespect towards the Indian national flag. Shiuna, one of three deputy ministers suspended earlier this year, expressed regret over the fresh controversy and clarified that she did not intend to disrespect India or its national flag. "I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offence caused by the content of my recent post. It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused," she wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). "Maldives deeply value its relationship and, the mutual respect we share with India. In future I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights," Shiuna added. What Was The Deleted Post? Shiuna is a deputy minister, belonging to Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's ruling People's National Congress (PMC) party. In the now-deleted post, Shiuna targeted the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) by replacing its logo with a picture resembling the Ashok Chakra, which appears on the Indian flag's white middle band. "The MDP is heading towards a big slip. The people of Maldives do not want to fall and slip with them," the post read. The Maldives government had in January 2024 suspended three ministers Shiuna, Malsha and Hassan Zihan for their remarks on Modi following his visit to India's Lakshadweep islands. The post by Shiuna, who was the Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, featured pictures of Modi from his visit to Lakshadweep and referred to the Indian prime minister as a clown and a puppet of Israel. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's husband Parakala Prabhakar has said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes back to power after winning the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 'India's map will change'. Prabhakar said that in the event Prime Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi is re-elected in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a situation like Ladakh-Manipur will arise in the entire country. The video of Parakala Prabhakar, a renowned economist, sharing his insights was shared by the Congress on the microblogging site X. In the video, Parakala Prabhakar, the husband of BJP leader and India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is heard saying that if PM Modi becomes Prime Minister again in 2024, India will never witness another election process. "Ek aur chunav ki ummed mat kijiye," Prabhakar was heard replying to the interviewer. Agar ye sarkar aayi to uske baad chunav hoga hi nahin (If this BJP government returns, then India will never see elections again) Prabhakar said. The economist husband of Nirmala Sitharaman also claimed that the constitution and map will change if PM Modi and his cabinet returns to power. Aap isko pehechan bhi nahin sakenge (You would not be able to recognise this [India])", Prabhakar said. Citing statements made by BJP leaders and PM Modi, like isko Pakistan jaane ka hai, jane do (If they want to go to Pakistan, let them), Prabhakar cautioned that these hate speeches will now rise from Red Fort in Delhi. Modi himself will give a hate speech from the Red Fort, Prabhakar said during the interview, adding that it won't be done silently or subtly. The hate speeches will be Khula Khel, according to the economist. Parakala Prabhakar also noted that the unrest that gripped Manipur due to the ethnic clashes between Kuki and Meitei communities will be the norm across India, if at all PM Modi returns to power. Earlier in March, Prabhakar while speaking to a television news channel said that electoral bond scam is not just the biggest scam in India but the biggest scam in the world. After electoral bond corruption became public, now the fight is not between two alliances but between the BJP and the people of India." A 22-year-old Pune man, who was serving as a deck cadet on a merchant ship sailing from Indonesia to Singapore, went missing since Friday afternoon while sailing the vessel, his father said on Sunday. The missing person, identified as Pranav Karad, has been working with Wilhelmsen Ship Management India Pvt Ltd for the past six months, he said as quoted by PTI. The ship was sailing to Singapore from Indonesia. We got a call on Friday night from the shipping company's Mumbai office, saying our kid had vanished while he was on board. A search operation is underway to locate him, his father Gopal Karad said. We are attempting to request assistance from the central government. We have also contacted the police in Pune and Mumbai. Pranav completed a three-year Marine Engineering program at an educational institution in the city, he added. Pranav's relatives also approached Pune police for help, however, the officials instructed them to contact Mumbai police as the shipping firm's office is in Andheri, the cop said. In another incident, a 22-year-old female engineering student from Pune was found murdered in Ahmednagar on April 4. She went missing since March 30. An official informed that the girl was allegedly kidnapped by three persons, including a college friend. The official said the girl was kidnapped for ransom of 9 lakh but later strangulated and buried her body on the outskirts of Ahmednagar. She was pursuing engineering in a college in Wagholi area here. A male college friend and two other people met her on March 29 and left her off at her dorm. They brought her to Ahmednagar on March 30. They asked her parents for a transfer of 9 lakh. After that, they strangled her, buried her body outside of Ahmednagar, and took her cellphone's SIM card out, the official said. Her kin filed a complaint and a police probe was started into the kidnapping case. A few days later, all three accused were arrested. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a meeting on Sunday. Amid discussions on topic of "mutual interest", the two sides also stressed on the need to resolve heightened friction between India and Pakistan. "The two sides stressed the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to ensure peace and stability in the region," read a joint statement on the meeting between Sharif and Salman. Sharif made his first overseas visit since winning power in elections in February. He met with bin Salman on Sunday. HRH the Crown Prince met with the Prime Minister of Pakistan. They reviewed historical relations, bilateral cooperation, and opportunities for further development across various sectors, in addition to discussing regional and international developments, Saudi Arabia's foreign office tweeted. India-Pakistan relations India has time and again accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorist. It has also slammed Pakistan of raking up the Jammu and Kashmir issue at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The joint statement by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia came a day after Pakistan denounced Indian Defence Minister Rajanth Singh's statement. In an interview with News 18, Singh had said, If any terrorist will try to disturb India from any neighbouring country or try to conduct any terror activities in India, we will always give a befitting reply to them." "If that terrorist will run towards Pakistan [from India], Pakistan mein ghus ke marenge [will kill them by entering into Pakistan]," Singh had said. Condemning Singh's statement, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Such myopic an irresponsible behaviour not only undermines regional peace but also impedes the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term." The Supreme Court on Monday restored the bail granted to a YouTuber Sattai Durai Murugan in a case relating to the alleged derogatory remarks made against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in October 2021, news agency PTI reported. "If before elections we start putting behind bars everyone who makes allegations on YouTube, imagine how many will be jailed?" a bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi while setting aside the order cancelling bail to Murugan. The apex court said that the YouTuber could not be said to have misused the liberty granted to him while expressing his views, the court also rejected the request of the Tamil Nadu government to impose a condition on Murugan to refrain from making scandalous remarks while on bail. Also Read | CBDT to open cases linked to HRA claims? Income Tax body issues clarification Who shall decide whether a statement is scandalous or not, the court asked Rohatgi. He continues to be on bail for 2.5 years. All the same, we do not find grounds to cancel bail. We thus quash the High Court order cancelling bail, and restore the earlier order granting bail. Needless to say, cancellation of bail can be applied for if deemed fit, the bench ordered. The top court clarified that the state government may approach it again for the cancellation of Murugans bail if such grounds arise. Also Read | Congress, NC announce seat-sharing pact for Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh The apex court was hearing Murugans plea challenging a Madras High Court order cancelling his bail in 2021. The High Court cancelled the bail on the grounds that Murugan went on to make more allegedly derogatory remarks against Stalin despite providing assurances to the contrary. MUMBAI : Mumbai: New-age lender Veritas Finance Pvt. Ltd is preparing to raise 2,000 crore from an initial public offering, and has appointed Kotak Mahindra Capital Co., Jefferies, HDFC Ltd and ICICI Securities to help it with the share issue, three people with knowledge of the development said. Last year, the Chennai-based non-banking financial company had raised 1,200 crore in equity funding from Multiples PE and International Finance Corporation, among others, to expand access to capital for Indias micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Veritas is also backed by Avendus Future Leaders Fund, Kedaara Capital, Norwest Venture Partners, British International Investment, and Lok Capital. The final contours of the IPO size and selling shareholders will be decided later. The company is looking to file papers with the regulator by the second half of the year," said one of the persons cited above. Veritas is likely to raise funding ahead of the IPO filing to realign its capitalisation table, said a second person familiar with the company's plans. Emailed queries sent to Veritas Finance, Jefferies, Kotak Mahindra Capital Co., HDFC and ICICI Securities remained unanswered. New-age lenders have been steadily making inroads in the underserved segments of the banking sector. From personal loans to business loans, these digital-first lenders have been growing their lending books over the past few years. Veritas competes with Shriram Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Equitas Small Finance Bank, and Lendingkart, among others. Founded in 2015 by D. Arulmany, Veritas offers loans to the underserved MSMEs in semi-urban and rural geographies. Today, it serves eight states and one Union territory primarily offering secured small business loans with an average ticket size of 5 lakh. As on 30 September, Veritas had a net worth of 2,183 crore, as per a November 2023 ratings report published by ICRA. The company has more than 300 branches across 10 states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, as well as the Union Territory of Puducherry. Veritas had a gross loan portfolio of 4,483 crore as on 30 September, up from 3,534 crore as on 31 March, 2023. For the six months ended 30 September, Veritas had registered a revenue of 492.65 crore and a profit after tax of 102.93 crore. The companys gross non-performing assets stood at 2.09%, and its net NPA at 1.1%, according to a report by Icra. A child born in Kerala in Indias south has a better chance of surviving to age five than in the US. In Uttar Pradesh in the north, the odds are worse than in Afghanistan. As India goes to polls in a couple of weeks to elect its next government, pundits focus will be on the Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modis hypnotic sway on the landlocked, impoverished north. The souths rejection of the leader and his Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, will be brushed aside because it may not change the overall outcome. That is a mistake. The north hogs the limelight because of its numbers. Whoever controls Uttar Pradesh, a state more populous than Brazil and poorer than sub-Saharan Africa, has superior odds of capturing the reins of federal administration. And theres a near-consensus that UP and its neighboring states are ready to give the strongman a third term. The opposition alliance, which accuses him of preparing to sweep the election by jailing its leaders and choking its funds, fears that Indias secular constitution will be upended in Modi 3.0. Although the prime minister has denied any such plan, a Hindu rashtra, or nation-state, will play well in the north. The very prospect of such an outcome fills the south with dread. The 675-mile-long mountain range that cuts through central India is no longer just a geographical divide. Ten years of Modis polarizing rule have caused a yawning gulf, not only in what voters are getting from their government but what they even want from it. Economic prosperity and social progress, the top concerns in the south, have no place left in the north. Modi didnt create the vacuum of hope. He just filled the hole in peoples material lives with religious fervor. Its a passion that finds its release in tormenting people of non-Hindu faiths, particularly Muslims who account for 14% of the population. Another five years of the same majoritarianism might strain the nations federal fabric and jeopardize Indias future as a pluralistic, free-market democracy of 1.4 billion people. Much of the countrys modern, fast-growing economy the very thing for which global investors value India resides in the more open and tolerant south. Here, decades of social reforms have led to a flowering of civic consciousness among followers of the three major religions: Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Living standards have risen. In Tamil Nadu, where the poverty rate is 2%, theres no appetite for Modinomics, not when the western state of Gujarat where he was chief minister for more than 12 years counts 12% of its population as poor. The north has been denied development for so long it has stopped believing in it. The majority community has come to view a militant assertion of its religious identity as the ultimate civilizational goal. So when Modi inaugurates a Hindu temple, built at the same spot where mobs destroyed a 16th-century mosque in 1992, they see him as a savior. He has come to restore their wounded pride by avenging the Muslim conquests that later flourished into the Mughal dynasty famous for the Taj Mahal. That the prime minister also gives people free food and some money in their bank accounts is considered a bonus. The citizen in the north is content to have become a labharthi, Hindi for beneficiary. The south, where Islam arrived with sea-borne commerce rather than conquest, cant understand the fuss over yet another temple, not when it has many grand ones of its own and has spent 100 years asserting marginalized peoples rights of worship. That was how, in 1925, Tamil Nadu began democratizing its society by challenging Hinduisms hierarchical caste system under E.V. Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar. After India won its freedom from the British in 1947, Tamil Nadu was quick to grasp that there would no dramatic redistribution of farmland. The landed gentrys interests were far too powerful. So Periyars self-respect movement, which by then had spawned a political party, decided to broaden access to education, health and non-farm jobs, correctly viewing them as pathways to social justice in a modernizing economy. This is what came to be known as The Dravidian Model, explain the authors of the book by the same name. Dravida is a seventh-century derivative of the Tamil name for their language. While linguistic pride sustained popular support for Dravidian policies and politicians, the economic model itself was mostly common sense. The north missed the trick because its champions of the downtrodden didnt really have a plan for their immersion in a more urban, capitalist economy. The results show it. More than 47% of Tamil Nadus 18-to-23-year-olds are in higher education, compared with 17% in Bihar in the east. Madhya Pradesh in central India wants to set aside one-fourth of all beds in district hospitals for paying customers. Thats almost a death sentence to tribal communities and urban poor who cant afford private care. Tamil Nadu, too, cut costs in public health in the 1990s, but by eliminating shortages. R Poornalingam, then the states health secretary, centralized purchases of quality drugs. Costs came down, availability went up. Peoples out-of-pocket medical expenses are 24% lower than in UP, even though the government of the northern state allocates more of the states output to health. The north should be governed by enlightened politicians focused on the two key sectors for human capital education and heath, Poornalingam told me on a recent trip there. The two are closely linked, and perhaps nowhere more so than in Kerala, where I met up with Antony Kollannur, a specialist in tropical pediatrics. The former UNICEF official served across the country on important campaigns like polio eradication, child survival and safe motherhood. He recalls how women in the north almost never spoke up in public meetings. Thats very different from his hometown in Kerala where regardless of their religion or economic status they participate vigorously with facts, figures and demands of accountability. When the electorate isnt educated, officials lie and cover up, as UP did with polio numbers during Kollannurs time and with its Covid-19 death toll and oxygen shortages, more recently. Kollannur invited me to visit the community health center near his house in Kochi. The port city on Indias southwestern coast was the seat of its first European settlement in 1500 A.D. The facility, which caters to the fishing community, has doctors, nurses, medicines, beds, modern diagnostics, a busy immunization program, and even a dentistry department. The medical care for which people in the north get pushed toward private providers is available in Kerala as a free public service. (Arvind Kejriwal, the northern politician who tried to emulate the southern model as the chief minister of Delhi state, was arrested by federal agencies just before elections.) The mood in the south has turned dark. P Thiaga Rajan is a former investment banker who worked in New York and Singapore. Currently the states minister for information technology, Rajan is also a preeminent voice on lopsided resource distribution. UP gets more of federal tax revenue than all five southern states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh combined. Rajan doesnt begrudge the money going north, but hes worried that its producing no convergence in living standards. In his estimation, if UP, growing 2 percentage points slower than Tamil Nadu, were to expand 2 percentage points faster than the southern state, their per capita incomes would level in 64 years. The economic contest is over, but the north may still hope to catch up socially. As the region sends its surplus labor to the south, these workers will have to leave linguistic, religious, caste and gender chauvinism behind to assimilate. Arjun Yadav is trying to do just that, supporting his family in rural Bihar with his wages in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. After last years paddy harvest on their smallholding, his wife didnt want him to go back to his drivers job. Fake news that workers from Bihar were being attacked in Tamil Nadu had gone viral. The issue became serious enough for Rajans boss and Chief Minister MK Stalin, who was named after the Soviet leader by his father, a leading light of the Dravidian movement, to assure workers of their safety. A Youtuber was arrested for circulating misinformation. Yadav returned to Chennai. Kerala, long known for supplying labor to the Middle East, is grappling with a new wave of post-pandemic migration of its educated youth to the West. With full literacy and womens empowerment having crunched fertility rates, the states challenge is to replenish its aging workforce by providing a safe environment to migrants from the north. That means building on success stories like Muhammad Dilshad. The son of illiterate Muslim laborers from Bihar, Dilshad topped the states high-school exam in 2019, after mastering the local language. Back in the north, there are many Dilshads whose lives wont be any different from their parents. Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is Indias technology powerhouse. Here, I met a Ph.D. engineer the first from her southern village whos up against the staggering challenge of using electricity to propel flights: a sort of Toyota Prius for the skies. In Uttar Pradesh, by contrast, the states BJP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath believes that women cant handle independence, they need protection. The Congress Party, the main challenger to Modi in the elections, recognizes the barriers women face to enter employment. After wresting power from the BJP in Karnataka state elections last year, Congress made public buses free for women. The prime minister says freebies arent sound public policy. But spending on mobility is hardly a waste if it helps to draw out three out of four of Indias women who arent in the workforce. Voters in Tamil Nadu and Kerala are expected to reject the BJP. The ruling partys wins in other southern states will also be limited. That conclusion, too, is baked into pollsters forecasts. Yet, the south doesnt matter. Add Bihars 40 seats in the lower house of parliament to UPs 80, and you have twice as strong a political representation as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which will together send 59 lawmakers to New Delhi this year. In 2029, after the 545-member parliament is expanded following a new population census, the souths voice will get tinier still. Already, the regions progress is under threat from the federal governments overreach. In Kerala, the Modi administration is in a standoff with the state. New Delhi wants the kind of medical center I visited to change its name to temple of good health. Kerala was Indias first state where communists won an election in 1957. The current Marxist government, which received worldwide acclaim for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, refuses to cave in: Why temple, its health minister asks. Whats wrong with center? Karnataka and Kerala have both dragged the Modi government to the Supreme Court. The former is bitter about not receiving federal funds to deal with devastating droughts, the latter wants to know why state legislation is being unconstitutionally blocked. Kerala has also refused to put up Modi selfie points at ration shops, where people can stand next to a cardboard cutout of the prime minister and take a photo. But the bastion of Indias anti-Modi resistance is Tamil Nadu, which makes iPhone 15 for Apple Inc. and accounts for 30% of the nations electronics exports, more than any other state. This is where Indias stunted manufacturing can breathe and grow, despite most recent investments being forced to go to Modis home state of Gujarat. The reason is simple: Tamil Nadu, much more than Gujarat, is likely to let individuals be, eat, pray and love how they want. Its liberating for blue-collar workers who cant buy those freedoms by paying free-market rates for gated condominiums. The north is too steeped in antiquated concepts of social hierarchy that oppress women, minorities and groups at the bottom rung of the caste ladder to see that another path to development is possible, even in a deeply religious country. But investors know the difference. Wholl bet on a region where politicians promulgate love jihad laws to punish young Muslim men for loving Hindu women and vigilante groups attack churches? Its a simple truth that Indias 80% Hindu population doesnt need protection from 14% Muslims and 2% Christians. What it needs to be saved from is bad education, poor public health, high unemployment and crushing poverty. Suspended Maldivian minister Mariyam Shiuna, who recently apologised for her social media post which created controversy for showing disrespect towards the Indian national flag, is not new to controversies, especially when it comes to India. On April 8, Mariyam Shiuna expressed regret after her recent social media post sparked a row because it allegedly showed disrespect towards the Indian national flag. Shiuna quickly deleted her post and also shared an apology on social media, where she clarified that the intention of the social media post was not to disrespect India and she sincerely regrets any misunderstanding caused because of her post. "I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offence caused by the content of my recent post. It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused," she wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). Though she has apologised for the latest one, Shiuna's previous social media posts (many stand deleted) have also created controversy. Mariyam Shiuna called PM Modi a 'clown' Earlier this year, the Maldivian politician was suspended for making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shuina triggered controversy after she called PM Modi a clown and a puppet during the India-Maldives row. She received a massive backlash after which she deleted the post. To stop the crisis from spinning out of control, the Maldives government suspended Shiuna and two other ministers over their remarks about India. Change Maldives govt by all means even with bloodshed Last year, Mariyam Shiuna again landed in a soup and her Twitter handle, Nannazeev, was suspended when she urged people to change President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's government in the Maldives by all means, even with bloodshed. Around 10 kg of cannabis and 9 kg of marijuana kept inside a Jharkhand police station were eaten by rats, police personnel told the court on Saturday. In a surprising event, the nearly 21 kg of drug confiscated and stored at the station was destroyed making it difficult for the police to present the proof in front of the court. The police informed the matter to a court in the district, an advocate associated with the case concerned told PTI on Sunday. After the district court directed the officer in charge of Rajganj police station to produce the bhang and ganja seized six years ago, the police submitted a report to the Principal District and Sessions Judge Ram Sharma on Saturday. The report said that the narcotics substance was destroyed by the rats inside the makhana (store) of the police station. Consifcate drugs were kept at the police station since 2018 On December 14, 2018, police arrested one Shambhu Prasad Agrawal and his son with 10 kg of bhang and nine kg of Ganja. After they were arrested, an FIR was also registered against the two at Rajganj police station. After the case was registered, the trial court appointed Jayprakash Prasad as the Investigating Officer in the case and asked him to produce the confiscated items in front of the court on April 6. However, the police failed to produce the item because it was destroyed by rats over the years. On the failure to produce the confiscated drugs in front of the court, the defence lawyer of Prasad said that a fake case had been framed against his client. Thousands of devotees gathered on the banks of the River Ganga in Prayagraj to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Somvati Amavasya on Monday. Somvati Amavasya holds a special significance in Hinduism, as it is a day when devotees perform rituals to seek blessings of their ancestors, by bathing in holy rivers and doing charity. "As part of the ritual, I have come to take a holy dip in the River Ganga. I have performed rituals, offered donations and prayed for peace of our ancestors," Seema Rai, a devotee, was quoted as saying by ANI. Another devotee, Asha Soni, expressed the importance of the day, saying, "Rituals for ancestors, tarpan, and charity are considered important on the auspicious day of Somvati Amavasya. Therefore, devotees bathe in the Ganga and circumambulate the Peepal tree. The morning Ganga Aarti holds special significance." The Somvati Amavasya day is dedicated to worshipping ancestors or forefathers, to get rid of 'Pitru Dosha'. On this day, people take a holy dip in the Ganga, and perform rituals including havan and yajna, do charity, feed animals, and chant mantras. Monday (April 8) is the first Somvati Amavasya in 2024'. Pitru Dosha, also known as 'Pitru Dosh', is a negative astrological condition that can be detected in a person's birth chart, and it's said to occur when Rahu and Sun are in conjunction in the ninth house of the birth chart, which is associated with ancestors and fathers. Many devotees paid tributes to their ancestors by taking part in the rituals on the banks of the Ganga on this auspicious day. (Bloomberg) -- The US ambassador to the United Nations will travel to the North Korean border as the Biden administration looks to reaffirm support for Asian allies and draw attention to a breakdown in Security Council unity over efforts to rein in Pyongyangs nuclear arsenal. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield will become the most senior US official to visit the demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas since Vice President Kamala Harris went there in 2022. US mission spokesman Nate Evans said its part of a bigger week-long trip to South Korea and Japan, both of which are current members of the Security Council. While the trip has been planned for some time, Thomas-Greenfield heads to the region soon after Russia vetoed a US-led Security Council resolution to extend the mandate of a panel of experts that has monitored North Koreas nuclear-weapons development for 15 years. Shell also be in Washington DC this week for a US summit with the leaders of Japan and the Philippines. Such extensions were once routine but have run up against growing divisions in the council between the US and Russia over the war in Ukraine and what the US says is Moscows push to secure weapons and ammunition from Pyongyang. North Korea also continues to make progress on its nuclear program in defiance of numerous Security Council resolutions. Thomas-Greenfield will be briefed by military officials at the demilitarized zone. She also plans to meet civilians, including North Korean defectors, during her trip to South Korea, Evans said. Thomas-Greenfield will also head to Japan, where she will meet officials to discuss shared priorities at the UN. Shell also hear from family members of Japanese citizens abducted by Kim Jong Uns regime. (Updates with ambassador traveling to DC for summit in third paragraph. A previous version of this story corrected to say the US envoy will meet defectors during her South Korea visit, not at the DMZ.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com (Bloomberg) -- In March 2023, a 17-year-old girl who fell from a building in the South Korean city of Daegu died after her ambulance was turned away by three hospitals that lacked doctors to treat her. She was among more than 3,750 patients who have died since 2017 after local hospitals refused to provide care, according to a report by Cheong Yooseok, a professor of medical science at Dankook University in Cheonan city. The startling statistic from one of Asias richest countries has become a major issue in the parliamentary elections taking place on April 10. While the country won acclaim for its low fatality rate during the Covid-19 pandemic, the focus now is on inefficiency, waste and skewed economic incentives in the health-care system. Renowned medical centers in Seoul are overwhelmed by patients, while the rest of the country struggles with a lack of physicians. A six-week-and-counting national walk-out by nearly 13,000 residents and interns protesting a plan to boost medical school enrollment has exacerbated the situation. Seung-Pyo Jung, an esophageal cancer patient who lives on Jeju Island in south, flew to Seoul National University Bandung Hospital for surgery last June. While hes supposed to have checkups every four weeks, sometimes it takes several months to get an appointment. Theres no doctor at all on this island who can treat esophageal cancer, Jung said of his hometown, which has a population of almost 700,000 people. Everything is so concentrated in Seoul. The Korean Emergency Medical Association, which advocates for doctors working at emergency centers, warned that it may join the protest. Meanwhile, the health ministry said its willing to discuss the Korean Medical Associations efforts to delay the plan to increase medical school enrollment if the group has a scientific, rational and unified proposal. Health Care Collapse Korea has among the fewest doctors per capita of all developed countries and hasnt increased the number of medical students in more than two decades, said Gaetan Lafortune, a senior economist at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Demographic factors like the rapidly aging population will exacerbate the scarcity, he said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to address the crisis. He proposed measures, like increasing the number of doctors, that have drawn complaints for being populist moves ahead of the election to select the 300 member National Assembly. While his conservative People Power Party is currently in power, hes trying to flip dozens of seats held by his progressive rivals, led by the Democratic Party, to take control of the national legislature. The health-care system is collapsing, Yoon said at a public hearing in February. Now is the golden time to push reforms. Yet the doctors themselves oppose efforts to expand physician supply, arguing that the governments proposal to increase medical school enrollment by 2,000 spots a year from the current 3,058 doesnt address the root problem. This, they say, is that doctor pay in some critical fields covered by the countrys National Health Insurance system is far lower than that for outside specialists, especially those who do cosmetic and aesthetic procedures. The disparity in compensation and infrastructure between Seoul and rural areas also means a dearth of medical workers outside the capital. Read more: Yoon Urges Korean Doctors to Return, Leaves Room for Talks Disappearing Doctors Doctors are disappearing at emergency centers, surgery rooms, delivery rooms, and hospitals in smaller cities, said Cheong, from Dankook University, in a December report. Many young doctors gave up becoming fellows at medical colleges and work in the beauty industry. Cosmetic surgery has aggressively taken hold and medical tourism is booming in South Korea. More than 8 million foreign patients arrived between 2009 and 2022, many for the beauty industry that offers ubiquitous access to plastic surgery, Botox for $6 per shot, and laser skin tightening. Meanwhile, essential fields including pediatrics have been hard hit. Only 53 residents applied to fill 205 pediatric slots for this year, and just eight were outside Seoul and its surroundings, according to the health ministry. For pediatric surgery, two trainee doctors applied for spots outside of the greater Seoul area. In June 2023, the Korean Pediatric Society held a conference titled How to Exit Pediatrics focused on learning about other disciplines including cosmetic surgery. The seminar was done at the behest of members who said the countrys ultra-low birth rate made it difficult to run pediatric clinics, officials said in a television interview with Channel A. Outside Seoul The situation is dire in most parts of the country. More than half of Koreas 114,000 doctors and dentists worked in Seoul or Gyeonggi province in 2022, according to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Hiring doctors outside the capital is tough, said Cho Seung-yeon, president of Incheon Medical Center. He couldnt find anyone to lead the dialysis division for two years. Another public hospital offered $1 million for a cardiologist, he said. Salaried doctors at private clinics can earn in excess of $300,000 annually, while those on their own make even more, he said. Cho offers $200,000 a year for physicians at his public hospital in Incheon, but he said few ultimately come. Even in Seoul, medical care can be tenuous given the doctor shortage. Kim Sung Ju, a 62-year-old who underwent surgery for esophageal cancer a decade ago, undergoes a battery of tests and waits hours for a brief visit with his doctor at Seoul St. Marys Hospital in Gangnam, an upscale neighborhood in the citys southeast, every three months. I really dont understand why I have to visit this big hospital every three months, because I only get to talk to my doctor for three minutes, he said. I had thought Koreas health insurance system, with private doctors and national health insurance, was the worlds best, but now its becoming the worlds worst. A more robust medical work force is also essential to the countrys public health, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, which has just 20 doctors out of 500 employees. We hope just two doctors join us a year, said Hong Jeong-ik, director-general of the bureau of public health emergency preparedness. They can do something meaningful for the public, even if that may not help them make huge a profit. Amid the national debate, wait times for care have worsened since the doctors walkout to protest Yoons proposed reforms. The president says he wont back down on what he calls a minimum requirement for fixing the underlying issues. Nearly four-in-five Koreans support the expansion, polling ahead of the election shows. A nurse died in August 2022 at the one of Koreas best hospitals, where she worked, because there was no doctor to treat her, Health and Welfare Minister Cho KyooHong said in an interview. This is not right. --With assistance from Kanoko Matsuyama and Sam Kim. (Adds government comments and a warning from emergency medicine doctors to the seventh and eighth paragraphs) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Palestinians were seen trudging back to southern Gaza, as Israel pulled all of its ground troops out of southern Gaza. Israel's army cited tactical reasons, for their sudden withdrawal. The move, however, has raised questions about the future direction of the war. Meanwhile, Hamas and Israeli delegations travelled to Egypt for a new round of ceasefire talks, which the former informed led to no progress. An Israeli army official who spoke to the Israel daily Haaretz said: Theres no need for us to remain in Khan Younis. The 98th Division dismantled Hamass Khan Younis brigades and killed thousands of its members. We did everything we could there. Displaced Palestinians from the city may now be able to return to their homes, they said. Here are top 10 updates in Gaza -Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a date has been set for an Israeli invasion of Rafah, Gaza's last refuge for displaced Palestinians -Israel is purchasing 40,000 tents to prepare for the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the southern Gaza city of Rafah -Hamas has informed that no progress had been made at a new round of talks in Cairo on a ceasefire in the Gaza war after the Egyptian hosts said headway had been achieved on the agenda. -Israel has ruled out ending the war shortly or withdrawing from Gaza, saying its forces will not relent until Hamas no longer controls Gaza or threatens Israel militarily. -The Palestinian death toll from the war has passed 33,200, with nearly 76,000 wounded, Gazas Health Ministry said -More than 1 million Palestinians, over half of Gazas population, have fled to Rafah after being displaced by fighting elsewhere in the territory. -At least 460 Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the West Bank have been killed by Israeli fire since the Israel-Hamas war erupted six months ago, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. -Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have called on Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza and seek a peaceful solution to the conflict in line with UN resolutions. -Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have clashed along the tense Lebanon-Israel border since Oct. 8. Hezbollah says it would stop firing rockets once a cease-fire is reached in the Gaza Strip that would end the Israel-Hamas war After expressly stating his unequivocal support for America's long-term ally Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attack, US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump has now seemingly shifted to an ambiguous stance on the ongoing conflict in the region, as per an AFP report Over six months on, the Israel-Hamas war has claimed at least 33,000 lives in Gaza, with the majority being women and children and Trump has made the intensity of his support for the Middle Eastern ally "vague", the report said. Known for his candid, no-holds-barred approach to making statements, the former US President has been uncharacteristically subdued on the issue during two recent interviews, the publication noted. "I'm not sure that I'm loving the way they're doing it. Israel is absolutely losing the PR," Trump told 77-year-old conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt last week. In another interview with the Israeli media, Trump also said that videos "of bombs being dropped into buildings in Gaza" offer "a very bad picture for the world." No Explicit Stance Notably, however, while alluding to concerns, Trump has not explicitly done a U-turn on Israel or mentioned the mounting humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Experts from the United Nations and various human rights groups have warned of starvation and famine in Gaza, the high civilian death toll among Palestinians and the death of aid workers, especially the seven killed last Monday in a drone strike. Trump has long boasted of having done more for Israel than any other US president after his administration unilaterally recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the US embassy to the disputed city from Tel Aviv. The move sparked an international backlash in 2018. Further towards his term-end in 2020, Trump's administration had also brokered the so-called Abraham Accords, which normalised Israel's ties saw Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Trump Vary of Alienating Voters on Either Extreme While a rare critical verbalisation on Israel it is not yet clear if Trump would move his policy if re-elected president in November. "Nobody's entirely sure what Trump's views are on this. His recent rhetoric sounds more like it's coming from a media consultant than an Oval Office candidate. That's not presidential, that's not policy that's more punditry," Danielle Pletka, a senior fellow at conservative think tank AEI, told AFP. Some observers noted that Trump's vague stance on Israel could be traced to voter criticism of Joe Biden's handling of the issue. The otherwise outspoken Trump is employing deliberate ambiguity on other voter-divisive issues such as abortion too, they added, pointing out that alienating voters on either extreme of the issues could cost him votes. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 returned to Denver International Airport on Sunday morning after the engine cowling fell off and struck the wing flap during takeoff, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The airlines, in an official statement, informed that the Boeing 737 landed safely at Denver International Airport and the passengers headed to Houston's William P. Hobby Airport were being shifted to another jet. It added that the passengers of Southwest Flight 3695 are scheduled to arrive their destination three hours late. The incident took place at around 8:15 am, AP reported. However, the passengers arrived in Houston approximately four hours later than planned. The Southwest airlines stated that the aircraft is being examined by maintenance teams. The Southwest airlines with 135 passengers and six crew members issued an apology for the inconvenience caused due to cowling loss during take off. We apologize for the delay, but place our highest priority on ultimate Safety for our Customers and Employees. Our Maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft," it said. Repeated Incidents with Boeing 737 Notably, it is the second mishap this week for the Southwest airlines as a flight from Texas was canceled on Thursday after a report of an engine fire. . One of the two engines had a fire that needed to be put out, according to online confirmation from the Lubbock, Texas, fire department. Currently, the FAA is investigating both incidents. The plane entered service in June 2015. Both planes were Boeing 737-800s, an older model than the 737 Max. The airline refused to reveal when the plane's engine had last had maintenance. Boeing has come under intense criticism since a door plug panel tore off a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 jet at 16,000 feet on January 5. Following this, the FAA grounded the MAX 9 for several weeks, barred Boeing from increasing the MAX production rate and ordered it to develop a comprehensive plan to address "systemic quality-control issues" within 90 days. (Bloomberg) -- Potential jurors at Donald Trumps first criminal trial will be asked whether they belong to fringe groups like Antifa and QAnon, as well as whether theyve been to rallies supporting or opposing the former president. Justice Juan Merchan included the questionnaire in a letter Monday to lawyers for Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case. It hints at how contentious the jury selection process may be when it starts April 15 in New York. It could take up to two weeks to pick a jury, or about a quarter of the trial. Bragg alleges Trump falsified dozens of business records to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election to keep her quiet about an alleged affair. The payoff was part of alleged scheme to influence the 2016 election by preventing salacious stories about Trump from being published. The questionnaire is similar to those in Trumps two civil trials earlier this year, both of which he lost. But more is at stake in Trumps first criminal trial, and lawyers on both will be under intense pressure to select jurors who can be fair, even if they hold strong opinions about the former president. Potential jurors will also be asked if they use Trumps social-media platform Truth Social, whose parent company has lost billions of dollars in market value since it started trading publicly two weeks ago. Theyll also be asked if they belong to any anti-Trump groups or if they have any feelings of opinions about how Mr. Trump is being treated in this case? The questionnaire is coming together as Trump makes a last-ditch effort to get Merchan removed from the case over claims that his daughter might profit professionally from the proceeding as an employee of a consulting firm that has Democrats as clients. Trump has argued that a survey his lawyers commissioned demonstrated that they jury pool in Manhattan is too liberal or leans too Democratic for him to get a fair trial. Bragg argued in response that Trumps own survey results shows that most of the islands inhabitants are confident they can deliver a verdict based only on the evidence. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com (Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrapped up four days of talks in China with a warning against any moves to bolster Russias military capacity. I stressed that companies, including those in the PRC, must not provide material support for Russias war, and that they will face significant consequences if they do, Yellen said Monday in prepared remarks for a press conference at the US ambassadors residence in Beijing, using an abbreviation for the Peoples Republic of China. Any banks that facilitate significant transactions that channel military or dual-use goods to Russias defense industrial base expose themselves to the risk of US sanctions, she said. The Biden administration is trying to crack down on firms worldwide that help Russia evade the net of sanctions that the US and its allies have imposed on Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While China has been the target of past warnings, Yellens Monday message, delivered in the Chinese capital, was unusual for its direct threat of sanctions. It came on the day that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Beijing to discuss issues including Ukraine. While China describes its position on the war as neutral, trade with Russia has surged since it began. China and Russia do a lot of trade and much of it is non-problematic, Yellen said in an interview with CNBC. But anything that involves aiding Russias military in their brutal war against Ukraine is unacceptable to us and we have the ability to sanction it. Read More: China Providing Geospatial Intelligence to Russia, US Warns Americas ultimate weapon against financial institutions is the Treasurys ability to cut off their access to US dollars, an existential threat for any bank operating internationally. That such a threat now looms over Chinese lenders is another example of the way the two superpowers increasingly find themselves on opposite sides of geopolitical and economic faultlines pushing even Yellen, arguably the least hawkish of senior Biden administration officials who deal directly with China, to go on the offensive. For much of her trip, the Treasury chief has been busy scolding China about something else: what Washington views as excessive investment in manufacturing, especially in new green-energy technologies, to make up for a troubled property sector and weak domestic demand. Yellens message has been that Chinese overcapacity will swamp other economies if theres no change of course. That theme has dominated since day one, and it kept recurring through a weekend of talks that both sides termed candid and constructive. The Chinese played gracious hosts and never fired back with an angry response, even in the closed-door meetings, according to senior Treasury officials. Beijing has acknowledged theres too much capacity in at least some industries, though it also accuses the US and other countries of trying to shield their own less-competitive companies. Right now the US has some leverage on such matters, because Chinas economy is fragile and its leaders realize that many other countries agree with Yellen, according to Christopher Beddor, deputy China research director at Gavekal Dragonomics. Thats why even though Yellen is making harsh comments, they are not freezing her out, he said. On Monday, after a meeting with Chinese central bank chief Pan Gongsheng, Yellen returned to the issue. I am particularly worried about how Chinas enduring macroeconomic imbalances namely its weak household consumption and business overinvestment, aggravated by large-scale government support in specific industrial sectors will lead to significant risk to workers and businesses in the US and the rest of the world, she said. The Treasury officials said Yellen specifically urged China to do more to stimulate domestic demand. The Chinese responded, they said, by assuring Yellen they had already taken steps in that direction. They also agreed to launch a new set of talks focused exclusively on balanced growth in the domestic and global economies, a euphemism for addressing Chinas over-investment in supply. Yellen announced that the new talks will get under way next week with a meeting between two US-China working groups in Washington. --With assistance from Lucille Liu and Jacob Gu. (Updates with further Yellen comments in sixth paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com A few years ago, the mayor of a Karnataka town asked me how she could prevent people from wastefully washing their yards, walls and vehicles with water from the municipal water supply. She told me she had organized awareness campaigns, promoted conservation efforts and even personally remonstrated with citizens, but to little avail. When I asked her how much they paid for the water, she replied that the monthly charge was a few tens of rupees per connection, but this was not strictly enforced. She was taken aback when I told her that was why her conservation efforts had been unsuccessful. An underpriced resource is over-consumed. That is what is happening across the country, where underpriced water and electricity are causing people to consume more than the optimum. It is not a surprise that we are going from water scarcity to water crisis. The current approach of underpricing water is no longer tenable, for water crises will only get worse in the coming years. Water can only be conserved when it is priced at marginal cost, at the most expensive litre of water produced to satisfy a given demand. In Bengaluru, residential piped water costs between 7 and 45 per 1,000 litres. Houses that do not have access to municipal water supply purchase water from tankers at around 150 during normal times and up to 250 during shortages. Thus the marginal cost of water is 20 to 35 times what the fortunate people with access to municipal supply pay. If prices go up, people will adopt flow controllers, bucket showers, rainwater harvesting and other conservation measures with greater urgency. So pricing water is a solution to the scarcity and sustainability problem. The question is how do we get there. There is no doubt that water is a necessity of life and everyone should have access to a basic quantity of it for drinking and washing. The United Nations General Assembly has decreed that every human has a right to 50 to 100 litres of water per day from a source less than 1km and 30 minutes from home. In a country with many poor and low-income households, this water should be available regardless of ones ability to pay. There is a case to make available this basic quantity of water free of cost to poor households. With the availability of a robust social welfare infrastructure in the form of the Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile (JAM) trinity, it is already possible to ensure water is properly priced and the poor are provided the money to purchase it. Indian cities must raise water prices over a period of a few years until they are close to its marginal cost, and entitle poor households to water vouchers. Vouchers can be financed through the state governments budget until municipal water corporations are able to cross-subsidize them from their own surpluses. Today, municipal water supply is synonymous with piped water. There is no reason why this must be so. Indeed, municipal water companies should be mandated to provide at least 100 litres per person per day regardless of the means of delivery. It should be up to them to use pipes, bore wells, tankers or bottles, as long as they achieve the outcome. Pricing can solve upstream problems as well. One reason the Kaveri water dispute has persisted for decades is that there is no reason for the claimants to moderate their claims. The more they ask, the more the tribunal is likely to eventually assign them. My colleagues at Takshashila have shown that a more efficient and less contentious allocation system is indeed possible. States that claim more than a low basic quota must pay for the excess into a Kaveri Water Fund. States that take below their quota can receive money instead. This would allow state governments the flexibility to choose a wider set of policies, and give them the financial resources to compensate farmers and others who have to change their water-use patterns. Pricing will create incentives to economise on the use of water and lead to a more efficient allocation. The policy design is not tremendously difficult and the projects can be made financially viable. The biggest hurdle is a political system that is addicted to populism. Indian politicians know how to make paid things free. They are unfamiliar with the idea of making free things chargeable. Yet, there are examplesnational highways, for instancewhere pricing has created a bigger and better road network. Water should be priced not because it will bring new sources of revenue to governments, but because it creates incentives for conservation. Tackling scarcity requires action on multiple fronts: increasing efficiency of use, promoting reuse, governing ground-water, harvesting rainwater, rehabilitating water bodies, building new infrastructure and so on. It is hard to implement these at the scale required because there are few incentives to do so. No government has the capacity to cajole or coerce everyone into action. Pricing provides a strong incentive for people to do the right things. There is no alternative. Disclosure: The author is on the board of Jal Seva Charitable Foundation. These are the authors personal views. RAMALLAH, West BankSigns of a civil conflict between Hamas and its Palestinian rivals are beginning to build, raising far-reaching questions about what a postwar government in Gaza might look likeand how long it might last. Hamas late last month detained several Palestinian Authority officials in Gaza and tried to prevent an aid convoy overseen by Palestinian Authority staff from traveling in the enclave, accusing them of working with Israel in the first standoff between the two groups since the Oct. 7 attacks that triggered the war. Hamas also said it would set out to arrest more people affiliated with the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. Meanwhile Fatah, the party that controls the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, last week issued a rare public rebuke of Iran, one of Hamass primary funders and supporters. It said it rejects Tehrans attempts to dictate what happens in the region while also criticizing the creeping influence of other foreign powers in Palestinian affairs. The spat is a sign of the deep-seated animosity between Hamas and Fatah and how it might complicate any attempt to establish a new administration in Gaza once Israel concludes its military campaign in the strip, now entering its seventh month. Much of the friction between the two dates back to 2007, when Hamas forcibly ousted Fatah from Gaza after winning legislative elections in the Palestinian territories the year before. Since then the split has widened, with the hard-line Islamists of Hamas periodically accusing the largely secular, Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank of working with Israel and the West. The tension now appears to be deepening. The U.S. and other Western powers have been looking to a reformed Palestinian Authority, which favors achieving Palestinian statehood through diplomacy, to take a significant leadership role in Gaza and prevent a power vacuum from forming that could allow Hamas to continue in some form. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, strongly opposed to a Palestinian state, is wary of the Palestinian Authority governing both the West Bank and Gaza, though some senior Israeli officials havent ruled out working with the Ramallah-based body or Fatah members. The general understanding is that in one way or another were going to have to work with people who are somewhat related to the PA," an Israeli official said. It doesnt mean that PA in its current form will be the authority leading Gaza." Hamas, for its part, is stepping up its efforts to ensure it will still play a future political role by limiting the authoritys access to the narrow strip of land. Hamass interior ministry told Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV that its police on March 30 arrested six people from a suspicious force" managed by Palestinian Authority intelligence officials that entered Gaza with the Egyptian Red Crescent Society. It said that the security force coordinated with Israel, and that Hamas will seek to arrest more people involved in the group. Adding fuel to what was already an incendiary accusation, Hamas accused Palestinian Authority intelligence agents of plotting to sow chaos and division in Gaza, echoing its longstanding practice of labeling anyone who works with Israel as a traitor. We call on the leadership of Fatah and the [Palestinian] Authority in Ramallah to return to the national side," Hamas said in a statement. The Zionist enemy is in front of you. Fight it instead of your destructive war against Gaza and its people." Five of the detained Palestinian Authority officials, whom Hamas arrested in Gaza City, remain in captivity, a senior Palestinian Authority official said. Two Palestinian Authority officials from Gaza were killed in the past couple of weeks, but it isnt clear if Israel or Hamas killed them, the official said. The Israeli military declined to comment. Hamas officials declined to comment on the arrests and aid convoy incidents. Fatahs spokesman in Gaza, Munzer Al-Hayek, said Hamas is trying to eliminate any control on the ground outside of its own. They are focused on attacking the PA, accusing it of being a foreign power," he said in an interview. A U.S. official said the government is aware of the reports related to Hamas-Palestinian Authority clashes. A reformed Palestinian Authority is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people and establishing the conditions for stability in both the West Bank and Gaza," the official said. There is much work to realize that visionbut we are committed to supporting steps to get there." The Palestinian Authority said its aid distribution initiatives are done in collaboration with the Egyptian Red Crescent Society and are solely intended to increase humanitarian aid flow into Gaza. The Egyptian Red Crescent Society said it is involved in delivering humanitarian aid, not politics. A senior Palestinian Authority official acknowledged the presence of intelligence officials in Gaza and said some of those officials help coordinate aid distribution and are unarmed. The official denied Hamass assertion that Palestinian Authority officials came from outside Gaza. This was an Egyptian aid convoy and it was coordinated like all other convoys. Yes, the Egyptians have direct contact with the Israelisour job was to try to coordinate and deliver some of the PAs aid along with the Egyptians to our people," the Palestinian official said. This is supposed to be something that all people welcome, not attack." At times, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have cracked down on each others party members in their respective territories. The factions currently have little to no official high-level communication, political insiders say. A senior United Nations official said while the body is cautious not to meddle in internal affairs, a power vacuum must be thwarted in Gaza postwar. If thats the case we can easily lose control of the entire situation," the official said. Before the war, the Palestinian Authority maintained some funding programs in the Gaza Strip and coordinated with some ministries in the Hamas government. Thousands of people were on its payroll, though not all were active employees, analysts say. Hamas has less direct influence in the Israel-occupied West Bank, given crackdowns over the years led by the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Israeli security officials have been quietly developing a plan to distribute aid in the Gaza Strip that could eventually create a Palestinian-led governing authority there, The Wall Street Journal has reported. The plan would enlist Palestinian leaders and businessmen who have no links to Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Israel has approached several Palestinian figures for participation, including the Palestinian Authoritys top intelligence official, Majed Faraj. A Hamas official said arrangements made without Hamas consultation to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza by sea has left the group nervous about its authority in the enclave. Nasser Alkidwa, a former senior Palestinian Authority official who has worked to try to reconcile the Fatah-Hamas split, agreed, saying Hamas fears that the Palestinian Authority is seeking to infiltrate Gaza to eventually seize control. The latest arrests and convoy incidents, as well as recent mudslinging in Arabic media, suggests their rift shows little sign of relenting, Alkidwa said. Hamass motivation is simple. They are trying to show: We are here and in control. You cannot bypass us and conduct your own business here," Alkidwa said. Civil conflict is a valid fear, and it plays into Israeli interests." Carrie Keller-Lynn and Menna Farouk contributed to this article. Write to Omar Abdel-Baqui at omar.abdel-baqui@wsj.com and Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing an internal crisis of sorts in Gujarat, the home turf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The state sends 26 members to Lok Sabha and has been a BJP stronghold for close to three decades. Johar by Rajput Women On April 6, a group of women from the Kshatriya (Rajput) community threatened to perform johar (self-immolation) outside the BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The agitating women demanded that the party withdraw Union Minister Parshottam Rupala's candidature over his anti-Rajput remarks. The police detained five women and Mahipal Singh Makrana, President of Shree Rajput Karni Sena, before he could meet them in Ahmedabad, according to a report by news agency PTI. Rupala, the BJP candidate from Rajkot Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat, had triggered a row on March 22 when he was heard saying in a video that kings bowed to the British and even gave their daughters to them in marriage. Withdraw Rupala's candidature Rupala, the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, has since tendered an apology for his remarks, but the Kshatriya community continues to demand the withdrawal of his candidature. Kshatriya community leader Raj Shekhawat, the national president of a faction of Rajput outfit Karni Sena, resigned from the BJP after Rupalas comments. Rupalas comments have unleashed protests by the influential Rajput community in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. With 17 percent representation, the Rajput community has always rallied behind the BJP in the past elections. The backlash against Rupala is not the only issue that the saffron party is dealing with in its stronghold, Gujarat. In fact, recent developments, including the withdrawal of candidature by its leaders and the emergence of anonymous posters, have sparked speculation that all is not well within the Gujarat unit of BJP, otherwise hailed for its efficient organisational structure. Mansukh Mandaviya facing protests The crisis in Gujarat comes at a time when the saffron party under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is predicted to repeat its 2019 performance of bagging all 26 Lok Sabha seats from the state in pursuit of its 370-seat national target for the 2024 elections. The BJP won the 2022 Gujarat Assembly polls by winning a record 156 of 182 seats. In March, anonymous banners carrying pictures of Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Congress leader Lalit Vasoya surfaced in Dhoraji area of Rajkot, under the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat. Mandaviya is contesting against Vasoya from Porbandar in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. A row erupted after it emerged that the posters were, in fact, put up by a BJP worker who was apparently upset with Mandaviyas candidature. The controversial banners were later removed by officials of the Election Commission of India. Both Union Ministers Mandaviya and Rupala are Rajya Sabha MPs who have been fielded by the BJP to contest the Lok Sabha elections. Two-term MP withdraws The party is also reportedly faced with unrest among workers over the choice of candidates for the upcoming polls. At least two BJP candidates withdrew their nominations for the Lok Sabha elections after their names were announced in the list. Among those who opted out is Ranjanben Bhatt, the two-term MP from Vadodara who was fielded for the third time from the same seat by the BJP. Bhatt withdrew her candidature on March 23, days after posters opposing her candidature over allegations of corruption had surfaced. The BJP has now fielded Hemang Joshi, the Vice Chairman of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation School Board, as its candidate for the seat that was previously won and vacated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. The same day, another BJP candidate, Bhikhaji Thakor, withdrew his candidature from the Sabarkantha seat. Thakor has been replaced by Shobhana Baraiya, a government schoolteacher and wife of former Congress MLA Mahendra Baraiya. The surname dispute Thakors nomination had led to a dispute over his surname, with social media posts alleging that he previously used Damor as his surname. Baraiyas nomination also sparked protests, with many alleging that turncoats were being preferred over original party workers. Bhatts candidature was publicly opposed by BJPs Mahila Morcha national Vice-Chairman, Jyoti Pandya, who was later suspended. Congress would starve the poor people but feed biryani to terrorists, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the grand old party of being compassionate with the terror suspects and called it the biggest problem for the country. The chief minister was addressing a public rally in Rajasthan's Sikar seat as a part of Lok Sabha election campaign for BJP candidate Sumedhanand Saraswati. Rajasthan will go to the polls in two phases, April 19 and April 26. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. The country's biggest problem is Congress, and enforce curfews is in their DNA. Poor people would starve, but it feed biryani to terrorists, the BJP star campaigner said. He believes that the Congress party is not capable of undertaking monumental projects like Ayodhya Ram Mandir as it questioned the existence of revered figures like Lord Ram and Krishna. Congress robbed the rights of pure people during its rule in the country. Now, there is only one chant Fir Ek Baar, Modi Sarkar (Modi government once again) across the nation, Adityanath said while recalling the support he got from Dausa people during the Rajasthan assembly elections. The UP chief minister further counted the development works done by Modi-led BJP government in India. The borders have been secured under PM Modi's rule. Earlier, there were terrorist activities. Citing an example of a report in British newspaper, Yogi Adityanath said 20 terrorists were killed in Pakistan. This is a new India, he added. He said the Government of India has been successful in tackling terrorism, naxalism, and stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir. "No one dares to endorse terrorism now." Kashmir is now developing in step with democratic ideals and developmental programs. A significant number of tourists visit the area, safely taking part in pilgrimages to Mata Vaishno Devi and the Amarnath Yatra, he added. He said need to vote for PM Modi to make India more stronger. "Fry the bitter gourd in ghee or mix it in sugar, but its taste will never change, it will remain bitter," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while attacking the Congress at a rally in in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, on Monday. PM Modi compared the Congress with the "kadwa karela" (bitter guard) to imply that the "Congress can never change". "Kadave karele ko ghee men talen yaa shakkar men gholen, vo phir bhii kadavaa kaa kadavaa hi rahataa hai. Ye kahaavat Congress par satiik laaguu hoti hai. Congress kabhi nahin badal sakti, [a bitter gourd's taste never changes even if it is fried in ghee or mixed with sugar. This saying fits best to the Congress. It can never change]" PM Modi said. He further attacked, "It is the responsibility of political parties to solve the problems of the people, but the Congress itself is the mother of problems." Calling the Congress the "source of all the problems," PM Modi said, "Who was responsible for the Partition of the country on the basis of religion...Kashmir (issue), Naxalism? Who opposed Ram temple construction and questioned the existence of Lord Ram. Who declined the Ram temple (inauguration) invite?" "The Lok Sabha elections 2024 are a choice between stability and instability. On one hand, you have the BJP-NDA which makes big and bold decisions for the country. On the other hand, there is the Congress-INDI Alliance which believes in plundering the country," the Prime Minister added. PM Modi was speaking in Chandrapur, the only Lok Sabha seat won by the Congress in 2019. He was campaigning for BJP candidates Sudhir Mungantiwar (Chandrapur) and Ashok Nete (ST-reserved Gadchiroli-Chimur). Both these Lok Sabha seats are among five constituencies in the Vidarbha region that will vote in the first phase on April 19. Sanjay Nirupam, expelled Congress leader, has said that Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut is the real kingpin of Khichdi scam in Maharashtra. Earlier Nirupam had also targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Amol Kirtikar as he was declared the INDIA bloc candidate for the Mumbai North West seat for the Lok Sabha polls. Amid the broiling Khichdi scam case, Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to Amol Kirtikar. "When I started working on this scam, I came to know that the 'kingpin' was someone else. The kingpin in this whole scam is Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson, Sanjay Raut...," Sanjay Nirupam, who was expelled for six years by the Congress, was quoted by news ANI as saying. Continuing his attack on Sanjay Raut, the former MP said, "In this scam, he has taken money in the name of his daughter, brother and partner. There is a company called Sahyadri Refreshment where Rajiv Salunkhe and Sujit Patkar were involved, who were partners of Sanjay Raut. The company received a contract worth 6.37 lakh to supply khichdi during Covid." An aspirant for the Congresss ticket from Mumbai North West, Nirupam was upset with the party for letting its ally Uddhav Sena claim the seat. This finally led to his exit from the Congress. Nirupam has accused Kirtikar of being allegedly involved in the Khichdi scam. "Sanjay Raut's family and his friends took 1 crore as brokerage. ..He has taken bribes through cheques in the name of her daughter Vidhita Sanjay Raut, who herself is innocent and unaware of these things...," Nirupam added. On Kirtikar being summoned by the central agency, Nirupam said, What ED does after the interrogation, I don't know, but action must be taken against him. The entire people from the North-West district should know, how dishonest their possible candidate is. What is the Khichdi Scam? The Khichdi scam involves irregularities in the contracts allotted to companies by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the preparation and distribution of khichdi to migrant workers, who were stuck in Maharashtra's capital city, Mumbai amid the lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. In June 2022 following the split in the Shiv Sena, the subsequent Mahayuti regime comprising the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction and BJP, and later the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction launched a host of inquiries into the functioning of the BMC which led to the unearthing of the alleged scam. In September 2023, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police registered an FIR against several persons including Sujit Patkar, an aide of Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. Other accused included Sunil alias Bala Kadam, Sahyadri Refreshments Rajeev Salunkhe along with some employees and partners of Force One Multi Services and Sneha Caterers. A mesmerizing animation on Google marked the much-anticipated arrival of a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, as celestial enthusiasts around the world eagerly await this rare cosmic event. As users type "solar eclipse" into the search engine, a captivating pop-up depicting the eclipsed sun graces the screen before unveiling search results. Total solar eclipses occur when the moon precisely aligns between the Earth and the sun, momentarily obscuring sunlight. Anticipation for this spectacle is palpable among nearly 32 million individuals across 15 states in the United States, with the eclipse poised to sweep into Canada within half an hour. Spanning a path of totality stretching 185 kilometers, an additional 150 million people residing within 200 miles of the trajectory are also positioned to witness this celestial phenomenon. Even those beyond this range can catch a glimpse of the event, either through a partial eclipse or via a live webcast offered by NASA. Leading up to the rare occurrence, communities across the US have organized festivals, viewing gatherings, and even a collective wedding along the eclipse's path of totality. Numerous schools located within this trajectory will either close for the day or dismiss students early to facilitate eclipse viewing. Seizing the moment, several airlines have promoted special flights positioned to traverse beneath the eclipse, with Delta scheduling two dedicated trips along the path of totality. With excitement mounting, residents in the southern and central US are hopeful for clear skies, with the prospect of rain clouds potentially dampening the spectacle. Notably, the next total solar eclipse observable from a significant portion of North America is not expected until 2044. In parallel endeavors, NASA is set to launch a trio of sounding rockets to investigate changes prompted by the sudden darkness in the ionosphere, a crucial atmospheric layer vital for long-range radio communication. Simultaneously, India's space probe Aditya L1, part of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) inaugural solar mission, is positioned to observe the sun during the eclipse. This mission aims to deepen understanding of the sun's chromosphere and corona. Solar eclipses, popularly referred to as 'Surya Grahan,' carry substantial significance for astronomers and science enthusiasts. This year's total eclipse is anticipated to be especially captivating, featuring an extended duration, darker skies, and increased solar activity, according to a report by sciencenews.org. Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Stargazers are all set to witness the first solar eclipse, commonly known as Surya Grahan, of this year. This celestial event will commence at 9:12 pm (IST) on April 8 and will conclude by 2:22 am on April 9. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk," NASA's official website stated. This year it will be a rare total solar eclipse where the moon will entirely shroud the sun and the spectacle will appear as a ring of fire. The sky will darken during the day for the short time interval of a few minutes when this astronomical marvel will happen. Also read: Total Solar Eclipse 2024 Live Updates: When, where and how to watch Surya Grahan in India today Surya Grahan will not be visible in India and hence, cosmic enthusiasts in India will not be able to have a direct view of the phenomenal astronomical event. However, this Surya Grahan will be visible in various countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other parts of North America which will be live-streamed by various agencies across the globe. Also read: Solar Eclipse 2024: Here's how and where to watch Surya Grahan in India today; Live stream, other details here In the United States, the path of totality extends from Texas to Maine. NASA, the US space agency will live-stream the solar eclipse from across North America whose broadcast will begin at 1 pm EDT. The coverage will include not only live views of the astronomical marvel but will also witness special appearances by NASA experts, and astronauts aboard the space station and will provide an inside look at NASAs eclipse science experiments. Also read: Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Cloudy weather across path could block view for many; Canada, Maine and Vermont to be lucky NASA will enable cosmic lovers to catch sight of watch parties across the US as well. The three-hour-long broadcast will feature live locations and will also include NASA's only centre in the path of totality. The space agency said, NASA also will host a watch party of the eclipse in Spanish starting at 1:30 p.m. on YouTube. The space agency's broadcast will live-stream on NASA+, broadcast on NASA TV, on the agencys official website and updates will also be available on its social media handle. Also read: Will total solar eclipse 2024 impact Ramadan moon sighting, Eid Al-Fitr? The space agency's live-streaming service will provide a telescopic feed of the event on NASA Televisions media channel and YouTube, without commentary. NASA said, The telescope feed will incorporate views from multiple locations, and will be switched based on weather, the eclipses progress, and feed availability. Samsung has launched its much-awaited additions to the mid-range smartphone market, introducing the Samsung Galaxy M55 and the Galaxy M15. These smartphones boast several minor upgrades aimed at enhancing overall performance and user experience. Samsung Galaxy M55 and Galaxy M15: Prices in India As for pricing, the Samsung Galaxy M55 starts at Rs. 26,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant, while the Galaxy M15 comes in at a starting price of Rs. 13,299 for the 4GB + 128GB variant. Both smartphones are now available for purchase on Amazon and the Samsung India online store. Samsung Galaxy M55 and Galaxy M15: Specifications Starting with the Samsung Galaxy M55, it showcases a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, promising smooth visuals. Departing from its traditional Exynos processor, Samsung has opted for a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC to power the Galaxy M55. It offers storage options with 8GB and 12GB RAM configurations and up to 265GB of internal storage. Regarding photography, the Galaxy M55 is equipped with a triple camera system, comprising a 50MP main camera with OIS and VDIS, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. For selfies, it boasts a high-resolution 50MP front camera. Powering the device is a 5000mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging. Whereas the Samsung Galaxy M15 presents a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen featuring a 90Hz refresh rate and impressive peak brightness. Driving this smartphone is a MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset paired with a Mali G57 GPU. Consumers have the option to select between 4GB and 6GB RAM versions with a maximum of 128GB internal storage capacity. In terms of photography, the Galaxy M15 is equipped with a triple camera setup comprising a 50MP main camera, a 5MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro sensor, along with a 13MP front camera for selfies. To ensure longevity, the device packs a massive 6000mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. 3.6 Crore Indians visited in a single day choosing us as India's undisputed platform for General Election Results. Explore the latest updates here! In a disturbing turn of events, personal data belonging to over 7.5 million customers of boAt Lifestyle, a prominent manufacturer of audio products and smartwatches, has reportedly surfaced on the dark web, reported Forbes. As per the report from the publication, this breach has been unveiled by a hacker known as ShopifyGUY and he has shocked the cybersecurity landscape. This breach has accessed sensitive data including names, addresses, contact numbers, email IDs, and customer IDs of the customers. The leaked dataset, weighing in at around 2GB, presents a substantial threat to those impacted, leaving them vulnerable to potential financial fraud, phishing attempts, and identity theft. Moreover, the report confirmed that this breach not only jeopardizes the privacy and security of millions of boAt customers but also underscores the dire consequences for companies in terms of lost customer trust, legal repercussions, and damage to their reputation. According to Saumay Srivastava, a Threat Intelligence Researcher, the implications of such breaches extend far beyond the immediate loss of personal information, adds the report. Threat actors could exploit this data through sophisticated social engineering attacks, gaining unauthorized access to bank accounts, conducting fraudulent transactions, and misusing credit cards. Despite the urgency for comprehensive action from boAt Lifestyle, including notifying all affected users, conducting a thorough investigation into the breach's origins, and enhancing security measures, Yash Kadakia, founder of Security Brigade, expressed skepticism about the company's response. Kadakia lamented that, realistically, boAt may opt to deny the breach and move forward, despite the grave implications for its customers. The availability of the stolen data for a mere two euros on certain forums underscores the severity of the situation. With the potential for the data to circulate freely on platforms like Telegram in the coming days, experts warn of an imminent surge in phone and email scams perpetrated by malicious actors capitalizing on the compromised information. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. 3.6 Crore Indians visited in a single day choosing us as India's undisputed platform for General Election Results. Explore the latest updates here! This story originally appeared in the Tribune Aug. 22, 2017, the day after an eclipse was visible in much of the United States. It was about a 95% eclipse in our region. Another eclipse will happen from about 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, with the sun about 25% covered here. STEPTOE It wasn't "The Day the Earth Stood Still," but Monday's solar eclipse still prompted a national pause, as millions of Americans took time out of their morning to step outside and look to the heavens. Some battled traffic jams and high prices to reach the zone of totality, where day turned into night as the moon obscured the sun. Others settled for a partial eclipse. Thousands of people in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington joined them, catching a quick glimpse in between classes or during a break from work - or making an event out of it with lawn chairs, drinks and snacks. The eclipse began at 9:12 a.m. as a small nibble that turned into a larger "bite of the apple" as the moon moved across the face of the sun. The bite gradually increased in size until only a crescent of sun remained, then a fingernail slice, then a thin sliver. David McDaniel of Sultan, Wash., was among the dozens of people who came to the top of Steptoe Butte to witness the eclipse. He said a dark shadow zipped across the landscape when it began. "It was like a black line going across," he said. At about 10:10 a.m., 17 minutes before the height of the eclipse, the temperature dropped and it became noticeably darker, as if dusk were approaching. There was still plenty of light, though, enough to see to the far horizon. At its maximum extent, the eclipse obscured about 95 percent of the sun. As it progressed, the thin sliver of visible sun shifted from the left side of the moon to the top and then around toward the right side before it began to expand again. By 10:45, it was like being back in full sunlight again, although the eclipse continued until 11:47. Experts warned that even the little bit of sun visible during this partial eclipse would make all the difference, compared to being inside the zone of totality, and that proved to be the case. "It got colder really fast, but it didn't get that dark," said Lora Hovland of Spokane. "That was a little disappointing. It shows just how powerful the sun is, that just that little sliver provided so much light." Hovland is the Life Enrichment Director for the Touchmark at South Hill retirement community, which brought a bus with 15 residents to Steptoe Butte. She started planning the trip in May. "I figured High Drive (Parkway) would be packed, so I started looking for other high places," she said. "I've never been here (to Steptoe Butte) before." By the time the bus arrived at 8:30 the upper parking lot was full. By about 9:15 the large lower lot was full as well and people began parking along the road, pulling out cameras, folding chairs and picnic fixings and donning their eclipse glasses. Mike Hause and Jon Hastings of Spokane snagged one of the last parking spots at the top of the butte. They watched the eclipse in style, with sandwiches, cookies and a pair of welding helmets. "We think we have one of the best looks," Hastings said. "It's been cool. This is one of the better spots to watch." - William L. Spence 'Pretty spectacular' in Clarkston Eclipse watchers at the Asotin County Library in Clarkston glanced skyward through dark glasses as they waited to view the phenomenon through a telescope with a solar filter. "Whoa. It looks like the sun is the moon," exclaimed Jeremiah Webster, 7, as he glimpsed the sliver of sun. The telescope's owner, Clarkston resident Clayton Carson, said in his six years as an astronomy enthusiast only the cloud bands on Jupiter rivaled the solar eclipse. "It's pretty up there," Carson said. "It's pretty spectacular." The library distributed 75 pairs of solar glasses at the gathering, which attracted about 140 people. Youth services librarian Mary Neuman strolled through the crowd, loaning her pair to those who didn't get one. Others improvised, including Clarkston-area resident Annetta Wilson, who watched through an old welding helmet. "My son rigged that up," Wilson said of the helmet with a lens filter duct-taped in place. Kenyon Hall took a break from his job at nearby Rodeo Networks to join the party in the library parking lot. He saw his first eclipse in California was when he was 12, Hall said, but that was only about one-third totality, far from the approximately 95 percent totality Lewiston-Clarkston Valley viewers saw Monday. "This is kind of neat to see a whole one and not have to travel halfway across the planet," Hall said. Ange Kingsborough waited for her children to peek through the telescope before heading back to the family's home in Clarkston. "We're going to go home to see if the chickens put themselves to bed," Kingsborough said. "That's our little experiment." Contacted later, Kingsborough said instead of roosting the birds took a 10-minute nap. "They didn't go in their coop like I thought that they would, but they grouped up behind us and went to sleep," she said. - Mary Stone A Longford woman who was killed in New York has been remembered as a shining light during her funeral mass. Sarah McNally, 41, lived in the US for several years. She died after being stabbed at a bar in New York City on March 30. The incident happened at the Ceili House Bar, in Maspeth in the Queens area, where Ms McNally worked. At St Mels Cathedral in Longford on Monday, Fr Michael McGrath said: Sarahs death has stopped us in our tracks. It has caused darkness to ascend, especially on her family. He added: 3,000 miles away the shining light of Sarah McNally was quenched in a most horrific manner. Fr McGrath said Ms NcNally had a wide circle of friends in Longford as well in the US, some of whom were attending the service virtually through a livestream. He said Ms McNally loved life and was remembered as a vivacious young woman with an adventurous and generous nature who had spread her wings to live abroad. Fr McGrath said that those who knew her were experiencing shock, anger and disbelief following her death. He said her laughter and sense of fun were infectious. Fr McGrath added: In her short lifespan of 41 years, she left behind a trail of joyful light. And the darkness that has been suffered now can never cancel out all the good enjoyed then. In fact, it only makes the memories all the sweeter. She was remembered as the only child of her parents Dorrie and Des as tribute was also paid to her extended family and friends. A photo of Ms McNally was placed on her wicker coffin at the top of the church, alongside some flowers. A rendition of Sarah by Thin Lizzy was played during the communion procession. Last week, a man was arrested by police in New York in connection with her death. Marcin Pieciak, 36, with an address at 76th Street in Queens, was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Also read: 'We are heartbroken': Tributes pour in as funeral Mass of Sarah McNally takes place in Longford Longford County Council are embarking on a suite of measures to achieve the prestigious Purple Flag Award for the county town. The Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) Purple Flag award recognises excellence in the management of the evening and night-time economy and signifies the diverse range of offerings available in Longford after 5pm. ATCM is a not-for-profit membership organisation, one of the largest dedicated to promoting the vitality and viability of urban centres across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The Purple Flag Zone accredits towns with family entertainment, arts and culture venues, shopping, dining, pubs and nightclubs, accommodation and transport something for everyone in the evening, nighttime and early morning. Ian Lacey, Executive Planner at Longford County Council, told Longford Municipal District Members that plans are in place to achieve the prestigious award for Longford. The application brings together a multitude of stakeholders working within and for the town. The awarding of the Purple Flag symbolises a location that offers a well-managed, diverse, entertaining and enjoyable evening and night out, Mr Lacy told the councillors. The application involves a Purple Flag Award self-assessment of Longford Town which will focus on reviewing the evening and night time offering of the town under the five themes of the award scheme which are Wellbeing, Movement, Appeal, Place and Policy. As well as working with Longford local authority Mr Lacey is also an assessor for the ATCM Purple Flag scheme. The final Purple Flag Award assessment which will be undertaken by an external Purple Flag assessor, will be the concluding section of the overall application and in doing so will be key to the final award decision. It stands for a better and safer night out, Mr Lacey told the members, This doesn't happen by accident. It is about innovation, curation, planning and partnership coming together. There are 77 locations across the world with the Purple Flag designation since it started in 2012. A series of standards have to be met. Areas must reach these standards to achieve the Purple Flag. It's much more than just action on alcohol and alcohol misuse, it is about entertainment, arts and culture and the variety on offer in the areas, Mr Lacey said. In his reply, Cllr Gerry Warnock was not convinced about the prospect of the accreditation. I thoroughly believe in having goals, and this is a goal, but it seems unattainable, he said, the reality is we are at the very starting point of this. It's more an aspiration than anything else at this stage. Cllr Warnock identified issues with the proposal. We have a hell of a lot of issues working against us. Two that jump out immediately are the lack of accommodation for visitors, he said, adding, the other one that jumps to mind is the lack of public transportation. Cllr Martin Monaghan said accreditation would be a positive thing for Longford. We can offer as much as any other town in the region, he said, I can see this as a no brainer, I think it would be a huge benefit to the county in general. This would give business in the town a lift. He pointed to Backstage Theatre and St Mel's Musical Society as examples of the diverse social offerings. Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi said working towards a Purple Flag would provide much needed optimism. There is a lot of negativity that is dragging down the tone of the town. I believe there are a lot of positives in Longford. Cllr Adejinmi highlighted the public hunger for night time events: People are looking for that night time economy. We have had the success of Longford Summer Festival, the Dead of Night Festival and Longford Lights Festival, all bringing crowds into the same Longford that is getting such a bad rap. It definitely is possible. As long as we work together it is achievable. Local News, Crime, Press Releases By Long Island Published: April 08 2024 Suffolk County Police Third Squad detectives are investigating a fatal motor vehicle collision in Central Islip involving a pedestrian, Stacy Worlds, 51, who was struck and killed while crossing Carleton Avenue, prompting inquiries into the ... Suffolk County Police Third Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Central Islip last night. Stacy Worlds was walking westbound across Carleton Avenue, between Earle Street and Elmore Street, when she was struck by a 2008 Hyundai Sonata traveling southbound on Carleton Avenue at approximately 9 p.m. World, 51, of 111 Carleton Ave., Central Islip, was transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore where she was pronounced dead. The driver of Hyundai, Jose Claros, 59, of Bay Shore, was not injured. The vehicle was impounded for a safety check. Oyster Bay to Hold "Shed the Meds" Drug Take Back Day on April 20th Local News By Chris Boyle Published: April 08 2024 This Drug Take Back Day is a great opportunity to rid your medicine cabinet of old and unwanted prescription drugs, said Supervisor Joseph Saladino. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Massapequa Village Mayor Danny Pearl announced a partnership with Drug Free Long Island and the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) to host a Shed the Meds Drug Take Back Day at Massapequa Park Village Hall on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 10:00am 1:00pm. This Drug Take Back Day is a great opportunity to rid your medicine cabinet of old and unwanted prescription drugs, said Supervisor Saladino. Through proper disposal of old medications, we can prevent them from contaminating the environment through improper disposal and also keep them out of the wrong hands and away from young people. In cooperation with Drug Free Long Island and the Nassau County Police Department, the Town and Village will host this event at Massapequa Park Village Hall, in the back parking lot. This program is anonymous. For those who cannot attend this Drug Take Back Day, disposal containers are located at all Police Precincts throughout the county for safe deposit. For those looking to turn in unused or expired medication, be sure to make sure of the following: If left in original container, please remove all personal information from label. Liquid medication will not be accepted Illicit substances are also not part of this initiative. Intra-venous solutions, injectables, and syringes will be accepted. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: April 08 2024 Marge is the consummate volunteer, offering her services to the Kings Park Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, Catholic Daughters of America, St. Josephs Church and more. In 2019, the Suffolk County Legislature passed a resolution requesting each Legislator to select an Irish American person of distinction who resides in his or her district to be honored at the Irish American Heritage Celebration in Hauppauge during the month of March. On March 27, a celebration was held at the Dennison Building in Hauppauge to recognize each legislators honoree. Several Irish musicians, Step Dancers, the Suffolk County Pipes & Drums and Suffolk County Police Emerald Society entertained the honorees and their families, as well as various county officials. Marge Connick is a proud Irish American as her grandparents came to the United States for a better life and found one in Kings Park, where they raised their five daughters. Her parents moved to Smithtown, but she still had friends in Kings Park. At a farewell party for her cousin who was leaving to serve in the military, she met her future husband Bill. While they dated in high school, it was not until after she finished nursing school that they were married. They bought a house in Kings Park, where they raised their two children and where she continues to live today. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: April 08 2024 Jaquan Casserly is Expected to be Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Jaquan Casserly, 34, of Holbrook, pleaded guilty to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, for selling fentanyl to Chelsey Murray, 31, of Lake Grove, that resulted in her fatal overdose in 2022. We are resolute on our commitment to ensure that the suppliers of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Not only do these greedy dealers supply deadly drugs to vulnerable individuals, but they also can literally kill them with just a tiny amount, said District Attorney Tierney. That is why I continue to advocate for the passage of Chelseys Law, a law that holds drug dealers accountable for the overdose deaths caused by the drugs they sell. Chelseys parents, Gene and Sue Murray recently joined District Attorney Tierney in Albany to call for New York State lawmakers to pass Chelseys Law, which if passed, would charge a drug dealer with manslaughter or aggravated manslaughter, for knowingly selling a drug that causes a victim to fatally overdose. Click here to view the press release from the January 2024 Albany rally. According to court documents and the defendants admissions during his guilty plea allocution, on August 18, 2022, Chelsey was found unresponsive in the bathroom by her mother, and police responded to the Murrays residence. Chelsey was administered Narcan, which works to reverse the effects of fentanyl, and she regained a pulse. Chelsey was then transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where she ultimately passed away several days later as a result of a drug overdose. Following Chelseys hospitalization, an undercover detective from the Suffolk County Police Department contacted Casserly and arranged for a sale of narcotics. Casserly then sold the undercover detective a combination of heroin and fentanyl contained in a red glassine envelope, which police were able to establish was similar to the one that Chelseys father Gene found in the bathroom where Chelsey overdosed. On August 27, 2022, police executed a search warrant at Casserlys Holbrook residence and recovered a combination of heroin and fentanyl, a digital scale used to weigh narcotics, red and black glassine/wax envelopes used to package narcotics, a pair of metal knuckles, and Casserlys cell phone. The red envelopes were similar in appearance to the ones sold to the undercover detective. A search of Casserlys phone showed that he arranged to meet Chelsey on August 17, 2022, offering to sell her fetty mix, a street term used to describe a mix of fentanyl and heroin. Prior to this case, Casserly was previously convicted of Attempted Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree in 2018, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree in 2011. On April 5, 2024, Casserly pleaded guilty to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Steven A. Pilewski. Casserly is due back in court for sentencing on May 8, 2024, and is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision. He is being represented by Christopher Brocato, Esq. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Davis of the Narcotics Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Michael DeMauro of the Suffolk County Police Departments Narcotics Section. Suffolk DA: Patchogue Man Allegedly Exposed Himself, Masturbated in View of Preschoolers Who Were Being Released from School Crime By Chris Boyle Published: April 08 2024 Under Current New York State Law, Police Were Required to Release Lawrence Gartner on an Appearance Ticket and Prosecutors Could Not Ask for Bail at His Arraignment. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Lawrence Gartner, 68, of Patchogue, was arraigned on public lewdness charges after he allegedly exposed his genitals through his apartment window and masturbated while children were being released from a preschool across the street on March 18, 2024. This is yet another disturbing case where so-called bail reform has failed our community. After allegedly exposing himself and masturbating in front of preschool-aged children, police were required to give him an appearance ticket and my prosecutors could not even ask for bail, said District Attorney Tierney. The so called reforms related to bail must be re-evaluated and modified by the New York State legislature so that defendants who pose a danger to public safety arent immediately released right back onto the street. According to the investigation, on March 18, 2024, Gartner allegedly exposed his genitals and masturbated in front of his apartment window as children were being dismissed from the preschool, which is located directly across the street from his apartment. Children who attend the preschool program range in age from three to five years old. Gartner was arrested by members of the Suffolk County Police Department the next day, but due to 2019 bail reform, the Suffolk County Police Department was required to mandatorily release him on a Appearance Ticket, to be arraigned weeks later. On April 8, 2024, Gartner was arraigned before District Court Judge Susan A. Berland for Public Lewdness in the First Degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and Public Lewdness, a Class B misdemeanor. Both charges Gartner faces are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning that prosecutors could not ask for bail, nor could a judge set bail at the time of arraignment. Judge Berland ordered Gartner released on his own recognizance, and adjourned the case until this Thursday, April 11, 2024, before Acting County Court Judge Pierce F. Cohalan, to determine whether Gartner should be placed on supervised release during the pendency of the case. Gartner is being represented by Denise E. Shanley, Esq. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Rachel Kerremans of the Intake and Discovery Compliance Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Sergeant Michael Gilistro of the Suffolk County Police Departments Fifth Precinct. We were so jealous of Crocs' new kids range - turns out they have adult versions, too Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. MESQUITE, Texas A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America on Monday as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent, thrilling those lucky enough to behold the spectacle through clear skies. Eclipse mania gripped all of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, as the moon swept in front of the sun, blotting out daylight. Almost everyone in North America was guaranteed at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting. It was the continents biggest eclipse audience ever, with a couple hundred million people living in or near the shadows path, plus scores of out-of-towners flocking in. People across southern Vermont gathered in public places, including the Manchester Community Library, or stood out on the streets wearing protective glasses to watch the event. The total solar eclipse began its diagonal dash across land, starting along Mexicos mostly clear Pacific coast and aiming for 15 U.S. states including Vermont before exiting into the North Atlantic near Newfoundland. Oh God, its so dark, marveled Aiyana Brown, 14, who watched alongside her grandfather, Mesquite, Texas Mayor Daniel Aleman Jr. Im a huge science nerd, and this is amazing. Arkansas and northeast New England were the best bets in the U.S., going into Monday's spectacle. The show got underway in the Pacific before noon EDT. As the darkness of totality reached the Mexican resort city of Mazatlan, the faces of spectators were illuminated only by the screens of their cellphones. Sara Laneau, of Westfield, Vermont, woke up at 4 a.m. Monday to take her 16-year-old niece to nearby Jay Peak ski resort to catch the eclipse after a morning on the slopes. This will be a first from me and an experience of a lifetime, said Laneau, who was dressed in a purple metallic ski suit with a solar eclipse T-shirt underneath. At Niagara Falls State Park, tourists streamed in under cloudy skies with wagons, strollers, coolers and lawn chairs. Park officials expected a large crowd at the popular site overlooking the falls. During Monday's full eclipse, the moon slipped right in front of the sun, entirely blocking it. The resulting twilight, with only the suns outer atmosphere or corona visible, would be long enough for birds and other animals to fall silent, and for planets, stars and maybe even a comet to pop out. The out-of-sync darkness lasted up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That's almost twice as long as it was during the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse seven years ago because the moon is closer to Earth. It will be another 21 years before the U.S. sees another total solar eclipse on this scale. It will take just 1 hour, 40 minutes for the moon's shadow to race more than 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) across the continent. Eye protection was needed with proper eclipse glasses and filters to look at the sun, except when it ducked completely out of sight during an eclipse. The path of totality was approximately 115 miles wide; an estimated 44 million people live within the track, with a couple hundred million more within 200 miles. This may be the most viewed astronomical event in history, said National Air and Space Museum curator Teasel Muir-Harmony, standing outside the museum in Washington, awaiting a partial eclipse. Experts from NASA and scores of universities posted along the route, launching research rockets and weather balloons, and conducting experiments. The International Space Stations seven astronauts also were on the lookout, 270 miles up. Do you like your soda dirty? The latest phenomenon in the beverage world, dirty sodas refer to soft drinks made dirty by the addition of flavor-boosting ingredients such as cream, flavored syrups, or fruit juices. The idea, of course, comes from barkeeping, where a cocktail is made dirty by the addition of a non-standard ingredient. A dirty martini thus results when a shot of olive brine is added and the otherwise clear drink becomes a bit murky. Dirty sodas, although not then so labeled, have been around for a long time - the root beer float and the egg cream are examples, and dirty sodas have near-cult status in Utah, a state where Mormon aversions to caffeine and alcohol have made dirty sodas a widely available treat. Dirty soda how-to videos have become standard fare on TikTok of late, and last year the dirty soda concept went mainstream when Sonic Drive-Ins began offering Dirty Drinks laced with cream and flavored syrups. Restaurants are attracted to the dirty soda trend for a number a reasons. First of all, making a regular soft drink dirty typically means an upcharge, enhancing the money-making potential of already high-margin, straight-from-the-dispenser sodas. Dirty sodas also play nicely into the zero-alcohol trend, offering an option to those who dont want beer, wine, or a cocktail. A dirty soda has a more complex flavor profile (and suggests a bit more sophistication) than a plain old cola. Their alcohol-free status also makes dirty soda drinks accessible to underaged patrons. Major brands are getting in on the dirty soda action. IHOP this month is promoting IHOP x Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola, a dirty soda flavor, and Nestle Globals Coffee-Mate brand is promoting its selection of coffee lighteners as dirty soda flavor builders. As the soda add-in trend picks up momentum, dirty sodas are likely to soon become a prominent feature of restaurant beverage repertoires. ********** Side Dishes Barstows Dairy Store and Bakery in Hadley is holding a Steak Dinner Night on Monday, April 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. As the events name suggests, the center-of-plate item is to be a farm-raised Barstows rib eye steak. The meal will also include a baked potato with all the fixins, green beans, and, for dessert, a brownie sundae made with local ice cream. Two seating are planned, one at 5 p.m. and a second at 6:45 p.m. Dinners can also be ordered to-go. Homemade mac & cheese will be available for those with smaller appetites. To make a reservation, call 413-586-2142 or email info@barstowslongviewfarm.com. ********** Dairy Queen locations are celebrating spring and ice cream weather ice cream with an extensive list of Blizzard Treat experiences. Among the limited-time-only Blizzard flavors available are Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Picnic Peach Cobbler, Frosted Animal Cookie, Brownie Batter, and Cotton Candy. Theres a Dairy Queen location at 395 Enfield St. in Enfield; they answer at 860-745-2272. ********** Champneys Restaurant at the Deerfield Inn will be holding another of its Fancy Nancy Luncheons on Monday, April 15, starting at 11:30 a.m. The event will be a tribute to Jane OConnors young readers classic Fancy Nancy, with Champneys full childrens menu on offer. Mrs. Claus, who is to make a guest appearance, will read from Fancy Nancy, and participants are invited to get into the spirit of the luncheon by showing up dressed fancy. Space is limited so reservations are suggested; they can be made by calling 413-774-5587. ********** The Munich Haus German Restaurant will be holding another Game Feast on April 20 at 6 p.m. As is customary for these events, a buffet carving station will feature venison, bison, elk and kangaroo, with other featured wild offering to include wild turkey schnitzel, roasted wild boar, game sausages, fried alligator, and more. Tickets for assigned seating are $65. Call the Munich Haus at 413-594 -8788 or visit the Munich Haus website for more details. ********** The Vanished Valley Brewing Company of Ludlow will be holding a Spring Into Summer Beer Dinner on April 29. The five-course meal, which begins at 6 p.m., will start with a Jumbo Stuffed Meatball, a first course that will be followed by Piri Piri Shrimp Wontons. A third course of Tomato Gorgonzola Salad will precede the dinners main event, which is to be Double Bone Lamb Lollipops paired with a lemon-mint risotto. A Lemoncello Cheesecake topped with a blueberry compote is slated to be the dessert experience. Each course will be matched with an appropriate selection from Vanished Valleys portfolio of beers and ales. Tickets for the dinner, which are $62, can be ordered from Vanished Valleys website, vanishedvalley.com. The Vanished Valley Brewing Company answers at 413-610-1572. ********** KFC, which first introduced its own version of chicken nuggets in the winter of 2023, has added five sauce options as part of an updated menu offering that the brand is calling Saucy Nuggets. Two of the available sauces, Nashville Hot and Georgia Gold, have been a part of KFCs kitchen playbook for nearly a decade; the other three are newly introduced. Honey Sriracha gets its punch from red chile peppers, garlic and honey, while Korean BBQs flavor profile is dominated by soy sauce, garlic and sesame. The third new sauce, Sticky Chicky Sweet n Sour, is a sweet-spicy blend of pineapple, garlic, vinegar, and hot peppers. Designed to appeal to younger customers, Saucy Nuggets are being promoted as a permanent addition to KFCs product line-up. There are KFC restaurants in Chicopee on Memorial Drive, in Ludlow on Center Street, and in Northampton on King Street. ********** Though not truly a pizza topping innovation, cupped pepperoni is the latest ingredient craze in the pizza world. Cupped pepperoni has been around for decades, but its appearance was typically unheralded, occurring when the sliced pepperoni used to garnish pies got a bit too hot, causing the sliced sausage to crisp, caramelize and curl up around the edges. Today, however, cupped pepperoni is no longer accidental, but instead a deliberately pre-crisped topping option thats growing in popularity. ********** Pizza chain Papa Johns has recently introduced three menu items that feature what they call Crisp Cuppy Roni. These include a NY-style garnished with the cupped pepperoni, a flatbread sandwich (Papadia) made with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and cupped pepperoni, and a version of their Papa Bites that feature the product. All three are limited-time-only additions to the chains menu. There are Papa Johns locations in Amherst on University Drive and in Worcester on Chandler Street. ********** The East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce (ERC5) is holding its Feast in the East 2024 event on April 30. The Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden will be the event venue, with the evening scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. A food tasting event featuring samples from some of the regions better-known eateries, the Feast in part benefits the Chambers Scholarship & Business Development Fund. Tickets to the Feast, which are $120, can be purchased online at the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce website, erc5.com. The Chambers office answers at 413-224-2444. ********** Signaling the success of what previously had been an exploratory venture, last month McDonalds Corp. and Krispy Kreme, Inc. announced theyd agreed on a deal making Krispy Kreme donuts available for sale at McDonalds locations nationwide. Krispy Kreme bakery plants will produce and deliver daily three donut varieties - glazed, chocolate frosted, and chocolate frosted with sprinkles - to McDonalds restaurants, where the donuts will be sold individually or in packs of a half-dozen. The full roll-out of the partnership is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. ********** Springfield Rocks Radio Group is once again hosting a Bacon & Brews event on Sunday, April 21. To be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meetinghouse in Holyoke, Bacon & Brews 2024 will begin at noon and last until 3 p.m. The kitchen at the Log Cabin will be preparing a broad array of bacon-inspired bites while a cash bar dispenses a selection of craft beers. Live music will also be part of the mix. General admission tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.com, where they are $30 plus a convenience fee. The Log Cabin Banquet and Meetinghouse answer at 413-535-5077. Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community Colleges hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 50 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached online at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com. A 77-year-old woman facing 30 animal cruelty charges was ordered not to possess, work with, live with or have unsupervised contact with animals during her arraignment Monday after more than 100 animals were seized from her property. Ruth Maxant-Schulz, of Ayer, was released on personal recognizance Monday and surrendered custody of all 162 animals seized from her home, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan, Ayer Chief of Police Brian Gill and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said in a joint statement. On Feb. 20, Ayer police were called to a residence on Taft Street to conduct a well-being check. When they arrived, police saw animals roaming around outside the home, including ponies, goats and ducks. Police saw several dead animals inside and outside the home, including two dead goats at the front door. Officers... could see through a window several goats inside a room that was covered in trash, animal feces, and debris, officials said in the statement. Inside the home, police found four dead baby goats and one that was alive but unwell, heard a dog barking from a back room, and saw a duck walking around. The Ayer animal control officer found baby goats making crying sounds and no food or water set out. Three days later, on Feb. 23, Ayer police obtained a warrant to search the residence, where they made observations... consistent with what was reportedly observed on February 20. They also found a dog crate containing various fowl with no access to food or water. Tufts veterinarians recommended the animals be removed from the property because they were likely in a state of neglect, officials said. Ayer police later conducted a second search of the property, and found dead and decomposing goats and chickens, according to the statement. Of the animals seized from the property, there were specific injuries and medical issues noted, including emaciated animals and goats with severe abscesses and mastitis, officials said, noting several fowl seized were treated for lice. The 162 animals taken during both searches were: 49 goats, 91 chickens, 11 ducks, 8 geese, 2 ponies, and 1 dog, according to the statement. Maxant-Schulz will return to Ayer District Court on June 20 for a pretrial hearing. A 77-year-old woman was set to be arraigned in Ayer District Court on Monday on 30 counts of animal cruelty, according to Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryans office. Ruth Maxant-Schulz, of Ayer, is facing the charges in connection with an investigation that resulted in 162 animals being seized, Sarah Lamson, a spokesperson for Ryans office, said in an email. It was not immediately clear what prompted the search or what led prosecutors to charge Maxant-Schulz. A dog that police say attacked a 2-year-old on Cape Cod last weekend is under dangerousness restrictions, according to police. On the afternoon of March 31, a 2-year-old was flown to a Boston hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being bitten by a pit bull mix dog at a home in Wellfleet, Wellfleet police said previously. The attack happened around 2:15 p.m. at 100 East Hill Road, and everyone involved knew each other. As of Friday, dangerousness restrictions on the dog were still be finalized by Wellfleet Animal Control, but the dog was under mandated quarantine, Wellfleet Deputy Chief Michael Turner told MassLive over email. If the dogs owner contests the restrictions, a dangerousness hearing will be held for the dog. Pit bulls are the breed most likely to be involved in dog attacks, according to Forbes. However, the ASPCAs position on pit bulls highlights the role of socialization in dog aggression, noting that pit bulls are more likely to be bred and raised to be aggressive, and that each dog should be treated as an individual. A 26-year-old woman who was hit by a car in Hopkinton during what prosecutors described as a road rage incident has died of her injuries, according to the Middlesex County district attorneys office. The woman was identified as Destini Decoff, according to a spokeswoman for the district attorneys office. Decoff was fatally injured Thursday night on Route 85 in Hopkinton. Prosecutors say Ryan Sweatt, 36, was driving a Honda Civic on Route 85 in Hopkinton when he became engaged in an apparent road rage incident with another vehicle. At some point, the occupants of the other vehicle exited the car, at which point, prosecutors say, Sweatt made a u-turn at a high rate of speed and hit Decoff in the street. Decoffs mother, in a post on Facebook, said her daughter was in a car with friends when the car behind them began riding their bumper. She accused Sweatt of trying to run the group over before making the u-turn and striking Decoff in the street. Sweatt is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, operating to endanger and a marked lanes violation. It was not immediately clear if he would face additional charges following Decoffs death. He was arraigned on those charges in Framingham District Court on Friday, where he appeared to be taken aback when prosecutors described the extent of Decoffs injuries, according to WCVB-TV. Sweatt told police and witnesses that a group of people surrounded his car, were threatening him, and one of them had a knife, according to the station. A former resident of New Bedford who pleaded guilty in January to numerous counts of fraud for running a series of romance scams has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison, acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua S. Levys office announced. Chukwunonso Douglas Umegbo, 39, who also went by the names James Abbott, Michael Philips, and Richard Armani, pleaded guilty to six counts of making a false statement to a bank, two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, Levys office said in a statement. He was sentenced on Friday. Umegbo was arrested in London in April 2022, and extradited to the U.S. in February 2023. Umegbo has been in federal custody since his extradition. Between no later than 2018 through at least 2019 Umegbo opened bank accounts in Boston using fake identity documents in order to receive money he obtained through fictitious online relationships, according to the statement. Once the money arrived in his accounts, Umegbo withdrew the funds in cash, used it to buy cashiers checks, or spent it. Altogether, Umegbo was able to receive more than $568,000 through the scams, according to Levys office. Even after leaving the country, Umegbo continued to direct funds from his victims to bank accounts controlled by co-conspirators. In addition to the prison time, Umegbo was sentenced to a year of supervised release. The Stoneham School Committee will not fire Superintendent of Schools David Ljungberg in the wake of parent outcry over his failure to immediately notify them of the presence of an armed sex offender at a school campus last month. The committee, in a statement, said it "disagrees with the decision made not to inform the public" but that doing so did not violate any district rules. While Ljungberg was not fired, it is unclear if he or any other administrators faced discipline from the committee, as the statement noted simply, appropriate personnel action has been taken based on the findings of the investigation. In a joint statement on March 26, Ljungberg and Police Chief James OConnor said a man in the throes of a mental health crisis was seen walking around near the South Elementary School campus the previous week, on March 21. The issuance of the public statement came the same day parents were first notified of the arrest, prompting tremendous blowback from the community for the five-day delay between the incident and the notification. The man was later identified as James McCarty, who was required to register as a sex offender in the state in 2013 after pleading guilty to possessing child sexual abuse materials in Middlesex Superior Court, court records show. The committee concluded that Ljungberg was not aware of McCartys criminal history on the day of the arrest and was not aware of the full extent of the charges against him until March 26, when they were revealed in court. Ljungberg apologized to parents for the delay in notifying them, and both he and the committee vowed to improve communication. The School Committee has directed the Superintendent as to its expectations in communications to all stakeholders moving forward. In addition, the School Committee will undertake a review of its policies and practices related to crisis responses, according to the statement. The statement from the committee came just days after an earlier statement, where members said they would gather additional information prior to making decisions regarding appropriate action. The committee issued that statement after meeting in executive session, a decision at least in part prompted by public outcry during an earlier meeting of the committee. During that meeting, at least one parent called for Ljungbergs resignation, saying I have absolutely zero faith in your ability to be the superintendent. I guarantee you I am not the only one who feels that way, he added later. Monday, millions of Americans will get a chance to witness a total solar eclipse, when the moon will completely block the suns path briefly. Even though everybody can witness the eclipse, only 15 states are along its path of totality, according to pbs.org, meaning the moon will fully, rather than partially, block the sun. Read more: NASA to offer 3 live streams of total solar eclipse on Monday Those states are Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, according to greatamericaneclipse.com, a website dedicated to tracking solar eclipses. To prepare for the eclipse, NASA has published a tool where people can search by city or ZIP code to see the April eclipses details. The eclipse will start at different times for people depending on where in Massachusetts they live. In Boston, the eclipse begins at 2:16 p.m. and ends at 4:39 p.m., according to NASA. At its peak time 3:29 p.m. the moon will cover 92.4 percent of the Sun. In Worcester, the eclipse begins at 2:15 p.m. and ends at 4:39 p.m. At 3:28 p.m., the moon will cover the majority of the sun 93.1 percent, according to NASA. In Springfield, the eclipse will start at 2:13 p.m. and end at 4:37 p.m, NASA reported. At 3:27 p.m., the moon will cover the majority of the sun 93.4 percent. If youd like to see other times when the eclipse will start in other parts of Massachusetts or the United States of America, use NASAs tool here. 62 1 / 62 April 8 eclipse from United States and Mexico The Associated Press Previous MassLive reporting was used in this article. A 47-year-old man is facing criminal charges after police say he fled the area after hitting a woman with his car, the second time the woman had been hit in the area of Rantoul Street in Beverly Sunday evening, police said. Diego Mattos-Vazuldo, of Essex, is charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, Beverly police said in a statement. Police were sent to 375 Rantoul St., which is down the street from The Pickled Onion, at 10:15 p.m. Sunday after receiving a report that a female pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle. When police arrived, they found a woman and immediately began tending to her, according to the statement. The woman was taken to Beverly Hospital before being flown by medical helicopter to Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston with serious injuries. Her condition has not been updated, according to police. Police believe the woman walked into the street and was first hit by a vehicle heading south. The driver of that vehicle remained in the area and is cooperating with police. Subsequently, the woman was hit by a second vehicle, which police say was being driven by Mattos-Vazuldo. Mattos-Vazuldo stopped for a matter of seconds before fleeing the scene, according to police. Witnesses to the crash gave police a description of the vehicle, which was sent to departments in surrounding areas. Essex police then stopped a vehicle matching the description. After being stopped by Essex police, Mattos-Vazuldo told officers he thought he may have struck something, police said in the statement. He was taken to Beverly Police Department headquarters. Mattos-Vazuldo was expected to be arraigned in Salem District Court Monday, police said. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has fired off a volley of letters to groups representing the Bay States municipal leaders and firefighters statewide, urging them to take advantage of a new round of federal funding that she says will provide essential resources to train and retain personnel and purchase equipment and supplies. The $360 million in funding, available through the Federal Emergency Management Agencys "Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response" grant program are available to both professional and volunteer departments, Warren, D-Mass., wrote in the letters, which were obtained exclusively by MassLive. The Bay State lawmaker sent the letters to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, and the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. Through a spokesperson, the statewide firefighters association declined a request for comment from MassLive. The SAFER program, as its known, has been essential to shoring up funding shortfalls that dedicated Massachusetts fire departments have needed to ensure sufficient staffing and provide adequate training, Warren wrote. The federal grant money is a key resource to ensure that firefightersand the cities and towns you serveare appropriately protected from fire-related dangers, Warren wrote. Over the last decade, fire departments statewide have received some $270 million in federal assistance, Warren said. Departments such as Belchertown, which received about $1.5 million in 2022, have used the money to hire new firefighters. The Worcester Fire Department, which received $23 million in grant assistance in 2022 and 2023, used the money to hire new firefighters and address the citys fire suppression needs, Warrens office said. Warrens round of letters comes just about three months after Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, looking to shore up the states bottom line, trimmed $1.65 million from an account supporting fire departments statewide, as part of a wider, $375 million reduction in spending this year. Some three-dozen departments, from from Auburn to Worcester, were expected to see their state funding cut by as much as half, according to a letter the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts sent out in mid-January, MassLive previously reported. Applications for the FEMA grant program are due by 5 p.m. on Friday April 12, Warrens office said. I will continue to advocate for a longer-term, sustained stream of federal funding for the SAFER grant program, Warren, whos up for re-election this fall, wrote. I highly encourage you to make the most of the opportunity provided through FEMAs new round of SAFER grants, and look forward to working with you to bring this funding home to your community, she wrote. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey addresses reporters during a news conference at the State House in Boston, Mass., on Monday, March 25, 2024 (MassLive photo by John L. Micek).John L. Micek (*This story was updated at 1:26 p.m. on Monday, April 8, 2024, with additional reporting.) Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey fired back at Donald Trumps assertion that abortion legislation should be left to the states, arguing that the Republican presidential hopeful was still backing bans that that deny women access to basic health care and freedom. When someone tells you who he is, believe him. Donald Trump again said today that hes proudly responsible for overturning Roe v Wade, stripping the rights away from millions of women and unleashing a public health emergency, Healey said in a statement her office issued on Monday. Dont let Donald Trump lie his way out of this with todays position he is supporting horrific abortion bans across the country. In a video posted to his Truth Social account, Trump offered his most specific position to date on abortion rights, an issue where his stance has shifted over the years. My view is now that we have abortion where everyone wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, Trump said in the video, according to CNN. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state. Trump had announced on Sunday that he intended to clarify his position on abortion rights, according to Forbes. Some had expected him to throw his support to a nationwide on the procedure. In the video, Trump said he supported exceptions in the cases of rape, incest, and the health of the pregnant person. He also boasted that he was proudly the person responsible for the toppling of Roe v. Wade in 2022. In the video, Trump said state legislators should follow their heart on abortion policy, but also should remember that they must also win elections to restore our culture, and in fact, to save our country, according to Forbes. Democrats, Healey included, pounced on Trumps comments, with President Joe Biden warning that the Republican would sign a nationwide abortion ban if he wins in November, The Guardian reported. Trump is scrambling. Hes worried that since hes the one responsible for overturning Roe the voters will hold him accountable in 2024, Biden said, according to The Guardian. Well, I have news for Donald. They will. America was built on personal freedom and liberty. So, there is nothing more un-American than having our personal freedoms taken away. And that is what Donald Trump has done. In her statement, Healey said Massachusetts is still seeing the impact of Donald Trumps actions. More women than ever are coming to our state for reproductive care, straining providers and threatening access to essential health care. Despite the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling toppling Roe, abortion remains legal in the Bay State. Healey, the former state attorney general, has repeatedly vowed to protect access to the procedure in Massachusetts. That happened as recently as last month, with the high court poised to hear oral arguments on a case seeking to limit access to a widely used abortion medication. Massachusetts is a beacon of reproductive freedom, and I will work every day to make sure abortion remains safe and legal, Healey, who also is Biden surrogate, said Monday. But one thing is clear Donald Trump is a threat to the rights and health care of women in Massachusetts and across the country. With polls that show that more than 7 in 10 Americans believe abortion should be legal in all, or most, cases, the issue has been a politically potent one for Democrats. On Monday afternoon, Bidens re-election campaign sent out a fundraising email on the back of Trumps Truth Social post, warning that the Democratic White House is the only thing standing between Donald Trump and pushing abortion bans nationwide. But criticism of Trumps announcement wasnt just coming from the former presidents left flank. Abortion foes also cast a critical eye at Trumps comments, with the leader of one anti-abortion organization saying on X, formerly Twitter, that she was deeply disappointed, by the Republicans comments. Come Monday, a beautiful swath of the United States stretching from the lobster traps of Maine to the cowboy boots of Texas will find itself smothered in darkness, thanks to our celestial friend, the moon. Whats going to happen? Firstly, The Washington Post will dramatically call this darkness the death of democracy, while the champions of fossil fuels on Capitol Hill will likely seize the moment to tweet about the unreliability of the sun. As afternoon daylight turns to twilight, our natural world will become silent and still. The noise of chirping birds and scampering squirrels will almost immediately cease, replaced by the inquisitive rustle of garbage bags in the grip of confused and sleep-deprived raccoons unknowingly treating themselves to a rare brunch. Millions of American men will intuitively reach for their phones and begin typing You up? before realizing its Monday and Jessica, MacKenzie and Ann are days away from forgiving you. Solar eclipses have sparked fear and academic curiosity for thousands of years. While the Earth experiences them at least twice annually, total solar eclipses are relatively rare in North America. Before the 2017 event, youd have to go back to 1979 to find an eclipse that darkened the skies over major population centers or when anyone had an easy way to get there. We know very little about how these celestial events affect us in an era of mass transport and renewable energy. This week, we look at what total solar eclipses mean in the modern world and why practicing the enjoyment of wonder and awe is important for getting the most out of rare moments like this. Before you read on, please feel free to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And share this newsletter with your friends if you think theyll enjoy it. Drizzle FILE - The moon passes in front of the setting sun during a total solar eclipse in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. Small towns and rural enclaves along the path of Aprils 2024 total solar eclipse are steeling for huge crowds of sun chasers who plan to catch a glimpse of day turning into dusk in North America. (AP Photo/Marcos Brindicci, File)AP Although widely celebrated, the total solar eclipse we experienced in 2017 had unexpected consequences. Solar power generation plummeted by 25%, the equivalent of 4.5 million homes. This increased the use of fossil fuels, generating 10 million pounds of additional carbon dioxide emissionsthe same amount produced if you drove a standard car 11.2 million miles. The difference this year is the width of the totality is far bigger and we have tripled our solar use. It could place strain on some energy grids. Solar power generation in Texas could drop to 7.6% of capacity. But the human costs are high, too. Seven years ago, approximately 20 million Americans traveled to the path of totality, where a total eclipse can be seen. In addition to the excess pollution caused by the influx of vehicles, people were stuck in their cars for up to 15 hours trying to get home. Mondays event is expected to be far busier. But something else happened during 2017s eclipse. There was a significant increase in traffic fatalities, going up 31% in the aftermath of the eclipse compared to other days. Compost Dump Mid adult Caucasian mother is sitting outdoors with her young son. Boy is sitting in mother's lap while they look up into the night sky. They are star gazing and studying constellations. Little boy is pointing to moon or stars in clear night sky.Getty Images The solar eclipse is also an opportunity for people to experience awe or wonder. Academics who study it claim its an extremely valuable thing to encounter and practice, helping us be less materialistic, more ethical, grateful, creative and positive, among tons of other things. In the West, we find predominantly awe is brought about due to encounters that one has with nature or powerful natural phenomena such as the eclipse, said Dr. Paul Piff in a recent panel about the solar eclipse. Dr.Piff is an assistant professor of psychology and social behavior at the University of California, Irvine, where his research examines the origins of human kindness and cooperation. It could be something you perceive or something you cognize in other ways, but when you experience or perceive something thats so vast, so complicated, so powerful, that it makes you feel like you need to reconfigure, readjust, or update your mental schema, your understanding of the world to accommodate the experience. Here are some ways you can practice awe in your life. *** Moments of genuine awe in our lives seem scarcer than ever. The modern world has made it that way, with all its so-called conveniences and never-ending opportunities to experience life through the tiny digital windows we hold in our hands. Weve also been captured by the endless flow of daily life and the idea that what we own is more important than what we experience. I remember my mother often telling friends and family about how I was always looking up at the night sky or thumbing through the pages of old atlases, imagining what the world looked like in places far away from my wee bedroom in Scotland. And how to get to those places. Today, I find myself looking down more than ever. I dont believe awe has fled from our world, and I wonder if Mondays solar eclipse is an opportunity for something to change, to reawaken that sense of life and adventure where looking up means as much as it did when we were kids. Thanks for reading The Meltdown. Please sign up, share, and keep looking up. Send tips to: charress@reckonmedia.com See you next week. SPRINGFIELD A 44-year-old woman remains on life support after being found unresponsive in a holding cell at the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse on April 2, officials confirmed Monday. While official sources have not publicly disclosed certain details, others with direct knowledge of the situation said Tara L. Lehenry, of West Springfield, hanged herself with her own shirt while in the states custody. BEIJING - In a remarkable display of innovation and dedication, China's domestically-developed aircraft are taking to the skies to protect the country's lush green mountains. Multiple models of newly-developed large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and fixed-wing aircraft are showing their unique capabilities in ecological conservation, such as putting out forest fires and alleviating spring drought, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading aircraft manufacturer. The mountainous region of Yajiang county in Southwest China's Sichuan province faced a challenging spring when a devastating forest fire erupted in mid-March. However, relief came swiftly as multiple specialized aircraft were deployed to support firefighting and disaster relief operations. During the mission, three models of the Wing Loong large civil UAV family and the MA-60 weather-modification aircraft played a crucial role in tasks ranging from aerial disaster monitoring to telecommunications restoration and artificial rainfall enhancement, the AVIC said. The forest fire in Yajiang county presented unique difficulties due to its mountainous terrain with steep slopes and high elevations averaging 2,600 meters. It was extremely hard for rescuers to monitor the fire and reach the affected areas, especially at night and amidst dense smoke. Sent by emergency management and meteorological authorities, the three Wing Loong UAVs coordinated their efforts by integrating fire monitoring, meteorological observation and rainfall enhancement in an innovative way. Each specialized aircraft brought its own unique strengths to the missions. One provided real-time images of the fire sites and set up a telecommunications network; another relayed crucial meteorological data such as wind direction, temperature and relative humidity, while the third conducted rainfall enhancement operations to support firefighting efforts and reach inaccessible areas. This is the first time for China to carry out emergency rescue missions, combatting forest fires, through collaborative efforts of multiple large UAVs. The move verified the respective advantages of these new aircraft and provided a new comprehensive solution for disaster prevention and mitigation, the AVIC said. Multiple models of the Wing Loong UAV family have been used and integrated into emergency governance, meteorology and other key fields, according to the developer, AVIC (Chengdu) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System Co, Ltd (AVIC UAS), an AVIC subsidiary based in Southwest China's Chengdu. In addition to its involvement in forest firefighting efforts in Sichuan, the MA-60 weather-modification aircraft was also engaged in various other missions this spring. From mid-March until now, the specialized medium-sized fixed-wing airplane has conducted multiple rounds of artificial rainfall enhancement in Northwest China's Shaanxi province to address local meteorological challenges. This special-purpose aircraft, featuring a heavy payload, long endurance and multi-functions in artificial weather modification operations, can effectively ease spring drought and support plowing. It has also become a key player in the country's weather modification work. To date, four airplanes of this model, developed by AVIC XAC Commercial Aircraft Co, Ltd, based in Northwest China's Xi'an, have been delivered to the China Meteorological Administration. Clear waters and green mountains are not only natural and ecological wealth but also social and economic riches, with the concept -- "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" -- becoming the country's consensus and action guide. The widespread application of these advanced aircraft in ecological conservation reflects China's unwavering commitment to safeguarding its green mountains. More domestically-developed aircraft are in the pipeline to bolster the country's disaster response capabilities and protect people's lives and property, AVIC noted. TheaterWorks is bringing two special events to Hartford. Drag superstar Varla Jean Merman returns to TheaterWorks on April 28, with her new show Stand by Your Drag, co-written by Hartfords Jacques Lamarre. And, Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie, returns to TheaterWorks July 13-28. For details: www.twhartford.org . The Play That Goes Wrong, the zany farce by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer, that turns a theater performance into a laugh-riot, will be onstage at the Majestic Theatre in West Springfield, April 18 to June 2. Its opening night at a community theater performance, and everything from missed cues to malfunctioning sets turns the opening into schadenfreude fest. Stephen Petit directs. For details: www.majestictheater.com . Road Trip: A Strange Loop! the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning musical, has its New England premiere in a collaboration between Speakeasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective, April 26 to May 25, at the Wimberly Theatre in Bostons Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Michael R. Jacksons blisteringly funny show exposes the heart and soul of Usher, a young artist grappling with desires, identity, and instincts he loves and loathes in equal measure. While tolerating a grinding job guiding families in and out of theater performances, the Black queer writers inner thoughts turn to an artistic endeavor: writing a musical about a Black, queer writer writing a musical about a Black, queer writer. For details: www.bostontheatrescene.com . The UMass Symphony Orchestra performs works by Brahms, Dvorak, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff at the Fine Arts Center on April 9. The concert features winners of the Concerto Competition: Ingrid Husemoller, violin; Kathy Liu, piano; Austin McCann, cello. For details: www.fineartscenter.com . Shakespeare & Company has announced a series of four open-captioned performances of the Northeast Regional Tour of Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream, staged from April 17-20 to coincide with April vacation week in Massachusetts and New York state. For details: www.shakespeare.org . ArtWorks Westfield brings Articulture Westfield to Amelia Park on May 3-4. This festival of art, literature, and music showcases Western Massachusetts artists. The application deadline is April 21. For details: bit.ly/rp26du. Community Access to the Arts, a Great Barrington-based non-profit, has received a $2 million grant from Mackenzie Scotts Yield Giving program. CATA nurtures and celebrates the creativity of people with disabilities through the arts. For details: cataarts.org . Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues joins the Mahaiwe roster with a performance on July 19. LadysmithBlack Mambazo performs in Great Barrington on Aug. 9. For details: www.mahaiwe.org . Queen Elizabeth II, an interpretive performance of the monarch by Sheryl Faye, will be presented by Studio 954, a collaboration between Agawam Media, the Agawam Council on Aging, and the Agawam Cultural Council on April 19, at the Agawam Senior Center, 954 Main St., Agawam. The performance is free. For details: 413-821-0604. WAM Theatre launched a BIPOC Production Apprenticeship Program as part of its 15th anniversary season. The paid opportunity is designed to provide career development opportunities from college to the field for women-identifying and non-binary theater artists from historically marginalized groups. Sabine Denise Jacques who joined WAM this season will manage the program. For details: www.wamtheatre.com . Easthampton Theater Company has forged a partnership with the Williston Northampton School. The theater will produce its next production, The Man Who Came to Dinner, in June at the schools state-of-the-art theater, as well as run its summer theater camp programs on the Williston campus. For details: www.easthamptontheater.com . Mark G. Auerbach studied theater at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He has worked for arts organizations nationwide and reported on the arts for print and broadcast. Mark produces and hosts ArtsBeat, Athenaeum Spotlight and On the Mark for WCPC, Channel 15 in Westfield, and WSKB 89.5 FM. His Arts Beat column appears Mondays in The Westfield News. Hes a regular contributor to Pioneer Valley Radio and a member of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association. The National Assembly mourns the death of the Serjeant-at-Arms, late Sub-Inspector Anirood Bundhoo, who passed away on Thursday 04 April 2024 at the age of 62. Mr Bundhoo joined the Police Force on 09 May 1988. On 26 August 1997, he was posted at the Government House and since then he has been instrumental in ensuring the security of the Government House and the precincts of the National Assembly. During his long and dedicated 36 years of service in the Police Force, Mr Bundhoo has served the National Assembly as Serjeant-at-Arms from 23 March 2021 until his last breath. During his tenure of office to this prestigious post in Parliament, he displayed a high sense of responsibility and professionalism. Mr Bundhoo will be remembered for his marked sense of duty and discipline among his fellow colleagues and Members of the National Assembly. The Speaker of the National Assembly, the Acting Clerk and the staff of the National Assembly present their deepest condolences to the members of the bereaved family of late Sub-Inspector Anirood Bundhoo, former Serjeant-at-Arms, and in particular, to his wife and his three children. Fine Gael local election candidate Keira Keogh has called for an extension of paternity leave from two to four weeks. The first-time candidate presented a motion calling for more generous parental leave at the partys Ard Fheis in Galway over the weekend. The electoral candidate in the Westport area said that paternity leave should not be considered a luxury for fathers, but a necessity. She cited research highlighting the positive impact that active parenting from fathers in a babys early development creates, including stronger emotional bonds, and improved parenting relationships. Ms Keogh said: There are few things as momentous or life changing as bringing home a new baby, but as amazing and joyous as the occasion is, it can also be an overwhelming time with huge stress and exhaustion, especially for mothers recovering from childbirth. Currently in Ireland, paternity leave is paid for two weeks and is available within the first six months following the birth or adoption of a child. Ms Keogh proposed to see paternity leave extended to four weeks, with potential for further increases in future. Increasing the duration of paternity leave is an important step, she said, but the Fine Gael candidate said that it is not sufficient alone. She explained how the uptake by fathers is strikingly low. Factors that can influence this are both practical and cultural, such as the payment rate, which stands at what she called an insufficient 274 per week, and social norms, she said. It is vital that we challenge this disrepute further by fostering a culture change that encourages and supports more men to take their full, entitled, paternity leave. SOCIAL media needs to be regulated and local newspapers and radio stations need financial support from central government. That was the message for the launch of Fine Gaels local election campaign, at the Michael Davitt Museum in Straide today (Monday). Deputies Michael Ring, Alan Dillon, MEP Maria Walsh and Senator Paddy Burke all declared support for the regulation of social media. Maria Walsh said that people setting up social media accounts should have to provide a verified ID. When you are setting up on AirBnB or Revolut you need a verified ID, and you should have to have similar for social media accounts. At European level, we will give support to Governments to support a free press to do its job, said Ms Walsh. Deputy Ring said that people who post on social media often dont realise the extent of what they are doing. People are leaving public life because of this, Deputy Ring said. They dont realise the impact on peoples wellbeing and their lives, and the lives of their families. We have all heard the stories of the negative impact. It is not regulated and it needs to be. People are being fed lies and fake news and it is very hard to tell the difference between what is true and what is fake. Its not social media, its anti-social media, Erris-based Gerry Coyle said. Housing and attacks on rural communities were also discussed. Mayo County Council has failed the people of Mayo on housing, Michael Ring told the launch. The Council has taken up every available property for Ukrainians and other people coming to this country, and people cannot get houses as a result. On the attacks on rural communities, Cllr Jarlath Munnelly spoke of the need to roll out more CCTV cameras. Whilst you cant have cameras everywhere, criminals have to travel through town along the way, he said. The party are fielding fifteen candidates in Mayo for the local elections, four of whom are women. There will be further coverage of the launch of Fine Gaels local election campaign in next Tuesdays Mayo News. A MAN reared in Westport who is now deputy director at one of the UKs top science laboratories has formally received an OBE from King Charles III. Dr Martin Walsh, OBE along with his wife Dr Emanuela Fioravanti, daughter Ciara, son Matteo, mother Carmel Quinn (previously the Lodge road, now Upper Quay, Westport) sisters Caroline McHale (Ballyvary) and Pauline Morrin (Westport) recently attended an honours investiture at Windsor Castle where he officially received an OBE, awarded by King Charles III in his first birthday honours list in July of last year. Dr Walsh received the honour for services to science during the Covid-19 in pandemic in an event the event was hosted by William, The Prince of Wales. The award recognised the work of not just Dr Walshs research group but the work done by everyone at Diamond where work continues with researchers from across the globe. Dr Walsh is Life Sciences Deputy Director at Diamond Light Source (Diamond), which is the UKs national synchrotron facility located just outside Oxford. A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator which can be thought of as a very powerful microscope. The synchrotron produces a very bright source of light across the range of the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared to visible light and X-rays. However, Diamond primarily exploits the intense X-rays to help scientists to understand the structure and makeup of many materials, including biological samples. Martins research group, together with other scientists at Diamond, diverted all their expertise at the end of January 2020 to carry out research to understand the workings of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which is the causative agent of Covid-19. They used the intense source of X-rays at Diamond to aid in drug discovery by determining the structures of the viral proteins that can be thought of as the molecular machinery of the virus. These proteins are essential for the virus to allow it to infect, replicate and cause disease. The aim was to rapidly produce experimental data that could be used for drug and vaccine development. This early work inspired a unique crowd-sourced open science initiative, the Covid Moonshot project, which brought together scientists from across the globe to work on developing novel antiviral treatments for Covid-19. The initiative has led to a novel drug candidate for Covid-19 and data generated from the initiative helped in the development of Ensitrelvir which is an antiviral drug that has been approved for the treatment of Covid-19 in Japan and Singapore. Dr Walshs research group along with colleagues at Diamond and across the globe continue to work together on both basic and applied research to aid the development of novel antivirals not only to target SARS-CoV-2 but also other pathogenic viruses so that the world is better prepared for potential future pandemics. Dr Walshs first full-time job was in Westports country fresh (thanks especially to Sean Langan and Michael Kelly) where he spent a year working before going to Galway to study science at UCG (now known as the University of Galway). He later worked in plastics in Allergan (now known as Abbvie) during the Sean Casey/Liam Friel during his time in university. Shrule native and MEP Maria Walsh MEP has said she is excited on what Simon Harris can deliver as Taoiseach. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, is expected to be elected as Taoiseach in the Dail tomorrow following former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's shock resignation. Speaking to The Mayo News, the MEP for Midlands North-West believes Simon Harris can make an impact as leader of Fine Gael before the upcoming local and European elections. I think his track record, in terms of how he invigorated the higher education system, how we very much turned that on its head and ran with it, how he made monumental changes in terms of his previous health ministries, how he's working with everybody from an inner party side; I'm really excited for him and what he will deliver on, said the MEP Walsh. She continued: We have our party Ardfheis in the University of Galway, so thats where he will be very much setting out the stall of what he will be focusing on. This week, Mayo TD Michael Ring laid it on the line to Harris, saying he has an opportunity and if he doesnt take it Fine Gael and Simon Harris will pay a big price over the next couple of months if we dont move back into the role that we always held. Ms Walsh said she knows the incoming Taoiseach has made key points in terms of law and order, Irelands relationship with Europe, and access to education. All of those are reaffirming where he stands, but I'm excited to see what he delivers. Again, another Taoiseach, at the age 37, driven by our party, which is fun from a young perspective, I'm certainly excited to see where he takes us, she concluded. ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TradeMark Africa (TMA) is a leading African Aid-for-Trade organisation that was established in 2010. TMA aims to grow intra-African trade and increase Africas share in global trade, while helping make trade more pro-poor and more environmentally sustainable. 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For more information, please visit www.trademarkafrica.com TMA would like to invite interested and qualified firms to participate in the following tender opportunities: Request for Proposals for Consultancy Services to Conduct Product Environmental Footprint Assessments and Implement Sustainability Measures for Priority Agricultural Value Chains in Kenya Under the BEEEP Programme - [RFP Number: PRQ20231288]; and Request for Proposals for Consultancy Services to Conduct a Formative Evaluation of The Business Environment and Export Enhancement Programme (BEEEP) - [RFP Number: PRQ20231282] Expression of Interest for Consultancy to Deliver Annual Reviews for Trademark Africa for 2024, 2025 And 2026. [EOI Number: PRQ20231338] Tender document can be obtained at https://www.trademarkafrica.com/procurement/. All queries quoting the above Tender Title and Number should be emailed to procurement@trademarkafrica.com. The closing date for submission is per indicated in the respective tender documents. Interested, qualified and eligible bidders should submit bids in line with the bidding instructions in the tender document. TMA cannot answer any query relating to this tender 7 days or less prior to the submission deadline. by Ray Schultz , April 7, 2024 Postmedia has launched Puzzmo, the puzzle game recently acquired by Hearst, in Canada. Thanks to this arrangement, Postmedia is now the exclusive Canadian distributor for Puzzmos suite of online puzzles and games. Puzzmo was developed roughly three years ago by Zach Gage and Orta Therox. Hearst purchased it last December, and promptly started rolling it out to readers of its more than 50 brands, from the San Francisco Chronicle to Popular Mechanics. Were excited to offer Puzzmo to Canadians coast-to-coast, including but not limited to Postmedias subscribers, says Duncan Clark, chief content officer at Postmedia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Postmedia Network Canada Corp., a Canadian newsmedia company with more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms Clark adds, We know how much our readers enjoy puzzles as part of their subscriptions, and with Puzzmo were offering access to some of the most unique and sought-after options for readers and the general public. advertisement advertisement Puzzmo games will be available to Canadian readers for free. And those who have a paid subscription will have access to additional games in an ad-free environment. Postmedia's online subscribers will receive a special promotional price, although the subscription is not available in Quebec. The basic Puzzmo offering includes such games as SpellTower, Typeshift and Really Bad Chess, Flipart and Cross|word. "Puzzmos design was inspired by newspaper games, so I can't wait to see how Postmedia subscribers and the Canadian public respond to the platform and community," says Zach Gage. by Ray Schultz , April 7, 2024 A round of deep job cuts has hit the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ, Chicagos national public radio affiliate. Roughly 15% of the 62 unionized content creators were affected: 14 staffers in all, including four at the Sun-Times. In addition, Vocalo, a radio offshoot of WBEZ, will be discontinued by May 1. And Chicago Public Media, which runs WBEZ and the Sun-Times, will be scaled back dramatically, the Sun-Times reports. Blame for the layoffs was placed on declining fundraising, listenership and philanthropic support, the Sun-Times adds. But the reductions were condemned by the papers union and a Chicago city council member. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a Chicago Public Media financial backer, said it was saddened by the layoffs. advertisement advertisement As longtime supporters of journalism and media, and now a leading funder in revitalizing local news, we at MacArthur are saddened to hear about the cuts at Chicago Public Media and the elimination of Vocalo's broadcast signal, MacArthur said, the Sun Times reports. MacArthur added, We remain optimistic that this merger can ultimately be a model of success and financial sustainability in the news industry at a time when our democracy needs it most. We recognize there are precarious periods in any transition, and its in these times that patient philanthropic support is most needed. The MacArthur Foundation contributed $10 million to the $61 million merger of the Sun-Times and WBEZ two years ago, the Sun-Times states. Since 1982, MacArthur has financed Chicago Public Media to the tune of $5.8 million. by Ray Schultz , April 7, 2024 Journalists at Gannetts Rochester Democrat and Chronicle went on strike Saturday, claiming that negotiations over a new contract had failed. The unionized staff members are demanding a living wage and protections against threats to their jobs, according to WHAM. We have been in negotiations for a while and its been increasing the last few weeks, says Justin Murphy, vice-chair ofo the Newspaper Guild of Rochester, WHAM reports. We think were close, but we havent gotten to where we needed to be on wages on some protections, protections against artificial intelligence, so we really need the company to come to the table on those things. Gannett reportedly stated, Our goal is to preserve journalism and serve our community as we continue to bargain in good faith. The strike is to continue through Monday. Whether theyre lovin it or not, pedestrians in the Netherlands recently experienced the scent of McDonalds fries, despite not being actually IN a McDonalds. TBWA\NEBOKO set out to prove that the scent of McDonalds French Fries was as recognizable as the brands logo or jingle. The recently created outdoor campaign for McDonalds Netherlands was thus comprised completely of smell. Using zero branding or other visual cues (besides the brands trademark red and yellow shades), the eye-level outdoor boards in Utrecht and Leiden at first appear to be totally blank. But as passers-by come within five meters (about 16 feet for us Americans) of the boards, they are greeted with the distinct aroma of McDonald's French fries, emitting from within the board itself. Inside the board are fresh French Fries, emitting the signature scent through a ventilation system that pushes the smell out of holes in the billboard itself. advertisement advertisement McDonalds is all about good times, said Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan, CMO McDonalds Netherlands in a release. We are well known for our distinctive brand assets that are mostly visual. Smell has been proven to be more effective at sparking clear and emotional memories than images. With the inclusion of this next sense in our advertising, we found a new way to remind people of good times at McDonalds. A video of the boards production, execution and consumer reaction is viewable here. It shows that the smell of McDonalds fries is so ubiquitous, customers ID them immediately by scent alone, sans any branding. A voiceover says, People could look away, but they couldnt smell away and claims this is the first billboard where the smell is the ad. The billboards were placed within 200 meters (656 feet) of McDonald's restaurants, enabling those positively triggered by the boards to easily fulfill their cravings. by Ray Schultz , April 8, 2024 Marka Sonoga has joined The Corry (Pennsylvania) Journal and six sister publications operated by the Sample News Group, as publisher. Previously, Sonoga was publisher and advertising director of Adams Publishing Group, which publishes eight local newspapers in Ohio, and she has served at publications in Indiana, Arkansas and Georgia. Sonoga will be closer to family with the move to Pennsylvania. After youve lived around the bigger cities, a small town has a certain appeal, she says. Sonoga feels local newspapers have a bright future despite fears to the contrary. Weve had to change with the way the industry has changed, she comments. Its much different than it used to be, but in the communities that were in, we still offer their local news. Where else are they going to get it? Its just important that we have that niche. Highlights: India unveils its first indigenous gene therapy for cancer, named CAR-T Cell Therapy The therapy offers new hope to countless patients by being both accessible and affordable Developed through collaboration between IIT-B, Tata Memorial Hospital, and ImmunoACT, it exemplifies successful academic-industry partnership Trusted Source President of India Launches Indias First Home-grown Gene Therapy for Cancer Go to source Trusted Source CAR-T Cell Therapy Now Accessible and Affordable in India Did You Know? CAR-T Cell Therapy, India's latest medical breakthrough, has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment globally, offering hope to millions of patients. #cancertreatment #medicalbreakthrough #medindia CAR-T Cell Therapy, India's latest medical breakthrough, has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment globally, offering hope to millions of patients. #cancertreatment #medicalbreakthrough #medindia Collaborative Effort Between IIT-B, Tata Memorial Hospital and ImmunoACT President of India Launches Indias First Home-grown Gene Therapy for Cancer - (https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2017142) President Droupadi Murmu unveiled Indias inaugural indigenous gene therapy for cancer at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, marking a significant milestone in the fight against the disease. The groundbreaking therapy, known as CAR-T Cell Therapy, represents a remarkable advancement in medical science, according to the President ().While acknowledging that CAR-T Cell Therapy has been accessible in developed nations, President Murmu highlighted its exorbitant cost, rendering it inaccessible to many patients worldwide. However, she emphasized that this innovative treatment is both accessible and affordable, offering newfound hope for humanity and the potential to save countless lives.President Murmu expressed her delight in launching the worlds most cost-effective CAR-T Cell Therapy, citing it as a prime example of the Make In India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. Developed through a collaborative effort between IIT-B, Tata Memorial Hospital, and industry partner ImmunoACT, the therapy epitomizes a successful academic-industry partnership, poised to inspire similar endeavors.Emphasizing the convergence of technology and humanity, President Murmu praised the partnership between IIT-B, an eminent academic institution, and the industry. This collaboration underscores the significant strides made in research and development by IIT-B over the past three decades.The President emphasized that India stands to reap immense benefits from the ongoing technological revolution, leveraging the knowledge and expertise of institutions like IIT-B. Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, IIT-B Director Subasis Chaudhuri, along with other dignitaries, faculty, and students, were present at the event, underscoring the importance of this groundbreaking achievement.Source-Medindia Trusted Source Urinary Tract Infection Go to source Trusted Source Did You Know? Women are more prone to UTIs than men with a lifetime risk of around 50% compared to 12% for men. #urinarytractinfection #uti #vaccine Long-Term Success of MV140 Advertisement Advertisement Urinary Tract Infection - (https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/uti.html) Oral spray vaccine MV140 demonstrated lasting effectiveness, keeping over 50% of recipients UTI-free for up to nine years, as per a recent study, published in the journal).According to the study, the MV140 vaccine is a potential alternative to antibiotic treatments.About 54 percent of study participants remained UTI-free for nine years after the vaccine, with no notable side effects reported."UTIs are the most common bacterial infection They are experienced byRecurrent infections, needing short-term antibiotic treatment, develop in between 20 to 30 percent of cases," the study mentioned.This study, conducted by specialists at the UKs Royal Berkshire Hospital, examined the safety and efficacy of the MV140 vaccine in 89 patients."Nine years after first receiving this new UTI vaccine , around half of participants remained infection-free. Overall, this vaccine is safe in the long term and our participants reported having fewer less severe UTIs," said Dr Bob Yang, Consultant Urologist at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, who co-led the study.MV140 vaccine was administered with two sprays of a pineapple-flavored suspension under the tongue every day for three months in patients.Developed by the Spain-based pharmaceutical company Immunotek, MV140 contains four bacterial species in a suspension with water. It is available off-license in 26 countries.In the research, 48 participants remained entirely infection-free during the nine-year follow-up. The(four and a half years) -- 56.7 months for women and 44.3 months, one year less, for men.40 percent of participants reported having repeat doses of the vaccine after one or two years, the study noted."This follow-up study reveals encouraging data about the long-term safety and effectiveness of the MV140 vaccine," said Gernot Bonkat, Professor at the Alta Uro Medical Centre for Urology in Switzerland.Source-IANS Greece, signifying its commitment to contribute to global challenges actively and to support the legacy of commitments for ocean protection, is hosting the 9th "Our Ocean Conference" (OOC-9), which will be held on April 16-17, 2024, in Athens at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. An integral part of this international conference is the "Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit," which will be held on April 15, 2024, aiming to awaken the new generation to ocean sustainability. The OOC Conference was launched by the U.S. State Department and former Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014. Since then, it has evolved into an international event where governments, international organizations, private sector representatives, NGOs, and the academic community collaborate to protect the oceans. The Conferences ultimate goal is to elicit tangible commitments from participants for ocean conservation, responsible management of marine resources, and sustainable economic growth. It is noteworthy that by 2023, the Conference had secured over 2,161 commitments, valued at approximately 130 billion U.S. dollars for ocean protection. Greece, a country with an extensive coastline of over 20,000 kilometers and more than 29,000 islands and islets, with a long maritime tradition, acknowledging the urgency for marine environmental protection, is leading initiatives in this direction. Notable examples include the establishment of Marine Protected Areas and the ambitious project of decarbonizing the islands. By hosting OOC-9, Greece reaffirms its shift towards a sustainable "blue" economy and seeks to highlight international challenges for sustainable fishery, marine ecosystem protection, the combat against marine pollution -particularly by plastics-, as well as the interconnection between the climate and oceans. Oceans are the foundation of life on our planet and the natural habitat of a rich marine biodiversity, essential for food security and sustainable development. Their role is crucial in climate regulation, functioning as "carbon traps" and as the primary source of the oxygen we breathe. Simultaneously, they encompass some of the most vulnerable and burdened ecosystems. It is true that ocean health contributes to the overall health of our planet, and it is our duty to maintain the ecological balance of marine ecosystems, ensuring their health and resilience. The United Nations Climate Change Conference is increasingly acknowledging the dynamic interaction between climate and oceans, as a stable climate maintains the health of marine ecosystems and the undisturbed functioning of the oceans limits the impacts of climate change. Oceans, apart from their ecological value, have a significant economic dimension, contributing substantially to the global economy. From tourism to fishing and shipping, economies at all levels rely heavily on the ecological balance and vitality of marine ecosystems. Emerging industries, such as new forms of offshore Renewable Energy Sources (e.g. offshore wind farms), marine biotechnology, and the gradual transition and integration of shipping into the circular economy, strongly indicate that our common future is based on a blue, sustainable, and inclusive economy grounded in the oceans. The "Our Ocean Conference" aspires to promote cooperation between governments and stakeholders from around the world, aiming to mobilize, showcase prospects and innovative ideas, and undertake commitments for ocean sustainability. Emphasis will be placed on the shared responsibility to ensure that our oceans continue to meet the needs of today and future generations. Simultaneously, the participation of young people in the "Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit" (April 15) seeks to harness innovative ideas to contribute to substantial progress for ocean protection and sustainability. This year's youth session will delve into four aspects: 1. Education, 2. Career Orientation, 3. Lifelong Learning, and 4. Innovation, accompanied by a technology innovation competition among participants. The same day (April 15) will also mark the launch of the 1st Our Ocean Film Festival. It should be noted that each OOC Conference focuses on six areas of action: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Their establishment ensures effective management through targeted protective measures that take into account the pressure on marine ecosystems from activities such as tourism, shipping, and fishing. Sustainable blue economy: It serves as a key tool for the sustainable use of marine resources, contributing to the sustainable development of ocean-based activities, like sustainable tourism, green shipping, and sustainable offshore wind energy. Addressing climate change: Enhancing the interaction between climate and oceans, as well as taking holistic actions with the ocean's role as a climate regulator in mind, and the need to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the oceans. Maritime security: This section highlights aspects such as combating piracy, illicit trafficking of goods and people, illegal fishing, and pollution. Sustainable fishing: Promoting efficient fishing practices, monitoring bans and restrictions, and other holistic solutions to reduce overfishing and protect fish stocks. Marine pollution, caused by the discharge of nutrients, chemicals, and waste from land-based or maritime activities: The challenge is to reduce it and protect the marine environment effectively. Additionally, Greece will place particular emphasis on four cross-cutting sectors that run through the six thematic areas mentioned above at the OOC Conference: Sustainable tourism in coastal areas and islands to achieve the optimal balance between tourism development, marine environment protection, and the prosperity of local communities. Sustainable tourism can also be a key lever for resilience against the challenges of climate change. Green shipping, within which a broad range of environmentally friendly actions for pollution control, promotion of decarbonization, and transition to sustainable management practices aimed at reducing the impact of shipping on the marine environment will be encouraged. Reduction of marine pollution from plastics and microplastics. Greece will undertake initiatives in this direction, as this specific form of pollution represents one of the most serious threats to marine ecosystems and human health - through the food chain. Green transition in the Mediterranean - a sea connecting three continents and serving as a crossroad of cultures and people - addressing the challenge of transitioning to a sustainable future in the Mediterranean and "unlocking" benefits for marine ecosystems. It is worth noting that the 9th OOC Conference will be the first Conference following the adoption of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, under the UN Law of the Sea Convention, known as the BBNJ Treaty, covering more than two-thirds of the oceans. With the 9th OOC Conference, ocean issues remain at the top of the global agenda, while significant synergies are expected with upcoming high-level ocean-related events at the United Nations level. In particular, the OOC-9 Conference aims to contribute to the high-level preparatory phase of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), to be held in Costa Rica in June 2024, and to the 3rd UNOC itself, which will take place in Nice, France, in June 2025. Thus, it paves the way for more coordinated action that will strengthen mechanisms and implementation means for the protection and sustainable management of oceans at a global level, actively supporting Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14). Greece seeks substantial solutions for strengthening policies, governance, technology, and financing, with targeted actions for clean and healthy oceans. Recognizing the importance of extensive mobilization of all stakeholders, the 9th OOC Conference aims to continue its very successful trajectory and to leverage active participation with concrete, voluntary commitments from countries, entities, economic and social partners from around the world. This mobilization is expected to play a decisive role in finding innovative solutions and supporting science and financing for the oceans, which will be key components of the 3rd UNOC. Greece, through global cooperation, aspires to contribute to a future where oceans are resilient and vibrant ecosystems, capable of ensuring prosperity for the present and the future. The global community recognizes the serious and multiple threats and pressures our oceans face, as well as the need for immediate and effective actions. The 9th "Our Ocean Conference" in Greece leads the way in creating the dynamics for the effectiveness of these actions. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) When America's top diplomat called with condolences over the killing of John Flickinger's son in the Israeli airstrikes on a World Central Kitchen aid convoy in Gaza, Flickinger knew what he wanted to say. The grieving father told Secretary of State Antony Blinken the killings by Israel in the Hamas-run territory must end, and that the United States needs to use its power and leverage over its closest Mideast ally to make that happen. Flickinger's 33-year-old son, Jacob Flickinger, a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen, was among the seven humanitarian workers killed in the April 1 drone strikes. If the United States threatened to suspend aid to Israel, maybe my son would be alive today, John Flickinger told The Associated Press in describing his 30-minute conversation Saturday with Blinken. Flickinger said Blinken did not pledge any new policy actions but said the Biden administration had sent a strong message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the relationship between the United States and Israel may change if the Israeli Defense Forces do not show more care for the fate of civilians in Gaza. I'm hopeful that this is the last straw, that the United States will suspend aid and will take meaningful action to leverage change in the way Israel is conducting this war, John Flickinger said. Flickinger said Blinken also spoke with his son's partner, Sandy Leclerc, who is left to care for their 1-year-old son, Jasper. In addition to Jacob Flickinger, three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national and a Palestinian were killed in the strikes. John Flickinger described his son as larger than life, a loving son, a devoted dad and new father and a very loving companion to his life partner. Jacob Flickinger was remembered as a lover of the outdoors who ran survival training retreats and was involved in mountaineering, rock climbing and other adventure activities. He spent about 11 years serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, including eight months in Afghanistan. The elder Flickinger said his son knew going to Gaza was risky, but he discussed it with family members and volunteered in hopes of helping Palestinians in Gaza that aide groups say face imminent famine. He died doing what he loved, which was serving and helping others, said Flickinger, whose own nonprofit, Breakthrough Miami, exposes underrepresented students to academic opportunities and prepares them for college. World Central Kitchen representatives have said they informed the Israeli military of their movements and the presence of their convoy. Israeli officials have called the drone strikes a mistake, and on Friday the military said it dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles. The officers mishandled critical information and violated rules of engagement, the military said. But John Flickinger said that in his view the strike was a deliberate attempt to intimidate aid workers and to stop the flow of humanitarian aid. World Central Kitchen has since ceased food deliveries in Gaza, Flickinger noted, and he said it looks like Israel is using food as a weapon. The Canadian government has been communicating with the family and is offering financial support to move Leclerc and Jasper from Costa Rica, where the family lives, back to Quebec province to be closer to family, Flickinger said. Flickinger said his son's remains are in Cairo pending the issuance of a death certificate by Palestinian authorities. Once that happens, the family has made arrangements for them to be transported to Quebec. MEXICO CITY (AP) Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Ecuador dramatically imploded after Ecuadorian police burst into Mexico's embassy in Quito and arrested Jorge Glas, Ecuador's former vice president. Glas, arrested late Friday, had been convicted on charges of bribery and corruption and remains under investigation for other potential crimes. Following the arrest, leaders from across the Americas voiced outrage at the incident and Mexico's president announced he was breaking diplomatic ties with Ecuador. But in a region that's no stranger to political explosions, what has provoked such fierce outrage? International law experts and leaders across the region have said that the move violated long-established international laws that few rulers have dared to breach. It's almost an unprecedented act. To date, there are only a tiny handful of cases of raids on embassies on the books. By forcing their way into the Mexican embassy to make the arrest, Ecuadorian police effectively intruded onto Mexican sovereign territory, said Natalia Saltalamacchia, a professor on international relations at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called the break-in a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico. The law Saltalamacchia, Lopez Obrador and other leaders are citing is an accord dating back to 1963 known as the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. It sets out clear rules on diplomatic immunity," which effectively blocks authorities from entering embassies by force, among other things. By injuring diplomatic personnel within the embassy, Saltalamacchia said, Ecuadors government violated another section of the accords. When a state like Ecuador makes decision like that, youre really endangering all the embassies of all the states in the world by ignoring precedent, Saltalamacchia said. You enter into a state of anarchy, a sort of jungle law. Such rules have been established to maintain healthy diplomatic relations around the world, and allow diplomats to carry out their work without fear of retribution. The U.S. State Department notes that diplomatic immunity exists to ensure the efficient and effective performance of their official missions on behalf of their governments. The Friday night raid is a move even the regions most-criticized governments have hesitated to take, and something Ecuador's own government once declared illegal. Most notably and rather ironically the British government threatened to raid Ecuador's embassy in 2012 to go after WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange, who was seeking asylum in Ecuador. We are deeply shocked by the British governments threats against the sovereignty of the Ecuadorian embassy and their suggestion that they may forcibly enter the embassy," said Ecuador's government at the time. This is a clear breach of international law and the protocols set out in the Vienna Convention." British authorities never made good on their threat, and only a few examples of actual violations have been documented in recent decades. Saltalamacchia cited the takeover of the American embassy in Iran in 1979, when diplomats were held hostage for 444 days. In Cuba, in 1956 before the Vienna Convention was agreed, nine people were killed in Haiti's embassy as a result of a raid by Cuban police under the Batista dictatorship. In 1981, Cuba carried out another raid on Ecuadors embassy to capture a number of officials seeking political refuge status. The Organization of American States on Saturday also compared Friday's break-in to a 2022 incident when Nicaraguan authorities illegitimately occupied their own offices in Managua. The OAS also called for a meeting to discuss the Ecuador incident. While embassies have also been attacked and raided in countries including Lebanon, Argentina, Libya, Indonesia and Thailand, those raids were carried out largely by insurgent groups. Saltalamacchia said by arresting Glas, Ecuador's government may have also violated a regional agreement known as the 1954 Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, which allows individuals to seek asylum in embassies. However, some have defended Ecuador. Former Ecuadorian ambassador Jorge Icaza told The Associated Press that while he agreed that entering the embassy was illegal, he added it was improper to protect a criminal who was sanctioned by the Ecuadorian justice (system) in two very evident cases, which is also negative from the point of view of international standards. Ecuador's presidency on Friday night also alleged that Mexico's government had abused immunities and privileges granted to the diplomatic mission and granted diplomatic asylum contrary to the conventional legal framework. Troops at Colorado Space Force Base Will Have to Bring Their Own To-Go Boxes for Dining Hall While the initiative is aimed at reducing waste on base, the spokesperson added that they hope it will give troops on base... DAMASCUS, Syria Iran's foreign minister Monday accused the United States of giving Israel the green light for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials including two generals. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Tehran's vows that it will respond to the attack, widely blamed on Israel, that appeared to signify an escalation of Israels targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an address Monday reiterated the Iran-backed group's support for a Tehran military response to the attack that killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior military official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, and worsened fears of the war spiraling into the rest of the Middle East. Since the war in Gaza began six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, is also backed by Iran, as well as an umbrella group of Iraqi militias targeting U.S. military bases and positions in Syria and Iraq. Though Israel has regularly conducted strikes targeting Iranian military officials and allies, Zahedis death was the most significant blow for Tehran since a U.S. drone targeted and killed Quds Force chief Gen. Qassim Soleimani in 2020 in Baghdad. Id like to say with a very loud voice from here in Damascus that America has a responsibility in what happened and must be held responsible," Amir-Abdollahian told reporters in Damascus during a visit where he met his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, who condemned both the strike and Israel's offensive in Gaza. Amir-Abdollahian also met President Bashar Assad, with whom he discussed Gaza and the wider situation in the region, a statement from Assad's office said. The Iranian foreign minister, who earlier that day inaugurated the opening of a new consular section in a nearby building, justified his claims by saying that Washington and two European countries did not condemn the attack on the diplomatic building. The Biden administration has insisted that it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike. Washington is Israels vital military ally. Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the strike in the Syrian capital. However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said last week that the U.S. has assessed Israel was responsible. Initially after the strikes, Iranian state media said Zahedi led the Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016. Then, in a public address Monday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Zahedi was a key figure for the Lebanese group, and had three four-year stints in the tiny Mediterranean country. Nasrallah, like Syria, and other key allies of Tehran, have said they remain committed to backing Iran. Its a natural right for Iran. Its natural for the Islamic Republic to conduct this response (to the consulate attack), Nasrallah said. Nasrallah said Zahedi's first involvement was until 2002, overseeing Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and helping Hezbollah scale up. Zahedi's second term covered some of the fiercest fighting in Syria's uprising turned civil war, where Tehran and Russia played a key role in backing Assad against opposition forces. Zahedi's final stint began in 2020 and ended when he was killed. Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have clashed along the tense Lebanon-Israel border since Oct. 8, the day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel. The Hezbollah leader said that the moment the clashes began, Zahedi reportedly wanted to join Hezbollah militants on the front line but wasn't permitted to do so. Earlier Monday, Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon killed Ali Ahmad Hussein, an elite commander of Hezbollah's secretive Radwan Force. Hezbollah announced Hussein's death, but did not give any details on the circumstances or his role with the group in line with how it makes public the deaths of its members. The killing of Hussein, one of the most senior militants slain thus far, came ahead of the Iranian foreign ministers visit to Syria. Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles that can hit anywhere in Israel. The group, which has thousands of battle-hardened fighters who participated in Syrias 12-year conflict, also has different types of military drones. In January, Israeli jets struck and killed another elite Hezbollah commander from the Radwan Force, Wissam al-Tawil, who fought with the group for decades and took part in some of its biggest battles. Hezbollah says it will stop firing rockets once a ceasefire is reached in the Gaza Strip that would end the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli officials have been demanding that the Radwan Force withdraw from the border area in order for tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return home. Washington and Paris have been scrambling to find a diplomatic resolution to halt the fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border, hoping to prevent a new all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel since a month-long war in the summer of 2006. Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Shaving waivers for medical conditions have skyrocketed for Air Force airmen and Space Force Guardians over the past three years, allowing more service members to grow beards, according to service data provided to Military.com. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of active-duty airmen with shaving waivers due to pseudofolliculitis barbae, a skin condition causing frequent and painful razor burn that disproportionately affects Black men, has grown from 10,965 to 18,991, the Department of the Air Force data shows. The data did not include shaving waivers for religious reasons, which may include Sikhs, Muslims and others who grow beards as part of their faith. Data on those waivers is managed at the local installation level, Master Sgt. Deana Heitzman, an Air Force spokeswoman, told Military.com. Read Next: Army's Premier Education Benefits May Be on Chopping Block, with Tuition Assistance Cuts Being Considered, Too The increased number of shaving waivers between 2021 and last year was also seen outside of the active-duty Air Force. Waivers in the Air Force Reserve rose to 1,983 in 2023, up from 1,208 two years prior. The Air National Guard gave out 2,094 waivers last year, up from 958. Even the Space Force's relatively small number of medical shaving waivers for Guardians nearly doubled just between 2022 and 2023, going from 151 to 288, the data shows. Notably, that service's waivers were not separately broken out from overall active-duty Air Force numbers for 2021. If granted a shaving waiver for medical reasons, airmen are required to "keep all facial hair trimmed to the same length and it may not to exceed 1/4-inch in length," according to the Department of the Air Force instruction, which also says they "may shave or trim their facial hair to present a neat, clean, professional military image." Beards are one of the most requested changes in the Department of the Air Force, as well as the military at large. Pseudofolliculitis barbae is typically found in curly-haired men and occurs in about 60% of Black men, according to studies by the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Black service members reported as recently as three years ago that obtaining a shaving waiver harmed their careers. A survey conducted in a 2021 study for the journal Military Medicine detailed that 21.4% of service members with shaving waivers said it had a negative impact on their careers. An alarming 63% of those service members who said it had harmed their careers or created negative bias within their unit were Black. Now, as beard waivers become more commonplace in the service, some commanders are taking extra precautions to inform airmen about the medical condition itself. A March 12 memo from the Air Force's 1st Special Operations Wing, which was leaked online and confirmed as authentic by the service, required special operations airmen to attend a "Shaving Patient Education Course" prior to a waiver being issued. Col. Patrick Dierig, the commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, defended the class in an emailed statement. "We are fully supportive of shaving waivers for both religious and medical purposes, and I support the class because it educates airmen on proper shaving techniques and skin care routines to both address and prevent skin conditions," Dierig said. "If we can help one person with a temporary medical condition learn a new technique to reduce facial skin problems, then I think it is worth the effort. Especially for members who are more susceptible to skin conditions." In 2022, Military.com reported that the Department of the Air Force was discussing a pilot program that would allow airmen and Guardians to grow beards. It was floated as an idea with the department's Black/African American Employment Strategy Team. "It continues to be a discussion item among military volunteers within the Black/African American Employment Strategy Team," an Air Force official told Military.com in an emailed statement last month. In late 2022, Military.com also reported that the Air Force Honor Guard, the outward-facing group of service members whose mission is to represent the ideal airman to the American public, started allowing those with shaving waivers to sport beards while presenting. News of the increase in shaving waivers comes after the British Army approved beards for its soldiers late last month, the BBC reported. Related: Nearly Two Dozen Air Force Honor Guardsmen Are Sporting Beards Following Policy Change MANILA, Philippines The U.S. Army is introducing a joint battlefield training in the Philippines to improve combat readiness including by ensuring adequate supply of ammunition and other needs in difficult conditions in tropical jungles and on scattered islands, a U.S. general said. The Biden administration has been strengthening an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan. The U.S. moves dovetail with Philippine efforts to shore up its territorial defenses amid disputes with China in the South China Sea and ability to respond to frequent natural disasters. About 2,000 U.S. and Philippine army forces will join the dayslong combat drills backed by helicopters and artillery fire against armed adversaries in a jungle setting in the northern Philippines in June, Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans, commanding general of the U.S. Armys 25th Infantry Division, said Sunday. The combat training will be held in the Philippines for the first time at Manilas request. It's not clear whether the longtime treaty allies would decide to turn the maneuvers into an annual exercise, Evans said. The drills from June 1 to 10 come at the conclusion of two larger back-to-back exercises between the allied forces the Salaknib army-to-army exercises, which opened Monday, and the Balikatan, which will start later in April and involve about 16,000 U.S. and Philippine forces. Several countries including Japan will send observers. We have to be prepared to respond to humanitarian crisis, natural disaster crisis, and that is what this training affords us the opportunity to do, Evans told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. While we feel confident in our overall readiness and training path, its something that we can never be complacent in. The combat-readiness drill in June provides an excellent venue for us to get better in terms of our warfighting readiness, to enhance our partnership and then strengthen both our army profession by working together in a very challenging environment, Evans said. The training was designed to be monitored live to show, for example, how much ammunition, batteries for two-way radios and food would be carried by U.S. and Philippine forces and how they planned for resupplies in a remote battlefield. "It really is a way for soldiers, leaders and units to be able to see themselves during a simulated combat environment scenario, Evans said. Such past combat training in Hawaii has led to better information-sharing by smaller and more agile combat units and improved combat endurance, he said. It bolstered the ability to sustain ourselves in a jungle and archipelago environment because there are not ground lines of communications, so we have to rely heavily on air or maritime assets to be able to move supplies. China has vehemently opposed increased deployments of American forces in Asia, including the Philippines, saying such military presence was endangering regional harmony and stability. Last year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended his decision to allow U.S. military presence in more Philippine military camps under a 2014 defense pact, saying it was vital to his countrys territorial defense. China had warned the increased U.S. military presence would drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife. When Ralph Puckett was chosen to lead a new Ranger company in 1950, he said a prayer: "Dear God, don't let me get a bunch of guys -- good guys -- killed." In late November 1950, the then-Army lieutenant was leading the 8th Ranger Company in a daring assault against entrenched North Korean machine guns near the town of Unsan. His extraordinary heroics allowed the Rangers to overwhelm the positions. After a powerful, hourslong counterattack, they faced being overrun themselves. Puckett was wounded and boldly told his men to leave him behind, an order they refused. Instead, they dragged him off the hill to safety, saving his life and ensuring he would not only survive the war, but fight again another day. For his decisive and brave leadership fighting North Korean troops, he received the Distinguished Service Cross. Some 71 years later, that award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor, and now-retired Col. Ralph Puckett was still alive to receive the medal from President Joe Biden in a May 2021 White House ceremony. On Nov. 29, 2022, Hiroshi Miyamura died, leaving Puckett the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War. Puckett died in his sleep on April 8, 2024. He was 97 years old. Born in Tifton, Georgia, in 1926, Puckett attended a military high school before enrolling at Georgia Tech in 1943 at just 16 years old. He joined the Army Enlisted Reserves soon after and he attempted to get a pilot's position in the Army Air Forces, but with World War II winding down, he was discharged instead. Despite this, the young man persisted and got into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, becoming a cadet in 1945 and graduating in 1949. Instead of being a pilot, his destiny (or so it appeared) was to become a Ranger. On June 25, 1950, North Korea suddenly invaded American-backed South Korea. U.S. forces, unprepared for the assault, mounted what defense they could but were nearly pushed into the sea by the North Korean onslaught. They made their stand in a perimeter around the city of Pusan (today Busan), and held the ground until additional United Nations troops could intervene. Lt. Puckett, with no combat experience, was placed in command of the newly formed 8th Ranger Company in Japan and sent to Pusan. For seven weeks, the Rangers trained against live North Korean infiltrators. On Sept. 10, 1950, Gen. Douglas MacArthur directed a massive amphibious invasion on the Korean peninsula behind the Pusan Perimeter, and within three weeks, the 8th Ranger Company were part of the breakout of the perimeter, pushing the North Koreans back across the 38th Parallel. From there, Puckett spearheaded the invasion of the north. "Korea is sometimes called the 'Forgotten War,'" as Biden said at Puckett's Medal of Honor ceremony. "But those men who were there under Lieutenant Puckett's command -- they'll never forget his bravery. They never forget that he was right by their side throughout every minute of it." On Nov. 23, while Americans back home and fighting in Korea were enjoying Thanksgiving dinners, Puckett and the Rangers were scouting in advance of the coming American push toward the Yalu River, North Korea's border with China. Two days later and five months to the day since the war began, the Rangers began an advance to Hill 205, near the North Korean city of Unsan. They came under heavy fire from mortars and small arms, but Puckett led his company over 800 yards of open terrain to capture the position. He exposed himself to enemy machine guns so his men could see where they were placed and subsequently take them out. He then began to fortify his position on the hill. He would need every minute of preparation. Chinese soldiers from the 348th Regiment assaulting positions held by the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division near Unsan, modern-day North Korea, on Nov. 2, 1950. The Battle of Unsan was the first major combat between Chinese and U.S. troops in Korea. Just a month before the 8th Rangers took Hill 205, communist China intervened in the war, sending 300,000 troops to aid North Korea. The invasion pushed the U.S. advance back south toward the 38th Parallel. The combined communist forces captured Unsan on Nov. 4, and Puckett's men were dangerously outnumbered. By 10 p.m. local time on Nov. 25, the Rangers were under a heavy assault. Puckett was wounded but still directing artillery fire into the early hours of the next day. At 3 a.m. he was wounded by mortar fire that rendered him immobile. Without artillery support, he ordered his men to withdraw without him. In ignoring Puckett's order, the Rangers at Hill 205 saved their commander, but also one of the most important Rangers in Army history. Puckett became a Ranger instructor and commander of the Mountain Ranger Division, an adviser to Colombia's Rangers and commanded the 10th Special Forces Group in Germany during the Cold War, leading covert insertions by land, sea and air. "Colonel Puckett is a true hero of the Korean War," South Korean President Moon Jae-in said during Puckett's Medal of Honor ceremony, which marked the first time a South Korean president had been present for such an award. "With extraordinary valor and leadership, he completed missions until the very end, defending Hill 205 and fighting many more battles requiring equal valiance," Moon added. "Without the sacrifice of veterans, including Colonel Puckett and the Eighth Army Ranger Company, [the] freedom and democracy we enjoy today couldn't have blossomed in Korea." Puckett would answer his country's call once more in 1967, this time deploying to South Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division as a lieutenant colonel. On Aug. 13, 1967, his airborne infantry battalion engaged a battalion of Viet Cong near Duc Pho. Puckett crossed a minefield to direct his soldiers and rally them. Throughout the night, he coordinated the fighting from a foxhole under heavy fire, refused to be extracted and even tended to the wounded. Col. Ralph Puckett receives his second Distinguished Service Cross from President Lyndon B. Johnson. (U.S. Army via Puckett family) Veterans of that battle said his mere presence stiffened the American resistance during the battle, which they eventually won. Puckett received another Distinguished Service Cross for that engagement and would eventually receive two Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, five Purple Hearts and two Bronze Star Medals with V devices for valor, making him one of the most decorated soldiers in Army history. Puckett would leave the Army in 1971 and continue serving his country as national programs coordinator of Outward Bound, a nonprofit with the mission of exposing students, especially those from inner cities, to wilderness areas. When the Ranger Hall of Fame was established in 1992, Col. Ralph Puckett was one of the inaugural inductees. To learn more about the extraordinary life and career of Ralph Puckett, check out his 2017 book, "Ranger: A Soldier's Life." Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. 4:15pm: Bolton is dealing with kidney stones, per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. 3:10pm: The Mariners shook up their bullpen with a series of roster moves Monday. Right-handers Brett de Geus and Tyson Miller were selected to the 40-man roster from Triple-A Tacoma, with righty Ty Adcock being designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Right-handers Cody Bolton and Collin Snider were both placed on the 15-day injured list the latter due to a knee contusion and the former with what the team labeled a general medical issue. The Mariners also reinstated first baseman Ty France from the paternity list and optioned infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor to Tacoma. Both Miller and de Geus have big league experience, albeit fairly minimal. The 28-year-old Miller was a fourth-round pick by the Cubs back in 2016 and has pitched for five different teams over the past four years (Cubs, Rangers, Mets, Dodgers, Brewers). In 31 career innings, hes been tagged for an ugly 6.97 ERA, though his Triple-A work is far better. Miller was roughed up for an ERA north of 7.00 in his first taste of Triple-A as a 23-year-old back in 2019. In parts of three seasons since that time hes logged a 3.85 ERA in just under 200 innings. That includes 43 2/3 innings of 3.50 ERA ball with the Triple-A clubs for the Dodgers and Mets last year, during which he punched out 28% of his opponents. The 26-year-old de Geus pitched 50 MLB frames between the Mariners and D-backs back in 2021 after Texas plucked him from the Dodgers in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. He made 19 appearances as a Rangers and another 26 as a D-back, struggling mightily in both stops. Given that de Geus pitched in A-ball in 2019 then didnt pitch with an affiliate in 2020 due to the canceled minor league season, its not all that surprising that he was hammered by MLB hitters in his debut campaign. In those 50 frames, he yielded a 7.56 ERA. Even to this point in his career, de Geus only has 14 Triple-A frames under his belt. Hes been hit hard in that tiny sample as well, but he pitched 35 1/3 innings with a 2.80 ERA in Double-A for the Royals last season. De Geus has plenty of experience working multiple innings as a reliever and has also been a starter in the past, so he can provide some length to the Seattle bullpen while hes up. Adcock, 27, made his big league debut with the Mariners in 2023. The former eighth-round pick tossed 15 2/3 innings with a 3.45 ERA and 19% strikeout rate out of Scott Servais bullpen and didnt issue a walk or hit any of his 58 opponents with a pitch. Adcock was never going to sustain that level of command, but he still walked only five of the 75 hitters he faced between High-A and Double-A last year (6.66%). However, hes already issued three free passes in 2024 despite facing just a dozen opponents. The Mariners will have a week to trade Adcock, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. WAYNE COUNTY, MI A former Michigan employee has been convicted for rampant and flagrant misuse of state vehicles, officials announced. Rufus Chappell, 64, of Farmington Hills, was found guilty by a Wayne County jury last week of embezzling from the state, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced. He was convicted of embezzlement, $20,000 to $50,000, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Chappell took state vehicles for personal use over weekends, holidays and outside business hours, racking up unauthorized vehicle usage and mileage fees of $47,214.85 between August 2015 and January 2019, prosecutors said. He had access and permission to use the state motor pool vehicles for work purposes while he was an unemployment examiner with the Talent Investment Agency under the Department of Talent and Economic Development (known the Unemployment Insurance Agency and Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, respectively). Chappell was expected to use state vehicles to attend unemployment insurance benefit appeal hearings. An investigation into Chappells vehicle use was initiated after it was learned that his license had been suspended, prosecutors said. The investigation uncovered rampant and flagrant misuse. This verdict sends a clear message that stealing from the state, and thereby the taxpayers, will not be tolerated, Nessel said in a statement. My office will continue to investigate and prosecute misuses of state resources to ensure all public servants are held accountable. Chappell is scheduled for sentencing at 8:30 a.m. on May 17 before Judge Mariam Bazzi in the 3rd Circuit Court of Wayne County. COLD SPRINGS TOWNSHIP, MI A Northern Michigan man is accused of repeatedly ramming his wifes vehicle with his vehicle while she and their children were inside, assaulting her, and threatening a man with a gun, police said. Nathan Eli Stickney, 42, of Mancelona, is facing several charges related to incidents that happened on April 4 and 5 in Antrim and Kalkaska counties, according to a news release. On Thursday evening, troopers from the Michigan State Police Houghton Lake Post and Kalkaska County Sheriffs deputies were dispatched to a home in Cold Springs Township. It was alleged that the suspect had a confrontation with his spouse at a home in Antrim County, during which he intentionally drove his vehicle into hers several times while she and their children were in the vehicle. Later that evening, at their home in Cold Springs Township, Stickney allegedly assaulted his wife while their children were present. The children fled to a family members home next door. Stickney allegedly followed them. He then returned to his home, kicked in the door, and retrieved and loaded a 50-caliber muzzle loader gun. Returning to the family members home, he allegedly pointed the gun at a person through the window. He then allegedly kicked in their door, pointed the gun at a man and threatened to kill him. The victim fought Stickney off, sustaining a serious laceration to his hand. Stickney left the house, allegedly shot the gun one time into the air and fled the scene in his vehicle before officers arrived. Early Friday, deputies saw Stickney driving and they attempted a traffic stop. He allegedly fled from deputies for a short distance before stopping in a parking lot. He was taken into custody after a brief struggle. Stickney was arraigned in the 87-B District Court of Kalkaska County on charges of assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, dangerous weapon/carry with unlawful intent, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, felony firearm, fourth-degree fleeing and eluding, and resisting and obstructing police. He is lodged in the Kalkaska County Jail. His bond was set at $100,000. Hes due back in court at 1:30 p.m. on April 22. Bonnie Odum has always exercised her right to choose how she educates her six children. Some attended a few years of public school and virtual academies before home-schooling. Others enrolled in Washtenaw Technical Middle College to complete college courses and earn their diploma after several years of home-schooling. One of her sons held down two jobs while he was home-schooled. Her two youngest children, now in third and fourth grades, have been home-schooled from day one. But a proposed bill to mandate kindergarten at all Michigan public schools and require kids to begin kindergarten at age 5 would remove the autonomy parents who home-schooled have had for years, Odum, of Milan, said. I guess my frustration with it all is theyre not giving parents a choice, she said. I think theres so many home-school families (who) choose to home-school to empower their kids to have choices. Currently, Michigan doesnt require children to attend kindergarten, although nearly all public schools in the state offer it. The bill introduced in the Michigan Senate would require kindergarten and require children to enroll in kindergarten at age 5, instead of 6, beginning in the 2025-26 school year. While children who attend private schools and those who are home-schooled remain exempt from having to attend public school under the bill, home-school advocates say lowering the current required attendance age for Michigan students takes away parents freedom to choose how - and when - they decide to begin educating their children. There are very conflicting studies regarding the pros and cons of formal academics on young children, said Israel Wayne, vice president of the Michigan Christian Homeschool Network. We believe that the people who are best qualified to make those decisions are parents of individual children, not bureaucrats in Lansing who want to mandate universal (kindergarten) for every child in the state. The bill doesnt remove choice from parents, but rather creates higher standards to ensure all children receive a formal education from an early age, said Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, the bills sponsor and chair of the Senate Education Committee. It makes sense to align the states current law to require children begin kindergarten at age 5, Polehanki said, given Gov. Gretchen Whitmers proposal to fund free preschool for all 4 year olds as part of the states goal to offer pre-K for all by the end of 2026. Were just saying that weve got to get serious about kids early formal education in Michigan, if were going to set them up for a lifetime of academic achievement, Polehanki said. Mandating kindergarten would benefit Detroit Public Schools Community District, the states largest school district, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said. Last year, 70% of the districts kindergarteners were chronically absent, meaning they missed more than 18 days of school. That number decreased to 64% in first grade and 62% in second grade, said Vitti, who believes the fact that students arent required to attend school in kindergarten is a factor in the higher rate of chronic absenteeism. We want to start as early as possible, creating a culture and an expectation that school is important every day, Vitti said. Demonstrated enrollment and registration concerns During a March 12 Senate Education Committee meeting, Michigan Department of Education Legislative Liaison Sheryl Kennedy said the bill doesnt require kindergarten enrollment in a public school. Instead, demonstrated enrollment in a private, parochial, charter or home school would meet the requirements of the bill. The term caused confusion for Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, who said hes heard a variety of concerns from constituents who home-school their children about the bill being a step toward a registry for all of Michigans school-aged children. What does that mean? said Damoose, minority vice chair of the Senate Education Committee. Does (demonstrated enrollment) mean they have to report theyre home-schooling? Do they have to report what subjects are being taught? I just thought that area was a little vague. MDE does not currently ask parents to demonstrate in any way that their child is enrolled in any grade of school, Kennedy said, noting it is a law that students must participate in education in some way between age 6 and 18. The mandatory kindergarten bill would provide absolutely no change to how that law is administered, she said. The issue only comes up when a student suddenly fails to attend school where they are already enrolled with no explanation or parent contact, or if the family becomes involved with a state agency, and it becomes evident the children are not being educated, Kennedy said. Enrolling every Michigan child Kennedy defends the mandatory kindergarten bill as being a totally separate and unrelated conversation from having parents and guardians of home school, private and parochial children register with their local districts or intermediate school districts where those children are being educated. Enrolling every Michigan child is a priority of the MDE, with State Superintendent Michael Rice proposing all the states students be enrolled in four buckets -- public schools, private schools, parochial schools and home schools. Michigan is one of 11 states where its optional for home-schooling parents to notify their local school district about their childs education. The current revised school code exempts home-schooled children from attending a public school if they participate in an organized educational program that includes reading, spelling, math, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar. Parents should be able to choose the best educational system for their children, Rice said, but stressed that knowing where all children are enrolled in an educational setting is an issue of student safety. Having a record of all children enrolled in these four buckets would provide an understanding of the children not currently enrolled in any learning environment, Rice wrote in a Jan. 10 letter outlining the departments 2024 priorities. The issue of missing children is a national problem with potential negative consequences for too many children. Based on birth rate data and data available from public and some private schools, Kennedy estimates between 3% and 5% of eligible Michigan students currently do not begin school at age 5, but that MDE cant make that assumption based on data that leaves out a number of children who may be educated at home or elsewhere. In general, our interest in counting all children is not at all about a home school registry, said Bob Wheaton, MDEs director of public and governmental affairs. If we cant determine that children are in one of these four categories, we cant determine if a child is missing. The Senate bill is not a gateway to a registry, Polehanki said, while acknowledging her colleagues in the legislature may introduce one. Nothings been introduced yet, and if it is, I think its not the worst thing in the world that we know where kids are being educated, she said. I think (parents are) worried about people coming into their homes and demanding observations and thats just not based in reality in any way, shape or form. Otsego resident Lori Beason, who has more than 30 years of experience teaching music lessons to home-schooled children, said she fears a registry for all of Michigans students could remove parents ability to educate their children as they see fit. Beason homeschooled both her children, who have since graduated, one with two college degrees and the other owning and operating a snow removal and landscaping business. Being able to accommodate and adjust to what her children realized as their unique career paths through home schooling was a benefit she thinks would be removed if more regulations and oversight are put in place. I think theyre trying to take away the rights of home-schoolers to be able to home-school, Beason said. Because when (government) gets involved, then they start mandating what you teach and what books you use. Thats not home school. If you would like more reporting like this delivered free to your inbox, click here and signup for our weekly newsletter: Michigan Schools. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI A hotel hosting a convention for people who have an appreciation for anthropomorphic animals was interrupted Sunday when police receive bogus reports someone was set to bomb the event. Police were called at 8 a.m. Sunday, April 7, to the Marriott hotel in Ypsilanti Township for a reported bomb threat directed at the Motor City Furry Con, organized for the weekend, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office. Police received reports that an unknown individual sent an email claiming to have placed several explosive devices around the hotel, prompting the hotel to be evacuated, police said. Officers, along with canines trained in explosive detection, conducted a thorough sweep of the premises and, after a systematic search, no actual bombs were found, police said. An all-clear was given at about 12:30 p.m. and the convention resumed. Investigators noted the incident is reminiscent of a similar bomb threat that occurred during the same event last year. Related: Police investigating after bomb threat evacuates Motor City Furry Con A suspect in the threat, who was living in California, was arrested by local authorities there and questioned, police said. The matter remains under investigation. The convention was open to those 18 and older who are interested in anthropomorphic costumes and serves as a venue for dealers and costumers. Furries are people who enjoy wearing costumes of animals or mythical creatures. Convention organizers wrote on the events X, formerly Twitter, page that convention attendees raised more than $23,000 for The Pipsqueakery, an Indiana-based nonprofit animal sanctuary that aids small animals in need. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. ANN ARBOR, MI - Humpty Dumpty, a grim reaper, a Nine-tailed fox and Cinderella took over downtown Ann Arbor in form of papier-mache, celebrating the return of the annual FestiFools parade on Sunday, April 7. The crowd and creativity were back in full force after taking a year off in 2023 to reassess the event. Hundreds of people crowded the sidewalks of South Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor to watch the dozens of puppets parade up and down the street. University of Michigan students participating in a class within in Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts program were tasked with creating larger than life puppets a under a theme of fables and mythical creatures. Student started their creations this winter, taking approximately three months to finish. Mark Tucker, the founder of FestiFools, created the event in 2007 to bring his students art to the public while teaching at the University of Michigan. RELATED: Founder of FestiFools is bringing puppet parade back to Ann Arbor Juliette Todd, a freshman in the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and Arts program at University of Michigan, created a brown centaur with white hair and green eyes as her project. I really like how it came out, Todd said. It was really fun to work on something to big in the community. Smiles radiated off children as fairytale creatures came to life right in front of them, lighting up the faces of their parents. Amber Shultz, an Ann Arbor resident, came to the parade for the first time and brought her 4-year-old daughter, Hendrix Lewis, along. As Hendrix let loose with a bubble machine in her hand, Shultz said, (FestiFools) lets out your inner child and takes away the stresses of the real world for a brief moment. For a full hour the puppets remain in constant motion for the community to enjoy and for public art to become the focus of peoples lives. I just think its a beautiful thing for a town like ours to have, said Nancy Biehn, an Ann Arbor resident who has volunteered at the parade since the first one in 2007. It brings the community together in a creative way. The first year, Biehn and her son, created a papier-mache giraffe, and she has come back every year since. RELATED: FestiFools suspended for 2023 as organizer reimagines event CALHOUN COUNTY, MI -- What was a lone wolf doing in southern Michigan when it was killed in January? A hunter told state officials he thought the animal was a coyote when he shot and killed it. But DNA testing later showed the animal was a federally endangered gray wolf. Experts are looking into how the wolf got to southwest Michigan and it is not a part of a known population in the area, according to Michigan DNR Biologist and large carnivore specialist Brian Roell. Here are five things to know about the gray wolf killed in southern Michigan: Unusual wolf killing The wolf harvest was an unusual one, because the states established wolf population is in the Upper Peninsula, Roell said. This gray wolf was killed hundreds of miles away. The 2022 wolf population in Michigan was estimated at around 631 wolves, give or take about 50, he said. How did it get here? Roell said in an interview with MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette. He called the wolfs presence there a curiosity for the DNR, and an unusual case. Wolves once roamed throughout the state, but they have since been contained -- mostly -- to the Upper Peninsula. Roell did not have any record of a sighting this far south in the Lower Peninsula, he said, estimating it has been 100 years or more. Its been a long time, Roell said. Lone wolf found south of others The lone wolf killed in Southwest Michigan does not suggest there is a population in the Lower Peninsula, he said. We dont know of any animals (wolves) in the Lower Peninsula anywhere, Roell said, based on current information. If they are there, they are in numbers so low we cant detect them. The presence of wolves in the northern Lower Peninsula has been confirmed a few times over the past two decades, he said. But not in the southern part. A taxidermy gray wolf at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge temporary visitor center in Michigans Upper Peninsula, May 17, 2022. (Garret Ellison | MLive) This is just a one-off kind of thing, Roell said. Wolves can travel thousands of miles, sometimes reaching areas far beyond their known range, the DNR said. The DNR does not believe wolves are going to establish in the southern lower portion of Michigan. That is partly because wolves, unlike coyotes, are not very tolerant of humans, Roell said. Humans also do not tolerate wolves very well, he said. There is some suitable wolf habitat in the states northern Lower Peninsula, he said, but wolves have not established there either. DNR investigating wolf incident Killing a gray wolf or any endangered species could lead to state and/or federal charges or citations, Roell said. He declined to comment on the specifics of this case, because it is under investigation by the law enforcement division. The gray wolf is federally endangered. Killing a gray wolf is illegal unless you are protecting human life, Roell said. Violations of the Endangered Species Act can result in fines and prison time. Penalties can include restitution to the state for the loss of an endangered animal, Roell said, and court costs. A county prosecutor would make any decision about possible charges being issued in the case, following an investigation by DNR law enforcement division, Roell said. Investigators will look into the hunters licenses and other circumstances, he said. The hunter was on a legal coyote hunt and accompanied by a guide, the DNR said. The hunter reported the kill to officials and said he initially thought it was a large coyote. The wolf weighed 84 pounds, the DNR said, while eastern coyotes usually weigh between 25 pounds and 40 pounds. A coyote photographed in New Jersey. A hunter in Michigan told the DNR he was hunting for coyote, when he shot an animal later identified to be an endangered gray wolf. (File | NJ.com)Steve Liebman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The DNR law enforcement division referred further questions to Roell. Golden retrievers are not cougars Misidentification is common in reports to the DNR, he said, though the agency more often hears from people shooting animals with cameras, not guns. Like the citizen reports of alleged cougars that turn out to be golden retrievers or other animals, the DNR also fields calls from people who incorrectly believe coyotes are wolves, Roell said. Three golden retrievers watch their friend retrieve a ball at the Richmond Park Pool Wag n Wade free dog swim in Grand Rapids on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (Ridley Hudson | MLive.com)Ridley Hudson | MLive.com I look at pictures of coyotes all the time, and people think theyre wolves, he said. Since the press release went out (last week), Ive looked at thousands of them. And theyre all coyotes. The alleged cougar reports are often revealed to be golden retrievers, yellow labs, bobcats domesticated cats or feral cats, he said. The most common area reporting cougars is Oakland County, he said, a high population area of the state in southeast Michigan. But there are no cougars there, he said. Thats where the people are, not where the cougars are, Roell said. Its just misidentification. The DNR confirmed a cougar spotting near Lansing in 2017. It was the first and only verified sighting in the Lower Peninsula, the DNR said at the time. Related: Another cougar spotted in U.P., Michigan DNR confirms Luce County sighting A team of experts looks at reports and photos submitted, he said, and they have to verify any claims with proof. Usually, a determination can be made from a photograph. Investigation sometimes includes a site visit, he said, partly because people have tried to trick DNR officials by sending in photos of cougars, actually taken outside of the state. This is a gray wolf, which is protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. How did it get here? I have no idea, Roell said, when asked if the animal walked here itself, or if could have arrived some other way. He is hoping the probe will explain the origin of the wolf and how it got here. Im just hoping we get a lot more information out of the investigation like I think a lot of people are, Roell said. Related: Eclipse cloud update: Latest data for your last-minute decision on where to see eclipse Visit Michigan.gov/Wolves for more information. A gray wolf is shown in Michigan's Marquette County. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. 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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 Finance Secretary Tracy B. Norita, second right, answers a question from the media as Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, fourth right, and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, third right, listen during a press conference on Capital Hill on Monday. Also in photo are Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Chris Concepcion, right, Department of Public Works Secretary Ray N. Yumul, third left, partly hidden, Office of Planning and Development Director and Capital Improvement Project Administrator Elizabeth Balajadia, second left, and DPW Highway Engineer Henry Bautista, left. Reporter Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post. The Guam Judicial Center is seen in Hagatna on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. President Joe Biden View Photo President Biden toured the Port of Baltimore with dignitaries and delivered remarks. Biden was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: I was just briefed by the United Uni- Unified Command about the ongoing impact of this tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last Tuesday. The damage is devastating, and our hearts are still breaking. Eight eight construction workers went into the water when the bridge fell. Six lost their lives. Most were immigrants, but all were Marylanders hard-working, strong, and selfless. After pulling a night shift fixing potholes, they were on a break when the ship struck. Just seconds before, one of the men named Carlos, who was only 24, left a message for his girlfriend. Heres what it said: We just poured cement, and were waiting for it to dry, he said. Well, to all the families and loved ones who are grieving: Ive come here to grieve with you. We all are. Its not the same, but I know a little bit about what its like to lose a piece of your soul to get that phone call in the middle of the night to say family members are gone. Ive been there. Its feeling like having a black hole in your chest, like youre being sucked in, unable to breath. The anger, the pain, the depth of the loss is so profound. And we know its hard to believe, and youre probably not going to believe me, but I can tell you now from personal experience: The day is going to come when the memory of your loved one, as you walk by that park or the church or something that you shared together, its going to bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. Its going to happen. Its going to take a while, but I promise you, it will happen. And thats when you know youre going to be able to make it. I promise you it will come. And our prayers for you is that time comes sooner rather than later but it will come. Well also never forget the contributions these men made to this city. Were going to keep working hard to recover each of them. And, you know, my vow is that we will not rest, as Carlos said, until the cement has dried on the entirety of a new bridge a new bridge. (Applause.) Earlier this afternoon, we took an aerial tour to survey the wreckage. You know, from the air, I saw the bridge thats been ripped apart. But here on the ground, I see a community thats been pulled together. I want to thank you all the first responders, the port workers, state and local officials who sprang into action before dawn, whove been here ever since. And we did talk at, I think it was, 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. You were out here. You were here. Within minutes of the collapse, the U.S. Coast Guard arrived on the scene. Within hours, I ordered personnel from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Navy, the Department of Transportation to assist in every way possible. Within a day, we stood up a Unified Command. In the weeks to come, I want you to know: Were going to continue to have your backs every step of the way. I guarantee you. I guarantee you. First our first is our priority to reopen the port. This is one of the nations largest shipping hubs. And its the top port in America both in importing and exporting of cars and light trucks the number one. Simply put: The impact here has a significant impact everywhere up and down the coast and around the country. Thousands of tons of mangled steel remain lodged in the water, blocking ships from moving in and out of the harbor. Ive dec- Ive directed the Coast Guard, the Navy, and the Army Corps of Engineers who are, by the way, the finest engineers in the world and the state officials to work together to help remove this steel as quickly as possible and as safely as possible. So far, our team has been able to clear two small channels for essential ships helping clear the wreckage. And, yesterday, the Army Corps announced that by the end of April they will be able to open the third channel for some commercial traffic, including car carriers. And by the end of May, well open the full channel the full channel. (Applause.) My task force on Supply Chain Disruption has been able to been engaging with union, rail, trucking, shipping, state and local leaders to minimize the impact on our supply chains. And Im proud to announce that the federal government will provide over $8 million in grant funds to make the infrastructure improvements at Sparrows Point, as the only [part of the] port unaffected by this collapse, which will allow Sparrows Point to take on more ships. And thats happening now will happen shortly. Second, were focusing on protecting the workers and businesses. Folks, 20,000 jobs depend on this port. Twenty thousand families depend on this port to buy groceries, to make rent, to pay their bills. Today, my administration is announcing the first tranche of Dislocated Worker Grants fancy phrase to which is dimed all of it is there to make sure it it helps create jobs for workers involved in the cleanup of this incident additional jobs. My Small Business Administration has also issued a disaster declaration, which will allow the SBA to offer low-interest loans for small businesses impacted by the collapse in order to keep things moving. The state, the city, the county are also stepping up in impressive ways to help workers and businesses who have been affected by this disaster. But, folks, we all need to step up. Amazon, Home Depot, Domino Sugar, and many other companies all rely on this port. And they have committed to keep workers and payrolls on their and their businesses in Baltimore and [as we] move as quickly and clearly as possible to clear the channel. (Applause.) Im calling on every company at and around the port to do the same thing the same exact thing: commit to stay. And to the customers who use this port, were coming back, and were coming back soon. Folks, finally, were going to move heaven and earth to rebuild this bridge as rapidly as humanly possible. And were going to do so with union labor and American steel. (Applause.) For a simple reason: Theyre the best workers in the world, and thats not hyperbole. Every day, over 30,000 vehicles traveled across this bridge, and I was one of those people. I commuted every day from Delaware for 36 years year to Washington, D.C., back and forth, and about one fourth of that time by automobile. Ive been to every part of this port. Folks, we now face a question no American should ever have to ask: How will I get to work? How will I go to school? How will I get to a hospital? A response in response, everyone, including Congress, should be asking only one question, and theyre going to be asked the question by your delegation: How can we help? How can we solve that problem? My administration is committed absolutely committed to ensuring that the parties responsible for this tragedy pay to repair the damage and be held accountable to the fullest extent the law will allow. But I also want to be clear: We will support Maryland and Baltimore every step of the way to help you rebuild and maintain all the business and commerce thats here now. (Applause.) As the governor as the governor can tell you, within hours of the American req- the Maryland request, we approved $60 million in emergency federal funding. I fully intend I fully intend, as the governor knows, to have the federal government cover the cost of rebuilding this entire bridge all of it all of it (applause) as weve done in other parts of the country in similar circumstances. And I stand here, I call on Congress to authorize this effort as soon as possible. Let me close with this. This port is over 300 years old. As a matter of fact, as I said, my great-great-grandfather worked here as a waterman in this bay. This port is older than our Republic. And its been through tough, tough times before. During the war of 1812, a young Marylander named Francis Scott Key, to whom the bridge is named after, sat in a boat in this very harbor, and he watched he watched the British troops launch an attack after attack on American forces. But as the dawn broke, we saw the American flag still flying, Baltimore was still standing, and our nation, as he wrote in the Star-Spangled Banner, had made it through a perilous fight. Folks, this is going to take time, but Governor Moore, Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Mfume, Mayor Scott, County Executive Johnny O., and others are going to rebuild this bridge as rapidly as possible. And, folks, were determined to come back even stronger. Were the only nation that has gone through every crisis that weve had we come out stronger than we went in. And were going to do it here as well. And once more to make this perilous challenge this perilous challenge. You know, because were the United States of America, theres nothing nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. Think about that. Remember who we are. Were the United States of America. Nothing is beyond our capacity. May God bless you all. And may God protect our troops, our first responders, and all those who gave their soul. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Zanu PF has no dog in the internal squabbles tearing apart the countrys opposition but will gladly capitalise on the fracas to entrench its dominance in a democratic Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa said. In an exclusive interview with The Third Eye magazine, the President said he is enjoying the fights in the opposition as that will ensure a weak opponent that cannot challenge Zanu PF. On his opinion on the factional wars, which have seen the Western-birthed opposition crumbling like a deck of cards, the President said, I laugh and enjoy. Look, I am the head of a political party. If my opponents are fighting, I laugh and enjoy. Why would I bother to say I want a very strong opposition that can challenge me? Its good to have an opposition. Our laws allow opposition, that is why opposition parties are here. They have their internal conflicts and internal difficulties. Its legitimate to them. They must resolve their problems. They cannot expect Zanu PF to go and intervene and say, Look, you are becoming weaker and weaker, and this is not good for us. NO! We will not do that, said the President. After losing last years harmonised elections to Zanu PF, CCC has been trapped in bloodletting factional wars that have been characterised by recalls from Parliament and local authorities. Apart from triggering costly by-elections, CCC has since splintered into four notable factions that now seek to access funds disbursed under the Political Parties (Finance) Act Asked to comment on assertions by opposition officials and their supporters that they have been infiltrated, the President said the solution is just to remove the infiltrators. They should remove those who have infiltrated them (laughs). That is the only solution. Just remove them. Further, the President said the governing party, which brought democracy and political pluralism to the country after a protracted liberation struggle, cannot pass laws that stop people from holding different opinions or views. If people dont understand each other and cant work together, they will say so. You cant put a law that says dont differ (laughs). On the international stage, the President railed at the American government for ignoring the genocidal massacre of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel, and then in forked tongues lecture to Zimbabwe about democracy and human rights. This is why we have said America applies double standards. This is a clear example of double standards. There is nothing about (abuse of) human rights you can speak of here in Zimbabwe, totally. We are a free, democratic country. We allow the opposition and we allow elections. If America wants to know where democracy is practised, they should come to Harare. They should come to Zimbabwe and see democracy in practice. Zimbabwe, for daring to correct colonial land inequities, was slapped with illegal economic sanctions by the Western world, which made it clear that the punitive embargoes were a tool for regime change. Recently, the US made some piecemeal adjustments on the illegal sanctions but the President said that is still unacceptable as they must be removed in toto. Well, these sanctions have been placed on us since 2001. Its now about 23 years on. These sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are illegal. That is the position also of the United Nations Security Council. Now, the Biden administration proposed to remove some of them and leave some of them on. We are saying no. In the first place, they are totally illegal. They must go in totality. We cannot feel that he is being benevolent by removing part of the illegality and leaving part of the illegality on us. The illegality must go in total, he said. These sanctions have been on us for more than 23 years. I dont think there is anybody in Zimbabwe who is losing sleep over the sanctions. We only get reminded of the sanctions when people talk about them. We dont feel that we are on sanctions, said the President. In the interview, the President maintained Zimbabwe will continue on its engagement and re-engagement drive on the international front while pursuing policies for accelerated industrialisation and modernisation towards Vision 2030. The Herald will tomorrow publish another story from the interview where the President speaks on the Gukurahundi issue and finding a lasting solution. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News A Robbery suspect died at Sally Mugabe Hospital following a shootout with the police. The incident was in connection with a case of robbery at Quest Financial Services in Belgravia, Harare where the suspects stole US$720,676.00, ZAR 10,500.00, and Euro 120.00 in cash, along with a 7.65 mm CZ Vzor pistol and three laptops, on 4 April along Manyame River, Southlea Park, Harare. In a statement, National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Blessing Sumbani Sithole (49) met his fate when he led the police to one of the stolen pistols where he had hidden it with the intention of escaping from the police. On 04th April 2024, Detectives from CID, Harare received information that Blessing Sumbani Sithole was hiding at a house in Makondo Extension, Chiredzi. The detectives tracked the suspect to Chiredzi where he was subsequently arrested. The arrest led to the recovery of a 0.38 Special Revolver with seven rounds and a Toyota Probox vehicle, registration number AGF 1832, which the suspect claimed to have bought for US$ 6 300 using his share from the loot. The suspect led detectives to Manyame River in Southlea Park, Harare where he claimed to have hidden a 7.65mm CZ Vzor pistol which was stolen at Quest Financial Services in Belgravia during theheist. Upon arrival at the scene, the suspect picked the pistol from a shrub and cocked it before aiming at detectives who were escorting him. Subsequently, the suspect was shot on the back and was rushed to Sally Mugabe Hospital where he died upon admission, he said. Assistant Commissioner Nyathi said they recovered the pistol, which was loaded with four live rounds, and he urged people involved in criminal activities to desist from doing so. The Zimbabwe Republic Police reiterates that it fully subscribes to human rights tenets and will respond appropriately to robbery scenes as determined by the prevailing situation on the ground. Suspects involved in criminal acts are accordingly implored to duly comply with police orders and avoid clashes or confrontation with arresting details, said Assist Comm Nyathi. He applauded the communitys effort for working hand in hand with the police to solve crimes in communities. The Police applauds the public for supplying positive information which has assisted the police to account for armed robbery suspects throughout the country. The public is urged to continue forwarding information regarding criminal activities to the National Complaints Desk number (0242) 703631 or WhatsApp 0712 800 197 or report at any nearest Police Station, said Assist Comm Nyathi. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News SOUTH African police have arrested two Malawians found driving a stolen Toyota Fortuner worth R900 000 which they were allegedly planning to smuggle to their country via Zimbabwe. The duo was arrested on Thursday last week in an ongoing anti-smuggling operation targeting syndicates involved in stealing cars and smuggling them to several countries including Malawi and Mozambique via Zimbabwe. As a result of an intensive crackdown on crime along the Limpopo River by South African and South African security agents, some syndicates are now preferring to smuggle the cars via Botswana and the Plumtree border post. Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba confirmed the arrests and said the suspects will appear before Polokwane Magistrates Court soon. He said the two men between the ages of 33 and 36, were charged with possession of a presumably stolen motor vehicle and Contravention of the Immigration Act. Information was received about a possible stolen motor vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner 2.8 valued at R900 000, which was from Gauteng and was going to be smuggled to Malawi through the Beitbridge border post, he said. The operational team followed up on information, and the motor vehicle was spotted on R519 Bergnek Road. An attempt to stop the said vehicle failed, and a high-speed chase ensued until the motor vehicle was intercepted near Lunds farms in the Westernburg policing area. Col Ledwaba said preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle was reported stolen at Bedford View, Gauteng Province, on Sunday 24 March 2024. He said further investigations into the matter were continuing. The smuggling of vehicles has become rampant around the border line and the government is losing millions of dollars in import revenue annually. At least two cars are intercepted in Limpopo province heading for the Zimbabwean border weekly. In South Africa, the cars are driven mostly by the locals, who then hand them over to Zimbabwean drivers at the Limpopo River who then drive them to Nyamapanda Border Post and hand them to the Malawians or Mozambicans. A modest car is charged 96 percent import duty inclusive of VAT and Surtax on the total invoice value in Zimbabwe. Indications are that most of the cars are stolen from rental cars in South Africa while thefts are orchestrated by insurance fraud syndicates in that country. On insurance fraud, the vehicles are clandestinely sold and smuggled out of South Africa, after which their owners working with syndicates then report them stolen and claim insurance money. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News A 39-YEAR-OLD man from Harare on Friday appeared in court on allegations of forging a Police General Headquarters dispatch office date stamp to claim a car which he had lost in a court case. Tapiwa Moses Maswela was facing fraud charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Ruth Moyo. Allegations are that in February 2021, Maswela filed a criminal case against Bernard Guveya for unlawful borrowing or use of property (a motor vehicle) under Hatfield CR: 38/02/21. The matter was later referred to Harare Magistrate Court where Guveya was found not guilty and acquitted prompting Hatfield Police to release the vehicle which was kept as an exhibit to Guveya. The court heard that on June 17, 2022, Maswela hatched a plan to claim rights to the motor vehicle which he knew had been released to Guveya by police. According to the State, Maswela used a forged Zimbabwe Republic Police General Headquarters Dispatch Office date stamp in stamping a Court application purporting as if he had served the Commissioner General of Police whom he cited as the first respondent. He inscribed Constable Mupakaviri as the recipient of the court application. The court heard that Maswela then submitted a certificate of service to the High Court purporting as if he had served the Commissioner General of Police. On July 6, 2022, Justice Webster Chinamora of the High Court of Zimbabwe in Harare passed a verdict in default of the Commissioner General of Police and in favour of Maswela. It is alleged that Justice Chinamora made an Order that the Commissioner General of Police release a Mercedes Benz E280 registration number AEC 1840 to Maswela. The matter came to light on July 7, 2022 when the Commissioner General of Police received an order which prompted an enquiry to be instituted on how the determination was passed in default. Investigations revealed that the accused never served the police on June 17, 2022 as there were no entries in relevant books to support his visit to Police General Headquarters. Due to Maswelas action, the Commissioner General of Police suffered prejudice in the good administration of his functions. Breaking News via Email Related Zimbabwe Latest News Lamnbert here: Vaccine hesitancy is one of those psychologizing, indeed infantilizing, PMC terms that I really hate. (This article applies it mostly to parents, but its broadly used.) On the one hand, many millions are alive today because of the MMR series of vaccines. On the other, many have good reason to think twice about many of the vaccines developed during our ongoing Covid pandemic. For example, I would prefer killed virus technology, which is proven, over mRNA, which is innovative. And I would prefer nasal delivery, were it [family blogging] available, over intramuscular injection. And I would treat any pronouncement by Big Pharma with a hermeneutic of suspicion, and read the studies carefully. I think a lot of people are of like mind. To throw all considerations like these into a hesitancy bucket is, I think, underthinking the problem and asking me to place way too much trust in professional classes that have not, to put it mildly, behaved well. All that said, this is a very stupid timeline, and its always possible to make things worse, so it is with a degree of happiness that I see some data that shows that anti-vax discourse, though corrosive and highly amplified by our Rolodex-driven famously free press, is so far a surface phenomenon. By Dan Falk, a science journalist based in Toronto and a senior contributor to Undark. Originally published at Undark. David M. Higgins, a pediatrician at the University of Colorado and Childrens Hospital Colorado, sees patients and also conducts research but not the type of research thats done in the laboratory with beakers and things like that, as he puts it. Rather, his focus is on health services research, including the study of vaccine delivery, public access to vaccines, and vaccine hesitancy. Hes particularly concerned about misconceptions regarding vaccine hesitancy, especially among parents which he says is not as widespread as many believe. As he wrote recently in an essay in The New England Journal of Medicine, co-authored with Sean T. OLeary: We believe vaccine hesitancy shouldnt be normalized when it is not the norm. Our interview was conducted over Zoom and by email, and has been edited for length and clarity. Undark: Although vaccine hesitancy has a long history, it seemed to spark increased discussion beginning in 2020, when the first vaccines for Covid-19 were developed. In your recent essay, you call for caution in the way we talk about vaccine hesitancy. What are your main concerns? David Higgins: The dominant narrative, that the data doesnt support, coming out of mass media, social media, and just the national conversation about childhood vaccine hesitancy, seems to be this idea that parental hesitancy about routine childhood vaccines is now commonplace, and its widespread. This kind of narrative that the sky is falling tends to ignore the actual data, which show that an overwhelming majority of parents in the U.S., across political and ideological divides, continue to see the value of childhood vaccines, and continue to vaccinate their children according to recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC. UD: What trends have you noticed in terms of parents willingness to have their children receive routine vaccinations like measles, mumps, and rubella? DH: There are multiple different data points, including research studies, national polls, and data out of the CDC, that really still paint a picture of broad support for the value of vaccines in children. For instance, some of the most recent data from the CDC says that 93 percent of parents of kindergarten students opted to vaccinate their kindergarteners with all of the state-required vaccines, and that vaccine coverage for children, by the time theyre 2 years old, hasnt significantly changed since the start of the pandemic. And even further, only 1 percent of children born in 2019 or 2020 didnt receive any vaccines by their second birthday. Thats a tiny percent of children. We also have seen data from national polls, such as the Pew Research and [KFF], showing still robust confidence in the value of vaccines, such as vaccines for measles, with close to 9 out of 10 parents continuing to see the value and benefit of measles vaccines. We also did a study here in Colorado last fall, looking at changes in parental vaccine hesitancy from before the pandemic, throughout the pandemic, and after the pandemic and we didnt find large changes in parental vaccine hesitancy overall. Now, we did find some changes and in whether parents trust vaccine information, and those types of changes, but we didnt find big changes overall. And those data collectively really continue to paint a picture of strong, robust confidence in the value of vaccines. The research and the data that we see really paint a picture thats different than the dominant narrative that vaccine hesitancy for routine childhood vaccines is now commonplace and widespread and the norm. UD: What should doctors keep in mind as they talk with people, and especially parents, about vaccines? DH: The concern with this false narrative is that this can have negative repercussions on people such as doctors, health care professionals, public health professionals. We know that a strong recommendation for vaccines, when its formed in a way that presumes parents want to vaccinate their children, because that is still the norm we know that can actually increase vaccine acceptance. So if a doctor or health care professional continually expects significant vaccine resistance because they misperceive the norm then their recommendation, if they give one at all, may be less effective. They may lose confidence in their ability to really have any influence on parental vaccine decision-making, if they assume that most parents are hesitant. UD: In your essay you wrote, When it comes to parents themselves, normalizing vaccine hesitancy has the potential to be a dangerous self-fulfilling prophecy. Can you explain that idea in more detail? DH: I am concerned that when parents see this narrative that they might start to think whether vaccines are a good idea for their children as well, when they didnt have those concerns in the first place. Normalizing vaccine hesitancy could unnecessarily contribute to parental self-doubt about the value of vaccines this idea that it seems that everyone else is hesitant about vaccines; maybe I should be hesitant too. UD: A number of outbreaks of measles have been reported recently. Do we know how closely those outbreaks are associated with vaccine hesitancy? DH: Thats a great question, because we unfortunately have seen an increase in measles cases across the U.S. this year. Measles is an incredibly, incredibly contagious disease, and really requires extremely high vaccination rates to prevent outbreaks and spread. Now, vaccine hesitancy has a role in under-vaccination, or vaccine delay and refusal. However, the reality is more complicated than simply vaccine hesitancy is the only cause of measles outbreaks. It might be easy to blame the 7 percent of children who were under-vaccinated for measles by the time they reach kindergarten on anti-vaccine or science-denier parents but in reality we still have significant access issues as well. Unfortunately, accessing vaccines is still often far too difficult for families, especially families in marginalized communities. To illustrate this, many families still cant find a primary care provider that has reasonable availability. During the unwinding of Medicaid last year, many families lost Medicaid insurance for their children, and they are having a hard time finding free vaccines for measles through great programs like the Vaccines for Children program. Also, many parents simply havent had the chance to ask a trusted health care professional about vaccines, and hear from them about the value of vaccines for diseases like measles. So the problem is, when the dominant narrative is that vaccine hesitancy alone drives under-vaccination for diseases like measles, then efforts to address access barriers to measles vaccines may fall short. UD: Are you concerned about children in the U.S. not being up to date on their Covid vaccines? DH: Yes, I am concerned. Lets simplify things and remove the Covid-19 name and all the polarizing baggage that may come with that name out of the equation. In our communities, we have a common and contagious respiratory disease that is still causing severe illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in children. And we have a safe and effective vaccine to prevent this disease. Yet, most children are not receiving it. That concerns me. The reasons children have fallen behind on Covid-19 vaccines are complex and evolving, including attitudinal and access barriers. However, I am careful not to blame low pediatric Covid-19 vaccination rates squarely on parents or mislabel parents as being anti-vaccine. Most parents I see whose children havent received recommended Covid-19 vaccines or parents who have concerns about Covid-19 vaccines arent anti-vax or science deniers. Usually, these parents accept other vaccines for their children. Many of these parents dont know and havent heard about the continued value of Covid-19 vaccines for their children from someone they trust. As health care providers, we must do a better job of sharing this continued value with parents with empathy and clear communication. UD: Have we learned all the lessons that we ought to have learned from the pandemic, or are there are there lessons that you feel might not have sunk in yet? DH: I think its important to continually be learning lessons about how we have handled vaccine delivery, vaccine hesitancy and confidence, so that we can apply those lessons to the future. Because this is not the last time we will have either a pandemic or a new disease, or the last time that were going to have great vaccines that can really improve health and keep children healthy. Vaccine hesitancy did not start with the Covid-19 pandemic. As pediatricians we have been addressing vaccine hesitancy for a very long time. In fact, vaccine hesitancy goes back as far as the first vaccine created for smallpox, over 200 years ago. Theres a saying in vaccine delivery research that even the best vaccine is zero percent effective if it only sits in a vial, right? Vaccines dont save lives vaccinations save lives. Actually having people take the vaccines saves lives. And so we absolutely can continually improve on how we communicate about the value of vaccines, how we share information with families and parents, so that more and more children can get the benefits of vaccines. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Becirovic, to NATO Headquarters on Monday (8 April 2024) to discuss regional security issues and furthering the countrys partnership with NATO. Mr Stoltenberg emphasised that NATO strongly supports Bosnia and Herzegovinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. He outlined that NATOs commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina includes support to the countrys security reform efforts via the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, and strengthening capabilities through a Defence Capacity Building package. He added that NATO continues to support the EU-led Operation Althea to maintain a safe and secure environment, saying: We stand ready to continue our political dialogue and strengthen our practical cooperation, for the benefit of our shared security. The Secretary General commended Bosnia and Herzegovina for its recent progress on the path toward European Union membership and welcomed efforts to upgrade the countrys armed forces to work even more closely with NATO. However, he expressed concern about secessionist policies and divisive rhetoric, describing this as reckless and dangerous and undermining hard-won progress. He stressed that all political leaders must work together to preserve unity and safeguard national institutions, adding that this is key for peace and security in the country, and for stability in the Western Balkans. On 9 and 10 April 2024, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mr Mircea Geoana, will travel to the United Kingdom. On 9 April, Mr Geoana will visit NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood, where he will meet MARCOMs commander, Vice Admiral Mike Utley. At the Ministry of Defence, in London, he will meet with the Minister for Defence Procurement, Mr James Cartlidge. On 10 April, the Deputy Secretary General will have a meeting with the United Kingdoms National Security Advisor, Sir Tim Barrow. There will be no media opportunity. For more information: For general queries: Contact the NATO Press Office Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) (@NATO, @Mircea_Geoana and @NATOPress) (As delivered) Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, dear Denis, Its great to have you here. Welcome to NATO. Its great to see you again. And actually, welcome back to the NATO Headquarters. We last met during my visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina in November. And the Deputy Secretary General led a visit of the North Atlantic Council to Sarajevo earlier this year. Your visit today is a chance to take stock of our partnership. And discuss what more we can do together. Bosnia-Herzegovina is a long-standing NATO partner. We strongly support your sovereignty and territorial integrity. We continue to support the EU-led Operation Althea, under the Berlin plus arrangements, to maintain a safe and secure environment. And we commend Bosnia-Herzegovina for your recent progress on the path towards membership in the European Union. But we remain deeply concerned by continued secessionist policies and divisive rhetoric. This is reckless and dangerous. It undermines hard-won progress, and hampers reforms, which would benefit your people. All political leaders must work together to preserve unity and safeguard national institutions. This is key for peace and security in the country. And for stability in the Western Balkans. NATO has been committed to our partnership for many years. We support your security reform efforts through our Headquarters in Sarajevo. And through our Defence Capacity Building package, we are now helping you to strengthen your capabilities further. In areas including crisis management, cyber defence, and countering terrorism. We also appreciate Bosnia-Herzegovinas contributions to our common security. And I welcome your efforts to upgrade your armed forces to work even more closely with NATO. Including through the certification of a light infantry battalion to NATO standards of combat readiness. NATOs commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina is firm. And we stand ready to continue our political dialogue and strengthen our practical cooperation. For the benefit of our shared security. So Chairman, thank you again for being here today. Please, you have the floor. Farah Dakhlallah, NATO Spokesperson - Thank you very much. We have a question from Nerma Ajnadzic from Dnevni Avaz. Nerma Ajnadzic, Dnevni Avaz Hi, Nerma Avaz - Bosnia and Herzegovina. Can we expect Bosnia sincerely to join NATO and what our authorities can also do more on that path? Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General Well Bosnia and Herzegovina has the status as a country which has the Membership Action Plan. It is activated for Bosnia and Herzegovina and of course the purpose of the Membership Action Plan is to make Bosnia and Herzegovina a member of NATO. But to do so, to finalise that process, there are two conditions. One is of course, that the reforms that are necessary to implement are really implemented. So Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to continue its reform efforts. And I think it's important to understand that to strengthen the government institutions, to strengthen the multi-ethnic nature of for instance the armed forces, these are good things to do, regardless of membership in NATO but also helps to move towards the membership of NATO. So the reforms has value, have their value in themselves, but also helps towards membership of NATO. And these reforms are also helping Bosnia and Herzegovina to move towards EU membership. So reforms strengthening governance and public institutions, democratic institutions, is the first condition. The second is of course, that it has to be wanted by the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the political authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. And thats not for me to decide, thats for Bosnia and Herzegovina to decide. But I think we need to realise that even though, perhaps membership is not something that will happen tomorrow. The efforts to move towards membership will strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina, will stabilise the country and also help to realise EU membership. Farah Dakhlallah, NATO Spokesperson - Okay, thank you very much. The press conference is concluded. Thank you. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General Thank you. COVERUP: FOIA documents prove 2020 election fraud in Detroit Both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) covered up evidence of ballot fraud in Detroit in the 2020 election, new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents show Upon discovering evidence of ballot fraud, the DOJ contacted the state of Michigan via email to request an FBI investigation. The response the DOJ received is chilling. "This allegation, and accompanying photos, is alarming," the DOJ email to Michigan reads. "I would like FBI to look into this please." "Talked to the FBI on this and it's not going to be in their lane or ours in terms of apparent criminal actions," responded the Michigan Attorney General's office, "but MDOS (Michigan Department of State) may want to call and try and head this off." It ended up happening that neither the DOJ nor the FBI did anything about the apparent criminal actions, nor did the Michigan Department of State. "Somehow the two investigative bureaus with real authority to investigate credible allegations decided to pass the buck to the Secretary of State, who would've been a huge reason why the election was so fraudulent in the first place," tweeted the "George" (@BehizyTweets) X account. "The corruption is so obvious." Bergen County, N.J., Republican County Committee Member Yehuda Miller obtained these and other communications, which were shared publicly via X. (Related: A recent study found that Trump "almost certainly" won the 2020 election, but mail-in ballot fraud delivered a "win" to Biden instead.) Republicans not allowed to challenge polls Another email from Dawn Ison at the DOJ responding to the ballot fraud complaint states that it had been received and that a "chat" would occur about it later in the day. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. The original email that came through the chain addresses problems at the TCF Center where there were said to be "many examples of significant election-integrity issues." Government officials from both the local and state levels were involved with the fraud, the email states, and those who were aware of it simply wanted it looked into further to verify whether or not Michigan's election results were valid. At poll worker named "Mrs. Jacob" who has been working the polls for 30 years is one of those who spoke out about what she saw, at great risk to herself, mind you. Mrs. Jacob helped bring all this to light, even if nothing was done to address it by the authorities. The original incident in question involved a Republican voter who tried to become a poll challenger at the TCF Center, only to be told that Republicans are not allowed to be poll challengers. On top of that, the Republican voter was told that absentee ballots were not being counted, nor were "faxed-in ballots." "She has stated she's been in communication with four women who were previously inside TCF as counters and that she has heard from other Republicans that have been inside as challengers," the original complaint reads. "She also stated that Democrats are allowed additional challengers. She has also stated she is available for callback and we have her contact info if you would like it." The following video contains more about the ballot fraud that allegedly occurred at the TCF Center: Here's a video I put together a couple years ago that takes a deep dive into the TCF Center during the 2020 election cycle. I spent a couple of weeks reviewing testimony and videos to organize this video. pic.twitter.com/3QMxqotVjT Mr Kaz (@MrKazzzzy) August 8, 2023 "The DOJ and FBI weren't going to investigate anything because they were in on the theft of the 2020 election and the actual cover-up, January 6th," wrote someone on X in response to the revelations. Will Trump win reelection in 2024? Find out more at Trump.news. Sources for this article include: Twitter.com NaturalNews.com Worlds first transgender clinic was formed in Germany in 1919 by gay Jewish doctor One of the primary reasons why Naziism swept Germany in the early 20th century is because of the rampant wickedness and perversion that had taken over, including at the hands of homosexual Jewish doctor Magnus Hirschfeld, who created the world's first transgender clinic in Berlin Known as The Institute for Sexual Research in Berlin, Hirschfeld's transgender clinic was destroyed by the Nazis after they took power, along with many other evils that had infested Germany at the time. Scientific American lamented the downfall of Hirschfeld's clinic in an August 2021 piece, writer Brandy Schillace writing that it "would be a century old if it hadn't fallen victim to Nazi ideology." Boohoo, Schillace. The real story you should have written centers around a gay Jew who polluted Germany and the world with the first-ever body butchery facility where Hirschfeld experimented on hundreds of men by cutting off their genitals and using the skin and tissue to try to reconstruct fake vaginas. This was in 1919, mind you, long before the internet and social media would have polluted people's minds with such abominations. The average person never could have dreamed up such wickedness, but Hirschfeld was apparently no average person. It turns out that Hirschfeld played an influential role in normalizing not just homosexuality but transgenderism and other perversions in German society, a society that eventually tried to snap back from the Pandora's box of everything Hirschfeld unleashed with the rise of Naziism. (Related: Did you know that conservative Jewish icon Ben Shapiro is a product of Israeli intelligence?) Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. German society's response to LGBT perversion was Naziism Hirschfeld wrote a manifesto called The Sexual History of the World War around the time he left his practice and launched a crusade of "justice" for what in modern times has come to be known as the Cult of LGBT. The earliest-known manifestations of transhumanism came from Hirschfeld, who argued that there is a "third sex," and that some people are "non-binary." These people he referred to as "sexual intermediaries," or non-conforming individuals sound familiar? Hirschfeld was not content simply with homosexuality. He would push the limits of the sexual "spectrum" we hear so much about today, arguing that many people are "transvestites" who do not fit into the God-ordained gender and sex binary of male and female. Concepts like "gender fluidity" never existed prior to Hirschfeld, as far as we know. And it was Hirschfeld who really got the ball rolling in normalizing this and other concepts, arguing that people who fall into his spectrum are merely acting "in accordance with their nature." In Hirschfeld's corrupt view, Socrates, Michelangelo and Shakespeare were all "sexual intermediaries." He also considered himself and his partner, Karl Giese, to be the same. While homosexuality was certainly a thing before Hirschfeld, it was Hirschfeld who apparently introduced German society and ultimately the world to transgenderism and all other such perversions on the spectrum. Hirschfeld's perversion institute existed as a place of "research, teaching, healing and refuge" that he claimed could "free the individual from physical ailments, psychological afflictions and social deprivation," as well as provide an "education" for anyone who wanted it. Hirschfeld also provided a refuge at his perversion clinic for feminist activists, aka misandrists, whom he allowed to print journals and other propaganda documents about sexual perversion that were then distributed throughout society. Before the Nazis burned it down, Hirschfeld's perversion refuge even had an entire library full of materials about how to surgically "transition" a human body from male to female, or vice versa. Together with surgeon Erwin Gohrbandt, Hirschfeld actually performed such transition surgeries, which they called "transformation of genitals." "This occurred in stages: castration, penectomy and vaginoplasty. (The institute treated only trans women at this time; female-to-male phalloplasty would not be practiced until the late 1940s.)," Schillace writes in praise of the procedure. "Patients would also be prescribed hormone therapy, allowing them to grow natural breasts and softer features." The Nazis brought all of this to an end, as history shows. They not only destroyed Hirschfeld's clinic but they also burned all the books and research in his library, which is what many are familiar with from depictions in today's history book (though most history books leave out the fact that the books being burned contained such wicked things). "Hirschfeld's books were the type of books that the Nazis burned," notes former biomedicine researcher Dr. Vladimir Joukov, who shared a photo of a May 10, 1993, book burning at which Nazis torched "works by leftists and other authors which they considered 'un-German,' including thousands of books that were looted from the library of Hirschfeld's Institut fur Sexualwissenschaft, as it was called in German. "For a group of bad guys, that sure sounds like a pretty based way to handle the trans problem," wrote another about what the Nazis did. You can learn more about the ugly history of transgenderism and where it originated at Transhumanism.news. Sources for this article include: Twitter.com ScientificAmerican.com NaturalNews.com Israel absurdly claims air strike that killed 7 aid workers was an accident, but charity was coordinating movements with the IDF Israel has apologized for a horrific air strike that killed seven humanitarian aid workers in Gaza. The incident drew harsh criticism of the Jewish state from around the world and prompted several aid organizations to stop making deliveries of food to the besieged strip despite looming famine. The aid workers were in Gaza representing the U.S.-based World Central Kitchen, a food charity that was founded by Spanish celebrity chef Jose Andres. They were struck as they left a warehouse in Gaza, where they had just finished unloading more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid that was brought to the strip by sea. Among the group were three British citizens, an American-Canadian dual citizen, an Australian, a Polish citizen and a Palestinian. According to the BBC, the three British nationals who were killed were part of the group's security team, while the rest were part of its relief team. Israel is insisting that it was an accident, and the IDF has said it will carry out a thorough review into the tragic incident. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has apologized for the killings, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took responsibility for the incident. "Unfortunately, in the last 24 hours there was a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people in the Gaza Strip," he stated. "It happens in war, we check it to the end, we are in contact with the governments, and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again." World Central Kitchen was coordinating movements with the IDF, so how could this be an accident? However, there is evidence indicating it was not accidental, as Israel is claiming. World Central Kitchen maintains that they were coordinating their movements with the Israeli Defense Forces. The convoy that was struck included three vehicles, two of which were armored and clearly displayed the logo of the charity, including on the roof of the vehicle so it could be identifiable from the air. The charity said that the three vehicles had been moving at great distances apart when they were suddenly hit in succession, leaving them incinerated. This is a clear indication that they were hit by multiple targeted strikes. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. Andres, who said he was heartbroken by the deaths, wrote on X: The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon. The U.S., Canada, Australia, Poland and the UK are all demanding answers. White house Spokesman John Kirby said that he was outraged by the incident, while President Biden was unusually strong in his criticism of Israel, saying: Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians. The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties, he added. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, meanwhile, told Netanyahu directly that the war was becoming increasingly intolerable and demanded a thorough and transparent, independent investigation into the strike. World Central Kitchen has been one of the main suppliers of food aid to Gaza. Just a few days ago, they announced that they had served 42 million meals to people in the territory, in addition to sending nearly 435,000 meals there by sea and dispatching more than 1,700 food trucks. They are responsible for 60 percent of all of the non-governmental aid that makes its way into Gaza. World Central Kitchen, like many charities, is now pausing its operations to protect the safety of their aid workers. Another charity, the American Near East Refugee Aid Group, which had been working alongside the World Central Kitchen, has also stopped its operations in Gaza. As a result, Palestinians who are already on the brink of mass starvation will not be receiving food deliveries. Sources for this article include: HumanEvents.com BBC.com WAR FREAKS: Israeli warplanes strike villages in southern Lebanon Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warplanes conducted airstrikes in Al-Habbariyah Heights and the outskirts of Kfar Hamam in Southern Lebanon on Wednesday, April 3, in retaliation for Hezbollah attacks on Israeli border strikes on the same day. Hezbollah has helped Hamas in the past, including in the 2014 Gaza War. Currently, Hezbollah has reiterated its commitment to attacking Israeli sites until the war on Gaza ends. (Related: Israel airstrike kills Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon.) "In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted, at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in Khallet Wardah with appropriate weapons, achieving direct hits," said Hezbollah in a statement taking responsibility for the attack. Before the IDF airstrikes, Hezbollah had also announced a rocket attack on a "new secret command position behind the Pranit Barracks," as well as an earlier attack on Israeli soldiers at the Al-Rahib site in the Galilee region. Israel is always the instigator of violence But this latest round of violence began when the IDF attacked an emergency relief center in the southern village of Al-Habbariyah in late March, which resulted in the deaths of at least seven people paramedics. Hezbollah immediately responded to the attack, which Israel claims was made in self-defense. "In response to the massacre committed by the Zionist enemy in the town of Al-Habbariyah, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance bombed the settlement of Kiryat Shmona and the command of the 769th Brigade in Kiryat Shmona Barracks with dozens of rockets," Hezbollah stated. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. The rocket attack launched early on March 27, targeted the Kiryat Shmona settlement and a nearby military site in the Galilee region. One Israeli citizen was killed in the attack, as medics retrieved his body from a building hit by the Hezbollah rockets. Before the attack, Israeli warplanes had struck the Lebanese Ambulance Association center in Al-Habbariyah, resulting in the deaths of at least seven medics and injuries of four civilians. Moreover, Israeli airstrikes had targeted Baalbek in the Eastern Beqaa Valley of Lebanon multiple times on Mar. 26. Hezbollah responded to the initial attack with rockets aimed at an Israeli command center in the occupied Golan Heights. The escalation of hostilities has seen an expansion of alliances against Israel. Mohammad Takkoush, Secretary-General of the Sunni, Muslim Brotherhood-linked Islamic Group, revealed that his organization had joined the fight against Israel in Lebanon. "We decided to join [the battle] as a national, religious and moral duty. We did that to defend our land and villages. We also did so in support of our brothers in Gaza. Part of [our attacks against Israeli forces] were in coordination with Hamas, which coordinates with Hezbollah." Takkoush said. Learn more about the ongoing and escalating conflicts involving Israel at IsraelCollapse.com. Watch this short clip from Al Jazeera reporting on the Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon that killed paramedics and other civilians. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Israeli strikes target emergency health centers in southern Lebanon, killing paramedics. Israel strikes targets deep in Lebanon as conflict expands into new territories. Hezbollahs tunnels in Lebanon more sophisticated than Hamas in Gaza, warns expert. Israel warns it will extend military offensive to Lebanon if Hezbollah attacks dont cease. Local media reports IDF is set to launch full-blown war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Sources include: TheCradle.co TheCradle.co 2 Brighteon.com Minnesotas new gender identity law strips Christian schools, churches of exemption from hiring LGBTs Last year, the legislature and governor of Minnesota added a new category of human rights called "gender identity" to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The result has been an unleashing of tyranny against Christian schools and churches throughout the state. As of now, the state of Minnesota can tell churches and schools, at least those with 501(c)3 status, what they can and cannot say about "gender identity." They can also, according to the law, force churches and schools of a religious nature what to say or do on other topics, too. As it stands, the new law criminalizes the use of truthful pronouns as opposed to the ones constantly being made up by LGBTs. It also criminalizes others perceived as derogatory language that refuses to play along with LGBT delusions, i.e., transgender surgeries and puberty blockers for children. "If pastors, teachers, or any other Minnesotans speak or write in opposition to the use of wrong-sex hormones, transgender surgery, or puberty blockers for minors, can they be charged with a crime under state law?" asks The Federalist's Allen Quist about the implications of the new law. "If parents try to protect their minor children from such practices, can they be charged with a crime? Can their minor children be removed from their custody if parents refuse to follow such laws? And can a transgender-identifying person be denied employment by a Christian school, church, or other Christian organization, such as counseling centers, charities, or pro-life groups?" (Related: Minnesota has a free [taxpayer-funded] tuition program, but the only people that qualify for it are illegal aliens.) Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Minnesota unsafe for Christians In the past, Minnesota has passed other similar types of laws that always, at least back then, carried with them exemptions for religious liberty following the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Those exemptions appear to be missing from this latest assault. Rep. Harry Niska (R-Ramsey) and other right-leaning legislators in Minnesota are attempting to correct the new law, in Niska's case by introducing an amendment to correct its missing exemption provisions. "My amendment language simply restores the religious exemption in the MHRA protecting religious organizations and faith-based schools against claims of gender identity discrimination," Niska said about his bill. "The exemption ensures that religious organizations and faith-based schools can, among other things, hire teachers and ministers consistent with their mission and values." According to Niska, at least one faith-based school in Minnesota has already received an employment complaint under the new law, which is devoid of the normal exemption clauses for religious liberty. Niska's amendment, sadly, was voted down in both House and Senate committees. This means the nullification of religious liberty remains in effect in Minnesota, which as of now is no longer a safe place for Christians to live. Since Christians are bound first by obedience to God, then mankind, those living in Minnesota are under no obligation to comply with the new law. They could face state persecution for defying it, but before God, they will be doing the right thing, according to Acts 5:29, which tells believers to "obey God rather than men." Another thing Christians in Minnesota can do is lobby their representatives and the governor to remove this religious persecution law from the books and follow the Constitution instead. "That founding document, and specifically the First Amendment, protects our God-given right to practice our Christian faith as we wish," Quist writes. "In addition, the Declaration of Independence states that the purpose of government is to secure this and other rights for all our citizens." "The Minnesota Legislature still has the opportunity to adopt a religious exemption amendment before it adjourns at the end of May." America is breaking apart at the seams in part due to the LGBT takeover. Learn more at Transhumanism.news. Sources include: TheFederalist.com NaturalNews.com The North Face, Target now funding LGBT youth camp teaching children to be genderless drag stars A reeducation camp for children that teaches little ones how to become "genderless" drag queens is in the news after its corporate sponsors were revealed to include household names like Target, The North Face, Chaco, Toms and Brooks, among others. The so-called "Camp Brave Trails," which proudly boasts locations both in California and New York, invites impressionable underage children to stay in its genderless housing and use its genderless bathrooms while prancing around in drag. Camp Brave Trails would not have the funding to operate were it not for large financial contributions from its corporate sponsors. The North Face, a longtime sponsor of the camp, boasted a few years ago that it had contributed more than $70,000 to pay for children to attend. According to the camp, campers "encounter supportive LGBTQ+ adult mentors" during their stay. Campers are also allowed to "truly flourish, free from the anxiety of having to justify their identities or facing [sic] the risk of exclusion." The camp's mission is to "build the next generation of LGBTQ leaders" (but what about the +?). In a 2022 social media post, Camp Brave Trails announced that it had "been chosen to participate in a special charitable giving campaign, sponsored and funded by Target." The "It's a HoliGAY!" promotional video, below, from Camp Brave Trails shows some of the activities campers participate in while there (note that this video appears on YouTube's Kids section): (Related: For years, The North Face has been running ads aimed at children telling them to "come out!" and play with adult drag queens and other LGBT perverts.) Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Grooming children into LGBT Camp founders Kayla and Jessica Weissbuch told viewers in a recent appearance on the Kelly Clarkson Show that their camp facilities are intentionally genderless so as to intermix all of the children, and presumably their "counselors" and "mentors," in the same bathrooms and changing rooms. Camp Brave Trails also asks young campers to share their names "and pronouns," the Weissbuchs said. Children as young as 12 years old are invited by Camp Brave Trails to perform drag dances. One camper admitted in the same interview to having been "able to perform drag, do drag" as well as "so many activities." "Meanwhile, Target stores were seen peddling the transgender agenda with sales of 'tuck-friendly' bathing suits for males who wish to mimic females and 'light binding' swim apparel for females," explains a report about what Target was also up to around the time it started sponsoring Camp Brave Trails. The video below shows the founders of Camp Brave Trails and some of the employees who work there: In the comments, someone pointed out that New Age leader Oprah played a noteworthy role in propelling Target to the forefront of American retail. "She also normalized every sex cult perversion to the public and led them into occultism," this person added. "She admits to channeling demons and having alter personalities. She was also a pimp for Harvey Weinstein." "She is behind putting the demonic practice of yoga, yoking with demonic Hindu gods (New Age). The poses and mantras are worship to these demon gods and self." Another wrote that ever since same-sex "marriage" was legalized nationwide, "the groomers and pedophiles have been working overtime." "They don't even hide it anymore," this person added. "Parents used to protect their kids. Now they feed them to these monsters." "I'm not seeing the connection between fake body parts, fake hair and eyelashes, three pounds of makeup, and 'nature,'" wrote another about the strangeness of Camp Brave Trails. Learn more about the plague of LGBT grooming at Evil.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com Qatar, France broker deal to allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza Palestinians and the estimated 100 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip by the terrorist group Hamas have received medicines and other essential supplies as part of a mediation deal brokered by Qatar and France In a statement released in January, Qatar's Foreign Ministry reported that 63 aircraft are shipping about 1,958 tons of medicines, food items and other vital supplies into Gaza thanks to a Qatari-led mediation deal between Hamas and Israel. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said that the humanitarian aid has arrived, but he didn't explain whether it reached the intended recipients. Al-Ansari added that medicine and aid entered the Gaza Strip "in implementation of the agreement" for the benefit of the civilians in the Strip, including hostages. He added that Qatar and its regional and international partners, "[continue] mediation efforts at the political and humanitarian levels." (Related: Israel KILLED more Palestinians in 2023 than in any year since the Nakba in 1948.) Al-Ansari added that Qatar is still actively negotiating with both parties, but he did not give further details on what the discussions are about. In a post on X, Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, announced that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delivered the medicines to hospitals serving all parts of Gaza. He explained that for every crate of supplies sent for the hostages, 1,000 boxes of medicine would be sent to aid Palestinians. The deal was the result of intervention by Qatar and France, who brokered a deal between Israel and Hamas to send medicine and humanitarian aid to the "most affected areas" of Gaza while also providing aid to the hostages. According to estimates, at least 45 of the remaining 100 hostages have chronic illnesses that require medicine and other vitamins to manage. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Qatar's Foreign Ministry also explained that the deal "comes within the framework of the State of Qatar's unwavering support for the brotherly Palestinian people and its full support for them during the current difficult humanitarian conditions." Most of Gaza could face famine without aid Senior United Nations officials have advised that Gaza could soon face widespread famine and disease if more aid isn't allowed in soon. As of writing, Gazas health ministry estimates that more than 33,000 people have been killed during the fighting in Gaza, including more than 13,000 children. The fighting is ongoing across Palestinian territories as Israel continues to advance toward its goal of destroying Hamas and ensuring that the events of Oct. 7, 2023, don't happen again. Meanwhile, Hamas has announced that it wont release any more hostages until there is a permanent ceasefire. Both the United States and Israel have ruled that out due to concerns that the terrorist group would exploit a truce to rebuild and attack Israel again. The last mediation deal brokered by Qatar was a temporary truce in November 2023 in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages held captive by Hamas, primarily women and children. During the ceasefire, humanitarian aid has also been transported from Egypt into battle-ravaged Gaza, where 2.3 million people were evacuated amid airstrikes and a military offensive in response to Hamas deadly rampage in southern Israel. The agreement also included freedom for hundreds of Palestinians held captive by Israel. The deal was marked by instances of both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of breaking the ceasefire. Eventually, the fighting resumed and hasn't stopped since. Go to IsraelCollapse.com for more stories about the ongoing conflict in Israel, Palestine and the Gaza Strip. Watch the video below as a Gaza doctor reports that he is forced to amputate his daughter's leg at home and without anesthesia. This video is from the Vigilent Citizen channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: UN official: Israel-Palestine war brings FAMINE at incredible speed, leaving hundreds of thousands starving in Gaza. Hospitals in Israel told to prepare for thousands of casualties, and other alarming developments with global implications. Israel and South Africa face off at the International Court of Justice over Gaza genocide case. Report: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized strike against Houthis from hospital bed. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com 1 APNews.com TheEpochTimes.com 2 Brighteon.com San Francisco dumping massive amounts of sewage in the bay, warn environmental advocates An environmental advocacy group is warning that the allegedly "green" city of San Francisco is heavily polluting the bay with sewage in direct violation of multiple Clean Water Act provisions. San Francisco Baykeeper says it is filing a lawsuit against both the San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC) and the city itself after learning that raw sewage and trash-filled runoff is flooding the bay every time there is a heavy rainstorm. The watchdog organization conducted its own investigation to discover that San Francisco and its public utility commission violated hundreds of Clean Water Act provisions over the past five winters, including with the dumping of raw sewage. SFPUC discharges around 1.2 billion gallons of combined stormwater runoff and sewage every year into the bay. Roughly six percent of this discharge is sewage, which during a wet year amounts to around 180 Olympic-sized swimming pools full of sewage being dumped into the bay. "There's no excuse for polluting the bay with sewage and trash, and those who pollute must be held accountable," commented Baykeeper executive director Sejal Choksi-Chugh. "Dumping millions of gallons of untreated sewage into Mission Creek and the Bay is unacceptable, avoidable and illegal." (Related: There is now so much rampant crime taking place in San Francisco that some area businesses are erecting barriers at their store entryways requiring an employee chaperone while shopping.) Condoms, fecal matter and syringes oh my! The vast majority of SFPUC's discharges flow into Mission Creek and Islais Creek, the Baykeeper investigation found. During a visit to Mission Creek, Baykeeper investigators discovered fecal matter, plastics, condoms and syringes in the water. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. "San Francisco is dumping raw sewage and trash directly into the bay at a magnitude that's almost incomprehensible," said Baykeeper attorney Eric Buescher. "Sewage and stormwater pollution is, by volume, the single greatest source of pollution in the Bay, and San Francisco is likely the greatest source of that sewage pollution." Baykeeper sent a formal notice both to the city of San Francisco and SFPUC warning them that it intends to file a lawsuit over these horrific discoveries in U.S. District Court. "The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission appears to be operating on the assumption that its sewage discharges receive treatment and don't cause harm, but the evidence demonstrates that those assumptions are wrong," Choksi-Chugh added. An SFPUC spokesperson denied the allegations, claiming that the city's combined sewer-stormwater system actually helps to protect the environment rather than harm it because it captures and treats the stormwater flows. "Across the Bay Area, when it rains, urban storm runoff picks up trash and contaminants as it flows untreated into San Francisco Bay and other bodies of water," the spokesperson further commented. "San Francisco, however, doesn't do that." "While other coastal cities in California have separate sewer and stormwater systems, most of San Francisco is served by a combined sewer system. This combined system provides greater environmental benefits because it captures and treats most stormwater to the same high standards that apply to wastewater from homes and businesses before releasing it to the bay or ocean. Other cities and counties in the Bay Area don't treat their stormwater before allowing it to flow into the bay. San Francisco, on the other hand, is removing pollutants that other cities don't." The spokesperson would go on to claim that this unique approach was developed with oversight both from the Regional Water Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "The system handles most rainstorms well," this person added. "Some extreme storms can stress the capacity of the system, requiring partially treated discharges. When discharges do occur, they consist overwhelmingly of stormwater." The latest news about the destruction of the environment by polluting cities can be found at Pollution.news. Sources for this article include: KRON4.com NaturalNews.com SWIFTs new central bank digital currency platform could be ready in 1-2 years The worldwide bank messaging network SWIFT has announced it has a new platform in the works that will help connect the different central bank currencies that are being developed by various nations to its existing financial system. They recently carried out a six-month trial that included 38 central banks, settlement platforms and commercial banks in what was one of the biggest global collaborations of its kind so far. The goal was to see whether the CBDCs of different countries could be used together despite being built on different protocols and underlying technologies. They found that it will be feasible to use different CBDCs for highly complex trade and foreign exchange payments. Instead of needing to set up thousands of connections for each counterparty, banks will be able to use one main global point of connection for managing digital asset payments once the interlink solution is in place. Some of the countries that took part in the trial were France, Czech Republic, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and Germany; others that participated requested anonymity. Commercial banks that took part included Deutsche Bank, Citibank, HSBC and two banks from China. SWIFT boasts a network that can be used in more than 200 countries. It is used by more than 11,500 banks and funds and sends trillions of dollars each day. According to SWIFT Head of Innovation Nick Kerigan, their tests demonstrate that banks will be able to use their existing infrastructure for a range of CBDC-related transactions. He added that the results have been so positive that the project is now moving from the experimental stage to something that is much closer to reality. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. "We are looking at a roadmap to productize (launch as a product) in the next 12-24 months," he said. Some countries, like Jamaica, Nigeria and the Bahamas, have already started using their own CBDCs, while China has been carrying out real-life trials using their e-yuan. A digital euro project is also being tested by the European Central Bank. SWIFT made headlines when it cut off most of the banks in Russia from the network in 2022 as part of Western sanctions against the country for its actions in Ukraine. Could something like this happen with their new CBDC system? According to Kerigan, it could theoretically occur, but he did not think this possibility would stop countries from joining. He also foresees other uses for SWIFT. For example, Boston Consulting Group has forecast that $16 trillion in assets may be tokenized by 2030. This means that stocks, bonds and similar assets will be transformed into digital chips for issuing and trading in real time. He stated: "If we can plug in any number of networks (into the SWIFT system) it becomes a much more scalable option for the industry." CBDCs will be forced on people around the world soon SWIFTs efforts in this realm are a strong sign that CBDCs are going to play an increasingly prominent role moving forward, despite the numerous reservations many people have about the potential repercussions of using such currencies. In a press release, Santander Banks Head of Swift and CIB Payments, Carmen Rey, said: This initiative solves the need to ensure interoperability in the future CBDC ecosystem by leveraging on existing connections. This will help to facilitate access and usage of CBDCs in the new complex world of digital payments. With 90 percent of the worlds central banks currently exploring some type of digital version of their currency and payment systems like SWIFT working overtime to find ways to facilitate payments using CBDCs, a future where governments have unprecedented control over peoples lives is right around the corner. Sources for this article include: Reuters.com SWIFT.com Ukrainian authorities were paid to test Big Pharma drugs on human subjects in psyche wards in Mariupol The rule of law has been collapsing in Ukraine for several years, long before the countrys leaders could blame all their problems on Russia. The corruption in Ukraine runs deep. According to documents obtained by construction crews in Mariupol , several well-known pharmaceutical companies have been experimenting on humans for over a decade in the psyche ward there. With corruption rising throughout its institutions, Ukrainian authorities have seized an opportunity to use mental health patients as guinea pigs for highly profitable drugs. The experiments allegedly took place from 2008 to 2016 in the psychiatric ward of Mariupol Hospital Number Seven in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Unethical experiments on mental health patients including over 700 adults and children William Jones, a former White House correspondent for Executive Intelligence Review, recently obtained documents that detail medical experiments that have taken place in Ukraine for several years. These Big Pharma drug experiments are taking place in psyche wards in Mariupol with the support of local Ukrainian authorities. The experimental subjects include over 700 people, including both adults and children. One of the drugs being used in these experiments is known as SB4. The experiments aim at developing highly profitable drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis; however, SB4 is also known for causing several types of cancer. Mental health patients are apparently viewed as expendable. Ukrainian health officials do not care if these patients received informed consent or had someone advocating on their behalf. Ukrainian officials do not care if these people are unaware of what is happening to their bodies or if they developed cancers from these unethical drug trials. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Corrupt drug trials taking place in Ukraine psyche wards SB4 is manufactured by Fisher Clinical Services UK Limited (UK), Catalent Pharma Solutions (Belgium) and Biogen Idec Denmark Manufacturing ApS (Denmark). This drug effectively prevents the human immune system from responding to molecule of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?). By stopping this natural process, the drug increases the risk of the patient getting cancers of the skin, lymphatic and hematological systems. The documents include an application from a US-based pharmaceutical company named Quintiles Ukraine, which was founded as a branch of Quintiles Transnational. The pharmaceutical company asked the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and the Ethics Commission at the medical and preventive institution to conduct clinical trials of SB4. The application was signed in February 2013 and directs hospital officials to test the drug on 152 patients in Ukraine. The total number of subjects in the trial was later expanded to 180 patients in Ukraine, and an additional 500 patients from other countries. According to the documents, by November 2013, the experimental study involved at least 777 patients, which included 285 patients in Poland, 143 in Ukraine, 108 in the Czech Republic, 77 in Bulgaria, 60 in Lithuania, 37 in the Republic of Korea, 34 in Mexico, 17 in Hungary, 14 in Colombia and two in the United Kingdom. The study was supported by Samsung Bioepis, an operation out of South Korea. According to the periodic report of the SB4-G31-RA project on SB4 trials, Mariupol Hospital No. 7 conducted the trials from 2008 to 2016. The documents were recovered on site, along with envelopes and biomaterial containers that contained shipping addresses from laboratories in the US, the UK and Switzerland. The pharmaceutical companies complicit in these unethical research experiments include the following: Pfizer (US), AstraZeneca (UK, Sweden), Celltrion (South Korea), Novatris International AG (Switzerland, US), IQVIA (previously Quintiles and IMS Health Inc., US, UK), Sanofi (France), Galapagos NV (Belgium), Abbott Laboratories (US), Janssen Pharmaceuticals (now Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Belgium), Covance (now Labcorp Drug Development, US) and Merck KGaA (Germany). According to the documents from Catalent Pharma Solutions and Fisher Clinical Services UK Limited, Ukrainian physicians were involved in the experimentation. Sources include: GreatGameIndia.com GreatGameIndia.com Mild to high temperatures are likely in the Northeast this week, according to a weather forecast. The warm weather can bring relief from the recent snow and rainy conditions. However, the warming outlook will be short-lived. The weather conditions will be favorable for outdoor enthusiasts this week, with the return of warm weather conditions in the early week. However, the threat of rainy conditions is expected to return in the late week. Additionally, the NWS Storm Prediction Center recently warned of critical fire weather concerns in parts of the central and southern High Plains. The strong winds and low relative humidity could spark potential wildfires. Northeast Weather Forecast: Where Will Warm Weather Unfold? The early week of the Northeastern US can experience a burst of milder weather outlook, including in portions of the Great Lakes and Maine. Although the weather is ideal for outdoor plans, travelers should still stay alert for a chance of rain in the late week. Recently, parts of the Northeast and Eastern US suffered from the nor'easter storm, which brought challenging weather conditions. In early April, residents can anticipate 10 to 15 degrees above the historical average. Through Tuesday, the warming trend, during the spring condition, can occur in the following areas: Kansas City St. Louis Chicago Detroit Buffalo Pittsburgh St. Louis Little Rock Nashville Charleston Pittsburgh Detroit Buffalo Washington Nashville New York Boston Burlington In New York, the advisory reveals drier and milder weather in the region, including in the NYC metro area in the low 40s. On the Eclipse day, the higher temperatures can reach in the mid-50s to mid-60s. In Boston City, the forecast shows that the night temperatures can become dangerously cold in the region on Tuesday, and wearing appropriate winter clothes is recommended to ease the chilly weather. However, the stormy conditions, with showers and rain, will return on Thursday. The warm conditions will be brief for this week. In the late week, potential rain is forecast in the following areas: Minneapolis Des Moines St. Louis Memphis Macon Asheville Virginia Beach Washington New York Detroit Buffalo New York Boston Burlington Washington Also Read: Central US Weather Forecast: Severe Weather, Strong Winds Likely This Weekend Weather in Other Portions of the US: Flash Flood Weather Threat The chance of rain can lead to moderate to severe flooding concerns, particularly for areas near streams or rivers. For motorists, keeping updated with the latest forecasts is advisable to prevent flooded roads and slippery travel. On the other hand, an NWS advisory warns of a multi-day flash flooding risk in the Southern Plains into the Lower Mississippi Valley on Tuesday. Additionally, the Southern High Plains can expect a threat of critical fire weather risks on Monday. Related Article: Critical Fire Risk Forecast: Strong Wind Gusts, Warm Conditions to Hit Central, Southern High Plains This Weekend For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News A severe weather threat is expected in the Southern US this week, which can affect the viewing conditions in the region for April 8's much-awaited eclipse. People with travel plans should keep updated with the forecasts to avoid potential travel delays or disruptions, which can miss the sightings of the eclipse. [4/7/2024] Updated Key Messages for tomorrow's total solar eclipse and cloud cover forecast are available. High clouds spanning across parts of the totality path are likely, but may not completely obscure the eclipse. For local forecasts visit https://t.co/pGx1JRZLBI. pic.twitter.com/d4JgEXorsF NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) April 7, 2024 It is expected that millions of Americans will watch the upcoming Solar Eclipse on April 8. However, the weather might spoil the enjoyment due to the threat of severe thunderstorms this week. The midweek of April can unleash a challenging weather outlook due to the risk of severe weather, including heavy downpours, isolated tornadoes, and large hail. A National Weather Service report shows that severe thunderstorms and an enhanced risk of severe weather can threaten portions of northwest Texas, with a chance of large hail. A slight risk is also possible in the ArkLaTex in the early week, with rainfall possible in moderate to heavy conditions. Weather in the Southern US on April 8 According to the latest forecast, poor weather conditions can unfold in portions of the Mississippi Valley for the eclipse day. People should stay alert for the severe weather, anticipating the challenges of the severe weather. On Monday, travelers should watch out for severe thunderstorms, which can bring large hail, isolated tornadoes, heavy downpours, and hail conditions. Severe weather can occur in the following areas: Lubbock Dallas San Antonio Houston Jackson Dallas Little Rock Oklahoma The heavy rains, with strong winds, can lead to slower commutes and travel disruptions this week. A cloud cover outlook is also possible in parts of eastern Arkansas and eastern Texas. For the 2024 Solar Eclipse Key Message, the severe weather and flash flood threat can significantly affect the viewing conditions in the following areas: Texas South Oklahoma South Arkansas West Louisiana A cloudy outlook can hinder the enjoyment of solar eclipses in parts of Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania, and New York. On the day of the solar eclipse, hail and isolated tornadoes are still possible in San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, Jackson, Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Little Rock. The NWS Houston report shows that cloud cover is still possible in the region, with a slight risk of severe storms. After the eclipse, persistent severe thunderstorms can continue until the late week, also impacting portions of the Gulf Coast. On Thursday, hail and downpours are likely in the following areas:: Jacksonville Savannah Charleston Macon Dothan Raleigh Fayetteville Also Read: Northeast Weather Forecast: Mild to High Temperatures to Bring Relief This Week After Rainy, Snowy Conditions Preparing for the Solar Eclipse in April The solar Eclipse is here, and early preparations are crucial to save time and avoid the weather. Travelers should bring a raincoat, umbrella, extra power, and viewing glasses to enjoy the moment. For travelers, commuting early will be the best resort, but it is best to check the road conditions for potential road closures and travel delays. Related Article: Central US Weather Forecast: Severe Weather, Strong Winds Likely This Weekend For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News Imagine your favorite pair of jeans - the ones that hug your curves perfectly and make you feel confident. Now, imagine the unseen journey those jeans took before reaching your closet. A journey that leaves a trail of environmental destruction often hidden behind the trendy facade of fast fashion. Fast fashion thrives on churning out trendy clothing at breakneck speed, prioritizing affordability and fleeting styles over quality and sustainability. Jeans, a staple in most wardrobes, are a prime example. They're often produced with a cocktail of synthetic materials and heavily treated with chemicals, all contributing to a massive environmental footprint. The True Cost of a Bargain: From Resource Depletion to Toxic Waste The environmental cost of a cheap pair of jeans starts with the raw materials. Cotton, a primary component, guzzles water during cultivation. A single pair of jeans can require thousands of liters of water to produce, putting a strain on freshwater resources in drought-prone regions. The dyeing and finishing processes are equally concerning. They involve a complex mix of chemicals that can pollute waterways. These chemicals can disrupt aquatic ecosystems, contaminate drinking water sources, and even harm human health. But the story doesn't end there. Fast fashion thrives on a "disposable culture" where clothes are discarded after minimal use. This leads to mountains of textile waste piling up in landfills. Synthetic materials take centuries to decompose, releasing harmful methane gas in the process. Even "natural" cotton jeans often contain synthetic blends that slow down biodegradation. The problem extends beyond landfills. Developing countries often become dumping grounds for unwanted fast fashion clothing. These clothes, unfit for resale, create a significant environmental hazard. They clog drainage systems, attract pests, and can leach harmful chemicals into the soil. Also Read: Ultrafast Fashion vs Environment: New Trend Still Appeals to Public Despite Damaging Consequences Breaking the Denim Dependency: Sustainable Solutions for a Fashionable Future The good news is, there's a growing awareness of the environmental price tag of fast fashion. Consumers are increasingly seeking sustainable alternatives. Here's how you can be part of the solution: Invest in Quality: Opt for classic styles made from durable materials like organic cotton or recycled denim. These jeans might come with a slightly higher price tag, but they'll last longer and ultimately save you money in the long run. Embrace Secondhand: Give pre-loved jeans a new lease on life by shopping at thrift stores or vintage shops. You might unearth a unique gem and reduce the demand for new clothing. Wash Wisely: Washing your jeans less often and hanging them to dry instead of using a dryer can significantly extend their lifespan and minimize water usage. Support Sustainable Brands: Research brands committed to ethical and eco-friendly practices. Look for certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or recycled material content labels. Get Crafty: Repurpose old jeans into new creations like tote bags, coasters, or even throw pillows. Get creative and give your unwanted denim a new purpose. The fashion industry is starting to take notice of the environmental crisis it has contributed to. Advancements in material science are leading to the development of more sustainable fabrics, like those made from recycled plastic or even algae. Additionally, the concept of "circular fashion" is gaining traction, focusing on designing clothes that are easier to recycle or repurpose. The road to a truly sustainable fashion industry is long, but every conscious decision we make as consumers contributes to a greener future. By breaking the cycle of fast fashion and embracing sustainable practices, we can ensure that our love for denim doesn't come at the cost of our planet. Related article: 5 Simple Things Each Student Should do to Save the Environment Products containing per- and polyfluoroalkylated (PFAS) substances, also known as forever chemicals, may soon face stringent restrictions in France. The National Assembly overwhelmingly passed the first draft of a bill banning some products containing dangerous chemicals. It focuses on the production, import, and marketing of cosmetics, apparel, and ski wax containing PFAS. Ban Of Forever Chemical Following a fierce debate between the left and the presidential camp, the bill was unanimously adopted by the National Assembly committee, with 186 votes in favor and none opposed. The bill, introduced by environmentalist Nicolas Thierry, calls for a ban on products containing PFAS substances beginning January 1, 2026, with the exception of protective clothing for safety and civil security professionals. While the manufacture and sale of PFAS-containing textiles will be prohibited beginning January 1, 2030. Cooking utensils, which were originally included in the ban, were excluded after right-wing and majority MPs cited manufacturers' concerns about employment dangers. The bill also includes a 'polluter pays' premise, which would require manufacturers to pay for the cleanup of chemical contamination in drinking water. "Huge victory in the recognition of the health scandal of the century. This vote is historic," said Thierry in a tweet. Read Also: Forever Chemicals: 71% of Wisconsin Private Wells Contaminated With Low PFAS Levels Man-made Chemicals PFAS is an abbreviation for per- and polyfluorinated chemicals, a family of over 10,000 compounds. These man-made chemicals are commonly referred to as 'forever chemicals' since they do not degrade in the environment. They are widely used in textiles, food packaging, and kitchen items due to their nonstick, waterproof, or stain-resistant qualities. In addition to harming the environment, everlasting chemicals have been linked to cancer, low birthweight, and hormone abnormalities, among other health problems. They have been discovered everywhere, from rainfall to breastmilk. Sandrine Rousseau, a French politician and economist, warned that forever chemicals are "a scandal of the same order as asbestos," the infamous building material outlawed in the European Union in 2005 due to its hazardous qualities. While there is strong evidence that at least one of the more than 4,000 human-made compounds known as PFAS causes cancer, researchers are still working to completely grasp their overall influence on health. Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden submitted to the EU a joint proposal to ban PFAS in January 2023. All of these countries have strict internal PFAS regulations. However, EU plans leaked in October appeared to delete the suggestion from a list to be presented ahead of this year's European Parliament elections. In March of this year, the EU approved a ban on PFHxA, a group of forever chemicals used in food packaging and clothes. The limits will be brought in over the next three years. A broad ban on PFAS in food packaging and toys is expected, although industrial applications have been notably exempt from restrictions thus far. Maximum PFAS concentrations in water have already been established and will take effect in January 2026, and the European Chemicals Agency has supported a proposal to prohibit the chemicals in firefighting foams. In 2020, Denmark became the first country to prohibit PFAS chemicals. Last year, the United States proposed limits on chemicals that would last forever. Related Article: Harmful Forever Chemicals in Cosmetic Products To Be Banned in New Zealand Due to Environmental Impacts Elephants in the thousands could be sent from Botswana to Germany over a conservation and legal issue between the two countries. During a recent address to German media in early April, Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi issued a threat to Germany that the African nation would send 20,000 elephants to the said European country due to a dispute over a "hunting trophy import legislation." Elephants in Africa, including in Botswana, have experienced continued threats from wildlife traffickers and hunters. The giant mammals are mainly killed for their ivory tusks as part of the illegal wildlife trade across the continent. In addition to widespread drought across Africa in recent years, this wildlife crime has contributed to the decline of African elephant populations in some parts of the continent. 20,000 Elephant Threat President Masisi has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany over the latter's suggestion earlier this year to have stricter limits on importing trophies from hunting animals, which affects African elephants in Botswana. The suggestion was made by Germany's Ministry of Environment in line with the hunting trophy import legislation, which was also voted on by the United Kingdom Parliament in March 2024. The legislation, which is yet to become a law, aims to ban the import of hunting trophies. However, reports say that President Masisi denounces the legislation since it would only aggravate poverty in their country. Botswana, along with other southern African countries, generate money from "rich Westerners" who pay large sums of dollars for an authorized shooting of a wild animal and then take its body part home as a trophy. Since the UK also supports the legislation, Botswana last month also threatened to send 10,000 elephants to the heart of Great Britain, mainly in London's Hyde Park. Despite the relative decline of the elephant population across Africa compared in prehistoric times, President Masisi assured that Botswana's elephant population had exploded due to conservation efforts and trophy hunting keeps them in check. Also Read: Elephant Names: New Study Reveals African Elephants Give Each Other 'Specific Calls' Elephant Trophy Hunting Currently, Belgium, Australia, and France are some of the countries in the world that have banned the trade in hunting trophies, including elephant ivory tusks. While neighboring countries of Botswana such as Zimbabwe and Namibia also denounce the trophy hunting ban, animal rights groups denounce the practice. Regardless of the ban, elephants in Africa are still vulnerable to persistent poaching. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), decades of poaching and conflict have contributed to the decimation of African elephant populations. The WWF also cited estimations by experts in 2016 that Africa's elephant population had decreased by 111,000 in a matter of a decade, placing the current population at 415,000 elephants across Africa. In recent years, African elephant deaths due to drought have been reported. In December 2023, various reports state that at least 100 elephants died in Zimbabwe because of drought, which had been strengthened by climate change. Related Article: Elephant Deaths In Africa Could Be Attributed To Heat, Drought, Study Says According to information published by City AM on April 7, 2024, the AUKUS pact, a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, initially focused on enhancing undersea and nuclear capabilities, is poised for a significant evolution. With its Pillar II initiative, AUKUS is extending its reach into advanced military technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and hypersonic weapons. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, and the Hon. Anthony Albanese, MP, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia. (Picture source: Japanese government) Pillar II of AUKUS is not just about developing new technologies but also about creating a framework for collaboration that could eventually include other nations. This broader engagement is seen as crucial for addressing emerging threats and ensuring a balanced power dynamic in the Indo-Pacific region. Among the potential new members, Japan and Canada have been specifically mentioned as in line to join this technological and military collaboration by the end of 2024 or early 2025. Furthermore, New Zealand has shown interest in joining AUKUS, specifically under Pillar II, to access and integrate advanced technologies within its defense forces. The prospect of New Zealand's inclusion has sparked a national debate, weighing the technological and strategic benefits against potential diplomatic and trade repercussions, particularly with China. AUKUS AUKUS is a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, established to foster military and technological cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. This alliance, announced on September 15, 2021, is seen as a strategic counter to China's growing influence and aims to bolster the defense capabilities of its members through sharing critical technologies, including nuclear-powered submarines and advanced cyber mechanisms. The origins of AUKUS trace back to Australia's need to upgrade its submarine fleet. Initially, Australia had contracted with France's Naval Group for a new class of submarines. However, due to escalating costs and delays, Australia canceled this contract and, in March 2021, sought assistance from the UK and the US for nuclear-powered submarines, leading to the formation of AUKUS. This move has significantly shifted Australia's maritime defense strategy towards a capability for greater endurance, speed, and stealth provided by nuclear-powered submarines. AUKUS is structured around two primary pillars. Pillar I focuses on Australia acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs), enhancing its undersea capabilities. This includes the sharing of nuclear propulsion technology between the US and UK with Australia, a significant step as Australia will join the UK as the only countries the US has shared this technology with. The SSN-AUKUS submarines are expected to be in service by the late 2030s and domestically produced in Australia by the early 2040s. According to a PR published by Chess Dynamics on April 4, 2024, has secured a contract to deliver its SeaEagle FCEO surveillance systems for the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) new Hunter class frigates, being constructed under the guidance of BAE Systems Maritime Australia. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Artist rendering of the future Hunter class frigate and and the SeaEagle FCEO surveillance system. (Picture source: BAE Systems and Chess Dynamics) These systems are poised to enhance the RAN's capabilities in monitoring, tracking, and identifying both surface and aerial threats. This technology aims to streamline operations by offering precise tracking information, thus aiding in the passive coordination of the frigates' weaponry. The SeaEagle FCEO, already a choice for various international naval projects including the UK Royal Navy's Type 26 Global Combat Ship the basis for the Hunter class design comes equipped with cutting-edge optical technology. This includes a sophisticated daylight camera, a high-resolution infrared camera, and an eye-safe laser rangefinder, complemented by an advanced software suite for a comprehensive maritime situational analysis. The integration of the SeaEagle FCEO into the Hunter class frigates is anticipated to provide the RAN with a unified, user-friendly interface for combat management. Its capacity for information sharing with other fleet elements is expected to significantly enhance maritime awareness and operational efficiency across the RAN. About the Hunter class frigates The ship has a full load displacement of 8,800 tons and measures 149.9 meters in length with a beam of 20.8 meters. It utilizes a CODLOG configuration for propulsion, comprising one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, four MTU Type 20V 4000 M53B high-speed diesel generators, and two electric motors, allowing it to achieve speeds over 27 knots. Its operational range is 7,000 nautical miles when powered by electric motors. The vessel has accommodations for 180 personnel, with capacity for an additional 28. In terms of command and control, the vessel is equipped with the Aegis combat system and the Saab 9LV tactical interface. Surveillance capabilities are supported by the CEA Technologies CEAFAR2 phased array radar. The underwater warfare systems include the Ultra S2150 hull-mounted sonar and Thales Sonar 2087 towed array and variable depth sonar. The armament suite includes two sets of 4-canister launchers for advanced anti-ship missiles, a 32-cell Mark 41 Vertical Launch System compatible with RIM-66 Standard 2 and RIM-162 ESSM missiles, MU90 Impact torpedoes, one 5-inch 54 calibre Mark 45 Mod 4 dual-purpose gun, two 30mm short-range gun systems, and two 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems. For aviation, the ship is equipped with a large flight deck capable of accommodating Chinook helicopters, an enclosed hangar, and facilities for unmanned aerial vehicles. It can deploy one MH-60R Romeo Seahawk helicopter, outfitted with Mk 54 MAKO Torpedoes and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. As fans gather outside his home to greet him on his b'day, Allu Arjun bows, does a namaste A swarm of fans gathered around Allu Arjuns house in Hyderabad to catch a glimpse of their beloved star on his 42nd birthday. The superstar greeted them with a 'namaste'. The actor walked out in a stylish colourful shirt paired with white pants during wee hours on Sunday, to thank fans for all the love. Several videos posted by those present, showed the star standing on a podium next to the fence. He is seen greeting the crowd that is cheering him. A few clips also showed that the sea of fans were carrying gifts for their icon. Talking about Allu Arjun, the entire country is currently awaiting the teaser of his upcoming film 'Pushpa: The Rule', which is set to drop on Monday at 11:07 AM on the occasion of his birthday. A new poster from the film was unveiled on April 7, which showed the actors character of Pushparaj sitting in a chair with an axe in his hand. Pushpa 2: The Rule is directed by Sukumar and also stars Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Muttamsetty Media. Pushpa 2: The Rule will be released on August 15, 2024. As fans gather outside his home to greet him on his b'day, Allu Arjun bows, does a namaste Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Unveiling the Wonders of Thailand: A Journey Through the Land of Smiles I magine a land where golden temples glisten under the sun, pristine beaches stretch as far as the eye can see, and the aroma of delectable street food fills the air. Welcome to Thailand, a country that captivates the hearts of travelers from around the globe. In this blog post, we'll embark on a journey through the latest trends and must-visit destinations in and around Thailand, ensuring that your vacation trip is filled with unforgettable experiences. Get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality of the Land of Smiles! 1. Exploring the Bustling Streets of Bangkok No trip to Thailand is complete without experiencing the pulse of its capital city, Bangkok. Picture yourself navigating through the vibrant streets, where modern skyscrapers stand alongside ancient temples. Start your adventure at the Grand Palace, a magnificent complex that showcases the grandeur of Thai architecture. Marvel at the intricate details of the Emerald Buddha Temple, where the revered statue of the Buddha resides. As the sun sets, head to the lively Khao San Road, a backpacker's paradise filled with street vendors, bars, and an electric atmosphere. Indulge in the mouthwatering street food, from sizzling pad thai to refreshing mango sticky rice, and let the energy of Bangkok sweep you off your feet. 2. Island Hopping in the Andaman Sea Thailand's southern islands are a paradise for beach lovers and adventure seekers alike. Picture yourself hopping from one stunning island to another, each with its own unique charm. Start your island-hopping journey in Phuket, where you can relax on the white sands of Patong Beach or explore the historic Old Town. Take a boat trip to the iconic Phi Phi Islands, where towering limestone cliffs rise from the turquoise waters. Snorkel in the crystal-clear waters of Maya Bay, made famous by the movie "The Beach," and discover a world of colorful marine life. Continue your adventure in Krabi, where you can climb the limestone cliffs of Railay Beach or kayak through the mangrove forests. With an array of islands to choose from, your island-hopping itinerary in Thailand will be filled with sun, sand, and endless adventures. 3. Discovering the Cultural Gems of Chiang Mai For a taste of Thailand's rich cultural heritage, head north to the enchanting city of Chiang Mai. Nestled amidst misty mountains, Chiang Mai is a haven for those seeking a more laid-back and authentic Thai experience. Start your exploration at the ancient temples, such as Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, perched on a hilltop overlooking the city. Immerse yourself in the vibrant art scene by visiting the numerous galleries and museums, showcasing traditional and contemporary Thai art. Take a stroll through the charming streets of the Old City, where you can shop for handcrafted souvenirs and indulge in delicious northern Thai cuisine. For a truly immersive experience, join a cooking class and learn the secrets of Thai cooking from local experts. Chiang Mai's cultural treasures will leave you enchanted and eager to discover more. 4. Embarking on a Jungle Adventure in Khao Sok National Park If you're seeking a nature-filled adventure, look no further than Khao Sok National Park. Located in southern Thailand, this stunning park is a hidden gem that offers a unique blend of lush rainforests, towering limestone cliffs, and serene lakes. Imagine trekking through the dense jungle, spotting exotic wildlife such as gibbons, hornbills, and even elephants. Take a boat ride on the tranquil Cheow Lan Lake, where you can marvel at the majestic limestone formations rising from the emerald waters. Stay overnight in a floating bungalow, falling asleep to the sounds of the jungle and waking up to a breathtaking sunrise over the lake. Khao Sok National Park is a nature lover's paradise, offering an escape from the bustling cities and a chance to reconnect with the beauty of the natural world. 5. Indulging in Thai Wellness and Spa Retreats Thailand is renowned for its traditional wellness practices and luxurious spa retreats. After days of exploring and adventure, treat yourself to a pampering experience that will rejuvenate your body and mind. From the tranquil beaches of Koh Samui to the lush jungles of Chiang Mai, Thailand offers a wide range of spa retreats that combine ancient healing techniques with modern amenities. Indulge in a traditional Thai massage, where skilled therapists use gentle pressure and stretching to relieve tension and promote relaxation. Unwind with a herbal compress treatment, where warm pouches filled with aromatic herbs are applied to soothe sore muscles. For a truly immersive experience, join a yoga or meditation retreat, where you can deepen your practice amidst the serene natural surroundings. Thailand's wellness and spa retreats offer a sanctuary of peace and rejuvenation, allowing you to return home feeling refreshed and revitalized. Conclusion: As we conclude our journey through the wonders of Thailand, it's evident that this enchanting country offers an endless array of experiences for every type of traveler. From the bustling streets of Bangkok to the idyllic islands of the Andaman Sea, from the cultural gems of Chiang Mai to the untamed beauty of Khao Sok National Park, Thailand beckons with its diverse landscapes, rich heritage, and warm hospitality. Whether you seek adventure, relaxation, or cultural immersion, Thailand has something to offer. So, pack your bags, embark on a journey to the Land of Smiles, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Thailand awaits, ready to embrace you with open arms and show you the true meaning of "sabai sabai" a a sense of tranquility and contentment that will linger long after your vacation ends. Unveiling the Wonders of Thailand: A Journey Through the Land of Smiles Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Microsoft to open new AI hub in London M onths after creating the new Microsoft AI organisation to help advance their consumer AI products and research, including Copilot, the tech giant has now announced that it is opening a new AI hub in London, UK. According to the company, the new AI hub will drive pioneering work to "advance state-of-the-art language models and their supporting infrastructure, and to create world-class tooling for foundation models, collaborating closely with our AI teams across Microsoft and with our partners, including OpenAI." The new AI hub will be led by Jordan Hoffmann, an AI scientist and engineer. Before joining Microsoft AI, Hoffmann distinguished himself as an AI pioneer at Inflection and DeepMind, based in London. Hoffmann will be joined by a group of Microsoft AI team members based in the company's London Paddington office. "There is an enormous pool of AI talent and expertise in the UK, and Microsoft AI plans to make a significant, long-term investment in the region as we begin hiring the best AI scientists and engineers into this new AI hub," the company said in a blogpost. In the post, the tech giant also highlighted its recently announced 2.5 billion pound investment to upskill the UK workforce for the AI era and to build the infrastructure to power the AI economy, including its commitment to bring 20,000 of the most advanced GPUs to the country by 2026. Microsoft to open new AI hub in London Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Neha Joshi's brother backed her desire to be an actor, offered her financial assistance A ctress Neha Joshi has expressed gratitude to her brother for illuminating his life's path, saying how throughout their growing years, he urged her to pursue excellence and reject mediocrity. Ahead of the 'National Siblings Day', Neha, who plays Krishna Devi Vajpayee in 'Atal' said: "My older brother has always transcended the typical sibling dynamic. He's been my guardian and closest confidant throughout our upbringing, even though we had the usual sibling antics like squabbles, teasing, and occasional irritation. Despite that, we consistently stood by each other. His influence on my life surpassed mere siblinghood. He became my rock, shaping my values and ambitions." "Throughout our growing years, he provided unwavering motivation, urging me to pursue excellence and reject mediocrity. His steadfast belief in my capabilities made him an exemplar in my eyes. He shared my aspiration to become an actor, offering financial assistance when I moved to Mumbai. His unwavering belief inspired me, emphasising that failure is only a stepping stone to success," shared Neha. The 'Drishyam 2' fame actress added: "On this Sibling Day, I express gratitude to my brother for illuminating my life's path. His love, guidance, and unwavering faith in me have profoundly shaped my essence. May our bond continue to thrive, a lasting testament to the strength of siblinghood and the beauty of shared affection." 'Atal' airs at 8 pm on &TV. Neha Joshi's brother backed her desire to be an actor, offered her financial assistance Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! 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. In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers investigated the associations between the lifespan of different dog breeds and their evolutionary history through domestication by humans and subsequent artificial selection for desirable traits. Their results have wide-reaching implications for canine well-being and will interest welfare organizations, breeding groups, and dog lovers everywhere. Study: Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Image Credit: MitchyPQ / Shutterstock Background There is a broad scientific consensus that humans domesticated dogs from their ancient wolf ancestors; genomic and archaeological evidence suggests this happened around 16,000 years ago. Recent efforts at artificial selection to intensify desirable traits have led to a widespread loss in genetic diversity and a spectacular variety of phenotypic diversity. The former was ensured through breeding practices such as repeatedly using popular sires, and the aim was to maintain pedigree diversity by restricting the gene flow between breeds. Some breed standards focused on achieving standards of physical appearance by exaggerating phenotypic characteristics, leading to various disorders related to conformation and hereditary pathology. Studies comparing longevity between purebred and crossbred dogs have found that crossbreds have a survival advantage of 1.2-1.3 years, with researchers hypothesizing that this is partially due to hybrid vigor caused by reductions in deleterious genes inherited from both parents in purebreds. Whether inbreeding depression or hybrid vigor affects domestic dogs has not been conclusively established, but scientists have described approximately 700 hereditary traits and disorders; the high prevalence of diseases in many purebred populations is a cause for concern. About the study Researchers included 584,734 dogs in the United Kingdom with information on their breed, sex, whether they were crossbred, date of birth, postal code, death date (if the animal had died), and identifying information. Data was obtained from academic institutions, charities for animal welfare, pet insurance firms, veterinary corporations, and breed registries. Within a breed, purebred dogs were classified as large, medium, and small in size; their cranial or cephalic index was calculated as the ratio between skull width and length, and they were then classified as long-faced or dolichocephalic, medium-proportioned or mesocephalic, and flat-faced or brachycephalic. The research team used maximum likelihood estimation to analyze censored data and make use of all available information. The analysis included plotting Kaplan-Meier survival curves within each group and each explanatory variable, such as cephalic index, sex, size, breed, and parental lineage, and testing for statistical differences between the survival curves using pairwise log-rank tests. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to test whether proportional mortality risk differed between categories. Findings The 584,734 individuals included 284,734 who were deceased; approximately 27% were geriatric, 34% were senior adults, 29% were mature adults, 6% were young adults, 2% were juvenile, and 2% were puppies. There were 4.3 purebred dogs for every crossbred dog in the sample and 1.1 males for every male; among purebreds, 21% of the dogs were brachycephalic, 63% were mesocephalic, and 16% were dolichocephalic. Labrador retrievers, Staffordshire bull terriers, English cocker spaniels, and German shepherds were the most common breeds, and small dogs accounted for over 53% of the sample of purebreds. Median lifespan of the lowest quartile of breeds plotted onto the breed phylogeny. Hotter colors represent lower median lifespans. Survival probabilities were lowest for geriatrics and highest for juveniles, with young adults and puppies having similar chances of survival. Crossbreeds had a median survival of 12 years, while purebreds lived for a median of 12.7 years. By slightly over 18 years of age, 95% of crossbred and purebred individuals had died; females showed a slight advantage in survival over males. When compared with crossbred survival, 47% of purebreds showed more prolonged median survival, 26% showed shorter median survival, and the remaining showed no significant difference. There were significant variations in longevity across breeds, with mastiffs, St. Bernards, bloodhounds, and bulldogs being among those at risk of early death. Breeds with the lowest risks of dying early included border terriers, Italian greyhounds, and the Shiba Inu. The size of the breed appeared to contribute to this result; regardless of sex, large purebreds showed lower survival estimates than smalland medium-sized breeds, presenting a 1.17-1.28 faster time to death. Some significant interactions between size and cephalic index were noted; brachycephalic-large and brachycephalic-medium dogs showed a 1.92-2.69 faster time to death than dolichocephalic breeds. Phylogenetic analyses showed that median lifespan distribution showed strong links to evolutionary history, with breeds within a clade having lifespans closer to each other than would be predicted by chance alone. Conclusions Previous research suggested that purebreds appear to live significantly shorter lives than their crossbred counterparts, leading to the widespread belief that purebreds may be significantly less healthy than crossbreeds. However, this study presents a more nuanced picture indicating wide variability across breeds. Further research is required across various geographies and environments; ideally, these analyses should include the cause of death for deceased dogs to identify factors that directly increase the risk of early death. Such explorations will strengthen veterinary knowledge about pure breeds and help their human companions care for them better. People with hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea were no less likely to see their blood pressure drop over six months if they used a mandibular advancement device (MAD), which is inserted onto the teeth similar to a bite guard. compared to a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, according to research featured at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common risk factor for cardiovascular disease. People with obstructive sleep apnea experience frequent sleep interruptions due to the airway closing periodically during sleep. Since obstructive sleep apnea can cause or worsen hypertension, medical guidelines recommend the use of a CPAP machine to help keep airways open by delivering pressurized air through the mouth and nose. MADs are designed to help keep the airway open by repositioning the lower jaw and moving the tongue forward. Previous studies have shown that CPAP devices outperform MADs in terms of apnea-hypopnea index, the standard metric used to measure sleep apnea severity. However, there is evidence that MADs may be better tolerated than CPAP, which some people find too uncomfortable or cumbersome for sustained use. In this study, MADs were found non-inferior in terms of change in the average 24-hour ambulatory mean blood pressure at six months and they resulted in a larger reduction across multiple secondary blood pressure parameters compared with CPAP. According to researchers, higher adherence among people assigned to use the MAD device could help explain the findings. Looking at the totality of evidence available in the literature, it is still reasonable to say that CPAP is the first-line treatment until we have more data on the MAD. However, for patients who truly cannot tolerate or accept using a CPAP, we should be more open minded in looking for an alternative therapy such as a MAD, which based on our study, numerically had a better blood pressure reduction in patients compared with a CPAP." Ronald Lee Chi-Hang, MD, professor of medicine at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, senior consultant in the department of cardiology at National University Heart Centre, Singapore, and one of the study authors For the study, 321 people with uncontrolled hypertension and high cardiovascular risk underwent a sleep study to determine whether they had obstructive sleep apnea. Of these, 220 people were found to have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and were randomly assigned to receive a MAD or CPAP device. Participants were instructed to use their assigned device for six months while sleeping to the degree that they could tolerate it. Both devices had built-in trackers that recorded use. At six months, people assigned to the MAD group experienced a drop in 24-hour ambulatory mean blood pressure that was 1.64 mmHg larger, on average, than those assigned to CPAP, meeting the threshold for non-inferiority and the trial's primary endpoint. Compared with the CPAP group, the MAD group also showed a larger between-group reduction in all ambulatory blood pressure measures, especially nighttime blood pressure when the devices were being used, and an increased proportion of patients achieving a systolic blood pressure below 120 mmHg by the end of the study. None of the participants experienced symptomatic hypotension. The adherence data revealed that over half (56.5%) of those who were assigned to use the MAD used the device for six or more hours per night on average over the study period, while under one-quarter (23.2%) of those assigned to CPAP did so. "The MAD patients simply used the device longer," Chi-Hang said. "That also might explain why the blood pressure reduction at nighttime, when the patients are actually using it, had a better reduction in the MAD arm." Adherence to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's recommendation of four or more hours of use in at least 70% of nights overall was similar between groups, with 69.4% of those in the MAD group and 64.3% of those in the CPAP group meeting this recommendation. Both groups saw a reduction in daytime sleepiness and the results showed no between-group differences in cardiovascular biomarkers. Overall, researchers said the results underscore the importance of treating sleep apnea as part of a broader effort to control hypertension and reduce cardiovascular risk. "People should be aware that over 400 million people globally have moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea, and it is underdiagnosed and may be a contributing factor to their high blood pressure," Chi-Hang said. "Especially for patients whose blood pressure is hard to control or who have a lot of excessive daytime sleepiness, [it is important to] go see a physician about sleep apnea and get treated if necessary." Since the study was conducted in Singapore and most study participants were of East Asian descent, researchers said further studies in more diverse populations are necessary to determine whether the findings are generalizable to other racial and ethnic groups. Chi-Hang also said that the timing of the study, which was conducted during travel lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, may have influenced the results by increasing adherence. The researchers plan to conduct further studies focused on comparing the impacts of the different types of devices on cognition. The study was funded by the Singapore Ministry of Health. This study was simultaneously published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology at the time of presentation. Chi-Hang will present the study, "Mandibular Advancement Device Versus CPAP for Blood Pressure Reduction in Obstructive Sleep Apnea and High Cardiovascular RiskA Randomized Clinical Non-inferiority Trial," on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 4:15 p.m. ET / 20:15 UTC in the Thomas B. Murphy Ballroom 4. After creating 1,50,000 direct jobs in nearly two and a half years, the Apple ecosystem is focusing on providing residential facilities to factory employees. The company follows this industrial housing model in China and Vietnam, according to an Economic Times report. Apples contract manufacturers and suppliers, including Foxconn, Tata and Salcomp, are planning homes for their employees, the ET report quoted government officials as saying. These residences are being built through a public-private partnership, marking the largest private-sector initiative of its kind. The initiative aims to construct over 78,000 units, with Tamil Nadu set to receive the highest allocation of 58,000 units. State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) will undertake the construction of the majority of housing units. The Tata Group and SPR India are also involved in constructing homes. Under the scheme, the central government might contribute 10-15 per cent of the funding, with the remaining portion sourced from state governments and entrepreneurs. Officials anticipate that construction and handover to the private sector will conclude within the current financial year, ending on March 31, 2025. The massive employee housing initiative aims to enhance efficiency and provide security, particularly for migrant women employees, the majority of whom fall in the 19-24 age group, said an official. The average CEO compensation in India stood at Rs 13.8 crore, up 40 per cent compared with pre-COVID-19 times, and more than half of the overall remuneration is linked to short-term and long-term incentives, says a Deloitte report. According to the Deloitte India Executive Performance and Rewards Survey 2024, average CEO compensation stands at Rs 13.8 crore, while CEOs who were also promoters or members of the promoter family are paid Rs 16.7 crore on average. Promoter CEO compensation outpacing professional CEO compensation is primarily driven by two factors. Professional CEOs change more often than promoter CEOs due to the longer tenure of promoter CEOs at an aggregate. But it is also important to note that the range of promoter CEO compensation is very wide, and that affects the higher averages, said Anandorup Ghose, Partner, CHRO Programme Leader, Deloitte India. According to Deloitte, while CEO compensation has increased, more than 50 per cent of target compensation is pay-at-risk. For professional CEOs, pay-at-risk at 57 per cent is much higher than for promoter CEOs at 47 per cent. Professional CEOs have 25 per cent of their target compensation delivered through long-term incentives, which for most companies, is paid through share-linked incentives. According to Deloitte, CEO compensation in India has seen high-single-digit annualised growth rates. The wide gap between median and average CEO compensation (Rs 9.3 crore versus Rs 13.8 crore) indicates the wide range of compensation numbers and some outliers on the higher end, it added. While assessing CEO and CXO performance, most companies use a holistic scorecard that includes a mix of financial and non-financial metrics and targets. However, incentives for CEOs and CXOs are still tilted towards financial company-level goals within those scorecards. On long-term incentives, Deloitte said the percentage of companies using share-based incentives continued to increase (75 per cent in 2024 vs 63 per cent in 2020) and the the prevalence of stock options, or ESOPs, continued to decrease (49 per cent of companies in 2024 vs 68 per cent of companies in 2020). Large Indian companies with more mature and globally aligned compensation practices are pivoting towards Performance Shares and use of multiple incentive plans for different employee cohorts. Conversations in the boardroom have also shifted from the need for share-based payment to the return from these incentive structures to stakeholders, Anandorup Ghose added. Meanwhile, an analysis of CEO changes in BSE 200 companies (excluding PSUs) revealed that 45 per cent of companies witnessed a CEO change over the past five years. Six of every 10 new CEOs are homegrown (internally appointed) and the remaining four CEOs were external hires. The fifth edition of the Deloitte India Executive Performance and Rewards Survey was launched in September 2023. More than 400 organisations participated in this B2B India-specific survey, which did not include any public sector companies. To facilitate ease of doing business, Sebi has proposed that certain changes in the private placement memorandum of alternative investment funds can be submitted directly to the regulator rather than through a merchant banker. Also, the proposed move would rationalise the cost of compliance for alternative investment funds (AIFs). Also Read: Heres Why Financial Influencer Ravindra Balu Bharti Ordered By Sebi To Pay Rs 12 Crore In its draft circular, Sebi said that certain changes carried out in private placement memorandum (PPM) are not required to be filed through merchant bankers and can be filed directly to the regulator. These included changes in the size of the fund, information related to affiliates, commitment period, key investment team of the manager and key management personnel of AIF, and reduction in expense or fee or cost charged to fund/investors. Additionally, changes in contact details of AIF, sponsor, manager, trustee or custodian, risk factors and track records of investment manager, among others, are not required to be filed through a merchant banker. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has sought public comments on the proposal by April 26. At present, any change in the terms of PPM is required to be submitted to Sebi through a merchant banker, along with a due diligence certificate from the merchant banker in a specified format. Such changes in the terms of PPM and in the documents of the fund/scheme are required to be intimated to investors and Sebi on a consolidated basis within one month of the end of each financial year. In its circular, the regulator also recommended that large-value funds for accredited investors (LVFs) should be exempted from the requirement of intimating any changes in the terms of PPM through a merchant banker. Moreover, it suggested that LVFs should directly file any changes in the terms of PPM with Sebi, along with a duly signed and stamped undertaking by the CEO of the manager of the AIF and compliance officer of the manager of the AIF in a specified format. PPM is a document used to present details of an investment opportunity offered by a company or fund to potential investors. It outlines investment terms, risks, and potential returns to inform investors decision-making. Teerth Gopicon IPO: The initial public offering of Teerth Gopicon Ltd, an engineering construction and development company, has opened for public subscription on Monday. Till 11:40 am on the first day of bidding on Thursday, the Rs 44.40-crore SME IPO received an overwhelming 0.37 times subscription, garnering bids for 14,06,400 shares against 37,99,200 shares on offer. The price of the Teerth Gopicon IPO has been fixed at Rs 111 per share for its initial public offering. The Ahmedabad-based company, which mainly focuses on roads, sewerage and water distribution projects, looks to raise up to Rs 44.40 crore from the SME public issue, the company said in a statement. The category for non-institutional investors got subscribed 0.20 times while the portion for Retail Individual Investors (RIIs) attracted 0.54 times subscriptions. The Teerth Gopicon IPO was opened on April 8. Its share allotment will take place on April 12, while the shares will be listed on NSE SME on April 16. Teerth Gopicon IPO GMP Today According to market observers, unlisted shares of Teerth Gopicon Ltd are trading Rs 10 higher in the grey market as compared with its issue price. The Rs 10 grey market premium or GMP means the grey market is expecting a 9.01 per cent listing gain from the public issue. The GMP is based on market sentiments and keeps changing. Grey market premium indicates investors readiness to pay more than the issue price. Teerth Gopicon IPO Details The initial share sale opened for subscription on Monday and close on April 10, it added. The shares of the company will be listed on NSEs SME platform Emerge. The initial public offering comprises a fresh issue of 39.99 lakh equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each. It is a fixed-price issue. The company proposes to use the net proceeds from the IPO to fund its expansion plans. It plans to utilise Rs 33.40 crore towards working capital requirements and Rs 10.24 crore towards general corporate purposes. Investors can bid for a minimum of 1,200 equity shares and in multiples of 1,200 equity shares thereafter. The minimum investment is Rs 1.33 lakh. Incorporated in 2019, Teerth Gopicon is engaged in the business of road construction, sewerage and water supply in Madhya Pradesh. The company has worked as a registered civil contractor for various central and state government departments and has also undertaken building works for the private sector. The order book of the company as of January 31, 2024, is Rs 904.98 crore. For the April-January period of FY2023-24, the company reported a net profit of Rs 7.84 crore and revenue of Rs 69.70 crore. It reported a net profit of Rs 1.80 crore and revenue of Rs 39.15 crore in FY2022-23. Interactive Financial Services Ltd is the sole book-running lead manager, while Bigshare Services is the registrar for the issue. The answer key for the Karnataka Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination (SSLC) or Class 10 exams 2024 has been released by the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEEB). Students who took the exam can now check the subject-wise answer key on the official website at kseeb.karnataka.gov.in. KSEEB has opened the window to raise objections to the SSLC answer keys. One can challenge the answer key through the official portal by 5 pm, today, April 8. Candidates can also use the marking scheme and the answer key to calculate their probable scores. The Karnataka Secondary School Leaving Certificate Exam was held from March 25 to April 6. The SSLC exam will begin with the first language paper and will end with the second language paper. The exams will be held in a single shift from 10:15 am to 1:30 pm. Karnataka SSLC Answer Key 2024: How to Download? Step 1: Go to the official website of KSEEB at kseeb.karnataka.gov.in. Step 2: Search and click on the link provided for SSLC 2024 Key Answers and Objections Step 3: On the new window, look for the link available for SSLC Answer Key Step 4: Select the subject and download the answer key. Step 5: The answer key will appear on the screen. Step 6: Save and keep a printout of the SSLC Answer Key for future reference. Karnataka SSLC 2024: Grading Scheme Marks from 563-625 will secure 90-100 percentage and receive an A+ grade. Marks from 500-562 will secure 80-90 percentage and receive an A grade. Marks from 438-499 will secure 70-80 percentage and receive a B+ grade. Marks from 375-437 will secure 60-70 percentage and receive a B grade. Marks from 313-374 will secure 50-60 percentage and receive a C+ grade. Marks from 219-312 will secure 35 50 percentage and receive a C grade. Last year, the results were declared on May 8. The overall pass percentage stood at 83.89 per cent. As many as 835102 students had appeared for the SSLC exams, of which 7,00,619 passed. In 2022, the total pass percentage was 85.63 per cent and in 2021, a total of 99.99 per cent of the students cleared the exam. There is only one guarantee that people of the country believe today and it is Prime Minister Narendra Modis guarantee, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya told News18 as he slammed the Congress electoral promises as fluff and propaganda. In an exclusive interview, Surya, who is seeking re-election from Bengaluru South, told News18 that PM Modi is going to be the leader of the nation once again as this is not the pulse of just Bengaluru but across the nation. Edited Excerpts: How confident are you of winning? 100 percent. The kind of popularity Narendra Modi-ji enjoys in Bengaluru and the whole of the South is incredible. Last time, the people of my constituency Bengaluru had blessed the BJP with a massive majority and I won this seat with a three-lakh margin. During Covid-19, people have watched me work closely with them and deliver. There were many legacy problems that Bengaluru had which needed to be resolved, like the suburban rail that had been pending for almost 40 years, the approval of the US Consulate that had been pending since the time of former Karnataka chief minister SM Krishnas government, the approval and construction of the Bangalore Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) and the metro network. All these were addressed. This reposed the faith of the people of this city in the prime ministers leadership. People saw me leading the battle against the virus from the frontline. We set up new hospitals, added new intensive care units in different parts of the city, and helped vaccinate people. I even exposed the Covid-19 bed scam that was not allowing people access to beds at a time when there were more than 10,000 cases being reported every day. People saw us deliver in the most testing times and have seen me raise issues of the city in Parliament. BPAC, a civic advocacy agency, has rated me the top performer in the state. Having seen that, I am very confident that we will win this seat (Bengaluru South) with a five-lakh margin. You are seeking re-election for the seat, after having contested for the first time in 2019 when it was said that you had an advantage as you were considered part of the Ananth Kumar support wave. You have had five years to show your performance. What do you think is in your favour this time? There is only one factor across the nation. People are going out to vote and answer one question who will be leading the country for the next five years? People have seen the transformation in the last decade under PM Modi. They have understood the importance of political stability and policy continuity for creating prosperity, wealth and a sense of security in the country. People are going to vote to choose the leader of the nation. Narendra Modi is going to be the leader of the nation once again as this is not the pulse of just Bengaluru but across the nation. Every candidate, while campaigning, is saying that this is not an election or seat that they are fighting for. So, if a Tejasvi Surya is standing from Bengaluru South, it means that PM Modi is standing from that seat. Thats exactly what I am trying to say that in all 543 constituencies in the country, the vote is to elect the countrys leader for the next five years. Who is the INDIA bloc leader? They have no clarity. They have no idea who their PM candidate is. They are a confused bloc that resembles what we call chow chow bhath here in Karnataka for breakfast. Its like a dish that is a mixture of everything. They have no cadre on the ground nor any enthusiasm in their camps. This is essentially a one-horse race led by Narendra Modi and the BJP. Be it Bengaluru South or a seat in Arunachal Pradesh, every person is going to vote for Modi for the next five years. Apart from being an MP, you are also the national president of the youth wing. What are the issues the youth come to you with? Over the last 10 years, if you look at the vote share of 2014 and 2019, one for the reasons for the prime ministers immense electoral success has been the youth supporting him solidly. This time around as well, the youth of India will vote for Modi in a huge way as they want corruption-free governance and a stable government. They want more opportunities. The youth are inspirational and for an aspirational society, a fast-growing economy is the only way that will help fulfill their dreams. Whether it is financial assistance through Jan Dhan, Skill India, Viksit India, doubling number of medical seats, Start-up India or schemes benefitting our young athletes, you will see that most of the prime ministers schemes are youth-centric or youth-led. That is why youth prefer the BJP as their first-choice party. The young walk up to us and say they want the continuation of clean governance, fast economic growth as jobs are created, want fast infrastructure as they want our country to match first-world countries. They are fed up with being called a developing country. They want to build a Viksit Bharat and these are the aspirations of young India. The youth also understand that this cannot be achieved without a stable full-majority government. This is why they resonate very effectively with Modijis call of Ab ki baar 400 paar. You are facing Somya Reddy from the Congress and in the recent assembly polls, there were allegations that on counting day, you sat at the counting centre and things went awry. The Congress also alleges that the BJP is forcing students to attend their party rallies and vote in their favour. How do you respond? There is one camp that is trying to make noise and then there is another group of volunteers here that is taking the vision of Viksit Bharat to the people. All these questions will be answered by voters on April 26 (voting day) and June 4 (result day). It does not really matter who the opposition candidate is in this election because people are not looking at elections at a local level despite Congress wanting to localise the election. This is a national election, and we are electing MPs to the Parliament of India. We are choosing who is going to be the next prime minister of the country so the opposition candidate does not matter. The vote is to select the countrys leader for the next five years and ensure Modi-jis term as PM continues. So it does not matter what news, cacophony, propaganda or theatrics the Opposition is involved in. Does the low voter turnout in cities like Bengaluru distress you as an MP? Absolutely. Poor voting turnouts also have a debilitating effect on the political system as they incentivise vested interest groups to influence certain sections of the voting population. Those sections of society who are financially stable, educated, who can understand the big picture and cannot be swayed by immediate temptations, must come out and vote in large numbers for the right choice. Unfortunately, we saw in the 2019 elections that only 53 per cent people turned out to vote in Bengaluru South. This is a serious concern. My campaign plea has been to increase the voting percentage as it is a civic responsibility. We have a leader like PM Modi who has been working 16-17 hours for the country each day for the last 10 years. Cant we spare five minutes once in five years to give him another five years to serve us? This is my plea to the people. There was also a sense of indifference amongst voters that their votes did not matter. That is now changing. The Congress is going to people with their guarantees and schemes, saying like they implemented these in Karnataka and replicated them in Telangana, they would do the same across the country. Apart from seeking votes for PM Modi, what is it that the BJP is bringing to the table? There is only one guarantee in the country that people believe in and that is Modis guarantee. The rest is fluff and propaganda. Lets not insult the collective intelligence of the people of this country. The voter understands what is important and the only guarantee that people will support is the Modi guarantee. The Congress and the National Conference on Monday announced they will fight the Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, in alliance, with both parties contesting three seats each. At a joint press conference here alongside Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Pawan Khera, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said the Congress would contest Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh Lok Sabha seats while the National Conference would field candidates in Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla. The announcement comes a day after Mehbooba Muftis Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president named her partys candidates for three seats of the Kashmir Valley, signalling a breakdown of seat-sharing talks with the INDIA bloc partners. Asked about seat-sharing talks not succeeding with the PDP, the Congress national alliance committee member Khurshid said the Mehbooba Mufti-led party is very much part of the INDIA bloc but seat-sharing with it could not be worked out. Abdullah said, I want to formally announce that the National Conference and Congress will jointly contest the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh with the two parties fielding candidates on three seats each. The National Conference will support Congress candidates in Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh seats. The INDIA bloc will contest the polls to help fulfil the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh and truly represent them in Parliament, he said. Responding to a query about the PDP, Khurshid said, The PDP is in our alliance. Seat adjustment is one part of the alliance and an overall alliance is a different issue. Since Jammu and Kashmir is small in area, there is not much scope for seat adjustment despite our best efforts. The National Conference already has three Lok Sabha MPs and we have decided to give them a chance, he said. On whether the Congress-NC alliance would be there for the assembly polls also, Abdullah said their focus right now was on succeeding in the Lok Sabha polls. He said holding assembly polls has been virtually decided with the remarks of the Chief Election Commissioner and that of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the poll process would be completed before the Supreme Court-mandated date of September 30. Abdullah also took a swipe at DPAP president Ghulam Nabi Azad, saying he was directly helping the BJP. He also wondered why Azad, who hails from Doda, was contesting from Anantnag. On claims that Azad has said that he has not decided on where he would contest, Abdullah said his remarks would appear to be dishonest as his party has made announcements about the seats. If he is not contesting, it would suggest that the BJP has calculated that him contesting from (Anantnag) would be detrimental to their chances, Abdullah said. Either way, it is shaping up to be an interesting election and the BJP is pulling out all the stops in Kashmir to bring various parties on a single platform. The visuals of the BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh coming out of Altaf Bukharis residence in Srinagar make it obvious what the BJP and its allies are going to do there. Our interest as allies is that the BJPs plans fail in all six seats, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said. He exuded confidence that the situation was in the favour of the INDIA bloc in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh and the opposition alliance would win all six seats. Abdullah also dismissed Prime Minister Modis claim of the BJP winning 370 seats and NDA 400 in the Lok Sabha polls, saying it shows that he is rattled. The PDP has named candidates for three seats in Kashmir, fielding Mehbooba Mufti against Ghulam Nabi Azad in Anantnag. The Congress has named Lal Singh as its candidate from Udhampur to take on Union Minister Jitendra Singh. Hitting out at the Congress for its failure to give a face against PM Narendra Modi for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde warned the party of decimation in the state. Shinde was speaking exclusively to CNN-News18 during a campaign trail for Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur. This is his first political interview to any national channel after the government formation in Maharashtra nearly two years ago. ON CONGRESS NYAY MANIFESTO The Congress has no right to bring out a manifesto. It should give a maafinaama because it has played with the future of the country. What they couldnt do in the past 60 years, Modi has done in 10 years. Modi is a world leader now. He is the most popular leader in the world," he said. ALSO READ | Eknath Shinde to News18: Uddhav Had Offer to Be CM for 2.5 Years from BJP & Cong-NCP, But He Wanted 5 Years He expressed confidence that PM Narendra Modi will be victorious for the third consecutive time. The Congress has no neta, niyat and nirnay or even agenda. The country will choose between corruption first and nation first," he said. GHUS KE MAARENGE Endorsing Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singhs remarks, Shinde said, Nobody can dare to do anything wrong with our country. Pakistan aukad mein rahe, warna Modi ghar mein ghus ke maarenge aatankwadiyon ko. (Pakistan should stay in its limits. Otherwise Modi will not leave the terrorists.) He did surgical strikes. Modi hain toh mumkin hai. I warn Pakistan," he said. ON MVA TUSSLE, AN UNHAPPY CONGRESS Taking a dig at the condition of the Congress in Maharashtra, he said, Look at what the two small parties have done to the national party." Slamming Uddhav Thackerays Sena and Sharad Pawars Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) that are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with the Congress, he said, The two state parties have na jhanda, na agenda. Yet they have hijacked a national party. This is Uddhav Thackerays old tendency. He did the exact same thing with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Now, the national party should think how they should stay with these two regional parties." ALSO READ | Uddhav Thackerays Putra Prem and Sharad Pawars Putri Prem to Blame for Shiv Sena and NCP Splits: Amit Shah Shinde said that as he travelled for campaigning across the state, he saw the mood of the nation. The entire atmosphere of the country is pro-progress and pro-Modi. Around 25 crore people from Below Poverty Line (BPL) category now have roti, kapda, makan given by Modi ji. Thats why the people of the country will give a complete mandate to Modi ji," he said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday slammed Congress for being soft on terror suspects and said that during its regime, the grand old party used to starve the poor and feed biryani to terrorists whereas the Modi government has been providing free ration to over 80 crore poor people for the past four years. Addressing a public meeting in Rajasthans Bharatpur, the Uttar Pradesh CM praised the works of the Modi government at the Centre and the Bhajan Lal government in the state. Slamming the intentions of Congress, he said, During its government, there were no policies, leaders, or decisions, but in the Modi government, there is no shortage of schemes for the poor. Calling Congress the biggest problem of the country, BJPs star campaigner said, Imposing curfew is part of Congress DNA. It would starve the poor but feed biryani to terrorists, whereas under PM Modi, free ration to 80 crore poor people has been provided for the past four years. He also accused the Congress of questioning the history of the country and said the party considered Lord Ram and Lord Krishna as imaginary figures. Congress couldnt get the Ram Mandir built in Ayodhya. They used to say that Ram didnt even exist. Next to Bharatpur are Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, Nandgaon, and Govardhan. Still, the Congress says that Lord Krishna never existed. Congress questions our history and heritage, he said. Adityanath was in Bharatpur on Sunday to campaign for BJP candidate Ramswaroop Koli. Speaking on the recent The Guardian report, he said that terrorists are being selectively killed inside Pakistan. The world is also realising that terrorism is a menace to humankind. Just two to three days ago, a report that appeared in a prestigious English newspaper The Guardian revealed that 20 hardened criminals have been killed within Pakistan. It may be India that carried out the strikes, but until yesterday, none of those who sympathised with terrorists had the courage to speak against India. The new India knows how to protect its citizens and borders, UP CM remarked. Under PM Modis leadership, Indias respect in the world has increased. Maoism, extremism, and terrorism have ended. Article 370, which was imposed in Kashmir by the Congress in 1952, was permanently abolished by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Yogi added. Slamming the Congresss intentions, he said: During its government, there were no policies, leaders, or decisions, but in the Modi government, there is no shortage of schemes for the poor. Now, there is no curfew or riots in Uttar Pradesh, the Kanwar Yatra goes on with pomp and show and our generation is fortunate to be able to visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Congress has problems within itself. Your one vote not only contributes to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya but also ensures the security of the countrys borders. During COVID 19, when Congress and other parties were missing, Modiji was tirelessly working in every state without caring for himself, Yogi added. (With IANS Inputs) Uddhav Thackeray had the offer to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for 2.5 years from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance in 2019, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde told CNN-News18 in an exclusive interview on Sunday. I mediated five times to form the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government. But Thackeray was overcome by greed and wanted to be the CM for five years. He has no moral right to call us gaddar or traitors. He has cheated the people of Maharashtra who voted for the BJP-Sena in 2019," he said. ALSO READ | Congress Has No Neta, Niyat & Nirnay; Uddhav and Pawar No Jhanda & Agenda: Maha CM Eknath Shinde to News18 On his campaign trail in Nagpur for Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Shinde slammed the Congress and predicted the withering of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in Maharashtra. In his first interview to any national channel after the government formation, he spilled the beans on Thackeray, giving out the detailed sequence of events, which led to the formation of the Sena-Congress-NCPs Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA). REBELLED TO SAVE BALASAHEBs IDEOLOGY We had fought the elections with the BJP in 2019. But we formed the government with the Congress-NCP. Even at that time, the NCP had said that they had 52 seats and we had 53. There wasnt much difference in the number of seats. So they wanted the CM tenure to be split. But Thackeray got greedy for the chair of the chief minister," he said. Sena founder and Uddhav Thackerays father Balasaheb had himself said he would never go with the Congress. We rebelled to save Balasahebs ideology, to save the bow and arrow. Balasaheb had said that a Thackeray will not take any position of power. But then Uddhav Thackeray said in 2019 that all options were open. He doesnt want Balasahebs ideology or his party. He only thinks of khoke (referring to boxes of money). We have given him many khoke. But someone had said that boxes are not enough for him. He needs containers. He cant see anything beyond money," said Shinde. UDDHAV THACKERAY DECEIVED PM MODI Thackeray has no right to accuse us of anything. It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah who fulfilled Balasaheb Thackerays dream. He deceived Modi. He gave him his word and then flipped. People know the truth," said Shinde. ALSO READ | Let People Take Call On Who To Bury: Uddhav Dares Eknath Shinde, Narwekar To Meet In Front Of Public Shinde also predicted the demise of the MVA coalition. How will MVA survive like this? NCP chief Sharad Pawar has written against Uddhav Thackeray in his book. They have all come together for vested interests, for greed," he said. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) during elections is a major concern for India, with Intelligence agencies worried that foreign countries may fuel aggression and hate in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Top government sources have told CNN-News18 that prominent figures may fall prey to deepfake technology that could alter fake content to look real. The Intelligence input has been shared with the state police, Election Commission and ministries dealing with Information Technology. The sources said they could try and remove the fake posts from social media platforms but the major problem was deepfake videos circulating on chatting apps. There are algorithms available to stop the circulation of any banned video. China and other countries from EU may use these AI-based anchors, voice clips of prominent leaders and fake audio leaks to shake the faith of people in one particular party or sitting government, they said. Foreign countries, especially China and EU, are trying hard to disturb elections so that the Narendra Modi government does not get a third term, they added. The Indian fabric is very delicate and country is vast. This kind of fake narrative is dangerous and major turmoil can be created without much cost. The perils of Artificial Intelligence have been highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions. Recently, in a chat with Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, the prime minister said he too had been at the receiving end of deepfakes. I have observed that without proper training, theres a significant risk of misuse if such a powerful technology is placed in unskilled hands, PM Modi said. He added: I have engaged with leading minds in AI. I suggested that we should start with a clear watermark on AI-generated content to prevent misinformation. This isnt to devalue AI creations but to recognise them for what they are. In a vast democratic country like India, anyone can misuse deepfake technology For example, if they misuse my voice initially people will believe it, leading to widespread uproar. Its crucial to acknowledge that deepfake is AI-generated and mention its source. These measures are really important, especially in the initial days. We need to establish some dos and donts. Moreover, one should first engage AI within a field of expertise. Simply using it because one is tired or over-utilising it is not the best approach. If I fail to make decisions and risk merely entertaining myself with the technology, then rather than utilising it for meaningful value addition, it would be just a way to pass time. This is not the first time the prime minister has brought attention to deepfakes. Speaking at a BJP Diwali event last year, PM Modi revealed that he had asked the ChatGpt team to flag deepfakes and put out a warning when such videos were circulated online. The Prime Minister illustrated his point by citing a deepfake video of him doing Garba, a festival dance of Gujarat that is popular across the country. I recently saw a video in which I was seen playing Garba. I have not done Garba since school, he shared. Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal received a hearty welcome at Shiv Shambhu Society in Borivali, while he was campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Mumbai North constituency last week. Women voters from the area welcomed him with flowers and performed his aarti, along with fireworks and music band. This was Goyals 18th engagement of the day. Following this, he headed to Swaminarayan temple, his last visit for the day. Addressing voters in the constituency, the Union minister urged them to elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third term. He said that PM Modis third term will be focussed on empowering women, providing a better life for children and improving infrastructure. This is Modijis magic. The whole country stands with Prime Minister Modi, the people of North Mumbai are going to give a sweeping victory to show that the country stands with PM Modi, said Goyal. Goyal marks his debut in Lok Sabha elections as he contests from Mumbai North, which is believed to be a safe seat for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Confident of his victory, the Union minister said, The people of North Mumbai are sending their blessings and wishes to PM Modi to make India a developed nation by 2047. Among the 19 locations he visited, he had a meeting with businessmen, self-help groups, interaction with BJP karyakartas and visits to various temples Swaminarayan, Haveli and Shiv mandir. Throughout his visits, Goyal received a warm welcome at all the locations. Piyush Goyal would often visit Borivali as Railway minister and he has done a good job for Railways. Infact, Gopal Shetty has worked hard and delivered in our area. We would expect the same from Goyal as well, said Shiva Shetty, a resident of Borivali. Its not about a name or face, the work speaks. So, far all our representatives have worked and delivered. We are hoping the same from Piyush Goyal, said a female voter from the area. Goyals constituency would include six Vidhan Sabha seats, which is Borivali, Dahisar, Magathane, Kandivali East, Charkop and Malad-West. Goyal had a three-term tenure in Rajya Sabha. Shetty had defeated actor Urmila Matondkar by over 4 lakh votes in the previous elections from the constituency. The constituency is dominated by Gujarati and North Indian voters, which makes this constituency a sure-shot BJP win seat. Actor Govinda was also earlier MP from this seat. He is likely to campaign for Goyal in the coming days. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Karnataka Police seized Rs 5.60 crore of unaccounted cash along with gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 2 crore in Bellary. Acting on a tip-off, the police raided the house of Hema Jewellers owner in Kambali Bazaar on Sunday. The total recovery, from the owners Naresh Soni home, was worth Rs 7.6 crore, police sources said. #WATCH | Ballari, Karnataka: Police seized Rs 5.60 crore in cash, 3 kg of gold, and 103 kg of silver jewellery with 68 silver bars. One person has been taken into custody and is being interrogated. Further details awaited: Police pic.twitter.com/PcT4rYtxMm ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2024 Other than the unaccounted cash, police seized 3 kg of gold, 103 kg of silver jewellery and 68 silver bars. Soni was taken into custody for questioning. Police suspect the recovery to be linked to Hawala transactions. An FIR under section 98 of the Karnataka Police Act has been registered. Reportedly, the findings of their investigation will be handed over to the Income Tax department for further probe. Last week, Karnataka Excise department had seized liquor worth Rs 98.52 crore from Nanjangud in Mysuru district ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Nanjangud falls under Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency, the Election Commission (ECI) said. The Income Tax department and the Static Surveillance Team (SST) had also seized cash worth Rs 3.53 crore. According to the EC, 1.22 crore litres of beer worth Rs 98.52 crore was seized from the constituency. The I-T department seized Rs 2.20 crore from Bengaluru North parliamentary constituency and SST seized Rs 35 lakh during checking in Gulbarga and Rs 45 lakh in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru. The Lok Sabha elections will be held in two phases in Karnataka on April 26 and May 7. (With PTI inputs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is kickstarting the Bharatiya Janata Partys Lok Sabha 2024 poll campaign in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra today (April 8). PM Modi Modi addressed a poll rally in Chhattisgarhs Bastar and will address another public meeting in Maharashtras Chandrapur later in the day, to seek votes for BJP candidates. With the first phase of the Lok Sabha Election 2024 election around the corner, BJP is looking at a third term in Office at the Centre. Modi In Chhattisgarh In Chhattisgarh, the Prime Minister addressed a public rally in Aamabal village in Bhanpuri in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency to support BJP candidate Mahesh Kashyap. Addressing the public meeting, the Prime Minister said he came to Chhattisgarh to thank people for supporting my government in the last 10 years. Chhattisgarh has left no stone unturned in giving its blessings to meYou have come here in such large numbers to bless us today. You people have not only formed the BJP government here but have also strengthened the foundation of developed India, he said. He also slammed Congress and said it never understood the problems faced by the poor and during its regime, corruption had become the countrys identity. After many decades the country has seen a stable and strong government of BJP. The biggest priority of our government was the welfare of the poor. After independence, the Congress government ignored the needs of the poor for decades, the Congress never cared about the poor, and did not even understand their problemsDue to my governments efforts, 25 crore people have risen above the poverty line, he said. He reiterated his earlier claim that the Congress manifesto for Lok Sabha polls has an imprint of the Muslim League. He further said that after independence, Congress thought that it had the license to loot the country but after coming to the government in 2014, Modi cancelled the loot license of Congress. Modi was able to cancel the license because you gave Modi the license. Now their shop has been closed, will they abuse Modi or not? So who will protect me? These crores of my countrymen, my mothers and sisters, have become my raksha kavach (protective shield) today, the Prime Minister said. When the worlds greatest crisis Covid came to India, people used to wonder how India would survive. Under Congress rule, vaccines took many years to reach India but I stood with the poor of the country and I decided to provide free vaccines and free ration, he added. Bastar Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls on April 19. Polls for the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh will take place in three phases on April 19, April 26 and May 7. Results will be declared on June 4. The BJP, which has a stronghold in Chhattisgarh, won 9 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha, while the Indian National Congress (INC) was limited to only 2 seats. In the 2014 election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 10 seats, while the INC only managed to win one seat. Modi In Maharastra Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a rally at 5:00 p.m. in Maharashtras Chandrapur district on Monday. The BJP has nominated the states Forest, Cultural Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar from Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency. Polling in the seat, located in the Vidarbha region, will be held in the first phase on April 19. Results will be declared on June 4. Congress candidate Balu Dhanorkar had won the Chandrapur seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, however, the seat was vacated after he passed away in May 2023. Maharashtra sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, which is the second highest after Uttar Pradesh which has 80 seats in the Lower House. The Allahabad High Court recently upheld the decision of a family court allowing around 25 per cent of a mans pension as monthly maintenance to his estranged wife. The court said the amount of Rs 7,000, which had been allowed, could not be considered excessive in view of the law laid down by the Supreme Court. The bench of Justice Surendra Singh referred to the ruling of the top court in Kulbhushan Kumar vs Raj Kumari (1970), where it was held that 25 per cent of the husbands net salary will be a just and proper amount to be awarded as maintenance to the wife. The court observed that, in the case at hand, 25 per cent of the mans monthly pension was calculated to be Rs 8,664, whereas the family court had granted only Rs 7,000 as monthly maintenance to his estranged wife. The court, therefore, said the maintenance granted to the opposite party (wife) cannot be considered as excessive vis-a-vis the monthly pension of the revisionist (husband); rather, it is on the lower side, said the bench while upholding the family courts decision. The man, a retired 79-year-old, moved the high court challenging two orders of the family court that had approved his estranged wifes request for maintenance under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and had also turned down his plea under Section 127 of the CrPC for reduction in maintenance. Before the high court, the mans counsel argued that the woman claiming to be his wife had never been legally married to him, and her two children were not biologically related to him. The court was told that the man was not living in the village, where the woman lived with his brother, and that he had his own family including a wife and two sons in the city. Further, it was noted that the family court had previously denied the mans request for DNA testing. Apart from that, the counsel contended that in determining the maintenance allowance, the family court erroneously included income from agricultural land located in the mans village, despite his assertion that he did not receive any income from it. The counsel clarified that the man solely relied on a pension amounting to Rs 34,656. The HC observed that before the family court, the woman had placed documentary evidence that supported her claim to be the legally wedded wife. The man had failed to provide any proof of his legal marriage to his alleged wife in the city. The court stressed that the proceedings under Section 125 CrPC are summary in nature, in which only prima facie it has to be seen that the applicant is the wife of the opposite party. It is a social legislation enacted for protecting the wife, minor children and parents of a person from vagrancy and destitution, it said. Further, regarding the quantum of the maintenance, the single judge bench observed that even if it were computed based solely on the husbands monthly pension, the amount allowed would still be less than 25 per cent of the pension. Therefore, the court held that there was no illegality, irregularity, or jurisdictional error in the impugned orders of the family court. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first rally in Maharashtra for BJPs Chandrapur candidate and Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who told CNN-News18 in an exclusive interview what the PMs Mission 400+ means to him. Edited Excerpts: PM Modi is holding his first rally in Maharashtra to campaign for you. You were not very keen to fight this election. I have sent a lot of teakwood from my constituency here for the doors of the new Parliament building. Modi-ji wanted me to enter Parliament through those doors. I am fighting these elections due to his insistence. He told me I should focus from West to North. That is what I am doing. It is well past midnight. Our campaigning goes on till late night every day. We are seeking the blessings of the people of Chandrapur to make sure that we cross the 400-plus target for Modi-ji. What are the issues on the basis of which you are approaching people? There are three main issues. Last time, we had given a Shiv Sena candidate from here who had lost. Advocate Rajendra Mahadole of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi had got over one lakh votes. We have brought him with us now. The last candidate was from Shiv Sena. This time, the Shiv Sainiks, under Eknath Shinde, are with us. About 90 per cent of the NCP cadre is with us. Jogendra Kawade and Ramdas Athawale have supported us. You can see the work I have done here. I have taken this constituency to the whole country. Chandrapur has gained good traction. It is my opponent, Congress candidate Pratibha Dhanorkar, who should answer what they have done despite being in power here. What questions did you raise in the Lok Sabha for farmers and for the poor? Even the candidates standing against me is a sitting MLA. What did she do? During Covid-19, we distributed sanitizers and food grains to lakhs of people. The buzz in your constituency is that caste and liquor will also be the issues here. I am a man of progress (Vikas). I have brought development to the constituency. I brought a medical college, cancer hospital, military school, and agriculture university. The MIDC in Mul, where no industry was willing to come, has been completely populated. We have done a lot of development work. What have they done? Only open liquor shops. Caste is only applicable in personal life. It is not applicable in public life. Do you take interviews looking at the caste of your guest? Will the doctor treat a patient on the basis of the caste? Where is caste in public life? So why should it be a part of politics? Those who do not want the narrative to be around development speak of caste. Spiritual leader Sadhguru on Monday reacted strongly to the dropping level of political discourse against women in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. He posted on X: In the last two weeks, I am hearing the type of words that people are using for women. Somebody is talking about rate card and someone else is saying disgusting things about a 75-year-old lady. Someone else is talking about the parentage of over a 60-year-old politician. It doesnt matter which party you belong to, please block out these people. We MUST change the narrative about women. In the last two weeks, the language used about women in the political discourse has included "rate card", questions about parentage and disgusting comments about a 75-year-old lady. What is wrong with us? I request the media and influencers, please ban such people for good. We pic.twitter.com/Wgx4J4szkh Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) April 8, 2024 Isha Foundations Sadhguru was referring to the comments made against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates Kangana Ranaut and Hema Malini and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. The Congress has come under fire from the BJP over party leader Randeep Surjewalas remarks on BJP MP Malini, days after party leader Supriya Srinate was embroiled in a similar controversy over her post against BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut. In an undated video posted by BJP leader Amit Malviya on X, Surjewala was heard passing lewd remarks against Hema Malini. Congress MP Randeep Surjewala makes a vile sexist comment, that is demeaning and derogatory, not just for Hema Malini, who is an accomplished individual, but women in general. This is Rahul Gandhis Congress. It is misogynistic and abhors women, Malviya wrote on X. Surjewala claimed the video was edited, distorted and shared, while Malini said that it was their job as the opposition and that the UP CM had given a befitting reply. The Congress replaced Shrinate as candidate from Maharajganj amid outrage over her remarks on Kangana Ranaut, BJPs Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi. An offensive post was put out from Shrinates Instagram account with a derogatory caption and a picture of Ranaut. While Shrinate issued a clarification saying that the post was made by someone who had access to her account and the party apologised for it, Ranaut said that every woman deserved dignity. A row erupted after senior BJP leader and MP Dilip Ghosh was heard mocking the family background of Mamata Banerjee in a purported video clip. This drew a retort from the TMC. The BJP and EC issued a show-cause notice to Ghosh. Sadhguru recently underwent an emergency brain surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi after suffering life-threatening bleeding in the skull. In Maharashtra, three seats have become the thorns in the flesh of the MVA alliance, with Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena unable to reach a consensus. The state leadership of the Congress is miffed as Thackeray, without consulting with the party, announced Chandrahar Patil as the Sangli candidate. Since the last two elections, the Congress has been losing this seat to BJP even though it was their traditional turf. Congress leader Vishal Patil is the grandson of former chief minister Vasantdada Patil and has the support of the state leadership for this seat. To solve the issue, former minister and Congress leader Vishwajit Kadam visited Delhi and met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge a few weeks back, requesting that to intervene in the issue. According to sources, Vishwajit was assured that the issue would be resolved soon but it has been more than two weeks and the Congress leadership has not been able to take any decision yet. On the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders like Sanjay Raut have started paying visits to Sangli for their candidate. Raut, in his last visit, criticised the Congress and its local leaders, targeting Vishal Patil who had contested the 2019 election from the Swabhimani Party against BJP. Why did the Congress leader contest the 2019 polls from another party ticket if they are so concerned about the Congress, he asked. This did not go down well with state Congress chief Nana Patole who said Raut should refrain from making any comments and that the issue can be resolved after talking with the central leadership. Raut is not an ordinary party worker, he added. Apart from Sangli, Bhiwandi and Mumbai South Central seats have also become hurdles. The Sharad Pawar faction has already announced their candidate for the Bhiwandi seat which the Congress wants to contest from. The Congress, meanwhile, has a strong candidate for Mumbai South Central and wants Shiv Sena UBT to give the seat to them but the latter has given the ticket to Anil Desai. This is the first time Desai will contesting the Lok Sabha polls. Every state matters during an election. But for the Congress, those in which it is in power, matter even more. For Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the hill state of Himachal Pradesh or devbhoomi holds a special place. Priyanka has been building a home there for years and she takes pride in it. ALSO READ | Fully Confident Himachal Pradeshs People Will Support Us, Truth Will Prevail: Priyanka Gandhi So when the CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government faced a setback of losing the high-profile Rajya Sabha seat to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Priyanka stepped in to ensure there is no repeat of it in the four Lok Sabha four seats. And it is Mandi, which has particularly caught her eye. Priyanka recently chaired a meeting with the Himachal Congress leaders and the one-line whip which went out was: You have to win all seats. , , , Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) April 7, 2024 THE MANDI CONSTITUENCY But special mention was made of Mandi, where the BJP has fielded actor Kangana Ranaut. Pratibha Singh, wife of the late CM Virbhadra Singh, known as Raja sahib, is the sitting MP from here, but the Congress is yet to decide on who will take on Ranaut. Sources say Priyanka has made it clear to all party leaders that nobody should make any comment against Ranaut, which could be used by the BJP or the actor. ALSO READ | Kangana Ranaut BREAKS Silence on Shameful Rumours About Her Eating Beef: Im a Proud Hindu The peg, of course, is a recent controversy where a post from the official handle of Supriya Shrinate went viral and evoked strong response. The Congress had to apologise. While they defended Shrinate, the damage was done and the BJP played the anti-women card against the Congress. Priyanka wants to take no such risk anymore, hence the advisory. PRATIBHA OR SON VIKRAMADITYA? This brings us to the next question: Who will take on Kangana? Ideally, the Congress would have wanted Pratibha Singh to. But her enmity with the CM made her a rebel and she said she would not contest, as party workers dont think she could win. However, the central leadership has reached out to convince her. It could be Singh or her son Vikramaditya, in the area where the Raja factor looms large. Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh along with her son and Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh met Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi today. (Source: Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh) pic.twitter.com/RQ7adPvFWA ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2024 But the worry is not over. With six MLAs rebelling, quitting and joining the BJP, the central leadership is worried about the CMs ability to keep the flock together. He, too, has been advised to take everyone along. So all eyes are on the Mandi seat. Priyanka is doing her best to ensure that Kangana does not become the queen and the raja legacy wins. Congress three-time Thiruvananthapuram MP, whos also renominated for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by the party, Shashi Tharoor, accepted Union Minister and BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhars challenge for an open debate. He also took a swipe at the saffron camp saying that Thiruvananthapuram people are aware of who has been evading a debate till now. In a post on X, Tharoor wrote, Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now. Let us debate politics and development. Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism and the BJPs 10 years of propagating politics of hatred, the post further read. He also asked to discuss the development of this district of Kerala and the visible progress we have made in last 15 years. Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now.Let us debate politics and development. Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism and the BJPs 10 years of propagating politics of hatred. pic.twitter.com/cJTHX5DC7G Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 7, 2024 The Congress MP shared a video of Chandrasekhar speaking to local media in the region. In the video, the Union Minister can be heard saying, I am ready to debate over ideas, development, whose performance track record is better. I have been saying this since the start. Communist Party of India (CPI) veteran Pannyan Raveendran will stand opposite BJPs Chandrasekhar and Congress Tharoor in the constituency. ALSO READ: Opinion | Rajeev Chandrasekhar Vs Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram: A Battle of Heavyweights Chandrasekhars Rajya Sabha term came to an end on April 2 and he was among the Union ministers who did not seek re-election. He expressed eagerness to participate in his first Lok Sabha polls, anticipating a refreshing phase in his political journey. The Union ministers parliamentary journey began in May 2006, when he was elected to the Rajya Sabha as a representative of Karnataka. Tharoor, meanwhile, an author and a former international civil servant, had his electoral debut in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from this Thiruvananthapuram seat in Kerala. He continued to retain it in the next two terms 2014 and 2019 as well. Currently the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, Tharoor has previously served as Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Minister of State for External Affairs in the Government of India. Voting on all the 20 segments of Kerala will take place on April 26, which will fall under second of the 7-phase general elections. The counting for all the 543 seats of the Lok Sabha will take place on June 4. A political row has erupted in Kerala over Doordarshans decision to broadcast The Kerala Story, which had stirred the hornets nest last year during its release. Both the Congress and CPI(M) of the state have condemned Doordarshans decision, calling it a tacit effort to divide the society. Doordarshan had earlier announced to broadcast the film, directed by Sudipto Sen, starring Adah Sharma, on April 5. But the Idukki diocese of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has screened the film to the catechism students during its three-day vacation training class held at its churches in the diocese from April 2. Idukki diocese media commission chairman Fr Jins Karakkat said the reason behind showcasing the movie was to create awareness among the students from falling in love. The movie was apt to the topic of the training class and hence was selected for screening before students, he said as quoted by The New Indian Express. The Political Reactions Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked the Doordarshan to withdraw its decision to screen the movie, saying it would create communal tensions ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. VD Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, had written to the Election Commission, asking them to direct Doordarshan to withdrawn their decision. Satheesan stated, Kerala Story is a propaganda film based on extremely false premises and attempts to paint a bleak picture of the people of the state. CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said the timing of the proposed telecast, just before the general elections, gives rise to genuine doubts, as the film has the propensity to garner votes for candidates pursuing sectarian ideologies. In a letter to the EC, Govindan warned that a controversial film like The Kerala Story can create hatred among different religious groups and cause tension. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, as quoted by ANI, To be honest, its really shameful. When the Kerala Story came out, everyone pointed out that this was not the real Kerala story. And yet, the lies of this film being officially circulated by an official broadcaster is truly disgusting, its propaganda at its cheapest and worst. Meanwhile, BJP minister V Muraleedharan, however, has asserted that the film is a piece of art, and the expression of art is guaranteed in the Constitution. BJP State chief K Surendran pointed out that people, including Panchayats and Mahapanchayats in Kerala have wholeheartedly welcomed the film. People have watched the film together because this is a real issue. Love jihad in Kerala has occurred many times and many districts, including Kannur. There are more than hundreds of victims and cases in Kerala, he said. He targeted the Left and Congress parties and alleged that they were playing votebank politics. ISIS recruitment is not a fake story. Hundreds of such recruitments took place in Kerala. There was a case in Kerala High Court involving students and their parents where the DGP himself filed an affidavit. This is happening in Kerala, especially in Kannur, Kasaragod and Ernakulam. Many young women converted to Islam, were sent to Syria. This is a real story, not a fake story. Why are they afraid of it? Its only for vote banks. Once there was a drama called Kakkukali which was against Christ. It was a big controversy in Kerala. What was the stance of Congress and CPM then? Surendran asked, as quoted by The Week. Court Orders on the Film Screening The Kerala High Court has refrained from passing any order to stop the screening of the film. The court was considering a plea moved by poet and journalist KG Suraj seeking a direction to postpone broadcasting the movie on Doordarshan until the 2024 polls are over. Last year, the Supreme Court stayed the West Bengal governments order to ban the film in theatres. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had said the legal provision cannot be used to put a premium on public tolerance. Otherwise, all films find themselves in the spot. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said the film was being screen across the country, and the fears against it are fictional. Those who do not wish to watch the film can choose to do so. Other Controversial Dramas Kerala Catholic Bishop Council (KCBC) had urged the Left government in Kerala to ban the staging of Kakkukali, alleging it defamed Christian asceticism. The Malayalam play, written by Francis Noronha, revolves around a young nun and the struggles she faces in a convent. KCBC president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis said the play created a misunderstanding about asceticism in Christianity among other religious groups. He criticised the stand of certain mainstream political parties on the matter. State secretary of CPI(M) Govindan had then rejected the demand for banning the drama, and said those who oppose it have the right to criticise its content. The Church had already petitioned all District Collectors to ban the staging of the play in their districts. Data on ISIS Recruits from India According to the US state departments Country Reports on Terrorism 2020, there were 66 known Indian-origin fighters affiliated with the IS as of November 2020. In September 2021, Indias National Investigation Agency said it had arrested 168 people in connection with 37 cases of terror attacks, conspiracy and funding inspired by the ISs ideology. In 2021, after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, there were reports that the four women from Kerala who had joined the IS were in jail there. Vistara will start cancelling 25-30 flights per day in an effort to scale back operations as it tries to reduce the impact of unavailability of the crew. CEO, Vinod Kannan, however, said on the weekend that the airline will stabilize as more than 98% of pilots have signed a new contract. We hope to stabilise our operations for the rest of April 2024 by this weekend, he said. The carrier will operate around 300 flights in the summer schedule, and the flight cancellations are mostly done on the domestic route. How Flight Operations will Affect Passengers? All the affected passengers have already been re-accommodated on other flights, as applicable, the airline had said, and added the on-time performance has improved. With increasing domestic air passenger traffic, flight cancellations could affect the overall available capacity, thus, hike in fares on certain routes is possible. The carrier cancelled more than 125 flights over three days from April 1. The airline in a statement said relevant refunds and compensation will be given to the customers affected by delays and cancellations over the last weekend. Has Vistara Flouted Norms? The airlines regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), had issued a show-cause notice to Vistara for alleged violations, particularly, during the conversion training in which pilots of narrow planes were asked to operate the wide-body aircraft. The breach of pilot training norms happened with respect to Zero Flight Time Training (ZFTT) norms. The ZFTT refers to training in which pilots undergo a skill test and then a simulator to attain a particular rating. It has been alleged that Vistara allowed a longer gap than permitted for conducting the training after the skill test. The conversion training for more than 10 pilots of A320 planes to operate Boeing 787 have been halted following the DGCA concerns, according to news agency PTI. Vistara has a fleet of 70 planes, of which, 63 belong to the A320 family, 7 to Boeing 787. It has deployed larger aircraft such as B787-9 Dreamliner and A321 neo on select domestic routes to combine flights or accommodate more customers, wherever possible. What are Vistara Pilots Complaining About? While the Delhi-based airline has blamed poor rostering for disruption on certain routes, some pilots have raised concerns regarding the implementation of uniform pay structure, which has been reduced to what the pilots of Air India are currently getting. According to the new contract, the pilots of Vistara will get a fixed salary for 40 hours instead of 70 hours earlier. Moreover, they will get paid for extra flying hours and rewarded based on the years of experience, as mentioned in a report by Livemint. Meanwhile, Air India pilots had written to Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran last week, supporting the concerns raised by their contemporaries at Vistara about the salary and work-life balance. They also said these systemic issues cut across Tata groups aviation entities, stressing the broader discontent among the pilots in the conglomerate. About Domestic Airline Business The domestic air passenger traffic grew 8.4% year-on-year to 15.20 crore in 2023 compared to 12.32 crore in the year ended December 2022. Of the total domestic passenger traffic last year, IndiGo flew 9.19 crore, followed by Air India, which transported 1.47 crore flyers, while Vistara flew 1.38 crore customers. SpiceJet carried 83.90 lakh passengers, while Akasa Air flew 62 lakh flyers. Vistara, a 51:49 joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, has a market share of 9.9% in the domestic aviation industry, after Air India at 12.8% and IndiGo at 60.1%, as per DGCA. Vistaras on-time performance was recorded at 79.1% on 6 April, while Air India Express was the most punctual at 91%. IndiGo recorded an on-time performance of 79.6%, and Air India was at 73.3%. The government said it believes that airfares are driven by market, and cannot be established or regulated. It, however, plans to set up an aviation ombudsman to address customers issues. Reports suggest that the Ministry of Civil Aviation was planning to discuss the need for an ombudsman with all stakeholders in the industry. India had deregulated the aviation sector, with tariff fixation removed in 1994 when the Air Corporations Act was repealed. Bengaluru Police on Sunday arrested a man for allegedly killing his wife after a fight over his drinking habit. According to the police, the man not only murdered his wife but slept with her corpse for hours. On the night of April 6, accused Venkatesh, 35, strangled his wife to death with a saree at his residence in Ranganathapura following a fight over the latters drinking problem. According to an Indian Express report, the next morning their nine-year-old son tried to wake his mother up and cried loudly when she failed to respond. Upon hearing the noises, the neighbours rushed to the house and found the woman named Nethravathi dead, the police said. The neighbours informed the police that they had to intervene the other night when the couple was fighting but did not know what transpired later. According to the police, the murder took place around midnight after Venkatesh shifted his son, who was sleeping with his mother, to another place. As he was drunk, Venkatesh slept with his wifes body, a police officer said. The police, who were informed of the incident by the neighbours, arrested Venkatesh and said the accused confessed to the murder. Further investigations were underway. Last month, a man was arrested in Maharashtras Thane district for allegedly strangulating his 27-year-old wife to death over the suspicion of infidelity and burying her body in a dilapidated house. The body was recovered from Angaon village in Bhiwandi taluka of the district, he said. A police patrol team received information that a woman, identified as Jyotsana Shelar from Ambarnath, went missing on March 5. A missing persons report was filed by her relatives at the Shivaji Nagar police station, Assistant Inspector Dharmaraj Sonke of Ganeshpuri police station said. A case was registered against Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Karnataka and former Union Minister, over his remarks on the Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. The controversy comes just days before the polling for the Lok Sabha Elections is set to begin. The saffron party MLA called Gundu Raos house half Pakistan. There is Pakistan in Gundu Raos house. There is half Pakistan in his house, PTI quoted Yatnal as saying. The complaint against Yatnal was filed by Raos wife Tabassum Rao alias Tabu Rao. An FIR has been registered against Yatnal, a former Union Minister, for malignant and wanton provocation under section 153B of the IPC, a police officer told PTI. Speaking to reporters, Tabassum slammed Yatnal for his comments and alleged that BJP leaders dont respect women. I dont know who Basanagouda Patil Yatnal is. He said Dinesh Gundu Raos house is half Pakistan. I have no clue why he said so. I am not in politics, the Ministers wife said. Is it the BJPs politics? They can speak about the issues. They say Bharat Mata but cant they respect women? Dinesh is in politics. I have no problem if he (Yatnal) talks about him. I dont like being dragged into this. I am fed up with the Muslim card. How long will you play this? she added. A 22-year-old female engineering student from Pune who was missing since March 30 was found murdered in Ahmednagar on Sunday, a police official said. She was allegedly kidnapped by three persons, including a college friend, for ransom and was later strangled, the official said. She was pursuing engineering in a college in Wagholi area here. On March 29, a male college friend and two others met her and dropped her to her hostel. On March 30, they took her to Ahmednagar. They sought transom of Rs 9 lakh from her parents. They then strangled her, buried her body on the outskirts of Ahmednagar and removed the SIM of her cellphone, he said. After her kin filed a missing person complaint, a police probe zeroed in on the three accused through technical analysis, following which they were arrested, the official said. The Idukki diocese of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has directed all Sunday class students from classes 10 to 12 to watch the much talked about film The Kerala Story. Earlier, on Friday the Doordarshan had also aired the Bollywood movie despite strong protests raised by the ruling CPM and Congress in Kerala. In a conversation with News18, the media director of Idukki diocese said that the topic of the classes this year was love marriage and cheating in the name of love. He further said that since this movie was related to the subject they have directed the students to watch it. The youth wing of the CPM, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) had screened a video, The Kerala Story True or Fake? by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, at various places across the state to debunk the movie. The youth Congress had also expressed their strong dissent and staged a protest march to the Doordarshan office against the broadcast of the movie. The CPI(M) and the Congress in Kerala had also lodged separate complaints with the Election Commission of India against Doordarshans decision to air the controversial movie, alleging it could potentially polarise society along religious lines and urged the poll panel to intervene and stop its screening. However, the BJP claimed that the theme of the movie was real and wondered why the Left and the Congress were opposing it. The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, sent a letter to the Election Commission, seeking to direct Doordarshan to withdraw from its decision to telecast the extremely malicious The Kerala Story movie. Congress leader V D Satheesan spoke on Idukki dioceses decision and said, It is a wrong approach. The Kerala story has been created to insult Kerala . Is there such incidents in Kerala? We are not agreeing with Kerala story which has created in an imaginary story which is not existing in Kerala. He further said, We are not agreeing with it ,we are the people who have written not to screen it even in Doordarshan. From detaining handlers and old operatives to controlling radicalisation, continuous disruption of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or IS) modules has proved to be a game-changer for Indias internal security, according to top intelligence sources. Not only borders and external forces, internal radicalisation control is also top priority. Continuous disruption of ISIS by security forces is a game-changer. Even though ISIS is an issue across the world, India has managed to contain it," said sources. ALSO READ | ISIS, SIMI, IM Under One Umbrella of Terror? Exclusive on Pune Case from Agencies Sources According to intel sources, agencies have almost destroyed major networks of ISIS. We have detained and arrested a large number of youth who were radicalised and planned to do something major. Old handlers and operatives are also rearrested. With such harsh disruption, old organisations such as Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Indian Mujahideen (IM) had to come under one umbrella to fight back." Investigative agencies busted several modules across the country through which the umbrella of the three terror groups was operating to plan major attacks. The Pune ISIS case brought the regrouping of the three outfits to light. NACHANS ARREST WAS KEY, WAS RUNNING DANGEROUS SIMI-IM-ISIS COMBINE Terrorist Saquib Nachans arrest in December was important because he was not only radicalising the youth, but was also arranging various types of training for them, sources had earlier told News18. He was handling all foreign operations, funding and psyops against India, they had added. The Supreme Court had in 1997 convicted Nachan for planning terror attacks in India in 1990 with Khalistani groups. In 2003, he was booked for blasts in Mumbai and convicted in 2016 for 10 years, which he served and was released in 2017. His son, Shamil, was also arrested in the same case. ALSO READ | Saquib Nachan Was Running Deadliest ISIS Module, Wanted to Declare Separate State: Sources | Exclusive Details Nachan was running the most dangerous ISIS model and wanted to declare a separate state. He had consolidated all dead terror groups SIMI, IM and ISIS into one. The idea was to carry out more blasts across India, more dangerous than 26/11," they had said. THE PADGHA, PUNE & MUMBAI EXAMPLES The IS had been spreading its terror network in India by putting in place localised ISIS modules and cells in various states. PADGHA-BORIVLI LIBERATED ZONE: An example was the Padgha-Borivli model on the outskirts of Mumbai which was busted last year. The accused, operating on the directions of their foreign handlers, were making improvised explosive devices (IED) to carry out terror attacks. Initial investigations had revealed that the arrested accused had declared the village of Padgha in rural Thane a liberated zone Al Sham. They were motivating impressionable Muslim youth to relocate to Padgha. PUNE LINK TO IRAQ, SYRIA: On July 18, 2023, the Pune Police arrested two people Mohd Imran and Mohd Yunus from busy Kothrud area of Pune. The Pune case was a mix of SIMI, IM and ISIS. There were direct links between the modules in Hazaribagh, UP and Maharashtra, all going back to Nachan, said sources. The most important part of the investigation was the role of foreign handlers sitting in Iraq or Syria. Their funding also came at different times, which is a different style of ISIS. The probe made it clear that all radicals have forgotten their differences and joined forces. They are high-grade radicals trained with IED, explosives. Among them were many who were out on bail," they said. RECCE OF MUMBAI TEMPLE, CHABAD HOUSE: They had done advanced recce of very important locations of Mumbai, including Chabad House and Naval Helipad near Colaba slum area. They wanted to attack major temples in Mumbai where the footfall is high and even hydraulic projects. The data from their laptops also suggested they had researched VIP movements also with large and long conveys. This particular group was working very methodically. On the one hand, they were doing recce and on the other, they had given training to people for further work in this direction. A lot of training material was also seized." The jihadi groups have been trying to attempt something major, they had said. The Manglore auto blast, Chittorgarh explosive recovery, the arrest of SIMI radicals, 2016 Ratlam ISIS case and last years Pune case accused were all linked to this umbrella," sources had said. Maharashtra police have arrested three men for the murder of a 22-year-old engineering student, who went missing from Maharastras Pune on March 30. The womans body was found in Ahmednagar district on Sunday. According to police, of the three youngsters arrested for the engineering students murder, one is her college mate. The probe revealed that after her murder, the assailants demanded a ransom of Rs 9 lakh from her parents using her cell phone. Police said the three men kidnapped the victim, identified as Bhagyashree Suryakant Side, for ransom and later strangled her. The student was pursuing engineering from a college in the Wagholi area in Pune. On March 29, a male college friend and two others met her and dropped her at her hostel, a police official said. On March 30, Bhagyashree went to Phoenix Mall in Viman Nagar around 9 pm, but did not return. She was also not reachable on her cell phone when her parents tried her. As her family members could not establish contact with her, they went to the college and hostel, but when they did not find her, they filed a missing complaint with the police. Later, the accused sent a message to her parents demanding a ransom of Rs 9 lakh. The family then alerted the police who zeroed in on the three accused through technical analysis. The trio took her to Ahmednagar. They sought a ransom of Rs 9 lakh from her parents. They then strangled her, buried the body on the outskirts of Ahmednagar and removed the SIM card of her cellphone, the official said. Following a probe into a financial transaction made into the victims bank account, the police arrested three suspects identified as Shivam Fulwale, Sagar Jadhav and Suresh Indure, all in their twenties, according to a report by Indian Express. During questioning, the three persons told the police about the crime committed by them. The prime suspect Shivam is from the same engineering college where the victim studied and two others are his friends, the IE report said. According to police, the accused were facing financial problems and hence they allegedly kidnapped the victim and tried to extort money from her family. (With PTI Inputs) The anti-terror agency NIA has strongly refuted the allegations of assaulting the residents of Bhupatinagar in West Bengals Purba Medinipur district, where its team had gone to carry out raids and arrests investigation in a two-year-old blast case. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said its team came under violent attack by an unruly mob in Naruabila village on Saturday, when it had gone there to arrest two persons in the Bhupatinagar blast case, in which three persons were killed in December 2022. An NIA officer was injured and a vehicle was damaged on Saturday when a mob allegedly attacked the agency team that went to arrest TMCs Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity. Meanwhile, West Bengal police have registered an FIR against NIA officials for alleged molestation in the Bhupatinagar incident after the wife of an arrested TMC leader filed a complaint against them. NIAs Statement The NIA categorically refuted allegations of mala fide in its Bhupatinagar blast case, an agency spokesperson said. The NIA spokesperson termed the entire controversy unfortunate and made it clear that the attack on its team was completely unprovoked. NIA said its actions were bona fide, lawful and legally mandated, as part of its ongoing investigation into the heinous crime related to the fabrication of crude bombs, leading to an explosion that killed three persons. The NIA reiterated that its team had come under violent attack by an unruly mob when they had gone to conduct searches in Naruabila village on Saturday in connection with its probe into the case. The attack was completely unprovoked and uncalled for and an attempt to obstruct the NIA from carrying out its lawful duties, the agency said. It pointed out that the searches were conducted at five locations in the presence of independent witnesses and under the security cover provided by the CRPF, which included women constables. The arrests were made after following all lawful procedures, the NIA spokesperson said. The NIA has re-stated that an aggressive crowd had assaulted the NIA personnel who were taking arrested accused Manobrata Jana to the local police station for completing legal formalities. One NIA official sustained injuries and an official vehicle of the NIA was also damaged in the attack, the spokesperson said. TMCs Claim The NIA statement came hours after Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee alleged an unholy alliance between the NIA and the BJP and said the Election Commission remains conspicuously silent on the issue. Experience the unfolding alliance between the @NIA_India and @BJP4Bengal, orchestrating conspiracies against Trinamool leaders and the Model Code of Conduct. While this collusion persists, the ECI stands by, conspicuously silent, neglecting its duty to ensure fair play, Banerjee posted on X. On Saturday, after the NIA team was attacked, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, while addressing an election rally in Dakshin Dinajpur district, accused the NIA team of attacking villagers. The attack was not perpetrated by the women of Bhupatinagar, but rather by the NIA team, she alleged. On Sunday, senior Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh also alleged that a senior state BJP leader from Paschim Bardhaman district, who was earlier with TMC, had met an NIA SP at his apartment in the New Town area of Kolkata on March 26 and handed over a list of TMC leaders to be arrested by the agency from different parts of the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. West Bengal Police Files FIR Against NIA Arrested TMC leader Manobrata Jana wife Moni Jana lodged a complaint with Bhupatinagar police station alleging that NIA officers tried to outrage her modesty after forcibly entering her residence on the pretext of conducting a probe. They also allegedly vandalised her residence during their raid, a police officer said on Sunday. We have registered an FIR after receiving a complaint from a woman alleging assault by NIA officers. We are looking into the complaint, the police officer told news agency PTI. IPC Section 354 (for assaulting any woman, with an intention to outrage her modesty) was attached to the complaint, the police officer added. The police are yet to arrest anyone in connection with the alleged attack on the NIA officers who have lodged a complaint with the Bhupatinagar police station. The matter is being investigated, the police officer said. Action Taken By NIA So Far The NIA has already filed a complaint at the area police station seeking legal action against the assailants. The probe agency had on Saturday arrested Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity for their involvement in the case. The NIA also said that the duo had failed to appear before the agency despite repeated summons to join the investigation. The two arrested TMC leaders were not cooperating with our officers, the NIA officer said. The agency also issued summons to three Trinamool Congress leaders Manab Kumar Karaya, Subir Maity and Naba Kumar Pondaasking them to appear before its officers for questioning on Monday at its Kolkata office. The trio had skipped appearing before NIA officers when summoned for questioning last week. The agency had filed an application before a special NIA court in Kolkata, which, after perusing the case records, had issued an order on April 3, 2024, stating that it found the allegations to be of very serious nature. The special court had also observed that the agency was at liberty to proceed with the investigation as expeditiously as possible and to take all necessary action with regard to the arrest, search and seizure of the houses of the suspects and accused persons, in accordance with the relevant provisions of Criminal Code of Procedure, NIA Act and UA(P)A so far applicable for a proper and thorough investigation. Following the special courts order, the NIA conducted the searches, which culminated in the arrest of the two accused, who were found to be involved in the case. 2022 Bhupatinagar Blast Case The blast had taken place in December 2022 and the NIA had taken over the investigation in the case on June 6, 2023, on the direction of the Calcutta High Court. The attack on the NIA team evoked memories of January 5 when a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was attacked by a mob in North 24 Parganas districts Sandeshkhali during a search at the house of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with alleged irregularities in the public distribution system. In a recent video from Agras iconic tourist spot Taj Mahal, a heated exchange was captured between a CISF officer and a tourist. The video which has now gained attention on social media shows how a verbal spat between the duo leads to a scuffle. The tourist was allegedly attempting to shoot a reel within the monument premises despite a ban there. According to a India Today report, the on-duty CISF officer Ramesh Chand landed up in the fight as he had stopped the tourist and his friends from capturing the video. As per a a police report, the incident occurred at around 2 pm on Saturday when the visitors were trying to record a video near the Mehmankhana, by violating the ban on videography enforced within the premises. The female tourist who was there along with her friends was stopped from recording the video, as per the rules but despite being warned, they continued recording. This led to the CISF personnel confiscate the tourists mobile phone which instigated the heated argument. Infact, in the video, the tourist is seen pushing the cop, who then pushes back, causing her to fall to the ground. However, the woman gets back on feet tries to hit the CISF personnel again. Following this scuffle, the two girls who were with the woman attempt o intervene while requesting access to the phone so that they could contact the authorities. One of them, later reported the matter to the CISF control room. During the interrogation, the officer said that the tourists became angry and resorted to physical violence after they were asked not to shoot the video. The police are examining the viral video along with the CCTV footages of the area in order to understand the cause behind the fight. The matter is currently being investigated and appropriate action as per the findings of the probe has been assured. The Taj Mahal a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thereby authorities have urged visitors to strictly adhere to the guidelines and regulations in place. Muslims in Lucknow, Delhi, Karnataka, and many other parts of India will observe another day of fasting as the Eid al-Fitr crescent moon was not sighted on Tuesday night, April 9. This news follows official announcements from prominent mosques like Delhis Jama Masjid and Fatehpuri Masjid, along with reports from Karnataka confirming the moon wasnt sighted. The Markazi Chand Committee Eidgah in Lucknow also made a similar announcement. Consequently, Eid al-Fitr celebrations in these regions will be held on Thursday, April 11, 2024. ALSO READ: Happy Eid al-Fitr 2024: Eid Mubarak Wishes, Messages, Shayari, and Images to Share on Eid-ul-Fitr However, there will be earlier festivities in some parts of the country. Kerala and Ladakh will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday, April 10, as the Shawwal crescent moon was sighted there. This highlights the importance of moon sighting in determining the exact date for Eid al-Fitr, which can sometimes vary across different regions within India. While India observes Eid on April 11, some countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, and others in the Middle East and West will celebrate on Wednesday, April 10. This is because the moon was not sighted in these countries on April 8. Similarly, Eid will be celebrated on April 10 in Pakistan, Australia, Philippines and Malaysia. Shawwal Moon Sighted, Eid in Kerala on April 10 Eid al-Fitr festivities will commence earlier in Kerala compared to other parts of India. The Kerala Hilal (KNM) Committee Chairman, M Muhammad Madani, announced the sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon in Ponnani. This decision aligns with pronouncements from Kozhikodes Qazi Sayyid Muhammad Koya Jamalullail, Chief Acting Qazi Safir Sakhafi, and Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal. Happy Eid al-Fitr 2024: Eid Mubarak Wishes, Messages Eid Mubarak! May this special day bring you joy, peace, and prosperity. Sending you lots of love and blessings. Wishing you and your family a blessed Eid filled with laughter, happiness, and cherished moments. Eid Mubarak! Eid-ul-Fitr Mubarak! May Allahs blessings be with you today and always, guiding you towards success and fulfillment. On this joyous occasion, I pray that Allah showers His countless blessings upon you and your loved ones. Eid Mubarak! Eid Mubarak to you and your family! May this Eid bring you closer to each other and strengthen the bonds of love and unity. 7:29 pm: Muslims across the country eagerly await the Shawwal moon sighting. Reports of a crescent moon sighting have emerged from Aishbagh Eidgah in Lucknow. However, official confirmation is still needed before Eid can be announced. 7:28 PM: All Muslims are requested to do charity, says Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, Chairperson of the Islamic Centre of India. WATCH full video here. VIDEO | All Muslims are requested to do charity among the poor so that they can also be a part of Eid festivities. They are also requested to reach Eidgah (Lucknow) as early as possible so that they can get a place and they dont offer namaz on the roads, says Maulana Khalid pic.twitter.com/1iTUln2NhP Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 9, 2024 7:23 pm: Muslims to sight the Shawwal crescent moon SOON. Check timings in your city here. Delhi: 07:32 PM Mumbai: 07:39 PM Ahmedabad: 07:45 PM Pune: 07:34 PM 7:19 pm: Shawwal Moon Sighted In UAE The wait is over! After an evening of anticipation, the UAEs Moon Sighting Committee confirmed the sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon early on Tuesday, April 9. This joyful news marks the official celebration of Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday, April 10th, signifying the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal 1445 AH. Residents of the UAE can now look forward to a joyous Eid celebration and a well-deserved nine-day holiday. 7:13 pm: Indonesia To Celebrate Eid al-Fitr On April 10 Indonesia is set to celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, following the official confirmation of the Shawwal crescent moon sighting this evening. 7:04 pm: Shawwal moon is expected to be visible in Delhi at 7:32 pm, in Mumbai at 7:39 pm, and in Lucknow at 7:15 pm. 7:01 pm: Shawwal moon will be visible in India today? The final announcement of the sighting of the moon on Eid is expected to be made after Maghrib prayers, i.e. after sunset, between 7 pm and 7:30 pm. The sighting of the moon will determine the date of Eid 2024 in India. Stay with us to get live news updates of Eid 2024 moonsighting in India. 6:59 pm: Filipino Muslims Celebrate Eid al-Fitr on April 10 Filipino Muslims will mark the joyous occasion of Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. This follows the sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon during moonsighting activities conducted across designated areas in the Bangsamoro region, as announced by the Bangsamoro mufti. The Philippine government, recognizing the significance of Eid al-Fitr, declared April 10th a national holiday. In regions such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, USA, United Kingdom, and others in the Middle East and the West, where the Shawwal crescent was not sighted on April 8 evening, fasting continues into April 9. They will celebrate chand raat on Tuesday evening. Eid in these countries will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 10. Eid in Australia will be celebrated on April 10. 6:37 pm: When Will the Moon Rise In Your City Tonight? Delhi: 07:32 PM Mumbai: 07:39 PM Bengaluru: 07:13 PM Lucknow: 07:15 PM Agra: 06:19 PM Hyderabad: 07:14 PM Noida: 06:32 PM Chandigarh: 06:27 PM Ahmedabad: 07:45 PM Pune: 07:34 PM 6:36 pm: 6 Thoughtful Gift Ideas To Make Your Eid-ul-Fitr Celebration More Special Traditional Sweets and Treats Customized Gift Hampers Elegant Islamic Art Pieces Eid Decorations Gift Cards Handcrafted Eid Mementos 6: 33 pm: Delhi HC Refuses to Allow Ramzan, Eid Prayers at Akhoondji Mosque Site in Mehrauli The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to allow offering of prayers during the month of Ramzan and on Eid at the demolished Akhoondji mosque site in Mehrauli. A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan directed that an appeal by Muntazmia Committee Madarsa Behrul Ulum and Kabarstan, challenging a single judges order dismissing its plea seeking permission for devotees to access the mosque for Ramzan and Eid prayers, be listed along with a related matter on May 7. 6:31 pm: Bihar Govt Announces Holiday for Teachers on Eid, Ram Navami The Bihar government announced holidays for school teachers on Eid-ul-Fitr and Ram Navami. According to a statement issued by the Education Department, CM Nitish Kumar took discomfiture among teachers because of the residential training programme that deprived them of the holidays. The CM has ordered that the holidays be given on April 10 and 11 for Eid-ul-Fitr and April 17 for Ram Navami, it said. 6:30 pm: Pakistan Deploys More Than 100,000 Police and Paramilitary Forces ahead of Eid Al-Fitr Pakistani authorities have deployed more than 100,000 police and paramilitary forces at mosques and marketplaces across the country ahead of the massive Eid al-Fitr holiday, officials said Tuesday. (Source: AP) 6:10 pm: Moon rise in Agra Soon Moon rise in Agra is likely to be held at 6:19 PM, followed by at 6:32 pm in Noida, 6:27 pm in Chandigarh and 7:14 pm in Hyderabad. 6:06 pm: Banks To Remain Shut on Eid. Check Details According to the Reserve Bank of India, banks will remain closed on April 11 in all the states except Chandigarh, Sikkim, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh. There will be Eid holiday in banks in Kerala on April 10. 5:39 pm: City-wise Moonrise Time In Major Indian Cities Delhi: 07:32 PM Mumbai: 07:39 PM Bengaluru: 07:13 PM Kolkata: 05:34 PM Lucknow: 07:15 PM Agra: 06:19 PM Hyderabad: 07:14 PM Noida: 06:32 PM Chandigarh: 06:27 PM Ahmedabad: 07:45 PM Pune: 07:34 PM Patna: 05:49 PM 5:37 pm: Eid al-Fitr 2024: Sweeten Your Eid with This Delicious Seviyan Recipe! Seviyan, also known as vermicelli, is a sweet dish that holds a special place on the Eid table. This delectable dessert, is more than just a treat its a symbol of celebration and community. READ MORE 5:36 pm: Eid al-Fitr 2024: Celebrate Eid with a Feast of Delights! Eid, a joyous occasion celebrated by Muslims worldwide, is marked by communal prayers, feasts, and festivities. Among the myriad of delicious dishes savoured during this celebration, biryani reigns supreme. This aromatic rice dish, layered with flavourful spices, succulent meat, or vegetables, is a symbol of unity and indulgence. Its preparation varies across regions, each boasting its unique blend of ingredients and cooking techniques. READ MORE 5:34 pm: Pakistan Gears Up for Eid al-Fitr Moon Sighting Pakistanis are preparing for Eid al-Fitr as the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meets on Tuesday evening to confirm the sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicts a high chance of celebrating Eid on Wednesday, April 10. 5:32 pm: Rain Showers Forecast for Eid Celebrations in J&K Eid al-Fitr in Jammu and Kashmir might experience a damper due to expected rainfall. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in Srinagar predicts two incoming western disturbances bringing moisture-laden winds from the Mediterranean. Cloudy Skies and RainThe first disturbance arrives on April 10th, bringing cloudy weather from the morning onwards. Light to Moderate RainExpect light to moderate rain across Kashmir from Wednesday evening until Thursday afternoon. Isolated rain showers are also possible in the Jammu region. This forecast suggests the possibility of rain affecting outdoor Eid celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir. If the Moon will be spotted today, then Eid will be celebrated on April 10, otherwise itll be on April 11. We appeal to Namazis to offer Namaz at Eidgah. You should help poor and needy with all heart. I appeal you to not offer Namaz on roads. Your wishes will be fulfilled on the day. You should pray for the nations progress and prosperity. Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, Head, Islamic Centre of India MOONRISE TIME IN MAJOR INDIAN CITIES INCLUDING DELHI, MUMBAI, BENGALURU Delhi: 07:32 PM Mumbai: 07:39 PM Bengaluru: 07:13 PM Kolkata: 05:34 PM Lucknow: 07:15 PM Agra: 06:19 PM Hyderabad: 07:14 PM Noida: 06: 32 PM Chandigarh: 06:27 PM Ahmedabad: 07:45 PM Pune: 07:34 PM Patna: 05:49 PM VIDEO | Islamic Centre of India Head Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali has issued an advisory for Eid-ul-Fitr. Heres what he said congratulating people on the occasion.If the Moon will be spotted today, then Eid will be celebrated on April 10, otherwise itll be on April pic.twitter.com/pY0FnuTDab Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 9, 2024 WATCH: Delicious Seviyan Recipe For Eid 2024 Happy Eid-ul-Fitr 2024: Eid Mubarak Wishes Eid Mubarak! May this joyous occasion bring you and your loved ones abundant blessings, happiness, and peace. Wishing you a blessed Eid filled with love, laughter, and cherished moments with family and friends. Eid Mubarak! Eid Mubarak to you and your family! May the spirit of Eid fill your hearts with love, kindness, and gratitude. On this auspicious day, I pray that Allahs blessings shine upon you and your family, bringing joy and prosperity. Eid Mubarak! Warmest wishes for a joyous Eid-ul-Fitr! May this special day bring you closer to your loved ones and fill your life with endless blessings and happiness. Eid Mubarak! Some Traditions Associated with Eid-ul-Fitr? TakbirMuslims recite the takbir, which is a phrase that glorifies God, throughout the day of Eid. SalahEid prayers are held in congregation, typically in large open spaces or mosques. Zakat al-FitrThis is a mandatory charity given to the poor before the Eid prayer. FeastingMuslims enjoy special meals with family and friends. Traditional Eid dishes vary by region, but often include sweet treats and savory meats. Gift-givingIt is common to exchange gifts with loved ones on Eid. Visiting family and friendsMuslims visit each others homes to celebrate Eid together. BREAKING NEWS | The crescent moon was NOT sighted in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated on Wednesday, 10th April 2024.May Allah allow us to utilise the remaining moments of this blessed month to engage in that which pleases Him, may He accept our siyam, pic.twitter.com/GQlizcEnDi (@HaramainInfo) April 8, 2024 Eid al-Fitr 2024 Mubarak, Eid Wishes Eid Mubarak! Wishing you and your family a blessed Eid filled with love, laughter, and countless blessings. On this joyous occasion of Eid, may Allahs blessings shower upon you and your loved ones, bringing happiness and opening doors to success. Eid Mubarak! May your Eid be as sweet as the treats you enjoy! Eid Mubarak! Eid Mubarak! May this Eid be a time for sharing, caring, and expressing gratitude for all the wonderful things in life. Wishing you a bright and blissful Eid filled with joy, hope, and the light of good company. Eid Mubarak! The observer Abdullah Al-Khudairi:Its difficult to sight the Shawwal crescent due to the clouds. pic.twitter.com/j7kustr5sd (@HaramainInfo) April 8, 2024 8:32 pm: According to the observer Abdullah Al-Khudairi, Cloudy sky main hamper crescent moon sighting. 8:18 pm: According to Saudi Meteorology: Today, the weather is suitable for observing the Eid al-Fitr crescent in the north and west of the Kingdom. We expect that visibility will not be good for seeing the Shawwal crescent in Central regions, Sudair and Tumair due to heavy clouds. 8:15 pm: The sun sets over the main observatories in Sudair and Tumair a little past 6:15 PM Mecca time (8:30 pm IST). We can expect an official announcement about the sighting of the crescent moon shortly after. 8:12 pm: The first day of Eid al-Fitr hinges on sighting the crescent moon that signals the beginning of Shawwal, the tenth month in the Islamic Hijri calendar. 8:06 PM: Preparations underway to sight Crescent Moon 8:02 PM: Astronomers predict a high chance of Ramadan being 30 days long this year. Eid al-Fitr 2024 Date In India Every year, Eid al-Fitr falls on a different day depending on when the moon is visible. The date might also change by one or two days depending on a location. Although the exact day will be revealed closer to the celebration, Eid al-Fitr in India is expected to take place on April 10 or 11. Kerala is the only Indian state whose Eid al-Fitr date is determined based on a sighting of the moon in Saudi Arabia. Muslims in India, along with those in South Asian countries, will gear up to sight the Crescent moon on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. EID-UL-FITR 2024 MOON SIGHTING DATE IN SAUDI ARABIA, INDIA Sunset at the main observatories of Sudair and Tumair is just after 18:15 (Makkah time). The official announcement will be shared soon after. In sha AllahMay Allah allow us to end the month of #Ramadan in His obedience & may He forgive us for our shortcomings. Aameen pic.twitter.com/yhmRgIXFVg (@HaramainInfo) April 8, 2024 WHAT IS CHAND RAAT? Chand Raat, literally meaning Night of the Moon in Urdu, is a vibrant celebration observed in South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It falls on the eve of either Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Adha. Muslims eagerly anticipate spotting the crescent moon (new moon) on Chand Raat, as it signifies the end of Ramadan or Zul-Hijjah, depending on the upcoming Eid. WHEN IS CHAND RAAT? Many countries, including those in the Middle East, North America, and the UK, began Ramadan on March 11, 2024. In Saudi Arabia, the Supreme Court has announced that Muslims will sight the crescent moon for the month of Shawwal on the evening of April 8. This sighting determines the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid al-Fitr. IF THE CRESCENT MOON IS SIGHTED ON APRIL 8, 2024: Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 9. The night before Eid (Chand Raat) will be on Monday, April 8. IF THE CRESCENT MOON IS NOT SIGHTED ON APRIL 8: Ramadan will be 30 days long. Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 10. Chand Raat will be on Tuesday, April 9. This means Eid al-Fitr could fall on either April 9 or 10, depending on the moon sighting. NEWS | The Supreme Court calls upon all Muslims within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to attempt to sight the Shawwal crescent moon.The Court has urged those who are able to observe the crescent moon, either with the naked eye or through visual aids, to approach the nearest court pic.twitter.com/kBmwaBglph (@HaramainInfo) April 8, 2024 Significance of Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr, which takes place immediately following the completion of Ramadan, is one of the most important holidays in the Islamic calendar. The celebration has deep roots in Islamic customs and dates back to the Prophet Muhammads migration from Mecca to Medina in the early days of Islam. The festivals goal is to foster unity and return to routine life after an extended period of religious devotion and abstinence from food and drink. How is Eid al-Fitr Celebrated? On the morning of Eid al-Fitr, Muslims from all over the world gather for communal prayer after showering and changing into new clothes. While Eid al-Fitr traditions differ from nation to nation, they often involve seeing family and friends, exchanging gifts, feasting, and dressing up. Muslims express their appreciation to Allah through these festivities following Ramadans introspection and fast. Apart from social events, Eid al-Fitr is a time when Muslims express their thanks to Allah by giving humanitarian and charitable initiatives. One such is the charity known as Zakat al-Fitr, which is offered throughout Ramadan to the underprivileged and needy. The charity is distributed a few days before Eid al-Fitr, allowing the underprivileged to celebrate the festival in comfort. In addition, Muslims who can do so are obligated to contribute to Zakat al-Fitr. Dos and Donts of Eid al-Fitr Dos Participate in the Eid prayer, distribute Zakat al-Fitr, dress appropriately, greet people, spend time with loved ones, perform acts of devotion, and promote happiness. Donts Dont skip the mandatory Eid prayer, dont wear clothes or engage in any activities that promote arrogance, dont pronounce the takbeerat in unison, dont indulge in overabundance and maintain the punctuality achieved throughout Ramadan. Gudi Padwa, a vibrant festival marking the Marathi New Year, will be celebrated on April 9, 2024. It marks the onset of spring and symbolises new beginnings, prosperity, and joy. Amidst the festive atmosphere, savour the unique flavours of Neem ki Chutney, a tangy and aromatic accompaniment. ALSO READ: Happy Gudi Padwa 2024: Wishes, Images, Messages and WhatsApp Status to Share in English, Hindi and Marathi Delight in the hearty goodness of Katachi Amti, a lentil-based curry bursting with spices and flavours. And indulge in the wholesome sweetness of Ragi Pooran Poli, a traditional flatbread filled with a decadent mixture of ragi and jaggery. As the New Year dawns, Jaiparkash Bhatt, Executive Chef, The Resort, Madh Island, Mumbai, share a tantalizing spread featuring authentic delicacies. THREE FLAVOURFUL DISHES FOR YOUR GUDI PADWA CELEBRATION Neem ki chutneyThis tangy condiment is a staple in Maharashtrian cuisine. Made with neem leaves, known for their bitterness, its balanced with coriander and spices for a unique and flavourful dip that complements any dish. Katachi AmtiA hearty lentil soup, katachi amti is a warm and comforting dish. Packed with protein from toor dal (pigeon pea lentils) and bursting with the flavours of tomatoes and spices, its a perfect addition to your Gudi Padwa meal. Ragi pooran poliEnd your festive meal on a sweet note with ragi pooran poli. These flatbreads are made with healthy ragi flour and stuffed with a delectable filling of jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) and coconut. A delicious and nutritious sweet treat! Neem Ki Chutney Neem ki Chutney Recipe Ingredients Fresh neem leaves- 1 cup- washed and pat dried Green chili 2-3 Cloves of garlic 3-4 Grated coconut cup Salt to taste Mustard seed 1teaspoon Lemon juice 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil 2 tablespoon Step-by-step Guide Heat oil in pan and add the neem leaves and mustard seeds Saute for 2-3 minutes until the leaves wilt slightly. Add chopped green chilies and garlic cloves to the pan. Saute for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool down. Once cooled, transfer the mixture to the blender. Add grated coconut, salt, oil and lemon juice. Blend everything together until you get smooth paste. You may need to add a little water to achieve the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with rice or bhakri. Katachi Amti Ingredients Chana dal 1 cup Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon Water 4 cup Salt to taste Oil 2 table spoon Cumin seed- 1 teaspoon Dried red chillies-3 no Curry leaves 6 to 7 Onion finely chopped -1 Garlic mince- 2.3 cloves Ginger grated 1 inch Tomato chopped 2 Goda masala- 2 teaspoon Asafetida teaspoon Red chilli powder -1 teaspoon Tamarind pulp- 1 tablespoon Jaggery 2 tablespoon Fresh coriander leaves for garnish. Step-by-step Guide Wash Chana dal and soak for 30 minutes.in pressure cooker, add the soaked Chana dal, water, turmeric powder, and salt. Pressure cook for about 4-5 whistles or until the dal cooked and soft Heat oil in deep pan over medium heat, add mustard seed and let them splutter. Then add cumin seeds, asafetida, dried red chilies, and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Add chopped onions and saute until they turn golden brown. Add mince garlic and grated ginger. Saute for a minute until the raw smell disappears. Add chopped tomatoes cook until soft and mushy. Add goda masala, red chilli powder, salt. Mix well and cook for 5 minute. Add boiled chana dal to the amti.stir well and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add tamarind pulp and Jaggery to balance the flavor. Add more water if needed and garnish with freshly chopped coriander. Serve hot with steamed rice or bhakri. Ragi Pooran Poli Ingredients Finger millet flour- 1 cup Whole wheat flour cup Salt a pinch Chana dal 1 cup Jaggery, grated 1 cup Cardamom powder -1/4 tsp Ghee for cooking Water, as needed Step-by-step Guide For filling To make the filling rinse the Chana dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 2-3 hours. Drain the soak dal and pressure cook it with enough water until it becomes soft and mushy. Heat a pan and add the mashed dal and grated jaggery. Cook this mixture on low heat until it thickens and becomes a smooth paste. Stir continuously to prevent sticking. Add cardamom powder and mix well and allow the mixture to cool completely. For Dough Thailand remains a favourite among Indian tourists for its beautiful temples, friendly locals, delicious street food, and coastal landscape. Its considered one of the top tourist destinations in Asia. For shorter trips, air travel is often the preferred choice. Theres an alternative route to Thailand that you might not be aware of. You can travel by road via the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. This highway spans 1360 km, starting from Moreh in Manipur, passes through Myanmars Mandalay and Naypyidaw, and ends in Mae Sot, Thailand. Travellers plan a road trip starting at Moreh, Manipur, and on the Indo-Myanmar border. The journey takes you through Myanmars landscapes and cultural sites such as Mandalay and Myawaddy on the route to Thailand. It spans 12 to 15 days, depending on your travel speed and planned stopovers. Estimated expenses can vary between INR 4.5 to 5 lakh, excluding charges for documentation and permits. During the winter season, from November to February, is considered the best time for road trips as the weather remains pleasant in all three countries. The months from November to February are considered the best time for road trips because the weather is pleasant across all three countries. Permits and essential documents: An International Driving Permit (IDP) is necessary for travelling across borders and can be obtained for a fee, along with a valid Indian Driving License. Carnet fees are required for both exiting and re-entering Myanmar, and they come at a cost. These fees act as security for the vehicle. The carnet pass remains valid for one year. Things To Carry Travel Documents Before you travel, check that your passport will be valid for at least six months after your arrival. Bring a few passport-sized photos with you, and dont forget to get travel insurance. Make sure to book your accommodations ahead of time and bring confirmation documents with you. Vehicle Documents Remember to carry your Indian Driving License with you. Youll also need an international driving permit for crossing borders. Make sure you have vehicle insurance; bring the original vehicle registration documents. Dont forget the necessary carnet documents for crossing borders. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking some or all of the suns light from reaching Earth. This can only happen during a new moon when the sun and moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. The solar eclipse occurring on April 8, 2024, is special because it will be a total solar eclipse visible from North America, specifically crossing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Its often referred to as the Great North American Eclipse due to its path over these countries. SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024 Date: April 8, 2024 April 8, 2024 Timings (IST): Starts at 9:12 PM IST on April 8th and ends at 2:22 AM IST on April 9. Totality will start at 10:08pm IST. Starts at 9:12 PM IST on April 8th and ends at 2:22 AM IST on April 9. Totality will start at 10:08pm IST. Duration: 5 hours and 10 minutes WILL SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024 BE VISIBLE IN INDIA? Unfortunately, the total solar eclipse will not be visible from India. It will begin at 9:12 pm IST, a few hours after the Sun is set. Totality will start at 10:08pm IST, and the eclipse will end at 2:22am IST on April 9. WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH SOLAR ECLIPSE LIVESTREAM FOR FREE IN INDIA While you cant see the eclipse directly in India, you can still experience the awe-inspiring event virtually! Here are some popular live streams to tune into: NASA: Starting at 5:00pm GMT (10:30pm IST) on April 8. Click Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MJY_ptQW1o timeanddate.com: Starting at 4:30pm GMT (10:00pm IST) on April 8. Click Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9M_e3JbpLY McDonald Observatory: An astronomical research facility located in far west Texas, and part of the University of Texas at Austin, will also Livestream the celestial event. Click Here: https://www.youtube.com/live/RHAbciq3NNY?si=gcYx9ZDspV6a0_dK 5 MAIN STAGES OF A SOLAR ECLIPSE Penumbral PhaseThe faint outer part of the Moons shadow gradually darkens a small area around the Sun. This might be barely noticeable. Partial PhaseThe Moon starts to cover the Suns disc, creating a crescent shape. TotalityThe Moon completely blocks the Sun, creating a brief period of darkness and allowing you to see the Suns corona (outer atmosphere). This is the most dramatic part of the eclipse. Partial PhaseThe Moon gradually uncovers the Sun, returning to a crescent shape. Penumbral PhaseThe Earth exits the Moons shadow, and the Sun returns to normal. 10 SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT THE 2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE Crossing PathsThe path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse will cross over Mexico, the United States, and Canada, making it a rare event for North America. DurationThis eclipse will last longer than average, with the total eclipse phase lasting up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds at its longest point. Totality in Major CitiesSeveral major cities, including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Montreal, will experience totality during the 2024 eclipse. Repeat PerformanceThe path of the 2024 eclipse is similar to the path of another solar eclipse that occurred in 2017, creating a sort of eclipse reunion for those who witnessed the previous event. Opportunity for ScientistsScientists will have another chance to study the suns corona during totality, gathering valuable data about its temperature, structure, and dynamics. Tourism BoomCommunities along the path of totality are gearing up for a tourism boom, as eclipse chasers from around the world flock to witness this rare event. Economic ImpactThe 2024 eclipse is expected to generate millions of dollars in revenue for businesses in the path of totality, including hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Educational OpportunitiesSolar eclipses provide unique educational opportunities for students to learn about astronomy, the solar system, and the science behind eclipses. Cultural SignificanceEclipses have held cultural significance for millennia, inspiring myths, legends, and rituals in various societies around the world. Inspiration for ArtistsThe beauty and awe-inspiring nature of solar eclipses have inspired artists throughout history, leading to countless works of art depicting this celestial phenomenon. SAFELY VIEWING THE SOLAR ECLIPSE We want you to watch the total solar #eclipse. We just dont want it to be the last thing you see.How to watch safely: https://t.co/E1wDcSjF4PApril 8 livestream: https://t.co/1c4ystgCfm pic.twitter.com/rjpREhQU3b NASA (@NASA) April 5, 2024 Never look directly at the sun without proper eye protection. Use specially designed solar viewing glasses or handheld solar viewers. Do not use regular sunglasses, smoked glass, or any other makeshift filter to view the sun. Alternatively, you can use indirect viewing methods like pinhole projectors or solar telescopes to safely observe the eclipse. WHEN WAS THE LAST SOLAR ECLIPSE? The last solar eclipse occurred on December 4, 2021. It was a total solar eclipse visible from parts of South America, the South Pacific, and Antarctica. WHEN WILL BE THE NEXT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE? The next total solar eclipse after 2024 will occur on August 12, 2026. It will be visible from parts of North America, Europe, and Africa. SOLAR ECLIPSE ASTROLOGY: 5 ZODIAC SIGNS TO BE MOST AFFECTED According to the astrologer and Vastu consultant Pandit Hitendra Kumar Sharma, people of certain zodiac signs are required to be extra aware on the day of the eclipse as they are likely to witness financial loss. AriesAs per the Vastu expert and astrologer, people of Aries need to be careful about this solar eclipse. The eclipse may cause them to experience major health issues. Additionally, there is a high chance of financial loss on this day. It is suggested that people of this zodiac sign avoid investing a large amount on this day. VirgoVirgo people need to pay special attention to this solar eclipse. The inauspicious effect of the eclipse can be seen majorly in the form of financial loss. Businessmen of this zodiac sign are advised to take special care on this day. Additionally, taking care of their health is crucial as well. ScorpioScorpios should be extra attentive during this solar eclipse according to Pandit Hitendra Kumar Sharma. Due to the effect of the solar eclipse, they may experience bad times in their marital life. Apart from this, they also need to be careful at their workplace as a crucial financial loss is likely to occur. It is suggested that people of the Scorpio sign avoid changing jobs at present. SagittariusPeople of this zodiac sign should avoid lending money to anyone. In addition, if someone is thinking of investing money somewhere, they should postpone it as the effects of this eclipse can be significant and adverse. Additionally, people from this sign should also be careful in their marital life while making major decisions. PiscesThe total solar eclipse is going to occur in the house of Pisces, therefore, Pisces people need to be aware. Due to the eclipse, Pisces people may have to face financial loss along with health problems, as per the Vastu expert and astrologer. They may also experience trouble from some old disputes. WATCH: NASA Shares Tips For Photography Say Totality!With just 2 weeks until a total solar eclipse across North America, brush up on your eclipse photography skills with tips from @nasahqphoto.Remember: Safety first. Dont look at the Sun without solar filters unless its totally blocked.https://t.co/2TxveMdE6R pic.twitter.com/zOJZknTZ97 NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) March 25, 2024 DOS AND DONT TO FOLLOW ON THE DAY OF SURYA GRAHAN According to NASA, people should use special-purpose solar filters or eclipse glasses to protect their eyes. Even during a common day, people are suggested to not look directly at the Sun, without any filter. NASA does not advise using homemade filters or any ordinary sunglasses. According to the space agency, the darkest pair of sunglasses will still transmit far too much sunlight, which can easily damage the eyes. People are suggested to remove their shielding glasses if you have turned your face away from the eclipse or when the eclipse is over. Those with special interest in space events, might want to capture the ring of fire with their cameras. But scientists dont advise to do so. There are high chances that the concentrated solar rays might cause injury to the eyes of the looker. People who are near or farsighted can wear their eclipse glasses over their day-to-day glasses in order to view the eclipse. Children who are willing to watch the solar eclipse must be under parental supervision. With solar eclipse in place, people are suggested to drive with their headlights on and keep the speed in control. They are also advised to maintain a good distance from other vehicles. DOS AND DONT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN DURING SURYA GRAHAN It is advised that pregnant women remain indoors throughout the entire duration of a solar eclipse, as going outside during this time may potentially impact both the mother and the unborn child. According to traditional beliefs, even the eclipses shadow should be prevented from touching the unborn child. Pregnant women shouldnt watch the solar eclipse, directly or indirectly, as doing so can hurt their eyes and overall health. During an eclipse, it is recommended to avoid consuming any food, as it is believed that the negative effects of the eclipse can contaminate it. However, if one experiences hunger pangs, it is suggested to consume thoroughly washed fruits. Pregnant women should avoid sleeping during the duration of a solar eclipse. They should not use sharp objects like needles, scissors, knives, etc. According to religious beliefs, doing this can have harmful physical effects on the unborn child. Solar Eclipse FAQs What is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking some or all of the suns light from reaching Earth. How often do solar eclipses happen? Solar eclipses happen relatively frequently, but total solar eclipses (where the sun is completely blocked) are less common. What are the different stages of a solar eclipse? There are five main stages of a solar eclipse: penumbral, partial, totality (brief period of darkness during a total eclipse), partial again, and penumbral. Are solar eclipses safe to watch? Looking directly at the sun, even during a partial eclipse, can permanently damage your eyes. Special solar eclipse glasses are required for safe viewing. When is the 2024 solar eclipse? The 2024 solar eclipse will occur on April 8. The exact timing will vary depending on your location. Will the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse be visible in India? No, the path of totality for the 2024 eclipse will cross over North America (Mexico, United States, and Canada). How can I watch the 2024 solar eclipse live? There will be several live streams available online. Popular sources include NASAs website, observatories live streams, and astronomical organizations channels. How can I safely view a solar eclipse? Never look directly at the sun during an eclipse. Use specially designed solar viewing glasses or handheld solar viewers. Can I use regular sunglasses or a camera to view a solar eclipse? No, regular sunglasses, smoked glass, or any other makeshift filter are not safe for viewing the sun. You can permanently damage your eyes. What are some interesting facts about solar eclipses? The 2024 eclipse will be a longer than average total eclipse, lasting up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds at its peak. Eclipses have held cultural significance for millennia, inspiring myths, legends, and rituals. Ugadi or Yugadi is grandly celebrated as the first day of the year by the people of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Ugadi, also known as Telugu New Year, is celebrated on the first day of Chaitra. It is an important day in most Hindu calendars that are based on lunisolar calendars, and it is also known as Vikram Samvat and Bhartiya Nava Varsha. ALSO READ: Happy Ugadi 2024: Telugu New Year Wishes, Messages, Quotes, Images, Facebook and WhatsApp Status! Luni-Solar calendars divide the year into months and days based on the Moon and Suns positions. The Solar calendar, in contrast to the Luni-Solar calendar, divides the year into months and days based solely on the location of the Sun. As a result, the Hindu New Year is celebrated twice a year, under various names and at different dates. Ugadi 2024: Date, Time And Muhurat According to Drikpanchang, Ugadi will be celebrated today on April 9 this year. The Pratipada Tithi began at 11:50 PM on April 8, 2024, and ends at 8:30 PM on April 9, 2024. Ugadi is also known as Samvatsaradi, which means the start of the new Samvat. Samvatsara is a 60-year cycle that corresponds to Jupiters location. Each year in the Samvatsara cycle is given a specific name, and the nature of the new Samvat is used to predict the following year. Ugadi 2024: Rituals Ugadi is a popular South Indian festival. It represents wealth, development, new beginnings, and the triumph of good over evil. The day starts with a traditional oil bath, followed by prayers. Scriptures recommend that one can take an oil bath and eat neem leaves. In some places, devotees make a paste by combining neem leaves, jaggery, coriander seeds, and tamarind. It is thought that this mixture purifies the blood and boosts immunity. Moreover, some people take an oil bath on Ugadi because they think the oil contains Goddess Lakshmi and the water contains Goddess Ganga. North Indians do not celebrate Ugadi, but instead begin the nine-day Chaitra Navratri Puja on the same day and consume Neem with Mishri on the first day of Navratri. Similarly, in Maharashtra, Gudi Padwa is celebrated. Ugadi 2024: Significance Of Telugu New Year Ugadi marks the first day of the lunisolar calendar. Surya Siddhanta is an ancient text that serves as the foundation for the majority of Hindu calendars. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Surya personally revealed the Surya Siddhanta treatise to mankind. As a result, tracing Ugadis origins may be impossible. According to Vedic astrology, the day of Ugadi is important. Ugadi falls under the Sade Teen Muhurat. In Vedic Astrology, Ugadi, Akshaya Tritiya, Vijayadashami, and half of Bali Pratipada form the Sade Teen Muhurta, which is no longer required. It is thought that all work done on these days produces beneficial outcomes. This week, a colourful array of festivals unfolds, each offering a glimpse into diverse cultures and traditions. On April 9, Chaitra Navratri, a nine-day Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga commences, coinciding with Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Cheti Chand (Jhulelal Jayanti), and Cheiraoba (Sajibu Nongma Panba), marking the New Year in various regions with unique customs and festivities. April 10 observes the start of Ramadan (Idul Fitr), a sacred month in Islam marked by fasting and spiritual reflection. April 13 brings Baisakhi, Mesha Sankranthi, and the Biju Festival, celebrating harvest and renewal. April 14 sees the festivities of Yamuna Chhath, Bohag Bihu, Vishu, and Tamil New Year, while April 15 marks the Bengali New Year. Finally, April 17 commemorates Ram Navami, honouring the birth of Lord Rama with prayers and devotion. Throughout this week, communities unite in celebration, embracing their cultural heritage and rejoicing in the spirit of togetherness. APRIL 9 Chaitra Navratri Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. It is also known as Vasant Navratri, as it falls in the spring season. During this festival, Hindus worship the nine forms of the goddess Durga. Ugadi Ugadi is the New Year festival celebrated by the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is also known as Yugadi. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Hindu calendar. Gudi Padwa Gudi Padwa is the New Year festival celebrated by the Marathi people. It is also known as Gudi Padva. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Hindu calendar. Cheti Chand (Jhulelal Jayanti) Cheti Chand is the Sindhi New Year festival. It is also known as Jhulelal Jayanti. The festival marks the birth of Jhulelal, the patron saint of the Sindhi community. Cheiraoba (Sajibu Nongma Panba) Cheiraoba is the New Year festival celebrated by the Meitei people of Manipur. It is also known as Sajibu Nongma Panba. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Meitei calendar. APRIL 10 Ramadan (Idul Fitr) Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection. Idul Fitr is the festival that marks the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is expected on April 10 or 11 in India, depending on the sighting of the moon. APRIL 13 Baisakhi Baisakhi is a Sikh festival that celebrates the harvest season. It is also known as Vaisakhi. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Sikh calendar. Mesha Sankranthi Mesha Sankranthi is a Hindu festival that celebrates the Suns entry into the zodiac sign Aries. It is also known as Vaishakha Sankranti. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Hindu solar calendar. Biju Festival Biju Festival is a tribal festival celebrated in the state of Odisha. It is a festival of fertility and prosperity. APRIL 14 Yamuna Chhath Yamuna Chhath is a Hindu festival that celebrates the worship of the Yamuna River. It is also known as Chhath Puja. The festival is celebrated on the sixth day of the lunar month of Kartik. Bohag Bihu Bohag Bihu is the New Year festival celebrated by the Assamese people. It is also known as Rongali Bihu. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Assamese calendar. Tamil New Year Tamil New Year is the New Year festival celebrated by the Tamil people. It is also known as Puthandu. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Tamil calendar. Vishu Vishu celebrates the Malayali New Year in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Mahe of India. It falls on the first day of the month of Medam in the Malayalam Calendar (April 14 or 15 in the Gregorian calendar). It is the traditional new year, while the Kollam era calendar new year falls on the 1st Chingham. APRIL 15 Bengali New Year Bengali New Year is the New Year festival celebrated by the Bengali people. It is also known as Pohela Boishakh. The festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Bengali calendar. APRIL 17 Ram Navami Ram Navami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Rama. It is also known as Rama Jayanti. The festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the lunar month of Chaitra. Allu Arjun turned 42 on Monday, April 8, and on the occasion, his wife Allu Sneha Reddy hosted an intimate birthday bash. In photos that surfaced online, Sneha ensured that the Pushpa 2 star had a memorable birthday by hosting a bash that truly celebrated him and his legacy. Their family members and close friends attended the party. For the party, Sneha slipped into a sexy outfit that impressed everyone. She took to her Instagram Stories and shared a picture of her stunning outfit. Sneha shared a mirror selfie in which she flaunted her toned frame. She was seen wearing a white fitted skirt with a crop top. She completed her look with a pair of shoes. Meanwhile, Allu Arjun was seen wearing a pair of white pants and a colourful shirt. They were seen posing together. Sneha also shared a picture of the three-tier cake featuring Allu Arjuns recently revealed wax statue. For the unversed, Pushpa 2 star was honoured with a wax statue last month. The statue was unveiled in Dubai. At the event, Arjun also recreated the same pose as the statue. Sneha included the viral photos in the cake. Meanwhile, Pushpa The Rule aka Pushpa 2 teaser dropped on the occasion of his birthday and Allu Arjun has teased he has something massive in store for fans. Directed by Sukumar, the team released the first teaser of Pushpa 2 on the occasion of Allu Arjuns birthday. The teaser features Allu Arjun returns as Pushpa Raj but he has added an all new spin to the avatar which is bound to impress fans. The actor has shown he has left no stone unturned to ensure a memorable experience at the cinemas. Besides Allu Arjun, Pushpa 2 also features Rashmika Mandanna. She is reprising her role as Srivalli and is ready to set the screens on fire yet again with her chemistry with Allu Arjun. Fahadh Faasil is also returning as Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat. The film is directed by Sukumar and is set to release this August. Preity Zinta, who has been busy supporting her team Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, is ensuring to allocate time for her health and fitness regimen. On World Health Day, observed on April 7, the actress shared an inspiring snippet from her daily workout session. Through this glimpse into her intense routine, she motivated her followers and also emphasised the importance of prioritising ones physical well-being. In the video, Preity Zinta is seen engaging in pilates while being guided by celebrity trainer Yasmin Karachiwala. She is seen focusing on her leg workout, gradually alleviating stress from her entire body. Accompanying the reel, she wrote in the caption, Love your body Its your first home. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz) Many of Preity Zintas fans expressed admiration for her dedication. One fan commented, Pilates, the best form, while others couldnt help but remark on how stunning and fit she appeared. Even some of her industry colleagues praised her commitment. Sonakshi Sinha, commenting on the reel, remarked, Zinta become too fitt haan!! Killing it. A few weeks ago, the actress shared another inspiring workout reel featuring her trainer. In the video, Preity started with a range of press workouts, followed by other exercises using various instruments. Alongside the reel, she wrote, So nice to be back in the bay. I know you missed me, Yas. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz) On her professional front, Preity Zinta is gearing up for a Bollywood comeback. She is set to star alongside Sunny Deol in Lahore 1947, produced by Aamir Khan Productions. The news of Preity Zinta and Sunny Deol sharing the screen after a long time has generated excitement among their fans. Director Rajkumar Santoshi expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, After a long time, Preity Zinta is again playing a very important role on the silver screen with Lahore 1947. She is indeed an extremely talented, finest, and most natural actress in our industry. Whichever character she plays, she totally invests herself in it and makes the audience feel that she is made for that character. He also stressed how the audience would love to see Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta on screen and that the script was just right for them. Kangana Ranaut addressed claims that she eats beef and other red meat. The actress, who recently turned politician, clarified that she does not eat red meat and called the rumoured baseless. She also slammed those who are spreading misinformation about her. Kanganas reaction came after Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar claimed she had in the past stated she ate beef. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Kangana called the claims shameful and added that people are trying to tarnish her image. I dont consume beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me, I have been advocating and promoting yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now, such tactics wont work to tarnish my image. My people know me and they know that I am a proud Hindu and nothing can ever mislead them, Jai Shri Ram, Kangana Ranaut wrote. Last week, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar claimed that Kangana had shared a post on X in which she said she liked and ate beef. BJP leader Shaina NC criticised Wadettiwars comments. Vijay Wadettiwar is the leader of the Congress party in Maharashtra who is so defunct of ideology that he has the audacity to say that Kangana Ranaut was given a ticket because she is a beef eater. This is not the first time the Congress has made such ludicrous comments, she said. She also claimed tht the Congress was anti-women and cited MP Randeep Surjewalas comments about Hema Malini. Meanwhile, Kangana joined BJP last month. She was named as the BJP candidate in Mandi. Speaking about her decision to join politics, Kangana told Hindustan Times, Joining politics had been on my mind for the past few years. People gave me so much success and it was time to fight for their welfare. From raising issues of pay parity and women empowerment, the time has now come to fight a bigger battle for the people. For this, I needed a larger platform and it was natural for me to align with the BJP. She has been busy campaigning since she became the political candidate. Kartik Aaryan and Karan Johar have taken the internet by storm with their bromance. A video, shared by a Reddit user, shows Karan introduce Kartik as a superstar at an event as the filmmaker calls upon the actor on stage. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, give it up Kartik Aaryan is in the house! Ye hui na entry superstar, hero wali entry aa chuke hai humare superstar, Karan says in the video, as Kartik smiles. Netizens were happy to see the duo share the stage at the event. For the unversed, Karan and Kartik had a fallout during the shoot of now-shelved movie Dostana 2. So it came as a surprise for a section of the internet when Karan introduced Kartik as the superstar. Inki dosti ho gayi? A curious fan asked. Karan and Kartik also returned together from the event. They were clicked arriving together at Mumbai airport on Sunday night. Kartik was seen donning paster blue cotton shirt and pants, while Karan Johar looked dapper in an all-black ensemble. In November last year, Karan decided to officially bury the hatchet with Kartik by announcing a movie on the actors 33rd birthday. The film will be co-produced by Ekta Kapoor. Sharing the announcement on social media, Karan Johar wrote, Kickstarting today with some special news on a special day! Extremely thrilled to announce @dharmamovies and @balajimotionpictures coming together for a film helmed by the exceptionally talented @sandeipm. I find myself elated to also announce the supremely talented @kartikaaryan as our lead for this story that will unfold in cinemas on 15th August, 2025! Kartik, happy birthday to you may our collaboration only grow from strength to strength from hereon and never cease to create magic on the big screen. @ektarkapoor, being your friend is easily the best thing and now working with you will be no different! In 2021, rumours about Kartiks unprofessional behaviour upsetting Karan Johar surfaced online and it was said that the actor was no longer a part of Dostana 2. The film was supposed to star Kartik alongside Janhvi Kapoor and debutant Lakshya. Dharma Productions had announced Dostana 2 in 2019. Kartik will next be seen in Kabir Khans Chandu Champion. The film is based on the extraordinary real-life story of a sportsperson and his spirit of never giving up. The film is expected to release on June 14, 2024. Actor Vishal Thakkar made a brief appearance in the cult classic film, Munnabhai MBBS. He was also seen in the popular sitcom, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Did you know he has been missing for 8 years now? As per one Indian Express report, Vishal Thakkar left his house on 31 December 2015, to watch the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens at a theatre and hasnt returned until this day. He had even asked his mother Durga to accompany him to the movie screening, but she didnt oblige. Finally, at 10:30 PM, he borrowed Rs 500 from her mother and left their Mulund flat. Reportedly, at 1 am on January 1, 2016, Vishal Thakkar messaged his father Mahendra that he was going to a party and would come back in the morning. After that, he went untraceable and has continued to remain so for 8 years. According to the police, Vishal Thakkar was last spotted by his girlfriend on Ghodbunder Road at 11.45 am on January 1, as he hailed an autorickshaw to Andheri for a shoot. His phone was switched off after that and no hospital record was reported of an unidentified man matching his description. Adding on to the troubles was his bank account too showing no activity since then. Three months before this incident happened, Vishal was reportedly accused of rape by his girlfriend. A report on an English channel states that the girl had even lodged a complaint against the actor; but eventually, they had reconciled their differences and the complaint was withdrawn. According to the reports, Vishal Thakkar was said to be mentally disturbed due to no work, and his image was further tarnished due to the rape controversy. Constable Rajesh Pandey was deployed to solve this case as he had the reputation of having traced 800 missing people in Mumbai. He, however, failed to trace the man. Vishal Thakkars girlfriend was also found dead in her apartment due to a possible heart attack a few months later. Vishal acted in films like Tango Charlie and Tum: A Dangerous Obsession. He last acted in the film My Father, Godfather, directed by Pankaj Dheer. Indian politicians since the last seven decades after independence have been practising vote bank politics or Muslim appeasement. Vote bank politics, a term used in the political discourse of India, refers to a loyal bloc of voters from a single community who consistently back a certain candidate or political party in democratic elections. This behaviour is often the result of an expectation of benefits, whether real or imagined, from the political party, often at the cost of the other community. The Indian National Congress (INC) has been known to indulge the Muslim pressure groups time and again, often at the cost of the rights of Muslim women. The Shah Bano landmark Supreme Court of India judgement overturned by the then PM Rajiv Gandhi, under the influence of Muslim politicians, academicians, intellectuals, and pressure groups is a glaring example of this Muslim appeasement. The term vote bank politics was first used by noted Indian sociologist M. N. Srinivas in 1955. Today, it denotes voting based on, among other things, caste, sects, language, and religion and is usually used negatively. Muslim pressure groups since the 1940s have been collectively bargaining for their demands and political aspirations and gave us (current 20 crore Muslims) the burdensome legacy of the Partition, a stigma we have not been able to live down. Ibn Khaldun Bharati is a well-known pseudonym of an upright, tax-paying citizen and son of India of Muslim heritage, who writes for The Print. In his article, Why do Indian Muslims lack an intellectual class? For them, its politics first dated March 26, he wrote that according to the 1970s journalist Hamid Dalwai, there was a problem with the concept of a Muslim intellectual. Khaldun Bharati points out Dalwais arguments that these individuals, who are supposed to represent the Muslim community in public debates and discussions, do not possess the qualities and characteristics typically associated with intellectuals. Dalwai had suggested that these individuals were primarily defined by their religious identity as Muslims, rather than their intellectual abilities or achievements. In other words, Dalwai believed that being a Muslim is the primary focus for these individuals, overshadowing their intellectual pursuits and capabilities. Hamid Dalwai, the only towering intellectual the Indian Muslim community produced, was dubbed the angry young secularist from a small Maharashtrian village; until Arif Mohammad Khan and APJ Abdul Kalam came along. Dalwai also insightfully pointed out that this lack of intellectual capacity hindered the ability of Muslim intellectuals to effectively represent the Muslim community in public debates. As a result, the Hindu Left-Liberals often stepped in to represent the Muslims. While the Shah Bano fiasco was going on, Arif Mohammad Khan narrates, how PV Narasimha Rao advised Rajiv Gandhi to refrain from standing up for the poor lady and the Supreme Courts iconic judgement, buckling under the threats of riots by the Muslim pressure groups, generally comprising the ulema, and regressive Muslim politicians and intellectuals. Raos words to Rajiv Gandhi are a slap on our faces, if the Muslims do not want to modernise, why should we take up the burden and invite their wrath? (Arif M Khans paraphrase). This attitude is what has hindered the Indian Muslims from modernising in huge numbers and not just in pockets and individually. Rightfully too, the call for reform has to come from within and with numbers reaching a tipping point, which sadly is not the case yet. Meanwhile, politicians like Arvind Kejriwal will keep mocking the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley due to Islamism, terming Pulwama as an inside job and Mamata Banerjee will keep going out of the way to protect gangster Sheikh Shahjahan who exploited Hindu women in Sandeshkhali. These politicians have no inkling, they are useful infidels for the Islamist Muslims and their vote bank politics is welcomed and celebrated. The grab for power to maintain their hold on the kursi, costs us victims of Muslim Personal Law and internal insurgencies like jihad and ISIS-related insidious terrorism. Why do these appeasement politicians have to cater to the lumpen elements in the Muslim community? Why do policymakers, politicians, legal experts, think tanks and other agencies always bend to Muslim pressure groups? Why cant they keep the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Indian Constitution as the moral compass and put their foot down for Muslim women and children? Scores of data, even the biased surveys from AMU, Jamia, etc point to the fact that the march of the Indian Muslims into the 21st century is being curtailed by the Muslim intellectuals and their insistence on our participation in the Olympics of oppression. And coerced victimhood. These useful infidels forget that the Hindu majority has been bearing the brunt of Islamist aspirations, internal insurgencies, and terrorism for decades now, while the Muslim appeasement by Left-Liberals gaslights the Muslim women and childrens experiences under Sharia Law. Politics cant be at the cost of one group. The Indian Muslims are still living in their past, reminiscing the glorious Mughal rule, and sufficiently imagined new Medinas such as Pakistan since the 1940s, while the Hindu community is desperately trying to become a Vishwa Guru, standing up to the bullying of developed countries, our former colonial masters. Those same former imperial powers leave no stone unturned to spread the disinformation of an alleged and imagined ongoing Muslim genocide in India. What the useful infidel politicians need to understand is this: it costs women of Muslim heritage a lot. Be it the Shah Bano judgement of 1984, the recent Shayra Bano case of triple talaq, buckling under the ill-informed backlash of the CAA fiasco, because the Muslim pressure groups threatened Shaheen Bagh-like agitations or indulging Muslim academicians when they opposed the implementation of UCC on national TV. These threats seem to quadruple because of the Red-Green Alliance between Muslim communalists and useful infidels. Any chance of reforming the family laws, bringing in modern education, or streamlining the madrassas remains on paper only. The rage of the Muslim male is often visible on the streets of India the Delhi riots, the funeral gatherings of the barber who murdered children from Uttar Pradesh, or the gangster Mukhtar Ansari, or Yakub Menon or Kashmiri terrorists. In the sar tan se juda rallies as well as the scores of videos coming out every day of Muslim punks or ulema warning the majority of dire consequences if and when the police force is removed. The useful infidels do not take into account what the Muslim male rage does behind closed doors, in ghettos and no-go areas. This rage, universal to poor war-torn Arab cities and towns, except when ruled by dictators, is now evident across European cities too, the same cities that provided refuge to fighting-age men (note- not many women or children made their way across the Mediterranean) who wanted to escape wars back home. Useful infidels also do not see Muslim women missing from the political and legal scenes generally, but every time there is an attempt at reform, then those same womens cases are weaponised as an attack on Islam. This scenario was familiar to Hamid Dalwai in his lifetime too. He should have been a champion of the Indian Muslims since he focused on the non-religious aspects of Islam and never criticised the religion itself. However, the Muslim opinion-making class saw his ideas as subversive because they challenged their politics of separatism and their claim to power (Ibn Khaldun Bharati article). This is equivalent to blasphemy, and we all know it is an unforgivable act in the Muslim world and the punishment for it is justified (wajib ul qatl). Therefore, hostility towards Dalwai from the Muslim community was because he was challenging and criticising the political privilege of the elite Muslims and the right to rule which Indian Muslims deem is more important than the religion itself. So, these useful infidels need to take a good, hard look at their constituencies and include the victims of the male Muslim rage the women, children, and enlightened rational men too, the queer, transgenders, atheists, agnostics, and victims of incest. Grabbing onto power (kursi) no matter what is the worst form of corruption. The photo ops at Iftar parties, the much-touted Amar Akbar Anthony Bollywoodian bhaichaara, fools no one these days. The tolerance is only from the Hindu side and the Muslims are not budging even an inch, conveniently gaslighting the silent majority within that wants co-existence and neighbourly ties with the majority. It is high time the culture and practice of vote bank politics, or Muslim appeasement ends, otherwise, it is hypocrisy to accuse the majority of doing the same thing. The author is a writer and an educationist from Srinagar. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Self-appointed guardians of Indias political morality are lathered up about what they believe is a BJP plot to rid India of the Opposition. This dark augury has been apparently triggered by the migration of political leaders or defectors to the BJP. Now, no election has ever been complete without this poll season floor crossing. The switcheroo of netas is about as guaranteed as the annual febrile Wildebeest river-crossing in the Serengeti. And therefore, almost no dark undertones are usually ascribed to promiscuous party hoppers. At least not until now. This election however, the Opposition and some of its cheerleaders have begun referring to opportunists as political hostages: The veritable hijack of allegedly under duress Opposition leaders corralled into the BJPs pen by the menacing Enforcement Directorate. One peripatetic academic from the Opposition ecosystem has noted this phenomenon with unrestrained fascination. A sort of study in the NDAs commander-in-chiefs obsession of asserting power to allegedly realise his goal of an Opposition mukt Bharat by relying on despotic means. To underline the point, the academic has undertaken some research to total up the number of turncoats fielded by the BJP. His labours have led him to claim that ED harried defectors ostensibly make up almost 30 per cent of the BJPs candidates. A closer examination of this so-called data-driven conclusion exposes infirmities. The research, it turns out, isnt painstaking after all. Some of the defectors in the list of the 30 per cent that are contesting on the BJP ticket have crossed over well before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and are already established BJP notables. Others have done so with no other inducement than the assurance of a ticket. At worst, these political migrants are guilty of being turncoats. Only a handful, it could be conjectured, joined the BJP because the Orwellian ED is bearing down on them. It is true that Prime Minister Modi has set the NDAs election managers the stiff target of winning 400 Lok Sabha seats. That means the NDA will have to win approximately 3 out of 4 seats in the fray. But as one BJP MP pointed out, this desire to break the 400-mark barrier isnt borne out of a hegemonic impulse or an undemocratic machination conceived to marginalise the Opposition. The idea, apparently, is part of an ongoing project to expand the partys social base and extend its ideological frontiers. An election is not just about numbers. To achieve the target set by Prime Minister Modi, the BJP will have to ensure that its ideology appeals to locals in regions where it has had almost no presence and therefore no prospects. The east and large swathes of the south have remained frustratingly indifferent to the BJPs Hindutva nationalism. Naturally, the BJP is in the electoral market, as it were, shopping around for recruits who wield influence across unsaffronised shores. The summary characterisation of the BJPs strategy to enlist new talent as a hijack of the Opposition does a disservice to the idea of democratic free will and assertion. Throughout Bharats political history, parties have split, merged, and emerged renewed to keep pace with the changing aspirations of voters. Their founders and constituents have crossed the aisle to transcend seemingly immutable caste and ideological fault lines to stay relevant. So many before the BJP have socially engineered themselves to become greater or more niche than when they started out. As the BJP grows and becomes (if it isnt already) the default party of governance, it will have to embrace a wider array of cultural philosophies and social identities to stay in the electoral hunt. Its message will also have to be tweaked. Indias principal Opposition party the Congress is floundering on this score. Its centre is not holding up because it isnt bound by a credible leader with mass appeal or an electorally marketable idea. Parties that have failed to diversify their message and their morphology have atrophied. Defectors are quite often the first to know. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. It is not very often that an Indian politician says nice words about the British conquest of India and the Raj. This makes the comments by the Bharatiya Janata Partys Krishnagar (West Bengal) Lok Sabha candidate Rajmata Amrita Roy conspicuous. While she was trying to defend her ancestors action during the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the upshot was also the condonation of British rule. Roy asserted that Krishnachandra Roy, a feudal lord, sided with the British during the Battle of Plassey because Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah was a tyrant. The allegation is Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy had sided with the British. The question is why did he do that? Its because of the tyranny of Siraj ud-Daulah. If Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy had not done that, Hinduism and the Bengali language would not have survived in Bengal, Amrita Roy said, adding, The Sanatan Dharma was under threat because of Siraj ud-Daulahs tyranny. Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy saved Bengal and Hinduism. While politicians and intellectuals are busy analysing the veracity of her claims, the point that needs to be emphasised here is that perhaps for the first time, a BJP leader is of the view that British rule had some beneficial aspect. This is important against the backdrop of a shrill decolonisation drive by the ruling dispensation and a shriller campaign by the Left-liberal intellectual class to blame everything bad on the West. While the Narendra Modi government removes some symbols of colonial legacy or others all the time, its ideological and political opponents behave no differently on this issue. Shashi Tharoors An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India indulges in a most reprehensible exercise of lie-peddling: it blames the British for, among other things, promoting the caste system, asserting that the Raj exacerbated the worst features of caste. In the words of Tharoor, the caste system became more rigid under the British than it had been in pre-colonial India (Page 113). To buttress his case, he cited postcolonial scholars who infest the academic world. This is not to say that the British did nothing wrong in India; their economic policy cost us a great deal; racial arrogance is widely documented; and there were atrocities, the worst being the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919). Yet, the Raj was not an unmixed evil. The India that we and the world know today was made by the British. It is grudgingly accepted by everyone that the British did build institutions: civil service, police service, a standing army, modern judiciary and justice system, rudiments of democracy, representative government, the central bank, the Comptroller & Auditor General, a good and inclusive education system, Railways, etc. But these are often dismissed as the instruments to produce lowly-paid clerks, further imperial designs, and perpetuate exploitation. Our textbooks teach us how conceited, selfish, and exploitative the British imperialists were. Thomas Macaulays famous statement is especially mentioned: We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect. The quote seems to expose the nefarious plot of creating, in the communist lingo, a comprador class, the quislings and Jaichands who kowtowed to their imperial masters. Hindu nationalists also hate this class; they have even coined terms like Macaulay-putra and Macaulay-putri. But neither jingoistic and doctrinal miasma nor semantic innovations can alter the fact that Macaulay was among those Britons who prepared the template of modern India. It was the education system he conceived that is predominant not just in India but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The political, literary, and scientific elitesindeed the entire intelligentsiaof the three countries are steeped in the Macaulayan system. Ditto with our justice system. Almost single-handedly, Macaulay created the Indian Penal Code over a century and a half ago. In Pakistan, it became, section by section, the Pakistan Penal Code and in Bangladesh the Bangladesh Penal Code. Of course, it was not perfect; the sedition section was an example, as also was the one on adultery (now abrogated). But the fact that the substantive part of the penal code has been accepted by three nations following different faiths is a testimony to the fact that the great imperialist had the perspicacity to delineate laws which were in consonance with the local requirements and the modern imperative, the imperative that a lot of Indians embraced. If democracy has survived in India for so long, it is because of the institutions that the Raj built and nurtured; British rule also birthed modern literature and free press which continue to strengthen democracy. Most importantly, the British brought enlightenment ideas to the Indian shores, though this was mostly involuntary. They came here for profits; witnessing a political vacuum during the decline of the Mughal Empire, they became politically ambitious; thanks to their superior organisation, they ended up ruling the country. The upshot, at any rate, was that they sowed the seeds of modernity in India. Therefore, the vitriolic hatred for British rule can only be called irrational, and somewhat racist. Thankfully, there is at least one BJP leader who is not afraid to call the Raj good. The author is a freelance journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Pakistan finds itself entangled in a complex web of security dilemmas, with militant factions freely executing operations across the contentious terrains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Balochistan. Most of these assaults have been attributed to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). Pakistan has been holding external forces, notably the Afghan Taliban, responsible for these attacks. However, for a more realistic assessment, Pakistan officials need to introspect and tackle the domestic issues fueling this surge in violence. More critically, it demands of Islamabad an urgent recalibration of its regional diplomacy. Pakistan needs to move away from using terrorism as an instrument of statecraft as it is coming back to bite the hand that has fed it for so long. Over the last three weeks, Pakistan has been rocked by a wave of terror incidents, with four significant attacks occurring in quick succession across KPK and Balochistan. On March 16, an assault orchestrated by militants from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of TTP targeted a military outpost in North Waziristans Mir Ali area, claiming the lives of seven members of the Pakistan military, among them a Lieutenant Colonel and a Captain. This act of violence ignited widespread condemnation and a clamour for retribution among Pakistanis, drawing vows of vengeance from the nations highest echelons, ranging from the president to the prime minister and top military officials. President Asif Ali Zardari, while paying his respects at the funeral of Lt Col Syed Kashif Ali, stated, Pakistan would not hesitate to retaliate against any aggression, whether from across its borders or within its own lands. In the midst of this fervent response, and just as the Pakistan Armys Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) disclosed the neutralisation of the attacks architects in a North Waziristan confrontation, Pakistan launched airstrikes on March 18 against militant strongholds in Afghanistans Paktika and Khost provinces, believed to be bastions of Hafiz Bahadurs faction. Subsequent to these events, Baloch nationalist insurgents struck at the heavily guarded Gwadar Port Authority Complex, a facility under Chinese operation, on March 20. This attack was swiftly followed by a severe offensive against the Pakistan Naval Station (PNS) Siddique in Turbat, Balochistan. Additionally, on the same day, a suicide bombing targeted a convoy escorting Chinese engineers, culminating in the tragic demise of five Chinese individuals in the northwest region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The nature of these security lapses points to a diminishing control of the Pakistani military over the nations security framework, casting shadows over its capability to plug these breaches effectively. Particularly telling is the assault on the Gwadar Port, which stands as a stark illustration of the perilous fallout from Pakistans long-standing use of terror as a state instrument. This is further highlighted by the involvement of Hafiz Gul Bahadurs faction in the Mir Ali incident. Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who once served as a significant military collaborator with the Pakistan Army in North Waziristan, has now aligned with the Taliban, his faction now representing a formidable component of the TTPs operational strength. Within the Taliban ranks, Gul Bahadur held a distinctive status in the eyes of Pakistans military elite, being deemed a good Talibana term attributed to militants who abstained from assaulting Pakistani forces, thereby being nurtured as strategic assets to advance the nations regional ambitions. Originating from the student faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) and a veteran of the Afghan conflict in the 1980s, Gul Bahadur ascended within the Taliban hierarchy during the early 2000s, a trajectory largely facilitated by his reciprocal alliance with the Pakistan Army. Notably, in 2006, he reached an accord with Pakistani officials, consenting to eject foreign militants from North Waziristan, notwithstanding the ongoing military offensive against the wider TTP network. In return for his cooperation, the Pakistani state offered Gul Bahadur unparalleled autonomy within his territory, allowing him to form a Shura council to administer the area, including the imposition of taxes and fines. This maneuver not only elevated Bahadur as the leading Taliban figure in North Waziristan but it was also designed to drive a rift within the wider militant framework of the TTP. Pakistan was aware of the inherent dangers of aligning with extremist elements from the start. This uneasy alliance ultimately backfired, as the very militants nurtured by Pakistan began to turn their weapons on the state itself, leading to a dramatic escalation in violence that resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and military personnel. Consequently, when Pakistan initiated Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014, targeting the TTP, Hafiz Gul Bahadur and his faction were compelled to seek refuge across the Durand Line in Afghanistan, under the auspices of the Afghan Talibana group that, in a twist of fate, depended on the logistical support of the Pakistan Army. Ignoring the clear drawbacks of fostering terrorism, Pakistan overlooked the vital lessons stemming from its affiliation with terror factions. Instead, it played a crucial role in aiding the Afghan Talibans overthrow of the Afghan Republic, culminating in their capture of Kabul in August 2021. Key figures within Pakistans military command, including the then-chief of its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, lauded this calamitous manoeuvre as a testament to Islamabads foreign policy triumphs. This move was celebrated as a strategic victory purported to secure Pakistans tumultuous frontier with Afghanistan and position it advantageously against India. Pakistans encounter with the repercussions of its own strategies was not a matter of if but rather when. The nation has a protracted history of leveraging terrorism and terrorist organisations as tactical tools within its regional strategy, a practice dating back to the 1980s with its support for the anti-Soviet Afghan Mujahideen, and continuing with its proxy warfare in Jammu and Kashmir against India. The Afghan Taliban, having been driven by the Pakistan Army for more than two decades as a proxy against the Afghan administration, is well-versed in the tactical employment of proxies in its dealings with Islamabad. This reality is particularly poignant as the group grapples with governance woes, further aggravated by the international communitys refusal to recognise its regime, thus isolating it and exacerbating its economic plight. The intensifying unrest and diminishing authority over these rogue terror factions ought to prompt a moment of profound introspection within Pakistan. For the nation to genuinely recuperate from its prevailing economic woes and security decline, it is crucial that the Pakistani administration definitively forsakes this ruinous approach, categorically renouncing the engagement with terror organisations to achieve its regional ambitions. Such a policy has not only wreaked havoc on Pakistan itself but has also inflicted lasting damage on Afghanistan and perpetuated instability in Kashmir for generations. Increasingly, voices within Pakistan argue that the nation can no longer afford to let a segment of its military leadership drive the country down a path of no return for its own benefit. Now is the moment for the Pakistani civilian government to wrest control of regional foreign policy from the militarys grasp and to chart a course towards a cooperative regional stance. This shift would involve a strict prohibition on the use of Pakistani territory by any terrorist group as a launchpad for attacks on neighbouring nations. The government must place a premium on peace as the cornerstone of Pakistans economic revival, which is essential for providing its impoverished population with basic necessities and opportunities for economic well-being. Otherwise, Pakistan is doomed to continue down a path of ruin. The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Amid a row over China renaming several areas in Arunachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said there should be no doubt over the northeastern state being an integral part of India. He said this was evident in how the central governments development works are reaching Arunachal and the Northeast like the first rays of the sun, faster than ever before. In an interview to the Assam Tribune, the prime minister was asked about China claiming parts of Arunachal Pradesh for years and how the Chinese raise this issue from time to time. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition, too, has hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre over the matter. Asked if the state is safe and if enough steps are being taken to ensure that it remains with India, Prime Minister Modi told the newspaper: Arunachal Pradesh is, was and shall always be an integral part of Bharat. Today, the development works are reaching Arunachal and the Northeast like the first rays of the sun, faster than ever before. He said he had visited Itanagar last month for the Viksit Bharat, Viksit Northeast programme where he inaugurated development projects worth Rs 55,000 crore. He had also inaugurated the Sela Tunnel, which is being seen as a strategic game-changer by providing all-weather connectivity to Tawang. Around 35,000 families in Arunachal Pradesh got their pucca houses, and 45,000 households benefited from the drinking water supply project In 2022, we inaugurated the Donyi Polo airport for enhanced air linkage to the rest of the nation. On the energy front, the Dibang Multipurpose Project will contribute to employment, energy and water resource management. We have commenced new road projects for about 125 villages and tourism and other infrastructure-related projects in 150 villages. The government has also launched a Rs 10,000 crore UNNATI scheme that will bring new possibilities for investment and jobs in the northeastern region, the PM was quoted as saying in the report. China had viewed this visit as hostile and registered a diplomatic protest with India, reiterating its claim over the area by saying these moves will only complicate the unresolved boundary issue. Of late, the Congress has repeatedly attacked PM Modi over the issue, with the partys national president Mallikarjun Kharge accusing him of sleeping while China entered Indian territory. Addressing an election rally in Rajasthans Chittorgarh, he said Modi does not think of the country and is busy abusing the Gandhi family whose members sacrificed their lives for the nation. Kharge has also condemned as preposterous Chinas renaming act in Arunachal and asked why the Centre is not strongly reprimanding the neighbouring country on such ludicrous actions. When China resorts to provocation, PM Modi attempts to seek refuge by a false narrative on Katchatheevu, the Congress chief said in a post on X. Raising infiltration issue with Myanmar Asked about Mizoram facing infiltration trouble from Myanmar, Modi said the influx is due to internal developments in that country. We have been raising this issue with the Myanmar authorities as this directly impacts India, particularly our northeastern states. To prevent infiltration and secure our borders, several steps have been taken by the government, he told Assam Tribune. Modi said these steps include the decision to scrap the free movement regime between India and Myanmar, increased and effective deployment of border guarding forces on the Indo-Myanmar border, close coordination of security agencies among others. He also spoke about intensified fencing construction along the Myanmar border. The Government of India has urged the Mizoram government to take up a campaign for the capture of biometric data of illegal migrants in the state. The Government of India has also been providing devices and necessary assistance to the state government to carry out a biometric capture plan. We are bringing about policy changes to adjust to the changing realities on the ground. We want to see peace and stability return to Myanmar at the earliest, so that these people can return to their home country peacefully, he was quoted as saying. If jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joins the BJP, he will be released within a single day, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi said here on Monday. The AAP national convenor is currently in judicial custody in a money laundering case linked with an alleged excise scam. Kejriwal will never bow down. He will keep fighting for the rights of the common man across the country, whether he is inside or outside the jail, Atishi said during a road show at Duliajan under the Dibrugarh parliamentary constituency where AAP has fielded a candidate. If Kejriwal joins the BJP like (Assam Chief Minister) Himanta Biswa Sarma, he will be released in one day, she said. The BJP is afraid of Kejriwal because he fulfils his promises, the Delhi education minister said. The BJP has put him behind bars as he builds good schools, and excellent hospitals and makes children from poor families capable of admissions to IIT, she said. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency. He provides free treatment to every poor person, no matter how expensive it is, said Atishi, a member of the partys Political Affairs Committee. The BJP tells lies and makes big promises during elections but after forming the government, they forget all the promises they made, she claimed. Kejriwal has now brought his guarantees to the people of Dibrugarh who must choose the politics of honesty and will get good schools and excellent hospitals, she said. Labourers working in tea plantations will get a daily wage of Rs 450, and will get a lease of their houses, besides getting minimum support price, the senior AAP leader added. Only Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party can make this happen, she asserted. She appealed to the people of Dibrugarh to send AAP candidate Manoj Dhanowar to the Parliament this time by voting for him. Atishi said that the people of Assam have always given a lot of love and blessings to the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal. No one could have imagined that the Aam Aadmi Party would get a seat in the municipal elections in Guwahati or Tinsukia, she added. The situation in Manipur has seen a marked improvement due to the timely intervention of the central and state governments, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Talking about the northeastern state, which has been hit by ethnic violence since May last year, he said the government has dedicated its best resources and administrative machinery to resolving the conflict. In an interview with the Assam Tribune, the prime minister was asked about the situation in Manipur and the steps taken by his government to ensure ethnic harmony in the state. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, this has become a burning topic for the opposition to criticise the BJP-led Centre. Prime Minister Modi said it is a collective responsibility to deal with the situation sensitively. I have already spoken about this in Parliament. Weve dedicated our best resources and administrative machinery to resolving the conflict. Because of the timely intervention of the Government of India and efforts made by the state government, there has been a marked improvement in the situation of the state, he told the newspaper. He said home minister Amit Shah stayed in Manipur while the conflict was at its peak, holding more than 15 meetings with different stakeholders to help resolve the conflict. The central government has been consistently extending its support, as required by the state government. The process of relief and rehabilitation is ongoing. Remedial measures undertaken include a financial package for the relief and rehabilitation of people living in shelter camps in the state, he was quoted as saying in the report. The hill state has witnessed sporadic, sometimes intense, ethnic clashes since May 3 last year between the majority Meitei community and the Kukis, resulting in the loss of over 200 lives. While Meiteis have concentrated in Imphal city, the Kukis have moved to the hills. What is the pre-poll situation in Manipur? According to officials, more than 50,000 people are living in camps following the unrest. Chief electoral officer Pradeep Kumar Jha said at least 24,500 displaced people have been identified as eligible to vote and special polling arrangements have been made in relief camps to enable them to exercise their franchise. But, 11 months of conflict, displacement and a prevailing anti-poll sentiment in a section will pose a challenge. Many have questioned the timing and say the idea of organising voting in relief camps is nothing but a gimmick as real issues remain unaddressed. The elections for two Lok Sabha seats will be held in two phases on April 19 and 26. While Inner Manipur and some segments of Outer Manipur will vote in the first phase on April 19, the remaining segments of Outer Manipur will vote in the second phase on April 26. The state has traditionally seen a high voter turnout with more than 82 per cent polling recorded in the 2019 general elections. But, the ethnic violence has cast a shadow on the polls this time with several civil society groups and the affected people questioning its relevance under the current circumstances. There have also been calls from several quarters about boycotting the polls. Posters of political parties, mega rallies and visible movement of leaders the traditional elements of campaigning are conspicuously missing. The only visible hint of the impending election is the hoardings put up by local election authorities, urging citizens to exercise their franchise. Major party figures have refrained from visiting the conflict-ridden state to canvass for votes or make electoral pledges. (With PTI inputs) Several TMC leaders, who were holding a dharna outside the Election Commissions office over their demands against central probe agencies, were detained by the Delhi police on Monday. The dharna was organised by the TMC to press their demand that the CBI, NIA, ED and Income Tax Department chiefs be changed. The TMC has been alleging that the central probe agencies have been targeting opposition parties and their leaders at the behest of the BJP-led Centre. For this purpose, a 10-member delegation of TMC met a full bench of the Election Commission (EC) to present their demands. They announced the dharna after the meeting. The BJP is misusing central agencies against us. The way NIA, ED and CBI are working and targeting TMC leaders is shameful. We would request the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties, Sen told reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for New Delhi. Among those arrested include TMC MPs Derek OBrien, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose, MLA Vivek Gupta, former MPs Arpita Ghosh, Santanu Sen and Abir Ranjan Biswas, and partys students wing West Bengal vice president Sudip Raha were detained. Soon after their detention, TMC accused Delhi police of kidnapping its MPs as their buses were diverted before any prior information. URGENT:Delhi Police has kidnapped us 5 TMC MPs & 4 former MPs. We were protesting at EC & were told well be taken to Mandir Marg Police Station. And then, suddenly, the bus has been diverted & going to an unknown location. Note this 5 SITTING MPs & 4 former MPs Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) April 8, 2024 Delhi Police has kidnapped us 5 TMC MPs & 4 former MPs. We were protesting at EC & were told wed be taken to Mandir Marg Police Station. And then, suddenly, the bus has been diverted & going to an unknown location, Saket Gokhale said. Note this 5 SITTING MPs & 4 former MPs were assaulted, detained, & now being illegally taken to some unknown place by Delhi Police, he added. During the protest, TMC leader Sagarika Ghose said that the IT, NIA and ED have been acting on behalf of the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. VIDEO | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Here's what TMC leader Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) said on the TMC leaders' protest outside the ECI office in Delhi over the alleged misuse of ED, CBI, and NIA by the central government."We have been protesting against the manner in which pic.twitter.com/By0Da8RJeF Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 8, 2024 We have been protesting against how the central agencies ED, CBI, IT, NIA are acting on behalf of the BJP in the general elections of 2024. We have just met the full bench of the Election Commission, and we have demanded that the Election Commission urgently intervene and protect the sanctity of the election process, Ghose said. NIA & BJP Share An Unholy Alliance: TMC The Trinamool Congress on Sunday alleged an unholy alliance between the NIA and the BJP ahead of elections, triggering the central investigating agency to deny any mala fide intention and label the entire controversy as unfortunate. A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 blast case in West Bengals Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers. (With PTI inputs) The TMCs Saket Gokhale on Monday asked if the Centre had taken the Election Commissions approval before appointing the new NIA director general and sought a probe by the poll panel into the appointment. He also alleged that the BJPs nexus with central agencies is deepening during the Lok Sabha elections. In a post on X, Gokhale a Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP alleged that BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari met National Investigation Agency (NIA) Superintendent of Police DR Singh on March 26 and, on the same day, Sadanand Date was appointed as the new chief of the agency. He claimed Tiwari had met Singh allegedly with a packet and, during this meeting, the BJP leader handed over a list of TMC leaders and workers to be targeted. Gokhale said the new NIA director general was serving as head of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) until March 26. He had been appointed to that position by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who is the Maharashtra home minister. Question is, when an officer appointed by and serving under a BJP state government in Maharashtra was suddenly appointed as director general, NIA, during the election period, did the Modi government take permission of the Election Commission? Gokhale said in his post. Date, who was serving as the Maharashtra ATS chief, was appointed director general of the NIA on March 26. When the DGP (director general of police) of West Bengal was changed three times in 24 hours by the ECI (Election Commission of India), how was an officer handpicked by the Maharashtra BJP govt appointed as NIA chief without ECI approval? Gokhale asked. How astonishing is the co-incidence that the BJP enters into a conspiracy with the NIA in West Bengal on the same day that the new NIA chief is appointed? This must be probed immediately by the ECI and the Modi govt must explain how a new NIA chief was appointed without ECI approval, he said. The BJPs nexus with central agencies is only getting deeper during these Lok Sabha elections and these agencies are literally acting as private mafia of the BJP, he said. The NIA conspiring with the BJP to target TMC leaders in West Bengal is not only deplorable but also raises fundamental questions on whether free and fair elections are possible, Gokhale said. A 10-member TMC delegation will meet the full bench of the Election Commission in New Delhi on Monday to complain about the misuse of central agencies against party leaders and candidates. Derek OBrien, the TMCs Parliamentary Party leader in the Rajya Sabha, MPs Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Gokhale, Sagarika Ghose, and MLA Vivek Gupta, among others, will be part of the delegation. The TMC on Sunday had alleged an unholy alliance between the NIA and the BJP ahead of the elections, even as the central agency denied any mala fide intention in its probe and labelled the entire controversy as unfortunate. A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it had gone to arrest the two main suspects in a 2022 blast case in West Bengals East Midnapore district, sparking a political slugfest, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers. . Google is once again experimenting with the look of its app for Android users. The most recent experiment involves a makeover of the bottom search bar, which was first launched in 2021 and then updated in late 2023. According to reports, this time, Google is testing a Material 3 bottom bar layout with a built-in search field. When using Google Search on Android, a lucky user came across this revamped bottom bar. This update includes Material 3 components, including a pill-shaped tab indicator that was previously seen on iOS but was removed from Android after a brief appearance. According to a report by 9to5Google, the restoration of these design features is intended to improve the consistency of the Google app across platforms. A tall search field stands above the bottom bar, which was previously only available in the top area of the Discover stream. In the current redesign, this search area remains visible even on the Search results page, albeit some users feel its size to be exaggerated. Despite potential space constraints, the redesign eliminates the requirement for the Google logo at the top, replacing it with quick access to Search filters. The Dynamic Colour feature is replaced by the default blue tint, which provides a more obvious contrast with the Search results page. Overall, this revamp of the Google apps bottom search bar offers it a more modern appearance, answering criticisms about its age. On the other hand, Google is thinking about charging for its Search Generative Experience (SGE) function. SGE provides consumers with an AI-powered search experience and was launched about a year ago. According to recent reports, Google is investigating the possibility of integrating some AI-powered search features into its premium subscription services, even if they were first only accessible through Search Labs. This change might add SGE and Gemini Advanced to the $19.99 Google One AI Premium tier. Google assures users that there are no intentions to remove advertisements from the standard Google Search experience. Additionally, Google officials are still debating whether to implement this subscription-based model and have taken into account many options, including providing some SGE services to free users. A French couple was sentenced to one year in prison on probation and a permanent pet ban after over 100 dehydrated and malnourished cats and dogs were found in their apartment. The 68-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man were also asked to pay more than 129,000 (Rs 1.35 Crore) in damages to animal welfare associations. A total of 159 cats and seven dogs were recovered from the couples 80-square-metre apartment in Nice, France. Police officers found the apartment in 2023 after a call about a neighbourhood dispute under unhygienic conditions full of pets. In the rooms, there were dozens of dehydrated and malnourished cats and dogs covered by parasites and wounds, as well as carcasses of dead animals. At least two cats and two puppies were found dead by the investigators in a bathroom. The couple is guilty of the offence of suspension, given the very poor health of all domestic cats and dogs, the Nice Criminal Court ruled on Wednesday, according to AFP. At the end of the trial, the woman fought for custody of the animals and said, Its like telling a woman that she wont have any more children. Who would not appeal against such an injustice? They were the loves of my life, but things got out of hand, she said in court and explained that she did not intend to give up. The woman claimed that the condition of her animals and the apartment was temporary. The BBC reported that during a psychiatric examination, she was diagnosed with Noahs syndrome a disease that goes with animal hoarding, in which a person feels the urge to keep a larger than usual number of animals, even if he is not able to provide them with hygienic and humane conditions for their maintenance. The couple is also investigating from 2014, in which it housed 13 cats and a dog in an 18-square-metre studio. In 2023, the woman and her partner had rental debts of 6,855 (Rs 7.20 lakh) and an eviction procedure was pending. The existence of extraterrestrial beings is a matter of debate all around the world. Some people believe that there is no life beyond earth. If we assume that humanity has explored most of what is visible in the universe, that only comprises roughly 4% of everything. Uncharted territory may very well have life in them billions of light years away. Another phenomenon that almost goes hand in hand with extraterrestrials are UFOs (Unidentified Flying Object). There have been multiple claims of UFO sightings all over the world with no concrete evidence of the same. But the strangest claim is being heard from Britain these days. People here believe that most of the UFOs in the country are seen above supermarket car parking lots. According to the Daily Star, an alien expert named Ash Ellis had said that if one wants to encounter UFOs in Britain, then the best place is Wales. He claims that last year 323 cases of UFO sightings were registered in Wales alone. Talking to the Daily Star news website, a 39-year-old man named Chris Eccles from South London said that 3 years ago, he had encountered UFOs that had hovered just above a car park. All the lights had also started flickering on its own. They didnt know what it was, but he swears by the fact that they had been visited by aliens. According to reports, 1 in 10 UFOs are seen in the car parking of supermarkets. Those who have claimed to have seen UFOs say that the parking spotlights installed in 12,700 shops in Britain actually attract UFOs. In an interview with the Daily Star, a shopkeeper from South London named Rotherhithe speculated that the abundance of lights outside the supermarket might have led aliens to mistake them for large landing sites. According to a report, the website Free Bets.com surveyed around 2000 British individuals about their UFO sightings and locations. Tim Agnew, a spokesperson for the website, expressed surprise at the findings, noting that a significant number of people claimed to have encountered UFOs or aliens. Generally, when searching for a rental property, people consider it to be affordable as well as comfy irrespective of whether they live alone or are staying with others. In most cases, a person living by themselves is content with a small house equipped with basic amenities. But a recent story of a person living in Central London stirred the internet with the exorbitant rent of an extremely small house. A video was uploaded on X by social media user @instablog9ja. It shows a home in London. What stuns the users is the incredibly high prices of the property. This house is located in Central London, which is known as one of the fanciest parts of the city. Considering Londons status as the priciest city in Britain, its not surprising that this compact house carries a hefty price tag. Despite its basic amenities such as a kitchen, bathroom, shelves, a balcony and good ventilation, this house in Central London is causing a stir online. London resident gives a tour of his 1850 per month apartmentpic.twitter.com/gzskZanmZw Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) April 6, 2024 The video was shot by a woman. Inside the house, theres a small room on the left side with a bed and a TV attached to the wall. Additionally, theres a small shelf in the room. Moving forward, theres a tiny bathroom. The room is even smaller than a garage. In the video, it was mentioned that the rent for this room is 1,850, which is more than Rs 1.9 lakh. The caption of the post reads, London resident gives a tour of his 1,850 per month apartment. Several social media users have commented on the video. One user wrote, I was hoping to see an exquisitely furnished and spacious apartment. Living abroad is a scam. If you have money, stay in Nigeria and enjoy your money. Another user added, Everyone wants to live in London whereas there are other places one can live comfortably in the UK. This cant be true, wrote another user. Some time back, residents of Brighton voiced their frustration with the steep rental prices in the city. It has earned the nickname Little London due to its comparable high costs of living. A study of over 50,000 renters revealed that Brighton is the most expensive city in England for renters. On average, renters are spending a huge 56.9% of their wages just on rent. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday told Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that dialogue was needed to resolve heightened friction between Pakistan and India during a meeting in Riyadh, news agency Reuters reported. The comments came during Shehbaz Sharifs first overseas visit since being chosen to lead the country following the controversial February elections. Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was invited to Iftar by Saudi Crown Prince MBS todayHe also had a one to one meeting afterwards Foreign, finance, defence ministers and CM Punjab also in attendance pic.twitter.com/mGHRFnCg3h Faseeh Mangi (@FaseehMangi) April 7, 2024 The two sides stressed the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to ensure peace and stability in the region, a joint statement released by Pakistans foreign office and the Saudi government, accessed by Reuters, said. Tensions between both countries remain high as Pakistan continues to support terrorism through its deep state and uses terror as part of its statecraft to create instability in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in other parts of the subcontinent. India has maintained that it will not compromise on issues like terrorism and has criticised Islamabads objection to removal of Article 370 which granted special status to erstwhile states of Jammu and Kashmir, while accusing it of backing and protecting terrorists and terror groups who have threatened Indias security. Relations are minimal because we put terrorism at the centre of the ties, because the Pakistanis reacted to Article 370, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said last month at the CNN-News18s Rising Bharat Summit 2024. India also issued a stern warning to those who planned to use terrorism to create instability in the border areas. If he [terrorist] flees to Pakistan, we will follow him and take him down on Pakistani soil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken the truthIndia has the capability and Pakistan has also started understanding that, defence minister Rajnath Singh said while speaking to News18 in an exclusive interview last week. Pakistan earlier alleged that the Indian government had killed about 20 people in Pakistan since 2020 as part of a broader plan to eliminate militants residing on foreign soil. India said the reports were false and anti-India propaganda. Sharif and bin Salman had also discussed expediting a planned $5 billion investment package, which cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its current account deficit and signal to the International Monetary Fund that it can continue to meet requirements for foreign financing that has been a key demand in previous bailout packages. Former US President Donald Trump at a fundraiser event in Florida lamented that people were not immigrating to the United States from nice countries like Denmark and claimed his successor Joe Biden defecated on a desk which has been used by almost all US presidents in the Oval Office, The New York Times said in a report. These are people coming in from prisons and jails. Theyre coming in from just unbelievable places and countries, countries that are a disaster, Trump said, in a bid to capitalise on the US border and immigrant crisis which has become a headache for the Biden administration. And when I said, you know, Why cant we allow people to come in from nice countries, Im trying to be nice. Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway? Trump told guests gathered at a fundraiser in Miami hosted by billionaire financier John Paulson. President Donald J. Trumps presidential campaign raised more than $50.5 million at the event. Campaign fundraisers are usually private events but according to an attendee who provided a readout of Trumps remarks to The New York Times, the former president claimed that Biden defecated at the Resolute Desk. Trump said bad decisions were made around the Resolute Desk, a desk used by nearly every president, with the notable exceptions being Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford, according to the The White House Historical Association. The Resolute Desk is beautiful. Ronald Reagan used it, others used it, Trump said, speaking of the desk gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880 by British Queen Victoria. The desk is made from the oak timbers of the British ship HMS Resolute, a ship which was part of a British arctic expedition to search for explorer Sir John Franklin in 1852. And hes using it. I might not use it the next time. Its been soiled. And I mean that literally, which is sad, Trump said in a manner, which according to the person mentioned above, exuded disgust. The person then said that attendees laughed as they interpreted the remark as Donald Trump saying Joe Biden has defecated on the desk. The desk has also been the subject of controversies earlier as well. Republicans and Democrats went head-to-head when the former criticised the rivals when pictures surfaced of former US president Barack Obama in an informal pose, with his foot on top of the desk in 2010 and 2013. Democrats then responded by sharing photos of former US president George W. Bush with his feet atop the desk, according to reports by the Time magazine. Donald Trump was in the news during his presidency after he used the button to order a Coke while speaking to a journalist of UK-based newspaper Financial Times. Israels National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that if he decides to end the war on Gaza without an extensive attack on Rafah, he will not have a mandate to continue serving as prime minister. Netanyahus concerns stem from his reliance on a coalition with religious nationalist parties opposed to easing the conflict or conceding to international calls for a political resolution. The Israeli PM was already facing growing strains on his divided coalition after an angry standoff with Washington last month worsened disagreements over proposals to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military. Right-wing Ben-Gvirs warning came as Egyptian state-linked media reported that talks in Cairo towards a Gaza truce and hostage release deal have made significant progress, more than half a year into the war started by the October 7 attack. If the Prime Minister decides to end the war without an extensive attack on Rafah in order to defeat Hamas, he will not have a mandate to continue serving as Prime Minister, Ben-Gvir said in a post on social media platform X. , . (@itamarbengvir) April 8, 2024 City of Rafah Last spared ground Israel on Sunday pulled its forces out of the southern Gaza Strip and the main city there, Khan Yunis, allowing large numbers of displaced Palestinians to return to the devastated urban area. However, Israel kept up the pressure, warning that it was ready for future military operations against Hamas in Gazas far-southern city of Rafah, the last area so far spared a ground invasion. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stressed that the aim was for Israeli forces to prepare for future missions, including in Rafah on the Egyptian border. Netanyahu, marking half a year of war since the unprecedented attack of October 7, also said Israel was one step away from victory. But, as truce talks resumed, Netanyahu also told his cabinet that Israel is ready for a deal, adding that there will be no ceasefire without the return of hostages. International pressure Pressure has mounted on Israel from UN and international stakeholders to end the war which has brought mass civilian casualties and destroyed swathes of the coastal Palestinian territory. Israels main ally, diplomatic backer and arms supplier the United States last week demanded a ceasefire and hostage release deal along with ramped-up aid deliveries. US President Joe Biden sharpened his tone after voicing outrage over an Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers from the US-based food charity World Central Kitchen. While Israel and Hamas have kept up bellicose rhetoric, they have also sent negotiators to Cairo, joined by mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Significant progress Egyptian state-linked news outlet Al-Qahera reported significant progress being made on several contentious points of agreement, citing an unnamed high-ranking Egyptian source. The outlet said Qatari and Hamas delegations had left Cairo and were expected to return within two days to finalise the terms of the agreement. US and Israeli delegations were also due to leave the Egyptian capital in the next few hours for consultations over the next 48 hours, it added. Thousands gathered on Sunday in front of Israels parliament to demand the return of the hostages. Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,175 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Vast areas of Gaza have been turned into a rubble-strewn wasteland, with damage to infrastructure, estimated at $18.5 billion, a World Bank report said. (With agency inputs) The Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian inaugurated a new Iranian consulate in Damascus on Monday, a week after a deadly strike allegedly ordered by Israel destroyed the former consulate building in the Syrian capital, in a development that threatens to destabilise the entire West Asian region. Iran is a close ally of Syria and its embattled President Bashar al-Assad. A report by AFP said that the new consulate was not far from the premises destroyed by the strike in the upscale Mazzeh area. The Mazzeh area also houses other foreign embassies as well as UN offices. Amir-Abdollahian is also meeting with President Bashar al-Assad. He told Syrian government mouthpiece Al-Watan that he will mainly focus on repercussions of the alleged Israeli strikes on the Iranian consulate when he meets the Syrian President. Iran has vowed retaliation against Israel as the alleged strike on Iranian embassys consular section killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, including two high-ranking generals Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the elite Quds Force, and Brig-Gen Mohammad Hadi Haji-Rahimi, his deputy. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian inaugurated the new consular section in a Damascus building in the presence of his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad, whom he also met earlier Monday, state news agency SANA said. A separate report released Monday by news outlet AFP said that Zahedi, the senior commander in the Quds Force, the Guards foreign operations arm, was a member of Hezbollahs Shura Council, the powerful Lebanese groups decision-making body. Damascus and Tehran blame Israel for last Mondays raid, but it has not commented. The strike came against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which began with the Iran-backed Palestinian militant groups October 7 attack on Israel. Irans foreign minister began a regional tour Sunday in Oman, long a mediator between Tehran and the West, where Muscats foreign minister called for de-escalation. An adviser to Irans supreme leader warned on Sunday that Israeli embassies were no longer safe after the Damascus attack. Analysts saw the raid as an escalation of Israels campaign against Iran and its regional proxies that runs the risk of triggering a wider war beyond the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said 16 people were killed in the consulate strike: eight Iranians, five Syrians, one member of Lebanons Hezbollah militant group and two civilians. Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes in Syria since civil war broke out 13 years ago, targeting Iran-backed forces including Hezbollah as well as Syrian army positions and weapons depots. It rarely comments on individual strikes, but Israels raids have increased since the Gaza war began. Tehran backs Palestinian militants Hamas but has denied any direct involvement in the groups October 7 attack, which sparked massive Israeli retaliation in Gaza. Israel said on Sunday it had withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, as the warring sides sent teams to Egypt for fresh talks on a potential ceasefire in the six-month conflict. This move comes as Israel has been reducing numbers in Gaza since the start of the year to relieve reservists. It is under growing pressure from its ally Washington to improve the humanitarian situation, especially after last weeks killing of seven aid workers. , , . pic.twitter.com/i7GTYQPRc3 Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) April 7, 2024 Khan Yunis Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the troops will be preparing for future operations in Gaza. I arrived at the Southern Command, to closely monitor the departure of IDF forces from Khan Yunis, and the beginning of their preparation for action in Rafah the last place where we have not yet operated on the ground, Gallant said in a post on X. Both Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, confirmed they were sending delegations to Egypt. Hamas wants any deal to bring about an end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel has said that, after any truce, it would topple Hamas, which is sworn to its destruction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no deal without a hostage release and that he would not cave to international pressure. Hamas says an agreement must include freedom of movement of residents across the Gaza Strip. We have been fighting against terrorism for half a year.This is the 6 month operational breakdown of the war: pic.twitter.com/OshOFq8fuG Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 7, 2024 More than 250 hostages were seized and some 1,200 people killed during Hamas Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies. More than 33,100 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Around 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza. Asked about troop withdrawals from the enclave, Israels Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi told reporters that the military was adapting its methods to what has been and will be a long war. Gallant said Israel will press on with the war until Hamas no longer controls Gaza or threatens Israel as a military group. The forces are exiting and preparing for their next missions, Gallant said at a meeting with military officials, according to a statement from his office, and also their coming mission in the Rafah area. Israel is under increased pressure from the United States, with President Joe Biden demanding that it improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza and work towards a ceasefire, and saying that U.S. support could depend on that. It was the first time Biden, a staunch supporter of Israel, has sought to leverage US backing to influence Israeli military behaviour. Meanwhile, Israel is also on alert for a possible retaliatory attack from Iran in reaction to the killing of Iranian generals on April 1. (With agency inputs) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that a date has been set for a ground offensive in Rafah, which Israel says is one of the last Hamas strongholds in Gaza. Around 1.5 million Gazans are sheltering in the city, which has so far not experienced a large-scale Israeli ground assault. Netanyahu did not say when the invasion would occur but reiterated that victory over Hamas militants requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen there is a date, he said in a video statement. He was speaking as talks in Cairo over a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal appeared to be gathering momentum. Netanyahu is under pressure at home from his far-right coalition partners who are angry at talk of a truce as well as Israel pulling its troops out of southern Gaza on Sunday. Today I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo, Netanyahu said. We are working all the time to achieve our goals, primarily the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas. The White House said on Monday that negotiators in the Egyptian capital had presented Hamas with a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage deal. Now its going to be up to Hamas to come through, it said, describing the talks as serious. The Gaza war was sparked by the October 7 attack against Israel by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,207 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Of the around 250 Israeli and foreign hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7, 129 remain in Gaza, of whom the military says 34 are dead. A suspended junior minister of Maldives ruling party ignited controversy with a social media post, misusing elements of the Indian national flag to target the opposition party. The now-deleted post by Mariyam Shiuna featured a Maldivian Democratic Partys (MDP) campaign poster with the partys logo replaced by the Ashok Chakra on the Tricolour. Belonging to Maldives President Mohamed Muizzus party, Shiuna used the post as a political prop, saying, The MDP is heading towards a big slip. The people of Maldives dont want to fall and slip with them. This row came a few months after the same minister faced severe backlash from Indian social media users for hateful remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which later led to her suspension, along with two other deputy ministers. Maldives Minister Mariyam Shiuna mocks India again while targeting political rival MDP in polls. Its the Indian flag shown in bad light.India has just approved export of essential goods including rice, wheat, sugar, onion to Maldives. They really dont deserve this. pic.twitter.com/NoNNcXpTPw Shining Star (@ShineHamesha) April 7, 2024 Shiunas sincerest apologies After the latest uproar over her post, Shiuna expressed regret for any confusion or offense caused. She clarified that the resemblance to the Indian flag in the image was unintentional and conveyed the Maldives deep respect for India. I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post, she said in a post on X. It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused. I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism .I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post.It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Mariyam Shiuna (@shiuna_m) April 8, 2024 I will be more vigilant Maldives deeply value its relationship and, the mutual respect we share with India. In future I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights, she added. Though Shiuna expressed regret, Indian social media users were outraged. The incident unfolded a few days after Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Saturday thanked India for its gesture to renew the trade quota, allowing the export of certain quantities of essential commodities for the island nation. I sincerely thank EAM @DrSJaishankar and the Government of #India for the renewal of the quota to enable #Maldives to import essential commodities from India during the years 2024 and 2025, Zameer said in a post on social media platform X. This is truly a gesture which signifies the longstanding friendship, and the strong commitment to further expand bilateral trade and commerce between our two countries, he said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar responded to Zameers post, saying India stands firmly committed to its Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policies. Despite the strained relations under the Mohamed Muizzu government, India remains a vital economic partner for the Maldives, supplying essential commodities such as rice and medicine. Pakistan security forces have announced that they eliminated the most wanted commander of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and two other militants in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday. TTPs Hazrat Ali alias Gagga was targeted in a military offensive in Khybers Tirah Valley, aimed at uprooting the remnants of the Lashkar-e-Islam group migrating from Afghanistan. Lashkar-e-Islam, once led by Mangal Bagh, faced decimation in Afghanistan over three years ago, The Express Tribune reported. Pakistani military media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the operations, reporting the recovery of weapons and explosives. In North Waziristan, security forces engaged militants, resulting in the death of two terrorists. In the past two years, militant attacks spiked after a lull when many Islamist groups were driven into neighbouring Afghanistan with a military operation in 2014. The groups particularly the TTP reorganised in Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power there in 2021, and have been reportedly using advanced weaponry left behind by NATO-led forces. Militants have carried out a string of high-profile attacks and returned to strongholds inside Pakistan. The TTP attacks have caused unprecedented friction between Islamabad and the Taliban, who were previously believed to have close ties, as has Islamabads expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Afghans, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades. In another flashpoint, the Taliban last month said Pakistan carried out two air strikes on its territory, killing five women and three children. Both sides traded blame over who was responsible for a recent spate of Islamist militant attacks in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan and Iran also shared tit-for-tat air strikes on purported militant bases on each others soil in January, and while the two seem to have fixed ties since, the incident has opened up a new security worry for Pakistan on its western border. (With agency inputs) An Indian-origin man suspected of threatening staff at a London Post Office to steal a large quantity of cash has been charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. Rajvinder Kahlon, 41, was arrested last week at his home address following the robbery at the Post Office on Brabazon Road, Hounslow, on April 1. The Metropolitan Police said its Flying Squad officers responded to the reports and detectives were able to piece together the suspects identity. At around 1800hrs on April 1, a man entered the Post Office in Brabazon Road, Hounslow. The man threatened two members of staff with what they believed was a firearm before making off with a large quantity of cash, the Met Police said in a statement. Flying Squad officers responded immediately, and detectives used a range of tactics to identify a suspect. On Thursday, 4 April, Rajvinder Kahlon, 41, was arrested at his home address in Hounslow. He appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Saturday, 6 April, charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm, the statement added. He remains in custody and will next appear at Isleworth Crown Court in west London on May 6. The vehicle carrying Chinese engineers, who were killed in a suicide attack last month in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was neither bullet nor bomb-proof, according to a report. A vehicle-borne suicide bomber targeted the convoy of Chinese engineers in the remote Besham area of the restive northwest province when they were being driven to a construction site of the Dasu Hydroelectric power station on March 26. Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack. A female engineer was among the five Chinese nationals killed in the attack, the Express Tribune newspaper reported on Sunday, citing the police report. The police report, which has been sent to the federal government, said that the bus targeted in the attack was travelling at a distance of 15 feet from the other bus and fell into a 300-feet-deep ditch after the suicide bomber crashed his explosives-laden vehicle into the vehicle carrying the victims on the Karakoram Highway, Pakistan media reported on Sunday. Neither bullet nor bomb-proof The report said that the vehicle carrying Chinese nationals was neither bullet nor bomb-proof. The report, the second of its kind, added that the buses part of the convoy carrying Chinese nationals was equipped with close circuit television cameras (CCTV). The development comes a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered disciplinary action against senior police officers for negligence in light of an inquiry report over the incident. The prime minister has directed to take action against the regional police officer (RPO) Hazara Division; district police officer of Upper Kohistan and Lower Kohistan; director security, Dasu Hydropower Project and commandant special security unit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 15 days, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said. On Friday, Sharif directed all Pakistani security agencies to ensure foolproof security arrangements for the Chinese nationals working on various projects in the country. Meanwhile, China has also expressed concern about last Tuesdays attack and demanded the safety of their nationals working on various projects in Pakistan. Thousands of Chinese personnel are working in Pakistan on several projects under the aegis of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Last week, Geo News reported the arrest of more than 10 terrorists and facilitators involved in the deadly attack. Citing sources, it said that the terrorist commander responsible for bringing the suicide bomber to Pakistan from Afghanistan has also been arrested as well as four other facilitators. (With agency inputs) Israeli and Palestinian Hamas officials have downplayed reports of progress in ceasefire talks after an Egyptian news outlet reported early on Monday that all parties have agreed on basic points. Israeli officials speaking to news outlets Channel 12 and Ynet said that they do not see the possibility of a deal being reached. Gazan officials also expressed similar feelings about the ceasefire agreement talks being held in Cairo. So far there is no progress, a Gazan official said while speaking to Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen. The official accused Israeli authorities of being obstinate. The Israeli officials said there is great distance between the parties. We still dont see a deal on the horizon. The distance between the sides is still great and there has been nothing dramatic so far, the officials told Israeli news outlets Channel 12 and Ynet. Earlier, Egypts Al-Qahera News, the state-affiliated broadcaster, said talks on a truce in the Gaza conflict are making progress in Cairo. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz earlier said that the recent discussions in Cairo are the closest the sides have come to a deal since a November truce. Hamas freed dozens of hostages during the November truce. We have reached a critical point in the negotiations. If it works out, then a large number of hostages will come home, he told Israels Army Radio. Hamas abducted 253 people during an October 7 killing spree that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel that triggered the war. Of those, 129 hostages remain, and negotiators had spoken of around 40 going free in the first stage of a prospective deal with Hamas. Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,175 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. But, if recent reports are to be believed, both sides are yet to reach an agreement despite conditions of Palestinians living in Gaza deteriorating rapidly. However, there is hope that the parties will reach an agreement in two days as all parties will return to Cairo to seek agreement of final terms, the Egyptian state-run broadcaster said. The consultations will continue in the next 48 hours. The Hamas and Qatar delegations have already left Cairo and the Israel and US delegations will leave within a few hours, the broadcaster further added. Vast areas of Gaza have been turned into a rubble-strewn wasteland, with damage to infrastructure, mostly housing, estimated at $18.5 billion, a World Bank report said. Charities have accused Israel of blocking aid, but Israel has defended its efforts and blamed shortages on aid organisations inability to distribute assistance once it gets in. Israel on Sunday pulled its forces out of the southern Gaza Strip and the main city there, Khan Yunis, allowing large numbers of displaced Palestinians to return to the devastated urban area. Efforts to restore nature in Belgium have led to the discovery of a series of bunkers, trenches, and other remnants built by the German army during World War II. In recent months, a large-scale nature restoration effort has transformed the Director-General Willemspark in Heist, Belgium, according to an official release. The project, aimed at restoring dunes by removing invasive plants, is part of the European initiative LIFE DUNIAS. This restoration project has uncovered unexpected remnants of World War II. Director-General Willemspark, spanning some 20 hectares, stands as an oasis amid the urban Belgian towns of Heist and Duinbergen. Its history, marred by conflict, reveals traces of both World War I and World War II. During the First World War, the German army erected two heavy artillery batteries named Freya and Augusta in the park. These batteries comprised cannons, observation bunkers, quarters, and defensive structures, most of which were demolished post-war. Decades later, German troops revived the military presence in Willemspark, establishing the Stutzpunkt Heyst as part of the Atlantic Wall defense against Allied invasion threats during World War II. Aerial imagery, resistance accounts, and post-war surveys depict a formidable fortress boasting dozens of structures, ranging from ammunition bunkers to mens quarters. The site featured extensive barricades, trenches, and concrete roads, fortified against potential assaults from land and sea. Despite the passage of time, vestiges of this wartime past endure beneath the parks surface. Recent excavations unearthed three remarkably intact VF2a bunkers (single chamber), constructed with one-meter-thick reinforced concrete walls and roofs. These structures, measuring 6 by 7 meters, housed single chambers accessed through perpendicular corridors. Other discoveries include brick trenches, a fragment of a concrete track, and a well, hinting at the extensive infrastructure once concealed beneath the dunes. The excavation process also revealed substantial mounds of rubble, remnants of wartime demolition efforts. Among the debris lie artifacts from war utensils to ammunition offering poignant glimpses into the parks tumultuous past. These heaps of rubble serve as reminders of previous attempts to erase the scars of war. While lighter structures succumbed to demolition, heavier bunkers were buried beneath layers of soil, obscured from view. However, contemporary perspectives on wartime remnants have shifted, acknowledging their historical and cultural significance. Recognising the heritage value of these relics, the nature project argues for their preservation alongside ecological restoration efforts. Following meticulous documentation, the remnants were gently enveloped in sand, safeguarding them for future generations. NewsCenter1 Today Meteorologist/Multimedia Journalist Originally a Sioux Falls native, Sam came to Rapid City and fell in love with the Black Hills. She decided that she wanted to make western South Dakota her home. Recently, Sam graduated from the School of Mines with an M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences and is very excited to share her love of the weather at NewsCenter1. William Woods was homeless and living in Los Angeles when he learned that someone was racking up debt using his name. But when he reported his concerns to the branch manager of a bank, he wound up spending nearly two years locked up, accused of identity theft himself. As he continued to insist he was Woods in a desperate effort to clear his name, he was even sent to a state mental hospital and drugged, court records show. Finally this week, a former high-level Iowa hospital IT worker who had assumed Woods' identity for decades pleaded guilty to two federal charges, the AP reports. More than 25 million people with student debt could see some of that debt forgiven under new plans laid out Monday by the Biden administration. Narrower than the effort struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional , "Plan B" targets the 25 million borrowers who owe more money now than at the start of their repayment period, the 2.5 million who started paying more than 20 years ago, some 2 million who are eligible for loan forgiveness under an existing government program but have not applied, as well as those facing economic hardship, including borrowers at high-risk of defaulting, NPR reports. Under the proposal, most borrowers wouldn't have to apply for debt forgiveness at all. Eligible borrowers would have up to $20,000 in interest forgiven automatically, regardless of income, while single borrowers earning no more than $120,000 per year (or married borrowers earning no more than $240,000 per year) who are enrolled in income-based repayment plans would have all interest forgiven, NPR reports. An estimated 23 million borrowers, out of the 43 million Americans with some form of student debt, would see all interest canceled as a result. Those at risk of defaulting on loans could also see automatic relief, though some borrowers would need to make a case for economic hardship as part of an application, NPR reports, noting medical debt and child care costs will be considered. If the plans are fully implemented, the administration said more than 30 million people will have had at least some student debt forgiven under President Biden. Some 48% of voters see student debt forgiveness as a key issue in the upcoming election, per CNBC. However, the plans will need to undergo public comment before being implemented. They're also likely to face legal challenges. But officials say they're "confident" they can bring relief "early this fall," per CBS News. The plan struck down in June was based on the 2003 Heroes Act, which gave the president powers to revise student loan programs during national emergencies. Plan B instead cites the 1965 Higher Education Act, which grants the education secretary "some authority to waive or release borrowers' education debt," per CNBC. (Meanwhile, some colleges cost $95,000 this year.) Did you purchase weighted groceries or bagged citrus fruit at Walmart at any point in the last five and a half years? If so, you could be eligible for a share of a $45 million payout. Walmart agreed to pay that amount to settle a class action lawsuit alleging shoppers in the continental US and Puerto Rico were overcharged for meat and seafood sold by weight, as well as select oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines sold in bulk bags, between Oct. 19, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2024, per NPR. Walmart was accused of falsely inflating the weight of items, thereby charging above the lowest advertised price. "We still deny the allegations, however we believe a settlement is in the best interest of both parties," the company said, per the AP. How to get paid: The first step is submitting a claim on the settlement administrator's website. UPDATE Apr 10, 2024 10:54 AM CDT In an appearance before the UN's highest court on Tuesday, Germany responded to Nicaragua's accusations that it has been facilitating genocide in Gaza by providing weapons to Israel. The Guardian reports lawyer Tania von Uslar-Gleichen cited the Holocaust, saying, "Germany has learned from its past, a past that includes the responsibility for one of the most horrific crimes in human history, the Shoah. ... Our history is the reason why Israel's security has been at the core of Germany's foreign policy." Lawyer Christian Tams said Germany had licensed only four exports of weapons of war to Israel since October, "three of which concern test or practice equipment." Only 2% of military exports to Israel since then have been weapons of war, he said, with the rest being other equipment, reports the AP. Apr 8, 2024 1:45 PM CDT Nicaragua on Monday called on the UN's highest court to put a stop to Germany's weapons sales to Israel. Israel purchased about a third of its military equipment from Germany in 2023, at a cost of $326 million. That's a 10 times increase over 2022, reports the BBC. Nicaragua argues that "by sending military equipment and now defunding UNRWA [UN agency for Palestinian refugees] ... Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide." Israel asserts it is acting in self-defense. Germany, which will present its arguments to the International Court of Justice on Tuesday, has called Nicaragua's case "grossly biased." The BBC notes it has been mum on its planned legal strategy. Ever since she ate mushrooms that can have psychedelic effects in Beijing last July, Janet Yellen has united Americans and Chinese in wanting to know what she'll eat next. As the AP reports, now that the US Treasury secretary is back in China this week, having stopped in Guangzhou and Beijing, many people are less interested in her travels to rebuild relations between the world's two biggest economies, and more fascinated with what she'll eat next and where. With forays into items that include Sichuan dumplings, Peking duck, mouthwatering chicken, and twice-cooked pork, even Chinese politicians at the highest ranks of the party are taking notice of her popularity on the culinary arts scene, with Premier Li Qiang noting in his welcome address that Yellen's visit has "indeed drawn a lot of attention in society." President Biden could be left off the ballot in Ohio this fall unless the state's Republican-dominated legislature creates an exception to the ballot deadline or the Democratic Party moves up its convention, according to the office that oversees the state's elections. Ohio's deadline to certify presidential candidates for the general election is Aug. 7, nearly two weeks before the Democratic National Convention, at which Biden is expected to be nominated to run against Donald Trump. Ohio law requires that presidential candidates be certified 90 days before the general election, which is on Nov. 5 this year, said a letter written last week by Paul DiSantis, chief legal counsel for Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose. "Please contact me as soon as possible with any information that can assure this office of timely compliance with Ohio law," the letter said. The Biden campaign said Monday that it doesn't expect the snag to keep the president off the ballot. "We're monitoring the situation in Ohio, and we're confident that Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states," the campaign said in a statement. A similar situation came up before the 2020 presidential election. In that case, both the Republican and Democratic conventions were scheduled outside the deadline window, so Ohio lawmakers approved changing the cutoff to 60 daysbut only for that election. The letter sent to Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters said the Legislature would need to act by May 9 to create an exception to the 90-day deadline, or that Democrats would need to move up their convention, which seems unlikely. Trump won Ohio in 2016 on his way to the White House and won it again in 2020. (More President Biden 2024 stories.) The solar eclipse wasn't the only phenomenon to appear in the sky in recent days. CBS News reports on the weekend sight above Italy's Mount Etna, which produced what at times looked like perfectly circular volcanic vortex bubblessome of which had a pink hue. A 2023 paper published in Scientific Reports noted the first observations of volcanic vortex rings at Italy's Etna and Vesuvius volcanoes date to 1724, and have since been sighted at volcanoes in Alaska, Ecuador, Iceland, Japan, and New Zealand, among other places. But Etna's crater has a "perfect circled mouth," a member of the South Etna Alpine Guides Group tells Reuters, which he says contributes to the rings' almost perfectly circular nature. As for the science behind the phenomenon, the paper found "the formation of volcanic vortex rings requires a combination of fast gas release from gas bubbles (slugs) at the top of the magma conduit and regularity in the shape of the emitting vent." The Washington Post adds the rings are made up of roughly 80% water vapor (which gives them their white coloring) and 20% sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. A Sicilian volcanologist says that no volcano produces as many volcanic vortex rings as Etna does, and that the quantities that were spewed most recently were "unprecedented." (More Mount Etna stories.) Russians in the city of Orsk gathered in a rare protest Monday, calling for compensation following the collapse of a dam and subsequent flooding in the Orenburg region near the border with Kazakhstan. Protests are an unusual sight in Russia, the AP reports, where authorities have consistently cracked down on any form of dissent following President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of people gathered at the administrative building in Orsk on Monday, Russian state news agency Tass said, while videos shared on Russian social media channels showed people chanting "Putin, help us" and "shame." The floods, caused by rising water levels in the Ural River, forced over 4,000 people, including 885 children, to evacuate in the region, its government said Sunday. Tass said Monday that around 10,000 homes, including some 7,000 in Orsk, were flooded and that floodwaters in the city are continuing to rise. Footage from Orsk and Orenburg showed water partially submerging buildings, including homes, as well as nearby fields. Russia's government declared the situation in flood-hit areas of Orenburg a federal emergency on Sunday, with preparations for possible flooding underway in three other regions, state media reported. A criminal probe has been launched to investigate suspected construction violations that may have caused the dam to break. Following the protest, Tass reported that the governor of the Orenburg region, Denis Pasler, promised compensation of approximately $108 for six months to people forced out of their homes. The total damage from the flood is estimated at about $227 million, the regional government said Sunday, per the AP. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday that Putin had spoken with the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as the heads of the Kurgan and Tyumen regions, located in the Ural Mountains area, to discuss "the need ... for early adoption of measures to assist people and their possible evacuation." (More Russia protests stories.) Despite reporting these symptoms, the woman experienced considerable delays in review, investigations, diagnosis and treatment. "The nature of her complications and the ongoing profound imposition they have had on her day-to-day life over this extended period cannot be overstated," Wall said. An initial delay of over a year was attributed to the retirement of a specialist and his subsequent return to practice, resulting in a hiatus in the woman's care. "I consider this issue lies with Te Whatu Ora at a systemic level," Wall said. "If the specialist retired, they needed to ensure that appropriate systems were in place to transfer the woman's care to another specialist to action any plans in a timely manner." Wall was unable to determine the cause of a second delay, of almost a year's duration, between the referral to urogynaecology services in the main centre and the woman being seen by that centre. "Previously, this Office has raised concern about failures by public health services to action referrals and manage follow-up in a timely manner. "As stated in those cases, it is the responsibility of healthcare organisations to ensure robust systems are in place to minimise the risk of errors occurring in the referral process and in arranging important follow-up." Wall also found the woman was not given enough information about the risks of vaginal mesh surgery by one of the specialists. She added the specialist also didn't provide proper recognition and response to the complications at the follow up consultation. The Deputy Commissioner said while the woman was given a pamphlet outlining possible complications, erosion of tape through the vaginal wall is the most reported mesh-specific complication given that this was a substantial risk, it warranted a conversation beforehand so the woman could make an informed decision. Wall recommended both the specialist and Te Whatu Ora provide a written apology to the woman for the deficiencies in care outlined in the report. Since the events, Te Whatu Ora has set up monthly multi-disciplinary meetings between the Urology and Gynaecology teams, to discuss and review all women referred with urinary incontinence issues. They have also recently established the New Zealand Female Pelvic Mesh service to support and care for women harmed by pelvic surgical mesh. Wall also noted changes in progress by Manatu Hauora of Health (in leading the surgical mesh work programme with oversight and monitoring by the Surgical Mesh Roundtable), Medsafe, and RANZCOG, which should go some way in reducing harm from surgical mesh in the future. On Friday, the front and associated lows are forecast to slowly move east across the North Island, while southerly winds spread up the South Island. There is a moderate confidence of warning amounts of rain about central areas of the North Island and the upper South Island. "Outside these areas there are many districts with low confidence that warning amounts of rain will fall, covering most of the north and central North Island, the Tararua Range, the Buller, Grey and Westland Districts, South Canterbury and eastern Otago," MetService said. "For eastern Bay of Plenty, Tairawhiti/Gisborne and the Wairoa District there is also low confidence that severe gale northerlies will be experienced." Emergency planning for possible Westland weather event West Coast Emergency Management (WCEM) has started planning and preparations for the weather warning issued by MetService. "A precautionary approach is being taken in the event we may need to activate a Emergency Operation Centre (EOC). Local community coordinators are also being contacted to check-in, and test alternate communications in some areas," a WCEM spokesperson said. WCEM said it has received queries from the public concerned about the possible impact this may have in the area. "WCEM asks everyone to keep up-to-date with the forecast and take precautions. This is a good time to review your emergency plans for home or work, and if travelling to check you have some emergency supplies (water, food, warm clothing) with you," the spokesperson said. WCEM is meeting with other agencies on Tuesday to assess the forecast and update each other on planning arrangements. The West Coast is not unaccustomed to large rainfall, however we are wanting people to keep an eye out and to take care," WCEM Group Manager Claire Brown said. People in the area are strongly encouraged to keep up to date with the latest information by checking state highway conditions at https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/southisland monitoring weather conditions at https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home. Here's MetService's full weather warnings: Heavy Rain Warning - Orange Impact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous. Area: Westland District south of Hokitika Period: 57hrs from 9am Tue, 9 Apr - 6pm Thu, 11 Apr Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Expect 600 to 800mm to accumulate about the ranges, and 200 to 300mm about the coast. Peak rates of 20 to 30 mm/h about the ranges. This is a significant heavy rain event with the potential for upgrade to a Red Warning. Area: Headwaters of the Otago Lakes and Rivers Period: 23hrs from 9am Tue, 9 Apr - 8am Wed, 10 Apr Forecast: Expect 200 to 300mm about the main divide, and 100 to 150mm within 15km further east. Heavy rain is expected to return later on Wednesday and become more widespread through Otago. This warning may be extended, or a Watch issued, closer to the time. Area: Fiordland about and north of George Sound Period: 26hrs from 4am Tue, 9 Apr - 6am Wed, 10 Apr Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Expect 150 to 250 mm of rain. Peak rainfall rates of 20 to 30 mm/h. Heavy rain is likely to return later on Wednesday and this Warning may be extended, or a Watch issued, closer to the time. Heavy Rain Watch Area: The Grey District, and Westland District about and north of Hokitika Period: 48hrs from 6pm Tue, 9 Apr - 6pm Thu, 11 Apr Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Area: Headwaters of Canterbury Lakes and Rivers Period: 30hrs from noon Tue, 9 Apr - 6pm Wed, 10 Apr Forecast: Periods of heavy rain. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria within 15 km east of the main divide. Area: Fiordland south of George Sound Period: 20hrs from 4am - midnight Tue, 9 Apr Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Heavy rain may return later on Wednesday and this Watch may be extended. Strong Wind Watch Area: Canterbury High Country Period: 24hrs from noon Tue, 9 Apr - noon Wed, 10 Apr Forecast: Northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places. Area: Fiordland Period: 24hrs from 6pm Mon, 8 Apr - 6pm Tue, 9 Apr Forecast: North to northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places. Note: Watch extended to all of Fiordland. Newshub. Rahm Emanuel, the US Ambassador to Japan, wrote late last week that Japan was about to become the first additional Pillar II partner. In recent weeks, policymakers have been keen to downplay New Zealands immediate Aukus membership prospects. Judith Collins, New Zealands defence minister, said there was no guarantee that New Zealand would join the arrangement, while US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins was similarly non-committal during a visit to Wellington in March. That said, diplomatic smoke signals suggest something is afoot: on top of Jenkins visit, Collins recently had a phone call with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, while US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell spoke to officials at New Zealands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Aukus debate is incredibly important. But it is worth keeping it in perspective. A reshaping of New Zealands foreign policy is also coming slowly but surely in other ways. On the first leg of his now five-country trip, Peters confirmed that New Zealand is finalising an Individually Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP) with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato). The ITPP plans were first revealed nearly a year ago by New Zealands then Labour foreign minister, Nanaia Mahuta. But while Chris Hipkins, then Prime Minister, attended Julys Nato summit in Lithuania, the ITPP largely disappeared from view. This contrasted with Australia, Japan and South Korea, which all agreed new partnerships with the Wests premier political and military alliance. Based on Peters reference to the coming months, it now seems a near-certainty that New Zealands ITPP will be finalised in time for Christopher Luxon to attend this years Nato leaders meeting in Washington DC in July. The decision to use the ITPP agreement structure as opposed to institutionalising the Indo-Pacific 4 (or IP4) nomenclature that is sometimes used to refer to the group informally may have been at least partly motivated by New Zealands sensitivities over China. Natos inclusion of China as a systemic challenge in its long-term Strategic Concept, released in 2022, was a major reason why the alliance sought to revitalise its partnerships with countries situated well beyond the North Atlantic. Chinas response to New Zealands finalised ITPP will be intriguing. Last year, Wang Xiaolong, Chinas ambassador in Wellington, issued a lengthy statement after Hipkins attended Natos gathering in Vilnius. Wang closed by warning New Zealand to refrain from opening the door to the devil. In addition to Aukus and Nato, it is worth recalling New Zealands involvement in other groupings that have recently either emerged or reemerged. These include the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP) groupings but also the Five Eyes and the Anzus Treaty. New Zealand was a founding member of both the IPEF and PBP groupings that were launched in the first half of 2022. The arrangements came in the febrile aftermath of Russias invasion of Ukraine and subsequent revelations of a security agreement between China and Solomon Islands. The IPEF includes 14 countries from around the Indo-Pacific, but notably excludes China. Meanwhile, the PBP includes Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and United States as members, with Canada, Germany and South Korea involved as partners. Both arrangements are modest on the surface, but hold significant potential. The IPEF Supply Chain Agreement that came into force in February 2024, for example, is clearly a starting point for reducing overall economic dependence on China especially in strategic areas. The agreement suggests a particular focus on sectors and goods critical to national security, public health and safety. The details are still to be worked out by an IPEF Supply Chain Council. Like the IPEF, the PBP is another practical way for the West to counter Chinese influence. The PBP is particularly useful for expressing commitment to previously-neglected Pacific countries. A joint statement issued after a PBP foreign minister meeting in September 2023 mainly focused on providing support to Pacific countries on issues such as illegal fishing and climate change. However, it also emphasised cybersecurity and pledged support for a new Pacific Cyber Capacity and Coordination Conference. Meanwhile, the Five Eyes grouping of the five English-speaking countries of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and US continues to rise in prominence both formally and informally. The arrangement is probably at its strongest when focusing on intelligence sharing, its original purpose, as seen in the recent spying allegations that were made against China. But informally, the Five Eyes label also refers to increased cooperation amongst the five trusted Anglosphere members in other areas. This cooperation does not always involve the United States. Sometimes the smaller Five Eyes partners have worked together and put pressure on Washington and London. For example, the Prime Ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand issued joint statements calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in December 2023 and February 2024. Finally, there is the question of Anzus, an alliance between Australia, New Zealand and the United States established in 1951. This was effectively Australasias equivalent to Nato. In theory, it would be an ideal minilateral, a format currently favoured by Washington (as seen in this weeks US-Japan-Philippines tripartite summit). A recent joint statement from Australian and New Zealand defence ministers referred to the enduring nature of the Anzus Treaty which caught the attention of former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. There is just one problem: the United States officially suspended its obligations to New Zealand in 1986, after the then Fourth Labour Government (in which Clark was a minister) adopted a nuclear-free policy. While a centre-right National-led coalition is now in power in Wellington, the nuclear-free policy remains popular. Touching it would almost certainly be a non-starter for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, a keen centrist. Unless some form of workable compromise could be found, the only real solution left would be for the US to accept New Zealands nuclear-free policy as the price of welcoming New Zealand back into the Anzus fold. If Anzus were fully restored, it would once again confer US ally status on New Zealand. It would be the most radical foreign policy shift yet for Wellington but also a clear win. But like the other options whether Aukus, a Nato partnership agreement, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, Partners in the Blue Pacific an improbable Anzus revival would still suffer from a major flaw. The more hawkish Wellington becomes, the greater the risk of reprisals from Beijing. None of the options would give New Zealand the elusive free trade agreement with the United States or comprehensive market access elsewhere that would offer New Zealand any kind of realistic trading alternative to China. China has had a free trade agreement with New Zealand since 2008 and is happy to buy virtually anything New Zealand produces. The United States is not. It still buys 13 per cent of New Zealands exports but China takes 28 per cent. In the end, it all comes down to the numbers. Geoffrey Miller is the Democracy Projects geopolitical analyst and writes on current New Zealand foreign policy and related geopolitical issues. He has lived in Germany and the Middle East and is a learner of Arabic and Russian. He is currently working on a PhD at the University of Otago on New Zealands relations with the Gulf states. Commercial ships were the targets of attacks in the Red Sea at the end of last year. "The Houthis are attacking shipping linked to Israel because of the absence of a ceasefire," said Otago University international relations expert Robert Patman. In response, in January, New Zealand deployed six Defence Force personnel to the Middle East. Asked at the time if he saw the deployment as an extension of the Israel-Gaza conflict, like the Houthis do, Luxon said: "I have to say to you, I think you are absolutely wrong to conflate those two issues. We are standing up for values, very clearly here, about freedom of navigation." Newshub's obtained the foreign affairs advice ministers considered. It said: "The war between Israel and Hamas has begun to generate broader issues in the Middle East region that are now beginning to directly affect New Zealand's international trade interests." The very next sentence went on to talk about Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen undertaking attacks in the Red Sea. Luxon continued to say on Monday that the two events shouldn't be conflated. "There is definitely a linkage," said Patman. "The Americans recognised it. They said right away they were concerned other actors in the region, probably Iran, might take advantage." Luxon on Monday also refused to explicitly acknowledge a link between the two events. Asked if he saw the link between the two events, Luxon said: "I have seen Houthi attacks on ships that have got nothing to do with Israel." The Government justified the deployment at the time by saying disruption to global supply chains will impact Kiwis by driving up prices. The advice shows businesses were already feeling the effects, with shipping delays, rising transport costs and cancellations. It said New Zealand exports to Europe, the UK and North Africa were worth $7.7 billion in the year to September 2023. The value of imports was even bigger - $15.7 billion - with Europe being a major supplier of machinery, vehicles, medicine and vaccines. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Bahrain Shura Council gave its approval yesterday to a proposal aimed at regulating advertising and promotion activities on social media platforms. The proposal, submitted by Shura Council members Talal Mohammed Al Mannaei, Dr. Jihad Abdullah Al Fadhel, Abdulrahman Mohammed Jamsheer, Juma Mohammed Al Kaabi, and Reda Ibrahim Monfaredi, has been met with support from the council, marking an important step towards establishing comprehensive guidelines for advertising practices in the digital realm. Before voting on the proposal, the Shura Council deliberated on the report presented by the Services Committee. The rapporteur of the committee, Talal Mohammed Al Manaei, expressed his satisfaction with the proposal, highlighting its objectives and potential impact. One of the key aspects emphasised by Al Manaeai is the need for official oversight of advertising and promotion on social media platforms. He explained that the proposed law outlines general principles while leaving the specific measures and methods for implementing these principles to be determined through executive decisions. This approach allows for flexibility and adaptability in response to emerging developments. The proposed law focuses on the general framework, which includes requirements for obtaining prior licences to engage in advertising activities, specifying the obligations of licence holders, outlining the necessary compliance measures, identifying prohibited advertising content, and delineating the supervisory authority of the ministry, he explained. Licence Furthermore, Al Manaei clarified that the proposed law includes provisions that criminalise engaging in advertising and promotion activities on social media without obtaining a licence from the ministry. It also addresses the dissemination of advertising materials that contravene the restrictions outlined in Article 7 of the proposed law. These measures are crucial for maintaining societal stability, protecting essential interests, and safeguarding individuals rights. Al Manaei pointed out that the proposed law contributes to supporting and empowering social media influencers by establishing a regulated legislative framework for advertising and promotion activities. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Marking the Silver Jubilee of His Majestys accession to the throne and on the occasion of Eid AlFitr, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander of the Bahrain Armed Forces, issued a royal decree granting pardon to 1,584 inmates convicted of riot and criminal cases. This royal decree reflects His Majestys keenness to maintain the cohesion and stability of the Bahraini society, while protecting its social fabric, upholding public interest, safeguarding individual and civil rights, and adhering to the principles of justice, the rule of law, and the preservation of judicial independence. It also aims to strike a balance between retribution and the humanitarian and social circumstances of the convicted inmates. It offers the opportunity for positive re-integration into society, promoting the values of human rights in line with the Kingdoms approach in this regard. Cohesion and stability The Cabinet, chaired yesterday by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, commended HM the Kings issuance of the royal decree, affirming that this reflects HM the Kings commitment to maintaining the cohesion and stability of Bahraini society, while protecting its social fabric, upholding public interest, safeguarding individual and civil rights. HRH Prince Salman directed the Ministry of Labour to provide training programmes and offer job opportunities to the pardoned individuals so that they can fulfill their social responsibility to contribute to the Kingdoms comprehensive development. The Cabinet extended its best wishes to HM King Hamad, the people of Bahrain, and all Arab and Islamic nations. Is it Time to Suspend Licenses in Oversupplied Industries? Is it Time to Suspend Licenses in Oversupplied Industries? By P Unnikrishnan In Bahrains bustling economic landscape, its no secret that specific industries attract the lions share of investment, often to the detriment of diversity and innovation. Stroll through Juffair,Adilya and Manama and youll likely encounter many hotels, apartment complexes, and healthcare facilities vying for attention. While this may seem convenient at first glance, the reality is that oversaturation breeds intense competition, leading to price wars and potential compromises in quality. Consider the case of travel agencies, money exchanges, cinemas, and even cold stores and supermarkets sectors facing stiff competition from digital platforms and more prominent players. The proliferation of options may seem beneficial, but in reality, it squeezes out smaller businesses and risks monopolisation, ultimately stifling diversity and innovation. Its time for Bahrain to consider a bold move: temporarily suspending licenses in oversupplied sectors. By hitting the pause button on new entrants, existing businesses can breathe easier and focus on delivering quality services without constantly looking over their shoulders. Moreover, this measure can prevent more giant corporations from tightening their grip on the market, ensuring a level playing field for all players. Freezing licenses isnt just about maintaining the status quo its about fostering an environment where businesses are encouraged to innovate and excel. With fewer competitors vying for attention, companies must invest in research, development, and quality control, ultimately raising the bar for everyone. Let s aim higher. Rather than investing in saturated business models, let s direct our resources towards burgeoning industries with immense potential. Areas like technology, renewable energy, and e-commerce are just a few examples that could unlock Bahrains economic prowess on the international platform. By backing startups and fostering entrepreneurship, we can ignite a surge of creativity and progress, guiding us towards a prosperous future. Entrepreneurs should explore investments in sectors capable of manufacturing consumer goods at accessible prices. Recently, I discovered locally-made hair dye and bathing soaps at a supermarket in Bahrain. Lets also promote and support the women entrepreneurs who have built their own brands, such as Noon by Noor, Sofia Alasfoor, Aisha Jewels, Amina Al-Abbasi, Annada, Rawan Maki Design House, Tru Active, Maya La Chocolaterie, and others. Promoting such products supports the local economy and fosters growth and sustainability within our community. Of course, such a transition will take time to happen. But by taking decisive action now, Bahrain can secure its place as a hub of innovation and creativity, all while ensuring a fair and competitive business environment for all. Its time to think outside the box and embrace change to improve our economy and future. AFP | Kyiv The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Ukraine will lose its war against Russia if the US Congress does not approve a major military aid package, as Russian forces heighten their pressure on a frontline city. The Ukraine military acknowledged that the fighting around the frontline city of Chasiv Yar was "difficult" and "tense" but insisted its forces were resisting. Amid heightened air attacks by both sides, Russia said one Ukrainian drone had hit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant that it has occupied since shortly after launching its invasion in 2022. Ukraine has made increasingly urgent calls for the United States to start sending a proposed $60 billion aid package that has been blocked by Republicans in Congress for months. "It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war," Zelensky said during a video meeting. It would be "difficult" for Ukraine to "stay" (survive) without the aid, Zelensky added. "If Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked." Russia has stepped up attacks on Chasiv Yar as it seeks to build on territorial gains in recent months. Chasiv Yar is less than 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Kramatorsk, an important rail and logistics hub for the Ukrainian army. "The situation is difficult enough and tense," said Oleg Kalashnikov, spokesman for an army brigade deployed in the area. Russian was using infantry and air attacks, he told Ukrainian television. "The Russians are trying to carry out assaults directly on the small towns of Bogdanivka and Ivanivske, outside Chasiv Yar." Authorities said a Russian strike on Gulyaipole in the southern Zaporizhzhia region killed three people. "Two men and a woman died under the rubble of their own private house, which was hit by a Russian shell," the head of the region, Ivan Fedorov, said on social media. Officials said a woman was killed in an apartment block in Kupiansk, in the northeastern Kharkiv region that has also seen increased attacks in recent months. Authorities in the main city of Kharkiv said Russia launched another attack on Sunday, wounding five civilians, a day after a deadly strike there. Russia, meanwhile, said it had destroyed 15 Ukrainian drones over its Belgorod and Bryansk border regions, reporting the death of one young woman. Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said shrapnel hit a car with a family of six inside in the village of Shagarovka, some 35 kilometres (20 miles) from the border with Ukraine. The woman died at the scene. The Russian army said it had destroyed 12 Ukrainian drones over Belgorod region and three over Bryansk -- both territories regularly targeted by Ukraine. Russia also said that a Ukraine drone had hit a dome on one of the six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that it occupies, but there was no radioactive release. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged restraint, warning that "this is a serious incident with potential to undermine (the) integrity of the reactor's containment system". Syracuse, N.Y. Would there be enough brisket? Its something Marie Paoff, who has worked for nearly 30 years at the flagship Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on North Franklin Street, usually doesnt have to think about. But the restaurants barstools were full around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, with a two-hour wait for a table. Its been crazy, said Paoff, a manager known to her co-workers as Sarge. More than a million people are expected to travel to New York state for the Monday afternoon solar eclipse, Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a Sunday news conference. Every hotel room in and around the Syracuse area was booked Sunday night, according to Visit Syracuse, the countys tourism agency. The peak of the eclipse, called totality, will last about 90 seconds in Syracuse. In neighboring Oswego County, the moon will cover the sun for about three and a half minutes. Related article: Solar eclipse in Upstate NY: Heres how it will unfold and what youll see Restaurants in downtown Syracuse, including Dinosaur, were busy for dinner Sunday. Paoff said she had seen diners this weekend from all over the East Coast, and even as far away as Alaska. This is great for everybody, for the economy she said. I cant believe all of these people are here. Among those waiting in line was Dwayne Mui and his family. Mui said they had made their reservation at the Hampton Inn in Salina a year ago, before prices really started to skyrocket. They had travelled from New York City to Syracuse for the eclipse, he said. Its the closest good location, he said. Mui said he wasnt sure where they would view the eclipse, and was considering the hotel parking lot. A few blocks away in Armory Square, the line was also long. Jace Zimmer, a manager at Pastabilities, said the restaurant was having one of its busier Sundays. Zimmer said the restaurant was staying open an extra hour until 10 p.m. because of the rush. Chefs also adjusted their preparation, and a baker was on standby in case more loaves of bread need to be baked, he said. Were just trying to get everybody in, get them some food and have a good time, he said. A family trip Casey Maurer, 45, said she was travelling from Pennsylvanias Lehigh Valley to Syracuse to see the eclipse. She has been planning the trip for about a month, she said. Maurer said she would view the eclipse with her husband, daughter and his son and his girlfriend. It was important to make the trip because the Monday eclipse might be the only one she sees, she said, since it will be a long time before the path of totality return to the northeast. Ill be 100-and-something for those, she said. I dont anticipate being here for that. There were only a few hotel options left by the time she started checking, Maurer said. She ended up getting two rooms at the Aloft in the Inner Harbor for $499 each, before taxes; a room there goes for $145 next week. Maurer said she hasnt been to Syracuse before, and was thinking about checking out the Destiny USA mall while in town. Just seeing the area for the first time for me is an adventure in and of itself for me, she said. Christy Boyle, 50, also said the fact that the total eclipse was a a once in a lifetime event motivated her to find a good spot to see it. She is driving with her 12-year-old from northwestern New Jersey to Syracuse. Boyle said she joined several eclipse-themed Facebook groups and download some apps on her phone to help chart out the trip. Shes staying at the Best Western in Salina on Sunday and Monday nights, and is still deciding where specifically to take in the eclipse. This was kind of the closest and best bang for our back, she said. Were just hoping that the cloud coverage cooperates. Have drums, will travel Joann Pierdomenico, 56, of Delaware County, PA, is headed to Sandy Creek in Oswego County. She and her husband Vincent James found a hotel in Binghamton. They planned to leave Binghamton at 2 a.m. today with hopes of making it to Sandy Creek by noon. They printed out directions in case they lose cell reception. But the equipment they are bringing is a little different: 50 musical instruments including acoustic and electric guitars, ukuleles, keyboards and dozens of different kinds of percussion instruments. The couple runs a nonprofit, Keep Music Alive, that brings instruments to kids to play. They partnered with Ainsworth Memorial Library in Sandy Creek to hold an eclipse viewing event. We figured it would be a fun, unique way to celebrate the eclipse, said Vincent James. Kind of a once in a lifetime event for us, Staff writer Jon Moss covers breaking news, crime and public safety. He can be reached at jmoss@syracuse.com or @mossjon7. Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him at falba@syracuse.com. The last time Bruce Springsteen saw Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm, he was pretty horrified. In the March 31 episode of the long-running HBO show, Springsteen accused David of giving him COVID-19, which forced him to cancel the final concert of a farewell tour. During what was initially a friendly meeting between David, Springsteen and Jeff Greene, Davids manager, it appeared as if Springsteen and David got their water glasses mixed up. This led to increased potential for transmission of disease certainly in Springsteens eyes, since Bruce tweeted that it was Larry who gave him COVID. If that wasnt bad enough, David, recovered from COVID, snuck onto Springsteens property and proceeded to badger him, asking the ailing Boss to take a photo with a masseuse. When David, persona non grata (as ever), made his exit, a crowd of angry Springsteen fans followed his car. So when the series finale of Curb your Enthusiasm, which aired Sunday, embraced the finale theme of another Larry David show Seinfeld an encore appearance from Springsteen seemed a sure bet. Bruce Springsteen in the previous episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He wasn't smiling in the series finale.John Johnson | HBO As Seinfeld fans will recall, that series finale, which aired in 1998, had Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer on trial, with various characters from the shows many seasons making appearances to testify against them. David wrote the two-part finale. Curb, which premiered in 2000, had its own trial in No Lessons Learned, the final episode of the show. The 12th season of the series was all leading up to a trial in Atlanta where David would face a jury after he violated a Georgia law that made it illegal to offer water to someone waiting in line to vote. Those gathered at the trial include his longtime manager Greene (Jeff Garlin), Greenes wife Susie Greene (Susie Essman), his friend and housemate Leon Black (J.B. Smoove), his friend Richard Lewis (the New Jersey actor and comedian died in February), his ex-wife Cheryl David (Cheryl Hines) and Cheryls current partner, Ted Danson (who seems to be capitalizing on the trial to secure some good press). A long series of returning faces testify against David in the trial, bringing up a laundry list of unsavory details from both unfortunate and misunderstood incidents in past episodes of the shows run. A lawyer for the state of Georgia, played by Greg Kinnear Sanaa Lathan plays Davids attorney says Larry lives unrestrained by the guardrails of human decency. Springsteen is among the most recent of the witnesses to make statements about Davids supposed history of bad behavior. What kind of guy is Larry David? Springsteen, 74, says in a video played in court during the series finale. Hes the kind of man who carelessly, maybe even maliciously, had me drink from his glass and gave me COVID, ruining the biggest night of my and some of my fans lives. And he doesnt give a damn. I still cant smell a f---ing thing. Jerry Seinfeld plays a pivotal role in the last-ever "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which is a big nod to the "Seinfeld" finale.John Johnson | HBO David, 76, thinks its Springsteen who gave him COVID. As witness after witness testifies to his apparent path of destruction across nearly 24 years of TV, things arent looking good for David at the trial. But a major David supporter, Jerry Seinfeld himself, shows up to sit on Larrys side. Seinfeld ends up playing quite a pivotal role in the episode (no spoilers!). But its safe to say the Seinfeld finale, which received plenty of jeers back in 98, is relitigated through Curb. Besides the whole courtroom/trial setup, the finale gives yet another nod to Seinfeld as Leon binge-watches the David-penned series, drawing a parallel between his own character and Kramer and quizzing Jerry about his characters romantic activity on the show. We wont give away the details of Seinfelds role in the final part of the hourlong episode, but heres another Jerseyish connection: It involves a man who looks like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas. The series finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm is on HBO and streaming on Max. Thank you for reading. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup. New Jersey actor and comedian Richard Lewis died in February, but hes lived on in scenes with his friend Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm. And now for one last goodbye. After Sundays series finale, HBO released behind-the-scenes footage Monday of Lewis and the cast filming the last moments of the show. Lewis was a part of the final scene, which takes place on a plane. When the show was officially announced as a wrap, the actor stood next to star Larry David to deliver some parting words. Larry David has treated me like a God, said Lewis, who grew up in Englewood. And all of you have, he told the cast and crew. And this is the greatest experience of my career and I love each and every one of you. Im honored to be working with arguably the greatest sitcom writer in the last two centuries. And God bless all of you. And thanks for being so sweet to me. Lewis was 76 when he died of a heart attack Feb. 27 after having been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease several years ago. He started on the show in The Pants Tent, the first episode of the first season in 2000 (a reference to the series premiere can be found in the finale). Lewis, who played a version of himself, went on to appear in every season of the show, including half the episodes in the 12th and final season. In one episode this season titled The Colostomy Bag, Lewis appeared alongside his real-life wife, Joyce Lapinsky. She played a woman he was very excited to go on a date with an ill-fated date, given the cheese David had left in his new car, which Lewis couldnt smell because he was experiencing the lingering effects of COVID-19. Curb ended with a series finale that revisited the divisive series finale of Seinfeld. Richard Lewis with J.B. Smoove and Susie Essman in the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" series finale. John Johnson | HBO The episode, No Lessons Learned, saw the return of Jerry Seinfeld as well as a succession of Curb personalities and guest stars, like Bruce Springsteen, who testified against Larry in a trial. After Lewis delivered his heartfelt remarks upon completion of the final scene of the show, his co-star Cheryl Hines, who played Larrys ex-wife Cheryl David, shared some words, too. My entire life changed when I met you, Hines told David with tears in her eyes. Larry, I love you, she said. David, 76, appeared to shrink and want to disappear in response to all the love and praise, but the cast and crew kept it coming. They presented David with a portrait of himself signed by everyone who worked on the show. If you could somehow remove me from this it wouldve been much better, David said. Thank you for reading. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup. The man who was shot to death in the triple-shooting Sunday night in the Jersey City Heights has been identified as a 25-year-old city man. Freddie Posey and another victim, a 30-year-old woman, were shot on Central Avenue near Bowers Street, at approximately 9 p.m. and both were taken to the Jersey City Medical Center. Posey was pronounced dead at 9:30 p.m., while the woman was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg that was not considered life-threatening. The shooting was initially reported as a double-shooting, but a third shooting victim, a 24-year-old Jersey City man, was taken to University Hospital in Newark in a private vehicle. He was treated for an injury that was not considered life-threatening, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. The shooting incident brought the total of people shot in the city to five over the weekend. Two people were shot in the area of Oak Street and Martin Luther King Drive early Saturday morning, police said in radio transmissions. Jersey City officials have not responded with more information on that incident. The triple-shooting is being investigated by the Hudson County Prosecutors Office Homicide Unit and the Jersey City Police Department. It is the second homicide in Jersey City this year. According to statistics provided on the Jersey City website, there were five shootings incidents, with eight victims, through March 31. No arrests have been made at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential. Three men have been arrested and charged with a shooting near Rutgers University on Friday that wounded two people affiliated with the university, the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office said on Sunday. The shooter fired from a vehicle and struck a male, and a female who was inside her residence and wounded by a stray bullet, authorities said. The 2 a.m. shooting occurred near a residence on Easton Avenue, just three blocks from the universitys New Brunswick campus. On Saturday, detectives arrested Christian Farmer, 22, of New Brunswick, Ryan Nasi, 22, of Hillsborough, and Walter Rodriguez-Cardenas, 20, of Plainfield. Farmer, the suspected shooter, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses. Rodriguez-Cardenas and Nasi were both charged with armed riot. Rodriguez-Cardenas was additionally charged with hindering apprehension for allegedly driving the getaway car, prosecutors said. The male victim has since been released and the female is still being treated for her injuries, authorities said. The prosecutors office has not identified the victims by age. Detectives are still working to identify a fourth suspect. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com. The rare solar eclipse of 2024 isnt the only event that will have scores of people looking up at the sky Monday afternoon. Three rockets will be blasting off from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia today, and they could be visible from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and other eastern states, assuming the clouds stay away. In New Jersey, forecasters from the National Weather Service say it will be a close call whether or not portions the region will have an unobstructed view of the eclipse, because of the possibility of clouds drifting in from the west. So those same clouds could interfere with our view of the rockets. NASA says the sounding rockets being launched Monday afternoon will be part of a mission to study how Earths upper atmosphere is affected when sunlight momentarily dims over a portion of the planet. Part of the research will examine disturbances in the electrified region of Earths atmosphere known as the ionosphere that can impact satellite communications. The rockets will launch at three different times: 45 minutes before the peak of the solar eclipse, during the peak of the eclipse (about 3:20 p.m. in the eastern Virginia region and 3:25 p.m. in the New Jersey region) and 45 minutes after the peak, NASA noted. These intervals are important to collect data on how the suns sudden disappearance affects the ionosphere, creating disturbances that have the potential to interfere with our communications, NASA said. In the southern half of New Jersey, the rockets may be visible 10 to 30 seconds after liftoff, NASA said. In the northern half of New Jersey and the New York City metro region, the rockets could be visible 30 to 42 seconds after taking off. The rockets will be heading south and east over the Atlantic Ocean, so people in our region should look into the southern and eastern sky. (Note: If the sun is shining in that part of the sky and you look directly at the sun, you will need to wear special eclipse safety glasses to protect your eyes. If you are using binoculars to look at the sun, special filters will be needed over the outer lenses.) These are among the best places in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware to catch a glimpse of upcoming rocket launches at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia. Three sounding rockets are scheduled to launch on Monday, April 8, 2024.NASA In case you are too far away to see the rockets, or cloud cover blocks you view, the three launches are scheduled to be live streamed on NASAs Wallops official YouTube page and featured in NASAs official broadcast of the total solar eclipse. The public can also watch the launches in person from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center. The three sounding rockets had been previously launched and successfully recovered from White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, during the October 2023 annular solar eclipse, NASA said in a news release. They have been refurbished with new instrumentation and will be relaunched in April 2024. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality. Astronomy lovers in the United States had been buzzing for years about the total solar eclipse that took place on Monday, April 8. After all, the last one that criss-crossed the nation was the so-called Great American Solar Eclipse in August 2017. When will the next total solar eclipse occur in the U.S. after Mondays big sky event? Unfortunately, the wait will be a long one. Experts say the next solar eclipse in which the sun will be completely blocked by the moon in some of the lower 48 states of America will take place 20 years from now, on Aug. 23, 2044. A report by CBS News says only three U.S. states will be in the path of totality, where total darkness will occur for several minutes: Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Experts say the next solar eclipse in which the sun will be completely blocked by the moon in parts of America will take place on Aug. 23, 2044. Only three U.S. states will be in the path of totality, where total darkness will occur for several minutes: Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. But most of the western U.S. will see a partial solar eclipse that day.AccuWeather But if youre willing to travel, a wide swath of northern Canada will also be in the path of totality during the 2044 eclipse. In addition, most of the western half of the U.S. will at least see a partial solar eclipse in August 2044, but the eastern U.S. will see nothing, not even a partial eclipse, according to TimeAndDate.com. However, the following year on Aug. 12, 2045 New Jersey will see a partial solar eclipse, with a total solar eclipse being visible from 15 U.S. states, according to ABC News. Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. On Aug. 12, 2045, a total solar eclipse will be visible from 15 U.S. states, experts say. New Jersey will see only a partial solar eclipse that day.AccuWeather New Jersey wont see a total solar eclipse until May 1, 2079, when we will be directly in the path of totality. Thats 55 years from now. So, younger folks may want to mark their calendars now. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality. A roundup of conversations we're having daily on the site. Subscribe to the Reckon Daily for stories centering marginalized communities and speaking to the under-covered issues of the moment. Clarification: This piece has been updated to reflect the fact that more than 14,000 acres of forest is planned to be logged as part of the Poor Windy Forest Management Project. Environmentalist groups in Oregon are staging tree sits over the logging and sale of old growth forest trees. Last Monday, activists began occupying trees in Southern Oregons Wolf Creek area that are slated to be logged under the U.S. Bureau of Land Managements (BLM) Poor Windy Forest Management Project, which would cut down nearly 15,000 acres, almost 4,000 of which are old and mature-growth forests. Sam Shields, a community organizer involved with the sit-in, said logging of forestlands in the Pacific Northwest has been a contentious issue for decades. Shields is part of a coalition of community members, conservationists and environmentalists who are concerned about deforestation across the state. Many formal nonprofits are litigating and writing to legislators to try to change policy, Shields said. We, the community members most impacted, are putting our bodies on the line to ensure that while these other methods are being taken, logging does not move forward. According to a 2018 study, 36 million trees were cut down annually over a five-year period in the U.S. Old-growth trees are being threatened in North Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, California and Oregon, according to a 2022 report by multiple environmentalist groups detailing the ten worst federal projects across the U.S. Activists said mature forests gather and hold large amounts of carbon and are a cost-effective way to mitigate climate change. Old-growth trees are also more resistant to fires and warming climates. Studies have found that forests in Oregon are among the most carbon-rich in the world and logging is the states largest source of carbon emissions. Although these forests are located on federal public lands, they are in danger as agencies move forward with logging and timber sale projects across the state, Shields said. Poor Windy is their current focus because it is one of the first projects where theres chainsaws on the ground, he added. In addition to the Poor Windy project, there are two others in Oregon groups are particularly concerned about: the Flat Country Timber Sale in Willamette National Forest, which would clear 2,000 acres of older forests; and the BLMs Integrated Vegetation Management Project, which would cut down 20,000 acres of trees that are more than 150 years old. The Western Oregon BLM office often puts logging above wildlife, watersheds, recreation and other forest values, Climate Forests Campaign, a coalition of environmental groups, said in a statement. Nearly 1 million acres of mature and old-growth trees are at grave risk of being logged unless the agency stops targeting these trees for industrial logging. Old-growth trees are more resilient but the vast majority in the U.S. have already been logged. Those that are left are mostly on federal public lands and surrounded by private thickly-packed plantations that are cleared every 40-60 years and are therefore less resistant to fire. Last week, oral arguments began in a federal courthouse in Medford, Oregon, against the integrated vegetation BLM project that would aggressively log forest stands located within areas purportedly set aside for forest conservation, according to KS Wild, a nonprofit that aims to protect green spaces in the Klamath-Siskiyou region of southwest Oregon and northwest California. The projects, which have already been approved, would eliminate essential habitats the threatened northern spotted owl and other species use for nesting, roosting and foraging, environmentalists said. Advocates said the logging will impact fire-resilient trees and sediment will compromise freshwater resources and areas where the Pacific salmon spawn. The first commercial timber sales of the Penn Butte and Late Mungers wildlands are scheduled to begin May 15. Thousands of acres of land have already been logged under these projects, inspiring protests in the community. Activists described the BLM as a rogue agency completely out of step with commitments from the federal government to protect old-growth forests. Community members believe the agency is moving quickly on logging projects to avoid new regulations. KS Wild and other environmental organizations in late March filed a legal complaint against the Medford District BLMs efforts to log forest areas outside Oregons Gold Hill and Rouge River communities. Conservationists said these lands are healthy older forests designated for recreation, conservation and water protection. They believe the land management bureaus aim is to increase commercial timber volume without regard to those concerns, however. While it is refreshing that BLM has abandoned this fake pretense and admitted that it is timber volume driving the more aggressive logging being proposed, it does not make this logging any less illegal or worrisome, said George Sexton, KS Wild conservation director, in a statement. Though the project includes prescription burns and restoration logging that could increase fire resilience in the area, conservationists worry over what they claim is the heaviest of the commercial logging proposed by BLM, which would negatively impact the ecosystem and go against commitments to preserve wildlands. Environmentalists also pointed to the disconnect between the agencys continued logging and President Joe Bidens commitment to conserve and restore Americas mature and old growth forests. In 2022, Biden signed an executive order creating a nationwide plan with efforts to conserve and restore old-growth forests across the National Forest System. It also included plans to update the Northwest Forest Plan for the first time since 2007 to protect mature ecosystems in some federally-managed forests in Washington, Oregon and California. These forests contain about one-quarter of all the remaining old growth found in national forests across the mainland U.S. and are a key climate solution, absorbing carbon dioxide equivalent to more than 10 percent of annual U.S. emissions, White House officials said. But activists say the Biden Administration has not upheld its promise. Public forests are needed for public benefits, like carbon storage and wildfire resilience, Francis Eatherington, a longtime forest activist and Douglas County resident, said in a statement. Instead they are being logging for private profit, lining the pockets of the timber millionaires at the expense of rural Oregonians. The U.S. Forest Service and the BLM manage a combined 32 million acres of old growth lands and about 80 million acres of mature forests across the country about 63 percent of all forested lands managed by these agencies. By protecting these forests and keeping them standing, we are ensuring that they can protect our communities from the climate crisis, from increasing wildfire risk, from increasing drought all the massive benefits that they provide to folks living in the area, Shields said. 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. This Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, in Zelienople, Pa., shows multiple forms printed from the Internal Revenue Service web page that are used for 2018 U.S. federal tax returns. The government says that the average tax refund and the total amount of refunds issued have declined for the second straight week. The declines have become a political issue, as Democrats contend they show how the new Republican-written tax law hurts middle-class people. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) ORG XMIT: NYBZ476 Basilicata shines at Berlin's ITB travel trade show - APT BASILICATA (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) Region's niche offerings 'beloved by German visitors' Matera 08/04/2024 (News Aktuell).- The Basilicata region presented its tourist attractions once again this year with a stand at Berlin's ITB travel trade show. Its tourist offering, so niche it has been described as 'punctiform', plays on nature and Italian passions and 'roots' - three elements beloved by German tourists, Marcella Di Feo of the region's Agency of territorial promotion (Apt) has told ANSA. "Basilicata never misses Berlin's ITB" and is always present "at the Enit Italia pavilion with other regions", said Marcella Di Feo, who is responsible for international marketing at the Apt agency. "And, obviously, we expect to always maintain a well-structured and consolidated relationship with the tourist market" in Germany, she added, speaking from the Fair's pavilion 1, which is mainly occupied by Italy. German tourists "always remain among the top 10 of our arrivals and visits" and are "the most complete", filling "all niches of demand" and "tourist offers that Basilicata can have", said Di Feo. In particular, Di Feo cited "green" tourism, which "is very much liked by the average German tourist". It was developed during the Covid pandemic crisis, although it "will be improved", explained the official, who was at the regional stand featuring the logo "Basilicata State of Mind". Basilicata "can boast five natural parks" (including two national and three regional parks), she added. "We have a series of offers, thanks to the network of private tour operators connected to open-air" and "active vacations" that are "well-liked by Germans", as presented at a press conference in Berlin by the Basilicata official, who was at the fair held on March 5-7. Stressing that "we want 'guests', given that everybody else has 'tourists'", Di Feo went on to explain that the region is investing "on niche tourism" - rather than "mass tourism" - which she described as "punctiform" and "high quality". Such tourism can be defined "by passions", including sailing or other seaside activities, as well as literature, "fairy tales and magic", noted Di Feo, adding that "private professionals" create "special offers" for "passionate guests". Moreover, she stressed, the region is aiming to attract visitors who are fascinated by the cultural roots of the territory: this "is the year of Italian roots in the world", and "we can boast that we are already prepared" to welcome back Italian emigrees or their children and descendants who often don't travel alone "but rather with tourist packages organized by tour operators". Initiatives will also be presented at the Roots-IN 2024, the Roots Tourism International Exchange scheduled to take place on November 18-19 this year in Matera, concluded Di Feo. Press contact: Serafino Paternoster Capo ufficio stampa APT Basilicata 3384299742 ANSA - APT BASILICATA (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) To discover region's beaches, mountains, castles and churches Matera 08/04/2024 (News Aktuell).- Spring is the best time to discover the beauty of Italy's Basilicata region. And seven different walking tours, suitable for all levels of physical fitness, will allow visitors to explore the territory known in ancient times as Lucania, accompanied by the guide 'Camminare in Basilicata' (Walking in Basilicata), which can be easily consulted by those who love to immerse themselves in local culture. Everyone will be able to explore hamlets and valleys, beaches and castles, mountains and parks, monasteries and archaeological sites, dunes and rivers. Visitors can choose the path they prefer and get to know the local history and traditions, the flavours of typical dishes and the beauty of nature. Basilicata offers, in just a few kilometres, a world to explore as it awakens with the colours and perfumes of spring. The seven tours are part of one ring-like itinerary of the region that crosses 36 hamlets and five parks (including Parco nazionale appennino lucano Val d'Agri Lagonegrese, Parco regionale Gallipoli Cognato piccole Dolomiti lucane, Parco regionale del Vulture, Parco regionale della Murgia materana and Parco nazionale del Pollino) and embraces 23 different trails. Hikes can take between three and 25 days and have different themes: the sea, mountains, castles, hamlets, places of worship and culture. The first is 'Alla scoperta della valle del Noce' (Discovering the valle del Noce), and goes from Maratea to Lake Sirino, 40 km that require three days of hiking; the second, along 110,5 km from Maratea to Marsicovetere, is called 'Sua maesta il Sirino' (His majesty Sirino) and takes six days. 'Lungo I castelli di Federico II' (Along the castles of Federico II) is the third tour, a 182-km-long hike that requires eight days, from Lagopesole to Matera; 'Basilicata coast to coast, tra fede e il Pollino (Basilicata coast to coast, from faith to the Pollino), 187,5 km in nine days, is the fourth tour that goes from Maratea to Policoro. The fifth is 'Camminando tra i borghi piu belli d'Italia' (Walking through Italy's most beautiful hamlets), 205,5 km in 10 days, from Castelmezzano to Matera. The last two tours are: 'In cammino verso Matera' (Walking to Matera), 314 km in 16 days from Maratea to Matera; and 'Camminare in Basilicata, itinerari tra borghi e natura' (Walking in Basilicata, itineraries amid hamlets and nature), from Maratea to Matera and back, 501,5 km in 25 days. The guide, which is available online, provides for each stopover technical information and a Qr code storing GPX tracks to download routes with information and stories connected to the territory, cultural heritage and the region's wines and culinary treasures. Visitors can choose what they prefer and organize a personalized trip based on their taste and fitness level, including taking short walks within the seven itineraries to get a taste of the local beauty. For further information: basilicataturistica.com or aptbasilicata.it. Press contact: Serafino Paternoster Capo ufficio stampa APT Basilicata 3384299742 Pulse Technology has named a new business development executive at its Merrillville office. The information technology, print services and office solutions company, the successor to McShane's in Munster and Kramer Leonard in Schererville, hired Precious Bonner of Gary to serve in the role. She will work with the company's sales team to advance business development. Bonner, who earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Maryville University in St. Louis, previously managed a Verizon Wireless store in LaPorte. She also serves as director of the Bonner Foundation, a nonprofit that helps prisoners prepare to return to society. She started the foundation two years ago. It offers workshops and classes inside prisons and also to newly released prisoners after they get out of their correctional institution. The goal is to assist them as they reintegrate to society and get back on their feet. Pulse Technology serves clients throughout the Midwest from its sales offices in Merrillville, Schaumburg and Rockford. Were pleased to welcome Precious to our Pulse team," Vice President of Technology Vince Miceli said. "She brings experience and enthusiasm to her role, and we are confident that she will be a tremendous asset to us as our company continues to expand its products and services throughout Indiana and beyond. Pulse Technology dates back to 1955 and was formed when Des Plaines Office Equipment merged with McShane's and Kramer Leonard, two of the best-known and longest-running print shops in Northwest Indiana. For more information, call 847-879-6400 or visit pulsetechnology.com. Ecuadors decision to send police officers into the Mexican Embassy to arrest a politician who had taken refuge there inflamed tensions between two countries that were already at odds, but it may prove a political boon for the Ecuadorean president. President Daniel Noboa has been faced with flagging approval ratings amid rising violence weeks before a referendum that could affect his prospects for re-election next year. The spat with Mexico, which suspended diplomatic relations, may be just what he needed. The politician who was arrested, Jorge Glas, a former vice president of Ecuador, had been sentenced to prison for corruption and living at the Mexican Embassy in Quito since December. Then on Friday, Mexico granted him asylum, and the Ecuadorean police moved in. Mr. Noboas office said that the arrest had gone forward because Mexico had abused the immunities and privileges granted to the diplomatic mission, but the message it sent was also in keeping line with Mr. Noboas hardhanded approach to tackling violence and graft in Ecuador. Prosecutors in New Mexico defended their handling of the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin on Friday, filing court papers in which they accused the actor of negligently failing to make sure the gun he was handed before the fatal Rust shooting was not loaded with live ammunition. Mr. Baldwins lawyers had filed a motion last month seeking to get the charge dismissed, calling the prosecution of the actor an abuse of the system and accusing prosecutors of having failed to give the grand jury evidence that could have helped his case. Mr. Baldwin was practicing drawing a gun he had been told was safe when it fired a live bullet in October 2021, killing the films cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. The armorer responsible for weapons on the set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter last month for loading a live round into the gun on a set where there was not supposed to be any live ammunition. She faces up to 18 months in prison. In the court filing on Friday, prosecutors laid out some of their arguments for going ahead with the criminal case against Mr. Baldwin. They accused him of behaving on the film set with absolutely no concern for how his conduct affects those around him, and they defended their presentation to the grand jury, writing that they had read aloud the full letter that Mr. Baldwins lawyer had presented to them. The most challenged books in the United States in 2023 continued to focus on the experiences of L.G.B.T.Q. people or explore themes of race, according to a report released Monday by the American Library Association. Amid an explosion of books bans across the country, the association counted more than 4,200 challenged titles, which is the most in a single year since it began tracking this information more than two decades ago. In the years leading up 2021, when the increase really took off, the average number of titles challenged in a given year was about 275, according to the library association. More and more, were seeing challenges that say, simply, This book has a gay character, or, This book deals with L.G.B.T.Q. themes, even if it has no sexuality in it, said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the director of the American Library Associations office for intellectual freedom. Were seeing those naked attacks on simply the visibility of and knowledge about L.G.B.T.Q. lives and experiences. Traditionally, books were challenged when individual parents raised concerns about a specific book their child had encountered in school, and libraries have long had processes in place so that parents could prevent their children from borrowing books they consider inappropriate. THE FAMILIAR, by Leigh Bardugo For those unacquainted with Catholic demonology, a familiar, or familiar spirit, as the phrase shows up in the Bible, is an otherworldly creature indentured to a master, usually whoevers summoned it a witch or necromancer or, in the case of Aladdin, a lucky rube who finds a bottle in need of a shine. In Leigh Bardugos richly drawn novel of magic and eternal love The Familiar, the Aladdin of the story is Luzia, a scullion girl working for fallen nobility in 16th-century Spain. Spells and enchantments come to Luzia with ease, initially manifesting as small remedies to household gaffes: A burned loaf of bread is suddenly edible; a ripped seam repairs itself. Shes wildly gifted, but has little control of her abilities. Enter Guillen Santangel, a familiar bound to serve Victor de Paredes, an ambitious tradesman known throughout Madrid for his astonishing luck. The de Paredes family has owned Santangel for three generations, employing him as an invaluable henchman, fixer and bringer of otherworldly good fortune. Known as El Alacran, the scorpion, Santangel is an indomitable force with a voice like ashes gone cold who looks at once beautiful and like he was dying, as if a sheet had been laid over a particularly handsome corpse. When de Parades selects Luzia to compete as his holy champion in a torneo of magic at the luxurious La Casilla, a contest with life-or-death stakes, Santangel is enlisted to guide her. In the process, he becomes her protector, mentor and friend. Luzia, described by one character as a wolf who has taken the shape of a girl, makes for an unlikely sorceress. She lacks formal education, and is as ignorant of her potential as she is of her origins. Luzias ancestors were, it turns out, conversos, Jews forced to convert to Catholicism but still considered the embodiment of everything the Inquisition reviled. Although her parents are dead, Luzias aunt has taught her the precious, perilous scraps of language that form the basis of her spells, a music she hears but doesnt fully understand. At La Casilla, Luzia must hide her origins and her intelligence. She dresses with prim severity in a plain black dress and a white ruff like a Renaissance-era Coco Chanel, hoping to seem less threatening. In an awe-inspiring cosmic coincidence, the moon and sun perfectly aligned this afternoon, producing a total solar eclipse visible across North America. The moons shadow plunged daylight into darkness, carving a path from Mexico, up to Maine and into Canada. We took lots of photos. The event, which offered just a few minutes of totality in any location, attracted millions of onlookers including some who traveled great distances to witness the celestial anomaly. It was a rare moment of mass gathering in a time when culture is so splintered. The eclipse first crossed into the U.S. from the border town of Piedras Negras, Mexico at 2:27 p.m. Children in a migrant shelter on the Mexican side shrieked in amazement. The moons shadow then carried on to Russellville, Ark., where 100 or so couples were pronounced married; Buffalo, where hundreds listened to Here Comes the Sun; and Montreal, where locals on Mount Royal applauded. In some places like Wyoming County, N.Y., crowds were disappointed to see a sky full of clouds. But elsewhere even away from the path of totality, like in New York City crowds delightfully squinted through protective glasses. The first five minutes of the Netflix series 3 Body Problem were hard to watch. I tried not to shut my eyes at the coldblooded beating of a physics professor at the height of the Cultural Revolution in 1967. By the end of it, he was dead, with blood and gruesome wounds all over his head and body. His daughter, also a physicist, watched the public execution. She went on to lose hope in humanity. I made myself sit through this violent scene. I have never seen what was known as a struggle session depicted blow by blow on the screen. I also felt compelled to watch it because of how the series, a Netflix adaptation of Chinas most celebrated works of science fiction, has been received in China. On Chinese social media platforms, commenters objected that the series is not set entirely in China; that the main characters are not all Chinese but instead racially diverse; that one of the main characters has been switched from a man to a woman and, in their eyes, the actress was not pretty enough. They cited many other supposed flaws. The Three-Body Problem, an apocalyptic trilogy about humanitys reactions to a coming alien invasion that sold millions of copies in Chinese and more than a dozen other languages, is one of the best-known Chinese novels in the world published in the past few decades. Barack Obama is a fan. China doesnt have many such hugely successful cultural exports. Anthony Insolia, a down-to-earth former editor of Newsday who presided over that Long Island newspapers expansion and several big investigative projects, died on Saturday in Philadelphia. He was 98. His death, in a hospice, was confirmed by his stepdaughter, Robin Ireland. Mr. Insolia was the editor of Newsday from late 1977 until his retirement 10 years later, a period when the newspaper, a tabloid owned then by the Times Mirror Co., won seven Pulitzer Prizes, expanded its foreign reporting staff to multiple far-flung bureaus and solidified its reputation for hard-hitting, streetwise journalism close to home. But it was an undertaking a year before he took charge of Newsday that was among his most significant journalistic accomplishments: what came to be known as the Arizona Project, a pioneering effort in collaborative journalism across many news organizations. She understands our mission to be a thriving pillar of democracy and the critical role that The L.A. Timess voice plays to our city, and to the world in bringing attention to issues that matter most, especially for those whose voices are often unheard. Before becoming the interim executive editor earlier this year, Ms. Tang, 65, ran the papers opinion section. She will continue to oversee opinion in addition to her new role, according to a Los Angeles Times spokeswoman. Ms. Tang had previously worked as director of publications and editorial at the American Civil Liberties Union and as an editor at The New York Times for 20 years. Terry is truly the best candidate to lead the Los Angeles Timess journalism organization now and were fortunate she accepted the role, said Chris Argentieri, the president and chief operating officer of The Los Angeles Times. Ms. Tangs appointment comes after a particularly rocky time for the publication. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who purchased the paper for $500 million in 2018, said in January that it was losing $30 million to $40 million a year and must cut its newsroom by more than 20 percent, amounting to at least 115 journalists. Tensions between him and Mr. Merida rose before Mr. Meridas departure, strained partly because of an incident over reporting about a wealthy doctor and his dog. Dr. Soon-Shiong tried to dissuade Mr. Merida from having the newsroom pursue the story, according to people with knowledge of their interactions. The company has said that Dr. Soon-Shiong had made a request for truthful, factual reporting on the story. A little more than a year ago, when Ilaria Resta was interviewing for the role of chief executive at the Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet, she and her family spent a few days in the Vallee de Joux, the area in the Jura Mountains known as the cradle of Swiss watchmaking. It was a way for me to immerse myself where it all started, Ms. Resta, 50, said on a video call last month from the brands boutique in Geneva. I walked around the lake, she said, referring to the Lac de Joux, a five-minute drive from the brands headquarters in the village of Le Brassus. You see this view, this calm. All of a sudden, the notion of time is changing. And that was a moment for me. I said, OK, I feel I belong here. Ms. Resta, who joined the brand in August, now commutes to Le Brassus from her home in Geneva, where she lives with her husband and their 16-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son. The 50-minute trip north, which she called a meditation drive because the poor reception prevents her from making phone calls, places her amid both the literal and metaphorical peaks of Swiss watchmaking. Seven watch brands have registered to exhibit, including Bausele, known for including Australian beach sand and tile from Sydney Opera House in its crowns; Ocean to Orbit, which will debut its first collection next month; and Second Hour, a microbrand founded in 2019 that specializes in vintage looks. Image A Mandala Burst watch from Second Hour. Irwin Liaw, a member of the watch enthusiasts club RedBar Melbourne, said he planned to go to Wristwatch Check to see what is out of the norm. He collects sporty watches by Rolex, Tudor, Breitling and others, and said he would be looking at the finishes, the color of the dial, the hands and the small details like the engraving. The fair could be the first step for Australian brands to expand beyond the countrys shores, said Thierry Nataf, president and chief executive of the Luxury Consulting Company and a former president and chief executive of Zenith. When you start to do a sort of show and highlighting your brands, you start to have a consciousness of your size, your offer, he said. You cant do a show if you only have three brands. He acknowledged that Australias geographical position presented a challenge for local brands. Going like that beyond their continent has been always difficult, he said, although he noted that Aesop, the beauty and skin care line, had been successful. Tom Ripleys background is always sketchy. Patricia Highsmith provides only a few rudimentary details in the first few chapters of The Talented Mr. Ripley, her 1955 novel that kicked off a series of five books about the elusive con artist. Tom lives in New York, in near-destitute circumstances. He has some friends acquaintances, really whom he hates, mentally labeling them the riffraff, the vulgarians, the slobs. He wants nothing more than to be rid of them, and after the first few chapters, he succeeds. He receives money from an aunt in Boston; she raised him after his parents drowned in the harbor there. He hates her, too. When we meet Tom, he has been committing check fraud through the mail, amassing payments in the amount of $1,863.14 that he does not plan to cash. The con job was, he thinks, no more than a practical joke, really. Good clean sport. Hell destroy the checks before boarding the ship that will take him to Europe, where hes tasked with hunting down Dickie Greenleaf, the scion of a shipbuilding mogul whos been wasting time, and money, in Italy. The curious thing about these features of Tom Ripleys life is that they add up to nothing. Highsmith structures them as telling details, the kinds of specifics that writers employ like shorthand to build a person in the readers mind. But in fact, we get very little from them, and at every turn our attempts to wrap our heads around this character are rebuffed. You might think Tom is a man of taste and talent, except he doesnt exhibit any real taste, and the talent seems limited to a knack for forgery and impersonation. You might think hes a malevolent mastermind seeking to bilk a wealthy family of their fortune, but hes really just pathetic, far more concerned with making sure the Greenleafs view him as a man of their own social class. Unfortunately, hes charmless. Tom is not particularly handsome, clever or well-connected. Hes just miserable, but he doesnt have much in the way of plans, or goals, beyond getting away from where he is. A former federal court clerk and a New York lawyer who together operated a long-running cash-for-clients bribery scheme were sentenced to prison on Monday, prosecutors said. The former clerk, Dionisio Figueroa, 66, of Manhattan, was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted at trial in December of conspiracy, bribery and other charges, according to prosecutors and court filings. He was also ordered to forfeit $40,000, prosecutors said. The lawyer, Telesforo Del Valle Jr., pleaded guilty to conspiracy, bribery and other charges in November, court filings show. Mr. Del Valle, 65, of Leonia, N.J., was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and fined $10,000, prosecutors said. Prosecutors had sought sentences of about four years for Mr. Figueroa and about three years for Mr. Del Valle, court records show. Inside a dreary Lower Manhattan courtroom on a recent Wednesday, Justice Juan M. Merchan convened a special session for people with mental health troubles who had landed in legal jeopardy. He calmly counseled them, praised any signs of progress and shook the hand of one man who, thanks to medication, had turned his life around. But on April 15, a different type of criminal defendant will enter the same courtroom and test the judges equanimity: Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trumps trial on charges that he covered up a sex scandal before and after the 2016 presidential election will bring a weekslong maelstrom that no other judge in New Yorks vast judiciary has ever experienced. It will be the first prosecution of a former U.S. president, a man who revels in attacking the legal system and its judges. Since the Manhattan district attorney charged Mr. Trump last year, the former president has used campaign emails, social media invective and repetitive legal filings to attack the judges integrity and family. Last week, the former president demanded for a second time that Justice Merchan step aside, citing his daughters position at a Democratic consulting firm that worked for the 2020 Biden campaign. A few weeks ago, Mike Pence did what no other vice president in the modern era has done: He refused to endorse the re-election of the president under whom he served. When it comes to alumni of Donald Trumps administration, Mr. Pence is hardly alone; the list of high-ranking officials who worked for Mr. Trump and have implied or outright stated that they cant support their former boss under any circumstances has grown to an astonishing length. The list of prominent Republican figures who did not serve under Mr. Trump and who regard him as unacceptable is equally impressive. It includes the 2012 Republican nominee for president, Mitt Romney, and his running mate, the former speaker of the House Paul Ryan, as well as Liz Cheney, who served in the House Republican leadership, and her father, the former vice president Dick Cheney, who summarized the situation bluntly: There has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. Despite Mr. Trumps almost effortless sweep of the Republican nomination contest, there remain deep pockets of resistance to him in the ranks. More than a fifth of voters in the Republican primaries supported Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina; among many of them, there is intense opposition to Mr. Trumps presidential run. And as The Washington Post points out, nearly one in five Republican primary voters across four contests on April 2 voted for an option other than Mr. Trump even though he was the only Republican still campaigning at that point. So two things are happening at once: The Republican Party is thoroughly MAGA and will be for the foreseeable future, and there is a small but influential number of Republicans who are deeply opposed to what their party has become but not prepared to shed their political identity and join the Democrats. Over the past decade, R.I.P. Medical Debt has grown from a tiny nonprofit group that received less than $3,000 in donations to a multimillion-dollar force in health care philanthropy. It has done so with a unique and simple strategy to tackling the enormous amounts that Americans owe hospitals: buying up old bills that would otherwise be sold to collection agencies and wiping out the debt. Since 2014, R.I.P. Medical Debt estimates that it has eliminated more than $11 billion of debt with the help of major donations from philanthropists and even city governments. In January, New York Citys mayor, Eric Adams, announced plans to give the organization $18 million. But a study published by a group of economists on Monday calls into question the premise of the high-profile charity. After following 213,000 people who were in debt and randomly selecting some to work with the nonprofit group, the researchers found that debt relief did not improve the mental health or the credit scores of debtors, on average. And those whose bills had been paid were just as likely to forgo medical care as those whose bills were left unpaid. Shaina Taub was ready to watch Hillary Clinton win in November 2016. She had been at Harvard, doing research for an ambitious musical about the womens suffrage movement, and was swept up in what felt like the inevitable: a woman elected president of the United States. Taub had traveled to New York City from Cambridge for election night, eager to cheer on Clinton, whom she had phone banked for. But Clinton lost, and Taub was utterly deflated. Returning to Cambridge to work on a show about triumphant women was the last thing she wanted to do. Yet, it was Clinton who reignited that fire in Taub with a concession speech in which she implored all the little girls to never doubt that they are deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve their dreams. Now, after years of development and an Off Broadway run at the Public Theater in 2022, Suffs is scheduled to open on April 18 at the Music Box Theater on Broadway, with Clinton making her debut as a producer. (The team backing the show also includes Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner.) Many of the themes resonate with me personally, Clinton said in a phone interview, given my own life and career, including the tension between the so-called establishment and activist voices. In 2022, I scaled Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York State, with my son. That weekend, ecstatic, we looked for another adventure. Some Google searching revealed that Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48, was not out of reach for amateurs like us. I proclaimed that he and I, along with my daughter, would climb it in 2023. In the end, neither of them could make it. Lucy didnt need much convincing to join me. Hiking had brought exhilarating new challenges and triumphs and Mount Whitney promised those on a much greater scale. But only a short way up, my lofty ambitions met snowy reality. Wed been told to expect a lot of snow higher up, but we didnt expect any this low. I had packed an ice ax and crampons, on the strong urging of the owners of a gear store in Lone Pine, the unpretentious town at the foot of the mountain where most people prepare for the climb, but I didnt want to use them so early. It would take me forever and we didnt have forever. We had less than 24 hours. Fani T. Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, Ga., filed a motion on Monday seeking to block an appeal of a ruling last month allowing her to continue leading the state election interference case against former President Donald J. Trump. For much of this year, the high-profile case took a detour as Mr. Trump and his co-defendants sought to disqualify Ms. Willis, claiming that her romantic relationship with Nathan J. Wade, a lawyer she had hired to manage the prosecution, had created an untenable conflict of interest. But last month, Judge Scott McAfee of Fulton Superior Court ruled that an actual conflict of interest did not exist. He allowed Ms. Willis to keep the case, though only if Mr. Wade stepped aside to resolve an appearance of impropriety. Mr. Wade resigned after the ruling. Lawyers for Mr. Trump and other defendants have asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to reverse the decision. The court, which leans conservative, has until mid-May to decide whether to take up the matter. Over the last five years, the Jewish political advocacy group J Street reached new heights of influence. The center-left lobby, whose slogan upon its founding in 2008 was pro-Israel, pro-peace, saw five Democratic presidential candidates stump at its 2019 convention. It helped persuade 48 congressional Democrats to back a 2021 bill that would have pressured Israel to further a two-state solution. In 2022, J Street had its best fund-raising year up to that point, a spokesman confirmed. With the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC increasingly identified with the right, J Street appealed to many American Jews as reasonably moderate: standing by a democratic Israel, opposing the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and supporting the coexistence of Palestinians and Israelis in two states. Then came Oct. 7. For months after the Hamas attack on Israel, J Street did not call for a cease-fire. In late January, it backed a stop to the fighting, humanitarian aid for Palestinians and an end to Hamas control of the region. Just last month, an internal J Street email said the organization would use the word cease-fire and it clarified that this was a semantic step and not a change in policy. Ive never hidden the fact that I want J Street to be on the 50-yard line of the American Jewish community, Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Streets founder and president, said in an interview. Mike Parson, the governor of Missouri, said on Monday that he would not commute the death sentence of Brian Dorsey, who pleaded guilty to murdering Ben and Sarah Bonnie in 2006 and is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday unless the courts intervene. The pain Dorsey brought to others can never be rectified, but carrying out Dorseys sentence according to Missouri law and the courts order will deliver justice and provide closure, said Mr. Parson, a Republican who previously served as a sheriff. Mr. Dorseys clemency request was unusual because more than 70 current and former prison workers who got to know Mr. Dorsey behind bars asked the governor to commute his sentence. They described Mr. Dorsey, 52, as a compliant and respectful inmate who had earned officers respect, eventually becoming a barber for employees at the prison. The very concept of corrections implies that we want incarcerated people to change their ways, Timothy Lancaster, a former officer at the prison where Mr. Dorsey was held, wrote in a recent column in The Kansas City Star. Executing Dorsey would dishonor the hard work he has done to fulfill that objective. Democrats, seeking to tie abortion restrictions to former President Donald J. Trump and Republicans, again laid the blame for limits on reproductive rights at Mr. Trumps feet, saying the former presidents statement on Monday calling for abortion restrictions to be decided by states was part of a pattern of extreme lawmaking. In the video he released, Mr. Trump said that states should decide through legislation and make it the law of the land, and in this case, the law of the state. A handful of Republicans disagreed, saying he did not go far enough by not endorsing a federal ban or discussing it at all. But Democrats, who have identified reproductive rights as a top campaign issue this year, argue that Mr. Trump effectively did endorse a total ban by leaving the decision to states who will implement one and that, if re-elected, he will enact a total ban on the procedure something Mr. Trump has not specifically said he would do. In a blistering 604-word statement, President Biden said via his campaign that Mr. Trump was responsible for creating the cruelty and the chaos that has enveloped America since the Dobbs decision, referring to the 2022 Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade. The president said that his opponents abortion stance has created a crisis of his own making. Mr. Trump, he said, is lying about the number of Americans who support abortion restrictions and scrambling to craft a message around his record. Heres what Donald Trump doesnt understand: When he ripped away Roe v. Wade, he ripped away a fundamental right for the women of America that the United States Supreme Court had affirmed and reaffirmed for 50 years. As a fundamental right, it didnt matter where you lived, Mr. Biden said in the statement. President Biden loves Philadelphia. And he loves campaigning there, too. No part of the country has seen more visits from Mr. Biden so far this year, or throughout his presidency. Four years ago, the city and its increasingly Democratic suburbs cast one-third of the total votes in Pennsylvania, the nations most populous battleground state. Winning the region by large margins is essential for Mr. Bidens hopes in November. On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris will stop in Philadelphia to promote the Biden administrations efforts to forgive student debt, her third trip there since last summer. Now, some Democrats are saying that it is time for Mr. Biden and his campaign to widen their reach across the Keystone State, which he narrowly won by about 80,000 votes last time around. Biden tiptoed in the right direction in 2020, said former U.S. Representative Conor Lamb, a moderate Democrat who won a Pittsburgh-area district in 2018 that Donald J. Trump had carried by double digits. And I think he needs to go much further this time. The Summer Olympics and tensions over the war in Ukraine are likely to make Paris a tempting target for a variety of hacking attempts, including from adversarial countries, Frances top cybersecurity official said on Monday. Vincent Strubel, the head of Frances cybersecurity agency, known as ANSSI, said in an interview that the Olympics faced threats from adversarial countries, criminals wielding ransomware and Russian-aligned hacktivists who use their computer skills to further their political messages. French officials, including Mr. Strubel, are in Washington this week for consultations with cybersecurity officials. The Paris Olympics will run from July 26 to Aug. 11. The opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, was marred by a cyberattack that caused internet disruptions. Security companies quickly blamed Russia, and the Fancy Bear hacking group tied to Moscows intelligence services, for that attack. A lawyer fatally shot his former daughter-in-law and her new husband at a Las Vegas law office on Monday morning during a deposition in a child custody case, then killed himself, the authorities said. The gunman, Joseph Houston, 77, opened fire just a few minutes into the deposition at the Prince Law Group, a firm on the fifth floor of an office building in the community of Summerlin, the authorities said, killing Ashley Prince, 30, and her husband, Dennis Prince, 57, the founder of the firm, who were sitting across the table from him. The police believe the gunman then fatally shot himself. The authorities did not provide further information about the child custody case, but in a news conference on Monday evening, Lt. Jason Johansson of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the victims appeared to be very specific targets. The gunman had shooed another person in the room away, he added. We believe we have a good idea of what the motive is right now, he said, but did not offer further details. The Prince Law Group did not respond to requests for comment on Monday afternoon, but in a statement at the top of its website it thanked people for messages of concern and sympathy over the tragic violence at its offices. It lists Dennis Prince as the firms founding member and lead trial counsel. The sun, or at least most of it, will keep shining in California during the eclipse. While the nations most populous state was far from the path of totality, scattered gatherings organized by communities and universities, especially in Southern California, were ready to greet a partial solar eclipse. The moon was expected to cover 49 percent of the sun at 11:21 a.m. local time in Los Angeles, where there is a small chance of cloudy weather. Caltech in Pasadena, California State University, Los Angeles, and the California Science Center, also in Los Angeles, were among the institutions in Southern California holding viewing events on Monday. Several public libraries throughout Los Angeles were also hosting eclipse gatherings or distributing free protective glasses. The National Weather Service in San Diego said clouds over the region were quickly diminishing, setting up favorable conditions for viewing the partial eclipse. A bipartisan group of former senior national security and legal officials, including veterans of the Trump administration, are urging lawmakers to impose new limits on a presidents power to deploy federal troops on domestic soil. While it is generally illegal to use the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement purposes, a law called the Insurrection Act grants presidents emergency power to use troops to restore order when they decide a situation warrants it. Legal analysts for decades have proposed overhauling the act, which President George Bush, at the request of Californias governor, last invoked in 1992 to suppress riots in Los Angeles. But the weakness of existing constraints has taken on new salience in the era of former President Donald J. Trump, who has vowed to unilaterally send troops into Democratic cities if he wins the 2024 election. Authorities found a former Ecuadorean vice president, Jorge Glas, in a deep self-induced coma in jail on Monday, just days after he was captured by the police in a dramatic arrest inside the Mexican embassy in Quito. Mr. Glas had ingested anti-depressants and sedatives, according to a police report, and was being transferred to a military hospital for observation. By Monday night, Ecuadors prison authority, known as the SNAI, said in a statement that Mr. Glas, 54, was in stable condition. The statement added that he was in the hospital because of his refusal to eat food during the past 24 hours, an apparent contradiction to the police report of an overdose. The SNAI said that he would remain under observation before returning to jail. The eclipse brought daytime darkness to North America Millions of people across North America gathered outside yesterday to behold the disorienting, disquieting wonder of darkness in the daytime. About 32 million people live along the eclipses path, which stretched from central and northern Mexico through the U.S. and across pockets of eastern Canada. Countless others drove to view it, sending an economic boost through some sleepier parts of the U.S. As the silvery glow of the corona materialized, the temperature dropped. At some watch parties, the celestial show was greeted with cheers and applause. (I watched in a park in Brooklyn where thousands of people had gathered. When the sun was most covered, many began cheering.) Nicaragua, a longstanding supporter of the Palestinian cause, is broadening the legal battle over the Gaza conflict at the International Court of Justice by bringing a case against Germany, a major supplier of arms to Israel. In hearings that opened on Monday in The Hague, Nicaragua argued that Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide in Gaza and violating the Genocide Convention by providing Israel with military and financial aid. Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, Nicaraguas ambassador to The Netherlands, told the court that it does not matter if an artillery shell is delivered straight from Germany to an Israeli tank shelling a hospital or goes to replenish Israels stockpiles. The fact is that the assurance of supplies and replacement of armaments is crucial to Israels pursuit of the attacks in Gaza, he told the court, saying that Germany is aware of the serious risk of genocide being committed. Nicaragua asked the court to issue emergency orders, saying that as a party to the Genocide Convention, Germany must immediately suspend military aid to Israel and ensure that its supplies already in the country are not unlawfully used. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met on Monday with Israels opposition leader, Yair Lapid, who reaffirmed the underlying U.S.-Israel bond despite tensions between President Biden and Mr. Lapids chief political rival, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The United States and the State of Israel are the best of allies and best of friends and we need to maintain this friendship. No current events, no government, even, will interfere with this friendship, Mr. Lapid told reporters at the State Department after the meeting. We are thankful for the support of the American administration to Israel in one of the most difficult moments of our history, he added. Asked directly about Mr. Bidens message to Mr. Netanyahu last week threatening a change in U.S. policy if Israel does not do more to feed and protect civilians in Gaza, Mr. Lapid did not respond directly, but acknowledged the difficulty of a military campaign in the crowded enclave. Jennifer Hanley Jennifer Hanley, who was press secretary for Senator Hillary Clinton and the Hillary for President campaign, has signed on as a senior advisor at CLP Strategies, business communications shop. During Clintons run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, Hanley helped develop communications strategies; oversaw national media outreach and coverage; and traveled with the candidate to prepare her for media interviews and press conferences. Post-Clinton, Hanley was managing director responsible for JP Morgans 120-member communications & marketing team, and global head of communications and corporate engagement at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. She currently runs Boston's Ridge Hill Group, advising clients on M&A situations, IPOs, investor relations, capital formation, product launches and crisis communications. Brian Cattell, partner at Maitland (now H/Advisors); and Pen Pendelton, senior VP at Abernathy MacGregor (now H/Advisors Abernathy) launched CLP in 2014. CLP has offices in London and New York. Crosby Marketing Communications is engaged by the Health Resources and Services Administration. which operates the nations organ transplant system, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, to work on the More Donors, More Hope campaign. Crosbys efforts include working with a bilingual director and cast to create a TV PSA in English and Spanish that tells the story of a little boy trying to help his mother, who needs a kidney transplant. Launched in April for Donate Life Month, the campaign calls on audiences of all races and ethnicities to learn more about organ donation and sign up as organ, eye and tissue donors. In addition to PSAs, the scope of work includes such educational materials as an animated video and infographic, and digital and social ads across national and niche platforms. Were proud to support HRSA on this campaign to help mobilize diverse audiences about the amazing gifts they could give by registering as an organ donor, said Crosby president and CEO Raymond Crosby. Alloy, which works with tech clients, receives a significant investment from Purpose Group, a private fund that invests in and acquires purpose-driven services businesses. Alloy, which, like Purpose Group, is based in Atlanta, is the funds second portfolio company. Purpose Groups investment in the agency will go directly to value creationfueling its strong go-to-market and corporate growth strategies. The investment from Purpose Group is more than just growth capital, said Alloy CEO Raj Choudhury. Because the funds investors include luminaries such as Pardot and Atlanta Ventures founder David Cummings and Salesloft co-founders Kyle Porter and Rob Forman, this new partnership also expands our agencys resource network. Arvo Advisory, a firm that combines corporate strategists with executive communication leaders and public relations experts to create value for clients, launches in Dallas. The firm is founded by Stephen Reiff, who most recently served as head of strategy and corporate communication for MoneyGram International and Steve Soltis, who ran CEO and employee communication at Coca-Cola, UPS and MCI. It has brought together a team of experts that have driven results for over 35 Fortune 500 CEOs. Arnos key service offerings include strategic narrative development, executive communication support, transaction and turnaround advisory, public relations and strategic communication. "With a model that sits at the intersection of management consultancies and agencies, we've created an advisory firm that we wish had existed in our prior roles, said Reiff. A jail sentence and 20 year driving ban was handed down to a man who was caught without insurance for a seventh time. Marian Botos, 39, of 24 Rushall, Mountrath pleaded guilty at a sitting of Portlaoise District Court to not having a licence or insurance on the Portlaoise Road, Mountrath on March 1, 2024. Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant was stopped while driving a 05WW registered red Hyundai car at 10.15am on the date in question. Once stopped, gardai discovered the man was disqualified from driving. He said he had six previous convictions for driving while uninsured. Solicitor Philip Meagher said his client was married with three children. He was originally from Slovakia but has been in Ireland for 13 years. He said his client was driving a car registered to his wife who was ill at the time. He was going to collect his son from school, said Mr Meagher. Mr Meagher said his client had previously been given a driving ban and a suspended sentence and had mistakenly believed the ban would end with the term of the suspended sentence. He accepted the man had an appalling record and asked the court to consider not imprisoning him. Judge Andrew Cody said the mans last two suspended sentences had not deterred him from offending. He imposed a six month jail sentence, disqualified the man from driving for 20 years and fined him 500. He fixed recognisance in case of an appeal. Mr Meagher said he had anticipated a custodial sentence and lodged an appeal with the court immediately after the case was heard. THE funeral arrangements for Kilbeggan Races manager Paddy Dunican have been announced. Mr Dunican's remains will repose in Nannery's Chapel of Rest, River View, Kilbeggan from 3-6pm tomorrow (Tuesday, April 9) for removal to the Church of St James, Kilbeggan at 7pm. He will be buried in the Relic cemetery, Kilbeggan, after Requiem Mass at 11am on Wednesday, April 10. Mr Dunican, 61, who passed away tragically on Saturday, became known as 'Mr Kilbeggan Races' after a remarkable career in horse racecourse management and administration which spanned more than 30 years. From a well known farming family in The Square, Kilbeggan which was immersed in racing, ploughing and auctioneering, Mr Dunican took charge of the local racecourse in 1988 when it hosted just three evening meetings each year. With the single-minded drive which became his hallmark, plus the support of a strong local committee, he not only secured the future of the racecourse but established it as one of the leading horse racing venues in the country. He transformed a course whose existence on the Irish racing calendar was sometimes questioned in the 1970s and 1980s to one which this year will host 10 race meetings, beginning with a two-day festival on April 24. His relentless pursuit of excellence saw the construction of a showpiece of racecourse infrastructure, the Kilbeggan pavilion, in the early 1990s and he used those new facilities to attract sponsors to the course. Mr Dunican was a master networker and political operator, realising early on that access to those holding the levers of power would be key to the growth of Kilbeggan Races. He engineered a steady flow of top politicians to Kilbeggan, from serving Taoisigh to the serving President, always ensuring they pressed the flesh with supporters, local, national and international. On one occasion he secured the presence of the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates. Speaking at the course, Dr Saeed Mohammed Al Shamsi commented: Because the nature of this town and the people of this town is just marvellous and beautiful to see. All the families with their children, with the community, enjoying a beautiful day like this together, I feel like I am amongst my family. Paddy Dunican's ability to think outside the box was legendary and perhaps he, and he alone, would have the ambition and the foresight to conceptualise the Irish Midlands National race and ensure Kilbeggan would be its home. His laser focus on placing Kilbeggan front and centre in the industry saw it attract significant sponsorship as businesspeople realised the benefits of associating themselves with a winning partner. He established the popular Best Dressed Days at Kilbeggan, forged connections with numerous national personalities, all while overseeing significant improvements in the track at the same time. Conscious of Kilbeggan's place in the ferociously competitive pecking order of Irish racing, he managed to create a niche national hunt venue which drew owners and trainers who were searching for somewhere to run their horses. He was a tireless, fearless, relentless and ultimately very effective advocate for Kilbeggan and the so-called 'smaller' racecourses. Spring racing, summer racing, autumn racing, evening racing, afternoon racing, Saturday racing he dreamed of a bespoke festival fitting each one. His appreciation of the importance of representation saw him become a strong voice in the Association of Irish Racecourses and more recently he was key to the establishment of the United Irish Racecourses group which was inspired by the belief that a fairer share of revenue from TV rights could be attained. In the gaps between the ever growing schedule of race meetings in Kilbeggan, he made trips to Galway, Leopardstown, the Curragh, Fairyhouse, Punchestown, Cheltenham, Ascot and beyond, for ever bending the ear of listeners about his own course and its merits. Of course, Mr Dunican's determination saw him ruffle some feathers but that was as it should be. His core value was professionalism and he prized it above all other virtues. He was awarded an MBA in recent years and pioneered the use of social media for promotion and marketing. Personal presentation was critical: on race day he was always immaculately turned out in suit and tie. He understood the value of awards, both gifting them and receiving them. He handed out leading jockey and training awards at Kilbeggan each year and delighted in winning prizes like those presented by Athlone Chamber of Commerce and many other organisations. Speaking to the Racing Post, Peter Roe, manager, Fairyhouse, described Paddy Dunican as one of the toughest people in Irish racing. At times you'd admire him for standing up and asking the questions. He was so racecourse-focused during his time with the Association of Irish Racecourses and everything else. All he ever wanted was things for the betterment of the racecourses, added Mr Roe. When you think of how close Kilbeggan was to closing and look at it now, it can only be put down to one person. Everything it has achieved is down to him. Kilbeggan will, unfortunately, never be the same because it will never have a person who is so committed to its cause. In a tribute posted on social media, Limerick Racecourse said: We were shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Paddy Dunican this morning. Paddy was the face of Kilbeggan Races for many years, our interim manager for our Christmas Racing Festival 2021 and regular steward at our racecourse. He'll be sadly missed. Condolences to all the family. Rest in peace Paddy. His legacy stretches far beyond the equine world and he was also widely known for his auctioneering skills. And because community and volunteerism were also close to his heart, he participated in organisations such as Tullamore Rotary Club and this year, as its president, managed to ensure the presence of Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at its annual road safety event. An Garda Siochana Laois Offaly described him as a true gent this week while Tullamore Rotary Club posted the following tribute: A tireless and dedicated volunteer, he especially made his mark with our annual road safety campaign, elevating it to national status. Above all, Paddy was a cherished friend to all in our club, many of whom spent countless hours in deep conversation with Paddy over a cup of tea over the years, discussing and debating the workings of the world. Passionate, loyal and generous, his passing leaves a void that cannot be filled. Paddy Dunican was predeceased by his parents Paul and Crissie and is survived by sisters Rosemary, Gemma, Grainne and Aoife, and brothers Nicholas and Peter. A special UN Security Council meeting on nuclear disarmament issues convened by Japan in March underscored agreement among all 15 members that the risk of nuclear war and a major arms race is higher than at any point since the end of the Cold War, as stated by writer Darryl Kimball in his story "Breaking the Impasse on Disarmament". However, it also highlighted the differences among the nuclear-armed states regarding how to reduce the danger. Before the meeting, the Japanese foreign minister said, "The world now stands on the cusp of reversing decades of declines in nuclear stockpiles." To address such challenges, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres outlined achievable steps that, if pursued by China, Russia, the United States, and others, could begin to move the world away from a nuclear arms race. Noting that "states possessing nuclear weapons are absent from the table of dialogue", Guterres said they "must reengage" to reduce nuclear stockpiles, prevent nuclear use, negotiate a joint no-first-use agreement, stop nuclear saber-rattling, and reaffirm support for the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. He emphasized that countries with the largest arsenals, Russia and the US, "must find a way back to the negotiating table to fully implement the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) and agree on its successor". Last month, several members of Congress introduced an important resolution calling for stronger US efforts to engage Russia and China in arms control talks. However, moving the nuclear-armed states in the right direction will require stronger and sustained pressure from civil society, legislators, and the international community, as stated by Kimball. At the Security Council meeting on March 18, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield criticized Russia's nuclear rhetoric and reiterated the 2023 US offer to engage in bilateral talks with Moscow on a post-New START nuclear arms control framework, but Russia's delegate renewed the Kremlin's rejection of the U.S. offer, claiming that there is no basis for such work if Western countries refuse to recognize Russia's vital interests. Maintaining limits on strategic nuclear arsenals is vital to the US, China, and Russia. Yet, New START, the last remaining bilateral arms control treaty between Russia and the US, is due to expire in fewer than 675 days. Moreover, Russia and the US are obligated under Article VI of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to engage in negotiations to halt the arms race and move toward disarmament. It must be added that arms control is a casualty of the latest Cold War, with most of the arms control agreements between the US and Russia (in its Soviet and post-Soviet forms) being pushed to the side. NPT member states should prioritize it at the NPT preparatory committee meeting this summer to press Moscow and Washington to observe the New START limits on deployed warheads until a more permanent, comprehensive nuclear arms control arrangement is concluded. Thomas-Greenfield also called out China's nuclear buildup and said that, despite a round of bilateral talks in November, China "remained unwilling to engage in substantive talks on nuclear risk reduction and arms control". China's delegate agreed that "the risk of a nuclear arms race and a nuclear conflict is rising" but insisted that US criticisms of China "don't hold water". He invited other nuclear-armed states to explore the possibility of a no-first-use agreement. Guterres also called for reforms at the Conference on Disarmament to open the way for long-delayed talks on a fissile material cutoff treaty and on legally binding negative security assurances against nuclear attack for non-nuclear-weapon states, a priority for most nations. To advance progress at the CD, the United States indicated in February that it would drop its opposition to talks on legally binding assurances against nuclear attack for non-nuclear states in good standing with their NPT commitments if other states, including China and Pakistan, drop their objections to long-delayed talks on an FMCT. If accepted by Beijing, such a quid pro quo could jump-start CD activity and lead to tangible results that reduce nuclear risks and guard against unconstrained arms buildups. Kimball touched on a key thought that the US and its partners and foes must remember going forward: It will take strong domestic and international pressure, smart diplomacy, and luck to prevent disaster. Jason Sibert is the Lead Writer of the Peace Economy Project This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Guanta'namo? Remind me, what's that? Oh, wait, how could I have forgotten? It's that all-American offshore prison of injustice, opened in January 2002, that became the holding area for this country's prisoners in its "war on terror," many of whom had been tortured at CIA "black sites" elsewhere on the planet. They had, in a sense, already been "convicted" of crimes (whether they had committed them or not) without trial but not without trials (and tribulations) galore. Now, they were being held at that specially created prison camp at an American military base in" yes!" Cuba, a country that, at least since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the U.S. has embargoed and had nothing to do with economically. So, what a perfect place to create an all-too-literal hell on earth. And yes, Guanta'namo, which I'll bet you haven't heard a word about in months, if not years, is still there, still operating, still holding 30 of this country's "forever prisoners." And hey, Joe Biden is at work ensuring that he'll be the fourth American president incapable of closing it down, despite recent complaints from 17 Democratic senators. As they wrote him: "Continuing to imprison men who have never been charged with a crime and who have been approved for release is inconsistent with American values. No country can hold people for decades without charge or trial and claim to be dedicated to the rule of law." (Obviously, they were rushed and so didn't have their document proofread or else that last sentence would have read "No country other than the United States can hold-- ) As it happens, for the last 16 years, starting with a press trip to Gitmo, Karen Greenberg has been covering that "crown jewel of the administration's offshore network of secret prisons" (as she put it in 2007) for TomDispatch. And even while writing her earliest pieces for this site, she undoubtedly might have guessed that, in April 2024, she would still be writing about Gitmo (as it's known). In fact, she all too tellingly entitled her second TomDispatch piece on the subject in September 2007 "Guanta'namo Forever," and forever it all too sadly has proven to be. With that in mind, so many years later, let her look back at the grim world many Americans would simply prefer to forget, but that, in some deeply uncomfortable sense, couldn't be more memorable. Tom "Quaint and Obsolete?" The Peril of Forgetting Guanta'namo By Karen J. Greenberg Last weekend my father, Larry Greenberg, passed away at the age of 93. Several days later, I received an email from the French film director Phillippe Diaz who sent me a link to his soon-to-be-released I am Gitmo, a feature movie about the now-infamous Guanta'namo Bay detention facility . As I was soon to discover, those two disparate events in my life spoke to one another with cosmic overtones. Mind you, I've been covering Guanta'namo since President George W. Bush and his team, having responded to the 9/11 attacks by launching their disastrous "Global War on Terror," set up that offshore prison to house people American forces had captured. Previewing Diaz's movie, I was surprised at how it unnerved me. After so many years of exposure to the grim realities of that prison, somehow his film touched me anew. There were moments that made me sob, moments when I turned down the sound so as not to hear more anguished cries of pain from detainees being tortured, and moments that made me curious about the identities of the people in the film. Although the names of certain officials are mentioned, the central characters are the detainees and individual interrogators, as well as defense attorneys and guards, all of whom interacted at Guanta'namo's prison camp over the course of its two-plus decades of existence. While viewing it, I was reminded of a question that Tom Engelhardt, founder and editor of TomDispatch, has frequently asked me: "What is it about Guanta'namo that's so captivated you over the years?" Why is it, he wanted to know, that year after year, as its story of injustice unfolded in a never-ending cycle of trials that failed to start, prisoners cleared for release but still held in captivity, and successive administrations whose officials simply shrugged in defeat when it came to closing the nightmarish institution, it continues to haunt me so? "Would you be willing," he asked, "to reflect on that for TomDispatch?" As it turned out, the death of my dad somehow helped me grasp a way to answer that question with previously unattainable clarity. The Missing Outrage As a start, in response to his question, let me say that, despite my own continued immersion in news about the prison camp, I'm struck that, in the American mainstream, there hasn't been more headline-making outrage over the never-ending reality of what came to be known as Gitmo. From the moment it began in January 2002 and a photo appeared of shackled men bent over in the dirt beside the open-air cages that would hold them, wearing distinctive orange jumpsuits, its horrid destiny should have been apparent. The Pentagon Public Affairs Office published that immediately iconic image with the hope, according to spokesperson Torie Clarke, that it would "allay some of our critics" (who were already accusing the U.S. of operating outside of the Geneva Conventions). Rather than allay them, it caught the path of cruelty and lawlessness on which the United States would continue for so many endless years. In April 2004, the world would see images of prisoners in American custody at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, naked, hooded, cuffed, sexually humiliated, and abused. Later reports would reveal the existence of what came to be known as "black sites," operated by the CIA, in countries around the world, where detainees were tortured using what officials of the Bush administration called "enhanced interrogation techniques." For 22 years now, through four different administrations, that prison camp in Cuba, distinctly offshore of any conception of American justice, has held individuals captured in the war on terror in a way that defies any imaginable principles of due process, human rights, or the rule of law. Of the nearly 780 prisoners kept there, only 18 were ever actually charged with a crime and of the eight military court convictions, four were overturned while two remain on appeal. A large number of those captured were originally sold to the Americans for bounty or simply picked up randomly in places in countries like Afghanistan known to be inhabited by terrorists and so assumed, with little or no hard evidence, to be terrorists themselves. They were then, of course, denied access to lawyers. And as I was reminded recently on a trip to England where I met with a couple of released detainees, those who survived Gitmo still suffer, physically and psychologically, from their treatment at American hands. Nor have they found justice or any remedy for the lasting harms caused by their captivity. And while the post-9/11 war on terror moment has largely faded into the past (though the American military is still fighting it in distant lands), that prison camp has yet to be shut down. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). V%C3%ADctor Manuel Fern%C3%A1ndez-%28cropped%29. (Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Direccion de Relaciones Institucionales de la Universidad Catolica Argentina) Details Source DMCA Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) April 8, 2024: Recently Nicole Winfield of the Associated Press published the article "Vatican to publish document on gender, surrogacy, and human dignity next week: (dated April 2, 2024) at the National Catholic Reporter: Click Here In her article, Winfield says, "Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the new prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, will hold his first news conference to present the document 'Infinite Dignity, on human dignity,' on April 8, the Vatican announced Tuesday. "Fernandez, who is very close to [Pope] Francis, revealed the declaration [document] was in the works after he came under criticism for the roll-out of a December document from his office authorizing priests to offer non-liturgical blessings to same-sex couples. "Conservative bishops, including entire national bishops' conferences in Africa, blasted the document as contrary to biblical teaching about homosexuality and said they wouldn't implement it." From the standpoint of leftist gender theorists in academia, the authorizing of priests to offer non-liturgical blessings to same-sex couples was undoubtedly a small concession. But to conservative Catholics, it was a big deal. That is how fraught certain topics are in the Roman Catholic Church today. I have profiled the doctrinally conservative Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, in my widely read OEN article "Pope Francis on Evil and Satan" (dated March 24, 2019): Click Here Even though I have accurately characterized Pope Francis as doctrinally conservative, he had met with vociferous resistance from certain conservative Catholics. The Italian philosopher and papal biographer Massimo Borghesi has detailed that vociferous conservative resistance in his 2021 book Catholic Discordance: Neoconservatism vs. the Field Hospital Church of Pope Francis, translated by Barry Hudock (Liturgical Press Academic; orig. Italian ed., 2021). The present wide-ranging review essay will unfold in the following parts: (I.) Gender Differences According to Three Men; (II.) Judith Butler's New 2024 Book on Gender; (III.) Walter Ong's 1981 Book on Gender; (III.A.) Some Further Background Information About Ong; (IV.) The New 2024 Vatican Document on Gender Theory. (I.) Gender Differences According to Three Men Now, I recently published an OEN article titled "Pope Francis, David French, and Walter Ong on Gender Differences" (dated March 3, 2024): Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Many homeowners in Oregon are feeling the impacts of higher electricity rates and facing the prospect of yet another rate increase next year. As bills have skyrocketed, causing widespread anger and frustration, many people have begun to question how and why utilities recoup money from their customers. Last month, the Oregon Citizens Utility Board, a state nonprofit group that advocates for those customers, asked Oregon regulators to dismiss Portland General Electrics newest rate increase proposal an unprecedented move that diverges from the standard rate-setting process. Since then, the case has generated well over 1,000 comments from frustrated PGE customers. The comments raise important questions: Are back-to-back rate increases fair? Why should customers bear all of the cost of infrastructure upgrades and other investments and not the utility and its shareholders? Does the clean energy transition translate into higher rates? And if clean energy is supposedly cheaper than fossil fuel-powered energy, why are rates going up exponentially? Dain Nestel, the director of customer solutions at Portland General Electric, talked on Beat Check about the reasons for the steep increases and how the company is trying to rein in costs and help its customers in an era of increasing electricity demand, extreme weather and aging infrastructure. For a different perspective, Beat Check previously hosted Bob Jenks, the executive director of the Oregon Citizens Utility Board, to address those issues from utility customers perspective. Gosia Wozniacka covers environmental justice, climate change, the clean energy transition and other environmental issues. Reach her at gwozniacka@oregonian.com or 971-421-3154. The global expectation is clear as one of the most important celestial circumstances, a total solar eclipse, approaches. This eclipse promises to reflect the engrossing images we often see of such phenomena. During a total solar eclipse, the moon lines up absolutely between the Earth and the sun, entirely blocking out the sun's light and casting a shadow on Earth, temporarily plunging areas in its path into darkness during what's known as the path of totality. These situations, highly expected and celebrated by astronomers and skywatchers worldwide, are indeed exceptional. Total Solar Eclipse Scheduled to Happen on April 8th Set to happen on April 8, the total solar eclipse will go through North America, going through Mexico, the United States, and Canada, according to NASA. It will start in Mexico, cross into the United States through Texas, and journey through various states including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The eclipse's path continues into Canada, going through Southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia before exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT. After the total solar eclipse of 2024, the next circumstances to witness such an overwhelming situation won't happen until August 23, 2044. Are you prepared for this grand celestial display? But, before diving in, let's disperse some myths, specifically those encompassing the perceived negative effects of solar eclipses on pregnant females. During eclipses, the sun, often similar to curses and demonic elements, is believed to impact the fetus in a mother's womb, leading to tales of possible injury. Cultural traditions often advise pregnant women to avoid exposure during an eclipse, fearing miscarriage. However, is there any validity to these claims? Let's delve into it. Read Also : Teaching Mindfulness to Kids: 10 Simple Techniques Parents Can Teach Misunderstandings and False Beliefs About Solar Eclipses Solar eclipses have long been concealed in myths and misconceptions, specifically regarding their assumed impact on pregnant females. Here are some typical myths debunked: Harm to the Fetus: It's a common belief that pregnant females should refrain from seeing solar eclipses to safeguard the fetus. However, scientific proof recommends otherwise. The fetus is well-protected within the womb, and the limited risk to sunlight during an eclipse poses the slightest danger. It's a common belief that pregnant females should refrain from seeing solar eclipses to safeguard the fetus. However, scientific proof recommends otherwise. The fetus is well-protected within the womb, and the limited risk to sunlight during an eclipse poses the slightest danger. Birth Defects: Another misconception recommends that babies born during or after a solar eclipse are more prone to birth deficiency. Yet, studies have found no correlation between eclipse timing and birth defects. Such defects typically arise from genetic or environmental factors, not celestial events. Another misconception recommends that babies born during or after a solar eclipse are more prone to birth deficiency. Yet, studies have found no correlation between eclipse timing and birth defects. Such defects typically arise from genetic or environmental factors, not celestial events. Miscarriage Risk: Despite fears, there's no scientific basis to recommend a heightened danger of miscarriage during a solar eclipse. Miscarriages are especially due to genetic abnormalities or maternal health situations, not celestial phenomena. While it's essential to safeguard your eyes during a solar eclipse, pregnant females need not take added preventive beyond wearing certified eclipse glasses or using indirect viewing means. Scientific proof signifies that solar eclipses pose no direct risk to pregnant females or their unborn babies. Here's what pregnant females can do during a solar eclipse to guarantee their safety and peace of mind: Stay Indoors: Opt for indoor viewing to avoid direct sunlight exposure. Opt for indoor viewing to avoid direct sunlight exposure. Use Eye Protection: Wear certified eclipse glasses when viewing the eclipse. Wear certified eclipse glasses when viewing the eclipse. Manage Stress: Practice relaxation techniques to lessen any anxiety. Practice relaxation techniques to lessen any anxiety. Stay Hydrated: Drink more water to avoid dehydration. Drink more water to avoid dehydration. Rest and Monitor Baby: Take time to rest and monitor fetal movements. Remember, if you have concerns, discuss them with your healthcare provider for personalized guidance. By dispelling myths and following practical tips, pregnant females can securely experience the wonder of a solar eclipse without worthless anxiety or stress. Like many of you, I expect, I was powerfully struck by the remarks of President Jeffrey R. Holland in the Saturday morning session of the just completed General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And, given my own peculiar personal interests, I found this passage from it of particular note: Another experience began 48 hours after my wifes burial [in late July 2023]. At that time, I was rushed to the hospital in an acute medical crisis. I then spent the first four weeks of a 6-week stay in and out of intensive care and in and out of consciousness. Virtually all my experience in the hospital during that first period is lost to my memory. What is not lost is my memory of a journey outside the hospital, out of what seemed the edge of eternity. I cannot speak fully of that experience here, but I can say that part of what I received was an admonition to return to my ministry with more urgency, more consecration, more focus on the Savior, more faith in his word. I couldnt help but feel I was receiving my own personal version of a revelation given to the Twelve nearly 200 years ago: Thou shalt bear record of my name and send forth my word unto the ends of the Earth. Morning by morning and day after day let thy warning voice go forth. And when the night cometh, let not the inhabitants of the Earths slumber because of thy speech. Arise, take up your cross and follow me. My beloved sisters and brothers, since that experience, I have tried to take up my cross more earnestly with more resolve to find where I can raise an Apostolic voice of both warmth and warning in the morning, during the day, and into the night. It seems clear to me that President Holland must have undergone a near-death experience of some kind. Another moment that particularly struck me during the Saturday morning session came near its conclusion, when President Henry B. Eyring recalled the first time that he entered the Salt Lake Temple. He had a powerful sense that he had been there before. But then an inner voice told him No, you have never been here before. You are remembering something from a time before you were born. This resonated with me, because I had an experience much like that myself. The very first time that I ever visited Idaho Falls, I think, was when I was about fourteen or fifteen. This would have in the latter part of the 1960s. My brother and my sister in law kindly took me along with them on a trip from southern California up to Alberta and then over to British Columbia and back home along the Pacific coast. (It was on that trip, by the way, that I first fell in love with Banff National Park and Olympic National Park and I havent fallen out of love with them in all the years since.) People who live, or have lived, in Idaho Falls can correct me if Im wrong. But I seem to recall that, at that time, the main entrance to the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple involved a great deal of glass. I could see into the temple, back to the recommend desk. People were sitting there in white and others, also dressed in white, occasionally walked across my field of view. Truthfully, they seemed almost to silently glide past. What I saw seemed to me powerfully familiar, in a way that I can neither explain nor explain away. I felt, for perhaps only a brief moment, not only as if were looking into heaven but that, somehow, I had seen it before. Ive never forgotten that impression, and I was pleased to hear President Eyring relate his own parallel experience. Another high point for me? It was, of course, President Russell M. Nelsons announcement of fifteen new temples, in Uturoa, French Polynesia; Chihuahua, Mexico; Florianopolis, Brazil; Rosario, Argentina; Edinburgh, Scotland; Brisbane Australia South Area; Victoria, British Columbia; Yuma, Arizona; Houston Texas South Area; Des Moines, Iowa; Cincinnati, Ohio; Honolulu, Hawaii; West Jordan, Utah; Lehi, Utah; and Maracaibo, Venezuela. I unashamedly confess that I love temples. It has been an excellent conference and, to me, a very inspiring one. Incidentally, has everybody noticed how abundantly this prophecy, which was spoken by the Savior to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple on 3 April 1836, has been fulfilled? Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house. And the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands; and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. (Doctrine and Covenants 110:9-10) I couldnt help but think about the idea that the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands again today, when photographs of the Kirtland Temple were shown during President Russell M. Nelsons conference-closing remarks, in which he spoke directly about it. Latter-day Saints in Latin America and Japan and Europe and Oceania and all around the world read about the Kirtland Temple in their scriptures, rejoiced when it returned to the Church, and listened to President Nelson talk about it today. How believable would that have seemed to most people in 1836? Im excited by the imminent release of T. C. Christensens newest film, Escape from Germany. Its not only that the subject interests me very much, personally. Its not only that I think it important that we support Latter-day Saint filmmaking. And its not only that one of its starring actors is Paul Wuthrich, who portrayed Joseph Smith in the Interpreter Foundations theatrical film, Witnesses, who hosted our docudrama Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, and who again portrays Joseph Smith in our forthcoming film, Six Days in August. Escape from Germany just looks to me as if it will be really good. I hope that you, too, will take a look at it. But the fact remains: If we hope to see high-quality Latter-day Saint movies, we need to be a good audience for them. The market for such films, the support for them, needs to be large enough that they can continue to be produced. The actual date when the person Gautama Siddhartha who became the Buddha was born is not known. In the major schools of Buddhism, using lunar calendars although by somewhat different calculations, come up each year with dates that float mostly in the area of April or May. The Japanese, however, have adopted the Gregorian calendar and have set an annual celebration on the 8th of April. And thats the one I count. The truth is that as far as the history of it, not only do we not know what day the Buddha was born, we arent even clear on which century. Most scholars who study the matter are confident the Buddha was a historical figure. Real, like you and me. And beyond that there are agreements about a few details marking his life. What we know of these things about his life are what we can glean from the suttas or sutras, texts written in Pali or Sanskrit some three, maybe four, possibly five hundred years after he died. Incidentally these were composed in languages he himself didnt speak. But there are reasons to believe much of what the texts convey traces back to him or close enough for that sense of an actual human being. Of course many Buddhists find it very important that the Buddha actually lived. But, for many really, all that matters is whether the teachings are true. And by true we mean do they work? I notice what we mean by works is different for many different people within the Buddhist family. For some the release of our human hurt comes with the cessation of an otherwise endless cycle of suffering. For others its rebirth in a place where the healing comes like a flower opening. And for others yet, it comes as a discovery of what has always been. I write from the standpoint of the Mahayana, the great way. If of a more spare sort. And more specifically as a Zen person. Im concerned with the questions of our human hurt and the discoveries of who we really are from before the creation of the stars and planets. And Ive found truth and workable in one of the schools that descend from the Buddhas teachings. What we are offered is a path. Well, yes, in fact several paths, as Ive suggested. Although they all share a family resemblance. But for all of them the path is clearly marked out, and the invitation is for us to find the particular one most resonant, and then to put our own feet on it, and to make our own way. Each of us. And within this way stories matter. They reflect how human beings think. They are a mirror held up for us. They ground the teachings, give us an opportunity to see them as stories about us, who we are, and what we might be. So, of course. We very much have a story of the life of the Buddha. Okay, a couple. Or, perhaps more accurately several variations on a theme. According to one of these stories the queen Maya dreamed how four angels came to her and carried her away to the highest mountains, where a white elephant holding a lotus in its trunk, circled around her three times, and then walked into her right side. In one version her husband the king Suddhodana consulted sixty-four sages to interpret what had happened, in another it was the ascetic Asita cast an astrological chart. Whether the sixty-four or the one it was prophesied that the queen would give birth to a remarkable child, one who would given circumstances either be the greatest emperor history had ever seen, or the savior of the world. Not long after the baby was born. And with that the real story begins. (And heres a cartoon of the story with its own variations.) (And, how about a clip from the movie Little Buddha?) And so of course we celebrate the moment. The wisdom of Gautama Siddhartha is a healing balm for the world, in all its variations. The wisdom of the Elders counts a clear path, step by step, the wild and lovely stories of the Great Way tell of endless incarnations of compassion, and the rationalist schools emerging today see a practical path for human beings living in the midst of so much terror and joy. All trace back to the world honored one. I, for one, am grateful beyond words. And so endless bows, offerings of incense, flowers, and songs Copilot Pro delivers the power of the AI chat tool Chat-GPT directly to your Microsoft Office applications and the Windows sidebar. The tool summarizes texts, replies to emails, creates new texts, analyzes Excel spreadsheets, and creates presentations. A miracle machine that does all your Office tasks for you automatically? We took a look at the tool. Further reading: 5 Windows 11 settings worth changing immediately Prerequisite: You need to get it up and running To be able to use Copilot Pro, a few requirements must be met. First, you need a paid subscription to Microsoft 365 Single or Family (from $7 per month). Then you need to take out a subscription to Copilot Pro with the same Microsoft account for $20 per month. Both subscriptions can be cancelled monthly. You also need Windows 10 or 11 we tested on Windows 11. Copilot Pro will appear in Microsoft 365 (formerly Microsoft Office) programs, including Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Point, and OneNote. However, it is not installed directly; there is no installation file to download and run. Instead, after purchasing the Copilot Pro license, you must go to File > Account > Update license in any Office application. Copilot should then automatically appear in the program after restarting the application. In the online versions of the Office programs, Copilot appears immediately after the subscription has been completed. This means that it is also available to Mac and Linux users. However, the online versions of Office are not to everyones taste, as they sometimes offer significantly fewer functions than the locally installed tools. In the online versions of the Office programs, Copilot appears immediately after the subscription has been completed. This means that it is also available to Mac and Linux users. However, the online versions of Office are not to everyones taste, as they sometimes offer significantly fewer functions than the locally installed tools. Microsoft In the online versions of the Office programs, Copilot appears immediately after the subscription has been completed. This means that it is also available to Mac and Linux users. However, the online versions of Office are not to everyones taste, as they sometimes offer significantly fewer functions than the locally installed tools. Microsoft Microsoft On our test computers, however, there were massive problems, which were mainly related to the fact that our Office applications also came into contact with a Microsoft 365 business license. In times of working from home, many PC users will probably feel the same way. Of course, there is also a Copilot for business users, but it is more expensive ($30 per month) and requires a minimum number of at least 300 licenses. Immediately after purchase, Copilot Pro appeared in the online versions of the Office applications without any problems. Outside of the Office apps, the Copilot Pro license improves the Windows Copilot in the sidebar on the desktop, on the web at www.copilot.microsoft.com, and in the Android and iOS apps. There it provides faster access to the AI chatbot with Chat-GPT 4 and 4 Turbo. Copilot Pro is also available as a mobile app for Android and iOS. Compared to the free version, however, you only get your answers a little faster. A subscription is therefore only worthwhile for the apps to a limited extent. Copilot Pro is also available as a mobile app for Android and iOS. Compared to the free version, however, you only get your answers a little faster. A subscription is therefore only worthwhile for the apps to a limited extent. IDG Copilot Pro is also available as a mobile app for Android and iOS. Compared to the free version, however, you only get your answers a little faster. A subscription is therefore only worthwhile for the apps to a limited extent. IDG IDG Word: Full speed ahead for the AI chatbot Copilot can really show off its strengths in Word. After all, it is essentially an AI chatbot that can easily create texts on any topic, as well as summarize or revise the content of existing texts. How it works: Copilot appears in two places in Word. First, it appears as a sidebar after clicking on the Copilot icon in the menu bar. All Copilot output remains in this sidebar and must be copied and pasted into the text area of the document as required. If the co-pilot has created a text suggestion in Word, this appears with a blue background and can be further edited using the tool by entering correction instructions (write in more detail, formulate more loosely). After clicking on Apply, the text becomes a normal part of the document. If the co-pilot has created a text suggestion in Word, this appears with a blue background and can be further edited using the tool by entering correction instructions (write in more detail, formulate more loosely). After clicking on Apply, the text becomes a normal part of the document. IDG If the co-pilot has created a text suggestion in Word, this appears with a blue background and can be further edited using the tool by entering correction instructions (write in more detail, formulate more loosely). After clicking on Apply, the text becomes a normal part of the document. IDG IDG On the other hand, a Copilot symbol always appears in the text area when the cursor is in an empty line or text is selected. Clicking on the symbol opens a movable chat window. The answers appear directly in the document. However, they are initially highlighted in light blue so that the new text stands out clearly from the existing text and can be checked. The Copilot input field has changed and now displays four functions: Accept, Generate new to receive a new answer from the Copilot to the same question, an input field to optimize the suggested text, and the Delete function. Summarize texts: Copilot performed this task very well in our tests and can therefore be a real labor-saving feature. Copilot also summarizes the key ideas in longer documents and lists them with references to the relevant text passages. However, small errors do creep in here too. We would not recommend this function as the sole preparation for the Abitur, the Masters degree, the master craftsmans examination, or an important presentation to colleagues. But as a fallback for an unprepared-for lesson or meeting, Copilots summarizing function is handy. Summarizing texts worked best of all the tasks in our test. The result was not always error-free, but it was often sufficient for many purposes and really made our work easier. Summarizing texts worked best of all the tasks in our test. The result was not always error-free, but it was often sufficient for many purposes and really made our work easier. Microsoft Summarizing texts worked best of all the tasks in our test. The result was not always error-free, but it was often sufficient for many purposes and really made our work easier. Microsoft Microsoft Creating texts: This is the AI chatbots specialty. It masters it accordingly well and helps users to write homework, term papers, letters to the building management, or poems for birthday parties. Of course, there is also criticism of this ability. Making texts better: The Copilot should actually also be able to improve texts, for example in terms of structure, writing style, or content. A task that Chat-GPT from Open AI fulfills with ease. However, the Copilot in Word often only provided general tips for better texts instead of text improvements. Presumably a malfunction that Microsoft is still working on. Copilot Pro: Fixing installation problems Copilot Pro should appear in Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams and OneNote. To do this, you must select File > Account > Update license in an Office app after purchasing Copilot. The Copilot should then appear automatically in the program after restarting the application. In fact, there are sometimes massive problems with this step. The following tips can help. Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft 1. Check the requirements carefully You first need a paid subscription to Microsoft 365 Single or Family. You also need the paid subscription to Copilot Pro, which you must purchase with the same Microsoft account as for your Microsoft 365. You must have the correct programs installed, i.e. the Office apps from the Microsoft 365 suite. A OneNote for Windows 10, for example, is unlikely to get Copilot in the near future. 2. Check the Office license Your installed Office programs must be logged in with your private Microsoft account, which you have also used to subscribe to Copilot. Start Word, for example, and select File > Account, then Subscription product for username@outlook.com Microsoft 365 must be displayed on the right-hand side. If Microsoft 365 Apps for Business appears here, Copilot pro will not be visible. Not even if your private Microsoft account is displayed at the same time on the left-hand side under User information. 3. Troubleshooting license issues The Office applications react very sensitively to license problems. If you have always been logged into an Office application with a professional Microsoft account, there is a good chance that a business license (see point 2) will be displayed on the right under File > Account. Change this via Change license. You will then be asked to log in with a different Microsoft account. Use the private Microsoft account that you used for the Microsoft 365 subscription and the Copilot subscription. 4. Error code 29 When updating the Office license, error code 29 may appear. Sources on the internet indicate that it can take up to 72 hours for the Microsoft license server to update after you have changed a license. 5. OneDrive Check in an Office app under File > Account whether the professional OneDrive account is stored under Connected services. Although this should not prevent the use of Copilot Pro, it did so repeatedly in our case. Also, do not open any documents from the local folders of the work OneCloud. 6. Restart What also helps in some cases are the old standard tricks. Sign out in Office under File > Account and sign in again. Restart the Office apps or even restart Windows. Classic troubleshooting, but still helpful. Excel: The co-pilot crash-lands in spreadsheet land Copilot in Excel offers to help with filtering, sorting, and highlighting data with varying results. Copilot in Excel offers to help with filtering, sorting, and highlighting data with varying results. Microsoft Copilot in Excel offers to help with filtering, sorting, and highlighting data with varying results. Microsoft Microsoft We actually think we are the perfect target group for the Excel Copilot. Although we know more than the basic arithmetic operations in Excel, we are a long way from being able to use Excel professionally. The AI support for analyzing and displaying our data is just what we need. However, we are downright disappointed. Firstly, Copilot in Excel only understands English. Given the technical terms used in a spreadsheet, thats quite a hurdle. Secondly, our figures and our analysis requests do not seem to match Copilots skills. Examples: The command Create a pie chart using this data for selected cells did not always use the data we meant. Show data insights returned the answer, Sorry, Im having trouble working on for most of our tables. We often saw this response. But there are also things that work. Above all, the data analysis tasks that Copilot itself suggests provide insights at least occasionally, for example with the task: Bold the top 10 values in X, where X stands for a table column. We estimate that you have to invest a lot of time and brainpower in using the co-pilot in Excel before you get really useful results. The question is whether you want to. Its probably quicker if you Google the formula or analysis type you need and acquire the Excel knowledge from the search hits. Outlook: Copilot answers emails and not in a bad way With one click, Copilot summarizes the content of an email. This often works well, although not perfectly. It is better to read important emails in full, but some less important messages can be summarized. Copilot only works with a Microsoft mail account. With one click, Copilot summarizes the content of an email. This often works well, although not perfectly. It is better to read important emails in full, but some less important messages can be summarized. Copilot only works with a Microsoft mail account. Microsoft With one click, Copilot summarizes the content of an email. This often works well, although not perfectly. It is better to read important emails in full, but some less important messages can be summarized. Copilot only works with a Microsoft mail account. Microsoft Microsoft Until the end of our testing, Copilot for Outlook was only visible in the mail programs online app and in the The new Outlook program. In addition, Copilot only worked for the email address of the Microsoft account with which we had subscribed to Copilot; it did not appear for other accounts stored in this program. A shortcoming thats likely to annoy many. The useful summarization function for incoming emails appears in the message window directly above the email. Fun fact: In the case of a short email, the summary was even slightly longer than the original. However, it was a little easier to understand than the shorter original. Further reading: How to fight the new Windows Outlook app and keep Mailfor now Copilot on the web: Only a few advantages of the Pro version Copilot on the web is the successor to Bing Chat. According to Microsoft, the latest language models (Chat-GPT 4 and 4 Turbo) and the new image generator Dall-E 3 are readily available to paid Pro users, even when the server load is high and free users have to wait. With pure web access to the Copilot, a comparison with the original Chat-GPT from Open AI is obvious. After all, Copilot uses the same technology. In autumn 2023, we still found the Chat-GPT chatbot to be significantly more powerful and useful than Bing Chat (now Copilot). At least when it came to generating texts or acquiring background knowledge. Today, the result is much more concise. The output of the two bots is similar as soon as you use Copilot Pro in Creative mode. However, Copilot Pro now offers integration into Office applications. This in turn could attract users from Chat-GPT Pro to Copilot Pro. PowerPoint: Copilot is probably a help for beginners Copilot can create slides with images and text in PowerPoint. However, we think that only PowerPoint newcomers can benefit from it. You usually have to work intensively on the text. Copilot can create slides with images and text in PowerPoint. However, we think that only PowerPoint newcomers can benefit from it. You usually have to work intensively on the text. Microsoft Copilot can create slides with images and text in PowerPoint. However, we think that only PowerPoint newcomers can benefit from it. You usually have to work intensively on the text. Microsoft Microsoft In PowerPoint, the co-pilot is only available as a sidebar. Here too, its ability to summarize content well is noticeable. However, this is unlikely to be the primary purpose for presentation slides. Rather, a help function should appear here to create a slide from existing (text) documents. However, the Copilot does not have such access to files at the time of testing. And when copying the information into Copilots input field, the amount of text quickly exceeds the limit. However, we also received the response that Copilot cannot create slides from this input. What works: After clicking on an icon in the input field, Copilot shows possible jobs for it, for example Create a holiday presentation about or Create a slide show for a 40th birthday. Copilot provides further suggestions via a website that it links to at this point. Once a suitable assignment has been found for Copilot, it creates a presentation with images and text. In some cases, this can be a good starting point for your own slides, but it can also be completely off the mark. OneNote: We are still looking for the intended use Although we regularly use OneNote for our notes, we havent been able to think of a sensible use for the AI chat. But maybe thats just down to our lack of imagination. There are certainly OneNote users who could make good use of the Copilot functions. Conclusion: Fascinating, not for every purpose and often still inadequate The installation has its pitfalls, the user guidance shows weaknesses, and there are always errors in the results. Copilot for Office apps is not a finished product. So why is Microsoft launching it on the market now? Presumably because on the plus side, the tool can complete a task in minutes that would otherwise take an hour. Thats great and sometimes works but not reliably and certainly not in all Office apps. Paying $20 per month for this option is probably only for technology enthusiasts. What we like: The summarization of texts in both Word and the new Outlook is really powerful. Creating new texts in Word can be a real help, for example as a research aid or inspiration. We find replying to emails in Outlook useful. And in general, access to an AI chatbot in Office is an exciting thing for us as tech-savvy users. What we dont like: Microsoft needs to improve the installation of Copilot. Spending four hours fiddling around until a tool works is somehow so 1990s. Copilot in Excel does something, but nothing that helps us. A big minus is that the tool keeps making (small) errors. Either Copilot doesnt do what you want it to do, or it does it with content errors. This means that everything Copilot creates has to be meticulously checked by the user. Generally speaking, users have to invest a lot of time to find out what Copilot can do for them. We believe that many private users for whom Copilot Pro is intended -s will search in vain for its intended use. For others, the tool can be helpful perhaps even very helpful. This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de. OmniBSIC Bank Ghana LTD successfully hosted the inaugural Chinese Business Seminar themed Banking with Ease, solidifying its commitment to fostering robust ties with the thriving Chinese business community in Ghana. The seminar, held on Friday, March 22, 2024, at Tang Palace Hotel, convened seasoned entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders from the Chinese business community for insightful discussions and networking opportunities. Mr. Daniel Asiedu, Managing Director of OmniBSIC Bank, extended a warm welcome to all attendees, emphasizing the Banks commitment to nurturing mutually beneficial relationships and providing valuable insights into Ghanas dynamic banking environment and tax regime. The seminar featured distinguished speakers, including Mr. Tang Hong, President of Ghana Association of Chinese Societies and Ghana Chinese Chamber of Commerce, who expressed gratitude to OmniBSIC Bank for facilitating the seminar and noted that Today marks a significant milestone in our bilateral relations as we gather to deliberate on pertinent issues concerning Sino-Ghanaian economic cooperation and cultural exchange. Tax and Legal Consultant, Ismail Ibn Ibrahim, provided expert insights into navigating tax compliance and achieving tax efficiency in Ghana. He emphasized the significance of maintaining proper records and strategizing expenses to ensure businesses comply with tax laws and obligations. Navigating tax compliance and achieving tax efficiency are paramount for businesses. Its about ensuring compliance with tax laws while planning taxes properly to achieve tax efficiency. Maintaining proper records is crucial. If you do not maintain records, how do you justify your expenses? You have to be able to have records to justify the things that youve done in your books, he said. The Chief Operating Officer of OmniBSIC Bank, Dr. Philip Oti-Mensah on the sideline of the meeting noted that the Bank has entered into a strategic partnership with China Chouzhou Commercial Bank, enabling direct transactions in Chinese Yuan. Highlighting the benefits, he added, "That means that we can now transact directly in the Chinese Yuan." This move is expected to enhance business opportunities for both Chinese communities in Ghana and Ghanaians conducting business with China. It means that we can now transact directly in Chinese Yuan. He expressed confidence in the partnership, describing it as "perhaps one of the best deals a Ghanaian bank can have with a Chinese bank," given the stature of China Chouzhou Commercial Bank in China's banking sector. The seminar served as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, empowering Chinese businesses in Ghana to navigate the complexities of the local business environment with confidence and ease. Participants were encouraged to seize the opportunities presented and forge lasting connections that would propel their businesses to new heights. In his remarks, Mr. Daniel Asiedu urged attendees to embrace the spirit of collaboration and innovation, stating, Together, let us embark on this journey of discovery, innovation, and prosperity. He expressed gratitude to all speakers, partners, and attendees for their unwavering commitment to strengthening Sino-Ghanaian relations and advancing economic cooperation. The Chinese Business Seminar organized by OmniBSIC Bank Ghana Limited marked a significant milestone in fostering economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and mutual prosperity between Ghana and China. The event reaffirmed the banks position as a trusted partner in supporting the growth and success of Chinese businesses in Ghana. OmniBSIC Bank and China relationship OmniBSIC Banks relationship with the Chinese community dates further back and the business seminar serves as another testament to the strength of the relationship. Last month, the Bank was deeply involved in the celebration of the 2024 Chinese Lantern Festival Gala. The Lantern Festival, which is held two weeks after the Lunar New Year a celebration by Chinese and other Asian nations across the world which ushered in the Year of the Dragon was commemorated in Ghana on Monday, February 26. The event, which was organized by the Association of Chinese Societies in Ghana, took place at the forecourt of the State House, Accra, and OmniBSIC Bank actively participated via sponsorship and presentation of honours and the signing of a memorandum to further engage in business opportunities. Already, the Bank, last year announced its commitment to strengthening collaboration and partnership with China in order to enhance the seamless transaction of businesses and build socio-economic development between the two countries. For example, in August 2023, at the 62nd signing ceremony of the treaty of friendship between Ghana and China, organised by the Ghana-China Friendship Association (GHACHIFA), Mr. Asiedu noted that OmniBSIC Banks commitment to working closely with China aligns with the broader efforts of the Ghanaian Government to strengthen bilateral ties and attract foreign investment. 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 Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Foreign Affairs Minister, has encouraged business owners in Kenya to evaluate and explore the Ghanaian market as well as establish synergies with local businesses, assess comparative advantages for the mutual benefit of both countries. The sector minister made this call while speaking at the Second Session of the Ghana-Kenya Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) convened in Accra on April 2, with a focus on promoting bilateral relations and fostering cooperation across various sectors of the economy. The Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation sessions witnessed officials from both countries engaging in constructive dialogue and laying down strategies that will promote and enhance mutual progress. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey underscored the longstanding friendship between Ghana and Kenya stating, Our bond of friendship has remained steadfast, leading to fruitful collaboration across diverse sectors. She highlighted the importance of high-level visits between officials of Ghana and Kenya in solidifying bilateral ties and fostering economic growth." In his submission, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of Kenya, H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, reaffirmed Kenyas commitment to exploring the full potential of bilateral relations. He therefore expressed confidence in the outcomes of the session to make compact, the cooperation in various sectors, stating, Kenya is keen to explore and expand cooperation with Ghana in more areas to create value for our people. The exchange of high-level visits between officials of both countries was highlighted as a significant factor in strengthening ties. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos delegation to the Africa Climate Summit in Kenya and Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumias recent attendance at H.E. Dr. William Samoei Rutos inaugural ceremony were cited as examples of collaborative efforts to deepen relations. Additionally, the surge in commercial exchange between Ghana and Kenya was commended, with initiatives such as regular flights by Kenya Airways between Nairobi and Accra contributing to economic growth. The establishment of the Ghana Trade House further underscored the commitment to enhancing economic ties, as noted by Mrs Botchwey: The commercial exchange between our two countries has witnessed a remarkable surge, indicative of the robust growth trajectory in our bilateral economic relations. In closing, both the foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and H.E. Dr. Mudavadi expressed their utmost pleasure to the senior officials for their collaborative efforts and emphasized the significance of implementing decisions effectively. The Second Session of the Ghana-Kenya Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation signifies a renewed commitment to bilateral relations, fostering mutual understanding, cooperation, and economic growth for the benefit of both nations and their peoples. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ecobank, the pan-African banking group, has become an official signatory of the Womens Empowerment Principles by UN Women and the UN Global Compact (WEPs), which guide the private sector on how to advance gender equality and womens empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community. Ecobank Group CEO, Jeremy Awori, announced the signature of these Principles during a webinar organised by Ecobank Foundation and UN Women on the occasion of the International Womens Day celebrations. Themed Invest in Women: Why does it matter? How can we accelerate it?, the webinar discussed the importance of investing in women to build inclusive societies, and success strategies to counter unconscious biases and discriminatory practices that hinder investments in women. Commenting about the signing of these principles, Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group, said: At Ecobank, we are fully committed to driving gender equality, ensuring that women and girls have equal rights as men and boys and can attain their full potential without facing discrimination in any aspect of their lives. This is essential to achieving a sustainable, just, and prosperous society. Across the Bank, we have implemented numerous initiatives and solutions, including our multi-award-winning Ellevate programme to meet the financial and non-financial needs of womens businesses, and we will continue to introduce new solutions, he said. Jeremy Awori again said While we recognise that there is more to do, signing the WEPs is another step in our absolute commitment and determination to advance gender equality and inclusion. Ecobank s dedicated Ellevate programme provides women-owned, led or focused businesses with a comprehensive suite of cash management, borderless payments and collections, banking and funding solutions, and skills training and mentoring. It has onboarded over 73,000 women business customers and lent more than US$177 million since its launch in November 2020. Ecobank has implemented several other initiatives to advance gender equality and inclusion, including the establishment of a Diversity and Inclusion Council to create an environment where individuals can thrive without discrimination or bias. Additionally, Ecobank has signed the Women Working for Change Gender Diversity Charter; sponsored awareness programmes on gender-based violence for its staff; and implemented mentoring programmes, along with comprehensive learning and development initiatives aimed at advancing women's career progression. He disclosed that the Bank will shortly launch a women's supplier programme to onboard more women-owned and women-led businesses into its procurement database. Congratulating Ecobank Group, Mireille Kamitatu, Deputy Regional Director UN Women Regional Office West and Central Africa said: "I am pleased to acknowledge Ecobank Group's commitment confirmed by the signing of the WEPs. We commend the leadership of this Pan-African bank, spanning 35 countries, for its decisive step in advancing gender equality across the continent. UN Women stands ready to offer support in your gender-focused initiatives towards our ultimate objective to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Many of Ecobank Groups gender equality initiatives align with the seven Women Empowerment Principles which are: High-level Corporate Leadership, Treat all Women and Men Fairly at Work without Discrimination, Employee Health, well-being and Safety, Education and Training for Career Advancement, Enterprise Development, Supply Chain and Marketing Practices, Community Initiatives and Advocacy and Measurement and Reporting. WEPs are a primary vehicle for corporate delivery on gender equality dimensions of the 2030 agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By joining the WEPs community, Ecobanks Group CEO has signalled the Banks commitment to this agenda at the highest levels of the conglomerate and a desire to work collaboratively in multistakeholder networks to empower women. Women empowerment, also includes equal pay for work of equal value, gender-responsive supply chain practices and zero tolerance against sexual harassment in the workplace. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), has lauded the governments Gold4oil policy stating its importance amidst the challenges that comes with its implementation. Dr. Ernest Addison, in an appearance at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, April 8, expounded the crucial role the policy played during the economic crisis the country faced. Dr. Addison therefore, highlighted the advantages the Gold4Oil policy has brought since its inception in 2022, pointing out a decrease in oil prices compared to the earlier prices in 2022. He further mentioned that, government could continue to depend on the policy should oil prices rise at the pumps, opposing any potential discontinuation. He said, this is an intervention which was very critical in the heat of the crisis, yes the foreign exchange market is functioning better than it was in 2022. Oil prices have come down much better than they were in 2022. The situation is much better now than it was in 2022 when the Gold4Oil policy was introduced." "However, we think that its still an important programme for the government to have that option and to be able to empower commercial banks to undertake their activities. Should market sentiments change, which do every day, we dont know what will happen tomorrow. And we will wake up and if we find ourselves in a situation where the prices are driving the pumps to where they were again. The government has an option to fall on. Its a very innovative instrument. Speaking further, he elucidated how significantly Ghanas Gold reserve has increased over the years with the innovative policies and interventions by the government, adding that, Ghana is going to experience massive increment in gold holdings. There is going to be a big jump in gold holdings for Ghana, he assured. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Bekwai Ralph Poku-Adusei through his foundation, Ralph Poku-Adusei Foundation (RPAF) will from today 8th April 2024 roll out an entrepreneurial and income-generating skills training programme for the residents of Amansie in Bekwai, Ashanti Region. The training dubbed The Amansie Youth Project Phase 2 is set to empower the youth to become financially dependent. This initiative is being held in collaboration with the Ralph Poku-Adusei Foundation and Gateway Skills Training Enterprise. The event comes with a skill acquisition advantage that would transform the lives of the youth of Bekwai and beyond. It is also a free service with no charge, exclusively open to the people of Bekwai. It would be recalled that the maiden edition in 2023 recorded a huge success which massively contributed to reducing unemployment challenges. In 2023, the training programme attracted over 2,000 participants on the first day alone. They undertook training in the making of washing detergents, floor cleaning fluids, bleach, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hair food, afterwash, liquid soap, wig weaving, bio digester operation and bead making. Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei believes strongly that self-employment skills training equips individuals with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in managing their own businesses or freelancing their careers. "This second edition of the AMANSIE YOUTH PROJECT PHASE 2 focuses on acquiring relevant skills that can enhance job security by making individuals less reliant on external factors such as layoffs or economic downturns. It would go a long way to enable individuals to pursue their passions and interests, turning hobbies or talents into viable income streams. ....Also, training in self-employment skills can foster personal growth, including improved communication, time management, and problem-solving abilities. For example, in our current global job demands, we realise that successful self-employed individuals have the potential to earn more than they might as compared to traditional employment, as they directly benefit from their own efforts and expertise," Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei emphasized. Full details of the scheduled training for this year are as follows: From the 8th to the 26th of April, 2024, this initiative will unfold across various zones: Zone 1: Bogyawe on the 8th and 9th Zone 2: Dotom on the 11th and 12th Zone 3: Poano on the 15th and 16th Zone 4: Anwiankwanta on the 18th and 19th Zone 5: Senfi on the 22nd and 23rd Zone 6: Kokofu on the 25th and 26th Participants will have the opportunity to engage in three distinct training models: Model 1: Detergents Learn to craft essential household products including liquid soap, shower gel, washing powder, after wash, and Power Zone. Model 2: Pastries & Drink Delve into the art of pastry making with sessions on meat pie, cake making, shortbread, Prekese drink, and Sobolo. Model 3: Farming Explore sustainable agricultural practices with modules on snail farming, mushroom farming, fish farming (catfish/tilapia), and a bonus session on bio-digester technology. All participants will celebrate their achievements on May 1st, 2024, as they graduate equipped with valuable skills ready for application. This initiative promises to be educative, impactful, and all-inclusive. To secure your spot and for further information, please contact 0262287728 or 0244864380. About The RPA Foundation The Ralph Poku-Adusei Foundation was born out of the lawyers deep sense of belonging to the Bekwai community and his unwavering dedication to give back to the community that helped shape him in his formative years. This deep-seated desire was birthed unofficially in 2015 and officially in 2018 and has since given back to the Bekwai community in multiple ways. Through the help of God and the immense support of the people in Bekwai, the foundation has embarked on several social intervention programs within the community. Among the interventions the foundation has made are donations of food, cash donations, renovation of an office complex for the Ghana Ambulance Service, and support for the zongo and Muslim communities in Bekwai. 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 Students of Delhi Public School International have added their voices to the call for positive action on Climate Change. They did so during their annual science exhibition fair at their school premises. This annual Industrial application and science exhibition fair by Delhi Public School International-DPSI-Ghana took place in Tema over the weekend. The event, held at the premises of the school, saw over 700 exhibits on display by the students. This years event centered around climate change with the theme Reclaiming The Planet. The students offered solutions to some of the challenges confronting the environment. Unlike the previous edition, there was mass participation of students from pre-primary to the senior secondary levels. Their works focused on a number of interventions from save energy- save the planet, to working models including the use of solar energy to control traffic lights and the use of AI in directing traffic among others. Others were also on the 3-Rs (Recycle, Reuse and Restore). DPSI-Ghana is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). As such the school authorities mandated the students to research, design and make a brief presentation of their projects to parents and other guests who visited their stands. The founder of DPSI-Ghana, Mr. Mukesh Thakwani alongside other high-profilepersonalities such as the Ambassador of Lebanon H.E. Maher Kheir and Ambassador of Kenya H.E. Eliphas Barine visited all the 700 stands mounted by the students. They were briefed on the importance of the various innovations. The founder of DPSI-Ghana, Mr. Mukesh Thakwani was excited at what the various students have been able to create. Some of the dignitaries present praised school authorities for taking STEAM education a notch higher. The head mistress of DPSI-Ghana Dr. Seema V. Nair, praised the students for responding to the theme positively. Officials of DPSI-Ghana says they are looking at an inter-schools science exhibition between schools in the sub-region. Source: Nana Kwadwo Asante Agyemang, 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 DPS International Ghana has staged a festival dubbed Unity in Diversity. The fun filled event was part of activities by the school to celebrate Ghana's 67th Independence anniversary. Unity in Diversity is a Vibrant Festival celebrating the rich diversity of Ghanaian culture and ethnicity, in commemoration of Ghana's 67th Independence Day. The festival was graced by dignitaries such as the Chief Imamwho is the head of the Muslim community in Ghana, Chief of Mlistakpo and celebrities like Stacey Amoateng, Selly Galley, Kobby Rana, Aunty Cecilia, Catel Big J and many more. The festival which featured a variety of activities including Traditional and modern Ghanaian arts, fashion, food, music, and dance, Games and activities for the whole family. The aim according to officials was to give the students the opportunity to learn about and appreciate Ghanaian cultural heritage. Some of the activities included the display of the Kpanlogo dance, Apatampa dance and the Agbadza dance. There was a fashion show where students took to the runway displaying African beads from beadnbead. Others performed skits and the enactment of Ghanas independence declaration by big six. There were performances from Praye Tietia, DopeNation among others. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Liberian government says it has discovered over 40,000 illegal civil servants in its system. The director general of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Josiah Joekai told the BBC details of the civil servants were entered incorrectly or not at all into the Personnel Action Notice (Pan). The Pan process is a mandatory requirement for employment. There are at least 70,000 civil servants in Liberia and more than 50% are currently illegal because they did not do the Pan process, he said. Mr Joekai said the process comprises the full details of individuals who are entered on the government employment roster after completing evaluation and credential checks. Mr Joekai revealed that some people were placed on the civil service payroll through text messages, telephone calls, emails and WhatsApp, between 2019 and 2023. The CSA boss said that since these workers cannot be held responsible, they are affording them a grace period of 90 days to register properly. Those who fail to complete the process will be fired. President Joseph Boakai's government says it intends to reduce what it called a bloated payroll and reduce the government wage bill. It says it wants a smaller and more efficient public service. It is not clear how the new scheme will be greeted by the Liberian population. 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 Two transport unions have announced an increase in transport fares, effective Saturday, April 13, 2024. The two unions are the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana and the Transport Operators of Ghana. The move, according to the two transport operators, was in response to the recent surge in petroleum prices. In a joint statement issued on Monday, April 8, 2024, the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana and the Transport Operators of Ghana, announced a 15 per cent increase for short-distance or intracity transport, and a 20 per cent increase for intercity or long-journey transport. They also announced a 15 per cent hike for taxi services, and an increment from GH 10.00 to GH 15.00 fare a short distance taxi service. They further mentioned that the decision was due to lack of government intervention in reducing fuel prices, vehicle spare parts, and lubricants, despite ongoing economic challenges. Just as it may have been noted by most Ghanaians the government appears to be indifferent regarding any reduction in the price of petrol as well as those of vehicle spare parts and lubricants. Also, the prevailing economic difficulties and other factors are worsening the living conditions of transport owners and drivers, they stated. Read the statement from the two transport operators' union Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana-C-DAG)/Transport Operators of Ghana April 8, 2024 Joint Press Statement NOTICE OF TRANSPORT FARE INCREMENT A recent increment in the price of petrol has necessitated an upward adjustment in transport fares as follows. 1. 15 percent increment for short distance or intracity transport. 2. 20 percent for intercity or long-journey transport 3. 15 percent for taxi transport and 4. An increment from GHC 10.00 to GHC 15.00 fare for short-distance taxi hire services. This increment shall take effect from Saturday, April 13, 2024. Just as it may have been noted by most Ghanaians government appear to be indifferent regarding any reduction in the price of petrol as well as those of vehicle spare parts and lubricants. Also, the prevailing economic difficulties and other factors are worsening the living condition of transport owners and drivers. We are therefore urging all Ghanaians to take note of the increment and cooperate with transport operators. Thank You. ..End. Sgd. Asonaba Nana Wiredu- Deputy Secretary, C-DAG 0540377307. Paa Willie- National Chairman, C-DAG 0242971025. Yaw Barimah- PRO- True Drivers Union 0554822565, 0500312104 David Agboado- P.R.O., C-DAG 0541063682. 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 In a shocking turn of events, a routine political campaign visit by Harriet Kyeremanteng Oppong, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Nkoranza South, descended into chaos as her team faced a violent attack allegedly orchestrated by members of the opposing National Democratic Congress (NDC). The incident, which occurred on Friday, March 29th, 2024, during a community visit to Nsunensa, took a dangerous turn when Oppong and her team sought to address constituents and highlight the achievements of the NPP government. However, their attempt to discuss ongoing development projects, including the rehabilitation of the Nsunensa Jn. Nsunensa Meta Road, led to a confrontation with NDC members. Tensions flared as Oppong's team exposed alleged misinformation surrounding the funding of the road project, implicating the incumbent MP and a contractor with political affiliations. This revelation reportedly triggered a violent response from NDC members, resulting in the blocking of the team's exit using a tipper truck belonging to the road contractor. Instead of utilizing the power given to him by the people of Nkoranza to be a development agent, the MP uses his influence to secure contracts for himself and his family. And mostly, when such kind gestures are extended to him by this NPP government that believes so much in growing indigenous companies irrespective of their political affiliation, the MP would rather use the opportunity to mislead the public into believing that he is personally funding the projects. He does so by either not mounting Project Poster Boards to show the nature of contract, client name and source of funding or he builds the Poster Boards but only mounts them when Officials are visiting for inspection, then pull it down after the inspection, the NPP communications team said. Eyewitnesses recount scenes of chaos as the NPP team faced verbal abuse and intimidation, with Oppong bearing the brunt of the aggression. The attack, allegedly led by the incumbent MP, underscores the heightened political tensions in Nkoranza South ahead of the upcoming elections. In response to the incident, the NPP Communications Directorate issued a statement condemning the violence and calling for political accountability. They highlighted a history of intimidation by the MP and urged community leaders to promote peace and civility in political discourse. The escalation of violence in Nkoranza South serves as a stark reminder of the importance of upholding democratic values and fostering a culture of tolerance and respect in political engagement. As the election season heats up, it is imperative for all stakeholders to prioritize dialogue and constructive debate for the collective benefit of the community. The Nkoranza South constituency awaits further developments as authorities investigate the incident and stakeholders seek to address underlying tensions to ensure a peaceful electoral process. Statement below NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY - NKORANZA SOUTH CONSTITUENCY PRESS RELEASE THE MP FOR NKORANZA SOUTH, HON. EMMANUEL KWADWO AGYEKUM, ATTACKS MRS. HARRIET KYEREMANTENG OPPONG AND HER CAMPAIGN TEAM On Friday 29th March, 2024, Mrs. Harriet Kyeremanteng Oppong, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Nkoranza South, together with her team were conducting routine community visits within the Constituency for various party activities. Mrs. Oppong and her team, while at Nsunensa launching her Polling Station Campaign Team, took the opportunity to trumpet the achievements of the NPP government under the leadership of HE. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. The discussion brought to the fore, ongoing Government of Ghana funded projects, including the 12km Nsunensa Jn. Nsunensa Meta Road, among others within the cconstituency being rehabilitated by the Ministry of Roads and Highways through the Department of Feeder Roads under the Road Fund. MESSRS FABDONKOR COMPANY LIMITED, located in Adabraka, Accra, is the contractor, and it is an established fact that the said company is affiliated with the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza South. Instead of utilizing the power given to him by the people of Nkoranza to be a development agent, the MP uses his influence to secure contracts for himself and his family.And mostly, when such kind gestures are extended to him by this NPP government that believes so much in growing indigenous companies irrespective of their political affiliation, the MP would rather use the opportunity to mislead the public into believing that he is personally funding the projects. He does so by either not mounting Project Poster Boards to show the nature of contract, client name and source of funding or he builds the Poster Boards but only mounts them when Officials are visiting for inspection, then pull it down after the inspection. As such, when Harriet and her team took opportunity of their visit to Nsunensa to give a detailed explanation of the nature of the Nsunensa Meta road project (Road Fund) to the people, their act of goodwill and honesty was considered an expose of the lies that has been perpetrated by the MP over the period, and this led to an attack on the team while on campaign rounds in the community. The NDC members who felt that their lies have been exposed got angry, blocked the road with a tipper truck belonging to the road contractor to prevent the team from leaving the community and with the MP himself leading the charge, rained insults and vituperations on Harriet and her team. In fact, had Harriet not been in her vehicle, we wonder what Agyekum and his thugs would have done to her considering their choice of abusive words and how the MPs face was distorted with rage. Her only crime was that she had been truthful and honest to the very people whose mandate she seeks to serve. This barbaric and violent behavior of Hon. Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum has become one too many, and it is about time he is held accountable. It is, therefore, important to remind you of some devilish activities carried out by Hon. Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum and his NDC in the past. In 2016, during the voter registration exercise, Hon. Agyekum, then MP and Parliamentary Candidate for the NDC in Nkoranza South, deployed fully armed machomen to attack NPP agents at RC JHS Polling Stations.Alhaji Issah Moro, alias Bayereko and Mr. Amo Johnson, alias Master Amo among others, suffered the attacks by these henchmen the Hon. Agyekum. In that same year. Mr. Kofi Ohene-Sakyi, the then Elections and Research Officer of NPP in the Constituency, and his team had to flee town for days to save their lives, all because the MP wanted them killed for no wrongdoing but standing their grounds to prevent his evil machinations. We could continue with an endless list of his barbaric activities, but time and space are of the essence here. The most important thing we want the general public to understand is that we have experienced a whole Constituency Secretary murdered in cold blood while returning from campaign rounds in 2016 in our sister constituency, Nkoranza North. Let us not forget that Nkoranza North and South are one traditional area separated only for administrative purposes, so we must be mindful of what happens to our party leaders and followers during the discharge of their duties within this constituency. We want to further tell Hon. Agyekum and his NDC hooldlums that ntasu kokoo wo obiaa anum na 3nso y3 gyae te fufuo. No one holds a monopoly on violence, but we have decided to be law-abiding citizens. Let him never think he can get his way out with violence at all times; there will definitely be a day of accountability for him and his hooligans. In conclusion, we humbly appeal to Nananom of the Nkoranza Traditional Area, the Clergy, our Muslim leaders, and Civil societies to call our MP to order and advise him and his NDC to refrain from politics of attacks, violence, and insults. Nkoranza is known to be a peaceful town. His selfish ambition of remaining an MP to continue to benefit from governmental projects to enrich himself should not hold Nkoranza to ransom and destroy love and unity that binds us as a people. Any community attributed to violence lacks developmental projects and quality leadership; Nkoranza has outgrown this backwardism and uncouth politics. Long live Nkoranza!!! Long live Ghana!!! Long live Mrs. Harriet Kyeremanteng Oppong and the NPP!!! Signed COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE NKORANZA SOUTH _________END_________ Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Flagbearer and leader of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has reaffirmed his commitment to further improve the business-friendliness of ports by effecting fixed exchange rates, aimed at alleviating forex pressure faced by traders. Vice President, Dr. Bawumia outlined the importance of the initiative stating that it would also mitigate the risk of losing port traffic to neighbouring countries. Speaking during the Town Hall meeting with the Pharmaceutical Society and other Pharmacy Pracitioners, the Vice President highlighted the necessity for businesses, including those in the pharmaceutical industries, to cultivate a competitive edge to foster economic growth. Were going to change the duty structure and go into more of a flat specific duty. If you have a 40-footer container, you know how much you are paying in cedis. So, you take the exchange rate out of the matter and deal with it. We are also going to make sure that our duties at ports by policy cannot be higher than in Lome, which is our competitor. And right now, theres a lot of diversion of containers to Lome because ours are higher," he said. Dr. Kow Donkor, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, in addressing the attendees of the meeting expressed optimism that the concerns raised by society members would be addressed, providing relief to its members. He said, We know the oil industry; the Bank of Ghana makes available the US dollars for their imports, pharmaceutical industry and medicines are also special items. When you have a shortage of medicines that becomes a national security issue. If the central bank is going to make funding available at a special rate for the pharmaceutical importers and manufacturers, it will also go a long way to stabilize the prices. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party, Salam Mustapha, has described as unfortunate remarks made by the former president HE John Dramani Mahama about NPP's government 1student 1Laptop under the Ghana Smart School Project. According to him, it is such a "horrible thinking" which should be treated with scorn and disdain. Last week, flagbearer of the National democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, descended heavily on the government for the decision to allocate funds to provide free tablets to senior high school students. According to former President Mahama, it is a tactics adopted by the government to induce the students into voting for the NPP come December 7, 2024 when the general elections will be held. You bring a new curriculum, the children have no textbooks in basic school for the last four years and you think that giving pre-tertiary students tablets is more important. Of course, everybody knows the political expediency," he addressed his concerns during a special public lecture at the Wisconsin International University College, Ghana, But in a post made by the NPP National Youth Organizer, he scolded the former statesman for claining that it is an attempt to bribe the SHS students for votes. "Such horrible thinking should be treated with scorn and disdain". It's clear to us that in the mind of Sgt Lee, he doesn't see them as human beings but rather ballot papers. Has John Mahama suddenly developed amnesia too, to forget his own RLG project with his bosom friend Roland Agambire or is it just sheer hypocrisy or dishonesty," he quizzed. The Ghana Smart School Project aims to enhance SHS education by providing teaching and learning management systems, digital learning content, and electronic devices to all senior high and TVET schools nationwide. This initiative aligns with the governments efforts to promote e-learning and digitalization, in line with the Ministry of Educations digitalization strategy for pre-tertiary education. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[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 MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT CALL FOR THE IMMEDIATE INTERDICTION OF THE REGISTRAR OF THE SCHOLARSHIP SECRETARIAT. The Minority in Parliament has taken notice of an investigation by the Fourth Estate into the award of scholarships by the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, an agency under the Office of the President. The investigations, which span the period between 2019 and 2020, reveal very sordid details of the award of Government of Ghana scholarships on the basis of political patronage, influence, favouritism, among other considerations, contrary to the object of these scholarships which are supposed to be given to deserving, needy but brilliant students. The series of investigations by the Fourth Estate have since been corroborated by other patriotic Ghanaians, both home and abroad. Many have cited instances of extortion, bribery and collection of kickbacks allegedly involving the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Kingsley Agyemang, and other officials. Other first-hand chilling accounts of our compatriots who have reached out to the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat for help, reveal wanton corruption and gross abuse of office by these officials of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government. For instance, the investigations revealed that while many are being denied these opportunities to pursue academic programmes that will benefit the nation, a medical officer with deep roots in the governing New Partriotic Party (NPP) and a big private practice at Airport Residential Area in Accra, who by all indications could afford higher education, was awarded as much as $50,000 for a post-graduate course at the Ivy League Harvard University. The investigation further revealed that in one instance, an official of the NPP was awarded multiple scholarships to the tune of 57,210 for a post-graduate course, while a Special Assistant to the spouse of the Vice President, Samira Bawumia, was awarded 17,355 for post-graduate studies in the UK. Interestingly, Samira Bawumias Special Assistant did not step foot at the school, nor complete the programme. Widespread reports of multiple scholarships worth several thousands of dollars, sometimes awarded to the same individuals in same year, reveal the extent of abuse of the tax payers money. Worst of all, it has been reported that these awards are sometimes handed to NPP-aligned persons for two-week training programmes abroad, in return for some kickback. In light of the above revelations and others which will be contained in details of the over 900 foreign scholarships awarded between 2019 and 2020, yet to be published by the Fourth Estate, the NDC Minority Caucus in Parliament hereby demands the following urgent actions: 1. the immediate interdiction of the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, Kingsley Agyemang, pending investigations into its operations. 2. the Special Prosecutor must order an immediate forensic audit of all scholarships awarded since January 2017. We call on President Akufo-Addo to act swiftly in this matter in order to protect the public purse from further abuse. SIGNED. HON. PETER NORTSU-KOTOE, MP RANKING MEMBER ON PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR AKATSI NORTH 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 Ghanaian actress Salma Mumin has come out swinging against allegations that her lavish lifestyle is funded by illicit means and that she's successful today because of her entrepreneurial ventures. In an interview on the latest edition of the Delay Show, Salma refuted claims that she relies on wealthy men to fund her lifestyle, insisting that her businesses fund her flashy lifestyle. Contrary to popular misconceptions, the Seduction actress disclosed that her clothing and food enterprises have been instrumental in bankrolling her expensive life. "Yes, my clothing business and food ventures sponsor my trips. I am a very beautiful woman, but my success is a result of hard work and entrepreneurship, not just appearances," she confidently said. Addressing the shifting connotations of the term "slay queen," she lamented the evolution from women who epitomized elegance and affluence to those associated with transactional relationships. "When slay queen started, it was women who could dress well and live a good life, but with time, the definition changed to girls who were into runs, so I just had to refrain from it," she explained. The actress also revealed that she's been blessed with beauty that attracts wealthy men who favour her in many ways. "I am a beautiful woman and Im lucky when it comes to wealthy men. Im not even attracted to men who are not rich," she said. 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 In the midst of Sunday Service at Divine World International Ministries, Bishop Adonteng Boateng stood before the congregation to deliver a profound prophecy to none other than Ghanaian Ace Broadcaster, Bola Ray of Starr FM, Accra. Interestingly, Bola Ray shares a classroom history with renowned Gospel Musician Uncle Ato, adding a unique layer to the prophetic revelation. With unwavering conviction, Bishop Adonteng Boateng declared that Bola Ray is destined to ascend to the highest office in Ghana as its President. This bold proclamation reverberated through the sanctuary, prompting Bishop Adonteng Boateng to implore Ghanaians to unite in fervent prayer for Bola Ray's journey towards fulfilling this divine destiny. Such a prophecy ignites hope and curiosity, inviting contemplation on the intersection of faith, destiny, and the future of Ghana's leadership. 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 Its safe to say that most of the individuals in the wine industry who are involved with grapes are tuned in daily to the weather conditions and forecast. That gets particularly important when its time to harvest the grapes, but its also relevant during the growing season and even before the first buds open. But few follow the weather as closely as John Cifelli, the general manager at Unionville Vineyards in central New Jersey, which for years has been considered a must-visit for anyone wanting to sample some of the best dry wines the state has to offer. Last year he was lamenting the devastating East Coast frost on May 18 that took out 75% of the 25 acres of vines growing on Amwell Ridge, home of a large portion of their Rhone varieties such as Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Counoise. Frosts that occur after bud break, which is when the new shoots and green tips on the vine become visible, are taking place with more frequency and once again will remain a concern for grape growers from Vermont down to Virginia until late May following another warmer-than-normal winter. Cifelli said from his perspective the growth on the vines is two to three weeks ahead of normal, putting most of those grapevines at risk if theres another late frost. Lets hope there arent any on the horizon. Meanwhile, his area of the state in Hunterdon County has been receiving more than its share of rain on and off over the past six-plus years, good for some crops but the last thing you want for grapevines. That includes the past three months, where all of New Jersey is more than 75 percent above its precipitation norms. Said Cifelli in an April 3 text: 20 inches of rain through yesterday. Another 1 at east today. Puts me on pace for 80 inches this year. It could not rain for the next 3 months and I wouldnt fall below normal. I might turn my vineyard into a rice paddy and make sake, was his follow-up text. At one point he rattled off the climate highlights and lowlights from the past six growing seasons: 2018- 65 of rain 2019- glorious 2020- frost 2021- [Tropical Storm] Ida 2022- great 2023- frost, extra foot of rain It feels unfair, frankly, he said as he ticked off the numbers. After leading the way statewide from Hurricane Ida, when you look at a total accumulated rainfall map when it counted July, August and September of last year Ringoes again was pinpointed with getting socked with water, he said, segueing into an overall assessment of the current portfolio and overall sales. The Unionville Home Chardonnay is one of the wines that have built a following and solid reputation.Unionsville Vineyards I would say we made good wines, said. Youre not going to reach the ceiling in a year like 2023, but were proud of the wines coming from this tough season. The Chardonnay in particular is really nice. But were waiting for a turn, Cifelli said. Were waiting for the payback for being on the short end of the weather stick for what seems the last several years. Otherwise, things are good. Sales are OK. Im sensing some headwinds. Im thinking that it might be related to cannabis legalization. It might be related to a little bit of a teetotaler movement Im hearing about ... and I think [winemaker and author] Carlo [DeVito] hit the nail on the head when he talked about saturation in the craft beverage industry. [While] things arent great, the wine lineup is the strongest its been in the last five years, he added. Im really proud of the wines were standing behind right now. I wouldnt say its concerning but definitely a little confusing when weve been putting real good wine in front of people the past year or so and were not seeing the traffic that we were getting back in 17, 18, 19 and early 2020 before [COVID]. But I think its just a conflation of factors and, luckily wine lasts a long time, so if we need to sell it a little more slowly in the short term, thats OK. The winery, at 9 Rocktown Road, is open noon to 5 daily. Among what figures to be the most popular events on the calendar this year are the spring artisan market (April 27-28) and the vineyard pig roast (May 7). Chardonnay has been a signature grape and a popular wine here for years. Currently, Unionville makes several Chardonnays sourced from different vineyards in addition to a pet-nat. In fact, Forbes writer Ronnie Koenig recently published a shout-out to the winerys three Chards and Decanter writer Henna Bakshi put Unionvlles Home Chardonnay on her list of New Jersey wines that consumers should sample in a story published April 2. Blends are also a Unionville staple, including the Sourland Ridge Red (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot) and Hunterdon Mistral Blanc (42% Viognier, 29% Marsanne, 29% Roussanne). They regularly make several dry white (beyond the Chardonnay) and red varietals and a couple of roses. Here is a link to what they currently have for sale. The winery has a wine club and also an offshoot called the Unionville Social Club. A group of around 40 accounts, they meet quarterly for a pot-luck brunch social that always includes Cifelli in addition to the winemaker or vineyard or sales manager to offer insights into whats going on at the winery while also answering questions. Cifelli said hes even allowing them to decide which among several grapes the winery should plant next year in a trial row. Its a chance, he said, to offer these top customers entrance to what goes on behind the scenes while learning some of the basic processes that occur, such as the punch-down of the red fermentations some of them tried last fall and the recent pruning they did in the vineyard. I dont plan the calendar but Ill drop a note out on a Monday and say, hey the weather looks good on Saturday and I plan on being out pruning. if anyone wants to join me, be in the parking lot by 10. Well take a walk. Ill show you how we prune, he said. I have them do pre-pruning. I dont have them make decisions. But they get to come out, clear some trellis, remove some of the stuff thats going to get removed. The Facebook photo showed more than a half-dozen club members took Cifelli up on his offer in early March. They get to come out and feel like they did something, and learn and hear how I did it, he said. Even that, theyre all scared to touch anything. Theyre very respectful. [But] it lets people get a little hands-on in a way that doesnt compromise integrity or quality or anything like that. Theyll be out and be a part of it, and it just continues to build the relationship with some of our best customers. By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican on Monday declared gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy as grave violations of human dignity, putting them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that reject Gods plan for human life. The Vaticans doctrine office issued Infinite Dignity, a 20-page declaration that has been in the works for five years. After substantial revision in recent months, it was approved March 25 by Pope Francis, who ordered its publication. In its most eagerly anticipated section, the Vatican repeated its rejection of gender theory, or the idea that ones gender can be changed. It said God created man and woman as biologically different, separate beings, and said people must not tinker with that plan or try to make oneself God. It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception, the document said. It distinguished between gender-affirming surgeries, which it rejected, and genital abnormalities that are present at birth or that develop later. Those abnormalities can be resolved with the help of health care professionals, it said. The documents existence, rumored since 2019, was confirmed in recent weeks by the new prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Argentine Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, a close Francis confidant. He had cast it as something of a nod to conservatives after he authored a more explosive document approving blessings for same-sex couples that sparked criticism from conservative bishops around the world, especially in Africa. And yet, the document takes pointed aim at countries including many in Africa that criminalize homosexuality. It echoed Francis assertion in a 2023 interview with The Associated Press that being homosexual is not a crime, making the assertion now part of the Vaticans doctrinal teaching. The new document denounces as contrary to human dignity the fact that, in some places, not a few people are imprisoned, tortured, and even deprived of the good of life solely because of their sexual orientation. The document is something of a repackaging of previously articulated Vatican positions, read now through the prism of human dignity. It restates well-known Catholic doctrine opposing abortion and euthanasia, and adds to the list some of Francis main concerns as pope: the threats to human dignity posed by poverty, war, human trafficking and forced migration. In a newly articulated position, it says surrogacy violates both the dignity of the surrogate mother and the child. While much attention about surrogacy has focused on possible exploitation of poor women as surrogates, the Vatican document focuses almost more on the resulting child. The child has the right to have a fully human (and not artificially induced) origin and to receive the gift of a life that manifests both the dignity of the giver and that of the receiver, the document said. Considering this, the legitimate desire to have a child cannot be transformed into a right to a child that fails to respect the dignity of that child as the recipient of the gift of life. The Vatican published its most articulated position on gender in 2019, when the Congregation for Catholic Education rejected the idea that people can choose or change their genders and insisted on the complementarity of biologically male and female sex organs to create new life. It called gender fluidity a symptom of the confused concept of freedom and momentary desires that characterize post-modern culture. The new document from the more authoritative Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith quotes from that 2019 education document, but tempers the tone. Significantly, it doesnt repeat the 1986 language of a previous doctrinal document that said homosexual people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect but that homosexual actions are intrinsically disordered. The Rev. James Martin, who has called for the Catholic Church to extend greater outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, said the gender terminology was similar to past declarations. But he welcomed the condemnation of legislation and violence against LGBTQ+ people. That cannot be repeated too often as an offense against human dignity. The LGBTQ person, like everyone else, has infinite dignity, he said in an email. Francis has made reaching out to LGBTQ+ people a hallmark of his papacy, ministering to trans Catholics and insisting that the Catholic Church must welcome all children of God. But he has also denounced gender theory as the worst danger facing humanity today, an ugly ideology that threatens to cancel out God-given differences between man and woman. He has blasted in particular what he calls the ideological colonization of the West in the developing world, where development aid is sometimes conditioned on adopting Western ideas about gender and reproductive health. It needs to be emphasized that biological sex and the sociocultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated, the new document said. Transgender activists immediately called the document hurtful and devoid of the voices and experiences of real trans people, especially in its distinction between transgender people and intersex people. The suggestion that gender-affirming health care which has saved the lives of so many wonderful trans people and enabled them to live in harmony with their bodies, their communities and (God) might risk or diminish trans peoples dignity is not only hurtful but dangerously ignorant, said Mara Klein, a nonbinary, transgender activist who has participated in Germanys church reform project. Seeing that, in contrast, surgical interventions on intersex people which if performed without consent especially on minors often cause immense physical and psychological harm for many intersex people to date are assessed positively just seems to expose the underlying hypocrisy further, Klein said. The document comes at a time of some backlash against transgender people, including in the United States where Republican-led state legislatures are considering a new round of bills restricting medical care for transgender youths and in some cases, adults. In addition, bills to govern youths pronouns, sports teams and bathrooms at school are also under consideration, as well as some books and school curriculums. On top of the rising hostility towards our communities, we are faced with a church that does not listen and refuses to see the beauty of creation that can be found in our biographies, Klein said in an email. Want a say in the news? Email Claudia at todayinpa@pennlive.com to have your thoughts on the stories covered here or on PennLive heard. You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa on any of your favorite apps including Alexa, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit! Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | April 8, 2024 A Pennsylvania hospital system is among those offering concierge services which can cost up to $4,000 a year. Philadelphia officials have banned license plate flippers. Pittsburgh rivers reached their highest level theyve been in almost two decades. Finally, something devilish may be in the sky along with the eclipse today, too. Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa., a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa. is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa. Todays episode refers to the following articles: If you enjoy Today in Pa., consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, wed like to know what you think about the program, too. As sponsored by Renewal by Anderson of Central PA. Roman Reigns is one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling, and that was on display this past weekend at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. The 38-year-old, whose real name is Joseph AnoaI main evented both nights of the event. He teamed with The Rock on Saturday to defeat Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes before losing his WWE Universal Title to Rhodes on Sunday. Prior to that loss, Reigns held the title for a remarkable 1,316 days. More remarkable is the fact that he has been battling leukemia for much of that time. Reigns, in fact, had to walk away for a time in 2018 to battle the disease, and there was a surprising revelation on the first night of WrestleMania 40 when announcer Pat McAfee said during his match that he was still battling leukemia as we speak. Reigns was asked about that at the press conference following Saturday nights action, and he stepped outside of his wrestling character to answer the question. Im still on oral chemotherapy, he said. Its a medication that Im gonna have to remain on my entire life, most likely. So yeah, thats just a part of my personal battle. It doesnt affect, thank God Im still able to perform. I think anybody in my position would say that health is wealth, and as long as I continue to perform, then you already know that thats at bay, he added. So, were good. Were still in remission. But it is something thats still a part of my life. Trump promised billionaires low taxes at his behind closed doors fundraiser and the Biden campaign unloaded on the ex-president. Trump reportedly promised his rich donors that he would keep their taxes low if he returns to the White House. Biden campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika responded, Donald Trump spent his entire presidency lining the pockets of wealthy tax avoiders like himself at the expense of the middle class. Now, Trump is making it clear to his billionaire buddies that hell take his first chance to double down on tax giveaways for the ultra-wealthy all while he fights to rip away Americans health care, gut Social Security and Medicare, and raise costs on working families. The American people deserve a president that fights for main street, not Wall Street thats why we have to reelect President Biden and reject Trumps billionaire-first agenda this November. Trumps agenda isnt America first. It is billionaire first. Just like President Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders said during their event at the White House, Trump says one thing in public, but promises something entirely different to billionaires behind closed doors. President Biden has proven that trickle down economics do not work. Biden has shown what America can do when an economy is built from the middle out instead of the top down. Trump is being backed by billionaires because they want to slash taxes for themselves and raise them for everyone else. A Special Message From PoliticusUSA If you are in a position to donate purely to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here. We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value. [wpedon id=344887 align=center] MESQUITE, Texas A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America on Monday as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent, thrilling those lucky enough to behold the spectacle through clear skies. Street lights blinked on and the planets came into view, as the moon shrouded the sun for a few minutes across the land. Dogs howled, frogs croaked and some people wept, all part of the eclipse mania gripping Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. Almost everyone in North America could see at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting. It was the continent's biggest eclipse audience ever, with a couple hundred million people living in or near the shadow's path, plus scores of out-of-towners flocking in to see it. With the next coast-to-coast eclipse 21 years out, the pressure was on to catch this one. Clouds blanketed most of Texas as the total solar eclipse began its diagonal dash across land, starting along Mexico's mostly clear Pacific coast and aiming for Texas and 14 other U.S. states, before exiting into the North Atlantic near Newfoundland. In Georgetown, Texas, the skies cleared just in time to give spectators a clear view. In other spots, the eclipse played peek-a-boo with the clouds. "We are really lucky," said Georgetown resident Susan Robertson. "Even with the clouds it is kind of nice, because when it clears up, it is like, Wow!" "I will never unsee this," said Ahmed Husseim of Austin, who had the eclipse on his calendar for a year. Just east of Dallas, the hundreds gathered at Mesquite's downtown area cheered and whistled as the clouds parted in the final minutes before totality. As the sun finally became cloaked, the crowd grew louder, whipping off their eclipse glasses to soak in the unforgettable view of the sun's corona, or spiky outer atmosphere, and Venus shining brilliantly off to the right. Going into Monday's spectacle, northern New England into Canada had the best chances of clear skies, and that didn't change. Holly Randall, who watched from Colebrook, New Hampshire, said experiencing the eclipse was beyond her expectations. MOUNT PLEASANT Memories of eating pizza are ubiquitous for New Yorkers, said Queens, N.Y., native Ty Raju, who owns restaurants SAVI Cucina + Wine Bar and Sommba with his wife, Karen Mennuti-Raju. The couples latest venture, a partnership with well-known chef Vincent Barcelona, is a nod to the New York City-style slices served under the Woodhaven Boulevard subway stop in Queens. Boasting a decades-old dough recipe thats crispy with a little chew, Woodhaven Pizza opened at 1701 Shoremeade Road in February. Housed in the REI-anchored Indigo Square Shopping Center off U.S. Highway 17, the new pizzeria took over the space where Blaze Pizza and the short-lived Pasture & Grain previously operated. Pizzas always been something thats near and dear to my heart, said Raju, who also welcomed Craig and Sonia Sodano as partners in the couples third Charleston-area restaurant concept. We wanted to do something as a group. Signature Woodhaven pizzas are topped with a range of meats, vegetables and cheeses from classic pepperoni and Italian sausage to clams with garlic, lemon and oregano. Appetizers, salads, wings, baked pastas and Italian sub sandwiches round out the menu. As the new Mount Pleasant restaurant settles into the space, the Rajus, Sodanos and Barcelonas are planning to open a second Charleston-area location on Nexton Parkway in Summerville later this year. And theyre not stopping there, Raju said. Were looking to grow a brand pretty aggressively over the next seven years, said Raju, who hopes to add more Woodhaven Pizza locations across the Southeast. Theres a lot of (New York) transplants who miss their pizza. As part of their years-long crusade to encourage kids to read books, Mark and Nadia Schaper will be appearing on Oct. 27 at the Mount Pleasant Towne Centre Barnes & Noble to sign copies of their third edition of The Blue Pearl series, from 12-3 p.m. Later this year, the husband-wife duo Read moreAuthors to release 3rd 'Blue Pearl' book Prosecutors say a man accused of sexual assault, kidnapping and attempted murder shouldnt remain free on bond because of his psychological evaluation. The embattled judge tasked with hearing their emergency claim wont do so until June, they said. In February, outgoing Circuit Court Judge Bentley Price granted bond to Walter Clayton Pate III on the condition he receive a psychological evaluation and not contact the two women prosecutors accuse him of brutalizing. Price originally indicated he would decide whether to give Pate bond after he received an evaluation not before, prosecutors said. Now, prosecutors said Price wont hear an emergency request to revoke Pates bond for weeks. In one case, prosecutors accuse Pate of kidnapping and raping a woman he was dating. In the other, Pate is accused of punching a different woman in the face and strangling her. The psychological evaluation came back at the end of February, which prosecutors said showed Pate represented a high-level of risk to the community. Assistant Solicitor Mallory Haliena previously used statements from the women and Pates former roommate to argue the 27-year-old Marine veteran is a danger to the community. On March 11, Haliena requested an emergency bond revocation. She seeks to put Pate back in jail or placed on strict house arrest with GPS monitoring, and an order for Pate to undergo outpatient mental health services as recommended by Dr. William Burke at Summerville Behavioral Health. In the past, Price has faced criticism from prosecutors and law enforcement for being too lenient on people accused of violent crimes. Gil Gatch, Pates attorney, told The Post and Courier he disagreed with how prosecutors cast Pate as a danger to the community based on Burkes evaluation. It breaks my heart that someone like Walter Pate is being dragged through the mud, Gatch said. He called the solicitors offices claims baseless and that they distracted from other victims of violent crime. LANCASTER Voters will have dozens of candidates to choose from during the primary and general election during the 2024 cycle. One lawmaker facing opposition is S.C. Sen. Penry Gustafson, R-Camden, who was one of five lawmakers dubbed "sister senators" after standing against a near-total abortion ban. She's attracted challengers from the left and the right. She's not the only senator facing competition. S.C. Sen. Mike Fanning, D-Fairfield, has three challengers all Republicans. The two-term lawmaker won by 3 points in 2020. However, Lancaster County voters didn't help decide District 17 in that race. Redistricting gave Lancaster County a portion of the district, while it lost some of York County. It also represents all of Chester and Fairfield counties. Of the eight state and federal lawmakers on the ballot in Lancaster County, just one escaped competition. Meanwhile, no Democrat filed to run for any county-level races, and most local changes seem destined to come from retirements, not the ballot box. One member of Lancaster County Council, Terry Graham, isn't seeking another term. His son, Van Wyck Town Councilman Stuart Graham, is running instead. While the Republican won't have an opponent from his own party, he will face John A. Delfausse of the Forward Party. The party, founded by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, is fielding two other candidates in South Carolina this cycle. PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 23:02:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 589 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOUISVILLE, KY / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Kentucky-based ophthalmologist and LASIK eye surgeon Dr. Gregory Bryant Giles is now treating patients at the Lasik PlusLouisville vision center located at 4902 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40207. Dr. Giles is renowned for his exceptional skills in laser refractive surgery, including LASIK and PRK, as well as cataract surgery. Dr. Giles has been practicing Ophthalmology and performing LASIK for a number of years, and has successfully performed tens of thousands of ophthalmic procedures.In 2013, Dr. Giles served in the US Army while simultaneously commencing his medical studies in Georgia. His dedication and passion for ophthalmology led him to complete his residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, solidifying his expertise in the field. Dr. Giles continues to make significant contributions to the realm of ophthalmology. Currently holding the position of Chief of Ophthalmology and the Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program at Fort Campbell, KY, home to the 101st Airborne, Dr. Giles specializes in LASIK, PRK, and ICL surgeries for our active duty soldiers, helping ensure their vision supports their safety, including when deployed in hostile environments. Dr. Giles also provides cataract surgery to military retirees and their families. In addition to Dr. Giles continuing active-duty status treating our military service people, Dr. Giles has also been providing LASIK to civilian patients at other affiliated Lasik Plusvision centers for several years."It is an absolute honor and privilege to work with Dr. Giles. In addition to his superb clinical skills, Dr. Giles' warm, caring personality is both infectious and apparent to both his patients and the team. We look forward to many years going forward of Dr. Giles continuing to help patients in the greater Louisville community enjoy the wonders of LASIK eye surgery," says Craig Joffe, Chief Executive Officer of Lasik Plus .Dr. Giles's dedication to his patients is evident through his outstanding patient satisfaction scores, which have garnered well-deserved recognition at Fort Campbell. His passion for enhancing lives has led him to safely perform more procedures annually than many of his military counterparts. His surgical skills have even earned him the distinguished "Top Surgeon" Award."I love being an eye surgeon! It's extremely challenging and rewarding. I knew at the age of 7 that I wanted to be a doctor. The time I spend with patients before, during, and after surgery is me literally living my childhood dream and I am grateful every day for that opportunity," commented Dr. Giles. Hearing from my patients about their experience with Lasik Plus , and how their LASIK eye surgery changed their lives is humbling, exhilarating, and awe-inspiring all at the same time. This is true both for my patients at Fort Campbell who are honorably serving our nation, and for all my civilian patients, too." Read more about what patients are saying here.Learn more about Dr. Bryant Giles here.Book a free LASIK consultation with Dr. Giles or other trusted LASIK doctors on the LASIK.com network.Read more about Lasik Plusand its History - Our Promise and Commitment to patients remains the same as it has since the company was founded by a surgeon over 30 years ago: Providing patients across the country, red carpet' patient care & customer service, industry-leading value and affordability, with access to some of the most experienced LASIK physicians in the United States using advanced All-Laser LASIK technology.Contact InformationChris HornDirector - Marketingchorn@ lasikplus.com (866) 921-2392Marketing LeadershipMarketing Leadershipmarketing@ lasik.com (866) 921-2392SOURCE: LasikPlus Vision CenterView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 17:00:43 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 729 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Leading M&A Advisory Firm Adds Another Successful Transaction within the Residential Services Franchisee SectorJUPITER, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 /Boxwood Partners is pleased to announce a strategic investment in Punctual Pros ("the Company"), a leading franchisee within Authority Brands, by Broad Sky Partners, a middle market private equity firm focused on business services and consumer services businesses. Based in Lancaster, PA, the Company operates as a franchisee of One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky Electrical.Boxwood Partners, a leading boutique middle-market investment bank known for its deep experience with entrepreneur and family-owned businesses, acted as the exclusive sell-side advisor to Punctual Pros on the transaction. The transaction was led by Patrick Galleher (Managing Partner), Brian Alas (Managing Director), Clayton Patton (Vice President), Colby Carter (Associate), and Nick Logue (Analyst). The terms of the deal were not disclosed.Boxwood continues to solidify its reputation as the premier advisor within franchising. Punctual Pros marks the 2nd franchisee transaction within Authority Brands and the 7th residential franchisee transaction across the sector.Brian Alas, Managing Director at Boxwood Partners, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership's potential, stating, "Broad Sky's strategic investment will empower Punctual Pros with essential resources and strategic insight, catalyzing both organic and inorganic growth opportunities in existing and new markets." Established in 1958 as The Rohrer Company, Punctual Pros stands as a formidable entity within Authority Brands, boasting 113 full-time employees, including 65 trade professionals, and servicing 240 zip codes across the Lancaster, PA metropolitan area."We are grateful for the Boxwood team for their expert guidance and partnership throughout this process," said Matt Buckwalter, Founder and CEO of Punctual Pros. "The Boxwood team's intimate knowledge of both the franchise and residential services sectors were an invaluable asset in our negotiations, and we are extremely thankful that they helped us land such a fantastic partner in Broad Sky." "We were attracted to the strength of leaders Matt Buckwalter and Aaron Buckwalter who, along with their team, have driven key operational metrics and cultivated a values-driven, people-first culture. We look forward to supporting the Punctual Pros team, commented Jonathan Marlow, Partner at Broad Sky Partners. "We appreciate Boxwood's help in assisting us get this one across the finish line." Troy Rider and Paul Mattaini from Barley Snyder served as legal counsel to Punctual Pros while Brian Wassel and Andrew Rice from Trout CPA acted as the accounting advisor.About Boxwood PartnersBoxwood Partners, LLC is a boutique investment bank based in Jupiter, Florida with offices in Richmond, Virginia. Boxwood Partners combines a unique blend of senior-level transaction advisory, business operating experience, and proven process execution skills to give its clients a distinct advantage in the market. The firm's extensive relationships within the global capital and buyer communities (including U.S. and international private equity groups, corporations, and lenders) and other important transaction-related service providers such as consultants, attorneys, and accountants, ensure that the firm's clients receive the attention, service, and results they deserve. For more information about Boxwood Partners, please visit www.boxwoodpartners.com About Broad Sky PartnersBroad Sky Partners is a private equity firm that partners with leading middle market business services and consumer services companies. The firm offers a differentiated approach to sector-focused, thematic investing and value creation. Its Portfolio Resource Group is dedicated to helping companies capitalize on growth opportunities. Broad Sky is based in New York City. To learn more, visit www.broadskypartners.com About Punctual ProsPunctual Pros is a leading franchisee operator of three residential services brands, including One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, and Mister Sparky Electrical. Originally founded in 1958, the Company provides services to homes across Central Pennsylvania and surrounding areas covering 240 zip codes.About Authority BrandsHeadquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands' companies include 16 leading home service franchise brands: America's Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Color World Painting, DoodyCalls, DRYmedic Restoration Services, Homewatch CareGivers, The Junkluggers, Lawn Squad, Mister Sparky, Monster Tree Service, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Screenmobile, STOP Restoration, and Woofie's. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 2,800 territories operated by more than 1,200 franchise owners. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchise owner growth by providing strong marketing, technology, and operational support. See www.authoritybrands.com for more information.CONTACT:tnortman@ fishmanpr.com 847.945.1300SOURCE: Boxwood Partners, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-09 00:45:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1023 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP informs investors that the firm has filed a securities fraud class action lawsuit against agilon health, inc. (NYSE:AGL) ("agilon" or the "Company"). This action, captioned Hope v. agilon health, inc., et al., Case No. 1:24-cv-00305, was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and expanded the class period which was pled in a first-filed case in that same Court. After the Hope action was filed, another case was filed against agilon in another Court, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which even further expanded the class period as pled in the Hope action as that case is brought on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired agilon common stock between April 15, 2021, and February 27, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period").Important Deadline Reminder: The first-filed action in the Western District of Texas issued a notice of its filing pursuant to the federal securities laws which triggered the deadline of May 20, 2024, for any investors who purchased agilon common stock to seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. The filing of the Hope Action does not change the May 20, 2024, lead plaintiff deadline.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR AGILON LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/agilon-health-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=agl&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERELEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: MAY 20, 2024CLASS PERIOD: APRIL 15, 2021, THROUGH FEBRUARY 27, 2024CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Email at info@ ktmc.com DEFENDANTS' MISCONDUCTagilon is a healthcare and technology company that acts as an intermediary between physician groups that provide medical services to senior citizens and Medicare and Medicare Advantage insurers. One of agilon's key financial metrics is "medical margin," which the Company defines as medical services revenue less medical services expenses.The Class Period begins on April 15, 2021, which is the day after the Registration Statement was declared effective by the SEC and the first day agilon shares were publicly traded in connection with the IPO.Throughout the Class Period, Defendants repeatedly touted the strength of agilon's medical margin. Additionally, Defendants downplayed the significant cost pressures on the Company's medical margin and profitability. For example, on June 7, 2023, just days before other health insurers such as UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Humana Inc. reported significant increases in medical costs, Defendant Bensley, speaking at an analyst-sponsored healthcare conference, reported that Defendants "expect this year to generate somewhere around $550 million of medical margin," noting that the Company has seen "steady progress on medical margin upwards." Investors began to learn the truth about the cost pressures impacting agilon's medical margin and profitability on November 2, 2023, when the Company announced its third quarter 2023 financial results after the market closed. Critically, agilon reported a net loss of $31 million for the third quarter of 2023 and slashed its fiscal year 2023 medical margin to a range between $455 million and $470 million. Defendant Sell also assured investors that agilon's more conservative approach to guidance "should reduce the risk of negative claims development next year." On this news, the price of agilon common stock declined $3.78 per share, or more than 22% over two trading-days, from a close of $16.89 per share on November 2, 2023, to close at $13.11 per share on November 6, 2023.After several additional disclosures in November 2023, investors more fully learned the truth about the cost pressures on agilon's medical margin and profitability before the market opened on January 5, 2024, when agilon updated its fiscal year 2023 financial results and provided its initial outlook for 2024. Critically, agilon further slashed its 2023 medical margin guidance more than $100 million, to a range between $340 million and $360 million, due to "higher-than-expected medical costs." This represented a decline of more than 34% from the $550 million in medical margin it had predicted. On the related investor guidance call, Defendant Sell acknowledged that agilon "failed to recognize these elevated cost trends" and had "a data and analytics gap that led to [the Company] being late in both recognizing the magnitude and source of the utilization shifts." Defendant Sell further indicated that the increased cost trends were expected to persist through 2024. Also on January 5, 2024, Defendant Bensley announced that he would retire in 2024. On this news, the price of agilon common stock plummeted $3.45 per share, or nearly 29%, from a close of $12.08 per share on January 4, 2024, to close at $8.63 per share on January 5, 2024.Finally, on February 27, 2024, agilon disclosed that its 2023 medical margin had in fact come in at just $299 million for the year - far lower than the range of $340 million to $360 million provided just a few weeks prior. Furthermore, agilon slashed its 2024 medical margin guidance by 27%. On this news, the price of agilon common stock dropped from $6.48 per share when the market closed on February 27, 2024, to $6.04 per share on March 1, 2024, a 7% decline on abnormally heavy volume of a three-day period. In subsequent days, the price of agilon stock continued to decline, falling to a low of just $5.66 per share on March 6, 2024, more than 85% below the Class Period high.WHAT CAN I DO?agilon investors may, no later than May 20, 2024, 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 agilon investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information.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 PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 22:50:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 975 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. ("CO2 GRO" or the "Company") (TSXV:GROW)(OTCQB:BLONF)(Frankfurt:4021) CO2 GRO Inc., an innovation driven enterprise in agricultural technology, proudly announces the successful installation and commissioning of its largest commercial project to date at Hidroexpo's greenhouse complex in El Salvador.This 6-hectare (642,000 sq ft) block expansion marks a major milestone in scaling our state-of-the-art aqueous CO enrichment technology. It will enrich the yield and quality of the production of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers.Valued at approximately CAD $1 million, this project was finalized under a PFU (Pay-For-Use) contract announced earlier on June 20, 2023, evidencing Hidroexpo's confidence in CO2 GRO's aqueous CO enrichment technology.The system integrates advanced features such as misting and infusion system, and a Dynamic Monitoring & Control System, all controlled via an online digital dashboard for unparalleled efficiency and ease of use.This partnership has been fortified by a commercial contract after previous seasons' data showcased a 20%-30% increase in production. The enhanced yield is destined for sale across the United States.Rodrigo Martinez, General Manager of Hidroexpo shared his enthusiasm for the project:"We are very excited to begin using CO2 GRO's C-stainable Crop Enhancement technology on a wider scale than we have the past two seasons. The installation, undertaken by our maintenance crew with CO2 GRO's project management team's support, exemplifies the high-tech evolution of the system. Its continual development impresses us, instilling confidence in the promised benefits and future optimization through increasingly valuable real-time data." Aaron Archibald, CO2 GRO's VP Sales, reflected on the partnership:"Hidroexpo has been a fantastic customer and partner, contributing significantly to our development. Their expertise in greenhouse irrigation systems has been invaluable in refining our technology's installation processes. This supportive customer-partner relationship is crucial for our growth as we aim to continue scaling our technology's application within Hidroexpo's greenhouse complex and leveraging this scale-up experience in other commercial projects." The completion of this project not only underscores CO2 GRO's technological leadership but also reinforces its commitment to sustainable agriculture and productivity enhancement. It stands as a testament to the potential for our innovative precision ag technology to revolutionize the protected agricultural industry, promising increased yields, profitability, and environmental sustainability." For more information and to explore how CO2 GRO is contributing to a greener future in agriculture, visit https://co2gro.ca (English) or https://es.co2gro.ca (Spanish)About CO2 GRO Inc.CO2 GRO Inc. is a precision ag-tech, clean-tech company with a focus on People, the Planet and Prosperity. Our vision is to become one of the leading companies enhancing global food production from protected agriculture. By helping our customers sustainably increase yield and profitability, we could help feed up to half a billion people worldwide while reducing our customers' ecological footprint. Check out our webinar, corporate updates, and ESG report.About 300 million MT of fruit and vegetables are grown annually from about 5 million hectares of protected vegetable facilities globally (6 kg/m2/year of average production). A 30% yield increase using our technology could add up to 100 million MT of fruits and vegetables per year. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual fruit and vegetable consumption of up to 200 kg per year per adult.Our Target Market: The estimated 800 billion square foot global protected grower market is comprised of 700 billion square feet of fruits & vegetables (Cuesta Roble 2019 estimate), and an estimated 100 billion square feet of protected floriculture and other medicinal plants and non-food varieties.Our Technology: CO2 Delivery Solutions enriches plants with CO 2 by misting an aqueous CO2 solution directly onto plants grown in greenhouses and other protected grow facilities globally.Value Proposition: Approximately 98% of protected grow facilities globally cannot add CO 2 by atmospheric gassing, missing out on up to 30% increased yield potential and 100% more gross profit. CO2 GRO's technology enables all protected growers regardless of facility or location to enrich their plants with CO2 to realize up to 30% yield increases. In addition, our technology suppresses the growth of micro-pathogens such as E.coli and powdery mildew, leading to healthier crops. Growers currently employing CO2 gassing can save up to 90% of CO2 gas used, reducing their ecological footprint and production costs.Patent Protection: CO2 GRO's CO2 Delivery Solutions technology is protected by a suite of patents and patents pending.Business Model: Our technology is sold to growers based on the cultivation area installed at prices that provide a high return on their investment and high margins for our shareholders.Global Expansion: CO2 GRO's management is rapidly expanding its international marketing partner relationships into Mexico, Spain, the EU, the UK, South Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America as well as in its US and Canadian base.Environmental Social and Governance ESG: CO2 GRO is committed to good Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies and practices. We are an equal opportunity employer of choice and opportunity. Read copies of past reports here.Forward-Looking Statements and DisclaimerThis press release contains statements which constitute "forwardlooking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities. Forward looking information is often identified by the words "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: statements regarding the future direction of the Company; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business and financial objectives; plans for expansion and the ability of the Company to obtain, develop and foster its business relationships; and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not b PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 15:31:00 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 538 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / In an era where digital innovation is at the forefront of business success,DIGITECH Web Designhas been honored with the 'Web Design Agency of the Year' award at theNetty Awards . This recognition celebrates DIGITECH's exceptional creation of a "Matrix Raining Code Themed Agency Website Design," a project that not only showcases their unparalleled creativity and technical skill but also sets a new standard in the web design industry. This press release delves into the groundbreaking features and impacts of DIGITECH's award-winning project.Innovation and DifferentiationIn the competitive realm of web design, DIGITECH has distinguished itself by embracing a theme that pays tribute to the iconic "The Matrix" movie. This choice reflects a bold fusion of pop culture, futurism, and digital artistry, articulated through custom ASCII art and a captivating "raining code" visual effect. This innovative approach underscores DIGITECH's philosophy of pushing boundaries and their capability to merge technical excellence with unique creative vision, earning them accolades and admiration across the industry.Measurable Impact and SuccessDIGITECH's Matrix-inspired website transcends conventional goals of lead generation, aiming instead to manifest their design and technical capabilities. The project's success is evident in its significant impact on lead conversion rates and the distinct competitive edge it has provided the agency. Client and peer feedback highlights the website's unique appeal, affirming DIGITECH's position as a leader in creative web design.Creative Elements and ExecutionThe website's execution showcases DIGITECH's commitment to innovation, with features like a "raining code" preloader and ASCII logo animation welcoming visitors into a Matrix-themed digital world. The integration of ASCII art across the service area and portfolio sections, coupled with playful animations, demonstrates a meticulous blend of creativity and technical expertise. This attention to thematic consistency and detail elevates the user experience, setting a new benchmark for web development and design.Overall Excellence and Industry AdvancementDIGITECH's work on their Matrix-themed website is a landmark achievement that has garnered industry recognition, including an Honorable Mention on Awwwards.com . This project exemplifies how creative risks can lead to widespread acclaim and progress within the web design sector, inspiring future innovations.A Word from the CEOReflecting on this significant achievement, Darryl Stevens, CEO of DIGITECH Web Design, remarked, "It's incredible to see the hard work that we have put in helping brands grow over the last 13 years get the recognition that it deserves. We are excited about what the future holds!"About DIGITECH Web DesignLocated in the heart of Austin, Texas, DIGITECH Web Design is a leading agency dedicated to creating bespoke digital experiences. Their work, characterized by a commitment to excellence and innovation, spans various industries, showcasing their profound understanding of digital storytelling and design. For more information on DIGITECH Web Design and their pioneering projects, visit their website.About the Netty AwardsThe Netty Awards are a prestigious platform recognizing the achievements of leaders and companies shaping the digital age. Covering over 100 categories, the awards highlight excellence in Design, Social Media, Influencers & Creators, Web, Advertising & PR, and Apps & Software, celebrating those who drive the digital evolution forward.Contact InformationDarryl Stevens darryl@ digitechaustin.comhttps://www.digitechwebdesignaustin.com/ SOURCE: The Netty Awards PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 23:02:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 463 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 E-PASS customers can enjoy a 50% savings on their monthly toll bills starting April 1 as part of the statewide toll relief program.ORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / E-PASS customers can enjoy a 50% savings on their monthly toll bills starting April 1 as part of the statewide toll relief program announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis April 1, 2024. The savings apply to E-PASS and other Florida toll transponder customers driving two-axle vehicles recording 35 or more trips a month with no registration required to participate.E-PASS E-PASS Logo and URLAll E-PASS customers with the E-PASS sticker, the 19-state Uni portable toll passes, and the college-branded toll passes GatorPass, KnightPass and NolePass will receive the toll relief discounts on all toll roads and most bridges throughout Florida. E-PASS individual and business customers with vehicles that have three or more axles will continue to save up to 25% on tolls under the existing CFX Volume Savings Program."Putting customers first is always a priority for us, so we are pleased to partner with the state to pass toll savings on to our E-PASS customers," said CFX Executive Director Michelle Maikisch. E-PASS was the first electronic toll pass program in Florida beginning in 1994, now serving almost 1.6 million customers.Here is how the program works for E-PASS customers:Drivers with two-axle vehicles can save 50% on tolls per transponder each month, starting April 1. Accounts must be in good standing, and no registration is required to receive the credit. The discount applies when a transponder registers 35 or more transactions in a month on CFX and other Florida toll roads. The credit will be applied to the account the month after it is earned.The free E-PASS sticker is available at GetEpass.com , on the E-PASS mobile app, by calling 800-353-7277, visiting the downtown E-PASS walk-in service center, or in the E-PASS drive-up customer service Reload Lanes. All other E-PASS products are similarly available and can be purchased on Amazon.About E-PASSE-PASS is the regional prepaid toll program operated by the Central Florida Expressway Authority. E-PASS tolls collected on CFX expressways stay local and are reinvested back into the maintenance, operations, improvements, and expansion of the CFX system. The free E-PASS sticker transponder works on all toll roads and most bridges in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. The portable Uni works in 19 states and is available in black to blend into your windshield.About the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX)The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is an independent agency of the state that owns, operates, and maintains a regional network of expressways for 3.3 million residents and more than 75 million visitors in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties.Contact InformationBrian HutchingsManager of Community Engagementbrian.hutchings@cfxway.com 407-413-2391SOURCE: Central Florida Expressway AuthorityView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 19:46:42 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 830 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / VAP Group is pleased to announce the inaugural edition of the Global AI Show and the Global Blockchain Show scheduled to take place on April 16 and 17, 2024 at the Grand Hyatt, Dubai.The Global AI Show is a power stage hosting international and regional thought leaders in the artificial intelligence and the machine learning space, while the Global Blockchain Show will bring together experts from the web3 ecosystem to share their insights and discuss future opportunities in the rapidly-evolving industry.A wide range of themes will be discussed at both conferences in two days. At the Global AI Show, attendees will get a glimpse into an AI-powered future with keynote speeches on sectors such as healthcare, finance, retail, oil and gas unlocking new possibilities with the help of AI. Evolution of the digital ecosystem, data protection, blockchain in finance, gaming, metaverse and NFTs are some of the topics that will be discussed at the Global Blockchain Show.Jamie Metzl, a technology and healthcare futurist, will be navigating the implications of AI, genetics, and biotechnology revolutions. Attendees can get their copies of Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity signed and also get exclusive insights from Metzl's new book - Superconvergence: How the Genetics, Biotech, and AI Revolutions Will Transform our Lives, Work, and World.Dr. Divya Chander, a neuroscientist and medical futurist, will take us on a journey from brain reading to brain writing to closed-loop brain machine interface systems through her headliner at the Global AI Show. Another prominent speaker at the Global AI Show is H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security at United Arab Emirates Government, who will present a keynote on a future with AI.The Global Blockchain Show will showcase the dynamic landscape of blockchain technology. Among the distinguished speakers, H.E. Justin Sun, the visionary Founder of TRON and Member of the HTX Global advisory board, will take center stage. Renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to the blockchain space, Justin Sun will grace the event with his profound insights and forward-thinking vision. Additionally, Global Blockchain Show will feature a fireside chat with Lennix Lai, Chief Commercial Officer of OKX, who will encompass the yin and yang of crypto trading. Dominic Williams, Founder & Chief Scientist of DFINITY Foundation, will discuss the decentralized cloud vision of the DFINITY blockchain.Furthermore, the Global AI Show and the Global Blockchain Show are thrilled to have the world's first AI humanoid robot Sophia as their Official Ambassador. Sophia is a prime example of the wonders of artificial intelligence and robotics, converging technology with humanity. Her presence at the two events seeks to inspire attendees on the limitless possibilities of AI and web3 technologies.The Global AI Show and the Global Blockchain Show will feature a start-up village where start-ups and scale-ups will have the chance to power pitch their innovative ideas, technology and creations to investors, venture capitalists and big tech. A VAP Accelerator will be launched to serve as an incubator for ambitious start-ups. Meanwhile, a community stage at the Global Blockchain Show and the Global AI Show will be set up to focus on fostering inclusivity, collaboration, and engagement within the blockchain and AI community.An official awards ceremony will take place on April 17 at the Grand Hyatt, Dubai. The Global AI Awards and the Global Blockchain Awards seek to recognise excellence and innovation, and pay tribute to the trailblazers, innovators and guardians who tirelessly push the boundaries of possibility in the field of AI and blockchain technology.The Global AI Show and the Global Blockchain Show will finish with an afterparty at the luxurious White Beach at Atlantis, The Palm. Hosted by VAP Group, the afterparty provides a unique platform for industry experts and enthusiasts to mingle, exchange ideas, build valuable connections, explore potential collaborations, and unwind in a relaxed atmosphere.About VAP Group:VAP Group, an industry leader with over a decade of expertise in Web3 and Blockchain solutions, continues to revolutionize the landscape of digital innovation. Established in 2013, VAP Group has consistently delivered premium services including public relations, advertising, recruitment, content development, media, and management. Led by Mr. Vishal Parmar, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, VAP Group stands at the forefront of innovation, shaping the future of blockchain technology. Under his mentorship, the company has focused on pioneering strategies in PR marketing, influencer marketing, bounty campaigns, conferences, and campaigns, setting new benchmarks in the industry. What truly sets VAP Group apart is its dedication to creativity, uniqueness, and holistic solutions. By adopting an innovative and forward-thinking approach, VAP Group has distinguished itself as a beacon of innovation amidst the competitive landscape of blockchain consultancy.VAP Group is the organiser of Global Blockchain Show and Global AI Show, extraordinary platforms poised to redefine the landscape of blockchain and AI technology respectively, offering dynamic gatherings where the brightest minds converge to unlock the potential of these transformative technologies.ContactKriti Raj media@ globalblockchain.com SOURCE: Global AI PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 00:40:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 316 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 7, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. ("Lamb Weston" or "the Company") (NYSE: LW) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Lamb Weston is the subject of a report published by the Wall Street Journal on April 4, 2024. According to the Journal, "The company lowered its full-year forecast for sales to between $6.54 billion and $6.6 billion, and for adjusted earnings per share to a range of $5.50 and $5.65. Those numbers were down from prior guidance of sales between $6.8 billion and $7 billion and adjusted EPS to between $5.70 and $6.15. The report adds, "Chief Executive Tom Werner attributed the reduced guidance to soft near-term restaurant traffic trends and a transition to a new enterprise resource planning system in North America that has hurt its financial results more than expected." Based on this news, shares of Lamb Weston fell by more than 17.7% in morning trading on the same day.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT:The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq., www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 23:00:52 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 958 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 WINNIPEG, MB / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Medicure Inc. ("Medicure" or the "Company") (TSXV:MPH)(OTCPINK:MCUJF), a company focused on the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products for patients and prescribers in the United States market, today reported its results from operations for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023.Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2023 Highlights:Recorded total net revenue of $21.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $23.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Recorded total net revenue of $5.1 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2023 compared to $6.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2022 and; Recorded total net revenue from the sale of AGGRASTAT of $9.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $11.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Recorded total net revenue from the Marley Drug business of $9.6 million ($2.6 million from sales of ZYPITAMAG , and $7.0 million from other pharmacy revenue) during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $7.8 million ($1.5 million from sales of ZYPITAMAG and $6.3 million from other pharmacy revenue)for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Recorded net revenue through insured business from the sale of ZYPITAMAG of $2.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $3.6 million through insured business for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA1) for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1.9 million compared to adjusted EBITDA of $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and; Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $922,000 or $0.09 per share compared to net income of $1.4 million or $0.13 per share for the year ended December 31, 2022; the net loss is due in large part to non-cash expenses including $1.6 million of amortization on the purchase of ZYPITAMAG and Marley Drug, and $288,000 of share based compensation expense on stock options granted to employees and directors during the current year. Financial ResultsNet AGGRASTAT product sales for the year ended December 31, 2023, were $9.7 million compared to $11.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in AGGRASTAT revenues compared to the previous year is the result of a decrease in the volume of AGGRASTAT sold and pricing competition from generic tirofiban.ZYPITAMAG through insured channels contributed $2.4 million of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in revenue through insured channels is primarily as a result of higher wholesaler fees and coverage gap payments, and lower reimbursement from pharmacy benefit managers. This amount does not include sales of ZYPITAMAG through the Marley Drug business.The Marley Drug business contributed $9.6 million of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Marley Drug is a US pharmacy licensed to ship medications to all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. It serves thousands of customers and provides another channel for direct-to-consumer marketing, distribution and improved profit margin for ZYPITAMAG. The increase in revenue is a result of increased sales through marketing, fulfillment partnerships, its e-commerce platform, and increased sales of ZYPITAMAG.Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1.9 million compared to $3.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Decreased adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2023 resulted from lower AGGRASTAT net revenue and higher cost of goods, partially offset by lower R&D expenses.Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $922,000 or $0.09 per share compared to a net income of $1.4 million or $0.13 per share for the year ended December 31, 2022. The main factors contributing to the net loss recorded for the year ended December 31, 2023 were lower net revenue and higher selling expenses, partially offset by lower R&D expenses.At December 31, 2023, the Company had unrestricted cash totaling $6.4 million, up from $4.9 million of unrestricted cash held as of December 31, 2022. Cash flows from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 totaled $2.1 million compared to $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.All amounts referenced herein are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.The Company plans to hold an investor conference call in May 2024 to present the results for the three months ended March 31, 2024 with date and dial in information to be provided. The full financial statements are available at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.medicure.com NotesThe Company defines EBITDA as "earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other income or expense" and Adjusted EBITDA as "EBITDA adjusted for noncash and non-recurring items". The terms "EBITDA" and "Adjusted EBITDA", as it relates to the three months and year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 results prepared using IFRS, do not have any standardized meaning according to IFRS. It is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. About Medicure Inc.Medicure is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for the U.S. cardiovascular market. The present focus of the Company is the marketing and distribution of AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection and ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets in the United States, where they are sold through the Company's U.S. subsidiary, Medicure Pharma Inc. Medicure also operates Marley Drug, Inc. ("Marley Drug"), a pharmacy located in North Carolina that offers an Extended Supply drug program serving all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Marley Drug is committed to improving the health status of its patients and the communities they serve while reducing overall health care costs for employers and other health care consumers. For more information visit www.marleydrug.com . To learn more about The Extended Supply Generic Drug Program call 800.286.6781 or email info@ marleydrug.com . For more information on Medicure please visit www.medicure.com . For additional information about AGGRASTAT, please visit www.aggrastathdb.com or refer to the full Prescribing Information. For additional information about ZYPITAMAG, please visit www.zypitamag.com or refer to the full Prescribing Information.To receive investor and busine PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 18:34:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 645 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Bernstein Liebhard LLP:Do you, or did you, own shares of Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:KIND)?Did you purchase your shares between July 6, 2021 and November 8, 2022, inclusive?Did you lose money in your investment in Nextdoor Holdings, Inc.?Do you want to discuss your rights?Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the Class A common stock of Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. f/k/a Khosla Ventures Acquisition Co. II ("Nextdoor" or the "Company") between July 6, 2021 and November 8, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the "Complaint").If you purchased or acquired Nextdoor Class A common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later thanApril 29, 2024 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (i) Nextdoor's financial results prior to the merger were inflated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which pulled forward demand for Nextdoor's platform at the expense of future advertising revenue growth; (ii) rather than sustainable growth, the trend had begun reversing at the start of the Class Period; (iii) Nextdoor's total addressable market was materially smaller than the 312 million households represented to investors; and (iv) by the start of the Class Period, Nextdoor's most important market - the U.S. market - was already substantially saturated, impairing Nextdoor's ability to monetize users and increase its revenue per weekly active user ("ARPU").On November 8, 2022, Nextdoor reported that its revenues during the quarter declined sequentially by $1 million to $54 million, and that its quarterly ARPU growth was decreasing by 12% compared to the prior year quarter.On this news, the Company's stock price fell $0.26 or 11%, to close at $2.06 per share on November 9, 2022.If you purchased or acquired Nextdoor Class A common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2024 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.Contact Information:Peter AlloccoInvestor Relations ManagerBernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (212) 951-2030 pallocco@ bernlieb.com SOURCE: Bernstein Liebhard LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 20:13:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 583 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Global residential property management group continues rapid expansion across the U.S.STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN and MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Odevo, the rapidly expanding international leader in residential property management, announces its strategic move to strengthen its presence in the United States by appointing Paul S. Kaplan as the Chief Executive Officer for Odevo US.Paul Kaplan and Daniel LarssonThis appointment underscores Odevo's mission to become the leading force in the residential property management sector, leveraging the combined power of people and technology. Having entered the U.S. in 2022 with Florida-based KW PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & CONSUTLING, which Kaplan co-founded, Odevo has rapidly grown to make the U.S. its largest market within just 18 months."Paul Kaplan has an impressive track record of scaling a company from the ground up," Odevo Group CEO Daniel Larsson said. "Additionally, Paul's strategic vision and leadership skills make him uniquely qualified to oversee our continued U.S. expansion, in close collaboration with all our group companies and teams." Odevo has successfully expanded its U.S. portfolio to include renowned property management firms Spectrum AM and William Douglas, now managing over 400,000 homes and generating $225 million USD in revenue in the U.S. This reflects the company's strong momentum to further pursue growth and provide industry-leading services to homeowner associations across Europe and the U.S. Since its foundation, Odevo has achieved a thirtyfold increase in revenue and maintained an average annual growth rate of 71% between 2019 and 2023, with the group's revenue now exceeding $530 million USD.The appointment of Kaplan as CEO of Odevo US is a strategic one, aimed at strengthening the company's U.S. leadership. Kaplan, the co-founder and former CEO of KWPMC, has been an integral part of Odevo. Under his leadership, KWPMC grew to 2,600 employees and expanded its operations across Florida and the Bahamas."I am honored to continue my journey with Odevo and lead our U.S. operations," Kaplan said. "We built KWPMC from scratch into one of the largest companies in residential property management with an entrepreneurial spirit and core values that are similar to what I see in Odevo's team today. I look forward to continuing to work with our talented team to further our mission and deliver on our promise of enhancing the lives of millions of residents." Kaplan officially started his role in March 2024, reporting directly to Daniel Larsson, Group CEO at Odevo. The company warmly welcomes Kaplan to his new position and looks forward to his leadership in driving Odevo's success in the US market.Odevo plans to continue its strong growth journey, by increasing its portfolio of homes under management organically and attracting additional companies to join the group and expanding its service offerings. It is investing significantly in technology, expanding from four to 150 developers in just four years. This approach has secured leading positions in Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom and the United States in just a few years.About OdevoEstablished in 2019, Odevo is a fast-growing international company challenging the property management industry, not least through its focus on technology innovation. The Odevo Group consists of 5,500 employees and has an annual revenue of nearly $530 million USD. The average growth between 2019 and 2023 was 71% per year, about 14% of which was organic. Odevo plans to continue its strong growth and invites more companies to join their journey to transform the homeowner experience all over the world.Visit https://odevo.com For more information, contact:Eric Kalis, Boardroom PRtel: (954) 370-8999mail: ekalis@ boardroompr.com SOURCE: Odevo PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 15:00:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 502 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Onramp plans to ramp up its sales efforts to leverage the growing interest in bitcoin ownership and enhance our suite of investment solutions.DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 /Onramp, a bitcoin asset-management platform, proudly announces the expansion of its leadership team with the appointment of Mitch Kochman, formerly Director of Platform Sales at BitGo, as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)."Bringing Mitch on board is a game-changer for Onramp. His proven track record in driving significant revenue growth and understanding of the ecosystem aligns perfectly with our mission to simplify bitcoin ownership for our clients," said Michael Tanguma, CEO of Onramp.With over thirteen years of experience in the technology industry, Kochman joins Onramp from his most recent position as Director of Platform Sales at BitGo, where he helped companies navigate the FTX and Prime Trust fallout, while building the rails necessary to onboard the forthcoming wave of bitcoin adoption."Onramp's multi-institution custody solution is a breakthrough for the industry, reducing centralization risk as we build more resilient infrastructure that was not previously possible in traditional finance. I am thrilled to join Onramp and do my part to put the best solution for safeguarding bitcoin in as many hands as we can," said Mitch Kochman, Chief Revenue Officer, Onramp.As we approach the 2024 bitcoin halving, when the new supply issuance moves from 6.25 bitcoin to 3.125 for newly mined blocks, interest in bitcoin as an asset class continues to grow. Since the US launch of bitcoin ETFs, these products have acquired over 200,000 bitcoin (over 1% of the current circulating supply).While the success of these products demonstrates there was massive pent-up demand from customers looking for an easy way to allocate to bitcoin, we believe that our bitcoin investment solutions built on top of multi-institution custody, where clients can own bitcoin directly, offer a superior method of exposure for clients. With the ETF products, taking physical custody of the bitcoin or verifying it on the bitcoin blockchain is impossible. With Onramp, clients can hold real bitcoin without the single counterparty risk of an exchange or an ETF investment vehicle.Under Mitch's leadership, Onramp plans to ramp up its sales efforts to leverage the growing interest in direct bitcoin ownership and enhance our suite of investment solutions. Our goal is to demystify the process of investing in bitcoin and make it accessible to a wider audience, from individuals to large institutions. Mitch's extensive experience and innovative approach to sales and client engagement will be instrumental in achieving this vision.About OnrampOnramp offers best-in-class financial products and solutions to onboard HNWI, Family Offices, and Institutions to bitcoin the right way. With a focus on reducing counterparty risk through multi-institution custody and providing a straightforward way for clients to hold real bitcoin, Onramp's innovative platform and commitment to security and client service make it the go-to choice for investors looking to secure an allocation to bitcoin.Contact InformationMichael Tanguma CEOmichael@ onrampbitcoin.com 737-260-7979SOURCE: OnrampView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 22:30:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 718 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / SPETZ INC. (the "Company" or "Spetz") (CSE:SPTZ)(OTC:DBKSF) today is pleased to announce it is continuing to improve its cash flow through a debt conversion plan. This plan allows selected vendors and creditors to convert outstanding payments into common shares of Spetz.The plan includes the following conversions:Hybrid Financial Ltd - 260,554 shares, with a 4-month restricted period. ClearHouse LLP - 212,143 shares, with a 4-month restricted period. Yaron Kagan - 94,278 shares, with a 4-month restricted period. Amit Zomer - 5,557 shares, with a 45-day restricted period.The proceeds from this conversion plan will be used for general working capital purposes, further strengthening Spetz's financial position."This debt conversion plan is a testament to the trust that our partners have in Spetz and our future growth plans," said Yossi Nevo, CEO. "We are confident that this strategic move will enhance our financial flexibility and allow us to continue to execute on our vision for the company. We appreciate the continued support of our partners as we work to create long-term value for all our shareholders." About Spetz Inc.Spetz Inc. is a multinational technology company that operates Spetz, a global online, AI-powered marketplace platform that dynamically connects consumers to nearby top-rated service providers in around 30 seconds. Spetz is available in the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, and Israel. The Spetz vision is to reinvent how people around the world connect to services in their moment of need. Connecting them immediately with the top-matched service provider for any need, anytime, anywhere.Spetz Website: www.spetz.appSpetz Investor information: https://investor.spetz.app/ Company Contacts:Ofir FriedmanDirector and Chief Marketing OfficerEmail:ofir@ spetz.app Investor RelationsEmail:Investors@ spetz.appPhone: 647-956-6033NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE, NOR THEIR REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking StatementsCertain information in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "plans" "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or negatives of these terms and similar expressions. In this press release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to Spetz's ability to complete a "debt conversion plan".Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies and they may prove to be incorrect. In this press release, such assumptions include, but are not limited to, the ability of Spetz to complete a debt conversion plan.Forward-looking statements also necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including without limitation: risks associated with general economic conditions; the inability of Spetz to complete a debt conversion plan; the inability of Spetz to achieve growth; and increased competition in the mobile application and home-services market.Readers are cautioned that the foregoing is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. The purpose of forward-looking information is to provide the reader with a description of management's expectations, and such forward-looking information may not be appropriate for any other purpose. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as to the date hereof and are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change.SOURCE: Spetz Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 18:33:51 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 758 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Do you, or did you, own securities of Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:NOVA)?Did you purchase your securities between February 25, 2020 and December 7, 2023, inclusive?Did you lose money in your investment in Sunnova Energy International Inc.?Do you want to discuss your rights?NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Sunnova Energy International Inc. ("Sunnova" or the "Company") (NYSE:NOVA) between February 25, 2020 and December 7, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the "Complaint").If you purchased or acquired Sunnova securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Sunnova Energy International Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later thanApril 16, 2024 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, Sunnova provides energy as a service in the U.S. The Company offers electricity, operations and maintenance, monitoring, repairs and replacements, equipment upgrades, on-site power optimization, and diagnostics services. As of October 2023, the Company operated a fleet of residential solar energy systems purportedly serving over 386,000 customers.In September 2023, Sunnova entered into a $3.0 billion partial loan guarantee agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy's ("DOE") Loan Programs Office ("LPO") to support solar loans originated by Sunnova under a new solar loan channel named Project Hestia (the "LPO Loan"). In a press release detailing the LPO Loan, Sunnova stated that Project Hestia was expected to "provide disadvantaged homeowners and communities with increased access to clean, flexible power via Sunnova services by indirectly and partially guaranteeing the cash flows associated with consumers' loans" and that Sunnova's "purpose-built technology" was "designed to improve customer insights regarding their power usage and will facilitate demand response behavior." Throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Sunnova routinely engaged in predatory business practices against disadvantaged homeowners and communities, the same groups that Project Hestia was purportedly intended to benefit; and (ii) the foregoing conduct subjected the Company to a heightened risk of regulatory and/or governmental scrutiny, as well as significant reputational and/or financial harm.On December 8, 2023, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Chair of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Senator John Barrasso, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, sent a letter to the DOE and Sunnova seeking information related to the LPO Loan and Project Hestia following the release of the "disturbing" reports regarding the Company.On this news, Sunnova's stock price fell $2.00 per share, or 16.12%, to close at $10.41 per share on December 8, 2023.If you purchased or acquired Sunnova securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Sunnova Energy International Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2024 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.Contact Information:Peter AlloccoInvestor Relations ManagerBernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (212) 951-2030 pallocco@ bernlieb.com SOURCE: Bernstein Liebhard LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 16:02:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 469 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CLEVELAND, OH / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / In recent years, Cleveland's dining landscape has undergone a remarkable evolution, withSavour Hospitalityplaying a significant role in this transformation. Led by Cleveland nativeMalisse Sinito , who serves as president, Savour Hospitality has emerged as more than just a series of celebrated eateries. It now encompasses a distinguished city-center hotel, all with a shared commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences.The cornerstone of Savour Hospitality is Lockkeepers, a restaurantMalisse Sinitoopened with her husband Frank in 1992. What began as a quaint establishment soon outgrew its space, thanks to its focus on high-quality food and warm hospitality - a philosophy that remains at the heart of Savour Hospitality to this day. Lockkeepers' success story continued with a move to a larger location and a consistent presence onOpenTable 's Diners Choice top 10 list.Savour Hospitality's growth extends far beyond Lockkeepers. In 2017, Malisse Sinito and her husband Frank acquired the historic Guardian Trust Building. This acquisition led to the creation of Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar, a modern steakhouse housed within the opulent, restored bank hall. Marble Room offers a luxurious dining experience perfect for any evening out or memorable celebration. The menu boasts prime steaks, a curated in-house dry-aging program, an array of seafood and sushi options, an award-winning wine selection, and expertly crafted cocktails. In a remarkably short span of time, Marble Room has garnered acclaim, achieving the esteemed titles ofCleveland Magazine 's #1 downtown restaurant and #1 steakhouse in April 2023. With a commitment to, and passion for, hospitality, Savour Hospitality remains at the forefront of culinary excellence in Cleveland and beyond.Savour Hospitality took over management of the Marriott at Key Tower in 2023, and under its direction, the hotel has seen significant improvement in occupancy rates, gross revenue, and guest satisfaction. Savour has also transformed the guest experience at Key Center by adding a full-service spa, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a variety of restaurants including the award-winning Il Venetian, and a gourmet coffee shop.Key Tower's occupancy rate has risen to 95 percent under its management, and the Marriott at Key Tower has seen a substantial increase in hotel restaurant and lounge revenue. However, Savour Hospitality's focus goes beyond financial success. Sinito emphasizes the importance of her team, stating that "solid teams" and "like-minded people who share your passion" are essential. This commitment to employee empowerment translates to a focus on guest experience. Savour Hospitality prioritizes exceeding guest expectations by being attentive to detail, personalizing service, and actively seeking guest feedback.As Savour Hospitality looks to the future, Sinito states that they are not just resting on their laurels. With its commitment to exceptional food, service, and guest experience, Savour Hospitality is certain to remain a major player in Cleveland's vibrant dining scene for years to come.CONTACT:Andrew Mitchell media@ cambridgeglobal.com SOURCE: Cambridge Global PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 13:45:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 950 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TALLINN, ESTONIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 /Tokenzahas emerged as a pioneering force in the realms of Web3 and decentralized finance (DeFi), establishing a significant footprint in the ever-evolving digital economy landscape. At the epicenter of the Tokenza ecosystem is the TKZ token, which functions as both a pivotal medium for transactions and a tool for governance. This cutting-edge platform harnesses the power of blockchain technology to provide a diverse range of services, including financial operations and the development of decentralized applications (dApps). Its mission is to make financial services more accessible and to grant users greater autonomy over their digital assets. With Tokenza's ambitious project underway, including the development of its own blockchain designed for high throughput, it's an exciting time to explore what this platform has to offer.Exploring the Tokenza Ecosystem's OfferingsTokenza sets itself apart in the DeFi and Web3 spaces with its comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet various user requirements. It supports effortless peer-to-peer transactions and offers sophisticated tools for dApp creators, thereby establishing a comprehensive ecosystem. Below are some of the standout offerings within the Tokenza ecosystem:Tokenza Wallet: This proprietary digital wallet rivals other well-known wallets like Metamask and Trust Wallet in terms of functionality. It allows users to effortlessly buy, swap, and hold cryptocurrencies, providing a secure and user-friendly experience.Decentralized Exchange (DEX): The Tokenza DEX enhances the platform's capabilities by offering a decentralized platform for cryptocurrency trading that eliminates the need for intermediaries. This approach is in line with DeFi principles, promoting transaction security and privacy.Tokenza AI: This innovative feature marks Tokenza's venture into integrating artificial intelligence to improve user interactions and functionalities within its ecosystem. From refining trading strategies on the DEX to offering tailored recommendations for dApp development, Tokenza AI seeks to optimize processes and elevate the user experience.Central to Tokenza's ecosystem is the versatile TKZ token, which facilitates a decentralized and seamless financial journey for its users. Beyond its role as a transactional medium, the TKZ token grants holders governance rights, enabling them to influence major decisions within the platform. This multifaceted utility highlights the TKZ token's significance not just as a digital currency, but as a cornerstone of Tokenza's ecosystem.Advancing Web3 Services with Progressive TechnologiesTokenza is committed to improving user experiences in the Web3 domain through its adoption of Progressive Web Applications (PWAs). By leveraging PWAs, Tokenza offers a swift, dependable, and engaging platform accessible directly from web browsers, eliminating the need for separate app downloads. This approach is crucial for making Web3 services more approachable and user-friendly, particularly for newcomers to blockchain and DeFi. PWAs provide a smooth experience with fast loading times and offline functionality, effectively narrowing the gap between conventional web experiences and the innovative possibilities of Web3 technologies.Technological Innovations at TokenzaTokenza employs state-of-the-art technologies, such as Miner Extractable Value (MEV) algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance platform efficiency and security. Utilizing MEV algorithms helps mitigate issues related to front-running and transaction sequencing, promoting equitable transaction outcomes. Additionally, Tokenza AI significantly contributes to revenue generation through arbitrage and sandwich trading strategies, presenting investors with a distinctive opportunity for passive income generation with high potential returns.Referral and Community Engagement ProgramIt is the community and partnerships that fuel Tokenza's development and innovation. Participation in the community not only makes consumers feel more at home, but it also promotes teamwork and constructive criticism, two factors crucial to the process of constant development. Tokenza's referral program is a prime example of how the company's business strategy places an emphasis on community involvement. Tokenza offers referral incentives, binary bonuses, and matching bonuses to encourage users to invite others, which allows it to increase its user base via network effects.The referral program is a win-win: it promotes the platform and gives back to the community by rewarding their efforts to make it bigger. As a result of Tokenza's generous referral and team development benefits, users are incentivized to become advocates for the platform, which boosts investment and adoption-a win-win for everyone involved.Using Tokenization to Make Asset Ownership More AccessibleWith its groundbreaking tokenization strategy, Tokenza is transforming asset ownership. Real estate, artwork, and financial instruments are just a few examples of the things that may be fractionally owned using Tokenza's smart contracts. Because of this, regular people may diversify their financial portfolios and get access to assets that were previously out of reach.The monetary hurdles that tokenization eliminates have a significant influence on the democratization of asset ownership. Buying fractions of tokenized homes or artworks allows individuals with minimal means to invest in high-value assets. Everyone, regardless of their financial background or level of technological skill, may use Tokenza because of its intuitive UI.Tokenized assets now have a secondary market where investors may buy and sell them easily, improving liquidity. This increases market vibrancy and efficiency by making formerly illiquid assets more accessible and dynamic investment possibilities.Finally, Tokenza's Goals for Expansion in the Financial SectorTokenzaprovides a whole ecosystem that meets the demands of contemporary investors and consumers, and it is leading the charge to revolutionize DeFi and Web3 technologies. By prioritizing trust, immutability, and transparency, Tokenza has built a trustworthy platform that users can rely on to securely engage in the digital economy. The platform's novel method of tokenization, which democratizes asset ownership, creates new investment possibilities by making assets that were previously unavailable to a broader audience. Engaging with digital assets is made accessible and efficient for everyone by Tokenza's emphasis on liquidity solutions and user-friendly design.Looking forward, it is clear that Tokenza will have a significant impact on the development of DeFi and Web3 technologies. Tokenza helps people gain control of their own PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 15:00:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 444 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Tunis to Drive Exceptional Client Relationships and Strategic Growth in New RoleEATONTOWN, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Total Comfort Group, a national industry leader in HVAC/R, electrical, and plumbing systems, is excited to announce the promotion of Christian Tunis to Client Success Manager. In his new role, Christian will leverage his extensive experience and expertise to drive exceptional client satisfaction and retention as the company continues to grow nationally.A valued employee since 2018, Christian has been awarded the title of Client Success Manager following his leadership and contributions as Senior Account Manager. As Client Success Manager, Christian will spearhead efforts to deepen client relationships, ensuring each client receives personalized attention and tailored solutions to their unique needs.Drawing upon his background in strategic account management, Christian will develop and execute comprehensive account plans to foster long-term partnerships and drive mutual success.Moreover, Christian will serve as a dedicated advocate for clients within Total Comfort Group, championing their needs and interests across internal teams. By representing clients' voices and perspectives, Christian will play a crucial role in shaping the company's strategic direction and product development initiatives."We are thrilled to promote Christian Tunis to the role of Client Success Manager," said Daniel Eberenz, Vice President of Operations. "His proven track record of leadership and dedication to client satisfaction make him the ideal candidate to lead our client success efforts. We are confident that under Christian's guidance, we will continue to exceed our client's expectations and drive sustainable growth for Total Comfort Group." Christian expressed his excitement about his new role, stating, "I am honored to take on this new challenge and continue serving our clients excellently. TCG has always been committed to delivering exceptional service, and I look forward to further enhancing our clients' experience and driving meaningful outcomes for their businesses." With Christian at the helm as Client Success Manager, Total Comfort Group reaffirms its commitment to providing unparalleled service and support to clients nationwide.For more information about Total Comfort Group and its comprehensive HVAC/R, electrical, and plumbing solutions, please visit www.total-cg.com About Total Comfort GroupTotal Comfort Group is a leading commercial HVAC/R, electrical, and plumbing systems company. Since 2008, TCG has provided industry-leading installation, preventative maintenance, and repair services nationwide for multi-site commercial and retail operations. TCG takes pride in offering data-driven solutions, dependable technical consultation, on-schedule self-performance, and 24-hour support from our strategically located offices nationwide and a network of expert self-performing contractors. For more information, please visit www.total-cg.com Contact Information:Amanda BillinghamMedia Contactamanda@ mdidit.com 7326049354SOURCE: Total Comfort Group (TCG)View the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 19:02:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 336 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SPARTANBURG, SC / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Upright Education, a leading provider of tech skilling programs, is excited to announce a partnership with the University of South Carolina Upstate (USC Upstate) to offer high-quality tech bootcamps for adults looking to enter the industry. This collaboration aims to address the growing demand for tech talent in South Carolina by creating advanced pathways into roles within software development, data analytics, digital product design, and digital marketing.South Carolina has been experiencing a rebound from a labor shortage, with tech jobs emerging as a significant driver of economic growth across the state. USC Upstate has been at the forefront of initiatives to bridge the skills gap and foster workforce development. Now, with Upright Education as a partner, USC Upstate is poised to further strengthen its impact by offering industry-aligned tech bootcamps that are focused on outcomes."This partnership aligns with our overall mission to support our local workforce, and to ensure that Upstate businesses can find the skilled employees they need to be successful," said USC Upstate Provost Pam Steinke. "These bootcamps are a powerful complement to our degree programs." Upright programs are 100% online to provide flexibility, but 50% synchronous to ensure strong comprehension and application of new skills. Learners benefit from spending time with instructors and peers working through projects, assignments, and assessments. The program structure is designed to optimize for strong completion and placement rates."We are excited to join forces with USC Upstate to empower individuals with the skills they need to succeed in South Carolina's thriving tech industry," said Benny Boas, CEO of Upright Education. "Our programs are designed to prioritize outcomes, with high-quality curriculum taught by seasoned practitioners, and a career services team that provides unlimited job support to learners, ensuring they are prepared to excel in the workforce." For more information, visit the USC Upstate program page or Upright Education.Contact InformationPhilip ChangDirector of Partnershipspchang@ uprighted.com 9172513606SOURCE: Upright EducationView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-04-08 23:20:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1030 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LITTLETON, CO / ACCESSWIRE / April 8, 2024 / Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSE American:URG)(TSX:URE) (the "Company" or "Ur-Energy") is pleased to announce the appointment of John Paul Pressey and Elmer W. Dyke as new members of the Ur-Energy Board of Directors.Ur-Energy also announces the anticipated retirement of founding Director James M. Franklin and Director, and former President and CEO, W. William Boberg. Both will continue to serve the Board until the Company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders, June 6, 2024, though neither will stand for re-election at the Meeting. The Company is pleased that our new Board members will be able to benefit from this transition period prior to Dr. Franklin and Mr. Boberg's retirement from the Company.Ur-Energy Chairman and CEO, John Cash, stated, "We are excited to welcome John Paul (JP) Pressey and Elmer Dyke as Directors on Ur-Energy's Board. Mr. Pressey has nearly 30 years of valuable audit and assurance experience from his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, including 16 years as a partner. We are pleased that Mr. Pressey brings to our Board his wide-ranging experience having worked with numerous publicly traded companies, including international mining companies, while at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Dyke is widely known as a leader in the global nuclear community and brings 35 years' experience working in senior positions on issues such as the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear non-proliferation and marketing of nuclear fuel. Welcome aboard JP and Elmer. We look forward to working with you to advance Ur-Energy's interests as the world is increasingly turning to nuclear power."Personally, and on behalf of the Company, I wish to thank Dr. Jim Franklin and Mr. Bill Boberg for their many years of unwavering service to Ur-Energy. While their contributions are too many to list, it is worth noting that Jim Franklin was a founding Director of Ur-Energy when he and original management of the Company recognized in the early 2000s the impending uranium supply gap. Jim's assessments were accurate, and the timely formation of Ur-Energy positioned us to grow the Company to our current ability to capitalize on a strong market for nuclear fuel. Bill Boberg contributed throughout the years serving as a Director and an executive of the Company, but he is perhaps best known for the acquisition of the Great Divide Basin assets in Wyoming, including the property which became our flagship producing mine, Lost Creek. Jim and Bill, thank you so much for your guidance over the years. Without your leadership, Ur-Energy simply would not be the strong company it has become." John Paul Pressey had a nearly three-decade long career in the assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, with 16 years as a partner. With a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, Mr. Pressey is a Chartered Professional Accountant with extensive experience working with U.S. and Canadian publicly traded companies in the mining industry, and other industries including manufacturing, utilities, and alternative energy. His experience includes acquisitions and capital markets transactions, working with clients to identify and implement practical business solutions to accounting, audit and financial issues. Well-respected for his ethics and integrity, Mr. Pressey spent six years at PricewaterhouseCoopers as its Assurance Leader for British Columbia, overseeing all aspects of PricewaterhouseCoopers's assurance results and operations for that Province. Mr. Pressey has significant experience presenting to and working with boards of client companies and has facilitated sessions at the Institute for Corporate Directors.Elmer Dyke is a recognized global leader in the commercial and government nuclear industry with over 35 years' experience. Mr. Dyke has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Political Economy from Davidson College and served as a U.S. Army Officer for thirteen years. Mr. Dyke's professional career includes a tenure with the U.S. Department of State during which he directed international security programs, including nuclear nonproliferation and high technology projects and was detailed to the Departments of Defense and Commerce. Mr. Dyke has worked within global firms NAC International and Booz Allen Hamilton where he served as an expert on nuclear nonproliferation, strategy and nuclear fuel cycle. More recently, Mr. Dyke filled senior executive roles at Centrus Energy Corporation, a global nuclear fuel supplier and technical services provider. At Centrus Energy and in prior executive roles, Mr. Dyke led strategic planning and business development, financial performance, and risk management for the businesses. Currently, Mr. Dyke leads New Horizons Nuclear Associates, LLC, a global nuclear consulting firm he formed in 2022. Mr. Dyke is intimately involved with the entire nuclear fuel cycle and has served terms on the board of directors of the World Nuclear Association and the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council.About Ur-EnergyUr-Energy is a uranium mining company operating the Lost Creek in-situ recovery uranium facility in south-central Wyoming. We have produced, packaged, and shipped approximately 2.8 million pounds U3O8 from Lost Creek since the commencement of operations. Ur-Energy has all major permits and authorizations to begin construction at Shirley Basin, the Company's second in situ recovery uranium facility in Wyoming and is in the process of obtaining remaining amendments to Lost Creek authorizations for expansion of Lost Creek. UrEnergy is engaged in uranium recovery and processing activities, including the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of uranium mineral properties in the United States. The primary trading market for UrEnergy's common shares is on the NYSE American under the symbol " URG." UrEnergy's common shares also trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol " URE." Ur-Energy's corporate office is in Littleton, Colorado and its registered office is in Ottawa, Ontario.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT John W. Cash, Chairman, CEO & President720-981-4588, ext. 303 John.Cash@Ur-Energy.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws regarding events or conditions that may occur in the future (e.g., when the Company will receive all remaining regulatory authorizations for the Lost Creek expansion; the ability to progress the planned construction and buildout of Shirley Basin as currently projected; and what further growth of the Company is achieved and on what timing) and are based on current expectations that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, inherently involve The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the remand of a top executive of crypto company Binance in a prison in Abuja after postponing the hearing of his bail application for 11 days. The judge, Emeka Nwite, ordered Tigran Gambaryans remand in prison pending the hearing of his bail application, expected to come up on 18 April. Mr Nwite issued the remand order after the defendants arraignment on five counts of money laundering on Monday. The judge, in issuing the order, agreed with the contention of the prosecution that the appropriate place of remand of a defendant after arraignment is the correctional centre. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, on 28 March, charged Mr Gambaryan alongside Binance and another of the companys top executives, Nadeem Anjarwalla. But only Mr Gambaryan was available for arraignment before the trial judge on Monday. EFCC wrote in the charges that Mr Gambaryans colleague and co-defendant, Mr Anjarwalla, who reportedly escaped from lawful custody in Abuja last month, was on the run. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Gambaryan pleaded not guilty to the five counts charged by the EFCC when read to him in open court on Monday. The judge recorded a plea of not-guilty plea for Binance, based on the request by the prosecuting lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho. In the five counts, EFCC accused the three defendants of committing money laundering offences involving $35.4 million. Objection dismissed Earlier, the court dismissed Mr Gambaryans objection to mode of service of the charges. Mr Gambaryans lawyer, Mark Mordi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had contested that Binance as a corporate entity must be served the charges either in person or by substituted means for an arraignment to take place. But, in his ruling, the judge held that Messrs Gambaryan and Anjarwalla had deposed to an affidavit that they had been in Nigeria since February to meet the Nigerian government as representatives of the crypto exchange firm. Therefore, the judge said Mr Gambaryans refusal to accept service of the charges on behalf of Binance was unlawful. Subsequently, the judge ordered the remand of Mr Gambaryan at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja until 18 April, when the defendants bail request will be heard and determined. Arguments over Kuje detention In an impassioned tone on Monday, Mr Gambaryans lawyer, Mr Mordi, appealed to the judge to either hear his clients bail application on Thursday or order his remand in the custody of the prosecuting agency, the EFCC. The lawyer recalled that Mr Gambaryan had been held for upward of 40 days against statutory provisions. The 2nd defendant (Mr Gambaryan) has been in detention for upward of 40 days. He has been held for 40 days. This is a foreign national. I urge the court to order that he be detained by the EFCC, He is debilitated and devastated by the conditions under which he is kept, Mr Mordi said. However, EFCCs lawyer, Mr Iheanacho, said the appropriate place for Mr Gambaryans custody post-arraignment was the correctional centre in Kuje, Abuja. He argued that many Nigerians had been remanded in United States prisons on account of criminal trials. This defendant should be detained at the correctional centre after the arraignment. There have been Nigerians who had been convicted in the U.S and were detained in their prisons, the judge ruled. The judge then postponed the hearing of the bail application until 18 April and fixed 2 May for commencement of trial. Other case In a separate case instituted by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the prosecution accused Binance and its executives of tax frauds. FIRS filed the case on 22 March Count one alleged that while involved in carrying and offering services to subscribers on their platform, known as Binance, they failed to register with the FIRS for the purpose of paying all relevant taxes administered by the service. Count two alleged that while they were offering taxable services to subscribers on their trading platform known as Binance, they failed to issue invoices to those subscribers for the purposes of determining and payment of their Value Added Tax (VAT). Count three accused them of offering services to subscribers on their trading platform in the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies and the remittance and transfer of those assets, and that having offered those services, it was obliged to deduct VAT and did fail to deduct necessary VAT arising from their operations. In count four, the prosecution accused them of offering services to subscribers on their trading platform and aiding and abetting those subscribers to unlawfully refuse to pay taxes or neglect to pay those taxes. The alleged offences, according to the prosecution, are punishable under Sections 8 and 29 of the VAT Act of 1993 (as Amended), Section 40 of the FIRS Establishment Act, 2007 (as amended) and under provisions of Section 94 of the Companies Income Tax Act (as amended) respectively. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a mobile application that allows citizens to track the activities and performance of ministries and government agencies using their deliverables and key performance indicators. The mobile application, which is tagged: Citizens Delivery Tracker, was unveiled by the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Coordination Delivery Unit (CDCU), Hadiza Usman, at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, on Monday, 8 April. Ms Usman said the new application is an upgraded version of the previous Delivery Tracker, which would provide a strong feedback loop between the government and the people. Ms Usman speaks According to her, the CDCU aims to build public trust in the government and promote transparency and accountability at all levels with the delivery tracker. In arriving at the deliverables and key performance indicators, the CDCU, supported by development partners and consultants, held numerous bilateral meetings with all the Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, and their respective technical teams over six weeks. The bilateral sessions looked at the mandate of the respective ministries in line with the Presidential Priority Areas and arrived at the final deliverable and KPIs, she said. Ms Usman listed some of the areas of priority including reforming the economy to deliver sustained inclusive growth; strengthening national security for peace and prosperity; boosting agriculture to achieve food security, and unlocking energy and natural resources for sustainable development. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Others are to enhance infrastructure and transportation as growth enablers; focus on education, health, and social investment as essential pillars of development; accelerate diversification through industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing, and innovation, and improve governance for effective service delivery. The presidential aide also noted that the CDCU would ensure that data and information released on the app to the public are accurate and credible. She added: We are working to ensure that people cannot decline, dodge, or dispute our data. So, we are looking to have data from the NBS and work in collaboration with MDAs to ensure accuracy. Part of citizen engagement is for citizens to point out our errors, allowing us to query our own data whether credible or not. We are trying to strengthen the NBS capacity to ensure credibility. So, that means anything outside of the approved government data will not be recognised. The government needs to invest in data, recognise the need for data integrity, and hold on to that. She said the platform is currently available as a web link on the CDCU website and will soon be available as an app for download. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Defence Headquarters has confirmed that an officer was killed in an ambush by terrorists in Borno State. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, in a statement on Sunday, said the ambush happened along the Buratai-Buni Gari road in Borno. Mr Bubas statement confirms a PREMIUM TIMES report of the incident which sources said led to the death of the officer, a lieutenant. The spokesperson said the lieutenant died in the ambush while four other personnel, who sustained injuries in action, were receiving treatment. He, however, said the troops reinforcement pursued the terrorist to their hideout within the Timbuktu Triangle and killed six of them. According to him, troops recovered five AK 47 rifles and 103 rounds of the 7.62mm special ammunition. The remaining terrorist ran in disarray and the troops are in hunt of the remnant terrorist that fled the firefight, the major general said. How it happened The ambushed soldiers were attached to the forward operational base in Buratai, under the Nigerian Army 27 Task Force Brigade in Buni Gari, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, military sources briefed about the incident told PREMIUM TIMES. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The 27 Task Force is one of the units fighting Boko Haram terrorists in Northeast Nigeria. Mr Maidawa was leading troops to Damaturu, Yobe State capital, on Friday, to buy fuel when their convoy was ambushed around Kamuya and Azare villages in Biu LGA, our source said, asking not to be named for fear of victimisation by the army. The terrorists exploited the forest area and the bad road network to launch the ambush. The ambush by terrorists in Borno came less than a month after some suspected residents of the Okuama in Delta State, on 14 March, ambushed and murdered the Commanding Officer of 181 Army Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain and 13 soldiers. The troops were responding to a distress call arising from a clash between Okuama and Okoloba communities in the South-southern state. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Leading Nigerian media and civil society organisations have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Nigerian government to investigate the abduction, brutalisation and torture of Segun Olatunji, Editor of FirstNews newspapers, by the military. The groups, in a statement early Monday, also demanded prosecution of the perpetrators as well as compensation and public apology to Mr Olatunji. The statement, which detailed various forms of rights vioations and dehumanisation Mr Olatunji went through at the hands of military personnel during his 14-day detention, called for full accountability for all the perpetrators within and outside the military. Mr Olatunji was stripped to his boxers, legs manacled, hands in cuffs, kept incommunicado and not informed of his offence or the reason for his arrest nor of his rights as required by law, as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution, the statement said Monday. Mr Olatunji, who was abducted from his home in Lagos on 15 March, was only released on 28 March. In accordance with Section 35(6) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Federal Government should pay Mr. Olatunji substantial compensation and issue a public apology to him for the unlawful and unconstitutional violation of his rights as well as the inhuman and degrading treatment to which he was subjected; and The federal government should make an unequivocal public commitment to respect and defend the rights and freedoms of journalists and other media practitioners to carry out their professional duties in a safe and conducive environment in accordance with Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and advise all law enforcement, security, intelligence, military and other agencies accordingly, their demands read in part. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The groups gave the federal government 14 days from Monday to address their demands. Should the federal government fail to respond positively to all these demands within 14 days from today, the undersigned media associations and professional bodies as well as civil society organisations will pursue all available mechanisms at the national, regional and international levels to ensure compliance with our demands, the statement added. Those who signed the statement include, President, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) / President, Nigerian Press Organisations (NPO), Kabiru Yusuf, and Executive Secretary, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Yemisi Bamgbose. They also include the President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Eze Anaba; National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo; President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Maureen Chigbo, and President, International Press Institute, Nigeria Chapter (IPI Nigeria), Musikilu Mojeed. The rest are Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Edetaen Ojo; Executive Director, International Press Centre (IPC), Lanre Arogundade, and Director, Socio-Economic Rights & Accountability Project (SERAP), Adetokunbo Mumuni. Background Mr Olatunji, the editor of FirstNews, was abducted from his home in Lagos, South-west, on 15 March and detained for about 14 days. The abduction was in response to stories published by his media outlet. Hours later he was blindfolded and flown to Abuja on a military aircraft. The military authorities initially denied Mr Olatunjis abduction until the evening of 27 March when they admitted detaining the journalist. PREMIUM TIMES reported that when confronted by three journalists associations in Nigeria, the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, a general, and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Emmanuel Undiandeye, a major general, lied that the journalist was not in their custody. Mr Olatunji would later narrate his ordeals from the time of his abduction to his detention after his release. We hereby demand a speedy, public, transparent and independent investigation into this act of barbarism displayed by military personnel as well as the brazen disregard for the Constitution and the Governments obligations under relevant domestic laws and international instruments, the statement signed by nine media and civil society organsiations stated. Read below the statement of media and civil society organisations on abduction of Segun Olatunji, Editor of FirstNews newspapers, by military personnel: Media Bodies, CSOs Demand Investigation into Segun Olatunjis Detention and Prosecution of Perpetrators 8 April 2024 The undersigned media organisations, media associations and professional bodies as well as civil society organisations wish to express our deep concern and strong condemnation regarding the recent unlawful arrest, detention, brutalisation and torture of Mr. Segun Olatunji, Editor of FirstNews newspapers, by military personnel in response to stories published by the media outlet. We hereby demand a speedy, public, transparent and independent investigation into this act of barbarism displayed by military personnel as well as the brazen disregard for the Constitution and the Governments obligations under relevant domestic laws and international instruments. We further demand that all persons within and outside the military who are found to have been connected with this unacceptable violation of the rights of the journalist and the Constitution, including those who effected Mr. Olatunjis arrest, detention and torture, those who directly commanded them, and those who ordered or instigated the action, should be prosecuted before the appropriate court and punished to the full extent of the Law. The Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), who commands the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, reportedly ordered the operation that culminated in Mr Olatunjis abduction, torture, and detention while the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to whom the CDI reports, was also reportedly aware of the operation but joined the CDI to claim for days that the journalist was not in their custody. They need to be held accountable for their roles in the matter. Armed men wearing military uniforms and who introduced themselves as military personnel from the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), led by a military officer who also introduced himself as Colonel Lawal, invaded Mr. Olatunjis home in a Lagos suburb on March 15, 2024, seized Olatunjis mobile phone, handcuffed and bundled him in one of their vehicles and flown , blindfolded to Abuja where he was kept in an underground cell for 14 days. Stripped to his boxers , legs manacled hands in cuffs, kept incommunicado and not informed of his offence or the reason for his arrest nor of his rights as required by Law, as guaranteed under the Constitution, Olatunji was only released on March 29, 2024. He was repeatedly interrogated about stories published by FirstNews in the absence of a legal practitioner of his choice because he was not given the opportunity to consult a lawyer. His mobile phone was also unlawfully searched in an effort by his abductors to ascertain the sources of the stories published by the news outlet. Given the above, we unequivocally condemn this gestapo-like, unlawful and unconstitutional treatment of a journalist under a constitutional democracy simply for doing his job and therefore demand that: * The Federal Government conducts a speedy, public, transparent and independent investigation into the incident in order to identify all persons within and outside the military who were connected with the violation of Mr. Olatunjis rights; * There should be full accountability for all those responsible. Therefore, all persons within and outside the military who are found to have been connected with the incident, including those who effected Mr. Olatunjis arrest, detention and torture, those who directly commanded them, and those who ordered or instigated the action, should be prosecuted before the appropriate court; * In accordance with Section 35(6) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Federal Government should pay Mr. Olatunji substantial compensation and issue a public apology to him for the unlawful and unconstitutional violation of his rights as well as the inhuman and degrading treatment to which he was subjected; and * The Federal Government should make an unequivocal public commitment to respect and defend the rights and freedoms of journalists and other media practitioners to carry out their professional duties in a safe and conducive environment in accordance with Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and advise all law enforcement, security, intelligence, military and other agencies accordingly. * Advised any member of the public, dissatisfied or feel the content in a news medium directly affects or involves him or her unfairly, to approach the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC) (The National Media Ombudsman) for redress, rather than engage in self-help. Should the Federal Government fail to respond positively to all these demands within 14 days from today, the undersigned media associations and professional bodies as well as civil society organisations will pursue all available mechanisms at the national, regional and international levels to ensure compliance with our demands. Mal. Kabiru A. Yusuf President, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) / President, Nigerian Press Organisations (NPO) Dr. Yemisi Bamgbose Executive Secretary, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) Eze Anaba President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) Comrade Chris Isiguzo, MFR National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Maureen Chigbo President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) Musikilu Mojeed President, International Press Institute, Nigeria Chapter (IPI Nigeria) Edetaen Ojo Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) Lanre Arogundade Executive Director, International Press Centre (IPC) Adetokunbo Mumuni Director Socio-Economic Rights & Accountability Project (SERAP) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Police Command in Edo on Sunday explained why it detained one Christopher Owegie whose wife died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) on Saturday. A statement by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Funsho Adegboye, said Mr Owegie was briefly detained after assaulting the medical doctor who attended to the wife before she died. According to the statement made available to journalists in Benin by Chidi Nwabuzor, the commands spokesperson, Mr Adegboye said Mr Owogie was kept in safe custody, counselled for about an hour, and released unconditionally. On the 6th of April 2024, one Mr Owegie Christopher was said to have taken his wife, who was in a state of comma, to the UBTH Benin for treatment. The woman was attended to by a medical doctor, one Dr Osaretin Asemota, who stabilised her condition at a time but she later gave up the ghost while receiving treatment and was confirmed dead by the medical doctor. The news of the womans death enraged her husband, Mr Owegie Christopher, to the extent that he attacked and assaulted Dr Osaretin Asemota and accused him of being deceptive for asking him to buy expensive medicines for his wife when he knew she would eventually die. He swore to make the doctor go through the same pain he went through, he said. Mr Adegboye said that the doctor, who was rescued by his colleagues and the hospital security personnel, lodged a complaint against Owegie at the Ugbowo Police Division in Benin. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The commissioner explained that the husband was subsequently apprehended, and their statements were taken while the suspect was kept in safe custody and later released. The essence of his peaceful safe custody is strategic, proactive and geared towards getting him rid of evil thoughts that may lead him to commit suicide or cause harm to himself and even others as a result of the agony of losing his wife, he added. The commissioner of police advised citizens to be guided by the law in all circumstances and avoid being controlled by negative emotions when dealing with issues, especially in public spaces. He also advised those who are on essential services to step up their duties in saving humanity and putting smiles on the faces of people whom they took oaths to serve. Adegboye appealed to the association of resident doctors at the hospital, who threatened to embark on strike due to the assault, to shelve the plan for the sake of innocent patients in their care. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has warned bank customers to desist from using foreign currency as collateral for naira loans. Acting Director, Banking Supervision Department of the CBN, Adetona Adedeji, gave the warning in a statement on Monday, in Abuja. Mr Adedeji said that the current practice of using foreign currency-denominated collaterals for naira loans would only be allowed in the case of Eurobonds issued by the federal government. He said that guarantees of foreign banks, including standby letters of credit would also be allowed. In this regard, all loans currently secured with dollar -denominated collaterals other than as mentioned above should be wound down within 90 days. Failing which such exposures shall be risk-weighted 150 per cent for Capital Adequacy Ratio computation in addition to other regulatory sanctions, he said.(NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Amnesty International, a human rights organisation, has called on the Nigerian government to withdraw the 21-day ultimatum given to residents of waterfront communities in Oworonshoki to vacate their homes. The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) had ordered the residents to vacate or be forcefully evicted over alleged contravention of the NIWA Act. The residents told Amnesty International that the proposed demolition has been prompted by alleged plans by the Lagos State government to sell the area to private estate developers. They alleged that the plan had been made without consideration for alternative accommodation, thereby rendering the residents homeless. This fresh threat of forced eviction violates the right to adequate housing of the communities. NIWA and the Lagos government must halt these attacks on poor communities that are punished for the states urban planning failures. The trend in which Lagos authorities forcibly evict communities and hand over the land to private developers will only create a mega city that excludes the poor, the Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi said. The group noted that the Lagos State government has been consistently violating the residents right to adequate housing and in some cases, doing so with utter disregard for court orders. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later It said that NIWA and the state government have an obligation to comply with international human rights law, which completely prohibits forced evictions. Recall that between 24 July to 1 August 2023, the Lagos State government forcibly evicted thousands of residents of Oke-Eri, Oluwaseyi, Cornerstone, Ogo-Oluwa and other communities of Oworonshoki, without consultation and adequate notice. The action left more than 7,000 buildings either burned or demolished. Between November 2016 and April 2017, Lagos State authorities also forcibly and violently evicted more than 30,000 residents from the Otodo-Gbame community on the outskirts of Lagos city. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The operatives of the FCT police command have arrested a suspected armed robber, Chukwuemeka Oputa a.k.a Pounds and Dollar, and four members of his gang over a series of armed robberies in the territory. The spokesperson for the command, Josephine Adeh, a superintendent of police, said this in a statement on Monday. She said the arrest of Mr Oputa, a 38 years old native of Njaaba in Imo State on 4 April, was consequent upon the apprehension of one Moses Hassan, a native of Idda, Kogi State, who is a cultist and member of the armed robbery gang. Mr Hassan was apprehended on 14 February. Ms Adeh said the investigation subsequently led police operatives to the arrest of other three gang members, namely Praise Etta (30), Rafael Dav a.k.a Raffy, (28) and Thomas Akange (38). The police spokesperson said the suspects have since confessed to being involved in offences as well as their membership of a cult group. Investigation subsequently led police operatives to the arrest of three other gang members, namely: Praise Etta, 30 years old, of Etung, Cross River State; Rafael Dav A.K.A. Raffy, 28 years old, of Guma, Benue State; and Thomas Akange, 38 years old, of Markudi, Benue State. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later All the suspects have since confessed to being involved in a series of armed robberies and other heinous crimes in FCT and are also members of a confraternity cult group called Vikings, the statement said. Ms Adeh also said several exhibits, such as four locally fabricated AK47 rifles, three locally made rifles using cartridges, an English pistol, one locally made pistol, a Dane gun, and three (3) AK47 ammunitions, a 5.56mm assault ammunition, and an empty cartridge, were recovered from the suspects. Read the full statement below FCT COMMAND FCT POLICE ARRESTS NOTORIOUS ARMED ROBBERY KINGPIN, 4 OTHERS, RECOVERS EXHIBITS. The operatives of the FCT police command, on April 4, 2024, at about 2:00 PM, arrested one Chukwuemeka Oputa A.K.A. Pounds and Dollar m, 38 years old, of Umuaka, Njaba, Imo State, and the leader of an armed robbery gang responsible for a series of armed robberies and other heinous crimes in FCT. His arrest is consequent upon the apprehension of one Moses Hassan m of Idda, Kogi State, a cultist, and member of the armed robbery gang, on February 14, 2024. The investigation subsequently led police operatives to the arrest of three other gang members, namely: Praise Etta, 30 years old, of Etung, Cross River State; Rafael Dav A.K.A. Raffy, 28 years old, of Guma, Benue State; and Thomas Akange, 38 years old, of Markudi, Benue State. All the suspects have since confessed to being involved in a series of armed robberies and other heinous crimes in FCT and are also members of a confraternity cult group called Vikings. Several exhibits, such as four (4) locally fabricated AK47 rifles, three (3) locally made rifles using cartridges, an English pistol, one locally made pistol, a Dane gun, and three (3) AK47 ammunitions, a 5.56mm assault ammunition, and an empty cartridge, were recovered from the suspects. While effort is on top gear to recover other exhibits in possession of the suspects, the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, psc, mni, wishes to reiterate his unflinching commitment to making FCT inhabitable for criminals. He also urges residents to be vigilant and to always take advantage of the Police emergency lines to report suspicious activities through: 08032003913, 08028940883, 08061581938, 07057337653 PCB: 09022222352, CRU: 08107314192 SP Josephine Adeh, Anipr, Police Public Relations Officer, For: The Commissioner of Police, FCT, Abuja. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerian club Rivers Uniteds dream of reaching the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals was shattered after a 2-0 defeat to USM Alger in the second leg of their quarter-final clash on Sunday night. Despite holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg played in Nigeria, the Pride of Rivers were ultimately outclassed by the reigning champions. USM Alger overturned the deficit with a dominant display, securing a 2-1 aggregate victory. Malian striker Abdullah Kanou emerged as the hero for the Algerian side, netting both goals. He opened the scoring in the 37th minute from close range and added a crucial second in the 74th minute, extinguishing any hopes of a Rivers United comeback. The contest USM Alger started with a clear attacking intent, pressuring the Nigerian side from the outset. Their persistence paid off with Kanous first-half strike. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The second half saw them maintain control, although the midfield became more congested. Rivers United threatened briefly when Andy Ogbais header rattled the crossbar in the 72nd minute, but Kanous second goal shortly after sealed the deal for USM Alger. FT (Agg 2-1) USMA 2-0 Rivers United Our run in the CAF Confederation's Cup comes to an end. #USMARIV Rivers United FC (@RiversUnitedFC) April 7, 2024 Victorious USM Alger will now continue the quest to defend their title as they face Moroccan club RS Berkane in one of the semi-final pairings later this month. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United States Navy has shared with PREMIUM TIMES fresh insights about the service of its recently deceased officer, Oriola Michael Aregbesola, who renounced his Nigerian citizenship after his enlistment in 2020. The United States Department of Defence had announced Mr Aregbesolas death two days after he slipped from a ship in the Red Sea. Aged 34, the deceased died on 20 March as a result of a non-combat related incident. His death, according to the department, is being investigated. Before his death, the deceased was one of the sailors supporting operations in the Red Sea, the department revealed in a statement three days after his death. Aregbesola was assigned to USS Mason deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, as part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, the department stated. Petty Officer Aregbesola fully embodied the selfless character and thoughtful warrior spirit of the United States Navy Sailor, said Eric Kohut, a commodore and HSM-74 commanding officer. His outstanding performance prior to and during deployment went well beyond aircraft maintenance; he truly saw and valued every member of the ship/air team. He will continue on in the heart of every Swamp Fox and our brothers and sisters in the IKE Carrier Strike Group. Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with his family. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Since the Israel-Palenstine war started last year, attacks on commercial and military ships have increased in the Red Sea where Mr Aregbesola was serving before his death. The attacks, according to news reports, were being orchestrated by the Houthi rebels from Yemen. Also known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God), the armed group claimed to be mainly targeting ships belonging to Israel and the U.S. , but their indiscriminate attacks have taken a toll on global food supply, according to analysts. What U.S. Navy told us PREMIUM TIMES mailed the U.S. Navy a week after Mr Aregbesolas death was announced, enquiring further details about him. But the force responded just with very brief details, reiterating the incident was being investigated. The incident is currently under investigation and as a matter of policy, the Navy does not discuss ongoing investigations, Andrew Bertucci of Navy Office of Information wrote in response to our mail, yesterday. Mr Bertucci stated that the only information we can share about the Sailor is the attached releasable bio and our press release (released earlier on 23 March). According to the bio obtained from the U.S. Navy, Mr Aregbesola, based in Florida, joined the force on 22 July 2020 with his duty post described as Student, Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, IL. Two months after, on 22 September 2020, he was dispatched to Student, Naval Aviation Technical Training, Pensacola, FL from where he was moved to Student, Naval Aviation Technical Training, Jacksonville, FL and lastly to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74, Jacksonville, FL on 26 December 2020. The deceased, before his death, bagged two awards namely: Navy Unit Commendation and Navy E Ribbon. When did he leave Nigeria? Although we could not speak with any of deceased relatives as the U.S. Navy refused to provide one, a social analysis of Mr Aregbesolas social media accounts (Instagram and X) suggests that he left the country in 2017. Further review suggests that he got married in Florida in 2017 and had a boy child with his wife in 2019. Members of the Miramar Police Department and Vice Mayor Davis, paid their respects and offered services to the family of Oriola Michael Aregbesola, U.S. Navy. He recently passed away while serving our country, the police department posted on Facebook seven days after his death. He leaves behind a wife, son, and community that loves him dearly. The family was gifted with $500 in groceries, $950 in gift cards, toys for the son, and flowers. Special thanks to everyone that donated and helped to make this happen, Police Personnel, City Officials, family and community members, the statement added. Renouncing Nigerian Nigerian citizenship Three months after Mr Aregbesola was enlisted into the Navy, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to renounce the citizenship of his birth country where he claimed to be jobless for years. I was jobless for so many years, my country of birth (Nigeria, now renounced) failed me, but the U.S. NAVY saw potentials in me and made me a fine ass sailor, working on jet engines, he posted on 10 October, 2020, two days after #EndSARS protests began in major Nigerian cities. The post drew as much congratulatory remarks as rebukes. Mr Aregbesola was criticised for renouncing his home country. You renounced Nigeria, so move on with your life. We Nigerians are proud of our country and our heritage. We will never trade it, an X user @TheShehus wrote. While congratulating you on becoming a U.S. Navy, renouncing your country and place of birth is not the way to go, another user, Okajone advised Mr Aregbesola. But Mr Aregbesola responded that he had to renounce his country as per the type of job I do for the navy. Muhammed Zak, another X user, chided Mr Aregbesola, saying he renouncing Nigeria was a sign of poverty of the mind. Boasting about renouncing your country of birth is only a sign of poverty of the mind. Even some Americans are jobless in the US. So, I see no point in trying to make it an exclusive reserve of Nigeria but yeaCongratulations. Happy Renunciation, Mr Zak posted. Other comments in support and against Mr Aregbesola can be seen here. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The kidnappers of two students of Federal University, Wukari (FUW) in Taraba State have asked for a N50 million ransom for the release of the students. The head of information and protocol unit of the university, Ashu Agbu, confirmed this development in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday. The two kidnapped students have been identified as Joshua Sardauna of Economics Department and Obianu Elizabeth of Microbiology Department. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that they were abducted by bandits who stormed a restaurant located on the campus last week. Mrs Agbu said the bandits called and demanded a N50 million ransom for their release. According to Mrs Agbu, the abductors revealed that they were after the owner of the eatery where they kidnapped the students. The abductors revealed that they came for the owner of the eatery and not his staff and vowed to return to get him. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later ALSO READ: Two university students kidnapped in Taraba They are demanding a ransom of N50 million to free the two students. Since the incident, security agencies and youths of the area are combing the surrounding forests and bush paths to apprehend the kidnappers and will not relent until the students are rescued alive and safe, she said. She said an expanded meeting will be held on Monday with security agencies and government representatives to find a lasting solution to insecuriy in the university. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Last week, Nigerian stocks shed 1.1 per cent as profit-taking efforts by investors weighed on equities, with bank stocks most affected. A couple of corporate actions, notably dividend declarations, were announced during the week, but the financials and the cash reward plans of three of the big lenders Zenith, GTCO and UBA are still being awaited. With all the full-year earnings reports of companies almost in, attention will likely shift to the first-quarter corporate results, which could start coming in in the weeks ahead. PREMIUM TIMES has assembled some stocks with fundamentals and other potential, adopting key analytical approaches to save you the hassle of randomly picking equities for investment. The selection, a product of analytical market watch, offers a guide to entering the market and taking strategic positions in hopes that equities will increase in value with the passage of time. This is not a buy, sell or hold recommendation but a stock investment guide. You may need to involve your financial advisor before taking investment decisions. C & I Leasing C & I Leasing tops this weeks pick for currently trading significantly below its intrinsic value, brightening its chances of strong price appreciation in the future. The price-to-book (PB) ratio of the company is presently 0.4x, while its price-to-earnings (PE) is 7.3x. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Wema Bank Wema makes this weeks list for proposing a dividend per share of N0.50 per share for full-year 2023, 40 per cent higher than that of the preceding year. The lenders PB ratio is 0.9x, while the PE ratio is 4.5x. Mutual Benefits Mutual Benefits features on this weeks list for currently trading below its intrinsic value. The insurers present PB ratio is 0.4x, while the PE ratio is 2.6x. Prestige Assurance Prestige Assurance appears in the pick for currently trading well below its actual value. Its PB ratio is 0.6x at the moment, while the PE ratio is 5.6x. Custodian Investment Custodian Investment appears on the list for trading significantly below its real value. The financial services groups PB ratio is 0.8x, while its PE ratio is 3.6x. Access Holdings Access Holdings makes the cut for currently trading below its real value. The financial services groups PB ratio is currently 0.5x, while the PE ratio is 1.3x. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has arrived at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on Monday in his ongoing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He is being arraigned before Justice Rahman Oshodi for abuse of office bordering on alleged irregular allocation of billions of US dollars in foreign exchange. Mr Emefiele is facing a 26-count charge alongside his co-defendant, Henry Omoile. Mr Emefiele and Mr Omoile had pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against them as of the time of filing this report. The charge sheet, marked ID/23787c/2024, was filed by Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Counts The 1st count states that Mr Emefiele committed an abuse of office between 2022 and 2023 in Lagos, an offence punishable under Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The count alleged that Mr Emefiele directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $2,136,391,737.33 without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Count two, also of abuse of office, alleged that the former bank chief between 2020 and 2021, in Lagos, directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary, act to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $291,945,785.59, without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians. In the 3rd count, Mr Emefiele was alleged to have, in 2021, in Lagos, directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: special allocation of foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $1,769,254,793.16, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians. In count four, the sum involved was $370,872,893.01. In count five, Mr Emefieles co-defendant Mr Omoile was accused of about the 17th of November, 2020, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst acting as an agent, accepted from Raja Punjab through Monday Osazuwa, the total sum of $110,000, for Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, gifts as reward for allocating foreign exchange by the Central Bank in favour of Raja Punjabs employer. Details later Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Usman Aliyu, has listed some of the challenges encountered in the fight against cancer in Nigeria. Mr Aliyu listed poor funding, campaign against vaccination in some quarters, and non-availability of oncology nurses as some of the challenges faced by the country in cancer management. He spoke at a one-day retreat organised for select journalists in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by NICRAT in collaboration with the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH). The training, according to the organisers, was aimed at exposing journalists to issues around cancer management, noting the important roles journalists can play in the campaign against cancer cases in the country and beyond. Challenges Speaking on the funding challenge, Mr Aliyu said the provision for cancer-related issues in the 2024 budget cannot be sufficient to carry out meaningful campaigns against the dangerous diseases. He, however, said the government has assured that subsequently, there would be an increase in the allocation for cancer management as a way of addressing the crisis posed by the dangerous disease. Also speaking at the forum, the Director of the Cancer Prevention and Control unit of the agency, Usman Waziri, noted that in the developed world, both boys and girls are vaccinated against cancer because it is believed subsequently in life, the boys will become sexually active and can get infected with Human Papillomavirus and can later develop perinatal cancer. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later However, because the low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria cannot cover the cost of vaccinating both men and women, we have opted for the girls alone, he said, even as he emphasised the necessity for the vaccination of the girls. On her part, Ayodelle Obaro, a nurse with Stephen James Healthcare Limited in the UK, noted that the role of oncology nurses cannot be downplayed. For instance, there are three major areas of cancer management- chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. And because knowledge is power, oncology nurses are important in this area but how many of them are available? she asked rhetorically. Speaking on the importance of specialisation in nursing for the proper management of cancer cases, Ms Obaro said different cancer cases require different management methods and that their understanding by the experts managing them will determine the success or otherwise in the management processes. She listed empathy and communication, patient education, and adherence to protocols and guidelines as some of the features an oncologist nurse must possess. Cancer in Nigeria Speaking on cancer cases in Nigeria, Mr Aliyu cited the recent report by the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), which he said quoted 120,000 new cancer cases with about 80,000 deaths in Nigeria in 2022 as the latest statistics. He said the prevalent cancer cases for both sexes in the country are breast cancer (24.3 per cent), prostate (14.1 per cent), cervical (10.7 per cent), colorectal (6.4 per cent), and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) (4.1 per cent). Mr Aliyu said many died of cancer in Nigeria but were unaware of the disease that caused their death, blaming the development on poor education and lack of adequate documentation. Cancer Health Fund (CHF) and Cancer Access Programme (CAP) are some of the programmes introduced by the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with NGOs targeted at improving cancer care in the country, he said. Mr Aliyu also noted that the government plans to separate funds for children with cancer from funds meant for adult cancer patients. He, therefore, called on journalists to educate the people from the grassroots on the importance of the vaccine against cervical cancer. Role of Media An official of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Eunice Damisa, said it is the role of the media to inform the public appropriately because they deserve the right information for decision-making. She urged the media to influence positive opinions about the disease so that we can shape the behaviour towards appreciating the need to take the HPV vaccine, and the need to look out for the symptoms and know that they are and to be reported at an early stage. Create opportunities for dialogue not just for the experts but for those who have experienced it. Bring real-life stories, the survivors, what are their stories? We need to reach out to them so that others can listen to them and learn from them and appreciate the fact that being diagnosed with cancer is not a death sentence, she noted. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Islamic festival, Eid-el-Fitri, will be celebrated on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar following the non-sighting of the crescent moon on Monday. The Saudi Supreme Court declared Tuesday as the final day of Ramadan and Wednesday as Eid-el-Fitri, Al-Arabiya reported. Authorities in the UAE and Qatar also made similar pronouncements. In Nigeria, millions of Muslims, as of the time of this report, still await an announcement by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, who heads the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs. The Sultan had asked Muslims to look out for the new moon of Shawwal on Monday evening. The sighting of the new moon will mark the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan and the start of the new Islamic month of Shawwal. During Ramadan, adult and healthy Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, during which they abstain from eating and drinking. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerian Muslims will continue their fast on Tuesday to complete 30 days of Ramadan after the Sultan of Sokoto announced that the new moon for the month of Shawwal was not sighted. The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, who also heads the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, also announced that the Eid-el-Fitr celebration will be on Wednesday. The decision followed the report of National Moon Sighting Committees across the country, according to a statement signed by the Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs to the Sultanate Council, Sambo Junaidu. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar had earlier declared that Ramadan continues on Tuesday and the Eid-el-Fitri is on Wednesday. READ ALSO: Tinubu hosts cabinet members to Ramadan meal The Nigerian government had earlier declared Tuesday and Wednesday public holidays for the Eid-el-Fitri festival. The Eid-el-Fitri is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan, an Islamic month during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT BY THE NSCIA Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later NSCIA/HQ/PRS/067 Date: 29th Ramadan 1445 AH 8th April 2024 SHAWWAL 1445 AH PRESS RELEASE The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh. Muhammad Saad Abubakar, CFR, mni wishes to inform the Nigerian Muslim Ummah that there was no positive report of the sighting of the crescent of Shawwal 1445 AH on the 29th of Ramadan 1445 AH. Consequently, Ramadan fast will continue tomorrow Tuesday, 9th April 2024 as the 30th day of Ramadan. Therefore, Wednesday, 10th April 2024 is hereby declared as the 1st day of Shawwal 1445 AH and the day of Eid-el-fitri. The Council prays that Almighty Allah accept our fasting and other virtuous acts in Ramadan and grant us all peaceful and blissful Eid-el Fitr celebrations. Wassalamu alaikum wa-Rahmatullah. Signed. Prof. Salisu Shehu Deputy Secretary-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The story of Access is that of two audacious young men who chose to dream, follow up on their dreams by taking on the industry in a different and unprecedented way. Between both men, they took on a path that paid off and won for them a fair mix of admirers and adversaries. In only two decades, two men took to their own path and have turned a struggling bank into one of the largest in Nigeria. Whatever questions that others might have of them, which they will do well, as well clear up, what they have done in these 22 years was absolutely phenomenal. Three things. One, Access Holdings has just declared a profit after tax of N612 billion, with a 300 per cent increase year-on-year. Two, the return of Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede to Access, not as CEO of Access Bank, which he was until 2013, but this time as Chairman of Access Holdings, the umbrella for the different interests of Access, including Access Bank, in which he, along with Herbert Wigwe, through their jointly owned company, acquired substantial interest in 2002, thus becoming the largest single shareholder, then taking over management of the Bank (with Imoukhuede as managing director and Wigwe as deputy managing director). Three, the announcement that Access Bank has entered a binding agreement to acquire National Bank of Kenya (NBK) from KCB Group Plc, the second acquisition in Kenya, after that of Transnational Bank Limited in 2019. These events signal that the dream that propelled the entity to where it is today is still intact, despite the death of Herbert Wigwe. It is also a reassurance to stakeholders that the template that was deployed to grow the institution, from where it was in 2002 to where it is today as Nigerias largest bank by customer base and one of the top five by market capitalisation, valued at over N1 trillion, is not about to be jettisoned. With the benefit of hindsight, the transition from Bank to Holdco, like in some other banks, has turned out to be a smart and timely move, as it made the way for a smooth and preferred transition before Wigwes transition, with the return of Imoukhuede to Access, albeit, in a non-executive capacity, as Chairman helping to ensure the transition with minimal disruption. In the wake of the unfortunate helicopter crash which took the lives of Herbert Wigwe, his wife and son, his friend, Bimbo Ogunbanjo and the two pilots, reportage by the media, that might have reinforced commentary on social media, kept on referring to Wigwe as co-founder of Access Bank. Of course, he was not. The surprise was not just that the misstatement of fact was lost to many, a simple 20-word correction of that misrepresentation elicited a pushback from some quarters, which insisted on holding on to what was obviously a false claim. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later That pushback, in a way, reminded me of how much of recent history there is a lot of confusion about/around, even if that confusion is, often, either contrived or mischievous. That appears to have also been the case with the story about Access Bank, even if indeed there was a bit of genuine confusion about who actually founded the Bank, the circumstances under which Imoukhuede and Wigwe took it over, leading to the controversy surrounding the takeover of the erstwhile Intercontinental Bank by Access Bank. I was prompted to make a commitment to do a deep dive into the history of Access Bank to clear up some of the confusion. Its been over a month now, but I have only just managed to squeeze out time to do that. Who founded Access Bank? Access Bank was founded in 1988, and it began banking operations in 1989, at the time Imoukhuede and Wigwe, who were in their 20s then, were only just beginning their banking careers, which would, shortly after, take them to Guaranty Trust Bank, where they spent a decade before eventually moving over to Access Bank in 2002. Just as it was with the other banks licensed at that time by the Babangida administration, Access was set up by a group of investors. At the time, obtaining a banking licence required a minimum paid-up share capital of N20 million (a lot of money then), with individual ownership limited to five per cent of that capital, even though some found a way around that limitation through the use of proxies. What the promoters of virtually all the banks that were licensed at the time did was to put together a list of prospective investors, who they reached out to, eventually settling for a number that enabled them to raise the capital, and ensuring that there were also a few men in the team with enough clout or profiles to help them in securing a licence. It was a group of carefully screened 42 investors in the case of Guaranty Trust Bank, with Fola Adeola and Tayo Aderinokun as the core promoters. According to those with inside knowledge of the process that led to the licensing of the bank, Chief Dipo Farodoye was the principal promoter, with Dr Lawrence Omole, a renowned businessman and industrialist, who was owner of International Breweries Plc, being the other core promoter. The Farodoye and Omole families were also known to have invested in the project, which helped to increase their level of control of and influence over the Bank. The first Board of Directors had Dr Omole as chairman, with Chief Farodoye as vice-chairman, before taking over as chairman about two years later. Other directors included Professor Abiola Ojo, Mr Biodun Omole, Mr Kazeem, and Mr Odunaiya. Alhaji Umaru Liman was the first managing director of the bank, but he left about one-and-a-half years later, with Mr Lateef Muse, who had joined the bank at inception from NAL Merchant Bank, as general manager, taking over as Managing Director of the bank and serving in that position till 1997. As with many of the banks at the time, power play among the promoters, directors, and senior management weighed heavily against the survival of these banks. This triggered undue interference, insider-dealings and mismanagement, which triggered crisis that led to distress and the eventual collapse of many of the banks. Access Bank had its own share of problems, but was fortunate to have survived, unlike many other banks which went under between 1994 and 2000. As the bank grappled with the difficulties that banks were faced with at the time, the Muse-led management embarked on a repositioning exercise as part of a rescue mission for the bank. That saw to the recruitment of Arthur Andersen as management consultants. With intrigues and pressure from within and without, the team which commissioned Arthur Andersen did not stay long enough to see through the recommendations made by the consultants and their plans, including that for the recapitalisation of the bank through the capital market. That was in 1997, and both the Chairman, Chief Dipo Farodoye, and the Managing Director, Mr Lateef Muse, were forced to leave the bank. In place of Chief Farodoye, Mr Ayo Oni, a former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and well-respected chartered accountant, who was former managing partner of Ernst & Young, Osindero, Oni, Lasebikan was appointed as chairman of the Bank, serving in that position till 2004. Mr Kayode Sufianu, who was an executive director, took over as acting managing director of the bank from Mr Muse, before Mr Tokunbo Aromolaran came in as managing director, serving in that position till 2001, before handing over to Mr Kayode Sufianu, who passed the baton on to Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede when he and his team took over the bank in 2002. The Coming of Imoukhuede and Wigwe Following up on the advisory from Arthur Andersen, the Board and management of Access Bank had in 1999 recruited some executives from GTBank as management consultants. At the turn of the new century, with renewed efforts at shoring up the fortunes of the bank, a decision was taken to, again, approach the stock market to shore up the banks capital base. A public offer was launched in 2001. About the same time, two young men who were then executive directors at GTBank came to the decision that the path forward for their careers was not in waiting in line for a shot at running the bank as Managing Director. Even as this had become an increasing possibility, they decided that the future belonged more to owners than managers of banks, while also concluding that the best route to attaining that was through mergers and acquisition. The two young men were Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede and Herbert Wigwe. Both were 34 years old at the time. They set out to achieve their dream, which was tagged Project Festival, putting together a team of advisers coordinated by BGL Securities Albert Okumagba, who had served as head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Centre-Point Bank Plc, before setting up BGL, which midwifed the audacious merger of Standard Trust Bank (STB) and United Bank for Africa (UBA) in 2005. Coming from GTBank, their initial target for acquisition was banks that were doing fairly well by industry standards, but they soon realised that it was rather naive to expect to buy a ready-made bank, as they couldnt possibly afford to acquire one in the first place. It was not until 2001, the same year that Access launched its public offer, that Imoukhuede and Wigwe began to set their sights on the bank. Why Access? According to Imoukhuede, they chose the bank for these three reasons: (1.) Its Board of Directors included men of integrity who were well-respected in business circles. As earlier stated, the Chairman of the bank was a highly regarded former President of ICAN. (2.) The Bank was quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, which implied some minimum standards of governance. (3.) The financial safety indicators did not point to an institution that was on the verge of failure. Perhaps, that helps in further making the point that Access Bank was not dead or defunct at the time of the takeover, as some have argued. In what is suggested to have been a stroke of fortune, Access Bank launched a N1 billion public offer the same year Imoukhuede and Wigwe began to turn their lenses on it. The timing of the 2002 offer was said to have been poor, with the subdued interest it elicited leading it towards likely under-subscription. Even though the offer was underwritten by the issuing house, the advisers were said to have been in panic mode, as the closure date drew nearer, in terms of finding buyers. That was the case until Imoukhuede and Wigwe stepped in to mop up the yet to be subscribed shares through their jointly owned United Alliance Company. That offer ended up being oversubscribed to the tune of 110.98 per cent. It was more of an instinctive leap for the duo: our decision to take up the unsubscribed shares was in effect a leap of faith (endorsed, I would like to point out, by the pastor of my church), it was our belief that since we would be controlling the management of the Bank we were recapitalising, the risk of losing our investment was almost entirely in our own hands. According to Imoukhuede, they conducted no due diligence, doing little more than a back of the envelope analysis. Deciding on the acquisition of the shares was the easy part, raising the N1 billion needed for the acquisition was the next challenge. Between the two men, they had assets worth N200 million, but how to raise the balance was the hurdle. According to their accounts, they put together a list of investors, made up of friends and family, who helped with cash deposits and land, through which they eventually raised the funds with which they financed the acquisition. As they made progress, news began to fly around. Soon, rumours of the deal got to their bosses at GTBank Fola Adeola and Tayo Aderinokun, which prompted a meeting with the duo and eventually a demand for their resignations from the bank. That started them on the journey to officially taking over the management of Access Bank. Frosty Reception at Access As to be expected, the board and management at Access Bank were anything but excited at this development. They could not have imagined that a public offer launched of their own volition would unexpectedly upturn the ownership structure of the bank, such that it would lead to a shakeup in the composition of the Board and management. This was an unprecedented move in the industry. Never before had there been a case where mere banking professionals could have the temerity to take on established captains of industry and buy their bank. It was unheard of, Imoukhuede recollects. What they had done was remarkably different from what Keem Belo-Osagie had done with United Bank for Africa (UBA), taking over publicly owned shares in the bank put up for sale by government or what Tony Elumelu had done, buying over the shares from Belo-Osagie to take control over the bank. This was not a case of taking over a terminally distressed or liquidated bank from the regulators (CBN/NDIC), as others had done, but an unsolicited acquisition. It was seen by the board and management of the bank as taking over through the back door. It was deemed a hostile takeover, with the reception from the Access boardroom predictably frosty. Imoukhuede and Wigwe were not welcomed with open arms. That is understandable, as what transpired was technically a takeover, which by its very nature is not supposed to be a friendly gesture. Section 99(1) of the Investment Securities Act (ISA) defines this as the acquisition by one company of sufficient shares in the company to give the acquiring company control over the company. The acquisition is usually at the instance of the acquirer and MOST OFTEN WITHOUT THE AGREEMENT OF THE ACQUIRED COMPANY. (Emphasis added). Unprecedented as it was, it is a valid and legally recognised method of acquisition. The acquirer simply needed to report to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and follow the laid-down procedure for formalising the takeover. Perhaps, it is the lack of understanding of the legal protocols that govern such transactions and the processing of such through the purview of the traditional business culture and ethics that has given the transaction the colouration of impropriety, even when that might not have been the case, with a trove of conspiracy theories still flying around, more than two decades after. With the takeover of the bank, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede stepped in as managing director and Herbert Wigwe as deputy managing director of Access Bank in March 2002. That, however, came with its challenge, as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which, as the regulator, must sanction such appointments, refused to confirm the appointment of Aig-Imoukhuede as managing director, but he was allowed to continue to run the bank. It was not until 17 April, 2003, more than a year after taking over the bank, that his appointment in acting capacity received a nod from the CBN, with the confirmation only coming in 2005. That would eventually work in Imoukhuedes favour, as that enabled him to serve till 2013, counting his 10-year tenure from 2003 to December 2013, before handing over to his friend, Herbert Wigwe. Growth, Mergers and Acquisitions Starting with Imoukhuede and especially under Wigwe, Access Bank has witnessed a turnaround and transformation from a bit player in the industry into the behemoth that it is today, becoming Nigerias biggest bank by assets, operating under the umbrella of Access Holdings, which ranks as the largest financial services company in the country. The phenomenal growth of the bank has been largely achieved through mergers and acquisitions, which has seen it serially acquire banks, starting with Marina International Bank and then Capital Bank (formerly Commercial Bank Credit Lyonnais Nigeria). It acquired Intercontinental Bank in 2011 and Diamond Bank in 2018. Across Africa, it has been the same story for Access Bank a string of acquisitions that now sees Access Holdings Plc as the 14th most valuable stock on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, with a market capitalisation of N 818 billion, 15 subsidiaries and three representative offices in India, Lebanon and China. The Acquisition of Intercontinental Bank Of all the mergers and acquisitions made by Access Bank, none has been as controversial as that between it and the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc. Different stories are making the rounds, even if some have been out there for years. The main thrust of the allegations that have trailed the acquisition of Intercontinental Bank by Access Bank is that it was one tainted with irregularities. On the main street, it has been queried as an improbable transaction, likened to a tilapia swallowing a whale. While state of health of the big fish does not appear to matter to those putting forward this analogy, beyond that, even if all of what might have transpired in boardrooms and are not in the public space, here is what we know: Intercontinental Bank Plc, founded in 1989 and originally licensed as Nigerian Intercontinental Merchant Bank (NIMB), was a merchant bank until 1999 when it made the crossover to commercial banking. In 2004, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under the leadership of Professor Charles Soludo, mandated all banks in the country to increase their minimum capital base from N1 billion to N25 billion within 18 months, with December, 2005 as deadline. That prompted a flurry of activities within the industry. Access Bank too had to pull out all stops to be able to meet the N25 billion minimum capital base requirement. It had to raise N15 billion through a public offer, carry out a merger with Marina International Bank and Capital Bank, and persuading FMO, the Dutch public-private development bank, in a last-minute bid, to convert a $15 million debt instrument into equity, before it could meet up with the requirement. In response to that directive, Intercontinental Bank Plc in 2005 merged with Equity Bank of Nigeria, Gateway Bank and Global Bank, in which it already had interests, collapsing the group structure into a single entity. For a variety of reasons, the post-consolidation period was not as smooth-sailing as might have been envisaged for a number of the banks. Some appeared to have bitten more than they could chew and with that began a slip down a slope from which some never recovered. Intercontinental Bank was one of those in that category. A stress test of all banks in Nigeria was conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2008. Findings from the test, according to the CBN, indicated that while some of the banks were healthy, others were not so healthy, with a few highly distressed. Intercontinental Bank Plc was one of those categorised as distressed. This led to further examination of the bank which, according to the CBN, revealed that there was entrenched insider abuse and fraud by the key men in the bank, with directors and senior management indicted. The scale of the malfeasance uncovered was such that the banks shareholders fund was said to have been completely eroded. Four other banks Afribank Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Oceanic International Bank Plc and Finbank Plc were found in a similar shape to Intercontinental Bank. The boards of the banks were sacked by the Central Bank of Nigeria and replaced with interim boards, with the mandate to fashion ways out to rescue and recapitalise the banks. Unlike in the past when intervention in banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria simply shepherded them towards eventual liquidation, this particular set of interventions heralded the setting up of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) by the CBN, with the mandate thrust upon it to absorb toxic assets (non-performing loans) from the books of the banks, recapitalise the banks, if feasible, and/or sell them to investors to recapitalise. The coming of AMCON also brought to an end the era in which depositors were left with the shorter end of the stick in the case of bank failure, with depositors protection cover from the National Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) capped at N200,000. Intercontinental Bank was one of the first beneficiaries of this new regime. The bank had the highest number of loans acquired by AMCON, making up 14.62 per cent of the agencys portfolio at the time. After an initial injection of N562 billion into the bank by AMCON, it was eventually determined to pursue the option of opening the recapitalisation window for shareholders and investors to strike a deal by 30th September, 2011, failure of which would lead to nationalisation. That led to the bank being put up for sale in 2011, about two years after the board and management team led by Dr Erastus Akingbola had been sacked. To further put it into perspective, this was almost 10 years after Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe had taken over at Access Bank. The bid by Access Bank for the acquisition of Intercontinental Bank only came when AMCON put it up for sale. According to Mustafa Chike-Obi, who was the managing director of AMCON at the time of the acquisition, contrary to the claim that Intercontinental Bank was offered to Access Bank on a platter, he says that no other entity expressed interest in the acquisition of the bank apart from Access Bank. That might have had to do with the state of the bank at the time. It had declared an after-tax loss of N321 billion for the year ended September 2009, which was about the largest in the industry then. Access Bank, which some had likened to a tilapia in comparison to the whale, which they saw Intercontinental Bank as, declared a profit before tax of N28 billion for the year ended March 2009. While Intercontinental Banks ratios were in the red at the time of its acquisition, Access Banks were indeed strong, which makes the analogy of tilapia swallowing the whale a rather preposterous one. In October 2011, having received judicial, regulatory and shareholders approvals, Access Bank announced the completion of the recapitalisation of Intercontinental Bank and the acquisition of a 75 per cent majority interest in the bank. According to Access Bank, the combined effect of the restoration of Net Asset Value (NAV) to zero by AMCON and N50 billion capital injection by Access Bank Plc is that Intercontinental Bank now operates as a well capitalized bank, with shareholders funds of N50 billion and Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 24 per cent, well above the 10 per cent regulatory threshold. By the completion of the acquisition and merger of both entities in January, 2012, Access Bank became Nigerias third largest bank by assets, with a combined customer base of 5.7 million. In the years during which this transaction occurred, other distressed banks in the same category were also acquired by other players in the industry. Oceanic Bank was absorbed by Ecobank Transnational Incorporation, while Union Bank was acquired by Union Global Partners Limited (UGPL), a consortium of local and international investors which acquired 65 per cent of the banks shares. FinBank was acquired by First City Monument Bank (FCMB), while Equatorial Trust Bank was taken up by Sterling Bank. United Bank for Africa (UBA) had likewise acquired Liberty Bank, City Express Bank, Gulf Bank, Trade Bank, Afex Bank and Metropolitan Bank. But the deal between Access Bank and Intercontinental Bank has remained a source of controversy till date. Two red flags have been raised. First, on the purchase price of N50 billion, which Access Bank paid to acquire a 75 per cent stake in the rescued Intercontinental Bank. Some have argued that what was paid by Access was too little for what was gotten, alleging that it was a case of undervaluation. Some of the commentary that toe this line appear not to aver their mind to the state of the books of the bank, with some touting the number of branches in the network as if it is the brick and mortar that takes pre-eminence. With the bank already in the negative territory, what AMCON did was to restore its Net Asset Value (NAV) to zero, by taking off its books the non-performing loans. These NPLs, some of which had been highly discounted, were featherweights in comparison to their ascribed values. The mandate of AMCON is to absorb non-performing loans from rescued banks and return them to zero shareholders funds, for new investors to bring them to minimum capital levels, to be able to function on a new slate. This was the case in the transaction, with AMCON taking on N600 billion NPLs, much of which there was no guarantee of recovery. AMCON was funded by a debt obligation of N4.65 trillion (as at December, 2018) and has injected a total sum of N2.2 trillion into 10 banks. From the 12,743 NPLs worth N3.797 trillion from 22 Eligible Financial Institutions, which it purchased, AMCON has only been able to recover about N1.8 trillion as at December, 2023. Without access to the books and the details of the negotiation process that culminated in the acquisition, it is difficult to conclude on the fair value of the asset. Some have even made the claim that contrary to the impression that it was a sweet deal for Access Bank that it actually met Intercontinental Bank in a far deeper hole than it had actually thought to be the case. Placing the Access-Intercontinental deal side-by-side with the UGPL-Union Bank deal, while Access paid N50 billion (about $323 million at the time) for 75 per cent of the shares in an Intercontinental Bank that had declared an after-tax loss of N321 billion for the year ended September 2009. At about the same period, Union Global Partners Limited (UGPL) had injected $500 million to acquire 65 per cent shares in a Union Bank that had posted an after-tax loss of N286 billion. The jury can hardly ever come to an agreement on the fair value of these deals. The second red flag that continues to be waived is that of the relationship between Imoukhuede/Wigwe and Intercontinental Bank before they took over the management of Access Bank Plc, culminating in the acquisition of Intercontinental Bank. There is so much that yet remains unclear or unknown, but this is what we know: Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe were directors of United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited, with each having subscribed to 450,000,000 shares in the company, which at some point obtained a term loan from Intercontinental Bank Plc. According to the Central Bank of Nigeria Advertorial of 18th August, 2009, United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited defaulted in the repayment of its loan to Intercontinental Bank Plc, with an outstanding balance of N16,247,686,168.18 as at 31st May, 2009. Even then, there is a report which declared that a witness in court had testified that Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe claimed to have resigned as directors of United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited since 2008. From documents in the public domain, United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited was yet to settle its indebtedness as at 2011, with letters from the company addressed to the bank requesting for an extension in the date of payment for a portion of the term loan that was due, with a promise to liquidate the loan within the tenor specified in the offer letter. It is unknown if that promise was ever kept. What is however known is that the company was the vehicle through which Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe acquired the shares that enabled them take control of the management of Access Bank Plc. As at 2004, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe had 21. 18 per cent shareholding in Access Bank Plc through the 635, 441,208 shares held by United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited in the bank. By the end of 2022, Herbert Wigwe had 201,231,713 direct shares and 1, 554, 369,017 indirect shares through United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited, Trust and Capital Limited and Coronation Trustees Tengen Mauritius. While it is unclear if or when United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited settled its outstanding balance in favour of Intercontinental Bank Plc, it has to be noted that if it maintained its status as a non-performing loan as it was designated in the 2009 advertorial by the Central Bank of Nigeria, then it would have been absorbed by AMCON before Intercontinental Bank was put up for sale and acquired by Access Bank Plc. Whatever balance that was outstanding from United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited was in favour of AMCON, which would (should) have done its duty to recover the loan. Access Bank could not have been indebted to Intercontinental Bank, as some claim, as Access Bank did not take any facility from Intercontinental Bank on the face of what is available. If indeed the facility obtained by United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited was secured with 894,690,600 units of Access Bank shares, as has been alleged, it thus means that recovery of the outstanding would have been made easier by taking possession of the collateral. It is unlikely that AMCON will sit through meetings with Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe and strike a deal approving acquisition of Intercontinental Bank by Access Bank, which they have substantial interest in and co-manage, knowing that United Alliance Company of Nigeria Limited, in which both men have interests in was indebted to AMCON through Intercontinental Bank Plc. Access Holdings and Transitions With the return of Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede to Access Holdings (parent company of Access Bank) as Chairman, the story of these two young men who took the industry by storm in 2002 through their audacious takeover of Access Bank has come full circle. The return and transition within the group might not have followed the script to the letter, but the timing of the transition into a Holding Company, which a few other Banks had adopted, has proved fortuitous in the light of the sudden death of Herbert Wigwe. He had vacated his position as the Managing Director of the Bank before the end of his tenure to take on the position of Group Managing Director/CEO, Access Holdings Plc. With that, Roosevelt Ogbonna was appointed Managing Director of the Bank while other subsidiaries also came under new management teams. Setting up that structure two years back must have helped in easing the process of transition that the death of Herbert Wigwe has forced on Access Holdings. Co-Founders and Brothers Before FinTechs and the signature leadership model of co-founders became commonplace in Nigeria, there were a few entrepreneurs who had successfully worked with the same model. It is difficult to tell though if any of the two-man teams has worked as seamlessly and efficiently as that of Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe. No doubt, the duo must have benefited from working at close quarters with the two-man team of Fola Adeola and Tayo Aderinokun, who apart from being their mentors and bosses at GTBank, must have inspired them to forge this formidable team that even caught the GTBank duo by surprise in the manner of its pursuit of the vision to make the transition from top-level employees in one bank to becoming owner-managers in another. It is remarkable to see the quality of friendship and brotherhood between both men, which also translated to that between their wives and families. Everyone who knew them referred to them as brothers, and it was obvious to see. To have succeeded in maintaining that quality of relationship over many years in the face of the pressures that come with success, power, influence and ambition in the treacherous world of banking and business in Nigeria is remarkable. The story of Access is that of two audacious young men who chose to dream, follow up on their dreams by taking on the industry in a different and unprecedented way. They could have chosen to stay in their comfort zone at GTBank, being executive directors at the age of 36, with the pathway to the top position somewhat assured. Imoukhuede had at a point served as acting Managing Director of the bank. That would have surely come with the 10-year tenure limit that the Central Bank of Nigeria had instituted, following on a template that had been voluntarily institutionalised by GTBank. But they chose to take on a different path. Imoukhuedes fear was that of being left behind on the tarmac, as was once his experience flying with Nigeria Airways. Wigwes fear was that of failure. Between both men, they took on a path that paid off and won for them a fair mix of admirers and adversaries. What is not in doubt is that they have made their marks, not only in banking but in other areas of life they chose to apply themselves to after making a success of their endeavour at Access. They have also successfully made the transition from regular bankers, who they were, into men with a burden and passion for their country, which propelled them to make interventions in the governance, health, arts, and education sectors, among others. In only two decades, two men took to their own path and have turned a struggling bank into one of the largest in Nigeria. Whatever questions that others might have of them, which they will do well, as well clear up, what they have done in these 22 years was absolutely phenomenal. Simbo Olorunfemi works for Hoofbeatdotcom, a Nigerian communications consultancy and publisher of Africa Enterprise. Twitter: @simboolorunfemi Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print the leadership of the Commission clearly abused the sacred instrument of prosecutorial prerogative and showed itself as either idle or misguided, if not both. When this was brough to their attention, they descended into threats, bluster and the cringe-worthy trade in mangled adjectives. One concerned citizen responded that EFCC has gone rogue. 10 years ago, citizens looked to them as part of the solution. Today the EFCC has become part of the problem. In January 2014, a coalition of advocates, including Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); Jiti Ogunye and Tokunbo Mumuni, both senior lawyers; and I wrote to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), inviting it to to investigate the allegations of fraud detailed by the two committees set up by President Goodluck Jonathan in the wake of the 2012 fuel subsidy crisis. It failed to do so. 10 years later, the EFCC is now preoccupied with chasing after cross-dressers. How it got so derailed bears attention. At the beginning of this past week, Nigerians woke up to the story that a demographic of energy users, described in the language of the industry as Band A and constituting roughly about 15 per cent of the approximately 12 million official subscribers to electricity in the country, will have their energy tariffs raised by 230.8 per cent. They claim the four other bands will be unaffected. Thats false. Tariff regulation in the energy sector in Nigeria is the primary responsibility of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), a body created originally under the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act in 2005, which was repealed and replaced in 2023 by the Electricity Act. For some time prior to last week, various news media had sought unsuccessfully to confirm from the NERC the veracity of information suggesting that it had reached a decision to upwardly review the electricity tariff or that it had plans to do so. When it broke the story on 2 April, Bloomberg, a private and foreign news agency, credited people in the presidency with knowledge of the matter, suggesting not only a decision with a long gestation period but also one that had the active authorisation of the presidency. The implication is that when it initially denied to Nigerian news sources that it had such plans, the NERC had dissembled. The day after the Bloomberg story, on 3 April, NERC confirmed the accuracy of the report. On the same day, it released the text of the applicable statutory instrument, dated 28 March, which designated the commencement date as 3 April. The energy minister, Adebayo Adelabu, chimed in, explaining that the decision was because Nigerians keep their deep freezers plugged even when absent from home. This energy minister is so out of touch, he doesnt know that deep freezers need constant electricity. But how could he when all he does is prance about in private jets. For context, the Energy Progress Report issued jointly by the International Energy Agency, the United Nations, the World Bank and the World Health Organisation, among others, in 2022, conservatively assessed over 92 million Nigerians as without access to electricity. This is at the very bottom of the global energy league. The NERC claims that one of its reasons for the secret energy tax is to attract more investment into Nigerias power sector. This is what one of my old teachers called future speculative tense. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later To preclude predictable public furore about it, the NERC also garlanded the decision-making with a bodyguard of lies. Not satisfied with this, the release of the statutory instrument coincided with a pattern of coordinated online behaviour which clearly suggested that the Commission had actively recruited a gang of digital influencers and bloggers in order to create maximum distraction from the measure. For starters, the new tariffs foster undue discrimination contrary to Section 116(2)(e) of the Electricity Act of 2023, which requires the Commission, in setting tariffs, to avoid undue discrimination between consumers and consumer categories. The principal crisis with energy consumption currently is not generation but transmission. The country is unable to evacuate anything close to what it generates. To achieve an increase in energy supplied to or enjoyed by any band, therefore, the Transmission Company will have to create energy hunger in a band somewhere in the consumption ecosystem. So, to increase the quantity of energy supply that it guarantees to the Band A customers, NERC has to ensure reduction in what is transmitted to those at the bottom end of the bands. In other words, the increase of transmission to Band A customers is achieved by eviscerating supply to the roadside vulcaniser, the neighbourhood Mama-Put restaurateur, the welder, all of whom will suffer denial of energy. This pricing strategy is also poorly reasoned. The Band A users, whom it supposedly favours, are mostly in a position to transfer the burdens of the higher tariffs to consumers, most of whom are in the lower bands. This hits lower band consumers with a double whammy. By imposing energy hunger on them, it threatens the livelihoods of micro, mini and informal entrepreneurs and will put many of them out of business. At the same time, it will increase their costs of consumption. Unable to pay the new prices of goods and services, they will vote with their feet, which will hit revenues, profitability and viability of industry, leading to loss of jobs, loss of tax take and ultimately burdensome social costs. What emerges is that the new tariffs are effectively a regressive energy tax on the poor. In a country already afflicted with prohibitive insecurity, even further rise in insecurity is foreseeable. It became clear also during the week that NERC chose to adopt this most consequential of decisions for citizens, employers and consumers in utmost secrecy. To preclude predictable public furore about it, the NERC also garlanded the decision-making with a bodyguard of lies. Not satisfied with this, the release of the statutory instrument coincided with a pattern of coordinated online behaviour which clearly suggested that the Commission had actively recruited a gang of digital influencers and bloggers in order to create maximum distraction from the measure. Having dropped the only charge that could remotely fall within the purview of economic or financial crime, the EFCC forfeited any claim to acting within law or in the public interest because abuse of the naira, whatever that means, is outside the statutory scope of crimes that it can prosecute. Yet, within a mere 48 hours, the EFCC processed Bobrisky through the entire gamut of criminal justice, from arrest to conviction, setting a Nigerian record in prosecutorial diligence. One source of such distraction was the EFCC. As the NERC rolled out this prohibitive energy tax on 3 April, the EFCC procured the high profile arrest of Idris Okuneye, a transactional transvestite better known as Bobrisky, on the impressive charges of abuse of the Naira and alleged money laundering. With unremitting alacrity, the Commission first paraded Bobrisky, a practice that has repeatedly been declared unlawful by courts in Nigeria. Thereafter, it arraigned him before the Federal High Court in Lagos. The law that establishes the EFCC defines economic and financial crimes to mean non-violent criminal and illicit activity committed with the objectives of earning wealth illegally either individually or in a group or organized manner thereby violating existing legislation governing the economic activities of government and its administration. At the court, the EFCC dropped the two counts relating to money laundering, ultimately charging Bobrisky only with crimes connected with the so-called abuse of the Naira. Having dropped the only charge that could remotely fall within the purview of economic or financial crime, the EFCC forfeited any claim to acting within law or in the public interest because abuse of the naira, whatever that means, is outside the statutory scope of crimes that it can prosecute. Yet, within a mere 48 hours, the EFCC processed Bobrisky through the entire gamut of criminal justice, from arrest to conviction, setting a Nigerian record in prosecutorial diligence. It becomes evident, therefore, that the charges against Bobrisky were an artifice for persecuting a person whose life choices are a tad unusual. The EFCC lent itself to this despite the fact that Lagos, where Bobrisky lives, decriminalised the Victorian crimes of unnatural offences long ago in 2011. Nor does the leadership of the EFCC remember that over half a century ago, Uzoma Odimara freely promenaded as a cross-dresser and entertainer around the country under the name Area Scatter. In the week in which the EFCC bungled the biggest corruption case in the country in a quarter of a century, it takes unique institutional commitment to frippery to reduce its core business to chasing cross-dressers. In targeting Bobrisky as it has, the EFCC arguably sought to achieve the twin objectives of distracting Nigerians from NERCs steep and unlawful energy tax, while at the same time pressing home a blinkered wedge advocacy. In so doing, the leadership of the Commission clearly abused the sacred instrument of prosecutorial prerogative and showed itself as either idle or misguided, if not both. When this was brough to their attention, they descended into threats, bluster and the cringe-worthy trade in mangled adjectives. One concerned citizen responded that EFCC has gone rogue. 10 years ago, citizens looked to them as part of the solution. Today the EFCC has become part of the problem. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print It is in the spirit of restructuring, of building the Nigerian pyramid from the bottom up, that Adesinas call for the renaming of the country as the United States of Nigeria should be understood. What we have at the moment is a Unitary State of Nigeria disguised as a federal republic. A lie told in any language or vernacular, will always remain a lie! Do you want to live and work in the United States of Nigeria as opposed to the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Would you rather be a citizen of USN rather than FRN? I ask that question because there is a renewed clamour for the renaming of the giant of Africa from its present identification as the Federal Republic of Nigeria to a new one, the United States of Nigeria. The current wave was triggered by Africas Optimist-In-Chief and President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, in his brilliant lecture delivered at his investiture as winner of the Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Prize 2024. I used to be bothered by appearing to be a blind copycat, especially if there was another way of presenting something that was not totally new. Follow the beaten path or create a new one? Most times, I opt to be as original as I can be without necessarily trying to reinvent the wheel. So, when the issue of renaming Nigeria re-emerged in the marketplace of public discourse, I was quite interested in steering the discourse towards more enduring territories than a mere copying and domestication of another countrys name. Whats in a Name? Some people have asked, whats in a name? They argue that theres no intrinsic value to a name and that any name is as good as any other. Of course, Shakespeare disagrees. In his play, Romeo and Juliet, he asks, Whats in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. By extension, following that argument, no matter the name you give to Nigeria, the country will still be what it is. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later For our collective sakes, we should all be eager to prevent the discussion from degenerating into the usual pedestrian level of naming for namings sake. The change of name suggested by Dr Adesina is but one of the items in a long list of ingredients required to make the Nigerian developmental soup of our dreams. Adesina argues that Nigeria must dream. Like many analysts of the African condition before him, he links the destinies of Nigeria and the African continent together in a symbiotic relationship. He argues that we must start by unleashing our full potential while managing our challenges. We must make poverty history in Nigeria and, indeed, in Africa. He argues that, What is not acceptable or sustainable is an Africa that imports 70-80% of its medicines and produces just 1% of its vaccines. The health security of Africas 1.4 billion people cannot be subjugated to global supply chains or the generosity of others. How can we achieve this? Adesina reels out a five-point agenda: First, rural economic transformation and food security. Second, health care security for all. Third, education for all. Fourth, access to affordable housing for all. Fifth, government accountability and fiscal decentralisation for a true federalism. In Adesinas view, a better Africa must start with the transformation of rural economies. That is because some 70 per cent of the population live there. A nation without a sound health care system is a nation that is defenceless against the invasion of all forms of disease or epidemics. He argues that, What is not acceptable or sustainable is an Africa that imports 70-80% of its medicines and produces just 1% of its vaccines. The health security of Africas 1.4 billion people cannot be subjugated to global supply chains or the generosity of others. Disclosing that over the last seven years, AfDB had invested over $8.5 billion in agriculture, which had impacted 250 million people, Adesina declares that the transformation of rural economies must be structural, systemic, strategic and comprehensive. Not surprisingly, he advocates education and housing for all. He points out that, Nigeria accounts for 15% of the total population of out-of-school children, according to UNICEF, with over 10.2 million at the primary school level, and 8.1 million at the Junior Secondary School. This is not a gold medal Nigeria should be proud of I firmly believe that their future lies in a rapidly developing Nigeria, and Africa, that is able to generate quality jobs with competitive wages and a decent quality of life for millions of youths. That is why the African Development Bank Group and partners have provided $614 million to Nigeria for the i-DICE program to support the development of digital and creative enterprises, which are expected to create 6.3 million jobs and add an estimated $6.4 billion to the Nigerian economy. Specifically on housing, Dr Adesina notes that, In Nigeria, 49% of the population live in slums, according to data by UN-Habitat. That is a staggering 102 million people! That is 152% of the population of the United Kingdom, 392% of the population of Australia, 268% of the population of Canada, 150% of the population of France, and 1,020% of the population of the United Arab Emirates. Right here in Lagos, a UN-Habitat assessment shows 70% of the population live in informal settlements or slums. Adesina decried what he called the opprobrious policies that seek to upgrade slums. In his view, There is nothing like a 5-Star Slum: a slum is a slum. Urgent actions are needed to support mortgage financing and refinancing and use of innovative financing structures to raise long-term capital for closing the housing deficits. The sensible way out is to revert to an idea which informed the negotiations of the founding fathers of Nigeria at independence and which served us well until the military rudely intervened decentralise governance to constituent parts in order to provide greater autonomy. Constitutional Lie As a columnist who has closely followed and analysed the Nigerian condition for several decades, I have no doubt that the most crucial of the five variables for re-engineering a new Nigeria is the decentralisation or unbundling of the grotesque unitary structure imposed by the military at the onset of their misadventure into governance in 1966. Before that time, Nigeria was governed on the basis of a constitution peacefully negotiated by representatives of the people. Today, the current Nigerian constitution is the holiest lie in the countrys legal superstructure because everyone knows that the clause, We, the people actually means, We the military Dr Adesina points out that democracy is more than the right to cast a vote. It is the right of citizens to hold governments accountable for improvements in their welfare. He laments the situation where most Nigerians have been forced to constitute themselves into private local governments on account of the fact that they provide electricity for themselves via generators; repair roads in their neighbourhoods; provide boreholes for drinking water; and, we may as well add, provide their own security. The sensible way out is to revert to an idea which informed the negotiations of the founding fathers of Nigeria at independence and which served us well until the military rudely intervened decentralise governance to constituent parts in order to provide greater autonomy. Adesinas belief in a new Nigeria is predicated on his conviction that if things are done differently, the giant of Africa would be able to sing a new political and developmental song in the nearest future: There is a compelling need for the restructuring of Nigeria. Restructuring should not be driven by political expediency, but by economic and financial viability. Economic and financial viability are the necessary and sufficient conditions for political viability. Restructuring It is in the spirit of restructuring, of building the Nigerian pyramid from the bottom up, that Adesinas call for the renaming of the country as the United States of Nigeria should be understood. What we have at the moment is a Unitary State of Nigeria disguised as a federal republic. A lie told in any language or vernacular, will always remain a lie! Providentially, the National Assembly is in the process of amending the 1999 constitution in the midst of calls by several sub-national groups for an adoption of the report of the Constitutional Conference of 2014 or even a reversion to the original 1963 Republican Constitution. No matter the perspective of politicians on the matter, all agree that the current system is fraudulent and cannot lead Nigeria to its deserved place among the comity of nations. If, in addition to restructuring or reversion to the originally negotiated constitution of Nigeria, our political engineers reach a consensus on renaming the country as the United States of Nigeria, you wont find me among those bleating Nay! Wole Olaoye is a Public Relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on wole.olaoye@gmail.com, Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The chairperson of the Taraba State chapter of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria, Joseph Gimba, on Monday, expressed dismay with the public celebration of the return of a notorious convict, Hamisu Bala, also known as Wadume, from the correctional service centre in Kuje, Abuja. Mr Gimba told PREMIUM TIMES in Jalingo, the state capital, that the celebration was condemnable, unfortunate, uncalled for and criminal. Wadume, a suspected kidnapper, was rearrested in 2019, a few weeks after soldiers attacked a police team that arrested him in Ibbi, Taraba State, on its way back to Abuja. The soldiers attached to Battalion 93 of the Nigerian Army and led by Tijjani Balarabe were at a checkpoint on the Ibbi-Takum road when the police team arrived. They set Wadume free after killing some of the police officers who had arrested him on 6 August 2019. Three police officers and two civilians were killed during the incident, while five other police officers were injured. Wadume was rearrested in Kaduna and sentenced to seven years in prison by a Federal High Court in Abuja for escaping from lawful custody and unlawfully dealing in prohibited firearms. The prosecution had failed to prove the charges of kidnapping against him. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Wadume was released last Friday after serving his sentence in the Kuje prison. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Residents gave him a rousing reception in his hometown of Ibbi as they trooped out to receive him on Sunday. Speaking on the development, Mr Gimba said it was unfortunate that some Nigerians celebrated criminals and those who are a menace to the society. There were no proper and timely investigations to bring out evidence to prosecute him on other crimes, but he should not be celebrated, her said. The problem of some Nigerians is a clear case of poverty of the mind. We value wealth so much. They are not even bothered about why he went to prison. They are already waiting for him to come back so that he can continue to distribute ill-gotten money to them. We continue to blame the government for the security challenges confronting us, whereas we are celebrating criminals We do not need people like that in our society any longer. They need to be isolated so they dont corrupt more people, he said. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Wadume paid homage to the Chief of Ibbi, Salihu Danbawuro, after addressing the crowd that received him. He expressed appreciation to the chief and the people for standing by him throughout the period of his trial. Responding, Mr Danbawuro told Wadume that he and his subjects were happy that he was out of prison. I and the entire people of Ibbi chiefdom are happy that Hamisu Wadume is now back in Ibbi, his hometown, Mr Danbawuro said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Operatives of the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, 3 April 2024 commenced investigation of 14 suspected oil thieves alongside a Motor Fishing Trawler (MFT), Hawwau Tanko, handed over to the commission by the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB), Formoso, Brass, Bayelsa State. The suspects and vessel were arrested for alleged illegal dealing in petroleum products by the detachment of 5 BN Nigerian Army on 27 February 2024 around Fish Town Rivers, Southern Ijaw Bayelsa State while on board Motor Fishing Trawler (MFT), Hawwau Tanko , laden with about 10,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). The Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base (FOB), Formoso, Navy Captain Murtala Aminu Rogo disclosed that Motor Fishing Trawler (MFT) Hawwau Tanko was arrested on 27 February 2024 around Fish Town Rivers, Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State, for alleged involvement in illegal bunkering. Speaking through Navy Commander M. A Gada, Rago said the Nigerian Navy will not relent in its effort towards policing and enforcing all maritime laws to get rid of crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering activities and other crimes in the Nigerian maritime domain. The suspects include: Kolapo Gafar, the captain of the vessel, Monday Aresonor, Rasheed Rafiu, Kubi . E. Wowo, Emmanuel Odey, Kolapo Abdullahi, Sunday Obasan, Kolapo Wasiu, Ilojiole Emeka, Owoseni Ehuwa, John Olowokere, Chima Edwin, John Akpan and Ijoade Tayo. According to him, the activity of the 14 suspected oil thieves and MFT Hawwau Tanko is an act of economic sabotage which the Nigerian Navy has sworn not to condone. Zonal Commander of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt Command, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE 1, Ahmed Muhammed Ghali, Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later assured the Navy and the entire public that the suspects and the exhibits will be subjected to further investigation and possible prosecution. Ghali disclosed this through Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC, ASE 1 Salim Abubakar Sadiq who received the suspects and the vessel on behalf of the EFCC . He further commended the Navy for its collaboration with the EFCC and the good working relationship both agencies have enjoyed over the years. We will do everything within our powers to ensure that the activities of illegal oil bunkering are completely brought to the barest minimum and that the oil thieves are brought to face the wrath of the law. Dele Oyewale Head, Media & Publicity 8 April 2024 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Thirty-eight-year-old Omobayo Godwins has been sworn in as the new Edo State Deputy Governor. Mr Omobayo replaces his predecessor, Philip Shaibu, who was removed from office by the state House of Assembly earlier on Monday. The Chief Judge of Edo State, Daniel Okungbowa, administered the oath of office at the Government House in Benin, the state capital. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Shaibu had earlier on Monday been removed by the state House of Assembly, having been found guilty of revealing government secrets. Profile of new Edo deputy governor Mr Godwins, appointed by Governor Godwin Obaseki, hails from Akoko-Edo Local Government Area in the same Edo North senatorial district with the removal of Mr Shaibu. The new deputy governor, born on 19 July 1986, is an engineer with professional experience in the oil and gas sector. He had his Bachelors degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Public Administration, both from the University of Benin (UNIBEN). Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He is a registered member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). His profile revealed he served as a Senior Maintenance Engineer at Dresser Wayne West Africa Limited. READ ALSO: Obaseki picks new deputy governor after removal of Shuaib Acceptance speech In his acceptance speech, Mr Godwins expressed his gratitude to Obaseki for finding him worthy to serve as his deputy. He also pledged allegiance to the governor and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said, In the few critical months left to tidy up the work of this administration, my job as the deputy governor is clear and well cut out. I understand it very clearly. In line with the oath of office to which I have just subscribed, I make a solemn pledge to do all in my power, with Gods guidance, to live up to expectations. I will give all it takes to meet the expectations of my principal, the party, and above all, the good people of Edo State. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Philip Shaibu, who was removed from office as the Deputy Governor of Edo State, has vowed to challenge in court his impeachment and removal from office by the Edo State House of Assembly. I am confident that the legal system will vindicate me and expose the sham that has been orchestrated against me, Mr Shaibu said in a recorded video posted on his X handle. It was the former deputy governors first reaction to his removal from office by the state assembly. Omobayo Godwins was promptly cleared and sworn in to replace Mr Shaibu as the new Deputy Governor of the state. I will not be deterred or intimidated by those who seek to subvert our democracy, Mr Shaibu said on Monday while rejecting his removal, which he said was based on trumped-up charges, he stated. Mr Shaibu described his removal from office as a dangerous descent into dictatorship and threat to democracy, adding that it was a plot hatched because of his governorship ambition. Mr Shaibus removal from office on Monday was the peak of his prolonged political feud with Governor Godwin Obaseki. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The lawmakers had accused the former deputy governor of perjury and disclosure of government secrets and asked the state chief judge to constitute a panel to investigate the allegations. The panel, according to the majority leader of Edo State of House of Assembly, failed to establish a case of perjury against Mr Shaibu but found him culpable of disclosing government secrets, prompting an overwhelming vote for his removal for his removal from office by the assembly on Monday. Mr Shaibu, in his first reaction to the development, said the lawmakers betrayed the trust of the Edo people. He said the allegations brought against him were meant to conceal the true motive behind this impeachment. It is a flagrant abuse of power and betrayal of the trust that the people of Edo have placed in their elected officials. We refuse to stay inactive while our democratic institutions are exploited for personal gains. We will fight this injustice with every ounce of strength in our veins for the sake of the people of Edo State and the future of democracy. We cannot allow tyranny and oppression to take root in our society. We must resist the forces that seek to undermine our freedom and trample upon our rights. To the members of Edo House of Assembly who have chosen to forsake their Oath of Office in partake in this charade. History will judge harshly for your betrayal of the people to represent their interest, Mr Shaibu said. I saw it coming Mr Shaibu had long seen his removal from office before Monday. Last year, he initiated a suit to stop it even before any official move was taken to remove him from office. He, however, withdrew the suit following intervention by elders of the state to settle his political rift with Governor Obaseki. Messrs Shaibu and Obaseki were political allies but fell apart due to the formers ambition to succeed the latter as governor of Edo State in the 21 September election. Governor Obaseki, who preferred a banker, Asue Ighodalo, as his successor, described his former deputy as being overambitious. Mr Obaseki, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, favours power shift to Edo Central senatorial district because he is from Edo South while his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole (now senator), along with Mr Shaibu hails from Edo North. Mr Ighodalo, who is being backed by Mr Obaseki to succeed him, hails from Edo Central. Besides, Mr Ighodalo was a member of the Edo State Economic Team, where Mr Obaseki served as chairperson, under Mr Oshiomhole as governor. Mr Shaibu had, in an interview, said he felt hurt and betrayed that Mr Obaseki preferred another person as his successor despite his financial investment in Mr Obasekis second term. The feud deteriorated to the extent that Governor Obaseki relocated the Office of the Deputy Governor from the Government House to another location in the state. Obaseki-Shaibu feud Mr Shaibu first served as a lawmaker in Edo State before he was elected a federal lawmaker in 2015, a position he resigned and paired on a joint ticket with Governor Obaseki, where they contested and won the governorship election in 2016. Being the preferred successor of then-incumbent Governor Oshiomhole, Messrs Obaseki and Shaibu enjoyed a smooth victory at the polls. Four years later, the duo sought a second term but were denied a ticket by Mr Oshiomhole who later became the national chairperson of the APC, a situation that triggered their defection to the PDP, a platform under which they contested and won the second term in 2020. After falling out with Mr Oshiomhole, Messrs Obaseki and Shaibu became more bonded politically but the governorship ambition of Mr Shaibu, which is not supported by Mr Obaseki has soured the relationship between them. Mr Shaibu declared for governorship against the wishes of Governor Obaseki. He went further to organise a parallel governorship primary of the PDP in Edo State where he, being the only aspirant, emerged the winner while Mr Ighodalo, emerged the winner of another primary of the party which Mr Obaseki and other leaders of the party attended. Shortly after the PDP primary, the State Assembly served an impeachment notice on Mr Shaibu, a development that led to his removal from office. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print From Wike-Odili soured relationship to blackout in Akwa Ibom. The first week of April was eventful in South-south Nigeria. These are major stories from the South-south region last week. Troops rescue kidnapped NYSC member, eight others The week began on a good note on Monday when the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta region announced that nine victims abducted by gunmen in Delta State were rescued alive and in good health. The JTC Commander, John Okeke, who disclosed this said that 10 suspected kidnappers were arrested during the rescue of the victims who included an NYSC member and a Navy rating. Wike-Odili soured relationship New revelations also emerged about the frosty relationship between the immediate past Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and one of his predecessors, Peter Odili, whom he referred to as his political father. Mr Wike, now FCT Minister, last week stunned some Nigerians when he said he does not have a good relationship with Mr Odili, whom he had repeatedly hailed and credited his emergence as governor of the state to. As then governor of Rivers State, Mr Wike built a cancer hospital and judiciary institute, and named them respectively after Mr Odili and his wife, Mary, a retired Supreme Court judge. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later But less than two years later, Mr Wike at a function in Port Harcourt made derogatory remarks against his once revered political father. Although Mr Wike declined to disclose the reason for the frosty relationship, a former Commissioner for Water Resources in the state, David Briggs, said Mr Wike was angry with Mr Odili for refusing to support the impeachment plot against Governor Siminalayi Fubara by pro-Wike lawmakers. Governor Otu inherited empty treasury For the second time in less than a year in office, aides of Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State have accused his predecessor, Ben Ayade of mismanaging state resources. Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ankpo Edet, last Wednesday said that Governor Otu inherited an empty treasury and decayed infrastructure, adding that he was shocked on assumption of office as commissioner. Mr Edet, however, said that the administration has achieved a lot in its pursuit of urban renewal, especially in Calabar metropolis and environs, despite the financial challenges. The criticism came months after Governor Otus spokesperson, Emmanuel Ogbeche had said the governor inherited a run-down state where approvals were given on WhatsApp messages. Army conflicting claims on weapons recovery in Delta community The Nigerian army on Wednesday contradicted itself on the recovery of arms and ammunition reportedly snatched from soldiers murdered while on peacekeeping mission in Okuama community in Delta State. The community was razed after 17 soldiers, including the Commanding Officer of 181 Army Amphibious Battalion. The others were two majors, one captain and 13 soldiers were ambushed and murdered in the state. The Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, had earlier said the slain commanding officer of 181 Army Amphibious Battalion and his team went to the Delta community unarmed because it was a peacekeeping mission. But the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs of the army, Nosakhare Ugbo, on Wednesday, said that the army had recovered some arms and ammunition snatched from the slain soldiers, contradicting the one earlier made by the Chief of Defence Staff. Fake Rivers PDP caretaker committee list cant stand Fubara Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State last Wednesday clarified the position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the extension given to state executive committee members of the party in states where their tenure has expired. The governor said the national leadership of the party only granted three months extension for the executives in the affected states, including Rivers, but added that the extension was not for new names to be added. He explained that the extension was not to bring new names to the executives and described as fake the purported new list circulated in the state adding that it cannot stand. Police ban operatives from searching citizens phones The Nigerian Police within the week reiterated its ban on searching of citizens phones by operatives. The Commissioner of Police in Edo State issued the warning through a statement from the commands spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor. The statement, however, did not state the sanctions to be meted on deviant operatives whose record of breaching the order has been on the rise. Pilots can fly airplanes even without being paid Pilots hate being starved and would gladly fly an aeroplane without getting paid. Former chief executive officer of the defunct ADC airline, Augustine Okon, said in an interview with this newspaper. Mr Okon said although pilots are well-paid, they would gladly fly without pay. A pilot loves it when he is flying and does not want to hear the word grounded, Mr Augustine said, adding that sex is the nearest thing to the feeling a pilot has when flying. Blackout in Akwa Ibom Residents of Akwa Ibom State experienced a state-wide blackout in the week. Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Company had, for the second time in less than two months, blamed the power outage which affected all parts of the state on a fault in the Uyo/Itu 132kv line. The distribution company, however, restored power supply to some parts of the state on Sunday evening after three days of outage. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Imo State, South-east Nigeria, say they have arrested a hotelier over the death of an employee of his hotel. The suspect, Ibeh Obasi, 38, owns the hotel, Our Guest House, in the Umulogho community in the Obowo Local Government Area of the state. Mr Obasi was said to have been arrested in connection to the death of the 25-year-old victim, Ebuka Udemba, who allegedly suffocated to death after he was tortured and locked up in the hotels generator house for alleged stealing of a customers mobile phone. The late Udemba was a staff member in the hotel until his death. The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the incident happened in Umuokpa, a community in Obowo Local Government Area of the state. He said the victim hailed from the Umuokpa community in the Obowo Local Government Area of the state, while the suspect came from the Umulogho community. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The police spokesperson did not mention when the incident happened. However, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the body of the victim was found in the facilitys generator house on Friday. How the victim died Mr Okoye narrated how the victim was killed. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was tortured and locked up inside the generator room of the said guest house by the suspect and two others at large, where he suffocated to death, on the accusation of stealing a customers handset, he said. Mr Okoye added, Accordingly, the suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Owerri for consolidation of the ongoing investigation. The police spokesperson said the suspect had provided useful information that would assist police operatives in tracking down all suspects involved in the crime. The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Aboki Danjuma, has asked the deputy commissioner of police in charge of the SCID to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the incident, Mr Okoye said. Mr Danjuma also directed the deputy commissioner of police to ensure that all the suspects involved in the murder were arrested and prosecuted. The police commissioner, while commiserating with the family and friends of the victim, condemned the incident. He, however, asked residents of the area not to take laws into their own hands, assuring that the police in the state were on top of the situation and had commenced a thorough investigation into the incident. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police command in Osun on Sunday in Osogbo warned dog owners to cage their pets or risk arrest. Yemisi Opalola, the spokesperson for the command, said that the warning became necessary following the increasing rate of dog attacks on people in the state. She said in a statement that allowing dogs to roam unrestrained violates the Dog Act Cap 35 Law of the Federation of Nigeria. The police spokesman explained that it is an offence if any dog gets loose and bites anybody outside the compound. She said according to the law, dogs should be vaccinated, duly controlled and not be set loose to bite passers-by. The command is using this medium to draw the attention of members of the public especially those rearing or breeding dogs especially exotic ones for guard/security purposes or otherwise to the increasingly recent attacks on people by dogs. To this end, the Police Command enjoins members of the public to restrain their dogs in their houses in cages/leashes with a view to reducing attacks on people. They should further vaccinate these dogs in order to reduce the risk of contracting Rabies which can be deadly if these dogs happen to bite individuals, Ms Opalola added. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later She said that the commissioner of Police in Osun, Mohammed Abba, also advised members of the public to be abreast of the Dog Act to avoid contravention of the law. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Two CEOs met at Seegene headquarters to discuss and concurred with Seegene's vision Seegene's swift responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and digital solutions through AI implementation were presented SEOUL, South Korea, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Seegene Inc., a leading South Korean company providing a total solution for PCR molecular diagnostics, announced today that Prof. Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), visited its headquarters located in Seoul Korea, on March 27. Seegene Founder & CEO Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, left, and CEO of UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Prof. Dame Jenny Harries, far right, discuss ways to realize 'a world free from all diseases' at Seegene headquarters in Seoul on March 27. Seegene Founder & CEO Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, left, poses for a photo with Prof. Dame Jenny Harries, CEO of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) after a meeting at Seegene headquarters in Seoul on March 27. According to the company, Prof. Harries and her delegation engaged in discussions with Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, Seegene's Founder & CEO, and the management team, in which she expressed strong alignment in collectively moving to realize Seegene's vision of "a world free from all diseases." Prof. Harries expressed keen interest in Seegene's SG OneSystemTM business, the company's technology sharing initiative, as well as its advancements in automated diagnostic reagent development system driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative digital solutions that integrate biotechnology (BT) and information technology (IT). Highlighting Seegene's rapid response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Prof. Harries commended the company's agility in developing diagnostic reagents within just three weeks and distributing them globally. "We strongly believe that the speed of testing must be faster than the speed of transmission" explained Dr. Chun, reflecting on the challenges during the pandemic. "We took swift action by utilizing emergency approvals from governments worldwide and leveraging the global distribution network we had secured prior to the pandemic." Seegene has facilitated the rapid and effective isolation of individuals infected with COVID-19 by delivering approximately 350 million diagnostic tests to over 100 countries. "We greatly value the visit of UKHSA, a world-leading health security agency, to Seegene," said Dr. Chun. "We will continue to explore ways for contributing to the cooperation between Korea and the UK, including through our SG OneSystemTM business" he added. SG OneSystemTM business, or Seegene's technology sharing initiative, is a global strategy aimed at eradicating diseases. It involves sharing the company's syndromic quantitative PCR technology and Seegene's Digitalized Development System (SGDDS) with leading companies worldwide. The initiative enables scientists across the globe to contribute directly to the development of locally tailored diagnostic reagents for various diseases affecting humans, animals, and plants. To effectively advance this endeavor, Seegene has forged strategic collaborations with industry and academic leaders including Microsoft and Springer Nature, underscoring its commitment to advancing global health solutions through the enhancement of its technology sharing initiative. About Seegene Seegene has 23 years of dedicated R&D, manufacturing and business experience around syndromic quantitative PCR technologies, which was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when it provided over 340 million COVID-19 tests to more than 100 countries worldwide. The core feature of Seegene's unique syndromic PCR technologies is the ability to simultaneously test 14 pathogens that cause similar symptoms in a single tube and provide quantitative information on the infectivity profile to correlate with the severity of illness. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2381076/Image__UKHSA2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2381077/Image__UKHSA1.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1357790/Seegene_logo_Logo.jpg "Camino a Casa" program provides educational, vocational, and mental health support to youth returned to Guatemala WASHINGTON, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Refuge, the nation's largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to serving and advocating for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, today announced its international expansion to Guatemala. Record numbers of unaccompanied youth have been encountered at the U.S. southern border in recent years, with 42% originating from Guatemala in Fiscal Year 2023. For decades, Global Refuge has served this population in the U.S. through foster care and family reunification services, however an increasing number of youths are returned to their home country by U.S. and Mexican authorities. Through its new "Camino A Casa" program, the organization is providing support to repatriated youth in Guatemala for up to twelve months to ensure successful reintegration. In conjunction with local partners, the program offers an array of clinical support, case management services, and referrals tailored to the unique needs of participants, as well as supplementary income and connections to community resources. "When youth are returned to their home country, they face daunting challenges such as large debts, mental and emotional trauma, a lack of job prospects, difficulty accessing educational opportunity, and more," said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge. "We firmly believe that every young person deserves a chance to reach their full potential, support themselves and their families, and strengthen their communities." Youth between the ages of 14 and 24 who are returned to Guatemala receive an individualized service plan that focuses on their specific needs, including family reunification, mental health and family counseling services, educational support, vocational training, financial literacy, mentorship, and referrals to additional services as appropriate. To eliminate barriers such as transportation, Global Refuge staff deliver services in-home to participants in nine of the country's departments with a particular focus on the Western Highlands, whose indigenous populations tend to experience higher rates of repatriation. "This program provides meaningful opportunities for returned Guatemalan youth to heal and thrive, and creates a viable alternative to making another dangerous and costly migration journey," continued Vignarajah. "We are excited to continue growing Global Refuge's continuum of care for young people and their families, whether that's in the United States or in their countries of origin." To learn more about "Camino A Casa", visit the program webpage or watch the launch video to hear from staff and clients. Contact: Timothy Young | [email protected] | 443-257-6310 SOURCE Global Refuge ROCKVILLE, Md. and SUZHOU, China, April 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK), a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancer, age-related diseases, and chronic hepatitis B (CHB), announced today that it releases the latest results from three preclinical studies of its novel drug candidates olverembatinib, MDM2-p53 inhibitor alrizomadlin (R&D Code: APG-115), FAK/ALK/ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor APG-2449, and embryonic ectoderm development (EED) inhibitor APG-5918, at the 2024 American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting (AACR 2024). This year's AACR annual meeting will be held from April 5-10 2024, in San Diego, California, USA. "We are pleased to present the preclinical research data of four assets in our pipeline at the AACR 2024. The results provided essential support for the potential clinical development and therapeutic combinations of these compounds in SDH-deficient neoplasms, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer," said Dr. Yifan Zhai, Chief Medical Officer of Ascentage Pharma. "Moving forward, we will continue to advance these programs toward the clinical stage in order to bring more treatment options to patients in need." The details of these three preclinical studies are as follows: Olverembatinib, a novel multikinase inhibitor, demonstrates superior antitumor activity in succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)-deficient neoplasms Abstract#: 1971 Time: Monday April 8, 2024, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM (Pacific Time) Introduction: Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) deficient (dSDH) neoplasms are identified by the loss of immunohistochemical expression of SDHB due to the bi-allelic inactivation of any of the four components of mitochondrial SDH complex (SDH A-D). Succinate accumulation, due to SDH deficiency, is involved in tumorigenesis of different types of cancers including gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), paraganglioma, pheochromocytoma, renal cell carcinoma, pituitary adenomas, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The prognosis of patients with dSDH neoplasia, especially GIST, is poor and approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have limited efficacy. There is a high unmet medical need for these patients. Olverembatinib, a novel multi-kinase inhibitor, targets a broad spectrum of kinases and has demonstrated promising efficacy in dSDH GIST patients in an ongoing phase I clinical trial. In this study, we assessed antitumor effects of olverembatinib in preclinical models of dSDH cancers and dSDH GIST primary tumor cells, and explored potential mechanisms of action. Conclusions: Olverembatinib showed superior anti-tumor activity in dSDH cell lines in vitro and human dSDH GIST primary tumor cells ex vivo . and human dSDH GIST primary tumor cells Olverembatinib, as a multi-target kinase inhibitor, exerted antitumor effects by modulating multiple signaling pathways including hypoxia, angiogenesis, apoptosis, proliferation, and survival, which are involved in tumorigenesis of dSDH cancers. Olverembatinib demonstrated more potent in vivo antitumor activity in mice bearing PC12#5F7 (SDHB KD) xenograft tumors than other TKIs. Western blot analysis in tumor tissues collected from mice further confirmed the modulation of the signal pathways by olverembatinib observed in cell lines. antitumor activity in mice bearing PC12#5F7 (SDHB KD) xenograft tumors than other TKIs. Western blot analysis in tumor tissues collected from mice further confirmed the modulation of the signal pathways by olverembatinib observed in cell lines. In summary, the results provide a rationale for future clinical development of olverembatinib in dSDH cancers. Embryonic ectoderm development (EED) inhibitor APG-5918 (EEDi-5273) and MDM2 inhibitor alrizomadlin (APG-115) synergistically inhibit tumor growth in preclinical models of prostate cancer (PCa) Abstract#: 3223 Time: Monday April 8, 2024, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM (Pacific Time) Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignancies among elderly males. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with or without androgen receptor (AR) inhibitors is widely used as initial treatment for advanced PCa. However, most ADT-treated patients eventually develop castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which is in urgent need of novel therapies. Polycomb repressive complexes 2 (PRC2) dysregulation is common in PCa and correlates with poor prognosis. PRC2 mediates histone H3 lysine 27 tri-methylation (H3K27me3), a repressive epigenetic marker for gene transcription. embryonic ectoderm development (EED), a PRC2 core component, is crucial for histone methyltransferase activity through direct binding to H3K27me3. MDM2, a negative regulator of the tumor suppressor p53, is frequently amplified or overexpressed in PCa, and associated with poor clinical outcomes and metastasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate antitumor activity and molecular mechanisms of the investigational, clinical-stage EED inhibitor APG-5918/EEDi-5273 and MDM2 selective inhibitor alrizomadlin (APG-115) in PCa preclinical models Conclusions: In PCa preclinical models, the combination of APG-5918 and alrizomadlin synergistically inhibited cellular proliferation and induced cellular apoptosis. APG-5918 in combination with alrizomadlin synergistically enhanced antitumor activity in PCa xenograft models in vivo. Mechanistically, PD analysis revealed that APG-5918 downregulated the oncogenic DNA methylation factors (UHRF1, DNMT1) and histone methylation marker H3K27me3. Alrizomadlin markedly downregulated UHRF1 and DNMT1, and upregulated p53 and p21 expression. Combined treatment further enhanced downregulation of DNMT1, UHRF1, cell cycle pathway proteins (pRb, CDK6), antiapoptotic protein MCL-1, and synergistically increased cleavage of PARP-1, a marker of apoptosis. Therefore, the findings provide a scientific rationale for future clinical development of APG-5918 and alrizomadlin to treat patients with PCa. APG-2449, a novel focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor, inhibits metastasis and enhances the antitumor efficacy of PEGylated liposome doxorubicin (PLD) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) Abstract#: 4569 Time: Tuesday April 9, 2024, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM (Pacific Time) Introduction: Ovarian cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related death in women, and most cases are diagnosed at later stages with distant metastasis. FAK overexpression or activation occurs in a substantial proportion of epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) and is predictive of poor clinical outcomes. FAK plays an important role in cell migration and chemoresistance, rendering FAK inhibition a promising treatment approach to reduce metastasis of tumor cells and sensitize them to chemotherapy. FAK is therefore emerging as a potential treatment target. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antitumor efficacy of investigational APG-2449, a novel FAK inhibitor, combined with PLD, a commonly used chemotherapy, in relapsed or refractory ovarian cancer. Conclusions: APG-2449 combined with doxorubicin showed synergistic antiproliferative effects in both platinum-resistant and platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer cell lines. FAK inhibition via APG-2449 alone attenuated migration of ovarian cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. APG-2449 in combination with PLD showed enhanced antitumor activity in platinum-resistant OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer CDX model. The combination regimen prolonged ascites-free and survival times in the ID8-Luc peritoneal syngeneic model. These promising results support the future clinical development of this combination treatment for ovarian cancer. About Ascentage Pharma Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK) is a globally focused biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B, and age-related diseases. On October 28, 2019, Ascentage Pharma was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code 6855.HK. Ascentage Pharma focuses on developing therapeutics that inhibit protein-protein interactions to restore apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The company has built a pipeline of 9 clinical drug candidates, including novel, highly potent Bcl-2, and dual Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitors, as well as candidates aimed at IAP and MDM2-p53 pathways, and next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Ascentage Pharma is also the only company in the world with active clinical programs targeting all three known classes of key apoptosis regulators. The company is conducting more than 40 Phase I/II clinical trials in the US, Australia, Europe, and China. Ascentage Pharma has been designated for multiple Major National R&D Projects, including five Major New Drug Projects, one New Drug Incubator status, four Innovative Drug Programs, and one Major Project for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases. Olverembatinib, the company's core drug candidate developed for the treatment of drug-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the company's first approved product, has been granted Priority Review Designations and Breakthrough Therapy Designations by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). To date, the drug had been included into the China 2022 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). Furthermore, olverembatinib has been granted an Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and a Fast Track Designation (FTD) by the US FDA, and an Orphan Designation by the EMA of the EU. To date, Ascentage Pharma has obtained a total of 16 ODDs from the US FDA and 1 Orphan Designation from the EMA of the EU for 4 of the company's investigational drug candidates. Leveraging its robust R&D capabilities, Ascentage Pharma has built a portfolio of global intellectual property rights and entered into global partnerships with numerous renowned biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and research institutes such as UNITY Biotechnology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MSD, and AstraZeneca. The company has built a talented team with global experience in the discovery and development of innovative drugs and is setting up its world-class commercial manufacturing and Sales & Marketing teams. One pivotal aim of Ascentage Pharma is to continuously strengthen its R&D capabilities and accelerate its clinical development programs, in order to fulfil its mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world for the benefit of more patients. Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, Ascentage Pharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these intentions may alter in light of future development. SOURCE Ascentage Pharma New leading brand combines precision technologies of Precision Planting and PTx Trimble DULUTH, Ga., April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, today announced the launch of PTx, a new brand representing its precision ag portfolio. PTx combines precision ag technologies from the cornerstones of AGCO's tech stack: Precision Planting and its newest joint venture (JV), PTx Trimble. The strategic alignment of these brands will facilitate the rapid growth of AGCO's technology transformation and will support the future development and distribution of next-generation ag technologies for farmers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). PTx will serve farmers around the world through three go-to-market approaches. Specialized precision ag dealers will help farmers retrofit almost any make or vintage of equipment they already own with the latest technologies. PTx will also expand its relationships with more than 100 OEM partners that can integrate products from the PTx portfolio directly at the factory. Similarly, new machines from AGCO's leading brands Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra will also offer factory-fit technology from the PTx portfolio. Seth Crawford, Senior Vice President and General Manager PTx, will lead the new organization as an industry-leading, mixed-fleet precision ag platform serving farmers globally. "We believe technology should give farmers the flexibility to work their way across brands and throughout the crop cycle," said Crawford. "Through the PTx portfolio offerings within Precision Planting and PTx Trimble, we'll provide seamlessly compatible, powerfully simple precision ag solutions. We know farming is easier when platforms speak to each other and when those systems are designed and supported by experts who understand farmers. That's what PTx is promising our customers around the world." The name PTx is rooted in AGCO's heritage: precision agriculture (P) and advanced technologies (T) that multiply (x) the impact it creates for farmers through seamless, intelligent and farmer-centric technologies. The symbol represents the precise rows and fields in agriculture and tells a story of global connection. To present a unified offering to the market, Precision Planting's visual identity is evolving as part of the new PTx brand portfolio while retaining the brand's well-known corn plant as a nod to its rich heritage. The PTx Trimble visual identity mirrors that of the PTx leading brand. AGCO completed the JV transaction with Trimble on April 1, 2024, to form PTx Trimble. Andrew Sunderman has been named General Manager of PTx Trimble. Sunderman's 12 years of experience in various global AGCO roles, including most recently leading the JV integration team, position him well to run this business. "Farmers rely on precision ag technologies to increase yields, decrease waste and maximize their resources," said Sunderman. "The launch of PTx and the start of the PTx Trimble JV enable us to better serve farmers, offering them retrofit and factory-fit solutions to achieve their financial and operational goals." Keith Crow will continue to lead Precision Planting as General Manager. PTx joins AGCO's leading global brand portfolio including Fendt, Massey Ferguson, GSI and Valtra. To learn more about PTx, visit www.ptxag.com. About AGCO AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology. AGCO delivers value to farmers and OEM customers through its differentiated brand portfolio including core brands like Fendt, GSI, Massey Ferguson, PTx and Valtra. AGCO's full line of equipment, smart farming solutions and services helps farmers sustainably feed our world. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, USA, AGCO had net sales of approximately $14.4 billion in 2023. For more information, visit www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information, and events, please follow us on X: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on X, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR. SOURCE AGCO Corporation MARLBOROUGH, Mass., April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) has initiated the NAVIGATE-PF study of the FARAVIEW Software Module* when it is used to visualize and track the FARAWAVE Nav Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) Catheter* for the treatment of patients with paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). The FARAVIEW technology and the FARAWAVE Nav catheter expand the capabilities of the FARAPULSE PFA System through integration with our cardiac mapping system. In a pulsed field cardiac ablation procedure, a catheter is guided into the heart to administer targeted non-thermal electrical fields that selectively treat heart tissue cells, while avoiding damage to nearby structures. Before PFA therapy application, a physician might employ a separate cardiac mapping catheter to examine and analyze the heart's electrical patterns to plan the PFA applications. The FARAWAVE Nav PFA Catheter adds magnetic navigation capabilities to the current FARAWAVE PFA catheter, enabling detailed mapping and PFA therapy within the same device. This mapping data is visualized using the new FARAVIEW Software Module, offering a tailored mapping solution for procedures with the FARAPULSE PFA System. "Creating a detailed cardiac map during an ablation procedure can improve guidance, reduce fluoroscopy times and assist physicians in assessing the location of energy delivered, which may improve patient outcomes," said Ignacio Garcia-Bolao, M.D., Ph.D., study investigator and director of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. "Through this study, we hope to identify the procedural benefits of the FARAWAVE Nav catheter, which can both map and ablate, alongside technology that allows for magnetically-tracked, dynamic visualization of a patient's cardiac anatomy and catheter configuration." In the prospective, single-arm, open-label, multi-center NAVIGATE-PF study, approximately 30 patients at several European centers who live with paroxysmal or persistent AF will be enrolled. All patients in the study will have cardiac mapping performed during their procedures. Those living with paroxysmal AF will undergo pulmonary vein isolation, while patients with persistent AF will undergo additional posterior wall isolation at the discretion of the physician performing the procedure. "This study seeks to build on the compelling performance of the FARAPULSE PFA System by providing an integrated mapping and navigation experience for physicians," said Brad Sutton, M.D., chief medical officer, AF Solutions, Boston Scientific. "Adding navigation and visualization capabilities to this PFA system, which is leading the way in terms of safety, efficacy and efficiency, is an exciting proposition for physicians and patients alike." Boston Scientific anticipates U.S. regulatory approval of the FARAWAVE NAV PFA Catheter and the FARAVIEW Software Module in the second half of 2024. More information on the FARAPULSE PFA System is available here. *Caution: Investigational Device. Limited by Federal (or US) law to investigational use only. Not available for sale. ** Dr. Ignacio Garcia-Bolao is a paid consultant of Boston Scientific Corporation. He has not been compensated in connection with this press release. About Boston Scientific Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical technologies that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 40 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high-performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. Our portfolio of devices and therapies helps physicians diagnose and treat complex cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, oncological, neurological and urological diseases and conditions. Learn more at www.bostonscientific.com and connect on LinkedIn and X, formerly Twitter. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "anticipate," "expect," "project," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "intend" and similar words. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding our business plans and product performance and impact, and new and anticipated product approvals and launches. If our underlying assumptions turn out to be incorrect, or if certain risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. These factors, in some cases, have affected and in the future (together with other factors) could affect our ability to implement our business strategy and may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements expressed in this press release. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such differences include, among other things: future economic, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory conditions; manufacturing, distribution and supply chain disruptions and cost increases; new product introductions; demographic trends; intellectual property; litigation; financial market conditions; and future business decisions made by us and our competitors. All of these factors are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are beyond our control. For a further list and description of these and other important risks and uncertainties that may affect our future operations, see Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we may update in Part II, Item 1A Risk Factors in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file hereafter. We disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which those expectations may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document. CONTACTS: Steve Bailey Media Relations (651) 582-4343 (office) [email protected] Jon Monson Investor Relations (508) 683-5450 [email protected] SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation Canadian Settlement Approval Hearing to be held June 20, 2024 TORONTO, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Law firm Berger Montague (Canada) today announces that the British Columbia Supreme Court (the "Court") has scheduled a hearing to be held on June 20, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. PST at the courthouse located at 800 Smithe Street, British Columbia (the "Canadian Settlement Approval Hearing") to approve a settlement among all of the parties to the class proceeding styled Catherine Bowles v. Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd., S-233808 (Vancouver Registry)(the "Canadian Action"). The Canadian Action has been certified for settlement purposes only with the following common issue: did the Defendant release statements containing misrepresentations concerning material facts regarding planned hydraulic fracturing or fracking by referencing "unconventional" resources and "shale" deposits within Namibia during the Canadian Settlement Class Period? Leave to proceed under s. 140.8 of the British Columbia Securities Act RSBC 1996, c 418 has also been granted, also for settlement purposes only. Background A proposed class action was commenced on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. ("ReconAfrica") common shares, listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange, on or after May 30, 2020, and held some or all of those securities until after the close of trading on September 7, 2021 ("Canadian Settlement Class Members" and the "Canadian Class Period"). The plaintiff in the Canadian Action (the "Canadian Plaintiff") alleges that commencing May 2020, ReconAfrica negligently signaled planned fracking by referencing "unconventional" resources and "shale" deposits within Namibia. In industry parlance, "unconventional" resources and/or "shale" deposits refer to oil and gas deposits requiring extraction by fracking. The Canadian Plaintiff alleges that ReconAfrica was made these statements negligently because it failed to disclose to investors that: (1) ReconAfrica had not determined whether Namibia would allow fracking, which had never been done in Namibia, and which was central to ReconAfrica's business plans; and (2) ReconAfrica possessed data from its test wells that revealed poor prospects for achieving oil and gas production that would be commercially viable. These alleged omitted material facts undermined ReconAfrica's public statements made during the Canadian Class Period, rendering them misleading. ReconAfrica denies all such allegations and makes no admission of liability in connection with the Settlement. At the conclusion of a full-day mediation in October 2023, the parties agreed to settle the Action to fully, definitively and permanently resolve all claims asserted against ReconAfrica, subject to approval of a written Settlement Agreement by the Court at the Settlement Approval Hearing. The Settlement: The parties have reached a proposed settlement of the Canadian Action, without an admission of liability on the part of ReconAfrica, subject to approval by the Court. The terms of the proposed settlement are set out below. ReconAfrica will pay CAD $5,075,000 million (the "Canadian Settlement Amount"), in full and final settlement of all claims against it in the Canadian Action. The Canadian Settlement Amount, less the lawyers' fees and disbursements, administration expenses, and taxes (the "Canadian Net Settlement Fund"), if approved by the Canadian Court, will be distributed to the Canadian Settlement Class in accordance with a court-approved Canadian Plan of Allocation. The proposed Global Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement dated February 27, 2024 (the "Settlement Agreement") Canadian Settlement Class definition and Canadian Plan of Allocation may be viewed at https://bergermontague.ca/cases/reconnaissance-energy-africa-ltd/ . If the Canadian Settlement is approved, a further notice will be published which will include instructions on how Canadian Settlement Class Members can file Claim Forms to participate in the distribution of the Canadian Net Settlement Fund and the deadline for doing so. The Canadian Settlement provides that if it is approved by the Court, the claims of all Canadian Settlement Class Members which were asserted or which could have been asserted in the Canadian Action, will be fully and finally released and the Canadian Action will be dismissed. The Class: If you purchased or otherwise acquired on the TSX Venture Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange, on or after May 30, 2020, and held some or all of those securities until after the close of trading on September 7, 2021, you will likely be entitled to participate in the Canadian Net Settlement Fund after the Court has approved it. Objections: At the Canadian Settlement Approval Hearing, the Court will consider any objections to the proposed Canadian Settlement and opt-outs from the Canadian Settlement Class by the Canadian Settlement Class Members if the objections are submitted in writing, by prepaid mail or email to Berger Montague (Canada) PC, 330 Bay Street, Suite 1302, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2S8, Email: [email protected] , Attention: ReconAfrica Class Action, in the matter described in the Notice of Proposed Settlement of the Canadian Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. Securities Class Action located at https://bergermontague.ca/cases/reconnaissance-energy-africa-ltd/ . Attending The Canadian Settlement Approval Hearing Canadian Class Members may attend the Canadian Settlement Approval Hearing whether or not they deliver an objection. The Court may permit Canadian Class Members to participate in the Canadian Settlement Approval Hearing whether or not they deliver an objection. Canadian Settlement Class Members who wish for a lawyer to speak on their behalf at the Canadian Settlement Approval Hearing may retain one to do so at their own expense . Questions for the Canadian Settlement Class Members' lawyers may be directed to: Berger Montague (Canada) PC, 330 Bay Street, Suite 1302, Toronto, ON M5H 2S8, Tel: 647.598.8772 ext 2, Email: [email protected] Web Designer Near Me An invaluable resource for all business owners looking to hire a web professional. PHOENIX, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "Web Designer Near Me" is not just a book; it's a practical guide for business owners. It serves as a comprehensive resource, providing step-by-step guidance on researching, evaluating, and ultimately hiring the perfect web designer for a business's specific needs. This book empowers owners to make informed decisions that align with their business objectives. Web Designer Near Me (book) Charlotte Howard, Author and Web Consultant A long-overdue resource for sole proprietors, entrepreneurs, non-profits, and SMBs, Web Designer Near Me provides important insights into the world of web design. It discusses job descriptions, liabilities and business protection, budgets, conversion metrics, traffic, branding, and so much more. Author Charlotte Howard says, "The choice of web designer can have a huge impact on the trajectory of a person's business. What I have noticed over the years is that people simply do not know enough about designing and building a profitable website what it really takes and what could possibly go wrong if they hire the wrong web person or agency. And, disasters can and do happen. Wasted time. Wasted money. Heartache. Even bankruptcy. I wrote this book to help small business owners hire the right web professional for the job." A fellow web consultant, Kim Vigsbo, who has been in the business for over 20 years, endorses this book. He says, "This book is written by the most experienced Web Designer/Consultant I know. I still learned much from reading Charlotte's book. I recommend getting this book if you are considering updating your website. It will save you money and make the entire process much better. You will be armed with so much great information!" In Web Designer Near Me, Charlotte Howard defines terms, provides case studies, and offers tips and warnings for business owners who are ready to launch a successful and profitable new website. Web Designer Near Me is available for purchase at Amazon Visit Web Designer Near Me to learn more about the book. Charlotte Howard, owner of Accelerated Web Systems, has been designing websites for small business owners, service providers, artists, authors, practitioners, non-profits, and others for over twenty years (400+ projects and counting). Working with a variety of people in dozens of industries, Charlotte offers consulting, SEO, and digital marketing services that drive results. CONTACT INFORMATION: Charlotte Howard, Web Consultant Phoenix, Arizona Owner at Accelerated Web Systems Author of Web Designer Near Me (eBook) (928) 300-9147 [email protected] SOURCE Charlotte Howard DENVER, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Colorado State Board of Education has approved Collaborative Classroom's Being a Reader for grades K3 as a recommended program on its Advisory List of Instructional Programming for core programming. The Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (READ Act) focuses on early literacy development for all students, kindergarten through third grade, and especially for students at risk of not reaching grade-level proficiency in reading by the end of third grade. Included in the READ Act is the requirement that the department create an advisory list of evidence-based or scientifically based instructional programming in reading, pursuant to C.R.S. 22-7-1209. "We're thrilled that Colorado has recognized Being a Reader as a high-quality curriculum for comprehensive reading instruction," said Collaborative Classroom CEO and President Kelly Stuart. "Schools across the Southeast and nationwide are already using the evidence-based instruction in Being a Reader to help their students develop as fluent and confident readers, and we are here to support Colorado literacy educators in this vital work." Collaborative Classroom Manager of Educational Partnerships Paula Kavalec supports Colorado schools. "In advocating for students' right to read, I am excited about supporting the implementation of Being a Reader in Colorado schools. As an educator and administrator, I recognize the critical importance of equipping all students with the necessary tools for successful reading. Being a Reader aligns with research-based methodologies, emphasizing word recognition, language comprehension, and independent application through engaging texts and authentic literacy experiences. From foundational literacy skills to navigating complex texts, Being a Reader empowers students at every stage of their literacy journey. Being a Reader is an invaluable resource for educators through comprehensive training and support, professional growth and instructional excellence. Inclusivity is central, with Being a Reader supporting multilingual learners and promoting a culturally responsive classroom environment. Being a Reader is a catalyst for lifelong reading enjoyment and learning success." Learn more here . About Being a Reader A comprehensive K5 reading program, Being a Reader is the first of its kind to integrate foundational skills instruction, practice in reading comprehension strategies, and rich literacy experiences with explicit social skills instruction and activities that foster students' growth as responsible, caring, and collaborative people. Being a Reader follows a continuum of reading development to meet each student at their instructional point of need and take them to their next level of literacy. Grounded in scientific reading research, the program is informed by our many years of experience working alongside classroom teachers. Through whole-class, small-group, and individualized approaches to teaching both foundational skills and reading comprehension, students develop as proficient, competent readers who love to read, learn from, and talk about books. About Collaborative Classroom Collaborative Classroom is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization committed to ensuring that all students become readers, writers, and thinkers who learn from, care for, and respect one another. Collaborative Classroom's evidence-based programs help children develop as proficient readers and writers, appreciate the ideas and opinions of others, learn to agree and disagree respectfully, think critically about big ideas, and become responsible citizens of the world. Our commitment to continuous, embedded professional learning empowers educators to grow their teaching practices, build school community, and create the conditions for authentic, student-centered learning. Since the organization's founding in 1980, our work has reached more than 8 million students and 328,000 teachers in classrooms across the country, developing fluent readers and skilled writers, supporting instructional equity, transforming discipline practices, and bolstering student and teacher engagement. Learn more at https://www.collaborativeclassroom.org/ . SOURCE Collaborative Classroom Rise in government initiatives for environmental protection and surge in focus on the development of environment friendly industries are the factors that drive the growth of the market PORTLAND, Ore., April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Environmental Remediation Market by Site-Type (Public and Private), Medium (Soil and Groundwater), Technology (Air Sparging, Soil Washing, Chemical Treatment, Bioremediation, Electrokinetic Remediation, Excavation, and Permeable Reactive Barriers), and Application (Mining & Forestry, Oil & Gas, Agriculture, Automotive, Landfills and Waste Disposal Sites, Manufacturing, Industrial, and Chemical Production/Processing, Construction and Land Development, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the "environmental remediation market" was valued at $110.7 billion in 2022, and is estimated to reach $218.8 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2023 to 2032. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A15965 Prime determinants of growth Focus on environmental protection and sustainability by governments worldwide has led to a significant surge in demand for environmental remediation services. The allocation of substantial funds and resources towards remediation projects underscores the importance and urgency of addressing environmental contamination and degradation caused by industrial activities, urbanization, and other human interventions. However, high cost of excavation equipment is anticipated to hinder the growth of the market. Nevertheless, the development of advanced remediation technologies is expected to offer lucrative opportunities for market growth in the coming years. Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $110.7 billion Market Size in 2032 $218.8 billion CAGR 7.1 % No. of Pages in Report 250 Segments covered Site Type, Medium, Technology, Application, Region. Drivers Increase in government initiatives for environmental protection Surge in focus on the development of environment friendly industries Opportunity Development of advanced remediation technologies Restraint High cost of excavation equipment Impact of Russia Ukraine war on the global environmental remediation market The Russia-Ukraine war had significant implications on the environmental remediation market, affecting both the demand for remediation services and the resources available for environmental cleanup efforts. The conflict exacerbates environmental degradation in the affected regions. War often led to the destruction of infrastructure, industrial facilities, and residential areas, resulting in the release of hazardous materials such as heavy metals, chemicals, and oil spills. This contaminates soil, water bodies, and air, posing serious health risks to local populations and ecosystems. As a result, there is an increased need for environmental remediation services to address these pollution incidents and mitigate their impacts. Geopolitical tensions and economic sanctions stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war impact international cooperation and investment in environmental remediation initiatives. Collaboration between countries and organizations on transboundary pollution issues and environmental cleanup projects are expected to be strained, leading to delays or disruptions in remediation efforts. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Russia shares of EU gas demand fell to below 10% in January 2023. The private segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. By site-type, the public segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to more than three-fifths of the global environmental remediation market revenue, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2023 to 2032. Public environmental remediation refers to the cleanup and restoration efforts undertaken by governmental entities at various levels such as local, state, and federal, to address environmental contamination on publicly owned or managed sites. These sites include abandoned industrial facilities, former military installations, superfund sites, or public lands affected by pollution or environmental damage. Public remediation projects aim to protect public health, restore ecosystems, and mitigate environmental risks associated with contamination. Procure Complete Report (250 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/environmental-remediation-market The soil segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period By medium, the soil segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to more than half of the global environmental remediation market revenue, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2023 to 2032. Soil remediation is a crucial component of environmental cleanup efforts, aimed at restoring contaminated soil to its natural or safe state. Various pollutants such as heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, and industrial chemicals accumulate in soil through activities such as industrial operations, agriculture, improper waste disposal, and accidental spills. Remediation of contaminated soil is essential to protect human health, preserve ecosystems, and ensure the sustainable use of land resources. The chemical treatment segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period By technology, the bioremediation segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to nearly one-third of the global environmental remediation market revenue, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2023 to 2032. Bioremediation widely refers to any process wherein a biological system (bacteria, microalgae, fungi, and plants), living or dead, is employed for removing environmental pollutants from air, water, soil, flue gases, industrial effluents, and others in natural or artificial settings. The natural ability of organisms to adsorb, accumulate, and degrade emerging pollutants has drawn the use of biological resources in treatment of contaminated environment. The mining and forestry segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period By application, the oil and gas segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to more than one-fourth of the global environmental remediation market revenue, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2023 to 2032. Environmental remediation in the oil and gas industry is a critical process aimed at addressing environmental contamination and restoring ecosystems affected by the exploration, production, and transportation of oil and gas resources. It involves a range of techniques such as soil and groundwater remediation, habitat restoration, and ecosystem monitoring that are tailored to the specific contaminants and site conditions. Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2032 By region, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for around two-fifths of the global environmental remediation market revenue and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. The same region is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2023 to 2032. Economies in the Asia-Pacific region experience rapid industrialization and urbanization, they face significant environmental challenges such as air and water pollution, soil contamination, deforestation, and habitat loss. Rising public awareness, environmental activism, and international pressure have spurred governments and regulatory agencies to prioritize environmental protection and remediation efforts to mitigate the adverse impacts of pollution on public health, ecosystems, and natural resources. For Purchase Inquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/A15965 Leading Market Players: - AECOM Bristol Industries LLC. Clean Harbors Inc. DEME In-Situ Oxidative Technologies, Inc. Qed Environmental Systems Ltd Sequoia Environmental Remediation Inc. Tarmac International, Inc. ENTACT HDR, Inc. The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global environmental remediation market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in Environmental Remediation Industry: Environmental Technology Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 U.S. Environmental Testing Market: Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030 Renewable Energy Certificate Market: Global Opportunity Analysis, 2021-2030 About us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact us: David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/energy-and-power Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research The growth of the giant-cell arteritis market is expected to be mainly driven by the growing geriatric population, the rise in the prevalence of cardiovascular disorders, technological advancements in the healthcare industry, and others. LAS VEGAS, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Insights report includes a comprehensive understanding of current treatment practices, giant-cell arteritis emerging drugs, market share of individual therapies, and current and forecasted market size from 2020 to 2034, segmented into 7MM [the United States, the EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan]. Key Takeaways from the Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Report According to DelveInsight's analysis, the market size for giant-cell arteritis reached USD 960 million in 2023 across the 7MM. in 2023 across the 7MM. In the 7MM, the United States accounted for the highest market size, with nearly 65% of the market share of the giant-cell arteritis market as compared to EU4, the UK, and Japan in 2023. accounted for the highest market size, with nearly of the market share of the giant-cell arteritis market as compared to EU4, the UK, and in 2023. As per DelveInsight's analysis, it was observed that across the 7MM, patients in the age segment >80 years accounted for the highest number of prevalent cases of giant-cell arteritis in 2023. accounted for the highest number of prevalent cases of giant-cell arteritis in 2023. Leading giant-cell arteritis companies such as AbbVie, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, CSL, Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, MorphoSys AG, and others are developing novel giant-cell arteritis drugs that can be available in the giant-cell arteritis market in the coming years. The promising giant-cell arteritis therapies in the pipeline include RINVOQ (upadacitinib), COSENTYX (secukinumab), Mavrilimumab, TREMFYA (guselkumab), and others Discover which therapies are expected to grab the major giant-cell arteritis market share @ Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Report Giant-Cell Arteritis Overview Giant-cell arteritis falls under the category of large-vessel vasculitis, although it also affects medium and small arteries, notably the superficial temporal artery, which is why it's often called temporal arteritis. The condition primarily impacts arteries such as the ophthalmic, occipital, vertebral, posterior ciliary, and proximal vertebral arteries. Additionally, medium to large vessels like the aorta, carotid, subclavian, and iliac arteries can also be involved. The cause of giant-cell arteritis is quite intricate and is still under extensive research, with genetic and environmental factors, such as infections, believed to play significant roles. Since 1990, diagnosing giant-cell arteritis has relied on meeting at least 3 out of 5 criteria set by the American College of Rheumatology. These criteria include the onset of symptoms at 50 years of age or older, new localized headache, tenderness or decreased pulse in the temporal artery, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of 50 mm/h or more, and the presence of mononuclear cell infiltrates or granulomatous inflammation with multinucleate giant cells in temporal artery biopsies (TAB). Giant-Cell Arteritis Epidemiology Segmentation In 7MM, the United States accounted for the highest giant-cell arteritis diagnosed prevalent cases, which is ~55% of the diagnosed prevalent cases of giant-cell arteritis in 2023. Moreover, in the US, among the subtype-specific cases of giant-cell arteritis, classic cranial giant-cell arteritis cases were highest followed by extra-cranial GCA (large-vessel GCA) cases in 2023. The giant-cell arteritis market report proffers epidemiological analysis for the study period 20202034 in the 7MM segmented into: Total Prevalent Cases of Giant-Cell Arteritis Total Subtype-specific Cases of Giant-Cell Arteritis Total Age group-specific Cases of Giant-Cell Arteritis Total Clinical Manifestation-specific Cases of Giant-Cell Arteritis Total Treated Cases of Giant-Cell Arteritis Giant-Cell Arteritis Treatment Market The primary aim of treating GCA is to prevent permanent loss of vision and to control the inflammation of the blood vessels, which can lead to tissue damage. If a doctor suspects GCA in a patient, treatment should commence promptly, even without confirmed test results. Corticosteroids are the primary treatment for temporal arteritis, and the doctor might prescribe oral corticosteroids right away, even on suspicion before test results are available. Prednisone, the most frequently used corticosteroid, has been shown to be effective in preventing vision loss. Typically, the response to prednisone is quite rapid, with improvements in inflammation markers in the blood often seen within 2-4 weeks. In the treatment of GCA, physicians might recommend a high dosage of corticosteroids ranging from 40 mg to 60 mg per day, which typically continues for approximately 3 to 4 weeks. Should the patient's condition show signs of improvement, the dosage will then be gradually lowered. However, there has been ongoing debate regarding the safety profile of corticosteroids. Prolonged use of corticosteroids can lead to significant, sometimes unavoidable side effects such as osteoporosis, muscle weakness, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, and hypertension. Due to these potential side effects, it is crucial to explore safer alternative treatments. The adverse effects associated with corticosteroids are also the driving force behind the adoption of tocilizumab and the investigation of other medications in clinical trials to mitigate their harmful impact. To know more about giant-cell arteritis treatment guidelines, visit @ Giant-Cell Arteritis Management Giant-Cell Arteritis Pipeline Therapies and Key Companies RINVOQ (upadacitinib): AbbVie COSENTYX (secukinumab): Novartis Pharmaceuticals Mavrilimumab: CSL/Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals TREMFYA (guselkumab): Johnson & Johnson/MorphoSys AG Learn more about the FDA-approved drugs for giant-cell arteritis @ Drugs for Giant-Cell Arteritis Treatment Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Dynamics The dynamics of the giant-cell arteritis market are expected to change in the coming years. The improved and clear treatment and diagnostic guidelines have led patients and practitioners to clearly diagnose and treat patients accurately, while glucocorticoids remain the primary treatment. Ongoing research into alternative and adjunctive therapies, such as biologic agents like tocilizumab, provides more tailored approaches for patients, considering factors like side effects and individual response, and offers a significant opportunity for improving treatment outcomes in GCA. Biologics, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors like tocilizumab, have shown promise in clinical trials, and further research and development in this area can lead to more effective and targeted treatments. The introduction of biosimilars for existing therapies can increase competition, potentially reducing treatment costs and improving accessibility for patients. Furthermore, many potential therapies are being investigated for the treatment of giant-cell arteritis, and it is safe to predict that the treatment space will significantly impact the giant-cell arteritis market during the forecast period. Moreover, the anticipated introduction of emerging therapies with improved efficacy and a further improvement in the diagnosis rate are expected to drive the growth of the giant-cell arteritis market in the 7MM. However several factors may impede the growth of the giant-cell arteritis market. Until today, the etiological causes of the disease are not clearly understood, which can pose problems in treating patients effectively; long-term use of glucocorticoids can significantly impact the quality of life for GCA patients, leading to issues such as osteoporosis, weight gain, and increased susceptibility to infections; developing therapies with fewer side effects is a priority. The management of GCA, particularly in severe cases, can lead to substantial healthcare costs, addressing the economic burden on both patients and healthcare systems is a consideration for improving the overall landscape of GCA care. GCA is not as well-known as some other autoimmune or inflammatory conditions, leading to potential delays in diagnosis, increasing public and healthcare professional awareness can contribute to earlier intervention and improved outcomes. Moreover, giant-cell arteritis treatment poses a significant economic burden and disrupts patients' overall well-being and QOL. Furthermore, the giant-cell arteritis market growth may be offset by failures and discontinuation of emerging therapies, unaffordable pricing, market access and reimbursement issues, and a shortage of healthcare specialists. In addition, the undiagnosed, unreported cases and the unawareness about the disease may also impact the giant-cell arteritis market growth. Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Report Metrics Details Study Period 20202034 Coverage 7MM [the United States, the EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan]. Giant-Cell Arteritis Market CAGR 9.3 % Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Size in 2023 USD 960 Million Key Giant-Cell Arteritis Companies AbbVie, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, CSL, Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, MorphoSys AG, and others Key Pipeline Giant-Cell Arteritis Therapies RINVOQ (upadacitinib), COSENTYX (secukinumab), Mavrilimumab, TREMFYA (guselkumab), and others Scope of the Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Report Therapeutic Assessment: Giant-Cell Arteritis current marketed and emerging therapies Giant-Cell Arteritis current marketed and emerging therapies Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Dynamics: Key Market Forecast Assumptions of Emerging Giant-Cell Arteritis Drugs and Market Outlook Key Market Forecast Assumptions of Emerging Giant-Cell Arteritis Drugs and Market Outlook Competitive Intelligence Analysis: SWOT analysis and Market entry strategies SWOT analysis and Market entry strategies Unmet Needs, KOL's views, Analyst's views, Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Access and Reimbursement Discover more about giant-cell arteritis drugs in development @ Giant-Cell Arteritis Clinical Trials Table of Contents 1. Giant-Cell Arteritis Key Insights 2. Giant-Cell Arteritis Report Introduction 3. Giant-Cell Arteritis Overview at a Glance 4. Giant-Cell Arteritis Executive Summary 5 Giant-Cell Arteritis Key Events 6 Epidemiology and Market Forecast Methodology 6. Disease Background and Overview 7. Giant-Cell Arteritis Treatment and Management 8. Giant-Cell Arteritis Guidelines 9. Giant-Cell Arteritis Epidemiology and Patient Population 10. Patient Journey 11. Giant-Cell Arteritis Marketed Drugs 12. Giant-Cell Arteritis Emerging Drugs 13. 7MM Giant-Cell Arteritis Market Analysis 14. Market Access and Reimbursement 15. KOL Views 16. Unmet Needs 17. SWOT Analysis 18. Appendix 19. DelveInsight Capabilities 20. Disclaimer 21. About DelveInsight Related Reports Giant-Cell Arteritis Pipeline Giant-Cell Arteritis Pipeline Insight 2024 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key giant-cell arteritis companies, including Novartis, AbbVie, XOMA, Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Biotech, Dr Reddys Laboratories, among others. Giant-Cell Arteritis Epidemiology Forecast Giant-Cell Arteritis Epidemiology Forecast 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted giant-cell arteritis epidemiology in the 7MM, i.e., the United States, EU5 (Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom), and Japan. Rheumatoid Arthritis Market Rheumatoid Arthritis Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key rheumatoid arthritis companies, including Taisho Pharmaceuticals, R-Pharm, GlaxoSmithKline, Aclaris Therapeutics, Pfizer, Abivax, Bristol Myers Squibb, Oscotec/Genosco, Mesoblast, Pfizer Akros Pharma/Japan Tobacco, Abbvie, Horizon Therapeutics, Eli Lilly and Company, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Gilead Sciences, Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Istesso, SynAct Pharma, Cyxone, among others. Rheumatoid Arthritis Pipeline Rheumatoid Arthritis Pipeline Insight 2024 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key rheumatoid arthritis companies, including Taisho Pharmaceutical, Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical, SinoMab, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine, RemeGen, GlaxoSmithKline, Modern Biosciences, Jiangsu Alphamab Biopharmaceuticals, Akros Pharma, Hanlim Pharm, Galapagos NV, Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical, Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Aclaris Therapeutics, Abivax, AbbVie, Synact Pharma, Gilead sciences, Mesoblast, Rottapharm Biotech, Eli Lilly and Company, Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Abcentra, Cyxone, Yungjin Pharm. Co., Ltd. Taiho Pharmaceutical, Oscotec Inc., Pfizer, Janssen Research & Development, Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc., KLUS Pharma Inc., Revolo Biotherapeutics, Lynk Pharmaceuticals, Beijing Baylx Biotech, Hope Biosciences, Kangstem Biotech, Celltex Therapeutics, I-Mab Biopharma Co. Ltd., Synermore Biologics Co., Ltd, Oryn Therapeutics, Arthrogen, Amgen, Biozeus, Landos Biopharma, Imcyse, Kymera Therapeutics, RedHill Biopharma, 4D Pharma, CV6 Therapeutics, VYNE Therapeutics, MyMD Pharmaceuticals, Brickell Biotech Inc, Worg Pharmaceuticals, Almirall, Standigm, Metrion Biosciences, Jnana Therapeutics, Silo Pharma, SFA Therapeutics, Neutrolis Therapeutics, Ahead Therapeutics, Fresenius Kabi, Kidswell Bio, BioXpress Therapeutics, CinnaGen, Alvotech, Hetero Biopharma, Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Innovent Biologics, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, mAbxience, Shanghai Junshi Biosciences, Enosi Therapeutics, among others. About DelveInsight DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve. Contact Us Shruti Thakur [email protected] +14699457679 www.delveinsight.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082265/3528414/DelveInsight_Logo.jpg SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP BOERNE, Texas, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In the competitive landscape of Texas commercial real estate, Glen Boehm, CCIM of Boehm Commercial Group stands out as a leading force, achieving the remarkable feat of being named the #1 Keller Williams Commercial Agent in Texas for the second year in a row. Along with this achievement, Boehm was also ranked in the top 10 agents nationwide, underscoring his commitment to excellence and client satisfaction. Glen Boehm, CCIM From Boehm Commercial Group Secures #1 Keller Williams Commercial Agent in Texas Glen Boehm, CCIM From Boehm Commercial Group Secures #1 Keller Williams Commercial Agent in Texas "I am truly honored and grateful to be recognized with this prestigious award. It is a testament to our incredible clients and the team's dedication and commitment to excellence in serving our clients," said Glen Boehm, CCIM. This accolade, celebrated at the prestigious Keller Williams awards ceremony on February 16th, 2024 solidifies Boehm's reputation as a trusted and high-performing commercial real estate agent in Texas. With decades of experience exclusively in the commercial real estate sector, Boehm and the Boehm Commercial Group have built a team with unparalleled expertise and a relentless dedication to delivering exceptional results. Their commitment to providing top-notch services is evident in their exceptional track record, highlighted by their ability to effectively scale services to meet the demands of diverse projects. Glen Boehm, CCIM, the driving force behind Boehm Commercial Group, has been a licensed real estate agent for nearly two decades, with the past 10 years dedicated to Keller Williams Commercial. As a distinguished professional with a wealth of experience, Glen has consistently demonstrated his prowess in the industry. His commitment to excellence and continuous professional development is further exemplified by his involvement in esteemed organizations such as CCIM and other certifications as a GRI. Glen's impressive credentials go beyond his most recent award, such as being named San Antonio Business Journal's Top 25 Commercial Real Estate Broker. Boehm and the Boehm Commercial Group continue to uphold their reputation as trusted and results-driven commercial real estate agents, offering a comprehensive range of specialized services designed to meet the diverse needs of clients. With a strong focus on data-driven strategies, extensive marketing efforts, and a commitment to excellence, Boehm Commercial Group is well-positioned to deliver unmatched value to their clients. For more information about Boehm Commercial Group and their specialized services, please visit https://tx-cre.com/ . About Boehm Commercial Group Boehm Commercial Group is a distinguished player in the Texas commercial real estate industry. With decades of industry experience and established broker relationships nationwide, Boehm Commercial Group possesses the unique ability to scale their services to suit the requirements of any project, regardless of size or complexity. Driven by a commitment to excellence, Boehm Commercial Group offers a comprehensive range of specialized services designed to meet the diverse needs of their clients. Their core values of integrity, excellence, and community impact guide their business ethos, ensuring that every client receives top-notch service and tailored solutions to achieve their real estate goals. Contact Information Name: Glen Boehm, CCIM Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 830-431-2467 SOURCE Boehm Commercial Group SHANGHAI and WARREN, N.J., April 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Laekna (2105.HK) announced that the company has presented two internally-discovered preclinical candidates, in addition to a poster presentation on a clinical trial, at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in San Diego, California. The presentations featured preclinical data of two novel selective inhibitors, LAE119, a novel PARP1 selective inhibitor and trapper, and LAE120, a novel selective USP1 inhibitor. "After advancing LAE102, our internally discovered antibody against ActRIIA, into IND stage, Laekna continues to strengthen our internal discovery efforts, with new drug candidates emerging", said Dr. Justin Gu, Chief Scientific Officer of Laekna. "The MOA of LAE119 and LAE120 is synthetic lethality, both exhibit strong anti-tumor efficacy and good safety in preclinical models. LAE 119 is a PARP1-selective inhibitor with the strongest DNA-trapping activity among all the PARP inhibitors tested. It shows good activity even in tumor cells with low PARP1 protein level. LAE120 is a novel USP1 inhibitor currently at IND-enabling studies stage. It has a unique chemical scaffold differentiated from all the other disclosed USP1 inhibitors and is expected to induce a different conformational change in USP1. The quick advance of these two projects into PCC stage demonstrates the effectiveness of the close collaboration among Med Chem, Biology and AIDD (AI-driven Drug Discovery) teams. Laekna will continue our internal effort of discovery novel drug candidates to provide more options for patients." Laekna's internal discovery focuses on innovation, scarcity, and differentiation, covering three areas: cancer, metabolic diseasesand liver fibrosis. The company has internally discovered 14 drug candidates, among which seven have been optimized and advanced to PCC (pre-clinical candidate) stage. The company plans to have one drug candidate entering the clinical stage each year. The Annual Meeting of AACR is set for April 05 to 10, 2024 at the San Diego Convention Center, California, USA. It is the focal point of the cancer research community, where scientists, clinicians, other health care professionals, survivors, patients, and advocates gather to share the latest advances in cancer science and medicine. [1] Presentation details are as follows: Title: Preclinical characterization of LAE119, a novel PARP1 selective inhibitor and trapper Authors: Ming Li, Yan Chen, Junyan Chen, Ling Jiang, Xiaofen Lin, Justin Gu Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics Session Title: DNA Damage and Repair Session Date and Time: Wednesday, Apr 10, 2024 9:00 AM- 12:30 PM (PT) Location: Poster Section 22 Poster Board Number: 27 Abstract Highlights: LAE119 is a potent and selective PARP1 inhibitor and PARP1-DNA trapper. It demonstrates more than 1000-fold selectivity for PARP1 DNA trapping activity over PARP2. In comparison to most PARP inhibitors including AZD5305, LAE119 exhibits extremely long residence time on PARP1 in both biochemical and cellular assays and shows good activity even in tumor cells with low PARP1 protein level. It demonstrates robust anti-tumor effect in BRCA2-/- DLD-1 and MDA-MB-436 Xenograft models and has minimal effects on hematologic parameters. Full texts of the abstracts are available here. Title: Preclinical candidate LAE120, a novel selective USP1 inhibitor shows effective anticancer and combination activity with PARP inhibitors Authors: Jintao Wang, Yan Chen, Junyan Chen, Ling Jiang, Xiaofen Lin, Chaojun Cai, Minhua Zhang, Ming Li, Justin Gu Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics Session Title: Novel Antitumor Agents 2 Session Date and Time: Sunday, Apr 7, 2024 1:30 PM- 5:00 PM (PT) Location: Poster Section 27 Poster Board Number: 16 Abstract Highlights: LAE120 is a novel, allosteric and highly potent USP1 inhibitor, displaying monotherapy potency and combination activity with PARP inhibitor in HRD (homologous recombination deficiency) cancers. It has a unique chemical structure differentiated from all the other disclosed USP1 inhibitors and is expected to induce a different conformational change in USP1. LAE120 shows robust tumor inhibitory activity in MDA-MB-436 and K562 xenograft models as a single agent and exhibits synergistic effect in combination with PARP inhibitors. LAE120 demonstrates good therapeutic window in DRF study and is currently at IND-enabling stage. Full texts of the abstracts are available here. About Laekna Founded in 2016, Laekna is a science-driven, clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to bringing novel therapies to cancer, metabolic diseases and liver fibrosis patients worldwide. As of December 31, 2023, we have initiated six clinical trials for Afuresertib (LAE002), LAE001 and LAE005 for the treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and PD-1/ PD-L1 drug-resistant solid tumors to address the unmet medical needs. Among the six clinical trials, three are multi-regional clinical trials (MRCTs). Afuresertib is a potent AKT inhibitor that inhibits all three AKT isoforms (AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3) as well as one of the only two AKT inhibitors in or completed the pivotal-stage clinical development for anti-cancer treatment globally. Laekna's internal drug discovery platform has discovered 14 drug candidates. LAE102 is our internally discovered antibody against ActRIIA. We've submitted IND applications to CDE and FDA respectively for LAE102 in relation to obesity in the first quarter of 2024. Blocking Activin-ActRII pathway could promote skeletal muscle regeneration and decrease fat mass. Laekna team has accumulated tremendous experiences and deep knowhow in this specific field and is developing more drug candidates (LAE103 and LAE123) to maximize the value of targeting ActRII receptors. Laekna, Inc. was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "Hong Kong Stock Exchange") on June 29, 2023, with the stock code 2105.HK. For more information, please visit: https://www.laekna.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/74110713/ Forward Looking Statements This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" which are not historical facts, but instead are predictions about future events based on Laekna's current beliefs, assumptions, and expectations, commonly identified by words such as "would", "may", "expects", "believes", "plans", "intends", "projects" and other terms with similar meaning. Although we believe that our predictions are reasonable, future events are inherently uncertain and our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. Accordingly, you are strongly cautioned that reliance on any forward-looking statements is subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified by reference to the cautionary statements set forth in this section. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. SOURCE Laekna JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LandSouth Construction, a Jacksonville-based, award-winning general contractor, has broken ground and started construction on Livano Charlotte Harbor, an upscale multifamily development in Port Charlotte, FL. The developer for Livano Charlotte Harbor is LIV Development, and the project is scheduled for completion in early 2026. LandSouth is incredibly excited to again collaborate with our longtime partner LIV Development and get started on this exciting new development in the Port Charlotte area," stated James Pyle, LandSouth President and CEO. Mason Burk will serve as the LandSouth project manager for Livano Charlotte Harbor, Travis Hall will be the Assistant Project Manager and Charlotte Dempster will be the construction administrator. Blair Barkentin is the superintendent. Joyce Englander is the Division Manager. Charlan Brock Architects is the architecture firm for Livano Charlotte Harbor. The Livano Charlotte Harbor will be a 7-building, 4-story development with 10 different floor plans ranging from 831 square feet to 1594 square feet and one, two, or three bedrooms. There will be a total of 333 units. Residents will also enjoy a 24-hour fitness center, pool, Livano Workplace with private offices available, Livano Marketplace featuring a community market, Trapeze Coffee bar, dog park, outdoor fire pits, grilling stations, pergolas for relaxing and socializing, onsite events exclusive for residents and a boat house. "We're thrilled to work with LIV again and excited to bring a unique project with signature amenities to the growing Port Charlotte area," Mason Burk, the LandSouth project manager shared. LandSouth will employ its unique integrated construction approach to build Livano Charlotte Harbor. Service components work together to provide seamless delivery through proven procedures, systems, and technology. ABOUT LANDSOUTH CONSTRUCTION LandSouth Construction, the Southeast's premier general contractor, specializing in multifamily, senior living, and mixed-use development, was named one of Engineering News Record's Top 400. Since 1998 LandSouth has transformed ideas into best-in-class communities. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida LandSouth has completed more than 25,000 multifamily units. For more information call LandSouth's Mary Hamilton, 904.760.3182, or visit www.landsouth.com. ABOUT LIV DEVELOPMENT LIV Development delivers a higher return on life through the development and operation of luxury Class-A multifamily communities across the United States. From concept to completion, LIV intentionally designs its properties with residents in mind, creating beautiful and innovative spaces that foster community. Livano, LIV's proprietary brand, connects residents with an unmatched, quality lifestyle that propels them to live richer, deeper, and fuller lives. Founded in 2006, LIV has developed more than 20,000 units with a total combined market capitalization of $7.5 billion. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, LIV has regional offices in Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, and Tampa. To learn more, visit livdev.com. CONTACT: Mary Hamilton, (904) 760-3182 SOURCE LandSouth Construction DALLAS, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Active Crisis Consulting ("ACC") is honored to have Vice Admiral Colin James Kilrain join the company as its newest Managing Director and Board Advisor. Vice Admiral Kilrain brings an incredible depth of knowledge and experience in national security and global affairs to the leadership team at ACC based on his U.S. Naval career spanning nearly four decades. Vice Admiral Kilrain served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2021-2023, and as Associate Director for Military Affairs for the Central Intelligence Agency from 2019-2021. He also served as Commander of NATO Special Operations Headquarters from 2016-2019, as Commander of Special Operations Command Pacific, and as a U.S. Navy SEAL and Commander of Naval Special Warfare Group Two. LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE PERSONIFIED: VICE ADMIRAL COLIN J. KILRAIN JOINS ACTIVE CRISIS CONSULTING Post this LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE PERSONIFIED: VICE ADMIRAL COLIN J. KILRAIN JOINS ACTIVE CRISIS CONSULTING AS MANAGING DIRECTOR AND ADVISOR TO THE BOARD Active Crisis Consulting (ACC) in honored to have Vice Admiral Colin James Kilrain join the company as its newest Managing Director and Board Advisor. Vice Admiral Kilrain brings an incredible depth of knowledge and experience in national security and global affairs to the leadership team at ACC based on his U.S. Naval career spanning four decades. Jared Febbroriello, Managing Director of Active Crisis Consulting commented: "We're pleased to welcome Vice Admiral Kilrain as our newest Managing Director and Board Advisor. Colin's remarkable career as a Naval leader was forged in fire and earned downrange. His strategic acumen is an invaluable asset for any organization navigating the Universal Threat Environment. His expertise in geopolitical security affairs amongst the great powers, and his global operational experience are unquestionable. ACC's fundamental long-term acquisitive growth strategy prudently leverages our reputation for attracting world-class talent like Colin; and disruptive technology partners like SEADAR. I cannot overstate the strategic value that Colin's contributions will bring to ACC and our existing client base." Active Crisis Consulting (www.activecrisis.com) delivers security and technology solutions that cater to the diverse needs of government agencies, military and corporate clients. Our team is comprised of globally recognized experts who have spent their lives in government and military service. We pride ourselves on delivering unparalleled results. Our security and protective service teams ensure client safety in any situation; and our world-class training programs are bespoke, and employ emerging technologies, cutting-edge special tactics and electronic warfare techniques. Our mission is to prepare clients for the Universal Threat Environment, by providing solutions that redefine the pinnacle of professional, military, and agency requirements. (Active Crisis Consulting, 1920 McKinney Ave., 7FL, Dallas, TX. Neil McLean, [email protected], (619)-772-6180) SEADAR is the first subsea radar system capable of detecting, geolocating, and mapping all forms of conductive materials above and below the seafloor. ACC and SEADAR offer towed sensors, monitoring, and networked undersea security systems. SOURCE Active Crisis Consulting LLC Used by over 5 million patients, mConsent is a one-stop solution designed for streamlining patient experience. PLANO, Texas, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- mConsent, a provider of paperless office solutions for medical practices, today announced an agreement with athenahealth, Inc. through the company's Marketplace program. As part of the athenahealth Marketplace, this newly integrated application is now available to athenahealth's growing network of healthcare providers to digitize their operations for better productivity and higher revenues. Front Office Automation Designed For Medical Offices With athenahealth Integration With a comprehensive suite of features tailored for modern healthcare practices, here's why mConsent is the go-to solution for medical practices looking to thrive: Streamlined Patient Check-in and Registration: mConsent offers a secure and simplified process for receiving patient intake and consent forms, all seamlessly integrated into one digital platform. Patients now have the flexibility to fill out their forms remotely or in-office using mConsent's iPad App. mConsent offers a secure and simplified process for receiving patient intake and consent forms, all seamlessly integrated into one digital platform. Patients now have the flexibility to fill out their forms remotely or in-office using mConsent's iPad App. Convenient Digital Bill Payments: The digital bill payment solution simplifies payment process for patients, reducing administrative burden for practice staff and ensuring timely processing. The digital bill payment solution simplifies payment process for patients, reducing administrative burden for practice staff and ensuring timely processing. Online Appointment Scheduling: The online scheduling feature offers seamless appointment scheduling with automated text reminders to reduce patient loss. It also allows sending intake forms through SMS/Email to reduce administrative burden from the staff and patients prior to their visit. The online scheduling feature offers seamless appointment scheduling with automated text reminders to reduce patient loss. It also allows sending intake forms through SMS/Email to reduce administrative burden from the staff and patients prior to their visit. Reputation Management: The platform sends automated patient satisfaction surveys right after they checkout resulting in a higher number of positive reviews. "We're proud to provide the technology that enables practices to thrive in today's digital landscape," said Samad Syed, Chief Executive Officer, mConsent. "Our suite of digital tools, including paperless intake forms, appointment reminders, two-way patient communication, reputation management, and digital bill payment; enable improved efficiency and higher revenues for AthenaOne users. By digitizing and streamlining essential processes, mConsent enables practices to focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional care to their patients." Athenahealth is a leading provider of network-enabled software and services for medical groups and health systems nationwide. Its electronic health records, revenue cycle management, and patient engagement tools allow anytime, anywhere access to drive better financial outcomes for practices and enable providers to deliver better quality care. athenahealth's vision is to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all. As a Marketplace partner, mConsent joins a community of innovative, like-minded healthcare professionals working to bring best-in-class solutions to the athenahealth provider base. To learn more about mConsent's new integrated application, please visit mConsent's product listing page on the Marketplace. About mConsent mConsent is a patient engagement platform to streamline the healthcare practice operations. From digital patient intake processes, to appointment scheduling and reminders; higher customer satisfaction and better office productivity is easier than ever. Average practice using mConsent saves ~$65K/year on administrative costs, cuts down documentation time by 35% while tripling patient satisfaction and positive reviews with mConsent. If you want to reduce your administrative burden while growing exponentially, learn more at: www.mconsent.net About athenahealth Marketplace The athenahealth Marketplace, the largest EHR app store, is where athenahealth customers find innovative healthcare IT solutions that extend athenahealth products and allow customers to create more personalized experiences to support their organization's specific needs. Customers use Marketplace partner solutions to boost practice efficiency, increase patient satisfaction, and engage patients in their own care. The Marketplace has more than 400 solutions across more than 60 medical specialties and capabilities that are seamlessly integrated with athenaOne, athenahealth's network-enabled platform. Learn more at www.athenahealth.com/solutions/marketplace-program. Contact: Zach Lopez [email protected] SRS Web Solutions, Inc. (mConsent) 877-203-6767 SOURCE mConsent New List Highlights Coveted Communities Across the Country ADT Security Adds Safety Index to the Money List SAN JUAN, Puerto rico, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Personal finance digital platform Money today announced Best Places to Live 2024 , the newest iteration of their decades-old franchise highlighting the best communities across America. In partnership with the #1 smart home security provider in the U.S.1, ADT , this annual editorial flagship helps readers discover some truly hidden gems. MONEY ANNOUNCES BEST PLACES TO LIVE 2024 - ADT Security Adds Safety Index to the Money List Post this Money and ADT Announce Best Places to Live 2024 "Finding a place to plant your roots is about so much more than location it's about making connections, feeling comfortable and safe in your surroundings and finding common ground with your fellow neighbors," says Money's executive editor Mike Ayers. For the first time, the 2024 list showcases the outstanding lives small and big towns are creating for their residents and models for how communities can create lasting impacts together. This year's list includes five new categories: Suburbs with a Soul : These suburbs stand out for their vibrant community spirit, offering a blend of traditional suburban comfort with unique cultural, artistic, and historical depth. : These suburbs stand out for their vibrant community spirit, offering a blend of traditional suburban comfort with unique cultural, artistic, and historical depth. New Boomtowns : Emerging as the new frontiers of economic and population growth, these areas are rapidly transforming with innovative industries and offering plentiful job opportunities. : Emerging as the new frontiers of economic and population growth, these areas are rapidly transforming with innovative industries and offering plentiful job opportunities. Culture Hubs : These cities are renowned for their rich cultural landscapes, boasting an array of museums, theaters, music venues, and diverse culinary scenes that attract artists and culture enthusiasts alike. : These cities are renowned for their rich cultural landscapes, boasting an array of museums, theaters, music venues, and diverse culinary scenes that attract artists and culture enthusiasts alike. Not Just College Towns : Beyond their academic institutions, these towns offer a dynamic living experience with a youthful vibe, cutting-edge research, thriving local economies, and vibrant social scenes. : Beyond their academic institutions, these towns offer a dynamic living experience with a youthful vibe, cutting-edge research, thriving local economies, and vibrant social scenes. Best Kept Secrets: Hidden gems scattered across the country, these places offer an unmatched quality of life with their serene beauty, close-knit communities, and affordable living, yet remain under the radar. When determining which towns made the list, Money reviewed the top characteristics that make a community stand out from the rest, including: Economic Opportunity for Individuals --the availability of jobs across various sectors, upward mobility, and income growth potential, highlighting areas where individuals can thrive financially. --the availability of jobs across various sectors, upward mobility, and income growth potential, highlighting areas where individuals can thrive financially. Small Business Vibrance --the support and success rate of small businesses, reflecting the health of local entrepreneurship, innovation, and the community's commitment to fostering a supportive ecosystem for startups. --the support and success rate of small businesses, reflecting the health of local entrepreneurship, innovation, and the community's commitment to fostering a supportive ecosystem for startups. Government Policies that Favor Growth --the role of local and state government policies in stimulating economic development, including tax incentives, investment in infrastructure, and support for key industries, contributing to a conducive environment for business and residential expansion. --the role of local and state government policies in stimulating economic development, including tax incentives, investment in infrastructure, and support for key industries, contributing to a conducive environment for business and residential expansion. Safety--the overall safety of a community, considering crime rates, public safety initiatives, and the presence of emergency services, to determine the well-being and security of its residents. "At ADT, we are committed to working with local communities like the ones highlighted in this report to help ensure people feel safe and protected in their homes and businesses," said DeLu Jackson, ADT's chief marketing officer. "Our National Safety and Security Index analysis showed that, adjusting for population density, and crime related alarm triggers, this Best Places list also includes some of the safest towns in the country," said Tammy Green, director of analytics at ADT. "Using official crime data and our own exclusive customer alarm incident, we are able to see that ADT customers in these areas, whose alarm was triggered due to crime, had, on average, half the number of incidents than the national average." To explore the full Best Places to Live list, visit the hub here . Started in 1987, Money's Best Places to Live is the brand's longest and most well-known franchise. It's been featured in movies, shared by prominent politicians, and shaped national discourse around what citizen's value most in a place to live. This year's Best Places to Live uses numerous data sources that featured cost of living and job growth, along with hundreds of hours of research to create a spotlight of 50 communities across the country. Money has a 50-plus-year legacy of guiding people to financial victories with up-to-date information, education, and tools. Money.com, a digital destination, helps create richer lives for everyonein every sense of the word. Signature franchises include a bevy of Best-In categories such as Best Places to Live , Best Colleges , Best Life Insurance , Best Auto Insurance and Best Homeowner Insurance , with an aim to improve your finances and promote your well-being. About ADT: ADT provides safe, smart and sustainable solutions for people, homes and small businesses. Through innovative offerings, unrivaled safety and a premium customer experience, all delivered by the largest networks of smart home security professionals in the U.S., we empower people to protect and connect to what matters most, every second, every day. For more information, visit adt.com . 1 Source: Tech Insights, "Analysis - Top 10 US Interactive Security Providers May 2023" SOURCE Money Rice University hosts world's largest and richest student startup competition HOUSTON, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ice cream company Protein Pints took home the grand prize at the 2024 Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) April 6 as the best student ventures from top universities across the world competed for prizes in front of nearly 350 angel, venture capital and corporate investors and members of the business community. The best student ventures from top universities across the world competed in the 2024 Rice Business Plan Competition. Post this (Left to right) Alexa Stachowiak, Eric Pulaski, David Klein, Andrew Nicholson and Ashok Rao of Goose Capital; Paul Reiss, CEO, and Jordan Emmer, director of analytics, Protein Pints; Jeff Smisek, (Trustee emeritus/Rice Board of Trustees), John Chaney and Jim Compton of Goose Capital; and from Rice University Paul Cherukuri, vice president for innovation; Kelly Fox, executive vice president for operations, finance and support; Peter Rodriguez, dean, Jones Graduate School of Business During his acceptance speech, Founder and CEO of Protein Pints Paul Reiss said, "The love and support that we've been shown during our time here at Rice, and the relationships and the friends that we've made, is something that I know I and every other student here is going to remember for the rest of our lives." Hosted annually by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business , the RBPC is the world's largest and richest student startup competition. The RBPC offers real-world opportunities to learn what's required to successfully launch a new business. In addition to the substantial cash, investment and in-kind prizes, the heart of the competition is the mentoring from investors and experienced entrepreneurs. RBPC alumni have raised more than $6.1 billion in capital and 288 are in business or have had successful exits. The winners were announced at the conclusion of the three-day pitching, mentoring and networking event, which included an elevator pitch competition, practice round, semifinals, wildcard and final round. At the award celebration, more than 80 prizes were announced totaling $1.5 million in investment and non-dilutive cash prizes. Every team took home cash. "We award the competitors $1 million in prizes, prizes that serve as foundational capital to launch their startup," said RBPC Director Catherine Santamaria in her welcome speech at the awards gala April 6. "That's a large number of prizes, but the biggest thing our startups leave with is a feeling of generosity and community from this room. This community is always ready and willing to help our founders and support our vision for the competition by investing time, money and resources in these student innovators." The 42 competing startups represented 35 universities from four countries. They were chosen from more than 450 applicants to compete in one of five categories: energy, cleantech and sustainability; life sciences and health care solutions; consumer products and services; hard tech; and digital enterprise. Learn more about all of the startups here . The seven finalists based on the judges' overall scores were: Protein Pints, Michigan State University first place and the $150,000 GOOSE Capital Investment Grand Prize. Protein Pints is a high-protein, low-sugar, ice cream product designed for people who would benefit from having access to a functional ice cream and/or better tasting and more enjoyable protein options. Somnair, Johns Hopkins University second place and the $100,000 Investment Prize, sponsored by David Anderson, Jon Finger, Anderson Family Fund, Finger Interests, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce. Somnair is a Novel Non-Invasive Neurostimulation device for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Power2Polymers, RWTH Aachen University third place and the $50,000 Rice University investment, provided by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and sponsored by Finger Interests, the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce. Power2Polymers tackles the pressing issue of "forever chemicals," which have been linked to over 6.5 million deaths in the U.S. alone, by offering safe alternatives free of forever chemicals. Informuta, Tulane University fourth place and the $5,000 prize, sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright. Informuta's proprietary technology leverages DNA sequencing to predict if bacteria will respond to different antibiotics or, for the very first time, develop future resistance thus causing treatment failure. Icorium Engineering Company, University of Kansas fifth place and the $5,000 prize, sponsored by EY. Icorium Engineering Company is a chemical engineering startup and University of Kansas spinout developing technologies to make sustainable, circular economies a reality for refrigerants and other complex chemical mixtures. EndoShunt Medical, Harvard University sixth place and the $5,000 prize, sponsored by Chevron Technology Ventures. EndoShunt is transforming trauma surgery with a rapid, targeted blood flow control device. D.Sole, Carnegie Mellon University seventh place and the $5,000 prize, sponsored by Shell Ventures. D. Sole is advancing the development of remote patient monitoring in podiatry with foot insoles designed for the early detection and monitoring of diabetic foot complications, such as ulcers and deformities. The fourth through seventh place startups were also awarded an additional investment prize of $25,000 each provided by Rice Alliance and sponsored by David Anderson, Jon Finger, Anderson Family Fund, Finger Interests, Greg Novak and Tracy Druce, bringing their finalist prize totals up to $30,000. Other significant prizes this year and the teams that won them include: $200,000 Goose Capital Investment Prize Osphim, RWTH Aachen University Goose Capital Investment Prize Osphim, RWTH Aachen University $250,000 OWL Investment Prizes MesaQuantum, Harvard University OWL Investment Prizes MesaQuantum, $100,000 OWL Investment Prizes Icorium Engineering Company, University of Kansas OWL Investment Prizes Icorium Engineering Company, $100,000 Houston Angel Network Investment Prize Somnair, Johns Hopkins University Houston Angel Network Investment Prize Somnair, $100,000 The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Prize Protein Pints, Michigan State University The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Prize Protein Pints, $60,000 nCourage Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize MesaQuantum, Harvard University nCourage Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize MesaQuantum, $40,000 nCourage Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize Icorium Engineering Company, University of Kansas nCourage Courageous Women Entrepreneur Investment Prize Icorium Engineering Company, $40,000 Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize Informuta, Tulane University Pearland EDC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Cash Prize Informuta, $25,000 New Climate Ventures Sustainable Investment Prize Oxylus Energy, Yale University New Climate Ventures Sustainable Investment Prize Oxylus Energy, $25,000 Dream Big Ventures Latino Entrepreneur Investment Prize Dendritic Health AI, Northwestern University Dream Big Ventures Latino Entrepreneur Investment Prize Dendritic Health AI, $25,000 NOV Energy Technology Innovation Cash Prize LiQuidium, University of Houston NOV Energy Technology Innovation Cash Prize LiQuidium, $25,000 Urban Capital Network Diversity Investment Prize in Partnership with South Loop Venture Investment Prize TouchStone, University of California, Berkeley Urban Capital Network Diversity Investment Prize in Partnership with South Loop Venture Investment Prize TouchStone, $25,000 Southwest National Pediatric Device Consortium Pediatric Device Cash Prize EndoShunt Medical, Harvard University Southwest National Pediatric Device Consortium Pediatric Device Cash Prize EndoShunt Medical, $25,000 Jacobs, Intuitive Machines and WRX Companies Rising Stars Space Technology and Commercial Aerospace Cash Prize MesaQuantum, Harvard University For more information about the 2024 Rice Business Plan Competition, visit rbpc.rice.edu . About Rice Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences and social sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 4,574 undergraduates and 3,982 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction, No. 2 for best-run colleges and No. 12 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. SOURCE Rice University Encino acquires all data from orbits covering North America from SATLANTIS' GEISAT to provide to North & South American clients in one of the largest commercial contracts for satellite-based methane emissions monitoring. acquires all data from orbits covering from SATLANTIS' GEISAT to provide to North & South American clients in one of the largest commercial contracts for satellite-based methane emissions monitoring. SATLANTIS successfully launches HORACIO, its sixth successful mission and second satellite capable of methane detection. GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SATLANTIS and a subsidiary of Encino Environmental Services ("Encino"), leaders in methane leak detection & quantification, have furthered their groundbreaking partnership by sealing one of the largest contracts within the SmallSat industry. This alliance aims to monitor infrastructure for high resolution visual applications and methane emission detection through satellite technology. High-resolution image of an 818 kg/h methane emission detection in Africa captured by SATLANTIS GEISAT satellite in February 2024 From left to right: Juan Tomas Hernani, CEO at the SATLANTIS Group, Scott McCurdy, CEO at Encino Environmental Services, and Aitor Morinigo, CEO at SATLANTIS LLC. Under the agreement, Encino has acquired exclusive rights to data from all orbits that cover North America and parts of South America from the SATLANTIS GEISAT-Precursor ("GEISAT") satellite, which was launched in June 2023, to monitor customer assets across various sectors including oil & gas, biogas, landfills, power infrastructure and for broad visual data needs. It involves processing the retrieved imagery, delivering high-resolution visual imagery, and reporting any potential observed emission events to Encino customers. "The SATLANTIS solution for high-resolution visual monitoring combined with methane detection is extremely unique," said Scott McCurdy, Chief Executive Officer of Encino Environmental Services. "The customer response we've had to the technology has been great and we are excited to further our partnership with SATLANTIS and control the American orbits to provide insights for our customers. Having the ability to provide high revisitation monitoring from the satellite, continuous monitoring through our optical ground solutions, and field services with a multitude of handheld devices allows Encino to provide our customers with a full suite of solutions that are highly actionable and can demonstrate high return on investment from additional product available for sale, reduced waste emissions charges and fines, and reduced risk of reputational damage. In addition, many companies have joined global initiatives such as OGMP 2.0, and this will provide another tool for those efforts." The announcement of this agreement has been followed closely by the confirmation of the successful launch of GEISAT's twin system HORACIO on March 4, 2024 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This accomplishment completes the third satellite placed in orbit by SATLANTIS as part of SpaceX's Transporter-10 program, and the sixth mission in space that the company has under its belt now. This system has ride shared together with MethaneSAT, an emissions satellite sponsored by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Under a $90M project, this 660-pound satellite aims to monitor methane emissions globally at a 100-meter resolution, compared to the less than 45-pound weight satellite with 13-meter resolution imagery (in the methane detection band) that GEISAT is capable of capturing. The technology developed by SATLANTIS enables upstream producers and midstream oil and gas companies to enhance their emissions reporting capabilities and accuracy. This satellite will allow clients to identify leaks that might not be seen otherwise or are not frequently monitored as they can see a wider area than traditional methods such as plane or drone flyovers. As an example, using this satellite technology, SATLANTIS can accurately scan and map approximately 10,000 miles of pipeline in under ten minutes of total combined scanning time, something unachievable with traditional satellite technology. This is due to the satellite's ability to scan sideways, which not only offers unprecedented maneuvering capabilities and advanced monitoring strategies but also improves the revisitation frequency on those assets, making it up to ten times more efficient than average satellite systems. Additionally, SATLANTIS satellites and cameras effectively combine visible and near infrared data (VNIR), and short-wave infrared data (SWIR) to be used in a variety of applications. The SATLANTIS iSIM-90 camera, which is the telescope included within the GEISAT satellite, boasts a spatial resolution of 2 meters in the visible and near-infrared bands and 13 meters for methane detection bands. This doubles the spatial resolution that other similar satellites have to offer. The major upside to these features is that SATLANTIS' cameras can identify pipelines, see point-source emissions that are otherwise invisible to alternative space sensors, and surveil job sites for security, with unprecedented detail. Not only can this technology enhance and complement methane regulatory monitoring efforts, but it can also contribute to reducing safety risks, providing frequent visual monitoring for encroachments and vegetation health, and decreasing personnel costs. "We thank Encino for their confidence in SATLANTIS and commitment to our mission. Their strategic investment since 2022 has helped develop this technology jointly and culminated in one of the largest single contracts for methane monitoring announced today. We are ready to jointly serve the American industry with the best technology available today," said Juan Tomas Hernani, CEO of SATLANTIS. About SATLANTIS SATLANTIS, with its companies based in Florida (SATLANTIS LLC), Spain (SATLANTIS Microsats), the UK (Supersharp) and France, is the leading global provider of advanced Earth Observation missions for long linear infrastructures, for complex detections that require sets of simultaneous technologies with visible, infrared, polarimetry and video, in a framework of large ground precision and resolution. A team of artificial intelligence (AI) experts working in the HYPERGATOR supercomputer at the University of Florida is producing unrivaled performances for the Defense, Environment, and Agriculture sectors. SATLANTIS counts with the successful completion of its sixth consecutive flight, achieving a remarkable 100% success rate. Learn more at https://satlantis.com/. About Encino Environmental Services Formed in 2010 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Encino Environmental Services, LLC provides comprehensive emissions monitoring and mitigation solutions to Energy companies with a focus on Oil and Gas and Biogas markets. The Company delivers environmental performance solutions customized to each client's individual needs and environmental performance goals. Encino's comprehensive lineup of services includes emissions performance testing, stack testing, LDAR (leak detection and repair), CEMS (continuous emissions monitoring systems), methane monitoring via SATLANTIS micro satellites and advanced environmental data software. Our solutions help ensure regulatory compliance and ESG strategies and objectives. The Company operates across the U.S. covering all major oil and gas basins and select international markets. Additional information can be found at www.encinoenviron.com. CONTACT INFORMATION Aitor Morinigo Chief Executive Officer at SATLANTIS LLC (USA) [email protected] SATLANTIS (SPAIN) Communications Department Sarah Luise - [email protected] Patricia Lasuen - [email protected] Scott McCurdy Chief Executive Officer at Encino Environmental Services, LLC [email protected] SOURCE Satlantis LLC A new study demonstrates the potential of Serum Detect's T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire liquid biopsy to complement circulating tumor DNA approaches. NEWTON, Mass., April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Serum Detect, Inc., a cancer diagnostics company advancing new technologies for early detection of cancer, today announced the presentation of new data at the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. The new data suggests that, when combined with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and cancer-related protein biomarkers, Serum Detect's TCR-based approach may significantly improve sensitivity for the detection of early-stage cancer. Poster Highlights: New study demonstrates the potential of Serum Detect's TCR repertoire liquid biopsy to complement ctDNA approaches. Post this Presented a novel approach for discovery of lung cancer-associated circulating TCR repertoire functional units (RFUs), which are computationally derived sets of TCRs with similar sequences that may recognize shared tumor antigens. A machine learning model for lung cancer status prediction using TCR RFUs detected nearly 50% of stage I lung cancers at a specificity of 80%. The TCR RFU model score could distinguish lung cancer from non-cancerous lung conditions such as benign nodules and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The TCR RFU model achieved a substantial gain in sensitivity for stage I cancer when the scores were added to plasma ctDNA mutation and lung cancer-related protein biomarker analysis, with an approximately 20%-point increase seen at the ~90% target specificity commonly used for cancer screening tests. "The primary way to achieve cancer cures is through early detection," said Roman Yelensky, PhD, Serum Detect's founder and CEO. "While liquid biopsy is promising, it is still failing to detect many early-stage cancers and pre-cancerous growths. Our first data on immune-based cancer early detection point to a potentially exciting complementary approach. We are grateful for the opportunity to share these findings with the research community and look forward to discussing our results with attendees at AACR and collaborating to develop this technology into clinically impactful liquid biopsy tests." The findings are based on a large circulating TCR repertoire dataset of 922 lung cancer cases and control subjects in total. This proprietary TCR dataset was generated using a custom NGS assay on genomic DNA extracted from blood buffy coats, which is a specimen often collected but not typically used for early detection biomarker discovery. 197 lung cancer associated circulating TCR repertoire functional units were identified at a false discovery rate (FDR) 10%. These include 110 RFUs that were enriched in cancer patients and 87 RFUs that were enriched in non-cancer controls. Individual RFU statistical effect sizes were relatively small, highlighting the importance of signal aggregation across multiple TCRs and TCR repertoire functional units with Serum's novel approach. Poster presentation details: Poster Title: Circulating T cell receptor repertoire analysis improves cancer early detection Presentation Number: 2295 Presenters: Yilong Li, PhD; Michelle Nahas, PhD; Roman Yelensky, PhD Session Title: Liquid Biopsy and Precision Oncology Session Date and Time: Monday, Apr 8, 2024, 9:00am - 12:30pm PT Location: Poster Section 36; Poster Board Number 6 Visit the poster session and follow Serum Detect on LinkedIn for more updates from #AACR24. About Serum Detect Serum Detect is a cancer diagnostics company focused on advancing new technologies for the early detection of cancer to improve outcomes for patients. The company is pioneering new analysis techniques to detect subtle signals of immune response to early cancer, using standard liquid biopsy samples. For more information about Serum Detect and its technology, or to engage with the team, please visit www.serumdetect.com and follow the company on LinkedIn . SOURCE Serum Detect Inc. MILWAUKEE, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating AIR Communities (NYSE: AIRC) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with Blackstone. Click here to learn how to join the https://www.ademilaw.com/case/apartment-income-reit-corp or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. In the transaction, AIR Communities stockholders will own only $39.12 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $10 billion, including the assumption of debt. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing transactions for AIR Communities by imposing a significant penalty if AIR Communities accepts a competing bid. AIR Communities insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements. We are investigating the conduct of AIR Communities' board of directors, and whether they are fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders. If you own AIR Communities common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/apartment-income-reit-corp. We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts Ademi LLP Guri Ademi Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 SOURCE Ademi LLP NEW YORK, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP announces that it is investigating Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. (NYSE: INN) on behalf of the company's shareholders. The investigation seeks to determine whether Summit Hotel Properties's directors breached their fiduciary duties in connection with recent corporate actions. If you are a shareholder of Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. and are interested in obtaining additional information about your rights and options, please visit us at: https://pjlfirm.com/summit-hotel-properties-inc/ You may also contact Robert H. Lefkowitz, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at 212-725-1000. One of our attorneys will personally speak with you about the case at no cost or obligation. Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP is a law firm exclusively committed to representing shareholders nationwide who are victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty and other types of corporate misconduct. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit https://pjlfirm.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. SOURCE Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP NEW YORK, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global smart buildings market size is estimated to grow by USD 64.84 bn from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of almost 10.61% during the forecast period. Smart buildings market incorporates IoT-enabled devices, 5G technology, and building automation software. This technology facilitates efficient energy management in commercial buildings by regulating HVAC systems, power supplies, and lighting control. Building management systems monitor energy usage, generate alerts for exceeding predefined limits, and offer security & emergency management solutions. AI, IoT, VR, and cloud computing enhance building infrastructure management, while energy-efficient systems and PoE solutions reduce greenhouse gas emissions. OEMs focus on energy management segment, offering smart connected devices like elevators, thermostats, and CCTVs. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Smart Buildings Market 2024-2028 For more insights on the historic (2018 - 2022) and forecast market size- Request a sample report Smart Buildings Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2023 Historic period 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2024-2028 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 10.61% Market growth 2024-2028 USD 64.84 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 9.32 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 31% Key countries US, China, Japan, France, and UK Key companies profiled ABB Ltd., Advantech Co. Ltd., BuildingLogiX, Cisco Systems Inc., Delta Electronics Inc., Emerson Electric Co., Honeywell International Inc., International Business Machines Corp., Johnson Controls, L and T Technology Services Ltd., Legrand SA, Panasonic Holdings Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, RTX Corp., Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, Smarteh d.o.o., Snap One LLC, Softdel System Pte. Ltd., Switch Automation, and Verdigris Technologies Inc. Segment Overview This smart buildings market report extensively covers market segmentation by Product (BMS, HVAC, Lighting control, Security and access control, Others) Component (Software, Hardware, Services) Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, Middle East and Africa) Market segmentation by Product The Smart Buildings Market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing adoption of advanced technologies such as 5G technology and IoT-enabled devices. The GSMA predicts that 5G networks will become the backbone of future smart buildings, enabling seamless connectivity for an array of smart connected devices, including sensors, CCTVs, passenger lifts, and power supplies. However, with the increased use of IoT devices comes the risk of cyber-attacks. Commercial buildings are integrating energy management, security & emergency management, and building infrastructure management systems, utilizing AI and IoT to optimize energy usage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. OEMs are developing energy-efficient systems, such as smart glass, thermostats, elevators, and HVAC, powered by PoE solutions. Building management systems are leveraging cloud computing, data analytics, VR, and home automation to enhance user experience and improve waste management solutions. Despite these advancements, concerns regarding energy consumption and the potential impact on the environment remain. Geography Overview The Smart Buildings Market in North America is expected to dominate the global scene, driven by the US and Canada. The region's industrial and commercial growth, particularly in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, will fuel the deployment of IoT-enabled devices and sensors. In the US, residential sector growth is significant due to 5G technology integration, enabling two-way communication among smart appliances like washing machines, air conditioners, and refrigerators. However, cyber-attacks pose a threat to 5G networks and IoT devices, necessitating robust security measures. Commercial buildings are adopting Energy management, Security & emergency management, and Building infrastructure management solutions, integrating AI, VR, Cloud computing, and Data analytics. OEMs are developing energy-efficient systems, including PoE solutions, Intelligent glass, Smart thermostats, and Smart elevators, to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. HVAC, lighting control systems, and automated building controls are essential components of smart building solutions. The Energy management segment leads, focusing on energy savings and building maintenance. Insights on the market contribution of various segments including country and region wise, historic (2018 - 2022) and forecast market size- Download a Sample Report The smart buildings market is experiencing growth due to IoT integration, enabling advanced IP-based connectivity and centralized control of multiple systems. Key technologies include 5G, IoT devices, sensors, AI, VR, cloud computing, and data analytics. Building automation sectors like energy management, security, and infrastructure management benefit, with energy savings and improved efficiency. 5G networks enhance connectivity, reducing lead times and operational costs for commercial buildings. IoT solutions include smart devices (lifts, CCTVs, power supplies), energy-efficient systems, and PoE solutions. OEMs offer building management systems, HVAC, and lighting control systems, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Smart buildings market encompasses advanced technologies like 5G, IoT, AI, and VR for integrating complex building automation systems. These systems manage multiple subsystems, including power supplies, CCTVs, and passenger lifts, using interfacing software for efficient communication. Integrating legacy systems with new technologies may pose challenges, increasing security risks and potential installation issues. Key solutions include energy management, IoT sensors, PoE solutions, and building analytics for energy savings and improved infrastructure management. Insights on Market Drivers, trends, & Challenges, historic period(2018 - 2022) and forecast period(2024-2028)- Request a sample report! Research Analysis The Smart Buildings Market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing adoption of energy-efficient systems and IoT technologies. PoE solutions are becoming increasingly popular for building management systems, enabling energy usage optimization and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Commercial buildings are embracing Smart building solutions, integrating 5G technology, AI, VR, and cloud computing for advanced energy management, security & emergency management, and building infrastructure management. Intelligent glass, Smart thermostats, and Smart elevators are just a few examples of the innovative technologies enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of modern buildings. Additionally, home automation and waste management solutions are gaining traction, further contributing to the market's expansion. Market Research Overview The Smart Buildings Market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the integration of technology and energy efficiency. Systems such as HVAC, lighting, and security are being connected and optimized through IoT and AI. Consumptive technologies like solar and wind power are also playing a crucial role in the sector. Devices and controls are becoming more sophisticated, with features like real-time analytics, predictive maintenance, and automation. The industry is also focusing on interoperability and standardization to ensure seamless integration of various systems. The market is expected to continue expanding, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, cost savings, and enhancing occupant comfort. The use of advanced technologies like 5G, machine learning, and edge computing is also expected to transform the sector. Overall, the Smart Buildings Market is poised for continued growth and innovation. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Product BMS HVAC Lighting Control Security And Access Control Others Component Software Hardware Services Geography North America Europe APAC South America Middle East And Africa 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio KENT, Wash., April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Stoke Space announced that the company has appointed retired U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. John E. Shaw to its Board of Directors and Paul Croci as its chief financial officer. Lt. Gen. Shaw has more than 30 years of experience in national security space and aerospace engineering. He was among the first general officers to accept a commission in the U.S. Space Force. Retired U.S. Space Force Lt. General John Shaw, Board of Directors, Stoke Space. Paul Croci, Chief Financial Officer, Stoke Space Shaw's last active-duty assignment was as deputy commander of U.S. Space Command, where he directed more than 12,000 personnel worldwide and oversaw a $525 million budget to defend the nation's critical space capabilities and to deliver space effects to terrestrial warfighters and human society. In this role, Shaw advocated for the U.S. Space Force to pursue advanced capabilities that enable dynamic space operations in which in-space assets can actively maneuver without constraint. Before joining U.S. Space Command, Shaw was the last commander of 14th Air Force (U.S. Air Force) and the first commander of Space Operations Command (U.S. Space Force) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, leading more than 10,000 personnel across the globe that organized, trained, and equipped military space forces and executed global space operations, in teamwork with allies and international partners. Prior to commanding 14th Air Force, Shaw held a series of leadership roles in the Department of Defense and the National Reconnaissance Office. He also served as a senior policy advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and as a co-chair or member of several U.S. delegations discussing space security issues with Russian and international delegations. Shaw has an M.S. in Organizational Management from The George Washington University, an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Washington, and a B.S. in Astronautical Engineering with a Russian language minor from the U.S. Air Force Academy. "Stoke Space is a highly innovative and motivated team with a compelling vision for reusable and sustainable space capabilities," Shaw said. "I'm honored to join them." "We're honored to have General Shaw join our board of directors. John has been a visionary and thought leader throughout his distinguished military career, and he's been extremely influential to how I and others think about national security space," said Andy Lapsa, CEO and co-founder, Stoke Space. "His expertise will be a tremendous asset to our company." Paul Croci joins Stoke Space after 20 years leading a variety of significant financial transactions in the aerospace and defense sectors including a number of mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, IPOs, joint ventures, and other strategic financial activities. His most recent leadership role was with Wells Fargo's investment bank, where he was Managing Director and Head of the Aerospace and Defense Group. Croci previously led Honeywell's business development and mergers and acquisitions team for the company's $12 billion aerospace division. Before joining Honeywell, he held a series of investment banking positions with Barclays Capital, Peter J. Solomon Co., and Citigroup. Croci began his work in investment banking following service in the U.S. Navy. He joined the Navy first as a Nuclear Submarine Officer on the U.S.S. Alexandria and qualified as an on-board nuclear submarine propulsion chief engineer. He later taught submarine warfare tactics at the Navy's Submarine Center. Croci holds an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy. "I am thrilled to join the talented team at Stoke Space as the chief financial officer to help the company achieve its mission of making space more accessible," Croci said. "It is an incredibly exciting opportunity as Stoke Space is well positioned to grow rapidly in the emerging new space economy." "As we navigate the dynamic landscape of the rapidly growing commercial space industry, Paul's wealth of experience advising aerospace and defense businesses will be instrumental in leading Stoke's continued growth," said Lapsa. "We are delighted to have him join our team." About Stoke Space Stoke is scaling the space economy by providing low-cost, on-demand transport to, through, and from space. It's developing fully and rapidly reusable rockets and space vehicles designed to operate with aircraft-like frequency. Stoke's technology development has been funded by the U.S. Space Force, NASA, the National Science Foundation, and other government and private partners. SOURCE Stoke Space Technologies, Inc. NEW YORK, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, April 9, the Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote on a measure to suspend the issuance of dog breeding permits in the city as a way to address shelter overpopulation concerns. The American Kennel Club (AKC) vehemently opposes the moratorium on breeder permits. We also call on the city to enforce current law properly and to not require a breeding permit for those who aren't actually breeding dogs. Current enforcement improperly requires owners of intact animals to obtain both an intact animal permit and a breeding permit even if the animal will never be bred. City law is clear that the two permits are separate and distinct and should be treated as such. Improper enforcement has inflated the perceived number of dog breeders in the city, which is the impetus behind this current proposal. AKC recognizes and shares concerns about the city's animal shelters. However, we have strong concerns about responses designed to "send a signal" or scapegoat responsible breeders, rather than to create substantive policies that address the real, underlying issues that are causing the shelter's problems. "There are many reasons a responsible owner may not spay or neuter a dog they own," says Sheila Goffe, VP of Government Relations, AKC. "Current city laws recognize this. Sadly, these laws are not being fully and lawfully administered. New proposals that scapegoat responsible breeders as the cause of the city's shelter programs fail to recognize this and will only exacerbate existing problems by not addressing the underlying problems that have led to the city's sheltering crisis." To lessen the strain on the shelter system, improve the working conditions for staff and volunteers alike, and to promote the welfare of all animals in the system, AKC proposes the following recommendations: Ensure good data collection to determine where issues are originating and allow for arising problems to be adequately addressed. Require all animals received in the shelter system to be checked for microchips so lost pets don't languish in shelter system taking up valuable space and resources. Make sure low-cost spay and neuter funds are available to all who need it and ensure that program availability is widely known through community outreach. Consider offering tax credits or other programs to incentivize greater acceptance of pets in residential housing to address issue of pets ending up in shelter system only because of housing issues. Develop a plan to manage "dangerous dogs" taken in and kept in the shelter system. AKC believes inclusive public outreach and education are key to promoting and instilling a culture of responsible pet ownership. AKC and its affiliate organizations continues to proudly support the people and dogs of Los Angeles and California: Recently, AKC Reunite donated to two Pet Disaster Relief trailers to the county of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control. There are currently 21 AKC provided trailers in California . . AKC Reunite also provided $220,397.50 in donations to California animal shelters and organizations impacted by natural disasters. in donations to animal shelters and organizations impacted by natural disasters. AKC Reunite has awarded ten Adopt a K-9 Cop grants totaling $62,500.00 across California to assist police departments with the acquisition of k9 officers. across to assist police departments with the acquisition of k9 officers. The AKC Canine Health Foundation, has granted $3.8m to date for organizations in California including $314,740 for organizations within the greater Los Angeles area. To learn more background on the proposal, click here or visit https://www.akc.org/legislative-alerts/ca-update-la-committee-likely-reconsidering-breeder-permit-suspension-next-week/ About the American Kennel Club Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 26,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite, the AKC Museum of the Dog, and the AKC Purebred Preservation Bank. For more information, visit www.akc.org. AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc. Become a fan of the American Kennel Club on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @americankennelclub SOURCE The American Kennel Club, Inc. KIGALI, Rwanda, April 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- World leaders past and present gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, to remember the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Over a dozen current and former Heads of State attended. They joined President Paul Kagame to lay wreaths and light the commemoration flame at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, and thereafter they participated in the national ceremony at BK Arena, marking the official start of Kwibuka30. Kwibuka means 'to remember' in Kinyarwanda (the national language of Rwanda). President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame light the flame of Remembrance at Kigali Genocide Memorial. April 7, 2024 - Kigali, Rwanda To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9260351-world-leaders-gather-rwanda-30th-anniversary-genocide-against-tutsi/ On 7th April 1994, a genocide was unleashed against the Tutsi minority of Rwanda, leaving over a million dead in just 100 days, in full view of the world. A minimal United Nations peacekeeping force stood by and watched the genocide unfold, after a decision was made by the Security Council to withdraw most of the peacekeepers. Four memorials to the Genocide against the Tutsi, recently inscribed as UNESCO world heritage sites, will be illuminated each night for the week of commemoration. As a sign of international solidarity, iconic monuments in cities around the world will be lit in the colours of the Rwandan flag, as part of a joint Rwanda-UNESCO initiative. This year's historic anniversary is an opportunity for Rwandans and the rest of the world to honour victims, comfort survivors, and reflect on Rwanda's journey of recovery, reconciliation, and resilience, with national unity at the core of the country's stability and progress. President Kagame, talking about Rwanda's experience said: "We have turned the corner in Rwanda, but the same ideology that justified the genocide against the Tutsi is still alive and well in our region. And we see the same indifference from the wider world as in 1994. It is as if those expensive lessons are always lost, and we stare blindly as the same type of situation builds up again and again." Commemoration week will close with a ceremony at Rebero Genocide Memorial, which honours the courageous Rwandan officials and politicians who were killed because they opposed their government's plan to exterminate the Tutsi population. Find out more about Kwibuka Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2380911/Kwibuka_1.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2379424/Kwibuka_Logo.jpg SOURCE Kwibuka 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 Ukraine : Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2022 shows the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) in southern Ukraine. Zaporizhzhia is one of the largest atomic power complexes in Europe and generates a quarter of Ukraine's total electricity. It has been under . Image Source: IANS News Moscow, April 8 : Ukrainian drones attacked the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on Sunday, including one on the dome of the 6th power unit, according to the plant's press service. The NPP said the attack on the dome had not caused critical injuries or casualties and that there were no threats of violation of safety limits, Xinhua news agency reported. "The radiation background at the station and the adjacent territory has not changed and is at a level corresponding to the normal operation of the power units, and does not exceed the natural background values," the NPP's press service said on Telegram. RIA Novosti news agency cited the International Atomic Energy Agency's statement as saying that the agency's experts were informed about the explosion. The agency's head, Rafael Grossi, has called for measures to avoid any actions that could threaten the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Earlier in the day, the power plant reported an attack in the area of its canteen, which damaged a truck unloading food. It added that another drone arrival was registered in the cargo port area. Zaporizhzhia NPP had recorded multiple Ukrainian military drone arrivals at the nuclear facility in recent days, the press service said on Friday. Also on Friday, Russia Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned Ukraine and its Western allies against attempts to attack or destabilize the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and includes six power units with a total capacity of 6 gigawatts. At the end of February 2022, the facility was taken under Russian control. Seoul, April 8 : South Korea launched its second indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in the US state of Florida on Monday (Seoul time), according to the country's defence ministry. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:17 a.m. (7:17 p.m. local time) from the John F. Kennedy Space Center and sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit approximately 45 minutes after the launch, the ministry was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency. "We will check whether the satellite normally operates through communication with overseas ground stations," the ministry said. It is the second military satellite launched under South Korea's plan to acquire five spy satellites by 2025 to better monitor North Korea. The satellite was equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors that capture data using microwaves and are capable of collecting data regardless of weather conditions. The other three satellites will also be equipped with SAR sensors. Electro-optical and infrared sensors capable of capturing detailed images of the Earth's surface were fitted on the first satellite launched in December. When operated together, the five satellites are expected to provide regular coverage at about two-hour intervals, according to analysts. Lucknow, April 8 : The Lucknow police have arrested a couple in connection with the mysterious death of a retired National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) official last month. The two were arrested on Sunday night here. Manoj Kumar Srivastava, the official, was found dead in his car near Dalibagh Ganna Sansthan in Hazratganj on March 21. The names of Jageshwar Srivastava and his wife Aruna Srivastava, surfaced as Manoj's wife had alleged their involvement in her husband's death. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Abhijit R. Shankar said that though Aruna confessed that she was with Manoj the night he died, she claimed innocence. The deceased's wife, Sushma Srivastava of Gaytripuram in Gudamba, said Aruna and Jageshwar poisoned Manoj to death. The autopsy report, meanwhile, could not ascertain the cause of death and Manoj's viscera was preserved for a forensic examination. Sushma alleged that Manoj knew Aruna and Jageshwar well. "A month before his death, Manoj had told me and my son Harsh that he was "unhappy" with Aruna and Jageshwar," said Sushma, in her complaint. As per the complaint given to the police, Manoj reached NBRI for some work and left his office around 2.30 p.m. on March 20. But Manoj did not reach his home even late in the night after which Sushma lodged a missing person's report in the early hours of March 21. Around 11 a.m. the same day, Manoj was found dead in his car. During the investigation of CCTV footage, a woman, later identified as Aruna, was seen coming out of Manoj's car and then boarding a rickshaw. The couple is being interrogated and further details are awaited. Lucknow, April 8 : The Lucknow police are planning to strengthen the 'Savera Yojna' aimed at extending support to the elderly population of the city. Lucknow, April 8 (IANS) The Lucknow police are planning to strengthen the aSavera Yojnaa aimed at extending support to the elderly population of the city. Savera symbolizes the illumination brought into the lives of countless senior citizens. This initiative was launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on October 26, 2019, as a beacon of hope for the elderly. Under this programme, senior citizens can dial 112 to register themselves under the Savera Yojna. Once registered, they can seek security-related assistance by contacting the nearest police station or the police response vehicle (PRV) of 112-UP. The scheme has been instrumental in providing timely aid and addressing security concerns of the elderly. Raveena Tyagi, deputy commissioner of police, central zone, said aTo enhance the reach of the Savera Yojna, the Lucknow police have directed beat in charges and station house officers (SHOs) to proactively engage with elderly residents and facilitate their registration. This proactive approach aims to ensure that no elder in the city is left unattended or unsupported." The DCP mentioned that currently, the scheme boasts a registration count of 6,700 elderly residents from Lucknow. This figure underscores the significant impact and importance of the Savera Yojna in safeguarding the well-being of senior citizens in the city. "By expanding the reach of this initiative and actively engaging with senior citizens, the police department aims to provide a sense of security and assurance to them, ensuring that they can enjoy their twilight years in peace and comfort," she said. Tyagi said every fortnight, the beat in charge will meet the elders and resolve any problems or issues they may be facing. The DCP said the most vital aspect of registering elders would be if they are in some distress and dial UP 112 for assistance, the police help will directly reach them. "The time taken by callers at UP 112 will not be required, as their entries in the database will reflect it and instantly the nearest police will be dispatched," she said. Prayagraj : , April 8 (IANS) A new hybrid and export variety of watermelon and melon 'Saraswati' is all set to hit UP markets this summer. This variety of watermelons and melons is not only smaller in size but also in a square shape, using a hybrid variety of seeds. Interestingly, the Saraswati variety of watermelons and melons, cultivated by farmers in Prayagraj, have a higher content of TSS (Total Solid Sugar) value. And are being cultivated in around 1000 acres of land in Prayagraj, Kaushambhi and Fatehpur districts, using the mulch film cultivation technique. Generally, people have an idea of ordinary watermelons (exterior green and bright red interior) but these hybrid varieties will have other colours like yellow exterior and bright red interior or green exterior and yellow interior. Agriculture expert Manoj Kumar Srivastava said, "Farmers are cultivating seeds being brought from Taiwan to yield a good crop in limited resources. The small and medium-sized watermelon and melon in round and square shapes are more sought after by fruit lovers across the country as they have a total solid sugar (TSS) value up to 14 to 15 per cent." Farmers growing watermelon and melon, however, point out that they have grown new varieties of watermelon and melon with technical guidance and this hybrid variety of watermelons and melons are giving better profits to farmers. A farmer can earn a profit up to Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 per acre. Currently, a hybrid variety of watermelon and melon is being cultivated in trans-Ganga and Yamuna (Prayagraj), Mooratganj in Kaushambhi and Khaga in Fatehpur district. The Saraswati variety of watermelon will soon be exported to other states. Tel Aviv, April 8 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is bracing up for the Rafah operation after it wrapped up the Khan Yunis operations in southern Gaza and the 98th division of the IDF withdrew from the area. Israel Defense Ministry sources told IANS that the withdrawal was done for ground invasion into the Rafah region. Defense Minister of Israel Yoav Gallant, widely considered a hawk, met the senior officers of the 98th division of the IDF on Sunday and discussed the Rafah operations. The allies of Israel, including the US and other Western powers had earlier told Israel not to enter into a ground invasion in the Rafah region as that would lead to major casualties among civilians. Rafah region of Gaza is densely populated and has an estimated 1.3 million people. The Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi had expressed his concern over a possible Rafah operation with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken during the latteras visit to Egypt in March. Seoul, April 8 : South Korea's antitrust regulator has launched an inspection into China's Temu shopping app on suspicions of the retail platform's false advertising and other unfair business practices, officials said on Monday. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) recently sent documents to Temu for a probe to see if it violates South Korea's e-commerce acts and advertisement regulations by making false and exaggerated advertisements, according to the government and industry officials. The document-based probe came as its South Korean subsidiary, Whaleco Korea LLC, has yet to come into full operation after being established in February, they added, reports Yonhap news agency. The regulator is also looking into if Temu fulfills due responsibilities to protect consumers, as complaints filed against Temu have been rising, which centered on poor product quality and delivery issues. Temu has also been facing controversy over its use of cash coupons and multi-level marketing strategies to attract more customers since its advance into the highly competitive South Korean market in July last year. The FTC refused to confirm if any probe is going on into the Chinese platform, simply vowing "a stern response to any violations." Mumbai, April 8 : A swarm of fans gathered around Allu Arjun's house in Hyderabad to catch a glimpse of their beloved star on his 42nd birthday. The superstar greeted them with a 'namaste'. Mumbai, April 8 (IANS) A swarm of fans gathered around Allu Arjunas house in Hyderabad to catch a glimpse of their beloved star on his 42nd birthday. The superstar greeted them with a 'namaste'. The actor walked out in a stylish colourful shirt paired with white pants during wee hours on Sunday, to thank fans for all the love. Several videos posted by those present, showed the star standing on a podium next to the fence. He is seen greeting the crowd that is cheering him. A few clips also showed that the sea of fans were carrying gifts for their icon. Talking about Allu Arjun, the entire country is currently awaiting the teaser of his upcoming film 'Pushpa: The Rule', which is set to drop on Monday at 11:07 AM on the occasion of his birthday. A new poster from the film was unveiled on April 7, which showed the actoras character of Pushparaj sitting in a chair with an axe in his hand. aPushpa 2: The Rulea is directed by Sukumar and also stars Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Muttamsetty Media. aPushpa 2: The Rulea will be released on August 15, 2024. London, April 8 : British actress Elizabeth Hurley shares that she still has a "very annoying mummy rule," which she makes her 22-year-old son Damian stick to even now, and is about television. The 58-year-old actress shares her son Damian with late former partner Steve Bing. "I've always had what you say is a very annoying mommy rule in the house. We're never allowed to put the TV on until 6 p.m. That included lockdown! We've always stuck to that. So we try to work all day, but at 6, we'll go into the TV room," Hurley told People magazine. Despite having the TV rule, the pair have "had some amazing times watching television together," reports femalefirst.co.uk. The actress said: "We really started over lockdown, and I wanted to show Damian a lot of the films that had been part of my growing up. So '80s and '90s films and '70s too in some cases." Despite bonding over old shows and movies, Elizabeth and Damian - who has directed his mother in her latest movie 'Strictly Confidential', which he also wrote - love nothing more than doing "work" together. Damian said: "We don't have a conversation that isn't about work or filming or making a movie in some aspect." Talking about moving out of his London apartment during the pandemic to be with his mother, he added: "I never really left. It went straight from COVID into making this film into the edit for this film to the press for this film. My little apartment sits there, sadly." New Delhi, April 8 : In recent years, the fashion industry has undergone a significant transformation, where technology is making waves and stealing the spotlight, with artificial intelligence (AI) at the epicenter of this transformation. This dynamic duo of fashion and AI is not just tweaking design processes and redefining our shopping experiences; it's also prompting some big questions about sustainability and ethics in the fashion industry. Think about predicting fashion trends, and you have AI. Take IBM's Watson Trend App, for example. This intelligently designed tool analyzes heaps of online data to predict what styles are going to be trendy. So, instead of designers relying solely on gut feelings, they can use AI insights to create collections that match what people are buzzing about. AI's impact on fashion design is nothing short of revolutionary. McKinsey's analysis suggests that within the next three to five years, generative AI has the potential to significantly boost operating profits in the apparel, fashion, and luxury sectors. Conservatively estimated, this could mean an addition of $150 billion, with the possibility of reaching up to $275 billion. Furthermore, AI stepping into design processes has put creativity on autopilot. Whether it's crafting design twists or playing with patterns and textures, AI is stretching the limits. The upshot? Speedier, more efficient design workflows, enabling fashion houses to stay nimble in keeping up with changing tastes. Revolutionizing the Shopping Experience AI is on the verge of revolutionizing industries, already making a significant impact across all sectors. According to Statista, global artificial intelligence in the fashion market amounted to 270 million U.S. dollars in 2018 and is expected to reach 4.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2027. In the realm of online shopping, AI is revolutionizing personalization. It tailors your shopping journey based on preferences and behaviour, offering recommendations that boost engagement. Moreover, AI-driven virtual try-on experiences bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping, allowing real-time product visualization. But AI goes even beyond personalization; acting as your digital stylist, analyzing past purchases and trends to curate outfits tailored to your taste. Platforms like Heuritech leverage AI to analyze social media images, helping brands like Louis Vuitton and Dior anticipate trends and align production. AI's Impact on Influencer Marketing Influencer marketing has emerged as a cornerstone of marketing strategies for brands across all industries. With the rise of social media, consumers are increasingly turning to influencers for product recommendations and lifestyle inspiration. These digital tastemakers, with their large and engaged followings, have the power to sway consumer behaviour and shape purchasing decisions. In the fashion sector, where trends change rapidly and consumer tastes are diverse, AI is playing a crucial role in optimizing influencer collaborations. By analyzing vast amounts of data, AI identifies the most relevant influencers for brands, based on audience demographics, engagement rates, and content preferences. This targeted approach ensures that brands collaborate with influencers who resonate with their target audience, maximizing the impact of their marketing efforts. Additionally, AI-powered tools help track and measure the effectiveness of influencer campaigns, providing valuable insights for future strategies. Sustainability and Ethical Considerations The fashion industry ranks as the second most polluting sector, responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions and 20% of global wastewater, according to MDPI. In response to growing environmental worries, AI is becoming a crucial partner in promoting sustainability within the industry. AI algorithms can optimize supply chains, reduce waste, and aid in the creation of eco-friendly materials. By predicting demand more accurately, fashion brands can minimize overproduction and contribute to a more sustainable industry. As technology progresses, ethical concerns take center stage, especially in AI's role in fashion. Questions arise about data privacy, labour ethics, and the perpetuation of biased beauty standards. Balancing innovation with ethical responsibility becomes crucial. Despite its transformative potential, integrating AI into fashion faces hurdles. Challenges include data security, algorithm biases, and the demand for skilled professionals to manage AI systems. What Future Holds for the Duo As AI advances, we're looking at a future where it plays a bigger role in making fashion more sustainable. With AI getting better and better, more companies might join in to tackle environmental issues and find new ways to be eco-friendly. This means we could see AI used more in designing clothes, running stores, and making fashion greener. The blend of tech and fashion, especially AI, is changing things in big ways. AI helps predict trends, makes shopping cooler, and pushes for greener practices. As fashion keeps up with these changes, it's important to be smart and ethical about how we use technology. (Mamta Roy is the Founder and CEO of Odette) IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in Kolkata, April 8 : A scuffle broke out between Trinamool Congress and BJP workers at Durgapur in West Burdwan District of West Bengal, on Monday. The ruling party activists chanted "Go Back" slogans as BJP candidate from Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency, Dilip Ghosh, reached to address a scheduled 'Chai pe Charcha' which had always been a part of his voter-interaction exercise. Ghosh said that as soon as he reached the location, a group of local Trinamool Congress activists started shouting "Go Back" slogans which provoked the BJP supporters. Eyewitnesses said that the BJP cadres accompanying Ghosh started shouting counter slogans terming all members of the Trinamool Congress as thieves. This aggravated the tension further and a scuffle broke out between the BJP cadres and ruling party supporters, which also included some women. A huge police contingent reached the spot and after a lot of effort, they managed to separate the two rival groups. Later, the BJP supporters staged a protest in front of the Durgapur New Township Police Station. The protesting Trinamool Congress workers said they reached the spot to interact with Ghosh on the pending central funds to the West Bengal government under various centrally-sponsored schemes. They alleged that Ghosh refused to speak to them and misbehaved with some of the people accompanying them. However, Ghosh denied the allegations and alleged, "Deliberately they came with a group of women with them to create unnecessary tension in the area." Hyderabad, April 8 : Hyderabad Police on Monday arrested Mohammed Raheel Amir alias Sahel, son of former Bodhan MLA Mohammed Shakil Amir, in a rash driving case. Sahel, who was evading arrest since December last year, was taken into custody at Hyderabad Airport soon after he returned from Dubai. The police produced him before a magistrate, who sent him to judicial custody till April 22. Sahel was subsequently shifted to Chanchalguda Jail. Sahel returned to Hyderabad three days after Telangana High Court suspended the lookout circular (LOC) issued against him in connection with the FIR registered in Panjagutta police station in a rash driving case in front of Praja Bhavan, the then CM camp office at Begumpet, on December 24, 2023. While suspending the LOC, the High Court had directed Saheel to surrender before the investigating officer by April 19. Sahel was driving the BMW car which rammed into the barricades in front of Praja Bhavan. No one was injured but the barricade and the front portion of the car were damaged in the incident. The person driving the car and three others travelling with him escaped leaving behind the car. Later, a person came to the spot to claim the abandoned car. A case of rash driving was registered against him. However, subsequent investigation revealed that Sahel, son of the former MLA from Bodhan, was driving the car. The police officers allegedly let off Sahel and booked a person who works as a driver at the former MLAas house. Sahel escaped to Dubai to join his father, who was already staying there. A total of 16 people were booked and five were arrested including inspectors of Panjagutta and Bodhan police stations who helped the accused. Police had also issued LOC against Shakeel, former MLA of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) from Bodhan constituency in Nizamabad district. The High Court had suspended the LOC against him in February. The police had said that while being in Dubai, the former MLA allegedly helped his son to come out of police custody and implicated an unrelated person in the case. Mumbai, April 8 : Ankita Lokhande and Vicky Jain treated fans to their first music video 'Laa Pila De Sharaab', and the song has been appreciated by everyone. The actress revealed that it was an amazing experience to work with her husband. Ankita Lokhande and Vicky Jain were seen shooting for Rohit Verma's new collection 'Indradhanush' on Sunday, in Mumbai. Ankita spoke about working with Rohit, doing a song with Vicky and getting appreciation for her role in Veer Savarkar. Talking about her experience shooting 'Laa Pila De Sharaab', Ankita said: "I feel Vishal has sung the song really well. His voice is amazing. Saurabh is a brilliant actor. You learn so much from him. We really enjoyed working with T-Series. It was an amazing experience shooting the song. Working with your husband is always different and unique." About the appreciation Ankita has been getting for her role in Veer Savarkar, she said: "An actor works really hard to reach the silver screen, I started my journey from television and now to see myself on the big screens and get so much appreciation, I feel grateful. I have always said that I am what I am today because of my audience and the media. They have always supported me unconditionally. To play the role where I had to portray the life journey from 16 years to 60 years, as a performer I was very happy that I got to play that role. Not many actors get a chance to play a role like this. So I got this role and I played it with full dedication." Talking about Rohit Verma's new collection Indradhanush, the 'Pavitra Rishta' actress said: "I have known Rohit for years and all his collections always have a concept, a storyline and a message. When Rohit approached us for this collection I was very excited to be a part of this because 'Indradhanush' has seven colours and these seven colours together form white, my favourite colour. Rohit is trying to give a message of gender equality through this. Vicky and I wanted to be a part of a project which spreads awareness amongst the audience. So we are very happy to be a part of this.' Mumbai, April 8 : Actor Vaquar Shaikh has opened up on the challenges during the shoot of the upcoming film 'Silence 2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout', saying it was shot during the rains and the studio was filled with water. Vaquar plays the role of inspector Raj Gupta in Manoj Bajpayee and Prachi Desai-starrer thriller film. Talking about the challenges on 'Silence 2', Vaquar, who is currently seen in 'Anupamaa' said: "Silence one was smooth. 'Silence 2' was shot during the rains. The studio was filled with water still we were shooting. We shot for 7-8 days in heavy rains. We were not supposed to dub as we needed the sync sounds so that was also a challenge." Vaquar called it a great experience working with Manoj. "The icing on the cake is the opportunity to share screen space with Manoj Bajpayee, widely regarded as one of the finest actors in the world today. What sets him apart is his openness and encouragement for improvisation. He creates a comfortable environment for actors and welcomes spontaneity. It's truly enriching to collaborate with such a seasoned and supportive actor. There's so much wisdom to gain from him. Every day was a learning experience," he said. The actor known for his role in 'Chandrakanta' shared: "He consistently surprised us and guided us on how to approach our roles. His advice was simple yet profound: be truthful to your craft. Understand your character's backstory, motivations, and reactions. Just stay true to the character." "Working with Prachi was similar. We instantly clicked because we come from similar backgrounds-- both having worked in television. This instant connection fostered a strong friendship, which carried over from 'Silence One' to 'Silence Two' and strengthened our on-screen dynamics." Produced by Zee Studios and Candid Creations, 'Silence 2: Night Owl Bar Shootout' will soon be released on ZEE5. Guwahati, April 8 : AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi said on Monday that it was unfortunate that an opposition alliance could not be formed in Assam and the party was contesting two Lok Sabha seats alone in the state. Atishi was in Dibrugarh to campaign for AAP candidate Manoj Dhanwar here. She is scheduled to attend a roadshow in the town. Although AAP is a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, the party has independently fielded candidates for two Lok Sabha seats -- Dibrugarh and Sonitpur. The Delhi Minister told the media, "Opposition parties are fighting polls in other parts of the country by forging alliances but it is unfortunate that it did not work in Assam." She also asserted that the people of Assam have showered blessings on the Aam Aadmi Party in earlier polls in the state. "We have done well in the Guwahati local body polls. We are hopeful that the party will come up with good results in two Lok Sabha seats -- Dinrugarh and Sonitpur,'' Atishi said. The Delhi Minister will campaign in Tezpur on Tuesday, said an AAP leader. Notably, AAP had announced candidates for three Lok Sabha seats in Assam -- Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Sonitpur. Later, the party pulled out its candidate from the Guwahati seat and appealed to the Congress party to do the same in Dibrugarh and Sonitpur. However, the Congress turned down AAP's offer. In Dibrugarh Assam Jatiya Parishad's leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi is contesting as a united opposition candidate and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is the BJP's candidate. The Congress has fielded Premlal Ganju in the Sonitpur Lok Sabha seat. Bengaluru, April 8 : The Karnataka Police on Monday arrested 30 people and clamped curfew in the Kolagal village of Bellary district following violence between two groups over the installation of an idol. Three police officers, including an inspector and sub-inspector, were also injured in the violence which broke out on Sunday night and continued till the early hours of Monday. According to police, clashes erupted between Dalits and people belonging to other castes over the installation of the Yerritata Swami idol on the premises of the mutt. Fifteen days ago, the idol and the tower were installed in the premises by one group which was objected to by another group. The group opposing the idol installation approached the court and got the vacating orders. However, the group which had installed the idol refused to vacate it. On Sunday night, there was a heated argument between the two groups and soon violence erupted. Both pelted stones at each other. The police rushed to the spot, reigned in the situation and imposed the prohibitory orders under the IPC Section 144. Thirty people from both groups were arrested. More details are awaited. New Delhi, April 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that North-East India has undergone an enormous transformation the in past ten years and today it is identified as an 'abundant region rather than abandoned region' because of the Centre's thrust on bringing growth and prosperity to the region. Speaking exclusively to the Assam Tribune at his official residence, PM Modi said, "In the last 10 years, it is visible how we have ended North-East's isolation and developed it as Bharat's gateway to the East." PM Modi said that his government has changed the perception of the North-East (N-E) and described it as the country's 'greatest success story'. "Today, North-East has emerged as New India's greatest success story. It has shown the world, jab Neeyat sahi hoti hai, toh Nateeje bhi sahi hote hain," he told the daily. Prime Minister further said that the N-E remained neglected to the margins for years but was now headed for robust growth, as local talent and youth are also part of this journey. Speaking about the Congress regime's 'step-motherly treatment' to the people of North-East, PM Modi said that this area remained on the margins because of lesser prospects of electoral gains but things changed under the NDA government. Explaining his personal attention to the North-East, PM Modi said: "I have visited the region nearly 70 times, which is probably more than the total number by all former Prime Ministers before me" while adding that "policy of isolation and ignorance has been replaced with policy of integration." "Since 2015, Union Ministers have visited the North-East more than 680 times" he added. Underscoring the milestones achieved under NDA rule, the Prime Minister informed that the past five years have seen investment quadrupling in the North-Eastern states and the infrastructural progress has connected it with the rest of the country 'like never before'. PM Modi also cited dozens of projects to elucidate how his government worked over the years to scale up progress in the region. "We fulfilled connectivity projects like Bogibeel Bridge and Bhupen Hazarika Setu. I had the opportunity to inaugurate Sela Tunnel, built at a height of 13,000 ft, the foundation stone for which was laid in 2019, providing all-weather connectivity to the border areas," the PM told the publication. PM Modi further gave an account of staggering investments made in the field of education and youth skill training in the region and how it was seeing the mushrooming of young talent, including the 4,000 start-ups taking birth in the last decade. Stating the NDA government's clear objectives to deal with insurgency-hit region, he said that the Centre signed a total of 11 peace agreements in the last 10 years, which played a pivotal role in reining in insurgency and bringing peace to the region. "More than 9,500 insurgents have given up arms since 2014 and have returned to the mainstream. It has been possible because of Centre's relentless persuasion towards this purpose," he elaborated. "Compared to 2014, there has been 71 per cent reduction in insurgency incidents in 2023. Security force casualties have come down by 60 per cent and civilian deaths by 82 per cent in the same period. Due to the improved security situation, the AFSPA has been withdrawn from most parts of the Northeast," said the Prime Minister, explaining the factors behind the situation returning to normalcy. Bengaluru, April 8 : Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi on Monday questioned Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the Rs 2,000 compensation given to the farmers in the state. Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, the Union Minister said, "Congress government in Karnataka has taken heavy debts and is presently in a 'pauper state'. Mr Siddaramaiah don't you have shame for providing a mere Rs 2,000 compensation to farmers?" "Earlier, during the former CM B.S. Yediyurappa's rule in Karnataka, drought relief amounts of Rs 27,000, Rs 20,000 and Rs 14,000 were provided to each of the affected farmers. Why are you not providing the appropriate amount of compensation to farmers?" Pralhad Joshi questioned CM Siddaramaiah. "You (CM Siddaramaiah) have approached the court over an alleged discrepancy in the allocation of funds by the Central government. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has reached all farmers. Why have you shown such negligence by allocating only Rs 2,000 to farmers?" Minister Joshi asked. He said, "The state government in Karnataka has failed to generate revenues. The stamp duty and taxes on properties have been increased. The corruption has also increased in the same proportion. The expenditure is shown on the guarantees which are not implemented in toto." "Since there is no money available with the state government, fingers are pointed at the Prime Minister," he said. The Congress government released Rs 628 crore -- Rs 2,000 per person -- as interim compensation for 33 lakh farmers in the state in January. The state has pegged crop loss damage due to drought at Rs 35,162.05 crore and sought Rs 18,171 crore from the Centre under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). New Delhi, April 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the ground situation has seen marked improvement in Manipur and it was possible because of the timely intervention by the Centre and consistent efforts of the state government, led by N Biren Singh. PM Modi, speaking to The Assam Tribune, also shed light on the ongoing relief and rehabilitation work in the strife-torn Manipur and informed that several remedial measures are being taken to ensure calm in the region. "The process of relief and rehabilitation is ongoing. Remedial measures include the financial package for relief and rehabilitation of people living in shelter camps in the state," the PM told the daily. Prime Minister's remarks on Manipur come amid the Opposition's renewed attack on the Centre over the latter's purported silence on the trouble-hit region. In an apparent retort to the Opposition's charges, PM Modi told the daily that he had already spoken about this in Parliament and the government has deployed its best resources and administrative machinery to resolve the conflict. He further told the daily: "Home Minister stayed in Manipur while the conflict was at its peak, holding 15-plus meetings with various stakeholders to help resolve the conflict. The Central government has been consistently extending its support, as required by the state government." The horrific incident of Manipur had hogged the national attention in May 2023 and subsequently saw violence between two tribes of the state, triggering calls for the sacking of the Biren Singh government. After the video of two women paraded naked on streets went viral on May 4, 2023, the opposition parties mounted a fierce attack on the Centre for staying mum on the issue and not sacking Biren Singh's government. Mumbai, April 8 : The upcoming film 'Ikhwan' is a biopic based on the life of Kashmir's first Ashok Chakra awardee, Late Lance Naik Nazir Wani. The action drama follows his journey from being a feared militant to a decorated Indian soldier who sacrificed his life in the line of duty. Talking about the film, producer Harman Baweja said: "We are honoured and excited to bring Late Lance Naik Nazir Wani's inspiring journey to the silver screen. His journey from being a militant to serving the country with extraordinary valour is a story the world must see. The film is an ode to him, his wife and the Indian Army, for the sacrifices made to safeguard our country." Nazir Ahmad Wani belonged to Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. Mehjabeen Akhtar, wife of Wani, expressed her thoughts: "As a family, we take immense pride in the sacrifices made by my late husband. We are grateful to Harman Baweja and Baweja Studios for shedding light on his resilience and sacrifices through 'Ikhwan'. We eagerly anticipate its release." The film will be a large-scale production and have a worldwide theatrical release. Mumbai, April 8 : President of Mumbai Bharatiya Janata Party Ashish Shelar visited the home of Bollywood mega-star Salman Khan in what is being described as a "lunch diplomacy" in political circles, as the Lok Sabha election season 2024 is underway. Shelar, Bandra west MLA called on the Khans on Sunday afternoon for a hearty meal as the holy month of Ramadan draws to a close this week, punctuated by scores of VVIPs hosting late-evening iftaar parties in the past four weeks. "Pleased to meet Salim Khan ji, Helen ji and family over lunch" gushed Shelar after the luncheon and posted his picture with the famous father-son duo. He added that over lunch, he discussed their social work in areas of healthcare and assisting the needy, the initiative launched by Salim Khan and pursued for two decades with utmost sincerity. The family runs 'Being Human The Salman Khan Foundation' since 2007, which is engaged in a variety of social-cultural-health initiatives in various schools, NGOs, hospitals, drought relief and other activities. Jaipur, April 8 : The Banswara-Dungarpur Lok Sabha seat is set to witness a fight between the Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP) and the BJP, as for the first time in its history, the Congress has decided not to field any candidate from this seat in Rajasthan and has announced an alliance with the tribal party. The Congress will also not field its candidate in the bye-election to be held on the Bagidora Assembly seat on April 26. In both these seats, the Congress has announced support to the BAP candidates. Earlier, there was suspense over this, but the picture became clear on Sunday night when state incharge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa announced the Congress-BAP alliance from his social media handle. He wrote, "Congress will support the candidate of the Bharatiya Adivasi Party in the Banswara Lok Sabha elections and for the bye-elections for the Bagidora Assembly seats. Saving the Constitution and democracy of India is our primary aim." Three days ago, there were many flip-flops on the last day of filing nominations for the Lok Sabha elections in Banswara seat. Shortly before the end of the nomination-filing deadline, the Congress decided to make Arjun Bamaniya its candidate, but Bamaniya did not file his nomination and Arvind Damor submitted his nomination as the party's dummy candidate. It was not clear why Bamaniya did not submit his nomination. The BAP made party MLA Rajkumar Rot its candidate from Banswara and the Congress announced its support for him. The BAP in fact had sought the support of the Congress earlier. Its candidate Rajkumar Rot had posted on social media, "If the Congress leaves the seat as part of our alliance while supporting the BAP on the Banswara-Dungarpur seat, then we and all the residents here will be grateful to the Congress high command and the BJP will bite the dust." The BJP has fielded former Congress minister Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya from the Banswara-Dungarpur seat. Malviya was the sitting MLA of the Congress however, he resigned and left the party to join the BJP last month. So this seat will now see a tough fight with the BAP's Rot being fielded against Malviya. Significantly, this will be the first time after Independence that the Congress will not contest elections on this Lok Sabha seat which is called its stronghold. There will now be a direct contest between the BJP and the BAP. India's initiatives for climate resilient marine fisheries to be presented at int'l conclave. Image Source: IANS News Ahmedabad, April 8 : The Kshatriya community is up in arms against the BJP's candidate from the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, Parshottam Rupala, over his controversial remarks against the maharajas and the dissatisfaction has spread across Gujarat, with the latest reports indicating a protest in the Daskroi Taluka of Ahmedabad on Monday. Members of the Rajput community from various villages within the Daskroi Taluka congregated at the Sukhray Mahadev temple in East Ahmedabad's Vastral area. They took out a rally towards the Daskroi Mamlatdar office, where they submitted a petition demanding the cancellation of Union Minister Rupala's nomination from Rajkot Lok Sabha seat. The community has warned that if Union Minister Rupala's ticket is not revoked, they will "boycott the Lok Sabha elections and bar BJP workers and campaigners from entering their villages." While the rally marks an escalation in the ongoing protest against the BJP candidate, Rupala is expected to file his nomination papers on April 16. Preparations are currently underway at Bahumali Chowk in Rajkot for the BJP, amid the threat of widespread electoral boycott. Jaipur, April 8 : Seven of the eight accused, who waylaid and gang-raped a woman in Rajasthan's Kota, have been arrested, police said on Monday. The accused are residents of the Railway Colony police station area while the 40-year-old married woman, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, also lives in the area, as per the police. The woman, working as a labourer with a contractor, went to her employer to collect her wages at around 8 p.m. on Friday while her husband had gone home for some work. While she was returning, a few youths stopped her, took her to a deserted place nearby, and raped her. Hearing her screams, the contractor came out to help, but the accused assaulted him too, snatched his purse, and fled. Preliminary police investigation revealed that four of the youths were drunk. Seeing the woman alone, they called more friends to join them in the crime. Police have said that there were eight accused, but further investigations are on to ascertain if more people were involved. It is also not clear whether all the accused committed rape. Investigating officer Niyati Sharma said that 7 accused have been arrested in this case, while a search for the eighth accused is on. Out of these seven accused, two accused are history-sheeters. She said after the incident was reported on Friday night, police registered a case on Saturday morning and started investigations. Teams have been set up to trace the eighth accused and further investigations are on, Sharma said. Roorkee, April 8 : The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee on Monday signed a technology transfer agreement with Gujarat-based Permionics Global Technologies for licensing of three innovative, environmentally sustainable technologies. The patented technologies are based on the electro-membrane process of caustic production from silica-rich washing-soda solution (green liquor of soda pulping process) with the potential scope of eliminating staple burning issues in paddy/wheat fields. "Sustainable development is crucial in today's world, and advancements like more efficient and environmentally friendly production processes can make a significant difference. These technology transfers not only benefit academia and industry but also contribute to the well-being of society as a whole," said Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee. The technology will also help eliminate silica issues and solid waste generation that are commonly encountered in conventional lime-based causticisation techniques. In addition, it will also enable continuous co-generation of hydrogen gas, the source of clean energy generation. "IIT Roorkee's technology transfer is crucial for innovation and sustainable development, introducing efficient production processes and eco-friendly solutions, benefiting academia, industry, and society as a whole. By leveraging the research and innovations developed at institutions like IIT Roorkee, we can create a brighter future," said Satyajai Mayor, Managing Director, Permionics. Kolkata, April 8 : The Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, claimed on Monday that he received a threat letter from the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) over the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Speaking to mediapersons here, Thakur, whom the BJP has renominated from the Bangaon Lok Sabha seat in North 24 Parganas district, claimed that the threat letter reportedly sent by the LeT was written in Bangla. The letter said if people from the Muslim community in West Bengal suffer because of the implementation of NRC, the entire country will burn, Thakur claimed. The letter also threatened to blow up the Thakurbari in Bangaon, the ancestral residence of the Union Minister which is also a religious centre for the Matua community. Matuas are people from the backward-class refugee community who migrated to India from Bangladesh. The letter is signed by two persons named Nazrul Islam Saheb Ali and Fazar Ali, the Minister claimed, adding that it was posted from Deganga in North 24 Parganas district as per the seal of the post office on the envelope. "I want to ask Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee how can a terror outfit send such a threat letter to a sitting MP who is also a Union Minister. It is shameful that such outfits are flexing their muscles in West Bengal. I will report the matter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah," Thakur said. Reacting to Thakur's claims, former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Shantanu Sen called it a cooked-up story meant to create controversies in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. "Who can tell if the sender of the letter is not a close associate of the recipient himself," Sen said. Delhi, April 8 : Hinting yet again that he is ready to join politics "if people want", Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, said on Monday that he is getting calls of support from party workers all over the country, including Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. "Not just Amethi, I am getting party workers' support from all over the country to actively join politics. Yes, I admit that the Amethi bit (of him contesting Lok Sabha polls from the constituency) is getting more prominence because I have campaigned there since 1999. However, my posters have started appearing elsewhere too as people realise and admire the hard work that we have put in so far," Vadra told IANS in an exclusive interview. Amethi was the Gandhi family's stronghold for a long time before Smriti Irani won the seat in 2019. However, Vadra feels that the time has come for the people of Amethi to rectify the "mistake" they made by electing Smriti Irani five years back. "They (people of Amethi) feel that if I contest from there, they'll have the option of correcting their mistake of electing Smritiji. I am sure they will ensure my victory by a huge margin if I contest. However, I will not fight to challenge someone even though Smritiji levelled unsubstantiated allegations against me in the past," Vadra said. The 55-year-old businessman from Moradabad also said that he would come out in full support if Rahul Gandhi decides to contest the elections from Amethi. "If Rahul thinks that he should also fight from Amethi after Wayanad, I will fully support him and be with him during his campaigns. Also, I don't need to be in active politics to interact with the people. They know they can always meet me in case Rahul or Priyanka are not available," he said. Mumbai, April 8 : Actress Neha Joshi has expressed gratitude to her brother for illuminating his life's path, saying how throughout their growing years, he urged her to pursue excellence and reject mediocrity. Ahead of the 'National Siblings Day', Neha, who plays Krishna Devi Vajpayee in 'Atal' said: "My older brother has always transcended the typical sibling dynamic. He's been my guardian and closest confidant throughout our upbringing, even though we had the usual sibling antics like squabbles, teasing, and occasional irritation. Despite that, we consistently stood by each other. His influence on my life surpassed mere siblinghood. He became my rock, shaping my values and ambitions." "Throughout our growing years, he provided unwavering motivation, urging me to pursue excellence and reject mediocrity. His steadfast belief in my capabilities made him an exemplar in my eyes. He shared my aspiration to become an actor, offering financial assistance when I moved to Mumbai. His unwavering belief inspired me, emphasising that failure is only a stepping stone to success," shared Neha. The 'Drishyam 2' fame actress added: "On this Sibling Day, I express gratitude to my brother for illuminating my life's path. His love, guidance, and unwavering faith in me have profoundly shaped my essence. May our bond continue to thrive, a lasting testament to the strength of siblinghood and the beauty of shared affection." 'Atal' airs at 8 pm on &TV. Chennai, April 8 : The Greater Chennai Police has banned the use of drones and UAV's on Tuesday, during Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's visit to T Nagar, Chennai for a roadshow. Chennai, April 8 (IANS) The Greater Chennai Police has banned the use of drones and UAVas on Tuesday, during Prime Minister, Narendra Modias visit to T Nagar, Chennai for a roadshow. The PM is expected to go on a 2 km-long roadshow from Panagal Park to Teynampet. The Chennai Commissioner of Police (CP) in a statement said that there is already a ban on flying of drones and UAVs in Chennai from March 1 to April 29. The top cop said that stringent action would be taken against anyone who violates the order against flying of drones and UAVas. The statement said that on April 3, the CP also banned use of flash laser lights, release of hot air balloons, light emitting objects and flying of gliders in the air space of Chennai till June 1. The Chennai Police said that a heavy police contingent will be deployed for the PMas visit on April 9. Police are conducting checks in all public areas, including railway stations, bus stations and all business establishments. Police have also conducted searches in all guest houses and hotels including five star hotels and taken details of people staying there. The star campaigner of the BJP, PM Modi will be in Tamil Nadu for four days to campaign for various candidates of the NDA. The PM will campaign in two stages. He will arrive in Tamil Nadu on April 9 and will be in Vellore and Chennai where he will attend roadshows for NDA candidates, AC Shanmugam of Vellore and Tamilisai Soundararajan at Chennai South. On April 10 the PM will attend a mega roadshow at the Nilgiris as part of the election campaign of Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L Murugan. He will address a major rally at Coimbatore to campaign for the BJP Tamil Nadu state President, K Annamalai, who is in a three-cornered fight in the constituency. As part of the second round of campaigning, the PM will reach Perambalur on April 13 where he will address a public meeting for the NDA candidate, TR Paarivendhar. He will attend a public meeting on April 14 at the Virudhunagar Lok Sabha seat where South Indian star, Raadhika Sarathkumar is contesting on a BJP ticket. Virudhunagar is one of the seats which the BJP has high hopes of winning along with Coimbatore, Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli seats. Chennai, April 8 : Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that the DMK and the Congress are creating confusion among the people over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He said that no Indian citizen irrespective of him /her being a Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Jew or Parsi will lose his citizenship. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was addressing a public rally at Namakkal in Tamil Nadu in favour of Tamil Nadu BJP state Vice President, K.P.Ramalingam. The Union Minister added that the BJP government has implemented all its promises including the construction of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya and the implementation of CAA. He said that the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have also removed Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir which was an election promise. He said that the BJP is a political party which always sticks to the promises it has made to the people and it will never shy away from its responsibilities. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the government abolished the Triple Talaq as per its promise. He said that there should be no discrimination against any women. He added that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the country forward in all aspects and added that the BJP is for the inclusive development of all sections of people. Amaravati, April 8 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday said that no other state in the country is providing Rs 3,000 as a pension to 66 lakh beneficiaries. Interacting with pension beneficiaries at Darsi in Prakasam district as part of his election campaign, he claimed that the YSR Congress party government is spending Rs 2,000 crore per month on social security pensions. "We are spending Rs 24,000 crore per year. In the last five years, we have spent over Rs 90,000 crore on pensions, which is higher than the other states in the country. If we look at other states on their pension expenditure, Bihar is spending Rs 4,300 crore, Uttar Pradesh Rs 5.160 crore, Karnataka Rs 4,700 crore, and Telangana Rs 7,180 crore," he said. On the difference between the current YSRCP government and the previous TDP regime in disbursing the pensions, he said: "In the TDP regime, only 39 lakh beneficiaries received Rs 1,000 as a pension, but two months before the election, they increased it to Rs 2000, but now we have not only increased the amount to Rs 3000 but extended it to 66.34 lakh eligible beneficiaries." The Chief Minister said that the government has been providing pensions to over 66 lakh beneficiaries without corruption or discrimination based on caste, religion, and political affiliation. He also noted that his government has taken the volunteer system like nowhere else in the country and delivers welfare measures like pensions to the beneficiaries on their doorstep. "Chandrababu Naidu often says that he was Chief Minister for 14 years, but he never thought about you (people)," he told old-age pensioners, alleging that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief was giving false assurances to deceive people as he did in 2014. "Before the election. people will come up with a manifesto promising good governance but the manifesto would be thrown in the dustbin post-election. But I can't lie like Chandrababu Naidu and his alliance partners. If we promise something, it will be executed," he asserted. "I should say what can be done instead of promising the impossible. There is no other state in the country who can compete with the YSRCP government in terms of providing welfare measures to the poor," he claimed. "The cost of Chandrababu Naidu's promises is exceeding Rs 1.4 lakh crore on top of the current ongoing welfare measures in Andhra Pradesh. They are giving such assurances to deceive everyone just like before the 2014 election," the YSRCP chief said. The beneficiaries told the Chief Minister how the pension received by them after the YSRCP came to power helped them overcome financial difficulties. Narsimha Rao, a beneficiary of Divyang pension, stated that volunteers visit houses of disabled people and enquire about what help they need, not just with pensions but also with certificates or Aadhaar cards, making sure they donat have to go out. Another beneficiary Venkatapati stated that during the TDP rule, he used to go to the panchayat office at 4 in the morning to receive the pension. aWe were forced to sit amidst mosquitos without chairs. People who came later had to wait for long hours or were asked to come the following day. They used to give out pensions for up to 7 days. After the Jagan government introduced a volunteer system, pensions were delivered on the doorstep," he said. New Delhi, April 8 : The Delhi Police on Monday detained Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including MPs, who sat in protest outside the office of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the national capital. The detainees included Trinamool Rajya Sabha MPs Dola Sen, Sagarika Ghose, Saket Gokhale, Derek O'Brien, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, and former MPs Arpita Ghosh and Santanu Sen. "A few Trinamool Congress leaders have been detained and taken to a police station," said a senior police officer. The police action came when a 10-member Trinamool delegation sat on a dharna outside the EC office after meeting a few poll officials. Before meeting the EC officials, Dola Sen claimed on Monday that the rampant "misuse of central agencies" in West Bengal goes against the principle of a level playing field for all the political parties during any election. "The Union government is unethically unleashing central agencies like the ED, CBI, and NIA in West Bengal at a time when the Model Code of Conduct is in place. Besides West Bengal, the Union government is also adopting a similar policy in some other states. Many of our workers are being unnecessarily arrested by the NIA," Sen alleged. New Delhi, April 8 : The Finance Ministry on Monday announced the sale of government bonds worth Rs 30,000 crore in three different categories that will be put up for auction by the RBI's Mumbai Office on April 12 (Friday). The bonds include 7.32 per cent Government Security 2030 for a notified amount of Rs 11,000 crore through price-based auction using price method, (ii) New Government Security 2039 worth Rs 10,000 crore through yield-based auction using multiple price method, and (iii) 7.30 per cent Government Security 2053 for an amount of Rs 9,000 crore through price based auction using multiple price method. The government will have the option to retain additional subscriptions up to Rs 2,000 crore against each of these securities. Up to 5 per cent of the notified amount of the sale of the securities will be allotted to eligible individuals and institutions in accordance with the scheme for non-competitive bidding facility in the auction of Government securities. Both competitive and non-competitive bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) system on April 12, 2024. The non-competitive bids should be submitted between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and the competitive bids should be submitted between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The result of the auctions will be announced on April 12 and payment by successful bidders will be on April 15. The securities will be eligible for "When Issued" trading in accordance with the guidelines on 'When Issued transactions in Central Government Securities' issued by RBI, the Finance Ministry added. --IANS sps\dan Bhopal, April 8 : Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said there was a difference between the outlook of the BJP and the grand old party towards the tribals, while underlining the ideological differences between the two parties. Addressing a rally in Mandla Parliamentary constituency, reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates, the Congress MP from Wayanad said: "The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi call you (referring to tribals) 'vanvasi', which means you live in the forest and you will not get possession of your land. Congress calls tribals 'aadivasi', which means, the first owner of the land and forest." "The upcoming electoral contest is between two contrary ideologies. On one side is the BJP and RSS' ideology of 'difference' and on the other side is the Congress ideology of 'uniformity'. The people have to decide which one is right," the Congress leader said. He also spoke about the Congress' promises in its election manifesto released recently. He said the Congress has promised to bring a new law for employment on the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act it had brought in 2005, if voted to power at the Centre. Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address two more public rallies to seek support for Congress candidates in Shahdol and Balaghat Lok Sabha constituencies later on Monday. The Congress has fielded three-time MLA Omkar Singh Markam against veteran BJP leader and Minister of State for Rural Development and Steel of India Faggan Singh Kulaste from Mandla seat. Meanwhile, the Congress had an embarrassing moment ahead of Rahul Gandhi's rally. The posters put by the Congress also had a photograph of MoS Faggan Singh Kulaste. It was noticed just a few minutes before Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders arrived on stage, and the photograph of the BJP leader was covered in a haste with papers. A video also surfaced on social media, leaving the Madhya Pradesh Congress unit "red-faced". While the Congress termed the goof-up a 'human error' Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav took a jibe at the Congress, saying the Opposition had accepted defeat even before the elections. Responding to that, Madhya Pradesh Congress media cell in-charge K. K. Mishra termed the episode a "human error". "The BJP has made it a habit to politicise every issue even if it is a human error. We can't say anything about such habits of the BJP," he said. Raveena on patriarchy: Still a challenge for women, both at work and home. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, April 8 : Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon, who is receiving lots of positive response for her work in the streaming movie 'Patna Shuklla', feels that despite progressive laws and the improved thought process of society, patriarchy is still very much prevalent in the current times. Mumbai, April 8 (IANS) Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon, who is receiving lots of positive response for her work in the streaming movie aPatna Shukllaa, feels that despite progressive laws and the improved thought process of society, patriarchy is still very much prevalent in the current times. The actress also said that women still face the challenges thrown by patriarchy in both their personal and professional circles. Elaborating on the same, Raveena, who plays lawyer Tanvi Shukla in aPatna Shukllaa, said, aPatriarchy is something that every woman has faced and is still facing, be it at work or at home. aPatna Shukllaa is a journey of a woman commanded by patriarchy and one who breaks away from it." aTanvi doesn't see patriarchy as a challenge, she chases justice and breaks the glass ceiling of patriarchy along the way. I want the audience to take in Tanvi's courage, warmth, and determination because no challenge will sustain for long then," she added. The film dives into the education scam of fake roll numbers that affects the lives of thousands of earnest students in India. Produced by Arbaaz Khan Productions and directed by Vivek Budakoti, the courtroom drama is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. New Delhi, April 08 : The Supreme Court on Monday quashed a money laundering complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. A bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan ruled that the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) could not be attracted since there exists no prima facie scheduled offence under the Act. The ED initiated the money laundering probe against Anil Tuteja (IAS), Yash Tuteja, Anwar Dhebar, and others based on a charge sheet filed by the Income Tax Department. It had said that Tuteja, known to be close to then Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, was termed as the mastermind behind the alleged liquor scam. Besides, Dhebar, the brother of the Mayor of Raipur, Ajaz Dhebar, was the "kingpin" who ran the syndicate as per the instructions of Tuteja. The ED has alleged that a criminal syndicate -- comprising high-level state government officials, private individuals, and politicians -- was operating in Chhattisgarh, which was involved in illegal bribe collection by exerting control over government departments. The agency has attached 119 immovable properties worth Rs 121.87 crore in the case, including 14 assets worth Rs 8.83 crore belonging to Tuteja. New Delhi, April 8 : Even as the BJP-led NDA remains confident of crossing the 400-mark in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has accused the Centre of creating an atmosphere of fear in the country to fulfill its mission. "They speak with a lot of confidence (of crossing the 400-mark) despite so many inconsistencies. Be it the EVM issue or pulling leaders from the other parties, people realise that they will cross the 400-mark only if some confusion is created. An atmosphere of fear has been created in the country," Vadra told IANS in an exclusive interview. "If some company is involved in fraudulent appropriation of funds then it should be investigated and penalised by the Income Tax Department and not the Enforcement Directorate. If that happens, then it is difficult for that company to survive," he added. The son-in-law of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi alleged that the issues of EVMs, electoral bonds and pulling in leaders from the opposition parties are forgotten once the elections are over. "We will continue with our fight against such forces and find ways to tackle them," said Vadra. In the interview to IANS, Vadra also spoke about strong rumours of him joining politics and fighting elections from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. "Not just Amethi, I am getting support from party workers from other constituencies as well, urging me to join active politics," said Vadra. Chandrapur : , April 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed the Congress and the INDIA bloc, saying that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are a battle between stability and instability. "On one side is the BJP and the NDA taking crucial decisions for the country for its growth to scale a new high and on the other, the Congress and the INDIA bloc are aiming to enjoy power and take commissions. Maharashtra understands very well how much a stable government is necessary," PM Modi said while addressing a rally here amid slogans of 'Modi Modi'. PM Modi began his speech in Marathi and extended Navratri and Gudi Padwa wishes to the people. He also made a special mention of Chandrapur from where wood was sent for the construction of Ram Mandir and the new Parliament building. PM Modi, who launched the MahaYuti's poll campaign for BJP nominee Sudhir Mungantiwar from Chandrapur and Ashok Nete from Gadchiroli-Chimur, said that as long as the Congress-led government was in the country, Maharashtra continued to be neglected. He also accused the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government for either scrapping or putting a brake on a slew of development projects in Maharashtra. "Even when the MVA government gained power in Maharashtra, the parties and their leaders thought of their own development and their families. They also thought about commissions and contracts. Amid all that, the development was hampered due to commissions or shares demanded by the ruling parties," PM Modi said. He also said that the then MVA government stopped the Jalyukt Shivar Yojana (water conservation scheme launched by the erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government), Baliraja Irrigation Scheme and also opposed the Mumbai Nagpur Samruddhi Highway which was launched during the BJP rule to give push to Vidarbha's development. "Further, the MVA government also stopped the refinery development in the Konkan region and construction of the Mumbai Metro project. Some of these projects were stopped despite the allocation of Central funds. Their aim was to earn a commission or put a brake on the work," PM Modi said. Praising the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, PM Modi said: "However, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have revived various projects which were stopped or scrapped by the MVA government and are working for scaling up Maharashtra's development. "Our government has started all these schemes for the development of Maharashtra. The work on development is being completed rapidly," he noted. Criticising the Congress, PM Modi said the party has been solely responsible for many problems faced by the country and also for the slow pace of development while other countries had made progress. "The Congress is like a 'bitter gourd'... and the party will never change. Despite being mixed with sugar or oil, its (bitter gourd's taste) always remains bitter," PM Modi said. He also criticised the Congress for the appeasement of minorities, terror attacks, problems in Jammu and Kashmir, and putting roadblocks on the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. "The Congress has lost support due to such factors. The party has now adopted the policy of divide and rule. The Congress manifesto contains the language of the Muslim League. Will the country accept that? Their MPs are talking about partition of India... a separate South India. DMK people are calling Sanatan Dharma dengue and malaria. Such people are brought to Maharashtra by fake Shiv Sena (in an oblique reference to Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena) people for rallies," PM Modi said. PM Modi also criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over "why does Modi talk about Kashmir wherever he goes in the country" remark. ''Isn't this a divisive idea? When the houses of Kashmiri Pandits were burnt in Kashmir, Balasaheb Thackeray took a stand against the Congress. At that time, Balasaheb Thackeray did not think about the relationship between the Kashmiri Pandits and the people of Maharashtra," PM Modi said, adding" "I am happy that Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena is taking Balasaheb Thackeray's ideas forward." PM Modi further said: "I do not come from any royal family. You (addressing the people) brought me here. People who did not have houses were Dalits, underprivileged and tribals. They had no drinking water. There were no roads, education, facilities. So, Modi has given a guarantee that our government will work to change the lives of Dalits, tribals and backward families. We worked hard and got houses for four crore people, all from these classes." Hyderabad, April 8 : The draft master plan for the Musi riverfront development will be ready by the end of August this year, an official said on Monday. The 24th board meeting of Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd (MRDCL) was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari at the Secretariat. Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Dana Kishore, Hyderabad Metro Water Supply Board Managing Director Sudarshan Reddy, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ronald Ross, MRDCL Managing Director Amrapali, board members and other officials attended the meeting. The Chief Secretary said that the government is giving top priority to the development of Musi riverfront which will be developed on a public-private partnership basis. She asked the officials to identify certain projects which could be taken up to boost investor and stakeholder confidence in the project and to trigger growth in the area. She directed the officials to come out with specific orders on the constitution of expert committees/advisory committees. She also asked to conceptualise the organisation structure for the MRDCL. MRDCL MD Amrapali gave a brief overview of the entire project and said that timelines for all project components like feasibility reports, DPRs of all projects identified, concept master plan etc have been fixed. The draft master plan will be ready by the end of August, she said. Dana Kishore observed that many private players are evincing keen interest in the project. The board discussed the proposal for the development of the Musi River stretch from the Osmansagar Dam downstream point to Outer Ring Road east near Gowrelli, and from the Himayatsagar Dam downstream point to the confluence point at Bapughat for a length of 55 km, under the first phase of the project. The board also resolved to consider the proposal for the protection, restoration and development of heritage structures around the Musi River in the city. New Delhi, April 8 : Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, on Monday reiterated the party's 'secular' credentials and asserted that it doesn't believe in religion-based politics. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Robert Vadra said that Congress is a secular party which treats all religions with equal respect. When questioned on Congress declining an invite for the Ram Mandir's Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya held on January 22, he dodged a direct answer and attributed it to the party's penchant for staying away from religion-based politics. "Congress always stays away from religion-based politics. It doesn't want to see divisions in the country on religious lines," Vadra said. Incidentally, Vadra's statement is in strong contrast to Congress' official stand on the Ram Mandir Ptan Pratishtha ceremony, as the party didn't shy away from calling it an 'event sponsored by RSS-BJP'. The Congress, while turning down the invite for the Pran Pratishtha of the 'incomplete' temple on January 22, called it a ploy by the BJP to garner political points. Though Vadra remains a private individual without any political affiliation, his close family ties with the country's first political family make him a de-facto sponsor of Congress ideology. He also said that the Almighty is someone whom we all believe and confide in at times of hardship, irrespective of our religion. Vadra also evaded a direct reply on charges of Muslim League's imprint on Congress' manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Claiming that unnecessary fuss is being created over the Congress manifesto, he said there is a need to focus on developmental and other people-centric issues rather than trading baseless charges at the rival party's poll document. Lucknow, April 8 : Samajwadi Party and Congress leaders held a meeting in Lucknow on Monday to discuss the campaign strategy for the Lok Sabha elections, and the two parties also decided to hold joint rallies. Congress Uttar Pradesh in-charge Avinash Pandey said the focus of the meeting was on running a joint election campaign, identifying areas for improvement and boosting cooperation among the two constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc. Plans were also discussed for holding joint public meetings of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as well as other leaders of the opposition alliance in the state, he said. He said that the joint rallies would be finalised very soon. Pandey said that there had been no discussion with the SP leaders regarding Rae Bareli and Amethi Lok Sabha seats and that the Congress would take a decision on these two seats. The Samajwadi Party is contesting 62 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and Congress on 17. The Bhadohi seat has been given to the Trinamool Congress. Raipur, April 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that he is not scared of calls for smashing his head as crores of people of this country are his 'raksha kavach'. PM Modi said this while responding to a Congress leader's "break the head of Narendra Modi" recent remark. Congress leader Charan Das Mahant, while addressing a rally in Rajnandgaon last week, said: "We want such a person who can hold a stick and can break the head of (PM) Narendra Modi..." He made the remarks while campaigning for Congress candidate from Rajnandgaon, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against the Congress leader, and he was booked under section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Reacting to that, PM Modi on Monday, while addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh's Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, said he is not the one who would be afraid of threats from the Opposition in the fight against corruption and will not spare those who looted public money. "Congress has threatened to break my head. But, I am not afraid of it. I have shut the Congress' shop, that is why they are abusing and threatening me," PM Modi said. PM Modi said the Opposition was in fear as his government had decided not to compromise with corruption. "After Independence, the Congress thought that it had the license to loot the country," he said. "So who will protect me? The crores of people... my countrymen, my mothers, and sisters have become my 'raksha kavach' today," PM Modi said. New Delhi, April 8 : A Delhi court on Monday denied interim bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K. Kavitha in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. She had moved the court for interim bail on grounds of her son's exams. The court noted that she not only engaged in destruction of material evidence by formatting her phones before joining the investigation and after being served with notice requiring her to do so, along with her digital devices but also has been instrumental in influencing witnesses and there is every likelihood her continuing to do so in case the relief (interim bail) prayed for is granted to her. The ED said that she has involvements to a 'great extent' in the offences in question and has a major role in the commission of the alleged offences in the present case. Kavitha, who has been accused of being actively involved in the payment of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore and has been termed a kingpin of the 'scam' by the ED, is currently in judicial custody till April 9. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of Rouse Avenue Court on Monday dismissed her plea saying the stage was not right to enlarge her on interim bail. Kavitha had moved the court for interim bail, saying her 16-year-old son has exams and needs his mother's moral and emotional support. Arguing against her interim bail, the ED said that Kavitha along with other members of what is referred to as the "South Group", conspired with the top leaders of AAP and gave them kickbacks to the tune of Rs 100 crore and in exchange got undue favours. The prosecuting agency submitted that as per the forensic report of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), some of the digital devices produced by Kavitha before the ED had been formatted after the issuance of summons to her by the agency. "Thus, Kavitha is guilty of actively destroying the digital evidence to conceal her role and involvement in this case," the ED said. ED submitted that Kavitha does not satisfy the condition of the 'Triple Test' for grant of bail and urged that the prayer for interim bail be rejected. Judging by the interim bail application, the court noted that Kavitha can, by no standards, be said to be a "vulnerable" woman who could be made a scapegoat for committing the alleged offences. Rather, she is undoubtedly a "wellAeducated" and "well-placed woman in the society". Last week, she had moved the court opposing the CBI's plea seeking to question and record her statement in Tihar Jail and urging the court to recall its order. Notably, the court had allowed on April 5 the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to question Kavitha in Tihar Jail. The court is to hear the matter now on April 10 after the CBI sought time to reply to Kavitha's plea. On April 6, Kavitha's counsel Nitesh Rana told the court that the probe agency thwarted the due process of law by filing the plea "behind her back". "I have grave apprehension that the CBI may not have divulged the true facts to obtain a favourable order from the court," Rana told the court, as he urged it to keep the order in abeyance until Kavitha's side is heard. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is also probing a case of money laundering related to the alleged liquor policy scam in the national capital, arrested Kavitha on March 15 after searches at her residence in Hyderabad. It has been claimed that Kavitha was involved in establishing the money laundering ecosystem, i.e., M/s Indo Spirits, through her proxy, which generated proceeds of crime worth Rs 192.8 crore. New Delhi, April 8 : The Delhi High Court, hearing a defamation suit filed by lawyer and former partner Jai Anant Dehadrai against Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, on Monday held that she has a right to defend herself in the public domain. Earlier in March, the court had refused to grant interim relief to Moitra in a defamation suit against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Dehadrai pertaining to alleged defamatory content posted by them on social media regarding the "cash-for-query" allegations against her. Moitra, who was expelled as a Lok Sabha MP on December 8 last year on the recommendation of the Ethics Committee, faces allegations of receiving cash in exchange for posing questions in the House on behalf of Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani. Appearing before a bench of Justice Prateek Jalan, advocate Raghav Awasthi, representing Dehadrai, stressed the public nature of the allegations and their potential impact on his client's reputation. He argued against Moitra's use of derogatory terms and cited her significant social media following, saying that her actions warranted judicial scrutiny. In response, Moitra's counsel, advocate Samudra Sarangi, argued upon Moitra's intention to mount a defence grounded in justification and fair comment. He pledged to present evidence supporting Moitra's position, aiming to demonstrate the validity of her statements. Justice Jalan sought to draw a fine line between protecting reputations and upholding free speech rights. While noting the heightened scrutiny public figures face, he stressed the need for balance and cautioned against manifestly defamatory remarks. Referencing recent legal precedents, including the Arvind Kejriwal case and the Bloomberg judgement, Justice Jalan noted the criteria for imposing restraints on publication, pointing out the importance of veracity in determining defamation claims. The interim injunction application is slated for the next hearing on April 25. Dehadrai's suit alleges that Moitra made defamatory statements against him on various social media platforms, as well as in print and electronic media. He is seeking Rs 2 crore in damages from Moitra, alleging that she referred to him as "jobless" and "jilted" as well as seeking to restrain her from publishing further defamatory material against him on social media. Justice Jalan had, in March, also issued summons to five media houses as well as social media platforms X and Google LLC, while directing Moitra to respond to Dehadrai's application seeking interim relief, as he posted the next hearing on April 8. The judge had also noted that in cases of this nature, both parties are often seen as warring factions, neither solely a victim nor a perpetrator, and that a significant portion of the battle in such cases is fought outside the courtroom. Kolkata, April 8 : Security has been beefed up across Kolkata and other districts of West Bengal, mainly around schools and educational institutions, after an email was received by a school in Kolkata that threatened to blow up 200 schools. A call was received at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar from a well-known school in Behala claiming that it received the threat through e-mail on Monday afternoon. The list includes several schools in the Behala area as well as elsewhere. "This seems like a hoax but we are not leaving anything to chance. Security and surveillance have been enhanced at all locations. Any suspicious activity will be monitored. We have also informed all the concerned agencies to step up monitoring from their end," a senior Kolkata Police officer said. No official statement has been issued as yet though. The authorities are reportedly not taking any chance with the Lok Sabha elections around the corner. With the first phase of polling scheduled in West Bengal on April 19, cyber experts are now busy attempting to trace the source of the email. "Security has been tightened at the railway stations, bus stops, market places and other locations where people are expected to gather in large numbers ahead of the festive season. Eid is to be celebrated in a couple of days while the Bengali New Year Day falls on April 15. This could be a diversionary tactic to create chaos and cause disharmony. Adequate measures are being taken," the officer added. Hyderabad, April 8 : In a horrific act, a group of assailants murdered a youth and later posted a video on social media, flaunting their crime. The accused posted a video of their celebratory dance on Instagram to declare that they have taken revenge for the killing of their friend. The shocking incident took place in Bachupally here under the limits of Cyberabad Police Commissionerate in the early hours of Monday. According to police, Teja (26) was chased and hacked to death by unidentified persons near Pragati Nagar pond. Police suspect old rivalry to be the motive behind the murder. Teja a.k.a. Sidhu was one of the accused in a murder that occurred under the limits of SR Nagar Police Station in Hyderabad. He was named as accused number third in the murder of one Tarun Roy on October 24, 2023. Tarun had died in the attack by Shareef, a rowdy sheeter, and his associates. "Tarun ka badla hogyaaa," wrote the accused on Instagram. They also declared that it is now Shareef's turn. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) K. Srinivas Rao said Teja was released on bail two months ago. He was living with his mother in a rented house in Pragathi Nagar. On Sunday, Teja's mother had gone to the village and he was alone. Three friends joined him and they boozed till late in the night. Later, the victim was standing alone near Bathukamma Ghat around 3.30 a.m. when about 20 people on two-wheelers reached there and attacked him. They chased him and stabbed with knives and other sharp-edged weapons. Police have registered a case and picked up three suspects. The ACP said they were working on clues to identify and arrest all the accused. Bengaluru, April 8 : The Karnataka High Court on Monday dismissed Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni's plea seeking quashing of the FIR filed against him in connection with the murder of BJP worker Yogesh Gowda. A bench of Justice Krishna S. Dixit also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to complete the inquiry and questioning of witnesses in the case swiftly. BJP worker Gowda was hacked to death at his gym on June 15, 2016, and the accused surrendered to the police. However, the BJP and Gowda's family demanded a CBI inquiry. Kulkarni was a cabinet minister in the Siddaramaiah-led government then. Former CM B.S. Yediyurappa had announced in a public rally that as soon as the BJP government came to power, Kulkarni would be sent to prison. Yediyurappa had handed over the case to the CBI after assuming power in 2019. Following the CBI probe, Kulkarni was arrested and he got bail after nine months. Kulkarni, who is deemed close to Siddaramaiah, was elected from the Dharwad Assembly seat in the 2023 state polls, despite the court banning his entry into the constituency and his wife and daughter campaigning on his behalf. He is presently the Chairman of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board. New Delhi, April 8 : Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders on Monday held a telephonic conversation with suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Wilders, who leads the nationalist Freedom Party in the Netherlands, posted a message on X: "Had a great talk with @NupurSharmaBJP today, she is a symbol of freedom, not only for India but for the whole free world. Her loss of personal freedom and legal troubles in the last two years are most unfair acause she did nothing wrong but speak the truth. What a brave lady!" Nupur Sharmaas controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed triggered widespread protests in 2022. Wilders had in February sent a personal message of support to her describing her as a brave leader. Taking to his official X account, Wilders had then posted a message, saying: "I sent a personal message of support to the brave Nupur Sharma, who is threatened by Islamists for years now only for speaking the truth. Freedom loving people of all over the world should support her. I hope to meet her one day while visiting India." The Dutch leaderas Freedom Party (PVV) had won the election last year but was well short of a majority and needed coalition partners. As a result, the anti-Islam populist leader abandoned his bid to become Prime Minister. "I can only become prime minister if ALL parties in the coalition support it. That was not the case," he wrote on X. Hyderabad, April 8 : The BJP candidate from the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana, Eatala Rajender, attended an Iftar feast organised by the Bohra Muslims. A large number of Bohra Muslims attended the feast held at Tirumalagiri, where they welcomed the BJP leader with chants of 'Modi, Modi'. Speaking on the occasion, Rajender recalled that when the National Executive meeting of the BJP was held in Hyderabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised the Bohra community. He also said that one should learn from their (Bohra Muslims) commitment to this country. "Their lifestyle and the way they live together is commendable. These days, when two brothers cannot live together and a mother is not fed by her children, all the families from this community in Hyderabad eat together in the same kitchen like a joint family. "There are 1,100 houses belonging to the members from this community where 3,500 people live. And regardless of their status in the society, everyone eats together at the same place. It's very idealistic," said Rajender, who's a member of the BJP's national executive committee. "Prime Minister Modi's words have struck a chord with the Bohra Muslims and that is why they love him so much. This bond proves that human relationships have nothing to do with religion, caste, or region. Everyone should learn from this," he added. New Delhi, April 8 : The office of Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena has written a letter to the Union Home Secretary, apprising the Ministry of Home Ministry (MHA) about the overall situation after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, especially those related to public health infrastructure in the city and among others. According to Raj Niwas officials, the L-G had sought a meeting with the Delhi ministers twice, on March 29 and April 2. "However, ministers, especially Health Minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj instead of solving issues, indulged in public mud-slinging and refused to meet citing lame excuses," an official said. Raj Bhawan officials further claimed that Bhardawaj on being asked for a meeting on March 29, sent a text to the L-G Secretariat that read, "we wanted an agenda for this meeting with the LGa I do not think the meeting can be called without directions of the CM. Please convey". "On April 2, Bhardwaj made the lame excuse of the model code of conduct being in effect, despite his colleagues going public with a supposed letter from CM from ED custody, asking Ministers to take advice of the L-G if necessary in solving public issues," said the official. "Other key ministers - Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot and Atishi have also shown lack of seriousness and insensitivity and declined to attend the meeting with L-G, on the matters affecting the day-to-day lives of the citizens of Delhi in the aftermath of the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal," the letter from L-G Secretariat to the MHA read. The letter mentioned that ministers were informed to attend the meeting convened by the L-G concerning departments of water, education, health, transport, environment and forest etc, but all of them, through emails, declined to attend the meeting on the grounds that since the Model Code of Conduct is in force, it would not be appropriate to convene such a meeting. --IANS ssh/pgh New Delhi, April 8 : The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to permit offering prayers during Ramzan and on Eid at the site of the demolished Akhoondji mosque in Mehrauli. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P. S. Arora directed that an appeal by the Muntazmia Committee Madarsa Behrul Ulum and Kabarstan be listed alongside a related matter on May 7. The court's decision stemmed from a plea challenging a single judge's order, which dismissed a request to allow devotees access to the mosque site for Ramzan and Eid prayers. The bench said that no interim order could be granted at this stage, especially considering the single-judge bench's refusal to grant relief nearly a month ago. The petitioner's counsel urged for immediate action, citing the nearing conclusion of Ramzan and Eid festivities. The appellant's counsel said that the committee sought no "back-door entry" and invoked precedents such as the Babri Masjid case and the Gyanvapi mosque case, where religious beliefs were respected pending legal disputes. On March 11, a single-judge bench denied permission for prayers at the Akhoondji mosque site during Ramzan, citing the court's earlier refusal to allow entry for Shab-e-Barat. The judge noted that the land, now under the possession of the DDA, was subject to a status quo order pending the legality of the demolition. The Akhoondji mosque, believed to have stood for over 600 years, was deemed illegal along with the Behrul Uloom madrasa and was demolished by the DDA on January 30 this year. Kohima, April 8 : Nagaland Chief Minister and senior Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio said on Monday that his party will never compromise with the faith, tradition, and identity of the Naga people. Addressing a coordination meeting of the NDPP-led People's Democratic Alliance (PDA), Rio also said the party's candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland, Chumben Murry, is the best nominee for the state. The NDPP is a partner of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). With 12 MLAs in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly, the BJP is a vital ally of the opposition-free PDA government in the state. The Chief Minister also said that the NDPP will always fight for the rights and privileges of the minorities and the well-being of the Christians. Stating that the unresolved Naga political issue is the major concern of Nagaland, he underlined that the state has to depend on the Central government due to a resource crunch. Appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts towards the development of the northeast region, Rio said that PM Modi is a farsighted leader who always gives priority to equal development and welfare for all. While the NDA aims to win more than 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the opposition Congress' prospect is bleak as the INDIA bloc is in disarray, the NDPP leader claimed, adding that during the UPA rule at the Centre, the Congress did nothing for Nagaland. "The BJP government led by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee sanctioned a railway line and the four-lane Dimapur-Kohima road project, but the Congress-led UPA government stalled these projects. The Congress government also imposed President's Rule in Nagaland in 2008," the Chief Minister said. Three candidates are in the fray for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland that will go to the polls on April 19. Besides NDPP's Chumben Murry, Congress' S. Supongmeren Jamir and Hayithung Tungoe Lotha, an Independent nominee, are contesting the polls this time. A debutant in the Parliamentary polls, former state minister Murry is the combined candidate of the NDPP-led PDA. A physician-turned-politician, Murry was the political advisor to the Chief Minister until recently. State Congress President Jamir is also contesting the parliamentary elections for the first time. Independent candidate Lotha is a social activist and entrepreneur who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on a National People's Party (NPP) ticket. New Delhi, April 9 : Delhi Police's Special Cell, in two separate operations, arrested two members of the infamous Jitender Gogi and Dinesh Karala gang, a police official said on Monday. The gang members were identified as Rahul aka Motu, 29, a resident of Haryana's Jind district, and Naveen aka Sonu, 29, a resident of Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Manoj C. said that on April 4, specific input was received about the location of Rahul, who had been on the run since December 24, 2020, and also declared a proclaimed offender in a case, and subsequently, he was apprehended from Samrat Ashok Chowk, Rohini. In another operation, the team obtained specific information indicating that a man, previously incarcerated in Tihar Jail for robbery and Arms Act violations, had established close ties with the Gogi-Dinesh Karala gang. "He had become involved in illicit activities at the direction of this gang, which was actively seeking to recruit new members to carry out the elimination of a member of the Sonu Daryapur gang, under the directives of an individual known as Jitender, alias Bantu, who was serving time in jail. The targeted suspect was impeding their illegal operations," the DCP said. Further investigation revealed the identity of this man as Naveen. "Recognising a significant risk that he, along with newly -recruited members of the gang, might be utilised to eliminate rival gang members or their supporters, the team intensified their efforts to apprehend him swiftly," the DCP said. "On April 5, Naveen was successfully apprehended from Rohini," he added. Bengaluru, April 9 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that it is deplorable that the Centre has submitted false information to the Supreme Court to deceive it on the rightful drought relief that the state is entitled to. "Faced with continued delays by the Union government in providing the rightful drought relief to Karnataka, our government was compelled to seek justice from the Supreme Court. But during the hearing on Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the Karnataka government should be blamed for the delay in drought relief, suggesting a political motive behind it. This is highly condemnable," the Chief Minister said in a press release. "For drought relief, they (Karnataka) could have talked to us (Centre). We can see the timing of such petitions," the Solicitor General said, attempting to shift the blame to the Karnataka government to cover up the Centre's failures, the Chief Minister claimed. "As I have repeatedly said over the past 2-3 months, our government had submitted a memorandum to the Union government in September 2023, detailing the losses and the expected relief amount. After that, along with Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to appeal for relief. "Our Deputy Chief Minister (D.K. Shivakumar) had separately met the Union Finance Minister. Despite this, the Finance Minister and the Home Minister falsely claimed that the Karnataka government was late in submitting its request. And today, the Centre repeated this lie before the Supreme Court," Siddaramaiah said. The Supreme Court, after taking into account the statements made by the Solicitor General, postponed the hearing in the case by two weeks. "Our fight against the Centre's injustice will continue, not just on the streets, but also in the courts. We will expose the lies of the Union government one by one and reveal its true face to the people of the state," the Chief Minister said. Bengaluru, April 9 : An incident of a man, with a gun tucked in his trousers, garlanding Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah while he was campaigning for the Congress in the Bengaluru South Constituency was reported on Monday, stirring controversy. The BJP has condemned the incident and demanded that the Election Commission initiate action against CM Siddaramaiah. The incident happened here at Bhairasandra when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accompanied by Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and his daughter Sowmya Reddy, the Congress' Lok Sabha candidate for Bengaluru South seat, was holding a roadshow. The man, later identified as Riyaz, climbed on the vehicle and while he was garlanding the Chief Minister, people noticed a gun tucked in his trousers. Even after the gun was exposed, he continued to garland other dignitaries standing beside Siddaramaiah. A video of the incident went viral on social media drawing criticism from the BJP. Speaking to reporters, Karnataka's Leader of Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka said that Congress workers carrying guns with them have proved that hooliganism prevails in the state. Ashoka said weapons should be deposited with the authorities one month prior to elections. "As the Congress government is in power, its workers by pressurizing the police are wandering with guns in their pockets. This is the rowdyism unleashed by the Congress. They have passed on a message by garlanding the CM that they will not follow any law in the state," the LoP added. Terming it a serious security lapse, Ashoka said, "Tomorrow people might carry bombs. I had spoken about the collapse of law and order in the state on the floor of the Assembly. The incident proves it. The people are expecting a response from the government. The BJP will file a complaint with the Election Commission in this regard." State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra said that it is a "concerning development". "After the model code of conduct is implemented, the police must collect the weapons from individuals. Why the police had not taken the gun from this person is a question to be answered," he said. Reacting to the development, Bengaluru South DCP Lokesh Jagalasar said that the police have taken one Riyaz into custody in connection with the case and inquiring. According to police, Riyaz had taken permission from the Police Department to keep the gun with him during the election period citing threat to his life. However, it is being investigated why he carried the gun close to the Chief Minister. An email sent by Ingram Publisher Services to former clients of the shuttered SPD Press Distribution is causing more panic in the independent publishing community. The email directs publishers to fill out a form by April 17, providing Ingram with instructions about where to send their titlesat the presses own cost. But what has publishers most anxious is Ingram's plan to recycle any inventory remaining at the Ingram warehouse after 60 days. Given the current state of confusion and uncertainty about future distribution arrangements, some publishers worry that two months isnt nearly enough time to complete the process of finding a new home for their titles. Others on social media pointed out that some of the 300,000 books that were at the SPD warehouse likely belong to publishers that are no longer operating, and, without anyone around to claim them, will simply be destroyed. The email also notified publishers that with the closure of SPD, Ingrams warehouse and fulfillment agreement with the distributor has ended and that Ingram has stopped fulfilling orders. This puts publishers in a lose-lose situation: on the one hand, filling orders with no clear path for retailers to pay suppliers is a losing proposition; on the other, no new orders coming in means no cash flow. The IPS email also says that Ingram will continue to process returns from the Ingram wholesale business for all titles associated with SPD for six months. After that point, all returns will be recycled unless agreed otherwise. Responding to the urgency of the distribution question, Independent Publishers Group will participate in a webinar hosted by the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses on April 8 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, in order to provide information about its different services. CLMP is inviting all presses with at least $10,000 in annual sales and an ongoing publishing program to attend. On April 9, IPG will host its own online open house at 3:00 p.m. EDT. IPG also announced that it has signed its first SDP client, reaching a sales and distribution deal with White Goat Press, an imprint of the Yiddish Book Center. IPG CEO Joe Matthews said that,m given the various deadlines looming, IPG is moving as fast as possible to work with former SPD clients: IPG is ready to move very quickly, as we have learned that some publishers may have to make a decision within the month. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate Disney/James Clark By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/08/2024 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! 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ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. alum Zach Shallcross has revealed that he only settled on Kaity Biggar as his final choice one day before his marriage proposal on Season 27.On 's 27th season, which aired in early 2023, Zach was down to two bachelorettes -- Kaity and Gabi Elnicki -- during his final days in Thailand.Zach had admittedly slept with Gabi in their Fantasy Suite , but he ended up choosing and getting engaged to Kaity at the Final Rose Ceremony, and the couple is currently living together in Austin, TX.Given Kaity and Zach just watched Joey Graziadei 's season unfold on TV, co-hosts Kathy Swarts and Susan Noles asked Zach when he knew Kaity was "The One" for him during the April 3 episode of the new "Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour" podcast."We actually talked about this, like, two days ago," Kaity said of Zach's ending."We've talked about it a bit," Zach confirmed, "because watching the show kind of resparks the conversations again."Zach acknowledged that he and Kaity "experienced something very similar" to what they watched on Joey's season.But Zach admitted that he wasn't completely sold on Kaity being his person until his time as the Bachelor was almost up."For me, [Kaity] doesn't love my answer, but it's the truth," Zach began to confess."So throughout the whole process, I was very in my own head. I analyzed everything to a tee. I overwhelmed myself with trying to figure out, 'Who is my right partner?' I was checking off the boxes and doing this and that."Zach elaborated, "I tried to have every individual relationship and keep them sioled and not bleed into each other and keep that all in my head. So the problem was that I was being so analytical mentally that I wasn't letting myself just take a step back and feel, 'Wait, where is my heart taking me? Who do I feel like that is my person? Who am I truly in love with?'"He noted, "And the actual moment when it happened was actually the day before our engagement."Kathy shouted in disbelief, "What?! That long?!""I know," Kaity muttered, playfully acting annoyed. "I know, guys!"Susan chimed in, "You need to get out of your own head, bud."And Kathy added, "Zach, you're lucky that Kaity didn't tell you that she had a bus to catch!"Zach agreed, saying, "That's right! True! But it was one of those things where when I took a step back, what I was able to acknowledge was, like, 'Oh my god, it's Kaity.' It was a 'no duh' [moment for me]."Zach said he looked back at how he acted around Kaity and how he felt when in her presence."That was naturally [me realizing], 'I just want to spend my time with her.' I was like, 'She makes me feel like no one else can ever make me feel,' yet I was still being so analytical taking up every day I could to make sure," Zach explained.Zach also pointed out how an engagement is "a big deal" for him."I was not just going to propose to say I'm proposing at the end of this. Either I'm going to feel 100 percent confident or not [make] a decision like that for myself. So, for me, I did think about it too much, maybe," Zach confessed.Zach said he finally realized that love should be "pretty simple" and he should choose the woman whom he was the most drawn to."I literally just closed my eyes, and all I could see was [Kaity]. I didn't feel comfortable with anyone else except her in my life," Zach recalled."And I didn't want to just end it at this engagement. I wanted to keep hanging out with her and keep doing life with her. I was in my hotel the day before, obviously freaking out because an engagement is tomorrow... but then I just prayed like hell, closed my eyes, and meditated. I did everything I could."Zach added, "And I couldn't get her out of my head. [Once I landed on Kaity], there was no doubt in my mind."Zach's revelation, however, isn't news to Kaity, who insisted she does "not condemn" Zach for feeling confused in Thailand, nor does she get mad about his last-minute decision."That's just the way the show works. Everything is very compressed," Kaity pointed out."And I don't blame him for having clouded judgement because Gabi is an incredible woman as well. So when you have two -- I'm going to toot my own horn -- but when you have two incredible women in front of you, that has to be hard."Kaity reasoned how a lead therefore can't possibly think "too much" about his or her final decision because an engagement is "so serious" and the commitment is real."I take it serious, and I think everybody on the show does as well -- well, for the most part," Kaity quipped.Kaity then revealed that she and Zach are starting to wedding plan by "thinking about wedding venues" and other big details."We're thinking about a wedding more than we ever have before because I think, first and foremost, our priority is buying a house. We rent this beautiful home right now , but we're looking at buying a home by the end of the year," Kaity shared.Kaity explained how that's where she and Zach want to spend their money right now."And then we'll obviously put some money aside for a wedding," Kaity noted. "We're thinking about October 2025 , maybe here in Texas.""It would be awesome," Zach concluded.Interested in more news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Why is the RBI harsh on Paytm Payments Bank? Why did it give Rana Kapoor of Yes Bank Ltd such a long rope? Often, it's a long investigation process, but the RBI doesn't discuss this openly since that can threaten financial sector stability, explains Tamal Bandyopadhyay. Are the shadows lengthening on India's shadow banking industry? The hard fact is that the regulator has changed the way it approached supervision in the past. Having seen two large houses gutted, it is focusing on regular drills to prevent a fire from breaking out Ahead of Holi, the festival of colours, I visited a banker friend for lunch over the weekend. He lives in a modern housing society in Mumbai. A majority of its residents are finance professionals -- commercial and investment bankers, treasury managers, senior executives of insurance firms and mutual funds. Quite a few of them were invited to the lunch hosted at his sprawling apartment, flaunting a lovely balcony overlooking the sea. I hadn't even tasted the delicious looking Achari Paneer Rikka and sweet potato pineapple Dahi Puri Chaat (it was a vegetarian meal) when an ear-piercing alarm sounded. Oh God! Just a few weeks ago, a massive fire had broken out in a building near Grant Road station, a bustling neighbourhood in south Mumbai. Half a dozen fire engines had rushed to the spot. Before that, in the last week of January, a massive blaze had erupted in a seven-storey timber market in the same area, causing death and destruction. It had taken the fire brigade 18 hours to douse it. I was about to rush out when the community of bankers asked me to relax. It was a routine fire drill conducted by the society at regular intervals round the year. The housing society plans this drill meticulously, with multiple steps: The residents are alerted; the evacuation procedures are laid down; and there are designated safe assembly points. Such alarms are used to conduct a trial evacuation over lazy weekends every once in a while. The emergency exits are checked to ensure they are not obstructed. To prevent these drills from becoming too 'routine' an affair, they also switch the evacuation scenario. At times, someone stands at a particular exit with a sign reading 'Exit Blocked' to simulate a potential situation and force the residents to react. As we went back to focus on our lunch, my friend quipped with a naughty smile, 'We manage the housing society the way the RBI manages the financial sector. We don't want to call the fire brigade to douse the fire; we don't want the fire to break out. Prevention is better than cure.' At that time, I took it as a commercial banker's joke about central banking. But, while I was preparing for a nap after the lovely lunch in a quiet corner, I realised there was merit in what he said. Yes, this seems to be the mission of the RBI. It doesn't want to see a house on fire and call the fire brigade; instead, it wants to ensure that no fire breaks out. The recent actions against some of the regulated entities point to this. March 15 was the last day of the Paytm Payments Bank Ltd. Ahead of that, in the first week of March, the RBI imposed an embargo on IIFL Finance Ltd's gold loan business, citing multiple supervisory concerns on deviation in assaying and certifying the purity of gold while sanctioning loans, non-adherence to the standard auction process for recovering bad loans, breaches in the loan-to-value ratio, unfair charges, and higher cash collections. 'Over the last few months, the RBI has been engaging with the senior management and the statutory auditors of the company on these deficiencies; however, no meaningful corrective action has been evidenced so far. This has necessitated the imposition of business restrictions with immediate effect, in the overall interest of customers,' an RBI release reads. Essentially, the standard of underwriting, risk-management and compliance of the company doesn't seem to inspire the regulator's confidence even as the management doesn't admit to any governance issues. The company's gold loan portfolio was Rs 24,700 crore (Rs 246 billion) in December 2023, close to one-third of the overall assets under management. The RBI has also directed JM Financial Products Ltd to cease and desist, with immediate effect, from doing any form of financing against shares and debentures, including sanction and disbursal of loans against the initial public offering (IPO) of shares and also against subscription to debentures. The extreme action followed multiple serious deficiencies observed in the company's IPO and debt subscription financing business. 'Apart from being in violation of regulatory guidelines, there are serious concerns on governance issues in the company, which in our assessment are detrimental to the interest of the customers,' the RBI said. JM Financial is not happy with the regulator's decision. It strongly believes that there have been no material deficiencies in its loan sanctioning process. It has also made it clear that 'there have been no governance issues whatsoever'. Months before these actions, in November 2023, the RBI had directed Bajaj Finance Ltd to stop sanctioning and disbursing loans under its two lending products, eCOM and Insta EMI Card, with immediate effect. This action was necessitated due to the company's non-adherence to the extant provisions of digital lending guidelines, the RBI said. At the risk of sounding dramatic, we can say that the shadows are lengthening on India's shadow banking industry. The hard fact is that the regulator has changed the way it approached supervision in the past. Having seen two large houses gutted, it is focusing on regular drills to prevent a fire from breaking out. In late 2018, heavyweight infrastructure lender Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) went bust after it failed to meet two repayment obligations. Sixteen days after the IL&FS default, then the fourth-largest mortgage financier among non-banking financial companies, Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) had a date with destiny. A large mutual fund sold the DHFL commercial paper at a steep discount, creating panic in the market, leading to a 60 per cent intraday fall in DHFL share price. The company managed to continue for a few months till it missed interest payment on a debt issue and was downgraded to default category in June 2019. By that time, the last general elections were over and a new government (National Democratic Alliance-2) was in place. The RBI's new-found enthusiasm for punishing the naughty boys needs to be seen in the right context. This is the time to do so since the resilience of the financial sector is at its peak. The level of non-performing assets on banks' books, as a percentage of overall loan assets, is at a historic low. Besides, their provision coverage ratio (the amount of money set aside to take care of bad assets) has been on the rise. Also, the banks are well capitalised. When did we last see such a healthy Indian banking system? Smart regulators take tough calls when the going is good. Often, it's a catch-22 situation for the regulator. On the one hand, if it takes hard actions against regulated entities even for the right reasons, it runs the risk of being called aggressive. On the other hand, if it's not fast in taking action, it earns the sobriquet of being sloppy. Why is the RBI harsh on Paytm Payments Bank? Why did it give Rana Kapoor of Yes Bank Ltd such a long rope? Such questions are often asked because we are not aware of the work that goes into catching the naughty boys. Often, the investigation process to fix accountability is long. And, the regulator doesn't discuss this openly since that can threaten financial sector stability. There cannot be any teaser. We get to know the story only when the RBI makes the action public. With elections round the corner, there may not be any more slaps on big boys' faces for now. The action will probably resume after the new government is in place. Let's wait and watch. Tamal Bandyopadhyay is an author and senior advisor to the Jana Small Finance Bank Ltd. His latest book is Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking . Disclaimer: These are Tamal Bandyopadhyay's personal views. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com 'The Indian retail landscape is poised for a significant shift with the anticipated arrival of several prominent international luxury fashion brands in 2024.' Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Kind courtesy Rachel Claire/Pexels.com Around 25 international retail brands selling lifestyle and luxury products may enter India in 2024, say real estate consultants, strengthening demand for commercial property leasing. As many as three such brands came to India in 2021 and 11 did so in 2022. Some 24 international brands are estimated to have entered the Indian market in 2023, drawn by the country's middle class. In January 2024, French fashion and fragrance brand Maison Margiela opened a store in Mumbai's Jio World Drive in partnership with Shoppers Stop and L'Oreal International Distribution. Later in February, British menswear brand Charles Tyrwhitt opened its first store in Ahmedabad. Swedish lifestyle brand Gaston Luga started sales in the country via e-commerce platforms Ajio Luxe, Tata Cliq Luxury and The White Crow. Brands likely to enter India this year include Spanish fashion group Tendam and French apparel brand Kiabi. Global apparel brand Dockers, which opened its first India store in Delhi in February, will open 20 stores in the country in the next two years. French luxury conglomerate SMCP, in partnership with Reliance Brands Limited, plans to introduce two labels in India this year: Sandro and Maje. "The Indian retail landscape is poised for a significant shift with the anticipated arrival of several prominent international luxury fashion brands in 2024," said Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO - India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa at CBRE, an international real estate company. "Renowned names such as Brioni, Roberto Cavalli, and Dunhill are expected to launch stores, catering to the growing demand for high-end fashion within the country," he said. According to Anuj Kejriwal, CEO and managing director at Anarock Retail, foreign retail companies are coming to India for its middle class. "The spending power of urban Indian consumers is rising, and branded products in categories like apparel, cosmetics, footwear, watches, beverages, cuisine, and even jewellery are progressively becoming popular for use in business and leisure," he said. Magazine said India's economic growth and its "openness to global trends" attract foreign brands. In 2023, the country's retail leasing touched a record 7.1 million sq feet, 47 per cent more than in 2022. The operational retail stock stood at 91 million sq ft in 2023. In the next four years, the stock is likely to jump 45 per cent to 132 million sq feet, according to a recent report by JLL. Kejriwal said 15 to 20 international brands are considering partnerships with Indian companies. "Overall, we expect to see a significant number of international brands entering India in the next few years," he said. Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad -- in that order -- will have the highest rise in demand for retail space, according to Abhishek Sharma, director (retail agency) at Knight Frank India. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com India agreed to give up the Poonch salient as well as Uri. To the north India also proposed to give up land in the Gurez sector giving the entire Neelam/Kinshanganga valley to Pakistan. In return, India sought control of the post dominating Kargil town, points out Colonel Anil A Athale (retd). IMAGE: Then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Photograph: Baron/Getty Images from the Rediff Archives It is election season in India and the issue of Katchchatheevu island gifted to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 is making news. Unfortunately, this is neither the first or the last such instance when our rulers, unmindful of the geo-political costs and bloodshed by soldiers, have given away our interests without quid pro quo. Many of these concessions were given under duress or vain hopes that this will buy peace or goodwill. India gave up its claim on the Kobe valley in East vis a vis Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) as well as the Coco island, that was part of the Andaman and Nicobar island group. Today the Myanmar government has given a base to the Chinese on that island posing a threat to our island territories. We nearly suffered a similar disaster in 1963, when in the wake of the Chinese aggression of 1962, the United States pressured us to give up land in Kashmir to Pakistan. Ironically, we have to thank Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the then foreign minister of Pakistan, who rejected this outright as he wanted the whole of the Kashmir Valley and territory up to the Chenab river in Jammu division. The simmering India-China border dispute erupted into armed conflict on October 20, 1962 when China attacked India. The border has been tense for the previous two years. While these developments were taking place, on October 13, 1962, China and Pakistan began negotiating on the border. Led by inept military leadership in the then NEFA or the North East Frontier Agency (present day Arunachal Pradesh), the ill-equipped Indian Army suffered a major defeat. India's inexperienced political leadership led by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru panicked and requested military aid from the US. Initially the US was slow in coming to India's aid as the conflict coincided with the Cuban Missile Crisis. Once free from the confrontation with the then Soviet Union, the US came up with major supplies for the Indian military. Pakistan, then a staunch ally of the US, was restrained by American pressure from fishing in troubled waters and this enabled India to move soldiers from the Pakistan border to the China front. No sooner that the fighting on the Chinese front ended on November 21, 1962, the US on the promptings of the UK pressured India to begin talks with Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue. The Indian delegation was led by Sardar Swaran Singh, the Pakistan delegation was led by Bhutto. IMAGE: Then prime minister Nehru speaks on his arrival at the White House, watched by then US president John F Kennedy and then vice president Lyndon Baines Johnson. Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images from the Rediff Archives In the third round of talks held in Karachi on February 9, 1963, India offered a partition line. Swaran Singh called it a 'Line of Peace and Collaboration' (LOPC). In this proposal India agreed to give up the Poonch salient as well as Uri. To the north India also proposed to give up land in the Gurez sector giving the entire Neelam/Kinshanganga valley to Pakistan. In return, India sought control of the post dominating Kargil town (these were captured in 1965 and again in 1971 and are currently with India). These proposals were kept secret even within the Government of India. Not just this, Bhutto also requested that India should also not know that Pakistan has leaked these proposals to the Americans and British. It was and is treated as TOP SECRET in India to date. The diplomatic telegram that gives details of this Indian offer was declassified by the Americans as per their law. I obtained this copy while working as a Kennedy Fellow in 2003. Luckily for India, a greedy Bhutto rejected the Indian proposals outright. He proposed his own partition line that gave the entire area north of Jammu to Pakistan and included the Chenab valley and Doda district. Even this was termed as a concession by Bhutto since Pakistan insisted on the whole of Jammu and Kashmir on the basis of the plebiscite to be held. India rejected the Pakistan proposal and in subsequent rounds withdrew the earlier offer. The international situation was changing and the Sino-Soviet dispute came out in the open and the USSR came in open support of India vis a vis China. IMAGE: Then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then defence minister V K Krishna Menon at the United Nations. Photograph: Kind courtesy Wikipedia Commons In July 1993, the late George Tanham, vice president of the Rand Corporation, (a well-known American think-tank), shared a draft of his essay on Indian Strategic culture or lack of it with me. The essay basically postulates that India lacks a culture of long term strategic thinking. Howsoever painful for an Indian, this is indeed a truth. I was asked, as late as 2000 by a former foreign secretary about the possibility of the partition of the Kashmir Valley that would be militarily feasible! Many of us never thought that we will see the abrogation of Article 370 and the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union in our lifetime. The Narendra Modi government gets full marks and credit for the change in the national mindset from appeasement as a policy to assertion of our legitimate interests. It is indeed a welcome break from the past. Strategic analysts agree that for a very long time the West used Kashmir as a pressure point against India. Successful absorption of Kashmir into the Indian Union has deprived them of this diplomatic tool. Is it any wonder that these very powers are now using other issues like the CAA (Citizenship [Amendment] Act) or income tax actions of judicial independence as new issues to dent India's image. The sole aim behind this campaign is to reduce India's soft power and prestige. Indians will do well to ignore these critics as we did for years on Kashmir. The diplomatic telegram obtained by Colonel Anil A Athale (retd) while he was working as a Kennedy Fellow in 2003. Colonel Anil A Athale (retd) is a military historian whose earlier columns can be read here. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com 'Rahul Gandhi is showing an 'I-don't-care-attitude'.' 'He is showing the same attitude towards what is happening in Maharashtra or in various parts of the country.' IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi with then Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president Sanjay Nirupam at an election rallly in 2019. Photograph: PTI Photo In a two-part interview, former Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com why he quit the Congress, how five power centres within the Congress are ruining the party, the reasons why the Congress has been in a tailspin since the party's 2014 defeat. Nirupam has been expelled from the Congress for six years as disciplinary action for speaking against the Congress's Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partner Uddhav Thackeray. How does it feel to end your long, long, career with the Congress? What are your feelings today? 20 years. 20 years. Approximately 20 years; I joined the Congress party in 2005. I'm feeling very relieved today because the way the Congress party is working, and the way how five power centres within the Congress are destroying it internally, it was very frustrating for me to continue as a Congressman. This is not just my experience. This is the experience of a lot of people in Congress party. I'm receiving lots of calls from Delhi leaders who are still the part of the Congress; they are telling me that I have actually expressed their voice. They are telling me, 'Though you have sacrificed yourself, you are martyred, you have expressed yourself and you have helped us because the Congress is functioning in a very dangerous manner today and it is clearly very frustrating and disappointing to remain a part of the Congress.' They fear that if the Congress fails to emerge victorious in the 2024 general election, then it might implode. Lots of people are disappointed with the functioning of the party, but I'm very happy and relieved to have quit the party. When did you first realise that the Congress was ignoring your leadership value? What were the first signs that made you feel that you were no longer wanted in the Congress? In 2019, the way I was removed from the post of MRCC (Mumbai Regional Congress Committee) president in the name of giving me an opportunity to contest from the Mumbai North West seat; it (removing me as MRCC chief) was basically a wrong decision. When I was communicated this decision I told them it's was a bad decision to take on the eve of an (2019 general) election and it would send a wrong message to the people of Mumbai. I told them I'll voluntarily resign after the election. And after the election, if I win, I'll go to Parliament and I'll resign. If I lose, I will resign by accepting my failure. The way this issue was handled led to an absolute disaster (the Congress lost all the Mumbai Lok Sabha it contested in 2019). They appointed somebody else (Milind Deora who contested and lost the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat to the Shiv Sena's Arvvind Sawant; Deora recently joined Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena) in my place and whoever that somebody was also resigned from his post four months later. Since then the Mumbai Congress has collapsed and it's collapsing every day. The way I was removed as the MRCC president post on the eve of the elections was a completely wrong move on the part of the Congress leadership. I objected to that. They were so full of ego that they didn't realise that nobody is removed from his post when the elections are around the corner. Secondly, after that, one more dispute erupted with regard to one assembly segment that is part of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency. I told them I wanted to recommend my nominee on one seat (for the 2019 assembly election). Though I had lost the election -- everybody had lost the election -- I still had huge influence in that constituency and so I asked them for an opportunity to allow me to nominate one person from that one seat. Even that was rejected. I finally realised that they did not value or respect me as a leader. Every blame for party's poor performance was pinned on me and everything was shut (for me) in the Congress party. After that the COVID pandemic came and everything went completely out of hand. For almost two-and-a-half years, the Congress party was a headless chicken. There was no (Mumbai) president of the party. After I met Rahul Gandhi I was asked to come to Delhi to join the AICC (All India Congress Committee, the apex decision-making unit of the Congress). I warmly accepted that despite insults. But that too never materialised. Since then, I was given no dhang ka (respectable) position. Recently, four or five months ago when the AICC was being reorganised, I got a call from Mr K C Venugopalji (AICC general secretary who is considered very close to Rahul Gandhi). He told me that though the AICC is being reorganised, I won't be made a part of it because the Lok Sabha election was very close and I will have to contest the Lok Sabha election. I was asked to focus on my election. IMAGE: Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam at a media interaction in Mumbai. Photograph: ANI Photo So you were promised, five months ago, by Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal that the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat will be given to you and yet it didn't happen. Mr Venugopal is a very powerful leader within the AICC and one of the five power centres that rule the Congress today. I told him that I should be given an opportunity to contest from the Mumbai North West seat again (Nirupam was defeated by the undivided Shiv Sena's Gajanan Kirtikar by a margin of 260,000 votes) because that is the constituency where I had worked really hard. He promised me he will look into it. Later on, I realised that the Congress was discussing to give that constituency away to the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction). They just gave up a seat which was promised to me just four-five months ago. Not only my seat, they gave SS (UBT) five seats out of six (in Mumbai). That was basically the immediate trigger point. I realised this party doesn't need me or this party doesn't need any grassroots worker or hard-working person. Every crucial decision is taken on the personal likes and dislikes of these people (the five power centres). I realised some of these five people are not liking me anymore and that is why I was being sidelined in the party. Why not name these people who make up the five power centres now that you are a relieved man? Who are these leaders? Primarily, Congress President (Mallikarjun) Kharge was not happy with me because when he was initially in charge during the Lok Sabha election in 2019, at that time, he did some mischievous things against me. I had spoken openly (against him), I had raised my voice against him. Since then, he was having some reservations about me. Keeping our differences aside I worked very hard as a returning officer for his presidential election. After he got elected, I went to see him and I told him, because you are now the party president and have a big heart, forgive me if I have done anything wrong; I apologised for that, and sought to work together for the victory of the Congress. He did accept my apology, but he still nursed a strong grudge against me. He was definitely having some grudge against me in his heart. He did not hide his grudge because I was made to feel unwanted after every important meeting and whenever I met him he made it quite obvious from his conversations, with his behaviour that I was unwanted. (Note: In his interactions with the media after quitting the Congress Nirupam named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal as the five power centres.) Did you speak about it with Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi? I had sent a text message to Rahul Gandhi on February 17 (2024) that people who are representing thw Congress party in (Maharashtra) and negotiating with the Shiv Sena (UBT) for six Mumbai seats were completely out of sync with reality. These people have forgotten that the Congress has a strong organistaion in Mumbai. When these negotiations were happening I suspected that something wrong is going to happen and my seat will be sacrificed for the SS (UBT) and lot of things will happen against the Congress party. I sincerely requested Rahulji to intervene and ensure that the Congress' interests in Mumbai are not sacrificed at the altar of the SS (UBT). That SMS is still with me. He never replied. He never replied to that SMS. He chose not to reply. Is Rahul Gandhi under Mallikarjun Kharge's sway? No, I don't think he's acting on Khargeji's instructions or under his influence. But basically he is showing an 'I-don't-care-attitude'. He is showing the same attitude towards what is happening in Maharashtra or in the various part of the country. Most of these five power centres are managing the party in their own way. They don't care about it. They showed the same carelessness with regard to Mumbai and that is why I quit the Congress. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi persisted with his 'Muslim League imprint' attack on the Congress manifesto, the opposition party on Monday stepped up its counter-offensive, moving the Election Commission against his remarks while party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that 'there is a stink of RSS' in Modi's speeches. IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launches the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections at the Jana Jatara Sabha, in Hyderabad on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The Congress alleged that the prime minister is resorting to the 'cliched Hindu-Muslim script' as he is scared that the Bharatiya Janata Party may struggle to even cross the 180-seat mark in the Lok Sabha polls. However, PM Modi again repeated the charge against the Congress at poll rallies in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, claiming that the country's oldest party has lost people's support due to its deeds and its recently released manifesto has the imprint of the pro-Partition Muslim League. "The Congress is out of power for 10 years and we have been able to resolve all problems faced by the country. The Naxal menace has come down drastically. The Congress was soft on terrorism for vote-bank politics. Even its manifesto has the Muslim League imprint," Modi said at a poll rally in Chandrapur in Vidarbha region. Echoing the prime minister's views, BJP chief JP Nadda also accused the Congress of appeasement in its manifesto and asked the party to explain why it was against the majority community. Leading the counter charge, Kharge alleged the BJP's 'ideological ancestors' supported the British and the Muslim League against Indians in the freedom struggle. Hitting out at Prime Minister Modi, Kharge in a post on X, said, 'Even today, they are invoking the Muslim League against the 'Congress Nyay Patra', guided and shaped according to the aspirations, needs and demands of common Indians.' 'Modi-Shah and their nominated president are today spreading falsehood about the Congress manifesto,' he alleged. 'There is a stink of RSS in Modi ji's speeches, the BJP's electoral graph is plunging day by day, therefore the RSS has started remembering its best friend -- the Muslim League!,' Kharge said. 'There is only one truth -- the Congress' Nyay Patra reflects the hopes and aspirations of 140 crore people of India. Their combined strength will put an end to Modi ji's 10 years of injustice,' he claimed. After a Congress delegation met EC officials, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said they has filed a complaint against Modi for alleging that its manifesto attempts to divide the country and impose the pre-independence ideology of the Muslim League. "We believe that the Prime Minister has no right to say such a thing. We have raised this matter with the Election Commission and have specifically requested them to take it seriously and take action on it," senior leader Salman Khurshid said. Earlier in the day, the Congress said Modi is scared over the prospect of the BJP struggling to cross the 180-seat mark in the Lok Sabha polls and again resorted to the 'same cliched Hindu-Muslim script'. In his post, Kharge alleged, 'Modi-Shah's ideological ancestors opposed Mahatma Gandhi's call for 'Quit India' in 1942, which was the movement chaired by Maulana Azad.' Everyone knows how Syama Prasad Mookerjee formed his governments in Bengal, Sindh and the North-West Frontier Province in the 1940s in coalition with the Muslim League, the Congress chief said. Did Mookerjee 'not write to the then British governor about how the Quit India movement of 1942 can be 'combated' and how the Congress should be suppressed? And for this, he said that 'Indians have to trust the British',' Kharge asked. Addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the BJP is consistently losing ground which is why 'the PM's love for Muslim League has resurfaced'. "After being in power for 10 years, when the country is at the brink of elections and the prime minister has to show his report card and ask for votes, he is nervous. He has once again resorted to the same cliched Hindu-Muslim script," she said. In a statement, Nadda repeated the charge that the Congress' manifesto bears the imprint of the Muslim League. The League had worked for reservation on religion lines in 1929 and the Congress is doing the same, he alleged. "The Congress manifesto is a blueprint for division, a blatant replica of Jinnah's Muslim League agenda. By prioritising appeasement politics over national unity, the Congress seeks to perpetuate division," the BJP president alleged. People have repeatedly rejected the Congress but it is determined to pursue appeasement politics and divide the country in its greed for power, he alleged. Modi had on Saturday said, "Every page reeks of breaking India into pieces. The Congress manifesto reflects the same thinking that was prevalent in the Muslim League during the freedom movement. "It completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League and whatever remains is dominated by the Leftists." The Congress and the National Conference on Monday announced they will fight the Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, in alliance, with both parties contesting three seats each. IMAGE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge with National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah. Photograph: ANI Photo At a joint press conference in New Delhi alongside Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Pawan Khera, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said the Congress would contest Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh Lok Sabha seats while the National Conference would field candidates in Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla. The announcement comes a day after Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) president named her party's candidates for three seats of the Kashmir Valley, signalling a breakdown of seat-sharing talks with the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners. Asked about seat-sharing talks not succeeding with the PDP, the Congress' national alliance committee member Khurshid said the Mehbooba Mufti-led party is very much part of the INDIA bloc but seat-sharing with it could not be worked out. Abdullah said, "I want to formally announce that the National Conference and Congress will jointly contest the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh with the two parties fielding candidates on three seats each." "The National Conference will support Congress candidates in Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh seats. The INDIA bloc will contest the polls to help fulfil the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh and truly represent them in Parliament," he said. Responding to a query about the PDP, Khurshid said, "The PDP is in our alliance. Seat adjustment is one part of the alliance and an overall alliance is a different issue. Since Jammu and Kashmir is small in area, there is not much scope for seat adjustment despite our best efforts." "The National Conference already has three Lok Sabha MPs and we have decided to give them a chance," he said. On whether the Congress-NC alliance would be there for the assembly polls also, Abdullah said their focus right now was on succeeding in the Lok Sabha polls. He said holding assembly polls has been virtually decided with the remarks of the Chief Election Commissioner and that of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the poll process would be completed before the Supreme Court-mandated date of September 30. Abdullah also took a swipe at Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) president Ghulam Nabi Azad, saying he was directly helping the Bharatiya Janata Party. He also wondered why Azad, who hails from Doda, was contesting from Anantnag. On claims that Azad has said that he has not decided on where he would contest, Abdullah said his remarks would appear to be 'dishonest' as his party has made announcements about the seats. "If he is not contesting, it would suggest that the BJP has calculated that him contesting from (Anantnag) would be detrimental to their chances," Abdullah said. "Either way, it is shaping up to be an interesting election and the BJP is pulling out all the stops in Kashmir to bring various parties on a single platform. The visuals of the BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh coming out of Altaf Bukhari's residence in Srinagar make it obvious what the BJP and its allies are going to do there. Our interest as allies is that the BJP's plans fail entirely in all six seats," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said. He exuded confidence that the situation was in the favour of the INDIA bloc in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh and the opposition alliance would win all six seats. Abdullah also dismissed Prime Minister Modi's claim of the BJP winning 370 seats and NDA 400 in the Lok Sabha polls, saying it shows that he is 'rattled'. The PDP has named candidates for three seats in Kashmir, fielding Mehbooba Mufti against Ghulam Nabi Azad in Anantnag. The Congress has named Lal Singh as its candidate from Udhampur to take on Union Minister Jitendra Singh. Key individual parties have cornered a larger share, with some favouring regional and others national players. Kindly note the image has only been posted for representational pourpoes. Photograph: Kind courtesy Habib/Pexels The political preferences of the biggest electoral bond donors show subtle shifts over the years. The share of multiple smaller recipients has come down in all of them, shows a Business Standard analysis of the top three donors each year, based on numbers collated by tracker myneta.info. Key individual parties have cornered a larger share, with some favouring regional and others national players. The largest donor through electoral bonds for which data is available is Future Gaming and Hotel Services. It donated to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All India Trinamool Congress and the YSR Congress in 2020. More parties were added in subsequent years. The latest numbers, however, show a narrowing focus. The Trinamool Congress accounts for more than 50 per cent of the donations in 2023 and 2024. The DMK got its peak donation in 2022 -- at Rs 255 crore (Rs 2.55 billion). This dropped to Rs 40 crore (Rs 400 million) in 2023 and none so far in 2024. Megha Engineering and Infrastructures was the second-largest donor. It gave the DMK nothing in 2019, but did so in 2020, 2021 and 2022. It also allocated more capital to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, based in Telangana, from 2021 onwards. This shift towards regional parties seems to have begun to taper off recently. Simultaneously, the share of the Bharatiya Janata Party rose. The BJP accounted for over 70 per cent of the contributions in 2023. Qwik Supply Chain was the third-largest donor. All donations were to primarily Maharashtra-based parties. The largest portion went to the BJP. But the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party also received donations. This appears to have changed as the BJP got the upper hand in Maharashtra. It accounted for all the donations in 2023. The Election Commission of India has made available the data in phases on its Web site following a Supreme Court order. The apex court had ruled the electoral bond scheme to be invalid in February. It noted the ability of large corporate donations to influence policy. The regime preceding the electoral bond scheme had put limits on corporation donations. The removal of the scheme effectively brings back the old limits. The data covers the period from April 2019 to February 2024. This takes into account electoral bonds worth roughly Rs 12,000 crore (Rs 120 billion). The value of all bonds issued is over Rs 16,000 crore (Rs 160 billion). The latest data provides identification numbers, which can connect donor and party. The top three donors have allocated over Rs 2,700 crore (Rs 270 billion). This accounts for a fifth of the donations for which the data has been made public. Granular detail on the first eight phases of the electoral bonds is yet to be made public. Individual parties show varying gaps in amounts disclosed in their annual reports and other filings on electoral bonds when matched against the Election Commission data. This is because the latter does not cover all electoral bonds. The BJP, for example, is seen to have received at least Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) more than the latest disclosures show. Granular detail for these bonds and those of other political parties remains unavailable. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com 'Merchandise plays a key role in creating buzz about a specific party.' IMAGE: Students participate in a voter awareness campaign at the Government Home Science College in Jabalpur, April 3, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo With the 18th Lok Sabha elections beginning in a couple of weeks, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to ensure their visibility. A plethora of merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs, caps, mufflers, and badges -- adorned with party logos and leaders' photos -- are now available on various online and offline platforms. The demand for such merchandise surges once all the candidates are announced, said a spokesperson for Fibre to Fashion, a Tamil Nadu-based customised t-shirt selling firm. "The enquiries have, however, risen as the dates of the polls have been announced." "Merchandise plays a key role in creating buzz about a specific party," observed Nishant Patel, a seasoned political campaigner who has worked with multiple parties on-ground campaigns. But many new and smaller parties and individual candidates who cannot use merchandise on a grand scale also see success. Therefore, these products majorly act as a bonus technique, he further said. Last fortnight, the Bharatiya Janata Party launched its official NaMo merchandise, exclusively available on the Narendra Modi app. The app offers a variety of products, including notebooks, fridge magnets, pens, and keychains, along with the option for buying combos of products. Rahul Sharma, co-convenor of the NaMo app, revealed that caps, t-shirts, and keychains have been the top-selling products so far. "A t-shirt with the slogan Main Hoon Modi Ka Parivaar accounts for nearly 50 per cent of total t-shirt sales," Sharma said. The slogan Main Hoon Modi ka Parivaar, gained popularity after Rashtriya Janata Dal patron Lalu Prasad taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi about having no family of his own. Hitting out at the remarks, Modi while addressing a public meeting in Telangana's Adilabad had said: 'Those who have nobody have Modi and Modi is there for them... Hence today the whole country is saying in one voice -- Main hoon Modi ka parivaar.' "We launch any slogan as soon as leaders trend it," said Manoj Vijayakumar of Xtees.com, an online retail store selling customised t-shirts for political parties. Many sellers started manufacturing the NaMo hat-trick hoodie as soon as some ministers were seen wearing it, Vijayakumar said. Union Minister Anurag Thakur was spotted wearing a NaMo hat-trick hoodie in Parliament in early February. While the BJP is the only national party to have launched official merchandise for the Lok Sabha polls so far, the Congress is looking to make its presence felt through this medium. Vaibhav Walia, chairman of the Congress' Communication war-room 2024, shared: "For the Lok Sabha elections, we are doing t-shirts (Hath Badlega Halaat), hand symbol caps, and candidate t-shirts, among other things." The party launched a lot of merchandise during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra using slogans like Nyay Ka Haqq Milne Tak. Another national player, the Aam Aadmi Party, however, said it is not planning anything like this shortly. Ajay Agrawal of Sheela Ad Makers, a political merchandise manufacturer from Lucknow, noted that demand varies from region to region. He shared that his firm receives a lot of orders for the merchandise of the Bahujan Samaj Party, along with the Congress and the BJP. The Shiv Sena and AAP are also in the race, Agrawal added. Tamil Nadu-based Vijaykumar said Xtees.com has received a lot of enquiries about Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) t-shirts. "Along with NaMo hoodies, we see demand for En Mann En Makkal (my land, my people) slogan merchandise." Meanwhile, online retailers are experimenting with new products like mugs, silicon light bands, balloons for children, sarees, keychains, magnets, and phone covers, selling across multiple e-commerce platforms, including Flipkart and Amazon. On the other hand, offline retailers are keeping it basic, mostly offering fabric products (flags, t-shirts, shawls and sash) with a simple logo or photo of a party leader. In the bustling lanes of Delhi's Sadar Bazaar, the impending elections have yet to make a significant impact. Among the few shops, which have already started selling political merchandise, most have shelves full of products related to only one party. "The business of political merchandise is unusually sluggish this time around. It seems they (other political parties) know the result," said the shopkeeper at Vikram Enterprises, hinting that demand is only for BJP merchandise right now. "The orders aren't coming in as the BJP prefers centralised distribution. It gives party workers the merchandise, so they don't place big orders here," he elaborated. The owner of Muskaan Traders, another establishment in Sadar Bazaar, laments that those who attend political party meetings end up grabbing the orders. "This wasn't the case before. The demand was robust, which is why we have so many flag shops in the area. But now, no one is receiving orders," he said. Among the new items on offer this year at Sadar Bazaar are shawls emblazoned with the prime minister's visage and mock electronic voting machines. Despite the current lull, traders across various platforms remain optimistic. They anticipate that once all candidates are finalised and the Holi rush subsides, the political merchandise business may experience an uptick. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Forty-two of the 102 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in the general election's first phase are constituencies that have three or more candidates facing criminal cases, according to a poll rights body. IMAGE: An elderly woman casts her vote through postal ballot for the Lok Sabha elections under the 'voting from home' facility, in Kanchipuram on April 8, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 1,618 candidates out of the 1,625 contesting the elections in its first phase on April 19. Out of the 1,618 candidates, 16 per cent or 252 candidates are named in criminal cases, with 10 per cent or 161 candidates facing serious criminal charges, according to the analysis of their affidavits by the organisation. Seven candidates have murder cases lodged against them, while 19 are implicated in attempt to murder cases. Eighteen candidates have declared in their affidavits cases related to crimes against women, and one of them, faces rape charge under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the ADR, which did the analysis along with National Election Watch, a coalition of civil society groups for domestic election monitoring, said. The organisation said that 35 candidates are linked to cases of hate speech. The analysis showed that 42 or 41 per cent of the 102 seats scheduled to go to polls in the first of the seven-phase elections are 'red alert' constituencies. 'Red alert' constituencies are those where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases in their affidavits. The analysis showed that among major parties, there are criminal cases against all four candidates of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, 13 (59 per cent) of 22 candidates of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, three (43 per cent) of seven candidates of the Samajwadi Party, two (40 per cent) of five candidates of the Trinamool Congress, 28 (36 per cent) of 77 candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party and 19 (34 per cent) of 56 candidates of the Congress. The number stood at 13 (36 per cent) out of 36 candidates of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and 11 (13 per cent) out of 86 candidates of the Bahujan Samaj Party. In tandem with the revelations on criminal backgrounds, the ADR said the analysis also highlights wealth disparities among candidates. It said, according to affidavits, around 28 per cent of candidates in the polls' first phase are 'crorepatis' with assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. The average assets per candidate stands at Rs 4.51 crores, with notable discrepancies observed across party lines, the ADR found. The analysis showed that among the major parties, more than Rs 1 crore assets have been declared by all four candidates of the RJD, 35 (97 per cent) of 36 candidates of the AIADMK, 21 (96 per cent) of 22 candidates of the DMK, 69 (90 per cent) of 77 candidates of the BJP, 49 (88 per cent) of 56 candidates of the Congress, four (80 per cent) of five candidates of the TMC and 18 (21 per cent) of 86 candidates of the BSP. Congress candidate Nakul Nath contesting from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh has declared the highest Rs 716 crore worth of assets followed by AIADMK' Erode (Tamil Nadu) candidate Ashok Kumar with assets worth Rs 662 crore. BJP candidate Dhevanathan Yadav T, contesting from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, has assets worth Rs 304 crore. Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases beginning from April 19 and the counting of votes will take place on June 4 for the world's biggest election exercise in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bid for a third consecutive term. The other phases will be held on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Muslim League imprint' remarks on the party's manifesto, saying he is scared over the prospect of the Bharatiya Janata Party struggling to cross the 180-seat mark in the Lok Sabha polls and has again resorted to the "same cliched Hindu-Muslim script". IMAGE: Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate. Photograph: @SupriyaShrinate/X The opposition party's reaction came a day after Prime Minister Modi launched an attack on the Congress, charging that its poll manifesto bore the imprint of the Muslim League and utterances of its leaders showed hostility towards national integrity and Sanatan Dharma. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the BJP is consistently losing ground, which is why "the PM's love for Muslim League has resurfaced". She said the Congress manifesto is being widely discussed and is a blueprint for the future of the country. "After being in power for 10 years, when the country is at the brink of elections and the prime minister has to show his report card and ask for votes, he is nervous. He has once again resorted to the same cliched Hindu-Muslim script," she said. "The manifesto of Congress is the voice of India based on the five pillars of justice. It has an indelible imprint of the people of the country, it has the imprint of the expectations, aspirations and challenges of the crores of people who met us during the connect Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra," she said. "It has the imprint of 10 years of broken spirits and the emergence of a new hope, it has the imprint of youth, it has the imprint of farmers, it has the imprint of women, it has the imprint of workers, it has the imprint of those people who are on the margins of society and we will ensure their participation and greater representation," Shrinate said. The Congress' Nyay Patra has the solution to every problem that the Modi government has imposed on this country over the last 10 years, she said. "This Nyay Patra is the voice of the people, it is the voice of India," Shrinate said. She claimed that the reality is that Narendra Modi's "love for Muslim League" is not new. "These are the same people who stood with the British even during the great struggle for Independence, and who left no opportunity to create communal rift along with the Muslim League. Remember, when in 1942, on the call of Mahatma and during the presidency of Maulana Azad, the country agitated in 'Quit India Movement' and had vowed to do or die, Syama Prasad Mookerjee was not only running his government in Bengal, and his like-minded people in Sindh and NWFP in collaboration with the Muslim League, but was also writing to the British giving advice on how to suppress this mass movement," she said. These people have deep affection, admiration and affiliation with the likes of the Muslim League and the British, she alleged. The reality is that ever since the Congress manifesto was released, there has been panic in the BJP ranks, Shrinate claimed. "Another big reality is that BJP's tally is dwindling very fast, the latest surveys show they are struggling to cross the 180-seat mark," she claimed. People also believe that the Congress walks the talk as today in Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, where there are Congress governments, many welfare schemes are being run keeping in mind every section of the society, he said. The Congress has fulfilled every guarantee, Shrinate asserted. "By stealing the word guarantee, no one will listen to you, Modiji. Today the country is seeking a report on your earlier 'jumlas' - so don't be distracted and get ready to pack your bags," she said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of taking action against the corrupt after June 4 meant that opposition leaders would be imprisoned post Lok Sabha elections. IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses an election rally. Photograph: ANI Photo Results of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections from April 19 to June 1 will be announced on June 4. Addressing a rally at Bankura, the TMC chief alleged that the National Investigation Agency had gone to Bhupatinagar in Purba Medinipur district without informing the local police. "The Prime Minister is coming to West Bengal to address election rallies. I have no issues with that. But the way he is saying that stern action will be taken against the opposition over corruption after the Lok Sabha poll results is unacceptable," she said. Modi, while addressing an election rally in Jalpaiguri on Sunday, had claimed that while he says "remove corruption", the opposition says "save the corrupt", promising more stringent action against the corrupt after June 4. "Is this how a Prime Minister should speak? What if I say I will put BJP leaders in jail after the election? But I will not say this as this is unacceptable in a democracy," she said. "This is actually 'Modi ki guarantee', putting all opposition leaders in jail after June 4," Banerjee alleged. A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 blast case in Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers. In a relief to former Mumbai police officer Pradeep Sharma, the Supreme Court on Monday said he need not surrender till further orders to undergo the life term awarded to him in a 2006 fake encounter case. IMAGE: Pradeep Sharma. Photograph: ANI Photo The apex court sought a response from the Maharashtra government on his bail plea in the case. While admitting Sharma's appeal against the March 19 Bombay high court verdict, a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra said it was issuing notice on the bail plea. "It is a case of reversal of acquittal by the high court, where the appeal is filed by the appellant. The statutory appeal is admitted for hearing. Issue notice on bail plea. The high court has directed him for surrender in three weeks. Till the next date of hearing, he need not surrender," the bench ordered. Sharma has challenged the Bombay High Court which sentenced him to life imprisonment in the 2006 fake encounter of Ramnarayan Gupta, an alleged close aide of gangster Chhota Rajan. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and advocate Subhash Jadhav appearing for Sharma submitted that the incident happened nearly 20 years ago and their client was not at the crime scene. Only his revolver was used, they said. The high court had upheld the conviction and life sentence imposed on 13 other accused, 12 former policemen and a civilian, in the case. It quashed the 2013 judgment passed by a sessions court acquitting Sharma due to the lack of evidence and termed it "perverse and unsustainable". On November 11, 2006, a police team picked up Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakkhan Bhaiya from the Vashi area in Navi Mumbai, along with his friend Anil Bheda, and killed him in a staged encounter near Versova in western Mumbai the same evening. A Maldivian minister, who was suspended in January for her derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has now mocked the Indian flag after including parts of the flag in an altered campaign poster of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), according to a media report on Monday. Image used only for representation. Photograph: ANI Photo In a post on X, former deputy youth minister Mariyam Shiuna has apologised for the content of her post. 'I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post,' she wrote. 'It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused,' she wrote on X. 'Maldives deeply value its relationship and, the mutual respect we share with India. In future I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights,' the suspended junior minister posted. She denied any intention to mock India and claimed to have used the design of the Indian flag 'by mistake'. However, she did not explain her reasons for using the logo of India's ruling BJP in the post that drew criticism, Adhadhu Online news portal reported on Monday. Her post came ahead of the parliamentary elections in the Maldives on April 21. Shiuna, who was suspended from the government earlier this year for 'derogatory remarks' against Prime Minister Modi, shared the post with the mockery of the Indian flag on Saturday night. The photo on the post made on her X account changed the MDP's campaign slogan and included the logo of India's ruling party. After the photo drew criticism, Shiuna deleted the post and removed 'Deputy Minister' from the bio of her X account. Shiuna's post drew sharp criticism from the Indian media and members of the public, many of whom called on the Maldivian government to fire her and cited her suspension over previous derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Modi after he posted photos and video of the pristine Lakshadweep Islands on January 6 on his X handle. Shiuna and two other deputy ministers at the Youth Ministry have been under suspension since January. The incident strained relations between the two countries and sparked a diplomatic row. The Maldives is India's key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and occupies a special place in its initiatives like 'SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the 'Neighbourhood First Policy' of the Modi government. Trinamool Congress leaders were detained by the Delhi Police on Monday while they were holding a dharna outside the Election Commission's office, demanding that the chiefs of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department be changed. IMAGE: A 10-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation comprising Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale, Derek O'Brien, Arpita Ghosh and others stage a sit-in protest outside the Election Commission of India (ECI) office, in New Delhi on Monday, April 8, 2024. Photograph: Jitender Gupta/ANI Photo A 10-member delegation of the TMC had announced the dharna after meeting a full-bench of the Election Commission (EC). The delegation urged the commission to ensure a level-playing field in the Lok Sabha polls and stop the 'misuse' of the central agencies against opposition parties and leaders, TMC Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose, who was among the leaders who met the poll panel, said. The Mamata Banerjee-led party has been alleging that the central probe agencies -- the CBI, the NIA, the ED and the I-T Department -- have been targeting opposition parties at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre. "We asked the EC to intervene in the name of parliamentary democracy to preserve sanctity of elections. Stop ED, CBI, NIA, I-T Department from acting against opposition. They're working like the 12th man of the BJP," Ghose said during the dharna as members of her party displayed posters reading 'NIA DG, ED, CBI directors change now'. TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Ghose, MLA Vivek Gupta, former MPs Arpita Ghosh, Santanu Sen and Abir Ranjan Biswas, and party's students' wing West Bengal vice president Sudip Raha were detained. The EC's spokesperson said the commission has no comments to offer on the dharna by the TMC They were detained and taken to the Mandir Marg police station as section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure -- that prohibits large gatherings -- is imposed in the area and no permission was taken for the protest, a police officer said. "We were picked up forcefully by the police, some of us fell down. Ms Dola Sen has a leg injury, she was pushed around," Ghose said in a video released by the TMC. In another video shared by the party, Gokhale said police has not informed them of where they are being taken. Hours later, O'Brien said they will continue their protest at the Mandir Marg police station. "Our 24-hour dharna will continue inside the police station or outside. We will carry on," O'Brien told reporters from behind the gates of the Mandir Marg police station, around 2.5 km from the Election Commission (EC) office on Ashoka Road in Central Delhi. "We were supposed to have our protest outside the EC. But now we are here (police station)," O'Brien said. O'Brien claimed that after being detained, they were driven around the city, before being brought to the police station. "They drove us around Delhi for about one and half hours... after we protested, they brought us to the Mandir Marg police station," he said. "This is complete murder of democracy. Abhishek Banerjee, our national general secretary along with my fellow MPs and ministers have asked for an appointment with the West Bengal governor tonight," O'Brien said. "We are here to fight. So we will carry on our peaceful dharna. This is the situation," he said. Meanwhile, senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday night criticised the detention of party leaders by Delhi Police during their peaceful protest outside the Election Commission's office, denouncing it as a 'black day in democracy'. Banerjee, who led an 11-member TMC delegation to Raj Bhavan including senior leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Bratya Basu and Sashi Panja, told reporters after meeting Governor C V Ananda Bose that the EC's role in the entire incident was 'unfortunate and deplorable'. Banerjee said the commission cannot evade responsibility for the unjust treatment of Bengal's representatives. "What happened in Delhi is a black day in democracy. None of our leaders, many of them MPs or former MPs, was carrying arms. Yet they were bodily lifted during the peaceful protest and bundled into waiting vehicles by Delhi Police. The poll panel cannot absolve its responsibility in the incident," he told waiting reporters outside Raj Bhavan. The delegation pressed upon the governor to step in and urge the Election Commission to address the treatment meted out to TMC leaders and to investigate the alleged collusion between the BJP and central agencies such as the NIA and ED. The delegation emphasised to the governor that while they appreciate his commitment to upholding the Constitution and ensuring peaceful voting by hitting the streets during polling days, as the custodian of the Constitution, shouldn't he urge the EC to address the TMC's complaint about the removal of the ED and NIA directors, whose alleged links with the BJP have now come under scrutiny, he added. The delegation pointed out that they had provided indisputable evidence to the EC about an NIA official meeting a BJP leader after the announcement of the poll dates. "In contrast, the EC immediately transferred several officials including the DG of the state after announcement of poll dates. So the EC is overactive in West Bengal but looks the other way when it comes to central agency officials despite getting complaints," he said. Banerjee said the governor promised to inform the TMC about the response of the EC after mailing the complaints of the ruling party of West Bengal to the poll panel. In a letter to the EC, the TMC alleged that BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari met NIA Superintendent of Police DR Singh on March 26 allegedly with a 'packet', and left the flat empty handed after around an hour long meeting. 'The sequence of events are ample evidence of the unholy nexus and agreement between the BJP and the NIA to harass AITC's workers so as to ensure that they are diverted from performing their electioneering duties,' the TMC said in its letter to the EC. The party has alleged that during this meeting, the BJP leader handed over a list of TMC leaders and workers to be targeted. The BJP, meanwhile, termed the TMC leaders' dharna outside the poll panel's office a 'poll gimmick' and alleged the Mamata Banerjee-led party was making an all-out effort to protect Shahjahan Seikh, the main accused in the Sandeshkhali case. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said he rebelled because Uddhav Thackeray abandoned the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde addresses a meeting of Shiv Sena workers in Ramtek in Nagpur. Photograph: @mieknathshinde/X Addressing a meeting of his party workers in Ramtek in Nagpur, Shinde said he did not want to become chief minister but had to rebel after seeing Bal Thackeray's ideology being compromised. Shinde broke away from the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit in June 2022 and formed government with the backing of the BJP. "Balasaheb Thackeray used to consider us (party functionaries) as friends but he thinks of us as house-helps," the CM said in another jibe at the Shiv Sena-UBT chief. He also said a party grows when leaders reach out to the grassroot worker rather than sitting at home. Asking people to vote for the ruling alliance in order to make Narendra Modi prime minister for the third time, Shinde said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi does not have any agenda or intention for development. "The seat sharing details between parties in the ruling alliance will be completed in two to three days. The Mahayuti will win all seats in Vidarbha," he later told reporters at the airport. Responding to a statement by Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray that the CM gave away four to five seats to allies to ensure his son gets renominated from Kalyan, Shinde said those coming up with such criticism must look at the tussles in the MVA. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Rain likely. Low 43F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 43F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. A claim circulating on Chinese-language social media posts says that Japan has an 18% stake in Chinese water purification plants and has secretly acquired ownership of 29 of them. But the claim is misleading and also lacks evidence. Several Japanese companies do run joint ventures with 29 Chinese sewage treatment firms not water purification plants but Chinese companies control them. And there are no credible reports that show Japanese companies own an 18% stake in Chinese municipal drinking water purification plants. The claim was shared on the popular social media platform Weibo on March 11. Scary! Japan has gone so far as to secretly acquire 29 Chinese [drinking] water [purification] plants and also hold 18% shares in such plants in China. How scary is that? the claim reads in part. In the U.S., a military approval is needed to visit such plants. Our national water security and peoples livelihood are in Japans hands, it reads further. The claim was shared alongside three images. Among them, two appear to show a water purification plant in China. An influencer on Weibo claimed that Japan secretly acquired ownership of 29 water plants in China, and 18% of domestic water plants. (Screenshot/Weibo) Sewage treatment, not drinking water purification AFCLs research found that several Japanese companies do run joint ventures with 29 Chinese sewage treatment firms, but these are not drinking water purification plants. And those sewage treatment joint ventures are owned 60% by Chinas Capital Summit and 40% by Japans Sumitomo. AFCL also found no credible reports or statements that show Japan has a controlling stake of 18% in municipal drinking water purification plants in China. In addition, the photos shared in a misleading Weibo post in fact show promotional material of a mineral water packaging plant of a Chinese company. They are irrelevant to sewage treatment firms or drinking water purification plants. Pictures of the supposed Sino-Japanese joint owned sewage treatment plants are in reality pictures of unrelated mineral water packaging plants. (Screenshots/Sina Weibo and Xigua Video) No military approval needed in the U.S. AFCL also found that no U.S. water purification plants or sewage treatment facilities require military approval for entrance. Many of such facilities welcome visitors and offer walking tour programs, although some may impose restrictions like age limits for safety. These tours usually require that visitors provide their name and contact details but dont need military authorization. Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Taejun Kang and Malcolm Foster. Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in todays complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X. Koet Saray has been charged with incitement after speaking up for villagers caught in a land dispute clash. Villagers meet with Koet Saray (L), president of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association, in the forest where they are hiding in Preah Vihear province, March 21, 2024. More than 50 civil society organizations have called on prosecutors to drop incitement charges against the leader of a student organization who recently spoke in defense of villagers involved in a land dispute in northern Cambodia. About 10 plainclothes police officers raided the offices of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association on Friday and arrested its president. Koet Saray was charged on Sunday with committing incitement to disturb social security. His arrest is a continuation of the silencing of the right to freedom of expression and the oppression of human rights and environmental defenders, which are severe violations of the fundamental rights stated in the Constitution, the joint statement from 56 organizations said on Monday. The felony incitement charge stems from his visit to Preah Vihear province last month to meet a group of 100 villagers who have been hiding in a forested area near the Thai border since a violent clash with police on March 6 that resulted in 40 arrests. Villagers in the forest where they are hiding in northern Cambodias Preah Vihear province, March 21, 2024. (Koet Saray via Facebook) Koet Saray posted photos on social media and spoke to media outlets, including Radio Free Asia, about the villagers dire living situation. The charges allege that he planned to lure villagers into illegal land grabbing and more violent protests. During the month of March suspect Koet Saray organized and persuaded people to commit illegal land encroachment and fight violently against the competent authorities, and then frightened people to flee into the jungle, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court said in a statement. Free our brothers and sisters One of the villagers, Lut Sala, told RFA on Monday that Koet Saray did not incite them but only met with villagers to hear about those who were still being detained, she said. I request the Preah Vihear provincial authorities, please end the problem. Stop hunting to arrest people and free our brothers and sisters, including brother Koet Saray, she said. The civil society organizations said Koet Sarays media interviews and comments on the land dispute were an expression of his concerns for peoples livelihoods and a call to urge the authorities to solve the problems taking place there. Sharing his opinion should be seen as helping the authorities solve issues, rather than incitement, the organizations said. Court spokesman Plang Sophal told RFA on Monday that he had not received the organizations statement. A youth group gathered in front of the Phnom Penh police headquarters to call for the release of Koet Saray, April 6, 2024. (Licadho) The new government of Prime Minister Hun Manet ought to find better ways to address the concerns of the people, said Chak Sopheap, the executive director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, which signed the statement. Prosecuting Koet Saray for speaking publicly about the land dispute is what commonly took place under Hun Sen during his decades in power, she said on Facebook. Hun Sen resigned in August to allow his eldest son to be appointed to the office. Koet Saray is being held in pre-trial detention at Prey Sar Prison and has also been charged with committing a misdemeanor, according to a court statement. That charge is related to restrictions placed on him after a 2020 arrest and conviction also for incitement when he and another activist planned to lead a protest in Phnom Penh to demand the release of union leader Rong Chhun. He was released from prison in 2021. Translated by Sum Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed. Chinese mouthpiece reports US stated both sides do not look to decouple. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen meets Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, April 7, 2024. UPDATED at 2:45 p.m. ET on April 8, 2024. Beijing says the United States has reiterated that both sides do not seek to decouple even as the Biden administration intensified criticism of the Chinese for flooding markets with renewable energy products under a policy to stimulate flagging growth. Chinas state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, on an official visit to China, said the U.S. appreciates the progress made in U.S.-China economic dialogue and cooperation, does not seek decoupling from China. Xinhua reported that the remarks were made during Yellens candid meeting with the Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. It did not mention any reciprocal comment from Li regarding decoupling. At a press conference after the meeting, Yellen said she told Li and other Chinese officials that the U.S. concern about an industrial overcapacity in China flooding foreign markets with cheap exports is not animated by anti-China sentiment or a desire to decouple. During conversations this week, I underscored again that the United States does not seek to decouple from China, Yellen said. Our two economies are deeply integrated, and a wholesale separation would be disastrous for both of our economies, she said. Even as we take actions to diversify our supply chains, we seek to preserve the broader trade and investment relationship. Yellens meeting with Li is also the highest level of contact between the worlds two biggest and rivaling economies since the phone call between the U.S. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping last week. The two leaders discussed Chinas destabilizing actions against U.S. ally the Philippines in the South China Sea, its support for Russia in the war in Ukraine, a new security law in Hong Kong and Taiwans upcoming presidential inauguration, a U.S. official had said. The phone call came ahead of Yellens visit and a pending trip by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the coming weeks, according to the official. Prior to her China trip where her first leg began in the southern city of Guangzhou, Yellen had raised concerns of Chinas excess manufacturing capacity, accusing Beijing of flooding markets by heavily subsidizing products like electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar panels to revive economic and export growth. But during her meeting with Li in Beijing, the Chinese premier pushed back on Yellens assertion, according to Xinhua which quoted him as saying the U.S. should refrain from turning economic and trade issues into political or security issues, and view the issue of production capacity objectively and dialectically from a market-oriented and global perspective. Li stressed that the development of China's new energy industry will make important contributions to the global green and low-carbon transition. China hopes the two countries, whose economic interests are deeply intertwined, will be partners rather than adversaries for a win-win cooperation, he added. According to a U.S. Treasury Department readout Sunday, the meeting between Yellen and Li was frank and productive, where she raised issues of concern, including industrial overcapacity in China and the impact that could have on American workers and firms. She also emphasized the importance of working together on global challenges, including debt distress in low-income and emerging economies. This year is an election year in the United States, and the Chinese economy is facing a series of severe challenges involving pillar industries such as real estate and exports, as well as debt and employment. Sundays meeting was Yellens second face-to-face meeting with Chinese officials in nine months to discuss thorny U.S.-China trade issues. According to international media reports, Yellen told Li that bilateral relations are now more stable because the two sides can have difficult discussions. But she stressed, That doesnt mean ignoring our differences or avoiding difficult conversations. It means understanding that we can only make progress if we communicate with each other directly and openly. Reuters quoted a senior U.S. Treasury Department official as saying after the meeting that the two sides discussed in detail Chinas industrial overcapacity problem and the government support that contributes to the problem. Li has shown a willingness to let the U.S. and Chinese economic teams explore the issue further. Translated by RFA Staff. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. Updated to include comments from Janet Yellen. Ma Ying-jeou's calls for Taiwanese to recognize their 'Chineseness' spark anger in the democratic island. Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, who is currently on a controversial tour of China in a bid to ease tensions across the Taiwan Strait, could meet with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping this week, according to a person familiar with the situation. A meeting had been scheduled for Monday, but has now been pushed back to Wednesday, coinciding with the U.S.-Japan-Philippines leaders summit in Washington, a person familiar with the negotiations told RFA Mandarin. A Taiwanese political analyst said the date also marks the anniversary of the signing of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which Beijing opposed at the time. Ma, whose Kuomintang party once ruled China, fled to Taiwan after losing a civil war to Mao Zedongs communists in 1949 and ruled as an authoritarian dictatorship for several decades before being voted out in democratic elections in 2016. He arrived in China on April 1 for an 11-day visit aimed at promoting peace. "The meeting between Ma and Xi is at China's invitation; it was Xi Jinping who decided they would meet," a person familiar with the situation said. Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, left, meets with Song Tao, director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, in Shenzhen, China, April 1, 2024. (Ma Ying-jeou Foundation via AP) The meeting comes as China seeks to improve relations with key diplomatic partners and ease its growing international isolation, the person said. "By meeting with Ma Ying-jeou, Beijing is creating the impression that dialogue between Beijing and Taiwan is still possible," they said. Taiwan has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, nor formed part of the 73-year-old Peoples Republic of China, and most of its 23 million people have no wish to give up their sovereignty or democratic way of life to be ruled by China, according to multiple public opinion polls in recent years. Neither Ma nor Chinese officials have confirmed that he will meet with Xi. Beijing has slammed Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen and her ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, as "dangerous separatists" and refused the government-to-government talks stipulated by the Tsai administration as a precondition for cross-Straits negotiations. Trips criticized Meanwhile, Mas repeated trips to China have been criticized by Tsai and her officials as undermining the island's government, because his insistence on a Chinese identity for Taiwan shores up Beijings territorial claims. In a process that began with inviting Taiwanese politicians to visit China last year, on the condition that they don't reject Beijing's territorial claim on the island, Beijing wants to counter the impression made by its "wolf-warrior" diplomacy of recent years, the person said. Ma on Monday visited the historic Marco Polo Bridge, where the first shots were fired in the Japanese invasion, and spoke of wanting to weep when considering the heroism of the Chinese people who resisted it. "There are no winners in war, and there are no losers in peace," he told reporters at the site. "Mistakes in war may be forgiven, but historical truth can't be forgotten." Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou attends a ceremony at the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in the northern Chinese province of Shaanxi, April 4, 2024. (Ma Ying-jeous office) Ma last met Xi in Singapore in late 2015 at a landmark summit, shortly before incumbent Tsai won a landslide victory in the presidential election of 2016. He remains a senior member of the Kuomintang, or KMT, which lost the presidency to the DPP for the third time in a row in January, but holds no official position in Taiwanese politics. Ma's visit this month coincides with the Qing Ming grave-sweeping festival, and the former democratically elected president used a visit to the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in the northern province of Shaanxi to call on the islands young people to "remember their Chinese roots," sparking criticism back home in Taiwan. He is also visiting a number of sites linked to the fight against Japan during World War II, in which the Kuomintang government and Mao Zedong's forces formed an uneasy alliance that descended into civil war after Japan surrendered in 1945. "You don't grieve Taiwan's earthquake disaster ... instead you are a thousand miles away crying over the Japanese invasion in World War II 80 years ago," DPP lawmaker Wang Ting-yu commented in an April 4 Facebook post. "[Yet you] ignore the fact that the Chinese Communist Party to this day hasn't renounced the use of force against Taiwan," Wang wrote, accusing Ma, who served two terms as president from 2008-2016, of "echoing" Beijing's propaganda. Anniversary politics Soong Kuo-cheng, a researcher at Taiwan's National Chengchi University, said the date for Wednesday's meeting had likely been carefully chosen. "It's not just about disregarding the U.S.-Japan summit in Washington, but also, this date marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act," said Soong, referring to the 1979 Act that requires the U.S. government to take steps to defend Taiwan against aggression, including allowing arms sales. "For 45 years, China has regarded the Taiwan Relations Act as an anti-China law aimed at protecting Taiwan," he said. "Moving the date for the Ma-Xi meeting to April 10 is anniversary politics." The Act has been described as the U.S. Congress' "gift to Taipei" after the United States broke off diplomatic ties with the Republic of China on Taiwan and switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing. Protesters wearing masks of former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping perform outside of Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan, April 1, 2024. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP) It was passed to help maintain peace, security, and stability in the Western Pacific and to promote the foreign policy of the United States by authorizing the continuation of commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of the United States and the people on Taiwan" following the ending of formal diplomatic ties. It also defines any threat to Taiwan as a threat to the interests of the United States. Beijing saw the law as a betrayal of U.S. commitments to its "one China" policy. Soong said Ma's repeated message to Taiwan's people that they share common ancestry with people in China is highly Sinocentric. "Ma Ying-jeou is foolish to say that blood is thicker than water," Soong said. "At a time when the rest of the world sees the Chinese Communist Party as an enemy, and Biden refers to Xi Jinping as a dictator, Ma is the only one crazy enough to think that not only can we trust them, but to thank them too." Translated by Luisetta Mudie. A man, right with backpack, waves farewell to friends as he departs for a permanent move to the U.K. at the Hong Kong airport, June 30, 2021. Britain has further relaxed immigration rules for Hong Kongers seeking to resettle there in the wake of the Article 23 national security law that has intensified a crackdown on any kind of dissent. Anyone wanting to apply for the British National Overseas, or BNO, visa route to long-term residency and eventual citizenship can now travel to the United Kingdom first, and apply from there, according to new rules posted to the Home Office website. You can apply for a British National (Overseas) visa from inside the UK if ... youre in the UK as a visitor, [if] youre in the UK on a different visa and want to switch to a BNO visa [or if] youve made an asylum claim, according to the newly updated rules. Some unsuccessful applicants may also be allowed to remain for up to 12 months in a bid to prove that they have enough money to support themselves, potentially allowing them to find work and then reapply, the website said. The Safeguarding National Security bill, passed on March 19 under Article 23 of the citys Basic Law, includes sentences of up to life imprisonment for treason, insurrection, sabotage and mutiny, and 20 years for espionage. It can punish people 10 years for crimes linked to state secrets and sedition, and allows for the China-issued Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports of anyone who flees overseas to be revoked. New flexibility The London-based rights group Hong Kong Watch said it has already resulted in a deteriorating human rights situation in the city, citing the denial of early release of jailed Captain America activist Ma Chun-man under the law, as well as the dissolution of the opposition Civic Party. Before the law, Ma would have been considered for a sentence reduction of up to one third for good behavior a rule that now no longer applies to national security cases under the new law. A pro-democracy demonstrator holds British National Overseas passports during a protest against new national security legislation in Hong Kong, China, on June 1, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Last month, the British government made it easier for Hong Kong applicants to gain assistance from public funds, after relaxing rules allowing more applicants partners to join them in the U.K. An immigration consultant with the British advocacy group Hong Kong Aid who gave only his surname Chow for fear of reprisals said the new rules will give some flexibility to people seeking to leave Hong Kong urgently for political reasons in the wake of the Article 23 legislation. There is a lot of uncertainty in Hong Kong since Article 23 took effect, Chow said. This will change a lot of plans ... particularly for Hong Kongers who have been engaged in politics or in politically sensitive lines of work. This policy may not affect very many people, but I think its a very important change, because ... it makes applying for a BNO visa less overwhelming, Chow said, saying that the rules would be particularly useful for people in emergency situations. Previously, anyone entering the U.K. on a tourist visa and applying for the BNO route to settlement had been rejected because they were seen as not being honest about their reasons for applying for a tourist visa, Chow said, citing dozens of cases he has worked to help people in that situation. Priority in Canada Some applicants could also fear drawing unwelcome attention from the Hong Kong authorities if they visit the U.K. Visa Application Center in North Point to record biometric data, or visit a clinic to do the mandatory test for tuberculosis, he said. Such actions may attract the attention of the authorities, meaning that they will know that they are planning to leave, so we think this policy is to protect those people, Chow said. But he warned anyone coming in on a tourist visa not to mislead immigration staff when asked why they had traveled to the U.K. on that visa. They should make it clear that they are there as tourists, but that they will be submitting an application for a BNO visa on arrival, due to the changing political situation in Hong Kong, he said. At least 191,000 people have applied to the BNO visa program so far, according to government figures released in November. The rule changes come as authorities in Canada confirmed that priority processing remains in place for Hong Kongers applying for permanent residency in the country under the Hong Kong Pathway, following complaints of waiting times of several months for some applicants. In a statement dated April 2, Hong Kong Watch called on the Canadian government to boost capacity to handle thousands of applications, and make it easier for work permit holders on the Hong Kong Pathway to extend those permits. Hong Kong Watch has recently assisted several applicants facing emergencies with obtaining PR status. We will continue to monitor the situation and help those in emergencies, the group said. It also called on the U.K. government to allow BNO visa holders to pay the lower university tuition fees offered to home students after three years residency. Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie. A Myanmar National Airlines plane carrying family members of the junta on the night of April 7, 2024. Updated April 8, 2024, 02:04 p.m. ET. Myanmar junta forces, pushed out by rebel groups at Kayin state's border township of Myawaddy, have requested to be evacuated with their family members through a Thai border town, Thailands foreign ministry said on Monday. After receiving the said request, and upon considering the urgency of the situation and the possibility of an evacuation of Myanmar personnel and their families to safe areas, a decision was made at the government level to approve the request from Myanmar on humanitarian grounds, said the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. Around 617 personnel have requested evacuation, including 410 soldiers and 207 family members, according to Thai media. Allied rebel armed groups in Kayin state, which borders Thailand Tak province, have suspended some of the juntas local government offices in the major trade hub township of Myawaddy since Saturday, said a local businessman. At Friendship Bridge No. 1 also, immigration is issuing papers for people to cross [over the border], working as usual, he said, declining to be named for security reasons. The usual police, Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs and Bureau of Special Investigation were not seen at Friendship Bridge No. 1. Friendship Bridge No. 1 connects the Thai city of Mae Sot with Myanmars Myawaddy and has been run by Myanmars junta since it reopened in 2023 after a three-year hiatus. The Karen Nation Union, working with guerrilla armies, or the Peoples Defense Forces, and the Border Guard Forces on Saturdays maneuver, has not issued any updates about their hold on Myawaddy since the Thai ministrys announcement. The group announced on Saturday it captured Thin Gan Nyi Naung village in Myawaddy district, still 12 kilometers (seven miles) from the border. In 2023, it seized a mountain overlooking Myawaddy, and took control of the citys Asian Highway in December. While these liminal successes at the border could mark significant economic and security changes, there are other strategic trade routes and military positions the junta still has a tight grasp on, said Dulyapak Preecharush, an associate professor of Southeast Asian Studies at Thailands Thammasat University. Now, the opposition groups have more power than the [junta] in this area and will become the powerful stakeholder there, he said. However, despite the Tatmadaw's [the military of Myanmars] failure in defending the city [Myawaddy], other military camps in Kayin state and its headquarters of Southeastern Regional Command in Mawlamyine have not been captured. Non-political aid According to the Thai foreign ministry, one flight arrived from Myanmar at Mae Sots airport on Sunday. The ministry did not elaborate, but said the junta has since requested that remaining flights for Monday and Tuesday be canceled. A meeting will be held at the Government House on Tuesday to assess the situation and determine a course of action for Thailand, the statement continued. The Karen Nation Union, or KNU, and Myanmar nationals in Mae Sot told RFA that the junta had sent the Myanmar National Airlines plane to Mae Sot to bring back the troops, but negotiations between the Myanmar and Thai sides appeared to have "failed" and the aircraft left without any soldiers. A former military officer, who requested not to be named for security reasons, said that the junta "did what they should do" as a governing body, but described its management of the situation as poor. "They lack military tactics and an effective distribution of power," he said. "Their management style is based on old principles and is ineffective. KNU spokesperson Padoh Saw Taw Nee also suggested that the Myanmar National Airlines plane returned with no one on board due to a breakdown in negotiations between the junta and Thai officials. He said of the surrendered junta forces that the KNU "didn't force them to cross the border and that they are allowed to return." The junta has yet to release a statement on efforts to repatriate its troops and attempts by RFA to contact junta spokesperson Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun went unanswered Monday. Thailand's neutrality Thailands Ratchamanu task force, based in Tak province, has stressed the countrys firm neutral stance among all warring factions in Myanmar. In line with humanitarian principle, Thailand would not take side with Myanmar troops nor ethnic forces but we give assistance where applicable, Task Force Commander Col. Nattakorn Reuntib told RFA. Soldiers, regardless of their political association, would be disarmed, given basic assistance and repatriated, he added. Thailands foreign ministry has not responded to RFAs inquiries as of this writing. This development the ethnic armies having more control over the border could prompt Thailands officials to re-examine their operations in Mae Sot, said political analyst Panitan Wattanayagorn. Who controls the bridge must control immigration, he said, adding that new groups may be more flexible on the border than the junta was. The Thai officers must renegotiate with the new groups to make sure there is no real surge or increase in terms of crossing borders illegally. Fearing more clashes, residents flee Meanwhile, following the fall of Thin Gan Nyi Naung village to rebel forces, sources told RFA that residents of the area began leaving their homes on Sunday in anticipation of renewed fighting. A resident of Myawaddy township said that junta troops have tightened security on the streets. The situation is complicated downtown," the resident said. "Wealthy families and businesspeople have left their homes. Those living near the General Administration Office have fled. The resident was unable to provide an exact number of people displaced from central Myawaddy. Access to the township has been cut off, while district level offices and ward administration offices have been closed since Sunday, residents said. Junta troops and soldiers from the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army are patrolling in convoys and conducting inspections in some areas of the town, they added. RFA attempted to contact Saw Khin Maung Myint, the junta's spokesperson for the Kayin state government, for an update on the situation in Myawaddy, but received no response. Edited by Elaine Chan, Taejun Kang and Joshua Lipes. This story has been updated to include additional information about the Myanmar National Airlines flight to Mae Sot and residents fleeing Myawaddy in anticipation of renewed fighting. The building was targeted because the junta was selling protestors property, a militia spokesperson said. An urban guerrilla group attacked a major administrative office in Myanmars largest city, an official from the rebel organization told Radio Free Asia on Monday. Urban Special Force, a Yangon-based group opposing the military that seized power in a 2021 coup, took responsibility for shooting long-range shock missiles. The group shot at the Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs on Saturday night because it was an important military target, the official said. "Things seized from the people who participated in the Spring Revolution were kept in that office. Then the [junta] resold those objects as militarys property, he said, declining to be named for fear of reprisals. An administrator from Yangons North Okkalapa township, south of the blast site in Mingaladon township, confirmed the attack took place near his residence. "The office was attacked on the night of the sixth. The junta has tried to hide this news, he said, declining to be named for security reasons. From that night until the next day, all roads near the office were closed and checked. RFA contacted Yangon regions junta spokesperson Htay Aung for more information on the extent of the damage, but he did not respond by the time of publication. Urban Special Forces previously attacked the junta's air force housing in Yangons Insein township on March 8. Since the military seized power in 2021, urban guerrilla-style militia groups have proliferated in Yangon, many aligning themselves with the shadow National Unity Government. Junta soldiers have tightened security in Yangon region after a series of bomb blasts in some townships since the end of March, according to residents. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. US ambassador to Japan says Tokyos role in the AUKUS defense pact will help overcome bottlenecks. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel speaks during an interview with Reuters at the ambassador's residence in Tokyo, Japan, October 30, 2023. The addition of Japan to an effort by the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to create a single defense industrial base across their countries will help alleviate military production backlogs, the U.S. ambassador to Japan said in Washington on Monday. Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago who has served as Americas top envoy in Tokyo since March 2022, said Japans recent overturning of laws banning the export of lethal weapons put the country in a unique spot to help the U.S. defense industry. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies ahead of a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as well as a trilateral summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Emanuel said U.S. global military obligations were outstripping its industrial capacity. This is not breaking news, he said. Our military-industrial capabilities are not equal to the challenges and commitments we have. The ambassador said the recent overturning of the weapons-export ban in Tokyo opens up the industrial capacity of Japan to be part of a solution in a way that was not possible with allies in Europe or any other country that have less developed industrial capacities. A Philippine Navy AW159 Wildcat helicopter pilot walks toward a helicopter during the first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity between the Philippines, US, Australia and Japan, in South China Sea, April 7, 2024. (Handout / Armed Forces of the Philippines/AFP) As part of their AUKUS security pact, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia are currently working toward the creation of a seamless defense industrial base across their three countries, as the United States struggles to chip away at production backlogs. Emanuel said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last week Japan would this week be revealed as the first external partner to that effort. A joint statement from the defense ministers of the United States, United Kingdom and Australia released on Monday also indicated that Japan was on the verge of joining AUKUS in some capacity. Recognizing Japan's strengths and its close bilateral defense partnerships with all three countries, we are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects, it said, referring to the official name for the single industrial base. Diplomatic triangulation The efforts come as tensions boil over in the South China Sea, with Chinese coast guard vessels using water cannons against Philippine Navy vessels trying to supply a naval station at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, which Beijing claims as its sovereign territory. Ships and aircraft from the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia over the weekend carried out military exercises in the South China Sea ahead of this weeks high-profile meetings in Washington. USS Mobile, JS Akebono, HMAS Warramunga, BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Valentine Diaz sail in formation during a multilateral maritime cooperative activity between Australia, the United States, Japan and the Philippines off the coast within the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone April 7, 2024.(POIS Leo Baumgartner/Royal Australian Navy) Kishida is due to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday, with Kishida, Marcos and Biden then set to meet on Thursday in what has been billed as the three countries first-ever trilateral meeting. American officials said that Biden would likely express concerns about the situation around the Second Thomas Shoal during the meetings, and remind Beijing that the Philippines is a key American ally, according to a report by the Financial Times that quoted a senior U.S. official. China is underestimating the potential for escalation. Weve tried to make that clear in a series of conversations, the official said. Our mutual defense treaty covers Philippine sailors and ships. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing was gravely concerned by the growing cooperation of U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, which she said was stoking bloc confrontation. The U.S., the U.K. and Australia have kept sending signals of AUKUS expansion, co-opting some countries to come on board and escalating an arms race in the Asia-Pacific to the detriment of peace and stability in the region, Mao said at a press briefing on Monday. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Naval ships from the U.S., Australia, Japan and the Philippines sail in formation off the coast within the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone on April 7, 2024. Ships and aircraft from the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia conducted a large-scale joint exercise in the South China Sea on Sunday, just a few days ahead of an unprecedented summit in Washington D.C. On April 11, U.S. President Joe Biden, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold their first trilateral meeting at the White House to discuss security cooperation. The armed forces of the three countries and Australia successfully conducted the first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea on Sunday, April 7, said a statement from the Philippine military, referring to the area within Manilas exclusive economic zone. Six naval ships and four aircraft performed communication exercise, division tactics or Officer of the Watch maneuver, and a photo exercise. These activities were designed to enhance the different forces' abilities to work together effectively in maritime scenarios, the statement said. Philippine Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said that two Chinese naval ships were sighted during the joint exercise. But these Navy ships did not do anything, [did not] block or prevent the exercises that we were doing. They [exercises] continued and our [multilateral] maritime cooperative activity was successful," he said. Manila has recently accused Chinese coast guard vessels of blocking and harassing its resupply missions at the Second Thomas Shoal where it maintains an old warship as a military outpost. The Japanese Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara, meanwhile, said that the joint activity demonstrated our collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the U.S. uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, and respect for maritime rights under international law Kihara said in a joint statement. Every country should be free to conduct lawful air and maritime operations, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin added. The spokesperson for the Philippine Armed Forces, Col. Xerxes Trinidad, told reporters in Manila that there were no untoward incidents during the joint drills. Beijings response The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) announced on the same day that it also conducted a joint naval and air combat exercise in the South China Sea. All military activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create hotspots are under control, the PLA Southern Theater Command said in a statement on the microblogging site Weibo. Beijing has accused Washington of using its allies as pawns to destabilize the region and threaten China's surrounding security. Recently the Southern Theater Command, whose primary area of responsibility is the South China Sea, has also conducted a real combat training exercise in the South China Sea. Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan. Luktsang Palyon, or Tibetan Sheep, is the latest online platform to succumb to Beijings crackdown. A young Tibetan monk looks at his mobile phone outside the Nanwu temple in Kangding, west of Sichuan province, China, April 2, 2008. The Chinese government has shut down a popular Tibetan-language blog, angering residents of Tibet and members of the Tibetan exile community who rely on it for access to Tibetan content. In a statement issued on April 2, the administrator of Luktsang Palyon, or Tibet Sheep in English, said the website and its related WeChat blog had been blocked by authorities for alleged copyright infringement and that he has filed a formal appeal for authorities to restore it. The government has completely blocked access to Luktsang Palyon, said the administrator, who did not want to be named for safety reasons. Over the past few years, Chinese authorities have ramped up efforts to restrict the use of the Tibetan language, with clampdowns on related blogs, schools, websites, social media platforms, and apps, as Beijing pushes ahead with assimilation policies in Tibet. Collage of logos of the popular online Tibetan-language blog Luktsang Palyon and a screenshot of its April 2, 2024, statement announcing its closure by Chinese authorities and its subsequent appeal for restoration of the blog. (Citizen journalist) Even though the administrator has formally requested that authorities reverse the order, theres little hope that the situation will change, said a person inside Tibet who is familiar with the matter and who also declined to be named. If restored, Luktsang Palyon will ensure the rights of writers are upheld, but if the request is declined, it will fully comply with the decision of the government, the administrator said in a statement. The platform also emphasized the importance of copyright protection and the authenticity of the content published on its blog. Established in March 2013, Luktsang Palyon has focused on topics related to Tibetan language and culture, and has built up a loyal community of readers as a source for writings by Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet. It has published about 10,000 pieces of educational content, Tibetan articles and stories, music lyrics, Tibetan-Chinese translations and audio content. The Tibetan-language platform Luktsang Palyon served as a vital hub for content from Tibetans inside and outside Tibet. (Citizen journalist) Shutting down this platform is a matter of significant loss and concern for the Tibetan scholarly community as it has been a constant source to access content, said Beri Jigme Wangyal, a literature professor and author at the Central University of Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, India. Authorities have blocked other Tibetan-language online platforms in recent years. In 2022, the China-based language learning app Talkmate and video-streaming service Bilibili removed the Tibetan and Uyghur languages from their sites following a directive issued by Chinese authorities. Later that same year, the creators of a popular Tibetan-language short video-sharing app called GangYang shut it down, citing financial reasons. Rights groups, however, said the move was likely prompted by a Chinese government order to close the app as authorities ratcheted up efforts to restrict Tibetans from using their own language. Translated by Tenzin Palmo for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Tenzin Pema for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Joshua Lipes. One year ago, Hamas -- the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip -- carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, the deadliest in the countrys history. In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas and rescue the 251 hostages taken by the group. Israel has expanded its war in recent weeks by invading Lebanon and launching air strikes targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. RFE/RL spoke to Lior Yohanani, manager of quantitative research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based independent research center, which on October 7 released a wide-ranging survey of Israeli public opinion after one year of war. RFE/RL: Can you explain what your study found as to how Israelis view the past year since Hamas's October 7 attack? Lior Yohanani: Well, I think Israelis still don't see October 7 as an event that's over. Sure, the actual horrific events of that day ended, but Israelis are still living with the consequences. There are two main aspects to this. First, since October 7, Israel has been in this multifront war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. And then, of course, there is the issue of the hostages still being held in Gaza. So, we're seeing a sharp drop in people's sense of personal security. Almost three quarters of the public feel less safe compared to before October 7, and that's despite a year of war and some significant military achievements. On the flip side, we're also seeing that most people say their lives have returned to normal when it comes to things like work, media consumption, and family and social gatherings. Another thing we're noticing is that the Israeli public is giving pretty low marks to all the political and military leaders for the performance since October 7. For example, almost two-thirds of Israelis are rating Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's performance since then as poor or not good. RFE/RL: How has Israel's involvement in a two-front conflict, in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a confrontation with Iran affected public opinion among Israelis? Yohanani: It's tough to answer that question, because we're at the point where things could go in a few different directions. In the last few weeks, we've seen a major escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and just last week, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which Israel is expected to respond to. In a survey we just did recently, we asked whether Israeli society and the military could handle fighting on two or more fronts for an extended period of time, and the results were pretty striking. Over 70 percent believe that yes, both Israeli society and the military can handle that kind of prolonged fighting. So, while the situation is complex and evolving, there seems to be a strong sense of resilience and capability among Israelis, even in the face of these multiple threats. But of course, public opinion could shift depending on how events unfold in the coming weeks or months. RFE/RL: Is there support for Netanyahus response to October 7? Is there debate in Israeli society, as well as political circles, over Netanyahus strategic choices? Yohanani: First of all, it's important to say that the Israeli public has largely supported significant military operation against Hamas in Gaza. That said, the Israeli discourse around the October 7 events, the ongoing war, and especially toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very polarized between right-wing supporters on the one hand and left and center supporters on the other. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term." So, on the left and the center, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion toward Netanyahu and his government. For instance, Netanyahu's apparent reluctance to pursue a deal for returning the hostages in exchange for ending the fighting in Gaza is seen by large parts of the public, even on the right, as resulting from Netanyahu's dependence on far-right, ultranationalist members of his government who refuse any compromise or ceasefire. Now for a long time, Netanyahu and his ministers argued that only significant military force would lead Hamas to compromise and release the hostages. Now, with military attention and resources shifting to the north, people are asking, where is this massive military force that was supposed to bring the hostages home? One question we have asked several times since October 7 in our polls is what should be the main goal in Gaza: Dismantling Hamas or bringing back the hostages? And as time goes on, public opinion is increasingly supporting the return of hostages. In our current survey, 62 percent saw bringing the bringing back the hostages as Israel's main goal, while only 29 percent pointed to dismantling Hamas as the primary objective. RFE/RL: How do ordinary Israelis see the question of the remaining hostages amid the continued protests by the hostages' families? Yohanani: As I mentioned before, most of the public supports a deal to release the hostages, even if it means ending the war and withdrawing the military forces from Gaza. There's this widespread feeling that we've left the hostages behind, and that's really hitting at our sense of solidarity, which is a deep and fundamental value, I think, in Jewish history in general and in Israel society in particular. At the same time, the campaign run by the Hostages And Missing Families Forum has become very politicized. Many right-wing supporters see it as weakening Israel. As time goes on, we're seeing more and more harassment of protesters who support bringing the hostages back. There are cases of passersby cursing, even hitting and throwing eggs, at hostages' families. In our latest survey, we asked about the effectiveness of the protests and actions taken by the hostages' families. Despite most of the public feeling empathetic toward the hostage issue, only less than a third think these actions are actually helping to advance a deal for the hostages' release, while almost 40 percent think they're actually hurting the cause. So, you've got this complex situation where people want the hostages back, but there is disagreement and some backlash about how to make that happen. RFE/RL: Can you explain the reasons behind the apparent contradiction in views regarding prioritizing a negotiated return of the hostages, or destroying Hamas? Yohanani: You're right to point out that apparent contradiction. Let me break it down a bit. As I mentioned earlier, a clear majority of the public sees a deal to release the hostages as the main goal. But there is a big gap between political camps on this issue. In the center and left, about 80 percent support the deal for the hostages' release, while the opinions on the right are evenly split. So, for most of the left and center, the fighting in Gaza has run its course. They feel most military objectives have been achieved, and Hamas's military power has been significantly weakened. From their perspective, continuing the fight now only puts the hostages at greater risk. It's important to know that about half of the right-wing also shares this view of prioritizing the hostages' release, but the other half of those on the far-right thinks dismantling Hamas is more important. Why? For a couple of reasons. First, there's a security stance that Hamas must be wiped out and not allowed to recover. There is also a very strong sentiment of revenge, with minimal consideration for the cost, whether it's the lives of the hostages, soldiers, let alone innocent civilians in Gaza. Another significant component openly discussed in religious nationalist circles is the return of Jewish settlement to the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuated Jewish settlements from there in 2005. RFE/RL: Is there public confidence that Israel will ultimately be able to remove the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah and come out of this conflict with greater prospects for a peaceful and stable near-term future? Yohanani: Right now, the Israeli public isn't showing a lot of optimism. In our current survey, when we asked people if they're optimistic or pessimistic about Israel's future, we found more pessimists, 48 percent, than optimists, 45 percent. I also think it's important to note that a peaceful future, as you put it, or peace in general, isn't really a common concept in the current Israeli discourse. I would say the hope of Israelis is that the military actions against Hezbollah and Iran will lead to a situation where Israel's existence isn't in question, and that Israeli military superiority will prevent events like October 7 from happening again. So, it's less about peace in the traditional sense, and more about security and deterrence. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term. ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- "How can you say that? Unintended? You were beating her to death for several hours!" Saltanat Nukenova's grief-stricken mother could not restrain herself after the man accused of killing her daughter -- a man who once served as Kazakhstan's economy minister -- attempted to explain his not-guilty plea to the court. And she had to leave the courtroom when photos of her daughter's injuries -- sustained immediately prior to her death in November in a restaurant owned by the ex-minister's family -- were shown in court. The judge in the case taking place in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, has forbidden the swelling press pack covering the trial from reproducing the images. Journalists have also been told they cannot film or photograph members of the 10-member jury who, with the judge, will decide the fate of the wealthy businessman. Those understandable restrictions aside, the trial of 43-year-old former Economy Minister Quandyq Bishimbaev for the murder of his 31-year-old wife, Nukenova, has been digested in real time in a way without precedent in Kazakh history. For millions of Kazakhs the courtroom proceedings streamed live by the Supreme Court and picked up by some of the country's largest online media has made for compulsive, if often harrowing, viewing. 'Portrait Of Our Political Elite' Around 400 women die from domestic violence every year in Kazakhstan, according to UN Women, the United Nations agency for gender equality and the empowerment of women. Actual numbers may be even higher. Yet for the moment, the public conversation around the trial is focused less on that broader trend and more on the behavior of the trial's main defendant. When he was appointed economy minister in 2016, Bishimbaev was being put forward as the next generation of Kazakh officialdom: forward-thinking, patriotic, and polished by a stint in a U.S. university thanks to funding from Bolashaq, the Kazakh state scholarship program. A favorite of first President Nursultan Nazarbaev, his firing just six months after his appointment and subsequent arrest on corruption charges registered as a minor earthquake within the political elite. But he was pardoned under an amnesty initiated by Nazarbaev and, during the time that he might otherwise have spent in jail, divorced his previous wife and married Nukenova. Bishimbaev's first proper address to the court on April 1 featured an apology to Nukenova's family, triggering her mother's outburst. His position remains that he "caused her death" but did not intend it. After that explanation, he and his legal team repeatedly painted Nukenova as psychologically unstable and prone to violence, jealousy, and alcohol abuse. Security camera footage from the November 9 incident shown to the court on April 3 shows Bishimbaev grabbing Nukenova by the hair, then punching and kicking her. He admitted there was even more violence in the bathroom, where there were no cameras. But Bishimbaev claimed under oath that an out-of-control Nukenova fell on the toilet, causing the most severe of the blows that she sustained. He also disputed medical expertise that indicated that Nukenova had sustained at least a dozen individual blows to the head that night, ultimately causing her death. None of the footage shown to the court shows Nukenova assaulting Bishimbaev. On April 3, as Bishimbaev gave his account of the violence on that November morning, Nukenova's brother, Aitbek Amangeldi, appeared to be on the verge of sickness and the judge called for a pause in the proceedings. But by then, another sensational headline had written itself after Bishimbaev acknowledged that with Nukenova still in a state of shock after the violence, he chose to phone a soothsayer that he had regularly consulted for advice instead of an ambulance. "This person -- if you can call him such -- was our economy minister, friends!" vented Murat Daniyar, the host of the Jurttyn Balasy (Son of the People) podcast, one of several Kazakh bloggers who have dedicated multiple episodes of their YouTube shows to the trial. "This is a portrait of our political elite!" he added. Minister? Man-Child? Murderer? Amangeldi has been responsible for some of the most surprising testimony provided to the court. On March 29, he showed photos he said were sent to him by Nukenova after an earlier alleged incident of violence by Bishimbaev. They showed Nukenova with two black eyes and swollen lips. Amangeldi said he and Bishimbaev had a fight on the night that he received the photos and recalled how Nukenova had elected to stay with Bishimbaev at their apartment and "save the marriage" rather than leave with her brother. Bishimbaev said Amangeldi was drunk that night and attacked him with a knife, adding that he had not inflicted the bruises on his wife's face. That confrontation was in March 2023. But Amangeldi, whose uncle is a former governor of the northern province of Pavlodar, testified to witnessing worrying behavior on Bishimbaev's part at a New Year's Eve dinner hosted by the Bishimbaev family. During the dinner, Amangeldi said, Bishimbaev had a meltdown over the handing out of New Year's presents and stormed off after accusing his father of ruining his and his mother's life. While Amangeldi said he made an early exit that night, he claimed a distraught Nukenova later phoned him to tell him that Bishimbaev had returned to the party and overturned the table where guests were sitting, still full of rage. Bishimbaev has accused Amangeldi and other Nukenova relatives of organizing a "PR campaign" against him. But suggestions that Bishimbaev engaged in regular controlling behavior are harder to dismiss -- especially when the evidence comes from the defense. In the hearing on April 8, Bishimbaev's lawyer read out a "statement" allegedly handwritten by Nukenova and addressed to Bishimbaev in which she promised to "regularly go to a psychologist, work on myself, work on my trust, be sincere, obedient, and respect Quandyq." Furthermore, Nukenova purportedly promised to "pray together with Quandyq .. work on my consciousness, grow spiritually, and take care of my home and our love with the help of Allah." If the alleged evidence was intended to be an indication of past wrongdoing on Nukenova's part, it fell flat. "That is the first time I have heard of a wife writing a husband something like that," remarked the trial's hard-nosed judge, Aizhan Kulbaeva, clearly surprised. Nukenova's family lawyer Igor Vranchev immediately cast doubt on the veracity of the statement. "I would not be surprised if before the end of the proceedings we have another statement from Saltanat Nukenova, probably addressed to the court and jury [saying] that the toilet is to blame for everything," he said, in comments reported by the privately owned website Tengrinews. 'Saltanat's Law' It is worth noting that many high-profile Kazakh trials lack these elements of courtroom drama precisely because they are taking place in Kazakhstan. Lawyer Dzhokhar Utebekov argued in an April 5 commentary for Forbes Kazakhstan that in most trials the prosecution and judge work as a "tandem" in a judicial system in which acquittals are rare and independence sorely lacking. Public and international interest in this trial has made business as usual impossible, Utebekov argued, resulting in a trial that is "correctly organized." But the more open process has also revealed the shortcomings of some of the trial's participants, the lawyer said, singling out the prosecutor for dropping the ball on more than one occasion. Cynics have already argued that the courtroom show is a beneficial public distraction for the administration of President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev. Bishimbaev, their argument runs, was an official from the era of Toqaev's predecessor, 83-year-old Nazarbaev -- a man whom the head of state now wants to distance himself from. The trial is also taking place during Kazakhstan's worst floods this century -- a catastrophe that has necessitated more than 75,000 evacuations to date, while laying bare what the government admits was poor preparation. But as other commentators with large online followings have countered, Kazakhstan's system has not changed enough for Bishimbaev not to be considered symbolic of it. That means that even a heavy sentence -- life imprisonment is possible only if the judge and the 10 jurors unanimously back the charge of "murder with particular cruelty" -- may not be enough to remove his stain on the body politic. And the government is already facing another wave of public pressure to prove its commitment to preventing violence against women, via a new law fully criminalizing domestic violence. Officials have said such a law is in the works after more than 150,000 signatories demanded amendments to the Criminal Code in the weeks after Nukenova's death. In a January interview with state media, Toqaev said he was "clearly and unequivocally" in favor of tougher penalties and called on society to show "zero tolerance" for domestic violence. But a group of activists, recalling that the authorities have backtracked on a similar law in the past, have gone a step further, launching a letter-writing campaign to lawmakers, with more than 5,000 messages sent through the state portal. The campaign was posted under a hashtag -- #ZakonSaltanat: Saltanat's law. Dozens of Israelis were injured, several critically, when a "swarm" of Hezbollah drones hit near the northern Israeli town of Binyamina in one of the bloodiest attacks on the country since October 2023. Hezbollah is an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. CNN reported that the United Hatzalah rescue service said it had "provided assistance to over 60 wounded people in various conditions -- some of them in critical, serious, moderate, and light condition." National emergency service Magen David Adom (AFMDA) said at least 67 people were injured, four with life-threatening injuries, in the attack some 60 kilometers north of Tel Aviv in the Haifa district. Hezbollah -- which is considered a terrorist group by the United States, although the EU has only blacklisted its armed wing -- claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had launched a "swarm of attack drones" at Israel's Golani military training camp in Binyamina. The Israeli military did not provide specifics about the affected site. Iran-allied Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel, although most have been shot down or caused little damage and few casualties. Earlier in the day, angry UN peacekeepers said Israeli forces had smashed into a gate of one of their bases in Lebanon, causing about 15 minor injuries. "At around 4:30 a.m., while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the position's main gate and forcibly entered the position in the Ramia area," said the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), adding that the Israeli forces left after about 45 minutes. Israel later claimed the tanks had come under fire when they crashed into the base gate. The action came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said UN peacekeepers must "immediately" pull out of the combat zone in southern Lebanon and directly addressed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "The time has come for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the combat zones," Netanyahu said, accusing Guterres of making UNIFIL soldiers "human shields" and "hostages of Hezbollah." "Mr. Secretary-General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm's way. It should be done right now, immediately," he said. UNIFIL is a 9,500-strong mission created in 1978 tasked with monitoring a cease-fire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah. Forty nations that contribute to UNIFIL said in a joint statement on October 12 that they "strongly condemn recent attacks" on the peacekeepers. The United States and European leaders have demanded Israel stop firing at the peacekeepers, with U.S. President Joe Biden on October 12 saying he was "absolutely, positively" telling Israel to stop. Fears of an all-out regional war grew as signs indicated Israel could be preparing to launch a direct strike on Iran in retaliation for Tehran's massive missile strike on Israel on October 1. Biden on October 13 said he had ordered the Pentagon to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and troops to Israel as part of U.S. efforts "to defend Israel." Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said the system will help bolster Israel's air defenses following Iran's missile attacks. The THAADs are similar to Patriot missile systems but can cover wider areas, analysts say. "It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," Ryder said. The French presidency on October 13 said President Emmanuel Macron, in a phone call, told counterpart Masud Pezeshkian it was Tehran's "responsibility" to back efforts to lower tensions in the Middle East. The Iranian presidency also reported the call, saying the sides discuss ways to end the conflict but also using heavily belligerent language toward Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on October 13 said Tehran was prepared for a "war situation," although he stated his government desired peace. "We are fully prepared for a war situation. We are not afraid of war, but we do not want war, we want peace and we will work for a just peace in Gaza and Lebanon," he said while on a visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Israeli warplanes hit a 100-year-old mosque in a village of Lebanon near the border early on October 13, a day after a marketplace was hit in the southern city of Nabatiyeh, according to Lebanon's official National News Agency. Lebanon's Health Ministry reported deadly strikes in other areas of the country, including one on a Shi'ite Muslim village in a mostly Christian mountainous area. Hezbollah said it launched rockets at Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory on October 13 as ground troops conducted incursions into the country's south. A Hezbollah statement claimed it targeted a "gathering" of Israeli forces in the village of Maroun al-Ras "with artillery shells." Hezbollah fired hundreds of projectiles from Lebanon into Israel on October 12 as Israelis celebrated Yom Kippur, an important holiday on the Jewish religious calendar. The escalation comes as Israel is also conducting fresh attacks in Gaza and is expected to strike Iran in retaliation for a missile attack earlier this month. Palestinian medical officials said on October 13 that an Israeli strike killed a family of eight and wounded seven others in the central Gaza Strip. The attack late on October 12 hit a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing a couple and their six children, who ranged in age from 8 to 23, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel continues to strike what it says are militant targets in Gaza nearly every day for more than a year into the war with Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the United States and European Union. The Israeli Army said in a statement on October 13 that forces operating throughout the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours had attacked about 40 targets and killed dozens of militants. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are allies of Iran. Israel has repeatedly said it will respond to Iran's missile attack on October 1, which Tehran said was launched in retaliation for Israel's military operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the killings of a string of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. Washington believes Israel has narrowed down targets in its potential response to military and energy infrastructure, NBC reported on October 12, citing unnamed U.S. officials. There is no indication that Israel will target Irans nuclear facilities or carry out assassinations, the NBC report said, adding that Israel has not made final decisions about how and when to act. Araghchi said there would be "no red line" for Iran in defending its citizens from the potential strikes. "While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests," Araghchi wrote in a post on X on October 13. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP Four Israeli soldiers were killed and dozens were injured, seven critically, when a "swarm" of Hezbollah drones hit an army base near the northern Israeli town of Binyamina in one of the bloodiest attacks on the country since October 2023. Hezbollah is an armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon. The Israeli military early on October 14 said the attack took place at an army base some 60 kilometers north of Tel Aviv. It did not immediately provide further details. CNN had earlier reported that the United Hatzalah rescue service said it had "provided assistance to over 60 wounded people in various conditions -- some of them in critical, serious, moderate, and light condition." National emergency service Magen David Adom (AFMDA) said at least 67 people were injured in the attack in Israel's Haifa district. Hezbollah -- which is considered a terrorist group by the United States, although the EU has only blacklisted its armed wing -- claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had launched a "swarm of attack drones" at a military training camp in Binyamina. Iran-allied Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel but, because of Israel's sophisticated air-defense systems, most have been shot down or have caused little damage and few casualties. Earlier in the day, angry UN peacekeepers said Israeli forces had smashed into a gate of one of their bases in Lebanon, causing about 15 minor injuries. "At around 4:30 a.m., while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the position's main gate and forcibly entered the position in the Ramia area," said the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), adding that the Israeli forces left after about 45 minutes. Israel later claimed the tanks had come under fire when they crashed into the base gate. The action came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said UN peacekeepers must "immediately" pull out of the combat zone in southern Lebanon and directly addressed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "The time has come for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the combat zones," Netanyahu said, accusing Guterres of making UNIFIL soldiers "human shields" and "hostages of Hezbollah." "Mr. Secretary-General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm's way. It should be done right now, immediately," he said. UNIFIL is a 9,500-strong mission created in 1978 tasked with monitoring a cease-fire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah. Forty nations that contribute to UNIFIL said in a joint statement on October 12 that they "strongly condemn recent attacks" on the peacekeepers. The United States and European leaders have demanded Israel stop firing at the peacekeepers, with U.S. President Joe Biden on October 12 saying he was "absolutely, positively" telling Israel to stop. Fears of an all-out regional war grew as signs indicated Israel could be preparing to launch a direct strike on Iran in retaliation for Tehran's massive missile strike on Israel on October 1. Biden on October 13 said he had ordered the Pentagon to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and troops to Israel as part of U.S. efforts "to defend Israel." Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said the system will help bolster Israel's air defenses following Iran's missile attacks. The THAADs are similar to Patriot missile systems but can cover wider areas, analysts say. "It is part of the broader adjustments the U.S. military has made in recent months, to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias," Ryder said. The French presidency on October 13 said President Emmanuel Macron, in a phone call, told counterpart Masud Pezeshkian it was Tehran's "responsibility" to back efforts to lower tensions in the Middle East. The Iranian presidency also reported the call, saying the sides discuss ways to end the conflict but also using heavily belligerent language toward Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on October 13 said Tehran was prepared for a "war situation," although he stated his government desired peace. "We are fully prepared for a war situation. We are not afraid of war, but we do not want war, we want peace and we will work for a just peace in Gaza and Lebanon," he said while on a visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Israeli warplanes hit a 100-year-old mosque in a village of Lebanon near the border early on October 13, a day after a marketplace was hit in the southern city of Nabatiyeh, according to Lebanon's official National News Agency. Lebanon's Health Ministry reported deadly strikes in other areas of the country, including one on a Shi'ite Muslim village in a mostly Christian mountainous area. Hezbollah said it launched rockets at Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory on October 13 as ground troops conducted incursions into the country's south. A Hezbollah statement claimed it targeted a "gathering" of Israeli forces in the village of Maroun al-Ras "with artillery shells." Hezbollah fired hundreds of projectiles from Lebanon into Israel on October 12 as Israelis celebrated Yom Kippur, an important holiday on the Jewish religious calendar. The escalation comes as Israel is also conducting fresh attacks in Gaza and is expected to strike Iran in retaliation for a missile attack earlier this month. Palestinian medical officials said on October 13 that an Israeli strike killed a family of eight and wounded seven others in the central Gaza Strip. The attack late on October 12 hit a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing a couple and their six children, who ranged in age from 8 to 23, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the bodies were taken. Israel continues to strike what it says are militant targets in Gaza nearly every day for more than a year into the war with Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the United States and European Union. The Israeli Army said in a statement on October 13 that forces operating throughout the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours had attacked about 40 targets and killed dozens of militants. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are allies of Iran. Israel has repeatedly said it will respond to Iran's missile attack on October 1, which Tehran said was launched in retaliation for Israel's military operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the killings of a string of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. Washington believes Israel has narrowed down targets in its potential response to military and energy infrastructure, NBC reported on October 12, citing unnamed U.S. officials. There is no indication that Israel will target Irans nuclear facilities or carry out assassinations, the NBC report said, adding that Israel has not made final decisions about how and when to act. Araghchi said there would be "no red line" for Iran in defending its citizens from the potential strikes. "While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests," Araghchi wrote in a post on X on October 13. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP Russia continued its strategic bombardment of Ukraine on April 8, killing three in a strike in the southern region of Zaporizhzhya, one day after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pleaded with Western countries to send additional air-defense systems. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress is set to reconvene on April 9 following a two-week recess with debate over a $60 billion Ukraine aid bill at the top of its agenda. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. Zelenskiy on April 7 warned that Ukraine's military position was weakening amid a shortfall of ammunition and weapons, especially air defense, caused by the halt in U.S. military aid. Russia has stepped up air and ground attacks against Ukraine since the start of the year in what may be an attempt to deplete Kyiv's weapons stockpiles ahead of an offensive later this spring. Zelenskiy, speaking on April 7 via video link to a collection of artists, humanitarians, actors, athletes, and other global luminaries, said it would be "difficult" for Ukraine to "stay" the course without substantially more military. He told the group it was "necessary" for them to tell U.S. lawmakers that "at this point...if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose this war...if Ukraine loses the war, so will other nations." U.S. President Joe Biden's Ukraine aid bill has been held up since October by a minority group of right-wing Republicans in the House of Representatives even though the majority of lawmakers in Congress support the legislation. Speaker Mike Johnson last week said he would bring a new Ukraine aid bill to the House floor for a vote when Congress reconvenes. The Pentagon has said it could begin shipping the military aid to Ukraine as soon as the legislation becomes law. Further delays risk Ukraine being left short of military supplies when Russia launches its counteroffensive. In a separate video message posted on X, formerly Twitter, later on April 7, Zelenskiy asked for more air defenses -- namely Patriot missile systems -- to defend against Russia's intensive air campaign. "Ukraine clearly lacks sufficient air-defense systems and this is evident to all of our partners," Zelenskiy said. There are air-defense systems around the world that can help. Only political will is required to transfer them to Ukraine. "'Patriots' must now be in Ukraine, so there will be no need to use them on NATO's entire eastern flank in the future," he added. Zelenskiy last week said that Ukraine would need 25 Patriot systems of six to eight batteries each to ensure the complete protection of Ukraine's air space against Russian drone and missile strikes. Ukraine possesses just a few Patriot defense systems but has used them effectively to take down Russian military jets targeting its cities. In Zaporizhzhya, eight settlements were targeted in the April 8 wave of Russian missile strikes, Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram. Three people were wounded in addition to the three killed, he said. Two days earlier, on April 6, two Russian strikes on Kharkiv in Ukraine's northeast killed eight civilians and injured at least 10. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed the search for more Patriot systems in a phone call with his British counterpart, David Cameron, on April 8, the Foreign Ministry in Kyiv said in a statement. "We are coordinating the next steps regarding the search and delivery of additional air-defense systems to Ukraine, primarily Patriot systems. I appreciate David's active, results-oriented attitude," Kuleba said in the statement, without elaborating. In Chasiv Yar, one civilian died after sustaining injuries from a Russian strike, regional official Vadym Filashkin said on April 8. The latest Russian attacks came after the head of UN's atomic watchdog said the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant was struck by drones late on April 7 in what he said was a "no-go." WATCH: Russia is using modified Soviet-era winged bombs, according to Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in the eastern Donetsk region. Massive craters in and around Adviyivka show that FAB bombs were heavily deployed by Russia in seizing the town. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi issued a stark warning after an IAEA team of experts located at the plant "confirmed that at least three direct hits against ZNPP's main reactor containment structures took place." "This cannot happen," Grossi wrote on X. He did not say who launched the attack on the plant, which has been controlled by Russian forces since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "No one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities," Grossi wrote. Russia's state nuclear agency Rosatom accused Ukraine of being behind the strikes. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) denied any involvement in the attack, blaming it on Russia. "The aggressor state is once again endangering the [Zaporizhzhya] nuclear facility, the civilian population, and Europe's environment," HUR spokesman Andriy Yusov said, adding that the incident was part of Russia's "permanent criminal practice." In Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, a logistics and transport facility was damaged, regional Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram. Separately, the Ukrainian military said its air-defense systems shot down 17 out of the 24 drones that Russia launched early on April 8 at five Ukrainian regions: Odesa, Mykolayiv, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytskiy, and Zhytomyr. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warns that Ukraine could lose the war if new U.S. aid is not approved. Is Russia about to make major advances? And why is the Kremlin doubling down on claims of a Ukrainian role in the Crocus City Hall attack despite a lack of evidence? Oleg Ignatov, senior analyst for Russia at the International Crisis Group, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss. A sinkhole developed on a footpath and cycleway in the county over the weekend. Yesterday, concerned locals highlighted on the Monksland Discussion Page on Facebook that a sinkhole had appeared at the Cross River at Summerhill/Colaiste Chiarain. The matter was reported to the council and the sinkhole was cordoned off with barriers. When contacted by the Herald, the council said that the issue was caused by a burst or ruptured sewer main. Irish Water employees are at the scene and are remedying matters. Its expected the issue will be resolved in the next day or two, a spokesperson said. By Jonathan McCambridge, David Young and Rebecca Black, PA Northern Irelands First Minister has insisted it is business as usual at Stormont despite the leadership upheaval within the DUP. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill was commenting after joining ministerial colleagues at a meeting with counterparts from the Irish government in Armagh. The first meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in almost three years was the first substantive engagement for Stormont ministers following the Easter recess a period in which Jeffrey Donaldson quit as DUP leader after being charged with historical sexual offences, including a count of rape. Outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, whose attendance at the meeting came on his last day in office as Taoiseach, also expressed confidence that the institutions would withstand the recent political turmoil. Mr Donaldson's exit from the political front line sent shockwaves through the political establishment in Northern Ireland, less than two months after devolution was restored following a two-year stalemate over post-Brexit trading arrangements. It is understood that in a letter to party officers informing them of his resignation he made clear he would be strenuously contesting all charges against him. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by First Minister Michelle ONeill (Oliver McVeigh/PA) East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has replaced him as DUP interim leader. Lagan Valley MP Mr Donaldson was pivotal to the deal that resurrected powersharing, and his sudden departure, and the manner of it, created the first major challenge for the recently formed four-party coalition. Since the resignation on Good Friday, Ms ONeill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly have been keen to offer assurances over the continued stability of the powersharing institutions. The joint leaders struck the same tone in Armagh on Monday as they faced reporters following the NSMC meeting. Ms ONeill said it was business as usual as far as the Executive is concerned. Were here today as joint heads of government to be part of the North South Ministerial Council meeting, and what the public deserve and want is leadership, and were prepared to provide that leadership, she added. Weve spoken to all Executive colleagues, everybody was here today to play their part in terms of their own ministerial responsibility. Were leaving here very quickly to get back into the Assembly because weve much business to do. Thats where we need to be focused and thats certainly where Im focused. I think the public rightly want leadership at times of crisis, and Im determined, and I believe Emma is also to provide that leadership. Ms Little Pengelly said she was determined to provide stability to ensure the Executive could continue in a positive tone. We have an important number of weeks coming up where well be discussing the draft programme for government and the budget. Those are two key documents in terms of the agenda for government, she said. The people of Northern Ireland demand that stability, they demand that delivery, I am very conscious of that and that is what Ill be focusing on. Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle ONeill wait to greet political leaders from the Republic of Ireland (Oliver McVeigh/PA) Mr Varadkar expressed confidence that the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland would prove sustainable. Events happen in politics, whether its changes in leadership, therell be elections for the House of Commons, therell be elections for the Dail all within the next year, and whats really important is that institutions should be able to function through them and withstand any disruption that may occur, he said. And thats happened in the past, and Im sure it can in the future. And I know from my experience, having served in government for quite some time and having observed the institutions functioning and not functioning, what we know is that whenever they fall, they tend not to be re-established for many years. And I think we should always bear that in mind and make sure that we dont see another break happen. Tanaiste Micheal Martin, also stressed the need for ongoing stability at Stormont. I think stability and certainty are essential for economic development, for foreign direct investment and for cohesion within society, he said after the NSMC meeting. And we witnessed this morning, I thought, a very keen engagement and very keen commitment from the members of the Executive and indeed from our own cabinet to the agenda that was ahead of us on a north-south basis, so I think there was a resilience there. And I think that continuity, that certainty, that stability, I think its important for the people of Northern Ireland. Mr Varadkars successor as Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, was also at Monday mornings council meeting in one of his final jobs as Irelands higher education minister before his expected election as taoiseach in the Dail on Tuesday. The council is the primary north-south political body established under the Good Friday Agreement. It was unable to function during the two-year political impasse at Stormont, but the restoration of devolution earlier this year enabled its reactivation. The last meeting was a virtual one held during the Covid pandemic in July 2021. The last in-person meeting of the council was in July 2020. Discussions on Monday focused on trade and business issues and investment in areas of mutual interest, including major infrastructure projects such as the upgrade of the A5 transport corridor, the redevelopment of Casement Park stadium in Belfast, the construction of the cross-border Narrow Water Bridge and the restoration of the Ulster Canal network. Will Sanjay Singh Go To Jail Again? Here's Why This Question Being Popped Up Sanjay Singh had challenged the summons issued by a Gujarat court in the defamation case. New Delhi: Will AAP's Sanjay Singh be going to jail again? Well, this is the question that has popped in the minds of people after the Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the defamation summons issued against the AAP MP for questioning the degree of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to information, Sanjay Singh had challenged the summons issued by a Gujarat court in the defamation case which was filed by Gujarat University's registrar Piyush Patel. Advertisement Patel reportedly filed the defamation case against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh over their alleged comments after the Gujarat High Court set aside an order related to the chief information commissioner for providing information about PM Narendra Modi's educational degrees to them under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Earlier in January, the Supreme Court had put a stay on the proceedings before a trial court on the defamation complaint filed by the Gujarat University against Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh, the news agency PTI reported. The top court asked the Gujarat high court to decide within four weeks on a plea filed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders seeking quashing of the summonses issued to them by the trial court. Advertisement In August, last year, the apex court had refused to entertain Arvind Kejriwal's plea challenging the high court's order that rejected his request to stay the criminal defamation proceedings filed by the university. It is pertinent to mention that AAP MP Sanjay Singh recently got relief from the Supreme Court and was released from jail. Ever since his comeback, he has been targeting the BJP party. (For more news apart from AAP's Sanjay Singh, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Oil prices were moving lower on Monday after logging a second straight weekly gain to hit a six-month high last week. Benchmark Brent crude futures dipped 0.7 percent to $90.57 a barrel, while WTI crude futures were down 0.6 percent at $86.40. Investors kept a close eye on the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East after Israel's military said that it was reducing its numbers of soldiers from southern Gaza amid talks for a potential ceasefire. However, a Hamas official reportedly said that no progress was made at the new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo, also attended by delegations from Israel. Elsewhere, Iran continued to prepare a response to a suspected Israeli attack on its consulate in Syria, while Hezbollah warned that it's ready for war. The UN atomic watchdog head has warned of a "major nuclear accident" and urged for restraint to avoid a disaster after a new drone attack on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Sunday. China concerns remained on investors' radar after property developer Shimao Group Holdings said that China Construction Bank (Asia) had filed a liquidation petition against it in Hong Kong. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis The Israeli defense forces said on Sunday they have withdrawn a division of troops from Khan Younis in southern Gaza to prepare for "future operations." Israel's defense minister Yoav Gallant said its forces are getting ready for the proposed military operation in the northern city of Rafah, where about 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering. The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jamie McGoldrick, said that hopefully, it will be a lot more secure in those areas and maybe people can start to go back to where they came from. "But it's also a worrying issue in the sense that maybe they're going out to regroup and get ready for the proposed Rafah incursion." Under immense international pressure, Israel had pledged last week to open two entries to increase the flow of aid into the war-torn Palestinian enclave. However, it is unclear when any changes in policy will materialize. "Slowly but surely" Israelis are realizing the extent of the humanitarian crisis, especially in northern Gaza," Jamie McGoldrick said in an interview to UN News. "Hopefully with all these pipelines openingWe can start to swamp and flood the place with food and other items, we can get ourselves ready with whatever comes next". McGoldrick said the UN humanitarians have only one major crossing point - Kerem Shalom - to Rafah, which allows 250 trucks a day. "We need to get up to about 500 plus a day. And in order to do that we've been asking since day one for more actual pipelines in from the Jordan pipeline right now, we're only get 100 trucks a week." "We should be getting 30 to 50 trucks a day. And then in the north, Ashdod, the very well-functioning modern port, we are asking for that to be opened up again. And that could again bring us in another 100 trucks a day." "So those combined with Kerem Shalom, we would have almost 500 trucks a day, which would then satisfy the needs on the ground. And more importantly, in the north, where there is imminent famine," added the top UN official. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News HARMONY GROVE In suburban North County, many think of Elfin Forest, Harmony Grove and Eden Valley as hidden jewels country neighborhoods tucked between San Marcos and Escondido. Though two of the quiet communities are just a few miles from busy business parks, subdivisions and freeways not to mention Cal State San Marcos and the Sprinter line residents see them as light years away and have adopted a motto of keepin it rural. This is where families have backyard chicken coops and horse trails, and where trees form a natural canopy over winding two-lane roads. But development is looming in the green pastures and scrub-covered hills, with more than 1,500 homes planned or under construction. Not surprisingly, many neighbors arent happy about it. They see these projects going up and are very scared that their way of life is done away with, said J.P Theberge, a member of the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Town Council. Developers say the projects will provide high-quality housing desperately needed in San Diego County, where building restrictions are so tight and land is so scarce that many families cant find a place to buy without a grueling commute. Rather than build out in Valley Center and Descanso, this project is in the center of the job base, and at the heart of existing infrastructure, said Lance Waite, whose Integral Communities is seeking county approval for a 326-home project called Valiano that would be built on 238 acres in Eden Valley and Harmony Grove. There are very few locations in the county where single-family detached (homes) can be built especially that close to jobs. Construction has already begun on nearby Harmony Grove Village, where 742 homes are planned. Valiano and another proposed development called Harmony Grove Village South are still mired in the county planning process. Both would require amendments to the county General Plan, because they call for far more homes than current zoning allows. Neighbors, preparing for a fight, have begun raising money and hired two law firms to stave off the projects, Theberge said. When local residents get home from work, they comb through county documents for information, and in between posting about flooded roads and pictures of lost roosters share development updates on the community Facebook page. Theberge said the community has already accepted Harmony Grove Village, which was designed so that denser homes are closer to the middle of the master-planned neighborhood and larger homes and lots are around the edges. As per the county, 230 building permits have been issued and 30 homes have been OKd for occupancy. Valiano, however, is another story. The projects draft environmental impact report is out for public review, and the comment period ends Monday. Waite said he has listened to neighbors, taken part in nearly three dozen meetings and reduced the size of the project from 470 homes to 326. Nearly a third of that land would be set aside as open or agricultural space, and another 70 acres would be preserved elsewhere as mitigation. We are advocates for housing, Waite said. We take a lot of grief for it. He noted that the development will provide trails and open space, and that some of the homes will be on parcels large enough to keep horses. The project requires no widening of two-lane Country Club Drive, although there would be improvements to the intersection of Country Club and Auto Park Way. If all hurdles are cleared, heavy equipment could be on site as soon as spring or summer 2018, and construction would be done in phases over two to four years. Theberge, the town council member, said opponents of the project arent being driven by NIMBYism, but have real concerns about traffic and safety, particularly in an area prone to wildfires. With no plan to widen the main roads into the area, they fear a big fire could force thousands, instead of hundreds, to evacuate along narrow two-lane access points. The (2014) Cocos fire was mayhem here, people trying to get horses and animals out, he said. There will be fires, it is inevitable. The communities knew they would have to accept some sort of development and did so with Harmony Grove Village. That should be enough, he added. We are not fighting inevitable development, Theberge said. We dont see it like that. Harmony Grove Village South calls for 453 single- and multi-family residential units within 229 structures on 111 acres south of Harmony Grove Road near Country Club Drive. That projects draft environmental impact report should be out in a few months. Developer David Kovach wasnt available for an interview Friday, but said in an email to the Union-Tribune that the homes would a compelling contribution to the larger market place. Jon Dummer who grew up on eight acres in Harmony Grove, and later returned as an adult and built a home for his family said he is devoted to fighting more subdivisions. Dummer said hes been watching similar battles in North County, and donated to the fight against Lilac Hills, a massive development planned near Valley Center that was defeated in the November election. We will all stand or fall as a group, Dummer said. If we can come together and support each other, I think we can pull it off. County documents on the Valiano and Harmony Grove South projects are available on the countys website. teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a striking new photo of the spiral galaxy IC 4633. IC 4633 lies approximately 100 million light-years away in the small southern constellation of Apus. Also known as ESO 44-3, IRAS 17062-7728 or LEDA 59884, this spiral galaxy is rich in star-forming activity, as well as hosting an active galactic nucleus at its core. From our point of view, IC 4633 is tilted mostly towards us, giving us a fairly good view of its billions of stars, the Hubble astronomers said in a statement. However, we cant fully appreciate the features of this galaxy at least in visible light because its partially concealed by a stretch of dark dust. This dark nebula is part of the Chamaeleon star-forming region, itself located only around 500 light-years from us, in a nearby part of the Milky Way Galaxy. The dark clouds in the Chamaeleon region occupy a large area of the southern sky, covering their namesake constellation but also encroaching on nearby constellations, like Apus. The cloud is well-studied for its treasury of young stars, particularly the cloud Cha I, which has been imaged by Hubble and also by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. The cloud overlapping IC 4633 lies east of the well-known Cha I, II and III, and has been called MW9 or the South Celestial Serpent. A vast, narrow trail of faint gas that snakes over the southern celestial pole, its much more subdued-looking than its neighbors. Its classified as an integrated flux nebula a cloud of gas and dust in the Milky Way Galaxy thats not near to any single star, and is only faintly lit by the total light of all the Galaxys stars. Hubble has no problem making out the South Celestial Serpent, though this image captures only a tiny part of it. For a showy astronomical object like IC 4633, among the South Celestial Serpents coils clearly isnt a bad place to hide. Chinese premier meets U.S. treasury secretary Xinhua) 07:57, April 08, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Beijing. It is hoped that the United States will abide by the basic norms of market economy including fair competition and open cooperation, refrain from turning economic and trade issues into political or security issues, and view the issue of production capacity objectively and dialectically from a market-oriented and global perspective, Li said. The development of China's new energy industry will make important contributions to the global green and low-carbon transition, Li added. Noting that the China-U.S. relationship is beginning to stabilize under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, Li said that China hopes the two countries will be partners rather than adversaries, with mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. It is hoped that the U.S. side will work with China to continue implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and translate the San Francisco vision into reality, he said. As the world's two largest economies, China and the United States have deeply intertwined economic interests, Li said, adding that strengthening economic and trade cooperation is of great significance to each other's development and global economic growth. He said the two sides should strengthen communication to jointly find ways to manage and resolve differences, so as to make China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation stable, smooth and efficient, create more benefits for the enterprises and people of the two countries, and contribute to the world's economic development and improvement of people's livelihoods. China is willing to strengthen policy coordination with the United States on climate change and other issues to jointly address global challenges, he added. Yellen said that with the joint efforts of both sides, the U.S.-China relationship has become more stable. As the world's two largest economies, the United States and China should manage their bilateral economic relationship responsibly. She said the United States appreciates the progress made in U.S.-China economic dialogue and cooperation, does not seek "decoupling" from China, and stands ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two presidents in San Francisco, communicate candidly, avoid misunderstandings, deepen exchanges and cooperation, properly manage differences, jointly cope with pressing global challenges and promote the steady development of bilateral relations. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Veronica Bilicki. This entry in the Nonprofit Journal Project is part of a series of articles about how Michigan health care professionals are responding to the state's health care workforce shortage. It is made possible with funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. According to the Bi-partisan Policy Center , the U.S. has had a shortage of direct care workers for the past two decades. These workers include home health aides who help people with their daily activities like eating meals, maintaining personal hygiene, dressing, or getting out of bed as well as personal care aides, certified nursing assistants, and residential care aides who provide care in assisted living communities and nursing homes. While universities, health agencies, and the state of Michigan itself are working hard to recruit and retain more people to the direct care workforce, family members, loved ones, and friends who serve as unpaid caregivers are continuing to fill part of the gap.A program of Detroit-based Henry Ford Health (HFH), the Patient as Caregiver project supports those caregivers. While the program does not center on workforce development, it does help unpaid caregivers carry on in their roles, reducing the amount of hired care needed and helping people age at place in their homes rather than go to facilities that may be experiencing staffing shortages.We recently talked with Veronica Bilicki, manager of the HFH C.A.R.E. and Sr. Navigator programs, about the Patient as Caregiver project.Q: What is the Patient as Caregiver program?A: Our focus is to support family caregivers. We found that we had a significant group of patients, especially during COVID, that didn't even realize they were family caregivers. They're helping their spouse. They're helping their children. They're helping the neighbor. They're helping their parents. These patients were coming to the clinic because they were sick, or they were stressed, or they needed medication refills because they had been neglecting their own health. The Michigan Health Endowment Fund had funding available, so we decided to apply for a grant to work with the HFH Academic General Internal Medicine Division Clinic and help these patients self-identify as caregivers. It's a very large clinic. In 2023, they saw over 23,000 unique users. It is the perfect place to identify these patients who are caregivers and work with outside agencies to connect them with resources. One of those is the Detroit Area Agency on Aging Q: How does the program reach caregivers?A: The program helps the staff who work in the clinic recognize who the caregivers are. They may not even realize that their caregiving duties are what's stressing them out. We have educated the staff at all levels, starting from the customer service people you might see when you walk into the clinic, to the medical assistants, the doctors, the nurses, case management anybody who could physically see that patient walking in.We put up flyers in every patient room and in the bathrooms that say, Do you help someone with their pills? Do you help someone go to the doctor? Do you make meals for someone? You might be a caregiver. On this flier, there's a QR code that goes over to a caregiver intensity index where they can take a quiz. It takes less than 10 minutes and helps patients identify things that are going well for them and things that are going maybe not so well or stressing them out. And then at the end of the quiz, the patient is able to click and come to our program. We contact them within 24 to 48 hours and just talk with them. If they don't want to talk with someone, they can click to view those resources.Q: What do you talk about?A: If they make contact with us, then we do a self-assessment with them. Sometimes, really all they need is that empathetic ear. Most of the time, caregiving is not something they signed up to do. Once we've listened to that caregiver, then we can offer them services like a support group that we run weekly online, educational classes that we offer, or community resources were very tapped into our community. And our services are free.Q: How many unpaid caregivers are doing work that the direct care workforce would otherwise need to absorb?A: If you look at the AARP data, [in 2021] there was $600 billion in unpaid care in the US . In Michigan, they're estimating between 11 and 12.9% of people are unpaid caregivers . So, if you're looking at the 23,000 patients coming into our one clinic, even if you do 10%, that's 2,300 people who are potentially unpaid caregivers.We know that outcomes for these family caregivers are not always the best. They tend to neglect their own health. There's the financial burden they often cut their work hours. Our goal with this grant is really to help them self-identify that, yes, you are a family caregiver. There's a lot of blessings that come along with that. But there are stressors, too. Once they recognize that, then we can talk with them, see what their needs are, and help them. The corporate and economic calendar for Tuesday is sparse as investors wait for the release of key consumer price data in the States during the following session. Against that backdrop, at 1000 GMT the National Federation of Independent Business will release its business optimism index for the month of March. In the euro area meanwhile, the European Central Bank will publish the results of its latest bank lending survey. Overnight, investors in Japan will be digesting figures for machine tool orders in March. No major economic releases are scheduled in the UK. Tuesday 09 April INTERIMS Ultimate Products INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Dunelm Group, Hays, Renishaw FINALS Alliance Pharma, Animalcare Group, Distribution Finance Capital Holdings, Hvivo, JTC, Microlise Group SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Dunelm Group EGMS Ethernity Networks Ltd UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS BRC Sales Monitor (00:01) FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Safestore Holdings Tuesday 09 April INTERIMS Ultimate Products INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Dunelm Group, Hays, Renishaw FINALS Alliance Pharma, Animalcare Group, Distribution Finance Capital Holdings, Hvivo, JTC, Microlise Group SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Dunelm Group EGMS Ethernity Networks Ltd UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS BRC Sales Monitor (00:01) FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Safestore Holdings Eurozone investor morale improved again in April, marking the sixth gain in a row, according to a widely watched survey published on Monday. The Sentix index for the single currency block rose to -5.9 points in April from -10.5 in March, its highest level since February 2022, and beating forecasts of -8.5. Will there finally be a sustainable economic upturn? At least the economic recovery in the eurozone and worldwide is continuing. The economic signals are also stabilising internationally, Sentix said in a statement. The upturn is also gaining breadth internationally. Across all regions, with the exception of Austria, we are measuring improvements in the economic situation and expectations. The Milei effect in Latin America is likely to disappoint fans of Argentina's libertarian president so far. Although the economic momentum is moving in the right direction, it lacks momentum. This is probably still due in no small part to the relative weakness of the German economy. The eurozone expectations index rose to 5.0 points in April from -2.3 points in March, a seventh consecutive month of rises and the highest value since February 2022. Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com The FTSE 100 is expected to open nine points higher on Monday, having closed down 0.81% on Friday at 7,911.16. Stocks to watch AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo's Enhertu cancer drug has been approved in the US for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic solid tumours who have received prior systemic treatment and have no satisfactory alternative options. The decision was based on successful phase two trials which showed clinically meaningful responses across a broad range of tumours, the two companies said on Monday. FTSE 250-listed investment firm Caledonia Investments saw a solid increase in net asset value in the year ended 31 March, with all three investment pools contributing to growth. The company reported a net asset value of 3.0bn for the year, up from 2.8bn previously, representing a NAV total return of 7.4%. Public company and private capital investments returned 12% and 12.3% during the year, respectively, while the funds portfolio returned just 2.2% as falling values of Asian holdings held back growth. Rio Tinto announced the appointment of Bold Baatar as its chief commercial officer to oversee its global commercial and business development on Monday, succeeding Alf Barrios, who was retiring. The FTSE 100 miner said Baatar, currently chief executive of copper, would assume the new role on 1 September, relocating to Singapore. Barrios would continue until August, transitioning to the role of chair for China, Japan, and Korea until his retirement at the end of 2024, while Baatar would manage sales, marketing, procurement, and business development, and maintain leadership on the Simandou project in Guinea. Newspaper round-up US airline regulators have launched an investigation after an engine cowling on a Boeing plane fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap. The Southwest Airlines flight 3695 rose to about 10,300ft (3,140 metres) before returning safely 25 minutes after takeoff to Denver international airport at about 8.15am local time on Sunday. It was towed to the gate after landing. The Boeing aircraft with 135 passengers and six crew members aboard had been headed to Houston. No one was injured. Guardian Rent rises in Britain are forecast to outpace wage growth, despite having already surged at the fastest pace on record after the Covid pandemic and the cost of living crisis. The Resolution Foundation expects added pressure on millions of households and said average rents could increase by 13% over the next three years as current high growth in the private rental market work their way through existing tenancies. Guardian E-scooter start-up Lime is plotting a 25m expansion in London after the company was banned from Paris last year. Investment in the UK capital will allow the US scooter and e-bike hire company to branch out into three more boroughs and open a new warehouse in North London. It comes after e-scooters were cleared from the French capitals streets last year following a referendum. Telegraph Britains biggest long-term savings and retirement business is drawing up plans to launch a new superfund to back fast-growing companies in a boost for Jeremy Hunt. Phoenix, which owns insurer Standard Life, is in the early stages of creating a multibillion-pound investment vehicle that insiders say will help turbocharge investment in high-growth sectors and lift pension returns. Telegraph Santander UK, Britains fifth-biggest high street bank, is cancelling its membership of a key lending standards body because of the duplication of regulatory standards to which the industry is required to adhere. Sky News has learnt that the Spanish-owned bank served notice last week of its intention to quit the Lending Standards Board, citing the establishment of the City watchdog's Consumer Duty and the imminent implementation of new fraud reimbursement rules overseen by the Payment Systems Regulator. Sky News US close Stocks on Wall Street closed in the green on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.8% to 38,904.04. The S&P 500 added 1.11% to 5,204.34, and the Nasdaq Composite closed ahead 1.24% at 16,248.52. Mining giant Rio Tinto announced the appointment of Bold Baatar to the position of chief commercial officer on Monday, responsible for overseeing its commercial and business development operations globally. The FTSE 100 company said Baatar would succeed Alf Barrios, who had decided to retire from Rio Tinto. Currently serving as chief executive of copper, Baatar would bring much experience to his new role, starting to lead business development immediately and officially assuming the position of CCO on 1 September, relocating to Singapore for the role. The successor for his position as copper CEO would be named in the near future. To enable a seamless transition, Barrios would continue serving as CCO until the end of August. After that, he would assume the role of chair for China, Japan, and Korea, and maintain membership in the executive committee, until his retirement at the end of 2024. Baatars responsibilities as CCO would include overseeing Rio Tinto's commercial organisation, including sales and marketing, procurement, marine, and logistics activities. He would also lead its business development efforts and maintain his role as the executive committee lead for Guinea, where he would continue to manage relationships with joint venture partners on the Simandou project. Bold is ideally suited to help deliver our strategy of building a stronger Rio Tinto for the future and growing with discipline, as he leads our commercial and business development activities, said Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm. He brings deep experience across geographies, commodities, and markets - and combines strong business development expertise with a focus on developing world class relationships. Bold Baatar said he was thrilled to be taking on his new role at a time when Rio Tinto had so much opportunity to deliver value for shareholders, customers and partners through the innovation and growth needed to reach net zero. By being ambitious together, we can find new and better ways to create shared value. At 0840 BST, shares in Rio Tinto Group were up 2.48% at 5,097.64p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecst.com. TSMC , the world's largest chipmaker, has struck an $11.6bn deal with the United States to bolster president Joe Biden's ambitions in AI chip development, it was revealed on Monday. The agreement entailed constructing cutting-edge facilities in Arizona by 2028. According to the Financial Times, the deal would see TSMC manufacturing the latest two-nanometer chips at a fabrication plant in Phoenix in an upgrade from the company's initial plans. The fab was expected to be operational alongside the first facility in Arizona, which was set to start production next year. TSMC also committed to increasing its total investment in the US to $65bn from $40bn, with plans to build a third fab using two-nanometer or even more advanced technology by 2030. To support that, the US federal government would provide subsidies worth $6.6bn in grants and up to $5bn in loans under the Chips Act, passed in 2022 to bolster domestic chip manufacturing. The collaboration aligned with the White House's goal of onshoring 20% of the world's advanced semiconductor manufacturing by 2030. Increasing concerns over a potential invasion of chip manufacturing hub Taiwan by China had propelled efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor production in the US. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. Amidst the upcoming seven-phase elections starting April 19, Microsoft has cautioned India regarding China's intentions to leverage AI-generated content to advance its interests. Responding to this warning, the Indian government has issued a stern advisory to global digital companies, urging them to address potential threats posed by artificial intelligence during the electoral process. With major elections taking place across the world this year, majorly in India, the US and South Korea, We assess that China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content to benefit its interests", according to Clint Watts, General Manager, Microsoft Threat Analysis Center. According to Tenable, an exposure management company, the dissemination of misinformation via AI-generated fake and deepfake content poses a significant threat to the forthcoming elections. Satnam Narang, Senior Staff Research Engineer, Tenable, said, "The biggest threats to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are misinformation and disinformation as part of influence operations conducted by malicious actors against the electorate. Expressing concern over the potential misuse of AI, the Indian government announced last month that social media intermediaries must prevent any bias, discrimination, or compromise on the integrity of the electoral process. In a recent advisory from the Ministry of Information Technology, digital platforms are instructed to assume full responsibility and cannot evade accountability by citing that AI models are still in the testing phase. "It is reiterated that non-compliance to the provisions of the IT Act and/or IT Rules would result in potential penal consequences to the intermediaries or platforms or its users when identified, including but not limited to prosecution under IT Act and several other statutes of the criminal code", according to the advisory. In the realm of currency evolution, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) mark a paradigm shifta digitized manifestation of sovereign value issued by central authorities. Diverging from conventional currency, CBDCs exist exclusively in a digital domain, introducing a distinctive approach to economic transactions and financial management. To fathom the import of CBDCs, a retrospective examination of the digital currency's historical journey becomes imperative. From the inception of credit cards to the rise of cryptocurrencies, the trajectory towards CBDCs mirrors a continuous adaptation to technological progress and evolving economic landscapes. Within the contemporary financial ecosystem, CBDCs assume a position of great significance. They endow central banks with unprecedented capabilities to enact monetary policies, elevate financial inclusivity, and rectify the limitations inherent in traditional currency systems. Grasping this significance becomes pivotal for navigating the intricacies of the financial frontier. Exploring resources such as Bitcoin Buyer, an investment education firm, can further enhance understanding without delving into potential financial gains. The Driving Forces Behind CBDCs Advancements in Technology and Blockchain At the heart of CBDCs lies blockchain technology, a decentralized and secure ledger system. The adoption of blockchain enables efficient, transparent, and tamper-proof transactions. This section explores the transformative impact of blockchain on the development and implementation of CBDCs. Addressing the Limitations of Traditional Currency Systems CBDCs emerge as a response to the limitations inherent in traditional currency systems. Issues like slow transaction speeds, lack of financial transparency, and susceptibility to fraud are mitigated through the application of digital currencies. Understanding these shortcomings helps contextualize the need for CBDCs. Shaping Monetary Policy in the Digital Age The emergence of CBDCs equips central banks with new mechanisms for shaping monetary policy. This section delves into how CBDCs provide enhanced control over the currency supply, facilitate real-time data analysis, and enable swift policy adjustments, ushering in a new era of monetary management. Global Perspectives on CBDC Adoption Pioneering Nations and their CBDC Initiatives Several nations have taken the lead in experimenting with CBDCs. Analyzing the initiatives of these pioneers, such as China's Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP) and Sweden's e-krona, provides insights into the diverse approaches and strategies adopted by different countries. Regional Variances and Collaborative Efforts While individual nations pioneer CBDC development, collaborative efforts and regional integration are also on the rise. This section explores how regional variances in CBDC adoption and the potential for cross-border CBDC transactions are shaping the global financial landscape. Impact on International Trade and Financial Stability CBDCs have the potential to reshape international trade dynamics and contribute to global financial stability. This section delves into the far-reaching consequences of CBDC adoption on cross-border transactions, trade agreements, and the stability of the international monetary system. Designing CBDCs: Architecture and Features Blockchain Technology and CBDC Infrastructure The architecture of CBDCs relies heavily on blockchain technology. This section provides a detailed exploration of how blockchain ensures the integrity of transactions, guarantees security, and contributes to the overall robustness of CBDC infrastructure. Privacy and Security Considerations As the digital realm expands, concerns about privacy and security become paramount. This section examines the measures implemented in CBDC design to safeguard user privacy, protect against cyber threats, and maintain the integrity of the financial system. Accessibility and Inclusivity in CBDC Design CBDCs aim to democratize access to financial services. This section discusses the design features that promote financial inclusivity, making CBDCs accessible to a broader spectrum of the population and addressing historical disparities in financial services. The Role of CBDCs in Financial Inclusion Empowering the Unbanked and Underbanked CBDCs present an opportunity to bring financial services to those traditionally excluded from the banking system. This section explores how CBDCs can empower the unbanked and underbanked populations, providing them with newfound access to the financial ecosystem. Mitigating Economic Disparities Financial inclusion through CBDCs has the potential to mitigate economic disparities. This section delves into the socioeconomic impact of CBDCs, examining how their implementation can contribute to a more equitable distribution of financial resources and opportunities. Case Studies of Successful Financial Inclusion through CBDCs Examining case studies from nations that have successfully implemented CBDCs for financial inclusion sheds light on best practices, challenges faced, and the tangible outcomes achieved. Learning from these cases informs future strategies for inclusive economic growth. Regulatory Challenges and Considerations Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for CBDCs The development and implementation of CBDCs necessitate a robust legal and regulatory framework. This section explores the challenges associated with creating these frameworks, ensuring compliance with existing laws, and adapting regulations to the dynamic nature of digital currencies. Central Bank Responsibilities and Oversight As the custodians of monetary policy, central banks bear a significant responsibility in overseeing CBDCs. This section delves into the role of central banks in ensuring the stability, security, and ethical use of CBDCs, emphasizing the need for effective oversight and governance. Balancing Governance with Risk Management CBDCs introduce new dimensions of risk into the financial landscape. Striking a balance between governance and risk management is critical. This section examines how regulators and central banks navigate this delicate equilibrium, addressing potential pitfalls and ensuring the resilience of the financial system. Future Prospects and Potential Impacts Interconnectedness of CBDCs and Traditional Banking The coexistence of CBDCs and traditional banking systems has profound implications. This section explores the interconnectedness of these two financial realms, analyzing how CBDCs influence traditional banking and vice versa, and anticipates the potential evolution of this relationship. CBDCs as Catalysts for Economic Growth CBDCs are not simply instruments for monetary policy but also potential catalysts for economic growth. This section explores how CBDCs can stimulate economic activity, foster creativity, and contribute to the overall prosperity of nations. Anticipating Societal and Economic Transformations The widespread adoption of CBDCs is expected to bring about societal and economic transformations. This final section contemplates the broader implications of a CBDC-driven financial landscape, envisioning how these changes may shape societies, economies, and the global order. Conclusion In concluding this exploration, we summarize the evolutionary journey and impactful nuances of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), offering a comprehensive understanding of their role in reshaping the financial landscape. The implementation of CBDCs signifies an ongoing dialogue between technology, finance, and policy, highlighting the dynamic nature of this discourse and the collaborative effort required to navigate the uncharted waters of the digital financial frontier. Looking ahead, in the wake of CBDCs, the envisioned future is one of a digitally reshaped financial landscape. This section encourages readers to contemplate the possibilities, challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead as we embark on a transformative journey into the digital era of finance. In this introductory exploration, cryptocurrency, a digital or virtual form of currency, is scrutinized for its cryptographic features securing financial transactions and overseeing new unit creation. Tracing its roots back to Bitcoin in 2009, introduced by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, the concept aimed to establish an alternative decentralized medium of exchange challenging traditional fiat currencies. The significance of cryptocurrency in the financial landscape lies in its decentralization, facilitated by blockchain technology, obviating the need for intermediaries such as banks and fostering peer-to-peer transactions. This newfound autonomy and transparency resonate with those seeking financial transactions beyond the confines of traditional banking systems. The article's purpose and scope encompass a comprehensive examination of cryptocurrency's multifaceted aspects, covering its technological foundation, regulatory challenges, adoption trends, the ascent of decentralized finance (DeFi), environmental considerations, technological advancements beyond Bitcoin, and providing insights into future predictions and socio-economic impacts. In the dynamic realm of cryptocurrency, individuals are encouraged to explore educational resources like GPT 2.0 Definity, an investment education firm, to deepen their understanding of this evolving space. Blockchain Technology: The Backbone of Cryptocurrencies Understanding the Basics of Blockchain Blockchain serves as the underlying technology for cryptocurrencies. It is a decentralized and distributed ledger that records transactions across a network of computers. Each transaction is stored in a "block," and these blocks are linked together in chronological order, forming a chain. This decentralized and tamper-resistant structure ensures transparency and security. Decentralization and its Impact on Security Decentralization is a core feature of blockchain, enhancing security by eliminating single points of failure. Traditional centralized systems are vulnerable to hacking, but with blockchain, the distributed nature of data storage makes it exceedingly difficult for malicious actors to compromise the integrity of the entire system. Scalability Challenges and Potential Solutions While blockchain technology offers security, scalability remains a challenge. As the number of transactions increases, so does the strain on the network. Various solutions are being explored, including layer-two scaling solutions like Lightning Network and sharding, which aim to enhance blockchain scalability without compromising security. Regulatory Landscape: Navigating the Future Current Global Regulatory Frameworks Governments worldwide are grappling with the regulation of cryptocurrencies. Current frameworks vary, with some countries embracing and regulating the technology, while others remain skeptical or impose restrictions. Regulatory approaches range from outright bans to the establishment of regulatory frameworks to ensure responsible usage. Implications for Market Players and Investors Market players and investors face a dynamic regulatory environment, necessitating compliance with evolving standards. Clarity in regulations can provide a sense of security for investors, fostering a more stable investment climate. However, regulatory uncertainties may also pose challenges and impact market dynamics. Mainstream Adoption: Breaking Barriers Cryptocurrency in Everyday Transactions The integration of cryptocurrencies into everyday transactions is gaining momentum. Businesses, large and small, are beginning to accept digital currencies as a means of payment. This shift towards mainstream adoption is driven by consumer demand for alternative payment methods and the desire for financial inclusivity. Integration with Traditional Financial Systems Cryptocurrency is gradually finding its place within traditional financial systems. Financial institutions are exploring ways to integrate digital assets into their services, acknowledging the potential benefits of efficiency, cost reduction, and increased accessibility offered by blockchain technology. Overcoming Challenges to Widespread Adoption Widespread adoption faces challenges such as regulatory uncertainties, technological barriers, and public perception. Education and awareness campaigns are crucial in overcoming these challenges, fostering a better understanding of the benefits and risks associated with cryptocurrency use. DeFi (Decentralized Finance): Redefining Finance Concept and Principles of DeFi Decentralized Finance (DeFi) represents a paradigm shift in traditional financial systems, aiming to create an open and accessible financial ecosystem without intermediaries. It leverages blockchain technology to enable peer-to-peer transactions, lending, and other financial services, challenging the conventional banking model. Key Components of the DeFi Ecosystem DeFi comprises various components, including decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, and liquidity pools. Smart contracts, self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code, underpin many DeFi applications, automating and streamlining financial processes. Risks and Rewards in the DeFi Space While DeFi offers opportunities for financial inclusion, it comes with inherent risks such as smart contract vulnerabilities, price volatility, and liquidity issues. Navigating these challenges requires a nuanced understanding of the DeFi space, emphasizing the importance of due diligence and risk management. Cryptocurrency and Environmental Concerns Energy Consumption in Cryptocurrency Mining The environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining, particularly Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus algorithms, has raised concerns. The energy-intensive nature of PoW mining, as seen in Bitcoin, has led to discussions about the sustainability of such practices and the need for alternative consensus mechanisms. Sustainable Practices in Blockchain Technology Efforts are underway to address environmental concerns associated with cryptocurrency mining. Some projects are exploring Proof-of-Stake (PoS) and other consensus mechanisms that require significantly less energy. Additionally, initiatives promoting the use of renewable energy sources in mining operations are gaining traction. Advancements Addressing Environmental Challenges Advancements in sustainable blockchain practices involve exploring eco-friendly consensus algorithms, carbon offset initiatives, and the development of energy-efficient mining hardware. These strides aim to mitigate the environmental impact of cryptocurrency operations while supporting the continued growth of the industry. Technological Advancements: Beyond Bitcoin Rise of Altcoins and Their Unique Features Beyond Bitcoin, a myriad of alternative cryptocurrencies, or altcoins, have emerged, each with its unique features and use cases. Some focus on enhancing privacy, scalability, or governance, contributing to the diversification and evolution of the cryptocurrency landscape. Smart Contracts and Their Impact on Business Processes Smart contracts, self-executing agreements with coded terms, have revolutionized business processes. Ethereum, a blockchain system enabling the creation of decentralized applications and smart contracts, has played a pivotal role in expanding the capabilities and applications of blockchain technology beyond simple transactions. The Role of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) in the Digital Economy Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) represent unique, indivisible digital assets, often associated with digital art, collectibles, and virtual real estate. NFTs leverage blockchain technology to provide verifiable ownership and authenticity, opening up new possibilities in the digital economy. Future Predictions and Speculations The Evolution of Cryptocurrency Markets Anticipating the future of cryptocurrency markets involves considering various factors, including technological advancements, regulatory developments, and societal acceptance. While the trajectory remains uncertain, ongoing adaptation and progression are likely to shape the evolution of the cryptocurrency space. Potential Technological Breakthroughs Anticipating technological breakthroughs in the cryptocurrency space requires a focus on ongoing research and development. Areas such as quantum-resistant cryptography, consensus algorithm improvements, and enhanced privacy features are potential avenues for groundbreaking advancements. Socioeconomic Impacts and Cultural Shifts The widespread adoption of cryptocurrency has the potential to bring about significant socioeconomic impacts and cultural shifts. From financial inclusion to new business models, the evolving cryptocurrency landscape may reshape traditional structures and foster novel approaches to economic and social interactions. Conclusion In conclusion, this in-depth exploration of the cryptocurrency evolution has addressed fundamental aspects like blockchain technology, regulatory hurdles, widespread acceptance, the emergence of DeFi, environmental considerations, technological progress, and future projections. Moving forward, it is crucial for stakeholders to approach the adoption and investment of cryptocurrencies with a sense of responsibility. This entails staying well-informed, conducting thorough research, and adhering to ethical practices to contribute to the sustainability and positive growth of the industry. Looking ahead, the future of cryptocurrency promises exciting prospects, encompassing ongoing technological advancements and an expanding embrace by the mainstream. As the sector matures, responsible participation and collaborative efforts will be key in shaping a resilient and inclusive cryptocurrency ecosystem. Welcoming Ugadi 2024 also called Krodhi year! Ugadi is a special celebration for Telugu and Kannada people as it marks the New Year. But it's not just for them; Sindhis and Maharashtrians join in too, calling it different names in their states. Getting ready for the traditional New Year festival in South India involves thinking about customs and activities to welcome a fresh start. One way to enjoy Ugadi is through food. People make special dishes using neem leaves, jaggery, and raw mangoes, which signify life's mix of good and bad experiences. The feast also includes tasty foods like tamarind rice, sweet pudding, and a mixture of different flavors called pachadi. Wearing traditional clothes is another important part of Ugadi celebrations. Women usually wear sarees or salwar suits, while men wear dhoti-kurtas or lungi-kurtas. These outfits are often bright and have beautiful designs that show the festival's lively spirit. Some folks also decorate their homes with rangolis, colorful patterns drawn on the floor using powders, to make the atmosphere more festive. Besides these traditions, people might have their own ways of celebrating Ugadi, like praying at temples or performing fire rituals for a fresh start. Overall, Ugadi is about starting anew while cherishing old customs that bring everyone together for a happy occasion filled with food, fashion, and spirituality. Ugadi isn't just about partying; it's about starting anew and being together as a community. It reminds us that life goes in circles, and every beginning holds promise. With its colorful celebrations, Ugadi shows how much we love our diverse cultures and traditions in India. The way Ugadi is celebrated differs from one state to another, with each region having its distinct set of customs and traditions. In Andhra Pradesh, the arrival of the New Year is enthusiastically celebrated as 'Ugadi', a term derived from Sanskrit denoting the beginning of a new era. This occasion, marked by the lunisolar calendar, symbolizes hope and rejuvenation for the people of Andhra Pradesh as it ushers in the Chaitra month in the Panchanga calendar. Similarly, Maharashtra observes the New Year as 'Gudi Padwa,' characterized by lively festivities and traditional rituals. The diverse array of New Year celebrations across India emphasizes the country's rich cultural heritage. In Rajasthan, it is referred to as 'Thapna,' while in Sindh, it is known as 'Cheti Chand.' Tamil Nadu celebrates the New Year as 'Puthandu,' Punjab embraces 'Baisakhi,' and Manipur commemorates the occasion as 'Cheiraoba.' In Manipur, Cheiraoba is noticeable by home decorations, culinary delights, and moments of spiritual contemplation. The festival concludes with a symbolic climb up a mountain, symbolizing progress and advancement in life. Meanwhile, in Bali and Indonesia, the Hindu community observes the New Year as 'Nyepi,' contributing another layer of cultural diversity to India's rich tapestry. Even though the New Year is celebrated in several different ways, its main purpose stays the same a time to start fresh, think about things, and have fun together. These celebrations show how diverse India is, but also how everyone comes together to enjoy and appreciate each other's cultures. The core of Ugadi lies in the rebirth of life, and it teaches us to embrace variation and to look forward to fresh starts. It is a time to forget the past and to move forward with a renewed spirit. Ugadi is a reminder that life is a beautiful journey filled with different emotions and experiences, and we must cherish every moment of it. In the midst of an escalating dispute between Elon Musk and the Brazilian judiciary, the tech mogul urged users in Brazil to access the social media platform X via virtual private networks (VPNs). This move comes as a response to a recent order by Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes to block certain X accounts, the specifics of which have not been disclosed by either Musk or the authorities. virtual private network (VPN) app. He emphasized the simplicity of using VPNs and stressed the importance of truth. Musk, known for his roles in Tesla and SpaceX, took to X to advise users on how to bypass the restrictions, stating, To ensure that you can still access the X platform, download aapp. He emphasized the simplicity of using VPNs and stressed the importance of truth. This action follows Musk's earlier defiance against the Supreme Court's order, where he vowed to lift all restrictions, even if it meant closing their office in Brazil. Criticizing Judge Alexandre, Musk publicly questioned his motives, stating, "Why are you doing this @alexandre?" Subsequently, Musk announced via X that they would be lifting all restrictions, citing excessive fines, threats of employee arrests, and access cuts to X in Brazil. Despite the potential loss of revenue and the need to shut down their Brazilian office, Musk asserted that principles outweighed profit. The dispute highlights the clash between tech giants and governmental authorities over content moderation and free speech, with Musk taking a firm stance on principles amid mounting legal pressure. As the situation unfolds, the repercussions for both X and Musk's ventures in Brazil remain uncertain. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Two groups of protestors faced off in Sea View Monday, each taking separate sides in the Israel-Hamas War. The Staten Island Council of Jewish Organization (COJO) organized a counter-demonstration outside Susan Wagner High School around 12:30 p.m. against a group of students who have repeatedly walked out of the school to voice their support for people living in Gaza. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A funny thing happened when a half-century-old Staten Island Railway car was earmarked for the scrap heap: it got defaced with graffiti. Staten Islanders traveling on Bay Street between Clifton and Stapleton may have caught sight of the old SIR train car, which is parked in a fenced off area on the North Shore along the railway line. The car, numbered 466, is marred with vivid orange and yellow tags and other graffiti, looking like it traveled forward in time from the 1970s and 1980s, when graffiti was a massive problem throughout the New York City mass transit system. Door on decommissioned, graffiti-stained Staten Island Railway train is covered with plywood. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance The windows and most of the doors of the train are covered with plywood. One of the train door spaces is open, however, providing a tantalizing, if long-distance, look into the old railway car. Boarded-up window on 50-year-old Staten Island Railway car that was marred with graffiti after being earmarked for the scrap heap. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance The R44 model train car, which was in service from 1973 until 2022, was decommissioned as the Staten Island Railway receives a fleet of 75 brand new rail cars, known as the R211 model, according to MTA spokesperson David Steckel. Steckel said the old train car has a number of obsolete components. Door area stands tantalizingly open on decommissioned Staten Island Railway train that was tagged with graffiti. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance With the new fleet coming onto the railroad, this car was identified to be scrapped, he said. The train, free of graffiti at the time, according to Steckel, was brought to its current location on a non-passenger MTA railroad siding to await removal by a scrapping company. Thats expected by the end of the month. Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA) train pulls into the Old Town staten on Jan. 18, 1977. (Robert Parsons/Staten Island Advance)Robert Parsons/Staten Island Advance But crews will remove the graffiti sooner than that, Steckel said. The recent vandalism has been reported to investigative authorities. The new railroad cars debuted on Staten Island last October, with an unveiling at the Clifton Car Maintenance Shop. The first of 75 new R211S train cars coming to the Staten Island Railway arrived at the Clifton Car Maintenance Shop in October 2023. (Staten Island Advance/Erik Bascome) The cars include wider doors that should make passenger entrances and exits faster, reducing station stop times. The 50-year-old R44 train cars were the oldest remaining rolling stock in the MTA system. The agency plans to phase out all the old cars here by the end of 2024. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Amid the ongoing migrant crisis that has brought nearly 200,000 asylum seekers to New York City, the citys Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelters are now housing more than 86,000 individuals, though not every borough is bearing the same burden. More than 185,000 migrants have arrived in the New York City since spring 2022, with tens of thousands remaining in city care despite recent efforts to limit the amount of time they can spend in the citys shelters. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Fourteen State University of New York (SUNY) schools will begin to receive an additional $10 million each year to encourage the expansion of their research facilities, Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed today. Described as being allocated to 14 research-intensive campuses, according to a written statement, the schools will be given discretion on how to spend the funds. As most of you know, 1,300 registered nurses at Staten Island University Hospital had considered going on strike as part of their contract negotiations. It made for a difficult couple of weeks, because we have the utmost respect for our nurses and a fiduciary responsibility to keep our hospital financially viable in order to deliver the quality care the community is used to. It took a lot of effort on both sides of the aisle, but the settlement is a victory for everyone, because nurses are a vital member of our community and care team and they work tirelessly to improve the health of the patients who trust us with their care. Throughout the negotiating process with the New York State Nurses Association, we made it clear that we wanted nurses to be properly reward for their importance and dedication. Its why we came to the table and offered a significant economic package, along with more personal time off and other benefits. We are grateful to have reached an equitable, fair deal. Our nurses are amazing. What a great day for our tight-knit community. Our cohesive team is why our patients know that we treat them compassionately and without compromise, because thats our mission and that will never change. If you have an emergency, were here. Thats also the case for many patients needing emergency or urgent procedures, since we are a large hospital that handles everything from cardiac and brain surgeries to cancer treatments. In other words, Staten Island University Hospital will remain a pillar of this amazing community that has supported us for years and our nurses deserve their share of the credit. To those nurses: We will see you in our emergency rooms, operating rooms and exam rooms. Thank you for being there. Dr. Brahim Ardolic is executive director of Staten Island University Hospital STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The end of the current school year in New York City is just a few months away, but its never too early to start planning ahead and take a look at the key dates for the public school 2024-2025 calendar. The city Department of Education (DOE) academic calendar includes some two-dozen days off between the first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, and the last day of classes on Thursday, June 26, 2025. The calendar gives time off for the religious holidays like Good Friday, Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr, and week-long breaks for winter recess, mid-winter recess and spring recess, which include Christmas and Passover. Diwali has also been added as a public school holiday. The school calendar also allows time off for Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples Day (Columbus Day), Election Day, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day and Juneteenth. Dates for parent-teacher conference days for elementary, middle schools and high schools are also posted in the calendar. Here are key dates you need to know for the 2024-2025 school year. SEPTEMBER 2024 Sept. 5 - First day of school Sept. 12 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for elementary schools and Pre-K Centers Sept. 19 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for middle schools and D75 schools Sept. 26 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools OCTOBER 2024 Oct. 3-4 - Schools closed for Rosh Hashanah Oct. 14 - Schools closed for Italian Heritage/Indigenous Peoples Day NOVEMBER 2024 Nov. 1 - Schools closed for Diwali Nov. 5 - Schools closed for Election Day Nov. 7 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for elementary schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early Nov. 11 - Schools closed for Veterans Day Nov. 14 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for middle schools and D75 schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early Nov. 21 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools Nov. 22 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early Nov. 28-29 - Schools closed for Thanksgiving recess DECEMBER 2024 Dec. 24 - Winter recess begins JANUARY 2025 Jan. 2 - Classes resume after winter recess Jan. 20 - Schools closed for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day January dates to be determined - Regents exams are administered January dates to be determined - Professional Development Day; no classes for students attending high schools and 6-12 schools, all other students attend school Jan. 29 - Schools closed for Lunar New Year FEBRUARY 2025 Feb. 1721 - Schools closed for mid-winter recess MARCH 2025 March 6 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for elementary schools and Pre-K Centers; students in these schools dismissed three hours early March 13 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for middle schools and D75 schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early March 20 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools March 21 - Afternoon Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early March 31 - Schools closed for Eid al-Fitr APRIL 2025 April 14-18 - Schools closed for spring recess MAY 2025 May 1 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for elementary schools and Pre-K Centers May 8 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for middle schools and D75 schools May 15 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools May 26 - Schools closed for Memorial Day JUNE 2025 State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code All the Presidents Men and the more recent film Spotlight portrayed journalism as a noble quest, but the great works of fiction about the business, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthurs play The Front Page, and Nathanael Wests novel Miss Lonelyhearts, Evelyn Waughs Scoop and Michael Frayns Towards the End of the Morning, all depicted journalists as bibulous, cynical and lazy. Buying a scoop is slothful and no different from attending a real estate auction. The biggest bid wins. Just now, thanks to Sevens Spotlight program, the stench is high, and it is perhaps no accident that it was the mindset within the network which was also a staunch defender and supporter of the disgraced Victoria Cross winner Ben Roberts-Smith. Six years ago, the Herald revealed Roberts-Smith had murdered helpless Afghan civilians and prisoners and ordered or bullied others to kill them, too. He sued the Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times for defamation. He lost. In defence of good journalism and good journalists, we backed our reporters, Nick McKenzie, Chris Masters and David Wroe, because we had faith in their integrity. We also chose to adhere to our own code, which was not to remain silent but to go where the evidence took us and stay the distance. Sevens tawdry standards, as delineated in the Lehrmann matter evidence, are an affront to faithful viewers and reporters who work under such tainted journalism standards. The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here. The cycle of youth opinion is brutal and constant. Birkenstocks, once decidedly out, are in again. The same goes for low-rise jeans, New Balance and Sophie Ellis-Bextors pop classic Murder on the Dancefloor. Other trends seem unlikely to come back into style. In April 2024, two main contenders come to mind: leg warmers and the Coalition. Low-rise jeans came back in vogue. Heres how the Coalition can do the same. Credit: Marija Ercegovac The 2022 Australian Election Study reports that the Coalition reached historic low levels of support among younger voters, with only about one in four aged under 40 backing it. In Generation Left: Young Voters Deserting the Right, Matthew Taylor writes that Gen Z stands out as a very distinct political generation viewing the Coalition more unfavourably than any generation on record. The diagnosis seems damning. Does it need to be? Three friends in their 20s sat in a BMW on Francesco Crescent, Bella Vista, in Sydneys north-west. The trio were unaware that NSW Police were watching them as the Black Noreaster weather system began to threaten Sydney last Thursday. Strike Force Cyan at Bella Vista on Thursday. Credit: NSW Police Since October last year, the cybercrime squad, which has been investigating the selling of drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine on a darknet market in Sydney, has had the men in its sights. Mayuran Devakumar, Mathurshan Sangarathasan and Harpeet Harry Flora continued chatting and scrolling on their phones, sheltering from the rain. When the school hall at Lane Cove Public burnt down in the 2020 summer holidays, parents were told a replacement would soon be built. Four years later, there is no new hall. The Parents and Citizens Association footed the bill for $6000 in bus fees to transport children to the end-of-year assembly last year, the school has held band rehearsals elsewhere and in the intervening years school holiday programs have been abandoned. The fire ripped through the school hall in the summer holidays of 2020. Credit: In The Cove The delay at Lane Cove comes as schools across the state grapple with budget cuts after the state government awarded teachers pay rises of up to $10,000 a year. Parents at some schools say they are being asked to chip in for basics such as textbooks. At Lane Cove Public, some of the delays were beyond the control of the Department of Education: the appointed builder went into administration in 2023. The P&C was told work would begin in November but it is yet to start. I will always stand up for the NDIS and for the people on the scheme who are eligible on the scheme to receive support. I think its a little easy just to go to very extreme examples and try and discredit the whole scheme. But court records show clinical experts, justice officials and judges are increasingly concerned that the NDIS and its workers are potentially ill-equipped and unprepared for this dramatic expansion of responsibility, putting the public and their own safety at risk. Sworn evidence and judicial findings have repeatedly flagged concerns and the potential risks of relying on NDIS workers to manage the care and supervision of high-risk sex offenders with intellectual disabilities and complicated psychological and sexual diagnoses. In 2023, a Queensland court heard testimony from a psychiatrist that while NDIS support would be of some assistance by ensuring there was a staff member present in the vicinity of a serial paedophile, they do not necessarily modify risks significantly. The doctor also concluded that any NDIS support worker should have specific forensic knowledge because people who were untrained and relatively unskilled were easily manipulated by psychopaths. They were vulnerable. And if not victims, they might inadvertently allow people they were caring for to get into risky situations. It was noted in the court proceeding that the offenders NDIS worker might be able to deter him from interacting with a potential victim but they cannot stop him from doing so. This same man, who had been on parole at the time and receiving daily assistance from NDIS support workers, was found with a woman and an eight-year-old child in his accommodation. I accept that NDIS support is likely to provide the respondent with a degree of stability and assistance in not getting into risky situations, the judge said. However, it cannot be equated with supervision. Among those sounding warnings is the union representing some of the 270,000-strong NDIS workforce. A Health Workers Union spokesperson said the service and care provided by members was crucial to the schemes operation, but the safety of the workers needs to come first. Health workers are not prison or parole officers they shouldnt have to deal with people and situations that put their health and wellbeing in jeopardy. Health workers shouldnt have to confront clients about possible law-breaking behaviour. It isnt their responsibility, and in the vast majority of cases they dont have the support or training to handle these situations. We believe, where possible, the support should be provided in a health facility with security on hand. Dr Sophie Yates, a research fellow at ANUs Crawford School of Public Policy, said while there was funding from the NDIS for these kinds of support systems, the workforce isnt there. There is quite a thin market in this specialised area of support for people with disabilities who are involved in the criminal justice system or have that very complex kind of disability and offending history, she said. One of the most frequent concerns raised is the specific threat posed to female NDIS workers. In another Queensland case, one offender had a tendency for blurring the lines between the role of NDIS workers and sex workers. Specifically, it appeared that he was searching for escorts and pornography which depicted women who resembled his NDIS support workers, a court heard. Loading In June 2023, a NSW clinician recommended to the NDIS that no female staff be assigned to work with an offender at any time due to his lengthy history of assaulting women he comes into contact with and his expressed belief that consent is only the opinion of females. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the NDIS workforce, declined to comment on how it monitors the safety and training of NDIS workers who provide support to sex offenders. The agency also declined to comment on whether any NDIS worker had been harmed while providing support to sex offenders who qualify for assistance under the scheme. The NDIS Commissions role is to ensure all NDIS providers comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct, which requires providers and workers to deliver supports and services in a safe and competent manner. In response to questions about potential safety issues with the NDIS scheme, Bill Shorten said: The monitoring of people with court imposed legal conditions is the responsibility of state police and state criminal justice systems. The NDIS provides services and support for Australians with significant and permanent disabilities, through packages of approved funding when participants are found to be eligible under the NDIS Act. Some legal experts say the NDIS has become a critical part of the justice system because it provides effective support to high-risk offenders who might otherwise be further marginalised. Victorian upper house and Libertarian MP David Limbrick didnt once have a meeting with former premier Daniel Andrews in the almost five years they were in parliament together. Yet in the seven months since Jacinta Allan assumed the states top job, the free market, low tax champion has twice been invited to chat. Victorian crossbench MP David Limbrick. Credit: Darrian Traynor I now have a dialogue with the government where I never used to before, Limbrick says. The new premier has a different style and its quite noticeable. Other upper house MPs have noticed it too, but in a different way, with the more progressive end of the crossbench the Greens, Animal Justice and Legalise Cannabis saying relations have chilled since September. Beach Energy shares plummeted close to 20 per cent in early trading on Monday over news of poor construction at a West Australian gas plant causing major cost increases and a delay of up to a year. The plant to process gas from the onshore Waitsia field, 370 kilometres north of Perth, is now expected to cost between $1.2 billion and 1.3 billion $300 million more than a revised estimate a year ago, and $500 million more than the original estimate in late 2020. Waitsia gained a controversial exemption from the ban on exports of onshore gas. Beach chief executive Brett Woods, who has led Beach for three months, said it was extremely disappointing to be continually encountering quality issues at this late stage of the Perth Basin project in which the company had a 50 per cent stake. Having to redirect existing onsite labour to remedial works is slowing the progress of pre-commissioning activities, resulting in further delay and cost increases, he said. The affluent coastal enclave of Cottesloe has been crowned the countrys most concentrated area of wealth, with new data revealing the mega-rich top 1 per cent control half the suburbs total income. Cottesloe had the highest average annual income of any postcode in Western Australia at $282,743, with its 5606 earners raking in a whopping $1.58 billion in 2020/21, analysis of personal income by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found. Cottesloe: a stunning Perth beach just 15 minutes from the CBD. Credit: Getty Images And the gap between the rich and super-rich who declare the suburb their primary place of residency widened, with the top 1 per cent taking home 50.2 per cent of the total income, up from 20 per cent a decade earlier. This enabled Cottesloe to take the title of Australias most unequal suburb, followed by Eastwood in Sydneys inner-north, where 35.5 per cent of the income went to the top 1 per cent. Shoppers will pay less and farmers will be paid more under the Albanese governments pledge to make controversial reforms to address the nations cost-of-living crisis, which may force major supermarkets to reveal the markup they charge on fresh food and what they pay farmers. An interim review of the grocery code of conduct released on Monday said compulsory regulations should be imposed on supermarkets to govern how they deal with suppliers, backed by heavy fines and new rules to address claims of price gouging and market manipulation. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government agreed in principle with the recommendations and the current voluntary code of conduct would absolutely be beefed up to drive down prices for shoppers. The whole point of this interim report is: how do we make the code tougher, how do we make it compulsory, better dispute resolution processes and bigger penalties for people who do the wrong thing, Chalmers said. A navy officer will lead the nations military for the first time in over two decades as Japan, Canada and other nations clamour to gain access to the technology-sharing benefits of the AUKUS pact. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was an easy decision to elevate Australian Defence Force vice chief David Johnston to the top job, while Defence Minister Richard Marles praised him as a safe pair of hands. However, critics questioned whether Johnston would be able to drive major reform inside the ADF given he will serve a truncated two-year term in the role at his request, rather than the usual four years. Johnston, who has been Australias second most senior military figure since 2018, will replace long-serving Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell in July, with current Air Force Chief Robert Chipman promoted to ADF vice chief. The few guests who came through our door in the early days all wanted steak and three veg. I can laugh about it now, Alla says, speaking to me from her home in Daylesford, and when I tell it, it sounds like there must be a romantic notion to it, this young couple living their dream, working hard, achieving But it wasnt, it was hideous, it was torture. There were plate-throwing incidents many times. No one could understand what we were doing. Lake House now seems to make so much sense its exactly what many modern-day travellers are looking for. Its boutique and intimate, with a warmth you will never get at a big chain. It has a high-quality restaurant showcasing produce from the local area. Its luxurious without being snooty. Its accessible from Melbourne, though a world away from the big city. Alla was inspired by the great country restaurants and boutique hotels of France. In setting up the property, Alla was inspired by the great country restaurants and boutique hotels she had experienced in France, and she couldnt understand why Australia had nothing similar. Soon though, she did understand. The French in the Michelin guide used to call places like this worthy of a journey, Alla says, referring to those few restaurants that earn three Michelin stars. So that was the image, that was the idea I had, but it was so far from the reality of managing to achieve it. I imagined having a cellar of note, waiters in long white aprons, a long list of local producers knocking on my door bringing beautiful local mushrooms and tiny vegetables all the things Id seen in France, as well as knowledgeable travellers who would discover us. I pictured trained, amazing local people who would bang down the door coming to work for us. Alla Wolf-Tasker and Allan Wolf-Tasker in 1990. And, of course, none of that existed. The few guests who came through our door in the early days all wanted steak and three veg. Or scones with jam and cream. But that wasnt the kind of restaurant I wanted to have. I opened with a fixed-price menu of $29, and I was immediately told by all my [Melbourne] colleagues that no one was going to drive into the country and spend $29 on lunch. This is a special year for Alla, her daughter Larissa Wolf-Tasker, and the entire team at Lake House. Its their 40th birthday, a time to look back on their past, plan their future, and consider the effect this restaurant and hotel have had on what was once a small rural hamlet with little going for it. Rural luxury The Lake House is now what many modern travellers are looking for. Daylesford may have seemed an odd choice back then, but Alla had a connection to it: her Russian-migrant parents had bought a small cottage there in the 1960s to act as their dacha, their country getaway, where they could grow fruit and vegetables and drink the mineral-rich spring water. Childhood holidays for Alla were spent at the cottage with fellow migrant families, eating homemade cheese and sausages and exploring the countryside. That family connection for the business has always been important and will continue to be. Most of those places I loved [before setting up Lake House], and that Ive loved since, were multi-generational, Alla says. I think its that cross-generational passion thats the reason some beautiful things exist. It takes an awful lot of dedication, time, sacrifices and learning skills to maintain a business over a long period of time. So you need either people who are part of your tribe who are almost like family, and we certainly have a few of those. But that multi-generational passion you need to have that carried through. Enter Larissa Wolf-Tasker, who is now brand director at Lake House, and will continue to steer the business into the future. A waterfront suite. Its a huge privilege, Larissa says. Im acutely aware that there are very few hospitality businesses like ours around, and Ive been very proud to be part of its success so far. Though, of course, working with your parents isnt always easy. You can end up having incredibly frank, blunt conversations, Larissa says. But thats the nature of family. And if the past 40 years have taught us anything, its that not a year goes by without us evolving or changing in some way. They dont need to be dramatic changes, just a constant nudging and tweaking. And I imagine thats the way it will continue. Despite those changes, probably the greatest success for Lake House over 40 years has been its consistency. It hasnt had to morph dramatically to match the culture the culture has morphed to match Lake House. The food is still high-end European in concept, though local in provenance. The atmosphere is still warm but professional. The rooms are still charming and well-considered. Worthy of a journey ... Lake House, 40 years on. I built it the way I thought hospitality should be, Alla says. Youve got to stick with what you believe in: unique, charming, genuine warmth, carefully curated, and something of our personality and the personality of the area. I think now, thats what people are looking for. And thats what Ive always wanted to be worthy of a journey. To be the destination itself. For bookings and more information about Lake House, see lakehouse.com.au Israels swift investigation into the killings of seven aid workers by Israeli forces in Gaza has rightly not satisfied the victims families, their employer World Central Kitchen, or the Australian government. The Israeli investigation has admitted the killings were a grave mistake involving mistaken identification, errors in decision-making and breaches of orders and rules of engagement. It claimed information about the convoy was not shared within the Israel Defence Forces and that aid logos marking the vehicles were not visible at night. Two officers will be dismissed, another two reprimanded, and the case will be referred to military prosecutors. A man displays blood-stained British, Polish, and Australian passports Credit: AP Australia declared Israel has not appreciated the gravity of the killings and called for full accountability and transparency and appropriate action on the utterly inexcusable deaths. The government correctly rejects apologist claims that these are merely fog-of-war or friendly-fire glitches, or that everything is Hamas fault, or that self-defence justifies everything. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has appointed Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin as Australias special adviser to review the investigation. Wong insisted that evidence be preserved, telegraphing the governments lack of confidence in the Israeli military justice system. Kralendijk:--- This year, The Kingdom Taskforce for Children's Rights will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a working conference. The gathering, taking place from May 13th to 16th on Bonaire, will serve as a moment of reflection on the achievements and a look ahead at the taskforce's objectives. An important aspect of this is the collaborative development of the strategic framework. The conference will focus on action plans and collaboration agreements between the six islands based on the strategy for 2023-2028. These strategic objectives are outlined based on the focal points in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the countries and public entities in October 2023 in Curacao. The MoU marks an extension of the initial MoU signed in 2018. Over the past ten years, the task force has achieved various concrete results across the six islands in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Some examples include signing a covenant for the implementation of a strategic plan that promotes cooperation and is executed through the Youth and Family Center in Aruba, active youth participation in shaping the new youth policy of Bonaire, the establishment of a youth platform in Curacao, launching of the Child Helpline in Saba, the introduction of a parenting store in St. Eustatius, and the development of a parenting program in St. Maarten. About the Taskforce The history of the Kingdom Taskforce for Children's Rights dates back to the Kingdom Conference of April 2, 2014, in Aruba. During this conference, political authorities endorsed that every child in the Kingdom is entitled to a good childhood, as stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The Kingdom Conference led to the establishment of the Kingdom Taskforce for Children's Rights, with the aim of stimulating cooperation in the Kingdom regarding children's rights and improving the implementation of children's rights in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. The task force consists of representatives of youth and families from Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, and representatives from the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) and the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (VWS). UNICEF The Netherlands serves as the advisor to the task force. San Juan, Puerto Rico:--- For the second year in a row, L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science (FWIS) will celebrate its Young Talents Caribbean Region program, which aims to promote the participation of and recognize women in science in the Caribbean. This regional FWIS program stems from a partnership between LOreal Caribe, the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean, with the support of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences and the AAAS Caribbean Division. The Young Talents program seeks to connect the dots between Caribbean development challenges, scientific research, and female empowerment by recognizing and honoring two young scientists with an endowment of $10,000 USD to develop their scientific endeavors further. Applications are open until May 27th to secure one of the coveted spots as one of the next two esteemed women recipients of this prestigious award. The inaugural FWIS program received over 30 highly compelling applications, awarding two remarkable researchers from Trinidad and Jamaica, specializing in the fields of soil science and geography, contributing to research on climate change and its effects in the region. Sarah Buckland, Ph., whose research on climate change at the University of West Indies, Mona in Jamaica, presents how its effects can be seen in agriculture, with a special interest in seasonal climate patterns to manage risks during dry seasons, like the 2014-2015 droughts in Jamaica. Sunshine De Caires, MPhil., whose research on environmental science and agriculture in the face of climate change at the University of West Indies, St. Augustine in Trinidad, focuses on understanding and predicting the effects climate change has on the soil quality in the Caribbean, while also contributing to sustainable land management, a necessary component in the preservation of precious ecosystems in the region. LOreal Caribe is proud to continue the For Women in Science program in the region. This initiative gives Caribbean women in STEM the visibility and resources needed to help them continue to excel in their fields, advance their careers, and establish themselves as leaders and role models for the next generation of girls and young women, said Gilles Delaunay, General Manager LOreal Caribe. The Young Talents Caribbean Region L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science program serves to recognize and reward exceptional young female researchers across various scientific disciplines, including life and environmental sciences, material sciences, mathematics, computer and information sciences, engineering sciences, and technology. This second edition will also present two (2) endowments in the fall of 2024 to the selected talented researchers currently in doctoral, post-doctoral studies or in the early stage of their scientific research career. The Jury of this L'Oreal-UNESCO Young Talents Caribbean for Women in Science program will be constituted by leading members of the Caribbean academia. The candidates are evaluated based on their intellectual merit, research potential, scientific excellence, and their commitment to supporting women and girls in science. Our joint global initiative, the For Women in Science program, has not only significantly contributed to fostering a more inclusive environment for women in scientific careers, but it is also promoting a gender responsive cultural shift, which is so critical to sustainable development and women empowerment. said Dr. Anna Paolini, Director and Representative, UNESCO Office for the Caribbean. The need for a Young Talents Caribbean For Women in Science program becomes apparent when we confront the persisting inequalities and the existence of a glass ceiling within the realm of academic research: Only 18% of senior academic positions in science are currently occupied by women, while on a global scale, only 4% of women have been honored with Nobel Prizes in science, emphasizing the stark gender imbalance that continues to prevail within the scientific community. Since 1998, the For Women in Science programs worldwide have upheld the conviction that the world needs science, and science needs women in the pursuit of gender equality in STEM. Last year marked a significant milestone in our region with this competitive grant. We hope that this will not only encourage the publication of more research but also embolden women scientists to leverage their work for the region's development. The forward-looking vision is for this initiative to endure in our region for many years to come., said Professor Mark Wuddivira, President of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences. For more information about L'Oreal UNESCO For Women in Science, please visit https://www.forwomeninscience.com/challenge/show/102. Biden lands another big Taiwan chip investment Washington, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 The Taiwan chip giant TSMC has agreed to build a third semiconductor factory in Arizona, raising its total investment in the United States to $65 billion, US officials said Monday. Lael Brainard, President Joe Biden's chief economic adviser, hailed the election-year news as "a new chapter for America's semiconductor industry." She told reporters the investment planned by TSMC is based on a preliminary agreement with the US Commerce Department that is tied to a major investment law called the Chips and Science Act. Under this agreement, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company will receive up to $6.6 billion in direct funding from the US government and could get up to another $5 billion in the form of loans. The law is a pillar of the administration's drive to protect and strengthen American industrial power as Biden runs for another term in November. The United States is seeking to ward off the prospect of suffering shortages of cutting edge chips that are essential for making cell phones, electric cars and advanced military equipment. As things stand now the United States is highly dependent on Asia for these components and thus vulnerable in the event of a geopolitical crisis, particularly in a sensitive place such as Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province it is determined to take back some day. TSMC, which had already planned to build two plants in Arizona, is going to make semiconductors even more advanced than originally planned at one of them and will also construct a third facility, US officials said early Monday. The company is thus raising its total investment in the US from $40 billion to $65 billion. "For the first time ever, we will be making at scale the most advanced semiconductor chips on the planet here in the United States of America," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said. "These are the chips that underpin all artificial intelligence." - Artificial intelligence - Raimondo said that with these plans, TSMC would create at least 6,000 direct high-tech jobs but also more than 20,000 in the construction of the factories and tens of thousands of indirect jobs. "Our US operations allow us to better support our US customers," said TSMC chairman Mark Liu. TSMC accounts for more than half of the world's semiconductor production. It has begun to diversify its production, under pressure from customers but also from governments worries about the possibility of China invading Taiwan. Besides in the United States, the company plans to make chips in Japan and Germany. The Chips and Science Act passed in 2022 calls for $52.7 billion in money to overhaul the semiconductor industry in the United States, with the idea that making public money available for this purpose will lure private investment. The US company Intel, for instance, recently announced new production capacity in several states including Arizona, one of the swing states seen as a must win for Biden in November's election. Biden won Arizona narrowly in 2020 against Donald Trump, who is his presumptive rival again this year. YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. A Hamas official told Reuters on Monday that no progress was made at a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo also attended by delegations from Israel, Qatar and the United States. "There is no change in the position of the occupation and therefore, there is nothing new in the Cairo talks," the Hamas official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. "There is no progress yet," he added. Earlier on Monday, Egypt's state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV channel quoted a senior Egyptian source as saying progress had been made in the talks, after a deal was reached among participating delegations on issues under discussion, the report adds. According to Reuters, Israel and Hamas, at war in the Gaza Strip since October, have failed so far to resolve disagreements over their main demands. Hamas wants an end to Israel's offensive and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel wants a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a number of Palestinians in its jails without a commitment to end the war. The war began after Hamas'October 7 attackon Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, prompting an Israeli invasion that has laid waste to much of the densely populated territory and displaced most of its 2.3 million people. More than 33,100 Palestinians have died, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. Israel says Hezbollah commander killed in Lebanon strike Jerusalem, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 The Israeli military said Monday it killed a Hezbollah commander in an overnight air strike in Lebanon, as cross-border violence flares between Israel and the Iran-backed armed group. Ali Ahmed Hussein of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Forces was "eliminated" by Israeli jets in the area of Sultaniyeh in southern Lebanon, the military said in a statement, accusing him of attacks against Israeli targets in recent months. At least two other people were killed in the strike, according to the Israeli military, Lebanese state media and a security source. The military said Hussein had "carried out numerous launches toward Israeli territory" from Lebanon since war broke out on October 7 between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, a Hezbollah ally. Hussein was a "commander of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation's Radwan Forces in the Hujeir region," the Israeli statement said, adding that two other Hezbollah fighters were also killed. Hezbollah said one of its fighters, identified as Ali Ahmed Hussein and nicknamed Abbas Jaafar, had been killed, without saying where or when he died. The Hezbollah statement did not mention his rank or position. A Lebanese security source told AFP that "a local commander... from (Hezbollah's) Radwan unit" was killed in the Israeli strike along with two other members of the group. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the commander as Abbas Jaafar. Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that Israeli aircraft "raided an inhabited house" in Sultaniyeh, reporting "three martyrs and a number of wounded". It said the strike caused "huge damage" to nearby buildings and infrastructure and that at least 10 families were affected. Hezbollah, which has a powerful arsenal of rockets and missiles, has exchanged regular fire with Israeli forces since its ally Hamas carried out the unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, triggering war in the Gaza Strip. That attack resulted in the deaths of around 1,170 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 33,175 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas-ruled territory's health ministry. The latest overnight strike on Lebanon came after the Israeli army said on Sunday it had completed "another phase of... readiness for war" on the Lebanon front. Also Sunday, the Israeli military said its fighter jets struck a compound it said belonged to Radwan Forces "in the area of Khiam", several kilometres (miles) north of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel, which has carried out increasingly deeper strikes into Lebanese territory and has targeted several Hezbollah commanders, also reported hitting other targets in south Lebanon on Sunday. The cross-border hostilities have killed at least 363 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also including at least 70 civilians, according to an AFP tally. The fighting has displaced tens of thousands of people in southern Lebanon and in northern Israel, where the military says 10 soldiers and eight civilians have been killed. Hezbollah and Israel last fought a war in 2006. Ukraine denies attacking Russian-held nuclear plant Kyiv, Ukraine, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 Ukraine on Monday accused Moscow of spreading "fake" information after Russian officials said a Ukrainian drone had hit the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The head of Ukraine's centre for countering disinformation, Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, said Russia was intensifying a "campaign of provocation and fakes" after it claimed that Ukrainian forces attacked the plant on Sunday. Russia is attacking the station "with drones, pretending that the threat to the plant and nuclear safety is coming from Ukraine," Kovalenko said. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, Europe's largest such facility, has been occupied by Russian forces since the start of their February 2022 invasion. Russia's nuclear agency Rosatom said there was a "series of attacks" Sunday, with one drone striking the site's canteen, wounding three staff members, one of them "severely". Drones also hit a cargo port and the roof of one of the site's six reactors, it said. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has experts at the plant, said the attacks caused a "physical impact" on one reactor and resulted in one casualty, but nuclear safety was not compromised. Rosatom called on Western nations and IAEA chief Rafael Grossi to "categorically condemn the attempt to escalate the situation around the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe". Kovalenko accused Russia of "manipulating the concerns of the IAEA" and "trying to accuse Ukraine of nuclear terrorism". A spokesman for the Ukrainian defence ministry's main directorate of intelligence, Andriy Yusov, had earlier accused Russia of endangering the power station and carrying out "simulated strikes". Kyiv, Moscow trade accusations of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant attacks Moscow, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station with a drone for the second day running, after Kyiv had earlier pointed the finger at Moscow. The plant in southern Ukraine, Europe's largest nuclear facility, has been under the control of Russian forces since the first days of the military offensive in early 2022. Both sides have regularly traded accusations of attacking the facility over the last two years, accusing each other of risking a potentially devastating nuclear disaster. "Attempts by the Ukrainian armed forces to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continue," the Russians controlling the facility said on Telegram on Monday. "Today a kamikaze drone was shot down over the plant. It fell on the roof of unit 6," they said, referring to one of the power station's reactors. They said there was no threat to the plant's safety. Russian forces have controlled the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant since their seized it in March 2022. Ukraine had earlier said Moscow was spreading "fake" information that Kyiv had fired drones at the plant on Sunday. The head of Ukraine's centre for countering disinformation, Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, said Russia was intensifying a "campaign of provocation and fakes". He said it was Russia that was attacking the facility "with drones, pretending that the threat to the plant and nuclear safety is coming from Ukraine". - 'Nuclear dangers' - Russia's nuclear agency Rosatom said there was a "series of attacks" on Sunday. It alleged that one drone had struck the site's canteen, wounding three staff members, one of them "severely". Drones also hit a cargo port and the roof of one of the power plant's six nuclear reactors, it said. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has experts at the plant, said Sunday's strikes resulted in one casualty. "This is a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. "Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately," Director General Rafael Grossi said on Sunday. The IAEA said on Sunday there were no indications of "damage to critical nuclear safety or security". Rosatom urged Grossi and Western nations to "categorically condemn" the attack. Ukraine's Kovalenko accused Russia of "manipulating the concerns of the IAEA" and "trying to accuse Ukraine of nuclear terrorism". A spokesman for the Ukrainian defence ministry's main directorate of intelligence, Andriy Yusov, had earlier accused Russia of endangering the power station and carrying out "simulated strikes". Right time to do a hostage deal, says Israel's defence minister Jerusalem, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday it is the right time to do a hostage deal with Hamas, a day after the military pulled out troops from Gaza's main southern city. With indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on a Gaza truce and a hostage deal going on in Cairo, Gallant told Israeli army recruits that, "I think we are at an appropriate moment" to do a deal with the Islamist militants, six months into the war. "The relentless pressure on Hamas and the position of strength from which we come into this campaign, allow us flexibility and freedom of action," he added, according to a statement issued by his office. "There will be difficult decisions and we will be ready to pay the price in order to get the hostages back, and then return to fighting." Around 250 Israeli and foreign hostages were abducted by Hamas on October 7. Israel's military says 129 remain in Gaza, of whom 34 are dead. Families and supporters of hostages have held regular protests demanding government action to bring them home. Gallant said Sunday that Israeli troops had been pulled out of southern Gaza "to prepare for future missions", including in neighbouring Rafah, where Israel believes Hamas fighters have been hiding among roughly 1.5 million Palestinians. He said an Israeli commando division was withdrawn after months of fierce fighting because "Hamas ceased to exist as a military framework" in Khan Yunis, just north of Rafah. The Gaza war was sparked by the October 7 attack against Israel by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,207 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Greece to launch new marine parks at global oceans meet Athens, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 Greece, hosts of this year's global conference on protecting oceans, will launch two new marine parks as part of multi-billion-euro pledges expected from 120 participating states and entities, organisers said on Monday. Delegates at the April 15-17 Our Ocean Conference include 12 heads of state, around fifty ministers and officials, and representatives from 120 nations and entities, including the UN, EU and NATO. "This is the biggest environment conference ever held (in Greece)," Environment and Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis told journalists. He said that part of Athens' commitments are two new national parks -- one in the Ionian Sea for sea mammals and turtles, and another in the Aegean for seabirds, to be set into law by early next year. "They will be among the largest in the Mediterranean," he said. Greece has been repeatedly fined by the European Commission on environmental matters in the past decades. In December, it was referred to the EU court of justice for failing to implement maritime spatial planning guidelines. In a statement on Monday, nine environmental groups including WWF and Greenpeace hailed the new parks announcement as an "important initiative". But they noted that the Ionian Sea park is to be created in an area already earmarked by Greece for hydrocarbon exploration. "There can be no protected maritime area with hydrocarbon extraction," the groups said. Skylakakis said the park under consideration is "much, much larger than any extraction area". "Sea mammals will be afforded a very high level of protection," he promised. Since the first Our Ocean conference in 2014, participating nations have committed more than $130 billion in ocean aid, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis told reporters. Greece will be placing particular emphasis this year on sustainable tourism, microplastics, eco-friendly shipping and the Mediterranean environment, he said. "Each of us, especially those in coastal areas, swallows the equivalent of a plastic card each week (through microplastics in fish)," Gerapetritis said. "And also through salt," added Skylakakis. Observers say Our Ocean is the only conference to address all ocean-related issues under one roof. At the previous summit in Panama in March 2023, participants pledged $19 billion in initiatives to protect oceans. They included projects involving sustainable fishing, the fight against pollution, maritime security and protected areas. "Other species cannot do much, they can merely adapt. Humans must react," Skylakakis said on Monday. The European Union last year said it would dedicate 816.5 million euros ($884 million) to ocean-related projects. Part of that was directed towards research to protect marine biodiversity and address the impacts of climate change on the seas, and a satellite to observe melting ice and monitor climate change effects. Germany begins deployment of permanent Lithuania brigade Vilnius, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 Germany on Monday began the permanent deployment of a military brigade in Lithuania with an advance contingent of 20 soldiers arriving in Vilnius and 150 more to join them by year's end. Berlin said last year it would deploy roughly 4,800 troops in Lithuania at a permanent base on NATO's eastern flank as tensions rise with Russia. The advance party is tasked with "planning the brigade's transfer to Lithuania and coordinating military infrastructure needs," the Lithuanian Defence Ministry stated. "Lithuania's security is our security," German ambassador Cornelius Zimmermann told reporters as the fist troops landed. Berlin has committed to deploying a heavy brigade including tank units to Lithuania by the end of 2027 though the two NATO members have yet to agree on who will pay for housing of the troops and other costs. An agreement is expected, however, by the end of the year. Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas says his country plans to spend about 800 million euros ($870 million) on the brigade in coming years. Germany heads up and provides around half of a 1,500-strong NATO enhanced tactical group which was stationed in Lithuania in 2017 and which will ultimately form part of the new brigade. Brazil high court rules army can't intervene in politics Brasilia, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 Brazil's Supreme Court ruled Monday the constitution does not allow the military to intervene in politics under any circumstances, an indirect rebuff of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, who is under investigation for an alleged coup attempt. The unanimous decision by the court's 11 judges rejected the argument often advanced by Bolsonaro and his far-right backers that Brazil's constitution establishes the military as a "moderating power" that can intervene in government in times of crisis. "It is urgent to put a stop to dangerous interpretations that distort the constitution and threaten the democratic rule of law," Luiz Fux, the lead judge on the case, wrote in his ruling. Ex-army captain Bolsonaro, who led Brazil from 2019 to 2022, has repeatedly evoked the supposed constitutionality of a military intervention in politics. He is now under investigation over allegations he and top advisers, including high-ranking military officers, orchestrated what federal police call a "coup attempt" to keep him in power after Brazil's 2022 elections, which he lost to veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Investigators say Bolsonaro, an avowed admirer of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985, edited a draft decree that would have declared a state of emergency and called new elections. Bolsonaro, who attacked Brazil's voting system as fraud-prone throughout the campaign, denies wrongdoing, saying he is the victim of political persecution. Bolsonaro and his backers often cite Article 142 of Brazil's 1988 constitution as allowing a military intervention in case of a breakdown in government institutions. The center-left Democratic Labor Party (PDT) asked the Supreme Court to rule on that interpretation. The high court roundly rejected it. "The same constitution that says 'all power emanates from the people' in its first article cannot be read as authorizing a 'military intervention,'" wrote Fux. The ruling comes on the heels of the 60th anniversary of the March 31, 1964, coup that installed the dictatorship. National debate around the anniversary drew new relevance after Bolsonaro's defeat and riots by his supporters, who stormed the seat of government in Brasilia on January 8, 2023, alleging the elections were stolen and urging the military to intervene. Iran FM accuses US of approving strike on Damascus consulate Damascus, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 Iran's foreign minister again accused the United States Monday of approving a deadly strike blamed on Israel that destroyed Tehran's Damascus consulate last week, after he inaugurated a new consulate in the Syrian capital. Tehran, a key Damascus ally, has vowed to avenge last Monday's air strike on the Iranian embassy's consular section that killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, including two generals. The strike came against the backdrop of Israel and Hamas's ongoing war, which began with the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel. Damascus and Tehran blame Israel for last Monday's raid, but it has not commented. "America is responsible for this incident and must be held accountable," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters in Damascus. "The fact that the US and two European countries opposed a (UN Security Council) resolution condemning the attack on the Iranian embassy is a sign that the US gave the green light to the Zionist regime (Israel)" to carry out the attack, he claimed. Asked about Abdollahian's remarks, deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh denied Washington was connected to the attack. "I can very forcefully push back on that and say... the US military had no involvement in that strike that took place in Damascus," she told journalists. On April 2, a day after the consulate strike, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had dismissed as "nonsense" comments by Amir-Abdollahian that Washington, Israel's main backer, bore responsibility for the attack. - Israeli embassies warning - On Monday, Abdollahian also inaugurated the new consular section in a Damascus building in the presence of his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad, state news agency SANA said. He also met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. An AFP correspondent at the inauguration said the new consulate was not far from the premises destroyed by the strike in the upscale Mazzeh area, which also houses other foreign embassies and UN offices. Iran's foreign minister began a regional tour Sunday in Oman, long a mediator between Tehran and the West, where Muscat's foreign minister called for de-escalation. An adviser to Iran's supreme leader warned on Sunday that Israeli embassies were "no longer safe" after the Damascus attack. Analysts saw the raid as an escalation of Israel's campaign against Iran and its regional proxies that runs the risk of triggering a wider war beyond the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said 16 people were killed in the consulate strike: eight Iranians, five Syrians, one member of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group and two civilians. Among the dead were generals Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, both senior commanders in the Quds Force, the IRGC's foreign operations arm. Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes in Syria since civil war broke out 13 years ago, targeting Iran-backed forces including Hezbollah as well as Syrian army positions and weapons depots. It rarely comments on individual strikes, but Israel's raids have increased since the Gaza war began. Tehran backs Palestinian militants Hamas but has denied any direct involvement in the group's October 7 attack, which sparked massive Israeli retaliation in Gaza. burs/srm Canada to boost military spending, but short of NATO target Ottawa, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 Canada announced Monday a boost in defense spending that will see the purchase of long range missile systems, new tactical helicopters and a greater Arctic presence, though it will fall short of NATO spending targets. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference at the Trenton, Ontario, military base that the government is also looking to add new submarines to patrol its coastlines, and is in talks to join the AUKUS security partnership, where the United States, Britain and Australia cooperate on intelligence. In the Canadian government's budget next week it will earmark Can$8.1 billion (US$6 billion) over five years in new funding, part of a total Can$73 billion (US$54 billion) over the next two decades for its military. This is on top of already announced procurements of navy ships and a fleet of F-35 fighter jets, as well as investments to modernize continental defenses under the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). "We live in an increasingly complex and challenging time," Trudeau said. "Whereas in the entirety of the 20th century, we sent our people out to the frontlines across the world, we are now on the frontlines of new and evolving threats." He pointed to "rising and disruptive powers like China and Russia" and melting ice soon bringing more shipping in the Arctic. NATO has set a target of two percent of gross domestic product (GDP) for each member state's military spending. Trudeau said Canada, which has long been criticized as a laggard on defense spending, aims to reach 1.76 percent by 2030, from the current 1.38 percent. According to NATO figures, Canada ranks sixth from the bottom in defense expenditures as a share of GDP, while many of its allies have ramped up outlays in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Trudeau also said Ottawa has also had "excellent conversations with the US, the UK and Australia about how we can work even closer." The three countries formed the AUKUS trilateral security partnership in 2021 in a bid to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Pacific. Japan and New Zealand have also discussed closer cooperation on advanced military technologies with AUKUS. YEREVAN, APRIL 8, ARMENPRESS. On April 8, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the delegation of the EU Political and Security Committee. According to the readout issued by the foreign ministry, in his welcoming remarks, the Foreign Minister of Armenia commended the process aimed at the significantly deepening of Armenia-EU relations, emphasizing that it includes both the continuous implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, as well as the best use of opportunities beyond it. In the context of the dynamics of the development of relations, the activities of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia, as well as the economic component of the development of the Armenia-EU partnership were touched upon. In the context of the latter, Minister Mirzoyan emphasized the opportunities provided by the implementation of the flagship initiatives of the Economic and Investment Plan and the new "Resilience and Growth Plan" for Armenia. Among the important projects, ensuring progress in the direction of launching the Armenia-EU Visa Liberalization dialogue was also mentioned. Recalling the speech of the Prime Minister of Armenia in the European Parliament in December 2023, Minister Mirzoyan added: "The people of the Republic of Armenia have European aspirations, and we will be guided by those aspirations." Touching upon the security issues in the South Caucasus, Ararat Mirzoyan briefed the ambassadors of the EU member states on the latest developments in the normalisation process of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Emphasising Armenia's willingness to use the opportunity to achieve peace, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia noted that this implies reflection of the mutual agreement on key issues in the peace treaty, in particular mutual reaffirmation of territorial integrity and delimitation, based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. In the context of ensuring economic development in the region, Minister Mirzoyan emphasised the importance of unblocking transport and economic communications, recalling the "Crossroads of Peace" initiative developed by the Government of the Republic of Armenia as a manifestation of Armenia's interest in the opening of respective communications. The minister answered the questions of the attendees on the Armenia-EU partnership and Armenia's regional policy. Views were exchanged on other topics of mutual interest. The copyright for information published on this web site is owned exclusively by Armenpress news agency. All information materials published on this website are intended solely for personal use. For full or partial reproduction of any material in other media it is required to acquire written permission from Armenpress news agency. Those, who have committed copyright violations, will be prosecuted accordingly. 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Read our privacy notice CREATE ACCOUNT I'LL TRY LATER Already have an account? SIGN IN By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Gemma Collins wants Jedward to walk her down the aisle for one of her three forthcoming wedding ceremonies, and has called Pavarotti to sing at her boho vibes engagement party. The 43-year-old got engaged in February this year after a lavish proposal from her partner of 14 years, businessman Rami Hawash. Hawash, 49, organised a seaplane to fly in hundreds of roses from Male, the capital of the Maldives where the two were on holiday, the couple told OK! Magazine. The beach was closed off, and the words Will you marry me? were spelt out in lights in what Collins calls a demonstration that looked like Travis Barkers and Kourtney Kardashians proposal! Her favourite movie, House of Gucci, played on the beach as the GC revealed she wasnt even wearing a bra because the proposal took her completely by surprise. Collins shared that her engagement ring was inspired by jewellry worn by the royal family because of her love for them. Talking about her upcoming wedding plans, the reality star said that she intends to have multiple ceremonies. Collins is set to get married in winter of 2026 (Getty Images for The Animal Ball) I think were actually going to have three weddings. The main one will be somewhere fabulous in the UK, the second maybe abroad, and the third will be the formal one for our closest friends and family, she said. Other details include a wedding dress inspired by Lady Gagas character in House of Gucci, a wow dress with a huge train, and a recreation of Victoria Beckhams wedding tiara. Collins said her love for the royals inspired her engagement ring (PA) She revealed there had been a lot of interest in having her wedding on TV and hinted that she was ready to show her evolved new self on the air. Well have DJ Fat Tony perform a set and Jedward will obviously be there, she said. The duo made headlines last month when they called former X Factor judge Louis Walsh senile as they had a roast dinner at Collinss home. I joked to my mum that I might have them walk me down the aisle they are my dogs godfathers, after all. Theyre honestly like family to me, I adore them. Rami agreed that the duo were like our kids. The GC plans to have a House of Gucci inspired dress (House of Gucci/ Twitter) The official date has not been confirmed but the event is set to take place in the winter of 2026, after Collins consulted an astrologer to help her pinpoint the best time for their union. In the meantime, she has her summer engagement party to look forward to. Pavarotti has already had a phone call, she said. Were going to have singing waiters, everything from food to drink to dessert is going to be Italian. Its kind of boho vibes though. I want everyone just to be free and flowing. I just hope Pavarotti calls me back. The diamond crown worn by Victoria Beckham at her wedding to footballer David Beckham. The headpiece, valued at 120,000, is encrusted with 231 diamonds, was not purchased by singer and was sold at a charity auction (PA) She also confirmed she had been working with viral social media fitness trainer Eddie Abew to lose weight in time for the occasion, which comes after rumours that the pair had gotten engaged previously. Were 100% official now. This is us saying, Were ready, bring it on! The surfer was left behind on foot when a man made off with his Toyota Prado at Duranbah Beach at Tweed Heads. Dramatic footage has emerged of the moment a surfer's 4WD was stolen from right in front of his eyes at a popular Aussie beach, with the video showing stunned onlookers watching on in amazement as the brazen theft took place. Vision shows a group of surfers standing around the footpath at Duranbah Beach at Tweed Heads at around 2pm on Sunday watching on as the saga unfolds. The men can be heard in the video repeating "Oh my God, oh my God" as a white Toyota Prado is seen driving over the top of a grassed area, along a footpath and onto the road in the distance. A 4WD was stolen from a surfer right in front of his eyes at Duranbah Beach in Tweed Heads on Sunday. Source: 9News Footage shocks beachgoers at Tweed Heads "What! Holy sh*t, f**k," a man can be heard saying, while others stand around and watch in awe as the 4WD disappears from view up a hill. In this distance, the car's owner can seemingly be seen chasing after the vehicle before it sped off, raising his hands into the air in confusion as he's left alone on foot. According to police, the car was believed to have been taken by a man who stole a set of keys while the surfer was out in the water. Police confirm vehicle later recovered Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a NSW Police spokeswoman confirmed the vehicle had since been recovered at Tweed Heads and seized for forensic examination. "At about 2.10pm on Sunday, police were called to a beach reserve on Coral Street, Tweed Heads, following reports a car had been stolen," the spokeswoman said. Vision shows stunned surfers watch on in shock as a man made off with another man's Toyota Prado at Duranbah Beach. Source: 9News "On arrival, officers attached to Tweed-Byron Police District were told a man had taken keys from a locker before stealing a white Toyota Prado. Police have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident." Anyone with information of the incident or video is urged to contact Tweed-Byron police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. 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Its tourist offering, so niche it has been described as 'punctiform', plays on nature and Italian passions and 'roots' - three elements beloved by German tourists, Marcella Di Feo of the region's Agency of territorial promotion (Apt) has told ANSA. "Basilicata never misses Berlin's ITB" and is always present "at the Enit Italia pavilion with other regions", said Marcella Di Feo, who is responsible for international marketing at the Apt agency. "And, obviously, we expect to always maintain a well-structured and consolidated relationship with the tourist market" in Germany, she added, speaking from the Fair's pavilion 1, which is mainly occupied by Italy. EXCLUSIV Amantul Dianei Sosoaca are un loc pe liste. O sa faca ani grei de puscarie. Nu mi-e mila de ea. Silvestru Sosoaca s-a dezlantuit la adresa sotiei sale, dupa decizia CCR de a-i respinge candidatura europarlamentarului la presedintia Romaniei The sea mine discovered on Monday on the Chilia stretch of the Danube by the Romanian authorities originates from World War I, announced the General Staff of the Naval Forces (SMFN) and the Delta Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU). The mine was noticed at around 9:00 a.m., at kilometer 113 of the Danube, near the village of Patlageanca, and later Delta ISU activated the institution's pyrotechnic team and notified the eastern Tulcea Port Authority about the danger it posed to traffic ships on the Romanian-Ukrainian border, so river traffic in the area was made difficult. "It is a mine manufactured in 1906, in France. It comes from a sunken ship downstream of the place where it was found. This type of element does not have a charge, but for the safety of the naval traffic and the area, it is required to be analyzed and inspected by specialized teams," stated ISU Delta Tulcea. The mine was extracted from the Danube by the divers of the 39th Diving Center and the River Flotilla, and traffic in the area was resumed under safe conditions. "The activity of identifying, classifying and extracting the historical mine was carried out in an inter-institutional manner and in accordance with the operational procedures established at the level of the National Defense System, public order and national security," informs the Naval Forces' release. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu has declined the invitation to participate in the PM's question time in the Senate plenary on Monday at 15:00, at the proposal of the Save Romania Union (USR) group. According to a document sent to the Senate by the head of the prime minister's Chancellery, Mihai Ghigiu, prime minister Ciolacu cannot attend the sitting because "he has political and governmental activities scheduled that cannot be postponed". The Senate's Standing Bureau rejected, on Monday, by vote, USR's proposal to invite Finance minister Marcel Bolos and Education minister Ligia Deca to attend the Government question time in the Senate's plenary on April 16 and April 30 respectively.A Michael Smith said numerous people tried to warn the man about letting his kids swim in the crocodile-infested river. A dads unbelievably dangerous act at a popular campsite and his defiant response to those who desperately tried to warn him has left Aussies flabbergasted. Michael Smith was returning from a successful day of fishing with his mate Jason on the Mary River in the Northern Territory on Saturday afternoon when the pair spotted something strange. While approaching the boat ramp with his roughly 90cm barramundi catch, the proud fisherman told Yahoo News Australia he couldnt believe his eyes when Jason pointed out there were a couple of people swimming in the water which is well-known to be teeming with crocodiles. Michael Smith said numerous people tried to warn the dad about letting his kids swim in the crocodile-infested Mary River at the Shady Camp barrage wall and campground on Saturday. Source: Michael Smith As we got closer we realised they were kids, probably 10 or 12 years old, he said, explaining that when he got out of the tinnie to collect their car, he noticed the father of the kids was sitting nearby supervising. There was a couple of other people in boats and also on the shore telling him, you know, Youre dead in the water. What are you doing? Youre pretty much crazy. However, instead of heading their warning, the Aussie dad argued back and insults began flying. When I returned [to the boat ramp] with the car, hes got his kids out of the water and he was in the water fishing himself, in waist-deep water with a fishing rod, Michael said. I think in sharp defiance of everyone who was telling him to get out of the water, he hopped in himself. We couldnt believe it. 'Big crocodiles' spotted just 300 metres away Just 300 metres from where the family were seen taking a dip at the Shady Camp barrage wall and campground, Michael told Yahoo he saw three or four big crocodiles about three metres long swimming alongside their boat. Michael Smith said he saw three or four large crocodiles just 300 metres from where the family was seen taking a dip at Shady Camp. Source: Michael Smith And those are the ones you can see, he added, referring to their ability to hide in murky water. The dad wasnt the only problematic visitor at Mary River which attracts fisherman from all over the country during the run off between March and April, Michael said. There were a whole bunch of people standing around the shoreline too. A lot of people had their feet in the water, he explained. While most NT rivers average five crocodiles per kilometre, Mary River is home to nearly 15 saltwater crocodiles per kilometre, according to the Northern Territory Government. Fishing from the barrage is very dangerous and not recommended, the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory states, and no swimming is allowed anywhere in the Mary River National Park. Aussies horrified by dad's 'stupidity' The image of the two kids swimming as their dad watches on has created a stir among outraged Aussies after being posted online on Sunday. This is one of the dumbest f**king things Ive seen in my entire life, one person commented. The level of stupidity on display here is beyond comprehension, another said, while others called on authorities to investigate the incident. You would have to be mad what is wrong with some people? someone else wrote. 'Entitled' people ignore croc warnings, expert says Those who ignore obvious signage and verbal warnings from others when visiting crocodile habitats were branded as arrogant and entitled by an expert late last month. "For some reason [in] Far North Queensland people just flat out ignore the warning signs and then cry poor me when something happens," Tommy Hayes told Yahoo News after a young Aussie family were filmed walking their dog on the waters edge in Cairns. Hayes said that not only are people putting themselves at risk, but the lives of crocodiles which are often killed if an interaction occurs. How to practise 'crocwise' behaviour, according to DES Obey all warning signs they are there to keep you safe Be aware crocs also swim in the ocean and be extra cautious around water at night Stay well away from croc traps that includes fishing and boating The smaller the vessel the greater the risk, so avoid using canoes and kayaks Stand back from the waters edge when fishing and dont wade in to retrieve a lure Camp at least 50 metres from the edge of the water Never leave food, fish scraps or bait near water, campsite or boat ramp Never provoke, harass, or feed crocs Always supervise children near the water and keep pets on a lead Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. The Fundeni Clinical Institute, the "C.C. Iliescu" Institute and the Bucharest Oncology Institute (IOB) are priorities for investments in health and must be placed on a common platform that integrates costs and management, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday. Ciolacu paid a working visit to Fundeni, in the context of World Health Day, which is marked on April 7. "We are in the largest hospital institution in Romania. In my point of view, investments in health should have started here. These are the priorities. We have Fundeni, we have 'C.C. Iliescu', we have the IOB, all three should be on an integrated platform, so that costs and management, even if it is done by consortium, should all be integrated. (...) We cannot have health performance in 65 years old buildings, it is obvious that they are outdated. It is obvious that whatever the state invests, it is money wasted. We have seen how much money the Ministry of Health invested in 2023 in a laboratory that would still be able to cope with an entire platform," said Ciolacu. He mentioned the decision made in the Government regarding the future investment at the Fundeni Clinical Institute. "Together with the minister, we made this decision two weeks ago, in the Government meeting, to approve the indicators for the future platform at Fundeni, almost a 500 million euro investment, both from the POS, from the current financial year, but also from the EIB loan and the state budget. We have 'C.C. Iliescu' already passed through the PNRR. We will see the approach with the Oncology Institute, because all three must be approached as a unit. We talk a lot about health, we talk about the need for medical care in every county, in every commune, in every locality, but we are at Fundeni, at 'C.C. Iliescu,' at the Oncology Institute, where lives are really saved. This is where urgent cases come, where kidney and liver implants are performed," the PM pointed out. According to him, the University Emergency Hospital must also be a priority for the authorities. "As a matter of fact, health care is provided here, just as it is at the University Hospital. That's why the University Hospital, apart from the fact that it provides health care, it also produces future doctors, future nurses. University centres and such hospital institutions as Fundeni and the University Hospital are priorities. I repeat, I don't think that you, as doctors, even if you are also managers, have to thank any mayor or any prime minister or anyone who got involved in these projects. I think that there should be a much clearer coordination among the General City Hall, hospitals, the Ministry of Health and the Government," Ciolacu said. He also stressed the importance of attracting European funds for these projects. "We no longer have time for excuses, we no longer have time for arguments. These are the last moments when Romania can access almost 70 billion euros. If we have lost these 3-4 years, from this moment on, Romania can no longer catch up, because European priorities always become totally different. Now is the time to have no more excuses and to push things forward," added Ciolacu. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday sent a message of condolences on the death of economist Ilie Serbanescu, saying that he was one of the most esteemed and valuable Romanian economists. "Ilie Serbanescu was one of the most esteemed and valuable Romanian economists, a true statesman, a man with a vision, who always wanted the best for the country. May God rest him in peace!" the prime minister wrote in a social media post. Economist Ilie Serbanescu died at the age of 81. He is a graduate of the Bucharest School of Economic Studies (ASE), then, in 1978, he became a doctor in economics. He is author of "Transnational Corporations" (1978), "Terra: a portrait in black and white" (1980), "Economic reform in Romania: half measures double social costs" (1994), "Manifesto of the immobilist party" (1996), as well as over 1,500 articles and studies on the post-December 1989 reform in Romania. He published analytical articles for economic and financial newspapers. Serbanescu was minister of reform, chairman of the Council for Reform, in the reshuffled Ciorbea Cabinet (December 5, 1997 - April 17, 1998) History will march on during the 114th Annie Malone May Day Parade on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in downtown St. Louis. The Annie Malone May Day Parade is a St. Louis tradition and the oldest African American parade in the nation, said Keisha Lee, Annie Malone CEO. It is also the largest fundraiser for Annie Malone Children and Family Services which serves nearly 500 children and parents per year with programs in crisis management, therapeutic education, and youth substance abuse prevention and treatment. For a second consecutive year, sponsor White Castles will support Annie Malone with a Round Up at the Register promotion through April 30 at 10 locations: Kingshighway and Natural Bridge, Kingshighway and Delmar, Jennings, Grand & Gravois, Olive Blvd, in University City, Berkeley, Fenton, Eureka, Kirkwood and High Ridge. We are excited to partner with Annie Malone to provide much-needed funds to support disadvantaged children and families in our community, said Darrin Cotton, regional director of restaurant operations for White Castles. Joining White Castle, Inc, in parade sponsorship are Walmart, Midwest BankCentre, St. Louis Development Corporation, BJC, Procter & Gamble, and William C. Harris Funeral Homes. This years parade theme is Connecting Physical Health to Mental Health. Kendra Holmes, Affinia Healthcare president and CEO, will serve as grand marshal. Media sponsors include KSDK 5 On Your Side, KTVI Fox 2, News 11, Majic 104.9 FM, 100.3 FM The Beat FM, Gospel 1600 AM, BIN 103.7 FM, Hot 104.1 FM and 96.3 FM The Lou. Sponsors and parade participants may also sign-up online at 7pm or attend Sign-Up Saturdays on April from 9 to 11 a.m. at Annie Malone headquarters, 2612 Annie Malone Dr., St. Louis, MO 63113. Aisha Sultan Columnist and features writer Follow Aisha Sultan 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 I love an extraordinary celestial event, especially if it involves potential chaos. So, its not surprising that I started plotting where to go to be in the path of totality for this eclipse. During the last solar eclipse seven years ago, I was invited to a party at a friends house in Chesterfield. I remember standing in her backyard when a cool stillness drifted in and settled over us in the path of totality. There was something magical about experiencing this rare phenomenon involving objects so massive and faraway. The sun and moon routine parts of our daily lives converged and mesmerized us to stare at the sky and see them in a completely different way. I wanted to experience that spectacle again, relive those fleeting moments of jumping between light and dark to light again in quick succession. It felt like being part of something supernatural. I wisely asked my colleague, Dan Neman, who has been covering the logistics and details of the eclipse, which spot in the path of totality would be nearest to me. He suggested Park Hills, a small town in southeast Missouri in St. Francois county. When I plugged it into my GPS, it showed 1 hour and 10 minute route to cover the 70 mile distance. This seemed very doable. I planned to give myself a couple of hours to get to the Missouri Mines State Historic site, where visitors were invited to view the event. I entinced a friend to join me. A few days prior to this adventure, my spring allergies kicked into high gear. It felt like the outside air was trying to murder my sinuses. I started wearing a mask to walk my dog to limit pollen exposure. The morning of the drive, I wondered if wearing a mask to avoid pollen in a deep-red part of the state could trigger any negative attention from my fellow Missourians. I posed the question on social media, and writer Sarah Kendzior, who frequents that area, said I should be more concerned about the traffic. The stories about the massive traffic jams on Interstate 55 had already started pouring in. The time to destination on my GPS jumped from 70 minutes to more than two hours. Would we even make it there in time? I asked my friend if she could leave an hour earlier than planned. She agreed. I quickly packed a survival bag in case we ended up stuck on a highway or at this old mining site for hours. My supplies consisted of wet wipes, a large bottle of Aleve, bandages, allergy medicine and all the leftover Easter candy. It seemed appropriate for those who might be awaiting the Rapture. My friend also brought an emergency bag largely filled with cookies, chocolate and honey roasted peanuts. We left 2 hours before totality was estimated to begin there. The GPS took us on a circuitous route through neighborhoods and long stretches of deserted country roads. About an hour into the trip, we hit a logjam. Several other visitors were following the same path and clogged the small side streets. I kept looking at the time and mentioned that we might have to pull over on the side of the road as time ticked down. We pulled into the historic site less than 15 minutes before totality. I threw my mask and protective glasses on my face and went out to explore the environs. A small crowd had gathered in a field across from the mine, which looked like a deserted Hollywood set from an old Western. I was the only person in the vicinity wearing a mask. An amateur photographer showed the special lens he had ordered for his fancy camera to be able to shoot the moon passing over the sun. We all stared at the sliver of a red crescent as it grew slimmer. Then, it was like a light switch flipped. The temperature dropped. The sky went dark. We could see a star in the clear sky. The suns corona burned behind a dark moon creating a glowing red crown. Even though I had seen this show before, I felt a surge of awe and wonder. I imagine that people gathered in this spot held a diverse array of political and religious beliefs. I bet I chatted with some people who wouldnt believe a word printed by journalists in the mainstream press. But for a minute and 38 seconds, we shared a collective moment of reverence for something far bigger than ourselves. Outside, in the dark, our differences seemed quite small. No one even looked sideways at my mask. Views of the eclipse from around Missouri and Illinois by Post-Dispatch photographers 2024 eclipse, in Poplar Bluff People flock to historic Ste. Genevieve for eclipse People flock to historic Ste. Genevieve for eclipse People flock to historic Ste. Genevieve for eclipse People flock to historic Ste. Genevieve for eclipse People flock to historic Ste. Genevieve for eclipse 2024 eclipse, in Poplar Bluff 2024 eclipse, in Poplar Bluff 2024 eclipse, in Poplar Bluff 2024 eclipse, in Poplar Bluff 2024 eclipse, in Poplar Bluff Total eclipse in progress over Carbondale Illinois Total eclipse in progress over Carbondale Illinois Eclipse in St. Louis Eclipse in St. Louis Eclipse falls on SIU campus at Carbondale Eclipse falls on SIU campus at Carbondale Eclipse falls on SIU campus at Carbondale Eclipse falls on SIU campus at Carbondale Eclipse falls on SIU campus at Carbondale CLAYTON The son of a lawyer who founded one of the Midwests largest personal injury firms says Brown & Crouppen owes his fathers trust a significant amount of money and refuses to pay up, according to a lawsuit in St. Louis County court. Jason T. Brown, son of Brown & Crouppen co-founder Ron Brown, says the firm that advertises $1 billion in recoveries and was named one of the areas best employers didnt pay the co-founders trust what it was owed after Ron Brown died. (Brown & Crouppen) has not treated Rons estate or his trust as well as it purports to treat its clients and employees, says the suit, filed Friday. Ron Brown founded the firm with Terry Crouppen in 1979, seeking to get justice for people who have been injured, whether at work, in a car accident, or from negligence, the firms website says. The business employs more than 250 people and has offices across Missouri and the Metro East. Brown died in November 2022, and the trust was awarded a $1 million buyout as part of the firms shareholder agreement. But Browns estate is entitled to more, according to the lawsuit. The firm is also required to pay Browns trust a portion of the companys 2022 profits, according to the suit. The firm calculated that amount at $127,176, but the suit says it owes Browns estate much more. The specific amount was redacted from the lawsuit due to a nondisclosure agreement signed by the parties. The suit also claims that Browns trust is entitled to more than $133,000 for Browns work on marketing and expenses in mass tort cases, where multiple people file suit because they were harmed by a certain product or practice. Because of this, plaintiff ... has been left with no choice but to seek legal redress against the firm that his father co-founded, the suit says. Representatives of Brown & Crouppen did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. A hearing has not yet been set in the case. ST. LOUIS A hiring freeze imposed by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones after aldermen overrode her veto of a pension bill will be less extensive than previously indicated. The city is still hiring for more than 100 jobs posted prior to the freeze announcement, including many for positions other than first responders and others initially deemed essential and exempt from the freeze. The freeze, said Jones spokesman Conner Kerrigan, means that the city will not post any new, non-essential jobs requisitioned after March 29 without special approval. The administration initially responded to the override of the pension bill, which aldermen passed on March 29, by announcing a hiring freeze for all non-essential employees. Jones said she had warned aldermen that passing the bill, which will make it easier for city firefighters to push for benefit increases, would lead to ballooning costs down the line and presented the freeze as the consequence. She also cited looming threats to the citys earnings tax from lawsuits and the state Legislature. At first, supporters of the pension bill, including Aldermanic President Megan Green, cast the decision as premature and unwise. The bill wouldnt increase any benefits on its own, they said, and a hiring freeze could exacerbate the citys longstanding trouble with filling its ranks and make it even harder to deliver services. Alderwoman Cara Spencer, who chairs the boards budget committee, asked the mayors office to come to a meeting and discuss the freeze further. But by Friday, the aldermen greeted the administrations elaboration with bemusement. Thats not a hiring freeze, Green said. The pension bill still needs approval from state lawmakers, because the firefighter pension board that it empowers is a creation of state statute. State Sen. Steve Roberts, D-St. Louis, is sponsoring the companion bill. RIO DE JANEIRO A crusading Brazilian Supreme Court justice has included Elon Musk as a target in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news, and opened a separate investigation into the U.S. business executive for alleged obstruction. In his decision, Justice Alexandre de Moraes noted that Musk on Saturday began waging a public disinformation campaign regarding the top court's actions, and that Musk continued the following day most notably with comments that his social media company X would cease to comply with the court's orders to block certain accounts. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX who took over Twitter in late 2022, accused de Moraes of suppressing free speech and violating Brazils constitution, and noted on X that users could seek to bypass any shutdown of the social media platform by using VPNs, or virtual private networks. Musk will be investigated for alleged intentional criminal instrumentalization of X as part of an investigation into a network of people known as digital militias who allegedly spread defamatory fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices, according to the text of the decision. The new investigation will look into whether Musk engaged in obstruction, criminal organization and incitement. The flagrant conduct of obstruction of Brazilian justice, incitement of crime, the public threat of disobedience of court orders and future lack of cooperation from the platform are facts that disrespect the sovereignty of Brazil, de Moraes wrote Sunday. X's press office did not reply to a request for comment, and Musk hadn't publicly commented as of Monday morning, apart from brief posts on X. Brazils political right has long characterized de Moraes as overstepping his bounds to clamp down on free speech and engage in political persecution. In the digital militias investigation, lawmakers from former President Jair Bolsonaros circle have been imprisoned and his supporters homes raided. Bolsonaro himself became a target of the investigation in 2021. The justice in March 2022 ordered the shutdown of messaging app Telegram nationwide on the grounds that the platform repeatedly ignored requests from Brazilian authorities, including a police request to block profiles and provide information linked to blogger Allan dos Santos, an ally of Bolsonaros accused of spreading falsehoods. Dos Santos' account is one of those blocked on X in Brazil. Less than 48 hours after issuing his order in 2022, de Moraes said Telegram had complied and permitted it to resume oeprations. De Moraes' defenders have said his decisions, although extraordinary, are legally sound and necessary to purge social media of fake news as well as extinguish threats to Brazilian democracy notoriously underscored by the Jan. 8, 2023, uprising in Brazil's capital that resembled the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol. Judicial decisions can be subject to appeal, but never to deliberate non-compliance, Luis Roberto Barroso, the Supreme Courts chief justice, said in a statement Monday. On Saturday, Musk a self-declared free speech absolutist said on X that the platform would lift all restrictions on blocked accounts and predicted that the move was likely to dry up revenue in Brazil and force the company to shutter its local office. But principles matter more than profit, he wrote. Brazil is an important market for social media companies. About 40 million Brazilians, or about 18% of the population, access X at least once per month, according to the market research group Emarketer. Musk later instructed users in Brazil to download a VPN to retain access if X was shut down and wrote that X would publish all of de Moraes' demands, claiming they violate Brazilian law. These are the most draconian demands of any country on Earth! he later wrote. Brazils constitution was drafted after the 1964-1985 military dictatorship and contains a long list of aspirational goals and prohibitions against specific crimes such as racism and, more recently, homophobia. But freedom of speech is not absolute. Musk had not published de Moraes' demands as of Monday morning and prominent blocked accounts remained so, indicating X had yet to act based on Musk's previous pledges. Moraes' decision warned against doing so, saying each blocked account that X eventually reactivates will entail a fine of 100,000 reais ($20,000) per day, and that those responsible will be held legally to account for disobeying a court order. Including Elon Musk in the digital militias investigation is one thing. Blocking X is another. With this, Moraes is making a nod, saying that he didn't remain inert amid provocations from Elon Musk, Carlos Affonso, director of Rio de Janeiro-based think tank Institute for Technology and Society, said by phone from Washington. It is a warning shot so that lines aren't crossed. Affonso, a professor of civil rights at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, on Monday was attending a symposium at Georgetown Law School about Brazils business climate and legislation, and said the implications of Moraes decision for Musk and X were the talk of the town. Affonso also wondered what the brewing spat might mean for Musk's Starlink satellites that provide internet service to remote Brazilian regions. Paul OGrady completed work on Great Elephant Adventure in the days leading up to his death in March 2023 (ITV) Paul OGrady fans were left emotional as they watched his final television appearance in Great Elephant Adventure, a documentary which aired on ITV over the weekend. The Birkenhead-born personality, who shot to fame as drag queen Lily Savage before launching a hugely successful TV career as himself, died unexpectedly but peacefully from sudden cardiac arrhythmia at home on March 28 last year, aged 67. The documentary saw him travel to Thailands largest wildlife hospital which looks after elephants rescued from circuses. He also visited elephants in Laos as part of the series. Filming was completed in 2022, with animal lover OGrady's voiceover work completed in the weeks leading up to his death. The two-part series started last week with the final instalment airing on Sunday evening. Paul OGrady seemed in his element as he got up close with elephants (ITV) Many viewers admitted to being reduced to tears as they took to social media to share their thoughts on the film. Watching the lovely Paul O'Grady's elephants, he looks so happy! He is so missed and I am sobbing, penned one person. Even the Elephants knew just how special Paul was and the empathy he had for animals and it's a special memory that, thankfully, they'll never forget, wrote another. Paul O'Grady had a heart the size of an elephant. The world really has lost a treasure, lamented another, while a fourth agreed: I still can't believe he's not here. What a wonderful man he was. Well, that was a wonderful programme and a fitting tribute. Still can't believe Paul O'Grady is not here anymore, added a fifth. THE HAGUE, Netherlands Nicaragua called on the United Nations top court on Monday to halt German military aid to Israel, arguing that Berlins support enables acts of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. The case at the International Court of Justice is against Germany, which is the second-largest supplier of arms to Israel after the U.S., but it also indirectly takes aim at Israels 6-month-old military campaign, which has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and devastated Gaza. Nicaraguas allegations represent the latest legal attempt by a country with historic ties to the Palestinian people to stop Israels offensive, after South Africa accused Israel of genocide at the court late last year. They also come amid growing calls for Israels allies to stop supplying the country with weapons and as some supporters, including Germany, have grown more critical of the war. Nicaraguas Ambassador to the Netherlands, Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, told the 16-judge panel that Germany is failing to honor its own obligation to prevent genocide or to ensure respect of international humanitarian law. Germany will present its arguments Tuesday. The head of its legal team, Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, called Nicaraguas case grossly biased and denied that Berlin is breaching international law. Israel strongly denies that its assault amounts to genocidal acts, saying it is acting in self defense after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people. Israeli legal adviser Tal Becker told judges at the court earlier this year in the case brought by South Africa that Israel is fighting a war it did not start and did not want. Since then, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territorys Health Ministry. Its toll doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it has said women and children make up the majority of the dead. The court will likely take weeks to deliver its preliminary decision, and Nicaraguas case will probably drag on for years. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Germany is second only to the U.S. in supplying arms to Israel but it would be harder, if not impossible, for the U.S. to be brought before the court because Washington does not recognize the ICJs power to compel countries to appear before it. The U.S. also has not signed a protocol to the Genocide Convention that allows countries to bring disputes to the court. Nicaragua, nevertheless, sought to include U.S. arms supplies in its case, saying that Berlin and Washington collaborate on some military programs. Arguello Gomez urged the court to include U.S. supplies in its preliminary orders, known as provisional measures. Nicaragua has asked the court to order Germany to immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance including military equipment in so far as this aid may be used in the violation of the Genocide Convention and international law. It also wants the court to order Germany to resume funding to the United Nations aid agency in Gaza in addition to the aid Berlin is already providing. It is indeed a pathetic excuse to the Palestinian children, women and men in Gaza to provide humanitarian aid, including through airdrops, on the one hand, and to furnish the weapons and military equipment that are used to kill and annihilate them" and humanitarian workers, Nicaragua lawyer Daniel Muller told judges. Dozens of flag-waving pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside the court. Sliman Abu Amara, a Dutch citizen of Palestinian descent, said he was grateful to Nicaragua for taking Germany to court, noting the irony is that Germany is actually behind the whole international convention on preventing the genocide. On Friday, the U.N.s top human rights body called on countries to stop selling or shipping weapons to Israel. The United States and Germany opposed the resolution. Meanwhile, hundreds of British jurists, including three retired Supreme Court judges, have called on their government to suspend arms sales to Israel after seven aid workers from the charity World Central Kitchen, including three U.K. citizens, were killed in Israeli strikes. Israel said the attack was a mistake and dismissed two officers, while reprimanding others. Germany has for decades been a staunch supporter of Israel. Days after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Chancellor Olaf Scholz explained: Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the state of Israel, he told lawmakers. Berlin, however, has gradually shifted its tone as civilian casualties in Gaza have soared, becoming increasingly critical of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and speaking out against a ground offensive in Rafah. Nicaraguas government, which has historical links with Palestinian organizations dating back to their support for the 1979 Sandinista revolution, was itself accused earlier this year by U.N.-backed human rights experts of systematic human rights abuses tantamount to crimes against humanity. The government of President Daniel Ortega fiercely rejected the allegations. In response to the case brought by South Africa, the ICJ ordered Israel in January to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and acts of genocide in Gaza. In March, the court ordered Israel to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where experts say a famine is imminent. Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report. Updated at 7:32 a.m. We apologize. A page no longer exists or an error has occured on our server. Return to Our Home Page April 8, 2024: Chinas defense spending has doubled in the last decade, helped along by a 7.2 percent increase for 2024. That means a defense budget of $231 billion a year. This makes thirty consecutive years that China has increased its defense spending. At the same time China has kept defense spending at 1.3 percent of whatever GDP it claims at the moment. In contrast, the current American budget is $817 billion. The United States has 1.3 million military personnel on active duty and about as many in the active reserves and state National Guard forces. China has two million soldiers on active duty and half a million in the reserves. An important difference between the Chinese and American military forces is that Chinese troops take an oath to defend the Chinese Communist Party while the American military oath is to defend the United States Constitution. These are cultural differences, with the Chinese putting more emphasis on maintaining political stability while trying to reduce the corruption that has been a problem with the Chinese military for thousands of years. The Chinese communists thought they had eliminated corruption, but they were wrong. Increased defense spending generated more corruption because more money spent on defense created more opportunities to steal. The government tries to keep the incidences of corruption quiet, as it reflects poorly on the government, the military and China. Information about new corruption scandals always becomes public because senior generals and procurement officials are dismissed whenever there is a major incidence of corruption in the procurement of military items. Eventually it becomes known that new military weapons and equipment are not showing up. This means that, for all the money spent on defense, China has received few tanks, artillery, or modern combat aircraft. New warships are another matter. They appear but have many defects that are not readily visible. The navy also has problems recruiting enough officers and sailors to operate all these new warships. China can gather dozens of combat aircraft to fly near and around Taiwan in a threatening manner but cannot account for all the aircraft they are supposed to have. China can muster enough aircraft to intimidate a neighbor but not enough to fight an actual war, let alone the required spare parts. This conforms with traditional Chinese strategy which emphasizes many threatening moves but no actual fighting. That is revered military wisdom for the Chinese and often works. Sun Tzu, a Chinese general and military theorist who lived 2,500 years ago and wrote The Art of War, which described and explained his military wisdom and advice. Sun Tzu's advice is regularly rediscovered and revived in China but only became known in the West during the 18th century when a French translation appeared in 1772. For hundreds of years before that The Art of War was required for officers in countries throughout East Asia. Koreans, Vietnamese, and Japanese were particularly eager to learn and practice the lessons offered in The Art of War. One of the most important of those lessons was how to win a war without fighting. This was actually more common in the West than most people realized. The American Revolution was won by the Americans because commander-in-chief George Washington generally avoided battles with the British and concentrated on maintaining a large force of Americans troops. This strategy took advantage of the fact that Britain had a parliamentary form of government with a king or queen as head of state. Parliament controlled the money and how it was spent. Suppressing the American rebels was expensive and eventually Parliament decided it was too expensive and more trouble than it was worth. American diplomats in Europe, especially France, realized and eventually persuaded France to send some troops to the Americans rebels as well as a fleet of warships to provide support for the rebels. The French did not want to fight the British because that was expensive for both French and British. This French support was eventually enough to convince the British that the war against the American colonies was not worth the expense. The British forces withdrew and eventually a peace treaty was signed while the American colonies organized themselves into a new country, the United States of America. The war was won by Washingtons strategy of maintaining an army but not using it to fight the British. At the same time American diplomats cultivated powerful enemies of Britain, especially France. Currently China is more at war with itself than with its neighbors and the United States. The Americans have fewer than 100,000 troops stationed in East Asia but do have major military bases in Japan and South Korea as well as access to bases in Singapore, the Philippines, and other east Asian nations. These forces are not there to threaten China but to make it difficult for China to threaten its neighbors, most of them allies of the Americans. This works because China prefers to be a threat than a participant in a war. The real threats to China are internal, where economic, political, and cultural problems are of greater concern than any external military threat. April 8, 2024: Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and, during the last decade, had t0 deal with violence from various local irregular groups that want the Russians out of Crimea. The armed resistance includes groups from the more than a million Ukrainians living in Crimea as well as rebels from the 300,000 Tatars in Crimea. The Tatars have been in Crimea for over a thousand years despite efforts by Russia to reduce their numbers in Crimea as well as Russia. Currently 89 percent of all 7.3 million Tatars live in Russia. That includes the Tatars in Crimea. Tatars are a Turkic people originally from Central Asia. Many generations of intermarriage have resulted in most Tatars looking like other Russians or Ukrainians. These Tatars maintain their Tartar identity by speaking the dialect of Turkish found among Tatars. In addition, Tatars speak local languages, usually fluently. Its easy for local or Russian leaders to accuse the Tatars, or the Jews or any other minority, of being troublemakers or possibly guilty, or capable of treason. Russian leaders proved to be more adept at devious behavior. When plans do not work out, Russian leaders look for a minority to blame. Jews are often victims of false accusations. There are few Jews in Crimea, but the Tatars make an adequate substitute. The Tatars fight back whenever they have an opportunity and the muddled situation in Crimea provides the Tatars with Russian soldiers and civilians to attack. The fighting has been rather intense during the last decade. Thats because in 2014 Russia unexpectedly seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and then proceeded to go after a chunk of eastern Ukraine. This last effort was halted when NATO nations protested and imposed economic sanctions on Russia. The Crimean Ukrainians and Tatars imposed a perpetual state of armed and unarmed resistance to the Russian presence in Crimea. After Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the resistance in Crimea benefitted from the fact that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was not the quick victory Russian expected and turned into a protracted war with heavy Russian losses. After two years of fighting, Russian military manpower was a case of too few and too untrained Russian soldiers. At the same time Ukrainian armed irregulars in Russian occupied Ukraine, which now covered 110,000 square kilometers, gave the Russians much trouble. This includes Crimea, which Russia declared part of Russia and imported a lot of Russian civilians with the promise of free housing. The houses came from the Ukrainian and Tatar families killed or driven out since 2014. Russian civilians soon discovered that many of the evicted Ukrainians and Tatars were still around with some of them armed, angry at the Russian presence in Crimea and theft of their homes, and willing to do something about it. This is a problem because a quarter of Russian-occupied Ukraine consists of Crimea. Russia placed a lot of army, air force and naval bases in Crimea. This included supply depots for storing and distributing supplies to Russian troops in Crimea as well as Ukraine. The military installations include surveillance radars and electronic monitoring equipment. These valuable, to the Russians, items became targets for attacks by the Ukrainian and Tatar rebels. Russia is suffering a shortage of soldiers and cannot muster a large enough force to deal with violent unrest in Crimea. The Ukrainian government does not say anything specific about this because that could endanger the partisans and their operations. Some proof of Ukrainian government support comes from commercial satellite photos or rare reports from the Russians. Known support techniques include low night-flying helicopters and, if coastline is available, small boats used at night to resupply, reinforce, or transport rebels to other parts of Crimea. The Crimean Tatars have post-war plans that include Crimea once more being Ukrainian and getting the Ukrainian constitution amended to make Crimea an autonomous National Republic, with the Ukrainian Tatars recognized as the oldest inhabitants of Crimea and deserving of special status for that. At the rate the Tatars are attacking Russian soldiers and facilities in Crimea, that special status may be possible. Most of the world condemns Russian aggression against Ukraine and the seizure of Ukrainian territory like Crimea. The UN charter forbids such actions, as does a treaty Russia signed in 1994 promising Ukraine that Russia would never seize any Ukrainian territory. This solemn promise was in return for Ukraine giving up thousands of Soviet nuclear weapons in its territory. The agreement that broke up the Soviet Union in 1991 stipulated that Russia and the 14 new countries created by the half of the Soviet population leaving the empire for independence would keep whatever Soviet weapons and other state assets were on their territory. That was simple and straightforward, but it left Ukraine with over 2,000 nuclear weapons plus 176 ICBMs, 44 heavy bombers and over a thousand nuclear weapon equipped cruise missiles used by the heavy bombers. Ukraine could have been a major nuclear power, but it gave it all up for guarantees to its territory from NATO and Russia plus a lot of cash, including the expense of removing the nukes and related equipment. Russian violation of a major international treaty in such a blatant fashion was a major hit to Russian credibility. China is watching this carefully because China is violating an international maritime borders treaty it signed by claiming all of the South China Sea. What happens to Russia for violating the 1994 treaty will influence what China does with its numerous illegal offshore territorial claims. Another problem with violating the 1994 treaty is the message it sends to states like Iran. The message is that if you really want to keep invaders out you need nukes. Iranians believe the negotiations to limit Iranian nuclear research and development are an effort to block Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Many Iranians see nukes as a necessity for maintaining Iranian dominance in the region. Iran has been the regional superpower for thousands of years. Once you get a taste of superpower status, its a hard thing to put behind you. Russia believes it has historical claims on Ukraine and Crimea. In 1686 Russia gained control of much of modern Ukraine, including Kyiv, via a treaty with Poland and Lithuania that was mainly about joint operations against the Turks. That campaign lasted until 1774 when Russia took over and the Ottomans renounced their claims to the Crimean Peninsula and a long alliance with the Turkic Tatars. Earlier the Tatars had allied themselves with the Golden Horde and had long been a problem for Ukrainians. In some respects that is still true because the current Russian claim on Crimea traces back to their victory over the Ottomans and Tatars in 1774. History does repeat itself in Crimea and Ukraine and Russians ignore the fact any Russian victories in Crimea dont last long. Can Data Normalization Fix FAST? Arguably, the two biggest challenges in the FAST ecosystem are managing the ad experience and delivering ROI for the brands that support the platform. Evan Shapiro, CEO, ESHAP, Patrick Courtney, SVP, Head of Streaming & Business Development, Fuse Media, and Laura Florence, SVP Global FAST Channels, Fremantle, agree that standardizing the data they collect and delivering on the promise of programmatic advertising is the key to making it all work. But as this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2024 reveals, it's easier said than done. Shapiro says to Courtney, Whether it's the sellout rate or the over frequency or any of the other colliding elements of this, the answer is going to wind up being data, right? The more we can drill into the data and use each user's anonymized, privacy-protected, unique identity, the better that environment is going to be for each user. The question is, how do we pull everybody together to get the data that makes that necessary? Courtney notes that disparate data gathered across platforms is the essential problem. I don't know how you pull it together, he says. There has to be some sort of forcing function, and maybe things like Walmart's acquisition of Vizio are part of that[it creates] this need to standardize measurement across platforms. Shapiro says, In the United States, we had Nielsen, which was a monopoly for many years, and then they fell out of favor. Now, we have a Joint Industry Committee (JIC) that allows for a multi-pronged currency and measurement ecosystem in the UK. All the stakeholders own the JIC, and there's basically one unit of measurement. And it compares all of the sides of the platform: Netflix, broadcast, and soon-to-be YouTube, I hope. We don't have anything close to that here, and we keep grappling with the conversation. But how do you sell interoperability? You have TV, digital, and all these other platforms, and I'm sure you're selling across [all of them]. Are the buyers buying that way? Courtney says, There used to be a separation between digital media and TV. Now they're just video investment teams, and they're buying across social, YouTube, connected TV, pay TV, linearbut not everybody buys that way. So it's a difficult challenge. I'm not envious of our sales team and our integrated marketing teams. How do we take this package to advertisers A, B, C, and D? And I think that's something that is kind of just table stakes now, is to understand how you do that. He notes the unique strengths that Fuse has in dealing with these issues due to its multicultural and diverse audience. We reach a certain segment of audiences across platforms, and we sell that contextually against premium long-form content for the most part, he says. And that is a really strong sell, and that gives us the value proposition to our advertising partners to spend with us. The way that we can sell is different than the way Tubi might sell, or a Samsung TV Plus might sell. And I think that creating a collaborative ecosystem, in which all of the data is shared, that actually creates a healthier advertising ecosystem for everybody. Shapiro says that it is helpful to think about the situation from the consumer's standpoint. Users lean on known brands because discoverability for new products is very difficult due to data fragmentation and a perception of an overwhelming amount of offerings (the paradox of choice). With more unified data across platforms, he says, user preferences could more easily be carried across different providers. Additionally, he notes that a lack of data standardization makes ad buying extremely difficult. Big tech death stars have vast advantages regarding cohesive user data, which is impossible for smaller players to compete with. Walmart and Vizio are another example of a big power shift. They're both huge retailers who are suddenly now television companies, he says. And that's the ecosystem we now live in. He asks Florence for her thoughts on the situation. Florence says there is a desperate need for a benchmark that advertisers can agree on to ensure content is valued correctly. I need that benchmark that advertisers can agree on because they're going to know that our IP is IP that is a lean-in active watch scenario, she says. It's family-friendly. These are the things that are going to help them discover that this is worth taking the effort on. I can only do that in pieces right now, and it's not being done at the value the content is worth. We need that normalization because we can't make this content, and we cannot keep it going if it's a fraction of the actual value that it is worth to an advertiser. See videos of the full program from Streaming Media Connect February 2024 here. We'll be back in person for Streaming Media NYC May 20-22, 2024. More details here. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Related Articles A federal judge slammed an Auburn-area law firm's recent attempt to use ChatGPT in a request for legal fees, but the founder of the firm said the judge misunderstood how the software was used. In August 2022, the Cuddy Law Firm sought $113,484.62 in fees from the New York State Education Department after successfully representing a Bronx County child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other disabilities in a lawsuit. The firm, located on South Street Road in the town of Fleming, focuses on special education. But in a decision issued Feb. 22, Judge Paul Engelmayer of U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, awarded the firm $53,050.13 less than half of its request. The judge based his decision on the firm's use of ChatGPT to "cross-check" other sources for its fee request that Engelmayer called "problematic." "The Cuddy Law Firm's invocation of ChatGPT as support for its aggressive fee bid is utterly and unusually unpersuasive," he said. "As the firm should have appreciated, treating ChatGPT's conclusions as a useful gauge of the reasonable billing rate for the work of a lawyer with a particular background carrying out a bespoke assignment for a client in a niche practice area was misbegotten at the jump." Referencing cases where attorneys used fake citations generated by ChatGPT, Engelmayer said the Cuddy Law Firm did not identify the inputs it used with the artificial intelligence software. "It does not reveal whether ChatGPT anywhere considered a very real and relevant data point: the uniform bloc of precedent, canvassed below, in which courts in this District and Circuit have rejected as excessive the billing rates the Cuddy Law Firm urges for its timekeepers," he said. "The Court therefore rejects out of hand ChatGPT's conclusions as to the appropriate billing rates here." The judge then advised the firm to avoid using ChatGPT when requesting legal fees in the future unless there is a "paradigm shift in the reliability of this tool." His opinion was covered in February by Bloomberg News, which said it came as "the legal industry struggles to figure out how to integrate artificial intelligence into its work." However, the firm's founder and managing attorney, Andrew Cuddy, told The Citizen this week that he believes the judge's opinion was based on bad information and bias. Cuddy accused the court, where his firm has litigated "hundreds of these cases," of ignoring what he called "proof" that its fees are reasonable, including bar association surveys and affidavits from other attorneys that the firm has sent the court. He also said that he doesn't believe Engelmayer fully understood how the firm used ChatGPT, and that it sent an affidavit with the inputs the firm used. "The court is at war against the law firm because we assist families who have no money," Cuddy said. "In his lack of concern for children with disabilities, he mishandled the case and that was the result." Heidi Nightengale has authored books and poems. Now, as a Cayuga County legislator, she has authored legislation to celebrate the arts by creating the position of county poet laureate. Nightengale, D-Auburn, has submitted a resolution that will be reviewed at the Cayuga County Legislature's Government Operations Committee meeting Wednesday. She is proposing the creation of a poet laureate program that would include the new post. According to the legislative text, the county Legislature would establish a committee to develop the poet laureate program and determine the position's responsibilities. The committee would consist of Cayuga County Manager Steve Lynch or his designee, the county human resources administrator, one county legislator and three members of the Finger Lakes Art Council. The committee would also oversee the nomination and selection processes of the county poet laureate, who would serve a three-year term. In the resolution, Nightengale notes poets "compose poems that raise consciousness to a greater appreciation of arts and poetry." She added that poets "demonstrate the creativity honored by the Cayuga County Legislature and the citizens of Cayuga County." Nightengale is an accomplished author, poet and teacher. In 2019, she won the People's Choice Award at the CNY Book Awards and has taught poetry classes. Her passion for poetry was on display at the Cayuga County Legislature's reorganization meeting in January. She read a poem after the legislators were sworn in for their four-year terms. Once the resolution clears the committee phase, the county Legislature will likely vote on the proposal at its April 23 meeting. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Recently, Chinese automaker JAC Group conducted a ceremony in Hefei city, Anhui province, for the bulk export of heavy-duty trucks to the Gulf region, signaling a significant breakthrough in the company's export business in the Gulf region and globally. Photo credit: JAC Group As a key hub and partner in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, the Gulf region has been one of JAC Group's most important overseas strategic markets. The scale export of heavy-duty trucks to the Gulf region not only represents a new starting point in the local market but also serves as a milestone event in JAC Group's global strategy. Since entering the local market, JAC Group has adhered to the principle of mutual trust and win-win cooperation with its partners in the Gulf region. The continuous introduction of a variety of heavyweight products has garnered praise and support from local consumers, said the automaker. Particularly in the heavy-duty truck and commercial vehicle sector, close cooperation with local partners has led to long-term and stable collaborations with leading clients in the construction and municipal industries. In January 2024, JAC Group conducted the export ceremony for its pickups to Saudi Arabia. Since partnering with Saudis Alissa Group in 2020, JAC Group has achieved remarkable success in the export business, with industry client deliveries growing by over 40% year on year in 2023, a testament to the strong collaboration and trust between the two entities. Prosecutors, not police, decide formal charges under the Japanese justice system. (Vecteezy) Japanese police arrested an Air Force employee over the weekend on suspicion of hitting and injuring a man with her phone at Naha Airport, according to a spokesman for Okinawa Prefectural Police. Evelyn Mickles, 67, a civilian at Kadena Air Base, was held Saturday on suspicion of bodily injury following an altercation with a 55-year-old man, the spokesman said by phone Monday. Police allege Mickles struck the man on the face with her phone at 5:19 p.m., scratching his right eyelid. The two did not know each other, a spokesman for Tomishiro police said by phone Monday. Some government spokespeople in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity. Mickles told police she did not mean to hit the man, the Tomishiro police spokesman said. The incident is under investigation. Mickles was still in Japanese custody Monday, the spokesman said. The 18th Wing is cooperating with local authorities on their investigation and providing SOFA-prescribed support to Mickles, Staff Sgt. Gary Hilton, a wing spokesman, said by email Monday. SOFA is the status of forces agreement that outlines the rights and responsibilities of those in Japan as part of the U.S. military. The U.S. Air Force will hold anyone accountable who commits criminal acts under the applicable laws, Hilton said. Naha Airport on Okinawa is pictured in 2014. (Wikimedia Commons) Japanese police say they arrested a U.S. airman Friday who had two live bullets in his carry-on luggage at an Okinawa airport. MC Trang, 26, was taken into custody that afternoon after baggage inspectors found the bullets in Naha Airports domestic flight terminal, an Okinawa Prefectural Police spokesman said by phone Monday. The airmans rank was also not available. Police would not specify the caliber of the bullets, saying they were being analyzed. Trang was held on suspicion of violating Japanese law on possession of firearms, swords and other weapons, the spokesman said. Some government spokespeople in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity. Gun and ammunition ownership is tightly controlled in Japan, though its possible for hunters and target shooters with the U.S. military to own a firearm after a lengthy, expensive process. The airman admitted the bullets were his but said he forgot they were in his bag, a spokesman for Tomishiro police said by phone Monday. Trang is assigned to a base outside of Japan, the spokesman said. He was still in Japanese custody Monday. The 18th Wing is cooperating with local authorities on their investigation and providing SOFA-prescribed support to Trang, Staff Sgt. Gary Hilton, a wing spokesman, said by email Monday. SOFA is the status of forces agreement that outlines the rights and responsibilities of those in Japan as part of the U.S. military. The U.S. Air Force will hold anyone accountable who commits criminal acts under the applicable laws, Hilton said. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On April 8, Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co., Ltd. ("Fuyao Group") held a ceremony to celebrate the ground-breaking of its full-chain production base in Hefei city, according to a post on "Anhui Fabu", the official WeChat account of Anhui provincial government. The project is set to involve a total investment of 5.75 billion yuan, with an annual production capacity of 4 million sets of automotive glass and 4 million pieces of replacement glass, totaling an annual output value of about 6 billion yuan. Photo credit: Anhui Fabu Fuyao Group formerly disclosed the project in an announcement on January 25th. According to the its development needs and strategic planning, the company plans to establish three wholly-owned subsidiaries in Hefei, Anhui Province -- Fuyao Glass (Hefei) Co., Ltd., Fuyao Glass (Hefei) Replacements Co., Ltd., and Hefei Fuyao Float Glass Co., Ltd. (provisional names), with a total investment of 5.75 billion yuan. It is reported that the aforementioned investment of 5.75 billion yuan will be poured into the construction of an automotive safety glass project (for the OEM market), an automotive accessory glass project (for the ARG market), and a high-quality float glass project. Equipped with advanced modern production equipment, this initiative is expected to achieve an annual production scale of approximately 26.1 million square meters of automotive safety glass and two high-quality float glass production lines. Photo credit: Anhui Fabu As a large multinational corporation focusing on the R&D and manufacturing of automotive safety glass, Fuyao Group provides comprehensive solutions for numerous renowned automotive companies worldwide. As a leading enterprise in automotive glass, the company holds a domestic market share of over 60% and over 30% share in the global automotive glass market. In 2022, the group produced 131.04 million square meters of automotive glass, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.01%. The capacity to be added by the Hefei project accounts for approximately 20% of the company's total annual capacity last year. People stroll beneath the cherry blossoms during the Sakura Spring Festival at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes) YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan The home of U.S. Forces Japan welcomed more than 5,000 people to its annual Sakura Spring Festival over the weekend. The cherry blossom, or sakura, festival on Saturday featured games, live music and a variety of stalls selling everything from food to Yokota-branded merchandise. The spring festival is one of the few times each year that Yokota opens part of the base to its Japanese neighbors, providing an opportunity for the two communities to interact. A street performer entertains the crowd during the Sakura Spring Festival at Yokota Air Base, Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes) The Sakura Spring Festival gets underway on the east side of Yokota Air Base, Japan, Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes) The Sakura Spring Festival drew thousands of people to the east side of Yokota Air Base, Japan, Saturday, April 6, 2024. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes) I would like to thank all of you for coming out today, Col. Andrew Roddan, commander of Yokotas 374th Airlift Wing, said in a speech at the event. This is an absolutely fantastic way for us to share a little bit of our base and our beautiful sakura trees. Chilly, rainy March weather delayed the blossoms beyond this years March 22 peak forecast. A timely spike in sunshine and warmth yielded sufficient color to draw massive crowds to parks across the Tokyo metro area over the weekend for picnicking and flower viewing. Yokota was no exception, though the day itself was overcast. The bases trees were in full bloom the day the festival was held beneath a picturesque row of blooming, ornamental cherry trees lining a broad avenue on Yokotas east side. Army Chief Warrant Officer James Benecke pleaded guilty last week to one count of abusive sexual contact with two teenagers during separate flights last year. Benecke, who was stationed in Alaska, faces up to two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a year of supervised release. (Joseph Barron/U.S. Air Force) An Army chief warrant officer who was stationed in Alaska has pleaded guilty after inappropriately touching two teenagers during commercial flights last year. James Benecke, 42, entered the plea Wednesday to one charge of abusive sexual contact, according to court records filed in the federal court for the western district of Washington. Prosecutors accused Benecke of putting his hands on a 16-year-old girls thigh on a red-eye flight from Anchorage to Seattle on April 12 last year. They also said he touched an 18-year-old womans leg with his leg and later his pinky, then slid his hand up her thigh on a flight from Dallas to Seattle on June 12. Benecke initially denied the allegations, saying he is a big guy who spreads out on planes and that any contact was accidental, court records said. In his plea agreement, Benecke admitted that his actions were sexual in nature and carried out with the intent to abuse and harass. The court dropped a second count of abusive sexual contact against Benecke as part of the agreement. Benecke is assigned to the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a statement from the 11th Airborne Division said Monday. He was arrested in July 2023. Benecke faces a maximum of two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to one year of supervision upon release, though its unlikely he would receive that sentence under a plea agreement. He is scheduled to be back in court for sentencing on July 17. Some 62 cases of sexual misconduct aboard aircraft occurred in the first six months of 2023, said a statement in August from the U.S. attorneys office for the western district of Washington, which tried Benecke. The number is up from 27 such cases investigated by the FBI in 2018, the statement said. Federal prison is the destination for those convicted of sexual abuse on an aircraft, Tessa Gorman, U.S. attorney for the district, said in the statement. Then-Maj. Gen. Charles D. Costanza shakes soldiers hands May 19. 2023, while commanding the 3rd Infantry Division. Costanza on Monday took command of V Corps at the unit's headquarters in Poznan, Poland. (Summer Parish/U.S. Army) Lt. Gen. Charles D. Costanza, who previously led the 3rd Infantry Division, took command Monday of an Army headquarters in Poland that is responsible for ensuring soldiers are prepared should conflict break out on NATOs eastern flank. Costanza replaced Lt. Gen. John S. Kolasheski, who brought V Corps back to Europe in 2020 after the headquarters was reestablished to bolster the Armys mission on the Continent. V Corps Forward in Europe is perhaps more important than ever before, said U.S. Army Europe and Africas Gen. Darryl Williams during a ceremony at the corps headquarters in the city of Poznan. Williams said V Corps, which was a mainstay in Europe throughout the Cold War, was back for the long-term with a mission to deter and, if needed, respond to Russian aggression. V Corps forward headquarters in Poznan is home to the Armys first permanent base in Poland. It has a separate command post at Fort Knox in Kentucky. The unit oversees the Armys Europe-based units and additional rotational forces carrying out maneuvers along NATOs eastern flank. The reactivation of the headquarters, which was disbanded in 2013 as part of a long post-Cold War reduction in Europe, was a turning part for the service on the Continent. With the return of a three-star headquarters able to manage troop movements, USAREUR-AFs four-star headquarters was able to dedicate more attention to overarching strategy. Williams told Costanza that his task would be to ensure his forces are at the highest levels of combat preparedness. Army senior leadership refers to us as the tip of the joint force spear, Williams said. Your most important job is to keep that spear sharp. Kolasheskis task for more than three years revolved around rebuilding V Corps in Europe from scratch. His tenure was marked by unpredictable events, ranging from restoring the command during the COVID-19 pandemic to dealing with the ramifications of Russias February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russias attack changed Europe forever, said Kolasheski, who is retiring. It created the most complex threat environment seen in several generations. After the invasion, the Pentagon sent thousands of additional troops to Europe, mostly drawn from the Army. That meant more training missions and exercises aimed at reassuring allies and deterring Russia. More than any other period in the last 30 years here in Europe, we face dangers and uncertainty, Kolasheski said. The Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens the freedom and values for which previous generations fought so valiantly. Costanza said hed carry V Corps mission forward with an aim to deter Russian aggression. And if required, defeat that aggression should deterrence fail, he said. A World War II-era incendiary device, weighing 33 pounds, was safely removed from Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, home to U.S. European Command headquarters, April 8, 2024, after its discovery in a grassy area near Bowman Field. (U.S. Army) STUTTGART, Germany A World War II-era incendiary bomb was discovered Monday at Patch Barracks, home to the headquarters of U.S. European Command, military officials said. The 33-pound device was safely removed from a grassy area near the posts Bowman Field, U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart said in a statement. The military said it is investigating the circumstances around the weapons unearthing. The bomb was reported shortly before 1 p.m. to military police, who secured the scene. A German explosive ordnance disposal unit removed it by 3 p.m., the garrison said. No evacuations were required given the small size of the device, but school buses were rerouted as a precaution, the Army said. The discovery at Patch Barracks comes after a find last week nearby U.S. bases in Bavaria, where two American WWII bombs weighing roughly 1,000 pounds each were removed from an old train station in Amberg. World War II-era bombs are still routinely found in Germany, where some 5,000 munitions are disarmed annually. In 2022, five construction workers at Patch Barracks were briefly hospitalized when an unexploded WWII-era phosphorus bomb was accidentally struck, releasing some of the poisonous gas. The garrison cautioned members of the military community to be aware of their surroundings, including in urban areas like Stuttgart, which were heavily bombed during the war. If you come across an item you suspect might be [unexploded ordnance], make sure not to touch, move or disturb it in any way, the garrison said in a statement. Maintain a safe distance, instruct others to do the same and immediately report the finding to the MP Desk. The U.S., Australia, Japan and the Philippines train in the South China Sea, within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, Sunday, April 7, 2024. (U.S. Navy) The United States and three allies sent five warships and two aircraft to the South China Sea on Sunday, a move meant to discourage Beijing and others from using force and coercion in the region, according to one security expert. Forces from the U.S., Australia, Japan and the Philippines rendezvoused in the Philippines exclusive economic zone for a maritime cooperative activity, with drills in communication, division tactics and formation training, said U.S. 7th Fleet spokesman Lt. Luka Bakic. It allowed the crews to strengthen their doctrines, tactics, techniques and procedures, he told Stars and Stripes by email Monday. He did not elaborate on exactly where the drills took place in the South China Sea. In response, China held its own joint naval and air combat patrol in the area on Sunday, the countrys Southern Theater Command said in a Sunday post to the social media website Weibo. Two Chinese navy ships came as close as about 7 miles from the area where the four-power exercise occurred, according to a post Monday on X, formerly Twitter, by Philippine network ABS-CBN News. It cited Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. as the source. Bakic did not specify whether the U.S. or its allies interacted with Chinese forces, except to say U.S. forces routinely interact with foreign warships and aircraft in the region. All interactions with foreign military forces were consistent with international norms, he wrote. A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force spokesman by phone Monday said he was aware of reports about Chinese ships patrolling the area that day, but he declined further comment. The U.S., Australia, Japan and the Philippines train in the South China Sea, within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, Sunday, April 7, 2024. (U.S. Navy) The four nations defense chiefs said the exercise upholds international rights to freedom of navigation, according to a Defense Department news release Friday. The drills also demonstrated active presence, solidarity and coordination among U.S. allies in East Asia and the Indo-Pacific, said Ja Ian Chong, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. They aim to discourage [China] and any other actor, including North Korea and Russia from challenging the prevailing order through force or coercion, he told Stars and Stripes by email Monday. While theres friction between the U.S. and China, theyve managed to avoid uncontrolled escalation, Chong said. So long as this mutual understanding holds, there could be some hope for a basic level of stability, he added. The littoral combat ship USS Mobile and a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft joined the Australian frigate HMAS Warramunga, an Australian air force P-8A Poseidon, the Japanese destroyer JS Akebono, and the Philippine frigate BRP Antonio Luna and patrol ship BRP Valentin Diaz for the exercise, according to the Maritime Self-Defense spokesman. It was the first of its kind between the four nations, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday. Some Japanese government spokespeople may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity. No official statement on the exercise directly mentioned China, an intentional move designed to keep the rhetoric restrained, said Carlyle Thayer, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy. The exercises message was clearly aimed at Beijing, he told Stars and Stripes by email Monday. Exclusive economic zones are typically within 230 miles of territorial seas and allow a country to claim jurisdiction over all present resources. China contests the Philippines EEZ and asserts claims on nearly all the South China Sea. A 2016 intergovernmental tribunal upheld Philippine EEZ claims over Chinas under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a ruling Beijing does not recognize. Second Thomas Shoal, a feature in the South China Sea, has become a flashpoint for that dispute. As recently as March 23, Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships have faced off near the shoal often with Chinese vessels intercepting or blocking Philippine ships sent to resupply a small outpost there. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, center, and other military officials watch from Seoul as the country's second spy satellite is launched on April 8, 2024. (South Korean Ministry of Nationa) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea A South Korean military reconnaissance satellite launched Sunday in the United States is successfully in orbit and communicating with ground stations, according to the Ministry of National Defense. The spy satellite established contact at 10:57 a.m. Monday, South Korea time, nearly three hours after it was launched from Floridas Kennedy Space Center, the ministry said in a news release. The satellite was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is the second to be produced by South Korea. The first was launched Dec. 1 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. The satellite will undertake a full-fledged reconnaissance mission after some additional tests, the ministry said. It is fitted with synthetic aperture radar sensors, which can penetrate interference like clouds and rain to produce high-resolution images of Earth, according to the Defense Technical Information Center. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said the latest satellite will enhance South Koreas space-based spy capabilities against North Korea. The performance of the second military reconnaissance satellite is so outstanding that it does not even need to be compared to that of North Koreas satellites, Shin said in the release. South Koreas military said it intends to place two additional satellites in orbit by 2025. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has also expressed his own space ambitions with plans to launch three satellites this year, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Pyongyang may be launching a new satellite as soon as April 15, or the Day of the Sun, Shin said during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. The annual holiday in North Korea marks the birthdate of Kim Il Sung, the communist regimes founder. North Korea successfully launched its first Malligyong-1 spy satellite Nov. 21 after two failed attempts on May 31 and Aug. 24. KCNA reported the satellite had taken photos of the White House and other U.S. military installations; however, the country outlet has not released any images to date. South Koreas military said in February that the Norths satellite was in orbit but added there were no indications it was transmitting images back to Pyongyang. South Korea and the U.S. have repeatedly warned the North against launching satellites. The allies allege the Norths launches include ballistic missile technology, which the regime is banned from using under U.N. Security Council resolutions. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during the West Sea Defense Day memorial service at the 2nd Fleet Command headquarters in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, March 22, 2024. (South Korea Presidential Office) (Tribune News Service) When police showed up last year at Im Hyun-jus home in Seoul with a search warrant, the 43-year-old journalist watched in disbelief as they examined old notebooks, rifled through her bedroom and confiscated her phone and laptop. An officer explained that she was under investigation for giving a colleague leaked documents about the justice minister, including personal records from his confirmation hearing. Frankly, I was angry, Im wrote in an essay. What was the reason for coming into my home where my family lives, humiliating me by digging through my underwear drawer? Many saw the raid as part of the governments ongoing attack on her employer, the public broadcaster MBC, over what President Yoon Suk Yeol routinely terms fake news. Capitalizing on growing mistrust in the media, Yoon has made combating disinformation a centerpiece of his agenda. But free press advocates say his vow to keep reporters honest is a pretext to intimidate his critics. His allies have filed at least 25 criminal complaints against journalists and media organizations over the last two years allegations include defamation and stalking and authorities have raided at least six newsrooms or homes of reporters. At least one journalist has been indicted on defamation charges for a story about the justice minister that turned out to have major inaccuracies. That case, like most of the others, has yet to go to trial. The only explanation I can think of for why I was raided is that the administration is trying to scare us into submission, Im said. As in the United States and other countries, many in South Korea are shunning traditional news sources. A recent poll found that 53% of South Koreans get news through YouTube, which has become a hotbed of political extremism and conspiracy theories. Because the public is increasingly rejecting neutral and fair reporting, those who are trying to do this kind of high-quality journalism are losing ground, said Shim Seog-tae, a journalism professor at Semyung University. That became clear during the 2022 presidential election, which featured press coverage that strained the boundaries of journalistic impartiality and rigor. In the run-up to the vote, conservative newspapers spread claims later proved to be false that Yoons opponent had received bribes from a local criminal organization. Then the investigative outlet Newstapa ran a story that suggested Yoon had helped bury a banking and real estate scandal when he was a prosecutor a report that was later found to have significant journalistic defects, including misleading editing of a transcript and an undisclosed financial relationship between the stringer and his source. After Yoon took power his first time in elected office prosecutors created an election conspiracy task force and raided the newsrooms of Newstapa and JTBC, an outlet that cited the report, as well as the homes of two journalists. A breaking point in Yoons relationship with the press came in New York in September 2022, during a conference for the Global Fund, a financing body created to fight HIV and other diseases in developing countries. Unaware that his microphone was on, Yoon appeared to tell his aides: Its going to be embarrassing for Biden if those pricks at the National Assembly dont approve this bill. MBC reported that he was referring to the U.S. Congress and the fact that it would have to approve President Joe Bidens $6 million pledge to the fund. But Yoons administration said that journalists had misheard the word Biden and that Yoon was talking about the South Korean National Assembly. Yoon fumed that the report threatened national security and accused the broadcaster of maliciously using fake news to drive a wedge in U.S.- South Korea relations. His office proceeded to ban MBC from the presidential plane on a trip to Southeast Asia. More significant, the broadcaster has been subject to investigations by the Labor Ministry and the National Tax Service, while the Korea Communications Standards Commission has fined it at least three times on disinformation grounds. Viewed by many as retaliatory, two of the fines have been suspended in court. The head of the commission, appointed by Yoon, has expanded its remit from illegal online content like gambling or pornography to the murkier realm of fake news. The highly controversial move has included experiments in attaching labels to online stories indicating when they are under review for disinformation. Shim, the journalism professor, noted that Yoon, a conservative, is not the first president to crack down on the press. Under his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, the ruling party attempted to pass a law that would have subjected journalists to punitive damage claims. Whats new is the scale of the offensive. If previous administrations attempted to control the media with surgical precision, the Yoon administration is hacking away with an ax, Shim said. The entire government has been mobilized to this end. In January, the court ordered MBC to comply with a demand from the foreign ministry that the broadcaster issue a correction to its reporting on the hot-mic incident, drawing on expert analysis noting that it was unclear whether Yoon had uttered the word Biden. MBC has appealed the ruling. I dont think technical analyses are necessarily the answer in these situations, said Lee Ki-ju, 45, one of the journalists behind the story. I stand by our reporting and think it was well within the realm of common sense and standard journalistic practice. Lawmakers also filed defamation complaints against Lee and three other MBC journalists. In addition, Lee is being investigated for obstruction of official proceedings on the basis that the report compromised the presidents diplomatic efforts. Ive received several summons from the police, but Ive been refusing to attend, because I think its unjust, said Lee, who has been the target of an online death threat for publicly clashing with the president. At a closed-door meeting with a group of reporters last month, Hwang Sang-moo, a senior presidential secretary for civil and social affairs, said, Listen up, MBC before recounting an infamous story from 1988 about a journalist who was stabbed in the thigh with a sashimi knife by soldiers after writing a piece critical of the military. Hwang, a former journalist, claimed he was joking but resigned a week later. Government officials in this day and age wouldnt go that far themselves, but I was worried that a fanatical supporter might interpret it as a message to carry out an attack, Lee said. MBCs union has decried the governments crackdown as excessive investigations that unfairly target the broadcaster. Legal experts have warned that government attempts to police the truthfulness of news reports overstep judicial processes and endanger freedom of expression, a constitutional right that has existed since 1948 and weathered decades of military dictatorships. Citing the undermining of freedom of expression, Swedish watchdog V-Dem Institute wrote this year in its annual Democracy Report that South Korea is in an episode of autocratization. In the institutes democracy index, South Koreas ranking has dropped from 28th to 47th. At the third Summit for Democracy a Biden-led global effort to counter growing global authoritarianism, hosted last month in Seoul Yoon held firm. Accusing certain actors and groups of undermining democracy with lies, he put forward his solution: legal investigations and harsher punishments. 2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. Nissan Motor sells 59,914 vehicles in China in March Nissan Motor announced today its China sales reached 59,914 vehicles in Mar. 2024. In the month, Dongfeng Nissan, which operates Nissan, Venucia, and Infiniti brands, recorded a sales volume of 56,486 vehicles. All-new Sylphy; photo credit: Dongfeng Nissan Li Auto to launch Li L6 model on April 18 Chinese new energy vehicle maker Li Auto announced today it plans to launch its fire new model, the Li L6, on April 18. GAC Group makes breakthrough in engine thermal efficiency On April 8, GAC Group officially announced a significant breakthrough in engine thermal efficiency improvement. The company said the indicated thermal efficiency of its single-cylinder engines has surpassed 52.5%, while the effective thermal efficiency of its multi-cylinder engines, ready for vehicle integration, has exceeded 46%. SAIC Motor logs 8.41% YoY rise in Mar. 2024 auto sales SAIC Motor released its latest monthly sales results on Monday, showcasing a year-on-year upward movement in Mar. sales, but still displaying a sliding trend in its year-to-date sales. Fuyao Group breaks ground on new factory in Hefei city On April 8, Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co., Ltd. ("Fuyao Group") held a ceremony to celebrate the ground-breaking of its full-chain production base in Hefei city, according to a post on "Anhui Fabu", the official WeChat account of Anhui provincial government. Dongfeng e unveils official images of e008 SUV China's new energy vehicle brand Dongfeng e revealed on March 8 the official images of its latest model, the e008 six-seater mid-size SUV. The new model is set to make its debut at the Auto China 2024 in Beijing on April 25. Changan Automobile sees 5.73% YoY rise in March auto sales In March 2024, Chinese automaker Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (Changan Automobile) saw a 5.73% year-on-year rise in monthly sales, which amounted to 259,042 vehicles in total. JAC Group ships heavy-duty trucks to Gulf region Recently, Chinese automaker JAC Group conducted a ceremony in Hefei city, Anhui province, for the bulk export of heavy-duty trucks to the Gulf region, signaling a significant breakthrough in the company's export business in the Gulf region and globally. SGMW to launch electrification & intelligence architecture 'Tianyu' On April 7th, SAIC-GM-Wuling ("SGMW") announced the plan to launch its brand new architecture named Tianyu (in Chinese Pinyin) that integrates its advanced achievements in electrification and intelligence fields. NIO sees C-sample of first self-developed SiC module roll off line On March 29, the NIO & UNT (United Nova Technology Co., Ltd.) Partnership Conference was held at UNTs headquarters in Shaoxing city, where the C-sample of NIO's in-house developed SiC module rolled off the production line as well. BYD introduces Seagull model in Chile Recently, BYD launched the BYD Seagull in Santiago, Chile, marking the eighth model BYD has introduced to the local market, according to BYD's press release. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left), British Foreign Secretary David Cameron (right), and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (backwards) attend the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 21, 2024. (MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP/TNS) (Tribune News Service) U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron warned of the costs of failing to support Ukraine ahead of his visit to Washington to urge U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to find a way for Congress to approve a $60 billion military aid package. Cameron and his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, used a joint article in the Telegraph to call on allies to do even more to ensure we defeat Russia while marking the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale alliance between the nations. The former British premier will visit Washington this week to discuss how Johnson can persuade Republican hardliners to pass billions of dollars in assistance for Ukraine. In a video posted on X last week, he said Speaker Johnson can make it happen in Congress. Im going to go and see him next week and say we need that money, Ukraine needs that money. Ukrainian forces are wrestling with increasingly severe ammunition shortages and delays in supplies of artillery shells from allies especially the U.S. have left Ukraines forces outgunned by as much as six to one. It is not for France and Britain alone to solve these challenges, Cameron and Sejourne wrote. But, together, we can rally others to join us in overcoming them. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. An employee raises the United Nations flag on the roof of the U.N. refugee agencys health center in the Balata camp in the West Bank in March. The camp, the largest in the West Bank, is home to 33,000 Palestinian refugees, for whom the agency provides services including health care, education and sanitation. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/for The Washington Post) BALATA CAMP, West Bank Even before war erupted between Israel and Hamas, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees was broke. Its top official for the West Bank was driving a 15-year-old car with broken headlights. Summer camps the agency used to run had been canceled. Some of its trademark blue-and-white schools, which educate about 46,000 students across East Jerusalem and the West Bank, hadnt been painted in a decade. Now, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency is on life support, after major donors suspended funding in January in the wake of allegations that a dozen of the agencys 13,000 employees in Gaza took part in the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. The impact of what U.N. officials widely describe as an existential crisis for the agency will be felt most acutely in Gaza, where its the backbone of international efforts to stave off a man-made famine. But the turmoil is also disrupting life and sparking fear among Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where the agency provides health, education and sanitation services for the descendants of refugees. UNRWA is now under a multipronged attack: Israeli officials are seeking to evict it from its East Jerusalem headquarters, have blocked shipments of supplies and are shortening and delaying visas for international staff. New restrictions have hindered the movement of employees across the West Bank. And a high-level Israeli campaign has made UNRWA the target of harassment and protests, agency officials say. Staff of the agencys school for girls in the Balata camp talk outside classrooms. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/for The Washington Post) The pressure on our offices is very, very high, said Hanadi Abu Taqa, who leads the agencys work in the northern West Bank. Unable to plan, the agency has been forced to switch more workers to short-term contracts, accelerating a trend that has lowered the quality of education UNRWA provides, according to Fathi Saleh, director of services at the Shuafat refugee camp on Jerusalems edge. The Israeli clampdown on the West Bank since Oct. 7 has meant hundreds of UNRWA employees cant reach their posts at all, according to Abu Taqa. Israeli soldiers harass and detain UNRWA staff at checkpoints, sometimes for hours, she said causing teachers to be late to class and medical teams to miss appointments. In a statement to The Washington Post, the Israel Defense Forces said there has been a significant increase in terrorist attacks in the West Bank since Oct. 7. As part of the security operations in the area, dynamic checkpoints have been put up over different places, it added. The mission of the IDF is to maintain the security of all residents of the area, and to act to prevent terrorism and activities that endanger the citizens of the State of Israel. Meanwhile, the needs of refugees have soared. The West Bank economy is collapsing, with many Palestinians formerly employed in Israel out of work. More families are relying on handouts and free medical services from UNRWA, said agency officials in the Balata camp, the largest in the West Bank. Iman Abu Hamada, left, and her sister-in-law Khadra Hamada, center, wait with their infants to see a doctor at the UNRWA health center in the Balata camp. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/for The Washington Post) Israeli raids in camps regularly damage infrastructure, which UNRWA is often called in to repair. At the Balata health center, physiotherapist Najah Jibril has seen a surge of patients many of them young men with bullet injuries sustained in street battles. The military incursions have left children terrified and more dependent on UNRWA schools for psychological support, teachers and school principals said. Younger girls in Balata wet their beds at night or cover their ears when they hear a loud sound. The school performance of the older girls has plummeted. School supervisors say the girls have become more aggressive, taking out feelings of anger and helplessness on classmates. The UNRWA school compounds provide a haven. Counselors organize group therapy sessions and try to channel the girls anxiety into play. In the school we are safe me and the teachers and the students, Wafaa Marahil, principal of the girls middle school, said. But outside, she added, we never know what might happen. Anxiety is mounting that if UNRWA collapses, even that safe space could disappear. If her school is forced to close, Marahil, who graduated from there, said there are no municipal schools close by and most families wouldnt be able to afford private institutions. She worries her students will be pushed to marry or enter the workforce early instead. Students take part in a physical education class at the agencys girls primary school in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/for The Washington Post) Established in 1949 to assist Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes during the creation of the state of Israel, UNRWA is the only U.N. agency that provides direct, government-like services for a specific population and region running schools, health-care centers, and food and housing assistance programs to millions of those refugees and their descendants across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. The agency receives very little core funding from the United Nations, relying instead on donations from member states and making it particularly vulnerable to geopolitical headwinds. When President Donald Trump stopped funding in 2018, the agency was left with a shortfall of more than $400 million. But Trump was a bit of an outlier globally at the time, so other governments stepped in with additional funding, said Adam Bouloukos, UNRWAs West Bank director. (President Joe Biden restored U.S. contributions when he took office in 2021.) In January, Israel alleged that 12 of the agencys 13,000 workers in Gaza took part in the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, during which militants killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages. UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini immediately fired the accused employees, even though Israel has not made public, or shared with the agency, evidence substantiating the claims. After the allegations, 16 donors, including the United States, suspended funding. A U.N. oversight body launched an investigation into the allegations, and a separate independent review committee is expected to present its findings on the agencys protocols and practices this month. Most donors have since restored funding, though their contributions are significantly lower than that of the United States. The agency also received some new public and private donations, allowing it to continue operating until the end of May, Lazzarini told Reuters last month. But the United States, which funded 30 percent of the agencys budget, passed legislation last month barring contributions through at least March 2025 leaving UNRWA short hundreds of millions of dollars and facing an uncertain future. Primary school students play during recess at the agencys girls school in the Balata camp. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/for The Washington Post) Without a significant influx of cash, the agency faces a slow-onset implosion, Lazzarini told reporters in Jerusalem in February. UNRWA leaders are discussing internally which services to prioritize in that case, Bouloukos said. The debate around UNRWAs future is inextricably bound up in the intractable questions around the rights of Palestinian refugees. This is why the Israelis want us out: UNRWA represents the refugee problem. If UNRWA goes away, then somehow the refugees just kind of go away, and the whole support for this population then also goes away, Bouloukos said. Israel is forging ahead with what UNRWA officials describe as a full-scale administrative assault against an agency it says is an arm of Hamas. (UNRWA officials reject this assertion.) An Israeli bank froze an UNRWA account containing $3 million. Israel has also stopped issuing year-long residency permits to international staff, keeping them on two-month visas instead and causing some key positions to go unfilled for months, Bouloukos said. The Jerusalem municipality and a coalition of Israeli lawmakers are seeking to evict the agency from its Jerusalem headquarters the site of frequent protests in recent months by right-wing Israelis calling for UNRWAs abolition. The things we know and found out about UNRWA are actually shattering, because we feel that the blood of the people who were murdered and kidnapped is on our hands, Debby Sharon, 60, said at a protest she helped to organize in front of the headquarters. About 25 protesters gathered in front of the agencys Jerusalem office and prevented humanitarian workers from entering on March 27, 2024. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/for The Washington Post) The right-wing deputy mayor of Jerusalem, Arieh King, said the city is ready to assume responsibility for schooling and sanitation in East Jerusalem refugee camps. UNRWA is not giving any service that we cannot give, he said. King is frank about his desire to undermine an agency he says aims to keep [Palestinians] in refugee status. UNRWA was meant to be temporary, built to one day hand over its activities to a Palestinian government. Its schools are based on the curriculum of the Palestinian Authority, the Ramallah-based body with limited governing powers over the West Bank. On a technical level, UNRWA could transfer its West Bank facilities to the Palestinian Authority overnight, Bouloukos said. But the authority is itself broke and struggling to pay staff salaries. As the occupying power in the West Bank, Bouloukos said, it should be the Israelis that are cleaning the trash and doing all these other social services. Israel has shown no appetite for doing so in the West Bank. Israel is not an occupying power, said a senior Israeli government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. UNRWA is completely tainted with terror and perpetuates the Palestinian refugee problem. The enormous budget it has been allocated, largely from American taxpayers, will hopefully be provided to true humanitarian organizations that will sincerely serve humanitarian needs. An agency sanitation employee works at the Balata camp. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/for The Washington Post) Nana Jibril, head of the physiotherapy department at the agencys health center in the Balata camp, treats a patient. (Lorenzo Tugnoli/for The Washington Post) But other U.N. agencies lack the capacity to easily take over the services UNRWA provides, U.N. officials say; UNICEF, the U.N. childrens agency, for example, does not run schools anywhere in the world, and changing its mandate would be complicated. The nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA across the region, meanwhile, see the agency as a guarantor of their political cause. We are never able to de-link service provision from the right of return, Bouloukos said. Refugees in Jerusalem and the West Bank are closely following each twist and turn, fearful of the immediate impacts they say UNRWAs closure would have on their lives. When UNRWA workers in the West Bank went on strike last year, Ibtissam Khattab, 36, couldnt bring her son Omar, now 2, to the Balata health center for the daily physiotherapy he needs. The toddlers nerve condition regressed, she said, and she could tell he was in more pain. If the agency is closed, where will he go? If I have to go to a private clinic, I have to pay for transport and treatment, she said. Lorenzo Tugnoli and Sufian Taha in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during a campaign stop in St. George, S.C., in 2020. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post) A man was arrested Sunday for allegedly lighting a fire outside the Burlington, Vt., office of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), authorities said. Shant Soghomonian, 35, is charged with using fire to damage the building, according to the U.S. attorneys office for Vermont. No injuries were reported, the office said, and Soghomonians motive remained unclear as of Sunday afternoon. Soghomonian entered the building on Friday morning and headed directly to the third floor, where Sanders Vermont office is located, the U.S. attorneys office said in a statement. Security video footage showed Soghomonian spraying a liquid near the door of the office, then lighting the area with a handheld lighter. A significant blaze began, which engulfed the door and hindered multiple staffers from fleeing, according to a statement from the Burlington Police Department. The fire damaged the doors exterior, and the hallway, and set off the buildings sprinklers. The sprinkler system largely extinguished the fire, the police department said. Sanders was not in the office at the time, according to the police department. Soghomonian, previously of the Northridge neighborhood in California, could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A lawyer has not yet been identified for him, the U.S. attorneys office said in its statement. Multiple agencies investigated Fridays incident, according to the statement, including the Burlington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Vermont State Police and U.S. Capitol Police. I am grateful for the collaborative effort by local, state and federal partners to identify and apprehend a suspect in the arson that took place at One Church Street on Friday, April 5, Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said in a statement Sunday, adding that her office will stay in contact with Sanders staff. Sanders office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. This year began with a spate of violent political threats, The Washington Post reported, which U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland had called a deeply disturbing spike. While acts of physical violence toward public officials remain relatively rare, even the possibility of harm undermines the health of the nations democracy, experts told The Post. An Army veterans widow was awarded a court settlement following the death of her 64-year-old husband from lung cancer that was not diagnosed at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center in South Carolina. (Department of Veterans Affairs) WASHINGTON The widow of an Army veteran whose lung cancer was not diagnosed for nearly two years after a suspicious finding turned up on a chest scan has received an $880,000 court settlement from a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. Anna Whitaker, 69, was awarded the settlement Friday in U.S. district court in Columbia, S.C., two years after the death of William Whitaker, her 64-year-old husband. Her lawsuit claimed Whitakers chest scan in June 2020 showed signs of lung cancer that were overlooked and ignored by his physician at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center in Columbia. The left lung findings were suspicious for cancer and required close follow-up, the lawsuit stated. William Whitaker, who was described as a heavy smoker, died 20 months after the scan. He had served in the Army for nine years, working as a mechanic, according to court documents. Her complaint claimed his death could have been prevented if there had been a timely diagnosis and treatment. Anna Whitaker declined through her lawyer to discuss the lawsuit or the settlement. William Whitaker, who used a wheelchair, had quit smoking cigarettes in 2013 but vaped daily, according to court documents. He also suffered from diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and deep vein thrombosis. Dr. Alexis Lewis Stroman, his pulmonologist, had ordered the scan in June 2022 and was aware of the findings, according to court documents. The scan of his left lung had shown a complicated bulla, or small blister. Such a finding often indicates lung cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health. But there was no follow-up or medical intervention by the doctor from the results of the scan, according to the lawsuit. In November 2020, Whitaker had a telehealth visit with Stroman as part of his regular health care. A return visit was scheduled a year later, according to the complaint. In November 2021, Whitaker had an outpatient visit with Stroman, who noted another scan of his lungs was due, according to court documents. But a scan was not scheduled. In February 2021, Whitaker went to the medical centers emergency room after he began experiencing chest pain and having trouble breathing. He was coughing up blood. Doctors found a growth in his upper left lung, according to court documents. Ultimately, Mr. Whitaker was diagnosed with Stage 3 squamous cell carcinoma of the upper left lobe. He began chemotherapy. On March 27, 2022, Mr. Whitaker suffered a cardiac event and died. He died from lung cancer, according to the complaint. Attorneys for the South Carolina hospital agreed to the monetary settlement without an admission of guilt or liability in the case, according to court documents. Whitaker agreed the claims and causes of action in her lawsuit were disputed by the hospital, according to the settlement. President Joe Biden presents the Medal of Honor to retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett at the White House on May 21, 2021. (Alex Brandon/AP) ATLANTA Retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett, an Army Ranger who received the Medal of Honor for lifesaving heroics in the Korean War and the Distinguished Service Cross fighting in Vietnam, died Monday. He was 97. Puckett died in his sleep with his wife, Jeannie, by his side at their Columbus, Ga., home, according to the National Infantry Museum at nearby Fort Moore, where Puckett had mentored soldiers for decades. The museum will hold a public service in his honor on April 20 at 11 a.m., officials there said. A native of Tifton, Ga., Puckett enlisted in the Army in 1943, and two years later was selected to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., where he earned his commission as an infantry officer, according to the Army. Shortly after his 1949 graduation from West Point, Puckett volunteered for service with the Armys 8th Ranger Company. He was selected to command the company as a first lieutenant, and after 5 weeks of training on Okinawa, Japan, his unit was sent to Korea in late 1950 and charged with assaulting and securing a piece of land known as Hill 205 near Unsan. It was during this first combat mission in November 1950 that Puckett established his heroic credentials. Retired Col. Ralph Puckett as an Army captain in 1952, a few months after he was wounded in a hellacious battle against Chinese soldiers in North Korea. (Family photo) Outnumbered 10 to one, Puckett and his Rangers secured the key hill before facing repeated counterassaults by Chinese forces. Puckett repeatedly risked his life to draw enemy fire away from his fellow Rangers, called in artillery strikes, helped secure a perimeter and delivered ammunition to other soldiers as the Chinese troops assaulted six times in four hours, according to his Medal of Honor citation. He suffered at least three serious wounds during the assaults, rendering him unable to move by its end, according to the citation. Despite ordering his troops to leave him, fellow Rangers fought their way to his side and evacuated him to safety, according to the Army. Initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Armys second-highest medal of battlefield valor, Puckett would ultimately receive the Medal of Honor in 2021 after a yearslong effort to upgrade the medal. President Joe Biden, who awarded the nations top military honor to Puckett, said it was important to Pucketts men that he received the award that he deserved. Korea is sometimes called the forgotten war, but those men who were there under then-lieutenant Pucketts command never forgot his bravery, Biden said. They never forgot he was right by their side every minute of it. Retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett stands alongside troops as they prepare to start a foot march during the 2021 David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition at Fort Moore, Ga., on April 16, 2021. (Henry Villarama/U.S. Army) After he returned from Korea, the Army offered him a medical retirement, but Puckett refused. Instead, he continued his service, working at the Ranger School and West Point before completing Special Forces training. In 1967, Puckett deployed to Vietnam as a 101st Airborne Division battalion commander, where he would earn more valor awards for battlefield heroics. Before his 1971 retirement, Puckett would hold two Distinguished Service Crosses including the one that was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor two Silver Stars, two Bronze Star Medals with combat V device for valor, and five Purple Hearts, according to his Army biography. Col. Ralph Puckett was the last of a generation of extraordinary heroes, Chris Cassidy, the president and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, said in a statement Monday. His actions on Hill 205 reverberated far beyond the Korean peninsula as his courage, sacrifice, commitment and patriotism have inspired Americans for over 70 years. Well into his 90s, Puckett remained active at Fort Moore, where he often attended events, including Ranger School graduations and the annual Best Ranger Competition. When Congress mandated the Army change the name of its installations associated with Confederate generals, Pucketts name was among the finalists to replace Fort Benning, which last year became Fort Moore, for another Korea and Vietnam veteran, Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia. While his accolades and awards are many, he is most often remembered as a man who was always ready to shake a soldiers hand and offer some kind words, National Infantry Museum officials said of Puckett in a statement announcing his death. Over the years, Ralph and Jeannie Puckett have been steadfast champions of the military community. Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson said Monday that his community and others around Fort Moore would long mourn Pucketts loss. He was one of our countrys most decorated veterans but was known for his humility and selfless service, Henderson said. He was a mentor to generations of soldiers passing through Fort Benning/Moore Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Jeannie and the entire Puckett family. Beijing (Gasgoo)- China's new energy vehicle brand Dongfeng e revealed on March 8 the official images of its latest model, the e008 six-seater mid-size SUV. The new model is set to make its debut at the Auto China 2024 in Beijing on April 25. Photo credit: Dongfeng e The exterior of the e008 adopts Dongfeng e's latest design language, exuding a clean and modern vibe. The distinctive front fascia with integrated headlights and grille enhances the visual width of the vehicle. On the side, the e008 features a popular floating roof design, complemented by black window frames and dynamic multi-spoke wheels, adding a sporty touch. The new model boasts dimensions of 5,002mm in length, 1,972mm in width, 1,732mm in height, and a wheelbase of 3,025mm. Photo credit: Dongfeng e The rear design echoes the front, with integrated taillights and rear bumper, along with a roof spoiler and black paneling beneath the rear bumper, creating a visually striking effect. In terms of powertrain, the new model will be available in battery electric and range-extended versions. The battery electric variant boasts a peak power of 200kW and a top speed of 180km/h, while the range-extended model is equipped with a 1.5L range extender with a maximum power of 108kW. According to previous reports, the e008 SUV rides on the Dongfeng Quantum architecture, it features the Dongfeng Mach E powertrain and the Dongfeng SOA E/E architecture, with pre-sales planned to begin in the first half of this year. Kardashian is accused of making threats to kill or cause serious harm, on four separate occasions last year, contrary to Section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the State Act, 1997. A transgender woman accused of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to two women last year, was today remanded in continuing custody for trial. Barbie Kardashian, 22, of no fixed abode, appeared for trial before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on Monday, however it was heard the trial was not immediately ready to proceed. Kardashian is accused of making threats to kill or cause serious harm, on four separate occasions last year, contrary to Section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the State Act, 1997. Kardashian is alleged to have made threats to kill a female, Tegan McGhee, on February 25, 2023, with the intent that Ms McGhee would believe the threat against her would be carried out. Kardashian also allegedly threatened to kill another female, Roisin Linnane, on three dates, including April 25, June 9, and June 11, 2023. Today, Kardashian, dressed in a pink t-shirt, grey tracksuit pants and black shoes, appeared before Judge Dermot Sheehan in Courtroom Three at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court. Kardashians barrister, senior counsel, Andrew Sexton, informed the court there were difficulties in respect of personnel involved in the case. Mr Sexton said Kardashian, who did not speak during this mornings brief hearing, was anxious to proceed with the trial. Barrister for the State, John OSullivan BL, said he hoped the trial would proceed later this month. I hope we don't have any further difficulties, I am reserving my position with regard to witnesses, Mr OSullivan said. Judge Sheehan remanded Kardashian in continuing custody for trial on April 29th. Dr Mohammad Zaib Khan is facing allegations in relation to the care of four patients at the hospital over a decade ago A doctor has appeared before a fitness-to-practise inquiry over his alleged poor care of four patients at Sligo University Hospital over a decade ago, including that he failed to recognise the early signs of septic shock in one patient. The Medical Council inquiry is examining allegations of professional misconduct and poor professional performance against Dr Mohammad Zaib Khan while working as a consultant general surgeon at Sligo University Hospital (SUH). Counsel for the Medical Council, Neasa Bird BL, said the inquiry arose as a result of information received from the Saolta hospital group which had conducted a number of clinical reviews of the consultants care of patients at SUH on the basis of some adverse incident reports. The allegations all relate to Dr Khans treatment of four patients at SUH on dates between June 2012 and December 2013. Ms Bird said an expert witness, Professor Patrick Broe, would tell the inquiry there were serious failings by Dr Khan over his care of the four patients. Counsel for Dr Khan, Cathal Murphy BL, did not reply directly to the allegations but the fitness-to-practice committee heard how the consultant had responded during the Saolta review of his care of patients at SUH. Dr Khan said he had experience of carrying out a large number of similar surgeries on patients throughout his career going back over 25 years. In relation to a man, known only as Patient A, Dr Khan is accused of failing to document in medical records that he was to be contacted immediately in the event of any deterioration in the patients condition following surgery to repair a hernia. Ms Bird claimed the surgeon had failed to recognise that air bubbles identified in a CT scan taken after surgery could be related to a perforation of the patients bowel. She said the 53-year-old male, who suffered a fatal cardiac arrest a few days later, had been complaining of ongoing pain and nausea after the operation. The barrister said Dr Khan had failed to arrange for the patient to be returned to theatre or to seek a second opinion from another consultant surgeon. Ms Bird said the consultant had told Saolta reviewers he had no concern about a bowel perforation with Patient A as he had carefully checked there was no internal injury prior to finishing the operation. Dr Khan also claimed that the scan had only identified a small amount of air in the patients abdomen which could be expected after surgery. The inquiry heard allegations that Dr Khan had joined the colon of another male, Patient B, to his bladder during surgery to reverse a colostomy and had also failed to recognise what he had done. Ms Bird said the patient had required further surgery a short time later to repair the damage caused by the abnormal connection between the two organs. Dr Khan claims the fistula resulting from the surgery is a recognised complication of the procedure which was identified promptly and corrected. In relation to a 72-year-old woman known as Patient C who was diagnosed with renal colic, the surgeon is accused of failing to recognise the early signs of septic shock and failing to start treating the patient with antibiotics. It is also claimed that Dr Khan failed to request an immediate operation on Patient C to drain urine from her kidney after a CT scan had identified a 7mm kidney stone which was preventing the patient from passing urine. The inquiry heard she died around two months after her admission to SUH. Dr Khan claimed he had asked for the immediate transfer of the woman to University Hospital Galway for specialist urology care after getting the results of the scan but the request was originally rejected by doctors at UHG. The patient ultimately became too unwell to travel to Galway and required extensive resuscitation by the time the operation to drain urine from her kidney was performed at SUH. Dr Khan claimed the delay in the patients transfer was outside his control and her subsequent deterioration was rapid and aggressive. The consultant was also accused of failing to carry out an adequate medical investigation of an 81-year-old male, identified as Patient D, given his medical history of heart disease and anaemia prior to carrying out surgery to remove his gall bladder. In addition, the inquiry heard claims that Dr Khan had failed to advise the patient to stop taking aspirin three days prior to his operation. Ms Bird said Patient D, who is deceased, suffered excessive pain and low blood pressure after his surgery and was subsequently found to have suffered major internal bleeding. Dr Khan claimed the man was the only patient out of over 1,500 operations to remove gall bladders that he had performed who had required further surgery after suffering internal bleeding. Ms Bird said all of the various allegations individually or cumulatively, if proven, constituted poor professional performance as Dr Khan had failed to meet the standards of competence expected of a consultant surgeon. She claimed the allegations relating to the failure of Dr Khan to record that he should be contacted immediately about any deterioration in Patient A following surgery and his failure to ensure the man received the necessary level of post-operative care amounted to professional misconduct. Ms Bird said the alleged conduct had fallen seriously short of the standard expected among doctors. Counsel said Dr Khans failure to provide appropriate care to Patient C also constituted professional misconduct. The inquiry heard that Dr Khan, who qualified as a doctor in Pakistan in 1983, had worked in Ireland since 2008. Since January 2017, he has been employed as a consultant with the NHS in Britain. The inquiry continues tomorrow. Last month, Dundon was accused of engaging in a "cynical ploy" after he sacked his lawyers Over 15 years after innocent rugby player Shane Geoghegan was shot dead in a case of mistaken identity, the Limerick gangster who ordered the hit, John Dundon, has been allocated a new legal team and will have his appeal against his murder conviction heard this month "come what may". Last month, Dundon was accused of engaging in a "cynical ploy" after he sacked his lawyers and asked for an adjournment of his appeal against the conviction. Dundon told the Court of Appeal that he discharged his lawyers after discovering that they were unable to advance a ground of appeal that the appellant said had been identified in recent months. The three judges of the court granted an application for Dundon's then lawyers to withdraw from the case. Dundon said he did not want to go into detail about an additional ground of appeal but said it related to things that were not disclosed to him ahead of his trial and that he was told did not exist but he is now in a position to prove did exist. Dundon said he had instructed his legal team to raise this ground of appeal but decided to discharge them when he claimed he was told they "hadn't done it properly". Shane Geoghegan Sean Guerin SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Dundon was engaging in a "cynical ploy" and that he had used a similar tactic at his trial in 2013. At the Court of Appeal today, solicitor Phelim O'Neill, instructing Morgan Shelley BL, applied to come on the record for Dundon and was told that the appeal hearing would go ahead on April 22. Dundon was also granted free legal aid for his new team. Dundon spoke only to confirm to the judges that he wished to hire Mr O'Neill. Mr Justice John Edwards said the matter had been marked as peremptory against Mr Dundon regarding the April 22 date. "The expectation is that it is to proceed on April 22, come what may... and that's the end of the matter," said Mr Justice Edwards. Mr Justice Edwards said motions for new grounds of appeal and sworn affidavits were to be completed in advance of April 22 and said the court "will expect total clarity on what is and is not being proceeded one week in advance of the hearing". Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said Dundon's team also had to serve the State with any relevant documents "in sufficient time for the State to address it". "You have to move this week, really," said Mr Justice McCarthy. Both the Special Criminal Court and the High Court had previously rejected Dundon's bids to have his 2013 murder trial adjourned. However in June 2013, the Special Criminal Court ruled the murder trial should not proceed until the adjournment application came before the Supreme Court. On that occasion, Dundon had appeared in the Special Criminal Court wearing only a pair of dark-coloured shorts, having been admitted to hospital after going on hunger strike for at least a week and refusing fluids for a number of days. The trial was delayed until July 2, 2013, when the opening day saw a gaunt, wheelchair-using Dundon taken to hospital for a head injury. He had earlier informed the court that he was illiterate in response to evidence that he had sacked his legal team and elected to represent himself. The trial eventually opened the next day. At the last sitting of the Court of Appeal, Mr Guerin said disclosure was carried out in full and that the Director of Public Prosecutions was "adamant" the State could meet any complaint regarding disclosure. Mr Guerin said the director is "anxious" to get on with the case and the deceased's mother, who has attended every court date, "wants to see an end" to the matter. Also at that hearing, Mr Justice McCarthy said Dundon had "gone through several sets of competent lawyers" and that the latest dismissal "must raise an issue of good faith". Mr Justice Edwards said the court would "not entertain any further applications for adjournment barring exceptional and unforeseen circumstances." Dundon (41) formerly of Hyde Road in Limerick, was convicted at the Special Criminal Court in 2013 of ordering the hit that killed the 28-year-old Mr Geoghegan near the victim's home at Clonmore, Kilteragh, Dooradoyle, Limerick, on November 9, 2008. He is serving a life sentence. Mr Geoghegan played rugby for Garryowen in Limerick and had been watching an Ireland international game at a friend's house before heading home shortly before 1am. He had just texted his girlfriend, Jenna Barry, to say he was on his way when Ms Barry heard shots being fired outside. Mr Geoghegan was shot five times with a Glock semi-automatic pistol. The fatal shot was to the back of the head. It was the States case that Mr Geoghegan was the unintended victim of a shooting that was meant for another man and was ordered by John Dundon. Key prosecution witness April Collins gave evidence that John Dundon ordered gunman Barry Doyle to kill the other man. Doyle (38) admitted during Garda interviews that he shot Mr Geoghegan in a case of mistaken identity. However, Doyle, of Portland Row in Dublin 1, later pleaded not guilty at trial to the murder of Mr Geoghegan. He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and was given the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan on February 16, 2012. Gda Ryan, who was stationed in Tallaght, is accused of three counts of dangerous driving and one of endangerment in the incident on July 7, 2021. Karl Freeman, Graham Taylor and Dean Maguire were killed in the crash A garda accused of dangerous driving and endangerment following a crash in Dublin that claimed the lives of three men has denied the charges and is facing trial. John Francis Ryan is being prosecuted over a fatal accident on Dublins N7 two years ago when three members of a burglary gang died. His case was adjourned for the preparation of a book of evidence at Dublin District Court today. Gda Ryan, who was stationed in Tallaght, is accused of three counts of dangerous driving and one of endangerment in the incident on July 7, 2021. Today, Judge Michele Finan was told the DPP consented to the case being dealt with in the district court on a plea of guilty only. State solicitor Tom Conlon said the position is, a book of evidence is required, with the accused having indicated he will be contesting the case. Gda Ryan, who was excused from attending court today, was represented by a solicitor. Judge Finan extended the time required for the service of the book of evidence and adjourned the case to June 26. Previously, the prosecution had been ordered to disclose evidence to the defence, including any CCTV footage. Non-publication of the garda's home address was also ordered earlier. The prosecution is being brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions on behalf of the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC). The three men Dean Maguire (29), Karl Freeman (26) and Graham Taylor (31) were killed instantly when their BMW vehicle burst into flames following a head-on crash with a truck between Citywest and Baldonnel while they were driving on the wrong side of the road. The three were members of a Tallaght-based gang that specialised in burglaries and were fleeing gardai at the time. Last May, an inquest into the deaths was adjourned when Dublin District Coroners Court heard a criminal prosecution had been initiated. The coroner, Clare Keane, was informed that the DPP had taken the decision to bring the prosecution based on a file submitted by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), which investigated the circumstances of the fatal crash. GSOC applied for an adjournment of the inquest into the deaths of the three men. A jury found him guilty by majority verdict after agreeing he was the masked gunman that fired the fatal shot at the detective in the car park of Lordship credit union near Dundalk, County Louth. Aaron Brady was jailed for the murder of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe. Garda killer Aaron Brady has concern that publicity of his witness interference trial could be "damaging" to any potential murder retrial. Brady (33), originally from south Armagh but currently housed in Portlaoise maximum security prison, is appealing his conviction for the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe on January 25, 2013. A jury found him guilty by majority verdict after agreeing he was the masked gunman that fired the fatal shot at the detective in the car park of Lordship credit union near Dundalk, County Louth. Brady is currently serving a life sentence with a minimum of 40 years imprisonment for capital murder as well as a concurrent sentence for robbery. During the lengthy trial in 2020, repeated concerns were raised by the prosecution about alleged efforts to interfere with witnesses. Following a garda investigation, Brady and his alleged co-conspirator, Dublin man Dean Byrne (30), were charged. They are both accused of conspiring to persuade a state witness, Daniel Cahill, not to testify in the murder trial, between April 8 and June 22, 2020. During the trial, Mr Cahill testified that Brady admitted to the murder multiple times while living in New York. Aaron Brady is further accused of recording the playing of a video of a witness being interviewed by gardai, thus embarking upon a course to pervert the course of public justice, between February 20, 2020, and May 7, 2020. It emerged in the trial that video footage of one witness giving a statement to gardai had been circulated online, with the trial judge Mr Justice Michael White describing it as the "most outrageous contempt of court" he had come across. Brady and Byrne's trial was due to begin at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin this morning, but was adjourned to tomorrow following an application by the defence. Michael O'Higgins SC said that his client has appealed his capital murder conviction and that judgement in that case is still outstanding. He said that, if Brady succeeds in his appeal, they anticipate that a retrial will be directed and priority will be given to that retrial. Mr O'Higgins said that in those circumstances he has concern "any publicity generated" by the trial for perverting the course of justice "might well be potentially damaging to jurors in that case". He also referenced the seminal judgement of the Irish Times versus Murphy, relating to the prohibiting of media reporting of court proceedings. Mr Justice Paul Burns, presiding at the non-jury court, said that he understood the gist of the issue" and adjourned the trial until tomorrow. The Stardust inquest jury have been told that they cannot make any determination on an unborn baby being the 49th victim of the fire. You can only make determinations in relation to the 48 persons who lost their lives, coroner Dr Myra Cullinane informed the jury in the Dublin District Coroners Court, on the fourth day of their deliberations into the cause of death of the young people who died after fire tore through the Stardust nightclub in Artane in the early hours of February 14, 1981. Dr Cullinane was today delivering her answer to a question that the jury asked last Friday. Saying that she was not going to identify the deceased person being referred to, Dr Cullinane said that, in relation to one of the deceased who was in the early stages of pregnancy at the time of her death, the jury had asked whether they could make a determination on the 49th victim of the fire. Dr Cullinane said the attorney general had directed her to host fresh inquests pertaining to the 48 that were first held in 1982 and it was therefore outside her remit to enlarge the scope in any way. "You can only make determinations in relation to the 48 persons who lost their lives, she told the jury. The coroner said that if, as was heard in evidence, one of those deceased persons was in the early stages of pregnancy, the jury had an opportunity to record this formally on the individual questionnaire as it pertained to that individual deceased. She said that this might be an addendum to question three on the individual questionnaire that the jury must answer in relation to each of the victims, a question that relates to the cause of death. While the fact of pregnancy did not give rise to death, Dr Cullinane said that the jury might make a note that the deceased was in the early stages of pregnancy. So the answer is no, you wont be able to enlarge the number of victims formally in that way, Dr Cullinane told the jury. The jury were previously told that it is their role to determine the identity, date and place of death and the circumstances surrounding the death of each of the 48 victims. They must also record a verdict in relation to the deaths. They were told that the verdicts they can return are accidental death, death by misadventure, an open verdict, a narrative verdict and unlawful killing. The jury will resume their deliberations in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital tomorrow. The man, aged in his 20s, is due to appear before Dun Laoghaire District Court this morning at 10.30am. A man is due in court following a suspected incident of criminal damage by fire in Dublin last year. Gardai investigating the incident that occurred on Monday, August 14, 2023, at a vacant building on the Shanganagh Road in Ballybrack, Dublin, have arrested a male as part of their investigations. The man, aged in his 20s, is due to appear before Dun Laoghaire District Court this morning at 10.30am. The man cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his victim A pensioner who argued that alleged missing evidence from a "healer" meant his trial for sexually abusing his young daughter in the 1980s was unfair has lost an appeal against his conviction. The man (73), who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his victim, was convicted in May 2023 by a jury before Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault but was sentenced to three years and six months' imprisonment to run concurrently. The man, who was described as a monster by his victim at his sentence hearing, had argued that a missing healer, who may have heard the first allegations against him, should have been contacted and interviewed by gardai. At the Court of Appeal hearing, Giollaiosa O Lideadha SC, for the man, submitted that a fair trial was not possible for his client having regard to alleged missing evidence and the delay in bringing the prosecution in the case. He said the conviction-only appeal focused on the judges charge to the jury, including the refusal by the judge to directly relate the delay warning to the facts of the case and the trial judges refusal to grant a direction discharging the jury from the case. Counsel submitted that in her evidence to the trial, the complainant said she had engaged in counselling with the Rape Crisis Centre and prior to that with the Beacon of Light counselling service. Mr O Lideadha said the notes from the Rape Crisis Centre from 2015 said the complainant said she had disclosed the sexual abuse to a previous counsellor two years earlier. However, said counsel, the notes from the Beacon of Light had no reference to any such disclosure but included a reference to the complainant engaging with a healer and that this had been a beneficial experience for her. Mr O Lideadha submitted that there were no details of any such healer and that the complainants evidence was that she did not remember any healer. Counsel said the trial judge erred in refusing to give the jury a warning about delay in making the complaint in the case as was required, including reference to the absence of evidence regarding the healer and their role. The learned trial judge erred in refusing to direct verdicts of not guilty on the grounds that the evidence was insufficient, and having regard to the various delays before the matter was sent forward for trial and the unavailability of evidence, it would be unfair to let the matter go to the jury, he submitted. In rejecting the appeal today however, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said there was "no basis" for the suggestion that there was missing evidence regarding the complainant's attendance at the Beacon of Light, who, he said, "provided the most comprehensive notes". "It was suggested that what might or might not have been said to be a 'healer' was relevant to credibility and that flashbacks of the events of which she [the complainant] complained had occurred as a result of her engagement with such healer," said Mr Justice McCarthy. Mr Justice McCarthy said that there was "no basis" for suggesting that dealings with any healer "had any direct relevance to these charges and in particular that she told the healer about being sexually abused". Mr Justice McCarthy said that the evidence indicated that the complainant may have gone to a healer in respect of "long-term health issues and lifetime difficulties" caused by sexual abuse. "Counsel, at various points, referred to supposed notes made by such a healer as being in existence; there is no evidence whatsoever, either as to the identity of the healer, or much less that such a person may have made notes of any conversation with the complainant," said Mr Justice McCarthy. The judge said it was "speculation" that something said to the healer would be favourable to the appellant. "The defence seems to ignore the fact that one could speculate equally that anything such a person might have to say would be favourable to the prosecution," said Mr Justice McCarthy. "The appellant's complaint about supposed prejudice due to the fact that such a healer was not identified cannot be sustained," said the judge. Regarding a complaint of phone records not being preserved, Mr Justice McCarthy said: "There must be some commonsensical limit to how far the gardai must go in investigating a crime and some limit in a case of the present kind as to how far they must go on the speculation that the contents of phones might reveal the nature of communications between such persons." "No time limit is even identified by the appellant. This, again, is not missing evidence," said the judge. Mr Justice McCarthy said the trial judge "rightly" did not stop the trial as the defence was not deprived of any "potential assistance". "He [the trial judge] rightly said that this was 'too remote' to stop the trial," said the judge. In the context of possible missing evidence due to delay in the case, Mr Justice McCarthy said the jury had been correctly warned by the trial judge in his charge. "We do not think in the present case the judge need have gone further. The elements of the warning were plainly applicable to the overall factors relied upon. The jury cannot have been in any doubt as to difficulties which arose having been giving the warning," said Mr Justice McCarthy who then dismissed the appeal outright. The man had pleaded not guilty to four counts of indecent assault of one daughter and not guilty to two counts of indecent assault of a second daughter at the family home in the 1980s. The jury could not agree on two of the four counts for the first daughter but found him guilty of the remaining two assaults. The man was unanimously acquitted of the two assaults relating to the second daughter. His conviction appeal was in respect of the two counts of indecent assault on dates unknown between March 25, 1984 and March 24, 1987, in Dublin, when his daughter was between four and seven and he was between 32 and 35. At the time of his trial in May 2023, the appellant was aged 71 when the jury returned a 10-2 majority verdict of guilty. MONTGOMERY, Ala.Lawmakers in the Alabama state legislature last week advanced House Bill (HB) 167, a bill that would require device manufacturers to enable parental filters as an "opt-out" feature, rather than an "opt-in" one, at the point of sale. A similar law is on the books in Utah, which features criminal penalties, like a felony for retailers and manufacturers. Republican state Rep. Chris Sells is the primary sponsor of House Bill 167. The bill made it through the House of Representatives on a vote of 98-0. Now, the Senate will consider the bill. Sells' bill reportedly provides for "civil and criminal liability" for device manufacturers who fail to comply with porn filtering mandates. HB 167 is likely to be adopted by the state Senate, which is controlled by the Republican Party. If it makes it through the Senate, far-right Republican Gov. Kay Ivey is likely to sign the bill. If so, it will will enter force on January 1, 2026. Utah's "Children's Device Protection Act" was signed into law March 13 by Gov. Spencer Cox, and is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2025. At the time of this report, Utah is the only state in the union with a passed law stipulating these requirements for mobile devices. Legal aid, including senior counsel representation, was granted to the out-of-work youth who has yet to indicate a plea. A youth who allegedly left a man in a critical condition after an alleged "random" assault in central Dublin has been sent forward for trial. Scott Cahill, 19, of St James's Road, Dublin 12, was initially charged with assault causing harm to the man, 48, who was left with "life-changing injuries" after an incident at Cook Street, in Dublin 8 on June 21 last. Two days later, he was granted bail under strict conditions and appeared again at Dublin District Court. The charge was replaced with a more serious one under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act for causing "serious harm" to the man. He had the prosecution's book of evidence served on him before Judge Shalom Binchy granted a return for trial order. The Director of Public Prosecutions directed that his case be dealt with on indictment in the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers and where his case will be listed for mention on May 2. He is obliged to inform the prosecution if he has an alibi, and gardai must hand over video evidence to the defence. Legal aid, including senior counsel representation, was granted to the out-of-work youth who has yet to indicate a plea. At a contested bail hearing last year, Detective Garda Mark Dennehy alleged the incident happened at about 6.15 pm when the accused and two females who were known to him walked along Cook Street. Detective Garda Dennehy alleged that as Cahill walked past the man, he "believed he [the man] took a dislike to him by the way the injured party was looking at him". It was claimed Mr Cahill took his backpack and threw it up onto a tree, and when the man tried to retrieve it, he was punched and fell to the ground. An ambulance brought him to St James's Hospital, but he left before being treated and went to the South Circular Road, where he fell unconscious. The man had a bleed on the brain and a fractured skull. He was taken to Beaumont Hospital for emergency surgery and was in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Detective Garda Dennehy had said the prognosis was that the man was "left with life-changing injuries even if his condition improves". The officer agreed with the defence that the accused did not know the independent witness. Counsel for the defence had said, "My client said this was not a completely unprovoked and random assault". But Mr Cahill had to hand over his passport, not contact the two female witnesses, obey a curfew, sign on daily at his local garda station and stay out of Dublin 8. 1.25 million worth of cannabis seized by detectives from the Paramilitary Crime Task Force and Belfast Harbour Police. A van driver arrived at Belfast Port with more than 1m worth of herbal cannabis stored among boxes of paint, a court heard on Monday. Police seized the haul after stopping 41-year-old Jonathan Paul McDaids vehicle as he got off a ferry from Liverpool on Sunday morning. McDaid, of St Judes Court in Lifford, Co Donegal, appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court charged with possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply. Officers from the PSNIs Paramilitary Crime Task Force and Harbour Police were involved in the joint operation at the ferry terminal. McDaid was stopped in a Renault Master van belonging to an Armagh-based furniture company just shortly after disembarking. Once the rear doors were opened there was an immediate, pungent smell of herbal cannabis, according to an investigating detective. Initial checks established the vehicle was heavily laden with paint and flat-packed furniture. But police seized the van after finding a large bag of suspect drugs among cardboard boxes behind the drivers cabin. Further examinations carried out by a specialist team uncovered 75 kilos of vacuum packed herbal cannabis. The haul has a total estimated street value of 1.25m. McDaid refused to provide the passcode for his mobile phone seized as part of the investigation, the court heard. The furniture companys owners told police he was not officially employed but did some cash-in-hand work. He had picked up the van in Liverpool on April 4 and travelled to Coventry and London before going to premises in Wigan linked to the firm to collect paint. No-one else from the company is currently a suspect in the investigation, police confirmed. Judge Laura Ievers was told McDaid made no comment to all questions put to him in interview, including his name and date of birth, the vans movements or whether anyone else accompanied him on the trip. He was asked if he had not smelt the presence of the cannabis in the rear of the vehicle, considering he had been driving it for at least a day or two, the detective disclosed. Police gave him every opportunity to provide an innocent explanation for the presence of the cannabis in the vehicle, and he failed to do that. Bail was opposed amid claims McDaid has no suitable address in Northern Ireland and concerns for his own safety. This large amount of herbal cannabis would not normally come into or circulate in Northern Ireland without the involvement of some kind of organised crime group or paramilitary group, the detective added. There have been previous incidents where people who have been released have ended up being punished for the loss of substantial amounts of drugs. Defence barrister John OConnor argued that the accused should not be kept in custody just because of the value of the drugs seizure. He indicated that McDaid could live with relatives in Strabane who would be able to lodge a cash surety. Granting bail under strict conditions, Judge Ievers stressed the accused must fully cooperate before any release. McDaid is due to appear in court again on April 29. Revenue officers seized approximately 13.4kg of herbal cannabis as a result of risk profiling. The man was arrested at Dublin Airport. Stock image Revenue officers seized 268,000 worth of cannabis following the search Revenue has shared the first photo of a massive 268,000 cannabis haul after discovering the drugs inside a suitcase over the weekend. Last Friday (April 5) at around 4.40pm, Revenue officers seized approximately 13.4kg of herbal cannabis as a result of risk profiling at Dublin Airport. The illicit drugs, which had an estimated value of 268,400, were concealed inside the baggage of a passenger who had flown in from Malaga, Spain. A Spanish man in his 30s was subsequently arrested by An Garda Siochana and is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996 at a Dublin garda station. Siquen Buangiovanni, 35, whose charges stated no specific address other than Spain, appeared before Judge Marie Quirke at Dublin District Court on Saturday. She noted there was no application for bail. The man was arrested at Dublin Airport. Stock image The accused who was arrested on Friday will be allowed legal aid, provided he furnishes the court with a statement of his means. He has yet to enter a plea. Gardai must also seek directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. Mr Buangiovanni is accused of unlawful possession and importation of cannabis and having it for the purpose of sale or supply following a suitcase search on April 5. The offences are contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act. The man, who listened to the proceedings with the assistance of an interpreter, was held in prison pending his next appearance, which is scheduled for Thursday at Cloverhill District Court. Investigations are ongoing. This seizure is part of Revenue's ongoing operations targeting organised crime groups and the importation, sale and supply of illegal drugs. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295. Mr Varadkar arrived at Aras an Uachtarain shortly before 6pm this evening Leo Varadkar has arrived to officially tender his resignation to President Higgins. Photo: Gerry Mooney. Leo Varadkar has officially resigned as Taoiseach after handing in a letter of resignation to President Micheal D Higgins. Mr Varadkar arrived at Aras an Uachtarain shortly before 6pm this evening to formally tender his resignation to President Higgins. Mr Higgins is understood to have greeted Mr Varadkar in the presidents study, where a letter of resignation was handed to the Secretary General of the Irish President. Mr Varadkar, 45, who is still a Dublin West TD, has said he has not decided whether he will contest the next general election. Mr Varadkar made the shock announcement three weeks ago that he was resigning as Fine Gael leader immediately and would stand down as Taoiseach once his successor had been appointed. Newly appointed Fine Gael leader Simon Harris is expected to be voted in as the next Taoiseach by the Dail tomorrow afternoon. He will become the youngest-ever Taoiseach at the age of 37. More to follow.. Shes on leave. Its bullsh*t. Bullsh*t, bullsh*t, bullsh*t. Shes on leave. Its farcical, he said. She posted on social media that shes going on holidays. RTE 2FM boss Dan Healy insists radio golden girl Jennifer Zamparelli has not joined her former Breakfast Republic co-presenter Keith Walsh in dispute with the station. Jennifer made a surprise announcement on Friday that she was taking an extended break to go on holidays for more than a month, with Laura Fox drafted in to replace her while shes away. Mr Healy confirmed yesterday he has heard widespread radio industry rumours that Jennifer is in some sort of dispute and stand-off about relating to her contract, but he says this is all completely untrue. Shes on leave. Its bullsh*t. Bullsh*t, bullsh*t, bullsh*t. Shes on leave. Its farcical, he said. She posted on social media that shes going on holidays. Jennifer with Doireann Garrihy The 2 Johnnies were off from the 14th of December to the 20-something of January. Despite Fridays surprise announcement from the popular presenter, Mr Healy told the Sunday World that he has no problem with Jennifer. Its the reverse, he says. Shes brilliant, absolutely brilliant. On the breakfast show from the very beginning with Bernard (OShea) and Keith shes an absolutely brilliant broadcaster. Shes a superstar, absolutely brilliant. Its absolute nonsense. On Friday afternoon Jennifers former co-star Keith Walsh posted several online messages, including one Instagram live broadcast for over an hour, in which he revealed the Department of Social Protection has confirmed he should have been treated as staff member of RTE and not a sole trader as they claimed. The former breakfast show host has indicated that he will also be seeking compensation for reputational damage suffered after being dropped by the station. I worked for RTE for nearly seven years. I have been away from RTE for definitely three years, he explained. Keith Walsh I got this in the post yesterday from the Department of Social Protection. They carried out an investigation into my employment status at RTE. RTE had me under contract, which was a contract which I suppose Gaybo would have been on, Gerry Ryan would have been on, a lot of presenters would have been on. It gives RTE a sense of control, over how they can bring people in and just let them go when they feel the need of when they want to. When asked about the recent developments with Keith, Mr Healy praised him both personally and professionally. Hes a good guy, hes a very good guy, he told us. Theres a process going on between RTE and the Department of Social Welfare, and has been. Its been well publicised. Its been RTE and the Department of Social Protection, not just the radio station. Keiths a really good broadcaster and a terribly nice fellow. Keiths no longer with 2FM, hes a very good guy and a very good presenter. Clearly he has been scoped by the Department of Social Protection, thats between RTE and the Department of Social Protection, about PRSI payments and so on. Keith claimed on social media that he has heard of at least a dozen similar people in the same boat with RTE, and that if the station tries to appeal the judgement it could cost the taxpayer over 70,000 for each case. I havent heard. Im not going to comment on it, Mr Healy stated in reply. The scope investigation is looking at 695 cases. Keith also complained about his treatment as the station, claiming he had old equipment which he needed to tinker with every morning to get going. He also claimed he and some other 2FM colleagues were temporarily put into a downmarket hotel during the Beast from the East storm and that when they succeeded in kicking up about it they were moved to the luxury Radisson hotel in Stillorgan, where they found to their surprise Radio 1 staff already in situ, including Joe Duffy playing the piano. 2FM boss Dan Healy My memory was we had everybody in the same place. My memory was it was all fairly fast as it happened so quickly and I think we had people in lots of places, but I certainly remember the entire 2FM team being in the same place as Radio 1, says Mr Healy. Keith also revealed he was on a salary of 10,000 a month while with 2FM and claims that he was promised a new slot co-presenting an early evening show on the station when his breakfast show contract ran out. I did say at the time do you promise me this is a show and this is a thing?. Its very hard to trust people in there. I made this person promise. I looked him in the eye and said look me in the eye, promise me theres another show. He said theres another show. That turned out to be not true, he alleges. He added: Towards the end I would describe it as panhandling in the corridors for RTE for a job. I knocked on every door in RTE. I covered every shift that was going on Radio 1.I was kind of doing weekends on 2FM, which I absolutely hated. Im not a jock; jocks are brilliant at what they do Im a presenter. Despite all this, Mr Healy insists 2FM is doing very well. The schedule is very strong. Breakfast Doireann (Garrihy), Donncha (OCallaghan) and Carl (Mullen) really going very strong, he reflects. Jen back in a few weeks. Tracy Clifford is going very strong and the lads (2 Johnnies) are flying it. Since the lads came on air in February 2022, they are up 26%, the quarters are astonishing. They are astonishing broadcasters. Despite recent controversies surrounding the state broadcaster, Mr Healy says theres no one else in radio hed like to poach. Whats really interesting actually at the moment, if you look more broadly, at whats going on in Today FM, Newstalk, Radio 1, 2FM and across the radio sector... we are in kind of a golden era. So, Covid obviously had a shocking impact on all our lives everywhere. From a radio point of view, it proved that radio was a bit of a cockroach. The actual time spent listening to radio increased enormously, and most of us would have expected that when life returned to a normal life, or near normal life, that the previous listening patterns would return, and thats not what happened.We are at nearly 100 years of radio in Ireland and we are at this golden era. He argues there has been bigger developments lately. The big news this week is Tommy (Tiernan), Hector (O hEochagain) and Laurita (Blewitt). That brilliant podcast. If you ask me what the big news in the audio world, thats it, he observes. I had them on my radio with me back in 08/09, the three of them. I listened to that nearly religiously, so for me thats the big news. Brilliant brilliant podcast, three brilliant presenters. Hes also proud of the talent hes nurtured, including former Miss Sunday World Laura Fox. Laura is like most of the people we meet with the 2FM crew over the years, very hard focused, very hard working. Like really driven, very ambitious and puts in the work, literally puts in the work, he beams. So, what I would say, its not a commentary about RTE, you can have an extraordinary career in there. Hard working, head down. Its a really great place to work. Plans to build New Zealands first plant to produce low emissions fossil-free fuel to replace coal have moved a step closer with the signing of an agreement to lease a site at Kawerau. Australian-listed company Foresta has announced the signing of a 30-year lease, with a 20-year right of renewal, on a 9.6 hectare property in Kawerau with Putauaki Trust. In a statement, Foresta says it plans to invest $300 million building the plant which, at full production, would employ more than 100 people. Theres a huge opportunity in New Zealand for our world-leading low emissions technology and today weve taken a major step forward in our plans, says Foresta chairman Henry Cheng. He says it will produce unique low-impact torrefied wood pellets. The site chosen for the plant is in an industrial zone developed by Putauaki Trust with Provincial Growth Fund support, the statement says. Foresta was negotiating supply agreements with owners of sustainably managed pine plantations. In December Foresta signed a 10-year agreement with South Island energy distribution company Tailored Energy & Resources Ltd (TERL) to supply 65,000 tonnes of pellets annually to its industrial customers. TERL is an energy distribution company supplying solid fuels, mainly coal and wood pellets, for raw resource processing such as milk, meat and wool as well as energy supply for industrial heating of schools, hospitals and horticulture. The production process produces torrefied black wood pellets heated to between 200C and 300C in the absence of oxygen. Foresta says black wood pellets have the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions when used as a drop-in replacement for coal, as well as to reduce emissions from shipping for every log not being exported. A recent Genesis trial at Huntly power station using similar pellets reduced emissions by at least 90 per cent, Forestas statement says. With the phasing out of industrial coal boilers by 2037, Foresta is uniquely placed to provide locally produced black wood pellets which are a seamless drop-in replacement for coal as a fuel source in boilers without any loss of energy intensity, says Cheng. New Zealand consumed around two million tonnes of coal per year for industrial processes, electricity generation and commercial heating. Just seven million tonnes of pine feedstock would be used to produce two million tonnes of black wood pellets, which could directly replace the countrys annual coal consumption. The fuel could potentially reduce New Zealands total annual gross greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent while adding 20 per cent value to the countrys forest revenues. It uses the stumps and tops of trees and would could help mitigate the industrys slash issue, says Cheng. The planned plant will also produce natural, pine-based chemicals (rosins and terpenes) from pine trees which can replace petroleum-sourced chemicals. These are used in everyday items including flavours, fragrances, chewing gum, paint, ink and tyres. -Rotorua Daily Post. The vibrant hues of Childrens Holi illuminated Rotorua on Sunday, April 7, 2024, as families and friends gathered to revel in the joyous Festival of Colours. Hosted at the picturesque Tiaki Early Learning Centre in Hinemoa Point, Owhata, this cultural extravaganza marked a momentous occasion of unity, laughter, and cultural exchange. The festivities commenced with a traditional Maori karakia led by Teresa, setting the spiritual tone for the day's celebrations. Ms. Shweta, one of the teachers from the Rotorua Hindi School, passionately shared insights into the significance of Childrens Holi, enriching the experience for all attendees. Children's Holi celebration in Rotorua. Photo supplied. More than 40 enthusiastic participants immersed themselves in the jubilant atmosphere, delighting in the age-old tradition of sprinkling organic and herbal-coloured powders and water. Laughter filled the air as children and adults alike revelled in the playful camaraderie, creating cherished memories of togetherness. The Tiaki Early Learning Centre provided an idyllic setting for the festivities, boasting ample space for children to frolic and play amidst the vibrant bursts of colour. With safety as a top priority, the fenced outdoor area ensured a secure environment for families to embrace the spirit of Holi while exploring nearby attractions such as the Marae, Rotorua Lake, and Hinemoas rock. Beyond the happiness, Childrens Holi served as an enriching educational journey for many attendees. Maori families and pakeha families alike expressed their delight at experiencing the joyous festival for the first time, pledging to share their newfound cultural experiences with their wider whanau. Children's Holi celebration in Rotorua. Photo supplied. Holi brings people from all walks of life together, promoting inclusivity in a fun way, says a Tiaki Early Learning Centre teacher, Deepika Magesan. While the Rotorua Holi Festival has been a beloved public event since its inception in 2010 by the Hindu Council of New Zealand, this year marked the inaugural celebration of Childrens Holi. This initiative aimed to introduce the cherished tradition to a younger audience, fostering cultural awareness and promoting cross-cultural exchanges. Holi, the second most significant festival in Bharat after Deepawali, holds profound cultural importance, resonating with people worldwide. Children's Holi celebration in Rotorua. Photo supplied. Rotorua and Katikati could be home to two new potential regional parks proposed in the Bay of Plenty Regional Councils plan for the next 10 years. Whether to investigate new regional parks is one of three central questions the council posted in the councils draft Long-term Plan 2024-34, with public submissions open until Tuesday. It was also consulting on what it should do with its Port of Tauranga shares and how public transport should be funded. On Thursday councillor Stuart Crosby told Tauranga Business Chamber members the council already owned and managed the Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park near Tauranga and the Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park near Ohiwa Harbour in the Eastern Bay. This meant Rotorua and Western Bay of Plenty were left without something similar locally. We have an opportunity to consider two more, one in the Katikati area and one more in Rotorua, he says. One is more advanced than the other. After the meeting, Stuart tells the Bay of Plenty Times the more advanced area was west of Katikati and was already well connected to existing reserves. That one makes sense in terms of preserving [green space] it is far more along. Stuart says the council was talking to landowners and the national body that supports several regional parks throughout New Zealand could not divulge further details, including specific locations, because there had been no decision to pursue purchasing the land. Park plans for Rotorua were also in their infancy, Stuart says. This was why it was so critical to gauge how communities felt about the prospect of the new regional parks, he says. Bay of Plenty regional councillor Stuart Crosby. Photo / Andrew Warner. Regional parks were thought to provide recreation opportunities for locals and visitors, help protect the natural environment and protect cultural and archaeological features. The council maintained regional parks and provided car parking for visitors, toilets, signs and storytelling, track development and maintenance, prescribed grazing, programmed native rew-vegetation and community events. Nearly 100,000 people visited the Papapmoa Hills in 2022/23. Crosby said the potential new regional parks would help to support the two established parks. They would also conserve large areas of land for public use amid times of growth and development, he said. Thats it in a nutshell; protecting and preserving land before the whole Bay goes through development maintaining large areas of land for perpetuity for public use. When these opportunities arise, we have an obligation to consider them seriously, which is what these questions are all about. The investigations are expected to cost up to $450,000 over two years and could increase rates by an average of $3.30 per household a year depending on land value. People were encouraged to share their views on whether the council should pursue the regional parks before submissions close on Tuesday. More information can be found on the councils website. Kiri Gillespie is an assistant news director and a senior journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, specialising in local politics and city issues. She was a finalist for the Voyager Media Awards Regional Journalist of the Year in 2021. After a remarkable fifteen years of nurturing budding talent in the realm of silent cinema, the International Youth Silent Film Festival bids adieu to its global stage. Baycourt Community & Arts Centre has been the home of the IYSFF since its Aotearoa debut in 2016. In total, 252 silent films created by a just under 600 young Kiwi filmmakers from across the motu/country were entered into the New Zealand leg of the international competition. New Zealand filmmakers also stamped their mark internationally, with five Kiwi films winning higher honours at the annual IYSFF Global Awards. These included first-place winning films Crash (2023), The Climb (2022), and Overexposed (2019), second-place film The Chase (2018) and third-place film A Random Act of Kindness (2019). The International Youth Silent Film Festival has been a special highlight on our annual events calendar, says Kaiwhakahaere Hinonga Baycourt / Baycourt manager Reena Snook. It has been inspiring witnessing the creativity and passion of rangatahi/young people as they embraced the art of filmmaking. I am proud of the role Baycourt has played in showcasing their talent and storytelling to the world. Not only was the IYSFF a flagship arts event for Baycourt, it also provided a unique opportunity to showcase the centres almost 100-year-old Wurlitzer theatre organ to a younger generation. We will absolutely miss having our mighty wurli celebrated as part of this festival. It was always a real treat to hear Nathan Avakians intricate musical scores come to life on this revered instrument, says Reena. Kiwi filmmakers have one final chance to win higher honours at the Global Awards which are taking place in Portland, Oregon, US, on June 9, 2024. Representing Aotearoa at the Global Awards are 2023 IYSFF NZ first-place winning film Shelf Life, by Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington students Amelia Walshe, Sophie Hampson, Esther Schubert, and Max Norwood, second-place film HER by Tauranga Girls College students Tearani Wikohika, Yasmin Austwick, and Sienna Burns, and Mums Star by Whakatane filmmaker and inaugural Kohungahunga Fledging Filmmaker Award winner Malachi Steel. Wouldnt it be wonderful if one of our filmmakers was crowned best of the best at the 2024 Global Awards? That would be the perfect end to New Zealands successful eight-year partnership with the festival, fingers crossed for a Kiwi three-peat! Since 2017, Jannine Spiers has served as the IYSFF NZ Coordinator, bringing her wealth of experience as a Creative Director, Artist, and Production Designer to the role. In this capacity, she worked closely with students and schools, sharing her wealth of knowledge and expertise in filmmaking to help them create films they could be proud of. We can all take pride in the profound impact the International Youth Silent Film Festival has had on the lives of our young filmmakers and the broader filmmaking community. The memories and achievements from my time with the festival will surely be cherished for years to come. Jannine says it had been a joy to witness rangatahi from around Aotearoa travel to Tauranga for the IYSFF NZ National Awards ceremony and proudly screen their film entries to an appreciative audience of whanau, peers, and industry professionals. I know that having our Kiwi filmmakers taking out the Global Awards numerous times really did put us in the spotlight on the international stage for our filmmaking abilities, she says. Established in 2009 by American philanthropist Jon JP Palanuk, the IYSFF has provided a platform for young filmmakers, to showcase their creativity and storytelling prowess, as well as challenged them to embrace the essence of visual storytelling without relying on dialogue. Spanning across continents, from the Land of the Long White Cloud' to the historic streets of Europe, the diverse communities of the United States and the vibrant scenes in Australia, the IYSFF has left an indelible mark on the international film landscape. Its featured programs in the Middle East also enriched the festival's cultural diversity, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and understanding through the universal language of cinema. We are immensely proud of the journey we have embarked on over the past fifteen years", says IYSFF president and founder Jon JP Palanuk. The IYSFF has not only provided a platform for young filmmakers to shine but has also cultivated a global community bound by a shared passion for silent cinema. While bidding farewell is bittersweet, we are filled with gratitude for the countless memories, friendships, and stories that have enriched our lives through this extraordinary festival. Though the festival may conclude, its spirit will continue to inspire creativity, innovation, and a deep appreciation for the art of silent cinema for years to come. Apprentice Zak Morrison has claimed the title of Western Bay of Plentys champion at the regional heats of the annual New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge sponsored by ITM, on 6 April. The apprentices were put through their paces, given just eight hours to build a picnic table that followed specific design plans and met minimum safety standards. The picnic tables were assessed by a panel of expert judges who looked at technical aspects such as the quality of workmanship, measuring, cutting and assembly, as well as other essential skills while working against the clock, including their ability to follow a detailed plan and safe working technique, with Zak receiving the top score overall. Zak Morrison, aged 19, is currently undertaking their building apprenticeship at Livingstone Builders. As well as winning the title of regional champion, Zak also won a $500 ITM gift voucher to redeem on trade tools and earned a place in the national final representing Western Bay of Plenty. There he will compete against 19 other regional winners from across New Zealand for the Ken Read Memorial Trophy and $50,000 worth of prizes. The national final will be held at the NZCB National Conference and Expo in Wellington in June. NZCB Industry Pathways and Apprenticeship Manager, Nick Matthews, says the competition on Saturday demonstrates the outstanding quality and diversity of apprentices currently training in the industry. Zak Morrison (left) with NZCB regional president Mike Way (right). Photos supplied. Its really encouraging for the building sector to see the talent and motivation displayed by the next generation of Kiwi builders at this years Apprentice Challenge. The regional competitions demonstrate how many skilled carpentry apprentices there are in New Zealand and we cant wait to see them compete at this years national final. Its a great way to celebrate those excelling in their work, whilst recognising the importance of supporting those starting out in the industry, says Nick. NZCB actively encourages member builders to take on apprentices as part of its commitment to fostering the next generation of skilled builders and has recently launched the NZCB Apprentice Network, designed to offer wraparound support for apprentices and their employers, including wider professional development and health and wellbeing support for apprentices. The future of our industry relies on a strong pipeline of trade-qualified, capable builders but unfortunately, we see lots of apprentices leaving before they get their qualifications. Initiatives like the Apprentice Network, and the Apprentice Challenge, are just some of the ways that were trying to ensure that apprentices get the additional support they need to finish their apprenticeships and go on to work in the industry, says Nick. The picnic tables built on Saturday will be sold to raise money for the NZCB Apprentice Trust, which is designed to support members of the Apprentice Network with grants and scholarships. CHATSWORTH, Calif.Adult industry mental health nonprofit Pineapple Support will host a free, online support group starting Tuesday for survivors of sexual trauma in the industry. Sponsored by Brazzers, the six-week Survivors of Sexual Trauma support group will be led by Pineapple Support therapist Alicia Graham and will begin at 2 p.m. PT on Tuesday, April 9 . "In this support group, you will have open time to share your experiences and receive support around your emotions while having the opportunity to explore strategies for encouraging post-traumatic growth," Graham said. "This group will also focus on nervous system regulation and returning to a feeling of safety and support." Pineapple Support was founded by performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organization, a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States, has connected over 14,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling and emotional support. This group offers an open and accepting space for survivors of sexual trauma to receive therapeutic support, learn coping strategies, and connect with others who have shared experiences," commented Tanit. "I'd like to extend our appreciation for the generous support of Brazzers for sponsoring this vital support group." Each session of the Survivors of Sexual Trauma support group will last for around one hour and will take place online each Tuesday at the same time, until May 14. For more information about this support group and to reserve a spot, visit pineapplesupport.org/support- groups. Carlos Moran Monday, 8 April 2024, 14:44 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Firefighters in Granada have rescued a horse that fell into a ditch after the recent heavy rains. The horse had fallen into the ditch which was hidden under thick yellow and green undergrowth that covers the Vega de Granada after the recent heavy rain. The incident happened in the morning of Sunday 7 April on a country estate near Granada city. The horse was trotting along a country road when it fell into the ditch. When the owner of the horse saw what had happened, he alerted the emergency services and Granada's provincial fire brigade raced to the rescue. After assessing the situation, the rescuers decided to use the turntable ladder on the fire engine as a crane to extract the animal from the ditch. They attached straps to the end of the ladder and tied the animal's legs with them. It was a complex, laborious and delicate operation, but it proved effective. A round of applause from the locals A few minutes later, the horse was safely back on its feet, a good sign that it had survived the ordeal without serious injury. The fire brigade still had to retrieve the straps tied to the horse's legs, which proved difficult as the animal was naturally stressed by its ordeal. Once they had been removed the rescuers were applauded by local residents who had come to watch the unusual operation. Sandra Martinez Granada Monday, 8 April 2024, 16:16 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Residents of Marchal in Spain's Granada province who arrive at the town hall in their pyjamas, slippers or dressing gowns will not be attended to. This is stated on a sign located at the entrance to the building. Mayor Juanma Valdivia has said that the measure has been taken due to the number of residents who have been turning up for meetings with him, social care and other staff dressed in their nightwear and that it has been going on for several months. Valdivia added that it shows "a lack of respect" towards town hall staff who go to work "in good conditions" every day. He also pointed out that some residents have been going to the offices in their pyjamas which have been unwashed for months, which is why the measure has been put in place. "We are not asking them to come in suits, but we are asking them to respect the dress code," he said. Councillors in Marchal had learned that the measure has been implemented in other towns in Andalucia and decided to adopt it there as well. The opposition have also said they value the objective of trying to ensure that "all users come to the facilities with a minimum level of hygiene". Almudena Nogues Monday, 8 April 2024, 11:24 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads After a weekend marked by a 'calima' haze (Sahara desert sand dust in suspension) and high temperatures, Spain's state weather agency (Aemet) has activated yellow warnings for today for wind and coastal phenomena on the eastern coast of Andalusia, specifically in the provinces of Almeria and Granada. The culprit of this new episode of weather instability has a name: Pierrick. It is the sixteenth storm of the 2023-2024 season, named by the southwest group. According to the state Met Office, the front that accompanies it will leave light rainfall on the Atlantic coast side of Andalucia, being more likely in the northern mountain ranges of the region. "In Malaga, the most significant thing will be the strong gusts of westerly and landward winds from early afternoon on Monday. This will help the haze to finally withdraw completely from the province", noted Jose Luis Escudero in his SUR blog 'Tormentas y Rayos' (Storms and Lightning). In Malaga city, Aemet is forecasting gusts of 30 kilometres per hour during the day. In its forecast for this 8 April, Aemet predicts skies with cloudy intervals increasing to cloudy with the passage of the front, "without ruling out light rainfall, more likely and intense in the sierras, tending to clear up during the afternoon in the west of the region". The haze, meanwhile, will still be present in the eastern half of Andalucia, decreasing throughout the day. Temperatures will fall across the board and winds will blow from the west, becoming stronger on the Mediterranean coast and moderate in the rest of the region. Very strong gusts are expected on the eastern Mediterranean coast and at higher altitudes. This will lead to the activation of the yellow warnings from 2pm in the provinces of Almeria and Granada. The warning - for wind and coastal phenomena - will remain in place until 6am on Tuesday. Aemet forecasts maximum gusts of 70 kilometres per hour and on the coast a westerly wind of 50 to 60 km/h (force 7) and waves of 3 metres. Ignacio Lillo Malaga Monday, 8 April 2024, 10:10 | Updated 11:26h. Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads By 10am on Saturday 6 April, the thermometer of Spain's state weather agency (Aemet) at the Port of Malaga was already close to 20C, but the mercury ended up reaching 27 degrees in Malaga city. And it wasn't the only destination in the province to experience summer-like temperatures on Saturday, with Velez-Malaga and the Coin areas reaching 29C. On Sunday, the Guadalhorce valley area again topped the table by reaching an unofficial 31 degrees. Nighttime lows were also very pleasant at the weekend, ranging between 15 and 19 throughout the province. The warmer weather, due to a southerly wind which brought a mass of African air to Malaga, encouraged people out to the beaches, chiringuitos, restaurant and bar terraces throughout the province. However the warmer temperatures didn't come with sunshine. Sand dust from the Sahara desert being swept through the air along with the southerly wind created an intense haze that served like a greyish cover over Malaga province - and it remained until Sunday. Luckily, no serious rain fell so there were none of the dreaded mud showers 'calima' in the atmosphere. There were just some isolated drops at some points in the province, according to Jesus Riesco, director of the Aemet weather centre in Malaga. Warmer last year Although temperatures have been slightly warmer than usual for this time of year, it should not be forgotten that last year was much hotter. The all-time high for the month was on 29 April, with 34.3C recorded. Last year also set a record for the average maximum, with 25 degrees. April's best month for rainfall came in 1971, with 146mm accumulated over 18 rainy days. The day with the most rainfall in 24 hours at Malaga Airport was 9 April 2004, with 47.4mm. Full beach bars With this weekend's warmer weather, it was not surprising that many beach bars for the first time this season registered a full house. This was confirmed by many chiringuito owners who spoke to SUR, as well as Manuel Villafaina, president of the Association of Beach Businessmen of Malaga and the Andalusian Federation. "After Easter, when the sector and the hospitality industry suffered due to the rain, we expect this weekend to be very good, there is a high level of reservations for today and tomorrow," Villafaina said on Saturday morning. Adolfo Jaime, head of the Banos del Carmen Spa in Malaga city, agreed. "This weekend we are at full capacity, absolutely packed, after a horrendous Holy Week," he said. "The nights are going very well (due to the rise in minimum temperatures) and on Friday we full services during the afternoon and at night," he added. Lorena Cadiz Monday, 8 April 2024, 11:09 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Mayor of Benalmadena Juan Antonio Lara and the director of the Benalmadena cable car, Alberto Martin, signed a collaboration agreement last week which will allow all registered residents of the municipality to continue enjoying these facilities for free on the last weekend of each month. This attraction, which Lara said was a privilege that allows people to enjoy the views from Mount Calamorro, will be free for all residents who prove their registration on the 'padron' (municipality census) with their DNI (Spanish identity document) or foreign residents card (TIE). Due to this agreement, which involves the company using some of the municipally owned advertising billboards managed by Innoben, the so-called registration day will continue, Lara explained. Zoom Mayor of Benalmadena (c) signs the new agreement. SUR Those interested in taking advantage of the initiative must make an advance reservation through diadelempadronado@innoben.es. The application period opens on the 14th of each month and ends the Wednesday before the final weekend of the month. Additionally, a discount will be offered at the La Cima restaurant, located 700 metres above sea level and offering panoramic views of the Costa del Sol coastline. Pilar Martinez Malaga Monday, 8 April 2024, 12:25 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads British airline easyJet has reopened its seasonal Malaga Airport base, but this year is offering more seats. The budget carrier has added 1.9 million seats (7.6% more) to fly to and from the Costa del Sol for the high season. "The airline continues with its strategy of sustained growth in Malaga, which is also reflected in the expansion of its route network. Thus, easyJet is expanding its range of destinations from the Andalusian city from 15 to 19," the company said. This summer, easyJet has added direct flights from Malaga Airport to Nantes, which will start operating on 3 June, with three flights a week. It will also fly from Malaga to Nice from 2 June, twice a week; and to Athens, from 1 June, also twice a week. On 28 March it also launched a Birmingham flight. Javier Gandara, easyJet's managing director for southern Europe, said: "Malaga has always been a major focus for the company in Spain and we are very proud to have reached 40 million passengers in our fourth year of operations since we started operating from this airport". "We want to continue to offer our customers affordable and comfortable connections to attractive destinations for both tourism and business travel and also make Malaga an essential destination for Europe," he added. Gandara said easyJet is celebrating 25 years of operations in the region. "Our commitment to the Costa del Sol goes beyond travel, and as part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, I am very proud to announce that this year we will support Pride 2024 in Torremolinos to continue building an inclusive society," he said. The reopening of easyJet's seasonal Malaga base follows the reopening of its Palma de Mallorca base. With both and the opening of the Alicante base, the airline adds more than 6.1 million seats to the 2024 summer schedule, bringing the total high season capacity in Spain to more than 13.4 million seats. Javier Almellones Monday, 8 April 2024, 15:59 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads It is one of the jewels in the crown of Malaga province's plant life despite not being as well-known as the Spanish fir (pinsapo) or some other plant species. However, Ophris atlantica attracts many orchid enthusiasts every spring. Among them are those who travel around different regions and even countries with a spotter's list so they can note down which of these unique plants they have seen with their own eyes. "In the next few days, members of an Italian association will be coming to see it", explained Manuel Becerra, an expert on the subject and author of a substantial collection of books on these plants, together with his wife, Estrella Robles. The latest book - Orquideas Silvestres de la Provincia de Malaga - came out just a few days ago and was presented at the Jornadas Andaluzas de Orquideoflora, one of the most important events for this area of botany in Spain. This particular orchid has been chosen for the cover of this new essential guide that shows the diverse range of these plants in Malaga province. "It is the orchid with the largest labellum [the central, larger flower petal where bees land to feed and pollinate] in Europe", explained Becerra. Trick insects into pollinating it Like other orchids, this one tries to trick insects into pollinating it. In this particular case, the plant has a labellum that resembles the dark blue abdomen of bumblebees, so that they land on them in preference to other surrounding plant species. In particular, this part of the flower has a metallic, shiny hue to it and is shaped like a saddle, making it easy to identify for those in the know or for anyone with a guidebook such as that written by Becerra and Robles. This orchid, which can also be found in Morocco and Algeria, is relatively plentiful across Malaga. In fact, the province is home to 90% of all orchid varieties found in Europe. However, it is a species that is not always easy to find, as it is typically located in mainly limestone areas, among wild thyme and rosemary or close to pine trees. Although Malaga can be considered privileged to have this plant here, this species is currently flagged as 'vulnerable' in the Andalusian List of Wild Species in Regime of Special Protection and in the Andalusian Catalogue of Species Under Threat. The orchid is not exclusive to the province and can be found in other parts of Andalucia such as certain areas of Granada, Almeria and Cadiz, but orchid enthusiasts are more likely to find them in Malaga. It is just one of the many possible orchids that can be seen in the province, especially in spring. Among the spring varieties is the Ophrys alpujata (yellow bee orchid), which is exclusive to Malaga. In fact, it is only known to grow in the area around Monda and El Juanar (Ojen). This orchid has been listed since 2019. Another much-sought-after orchid is the Ophrys quarterae, endemic to the south of the peninsula with confirmed sightings and samples from both Malaga province and Portugal although, as Manuel Becerra notes, Malaga has better clusters. One of the largest clusters in the world To this list can also be added ophrys vernixia (mirror orchid), protected in Andalucia and with one of the largest clusters in the world in Archidona, the Malaga town that has done plenty in recent years to promote scientific studies of this type of plant, which has helped to increase the popularity of these plants across Europe. For the seventh year running Jornadas Andaluzas de Orquideoflora, the annual event organised by Savia (a company of specialists in plant health) with support from Archidona town hall, was held in the town. Over four days (4-7 April) participants were able to attend talks, presentations and exhibitions, interspersed with more practical activities, including outings to different parts of Malaga and Granada provinces to view different types of orchids. The sites chosen for 2024 were Archidona itself, Sierra de las Nieves and Alhama de Granada. At the same time, attendees were given the chance to photograph some specimens to take part in the hotly-contested annual photo competition to conclude the event that, for just a few days, turns Archidona into the epicentre of this wave of passion for orchids. Ivan Gelibter / Ignacio Lillo Malaga Monday, 8 April 2024, 14:24 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Hundreds of people took to the streets of Malaga and other Andalusian cities on Sunday demanding the Junta de Andalucia regional government take public health care seriously. Called by the Marea Blanca (White Tide) movement, demonstrations took place in all of the regions major cities and demanded a quality public health system which organisers and protesters believe has been lost in recent years. An increase in waiting lists, the lack of health professionals among other demands were some of the main issues that surfaced on 7 April. Health worker Paqui Luque - part of the 'white tide' movement - questioned why the Andalusian government is giving priority to private healthcare over public. "We are here to demand a halt to the huge deterioration that is taking place in Andalusian public health care. We want quality public services, a public health system that responds to the needs of people in Andalucia," she said. Luque demanded the Junta stops working "solely and exclusively" for private healthcare, saying this is the main cause of the deterioration of public healthcare. She pointed out the controversy of the former vice-minister of health, Miguel Angel Guzman, who last week had to resign from his position as medical director of Asisa after a report of its board deemed it a conflict of interest. "They don't even hide it any more, they say it openly. The previous councillor went so far as to say that he was the councillor for the private and public sector, but then he worked mainly to strengthen the private sector," Luque said. "I believe that citizens have to say 'enough', because if we don't do it in a situation like the one we are suffering right now, we will never do it," she added. PSOE and IU In addition to the 'white tide' movement, those attending as individuals and political representatives of the left-wing parties also made an appearance and harshly criticised Juanma Moreno's government. PSOE spokesperson Pepe Bernal said his socialist party would not let the issue pass. "We will continue to defend public health care 365 days a year because it is the one that generates more equality for all Malaga citizens," he said. At a press conference before the start of the rally in Malaga city, Bernal demanded the government guarantee "the universal right of our public health for patients and professionals, which has been the star of policies of the last 40 years and now we see how it is declining because of the PP's interest in encouraging private healthcare". Bernal also referenced last week's controversy, and said with the 44 million euros awarded by the management of the former councillor Miguel Angel Guzman to the private health system, all the clinics in the province could have been bolstered, "which are in a deplorable state". The money also could have gone towards building eight new health centres or hiring more than 1,200 health workers "which are necessary to, among others, shorten waiting lists". IU Malaga party spokesperson Toni Morillas gave an overview of the "extreme" situation occurring in health centres in places such as Teba, Ardales and other parts of the province, and criticised the Andalusian government for having "showered money" on private centres to the detriment of the public health system. Irene Quirante Malaga Monday, 8 April 2024, 16:35 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X (antes Twitter) LinkedIn Telegram Threads Six people are facing between nine months and 67 years in prison for allegedly performing voodoo on a group of young Nigerian women and forcing them to work for an illegal prostitution ring. According to the prosecution, the accused - three men and three women - were part of a criminal organisation which, together with other residents in Nigeria, was in charge of recruiting victims in the African nation to bring them to Spain and force them to work as prostitutes in brothels in Malaga province. They also allegedly instructed them to apply for asylum on the grounds they had been threatened in Nigeria by terrorist group Boko Haram. According to the case, seen by SUR, the group had been operating since at least 2015. Two women were allegedly responsible for the transfer of the six Nigerian women to Malaga. They were then allegedly threatened through voodoo and forced to prostitute themselves, and paid not for their time but for their performance. The women were forced to hand over the money they earned to pay off the alleged debt they accrued from their trip to Malaga, which in most cases was between 50,000 and 55,000 euros, according to the court papers. Some of the victims risked their lives on a boat from Libya and, after arriving in Italy, were taken to the Costa del Sol on a train or lorry, according to the sentence. In other cases, they travelled directly by plane. The defendants allegedly informed them beforehand they would be working in prostitution, but had not informed them how much debt they would need to pay off. Voodoo practice The criminal network allegedly took advantage of the womens' beliefs so they would be submissive to their orders and pay off the debt. If not, the suspects allegedly threatened to harm or kill them or their relatives through voodoo. According to the prosecution, one victim spent up to three years being sexually exploited by the organisation due to her fear of not paying off the debt. In other cases, the women managed to escape, although they paid thousands of euros before fleeing. One woman accused of human trafficking, money laundering and other crimes against the rights of foreign citizens is facing 67 years in prison, while a second is facing 32 years behind bars. A man in the gang allegedly responsible for transferring the cash earned from prostitution and organising to transport the women faces a three-year prison sentence and a fine of 60,000 euros for money laundering. Meanwhile, another person who allegedly helped the victims apply for asylum by lying about threats made to the women from Boko Haram faces nine months in prison. According to the sentence, a married couple used the services of the criminal network to sexually exploit a sixth woman in their own home. The woman did not know she would be forced into prostitution until she arrived in Malaga, where she was told that she would have to work in a brothel in Torremolinos for ten hours every day of the week to pay off the debt for her trip, always under the threat of voodoo. The husband could be thrown behind bars for six years and eight months, while the wife faces two years' prison. Reporting trafficking Any person who has knowledge of a situation of sex or human trafficking or has been a victim can report it to the competent police authority. This can be reported to the National Police by phoning the specialised attention number for victims of trafficking 900 10 50 90; 091 or by emailing trata@policia.es. You can also contact the Guardia Civil via 062 or trata@guardiacivil.es. Country superstar Morgan Wallen has been arrested on felony charges, days after kicking off his 2024 stadium tour. WTVF reports Wallen was arrested Sunday night after allegedly throwing a chair from the sixth story of Eric Churchs new honky tonk in Nashville, Tennessee. The chair hit the ground close to where several Metro Nashville police officers were standing in front of Chiefs Bar on Broadway, cops said. Wallen, 30, is accused of lunging and throwing an object over the roof of the venue, and then laughing afterwards. He was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment for the two officers who were in the vicinity and for the danger to the public, according to the arrest report. He was also charged with disorderly conduct. Wallen posted a bond of $15,250 and has been released, according to WTVF. An attorney for Wallen said he is cooperating fully with authorities. Wallen is scheduled to appear in court on May 3, the same day he is set to perform at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. This is not Wallens first legal trouble. He was previously arrested on intoxication and disorderly conduct charges after being kicked out of Kid Rocks Honky Tonk bar in Nashville in 2020, and had a 2016 DUI case dismissed. Reading about Morgan Wallen this morning, and I cant help but recall all the destructive, crazy things I did early on in my career, Big & Rich singer John Rich wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Monday. The combo of intense pressure, expectations and over the top success is a dangerous cocktail. Thank God I had great mentors who helped guide me out of that mindset, and I hope Morgan has some people around him who care about him enough to help him find a new approach to life. It takes a lifetime to build what hes built, and one second to destroy it all. Im rooting for him to turn it around. Wallen, known for country music hits like Chasin You, Whiskey Glasses and Last Night, began his 2024 One Night at Time tour on Thursday in Indianapolis. He made headlines when he called the Lucas Oil Stadium show the single most attended concert in the history of this building... until Taylor Swift comes to town. Video clips of the crowd booing Taylor Swift went viral online. We aint got to boo, we aint got to boo, Wallen said. I appreciate that. I know yall got my back, though. Wallen, who drew a sold-out crowd at the Syracuse amphitheater in 2022, is next scheduled to perform April 20 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. No concerts are booked in New York state. Upstate NY mullet champ defends his title, calls Morgan Wallen a quitter Hawaii Mike Salman is the co-founder and CEO of Chef for Higher, a culinary brand on New Yorks legal cannabis market. He answered eight simple questions for NY Cannabis Insiders People to know series. What is your position and what do you/your company do in the cannabis space? I am the co-founder and CEO of Chef for Higher, the first culinary brand on New Yorks legal market. How long have you worked in the cannabis space? I am a second generation legacy operator from San Francisco, I dont know life without the plant. We established Chef for Higher officially in 2015 to launch when New York goes adult-use. What did you do before you were involved in the cannabis industry? I was selling cannabis in California and was offered an internship in New York. I worked in the music industry doing national radio promotions at a record label. I was road manager for Mobb Deep and marketing for The Source magazine. I transitioned from the music business to an editorial position, becoming the Style/Tech editor at The Source. I launched my own publication, LTD Magazine, and Im the founding editor-in-chief of Inked Magazine. I also had my own agency where I worked with Mountain Dew managed talent including DJ Clark Kent, BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester and photographer Jonathan Mannion. Sign up for the NY Cannabis Insider Newsletter Enter your email address to get exclusive reporting on NY's cannabis market delivered to your inbox: What led you to the cannabis industry? Ive sold cannabis since I was a teenager and it brought me to New York, where I found the flowers werent as good. I started getting packs sent to me so I could sell to my people and smoke good, I did this my whole career. If an artist or executive wanted weed when I was at The Source they would be taken to my office. In 2012 when Colorado and Washington state went legal my people started asking when I was getting in. In 2013 I started learning to cook with cannabis and got really good, its truly my alchemy. Thats when Chef for Higher was born and we have been building the company for this historic moment to be the first culinary brand in the market. Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into the NY weed industry? Know your why and build your brand from there. Fill in the gaps, solve a problem, create your own lane and stand out from the crowd. From name to product to packaging. Be prepared for a wild ride, rules and regulations constantly change, stay nimble. What do you think the NY cannabis ecosystem will look like in five years? I look at New York as the tipping point. We have the largest and most unique market because of the access consumers here have. We will have the most diverse market and array of products available and will still be the largest consumption market. Do you use cannabis? If so, whats your favorite method and why? I have been using cannabis since I was 12, and consume multiple ways. I eat Chef for Higher Jellies and infuse food with our Cooking Essentials a few times a week. I still love the ritual of rolling flower and the camaraderie of a cypher. I dab everyday as well, i love the terps and flavors, so good. Whats the best method for people to contact you? Chefforhigher@gmail.com , instagram.com/chefforhigher or linkedin.com/hawaiimike Syracuse, N.Y. Palestine supporters who wanted Syracuse lawmakers to approve a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza headed for the exit even as the voting was still taking place. When it became clear the majority of the Common Council was against the measure, the group that had waited in the chambers for nearly two hours rose to their feet with shouts of shame! Muffled by the noise of the departing crowd, two more councilors cast their no votes, making the final tally 7-1 against. Syracuse, N.Y. For centuries, scientists have gathered beneath total solar eclipses to answer questions only possible during those few minutes when the sun blocks out the moon, from proving Einsteins theory of relativity to disproving the long-held belief in a planet called Vulcan. SUNY Oswego students are joining that long tradition of seeking answers in the brief darkness of an eclipse. For 30 hours, starting Sunday afternoon and continuing through 7 p.m. today, they are launching weather balloons 20 miles into the atmosphere that send back data on everything from temperature to gravitational waves. To the Editor: A state of Palestine may be aspirational, but there has never been and there is not now a sovereign state called Palestine. That statement was published in a letter (Jamesville-DeWitt school leaders must speak with moral clarity about Hamas attack, April 1, 2024). It is somewhat ironic that the article was published on April Fools Day, a day normally known for pranks and jokes, because the claim that Palestine never existed is laughable. The claim that Palestine has never existed is not only historically inaccurate, but it is insulting. Prior to 1948, the State of Israel never existed. Even Golda Meir, a former prime minister of Israel, once famously admitted that todays Israel was Palestine and that she herself applied for a Palestinian passport prior to the creation of the State of Israel. The reality is that the land of the Palestinians was given to the Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, as well as Jews from around the world. That letter was an attempt to erase the existence of the Palestinian people, which currently includes over 14 million people worldwide. The authors of the letter make it clear that Palestinian identity, and their lives, do not matter to them. The writers attempt to justify the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed since Oct. 7, 2023, and the additional tens of thousands of Palestinians lives killed since 1948. The authors of the letter make clear that in their eyes Palestine does not exist and as such those children, women and men who have been killed and/or starved to death since Oct. 7 are of no importance. The letter regurgitates claims that have already been refuted by most media outlets, such as the decapitating of children, raping of women, etc. The authors of the letter believe that if you say something long enough, maybe eventually people will start to believe it. The letter states that the Jamesville-DeWitt superintendent of schools showed little compassion for the victims of Oct. 7 and for Jewish members in our community. What about showing a little compassion to the almost 35,000 Palestinians killed and/or starved to death since Oct. 7, including over 15,000 children? How about the innocent healthcare workers, humanitarian workers and news reporters killed during the last six months, including those aide workers from the United States, Great Britain and Australia who were recently murdered? How about the tens of thousands of lives destroyed at the hands of the Israeli Defense Force since 1948? Or the occupation and open-air prison of over 2 million people living in Gaza? What about showing some compassion to those people and their families? This conflict did not start on Oct. 7. The atrocities of that day were not unprovoked, and any argument indicating otherwise is both factually and morally wrong. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported on the death of 122 Palestinian civilians killed during the six months prior to Oct. 7, 2023, with 25% of those killed being children. In fact, only two weeks prior to Oct. 7, Israel performed an airstrike on Gaza. These facts, however, do not fit the narrative the authors wanted to accomplish so they conveniently ignore the same. The heinous acts committed on Oct. 7 were the culmination of 76 years of Israeli occupation, dehumanization and terrorism. Of course, the acts committed by Hamas were deplorable. You can never justify the killing of innocent civilians. This is why, for decades, Palestinians have attempted peaceful, organized forms of protest and have been met with brutality by the Israeli Defense Forces. Take for example the Great March of Return of 2018 where over 300 Palestinians were killed by Israel for peacefully protesting Israels blockade of Gaza. Yet still, the world sat idly by and allowed the continued killing of and subjugation of Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli government and funded by U.S. tax dollars. Give Palestinians their freedom, sovereignty and right to self-determination. There can be no peace without equality. For once in the history of this conflict, lets be honest and fair. Israeli lives are not more worthy than Palestinian lives. The phrase Never Again should not just apply to the survivors of the Holocaust. The phrase should apply to all of humanity. God created us all equally. It is our responsibility to make sure that people of all ethnicities and nationalities are treated with respect and dignity. That was the intent behind the superintendents letter. Instead of embracing that, the authors of the letter claim antisemitism, which is quite common amongst the Zionist community anytime someone criticizes the acts of the State of Israel or offers any support or sympathy towards the Palestinian struggle. However, antizionism is not antisemitism. Thanks to social media, and common sense, the world now sees the conflict for what it really is: a genocide that has been taking place for decades. And the only way to achieve peace is to give Palestinians what every human being on earth deserves: freedom. We are praying for justice. Iman Abraham | Baldwinsville Dr. David Halpert | Ithaca Dr. Iqbal Vakil | Fayetteville Nabil Akl | Jamesville Dr. Hassan Shukri | Fayetteville Dr. Fahed Saada | Fayetteville Anas Saleh | Cicero Dr. Syed Fawad Shah | Baldwinsville Dr. Heitham Wady | Camillus Dr. Laura Jaffee | Syracuse Abdulilah Al-Dubai | Syracuse Dr. Michael Sanders | Syracuse Steven M. Abdel-Aziz | Jamesville Ahmad Zatar | East Syracuse Bahar Zaker | Syracuse Tayseer Abbas Amer | Syracuse New York State Attorney General Letitia James is issuing a warning about reports of price gouging and fake glasses during the 2024 solar eclipse. My office wont allow anyone to take advantage of New Yorkers trying to watch this incredible event safely. If you think youve been sold fake solar glasses or experience price gouging, we want to know, AG James said on X (formerly Twitter). The consumer alert included details about how to check if your eclipse glasses are safe: Glasses should be marked with the international safety standard (ISO) certification number 12312-2 on the glasses frame. Check that your solar glasses are registered with the American Astronomical Society at eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters Test your glasses ahead of time: Objects should be hardly visible both indoors and outdoors. If you have previously used glasses, make sure they are not scratched or damaged, and replace them with a new pair if needed. James also encouraged anyone who suspects price gouging during the eclipse to report complaints to the NY AGs Office at https://ag.ny.gov/resources/individuals/consumer-issues. Some social media users have alleged price gouging in Upstate New York ahead of Mondays total solar eclipse. According to WGRZs Dave McKinley, the Buffalo Zoo was charging $8 per hour for parking on Monday due to the eclipse. The zoo normally charges a maximum of $10 total, though its website notes parking prices may vary during events or busy days. WYRK reports a Buffalo resident reported a similar change in pricing at a parking lot where it normally costs $9 for 12 hours, but Mondays rate was $77.77 for five hours. In the Syracuse area, several people complained on Facebook that a local business was selling eclipse glasses for $10 each. New York State, Destiny USA, and other businesses and organizations were previously giving away eclipse glasses for free. James office did not say if it had immediately received any reports of fake glasses or price gouging. What should you do with your eclipse glasses after the 2024 solar eclipse? Recycle them, so others can enjoy the next solar eclipse. According to USA Today, the non-profit organization Astronomers Without Borders is asking people to recycle eclipse glasses so they can be repurposed for use by underserved communities around the world in future solar eclipses. AWB previously collected about 3 million glasses in 2017 for reuse in Africa, Asia and South America. Upcoming solar eclipses include an annular solar eclipse (when the moon is farther away from Earth and does not completely block out the sun) that will be visible in South America on Oct. 2, 2024. The next total solar eclipse will be on Aug. 12, 2026, in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small area of Portugal; a partial solar eclipse will be seen on that date in Europe, Africa and North America. Special ISO-certified glasses must be used to view the eclipse without damaging your eyes. Astronomers Without Borders has collection partners in Ohio, Vermont and Indiana, plus will take used (undamaged) and unused eclipse glasses donated to Warby Parker stores nationwide. Warby Parker locations in Upstate New York include the Eastview Mall near Rochester and Stuyvesant Plaza in Albany, near Crossgates Mall. More than 30 million Americans are in the path of totality for the April 8 eclipse, with even bigger numbers of tourists expected across the U.S. for the rare event. We figure theres probably going to be tens of millions of glasses out there at the very least, AWBs Andrew Fazekas told USA Today. And most of them are probably very gently used. Used but undamaged eclipse glasses can also be mailed to Eclipse Glasses USA, LLC, P.O. Box 50571, Provo, Utah, 84605. The glasses will be recycled and donated to school-aged children in South America to enjoy the upcoming annual eclipse in October. AWB and Eclipse Glasses USA both say donated glasses must be undamaged. That means no scratches, punctures, tears, or any other form of damage that might compromise the protective quality of the glasses. Safety is paramount when viewing a solar eclipse. Using damaged glasses can lead to severe eye injuries, including permanent blindness. Therefore, before donating, individuals are encouraged to thoroughly inspect their glasses to ensure they are in perfect condition, Eclipse Glasses USA said. AWB said it vets all donated glasses for reusability. Of the 3 million pairs that were donated in 2017, about half a million were still eligible for reuse. Eclipse Glasses USA also noted that glasses that are several years old may have degradation or other wear due to improper storage. (In other words, dont assume you can use the same glasses the next time New York state is in the path of totality in 2079.) If your know your glasses are damaged, though, throw them out. The lenses cannot be recycled, according to the University of Rochester. Quicksilver85 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: BLR Posts: 66 Thanked: 329 Times View My Garage Citroen Bangalore Dealership is already shutting down! Today I went to drop my Compass to PPS motors, Electronic city for 2nd year service. Adjoining to the same service center is the Citroen showroom, La Maison Citroen which belongs to the same PPS group. I was in for a surprise, when I casually went to check out the Citroen C3 models (C3 & C3 Aircross), the person on the showroom informs me that they are shutting down the dealership and those 2 cars on the floor are already sold off too! Not sure what to make of this. But, many thoughts running in my head, 1. PPS motors owns multiple showrooms of different brands in different cities (Jeep, Citroen, VW, Tata to name a few). Such group deciding to shut down their Citroen dealership sounds alarm bells to me on Citroen India's future. I do not know the entire story, I am just guessing here and my apprehensions might be wrong. 2. The Citroen showroom is a new one that came up just 2-3 years back, where Jeep showroom used to be. Does that mean, the showroom space will be back to Jeep showroom? (I doubt this, as the PPS Jeep sales showroom is now near HSR layout, ORR). I dont think, there is enough sales to maintain 2 separate Jeep showrooms within a vicinity of 5-10 kms from each other by the same dealer. 3. I am thinking, maybe PPS group will open a dealership of a different company whose potential sale figures might be higher than Citroen and it was just a business decision. What do you guys think? Last edited by Quicksilver85 : 5th April 2024 at 20:38 . The Rainmaker BHPian Join Date: Mar 2022 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 95 Thanked: 591 Times Re: Q1 2024 : Sales Analysis of the Indian car market; Tata Punch no.1 in India & Alto at no.14 Quote: shortbread Originally Posted by On the contrary Tata and M&M are anything but the cheaper option. Those days are long gone. While I do agree with the QC argument the Indian majors have a lot going for the. Ride and Handling, features and especially safety. These cars are built stronger/safer than similarly priced Japanese or Korean ilk. In addition I personally feel that the design studios of the Indian majors do a far better job than the rivals, one launch after the next they're stunning. Plus another big reason is that following the exit of the likes of Ford, Opel, Mitsubishi, Chevy etc.... people are narrowing down to a few brands they know will continue in India without the fear of losing after sales support. Love or hate them, Tata and Mahindra will be present in the Indian market. . Trust me, Japanese vehicles can blow these replica brands out of water with their reliability and overall quality. I've seen an Innova engine (That too a Taxi) with 8 lakhs on the odo. Try finding even a German vehicle with that kind of mileage. That's why their global models are priced accordingly. Specific to India models are a different story and I wouldn't consider them a part of their catalog to begin with, for obvious reasons. The design department I'd not comment on because that is totally subjective. For example, some people are going crazy for the new Hyundai design language, I absolutely detest their designs. So, I'd say one man's floor is another man's ceiling. Quote: The Japanese are losing market share the world over, it's not just an Indian phenomenon. Compare to the Korean giants like Hyundai and Kia, the likes of Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi are not offering competitive products. In the UK Mitsubishi is nearly non existent, Honda shutdown the long running Swindon factory due to dismal sales, Nissan is now a cheap car brand. The Koreans on the other hand keep things exciting with new launches, more upmarket products etc... The Japanese carmakers in my opinion are going the same route as the old Japanese electronic brands that are now extinct. All I'm saying is if it ain't broke, why fix it? A car once introduced should at least continue to be sold like that for at least 2 years. Yes the power can be increased, suspension geometry can be improved, the feedback and driver connection can be made better, but there is absolutely no need to give it a new face every couple of months because it kills innovation. In fact, when the time comes to buy a new car, I simply search for cars with a hydraulic steering because that's my first preference in any car I drive. That's gonna be my first contact with the surface and if it's electric, it's an easy pass for me. Mostly people are buying into the cosmetics and very few truly understand what a car is all about when it comes to QC, engineering, R&D, testing etc. Not a single car today offers hydraulic steering. Because it turns out to be expensive for them to manufacture and install and they have all kinds of reasoning to justify their low cost move. Same for using touchscreens, since designing and installing analog buttons and controls cost a ton of money etc. In short, newer isn't always better and for cars being sold today, far from it. Lastly, I'd give you a personal example. I drive a 2012 Mitsubishi Cedia Sports that was actually introduced around the year 2000 worldwide. Imagine 24 years since, this car still out-handles any Korean/Chinese/Indian plus many German/Japanese cars being sold today in it's price segment or some even more expensive models. I wonder what the car industry actually achieved these in 24 years other than making the cars look like aliens in the name of futuristic looks, not to mention the disconnected feel and useless tech which only makes them even more unreliable and adds more failure points. I understand where you're coming from, but I see no reason on what basis you think or believe that they have better ride and handling or safety because they don't. Their tough looks do give that impression but that's just not the case, sadly. I work on these cars often and get to drive them quite a lot (Thanks to my love for cars) and someone I know is currently working at their plant as well. Not just the QC, but even the paint quality is one of the worst with Indian brands. They will try to make a quick buck wherever they can. That's why I said QC is an issue. That encompasses everything and that's the reason why I'd never ever buy these brands since the whole work culture is very casual and their SOP has so many loopholes as well. Although I'm not allowed to write a lot of things here against certain brands because that would be confidential and wrong on my part, but shoot me a PM and we can discuss this separately. Trust me, Japanese vehicles can blow these replica brands out of water with their reliability and overall quality. I've seen an Innova engine (That too a Taxi) with 8 lakhs on the odo. Try finding even a German vehicle with that kind of mileage. That's why theirare priced accordingly. Specific to India models are a different story and I wouldn't consider them a part of their catalog to begin with, for obvious reasons.The design department I'd not comment on because that is totally subjective. For example, some people are going crazy for the new Hyundai design language, I absolutely detest their designs. So, I'd say one man's floor is another man's ceiling.Yes, that's quite true and quite sad as well. I feel that the world is headed in the wrong direction. New launches every couple of months or every year, facelifts, fancy features, marketing gimmicks etc. may attract an immature and ignorant audience but ultimately the only thing that matters in the long run is what different are they actually doing? Nothing much. Cars these days are all the same mostly with similar features and if you look at it, most are just busy keeping up with the newer stricter norms of the governments worldwide and have nothing significantly new to offer other than the design built on the exact same chassis with the exact same engine and drive-train or rather a smaller engine, as it is happening these days. A German/Japanese car brand introduces something new in their cars and Chinese/Indian/Korean automakers immediately copy it in their next facelift.All I'm saying is if it ain't broke, why fix it? A car once introduced should at least continue to be sold like that for at least 2 years. Yes the power can be increased, suspension geometry can be improved, the feedback and driver connection can be made better, but there is absolutely no need to give it a new face every couple of months because it kills innovation. In fact, when the time comes to buy a new car, I simply search for cars with a hydraulic steering because that's my first preference in any car I drive. That's gonna be my first contact with the surface and if it's electric, it's an easy pass for me. Mostly people are buying into the cosmetics and very few truly understand what a car is all about when it comes to QC, engineering, R&D, testing etc. Not a single car today offers hydraulic steering. Because it turns out to be expensive for them to manufacture and install and they have all kinds of reasoning to justify their low cost move. Same for using touchscreens, since designing and installing analog buttons and controls cost a ton of money etc. In short, newer isn't always better and for cars being sold today, far from it.Lastly, I'd give you a personal example. I drive a 2012 Mitsubishi Cedia Sports that was actually introduced around the year 2000 worldwide. Imagine 24 years since, this car still out-handles any Korean/Chinese/Indian plus many German/Japanese cars being sold today in it's price segment or some even more expensive models. I wonder what the car industry actually achieved these in 24 years other than making the cars look like aliens in the name of futuristic looks, not to mention the disconnected feel and useless tech which only makes them even more unreliable and adds more failure points. During the past 40 years, hackers have graduated from worm attacks in the 1980s to fully funded organizations tapping into some of the most lucrative industries in the world. Today, cybercrime is a significant threat to any company with a device attached to the internet and continues to cause substantial economic impact worldwide. The modern-day cyberattack can trace its roots back to the 1988 Morris worm attack. Before the World Wide Web had made an impact, a small program launched from a computer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) propagated remarkably. It infected an estimated 6,000 of the approximately 60,000 computers connected to the internet at the time. Although it was difficult to calculate the exact damage caused by the Morris worm, estimates put it anywhere between US$100,000 and the millions. Over the decades, cybercrime has become more sophisticated, with threats reflecting geopolitical tensions and hackers gaining notoriety. In 1999, a teenager hacked into the DoD and NASA and installed backdoor access to servers to download $1.7 million in software. Fast-forward to 2021, and the Colonial Pipeline in the U.S. was subject to a ransomware attack that forced the company to shut the pipeline down and pay $4.4 million via Bitcoin. In 2023, the CIOp gang exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the MOVEit file transfer software that affected 2,000 organizations and an estimated 62 million people. Economic Scale of Cybercrime The United States, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $25.44 trillion at the end of 2022, is by far the worlds largest economy. China followed in second place, with a GDP of $17.96 trillion. However, cybercrime is growing at a remarkable rate. In 2021, it caused global damages that cost $6 trillion approximately $2 trillion more than the GDP of Japan the country with the worlds third-largest economy. According to Evolve Security, cybercrime will grow by 15% annually over the next five years. Estimates from Statistas cybersecurity outlook see the annual global cost of cybercrime rising to nearly $24 trillion by 2027, compared to $8.4 trillion in 2022. In Germany, a study by Bitkom highlighted that cybercrimes have caused total damages amounting to 206 billion euros, representing 5% of the nations GDP. Furthermore, 62% of companies view cybersecurity threats as significantly large, with phishing, password attacks, malware infections, ransomware, and SQL injection being the most commonly recorded forms of attack. According to IT Governance, the Top 10 Cybersecurity Breaches in 2023 by organization, location, and records breached were: DarkBeam, U.K., 3,800,000,000 records breached Real Estate Wealth Network, U.S.,1,523,776,691 records breached Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India, 815,000,000 records breached Kid Security, Kazakhstan, 300,000,000 records breached Twitter (X), U.S., 220,000,000 records breached TuneFab, Hong Kong, 151,000,000 records breached Dori Media Group, Israel, 100 TB of data breached Tigo, Hong Kong, 100,000,000 records breached SAP SE Bulgaria, Bulgaria, 95,592,696 records breached Luxottica Group, Italy, 70,000,000 records breached New Tools Bring Elevated Cyberthreats As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning become central to the cybersecurity dialogue, the landscape of digital threats is intensifying. The adoption of technologies like IoT and Industry 4.0 unveils new vulnerabilities, while an increasing number of threat actors leverage AI to enhance their hacking capabilities. Furthermore, attackers are broadening their targets to include cloud environments and the sensitive data housed in SaaS companies application services. Cybercriminals are nebulous; they collaborate across borders and have adopted hierarchies and specialized roles that make these bad actors more sophisticated, which is a significant challenge for law enforcement to track and prosecute them. According to The Global Risks Report 2020 by the World Economic Forum, Organized cybercrime entities are joining forces, and their likelihood of detection and prosecution is estimated to be as low as 0.05% in the United States. These bad actors focus on specific industries and accurately tailor their exploits. In addition, the emergence of ransomware-as-a-service enables hackers with limited experience to execute successful attacks, and the dark web remains an encrypted communication channel to plan activities with anonymity. Remember Analog Crimes? They Are Still a Factor Cybersecurity breaches still occur from non-digital or physical system components and are often overlooked. These non-digital areas include unauthorized access to secure data centers or other physical locations where sensitive information is stored. Unsecured physical access allows employees or contractors to leverage sensitive information for social engineering breaches. Organizations must also be concerned about improperly disposing of sensitive documents and hardware tampering that modifies devices with malicious code. In addition to the physical analog tightening, the software supply chain needs particular attention. It is still a weak link that can have a devastating impact. Companies must not only maintain their security protocols but also scrutinize the security practices of their third-party suppliers. Furthermore, threat actors continue to use deepfake social engineering attacks to foster ransomware, gain permissions, and access sensitive data with the relative success and ease of phishing campaigns. Fortifying Cybercrime Defenses Cybercrimes GDP of $6 trillion has made it the worlds third-largest economic superpower. No one is immune to an attack from small mom-and-pop Main Street shops to Wall Street financial juggernauts. From Bulgaria to the U.S., we are all targets. As these shadow organizations become more organized and sophisticated, cybersecurity will have to morph into a must-have business utility such as energy or cloud services. The advent of AI and machine learning holds immense possibilities for advancing corporate productivity. By contrast, the same tools applied to nefarious activities will unleash global IP devastation and chaos. Ignorance will be the Trojan Horse that opens networks to bad actors and continues a revenue stream for cybercrimes. To remedy the activities of this well-funded, borderless entity, we need persistent, pervasive measures to tighten the physical and digital aspects of devices, platforms, and systems. Without the full knowledge of all attack vectors including partner systems in the supply chain a well-informed and trained employee base, and the application of sophisticated cybersecurity tools, organizations will continue to be the victims and unwillingly fund their perpetrators. WTF?! Joining the list of organizations still using archaic technology is the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which has a train control system still reliant on floppy disks. It's said to have been cutting-edge tech when it was first installed back in 1998 but the city fears that if there isn't an upgrade carried out soon, there will at some point be a "catastrophic failure." It's somewhat ironic that in San Francisco, home of Silicon Valley, the train control system is running off floppy disks, an entry in our Once-Iconic Tech Products That Are Now a Fading Memory feature. Mariana Maguire, SFMTA Train Control Project, told ABC7 News that the SFMTA was the first agency in the US to adopt the floppy-based automatic train control system in 1998. That was the same year that the original StarCraft was the best-selling PC game, and even by that point, CD-ROMs were making floppies obsolete. Reporter Luz Pena shows off a 3.5-inch floppy in the video of the report, but the article mentions that "5-inch" floppy disks are used in the system. It's probably 3.5-inch disks as 5.25-inch variants were even less likely to be part of "cutting-edge" systems in 1998. SFMTA director Jeffrey Tumlin said the train management system was meant to be in place for 20 to 25 years. It is now entering its 26th year of service. When asked about the urgency of upgrading the system, Tumlin said that although it is working fine, every year brings an increasing risk of the disks suffering data degradation. He added that at some point there will be "a catastrophic failure." Also read: Once-Iconic Tech Products That Are Now a Fading Memory The problem is that upgrading to a modern system will not only take around a decade, but also cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Tumlin said he hopes the majority of the money will come from state and federal grants, while the rest will come from "Muni's rapidly declining internal capital resources." Floppy disks have clung to life decades after most people assumed they were long gone. It was only in 2019 when the US military dropped 8-inch floppies for SSDs in its nuclear weapons systems. We also heard that Boeing, Chuck E. Cheese, and many small businesses that couldn't afford to upgrade were still using floppies as recently as last year. What just happened? TSMC has become the latest beneficiary of the CHIPS Act after the US Commerce Department said it had reached a preliminary agreement with the Taiwanese giant to award it up to $6.6 billion in grants and $5 billion in loans. The money will be used by the company to build a third manufacturing plant in Arizona. TSMC is already building two factories in Phoenix, Arizona. It said the CHIPS money will go toward creating a third fab at the site, operational by the end of the decade, that will use its next-gen 2nm process technology. TSMC plans to make its first 2nm chips in its home nation of Taiwan in 2025. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said, "For the first time ever, we will be making at scale the most advanced semiconductor chips on the planet here in the United States of America, by the way, with American workers." Raimondo added that the 2nm chips are essential to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, as well as the military. The grant includes $50 million in funding to train local workers, while TSMC will create 6,000 high-tech manufacturing jobs, more than 20,000 construction jobs, and tens of thousands of indirect jobs, Raimondo added. TSMC said that it will increase its investment in the United States, from $40 billion to more than $65 billion, thanks to the award. Its other Phoenix fabs are expected to begin production in 2025 and 2028, with a combined capacity of 50,000 wafers per month. The announcement marks another large handout to come from the CHIPS Act. The White House said in March that Intel would be provided up to $8.5 billion in direct funding along with up to $11 billion in low-interest loans and a 25% investment tax credit on up to $100 billion of capital investments. Samsung, meanwhile, is expected to receive a grant of over $6 billion. The CHIPS Act has set aside $39 billion in grants along with $75 billion in loans and guarantees to bring semiconductor production back to the US instead of the world being reliant of Asia, especially Taiwan, which China has long claimed to be one of its territories. An estimated $18.7 billion in grant funds remains available after TSMC receives its money. TSMC's current Arizona projects have been far from smooth. Construction timelines have been delayed on several occasions. There were also reports of hiring difficulties due to the twelve-hour days, common weekend shifts, and a "brutal" work-life balance. After decades of local landlords collecting rents from blighted properties that drain public resources and thwart safety, Billings leaders are ready to pull the plug. Now, their sights are set on the Colonial apartments, a hotspot for crime and unscrupulous dealings on the South Side that has long been a haven of last resort for Billings renters. The ramshackle rooming house with three floors of dilapidated squalor on South 27th Street is also a sinkhole for city resources. Police, firefighters and emergency medics have responded to at least 1,512 calls to 911 from the troubled property in the last five years alone, dispatch records show. Dealing with rampant crime and catastrophes at the Colonial comes at a substantial cost to taxpayers," Billings Mayor Bill Cole said. Theres no doubt, its a problem a major problem. So, the city is taking action in Yellowstone County District Court against longtime landlord John Skauge, who owns the aging building and several other rundown rentals on the South Side. In the complaint, the city states the decaying Colonial is a public nuisance" that jeopardizes the health, safety and well being of the people of Billings. The 1918 building has about two dozen rooms that share three communal bathrooms. Theres one toilet and a shower for tenants to use on each floor. That is, when theyre working. Its not just a rat hole, its a notorious hotbed of criminal activity, said Catherine Card, a longtime advocate for the South Side neighborhood. Card, a retired Lutheran pastor who volunteers helping the homeless, started bringing her concerns about the dangerous and deplorable conditions at the Colonial and other problem properties to the City Councils attention in 2022. She tracked 911 calls using the Billings Police Departments online mapping tool to show trouble spots that are draining public safety resources and shared the data with Billings leaders. Since 2015, police and emergency crews have responded to at least 1,879 calls from the Colonial, 911 dispatch records show. That number doesn't include trips officers made to answer calls that didn't come from someone in the building or in the course of investigating crimes. Although troubles at the Colonial aren't new, they have gotten worse during the past three decades. For comparison, officers responded to just over 1,000 calls from the apartments between May 2002 and October 1994. The types of calls that come from the Colonial run the gamut from shootings, stabbings, sex offenses, assaults, domestic disputes and weapons violations to burglaries, thefts, drugs, vandalism, trespassing, suspicious activity, noise complaints and disturbances. These properties suck up so much money and time, you just have to wonder why thats allowed, Card said. It just makes me so sick. Montana landlords are required to provide safe and habitable rentals that meet basic building and housing codes. But, Card said, theyre rarely held accountable because many tenants are afraid to stand up for their rights and often face retaliation when they do. A lot of them are addicted, theyre vulnerable and they dont want to lose a roof over their head, she said. Thats why Billings needs a real low-barrier shelter. Susan Watkins recently joined Card in urging the City Council to do something about the Colonial. She said her niece and great-nephew have been trying to work their way out of a hardship so they moved into the apartments several months ago. At $375 a month plus electric, it was the cheapest rental they could find. But, last month, the ceiling in their second-floor apartment caved in. When Watkins niece couldnt reach management, she called 911. According to the police report, she told officers someone in the room above hers had broken through the floor the night before and was taunting her and her son. Soon after, she said, liquid started pouring into her apartment. She showed police the large hole in the ceiling and liquid that had spattered onto the floor. When officers went upstairs to look at the room above hers, they found a storage area where a can of purple paint had spilled and was leaking into the hole. Although no one was living in the room, there were pillows and blankets so officers suspected transients might have been sleeping there. Watkins said the retaliation came almost immediately after the cops left. Someone stomped all the way through her nieces ceiling and began throwing stuff into her kitchen. A bucket of excrement, cans of paint and garbage came down. Then, someone urinated through the hole, Watkins said. When her niece finally fled the apartment, she said some of the other residents made a show of handling knives to intimidate her. People have already lost their lives there. And the ones who can put a stop to all of it just seem to look the other way, Watkins wrote in a Feb. 19 email to the council. Its time to get off your rumps and do something. Troy Chaney, 48, was shot dead outside the Colonial in December 2022. The man who killed him had been living at the apartments for about a year before the murder. In July 2022, a 24-year-old woman was stabbed to death in a rental Skauge owns next to the apartments. Two days later, firefighters returned to the same house to douse a blaze. Police and emergency crews that year responded to 228 calls to 911 from Skauge's property on 200 block of South 27th Street. That's follows 457 calls in 2021, 373 in 2020, and 332 in 2019, according to court documents. Other Skauge rentals have kept cops and emergency crews busy, too. In December 2019, two people were seriously injured after a gas leak caused an explosion at the Battleship apartments on South 32nd Street. Two months later, a fire gutted the building and the city eventually forced Skauge to demolish it. In December 2016, a fire at the Colonial forced tenants out just before Christmas while the building was shut down due to electrical and gas problems. At another Skauge property on South 29th Street, there were two fires in one day. Charities such as the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross of Montana stepped in to help dozens of tenants who were displaced from the Battleship and the Colonial. Card was serving as chaplain at St. Vincent Hospital when the explosion happened at the Battleship. She was called to be with a patient who had been badly burned in the blast. Card recalls the womans son and partner coming to the hospital with no shoes or coats right after the family lost everything just days before Christmas. It was just heartbreaking, Card said. Theres an expense to the whole community for allowing a property like that. Billings has been beefing up its code enforcement so the city can tackle troubled properties and hold their owners accountable. In July 2022, the city notified Skauge that he needed to either repair the damage at the Colonial or demolish it. Last year, Billings Code Enforcement Officer Christopher Simpson inspected the property in August and December. He reported exposed wiring on the buildings exterior and broken windows on all sides. Simpson also noted peeling paint, the sinking foundation, weak flooring and rotting wooden stairways and railings at the entrances. The city also hired Dynamic Analysis Engineering Consulting to inspect the Colonial in August and September. The Billings-based firms inspectors found structural failures that are dangerous and unsafe and concluded the building should not be inhabited, according to the engineers report. They also pointed out the International Property Maintenance Code, which governs the care of existing structures, would give the local building official the authority and responsibility to condemn the property until the issues identified during the inspections were addressed. However, the city hasnt adopted the IPMC so theres currently no code that provides regulations for Billings buildings that arent under construction or repair. Engineers found the Colonials decaying foundation was detached from the building. They noted the walls and flooring were deteriorating and had defects that reduced their ability to support typical loads. Inspectors also reported broken windows and defects in the roofing, including holes, cracks and broken, loose or rotting materials that leak when it rains. They found the exterior stairs and porches were not structurally sound and could not support typical loads. According to their assessment, fixing the Colonial would not be economically feasible. They recommend razing it and constructing a new, code-compliant building in its place. In his Jan. 16 response to the city's complaint, Skauge denied the broad conclusion of the engineering firm's report, which outlined "perceived deficiencies inspectors identified at his property. He did, however, replace the Colonial's fire escape after an October 2022 inspection by the Billings fire marshal, according to court documents. The city is now seeking an order to force Skauge to fix problems with the property and to fine him $500 a day until the repairs are made. Billings is also asking the court for authorization to tear down the Colonial if he fails to act "promptly" and to recover the demolition costs from him. Condemnation would be a last resort, Cole said, emphasizing city officials are not pursuing that option right now. The mayor said they hope to instead settle the issue with him outside of court. Skauge owned Buck's Bar, a beloved Midtown dive, for 25 years. When he sold it in 2020, the deal became so acrimonious it took two years to complete and he never handed over keys to the buyers. The new owners had to drill the locks out to get into the Central Avenue building. As far as his rentals, Skauge has said the Billings police need to do more to deter the crime around his properties. "I can't control people's behavior," he told the Gazette in July 2022."They're big buildings and people can get away with murder." When reminded that literally happened the stabbing death of Jessie Jane Guardipee earlier that month, he said he had nothing to do with it. The city estimates itll cost more than $25,000 to address the property. I think the Colonial is a problem everybody wants to solve, City Councilman Tom Rupsis said. Nobody should be living in those conditions. It's such a horrible situation all around. A trial is set for Oct. 8 in Yellowstone County District Court. The big picture: Voyager I is one of two craft operating in interstellar space the other being its twin, Voyager 2, which left Earth 16 days before Voyager 1 back in 1977. According to NASA, Voyager I is the most distant human-made object ever. As of January 2024, the craft was about 15 billion miles from Earth and was moving at a velocity of about 38,000 mph relative to the Sun. Back in November, NASA's Voyager 1 space probe lost its ability to send back telemetry data to flight engineers here on Earth. Without it, the probe and the agency in charge of it are essentially flying blind. In February, NASA said the problem was related to the craft's Flight Data Subsystems (FDS), which is responsible for gathering data from each of the probe's science instruments and bundling it into a neat package for transmission back to Earth. Once grouped, the package of data is passed along to the telemetry modulation unit and a radio transmitter for the long journey home. The team thought it might be dealing with an issue caused by corrupted memory within the FDS. To test the theory, NASA sent a "poke" command that prompted Voyager I to beam back a readout of the FDS memory. Armed with this data, NASA was able to determine that approximately three percent of the FDS memory is corrupted and is the root cause of Voyager's issues. NASA said in a recent update that team members suspect a single chip is faulty, although engineers aren't sure what caused it to go bad. One possibility is that it was struck by an "energetic particle" from space. Optionally, the chip may have simply worn out after 46 years of service. The good news is that engineers are optimistic that they will be able to find a way to bypass the faulty memory and get the FDS back up and running normally, thus allowing the probe to resume sending science and engineering data back to Earth. It could take weeks or even months, however, NASA warned. This total solar eclipse, which will occur on Monday, Apr. 8, will cast a shadow across the continental United States if the weather cooperates, mesmerizing millions of onlookers. While you wait, check out these ten interesting facts about this remarkable event. First Total Solar Eclipse in Seven Years The April 2024 total solar eclipse marks the first time in seven years that the continental US will experience such an event. The last one occurred on August 21, 2017, followed by another in 1979. Everyone Gets a Glimpse of the Eclipse There is no need to worry about missing out because everyone in the continental US will be able to catch at least a partial eclipse. From coast to coast, skygazers will witness the Moon covering a significant portion of the Sun's surface. Where Will the Eclipse Begin? The show starts in Texas, where eager spectators can witness the first moments of totality at the Mexican border in Las Quintas Fronterizas. The total phase lasts a remarkable 4 minutes and 22 seconds. The Solar Eclipse Will Cross 15 States This eclipse's path cuts through 15 states, promising a breathtaking journey from Texas all the way to Maine. If you have the time and fuel, it is a road trip you won't want to miss! Experience Maximum Totality Duration For those seeking the ultimate eclipse experience, head to Nazas, Mexico, where you can bask in the glory of totality for an impressive 4 minutes and 28 seconds. Bid Farewell to the Eclipse in Maine Maine will be the final stop for totality in the US, offering spectators a last glimpse of the awe-inspiring phenomenon before it bids good-bye at 3:35 p.m. EDT. Catch the Best City Views of the Eclipse Several major cities, including San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas in Texas, are in for a treat as they plunge into darkness during the eclipse. Unlike in 2017, where only Nashville enjoyed the show, this time, multiple metropolitan centers will witness the event. Millions of Onlookers Along the Path Over 31.5 million lucky individuals reside along the path of totality, making it accessible to a vast population. So, if you are in the right place at the right time, all you need to do is step outside and look up! Longest Totality Possible While this eclipse's maximum total duration is impressive at 4 minutes and 28 seconds, the longest possible duration is a staggering 7 minutes and 32 seconds. But the sad part is it won't happen until 2132! Take Note of Future Eclipses It is fine if you miss this one as more eclipses await in the future. The next total solar eclipse over the continental US is scheduled for August 23, 2044, with subsequent events in 2045 and 2078. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Canada's upcoming budget is reportedly set to boost the country's artificial intelligence (AI) sector's funding with a package worth C$2.4 billion or roughly US$1.8 Billion, unveiled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Montreal on a pre-budget tour. The majority of the package, worth C$2 Billion, will reportedly relate to computational power and technology infrastructure that aims to speed up the work of AI researchers, start-ups, and other businesses. Canada's budget is likewise scheduled to be tabled on April 16. (Photo: OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images) This illustration picture shows the AI (artificial intelligence) smartphone app ChatGPT surrounded by other AI apps in Vaasa on June 6, 2023. According to the announcement, additional funding would be granted to accelerate the use of AI in sectors such as agriculture and healthcare. According to Trudeau, the funds will help unlock AI's full potential, allowing Canadians, particularly young Canadians, to obtain well-paying employment while increasing Canada's productivity and strengthening its economy. As per CBC, Trudeau stated that the federal government would soon begin talking with businesses on a new AI Compute Access Fund and a supporting plan to grow the sector in Canada. Read Also: Rising Car Theft Cases in Canada Linked to Criminals Exploiting Apple AirTags AI in All of Canada Trudeau adds that $200 million will be allocated to increasing the adoption of AI in industries such as agriculture, health care, and clean technology. The government intends to establish a $50 million AI safety institution to defend against what it terms sophisticated or malevolent AI systems. An additional $5.1 million will be allocated to the office of the AI and Data Commissioner to implement the planned Artificial Intelligence and Data Act. Bill C-27 is the first federal legislation particularly addressing artificial intelligence. It would amend privacy rules and impose additional duties on high-impact systems. Worldwide Bet on AI Most governments worldwide are preparing for the AI economy by spending billions of dollars on their AI sectors. The United States has announced intentions to invest more than $3.3 billion in artificial intelligence to develop it widely across numerous federal agencies and address AI laws and the hazards associated with new technology. The proposed budget allocates more than $3 billion to several departments for the responsible development, testing, purchase, and integration of groundbreaking AI technologies across the federal government. The Budget also recommends agencies invest an additional $300 million in AI to handle serious risks and encourage the technology's deployment for public benefit. Saudi Arabia also plans to invest heavily in the AI economy, allocating $40 billion to technology businesses such as AI start-ups, AI chip producers, and AI data centers. Three informed sources allegedly verified Saudi Arabia's $40 billion proposal but cautioned that the plans may alter. The expected finances can potentially make the Middle Eastern country the world's largest AI investor. Recently, officials from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund allegedly met with financiers from top venture capital companies in Silicon Valley to discuss a prospective relationship and investment. Related Article: AI-Altered Nude Photos of High School Students Alarm Parents in Canada (Photo: Tech Times) Last week was a big week for crypto, with CryptoWatch reporting on the industry's biggest development: Ripple's announcement of its big move towards launching a US dollar stablecoin. On the other hand, Coinbase's massive achievement in Canada was when it got a 'Restricted Dealer' status from the Great North's government, promising to adhere to its regulations. Lastly, Google is now aggressively fighting crypto scammers on the Play Store, focusing on Chinese nationals who are allegedly the masterminds behind the fraudulent efforts. Ripple Announces Its USD Stablecoin Ripple is now entering the stablecoin market by launching a US dollar-tied cryptocurrency soon, the first time for the company since it introduced the renowned XRP Ledger and $XRP crypto. This new stablecoin from Ripple would hold a 1:1 dollar that will be backed by an equivalent sum of assets, deposits, US government bonds, and cash equivalents for the coin. According to Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, the decision to push through this new stablecoin version is because of the recent 'depegging' of its rivals. Ripple will compete against stablecoin giants, including Tether's USDt and Circle's USD Coin, which are best known for making up $150 billion, among other stablecoins, in today's crypto market. Read Also : Crypto Mining with Green Hydrogen Could Offer Wider Deployment of Clean Energy: Study Coinbase's Restricted Dealer Status Coinbase achieved its "Restricted Dealer" status in Canada, as awarded to it by the Canadian Securities Administration (CSA) and signed by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). With this, Coinbase seeks to expand digital asset adoption while centering on economic empowerment and reshaping the country's financial system. Coinbase, best known for its incorporation in the United States, is the first international company to achieve restricted dealer status. That said, Coinbase promises to adhere to Canada's regulations and laws, claiming to share the Great North's beliefs in centralized crypto intermediaries. Google vs. Crypto Scammers Google is now taking legal action against crypto scammers, suing Chinese nationals they believe to be the proprietors of a fraudulent platform that promotes cryptocurrency and defrauding as many as 100,000 users for years. The defendants allegedly misrepresented their name, location, and app kind and maligned Google into publishing the fake apps. However, it is not only Yunfeng Sun and Hongnam Cheung who have been accused of these fraudulent actions, as the company is now dedicating a team to weeding out scammers and fake apps. Google said it suffered losses of as much as $75,000 from these fraudulent actions and is now seeking a permanent injunction against them. These fake apps on the Play Store claimed users had balances and investment returns that they could not withdraw. Disney's latest animatronics showcase a remarkable leap forward in bringing its beloved 2D characters to life. Representing a culmination of over six decades of Disney Imagineering ingenuity, the robots featured in Tiana's Bayou Adventure exhibit astounding realism. Bringing 2D Characters to Life Despite varying opinions on recent animated films, Disney's prowess in animatronic technology remains unparalleled. This week, Disney offered a sneak peek into the new audio-animatronics set to debut in Tiana's Bayou Adventure, a reimagining of the renowned Splash Mountain ride. Impressively showcased across social media platforms and Disney's "We Call It Imagineering" YouTube series, these lifelike renditions of characters from The Princess and the Frog (2009) include Princess Tiana, Mama Odie, Charlotte La Bouff, Louis the Alligator, and an array of other swamp inhabitants. Some of the animatronics in Disney's latest creations move with such seamless fluidity that they appear almost lifelike. If these new figures follow the model of Tokyo Disneyland's Beauty and the Beast attraction, their movements and expressions could be crafted by animators from Walt Disney Animation Studios. This technique creates an illusion that the characters have transcended their 2D origins. While not reaching the hyper-realism of the Shaman in the Na'vi River Journey ride, which was a pioneering achievement in 2017, it's remarkable to witness such advanced technology becoming widespread across Disney parks. Also read : Walt Disney Unveils A Spooky Skinless Robot That Acts Like a Real Human Observing the physical movements of characters from The Princess and the Frog, including their lips, eyes, and facial structure, serves as a reminder that these are tangible metal and plastic creations, not CGI illusions. For enthusiasts passionate about animatronics and robotics in theme parks and immersive experiences, this marks a thrilling era. Disney Imagineering's recent unveiling of the free-roaming BD-X droids, reminiscent of chickens, promises an engaging spectacle. These droids are scheduled to roam the Black Spire Outpost within Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge park from April 5th to June 2nd, offering visitors an immersive encounter. Disney's Technological Innovations in Theme Parks Disney's move away from rear-projection technology, previously used in attractions like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Frozen Ever After rides at Disney World, marks a significant shift. Rear projection often resulted in an odd, washed-out appearance, perceived as somewhat lackluster compared to Disney Imagineering's past animatronic innovations spanning six decades. Recent developments in the realm of theme park attractions have showcased remarkable advancements in robotics and animatronics. Notably, Shanghai Disney Resort's Zootopia land boasts impressive robot designs, while Universal Studios is embarking on the creation of life-size dragons for its How To Train Your Dragon-themed area in the forthcoming Epic Universe park. For those intrigued by these technological marvels, The Imagineering Story docuseries on Disney Plus offers captivating insights into Disney's rich history in the animatronic industry. This documentary provides a comprehensive exploration of Disney's journey in pioneering innovative experiences through animatronics. Home Depot has formally revealed that a third-party data breach caused by one of its SaaS partners affected a "small" number of sensitive employee records. The incident apparently occurred when the SaaS vendor accidentally exposed the data. Home Depot is North America's largest home improvement retailer, with over 2,300 stores and 475,000 employees. On Thursday, a threat actor, IntelBroker, leaked restricted data for around 10,000 Home Depot employees through a hacker forum. According to the forum post, Home Depot experienced a data breach in April 2024, which exposed the corporate information of 10,000 of its employees. (Photo: Jefferson Santos from Unsplash) Cybercriminals are becoming smarter in bypassing multi-factor authentication (MFA) through their social engineering techniques. The corporation admitted that one third-party SaaS provider inadvertently released sample employee data. The exposed data comprises a small sample of Home Depot associates' names, work email addresses, and User IDs obtained during system testing. While this data is not very sensitive, revealing merely company IDs, names, and email addresses, threat actors might use it to launch targeted phishing attacks on Home Depot workers. According to sources, despite being unable to authenticate the data, the disclosed details appear to be consistent with Home Depot employee social network profiles. Read Also: SurveyLama Alarmed Over Data Breach of 4.4 Million Users IntelBroker Data Breach While Home Depot's consumer base is unaffected, IntelBroker has reportedly gained attention for its concentration on high-profile targets in the United States. Their most recent reported intrusions include infiltrating Acuity, Inc., a federal contractor headquartered in Reston, Virginia, and stealing extremely sensitive data from the United States. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The US government first disputed the data breach, but it was recognized (albeit not validated) on April 3, 2024, when the IntelBroker hacker published the whole dataset to prove its authenticity. As a result, the US Department of Justice has launched an inquiry into the situation. Although the hacker's name and affiliations are unknown, the US government has accused IntelBroker of being the alleged perpetrator of one of the T-Mobile data thefts. Furthermore, IntelBroker has a history of targeting prominent entities in the United States, with previous breaches affecting institutions such as the Los Angeles International Airport, US Department of Defense documents, staffing firm Robert Half, and most notoriously, Facebook Marketplace's database. Facebook Data Breach IntelBroker leaked 200,000 Facebook Marketplace user data, including names, phone numbers, email addresses, Facebook IDs, and profile details, last February. The threat actor says that in October 2023, someone using the Discord moniker 'algoatson' infiltrated the networks of a Meta contractor to obtain this section of the Facebook Marketplace database. IntelBroker concealed the name of the contractor who was allegedly targeted. It is important to note that Facebook does not manage all Facebook Marketplace data through a single contractor organization. Instead, depending on the data aspect, they use a combination of external partners and internal teams. Related Article: Cyber Safety Review Board Blames Microsoft's "Inadequate" Security for 2023 Data Breach Elon Musk has drawn fire from Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes after Musk reportedly criticized a court order to block certain accounts on X. Musk is fighting Moraes' decision to force his social networking platform X to remove specific users. Musk stated on Sunday that X would abolish the limitations because such orders were unlawful. Musk also criticized Moraes and said he should step down or be impeached. As per the Financial Times, the profiles are most likely associated with far-right movements that have thrived on X and other social media platforms, such as Telegram. (Photo: SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty Images) X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk attends a symposium on "Antisemitism Online" at the Krakow European Jewish Association conference on January 22, 2024. Musk's assaults on the judge began Saturday evening when Moraes threatened to "cut off access" to the platform that Musk acquired in 2022. Moraes, one of 11 Supreme Court members who presided over Brazil's Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), has been a polarizing figure. Musk's recent remarks reflect the talking lines of Brazil's far-right, which has long accused De Moraes and the Supreme Court of censorship and conducting a "judicial dictatorship." Brazil's Supreme Court Judge Moraes De Moraes is widely regarded as having played a part in defending Brazilian democracy during the 2022 presidential election, when the president at the time, Jair Bolsonaro, made baseless assertions regarding the integrity of the voting system. Following the Brasilia riots, De Moraes imposed harsh punishments and accused protestors of plotting a coup. Orlando Silva, a government-aligned senator, stated that Musk had disrespected the judiciary and that in retaliation, he would submit laws establishing a "responsibilities regime for these digital platforms." In his investigation, Moraes stated that X must not violate any previously issued court order, including any profile reactivation prohibited by this Supreme Court. Musk's Censorship and Free Speech According to the judge, if X fails to comply with the order to restrict particular accounts, the corporation would face a daily punishment of $19,740. Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech absolutist, purchased X in late 2022 and swiftly loosened its moderation procedures, reinstating some previously banned accounts. Some on the right have applauded the developments, but opponents, including civil rights organizations, claim that the platform is failing to monitor hate speech and extremist content sufficiently. Social media platforms are under increasing pressure to comply with new legislation in countries such as India and Turkey, which might oblige companies to remove information or risk bans, fines, or jailing employees. Critics believe that such restrictions are restrictive and can be utilized by government leaders to muzzle dissidents and activists. Despite his frequent advocacy for free expression, Musk has already faced criticism for accommodating censorship demands from various regimes. X has just begun openly sharing the requests they get. In March, X announced that it had successfully fought the Turkish government in court after the country's authorities ordered the removal of roughly 50 anti-government posts, including three from the opposition party leader. Related Article: Elon Musk's X Informs Users They Could Lose Followers as Bot Elimination Begins (Photo: Tech Times) A bipartisan effort led by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and House Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Oregon) unveils a new legislation to safeguard Americans' data privacy. Introducing The American Privacy Rights Act Named The American Privacy Rights Act, the bill proposes various measures, including the mandate for explicit consent before transferring sensitive data to third parties. This initiative marks a renewed attempt by Cantwell and McMorris Rodgers, following a previously stalled version of the bill introduced in 2022. The bipartisan consensus represents a significant achievement in the ongoing congressional deliberations regarding data privacy. Despite widespread acknowledgment of the necessity for federal standards, lawmakers have grappled with the intricacies of regulating the amount of online consumer data collected by companies, a challenge resonating across Silicon Valley and Washington. The proposed legislation aims to establish a standardized framework nationwide governing the collection, utilization, and sharing of online data by various entities. It introduces provisions allowing users to opt out of specific data practices, particularly targeted advertising. Additionally, it mandates that companies collect only essential data necessary for providing tailored services to consumers while granting individuals the right to access, delete, and transfer their data across digital platforms. Addressing Longstanding Challenges in Data Privacy Legislation The agreement represents a significant step forward for privacy protection in the United States. It addresses longstanding issues that have hindered progress in negotiations for years. Notably, it resolves the debate over whether federal legislation should supersede state laws and whether consumers should have the right to sue companies for violations. In a nod to Republican concerns, the bill would preempt many state privacy laws, including California's groundbreaking legislation, while preserving state regulations pertaining to specific sectors like healthcare or finance. Simultaneously, it incorporates a Democratic-backed enforcement mechanism allowing individuals to pursue legal action and seek monetary damages for non-compliance with data deletion requests or failure to obtain explicit consent for sensitive data collection. Also read : Biden to Discuss Online Safety for Children at State of the Union Address Cantwell emphasized the necessity of clear boundaries to identify and address misconduct in the digital realm and the importance of effectively regulating the information age. McMorris Rodgers hailed the proposed legislation as a landmark achievement, asserting it would institute privacy safeguards surpassing those found in any existing state law. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (N.J.), ranking Democrat on McMorris Rodgers' committee, praised it as a "robust initial proposal" while suggesting areas for improvement, particularly concerning children's privacy. Brad Smith, Microsoft's vice chairman and president, hailed it as a "significant step forward," emphasizing its potential to establish clear national standards on privacy. Despite backing from key lawmakers like Cantwell and McMorris Rodgers, The Washington Post reported that the bill's future remains uncertain. As a "discussion draft," it invites input from various stakeholders before formal introduction. 'The looming November elections and McMorris Rodgers' impending departure add urgency to the legislative timeline, underscoring the need for prompt action. Nonetheless, Cantwell expressed optimism, noting that deadlines can spur progress. New research by the RAC Foundation has found that electric vehicle charging stations are being affected by weak mobile signals. Most require adequate mobile connections to work, risking EV drivers' accessibility to charging points. According to the survey, 66% of Type-2 chargers with speeds of up to 8kw in Britain, excluding London, are in places where at least one mobile network carrier does not offer usable 4G service. Most Type-2 public chargers need drivers to access them via mobile phone applications, and the chargers themselves require a reliable mobile connection to work. (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) As electric vehicles (EVs) become increasingly prevalent on roads, questions arise about their safety, particularly concerning the risk of electrocution. According to the research, motorists may not recharge their EVs unless all four of Britain's mobile network providersEE, O2, Three, and Vodafonehave acceptable service at a charger's location. RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding cautioned that bad connectivity for Type-2 chargers "won't get picked up" in the Government's new required reporting system, which only applies to the quick charger network. He argued for a "better approach" to stressing connectivity problems, allowing designers to develop "workarounds" like wi-fi hotspots and satellite internet access. Pure electric cars accounted for 15.2% of new car registrations in March, a decrease from 16.2% the previous year. Read Also: Xiaomi's Newest SU7 EV Will Take Up to 7 Months Before Arriving United Kingdom's EV Push In its EV drive, the United Kingdom has announced plans to speed up the building of thousands of charging stations for electric vehicles. The proposed proposals include funds that cover up to 75% of the expenditures for state-funded schools, nurseries, and academies. Multiple local governments are also slated to receive around 14.2 million in support for EV charging stations. The subsidy provided by the Department of Transportation is available to state-supported schools, universities, nurseries, and academies to improve charge station amenities for staff and guests. It is part of the Workplace Charging Scheme. Allowing the public to use their charging stations may also help schools make money. Biden Relaxes EV Push The United States, on the other hand, has gotten its most recent EV-related law, as announced by the Environmental Protection Agency. Although the new standards first relax the tailpipe limitations proposed last year, they eventually approach the same tough guidelines set by the EPA. The amended laws reduced the objective for electric vehicle adoption in the United States from 67% by 2032 to as low as 35% in response to objections from the car industry and auto workers in Michigan, a political battleground state. Instead, the EPA created a "technology neutral" regulatory framework that offers manufacturers much more leeway in satisfying emissions standards with gas-electric hybrids. Environmentalists have attacked this method as a stopgap that will delay the shift to electric automobiles. The government also used "advanced gasoline" technologies to save fuel, such as stop-start ignition systems, lighter vehicles, and turbocharging. Related Article: BMW Challenges Tesla Dominance with New Concept Electric SUV (Photo: Tech Times) Microsoft has announced plans to establish a new artificial intelligence (AI) hub in London, a move set to bolster the company's focus on product development and research in the rapidly advancing AI field. The initiative will be spearheaded by Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of Google DeepMind, now EVP and CEO of Microsoft AI, signaling Microsoft's commitment to tapping into top-tier talent for its AI endeavors. "Our decision to open this hub in the UK reflects [the] ambition [of advancing AI responsibly]," Suleyman said in a company blog post Microsoft's New AI Hub in London The competition for AI talent across Europe has been intensifying, and Microsoft's strategic move to establish a hub in London aims to position the company at the forefront of this burgeoning industry. The announcement follows Microsoft's recent hiring of Suleyman to lead its in-house Microsoft AI division. Suleyman left Inflection AI, to join Microsoft, taking dozens of employees with him. Some criticized the move since the staff transfer allowed Microsoft to dodge the regulatory scrutiny that typically comes with traditional acquisitions. Suleyman, a London native, brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise in AI, having co-founded Google DeepMind. His appointment highlights Microsoft's move to attract top talent from established AI-focused companies like DeepMind and OpenAI. "I know - through my close work with thought leaders in the UK Government, business community and academia - that the country is committed to advancing AI responsibly," Suleyman emphasized. (Photo : FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) This photograph taken on January 19, 2023 shows the logo of the American corporation Microsoft displayed during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos. Microsoft to Advance AI Infrastructure The new AI hub in London will be led by Jordan Hoffmann, an AI scientist and engineer who distinguished himself at Inflection and DeepMind. Hoffmann's role will be pivotal in driving pioneering work to advance state-of-the-art language models and associated infrastructure, in collaboration with Microsoft's AI teams and partners, including OpenAI. Microsoft's investment in the UK extends beyond talent acquisition. The company recently committed 2.5 billion ($3.15 billion) to bolstering the country's AI infrastructure and workforce development over the next three years. This investment aligns with the UK government's efforts to position the country as a global leader in AI research and development. Back in February, the United Kingdom announced plans to invest more than $125 million in AI research and training. Moreover, with Google's DeepMind also based in London, the establishment of Microsoft's AI hub sets the stage for a potential talent tug-of-war between two frontrunners in the race for AI dominance, TechCrunch notes. While the exact scale of the new AI hub remains undisclosed, Microsoft's move to expand its presence in the UK, coupled with its significant investment in AI research and development, underscores the company's determination to harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Press Release April 8, 2024 Sustained investments, early childhood education, and decentralization, behind Vietnam's education success - EDCOM 2 The Second Congressional Commission on Education's (EDCOM 2) recent study visit to Vietnam, conducted from March 21-24, 2024, gathered key insights on government spending, curriculum development, assessment, and how to approach education reform through a system approach. During the trip, the Commission met with officials of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), visited and discussed with members of the National Assembly, and discussed with Filipino teachers who are currently based in Hanoi and nearby cities. "Your education system has achieved what many thought impossibleoutperforming many OECD countries in the Programme for International Student Assessment, despite the substantial difference in economic development, and education spending levels", said Senator Win Gatchalian, EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson, addressing officials from the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MoET). "This is a clear indication that with the right policies, success is within reach", he continued. Reading literacy was also a key issue that the Commission looked into in Vietnam. While the GDP of Vietnam and the Philippines are comparable- 408.8 B and 404.3 B as of 2022, respectively - the learning poverty rate could not be more different. The Philippines' learning poverty rate is at 90.9%, while Vietnam's is at a mere 18.1% in 2022. The Commission found several factors that contributed to Vietnam's strong showing in reading literacy in international assessments, including significant investments in education, decentralization, prioritizing early childhood care and nutrition, and giving teachers necessary support. Sustained, targeted investment in education In particular, the 2019 Law on Education mandated the Vietnamese government to invest 20% of the total state budget for education and training. Further, Vietnam spends more on their students, per capita, at the primary level. In 2022, Vietnam spent USD 745.8 per student in Grades 1 to 3, while the Philippines spent only an average of USD 328. As cited in the EDCOM 2 Year One Report, while annual spending on education per student in the Philippines has nearly tripled, from Php 7,876 to Php 20,834 between 2010 to 2024, data shows that the bulk of the additional resources went to higher education. "While we have gone a long way in increasing education investments, Vietnam's experience shows us the importance of which segment of the education system resources are allocated and evidently, we need to prioritize the primary years, which serve as the foundation of further learning", EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said. The Commission also noted that Vietnam was deliberate in reforming early childhood education and primary education first before investing heavily in higher education - a crucial factor in their successful reform program. Prioritizing early childhood education and nutrition Apart from primary education, the Vietnamese government has also ramped up its investments in early childhood care and education, as well as nutrition. Nursery-level programs cater to children as early as 3 months of age, up to to 3 years, focusing on holistic development encompassing physical, cognitive, linguistic, emotional-social, and aesthetic domains. Pre-schools, attended by children aged 3-6, prepare students for primary school by emphasizing these developmental areas. In 2010, the government established a development framework for 5-year-old children, comprising 120 indicators. "During the visit, we learned that the Vietnamese government caters to children as early as 3 months old, combining both early stimulation and education, as well as nutrition. Where, daycare workers and teachers are trained to care for children holistically an aspect that we still struggle in doing in our child development centers," said Executive Director Yee. Decentralization a key factor The Commission also found that management of education in Vietnam depends heavily on the provincial government. While policies are decided at the national level through the MOET, the People's Committees at the provincial level oversee schools' compliance with education laws, manage resources in public schools, implement educational programs, and ensure adherence to policies to enhance education quality and scale, with accountability for outcomes. Other key elements that the Commission found during the Vietnam study visit were strong support for teachers, a robust framework for assessment and learning measurement, effective curriculum development and implementation, equity in education financing, and parental support and household share in education programs. "Vietnam was able to identify important drivers of their education system and how these parts work together and contribute to their national development goals", EDCOM 2 Co-Chair Rep. Mark Go said, observing crucial priorities that the Vietnamese government identified to implement education reforms. EDCOM 2 Commissioner Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez lauded Vietnam's success and strong commitment to education. "Vietnam's experience can serve as a guide for the Philippines in pursuing necessary reforms to strengthen our education system," Rep. Benitez said. Montana State University Billings has earned the Gold designation as a 2024-25 Military Friendly School and Military Friendly Spouse School. This recognition underscores the university's dedication to providing exceptional educational opportunities and support for military-affiliated students and their families, the university said in a press release. The designation acknowledges the universitys efforts in creating sustainable and meaningful education paths for the military community and its commitment to serving veterans, veteran spouses, and military-affiliated students is recognized as exemplary. "We are honored to receive the Gold designation in both of these categories," said Shane Grantham, Director Military and Veterans Success Center. "At MSU Billings, we deeply value the sacrifices and contributions of our military-affiliated students and their families. This recognition reflects our steadfast commitment to providing comprehensive support services tailored to their unique needs." The Military and Veterans Success Center (MVSC) at Montana State University Billings serves as a vital resource hub, offering guidance, academic support, and advocacy for veterans, veteran spouses, and military-affiliated students. From GI Bill processing and certification to military tuition assistance and waiver support, the MVSC is dedicated to enhancing the educational experience and ensuring the success of all military-affiliated students. Montana State University Billings' designation as a Military Spouse Friendly School is based on evaluation of public data and proprietary information gathered through the annual Military Friendly survey process. Learn more about the Military and Veterans Success Center. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is set to receive a major boost from the US government for its expansion plans in Arizona. The Biden administration has announced a preliminary agreement to provide up to $6.6 billion in funding under the US CHIPS and Science Act. NBC News tells us that this funding will support TSMC's ambitious investment of over $65 billion in three fabrication plants in Phoenix, Arizona. Additionally, TSMC is eligible for around $5 billion in proposed loans under the CHIPS Act, aimed at bolstering the domestic chip industry in the United States. TSMC's Arizona Chip Expansion Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo hailed the agreement as "huge," emphasizing the importance of bringing the manufacturing of advanced chips to American soil. The partnership with TSMC is expected to create significant job opportunities and drive economic growth in Arizona. Part of the funds, approximately $50 million, will be allocated for training and developing local talent in Arizona. TSMC's presence in the state has already led to the creation of over 25,000 jobs and attracted 14 semiconductor suppliers. The CHIPS Act passed in August 2022, is a comprehensive package aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the US chip industry and strengthening national security. It provides incentives for companies to produce chips domestically, with a focus on avoiding reliance on foreign sources, particularly in countries deemed national security risks. TSMC's investment in Arizona represents the largest foreign direct investment in the state's history for a greenfield project. The company's Arizona factories are expected to serve major customers such as Apple and AMD, further solidifying its position in the industry. (Photo : SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images) This photo taken on March 25, 2021 shows a factory of Taiwanese semiconductors manufacturer TSMC at Central Taiwan Science Park in Taichung. More Chips Company to Receive Government Funding In addition to TSMC, other companies have also received funding under the CHIPS Act, including Intel, which was awarded up to $8.5 billion in indirect funding and up to $11 billion in loans last month. TSMC's investment will contribute to the US's goal of producing approximately 20% of the world's leading-edge chips by 2030, according to the Commerce Department. The first TSMC plant in Arizona will produce 4-nanometer chips and is expected to start production in 2025. Speaking with Nikkei Asia, the company said that its second plant, which was originally designed to make 3-nm chips, will now also produce 2-nm chips. This plant is set to begin production in 2028, according to a senior US official. Despite facing challenges such as labor shortages and permit delays, TSMC remains committed to its Arizona expansion. The company plans to bring in expertise from Taiwan to overcome these hurdles and ensure the successful implementation of its projects. Looking ahead, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo hinted at more grants to follow under the CHIPS Act. The US government is also expected to provide support to other semiconductor giants, including Samsung and SK Hynix, which have announced significant investments in the US. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Recordings off Hawaii: Researchers are filming sex between humpback whales for the first time West Indies: a total of eight tonnes of cocaine intercepted at sea in one week We tested Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max: the best way to make your TV smarter Gofio, the Canarian restaurant that lost its Michelin star in December and shines more than ever Cattle lick each other - but not every cow also licks every other one The patient should be observed by a specialist: herbalist - about the medicinal use of plants Ito Jakuchu's newly discovered scroll-shaped masterpiece may have been created when he was 76 years old The first high-speed rail Spring Festival transportation on the China-Vietnam border: there is an endless stream of passengers as it draws to a close More than 20,000 blue and white porcelain specimens were unearthed from the Yuan Dynasty ship cargo site in the Poyang Lake waters of Duchang, Jiangxi Spartak and Zenit tied in the match of the 19th round of the RPL in St. Petersburg The debuts of Pedro and Ugalde, the rescue of Khlusevich and Ignatovs post: Zenit and Spartak tied in the 19th round of the RPL Fernando Alonso and the long faces at Aston Martin: "We have four teams ahead of us" They investigate the president of the FIA for withdrawing a sanction from Alonso and returning him to third place in Saudi Arabia in 2023 Champions League: in the midst of Mbappe psychodrama, PSG plays for its future against Real Sociedad The popularity of flower viewing tours across the country has soared. What are the popular destinations for spring outings? Development and security should be pursued with both hands! Government work report delivers new signal for real estate Development and security should be pursued with both hands! Government work report delivers new signal for real estate Uber Eats will introduce autonomous robots in some areas of Tokyo from the 6th A tractor unit on the A-6 ends with police charges and causes serious traffic problems near Benavente (Interview with the Two Sessions) Justin Lin hits back at the theory that Chinas economy has peaked: He will not follow in Japans footsteps (Interview with the Two Sessions) Justin Lin hits back at the theory that Chinas economy has peaked: He will not follow in Japans footsteps Ushakov said that BRICS is ahead of the G7 in terms of purchasing power parity (Voice of the Two Sessions) He Xiaopeng: It is recommended to speed up the commercialization process of flying cars Fengyun-4 B star officially takes over from A star to provide services to more countries jointly building the Belt and Road Bloomberg: Macron will announce France's participation in the purchase of shells for the Ukrainian Armed Forces Toopi Organics: the company that relies on urine to do without fertilizers Nuclear and war in Ukraine at the heart of Emmanuel Macron's visit to the Czech Republic Four former Twitter executives sue Musk for more than $128 million in severance pay Demonstratively provocative in nature: what is known about the NATO Nordic Response exercises in Finland, Sweden and Norway The Liberal Democratic Party and the Rikun Democratic Party are adjusting the schedule for the House of Councilors Political Ethics Inquiry, expected to be held as early as next week Hyeres: after a shooting near a nursery, the town hall posts two police officers near the establishment On the eve of March 8, Putin thanked the women participants in the special operation Digital dementia and anxiety: psychologist - about the risks of constant use of gadgets Communities 2019 - Privacy The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. 'Exceptional' Sahara dust cloud hits Europe: monitor Paris, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 An "exceptional" dust cloud from the Sahara is choking parts of Europe, the continent's climate monitor said on Monday, causing poor air quality and coating windows and cars in grime. Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said the latest plume, the third of its kind in recent weeks, was bringing hazy conditions to southern Europe and would sweep northward as far as Scandinavia. Mark Parrington, senior scientist at Copernicus, said the latest event was related to a weather pattern that has brought warmer weather to parts of Europe in recent days. "While it is not unusual for Saharan dust plumes to reach Europe, there has been an increase in the intensity and frequency of such episodes in recent years, which could be potentially attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns," he said. This latest episode has caused air quality to deteriorate in several countries, Copernicus said. The European Union's safe threshold for concentrations of PM10 -- coarser particles like sand and dust that that can irritate the nose and throat -- has already been exceeded in some locations. The worst affected was the Iberian Peninsula in Spain but lesser air pollution spikes were also recorded in parts of Switzerland, France and Germany. Local authorities in southeastern and southern France announced that the air pollution threshold was breached on Saturday. They advised residents to avoid intense physical activity, particularly those with heart or respiratory problems. The dust outbreak was expected to reach Sweden, Finland and northwest Russia before ending on Tuesday with a shift in weather patterns, Copernicus said. The Sahara emits between 60 and 200 million tonnes of fine dust every year, which can travel thousands of kilometres (miles), carried by winds and certain meteorological conditions. The Spanish Canary Islands off the coast of northwest Africa saw just 12 days within a 90-day period from December to February where skies were free of Saharan dust, the local weather agency Aemet had reported. Bogota restricts water as reservoirs hit 'critical' lows Bogota, Colombia, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 The mayor of Colombia's capital Bogota on Monday announced water restrictions as reservoirs in the sprawling Andean city hit "critical" levels. Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told a press conference that two key reservoirs supplying the city were at their lowest level since the mid-1980s due to a lack of rain attributed to the El Nino climate phenomenon. He announced cuts from Thursday due to "the critical levels of the reservoirs from which we draw drinking water from Bogota." The city of eight million people has been divided into nine sectors, which will each go 24 hours without water on an assigned day before the cycle repeats itself. The goal is to reduce household consumption by 11 percent and the restrictions will last until water levels improve. "This is a temporary situation and rain will help us alleviate it, but climate change is a reality that we cannot ignore," Galan said. A drought and weather conditions exacerbated by El Nino saw Colombia start the year with scorching temperatures and hundreds of forest fires, including on mountains overlooking Bogota. Locals protest as Russian regions face worst flooding for decades Moscow, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2024 Russia on Monday warned of "unprecedented" flooding over the next 48 hours as locals in a city partially submerged by rising waters took to the streets in rare protest at the authorities' handling of the crisis. Fast-melting ice and torrential rain have caused major rivers -- the Ural and Tobol -- near the Russian border with Kazakhstan to overflow, with officials warning the flood waters are set to rise dangerously high over the next 48 hours. Dozens of protestors in the city of Orsk, which was submerged in metres of flood water over the weekend after a dam burst, on Monday protested against the government's weak response in a rare show of dissent in Russia. Videos posted by local social media channels showed the crowds shouting, "Shame! Shame! Shame!" and "Putin, help!" The Kremlin earlier on Monday said that the Russian president had no plans to visit the flooded areas. Public demonstrations against the government are illegal in Russia under strict anti-protest laws. The Orenburg regional prosecutor's office, which covers Orsk, explicitly on Monday warned residents that they faced arrest if they participated in "unauthorised" rallies. The protestors were demanding more financial help and were angry that a dam designed to protect the city had burst. In a compensation scheme published over the weekend, the regional government said it would pay up to 100,000 roubles ($1,100) per person for household items "completely destroyed" in the floods. The Orenburg governor on Monday said that it would fully reimburse the cost of damage to housing, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported. - 'Do not wait' - In Orsk, the worst affected city so far, 99 people were treated for injuries with nine people admitted to hospital, state media cited health officials as saying. More cities, including the regional hub of Orenburg with a population of 550,000, were bracing for a surge in water levels over the coming days. Governors in the neighbouring regions of Kurgan and Tyumen each introduced a state of emergency. "The flood forecast is rapidly deteriorating, much more water is arriving, and faster," Vadim Shumkov, the governor of the Kurgan region said in a post on Telegram. He called on people to evacuate while they still could. "Everyone who lives in settlements along the floodplain of the Tobol River: evacuate. Do not wait for the water to come. It will come at night and unexpectedly, quickly arriving in the form of a large wave," Shumkov said in a post on Telegram. The regional capital, also called Kurgan, is home to 300,000 people and sits on the river. Water levels were receding in Orsk on Monday but had risen close to dangerous levels in the city of Orenburg. The Kremlin called the situation "critical" and said it would likely "worsen". "Nature has caused a lot of inconvenience. But the local residents are handling it stoically, as are the local authorities," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, hours before the protests in Orsk. Thousands of people have been evacuated from flooded areas. The Emergency Situations ministry on Monday said that more than 10,000 residential buildings had been flooded, mostly in the Urals, Volga area and western Siberia. - 'Unprecedented' - Orenburg Mayor Sergei Salmin told Russian television that the city "has not seen so much water" in decades. "The highest (water) mark was in 1942. That was 946 centimetres," Salmin said. "Since then there have been no floods. This is unprecedented." Russia's weather monitor Rosgidromet said it did not expect the flood in Orenburg to peak until Wednesday. The Ural river flows through Orenburg and into Kazakhstan, where President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the floods were one of the worst natural disasters to affect his country in decades. Emergency authorities also warned that the Irtysh river was "very likely" to flood parts of Tobolsk, one of Russia's oldest Siberian cities. Putin, who has been a vocal climate sceptic for much of his rule, has in recent years ordered his government to do more to prepare Russia for extreme weather events. The country has seen severe floods and fires in recent springs and summers. The proposed purchase of almost 414 acres of land along the Yellowstone River west of Hysham is being touted for increasing public access while tying together two separated parcels of the Issac Homestead Wildlife Management Area. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks has outlined the $900,000 purchase in an environmental assessment now available for public comment through May 5. The money would come from a combination of the Habitat Montana and Migratory Bird Wetland Program funds. The current owner of the parcel is the Montana Outdoor Legacy Foundation, which bought the land through its Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust to give FWP time to work through its public process. The deal had been proposed in a February EA, but was removed from consideration six days later to allow for a survey to be completed. The survey adjusted the acreage from 412 to 413.929 acres. The Isaac Homestead WMA, first established in 1969, is located in Treasure County. The east unit historically was accessible via an access road which ran along the bank of the Yellowstone River. However, the river channel migrated north into a steep embankment, washing away that route. Without the land purchase, the only way for the public to access the parcel is from the river. A county road provides access to the west side of the WMA. FWP noted in its environmental assessment the land purchase would also: conserve and enhance Yellowstone River riparian, wetland and sagebrush-steppe habitats; expand public recreational opportunities along the Lower Yellowstone River; and expand opportunity for a cooperative farming lease in partnership with a local agricultural producer. The propertys upper bench comprises Great Plains mixed grass prairie and sagebrush steppe dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush and western wheatgrass, according to the EA. The bench also includes about 37 acres of seasonally inundated depressional wetlands. The south side of the bench breaks off into woody draws containing Rocky Mountain juniper, snowberry, skunkbush sumac, and chokecherry. The river bottom habitat includes approximately 1 mile of riverfront with an overstory of plains cottonwood and an understory of sandbar willow, Woods rose, western wheatgrass, and smooth brome. In addition to native habitats, the property includes about 46 acres of irrigated cropland. "The mosaic of upland, wetland, cropland, and riparian habitats provides for a diverse assemblage of notable wildlife species including mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, Merriams turkey, many waterfowl species, ring-necked pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse and others," according to the EA. "In addition, the property hosts, or has the potential to host, several 'species of concern' including greater sage grouse, great blue heron, black-tailed prairie dog, spiny softshell turtle, little brown myotis, and many other species," the EA continued. The Treasure County Board of Commissioners endorsed the purchase in a letter saying it would "greatly benefit our community by promoting local businesses, family activity and outdoor recreational opportunities." The updated EA can be viewed on the FWP website at https://fwp.mt.gov/news/public-notices or is available upon request from the FWP office in Miles City, 406-234-0900. Written comments can be emailed to: satwood@mt.gov or mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Isaac Homestead WMA Addition, PO Box 1630, Miles City, MT 59301. The land acquisition is also being touted as building upon the Lower Yellowstone River Coalition's attempts to improve access to the river between Hysham and Sidney to promote visitation and economic development in the region. Another parcel has already been acquired that was promoted by the coalition. The 328-acre Wildcat Bend property was purchased for $1.18 million late last year. The Wildcat property is located seven miles east of Forsyth, in Rosebud County. The acquisition will create Montanas newest Wildlife Management Area, protect wildlife and riparian habitat and open 2.2 miles of riverfront for boat-in and walk-in access. Investor heavyweights are failing to hold board directors of coal, oil and gas companies to account for their climate performance, with an average of more than 95 per cent of shareholder support when it comes to elections. Ahead of annual meetings for some of Australias biggest oil players including Santos and Woodside, research from Market Forces shows there has been no downward trend in support for company directors despite companies with major fossil fuel expansion plans falling short of investors climate disclosure expectations. Market Forces chief executive Will van de Pol said the worlds biggest investment firms are failing to live up to their active ownership claims. Credit: David Gray Market Forces chief executive Will van de Pol said the findings contradict claims from investors that they are driving improved climate governance through active ownership: using their rights as a shareholder to improve corporate behaviour. Its very concerning that the worlds biggest investment firms are failing to live up to their active ownership claims when it comes to managing immense climate-related financial risks, he said. Directors of companies continuing to exacerbate climate risks by expanding the scale of the fossil fuel industry must face the credible threat that they will be voted off boards. Hormone therapies for women experiencing menopause are too expensive and inaccessible, and doctors arent confident managing the condition, say a range of submissions to a Senate inquiry looking at how menopause shapes womens health and careers. Several healthcare organisations have emphasised that most menopause treatments developed in the past 15 years are not subsidised in Australia forcing women to rely on private scripts that can cost $50 a month and are calling for more options to be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Menopause symptoms peak between the ages of 50 and 58, when about one in four women experience hot flushes and one in five have night sweats, according to the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womens Health. Credit: Getty Images More than half of Australians may at some point experience the debilitating symptoms of menopause and perimenopause [which comes beforehand], says a submission from the Society of Hospital Pharmacists. For a condition that affects such a large population cohort, its management is poorly understood by both women and healthcare practitioners. Furthermore, despite readily available, safe hormonal and non-hormonal therapies, over 85 per cent of women with bothersome symptoms are not receiving evidenced-based care. An unliveable three-bedroom property in Five Dock attracted a $5,016,000 payday for its vendors, after seven bidders fought over the home on Saturday. The home at 31 Norman Street was guided at $3.75 million had only changed hands twice since the 1920s. Bidding opened at $3.5 million, and buyers placed bids of $100,000 and $50,000 bar one bidder who rounded up to the nearest even number. It quickly hit the market at $4 million, the reserve, then the rest of the auction was fought out by three parties until it sold for a whopping $1,016,000 more than its reserve. McGrath Strathfield selling agent Arthur Syrios said the property was completely dilapidated and much worse than the photos showed. He said the home had odd smells and remnants of past fires. From all the activity of a working mine town like Kalgoorlie, its worth mixing things up by heading to the opposite end of the spectrum to a veritable ghost town. To get there, you first need to traverse the famed Nullarbor Plain (just another thing you get to tick off your bucket list). While billed as an adventure drive, by train you get to simply sit back and take in the magnificent views from the comfort of your luxe cabin or the dining car. Crossing the border and time zone into South Australia will bring you up to the remote locale of Cook, once a populated outpost along the rail line, its now long abandoned. Its a place to let your imagination run wild and spook yourself silly with its haunting emptiness punctuated by buildings such as the old school and hospital that add to the atmosphere of this middle-of-nowhere destination. On this particular journey, you will get the full mysterious experience as you step off the train for a nightcap, late-night bonfire and stargazing experience. Barossa Valley Barossa Valley is a veritable feast for the senses. Credit: Journey Beyond It would be entirely remiss to pass across the country and not reward yourself with sampling some of our finest drops at the Barossa Valley. Get the full Barossa treatment at the 170-year-old Seppeltsfield Winery. From the romantic setting under festoon lights, a traditional firing of the barrel ceremony and live music, to the exclusive dinner where executive chef Owen Andrews will curate a food and wine pairing your palate will thank you for, it truly is a night to remember. Broken Hill One of Australias most unique destinations deserves a stopover. Broken Hill, with its mix of history, arts and culture, and, of course, pop-culture cache (hello, Priscilla) makes it one of a kind. Sitting on the edge of the desert, the fascination of this mining town is tricky to pin down: its so many things to so many people and there is plenty to explore. From incredible sculptures set against the desert background, the humbling Miners Memorial, plus plenty of galleries and cafes to while away the day, Broken Hill is one of those places that stay with you long after you leave (vowing to return). Blue Mountains The Blue Mountains is magnificent from every angle. Credit: iStock One of the gems of New South Wales, the Blue Mountains never fail to impress, and theres a reason why even those who live close by make the journey to see them over and over again. One of the best things about the Blue Mountains is the varying ways visitors can interact with them, whether its via a sky-high cable car, taking a ride on the thrilling funicular, meandering your way by foot along one of the many tourist trails, or just perching at some of the easily accessible lookout points. The township of Katoomba itself is a delightful spot to unwind at as well. Sydney And, of course, the final point of this cross-country extravaganza is a showstopper. Sydney never fails to dazzle. While youre there, see what all the buzz is about at the acclaimed Sydney Modern extension to the Art Gallery of NSW, enjoy people watching at new precincts such as Darling Square or Sydney Place, or indulge in a dinner or lunch cruise along the spectacular harbour. See all this and more on Journey Beyonds all-inclusive Perth to Sydney journey on board the Indian Pacific commencing in 2025 by clicking here. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has set June 5 as the deadline for landowners to apply for a 2024 deer gratis hunting license. Applications must be made through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. General deer and muzzleloader lottery applications will be available online in early May, also with a deadline of June 5. Gratis applicants who have previously applied online will automatically have their land description forwarded to this years application. But any changes with land descriptions from last years application must be made prior to submitting the 2024 application. Staff Reporter In 2019, Shiv Sena (United) had an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But, voters trust was breached and Sena went with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (United). Voters voted us so that Sena-BJP alliance could be formed. We should have formed the Government. It did not happen. We separated from our group and formed Mahayuti with BJP to restore voters confidence, explained Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He was addressing a gathering of Shiv Sena workers at Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Hall on Sunday. Eknath Shinde said that he rebelled against the then party chief as the ideology of Shiv Sena Pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray was compromised. Thackeray had never preferred to join hands with Congress over BJP. I did not want to become the Chief Minister but I had no choice but to rebel because I could not tolerate damage being done to Balasaheb Thackerays ideology, asserted Shinde. Appealing to the people to vote for the ruling alliance in order to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister for the third time in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Shinde said, Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi does not have any agenda nor any plan for development. We all know what has happened to INDI alliance. Mentioning name of Krupal Tumane, the sitting MP of Ramtek, Shinde patted the back of former. He pointed out, Once in municipal polls which we fought under the leadership of Anand Dighe, I had sacrificed and did not contest the poll. I had told Dighe that Party was important, not the person. Today, Tumane too has taken the same stand. I congratulate him for his magnanimous approach. He will get his gift. We will rehabilitate him. There are some equations, there is elective merit. In Ramtek, we too had to take some decisions. I am proud of Tumane as he told me that he would stand with Raju Parve in this election fully, added Shinde. Ramtek MP Krupal Tumane, MLA Ashish Jaiswal, former Minister Dr Deepak Savant, Vidarbha Organiser of Shiv Sena Kiran Pandav, Nagpur Organiser Mangesh Kashikar, Lok Sabha candidate of the party for Ramtek Raju Parve, Suraj Goje, Sandip Itkelwar and others were seated on the dais. Attack on NIA team Case, counter case lodged in W Bengal PURBA MEDINIPUR : A DAY after the attack on an NIA team at Bhupatinagar in Purba Medinipur district while carrying out a probe in connection with a blast case, NIA has registered a case against the attackers at the Bhupatinagar police station while East Midnapore Police have registered an FIR against the NIA team and CRPF officials on the complaint of a woman. The woman, wife of one of the two arrested men for the attack, alleged that NIA officials molested her by breaking the doors of their houses late at night. The National Investigation Agency on Saturday arrested two key conspirators, local Trinamool Congress leaders - Balai Charan Maity and Manobrata Jana - in a 2022 blast case in West Bengals East Midnapore district in which three persons were killed. Janas wife Moni Jana lodged her complaint with Bhupatinagar police station alleging that NIA officers also vandalised properties in her residence during their raid on Saturday morning, he said. We have registered an FIR after receiving a complaint from a woman alleging assault by NIA officers. We are looking into the complaint, the police officer told PTI. IPC Section 354 (for assaulting any woman, with an intention to outrage her modesty) was attached to the complaint, the police officer added. SP Soumyadeep Bhattacharya said, An NIA team had reached Bhupatinagar police station and we (police) fully cooperated with them. Earlier, another NIA team had come and there were reports of some arguments with them. During the incident, a vehicle was vandalised before the police arrived and one person was also reported to be injured. A FIR has been registered and an investigation is going on. Efforts for arrest are underway. A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in the 2022 blast case in Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said one of its officers was injured and a vehicle was damaged in the attack that happened in Bhupatinagar. The attack on the NIA team evoked memories of January 5 when a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was attacked by a mob in North 24 Parganas districts Sandeshkhali during a search at the house of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with alleged irregularities in the public distribution system. Congress has lost moral right to remain political party: BJP NEW DELHI, The Congress has lost the moral right to remain a political party after its President Mallikarjun Kharges remarks on the scrapping of Article 370, the BJP said on Sunday. The BJP intensified its attack on the Congress a day after Kharge took a swipe at it over the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said in Rajasthan as to what difference does it make here with the removal of Article 370. If a party says what difference does it make in other states with the integration of Kashmir, its clear that you (Congress) have no respect for the oath taken by every one for the unity and integrity of the country, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi charged. After Kharges remarks on Article 370, the Congress, which has almost lost the status or the right to be a national party, has now also lost the right to be even a political party from a moral point of view, the BJP leader alleged. The Congress can now call itself a conglomeration of regional forces, he added. With the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, Trivedi said, the Narendra Modi Government fulfilled the BJPs resolve of national integration which had been taken up under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the partys founding member who sacrificed his life for it. This is the difference between our thinking and their (Congress) thinking, the BJP leader said. Home Minister Amit Shah had on Saturday hit out at the Congress dubbing Kharges remarks as shameful. He also reminded the Congress that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and that every state and citizen has a right over it just as the people of Jammu and Kashmir have a right over the rest of the country. Shah and other BJP leaders, including its President J P Nadda, had shared the short clip of Kharges speech on X, in which he is heard targeting the ruling party for talking about the abrogation of Article 370. Are bhai, yahan ke logon se kya wasta hai (what has it got to do with the people here)? Kharge is heard asking in the clip. The Congress chief also incorrectly referred to Article 371 instead of Article 370. Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Trivedi took potshots at the opposition party over Kharges reference to Article 371 of the Constitution, saying, The Congress is perhaps scared of 370 now and perhaps out of frustration, he referred to it as 371. PDP names candidates for 3 Valley seats SRINAGAR, PEOPLES Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti will contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat against DPAP president Ghulam Nabi Azad, making the newly-carved out constituency the most high-profile contest in Jammu and Kashmir in these elections. The National Conference has fielded influential Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmad from the seat and the Apni Party has named Zaffar Iqbal Manhas. The BJP has not announced its candidate so far. PDP Parliamentary Board Chief Sartaj Madni on Sunday announced the party candidates for the three seats of Kashmir. The partys youth wing president Waheed Parra will contest the polls from Srinagar and former Rajya Sabha member Mir Fayaz from Baramulla. The candidates were announced by the party at a press conference addressed by Mufti and Madni. They said the PDP will support the Congress on two Jammu region seats of Udhampur and Jammu. Asked if the Congress will reciprocate in Kashmir, the PDP President said she was not extending support to the national party on quid pro quo basis. We have decided to support the Congress for the larger fight to save the Constitution and democracy. But I would appeal to not only Congress workers but NC workers also to support me so that we can take the voice of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to Parliament, she said. My appeal to all people of the constituency -- from Anantnag to Rajouri and Poonch -- is to come together as we are passing through a critical stage. People cannot talk. Talking has become a crime. If someone raises voice, he is labelled as anti-national, she added. On her party contesting against INDIA bloc partner National Conference, Mufti said she had left the ball in NC president Farooq Abdullahs court. PMs roadshow captivates city Staff Reporter Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in Jabalpur witnessed an overwhelming response as thousands of supporters thronged the streets of Sanskardhani. The air reverberated with the chants of "Jai Shriram" and "Modi-Modi," reflecting the immense enthusiasm and eagerness of the people to catch a glimpse of their beloved PM. Numerous hands stretched out to capture pictures or wave at him, creating a vibrant atmosphere throughout the one-kilometer roadshow, which lasted for about an hour. Commencing his roadshow at 6:30 pm from Katanga crossing, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Jabalpur at 6 pm. The procession passed through various locations, captivating the attention of the onlookers, before concluding at chhoti line crossing. To manage the high-spirited crowds, two-layer barricades were set up along the route. Several people brought along pictures, paintings and sketches of Modi, while some even climbed railings and buildings to catch a better view. However, standing on the barricades was strictly prohibited to ensure safety. The roadshow in Jabalpur turned into a magnificent display of support for the BJP and Prime Minister Modi, as countless supporters, particularly women and youth, came together to express their commitment. People from every section of the society joined the event, cheering for the Prime Minister as he continuously waved and greeted them warmly throughout the roadshow. The roadshow, held in support of BJP candidate Ashish Dubey, marked Prime Minister Modi's first appearance in Madhya Pradesh since the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls. Riding in an open jeep along with Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, State PWD Minister Rakesh Singh and party candidate, Ashish Dubey, Modi's presence intensified the enthusiasm of the crowd. Supporters of PM Modi hold rallies in over 16 US cities By Lalit K Jha Washington, Apr 8 (PTI) From the historic National Monument and Lincoln Memorial here in the American Capital to the iconic Golden Bridge on the East Coast, hundreds of supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallies for his victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections exuding confidence that the BJP-led alliance would cross 400 seats. The Modi ka Parivar March rallies were organised on Sunday by the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) USA. The rallies were held at iconic places in over 16 cities supporting Prime Minister Modi's re-election and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning over 400 seats in upcoming parliament elections in India, a media release said on Sunday. Members of the Indian American community representing various states of India, Kashmir to Kerala and Maharashtra to the east came out in all colours to march as Modi ka Pariwar at iconic places in over 16 cities in America, said Adapa Prasad, President of OFBJP-USA. Marches were held in 16 cities, including San Francisco, Houston, and Atlanta. The march showcased the deep-rooted respect and solidarity for Modi's leadership and the collective aspiration of "Abki Baar 400 Paar" in the upcoming Lok Sabha Election 2024, said Sachindra Nath from San Francisco. Participants spanning all age groups, from young children to the elderly, gathered to express their unwavering support for Modi and his vision for India, the media release said. The marchers, adorned in saffron and carrying flags, banners, and placards, formed a sea of support as they made their way across the Golden Gate, symbolising the bridge of solidarity and unity that Modi's leadership has built among Indians worldwide. The event served as a powerful statement of the Indian diaspora's commitment to India's progress and its support for the policies and direction under the current government. The enthusiastic participation of such a diverse age group underscored the wide-reaching appeal and impact of Modi Ji's governance and his vision for an inclusive, developed, and prosperous India, Nath said. Dr Vasudev Patel, General Secretary of OFBJP-USA, said that NRIs and the Indian diaspora are enthusiastic in support of BJP and Modi, and they marched with their families across the US. Qutub Minar lit up in solidarity on 30th anniversary of Rwandan genocide New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) Expressing solidarity with the people of Rwanda, India lit up the Qutub Minar on Sunday to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The minaret of the UNESCO heritage site in south Delhi was illuminated in the colours of the Rwandan flag. "In solidarity with the people of Rwanda, India lit up the Qutub Minar today, marking the UN International Day of Reflection on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Secy (ER) Dammu Ravi represented India at the 30th commemoration of the genocide today in Kigali," Randhir Jaiswal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA spokesperson), said in a post on X on Sunday. In the late-night post, he also shared a photograph of the illuminated Qutub Minar and one of Secretary (Economic Relations) Ravi laying a wreath in Kigali, the Rwandan capital. The MEA had on Saturday said that Ravi, during his visit to Rwanda, would represent the government of India in an event marking "the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Rwanda genocide (Kwibuka 30)" on April 7. During a visit to Rwanda in February 2017, the then-vice-president Hamid Ansari had paid tributes to the victims at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Ansari had described the memorial, the final resting place for more than 250,000 people massacred during the genocide, as a "testament to an indomitable national spirit". The site commemorates the mass slaughter of Tutsi people in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority government in 1994. The memorial was built in 2004 by a collective effort of the government, the people of Kigali and a non-profit trust. "A visit to this memorial is a moving experience. On behalf of the people of India and my own behalf, I salute the resilience and courage demonstrated by the Rwandan people to put behind the hatred and move ahead on the path of reconciliation and inclusion. It is a testament to an indomitable national spirit," Ansari wrote in his message in the visitors' book. Ansari had laid a wreath at the site and also took a tour of the memorial, which, among other exhibits, displays the skulls, bones and belongings of several victims. The Kigali Genocide Memorial website charts the story behind its inception and the larger purpose of building a better society. "Survivors, their experience and testimony are at the heart of the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which also hosts the Genocide Archive of Rwanda. Many survivors speak of it as their home," it says. "Honouring the memory of those murdered had to begin with listening to those who survived but couldn't stop there. Somehow it needed to become a starting-point for learning which could make communities resilient against identity-based violence in the future," it further says. TMC desires free license for graft, violence in WB: Modi JALPAIGURI (WB) : PRIME Minister Narendra Modi alleged on Sunday that the TMC desires a free license for corruption and violence in West Bengal, which is why central agencies investigating such cases face attacks in the State. While addressing a mega rally in Jalpaiguri, Modi also claimed that TMCs syndicate Raj prevails in West Bengal, and the party is only interested in protecting its corrupt leaders. The TMC Government seeks to have a free pass for looting and terror in Bengal. To shield its extortionist and corrupt leaders, the TMC orchestrates attacks on central investigative agencies when they come here, he said. Modis comments come a day after an NIA team was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when attempting to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 blast case in West Bengals Purba Medinipur district. The TMC is disregarding the law and the constitution of the country, he said. Modi mentioned that the situation in the State is such that the court has to intervene in various matters. The Prime Minister accused the TMC Government of impeding implementation of the Centres welfare schemes for the poor in the State. Claiming that the Enforcement Directorate has attached properties worth Rs 3,000 crore from corrupt leaders of the TMC in various corruption cases in Bengal, Modi said , I guarantee you that the money looted by corrupt leaders will be given back to the poor people who had to give money to get jobs. The Prime Minister said, The TMC, Left, and the Congress have formed I.N.D.I. Alliance to protect the corrupt. Referring to recent incidents in Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders emerged, Prime Minister Modi assured people that the culprits of Sandeshkhali will spend the rest of their lives in jail. Cong manifesto bears imprint of Muslim League: Modi in Bihar PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Opposition Congress, charging that its poll manifesto bore the imprint of Muslim League and utterances of its leaders betrayed hostility towards national integrity and Sanatan Dharma. MUMBAI (PTI): A Royal Australian Navy delegation visited the Indian Navys Western Naval Command (WNC) and discussed matters of mutual interest and interoperability, which will further strengthen the bilateral ties between the two navies, an official release said. The five-member delegation was briefed on the activities of the Indian Navys Western Fleet in the backdrop of the security situation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, it said. During its visit on Friday, the delegation also took a tour of an indigenously built destroyer and a submarine at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. The delegation was briefed on the capabilities of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited when it visited the facility and was informed about its ongoing projects for the Indian Navy. A five-member delegation of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), led by Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, AO, Chief of RAN, visited Headquarters, Western Naval Command, Mumbai on April 5. The delegation interacted with Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command and held discussions on matters of mutual interest and interoperability between the two Navies, the Navy said. The delegation was given an overview of the roles and charter of the WNC and current challenges in the maritime domain. India and Australia are parties to the Maritime Dialogue and various Navy-to-Navy interactions, which are conducted periodically. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation has been in force since 2014, and both countries raised their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in June 2020. Subsequently, naval cooperation between the two maritime nations has grown substantially over the years, the Navy said. The current visit by the RAN delegation would further strengthen the bilateral ties between the two navies. Both the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) countries maintain similar views on stability, peace and growth which is a prime factor in the blossoming cultural and diplomatic exchanges," the Navy said. Press Release April 8, 2024 SP Zubiri now a reserve Lt. Col. in the Philippine Army 'ANY GOOD PATRIOT SHOULD BE READY TO FIGHT FOR THE COUNTRY' "But I also believe that any good patriot, no matter their lot in life, should be ready to fight for the country when called for - and this is a call that I am prepared to answer." This is according to Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, who is now a reserve officer of the Philippine Army, donning the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in a simple ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo today and expressing readiness to fight for the country. In accepting the rank designation, Zubiri said he and the Philippine Army share in the responsibility of protecting the sovereignty and democracy in the country, with the Senate leader advocating for the military's modernization and increase in budget in the Senate. "It is a great honor to finally come to the culmination of that partnership, as I now take on the responsibility of being a reserve Lieutenant Colonel of the Army, prepared to defend the country not only in the halls of the Senate but also out in our war rooms and on the field, alongside you all," Zubiri expressed. "It is not a responsibility I take lightly. I respect that as men and women of the Army, you have devoted yourselves entirely to the defense of the nation. Your skills, judgment and dedication are beyond compare, and no reservist can ever hope to measure up to you," the Senate chief added. The ceremony was witnessed by officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), including AFP Chief-of-Staff General Romeo S. Brawner, a former head of the Philippine Army, along with BGen. Daniel Tansip, BGen.Bernardo Fortez, and MGen. Romulo Manuel. Tension in the West Philippine Sea has been continuously rising due to the increased bullying of the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard. In a recent survey, a majority of Filipinos indicated they were willing to fight for the country's territory and sovereignty. Zubiri has been very vocal about criticizing the actions of China and has stood up, on numerous occasions, to denounce the illegal activities of the global superpower in the Philippines' territory and exclusive economic zone. "Andito po ako ngayon para patunayan na hindi lang tayo puro salita sa Senado, mayroon din tayong gawa. Handa tayong sumaklolo sa panahon ng krisis at pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan," Zubiri said. "At the end of the day, whatever hat I am wearing - whether as a legislator or a reservist - my service to this country can be traced down to one simple truth: I love our country and I love our people," he continued. "This love has fueled me for over two decades of public service, and it will continue to fuel me in all that I do, especially as a reservist of the Army." On the occasion of the "Araw ng Kagitingan commemoration on April 9, Zubiri encouraged Filipinos to apply in their lives the essence of the national anthem. "Palagi nating kinakanta, "Lupang Hinirang, duyan ka ng magiting" - panawagan po ito sa atin na isabuhay ang giting at tapang ng ating mga bayani, na nagbigay ng kanilang sarili para sa bayan," Zubiri declared. "Wala nang ibang magtatanggol sa ating bayan kung hindi tayo mismo. Tayo ang maniniguro na 'sa manlulupig, di pasisiil' ang ating mahal na Pilipinas. Kaya umaasa ako na marami pang ibang kababayan natin ang susunod sa ating pagiging reservist ng AFP. Samahan niyo kami sa pagtindig para sa ating kalayaan at sa ating kapayapaan." SUNY Erie Community College will dedicate the atrium of its main City Campus building in honor of former Erie County Legislator Joan K. Bozer in a ceremony from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 18. Bozer, who died in 2023, was a leader in the effort that saved the historic structure at 121 Ellicott St. from demolition in the 1970s. The Gothic Revival style building opened in 1901 and served as the city's main post office until 1963. Bozer joined with then-County Legislators Minnie Gillette and Mary Lou Rath in a campaign to preserve the building and find a new use for it. It became the home of SUNY Erie's City Campus in 1981. The dedication ceremony also will celebrate the building's designation on the National Register of Historic Places and launch the Joan K. Bozer Scholarship, which will provide financial support for future SUNY Erie students. Tickets for the ceremony are $100 for patrons, $50 for seniors and $25 for SUNY Erie students and are available at https://buytickets.at/eccfoundation1/1182212. Dale Anderson Universities across the country including Cornell, SUNY, and NYU are warning that a new Biden administration proposal will undermine their researchers and ultimately waste tens of billions of taxpayer dollars. The proposal would drastically reinterpret the bipartisan Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, which enables universities to patent early-stage discoveries they make with the help of government grants and then license those patents to private companies that further research and develop the ideasin an attempt to create real-world products. Before Bayh-Dole, the federal government retained the patent and licensing rights on any discoveries stemming from federally funded research. But it did a poor job of finding private companies that wanted to commercialize those discoveries, licensing only 5% of the patents it owned. By getting the government out of the way and empowering universities to license their own discoveries, the Bayh-Dole Act raised that licensing rate to about 60%, a 12-fold increase. The ensuing research has spawned thousands of new companiesand grown the American economy by over $1 trillion. Bayh-Dole does permit the government to march in and relicense federally funded patents, but only if one of four specific triggers is met. The price of a successfully developed product isnt one of those triggers. Bayh-Dole authors even clarified that the ability of the government to revoke a license granted under the act is not contingent on the pricing of a resulting product. The administrations new proposal ignores the plain meaning of the law and essentially names high product prices as a fifth trigger that justifies marching in and relicensing patents to rival companies that could produce cheaper copycat versions of the products in question. Courts would likely reject such a blatant abuse of the law. But the more important argument against misusing Bayh-Dole, however, isnt the legal one. Adopting the new framework would undermine four decades worth of trust in federally funded research and decimate innovation across all high-tech sectors. By the administrations own admission, the proposal is technology-agnostic. No innovation that benefited from any amount of government funding, regardless of industry, will be safe. Indeed, the proposal imagines using march-in rights to control diverse sectors of the economy, from transportation to communication. Universities, as well as industry groups like the National Venture Capital Association, have warned that without secure patent rights, startups and investors will avoid licensing federally funded innovations. New Yorkers, and all Americans, would lose out on the benefits that currently stem from their tax dollars. If the proposal is finalized, investors wont commit, businesses wont open, jobs wont be created and consumers wont gain access to new products. Leaders in Washington must act now to withdraw the proposal before the damage becomes irreversible. Andrei Iancu served as the undersecretary of Commerce for intellectual property and director of the USPTO from 2018 to 2021. David Kappos served as the undersecretary of Commerce for intellectual property and director of the USPTO from 2009 to 2013. Both serve as board co-chairs of the Council for Innovation Promotion. (Kano, Nigeria: April 8, 2024) In a proactive move to garner support and advocacy for the adoption of Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea, a delegation led by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has engaged in a strategic meeting with the Emir of Rano, Ambassador Kabiru Muhammad Inwua. The meeting held at the Emirs Palace in Rano aimed to solicit his esteemed support in promoting the uptake of PBR Cowpea, a genetically modified crop designed to withstand the devastating impact of pests and enhance agricultural productivity in Nigeria. The leader of the delegation, Dr Jean Baptiste, AATF Regional Representative for West Africa said that cowpea, a staple crop in Nigeria, plays a crucial role in addressing food security and nutritional needs, particularly in rural communities. However, the crop is often plagued by the devastating impact of pests, notably the Maruca vitrata, which can cause significant yield losses if left unchecked. Baptiste said that to address the pest challenges, AATF and partners has developed PBR cowpea varieties engineered to resist the destructive effects of the pod borer, offering a sustainable solution to improve yields and enhance farmer livelihoods. The Emir of Rano . He therefore solicited the support of the Emir in championing its adoption within the emiratesaying that the crop has the potentials of improving the livelihood of farmers due to its prolific nature. Dr Baptiste emphasized the role of the PBR Cowpea in reducing pesticide use, increasing yields, and improving food security for rural households. He also noted that rigorous scientific research and regulatory processes was undertaken to ensure the safety and efficacy of genetically modified crops, assuring the Emir of the integrity and reliability of PBR cowpea varieties. In response, the Emir commended AATF for its dedication to advancing agricultural technologies that benefit smallholder farmers and rural communities. He reiterated his commitment to supporting initiatives that promote sustainable agricultural practices and enhance the resilience of local food systems. Moreover, the Emir pledged his full support for the promotion and adoption of PBR cowpea within the Rano Emirate. About AATF (www.aatf-africa.org) Founded in 2003 to address Africas food security prospects through agricultural technology, AATF believes that the agricultural sector is a key foundational pillar as Africa consolidates its economic growth and carves out its new position as a major global economic powerhouse and the next growth market in the world. It was formed in response to the need for an effective mechanism that would facilitate and support negotiation for technology access and delivery and formation of appropriate partnerships to manage the development & deployment of innovative technologies for use by smallholder farmers in SSA. For further information. Photos and video contact: Alex Abutu Communication Officer (West and Central Africa) AATF. +2348068701960 [email protected] The Nigerian aviation industry is experiencing turbulence, but not from air currents. The commencement of Air Peace flights to London was met with enthusiasm by Nigerians, who welcomed the prospect of more affordable travel options. Nigerians have long borne the brunt of exorbitant airfares on international routes, particularly the Lagos-London connection. The arrival of Air Peace, offering more competitive pricing, was a welcome relief. However, this development also triggered a reaction from foreign carriers, fearing the loss of Nigerian passengers to their Nigerian competitor. A price war has erupted on the lucrative Lagos-London route, with foreign airlines slashing fares in a seemingly coordinated effort to push out domestic carrier, Air Peace. This development raises critical questions about global economics, political influence, and the future of Nigerian air travel. This price war goes beyond mere competition. It is a calculated tactic to stir the aviation market, cripple weaker airlines, and threaten Air Peace's very survival. Evidence supporting this claim comes from a price list revealing drastic reductions by major foreign carriers. Air France, for example, now offers economy class tickets for N907,782, a significant decrease from their previous N2 million+ price tag. Similar stories unfold with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, both slashing fares by nearly half. These aggressive pricing strategies signal a concerted effort to drive Air Peace out of the market and regain dominance. It's essential to contextualise this price war within the broader framework of global economics and politics. The desperation of foreign carriers to maintain their stronghold reflects the competitive nature of the airline industry, where market share translates into power and influence. As Kwame Nkrumah aptly stated, understanding our enemies is crucial for African nations striving for economic independence and self-sufficiency. Nigerians play a pivotal role in driving the country's economy forward. As consumers, their choices can shape market trends and influence the strategies of airlines operating within the region. In fact, this applies to other sectors of the economy. There's a silver lining for Nigerian travellers in the short term, as these fare reductions could translate to immediate savings. Notwithstanding, this may be a temporary benefit. Price wars rarely result in long-term gains for consumers. The financial strain on airlines could lead to service cuts, fleet deterioration, and ultimately, higher fares once the competition is subdued. So, what's the way forward for Air Peace? The airline needs to leverage its unique position as a truly Nigerian brand. This could involve innovative marketing campaigns that resonate with the local market and capitalise on Air Peace's understanding of Nigerian travelers. It already started well by successfully integrating elements of Nigerian culture and identity into its services, setting itself apart from foreign competitors. The introduction of a distinctive dress code for its attendants, proudly African in style, and the inclusion of local cuisines on board add a touch of authenticity and pride to the flying experience. Patriotic citizens also have a role to play. Supporting Nigerian-owned companies is not just an economic decision but also an act of patriotism. By patronising indigenous businesses like Air Peace, Nigerians contribute to the growth and prosperity of their own country. Encouraging the thriving of indigenous businesses such as Air Peace is essential for Nigeria's economic resilience and autonomy. In a global economy often influenced by Western economic interests, the government must adopt a decisive stance in protecting and promoting local industries and entrepreneurs. In conclusion, the price war in Nigeria's airline industry underscores the fierce competition and power dynamics at play within the global aviation sector. While the slashing of fares may seem like a boon for consumers, it also reflects deeper tensions and challenges facing indigenous businesses. By understanding these dynamics and rallying behind Nigerian carriers, we can assert our economic sovereignty and pave the way for a more prosperous future. Matthew Alugbin, Ph.D. teaches at Edo State University, Uzairue A coalition of youth support groups of President Tinubu is set to conclude the distribution of 50,000 family food boxes to vulnerable Nigerians across the nation during the holy month of Ramadan. The group were supported by the Minister and Minister of State Youth, the six Senior Special Assistants to the President on Community Engagement, the EVC NASENI, DG SMEDAN, Youth Focused aides of the President, and select partners, undertook a noble initiative to assist vulnerable families across Nigeria during the holy month of Ramadan. The program involves distributing free family food boxes to 50,000 vulnerable families in the country and is set to conclude on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Each Family Food Box contains dry food items that include rice, semolina, tomato paste and other food supplies to feed a family for five days. The distribution to families across Nigeria in the past three weeks has been carried out through various community-focused outreaches. The Family Food Box Distribution Initiative is scheduled to end across all the geopolitical regions in Nigeria this week. Seyi Tinubu, Patron of the City Boy Movement, in his comments, thanked the supporters, volunteers, and partners for their valuable contributions to the success of the program. He expressed his appreciation to all the private sector partners who donated various items and the volunteers drawn from every section of the country, regardless of creed, tribe, and religion, who showed that the spirit of community and caring for one another is still strong and alive in Nigeria. He prayed for the Almighty to bless and reward everyone participating in this program. It would be recalled that the nationwide distribution programme, which happened simultaneously, was flagged off in Abuja three weeks ago by the Minister of State for Youth, EVC NASENI, Senior Special Assistants to the President and various youth-focused aides of the President who have been critical for the proper implementation and distribution. As a show of commitment to the Presidents Renewed Hope Agenda, the proactive group, comprised of an organised movement of support groups and individuals, is aligned with the values and ideals of President Bola Tinubu, and have vowed to continue to foster developmental and social initiatives facilitated by the private sector. Some bandits operating around Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State have reportedly killed over 30 members of the volunteer security outfit called Yan Sa Kai. It is understood that the outfit was set up to fight banditry in collaboration with security operatives. Meanwhile, according to reports, the volunteers were killed by the terrorists at Dogon-Dawa community during a clash with the terrorists who had earlier operated in the area and were being trailed. The Chairman of the local government, Abbas Garba, confirmed the incident on Monday to journalists, while expressing concern over the unabated activities of terrorists targeting farmers as the farming season begins. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has demanded for a public apology from a lawyer, Oladotun Hassan of Juryman Associate Chambers, who petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Police Service Commission (PSC) accusing the governor of certificate forgery. Aiyedatiwa, who made the demand in a letter dated April 8, 2024, and addressed to Hassan through his counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), amongst other demands, also demanded for withdrawal of what he described as false and malicious publications made of and concerning his West African School Certificate Examination result (WAEC). Aiyedatiwa, who denied the certificate forgery allegations, threatened to take legal action against Hassan if he failed, refused or neglected to comply with the demands within seven days of receipt of the letter. It was learnt that Hassan had also in his petition to the IGP and the Police Service Commission alleged the move by an alleged top-ranking officer to tamper with the report of a probe into the academic credential of Governor Aiyedatiwa. In a report purportedly signed by the Deputy Commissioner Police, the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, DCP Tahir Usman, the police investigation into Aiyedatiwas WAEC certificate concluded that there was no proof that the governor attended Ikoyi High School, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos. But the police in a statement issued on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the document titled "RE: Case of Alleged Fraudulent Misrepresentation, Certificate Forgery, Examination Malpractice and Perjury" did not originate from the Force. But Hassan in the petition dated April 5, 2024, claimed that his earlier petition led to the probe, insisting that the report was authentic, adding that he received a copy of the report through a Freedom of Information he filed. However, the governor in the letter to Hassan on Monday provided details of his examination centre and result scores. The letter read, It has come to the attention of our Client that by an unsolicited letter dated June 2, 2023, you caused to be authored and submitted to the Nigeria Police Force, an unsubstantiated complaint of misrepresentation, certificate forgery, examination malpractice and perjury, against our Client, whereas you are not a registered voter ni or an indigene of Ondo State to possess the requisite locus to ground your said complaint. Your petition was cleverly routed through unauthorised sources within the police force and without recourse to our client, a report was purportedly submitted to you by the police dated February 19, 2024. You thereafter caused the said report to be widely circulated as the basis of a malicious design to disqualify our Client from participating in the governorship primary election in Ondo State. You thereafter caused another letter to be written to the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress with the same purpose of disqualifying our Client from participating in the governorship primary election of the said Party fixed for April 2024. You have since led a vicious campaign of calumny against our Client through these and other false publications, all of which have brought our client into public ridicule and opprobrium, albeit without any justification whatsoever. Upon proper review and scrutiny of your baseless complaint, the lawful authorities of the Nigeria Police Force in a public notice dated April 5, 2024, indicated their intention to embark upon detailed and comprehensive review of the police report that was the outcome of your said petition. In proof of your malicious intent, you caused another letter dated April 5, 2024 to be written and submitted to the Nigeria Police Force, wherein you stated as follows, of and concerning our client; It is instructive to note that since the information was made public to the leadership of the APC, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa instead of coming out to explain how he sat and got (sic) a WAEC Olevel certificate in 1982 from a school that was founded in 1980 which admitted to the police that it was accredited to conduct its first WAEC May/June examination in 1985, he has been busy trying to compromise the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force, in order to prejudice the outcome of the report of the screening Committee of the APC. In concert with him in the nefarious act of trying to compromise the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force is the (sic) DIG Sylvester Alabi, who we are told have (sic) been intimidating and harassing your gallant and diligent officers who carried (sic) a thorough investigation into the matter to the extent of issuing them queries. A copy of your letter of April 5 instant as acknowledged by the police has been circulating in the media and in the public domain and the same was brought to the attention of our Client through numerous telephone calls from his supporters and admirers all over the world and the good people of Ondo State. According to the letter, The ordinary and intended meaning of your letter above is that: Our Client is a criminal who forged his WAEC certificate, and who is engaged in examination malpractice, perjury and fraudulent misrepresentation. Our Client is covering up his criminal tendencies by refusing to explain how he obtained his West African School Leaving Certificate. Our Client is compromising the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force in order to prejudice the outcome of the report of the screening committee of the APC Our Client is in collusion with DIG Sylvester Alabi in the nefarious act of compromising the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force. Our Client is a fraud, who is not entitled to be accepted to participate in the governorship primary election in Ondo State coming up in April 2024. Our Client is not entitled to participate in or be elected as the governor of Ondo State in the election coming up in November 2024. Our Client possesses a criminal record which should disqualify him from aspiring to any public office, especially as governor of Ondo State. Our Client is a criminal who has compromised the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force in order to cover up his crimes. Our Client should not be elected into office as governor of Ondo State. Our Client suffers from moral and legal depravities and should not be allowed to participate in the governorship primary election of the APC in Ondo State. The letter noted that These publications are false and thus libelous, either in their ordinary or intended meanings and they have lowered the esteem of our Client in the eyes of the public, especially Nigerians and the good people of Ondo State. As you are well aware and have stated in your letters, our Client was at all material times the Deputy Governor of Ondo State and he is presently the Governor of Ondo State. Our Client has yielded to the request of the good people of Ondo State to contest the governorship election coming up in the State in November 2024, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. Your letters to the police and to the APC were all calculated to disqualify him from participating in or contesting the said elections without lawful justification, and to discredit him as unworthy of the votes and support of the people. Whereas you are not an officer of the Nigeria Police Force, you have nonetheless set out to hinder and frustrate any thorough investigation into the wild allegations made against our Client, all in the bid to compel the police to accept your malicious version against our Client. The determination of whether a candidate sat for any examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council has been simplified by the organization through technology, and it is accessible to all. Upon your chorused repetition of this falsehood against our Client, we took steps to conduct a verification exercise and indeed confirmed the authenticity of his West African School Certificate Examination results. We challenge you to proceed to do the same with the following particulars: Name of the Candidate: Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa; Centre Number: 15592; Examination Number: 019; Centre: Ikosi High School, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos State. Date of Examination: May/June, GCE O/L, 1982. The search will bring out the following results in favour of our Client: English Language: 8; Bible Knowledge: 6; Economics: 4; Health Science: 8; Commerce: 3; Accounts: 7; Business Management: 8. In the light of all the foregoing, we have the instructions of our Client to demand from you as follows: A public apology, to be published in at least three newspapers with wide circulation all over Nigeria. An unconditional withdrawal of all false and malicious publications made of and concerning the West African School Certificate Examination result of our Client. An unconditional withdrawal of your letters to the Nigeria Police Force in respect of the West African School Certificate Examination results of our Client. An unconditional withdrawal of your letters to the All Progressives Congress in respect of the West African School Certificate Examination results of our Client. An unconditional withdrawal of your letters to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in respect of the West African School Certificate Examination results of our Client. Adequate compensation for the false and libelous publications made of and concerning our Client based on his status, position in life and political career. To cease and desist from authoring, publishing or in any other manner circulating further false and libelous publications of and concerning our client. Take notice that if you fail, refuse and/or neglect to comply with the above-stated demands within 7 (seven) clear days of your receipt of this letter, we shall proceed to execute our Client's further instructions to explore all lawful means to seek redress against you without further notice to you. News / National by Staff reporter The ministry of health has quietly scrapped the requirement to have passed O' Level Mathematics for one to qualify for nurse training.The requirements were tweaked more a decade ago, compelling Zimbabweans seeking to train as nurses and many other disciplines to have passed Maths, English and Science with at least grade C or better.In a surprise turn, the ministry of health's latest call for trainee nurses is silent on the Maths requirement.A newspaper advert inserted by the ministry in a daily paper last week said applicants for the latest intake, whose deadline is April 21, are required to have "a minimum of 5 O' Level subjects with passes in English Language and a science subject and three others (excluding practical subjects which are fashion and fabrics, metal work, graphic art, and woodwork) at Grade C or better obtained at not more than two sittings with full certificates as examination result slips are not accepted."Applicants should not be younger than 17 years or older than 30 years by May 13, 2024, the ministry added.The government recently banned medical professionals from embarking on indefinite strikes as ministers also questioned their patriotism.The new recruitment criteria could see under-qualified youths affiliated to the ruling Zanu PF party being seconded for nurse training, a tactic used in army recruitment.Hospitals which do the nurse training have sinxe 2015 complained about the centralisation of nurse recruitment in Harare through a discredited online application process, which the government now appears to have fully abandoned.The advert published in the Herald newspaper says applicants must drop their application letters at their nearest general nurse training schools.Hospital chiefs however say the recruitment of trainee nurses still by-passes senior medical personnel or chief medical officers of the institutions."In the end we just get a list. Now it's probably going to be a list of people who barely qualify," said one senior doctor of a major referral hospital. Taking the ST demand to the election ring Need to keep tempo up | The ST for Meiteis campaign is on track and rightly so for this is ideally the moment to pile the pressure on the different political parties as well as the candidates to let them voice their stand on the demand which is gaining momentum by the day. At the same time it is also important for the champions of the ST for Meiteis demand to see how the tempo can be maintained after the election dust settles. The campaign must be taken to the next level after the Lok Sabha elections and sustained in such a way that it becomes a central point when Manipur goes for her Assembly elections in 2027. Next on the agenda should obviously be to see how the demand can be made a peoples movement, a sort of a movement that can jolt the Government awake to the seriousness of the demand. It is along this line that the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, Manipur (STDCM) has started calling on the different candidates in the Inner Parliamentary Constituency to give a further boost to the demand. The meet the candidate campaign may be seen as a continuation of the earlier drive when STDCM met the Meitei MLAs to get their stand on the issue and one hopes that the campaign is taken to its next logical level. The first man, an Independent candidate, Retired Colonel Haorungbam Sarat has already made his stand clear and in all likelihood the other five candidates will also air a somewhat similar stand. Here it is important for the STDCM to try and get to know the stand of the political parties the candidates are representing at the hustings. If this is actualised then it would go a long way in understanding where the different political parties stand on the demand raised for ST categorisation. One also hopes the people keep a close tab on the unfolding development and the mobilisation drives conducted by the World Meetei Council in different parts of the State in the last couple of days falls perfectly in line with the call to keep up the tempo and take the demand into the realm of election. A call which The Sangai Express has been advocating for some time now. Try and make the ST for Meiteis demand one of the more prominent issues in the elections and the focus of all should be to see what steps may be taken up to let the issue feature prominently ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union (MMTU) has also made it clear that they would refrain from taking part in the coming Lok Sabha to lodge their stand that taking part in the Parliamentary elections without addressing the survival question of the Meiteis would be meaningless. A significant and powerful statement this is, and one needs to look at the decision of the MMTU beyond the call to stay away from the elections to understand the urgency of the matter. This line of thinking would become clearer when viewed against the fact that it was back in 2013 that the Union Tribal Ministry had sought an ethnographic and socio-economic report of the Meiteis to consider its inclusion in the ST category. The Meiteis did miss the bus decades back, but this should not justify the delay in sending the report now. The task before the STDCM, WMC, MMTU and others who vouch for the ST demand must be clear. Not easy it is going to be and this is where it becomes important for the ST for Meiteis champions to clearly identify the hurdles and work a way out to negotiate through the roadblocks that may come up from different quarters. For this they would need to reach out to as many allies as possible. A roadmap for the internal arrangements for Manipur may also be worked out, that is if it has not been worked out at the moment. Models of different States such as Nagaland may be studied to understand the internal arrangements made for the different tribal groups within that State in so far as recruitment to Government jobs is concerned. There is no reason why a leaf or two cannot be taken out from the Nagaland model. The road ahead is obviously going to be long and this is precisely one reason why the ST for Meiteis champions need to reach out to others as much as possible and see how to take everyone along with their idea, especially from amongst the section of Meiteis who are opposed to the idea of being tagged a Scheduled Tribe. All possible avenues must be studied and for the moment, the focus must be on how to make the ST demand a major point in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Make the issue reverberate in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. Alleging an unholy alliance between the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the BJP, the Trinamul Congress today said the Election Commission remains conspicuously silent on the issue. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said in a post on microblogging site X: Experience the unfolding alliance between the @NIA_India and @BJP4Bengal, orchestrating conspiracies against Trinamul leaders and the Model Code of Conduct. His post was preceded by a Press meet by TMC where senior party leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) SP Dhanram Singh and the BJP leader and Jitendra Tiwari, former mayor of Asansol had a clandestine meeting at New Town on 26 March this year. Mr Ghosh claimed that two TMC leaders were arrested in Bhupatinagar purportedly in connection with an investigation into an old case from 2022 in the wake of the alleged clandestine meeting. Senior TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya, at the same Press conference, said a10 -member MP delegation of the Trinamul will meet full bench of ECI tomorrow regarding this matter. Mr Ghosh claimed that BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari met NIA SP Dhanram Singh, at the latters residence at New Town in the evening of 26 March, despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force, and that discussions allegedly took place regarding the arrest of TMC leaders. He charged that Mr Tiwari handed over a list of Trinamul Congress leaders to be arrested during the meeting. Furthermore, Mr Ghosh claimed that a white envelope was handed over to the NIA officer by the BJP leader, insinuating possible monetary transactions. We demand the removal of the NIA SP from West Bengal. Advertisement We will not allow a biased investigation of NIA to arrest TMC leaders. We will release video footage within 48 hours, he said. He urged police to investigate whether money was indeed exchanged. Mr Ghosh also demands an investigation into theNIA officers and Mr Tiwaris mobile tower location on that day to ascertain the truth. He said that if the allegations are not taken seriously, they will release a video to expose Mr Tiwaris visit to the NIA officers residence. Trinamuls all India general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, in his post on social media, accused the BJP of conspiring against them within the framework of the Model Code of Conduct. He criticised the Election Commission for its silence, accusing it of neglecting its responsibility to ensure fair elections. Experience the unfolding ALLIANCE BETWEEN the @NIA_India and @BJP4Bengal , ORCHESTRATING CONSPIRACIES AGAINST TRINAMOOL leaders amid the Model Code of Conduct. While this collusion persists, the ECI stands by, conspicuously silent, neglecting its duty to ensure fair play, he tweeted. In response to the allegations, BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari states that he is willing to quit politics if evidence of his meeting with an NIA official is provided. He also threatened legal action against the TMC if they do not apologise for their accusations within seven days. If TMC leader Kunal Ghosh fails to come up with evidence that me or any of our leaders had been involved in influencing NIA probe or meeting any of their officials, I will file a defamation case against him, Mr Tiwari said. Meanwhile, Kunal Ghosh hinted at further revelations, stating, Its still March; Ive only given the NIA part. Wait till April, well share stories of two more officers from central agencies and BJP leaders The unfolding saga adds to the political tension ahead of the upcoming elections, raising questions about the integrity of the electoral process. Former mayor of KMC, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said that the matter is very serious. It requires an investigation to look into matter. Both Kunal Ghosh and Jitendra Tiwari have to justify their claims, he said. Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the AAP on Monday launched Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se campaign against the arrest of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case. Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was sent to judicial custody till April 15 and is lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the excise policy scam. The new campaign titled Jail ka Jawab, Vote se is aimed at increasing public awareness about the fraudulent arrest of Arvind Kejriwal and to encourage them to vote for him to hit back at the BJP for the CMs wrongful arrest, the AAP said. Advertisement Senior AAP leaders Dr Sandeep Pathak, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh, along with AAP national secretary Pankaj Gupta launched this campaign at the party headquarters here. Addressing a press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Dr Sandeep Pathak said, The nation has seen how a conspiracy was hatched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Arvind Kejriwal by getting him arrested to eliminate him from the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Something like this has happened for the first time when a sitting Chief Minister has been put behind bars right before the election to stop him from campaigning, he said. Arvind Kejriwal has spent his entire life fighting for the country and its citizens. Ever since he formed the government in Delhi, he has worked tirelessly, day and night, for the happiness of Delhi and its families. He considered each family of Delhi as his own, Dr Pathak said. Announcing the new campaign, Dr Pathak said, Today we are launching this campaign called Jail ka Jawab, Vote se. We need not avenge this arrest by any other means but our votes. We appeal to all the citizens to join our movement, our campaign and help us raise the awareness amongst people that it is important to become the strength of Arvind Kejriwal today. If he falls weak, then who will take care of them? We will take this campaign door to door and request people to show their support, they are already worried and upset with the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal. We will turn our struggle into a campaign. The public will give its mandate by voting in the elections, Jail ka Jawab, Vote se, he added. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the Congress party government successfully faced economic, disaster and political disaster since it assumed power fifteen months back. Talking to media persons after reaching Dharamshalas Gaggal Airport in Kangra from Delhi on Monday, he said: The love of the people of the state is with the state government. During the fifteen months tenure, the present state government has fulfilled five guarantees. We have evidence against the MLAs who were purchased and the BJP has made such leaders its candidates. One leader is the mastermind of the conspiracy, who might have received more than Rs 15 crore for the sale, he alleged. Advertisement The people of the state are ready to teach a lesson to all the leaders who sold themselves, he claimed. The Chief Minister said that assembly by-elections are going to be held on six seats and a decision on the resignation of three independent MLAs is likely to be taken soon. In such a situation, there are 34 Congress MLAs in the 68-seat State legislative Assembly. Therefore, the claims of BJP lack substance to form the government in the state. The opposition is just trying to mislead the people of the state by telling lies. The BJP leaders should make public how they will form the government in the state, said Sukhu. The Congress party is fully prepared for the elections, he added. We have presented the truth to the people of the state and the state government will take strict steps against corruption with full honesty, he said. Sukhu said that the final round of discussions for selection of Congress candidates has been completed and soon the party will field its candidates. Leaders with a good and clean image will be given Congress party tickets, he revealed. The Chief Minister said that the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees has been restored and Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh-Samman Fund has been launched from Lahaul and Spiti to provide Rs 1500 to women. The Central Government provides Rs 6000 every year to the farmers under Kisan Samman Nidhi, whereas the state government is providing Rs 18,000 every year to the women, he added. Apart from this, the state government is bearing the expenses of education of the children of 1.15 lakh widows and single women in the state. Along with this, the state government is also providing them financial assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh to construct a house, said Sukhu, adding that the state government is also providing free treatment facilities to the elderly. He further said that the present state government has also made many efforts to strengthen the rural economy. The present state government made a historic increase of Rs 13 in the minimum support price of cow milk to Rs 45, while the purchase price of buffalo milk was increased to Rs 55 per litre. With this, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state to provide a minimum support price on the purchase of milk, he said. Along with this, there has been a historic increase of Rs 60 in MNREGA wages, the minimum support price of wheat of natural farming has been fixed at Rs 40 per kg, and the rate of maize has been fixed at Rs 30 per kg. Ninety per cent of the population of Himachal Pradesh lives in villages and steps are being taken towards strengthening the village economy, he said, adding that the Congress party will take all these achievements among the people during the poll campaign. News / National by Staff reporter A call for the resuscitation of the Ndebele monarchy has sparked renewed debate. Advocates argue that it is crucial for preserving Ndebele cultural identity, which has been gradually eroded by westernisation.The collapse of the Ndebele monarchy in 1893, when King Lobengula allegedly vanished while fleeing colonialists intent on capturing and killing him, marked a significant historical event.Under President Mnangagwa's Second Republic, efforts to correct the country's history include the revival of important monuments. Enthusiasts of the Ndebele monarchy now call for its restoration to safeguard cultural heritage.Historian Mr Pathisa Nyathi, who recently led a fact-finding mission to locate King Lobengula's grave alongside Khumalo royal family members and Government officials, asserted that reviving the monarchy system will contribute to the revitalisation of Ndebele traditions.Importantly, the revival of Ndebele kingship need not disrupt the existing governance system. Instead, it can serve as a means of commemorating cultural events, including the long-disbanded Inxwala festival, he said.Mr Nyathi suggested that Zimbabwe can learn from countries like South Africa, which, despite being governed as a republic, still recognises traditional kings who play a significant role in cultural events. For instance, the Zulu community in South Africa is now led by King Misizulu, and other ethnic groups also have their own kings.Mr Nyathi points out that during colonisation, Cecil John Rhodes intentionally undermined Ndebele cultures. He even took away royal sons to prevent the Ndebele from participating in cultural events. The revival of the Ndebele monarchy could help restore and celebrate these cultural traditions."People should not be afraid of the resuscitation of kingship, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. This is a republican state or country. Look at South Africa, it is also a republic just like us, the kings are there for cultural purposes. It should be very clear," he said."The idea of having a king and resuscitating inxwala is not a threat to Zimbabwe at all. What people want is revival of our culture. Some people may not even know that our culture has been adulterated, adulterated because of Cecil John Rhodes, who after conquests removed the King Lobengula's children, who include Njube, Nguboyenja and Mpezeni. He whisked them out of this country to South Africa, the Cape ostensibly so that they can be given education. A big lie. He didn't want a rallying point; those were the sons of King Lobengula who qualified to become kings," said Mr Nyathi.According to Mr Nyathi, having a king is essential for preserving Ndebele cultural events. However, the situation is complex. While King Lobengula had other sons, some were born before he ascended to the throne, disqualifying them from becoming kings.Interestingly, King Lobengula's potential heirs were taken to South Africa. Consequently, it's not surprising that Bulelani, who claims to be the Ndebele king, also hails from South Africa. The Ndebele kingship issue has led to factions within the Khumalo family, with Dr Peter Zwide Khumalo also asserting his claim to the Ndebele kingship. Additionally, several other claimants have emerged.Beyond the political complexities surrounding the heir to the Ndebele kingship, Dr Khumalo agrees with Mr Nyathi that reviving the monarchy need not disrupt the existing governance system."Kingship is different from contemporary governance systems. It is mainly to lead cultural identities of a people while the governments are democratically elected and depend on elections as their centre of power. Zimbabwe at the moment might be the only country that has neglected the monarchical system for cultural purposes," said Dr Khumalo.Dr Khumalo said that Southern African countries like Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, have Nguni ethnic groups that continue to have kings who play a central role in cultural events. For instance, King Mpezeni's people in Zambia still practice the inxwala festival."Inxwala is a celebration of the first harvest and a king leads the process. No one is expected to taste the first harvest before the king. And here we last did inxwala commemorations before the collapse of the Ndebele state and the disappearance of King Lobengula," he said.Dr Khumalo aligns with President Mnangagwa's appeal to revive national monuments. The revival of the Ndebele kingship would facilitate the preservation of Ndebele cultural practices in accordance with Nguni customs.However, the resuscitation of the Ndebele monarchy faces a challenge: the country's constitution does not officially recognise the position of a king. Instead, it acknowledges chiefs as the custodians of culture. At a time when the ruling CPI-M and Opposition Congress have come out against the movie The Kerala Story, the Idukki diocese of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Kerala has screened the controversial film for teenagers under the diocese to create awareness on the issue of love jihad among the youngsters in the community. The Idukki diocese screened the film on April 4, a day before the national broadcaster Doordarshan telecast the movie on its national channel, despite strident opposition from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). The screening was conducted for students of classes 10 to 12 as part of the dioceses annual summer catechism programme. The diocese also issued a booklet on love highlighting the threats of love jihad. Idukki diocese public relations officer Father Prince Karakkatt said the film was screened for Catholic students of the diocese as part of enlightenment against love jihad. Advertisement He said love jihad still exists in Kerala and one of the topics in the class was love. The children were asked to watch the movie The Kerala Story and review it. He said the topic was taken because many children fall into the entanglement of love. Girls are being trapped in love and being used for anti-national activities including terrorism. It is a reality. We have seen how women were trapped, converted and later used for terror networks. In such a situation, we have felt that enlightening the students was essential and hence the movie was screened last week, Father Prince Karakkatt said. It has been reported that when Doordarshan screened Kerala Story on its national channel, messages were sent from various churches to community groups asking them to watch the movie. The movie, which tells the story of four women who converted to Islam before being recruited by the Islamic State, was also telecast on Doordarshan on April 5. The ruling CPI-M and the Opposition Congress in Kerala had come out against the national broadcaster telecasting the controversial film. Condemning the national broadcaster Doordarshans decision to screen the controversial film The Kerala Story on DD national, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Doordarshan must not degrade into a puppet that dances to the communal agenda of the Sangh Parivar and demanded that the Union government not use the platform to disparage Kerala. He said that the people from diverse religious backgrounds coexist harmoniously in the spirit of brotherhood in the state. Keralas ruling CPI-M and Opposition UDF moved the Election Commission of India against Doordarshan telecasting the controversial movie. The CPI-M has urged the Election Commission to give directives to the union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Prasar Bharati Corporation and Doordarshan not to telecast the movie through any of its channels, including DD National, either on April 5 or any other day before all phases of Lok Sabha elections are over. Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan moved the Election Commission of India to bar Doordarshan from broadcasting the movie. Satheesan sent a letter to the ECI on April 5, seeking to direct Doordarshan to withdraw its decision to telecast the extremely malicious The Kerala Story movie. As you are aware, The Kerala Story is a propaganda film based on extremely false promises and attempts to paint a bleak picture of the people of the state. I believe this is part of Sangh Parivars poisonous agenda to divide the country along communal lines, Satheesan said in his letter. It is significant to note that the church has screened the movie when the ruling CPI-M and Opposition Congress has been creating much hue and cry against the film. The BJP asserted that the movies theme was grounded in reality and questioned why the Left and the Congress were opposing it. Responding to the Idukki dioceses approach to the film, Opposition leader VD Satheesan said It is a wrong decision. The Kerala story has been created to insult Kerala . Are there such incidents in Kerala? We are not agreeing with the Kerala story which has been created in an imaginary story which does not exist in Kerala. BJP Kerala president K Surendran said that people in Kerala have wholeheartedly welcomed the film, which follows the story of a Hindu woman from the state, brainwashed to embrace Islam and sent to Syria, where she is forced to join the Islamic State terrorist group. Actress Parvathy Thiruvothu, who predominantly works in Malayalam and Tamil cinema celebrated her 36th birthday on Sunday. The actress was greeted with a new poster of her upcoming Tamil historical action film Thangalaan by the makers. The poster shows her character of Gangamma standing against the burning fire in a field. Thangalaan, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Pa Ranjith, also stars Tamil star Chiyaan Vikram, Malavika Mohanan, Hollywood actor Daniel Caltagirone. Advertisement Sharing the poster on X, the makers wrote: An embodiment of strength, grace, and resilience. Wishing our versatile #Gangamma, @parvatweets a dazzling birthday. #HBDParvathyThiruvothu #Thangalaan. The film is set in 1880 when the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) in Karnataka and the gold mining was at its peak. It shows the bravery and war the people of KGF fought against the Britishers and how they protected the Kolar Gold Fields. The filmmaker researched for more than two years before taking the film to the streets. Produced by Studio Green, Thangalaan is scheduled for worldwide release on April 12, 2024, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the 2024 Lok Sabha election is between stability and instability. On the one side is BJP-NDA, known for big and decisive decisions, and on the other side, the Congress and INDI alliance which believe in enjoying themselves, wherever they get into power, he said. Addressing a large BJP election rally in Chandrapur, Maharashtra he said Chandrapur is the only region in the country which had sent wood for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya; and the regions wood is also used in the new Parliament Building. The Prime Minister said the INDI alliance, wherever it came to power, has thrown that region into instability. How much a region needs a stable government is known to Maharashtra well. The Congress always ignored Maharashtra whenever it came to power. Advertisement The Congress believed in commissions and even stopped schemes, including Mumbai Metro, if there were no commissions, he said. The Congress ignored areas inhabited by Dalits and the poor, he said. There were no schools, and amenities like drinking water. Most of the beneficiaries of the cheap cooking gas scheme are deprived sections of the society. Dalits and backward people constitute the main beneficiaries of the free foodgrain scheme, he said. It is the poor farmers getting the Kisan Samman Nidhi, he said. Who gets the credit for these achievements. These are not because of Modi; your one vote did it, he told the crowds. Attacking the Congress and its rule, he said who was responsible for the Partition of the country. How was the Kashmir problem cropped up just after Independence, he asked. Many countries became Independent along with India but they beat India in development. Terrorism and Naxalism kept increasing, who was responsible for this, he asked. The terrorists got protection from the policy of appeasement. Whose gift was Naxalism, he asked. For decades, the Ram Temple issue remained pending in courts, he said. Who raised doubts about the existence of Lord Ram, who were seeking adjournments in judicial decision in the issue, Mr Modi asked. Who denied Bharat Ratna to B R Ambedkar; who did not give constitutional status to the backward classes commission, he said. The answer is Congress, he said. For just 10 years the Congress has been out of power, he said. The NDA got full majority and it has brought about durable resolution of national problems. Naxalism has abated in the country; Gadchiroli in Maharashtra is free from this and is about to become a steel city. He said karela (bitter gourd) will remain bitter in any cooking medium, the Congress is similar to this. This party cannot change its ways. It has lost support, and is now resorting to divide and rule; it has come to this level. It is writing the language of the Muslim League in its manifesto, the PM said. Its MPs are talking of another partition of the country, he said, separating the South from the country. The Congress president said why is PM talking of Article 370 and Kashmir in other regions, can this be accepted by anyone, he said. When Shivaji took up fight against Delhi Sultanate, did he have a narrow vision like this. Lokmanya Tilak could never think Maharashtra had nothing to do with Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab, he said. When Kashmir Pandits homes were being burnt, Balasaheb Thackeray had come out against the Congress openly and never thought Maharashtra did not care about Kashmir tragedy. He said he was happy the present Maharashtra government is following Balasahebs thinking fully, he said. Mr Modi asked party workers to ensure record polling on April 19 and 26 in Maharashtra. Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan on Monday highlighted the need for developing a joint culture for the armed forces, which, while respecting the uniqueness of each service, distils the best of each service to give a de-novo approach to traditional concepts. Addressing the tri-service conference Parivartan Chintan here, he also stressed the need to integrate the capabilities of each service by creating structures that increase their efficiency and enhance their war fighting ability and interoperability. The Parivartan Chintan was curated as a brainstorming and idea incubation discussion to generate new and fresh ideas, initiatives and reforms to further propel jointness and integration in the armed forces. Jointness and integration are the cornerstones of the transformation to joint structures which the armed forces are progressing towards with the intention of being Future Ready. Advertisement The conference was attended by the Heads of the Andaman and Nicobar Command and Strategic Forces Command, Commandants of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, College of Defence Management and Military Institute of Technology as well as Heads of the Armed Forces Special Operations Division, Defence Space Agency, Defence Cyber Agency and the Defence Communication Agency. Officers from all the three Services with diverse service experience also attended the discussion and contributed ideas towards initiating the next generation of reforms related to modernisation, procurement, training, adaptation and collaboration while embracing emerging and innovative technologies. Inputs on national strategic issues impacting national security in both the civil and military domains were also deliberated upon. Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), Lt Gen J P Mathew, in his closing remarks, expressed confidence that such interactions will provide the necessary guidelines as joint operational structures evolve to transform to a future ready Indian armed forces. The Congress and the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) on Monday officially announced their alliance for the Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. In Jammu and Kashmir, out of the five LS seats, the Congress would contest in two seats and NC in three parliamentary constituencies. The Congress would field its nominee in the Ladakh seat. Advertisement Addressing a joint press conference along with the leaders of the Congress, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and vice president of NC Omar Abdullah said, Congress and National Conference will contest the elections (LS) together on six seats of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Congress and NC will contest on three seats each. We are confident that we will win all the seats, he said. Abdullah said the NC will contest in Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag parliamentary seats and Congress in Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh constituencies. Replying to a question on alliance with Congress in the Assembly polls, he said, Now, our focus is on these six seats. We will prepare a formula (for Assembly polls) so that BJP should not get any space. Besides NC, the Congress has so far announced seat-sharing with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)for the general election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he had stopped the Congress loot of the country and was therefore receiving abuses, but it was Modis guarantee, the corrupt will have to go to jail; let them give him any threat. Addressing a large BJP election rally in Bastar in Chhattisgarh, he said after Independence, the Congress thought it had secured a licence to loot. He cancelled this licence when people voted him to power in 2014. Why should not they abuse him when their licence is cancelled; he is, however, safe as crores of people of the country provide him a protective shield, he said. The Prime Minister said during the Congress rule, corruption had become the countrys identity. The worst to suffer from corruption are the poor, as it deprives them of their rightful due, he said. Advertisement Before 2014, there were scams of lakhs of crores of rupees. One Congress Prime Minister had said only 15 paise reached the people when one rupee was sent by the Central government. Who took the 85 paise? The Modi government, he said, shut down the establishment of loot of the Congress. He said his government was able to deposit Rs 34 lakh crore in the bank accounts of the poor under various schemes. If it was Congress rule, and just 15 per cent of the amount reached the targeted beneficiary, there would have been a massive loot of public money. As much as Rs 28 lakh crore out of the total Rs 34 lakh crore would have been lost in the transfers. The Prime Minister said tempers have been running high ever since he shut down the middlemens commissions, Strict action is being taken against the corrupt in Chhattisgarh also. Those who cheated the youth are under probe. Angered by this, they are threatening to break my head with a lathi, but Modi is the son of a poor, walks with his head held high, and will not be cowed down by their threats, he said. You tell me, those who looted the poor, should they get the punishment or not? If somebody intrudes into someones house and starts looting, everyone in the family joins to retaliate. For Modi, mera Bharat is mera Parivaar (my India is my family). That is why I am trying to save my country, my family from the loot, he said. He said, I say bhrashtachar hatao, they say bhrashtachari bachao. Mr Modi said the Opposition is not holding rallies for elections, but to save the corrupt. They can give any threat to me, but the corrupt will have to go to jail, this is Modis guarantee, he said. Ram Navami is close, he said, and for the first time in 500 years, Ram Lalla will give darshan in a magnificent temple and not in a tent shelter. Chhattisgarh is Ram Lallas maternal home and has special reason to celebrate. The Congress and the INDI alliance are, however, not happy with the Ram temple, he said. The Congress first family had declined the invitation to attend the Pran Pratishtha, he said. Those who disagreed with this were thrown out of the party, and those who attended the ceremony were expelled from the party for six years. This shows that Congress can go to any extent to ensure its policy of appeasement. The Congress manifesto has the imprint of the Muslim League, he said. The party even today does not care about peoples issues. It is the BJP which is trying to implement all promises made to people. The Prime Minister said his governments schemes had brought 25 crore people out of poverty. The Ayushman medical centres were initiated from Bastar only and they are providing free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. I know poor mothers are reluctant to put financial burden on their children for their personal medical treatment. That is why I decided to take care of them, he said. Crores of people have received treatment under the scheme and they have saved Rs 1.30 lakh crore, he said. Over 11,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendra are providing medicines with 80 per cent discount, as a result of which the poor have saved Rs 30,000 crore. That is why the poor are saying Modi helps them reduce expenditure and make savings, and raise the slogan of Phir ek baar Modi sarkar (Modi government, once again). The BJP always respected the tribals. The Congress always ignored them. Today, a daughter of the tribal society is the President of the country; BJP has given Chhattisgarh its first tribal Chief Minister, raised budget for tribals five times, and even created a separate ministry. There were less than 125 Eklavya vidyalayas in the whole country, today more than 70 are in Bastar alone. Earlier, MSP was given to eight to 10 jungle produce items, today over 100 items get MSP. Modi is devoting his entire time 24 by 7 to serve the nation and to 2047, the year by which India must be a developed nation, he said. Modi worshipped those ignored by others, he said. His government has provided for the development of the most backward tribal societies and Rs 24,000 crore has been provided for the PM Jan Man Yojana for adivasis for the first time. Modi spent Rs 4 lakh crore on free Covid vaccinations and free foodgrains. The free foodgrain scheme has been extended by five years. This will save money of the poor who can meet their other expenses, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that he wont rest until every concern of the poor is addressed in the country. He was addressing the BJPs Vijay Sankalp Shankhnad Rally held at Amabal village of Bastar in southern Chhattisgarh. I wont rest until every concern of the poor is addressed, he said, stating: My India, My Family. He said that millions of Indians stand in solidarity with his vision. The PM claimed that corruption under the Congress rule had become synonymous with the nations identity, causing significant harm, especially to the underprivileged. Advertisement He highlighted the rampant corruption prevalent before 2014, where only a fraction of government funds reached the intended beneficiaries, while the BJP government has ensured transparency and accountability. He credited the BJP government for transferring over Rs 34 lakh crore directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries over the past decade and underscored his governments initiatives have lifted over 250 million people out of poverty, demonstrating a tangible impact on the ground. Modi praised the launch of the Ayushman Bharat scheme for providing affordable healthcare and diagnostics, as a significant step towards ensuring the well-being of the poor. He highlighted how the establishment of numerous Ayushman Bharat centers in India significantly eased the burden on the impoverished. The Ayushman Bharat Yojana, offering free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, has been instrumental in providing healthcare access to millions nationwide, he said. The PM reaffirmed his governments commitment to the welfare of the poor. He highlighted how his government provided free vaccination and ration to those in need during the global crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic. He expressed pride in witnessing the fulfillment of the long-standing dream of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and criticized the Congress and other opposition parties for their dissent against this historic achievement. PM Modi reiterated his dedication to the upliftment of the tribal communities, emphasising the BJPs role in their empowerment through dedicated ministries and increased budget allocations. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai emphasised the transformative impact of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the BJP in the states development, paving the way for inclusive growth and progress. Chhattisgarh BJP president Kiran Dev lauded Indias achievements on the global stage under PM Modis leadership over the past decade. Launching a blistering attack on the BJP, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday claimed that the ideological ancestors of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah supported the Muslim League and the British against the Indians during the freedom struggle. The political and ideological ancestors of Modi and Shah supported the British and the Muslim League against the Indians in the freedom movement. Even today, he is invoking the Muslim League against the Congress Justice Paper which was prepared with the contributions of common Indians, the Congress chief said in a lengthy social media post. Kharge further said that BJPs political and ideological ancestors formed their government in alliance with the Muslim League in 1940 and opposed Mahatma Gandhis Quit India movement two years later. Advertisement The ancestors of Modi-Shah opposed the Quit India movement of 1942, called by Mahatma Gandhi and led by Maulana Azad. Everyone knows that your ancestors formed their government in Bengal, Sindh and NWFP in the 1940s in alliance with the Muslim League, he said. Kharge also mentioned Syama Prasad Mookerjees letter to then British Governor on how the 1942 Quit India movement should be suppressed. Didnt Syama Prasad Mookerjee write to the then British Governor about how the Quit India Movement of 1942 by the country and Congress should be suppressed? And for this, he was ready to support the British? the Congress leader added. Today Modi-Shah and their nominated president are spreading false rumours about the Congress manifesto. There is only a whiff of RSS in Modi Jis speeches. Day by day BJPs electoral condition is worsening so much that RSS has started remembering its old friend Muslim League! he said. His latest remarks came shortly after BJP chief JP Nadda slammed the grand old party over its manifesto, and said, Looking at the Congress manifesto, it is not clear whether it is the manifesto of the Congress or the Muslim League! He further said that the people of the country have time and again rejected the Congress, but still they are not refraining from their appeasement politics. The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Tamil Nadu government If before elections, we start putting behind the bars everyone who makes allegations on Youtube, imagine how many will be jailed, as it (top Court) restored the bail of a YouTuber Sattai Durai Murugan, accused of allegedly making a derogatory speech against the Chief Minister M K Stalin in 2021. Setting aside the Madras High court order cancelling the bail, earlier granted to Sattai Durai Murugan on November 2021, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that he could not be said to have misused the liberty granted to him. As senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Tamil Nadu government urged the bench to impose certain conditions on the Youtuber to dissuade him from making scandalous remarks against the Chief Minister Stalin while on bail, Justice Oka said, Who shall decide whether a statement is scandalous or not. Advertisement Observing that Murugan did not misuse his liberty by protesting and expressing his views, the bench ordered, He continues to be on bail for two and half years All the same, we do not find grounds to cancel bail. We thus quash the High Court order cancelling bail, and restore the earlier order granting bail. Needless to say, cancellation of bail can be applied for if deemed fit. The top court order restoring bail to Murugan came while hearing his plea challenging the High Court order cancelling his bail. Cancelling the bail, earlier granted to Murugan, the High Court had observed that within a few days of giving an undertaking before the court, he indulged in further offence and made derogatory remarks against the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. It was alleged that Murugan made certain derogatory remarks with an intention to breach public peace and tranquility and on a complaint of a DMK member, police registered a case against him. Murugan was arrested in October 2021. The Madras High Court had in November 2021 granted bail to Murugan, however, later a division bench of the High Court cancelled his bail. In 2022, the top court had granted him interim bail. Launching a scathing attack on the Congress over its Lok Sabha election manifesto, BJP national president JP Nadda on Monday accused the grand old party of pursuing appeasement politics. The people of our country have consistently rejected the Congress party. Yet it persists in pursuing appeasement politics without any hesitation. When I reviewed the Congress partys manifesto, I couldnt help but wonder: Is this the manifesto of the Congress Party or the Muslim League? The extent to which the Congress Party is willing to divide the nation and pursue power remains uncertain, Nadda said in a statement. The BJP national president alleged that the Congress partys current discourse on religion-based reservation echoes the sentiments of the Muslim League from 1929. Advertisement Their pursuit of power seems boundless, leaving us uncertain of the lengths they might go to. Presently, discussions about religious-based reservations and the proposed removal of the 50 percent reservation cap raise pertinent questions. Who will benefit from these reservations? I also want to say that the country should not forget that the UPA government and the Congress Party had made a similar law against the majority society, which could not be passed in the Parliament but the intention of the Congress Party became very clear, Nadda said. The BJP national president further alleged that the country has not forgiven the Congress for its divisive tactics and appeasement politics, and it is unlikely to do so in the future. They want the country to be divided but their hunger for power should not end. Rahul Gandhi owes an explanation regarding the disappearance of Congress party flags during his nomination procession in Wayanad, said Nadda. The Congress party owes the nation an explanation for its stance on appeasement and reservation outlined in its manifesto. It must clarify why it is engaging in divisive tactics fueled by a thirst for power. Such attempts to sow discord within society will not be forgotten or forgiven by the country. The Congress party must be held accountable for its actions, the BJP national president added. News / National by Staff reporter A HUSH fell over a crowd outside the church as heads tilted skyward after the unmistakable thrum of a helicopter cut through the Sunday morning air.A white and blue speck materialised in the distance, slowly descending with its main rotor tilted forward.The characteristic "whop-whop-whop" of the blades intensified, sending a wave of wind whipping through the nearby trees.A cloud of dust rose from the designated landing zone, momentarily obscuring the craft.Faces turned upwards, a mix of anticipation and apprehension etched on them.Moments later, the dust settled, revealing the helicopter gently settling on the ground.The helicopter settled with a soft thump, the dust swirling momentarily before revealing its passenger.Conversations resumed, hushed whispers replacing the initial silence, as everyone waited for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to descend.However, an unusual figure emerged from the side door, a broad smile splitting his face.Upon descending from the helicopter, the man disregarded protocol standing ahead of Vice-President Kembo Mohadi to welcome Mnangagwa whom he had shared the journey with in a presidential helicopter.The unexpected visitor was controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo who later donated US$1 million to Nehemiah Mutendi's Zion Christian Church (ZCC) at its Easter service in Masvingo province.Chivayo was continuing a Zanu-PF tradition where ruling party officials are known to gate-crash church events to buy support, especially during the elections.Zanu-PF politicians have been seen donning religious garments during public appearances, disregarding church protocol.Last week, Mnangagwa dragged Chivayo along to the ZCC gathering where the controversial businessman donated US$1 million, a figure which he described as "small".The First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi and other senior ruling party officials have also been seen at apostolic sects and other churches in uniform to seek support.Analysts raised eyebrows accusing the Zanu-PF officials of undermining the sanctity of religious institutions.Witwatersrand University-based political analyst Romeo Chasara said Zanu-PF was exploiting churches for political gain."This blatant exploitation of religious symbols for political gain is deeply concerning," Chasara said."The sight of politicians clad in apostolic attire sends a troubling message to the public."It suggests a willingness to exploit religious sentiment for political ends, which undermines the principles of democracy and secular governance."Another commentator, Ruben Mbofana, said the practice exposed Zanu-PF's desperate antics to garner support."The problem with Zanu-PF is that it is a desperate party, it is a party that has been holding on to power illegitimately at least for the past 24 years," Mbofana said."This is a party that has never won any free, fair and credible election."It has survived through violence and rigging."So basically, this is a party that knows that it does not have support on the ground and it will do anything to remain in power."Mbofana said churches were low hanging fruits for the party."The churches have numbers, they are so many," he said."Eighty percent of the population in the country is Christian; so this is a constituency on its own that is just lying there."Another thing is that congregants tend to listen very loyally to their church leaders."They do not question what they are told by their respective leaders."So that is the advantage that Zanu-PF is exploiting."Ahead of the August 2023 elections, some church leaders promised to rally their congregants to vote for Mnangagwa.The Pastors for ED, an initiative that supports Mnangagwa's presidency, was launched ahead of the elections.Apostolic sects under the umbrella Vapostori4ED went on to pledge to mobilise 2,3 million votes for Zanu-PF ahead of the elections.Statistics show that apostolic churches are followed by around one-in-five persons of the population and Zanu-PF enjoys unparalleled support among the congregants.In return, the apostles and some churches have been allegedly rewarded with cash, land and vehicles.Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said Zanu-PF strategically targeted churches leveraging on the influence of spiritual leaders to sway their congregants to support the ruling party."Zanu-PF runs perpetual electoral campaign machinery from the day election results are announced to the next elections" Saungweme said."Churches are their easy hunting ground for block voters who follow religious leaders rather than the reality on the ground."Zanu-PF capitalises on this all the time, more so with the proliferation of prosperity gospel and traditional churches whose leaders have benefited from Zanu-PF programmes such as land reform and agricultural input schemes."Former Zapu spokesperson, Iphithule Maphosa, said it was not surprising that the ruling party was politicising religion for support.Zanu-PF acting director of information, Farai Marapira, however, said the party respected churches."As Zanu-PF we respect freedom of religion and like all other parties our leaders attend church services whenever they can," Marapira said."We, just like any citizen, have a right to accept invitations when they are tendered."We will continue to respect, uphold and cherish our churches and their good works. Every invite remains an honour we shall honour."Apostolic sects have been enjoying political protection within the ruling party, shielding them from accountability and legal repercussions.The use of religious imagery and attire in the political arena is not a new phenomenon in Zimbabwe.The late former President Robert Mugabe was also seen on several occasions at white garment churches.Historically, political parties have often sought to align themselves with religious institutions as a means of gaining legitimacy and mobilising support.In 2015, Mugabe and Mnangagwa found themselves embroiled in a bitter dispute over the influence of the late revered prophet, Madzibaba Wimbo.Mnangagwa, who then was vice-president, had visited popular prophet Wimbo's shrine in Mashonaland Central province to seek anointing to succeed Mugabe.Wimbo was pivotal in Zanu-PF's fractious succession politics as he is said to have predicted in 1957 that Mugabe would lead the country.Former Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa has been accused of turning to Bible verses to seek support from Zimbabweans. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawatis nephew and heir apparent Akash Anand fiercely targeted the BJP, SP, and Congress for their anti-people stand here on Monday. In a couple of election meetings, Akash, who is also the BSPs national coordinator, said, In Uttar Pradesh, there is a leader who is identified by a red cap. He once road a cycle to power, donned the cap for some time, and later made others wear it. Those Muslims who voted for them unilaterally could not even stand up for their rights. Without taking the name of Rahul Gandhi, he said that the Congress leader would traverse from one corner of the country to another in the name of uniting India but failed to do anything substantial. Advertisement Targeting electoral bonds, he said, In six years, 25 parties have taken over Rs 16,000 crore from wealthy people. The BSP does not figure in this list. Akash Anand further said: The opposition parties are trying to confuse people. They say that the elephant has not been able to move forward for the last few years because it is burdened with the books. This is an utter lie. Till date, the BSP has not taken even a single penny from any capitalist or company. Some say that the BSP puts the burden on its workers, but it is far from the truth. People from other parties will come to you to seek votes. You must ask them for their report card in the last 10 years. Akash Anand said that the BSP will contest elections across the country on the strength of its workers and not on the support of dhanna seth (wealthy people). BSP workers consider the Constitution as their guiding principle and duty. Akash said that the BSP never releases its manifesto. Instead, it always enters the electoral arena on the basis of its track record of work done during its tenure. In the last 10 years, the opposition parties in power failed to address crucial issues like education, security, and employment. Students in government schools struggle to comprehend even simple English words, and half of them are poor in even basic mathematical skills. One in three graduates faces unemployment. Instances of paper leaks in government job examinations further highlight the erosion within our system, akin to termite damage. How can one stand on his or her feet without proper education? he questioned. Lambasting the BJP, the BSP national coordinator said, The BJP had promised that it will provide two crore jobs every year. Now there is no talk of jobs, security, or employment. Now they are talking about temples, mosques, and religion. Religion has not filled anyones stomach and will not be able to fill it in the future either. A sum of Rs 2 lakh crore is being spent on distributing free ration. They give you a ration worth Rs 12,000 in a year but do not provide you a job. If you get a proper job, there would be no need for a free ration. The black money has not been returned yet. Demonetisation has broken the back of the poor, he asserted. Appealing to voters to support BSP candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Akash asked them to defeat both the NDA and INDI alliance to bail out the country from the clutches of debt and unemployment. Akash Anand said that the Congress claims that it will provide reservation but does not know that the BSP had already provided ensured reservation for the oppressed sections of the society. There is no need for the Congress to do so. He said now is the time to assert that the elephant will neither bow down nor stop; it will keep moving forward. He instructed party workers to make society aware of the developmental works done by the BSP government. Expressing solidarity with the people of Rwanda, India lit up the Qutub Minar on Sunday in remembrance of Rwanda genocide of 1994. The Qutub Minar was lit up with the colours of the Rwandan national flag in solidarity with the people of the east-African nation in remembrance of the 100-day massacre that claimed the lives of 800,000 people in 1994. On the occasion, Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi of the Ministry of External Affairs represented India at the 30th commemoration of the genocide in the Rwanda capital, Kigali. Advertisement In the late-night post on X on Sunday, the official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, said, In solidarity with the people of Rwanda, India lit up the Qutub Minar today, marking the UN International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Secy (ER) Dammu Ravi represented India at the 30th commemoration of the genocide today in Kigali. Rwanda marked 30 years of the genocide orchestrated by armed Hutu extremists, who tore apart the nation. The 1994 Rwanda Genocide (Kwibuka 30) is considered one of the bloodiest massacres of the 20th century. According to Al Jazeera, Rwandas President Paul Kagame led the commemoration on Sunday by placing wreaths on the mass graves in the countrys capital, Kigali. The event was flanked by several foreign dignitaries, including the South African leaders, as well as dignitaries from Ethiopia. Former US President Bill Clinton was also present, who had called the genocide the biggest failure of his administration. The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel group captured Kigali in July 1994 after a 100-day killing spree that started on April 7, 1994, and claimed the lives of almost 800,000 people, most of them Tutsis but also moderate Hutus, according to Al Jazeera. Dammu Ravi, the Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs (Economic Relations), is on a visit to Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya from April 7-12, accompanied by the Additional Secretary (East and Southern Africa), Puneet R Kundal. The Supreme Court on Monday directed Google India to explain the working of its location sharing feature on the map of the internet search engine so that it could be considered to be included as a condition for the grant of bail to an accused. A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan asked Google India to explain the working of its PIN location-sharing feature, after the Central government failed to explain the working of the location sharing PIN on Google Map. The issue is whether requiring an accused to continue providing investigators with information about his whereabouts is likely to infringe the individuals right to privacy. Advertisement We need to examine whether if an accused (on the orders of the court) has to provide the investigators with his detailed information about their whereabouts, then will it likely infringe the individuals right to privacy or not, the bench observed. The petitioner Frank Vitus a Nigerian national represented by advocate Varun Mishra has contended that location sharing conditions imposed by Delhi High Court violated his right to privacy. Frank Vitus is facing prosecution for alleged offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. In the order passed on February 23, 2024, the court had issued notice to Google India asking the internet search engine to explain the working of its search location PIN. The court in its order had said: The said company shall file an affidavit along with the necessary documents explaining the working of google PIN in the context of putting a condition in the order granting bail. The issue is whether such a condition infringes the right to privacy. The concern of the court appears to be rooted in the 2017 top court constitution bench judgment which had unanimously declared that the right to privacy was a fundamental right. Delhis Rouse Avenue Court on Monday rejected BRS leader K Kavithas plea seeking interim bail in the money laundering case relating to the alleged liquor policy irregularities. Kavitha, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 15 after an extensive raid at her Hyderabad residence, is accused of paying Rs 100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party in exchange of liquor licenses in the national capital. Meanwhile, Kavithas regular bail application is also pending before the court and the matter will be heard on April 20. Advertisement Kavitha, who is the daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, has denied the allegations, terming her arrest a political conspiracy ahead of elections. Last month, she asked the Election Commission of India to intervene and protect democracy. Kavitha also alleged that the case against her was false and that she was going to fight it in the court. The latest setback for BRS leader comes days after she moved the Delhi court urging it to recall its order allowing the CBI to interrogate her in Tihar Jail, where she is currently lodged. While the ED is probing the money laundering case linked to now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, the CBI is investigating alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the liquor policy. In the tumultuous landscape of immigration discourse, the resonance of former President Donald Trumps border message extends far beyond his political base. Mr Trumps impassioned calls for stringent border enforcement and his assertion of a secure border during his administration strike a chord with a significant swath of the American populace concerned about national security and adherence to the rule of law. Mr Trumps appeal lies in his portrayal of border security as a fundamental tenet of national sovereignty and public safety. By framing illegal immigration as a threat to American communities, Mr Trump effectively taps into deep-seated anxieties surrounding issues such as crime, job displacement, and cultural assimilation. His message resonates with individuals who perceive unauthorised migration as a challenge to the fabric of American society and an affront to the principles of law and order. Moreover, Mr Trumps narrative gains traction due to its alignment with broader sentiments of economic anxiety and cultural identity. For many Americans, the influx of unauthorised migrants represents not only a strain on resources but also a perceived threat to their way of life. Mr Trumps promise to build the wall and restore sovereignty resonates with individuals who feel marginalised by globalisation and demographic shifts, offering a sense of reassurance in an uncertain world. Furthermore, Mr Trumps assertion that the border was safe under his administration strikes a chord with those who view his policies as effective deterrents to illegal immigration. While critics may dispute the efficacy or humanitarian implications of Mr Trumps border measures, his supporters point to statistics showing a decline in illegal border crossings during his tenure as evidence of success. This narrative of security and control reinforces the perception of Mr Trump as a strong and decisive leader, resonating with voters disillusioned with perceived government inefficacy. However, Mr Trumps message on immigration also resonates beyond his base due to its broader cultural and political implications. By framing illegal immigration as a central issue of national importance, Mr Trump has effectively galvanised support across party lines and ideological divides. His emphasis on border security transcends traditional partisan boundaries, appealing to independents and moderate Democrats concerned about public safety and national security. Advertisement The populist rhetoric on immigration resonates with individuals who feel disenfranchised by the political establishment and yearn for a return to law and order. His promise to prioritise American interests over those of foreign nationals speaks to a broader sentiment of nationalist fervour and resentment towards perceived elites. In this sense, Mr Trumps message on immigration becomes a rallying cry for those seeking to challenge the status quo and restore a sense of agency in the face of perceived threats to American sovereignty. Understanding the multifaceted appeal of Mr Trumps message on immigration is crucial to navigating the complex landscape of immigration discourse and forging a path towards meaningful reform. Looking at the ever-increasing size of the Union Budget, doubling every three years, Finance Ministers are hard pressed to generate resources to meet the Central Governments ballooning expenditure. Competitive populism dictates that more and more money is spent on handouts and freebies every year, and except for some token gestures like doing away with senior citizen concession on train travel, nothing much is done to curb expenditure. All parties, both at the Centre and in States, pay lip service to elimination of subsidies and freebies, but promptly forget their promises once elections are announced. A situation has emerged where one political partys welfare expenditure is another partys freebie, and viceversa. The Central Government, whenever it needs extra funds, often takes short cuts like increasing GST rates or playing around with Central Excise levies on petroleum products. This is childs play for the Government, since the Centre now controls all significant levers of taxation; Direct Taxes through Income-tax, and almost all Indirect Taxes through GST. State Governments follow the Centres lead, wherever they can. Such ill-thought measures affect citizens adversely, because incidence of tax i.e., the particular segment of the population that has to pay the tax, is rarely one of the considerations. Even otherwise, Indirect taxes hit the poor more; according to the latest Oxfam report Survival of the Richest: The India Story, a little less than two-thirds (64.3 per cent) of the total GST is paid by the bottom 50 per cent of the population, one-third of the GST is collected from the middle 40 per cent, and only 3-4 per cent from the richest 10 per cent of the country. Advertisement Another toxic method is to resort to deficit financing. According to the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act 2003, fiscal deficit was to go down to 3 per cent of GDP by 31 March 2008, and reduce annually by 0.3 per cent thereafter, yet the fiscal deficit on 31 March 2024 is estimated at 5.8 per cent ~ far in excess of what was originally envisaged. Also, according to FRBM, Central Government Debt should not exceed 40 per cent of GDP by 2024-25, but according to Budget Estimates, Central Government Debt is slated to touch 82.4 per cent of GDP by 31 March 2025. The ills of uncontrolled State borrowing are many; it is a debt we incur, but which is repaid by future generations. Almost two and a half centuries ago US President Thomas Jefferson had observed: The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale. Thus, there are many good reasons for reducing Government expenditure. Unfortunately, all such reasons pale into insignificance in the face of compulsive populism. The FRBM Review Committee Report made a host of recommendations for ensuring fiscal prudence, including the setting up of an autonomous Fiscal Committee to manage fiscal strategy. None of the Committees recommendations have been implemented. Also, the Fifteenth Finance Commission had recommended a review of Central Schemes, with axing of unviable ones. However, Revised Estimates for Financial Year 2023- 24, show an expenditure of Rs.19.06 lakh crore on Central Schemes, out of total Budget expenditure of Rs.44.90 lakh crore, with no review of Central Schemes in sight. Obviously, an efficient tax system along with a brake on profligacy can help the Government balance its books. But, sadly, in the recent past, no thought has been paid to the review of the overall taxation structure. Even in the third decade of the twenty-first century, Direct and Indirect taxes operate in different silos in India, never mind that most advanced countries, including UK and USA, have integrated both long ago. The first report of the Tax Administration Reforms Commission (headed by Dr Parthasarthy Shome), submitted on 30 May 2014, suggested integration of the two Revenue Boards, but even this suggestion got lost in the turf wars of North Block. Post-Covid, when the West faced economic uncertainty, certain ultra-rich public minded citizens, came forward offering to pay extra tax, to rescue their governments. No corresponding movement was seen in India, but the public noticed that in Covid times, when ordinary citizens faced extreme distress, certain categories of businesses like pharmaceutical companies and pharmacists, online retailers etc., made extraordinary profits. In India, post-Covid, after a K-shaped economic recovery, though strenuously denied by Government agencies, the difference between the rich and poor has exacerbated, which has drawn the attention of a host of international agencies, including Oxfam and UNDP. Recently, a paper titled Income and Wealth Inequality in India, 1922-2023: The Rise of the Billionaire Raj authored by Thomas Piketty, Lucas Chancel, and Nitin Kumar, stated bluntly: By 2022-23, top one per cent income and wealth shares (22.6 per cent and 40.1 per cent) are at their highest historical levels and Indias top one per cent income share is among the very highest in the world, higher than even South Africa, Brazil, and the US. Notably, the share of the top 1 per cent was 6.1 per cent in Indias wealth and income in 1982, which rose steadily thereafter, with the rise being much more pronounced during the Covid period. Currently, according to Hurun Research Institutes 2024 Global Rich List, India is home to 271 billionaires, with 94 new billionaires added in 2023 alone. The number of new billionaires added last year is more than in any country, other than the US. The billionaires collective wealth amounts to almost US$1 trillion ~ nearly 7 per cent of the worlds total wealth. The Chancel, Piketty and Kumar Report also stated that more government expenditure on health, education, and nutrition was required to improve the lot of average Indians, so that the fruits of economic progress and globalization could trickle down to them. The Report has prescribed a super tax of 2 per cent on the net wealth of the 167 wealthiest Indian families in 2022-23 which would garner 0.5 per cent of national income in revenues, and create valuable fiscal space to facilitate such investments. This is a worthwhile suggestion. Myriad anomalies have crept in the Indian taxation system, which was conceptualised by Nicholas Kaldor in the 1950s and implemented in the early 1960s (See Taxation Travails, 5 March 2024). Raising more revenues, the way the Government does it, i.e. by increasing GST rates, would only lead to more burdens for the poor. Probably, the required revenue for social sector spending could be generated by levying wealth tax on individuals holding assets in excess of Rs.100 crore, as also inheritance tax on inheritances above Rs.100 crore. Needless to say, concentration of wealth will also get diluted, to some extent, by these taxes. The two main objections to re-introduction of the Wealthtax and Inheritance Act are: These taxes were discarded long ago because of difficulty in computation and also because they did not yield a significant amount of revenue. These objections are easily met. Presently, almost the entire wealth of the ultra-rich is held in financial assets like shares, mutual funds etc. which are liquid, divisible and easily valued in a transparent manner. Secondly, these taxes will affect only a minuscule proportion of taxpayers, which will ensure proper supervision by tax authorities, but as seen above, would result in generation of a sufficient amount of revenue. Also, because of the liquid nature of the majority of assets, hardship cases of children rendered homeless after a parents death due to inheritance tax, or holders of immovable property not being able to pay wealth-tax, will be few and far between. Then, there could be exemption clauses for a certain value, or for a certain asset class, or for both. In the ultimate analysis, taxation is a necessary evil for a civilised nation. As Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. had said in one of his famous judgements: I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilization. (The writer is a retired Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog, has said that the drone attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine on Sunday is a serious incident that endangered nuclear safety and security. Director General of the IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi on Sunday night urged military decision-makers to abstain from any action violating the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities. He said that such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately. Advertisement For the first time since November 2022, Europes largest nuclear power plant was directly targeted in military action that also represents a clear violation of the five basic principles for protecting the facility established by Director General Grossi at the United Nations Security Council in May last year, the IAEA said in a statement. At this point, there are no indications of damage to critical nuclear safety or security systems at the site. However, the military strikes were another stark reminder of persistent threats to the ZNPP and other nuclear facilities during the armed conflict, despite the IAEAs efforts to reduce the risk of a severe accident that could harm people and the environment in Ukraine and beyond, it added. The IAEA experts stationed at the site went to three affected locations and were able to confirm the physical impact of the drone detonations, including at one of the sites six reactor buildings where surveillance and communication equipment appeared to have been targeted. While they were at the roof of the reactor, unit 6, Russian troops engaged what appeared to be an approaching drone. This was followed by an explosion near the reactor building, the UN nuclear watchdog stated. The IAEA team reported that they observed remnants of drones at this and two other impact locations at the site. At one of them, outside a laboratory, they saw blood stains next to a damaged military logistics vehicle, indicating at least one casualty, it added. The experts reported hearing explosions and rifle fire on the site throughout the day. Additionally, the IAEA team heard several rounds of outgoing artillery fire from near the plant. While the team so far has not observed any structural damage to systems, structures, and components important to nuclear safety or security of the plant, they reported observing minor superficial scorching to the top of the reactor dome roof of Unit 6 and scoring of a concrete slab supporting the primary make-up water storage tanks, the IAEA said. Russia said that Ukraine was behind the attack, which it said injured three people. Ukraine has denied involvement. The ZNPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe with a total capacity of 6 gigawatts. At the end of February 2022, the facility was taken under Russian control. News / National by Staff reporter Former Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) commander, Lt. General David Sigauke, has been designated as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced these appointments in an Extraordinary Government Gazette issued last Friday. Additionally, deputy Clerk of Parliament Helen Bangawe Dingani has been appointed as ambassador to the Republic of Tanzania, while Visitor Jerry Mutume has been appointed Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Martin Rushwaya, made the announcement through the publication, stating, "It is hereby notified that His Excellency, the President, in terms of Section 110 (2) (i) as read with Section 204 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, appointed Lt. General David Sigauke as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Ms. Helen Bangawe Dingani Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania, and Mr. Visitor Jerry Mutume Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea," as per General Notices 432A, 432B, and 432C of 2024, respectively.Lt. General David Sigauke retired last year and was succeeded by Lt. General Anselem Sanyatwe. He led the ZNA from 2021 after his promotion following the passing of his predecessor and national hero, Lt. General Edzai Chimonyo.Before her recent appointment, Helen Bangawe Dingani served as the deputy Clerk of Parliament and previously held the position of deputy clerk at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). Immediate Bitwave is a crypto trading platform receiving positive feedback from users and trading experts. The platform is said to be developed using the latest cutting-edge technology that simplifies trading and enables traders to make informed decisions. The creator of this platform also claims that the system automates most of the tasks and carries out the trading according to the performance of the market. In this Immediate Bitwave review, I will be verifying whether the said claims are valid with the available information. Visit Immediate Bitwave We are in an era where trading has changed the way we look at financial opportunities. With the advent of crypto trading, different opportunities to make financial advancements have also increased. However, to make the right moves in trading, a trading application or software becomes crucial. There are various trading platforms available today but traders look for a platform that simplifies trading and gives traders insights on where and when to make the right move. In this review, I will analyze all the Immediate Bitwave specifications, and find out if it is worth the hype. Immediate Bitwave Review - Quick Stats Our Rating: 4.85/5 Free Demo Trading Account: Yes Minimum Deposit: $250 Trading Fees: None Account Fees: None Supported Cryptocurrencies: LTC, XRP, BTC, ETH & More Advertised Success Rate: 87% Available in: All Geos except US Try Immediate Bitwave For Free What Is Immediate Bitwave? Crypto trading can be quite demanding especially for short-term traders. Analyzing the charts, being up to date with all the developments, and conducting the trades on your own can easily get very tiring. To make things go smoother, many traders use sophisticated AI tools to automate some parts of trading. This is exactly what Immediate Bitwave aims to do. By monitoring the markets for you, the app can detect profitable opportunities in the market and even open sell or buy positions for you. While its main focus is on cryptos, Immediate Bitwave can also trade many other assets Forex, indices, stocks, and even commodities, just to name a few. Click Here To Try Immediate Bitwave For Free How Does Immediate Bitwave Work? Immediate Bitwave mainly assists users in tracking market trends and making informed trading decisions. It uses quantum computing to analyze vast amounts of market data and then uses AI and machine learning technologies to predict market movements and identify potentially profitable opportunities. Who Is Immediate Bitwave For? Lets get this out of the way Immediate Bitwave trading app is for everyone. It does not matter whether you are just getting started or have been trading cryptos for years; an app like this can make your life much easier. First, its very easy to use beginners wont have any issues navigating through it. Secondly, its very customizable, allowing experienced traders to retain control over their trades, create or amend strategies, and be in charge. For example, if you are not comfortable with the app conducting trades for you, you can simply use it for market analyses and take care of other details on your own. Alternatively, you can let the app do all the work for you. Start trading cryptos with 0 fees at Immediate Bitwave How To Register On Immediate Bitwave? To open an account on the Immediate Bitwave trading bot, traders and investors have to complete a few simple steps. The registration process and other crucial steps involved are listed below: Step 1- Provide basic details and register an account The Immediate Bitwave platform requires basic details such as name, email ID, place of residence, phone number, and a strong password to activate a trading account. Provide these details in the registration form and submit it. Wait for the verification of the entails by the team. Once found legitimate, the Immediate Bitwave team will send a confirmation mail to the given mail ID you can access to get into the software. So, account registration will be complete. Step 2- Deposit Funds To start your trading journey on the Immediate Bitwave platform, you must deposit funds in your trading account. The minimum deposit to be made is $250 which can be gradually increased. It is wise to start with the minimum deposit amount as trading involves risk and you need time to explore the platform. Once you get the grasp, you can invest bigger amounts. The funds can be invested via any payment options available on Immediate Bitwave. Also, the capital deposited can be withdrawn at any time with no extra cost or other hassles. Step 3- Begin Trading Journey On Immediate Bitwave Once your Immediate Bitwave account is ready for use, you will have a personal account manager for complete assistance throughout your trading journey. You can choose between manual or automated mode and execute profitable trades. Once the strategies and parameters are fixed, the trading bot will do the rest of the work for you. These include market analysis, tracking price movements, comparing price data, generating signals, alerting risks, news, updates, and so on. Register On Immediate Bitwave For Free Immediate Bitwave Review: Key Features Trading Strategies Immediate Bitwave uses High-Frequency Trading (HFT) strategies. These strategies involve the use of complex algorithms to trade assets at a rapid pace. The platform is capable of executing thousands of trades per minute, capitalizing on arbitrage opportunities that arise when theres a price difference of a cryptocurrency across different exchanges. Variety of Cryptos Supported Whether you want to trade well-known cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH or go with lesser-known options, Immediate Bitwaves got you covered. Here are some of the digital coins you can trade here: Bitcoin Ethereum Litecoin Ripple Bitcoin Cash The platform also supports cryptocurrencies like Cardano, Solana, and popular meme coins Dogecoin and Shiba Inu. Immediate Bitwave Fees Unlike other automated trading tools that charge high subscription and trading fees, Immediate Bitwave is completely free to use and there are no hidden fees whatsoever. Security The Immediate Bitwave platform employs industry-standard security measures to protect user data and funds. These include: Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): An extra layer of security by requiring users to provide two types of identification before accessing their account. Encryption: This ensures that any data transmitted between the user and the platform is unreadable to any unauthorized individuals. Trade With Immediate Bitwave For Free Immediate Bitwave Pros And Cons Immediate Bitwave Pros Automation At Its Best Immediate Bitwave crypto bot is like your own personal trading assistant. It uses AI and a custom OLAP cube to handle the heavy lifting of crypto trades. This means you can kick back while it does the grunt work analyzing trade patterns, spotting profitable opportunities, and executing orders. More Than Just Crypto With Immediate Bitwave, youre not just stuck with cryptocurrencies. You also get access to Forex currency pairs, commodities, and other assets. Having an all-access pass to the world of trading gives you the chance to mix things up and potentially reduce risk. Works 24/7 for You This bot doesnt sleep its constantly scanning global markets and keeping an eye on crypto prices in real-time. Its like your own personal market watchdog, ready to pounce on profitable trading opportunities as they arise. Furthermore, the Immediate Bitwave trading platform claims an impressive 87% success rate. Easy to Use, Free of Charge Dont be scared if youre new to crypto trading. Immediate Bitwave has a user-friendly interface thats easy to navigate. Its designed to make your trading experience as smooth as possible, even if youre just starting. The trading platform is free and only requires a $250 initial deposit to get started. Safe & Secure Trading App In the online trading world, security is a big deal. Immediate Bitwave understands this. As we found, it offers robust security measures to keep your investments and personal info safe from cyber threats. Leverage Up to 4000:1 Want to maximize your trading potential? Immediate Bitwave has got you covered. The platform offers an impressive leverage of up to 4000:1. This means you could control a trade worth 4000 times more than your original trade. Its like supercharging your trading power, but remember, while leverage can increase profits, it can also increase losses. So, make sure to use it responsibly. No Hidden Fees With Immediate Bitwave, what you see is what you get. All it takes is a minimum deposit of $250 to get started. Immediate Bitwave Cons Not Supported In the United States and Cyprus Immediate Bitwave - Ratings Lets dive into the world of Immediate Bitwave, a trading robot platform thats making waves in the financial market. Our Immediate Bitwave review will focus on six key benchmarks: Variety of Markets, Payout Speed, Security Measures, Fees, User Reviews, and Customer Support. Lets have a closer look at it. Variety of Markets: 5/5 One of the highlights of Immediate Bitwave is the wide range of markets it supports. The platform lets you trade not just cryptocurrencies but also Forex, indices, stocks, and more. Such diversity provides traders with a lot of opportunities to diversify their portfolio, earning Immediate Bitwave a full score. Payout Speed: 4.5/5 The payouts at Immediate Bitwave are not bad, but theyre not the best either. Most of the withdrawals are processed within 24-48 hours here, which could use an improvement. Security Measures: 5/5 Immediate Bitwave takes its users security seriously. The platform utilizes encryption to keep its users data safe, combined with 2FA and secure servers at multiple locations worldwide, including London, Sydney, Oman, and Singapore. Fees: 5/5 With no lurking hidden charges, the platform provides transparency that traders appreciate, warranting another perfect score. Customer Support: 4.75/5 You can reach out to the support team around the clock, any day of the week. The team is professional, and while the response times are not instant, they are pretty close. A solid rating overall! Final Verdict - Immediate Bitwave Scam? Immediate Bitwave Is Not A Scam From detailed analysis, Immediate Bitwave turns out to be a genuine crypto trading bot. Here is a quick summary of all the important aspects of the platform we have discussed in this Immediate Bitwave review. Immediate Bitwave is a new web-based trading software. It has been designed to support efficient trading across various asset classes including mainstream cryptocurrencies and other assets like stocks, CFDs, and forex pairs. The system uses artificial intelligence, advanced algorithms, and sophisticated tools to simplify all trading processes and thereby save time. The account registration process on Immediate Bitwave is uncomplicated and transparent. The mandatory initial investment to be made is just a minimum deposit of $250. With time, traders can increase this amount and utilize the most out of the profitable trade opportunities that come up. Immediate Bitwave boasts a high win rate of 85%, which speaks volumes about its performance. The platform is also transparent about its fee structure, ensuring there are no hidden costs. This openness further enhances trust and reliability in the platform. Immediate Bitwave does not demand additional charges from users which means that the bot is affordable. Different payment options are available that are safe and problem-free. The platform claims to have a high success rate and the positive user responses point to this. So, on the whole, Immediate Bitwave seems to be a genuine trading platform that traders at all proficiency levels can use to make their trading smoother and more profitable. Try Immediate Bitwave For Free Immediate Bitwave - FAQs Is Immediate Bitwave trustworthy? The Immediate Bitwave app seems trustworthy as it uses the latest technologies, follows strict safety protocols, and has received positive reviews. What about the Immediate Bitwave registration process? The Immediate Bitwave registration process is uncomplicated and transparent. It can be completed in just a few minutes. Is Immediate Bitwave SSL encrypted? Yes. The Immediate Bitwave system uses SSL encryption to protect user data from cyber attacks. Traders can use two-factor authentication to safeguard their information. Which are the different trading modes available on Immediate Bitwave? The two main trading modes available on Immediate Bitwave are manual and automated. Based on your skill set, you can choose any mode and begin trading. How much is the initial investment required for trading on Immediate Bitwave? The initial investment required for trading on Immediate Bitwave is $250 which can be increased gradually with time. Crypto trading has made its mark in the financial world, since its introduction in the year 2009. The decentralized nature and lower transaction costs are some of the perks of investing in crypto trading. However, the complications and risks are more in this area as a result, crypto trading traders look for an easy, and uncomplicated trading system, that guides them and helps them make the right decisions. Talking about trading systems, Immediate Matrix is a new trading platform that is said to have become a wider choice among traders. Visit Immediate Matrix It is claimed that not only does it automate trading according to the set parameters, but it also helps guide traders to make the right trading decisions, saving a lot of time and effort. The creator of this platform also says that through this single platform, traders can manage their portfolios and conduct trade in different cryptocurrencies and other assets. In this Immediate Matrix review, I will be evaluating all these claims and verify whether the claims made are valid. We will also look at the different features of this platform and find out whether this platform is a legit trading platform. So, without further ado, lets analyze whether Immediate Matrix is what traders are looking for. Immediate Matrix - Overview Trading Platform Name Immediate Matrix Platform Type Web-based platform. Registration Yes Registration Fee None Platform Interface User-friendly Minimum Deposit $250 Payout Time 24 Hours Assets Supported Cryptocurrencies, forex, stocks, and other assets. Hidden Charges None Deposits The platform supports different deposit and withdrawal methods. Customer Support 24/7 Official Website Click Here What Is Immediate Matrix? Immediate Matrix is a new trading platform that is free of cost and traders do not have to pay any registration fees or platform charges to use this platform. According to the creator of this platform, it has been created using the latest tech-industry technology, such as artificial intelligence, analytics, and algorithms. It is a simple and uncomplicated platform that comes with a user-friendly and intuitive interface, which makes it easy to use and beginner-friendly. Beginners can start by using the free demo mode, which comes with this platform, and get themselves acquainted with trading without having to make a real investment. Advanced technologies make this platform more reliable as it generates accurate data and predictions based on current market trends. Users do not have to pay any registration fee while using this platform and only have to make an initial deposit of $250 as a capital investment. It also supports various cryptocurrencies, and assets such as stocks, CDFs, forex, and many others. Click Here To Visit Immediate Matrix Official Website Is Immediate Matrix A Scam? Immediate Matrix Is Not A Scam Immediate Matrix is a legitimate trading platform. Due to the immense hype surrounding the platform, there are mixed opinions and several speculations about the system that make traders question its genuineness. From our analysis of the platform, manual testing of the system, surveying the user responses, interaction with crypto experts, and examining data from legitimate sources, we have come to the conclusion that Immediate Matrix is legitimate. Though this is the case, traders and investors should be careful about imitations of this crypto trading system that might be circulating online to trap uninformed users and loot their money. Make sure you register only through the official Immediate Matrix website for a safe experience and to prevent falling for scams. How Does Immediate Matrix Work? The Immediate Matrix trading system works by analyzing the latest market trends and collecting real-time data. Before trading through this platform, traders have to set the parameters and market indicators, and the data will be presented based on the set conditions and optimized according to the requirements of each trader. The platform also presents the data in various simplified forms such as histograms, bar charts, and other simple charts, which are not only easy to understand, but also give various insights into the market. With the help of Immediate Matrix, traders can also mitigate risks or losses. The platform with the use of an AI-enabled tool gives alerts regarding any upcoming drops in the market and it also conducts trade moves based on the market conditions, automatically. Traders can also set their portfolios and track the position of various assets from a single window. Not only does it simplify trading, but it also offers an effective trading environment. Features Of Immediate Matrix The one thing that makes the Immediate Matrix trading platform unique is that it is loaded with all the essential features and tools that improve the efficiency of trading. In this section, we will look at the different features included in this trading platform. Addition Of Various Advanced Technologies The Immediate Matrix trading system is built with the latest technology, such as artificial intelligence, algorithms, and analytics that helps to optimize and simplify all the trading moves. Using these tools, the platform can give traders data insights and help them make smart and quick decisions. It can also predict market conditions accurately and minimize any possible errors. User-friendly Interface A platform, especially a trading platform might not be dependable if it complicates tasks and traders do find it difficult to use. With the Immediate Matrix trading bot, users can conduct trade effortlessly and navigate through it, without having to endure any complications. This makes the platform beginner-friendly and easy to use. Works Based On Real-time Data The Immediate Matrix system works based on real-time data and also gives traders updated data. The platform enables traders to get the latest market conditions and display them using various types of charts such as bar graphs, histograms, cups and handles, wedges, and more. Traders can make informed decisions based on the performance of the market. Portfolio Management With the help of the Immediate Matrix platform, traders can manage their portfolios according to their requirements. They can select the assets they want to invest, set financial objectives, and also manage their risk tolerance. By setting the parameters, you can minimize the risk and maximize the returns. Support Different Cryptocurrencies One of the features that makes the Immediate Matrix trading system stand out is that it supports different cryptocurrencies and assets such as stocks, forex, CDCs, and others. This means that traders can conduct and manage different crypto investments from a single platform. Automated Trading The platform enables automated trading based on set parameters such as indicators, entry and exit prices, and other essentials. By identifying the market trends, the platform can conduct trading automatically. This means that traders do not have to stick to the system 24/7. Demo Trading The Immediate Matrix trading system has a free demo mode. Using this mode, traders can get to know how the platform works without having to pay any fee. This feature is also beneficial for novice traders who wish to familiarize themselves with trading systems and functions. Try Immediate Matrix For Free How To Register On Immediate Matrix? Registering on the Immediate Matrix trading system is simple and does not involve any complicated procedure. I have mentioned the steps to follow to create an account on this platform. Step 1: The first step is to register on this platform. For this, you need to visit the Immediate Matrix official website and click on Register. You will be redirected to another page where you need to fill out a form with basic information, such as your name, phone number, email address, and identity proof. You have to set up your account with a strong password. After you complete filling out the form, your details will be evaluated and verified by the Immediate Matrix verification team. This helps to filter out any fraudulent activities and ensure that it is a safe trading platform. Step 2: The Immediate Matrix verification team, led by experts will verify all your details, to ensure that your information is genuine and legitimate. If they find the details to be correct and authentic, they will send a confirmation link to the given email address. You can click on the link, and complete the rest of the registration. Step 3: After you complete setting up your account, you can jumpstart trading. Before this, you have to pay $250 as an initial capital to start trading. The amount can be deposited via any method as the Immediate Matrix platform supports different payment methods. You can also set up your portfolio and set the parameters according to your trading goals. Register On Immediate Matrix For Free Immediate Matrix - Pros and Cons So far, we have discussed the different aspects and features of the Immediate Matrix platform. I think that a list of pros and cons can help you gain a wider insight into the trading platform and you can make your decision effectively. So, I have noted down some of the pros and cons of this trading platform. Free trading system No registration fee User-friendly interface Simple to use No maintenance fee Supports different payment methods Requires only $250 as an initial deposit Traders have full control over their assets Free demo mode available Supports different cryptocurrencies and assets 24/7 customer support is available A few countries have restrictions on trading laws and as a result, the Immediate Matrix trading platform cannot be used in countries such as the United States, Cyprus, Iran, France, and Israel. Immediate Matrix: Minimum Deposit One of the factors that makes the Immediate Matrix trading system different from other platforms is that it is completely free of cost. There is no need to pay any registration or maintenance fees, and no hidden charges are levied from the users. Traders only have to make an initial deposit of $250 as capital to start trading. This amount can be increased according to the traders trading goals, experience, risk tolerance, and market performance. It is also important to note that traders have full autonomy over their investments and assets. They can make a deposit any time they want and have the choice to withdraw their money anytime. Trade With Immediate Matrix For Free Immediate Matrix: Supported Cryptocurrencies The Immediate Matrix trading system supports various cryptocurrencies and other assets. This makes it possible for traders to invest in different assets from a single point and they can control everything under an umbrella. The list of supported assets is given below. Bitcoin (BTC) Ethereum (ETH) Binance Coin (BNC) Ethereum Classic (ETC) Polkadot (DOT) Dogecoin (DOGE) Dash (DASH) Cardano (ADA) Montero (XMR) Litecoin (LTC) Ripple (XRP) You can view the full list of assets and cryptocurrencies supported on Immediate Matrix by visiting their official page. Immediate Matrix: Customer Support One of the goals of the creators of the Immediate Matrix platform is to extend all the help that traders need in their trading journey. For this, an Immediate Matrix customer support team is available 24/7. Experts lead this team in the field and are available throughout the day to extend any kind of support traders need. Traders can clear any doubts regarding the system, or raise any concerns or issues such as technical issues, account problems, transaction errors, or any other issues and the team is available to clear and resolve them. Immediate Matrix: Customer Review I have seen that the Immediate Matrix platform has become the talk of the town, especially among various renowned trader groups since it was launched. I know a few of them, who have switched to this platform after they got to know about its functionality and specifications. You can even see people talking and discussing this platform on Reddit and Quora. Users have also commented that the platform has not only simplified trading but also helped them to make informed decisions based on real-time data and generate accurate trade signals. It has also helped to buy and sell stocks at the right time and mitigate any potential losses well. Looking at the feedback the platform has been receiving, it does seem to be a genuine and legit trading platform. Immediate Matrix: Final Verdict This Immediate Matrix review has analyzed and evaluated all the important aspects of the trading platform. When we compare this platform with other trading platforms available, the former seems to be much more technically advanced. The inclusion of various technologies such as artificial intelligence, analytics, and algorithms not only simplifies trading but also allows traders to identify the right trading opportunities and make informed decisions. The platform assists the traders in every step and also helps to identify any potential risks and mitigate them. Traders have the liberty to set trading parameters, and indicators such as entry and exit stocks, and even monitor market movement by viewing real-time market trends. These market movements are simplified and presented using simple charts such as bar graphs, histograms, and others. This trading platform is completely free of cost and traders only have to make an initial deposit of $250. Traders can also experience safe and secure trading as strict and safe protocols are followed by the creators to block any fraudulent activities. Evaluating all the details of the Immediate Matrix platform, it does seem to be a genuine one and worth trying. Trade With Immediate Matrix For Free Immediate Matrix - FAQs Do I have to pay any maintenance fees while using Immediate Matrix? While using Immediate Matrix, there is no need to pay any form of fee such as a maintenance fee. This is a free trading system. Can I increase the initial deposit from $250 to $500? Yes. You have the option to increase the amount of initial deposit according to your trading goals and expertise in this field. The minimum amount required is $250. Is Immediate Matrix available in the form of a mobile application? No. The mobile application of Immediate Matrix has not been launched yet. It is a web-based platform and can be used on laptops, desktops, and mobile phones. Do I need to make any deposits while trying out the demo mode? The Immediate Matrix platform offers a free demo mode, which means you can use this mode without having to make any deposits. Is Immediate Matrix accessible in all countries? Due to restrictions in trading, Immediate Matrix cannot be accessed in some countries, such as Cyprus, Israel, Iran, France, and the United States. National, 8th April-2024: Simpolo Group , a pioneering force in the ceramic industry, is proud to announce an expansion that will triple its existing capacity, a huge leap in India's ceramic industry. With an investment of over ~ Rs. 1,000 crore over the next two to three years, the group is embarking on a transformative journey, setting the stage for two ground-breaking manufacturing facilities strategically located across the nation. Expansion Details: 1. Malia, Morbi, Gujarat: Spanning an extensive area of approximately 86 acres, the Malia plant represents a bold step forward for Simpolo Group. With an investment of Rs. 650 crores, this visionary project is slated to commence operations in FY26. The Malia plant is poised to emerge as a cornerstone of innovation and excellence in the ceramic industry. This strategic investment underscores our unwavering commitment to meeting the burgeoning demand for premium ceramic products in India and providing more than 400 employment opportunities. 2. Naidupeta, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh: Nestled across 83 acres of pristine land, the Naidupeta plant in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, epitomises Simpolo Group's relentless pursuit of excellence. With an investment of over Rs. 350 crores, this visionary endeavour is scheduled to commence operations in FY25. Over the next two years, the plant aims to scale its production capacity to an impressive 13.2 million square meters per annum, a testament to our dedication to modernization and progress. Moreover, the Naidu Peta plant is poised to serve as a catalyst for socio-economic development, with projections indicating the creation of 300 direct and indirect employment opportunities. Mr. Jitendra Aghara, CMD of Simpolo Group, remarked, "The unveiling of our Rs. 1,000 crore expansion plan marks a pivotal moment in Simpolo Group's illustrious, 30-year-old journey. With the establishment of the Malia and Naidupeta plants, we are poised to consolidate our position in the Indian ceramic industry. Our conviction in innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction remains unwavering, and we are confident that these state-of-the-art facilities will set new benchmarks for excellence, showcasing the opportunities we see in the future of the tile industry and real estate growth in India. "As the Chief Marketing Officer of Simpolo Group," Mr. Bharat Aghara expressed, "I am thrilled about the expansive opportunities presented by our latest expansion initiative. With increased production capacities and a commitment to delivering cutting-edge designs, we are poised to meet the diverse needs of our esteemed customers while maintaining our competitive edge in the market. This expansion will help us penetrate new geographies and product segments. Additionally, Simpolo Group's subsidiary, Nexion, currently operates a facility in Morbi with a robust production capacity of 6.6 million square metres per annum. Simpolo Group is a significant player in the Indian ceramic industry, with a numero uno position in the premium tile market. As Simpolo Group embarks on this ambitious expansion journey, we invite stakeholders, partners, and enthusiasts alike to join us in our pursuit of excellence. With the unveiling of the Malia and Naidupeta plants, we are not merely expanding our footprint but consciously making an effort to redefine industry standards and elevate the bar for innovation and sustainability. Tata-owned Air India is planning to develop Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport as its premier south Indian hub, with an aim to boost air travel connectivity to and from India over the next few years. The plan includes making Bengaluru the origin point of what is likely to be a hub-and-spoke model, where long-distance travellers from other South Indian cities are taken to Bengaluru airport for their onward long-distance global flights. Air India has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Karnataka to establish comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities at Bengaluru airport. This deal is expected to create 1,200 new jobs and stimulate the MRO ecosystem in the country, which the government has been trying to stimulate through budget incentives in the last couple of years. Airline-airport synergy is key to elevated customer experience and efficient operations, said Air India MD & CEO Campbell Wilson. We are therefore delighted to be strengthening our relationship with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) with a view to developing a greater presence at the airport, expanding air connectivity as well as building a major MRO centre. This partnership agreement is a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of Air India. The deal involves not just Air India, but Tata group airlines like Vistara and Air India Express, and involves launching more services to and from the airport situated in the southern metropolis suburb of Devanahalli. A dedicated lounge will also be set up at Bengalurus Terminal 2 for premium passengers of Tata Groups Air India and Vistara. Hari Marar, Managing Director and CEO, BIAL, said, As the busiest airport in South India, BLR Airport is dedicated to strengthening its position as the primary international gateway to Southern and Central India. This collaboration aligns perfectly with the Ministry of Civil Aviation's vision of developing Indian airports as hubs, reflecting our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience. Given that over half of the international outbound travellers from Bengaluru and our catchment, head to Europe, North America, Australia, and the Far East, our alliance with Air India represents a substantial leap towards this goal. We aim to capture a significant share of long-haul routes from BLR Airport over the next five years. Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday stressed the need for greater participation of Indian banks in rupee derivatives market, both domestically and offshore, while being prudent. The governor noted that participation of domestic banks in derivative markets remains limited with only a small set of active market-makers. Also, participation of Indian banks in global markets is growing but it is quite small. "Domestic banks are dealing with market-makers in global markets rather than with end clients and are yet to emerge as market-makers of note globally," Das said in his keynote address at the FIMMDA-PDAI Annual Conference in Barcelona. Of course, he added banks need to do their own due diligence, assess their risk appetite, and then move forward carefully in this direction. "Going forward, our focus should be on enhancing and widening the participation of Indian players in markets for INRderivatives, both domestically and offshore, while being prudent," the governor said. He noted that the recent financial market reforms undertaken by the Reserve Bank are aimed at providing a strong bedrock for markets to move to the next trajectory for meeting the growing funding requirements in the economy, providing cost-effective hedging options and competing effectively in global markets. There are, however, some areas which call for attention, he said, while highlighting specific areas where more can be done. Das said transparency in pricing remains work in progress and more can be done. "The retail customer is yet to get a deal at par with large customers. There is a need for effective market-making and finer pricing for smaller deals on NDS-OM," he said. Divergence in pricing in FX markets for small and large customers is wider than what can be justified by operational considerations, Das said, and added that banks may need to do more to facilitate the use of the FX Retail platform.. "We continue to see banking channels being used by certain persons or entities to fund activities on unauthorised FX trading platforms. This warrants enhanced vigilance by the banks," the governor said. He further said efforts are being made to leverage technology for achieving greater efficiency while also meeting the objectives of market reforms. The Reserve Bank, he added remains engaged with stakeholders to assess the need for the introduction of new products and infrastructure based on evolving market developments. "Innovation has been sought to be promoted through a move towards principle-based regulation, widening of the participant base, introduction of new products and platforms as well as enabling access to offshore markets," Das said. In his address, the governor also dwelt upon the journey of the Reserve Bank, especially in the context of its role in developing the financial markets in India in the recent period. The RBI has entered its 90th year of its formation on April 1, 2024. Researchers have delved deep, uncovering unexpected connections between genetic factors influencing alcohol consumption and their surprising relationships with a multitude of other disorders and conditions. This unique and detailed report sheds light on the captivating journey of scientific discovery, unraveling the unexpected connections between alcohol-protective genetic variants and a diverse array of conditions and behaviors, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of human health and genetics. The study, conducted by a team of scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and recently published in the esteemed Lancet eBioMedicine, utilized a vast dataset of over 3 million individuals compiled by the direct-to-consumer genetics company, 23andMe, Inc. Sandra Sanchez-Roige, corresponding author and associate professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, shed light on the study's significant findings. "The people who have the minor allele variant of the SNP convert ethanol to acetaldehyde very rapidly. And that causes a lot of negative effects," said Sanchez-Roige. She further elaborated that these protective variants are associated with mitigating excessive alcohol consumption and preventing alcohol use disorder, primarily influencing the quantity of alcohol an individual may consume. The researchers focused their attention on three specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their protective alleles, which significantly impact how the body metabolizes ethanol, the intoxicating chemical found in alcoholic beverages. The study utilized genetic data to broadly classify individuals as being of European, Latin American, and African American descent, a crucial step to avoid statistical genetics pitfalls called population stratification, as noted by co-author Abraham A. Palmer, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for basic research in the psychiatry department. Sanchez-Roige emphasized the innovative approach taken by the research team, which sought to explore possible effects of these SNP variants beyond alcohol consumption. The extensive dataset provided by 23andMe allowed the researchers to examine thousands of traits and behaviors, leading to a constellation of associations not necessarily linked to alcohol. Intriguingly, individuals with the alcohol-protective alleles exhibited generally better health, including less chronic fatigue and reduced dependency on daily assistance. However, the study also revealed unexpected associations, such as increased lifetime tobacco use, emotional eating, Graves' disease, hyperthyroidism, malaria, myopia, and several types of cancer, including skin and lung cancer, as well as migraine with aura. Sanchez-Roige acknowledged the complexity of their findings, pointing out the potential chicken-and-egg aspect in the observed associations. "So is alcohol consumption leading to these conditions?" she pondered. Palmer added, "Or do these genetic differences influence traits like malaria and skin cancer in a manner that is independent of alcohol consumption?" The significance of including individuals from diverse ancestral backgrounds in genetic studies was emphasized by Sanchez-Roige, highlighting the importance of a more inclusive and accurate understanding of human health. "The study of only one group of genetically similar individuals could worsen health disparities by aiding discoveries that will disproportionately benefit only that population," she noted. As the study paves the way for future research, Sanchez-Roige expressed optimism about the potential implications for treatments and preventative medicine. "Understanding the underlying mechanisms of these effects could have far-reaching implications," she concluded. News / National by Staff reporter Vendors in Harare have ceased accepting bond notes following the introduction of the new currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) dollar, despite Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor John Mushayavanu's announcement that the old notes would cease to be legal tender at the end of April.Mushayavanhu launched Zimbabwe's new gold-backed currency on Friday in response to the significant devaluation of the bond note, which now trades at ZW$25,000 to US$1 on the black market."I'm unsure if bond notes still hold any value. What if I accept them at my stall only to find out later that they're worthless?" remarked Jane Makura, a vendor in the Dzivarasekwa high-density suburb. "This feels like another mistake. They should simply allow us to transact in US dollars and refrain from constantly changing currencies and removing zeros."Many tuckshops in Dzivarasekwa, Warren Park, and Highfields have followed suit and are no longer accepting bond notes.The new ZiG currency, characterized by NewzWire as "Mushayavanhu's strategic approach to currency reform in Zimbabwe," has been introduced at an exchange rate of US$1 to ZiG$13.Tatenda Dube expressed confusion regarding the situation, leading him to decide against accepting bond notes. "I'm completely baffled. I need to discuss with my associates to understand how they propose we proceed. It would have been beneficial if they had provided us with clear information rather than springing this on us unexpectedly."Bond notes were introduced by the government in 2016, initially at par with the US dollar in value. However, market dynamics and the preference for the more stable US dollar led to their devaluation.Nevertheless, the new currency regime maintains Zimbabwe's multi-currency system, which recognizes US dollars, pounds, and various other foreign currencies as legal tender.ActionAid expressed concerns about the introduction of the ZiG currency, stating, "The introduction of the ZiG currency risks repeating the mistakes of the past. Instead of addressing the root causes of our economic challenges, it offers a temporary fix that fails to inspire confidence among Zimbabweans."Despite the reluctance of vendors, most major retail outlets, including supermarkets, continue to accept bond notes. Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital helped a Kerala youngster turn over a new leaf by surgically removing a 43-kilogram tumour from his body. In late March, a group of doctors at the state-run hospital successfully completed the surgery that took over 12 hours. The removed tumour consisted of 20 litres of fluid and over 23 kilograms of solid mass. The recovering patient was discharged from the hospital earlier this month. The 24-year-old male patient, a commerce graduate, was working in the logistics sector in Chennai when he was diagnosed with the tumour four years ago. He was also asked to start chemotherapy sessions for a cancer in the area, reports said. The growth that was first spotted in his chest region grew exponentially affecting the Kottayam native's day-to-day life. It became difficult for him to walk or even move his arm freely due to the tumour. As the tumour was close to his chest and lungs, many medical institutions ruled that it was impossible to remove it surgically. Thus, the youth and his family reached Kottayam Medical College as a last resort. It was hospital superintendent Dr T.K. Jayakumar who decided to surgically remove the giant tumur. The operation to remove the tumour and a lung that was affected by it took place on March 25. The Department of Cardio Vascular and Thoracic Surgery was assisted by the Department of Plastic Surgery in the operation. Parts of the ribcage and chest that had to be removed as a part of the procedure were reconstructed through plastic surgery, a Kerala-based Reporter TV said in a report. The youth, who is on the path of recovery, was discharged from the hospital on April 5. Researchers have shed light on the efficacy of cancer drugs that have been granted accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This accelerated approval program was initially designed to provide early access to promising drugs for patients in need. However, the study's findings have raised questions about the actual benefits of these drugs in improving or extending patients' lives. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a prominent cancer specialist and bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania, expressed the urgency of obtaining definitive answers about the effectiveness of these drugs within five years of their accelerated approval. He emphasized the potential risks associated with administering drugs to thousands of patients without clear evidence of their efficacy, stating, "Thousands of people are getting those drugs. That seems a mistake if we don't know whether they work or not." Originally established in 1992 with a focus on expediting access to HIV drugs, the accelerated approval program has since evolved, with 85% of accelerated approvals now being granted to cancer drugs. This program allows the FDA to grant early approval to drugs showing promising initial results in treating debilitating or fatal diseases. In return, drug companies are expected to conduct comprehensive testing and produce substantial evidence before obtaining full approval. However, the tradeoff of early access to medications means that some drugs may not yield the expected benefits. The responsibility falls on the FDA or the drugmakers to withdraw drugs that do not meet the expected standards. In some cases, the FDA has accepted less definitive evidence as sufficient for full approval. The recent study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in San Diego, revealed that between 2013 and 2017, 46 cancer drugs were granted accelerated approval. Shockingly, only 43% of these drugs demonstrated a clinical benefit in confirmatory trials, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the accelerated approval process. Dr. Edward Cliff of Harvard Medical School, a co-author of the study, highlighted the potential lack of understanding among cancer patients regarding drugs granted accelerated approval. "We raise the question: Is that uncertainty being conveyed to patients?" he stated, underscoring the need for transparency and informed decision-making. Dr. Jennifer Litton of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston emphasized the importance of carefully explaining the evidence to patients, particularly in cases where drugs with accelerated approval may be the only option for individuals with rare or advanced cancers. She cautioned against overpromising and stressed the significance of providing clear, accurate information to patients. In response to these findings, Congress has recently updated the accelerated approval program, granting the FDA more authority and streamlining the process for withdrawing drugs when companies fail to meet their commitments. According to FDA spokesperson Cherie Duvall-Jones, the changes enable the agency to swiftly withdraw approval for drugs approved under accelerated approval when necessary. Moreover, the FDA can now require a confirmatory trial to be underway when granting preliminary approval, expediting the process of verifying the efficacy of a drug. The ideological ancestors of the Bharatiya Janata Party had supported the British and the Muslim League against Indians in the freedom struggle, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged on Monday, in a sharp reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modis imprints of Muslim League remark against the opposition partys poll manifesto. Modi-Shah's political and ideological ancestors supported the British and the Muslim League against the Indians in the freedom struggle, Kharge said in a post on X. "Even today, they are invoking the Muslim League against the 'Congress Nyay Patra', guided and shaped according to the aspirations, needs and demands of common Indians," he added. Addressing an election rally in Rajasthans Ajmer on April 6, Modi had claimed that the Lok Sabha polls manifesto of the Congress party bears an imprint of the Muslim League during the freedom movement. Every page of the manifesto reflects the mindset of breaking India into pieces, he had said. Kharge, in his post, accused the prime minister of spreading falsehood about the Congress manifesto. "Modi-Shah's ideological ancestors opposed Mahatma Gandhi's call for 'Quit India' in 1942, which was the movement chaired by Maulana Azad, he said. Everyone knows how Shyama Prasad Mukherjee formed his governments in Bengal, Sindh and the North-West Frontier Province in the 1940s in coalition with the Muslim League, the Congress chief said. Earlier in the day, a Congress delegation met the Election Commission against the prime ministers remarks against its manifesto. The party claimed Modi is scared over the prospect of the BJP struggling to cross the 180-seat mark in the Lok Sabha polls and has again resorted to the "same cliched Hindu-Muslim script". Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in Delhi, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the BJP is consistently losing ground, which is why "the PM's love for Muslim League has resurfaced". She said the Congress manifesto is being widely discussed and is a blueprint for the future of the country. The Congress on Monday filed a complaint to the Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modis remark comparing the partys Lok Sabha polls manifesto with the ideology of the pre-independence Muslim League. A Congress delegation met the EC officials and raised several issues including the use of pictures and large cut-outs of the prime minister in government buildings and colleges. Party leaders including Pawan Khera, Mukul Wasnik, Salman Khurshid and Gurdeep Sappal were part of the delegation. Addressing an election rally in Rajasthans Ajmer on April 6, Modi had claimed that the Lok Sabha polls manifesto of the Congress party bears an imprint of the Muslim League during the freedom movement. Every page of the manifesto reflects the mindset of breaking India into pieces, he had said. Modis remarks drew sharp reaction from the opposition party which accused him of spreading falsehood about the Congress manifesto. "We have raised such points before the EC on which we have also discussed earlier and have been registering our objections. Pictures of the prime minister wearing a military uniform are being misused during the election campaign. There is already an advisory of the EC that this cannot be done during elections. We have urged the EC to take action on this issue as the BJP is continuously committing such crimes, Khera said, after meeting the EC officials. Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lashed out at Modis remarks against the party manifesto, saying it was the ideological ancestors of the Bharatiya Janata Party that had supported the British and the Muslim League against Indians in the freedom struggle. Everyone knows how Shyama Prasad Mukherjee formed his governments in Bengal, Sindh and the North-West Frontier Province in the 1940s in coalition with the Muslim League, Kharge said in a post on X. The Congress filed another complaint with the poll panel against the use of armed forces in the election campaigning by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the EC's notifications in this regard. The Gujarat Police on Monday arrested seven people including the owners of an eatery in Vadodara after a scientific test confirmed that they were selling samosas containing cow meat. In Gujarat, cow slaughter is legally banned, and violations could invite a life term and penalty of Rs 1-5 lakh. The eatery was identified by news reports as Hussaini Samosa Centre situated in Vadodara's Panigate area. The police raided the stall based on a tip-off and seized 113 kg of meat, India Today said in a report. When samples were sent to a forensic lab, the result confirmed it was cow meat, the report said. This led to the arrest of four employees of the Samosa Centre along with their owners -- identified as Naeem Sheikh and Yusuf Sheikh. The seventh man picked up by the Vadodara Police in connection with the case was reportedly one Imran Qureshi, who was identified by the stall owners as their meat supplier. The tip-off that led to the arrests reportedly told the cops that Hussaini Samosa Centre was selling beef samosas made of cow meat. A house was being used to store the meat, the informer revealed. When the cops reached the house, they found 61 kilograms of ready-to-serve samosas and 152 kilograms of filling along with 113 kilograms of meat. When the samples were sent for testing, the results showed the meat used for the preparations was fully beef, the media reported a senior police officer as saying. The police official further added that the eatery was running sans any license from the food safety department or the municipal corporation. Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has hit out at Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar's remark on her consuming beef, stating that she was a "proud Hindu" and never consumed any kind of red meat. Her reaction came as Wadettiwar on Friday alleged that Kangana Ranaut, who is now a BJP candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from Himachal's Mandi, had once said that she ate beef. To this, Kangana posted on X: "I dont consume beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me. I have been advocating and promoting yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now such tactics wont work to tarnish my image. My people know me and they know that I am a proud Hindu and nothing can ever mislead them, Jai Shri Ram." The BJP had earlier slammed Wadettiwar's remarks as BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye stated the latter remarks "reflects Congress' dirty culture. "It cannot fight us on issues. This shows the party's defeatist mentality," Upadhye said. Kangana had also courted controversy when she claimed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was the first Prime Minister of India. However, the late freedom fighter's family came up with a public response on Sunday. Netaji's grand-nephew hit out at Kangana Ranaut by saying that "no one should distort history for their political ambition." Meanwhile, there are speculations about who the Congress would field against Kangana. Vikramaditya Singh, the Minister of Public Works Department and Urban Development in the Himachal Pradesh government, may contest the polls from Mandi, according to unconfirmed reports. Many in the party believe Vikramaditya can help lure youth votes better than his mother and Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh. Prathibha had initially decided not to seek re-election from Mandi but later left the decision to the party. During the 2019 elections, Prathibha defeated the BJP candidate by a slender margin of 8,500 votes in the by-polls in 2021. The by-polls were necessitated after the death of BJP MP Swaroop Sharma, who won the seat in 2019. At that time, it was speculated that a sympathy wave after the death of her husband, six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh, propelled her to victory. A Delhi Court on Monday denied interim bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K. Kavitha in the liquor policy scam case. Kavitha was remanded to 14-day judicial custody on April 2. Kavitha sought an interim bail citing her 16-year-old son's examinations and said he needed his mothers "moral and emotional support". Hearing the plea, Special CBI judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed Kavithas interim bail application. Kavitha was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15. Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, has been accused of being a key member of the "South Group", which allegedly paid the ruling AAP in Delhi kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national capital under the now scrapped liquor policy. The ED has also arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and a few other Aam Aadmi Party leaders in connection with the case. -with PTI inputs. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today launched a new campaign 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se'. The slogan will be the crux of the partys campaigning not just in Delhi but other states as well. This is the primary slogan which will be integrated into other campaigns, said Sandeep Pathak, AAP Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, while launching the campaign in Delhi. He said that Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was arrested as part of a big conspiracy. It is the first time that a sitting chief minister has been arrested during the Lok Sabha polls. We are launching the campaign 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' and we want you to empower Kejriwal, said Pathak. AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai asked people to respond to dictatorship with their votes. This comes a month after the AAP had launched Sansad Mein Bhi Kejriwal campaign on March 8 in the presence of Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail. The shift in the slogan indicates that the AAP is restrategising its poll campaigns with the arrest of Kejriwal. While raking up the arrest, the AAP is also focusing on the welfare push more assertively. Remember the face of Arvind Kejriwal when you go out and vote in the elections, urged senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who has been aggressively targeting the ruling BJP ever since he came out on bail last week. Singh was arrested in the liquor policy case in October last year. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on April 2. Singh, in his appeal, listed the welfare steps taken by the AAP in Delhi. Remember your zero electricity bill, air conditioned schools for your children, mohalla clinics for your ailing, free rides for women in bus, pilgrimage facilities for your elderly and Farishtay scheme in hospitals when you go out and vote, said Singh, If Arvind Kejriwal will not be there who will give you all this? As part of the campaign, Pathak said, AAP leaders and workers will visit the four Lok Sabha constituencies from where it has fielded candidates. Our workers will go to every house and tell the reality to the people of Delhi. Door-to-door campaigning will begin from today. AAP and Congress are contesting the polls together in Delhi. While the AAP is fighting from four seats New Delhi, South Delhi, West Delhi, and East Delhi, on the remaining three seats Chandni Chowk, North East Delhi, and North West Delhi Congress will take on the BJP. Interestingly, Singh said that even on seats where the AAP is not contesting, their party will support the candidates of the INDIA bloc committedly. Each and every worker of the party will extend their full support to the INDIA alliance wherever they are fighting elections, including Uttar Pradesh, said Singh. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and Thoothukudi MP M.K. Kanimozhi alleged the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is raking up Katchatheevu now to divert public attention from Chinese encroachment in the Sino-India border. Kanimozhi told presspersons, All these years, whenever the DMK raised questions, without answering, Kachchatheevu came to mind [of BJP] only when the opposition pointed to the Sino-Indian border issue during the elections." The DMK has fielded Kanimozhi from Thoothukudi. The island, 1.6 km long and over 300 m wide, was handed over to Sri Lanka under the Indo-Sri Lankan maritime agreement in 1974. The issue, which has been dominating Tamil Nadu politics for some time, resurfaced again after a media report based on an RTI reply received by Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai on the 1974 pact. The replies received by Annamalai revealed informal discussions between then Centre and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu regarding the agreement. Based on the news reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, Congress callously gave away Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people's minds- we can't ever trust Congress." Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who recently switched sides from the opposition's INDIA bloc to the BJP-led NDA, set tongues wagging on Sunday with his erratic behaviour during a public rally. Nitish, who attended the election rally in Nawada district along with the Prime Minister, committed his first gaffe when he said the NDA would win more than 4,000 seats during the Lok Sabha elections. In the speech, the chief minister was heard fumbling "char lakh (four lakh) seats, before correcting himself and uttering char hazaar se bhi zyada (more than 4,000 seats). He then turned towards PM Modi whom he has been wishing a "400 plus tally" in the election. He then went on to bend towards the PM's feet with arms outstretched, before greeting him with folded hands. Modi on a chair on the stage next to Nitish when this occurred, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who served as Kumar's deputy whenever his party shared power with JD(U), said he felt "anguish" over the conduct of his former boss. "I was aghast to see a photo in which Nitish Kumar can be seen touching the feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is such an elderly person. Has been a chief minister for so long. Few of his counterparts have had such a long tenure," said Yadav. "Was not Narendra Modi the same person whom Nitish ji often accused of deviating from the conciliatory path of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani? Had he not cancelled a dinner to which the then Gujarat CM was invited and returned the financial aid offered by the western state?" he added. Yadav, who lost his job as Bihar Deputy CM as a result of the JD(U) chief's latest volte-face, was referring to the once famous rivalry between Kumar and Modi which had led the Bihar CM to snap ties with BJP, for the first time, after his then Gujarat counterpart's ascent on the national stage seemed inevitable. The Congress also took a jibe at Nitish Kumar for his actions. Rajesh Rathore, who heads the media cell of the Congress in Bihar, said that the JD(U) should make sure that Kumar reads out from a written script. "The JD(U) should make sure Kumar reads out from a written script while on public platforms, instead of speaking ex tempore and causing embarrassment to the whole of Bihar with utterances like 4,000 plus Lok Sabha seats. " "He appeared to be touching the feet of Modi, despite being the latter's senior in politics. Even if the gesture was inadvertent, it clearly shows the Bihar CM does not enjoy optimal mental health". Nitish Kumar had earlier faced flak for a photograph in which he appeared to be prostrating before the PM in 2022, at a function organised to mark swearing in of Yogi Adityanath. The BJP too had earlier heaped scorn on Kumar and alleged that the veteran leader was betraying senility, all when he was with the Congress. The JD(U) has not yet commented on the Nawada episode. (With PTI inputs) News / National by Staff reporter Multinational software giant SAP is in hot water over allegations that it used code names and set up a shelf company in Botswana to circumvent European Union (EU) sanctions imposed on the Zimbabwean government in the early 2000s.According to a Sunday Times report, Twenty Third Century Systems (TTCS), a Zimbabwean company, is claiming approximately R1 billion from SAP for revenue losses resulting from the software giant terminating their agreements in 2019.TTCS wrote to the United States Stock Exchange in 2021, accusing SAP of being involved in a scheme to circumvent EU sanctions against it."This was a clear effort on the part of SAP to avoid having to comply with the various sanctions and to continue doing business in Zimbabwe despite the sanctions," said Ernest Zvinavashe, managing executive at TTCS."To date, TTCS Global does not have a single Botswana customer. Its sole purpose was to contract with SAP to supply SAP software solutions to Zimbabwean customers, through TTCS."AP global public relations head Marcus Winkler told the Sunday Times that the termination of its agreements with TTCS in 2019 was the result of an extensive investigation."SAP is currently in litigation with TTCS over SAP's decision to terminate them. We do not comment on pending litigation," he added.The German-based software giant has also been in hot water in South Africa recently.In January 2024, court documents revealed how SAP allegedly bribed Eskom officials to retain business with it and other parastatals.The United States government brought the allegations against SAP.According to the complaint, SAP falsely booked payments to intermediaries for sales-related services, while the intermediaries provided no services or products and lacked expertise in SAP's business.Despite this, the software giant paid the intermediaries owned by people closely associated with South African government officials.It also allegedly falsely recorded the payments as commissions or similar expenses.A text message exchange between a City of Johannesburg official and an SAP employee revealed a discussion surrounding a R2.2 million bribe and how to keep it quiet.Earlier in January, the software giant agreed to pay $220 million (then-R4.1 billion) to resolve investigations into bribery allegations in South Africa and Indonesia.The US Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were behind the investigation."SAP paid bribes to officials at state-owned enterprises in South Africa and Indonesia to obtain valuable government business," said Nicole Argentieri, acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.Argentieri's department said the deal was coordinated with prosecution authorities in South Africa and the SEC.The allegations against the software date back to South Africa's state capture era, where former President Jacob Zuma and his administration were found to be involved with the Gupta business empire.They cover the period between 2013 and 2017, and the company acknowledged that an internal investigation into its South African business revealed dodgy dealings with businesses related to the Gupta family. The Delhi High Court referred a plea seeking to remove Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the post to a division bench headed by acting chief justice, and said, the petitioner deserves to face heavy costs. Hearing a plea by former AAP legislator Sandeep Kumar seeking the removal of Kejriwal from the CMs post and issuing a quo warranto against him, Justice Subramonium Prasad asked how could a quo warranto writ be issued against the CM. Referring the case to a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, Justice Prasad observed the plea was filed just for publicity. The division bench had dismissed two similar petitions earlier. Kumars plea sought the issuance of a writ of quo warranto against Kejriwal by calling upon him to show by what authority, qualification and title he is holding the office of the Chief Minister of Delhi, LiveLaw reported. Plea seeks to dislodge Kejriwal from the CM post. In his petition, Kumar has said that after Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, the leader has incurred an "incapacity" to carry out the chief minister's functions under the Constitution. Kejriwal was arrested by ED on March 21 in a money laundering case registered in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam. The Delhi CM has been remanded till April 15. The high court had earlier rejected two PILs seeking Kejriwal's removal from the chief minister's post. On April 4, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P.S. Arora refused to entertain a PIL on the issue, saying it was Kejriwal's personal choice to continue as the chief minister. Earlier, the bench had dismissed a similar PIL, observing that the petitioner had failed to show any legal bar that prohibited the arrested chief minister from holding office. It had observed that there was no scope for judicial interference in the matter and that it was for the other organs of the State to look into the issue. -with inputs from agencies. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's grand roadshow in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur, the state will witness another high-profile leader's visit on Monday as Rahul Gandhi will fly down to the state's Seoni district to kickstart Congress campaign. Modi had ramped up the saffron party campaign in the state on Sunday as he, along with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, embarked on a massive roadshow attended by thousands of people. While the Prime Minister's campaign focused on the state's Mahakoshal region, which comprises Congress stronghold Chhindwara, Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting at Dhanora in the southern Seoni district. The former Congress chief will address a gathering in support of the partys Mandla Lok Sabha candidate Omankar Singh Markam. He will arrive at Dhanora around 12.40, address the rally and leave for Shahdol, where he will participate in local events before departing for Jabalpur. Seoni and Shahdol are tribal areas which have traditionally stood with Congress. During the just-concluded Assembly elections, the party fared well in tribal areas, winning 22 seats of the 47 reserved for the STs. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will come to Satna in the state next week. Madhya Pradesh, which votes in the first phase, will also see Union Minister Rajnath Singh holding meetings in different constituencies of the state. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the ruling party swept the remaining 28 seats of the total 29 in the state, except Chhindwara. PM Modi in Chandrapur, Bastar Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Bastar in Chhattisgarh on Monday. He will address a rally in Aamabal village in Bhanpuri in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency. Polls for the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh will take place in three phases on April 19, April 26 and May 7. The PM will also attend a rally in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on Monday. The BJP has nominated the state's Forest, Cultural Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar from Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency. Polling in the seat, located in the Vidarbha region, will be held in the first phase on April 19. Several Trinamool Congress leaders, including MPs, were detained by the Delhi Police as they staged a protest outside the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi on Monday against the alleged misuse of the central probe agencies. A party delegation met the full bench of the poll panel and demanded that the chiefs of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Income Tax Department be changed. TMC leaders Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose were part of the delegation which appealed to the poll body to create a level-playing field for all political parties before the upcoming Lok Sbaha elections. The party has been alleging that the central probe agencies have been targeting opposition parties at the behest of the BJP-led Centre. The BJP is misusing central agencies against us. The way NIA, ED and CBI are working and targeting TMC leaders is shameful. We would request the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties," Sen said. The TMC protests came days after a team of the NIA was attacked in West Bengals Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest between the BJP and the TMC. The agency team had reached the village to investigate a 2022 bomb blast case. While TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the investigators of assaulting the villagers, the NIA claimed that the attack on them was completely unprovoked. The NIA said its actions were bona fide, lawful and legally mandated, as part of its ongoing investigation into the heinous crime related to fabrication of crude bombs, leading to an explosion that killed three persons. Earlier in February, a team of the Enforcement Directorate, which had arrived in Sandeshkhali to raid the premises of TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh in a corruption case, was attacked by a mob. With the Russia-Ukraine war raging, the latest drone strikes against the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have raised risks of major nuclear accidents. The UNs atomic watchdog expressed concerns over the strikes targeting Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Russian officials accused Ukraine of launching drone strikes against the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. However, Kyiv said it had nothing to do with incidents at the power station reported by Russia and called them "armed provocations". The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the attacks were a "very dangerous provocation". Andrii Yusov, the spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence agency said that there had been no attack, adding, that the Russian forces are fabricating the strike on the nuclear power plant. However, the strikes on the nuclear power plant were confirmed by the UN's atomic watchdog agency. The agency did not attribute the responsibility for the attack to either side. The latest reported drone strike killed one person, it said. Since the Ukraine invasion in February 2022, the plant has been repeatedly caught in the crossfire. The International Atomic Energy Agency, a UN body, has frequently expressed concern about the facility amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. The plant's six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features. The IAEA team did not observe structural damage to the systems, structures and components important to the nuclear safety of the plant, it said. Taking to X, IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said the main reactor containment structures took at least three direct hits. This cannot happen, he said. The damage has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident (with the) potential to undermine (the) integrity of the reactor's containment system, he said. This is a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers, Director General Grossi said. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately, said Grossi. Zaporizhzhia is one of four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022. A day after the Israeli troops withdrew from the south Gaza, Palestinians returned to their cities only to find it in ruins. Widespread destruction, bodies under the rubble and blood stench were described by those who returned to Khan Younis. The retreat of Israel's 98th division from southern Gaza leaves only two Israeli brigades inside Gaza tasked with the duty of maintaining the border separating the northern and southern parts of the enclave. Southern Gaza's main hospital, Nasser, was destroyed along with several other multi-storey buildings in the region. Many areas, especially the city centre, have become unfit for life, Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani, who fled Khan Younis in December when the Israeli troops invaded the city, was quoted by The Guardian. People say that the city has become inhabitable to both humans and animals. "There is nothing left there," said a Khan Yunis resident, who returned after the troops withdrew. With the unexpected withdrawal of the troops from south Gaza, questions were raised about Israel's next move in its mission to 'eliminate' Hamas. The IDF has stressed that their ultimate motive is to 'wipe out' Hamas and the battle is not over yet. Experts raised concern as to whether Israel's focus shifted to Hamas' stronghold Rafah, where Israeli preparation for the evacuation of around 1.4 million Palestinians has reached nowhere. The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping. Senior Hamas officials are still in hiding. We will get to them sooner or later. We are making progress, continuing to kill more terrorists and commanders and destroy more terror infrastructures, including last night," said Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Gen Herzi Halevi. Meanwhile, there has been no new truce deal from the Israel-Hamas talks in Cairo on Sunday. The White House security advisor John Kirby said that a proposal was submitted to Hamas and now "it's going to be up to Hamas to come through." Kirby also added that Hamas is reviewing the proposal that includes the Gaza ceasefire for around six weeks. On the other side, Nicaragua has urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt Germany's arms sales to Israel saying that the weapons supply could make the country "complicit" in alleged genocide in Gaza. Germany is accused of breaching the UN genocide convention by sending military hardware to Israel and ceasing funding of the UN's aid agency. Tirunelveli, India April 08, 2024 - Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital recently announced that their accomplished research team have been honoured with the prestigious Best Scientific Poster Award at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). This recognition comes in light of their groundbreaking study on The efficacy of RevitalVision vision-training software in improving best-corrected vision in stable keratoconus patients post Crosslinking surgery. Led by ophthalmologists Prof. Lional Raj and Prof. David Heber, the research team at Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital in Tirunelveli will be presenting their pioneering work at the ASCRS annual meeting held in Boston in April. Their prospective controlled, randomised study has yielded remarkable clinical outcomes, offering new hope for patients suffering from keratoconus. Keratoconus, an eye condition characterised by the thinning and bulging of the cornea, often leads to blurred vision and sensitivity to light. While procedures such as corneal collagen cross-linking can stabilise the cornea and prevent progression, they may leave patients with impaired vision, even with corrective eyewear. Until now, these patients lacked effective treatment options to improve their vision. In the study by Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital, stable keratoconus patients undergoing RevitalVision vision-training software post Crosslinking surgery experienced a significant improvement in their vision. Statistical analysis revealed an average improvement of 2.5 lines on the visual acuity test chart, providing tangible evidence of the software's efficacy in enhancing patient outcomes. Commenting on the significance of their research, Prof. Dr. Lional Raj D, Regional HeadClinical Services at Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital, explained, "This study addresses a critical gap in treatment for keratoconus patients post-crosslinking surgery. With RevitalVision, we have demonstrated a tangible improvement in vision, offering hope and enhancing the quality of life for these patients." RevitalVision, a prescribed, home-based vision-training software program, has been scientifically and clinically proven to enhance the brain's visual processing. Originally FDA-cleared for adult amblyopia (lazy eye), Prof. Lional Raj and his team have shown its effectiveness in improving vision in keratoconus patients following cross-linking surgery. "This recognition is a testament to our commitment to innovation and patient care," said Prof. David Heber, acknowledging the research team's efforts. "We are thrilled to offer stable keratoconus patients a pathway to significant vision improvement through effective patient-specific cortical stimulation." Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital extends its gratitude to Prof. Lional Raj, Prof. David Heber, and the entire research team for their exemplary work in advancing ophthalmic care. For more information about Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital and their groundbreaking research, please visit www.dragarwal.com Contact: Rona Erlich| Marketing Director Phone: T. +972.77.212.3272 | M.+972.526.066.734 Email: rona@revitalvision.com About Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital: Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital is a leading provider of comprehensive eye care services, committed to delivering excellence in patient care, education, and research. With a legacy spanning over 75 years, the hospital is renowned for its expertise in treating various eye conditions and advancing ophthalmic knowledge through groundbreaking research initiatives. (Disclaimer : The above Press Release is provided by HT Syndication and PTI will not take any editorial responsibility of this content.). PTI PWR PWR MUMBAI, India, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ISKCON Bhiwandi was honoured to receive the prestigious most consistent NGO of the Year award at the esteemed UBS Forums awards ceremony held in Mumbai on March 20, 2024. According to the panellists, this is a recognition of their dedication and tangible contributions towards Annadaan, their Free Food distribution program for the underprivileged section of society. For years, ISKCON Bhiwandi has been steadfast in its mission to alleviate hunger and nourish those in need. Since March 2020, they have been distributing 1000 hot meals daily. Additionally, during festivals such as Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Diwali etc, ISKCON Bhiwandi conducts mega annadaan drives, ensuring that the spirit of celebration is coupled with compassion and generosity. ISKCON Bhiwandi firmly believes that every individual deserves access to nutritious food and the opportunity to have a better standard of living. With this award serving as a catalyst, they are motivated to continue the journey towards a more equitable and nourished society. Their commitment to serving those in need remains steadfast, and they are determined to make an even greater impact in the days to come. ISKCON Bhiwandi extends their heartfelt gratitude to all the supporters, volunteers, and well-wishers who have been instrumental in their success thus far. Together, let us strive to create a world where no one goes hungry. About ISKCON Bhiwandi: ISKCON Bhiwandi is located at Mansarovar area of Bhiwandi, and has been working with local communities and residents, conducting several spiritual, religious, and welfare activities as well as promoting the Vedic way of life. An offshoot of the revered ISKCON Juhu temple, the ISKCON Bhiwandi temple was set up in 2010 and has been a center of peace and solace for devotees and locals alike, who have been benefiting from the generous activities and initiatives by the temple. Media Contact: Nitai Jivana Das, +91-9022873181, nitai.jivana.gkg@iskcon.net Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2381159/ISKCONBhiwandi.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2381160/IskconBhiwandi_Logo.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR FD rate for senior citizens is the highest at 8.85% for 42-month tenure Rates for senior citizens have been raised by up to 60 basis points across select buckets Bajaj Finance's highest rated FD program is a secure, high-yield and stable option for depositors PUNE, India and MUMBAI, India, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bajaj Finance Ltd., part of Bajaj Finserv Ltd., one of the country's largest financial services groups, has announced hikes in Fixed Deposits (FDs) rates across most tenures. Effective April 3, 2024, the company has increased FD rates for senior citizens by up to 60 basis points in the 25-to-35-month tenure and 40 basis points in the 18-to-24-month tenure. For non-senior citizens, rates have been hiked by up to 45 basis points in the 25-to-35-month tenure, 40 basis points in the 18 and 22 month tenures, and 35 basis points in the 30 and 33-month tenures. The move presents an opportunity for savers to secure stable and better returns in prevailing market conditions. Senior citizens can continue to avail FD rates of up to 8.85% and non-senior citizens can take benefit of rates of up to 8.60%, by booking digitally in the 42 months tenure. Sachin Sikka, Head Fixed Deposits & Investments at Bajaj Finance, said, "Our enhanced rates across several investment buckets present an attractive proposition for investors seeking stability. Over the years, millions of depositors have placed their trust in the Bajaj brand. We continue to stay focused on offering them a better experience, more value and a safe option for their savings." Bajaj Finance's customer franchise stood at approximately 83.64 MM as of March 31, 2024. The company has emerged as the country's largest deposit-taking NBFC with a Deposits book of over Rs. 60,000 crore as of March 31, 2024. Net users on its App platform were 49.19 million as on December 31, 2023. The Bajaj Finserv App is the 4th most downloaded app in the financial domain on Playstore in India as per data.io report. The Bajaj Finance Fixed Deposit program has the highest stability ratings with CRISIL's AAA/Stable and ICRA's AAA (Stable), offering one of the safest investment options for investors. The company's App also offers an Investment Marketplace where customers can access a wide array of mutual funds. 1. Bajaj Finance FD Rates (% per annum) for Non-Senior Citizens, w.e.f. 03 April 2024 Fixed Deposit Annualized rate of interest for non-senior citizens Valid for deposits up to Rs.5 crore (w.e.f 03 Apr 2024) Table 1 Bajaj Finance Digital FD (available only on Bajaj Finserv App and web) Cumulative Non-Cumulative At Maturity Monthly Quarterly Half Yearly Annual (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) 42 months 8.60 8.28 8.34 8.42 8.60 Table 2 Special period Cumulative Non-Cumulative At Maturity Monthly Quarterly Half Yearly Annual (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) 18 months 7.80 7.53 7.58 7.65 7.80 22 months 7.90 7.63 7.68 7.75 7.90 33 months 8.10 7.81 7.87 7.94 8.10 44 months 8.25 7.95 8.01 8.09 8.25 Table 3 Regular period Cumulative Non-Cumulative At Maturity Monthly Quarterly Half Yearly Annual (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) 12 - 14 months 7.40 7.16 7.20 7.27 7.40 15 - 23 months 7.50 7.25 7.30 7.36 7.50 24 - 35 months 7.80 7.53 7.58 7.65 7.80 36 - 60 months 8.10 7.81 7.87 7.94 8.10 2. Bajaj Finance FD Rates (% per annum) for Senior Citizens, w.e.f. 02 January 2024 Fixed Deposit Annualized rate of interest for senior citizens Valid for deposits up to Rs.5 crore (w.e.f 03 Apr 2024) Table 4 Bajaj Finance Digital FD (available only on Bajaj Finserv App and web) Cumulative Non-Cumulative At Maturity Monthly Quarterly Half Yearly Annual (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) 42 months 8.85 8.51 8.57 8.66 8.85 Table 5 Special period Cumulative Non-Cumulative At Maturity Monthly Quarterly Half Yearly Annual (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) 18 months 8.05 7.77 7.82 7.89 8.05 22 months 8.15 7.86 7.91 7.99 8.15 33 months 8.35 8.05 8.10 8.18 8.35 44 months 8.50 8.19 8.24 8.33 8.50 Table 6 Regular period Cumulative Non-Cumulative At Maturity Monthly Quarterly Half Yearly Annual (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) (% p.a.) 12 - 14 months 7.65 7.39 7.44 7.51 7.65 15 - 23 months 7.75 7.49 7.53 7.61 7.75 24 - 35 months 8.20 7.91 7.96 8.04 8.20 36 - 60 months 8.35 8.05 8.10 8.18 8.35 About Bajaj Finance Limited Bajaj Finance Ltd. ('BFL', 'Bajaj Finance', or 'the Company'), a subsidiary of Bajaj Finserv Ltd., is a deposit-taking Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC-D) registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and is classified as an NBFC-Investment and Credit Company (NBFC-ICC). BFL is engaged in the business of lending and acceptance of deposits. It has a diversified lending portfolio across retail, SMEs, and commercial customers with significant presence in both urban and rural India. It accepts public and corporate deposits and offers a variety of financial services products to its customers. BFL, a thirty-six-year-old enterprise, has now become a leading player in the NBFC sector in India and on a consolidated basis, it has a franchise of 80.41 million customers. BFL has the highest domestic credit rating of AAA/Stable for long-term borrowing, A1+ for short-term borrowing, and CRISIL AAA/Stable & [ICRA]AAA(Stable) for its FD program. It has a long-term issuer credit rating of BBB-/Stable a and a short-term rating of A-3 by S&P Global ratings. To know more, visit www.bajajfinserv.in/ (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) Policy experts on Monday said the Supreme Court's ruling recognising the right against climate change as a fundamental human right will promote serious conversations on the crucial subject. However, they stressed that India's transition to clean energy to fight climate change must not lead to environmental injustices. The Supreme Court judgment, expanding the scope of Article 14 (right to equality before the law) and Article 21 (right to life) to include the "right against the adverse effects of climate change", came on a petition about the need to conserve the Great Indian Bustard -- a critically endangered bird species. Great Indian Bustards are mainly found in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and the alarming decrease in their numbers is attributed to frequent collisions with overhead power transmission lines, including those of solar plants, near their habitats. The apex court recalled an April 2021 order that mandated the undergrounding of overhead transmission lines across an area of more than 80,000 square kilometres and set up a committee to find a balance between the conservation of the Great Indian Bustard and renewable energy infrastructure in the two states. It noted that India's move towards non-fossil fuels is not just about energy strategy but is crucial for environmental preservation. Transitioning to renewable sources boosts energy security, reduces dependence on unstable fossil fuel markets and the risks of energy shortages. Adopting renewable technologies also helps reduce air pollution, leading to better public health and lower healthcare expenses, it said. Climate activist Harjeet Singh said while the judgment underscores that citizens possess an inalienable right to a life protected from the adverse effects of the climate emergency, India's transition to clean energy, particularly solar power, "must not replicate the environmental injustices entrenched in the fossil fuel legacy". Priya Pillai, head of programme - state climate action at the Asian Society for Academic Research, said renewable energy projects in states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are impacting marginalised communities who rely on natural resources. She said coexisting with nature is more important than solely relying on technological solutions and advocated for policy changes to protect natural ecosystems. Pillai said her research into socio-ecological impacts of largescale renewables in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu revealed adverse effects on small farmers, landless labourers, pastoral communities -- especially women facing displacement or reduced access to essential resources due to land-grab issues associated with solar plant developments. The Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka impeded small farmers and landless labourers' access to open natural ecosystems, forcing them to sell off their sheep and goats or migrate, she said. Debadityo Sinha, senior resident fellow and lead of the climate and ecosystems team at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, said such recognition for environmental rights indicate matters of public concern and highlight deficiencies in current laws and policies. The recognition of the "right against adverse effects of climate change" by the highest court is expected to set a notable legal precedent. This is likely to impact public narratives on environmental issues around the climate crisis and could shape laws and policies in the coming years, he said. "However, if we talk about the conservation of the Great Indian Bustard, the judgment includes several assumptions and statements that lack scientific evidence and also deviates from the precautionary principle in environmental laws," Sinha said. "For instance, despite well-documented instances of mortality among the Great Indian Bustard due to transmission lines, the judgment dismisses the potential conservation benefits of undergrounding these lines. Instead, it emphasises addressing other threats such as low fecundity, habitat fragmentation, loss of prey, and predation. Such observations undermine scientific rationale and set a problematic legal precedent and send a problematic message to policymakers," he added. Manshi Asher, a researcher and an activist working on environment justice issues, said the judgment needs to be examined closely because it is being invoked to justify large-scale centralised solar production and transmission, which has a high material footprint involving massive land-use change, deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Highlighting the impact of renewable energy projects on forest rights and the environment in the Himalayas, she said hydropower projects and transmission lines have resulted in the felling of thousands of trees, causing irreversible ecological damage. "In districts like Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh), the endangered chilgoza pines and precious cedars have been lost to hydropower and their transmission," Asher said, adding that decentralised power generation will reduce the socio-ecological impacts of renewable energy projects. Climate activist Singh said decentralised, community-owned solar systems not only empower local communities and generate livelihoods but also mitigate the extensive land and infrastructure demands characteristic of large-scale projects. "We envision a future where energy justice and environmental sustainability walk hand in hand, guiding us towards a more equitable and resilient world," he said. Avinash Chanchal of Greenpeace India said the ruling should pave the way for some serious conversation on accountability for these climate impacts. The climate activist expressed hope that the ruling will lead to a legal framework to hold the government and corporations accountable for their climate inaction. London, Apr 8 (PTI) An Indian-origin man who is suspected of threatening staff at a Post Office in Hounslow, west London, to steal a large quantity of cash has been charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm, Scotland Yard said on Monday. Rajvinder Kahlon, 41, was arrested last week at his home address following the robbery at the Post Office on Brabazon Road, Hounslow, on April 1. The Metropolitan Police said its Flying Squad officers responded to the reports and detectives were able to piece together the suspects identity. At around 1800hrs on April 1, a man entered the Post Office in Brabazon Road, Hounslow. The man threatened two members of staff with what they believed was a firearm before making off with a large quantity of cash, the Met Police said in a statement. Flying Squad officers responded immediately, and detectives used a range of tactics to identify a suspect. On Thursday, 4 April, Rajvinder Kahlon, 41, was arrested at his home address in Hounslow. He appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Saturday, 6 April, charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm, the statement added. Kahlon remains in custody and will next appear at Isleworth Crown Court in west London on May 6. Levan Davitashvili, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, stated that at the Economic Council, discussions centered on energy incentive mechanisms and the development of the new Tbilisi airport. Davitashvili noted that decisions were reached concerning government approval for new support mechanisms and the airport's development."At the Economic Council, we discussed the mechanisms of energy incentives, which we had discussed with the private sector. New mechanisms for supporting energy projects from renewable sources, as well as the last auction. We introduced this information to the members of the Economic Council, and a decision was made that the government should already approve the new support mechanisms, which were discussed by the Economic Council.Also, we talked about the new airport in Tbilisi, and we actually heard the results of the study, which was conducted by the Asian Development Bank together with the Association of Airports. Several options for the development of the new airport were discussed, and the economic council made a decision on how to develop the new international airport in Tbilisi," Davitashvili said.Levan Ioseliani, Georgia's Public Defender, emphasized that vetting alone cannot instantly fix all issues within the country's judicial system.Ioseliani raised concerns about the effectiveness of vetting processes in Albania and Ukraine, suggesting they may not guarantee better outcomes, particularly regarding judiciary independence."We tend to get caught up in something and we don't like to delve into the content. While 'vetting' may be a popular term today, what results will it actually lead to? If there's a possibility of worsening outcomes, then we should think twice. Looking at the example of Albania, it resulted in worse outcomes there. I've also seen reports regarding Ukraine, and I can't say that vetting has brought better results there, particularly in ensuring the independence of the judiciary," Ioseliani stated. News / National by Staff reporter Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to pay SA an official state visit in the next few months as part of his African charm offensive amid a debilitating war with Russia.International relations & co-operation minister Naledi Pandor said Zelensky indicated his intention to visit SA this year to "establish stronger trade links with SA and also wishes to discuss the nature of the relationship, which he hopes will ensue once the matter of the war has been settled."South Africa has agreed to host Zelensky's first state visit to the continent but it's not yet clear when this will occur."If it happens, that is going to be the first-ever visit of President Zelensky to Africa, so that would be very symbolic," Ukraine's special representative for the Middle East and Africa, Maksym Subkh, told journalists.He adds that Ukraine intends to double its 10 embassies in Africa, with six to come this year.Election delayThe Africa Report understands that Zelensky had hoped that the visit would happen as soon as January, but President Cyril Ramaphosa's programme did not allow for it. South Africa will hold general elections at the end of May, and after that, it could take up to two months for the next administration to be installed and prepare for a state visit.Subkh also says Ukraine is hoping that South Africa could host a Ukraine-Africa summit, an idea first floated by Zelensky in November last year, where other African leaders would be invited to meet Zelensky, but it's unclear whether Pretoria has an appetite for this."President Ramaphosa is a respected president in Africa and I think he's capable of bringing other African leaders to Pretoria to meet Zelensky and to talk about the many issues pertaining to the Russian aggression, to confronting the Russian propaganda, the negative effects that Russia's invasion against Ukraine brings to Africa, and to explore the opportunities of deepening our cooperation," he says.Reaching out to AfricaZelensky had previously tried to reach out to African leaders when he requested to address African Union leaders, which eventually happened via video link but was attended by only four leaders.Ukraine's dealings with Africa in the past were mostly limited to a handful of countries in the north and east Africa, but after Russia's full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, it has made a strong push to woo African countries to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia.This has mostly taken the form of a humanitarian food initiative, dubbed Grain from Ukraine, which has benefitted countries that previously relied on Ukrainian grain imports, such as Egypt, and others affected negatively by high grain prices. It has also helped Ukrainian farmers to stay afloat as the Russian blockade has made it difficult and expensive to export their grain.African peace talksThe Ukraine government's tone has softened markedly towards South Africa since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, when South Africa repeatedly abstained from voting for UN resolutions aimed at condemning Russia's actions.South Africa also refused to cut ties with Russia the governing African National Congress's secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was hosted by President Vladimir Putin as recently as last month, days ahead of the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion.But in the middle of last year, South Africa took the lead in an African delegation that visited Zelenskyy and Putin to establish channels for peace talks. The initiative was supported by the African Union and five countries South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Egypt and Congo-Brazzaville but leaders of the latter three countries pulled out of the trip at the last minute.Subkh says Ukraine appreciated the fact that the leaders came to the country first. "We told the group of African presidents that we wish you come to Ukraine before you go there [to Russia] because you have to see what Russia has done to our people," he says.The delegation visited areas around Kyiv where buildings and infrastructure were destroyed during Russia's onslaught during the early months of the invasion. They also endured an air raid alert which sent them to a shelter, an almost daily occurrence in the city.Subkh says South Africa and Ukraine maintain "continuous and consistent dialogue on the highest level, so our presidents talk to each other frequently".Playing a positive roleThe last phone conversation was in February when Zelensky invited Ramaphosa to the Global Peace Summit, which Switzerland will host with a focus on the conflict in Ukraine. Ukraine is hoping that the summit will take place in the next month or two.Zelensky and Ramaphosa have also met in person twice, once for the peace initiative, and a second time on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September last year. Ramaphosa's security adviser, Sydney Mufamadi, is also part of the Ukraine Peace Formula talks, which is looking at ways in which the conflict could be ended.For this initiative, South Africa is involved in negotiating prisoner-of-war exchanges as well as helping to set up mechanisms that would see the return of thousands of children which Ukraine says were abducted and forcefully deported to Russia."South Africa has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia and we see that it can play a positive role in releasing Ukrainian military men and women who were imprisoned and abducted by the Russians," Subkh says.Post-war planningHe also intimated that South African engineering and building companies would be invited to help rebuild Ukrainian infrastructure and assist with de-mining once the war has come to an end.Subkh says Ukraine is planning to establish 10 more embassies in Africa this year, including in Rwanda, Mozambique, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mauritania, Tanzania and Sudan, once the conflict there comes to an end.It already has 10 embassies in Africa, including South Africa, Angola, Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tunisia.Africa's presence in Ukraine is markedly smaller. South Africa, Sudan, Egypt, Libya and Algeria have missions in Kyiv, while Nigeria had a mission, but it has closed. Johannesburg, Apr 8 (PTI) Hatred, animosity and violence are not part of any religious teachings and those who promote them in the name of religion are misinterpreting their faiths for mischievous reasons and should be shunned, Ela Gandhi, South African peace activist and Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter, has said. Her remarks came as she responded to social media posts which claimed that the Gandhi Development and Phoenix Settlement Trust deliberately left out Hindu prayers at an interfaith meeting hosted at the Phoenix Settlement, which her grandfather started during his tenure in Durban. All our faiths and our scriptures are there to guide us to be good, compassionate and loving people. Hatred, animosity and violence are not part of our essential religious teachings. Those who promote the acts in the name of religion are misinterpreting their faiths for mischievous reasons and should be shunned, Ela said. Ela, who is the chairperson of the Gandhi Development and Phoenix Settlement Trust, said such moves were an attempt to create division between the Hindu and Muslim communities and alienate Gandhiji and me from the Hindu community. It is important to state the facts publicly so that the mischief that is being attempted can be stemmed right now, Ela said in an open letter in the weekly Post. To clarify, I personally invited many Hindus individually and a number of Hindu faith leaders collectively, to recite a Hindu prayer at this function, said Ela, citing invitations to four Hindu organisations which she said could not attend because of other commitments. The absence of some or other faith has happened at our interfaith prayer services in the past, never deliberately, but because of circumstances that have prevented a particular faith community from attending the particular function. Importantly, to this day, in the 120 years of the existence of Phoenix Settlement, no one has ever accused us of deliberately leaving out a sect or engaging in mass indoctrination, as is alleged by the posting, she said. Washington, Apr 8 (AP) The US has denounced Hong Kong's new national security law as a tool to potentially silence dissent both at home and abroad, but so far the action from Washington has been notably muted, disappointing those fighting for the Chinese territory's democracy and freedoms. Since the law's swift passage on March 19, the US has announced visa restrictions on an unspecified number of unnamed Hong Kong officials but taken no further action. That's a far cry from 2020, when Beijing imposed national security restrictions to end months of unrest on Hong Kong streets. The U.S. responded by hitting the city's highest-ranking officials with sanctions and depriving the territory of its preferential trading status. While the new law, known as Article 23, now expands the Hong Kong government's powers to go after those it accuses of spying and to target dissidents anywhere in the world, Washington has been treading carefully. The State Department declined to preview or comment on any potential actions but said it is considering all options. Analysts suggest the Biden administration may not want to rock relations with China in an election year, especially when the impact of the law might take a while to manifest itself and any punitive U.S. measures would be unlikely to bring about meaningful change. U.S. policymakers appear resigned to the fact that China's takeover of Hong Kong is, for all intents and purposes, complete and irreversible, said Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a research institute based in Washington. Moreover, it's not entirely clear that any specific actions from Washington would prompt Beijing to meaningfully reassess its approach towards Hong Kong, with Chinese policymakers having more or less signaled that Hong Kong's fate is not up for debate. Rorry Daniels, managing director of Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, said the U.S. could be "trying to calibrate the response to the effects of the legislation and its use, rather than just to its enactment. The language of the new law is vague, and its implementation will depend on how it is interpreted, which in itself is worrisome and could erode Hong Kong's status as a safe place for international contract settlement, Daniels said. The new security law has come at a time when the White House wants to protect the fragile U.S.-China relationship, which has only stabilized in recent months, said Willy Lam, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, another Washington-based think tank. I think they don't want the relationship to deteriorate ahead of the election," Lam said. Hong Kong and the latest legislation was brought up during the phone call between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 2. Xi told Biden the law reflected a constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security," which he said would protect the well-being of Hong Kong's people and the interests of global investors, according to China's foreign ministry. The U.S. needs to respect China's sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, and should not disrupt, still less interfere, in the process, said ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. In Congress, a bill to strip Hong Kong's trade offices in the U.S. of their diplomatic privileges has not moved forward and neither has one that would require the president to consider sanctioning the city's judges, prosecutors and police commissioner if they were found to have undermined civil freedoms there. The latest response by the Biden administration has honestly concerned me about the administration's commitment to stand up against Beijing's aggression, said Frances Hui, policy and advocacy coordinator for the Washington-based Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. A more robust response from the U.S. is needed to facilitate future behavioral changes among (Chinese) and Hong Kong officials. A visa ban is something but not enough. The committee and 23 other Hong Kong advocacy groups issued a joint statement on Thursday calling the Biden administration's response inadequate and concerning." They urged the government to sanction Hong Kong officials responsible for the intensifying crackdown and offer haven in the U.S. to dissidents. They also urged Congress to pass the stalled legislation. Singleton said action by the private sector might be more meaningful. American companies are quietly scaling back in Hong Kong amid growing safety concerns, with many fearing potential arrests for routine business activities, he said. The private sector's shifting sentiments toward Hong Kong, rather than any single U.S. government action, will likely have the biggest impact on Beijing's ability to leverage Hong Kong's unique status to reverse China's downward economic spiral. Lam said the U.S. government might be holding off until the conclusion of the trial against Jimmy Lai, a prominent publisher, in a high-profile national security case. Should a Hong Kong court jail Lai for 20 years or more, which would equal life imprisonment given he is 76, "the U.S. government cannot afford to be seen not doing anything, Lam said. (AP) NSA NSA Deir Al-Balah, Apr 8 (AP) Streams of Palestinians filed into the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Monday to salvage what they could from the vast destruction left in the wake of Israel's offensive, a day after the Israeli military announced it was withdrawing troops from the area. Many came back to the Gaza Strip's second-largest city to find their former hometown unrecognisable. With scores of buildings destroyed or damaged, piles of rubble now sit where apartments and businesses once did. Streets have been bulldozed. Schools and hospitals were damaged by the fighting. Israel sent troops to Khan Younis in December, part of its blistering ground offensive that came in response to a Hamas-led attack on October 7 into southern Israel. Israeli authorities say 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and roughly 250 people taken hostage. The war, now in its seventh month, has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, displaced most of the territory's 2.3 million people and left vast swaths of the beleaguered Gaza Strip uninhabitable. Many areas, especially the city centre, have become unfit for life, said Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani, who fled Khan Younis in December when Israel began its ground invasion of the city. I found that my house and my neighbours' houses turned to rubble. Israel's withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis signalled the end of a key phase in its war against Hamas and brought Israeli troop levels in the tiny coastal enclave to one of the lowest since the war began. Israel said the city was a major Hamas stronghold and says its operation over the past few months killed thousands of militants and inflicted heavy damage to a vast network of tunnels used by Hamas to move weapons and fighters. It also claimed to have found evidence that hostages were held in the city. With no military presence in the city, Hamas could seek to regroup there as it has in other areas where the military has scaled back forces. The latest Israeli withdrawal also cleared the way for some Palestinians to make their way back to the area to comb through the mountains of debris to try to hold on to any possessions that remained. Najwa Ayyash, who also was displaced from Khan Younis, said she was unable to reach her family's third floor apartment because the stairs were gone. Her brother climbed his way up through the destruction and pulled down some possessions, including lighter clothes for her children. Bassel Abu Nasser, a Khan Younis resident who fled after an airstrike hit his home in January, said much of the city turned into rubble. There is no sense of life there, the 37-year-old father of two children said. They left nothing there. On Sunday, shortly after the military announced it had withdrawn, lines of Palestinians could be seeing leaving Khan Younis with scant possessions. By foot and on bicycle, they carried plastic bags and laundry hampers with whatever they could gather back to where they were displaced to. One carried a rolled-up mattress. Another a standing fan. One man used his bike to move plywood. The military exodus from Khan Younis comes ahead of an expected Israeli offensive in Rafah, Gaza' southernmost city where hundreds of thousands have fled fighting elsewhere to seek shelter and which Israel says is Hamas' last major stronghold. The city shelters some 1.4 million people more than half of Gaza's population. The prospect of an offensive has raised global alarm, including from Israel's top ally, the US, which has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Allowing people to return to nearby Khan Younis could relieve some pressure on Rafah, but many have no homes to return to. The city also is likely filled with dangerous unexploded bombs left by the fighting. Israel's military quietly drew down troops in devastated northern Gaza earlier in the war. But it has continued to carry out airstrikes and raids in areas where it says Hamas regrouped, including Gaza's largest hospital, Shifa, leaving what the head of the World Health Organisation called an empty shell. Israel blames Hamas for the damage, saying it fights from within civilian areas. Khan Younis' main Nasser Hospital has also been that target of Israeli raids, with troops storming it earlier this year because the military said the remains of hostages were inside. The precise state of the hospital after the troops' withdrawal was unclear. Video from the hospital showed the emergency building appearing to be intact, but debris was strewn around its interior where thousands of displaced people once sought shelter before being forced to evacuate by the military. Israel says its war aims to destroy Hamas' military and governing capabilities and return the roughly 130 remaining hostages, a quarter of whom Israel says are dead. Negotiations brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US meant to bring about a cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages are underway. (AP) GRS GRS Kyiv, Apr 8 (AP) The head of the UN's atomic watchdog agency said Sunday a drone attack on one of six nuclear reactors at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident." In a statement on the social media platform X, Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed at least three direct hits against ZNPP main reactor containment structures took place. This cannot happen, he said. He said it was the first such attack since November 2022, when he set out five basic principles to avoid a serious nuclear accident with radiological consequences. In a separate statement, the IAEA confirmed physical impact of drone attacks at the plant, including at one of its six reactors. One casualty was reported, it said. "Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with potential to undermine integrity of the reactor's containment system it added. Officials at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant said that the site was attacked Sunday by Ukrainian military drones, including a strike on the dome of the plant's sixth power unit. According to the plant authorities, there was no critical damage or casualties and radiation levels at the plant were normal after the strikes. Later on Sunday, however, Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom said that three people were wounded in the unprecedented series of drone attacks," specifically when a drone hit an area close to the site's canteen. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday that its experts had been informed of the drone strike and that such detonation is consistent with IAEA observations. Without apportioning blame, the head of the UN's atomic watchdog agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, warned of the safety risks of such attacks. I urge refraining from actions that contradict the 5 IAEA principles and jeopardize nuclear safety, he said on the social media site X. The power plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe.. Both Ukraine and Russia have regularly accused the other of attacking the plant, which is still close to the front lines. The plant's six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features. Also on Sunday, three people were killed when their house was hit by a Russian projectile in the front-line town of Huliaipole in Ukraine's partly occupied southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov said. Later on Sunday, two people were wounded in another shelling of Huliaipole. Separately, three people were wounded in Russian shelling in Ukraine's northeast Kharkiv region, according to regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. In Russia, a girl died and four other people were wounded when the debris of a downed Ukrainian drone fell on a car carrying a family of six people in Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. (AP) VN London, Apr 8 (AP) French troops joined their British counterparts in the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace for the first time on Monday, marching together in a display of solidarity between Britain and France amid the war in Ukraine. At a parallel ceremony in Paris, British soldiers wearing tall bearskin hats took part in an unprecedented joint military parade in front of the presidential Elysee Palace, as the French army choir sang the two national anthems, God Save the King and La Marseillaise. The twin events were to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, the 1904 diplomatic agreement between Britain and France that paved the way for their collaboration in both World War I and World War II. In a video message posted on social media on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the alliance serves as a foundation for deepening Anglo-French relations particularly at a time of the return of war. Our Entente Cordiale remains as relevant as ever, Macron said. Faced with the resurgence of war in Europe, we stand together to defend the values we share and to support Ukraine as it defends itself against its aggressor. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, used a joint opinion piece published on Monday in the Daily Telegraph to urge allies to boost funding for Ukraine. It is not for France and Britain alone to solve these challenges. But, together, we can rally others to join us in overcoming them, they wrote. "We must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching and will judge us if we fail. Prince Edward and his wife Sophie inspected the joint parade in London, which included 32 members of the Gendarmerie's Garde Republicaine and 40 guardsmen from the Scots Guards. Edward and Sophie were representing King Charles III, who is continuing his cancer treatment and was not at Buckingham Palace. It was the first time a country that isn't part of the Commonwealth group of nations has taken part in the traditional Changing of the Guard ceremony, though the French troops did not participate in guarding the royal residence a ceremonial duty that can only be performed by UK or Commonwealth troops. In Paris, 16 members of the Coldstream Guards were the first foreign troops ever to take part in guarding the French presidential residence. Britain and France said Monday's ceremonies were part of a wider programme this year to celebrate the two countries' historic military and diplomatic ties. This includes major events in Normandy in June to commemorate the service of Allied veterans who fought to liberate France from Nazi occupation. Last year, King Charles chose France as the destination for his first foreign visit after becoming monarch. The state visit, which was planned for March but was postponed to September amid large demonstrations in France, was a statement underlining the ties between the two countries. (AP) PY PY Islamabad, Apr 8 (PTI) The Islamabad High Court on Monday rejected a plea by jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's party to delay the elections of chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate, scheduled to be held on Tuesday. Five senators from Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Monday filed the petition and claimed the current Senate was incomplete as the polls for the upper house of Parliament were not held in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the holding of election for the chairman and his deputy would be "unconstitutional". Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq decided to hear the petition despite objections raised by the register because the Peshawar High Court was hearing a similar petition. During the hearing, PTI's counsel Shoaib Shaheen said it would be better if the elections, scheduled for Tuesday, were held after Eid. What could go wrong if the elections are held after Eid? he asked. The chief justice after hearing the argument reserved judgment which was announced later on. He later rejected the plea to delay the polls. Meanwhile, the PTI has decided to boycott the elections to choose the chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate. The move comes as the party has no chance of winning the election. Former premier Yusuf Raza Gilani, who belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), is poised to become the chairman of the Senate as a joint candidate of the ruling alliance. The PPP supports the Shehbaz Sharif government in return for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) partys support of its candidates for president and senate chairman. Asif Ali Zardari has already been elected as the President. Earlier, the PTI in the plea asked to postpone the chairman and deputy chairman polls until the election for KP's Senate seats. Separately, the party through a letter addressed to the Senate secretary expressed concern regarding the alleged "deprivation" of its legitimate right to participate in the election of the chairman and deputy chairman of the upper house. PTI quoted Article 59 of the Constitution and said the Senate is to comprise 96 members, with 23 elected from each province and four from ICT. The party also claimed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) did not fulfil its constitutional duty, and postponed the Senate polls in KP till April 2. The letter pleaded to stop the elections of chairman and deputy chairman until a constitutionally mandated number of 96 members is reached and KP elections are held. The provincial election commissioner on April 2 postponed the senate elections in KP due to a dispute over the oath of members elected on reserved seats. Meanwhile, President Zardari summoned a session of the Senate on April 9 so that the newly elected upper house lawmakers could be sworn in. Beijing, Apr 8 (PTI) China on Monday accused the US of forcibly deporting Chinese students without any valid evidence and warned of "resolute measures" to safeguard the interests of its nationals. The US has been overstretching the concept of national security and without any valid evidence, arbitrarily cancelled Chinese students' visas, banned them from entering the US and forcibly deported them, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here. Asked about reports that Chinese students and scholars were interrogated and forcibly deported when entering the US border at the Washington Dulles Airport and the Dallas Airport, Mao said, the US moves inflicted enormous damage on the persons concerned and obstructed people-to-people exchanges between China and the US. The recent cases show that the US law enforcement personnel are bent on making excuses for deporting Chinese personnel. These are typical cases of selective, discriminatory and politically motivated law enforcement," Mao said. China will take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens. The US needs to immediately stop unjustifiably harassing," she said. Chinas state-run Global Times quoted Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng alleging that dozens of Chinese arriving in the US, including students, were being denied entry every month over the past few months. They held valid visas, had no criminal records, and were returning to school after travelling elsewhere or reuniting with their family in China, he said. But when they landed at the airport, what awaited them was an 8-hour-long interrogation by officers, who prohibited them from contacting their parents, made groundless accusations against them, and even forcibly deported them and banned their entry, Xie alleged. According to the US Department of Homeland Security reports, last year Indian students overtook the Chinese in American educational institutions. The number of students going to the US climbed to 3.20 lakh last year against 2.54 lakhs attributed by Chinese officials to the increasingly negative environment in the United States over concerns about the flight of scientific knowledge. Mesquite (US), Apr 8 (AP) Eclipse spectators staked out their spots across three countries Sunday, fervently hoping for clear skies despite forecasts calling for clouds along most of the sun-vanishing route. North America won't see another coast-to-coast total solar eclipse for 21 years, prompting the weekend's worry and mad rush. Monday's extravaganza stretches from Mexico's Pacific beaches to Canada's rugged Atlantic shores, with 15 US states in between. I have arrived in the path of totality! Ian Kluft announced Sunday afternoon after pulling into Mesquite from Portland, Oregon, a 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) drive. A total eclipse happens when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun, blotting out the sunlight. That means a little over four minutes of daytime darkness east of Dallas in Mesquite, where locals like Jorge Martinez have the day off. The land surveyor plans to witness history from home with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter, Nati. Hopefully, she'll remember. She's excited, too, he said following breakfast at Dos Panchas Mexican Restaurant. Inside the jammed restaurant, manager Adrian Martinez figured on staying open Monday. Wish it was going to be sunny like today, he said. But cloudiness? Hopefully, it still looks pretty good. Near Ennis, Texas, to the south, the Range Vintage Trailer Resort was also packed, selling out of spots more than a year ago. I booked it instantly, then I told my wife, We're going to Texas,' Gotham, England's Chris Lomas said from the trailer resort Sunday. Even if clouds obscure the covered-up sun, it will still go dark. It's just about sharing the experience with other people, he added. In Cleveland, the eclipse persuaded women's Final Four fans Matt and Sheila Powell to stick around an extra day after Sunday's game. But they were debating whether to begin their drive home to Missouri Valley, Iowa, early Monday in search of clearer skies along the eclipse's path. We're trying to be flexible, Powell said. Even the eclipse professionals were up in the air. Eclipse mapmaker Michael Zeiler had a perfect record ahead of Monday, seeing 11 out of 11 total solar eclipses after successfully relocating three of those times at the last minute for better weather. We are the complete opposite of tornado chasers, always seeking clear skies, Zeiler said in an email over the weekend. This time, though, he was staying put in Fredericksburg, Texas, with his family, 10 of them altogether, and holding onto a considerable ray of hope. Farther north, in Buffalo, New York, Jeff Sherman flew in from Somerville, Massachusetts, to catch his second total solar eclipse. After seeing the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse in 2017, now I have to see any one that's nearby, he said. Kluft also enjoyed clear skies for the 2017 eclipse, in Oregon, and rolled into Mesquite wearing the T-shirt from that big event. As for Monday's cloudy forecast across Texas, at least I'll be around people who are like-minded. Dicey weather was also predicted almost all the way to Lake Erie, despite Sunday's gorgeous weather. The only places promised clear skies along Monday's narrow 115-mile-wide (185-kilometer-wide) corridor of totality were New England and Canada. Like everywhere else, the weather was the hot topic at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park on Sunday. By mid-morning, volunteer Tom Villa already had greeted tourists from several states, as well as Canada and Brazil. They hope it's like this tomorrow, of course, but you know, the weather is the weather, he said. (AP) NSA NSA Beijing, Apr 8 (AP) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beijing Monday to display the strength of ties with close diplomatic partner China amid Moscow's grinding war against Ukraine and an ongoing effort to align their foreign policies against the U.S. and its allies. The two continent-sized authoritarian states, increasingly in dispute with democracies and NATO, seek to gain influence in Africa, the Middle East and South America. China has backed Russia's claim that President Vladimir Putin launched his assault in 2022 because of Western provocations, without producing any solid evidence. Russian state news agency Tass said the ministers would discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Asia-Pacific region, issues of bilateral cooperation and interaction in the international arena, quoting Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. Zakharova posted a photo on social media site Telegram showing Lavrov meeting with counterpart Wang Yi but gave no information of the content of their discussions. China's Foreign Ministry and state media had no immediate reports about the talks. Lavrov arrived in China on Monday on an official visit that will last until Tuesday. Wang has visited Russia during the conflict in Ukraine and maintained China's line of not dubbing the Russian war in Ukraine an invasion. China has at times taken an equally combative tone against the U.S. and its allies. China and Russia have held joint military drills, and are seen as seeking to supplant democracies with dictatorships in areas where they wield influence. Despite its clear backing of Russia in the Ukraine war, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters Monday that China has an objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue. We have been actively promoting peace talks and political solutions. China is not a creator or party to the Ukraine crisis, and we have not and will not do anything to profit from it, Mao told reporters at a daily briefing. China has also said it wasn't providing Russia with arms or military assistance, although it has maintained robust economic connections with Moscow, alongside India and other countries. Just weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin visited Beijing for the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics and the sides signed a pact pledging a no limits relationship that has China supporting Russia's line, even while formally urging peace talks. We have always controlled the export of dual-use items in accordance with the law, Mao said, referring to industrial items that can be used for both industrial or military purposes, such as drones. The relevant country should not smear or attack the normal relations between China and Russia, Mao said. The relevant country was a reference to the U.S., Russia and China's chief geopolitical rival. In a phone call last week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, U.S. President Joseph Biden pressed China over its defense relationship with Russia, which is seeking to rebuild its industrial base as it continues its invasion of Ukraine. And he called on Beijing to wield its influence over North Korea to rein in the isolated and erratic nuclear power. Adding to the tension between the two countries, U.S. lawmakers generated new legislation that would ban TikTok, the popular social media application, if its China-based owner ByteDance doesn't sell its stakes in the platform within six months of the bill's enactment. Lawmakers are concerned Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over data on the 170 million Americans who use TikTok. All Chinese firms, especially those in the social media sphere, are obligated to hand over user data to the government. Lavrov's visit also coincides with the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who on Monday wrapped up four days of talks with Chinese officials and said in Beijing they had difficult conversations about national security, including American concerns that Chinese companies are supporting Russia in its war in Ukraine. Yellen also said the Biden administration will push China to change an industrial policy that poses a threat to U.S. jobs. (AP) AMS Panama City, Apr 8 (AP) The trial of 27 people charged in connection with the worldwide Panama Papers money laundering started Monday in a Panamanian criminal court. Those on trial include the owners of the Mossack-Fonseca law firm that was at the heart of the 2016 massive document leak. The Panama Papers include a collection of 11 million secret financial documents that illustrate how some of the world's richest people hide their money. The repercussions of the leaks have been far-ranging, prompting the resignation of the prime minister of Iceland and bringing scrutiny to the leaders of Argentina and Ukraine, Chinese politicians and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others. The often-delayed trial opened Monday, with lawyers Juergen Mossack, Ramon Fonseca and other ex-employees of the firm facing money laundering charges. Mossack was present in the courtroom; lawyers for Fonseca said he was in a hospital in Panama. The case centers on allegations the firm set up shell companies to acquire properties in Panama with money from a sprawling corruption scheme in Brazil known as the Car Wash, or Lava Jato in Portuguese. Fonseca has said the firm, which closed in 2018, had no control over how its clients might use offshore vehicles created for them. Both Mossack and Fonseca have Panamanian citizenship, and Panama does not extradite its own citizens. The two were acquitted on other charges in 2022. The records were first leaked to the German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung, and were shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which began publishing collaborative reports with news organizations in 2016. U.S. federal prosecutors have alleged that Mossack Fonseca conspired to circumvent American laws to maintain the wealth of its clients and conceal tax dollars owed to the IRS. They alleged the scheme dates to 2000 and involved sham foundations and shell companies in Panama, Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. (AP) AMS News / National by Staff reporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa has stated unequivocally that he will not seek a third term in office, adhering to the provisions of the Zimbabwean Constitution.Currently serving his second and final term, Mnangagwa was offered another term by the ruling Zanu-PF, with the slogan "2030 VaMnangagwa vanenge vachipo" gaining popularity at party events.According to Section 95 of the Zimbabwe Constitution Amendment (No20) Act, 2013, a President's term begins upon inauguration and typically lasts for five years until the subsequent election, where they may be re-elected or a new president elected.Under Section 91, a President cannot exceed two terms in office if each term lasts three years or more. In Zimbabwe, a president's tenure is limited to two five-year terms.In an interview with the local magazine "Brick by Brick," Mnangagwa affirmed his decision not to contest in the next election, stating, "There is not a shred of evidence where Zanu-PF or I, as President, have ever advocated for the violation of our Constitution." He further stated, "But we allow people to dream properly or widely. They will wake up and find that things are functioning, and the Constitution remains unchanged."Addressing the speculations about his potential third term, Mnangagwa characterized them as imaginative, highlighting the democratic nature within Zimbabwe. He emphasized, "This demonstrates democracy in the country; in Zanu-PF, we are very democratic and we adhere to the constitution."Mnangagwa assumed power following the ousting of the late longtime ruler, Robert Mugabe, in a military coup. He won the previous two elections, although the opposition claims they were rigged and unfair.After the general elections last year, the self-imposed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu, suspected of collaborating with Zanu-PF, recalled the majority of opposition legislators. Subsequently, in the controversial by-elections that ensued, Zanu-PF secured a two-thirds majority in Parliament, raising concerns that the ultimate objective was to amend the Constitution and extend Mnangagwa's tenure in office. Jerusalem, Apr 8 (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated his pledge to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, declaring: There is a date. Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel must send ground forces into Rafah, saying it is Hamas' last stronghold in Gaza. But the international community, including the U.S., opposes the operation, saying the roughly 1.4 million civilians seeking shelter there will be in danger. Israel has insisted it has a plan to protect the civilians. In a video statement Monday, Netanyahu said the Rafah operation is essential for victory. It will happen. There is a date, he said, without elaborating. He spoke as Israeli negotiators were in Cairo discussing international efforts to broker a cease-fire deal with Hamas. (AP) AMS AMS Sultanpur (UP), Apr 7 (PTI) A murder accused out on bail was allegedly shot dead by an unidentified assailant in this Uttar Pradesh district on Sunday, police said. According to Superintendent of Police Somen Barma, an argument broke out between some people at the Dariyapur tri-section in the Kotwali police station area here when one of them opened fire. "Two men were injured in the incident and rushed to a hospital. One of the injured men, Vijay Narayan Singh (43), was declared dead while the other, Ajay Sharma, is admitted to the hospital," the SP said. Singh was an accused in a murder case lodged in September last year. He was out on bail granted by the Allahabad High court. The SP said the incident appears to be a fallout of a business deal. Thane, Apr 8 (PTI) A Maharashtra revenue department official was booked on Monday for allegedly seeking a bribe, a police official said. A case was registered against talati Dhondiba Gopinath Khansode of Diva on the complaint of the Thane unit of the Anti Corruption Bureau, the Kalwa police station official said. "He had allegedly sought Rs 7 lakh to prevent action against some chawls. The ACB probed the complaint on December 26 last year and confirmed it was true after which the FIR was registered," he added. Khargone, Apr 8 (PTI) Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, police on Monday seized 24 country-made pistols and two magazines in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district after apprehending two persons hailing from Punjab and Haryana, an official said. The arms and ammunition were worth Rs 5 lakh, police said. The two -- Gurmeet Singh, hailing from Bathinda in Punjab, and Vikram Jat a resident of Hisar, Haryana -- who had come to buy illegal weapons in Signur village of Khargone district, were caught by the police with illegal weapons, Superintendent of Police (SP) Dharamraj Meena told reporters here. "We are interrogating them," he said. However, local resident Sikligar Ramesh Singh, an arms dealer, ran away from the spot and a manhunt has been launched to nab him, Meena added. The SP, citing the duo's social media accounts, said they suspect the two accused are linked to a big inter-state gang dealing in illegal weapons. The first phase of elections covering half a dozen Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh will be held on April 19. In run-up to elections, police generally intensify drive to seize illegal weapons to ensure peaceful voting. Panaji, Apr 8 (PTI) Congress candidate from South Goa Viriato Fernandes on Monday said the party struggled to overcome the trust deficit as voters were angry in the wake of the defection of some MLAs in 2019 and 2023. "But people have now realised that the garbage has gone out of the party," the former Indian Navy captain told PTI. Fernandes said the Congress had to fight back severe criticism and scepticism initially. "There was a trust deficit. The party workers and common people had witnessed how a group of MLAs left the party in 2019 and later in 2023," he said. Fernandes said the party leaders initially faced the ire of the people as several MLAs elected by them on the Congress ticket had quit (and joined BJP). "Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar and other leaders visited every block to interact with the supporters and voters. Initially, everyone was reacting negatively towards us. They were venting their anger towards us. But at last, they were convinced that it was not us, but those who left the party were responsible for their actions," he said. He alleged some MLAs quit Congress for "money" while others for "position". "The Congress unit in Goa is now left with loyal leaders and honest people," he added. Fernandes is contesting from the South Goa seat, a Congress bastion. The party has not given a ticket to sitting MP Francisco Sardinha. He is pitted against entrepreneur and BJP candidate Pallavi Dempo in the upcoming elections. Speaking about his electoral prospects, Fernandes said the Congress would retain the seat with the support of the INDI alliance. He said AAP leaders have already started campaigning for him. "The Congress' campaign for South Goa seat began much earlier. We were told by our leaders that we should start campaigning for the party symbol. The candidate could be announced later at any time," he recalled. Bhopal, Apr 8 (PTI) The Congress was left red-faced after a video surfaced on social media, showing a picture of Union Minister and BJP candidate Faggan Singh Kulaste on a banner at Rahul Gandhi's rally in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla Lok Sabha seat on Monday. While the Congress termed the goof-up a "human error", Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the opposition party had accepted defeat even before the elections. The purported video showed a picture of Kulaste on a banner serving as a backdrop of the stage at the rally scheduled later in the day at Dhanora, some 80 km from Seoni district headquarters under the Mandla Lok Sabha seat. In the video, workers were seen covering the Union minister's picture with an image of Rajneesh Harvansh Singh, the Congress MLA from the Keolari assembly seat. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the Congress has already accepted defeat by putting up a picture of BJP candidate Kulaste. "This shows the Congress's seriousness. They put up a picture of the BJP candidate instead of their own. They have accepted defeat even before the elections," he said. Talking to PTI, senior Congress leader KK Mishra termed the banner goof-up a "human error". "The BJP has made it a habit to politicise every issue even if it is a human error. We can't say anything about such habits of the BJP," he said. Gandhi will address a rally for Congress candidate from Mandla Omkar Singh Markam, a former minister and sitting MLA from Dindori. Ahmedabad, Apr 8 (PTI) The Congress and AAP have tied up in their bid to breach Gujarat, a BJP fortress, through the states tribal-dominated seats in the Lok Sabha polls, but the saffron party's grip over these constituencies is too strong, say political analysts. Of the states 26 seats that will go to polls on May 7, Dahod, Chhota Udaipur, Bardoli and Valsad are reserved for ST (Scheduled Tribes) candidates, while Bharuch has a sizable population of tribals though it is a general seat. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has made some inroads into the tribal belt, reflected by its victory from Dediapada (ST) assembly segment under the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in the 2022 state polls. The Congress, once a powerhouse in Gujarats tribal landscape, has renewed its focus on the tribal belt. Last month, Congress leader Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra traversed through areas under these Lok Sabha seats. Taking a cue from their crushing defeats in the last assembly polls when anti-BJP votes in the tribal belt got split among AAP, Congress and Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP), the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit and the grand old party have forged a partnership as part of the opposition INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha polls. As per their seat-sharing arrangement, the Congress has given Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats to AAP. Despite Bharuch being a non-reserved seat, BJP as well as the INDIA bloc have nominated tribals as their candidates. Here BJPs sitting MP Mansukh Vasava will take on AAPs Dediapada (ST) MLA Chaitar Vasava. While the opposition bloc is confident of opening its account in the tribal belt, senior political analyst Amit Dholakia believes it won't be that easy. I dont see any pattern indicative of a shift of tribal voters from BJP to Congress or AAP in this election. Though it seems that Chaitar Vasava would give a tough fight to BJP in Bharuch, chances of his victory are remote because he won from one assembly seat and a Lok Sabha seat comprises several assembly segments, said Dholakia Dholakia, a professor of political science at Vadodara-based MS University, said central and state schemes like Nal Se Jal and housing programmes in rural areas, and work by RSS and its sister outfits in tribal areas have created a pro-BJP atmosphere in this belt. Moreover, its now difficult for the Congress to reclaim its lost territory because unlike in the past, it currently has no influential tribal leader. It appears that even the party understood that it wont gain much in the upcoming polls despite efforts, he said. Several tribal leaders have switched over from Congress to BJP in past few years. Before the last state polls, veteran tribal leader and 10-time MLA Mohansinh Rathva of Chhota Udaipur and his son Rajendrasinh joined the BJP. Recently, former Congress MP Naran Rathwa and his son Sangram Rathva shifted to the ruling party, while ex-MLA and BTP national president Mahesh Vasava made a similar switch last month. Before the BJP clean-swept Gujarat in the 2014 and 2019 general elections, the states tribal belt was considered a Congress stronghold. BJP has renominated its sitting MPs Prabhu Vasava and Jasvantsinh Bhabhor for Bardoli and Dahod seats, respectively. In Chhota Udaipur, it has replaced sitting MP Gitaben Rathva with Jashubhai Rathwa. The BJP has replaced sitting MP KC Patel with Dhaval Patel (38), an engineer and the national social media in-charge of its ST Morcha, in Valsad. He will face off with Congress Vansda (ST) MLA Anant Patel (40). Congress has picked cooperative leader Siddharth Chaudhary, son of former MLA Amarsinh Z Chaudhary, for Bardoli. Former MP Dr Prabha Taviad has got the Congress ticket in Dahod, while ex-MLA Sukhram Rathva is the party nominee in Chhota Udaipur. Despite the odds and an unfavourable electoral history, Congress is hopeful of making a dent in BJPs tally this time. Congress Valsad (ST) nominee Anant Patel said, There are many unresolved issues concerning tribals. If you combine the votes polled by Congress and AAP in the 2022 assembly elections, we were ahead of BJP in 59 seats. Thanks to the alliance this time, we will win the four ST-reserved seats by huge margins. Patel, who also heads the Gujarat Congress Tribal Cell, said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has ushered in enthusiasm among the tribals and Congress workers. He said tribals are upset over land acquisition in their areas for highway projects, a proposed zinc smelter plant in Tapi district, proposed dams in Dang and Valsad districts, lack of potable water, loss of land due to projects coming up near the Statue of Unity besides poor access to schools and hospitals. In May 2022, the state scrapped the Par-Tapi-Narmada river-linking project following a tribals' protest led by Anant Patel. However, except for some pockets in south Gujarat, Patel wont make much of a difference in the overall results, said Dholakia. On veteran tribal leader Chhotu Vasava's return to politics with a new party, Bharat Adivasi Party, Dholakia said its candidates would help the BJP by splitting the tribal votes. His elder son and BTP president Mahesh Vasava joined the BJP last month. Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas claimed his party's candidates will win in each of the tribal seats by over 5 lakh votes. After the 2019 elections, tribals again voted in our favour in the 2022 assembly polls. Since Congress knows it can't win on its own, the party is now forced to take AAP's support but they are nowhere near BJPs popularity among tribals, said Vyas. He said the state, and the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have done several developmental works in tribal areas. Thats why they will support us this time too, he added. Kolkata, Apr 8 (PTI) A 10-member Trinamool Congress delegation will meet Election Commission officials in New Delhi on Monday to complain about "misuse" of central investigating agencies against TMC leaders and party candidates. The delegation will be led by TMC's Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien and MP Dola Sen is also likely to meet the full bench of the Election Commission. "The BJP is misusing central agencies against us. The way NIA, ED and CBI are working and targeting TMC leaders is shameful. We would request the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties," Sen told reporters at the airport before leaving for New Delhi. The TMC alleged on Sunday an "unholy alliance" between the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and BJP ahead of elections, prompting the central investigating agency to deny any mala fide intention and label the entire controversy as "unfortunate". A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 blast case in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers. Kolkata, Apr 8 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency has issued summons to three Trinamool Congress leaders asking them to appear before its officers for questioning in connection with the Bhupatinagar blast case, an official said on Monday. The three leaders -- Manab Kumar Karaya, Subir Maity and Naba Kumar Ponda -- have been asked to appear before NIA officers here on Monday, he said. "Three TMC leaders have been summoned to our city office for questioning on Monday morning," the officer told PTI. The trio had skipped appearing before NIA officers when summoned for questioning last week. The two arrested TMC leaders were "not cooperating" with our officers, the NIA officer said. A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 Bhupatinagar blast case in Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers. The NIA said one of its officers was injured and a vehicle was damaged in the attack that happened in Bhupatinagar. The attack on the NIA team happened around three months after villagers and locals assaulted a team of Enforcement Department (ED) officers when they went to raid the residence of, now arrested, TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh on January 5 in connection with the alleged ration scam. Bongaon (WB), Apr 7 (PTI) The Matua-majority Thakurnagar area in West Bnegal's North 24 Parganas district witnessed dramatic scenes on Sunday night with supporters of BJP MP Shantanu Thakur and TMC MP Mamata Bala Thakur coming face to face over the control of a house where community matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as 'Boroma', lived till her death five years back. According to TMC, the incident happened when Shantanu Thakur along with his supporters allegedly tried by force to take control of the Boromas house, where Mamata Bala presently resides. Shantanu is the grandson of Binapani Devi, while Mamata Bala Thakur is her daughter-in-law. BJP's hooliganism at its peak. Shocking visuals are coming from Bongaon where BJP candidate & their leader @Shantanu_bjp, along with his goons carrying sharp objects & arms, are planning a violent attack on our Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Thakurs residence," the TMC posted on the X handle along with a video of the incident. In the purported video, Shantanu and his supporters were seen breaking the gates of the house. PTI, however, did not verify the authenticity of the video. Shantanu told reporters that despite him being one of the legal claimants of the property, Mamata Bala Thakur has been illegally occupying the entire property and even turning a portion of it into a TMC party office. I am one of the legal heirs and have full right over half of this property. But Mamata Bala Thakur has taken full control of it illegally, he alleged. Mamata Bala Thakur denied the allegations and lodged a police complaint against the incident. I have lodged a complaint at Gaighata Police Station as Shantanu Thakur and his associates tried to break in at my residence. They have forcibly entered into my residence, she said. Shantanu had defeated his nearest TMC rival, Mamatabala Thakur, who is also an influential leader of the Matua community, in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls where the CAA and NRC issues were the main poll planks. News / National by ZimLive HARARE - A large majority of Zimbabwe's mines risk losing their mining permits after the High Court ruled that miners should first obtain an environmental impact assessment certificate (EIAC) before being granted a mining permit.Miners say in practice, most started operations after first obtaining their permits from the mines ministry. The effect of the ruling is that all mining permits granted before obtaining an EIAC certificate from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) can be voided, according to legal experts.The Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) told ZimLive that over 70 percent of small and medium scale mines, outside the old mines registered before 2003, could close if the judgement is enforced."How do you obtain an EIAC for a mining claim over which you have no title? It's a classic example of putting a cart before the horse," a ZMF spokesperson said.The ruling by Justice Lucy Mungwari of the Harare High Court is being challenged at the Supreme Court.Mungwari made the declaration in a dispute between the state-owned Sandawana Mines (Private) Limited and Avoseh Investment (Private) Limited, the latter a company owned by Chinese investors.Avoseh was granted a mining permit consisting of 24 blocks of lithium claims in Mberengwa by the mines ministry in November 2022, but Sandawana challenged the decision in court arguing, in part, that the Chinese company obtained a mining permit before being granted an EIAC.Sandawana mine, spanning a massive 3,882 hectares, also wanted Avoseh's mining claim nullified on the basis that it was within its mining area. Avoseh and the mines ministry, represented by the Midlands provincial mining director Tariro Ndhlovu, dispute this.Justice Mungwari said with effect from 2003, section 97 of the EMA Act requires applicants for mining licenses to have first obtained an EIAC. Because Sandawana's mining interest was registered in 1964, initially as Rio Tinto, it was not affected by the new requirements, the judge said."It is not disputed that Avoseh's claim was registered in the absence of the EIAC. It obtained mining title in the absence of the said certificate. An EIAC issued by EMA is a condition precedent to any mineral prospecting, mineral mining, ore processing and concentrating among other kindred mining operations. That it is so is so obvious from the provisions of s 97(1) of the EMA Act," the judge said.Mungwari said "it is wrong for anyone to assume that the EIAC is not a sine qua non (a necessary or indispensable requirement) for the grant of a prospecting licence or indeed a mining licence."She added: "It must be clear to all officials charged with the administration of the Act that whether they deem it tedious or not the law requires provisions of the Mines and Minerals Act to be read together with provisions of the EMA Act which speak to mining operations."She said the decision by the mines ministry to issue Avoseh a mining permit before the EIAC was a "complete disregard of the law."Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Avoseh's lawyer, maintained that the Chinese company's mining permit was valid.The court, he said, had to "draw a distinction between implementation and carrying out of mining operations on one hand, and the validity of a title that one has on the other.""A mining title is valid without reference to the EIAC. It is the carrying out of the operations that ought to be held in abeyance until the EIAC is acquired," Madhuku argued.Justice Mungwari disagreed as she granted a declaratory order sought by Sandawana, ruling that Avoseh's mining permit was "null and void and of no force or effect."Legal expert Nkosiyenzile Mpofu of Bulawayo law firm Cheda & Partners told ZimLive that Mungwari's judgement was "seismic.""The judgement would, in effect, imply that one cannot get mining title without first acquiring an EIAC from EMA. This means all mining entities that acquired mining title or certificates before acquiring EMA certificates have to have them cancelled," Mpofu said."Also, no mining concern must acquire or be issued with a mining title until they obtain a EIAC certificate henceforth."Mpofu said the judgement "is seismic in effect and upsets the order of things.""It introduces fresh uncertainty for already jittery investors concerned about the unpredictability of Zimbabwe's mining environment, including the implementation of laws and protection on investment," Mpofu said."You can't just walk to the EMA offices and apply for an EIAC before identifying the land that you want to work on. You can only identify the land through prospecting as provided for in section 38 and 45 of the Mines and Minerals Act."Avoseh has instructed its lawyers to appeal the judgement at the Supreme Court.Sandawana is owned by state company Kuvimba Mining House and Defold, both of which are 100 percent owned by the Mutapa Investment Fund, Zimbabwe's sovereign wealth fund.Since the judgement, Sandawana has moved to block Avoseh from mining in the area by blocking access roads with haulage trucks, the Chinese company says in court documents. Police are also allegedly providing security at the mine, while Sandawana is laying claim to lithium ore reportedly worth US$15 million which was mined by the Chinese company. Itanagar, Apr 8 (PTI) The ruling BJP in Arunachal Pradesh has expelled three Zilla Parishad Chairpersons (ZPCs) and four Zilla Parishad Members (ZPMs) for a period of six years for their involvement in anti-party activities. The party leaders were expelled on Sunday, a BJP release said. BJP state in-charge cum chairman of the partys disciplinary action committee, Tarh Tarak, said they were found to be indulging in anti-party activities and campaigning against the official candidates for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections on April 19. These members were issued show-cause notices, but many of them failed to file any explanation, while some submitted unjustified and unsatisfactory explanation, he said in the release. Ramgarh, Apr 8 (PTI) A 24-year-old man who used to allegedly hack ATMs was arrested in Bihar's Gaya district on Monday, police said. He was arrested on the basis of a complaint launched by the Marar branch of Indian Overseas Bank in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district, they said. The man, identified as Chandan Kumar of Fatehpur in Gaya, allegedly used to open the slot in which ATM cards are inserted and install a device that read the PIN of customers, they added. He then used the PIN to withdraw money from their bank accounts, police said. Tools used for such hacking were seized from him, they said. Chandan was also wanted in several police cases lodged across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, police said. Lucknow, Apr 8 (PTI) Amid the suspense over candidates for the Amethi and Raebareli Lok Sabha seats, Congress Uttar Pradesh in-charge Avinash Pandey on Monday said the names would be announced at the "right time". The two high-profile constituencies were long considered the bastions of the Gandhi family. Sonia Gandhi, who represented Raebareli in the Lok Sabha since 2004, has moved to the Upper House of Parliament, while her son Rahul Gandhi was defeated in the last general elections in Amethi by the BJP's Smriti Irani. "Amethi and Raebareli are important Lok Sabha constituencies, not only for the Congress but for the entire Uttar Pradesh. We have apprised the party's national leadership about the sentiments of the public and the party workers of the state," Pandey told reporters. Despite demands from party workers that Rahul Gandhi be fielded from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi from Raebareli, the Congress is yet to announce its candidates for these seats. The party's state unit president Ajay Rai has strongly advocated for the candidature of the Gandhi siblings from the seats. "There is a strategy in politics and the names will be announced as per the strategy when the right time comes. The announcement will be made by the Central Election Committee," Pandey told reporters here. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that a large part of the Congress manifesto has a Muslim League imprint and the rest is dominated by Leftists, the Congres leader said, "The manifesto has been made keeping in mind the sentiments of the people of the country. "What are the things that are troubling the prime minister? It is natural for them to think about ways to divert people's attention from the popular manifesto. The failure of the BJP-led Union government in the last 10 years and the growing anger among the people are the reasons which are forcing them to do this," he said. Hitting out at the prime minister, Pandey said people have seen the effectiveness of Modi's guarantees and statements in the last 10 years. "The prime minister should please tell people when he will stop dividing the country and spreading poison in the society. When will he restore democracy and let democracy work," he asked. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party and the Congress met here and discussed campaign strategies for the Lok Sabha elections and holding joint rallies in Uttar Pradesh. Pandey said the focus of the meeting was on running a joint election campaign, identifying areas for improvement and boosting cooperation among the two constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc. He said there is a strong coordination between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress at every level. A grand rally of the opposition alliance will be held in Uttar Pradesh soon, Pandey said, adding information about a joint campaign by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will also be shared very soon. New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) The BJP on Monday termed the TMC leaders' dharna outside the poll panel's office here a "poll gimmick" and alleged the Mamata Banerjee-led party was making an all-out effort to protect Shahjahan Seikh, the main accused in the Sandeshkhali case. The Delhi Police on Monday detained Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders while they were on a dharna outside the Election Commission's office, demanding that the chiefs of CBI, NIA, ED and Income Tax Department be changed. "TMC leaders do not care about the Constitution of India and democracy. If anyone has insulted the Constitution, constitutional institutions and democracy, it is TMC leaders. They are doing 'nautanki' (gimmick) to protect and save Shahjahan Sheikh," BJP national general secretary Arun Singh told reporters. The protest by TMC leaders shows their frustration with the party sensing its defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, he added. Sheikh, a key accused in sexual assault and land grab charges in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, was arrested in February in connection with an assault on Enforcement Directorate officials who were conducting a raid in the area on January 5 as part of a probe into the ration distribution scam case. A 10-member delegation of the TMC sat on a dharna outside the Election Commission's office here after meeting a full bench of the poll panel. They urged the commission to ensure a level playing field in the Lok Sabha polls and stop the "misuse" of the central agencies against opposition parties and leaders Hitting out at Banerjee over her party leaders' dharna, Singh alleged that there is complete lawlessness in West Bengal but the TMC supremo, who is also West Bengal chief minister, is only concerned about "protecting and saving" Sheikh. "There is no law and order in West Bengal. The highest number of political killings have happened in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee never had any faith in the Constitution. She only relies on Shahjahan Sheikh," the BJP leader added. New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) The BJP on Monday alleged that an organisation linked to Congress leaders was misusing RSS' name to push propaganda against the ruling party in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls and urged the Election Commission to take "strict action" against them. A delegation of BJP leaders including its national organisation secretary Arun Singh, Sanjay Mayukh and Om Pathak approached the poll panel and submitted a complaint in this connection, demanding that an FIR be lodged against the "fake" organisation and a notice be issued to the Congress. There was no immediate reaction from the Congress on the allegation. Singh told reporters that the outfit has been trying to mislead the people by unlawfully using the name of the RSS to create confusion even though the Supreme Court has also dismissed its petition challenging the Assistant Registrar of Societies decision to not register it under the name and style of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which was already registered since 1925. "The fake organisation has been floated in the name of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) at the behest of the Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to create confusion and mislead people of the country, Singh said after meeting the Election Commission officials. He alleged that the Congress Seva Dal chief heads this fake organisation. Singh said the outfit is reaching out to people telling them that they should ensure the defeat of the BJP. Using the name of the RSS, this organisation is pushing the same narrative that Rahul Gandhi has been trying to build. They are posting on X messages like Constitution is under threat', 'the BJPs 400 paar slogan is an illusion, the BJP has to be defeated. And those from the Congress are reposting them," he charged. We urged the Election Commission to take strict action against them and lodge an FIR against such people. Their social media posts should also be removed, the BJP leader told reporters. Singh said that the BJP delegation also urged the EC to issue a notice to the Congress in the matter so that such "fake organisations" and their social media posts are not promoted to create confusion and mislead people in the run of to elections. Its a gross violation of the model code of conduct. We have requested the EC to take strict action, the BJP leader added. In its memorandum to EC, the ruling BJP said that a viral video pledging support to the oppositions INDIA bloc and its constituent Congress was uploaded on the YouTube channel,Aawaz India', on March 24 with the title "RSS supports Congress, creates uproar across the country; PC (Press Conference) of RSS Chief Janardan Moon, Abdul Pasha". This propaganda video was shared by Rahul Kajal, a member of the Congress, on his X' account along with the post, it said, adding that Lalji Desai, chief organiser of the Congress Seva Dal posted the video on March 26 on X' with a caption 'Desh aur samvidhaan ko bachana hai, Modi ko hatana hai: RSS'. The BJP urged the EC to direct the Congress and its Seva Dal to tender a public apology on all social media platforms. It also urged the poll panel to direct the Congress to take down all the related posts and videos from all social platforms and suspend the Congress Seval Dals social media accounts. Lucknow, Apr 8 (PTI) A total of three candidates withdrew their nominations on Monday, the last day of withdrawal for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, according to official statement issued here. After the last date of withdrawal of nominations in eight Lok Sabha constituencies of the second phase, a total of 91 candidates are in the fray, it said. UP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navedep Rinwa said the nomination for the second phase started on March 28 and on Monday, which was the last date of withdrawal, three candidates including one from Meerut and two from Aligarh withdrew their nominations. He said independent candidate Mohd Afzal from Meerut Lok Sabha constituency, and Mukesh Kumar of Rashtriya Jan Sanchar Dal and independent candidate Bhupendra Pal Singh from Aligarh withdrew their names. He said there are 1.67 crore voters in these eight Lok Sabha constituencies of the second phase, out of which 90.11 lakh are male voters, 77.38 lakh are female voters and 787 are of third gender. There are a total of 7797 polling stations and 17677 polling booths in these constituencies. Mathura (UP), Apr 8 (PTI) Hundreds of boatmen belonging to the Nishad community have given a strike call against the introduction of a cruise service from Vrindavan's Jugal Ghat in this Uttar Pradesh district. The boatmen presented a memorandum to Mathura MP Hema Malini at her Omex City residence here on Monday. The actress-turned-politician, who has been renominated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Mathura constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, assured the boatmen that she would take up the matter with the authorities concerned. "I will talk to the district administration and see how a balance can be maintained between the interest of the Nishad community and the voyage of the cruise," the MP said. She added that the delegation of the boatmen has been assured that their work will not be affected. "They (administration) want the cruise to sail from the Devarha Ghat to Gokul as an alternative route," boatmen Rajendra Nishad and Gulab Singh said. Another boatman, Murti Nishad, said it is the question of the livelihood of around 12,000 members of the Nishad community. Two 60-year-old women from Haryana -- Munni and Shakuntala -- were fished out from deep water at Vrindavan's Chir Ghat on Monday, boatman Birpal said. With the introduction of the cruise service, pilgrims will be deprived of such free rescue facilities, he added. Chennai, Apr 8 (PTI) Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur on Monday sought an explanation from the DMK and Congress about "ceding" Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka in 1974 and asked the parties to "come out clean" on the issue. Taking exception to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thakur asked why Stalin was "shivering" at the prospect of Modi's visit to the state. Speaking to reporters here, Thakur commented that on the one hand, the Prime Minister was giving a lot to the fishermen including subsidies, policies, and programmes but on the other hand the DMK and Congress have given away Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. "They should come out open and respond to this. Who is responsible for giving Katchatheevu to Lanka? Why are the DMK and Congress silent on this? Why have they given an important piece of land to Sri Lanka and hurt the sentiments of fishermen and Tamils," Thakur asked. The chief minister's statements on Modi showed how "nervous" he was over Modi coming to Tamil Nadu. "Why is he shivering? He must be happy over the visit because the people of Tamil Nadu love the prime minister who loves Tamil Nadu, its rich culture, tradition history," the minister said. He recalled that the Kashi Tamil Sangamam was organised and the Sengol was installed in the new parliament building and counted them among the numerous instances of Modi's "love for the state and its people". Going by the response from the people throughout the country, the BJP will easily win 400-plus seats this time, Thakur said in reply to a question. "People want to see Modi become prime minister for the third consecutive term so that India becomes the third largest economy in the world," he said, and added that it was because people want progress and want the poor to come out of poverty. News / National by Staff reporter Zimbabwean Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and the military's post-election political strategy blocked President Emmerson Mnangagwa's third-term ambitions.This forced him to come out clean to say he will not seek to manipulate the constitution to hang onto power as demanded by his supporters.Mnangagwa sidelined the army during last year's general elections and used the state security service, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)-run Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ), to win the polls, fearing internal sabotage.However, military commanders always said behind the scenes after the elections Mnangagwa and FAZ would be stopped on their tracks.Now his CIO-driven project has come unstuck and ground to screeching halt as the army backs Chiwenga to take over.Chiwenga recently influenced key military appointments, including that of his closest ally Lieutenant-General Anselem Sanyatwe as Zimbabwe National Army commander.Mnangagwa had in 2019 removed Sanyatwe and posted him to Tanzania as ambassador amid purges of the military in the aftermath of the 2017 coup which first brought him to power.Although Chiwenga showed his clear intention to become the next Zimbabwean President during his high-profile wedding to Miniyothabo Baloyi last December more than any other time before, Mnangagwa did not give up his push for a third term by proxy.He did it while leaving room for political plausible deniability.Clearly, he has been giving mixed signals about it.Until recently, Mnangagwa tried to use Zanu-PF youths to push for a third term, saying he will still be there in 2030 - the same approach they used in 2018 for him to seek re-election in 2023.Their campaign for a third term was open and Mnangagwa did not distance himself from it until when it became clear that would be politically ill-fated to do so.Having tested the waters and found them dangerously deep, Mnangagwa is now beating a hasty retreat while posturing as a stickler for the constitution and rule of law.Yet his re-election was riddled with unconstitutional issues and illegalities.With Chiwenga on the political ascendancy, backed by the army, Mnangagwa says he does not have intentions of running for a third term.He said there is "no iota of evidence" where the ruling Zanu-PF has pushed for something that violates the constitution.Mnangwagwa said Zimbabwe is a constitutional democracy that abides by the dictates of the law.In an exclusive question-and-answer interview with "Brick by Brick" magazine editors Munyaradzi Huni and Baffour Ankomah, Mnangagwa denied third term ambitions."Well, I am very happy that Zimbabweans are very imaginative," he said."They can imagine about anything, which shows there is democracy in the country, you see."But we in Zanu-PF are very democratic and we obey the constitution."There is not an iota of evidence where Zanu-PF or I, as President, has ever expressed the violation of our constitution."But we allow people to dream properly or widely."They will still wake up and find things are working and the constitution hasn't changed."In terms of the constitution, extending presidential term limits would require amending Section 91 of the constitution, which disqualifies a person "for election as President or appointment as Vice-President if he or she has already held office as President for two terms, whether continuous or not, and for the purpose of this subsection three or more years' service is deemed to be a full term".Amending the constitution requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority, which Zanu-PF now has through the back door in the National Assembly and technically in Senate, courtesy to opposition political impostor Sengezo Tshabangu and goons behind him.However, section 328 (7) bars an incumbent from benefitting from such a constitutional change.It says: "Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an amendment to a term-limit provision the effect of which is to extend the length of time that a person may hold or occupy any public office, does not apply in relation to any person who held or occupied that office, or an equivalent office, at any time before the amendment."This means such a change can only benefit future Presidents.Besides, section 328 (7) can only be amended through a referendum as set out under section 328 (9) of the constitution.Previously, Mnangagwa ZTN Prime before last year's elections: "I am going for my second term . . . this is my last term." Officials at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant said that the site was attacked Sunday by Ukrainian military drones, including a strike on the dome of the plants sixth power unit. According to the plant authorities, there was no critical damage or casualties and radiation levels at the plant were normal after the strikes. Later on Sunday, however, Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom said that three people were wounded in the unprecedented series of drone attacks, specifically when a drone hit an area close to the sites canteen. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday that its experts had been informed of the drone strike and that such detonation is consistent with IAEA observations. Without apportioning blame, the head of the U.N.s atomic watchdog agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, warned of the safety risks of such attacks. I urge refraining from actions that contradict the 5 IAEA principles and jeopardize nuclear safety, he said on the social media site X. The power plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear power plant, Europes largest, amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. Both Ukraine and Russia have regularly accused the other of attacking the plant, which is still close to the front lines. The plants six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features. Also on Sunday, three people were killed when their house was hit by a Russian projectile in the front-line town of Huliaipole in Ukraines partly occupied southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov said. Later on Sunday, two people were wounded in another shelling of Huliaipole. Separately, three people were wounded in Russian shelling in Ukraines northeast Kharkiv region, according to regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. In Russia, a girl died and four other people were wounded when the debris of a downed Ukrainian drone fell on a car carrying a family of six people in Russias Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. (AP) New York City has reached a $17.5 million settlement with two Muslim women who claimed their rights were violated when they were forced to remove their hijabs for mug shots. The class-action lawsuit, filed in 2018 by Jamila Clark and Arwa Aziz, alleged that the NYPDs policy of removing religious head coverings for photographs was discriminatory. The NYPD changed its policy in 2020 to allow religion-based head coverings to be worn in photographs if they do not obstruct faces. The settlement, pending approval by Judge Analisa Torres, will provide compensation to at least 3,600 individuals who were forced to remove their religious head coverings between 2014 and 2021. The women expressed relief and pride in having brought about a positive change in the NYPDs policy. Im so proud today to have played a part in getting justice for thousands of New Yorkers, Clark said. Aziz added, Forcing someone to remove their religious clothing is like a strip search. The citys Law Department said the settlement is a positive reform for the police department. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a victory for free speech and truth, a federal judge has dismissed Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhans $4.8 billion defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC). A Federal Court today dismissed all of Louis Farrakhans absurd claims against ADL (and SWC), the ADL wrote in a statement. Truth is a defense and no, we will not stop calling out antisemitism wherever and whenever we see it. Farrakhan had argued that the ADL and SWC spread a false narrative that he was antisemitic, despite his own words, including calling Adolf Hitler a great man and claiming that Satanic Jews control the government and Hollywood. Manhattan federal court Judge Denise Cote rejected Farrakhans lawsuit, using his own words against him. The judge found that the lawsuit failed to provide evidence that the ADL and SWCs rebukes of Farrakhan had caused him or his organization any injuries or that they acted with malice. When they talk about Farrakhan, call me a hater, you know how they do call me an antisemite, Farrakhan said in a public speech in 2018. Stop it, Im anti-termite. The ADL hailed the ruling as a victory for truth and free speech. To mark this victory, please take a moment and reflect on Farrakhan, who we believe to be one of Americas most notorious antisemites, the ADL wrote. The ruling sends a clear message that truth is a defense against defamation claims, and that those who spread hate and antisemitism will not be silenced by frivolous lawsuits. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Former President Donald Trump said he believes abortion should be left to the states in a video released Monday morning outlining his position after months of mixed messages and speculation. Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights, Trump said in the video posted on his Truth Social site. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land in this case, the law of the state. Trump, in the video, did not say when in pregnancy he believes abortion should be banned declining to endorse a national cutoff that would have been used as a cudgel by Democrats ahead of the November election. But Trumps endorsement of the patchwork approach leaves him open to being attached to the strictest proposed state legislation, which President Joe Biden and his reelection campaign have already been working to do. In the video, Trump again took credit for the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to end Roe v. Wade, saying that he was proudly the person responsible for the ending of the constitutional right to an abortion and thanking the conservative justices who overturned it by name. While he again articulated his support for three exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk he went on to describe the current legal landscape, in which different states have different restrictions following the courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling on June 24, 2022, which upended the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and thats what they will be, he said. At the end of the day its all about will of the people. The announcement drew immediate condemnation from SBA Pro-Life America, one of the countrys most prominent groups opposed to abortion rights. We are deeply disappointed in President Trumps position, said the groups president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, in statement. Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry. The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act. Bidens campaign said Trump was endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions. And hes bragging about his role in creating this hellscape, campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said on X. Trump had suggested last month in a radio interview that he was leaning toward supporting a national abortion ban at around 15 weeks of pregnancy early in the second trimester. The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And Im thinking in terms of that, he said on WABC radio. And itll come out to something thats very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at. At the same time, Trump seemed reluctant to embrace a federal ban. Everybody agrees youve heard this for years all the legal scholars on both sides agree: Its a state issue. It shouldnt be a federal issue, its a state issue, he said. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, had written on his social media site Sunday night that he planned to issue a statement on abortion and abortion rights after sidestepping questions about when in a pregnancy he believes the line should be drawn. Republican-led states have ushered in a wave of new restrictions following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Democrats believe the fight over abortion rights helps them at the polls and have outperformed expectations in elections since. Trump had long argued that the Supreme Courts decision overturning Roe gave those who oppose abortion rights tremendous power to negotiate. He said he wanted to use that leverage to strike a deal that he hoped would make both sides happy and bring the country together even though the issue is one of the most contentious in American politics, with opponents viewing abortion as murder and proponents seeing it as a fundamental womens right. Trump has tried to thread the needle on abortion throughout the campaign. He routinely takes credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, which he has called a moral and unconstitutional atrocity, and has called himself the most pro-life president in American history. But he has also repeatedly criticized fellow Republicans for being too hard-line on the issue, blaming candidates who did not allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the pregnant person is at risk for the partys losses that November. A lot of politicians who are pro-life do not know how to discuss this topic and they lose their election. We had a lot of election losses because of this, because they didnt know to discuss it. They had no idea, he said at the Concerned Women of America 2023 Leadership Summit. In the video, Trump told Republicans that they must follow your heart on this issue. But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly a nation in decline. Instead, he has tried to paint Democrats as the ones who are extreme on the issue. It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position, he said in the video. Democrats and President Joe Bidens campaign, meanwhile, have been spotlighting the issue as they work to draw a contrast with Trump. Polling has consistently shown that most Americans believe abortion should be legal through the initial stages of pregnancy. About half of U.S. adults said abortions should be permitted at the 15-week mark, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted last June. Data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the vast majority of abortions from 2012 to 2021 were performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. The Supreme Courts 1973 Roe v. Wade decision established the constitutional right to abortion until the time of viability, at around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy. Abortions later in pregnancy are rare and are often performed due to serious fetal abnormalities, when the life of the mother is at risk, or when women have faced significant delays accessing the procedure, according to the health policy research firm KFF. (AP) Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Quds Force commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who was killed in an IDF-attributed strike in Syria last week along with six other IRGC officers. According to the Entekhab newspaper, quoted by Iran International, Tehran has four possible ways to respond to Israel. The first option is one that the US warned Israel about last week: targeting Israel directly with a wave of suicide drones or cruise missiles. A second option is attacking an Israeli embassy or consulate. However, according to Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, who spoke at a media event last week, the likelihood of Iran choosing this option is low, despite the fact that it carried out attacks against Israeli embassies in the past. According to Yadlin, Iran wants to carry out a more impressive attack. Additionally, an attack on an embassy requires violating the sovereignty of a third country and requires significant planning time. The third option is carrying out an indirect attack against Israel by allowing its regional proxies to target Israeli military bases and other significant sites. The fourth option is refraining from any immediate response to avoid an all-out war with Israel, which could also invite an American response. The Entekhab article concludes that Iran is adopting this fourth option. Instead, Iran will adopt strategic patience, engaging in a war of psychological attrition against Israel, while preserving its military power. This view is consistent with many statements made by high-ranking Iranian officials who warn of falling into Israels trap of getting entangled in a regional war. Yigal Carmon, the former counter-terrorism advisor to two Israeli Prime Ministers, told Iran International: Iran is not ready nor willing to have a direct total war with Israel. Therefore even a direct Iranian attack on an Israeli embassy abroad is not probable. Carmon, who is the president and founder of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), added, Khameneis policies over the years show a combination of caution and cowardice. Irans reactions to Israeli and American attacks in the past show a pattern of escalation when they believe the adversary is weak. And they back down when they see their adversary is strong and shows deterrence, and is ready for war. Tehran-born Ben Sabti, an expert on Iran from the Israeli National Security and Strategy Institute, told Iran International: My assessment is that Iran wont attack Israel directly, because there is not any use in it. He said that anything that Iran can do, their proxies can do too, so why will Iran, which has kept itself out of the war until now, suddenly should throw itself into the conflict. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) TikTok has removed over 3.1 million videos made in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza, and suspended an additional 140,000 livestreams, according to a spokesperson for the video-sharing app. The removed content included material that promoted Hamas, hate speech, violent extremism, and misinformation. This removal is part of a larger effort by TikTok to moderate content on its platform, which resulted in the removal of nearly 78.3 million videos globally from October 7 to March 31. Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, TikTok fine-tuned its automated content moderation technology, resulting in a 234% increase in removed violative comments in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza. Despite these efforts, TikTok has faced allegations of allowing antisemitic and anti-Israel content on its platform. A survey in November suggested that users became 17% more antisemitic for every 30 minutes spent watching videos on the platform. Additionally, the companys top lobbyist in Israel resigned in January due to alleged anti-Israel bias. TikTok has also faced criticism for removing content that is not in violation of its community guidelines, such as a video by relatives of the hostage Bibas family calling for their release. The company blamed a technical fault for the removal. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In the six months since the devastating Hamas attack on Israels southern region, 70% of the affected population has returned to their homes, with only a handful of locales remaining uninhabitable, the Israeli government said Sunday. The Tekuma Authority, responsible for rehabilitating the south, reports that at least 40,150 residents, including 23,000 from Sderot, are living in their municipalities within 7 kilometers of the border. However, 13 locales are still too damaged or risky to be resettled. Tekuma has spent approximately NIS 2.25 billion ($600 million) of its NIS 18 billion ($4.7 billion) budget for rehabilitation efforts over the next five years. Remaining evacuees are living in state-funded accommodations, including hotels and communities. Additionally, around 60,000 evacuees from the north, near the Lebanon border, are living in similar conditions. While significant progress has been made, continued efforts are needed to fully rehabilitate the affected areas. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The White House said Sunday that Israels withdrawal of its troops from southern Gaza is likely to give them some rest a refit them for future fighting, but does not indicate a change in the IDFs military strategy against Hamas. Theyve been on the ground for four months, the word were getting is theyre tired, they need to be refit, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told ABCs This Week, adding that it is hard to know exactly what this tells us right now. The IDF pulled out all of its maneuvering ground forces from Gaza early Sunday morning, leaving behind just a single brigade to secure a corridor across the Palestinian enclave. This corridor allows the IDF to conduct raids in northern and central Gaza, prevents Palestinians from returning to the northern part of the Strip, and enables humanitarian organizations to deliver aid directly to northern Gaza. The withdrawal is similar to a move made by the IDF in northern Gaza following an initial ground offensive late last year. After several months of large-scale operations with multiple divisions, the IDF withdrew from northern Gaza only to return for smaller, localized operations. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Hours after the IDF withdrew its ground forces from the Gaza Strip, Palestinians began cautiously returning to their homes in the southern city of Khan Younis. The area has been left in ruins after months of intense bombardment and fighting between IDF troops and Hamas terrorists. Before the war erupted on October 7, nearly 400,000 people lived in Khan Younis, with practically all civilians evacuating the city on IDF orders before the offensive against Sinwars hometown was launched. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Sources close to the negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Cairo have expressed guarded optimism that a truce and hostage release deal may be imminent, with an Israeli delegation meeting with Qatari, Egyptian, and American negotiators. This time is different, we are the closest weve been in months to a deal, a source told Channel 12 news. The progress is attributed to US pressure on Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Qatars efforts to convince Hamas to accept a temporary ceasefire agreement. The US was expected to present a new draft proposal to the parties Sunday night, with CIA Director Bill Burns, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egypts General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel in attendance. Israeli officials, including Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, are also expected to participate in the talks. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a strongly-worded letter, 18 prominent Sephardic Rabbanim associated with the Shas party have rejected any compromise on the conscription of Charedim into the military. The letter, signed by Rabbanim including Rav Ovadia Yosef, son of the Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, states that compromise will lead to ruination. We will not be deterred from going to prison and to give our souls bravely and courageously to observe our holy Torah, the Rabbanim declare in the letter. The letter states that pressure to increase Charedi participation in the military is part of a malicious plan to control Charedim and reduce the number of Shomrei Torah UMitzvos. The Rabbanim also rejected a compromise offer by Welfare Minister Yaakov Margi of Shas, who proposed drafting young Charedi men who are not learning in yeshivas while making it clear that full-time learners would be exempt from military service. Their stance aligns with that of Ashkenazi Rabbanim, who have also unequivocally rejected the drafting of Yeshiva Bochurim. The letter comes as the government is formulating its legal response to the High Court of Justices ruling barring the government from funding Charedi yeshivas for Bochurim eligible for IDF enlistment, effectively ending subsidies for nearly 50,000 full-time Yeshivaleit. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The IDF carried out airstrikes in the village of Al-Sultaniyah in southern Lebanon overnight Sunday, killing Ali Ahmed Hassin, a high-ranking commander in Hezbollahs elite Radwan Force, along with two other terrorists. The IDF confirmed the targeted assassination on Monday morning and said that Hassin was responsible for planning and executing numerous terror attacks against Israel and since October 7th, has directed the launch of many rockets and missiles toward Israel. Air Force fighter jets attacked and killed Ali Ahmed Hassin, a commander in Hezbollahs Radwan Force in the Hajar area of the al-Saltaniyah region of Lebanon, the IDF stated, adding that his rank was the equivalent of a brigade commander. As part of his position, he was responsible for the planning and execution of terror attacks in the Ramim Ridge area [in northern Israel] against the Israeli homefront. Since the beginning of the war, Hasin directed many launches toward Israel. As part of the targeted attack on Hassin, two additional terrorists under his command were killed. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) A female terrorist attempted to stab IDF soldiers at a checkpoint in the Jordan Valley on Monday morning. The terrorist approached the Tayasir checkpoint and after refusing to identify herself, pulled out a knife and tried to stab a soldier. The soldiers opened fire and neutralized her. BChasdei Hashem, there were no injuries to IDF forces. On Sunday, a female IDF soldier was severely injured in a shooting attack in the Shomron. As of Monday morning, she is still hospitalized in serious condition, sedated and ventilated. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday spoke to new IDF recruits at the Tel Hashomer enlistment center on Monday and delivered a speech that focused mainly on the topic of a possible hostage deal. Our foremost obligation is to return our hostages home, Gallant said. And the operational conditions that the IDF created through relentless military pressure on Hamas allow us flexibility, freedom of action and difficult decisions. There will be difficult decisions and well be prepared to pay a price in order to bring back the hostages and then return to combat I think were at an appropriate point. Every soldier in the IDF should know that the State of Israel is behind him when he goes to battle and fulfills his mission. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) An article by The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal slammed US President Joe Biden for exploiting the accidental killing of seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen in Gaza to criticize Israel, pandering to left-wing US voters and forgetting his own mistaken missile strike in Afghanistan that killed 10 civilians, including seven children. President Biden, seem to have forgotten that errors are a tragic and inevitable part of war. The President pandered to the anti-Israel faction in his party by harshly condemning Israel, lecturing it and then blaming it (not Hamas) for the larger humanitarian disaster in Gaza. That apparently wasnt enough. Egged on by the emerging anti-Israel liberal media consensus, Mr. Biden called on Thursday for an immediate cease-fire and urged Israel to make new concessions in hostage negotiations. The President then threatened, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken put it, that if we dont see the changes we need to see from Israel, there will be a change in our policy. This is Biden Administration opportunism, using the World Central Kitchen tragedy to push Israel to cut short the war and let Hamas survive. Its also the worst thing the President could do to free the hostages. The message Hamas will take away is clear: Keep rejecting hostage deals, do whatever you can to worsen the humanitarian catastrophe, and watch Mr. Biden blame and pressure Israel to compromise on its war aims. After Oct. 7, the U.S. demanded that Hamas release the hostages unconditionally. It is now closer to demanding that Israel unconditionally stop fighting. Mr. Biden also seems to have forgotten his own mistaken missile strike. When the Presidents Irish goodbye from Afghanistan was spoiled by a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops, he ordered retaliation against ISIS-K. On Aug. 29, 2021, a U.S. Hellfire missile struck a car at a family home in Kabul in what Gen. Mark Milley called a righteous strike. It turned out the strike killed 10 civilians, including seven children. But the Biden Administration wasnt quick to apologize. Almost everything senior defense officials asserted in the hours, days and weeks after it turned out to be false, the New York Times reported. The explosives supposedly in the targeted cars trunk were probably water bottles. The driver, an aid worker, had no ISIS ties. It took weeks for the Pentagon to own up to what it called a tragic mistake. The fog of war is real, and for Mr. Biden this and other U.S. strikes were mistakes. But he now holds Israel to a different standard. The Presidents statements on the Israeli strike have moved from outrage to recrimination: This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficultbecause Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers. Left out is a critical word about Hamas, which started this war, steals aid, and murders Palestinians who facilitate aid. Rather than hold Hamas accountable and demand at every opportunity that it release the hostages, including five Americans, Mr. Biden places the full burden on Israel. He puts Israel on trial each day from Washington lecterns, undermining support for its war effort. Mr. Biden has mostly resisted pressure from his left to cut off Israel and deny it the weapons it needs to defeat Hamas. But in the wake of this tragic Israeli mistake, and while Israel goes on high alert for an Iranian attack, he threatens to reverse even that support. If he does so, he will send the wrong message to our friends and especially our enemies in the Middle East. He may also pay a bigger political price at home than he realizes. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) UK charging infrastructure is suffering from limited mobile phone connectivity, a new report claims. Two thirds (66.4 per cent) of Type-2 public chargers lack an adequate level of phone signal coverage from all four major network providers to guarantee they can be activated 100 per cent of the time, the RAC Foundation claims. Patchy phone signal means drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) could face problems topping up their car batteries at thousands of locations. Your browser does not support iframes. As of the start of 2024, the Department of Transport (based on ZapMap data) records show there are at least 53,677 public chargers available to EV owners. Of, these, the vast majority - 31,910 - are Type-2 chargers. These Type-2 public chargers can charge up to 8kW slow charging and arent obliged to provide contactless payment. The vast majority require drivers to access them via mobile apps and are reliant on the mobile phone network to provide adequate signal. Britain has four mobile network providers: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone, on which other companies such as Giffgaff and Tesco Mobile can piggyback. A new study by the RAC Foundation has found that UK mobile phone signal is letting down the public charging network, as more than two thirds of all slow Type-2 public chargers have been found to have inadequate signal to guarantee activation 100 per cent of the time Mobile phones are an everyday essential, and becoming increasingly important in the use and functionality of cars today. Yet poor signal from all four network providers - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - is affecting the functionality of tens of thousands of chargers across Britain READ MORE: Electric car sales continue to falter as an increasing number of drivers turn to hybrids in March The issue for motorists wanting to charge is that unless all four are providing decent signal coverage then theres a risk that either the user or the charger will lack the connection needed to unlock the flow of electricity to be able to charge the EV. And this risk is a very real problem, the RAC Foundation findings uncovered. Across Britain (outside of London) just a third (33.4 per cent) of Type-2 chargers analaysed by the RAC Foundation are in locations where there is acceptable all-network 4G coverage. In London, the situation is slightly better but not to the level youd expect in the capital, where signal is assumed to be near perfect. Even in London, phone signal was not guaranteed to be good enough to ensure that chargers would function properly every time. The risk is that either the user or the charger will lack the connection needed to unlock the flow of electricity to be able to charge the EV Only 39.7 per cent of the slow public chargers analysed in the city had adequate signal. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, is calling for better mobile-to-car-to-charger infrastructure integration: 'All these systems need to be designed with an eye sharply focused on real-world network coverage, which is often patchy, sometimes non-existent, and not about to become infinitely better. 'Where signal connectivity at a chargepoint is a problem drivers might conclude that the charger is at fault hence undermining the confidence we should be building in the reliability of public charging options for electric vehicles. 'Whats more, the poor connectivity wont get picked up in the new mandatory reporting system applying only to the rapid charger network.' This study comes as the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reports that the market share of new pure battery electric cars fell to 15.2 per cent in March compared with 16.2 per cent in the same month last year. There's been growing calls recently for the Government to step up its EV efforts, most notably to slash the VAT on public charging to 5 per cent It also follows widespread criticism from industry leaders after the Chancellor failed to deliver any EV incentives to motorists in the Spring Budget. Experts and manufacturers said the Chancellor 'missed a massive opportunity' by refusing to respond to calls for 'fair taxes for a fair transition'. One of those taxes was the slashing of VAT on public charging to 5 per cent to bring public charging costs in line with home charging energy rates and make it fairer for EV owners without access to home chargers. The RAC Foundation suggests workarounds could include roaming SIM cars that can connect to whichever mobile network is most robust at the charging site, external and/or additional antennae for data, and mast sharing between network operators. Gooding added: 'In order to design reliable connected services that work for motorists we need a better approach to assessing and reporting the adequacy of on-the-move connectivity so that designers, including electric chargepoint providers, can select which of the readily available workarounds would cover for the shortcomings of the mobile networks.' Jason Tarry will join as chair in September John Lewis Partnership has appointed the former chief executive of Tesco UK and Ireland as its next chair, replacing Sharon White when she steps down later this year. Jason Tarry, a 33-year Tesco veteran who first joined the retailer as part of its graduate programme in 1990, will be tasked with leading the partnership's turnaround as it attempts to slash costs and revive lacklustre sales. Tarry said on Monday he would bring a 'sharp focus on being brilliant retailers for customers and investing in growth' when he joins in September. John Lewis, which is owned by its 70,000-strong workforce, is expected to cut 11,000 jobs over the next five years in a bid to save 900million, having already made cuts of 88million over the past financial year. John Lewis returned to a pre-tax profit of 56million in 2023, bouncing back from a 234million loss in 2022 amid three consecutive years of losses. Sharon White steps down after five years in the job Outgoing chair White stands down after a difficult five years, having endured the impact of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and disappointment over the Waitrose owner's decision to withhold its customary annual staff bonuses. She told staff in a video message earlier this year to prepare for 'quite big changes and quite bold changes'. White said on Monday that Tarry brings with him a 'combination of fantastic retail experience with leadership through transformation'. She added: 'We've built the foundations for a stronger Partnership and I'm confident that Jason will take it from strength to strength.' Rita Clifton, deputy chairman and chair of John Lewis' nomination committee, said: 'As the Partnership moves into the next phase of its modernisation focused on our core retail business as well future growth, we are confident that Jason will provide the kind of inspirational leadership, a proven track record in multi-channel, multi-category retail success and a strong identification with Partnership values that we are seeking in this role'. What's your dream car? Are you lucky enough to be able to park it in your driveway? If you grew up with a poster of a Ferrari F40 or a Porsche 959 on the wall, the answer to the second question is probably not. And with values for everything from Datsuns to DeLoreans pretty strong these days, a lot of younger enthusiasts are priced out of the market. But for hardcore Subaru fan and artist Maya Uhryniuk, her gravel-spitting, turbocharged dreams just became real. This is a Gravel Express, easily the best-named vehicle Subaru ever made. Never mind the quarter-million-dollar 22B, here's a machine that embodies the true spirit of the six-star brand. Look! It even comes with an onboard dog! (Okay, admittedly: dog sold separately.) Brendan McAleer "I was dreaming of owning a Subaru and Googling lifted first-gen Impreza wagons obsessively," says Uhryniuk. "I ended up on a history page, and there was a tiny little thumbnail of a Gravel Express on the side of the page. I took a screenshot of the thumbnail and reverse Google image searched it. From that the obsession was born." Brendan McAleer A blend of golden era WRX and lifted Impreza Outback wagon, the Gravel Express hits all the Subaru high notes. Turbocharged flat-four with a little over 200 hp? Check. Hood scoop? Check. Bull bar and rally lights? Check. Two-tone paint job and a typically JDM laundry-list sticker on both flanks? Check and check. Brendan McAleer Brendan McAleer Brendan McAleer Brendan McAleer Parked up next to it is Uhryniuk's original tribute to her dream car: a Canadian-market Impreza Outback. She bought it as a project car and built it up over the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, learning how to solve mechanical issues as she went along. Brendan McAleer Uhryniuk has a degree from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design and works as an architectural draftsperson. She comes from an artistic and architectural family, so it's a case of the apple not falling far from the treethough, in this case, the apple appears to have rolled onto an active stage rally. Uhryniuk's parents weren't really car people, yet she bought herself a Legacy for $500 and fixed it up, teaching herself to drive a manual transmission in the process. It was endless sketching of cars meets grease under the fingernails and then hitting B.C.'s endless forest service roads on the weekends. Brendan McAleer The little red Outback has become something of a fixture at Subaru events in the Pacific Northwest, and on the back left window are a dozen reasons why. Over the years, Uhryniuk's sketches of cars have grown from a hobby to running a small business as an illustrator and designer, with artwork commissioned by Subaru. For Ken Block's charity, the 43 Institute, she drew up an illustration showing the Block family's racing machines at Pikes Peak. Lucy and Lia Block signed T-shirts, stickers, and posters at a fan event with the proceeds going to the charity. What's fun about Uhryniuk's artwork is that she has the accuracy of a draftsperson and car enthusiast's eye but also loves a touch of fun. A sticker of a frog driving a Renault Twingo or a Canadian goose bursting out of a Bricklin SV-1? Why not? She drew a Lancia Delta Integrale in the style of an AT-AT walker from The Empire Strikes Back and a Gravel Express in the livery of the spaceship from Futurama. She even fabricated up what the blister pack for a Hot Wheels scalesized Gravel Express would look like. On her Instagram post, she tagged it with, "If you can't buy it, build it." Brendan McAleer That was the plan for the Outback Sport: a full WRX powertrain swap. Subarus of this era have a lot of parts interchangeability, so the process wouldn't be impossible, just hard to swing on a freshly graduated student's budget. But then opportunity came knocking. "I got a submission through my website from the previous owner," Uhryniuk says. "They had bought stickers from me in the past and reached out to see if I would be interested in buying their beloved Gravel Express that they were moving on from." The Gravel Express was sold for just two years in Japan and is incredibly rare. Only 400 were made, and only a handful have made it to North America. Subaru fans in the U.K. have also imported a few, but it's the kind of car most people don't know exists. When they do come up for sale, pristine models can fetch a premium. courtesy Maya Uhryniuk This one needed work and an owner with an adventurous spirit. It also helped that Uhryniuk had a friend in Calgary who had owned a blue Gravel Express in the past and was able to get the car from where it was being sold in Edmonton down to Calgary. As luck would have it, Uhryniuk and her partner Jordan Cook were headed to Calgary to cover a round of the Nitrocross rallycross circuit. They both do media work for Vermont Sportscar, the racing operation that builds and preps Subaru of America's rally cars. Despite it being the dead of winter, and with the Rockies standing in their way, Cook and Uhryniuk hit the road in her far-from-perfect Gravel Express. courtesy Maya Uhryniuk "A crack in the radiator, an occasional misfire we suspect to be caused by bad coils, and a significant door ding on the driver's side that prevents the use of that door," she says, ticking off the future to-do list. "We packed extra coolant and sleeping bags in case we broke down on a mountain pass, and climbed in clown-car-style through the passenger's door to hit the road. courtesy Maya Uhryniuk They made it. Currently the car runs and drives but needs some work to pass B.C.'s provincial inspection for full registration. From there, it'll be a case of getting it mechanically sound and then hitting up events in it. As it's a wagon, it's just as practical as Uhryniuk's other Subarus: a rolling mobile art studio, a camping machine, and, of course, there's plenty of space for a dog. Who, by the way, has a very rally-appropriate name: Recce. Brendan McAleer Brendan McAleer Seeing a young enthusiast achieve their dream car has a way of getting you fired up about your own plans. A barn-find 959 is probably out of the question, but if you can't buy it, build itmaybe a project 996 Turbo is within reach. Brendan McAleer Or, if you'd just like to live that adventure vicariously, you can follow Uhryniuk and her Gravel Express on Instagram. (Recce has his own account too.) And a part of every Lancia sticker pack or Audi RS2 T-shirt you buy goes toward getting the Gravel Express back to its original glory. Even with a few dents in it, it's a dream car come true. You Might Also Like Whether it's unaffordable house prices, higher mortgage rates, soaring rents or increased levels of homelessness, the housing market appears to be stuck in a never-ending crisis. There remains an insatiable appetite to buy property. Many of those who don't own aspire to, and pour their life savings towards achieving it. It is a dream that continues to move further out of reach for many, as the chronic under-supply of properties means house prices rise and rents increase. Government interventions often appear to add fuel to the fire. Stamp duty holidays, Help to Buy, Right to Buy and other schemes were meant to help more people on to the ladder. Can you fix it? Each month we are speaking to a property expert about the housing crisis But while many of those initiatives were successful, they also had the effect of pushing up house prices further for those that came after. Worst of all, homelessness is rising. More than 300,000 people are recorded as homeless in England, according to research by the charity Shelter. In This is Money's series, we speak to a property expert every month to ask them what is wrong with Britain's housing market - and how they would fix it. This month we spoke Peter Stimson, head of the product development team at lender MPowered Mortgages. His job involves creating new mortgage products and setting the pricing for all of its residential mortgages. How would you fix the housing market? Peter Stimson replies: The answer is straightforward, we need more housing. Government schemes such as Help to Buy, shared ownership and shared equity have been relatively unsuccessful in making a real difference to solving the home ownership problem we have in this country. Trying to getting people on the housing ladder when there is a fundamental lack of supply, ultimately drives up house prices making housing even less affordable in the long term. We have to start by acknowledging that we have a broken planning system that simply is incapable of delivering the level of housing that we need. Peter Stimson, head of the product development team at MPowered Mortgages, says we need more housing stock and that starts by acknowledging the 'broken' planning system Year upon year we consistently fail to hit anything like a reasonable level of new housing. The Centre for Cities estimates we currently have a backlog of 4.3million homes that are missing from the national housing market due to our inability to build to the required numbers over the last 30 years. Ultimately, tackling the problem means building 442,000 homes per year over the next 25 years, or 654,000 per year over the next decade, in England alone. Even if you don't quite subscribe to these numbers, the evidence that we aren't building enough homes and haven't for years is overwhelming and numbers have to go up substantially to address the fundamental supply and demand imbalance. Why hasn't Government addressed planning issues? The Government did attempt to reform the planning system through its white paper 'Planning for the Future', which was published in 2020. It focused on streamlining and modernising processes and importantly, ensuring more land is available for development where it is needed. The UK should lead by the French example and have clearly defined rules around house building, so you know what you can build and where However, the Government canned this idea when it realised the extent of the opposition it faced in the shires and home counties and realised how many seats it could lose. And let's not forget that Labour opposed most of the reforms in the 'Planning for the Future' initiative, too. We are therefore still left with the 1947 Town and Country Planning legislation, a set of rules enacted nearly 80 years ago. As well as devolving planning powers to unitary local authorities, England and Wales remains the only place in the world where planning is 'discretionary'. In countries like France for example, there are clearly defined rules around house building, so you know what you can build and where. In my view, the UK should lead by the French example and adopt a similar approach, rather than relying on the discretion of local authorities to grant such permissions where Nimbys ('not in my back yard') and councillors elected on 'stop development' mandates can prevent housing being built. Housing shortage: The Centre for Cities estimates we currently have a backlog of 4.3million homes that are missing from the national housing market At the end of the day, we can't keep kicking the can down the road. We have the most expensive housing in Western Europe for a reason and it's not something to be proud of. If we really want to resolve this lack of housing stock issue then there needs to be a cross party initiative focused on reforming the planning system. Does more supply make housing more affordable? Put simply, yes of course - although we need to build in locations where there is demand. Stagnant supply, together with surging demand, particularly in desirable cities such as London, Cambridge and Oxford puts upward pressure on prices. It doesn't take a genius to come to the conclusion that if we have more housing in such areas, this will help control house prices and at least give the next generations a chance of owning their own homes. Building new homes will also be a great boost to the construction industry and economy in general, supporting thousands of jobs, as well as saving the Government and taxpayer money over the longer term. The solution is obvious. We now just need some politicians with the gumption to tackle a 30-year problem. The mom of four posted a clip of herself stranded at the airport with her family on Sunday, April 7 Chrissy Teigen/Instagram Chrissy Teigen Chrissy Teigens latest trip isnt going to plan! On Sunday, April 7, the 38-year-old posted a video on her Instagram Stories of herself sleeping at a Dubai airport after a five-hour flight delay. In the clip, Teigen was seen getting some shut-eye as she lay across seats in the airport's waiting area while wrapped up in a blanket. Hour 5 at the airport, she explained in the caption. Teigen had been traveling with her family at the time following a trip to Thailand. Chrissy Teigen/Instagram Chrissy Teigen at a Dubai airport during a five-hour flight delay Related: Chrissy Teigen and Her Kids Miles and Luna Wear Traditional Clothing During Thailand Trip Earlier on in their flight delay, Teigen posted another clip of her husband John Legend and their daughter Esti Maxine, 14 months, leaning over a table in a lounge area as he attempted to charge the little ones tablet. Their son Wren Alexander, 9 months, sat on a couch in the background. Teigen captioned the video Dubai, adding the timestamp 4:10 a.m., indicating the early hours of their time at the airport. Esti! the mom of four was heard saying behind the camera in the clip, before letting out a little groan. Legend, 45, then raised his head and said, Its not charging, referring to Estis tablet. Chrissy Teigen/Instagram John Legend and daughter Esti Maxine at a Dubai airport during a flight delay Related: Chrissy Teigen Sports Black Bikini as She Poses with Son Wren on Thailand Vacation See the Photo! Teigen and Legends two other children, daughter Luna Simone, 7, and son Miles Theodore, 5, did not appear in the videos. Teiegns latest travel update comes after she shared footage over the weekend of her family vacation to Thailand where her family on her mothers side is from for spring break. On Saturday, April 6, the author and model posted highlights of their trip on her Instagram Stories. In one video, Teigen posed for a selfie as she wore a beaded pink and purple dress with lots of gold jewelry and a golden headpiece embellished with colorful jewels. 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. Teigen also shared an image of Wren in a traditional boys formal outfit consisting of a white shirt and shiny purple pants with a pink sash around his waist, along with a photo of Luna dressed up in a sparkly pale pink top and beaded sash with a long blue silk skirt. Teigen's traveled to Thailand with Legend and their kids to visit her mom Vilailuck "Pepper" Teigen, who moved back to her childhood hometown of Korat in January. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Omar Havana via Getty Images David Cameron will use a visit to Washington DC to warn Republican politicians in the United States to stop blocking military assistance to Ukraine. According to The Daily Telegraph, the foreign secretary will hold a meeting with Mike Johnson, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives. Joe Bidens $95bn aid package, which included assistance for Ukraine, was easily passed by the US Senate in early February, with both Democratic and Republican support. But it has yet to be put to a vote in the House amid infighting among Republicans over the bill. Donald Trump and his allies in congress are opposed to the US giving more military aid to Kyiv. In a joint article in the Daily Telegraph today, Cameron and French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne said the West must not relax its support for Ukraine. We are both absolutely clear: Ukraine must win this war. If Ukraine loses, we all lose, they said. The costs of failing to support Ukraine now will be far greater than the costs of repelling Putin. The pair added: It is not for France and Britain alone to solve these challenges. But, together, we can rally others to join us in overcoming them. But as discussed during the Paris Conference in February, we must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching and will judge us if we fail. Last week at the Nato summit Cameron also used a video posted on X to directly address Johnson. NATOs 75th a Foreign Ministers meeting and what needs to happen next pic.twitter.com/bvat4wu84C David Cameron (@David_Cameron) April 4, 2024 Britain has put forward its money for Ukraine this year, so has the European Union. America needs to do it, he said. Speaker Johnson can make it happen in Congress. I am going to go see him next week and say we need that money, Ukraine needs that money. When Cameron was last in Washington he drew comparisons to the appeasement of Hitler when urging Congress to approve the multi-billion dollar funding package. But the former prime ministers lobbying drew a fierce response from Marjorie Taylor Greene, the controversial Trump supporting member of the House, who told him to kiss my ass. Related... Disfigured, weak, in fear of his life and desperate to return to Rome Caravaggio was in a bad way in May 1610, lifting a brush in his studio in Naples after months of recovery from a violent attack, to continue work on his painting The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula. In the autumn of the previous year, the volatile artists various misdemeanors (which included but were not limited to: smashing a plate of artichokes into a waiters face; penning abusive poems; throwing stones at the police; the killing of an awful but dangerously well-connected pimp, for which he fled with a death warrant on his head; an assault in Malta, for which he was imprisoned; and the subsequent daring escape from prison) had caught up with him, in the form of a vicious knife attack as he left a Neapolitan tavern, in which his face was repeatedly slashed. His powerful pals in Rome, working to get him a pardon, were concerned hed been killed. Hed escaped, just, with his life, but St Ursula would prove to be his last painting. The canvas, which since 1973 has been in what is now the Intesa Sanpaolo Collection, usually hangs in the banks enormous gallery, the Gallerie dItalia in Naples, an impressively grand building unmistakably from the Facist period. It hangs almost alone and low on the wall, creating an uncomfortable sense that the viewer is part of the horrible scene it depicts. The painting is now travelling to Britain for the first time in nearly 20 years, to be displayed at the National Gallery, in return for the short-term loan of two paintings by Velazquez. It will hang alongside another late work by Caravaggio (real name Michelangelo Merisi, who spent much of his childhood in the small town of Caravaggio in Lombardy), the Nationals own Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist, c 160910. Salome receives the Head of John the Baptist, about 1609-10. The painting will be shown alongside the loaned work (National Gallery) The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula is a relatively unusual subject. The most popular account of her story is the one found in The Golden Legend, a collection of lives of the saints written in 1265 and widely circulated and read across early modern Europe. A British or Breton Christian princess, on the occasion of her betrothal to a Christian prince, Ursula requested 10,000 (or 11,000, the calculation is less than accurate) virgins (their purpose is not made clear) and three years to dedicate her virginity. This was granted, and off this untouched parade set by ship to Rome, but on their return via Cologne, they were set upon by the Huns, who massacred the women. The Prince of the Huns, however, took a shine to the beautiful Ursula, and offered to marry her and spare her life. She refused, so he shot her with an arrow. It is typical of Caravaggio, a painter of extreme and intense violence even for one who lived in violent times, that unlike many other painters his interest lies not in the 11,000 maidens lavishly slaughtered by the troops, but in the intimate, terrible moment of Ursulas murder. And its horribly effective. The figures are half-length, life-sized in the room with you. The painters signature interplay of light and shadow, or chiaroscuro, casts an ominous darkness against which the saint stands out starkly, and from which her murderers loom. She stands centre-right in the tight, almost claustrophobic composition, closely surrounded by men, a glowing white figure with a blood red wrap, with her hands clasped loosely around the shaft of the arrow that has just been fired into her body below her breast, at point-blank range, by the tyrant on the left. Its a moment of stillness, a slowing down, a freeze-frame of horror (Martin Scorsese is, incidentally, a fan, saying of Caravaggios works You sort of come upon the scene midway and youre immersed in it. You wonder whether, with his ability to distill a story into an image, Caravaggio would have made a great filmmaker, though hed inevitably have been cancelled). The Prince of the Huns in The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula, 1610, looks both furious and anguished (National Gallery) Before the painting, you almost want to turn away. As the exhibitions curator Francesca Whitlum-Cooper says, Even if you are one of the Huns, there is something about this that is unstomachable. One man in the scene has, perhaps involuntarily, thrust out his hand between the saint and the killer, as if to stop him. The murderer himself looks both furious and anguished, a glorious example of the painters ability to capture complex emotion in a split-second. Another soldier, in gleaming armour, stands to the right; his face is turned away from the viewer but his stance makes him look dumbfounded. And behind Ursula, just his face visible, is another figure Caravaggio himself, staring into space, haggard, pale and powerless. Theres a question, of course, says Whitlum-Cooper, of how much you read his recovery from a very serious attack into his late painting. This is our last glimpse of a desperate man emerging from one of the most troubled moments of his life, she says. Even so, his ignominious end, barely two months later, was unexpected. Six weeks after shipping the finished work, Caravaggio himself was on his way to Rome, in the belief that a Papal pardon had been granted. His friends eagerly awaited his arrival but at some point on the journey, whether it was due to a mistaken arrest or some other altercation, he was separated from his belongings, and at Porto Ercole, according to his biographer Giovanni Pietro Bellori (the subject of those scurrilous poems), he descended into a malignant fever and died as miserably as he had lived. Yes he was a terrible and violent troublemaker, but my God he was one hell of a painter. The exhibition at the National will be small, but when was the last time you spent more than 30 seconds looking at a painting in an exhibition? Engaging with it, staring at it, close looking? Caravaggio, and this rarely-seen work, deserves this focus. As Whitlum-Cooper says, Our responsibility is to bring these great artworks to London, where people can see them for free. This letter from Lanfranco Massa to Marco Antonio Doria was discovered in the State Archives, and proved the paintings provenance (National Gallery) The paintings will be shown alongside a couple of first edition biographies of the painter, and a rather boring-looking letter but one with enormous significance and without which, the exhibition would never have happened at all. Caravaggio painted Saint Ursula in Naples as a commission for the Genoese nobleman Marcantonio Doria. It was shipped to Genoa and, says the Nationals director Gabriele Finaldi, promptly disappeared from view. It went back to Naples in the 19th century with some unspecified Doria relative, where it quietly hung at their villa in Eboli for a number of years, until, presumably due to a debt or other disaster, the family sold the property with all its contents, to another aristocratic family, the Romana-Avezzano (keep up), who later gave it to the bank in lieu of, yes, debts. Being an Italian aristo is not all glamour. By which time, nobody was really sure what the scene depicted, and certainly nobody had a clue it was a Caravaggio which is a shame for the Romana-Avezzano, because it would probably have settled the debt much more efficiently. Anyway, the bank took it on as a work by the Calabrian painter Mattia Preti (1613-1699), who had been hugely inspired by his extraordinary predecessor. That unassuming letter was the key. In 1980 the art historian Vincenzo Pacelli discovered it in the state archives, and realised, at last, what the painting was. The letter was written by one Lanfranco Massa, in Naples, to his employer Marcantonio Doria in Genoa, regarding the painting he had commissioned from the most famous artist in the city possibly in Italy, at that time. It was businesslike, but apologetic: I had intended to send you the picture of Saint Ursula this week, but to make sure of sending it perfectly dry I put it out yesterday in the sun, which, rather than drying out the varnish, made it soften, since Caravaggio applied it quite thickly; I will go round to said Caravaggios again to get his opinion on what to do so I can be sure of not ruining it; Signor Damiano has seen it and was amazed, like everyone else who has seen it. The artists self-portrait in the painting shows him haggard, pale and powerless (National Gallery) This linked the painting, the subject, and the location history, and two 17th century inscriptions on the back of the canvas confirmed the story. A new Caravaggio was, just like that, discovered. Suffice to say, the bank was much more assiduous with the paintings much-needed conservation from that day forth. Ursula still remains in what Whitlum-Cooper describes as a somewhat compromised state. It has almost certainly darkened over time, while the varnish damage was compounded on the paintings journey back to Naples in 1832, when the packing materials got stuck to its surface. Imperfect historic restorations havent helped, but conservation treatment in 2004 uncovered that vainly stopping hand for the first time in centuries, finally revealing the full impact of the scene. And its a real heart-stopper. Now London audiences can see it for the first time in a generation in its full dramatic, terrible glory. You have been warned. 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It has since emerged that Greater Manchester Police have referred themselves to the police watchdog the IOPC over previous contact with the victim and Masum. Officers are appealing for members of the public to report any sightings of Habibur Masum (West Yorkshire Police) Masum was conditionally bailed by Manchester Magistrates Court in November, despite prosecutors objecting to his release. Masum pleaded not guilty to both offences at a hearing on November 27 last year and was ordered not to contact Ms Akter, it is understood. CCTV of Habibur Masum after the Bradford attack (West Yorkshire Police/PA Wire) His bail conditions also prevented him from contacting a second person, or visiting a particular address. Court documents show that Masum, whose address was listed as Oldham, Greater Manchester, was charged with threatening to kill Ms Akter on November 24 and assaulting her on November 23. Both offences were alleged to have happened in Manchester. Officers hunting for the alleged killer have also arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of assisting an offender, following raids at addresses in Burnley, Chester and Oldham. Emergency services were called to the Westgate area of the city centre at 3.21pm on Saturday after receiving reports that a woman had been stabbed multiple times. The mother was stabbed several times in the neck in Bradford shopping centre (West Yorkshire Police/PA) Despite their best efforts, Ms Akter was pronounced dead in hospital. Addressing a press conference on Monday afternoon, West Yorkshire Police Officer Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller said: On Saturday April 6, shortly before 3.20pm Kulsuma Akter was walking in Bradford city centre. Kulsuma was with her young baby at this time, and was walking along Westgate when she was attacked and stabbed multiple times. The emergency services were called at 3:21pm. However, despite the best efforts of members of the public, ambulance crews, and hospital staff, Kulsuma sadly lost her life due to the injuries. Her baby is safe and well and was not harmed in this incident. CCTV quickly identified Masum as a suspect and the last confirmed sightings saw him getting on a bus on Market Street at 3.30pm, before exiting at 3.42pm. Recalling the horrific moment Ms Akter was stabbed, shopkeeper Geo Khan said: I was sitting in my shop and heard screaming. I came out and I tried to check the pulse. There was no pulse. He said: Blood was all over on the floor and there were stab wounds in her neck. Mr Khan added that woman who died came into his shop the day before the incident, and he believes she only came to the area a few weeks ago. He said: She was a very, very innocent person the smile on her face. According to his LinkedIn profile, Masum studied for a masters in marketing and digital marketing at the University of Bedfordshire between 2021 and 2023. He reportedly received support from Samins UK Visas Support Centre in applying for a Schengen visa, after approaching organiser Samin Ahmed in December. Mr Ahmed said: I (was) shocked when I heard this news, he is a familiar person nearby me. I did not know anything. I am really shocked. A photograph of Masums Schengen visa was posted to the Samins UK visas support centre Facebook group in January, and social media images show that he recently travelled to Barcelona. It came as police hunting Masum conducted a number of raids in Burnley, Oldham, and Chester. Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller added: There is significant resources conducting CCTV and house-to-house inquiries. And we also have local Bradford officers carrying out increased patrols in the area, which I hope will be of some reassurance to residents. With the support of other forces weve conducted a number of raids in the Burnley and Oldham and Chester areas in the search for Masum, and during the searches a 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and is now in police custody. He said Masum was last seen walking in the direction of a park having got off a bus. Masum is a slim Asian man and was last seen wearing a duffle coat with three large horizontal lines, grey tracksuit bottoms and maroon trainers, he said. On Saturday he was captured on CCTV getting on a bus. He was last seen walking in the direction of Bradford Moor Park, this is our last confirmed sighting of him. A Lotto player in Cork is soon to be celebrating after matching five numbers and the bonus in Saturday nights main draw to win 53,520. The Rebel County player purchased their winning Quick Pick ticket at the Costcutters Express store on the Main Bandon Road in Bandon on Friday, April 5. The winning numbers in the Saturday, April 6 Lotto draw were: 04, 08, 09, 22, 27, 45 and the bonus was 46. The National Lottery are urging Lotto players in the Bandon area to carefully check their tickets as one player now has a ticket worth 53,520. The winner is advised to sign the back of their ticket and keep it safe. The winner should contact the prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@lottery.ie and arrangements will be made for them to collect their prize in Lotto HQ. While over 99,000 players won prizes across Saturdays Lotto and Lotto Plus games, there was no outright winner of the 7,323,723 jackpot up for grabs. Wednesdays Lotto jackpot is now set to roll towards an estimated 7.8 million. Meanwhile, last nights Lotto 5-4-3-2-1 game saw a special promotion GUARANTEE that one player would win an additional 10,000 on top of their regular prize. All of the Lotto 5-4-3-2-1 winners from Saturday, April 6 were entered into special draw and one player was drawn to win the additional amount. An online player in Dublin scooped the special prize and they will now be contacted by the National Lottery prize claims team who will confirm the win and advise the winner of how to claim their prize. CCTV: April has witnessed a host of high-level visits from Southeast Asian countries to China. Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subiantos visit to China was the first leg of his first overseas visit as President-elect. Last week, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, and Timor-Lestes Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas respectively in Guangxi. This week, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat are visiting China. Could you share more information with us? Mao Ning: Leaders and foreign ministers from several Southeast Asian countries have visited China over the past few days, which demonstrates the great importance relevant countries attach to their relations with China. Neighboring countries are Chinas priority in its diplomacy. China and Southeast Asian countries are good neighbors, good friends and good partners with a shared future. China has engaged in friendly cooperation, enhanced mutual understanding and trust, and pursued common development and prosperity with neighboring countries in line with the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness guiding our neighborhood diplomacy put forward by President Xi Jinping. Last year, China and ASEAN were each others largest trading partners for the fourth consecutive year. In January and February this year, trade between China and ASEAN totaled RMB 993.2 billion, up by 8.1 percent. Southeast Asian countries are important partners for Belt and Road cooperation. A large number of cooperation projects, including the China-Laos Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway and the Two Countries, Twin Parks between China and Malaysia, have boosted economic growth and benefited the people in the region. Mutual visa exemption is realized between China and the three Southeast Asian countries of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Various events will be held during the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and build closer bond between the peoples of the two sides. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. We stand ready to work with neighboring countries to carry forward the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, practice the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, expand the convergence of interests, and jointly make Asia a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, amicable and harmonious home for us all. Bloomberg: Bloomberg News is reporting that the US has recently warned its allies about Chinas deepening support for Russia, providing Russia with, for example, satellite imagery for military purposes, also microelectronics and machine tools for tanks, as well as other materials that are used in missiles and generally increased cooperation in space. Does the Foreign Ministry have a comment on this report referring to deepening support by China for Russia? Mao Ning: On the Ukraine issue, Chinas position has always been just and objective. We have worked actively to promote talks for peace and a political settlement of the issue. China is neither the one that created the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it. We have never and will never seek selfish gains from the crisis. China regulates the export of dual-use articles in accordance with laws and regulations. Relevant countries should not smear or attack the normal relations between China and Russia, and should not harm the legitimate rights and interests of China and Chinese companies. Still less should they shift the blame to China or instigate bloc confrontation. Reuters: There are reports recently saying that AUKUS will soon start talks on bringing new members, for example Japan, into the pact. Did China notice relevant reports and whats your response? Mao Ning: We noted the reports. In disregard of the concerns of regional countries and the international community over the risk of nuclear proliferation, the US, the UK and Australia have kept sending signals of AUKUS expansion, co-opting some countries to come on board, and escalating arms race in the Asia-Pacific to the detriment of peace and stability in the region. China is gravely concerned about it. We oppose relevant countries cobbling together exclusive groupings and stoking bloc confrontation. Japan needs to earnestly draw lessons from history and stay prudent on military and security issues. RIA Novosti: US Army Pacific commander Charles Flynn in an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun in Tokyo said the US intends to deploy medium-range missiles in the Indo-Pacific region in the near future. He said that finding a way to counter Chinas modernizing missiles is a critical role for US ground forces. Whats Chinas comment? Mao Ning: China is committed to peaceful development and a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. We are not interested in competing with any country on military strength. China strongly opposes the US deploying medium-range ballistic missiles in the Asia-Pacific and strengthening forward deployment at Chinas doorstep to seek unilateral military advantage. We urge the US to earnestly respect other countries security concerns and stop undermining peace and stability in the region. China News Service: Weve learned that recently more Chinese students and scholars were interrogated and forcibly deported when entering the US border at the Washington Dulles airport and the Dallas airport. When asked for the reasons for their deportation, the US law enforcement personnel said it was because of bad US-China relations. Whats Chinas comment? Mao Ning: The US has been overstretching the concept of national security and, without any valid evidence, arbitrarily canceled Chinese students visas, banned them from entering the US and forcibly deported them. Such moves inflicted enormous damage on the persons concerned and obstructed people-to-people exchanges between China and the US. The recent cases show that the US law enforcement personnel are bent on making excuses for deporting Chinese personnel. These are typical cases of selective, discriminatory and politically motivated law enforcement. The US needs to immediately stop unjustifiably harassing, interrogating, and deporting Chinese citizens, immediately stop going after and persecuting Chinese students, and make real efforts to honor its commitment of supporting and facilitating China-US people-to-people exchanges and cross-border travel, instead of saying one thing and doing another. China will take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens. AFP: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Guangzhou warned Chinese companies of significant consequences if they provide support for Russias war. So during the Russian Foreign Ministers visit in China, what message will the Chinese officials convey to him regarding this? Mao Ning: At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is paying an official visit to China today and tomorrow. Our two sides will exchange views and coordinate positions on the growth of bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of mutual interest amid the backdrop of the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties. We will release more information about the visit in a timely way. On Ukraine, we are committed to playing a constructive role in promoting ceasefire and political settlement of the crisis. China-Russia relations should not be attacked or smeared, and the legitimate rights and interests of China and Chinese companies should not be harmed. China will take resolute measures to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests. Bloomberg: Janet Yellen has issued a very blunt warning to Chinese banks regarding ties with Moscow. She said any banks that facilitate significant transactions that channel military or dual-use goods to Russias defense industrial base expose themselves to the risk of US sanctions. Can you offer a comment on this? Mao Ning: Id refer you to competent authorities on your specific question. Let me say broadly that the normal cooperation between China and Russia should not be subject to foreign interference or restriction, and China always opposes illegal unilateral sanctions. Peoples Daily: On the announcement that President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi will pay a state visit to China, can you share the arrangement of the visit and Chinas expectations? Mao Ning: This year marks the fifth anniversary of the China-Suriname strategic cooperative partnership. China welcomes President Chandrikapersad Santokhis visit at this special time. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will hold a welcome ceremony for President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, have talks and attend the signing ceremony of relevant cooperation documents with him. Premier of the State Council Li Qiang and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning will meet with him respectively. The two sides will have in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. Suriname is an important country in the Caribbean and also Chinas strategic cooperative partner in the region. Since the establishment of China-Suriname diplomatic ties, our two countries have sustained sound growth of bilateral relations with fruitful cooperation outcomes in various fields. China attaches great importance to its relations with Suriname. We stand ready to work with Suriname to further enhance political mutual trust and strengthen friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields for the benefit of our two countries and the two peoples. We have every confidence that President Chandrikapersad Santokhis visit will further advance China-Suriname relations and elevate the bilateral relations to a new level. AFP: Leaders of Japan and the Philippines will visit the US this week to attend the trilateral US-Japan-Philippines leaders summit. Its expected that they will step up their defense relations at the summit. How do you view the summit and the deepening relations between these three countries? Mao Ning: Defense cooperation between any countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability. We oppose cobbling together exclusive groupings and stoking bloc confrontation in the region. Ukrinform News Agency: My question is: in the context of Minister Lavrovs visit, does Chinese leadership plan to communicate with Ukraine counterparts as a part of its efforts to stop Russia-Ukraine war? Mao Ning: On the Ukraine crisis, China is always committed to playing a constructive role for ceasefire and political settlement of the crisis. China will continue to promote peace talks in our own way, maintain communication with Russia, Ukraine and other parties, and realize the political settlement of the crisis as soon as possible. Tonight angel Heidi adorned in classic gear inspires this latest look at pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Locals Look Upward Solar Eclipse Viewing Guide for Kansas City KC Metro will only experience a partial eclipse on Monday, which means you will need to wear solar eclipse glasses for the entire event. Another Plaza Shooting Postscript Safety top-of-mind for Plaza workers after shots-fired incident Saturday It wasn't until after working his shift at Charlie Hustle Saturday that Jakob Lash realized gunshots had been fired not far from the business. JoCo Scare Cleared UPDATE: Overland Park police clear scene of reported bomb threat on Metcalf The Overland Park Police Department reported a large police presence on Metcalf Avenue as the result of a bomb threat. Shelter Running Out Of Space KC Pet Project at critical capacity after more than 150 animals dropped off in 1 week KC Pet Project is at critical capacity after taking in more than 150 dogs last week. The shelter took in 148 dogs between April 1-5. Home Team Win Streak Cont'd Angel Redux Winning Heidi Klum Slips Back Into Her Victoria's Secret Angel Wings for Sexy "Glamour" Germany Shoot: 'Still Fit' "Yes, I'm 50, but I'm far from dead," the supermodel shares in the cover interview Prez Confronts Trust Issues Yes, Biden is really running in November. But a lot of voters say they doubt it Some people feel he's too old. Others think there's a plan afoot to swap in a more popular Democrat. There's a swirl of reasons why some people don't accept that Biden will be on the ballot this year. MAGA Swinging Toward Surge Trump protest vote warnings In the key battleground of Wisconsin on Tuesday, 20.8% of GOP voters cast a ballot for a candidate other than Trump. Veep Offers Future Sneak Peek Kamala Harris reminds us a vote for Biden is a vote to hand her the White House keys The Biden campaign knows Kamala Harris is even more unpopular than Joe, and adds to voters' worries about his feebleness, so it will only let her campaign in states it's not really trying to win. Eastern Europe War Gets Even More Serious Ukraine war: UN body urges restraint after Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant hit The International Atomic Energy Agency warns Russia and Ukraine not to attack nuclear facilities. American Outrage From Muslim Community 'Death to America,' 'Death to Israel' chants pour out of Muslim protesters in Michigan on last day of Ramadan Protesters in Dearborn, Michigan, chanted slogans such as "Death to America," "Death to Israel," "Free-Palestine" and "From the River to the Sea" during a rally last week. Catholics Contemplate PR Crisis For Popes, meeting the press has always been risky business While recent events may invite the impression that contretemps over papal interviews are a defining feature of the Francis papacy, in fact they have a much deeper pedigree. South Side Shares History John Perry and the tragedy of La Bourgogne In the sinking of La Bourgogne, only 163 people survived of the 725 on board, most crew members, and only one woman passenger. Grigs Gives Solar Event Forecast Mostly clear skies for Monday's partial eclipse Conditions will be warm with some light wind on Monday And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. If you love the thrill of deciding last minute to just grab your bag and jet off somewhere exotic, you know it's not always that simple, especially for solo female travelers. Figuring out where you can go without busting your budget or compromising on safety takes some serious digging. That is why Sri Lanka is such a treasure for travelers like you. This stunning spot in South Asia is not just a feast for your eyes but also incredibly wallet-friendly. Imagine riding a motorcycle along a deserted beach and exploring cities in the country-all without constantly fretting over your safety or finances. So, why not put Sri Lanka on your travel radar? But before you go, Travelers Today will guide you through WHY Sri Lanka is a top pick for solo female travelers in terms of safety and scenery. Safety First for Solo Travelers When you hit the road alone, safety isn't just a bonus-it's a must. Good news: Sri Lanka ranks high on the list of safe countries for solo female travelers. The locals are known for their respectful attitude towards women, and the crime rates involving tourists are quite low. Authorities are on their toes with tourist-friendly policies that make you feel secure. If you're exploring the bustling streets of Colombo or wandering through the ancient ruins of Anuradhapura, you'll feel at ease. Smooth Sailing with Transportation Navigating Sri Lanka is a breeze thanks to its robust network of public transport. Trains and buses link all the major tourist destinations efficiently and cheaply. If you're heading from the tea-covered hills of Kandy to the beaches of Galle or to the lively markets of Pettah, you'll find the journey smooth and affordable. For areas off the beaten path, there are plenty of taxis and tuk-tuks available at any hour, making travel flexible and hassle-free. Related Article : This is Why Sri Lanka is Your Next Solo Travel Dream Destination Your Wallet Will Thank You If you're watching your wallet, Sri Lanka should be on your radar. Everything from eating out to getting around costs a fraction of what you'd pay in many other countries. You can enjoy a hearty meal for less than three dollars and travel across the country for less than thirty dollars. Many budget-friendly accommodations from hostels to guesthouses ensures that you don't have to splurge to enjoy your stay. A Natural Paradise The natural beauty of Sri Lanka is staggering and varied. From the verdant Central Highlands to the pristine coastal beaches, you will really love them. Hikers can tackle the trails to Adam's Peak and reap the rewards of stunning summit views. Meanwhile, beachgoers can bask in the sun on the golden sands of Mirissa. Wildlife enthusiasts have plenty to cheer about too, with parks like Yala offering glimpses of elephants, leopards, and a myriad of bird species. Sip, Spice, and Everything Nice No trip to Sri Lanka is complete without visiting its famous tea plantations. The highlands around Nuwara Eliya are your go-to for immersing yourself in the world of tea, from bush to brew. The island is also a hotbed of spices-cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg thrive here, enriching the local cuisine and providing an aromatic twist to your travels. These spicy excursions give you a look at the island's agricultural traditions and culinary richness. EasyJet has recently updated its luggage guidelines, reminding travelers to check what items they can carry on board to avoid any legal issues. The airline has defined a list of restricted items that cannot be taken onto flights, emphasizing that not knowing these rules can lead to criminal charges. EasyJet Issues Guidelines for Travelers Travelers are allowed to bring liquids, aerosols, and gels, but only in small containers not exceeding 100ml. These containers should fit into a single transparent, re-sealable bag measuring 20cm by 20cm. Each passenger is limited to a total of 1,000ml of these substances through security checkpoints, although additional purchases can be made in the departure lounge. There are also strict rules about alcohol. According to Daily Express, any alcoholic drinks bought after security checks can be carried onto the aircraft provided they are unopened and contain less than 70% alcohol by volume. However, drinking any alcohol not purchased on the plane itself is strictly banned and could lead to prosecution. For food items, passengers can bring their own snacks, but any liquid food items like soups or custards must also adhere to the 100ml limit. It's advisable to familiarize oneself with the food and drink import regulations of the destination country before traveling. Regarding smoking, EasyJet strictly prohibits smoking or recharging e-cigarettes or vaping devices on board. Travelers are allowed to bring cigarettes and a maximum of two spare e-cigarette batteries in their cabin luggage, but lighters must be kept in a pocket and matches are not permitted at all. EasyJet also has specific regulations for "smart luggage." These bags, which come with built-in lithium batteries for charging devices, must have their batteries removed if the bag is checked into the hold. If carried on, the battery must remain disconnected but can stay in the bag. EasyJet Launches New Base in Alicante, Spain On April 3, easyJet started operations at its new seasonal base at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport in Spain. This marks the airline's fourth base in the country, joining others in Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Malaga. The first flight from this base took off for Glasgow, piloted by Captain Daniel Ankerso. The establishment of the Alicante base is part of easyJet's expansion in Spain. As revealed by Airways Magazine, the base will operate from March to October, enhancing the airline's service capacity during the busy tourist season. By situating three aircraft from the Airbus A family at Alicante, easyJet has created about 100 jobs for pilots and cabin crew locally. This expansion allows easyJet to strengthen its network by adding new routes from Alicante to several major European cities, including Amsterdam, Geneva, Prague, and Nantes. Since its first flight from Alicante to London Stansted in 1998, easyJet has grown to become the second-largest airline at Alicante in terms of international traffic. With the new base, easyJet plans to offer 10% more seats this summer compared to last year, reflecting its commitment to connecting Spain with the rest of Europe and the UK. Let's spill the beans on a hidden gem that hosts an impressive 43 million visitors yearly, yet hardly gets the fanfare it deserves. Say hello to Maryland, USA, the perfect escape if you're looking to dodge the usual tourist traps. While everyone raves about other states' beaches and outdoor beauty, Maryland quietly offers an all-in-one experience. From sandy shores and sprawling parks to quaint towns and a notable yet underrated city, Maryland has it all wrapped up in one scenic package. Despite its quiet charm, Maryland saw over 40 million tourists last year, and it's about time we dived into why. This diverse state has plenty to offer and is just waiting to be recognized as more than just a blip on the travel radar. Curious to uncover the reasons behind its popularity? Here are five compelling draws to this under-the-radar U.S. state that might just make you want to visit. Chill Beach Vibes Without the Crowds You're tired of rubbing shoulders on overcrowded beaches, right? Well, Maryland's got your back with some chill, less crowded beaches that are just as gorgeous as the famous spots. Take Ocean City-while it's popular, it keeps things relaxed unlike the packed sands elsewhere. Then there's Assateague Island where wild horses roam free-a real unique touch, you've gotta see it. Maryland shows that you can enjoy sandy days and salty breezes without the side of crowd stress. Escape to the Great Outdoors Maryland is a total playground if you're into green spaces and fresh air. The state's packed with diverse parks ideal for anything from a quick day trip to a full-on camping adventure. Take a hike through Patapsco Valley State Park, be amazed at its waterfalls, or try your hand at panning for gold. Or maybe chill by the lake at Rocky Gap State Park, paddle around, or just enjoy a good book in a peaceful spot. Whatever your outdoor style, Maryland's got a spot for you to unwind and reconnect with nature. Related Article Town Hopping Forget city noise, Maryland's small towns are where it's at for a low-key getaway. Places like Frederick show off stunning 18th-century buildings and a buzzing arts scene. Over in Annapolis, you'll find yourself wandering cobblestone streets, catching waterfront views, and maybe even a naval academy parade. These spots offer a cool mix of history and local culture at a relaxing pace. It's your chance to take it slow and enjoy the vibe. City Life Without the Fuss Yeah, Baltimore is Maryland's big city, but it doesn't crush you with the usual big-city rush. Check out the Inner Harbor where you can hit up outstanding museums like the National Aquarium or tour historic ships. Neighborhoods like Fells Point and Hampden offer a funky shopping and dining scene that you won't want to miss. Plus, the local arts are popping off here with cool street murals and live tunes. Baltimore delivers urban goods without the headache of massive crowds. Dig Into the Local Eats If you dig seafood, you'll be in heaven in Maryland. The state's famous for its tasty blue crabs-a must-try for sure. Whether you're cracking them open on a newspaper-covered table or savoring a crab cake at a diner, the freshness blows you away. But there's more on the menu-Maryland's food scene spans from cozy farm-to-table spots in the countryside to global cuisine in the cities. SIA Applauds CHIPS Act Incentives for TSMCs Advanced Manufacturing Operations in Arizona Published: 08 April 2024 by Tyler Hanes by Tyler Hanes WASHINGTON The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today released the following statement from SIA President and CEO John Neuffer applauding semiconductor manufacturing incentives announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce and TSMC. The incentives, which are part of the CHIPS and Science Act, will support TSMCs new advanced manufacturing operations in Arizona. The Commerce Department previously announced incentives for Intel, GlobalFoundries, Microchip Technology, and BAE Systems. Todays TSMC announcement is a big win for Americas economy, supply chain resilience, and the advanced chip manufacturing ecosystem. The new TSMC facilitiessparked by the CHIPS and Science Actwill spur job creation and economic growth in Arizona while also broadening the states already substantial semiconductor footprint. We commend TSMC for its ambitious investments in the U.S. and applaud the Commerce Department for continuing to make progress in implementing the CHIPS Acts landmark manufacturing incentives and R&D investments. CHIPS remains on track for great success, and we look forward to continuing to work with leaders in government and industry to ensure it delivers maximum benefits to Americas economic and technological leadership. The CHIPS Acts manufacturing incentives have sparked substantial announced investments in the U.S. In fact, companies in the semiconductor ecosystem have announced dozens of new projects across 25 U.S. statestotaling hundreds of billions of dollars in private investmentssince the CHIPS Act was introduced. These announced projects will create more than 45,000 jobs in the semiconductor ecosystem and support hundreds of thousands of additional U.S. jobs throughout the U.S. economy. UAF receives $3.5 million to establish radiocarbon dating laboratory Photo by Audrey Rowe Nicole Misarti and Matthew Wooller prepare a wooly mammoth tooth sample for radiocarbon dating. With $3.5 million in federal funds, UAF will establish the first radiocarbon dating laboratory in Alaska. The University of Alaska Fairbanks will receive $3.5 million in federal funding to establish Alaskas first radiocarbon dating laboratory on the Troth Yeddha Campus. The funds were included in H.R. 4366 by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in March. We have been pursuing this vision for several years, said Matthew Wooller, director of UAFs Alaska Stable Isotope Facility. We are especially grateful to Lisa Murkowski for picking this up and advocating for it. The lab, which will house a nearly 10,000-pound mass spectrometer, will be located in the basement of the Usibelli Building. It will take approximately a year for the massive instrument to be built and shipped from Switzerland to Alaska. Radiocarbon dating is a method of determining the age of organic materials like fossils or wood. All living things contain carbon-14, a radioactive form of the element that decays at a steady rate over time. By measuring the amount of carbon-14 remaining in a sample, scientists can tell its age up to approximately 60,000 years. Carbon-14 dating is commonly used by researchers across many disciplines, including archaeology, engineering, geology, chemistry and biology. UAF scientists use the technique to investigate climate change, permafrost dynamics, coastal erosion and other topics of particular interest in the Arctic. Access to a state-of-the-art radiocarbon dating lab located in Alaska will save researchers both time and money, according to Nicole Misarti, director of UAFs Institute of Northern Engineering. At present, samples must be sent to facilities as far away as Georgia, and it can take from two weeks to several months to receive results. Processing costs can range from $350 to $500 per sample. One of the big advantages for Alaska is that well be able to offer internal rates, Wooller said. Processing fees can eat up a grant very quickly, and now our researchers will be able to get more bang for their buck. The lab will also be available to researchers from other universities and federal and state agencies. Misarti said that having the laboratory on campus will allow UAF researchers to involve their students in basic hands-on research. Theyll also be able to pursue innovative techniques for the carbon dating process itself. Well be able to push methodology in a way you cant do without having the instrument here, she said. Rather than just spitting out radiocarbon dates, well be able to develop new techniques new ways of prepping samples, for example. Wooller noted that Arctic researchers from around the world will benefit from having a state-of-the-art lab on the same campus as the extensive Arctic natural history collections at the UA Museum of the North. Our museum has one of the largest skeletal collections in the world, he said. Providing accurate dates for all of those specimens will add tremendous value. ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Matthew Wooller, mjwooller@alaska.edu, 907-474-8786; Nicole Misarti, nmisarti@alaska.edu, 907-474-5457 175-24 The Ukrainian forces continue to build up their defense capabilities along the entire border with Russia and Belarus. This was announced by the spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, who spoke on the air of the national telethon, Ukrinform reports. "If we talk about the border with Belarus, on the other side we do not see that Russia has any forces to invade our country," he said. Unfortunately, Belarus continues to support the aggressor state that launched a war against the Ukrainian state, "so this area remains a threat." According to Demchenko, the situation in the region remains fully under Ukrainian control. "At the same time, we continue to build up and strengthen our defense capabilities in this axis," Demchenko noted. At the same time, the spokesman for the SBGSU noted that on Ukraines border with the Russian Federation, within Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions, the enemy uses a variety of armaments, most often targeting Kharkiv and Sumy regions. He also emphasized that the enemy subversive and reconnaissance groups remain active, especially in Sumy region. "Despite this all, we also continue to increase our defense capabilities along the entire border with the aggressor state. Unfortunately, it is not possible to put up fortifications directly along the border, but such works are being carried out as close as possible to the border line," Demchenko emphasized. As Ukrinform reported earlier, over the past day the Russians have hit Kharkiv with a gliding munition and a missile and shelled 15 settlements across the region, employing artillery and mortars, infling damage on residential buildings, an educational facility, an enterprise, and power grids. Ukraine and Hungary have signed amendments to the intergovernmental agreement on border traffic control, which will allow to launch a new checkpoint for passenger cars. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure, Ukrinform reports. "Ukraine and Hungary agreed on the opening of the Velyka Palad Nagyhodos" crossing point for passenger vehicles and the possibility for empty trucks weighing over 7.5 tons to cross at the "Luzhanka - Beregsurany" crossing point, - the message reads. It is emphasized that the relevant changes to the agreement between the two governments on border traffic control were signed by the Deputy Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov and the Ambassador of Hungary to Ukraine, Antal Heizer. The parties are also considering the possibility of building a new cargo crossing point "Diyda - Beregdarots" in order to increase the carrying capacity of the Ukrainian-Hungarian border. After signing the changes to the agreement, the document shall be ratified by parliaments. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, Ukraine and Hungary are working to launch substantive negotiations on the introduction of joint customs and border control. As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to allow the opening of a new Ukrainian-Romanian checkpoint Bila Tserkva - Sighetu Marmatiei". Photo: mtu.gov.ua Denmark has announced the allocation of DKK 40 million (over $5.8 million) to restore Ukrainian energy systems damaged by Russia's massive attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure. This is said in a statement published on the website of the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ukrinform reports. The last few weeks, Russia has increased its targeted attacks and weve seen extensive destruction against Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Denmark provides 40 million DKK as a contribution to the necessary rebuilding in order for Ukraine to maintain its energy supply, said Dan Jrgensen, Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy. With the new contribution, Denmark is helping to ensure the energy supply and with this, the Ukrainians access to water and heat next winter. The money comes from the civil fund in the Danish governments Ukraine Fund. According to Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko, the current needs of the Ukrainian energy sector were discussed at a meeting with Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities of Denmark Lars Aagaard. Galushchenko briefed his colleague about the current situation in the Ukrainian energy sector and the consequences of recent enemy attacks, and thanked the Danish side for its assistance to the Ukrainian energy sector. He noted that Denmark was the first donor to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund. In total, the country has contributed about 11 million euros to the Fund over the past two years. "We appreciate Denmark's leadership and the example they set, which has since been followed by other countries. The Fund is now an effective mechanism for supporting the energy sector by purchasing equipment for restoration and repairs, thereby strengthening the resilience of our energy system," he said. At the meeting, the ministers discussed the Ukrainian energy sectors current needs and measures to ensure the stable operation of the Ukrainian energy system during the next heating season. As reported by Ukrinform, on February 23, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen signed an agreement on security cooperation. On March 12, the Danish government announced a military aid package worth about DKK 2.3 billion ($337 million) for Ukraine. The U.S. Department of Education expresses apprehension regarding the potential ramifications of financial difficulties faced by online program management (OPM) companies like 2U, as advocacy groups call attention to looming challenges. The department's concern stems from the pivotal role that OPMs play in facilitating online education programs for numerous colleges and universities across the country. These companies provide essential services such as course development, marketing, and student support, making them indispensable partners for institutions seeking to expand their online offerings. Amidst growing scrutiny and uncertainty surrounding the financial stability of OPMs, including 2U, the Department of Education is closely monitoring the situation to assess its potential impact on students, institutions, and the broader higher education landscape. Financial Strain: 2U Faces Mounting Pressures 2U, a prominent player in the online program management sector, confronts significant financial hurdles. Recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reveal concerns about the company's ability to continue operations amid declining revenues, accumulating losses, and impending debt obligations. As of the end of 2023, 2U's total debt exceeded $900 million, with an accumulated deficit nearing $1.5 billion. Despite efforts to mitigate losses, the company remains in a precarious financial position, prompting discussions of potential bankruptcy or liquidation if financial conditions do not improve. The company's financial challenges are further compounded by litigation and negative media coverage, which have raised questions about its business practices and exacerbated investor concerns. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted higher education, leading to uncertainty about the demand for online learning services provided by companies like 2U. READ ALSO : Online Education Provider 2U Faces Uncertainty Amid Financial Struggles Advocacy Calls: Groups Urge Action to Safeguard Students Student borrower advocacy groups voice alarm over the potential impact of 2U's financial instability on students. They urge regulatory bodies to intervene, advocating for measures to protect students' financial interests in the event of 2U's collapse. In an open letter to regulators, the advocacy groups highlight the need for data collection on student enrollment and loans associated with programs facilitated by 2U. They call for proactive steps to inform and assist affected students, including exploring options for loan discharges and providing financial relief. The U.S. Department of Education acknowledges the concerns raised by advocacy groups and underscores the importance of mitigating disruptions to students' educational experiences. The agency urges institutions partnering with OPMs facing financial challenges to take proactive measures to safeguard students' interests and ensure minimal disruption to program delivery. Executive Optimism: 2U Looks to Navigate Financial Turbulence Despite the financial difficulties, 2U executives remain optimistic about the company's future prospects. Recent financial results indicate a modest revenue increase, albeit amidst ongoing challenges. CEO Paul Lalljie emphasizes the need for strategic measures to position 2U for long-term success, while CFO Matt Norden reassures stakeholders of the company's commitment to maintaining service quality and meeting client expectations. In conclusion, the uncertainties surrounding 2U's financial stability underscore the need for proactive measures to protect students and uphold educational standards. Regulatory intervention and collaborative efforts between stakeholders are essential to mitigate the potential impact of financial disruptions on students' academic pursuits. While challenges persist, concerted action and strategic planning can help navigate the turbulent waters of the online education landscape. Clayton State University's decision to terminate Kimberly McLeod, its first Black female provost, has stirred significant debate and scrutiny both within the institution and beyond its campus borders. The controversy surrounding McLeod's firing, occurring barely six months into her tenure, has raised broader questions about academic integrity, diversity, and institutional accountability in higher education. Dismissal Amid Curriculum Vitae Discrepancies The university's official stance on McLeod's termination rests on the discovery of multiple inaccuracies found on her curriculum vitae (CV). These discrepancies, uncovered during an investigation, cast doubt on the authenticity of publications listed on McLeod's CV. While McLeod maintained that she contributed to the cited works, the investigation concluded that she misrepresented her scholarly record. The termination of McLeod, a highly experienced academic administrator, has prompted discussions about the scrutiny faced by minority scholars in academia. Some observers suggest that McLeod's dismissal may reflect broader challenges faced by Black scholars, particularly concerning the fairness and impartiality of institutional evaluation processes. Matthew Boedy, president of the Georgia Conference of the American Association of University Professors, drew parallels between McLeod's termination and recent incidents at prestigious institutions like Harvard University. He highlighted a perceived pattern of targeting academics, particularly Black scholars, with allegations of academic misconduct as part of a broader agenda. READ ALSO : Plagiarism Allegations Target Black Scholars In Anonymous Anti-DEI Campaign Broader Implications for Diversity and Inclusion McLeod's appointment as Clayton State's provost represented a significant milestone in the university's commitment to diversity and inclusion. However, her swift dismissal raises concerns about the treatment of minority scholars and the potential impact on efforts to promote diversity within higher education institutions. Critics argue that while maintaining academic integrity is essential, the circumstances surrounding McLeod's termination warrant careful consideration. Questions linger about the transparency and equity of the investigation process, with implications for the recruitment and retention of diverse talent within academia. In a February article for Governing Magazine, Jabari Simama, ex-president of Georgia Piedmont Technical College, referenced McLeod's termination, Claudine Gay's resignation, and the suicide of Antoinette Candia-Bailey, an administrator at Lincoln University of Missouri. He described their experiences as examples of "the poisonous patriarchy of higher education" that targets Black women in particular. Navigating the Aftermath and Looking Ahead As Clayton State University grapples with the fallout from McLeod's termination, attention turns to interim leadership and future recruitment practices. The incident underscores the need for transparent and equitable hiring and evaluation processes, with a renewed focus on fostering an inclusive environment for all faculty members. Furthermore, McLeod's case serves as a reminder of the persistent barriers faced by Black women in academia. The controversy surrounding her termination highlights broader issues of systemic inequity and the importance of addressing these challenges within higher education institutions. Moving forward, discussions within the academic community will likely center on strategies to promote diversity, equity, and fairness in academic leadership roles. McLeod's dismissal serves as a catalyst for broader conversations about the intersection of race, gender, and institutional accountability in higher education. Ultimately, the controversy surrounding McLeod's termination underscores the ongoing struggle for equity and fairness within academia. As universities strive to uphold academic integrity and promote diversity, the case of Kimberly McLeod serves as a poignant reminder of the work that remains to be done in achieving these goals. At least 20 students at Massey University have recently found themselves entangled in an academic misconduct scandal after allegedly using ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot, to cheat on their assessments. The university has extended an offer of amnesty to these students in exchange for their confessions, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in academia. 20 Students Confess to Using ChatGPT in Exchange for Reduced Penalties The controversy surfaced when marketing students at Massey University were notified about the detection of "significant use" of ChatGPT during a recent assessment. Dr. Esther Jaspers, a senior lecturer at the university, explicitly stated that employing ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence tool in assessments is considered cheating. According to university policy, confirmed breaches of academic integrity can result in severe penalties, including a failing grade for the entire course. However, in an unexpected move, the university administration decided to offer amnesty to the students involved. Those who voluntarily came forward and confessed their misuse of ChatGPT by a specified deadline were given the opportunity to resubmit their work for a reduced grade. This leniency was intended to encourage honesty and transparency among the students while mitigating the potential consequences of their actions. Experts Question University's Strategy Amid Allegations of AI Cheating Despite the university's stern stance on academic integrity, some experts suspect that the offer of amnesty may be a strategic maneuver. Dr. Paul Geertsema, a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland and a founding member of the Artificial Intelligence Researchers Association, suggests that the university may lack concrete evidence to prove the allegations of misconduct without confessions from the students involved. By offering amnesty, the university may be attempting to prompt admissions from the students, thereby facilitating the disciplinary process. As the deadline for the offer of amnesty approached, Massey University confirmed that approximately 20 students had opted to come forward and confess their use of ChatGPT. However, the university also revealed that it is currently investigating three separate cases involving the unauthorized use of artificial intelligence in assessments. Provost Professor Giselle Byrnes emphasized that these cases would be handled according to the university's established procedures for managing breaches of academic integrity. The use of ChatGPT and similar AI technologies in academia has raised significant concerns among educators and administrators. Launched in November, ChatGPT has garnered attention for its ability to generate responses to various writing prompts by utilizing information available on the internet. While touted as a time-saving innovation, its potential for facilitating academic dishonesty has prompted universities to implement measures to combat its misuse. Debate Intensifies Over Use of AI in Academia Amid Growing Cheating Concerns In response to the growing prevalence of AI cheating, some universities have implemented detection tools to identify instances of AI-generated content in student submissions. The University of Auckland, for example, advises staff to utilize detection tools such as GPTZero and modify assessment structures to deter cheating effectively. However, the adoption of such measures remains contentious, with several institutions opting out of updates to plagiarism detection software due to concerns about efficacy and reliability. Dr. Geertsema underscores the importance of balancing academic integrity with the educational benefits of AI technologies. While acknowledging the seriousness of academic misconduct, he emphasizes the need to educate students on the responsible use of AI tools. By providing students with opportunities to engage with AI technologies in a controlled environment, universities can prepare them for the challenges they may encounter in their future careers. As Massey University grapples with the fallout from the ChatGPT cheating scandal, the incident serves as a cautionary tale for institutions worldwide. While advancements in AI offer immense potential for innovation in education, they also present unique challenges in maintaining academic integrity. Moving forward, universities must strike a delicate balance between leveraging AI technologies and upholding the principles of honesty and integrity in academia. In a diplomatic exchange aimed at enhancing bilateral relations, the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan, Ulanbek Totuyaev, recently met with Muhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC). The meeting, held at a pivotal moment, sought to explore avenues of cooperation in the field of education between the two nations. Diplomatic Dialogue for Educational Collaboration During the discussion, Ambassador Totuyaev reaffirmed Kyrgyzstan's dedication to advancing collaboration in education. He highlighted the importance of implementing innovative teaching methods and fostering partnerships with foreign universities to facilitate the exchange of educational practices. Both parties reached mutual agreements to bolster educational ties between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. They emphasized the significance of organizing reciprocal visits of delegations to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise. Additionally, plans were made to facilitate student and academic exchanges to enrich educational experiences in both countries. In a recent diplomatic engagement, the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan, Ulanbek Totuyaev, engaged in discussions with Muhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC), to explore avenues for collaboration in the education sector. Commitment to Educational Development The Foreign Ministry disclosed that the meeting between Ambassador Totuyaev and Chairman Ahmed centered on current collaborative efforts and potential areas of cooperation in education between the two nations. During the dialogue, Ambassador Totuyaev underscored Kyrgyzstan's unwavering commitment to fostering cooperation in education. He emphasized the importance of implementing innovative teaching methodologies and fostering connections with foreign universities to facilitate the exchange of educational practices. Both parties reached a consensus on the importance of organizing reciprocal visits of delegations to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise. They also agreed to promote student and academic exchanges between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. This diplomatic engagement signifies a mutual dedication to enhancing educational ties between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. By prioritizing collaboration in education, both countries aim to strengthen bilateral relations and foster academic excellence. Mutual Agreements and Future Prospects The meeting between Ambassador Totuyaev and Chairman Ahmed marks a significant step towards strengthening educational collaboration between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. It underscores the shared commitment of both nations to promote academic excellence and foster mutual understanding through educational exchange programs. Ambassador Totuyaev expressed Kyrgyzstan's keen interest in exploring innovative teaching methods and forging partnerships with Pakistani universities. He emphasized the importance of leveraging educational collaboration to address common challenges and promote sustainable development in both countries. Chairman Ahmed echoed Ambassador Totuyaev's sentiments, highlighting the potential benefits of enhanced educational ties between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. He emphasized the need for joint initiatives to promote research collaboration, faculty exchange, and student mobility programs. During the meeting, Ambassador Totuyaev and Chairman Ahmed discussed concrete steps to facilitate academic exchanges and collaborative research projects between educational institutions in Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. They also explored opportunities to expand scholarship programs and joint degree offerings to support students from both countries. Looking ahead, both parties expressed optimism about the prospects of deepening educational cooperation and fostering long-term partnerships between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. They agreed to continue working closely to implement the agreed-upon initiatives and explore new avenues for collaboration in the education sector. Overall, the meeting between Ambassador Totuyaev and Chairman Ahmed represents a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to strengthen educational ties between Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. It underscores the importance of international cooperation in addressing global challenges and advancing the shared goals of peace, prosperity, and progress through education. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday chairing a meeting to discuss the law & order situation in the city praised the police for successfully rescuing two kidnap victims from Baldia KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2024) Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday chairing a meeting to discuss the law & order situation in the city praised the police for successfully rescuing two kidnap victims from Baldia. He expressed his desire to cultivate this spirit of dedication and hard work in the police force so that the city could become a peaceful and liveable megalopolis. The meeting was attended by Additional IG Karachi Imran Yakoob, DIG Mukadas Hyder, and the police party that participated in the operation to rescue two kidnapped persons. They include SSP AVCC Zafar Siddiqui, DSP Qaiser Shah, Inspector, Abid Hussain, Sub Inspector Ghulam Rasool, Head Constable Tariq Samad, Khawar Yusuf, lady police Constable Ms Aresha Naz. Shah said that he was not satisfied with the law & order situation in the city. I know the police were working hard but special focus was needed in the hotspots where the crime rate was high, he said and directed additional IG to strengthen such police stations where the crime ratio has increased. Additional IG Karachi Imran Yakoob told the CM that the crime rate in the city has been recorded at 166 cases per day means less than one per police station. He added that the crime rate in the other big cities of other provinces was high but even then, the situation was being controlled through extensive checking, patrolling and intelligence. The CM said that every day people were being killed for resisting the robberies. This is quite painful, and it becomes our responsibility to protect the life, liberty and property of the citizen by hook or by crook, he said and directed the Adl. IG to replace the lethargic police officers with efficient and hardworking. Adl IG Police Imran Yakoob informed the CM that a raid was conducted on Sunday, April 7th, 2024, with the assistance of modern technical devices at Baldia No.02, near food Street at Plot No.F.247 Baldia site in Karachi. During the police encounter, four kidnappers - Sabir, Inayat Rehman, Hazrat Ali, and Wahidullah - were arrested in an injured condition on the spot. The abductees, Shahid, and Abdullah were successfully rescued from the clutches of the accused. The CM was further informed that a gang of criminals, operating from a UAE state, was involved in kidnapping innocent people for ransom. Imran Yakoob stated that he had traced all the clues and data of the gangsters and would arrest them with the support of UAE authorities. The CM appreciated the police force's hardwork and dedication and stressed the need for a similar spirit in the future to make the city peaceful and liveable. The police have been provided with the latest technology, weapons, and gadgets, which can aid in controlling crime. Murad Ali Shah said that he has sent Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi to visit the Riverine area and ensure the safe recovery of kidnapped persons. The CM expressed concern over the increasing street crime in the city and kidnapping for ransom in the Kutcha area, he emphasized that the police, with the support of Rangers and other law enforcement agencies, must take strict actions to eliminate the criminals. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2024) The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday reserved its verdict on maintainability of a petition challenging the election of chairman and deputy chairman Senate. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the PTIs petition along with the objections raised by the registrar office. The registrar IHC has objected that the case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senate seats is under hearing in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) thus the petitioner should have filed this case to PHC. During the course of proceeding, the chief justice Aamer Farooq said that it would also be seen whether the court could stay the elections or not. He questioned whether this matter also under hearing in PHC? PTIs lawyer Shoaib Shaheen said that there is a different matter in PHC, adding that they have challenged the the chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate elections before IHC. The election is going to be held tomorrow, he said, adding that the Election Commission of Pakistan has postponed the senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to not taking of oath on certain seats. He said that now the chairman and deputy chairman senate elections are going to be held without the senators of KPK. The petitioner prayed the court to stop the said elections until the election of the senate seats of KPK. After hearing arguments, the court reserved its verdict on maintainability of the petition. (@Abdulla99267510) Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif express the views during their bilateral and one on one meeting in Makkha, held after the Iftar to which the Prime Minister and his delegation were invited by Mohammed bin Salman. MAKKHA: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-April 8th, 2024) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have reaffirmed their common resolve to further strengthen bilateral ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. They expressed these views during their bilateral and one on one meeting in Makkha, held after the Iftar to which the Prime Minister and his delegation were invited by Mohammed bin Salman. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral ties and matters of mutual interest. Both leaders appreciated the upward trajectory of longstanding fraternal relations between the two countries. The Prime Minister conveyed prayers and best wishes for the health and well-being of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz. He expressed gratitude for the warm welcome accorded to him and his delegation by the Saudi authorities. MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2024) Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have called for efforts by the international community to halt Israeli military operations in Gaza and mitigate the humanitarian impact besides emphasising the need to advance the peace process. The regional and global developments of mutual interest, including the worrying situation in Gaza were discussed in a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Sunday as the former was on a three-day visit to the Kingdom. Both sides underscored the imperative for the international community to pressure Israel to cease hostilities, adhere to international law, and facilitate unhindered humanitarian aid access to Gaza, according to a joint statement issued following the meeting between the two leaders took place at Al-Safa Palace here. Two sides discussed the need for advancing the peace process in accordance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly as well as the Arab Peace Initiative aimed at finding a just and comprehensive solution, to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The discussions centered on fortifying the fraternal relations between the two brotherly nations and exploring avenues for enhanced collaboration across various sectors. Emphasis was placed on the Kingdom's supportive role in Pakistan's economy and the mutual desire to strengthen trade and investment ties. Both parties affirmed their commitment to expediting the first wave of investment package worth $5 billion which was discussed previously. The two sides stressed the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to ensure peace and stability in the region. The Crown Prince congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on assuming the office and expressed warm wishes for his tenure. Prime Minister Shehbaz also conveyed gratitude for the Kingdom's steadfast support and hospitality, and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to bolstering bilateral ties and economic cooperation. Prime Minister Shehbaz invited the Crown Prince to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at the earliest convenience which was accepted by the Crown Prince. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, on Monday, arrived here after wrapping up his three-day visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2024) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, on Monday, arrived here after wrapping up his three-day visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Earlier, at the Jeddah International Airport, the prime minister was seen off by Governor Jeddah Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. During his visit, Prime Minister Sharif met with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of KSA Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and discussed further fortifying of the fraternal relations between the two brotherly nations and exploring avenues for enhanced collaboration across various sectors. The Federal cabinet members and Punjab chief minister accompanied the prime minister during the visit. The prime minister performed Umrah and offered Nawafil inside Kaaba as he was granted access inside Baitullah, as a special gesture. The prime minister prayed for the country's progress and prosperity, the Muslim Ummah's unity and global peace. Prime Minister Shehbaz specially prayed for the salvation of the oppressed Muslims, particularly those of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine from the illegal subjugation. Pakistan and KSA have longstanding fraternal relations rooted in religious and cultural affinity. The leadership of both countries is committed to advancing the fraternal ties and mutually rewarding economic and investment relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in a press statement, prior to the prime ministers visit, had said. Beirut, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2024) Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati and visiting Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides discussed migration on Monday in Beirut, both sides said, as Nicosia pushes the Lebanese authorities to stem boat departures. Cyprus says the Israel-Hamas war, which has triggered a flare-up on the Israel-Lebanon border, has weakened Lebanon's efforts to monitor its territorial waters and prevent migrant vessel departures. The Mediterranean island nation has reported a surge in Syrian arrivals in recent weeks. According to Lebanese authorities, the country is home to some two million Syrian refugees -- with 800,000 registered with the United Nations -- the world's highest number per capita. However, a grinding economic crisis has helped turn the country into a major departure point for refugees hoping to reach Europe. "A very constructive discussion took place" between Mikati and Christodoulides, "during which the cooperation of the two countries with the substantial assistance of the European Commission was agreed upon," said a statement from Cypriot government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis. It did not detail the specifics of the agreement or the assistance. Cyprus is the European Union's easternmost member, located less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the coast of Lebanon and neighbouring Syria. A statement from the Lebanese premier's office said Mikati and Christodoulides emphasised "the importance of finding a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Syria displacement crisis". "Lebanon's army and security forces are doing their best to stop illegal immigration," Mikati was quoted as saying in the statement. "But this cannot be achieved without the return of those seeking safety to safe areas in Syria or securing their residency in third countries," he added. Nicosia, which for several years has had an agreement with Beirut for the return of irregular migrants, last week urged Brussels to compel Lebanon to stop migrant boats from leaving for Cyprus, suggesting EU assistance should be cut if flows persist. Christodoulides has also been pushing the EU to declare parts of Syria, ravaged by more than a decade of civil war, as safe places to which asylum seekers can be legally returned. - 'Root causes' - Mikati urged the EU and the international community to "take new steps and reconsider their policies on Syria's security", but noted that "it is also necessary to increase efforts to address the root causes of the refugee crisis". Christodoulides met with Mikati because Lebanon's presidency is vacant amid protracted political wrangling. Syria's civil war, which erupted in 2011 after the government repressed peaceful pro-democracy protests, has killed more than half a million people and ravaged the country's economy and infrastructure, while security remains tenuous across swathes of the country. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, told AFP that as of April 4, more than 40 boats carrying some 2,500 people had landed in Cyprus this year, but was unable to specify which had departed from Lebanon and which from Syria. Last year, UNHCR expressed concern over the return of more than 100 Syrian migrants to Lebanon, saying they had not been screened to assess whether they needed legal protection or if they might be deported to their homeland. Nicosia insists returns are legal under its bilateral agreement with Beirut. Lebanese authorities from time to time announce they have thwarted smuggling operations by sea, or the arrest of both smugglers and would-be migrants. Christodoulides on Sunday met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and discussed "concerns about the creation of a new migration route due to the instability and violence currently prevailing in the middle East", according to a statement from the Greek premier's office. (@FahadShabbir) Gaza Strip, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2024) Israeli leaders were preparing Monday for military operations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah, where most of the Palestinian territory's population has fled after six months of fighting. Talks in Cairo aimed at brokering a truce have made "significant progress", with more negotiations expected in the coming days, Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera reported Monday. International pressure has mounted on Israel to bring an end to the war, with its main ally the United States last week demanding a ceasefire and hostage release deal along with ramped-up aid deliveries. Israel pulled its forces out of the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday. But Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said troops had left the city of Khan Yunis "to prepare for future missions, including... in Rafah". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was "one step away from victory". (@ChaudhryMAli88) Goma, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Apr, 2024) Mortar fire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has killed three Tanzanian soldiers who were part of a southern Africa force deployed to help government troops battling M23 rebels, officials said. The regional force sent soldiers to North Kivu province in December to help Kinshasa regain ground from the M23 militia in the lawless east. The force includes soldiers from regional military heavyweight South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi. "This unfortunate incident happened after a hostile mortar round had fallen near the camp (where) they were staying," the 10-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) said in a statement. It gave no further details about the incident. A source at the North Kivu governorate said the mortar attack struck last Thursday and a ceremony to honour the dead was held at SADC headquarters in the provincial capital Goma on Monday. A soldier from South Africa has also died in hospital while being treated for health problems, the SADC statement said. After several years of dormancy, the mostly-Tutsi M23 (March 23 Movement) group took up arms again in late 2021 and has seized vast swathes of North Kivu province. - Wracked by violence - The region has been wracked by violence in the decades since regional wars in the 1990s. The DRC, the UN and Western countries accuse Rwanda of supporting the rebels in a bid to control the region's vast mineral resources, an allegation Kigali denies. The force suffered its first losses in mid-February when two South African soldiers were killed by mortars at Mubambiro camp, near the town of Sake, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the provincial capital, Goma. A Congolese security source, asking not to be named, said the Tanzanian casualties happened at the same camp. The force was to take over from an East African peacekeeping force, whose mandate was ended by Kinshasa which accused it of colluding with the rebels instead of fighting them. The UN mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is also being wound down. The 15,000 UN troops deployed in the vast central African country started to leave in February at the request of the Kinshasa government, which considers them ineffective. The withdrawal is due to be completed by the end of the year. According to an internal UN document seen by AFP, M23 rebels have made new gains in the east after Indian UN troops abandoned positions near Goma. MONUSCO said in a note to staff that "the current security situation is becoming increasingly volatile as M23 has reached the northern outskirts of Sake," a key town near Goma. The population of Goma has doubled to two million as refugees have fled the advance of the rebel group. Residents said that M23 and Congolese forces exchanged artillery fire throughout the weekend around Sake and the western outskirts of Goma. USM Center for Writers Hosting Writing Camp: Young Authors Academy in July Mon, 04/08/2024 - 11:55am | By: Ivonne Kawas The Center for Writers at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), housed in the School of Humanities, will host the Young Authors Academy (YAA) a creative writing summer camp July 8-12 for young teens ages 9-13. The camp will be held from 1 p.m.- 5 p.m. on the Hattiesburg Campus. YAA provides a space for campers who want to practice creative writing in a nurturing and collaborative environment. Participants gain confidence in their own writing, as they are introduced to fiction, poetry, and a process designed to diversify writing skills. Our goal is to offer young writers the opportunity to create many poems and stories, as well as a productive writing process that they can continue when camp is over, said Dr. Rachael Fowler, assistant teaching professor of English. At the YAA, theyll find an outlet to experiment with creativity, express themselves in new ways, and support each other as they share their voices and words. We look forward to providing new writing experiences to our many returning campers and all newcomers. Experienced camp counselors, who are published writers in USMs Creative Writing program, will lead participants through many activities: writing prompts, walking field trips on campus, practice reading their own work to others, and guidance for providing supportive feedback to fellow writers. This years interactive field trips include sites such as the Archaeology Lab, the Theatre and Dance Building, and the Gallery of Art and Design Camp participants get to showcase the work they produce at a reception and public readingopen to family and friendsand get a printed anthology of their writing to take home. Small-business owners can learn how to obtain federal contract dollars through becoming HUBZone-certified companies Tuesday, April 16. Devan Costa Cargill and Deb Farris will present a Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network workshop titled HUBZone Opportunity Workshop: Cody from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Wapiti Room at the Park County Library Cody Branch, located at 1500 Heart Mountain St. To register, go here. Registration is free. The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by the University of Wyoming with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The U.S. government is the largest customer in the world. It buys all types of products and services -- in both large and small quantities. Government contracts are a tremendous financial opportunity for small businesses, and the government works to make sure small businesses get at least 23 percent of all federal contracting dollars. Census tract 9654.02 in Park County is a governor-designated HUBZone for 2024. The HUBZone program provides federal contracting advantages to qualified HUBZone small businesses. Small-business owners can learn more about the program during the workshop and whether their businesses will qualify to potentially obtain an advantage in government contracting. Costa Cargill is the Wyoming SBDC Network regional director for Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties. Farris is deputy district director of the U.S. SBA for the Wyoming district office. For more information, call Maureen Johnson, marketing, communication and database manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at (307) 343-0925 or email mjohn125@uwyo.edu. Talitha Washington A renowned mathematician, data scientist and educator will headline several University of Wyoming Phi Beta Kappa Society chapter events on campus Tuesday and Wednesday, April 23-24. Talitha Washington, a professor of mathematics at Clark Atlanta University, will be a key part of these events. It is always enriching and memorable to interact with someone who is at the top of their field, be it a musical virtuoso or an MVP professional athlete, says Bryan Shader, a UW mathematics professor and interim head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Dr. Washington is among the top in the field of data science, and she uses her expertise to empower others and improve communities. Shader, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, organized the events and proposed Washington as the guest speaker. The University of Wyoming was selected by the national Phi Beta Kappa chapter to host Dr. Washington as a visiting scholar, says Joy Landeira, president of the UW chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and head of the UW Department of Modern and Classical Languages. Washington is director of the Atlanta University Center Data Science Initiative and an affiliate faculty member at Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College. She is lead principal investigator of the National Data Science Alliance, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Washington is president of the Association for Women in Mathematics and has research interests in applied mathematics, dynamical systems, nonstandard finite difference schemes, data science, artificial intelligence and education. Washington also is a former program director at NSF who worked in the Convergence Accelerator in the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. Previously, in the Division of Undergraduate Education, she led the development, implementation and management of NSFs first Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program, co-writing two solicitations awarding $85 million. Washington completed her undergraduate studies in mathematics at Spelman College and studied abroad at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. She earned her masters and doctoral degrees in mathematics, both from the University of Connecticut. There will be three events open to UW faculty, staff and students, and the public. The schedule is as follows: -- April 23, 1:30-2:45 p.m., Room 129 of the Classroom Building. Washington will be part of a panel discussion titled Empowering Rural States Through Data Science. The discussion will be led by Jeff Hamerlinck, associate director of UWs School of Computing, and will include Tim Robinson, a UW professor of statistics; Lars Kotthoff, a UW associate professor of computer science; Silvia Ochoa, a UW alumna and global head of digital transformation for Coca-Cola International; Keivan Monfared, a UW alumnus and senior data scientist at Quora; and Daniel Peterson, a UW alumnus and senior applied scientist at Amazon. This event is partially sponsored by UWs Center for Rural Community Resilience and Innovation. Light refreshments will be available outside Room 129 starting at 1 p.m. -- April 23, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Room 129 of the Classroom Building. Washington will give a presentation titled The Mathematics of the Movie Hidden Figures. Washingtons teaser for the talk is: Whats the mathematics that Katharine Johnson used to send John Glenn into orbit and bring him back safely? Who was the mathematician that created the mathematics in the Hidden Figures Hollywood movie? Come and uncover the equations created by Johnson during the Space Race and how the mathematical consultant, Rudy Horne, created the mathematics for the movie. A reception, beginning at 4:30 p.m., will be held outside Room 129. -- April 24, 9-10 a.m., Agriculture Building auditorium. Washington will hold a question-and-answer session for students during a session titled Career Opportunities in Data Science. Light refreshments will be available outside the auditorium from 8:40-9 a.m. This event is partially sponsored by the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Student Service Center. Washingtons visit is sponsored by the UW chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the UW School of Computing, the UW Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the UW Department of Mathematics and Statistics. For more information, go to www.uwyo.edu/pbk or email pbk@uwyo.edu. About Phi Beta Kappa Society Phi Beta Kappa has been one of the most respected academic societies in the world for more than 200 years. Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary. Within a decade, chapters arose at Yale, Harvard and Dartmouth. The Wyoming chapter received its charter in 1940 and, today, 293 colleges and universities in America meet the strict qualifications for hosting a chapter. Each year, UW faculty and administrators elect to membership fewer than one-tenth of the leading scholars of UWs senior class, candidates for the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. For more information about UWs Phi Beta Kappa, visit www.uwyo.edu/pbk. Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam. 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. The World Health Organization said Monday that the recent return of about 600,000 undocumented migrants from Pakistan to Afghanistan and an estimated 200,000 unvaccinated children in southern Afghan regions are a threat to regional gains against polio. In its latest assessment of the disease's international spread, WHO said that both neighboring countries had made significant progress in interrupting the transmission of the two surviving genetic clusters of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in the region. Pakistan and Afghanistan, the last two nations where the crippling virus is still found, have reported two and zero cases of polio infections, respectively, this year. However, the WHO assessment said that the recent large-scale displacement of undocumented Afghans from Pakistan had increased the risk of cross-border poliovirus spread, as well as [the] spread within both countries. It cautioned that any setback in Afghanistan poses a risk to the [polio] program in Pakistan due to high population movement. The report stated that coordinated efforts were being made to manage and mitigate the risk through vaccination at border crossing points between the two countries. WHO said vaccination coverage in southern Afghan provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Zabul and Nimruz has improved but remains suboptimal, with an estimated 200,000 children who remain unreached. The large pool of unvaccinated children constitutes a major risk, it said. The report stressed that house-to-house immunizations of children are comparatively effective, but some parts of Afghanistan still only allow site-to-site or mosque-to-mosque vaccinations. It appreciated the Taliban government's commitment to the global goal of eradicating polio in Afghanistan. WHO noted and praised the increased use of Afghan female health care workers in campaigns and strongly encouraged the implementation of house-to-house campaigns where feasible. The fundamentalist Taliban have banned women from many public and private sector workplaces, but the health sector is mostly exempted from the restrictions. The head of the U.N.'s atomic watchdog agency is warning of a potentially dangerous situation following a drone strike on one of six nuclear reactors at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns Ukraine could run out of air defense missiles if Russia keeps up its intense long-range-bombing campaign. While NATO members vow to support Kyiv, U.S. aid is still in limbo. The story of an American who joined Ukraines military efforts following Russias invasion and how a Ukrainian woman stepped into her husbands job as a blacksmith after he joined his countrys armed forces. On 5 April 2024,with the approaching occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone held the handover ceremony of food packages to Islamic religious groups in Sierra Leone, meanwhile a seminar of ethnic and religious policy was organized.Ambassador Wang Qing, Minister of Social Welfare Melrose Karminty delivered speeches, while representatives from United Council of Imams, Supreme Islamic Council and other Islamic Religious Groups participated in the ceremony. In his speech, Ambassador Wang expressed best wishes of Eid al-Fitr to all Muslim friends in Sierra Leones. Ambassador said that the food packages donation was a traditional activity conducted by Chinese Embassy for many years, the main purpose is providing assistance to the families in need and enhancing the traditional friendship between the two countries. Ambassador Wang also systematically introduced the latest progress of China--Sierra Leone cooperation, China's ethnic and religious policies, and hoped that the majority of Muslims in Sierra Leone would continue to play an active role in promoting mutual understanding and cooperation between the two countries. Minister Melrose Karminty and the representatives of Islamic religious organizations in Sierra Leone thanked the Chinese Embassy for its generous donations for many years, and looked forward to strengthening mutual understanding and friendship with the Chinese side, so as to promote new progress in Sierra Leone-China relations. Bahrain's king has pardoned 1,584 people facing criminal and "riot" charges, state media said Monday, in the largest such mass release in the Gulf nation in years. The announcement of the royal decree carried by the official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) did not specify whether political prisoners are among those to be released, though a rights group said it was likely. BNA said that "this royal decree reflects his majesty's keenness to maintain the cohesion and stability of the Bahraini society, while protecting its social fabric." The pardons cover "those convicted for riot and criminal cases" and were announced as Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa marks 25 years since his ascension to the throne, BNA added. Sayed Alwadaei, advocacy director for the Britain-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), said political prisoners were probably included in the pardon "as the term 'riot' refers to those who demanded political change." BIRD said the latest royal decree marks the "highest number of pardoned prisoners since the pro-democracy uprising in 2011," when anti-government protests triggered a state crackdown. However, a government spokesman told AFP: "There are no political prisoners in the Kingdom of Bahrain. No one is detained for expressing his or her peaceful political views. "However, the authorities have a duty to investigate and if appropriate prosecute individuals as in all countries when conduct strays into violence or seeks to incite violence or hatred, the spokesman said. The royal decree also comes ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, an occasion that often elicits prison pardons from Gulf leaders. Bahrain has imprisoned scores of dissidents since the 2011 protest wave, when authorities backed by a Saudi military force crushed Shiite-led demonstrations demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bahrain's interior ministry announced in 2020 the release of 1,486 prisoners, including 901 who had received royal pardons on "humanitarian grounds." U.S. President Joe Biden, the Democratic Partys 2024 presidential nominee, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican Partys presumptive nominee, hold very different views on key foreign and domestic issues. Heres an overview of where each one stands on foreign policy. Russia-Ukraine Biden endorses sending military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine to aid its fight against Russia, while warning that Western countries cannot allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to achieve victory. To date, the Biden administration has sanctioned Russian individuals and entities and sent $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the February 2022 Russian invasion. Biden said on March 7, 2024, Putin of Russia is on the march, invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and beyond. If anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you, he will not. But Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons it needs to defend itself. That is all Ukraine is asking. They are not asking for American soldiers. Trump has said NATO countries are not paying their share of aid to Ukraine and claimed the United States has sent more than other countries. At a February rally, Trump said he told an unnamed NATO member that he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to any alliance member that does not meet spending guidelines on defense. In a 2023 speech in New Hampshire, Trump said, Shortly after I win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled. Throughout his presidency, Trump faced multiple accusations of collusion with Russia and was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 18, 2019, for charges he leveraged U.S. aid to Ukraine in return for damaging information on potential political rival Joe Biden. Trump denied those charges and was later acquitted by the U.S. Senate. China Biden said on March 7, 2024, We have the best economy in the world. And since I've come to office, our GDP is up, our trade deficit with China is down to the lowest point over a decade and we're standing up against China's unfair economic practices. We're standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. I've revitalized our partnership and alliance in the Pacific. India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Pacific Islands. I made sure that the most advanced American technologies can't be used in China, not allowing to trade them there. Frankly, for all this tough talk on China, it never occurred to my predecessor to do any of that. I want competition with China, not conflict. And we're in a stronger position to win the conflict of the 21st century against China than anyone else, for that matter, than any time as well." During his presidency, Trump denounced the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party as the most significant foreign policy challenge of this generation. He said China was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic and penalized China for ending the one country, two states policy in Hong Kong. In a May 2020 speech, Trump said, The United States wants an open and constructive relationship with China, but achieving that relationship requires us to vigorously defend our national interests. On his campaign website, Trump said, To protect our country, we need to enact aggressive new restrictions on Chinese ownership of any vital infrastructure in the United States, including energy, technology, telecommunications, farmland, natural resources, medical supplies, and other strategic national assets. We should stop all future Chinese purchases in these essential industries. And we should begin the process of forcing the Chinese to sell any current holdings that put our national security at risk. Israel-Palestinians Biden says Israel has a right to go after Hamas but has warned Israel against killing Palestinian civilians. In March, Biden announced the construction of an offshore port to deliver aid to Gaza. Biden said in New York on March 9, 2024, I'm never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical, so there's no red line I'm going to cut off all weapons, so they don't have the Iron Dome to protect them. They don't have ... but there's red lines that if he crosses and they continue you cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead as a consequence of going after, there's other ways to deal, to get to, to deal with the trauma caused by Hamas. Trump released a Middle East peace plan in 2020 calling for a two-state solution that would have given Israel control of a unified Jerusalem and maintained its settlements in the West Bank. In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper on March 25, 2024, Trump said of the current conflict, What I saw October 7 was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. ... You have to finish up your war. To finish it up. You got to get it done. And I am sure you will do that. And we got to get to peace; we can't have this going on. And I will say, Israel has to be very careful, because you're losing a lot of the world, you're losing a lot of support, you have to finish up, you have to get the job done. And you have to get on to peace, to get on to a normal life for Israel. Iran Biden spent more than two years attempting to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, the nuclear agreement negotiated by the Obama administration before declaring it dead. Last year, the Biden administration negotiated the release of five American hostages in return for unfreezing billions in Iranian assets. Biden said in Washington on March 7, 2024, "Creating stability in the Middle East also means containing the threat posed by Iran. That's why I built a coalition of more than a dozen countries to defend international shipping and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. I've ordered strikes to degrade the Houthi capability and defend U.S. forces in the region. As commander in chief, I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and our military personnel." Among Trumps proudest achievements was the withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA. He also authorized the strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force the terrorist branch of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC a move he called the boldest action of his presidency. North Korea The Biden administration has repeatedly stated it is open to negotiations with North Korea with no preconditions but has yet to offer any incentives in the form of economic assistance to encourage North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to open talks. Biden has met with regional allies and last year announced a new nuclear deterrence agreement, with South Korea, that would allow the U.S. to dock submarines in South Korean ports. During his presidency, Trump pursued complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea but eventually developed a good personal relationship with Jong-Un after multiple meetings. His personal diplomacy did not result in any agreements between the two countries. VOA's Saqib Ui Islam contributed to this report. At least 97 people died when an overloaded boat capsized and sank off the coast of Mozambique late Sunday, state-run Radio Mozambique reported, citing local officials. Radio Mozambique on Monday quoted Silveiro Nauaito, administrator of Mozambiques northern province of Nampula, as saying those aboard the boat, largely women and children, were traveling from the northern Lunga district to a small island off the coast known as Mozambique Island. He said the 130 passengers were allegedly fleeing because of disinformation about a cholera outbreak and were headed to the island in search of health care. Nauaito said rescue teams had found 12 survivors and were searching for more, but poor weather at sea was making the operation more difficult. He said 91 bodies were found on Sunday and six others early on Monday. About 40 bodies have been taken to either the island or the mainland, and burials of the victims have begun, he said. Since January, Mozambique has been battling to contain a deadly cholera outbreak in its northern regions, a health crisis that has also affected neighboring countries such as Malawi and Zambia. The secretary of state in Nampula province, Jaime Neto, told VOA in a telephone interview that the boat could have been hit by a giant wave but it was also overcrowded and not suitable for carrying passengers. He also attributed the overcrowding of the boat to misinformation about the cholera outbreak. The vessel "was not prepared to take passengers. It ended up sinking and creating this situation that the province regrets." Boat travel is a major means of transport in Mozambique, which has a dilapidated road network. Accidents are common on the countrys rivers, lakes and Indian Ocean coast, with most due to poor maintenance of the vessels or overcrowding. On his farm near Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, Clark Lungren studies and breeds wild animals, some of them endangered species. The Canadian, who has been living in the country for several decades, is also giving tourists an opportunity to see his animals up close. But fighting and unrest in the country has put the farm at risk. VOAs Gildas Da has more in this report narrated by Jackson Mvunganyi. (Solomane Nikiema contributed to this report) The death toll from an attack in a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province rose to 25 on Sunday, a local chief and civil society leader said, after a government spokesperson and a U.N. document confirmed the attack Saturday. The Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) group, one of many militias operating in the conflict-ridden east, carried out the killings in the village of Galayi, 70 km (45 miles) northwest of the city of Bunia, they said. Fifteen bodies were discovered Sunday, in addition to the 10 bodies recovered Saturday, Banzala Danny, a local chief, and Vital Tungulo, a civil society leader, told Reuters. An internal U.N. document seen by Reuters, and Jules Ngongo, spokesperson for the governor of Ituri province, both confirmed the attack and the initial death toll of 10 civilians. "We assure that all the killers will be punished by justice," Ngongo said. The human rights situation in Ituri has deteriorated since the beginning of the year as CODECO carries out more attacks, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) said in a report published in March. CODECO and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), another militia group, are responsible for most civilian killings in eastern DRC, according to a report by the U.N. peacekeeping mission released in March. The Cambodian government is pushing ahead with a cybercrime law experts say could be wielded to further curtail freedom of speech amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent. The cybercrime draft is the third controversial internet law authorities have pursued in the past year as the government, led by new Prime Minister Hun Manet, seeks greater oversight of internet activities. Obtained by VOA in both English and Khmer language versions, the latest draft of the cybercrime law is marked confidential and contains 55 articles. It lays out various offenses punishable by fines and jail time, including defamation, using insulting, derogatory or rude language, and sharing false information that could harm Cambodias public order and traditional culture. The law would also allow authorities to collect and record internet traffic data, in real time, of people under investigation for crimes, and would criminalize online material that depicts any act or activity intended to stimulate sexual desire as pornography. Digital rights and legal experts who reviewed the law told VOA that its vague language, wide-ranging categories of prosecutable speech and lack of protections for citizens fall short of international standards, instead providing the government more tools to jail dissenters, opposition members, women and LGBTQ+ people. Although in the works since 2016, earlier drafts of the law, which sparked similar criticism, have not leaked since 2020 and 2021. Authorities hope to enact the law by the end of the year. This cybercrime bill offers the government even more power to go after people expressing dissent, Kian Vesteinsson, a senior research analyst for technology at the human rights organization Freedom House, told VOA. These vague provisions around defamation, insults and disinformation are ripe for abuse, and we know that Cambodian authorities have deployed similarly vague criminal provisions in other contexts, Vesteinsson said. Cambodian law already considers defamation a criminal offense, but the cybercrime draft would make it punishable by jail time up to six months, plus a fine of up to $5,000. The false information clause defined as sharing information that intentionally harms national defense, national security, relations with other countries, economy, public order, or causes discrimination, or affects traditional culture carries a three- to five-year sentence and fine of up to $25,000. Daron Tan, associate international legal adviser at the International Commission of Jurists, told VOA the defamation and false information articles do not comply with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Cambodia is a party, and that the United Nations Human Rights Committee is very clear that imprisonment is never the appropriate penalty for defamation. Its a step very much in the wrong direction, Tan said. We are very worried that this would expand the laws that the government can use against its critics. Chea Pov, the deputy head of Cambodias National Police and former director of the Ministry of Interiors Anti-Cybercrime Department that is overseeing the drafting process, told VOA the law doesnt restrict your rights and claimed the U.S. companies which reviewed it didnt raise concerns. Google, Meta and Amazon, which the government has said were involved in drafting the law, did not respond to requests for comment. If you say something based on evidence, there is no problem, Pov said. But if there is no evidence, [you] defame others, which is also stated in the criminal law we dont regard this as a restriction. The law also makes it illegal to use technology to display, trade, produce or disseminate pornography, or to advertise a product or service mixed with pornography online. Pornography is defined as anything that describes a genital or depicts any act or activity involving a sexual organ or any part of the human body, animal, or object or other similar pornography that is intended to stimulate sexual desire or cause sexual excitement. Experts say this broad category is likely to be disproportionately deployed against women and LGBTQ+ people. Cambodian authorities have often rebuked or arrested women for dressing too sexily on social media, singing sexual songs or using suggestive speech. In 2020, an online clothes and cosmetics seller received a six-month suspended sentence after posting provocative photos; in another incident, a policewoman was forced to publicly apologize for posting photos of herself breastfeeding. Naly Pilorge, outreach director at Cambodian human rights organization Licadho, told VOA the draft law could lead to more rights violations against women in the country. This vague definition of pornography poses a serious threat to any woman whose online activity the government decides may cause sexual excitement, Pilorge said. The draft law does not acknowledge any legitimate artistic or educational purposes to depict or describe sexual organs, posing another threat to freedom of expression. In March, authorities said they hosted civil society organizations to revisit the draft. They plan to complete the drafting process and send the law to Parliament for passage before the end of the year, according to Pov, the deputy head of police. Soeung Saroeun, executive director of the NGO Forum on Cambodia, told VOA there was no consultation on each article at the recent meeting. The NGO representatives were unable to analyze and present their inputs, said Saroeun, echoing concerns about its contents. How is it [possible]? We need to debate on this. The cybercrime law has resurfaced as the government works to complete two other draft internet laws, one covering cybersecurity and the other personal data protection. Experts have critiqued the drafts as providing expanded police powers to seize computer systems and making citizens data vulnerable to hacking and surveillance. Authorities have also sought to create a national internet gateway that would require traffic to run through centralized government servers, though the status of that project has been unclear since early 2022 when the government said it faced delays. Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Russian State Duma and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, praised Putin for empowering Russian women. Speaking at a March 27 Duma plenary session, Volodin said: Women received political rights in 1918, but they received real power only now, under President Putin and United Russias majority ... previously, all this was more for decoration. That is false. The United Nations recommends that women hold at least 30% of political leadership positions so that women can influence decision-making. Russia is far below the U.N. threshold. During Putins 24 years in power in Russia the political and social landscape in the country has been cleansed of influential figures perceived to potentially challenge his rule, including women. Powerful female voices advocating democratic reforms, including politicians like Galina Starovoitova and Valeria Novodvorskaya, journalists like Anna Politkovskaya and Natalya Estemirova, and scores of others, have been silenced either by assassination or imprisonment. In the six presidential elections held in Russia between 2000 and 2024, nine women declared their intention to run for office. The Kremlin-controlled Central Election Committee disqualified six of them. Of the three women presidential candidates, two have close ties with Putin, who has endorsed them. Ella Pamfilova ran alongside Putin in the 2000 presidential elections, and in 2016, he appointed her chairman of Russias Central Election Commission a position she still holds. The U.S. and EU imposed multiple sanctions against Pamfilova for staging fake plebiscites in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of the late Anatoly Sobchak, who was St. Petersburgs mayor and Putins boss from 1990 to 1996, ran in the 2018 presidential election as a candidate of the democratic opposition. Sobchak publicly admitted that Putin, a long-time family friend, asked her to run against him. The Pamfilova-led Central Election Committee disqualified all four women who tried to register their candidacy on an anti-war platform in last months presidential elections, which most of the world saw as an undemocratic sham contest. Volodins claim that Putin and his ruling United Russia party have empowered women in the legislative is equally false. United Russia currently holds 323 of the Dumas 450 seats. Out of the 74 women who hold seats in the Duma, 63 are United Russia members. Women chair four of the Dumas 32 committees. They are Olga Kazakova, chair of the Committee on Enlightenment; Valentina Tereshkova, a former Soviet cosmonaut who chairs the Committee on Ethics; Elena Yampolskaya, who chairs the Committee on Culture; and Olga Timofeyeva, who chairs the Committee on Civil Society Development and Religious and Civic Groups Issues. Valentina Matvienko, a long-time Putin ally, chairs the Federation Council, the upper house of Russias parliament, which has 169 senators, 36 of them women. Women chair two of the bodys 10 committees: Elena Perminova chairs the Committee on Social Policy and Liliya Gumerova chairs the Committee on Science, Education and Culture. None of the women lawmakers have top seats on any of the key committees involved in decision-making on Russias foreign, national security and economic policies. As of January 2023, Russia ranked 138th out of 186 countries in terms of representation of women in legislatures. Only one of the 21 ministers in the Russian government is a woman. The share of women in executive bodies in Russia averages 25.8%, and in legislative bodies 16.8%. In 1990, a resolution by the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) called for increasing the proportion of women in decision-making positions to 30% by 1995 and 50% by 2000. The goal of having women in at least 30% of leadership positions was first put forward in the mid-1970s by American feminist Rosabeth Moss Kanter, who wrote that only when the proportion of minority members reached about 30%, they were able to influence decision-making autonomously as a group. The 2021 study Managerial patriarchy: how many women are in power in Russia, published by the Utopia portal, found that women comprise only 25.8% of regional and territorial governments in Russia and that the share of women in regional assemblies was even lower at 16.8%. Women in Russia had the lowest representation in the governments of the republics of the North Caucasus, St. Petersburg, the Altai Republic and Sverdlovsk region. The regional assemblies in the Ulyanovsk, Sverdlovsk and Omsk regions were among those that had the fewest women as members. At the bottom of the list was the regional parliament of Chechnya, in which men occupy all 41 seats. In the two largest Russian cities, the proportion of women is also far below the U.N.-recommended 30%. Only 19% of the officials in Moscows government are women, and the proportion is even lower in the executive bodies of St. Petersburg at 9%. Its been six months since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023. In the six months that followed the attack there has been a relentless attack by Israel on the Gaza strip with the stated intention of wiping out Hamas. While cease-fire talks are set to resume and although both Israel and Hamas say they will attend, the two have demands which may be difficult to meet. We talk with University of Southern California professor Emerita Laurie Brand about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they are still planning on a military action in the Gaza city of Rafah. Mexico pulls its diplomats from Ecuador after it arrests a man inside the Mexican Embassy in Quito. And chasing total eclipses. Well tell you about a 63-year-old woman who has seen 20 of them! Iran's foreign minister inaugurated the country's new consulate in Damascus on Monday, a week after a deadly strike blamed on Israel destroyed the former premises, sending regional tensions skyrocketing. Tehran, a key Damascus ally, has vowed to avenge last Monday's airstrike on the Iranian embassy's consular section that killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, including two generals. The strike came against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which began with the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel. Damascus and Tehran blame Israel for last Monday's raid, but it has not commented. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian inaugurated the new consular section in a Damascus building in the presence of his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad, whom he also met earlier Monday, state news agency SANA said. An AFP correspondent at the inauguration said the new consulate was not far from the premises destroyed by the strike in the upscale Mazzeh area, which also houses other foreign embassies and U.N. offices. Amir-Abdollahian was also set to meet President Bashar al-Assad, and Syria's pro-government newspaper Al-Watan said his talks in Damascus would be "mainly focused" on repercussions of last week's strike. Iran's foreign minister began a regional tour Sunday in Oman, long a mediator between Tehran and the West, where Muscat's foreign minister called for de-escalation. An adviser to Iran's supreme leader warned on Sunday that Israeli embassies were "no longer safe" after the Damascus attack. Analysts saw the raid as an escalation of Israel's campaign against Iran and its regional proxies that runs the risk of triggering a wider war beyond the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said 16 people were killed in the consulate strike: eight Iranians, five Syrians, one member of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group and two civilians. Among the dead were generals Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, both senior commanders in the Quds Force, the IRGC's foreign operations arm. Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes in Syria since civil war broke out 13 years ago, targeting Iran-backed forces including Hezbollah as well as Syrian army positions and weapons depots. It rarely comments on individual strikes, but Israel's raids have increased since the Gaza war began. Tehran backs Palestinian militants Hamas but has denied any direct involvement in the group's October 7 attack, which sparked massive Israeli retaliation in Gaza. Clashes between armed assailants and Iranian security forces in Sistan-Baluchistan province resulted in the deaths of at least 10 security personnel, with several others injured, Iranian state media reported on Thursday. Iranian officials said armed members of the Jaish al-Adl group attacked military facilities in Chabahar and Rask, cities located in the province bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan. All 18 of the armed attackers were killed Thursday morning before they could seize control of any location, Iranian officials said. They were aiming to seize the armys headquarters in Rask and Chabahar, Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Majed Mir-Ahmadi was quoted by Iranian state media as saying. But they failed in their malicious objectives by the vigilant security forces, Ahmadi said. Iranian state media reported that drones were deployed by Iranian forces to locate and neutralize the attackers. An Iranian journalist reported 11 forces killed, including seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard members. In a purported statement circulated on social media, the militant group claimed to have killed nearly 200 Iranian forces. Jaish al-Adl, a militant group affiliated with the Baluchi minority, seeks greater autonomy for the Baluchistan region, which straddles the borders of Iran and Pakistan. The United States, Iran and several other countries have designated Jaish al-Adl a terrorist organization. In December, the militant group reportedly killed 11 Iranian security personnel in the town of Rask. In retaliation, Iranian planes bombed suspected Jaish al-Adl locations within Pakistan's Baluchistan province in January. In response, the Pakistani military bombed the Iranian side of Baluchistan, allegedly targeting militant positions, resulting in several casualties. Pakistan condemned Thursdays attacks in Iran. We would like to work with Iran to find joint solutions to the terror threat, said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a spokesperson for Pakistans Foreign Ministry. Israels military said Monday it carried out an airstrike in southern Lebanon that killed a Hezbollah commander who had conducted multiple attacks targeting northern Israel. An Israeli military statement identified the commander as Ali Ahmad Hassin of Hezbollahs Radwan Force. The militant group announced the death of one of its fighters by the same name without giving details about his death. Israel Defense Forces said the strike also killed two other people. Cross-border attacks by Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have been common throughout Israels six-month-old war against Hezbollah ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Also Monday, the Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza in response to multiple rocket launches. Israeli officials announced Sunday the withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said forces were exiting and preparing for their next missions, which included a coming mission in the Rafah area. The war has driven more than half of Gazas population to Rafah, an area located along the Gaza-Egypt border. The United States, United Nations and others have warned of the potential for a humanitarian catastrophe if Israel carries out a major offensive in Rafah. Israeli officials have pledged to protect the civilians sheltering in the area but have yet to give a detailed plan of where those civilians might safely go. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday marked six months since the war began and said Israel is close to achieving its goal of eliminating the Hamas terror group. "We are one step away from victory, he told his Cabinet. But the price we paid is painful and heartbreaking." Even as stalled cease-fire negotiations resumed in Cairo, Netanyahu pledged, "There will be no cease-fire without the return of hostages. It just won't happen." Hamas is believed to still be holding about 100 hostages in Gaza tunnels, among the 250 or so it captured in its shock October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people. As of mid-February, 112 hostages had been freed, most during a week-long cease-fire in November, while 36 more are believed to have died or been killed in Gaza during the six months of fighting. Gazas Hamas-run health ministry says Israels counteroffensive has killed more than 33,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children. The Israeli military says that the total includes thousands of militants it has killed. With the carnage mounting, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, appealed Sunday for an end to the war. He acknowledged the barbaric act of the initial Hamas attack but said, This atrocity does not justify the horrific ongoing bombardment, siege and health system demolition by Israel in Gaza, killing, injuring and starving hundreds of thousands of civilians, including aid workers. The deaths and grievous injuries of thousands of children in Gaza will remain a stain on all of humanity, he said on the X social media platform. This assault on present and future generations must end. Attack on aid workers World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres renewed his call Sunday for an independent investigation into the Israeli airstrike that killed seven of his groups aid workers last week. Israel has called the attack a tragic mistake, while dismissing two officers responsible for the strike and reprimanding others. In an interview on ABC, Andres thanked Israel for a quick investigation but added, At the same time, I would say with something so complicated, the investigation should be much more deeper. And I would say that the perpetrator cannot be investigating himself." He said that Israel was targeting anything that "seems" to move and has been doing so "for too long." "This doesn't seem like a war against terror. This doesn't seem any more like a war about defending Israel," he said. "It really, at this point, seems like a war against humanity itself." White House national security spokesman John Kirby told ABC, "Theres going to have to be some changes to the way the Israeli Defense Forces are prosecuting these operations in Gaza, to make sure that [the attack on aid workers] doesn't happen again. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Vast areas of Australias Great Barrier Reef, the worlds biggest coral system, have been affected by mass coral bleaching caused by a marine heatwave. Surveys have shown major bleaching is occurring along the 2,300-kilometer ecosystem. Bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef was detected weeks ago, but recent aerial surveillance carried out by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Institute of Marine Science revealed that 75 percent of 1,001 reefs inspected contain bleached corals. This means the organisms residing on them are struggling to survive. A quarter of individual reefs surveyed recorded low to no levels of bleaching, while half had high or very high levels. The authority that manages the reef confirmed widespread bleaching across all three regions of the marine park its north, south and central sectors. It said, Sea surface temperatures remain 0.5-1.5 degrees above average for this time of year. Scientists say that corals bleach, or turn white, when they are stressed by changes in water temperature, light, or nutrients. In response, the coral expels the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, exposing their white skeleton. Not all bleaching incidents are due to warm water, but experts say the mass bleaching reported on Australias Great Barrier Reef is caused by a marine heatwave. The coral will expel their micro algae and so when you see a bleached coral it is not dead, but it is starving," said Lissa Schindler, Great Barrier Reef campaign manager at the Australian Marine Conservation Society. She told VOA that bleaching makes corals fragile and weak. "If they do recover, they will be more prone to disease and have a lower reproductive output. What happens, though, if temperatures are too hot for too long then the coral cannot survive and then that is when it dies, she said. Schindler says that reefs around the world are becoming more vulnerable to bleaching due to the impact of climate change. We do not know how long our oceans can continue to absorb the amount of heat that they are, and I think these mass bleaching events that are occurring around the world are showing that this heat absorption is having a real impact on coral reefs and will continue to do so," she said. "So, with climate change there will be more severe and more frequent mass bleaching events to come to the point where coral reefs will not be able to recover in between these events. The Great Barrier Reef runs 2,300 kilometers down Australias northeastern coast and covers an area about the size of Japan. Conservationists say it faces a range of threats, including warmer ocean temperatures, overfishing, pollution and coral-eating crown of thorns starfish. The Australian government has a target to cut national emissions by 43 percent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. A motorcycle bomb killed two people and wounded five in Pakistan's southwest, a police official said Sunday. It's the latest unrest to hit Baluchistan province, where militants have tried to target a naval facility and a government building in recent weeks. Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's blast in Khuzdar, which is on the main highway connecting the provincial capital Quetta with the port city of Karachi in neighboring Sindh province. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Arif Zarkon said a woman and two police officers were among the wounded. For years, Baluchistan has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by groups demanding independence from the central government in Islamabad. Although the government says it has quelled the insurgency, violence in the province has persisted. Last Saturday, an improvised explosive device killed one person and wounded 14, including three soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday an undisclosed date for a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah has been set, while the Hamas militant group considered the latest proposal for a cease-fire and hostage-release deal. "Today, I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo, the Israeli leader said in Jerusalem. We are constantly working to achieve our goals, first and foremost the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas. "This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen. There is a date," he said. The U.S. immediately rebuked Netanyahu. A Pentagon spokeswoman said, "We've been very clear that we don't support operations into Rafah." "We want to see a credible plan for how they would conduct any operations there" given "substantial" humanitarian concerns about more than a million Palestinian civilians sheltering there, said deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh. We have not seen their official plan put forward." Cease-fire talks in Cairo over the weekend included U.S. Central Intelligence Agency chief William Burns, along with Israeli, Hamas and Qatari officials. The White House characterized the negotiations as serious. "Where we are now is that a proposal has been presented to Hamas, and we are waiting on Hamas' response," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. "Now, it's going to be up to Hamas to come through." Kirby declined to discuss the specifics of the proposed deal, adding "that would be one of the surest ways to torpedo that." The back-and-forth of negotiations over a cease-fire and hostage release coupled with the threat of extended warfare came days after U.S. President Joe Biden warned Netanyahu of the possibility of a change in U.S. support for the Israeli war effort. Biden demanded that Israel immediately allow more humanitarian aid into the beleaguered war zone to assist famished Palestinians and empower its negotiators to reach an immediate cease-fire. Bidens demands came after an Israeli airstrike killed seven international aid workers trying to deliver food to Gaza. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin further enforced the message in a phone call Monday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Pentagon said. Austin discussed the need to dramatically increase humanitarian assistance delivery to Gaza, as well as the Israeli militarys investigation into the strike that killed the workers from aid group World Central Kitchen. Minister Gallant provided details about the IDF's withdrawal from portions of Gaza and the future of Israel's campaign against Hamas, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement. Secretary Austin voiced his commitment to supporting the unconditional return of all hostages and expressed hope that ongoing negotiations would produce a pause in hostilities. Kirby said that on Sunday, "We saw more than 300 [humanitarian aid] trucks enter Gaza, and that's progress. But obviously, we need to see this number increase, and we need to see it sustained to really address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza." Israeli officials are also due to visit the White House in coming days to hear U.S. concerns over the possible Israeli offensive on Rafah. "We don't support a major ground operation in Rafah," Kirby said. We also don't see any sign that such a major ground operation is imminent, or that these troops [moved out of Khan Younis] are being repositioned for that kind of a ground operation." Hamas is believed to still be holding about 100 hostages in Gaza, among the 250 or so it captured in its shock October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people. As of mid-February, 112 hostages had been freed, most during a weeklong cease-fire in November, while 36 more are believed to have died or been killed in Gaza during the six months of fighting. Gazas Hamas-run Health Ministry says Israels counteroffensive has killed more than 33,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children. The Israeli military says the total includes thousands of militants it has killed. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Nigeria's former central bank governor on Monday pleaded not guilty to fresh charges brought against him by the country's anti-corruption body, The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, last week filed 26 charges accusing Godwin Emefiele of corrupt practices and misuse of authority while in office. Emefiele appeared before the Lagos State High Court on Monday with a co-defendant, Henry Omoile. In its suit filed April 3, the EFCC said Emefiele violated Nigerias corrupt practices act by receiving bribes and gifts and acquiring property through fraud. The EFCC also accused Emefiele of arbitrarily allocating $2 billion dollars in foreign exchange without bids or due process and conferring undue advantage to his associates. Emefiele and Omoile both pleaded not guilty to the charges. But the court remanded Emefiele into custody until Thursday, when a verdict on his bail application is expected. Emefiele's legal counsel was not immediately available to comment on the new charges. But public affairs analyst Chris Kwaja said, "On the strength of the allegations, if he's found wanting them, he'll face justice as required by the laws of the land. For every individual that has been given the mandate to occupy public office, that mandate is a product of trust. This case represents that. The only thing for me is that in pursuit of accountability, the Nigerian state must be conscious of the right of every individual." Former President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Emefiele as CBN governor in 2014, and he served until last year. He was arrested in June, days after President Bola Tinubu took office. Last year, the former Central Bank governor faced charges in another court in Abuja, for illegally awarding contracts and violating Nigerias procurement laws charges that he denied. Eze Onyekpere, founder of the Center for Social Justice, wondered whether the government was looking for a scapegoat. "I'm getting a bit worried, because we've seen this happen before in previous administrations," Onyekpere said. "Let it not appear to be looking for a fall guy, somebody that could easily be shaken off ... and trying to provide excuses for their inability to manage the economy very well. It's beginning to look a little bit not based on empirical legal evidence." Emefiele withdrew from a possible presidential bid in 2022. Last July, Tinubu hired a special investigator to scrutinize the operations of the Central Bank under Emefiele. On Friday, the investigator said his work was complete, but his report has not been released. Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday called on China to talk to prevent more incidents like ramming vessels and the use of water cannons in the South China Sea. The Philippines continues to talk with China, and is exhausting all options to speak to Chinese leadership so as not to heat up tensions in the waterway, Marcos said. He added he hopes the recently concluded joint maritime activity with Japan, Australia, and the United States will reduce incidents at sea with China. Defense forces of the four nations on Sunday conducted a "maritime cooperative activity" involving five warships in the South China Sea. Later this week, leaders of Japan, the United States and the Philippines will hold a summit in Washington to discuss issues like recent incidents in the South China Sea. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Protesters in southern Mexico set the state government building afire Monday and torched at least a dozen cars in the parking lot. The protests occurred in the violence-wracked city of Chilpancingo, the capital of the Pacific coast state of Guerrero. The protesters are demanding answers in the case of 43 students at a rural teachers college who disappeared in 2014. Another student from that college was killed in a confrontation with police in March. The Guerrero state government said in a statement that it regrets and condemns the violent acts. The government noted the state interior secretary had resigned following the March confrontation with students. The police officers involved are under investigation in the death. Images of the protests showed at least a dozen vehicles engulfed in fire and flames shooting out of the windows of the state office building, which is near the main highway leading from Mexico City to Acapulco. The building, which houses the governor's office, was ransacked. Students at the radical Ayotzinapa teachers college, located on the outskirts of Chilpancingo, are known for their violent protests, which often involve hijacking buses and delivery trucks. In March, protesters allied with the college commandeered a pickup truck and used it to ram down the wooden doors of Mexico Citys National Palace. They battered down the doors and entered the colonial-era palace, where the president lives and holds his daily news briefings, before they were driven off by security agents. The palace is a historic structure dating back to the 1700s and was built on the site of the Aztec emperors palace. The demonstration, like many others over the years, was called to protest the abduction and murder of 43 students a decade ago. The mass disappearance remains one of Mexicos most infamous human rights cases. In 2014, a group of students were attacked by municipal police in the southern city of Iguala, Guerrero, who handed them over to a local drug gang that apparently killed them and burned their bodies. Since the September 26 attack, only three of their remains have been identified. After an initial cover up, last year a government truth commission concluded that local, state and federal authorities colluded with the gang to murder the students in what it called a state crime. The under-funded radical rural teachers colleges in Mexico have a decades-long tradition of violent protests. In fact, when they were abducted, the students themselves had been hijacking passenger buses which they were going to use to travel to another protest. Chinese migrants coming across the southern U.S. border say they made the treacherous journey to flee Chinas authoritarian rule, to seek the American dream or escape growing political and economic uncertainty at home. But the challenges do not end after they arrive, and some are deciding to return to China, while others have no choice. Last April, Xia Yu arrived in the United States after traveling through more than 10 countries over a period of two months. Xia, a Chinese man in his 40s, asked to use a pseudonym so he could speak more freely with VOA Mandarin about his journey. On his way to the U.S. border, he says, all his property was stolen, and his American dream did not come true: In immigration custody, he failed to pass the "credible fear interview for asylum-seekers. 2023 surge According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, 52,700 Chinese immigrants were encountered by immigration officials nationwide. About half of them were encountered somewhere along the southern U.S. border where they were apprehended by Border Protection agents and sought asylum. Individuals who pass the screening and establish that they have a credible reason to fear torture, persecution, or returning to their country are allowed to stay in the U.S. to pursue their cases in immigration court. Xia remained in the detention facility in the U.S. for months as he was processed for deportation, eventually landing at Shanghai Pudong Airport last August. Entering Chinese customs, he was fined $71 and had to sign a document admitting his crime of being deported after illegally entering another country. His passport was confiscated, and he was notified that he would be barred from leaving the country for three years. The public security bureau in his hometown also questioned him about whom he encountered while on U.S. soil. "They asked me to delete my foreign social media apps and foreign contacts, he told VOA. Then they told me not to contact these people because I would be deceived." Xia said he thinks his WeChat account is being monitored to prevent him from inciting others to emigrate illegally. He said spending tens of thousands of dollars without even staying in the U.S. is nothing to brag about, and that hed rather not mention his experience again. 'A full life at home At 33, Wang Zhongwei from Chinas Anhui Province now lives in Los Angeles, where has become a vocal advocate for immigrants since entering the United States in May. Many Chinese who have crossed the border or are attempting to do so reach out to him for advice. Wang tells VOA Mandarin that while most who make the journey across the border stay, there are those who return because of loneliness, deceit, or family pressure. Wang's friend, Liu Ming, from Sichuan Province, came to the United States in the second half of 2023. Liu, 31, first stayed in Los Angeles for a month or two and then moved to New York to find work. After a long wait, he found a job working for a Chinese boss, but the pay wasnt good. In January, Liu's boss refused to pay him, so he had no choice but to call the police. After receiving his salary the following day, Liu immediately went to the airport, messaging Wang: "I'm at the airport now and about to go back to China. I don't like it here. See you again if destiny has it." In March, when Wang contacted him again, he found that Liu had used the self-service kiosk when entering China and wasnt even interviewed by government staff. Within months, Liu had returned to a life in China much as he knew it before. "I am now working in a restaurant in my hometown. I work eight hours and the food is super good, he told Wang via WhatsApp. "I used to work 12 hours non-stop in a restaurant in the U.S., [where] I was bored and lonely ... but I live a full life at home. At one point, when he got sick in the U.S., he worried about dying in a foreign land. He also complained about not being able to meet women there. "I don't regret the trip to the U.S., Liu continued, allowing, however, that on getting sick hed worried about dying in a foreign land, and that hed found it difficult to meet women. What I saw in real life was different from what I saw online, he concluded. There are both good and bad things in America." Room for regret Zhang Lin, who is in his 30s and asked to use an alias to protect his privacy, describes himself as a person of double regrets. He first regretted coming to the United States, and now he regrets returning to China. Crossing the U.S. border, Zhang found a job as a massage therapist in Los Angeles because he had the training. There, he made about $150 a day, a substantial wage for an undocumented immigrant. But after only a month he returned to China, where he now runs a foot spa in his hometown. "There were so many things I wasn't used to in the U.S., and I was lonely," he said. "I felt very homesick, so I came back impulsively." When he went to the U.S., Zhang said, hed hoped to make a lot of money and make his family the envy of his hometown neighbors. But now, after returning to China, where he faced a 12-hour interrogation at customs but faced no penalties, he says he regrets his impulsive decision to return. Life in my hometown is really hopeless," Zhang said, adding that he hopes to go to the U.S. illegally again. "When you go out, you realize that the outside world is different. Your mind is opened up. Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report. Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect more precise language. At least 20 people were killed in clashes Sunday in Syria's Daraa governate a day after an explosion killed a group of children, a rights monitor said. Daraa was the cradle of the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad but it returned to government control in 2018 under a cease-fire deal backed by Russia. The southern province has since been plagued by unrest. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said Ahmed al-Labbad, who "leads an armed group," was accused by a rival group of planting an explosive device that killed eight children Saturday in the city of Al-Sanamayn. Labbad, who previously worked for a state security agency, denied involvement, according to the Britain-based monitor. On Sunday, a rival armed group led by an individual who previously belonged to Islamic State (IS) and is now "affiliated with military intelligence," entered Al-Sanamayn and clashes erupted, the monitor said. The attackers burned the homes of the Labbad family and killed people living there, it added. Among the 20 dead were three members of Labbad's family and 14 of his fighters, the observatory said. Syrian state media did not immediately report the clashes. The official SANA news agency quoted police as saying seven children died in Saturday's explosion in the town, which it blamed on "terrorists." Attacks, armed clashes and assassinations, some claimed by IS, regularly occur in Daraa. In January, the observatory said a local leader and seven members of an IS-affiliated militia were killed in clashes with local groups. More than 500,000 people have died in Syria's civil war since it erupted in 2011. Millions have been displaced. Sudanese paramilitary forces have killed at least 28 people in an attack on a village south of the capital Khartoum, a local doctors' committee said Sunday. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a "massacre" in "the village of Um Adam" 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of the city Saturday, the Sudan Doctors Committee said in a statement. Sudan's war between the military, under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, began last April 15. Many thousands of people have been killed, including up to 15,000 in a single town in the war-ravaged Darfur region, according to United Nations experts. The war has also displaced more than 8.5 million people, practically destroyed Sudan's already fragile infrastructure and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Saturday's attack "resulted in the killing (of) at least 28 innocent villagers and more than 240 people wounded," the committee said. It added that "there are a number of dead and wounded in the village that we were not able to count" due to the fighting and difficulty in reaching health facilities. A local activists' committee had given a toll of 25 earlier in the day. A medical source at the Manaqil hospital, 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) away, confirmed to AFP that they had "received 200 wounded, some of whom arrived too late." "We're facing a shortage of blood, and we don't have enough medical personnel," he added. More than 70 percent of Sudan's health facilities are out of service, according to the U.N., while those remaining receive many times their capacity and have meager resources. Both sides in the conflict have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas and looting and obstructing aid. Since taking over Al-Jazira state just south of Khartoum in December, the RSF has laid siege to and attacked entire villages such as Um Adam. By March, at least 108 villages and settlements across the country had been set on fire and "partially or completely destroyed," the U.K.-based Center for Information Resilience has found. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beijing on Monday to highlight diplomatic ties and to discuss the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region. The meeting between Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, comes as the two countries align on several issues and have increasingly been in disputes with democracies and NATO members. Lavrovs visit will last until Tuesday and coincides with the end of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens four days of talks in Beijing to speak with Chinese officials about economic issues. Yellen said of her trip that she had difficult conversations about national security, including U.S. concerns that Chinese companies have been supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, China continues to provide materials to support Russias defense industrial base. Despite maintaining robust economic ties with Russia, China has asserted that it has not been providing arms or military assistance to Russia. On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China has an objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue. She added that China is not a creator or party to the Ukraine crisis, and we have not and will not do anything to profit from it. Just weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a no limits agreement on the countries relationship with each other. Since the agreement, China has supported Russias rhetoric surrounding the invasion, agreeing that Western forces provoked the conflict. However, Beijing is formally urging peace talks to end the conflict. Mao said Monday that Beijing would continue to promote peace talks in our own way [and] maintain communication with relevant parties including Russia and Ukraine. She added that relevant countries should not smear and attack the normal state-to-state relations between China and Russia let alone shift the blame onto China and provoke bloc confrontation, apparently referring to the United States. Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Russia has faced scores of sanctions, largely isolating the country from the Western world. As a result, diplomatic and economic ties between Moscow and Beijing have strengthened, making Russia Chinas fastest-growing trade partner. In addition to economic cooperation, the two countries have also increased strategic cooperation, holding military drills together and aiming to exert influence on developing nations through a variety of initiatives. Last month, Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong said Beijings ties with Moscow were at their best in history. Some information in this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Spain's government said Monday it plans to scrap so-called golden visas" that allow wealthy people from outside the European Union to obtain residency permits on investing more than half a million euros (dollars) in real estate. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his minority coalition government would study the reform in the weekly Cabinet meeting Tuesday. Speaking Monday, Sanchez said the reform was part of the government's push to make housing a right, not a speculative business. The government says some 10,000 such visas have been issued since the measure was brought into law in 2013 by a previous right-wing Popular Party government as a means to attract foreign investors. Golden visas are strongly criticized for spurring property price hikes and speculation in the housing sector. Soaring house prices have long been a major problem for many Spaniards, particularly in the countrys major cities. French and British troops on Monday swapped roles to take part in the changing of the guard ceremonies outside the palaces of the other country's head of state, in an unprecedented move to celebrate 120 years since the Entente Cordiale. Signed in 1904, the Entente Cordiale accord cemented an improvement in relations after the Napoleonic Wars and is seen as the foundation of the two NATO members' alliance to this day. "Even after Brexit and with war back in Europe, "this entente cordiale is somehow the cornerstone... that allows us to maintain the bilateral relationship," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video address on X, formerly Twitter. "Long live the entente cordiale and long live the Franco-British friendship," he said, switching to English. Macron and British ambassador to France Menna Rawlings on Monday morning watched British guards taking part in the changing of the guard outside his Elysee Palace. French guards were to do the same in London outside Buckingham Palace, the official residence of King Charles III. At the Elysee, 16 members of the Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards of the UK embassy, wearing their traditional bearskin hats, relieved French counterparts from the first infantry regiment. The French army choir then sang the two national anthems -- God Save the King and La Marseillaise. 'More to defeat Russia' British Foreign Minister David Cameron and his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, celebrated their countries' "close friendship" in a joint op-ed published late on Sunday. They said it was key at a time when NATO is mobilized to ensure Ukraine does not lose its fight to repel the Russian invasion. "Britain and France, two founding members and Europe's nuclear powers, have a responsibility in driving the alliance to deal with the challenges before it," the diplomats wrote in Britain's The Telegraph newspaper. "We must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. The world is watching - and will judge us if we fail." A French presidential official said it was "the first time in the history of the Elysee" that foreign troops had been invited to participate in the military ritual. At the end of 2023, Macron made the changing of the Republican Guard public again, on the first Tuesday of each month, although the ceremony is much less spectacular than its counterpart outside Buckingham Palace. Two sections of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiment of France's Republican Guard were to participate in the London ceremony alongside guards from F Company Scots Guards and other British forces, the French presidential official said. It would be watched by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh -- Prince Edward and his wife Sophie -- accompanied by the UK chief of the general staff, General Patrick Sanders, and French chief of the army staff Pierre Schill. The event on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace was to mark the first time a country from outside the Commonwealth -- which mostly includes English-speaking former British colonies and possessions -- has taken part in the changing of the guard. Tensions after Brexit The signing of the Entente Cordiale on April 8, 1904, is widely seen as preparing the way for France and Britain joining forces against Germany in World War I. While the accord is often used as shorthand to describe the Franco-British relationship, ties have been bedeviled by tensions in recent years, particularly since the United Kingdom left the European Union. Migration has been a particular sticking point, with London pressuring Paris to halt the flow of migrants across the Channel. But a state visit by King Charles last autumn -- one of his last big foreign engagements before his cancer diagnosis -- was widely seen as a resounding success that showed the fundamental strength of the relationship. A New York appeals court judge Monday rejected Donald Trump's bid to delay his hush money criminal trial, set to start April 15, while he fights to move the case out of Manhattan. Justice Lizbeth Gonzalez of the states midlevel appeals court made her ruling after an emergency hearing where Trump's attorneys asked to postpone the trial indefinitely while they seek a change of venue. Trump was seeking an emergency stay, a court order that would prevent the trial from starting on time. The hush money trial is the first of Trump's four criminal indictments slated to go to trial and would be the first criminal trial ever of a former president. Trump attorney Emil Bove argued that the presumptive Republican nominee faces real potential prejudice as a defendant in heavily Democratic Manhattan. Citing defense surveys and a review of media coverage, Bove argued that jury selection cannot proceed in a fair manner. Trump has suggested on social media that the trial should be moved to Staten Island, the only New York City borough he won in 2016 and 2020. Steven Wu, appellate chief for the Manhattan district attorney's office, noted that trial Judge Juan M. Merchan had already rejected Trump's requests to move or delay the trial as untimely. The question in this case is not whether a random poll of New Yorkers from whatever neighborhood are able to be impartial, its about whether a trial court is able to select a jury of 12 impartial jurors, Wu said. He blamed Trump for stoking pretrial publicity with "countless media appearances talking about the facts of this case, the witnesses and so on. In a separate appellate matter, Trump's lawyers are also challenging a gag order imposed on him in the case, which Merchan recently expanded to prohibit Trump from making comments about the judges family. The appeals court signaled it would take up that matter later. Paperwork relating to Trump's appeals was placed under seal and not publicly available. Trump had pledged to appeal after Merchan ruled last month that the trial would begin April 15. His lawyers had pleaded to delay the trial at least until summer to give them more time to review late-arriving evidence from a prior federal investigation into the matter. Merchan, who had already moved the trial from its original March 25 start date because of the evidence issue, said no further delays were warranted. Trump's attorneys filed their appeals Monday on two separate court dockets. One was styled as a lawsuit against Merchan, a legal mechanism allowing them to challenge his rulings. In New York, judges can be sued over some judicial decisions under a state law known as Article 78. Trump has used the tactic before, including against the judge in his civil fraud case in an unsuccessful last-minute bid to delay that case last fall. In this case, he is accused of falsifying his companys records to hide the nature of payments to his former attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, who helped him bury negative stories during his 2016 campaign. Cohens activities included paying porn actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to suppress her claims of an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump years earlier. Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels. His lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses. Trump's move Monday was the latest escalation in his battles with Merchan. Trump assailed the judge on social media after he imposed a gag order last month barring Trump from making public statements about jurors, witnesses and others connected the case. After Trump's complaints, Merchan expanded the gag order to include members of his own family. Last week, Trump renewed his request for the judge to step aside from the case, citing Merchan's daughter's work as the head of a firm whose clients have included his rival, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats. The former president alleges the judge is biased against him and has a conflict of interest because of his daughters work. The judge rejected a similar request last August. Trump has also made numerous other attempts to get the trial postponed, echoing a strategy he's deployed in his other criminal cases. We want delays, Trump proclaimed to TV cameras outside a February pretrial hearing in his hush money case. Merchan last week rejected his request to delay the trial until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on presidential immunity claims he raised in another of his criminal cases. Trump also filed an eve-of-trial lawsuit against the judge in his New York civil fraud case, accusing the jurist of repeatedly abusing his authority. Among other issues, Trumps lawyers in that case complained that Judge Arthur Engoron had refused their request to delay the trial. Their suit was filed about three weeks before the trial was slated to begin. A state appeals court rejected Trumps claims, and the trial started as scheduled October 2. During the civil trial, Trump sued Engoron again, this time over a gag order hed issued after Trump smeared the judges principal law clerk in a social media post. The gag order barred parties in the case and, later, their lawyers as well from commenting publicly on court staffers, though not on the judge himself. A sole appeals judge lifted the gag order, but a four-judge appellate panel ultimately restored it two weeks later. The panel said Trumps lawyers should have followed a normal appeals process instead of suing the judge. Trumps attorneys said they had been trying to move quickly. Engoron, who decided that case without a jury, ruled that Trump, his company and key executives defrauded bankers and insurers by overstating his wealth in documents used to get loans and coverage. Trump denied any wrongdoing and is appealing the finding and over $454 million in penalties and interest. Russia and Ukraine continue to trade blame over Sundays drone attacks on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear station, which injured three people, one of them seriously. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Monday called the attacks a serious incident that cannot happen again. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday called the attacks a very dangerous provocation and pinned the blame on Ukraine. Kyiv dismissed as false Russias claims that Ukraine was behind the attacks. Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov said Monday on the social media platform X that his country had requested an emergency meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors over what Russia alleges were Ukrainian attacks on the power plant. The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, said Russian authorities are looking to use Russias physical control over the [plant] to force international organizations, including the IAEA, to meet with Russian occupation officials to legitimize Russias occupation of the [plant] and by extension, Russias occupation of sovereign Ukrainian land. An official of the Ukrainian atomic energy company Energoatom told The Associated Press that Russia orchestrated the attack and then slandered Ukraine for it. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. This is not the first time the two enemies have traded accusations over attacks on the plant, Europes largest nuclear power station. The IAEA said its experts had confirmed three drone attacks on Sunday but did not apportion blame. But they acknowledged that Russian troops engaged an approaching drone on Sunday before an explosion near a reactor building. The proximity of the facility near combat zones is making it vulnerable to attacks by both sides, risking a possible nuclear disaster. Sundays attack caused some superficial damage on the top of the reactors dome. In a post Monday on X, Grossi called the attack a serious incident, adding that further such attacks could undermine the integrity of the reactors containment system. The IAEA chief said the main reactor containment structures took at least three direct hits. This cannot happen, he said. Grossi warned both sides that striking the plant could eventually "jeopardize nuclear safety." Russian attacks across Ukraine In the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporizhzhia, Russian strikes on Monday killed three people and injured at least eight more, the regions Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Separately, authorities reported that four guided bombs had hit the town of Bilopillia in the northern Sumy region, killing one woman and injuring at least three more people. The attack damaged shops and a city council building, the regional administration said. Eighty percent of Ukraine's conventional power plants and half its hydroelectric plants have been hit by Russia in recent weeks. "This is the largest attack on Ukraine's energy sector" since the war began, Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko told reporters Monday, adding that "the scale and impact of these attacks is much greater" than earlier attacks over the winter from 2022 to 2023 when millions were left without electricity and heating in freezing temperatures. "We see that Russians modified the weapons," the minister said. He added that they now use Iranian-style explosive drones and missiles that cause more damage. Before Russia's invasion, Ukraine's power generation was evenly balanced between coal, natural gas and nuclear energy, with a smaller percentage of hydroelectric. Ukraines military said Monday it shot down 17 Russian drones and a Russian guided missile that were involved in overnight attacks targeting multiple Ukrainian regions. The Ukrainian air force said Russia attacked with 24 drones overall. The 17 intercepted drones were destroyed over the Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr regions, the air force said. Oleh Kiper, the regional governor in Odesa, said four of the drones were destroyed over the southern region, but that the attack damaged a logistics and transportation facility, as well as a gas station. Kiper said there were no reported casualties. The latest Russian aerial attacks came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the need for allies to summon the political will to provide Ukraine with air defense systems. It is quite obvious that the air defense capabilities available to us in Ukraine are not enough, and this is obvious to all our partners, as well, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Sunday. And the world must finally hear the pain that Russian terrorists are inflicting on Kharkiv, on Kupiansk, on cities in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy regions and many other Ukrainian communities. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Two senior U.N. officials are wrapping up their visit to Zambia to assess the countrys worst drought in 20 years, which affected some 8 million people and left at least 6 million at risk of food insecurity. The officials say communities affected by the drought need immediate humanitarian aid and food assistance. Reena Ghelani, the U.N. assistant secretary-general, and climate crisis coordinator for the El Nino and La Nina response, and Eva Kadilli, UNICEF regional director for eastern and southern Africa, called for international solidarity to support the humanitarian response during their visit to Zambia. Speaking in Lusaka Sunday, Ghelani said the country received less than normal rainfall, leaving hundreds of thousands of hectares of maize destroyed. This accounted for more than half of the country's cultivation of maize, which is a staple food in Zambia. That means theres not going to be food on the table for many families, and they are not going to be able to purchase, she said. So we need to respond swiftly with assistance today. This might become the new normal so we need to prepare, as the president has said, for the future. The U.N. representatives met with government and local partners involved in ongoing efforts to address both the drought and a historic cholera outbreak that claimed more than 700 lives. The U.N. officials also heard from communities and NGOs working on the frontlines of the humanitarian crisis. Eva Kadilli, UNICEF regional director for eastern and southern Africa, told VOA that about 3 million of the people in need are children. She said those most vulnerable to the impact of a climate crisis are children, specifically those under 5. They were also impacted by COVID and cholera, she said. Now to drought this has a huge toll on children, on communities and families but also mothers, pregnant women lactating women as well, young adolescent girls, she said. Felesia Manico, a small-scale farmer in Chongwe near the capital Lusaka, told VOA that the drought has been a nightmare as she lost hundreds of hectares of crops such as maize and various vegetables. Our fields dried up one month in we couldnt get anything from all the inputs that we put in, she said. We invested quite a bit in seed and labor and also fertilizer and all the other requirements that come with farming. Another small-scale farmer, Sam Tembo, said he has lost all 40 hectares of maize field to the drought. He borrowed $5,000 from the bank. All my crops are gone and now I cannot afford any meals, he said. Already I have lost money investing in the crops but nothing came out. I dont know how I am going to feed the children as it is. Worsened by climate change and the El Nino weather pattern, the crisis threatens national food security as well as water and energy supply, Zambias President Hakainde Hichilema said recently. Zambia is highly dependent on hydroelectric power as experts warn that the drought consequences could last until early 2025. The U.N. mission follows a recent declaration by Hichilema of a state of emergency and national disaster, as 84 of the countrys 116 districts are affected by the prolonged drought. The crisis could have regional implications as Zambia is a major maize exporter in the region. The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi says it has received information about threats to multiple locations in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. One of the locations identified as a possible target for the threat is the citys main airport, the Aden Adde International Airport, which also serves as a base for the African Union mission in Somalia and multiple embassies, including the United States and other Western countries. All movements of U.S. Embassy personnel have been canceled for Tuesday, April 9, 2024, the security alert said. The alert added, The U.S. Department of State level-four travel advisory (do not travel) for Somalia remains in effect due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health issues, kidnapping, and piracy. U.S. citizens have been urged to take several measures including reviewing their personal security plans and avoiding large crowds, gatherings and demonstrations, among other steps, to ensure their safety. The United States did not specify where the threat is coming from, but the al-Shabab militant group has been carrying out attacks against the Somali government, African Union forces and other nations supporting Somalia. One of the installations that al-Shabab penetrated multiple times in the past has been the airport in Mogadishu. In March 2022, al-Shabab gunmen managed to enter a section of the airport, killing a number of people including foreigners. In February 2016, an al-Shabab member carrying a laptop bomb boarded a flight and attempted to bring it down. He was the only one killed after the explosion ejected him from the plane during the flight. Meanwhile, the Somali government Monday said that an airstrike killed more than 50 al-Shabab militants near the town of Harardhere in Galmudug state. The state-controlled Somali National News Agency said the operation was conducted in collaboration with international partners. VOA has not independently verified the casualty figure given by the government. The development comes as Somalia prepares for the withdrawal of troops from the African Union Transition Mission, or ATMIS, by the end of this year. And as the ATMIS drawdown continues, the Somali government has requested that the AU lead a multinational force that will replace the current ATMIS mission. The new multinational mission will operate in Somalia for one year from January 2025. In a statement, the AU Peace and Security Council said it welcomes the proposal by the federal government of Somalia for a post-ATMIS security arrangement in Somalia. Somali officials declined to give further details about the composition of the troops and which countries will be contributing. But in an interview with VOA Somali in February, the national security adviser to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Hussein Sheikh-Ali, said the mission will consist of "lean multinational forces" tasked with protecting key areas and infrastructure. The Vatican on Monday reaffirmed its opposition to sex changes, gender theory and surrogate parenthood, as well as abortion and euthanasia, four months after supporting blessings for same-sex couples. The Vatican's doctrinal office (DDF) released the "Dignitas infinita" (Infinite dignity) declaration following fierce conservative pushback, especially in Africa, against its document on LGBT issues. There is no suggestion that the new text, which describes what the Church perceives as threats to human dignity, was prepared in direct response to the rows over same-sex blessings, as it has been five years in the making. But it has undergone extensive revisions over the period. Pope Francis approved it after requesting that it also mention "poverty, the situation of migrants, violence against women, human trafficking, war, and other themes," the head of the DDF, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, said in a statement. The declaration said surrogate parenting violated the dignity of both the surrogate mother and the child, and recalled that Francis in January called it "despicable" and urged a global ban. On gender theory, the declaration said that "desiring a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes, apart from this fundamental truth that human life is a gift, amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God, entering into competition with the true God of love revealed to us in the Gospel." Gender theory, often called gender ideology by its detractors, suggests that gender is more complex and fluid than the binary categories of male and female, and depends on more than visible sexual characteristics. On changes of gender, the declaration said that "any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception." It acknowledged that some people may undergo surgery to resolve "genital abnormalities", but stressed that "such a medical procedure would not constitute a sex change in the sense intended here." At the same time, the text also denounced as contrary to human dignity the fact that "in some places, not a few people are imprisoned, tortured, and even deprived of the good of life solely because of their sexual orientation." Elsewhere, the declaration doubled down on the Vatican's standing condemnation of abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty, quoting from Francis, his predecessors Benedict XVI and John Paul II and past Vatican documents. It also mentioned sexual abuse as a threat to human dignity calling it "widespread in society", including within the Catholic Church as well as violence against women, cyberbullying and other forms of online abuse. Houthi forces in Yemen said on Sunday they had launched rockets and drones at British, U.S. and Israeli ships, the latest in a campaign of attacks on shipping in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war. The Iran-aligned group said it had targeted a British ship and a number of U.S. frigates in the Red Sea, while in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean it had attacked two Israeli vessels heading to Israeli ports. The operations took place during the last 72 hours, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement, without providing further details of the attacks. Britain and the United States have also been launching retaliatory strikes against the Houthis. U.S. forces destroyed a mobile surface-to-air missile system in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen Saturday, the U.S. Central Command said. U.S. forces also shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle over the Red Sea, its statement said, adding that a coalition vessel also detected, engaged and destroyed one inbound anti-ship missile. No injuries or damage were reported. Earlier, British security firm Ambrey said it had received information indicating that a vessel was attacked on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden about 102 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla in Yemen. "Vessels in the vicinity were advised to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity," the firm said. It did not say who was responsible for the attack or give further details. Separately, a missile landed near a vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday but there was no damage to the ship or injuries to crew in the incident, 59 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said. "The Master of the vessel reports a missile impacted the water in close proximity to the vessel's port quarter," UKMTO said in an advisory note. "No damage to the vessel reported and crew reported safe," it added. It did not say who fired the missile or give further details. It was not immediately clear if the attacks reported by the British agencies were the same as the latest incidents claimed by the Houthis. Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping through the Suez Canal, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. The United States and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Photo: Nate Jones In the town where I grew up, there was a farm that purported to feature the biggest pig in the world. It was the size of a small minivan, and few had ever seen it awake. I often wonder what happened to that pig, but now I may have an answer: He donated his body to become lunch for the actor David Krumholtz. Even the luckiest actors have lean years amid the fat, but on the Monday after the Oscars, Krumholtz is enjoying a period of abundance. Oppenheimer, in which he plays the menschy physicist Isidor Rabi, cleaned up the night before, winning seven trophies including Best Picture. A few weeks later, Lousy Carter, an indie comedy where the actor stars as a dyspeptic literature professor, will hit theaters. (The New York Times calls it repellently watchable.) You spend a lot of awards seasons watching from your couch, thinking, Those sons of bitches. When am I going to get my chance?, Krumholtz says. And then it happens, and its almost too much. I dont know if I prefer the couch. Today Krumholtz is clad in a Knicks hat and Mario mustache; the latter for a role, the former because hes from Queens. He is also starving. I barely ate last night, he says. You run around like a nutcase. Were at the Formosa Cafe on Santa Monica Boulevard, a landmark Chinese restaurant that dates back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Sinatra drank here, as did Bogey, Elvis, and John Wayne. The plan was to commemorate Oppenheimers big night by communing with the ghosts of Los Angeles past, but fate has a more literal metaphor in store. They say that when you ask for what you want, the universe provides. Sometimes it provides too much. Krumholtz eschews the $24 lunchbox deal Im going to get whatever the fuck I want in favor of the spicy wok-fried rice with chicken and the Chinese barbecue pork. This proves a mistake. The rice arrives on a platter the size of a vinyl record, piled high in portions that recall Scarface. The pork can trace its origins to some prehistoric behemoth. Its bigger than either of our heads, lacquered to a deep mahogany. In loyal attendance are a half-dozen bao buns and a heaping bowl of salad. It is the Oppenheimer of food orders: a gargantuan artistic feat that requires special technology (in this case a second table) to be properly exhibited. Oh God almighty, what did I do? Krumholtz says. People die of drug overdoses, and friends become wildly famous, and theres missed opportunities. It was a really hard time. Krumholtz has often had a lot on his plate. He entered show business as a child actor, usually playing some form of nerd: a nerdy camper in Addams Family Values, a nerd who recited Shakespeare in 10 Things I Hate About You, a former nerd whod grown up and gotten cool in Freaks and Geeks. (He was also Bernard the Elf, a seasoned professional, in the Santa Clause movies.) Then suddenly, in the 2000s, nerds werent just cool; they were hot. In 2005, Krumholtz landed a starring role in CBSs Numb3rs, where he pouted his way through six seasons as a hunky mathematician. The show was canceled in 2010. A year later, he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. When his thyroid was removed, I just ballooned, he says. He wasnt one of those actors who dreamed of staying sexy forever Thatd be gross but the scourge of before-and-after shots did make him wish hed never been hot in the first place. Now in his 40s, Krumholtz has become a character actor. You might have seen him as a member of an underground communist cell in Hail, Caesar!, or as a porno director who shows Maggie Gyllenhaal the ropes in The Deuce. His greatest asset may be his eyes: When he turns them on, his hangdog expression exudes wry humor and a surprising warmth. In Oppenheimer, Krumholtzs Rabi functions as the audience surrogate. Hes the heros trusted confidant, providing an earthiness that cuts through the theory. Nevertheless, Krumholtz was not included when the film won Best Cast at the SAG Awards, which only goes to those with solo title cards. And he was not invited to the Oscars. The life of a character actor requires a lot of humility and a healthy knack for self-deprecation. When Cillian Murphy shows up at parties, they walkie-talkie to each other, The eagle has landed. When I show up, they say, The roach is here, he says. I feel like people see me coming and go, That cannot be an actor. Since he deliberately cultivates a sense of ordinariness, he says, Im not offended by it at all. Still, after 30 years in the business, he knew he might never get another Oscar season. I was panicking a little bit, he says. All the anticipation: How will I feel? And when you win, you dont want to miss a beat. You want to soak it up. On the big night, Krumholtz rented a tux, watched the Oscar telecast from the Universal party at Soho House, then hit up a few after-parties. Over the urinal, he met a 27-year-old doctor. I said, Im in Oppenheimer, we just won everything. He said, In that case you get free Botox from my office. And I thought, I should probably go. He was home by 11:15, with one new Instagram follower. Krumholtz with Cillian Murphy (left) and Robert Downey Jr. (right) at Universal's Oscars after-party. David Krumholtz. Krumholtz with Cillian Murphy (left) and Robert Downey Jr. (right) at Universal's Oscars after-party. David Krumholtz. Though Krumholtz spent his formative years in Los Angeles, he does not live there anymore. Being in L.A. has become excruciating, he says. There are memories around every corner, ghosts of my past. He left town in the early 10s, after a period he considers his personal and professional nadir. Krumholtz had not come from wealth; his father was a mailman. The Numb3rs gig brought more money than he had ever dreamed of. He spent it like a madman. I was that guy, he says. Id go to super-fancy French restaurants and order the $6,000 bottle of wine. I paid for my own wedding at the Plaza Hotel, a quarter of a million dollars. He bought a house in the Hollywood Hills, down the street from Kanye Wests. It had four stories and an elevator, and it was a disaster. The roof started leaking as soon as we moved in. The elevator broke and cost $11,000 to replace. My friends were making fun of me. I got foreclosed on, short sale. I lost half a million dollars. You start looking at your house going, I am my house. Im crumbling. It wasnt just the house. For a brief time Numb3rs put him on the map, and he felt he hadnt been able to capitalize. In 2006, Krumholtz landed the lead role in Woody Allens Midnight in Paris, which led him to drop out of playing one of the stoners in Knocked Up. But labor riots in France caused Paris to lose financing, and that version of the project fell apart. (Hed later appear in Allens Wonder Wheel, which he now says he regrets.) Months later, Quentin Tarantino called to ask if Krumholtz was available for Inglourious Basterds. His Numb3rs commitments made it impossible. You just know at that moment those opportunities are never going to come again. The next year one of his close friends, Seth Rogen, became terrifyingly famous. In my friend group, there were six of us, then suddenly there were like 80 of us, he says. He remembers attending a concert at the Hollywood Bowl with Rogen the weekend Knocked Up came out; within seconds they were surrounded by a huge mob of strangers. The moment stuck with him. Seth is one of the toughest people I know. But I saw a fear in his eyes that Id never seen before. And I thought, The first rush of fame is fear. Soon after, another friend, Heath Ledger, died, as did Krumholtzs Sidewalks of New York co-star Brittany Murphy. It was madness, he says. Like, wow Im in Hollywood where people die of drug overdoses, and friends become wildly famous, and theres missed opportunities. It was a really hard time. I feel like I owe it to the spirits of the people who are no longer here to be awesome. I want to be doing this when Im 90. All of this coincided with the calls slowing down. In Hollywood, theres no avoiding the mire of the ego swamp that gets created within you while youre here, he says. But at a certain point, I became embarrassed by myself. He decided to leave. When you work in L.A., the sun shines brighter. Adversely, when youre out of work and searching, the town gets dim. Because everywhere you go, youre reminded of what youre not working on. Krumholtz is now a proud resident of New Jersey, where the billboards are for plumbers and injury lawyers. While appearing in Leopoldstadt on Broadway in 2022, he drove to the theater every day, a journey he swears took only 37 minutes. And I never hit traffic, not once, in 195 performances. Krumholtz used to turn down interview requests, thinking it would create a mystique. Eventually he realized he was suffering from an affliction that hurts many character actors. While people knew him from individual roles, they never connected the dots to his entire body of work. He has a sense that Oppenheimer may have inched the door slightly open again, and for Lousy Carter, hes ready to put himself out there. Thirty-two years, 51 movies in, I think its time I stand and be counted a bit. His recent forays on the website formerly known as Twitter likely helped on this front. At the same time Oppenheimer was dominating awards season in February, Krumholtz published a series of wildly popular threads revealing untold stories from his years in the business. They felt the way Twitter used to feel funny, filthy, and dishy. (One highlight: the story of the time he puked all over himself after doing shots with Crazy Town in Cancun, jeopardizing his appearance opposite Jerry Springer on MTVs Say What Karaoke.) Some of them got dark. His final thread was a miniature essay explaining that an actors product is their self, leaving many in his profession shells of themselves hiding within the shells of others. Krumholtz wrote that thread at home, in bed. I have moments where its not even depression, I just get scared of never working again, none of it mattering, it all being meaningless. I had been tweeting funny stories, and I thought, Lets give people a dose of reality. This thread went as viral as the others, and spurred a fresh round of media interest. Yet once again, Krumholtz took stock of himself, and didnt like what he saw. I realized I couldnt wait for people to respond. He realized he was indulging in that old knee-jerk ego response: Pay attention to me, please. He deleted his public account, though he retains a secret handle that he uses to lurk. He still believes what he wrote, though. I dont know what acting is. I dont think its an art form. Its not easy, but it looks easy, he says. The hardest part is getting out of your own way, of thinking, How will this be received? For Krumholtz, this wisdom was first paid for in the death of his father. I needed to have my heart broken, he says. Krumholtz was his fathers caretaker at the very end. Witnessing the strength he went out with, it just lit a fire under my ass. But it took his Deuce co-star Maggie Gyllenhaal to teach him how to act free of expectations. I was angry, and I thought, Ill use this. But Maggies style is, Lets just feel something. Lets not make any rules. Suddenly, for the first time in my career, I didnt see the camera anymore. Krumholtz hasnt fully given up caring about how his performances will be received. A few years ago he began turning down overtly Jewish roles, fearing he would be stuck playing a rabbi for the next 30 years. But Lousy Carter, a film as small as Oppenheimer is big, is a demonstration of the type of performance an un-self-conscious actor can give. Its 75 minutes long and was shot in 15 days, with Krumholtz making $100 a day, the SAG minimum. He plays a college professor who learns he only has six months to live but rather than take the opportunity to become a better person, Krumholtzs Lousy embraces his own worst self. I said, He should be totally relieved that hes dying, and thats how I want to play it. Hes happier than hes ever been. If thats not quite Krumholtz, then at least hes happy in his unhappiness. For a long time, he was ashamed about never feeling satisfied. Why couldnt he just look back on the work hed done in the past and be content? Only recently have I gone, No, youll never be able to do that. I need to think that I have the potential to be something special. I feel like I owe it to the spirits of the people who are no longer here to be awesome. I want to be doing this when Im 90. In one of those strange wire-crossing moments Los Angeles occasionally provides, our feast is interrupted by none other than Annie Lennox and her husband. Legends walk among us, Krumholtz whispers. As they sit down at the booth behind us, he gets up to thank the former Eurythmic for calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. Im not going to bother you, but Im Jewish, and I really appreciate everything you said about the conflict. Ive always wanted peace for everyone, Lennox says. Thirty minutes later, theyre leaving. Lennoxs husband pauses at our table. He couldnt help but overhear, he tells Krumholtz. If you won an award last night, congratulations. Photo: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Shortly before Jonathan Majors was sentenced Monday, April 8, to an in-person batterers intervention program for his domestic-violence case involving ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, she described becoming a shell of a woman during their time together. His assault essentially left me unable to sleep, unable to eat and experience a total loss of self-esteem, Jabbari said. Jabbari also recounted that when I was with him, I became a different version of myself. I was small, scared and vulnerable. He is not sorry, he has not accepted responsibility, and he will do this again and he will hurt other women, Jabbari said. This is a man who believes hes above the law. As Jabbari spoke, the side of Majorss face appeared to twitch. The fallen Marvel star was convicted guilty of assault and harassment on December 18, 2023, following a three-week trial. During the proceeding, prosecutors had asked for domestic-violence programming, or a six-month jail sentence, if Majors didnt comply with the mandated programming. Majors entered court around 9:45 a.m., sporting a navy-and-white patterned coat, under which was a double-breasted blazer and Steve Jobsesque shirt, as well as dramatic sunglasses. He carried a Bible, as per usual during his court proceedings, and could be seen leafing through pages prior to the judges arrival. Majors chose not to speak at his sentencing, with defense attorney Priya Chaudhry saying he feared any comments would be fodder for Jabbari in her federal civil lawsuit against him filed on March 19, 2024. The trial involved a March 25, 2023, incident with Majors and his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Prosecutors said that Majors assaulted Jabbari after she confronted him about his alleged cheating. As the two were traveling back to their Chelsea home after going out in Brooklyn, Jabbari testified, she spotted a text message on his phone that effectively stated, Wish I was kissing you right now, seemingly referencing a DAngelo song. Jabbari told jurors that she took the phone from Majors to see who had texted. The prosecution said that Majors grabbed Jabbaris right side, prying Ms. Jabbaris right middle finger off the phone, causing bruising, swelling, and substantial pain. The Manhattan DAs office also said that Majors twisted Jabbaris arm and hit her right ear, leaving a gash. Majors then took his phone and got out of their chauffeured SUV, prosecutors said. When Jabbari tried to get out, Majors grabbed her, picked her up, and threw her back inside. New York Police Department officers arrested Majors hours after he returned to their apartment. Several months after Majorss arrest, he filed a cross-complaint against Jabbari. Despite the fact that prosecutors said they wouldnt pursue charges against her, the NYPD arrested Jabbari in October. The Manhattan DAs office tossed out the case against her immediately. Majorss trial was on three misdemeanor counts and one violation over Jabbaris claims against two counts of third-degree assault (one reckless, one intentional), one count of second-degree aggravated harassment, and another of second-degree harassment. The first three counts were for activity inside the car; the fourth, which is a violation, involved an incident outside the vehicle. Majors was found guilty of reckless third-degree assault and second-degree harassment for the in-car assault and altercation outside the car. He had faced a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail. Majors has maintained his innocence. In asking for in-person domestic-violence programming, prosecutor Kelli Galaway pointed to Majorss apparently unrepentant response to the conviction. Despite the jurys verdict, the defendant has still refused to accept any responsibility for his actions. In fact, after being convicted in this very courtroom, rather than show contrition for his actions, the defendant chose to engage in a high-powered public-relations campaign including a nationally broadcasted television interview, Galaway said. During this campaign, the defendant not only maintained his innocence and denied his crimes, but has continued to disparage Grace Jabbari, the victim he abused, and publicly questioned the credibility of the fair trial he received, as well as the legitimacy of the jurys verdict. The defendants complete lack of remorse, as well as the pattern of abuse that Ms. Jabbari testified to and discussed with the Department of Probation, make it all the more likely this defendant will reoffend without serious, in-person intervention through domestic-violence programming. Majors has faced other abuse allegations, and he has denied them. Chaudhry, who told the judge she was keeping her comments short due to the civil case, did say that Majors was working on himself. Since his arrest on March 25, 2023, Mr. Majors has lost all of his employment opportunities, Chaudhry said. Without question, this has been the most challenging year of Jonathan Majorss life, and I believe history will show a pivotal one. Mr. Majors has already taken it upon himself to embark upon counseling and therapy, and continues to do so. We believe a sentence of continued counseling is appropriate here. What Grace Jabbari did over the past year was incredibly brave and important. She overcame every obstacle put in her path to give honest, emotional public testimony, in a court very far from her home, Ross Kramer, Jabbaris attorney, said in a statement. Grace demonstrated that justice can be served in cases like this. Hopefully, her example will empower other survivors to break their silence and hold their abusers accountable. This is a developing story and has been updated throughout with new information and quotes. Things got a little esoterically and physically rough for John Sugar at the end of the pilot episode. No matter, a case like this is bound to shake you up a little. It happens, Sugar thinks. Cases like this: missing rich girl, dead guy in the trunk, and me with all my, um I dunno issues. But its back to business in part two of Sugars premiere night. Sugar is at breakfast by the pool, basking in the glow of a happy poolside couple (it seems you cant stop this guy from basking in the light of humanitys moving mosaic) when Bernie Siegel, father of Olivia, comes rolling in with the typical toady bravado of a hack movie producer. Bernie thinks Sugar is wasting his time as well as Bernies father Jonathans money. Olivias disappeared like she has many times before, and shell come back again soon enough. John plays it cool, but hes incensed at Bernies blase attitude toward his own daughters whereabouts. These Hollywood dynasties: ever the paragon of healthy family life. I know Olivia better than anyone, says Bernie. Certainly better than my father. And I know her a lot better than Melanie, Ill tell you that. You had quite a time with her last night, didnt you? Bernie thinks hes surprising Sugar, but our guy knows all about Melanie and him, including the sordid details of their honeymoon. But what about Olivias mother, Rachel Kaye? Bernie was married to her when those dirty little Polaroids were taken, right? But Bernie didnt take those photos, and Sugar knows hes telling the truth. He also knows Bernie is hiding something when he gets up and leaves in a huff. Being told to fuck off is usually a sign of progress, Sugar thinks. While Bernie and David Siegel deal with the pending release of Davids big comeback movie (an All Grown Up sequel to his childhood hit The Boy in the Corner) and looming court case involving David and multiple accusers, Sugar talks to a bunch of Olivias old friends. He gathers that shed been getting sober going back a year. Before then, shed started to get out of control. Did stuff in her teen years that wouldve landed most kids in way bigger trouble. But some kind of edge-of-the-cliff life-changing moment had shaped her up. Her former drug dealer confirms she hasnt bought anything in a year, and theres no discernible connection between her and the guy found in the trunk. Time to update Jonathan Siegel and get in a few questions while were at it. Sugar fills Jonathan in on the comings and goings of his family, how his son Bernie sent grandson David and his buddy Kenny to search Sugars suite while he and Bernie sat at breakfast. Jonathan isnt surprised, nor that Bernie doesnt share his concerns for Olivia. Olivia is a screw-up, she always will be, thats the narrative that suits Bernie the best. It lets him focus on making bad movies and his idiot son. Im sensing yours is not the closest of families, Sugar says. They have their reasons, Jonathan retorts. But thats as far as the conversation goes. The GPS record from Olivias car indicates she made repeat trips to a concerning location. A woman who lived at the address, Carmen Vasquez, was raped and murdered recently. Olivias car was there the night that Miss Vasquez was killed. Whats more, theres a body in Olivias trunk that had something to do with Miss Vasquezs murder. Clifford Carter was his name; arrested for assault, rape, and human trafficking. For now, Sugar is going to pretend he never opened the trunk of that car, but hes also more sure than ever that Olivias life is in danger. As things stand, Sugars best link to finding Olivia is Melanie Matthews, which is convenient, seeing how Melanie calls Sugar and asks him to meet her at an AA meeting. Turns out shed just broken a 20-year streak of sobriety when Sugar met her at the bar. She was deeply moved by the fact that a stranger took her home, tucked her in, and left her with a new lease on life. In the morning, she dumped out all her booze, and here they are. Back at Melanies, they talk over sparkling waters. Sugar knows from Olivias car GPS that Olivia was at Melanies almost every night the week before she disappeared. Whats up with that? Melanie wont say much other than the same schtick her ex-husband, Bernie, went with: Olivias probably just fucked up, and shell come back like she always does. In both Melanie and Olivia, Sugar sees kindred, lonely by choice spirits. And it seems to hurt him a bit when he knows shes lying. I just cant figure out why, he says. Let me make this clear: I will find Olivia. Melanie throws Sugar out, and he catches a screening of John Cassavetess Minnie and Moskowitz on the way home as a treat. You know I think movies are conspiracy? Gena Rowlands says from the silver screen. They set you up to believe in everything. In ideals and strength and good guys and, of course, love. I never met Clark Gable. I never met Humphrey Bogart. I never met any of em, you know who I mean. They dont exist, Florence, thats the truth. The flicker of the screen illuminates the heartache in Sugars eyes as he watches. This is the man who wants to breathe genuine life into the conspiracy of the movies, be the honest-to-goodness white-hat companion to the Olivias and Melanies and Jens of this world. But as any cinephile will tell you, theres no bridging the gap between the real world and the cinematic netherworld once the credits roll. Sugar catches a tail on the way home (Theyre pretty good, but I see em) and also catches Karls dog Wiley on the street by himself. The last Sugar had seen of Karl, hed admonished him to call his sister and ask her to come stay, encouraged him to see himself as a human being who deserves to be helped out and cared for. But as fate would have it, Karl never quite made it to his sisters. Sugar finds him on the floor with a needle in his arm, no longer breathing. For just a second, he goes a little berserk on the guys who sold him the stuff, then bolts with Wiley riding shotgun. He wonders why he got so worked up over a drug overdose, something that happens every day. Why do I feel anything at all? At Rubys behest, Sugars next stop is Olivias garage, where hes presumably going to unearth the body in the trunk and report it to the police. But someone beats him to the punch. No body or bag in sight when Sugar opens the trunk. He finds a single strand of hair, carefully procures it in a perfectly creased white handkerchief, and moves on. Clifford Carter and Carmen Vasquez. He studies what he can of the latters murder while he mulls over the rest of the case. Whats the connection to Olivia? Why cant I see it? Easy there, cowboy. Better slow down. Youre not supposed to get this involved. Remember what Ruby keeps telling yall: Just observe and report. Write it down. Thats the real mission. But its too late. John Sugar is involved. Olivia reminds him of Jen, his sister. And already theres another innocent young woman out there in the clutches of some real nasty bad guys. Theres the mission, then theres the job. And for John Sugar, the job is the juice. The Regime Dont Yet Rejoice Season 1 Episode 6 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * Previous Next Previous Episode Next Episode Photo: Miya Mizuno/HBO When Elena Vernham emerges from a trap door and sets foot on an arid field outside the palace at the beginning of this season finale, she might as well be an extraterrestrial, taking her first steps on some distant planet. She has no familiarity with the country shes been governing, no sense of how the people who supposedly love her actually live. And so she throws a tantrum: I cant, she screams to Zubak. I cant be in that state of being or not being like Im just some person surviving. Were going back to who I was. It takes Zubak to remind her, forcefully, that she has no power anymore and that shes in his world now, where they have to go about the humble business of staying alive by any means necessary. Though The Regime has lost much of its satirical punch since its promising premiere episode, the finale does well to restore it, mostly by coming full circle to where we began. Elenas entire purpose as chancellor is to be the charismatic figurehead of an oligarchy, a clotheshorse for a country that exists to enrich billionaires like Emil Bartos and turn its resources over to America, which wants access to its cobalt mines and is willing to plug its nose over reports of human-rights abuses and autocratic corruption. Her relationship with Zubak disrupted the natural order of things because his world was supposed to be something she ignored while Bartos and her advisers splashed around in riches like Scrooge McDuck. Its been a maddening ordeal for them to make her embrace her role. The Regime has struggled to give Elenas relationship with Zubak the emotional legitimacy it needs to work, which is a shame since the finale has the courage to bring it to a properly brutal ending. What creator Will Tracy, who wrote this episode, has tried to pull off is akin to the audacious romance at the center of Martin Scorseses Killers of the Flower Moon. That film wrestles with the contradiction of a white man (Leonardo DiCaprio) who genuinely loves the indigenous woman (Lily Gladstone) he marries, despite being part of a conspiracy to rob her of oil money. Elenas government has happily starved its own people for money, but her passion for Zubak is not a put-on, which has thrown the regime into total disarray. Shes not supposed to be acting on her whims, and shes certainly not supposed to be giving vast swaths of land back to the people. Love has disrupted the natural order of things. Dont Yet Rejoice serves as a forceful reminder that we havent really seen the country Elena governs, outside of a heavily orchestrated public-relations trip to Westgate that she needed an oxygen tank to survive. She looks fittingly absurd dashing through the woods in her formal red dress, and it takes constant scolding from Zubak to remind her that she doesnt have access to cameras, planes, or her social-media team, and she cant rue her misfortune by screaming The cunts! at top of her lungs. As she and Zubak scurry through the surrounding area, looking for a place to stay, the show offers a full glimpse of the wreckage beyond the palace gates, which cant all be chalked up to the civil war raging across the country. She has no idea how badly ordinary people live. One of those ordinary people is a drunk old coot named Tomas, who offers a ride and shelter to Elena and Zubak in the midst of a 9 p.m. curfew and intensifying search to find them and bring them to justice. The naive and narcissistic Elena accepts Tomass loyalty at face value Hes a beautiful, perfect idiot, she raves to Zubak but he predictably betrays them, locking them away until the Westgate rebels show up. When they do, her chief interrogator turns out to be Mr. Laskin (Danny Webb), the countrys own head of security service, who may be a traitor but seems like the type of guy who just goes where the political winds blow. Laskin had to bottle up his frustrations for years along with the other ministers, but he uncorks it now: Hear me now, you psychotic, he screams. I tried with you. Over and over, I tried to make your crippled brain walk straight, but no, you wouldnt listen! The twist here is that Elenas brain isnt quite as crippled as Laskin assumes. He wants to come forward and confess her crimes on state television, which she correctly interprets as a sign that the Westgaters are not yet in control of the country. Her suspicions are confirmed more brutally when another team of soldiers takes out Laskin and his men and whisks Elena and Zubak to the airport hotel, where Bartos awaits at the top floor with clean clothes and an offer for Elena. She had humiliated Bartos in the past, but the situation has given him and his American partners the leverage to twist her arm a little. This entire nightmare can end for her if she loses Zubak, dismisses China, and gets back in league with America, which can offer the shadow support necessary to put down the rebellion and prop up her government again. Tracy nails the ending of this ordeal, in which Zubak is bluntly sacrificed for a return to business as usual. In the future, where Elena is celebrating her ninth Victory Day, Nicky meekly raises the issue of an affair that nearly ended their marriage and her grip over the country. Guess I had a little wobble, she says, which is a beautiful understatement. It was more than a wobble. She loved him, and she killed him, all for the privilege of returning to a life of luxury so confining that shes literally giving speeches from inside a bulletproof chamber. With Zubak now taking her fathers place in a glass coffin inside the palace, she can continue the relationship in her own delusional way, taking a quiet break from the day-to-day grind of destroying a country. Spores No food, no water, nothing. Its just fucking poetry books everywhere. At one of Nickys poetry centers, Zubak concisely describes the countrys entire social-services program. Zubak dies in the end, but Elena keeps her word about not betraying him. That has to count for something. Shout out to Alexandre Desplats title theme, which is so infectiously silly that I never scrolled past the opening credits. Nice touch to hear only enough noise on the other end of Bartoss conference call with his American partners to recognize the voice of Martha Plimptons Judith Holt on the other end. She was always ready to do business with a despot but has to keep it to a back channel. Elenas mention of Chinas cancerous 5G technology is a funny nod to the far-right conspiracy theories that have elbowed their way to the mainstream, thanks to unhinged politicians willing to exploit them. The return of Chicagos If You Leave Me Now in the finale serves as a nice bookend to the premiere, where Elena used it as part of a tacky lounge act for guests at a state dinner. Now we hear Peter Ceteras voice over Zubaks coffin and the lyrics stand in earnest. Dining chat: A waiter gave our anniversary bubbly to the table next to us. What should we have done? Qantas boss Vanessa Hudson has unveiled a long-awaited revamp of its frequent flyer program as part of a push to restore its credibility with consumers. Hudson said on Monday that travellers would be able to use the new Classic Plus rewards program on international flights from July and it would vary as with normal airfares, meaning passengers would require more points during peak travel periods such as school holidays and fewer during non-peak times. Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson unveiled the changes on Monday. Credit: Louise Kennerley The scheme will be rolled out on domestic flights from the end of 2024. It adds 20 million reward seats to the frequent flyer program and a third way to redeem points, in addition to Classic Rewards and Points Plus Pay. This is about providing more access to more seats on more flights across more time periods. Its also about making sure we do that sustainably, Hudson said when asked why the airline had created a third tier, instead of making more Classic Rewards seats available. Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what youre gonna get. And Forrest Gumps mama was right too, both about life and cinema. The silver screen has yielded a slew of catchphrases in our lifetime, from pithy (Ill be back) to punchy (Frankly my dear, I dont give a damn). A few years back, to salute the Hollywood century, the American Film Institute chose the top 100 quotable film quotes, with Rhett Butlers earlier farewell to Scarlett OHara the winner. Second went to Don Corleones Im going to make him an offer he cant refuse. No other movie matches this local classics linguistic legacy. Catchier nominees included Casablancas toast (Heres looking at you, kid), 007s introduction (Bond, James Bond), Dorothys dread (Were not in Kansas any more) plus Jerry Maguires plea: Show me the money! Of course, that same drama also lent us the line from Renee Zellwegers own Dorothy: You had me at hello. Several films in fact, like Casablanca and Star Wars, and the Terminator franchise, have embedded multiple quotes in our psyche. Though here in Australia, there is one clear winner, as a recent phone call reminded me. RXR has convictions for rape, sexual assault, committing an indecent act with a child under 16, making and possessing child abuse material and stalking. He has also been diagnosed with a personality disorder, complex posttraumatic stress disorder, paedophilic disorder and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder. The court was told the NDIS would cover the cost of around-the-clock supervision by two staff. A judge is yet to finalise the terms of his order and release into the community pending final construction and a security review of the property in the next few months. In 2023, the Supreme Court of NSW heard the case of 63-year-old registered sex offender who was eligible for $100,000 in NDIS funding after being diagnosed with below-average intelligence, as well as major depressive disorder, severe psychopathic personality disorder and sexual sadism disorder. JS was convicted of committing incest involving sexual assault in 2002 and 2004, breaching parole and failure to comply with obligations of being a registered sex offender. It appears that his depressive symptoms and related impairments are the basis of him being approved for NDIS funding, the judge said. He was not placed on a supervision order. There have also been cases, detailed in court records, around the country where sex offenders have been denied supervised release or financial assistance after protracted negotiations with the NDIA or amid concerns the support provided is inadequate to meet safety concerns. In response to a cost blowout and a review last year, the government in March introduced proposed reforms aimed at returning the scheme to its original purpose of providing for Australians with permanent disabilities. About 646,000 Australians participate in the NDIS. The average payment for a person with an intellectual disability is $98,100 and it is $350,000 for adults requiring regular in-home care, according to NDIS figures. Scheme figures show only about 1000 participants across the country qualify for packages of $1 million or more, and fewer than seven people received packages of $2 million, according to a report in The Australian in February. The NDIA declined to confirm if any participant on the NDIS with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities qualified for packages above $1 million that included the level of support provided to those designated as serious offenders under state court orders. It is misleading and simplistic to attempt to compare one persons support needs to another, regardless of any shared disability types, an NDIA spokesperson said. NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said the governments proposed reforms were aimed at ensuring the scheme was sustainable and that it supported those for whom it was originally designed. That would ensure every dollar gets through to those it was intended [for], Shorten said. He recently told The Australian that people receiving more than $1 million typically required intensive, around-the-clock care in order to stay alive. These are Australians with the most complicated disabilities and challenging behaviours, including complex cerebral palsy, the severest spinal cord injuries or mental health conditions that require at least two carers at a time for safety and to meet their physical needs, Shorten said. Insiders with direct knowledge of how the NDIS interacts with violent offenders, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, say federal and state authorities are often in conflict over the appropriateness of the disability scheme assuming the cost of ensuring compliance with the intensive and expensive supervision orders being issued by the courts. Experts say it can be difficult to determine exactly how an offenders disability interacts with or exacerbates their propensity for violent sexual offending. Dr Rajan Darjee, director of Forensic Behavioural Assessment and Consultation Services, said it was often impossible to split an individual in half in these kinds of cases. When youve got someone whos got a history of serious offending, theres quite often a tension between what is this persons disability needs and giving them the support to deal with a disability and, on the other hand, what might be thought of as their risk or forensic needs to stop them hurting people. This is where it becomes very difficult to carve out those two bits because what aspect is security and what aspect of that is disability support work? When youve got someone with a disability who poses a risk of harming other people, the disability plays some role in that, it might not be a direct role, but the disability is always relevant to their behaviour and how youre going to try to help them, Darjee said. In 2011, the High Court set a definition for mild intellectual disability that found an offender generally functions at a level lower than 99 per cent of the population. [The applicants] receptive and expressive language is equivalent to that of a child aged 5. The assessment that the appellant suffers from a mild intellectual disability should not obscure the fact that he is mentally retarded, the High Court found. Darjee said that in many states there were no residential facilities that could provide full-range support to high-risk sexual offenders with intellectual disabilities, pushing people onto the NDIS. A spokesperson for the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety said the NDIA wasresponsible for determining eligibility for the NDIS, including the level of funding and provision of disability supported accommodation. We have no involvement in this. The NDIA said criminal matters were the purview of state judicial systems. The legal system remains responsible for imposing conditions on individuals who may be considered a risk while in the community, an NDIA spokesperson said. The NDIS is not responsible for the management of offenders to ensure compliance with supervised orders or conditions, or offence-specific interventions which aim to reduce specific criminal behaviours, and which are not clearly a direct consequence of the persons disability. Yet court documents show the NDIS provides funding specifically to meet court-ordered requirements for security and supervision. Loading In RXRs case, Victorias Post Sentence Authority is the agency responsible for managing high-risk offenders on supervision orders, and not the NDIS, which conducted a safety assessment of his proposed NDIS-funded accommodation. This was completed by [Corrections Victoria], which determined that the [accommodation] was unsuitable, pending further information, and that it would need to be reassessed once built and restrictive practices confirmed, the Supreme Court was told. Dr Sophie Yates, a research fellow at ANUs Crawford School of Public Policy, said the NDIS should support all people with significant and permanent disability. It doesnt really matter whether theyre sex offenders or not. That just might mean that they have different support needs, but those needs should be met and met outside of institutions, she said. A stoush over the future of a major childcare company has descended into acrimony as Liberal Party stalwart Michael Kroger pushes to oust enemy board members in an extraordinary shareholder meeting on Tuesday. The influential political figure is embroiled in a battle for control over the $52 million Mayfield Childcare of which he and his son were previously two of the biggest shareholders fuelled by a contentious deal three years ago and the alleged embezzlement of $1 million by the companys former boss. Michael Kroger with federal Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume at a memorial for former minister Peter Reith in November. Credit: Eddie Jim Kroger, a former president of the Victorian Liberal Party, has set up a shareholder showdown in Malvern East at which he will push for the removal of directors connected to the current majority owners to be replaced by his allies. But in an aggressive move to thwart Krogers bid, Mayfields board have told shareholders of Krogers alleged connection to the firms former chief executive, who resigned in December 2022 and was later accused of misappropriating more than $1 million. How so? Its natural because Japan is on the front line, he tells me. Security challenges dont wait for us we have to have a sense of crisis, a sense of urgency. What crisis? From afar, Japan looks pretty calm and unmolested. Theres a perception gap between Japan and some Australians, Yamagami explains. We are living in a country where we have to scramble our fighter jets against Chinas military aircraft two times a day, where Chinese ships come into the waters of the Senkakus [an island group, claimed by China under the name of Diaoyu Islands] almost every day. In protest at Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan, China launched five ballistic missiles into the waters of Japan. If you dont have a sense of crisis under these circumstances, when do you? But if Japans sense of crisis makes inclusion in AUKUSs high-tech research seem natural, its unnatural in two other ways. The first unnatural aspect: This new development is happening under the Kishida government, and in the [ruling] Liberal Democratic Party he is regarded as centre-left, a liberal or left-leaning politician, Yamagami points out. Loading Which demonstrates how seriously we are taking the challenge posed by Chinas dramatic military build-up and aggressive diplomacy. China should take this to heart. The second: Japan is not a member of the intelligence-sharing partnership known as Five Eyes the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand even though it has been a close US ally for decades. One big reason is that the Five Eyes governments dont trust Japan to protect their secrets. Tokyo lacks the anti-espionage rigour of the other five. Thats a fair argument, Yamagami concurs. We have a number of pieces of homework to be done before Tokyo can be embraced fully into the AUKUS research effort. So why would the existing AUKUS partners agree, and whats the rush? Japans invitation to the AUKUS weapons research program was orchestrated by the US. A key proponent was US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. The decision was part of US policy to build an architecture of allies, Campbell told a Washington conference last week. The three AUKUS nations have begun formal talks designed to explore bringing Japan into Pillar Two. Credit: AP What does this mean? Previously, US policy was not an architecture so much as a monolith. The US saw itself as the sole Colossus bestriding the Indo-Pacific, dictating terms to all. Those days are gone. The US today recognises its limitations. The Chinese Communist Party is too power-hungry, and Washington too MAGA-addled, for the US reliably to remain the hegemon of the Indo-Pacific. The Biden administration has been working to build multiple security relationships between its allies, not just with its allies. Its creating networks, not just umbilicals. Loading We cant do it alone any more, Campbell told me earlier. Thats why the US brought Britain as well as Australia into the deal now known as AUKUS, and why its keen to add Japan to Pillar Two. Canada and New Zealand also have expressed interest in joining Pillar Two. New research confirms the urgent need for combined allied effort. A report last month from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, an authoritative Washington policy research institution, is titled China Outpacing US Defence Industrial Base. It finds that China is heavily investing in munitions and acquiring high-end weapons systems and equipment five to six times faster than the US. China is also the worlds largest shipbuilder and has a shipbuilding capacity that is roughly 230 times larger than the US. One of Chinas large shipyards, such as Jiangnan Shipyard, has more capacity than all US shipyards combined, write authors Seth Jones and Alexander Palmer. Overall: Chinas defence industrial base is operating on a wartime footing, while the US defence industrial base is largely operating on a peacetime footing. Yamagami says that Japan has strengths that it can contribute to the AUKUS weapons research, notably in quantum technology and hypersonics, he says. These are among the AUKUS priority fields. Canberra for years has been intensifying its defence relationship with Tokyo. The two capitals recently signed an agreement to allow each to use the others military bases, for example. Defence Minister Richard Marles calls Japan an indispensable defence partner. As for Beijings view, party-owned media like to portray AUKUS as a threat because it is shaping as a potential Asian NATO, they say. As more countries join, expect this rhetoric to escalate. But why do Japan and others want to join? They are coming together under a policy called collective deterrence because they share the same fear of Chinas breakneck military build-up and territorial claims. Joining forces for mutual protection. What could be more normal than that? Australians often mistake for tradition what is only recent habit Australia Day, say. Or the expectation that Australians hold the post of governor-general: that started in 1965. Australian career military men now seem usual; in fact, John Howard appointed the first. The most interesting thing, then, about last weeks appointment is the fact Sam Mostyn is the first serious businessperson in the role. The attacks on her for being woke were obviously stupid. But it felt just as shallow for many on the left to seem so cheered by her appointment. Mostyn herself is an impressive individual, but this new precedent surely required more discussion than it has had. Agreement on difficult topics may not be possible, but working towards agreement, of honest and open discussion, can be important. Credit: Illustration: Jim Pavlidis This scant debate so typical, now comes not directly from polarisation, but from the fact that underlies polarisation: ones political identity determines ones beliefs and not the other way around. Mostyn was seen as on the left; responses followed automatically. Equally instructive were the views that some found objectionable. The country had voted No to the Indigenous Voice, therefore someone who supported it could not be governor-general. Somebody who used the term invasion, too. Strongly support It will improve public transit and pedestrian safety Somewhat support It will benefit public transit, but I'm concerned about traffic or business impacts Neutral I see both pros and cons, but dont have strong feelings either way Somewhat oppose I think it will cause traffic problems and harm local businesses Strongly oppose It is a bad idea and will hurt both motorists and businesses Vote View Results One of Americas leading foreign policy thinkers has played down fears that Donald Trump could discard the AUKUS pact or seek revenge against Australian ambassador Kevin Rudd if the former president is re-elected in November. Richard Fontaine, the chief executive of the Centre for a New American Security think tank, also said there had been a naive reaction to US deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbells recent remarks in which he suggested Australian nuclear-powered submarines could play a role in a war between the United States and China over Taiwan. While some commentators have seen Campbells remarks as controversial given their allusion to possible conflict in Taiwan, Fontaine said: I saw it as a statement of the obvious. He said the submarines could be relevant in a variety of contingencies, including cross-strait contingencies. If thats a surprise to anyone, it shouldnt be. Specialty coffee house Okkio Le Loi is renowned for its egg coffee. Credit: Katherine Scott When you try egg coffee, you will see it clearly; North and South Vietnam, says 35-year-old Quynh Tran, founder and host of Vietnam Coffee Journey: What Locals Drink, a coffee masterclass based out of his private coffee lab on the buildings ninth floor. The man knows his beans, having previously run The Workshop, one of the citys leading specialty coffee venues. Egg coffee, invented in the former French-occupied North, soared to prominence internationally amid pandemic TikTok mania; its devotees seduced by its creamy texture and fetching look. For the poorer working class in the South, the better-known ca phe sua da (iced coffee with condensed milk) was the original energy drink. Why did it become the icon of coffee in Vietnam? Quynh asks, before answering himself. South Vietnam lost the war; those who fled took their coffee to the world. Our coffee-curious band of four are huddled around a table on Quynhs enclosed (but air-conditioned) balcony sipping icy coconut coffees a heavenly blend of drip coffee, condensed milk, coconut cream and ice, though some variations use coconut sorbet (a revelation). Views from the balcony stretch across the promenade, trailing up to the ornate peach-hued Paul Gardes-designed City Hall building, a reminder of its French colonial past. The city, like its coffee, wears its chequered history on its sleeve. Vietnams coffee evolution traces a turbulent timeline: the arrival of French colonies in the 1900s sprouting the first bean plantations; the introduction of condensed milk in the South by way of American soldiers; the Communist Partys cessation of Western trade in 1975, causing annual coffee production to plummet 80,000 metric tons to 18,000, almost overnight. The industrys decline continued until the 1986 Doi Moi economic reforms, which saw the nation switch gears again. At that time there was coffee fever if you wanted money, you moved to the highlands and produced coffee, says Quynh, as we sip some pre-prepared cold brew, which I tactically vow not to finish, despite its agreeably delicate flavour. Phin drip coffee requires patience. Credit: iStock Quynh continues, explaining how it was little surprise farmers preferred the resilient and higher yield robusta coffee plants to the fussy (but higher quality) arabica. Within five years, Vietnam was the worlds third-biggest coffee exporter. Today, its second, behind Brazil, which produces about 70 per cent of the worlds arabica supply. Vietnams coffee obsession has reached new heights domestically, too; demand for its novelty offshoots salt coffee, yoghurt coffee, egg coffee, smoothie coffee is huge, and adds to a burgeoning third-wave movement of pour overs, Chemex, syphon, Aeropress and cold drip. At this point, Quynh slides a traditional metal drip filter (phin) in front of each of us. Theres a lazy way of making drip coffee and the Vietnamese way; he shows us both. The latter involves pouring just enough boiling water in the chamber to soak the grounds, leaving the granules to bloom over several minutes before adding the remaining water and letting the drip mechanism to do its thing. Its an exercise in patience, but the payoff is astonishing skip this step and you get a whiplashingly bitter brew. Its an approach both North and South can agree on, at least. In fact, Hanoians even have a slogan that roughly translates to in Hanoi, dont hurry. This ethos certainly applied when Nguyen Van Giang, a barista at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, invented egg coffee in 1946. He wanted to share this posh French style of coffee with his community and, in the face of a milk shortage, he whisked in egg yolk as a substitute to achieve the same creamy consistency. We give it a go; brown sugar, Himalayan pink salt and egg yolks go into steel cocktail shaker. Using a hand mixer with one beater, we whisk the ingredients, while dipping the shaker in a scalding pot of water. The heat pasteurises the egg as it whips into a rich, velvety yellow foam. It takes around three minutes to get the desired consistency, before we assemble and give it a final dusting of chocolate powder. Its thick, creamy and not too eggy. Sky-high buzz: Blank Sky Lounge on level 75-76 of the Landmark 81 high-rise. Quynhs demonstration concludes on a lighter note, with coffee tea made with by-products of the extraction process; dried cherry skins and pulp, called cascara. This brew is light, wonderfully fruity and, crucially, much lower in caffeine. Later that evening, still buzzing, I venture to Ho Chi Minh Citys tallest skyscraper the 461-metre-high Landmark 81, also home to the citys highest terrace bar, Blank Sky Lounge. Ive no idea why its called that drinks take cues from the countrys rich heritage. Its unsurprising to find coffee cocktails stand out among the signatures. The Phin-tini, inspired by Ho Chi Minh Citys coffee culture. Credit: Katherine Scott My eyes are drawn to a familiar contraption on the bar; a trendy grey, matte phin drips a red-tinged liquid over a rocks glass with an orange wedge. I take a sip; the Phin-tini is an intoxicating wash of coffee, Aperol, gin, orange and menthe-pastille (clear mint liqueur). Is that dizzying feeling the caffeine, sugar, or startling views from the 75th-floor glass-hemmed terrace? The sun sinks further, and the gritty metropolis below sparkles to life in gentle waves. When I return to the bar, its the egg coffee martini topped with a singed brulee egg cream that calls to me. But my heart quickens at the mere thought; yep, Ive hit my limit. THE DETAILS Fly Jetstar flies between Ho Chi Minh City and Melbourne four times a week, and Sydney three times a week. Its the only Australian carrier operating direct flights between Australia and Vietnam. See jetstar.com.au Tour Vietnam Coffee Journey What Locals Drink runs for 2.5 hours and includes five coffee-based drinks from $36. Bookings through Airbnb Experiences. See airbnb.com.au Half-Day Local Breakfast Tour in Ho Chi Minh (by Saigon Happy Tour) takes guests on a motorbike food tour to sample 7-8 classic breakfast dishes and traditional coffee, including Ho Chi Minh Citys oldest coffee business in Phung Hung Market. Bookings through Expedia Activities. From $59 a person. See expedia.com.au Stay Silverland Yen Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City is centrally located in District 1. Rooms from $183 a night, including Wi-Fi and select minibar items. See silverlandhotels.com Six spots in Ho Chi Minh City for a coffee fix NEW WAVE The Workshop Coffee Saigons specialty coffee mecca The Workshop Coffee. Credit: Katherine Scott V60 pour overs and Chemex filters? Seemingly more Melbourne than Ho Chi Minh City, this industrial cafe is a stickler for specialty brews and artisanal beans. Grab your morning pick-me-up to go, or linger over a bowl of pasta. 27 Ngo Duc Ke, Ben Nghe, District 1. Phone: +84 28 3824 6801. See facebook.com/the.workshop.coffee Okkio Caffe, Le Loi This roaster and cafe chain is renowned for its egg coffees, but youll find all types of traditional and new-wave brews within the stylish, heritage open-bricked walls of its original Le Loi site. Follow the beautiful red spiral staircase to the top where a staggering drinks list awaits; cold brews, taro lattes, matcha coffees theyve got it all. 120 - 122 D. Le Loi, Ward Ben Thanh, District 1. Phone: +84 848 011 118. See okkiocaffe.com Hummingbird Cafe and Roastery Tucked off a major traffic artery Vo Thi Sau Street, this swish contemporary cafe with indoor and outdoor seating is an oasis of calm away from the blare of motorbikes. Unwind with a cold brew (beans are roasted onsite), and just try to resist that Earl Grey butter cake with orange jam and yuzu sorbet. 103BIS D. Vo Thi Sau, Ward 6, District 3. See thehummingbirdsaigon.com TRADITIONAL Ca Phe Do Phu (secret weapons bunker) Ca Phe Do Phu: Coffee in a former Viet Cong secret weapons bunker. Credit: Katherine Scott Part cafe, part living museum, Ca Phe Do Phu is easily one of Saigons most fascinating spots for a cuppa its walls and floors hide a former secret Viet Cong war bunker, which once stored two tonnes of weaponry eventually used in the famous 1968 Tet Offensive (the vintage Citroen used to smuggle the weapons remains on display at the front). Buy a coffee to explore the museum and bunker for free. 70 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Phuong 5, Quan 3. Ca Phe Vot, Phan Dinh Phung Hemmed in by motorbikes and customers (always a good sign), this well-priced and locally adored bolthole is where Saigonese go for their caffeine fix. Tucked down an alley on Phan Dinh Phun Street, you wont find too many tourists at this third-generation cafe, so named for the fabric vot (fish) net used to make the traditional filter coffee. 330/2 Phan Dinh Phung, Phuong 1, Phu Nhuan. Want to fly business class to Europe with an Asian stopover for less than the price of a direct flight? Writing a recent report on the number of Australians visiting the Philippines revealed what looked to be an unbelievable business-class fare from Manila to Milan, return in May from just $3267. Thats aboard Emirates, rated the third-best business class at the 2023 Skytrax World Airline Awards. You can fly Emirates business class to Europe at a bargain price from Manila. How could that be possible? Further digging has turned up a couple of Asian stopovers where the price of a return business class flight to Europe seems almost too good to be true, but the prices below are from the airlines own websites, not third-party sites with dozens of caveats. (When we refer to direct flights below, we are talking about those that involve only stopping for a few hours en route to Europe. The airline industry defines direct flights and non-stop flights differently. (Read more about it here.) Where the bargains are Billions of dollars in Russian assets frozen by Australian authorities should be confiscated and put towards financial support for Ukraine, a group of prominent Australians say, as they urge the federal government to join other allies of Kyiv to boost aid for the war-torn nation. The group, which includes former prime ministers, business, union and military leaders and former diplomats, has written to Treasurer Jim Chalmers urging him to consider several options to divert billions in dirty money held in Australia since it sanctioned Russian oligarchs and others deemed to have aided and abetted the invasion and the occupation of Ukraine. Prominent Australians in the Supporters of Ukraine Network are calling for frozen Russian assets to be sent to Ukraine. Credit: Stephen Kiprillis Discussions on using Russian assets have intensified as President Vladimir Putins forces gain momentum on the battlefield, its air force pounds Ukrainian forces and towns, and the US Congress holds out on approving a multibillion-dollar aid package. Amid growing criticism of Australias lack of military and humanitarian aid, the Supporters of Ukraine Network has asked the government to join other nations in developing legal options for the use of sovereign Russian assets for the nations recovery and reconstruction and to update its own laws to ensure that Russian assets can be utilised. Vatican City: The Vatican has reaffirmed its opposition to gender-affirming surgery, gender theory and surrogate parenthood, drawing criticism from advocates for LGBTQ Catholics. The declaration by the Vaticans doctrinal office (DDF) comes four months after another document in which it supported blessings for same-sex couples, triggering fierce conservative pushback, especially in Africa. The prefect of the Vaticans Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, presents the declaration Dignitas Infinita (Infinite Dignity) during a press conference. Credit: AP The 20-page text called gender theory extremely dangerous and accused it of trying to deny the greatest possible difference that exists between living beings: sexual difference. The Vatican also said via the head of the DDF, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, that it opposed the anti-LGBTQ laws enforced by a number of countries with the support of local Catholic groups. In a deal announced last week on its website by Ghanas National Communications Authority (NCA), the NCA and the Autorite de Regulation des Communications Electroniques et de la Poste (ARCEP) of Benin say they have signed a bilateral roaming service agreement. The agreement was apparently signed in late March in Benin but has only been widely reported in recent days. In addition it is not likely to be become a reality before July. That said, this could be another important stage in the steady, if slow, progress towards pan-African roaming. Indeed, we reported last October that Benin and Togo had signed an MoU enabling free international mobile network roaming between the two countries. The Benin-Togo agreement adheres to roaming regulations set out by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Benin-Ghana agreement is also for the implementation of the regulation on roaming on mobile communications networks within the ECOWAS region. The idea is that the various operators in Ghana and Benin will collaborate on the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Free Roaming Initiative. Executive Secretary of ARCEP, Dr Herve Coovi Guedegbe, has indicated Benins commitment to collaborate with the NCA and other Member States to facilitate a smooth implementation of the ECOWAS Free Roaming services in the sub-region. However, in a reminder of how much still needs to be done, the Chairman of the Board of ARCEP, Mr Flavien Bachabi, has urged other ECOWAS members to speed up efforts in ensuring the realisation of the initiative proposed by the ECOWAS Ministers of Telecommunications, ICT, Digitalisation and Posts during their meeting in Niger in 2016. The Ghana-Benin agreement is still a work in progress, however. In the weeks and, we assume, months to come, operators from both countries will work together to address all outstanding issues to allow for what the NCA calls "activation and testing of the agreed roaming services in both countries" prior to the launch of the service in July 2024 in Accra. Walking miracle and classmate who helped save her will graduate together April 8, 2024 OGDEN, Utah Halfway through their senior year at Weber State University, classmates Audrey Young and Allie Green faced a life-and-death scenario that brought what they had learned in the classroom to reality. On what seemed like a normal day last November, Young and Green took a break from studying to meet for lunch near campus. The two had forged a friendship during their time in the respiratory therapy program. Green arrived early at the restaurant and waited inside. As Young arrived and pulled open the glass door, she collapsed. Green and two bystanders rushed to Youngs aid, turning her onto her back. She was not breathing at all, Green said. Thats when her training kicked in. When they realized Young didnt have a pulse, Green said one of the good Samaritans began CPR, but the execution seemed off and Greens training prompted her to step in. Theres a technique to do it, she said, referring to the rate and depth of compressions to ensure complete recoil. My gut told me I needed to give feedback. Green soon took over, performing CPR until first responders arrived. After two electrical shocks to revive her pulse, Young was rushed to the hospital. Young recalls feeling like she was going to pass out, then everything went black. Next thing I remember is waking up to bright lights all around me, my chest hurt really bad and it was hard to breathe, she said. Young spent two weeks in the hospital, part of that time on a ventilator. She learned she had gone into cardiac arrest due to a rare genetic heart condition called catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, or CPVT. For a while, Young couldnt talk due to the breathing tube, but she was given a pen and paper to communicate. The first thing she wrote: Allie OK? About a week later, Young and Green reunited in the hospital. It was so good to see her after everything that happened, Young said. I was so incredibly grateful because she helped save my life. Green said she thinks of that day often, and has learned the value of being prepared. She recommends people get CPR certified because anything can happen to anyone. Young now has a metal implant in her chest that will deliver a shock if she ever goes into cardiac arrest again. She is literally a walking miracle, which definitely can be attributed to the fast action of her friend who knew what to do, said Sherri Vasas, assistant professor of respiratory therapy. Both Audrey and Allie were greatly affected by this, yet remained top-level students. Both are set to graduate this month and hope to jump right into their careers. Greens interest in respiratory therapy started during her time on the WSU cross country and track teams, when she discovered she had exercise-induced asthma. I wasnt performing at the level I wanted to be, so I chose respiratory therapy to learn more about that condition and help myself run better, Green said. Young, who had always wanted to pursue healthcare, enrolled after a friend told her Weber State has one of the best respiratory therapy programs in the country. This has given me more perspective on what its like to be a patient, Young said. I hope that in my career I can help patients who are going through a similar experience, so they know theyre not alone. Young said she wants to work in neonatal care, while Green hopes to work in adult critical care. Both said they feel career-ready due to their time at WSU. Weber State literally developed my skills where I was able to help save her life, Green said. I definitely do feel prepared for the future. The friends said they hope their careers find them working together someday. I have a renewed look on life, Young said. I almost died, so now I want to make the most out of life, take all the opportunities that come to me. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Africa Data Centres, Africas largest network of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data centre facilities, say it has broken ground on the construction of a solar farm in South Africa's Free State in collaboration with DPA Southern Africa, a joint company of the French energy utility EDF. The objective of the Free State farm is to furnish renewable energy to Africa Data Centres sites, commencing with its cutting-edge, carrier-neutral data centre in Cape Town, the CPT1 facility. This announcement is part of a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) inked in March 2023 with DPA Southern Africa. Referring to the ongoing issues with power supply in the country, President and Group CEO of Africa Data Centres' parent company Cassava Technologies, Hardy Pemhiwa, says: This initiative positions Africa Data Centres as a trailblazer in the data centre industry in responding to South Africas energy crisis through sustainable technology solutions. He adds: This is in line with a broader industry shift towards innovative, eco-friendly practices. The strategic use of solar power showcases technology's role in pioneering solutions for energy challenges and environmental sustainability. Tesh Durvasula, CEO of Africa Data Centres, explains: The first phase involves constructing the 12MW solar infrastructure to power our Cape Town data centre, with subsequent phases extending to our Johannesburg data centres. This project is described as a key element of Africa Data Centres ambitious plans to emerge as the most sustainable colocation provider on the continent. Durvasula says: Beyond procuring renewable energy, our commitment to an efficiency strategy has earned us the internationally recognised ISO50001 certification for the effective operation of our data centres." Indonesian telco Telkomsel has announced that it has launched an eSIM service for local customers, making it the last of the countrys major operators to do so, as the industry awaits upcoming eSIM regulations from telecoms regulator Kominfo. Telkomsel initially launched its eSIM service for inbound travellers in December 2023. Last week, it officially expanded the service to the domestic market. Smartfren was the first telco in the market to launch eSIMs in 2019. Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and XL Axiata launched eSIM services late last year. According to a report last month in the Jakarta Post, Telkomsel had been holding back on a domestic eSIM launch as it was still assessing the industrys readiness for adopting the new technology. The main reservation among telcos was that despite the advantages of eSIM in terms of cost savings, it could also make it easier for customers to churn to the competition. However, the increasing popularity of eSIMs, as well as the growing availability of eSIM-compatible smartphones, seems to have convinced Telkomsel to take the plunge. In a statement, Telkomsels president director Nugroho said the eSIM service is part of Telkomsel's efforts to provide innovative solutions that not only suit dynamic customer needs but also respond to the availability of handsets that have adopted features and eSIM technology that prioritizes convenience and practicality. Telkomsel is pitching its eSIM service as an all-digital experience that is seamless , easy and practical compared to physical SIM cards. Customers who want to switch to eSIM can do the entire transition online via the Telkomsel website. According to Telkomsel, customers can choose their number according to availability and whatever eSIM package suits their needs. Once they make the pusrchase, theyll be sent an email for eSIM activation with a QR code that links them to the SIM registration page and provided the required documents for ID verification. Customers wont be able to port their existing number to the eSIM, and can only buy a maximum of three eSIMs, as per government regulations. That may change, as the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) is still working out how to best regulate eSIMs. According to a February report from Bisnis Tekno, Kominfo is mainly focused on the security aspect of eSIMs, particularly regarding personal data of users and how much control telcos have over eSIMs in cases where numbers are used for criminal purposes. Indra Maulana, Secretary of the Directorate General of Postal and Informatics, Directorate General of PP, told the publication that the regulator is in discussions with telcos on the issue and hopes to finalise eSIM regulations by the middle of this year. On March 21st, Ambassador Wang Qing and Minister of Agriculture of Sierra Leone Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka jointly visited the Ogoo Farm located in the suburbs of Freetown to inspect the comprehensive demonstration project for maize cultivation of the 14th China-Aided Agricultural Technology Experts Team. They shared the joy of harvest with local farmers and discussed future cooperation plans together. The Ogoo Farm covers an area of approximately 20 hectares and has over 100 farmers. In January of this year, the 14th China-Aided Agricultural Technology Experts Team held a training course on high-yield maize cultivation techniques, providing high-yield maize seeds from China and providing on-site technical guidance multiple times. After more than 80 days of planting, Ogoo Farm has achieved a bountiful harvest of maize, with a yield of 6 to 8 tons per hectare, greatly improving the planting yield and efficiency of farmers. Ambassador Wang Qing stated that in President Bio's second term, the development of agriculture will be the flagship project. During his recent state visit to China, leaders of both sides agreed to make agriculture a key area of practical cooperation between the two countries in the next stage. China is willing to work together with Sierra Leone to earnestly implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, carry out existing cooperation projects, actively explore new forms of cooperation, and help Sierra Leone achieve its goal of "Feed Salon" as soon as possible. Minister Kpaka stated that the arable land area in Sierra Leone exceeds 5 million hectares. Due to a lack of funds and technology, less than one-fifth of the cultivated area has been cultivated, seriously affecting the lives of the Sierra Leonean people and national food security. Thanks to the Chinese experts for providing technical support and helping Sierra Leonean farmers significantly increase their production. The Sierra Leonean side hopes to work together with the Chinese side to promote the successful experience of the Ogoo Farm demonstration planting project in Sierra Leone, benefiting more Sierra Leonean people. On Thursday an anti-regime group launched the Five Freedoms (5L) citizens' initiative against Totalitarianism, "the people's answer to the economic package," which offers solutions to overcome the serious socio-economic crisis suffered by Cubans and put an end to the oligarchic state of GAESA. This new type of popular resistance movement is non-violent, proactive, inclusive and massive, as defined by activist Ivan Hernandez Carrillo, one of its promoters, and seeks to bring together "workers, agricultural laborers, students, entrepreneurs, public employees, retirees and even military and communist militants" to force "the tiny political elite to immediately and unconditionally undertake real and profound change in Cuban society," not referring to Cuba's civil servants, but rather to the system they have been administrating for 65 years. In order to "curb hunger and prevent violence," the initiative focuses "in a first stage, on the path to full freedom," on the "destatization of Cuba" and is based on five basic freedoms that, in turn, would put an end to "five forms of internal state subjugation." Thus, "freedom from terror" consists of an "end to repression and the one-party political dictatorship;" "economic freedom," of an "end to the internal restrictions on free enterprise; "freedom of expression," of the "end of censorship;" "freedom association," of an "end to the prohibition of citizen organizations;" and "freedom of movement," of an "end to exile and the exclusion from Cuba's exiles as a community." According to Hernandez Carrillo, the 5L (5 Libertades) movement arose amidst the new social unrest that began with the historic 11-J protests, which revealed that "there are millions of citizens who need and demand change, even if they are not associated with dissident organizations." "It is necessary for this massive force for change to be able to point to a set of widely supported demands underpinning their spontaneous actions," added Hernandez Carrillo in the presentation of the initiative, which includes a demand for immediate and total freedom for all Cuban political prisoners. According to the independent trade unionist, the movement's demands and approaches presented on Thursday "are based on previous study of documentation issued over several decades by pro-democracy organizations, both on the island and in exile." Without being new, "they represent a careful selection of those demands that are coming to the fore today, in the midst of this crisis, and about which there has always been solid consensus." According to the activist, "identifying with common demands will facilitate the actions - complementary, autonomous and non-centralized - of many citizens who today, whether they belong to an organization or not, want to multiply their efforts to end the totalitarian system that is at the root of the current crisis." In the 5Ls "there is no formal membership that can be infiltrated by the oppressors, nor do the participants have to reveal their identities to others. Their actions are not placed on a predetermined public calendar, which would facilitate the efforts of those who would crack down on them," said Hernandez Carrillo. The movement also lacks any hierarchical structure. "The initial promoters we reveal today are just that: a group of citizens who wanted to give this initiative its first boost. It does not constitute national leadership," he said. The signatures endorsing the 5L campaign include those of the pedagogue and political prisoner Felix Navarro, poet and political prisoner Maria Cristina Garrido, exiled doctor Alexander de Jesus Figueredo, economists Jorge Sanguinetti and Emilio Morales, musician Paquito D Rivera, priest Alberto Reyes, art historian Carolina Barrero, and political scientist Juan Antonio Blanco, among other figures. Ivan Hernandez Carrillo insisted that "there will be no leadership structure," but that it is essential to "centralize the messages of this initiative to protect them from the political police's disinformation actions." The movement will have "a spokesperson in Cuba and another abroad, in case the first is silenced or detained. In my case, being the original promoter of this idea, and in response to the suggestion of other people in the group supporting it, I have taken on the role. I do so in a personal capacity, not on behalf of the independent trade union organizations of which I am a member or at which I have managerial responsibilities," he added. "The door to begin to emerge from this national crisis the worst in Cuba's history is the struggle for those five basic freedoms, with a comprehensive scope. The granting of some limited economic freedoms, which would allow the oligarchy to, at some point, try them out in order to appease the current protests, will not be enough," said Hernandez Carrillo. According to the activist and the other promoters of the 5L, respect for economic freedoms is necessary to "guarantee food, decent wages and pensions, stable public services and other urgent needs" of the people, but "other civil and political rights are also required, without which the economic concessions made can always be reversed." "Cuban society will not tolerate new experiments, nor does it want to listen to old rhetoric calling for new sacrifices. Freedom is the way out," Hernandez Carrillo said. This is why the promoters of the initiative will first work to "reach every Cuban, in the streets, bodegas, pharmacies, offices, universities, shops, and military and police units." "We issue this call to every Cuban, without exception, both civilians and military. It is time for civic responsibility; for concerted action for freedom, not for discord. We will all win when change comes. Ending totalitarianism is the essential first stage in the struggle to achieve a democratic society in which the rule of law and economic freedom prevail. One without the current political and economic monopolies of a party and its oligarchy. A society in which we all have a place. A Cuba with everyone, and for everyone. The one that we deserve," he concluded. Initial group promoting the Five Freedoms (5L) 1) Ivan Hernandez (worker/trade unionist) 2) Lisandra Orraca (independent agricultural worker 3) Felix Navarro (pedagogue/political prisoner) 4) Alexander de Jesus Figueredo (doctor) 5) Maria Cristina Garrido (poet/political prisoner) 6) Nancy Alfaya (religious activist for racial and women's equality) 7) Eduardo Zayas-Bazan (pedagogue, author and founder of the National Association of Cuban American Educators) 8) General Rafael del Pino (pilot) 9) Paquito D' Rivera (musician, winner of several Grammys and other international honors) 10) Enrique Patterson (academic and writer) 11) Jorge Sanguinetti (economist) 12) Padre Alberto Reyes (priest) 13) Carolina Barrero (art historian) 14) Juan Antonio Blanco (historian, conflictologist) 15) Elena Larrinaga (historian) 16) Marthadella Tamayo (pedagogue) 17) Yunisey Santana Gonzalez (wife of a political prisoner) 18) Maria Matienzo (journalist) 19) Oscar Casanella (scientist/entrepreneur 20) Magdelidia Hidalgo (producer and TV 21) Roland Behart (financial consultant 22) Emilio Morales (financial consultant) 23) Vilino Irina (businessman) But it can be tricky to figure out what counts as a living thing. Here are the traits living things share, according to scientists who search for signs of life. Living things reproduce: Flowering plants make baby plants when pollen from one part of the flower called the stamen falls onto another part of the flower called the pistil. In some plants, that happens in the same flower. In other plants, pollinators like the wind or insects move pollen from one flower to another. That makes a seed that can grow into a new plant. Living things grow and develop: If you peek inside a seed, youll see the start of a baby plantcalled an embryo. When that seed sprouts, its roots grow down, and its shoots grow up. Just like you, the plant will use energy to grow until its mature. Living things respond to their environment: A plants roots and shoots know which way to grow because the plant can sense gravity. It responds by growing away from gravity or toward it called tropism. Plants also sense light, water and touch. They automatically grow toward or away from those things. Its like how your body automatically senses and responds to light by shrinking or expanding the pupils of your eyes. Living things are made of cells: Some living things are just one cell. But humans and big trees have trillions of cells. Plant cells can be larger and more cube-shaped than human cells. They also have other differences like a rigid outer layer called a cell wall and a big storage compartment called a vacuole. Living things take in and use energy: Plants collect energy from the sun. Then, they change it into energy they can use through photosynthesis. When you chow down on veggies, your cells take in the energy stored in the plant. Living things keep their inside environments steady: Plants maintain a steady, internal temperature by releasing water a process called transpiration. As the water evaporates, it takes heat with it. Its kind of like how you sweat to keep your body cool. Living things adapt to their environments: Plants havent always had flowers. Millions of years ago, some plant leaves started growing around the plants seeds. That helped those plants survive. They passed on their weird leaves to their baby plants. Eventually, those leaves became flowers. Its like how your ancestors hands slowly adapted so you have flat fingernails instead of claws like me. It turns out we share some unbe-leaf-able similarities with plants after all. Have a science question? Ask Dr. Wendy Sue Universe, WSUs resident science cat and writer, by email at Dr.Universe@wsu.edu, on her website at askDrUniverse.wsu.edu, via Twitter at @AskDrUniverse or at facebook.com/AskDrUniverse. In spring of 1968, a graduate architecture class led by Washington State University professors Robert Ford and Dorman Anderson conducted what was titled a Pullman Development Study, exploring means by which Pullmans central business district could be planned so as to develop into a really dynamic, economically viable and socially meaningful environment. The study was not undertaken at the request of the city government, but was funded by the local chamber of commerce, which also funded the publication of a 28-page brochure, from which the images shared here came. The full document can be found online at hdl.handle.net/2376/13319. In stating the needs for such a study, the chamber stated, If definitive planning and implementation of these recommendations were to be undertaken immediately, Pullman could develop into the most desirable merchandizing center in southeastern Washington. If, on the other hand, no significant steps are taken quickly, further fragmentation and decentralization of commercial activity will eliminate the opportunity for Pullman to rise above its present level. The students came up with four different plans, all of which centered around the basic premise of creating a (mostly) traffic-free mall for downtown Pullman. Parking was fairly uniform, with multi-story garages on the Pioneer Hill side of downtown. The problem of through traffic was one of the major difficulties, resolved in a different way in each plan. One had a two-level express route on McKenzie Street, with exits to Pine and Kamiaken as access to parking structures and College Hill, and downtown as pedestrian space. Another had an elevated highway, 45 feet above Main Street, again allowing downtown underneath it to become pedestrian walkways. A Pullman man who is accused of murdering his estranged wife pleaded not guilty. Jacob Spray, 36, made an appearance in Whitman County Superior Court on Friday morning. A full courtroom came to witness his arraignment. Whitman County Court Commissioner Doug Robinson said Spray faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the second-degree murder charge. Spray was taken into custody March 27 with an additional third-degree assault charge for allegedly obstructing an officer. He was booked into the Whitman County Jail on an extraordinary bail of $2 million bond or $200,000 cash surety. The case began when a dispatching agency in Spokane received a call from a woman who may have witnessed an assault over the phone. She was conducting a job interview with 25-year-old Jamie Wilson-Spray, of Pullman, when she heard a scream and the line went dead, according to court records. The agency alerted Whitcom 911, the local dispatching agency, and sent Pullman police to Sevdys Modern View Mobile Court on Fisk Street around 5:30 that evening. Upon arrival, law enforcement observed Wilson-Sprays vehicle parked outside a residence that was exuding intense heat, according to court records. Officers saw condensation on the windows and smoke exiting the home. Police noticed a propane stove burner turned all the way up, then disabled the gas line before entering the residence. A dog led them to the bedroom, where they found Wilson-Spray lying on the bed, according to court records. Law enforcement checked for a pulse and didnt find one. They observed bruises and scratches on the womans neck and arms, according to court records. Wang Ying, a deputy to the 14th NPC and secretary of the Party branch of Shijiazi, a village in Mutouchengzi, a town in Chaoyang, a city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province [Xinhua/Yang Qing] Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's rural reform has kept pace with the times. Advancing rural revitalization across the board is a crucial task for building China's strength in agriculture, in the new era. The countryside has provided fertile ground for capable young people to start their agricultural businesses. The young talents have taken root in the countryside, and they have become a new breed of farmer. Wang Ying, who has established her own brand of agricultural products, and who has led villagers in achieving prosperity, is a role model for the "new farmers." Wang was born in Shijiazi, a remote village in Chaoyang, in 1992. In 2014, after she graduated from Jilin University (in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province), she gave up an opportunity to work in the big city. With her father's encouragement, she returned to her village to start her own business. At that time, she set goals for herself helping villagers plant high-quality agricultural products, which could fetch good prices, and establishing her own agricultural-product brand. "After I returned to the village, I was busy all day long. I learned about the village's specialties, and I thought about how to advertise the agricultural products online. I also promoted the concept of e-commerce to villagers," recalls Wang. In July 2015, she established an e-commerce company, and the "Village Girl in City" brand. Since then, she has used e-commerce platforms to promote agricultural products from her hometown. In 2017, Wang established a land shareholding cooperative in the village. Two years later, she established a vegetable and fruit cooperative. During the past few years, she has led the villagers in cultivating green agricultural products, such as crops, sunflowers, grapes and apples. She has also established processing workshops, to produce wheat flour and sunflower seed oil. In recent years, Wang has assisted the village's Party branch in leading the villagers in achieving prosperity. Her company and cooperatives have helped more than 500 farmers increase their incomes, by cultivating high-quality agricultural products, and they have provided jobs to more than 200 rural residents and university graduates. Since 2020, when she was elected secretary of the village's Party branch, Wang has devoted herself to improving villagers' lives. "I hope to make mobile phones become farmers' new farm tools,' make livestreaming (to promote and sell agricultural products) become their new farm work,' and help more university graduates become new farmers,'" says Wang. In 2021, she was selected one of China's Top 10 Farmers. As a deputy to the 14th NPC, Wang is aware she shoulders the great responsibility of taking root in the countryside and boosting rural revitalization. She has made more efforts to help farmers change their traditional methods of producing and selling agricultural products, and to attract young people, especially university graduates, to do their bit to promote rural revitalization. Shijiazi is close to Nailingao Station, along the Beijing-Harbin (capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province) high-speed railway line, which officially went into operation in 2021. Given the village's geographical advantage, Wang came up with the idea of promoting rural revitalization by leading villagers in developing rural tourism, improving the ecological environment, and rebuilding their houses into beautiful inns. "I'll make greater efforts to build our village into a beautiful, prosperous home for the villagers, and to help young people realize their dreams in the countryside," says Wang. Sources: Xinhua and Liaoning Daily (Women of China English Monthly December 2023) Students don eclipse viewing glasses in Cleveland elementary school teacher Nancy Morris' classroom on March 14, 2014 for a lesson on the upcoming total solar eclipse. Teachers in or near the path of totality say they have worked to come up with educational and engaging lessons for the rare event. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson) Many people like to complain about the news media, but what would happen if all such media suddenly disappeared? That cant happen? Of course it can, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation proved how devastating it can be to the people when a government removes the free press, leaving only propaganda in its wake. Without warning in 2018, the countrys fourth largest Native American nations tribal council cut the right to a free press, making the tribes only reliable source of information for its citizens a propaganda tool for the government. As a sovereign nation, the tribal council has full rights over tribal laws and matters, and the council removed the right of its citizens to have a free press. Since the First Amendment is not guaranteed on tribal lands, at the time the council acted the Muscogee Nation was only one of five Indigenous tribes which has passed a Free Press Act. What followed was confusion and frustration, and the work of former Mvskoke News director Angel Ellis to restore a free press to her people. For more about what happened, there is a free showing of the documentary, Bad Press, about the episode at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in Moscow. The film is part of the 2024 Oppenheimer Symposium sponsored by the University of Idaho School of Journalism and Mass Media. Ellis will be on hand after the film to answer questions about her free press fight. Non-Natives may say: So what? This doesnt affect me. Think again. Today there are proposals across the country to limit free press. While individuals may not like CNN, Fox News or anything in between, the ability of the media to cover issues is a right under the First Amendment. Without a free press, the government can work in secrecy. Laws can be passed without public knowledge. Rights can be erased in secrecy. Minus the free press, there is no democratic society. As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently said, the transparency and accountability for those in power provided by the media is paramount to a democracy. This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 8th, 2024 Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Assembly Members to write a monthly article with updates on their work in their respective Parliaments and closer to home you can find them all here. In his monthly column for Wrexham.com, Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes writes: As your Member of Parliament, I am proud to ensure that those in power hear your views. I raised the concerns of residents in Esclusham about the proposed battery storage facility near Bersham during questions to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in the House of Commons on 27th February. The proposals by Innova would see the construction of a battery storage facility near the A483. It would constitute the largest lithium-ion battery storage site in the UK. Since the announcement of the proposal, it has faced significant local opposition, with residents forming the Esclusham Community Group to campaign against the scheme due to safety concerns. It was a great pleasure to support the farming community recently by welcoming Lord Newborough, owner of the Rhug Estate near Corwen in Clwyd South, to a Reception at No. 10 Downing Street to celebrate the work of Local Community Food and Farming Champions which hosted by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP, and Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP. Lord Newborough has transformed the Estate into an award-winning business, recognised for embracing sustainable organic farming, green energy, retail, wholesale and most recently, skincare. Broadband connectivity is an essential part of life but rural areas, including some in Clwyd South, can struggle with sub-par coverage. It was therefore a pleasure recently to meet with Julia Lopez MP, Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure, in the House of Commons to discuss broadband connectivity in Clwyd South. Approximately 24,500 premises across North Wales are in scope for further Project Gigabit regional procurement, providing a major boost for connectivity and the local economy. Throughout Clwyd South, many individuals and businesses undertake voluntary work to help our local charities. I recently welcomed Paul and Katy Jones from The Sun Trevor pub near Llangollen to the House of Commons for the PubAid Community Pub Hero awards 2024 where they won the Community Pub Fundraising Hero Prize for Wales. I was proud to nominate them as the Community Pub Fundraising Hero for Wales. The award celebrates the work that the Sun Trevor has done fundraising for Nightingale House Hospice through their weekly pub quiz run by Maggie Smith. The quiz has raised over 27,500 to date and I was pleased to introduce Paul and Katy to Kevin Hollinrake MP, Minister for Enterprise and Markets, and Dr James Davies MP, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for the new Clwyd East constituency (which includes Llangollen and the surrounding area). The House of Commons is open to all residents in Clwyd South and the rest of the UK, and I am always happy to facilitate visits. I enjoyed meeting Nicholas Claffey and Hannah LaCourse from Plas Madoc and Rebecca and Ken Roberts from Bangor-on-Dee who travelled down to Westminster for a tour of the Palace of Westminster and to watch Prime Ministers Questions on 6th and 13th March respectively. Our farming community works tirelessly year-round, I was pleased to highlight in the House of Commons on Thursday 14th March the problems facing Clwyd South farmers. The Prime Ministers recent announcement of 220 million to deploy new technology to boost productivity in the farming sector in England compares very favourably with Welsh Labours Sustainable Farming Scheme, which would force farmers in Clwyd South and the rest of Wales to reduce their productive land by 20%. This would result in the reduction of 122,200 Welsh livestock with 5,500 jobs being lost along with a 199 million loss to the Welsh economy. Given the importance of rail transport in Clwyd South, I was pleased to co-sign on the 14th March an open letter from Sarah Atherton, MP for Wrexham, to the Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Mark Harper MP, alongside nine other MPs. The letter calls on the Secretary of State to work with the Office of Rail and Road and the Department for Transport to ensure that the plans of the Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway to introduce a new direct daily train service between Wrexham General and London Euston is processed as quickly as possible. I continue to campaign for policies that will help small businesses in Clwyd South. I was pleased in Treasury Questions in the House of Commons on 19th March to show my appreciation for the Spring Budgets increase in the VAT threshold from 85,000 to 90,000 that will help businesses like the Two Doves Cafe and Gift Shop in Overton. I asked Gareth Davies MP, Exchequer Secretary, to prioritise increasing further the VAT threshold in the governments next fiscal intervention. The UK government has provided significant funding to our area since 2019. This includes the 13.3 million Clwyd South Levelling Up Fund that I helped to secure in 2021 and a 160 million Investment Zone for Wrexham, Clwyd South and Flintshire that was announced last year. I was delighted that on Saturday, 23rd March, the UK governments Community Ownership Fund announced a grant of 452,700 for the Owain Glyndwr Hotel in Corwen. I have been enormously impressed by everyone involved in this campaign, including the group of local residents Save the Owain Glyndwr Hotel chaired by Dr David Counsell and also including County Councillors Alan Hughes and Gwyneth Ellis, all of whom should take great pride in their work. I am very pleased to have helped bring significant Levelling Up Fund investment to the town from the UK government so that Corwen can realise its great potential and prosper in the years to come. As your Member of Parliament, my team and I are always here to provide advice and support. For updates on my work in Clwyd South and Westminster, please visit my website http://www.simonbaynes.co.uk I will be holding a constituency surgery in the Ceiriog Valley on 12th April. If you would like to attend, or would like to book tickets to attend PMQs, please get in touch on simon.baynes.mp@parliament.uk Investigation underway after man arrested on suspicion of murder This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 8th, 2024 A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a man in Gwersyllt. Police were called by colleagues from Welsh Ambulance Services Trust to an address on Wheat Close, Gwersyllt, where a 52-year-old man was pronounced deceased. The mans family have been informed, and they are being supported by specialist officers. The Coroner has also been informed. North Wales Police say that a 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in police custody whilst enquiries continue. Detectives have now launched an investigation into the incident. Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Hughes said: Firstly, our thoughts are with the deceaseds family at this very difficult time. I would like to reassure the local community that we believe this to be an isolated incident, and there is no suspected threat to the public. However, our investigation is in its early stages and we remain open minded about the circumstances surrounding this incident. I would ask that if anyone has any information that could assist our enquiries, including any CCTV, doorbell or dash cam footage on Saturday 6 April and/or Sunday 7 April, in Wheat Close, Gwersyllt and the surrounding area, that they contact us either via our live webchat online or by calling 101 quoting reference 24000319290. Local officers have been conducting house to house enquiries in the neighbourhood, and there will continue to be a police presence in the area in the coming days. Finally, I would like to thank the local community in Gwersyllt for the information and assistance they have already provided to us today, and should anyone have any concerns, please do not hesitate to speak to one of the officers that will be in the area tomorrow. Rapid test and treat programme leads to micro-elimination of Hepatitis C at HMP Berwyn This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 8th, 2024 Hepatitis C has virtually all but been eliminated from HMP Berwyn thanks to a joint initiative between Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), Public Health Wales and the charity Hepatitis C Trust. In a recent programme, 100 per cent of prisoners were offered a test, 90 per cent of men were tested and 90 per cent of those diagnosed with hepatitis C started treatment. This is known as micro-elimination, meaning that within a particular environment, in this case HMP Berwyn, certain requirements for hepatitis C testing and treatment have been reached. This was achieved through making testing routine, with prisoners being offered a rapid test within days of arriving at the prison, and treatment being quickly provided for those who need it. Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus which affects the liver and is easily cured by 8-12 weeks of oral treatment which prevents future complications. Pharmacist, Elizabeth Hurry, from BCUHB said: HMP Berwyn is the UKs largest prison so presented unique challenges. The team has worked tirelessly over the past few years educating to raise awareness and reduce stigma, testing and treating using a streamlined pathway. We are very proud to be able to announce micro-elimination of hepatitis C within HMP Berwyn. Lee Devereux, The Hepatitis C Trust Southern England and Wales Prisons Manager, said: When walking around the landings of HMP Berwyn the attitude towards hepatitis C is positive and the stigma is virtually non-existent. Without the peers it would have not been achievable HMP Berwyn is now one of the flagship prisons in the world for micro-elimination of hepatitis C. The team within HMP Berwyn was made up of a blood borne virus nurse, prescribing pharmacists and Hepatitis C Trust peers, and also involved prisoner peers. HMP Berwyn has managed to achieve and maintain micro-elimination for the past five months and met national targets ahead of schedule. Louise Davies, National ID Point Of Care Testing Lead Public Health Wales, said: Achieving this accomplishment in HMP Berwyn has been a complete multidisciplinary team effort and work will continue to maintain the micro-elimination status going forward so that the prison continues to meet the targets set by the Welsh government. The rapid test and treat programme is part of action plans from Welsh Government to micro-eliminate hepatitis C in the community and in all Welsh prisons. A rapid hepatitis C test and treat programme was first introduced in BCUHB in community clinics in 2019. This became an award-winning outreach project which has helped over 170 people in North Wales, including those experiencing homelessness, to get treated for Hepatitis C. Royal Mail has spelled out proposals to end six-day-a-week letter deliveries in a submission to postal regulator Ofcom. The plan will see the destruction of up to 17,800 jobs at the national carrier. The projected job cuts are part of a global war against postal and logistics workersincluding at Amazon, UPS and the US Postal Serviceas corporate boardrooms seize on new technology to reduce the workforce and slash costs. Communication Workers Union (CWU) officials have responded by offering their own cost-saving measures including a five-day mail service, slower speeds for second-class mail and declaring that the USO should evolve based on an expanded parcel network. CWU Head of Communications Chris Webb (left), leader Dave Ward (centre) and Martin Walsh, the union's Deputy General Secretary (Postal) at a CWU Live event, April 3, 2024 [Photo: screenshot of video: YouTube/CWULive] Royal Mails April 2 submission was made in response to Ofcoms call for input on the future of the Universal Service Obligation (USO). The USO guarantees mail delivery Monday-Saturday to Britains 32 million households, with uniform pricing for different classes of mail regardless of destination. Ofcom aims to change all that. In January, it published a 104-page report, The future of the universal postal service, which concluded that commitment to a six-day mail service is an unfair financial burden on Royal Mail. It canvased measures to reduce this burden by scaling back and ultimately ending the USO. On behalf of Royal Mails private equity investor and hedge fund ownersparasites like Vesa Equity and Black Rock Inc that have creamed 1 billion in dividends and buybacks since 2020Royal Mails submission declares the USO is unsustainable. It complains: Royal Mail is spending around 1m - 2m per day to provide the USO to the UK. It approves Ofcoms judgement that this raises serious questions as to whether it is a cost Royal Mail should or even can be expected to continue to meet. Royal Mail is demanding that all non-First Class letters be delivered on alternate weekdays, reducing the USO to a three-day-a-week service (at best). Delivery speeds for standard bulk mail will also be slowed, taking three weekdays to reach recipients instead of two. The impact will be a jobs massacre, with Royal Mail stating: the total number of delivery routes is expected to reduce by c. 7,000-9,000. The company claims there will be no compulsory redundancies, citing a voluntary redundancy figure of 1,000. Most delivery roles can be managed (destroyed) through natural attrition, underscoring the complicity of the CWU in company revisions to terms and conditionsenshrined in last years national agreementaimed at slashing Royal Mails existing workforce. Based on Ofcoms own financial modelling, the CWU estimates that moving to a two or three-day-a-week USO will in fact result in job losses of between 13,700 and 17,800, based on net cost savings of 750 million to 975 million. But frontline job losses could be considerably higher than this. Royal Mails proposals are social vandalism and will have damaging and even deadly consequences. National Health Service (NHS) patients are already missing hospital appointments and life-saving surgery due to industrial-scale breaches of the USO by Royal Mail. NHS leaders wrote to the Telegraph on Friday warning that two million people may have missed medical appointments in 2022-23 due to late delivery of letters, and this will only deteriorate under the proposed new plans. Citizens Advice has protested that millions are affected by missed NHS appointments, court notices and welfare benefits decisions. While Ofcom is the supposed guarantor of the USO, it has allowed Royal Mail to trash its legal obligations. Its token 5.6 million fine in 2023 for significant contravention of First Class and Second Class mail targets has greenlighted Royal Mails focus on the lucrative parcels market. Royal Mail justifies its war on the USO with corporate speak about adapting and evolving to changing customer behaviours. But there is no public support for reduced mail deliveriesor for the price hikes Royal Mail is planning for First Class mail that will drive customers into slower Second and Economy Class services. But the companys submission does not stop there. It demands the government urgently legislate to gift Ofcom sweeping powers to drive through cost efficiencies and reduce the USO further still. It states, where further reform is no longer sufficient it may fall on Government to contribute to those costs. CWU on its knees While the CWU has publicly rejected Royal Mails plans for a three-day USO, it accepts the market-driven framework set by the company, offering proposals to ensure the USO is sustainable and declaring we have never shied away from change. Its submission states: The CWU would be willing to consider a five-day USO for letters (Monday to Friday), if it were part of a seven day parcel service. It pledges: the CWU is open to changing the speed of delivery of some products, if the USO continued to ensure that First Class products were still delivered across six days. A modernised USO should be based on an expanded parcel network and an expanding role for postal workers in delivering new social and commercial products and services. How they are supposed to add such workloads is left unsaid. The CWUs submission confirms the union is fully embedded with the company. It accepts that Royal Mail cannot operate a six-day (or even a five-day USO) and calls for an industry fund with contributions from Amazon, Evri and other parcel companies that are currently leveraging profits off Royal Mails delivery network. Amazon is a significant client according to Royal Mail, and Parcelforce workers confirm they are handling huge volumes of Amazon deliveries. But the CWUs suggestion that Amazon would contribute to an industry fund to subsidise the USO and create a level playing field is absurd. Amazons main UK division paid zero corporate tax last year, for the second year running, despite receiving 7.7 million in infrastructure investment under the Sunak governments super-deduction scheme, according to the Guardian. The CWU nakedly touts for the Labour Party, writing: We are pleased that the Labour Party has agreed to a comprehensive regulatory review of the sector, as part of their National Policy Forum process, in order to improve the dismal regulatory regime. How this sits with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmers incessant praise for Margaret Thatcher is anyones guess. But there is no more strident defender of the London Stock Exchange than his Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Ideally, Royal Mail would be in public hands and the net costs would be subsidised by the government, the CWU writes, but this is difficult under privatisation. [!] The CWU nevertheless affirms its confidence in company executives: the CWU knows that Royal Mail can remain a financially sustainable and comprehensive business in the modern world. At the conclusion of its submission, the CWU quotes from the Business Recovery, Growth and Transformation Agreement it signed with Royal Mail in April 2023 that betrayed the year-long battle by over 100,000 postal workers against the historic assault on pay, terms and conditions. The agreement was designed to grow parcel volumes and our share in the market by operating a 24/7 network, including Sundays, alongside acceptance times and dedicated parcel routes that will enable customer deliveries across the day and into the evening. Having delivered everything to Royal Mail, the CWU complains pathetically that just months later the company and Ofcom are back for more. To defeat Royal Mails assault a rank-and-file rebellion must be organised. The Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee has announced an online meeting for Sunday April 28, at 7pm. Register to attend and help spread the word. The Bible salesman deemed it a Christian gesture last week to retweet some MAGA morons depiction of the president of the United States trussed like a turkey in the back of a manly pickup truck. No surprise there Trumps stinking sewage has long stressed our olfactory organs to the max. But whats infuriating is that the criminal defendant, whos out on bail in four jurisdictions, never gets held accountable for his incitements to violence. You werent waiting for Trump to sincerely apologize for posting the Biden effigy photo, were you? One hundred years ago this week, Adolph Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison for his central role in the failed Beer Hall Putsch insurrection. By contrast, our own home-grown thug has yet to suffer even a slap on the wrist. Our courts move with the speed of a swimmer in quicksand, and dont get me started (for the umpteenth time) about the Republicans and MAGAts who indulge and excuse every fascistic incitement. At bare minimum, political commentator Michael Tomasky reminds us anyone else who incited an insurrection against the temple of our democracy and wanted his own vice president hanged would have been drummed out of politics the next week. Last weekends flap over the hog-tied Biden image was a classic example. Trumps defenders quickly flooded social media with condemnations of comedian Kathy Griffin. It was the predictable ButWhatAbout game as in: But what about Griffin, who posted a shock-art pic back in 2017, when she posed with an effigy of Trumps bloody severed head? Yes, she did, and it was disgusting. Indeed, the MAGAts who seized on the Griffin episode flying the flag of false equivalence is that they ignored a slew of salient details. In ascending order of importance: 1. Kathy Griffin is not Joe Biden. If the president was posting violent images of Trump, that would be real equivalence. But he doesnt live in the gutter. 2. Griffin immediately apologized for what shed posted: I crossed the line. I went too far. I beg for your forgiveness. I made a mistake and I was wrong. An Update on the USOlive Q&A with Dave Ward & Martin Walsh, broadcast on the CWU (Communication Workers Union) Live YouTube channel last Wednesday, was a shambolic affair. Chris Webb, CWU Head of Communications, claimed the meeting allowed members to have a say where the Universal Service operation goes. This defies satire. The event was broadcast at 3.30pm, with members only notified via a Letter to Branches emailed after midday. On its Facebook group, the CWU stated: We know many of you will be at work, so, as usual, this episode will be available on catch up, and we will be doing another live call in the evening soon, with Webb later confirming it would be held in a couple of weeks. From the CWUs new media studio, General Secretary Dave Ward and Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Martin Walsh dedicated the entire session to spinning their acceptance that the Universal Service Obligation (USO) must adapt to change and modernise, working to block any fightback by postal workers against the companys announced attack on the USO and thousands of jobs. CWU Head of Communications Chris Webb (left), leader Dave Ward (centre) and Martin Walsh, the union's Deputy General Secretary (Postal) at a CWU Live event, April 3, 2024 [Photo: screenshot of video: YouTube/CWULive] Those online were denied any input other than commenting in the chat. But during the one hour Q&A none of the members queries or criticisms were answered. Repeated questions about job losses were ignored, while chief censor Webb announced at the end of the meeting that all those who had posted comments were eligible for a free CWU T-shirt! Rank and file postal workers were left seething. Comments on the CWU Live YouTube channel were 99 percent critical. They included: So why is this fair, the delivery postman get shafted again. Later starts, worse sick benefits, and all our walks get obliterated to satisfy the new USO. For 38 years I have been a delivery postman, and been a member all that time, yet we are now treated as second class members. Shame on all of you. 2% pay rise how much you lot creamed off on expenses over last 2 years. The more of us long serving delivery staff leave by being demoralised, the more new contracts can be brought in. This only benefits the main shareholders not the service. Privatisation has failed. Royal Mail managed to find 750,000 pounds down the back of the settee to pay off Simon Thompson and then plead poverty. Give me a break. Wards opening statement to the meeting set the tone and was aimed at blocking any challenge: Once again we are having to deal with the reality of change. I think we cannot face away from that. Its one of our messages and has been for a long time. As the trusted mouthpiece of Martin Seidenberg, chief executive of Royal Mail parent company IDS, Ward lectured that the USO was not sustainable. Referring to the companys self-inflicted financial problemsa polite term for 600 million worth of looting by major shareholdersWard stated, We have to address the reality of that irrespective of what we are feeling about the company. Ward sought to portray the CWU as a restraining hand against the options cited by Royal Mail and postal regulator Ofcom to reduce the USO to a three or four-day service. Ward claimed the CWU had influenced the politicians, both the government and the Labour Party and obviously Royal Mail. The CWU has offered to help reduce the USO to five days, alongside other cost-cutting measures, including reduced delivery speeds for second class mail. Walsh chimed with Ward, making constant references to capturing market share. They made clear this meant speeding-up the transition from a mail service to a parcel carrier in line with the stated aim of the Business Recovery, Transformation and Growth Agreement it signed with the company in April 2023. The real purpose of the online meeting was for CWU officials to offer their services in trialling Royal Mails Optimised Model for mail delivery, starting in Scotland and other parts of the UK without waiting on the outcome of Ofcoms review. Ward declared the current delivery model is broken, but the CWU executive are joint partners in Royal Mails wrecking operation. Over the past two years, the CWU leadership has helped push through the largest cost-cutting revisions in its history, collapsing the USO. The CWU vetoed postal workers strike mandate to enforce a sell-out deal. The proposed Optimised Model means First Class letters will continue to be delivered six days and parcels across seven days but non-priority products including Second Class and bulk business mail (bills and statements) will be delivered every other weekday. In its briefing to reps the CWU states the company is in fact seeking to cut 6,000 jobs through net attrition not the 1,000 officially cited. Ward and Walsh had the front to cajole members to get behind the union, which is again marching in lock-step with the company. During the meeting it was admitted that Royal Mails two-tier workforcewhich the CWU established through its pro-company agreementhad enabled Royal Mail to recruit 15,000 new entrants on inferior pay and conditions. But 85 percent had left within a year, a massive rebuke to the gig economy conditions being enforced. Ward and Walsh presented this mass exodus as a retention problem not a social disaster inflicted on postal workers by the unions pro-company agreement. Walsh even defended the implementation of 10,000 redundancies last year because were spreading less and less traffic over six days adding in regard to the USO that he would have preferred to see six [days] into five. He repeated the companys lying claims that it would allow 40 percent of delivery staff to have Saturdays off. Along with Ward, he asserted that new attendance patterns on a four-day basis would offer more weekends and weekdays off. This is a Trojan Horse for the Amazon model, forcing those in delivery to work later into the night, with Ward insisting that parcels would be delivered until 9pm. Despite having excluded CWU members from any participation in the Live Q&A event, Ward and Walsh announced they had a mandate to draw up a Statement of Principles on terms and conditions to be presented at the CWU conference on April 21-25. The last thing postal workers need is another pro-company joint statement from the authors of last years surrender document! A genuine statement of principles is needed to mobilise the rank-and-file and dismantle and replace the CWUs unaccountable bureaucracy. A network of committees must be elected from the shop floor across every section of Royal Mail putting workers interests before the companys profit grab that is destroying the mail service. The Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee is holding an online meeting on Sunday April 28 at 7 pm. It is open to all postal workers who want to discuss the way forward. Last Wednesday, Thailands Constitutional Court accepted a petition seeking the dissolution of the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP), the largest party in the countrys National Assembly. The party has been given 15 days to respond with evidence in its defence after which a ruling is expected. The proceedings demonstrate the utterly anti-democratic character of the Thai parliamentary system. Former leader of Move Forward party Pita Limjaroenrat during news conference at parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024 [AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit] The grounds for dissolution arise from the partys previous pledges to reform Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, the lese-majeste law, which forbids any criticism of the monarchy. The Thai Election Commission (EC) submitted the petition to the court after it came to the unanimous decision on March 12 that the MFP, in seeking to amend Article 112, sought to undermine the democratic system with the King as the Head of State. The ECs petition followed a separate unanimous decision by the Constitutional Court in January that determined the MFPs attempts to amend Article 112 violated Section 49 of the constitution, written by the military after its 2014 coup. The court ordered the party to cease activities related to the laws amendment, with which the MFP promptly complied. Januarys ruling led to the EC reviewing the MFPs status under Section 92 of the Political Parties Act that empowers the EC to petition for the dissolution of any party that is deemed unconstitutional or that may be adverse to the government. Both the Constitutional Court and the EC are comprised of military appointees, installed following the 2014 military coup led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha. The military used its power to impose a new constitution in 2017 and strengthened reactionary laws to protect the monarchy, which is a key linchpin of bourgeois rule. The lese-majeste law is routinely used to intimidate political opposition to the government. Each offence is punishable with up to 15 years in prison and can be cumulative, resulting in effective life sentences. If the MFP is dissolved, party executives may be banned from politicseven votingfor 10 years. Additionally, the National Anti-Corruption Commission is overseeing a separate case which could potentially impose lifetime bans on 44 MFP members of parliament who had explicitly endorsed proposed reforms to the lese-majeste law. The partys dissolution would represent the disenfranchisement of 38 percent of those voting in last years election, or 14.4 million people who voted for the MFP, more than any other party. Millions of people no doubt backed the MFP hoping it would bring about genuine changes in government. But despite its electoral success and the formation of a majority coalition immediately after last years election, the MFP was blocked from taking power by the military-appointed Senate in parliament. The concern in ruling circles was that the party would be unable to control the demands of workers as social and economic conditions continued to decline as a result of the growing crisis of capitalism internationally. Those concerns persist, no doubt fuelling the drive to dissolve the party. According to polling in March from Thailands National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Pita Limjaroenrat, the MFPs prime ministerial candidate last year and de facto party leader, is still the most favoured candidate for the premiership, with support of 42.75 percent, up from 39.4 percent in NIDAs previous poll in December. This is greater than the popularity of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra who combined with only 23.75 percent. Similarly, the MFPs approval rating has risen to 48.45 percent from 44.05 percent in the previous survey. Pheu Thais rating has dropped to 22.1 percent compared to 24.05 percent in December. Srettha and the ruling Pheu Thai Party have stated that the government had nothing to do with the moves against the MFP which could defend itself in court. While in Germany in March, Prime Minister Srettha responded to a reporters question on Thailands democratic credentials considering the ongoing attempts to dissolve the MFP. Srettha insisted that his government was formed following democratic elections and that freedom of speech exists in Thailand. However, it must be under the law, he added. In reality, Pheu Thai only came to power because the Senate used its de facto veto power to block the MFP from forming government. Pheu Thai, which had at first agreed to join an MFP coalition, quickly abandoned its former partner as Pita was temporarily suspended from parliament on phony pretexts. Pheu Thai agreed to a new coalition with the two primary military-backed parties as well as other right-wing groups. Srettha then stacked his cabinet with numbers of officials who had served in former Prime Minister Prayuts cabinet or who are close to the military. In reality, the MFP is not a real threat to the Thai ruling establishment, but rather functions to contain growing political opposition to the ruling class within the narrow confines of what passes for parliamentary democracy in Thailand. It is a bourgeois party, representing aspiring sections of the corporate and financial elite, that masquerades as a progressive opponent of the military and more right-wing sections of the Thai state. This is clear through the MFPs passive response to its possible dissolution. Pita, for example, posted on Instagram, I am confident that whatever will happen to the party, we will surely go towards the change we are looking for. Inadvertently, the partys dissolution will make us reach the finish line even faster. Every action [equals] reaction. The MFP is not making any attempt to mobilise workers and youth in opposition to the Thai states flagrant attack on democratic rights. This was made clear by MFP leader Chaithawat Tulathon, who told reporters, We plan to talk to the public about how we will fight this case in our way It will not affect our work in parliament. The MFP is just a fearful as its political opponents of any independent movement of workers and youth and is seeking to head off any mass protests, such as those that followed the dissolution of the MFPs predecessor, the Future Forward Party (FFP), in 2020. The FFP was dissolved by the Constitutional Court after winning 17 percent of the votes in the 2019 general election and coming in third with 81 seats. The court dissolved the party on trumped-up allegations of receiving illegal campaign donations. It contributed to a wave of student-led mass protests during 2020 and 2021, where participants demanded democratic reforms. The MFP has placed itself at the mercy of the judicial system while remaining a loyal opposition to the government and the military. The party is meekly setting plans for as smooth a dissolution as possible by minimising the legal repercussions while preparing its MPs to jump ship. Rumours are already swirling in the media about the creation of a new party, Kao Mai or New Step that MFP members would join. The fight for genuine democratic rights will not come from supporting the MFP. The party has acquiesced to every dubious legal offensive waged by the Thai state against it. A genuine struggle for democratic rights can only come from an independent political struggle of the working class for socialism. City Brewing with branding for La Crosse Lager, 3rd Street South in La Crosse, Wisconsin. [Photo by Tony Webster / CC BY 2.0 Brewery workers at City Brewing in La Crosse, Wisconsin, voted on March 27 to authorize a strike, following their rejection of a company contract proposal that would have implemented 12-hour shifts. The contract, covering more than 400 members of Teamsters Local 695, expires May 8. Jack Degnan, a union steward at the facility, told WiscNews that the brewery is understaffed and a section of the workers are exploited through a lower-tier of compensation. ... [T]hey want to put the burden of working all the extra overtime hours upon the union employees with less compensation and with fewer benefits, said Degnan. When Pabst Brewing, headquartered in Los Angeles, announced back in 2019 that it had reached a long-term agreement to transfer a majority of its production to City Brewing by December 2024, it obviously saw this lower-wage section of workers as an opportunity to boost profits. Previously, Pabsts production had been carried out by MillerCoors. But the two companies had a falling out over pricing. The parties landed in court with Pabst insisting on the partnership continuing with production at $17 per barrel, while MillerCoors protested it needed $42 per barrel to continue the agreement. City Brewing, based in La Crosse, also has production facilities in Memphis, Tennessee and Latrobe, Pennsylvania, which together employ a total of 1,800 workers. City Brewing is the largest full-service alcoholic beverage contract manufacturer in the United States, producing name brand beers for a number of companies. The contract struggle comes as a strike by 420 Molson Coors workers in Fort Worth, Texas nears the end of its second month. That strike, where workers are fighting against unsafe working conditions and 80-plus hour workweeks, as well as a provocative 99 cent wage offer by management, has been deliberately isolated by the Teamsters bureaucracy. The union blocked a national strike by 5,000 Anheuser-Busch workers at the start of March after months of empty threats designed to get in front of the rank-and-files opposition. It imposed a contract there which paves the way for plant closures and layoffs. This is almost identical to what the Teamsters officials did last year at UPS. Only months after claiming it had won an historic victory at the logistics firm, UPS announced plans to close 200 facilities and lay off tens of thousands, meanwhile the Teamsters bureaucracy maintains a guilty silence. To cover their betrayal at Anheuser-Busch, the Teamsters have called for a toothless consumer boycott, in spite of the fact that the network of Teamsters drivers and warehouse workers throughout the country could have a decisive impact on the companys ability to operate. The unions at City Brewing also work to fragment and isolate workers at the companys facilities. In 2022, workers at the companys Latrobe, Pennsylvania facility went on strike. The IUE-CWA Locals 22 and 144, which covers the workers there, worked out a four-year pact which keeps the Latrobe workers out of sync with the other two locals in their contract cycles. In 2023, the Teamsters bureaucracy left a mere 40 workers at Leinenkugels brewery (owned by Molson Coors) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, to strike for some seven weeks by themselves Nevertheless, the potential exists for a broader struggle uniting Molson Coors workers with City Brewing workers, both in Milwaukee and across the country, as well as with the ongoing struggle against the betrayal at Anheuser-Busch. In particular, workers at City Brewings plant in Memphis, Tennessee have a contract due to expire in the fall with Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM). However, this requires both a fight against the company and their pro-corporate stooges in the union bureaucracy. That means the establishment of rank-and-file committees of workers in every plant and industry to coordinate such a movement. Sunday, March 31, marked the 60th anniversary of the 1964 military coup backed by US imperialism in Brazil, which ushered in 21 years of bloody dictatorship. This 60th anniversary of the infamous seizure of power by the military led by Marshal Castello Branco takes place under political conditions that are unprecedented since the establishment of a civilian regime in the country four decades ago. Tanks occupying center of Rio de Janeiro on April 2, 1964 [Photo: Arquivo Nacional] On January 8, 2023, the plotting of a coup detat by former president Jair Bolsonaro and a faction of the military command culminated in the fascist assault on the seats of power in Brasilia. The Armed Forces deep involvement in this coup attempt is being exposed more and more on a daily basis. Just two weeks before the 1964 coup anniversary, the media reported the sworn testimony to the Federal Police by former Air Force commander Gen. Carlos Baptista Junior. He admitted that the command of the Armed Forces participated in several meetings with Bolsonaro after his electoral defeat, openly discussing plans to prevent the elected government from taking office and to establish a dictatorial regime in Brazil. Under these grave political conditions, the Workers Party (PT) government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made every effort to deny the historical and political relevance of the 1964 coup and suppress the memory of the victims of the military dictatorship. His undisguised aim is to disassociate the image of the Armed Forces from both the bloody dictatorial regime that lasted from 1964 into the mid-1980s and the present coup plots that continue regardless of the personal fate of Bolsonaro. Ten years ago, then Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, also from the PT, spoke on national television, highlighting the memory of the coup and ordering an apology to its victims on behalf of the Brazilian state. It was the height of Latin Americas Pink Tide, the rule of so-called progressive bourgeois governments led by parties associated with the political opposition to the regions dictatorships of the 1960s-1980s. This year, by contrast, the main headlines related to the historic anniversary focused on Lulas orders banning any official mention of the events of 60 years ago. In an interview with journalist Kennedy Alencar on February 27, the Brazilian president declared that the coup is part of history. The current generals, he explained, werent even born in 1964. For Lula, there is nothing left to discuss, because the people have already won the right to democratize this country and must know how to move history forward, [instead of] always dwelling on it, always dwelling on it. A few days later, the PT government made public its cancellation of ceremonies in memory of the coup and the quashing of a plan to found a museum of memory and democracy, proposed by former justice minister Flavio Dino. Lulas statements are remarkable in light of recent events. The bourgeois PT governments nervousness about the issue is directly proportional to the renewed relevance of the lessons of the 1964 coup for the Brazilian and international working class. The reemergence of the military along with political forces associated with the 1964 regime in official Brazilian politics debunks the reactionary promises of the PTs founders that, with the fall of the military junta in 1985, it was possible to establish a stable democracy and a welfare state in Brazil without smashing capitalism and the bourgeois state. The same fundamental political process is developing throughout Latin America. In the countries where the demoralized parties of the Pink Tide have returned to power in recent years, they have implemented the harshest capitalist attacks and paved the way for the rise of fascistic forces to political power. This was notoriously the case in Peru, where President Pedro Castillos anti-working class attacks prepared his downfall and the imposition of Dina Boluartes police state regime, and in Argentina, where the revolt against the Peronist austerity government gave way to the election of the fascist Javier Milei. The rapid demoralization of the coalition of the pseudo-left Gabriel Boric and the Stalinists in Chile, elected by promising reforms to pacify the explosion of mass opposition against social inequality, only strengthened the fascist Republican Party and supporters of the dictator Augusto Pinochet in the recent constitutional elections. The Lula government, whose main electoral banner was the unification of the bankrupt parties of the bourgeois establishment against Bolsonaro, depicted as a political aberration within an otherwise healthy democratic regime, is unable to explain how Brazil found itself facing a new dictatorial threat. The March 31, 1964 military coup in Brazil The overthrow of President Joao Goulart, of the Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), was the culmination of the prolonged crisis of the so-called Fourth Republic, rooted in the deep contradictions of Brazilian capitalism in the post-war period. Joao Goulart (left) and Leonel Brizola [Photo: Arquivo Nacional] Two years into a turbulent mandate, Goulart, who presented himself as a nationalist reformer of capitalism, had implemented timid controls on the remittance of profits abroad by multinational companies, and promised a series of so-called basic reforms, which included agrarian reform and a program of urban reform to enable mass access to housing. Goulart also pursued a non-aligned foreign policy, opposing US sanctions against Cuba and promising to legalize the Brazilian Communist Party. The 1964 coup consolidated a fascist military dictatorship in Brazil after a series of authoritarian interventions by the military in the countrys politics. The post-war presidential regime itself had been established by a military coup in 1945, which ousted Getulio Vargas dictatorial Estado Novo and elected the anti-communist Gen. Eurico Gaspar Dutra as president. In 1955, the military tried to prevent the inauguration of the Juscelino Kubitschek government, when Goulart was elected vice-president for the first time, amid the crisis triggered by Vargas suicide. In 1961, a second military coup attempt took place after the resignation of President Janio Quadros. Goulart, once again elected as vice-president, was on a diplomatic mission to China and was only sworn in after accepting a semi-presidential system that stripped him of powers. On his return to Brazil, military rebels tried to shoot down Goularts plane as it entered national air space. Full presidential powers were restored by plebiscite in 1962, rekindling the coup plots. The nationalists led by Goulart paved the way for the coming military coup by fostering illusions in the support of the government by the military and in the democratic doctrine of US imperialisms foreign policy. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Determined to prevent other Latin American countries from following the path of Fidel Castros radical petty-bourgeois nationalist regime in Cuba, which responded to a US blockade by aligning itself with the USSR, Washington had been systematically planning a political intervention in Brazil since at least 1961, under the Kennedy administration. In 1964, Lyndon Johnsons administration launched Operation Brother Sam, dispatching a naval strike group to the Brazilian coast and gathering military supplies to support the coup troops in Brazil who, in coordination with the CIA, seized Rio de Janeiro and other major cities beginning on the night of March 31. The US military apparatus had been mobilized in anticipation of a bloodbath and a civil war,predicted by the US ambassador to the country, Lincoln Gordon. President Joao Goulart, who believed he had the loyalty of enough generals to resist, was evacuated by a small group of officers to his home state of Rio Grande do Sul and then to Uruguay, where he was assassinated by Brazilian intelligence in 1976. Two governors allied to Goulartout of 20tried to organize resistance based on the police, but were also forced into exile. The coup was welcomed by the press and the political opposition to Goulart, which would also be purged in the following years. The regime established under the leadership of Marshal Castelo Branco, a veteran of Brazils intervention in the Second World War, promised elections for the following year, before gradually suppressing democratic freedoms until their complete abolition with the infamous Institutional Act Number 5 (AI-5) imposed in May 1968. Combative workers, peasant leaders and radicalized youth were massively persecuted, tortured and murdered by the CIA-backed terror regime over the following decades. The Brazilian dictatorial regime also established the foundation for US intervention throughout Latin America, organizing military coups and exporting its systems of repression and torture to Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. Neither unforeseen nor inevitable In its political essence, the 1964 military coup in Brazil was a negative confirmation of Leon Trotskys theory of Permanent Revolution, which established the inability of the bourgeoisie in backward capitalist countries to play any progressive historical role in the epoch of imperialism. Emerging on the political scene already confronted by the social opposition of the working class, the national bourgeoisie in such countries cannot consistently confront the land-owning aristocracy and imperialism, instead relying directly upon their counterrevolutionary services. The completion of unfinished democratic tasks, such as the agrarian reform promised by Goulart, requires the initiation of socialist measures and the seizure of political power by the working class. This program, drawn up by Trotsky 60 years before the 1964 coup, had been decisively confirmed in the course of the successful Russian Revolution of 1917. Its laws had also been proven in the negative by the catastrophic defeats orchestrated by the Stalinist bureaucracy in following decades based on the imposition of the Menshevik theory of the two-stage revolution. The modest social and political reforms implemented by the Brazilian bourgeoisie between 1945 and 1964 were the product of a set of particular conditions generated by the stabilization of post-war world capitalism. On the basis of the still existing potential of the US capitalist economy and, above all, the Stalinist bureaucracys criminal disarming of the revolutionary uprisings of the working class, particularly in Europe, the imperialist bourgeoisie was able to re-establish its political domination. For a brief period, the influx of foreign investment and the leveraging of diplomatic relations with the USSR to strike bargains with imperialism allowed the Brazilian bourgeoisie to foster illusions in an independent national economic development. These conditions, temporary by their very nature, did not alter the fundamental contradictions of imperialist capitalism diagnosed at the founding of the Fourth International, which were gestating a new wave of world revolution. In Brazil, the post-war years witnessed the massive expansion of the industrial working class and its growing clash with the capitalist system and the corporatist union apparatus bequeathed by Vargas Estado Novo. The decisive political task was to build a revolutionary Trotskyist party that would fight for the political independence of the Brazilian working class from the bourgeoisie and its agents and prepare it for the seizure of political power. This required, in the first place, an uncompromising fight against the political influence of Stalinism, represented by the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB). Stalinism disarms Brazilian working class In the midst of the political unrest in the Brazilian population at the end of the Second World War, the PCB, still illegal and with its leaders imprisoned, worked systematically to prevent the massive opposition to the Vargas dictatorship from threatening the integrity of the bourgeois state. Announcing the political framework that would underpin the PCBs counterrevolutionary actions over the following decades, the partys historic leader, Luis Carlos Prestes, declared in an emblematic interview in 1944: After the terrible and long fascist night and so many years of war, pain and misery, the peoples want peace and for the most advanced and conscious proletariat, for the communists in a word, what is needed is the definitive consolidation of the democratic conquests under a republican, progressive and popular regime. Such a republic, if it is to be established without major clashes and struggles, within the framework of order and the law, can in no way be a Soviet republic, that is, a socialist one, but a capitalist one, resulting from the common action of all the social, democratic and progressive classes, from the proletariat to the great national bourgeoisie, with the sole exception of its most reactionary elements, which are numerically insignificant. Explaining its perspective, based on the Stalinist doctrine of peaceful coexistence with imperialism, the PCB wrote, also in 1944: In fact, the positive element about the post-war period are the principles of international collaboration and solidarity established in Tehran by Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, which created possibilities of each people for its peaceful development. The following year, the PCB was declared legal and its leaders were granted amnesty. On the basis of the prestige acquired by the Soviet workers state with the military defeat of Nazism and the crisis of the Brazilian bourgeois parties in the face of a resurgent working class, the PCB was suddenly transformed into a mass party and Prestes, recently freed, was elected with the most votes of any senator in the country. But the criminal illusions fostered by the Stalinists in the progressive character of the national bourgeoisie and imperialism and in the rise of a new democratic era quickly clashed with reality. The Dutra government, aligning itself with Washington, outlawed the PCB in 1947 and broke relations with the USSR. Instead of imperialism allowing for the peaceful development of each people, particularly in Latin America, it only confirmed the prediction of the 1940 Manifesto of the Fourth International on Imperialist War and Proletarian Revolution: that the monstrous armament of US imperialism prepared the replacement of the good neighbor policy with an iron-fist domination of the Western Hemisphere. Despite the PCB making a political shift, beginning to denounce US imperialism and its local agents, the Stalinists fully preserved their orientation toward the national bourgeoisie and their determination to prevent the Brazilian working class from taking the path of socialist revolution. Their future dissidents, such as the Communist Party of Brazil (PcdoB), which broke with the PCB in 1962 to orient itself toward Maoism and peasant guerrilla warfare, would also remain loyal to its bankrupt two-stage doctrine. Workers demonstration in Rio de Janeiro, 1963 [Photo: Arquivo Nacional] On the eve of the 1964 coup, the PCB defended the reactionary guidelines of its infamous Declaration of March 1958, which announced a new phase of economic, political and social development of Brazilian capitalism, led by growing nationalist, progressive and democratic forces in conflict with American imperialism and the entreguistas [sellouts] who support it. The corollary of this policy, which led to the crushing of the Brazilian working class, was the promotion of the military as an anti-imperialist and democratic force. In 1961, in the midst of attempts to prevent Jangos inauguration, the PCB declared that the reactionary coup-plotting group was driven into isolation by the powerful movement in defense of democratic legality which, in the face of fascist repression... is gaining increasing support from important sectors of the armed forces. In January 1964, while the Army was preparing its bloody coup, Prestes made a statement that summed up the Stalinists criminal capitulation to the bourgeoisie: The Armed Forces in Brazil have very particular characteristics, very different from other Latin American countries. One of the specific issues of the Brazilian Revolution is the democratic character, the democratic tradition of the Armed Forces, particularly the Army. Nine years later, Prestes Chilean Stalinists counterparts would make similar dubious claims about the unique democratic characteristics of Chiles militarythe people in uniformwith the same disastrous consequences. Renegades from Trotskyism sabotage building of revolutionary leadership There was immense potential for building a Trotskyist party within the Brazilian working class, which would have been able to prevent the betrayal by the Stalinist and bourgeois nationalist leaderships and arm workers against the fascist reaction through the methods of socialist revolution. Since the 1920s, during the years of the International Left Opposition, the Trotskyist movement had great political appeal in Brazil, particularly among the working class and students in Sao Paulo, the most industrialized region of the country. But despite the favorable objective conditions, the construction of a section of the Fourth International in Brazil was systematically undermined by the action of petty-bourgeois liquidationist tendencies that expressed the powerful pressures of post-war stabilization upon the international revolutionary vanguard. In 1940, the founding leader of the Brazilian Left Opposition, Mario Pedrosa, broke with the Fourth International, joining the petty-bourgeois opposition led by Max Shachtman and James Burnham in the American Socialist Workers Party (SWP). Pedrosa sowed immense political confusion in Brazil, using his prestige as a former leader of the Trotskyist movement to popularize anti-Marxist theories equating Stalinism with fascism and to support different reactionary and pro-imperialist factions of the Brazilian bourgeoisie in the name of fighting for democracy. Despite Pedrosas political capitulation, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (PSR) continued the struggle to build a revolutionary leadership in the Brazilian working class based on the Fourth International through the harsh years of the Second World War. In a vile but representative expression of the Stalinists distress over the influence of Trotskyism during this period, the famous novelist and PCB member Jorge Amado wrote: [The] Trotskyists, disconnected the national problem from the international one, preached violence, the coup, were ignorant of war, fought against National Unity which was the Partys watchword. They divided many honest men, dragging them into the resistance movements ... The center, the very heart, of all this rot, this miserable collusion against the Brazilian people, was in Sao Paulo, where ... a Trotskyist prestige was born that soiled the literary and student milieu, that alarmed the proletariat. The battle of Sao Paulo was the decisive battle for the Party. The leader of the Trotskyist movement in Brazil at the time was Herminio Sacchetta, who succumbed in the post-war years to the same pressures of the political demoralization of the petty bourgeoisie that had previously precipitated Pedrosas break with Trotskyism. In the 1950s, Sacchetta openly disowned Bolshevism and prompted the dissolution of the PSR. Although he never clarified the reasons for his break, Sacchettas close associates reported that he became deeply disillusioned after attending the Third Congress of the Fourth International in 1951, in which Michel Pablo presented his liquidationist line that rehabilitated the Stalinist bureaucracy as a revolutionary force and preached the dissolution of the Trotskyist parties into the mass movements in their existing forms in each country. This frontal attack on the fundamental perspectives of the Fourth International was confronted by the advocates of orthodox Trotskyism with a political war against Pabloite revisionism consolidated with the founding of the International Committee of the Fourth International in 1953. Sacchetta, on the other hand, as reports indicate, saw Pablos theses as the disappointing but inevitable result of the development of Trotskyism. His capitulation opened the way for the Latin American ultra-Pabloite Juan Posadas to establish the so-called Trotskyist Revolutionary Workers Party (POR-T) in the void left by the PSR and fraudulently present it as the representative of Trotskyism in Brazil. The POR-T was built up from 1954 by defending total entryism into the PCB with the aim of constituting a left-wing faction of the Stalinist bureaucracy. After a decade, the Pabloites abandoned this spurious policy only to defend, in 1963, an even more degrading form of dissolution into Leonel Brizolas laborite movement, characterized by Posadas as interior entryism, i.e., acting as mere advisers to its bourgeois leadership. The struggle against Pabloite revisionism, which proved to be an absolute priority for establishing the political independence of the working class in Brazil, was significantly compromised by the betrayal of the SWP and the Latin American sections of the International Committee led by the Argentinian Nahuel Moreno. Claiming the Pabloite analysis that the Cuban Revolution proved that a socialist revolution could be carried out in the absence of a Marxist party and without the mobilization of the working class, they reunited their parties with the Pabloite International Secretariat in 1963. In his efforts to liquidate the ICFI and destroy Trotskyism as a distinct political tendency, SWP leader Joseph Hansen embarked upon a four-month journalistic tour of South America between 1962 and 1963. Seeking to prove that the Cuban example was spreading across the continent, making it the new epicenter of world revolution, Hansen visited northeastern Brazil to interview the leader of the Ligas Camponesas (Peasant Leagues), the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) member Francisco Juliao. Praising the reactionary anti-Marxist perspectives of Peasant Leagues, Hansen wrote in the article published on January 15 in The Militant: What the Ligas seek is to lift the movement of the camponesos [sic] to a political level so as to give this sector of the populace the political representation that is its rightful due. Presenting the petty-bourgeois reformist Juliao as the undisputed leader of the socialist movement in Brazil, he concluded: Our best way of responding and helping them in their battles is to intensify our own struggle for socialism. For that we could do with a few North-American Juliaos. The criminal political role played by Hansen and the SWP is graphically exposed by the contrast between this fawning interview and the editorial in the Militants previous issue. While having reported being met upon his arrival in Sao Paulo with an indefinite general strike of the workers in Latin Americas most industrialized area, the SWP leader never raised either the need nor the ability of the Trotskyist movement to fight for the leadership of the working class movement and arm it against the clear fascist threat. The ICFIs later revelation that Hansen was an undercover agent of the US state within the Trotskyist movement explains the direct motivations of his actions of political sabotage. But Hansens politics appealed to definite class sentiments that found support among broad layers of the petty bourgeoisie and gave the strength to the Pabloite reaction that undermined the Fourth Internationals ability to resolve the crisis of proletarian leadership over the following decades. During the years of the military regimes brutal repression, hundreds of young people and workers in Brazil faced torture and were murdered as they fought for what they believed to be genuine Trotskyism. Mario Pedrosa standing behind Lula at PT rally [Photo: PT] The destructive role of Pabloism was most fully exposed with the explosion of the massive workers strikes at the end of the 1970s which brought down the Brazilian dictatorship. With the absolute demoralization of the PCB, which served as the main instrument of containment of workers opposition in the previous period, the Brazilian bourgeoisie counted upon the counterrevolutionary services of the renegades from Trotskyism. From Mario Pedrosa, to the Pabloite Unified Secretariat, and the Morenoite and Lambertite currents, they all served as the political midwives of Lulas pro-capitalist Workers Party in the 1980s that permitted the stabilization of bourgeois rule in Brazil. On the 60th anniversary of the 1964 coup, as the Lula government seeks to expunge the very memory of this political catastrophe, the Socialist Equality Group in Brazil appeals to the working class and youth to study its critical lessons. You cannot allow yourselves to be betrayed again. The developing crisis of global capitalism, which is prompting the collapse of the reactionary bourgeois order in Brazil, must lead to the victory of international socialism. This time a genuine revolutionary leadership must be built in time; this means constructing a Brazilian section of the ICFI! Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador suspended diplomatic relations with Ecuador after the invasion of the Mexican embassy on Friday night. Former Ecuadorian Vice President, Jorge Glas, being taken to La Roca maximum-security prison, Guayaquil, Saturday April 6, 2024 [Photo: Policia de Ecuador] At 10:00 pm, a heavily armed elite unit of the police and military scaled the walls of the diplomatic building in Quito and then tore down its gates to kidnap former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas, who had been granted asylum there. The Mexican consular chief Roberto Canseco reported that he was struck in the head and charged that the lives of the staff and Glas were put in danger. The far-right government of President Daniel Noboa justified the operation by claiming that Glas, who was convicted in two cases of corruption, was a flight risk after Mexico requested safe passage to take him out of the country. A day earlier, Noboa had declared Mexican ambassador Raquel Serur persona non grata and asked her to leave the country in protest over insinuations by Lopez Obrador that Noboa was complicit in the killing of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year. The Mexican president said Noboa was only elected thanks to this crime. The announcement that a military plane would be sent to retrieve Serur generated widespread speculation that it would also be used to smuggle Glas out. After the abduction, the Ecuadorian military flew Glas to the port city of Guayaquil and escorted him immediately to the maximum-security prison of La Roca. So far, only two historical precedents for state incursions into embassies in Latin America have been reported in the media, both under military dictatorships. In June 1976, Uruguayan police broke into the Venezuelan embassy and beat up several diplomatic officials to kidnap Elena Quinteros, a left-wing schoolteacher who had jumped the fence to hide there. She was then taken to a torture center and executed. In response, Venezuela broke off diplomatic relations until 1984. Twenty years earlier, in June 1956, the military dictatorship of Lt. Gen. Eugenio Aramburu sent armed men to break into the Haitian embassy and capture seven Argentine oppositionists escaping brutal repression. International pressures, however, forced the regime to return the seven to the embassy. The most relevant precedent, however, was Ecuadors withdrawal of political asylum for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in April 2019, when Quito allowed British police to enter its embassy in London and drag out the journalist, who has since been imprisoned and now faces extradition to the United States. There is now abundant evidence that the CIA planned to kidnap or kill Assange at the embassy. Whether under Republicans or Democrats, the US government has been the main sponsor of the shift to the right of the Ecuadorian ruling class, which went from granting asylum to Assange in 2012, to renouncing his asylum and now kidnapping a former vice president at a foreign embassy in Quito. The treatment of Glas was cast as part of the internal war launched by Noboa ostensibly against gangs since early January when the regime declared a state of exception to deploy troops and suspend democratic rights nationally. The onslaught has resulted in nearly 15,000 detentions in three months and numerous reports by human rights groups of torture and extrajudicial executions. This decision to let the armed forces run rampant against terrorists and dispense with any concern for democratic rights and legality had as its main supporter the Biden administration, which ratified a military aid package of $200 million and reached agreements for sending US troops to Ecuador. Washington then sent high level delegations and teams of US law enforcement officials to directly participate in the operations under the state of exception. Noboa was not only emboldened by this support but likely received a green light and assistance from the Biden administration in the incursion at the Mexican embassy. The only protest came from State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, who tweeted in a measured tone: The United States condemns any violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We encourage our partners Mexico and Ecuador to resolve their differences in accord with international norms. On Saturday, the US Southern Command confirmed the participation of Ecuador in a 4th Fleet deployment that will see officers from 11 nations tour Latin America for several months aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington. The entire political establishment in Ecuador and in every country in the region, including the Lopez Obrador administration in Mexico, have gone along with this shift to the right and embraced similar attacks on democratic rights and elevated the political role of the military under the pretext of fighting organized crime. Just last month, the Noboa administration was essentially endorsed as a model on security and handed the presidency of the Latin American Committee for Domestic Security (CLASI), a European Union initiative that includes 14 Latin American countries, including Mexico, which is supposed to coordinate operations against organized crime. Within Ecuador, under the banner of national unity, each party in Congress, the Stalinist-led union bureaucracy and indigenous nationalist leaderships, all endorsed the state of exception. The Citizens Revolution party of Jorge Glas and former President Rafael Correa, who lives in exile, repeatedly attacked Noboa from the right for not being tough enough against the increase in gang-related violence. The kidnapping at the Mexican embassy represents an escalation in this lurch of the entire Ecuadorian ruling class toward the adoption of openly dictatorial forms of rule, whose ultimate target is the working class and rural toilers. Under the weight of economic and geopolitical pressures rooted in the emergence of a new redivision of the world, the only response by the Latin American bourgeoisies is to intensify their attacks on social and democratic rights at the behest of global finance capital. At the same time, the economic and military conflicts sparked by the US drive to secure its hegemony on a global scale are leading to a breakdown of international relations across the region. The violent incursion into the Mexican embassy, which is equivalent to an act of war, takes place amid diplomatic crises and mudslinging that have put the governments of Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, and Guyana at each others throats. Nicaragua also broke ties with Ecuador to protest Fridays events. Less than one year ago, moreover, Chilean and Peruvian troops faced each other at the border over attempts at driving migrants out of their respective countries. The fact that the events in Quito took place the same week as the Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy, which threatens to turn the genocide in Gaza into a broader war in the Middle East, highlights the rapidity with which capitalism is descending into world war, dictatorship and outright criminality. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at campaign event in November 2023. [AP Photo/Meg Kinnard] On Friday, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., running as an independent, issued a campaign statement in defense of Trumps failed coup and his imprisoned fascist foot soldiers. The less than 500-word statement included so blatant a falsehood that the Kennedy campaign felt obliged to release an updated version later that same evening. In both statements, Kennedy Jr. adopted the political line and lying rhetoric of Trump and the Republicans concerning the attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election. Kennedy claimed that the multilayered and months-long effort to overturn the election, which culminated in a violent assault on the US Capitol that left hundreds injured and several dead, may have started as a protest but turned into a riot. More than three years after the failed coup, RFK Jr. wrote: I have not examined the evidence in detail, but reasonable people, including Trump opponents, tell me there is little evidence of a true insurrection. They observe that the protesters carried no weapons, had no plans or ability to seize the reins of government, and that Trump himself had urged them to protest peacefully. As with his anti-vaccine and COVID-19 disinformation, the lies come rapidly and in bunches with RFK Jr. It is a matter of fact that multiple Trump supporters sentenced to prison for their actions on January 6 have admitted that they brought firearms to the Capitol. To cite one example, Christopher Alberts, a former member of the Virginia National Guard, admitted in court that he had a 9-millimeter pistol loaded with hollow point and high-pressure rounds on his person when he was assaulting police officers on January 6. In addition to a pistol, Alberts was wearing a gas mask and body armor with a steel plate. He also had a two-way radio, an earpiece, a throat microphone, bungee cords, binoculars, a ski mask and two knives. In their charging documents, prosecutors wrote that as Alberts was trying to breach police lines, using a wooden pallet as a ram, he screamed at police officers that they were domestic terrorists and were treasonous, communist motherf***ers, who were improperly stopping the rioters from doing whats right. Guy Reffitt, a member of the fascistic militia group Texas III Percenters, was found guilty on five charges related to the insurrection, including carrying a pistol on Capitol grounds. Reffitt has previously claimed that people ... around me were all carrying too. Elmer Stewart Rhodes, co-founder of the Oath Keepers militia group, and several of his associates were found guilty of seditious conspiracy for their actions in furtherance of Trumps coup. As part of the plot to seize the Capitol and take lawmakers hostage, the Oath Keepers kept a weapons cache at their hotel just outside Washington D.C. The plan called for dozens of rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition to be distributed among the militia elements once Trump invoked the Insurrection Act and deputized the Oath Keepers. CBS national reporter Scott MacFarlane has kept a running Twitter thread for nearly three years documenting the numerous weapons, in addition to guns, cited by prosecutors in court filings submitted in response to the January 6 coup. Items cited include tomahawk axes, zip ties, rope, pipes, batons, clubs, metal whips, bear mace, sledgehammers, pitchforks, tasers, hard-knuckle tactical gloves, hammers, grappling hooks and hunting knives. In Kennedys updated statement, he wrote that his previous understanding that none of the January 6 rioters ... were carrying firearms was incorrect. Talking out of both sides of his mouth, he added, I have never minimized or dismissed the seriousness of the riot or any crime committed on that day. The strength of Trumps coup was not in the few hundred armed white supremacists, QAnon fanatics and Trump loyalists who made it into the Capitol, but the fact that his foot soldiers were able to breach the building in the first place and nearly take lawmakers hostage. Proud Boys and other fascists march towards the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. [AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster] Trumps insurrectionists were able to threaten lawmakers and delay the Electoral College certification because the coup was supported by large sections of the Republican Party, including members of Congress, and by higher-ups in the military-police establishment who oversaw a stand-down that allowed the Capitol to be overrun for hours. The 199-minute stand-down of D.C. National Guard troops testifies to the immense support Trumps coup had (and still retains) within the police-military-intelligence apparatus. While downplaying the threat of dictatorship, Kennedy, echoing Trump, raised the supposed injustice visited on the less than 1,000 people who have been convicted of crimes related to the attack. Like many reasonable Americans, I am concerned about the possibility that political objectives motivated the vigor of the prosecution of the J6 defendants, their long sentences, and their harsh treatment, Kennedy wrote. In reality, Trumps fanatics have overwhelmingly been given light sentences, if any at all. According to the Associated Press, of the 1,352 people charged with crimes in relation to January 6, only 529, or about 39 percent, have faced any incarceration period. The average sentence for 157 defendants who pled guilty to serious crimes, including assaulting police, was two years and five months, the AP reports. Meanwhile, 68 defendants who took their felony cases to trial have been sentenced, on average, to four years and three months in prison after conviction. The AP noted that of the 467 defendants who pled guilty to a misdemeanor, more than half avoided jail time. Defending Trump, Kennedy wrote he was disturbed by the weaponization of government against him. Kennedy added that as president he would appoint a special counselan individual respected by all sidesto investigate where prosecutorial discretion was abused for political ends in this case, and I will right any wrongs that we discover. Kennedys statement Friday was just the latest defense of Trump from the self-declared independent candidate. In an extended interview with CNNs Erin Burnett on Monday, Kennedy rejected any notion that Trump represented a threat to democratic forms of rule. He claimed that Biden was a greater threat to democratic rights than Trump, saying Biden had personally intervened to censor his social media posts. He failed to explain the content of the posts, which put forward anti-vaccine propaganda and lies that have deadly implications for the population. Trump does represent a very real and dangerous threat of authoritarian rule and has declared that if elected he will establish a dictatorship on day one of his second term. He speaks for a far-right, fascistic wing of the ruling class, as does the Republican Party as a whole. Biden, however, despite his attempt to present his reelection as a bulwark against the imposition of dictatorship, is himself, along with the Democratic Party as a whole, engaged in vicious attacks on the democratic rights of migrant workers and student opponents of genocide in Gaza, as well as the social rights and conditions of workers. His administration and the Democrats, in particular, are focused on escalating the war against Russia over Ukraine and preparing for war against Iran and China, as part of a global war for US imperialist world hegemony. For the sake of this expanding global war, Biden has sought at every point to cover up the role of the Republican Party in Trumps coup attempt and work for bipartisan unity with Trumps fascistic GOP. As for the far-right RFK Jr., three days after his CNN interview and a day before his January 6 statement, Kennedy sent out a campaign email in which he disgustingly compared the persecution of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden with J6 activists sitting in a Washington DC jail cell stripped of their Constitutional liberties. Kennedys campaign later retracted the email, claiming it did not reflect Mr. Kennedys views. Such retractions do not alter the fact that Kennedy is deliberately making overtures to Trump and the ex-presidents fascistic MAGA base. Members of the Boston University Graduate Workers Union (BUGWU) went on strike March 25. BUGWU members include over 3,000 masters, professional and PhD graduate students. They are demanding a new contract guaranteeing pay increases, more health and dental care coverage, plus other benefits such as childcare, affordable housing, workload limits and aid for international graduate students. BUGWU has been organized since 2022 under Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509 of the Massachusetts Union for Human Service Workers and Educators. The union includes students involved in research, instructional and teaching work. Many Boston University (BU) student workers are supporting families and even those who dont are finding it increasingly impossible to survive in one of the most expensive US cities. The cost of living for a single adult in Boston is $46,918, according to MITs Living Wage. Bostonpads.com reports the average Boston apartment now rents for $3,275 a month, up nearly 8 percent since 2023 and 22 percent since 2022. The average studio apartment rents for a staggering $2,250. BU is the largest university in Boston, with a student population of about 37,000. It has an endowment of over $3 billion. Annual undergraduate tuition and fees will rise to over $90,000 for the 2024-2025 academic year. The millions of dollars charged to students and their families clearly are not ending up in the pockets of grad student employees, who do much of the work at universities, including teaching, grading and leading discussions. Pol Pardini-Gisperd, a PhD student and graduate worker at BU, told NBC Boston, I need to go to the class, I need to grade exams but I also need to be working all the time. Theres certain hours I need to go to be a teaching fellow, and theres certain hours I need to devote to my dissertation work. He said he doesnt make enough to afford living in the city and to take care of his 8-month-old daughter. I cant begin to explain how much we are struggling, he said. Boston University graduate students on strike, March 30, 2024. [Photo: SEIU Local 509] BU grad students had been conducting a strike authorization vote since February 2024. The union voted to authorize a strike by March 25 if an agreement was not reached. Ninety percent of the unionized workers voted to strike. The walkout mainly involves those with teaching responsibilities and graduate students who perform other types of paid service work for BU, and undergraduate students are not included. More than 30 new bargaining units of graduate students have been formed in recent years in Greater Boston, including at Northeastern and Harvard universities. In September, graduate students at MIT threatened to strike and won their first contract a week later. Numerous graduate and undergraduate worker strikes and protests have taken place across Massachusetts in recent years, including at Harvard, Clark University in Worcester, Tufts University in Medford, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Brandeis University in Waltham, and other colleges and universities. Nationally, 48,000 University of California graduate assistants, researchers and post-docs, struck in 2022 in the nations largest-ever strike of academic workers. This spring, more than 500 teaching assistants and fellows, research assistants and associates, course assistants and tutors struck at The New School in New York City. Graduate student workers have long been relied upon by universities as cheap labor. As at Boston University, many of these academic workers have been organized by the SEIU or the United Auto Workers. These large national unions have seized upon the conditions facing academic workersincluding low pay and dismal benefitsas an opportunity to boost their membership rolls and collect dues money as these unions own policies have resulted in massive job losses in their traditional industries. In what may be an early example of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a strikebreaking tool, Stan Sclaroff, dean of BUs College of Arts & Sciences, sent an email to BU professors suggesting the staff use AI to manage course discussion sections and labs that are impacted by the BUGWU strike, according to the Daily Beast. Sclaroffs email advised, Given the disciplinary and pedagogical breadth across the College, there are a wide range of approaches that can be taken. It listed five suggestions for discussion sections, including the use of generative AI tools to give feedback or facilitate discussion on readings or assignments. Facing pushback, Sclaroff indicated that these were only suggestions. Negotiations between BUGWU representatives and the BU administration began in June 2023. BU administrators took 19 weeks to make their first proposal and their first counteroffer was not submitted until February 2024. BU officials claim they have negotiated in good faith with BUGWU, having met with union representatives on 15 occasions. According to BUGWUs Instagram page, BU officials made the following offers: An increase in the 12-month PhD student stipends to $42,159 next year and an overall increase representing 13 percent over three years. BU has also committed to raising the minimum rate for students paid hourly from $15 to $18. Moving PhD students currently on eight-month stipends to nine-month stipends, which would mean an increase in year one of the contract to $31,619. Covering 33 percent of the cost of MBTA transit passes for 12 months for all BU PhD students and other graduate students in the union. Covering the annual cost of dependents that are added to the universitys student health insurance plan for children six years old and under. Adding a Graduate Worker Help Fund of $50,000 and no-interest loans to help with other financial exigencies for graduate workers who do not qualify for the fund. Creating a dental insurance plan for all graduate students, which students would fully fund at $452/year, with PhD students receiving a $100 subsidy. The unions counter-demands are woefully inadequate, asking for a roughly 50 percent stipend increase, to $62,440 in the first year of the contract, and that the hourly worker minimum wage be set at $41.63, more than double BUs offer, but which would still leave workers struggling. Funding for graduate workers in various BU departments ranges between $25,000 and $45,000, with some departments receiving no funding in the summer. The BU grad strike began with a noon rally March 25 at the schools Marsh Plaza, which included speeches from graduate students and US Representative Ayanna Pressley, the local Democratic congresswoman. Other speakers included striking representatives of several BU departments as well as members of the Starbucks workers union and unions on other campuses, including Harvard University. US Sen. Elizabeth Warren made a subsequent appearance on the BUGWU picket line, and the states other US senator, Ed Markey, expressed his support on Twitter/X. The appearance of these Democratic Party politicians must be seen by striking grad students for what it is: an attempt to channel the anger of workers behind this big-business party and foster illusions that the SEIU will fight to win a decent contract and not sell them out. The Democrats depend on the bureaucrats who run the SEIU and other unions to stifle workers demands. Academic student workers must unite with all other workers, both nationally and internationally, based on a socialist program to fight both the Democrats and Republicans to put an end to social inequality, war and the danger of dictatorship. This can only happen through the formation of independent rank-and-file committees, as part of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), democratically controlled by rank-and-file workers themselves and oriented toward the growing movement of the international working class against attacks on wages, jobs and working conditions. April 7 marks six months since the beginning of the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza. In the span of just half a year, Israel has displaced 1.9 million of Gazas 2.2 million people, denied the entire population access to food, water and medical care, and carried out daily, systematic massacres leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Ashraf Abu Draz mourns over the bodies of his two daughters who were killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at a hospital morgue in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, April 4, 2024. [AP Photo/Fatima Shbair] The death toll currently stands at 33,137. Once the missing are added, the true toll is likely over 44,000. A further 75,815 people have been wounded. Over the course of just six months, 5.45 percent of Gazas population has been killed, wounded or is missing. A comparable percentage of the American population would be more than 18 million people. Most shocking of all is the fact that two-thirds of those killed are women and children. Israel has deliberately targeted medical workers, humanitarian workers, journalists and artists. It is waging, as World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres said Sunday, a war against humanity. In the course of the past six months, every element of the US-Israeli justification for bombing, invading and blockading Gaza has been exposed as a lie. Within weeks of the Hamas cross-border raid, it was revealed that Israel was in possession of Hamass entire operational plan for the October 7 attack that served as the pretext for the war. Despite this knowledge, Israeli intelligence and military forces were ordered to stand down and redeploy from the Gaza border immediately ahead of the attack. In a matter of days, the Israeli military put into effect long-held plans for a genocidal war against the population of Gaza. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly, declared Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 9. I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel. Just four days later, Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared, Its an entire nation out there that is responsible. Its not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved we will fight until we break their backbone. Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter declared, Were rolling out the Gaza Nakba (a reference to the original ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1947-48, when the state of Israel was established). Having made these statements of genocidal intent, the Netanyahu government systematically targeted all aspects of social, economic and cultural life in Gaza, working to level every hospital, school and home, and kill as many men, women and children as possible. The genocide has undeniably shown that the perspective of Zionism is bankrupt and reactionary. Israel will forever be marked by its association with mass murder. It is the end product of decades of brutal oppression of the Palestinians, and the false identification of the interests of the Jewish people as a whole with the Israeli state. Beyond Israel, the genocide stands as a condemnation of the entire imperialist order. The capitalist powers in the US-NATO axis have supported, armed, funded and politically justified one of the greatest crimes of the modern era. As the Israeli government was publicly stating its intent to massacre and expel the population of Gaza, the Biden administration declared over and over its opposition to any negotiated settlement of the conflict. There is no possibility of a ceasefire, Biden said on November 9. Just days later, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer addressed a pro-genocide rally in Washington, in which he bellowed, We stand with you ... . We will not rest until you get the assistance you need. Over the course of six months, the Biden administration has made more than 100 separate arms transfers to Israel, making it clear that the Netanyahu government has a green light to starve, kill and torture the population of Gaza at will. This reality stands as an unanswerable rebuttal to the claims by the Biden administration and US media that the White House has sought to pressure the Netanyahu government to protect civilians. In fact, the administrations policy has amounted to a blank check for Israel, a policy that continues to this day despite the purely verbal criticism of Netanyahu by the White House. The Biden administrations categorical support for the Israeli genocide is part of an eruption of US militarism throughout the Middle East, including Iran, as part of a broader struggle for global domination targeting Russia and China. The Gaza genocide will have vast and far-reaching social and political consequences. Already, the mass murder in Gaza has sparked the largest global mass demonstrations since the Iraq war. It has shown the imperialist powers, who endlessly invoke human rights to justify their wars, as enablers and accomplices of genocide. Most of all, the Gaza genocide is a crime of capitalism. The capitalist social order is legitimizing every form of social barbarism: from nuclear war to perpetual mass death in a preventable pandemic to genocide. Future generations will see the Gaza genocide as an inflection point, propelling the growth of powerful currents in opposition to the capitalist social order. As WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman David North explains in The Logic of Zionism: From Nationalist Myth to the Gaza Genocide: The ongoing war, for all its horrors, has made one significant political contribution. It has awakened the youth. It has opened the eyes of the world. It has exposed the Zionist regime and its imperialist accomplices for the criminals they are. It has set into motion a tidal wave of outrage that is sweeping across the world and will sweep across those responsible for this genocide. The task is to turn this growing opposition, which is as yet of a politically amorphous character, into a conscious movement based on a socialist perspective oriented to the working class. In the midst of growing global opposition to Israels genocide in the Gaza Strip, the bank accounts of Jewish anti-war organisations are once again being blocked in Germany. After the Berlin state government recently created the conditions for preventing students from graduating on a political basis, there are now also calls in the media to ban anti-war events. Iris Hefets, a board member of Jewish Voice, was arrested by police in November 2023 for walking alone across a public square in Berlin carrying a sign that read, As a Jew and an Israeli: Stop the genocide in Gaza. (YouTube) Last week, Berliner Sparkasse blocked the bank account of Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East, known for its opposition to the genocide in Gaza and Israels apartheid and occupation policy. It did this as a precautionary measure and with immediate effect, without prior consultation or justification. In a letter to the groups board of directors, Berliner Sparkasse demanded that a list with the names and addresses of all members be submitted within a few days. This is an anti-democratic and criminal attack by a bank on a political organisation that is unprecedented in recent decades. The fact that a German bank is freezing a left-wing Jewish organisations financial resources to the tune of five figures is reminiscent of the confiscation of Jewish property during the Nazi dictatorship and is obviously politically motivated. In a statement, Jewish Voice reported that the Bank fur Sozialwirtschaft had already closed the organisations account in 2019 on a political basis. The organisation said, This pressure and political persecution will only increase the more Israel and its apartheid policy in the state of Israel and the West Bank, and now its genocidal policy in the Gaza Strip, lose approval in the world. Germany is one of Israels last loyal allies, and German policy is cooperating with Israels apartheid and genocide, even though over 80 percent of the German population does not support the German governments policy. The reason for the attack is that a Palestine Congress is planned for the middle of the month in Berlin, which is to be directed against Israels massacre in the Gaza Strip. The event will include various lectures by human rights activists, artists, trade union officials and bourgeois and pseudo-left politicians such as the former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis. The closer the congress gets, the more persecution takes place, reports the organisation. We, the Jewish Voice, have made our account available for thiswhich is why it has now been blocked. The association has announced that it will take legal action against the blocking of its account and compared the demand for a list of members to the repressive measures of the Berlin state Criminal Investigations Department (LKA) or the police, who have been politically persecuting us as a Jewish organisation for some time. In fact, there can be little doubt that the actions by the Sparkasse enjoy the political support of the government authorities and were most likely even instigated by the Berlin Senate (state executive) itself, a coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD). In mid-March, Interior State Secretary Christian Hochgrebe (SPD) announced he would look into banning the Palestine Congress and have its preparations analysed by the intelligence services. CDU state parliamentary group leader Dirk Stettner declared: We must do everything possible to ensure that such a Jew-hating event does not take place. The measures envisaged are extremely far-reaching. While Stettner appealed to Berlin conference facilities providers not to rent rooms to the organisers and called on the federal government to refuse entry into Germany for speakers, in the tabloid Bild, Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) threatened to issue a ban on political activity in relation to the event against participants. The demands for a ban and censorship were immediately eagerly taken up by the bourgeois media and justified with further unrestrained lies. A glance at the headlines shows just how blurred the line is between the supposed quality press, right-wing gutter media and pseudo-left gazettes: from Jew-haters plan summit in Berlin (Bild) to Congress of Israel-haters (Jungle World) to Antisemites of the world want to gather in Berlinauthorities review ban on Israel-haters congress (Tagesspiegel). Criticism of Israels bourgeois state apparatus is routinely cast as ethnic hatred. This process is based on a form of nationalist mythology that bears more resemblance to the blood and soil ideology of the extreme right than to a serious argument. In the conservative weekly Judische Allgemeine, Sigmount Konigsberg, antisemitism commissioner of the Jewish Community of Berlin, also demanded that the congress be banned and its speakers prohibited from entering Germany and Berlin, and be banned from engaging in activities. The congress aimed to call for the annihilation of Israel and to demand that the people living there should either be murdered or expelled, he claimed. According to Konigsberg, neo-Nazis, anti-imperialists, Muslim Brothers, Tehran mullahs and Marxist PFLP terrorists could hardly be distinguished from one another in terms of content. Each of these claims is a brazen, hysterical lie that has no basis in fact. In the same newspaper, Volker Beck, a former member of the Bundestag (parliament) for the Greens and current president of the German-Israeli Society, demanded that not only the Palestine Congress, but also all calls in favour of the abolition of nation states should be banned. According to Beck, it was not possible to legislate for Israel alone. In order to provide the judiciary with appropriate means, the Federal Budget Code, the Criminal Code and foreign trade law must finally be tackled. The media agitation and the police-state campaign against the Palestine Congress and Jewish Voice confirm what the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) has warned against. When the Berlin Senate set about liquidating the Oyoun cultural centre in November last year, the SGP condemned the far-reaching attack on freedom of art and expression and declared in a mass-circulated leaflet: From now on, any organisation that criticises the governments policy must fear losing any basis for work ... Anyone who criticises the governments pro-war policy must expect arbitrary arrests, house searches and secret service surveillance. Demonstrations against the massacre in Gaza are banned by the dozens, the demand for equal rights for Palestinians is criminalised, and Muslims are placed under general suspicion. Since then, the Berlin Senate has agreed to introduce a censorship clause covering the cultural and arts sector and is working on imposing stricter regulations upon universities, which will enable university administrations to de-register students on a political basis. Now, it must be added, the ruling class is also threatening to expropriate Jewish organisations if they criticise the pro-war policy of the German government and its Israeli ally. We call on all workers, young people and defenders of democratic rights to reject the attacks on opponents of war and left-wing Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian organisations in the strongest possible terms and to protest against them. The far-sightedness of the SGPs warnings shows that a socialist perspective is necessary that combines the struggle to defend democratic rights with the fight against war and its root cause, the capitalist system. The students who occupied the hallway outside of Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeiers office on March 26 were informed of disciplinary measures against them on Friday. Three students who allegedly forced their way past campus security personnel to enter the Kirkland administrative building have been expelled from the university. One student, who attempted to enter the building by saying there was an appointment, has been suspended for a semester. More than 20 other students who occupied the hallway outside of the chancellors office have received 15 months of probation, and their offense will be documented in their official university records. Students in front of Kirkland Hall on the Vanderbilt campus The Vanderbilt expulsions are only the most serious sanctions in a wave of repressive actions taken by university administrations in every region of the United States, seeking to beat back the growing opposition to Israeli genocide in Gaza and the Biden administrations fulsome support for it. Just in the past few days, students have been arrested or otherwise targeted at Pomona College in Southern California, the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Columbia University in New York City, and many other colleges. At the University of Michigan, the administration is preparing to enact a new policy that would effectively outlaw all protest actions on the campus, historically a center of student political activism of a left-wing, democratic and anti-war character. These actions call for a massive response by workers nationwide. The attacks on student protests are attacks on all working people. The police-state methods being employed against students will be directed at the working class as a whole, as it moves into struggle to defend jobs, living standards and democratic rights, and to oppose imperialist war. The Vanderbilt students appeared before a kangaroo court of university officials early last week where they were shown a doctored video of the demonstration and were prevented from offering evidence in their own defense. Roughly 60 students participated in the 22-hour demonstration at Kirkland Hall organized to oppose the universitys unilateral decision to block the vote on an amendment to the Vanderbilt Student Government Constitution that would divest student government funds from companies that finance Israels occupation of Palestine. A let us vote sign left behind by Vanderbilt student protesters In addition to more than two dozen students who entered Kirkland Hall, another 30 students blocked the steps outside of the building. Students reported being denied access to restroom facilities, as well as food and water throughout the demonstration. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) petition was overwhelmingly supported by students, garnering double the required signatures to move forward with the initiative. The punishments were handed down despite widespread support for the students and their protest across the university. A letter signed by more than 150 faculty detailed the lengths to which the university went to thwart students attempts to protest Israels genocide in Gaza and build support for their referendum to divest student government funds from Israel. The faculty members wrote: [W]e are concerned that these rules seem arbitrary, shifting, and unevenly applied to student activists and other community members. We also contend that the criterion that student protests must not disrupt university operations is perniciously vague and expansive. Meanwhile, the Vanderbilt University Divinity School presented a petition that recalled the universitys suppression of student protests during the Civil Rights era and the expulsion of a divinity student, James Lawson, for his involvement in the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins during the 1960s. A sign on Kirkland Hall at Vanderbilt, restricting access to the building On numerous occasions before the sit-in at Kirkland Hall, the university canceled previously approved protests and meetings by the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition (VDC), the group behind the BDS initiative. Misconduct warnings were sent to students posting flyers in support of the BDS referendum. Only later did they discover that an unpublished map detailing updated no-protest and silent-protest zones had made their outdoor protest and speech a conduct violation. A student close to the protest told the World Socialist Web Site that the administration is actively monitoring VDC members social media and that students identified as Muslim or in support of Palestine are being stopped by campus personnel and questioned about their association with the VDC. They are looking for the leaders, the student said. Chancellor Diermeier is a right-wing figure who justified his attacks on students in a strident op-ed column in the Wall Street Journal. He is the Managing Director of Diermeier Consulting Associates LLC, which specializes in crisis leadership, reputation management, and regulatory and political strategy. The chancellor counts Shell, ExxonMobil, BP and the Federal Bureau of Investigation among his clients. The attack on the free speech rights at Vanderbilt University is part of a crackdown carried out against pro-Palestinian student protests across the country: Pomona College: Nineteen students in Claremont, California, were arrested after occupying the college presidents office on Friday. The protest began after the college dismantled a student-erected pro-Palestinian protest art on the Claremont campus, which had been standing since March 28. Eighteen students were charged with misdemeanor trespassing, and one with obstruction of justice, according to the Claremont Police Department after riot gear-wearing officers from Claremont, Pomona, Azusa and La Verne responded to the scene. The protest was organized by Pomona Divest Apartheid, which is demanding the college divest from Israels war in Gaza. The student demonstration included an installation art piece the group called an apartheid wall, which was forcefully removed earlier that day. News reports said more than 100 protesters had gathered outside the Alexander Hall by 4:00 p.m. Friday, and as many as 40 protesters had entered President G. Gabrielle Starrs office. When police arrived, about half of the protesters left the office and the rest remained. Pomona Divest Apartheid issued a statement to FOX 11 that said, Todays escalation by Pomona Colleges leadership, which led to student arrests, represents a clear choice by Pomona College to put students at risk and suppress students right to free speech rather than meaningfully engage with the hundreds of students opposed to their policies. President Starr issued a statement on Friday night that the students arrested Friday would face suspension, and any students from the other Claremont colleges would be disciplined at their own schools and banned from Pomona College campuses. Columbia University: At least four students were suspended for participating in an unsanctioned panel on campus called Resistance 101, on March 24, according to the student newspaper Columbia Spectator. University President Dr. Minouche Shafik announced the disciplinary measures on Friday claiming that the students had participated on the panel with known supporters of terrorism. The New York Daily News reported that leaders of more than 100 student groups that belong to the coalition Columbia University Apartheid Divest were sent email messages by investigators into the Resistance 101 event and demanded students share their private text messages. The group described these demands as threatening and an attempt to intimidate students. The Daily News report also said that Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway announced last week that the university had notified law enforcement of the event and engaged an outside firm led by experienced former law enforcement investigators to conduct an investigation. The assault on student rights at Columbia is part of the preparations for Shafik and two Columbia University trustees to testify at a congressional antisemitism probe in Washington D.C. on April 17. University of North Carolina at Charlotte: The administration has condemned a resolution passed by the Student Government Association (SGA) on March 29 calling for the university to stop funding an archaeological research project in Israel until there is a ceasefire. The SGA resolution states, in part, that it officially recognizes that genocide is being committed by Israel in Gaza and calls for the University of North Carolina at Charlottes total divestment of funds from the State of Israel until at least the time in which the State of Israel arranges a ceasefire in Gaza and there are proper measures in place to hold the State of Israel and other party actors accountable for their role in the Palestinian genocide. The university administration responded to the resolution by sending a statement to Queen City News that said the SGA has been counseled several times on the Universitys commitment to maintain institutional neutrality and that the resolution does not align with that commitment and will not be acted upon by the administration. Falsely identifying the SGAs divestment demand with antisemitism and violence on campus, the administrations statement said the university is committed to fostering conversations in a manner that affords respect, fairness and dignity to every member of the campus community and will immediately address any actions that compromise its ability to provide a safe environment to learn, live, and work. Student groups have said the funding of a license for a dig site in Israel violates the administrations claimed neutrality. A member of Social Justice for Southwest Asia and North Africa (SJ4SWANA) said, Their actions speak otherwise. And I think that if they truly are neutral, they shouldnt be funding other governments, especially not Israel. A UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for April 25 and students said they plan to attend to ensure the board addresses their concerns. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality condemns the growing wave of attacks on the free speech rights of students protesting the US-backed Israeli genocide against Palestinians. The suppression of resolutions and the arrests and disciplinary actions against students are aimed at silencing the widespread opposition to the collaboration of university administrations with the US government, military and businesses that have ties to Israels policy of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The intransigent position of university administrators and boards of regents toward the demands of students, as well as their use of law enforcement against students, demonstrates that appeals to academia, like all factions of the US ruling establishment, will not stop the bloody wars being carried out in Gaza and elsewhere around the world. The struggle to stop imperialist war cannot be waged through appeals by students for divestment from Israel to representatives in the universities or to the Democrats and Republicans in the US government. Imperialist wars and the barbarism of the genocide in Gaza can only be halted through the mobilization of the working class against the entire capitalist system, and it is to this revolutionary force that students must turn. The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) is publishing the first of two batches of write-ins received from Royal Mail workers across the UK in response to its interview with Ian, a member of the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee (PWRFC): Royal Mail delivery worker explains The Communication Workers Union is facilitating a race to the bottom. The correspondence from postal workers, including those with long service and new entrants, exposes ramped-up exploitation, management bullying and systemic destruction of the mail service to prioritise the lucrative parcels market. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is denounced for its complicity. On Wednesday April 3, Royal Mail outlined proposals to begin the dismantling of the Universal Obligation Service (USO) and a wave of mass job losses and cost-cutting. On the same day the CWU confirmed its acceptance of this next stage of restructuring at a fraudulent Live Q&A online meeting with leaders Dave Ward and Martin Walsh. CWU Head of Communications Chris Webb (left), leader Dave Ward (centre) and Martin Walsh, the union's Deputy General Secretary (Postal) at a CWU Live event, April 3, 2024 [Photo: screenshot of video: YouTube/CWULive] We welcome further write-ins reporting conditions at your workplace and encourage postal workers to attend the online meeting called by the PWRFC on Sunday 28 April, 7pm to discuss a strategy to fight back. Register here. **** Glasgow: Read the article, which is hard hitting and accurate. I dont know where Ian is based but it makes no difference as his day-to-day experience is the same as our office and Im sure in every workplace across the UK. London: I worked for 1 month at Royal Mail as a postman/driver. I experienced ignorant, thuggish, bullying management trying to intimidate you at every opportunity. Exploited and treated like a slave. Given impossible workload and told to reduce my time it took by half. What an ugly abusive environment. Welcome to 21st century UK. Maidstone: We have been sold down the river by CWU in collusion with management, this cannot continue. 500 years of trust given away by greed. Wales: Corporate greed is prevalent everywhere now, but referring specifically to my delivery office it is being managed by so-called line managers who honestly dont care in the slightest about the health, wellbeing, safety, sanity and happiness of their workforce and one manager who is as corrupt as you can get, hiring his own partner and paying them false overtime which is in effect paying his own bills. In addition to this, the way he treats and speaks to his staff is unprofessional, unethical and quite simply disgraceful. Both the vans and the PDAs are seriously substandard, and this simply has to change. A lot of what happens daily in our office is unlawful, unfair and to the public unbelievable, with regular instances of victimisation and bullying. It is a toxic working environment and has unfortunately been this way for some time now. It seriously worries myself and my colleagues as to where we are heading. Thanks for reading. Yorkshire: Why does the government allow Royal Mail to fail the USO daily? If Royal Mail senior management say the business is set up for 20 billion letters a year but they are only delivering 7 billion, how can they fail delivery of mail daily? (How many less staff do they have?) Senior management are setting the business up to fail because they no longer want to deliver letters as its no longer profitable and all they want to deliver are the more profitable packets/parcels. They talk the letter business down and now call Royal Mail a packet/parcel business that delivers letters. The business needs to be taken back under government control or we will end up as a packet/parcel that delivers letters 2 or 3 days a week. What Royal Mail did with their 700 million profit was a disgrace with no thought of sustaining the letter business but paying off shareholders so the shareholders would agree to their large bonuses. I could go on!!! Wirral: Totally agree, we are a joke. 41 years for Royal Mail never been so disappointed with the job, just want redundancy and out. Not alone, 60% of my office feel the same. Sold down the river, union now starting to reappear after going into hiding. Birmingham: Hello, Im a postman in the Birmingham area and the conditions are exactly the same as Ive read up in your article. Walks are failing daily and there is priority for tracked parcels to be delivered over mail. Some walks are staying in the frames for up to 7 days! Or probably more but we are told to deliver NHS letters so pulling them out and driving to each address that has one is very harmful to the environment as we still have fuel vans not electric. I totally agree with what was said about the delivery routes. We have gone from walking about 4-and-a-half hours a day to 5-and-a-half, all of which takes a toll on your body. Were told almost on a daily basis that the newly unimproved duties will not be tested so it makes me think they could keep adding more streets on and probably get away with it. I dont fully believe the company when they say that were not going to every address every day and Ill mention why since they made that announcement weve had alternate days where an address, say 52 Lettering Avenue, will not have any mail but the neighbouring property will and then the next day therell be 4 or 5 letters for 52 Lettering Avenue and that same pattern continues across the whole walk day in day out... could they be purposely withholding certain addresses mail to back their statement of not going to every address every day? Who knows and it does sound far-fetched but in a corrupt world as we well know anything is possible... The Horizon scandal springs to mind... and this company was a part of it at the time. Im a long service postie and I honestly wouldnt know what else to do... it started off as a great job and I did love it but with a corrupt union and even more corrupted company I only work now to pay the bills... the motivation for the job is zero and I know a lot of my colleagues feel the same... some of which are so desperate to finish their walks they come in early unpaid and some are paid to prep other walks or sort mail and parcels but they break off to prep their walks intermittently... just to get out the door early. I am a great postie and always do the job with a smile but that smile is slowly fading. We welcome further write-ins reporting conditions at your workplace and encourage postal workers to attend the online meeting called by the PWRFC on Sunday 28 April, 7pm to discuss a strategy to fight back. Register here. On Monday, April 8, the Moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning day into night in what is arguably the most dramatic astronomical event for those of us on Eartha total solar eclipse. Such events happen with predictable regularity, on average once every 18 months. They are extraordinarily well studied and understood; there will be a total of 68 total solar eclipses in the 21st century and a further 582 through the 30th century. While hundreds of millions will be able to watch the partial phases of tomorrows eclipse, the path of totality is a much more focused swath that is 16,000 kilometers (9,941.9 miles) long and at most 198 kilometers (123 miles) wide. The eclipse will begin in the South Pacific Ocean before making landfall in Mexico, passing through the states of Sinaloa, Durango and Coahuila. Maximum eclipse, where one can experience the longest length of totality, will occur in Nazas, Mexico, lasting 4 minutes 28 seconds. An image of the total solar eclipse in 2017. [Photo by Michael S Adler - Own work / CC BY-SA 4.0 The Moons shadow will then travel across 13 states in the United States, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, before finally going through Maine. It will also pass over parts of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton in Canada. For those who will experience the full eclipse, the sky will steadily dim as the amount of light reaching the ground will be reduced to what one would experience on Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and beyond, until the Moon totally blocks all direct light from the Sun. The region is cast into an artificial night, the temperature drops sharply and a red glow like sunset appears on the horizon in every direction. In addition to the contemporary indication of broad interest in events that are objective, universal and not manufactured by the media, eclipses also have significant historical relevance. One of the earliest recorded instances of an eclipse is from a clay tablet found in the remains of the ancient city of Ugarit, dating back to 5 March 1,223 BCE. That record has been used to help narrow down the time frame during which Ugarit, located in what is now Syria, was destroyed. Records from a similar time period in Anyang, China wrote, The Sun has been eaten. Such old eclipses are also used to measure the slowing of Earths rotation, which is known to occur as a result of tidal interactions between Earth and the Moon. We can predict where eclipses would occur if Earths rotation had not slowed. In Anyang, they would have occurred thousands of miles away, allowing astronomers to conclude that since about 1,200 BCE, Earths rotation has slowed by 47-thousandths of a second per day. For many thousands of years, both solar and lunar eclipses (when the Moon passes into Earths shadow) were seen as mysterious, often mystical events. They occur over specific points on Earth over such long timescales that they can seem random and unexplainable. The foundation for understanding eclipses was solidified only when Isaac Newton published his Principia in 1687, which generalized the understanding of planetary motion with calculus. From then, the relative motion of Earth, the Moon and the Sun were not only known but calculable for years in advance. The first time a solar eclipse was predicted was a short 28 years later, when Edmund Halley (of Halleys Comet) predicted a solar eclipse over London on May 3, 1715 to a path error of about 20 miles and a time error of about 4 minutes. A record of the 1715 eclipse over London. [Photo: Houghton Library, Harvard University image] In the more modern era, eclipses have helped spur the understanding that the Sun has different atmospheric layers, the chromosphere and the corona. Ongoing solar studies and the development of optics in the 1800s led to the discovery of the element helium in 1868 by two independent researchers, Norman Lockyer and Jules Janssen, before the Russian chemist Dimitri Mendeleev finalized the periodic table in 1869. It would be another 27 years before helium (from the Greek helios, literally Sun) would be isolated and studied on Earth. The most famous use of an eclipse to study astronomical phenomenon occurred in 1919. Four years previously, Albert Einstein published his finished work on general relativity, of which one consequence is that the high gravity of stars is capable of bending the path of light. To test this prediction, Arthur Eddington traveled to the island of Principe, in the Gulf of Guinea near Nigeria, to view the May 29 total solar eclipse and attempt to image stars which, if general relativity were incorrect, would be invisible. In one of the great scientific triumphs of the 20th century, Eddington did show a shift in the position of the light coming from those stars, matching the predictions of general relativity. The interest in studying the Sun has given rise to even more in-depth studies. A flotilla of spacecraft, including the venerable Solar and Heliospheric Observatory and the relatively recent Solar Dynamics Observatory, observe the Sun on an essentially constant basis. And the Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, now makes regular measurements from inside the Suns corona, approaching as close as 6.9 million kilometers from the Suns surface. Through this study, astronomers have developed a more general understanding of other stars, as well as how the energy output of the Sun impacts Earth, from enchanting aurora borealis and aurora australis to the potential disruption caused by solar flares and coronal mass ejections and the ongoing and accelerating climate catastrophe. Of course, the immense scientific significance of the study of the Sun and the wide popular understanding of this physical reality stands in sharp contrast to a broader scientific understanding of other aspects of society, closer to home. Giant corporations and capitalist politicians deny the reality of climate change, even though its effects can be modeled mathematically and predicted with an accuracy approaching that of astronomical phenomena. Millions are gathering in the narrow band of totality even as the coronavirus pandemic still rages. The vast majority will be unmasked, thanks to the backward medical policies of the Biden administration and corporate America as a whole. The same scientific, materialist outlook that predicts the exact path and time of the eclipse also predicts that thousands of people will contract COVID-19 as a result of unsafe travel to and from the eclipse-viewing region. A scientific perspective can also be applied to economic life and society in general. And it was so done by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, the founders of modern Marxism, and their successors and continuators in the 21st century. Only Marxism is able to explain the profound contradictions between the great scientific achievements of the 20th and 21st centuries, expressed in the powerful growth of the productive forces on a world scale, and the continued existence of capitalist private ownership and the outmoded system of rival nation-states, which threaten humanity with the specter of economic crisis, dictatorship and war. Only Marxism provides a revolutionary road forward for the international working class. Trevor Griffiths, who died last week aged 88, was one of the outstanding radical dramatists of the last 50 years. This was a difficult period for artists, politically left-wing ones above all. But Griffiths fared better than most both because his works were concretely rooted in major social and political events and processes and because of his encounter with genuine Marxism. Introducing a November 2008 discussion (The Writer and Revolution) with the playwright at the University of Manchester, World Socialist Web Site arts editor David Walsh termed Griffiths, one of the most historically acute writers of our time. He pointed to Griffiths body of work that covered, amongst other things, the Russian, American and French Revolutions, the Italian revolutionary strike wave of 1920, the Spanish Civil War, the first Gulf War, the Labour and Conservative Parties, neo-Nazism, national myths forged around polar exploration and the Trotskyist movement. Trevor Griffiths and David Walsh in Manchester, 2008 (Two video clips from this event can be seen here and here.) In Manchester, Walsh called Griffiths a historical realistnot merely in his dramatic style, but in his determined quest for the truth of the historical processes at work. Griffiths had said, I have to work within the popular imagination which has been shaped by naturalism. A writer has to find out the whole map of the ground that were dealing with to cover the ground enormously thoroughly, so that you really do appropriate it, you own that territory. This meant tackling the realities of class existence. The dramatist sought, apart from anything else, to reflect on the conditions of his own political life and experience, most notably in the intervention of the British Trotskyists among a layer of radicalised artists and intellectuals like himself. His writing covered the conflicts between revolutionary and reformist perspectives, and he was acutely conscious of democratic access to cultural expression. Out of all this, Griffiths attempted to draw wider lessons about the times and their impact. It is to his credit that he continued trying to follow this healthy path throughout his life, even when many of his peers had long since abandoned it. Patrick Stewart in Fall of Eagles (1974) Griffiths was born in Manchester in 1935, the third child of a Welsh chemical process worker and an Irish Catholic bus conductress. Unlike his brother and sister, he was raised to the age of five by his Catholic grandmother. He attended a Catholic college before studying English language and literature at the University of Manchester (1952-55). On graduation, he did his two years national service (conscription). The future writer went into education, teaching English and games at an Oldham private school and lecturing in liberal studies at Stockport Technical College. In 1965 he joined the BBC as an education officer, continuing in the role until 1972. By then, his first full-length play, Occupations (1971), had been taken on by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Griffiths later told the WSWS, I didnt invent myself. The world invented me. I came out of teaching. I came out of New Left Clubs. I had an active back history pushing me forward. So when I got to confronting producers and production units and the BBC and all of that stuff, I didnt feel that I was on my own. I felt that I was shoulder to shoulder with a hell of a lot of people. This is not a minor point. The 1950s had seen revolutionary upheavals against Stalinism in Eastern Europe, triggering a mass exodus from the Communist Party, in Britain and elsewhere. Prostrate before the apparent strength of Stalinism and other bureaucracies, Pabloism (personified by figures like Michel Pablo, Ernest Mandel and Pierre Frank) had emerged out of the Trotskyist movement, calling for the liquidation of any independent revolutionary organisation of the working class into local Stalinist or social democratic parties. The orthodox Trotskyists of the International Committee of the Fourth International, represented in Britain by The Group, led by Gerry Healy, by contrast, waged a vigorous and active intervention in the crisis of the Stalinists, fighting to win workers breaking to the left. This was a period of intense and widespread political discussion. Among university academics and intellectuals, the New Left emerged as a way of forestalling that leftward movement, which was also reflected within the Labour Party. Griffiths in 2010 A Labour Party member until 1965 (when he resigned in dissatisfaction with Harold Wilsons government), Griffiths edited the partys Northern Voice paper, but was also chair of the Manchester Left Club, series editor for the Workers Northern Publishing Society and an early member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. This political experience, coupled with his educational background, helped equip him with the ability to explore ideas through drama. A one-act play, The Wages of Thin (1969), was followed by Occupations, set in Turin in 1920. With workers occupying factories across Italy, the play hinges on a clash between Kabak, a Comintern representative, and Antonio Gramsci, advocating shop-floor soviets. Occupations attracted the attention of the RSC and led to his being commissioned to write The Party (1973). The play was modelled on the Friday night discussions in the late 1960s and early 1970s in London, primarily of writers, actors and artists, organised and initially hosted by producer, writer and director Tony Garnett, who had also left the Labour Party in the mid-1960s. Garnett was holding regular open meetings each week for anyone who thought of themselves as left. Garnett had by then established relations with the British Trotskyists, now known as the Socialist Labour League (SLL). Healy started attending Garnetts Friday meetings. In 2013, Garnett told the WSWS, Many of the representatives of other tendencies stopped coming. There was no doubt that Healys position was far superior to theirs. He was a better and more relentless debater than any of them. ... They just didnt dare come back. The Party portrayed one such meeting, a discussion between a London School of Economics lecturer, based on the Pabloite Robin Blackburn, and a dramatist, based on playwright David Mercer, an SLL supporter. The high point is the devastating rebuttal by the veteran Trotskyist John Tagg, modelled on Healy (and first played by Laurence Olivier), of the Pabloites abandonment of the working class: Finally you learn to enjoy your pain, to need it, so that you have nothing to offer your bourgeois peers but a sort of moral exhaustion. You cant build socialism on fatigue. Tagg denounces their compromise: You enjoy biting the hand that feeds you but youll never bite it off. Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, and Warren Beatty in Reds (1981) (Griffiths read from this important 20-minute speech, one of the best passages he ever produced, during the Manchester event in 2008. See the second clip above.) The fight for revolutionary ideas in hostile political circumstances, and their practical implications, were central to Griffiths work. A 1974 episode (Absolute Beginners) of the BBCs 13-part historical series Fall of Eagles examined the emergence of the Bolshevik Party in the 1903 split from Menshevism. Patrick Stewart played Lenin and Michael Kitchen portrayed Trotsky. An episode written for The Edwardians was not made because of its portrayal of the 1911 Liverpool transport strike. Griffiths recognised the attack on such politically informed culture that followed. The Party portrayed a period when, he said, Marxism was commonplace and discussions of the significance of a revolutionary party could attract regular large theatre audiences. This was the society we were building, and that was the society that the Conservatives and Labour had to rip up. The fate of his own work, he knew, was tied up with that process. The period during which left-wing ideas could be discussed and presented in the British popular media and on television came to an end in 1997, and I was the last one to be killed. That year he wrote and directed Food for Ravens for the BBC to mark Welsh labour Party leader Aneurin Bevans birth. The BBC initially tried to restrict broadcast to Wales. The national broadcast happened on BBC2, just before midnight. No trailer, no listing in Radio Times. No DVD, Griffiths complained to the press. Trevor Griffiths The dramatist later asserted that the task confronting every working class person is the fight for something less rotten than what exists now. He portrayed conflict without losing a sympathetic voice. In Through the Night (1975), based on his first wifes experiences, Alison Steadman played a young working class woman who goes into hospital for a routine cancer scan and awakes to find she has had a mastectomy. Also on television, the popular series Bill Brand (1976) centred on a left Labour MP (played by Jack Shepherd, a frequent collaborator, interviewed by the WSWS in 2012) confronting the pressures of Westminster. Bill Brand, Griffiths explained, was trying to say that the traditions of the labour movement were inadequate to take the struggle further, and that we had to discover new traditions or revive even older ones. He had begun to see television as a way of reaching beyond just the middle class and politically converted theatre audiences, of achieving the strategic penetration of the central channel of communication. This involved not just new scripts, but excellent adaptations like D.H. Lawrences Sons and Lovers and Chekhovs The Cherry Orchard (both 1981). He also did extensive work on the script for Warren Beattys film about John Reed and Louise Bryant, Reds (1981), which Beatty completed. Griffiths wrote many screenplays that were never filmed, as he adamantly opposed their being diluted. Griffiths estimated he wrote about 45 percent of Reds. Griffiths work on A New World He did not, however, abandon the stage. Comedians (1975), about an evening class for aspiring stand-up comics, was a notable triumph, exploring again questions of class, political effectiveness, compromise and betrayal. Nor did he abandon political scrutiny, with early 1990s pieces such as The Gulf Between Us (1992), taking the first Gulf War as its backdropa decade later he said he was sickened by Labour Prime Minister Tony Blairs intervention in Iraqand Thatchers Children (1993). He genuinely enjoyed collaborative writing for the stage with other dramatists. Griffiths was able to move pieces between stage and screen with some skill, satisfying his constant demand for impact and penetration. Oi for England (1982), about youth unemployment and far-right skinheads, later transferred successfully from television to theatre. His last stage play transformed a screenplay written years earlier. Richard Attenborough was unable to get funding for These Are the Times, Griffiths script about the 18th-century revolutionary Thomas Paine, in part because of its scale. Griffiths always praised Attenborough for not suggesting he start again and cut it down. Realising the film was not going to be made, Griffiths first published the screenplay, then brought it to the stage as A New World. In part, as he told the WSWS, he was confronting the political crisis that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, so immediately went back to the previous revolution, the French Revolution. His continued push, under difficult conditions for a new artistic and political awakening, deserves recognition and praise. So too, should his understanding of the place of the artist in the face of economic pressures: Ive never been in the business, Griffiths said, I live outside it. That he was able to achieve all that he did in the face of such pressure is a testament to his insistence on historical perspective and a commitment to socialism, which should be a lesson for all artists. King Abdullahs regime in Jordan has played a crucial role in supporting Israels genocidal war on the Palestinians in Gaza. His regime has not lifted a finger to support the Palestinians, but instead clamped down on daily protests in the capital Amman calling for an end to the war and the severing of the kingdoms links with Israel. Riot police have used batons and tear gas and made dozens of arrests in a bid to disperse thousands of protesters who, since March 24, have taken to the streets around the Israeli embassy, demanding its closure and an end to all political and economic relations with Israel. Israels ambassador was expelled in October and Jordan withdrew its ambassador in Tel Aviv in November. Organised by the National Forum for Supporting the Resistance, demonstrators carried banners saying, No to a Zionist embassy on Jordanian territory. They shouted, Open the borders, a reference to Jordans border with the occupied West Bank where Israeli settlers and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have gone on the rampage to drive the Palestinians into Jordan. Last November, the Jordanian authorities banned protests close to the border with the West Bank for posing a threat to national security. The army has deployed extra forces on the border, while the security forces have arrested Jordanians trying to smuggle weapons into the West Bank. The protests have crossed the divide that separates Jordans traditional Eastbanker population (residing on the River Jordans east bank) from the Palestinians both within Jordan and the West Bank. Around half of Jordans 11 million population are of Palestinian descent, including more than 2.2 million registered Palestinian refugeesthose driven there by wars between 1947 and 1967 and their descendants, of whom nearly 400,000 still live in 10 refugee camps. Jordan was carved out of Greater Syria and Palestinian land east of the Jordan river by Britain after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. It operated as a client state to promote UK interests in the oil-rich region. Largely desert, it was dependent from the beginning on external aid, first from Britain and more recently from the United States, which currently provides $1.45 billion a year in military and economic aid as well as security guarantees. Abdullah, a descendant of a sheikh from the Arabian Peninsula assigned by British imperialism to rule Transjordan, depends on censorship, surveillance, and a system of military patronage. He appoints and dismisses prime ministers at will to deflect criticism away from his corrupt rule. Unemployment is officially around 25 percent, and even higher among women and young people, while poverty has risen sharply since the pandemic, forcing many educated young people to seek work in the Gulf. As fears about Jordans instability have grown, the European Union and the Gulf states have provided aid as well as funding to support 1.5 million Syrian refugees living in the country. Jordan has maintained a cold peace with Israel following a US Clinton administration-brokered normalization treaty in 1994, signing around 15 trade and tourism agreements since then, most prominently the $10 billion 2016 gas import agreement under which Israel would supply Jordan with 45 billion cubic metres of gas over 15 years. However, amid widespread opposition to the Gaza war, Jordan was forced to recall its ambassador to Israel and to abandon the proposed water-for-energy deal with the country brokered by the United Arab Emirates in November, despite being one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. Abdullah has thus far managed to contain the widespread opposition to Israel by publicly criticizing its conduct of the war and calling for a ceasefire, while playing the most open role in the Middle East in repressing popular opposition. Between October and November, security forces arrested at least 1,500 peopleprotesters and bystandersduring rallies in support of the Palestinians in Gaza for offences such as committing acts of violence, inciting discord and damaging public property. Some were only released on bail after pledging to stop participating in protests. At least five more were arrested between November and December and charged under the Cybercrimes Law, passed in August last year, for social media posts expressing pro-Palestinian sympathies, criticizing the authorities peace or economic deals with Israel, or calling for public strikes and protests. In January, Ayman Sanduka, political activist and mathematics professor, was sentenced to three months in jail for calling for a general strike and charged with defaming an official body. Permission was only then granted for weekly Friday protests. The regime has pressed ahead with its efforts to keep Israels economy functioning, providing a crucial land bridge for trucking vital goods overland from the Gulf to Israel as Yemens Houthis struck in the Red Sea against Israeli-linked shipping, in support of the Palestinians. In January, Israels Channel 13 revealed that Jordan was exporting fruit and vegetables to Israel. According to an investigation by Arabi Post, citing Israels Ministry of Agriculture, Jordan and Turkey exported the most fruit and vegetables to Israel from October 7, 2023, to February 11 2024, amounting to 55 percent of all such imports. These revelations led to a renewal of protests in February in Amman, Irbid, Aqaba, Karak and Zarqa. An online campaign was mounted for Jordan to send humanitarian aid to Gaza. The latest protests that broke out at the end of March amid Israels attacks on Gazas al-Shifa Hospital and the pending invasion of Rafah have roiled Abdullahs regime. Jordanian officials blamed Hamas leaders, especially former leader Khaled Meshaal, now resident in Doha, accusing the bourgeois clerical group, which was banished from Jordan in 1999, and the Muslim Brotherhood of seeking to destabilise the country. On Tuesday, Muhannad Moubaydeen, a government spokesperson, told a press conference that the government was supposedly not opposed to the demonstrations but to the chants, which it views as pro-Hamas and harmful to national security. Former information minister Samih al-Maaytah said, Hamas abroad is trying to pressure Jordan to restore relations with the movement, citing a speech on March 26 in Amman by Meshaal calling on millions to take to the streets. Jordans Muslim Brotherhood has rejected these accusations, with Murad al-Adayleh, Secretary-General of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) which is affiliated to the Brotherhood, stating, There are no special party interests in these protests, which represent all sectors of Jordanian society that support the Palestinian resistance. The widespread support for the Palestinians is a significant turning point. In 1970, in what became known as Black September, Abdullahs father, King Hussein, turned to Israel for undercover support when he faced calls from some Palestinian factions, backed by Syria, for his overthrow. He was able to defeat Yasser Arafats Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and drive its leadership out of the country. Since then, with Israels 360-kilometre border with Jordanits longestfree from attacks by Palestinian militants, the Israeli military has been able to focus on securing its other borders. Jordans Palestinians have faced widespread discrimination, despite most being granted citizenship, with state employment and other policies favouring the Eastbankers. Washingtons full-throated support for Israel has also resulted in an upsurge in anti-American sentiment in Jordan and across the wider region. The logic of Israels war on Gaza implies driving out not only the Palestinians in Gaza, but those in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as Israels own Palestinian citizens. Israels mainstream politicians have for decades called for a population transfer, a euphemism for driving the Palestinians into Jordanan event that would profoundly destabilise the monarchy. For years, far-right settlers under the protection of the army have carried out attacks on the Palestinians in the West Bank to force them off their land. Now they do this with the active encouragement of Israels far-right politicians who have provided them with additional firearms, arousing fears of another Nakba or mass displacement as happened in 1948 and 1967. The Palestinian Authority under President Mahmoud Abbas, acting as Israels policeman, has done nothing to protect its citizens. This has forced the Jordanian parliament to unanimously endorse a motion to review its bilateral treaty with Israel that expressly forbids such an expulsion, stating within their control, involuntary movements of persons in such a way as to adversely prejudice the security of either Party should not be permitted. The messianic Religious Zionists now in government have long viewed Jordan as part of Greater Israel. They were one of the many Zionist strands that opposed Britains partition of Palestine and its exclusion of Transjordan from its promise to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine as a serious whittling down of the Balfour Declaration, as Chaim Weizmann, later Israels first president, noted in his memoir. In March 2023, Bezalel Smotrich, Israels finance minister, took to the podium to display a map showing Jordan as part of Greater Israel while denying the existence of the Palestinian people. These far-right forces and Israels ultra-orthodox parties are also challenging Jordans custodial role over Jerusalems Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third most holy Muslim site. Jewish extremists and government officials have frequently stormed and desecrated the compound in preparation for seizing full control and establishing a Jewish temple. Benjamin Netanyahus goal of erasing Hamas, with the full backing of US imperialism and its European allies, while Hezbollah in Lebanon has declared its commitment to ensuring a Hamas victory in Gaza, is driving towards a regional war against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen that would place Jordan firmly in the line of fire. In defiance of a campaign of intimidation by Britains Conservative government and the mass media, delegates to the annual conference of the National Education Union (NEU) voted for a resolution in defence of the Palestinian people against genocide by a racist apartheid Israeli government. The resolution, passed overwhelmingly by the largest teaching union in the UK with over 465,000 members, gave expression to the deep-seated opposition within the profession to Israels war against the Palestinians. It delivered a blow against the relentless slanders by the Tory government and the Labour opposition under Sir Keir Starmer, who denounce opponents of the Israeli genocide as antisemites. Delegates at the NEU's conference show their support for the Palestinians [Photo: Ben Jamal/X] The effort by a small element of pro-Zionist members within the conference to push the intimidatory line that the event was a mass anti-Zionist rally was decisively rejected. Arguing against an amendment that referenced the International Court of Justices ruling that Israel must take measures to prevent genocide, pro-Zionist delegate Peter Block said there had been an avalanche of hatred directed against Jews. He drew shouts of shame after telling delegates that the conference has taken on the character of an anti-Zionist rally not quite of Nuremberg proportions but approaching it. and claiming the motion was a glorification of Hamas. The resolution was nothing of the sort. The text adopted insisted, The siege of Gaza, and the collective punishment of its people, must end immediately adding, Israels hard-right, racist government is the main driver of conflict, violence and war. It calls on the UK to stop being an enabler of Israels apartheid policies, while an amendment was passed stating that attempts to clamp down on the right to protest and discuss the issue must be opposed. The head of the Palestinian mission to the UK, Dr. Husam Zomlot, addressed the conference and was given a lengthy standing ovation, with many participants wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh and chanting Free, Free, Palestine after his speech. Some shouted From the river to the sea, and were joined by others responding, Palestine will be free. Dr. Zomlot denounced the normalisation of the mass murder of children in his speech. Speaking after the passing of the motion, NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede said, The relentless Israeli bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians since 7 October, over 70 percent of whom are women and children. Children should not pay the price of war. Yet more children have been killed in Gaza in four months than in four years of worldwide wars according to the UN. More than a million of Gazas children are displaced and education has completely stopped, with more than 80 percent of all school buildings damaged or destroyed. Secretary for Education Gillian Keegan, having attempted to whip up a reaction against the resolution in the lead-up to the conference, responded by claiming that the votes were wholly inappropriate and completely ignore the horrific terrorist attacks committed by Hamas on 7 October These motions reflect the NEUs divisive ideology, which I dont believe is representative of our teachers. Keegan made veiled threats against teachers who oppose the genocide in Gaza that the draconian Prevent legislation could be used against them. Prevent has been used in schools and the public sector to require workers who believe a student or staff member may be susceptible to radicalisation to inform the police for assessment. Radicalisation, according to the Department of Education, is the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies associated with terrorist groups. Keegan insisted, Teachers have a duty to remain politically impartial and to ensure all sides of contested views are presented fairly and without bias or prejudice. These proposals will cause significant hurt to members of the Jewish community and the thousands of Jewish children and parents in British schools. Having claimed that the resolution passed is in support of Hamas, Keegan has set the terms for an escalation of the witch-hunt of teachers and students. Prevent guidance documents are already circulating identifying socialism, communism and anti-fascism as gateways to terrorism. This deeply authoritarian definition provides for the suppression of virtually any form of political opposition and eviscerates the rights to free speech and political association. The latest Home Office figures show that between April 2022 and March 2023, (before the Israeli war on Gaza) 6,817 people were referred to Prevent. Over 2,100 referrals were for children under the age of 14, including 256 individuals under the age of 10. The education sector made the highest number of referrals (2,684 or 39 percent), followed by the police (1,943 or 29 percent). Since data recording began in 2015/16, education referrals have accounted for 33 percent of all referrals. Islamophobic stereotypes of extremism and terrorism play a major role in Prevent referrals, with people of Muslim faith referred eight times more frequently than non-Muslims in the healthcare sector, according to Amnesty International. Another amendment put to the NEU conference also supported by delegates called on the union to campaign for the abolition of the governments Prevent anti-extremism laws. Mat Milovanovic, who proposed the text, told attendees that he faces potential disciplinary action for failing to be politically neutral while at work: It shouldnt be political to express grief and sympathy for 30,000 murdered people, he said. Last month, the Department for Education announced a ban on pupils missing school to attend protests after thousands of children walked out of classrooms in November to march in protest at Israels war. This mass opposition has not been stifled. Millions have participated in mass demonstrations globally and have opposed the lie that opposition to the fascistic crimes of the Israeli state is antisemitic. The NEU resolution can only be successful and effective to the extent it is acted upon by rank-and-file teachers in a unified struggle with students and pupils as part of a broad-based mass movement of the working class. The union bureaucracy is not about to do this. The conference was also tasked with implementing a mandate for strike action over wages and working conditions following an indicative ballot days before the event. The NEU leadership overruled this mandate in favour of talks with the genocide defender Keegan, while spreading illusions that Labour, when in office and led by the genocide supporter Starmer, will offer concessions. Teachers must take matters into their own hands, building independent rank-and file-committees to organise the necessary struggle to prevent genocide and war, as well as defend workers conditions: No collaboration with the Prevent legislation. Teachers must call urgent meetings in the workplace and insist their members refuse to hand over any names of staff or pupils to Prevent. Mass walkouts to defend colleagues and pupils who are disciplined for speaking out against genocide in Palestine or opposition to the governments war agenda, including in Russia and Ukraine. Billions to be made available for funding schools and education; no funding for the war machine. Repeal all anti-strike legislation and measures such as Prevent aimed at criminalising dissent. Demand strike action against the attacks of the Sunak government or a replacement Labour government under Starmer. Implement all necessary measures to protect staff and children from the ongoing COVID pandemic. To get in touch with and join the Educators Rank-and-File Safety committee, click here. Opposition parties in Ireland called for an immediate general election following the resignation of Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar who heads Irelands three partyFianna Fail, Fine Gael, and Green Partycoalition. Varadkar, who took over as Taoiseach in 2022 from Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, in line with the coalition agreement, resigned as leader of Fine Gael on March 20. Simon Harris, the current Fine Gael Minister for Higher Education has been enthusiastically endorsed by the party as his successor. This means that when the Dail returns on April 9, after the Easter recess, Varadkar will formally resign and Harris will be nominated Taoiseach. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar gives an address on Irelands role in the world and relations between the European Union and the United States, Foreign Policy at Brookings, March 13, 2018 [Photo by Brookings Institution / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Varadkars resignation came just two weeks after the government suffered a humiliating defeat in a two-part national referendum to amend the Irish constitution. Held on March 8, it sought to expand the definition of a family from a relationship founded on marriage to include other durable relationships. The referendum was rejected by 67.7 percent of voters. A second referendum on replacing language about a womens supposed duties in the home included a clause recognizing the role of family members in the provision of care, and was rejected by 73.9 percent of voters. The amendment proposal was fiercely opposed by disability rights activists and carers. Spokeswoman Ann Marie Flanagan from the Equality Not Care group summed up the governments campaign by saying, It seeks to deny us the right to State support such as personal assistance services. What is required is constitutional obligations to provide support services to enable everyone to participate in economic, social and cultural life. This referendum is made up of smoke and mirrors which is designed to confuse and mislead women and men, requiring support and providing support. Varadkar, who along with all the main parties in the Dail, including Sinn Fein, expected a clear majority in favour of the proposals, swiftly resigned, saying, I knew that one part of leadership is knowing when the time has come to pass on the baton to someone else. And then having the courage to do it. That time is now. There does not appear to be any hidden scandal stalking Varadkar, nor is there any sense that his recent very limited criticism of the Biden administrations genocidal policy in Gaza played a role in his departure. Varadkar, it seems, had just had enough of his efforts to package escalating attacks on workers living standards as socially progressive. In line with this, the corporate-controlled Irish state broadcaster RT E immediately piled in, lavishing praise on Varadkar and interviewing a succession of Fine Gael councillors and party members paying homage and insisting everything was business as usual. Despite this, a picture later emerged of discontent and disintegration within Fine Gael. Eleven of its TDs (Members of Parliament), almost one third, had communicated that they would not contest the next general election due within the next twelve months. Simon Harris, who takes over the office of Taoiseach from Varadkar, could be faced with more rats jumping ship. He takes over as the three-party coalition government becomes ever more widely loathed. Far from providing continuity and stability, as the corporate media has claimed, Varadkar presided over economic hardship for millions of Irish workers. According to Social Justice Ireland, there are now 671,183 people living in poverty in the country, in a population of just 5 million, with 133,565 of these in employmenta working poor composed mainly of young, super-exploited workers. There are now over 13,500 homeless, with 290,000 people living in so-called hidden homelessness, forced to move around or enter emergency accommodation. At the beginning of March, homelessness reached new records, with a 21 percent increase in the number of families homeless and a 17 percent increase in the number of homeless children. The average price of a house in Dublin is an astronomical 430,000. As class and social divisions have widened, Varadkar and the coalition government have remained in office with the cooperation of the trade unions and the backing of the corporate elite. Recent figures from the Central Statistics Office show the combined wealth of the richest eight people in Ireland now stands at 35 billion. Just one percent of the Irish population owns 27 percent of wealth, with the two richest people having 50 percent more wealth than the poorest half of the population. Varadkar, touted in the media as a socially progressive leader, Irelands first openly gay Taoiseach, will be remembered in the working class for introducing measures to target the poorest in society, such as his The Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All campaign, while the super-rich continued to siphon wealth from the rest of the population. He hands over to Harris to continue the same anti-worker and pro-imperialist agenda, including the governments commitment to increased military spending and cooperation with European Union military projects, using the alliances proxy war in Ukraine directed against Russia to push for ever-deeper Irish cooperation with NATO. Harris, despite his supposed appeal to a younger demographic on TikTok, where he has over 1 million followers, and easy-going, self-deprecating image, has a reactionary political record. As Minister for Health in 2020, he presided over a health service which failed miserably to curb the COVID pandemic, while the coalition government put the interests of big business and profit above all. He has signalled his intention to pull Fine Gael further to the right, outlining his committed support for more powers for An Garda Siochaona (the police). He also plans to roll back the numbers of asylum seekers claiming international protection in Ireland. In what was described as a comprehensive account of his views last year, Harris called for a new social contract which balances rights and responsibilities. He continued, If you work hard and play by the rules, the State will play its part too and stressed that your hard-earned money you pay in tax must be linked to the delivery of the services. The despised government Harris takes over may not see out its projected final year in office. None of the establishment parties, including Sinn Fein, offer a way out of the ravages of capitalism and the threat of US and European imperialist aggression and world war. Only the working class, united by a clear socialist programme, can secure the future for working people in Ireland in solidarity and cooperation with workers across Europe and internationally in the fight for a socialist United States of Europe. On March 26, the far-right ACT Party, part of New Zealands coalition government, denounced the University of Auckland for placing an official sign outside a designated area in its Business School, which stated: This is a Designated Area for Maori and Pasifika [Pacific Island] Students. Thank You. A photo of the sign had been shared on a Reddit forum, provoking numerous comments for and against the racially segregated study space. A sign outside a room in the University of Auckland School of Business, stating This is a designated area for Maori and Pasifika students [Photo: X/ @actparty] ACT MP Parmjeet Parmar said: Blocking access to spaces based on ethnicity has an ugly past and has no future in New Zealand. Parmar has written to the countrys universities and polytechnics asking them to provide a list of such spaces and explain the rationale for them. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, from the right-wing nationalist NZ First Party, issued an inflammatory statement comparing the university sign to the Ku Klux Klan, apartheid South Africa, and the segregation days in the United States. He denounced universities for woke cultural brainwashing dangerous rhetoric and demonstrable race-based practices. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon agreed with his far-right allies, stating: There is no place for discrimination or segregation in New Zealand. Universities should be places of inclusion, not exclusion. The uproar, which dominated the media for several days, is part of a strategy by the government to inflame racial tensions and thus divert attention from its brutal austerity measures to make the working class pay for the recession. These include thousands of public sector redundancies, cuts to social welfare, continued underfunding of the crisis-ridden health system, reduced funding for disability programs, and plans to cut funding for school lunches. The government is capitalising on widespread hostility towards identity politics, which is heavily promoted by Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Maori. The so-called safe spaces at universities are one component of this reactionary agenda, which seeks to divide up the population into antagonistic racial and cultural identities. In the universities, the obsessive focus on the politics of race, gender and sexuality, underpinned by postmodernist theory, serves to turn young people away from the Marxist understanding of history and the class strugglethat is, the historic struggle to unify the working class, of every ethnicity and nationality, in the fight for socialism. At the same time, institutions like the Auckland University Business School offer scholarships and affirmative action programs to recruit Maori students to become part of the political and corporate elite. To the extent that these policies are incorrectly seen as left wing, they play directly into the hands of the far-right, allowing NZ First and ACT to hypocritically posture as the defenders of equality even as the governments policies push more and more working people into poverty. The latest denunciations of segregation follow Peters recent speech in which he railed against woke cultural Marxism and compared the previous government to Nazi Germany because of its promotion of identity politics. They also follow a witch-hunt by ACT and NZ First against Victoria University of Wellington academic Joanna Kidman for speaking out against the governments reactionary law and order policies and its cuts to school lunches. The attack on Auckland University, in the lead-up to the governments May budget, is clearly intended to condition public opinion for more cutbacks. Under the previous Labour Party-led government, funding was frozen across the tertiary sector, resulting in hundreds of job cuts over the past three years. Auckland University is proposing to merge a number of different arts departments into a single faculty, and there is also a proposal to merge the architecture and design programsall of which will likely result in more job losses and fewer study options. ACT and NZ Firsts outcry over race-based practices is utterly hypocritical. NZ First also has a long record of racist agitation against immigrants, especially those from China, India, and Muslim countries. In his speech last month, Peters railed against the uncontrollable level of new migrants entering our country, which he called the most awful thing to happen. NZ First member Shane Jones has called on Maori tribal leaders to join him in a fight to stop immigration, which he says is diluting the status of the Maori race. The ACT Party never misses an opportunity to fraudulently depict indigenous Maori as a privileged section of society. This is the purpose of ACTs push for a referendum to define the principles of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which the party claims has been misused to give special rights to Maori that white people supposedly do not possess. In reality, apart from a small number of Maori capitalists cultivated by successive Labour and National Party governments, the majority of indigenous Maori (who are about 15 percent of the population) and Pacific Islanders are in the most exploited section of the working class. The positions of Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Maori (TPM), it must be stressed, are just as reactionary and divisive as those of the government. All of them, along with the Tertiary Education Union (TEU), have all lined up in support of Auckland Universitys racially segregated spaces. Labour MP Willie Jackson, for example, told Newshub that the spaces had been there 30 years ago when he was a student because universities have an obligation to look after minorities, to look after women, to look after rainbow, to look after Pasifika, to look after Maori. The Green Partys Huhana Lyndon similarly told Stuff: We support designated safe spaces for tauira [students] to gather to freely express themselves and their cultural practices in an academic setting. TPMs Takuta Ferris told the media: Creating safe spaces to empower minority communities to thrive and achieve whilst creating a sense of interconnectedness should be celebrated. TEU president Dr Julie Douglas said such spaces allowed students to freely express their lived experiences in a safe and supportive environment with those of a similar world view. All these professions of concern for student safety and supportive learning environments are sheer hypocrisy. The last Labour government, which included the Greens, oversaw the destruction of hundreds of jobs and numerous courses across the tertiary sector. The redundancies were imposed with the assistance of the TEU. As for Jacksons comments about the need to look after Maori and Pacific people, the Labour-led government did precisely the opposite. It oversaw an increase in poverty and inequality, as well as homelessnessall of which has a disproportionate impact on Maori and Pacific islanders, who are among the most impoverished members of society. The assertion by Labour and its supporters that safe spaces are needed to protect Maori and Pacific students is partly intended to distract attention from Labours reactionary record. It amounts to a slander against students and staff from other ethnicities, who are implicitly smeared as racists. Even if it could be shown that there is widespread racism at universities, creating designated areas for particular racial groups would only make matters worse. Racial segregation in New Zealand has historically been used to oppress Maori. For much of the 20th century, segregation was widely practised by businesses, government agencies, landlords, schools and employers. While these practices are now officially banned, there is no doubt that racial discrimination continues in many areas, against Maori and other groups, especially highly-exploited migrant workers. The positions of Labour and company have a thoroughly reactionary logic, which if followed consistently would necessitate segregated spaces for Chinese, Indian, African and other ethnicities that experience racism and xenophobia. And why stop at universities? Why not implement safe spaces in primary and secondary schools, factories and other workplaces, public transport, museums, librariesin short, anywhere that people of different ethnicities currently mix together? Students and young people should reject both sides in the reactionary safe spaces debate: the overt racism of the government and the divisive identity politics of the opposition parties. The aim of the capitalist class and its parliamentary parties is to derail any campaign against the destruction of education and other public services by encouraging a fight for dwindling resources among different ethnic and racial groups. The fight against this agenda of austerity and war requires the unification of working peopleof every ethnicity and nationality, and across all countriesbased on their shared class interests, in a political struggle to abolish capitalism and establish a socialist society. The resources of society, which are hoarded by the super-rich and squandered on the military, must be redirected into vital public services, including schools and universities to provide free, high-quality and accessible university education for all. Establishing a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any business, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With millions of websites competing for attention, its essential for SMEs to employ effective strategies to stand out from the crowd and attract their target audience. This is where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and content marketing come into play. By optimizing their online content and leveraging strategic marketing techniques, SMEs can not only improve their visibility in search engine results but also engage and convert potential customers effectively. In this guide, we will explore the importance of SEO and content marketing for SMEs and provide actionable solutions to help them succeed in the digital realm. In todays edition of tech Tuesday, we look at our selection of SEO and content marketing solutions for SMEs ConversionCow ConversionCow is a revolutionary MarTech SaaS tool reshaping the landscape for businesses seeking enhanced online sales. What started out originally as a personal COVID project for his digital agency Chromatix by founder Irwin Hau (also famously known as the Website Whisperer), ConversionCow offers a customisable slide-out web page that transforms static websites into dynamic sales pitches. ConversionCow intelligently displays social proof and calls-to-action, instantly building trust and boosting conversion rates. Termed the TLDR sales summary page, it caters to seasoned marketers with advanced features and analytics for strategic sales messaging. Intuit Assist for Mailchimp Whether marketers need to convert data into actionable insights or produce personalised campaigns at scale, Intuit Assist for Mailchimp helps automate contentproduction for efficient and optimised marketing execution. Intuit Assist is an always-on marketing assistant that leverages Generative AI to unlock insights from customer data and past performance. By using Intuit Assist for Mailchimp, marketers dont need to design an email campaign from scratch every time a new product is launched. Instead, as connected commerce integrations automatically sync updates with Mailchimp, Intuit Assist can anticipate next steps and create a new campaign in minutesfrom copy to CTA and product imagerywith brand identity already incorporated. Combining Mailchimps decades of expertise in serving marketers with Intuits rich data platform and AI foundations, Intuit Assist learns from a businesss previous activity and existing customer landscape to help drive improved outcomes. imexpert imexpert emerges as a game-changer in the realm of SEO, introducing innovative strategies set to redefine online visibility for the often-overlooked SMB market. Big digital marketing agencies high overheads, complex processes, inflexibilities and hyper-focus on branding leave SMBs in the dark literally, not to mention digitally. imexperts advanced SEO solutions are specifically tailored to meet SMBs need for relevancy in a cluttered digital landscape. It does this by focusing on strategic keyword targeting and bespoke content creation, born from a growing need for businesses to enhance their online presence and attract organic traffic. Google Analytics Google Analytics is a powerful tool that offers SMEs invaluable insights into their websites performance and user engagement. By analyzing metrics such as website traffic, bounce rate, session duration, and page views, SMEs can gain a deeper understanding of how visitors interact with their site. For instance, they can identify which pages are the most popular, where visitors are coming from, and which devices theyre using to access the site. SEMrush SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO toolkit that empowers SMEs to elevate their online presence and outrank competitors in search engine results pages (SERPs). One of its key features is keyword research, which enables SMEs to identify relevant keywords and phrases that potential customers are using to search for products or services. By targeting these keywords in their content, SMEs can improve their search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic to their website. Optidan AI OptiDan, a pioneering force in the e-commerce sector, is redefining digital marketing with its AI-driven SEO and content optimisation platform. Tailored for online retailers, this innovative solution harnesses cutting-edge AI technology to enhance digital visibility and user engagement across the digital shelf. The quality of content has been poor for a long time, and with Googles recent algorithm update, it is getting punished further, which is pushing brands into spending more on adwords. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Google, owned by Alphabet, has reached a settlement in a class action lawsuit regarding its Incognito private browsing mode. The lawsuit, filed by three users in 2020, accused Google of tracking user data despite assurances of privacy while in Incognito mode. The lawsuit alleged that Googles tracking persisted even when users believed they were browsing privately. This raised concerns about the privacy of users online activities and the potential for sensitive information to be sold to advertisers. Implications for SMEs The settlement between Google and users regarding the Incognito mode has implications for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in terms of data privacy and user trust. The settlement between Google and users regarding the Incognito mode serves as a reminder for SMEs to prioritize transparency, user trust, and compliance with data privacy regulations in their online operations. Data Privacy Concerns: For SMEs that rely on online advertising or have an online presence, the settlement underscores the importance of transparent data practices. Users expect their browsing activities to remain private when using private browsing modes, and any breach of this trust can have repercussions for businesses that rely on online engagement. User Trust and Transparency: In an age where consumers are increasingly concerned about their online privacy, SMEs must prioritize transparency in their data collection and usage practices. Failure to do so could erode user trust and result in negative perceptions of the brand. Legal Implications: The settlement also highlights the potential legal risks associated with data collection practices. SMEs should ensure compliance with privacy regulations and regularly review their data handling processes to mitigate the risk of legal action. Impact on Advertising Strategies: For SMEs that advertise on Googles platforms, the settlement may impact advertising strategies and targeting options. Businesses may need to reassess their approach to online advertising and prioritize strategies that prioritize user privacy and consent. Educating Users: SMEs can also play a role in educating users about online privacy and data security. By providing clear information about data collection practices and how user data is used, businesses can build trust and credibility with their audience. Settlement Terms As part of the settlement, Google will delete data collected during users Incognito browsing sessions and update its messaging around the service. Originally, Google marketed Incognito mode as a way to browse privately without informing users that their data could still be tracked. The updated messaging will clarify that browsing activity may still be visible to websites and service providers, including Google itself. Additionally, Google will default to blocking third-party companies from tracking users cookies in Incognito mode and allow users to block this data collection for five years at a time. Despite the settlement, users will not receive monetary compensation. However, they retain the right to sue Google in California over its data collection practices. The lawsuit shed light on internal discussions within Google regarding the language used to describe Incognito mode. Engineers and marketing executives expressed concerns about the misleading nature of the term Incognito and its implications for user privacy. While Google attempted to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Incognito mode only prevents browsing history from being saved locally, the settlement reflects the companys acknowledgment of the need for clearer communication and enhanced privacy protections for users. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Covering nearly 20ha, the project has an estimated investment of more than US$S300 million. Once completed, it is expected to have an annual output of 800 million litres, helping enhance the companys ability to meet consumer needs and strengthen its leading position in the Vietnamese market. The factory will also be operated with renewable energy such as biomass fuel and solar energy, helping to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions during production activities. At the same time, it will supply products with packaging made from wholly recycled plastic, and apply initiatives to save natural resources in production. This is a strong move taken by the company in joining the Vietnamese Government's efforts in realising its sustainability commitments, especially the commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. General Director of Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Jahanzeb Khan said that the Long An factory has the largest investment in the company's history in Vietnam. It will help raise standards for productivity and sustainable development, paving the way for the company's long-term growth and enhancing its ability to serve consumers. It is the sixth of the firm in the Southeast Asian nation. Chairman of the Long An provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Ut said that the province recently has welcomed many large projects from investors such as Lotte, VinaCapital, Saigontel, Coca-Cola, and Aeon. These are good signs for its economy, and demonstrate the rapid economic development of the locality. Cole Brings Plenty, the 1923 actor who went missing last weekend, was found dead Friday in a wooded area in Kansas, police and his family said. The actor, 27, was last seen in the early morning hours of March 31 leaving the Lawrence, Kansas, area in a white Ford Explorer, according to a missing flier posted to the Instagram page of his uncle, Yellowstone actor Mo Brings Plenty. Cole Brings Plenty was also identified previously as a suspect involved in a domestic violence dispute, according to a Facebook post by the Lawrence Police Department in Kansas. The body of Brings Plenty was found and identified after Johnson County, Kansas, deputies were dispatched to an area in reference to an unoccupied vehicle on Friday, the sheriffs office said in a news release. There, they discovered a deceased male in a wooded area away from the vehicle, police said. I am deeply saddened to confirm that my son, Cole, has been found and is no longer with us, his father, Joe Brings Plenty Sr., and family said in a statement. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for the prayers and positive thoughts you sent for Cole. We would also like to thank everyone who came to walk beside us as we searched for my son and provided the resources we needed to expand our search areas. I learned this week how many people knew the goodness in Coles heart and loved him. Days before he was found, police said they had probable cause for Brings Plentys arrest in response to the allegations of domestic violence, according to a statement from Lawrence police. Officers responded to reports of a female screaming for help, but the suspect fled before officers arrived, the statement read. He was last seen on traffic cameras leaving the city immediately after the incident on Sunday, according to the statement. The family contacted officers, expressed concern and reported Brings Plenty as a missing person, the statement said. Early on Wednesday, Brings Plentys manager and publicist Michelle Shining Elk told CNN in a statement, Despite our persistent efforts, we have been unable to establish contact with Cole; his disappearance without informing anyone of his whereabouts is not characteristic of him and is deeply concerning. In addition to appearing in two episodes of the Yellowstone Western series prequel 1923, the actors other credits include appearances in TV series Into the Wild Frontier and The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger, according to his IMDb page. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com At 59, Kristin Davis Glows in Fresh-Faced Selfie After Being Ridiculed for Filler Use Kristin Davis, 59, shared a makeup-free selfie on Instagram. Fans praised the star for her all-natural glow. In the past, Davis has opened up about experience with cosmetic procedures and body shaming. Kristin Davis is putting her glowing, make-up-free face front and center, for all her fans to see. In a new Instagram post, the And Just Like That star shared a throwback photo from her trip to Kenya earlier this yearfeaturing a fresh-faced, no-makeup selfie with voluminous tresses in the African sun. Jet lagged, but the Kenya hair is worth it , she captioned the snapand her followers were quick to praise her for keeping it real. Fans flooded the comments with love for Davis au-naturel look. One wrote: You really look great without makeup!!! and another chimed in, Fresh faced and beautiful!! One follower shared the sentiment we were all thinking, Yesterday, today, and forever a true beauty. Davis post comes almost a year after she opened up about receiving numerous negative comments about how her appearance has changed with age. While shes been open about getting facial fillers , she shared with The Telegraph in June 2023 that shes been ridiculed relentlessly by people online for undergoing cosmetic treatments. In the interview, Davis shared that the first cosmetic procedure she tried was Botox , and then she experimented with facial fillers. I have done fillers and its been good and Ive done fillers and its been bad, she told The Telegraph. Davis has said that shes since gotten the fillers dissolved, which caused even more negative comments to come her way. I have shed tears about it Its very stressful. However, Davis has been subject to public scrutiny about her body for a long time. In a June 2023 interview with Haute Living , the star admitted that playing Charlotte York in Sex and the City only heightened her negative self-image over the years. While Davis explained in the interview that she loved playing Charlotte, she said that all of the body shaming Ive been subjected to for the past 25 years, made the experience painful. Davis even recalled the media calling her pear-shaped as opposed to Sarah Jessica Parker s skinny. Davis continued at the time: It is really hard to hear things like that, and then be told, Oh, everyone should love their bodies. When youve had decades of this coming at you, its really hard to just be like, Yes, Im great, Im good. I love my body, she said. Im working on it obviously, and now I do care less, thank God. Despite ridicule, the star moved past it. But Im good now, she confirmed at the time. Ive been working on myself. And that is one thing you learn from doing it for a long time: you go, Here I am! This is me! That does come with time, Davis said. And its true: here I am, and I am not perfect. I shouldnt have to say that, but Im happy to. We think Davis is glowing from the inside out. We cant wait to see what she shares with her fans next! You Might Also Like Amusement park fans travel from near and far to view total eclipse at Cedar Point Guests at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, take photos of the total eclipse on April 8, 2024. Cedar Point is known for some pretty spectacular sights. The park's celebrated roller coasters climb into the stratosphere. But on Monday, the thrill rides were eclipsed by the sun and the moon. Some 2,000 people bought special tickets to view the total eclipse from the park nestled along Lake Erie. As many as 2,000 people have bought tickets to view the total eclipse at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, on April 8, 2024. And for a few moments, the Sandusky, Ohio, park usually full of laughter and sounds of whirling rides and music fell silent as the sun disappeared behind the moon for the first time in more than a century in these parts of Ohio. Aside, that is, from the park's resident seagulls that squawked wildly and flew about in panic. It was an historic day for the amusement park, too, as it marked the earliest opening albeit for just one day in its some 150-year history. For many diehard amusement park enthusiasts, it was a moment that just could not be missed. Brandon and Suilen Misuraca traveled from Jacksonville, Florida, to see the eclipse at Cedar Point. Brandon and Suilen Misuraca traveled from Jacksonville, Florida, to see the eclipse at Cedar Point. One of their earliest trips as a couple some six years ago was to the park. "We couldn't think of a better place to watch the eclipse," Suilen said. Abby Feldman takes a selfie with her mother Helen at Cedar Point on Monday. They traveled from Celebration, Florida, to take in the total eclipse. Helen Feldman also traveled from Florida. Feldman said there was no way she and her daughter, Abby, who have an apartment in Sandusky and a home in Celebration, Florida, were going to miss a chance to see the eclipse from their favorite park. "We were never going to miss this," Helen said. Cedar Point opened early for eclipse Park spokesman Tony Clark said park fans began lobbying for the park to open for the eclipse more than two years ago. To pull this off, Clark said, there was a tremendous amount of planning and work that had to happen first. Roller coaster enthusiasts ride Cedar Points Gatekeeper before the total eclipse on April 8, 2024. This marks the earliest the amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, has ever opened in its 150-plus year history. The park typically doesn't welcome guests until May, so this meant juggling state inspections of the 11 rides open for the event, including the Gatekeeper and Wild Mouse roller coasters, and even opening up restrooms that had been winterized. This also meant pulling in staff who typically work behind the scenes to operate the rides and even help serve food. Mother Nature helped out, too, out with wispy high clouds and sun. "We all breathed a sigh of relief with the weather," Clark said. "Never mind the few clouds the temperature (in the 60s) was terrific for early April." See eclipse from Cedar Point, rain or shine Kaitlyn LaPrade, 16, of Oregon, Ohio, made special friendship bracelets to mark Cedar Point opening for the eclipse. Kaitlyn LaPrade, 16, of Oregon, Ohio, said she was going to Cedar Point for the eclipse whether it was raining or snowing. The high school sophomore dreams of someday designing roller coasters, so there was no place she would rather be. Kaitlyn LaPrade, 16, of Oregon, Ohio, made special friendship bracelets to mark Cedar Point's opening for the eclipse. She even made ala Taylor Swift friendship bracelets to mark the occasion. "This was my No. 1 place to be during the eclipse," she said. "This is my favorite place to be on Earth." This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Solar eclipse at Cedar Point marvels visitors from around the country The Best Dressed Stars at the 2024 CMT Awards See how every stylish star made an entrance at the CMT Awards, from Kelsea Ballerini to Trisha Yearwood Nicola Gell/FilmMagic The 2024 CMT Awards are here! Austin, Texas was ready to rock as the star-studded event kicked off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 7. The biggest names in country music descended on the Moody Center for the ceremony, among them: Kelsea Ballerini, who's hosting solo for the first time after co-hosting three times prior, Keith Urban, who's performing and the legendary Trisha Yearwood, who's receiving a new award inspired by the late June Carter Cash. Catch the 23rd iteration of the ceremony on CBS and on Paramount+. And scroll through to see the best-dressed stars at the event. Kelsea Ballerini Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Kelsea Ballerini attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas All eyes were on Kelsea Ballerini in a dreamy red lace David Koma dress, coordinating Jimmy Choo shoes and EFFY Jewelry. The star, who's hosting the show solo for the first time after hosting three times with Kane Brown, is up for several awards. Trisha Yearwood Rick Kern/Getty Trisha Yearwood attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Trisha Yearwood made a dazzling entrance in a sequin gown with major feather cuffs and strappy sandals. The music icon, who is set to perform, will also receive the first-ever June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award at the event. Mickey Guyton Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Mickey Guyton attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 7, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Nominee Mickey Guyton was dressed to impress on the red carpet in a semi-sheer, embellished Retrofete halter gown and equally blinged-out clutch. Jane Seymour Kevin Mazur/Getty Jane Seymour attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas. British actress Jane Seymour stepped out to present at the event in a black sequin dress with a lace-trimmed neckline and tiered skirt, teamed with tri-color cowboy boots for the right hit of country flair. Lainey Wilson Rick Kern/Getty Lainey Wilson attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas Nominee and performer Lainey Wilson rocked her signature bell bottoms these by Area are decked out with silver polka dots and a matching asymmetrical Superdown top, teamed with a vintage necklace from Double D, Minnie Lane jewelry and Charlie 1 Horse hat. GloRilla Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty GloRilla attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Rapper GloRilla hit the red carpet in a draped bustier gown with a thigh-high split that revealed her lace-up sandals. Her accessory of choice? Grills. Emma Roberts Chris Saucedo/WireImage Emma Roberts attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Presenter Emma Roberts topped off her blush, one-shoulder Dolce & Gabbana gown with a draped bustier with a rose colored lip. Amber Riley Jeff Kravitz/Getty Amber Riley attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Amber Riley struck a pose in a sequin and fringe-covered dress and sparkly sandals, before presenting. Carly Pearce Chris Saucedo/WireImage Carly Pearce attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Nominee and presenter Carly Pearce put her best foot forward in a sheer top that revealed her metallic bra, and towering embellished platforms (all Dolce & Gabbana) styled with Celeste Starre earrings and Nadri rings. Gayle King Chris Saucedo/WireImage Gayle King attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Presenter Gayle King lit up the carpet in a neon green sequin Badgley Mischka suit, plus a matching top and pointy heels. A equally blingy rainbow clutch completed her colorful look. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Brunch with the stars: Jamie Lee Curtis recommends 'this lovely little' spot in Providence PROVIDENCE In this city teeming with restaurants, Jamie Lee Curtis knows the best spot to get brunch: Little Sister. The actress, who is in town to film the political comedy movie "Ella McCay," posted a picture of her breakfast Sunday on Instagram to thousands of likes. "If you find yourself in Providence, Rhode Island, I recommend highly this lovely little corner cafe @littlesisterpvd and their yummy food and drinks!," she captioned a photo of two eggs covered in hollandaise sauce covering a plate of delicious looking food. What to know about Little Sister Little Sister, at 737a Hope St., is a Puerto Rican cafe, restaurant and bakery that opened in 2020. Last year, head chef and co-owner Milena Pagan was nominated for a James Beard award. It's a tiny, casual spot that has been designed to "feel like youre hanging out at a friends house eating delicious home cooking, always something new," according to the website. On TV: A Providence chef brought her Puerto Rican flavors to 'Guy's Grocery Games.' What it was like It's open Thursday through Sunday, with breakfast pastries and lunch served during the day, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, a multi-course tasting menu with wine pairings on Friday nights, and a wine tasting on Sunday evenings. How did Little Sister respond to Jamie Lee Curtis's Instagram post? Little Sister's Mallorca breakfast sandwich comes with Black Forest Ham, Swiss cheese and a sunny-side-up egg on a sweet lard bun. In response to Curtis's post, Little Sister gave thanks. "Gracias Jamie! We hope to see you again before filming wraps up if not, Im sure Ill see you in Puerto Rico," a post from the account read. Sharing the post to their own feed, they added that they hope Jennifer Lopez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, is the next celebrity they host. Who else is in Providence for the filming of 'Ella McCay'? From left, Woody Harrelson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Mackey and James L. Brooks during a March 19 news conference announcing start of filming of the James L. Brooks movie "Ella McCay." With "Ella McCay" filming around Providence slated through late April, the stars of the film will be in the Ocean State for at least a few more weeks. In addition to Curtis, the film stars Emma Mackey and Woody Harrelson. Harrelson, who starred in the movie "Kingpin," was spotted bowling at Lang's Bowlarama in Cranston in February. He has great bowling form, according to staff. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Jamie Lee Curtis loved Little Sister in Providence for brunch Italian craftsmanship that rises to the level of art takes the stage at the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) in Milan, where Dolce & Gabbana has brought the best of their haute couture, tailoring and jewelry. From Baroque to Opera and from Domenico Dolces absolute devotion to Sicily and Stefano Gabbanas Milan, there is on display the whole world of the two designers (once a couple in life) in the new exhibition From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana. The show just opened in Milan, a world premiere, ahead of touring to museums around the world. Sponsored by the Municipality of Milan: Culture and produced by Palazzo Reale and IMG the exhibit, which can be visited until July 31, is curated by the French fashion historian Florence Muller, who has already curated for Dior (From Paris to the World) and Yves Saint Laurent (Retrospective). This new show, which also celebrates the houses 40th anniversary, traces the creative process of the two designers, from the heart, from where ideas spring, to the hands, through which they take shape. More from The Hollywood Reporter A journey into the beauty of the handmade, it is also a declaration of love for all of Italy and Milan in particular. Dolce and Gabbana tell THR, jointly, Initially the exhibition was supposed to open in 2020. Then there was the pandemic, and we had to postpone everything, but we did not give up because it has always been our dream. Over the years, we had a chance to revisit the project; we asked ourselves if it really represented us, if our message went straight to the heart. Only one thing was never questioned, the first stop had to be at Palazzo Reale, the jewel of Milan and the world. The invitations for the exhibition depicted a model wearing a dress inspired by the Madonnina del Duomo. When I arrived from my homeland in Milan, I addressed a prayer to her, Dolce says, I asked her not to send me back to Sicily and to let me stay here. And fortunately she listened to me. Not only did the designer couple choose the fashion capital that hosted their debut and successes for the launch of their first exhibition, but they will also support the restoration of works and rooms in the Royal Palace, including the Throne Room. In the fashion exhibition Dolce & Gabbana: From the Heart to the Hands in Milan The Dolce & Gabbana: From the Heart to the Hands fashion exhibition in Milan The exhibitions story actually begins already outside the Royal Palace, with some digital works created by visual artists, such as Felice Limosani, who provide their interpretation of Dolce & Gabbanas creations, and then again by Obvious Art, Alberto Maria Colombo, Quayola, Vittorio Bonapace and Catelloo. In the 10 rooms of the palaces Piano Nobile, there is one surprise after another. Visitors are welcomed in a room inspired by the splendor of the Venetian Scuola Grande di San Rocco, which houses the most beautiful works by Tintoretto. A large gallery with a mirrored ceiling and chandeliers displays the paintings of Anh Duong, a longtime muse of the designers, framing a group of papier-mache mannequins wearing dresses made of embroidery and the crystals that are the result of elaborate tailoring techniques. Designed as a modern hall of mirrors, the next room celebrates historic Venetian glassmakers, such as Barbini and Barovier & Toso, through gowns and capes adorned with handmade glass floral appliques which, resembling delicate jewels, sparkle in the light of antique chandeliers. Inside the exhibition Dolce & Gabbana: From the Heart to the Hands in Milan Detail shot inside the exhibition Dolce & Gabbana: From the Heart to the Hands in Milan A curtain opens and magically you enter the ballroom of Luchino Viscontis The Leopard, then you cross a threshold and enter a sanctum sanctorum of haute couture and exquisite jewelry creations. The ballroom of Palazzo Valguarnera-Gangi, in Palermo, where one of the most famous sequences of Viscontis film was shot, has been meticulously recreated and hosts a magnificent gown inspired by the film. That film is a fundamental reference for us, Dolce explains, it is also emblematic of the opposite dynamics that guide fashion, always torn between the past and future. The beating heart of the exhibition is the room that reproduces the tailoring and workshops of the fashion house, where tailors and artisans will work every Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Today the idea of the atelier, of savoir-faire, is a bit mainstream, says Dolce, but we have had an in-house tailor shop from Day 1, like the one where I was born and raised and where I still keep the original mirror from my fathers atelier and the image of a Madonna given to my father by an archbishop. Lupita Nyongo at the opening party for Dolce & Gabbana: From the Hearts to the Hands in Milan Among Renaissance works of art, colorful tiles, refrigerators and Sicilian carriages, we move on to a tribute to Giacomo Serpotta, master of the Baroque period, with a selection of dresses from the Stucchi Alta Moda Collection and a section dedicated to myth, with Greek gods materializing in the form of dresses from the Alta Moda Collection presented in 2019 in the Valley of the Tempi in Agrigento. In closing, the meticulous reproduction of a theater, a tribute to La Scala in Milan, where the crimson curtain and the tiers of the boxes open onto a scene featuring creations inspired by the designers most beloved works. When we launched haute couture in 2012, it was an opportunity, says Gabbana, to give ourselves the benefit of unlimited creativity. Not surprisingly, the exhibition looks like a cinematic tour through an opulent universe made of traditions like a Sicilian cart or cassata. Lily James at the opening of the Dolce & Gabbana 40th Anniversary Celebration at Palazzo Reale, Milan, Italy on April 6, 2024. The show is a stunning journey into beauty in all its forms, ranging from music to architecture, from craftsmanship to myth. We did not want it to be the classic fashion show, full of clothes resting on soulless mannequins, Dolce and Gabbana together explain. The dress lives through the person, through their way of being, their instinct. We have a more complex relationship with the dress, we do not see it just as a piece of cloth, but as a real means of self-expression. Numerous celebrities flocked to Milan to pay tribute to the two Italian designers, including Cher, Demi Moore, Lupita Nyongo, Helen Mirren, Theo James, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lily James, Anitta, Isabella Rossellini, Naomi Campbell, Doyoung, Mun KaYoung, Eva Herzigova, Bianca Balti, Kitty Spencer, Isabeli Fontana, Mariacarla Boscono, Olivia Culpo, Alton Mason, Lucien Laviscount, Yuta Tamamori, Davide Calabria, Theo Hernandez, David Gandy and Adam Senn. The exhibition, From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana, is proof that in fashion, creativity is very important, but it is not everything. It is not enough to have extraordinary ideas, you also need to know how to realize them. Without the hands that give them shape, creativity or being an artist, could not exist. All Italians are artists, Dolce concludes, In every family there is an ancestor who was close to Caravaggio or met Michelangelo, or perhaps sang for Giuseppe Verdi. For Italians, even preparing ragu is an act of artistic expression. This story originally ran on THR Roma. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Chrissy Teigen gave her 42.6 million Instagram followers an inside look into all the fun, laughter, and adventure there is to be had during a Teigen family vacation. The model and television personality has been taking to the social media platform to share moments from their trip abroad to Thailand. In her latest slideshow of images, posted on April 5, she included sweet snaps of herself, stunning in a black swimsuit with fringe details along the hem, and her 9-month-old son Wren on a yacht. Other slides show a video of herself and her daughter Luna Simone, 7, kayaking; a solo shot of her daughter Esti Maxine, 1, post-pool; a beaming selfie of husband John Legend and Luna; a sleepy photo of Wren during nap time; a photo of Wren with his grandmother, Vilailuck Pepper Teigen; and a video of her daughters spinning around in circles to music. She captioned the post, my homeland is magic winding down dump. Teigen also shared a video to her Story of herself in gorgeous traditional Thai garb. Her dress was a beautiful berry-pink piece with a one-shoulder design and an intricate glitter- and -pearl-adorned pattern, which she paired with a luxurious gold necklace with a huge, ornate gold pendant in the middle and a regal jewel-adorned gold ear cuff. courtesy of Chrissy Teigen via Instagram In another post, Teigen captured a local outing where the family tried the traditional Thai style soup, boat noodles. For the occasion, the family opted for vibrant summer hues, with Teigen in a bright teal co-ord composed of a bandeau top and flowy pants, Luna in a summer dress that featured white and pink stripes on the bodice and floral illustrations along the subtle balloon skirt, and Teigens son Miles Theodore, 5, in a crisp white T-shirt and green shorts. Another slide shows Wren in a blue short-sleeve button-down shirt with yellow guitar images throughout and a white flower in his ear; his grandmother holds him while wearing the perfect summer outfit: a burnt orange button-down over a white tank top, a light brown bucket hat, and oversize black shades. Another post includes more adorable photos of the family during a car ride through the local streets as they brave the Thailand heat. The familys spring break trip comes after Teigens mother moved back to Thailand to live in her childhood hometown, Korat, earlier this year, according to People . You Might Also Like I Dont Understand You spins its chaos from something lost in translation. And yet, Nick Kroll grabbing a big handful of Andrew Rannells ass is a universal language. Theres an idyllic romance hidden somewhere in Brian Crano and David Craigs destination horror-comedy that would be worth seeing on its own. The filmmakers and real-life romantic partners premiered their deceptively dreamy movie about a couple traveling to Italy for an anniversary vacation that goes hellishly wrong at SXSW on March 8. It rescreened at The Overlook Film Festival from April 4 to 7, where it technically fit the genre-specific bill but also suggested a much wider audience. More from IndieWire Moviegoers who can stomach some gore but dont like to be jump-scared will laugh as much as any horror head when they realize that game of grab-ass was actually the neurotic Dom checking for his very pretty but occasionally helpless husband Coles wallet. Written with instantly clockable authenticity, the queer characters give Kroll and Rannells a unique opportunity to act ever-so slightly against type. Rannells canoodles and squabbles with a tenderness that rarely touched his bitchy Girls performance. And trite but true, Kroll is daddy. Yes, yes, someone get Dom a Klonopin ASAP. But even with all the neuroses at work, Kroll and Rannells manage to give Dom and Cole a crackling chemistry thats very endearing and a little sexy. The actors blistering comedic timing extended brilliantly to supporting cast members is paired with a comity that quietly makes you root for the dudes even as they make matters worse. At the start, Cole and Dom are looking to adopt. We find them self-taping a video for an application theyre sending to a pregnant woman (Amanda Seyfried) shortly before setting out on their trip. Its a snarky and affectionate scene featuring the mens beautiful home and dog Axel (who, fun fact, was Crano and Craigs beloved late pet per Instagram), and an essential touchstone for relating to these characters and the nightmare theyre about to endure. Cole and Dom are recent victims of an adoption scam, an underdiscussed issue that faces LGBTQ parents with remarkable frequency. One day they were having a baby; then they werent. Unsure what comes next, the husbands arent getting their hopes up this time. Theyve slid into a malaise and are struggling to accept that perhaps what they already have is as good as it gets. In Italy, the pair act like tourists operating on autopilot. Theyre in love and theyre trying, but life sucks a little sometimes and right now they both know it. Its not until an overly involved family friend takes over the pairs anniversary dinner plans and sends them to a remotely located restaurant that Cole and Dom finally see their problems snap into perspective. After a minor car mishap leave the English speakers stranded in the woods, theyre forced to fend for themselves in a foreign landscape. When the question switches from boy or girl? to life or death? all bets are off for Cole and Dom. Will they make it through this together? And will a baby be waiting at home if the dads ever make it there? Outrageously snappy and unapologetically fun, I Dont Understand You is a must-see for anyone who likes queer romance, horror-comedy, and/or hot Italians. (Its a spoiler to say who Morgan Spector plays, but The Gilded Age actor is once again so goddamn fine youll want Dom to look for his wallet.) Theres no release date, but scaredy cats should start readying their nerves for this gory and goofy genre getaway now; trust me, its more than worth the psychological trip. As for the rest of us horror fans? Lets just say youve never seen a pizza oven misused like this before. Grade: A- I Dont Understand You premiered at SXSW and does not have a wide release date. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On 14th March,2024,the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone organized its first session of Face to Face with China Event in 2024, representatives of major media groups and friendship Organizations participated in the event. Ambassador Wang Qing introduced the recent state visit of President Julius Maada Bio to China, and shared a deep interpretation of the important content and historical significance of this visit from the perspectives of strengthening the guidance of the heads of states, consolidating traditional friendship, deepening practical cooperation, and strengthening strategic communication. Ambassador Wang stated that this visit, more than 50 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, has once again opened a new era for consolidating bilateral relations and deepening practical cooperation. China is willing to work with Sierra Leone to fully implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, work together and promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Sierra Leone to a new level. A short film highlighting President Bio's important activities during his visit to China was shown at the reception, which was warmly received by the media present. The participants highly valued the significance of the visit and hoped that the results of the visit would take root as soon as possible for the betterment of the people of the two countries. Ambassador Wang and diplomats of the Embassy also introduced the "Two Sessions", the Central Foreign Affairs Work Conference, and the situation of Chinese-funded projects that are of concern to the Sierra Leonean people in response to their inquiries. The European Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (EuroCham) on Monday released the Business Confidence Index (BCI) for the first quarter of 2024, saying that the index reached 52.8 points - the highest level since 2022. The index shows that Vietnam's economic growth boosts the optimism of European businesses. It is also evidence of increased strong confidence in the Vietnamese economy among European businesses operating in the Southeast Asian country. "This positive trend underscores the European business communitys view of Vietnam as a dynamic market with promising growth prospects," said EuroCham Chairman Dominik Meichle. According to him, the index once again rising above the 50 threshold reaffirms the countrys growing appeal. Continued efforts to enhance stability and predictability will further strengthen Vietnams global competitiveness and unlock its full potential, he said. Meanwhile, Thue Quist Thomasen, CEO of Decision Lab - the unit that conducted the BCI survey, said the hard data from the BCI paints a clear picture investor optimism is steadily improving. Vietnam certainly has the capacity to become the regions preeminent investment destination. Proactive and investor-focused policies will further accelerate its rise, he said. European businesses express optimism about Vietnams economy, both in the near and long term. While a third of businesses feel optimistic about their individual Q2 outlooks, nearly 40% are neutral, over half of respondents anticipate higher orders and revenues in Q2, the index indicates. Looking to the long term, this optimism strengthens, with 71% of businesses feeling positive about their long-term prospects in Vietnam over the next five years. Vietnams skilled workforce is a major draw for European investors, with 75% of EuroCham members hiring 76% or more of their staff locally, according to the report. The quarterly BCI serves as a vital tool for understanding the perceptions of European and Europe-related companies and investors in the Vietnamese market. Conducted since 2011, the BCI collects feedback from EuroCham Vietnams extensive network of 1,400 members across a diverse range of sectors. This survey provides valuable insights into the current business landscape in Vietnam and offers a glimpse into future expectations. Credit: Angel Rodriguez* A few weeks back, Flint rapper BFB Da Packman dropped Forget Me Not, his first album in three years. Before the release, he heightened fan anticipation when he revealed a Drake collaboration on Olympic Shit Talkin, a song that also features a verse from the currently incarcerated Rio Da Yung OG. But just before Forget Me Not dropped, Kendrick Lamar threw shots at Drake on Future and Metro-Boomins Like That, reshaping fan expectations for the Toronto rappers next verse. He opted not to clear his appearance on Packmans song, which cost the Free Joe Exotic rapper his biggest look yet. While grabbing lunch in Houston, Packman tells Rolling Stone over the phone that for now hes staying mum about Drakes would-be Olympic Shit Talkin feature. I kind of feel bad talking about it, he says. I want to talk about it, but I cant. He says he first connected with Drake through a mutual friend of the two, noting, It was a favor. Drake fuck with the Michigan boys, man. But cashing in that favor will have to wait. Whenever bro says its cool, hell release the song with Drakes verse. More from Rolling Stone Even without Drake, Olympic Shit Talkin is still a standout track from the aptly titled Forget Me Not. Packman, who started rapping after a stint in the US Postal Service, is known for the outrageous bars displayed on OST with Rio. His breakout hit, 2020s Free Joe Exotic, sparked attention with side-splitting bars like, If my bitch say, Bless you, when you sneeze, you can have her and, She said she can feel it in her stomach, stop capping / Ol lyin ass bitch, my dick aint that big. Since then, on projects like 2021s Fat Niggas Need Love Too, hes become am indelible, hilarious figure in the Michigan rap scene. Packmans appeal is apparent on Olympic Shit Talkin, where he and Rio trade predictably raw Michigan bars over a sinister piano melody crafted by producers Caasi & Dxntemadeit. She sucked the life out the dick, then I fell in love / I broke up with my broke bitch, then I leveled up, Rio starts off. Packman follows up by rhyming, Got an eight of Actavis from my aunt Ginger, then Fuck a bitch until I got the gummy cause I aint quittin, The two go back and forth throughout the song, which he says came from a feature exchange. He was like, Bro, Im creating an album, send me something, so I sent him something, he says. Im like, I need you for my album, and he sent me something. He says he wrote the song, then chopped the verse up, leaving spaces for Rio to jump in including the opening four bars. Fans criticizing the vocal quality of Rios verse may not realize it was recorded from a jail phone. While Olympic Shit Talkin is the quintessential Packman experience, he says he opted to be more sparse with those kind of songs, offering more variety throughout the project to push past the label of being a Michigan rapper and court mass appeal. For some reason, that Michigan shit dont make you top tier. Yeah, we have a buzz. Yeah, we have a wave, but that shit dont never chart like that, he surmises. Only song that charted like that, that was on some Michigan time is Tee Grizzley [First Day Out]. Packman says Forget Me Not was crafted from motivation from being counted out by fans who accused him of falling off after his release schedule slowed. He dropped a projects worth of singles since 2021s Fat Niggas Need Love Too, but not an actual album. When asked whats behind the gap in full-length releases hes blunt: Laziness is real. That shit like crack, for real. But Packman says he eventually snapped out of his creative malaise after realizing it was now or never for his career. It was either, bitch, rap your ass off or you going back to the post office, he says. Which one? He opted for the first choice, and the result is a strong project that he says is the start of more regular drops. I aint made it far, nigga. Im just down the street, he says, adding I just got to keep grindin. The Drake verse might have had him speeding down the highway, but theres still time for that. When I asked him what he wouldve done if Drake sent him a new verse laden with Kendrick Lamar disses, he says he fucks with Kendrick but I would have put that bitch out faster than a motherfucker, man. Best of Rolling Stone Dream Theater in the studio, 2024. - Credit: Courtesy of Dream Theater Mike Portnoy cannot remember the last time he sat for an interview as a member of Dream Theater, the band he left in 2010. And nobody in the prolific prog-metal band can remember the last time all five musicians took part in an interview together. The drummer, who returned to the band last year, says hes looking forward to it, though, as he finds a seat between guitarist John Petrucci and vocalist James LaBrie in the live room of the groups Long Island, New York studio/HQ. We didnt do group interviews for a while, Petrucci tells Rolling Stone. More from Rolling Stone The more people you have involved in an interview, LaBrie says, It can be a problem. He smiles and deadpans, See you later, and stands up. But then he settles back into his seat, and its clear the group feels reinvigorated after Portnoys return. Most of the space in the newly refurbished studio, where the band is writing its 16th album, is taken up by Portnoys gargantuan drum set. Yet keyboardist Jordan Rudess and bassist John Myung are nevertheless able to find room to huddle in, too. But its such a tight huddle that Petrucci, whos producing the album, gently asks Myung to watch where he leans since hes close to an expensive microphone. When asked what theyve been up to, Petrucci says, Specifically this, and plays an angular guitar riff, smiling. In addition to the album, theyre in the first stages of planning what will be their 40th anniversary tour (even though 2024 is Dream Theaters 39th year), which kicks off in Europe in October. The first date will take place at Londons O2 Arena on Oct. 20, and the full routing is below the Q&A. But even a year early, the trek is a victory lap for the band. A decade ago, a reunion with Portnoy, who co-founded the group with Petrucci and Myung at the Berklee College of Music in 1985, seemed unthinkable. After telling his bandmates he was feeling burnt out around 2010, he cut a record as the drummer for Avenged Sevenfold and announced he was quitting Dream Theater. Since then, hes sat behind the kit of several groups, including the Winery Dogs, Adrenaline Mob, and the Neal Morse Band, among others, occasionally sparring with his former Dream Theater bandmates in the press. They moved forward with another drummer, Mike Mangini, and won a Grammy. But strong familial ties including the fact that Petruccis, Myungs, and Portnoys wives all play together in their own band, Meanstreak brought Portnoy back into their orbit, and last October, they officially announced his return. To accommodate the drummer and his apartment-sized kit, they refurbished their whole HQ, which looks like an unassuming warehouse in suburban Long Island, expanding their main studio since, quite frankly, all of his drums wouldnt fit. For nearly two months now, theyve been spending six days a week together, sometimes working 10 hours a stretch. Were deep in the process, but its been great, Portnoy says. We are on our sixth song, Petrucci says. Were still in the process, so we dont know how many songs well actually have. About a week after the Rolling Stone interview, though, Portnoy posted to Instagram that he had finished recording his drum tracks for the album. As each of the five musicians says during an interview that lasts a little over an hour, Portnoys return was meant to be. At your first rehearsal with Mike, what was the first song you played? Mike Portnoy: We immediately started writing. It was just jamming for 20 minutes, 30 minutes, just whatever. We have yet to play any of the old songs together. We came in here with a mission to create some new magic and, immediately just without even discussing it, just started jamming. And then from there, some seeds were born, and we just immediately started writing and building right there and then. James LaBrie: What was evident to each of us was there was a familiarity. The chemistry was there. It was like somebody threw me in a time warp. Its like we picked up from where we left off [with him]. Why did the four of you want Mike to return? LaBrie: I think we had to return the band back to its strongest form. Petrucci: It wasnt one singular thing; it was sort of a series of life events that caused an organic conclusion. We all talked about it. It was like, Yeah, this makes sense right now. Jordan Rudess: Theres so many factors involved, and each of us has our particular relationships. And it was just a moment when everything seemed to come together, and we went, You know what? Lets do this. Nows the time. John Myung: It was a collective moment of certainty. Petrucci: That sounds like an album title. [All laugh]. Mike, did it surprise you when they invited you back into the band? Portnoy: Before the Covid pandemic, if you had asked me or any of these guys, Was a reunion in the cards? I probably wouldve said, I doubted that it could happen. I think if the lockdown hadnt happened, you guys probably wouldve been on tour, and I wouldve been on tour with one of my 48 bands. But once we were all locked down, John asked me to play on his solo album. Then, from there, Jordan, John, and myself did the Liquid Tension Experiment album. And then I did Johns tour. So there were just these series of events of reconnecting us not only on a musical level but also on a personal level for many years prior to that. All of our families are friends. And my daughter and Johns daughter shared an apartment together for many, many years. And John Myung lives right down the block from me, and his wifes at my house every night. There was just a series of events both personally and musically that started to feel like, Well, maybe this really is in the cards. Maybe this is the right time. Do you see this reunion as healing a fractured band? Portnoy: I dont want to be over-philosophical about it, but as were all getting older. Here we are in our 50s and 60s. You start to think of the reality of, How much time do we have left? I would hate it if this were to become a Roger WatersPink Floyd or Peter Gabriel with Genesis situation where the fans want it, but it never happens. Petrucci: When Mike left the band, it was traumatic for all of us. We had to figure out how we were going to move our career forward. And those years that went by, they were also healing years because you dont just have something like that happen, and all of a sudden, youre all best buddies a week later. Theres some trauma there that had to heal. Thirteen years was enough time for that to happen and be like, Hey, you know what, man? We love each other like were brothers. How did you all move past the war of words in the press? Petrucci: I dont think it matters anymore. Portnoy: Well, now it definitely doesnt matter anymore. But no question, the first couple of years [after I left], it was dramatic. It was difficult on a personal level, and living in the age of social media didnt help things because every single interview or comment got twisted and blown up and dissected and taken out of context. But once I saw each of these guys individually before we got back as a band, to me, all that bullshit and drama melted away. [Portnoy turns to LaBrie]. I dont know if its uncomfortable to talk about, but the last person I reconnected with was James. Ill speak for myself, but when we finally connected, and we saw each other in person, all that shit just melted away within seconds. How was that moment for you, James? LaBrie: It was pretty intense. It was overwhelming for me because, for one, I was thinking about the show that night. It was at the Beacon Theatre in New York. And for two, theres this guy that wants to meet me that is my brother, and I have to accept him back into my life. And it was very emotional because we had gone through what we had gone through. Did you have doubts about seeing him again? LaBrie: To be honest with you, I called my wife, and I said, Mikes here. He wants to see me. And she said, You got to do it because this is your brother. This is somebody that created who and what you are today. Move through it, and youll be happier. Take the monkey off your fucking back. Mike and I are both very emotional and passionate people. And I think that led to the reason for us not coming together until we did. But as soon as I saw him, like he said, I came out of my dressing room, I saw him, and I was like, Come here. And I gave him a fucking hug. And that was it. [They both say Aww, and hug again]. Thank God it happened. Mike, that Beacon show was your first time seeing Dream Theater. What did you think? Portnoy: It sucked without me. [All laugh]. Well, I wasnt watching them to be critical; it was more of just an emotional thing. But it was surreal seeing the band since the three of us formed the band when we were teenagers. We formed it at Berklee College of Music when we were 18 years old, and we had 25 years together before I left the band. So it was weird to be on the other side of the stage hearing Pull Me Under and on top of it all, it was magnified by the fans. They saw me sitting there watching the band. I was trying to not bring any attention to myself, but it was hard with a blue beard sticking out from my hood. LaBrie: I brought attention to the fact. Portnoy: Yeah, James pointed me out. I was like, Oh, man, thanks a lot. How did watching the show make you feel? Portnoy: Id be lying if I didnt say that it made me miss the band. During those 13 years, I would watch from the sidelines, just kind of keeping tabs. I didnt really stay fully involved with what these guys were doing because, honestly, it hurt. Theyd put out a new album, and I would always listen to it once or twice, just out of curiosity. But it was painful. So it took me many, many years to be able to go see a Dream Theater show. How did Mike Mangini take the news that you were inviting Mike Portnoy back? Petrucci: He understood immediately the move that we were making. And he accepted it and welcomed that change in a really gracious way. LaBrie: It felt right to him. Petrucci: It made this whole process start on a positive note. Mike, are there songs from the Mangini albums they made without you that youd like to play live? Petrucci: I dont think he knows any of them. [All laugh]. Portnoy: One of the things we discussed with me coming back was about set lists for future tours. And John and the guys were open to me taking the reins back [in making them]. But with that came the discussion: what are we going to do with all the stuff from the last 13 years? Petrucci: Yeah, you need to research. Portnoy: I need to dive into those albums and do my research and learn these songs in order because obviously everything has to be represented. I am not going to speak for these guys, but I dont think they want those five albums just erased from the history of the band. Petrucci: No, absolutely not. Especially not the Grammy Award-winning [The Alien]. Did I just say that? Portnoy: Geez. LaBrie: The irony in that is I dont want to play that song. In the past, youve done tours billed as An Evening With Dream Theater, where you dont have support acts and you play longer. Is that what this upcoming tour will be? Petrucci: Yeah. And were billing it as our 40th-anniversary tour. It coincidentally coincides with us being together for 40 years. Myung: I got a brainstorm. [All look]. Well do five nights at Radio City, tonight well do a different album. Petrucci: You heard it here first. [Laughs]. I understand that that may not happen, but its nice youre thinking about these things. Portnoy: For me, its exciting to play anything because we havent played live together in almost 15 years. Back then, I felt the need to write a different set list for every show because we had been doing it for all those years. We had played Pull Me Under a thousand times. But now, having been away from it, every night is going to be inspiring and exciting, at least for me, because we havent played it in all this time. Theres literally a generation of kids that never got to see this lineup. Petrucci: I got that on my solo tour. They were family members who would bring their kids. And they were freaking out because they were like, Im so glad my son or daughter got to see you and Mike play together because they werent born yet. LaBrie: Whats funny about that is when I saw you guys in Toronto, I remember thinking, Fuck, thats undeniable. Its just like the connection was just boom. Portnoy: On Johns tour, wed look out and see grown men crying every single night. And now were looking forward to a whole bunch more people crying each and every night. If they were crying for just the two of us, think about whats going happen when five of us. Myung: We should sell tissue boxes. How does the band feel different with Mike back? Has he changed? Have you all changed? Portnoy: Ive changed a lot since I left in 2010. Back then, I was a control freak. I was very obsessive and controlling over a lot of elements. But everything Ive done over the last 13 years outside of Dream Theater taught me how to be more of a team player. Ive had all these experiences playing with these 87 other bands all these years, and each one of those bands has a different chemistry, different dynamic, different personalities. I think thats helped me grow as a person. For me, [returning] is almost like a learning process of how to fit in with this new chemistry. Its like, after 40 years, Im the new guy. Petrucci: We definitely had the hard conversation like, OK, this isnt the same band you left. Things are run differently. It took us a few years to regroup and figure things out, and we got to a point where were a really well-oiled machine. But Mike has been great. Hes way more chill. [Turns to Portnoy]. You even say some things that are kind of funny, like, If Im allowed to do this. You dont have to be that careful, but I appreciate it. I feel like its very respectful on his part. Its like a reset. Myung: Theres a maturity everybody has. It involves having more patience and just being more mellow and appreciating each other and what we bring. We keep talking about the group dynamic, what it takes to have a bunch of guys together and have it really work and move forward. We just feel that those elements are there to make a great album and to enjoy being together, and to enter this next phase with some real grace. Does anything feel different musically? Portnoy: Everything weve been writing sounds like every classic Dream Theater song or album. The style is here. The chemistry is the same. The people and the elements are the same. It all just feels and sounds so familiar. Petrucci: Theres maturity in your playing, just the way it hits, the flow, the groove, the feel. Its always been great, but its even better. When were cutting a new drum track, its just brilliant from the first hit. Portnoy: Aw, thank you. Rudess: I think one of the things that makes Dream Theater really loved by the fans is the fact that we try to come from the heart, and we love a good melody. Were not afraid of playing music that feels emotional. And Mike coming back into the band with who he is and who he is now gives us extra energy. How will you know when the album is done? Petrucci: There are different factors. A lot of times well base it on how long we want this record to be. Portnoy: Even though we have a very loose schedule, and we have control over that, we do have a tour in October. So you look at that and backtrack: If were starting the tour on October 20th, we need to be in rehearsals by the last week of September, which means that the album needs to be mixed and mastered, and delivered by X date. We need to have it tracked before we can mix it, so that kind of dictates it. Luckily, were not at the mercy of a studio thats kicking us out or of a label thats pulling the plug on the project. But scheduling a tour is something you need to be conscious of. Looking ahead to the tour. Are you ready? Portnoy: We expect the first show to be an emotional experience not only for the five of us but for everybody in the audience. I have a feeling there will be people coming in from all over the world to be present for the first show together. Its scary because, under normal circumstances, it takes a bunch of shows to get your sea legs back. But in this case, we need to hit the ground running. That first show is going to be dissected with a magnifying glass in the age of YouTube. We cant suck. The pressures on. Dream Theater Tour Dates: Oct. 20 London, England @ The O2 Oct. 22 Berlin, Germany @ Uber Eats Music Hall Oct. 23 Koln, Germany @ Palladium Oct. 25 Milan, Italy @ Forum Oct. 26 Rome, Italy @ Palazzo dello Sport Oct. 28 Munich, Germany @ Zenith Oct. 29 Zagreb, Croatia @ Arena Zagreb Nov. 1 Budapest, Hungary @ Budapest Arena Nov. 2 Prague Czech Republic @ Fortuna Arena Nov. 3 Lodz, Poland @ Atlas Arena Nov. 6 Helsinki, Finland @ Metro Areena Nov. 8 Stockholm. Sweden @ Waterfront Nov. 9 Oslo, Norway @ Spektrum Nov. 10 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Poolen Nov. 12 Luxembourg @ Rockhal Nov. 13 Zurich, Switzerland @ The Hall Nov. 14 Lyon, France @ Halle Tony Garnier Nov. 16 Lisbon, Portugal MEO Arena Nov. 17 Madrid, Spain @ La Cubierta de Leganes Nov. 20 Stuttgart, Germany @ Beethovensaal Nov. 21 Frankfurt, Germany @ Jahrhundderthalle Nov. 23 Paris, France @ Adidas Arena Nov. 24 Amsterdam @ AFAS Live Best of Rolling Stone Georgia's Will Moseley wows Idol judges with '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay' performance Will Moseley performs as the top 24 contestants take to the stage on Season 22, Episode 8, of "American Idol," airing April 7, 2024. One Georgia native wowed judges with his cover of a Georgia legend's hit on Sunday's episode of American Idol. Hazelhurst native Will Moseley sang "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" by Otis Redding, the Macon music icon, and was met with great praise. "That was my favorite of the night," American Idol judge Luke Bryan said. Fellow judge Katy Perry agreed, saying "mine too." "Your voice makes me feel safe," said Tori Kelly, a previous American Idol contestant who joined the judges panel for the episode. "You look like a seasoned pro. That was amazing." Judge Lionel Richie told Moseley, "That is one signature voice you have, my friend." Four contestants will be eliminated after Monday's episode. To vote for Moseley to move to the next round, text 11 to 21523. The show notes that there is a limit of 10 votes per contestant per method. More: 'American Idol' judges call Will Moseley 'a star.' Who is the Georgia native? Watch Will Moseley sing 'Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay' on American Idol This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Will Moseley sings '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay' on American Idol What Jennifer Did revisits the horrifying tale of Jennifer Pan, who became the subject of Canadian headlines when she survived a home invasion that took the life of her mother Bich and left her father Hann in critical condition. Nonetheless, American Murder: The Family Next Door writer/director Jenny Popplewells Netflix documentary (April 10) is a clumsy addition to the ever-expanding true-crime canon, tipping off its central twist with its title, leaving out key details that might have enriched its drama, and sidestepping a discussion of the larger socio-economic forces underscoring its tragedy. Its consistently engaging, but also not much more revealing than a quick perusal of Jennifers Wikipedia page, and the fact that its real-life saga may not be over only amplifies the impression that its less than the full story. On Nov. 8, 2010 (a date that isnt provided by these proceedings), 24-year-old Jennifer (whose age isnt relayed) called 911, frantically reporting that a trio of gunmen (all Black, one with a Jamaican accent, and another with dreadlocks) had broken into her Markham, Ontario, home looking for money. In this recording, Jenniferwho claims that the intruders have tied her to an upstairs banister as they assault her parentsis heard yelling to her father, who audibly moans in the background. When police arrived, they discovered a grisly scene: the house was ransacked, Bich was dead, and Hann had suffered a grave gunshot wound to the eye that compelled doctors to place him in a medically induced coma. Much of this is recounted by homicide detectives Bill Courtice and Alan Cooke, who were initially baffled by the crime. The Pans were one of many immigrant families in the neighborhood, and known to be hard-working and unremarkable. Originally from Vietnam, Bich was a car parts supervisor and Hann was a machinist at the same auto parts manufacturer, and though they owned nice sedans (a Mercedes and a Lexus), they lived a modest middle-class life. The idea that intruders had targeted them for their wealth thus seemed off from the outset. More puzzling still, valuables remained in the house, including a wallet filled with $20 bills, a nice watch, and a pricey camera kept in a closet safe, suggesting that if these men had intended to make off with a bounty, theyd failed miserablyand resorted to unnecessary murder. What Jennifer Did features the usual array of ho-hum dramatic recreations, but its central material is footage from the York Regional Police Departments interrogation room, where Jennifer sat for three separate interviews. In extended clips from those talks, Jennifer expands upon her 911 account, avowing that on the night in question, she was at home when her mother returned from line-dancing and sat down in the living room to soak her feet. After saying goodnight to her mom, Jennifer retreated to her room, where she was ultimately accosted by one of the intruders, who bound her hands to the staircase railing. Despite this physical situation, she managed to phone authorities, which struck investigators as oddand inspired her interrogator to ask her to demonstrate how she pulled off that feat. Through tears, she asserts that she doesnt know the identity of these men. Nonetheless, police swiftly learned about her boyfriend Danny Wong, a known drug dealer, and that proved to be the key to unraveling this mystery. Netflix In his own interview, Danny acts puzzled about why the Pan clan was singled out by thieves, yet he offers up crucial background on the troubled household. He and Jennifer dated for six years, largely behind the backs of Bich and Hann, who forbid the romanceno surprise, given that he was a going-nowhere drug dealer who worked at a pizza parlorand more or less kept Jennifer under lock and key, confiscating her cell phone and driving her to and from school. This was an extension of their demanding tiger parenting, and as Jennifer soon admitted, shed buckled under the weight of their expectations. A successful and award-winning pianist who had started playing at the age of 4, Jennifer was not an academic superstar, and she responded by lying to her parents (for four years!) about attending university to become a pharmacist. She additionally said that she had been receiving the same sorts of mysterious, threatening texts and phone calls that had plagued Danny, who had remained her friend even after moving on to a new relationship. The Long Shadow: A Serial Killer Series Unlike One Youve Ever Seen This was all suspicious, and it pointed in one direction. With no forced entry and the robbery motive appearing to be suspect, cops began assuming that Jennifer wasnt being completely forthright, and What Jennifer Dids interrogation videos depict her as an increasingly agitated individual, compulsively wringing her hands and stroking her hair. When her dad emerged from his coma and told investigators that he remembered seeing his daughter speaking casually with the criminals during the home invasion, her involvement was irrefutably established. In her third sit-down with law enforcement (this time with Bill Goetz, who legally used deception to extract a confession), she once again changed her tune, stating that, because of her unhappiness, shed hired three men to kill her. This too made no sense, and phone records eventually proved that she and Danny had conspired to employ acquaintances to murder Bich and Hannall, ostensibly, because Jennifer couldnt stand to be apart from Danny. What Jennifer Did conveys this lucidly, if shallowly. It dawdles excessively on certain points, while more or less ignoring Jennifer, Danny, and their accomplicess ensuing trial; that they earned life sentences for Bichs murder and Hanns attempted murder, and are now awaiting a new trial thanks to a successful appeal, are merely noted in closing text cards. Moreover, Popplewells film exhibits minimal interest in the cultural and familial dynamics that created this nightmare in the first place, giving passing lip service to the idea that immigrant moms and dads can be tough on kids. Even the question of what Jennifer was really up to during the four years she pretended to attend school is left unanswered, as are specifics about the crime itself. As such, its an initially intriguing whodunit that comes across as a sketch rather than a full-bodied portrait. 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. Netflixs Ripley, written and directed by Steven Zaillian (The Night Of, Schindlers List), stars Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley, the loveable and mischievous (to put it gently) con man. Ripley is different from nearly anything else on Netflixfor one thing, it's shot in black and white. But it's also probably the single most exciting new show on the platformand all other streamersin 2024 thus far. And that unique sense of thrill can be distilled into one magnificent scene from Episode 3, Sommerso. Its a brutal, beautiful showcase of a man with no limits, one of arts most alluring antiheroes. [Warning: Spoilers for Ripley below.] At the start of Sommerso, Ripley is in Atrani, Italy, with Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), whos there with his girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning). Ripley was sent there by Dickies parents, who have requested that he work to bring their son back to New York. But Ripley, having made a meal of his new life in Atrani, has no intention of returning to New York whatsoever. He reveals the plot to Dickie, who ends up inviting Ripley to stay with him. While Dickie initially grows close to Ripley over the absurdity of Ripleys presence in Dickies adopted homeland, both he and Marge have grown tired of his constant presence. After spending months together in Atrani, Dickie takes Ripley on a boat trip to Rome and, once theyre far out at sea, gently breaks the news that they know longer want him aroundor, at least, as gently as one can deliver such harsh news. The boat trip sequence is remarkable for several reasons. From its anxiety-inducing, climactic storytelling to its sublime cinematography, its the kind of scene youd expect from a daring art-house film, not a Netflix series. That it involves Ripleys turn from suspicious con man to outright sociopath makes it all the more unforgettable. Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf and Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley. Netflix Weve seen time and time again that two people out at sea is a recipe for death. Its not so much that Ripley killing Dickie is surprising (especially if youve seen 1999s The Talented Mr. Ripley or read Patricia Highsmiths original novel). Whats shocking here is the effortlessness with which Ripley goes about murdering Dickie. Theres nothing impulsive about his decision to pick up the oar and bludgeon Dickie over and over in response to Dickies request for Ripley to leave town. But Dickie seems completely taken aback, with his last words a plea: Tom, help me, he asks his supposed friend. But he can barely get the sentence out before Ripley smashes him over the head a final time, ending Dickies life. After killing Dickie, Ripley doesnt appear overwhelmed. Instead, the show situates him in the center of the frame, showcasing his eerie sense of calm. Here, it becomes clear that this killing was not one of passion, but a deliberate next step in his missionthe purpose of that mission, however, is tantalizingly unclear. Most shows would cut away here, to Ripley back on land, perhaps nervously looking over his shoulder and watching his every move. But Ripley is just getting started. Andrew Scott is terrifyingly brilliant in this role, and this scene exemplifies why. He perfectly captures Ripleys coldness throughout the scene, appearing completely unfazed, as if he hasnt just killed what anyone watching would consider his best friend. Scotts physicality is alarming; his eyes flicker without remorse, his body rigid. This charming man is charming no more: This is a cold-blooded killer, and perhaps he always has been. It generates frightening questions in viewers mindsnamely, how many people has Ripley killed in his lifetime to be so incredibly relaxed here? Its Impossible to Overstate Just How Good Netflixs Ripley Is For the next 15-odd minutes, we see Ripleys considerable efforts to erase any evidence of his crime. He washes the blood off Dickies possessions and takes everything that could potentially identify him, slowly putting the next steps of his scheme into motion. Ripleys typically excellent music and score are absent here for even more discomforting effect; the sequence unfolds in near silence, with only the sounds of the oceanonce relaxing, now unnervingand the creaking of the boat to keep us at bay. Things get complicated when trying to get Dickies body out of the boat. Ripley ties a rope around Dickie's legs, attaching them to a heavy weight thatll ensure he sinks to the bottom of the ocean, out of sight. But as the rope leaves the boat, it winds up tripping Ripley, launching him into the water and sending the motorboat in a circle around him. Its a nightmare situation, and the show stages it like one. When Ripley emerges from the water, theres a look of panic on his face; its the first time weve seen him start to unravel, especially as weve learned by now that hes unable to swim. Ripley narrowly avoids the boat smacking him in the face, only to have the weight he threw into the water bash him in the back of the head. The camera fades to black, and returns to find the boat still spinning around. Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood, Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf, and Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley. Netflix Miraculously, Ripley hasnt drownedand that this comes as a relief to us speaks to his disturbingly alluring nature. He grabs the rope and starts to climb it. His crotch is inches from the propeller, the sound of which creates an unbearable tension; but Ripley, the ever-lucky scoundrel, manages to avoid being sliced to death and finds himself back on the boat. He takes a moment to breathe, but only a moment. He snaps right back into action, finally throwing Dickie off the boat. Any other show that hadnt cut away when Dickie died certainly would by now. But Ripley is unyielding, as we see the con man head to shore and trash the boat. When fire doesnt work, Ripley fills the boat with rocks to effectively drown it. After depositing hundreds of stones, Ripley then prepares to climb the tall cliffs to lead him back to Atraniand, from there, taking over the newly deceased Dickies life. By showing us the entirety of Ripleys plot to be rid of Dickie, the scene morphs into something infinitely more menacing than the typical shocking murder we see in dramatic film and television. Its important to see Ripley kill Dickie, but its just as important that we see his dedication, and determination, to fulfill his destiny. How Ripley Became TVs Most Beautiful Masterpiece Up until now, weve had some idea of what Ripley is capable of. Hes schemed his way from New York to Italy, and hes successfully embedded himself in Dickie and Marges life. Its clear hes an exceptionally capable con man whos determined to accomplish a goal. But what we didnt know is just how intense Ripleys determination is, and the lengths that hell go to in order to get what he wants. This astonishing extended scene lays Ripley bare, exposing a man willing to kill to get the life he feels entitled to. But whats really chilling about it all is how thorough he iswith each meticulous, extraordinary detail Ripley goes through to hide Dickies body and hide the boat, he becomes more transfixing and terrifying. Episode 3 marks a clear turning point for the series, as it challenges everything we thought we knew about Ripley, while exposing just how much of a threat he really is. And it does it all without a single word. Other shows would kill for this kind of masterful, restrained, engrossing work. 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. Erin and Ben Napier, stars of HGTV's Home Town, are busy filming season 3 of Home Town Takeover in Sebring, Florida. But recently they took time out to address an important topic: Rude fan comments on social media, especially those insulting peoples homes. We need to talk about something, Erin told her fans in an Instagram Reel posted on April 2. The comments on my Instagram have been really not nice. Really rude, some of you guys. Yall realize we design these houses for people who really live in them, and they really read your comments. Youre not hurting my feelings at all, but you are being really ugly to the people who are living in these houses. And, if you can't think of something nice to say about these peoples homes Dont say anything at all, Ben chimed in. Erin continued: Youre not gonna hurt my feelings, but you are gonna hurt someones feelings who lives in that house. You know better, guys. Do better. Be sweet. Like I tell my little girls, yall can be grown-ups and be sweet. Ben added his thoughts on the matter. Okay, heres the thing. Im afraid that a lot of the people out there are being rude and being mean because they want to be hurtful, and thats the saddest thing about social media, he said. The two made clear thats not the kind of following they want: If youre one of those people who are on social media, unfollow me now. Thank you, Erin said, to which Ben added, We can do that for you. Erin ended the video by wishing viewers a great day and thanking those who had left kind comments. Keep on being you. Youre awesome, she said. Ben followed that up with an invitation: I hope you come and visit Laurel [the Mississippi town where Home Town is set], or you come and visit Sebring. Both. This town is awesome. Were doing great work here. The video follows a post on March 18, where Erin explained a design decision some fans were unhappy about. However, in the more recent video post, Erin neither references a specific project nor elaborates on reasons for specific design choices. Instead, she simply takes a firm stand against mean comments. "As my mama would say, yall act like youve got some raising ," she captioned her post. The fan response to Erins line in the sand was overwhelmingly positive: Bravo! Glad you called them out. Im tired of the rudeness, said one, while another praised Erin for walking the talk: Boy, you said that MUCH nicer than I would have! Leading by example . Did Erin just start a movement to make the internet a nicer place? Maybe, because the comments kept coming: Agree! Nice people unite! It appears to be easy to be nasty when you are hiding behind the screen. Keeping your mouth shut (or typing thumbs still) is an art some people need to practice a little more diligently! Good for you calling the nonsense out! Rude comments are uncalled for. That comment alone got over 4,000 likes. We love yall. We live in Wetumpka [the setting for Home Town Takeover season 1] and what yall did for our little town was wonderful. People hide behind keyboards and are just bullies sometimes. Keep doing great work. Among those cheering Erin on was actor/comedian Matt Marr, who wrote: My Mama once told me, If you walk into a house and all they have to show for is a rusted tin can, you let them know you love that tin can as much as they do. (But also I do love everything you do!) But yeah, I think Mama is still right. A-to-the-Men! You got that right, replied another. We agree wholeheartedly. You Might Also Like All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Footwear News may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Kelsea Ballerini hit the CMT Awards red carpet on Sunday night in Austin, Texas, to host the awards show for a fourth and final time. This is the first time shell be doing it solo. In previous years, Ballerini was joined onstage by country artist Kane Brown and actor Anthony Mackie. More from Footwear News The country star, who just dropped her newest single, Love me Like You Mean It (Reimagined) on Friday, wore a sheer red, lace gown for the occasion. Ballerini paired the look with a pair of matching red, Max platform sandals by Jimmy Choo. Kelsea Ballerini attends the 2024 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Getty Images for CMT An up-close look at Kelsea Ballerinis red platform sandals. 1,275 Buy Now at jimmy shoo Ballerini posed on the red carpet with boyfriend Chase Stokes on her arm. For his look, the Outer Banks star wore a cream suit jacket sans tie, black plants and a pair of Cuban-heeled boots. Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini attend the 2024 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center on April 07, 2024 in Austin, Texas. FilmMagic The 2024 CMT Music Awards is the fan-voted country music awards show held at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Ballerini is expected to hit the stage tonight. Other performers include Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Sugarland and more. In addition to Ballerini, the nights top nominees are Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, Cody Johnson and Jelly Roll, who are all tied for the most nominations with three nods each. To see all the red carpet arrivals at the 2024 CMT Awards, click through the gallery. / Launch Gallery: CMT Awards 2024: Shoes on the Red Carpet Best of Footwear News Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. CHICAGO In olden times, the phrase going Hollywood carried a double-edged sword. It signified great things (fame, riches, dancing with sun-kissed babies, as the 1933 song Going Hollywood put it) as well as dubious ones (selling out, grasping for dollars, prostitution of one kind or another). Last month Gov. J.B. Pritzker went Hollywood, with high hopes for strengthening the economic health of Illinois film, TV, streaming and advertising production industry. In time, well see if his charm offensive has helped generate additional screen projects for the state. Pritzker and his team took meetings all over the place: Netflix, Apple, Amazon Prime, Warner Bros., Discovery, Paramount. In collaboration with the nonprofit Illinois Production Alliance and Illinois Film Office head Peter Hawley, as well as other Illinois industry advocates, the governor hosted a luncheon at the Beverly Hilton followed by a reception/sales pitch branded with the name Iconic Stories: Made in Illinois on the NBC Universal lot in Universal City. This was a first for Pritzker, and with the Illinois Film Production Tax Credit offering a competitive 30% rebate on qualified in-state productions, Illinois now ranks with a handful of other popular filming states, among them Georgia, Louisiana and New Mexico. A majority of U.S. states (currently 37) offer some form of production tax incentive. Is it worth it? A recent New York Times feature painted film and TV tax credits as money better spent in other ways, using what happened with Michigans arguably gullible degree of tax rebates ($500 million) spent to get medium-sized starry projects (Clint Eastwoods smash Gran Torino) and massively budgeted franchises (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) to film in Detroit and elsewhere. A change in the Michigan political administration turned the spigot off, though film production incentives may be returning in a more modest form. I talked to Gov. Pritzker and, separately, Illinois Production Alliance executive director Christine Dudley about the recent flurry of Los Angeles sit-downs and meet-ups; what Georgia offers filmmakers in tax incentives that Illinois doesnt; and, inevitably, The Bear, now filming its third and fourth seasons in Chicago. The following has been edited for clarity and length. Q: This was your first official Hollywood pitch meeting, two days worth, designed to sell Illinois to those not currently filming here. First question: How long, from the start of the average meeting you took, did it take for someone to mention The Bear? Pritzker: Not long at all (laughs). The Bear came up in every single meeting. Partly because its a recent and ongoing Chicago success story, and because Chicago itself is such an important part of it. People like that; they like the depth and texture of the locations. Rival studios (to FX, home of The Bear) mentioned that over and over. Over the last couple of years, the Illinois production tax credits have improved in the eyes of the production world. When I came into office in 2019 we had about $400 million in production expenditure. By 2022, we reached almost $700 million. Many people I talked to hadnt heard about the extension of the Illinois tax credit through 2032. That was met with a very encouraging response. A 30% tax credit has put us in a category with the states getting the most business. Georgias in a category all by itself, a very generous and attractive place. I heard that from everybody. Q: Christine, can you break down how tax credits work? Dudley: Sure. Some of the history can be attributed to the second Mayor Daley of Chicago. (In late 2001 and early 2002) the movie Chicago was filmed in Toronto; the Canadian tax incentives had been luring runaway U.S. productions for years already. Daley was, like, whats going on here? Chicago is filming in Toronto? Illinois and Georgia were among the early adopters on a state level of production tax incentives. Georgia had to build everything from the ground up, basically all the (filmmaking) infrastructure. Whereas in Chicago (film production) was already a legacy industry. So Georgia made concessions allowing for all expenditures, including non-resident wages, to qualify for their tax incentives. Q: So, Robert Downey Jr. comes to Atlanta for an Avengers movie, shooting green-screen work on a soundstage, and the studio paying his astronomical salary is rewarded with a 30-40% tax rebate. Then the star goes home. The money doesnt stay in Georgia, essentially. Pritzker: In Illinois the above-the-line expenditures (for leading actors, directors, etc.) have a $500,000 cap in place. If you uncap it, and you have a movie shooting in your state with three big stars, each getting 10 to 15 million dollars, that basically wipes out a lot of the tax credit altogether. In our meetings last week sometimes Id walk in and start by saying, Look. Were not Georgia. Were not going to hand you bags of cash when you cross the border into Illinois. But we have a very good tax credit, and we have advantages other states dont. I pointed out to them: When you go to Georgia, you know that some of your cast, your crew, are unwelcome there. Why? Because maybe theyre LGBTQ. We all know what the social and political policies are in Georgia. And Illinois is the opposite. We protect everyones freedoms here. And what I heard in those meetings, from the industry leaders, is that yes, that matters to a lot of their people. Its an important non-financial consideration. I also pointed out that the number of square feet of soundstage (in Illinois) is approaching a million. That surprised a lot of people who arent currently working here. We have 2,500-plus film crew workers, and were adding 200 to 300 every year through our workforce development program and 75% of those people are people of color or women. All that was very attractive to everybody I talked to last week. Q: Whats your counter-argument to those in government or anywhere, really, who hear the words tax incentives and cry BS, that its a waste of public money? Pritzker: The Illinois Production Alliance commissioned a 10-year independent study to evaluate the (production tax incentives) direct and indirect benefit to the state. It showed that almost seven times of the money spent (on production incentives) is returned to the taxpayers of Illinois. When I came into office I asked the same question, when people were talking about extending the tax credit through 2032. Are we making money on it? Are we losing money? Where we set the tax credit, at 30%, mostly for below-the-line production spending, we end up roughly even in terms of direct benefit to the state. Basically a wash. But remember: Were employing thousands of people. These people buy goods, theyre living in leased housing, theyre buying lumber and gas and groceries. The indirect benefit is nearly 7 to 1, and thats a tremendous benefit in jobs and economic growth. Dudley: Its the ripple effect. When I was state film commissioner I went on the Chicago Fire set and talked to the guy who does the pyro. Hes the expert in pyrotechnics, which is important to that show. He lives in McHenry County. I asked him: Whats the practical benefit of this show being filmed here? He said: Simple. I dont have to get on a plane every week to do my job out of state. I put gas in my car here. I drive over to Cinespace Studios in Chicago. I take my family out to dinner. I train new people in. All here. Pritzker: Some producers last week told me: Gee, wed love it if youd uncap the above-the-line expenditures. And my answer was, Look, its my job to make the best deal I can with you on behalf of the taxpayers, so that you do well on your productions. But the Illinois taxpayers have to do well, too. They acknowledged that Georgia basically gives the store away. Were putting people to work. And were actually profiting, in the broadest sense, by employing a whole lot of people who spend money here and pay taxes here. (Michael Phillips is the Chicago Tribune film critic.) Missy Elliott will launch her first-ever headlining tour this summer, a 24-city event that will include stops in Los Angeles and Brooklyn. The tour, titled Out Of This World The Missy Elliott Experience, kicks off July 4 and runs through August 22. Also on the tour will be Elliotts collaborator and producing partner Timbaland as well as Busta Rhymes and Ciara. More from Deadline Elliott, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, said in a statement, This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone firsts. Being the FIRST female Hip Hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and now going out on my FIRST headline tour. Fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family! So get ready to be taken OUT OF THIS WORLD with me, Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland! We cant wait to share this experience with the fans! Live Nation and Elliotts manager Mona Scott-Young are producing the tour. The tour begins July 4 in Vancouver and ends August 22 in Rosemont, Illinois, with stops L.A.s Crypto Arena (July 11); Newark, NJs Prudential Center August 9; and Brooklyns Barclays Center (August 12). Other cities on the tour include Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Oakland, Seattle, Austin, Houston, Tampa, Baltimore, Montreal and Toronto. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 'NCIS: Origins' to Tiva reunited: Here's what's up as the NCISverse hits 1,000 episodes The evolving dramatic universe centered around "NCIS" is hitting a major milestone: 1,000 combined episodes. The April 15 episode of the original "NCIS" (9 EDT/PDT) will reach the millennial mark propelled by the "NCISverse" of shows that now spans from "NCIS: Hawaii" to "NCIS: Sydney," on CBS and Paramount+. Franchise stars from past and present were on hand for a February celebration during the filming of the episode, which features crossover stars Daniela Ruah (from now-defunct "NCIS: Los Angeles") and Vanessa Lachey (from "NCIS: Hawaii"). Two new upcoming shows "NCIS: Origins" and the still-untitled spinoff led by Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo were also represented at the party. "Now it's like our own Marvel universe within 'NCIS,' which is the ultimate testament of the power of this show," says Rocky Carroll, who has portrayed Leon Vance on "NCIS" since 2008. As CBS celebrates the achievement with an hourlong "Entertainment Tonight" special "NCISverse: The First 1,000" (Monday, 9 EDT/PDT), here's the state of TV's super franchise centered around the once little-known Naval Criminal Investigative Service: 'NCIS' (2003 - ) "NCIS," also known as "The Mothership," is a spinoff of creator Donald Bellisario's naval legal show "JAG," which aired on NBC in 1995-96 and for nine more seasons (1997-2005) on CBS. Notable characters: Mark Harmon, the "NCIS" cornerstone as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, left in 2021 after nearly two decades. Other departed original characters include Weatherly's Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo, who departed in 2016 after 13 seasons, Pauley Perrette's Abby Sciuto, exiting in 2018 after 350 episodes, and David McCallum's Donald "Ducky" Mallard (the veteran actor died last year). "NCIS" has been network TV's most-watched drama for the last five seasons with a team that includes Carroll, Sean Murray (Timothy McGee), Brian Dietzen (Jimmy Palmer), Wilmer Valderrama (Nicholas Torres), Katrina Law (Jessica Knight), Diona Reasonover (Kasie Hines) and Gary Cole (Alden Parker). Seasons: 21 How to watch: CBS (Mondays 9 EDT/PDT); Paramount+; Netflix (first 15 seasons). Flavor: This is the "The Mothership." After the 1000th celebration, the "NCIS" cast went right back to work filming. "That typified the reason for our longevity," says Carroll. "It's like, we're still relevant, still an immensely popular show. and we still got an episode to crank out." 'NCIS: Los Angeles' (2009-23) Notable characters: Ruah's Kensi Blye and the star pairing of Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J, as G. Callen and Sam Hanna, respectively. Linda Hunt starred as Henrietta "Hetty" Lange and Eric Christian Olsen as Marty Deeks. Seasons: 14 How to watch: PlutoTV, for purchase on iTunes. Flavor: The first spinoff was an instant hit that played a crucial role in expanding the franchise "during its incredibly long run," says David Stapf, president of producer CBS Studios. 'NCIS: New Orleans' (2014-21) Notable characters: Scott Bakula as Dwayne "King" Pride, CCH Pounder as Loretta Wade and Lucas Black as Christopher LaSalle. Seasons: 7 How to watch: Paramount+, PlutoTV. Flavor: The first Southern field office had all the gritty crime-solving in The Big Easy with only-in-NOLA musical moments that included Bakula really playing the piano as King. Vanessa Lachey as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant in new spinoff "NCIS: Hawaii." 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (2021- ) Notable characters: Lachey became the franchise's first female and Asian American, lead as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant of the Pearl Harbor Field Office. Supporting stars include Alex Tarrant (Kai Holman), Noah Mills (Jesse Boone), Jason Antoon (Ernie Malik), Tori Anderson (Kate Whistler) and Yasmine Al-Bustami (Lucy Tara). Sam, LL Cool J's LA transplant, moved to "NCIS: Hawai'i" in Season 3. Seasons: 3 How to watch: CBS (Mondays at 10 EDT/PDT), Paramount+. Flavor: Set in paradise with unforgettable island surroundings and many crimes intertwined with Hawaiian lore with an added dose of Cool J. Stapf says the actor will continue "hopefully, forever, or as long as he wants to do it." 'NCIS: Sydney' (2023- ) Notable characters: Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann) heads the collaboration between the NCIS Sydney office and the Australian Federal Police led by Jim "JD" Dempsey (Todd Lasance). Originally conceived for Australian TV audiences but recruited to the American schedule during the Hollywood strike, "NCIS: Sydney" has proven its worth, fair dinkum, and was renewed for a second season in March. Seasons: 1 How to watch: Paramount+ Flavor: The first international spinoff, set near the iconic Sydney Harbor bridge, embraces U.S.-Aussie cultural differences while still solving crimes. "In divisive times, it's wish-fulfillment," says Stapf. Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs "NCIS." The character will be played by Austin Stowell in the prequel series "NCIS: Origins" 'NCIS: Origins' (CBS 2024-25) Notable characters: Beloved leader Gibbs returns as a younger man for the franchise's prequel series, "NCIS: Origins," announced in March "The Hating Game" star Austin Stowell will play young Gibbs. "We weren't just casting Gibbs; we were casting a young Mark Harmon," says Stapf. "And Austin embodies it all." Harmon, 72, will narrate and serve as executive producer. Sean Harmon, Mark's real-life son, who often played the younger version of Gibbs in flashbacks on "NCIS," will also serve as executive producer. "Origins" follows young Gibbs as he fights for his place on the team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks. Kyle Schmid has been cast as the younger version of the Texan Franks (Muse Watson in "NCIS") who played a pivotal role in Gibbs' early career. How to watch: Coming to CBS this fall. Flavor: Only part Harmon. But the next chapter of a beloved "NCIS" character that launched a franchise. Untitled Tony and Ziva spinoff (CBS) Notable characters: Fans loved the special sizzle between agents Tony DiNozzo (Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote De Pablo, who left "NCIS" in 2013 after eight seasons). The couple, known as Tiva, announced their return in February for a European-set spinoff on Paramount+. No premiere date has been set, nor has an actor been cast to play the couple's young daughter Tali. After Tonys security company is attacked by terrorists, the new show features a family on the run through Europe. How to watch: Coming to Paramount+ Flavor: Whatever the title, it's "NCIS: Tiva." In a statement, the two stars promised "an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears and laughter." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As 'NCIS' celebrates 1,000 episodes, a guide to show's many spinoffs Thailand aims to increase durian exports to China, seeking strategies to reclaim its top exporter position after being overtaken by Vietnam. The Department of International Trade Promotion in Thailand is urging exporters and government bodies to enhance durian shipments to China. In support of this initiative, Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding with China in mid-March, strategically timed just before Thailand's durian harvest season, reports ECNS, the English platform of the Chinese state news agency China News Service. The MoU aims to boost and set a stable price for tropical fruit exports from Thailand to China, a move that provides significant advantages for Thai farmers. It would also revamp the logistics chain by incorporating cutting-edge cold chain and frozen technologies, among other enhancements. However, the fruits exported from Thailand will face more stringent quality controls. Under the agreement, China is expected to import around 20,000 tons of durians and mangosteens worth more than 3 billion baht (US$82.44 million) from Thailand from April to June this year. In the first two months of 2024, Vietnams durian exports to China totaled 32,750 tons, nearly 72.4% more than Thailands. At US$4,916 per container, Vietnams export price was almost 20% lower than Thailands. The export gap could grow even wider as Thailand has already been allowed to export fresh, frozen and processed durians to China while Vietnam can only officially export fresh durians, according to the Thai Department of International Trade Promotion. "If China allows Vietnam to export frozen durians, its export volume will increase further," Thai online newspaper The Nation quoted the department as saying. Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruits & Vegetables Association, said Vietnams weather allows durian to be grown all year round. It shares a border with China, which offers it an advantage in transportation. Vietnams durian exports are expected to top $3.5 billion this year, up 66% from last year. While most of us cant wait for the upcoming Polin sex scenes in season 3 of Bridgerton, featuring fan-favorite couple Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), there are some people who would rather avoid those steamy scenes: Coughlans Irish Catholic family! The Ireland native revealed that she delicately censors all the more *ahem* romantic scenes before her family watches and we dont blame her at all! In an interview on SiriusXM Hits 1 on Thursday, per Independent, Coughlan revealed that Netflix provides her parents with a PG cut of her starring season of Bridgerton. Its literally written into my contract, Coughlan said. People think Im like saying it as a joke. I just dont want to. I grew up Irish Catholic. Thats just not how we vibe. More from SheKnows BRIDGERTON, Nicola Coughlan, Capital R Rake, (Season 2, ep. 201, aired Mar. 25, 2022). photo: Liam Daniel / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection Totally get it! Can you imagine how awkward not doing that would make future family get-togethers? Happy Thanksgiving, and BTW we know what your face looks like when youre having sex. Cringe! As a parent, believe me when I say no parent should have to experience this. Despite their religious traditions, the Derry Girls star added that her mom had a cute reaction to the sex scenes in Season 1. When she first saw Bridgerton, she didnt know it was gonna be so saucy, Coughlan revealed. And then you get a bottom, Jonathan Baileys lovely bottom, about two minutes into the first episode ever. And she was like, What is this? But then, now she thinks its fantastic and really funny, and she keeps talking about bottoms. Nicola Coughlan at Erdem RTW Fall 2024 as part of London Ready to Wear Fashion Week held at The British Museum on February 17, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Adam Duke/WWD via Getty Images) Although, Coughlans parents might not have too many scenes edited out. In 2022, intimacy coordinator Lizzy Talbot told Business Insider that several sex scenes were cut from Season 2 of Bridgerton. [We spent] two days on episode seven, so you can imagine there was a bunch more in it! she told the outlet, referencing the first big sex scene between Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), which ended up being less than 2 minutes long. Theres always sex scenes that dont make the final edit. That doesnt mean it was less hot, though. Talbot explained Season 2 focused more on the slow sizzle that emphasized the yearning, the hand grazes, the looks, and the vulnerability between Kate and Anthony. Thanks to the long friendship between Colin and Penelope and the charged teaser trailer! we can hardly wait to see how these characters intimate scenes play out. But maybe we could also get a PG version in case we want to watch with our parents or our kids, Netflix? That would be great! Before you go, check out the most extravagent gifts these celebs gave their parents once they made it big. Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Malaysia-Singapore-Taiwan co-production Snow in Midsummer and Swedish title Sons took top prizes in the Young Cinema Competition at the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF). Winners of the festivals 15 Firebird Awards and FIPRESCI Prize were announced at an awards gala held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. More from Deadline Directed by Malaysian filmmaker Chong Keat-aun, Snow in Midsummer was named Best Film (Chinese Language) in the Young Cinema Competition, with the jury commending the director for demonstrating extraordinary courage in recounting the traumatic experiences of Malaysian travelling players. The feature revolves around a Cantonese street opera troupe during a turbulent period in Malaysias political history in the late 1960s. Cast includes Wan Fang, Pearlly Chua, Rexen Cheng, Pauline Tan, Peter Yu and Alvin Wong. Other winners in the Chinese-language category included the Best Director award for Chinese filmmaker Liang Ming for his film Carefree Days, while the films female lead, Lyu Xingchen won Best Actress. The Best Actor award went to Jason King in Taiwanese film A Journey in Spring. Co-directed by Wang Ping-Wen and Peng Tzu-Hui, the film also picked up the FIPRESCI Prize. Gustav Mollers Sons received the Best Film prize for the World category. The film follows an idealistic prison officer (Sidse Babett Knudsen), who is faced with the dilemma of her life when a young man from her past gets transferred to the prison where she works. The Best Director (World) award went to Tunisian-American director Meryam Joobeur for her debut feature Who Do I Belong To. In the documentary competition, Favoriten by Austrian director Ruth Beckermann won Best Film, while Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Siu-pong took the Jury Prize with Obedience. Intercepted by Ukrainian director Oksana Karpovych received a Special Mention. Italian filmmaker Margherita Giusti received the top prize in the festivals short film competition for her animation The Meatseller. The Jury Prize went to Shrooms by Portuguese director Jorge Jacome. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Sofia Vergara was spotted wearing polka dot sandals from Aquazzura as she arrived for a taping of Americas Got Talent in Los Angeles on Saturday. Sofia Vergara wears Aquazzura sandals. Getty Images Known for her chic street style, the AGT judge regularly dons high-heeled shoe styles from brands like Saint Laurent, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Stuart Weitzman. More from Footwear News That said, Vergara opted for comfort, slipping into a pair of sleek Birkenstock slides for a recent outing on March 28. On another occasion last month, she showed off sky-high Christian Louboutin Loubi Queen platform pumps. Earlier this year, while promoting her new Netflix series Griselda in New York City, she stepped out in glossy black patent leather pumps featuring a timeless pointed-toe silhouette. Sofia Vergara arrives for a taping of Americas Got Talent in Pasadena, California on April 6, 2024. Getty Images When the Modern Family alum is not wearing heels, you might find her sporting Puma sneakers. In particular, she is a fan of Pumas elevated Cali wedge style. About the shoes The Aquazurra sandals Vergara wore were the brands Twist mules. The shoes feature a black-and-white polka dot grosgrain upper that twists (hence the name) across the two vamp straps. Made in Italy, the slip-on style is complete with a sculpted 4-inch heel that is curved slightly. aquazzura sandals, aquzzura twist mules, aquazzura shoes, shoes, polka dot sandals $795 Buy Now at nordstrom Aquazzuras Twist polka dot mules are currently available to shop online via retail platforms such as Net-a-Porter and Nordstrom. Sofia Vergara arrives for a taping of Americas Got Talent in Pasadena, California on April 6, 2024. Getty Images Aquazzura history Aquazzura, which translates to blue water in Italian, serves as an ode to its founder Edgardo Osorios love of the sea. The luxury footwear brand based in Florence, Italy got its start in 2012 and now has boutiques all over the world. Aquazzura shoes can take up to 6 months to craft. Last year, the brand launched handbags and mens shoes. Speaking to FN in 2022 for Aquazzuras 10th anniversary, Osorio shared his plans for the next 10 years. Maybe Ill have eyewear, perfume, beauty maybe 100 stores. Lets see. white and green running sneakers Sofia Vergaras Street Style Evolution Through the Years View Gallery39 Images Launch Gallery: Sofia Vergara's Street Style Evolution Through the Years Best of Footwear News Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Networks are planning special reports Monday for coverage of the total solar eclipse, a celestial phenomenon when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. The eclipse will move across Texas to Maine, temporarily shrouding those areas in darkness, while other parts of the country will notice dimming and twilight. More from Deadline Heres a rundown of network plans. ABC News. Eclipse Across America, airing at 2 p.m. ET on ABC, ABC News Live, the National Geographic Channel and other platforms, will be anchored by David Muir and Linsey Davis, reporting from Burlington, VT. Nat Geos Mariana van Zeller, Nat Geo Explorers photographer Cristina Mittermeier and astrophysicists Jedidah Isler and Ved Chirayath will be on hand to show viewers how to safely observe and photograph the eclipse, and will provide the science and history behind the event. Correspondents will be fanned out in 10 cities, from Mazatlan, Mexico, to Houlton, Maine, with reports on the eclipse as it happens. GMA3 will present a preview at 1 p.m. ET, and Muir will anchor World News Tonight and Davis will anchor Prime with Linsey Davis from Burlington. CBS News. Norah ODonnell and Tony Dokoupil will lead coverage from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of a Total Eclipse of the Heartland special, airing from 2-3:30 p.m. ET on the broadcast and streaming networks. Reports will come from Nate Burleson, and correspondents Janet Shamlian in Kerrville, Texas, Omar Villafranca in Dallas, Mark Strassmann in Russellville, Ark., Lana Zak in Indianapolis and Dave Malkoff in Cleveland. There also will be reporting from meteorologists and reporters at local stations, and appearances by Bill Nye, astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz and CBS News space consultant Bill Harwood, as well as actor William Shatner. ODonnell will anchor CBS Evening News from Indianapolis and Dokoupil will co-host CBS Mornings from there. CNN. CNN News Central anchors Brianna Keilar and Boris Sanchez will lead coverage from 1-4 p.m. ET, with Richard Quest and Rahel Solomon hosting for CNN International and CNN Max. The network said that cameras and drones will be positioned across the path of this eclipse, with reports from Mexico and throughout the United States. There also will be a report from on board a Delta Air Lines Path of Totality flight. CNN meteorologists Chad Myers, Allison Chinchar and Elisa Raffa will contribute from in the studio, and Derek Van Dam will be on location in Vermont. There also will be a livestream on CNN.com/Eclipse. Fox Weather. The FAST channels coverage, Americas Total Eclipse, will feature reports from correspondents and reporters from Texas to Vermont. Meteorologists Stephen Morgan will be in Dallas and Kendall Smith will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with coverage from noon-4 p.m. ET. Fox Weather also will support Fox News and Fox Business Channel for their coverage throughout the day. NBC News. Lester Holt will anchor the two hour special Total Eclipse 2024 from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway starting at 2 p.m. ET, to be broadcast on NBC and streamed on NBC News Now. Holt also will anchor NBC Nightly News from the city. The coverage also will include Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, Carson Daly, Sheinelle Jones, Dylan Dreyer and Jenna Bush Hager from the Museum of Natural History in New York City and Al Roker from Dallas. Correspondents also will fan out across the path of the full eclipse. Roker and Savannah Sellers will preview coverage on NBC News Now with the special Total Eclipse 2024: Countdown to History, featuring an interview with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, among other reports. NewsNation. Senior national correspondent Brian Entin will co-anchor a special broadcast from headquarters in Chicago from 1-4:30 p.m. ET, along with NewsNation Now anchors Nichole Berlie and Connell McShane. Correspondents will be dispatched around the country with reports. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Someone has to die in The Regimes finale. Its just a simple fact, seeing as Herbert (Matthias Schoenaerts) and Elena (Kate Winslet) are now on the run; they cant both make it out alive. The real question is: Can either one of them survive the ongoing civil war? Elena and Herbert escape the palace via underground tunnels that lead them to a nearby empty field. Herbert wants them to move quickly, but Elena wants to stay in one place. Actually, no: Elena would like to retreat back into the tunnels, return to the palace, and hide out within its inner sanctum. Herbert pins her to the ground. Listen to me! he screams. Your government has fallen. Yelling, as weve learned, is the reason why Herbert is as powerful as he is today. He has a really loud voice. This convinces peoplelike Elenathat he should be in control. On the flip side, Elena has received all of her power by whining hard enough. She wants Herbert to call a helicopter but has no idea how to actually get that done. After tromping through a barren forest, Elena and Herbert finally stumble on a radio that fills them in on whats going on in the nation. The Vernham regime has been defeated, a journalist announces. The country is yours. We also learn that the Westgate resistance has taken control of the palace, which really infuriates Elena. Her next plan: Find Nicholas (Guillaume Gallienne) in Switzerland, and get the hell out of this ungrateful country. Kate Winslet Gives The Regime the Best Sexy Christmas Routine Since Mean Girls But thatll be tricky, considering theres now a 9 p.m. curfew set in place by the resistors. Anyone outside will be shot. Anyone who allies with the Vernham regime will be shot. Anyone harboring Elena will be shot. Elena and Herbert have to find shelter, but thatll be damn near impossible, considering the nationwide hunt for the idiot in charge. The pair find a somewhat safe barn to hide out in for a bit of time. Instead of using this space as an opportunity to plan their next moves, Herbert wants to interrogate Elena about her devotion to himwas she really going to make him chancellor? She demands that she is loyal to him, and yes, indeed, she was planning on announcing him as chancellor. But Herbert is upset at the fact that she hesitated in her announcement. Elena insists that she would never betray him. Theyre going to have to table this discussion for now, though, because shots at the door warn them that their safehouse is now a dangerhouse. With no plan and no help in sight, Elena tries a new tactic: Shes going to plead with strangers driving on the street to bring her home and be the savior of the nation. The first passerby listens for a minute, but ultimately rejects Elena and Herbert. The next man, who has a string of Christmas lights wrapped around the interior of his truck, is a little too hyped to see these two. His name is Tomas (Karl Markovics), and, to Elenas surprise, hes willing to take them in for the night. Herbert isnt so sure that this is a good idea, but what other option do they have? Kate Winslet and Matthias Schoenaerts Miya Mizuno/HBO Before Tomas shuttles Elena and Herbert into his home, he runs inside to grab them disguises. Elena looks a bit like Meryl Streep in her tiny glasses and overcoat. They race inside, and Tomas secures them in a room where theyll be safe from all interruption. Until Tomas locks the door from the outside. As soon as theyre in, Tomas shouts that hes actually against them, hes going to call the authorities, and theyll be dead soon. Herbert was right not to trust Tomas. Elena panics and volunteers to simply kill herself on the spot. Herbert rips a dagger away from her, insisting that they stay calm. A soldier arrives with Mr. Laskin (Danny Webb), head of the countrys security service, who has completely turned against Elena and now, in fact, wants to take all her power. The soldier reads Elena a list of all of her illegal chargesa lengthy ramble that includes, at the top, genocideand Laskin demands that Elena confess guilt in a nationwide address at Parliament, where shell also deem him the new Chancellor. Laskin also confronts Hebert, giving him the chance to renounce Elena publicly and save himself. Laskin relates to Herbert: Theyve both been held captive in her love. We dont see Herbert agree to these terms, but when Laskin returns to Elena in the other room, he informs her that the butcher has betrayed her. Hugh Grant and Kate Winslet Duke It Out on The Regime After Elena agreesit takes the threat of poisonous gas to get her on boardthe army and Laskin move her outside. Instantly, another army comes through and shoots everyone except Elena, rushing her into a bullet-proof truck. Elena, terrified, is once again left with no other option but to just oblige and carry on. These new guards take Elena to the pristine home of Emil Bartos (Stanley Townsend), who promises that this all isnt really as bad as it looks: Loyalists hold the mines and most of the country. The rebels only have the palace. They can fix this. Together. Emil has American diplomat Judith (Martha Plimpton) on the line with an offer: If Elena makes a deal with America and allows them access to cobalt minestherefore re-establishing Emils offerthe American army will step in and handle the protesters. Emil gives Elena some time to think this one over. One caveat: If she accepts this deal and takes her place back at the top, Herbert will need to go. Matthias Schoenaerts. Miya Mizuno/HBO After a refreshing shower (its been a dirty, nasty day) and a glimpse at Elenas frightening balding head under the wig, she confronts Herbert with the truth. The Americans have come to seize their countrydont they ever get tired of doing thatand Elena says shell never give in to them. Theyll fight to the death! Herbert obliges, saying hell fight behind her, but something isnt right. This feels like a big lie. Elena says Herbert should nap, but before he falls asleep, she says something teary about how scary it is to have control when we all still feel like children. Elena says goodbye to Herbert, and they both have one last dream-filled sleep together; Herbert wakes up to a gun in his face and, seconds later, a bullet in his brain. Rest in peace, Herbertyou really gave it a good go. Then, we flash forward to a few months in the future. The national nightmare is over. Nicky is back with Elena, his lovely luscious ladyokay, maybe the weird animal sex scenes with Herbert were better than thiswho is still chancellor. Nicky asks what the wholethatwas all about. Elena has no real explanation, other than: Yes, I had a little wobble. Then, shes off to address her people, ranting about cancerous 5G technology coming from China and the radical left. Home is where the heart is. After she makes an address to her peoplewho, finally, love her againthe beginning chords of Chicagos If You Leave Me Now roll in. Elena makes her way down to the palaces catacombs, where her late father used to lie. Hes been replaced. Instead, Herbert, covered in the nations flag, has found his final resting place: Hell always be beneath Elena, in constant devotion. 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. Where is Amanda Bynes now? 'Back at school' she says Amanda Bynes' career was one envied by child stars and actors alike. With her comedic chops and infectious personality, she became a beloved child star, cementing herself as one of Nickelodeons top talent in the early aughts. Bynes was 13 when she rose to fame as a cast member on the hit childrens variety show All That, co-starring alongside Kenan Thompson, Nick Cannon, Kel Mitchell and many others, before starring in her own comedy series, The Amanda Show. All That (Everett Collection) Bynes' discovery was referenced in an episode of the docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. The controversial doc looks at the working condition of Nickelodeon, its stars and the influence of producer Dan Schneider. Following her work on the children's network, Bynes became a comedy teen queen, covering magazines, starring in rom-coms and winning awards for her roles. While Bynes' career was one filled with starring roles, the actor would go on to quit acting. Health setbacks, legal troubles and a conservatorship would ensue. Bynes has not responded to TODAY.com's March and April 2024 requests for comment. Here's a look back at Amanda Bynes' career, health and recovery. Has Amanda Bynes reacted to Quiet on Set? Bynes rise as a child star on Nickelodeon is documented in "Quiet on Set," though she does not participate in it. The documentary series has renewed the public's interest in Bynes career and time on the children's network, but she has not publicly responded or reacted to the series or its contents. Amanda Bynes rise as a Nickelodeon child star Born in Thousand Oaks, California, the 37-year-old actor began her career at the age of 7. Her big break came when she was offered a role in the Nickelodeon variety sketch show All That, appearing in skits from 1996 to 2000. It was a dream come true, she told Paper magazine in 2018 of being cast on the show. It was unbelievable for me. Bynes became a stand-out star on All That and eventually landed her own spinoff sketch show, The Amanda Show. The show, which ran from 1999 to 2002, also included Drake Bell (who earlier this month revealed he was sexually abused as a child star) and Josh Peck. Amanda Bynes (Everett Collection) Much like All That, The Amanda Show was known for its skits such as Judge Trudy, a Judge Judy spoof, as well as Moodys Point, The Girls Room and Totally Kyle. During her Nickelodeon run, the fan-favorite was nominated for and won multiple Kids' Choice Awards. Amanda Bynes became a queen of rom-coms Bynes would go on to transition to the big screen, making her feature film debut in the 2002 comedy Big Fat Liar with Frankie Muniz. She was 15 at the time. At the same time, she transitioned into a more adult TV role when she starred as Holly Tyler in The WBs What I Like About You, co-starring former Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jennie Garth. Bynes continued her reign of popular romantic comedies, starring in 2003's What A Girl Wants, about a teen who goes to England to find the father shes never met. She's the Man (Everett Collection) The actor also starred in the comedy Shes the Man opposite Channing Tatum, a movie set in high school inspired by William Shakespeares Twelfth Night." Bynes also had a role in the 2007 musical feature film Hairspray, as well as Sydney White, released the same year. But while Bynes' on-air characters seemingly ended up with fairytale endings, behind the scenes, the teen star was at odds with her family. Bynes reportedly ran away from home, according to multiple accounts featured in Quiet on Set." In a video shared to his YouTube page on March 19, former Nickelodeon showrunner Dan Schneider recounted how the then-teenage Bynes called him after she'd left her home during the early morning hours following a fight with her parents. "The phone rang, I answered. It was Amanda and she was upset, she was in distress she had had some conflict with her parents I think her father and she called me," he recalled. "I was immediately concerned about her safety. I called someone who I knew was fairly nearby. That person was able to go and pick her up, then I knew she was safe... she ended up being taken to the police." Bynes also tried to be emancipated from her parents when she was around 16 or 17, both "Quiet on Set" and Schneider said, which ultimately was not approved by a judge. In his March 19 video, Schneider said that Bynes had turned to "her team," including him for support as she tried to get emancipated. Amanda was between the ages of 16 and 17 and she wanted to get emancipated from her parents, which was a fairly common thing with successful young actors, at least at the time," he said. "She wanted that for herself, so she turned to her team which included her lawyer, her agent, her manager, her publicist, me because she included me as part of her team, thought of me that way. We supported her, she tried to get emancipated, it ended up not working out and she didnt." Drug use and departure from Hollywood Bynes final film before taking a step back from Hollywood was 2010s Easy A starring Emma Stone. Bynes portrayed Marianne, a devout Christian and leader of the Cross Your Heart Club. She was set to appear in the 2011 comedy "Hall Pass," but later dropped out and subsequently quit acting. In her Paper magazine interview, Bynes revealed that she started smoking marijuana when she was 16 but didnt get addicted then. Later on it progressed to doing molly and ecstasy, she said, adding that she tried "cocaine three times but I never got high from cocaine. I never liked it. It was never my drug of choice. She did, however, say she abused Adderall around the time of Hall Pass. Bynes explained that the Adderall tablets she took left her scatterbrained and wasnt able to focus on her lines or memorize them. At the same time, she felt self-conscious about her appearance. She recalled seeing herself on screen and literally tripping out and thinking my arm looked so fat. She said, she rushed off the set and thought, Oh, my God, I look so bad. Her discomfort in seeing herself on screen continued when she saw a screening of Easy A. Bynes said that she was high on marijuana when she saw it and couldnt stand her appearance, so much so that she was convinced she should never be on camera again. Easy A (Everett Collection) I was high on marijuana when I saw that but for some reason it really started to affect me. I dont know if it was a drug-induced psychosis or what, but it affected my brain in a different way than it affects other people. It absolutely changed my perception of things, she said after watching herself in Easy A. After deciding to quit acting, she shared that she got really into my drug usage and it became a really dark and sad world for me. In November 2018, Bynes said she had been sober for almost four years. Amanda Bynes conservatorship, explained Bynes was placed in a conservatorship under her parents, Lynn and Rick Bynes, in 2013, following her substance abuse issues and legal troubles. Bynes, who was 26 at the time, was arrested in April 2012 on a misdemeanor DUI charge after hitting a cop car. Two years later, she pleaded no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving and was sentenced to three years of probation and three months of attending alcohol education classes, according to The Associated Press. In May 2013, she was arrested in New York after allegedly throwing a bong out of her window. She was charged with tampering with physical evidence, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of marijuana. The case was dismissed months later. In July of 2013, she was detained for a mental health evaluation after allegedly starting a fire in a neighbor's driveway in Thousand Oaks, California. With her parents' support, Bynes filed to end her conservatorship in February 2022. A judge terminated the conservatorship the following month, according to NBC News. In the last several years, I have been working hard to improve my health so that I can live and work independently, and I will continue to prioritize my well-being in this next chapter, Bynes said in a statement following the ruling. I am excited about my upcoming endeavors including my fragrance line and look forward to sharing more when I can. Enrolling in school and personal life Bynes enrolled in Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles in 2014 and received an associate degree in merchandise product development. In 2019, she posted a photo of herself in her cap and gown at her FIDM graduation. In February 2020, she announced that she was engaged to a man named Paul Michael. They would go on to call off their engagement and break up in 2022, according to E! News. Amanda Bynes continued health issues In May 2020, Bynes revealed that she had spent two months in treatment. Months prior, her lawyer said she was seeking treatment for ongoing mental health issues and debunked rumors that she was suffering from drug or alcohol addiction issues. Worked on coping skills to help with my social anxiety that caused me to drop out of school months ago, she shared in a since-deleted Instagram. Back on track and doing well! Im now living in transitional living and doing therapy during the week. In March 2023, Bynes was placed in a 72-hour psychiatric hold. At the time, her longtime attorney told NBC News that he was not in a position to comment on the situation. On April 11, a source close to the situation confirmed to NBC News that Bynes had been released from a medical facility and was receiving outpatient care. Amanda Bynes (Raymond Hall / GC Images) Where is Amanda Bynes now? Since then, Bynes has kept a low profile. She occasionally shares updates with her followers on her social media but is known to delete videos and posts after sharing them. In early April, all posts from her official Instagram page were removed. Her TikTok appeared to be scrubbed around the same time. Prior to removing her posts, in 2023, Bynes shared in an Instagram video that she was working on a podcast. However, she and her co-host, Paul Sieminski, only produced one episode before taking a pause. That same month, she revealed that she had plastic surgery on her eyelids. So I saw a couple of stories online that say I have a new look. And I was never open about this before, but I actually had blepharoplasty surgery on the skin folds and the corners of my eye so I dont have those skin folds anymore, she explained in a since-deleted TikTok. Bynes said that it was one of the best things she couldve done for her confidence. In a post to her Instagram story on April 9, 2024, Bynes told her followers that she is "back at school." "Since I havent passed the board exam yet to get my manicurist license, I started back at school to study manicurist theory and to practice doing acrylics before I take the test again so Ill be good to go when I get a job at a nail salon," she wrote in white text on a black background. Bynes had previously posted to her Instagram story in October 2022 that she was "in cosmetology college to become a manicurist," E! News reported at the time. This article was originally published on TODAY.com In an interview with AirMail published on Saturday, Woody Allen hinted at retiring from filmmaking entirely. When asked if 2023s Coup de Chance could be his final film, Allen said, Im on the fence about it. I dont want to have to go out to raise money. I find that a pain in the neck. But if someone shows up and calls in and says we want to back the film, then I would seriously consider it, he continued. I would probably not have the willpower to say no, because I have so many ideas. Allen also decried the process of film distribution in the United States in 2024. It doesnt matter to me whether I get distributed here or not, he explained. Once I make it, I dont follow it anymore. Distribution is no longer what it was. Now distribution is two weeks in a cinemaAnd then thats it. I mean, Annie Hall played in movie houses in New York for a little bit over a year. Itd be in one theater for six, seven months, and then somebody would pick it up and it would hang around another few months. The whole business has changed, and not in an appealing way. All the romance of filmmaking is gone. Distribution isnt the only factor apparently driving Allen from making more movies. He lamented that some directors love the whole business of making movies, choosing the costumes and working with actors but clarified that hes not one of them. I'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY #CoupDeChance director Woody Allen talks about his good fortune in life during a press conference at the Venice International Film Festival (@la_Biennale) pic.twitter.com/lz58KCFQCS AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) September 4, 2023 Allen also repeated comments hes made about cancel culture. In reference to an interview at last years Venice Film Festival, he explained, Someone asked me about cancel culture, and I said, If youre going to be canceled, this is the culture that you want to be canceled from. Because who wants to be part of this culture? In 2023, Allen also hinted at retirement. After the release of Coup de Chance, he told Variety, I was thinking this is my 50th film and I have to decide if I want to make more films. Though the director insisted that hes not concerned about distribution in the United States, its also true that its not easy for his films to get picked up anymore. In 2021, a producer speaking on condition of anonymity told TheWrap, There is no chance any studio is going to work with him. No legit company is going to touch him he is going to have to work with European financiers for the rest of his life. The post Woody Allen Again Suggests He Might Retire From Filmmaking: Im On the Fence About It appeared first on TheWrap. Read the full story on Modern Car Collector YouTuber Buys Michael B. Jordan's Crashed Ferrari 812 Superfast The ill-fated Ferrari gained notoriety after meeting an unfortunate end on Los Angeles's Sunset Boulevard last December. Despite its damaged state, TheStradman saw potential in the iconic machine and made the decision to breathe new life into it. Traveling from his base near Salt Lake City, Utah, to Sacramento, California, TheStradman eagerly took possession of the celebrity-owned wreckage. Image Via TheStradman YouTube The Ferrari, adorned in a striking light blue hue with bronze wheels, still retained its drivable status, albeit with necessary precautions taken to shield exposed areas from the elements. However, the true extent of the damage remained shrouded in uncertainty, marking the commencement of a meticulous restoration journey. Image Via TheStradman YouTube With the aim of restoring the Ferrari to its former glory, TheStradman embarks on a challenging endeavor, documenting every step of the process for his dedicated YouTube audience. From assessing the damage to devising intricate repair strategies, viewers are invited to witness the transformation of a once-troubled supercar into a symbol of resilience and craftsmanship. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter RAY Shes a heavy equipment operator one of the best in the country. Growing up I was always outside, recalled Kenzi Tackett. I was usually playing in our creek making mud pies. I spent a good amount of time reading too. I love anything about history. I wanted to be a history teacher for as long as I can remember. Kenzi Tackett is a heavy equipment operator and a member of Local 18 operating engineers. I wouldnt say I dreamed of running heavy equipment growing up, she continued, but I was a kid who was always curious about how things worked. I can remember learning to change a tire and brakes before getting my license and I remember taking things apart just to learn how the insides worked. I also have a memory, she added, of crossing the West Virginia border and seeing a crane lifting a huge rebar mat, maybe for the bridge deck or pier, and I remember thinking how cool it was and telling my dad I want to do that when I grow up. Today, Tackett is a heavy equipment operator, a member of Local 18 operating engineers. I can run anything, she explained, from a small walk-behind compactor to the biggest bulldozer or crane youve seen on the side of the road. Richard Groves is the regional coordinator for Local 18, Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship and Training program. Kenzi has demonstrated her skills as a journeyperson on multiple pieces of equipment and proven herself on the jobs she has worked, assessed Groves. She has a positive impact in the skilled trades industry, and we could not be more proud of such an individual. Tackett grew up in Londonderry, studied carpentry in high school and graduated in 2010, then majored in secondary education at Shawnee State University. Kenzi Tackett is a heavy equipment operator and a member of Local 18 operating engineers. I went to college for a year, but it wasnt for me, she said. I planned to follow the family tradition of being a carpenter with Local 200. But I have an uncle who deviated from the family tradition and decided to become an operator and talked me into applying because the pipeline was about to take off, and they find jobs for you through the union hall. Once I sat in that seat, I knew I loved this job. Meanwhile, Tackett just competed in a heavy equipment contest in North Carolina that was put on by Caterpillar. She was chosen as the Ohio candidate and competed with women from North and South America. She placed first in the skid steer competition and seconnd place overall. The contest was amazing! she said. They brought us together mainly to network and make lasting friendships while being a voice for other women in the field, but also to showcase to the world that women are just as capable in this field as a man. It was also to show that even though construction is a huge part of the jobs available today, only 14 percent of construction jobs are held by women. I do love my job, Tackett added. I love that I can drive across the Portsmouth bypass, or the Ironton Russell bridge with my 9-year-old son and say, Look, mama helped build this! This isnt a thing that only dads are privy to anymore. Mama made that, buddy. His little eyes light up and hes always got a question about what machines were used or how we got that bridge overhead! I love being a voice for labor, unions, and the working class, she concluded. I love helping women and little girls realize they can operate these real-life Tonka toys. About the Series Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs whether theyre unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at gaznews@nncogannett.com. This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Aces of Trades: Tackett finds success as a heavy equipment operator Of course there would be quieter places for a Pinscher to do his business in Bolzano. But now, in South Tyrol's capital, he squats in Waltherplatz, right in front of the cathedral. The owner, mid-20s, fur-trimmed down jacket, dog on a lead, doesn't seem to care much. He doesn't even look up from his phone. Then the dog and owner are gone again. The legacy is left behind - right in the centre of the busy square. You can guess how it ends. Scenes like this are soon to be a thing of the past in Italy's northernmost province with its half million inhabitants - the majority of whom are German-speaking - and its many millions of tourists. The provincial government is currently working with municipalities to set up a database in which the genetic material of the more than 40,000 local dogs is to be recorded. Since the beginning of the year, the submission of a DNA sample has been mandatory by law. The collected samples will then be used to link the deposited doo to the offending canine. Apart from this, the genetic material should also help if someone has been bitten or dogs are involved in road accidents. Fines of up to $1,125 According to previous decisions, the database is to go into operation by the summer. The planned penalties for dog owners are considerable: between 292 ($313) and 1,048 ($1,125). In South Tyrol, dog owners are not subject to a dog tax as they are in Germany. In comparison, leaving poo in the park will cost a dog owner in Germany between 10 and 150. Various municipalities in Europe have already come up with the idea of solving the problem by storing genetic data. It has been considered in London and Paris. In Germany, smaller municipalities such as Weilerswist near Bonn or Bad Neualbenreuth in the Upper Palatinate have been working on this. So far, efforts have mostly failed due to data protection and other legal hurdles. In South Tyrol, where clean pavements and hiking trails are of utmost importance, they have probably come further than anywhere else. Dog owners are not amused The issue is still highly controversial among the population. So far, only around a fifth of dog owners have gone to a vet to have their pet's saliva taken with a cotton swab or blood taken with a syringe. The state government is currently talking about 7,000 to 8,000 samples taken, which are now stored centrally. Many people are outraged by the 65 fee for the sample - especially as the doctor's fee has to be added to this. This can be expensive if you have several dogs. Locals are also angry that tourists' dogs remain exempt from the regulation. "Three quarters of holidaymakers who come to South Tyrol have a dog with them," says Vanni Campanella, 59, who is travelling with his husky. "But they are completely left out. That's not fair." Linde Malknecht, who walks her mutt along the River Isarco, also feels unfairly treated. "The whole of Bolzano has become dirtier in recent years. But only we have to pay." Critics hoping for changes Many dog owners are now hoping that the law will be changed. The South Tyrolean Veterinarians Association points out that important issues are still unresolved. "For example, we still don't know who will take the sample once the poo is on the street. Not everyone is allowed to do that," president Franz Hintner told dpa. Presumably these will be sworn employees of the local public order offices. In any case, the South Tyrolean police have already made it clear they are not picking up poop probes. They have enough to do already. It also remains to be seen how the courts will decide if there is DNA link is contested. Dog owner Campanella asks: "What happens if I put everything in the bag and take it to the bin - and then a nasty neighbour comes and puts it all back on the street? How can you prove that?" Nevertheless, he is convinced there is no way around the gene database. He himself has already been to the doctor with his husky. Chamber president Hintner is also certain that despite all the criticism and concerns, the vast majority of South Tyrolean dog owners will follow the law. "Because we are German after all," says the vet from Merano. "We just have this mentality: if you tell us something, you do it." Veterinarian Simon Kirchler (r) draws blood from a dog for the dog gene bank. Christoph Sator/dpa A dog owner walks in pet in Bolzano, the capital of Italy's largely German-speaking South Tyrol region. Christoph Sator/dpa Vietnam beats Thailand at durian exports to China Opened durians seen on a table. Photo by Unsplash/Jimmy Teo Vietnam has surpassed Thailand as the top durian exporter to China, shipping 32,750 tons in the first two months of 2024. This accounted for 57% of Chinas imports, up from 32% last year, according to Vietnam Customs. Vietnams export of the fruit to China rose by 2.4 times year-on-year. Thailand saw its exports plunge by half to 19,000 tons. At US$4,916 per container, Vietnams export price was almost 20% lower than Thailands. Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruits & Vegetables Association, said Vietnams weather allows durian to be grown all year round. It shares a border with China, which offers it an advantage in transportation. Farmers have been hiking durian prices in recent months thanks to high demand from China. In March the prices of the highest quality Monthong variety in the Mekong Delta were up 15% from a year earlier to VND218,000-230,000 ($8.7-9.2) per kilogram. Vietnams durian exports are expected to top $3.5 billion this year, up 66% from last year. When it comes to sprucing up our homes and fixing the annoying little things that never fail to get on your nerves sometimes the cheapest changes can have life-changing impacts. Recently, folks from r/HomeImprovement and the BuzzFeed Community shared their favorite cheap but rewarding home upgrades that totally transformed their spaces, and they included a bunch of renter-friendly suggestions, too. Here are the smartest ones. If you have any worthwhile home upgrades of your own to share, you can do so through the comments at the end of this post or through this anonymous form. 1."We bought remote-controlled LED rope lighting for the above-cabinet lighting. It can turn multiple colors, too, which is nice for different holidays." 2."Bidets are literally life-changing. Like, the two eras of my life are pre-bidet and post-bidet. I love it so much I bring it up in conversations way more than is appropriate. I try to avoid using the restroom anywhere but at home. I've gifted them to my friends and family, too." patricko49a6782f9 3."I installed LED nightlight outlet cover plates throughout the house. They come on automatically in the evening and bathe the entire house in just enough glow to walk around without turning on any lights. Perfect for when you have to get up briefly in the middle of the night when turning on lights would mess up your biorhythm and maybe make it harder to go back to sleep." Robert, 64, South Carolina Amazon / Via amazon.com 4."I painted over ugly wallpaper, and they said it could not be done. I used Sherwin-Williams' best paint, and they are serious when they say one coat. I've already repainted in different colors, too, and it still looks great. What a difference it made." Charlene, 70, Florida 5."Timer switches for all the bathroom fans so we don't accidentally leave them on, but also so we can leave them on for a bit after showering to help prevent mold or humidity issues. They're great for pantry and closet lights, too." 6."Motion sensor lights! Every closet, laundry room, and pantry has one. Open the door, and voila! Instant light that turns off automatically. I recharge with USB about once a month. It makes life a little glamorous and easy without any fuss." Adam 7."I installed pull-out shelves for all my bottom cabinet shelves. It is so much easier to get a pot or anything else from the back rather than having to take out everything in front just to get what you're looking for. Putting the pot back once you're finished is much easier, too. The same can be said for canned goods or anything else you store on a bottom shelf." 8."Stationary vacuums! I got an EyeVac for a Christmas gift. It's stupid how much I love it. We have hard floors throughout the house with two dogs, two cats, and a toddler. I hated sweeping but love having swept floors...now I get so much joy from seeing that huge pile of gross get whooshed up into a nice little box that I only have to empty once a month. No more dustpans! It's silly what a big difference it makes." u/klodklodklod 9."I replaced every recessed light throughout the house with LED retrofit lights. These lights are color adjustable, so there are no more mixed light hues throughout the house, which I hated. The best thing is they are sealed, so you no longer see the housing around the edge, and the bulbs never get dusty! We did it ourselves, and the change was breathtaking." 10."I painted all wood furniture items in my home shades of green, mostly from sample pots. So, all my wooden pieces, like stools and tables, are now in beautiful, matching colors. They look totally custom for under $50." Susan, 57, Canada 11."My townhome doesn't have A/C. It's absolutely brutal in the summer; I hate it so much. Portable air conditioners are noisy and must have buckets of water emptied frequently. Anyway, recently, I was gifted a couple of ceiling fans and had them installed. I had no idea the difference they would make! They absolutely transform the space and make it livable during the worst of summer." 12."Dimmer switches everywhere. Being able to dim lights in your dining room, for example, can be a game changer. We also have a dimmer on our kitchen lights as the kitchen is small, but I wanted plenty of overhead lights just in case. So dimming them helps a lot." wylyjoan 13."Right now, I'm most happy with the cheap water sensors I added to areas where leaks could go unnoticed. I only had one that I got for free and tossed it under the sink, never thinking about it. Last week, I got a notification on my phone that there was a leak and assumed the thing was acting up. Nope, the garbage disposal failed during a dishwasher cycle. Caught it early enough that no damage resulted." 14."Getting a solar-powered attic fan reduced my air conditioner use by 40%, and it costs nothing to run, so it's a real long-term saving. Once installed, it's effortless; the sun comes up, it runs, and then it turns off as soon as the sun goes down. Installation was easy, and I could DIY without paying an expensive electrician or contractor." Anonymous, 73, California 15."I planted wildflower seeds in the bare spots of my backyard. Now, instead of patches of dirt that grass refuses to grow on, I have beautiful oases of orange, purple, and blue flowers that attract honey bees and bumblebees. My front yard, I keep 'normal' looking to match the neighborhood, but the backyard is going wild." 16."WiFi cameras that dont need a hub. Just set them wherever and plug them in. No configuration is needed; I'm in Florence at the moment, and I can look around our house with our $35 purchase and an app on my phone." David, 75, California 17."I installed two large steel overhead storage racks in the garage for those bulky or less frequently used items like ladders, table saws, folding chairs, and bins of items. Everyone who sees them wants them in their garage, too. They really do add a lot of storage space to the garage." Robert, 64, South Carolina u/reddit_user_g / Via reddit.com 18."I got an exhaust fan for my bathroom that has speakers, which connect to your phone to play music while you shower." Cecelia 19."Switching out the '90s brass hardware on all of the interior doors in my house for the matte black finish ones cost less than $100 and makes it look 100 times better. It's also very easy to do; it takes about 510 minutes per door once you get the hang of it (pun slightly intended)." 20."Installed a hot water circulating pump on our hot water heater. No more running water and waiting for it to get hot! The pump has a timer you can set so it doesn't move the water around constantly. It actually lowered our water bill (and usage) for a one-time investment." Val 21."I put our new bathroom vanity on post legs rather than its platform-style base. We decided we wanted the vanity to look more like a piece of furniture, so we spent around $100 for legs we found online and stained them with the touch-up stain that came with the vanity." 22."I had an outlet installed in my medicine cabinet. I can have my electric toothbrush charging in there without any cords visible. They make cabinets with an outlet already installed, but those are a ton of money so my contractor cut a hole in the metal top of the cabinet and installed the outlet there." u/Ask-a-Walrus 23."Curved shower rods. I will never go back to a straight bar ever." 24."Extensive wire shelving and removable small labeled bins in an extra bedroom closet. This space now holds all my craft and sewing materials, and the whole upgrade cost less than $200." Anonymous 25."I have done so many little upgrades, but the trivial ones that I see daily are the ones that bring me the most joy. I replaced the super cheap beige light switch covers in our kitchen with ceramic ones that almost perfectly match our backsplash. It made such a huge difference. It still blows my mind that the people who built our house used so many builder-grade products." 26."New electrical outlet covers to match light switch covers made our home look very put-together!" Kat, Texas 27."Adding wainscoting to our main living area. It was such an inexpensive project that everyone who comes over gushes about." 28."New mailbox. I bought it before we even closed our house because the last one looked pretty ugly and old from the outside, but it was rusted to bits on the inside! The poor mail carrier was probably worried about getting tetanus every time he delivered mail. I installed the new one before we even moved in. It went from an old, faded health hazard to a bright, shiny new one. It's such a little change, but it was the first thing that made me feel like, 'Wow, this is our home now!' Never really cared about a mailbox before that." u/jessykab 29."I just installed an electric keypad deadbolt and fell in love with it immediately; no more messing with keys while taking the dog on a walk!" 30."Putting lights under the kitchen cabinet. It was like cooking in the dark before." manimal28 31.And finally: "A $20 showerhead to replace the dumb, expensive rainfall one that came with the house. Best $20 I spent this decade." Now, it's your turn. Homeowners (and renters!), we want to hear about the budget-friendly home upgrade you made that you wish you'd done years ago. Tell us about your project in the comments below or through this anonymous form, and your submission could be featured in a future BuzzFeed Community post. Note: Comments have been edited for length and/or clarity. Do you have a child age 5 or younger in Wisconsin? Here are five stories you should read. As I am coming up on two years as one of the few reporters in the nation who reports exclusively on early child care and education, Ive been doing a lot of reflecting lately. I think of how every time I visit a child care center for a story, I leave with a big smile on my face. How children I just met will approach me and ask to play, and then send me on my way with a fine art piece they made just for me (thank you, Nancy at Bridges). How even though the pandemic has spurred so much worry about childrens development and for good reason I still see children sharing, smiling and, those who struggle with behavioral challenges, improving. I see their teachers working tirelessly to give them the best possible early education. Its more than reading stories and playtime; through that play, they learn so much. These teachers help teach these preschoolers, and even babies, the social skills they need to succeed in life. They teach emotional regulation. They teach colors, numbers and letters basic academic foundations, too. They connect with families so they know before a child even sets foot in the classroom what kind of morning they had, and they prepare. Its incredible. This week, from April 6-12, is the Week of the Young Child, a time the National Association of Young Children established decades ago to celebrate children through age 8, and the caregivers and educators who support them. My coverage, which primarily focuses on children 5 and younger and those who care for them, includes a substantial portion of this population. In honor of the Week of the Young Child, I encourage you to reflect with me on the greatness, struggles and triumphs of these children, caregivers, educators and their communities. To do so, Ive compiled the top five stories I believe every person who loves a child age 5 or younger should read. Related: Help Me Grow extends free early childhood resources to Northeastern Wisconsin Related: New service connects Wisconsin children, youth with specific health needs with resources Its a theme seen throughout my reporting: the importance of high-quality early education. Ive even covered how to pick the best child care for your child. But with the cost of care for one child averaging up to 18% to 35% of a familys income (and thats the cost of care of just one child), financing quality care can be difficult. OK, difficult is an understatement. In October, we published a piece outlining some options for help. Note that communities may have their own resources for this, and checking in with your local Child Care Resource & Referral agency or Family Resource Center is a good place to start. In related recent news, Gov. Tony Evers signed a bipartisan bill into law that will expand a state tax credit for care expenses for children and other qualifying dependents. The changes will go into effect with the state income taxes filed in spring 2025. Last month, we broke down how families can estimate how much relief the changes could bring them. In Wisconsin, attending 4-year-old kindergarten is optional. Most school districts offer public 4K, which is tuition free. There are also private 4K programs. This means, in many areas, there are a plethora of 4K options. This leads to parents having to make two major decisions: Is 4K right for their child? And, if so, what is the best 4K program for them? In June, I talked to experts about these questions, and condensed their main points into a story. For those wanting more insight on how 4K works in Wisconsin, check out this piece from this winter. More: New 4K bill could help child care, but at the expense of schools? More: 10 common Wisconsin open enrollment questions answered Sarah Slattery talks with Evan Forehand, right, during a session that uses table toys to help students with socialization during Kindergarten Camp Thursday at Westwood Elementary School in De Pere. Just like 4K sparks a range of questions, kindergarten does as well. Often, caregivers biggest concern is whether their child is ready for this next step in their academic careers. We broke down some key considerations in this February 2023 piece. Related: Transitioning to kindergarten is a big step. Here's how experts say you can support your child before and after school starts. Last year, our statewide mental health reporter, Natalie Eilbert, and I came across a disturbing statistic: Children in state-funded prekindergarten programs including school settings, child care programs and more are three times likelier to be expelled than students in K-12 schools. In Wisconsin, that rate is more than five times higher. These original figures are from a 2005 study, but theres no evidence this has improved, Walter Gilliam, the researcher behind the study, told us. In fact, it could be getting worse. A 2021 report Gilliam worked on found the majority of Wisconsin early care and educational professionals surveyed reported seeing an increase in challenging behaviors in children. This summer, Natalie and I dove into why there are so many early childhood expulsions and what is being done to help, by talking to educators, researchers and families. Recently, I learned about a new effort to curb expulsions that Child Care Resource & Referral Inc. in Kimberly is leading. Stay tuned for a story on this particular effort. More: Where to find help for young child behavioral challenges in Wisconsin If you have a young child in your life, you have experienced the world of carseats. But how do you know when your child is ready for the next seat? Who can help you ensure the proper fit? How many layers of clothing are too many when in a car seat? How do you know when a car seat expires? I originally dove into these questions for National Child Passenger Safety Week in 2022, but the takeaways I learned are still relevant and extremely important today. Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps member based at The Appleton Post-Crescent. To contact her, email mlammert@gannett.com or call 920-993-7108. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to Report for America by visiting postcrescent.com/RFA. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Five stories to read if you have a child 5 or younger in Wisconsin Imagine walking into a grocery store and seeing a single brand of each item. Identical squeeze bottles of "Ketchup." One company's "Mustard." One brand of "Salsa." Just one maker's "Hot Sauce." What a bland world it would be. If Momofuku has its way, the only "Chili Crunch" on store shelves will bear the name Momofuku. Momofuku, founded by chef David Chang, acquired the rights to use chile crunch, spelled with an "e," last year from Chile Colonial LLC, a Denver company that registered the trademark in 2015 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office after making a Mexican-inspired chile crunch sauce since 2008. Then on March 29, Momofuku filed a trademark application for the term chili crunch, spelled with an "i," and started sending cease and desist orders to multiple businesses selling chili crunch products, the Guardian first reported. A jar of Momofuku chili crunch. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) Social media backlash immediately followed. Actor Simu Liu, who serves as the chief content officer for MiLa, a food and beverage company that makes frozen dumplings and chili crunch, challenged Momofuku to a blind taste test on Twitter last week: "Winner keeps the name, loser (it'll be you) backs off." In a statement to The Times, a spokesperson for Momofuku said the company has seen multiple chili crisp products rebranded as chili crunch over the last year, and that the trademark was never intended to "stifle innovation in a category that we care deeply about." "When we created our product, we wanted a name we could own and intentionally picked 'Chili Crunch' to further differentiate it from the broader chili crisp category," the spokesperson wrote in an email. "We worked with a family-owned company called Chile Colonial to purchase the trademark from them. They have defended the trademark previously against companies like Trader Joes." One of the voices critical of Momofuku threatening legal action against other chile sauce businesses was Fly by Jing chef and entrepreneur Jing Gao. She started bottling Sichuan chili crisp in 2018, and is often credited as the catalyst for the mainstreaming of chili crisp. She is also an investor and advisor in Homiah, one of the brands that received a cease and desist letter. Gao's own company, as multiple outlets reported, filed to trademark "Sichuan Chili Crisp" in 2019 only to see its application dismissed in 2020. "The chile crunch trademark should also not have been granted," wrote Gao in a Substack newsletter titled "On Trademark Bullies." "It is a descriptive term for a cultural product, one that has existed in Chinese cuisine for hundreds of years." A jar of Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp by Jing Gao. Gao is credited with starting the current chili sauce craze with the introduction of her chili crisp in 2018. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) What the newsletter and other stories did not mention , however, is that last week, on April 3, Fly by Jing filed again to trademark "Sichuan Chili Crisp," according to the U.S. Patent and Trade Office. Then on Monday, Gao said in a statement to The Times that she requested to withdraw the application. Gao said Fly by Jing reapplied for "Sichuan Chili Crisp" as well as "Chengdu Crunch" "to safeguard against the potential that we need to defend ourselves against a larger power that may be threatened by our existence. In light of the events of the last two days however, we now believe that theres been enough awareness raised about the descriptive nature of the term, that the USPTO will reconsider the chili/chile crunch trademarks, and we felt comfortable with filing a request to abandon the application for our products name, which we have already done as of Saturday." "Even if we were granted the trademark for Sichuan Chili Crisp, which we have now abandoned, Fly By Jing would not have used it to intimidate small businesses," wrote Jing. Read more: A spicy Thanksgiving with Fly by Jing founder Jing Gao Yet if Fly by Jing had been granted a trademark, the company would be responsible for enforcing it, as outlined by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. By not protecting your trademark, you could lose it. If I had my way, neither term would be trademarked. David Tran, founder of the Huy Fong Foods Sriracha sauce, never sought to exclusively own the term "Sriracha." Instead, he trademarked his signature rooster logo and bottle. I reject the notion that someone could exclusively own something so ingrained in my culture, a food I consider an intrinsic part of my identity. These trademarks will limit who can profit off a food with a connection to entire cultures. It would be like someone trying to trademark salsa macha and salsa verde. Wait, inexplicably somebody did trademark salsa verde, signaling a serious problem with the USPTO lacking the knowledge to accurately or fairly determine what's descriptive or confusing when it comes to certain foods. I, like many Chinese Americans, feel a sense of pride and ownership over the condiment typically made with garlic, other alliums, chiles and oil. Whether you call it crisp, oil, crunch or sauce, its a condiment thats integral to the cuisines, cultures and experiences of Asian Americans around the world. Michelle Tew, founder and CEO of Homiah foods, called receiving her cease and desist letter a "punch in the gut." "Homiah's Sambal Chili Crunch product is personal and based on a family recipe from my Granny Nonie dating back to countless generations of Nyonya heritage in Penang, Malaysia," Tew wrote in a statement on LinkedIn. "I was shocked and disappointed that a well-known and respected player in the Asian food industry would legally threaten me a one-woman show operating on a much smaller scale from selling a product that is part of my family's history and culture." The move to trademark "chili crunch," whether intentional or not, will only serve to whitewash an entire genre of chile sauces. Although some of the sauce companies have strong financial backing according to Forbes, Momofuku raised $17.5 million in funding last year with $50 million in sales, MiLa recently raised $22.5 million and Fly by Jing raised 12 million last year many of these products are made by small AAPI-owned companies. All deserve a piece of the more than $3 billion hot sauce industry in the United States. And that number is expected to nearly double in the next decade, according to a market report by Fortune Business Insights. A jar of chile sauce can be found on most tables at restaurants serving dumplings in the San Gabriel Valley. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) Melody and Russ Stein's pizza company Pi00a (pronounced pie-oh-ah) started selling jars of chili crunch when they launched a ghost kitchen in Koreatown last year with their children, Taysia and Rylan. Pi00a is a Deaf- and family-owned business, selling Neapolitan pizzas with Asian influences and a mission to provide jobs for the hard of hearing. For a soppressata pizza, Melody came up with her own version of chili crunch, something sweet and spicy that goes with the Italian dry salume, she said over the phone with her daughter as interpreter. People liked it and started asking for jars of it, and Pi00a now sells about 100 jars a week through its online business and 40 retailers. We just started our small business, it costs a lot of money to rebrand. Its very difficult to absorb any added expense. We just hope [Momofuku] realizes the impact this has on the community and they drop the trademarks. Kansas City chef James Chang, who makes a chili crunch of his own, wrote in an Instagram post referencing the cease and desist letters, While I have not received one yet it's only a matter of time. ... For someone that has railed against how ethnic aisles in grocery stores do not have enough minority-owned brands [David Chang] is doing just the goddamn same. Instead of creating a community he wants to create a monopoly. A collection of chile oil, crisp and crunch. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times) You can find a jar of chile sauce that's half oil, half chile-and-garlic sediment on the tables at most restaurants serving dumplings in the San Gabriel Valley. Many make the sauce themselves. Before it was a trendy condiment found at every superette (and even Costco), there were half-empty jars of Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisp with crust around the lids in my fridge and on my family dinner table. My Chinese grandmother and uncle introduced me to Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisp in the late '90s. Its a sludge-like combination of dried chiles, crispy onions, MSG and fermented soybeans. For years I called it chili crunchy. I could never remember the name, and simply asked for more of that chili crunchy stuff with the stern lady. The sauce was created by Tao Huabi in Guizhou, China, in 1984. Hers is the face on every bottle. Read more: Obsessed with chili crisp? Here's how to make it extra crunchy Nearly a decade ago, I brought Lao Gan Ma to a hot sauce taste-off with the late Jonathan Gold and Kogi BBQ chef Roy Choi. The chili crunchy stuff with the stern lady on the bottle was the clear winner. "Sauce invented by our ancestors, our version perfected for 30+ years ... ," wrote the makers of Bowl Cut chili crisp on Instagram. "No one should own a trademark for the description of a sauce that's been around forever." Chili crunch belongs to everyone. Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock contributed to this report. Sign up for our Tasting Notes newsletter for restaurant reviews, Los Angeles food-related news and more. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. In a historic move that will improve the health and well-being of its citizens, New Zealand announced it would ban "forever chemicals" formally called PFAS from cosmetics starting in 2026, per the Guardian. Scientists call PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) forever chemicals because they're notoriously difficult to get rid of, and some can take hundreds or thousands of years to break down in the environment. In the meantime, they contaminate the air, water, and soil with toxic chemicals, posing dangers to humans and animals. PFAS have been found in remote places such as the Arctic Ocean, drinking water, and even human blood and placentas. The Environmental Protection Agency stated that PFAS can build up in the body over time and can cause reproductive harm, developmental delays, increased risk of cancers, and poor immune health, among other issues. Because of their numerous hazards to people and the environment, New Zealand's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) made the landmark decision to prevent PFAS from being used in cosmetics, as the Guardian reported. The Food and Drug Administration said that cosmetic companies use PFAS in products to "condition and smooth the skin and hair, making them appear shiny, or to affect product consistency and texture." While the EPA said that only a small number of cosmetics tested contained PFAS, the agency wanted to ensure only clean cosmetics make it to store shelves in the future. Other countries around the world are also trying to phase out PFAS, including the United States, where several senators are pushing for laws to limit manufacturing of the chemicals. Walmart recently banned over 1,200 toxic ingredients, including PFAS, from its "clean beauty" makeup products. The European Union is also working on phasing out the chemicals, except where they're essential to society. Per the Guardian, the EPA believes New Zealand is the first country to ban PFAS in cosmetics, although some U.S. states such as California, Maine, and Minnesota have passed legislation to ban them in some products. Professor Allan Blackman at Auckland University of Technology's School of Science told the Guardian that even though the EPA didn't find any PFAS in New Zealandbased cosmetics, around 90% of beauty products are imported. "[That] could lead to significant compliance requirements for those involved in their importation, and indeed the disappearance of certain products from shelves post 2027," Blackman told the outlet. "Having taken this first step, it will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens to other PFAS sources such as nonstick cookware and waterproof fabrics," he added. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. What is Eid al-Fitr? What to know about the Muslim holiday at the end of Ramadan As Ramadan comes to an end, Muslims are getting ready to commemorate the month of fasting, spirituality and reflection. Eid Al-Fitr, Arabic for the celebration of breaking the fast," is expected to fall on or around Wednesday, April 10, this year. The holiday starts once the crescent moon signifying the start of the month of Shawwal in the Islamic Hijri calendar is spotted. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and spend time in self-reflection and prayer. What is Eid al-Fitr? Eid al-Fitr marks the first day Muslims return to their regular lifestyles. In fact, it's forbidden to fast on this day. "God has given us that one special day for us to celebrate our ability to get through that one month," Khalid Mozaffar, director of communications and outreach at the American Islamic Association in Frankfort, Illinois, told USA TODAY. What do Muslims do on Eid al-Fitr? The Eid prayer is a cornerstone of celebration. Muslims will congregate in their local mosques in the early hours of the first day of Eid to perform this prayer. Muslims are also obligated to pay Zakat al-Fitr, a mandatory charity of food that must be given before the Eid prayer. Every Muslim who can afford to do so is required to donate what is roughly a plate of food. Millions of Indonesian Muslims pray to celebrate the end of Ramadan Eid al-Fitr, the month long of fasting, in Jakarta. 05 December 2002. The donations help people celebrate Eid no matter their financial situation, Tareq Alkhudari, a Kuwaiti human rights activist, told USA TODAY. Since it's difficult for many people to give an actual plate of food, many Muslims may choose to donate to charity organizations, like Islamic Relief, that have estimated the cost of a plate of food, which will feed those in need on their behalf. How else do they celebrate? Eid celebrations all across the globe vary, but it's not uncommon for families to get dressed up in their best clothes, have a nice small breakfast together and spend the day visiting relatives and friends. Muslims will wish each other "Eid Mubarak," or a blessed holiday. Family members exchange gifts or money, sometimes called "Eidi". It's also not uncommon for community members to give out "eidi" to the young children in their communities. The holiday is celebrated across the globe and different cultures have their traditions and customs for the joyous occasion, including unique dishes and sweets made just for the celebration. Contributing: Maria Jimenez Moya This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eid al-Fitr: What to know about the Islamic holiday After much anticipation, Londons former Old War Office building in Whitehall reopened as Europes first Raffles hotel property and private residences last September. Now, two show units inside the branded development have hit the market. The new Raffles London at the OWO took six years and more than $1.2 billion to complete. The landmarked, Grade II-listed structure was originally built for the British Army and famously served as Winston Churchills office during WWII. Plus, the historic property had cameos in five Bond flicks and an appearance in Netflixs The Crown. More from Robb Report The residential component, known as the OWO Residences by Raffles, includes 85 private homes ranging from studios to penthouses, turret residences, and Heritage Suites. Every unit is completely unique in its design and layout. Weve sold just under half of the building already, Charlie Walsh, head of residential sales at The OWO, tells Robb Report. Each apartment is like a one-of-one. Residence 4.04 at The OWO Residences by Raffles. The OWO recently unveiled two completed show residences, both of which are available to purchase fully furnishedmeaning youll find art hanging on the walls, cutlery in the drawers, and sheets on the bed. Residence 4.04the larger, more contemporary homeis a sprawling 2,500-square-foot duplex kitted out by Londons RJP Design. Altogether, the digs comprise three bedrooms, plus a private outdoor terrace. Residence 3.05, on the other hand, was designed by UK firm Albion Nord and offers a more classic, old-English country feel. Think lots of antique pieces and rich colors that mirror the heritage of the British building. Speaking of which, one of the highlights is a stunning grand entrance hallway that harks back to The OWOs storied past. When we bought the building, we inherited two-and-a-half miles of this incredible historic corridor, which is about two meters wide (about six feet), Walsh explained. And it was that size because, during the war, youd have mail trolleys and people running around delivering messages and telegrams. So, what weve done is weve incorporated some of these incredible corridors into the actual apartments. Residence 3.05 features a wide entry corridor. Clocking in at 2,000 square feet, the dwelling is slightly smaller and has only two bedrooms. By no means does the unit feel cramped, though. The average two-bed size in London is about 900 square feet, Walsh says. This is more than double. Of course, residents will also have access to a slew of perks including 24-hour concierge service, private in-room dining, a 16-seat screening room, a boardroom, and fitness facilities. Plus, the 120-key Raffles hotel has nine on-site restaurants, three bars, and Londons first Guerlain-branded spa. Weve created 30,000 square feet of amenities which are solely dedicated to residents, Walsh explains. Most developments that have a hotel and residential component share all the amenities. Here, we deliberately kept them separate, so you will not see another member of the public or a hotel guest. The only thing that is shared is the 65-foot-long swimming pool. Were very fortunate because its a Raffles-branded residence; the Raffles brand stands for hospitality, Walsh says. Its in their DNA. Theyve done it for over 100 years now, starting in Singapore. Theyre very good at looking after people, at curating incredible communities and facilities, and almost creating a private members club scenario for residents, which I think has been really appealing for buyers. Click here to see more photos of The OWO Residences by Raffles. Raffles residences at The OWO london 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. Luca Curci Architects is using one of the worlds most fragile materials to make a statement about the climate. The Italian studio, which was founded by Luca Curci in 2006, just unveiled plans for a groundbreaking glass museum that will float on the water to encourage more environmental awareness across the globe. More from Robb Report The aptly named Floating Glass Museum was conceived by an international team of architects and designers, with the support of artificial intelligence, because it is 2024, after all. Inspired by Venices rich history of glass production, the structure artfully combines traditional Italian craftsmanship with innovative tech and cutting-edge design. As Curcis eponymous firm puts it, The museum will be a sanctuary where the history of glass meets the contemporary experimentation. Inside the museum. The team meticulously researched different materials to ensure the museum is eco-friendly inside and out. They also studied the surroundings to minimize the impact the building has on the oceanic environment. Sustainable design aside, the museum will function like the Met or MoMA. Spanning some 3,800 square feet, the interior will house artwork as a means to invite contemplation, reflection, and discovery. It will also point up major environmental concerns. The project will be presented in several cities negatively affected by climate change, such as Dubai, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Busan. Climate change is, of course, affecting every country on every continent. Weather patterns are changing, natural disasters are becoming more extreme, and greenhouse gas emissions are at an all-time high. Inside the museum. The oceans absorb 90 percent of the heat trapped by emissions, which is causing the ice sheets and glaciers to melt and the sea levels to rise. (By 2100, scientists estimate that the sea level will climb at least another foot, but could rise as much as 8 feet.) Increasing ocean temperatures also affects marine species and ecosystems, leading to coral bleaching and the eradication of breeding grounds. By immersing art lovers in the ocean, the museum aims to bring more awareness to the climate crisis. It may not be long before we can check out an exhibition, either. Curci has given the project a rather ambitious realization time of one year. Click here to see all the photos of the Floating Glass Museum. Floating Glass Museum 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. The influencers who share halal eateries in New York City celebrate breaking the Ramadan fasting with traditional foods from Bangladesh, Guyana, and Pakistan. As Ramadan ends, Muslims worldwide prepare for Eid al-Fitr, a celebration marking the conclusion of a month dedicated to fasting, prayer, reflection, and charity. For Tahirah Baksh, Sameen Choudhry, and Jiniya Azad, the faithful and food-infatuated founders of the popular Instagram account and blog MuslimFoodies, waking up on Eid morning is not only spiritually reinvigorating but culturally rewarding. Eid is a day that reminds them of their families' origins, their traditions, and, perhaps most importantly, some of their favorite home-cooked foods. Baksh, Choudhry, and Azad met in college and after connecting over their love of food, launched a blog. It was the Instagram era where everyone would post without thinking. No aesthetic feed, no curation, nothing. It was just food, Azad recalls. What started as three friends wanting to find halal spots they could enjoy after class has become an Instagram destination for Muslims and food lovers with more than 100,000 followers. For Eid, however, the three emphasize the importance of traditional foods that may not always make it to their Instagram the dishes that their elders have prepared for generations to mark this occasion. While they share common rituals such as the post-prayer Eid nap following the festive breakfast they note the diverse culinary heritage within the Muslim community. They speak of the significance of incorporating family recipes from their respective countries of origin, highlighting the rich tapestry of flavors and customs that make their Eid celebrations meaningful. This diversity underscores the fact that the Muslim world is not a monolith, but a mosaic of cultures, traditions, and experiences. Related: 25 Recipes to Celebrate Eid al-Fitr Baksh, a born-and-raised New Yorker from the Bronx whose family is from Guyana, views Ramadan as a blessing, calling it a month of mercy and forgiveness. Growing up in a primarily Muslim neighborhood, she says Eid has always been a day full of community, celebration, and a deep love of sharing with others. All day, there are people coming and going and eating a little something at our house. The Guyanese staples at her familys table include a spicy duck curry seasoned in Caribbean and West Indian flavors such as green seasoning, masala, and wiri wiri pepper. They cook the spices in oil to bring out their flavor, then coat the duck in the oil and spice paste, allowing the spices to season the duck. Served alongside this spicy dish is a sweet and milky vermicelli that bridges the savory and sweet on the table. Choudhrys family also serves a combination of sweet and savory dishes for Eid. We have it all at breakfast; this is our biggest meal and has stayed consistent over the years, she says. A New Yorker raised in Queens but born in Pakistan, Choudhry says her familys table is covered in traditional Pakistani breakfast entrees including halwa puri, a sweet dish made with semolina (also known as sooji ka halwa) and a deep-fried flatbread. Her family also serves cholay ka salan, a chickpea curry next to aloo ki tarkari, a potato curry thats tangy and spicy seasoned with mustard seeds and pickled spices and often topped with freshly cut red onions. Choudhrys grandmother oversees her familys Eid meal and makes a traditional rice pudding dish called kheer that she mixes with vermicelli to make her own. Were so excited for [this dish], this is mine and my cousins primary memory; Eid is the day our grandma is going to make this dish, she says. Its such a simple food, but for us, it means a lot. Azad, born in the seaport city of Chittagong in Bangladesh but raised in Brooklyn and Queens, spoke of her mothers chotpoti a slowly cooked white pea and chickpea stew. I know Eid is here when I can smell my moms chotpoti stew cooking the night before, she says. Her family personalizes their chotpoti with toppings like cilantro, boiled eggs, and fuchka (a deep-fried dough that pops when Azad crushes them over her bowl). Azads favorite topping is her mothers thick homemade tamarind sauce, I love that kick of sourness in my chotpoti bowl, she says. Some Eid breakfasts feature her mothers haleem, a spicy stew thats made with beef, goat, or chicken cooked with barley and lentils and garnished with fried onions, cilantro, and some lemon juice for an added tang. Bengalis make it much thicker and reduce it down more which creates this concentrated flavor that can only be achieved by the long cooking time, she says. Food in particular is what brings the community together food has always been our love language. So to see your friend, your brother, at the mosque and invite them over to share in the Eid celebration is very special, says Baksh. Since food is central to each of the MuslimFoodies days, the holy month of Ramadan can feel long 12 to 14 hours of fasting during the day can make any afternoon drag on. They note that Ramadans blessings are grounded in charity and solidarity most of all. Its a month dedicated to taking care of those who are less fortunate, and this Eid feels different. We are heartbroken, shares Azad. Many of us are feeling anguish and extreme sorrow for what is going on in different parts of our Muslim community. While we have the privilege to safely break fasts with our families, we remember the people of Gaza, whose Eid will look starkly different than ours. By the time Eid comes around, they welcome the anticipation of the joyous day that comes faster than they expect every year. I always think of that analogyRamadan is your life, says Jiniya. Getting into heaven is Eid basicallyits a very, very small taste of what paradise is like. Youre fasting for 30 days, youre abstaining from a lot of things in the daytimeEid is a glimmer of whats to come. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. French soldiers take part in Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace for first time French soldiers have guarded Buckingham Palace for the first time marking a historic moment in cross-Channel relations. France became the first non-commonwealth country to take part in the Changing the Guard ceremony on Monday in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale. (Getty Images) Crowds looked on as 32 members of the Gendarmeries Garde Republicaine and 40 Guardsmen from the F Company Scots Guards marched together on the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace, where they were inspected by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the French Ambassador. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of King Charles III, watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (Victoria Jones/PA Wire) The French Gendarmerie were marched on and off the palace forecourt by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, who performed both countries national anthems as a symbol of the strength of the relationship between the two countries. Meanwhile, sixteen soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards joined troops from 1er Regiment de la Garde Republicaine to provide the Presidential Guard outside the Elysee Palace in Paris. The landmark procession was organised to mark the historic diplomatic agreement between Britain and France that laid the groundwork for their collaboration in both world wars. (Getty Images) Royals Edward and Sophie joined the keen onlookers as they inspected the event. The royals stood alongside the UK Chief of General Staff (CGS), General Sir Patrick Sanders, the French Chief of the Army Staff, General Pierre Schill, and the French ambassador to the UK Helene Duchene. Lt Col James Shaw, who has been responsible for designing the ceremony said: This is a sign of the strength of our relations. The French are some of our closest friends. And who knows when we might need each other? The procession followed a similar guard change attended by President Macron in Paris earlier on Monday. The Duke of Edinburgh inspects the troops (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire) While the French troops will participate in the ancient ceremony in London, they will not take the place of their British counterparts in guarding the King as this responsibility is only afforded to members of the British Armed Forces and Commonwealth troops. The Ministry of Defence said the appearance by French personnel at Buckingham Palace forms part of a longer-term programme of joint UK-French activity that celebrates the two nations historic military and diplomatic ties in 2024. This will include military sporting events, participation in each others air shows, and major events in Normandy this June to commemorate the heroic service of Allied veterans who fought to liberate France from Nazi occupation. (Victoria Jones/PA Wire) Garrison Sgt Maj Andrew Stokes, who has been responsible for delivering all ceremonial training, added: It is crucial for everyone in Nato to have a strong relationship. And this is an opportunity to both celebrate the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente Cordiale and also demonstrate our close relations with the French. Our first rehearsal went really well so were not nervous at all. It will be a wonderful celebration and an opportunity for the public to witness such a spectacle. TechCrunch Fidelity Investments, one of the world's largest asset managers, has confirmed that over 77,000 customers had personal information compromised during an August data breach, including Social Security numbers and driver's licenses. The Boston, Massachusetts-based investment firm said in a filing with Maines attorney general on Wednesday that an unnamed third party accessed information from its systems between August 17 and August 19 "using two customer accounts that they had recently established. We detected this activity on August 19 and immediately took steps to terminate the access, Fidelity said in a letter sent to those affected, adding that the incident did not involve any access to customers Fidelity accounts. Holding a high school diploma from Canada and a university degree in Chinese commerce language from China, Tat Dat has faced difficulties securing a fulfilling job upon his return to Vietnam. After moving back to his hometown of northern Quang Ninh province in 2022, it took him four months and over 20 job applications to land a position in e-commerce, with a starting salary of VND8 million ($320) per month - less than he hoped for. "I diligently monitored job platforms every hour, in search of an e-commerce trade position, hoping for a monthly salary of VND12 million to VND20 million," Dat said. "Upon eventually securing such a position, the employers informed me that what they could offer me would be VND8 million, a figure not open to negotiation." Dat said he believed that the salary he was offered would never compensate for the VND15 billion invested in his education, yet he remained at the position for six months. However, the unsatisfactory salary was merely one of several challenges he encountered in the Vietnamese job market, including difficulties adjusting to workplace culture, being tasked with duties not outlined in his contract, and frequently working overtime without additional compensation. "In practice, although the companys policy stated an eight-hour workday, the actual hours frequently extended to 10-12 hours a day, with no additional overtime compensation," Dat said. "This was a stark contrast to my previous experiences where an eight-hour workday strictly meant eight hours, nothing more." Dat discovered that being bilingual was no longer a distinctive advantage, facing competition from peers fluent in three or four languages. "Encountering peers fluent in English, Chinese, Korean, and French made me feel less competent," he admitted. A woman wearing academic cap and dress. Illustration photo by Unsplash Dats experience aligns with the results of a survey conducted by recruitment agency SHD involving 350 Vietnamese graduates of foreign institutions. The study revealed that 87% experienced cultural and workplace adaptation challenges within Vietnamese corporations, while 83% were dissatisfied with their salary and benefits. Ngo Thi Ngoc Lan of headhunt service Navigos Search observed that although graduates returning from abroad bring confidence, language skills, and open-mindedness, they often face difficulties adjusting to Vietnams distinct workplace culture. Such graduates require additional time to acclimate compared to their domestically-educated peers, due to the substantial differences in business practices between Vietnam and other countries. Ha Vy, a U.S. taxation degree holder, had experiences similar to Dat. After investing VND6 billion in her degree, Vy returned to Vietnam confident in her ability to get a well-paying position. Nonetheless, her lack of practical work experience meant it took her up to four months to find employment offering a monthly salary of VND10 million. "My expectations were set on a starting salary of at least VND20 million, but such opportunities proved elusive," she said. After enduring over a year of dissatisfaction due to the mismatch between her efforts and remuneration, the 27-year-old embarked on a job search in Malaysia, driven by her frustration with the undervaluation of her degree in Vietnam. "I had anticipated that my degree would garner greater appreciation and financial reward in Vietnam," Vy said. She further explained that despite her proficiency in English, the absence of practical experience posed a significant barrier. Consequently, she said that she now deems it unrealistic for overseas-educated graduates to expect salaries ranging between US$2,000-$3,000 upon their return to Vietnam. Le Thanh Ngan, the Head of Recruitment at FPT Education, said that foreign degree holders frequently aspire to high-ranking positions straight out of college, overlooking entry-level opportunities despite their lack of experience, which further complicates their job search in relation to salary expectations. But there are more reasons than that for graduates returning from abroads challenging job seeking journeys. Vu Hanh Hoa, CEO of a leadership training institute in Hanoi, pointed out that the ongoing economic downturn has been an additional hurdle for this group. As companies streamline operations, they favor experienced employees over those with overseas degrees who necessitate comprehensive training. "Major corporations are also facing challenges and have been compelled to reduce expenses to optimize their functions," she commented. "They prioritize retaining efficient, versatile staff capable of delivering immediate value." Hoa noted that many graduates returning from abroad come from affluent backgrounds, thus lacking the resilience and perseverance deemed essential in the challenging Vietnamese job market. Only a small fraction exhibit the endurance and tenacity valued by employers in todays global economic climate, she added. Another challenge for holders of foreign degrees is their limited experience in communication and building connections within the Vietnamese context. "Students who have spent significant time abroad tend to understand foreigners better than their own compatriots, necessitating a considerable period to re-acclimatize to Vietnamese society, its people, attitudes, and work culture," Hoa explained. Thus, many employers estimate that international graduates require six to 12 months to adapt, during which they incur significant training expenses without providing immediate benefits to the company. This in turn leads to employers reluctance to offer high initial salaries. Hoa advised that instead of focusing solely on the prestige of their foreign degrees, graduates returning from abroad should pursue opportunities to gain practical work experience to alleviate their employment challenges. "Often, these graduates return with the expectation that their "higher" qualifications merit positions at renowned, large companies with substantial salaries," she said. "This expectation creates a barrier to employment." Hoa thus encouraged returning graduates to adjust their expectations and recognize that a foreign degree serves merely as an additional credential. In the face of the economic downturn, as companies increasingly prioritize actual work performance over academic qualifications, Hoa said the ability to "genuinely contribute" was the key factor in getting hired. Thus, overseas degree holders should consider the importance of accruing work experience and evaluate how they can add value to a company based on their strengths. Hoa advised against holding out for positions in their preferred fields that meet their salary expectations. "Set aside your degrees and avoid becoming ensnared in delusions of grandeur," she counseled. "Dont become overly fixated on your foreign education." Otherwise, such graduates risk enduring continuous challenges similar to those faced by Dat. Disheartened by his comparatively lower earnings in relation to his domestically-educated counterparts, he opted to take out loans from his parents and other sources to launch a homestay business. "The overwhelming financial pressure left me with no choice but to venture into entrepreneurship," he said. "Starting this business has put me in debt of VND7 billion." Although the financial success of his new business remains uncertain, the ventures costs have accumulated to the total amount Dat has spent on his education and business startup, making it even more difficult for him to earn back what he has invested. Hundreds of couples have flocked to Arkansas to say I do just before daytime turns to darkness during Monday afternoons total solar eclipsea once-in-a-lifetime experience thatll be held in the middle of a rural field. The event, Total Eclipse of the Heart, promised on its website to offer astro-loving couples a chance to wedfor freejust before the sun fully slides behind the moon and creates approximately four minutes of total darkness there. The lovebirds have convened on Russellville, Arkansas, for the unique elopinga town of 30,000 between Fayetteville and Little Rock thats squarely in the middle of the eclipses totality zone. Event organizers said that it would provide a wedding officiant, decorations, flowers, a wedding cake, and a sparkling wine for the couples to celebrate. Couples were asked only to show up with a marriage license and bring their own attire. Severe Weather Forces Massive Eclipse Festival to Cancel Just Before Totality Organizers said the mass ceremony will conclude a few minutes before the solar eclipse reaches totality, allowing the couples to not have to miss a single second while they say their vows and smooch. Family and friends are allowed to attend, but must buy an admission ticket that grants them access to the ceremony and to the ensuing celebration, which includes concerts. Rodney Williams, an event organizer, told KATV that the event exploded in popularity with nearly 300 couples from across 22 states signing up in advance. One bride, Carlotta Cox, told the local TV news station 40/29, It just seems like the coolest wedding that you could ever have. I think the emotions from seeing the eclipse take place are just going to be a synergistic effect that heightens everything and brings tears to the eyes, Williams told KATV. Seeing the smiling faces and hopefully seeing stars and just being a part of that is going to make me happy. 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. In the everyday culinary realm, paprika is synonymous with iconic dishes like deviled eggs and Hungarian goulash. But paprika has plenty of exciting uses beyond those more commonly known dishes. It adds dimension to soups and stews, contributes complexity to a broth, or adds nuance to a spice rub. Paprika is so beloved in Hungary, where it happens to be the country's national spice, there's an entire museum dedicated to the stuff. Thanks to the fact that paprika comes in multiple varieties -- sweet, smoked, and spicy among them -- home cooks have the opportunity to get creative when it comes to paprika-inflected preparations. Combining different versions of this versatile spice will contribute depth, and also help to balance one another within the context of your recipe. By understanding the types of paprika available to you and what flavor profiles they offer, you can start to brainstorm blends for your favorite paprika-friendly recipes. Read more: What These Imitation Foods Are Actually Made Of Types Of Paprika Paprika in wooden bowl - Stefan Tomic/Getty Images The paprika commonly found in American grocery stores is fairly mild and sweet. This "domestic" paprika is a super versatile ingredient, whether included in a glaze for chicken wings, a seasoning for homemade cheese crackers, or even infused into chocolate-based treats. It also brings that signature brilliant orange-red color to a dish and even can help emulsify flavorful vinaigrettes. And while you can stick to a milder option, some versions of this spice contain enough capsaicin to send you in search of a glass of water. Although the variety marked "Hungarian Paprika" in the U.S. tends to be mild and sweet, there are eight different flavor profiles of paprika in Hungary and certain Hungarian varieties rival a jalapeno in their heat factor. Spanish paprika (also known as pimenton) comes in three heat levels (sweet, bittersweet, or hot), and has a rich, smoky flavor. That's because the process by which this paprika is made requires that the pepper first be dried and smoked over a fire. From there, these peppers are ground into the powder that finds its way into many culinary applications in the region's cuisine, from paella and chorizo to patatas bravas and romesco sauce. Blending Different Types Of Paprika Deviled eggs sprinkled with paprika - Iaroshenko Maryna/Shutterstock Settling on a paprika blend is a matter of preference and may require some trial and error to discover your perfect ratios. You can start with some classic recipes that already incorporate the spice and adjust from there. The classic deviled eggs you know and love may call for regular paprika, but thanks to the versatility of eggs, these bites make an ideal canvas for blending with smoky or spicy. Similarly, hummus, mac and cheese, cauliflower, and even creamy Greek yogurt welcome a sprinkle of paprika and provide platforms upon which to try out new combinations of sweet, smoky, and spicy. And you can think beyond dinner. Instead of cayenne, reach for a mix of hot and smoky paprika to add depth to your next mug of Mexican hot chocolate. Snacks like popcorn and crunchy chickpeas are great opportunities to experiment with your paprika blends, too. There are many foods you may not realize taste better with paprika, and by sampling different combinations, you'll open up layers of flavor that promise to give about any dish a major boost. Read the original article on Daily Meal People Are Sharing The Affordable Foods They Eat All The Time That Are Considered "Luxuries" By The Rest Of The World They say one man's trash is another man's treasure, and the same can be said about food. In fact, in different places around the world, the most commonplace foods are considered serious delicacies abroad. So Redditor u/Well_shit__-_- asked, "What common foods in your country are considered delicacies by foreigners?" Here are some of the responses. 1."In Spain, good olive oil. When people visit, you can buy the cheapest olive oil and it will taste so flavorful. In the U.S., even the more expensive olive oils don't compare." u/cyansun Getty Images 2."It may sound silly, but here in Iceland our delicacy is water. Our tap water is perfect and every local drinks it straight from the tap. Around the world, however, people buy bottled Icelandic water." u/lastavailableuserr Getty Images 3."Durian in Southeast Asia, the number of durian farmers who have found overnight wealth is astonishing, all thanks to demand for durian exports. It's an acquired taste and very polarizing. You either love it or hate it. I fall into the latter category, but I still respect it as the king of fruit in Asia." 4."In China, seafood like lobster, king crab, Dungeness crab, abalone, spotted prawns, and geoduck can be pretty cheap and rather commonplace for people to eat on everyday occasions. In the U.S., these foods can be wildly expensive, so foreigners visiting China go nuts over them." u/MsKim Getty Images 5."In Egypt, falafel is basically food for the poor. It's the cheapest meal you get from a street food cart, and you can feed a whole family on less than $1. In many other countries, fast casual falafel is comparatively so expensive it's mind-blowing." u/mohelgamal Getty Images 6."Italian wine. There are some really delicious locally made wines that cost $10 dollars for a bottle. In the U.S. you'll find the same wine (or one of the same quality) for over $60." u/simply_gamer32 Getty Images 7."Blue crabs here in Maryland. I'm from Annapolis, I could quite literally throw chicken off any random pier for about an hour and catch enough crabs for a feast." u/weesome Getty Images 8."I lived in Iraq for a year where a dozen delicious lamb chops cost about $5. It costs $60 or more to buy the same thing in the U.S., only the quality is so much worse." u/eodtec1985 Getty Images 9."I'm from Romania and I used to eat caviar all the time as a cheap snack growing up, even though I was moderately poor. I was stunned to find out it's a delicacy elsewhere." u/AntarcticanJam Getty Images 10."I live in Finland where we basically have unlimited qualities of free forest berries (blueberries, cloudberries, lingonberries, etc.) Everyman's Rights say that anyone can go and pick as much as you can find, and if you're willing to spend enough time picking berries in late summer, you'll probably have enough to last until next year in the freezer. Forest berries are considered to be superfoods around the world very healthy and trendy but here they're just very commonplace." u/MryyLeathert Rbkomar / Getty Images 11."In Mexico, the avocados are incredible and SO cheap. My wife is Mexican, and every time we go to the grocery store here in the U.S. she comments on how ridiculously expensive avocados are here." u/CoopsCoffeeAndDonuts "I spent three months in Mexico10 years ago, and to this very day I am still disappointed when I eat an avocado or a mango in the states. They're just nothing like the Mexican version." u/Anakron_Stargazer Getty Images 12."Here in Hawaii, we've somehow turned spam into a sought after food, especially by people visiting from Japan." u/ebolajones Getty Images 13."Carniolan sausage, also known as Krainer wurst. It's protected by the E.U. as a Slovenian speciality that can only be made here, but it's loved and enjoyed by millions of Germans and Austrians." u/pecovje Getty Images 14."Stroopwafel here in The Netherlands. They sell the pre-packaged caramel disks around the world, but you haven't had Stroopwafel until you've bought one freshly pressed with still-warm and runny syrup from a street vendor in Amsterdam. ." u/nms1539 Getty Images 15."Morels. I grew up in Minnesota and my mom and I would use vacation days each spring to go morel picking. We would get five to ten pounds on average depending on the year. I couldnt live without them. No other mushroom compares." u/bsobania Getty Images 16."Tim Tams. My brother played the meanest joke by bringing these home from Australia. You cant find anything like these chocolate coated biscuits in the states." u/tenpiecelips Getty Images 17."In France it's the baguettes. I've seen American tourists walk out of French boulangeries with about a dozen of them. Slow down buddy, fresh bread is made all day long here. You don't need to stock up on that much." u/chinchenping Getty Images 18."In Spain jamon serrano and jamon Iberico de bellota are really common. You can find a very good product for a very affordable price. In other countries you'll find it for a pretty hefty price tag." u/another_bored_man Getty Images 19."I'm from the UK and Ive had American friends beg me to send over Cadbury chocolate. IMO, it's not as good as it used to be since it was bought out by Kraft (the irony!) but Americans still go nuts for it." u/GeordieGhoulette Getty Images 20."Where I'm from in Canada, lobster isn't for special occasions. In fact, people eat it all the time. Every Atlantic Canadian knows that aside from the wharf the best place to get it is from the back of a van straight from a chain smoking fisherman who advertises fresh lobster with spray painted signs." u/transtranselvania Getty Images 21."I'm from New England, so great maple syrup is just a local food for me, but for people from elsewhere it's a real delicacy. Supermarkets still have the fake stuff on their shelves, so plenty of people don't even know what they're missing until the try real Vermont maple syrup." u/dieinafirenazi Getty Images 22."I live in Hawaii, I was so confused when I went to a 'poke shop' on the mainland. It was so expensive for barely any fish, it was low-quality, and they offered to load it up with weird toppings like pineapple. Back home in Hawaii, you can buy a pound of incredibly fresh ahi shoyu poke from any local grocery store's poke counter for cheap." u/tealatteobsessed Ontherunphoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto 23."Italian truffles. I was in Tuscany during white truffle season and every restaurant was offering pasta dishes topped with a very generous serving of fresh truffle shavings for about 12. Where I live in the US I'd expect to pay at least $30 extra for any dish topped with fresh truffles, but in Italy, it's just a pretty standard pasta topping." Hannah Loewentheil Getty Images 24."Hot dogs! In the U.S. you can get a hotdog for a dollar, but abroad they're silly expensive. At a train station in Switzerland I saw 'authentic American hotdogs' being sold for about 15. They did not look authentic, and I was too cheap to find out if they tasted authentic." 25."Quail eggs. In the Philippines I can buy them at any grocery store or even from a street vendor. In fact, in many Asian markets, you can buy them boiled peeled in cans. I've rarely ever heard of them outside of Asia." u/Bobby_Mcschloppy Getty Images 26."Pecorino Romano cheese from its namesake, Rome. I went to a cheese store and asked for Pecorino and the cheesemonger went over to his cheese wheel and sliced off a giant chunk. I asked him to cut me a smaller piece because I didn't want to pay a fortune. When he finally handed me the cheese with the sticker slapped on the packaging, it was only 1.20. Back home in Canada this same slice would have easily been $20." u/Dogma6684 Getty Images 27."Carnitas. In the U.S. if you order carnitas at a restaurant you'll pay up to $10 for two little tacos. In Mexico they're a street food I see being prepared on the side of the road everyday, and it costs less than a dollar." u/Oskioso Getty Images 28."Halloumi cheese. It's a huge staple in Cyprus, and we eat it all the times. In the U.S. I only really see it on exotic cheese plates and the very occasional summer BBQ. If you can get your hands on it, try it on white bread with strawberry jam. You are welcome." u/Deathowler Getty Images What's a popular food from where you're from that foreigners consider to be a serious delicacy? Tell us in the comments below! Read the full article on Motorious Get ready Pontiac collectors! Pontiac aficionados, mark your calendars because the highly anticipated Big Boy Toy Sale is gearing up to showcase some of the most coveted gems from the Pontiac legacy. Set to take place later this month, this prestigious auction promises an exhilarating lineup of classic Pontiac vehicles that will undoubtedly ignite the passions of fans and collectors alike. From timeless classics to rare tributes, there's something for every Pontiac enthusiast to covet at this extraordinary event. At the heart of the auction lies a diverse array of Pontiac models, each embodying the brand's hallmark combination of style, performance, and heritage. Whether you're drawn to the muscle-bound prowess of the GTO, the sleek sophistication of the Firebird, or the timeless charm of the Bonneville, the Big Boy Toy Sale has something to satisfy every Pontiac aficionado's automotive desires. With meticulously curated offerings and a showcase of meticulously restored vehicles, this event is poised to be a celebration of Pontiac's enduring legacy and its enduring allure among automotive enthusiasts worldwide. So, get ready to rev your engines and place your bids, because at the Big Boy Toy Sale, Pontiac fans won't want to miss out on the opportunity to bring home a piece of automotive history. ADVERTISEMENT 1970 Pontiac GTO Tribute Experience the exhilarating nostalgia of the 1970 Pontiac GTO Tribute, a timeless masterpiece that pays homage to the legendary muscle car era. Boasting a powerful 400 cubic inch V8 engine paired with an automatic transmission, this radiant red beauty delivers both raw power and effortless cruising capabilities. With its iconic design and attention to detail, the 1970 Pontiac GTO Tribute captures the essence of a bygone era, making it a must-have for any classic car enthusiast looking to relive the glory days of American muscle. See it here. 1968 Pontiac GTO Step into the past and experience the thrill of the open road with the 1968 Pontiac GTO 2-door convertible. This iconic piece of automotive history embodies the essence of classic American muscle, boasting a timeless design and exhilarating performance. With its sleek lines, powerful engine, and convertible top, the 1968 GTO captures the hearts of car enthusiasts and collectors alike. Whether cruising down the highway or turning heads at a car show, this GTO is sure to make a statement wherever it goes. Don't miss your chance to own a piece of automotive legend bid on the 1968 Pontiac GTO convertible today. See it here. Story continues The Annual Big Boy Toy Auction will start at 9 a.m. ET on April 27th. The sale takes place online and live in Clayton, Indiana. With many great classic cars and trucks, and a great collection of automobilia, you do not want to miss this auction. If you need assistance registering for online bidding, please email info@freijeauctioneers.com Please note that you can use our auction platform at a lower cost or Proxibid. Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A new restaurant with Asian flavors is opening in Columbia. Heres when and where A restaurant with a host of Asian flavors is coming to one of Columbias key commercial districts. Teriyaki Madness, a growing company with restaurants across the U.S., will open a new spot in Columbias Five Points on April 12, according to company officials. The restaurant will be located at 942 Harden St., near The Flying Biscuit brunch spot and an Orange Theory workout studio. The new restaurant is being opened by franchisees Cory Sanders and LaDon Mathews. It will be the first Teriyaki Madness location in South Carolina. Sanders said he developed an interest in restaurant franchising in recent years, and began researching Teriyaki Madness, noting that it was expanding quickly. I found Teriyaki Madness, and it was a top company that was really rapidly growing, Sanders said. You always want to be with a rapidly growing franchise. If they are growing, then obviously people are loving it. If they are not growing, then obviously thats not a franchise you want to invest with. Five Points was the perfect spot to plant the flag for the capital citys first Teriyaki Madness, Sanders said. This brand usually targets downtown cities, especially when it is first being introduced to a market, Sanders said. Its a food for everybody. Its a food for office workers, its a food for doctors and hospitals. ... Five Points is a place where a lot of other neat restaurants have popped up. So, the area is definitely changing into an upscale, downtown vibe. Sanders said he expects Teriyaki Madness in Five Points will, naturally, see plenty of foot traffic from college students, with the University of South Carolina just to the east and Benedict College and Allen University just to the north. Teriyaki Madness was founded in 2003 and has locations nationwide, according to a store locator tool on its website. It has franchise agreements for 150 locations across the U.S. The restaurants menu features a host of bowls, including offerings highlighted by orange chicken, steak teriyaki, chicken teriyaki, salmon teriyaki and more. They also have appetizers including chicken egg rolls, edamame, crab Rangoon and potstickers. I really think the taste is addictive, Sanders said of the food at Teriyaki Madness. The Columbia Teriyaki Madness will be offering $6 bowl specials on April 12 and 13, Sanders said. The restaurants regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays, the co-owner added. In addition to the restaurant, Teriyaki Madness will also offer catering for special occasions and events. Unlike many revolutions which redefine landscapes, it started with the stroke of a pen and a series of firm handshakes, rather than the yelling of slogans, a crashing down of prison walls, a rumble of bulldozers, or the hard boot-stomp of armed men in the streets. Nor did it come to pass in a major metropolis. There was no grand setting no Paris, Madrid, Rome or Berlin for this rotation of the guard; no commandeering of Versailles for a sparkling photo opportunity. Instead, it happened in a wholly obscure outpost, in one of the continents smallest entities, a place far removed from the great offices of state. But the moment changed Europe all the same. It reshaped the concept of travel within it. It is almost 30 years now since the Schengen Agreement came into force, on March 26 1995 and almost 40 since the pact was signed into existence, on June 14 1985, by five members of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC). Officials from those nations Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the-then West Germany came together to rubber-stamp an enclave of unrestricted travel within its borders; an area where citizens could move without need for passports, or queues at crossing points. It was an arrangement which predated the European Union, and was independent of its predecessor. The five other then-members of the EEC (Denmark, Greece, Italy, the UK and Ireland) were absent from the table on that early summer day in 1985, either unable or unwilling to assent to this prototype incarnation of continental freedom of movement. But the Schengen Area grew, both as a geopolitical entity and as a philosophical principle, with the foundation and expansion of the EU. This week, it has swelled again, with the admission of Romania and Bulgaria, bringing its total number of members to 29. This includes 25 of the 27 EU states (Ireland and Cyprus are the exceptions, although the latter is on the path to joining), and four countries which are not part of the official EU club, but have some variety of alignment with it (Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland). It also encompasses the microstates of Monaco, Vatican City and San Marino. And it adds up to almost 1.8 million square miles of terrain, and over 453 million people. Inevitably, there are caveats too. This weeks opening of the Romanian and Bulgarian frontiers (on March 31) only applies to air and maritime travel; for now, crossing these two borders by land will still mean passport checks. And there is a large absentee this country. Just as it was a refusenik in 1985, the UK is not, and has never been, part of the Schengen Area; a political minding of the gap that Brexit and 2016 did nothing to narrow. If this is the full guest-list for what is now a rather large and formal gathering, the origin story is a little folksier. The clue is there among those 1985 signatories. Because little Luxembourg was not just a founding father; it was the party host. Schengen, where the ceremony was held, is also tiny; a scarcely noticeable dot on the map, of just 5,000 inhabitants. It sits in the south-east corner of the duchy, close to the specific spot where its borders meet both France and Germany. To give you the precise geography, the village gazes east across the currents of the Moselle, at the German town of Perl. And if you follow the river south for exactly a mile, you enter French territory without any great indication that you have done so (you have to hike a further mile along the bank before you spot any sort of settlement, and even then, there is no immediate bridge to carry you across to Sierck-les-Bains). Aside from its prowess in wine-making, this is not a location which was particularly well known 39 years ago. Its name is certainly more familiar now. A monument to the Schengen Agreement in the little Luxembourg town - Getty Here in 2024, the Schengen Area stretches south from the frosted upper edge of Scandinavia to the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. And once Romania and Bulgaria have sorted out the land-border paperwork (the date for the lifting of these barriers is, as yet, unconfirmed), it will extend without restrictions, west to east from the Channel to the Black Sea. In theory, you can drive between the North Cape of Norway and the small Spanish town of Tarifa (from where Morocco is clearly visible, 12 miles across the Strait of Gibraltar) a road trip of some 3,491 miles, assuming you take the Oresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark without having to produce your passport once. At some point in the next couple of years, you should be able to make a similar unchecked journey from Calais to Constanta (on Romanias coast); a matter of 1,665 miles and six countries. This is perhaps the most visible way in which Schengen has reconfigured Europe. While there are, obviously, many other issues at the heart of the conversation notably the impact that the agreement, along with the wider structure of the EU, has had on migration patterns and labour markets; issues which Brexit ultimately rejected it is the loosening of the shackles on trips across the continent that has most changed things for the traveller. The northern edge of the Schengen Area - Getty To return to the example of that hypothetical road trip from Nordkapp to Andalusia (which apparently takes 61 hours, if you stick to every speed limit, and dont pause for minor indulgences such as sleep) had you attempted such an odyssey prior to 1995, you would have needed to negotiate six international border control points (seven if you fancied a detour into Portugal, which lies close to the fastest route), each with its own layers of bureaucracy and box-ticking, its tailbacks and traffic jams, its vulnerability to summer strikes and surges in numbers. Certainly, 61 hours would have been wild fantasy. Is this shortening, condensing and simplification a good thing? In terms of the functioning of a cross-frontier community in the 21st century, the idea definitely has its advantages (hugely easier transportation) and its disadvantages (if tourists have freedom of movement, then so do criminals). But in terms of the sheer romance of travel, I cannot help thinking that something has been lost. If we are to use Robert Louis Stevensons ever-quotable statement from his 1881 essay El Dorado as a yardstick, then we have swapped the better thing of to travel hopefully for the basic procedure of to arrive. The convenience of the journey has sapped the character. What do I mean? Well, I am old enough that I have tucked away in a drawer a first passport littered with stamps from holidays in Europe. Not fearless expeditions across the Balkans, but mildly adventurous mid-Eighties family breaks which in an epoch before budget airlines involved an estate car stuffed with sleeping bags and an occasionally fraught search (Are we nearly there yet?) for campsites in the sunshine. The nine-year-old me gathered inky markers which said he had visited Italy, France, Austria, Spain, Belgium and (yes) West Germany. A passport littered with stamps is becoming a rare thing - Getty As a British citizen, you can, of course, now collect these souvenirs again (apart from the West German imprint) at least until the introduction of the European Unions much-delayed digital ETIAS scheme (now scheduled to happen in the middle of 2025) renders the thunk of the bureaucratic hand on a passport page a ghost of an analogue past. But even Brexit, that thorny separator of the UK from the EU, has not returned the mystique of the border stamp to the continental road trip. The modus operandi of the Schengen Area means that once you are in, you are in, even if your country has opted out (or never bothered to opt in). So were you, as a Briton, to embark on that aforementioned expedition from the Strait of Gibraltar to the top of Scandinavia, you would only gain one new stamp in your passport presumably on your arrival in one of Seville or Malaga, to commence the adventure. France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Sweden would make no impression on your personal ID, and Norway would only appear as your point of exit. That seems a shame and I write that as someone who voted to remain in 2016. But then, perhaps I am guilty of rose-tinting. Perhaps, in reality, all European border crossings were as dull and frustrating as the inevitable hour you spend at JFK airport in New York, waiting to be processed along with the arrivals on the seven other flights that have landed at the same time. Perhaps we Britons simply have a love of queuing that will never fade. Schengen means fewer interactions with surly border officials, however - Getty Or perhaps theres more to it. Back in the early years of this century, I passed through an international checkpoint fraught with tension the road gateway between the Israeli resorts of Eilat and their Egyptian counterparts in Taba. It was a lengthy affair bags were checked, questions were asked, bags were checked again, previous passport stamps were perused. There were X-rays and pattings down; there were crowds of scowling staff, standing around and staring. But I was in no rush, and at the end of it all, I felt like I had leapt between continents. Which, in effect, I had, and I have two swarthy imprints on two separate pages of a former passport as evidence; a meaty travel tale to dine upon. You dont find as much on a dash down the A13 highway between Luxembourg and Germany. You can, however, find something else. For anyone intrigued to learn more about the Schengen Agreement (logic suggests there must be someone), the village offers further detail. You cannot visit the precise location of the signing this was a boat, the Princess-Marie-Astrid, on the Moselle but you can head to the European Museum (visitschengen.lu), for an explanation of how the treaty was born, and its ramifications. In contrast, for those who hanker after a lost age, the following European borders still require a conversation with a serious man in uniform and, perhaps, a sense of nostalgia. Three European borders with passport controls Gibraltar/Spain As a British Overseas Territory, Gibraltar also sits outside the Schengen Area. Not that this international boundary which runs for three quarters of a mile below the Spanish town of La Linea de la Concepcion is ever less than a controversial issue. Following a referendum in 1967, in which Gibraltarians rejected Spanish sovereignty by a landslide, a peeved General Franco closed the border (in 1969). It would not fully reopen until 1985. The last 39 years have been rather less fraught and while Brexit has not helped the situation, locals and tourists can now cross freely. But you will need to show your passport. Bulgaria/Turkey The point where Bulgaria rubs its shoulder against Turkey is a significant international line in the sand. It currently delineates the south-eastern edge of the European Union to the extent that around one third of this 319-mile frontier is now, or is due to be, blocked off by metal fencing and barbed wire. There is, though, a gateway between the Bulgarian village of Kapitan Andreevo and its Turkish counterpart Kapikule a location where the two countries also meet Greece (though you cannot enter the latter here). A road trip (750 miles) between Istanbul and the Bulgarian capital of Sofia would feasibly come this way. Cyprus Can you cross a border that does not officially exist? Only Turkey recognises the Republic of Northern Cyprus. However, the frontier which cuts off the upper portion of the Mediterraneans third largest island annexed in the Turkish invasion of 1974 from the Greek-Cypriot south is very real. It was a locked gate until 2003, and even now, there are only nine apertures along its 112-mile length. The most accessible is the Ledra Palace Crossing in the capital Nicosia where you can wander through using a British passport. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. On January 24, content creator Pelumi Nubi, who grew up in London, set off on a solo drive from the UK capital to Lagos, Nigeria in her beloved purple Peugeot 107. Over two months and a terrifying car crash later, the 29-year-old received a heros reception as she arrived in the West African countrys largest city on Sunday after traveling through around 17 countries, including France, Morocco, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Its been an incredible adventure, filled with beautiful surprises, she said in a statement shortly before completing the epic journey. Nubi, who was born in Lagos, explains that its long been her goal to showcase that travel can be easy, safe and doable, particularly for Black female solo travelers like herself. Incredible adventure The 29-year-old arrived to a hero's welcome in Lagos on Sunday. - Omololu Olurinde @loluphotography_ After seeing the story of Kunle Adeyanju, a Nigerian man who rode from London to Lagos by bike, she began looking into whether any Black women had attempted the journey by car and couldnt find any record of any. This particular route was very personal to Nubi as she was keen to connect the two places that she considered as home. Each time I went home, I just kind of flew over these places, she tells CNN Travel, explaining that although shed traveled to around 80 countries, she hadnt done much exploring in other parts of West Africa and was curious to see more. While Nubi had previously gone on a road trip around Namibia in a 4x4, and traveled from Ghana to Lagos and back on public transport, her experience of overland travel was relatively limited. In 2023, she traveled to Lake Como, Italy by car as a trial run. This is a lot bigger in terms of cross continent travel, she adds. The 29-year-old, who was born in Lagos, but grew up in London, was keen to connect the two places she considered as home. - Omololu Olurinde @loluphotography_ Although 4x4s tend to be the go-to vehicles for overland journeys, Nubi explains that, as she knew that the trip to Lagos would be very costly, it didnt seem logical to spend even more money on a new car. She ultimately decided to use the reliable car shed had for five years. [I thought,] I have a car, why am I going to buy another car that Im not familiar with? So I just kind of embraced it, she adds. In order to ensure that her vehicle would be suitable for the 10,000-kilometer journey, Nubi had it specially modified, adding a bed and a kitchen facility inside. That took about a month, trying to fit everything into a Peugeot 107, she says. After spending around a year preparing for the trip, she set off from London in late January, heading to France, Spain and then Morocco. When I crossed into Morocco, I literally broke down crying, says Nubi. And it wasnt sadness. It was just this overwhelming feeling of [realizing,] wow, I overcomplicated this process in my head. I really thought it would be more difficult than it was. And it made me wonder what else in my life I was overthinking. Frightening setback Pelumi Nubi's beloved Peugeot 107, seen in Paris, France, was given the nickname "Lumi." - Courtesy Pelumi Nubi From Morocco, Nubi drove through the Sahara Desert, considered the largest hot desert in the world, to Mauritania and says that the experience was nothing like shed thought it would be. I was thinking that it [the Sahara] would just be like sand dune, but it was a whole town, she says. It was actually one of the best routes I drove through. Once she reached Mauritania, Nubi continued on to Senegal, and then The Gambia; Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ghana. However, the journey wasnt without its challenges, some more serious than others. After being delayed at the border on entering the Ivory Coast, Nubi hit a parked truck while driving at night. It was definitely terrifying, she says. It [the truck] was parked in the middle of the road. No hazard light. I went sliding into it. Ive never had an accident in my life, so it was like, What the heck just happened? Thankfully, she wasnt hurt during the collision, but her vehicle was severely damaged. While she considered finishing the journey with a different car, Nubi ultimately decided to wait for her Peugueot, which has been nicknamed Lumi, to be repaired and continue on with it for the duration. There was just this bond, she says. Shes seen me on the hardest days. Ive cried in her. Ive screamed with joy in her. The accident delayed Nubis arrival into Lagos, as did the various border delays, including a 48-hour wait to enter Liberia, that she experienced along the way. The borders were tougher than the accident, she says. Thank G od I wasnt injured in the accident, but the borders were just heartbreaking in terms of the lack of freedom of movement within the African continent. After leaving the Ivory Coast, Nubi headed to Togo and then Benin, before arriving at her final destination, Lagos, Nigeria on April 7. While shes enjoyed the audacious journey immensely, Nubi admits that it was lonely at times. Yes, youre meeting new people, but you miss your moms cooking and your bed, she says. Bigger picture Nubi, seen in Kenya before undertaking her London to Lagos challenge, hopes that her travels will inspire us to pursue their dreams. - Courtesy Pelumi Nubi Nubi, who has been chronicling her journey via her Instagram and YouTube accounts, has been overwhelmed by the support shes received throughout and says that her online community kept her going during some of the toughest times. This has been a solo trip, but its really gone bigger than me, she says. And then after the accident, it felt like it couldnt end there. There were just so many people riding on the journey to finish. Nubi has had teachers getting in touch with her to tell her that their students have been following her journey closely and parents sending her supportive messages from their children. The engagement with the society and the people that have rallied me on has just been incredible, says Nubi. who partnered with American company Osprey early in the journey. Amazing, amazing memories that I wouldnt be able to buy or put a price to. By putting the spotlight on West Africa, Nubi hopes to be able to help change the narrative in terms of the way the region is viewed across the world, and was thrilled to be able to showcase sites like the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro in Ivory Coast, thought to be the largest church in the world. In terms of holiday destination, this is possible, she says. Theres viability. Its not just hot and lines, is really just changing that narrative globally as well. As for her future plans, shes contemplating a road trip from Lagos to South Africa. However, Nubi is planning to leave her beloved car behind this time. She will be living her best life in Nigeria, she says, adding that shed love it if Lumi was put in a little museum and potentially inspire future generations. While she believes that shes now the first Black solo female traveler to have driven from London to Lagos, Nubi isnt hugely interested in such titles and says that this was never her goal. It was very much [about] inspiring people. In terms of, You think London to Lagos is impossible? Ive done that. It was about the bigger picture. The accolades are nice but it doesnt scratch the surface of what I was trying to achieve. Nubi is looking forward to spending time with her friends and family, many of whom traveled to Lagos to meet her at the grand finale, as well as having the opportunity to celebrate in style. I just proved to myself the strength I have within me, she says. So its a proud achievement personally. But I think it expands way past me, and that in itself is just so joyful. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com This Southern U.S. State Has One of America's Coolest Wildflower Blooms Here's the Best Way to See Them It's worth the walk ... or the paddle. JD DILLENSNYDER/Courtesy of the Olde English District Ready to experience some seriously cool spring wildflowers? Then it's time to get in a kayak and paddle out to them. You see, the Olde English District of South Carolina, a seven-county region in the north-central part of the state, is home to the Landsford Canal State Park. It's here that travelers can find the largest population of Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies in the world. And the best way to see them is by hopping aboard a boat along the Catawba River. As the South Carolina State Parks website explains, the lilies are a rare sight. They are only found in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, and only bloom between May through mid-June. Seeing the peak bloom of these incredible gems is one of our area's most sought-after experiences," Jenny Parrish, executive director of Olde English District Commission, told Travel + Leisure. "We highly recommend planning a visit between the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June to explore the beauty of these native wildflowers, which thrive only in the fast-flowing, rocky shoals of rivers and streams. The district's website additionally noted that this year it's predicting a more specific bloom window, noting the lilies will likely peak around the last two weeks of May through the first two weeks of June. JD DILLENSNYDER/Courtesy of the Olde English District To view them, the district encourages people to visit Landsford Canal State Park and take a 1.5-mile, round-trip hike down the Canal Trail to an overlook where the spider lilies are in full view. According to AllTrails, the hike is "generally considered an easy route," and takes an average of 54 minutes to complete, though you'll likely want more time than that to stop and smell the flowers (or at least look at them). Dogs are also welcome on the trail and are allowed to be off-leash in some areas. However, more adventurous travelers can opt for a canoe or kayak trail that runs through the park. As PaddleSC explained, paddling to these lilies isn't difficult, but is rated as a moderately strenuous task. It too is about a 1.5-mile paddle and takes between one to two hours to complete. "The paddle is suitable for those with some paddling experience because of the many shoals and small rapids that must be navigated throughout the trip," the website added. But really, whichever method you choose will be worth the work to get to say you saw these rare blooms in person. Related: How to Responsibly See the Wildflowers Bloom This Spring, According to Experts For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Two girls, aged 3 and 7, are reported missing by their mother on Nguyen Hue walking street in HCMC's District 1, April 3, 2024. Photo by Nguyen Thi Chi A woman in HCMC reported that her two daughters went missing while they were selling candies on the Nguyen Hue walking street in District 1. Nguyen Thi Chi, 27, on Sunday said the missing daughters aged 3 and 7, were two of four siblings. Every day, Chi would drive her four children on the motorbike from District 7 to the Nguyen Hue walking street to sell candies, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. On April 3, she let her 10-year-old daughter take care of her 9-month-old baby and sell candies on Dong Khoi Street, while she took care of the other two siblings and selling candies on the other side of the street. By 7 p.m., she asked a beverage vendor to watch over her two children, before walking for about 100 m to meet a person to pay back a sum of money. "I borrowed some money. Every day, before I stop selling candies at around 7 p.m., I would walk over to that person to pay them the money, and then I would take my children home," she said, adding that when she returned about five minutes later, the children were gone. She asked her 10-year-old daughter if she saw her siblings, but she did not know where they went. She then reported what happened to authorities. She said her two previous husbands neither stayed with her nor gave her child support after she gave birth. When her children went missing, she contacted her two husbands, who said they did not have the children. Her own parents in central Vietnam are sick and elderly, and so cannot take care of the children. Le Nguyen Viet Nam, deputy head of the Ben Nghe Ward, said authorities have deployed personnel to look for the children. By Sunday noon, there had been reports saying the two children went with a stranger, but camera footage at the scene did not capture such an incident. Nguyen Hue walking street, spanning over 670 m, has been operational for nine years and is often crowded on the weekends. The first of what organizers hope will be an annual Lackawaxen River Sojourn is expected to take place this year over two days on Columbus Day weekend, sending paddlers from Honesdale to Hawley in Wayne County, and along part of the river in Pike County to Lackawaxen. Grant Genzlinger, one of the prime movers with the Lackawaxen River Trails group, discussed the proposal at the Hawley Parks & Recreation Commission meeting on March 26. He broached the idea of allowing sojourners to camp overnight at Bingham Park, where their canoes and kayaks will take them at the end of Day One. Genzlinger said the Lackawaxen River event will be like the Delaware River Sojourn. That event takes paddlers down most of the main stem of the Delaware and is set for June 14 to 22 this year. Participants have several places to camp and participate in special events. "It's a fall event because we have the Jaycees' Canoe Classic in the spring. We are trying to get people on the river. He said that the Lackawaxen River Trails will be the host, but the American Canoe Association provides the insurance. Canoeists paddle in the Lackawaxen River at White Mills on Oct. 27, 2023, celebrating the dedication that day of the new Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission river access at that point. From left are Connor Simon of the Wayne County Community Foundation and Dan Corrigan of Northeast Wilderness Experience. The itinerary details are still preliminary, Genzlinger stressed. As proposed, he said the participants will first launch Saturday, Oct. 12, from Sycamore Point, a Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission improved access expected to be readied this year at the former Industrial Point in Honesdale. This is where the Lackawaxen River bends, meeting the Dyberry Creek on the other side under the granite gaze of Irving Cliff. They will paddle to the river access at White Mills, where they will get out for a safety course. As envisioned, they will then walk across the bridge to visit the Dorflinger Factory Museum. From there they plan to paddle to the access at Bingham Park, Hawley. On Oct. 13, as proposed, they will be transported to the Zane Grey Museum in Lackawaxen village. This is close to the historic Roebling Bridge. The paddlers will then be transported back up part of the Lackawaxen River and paddle down the rapids back to Lackawaxen village where the river meets the Delaware River. Genzlinger said they hope the Lackawaxen River Sojourn will grow over time and will probably be relatively small at first. The larger, well-established Delaware River event attracts 60-80 people, he said, estimating that about half of them camp. He asked that they be able to camp at a designated spot in Bingham Park, which also has restroom facilities. "I'm all for it, it's a matter of dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's," said Elaine Herzog, Hawley councilor and Parks & Rec member. The solicitor would need to be consulted, though she did not believe it would be prohibited. She reminded that overnight camping was allowed when a Native American powwow was held in the park in 1994. The Lackawaxen River boating access in Hawley, which had been a rough path to the river from Park Place, Bingham Park, was improved in 2020. It is one four river accesses planned by the Lackawaxen River Trails group. "That idea is to build and get people on the water, just like in the spring with the Canoe Classic which is really popular," Genzlinger said. "We need something in the fall." He stated he would follow up with information for the borough solicitor, for consideration by the full council. Parks & Rec agreed to recommend the event to the council, which meets April 17. The Lackawaxen River Trails group actively promotes a combined hiking and paddling trail system along the river corridor in Wayne and Pike counties. The river access was opened in Hawley in 2020. Another is expected to open in Honesdale in 2024, followed by a fourth one at Indian Orchard. The White Mills access, opened in 2023, is the first to have handicapped accessibility. Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588. This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Lackawaxen River Trails group proposes two-day sojourn in October Consistently ranked among one of the most expensive zip codes in the country, the Sagaponack area of the Hamptons is home to some of New Yorks most impressive real estate. Sagaponack in particular, a village in Southampton, is known for its farmlands, multi-million-dollar mansions, and white-sand beaches. The Hamptons can get a bit crowded at the peak of the summer season, but this picturesque property on Hedges Lane has nary a neighbor in sight. Listed for $12.495 million, the bucolic compound is for those who seek the privacy, seclusion, and peaceful nature the Hamptons has to offer. More from Robb Report Elegant yet not flashy, theres a 3,329-square-foot farmhouse, a two-story barn, a secondary barn, and a detached garage. The property is a definite rarity in the Hamptons in that the 2.8-lot is surrounded by 30 acres of protected farmland, with 270-degree views that stretch over the fields to the ocean. That means you wont have to worry about buildings popping up for generations to come. Not just that, but todays building codes wouldnt allow for ancillary structures such as those already on the property. The 2.8-acre property includes a classic farmhouse, several restored barns and outbuildings, and a swimming pool. The property was a farmstead dating back to at least the early 19th century, says Preston Kaye, co-founder of Hamptons-based real estate brokerage Hedgerow Exclusive Properties. It continues to have its farmstead structures, including two large barns, which underwent extensive restoration in the 1990s. The property itself is one of the most unique in all of Sagaponack South. The home is more understated than some of the grand cottages in East Hampton or the megamansions scattered throughout Bridgehampton, but it has all the allure and relaxed comfort that have drawn everyone from artists to aristocrats and arrivistes to its sandy shores for more than a century.The main residence, fronted by a large covered porch that is ideal for watching sunsets with a cocktail in hand, is a classic farmhouse with original wide-plank wood floors, multiple fireplaces, and a library with built-in bookshelves. There are five bedrooms spread between the three floors; the upper bedrooms have terraces overlooking the farmlands, while the bedrooms on the main floor look out toward the barns. The grounds are lush, with ample lawns dotted with mature oak trees and manicured hedgerows, while the swimming pool is set away from the main house, where it is surrounded by farmlands. It is no doubt a serene spot to whittle away summer afternoons. The family rooms relaxed charm is enhanced by a fireplace and lots of windows that fill the room with sunlight. The smaller barn, situated towards the back of the property, is primarily used for parties and other events, while the larger, two-story barn includes a vast open space, a bedroom and bath for guests or staff, and, upstairs, a lofted artists studio. The barns present a myriad of options for potential use, including tremendous sheltered storage or rain or shine parties, which can accommodate large numbers in a completely unique and attractive setting, Kaye tells Robb Report. With views of the adjacent fields, they have been used for everything from art classes, wedding receptions, and even the annual summer fundraising gathering of the Peconic Land Trust. The property is just a four-minute drive to the closest beach and is within easy access to several farmstands, farmers markets, art galleries, upscale boutiques, and laid-back restaurants. Click here for more photos of 453 Hedges Lane. 453 Hedges Lane Sagaponack Hamptons New York 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. Ive had run-ins with lions and elephants on safari but they werent what scared me most Elephants do actually have long memories and can remember human actions, such as the laying of landmines - Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography Theres truth to the adage elephants never forget. I learned the hard way on a safari to Zimbabwe several years ago. I was in Gonarezhou National Park, located in a remote southeast corner of the country on the border with Mozambique, close to an area where landmines were planted during years of civil war in the late 1970s. Hundreds of animals, including elephants, were killed as a result of human warfare and the memory remains vivid for their ancestors. Driving through the park, we accidentally disturbed a hulking male bull who tossed his trunk in anger, kicked up dust and chased us for a good 10 minutes. Smart enough to predict our escape route, he even took a short cut to block our path. I love these savannah giants but catch them in the wrong mood and they are terrifying. I shudder at the fear a group of tourists must have felt when their safari vehicle was flipped by an elephant in Zambias Kafue National Park earlier this week, tragically killing one of the passengers. The scenario is almost unthinkable. But herein lies the problem: accustomed to the cosseting comforts of luxury safaris, weve forgotten we are in the realm of wild animals. A couple of years ago, I too found myself in a sticky situation in Kafue, when my vehicle broke down with a puncture on an early morning game drive. Although we had a spare tyre onboard, the mechanic had forgotten to load a toolbox, rendering it useless. Despite my poor guides best efforts, no-one back at camp was picking up the radio (the receiver had been left in the bar, which was only serviced from 10am) and there was no mobile phone reception. Our only option was to abandon the vehicle and walk unarmed through thick, dense vegetation where Id seen a pride of lions tearing apart the stinking carcass of a buffalo only minutes earlier. To make matters worse, the air was heaving with black clouds of tsetse flies viscous, blood-sucking insects that pierce the skin with painful pin pricks, producing sores so itchy youll scratch the skin raw. In this instance, elephants came to my rescue. Setting fire to a ball of dung wedged onto a stick, I used a smoking lollipop to ward off the evil little vampires. Waving it back and forth, I felt like a priest swinging incense in a thurible. Of course, its possible to walk through the bush without getting mauled or trampled. The key is to always exercise caution and follow the instructions of your ranger or guide. These people have an intuitive understanding of the animals that share their living space. Crucially, they have respect. Ive encountered lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, rhinos and wild dogs on walking safaris. Despite their years of experience, my guides have always been on high alert listening for movements, checking the wind direction, assessing suitable trees to climb. Never are they complacent. 'When I ran into a lion on foot one night in Malawi's Majete Wildlife Reserve, my guide knew exactly what to do,' writes Marshall - Sarah Marshall When I ran into a lion on foot one night in Malawis Majete Wildlife Reserve, my guide knew exactly what to do. Calmly, he instructed me to slowly climb on top of a wooden picnic bench and defy every impulse in my body to run. What happened to the tourists in Kafue was a terrible accident. The guide found himself trapped in an area where it was impossible to manoeuvre his vehicle. Otherwise, he would have done what every experienced guide would do in that situation: back off. On safari, the only thing that lies between tourists and wild animals is the metal shell of a vehicle, a thin veil of canvas or an intangible but deeply important barrier of mutual respect. If you give an animal space, it will give you space in return. Ive spent hundreds of nights drifting off to the roar of lions, the whooping giggles of hyenas and the panicked squeals of zebras attacked by leopards. Only once have I ever feared an animal might enter my tent. One night, in Zimbabwes Hwange National Park, I woke to the calamitous crashing of objects in my open-air bathroom. The shadow of a trunk, swinging against canvas dangerously close to a full bladder of water above the bucket shower, immediately gave the culprit away. Despite my boyfriends panicked pleas, I dodged the ignominy of blowing the safety horn. (Having introduced myself as an experienced African traveller to camp managers the day before, pride got the better of me.) Miraculously, on inspection the following morning, nothing was broken; the only thing missing was a bar of soap. After sharing my story at breakfast, I discovered we had a thief in our midst. Ours was the fifth tent the toiletry-gobbling elephant had raided that night. Some of the biggest threats are posed by the tiniest beasts, such as tsetse flies - Getty On safari, travellers can expect encounters with creatures great and small and ironically some of the biggest threats are posed by the tiniest beasts. According to the World Health Organisation, there were 233 million cases of malaria on the African continent in 2022 and 580,000 deaths. Prophylactics are a highly effective precaution, so consult a doctor (though note they will always err on the side of caution) and seek up-to-date information for each destination you plan to visit. The closest shave Ive ever had with hospitalisation on safari was down to an insect almost smaller than a speck of pepper. Id been warned about ticks in the long grasses of South Africas Phinda Private Game Reserve, but photographing a pangolin at eye-level was too good an opportunity to resist. Days later, a red welt appeared on my belly, growing deeper and deeper until it resembled Mount Etnas molten crater. Dr Google revealed I probably had tick bite fever, nothing a double dose of anti-malarial drug Doxycycline couldnt fix. On balance, going on safari presents no more danger than, say, a hiking holiday in the Alps. Accidents can happen anywhere, even on a beach break in Spain. But observing animals in the wild demands a degree of humility. We are visitors to their patch, and just like people they have emotional and defensive reactions. Some days they are happy, other times they might be sad. Or maybe, theyre just after something as simple as a bar of soap. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. TOPEKA (KSNT) Local volunteers gathered at Gage Park Sunday morning in an effort to restore the aging Animal Land playground. Volunteers are working to clean the parks animal statues before summer arrives. For volunteer coordinator James George, this cleanup effort is nothing new. Hes coordinated similar work in 2015 to save the statues from damage and vandalism. So, in 2015 I got together a group of volunteers, and we spent six weeks out here removing the paint, removing graffiti off the animals and re-staining and now here it is, its nine years later and the animals need a re-staining, George said. Fortunately, we dont have to remove paint this time, so we are hoping to get this done all in one day. What are ghost kitchens and why are they popping up around Topeka? George says Animal Land has a special place in his heart and he plans to return with volunteers to complete more work on the statues as needed. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Shoppers say the luxury bag has become their everyday staple. Getty Images Admittedly, I love an impractical purse. I have a number of shoulder bags too tiny to hold more than my phone and a lip gloss and totes so big that TSA might clock them as a carry-on item. But I do know that every bag collection needs an option you can wear with and to everything; the only issue is that theyre sometimes pretty boring. Fortunately, Zoe Saldana just introduced me to one thats not. When the actress stepped out in New York City earlier this week, she wore a look I wanted to recreate to a tee, from her ruffled V-neck blouse that was giving Interview With the Vampire-chic to her leather skirt, black stilettos, and, yes, a bucket bag. And while Im still searching for lookalikes for most of her fit, I did find her exact purse. Cuyana $298 at cuyana.com Saldana was rocking the new Mini Linea Bucket Bag from Cuyana, the leather bag brand thats a favorite among Meghan Markle, Eva Mendes, and InStyle editors. And while Markle and Mendes have reached for the brands tote bags which our senior shopping editor once called buttery soft and sophisticated yet casual Saldana opted for a smaller, more on-trend silhouette. Leather bucket bags have been one of this years hottest styles, worn by stars including Jennifer Lopez, Sydney Sweeney, and even Markle, and Saldanas just went to the top of my must-have list. Cuyanas take on the trend is small but not micro with shoppers saying it fits all of [their] essentials and features both a top handle and optional crossbody strap, luxe leather construction, and selection of four colors. By pairing a more modern silhouette with a timeless material and classic colorways, Cuyana created a bag you can wear daily without it ever feeling stale. Its fun but classic, explained one customer. Cuyana $298 at cuyana.com And though the Mini Linea Bucket Bag might be new, its already garnered a number of perfect reviews from fans. One shopper who said theyre obsessed with the purse wrote that the style is perfect for a casual day and transitions easily to night, while another person said theyve made this luxury item their main everyday bag because of how easy it is to wear and tote. Saldanas Mini Linea Bucket Bag from Cuyana convinced me that my practical, everyday purse doesnt have to be basic. Grab the leather bag today for $298 and shop more colors, below. Cuyana $298 at cuyana.com Cuyana $298 at cuyana.com For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on InStyle. A woman was killed and a man is in the hospital after a crash in North Versailles. The crash happened near the intersection of Crooked Run Road and 5th Avenue just after 6 p.m. Sunday. Allegheny County Police say a 66-year-old woman who was driving a Nissan Versa was hit by a Pontiac Grand Am driven by a 20-year-old man. Investigators say the woman, identified Monday morning as Tammy Chonko, was taken to a hospital where she later died. The man was also taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries. He is in stable condition. The Nissan Versa was resting against a guardrail when Channel 11 arrived at the scene. Both of its driver-side doors were detached from the vehicle. Part of the bumper was also sitting on the ground. The front of the Grand Am sustained heavy damage. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: 4 $50k winning Powerball tickets sold in Pennsylvania Solar Eclipse Forecast: Will Pittsburgh area skies be clear enough to see the partial eclipse? More than 1,000 permits processed at first Allegheny County license to carry event in 2024 VIDEO: 2 arrested, including teen, in Allegheny County car break-in investigation DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Food allergies are a growing health and safety risk, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating that about 1 in 3 children in the United States are affected . To help combat this, physicians use a technique called oral immunotherapy to try to build a childs tolerance to some common food allergens. Now, a study published April 8 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology aims to create the first set of international guidelines for clinicians to use to help families and clinicians succeed in this sometimes life saving process. These guidelines are not currently mandatory and aim to help standardize care to improve patient outcomes. These families must provide the therapy every single day. Thats why these guidelines are so important, Douglas Mack, study co-author and a clinical professor at McMaster University in Canada, said in a statement . Safety can be optimized to make sure that they understand what theyre taking on, while ensuring that they are aware of the kinds of side-effects that can be dangerous. What is oral immunotherapy? Oral immunotherapy involves giving very small amounts of a food allergen like peanuts, walnuts, milk, or egg to a child with a documented allergy. The amount is then gradually increased in an attempt to build up the bodys tolerance and the process has been used for over a century. In 1908 , oral immunotherapy helped desensitize a 13-year-old patient with an egg allergy. In that study, the starting dose was 1/10,000th of an egg every day . After six months, the patient could safely eat eggs. More recent analysis found that it can induce desensitization in most patients who are allergic to peanuts, milk, and egg by 76.9 percent . This process is not without risks , as it is administered every day at home to children by their caregivers, which requires caregivers to act like amateur medical professionals by observing a childs reactions and deciding if medical treatment is necessary. These new guidelines are intended to help prepare families and standardize the approach to the process. [Related: Babies who grow up around pets may be less likely to develop food allergies .] "Families need to learn about food allergies, anaphylaxis, immunotherapy, how to safely dose the food, which things to look out for, when to treat, and when to contact the medical team," Julia Upton, a clinical immunologist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, told DW . Upton is not a co-author of the new study. Whats in the new guidelines? A panel of 36 international oral immunotherapy experts worked together to craft a detailed standardized consent form and topics to discuss with families. This includes mentioning that oral immunotherapy is not a cure, that asthma should be controlled before starting the therapy, and stress all caregivers must understand how the process works. This should ensure that all parents and caregivers know the risks and benefits, and alternative treatments if they are unwilling to take on oral immunotherapy. If they decide they want to do it after following these guidelines, they're prepared for what they're getting into, said Mack. They understand the risks and most importantly, it makes it safer because they can anticipate the challenges. This protocol sets the standard moving forward. The guidelines also stresses adequate adult supervision of dosing before treatment begins and that potential risk factors to the patient should be identified before the therapy begins. Some of these risk factors include uncontrolled asthma in the patient and an unwillingness for the caregiver to use epinephrine in case of a reaction. Failure to administer epinephrine in the event of a severe allergic reaction can result in death. [Related: A peanut allergy patch is making headway in trials with toddlers .] The team estimates that as many as one-third of patients were not getting any degree of counseling or preparation before starting the treatment. It took about 30 to 60 minutes for a clinicing to provide adequate counseling about all of the risks and benefits of oral immunotherapy, according to the study. 105-year-old Texas man gets ready to witness his 13th solar eclipse: I always want to see the next one A 105-year-old Texas-based man is officially gearing up to see his 13th solar eclipse on 8 April. LaVerne Biser opened up about the upcoming opportunity to see the highly-anticipated event from his hometown during a recent interview with People. His comments came as a total eclipse of the sun is set to plunge a stretch of North America into darkness on 8 April, with the lure of up to four minutes of midday darkness in Texas and other spots. Speaking to People, Biser looked back on all the trips that he and his late wife, Marion, took to see the eclipses, including his first one in 1963 with their three children. I guess before we went to Maine all of em were so far away we couldnt go. We cant drive to China, he said. But in 63 when it was in Maine, I said: We can drive there! He specified that during that trip, he and his family made their way to a farmers field and unpacked all of their equipment, before waiting to watch a solar eclipse together. He then recalled that since that trip, hes not only driven to different parts of the country to see the eclipses, but he and his wife also went on a few cruises. We drove to Santa Rosa, New Mexico, Beatrice Nebraska, we drove to Alabama. We made it part of our vacations, Biser said. Although he wont be doing any travelling to see todays eclipse, as he lives in Plano, Texas, he still has his concerns about the event. More specifically, hes worried that spectators wont be able to notice much of the eclipse because of the weather. Im afraid we wont see it because of the clouds. Ive seen 12 of em and I always want to see the next one, he explained. As reported by People, Bisers love for astronomy goes back to his childhood, which is when he spent hours looking up at the different stars and constellations in the sky while on his familys farm in Ohio. Back on the farm, it was really dark so you could see the Big Dipper, Orion, all the constellations, he said. We were well acquainted with the sky. I hate that kids nowadays have never really seen a sky like that. Following his teenage years, Fisher went on to study mechanical engineering at Ohio State University and spent some time working in San Diego. He later moved to Texas, which is where he met his wife and started their family. During an interview with The Washington Post earlier this month, Bishers daughter, Carol, opened up about her fathers interest in seeing solar eclipses. She said that when scheduling her wedding in 1972, she had to make sure it didnt fall on a day that an eclipse was happening, so her father would be at the nuptials. I told my parents about two possible dates for my wedding one on June 3rd and one on July 8th, she said. My dad said: If you want me to give you away, youll have to pick the earlier date. I wont be here on July 8th. He had an eclipse to get to. Biser told the publication that on 8 April, hell be watching the eclipse with Carol. He also expressed how grateful he was to have another opportunity to see such a rare event. Its really something theres nothing like that dark sky in the middle of the day, he said. I always feel like a lucky man when I see it. It reminds me that no matter where you are in life, were all just a little spot in the universe. The Independent has contacted Bishers daughter, Carol, for comment. Today, North America will experience a total eclipse, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, meaning the face of the sun is completely blocked out. When the eclipse hits Earth, those located in the centre of the moons shadow will experience the total eclipse. Experts say that at first, the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk, and people in the eclipses path will be able to see the suns corona, which is its outer atmosphere. A total eclipse is the only type of eclipse in which people can momentarily remove their special eclipse glasses and observe the phenomenon with the naked eye. Apart from this very brief time, people need to wear certified eclipse safety glasses. The eclipse is expected to be much longer than the previous one with the darkness lasting up to four minutes and 28 seconds, almost twice as long as the total eclipse seen in the US in 2017. 11-year-old found baby frozen to death in woods in 2003, cops say. Now mom sentenced An 11-year-old boy was walking through the snowy woods to meet his friends in 2003 when he made a chilling discovery. He stumbled across an infant boy who had frozen to death, with his umbilical cord still attached, Virginia officials said. Twenty years later, the babys mother has been sentenced to serve 32 years in prison. The Chesapeake District Attorneys Office announced the sentence April 5 after saying DNA evidence connected 46-year-old Melissa Chrisman of Portsmouth, Virginia, to the case and indicated she was the childs mother. McClatchy News reached out to Chrismans attorney April 8 but did not immediately receive a response. This newborn baby is perhaps the most innocent and completely helpless victim Chesapeake has ever seen, Matt Hamel, the Commonwealths Attorney for the City of Chesapeake, said in the release. The Chesapeake community came to know the child not just as another John Doe but as Baby Daniel in the decades the cold case was open. The community really rallied around this investigation, I think just because it is a child, as innocent as he was, to be left behind in the woods, detective James Thomas with the Chesapeake Police Department said in 2019. And him not being identified or with no name is what led the investigators and citizens to name him Baby Daniel. A local business donated a bench to sit in the spot where Baby Daniel was found, and a cemetery donated a grave marker for his burial, according to Thomas. The case began Jan. 17, 2003, when 11-year-old Rafael Cabrera was cutting through the woods of a local park to hang out with his friends. Thats when he saw something blue sticking out of the snow, he recounted in 2019. When he started digging, he found a pile of clothing, and underneath all of it, a newborn child. When I pulled back the last blanket is when I found Baby Daniel, he said. I was by myself, so of course I got scared. He ran through the woods until he flagged down a car, and then investigators reported to the scene to find Baby Daniel. The child was wearing an oversized diaper and still had his umbilical cord attached, so he had been born recently, investigators said. The medical examiner determined the baby died of hypothermia, according to the attorneys office. For years, investigators couldnt identify the child, and the case eventually went cold. The case stayed with Cabrera over the years, but he reached out to the cold case detective handling the case as he and his wife were expecting their first child, he said. That shouldnt happen to anybody, he said. No one deserves that. In 2019, Chesapeake Detective Vernon Ryder began working on the case again and re-examined forensic evidence. DNA led them to Chrisman, who would have been 24 at the time she had the child, records show. She initially denied any involvement until confronted with the DNA evidence, according to the attorneys office. She then admitted to being the mother of the baby left in the woods to die. Chrisman was arrested in January 2020, nearly 17 years after investigators said her child froze to death in the woods, case records show. She pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge in October 2023 and was sentenced to 55 years in prison, with 23 years suspended, leaving her with 32 years to serve. Instead of caring for her baby, this defendant betrayed her obligation and left her baby in the snow-covered woods to die, Hamel said. She then evaded detection for nearly 20 years. Chesapeake is near the southeast coast of Virginia, about a 25-mile drive southwest of Virginia Beach. 20-year-old jogger was kidnapped and killed, NC cops say. Suspect IDd 45 years later 17-year-old found dead in California vineyard in 1979 is now identified, officials say Mom spent 18 years in prison after her babys death until science freed her, suit says Dad charged with murder months after he said 5-month-old fell off bed, police say 13-Year-Old Fatally Shot in Car with Other Kids While Possibly Making TikTok Video: Police Khalil Robinson was allegedly killed in a car with three juveniles inside, police say GoFundMe Khalil Robinson Police in Arizona are investigating the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy who was in a car with two other juveniles and may have been making a TikTok video during the alleged shooting, authorities say. Khalil Robinson, 13, was allegedly killed when a gun went off while he was with the two other boys in a parked car in Sierra Vista, Ariz., on April 4, the Sierra Vista Police Department confirms with PEOPLE. It was possible they were making a TikTok video, Scott Borgstadt, the departments public information officer, tells PEOPLE, but we haven't been able to confirm it yet. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Police say they responded to several reports of a shooting on April 4, according to KOLD. Robinson died the next day at a hospital in Tucson, AZ Central and KVOA reported. Borgstadt says one of the three boys was responsible for the shooting, but it is unclear who or if it was accidental. He declined to specify the ages of the victims because they are juveniles. A GoFundMe has been set up to support Robinsons family. Anyone with information is asked to call Jene Stewart (520-452-7500) with the SVPD. For more information on safe firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visit BeSMARTforkids.org. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Vietnamese National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue (L) shakes hands with Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Zhao Leji during a meeting in Beijing on April 8, 2024. Photo by VNA National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue expressed his hope that China would coordinate with Vietnam to improve customs clearance efficiency to promote trade during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart. Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China Zhao Leji presided over a welcome ceremony for and held talks with Hue in Beijing, China, on Monday. Both sides informed each other about the situation of each Party, country and activities of each legislative body. They delved deeper into discussions on specific measures to concretize the achievements and high-level common perceptions reached during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China in November 2022 and Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping's visit to Vietnam in December 2023. They also discussed measures to further enhance and deepen cooperation between the two legislatures in the coming time. Zhao welcomed the first official visit to China by Hue in his capacity. They expressed their satisfaction with the positive progress in the bilateral relations between the two Parties and two countries in recent times, including the exchanges and cooperatio between the two legislatures. stressed that the Vietnamese Party and State particularly value the development of stable, healthy, sustainable and long-term relations with China, considering it a strategic choice and top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism and diversification of ties. China always considers Vietnam a priority in its neighborly diplomacy policy, and consistently supports Vietnam in successfully implementing its industrialization, modernization and enhancing its international role, Zhao said. The two sides vowed to effectively implement the joint statement on further deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, and building a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. They agreed to maintain exchanges and contacts at all levels, and boost cooperation via the Party, government, parliament and front channels. Hue suggested that China facilitate the early establishment of Vietnam's trade promotion offices in Chengdu (Sichuan), Haikou (Hainan), and Nanjing (Jiangsu), continue to expand imports of Vietnamese goods and agricultural products, expedite negotiations and signing of a framework agreement on rice trade, effectively build smart border gates, improve customs clearance efficiency, and facilitate Vietnamese goods transit to third country via the Asia-Europe railway route. He wished that both sides would jointly build a new investment image of large, reputable and technologically advanced Chinese enterprises in Vietnam. He also emphasized the need for cooperation in resolving outstanding issues in certain cooperation projects, accelerating the progress of Chinas non-refundable aid to Vietnam, and exploring collaboration on the construction of standard-gauge railway projects, including the Hanoi-Lao Cai, Hanoi-Quang Ninh, and Hanoi-Lang Son sections. Zhao, for his part, spoke highly of and agreed with Hues recommendations to develop the ties between the two Parties and States, affirming that China stands ready to join hands with Vietnam to deepen practical cooperation, expand trade and investment collaboration, enhance strategic connectivity for development and carry out high-quality development. He went on to say that strategic connectivity will be bolstered through the "Belt and Road" and "Two Corridors, One Belt" initiatives, with focus on developing infrastructure, roads, railways and smart border gates. He stressed that the two sides need to enhance cooperation to ensure supply and production chains and branch out digital economy, green economy, new energy, key minerals and 5G technology. China welcomes Vietnams opening of its representative agencies and trade promotion offices in its localities, he said, suggesting competent ministries and sectors of both sides work together to satisfactorily handle existing problems in cooperation projects with goodwill and constructive manner, he noted. Besides, he held that both sides must continue popularising the sound Vietnam China friendship. Touching on the cooperation between the two legislative bodies, Hue recommended they enhance delegation exchanges at all levels, share experience in parliamentary activities, perfect the Parties leadership method, build the socialist rule-of-law States, complete mechanisms and policies for socio-economic development, and strengthen the supervisory role of the legislative bodies in urging ministries, sectors and localities to carry out the signed documents and agreements. He said that the roles of the Vietnamese NA deputies, members of the Chinese National Peoples Congress as well as members of the Vietnam China Friendship Parliamentarians Group should be promoted in popularising the bilateral friendship, consolidating consensus in the people, and building a sound social foundation for the bilateral relations. Sharing Hues views, Zhao expressed his delight over the robust cooperation between the two legislative bodies, and agreed to set up a cooperation committee and shape up a cooperative mechanism at the highest level, aiming at demonstrating the cooperation level between the two legislatures. He wished that both sides will capitalise on the mechanism to enhance experience exchange in legislation work, supervision and state management to better serve the building of socialism in each country, making contributions to the Vietnam China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the coming time. The two leaders also exchanged views on issues at sea in an open and frank manner, and concurred to continue realising the common perceptions reached by the leaders of the two Parties and States as well as properly control disagreements to maintain peace and stability in the East Sea. Hue suggested both sides actively promote negotiation mechanisms at sea, implement agreements on the search and rescue work and set up hotlines to handle incidents arising from fishing activities towards soon signing a new fishery cooperation agreement in the Gulf of Tonkin, and work with ASEAN countries to accelerate negotiations for a practical, efficient and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two leaders were unanimous about maintaining coordination and cooperation between agencies of the two legislative bodies at regional and international forums. Right after the talks, Hue and Zhao signed a new cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese NA and the National Peoples Congress of China. They also witnessed the signing of another agreement between the two legislatures' offices. Weighing in at a whopping 150 pounds and measuring 6 feet tall at the time of his birth, a new baby was born at Memphis Zoo. The Tennessee zoo announced the birth of Fitz, a reticulated giraffe, on April 5. He was born three days earlier on April 2, sharing a birthday with his dad Niklas, zookeepers said in a news release. He has nine siblings on his dads side, and hes one of the biggest among them, according to the zoo. His mom, Wendy, who has given birth to three other babies, has been a very attentive mother and takes great care of Fitz, the zoo said. At only a few days old, Fitz already has fans excited to see him. This is absolutely precious, one person said in response to the zoos announcement on Facebook. Fitz is covered with the characteristic brown polygon spots of reticulated giraffes, which are the tallest land animals on the planet. Guess I have to go back next week, another Facebook user wrote. Zoo officials called Fitzs birth very significant because it marks another success for the Species Survival Plan, which aims to ensure certain species populations in part by encouraging breeding. Fitz the reticulated giraffe has been well-loved by his attentive mom in the days following his birth, the Memphis Zoo said. Screengrab from the Memphis Zoo's Facebook post In the wild, giraffes as a species are undergoing what has been termed a silent extinction as theyre rapidly disappearing in their native habitat, zookeepers wrote. The population overall has declined 40% in the last 30 years. His birth comes roughly a month after the death of another giraffe at the Memphis Zoo named Angela Kate, McClatchy News reported. Zookeepers said on March 14 that Angela Kate had to be euthanized after suffering a fall. Fitz is anticipated to spend a few hours each day out on exhibit when the weather is nice. A beloved, endangered giraffe with important role at Florida zoo dies at age 22 White rhino with rare genetics born at Virginia Zoo. See the invaluable little calf Seven endangered creatures hatch at Oregon zoo. See one of the little fuzzballs Baby giraffe bonds with her dad in precious moment at Oklahoma zoo, video shows 2 injured after shooting reported on Dover Glen Drive, Metro police say NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Nashville authorities have launched an investigation into a shooting reported along Dover Glen Drive Sunday afternoon. According to Metro Nashville dispatch, the shooting was called in shortly before 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, April 7 from the 500 block of Dover Glen Drive in Antioch. Driver arrested after downtown Nashville crash leaves scooter operator with life-threatening injuries One of the investigators told News 2 that officers responded to the incident and discovered two shooting victims, one of whom was critically injured. News 2 reached out to Metro Nashville Police Department officials for more information about the shooting, but we have yet to hear back. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. 2 people were killed in a shooting during a Las Vegas child custody deposition, police say. The gunman also is dead A man fired a gun inside a law office in the Summerlin area near Las Vegas during a child custody deposition hearing Monday morning, killing two people, Las Vegas police said. The shooter also is dead, and police believe he took his own life, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a news conference. The two victims were a woman in her 30s and a man in his 50s, authorities said. The Clark County coroners office on Tuesday identified those who died in the shooting as Ashley Prince, 30, Dennis Prince, 57, and Joseph Houston, 77. The shooting happened at about 10 a.m. in one suite on the fifth floor of a building, police Lt. Jason Johansson said in a news conference later Monday. Seven people were at the law office taking part in a deposition for a child custody case, Johansson said three people representing each party and a court reporter, he said. A few minutes into the deposition, a man in his 70s stood up and began firing on two people across from him, Johansson said. The rest of the people in the group escaped, called police and have been interviewed by investigators, Johansson said. It appears our two victims were the very specific targets, Johansson told reporters. He did not share details about how the victims and the shooter knew each other or what their connection may have been. Police also have not shared information on a potential motive for the shooting. All children involved are accounted for and are safe, Johansson said. Officials also looked through the shooters vehicle and served a search warrant at his residence, Johansson said. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com After a cat rescue mission in Wisconsin, 28 feline companions, including 18 kittens, five mothers, and five juveniles, are in need of forever homes. The Sauk County police rescued these cats. With their rescue, an opportunity arises for individuals to extend a helping hand and provide these furry friends with a warm and loving environment. 10 cats and 18 kittens rescued during drug bust On April 5, officers from the Sauk Prairie Police Department executed a search warrant in the 400 Block of Dallas St. in the Village of Sauk City, as per WMTV 15 News.They were also accompanied by the Sauk County Drug Task Force. The officers discovered two firearms, illicit substances, and a total of 28 cats at the location. Additionally, a 34-year-old man was taken into custody and faces charges. On the other hand, the cats were sent to the Sauk County Humane Society. After arriving at the rescue organization, the cats underwent initial vaccination and FeLV/FIV tests. Subsequently, they were transported to Angel Wishs Pet Adoption and Resource Center in Verona. Moreover, Angels Wish announced on Facebook that the juveniles will be prepared for adoption next weekend. Meanwhile, the remaining cats require additional time in foster care before they become adoption-ready, which is expected in June. According to Angels Wish, the kittens ages vary between two and four weeks old. Natalis Baldis, a board member of Angels Wish, expressed astonishment at seeing so many felines. She stated she had never witnessed such a large number of cats and kittens rescued from a single residence before. In her words, This was the biggest one that Ive ever been a part of. Continuing, she added, Its heartening to see that despite their ordeal, theyre in good health and simply require love and care. The shelter has indicated that they require additional resources to support the cats care. Furthermore, it has made a specific request for Royal Canin Mom and BabyCat dry and canned food. The post 28 Cats Rescued From Wisconsin Property, Man Faces Charges appeared first on CatTime. April 8 (UPI) -- Three people, including the alleged gunman, are dead Monday after a shooting incident at a Las Vegas-area law office, authorities said. The shooting happened at about 10 a.m. local time on the fifth floor of an office building on West Charleston Boulevard near the Red Rock Casino in Summerlin, Nev., Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters. "The suspect is deceased and there is no further threat to the community," he said, adding that the shooter appeared to take his own life. No motive for the slayings was immediately apparent. The shooter was a male and the victims were male and a female, he said. The suspect's vehicle, which was parked in a nearby garage, was being examined for evidence. Police and fire officials were checking on the safety all of the occupants of the office building, who had "hunkered down" after warnings of an active shooter were issued, the sheriff said. Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck said the Red Rock Casino opened its doors to serve as a refuge for people evacuated from the office building and relatives of the victims, as well as a staging area for rescue operations. One of the victims was identified as prominent Las Vegas attorney Dennis Prince, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The newspaper quoted one of Prince's former law partners as saying the attorney was slain while conducting a deposition at his office. A gunman opened fire in a law office during a deposition on Monday, fatally shooting two people before turning the gun on himself, Las Vegas police said. Officials responded to the shooting around 10 a.m. local time Monday morning in the Summerlin area in west Las Vegas, officials said, evacuating the multi-story office building and hundreds of people who were inside during the shooting. Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters that the two victims were a man and a woman, and that the gunman was male. The motive and the relationship between the victims and the shooter is under investigation, police said, and its unclear whether the victims were employees of the law firm. Neither the victims names nor the suspects name were officially released, but KLAS identified the victims as attorneys Dennis Prince and Ashley Prince, who were married. The same sources identified the shooter as attorney Joe Houston, the father of Ashley Princes ex-husband. KLAS reported that the deposition in progress allegedly involved Prince and her ex-husband, Houstons son, whom the elder was representing. The suspect was not killed by police. We believe he took his own life, sheriff McMahill told reporters at the scene. There is no longer a threat to the surrounding area, the sheriff said. Nearby roads were briefly shut down as police responded, but reopened a few hours later. 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A four-year-old boy was killed in an accidental shooting Sunday night, Memphis Police say. According to MPD, the shooting occurred a little before midnight in the 1900 block of Frisco Avenue. A four-year-old boy was found with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Le Bonheur Childrens Hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead. Neighbors say the childs death is just the latest act of violence in the Castalia Heights community. I want to see it better, resident Lilly Smith said. Smith, has lived in the area for nearly 40 years and said the persistent violence has left people on edge. You cant sit outside unless you violent, Smith said. Someone wants to fight. Someone wants to shoot. Two dead, woman and child injured in two South Memphis shootings Tragically, the shooting is part of a troubling pattern healthcare professionals have begun to see too. Dr. Regan Williams, the Trauma Medical Director at Le Bonheur, said the number of children shot in Memphis in 2023 was more than double what it was just a few years ago. It is what keeps me up at night: Record number of Memphis kids shot in 2023, doctor says Its terrible. It actually what keeps me up at night, Dr. Williams said. About half of our patients were shot within the home with an accidental injury. So, they found a gun and accidentally get shot. According to Dr. Williams, 41 children have been shot so far in 2024. Police have not released any additional information about this case, but their investigation continues. Memphis murders and homicides 2024 For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Forty dogs were rescued from an Ohio property after officials say they received multiple calls about possible animal cruelty and trespassing. The dogs were pit bulls or pit bull mixes, according to a news release from Delaware County officials. Delaware County Dog Warden Mitchell Garrett obtained a warrant to remove the animals from the property April 7, but he said officials have known about the property owner for several years. Officials said the property owner was not present when the dogs were rescued, so charges have not been filed but are anticipated. McClatchy News is not naming the property owner because charges have not been filed. A series of videos which contain explicit language were posted to TikTok on April 7 showed dogs chained near pools of water. At least 19 of these circular pools were visible from a satellite view of the 7474 Kilbourne Road in Kingston Township. The Humane Society of Delaware County, in addition to other nearby county offices and a nonprofit organization, assisted with the rescue and care of the 40 dogs, county officials said. Nonprofit Rico Pet Recovery looked for foster homes for dogs currently at the shelter, in an effort to make room for the rescued dogs. The nonprofit also posted several photos and videos of the rescued dogs. Thirteen of the dogs are under the care of the humane society as of of April 8. The remaining 27 dogs are at the Delaware County Shelter, according to the county. Many community members were outraged that officials did not act sooner. You all are very well aware of what is going on and have been for years, someone commented on the Delaware County Sheriffs Office Facebook post. I hope this is a turning point where something is actually done. Officials said they were unable to search the property until April 7 because of Ohio laws. Six dogs all in good health were found in a previous visit to the property, but complaints continued to come in for years after the visit, Garrett said. One of the most challenging issues we face is the ability of any humane agent to take action that adheres to Ohio laws regarding animal welfare, Delaware County Humane Society Executive Director Jana Cassidy said in a news release. In recent years, no one would complete a witness statement that would enable the Dog Shelter staff to act, Garrett said. The needed witness statement alleging animal cruelty was received April 5, officials said. This allowed officials to enter the private property and rescue the dogs. Officials did not provide the specific laws preventing them from searching the property before April 7 because of pending legal action, according to the humane society. Kingston Township is about a 30-mile drive north from Columbus. Man chasing his loose dogs on highway is hit and killed by truck, Texas officials say Dog becomes ill due to the stress of shelter life. He urgently needs a loving home Puppies found in rusty crate in Pizza Hut dumpster. Now they get a second chance Sixty historic Torahs were featured in a procession at an Upper East Side synagogue Sunday to celebrate the salvaging of more than 1,500 of the religious artifacts from Nazi-occupied Prague. Representatives from Jewish temples across the tri-state area gathered at the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center in Manhattan to honor the Torahs and participate in Jewish prayers, songs and speeches imploring the world to reflect on antisemitism, particularly during the Mideast war. Even as the world changes around us, and we are painfully aware of sudden surge in antisemitism, we stand taller as Jews, we identify more proudly, and we hold the Torah closer, said Rabbi Amy Ehrlich of Temple Emanuel. The Torahs, collectively known as the Memorial Scrolls Trust, originated in Jewish communities across the Czechoslovakian region from the 1200s through to the early 20th century. Susan Levy (right) closes her eyes as she carries one of the precious scrolls Sunday. N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman The Torahs had wasted away in a storage facility in Prague for almost two decades until 1964. N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman The religious scrolls were looted by the Nazis along with other valuable items from those communities when the area was invaded and occupied by Germany in World War II but were miraculously left in storage in Prague throughout the war. Not all of the Torahs made it through the looting clean: Some were burned, riddled with bullet holes, blood-stained, and in one instance, even contained a hand-scrawled note reading, Please remember us. When the scrolls were finally recovered, some of their rescuers said they reminded them of corpses and smelled like death. Each scroll, more than a thousand of them, was wrapped in polythene, said Philippa Bernard of Westminster Synagogue in London. I can only say it was the smell of death. Jacob Pressman, 4, sits Sunday among dozens of torahs saved from the Holocaust. N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman The precious scrolls have been restored and loaned to synagogues across the world since their recovery in 1964. N.Y.Post/Chad Rachman The Torahs had wasted away in a storage facility in Prague for almost two decades, till 1964, when the cash-strapped Czech government sold the scrolls to a London art collector, who then passed them to Westminster Synagogue for keeping and restoration. In the years since, the scrolls have been loaned to synagogues around the world, where they are celebrated as symbols of Jewish persecution and perseverance in the face of generations of horrid violence. The MST Czech Torah collection underwent a similar experience to the Jews. They were collected, they were numbered, they were kept in bad conditions, and their health deteriorated, said Lois Roman, a trustee of the scroll collection. Unlike the Jews, most of the scrolls survived. Now it is their turn to play a role in retelling the story. We have and should use these Torah scrolls for that purpose. My biggest wish is that Holocaust education will become redundant, but sadly were living in a time when it is even more necessary. National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday as part of his ongoing official visit to China. Xi, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was the first Chinese leader to host the Vietnamese NA leader in the visit, showing the importance that China attaches to bilateral relations as well as to the Vietnamese delegations visit. Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 8, 2024. Photo by VNA Hue extended the best regards from Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and key leaders of Vietnam to the Chinese leader, and congratulated China on the great and historical achievements that the Party, State and people of China have gained so far, especially after the 18th CPC National Congress. He expressed his belief that China will successfully complete the goals set by the 20th CPC National Congress, contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the world. For his part, Xi affirmed that China supports Vietnam's development, stability and success in socialism building in accordance with the country's situation. He underlined that the agreement reached by two countries top leaders in building a Community of a Shared Future has a strategic meaning, opening up a new period for bilateral cooperation based on six major directions of higher political trust, more substantial defence-security cooperation, deeper practical collaboration, stronger social foundation, closer multilateral coordination, better controlled and resolved differences, thus positively contributing to peace and development in the region and the world. The two sides shared the delight at the positive development trend of the Vietnam-China relations, underlining that the two Parties and State have many similarities in ideological foundation and goals of building socialism, both striving for the interests and happiness of the people. Hue emphasized that developing relations with China is a strategic choice and a top priority in Vietnams foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, for peace, cooperation and development, multilateralism and diversification of foreign relations. He affirmed that Vietnam consistently implements the "One China" policy. Xi pledged that China attaches great importance to relations with Vietnam, hopes and is willing to promote the relations between the two Parties and countries in a deeper and more substantial manner. The Vietnamese NA Chairman suggested that the two sides strengthen political trust and increase high-level meetings, while promoting exchange and collaboration through the Party, Government, parliament and front channels as well as in important fields such as diplomacy, public security and defence. He proposed that the two sides enhance their strategic connectivity, create new momentum for bilateral cooperation, focusing on boosting trade, expanding goods import, especially Vietnamese farm produce, strengthening connectivity between Vietnam and major development strategies of China as well as links in railways, highways, sea and air, and promoting cooperation in finance, monetary, and digital transformation. Hue also proposed that the two sides increase people-to-people exchanges, promoting the role of legislators of the two sides in communications work to create social consensus, thus strengthening cooperation between the two sides in all areas and joining hands with the two Parties and States to properly deal with issues at sea in the spirit of better controlling and settling differences. Hailing Vietnams proposals, Xi affirmed that China is ready to work with Vietnam in maintaining strategic exchanges, increasing meetings at high and all levels as well as exchanges and cooperation through the Party channel, sharing experience and theory in Party building and country governance, fostering practical cooperation, accelerating strategic connections, especially in the fields of railways and smart border gates, and strengthening cooperation in the fields of digital economy, green energy, essential minerals and emerging industries. China welcomes Vietnam's efforts in connecting with China's major inter-regional development strategies. Stressing that the partnership between the two legislatures plays an important and irreplaceable role in the relations between the two Parties and countries, the Chinese leader welcomes the National Peoples Congress of China and the NA of Vietnam to sign a new cooperation agreement to enhance the level and efficiency of their cooperation, and actively implement cooperation across all fields and at all levels. Xi said the two sides should actively contribute to promoting practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, especially between the youth, thus consolidating the foundation of friendship between the two peoples, and share experiences on building the rule-of-law socialist State under the Party's leadership as well as perfecting the socialist legal system. The previous total solar eclipse in Austin, where I live, was almost 627 years ago, and the citys crowds reflected that energy. Hotels were booked, flight prices were seriously hiked, and the city felt all weekend as it does during SXSW, which is to say congested. Too much traffic. Hard to find a table for brunch. Tourists posing among Texas bluebonnets. A full 1 million people planned to travel toand withinTexas in order to be in the path of totality, according to the states Department of Transportation. Of course, the universe didnt cooperate. Weather reports were grim, and the Texas Eclipse Festival canceled its events and asked attendees to leave early due to the chance of high winds, tornadic activity, large hail and thunderstorms. Chani NicholasNew York Times bestselling author, astrologer, app creator, and activistsaid that such chaos was cosmic. She gave her whole company the week off, citing the planets. During this time period, life is especially unpredictable and unstable, she wrote. Changes, transformations, and catalysts were written in the stars. On my street, the weather was calm and cloudy. If you really want to be outside, a lady on TikTok told her viewers, choose your timeline, choose your path, and choose it with confidence. So, when my calendar event pinged at 1 p.m.eclipse! tucked in the rest of the workdayI shut my laptop, grabbed my eclipse glasses, and walked outside. I pulled up a seat next to my pink rose bush while my dog chased the squirrels in my backyard as if it were any other day. Within 10 minutes, the ambient light grew dimmer. Adults gathered in my street, on the other side of the fence. The neighborhood was still filled with the sound of young children playing. I heard a man in his yard explaining to his family, Well, theres cloud cover, and looked up at the shrouds and puffs floating over the shrinking, glowing crescent. Whenever the clouds parted, there was echoed clapping and sparse shouts of There it is! Today the sun was a celebrity. Several Native American cultures, including the Navajo, advise still reflection on days like today. The Navajo do not eat and drink or do any activity during the event; we just sit in reverence, Sherene Goatson Ing, a member of the Navajo Nation and director of the First Nations Educational and Cultural Center at Indiana University Bloomington, has said. Because its a moment of rebirth, we just try to show respect. I put my coffee mug back inside the house, just in case. My dog looked at me quizzically. The birds were still chirping. By 1:27, there was just a sliver of sun between the fresh leaves on my pecan tree. The air, which was warm and heavy, got cooler and quieter. Three minutes later, some of the solar lights in my backyard flickered on. Then came the streetlights. Early afternoon, but the aura of sunset. Smells of spring: freshly cut grass, roses in bloom, the flowers on my lemon tree. The mailman in my neighborhood pulled over and got out of his car. In the sky, the sun looked like a diamond on an engagement ring. One or two spots of red shone from around the black disk of the moon. Then, totality. The sun was completely blocked out, and people cheered in every direction as the sky darkened. Clouds covered the sky. Owls hooted. The clouds once again parted. My neighbors gasped. Austinites whooped and clapped, even screamed. Not two minutes later, its day again. On a Monday afternoon in April, we are reborn. A woman is going to prison after she pleaded guilty to a District of Columbia crash that left a 5-year-old girl with life-threatening injuries, federal officials said. In July 2023, Thaniyyah Veney, 33, of Washington, D.C., was driving when she hit the little girl who was sitting at a bus stop with her dad, according to an April 5 news release by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. After hitting the child and man, Veney kept driving until she struck the front steps of a home, federal officials said. When the car came to a stop, Veney got out and walked to an alley, officials said. The child was pinned under the car, officials said. When firefighters arrived, they used a ladder as a lever to help lift the car and get the girl out, federal officials said. She was airlifted to a hospital for her injuries, officials said. The child suffered a broken hip, broken shoulder and fractured skull, Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White said on Instagram in 2023. Officials didnt specify the extent of her fathers injuries. Veney was breathalyzed and officers determined she was intoxicated, federal officials said. Veneys lawyers information was not readily available on April 8. She was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of aggravated assault while armed with a deadly weapon, officials said. If you or a loved one shows signs of substance use disorder, you can seek help by calling the national hotline at 1-800-662-4357 or find treatment using SAMHSA's online locator. Driver flees crash and runs stop sign, killing dad and 5-year-old, California cops say False DUI arrest leads to $400,000 settlement for wrongly accused driver, lawsuit says Man pins wife with car, then runs over a woman who heard the screams, Utah cops say Accused serial peeper caught sneaking onto roof of Monterey hotel, California cops say Officers conducting surveillance for a serial peeper at Monterey hotels arrested a 33-year-old man seen crawling onto a hotel roof to peer in windows, California police reported. Investigators later connected the Modesto man to four earlier peeping incidents at hotels in the city, a popular tourist destination, Monterey police said in an April 5 news release. The man, who was arrested March 19, faces charges of attempted burglary, trespassing and peeping, police said. On Sept. 13, a woman reported seeing a man looking through her balcony window at a hotel, police said. On Jan. 29, a hotel reported seeing a man peering into windows and trying to open doors of vacant rooms on surveillance video, police said. On Jan. 31, a woman reported seeing a man outside her hotel window who appeared to be masturbating, police said. On March 18, a woman reported seeing a man peer through the skylight in her hotel room, police said. Police ask anyone with information to call Detective Sgt. Greg Galin at 831-646-3872 or leave an anonymous tip at 831-646-3840 Monterey is about a 125-mile drive south of San Francisco. Son knocks on moms door, stabs her to death, Florida cops say. She got on my nerves Remains of man not seen for nearly a year found in remote wetlands, Utah cops say Mans dying words lead to arrest of friend accused of gunning him down, Texas cops say Actor Jonathan Majors assault and harassment case at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York Actor Jonathan Majors assault and harassment case at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -Jonathan Majors, a fast-rising Hollywood star before domestic violence charges derailed his career, avoided jail and was sentenced to one year of domestic-violence counseling on Monday after being found guilty of attacking his former girlfriend. The sentence was imposed by Justice Michael Gaffey of the state Supreme Court in Manhattan, where Majors was convicted on Dec. 18 of one count each of third-degree assault and second-degree harassment, neither a felony, against Grace Jabbari. Majors had faced up to one year in jail, but prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney's office recommended the counseling. He must also continue therapy and stay away from Jabbari. Priya Chaudhry, a lawyer for Majors, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jabbari sued Majors last month for defamation, assault, battery, and inflicting emotional distress, in a civil complaint filed in Manhattan federal court. The 34-year-old Majors rose to fame by starring in the 2019 film "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," and later gained plaudits for his work in the blockbusters "Creed III" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." Majors played the villainous Kang the Conqueror in several Marvel Studios productions including "Quantumania," and was expected to return to the role in a 2026 release, "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty." But his legal troubles led to the end of his relationship with Marvel, which parted ways following the conviction. Walt Disney, meanwhile, removed another star vehicle for Majors, "Magazine Dreams," from its release calendar last October. The criminal case against Majors stemmed from a March 2023 altercation in a hired SUV that left Jabbari, his girlfriend at the time, with a broken finger and swollen arm and ear. Jabbari testified that Majors attacked her after she grabbed his phone upon seeing a text from another woman, including by twisting her arm behind her back and striking her in the head. She also said Majors had a "violent temper" and "exploded" in anger on other occasions. Assistant District Attorney Kelli Galaway told the judge before sentencing that Majors' "complete lack of remorse" and his abuse of Jabbari "make it all the more likely this defendant will reoffend without serious, in-person intervention through domestic violence programming." Like many criminal defendants, Majors did not testify. His lawyer claimed that Jabbari attacked Majors, and falsely accused him of assault after they broke up. The trial lasted two weeks, and jurors acquitted Majors on two other charges. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien, Franklin Paul and Alistair Bell) ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. An Affton man is accused of keeping dozens of images and videos containing child pornography and posing as a minor to communicate with children online. According to the St. Louis County Police Departments probable cause statement, detectives received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about several social media accounts containing child sexual abuse material. A singular IP address was tied to accounts on KIK, Snapchat, Google Imager, Discord, and Facebook. Police claim the IP address was traced to a home in the 8500 block of Pilot Avenue and the social media accounts belonged to Davione Lee, who lived at the home. Bus catches fire in Normandy, rolls into house Police took Lee into custody and claim he admitted to possessing at least two videos of child porn on his phone. Detectives searched Lees phone and found more than 90 images of child porn in various apps on the device. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office charged Lee with two counts of possession of child pornography. Lees bail was set at $150,000, cash-only. Hes due in court later this week for a bond reduction hearing. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. The air defence system was activated in Odesa Oblast during an air-raid alert on the night of 7-8 April. Source: Dumska, a local media outlet in Odesa Quote: "Air defence is in operation. Stay in safe places." Details: Before that, the outlet had noted that Russian Shahed drones were "heading for the city", so "it might be loud". Update: The all-clear was given in Odesa Oblast at 00:35 on 8 April. Support UP or become our patron! Two people died and 10 aircraft were destroyed in aviation-related mishaps in fiscal year 2023 as the Air Forces most serious accidents hit a five-year high. The latest milestone was driven by a jump in the deadliest and most expensive accidents, most of which occurred in flight. But an Air Force Times analysis of the services safety data found that even as the number of airborne mishaps has plateaued, a spike in maintenance-related incidents has cost the Air Force millions of dollars and increasingly often injured airmen on the job as well. Deadly aircraft accidents declined in 2021, Air Force says As of April 1, the service had recorded 75 major non-combat mishaps in FY23, which ran from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023. Thats up from 67 in the year prior, and from 63 in FY19, according to the Air Force Safety Center. Ground accidents comprised more than 28% of those mishaps in FY23 up from 19% two years earlier. The increase in Class A and B incidents comes as the Air Force juggles a decades-old inventory with operational demands and a stretched-thin maintainer corps, even as efforts ramp up across the Defense Department to curb the number of accidents involving military vehicles. Every mishap is different, and each is investigated individually and thoroughly to identify causal factors in efforts to prevent similar mishaps, Maj. Gen. Sean Choquette, the Air Forces safety chief, told Air Force Times. Our goal is to understand the associated hazards, and to eliminate or mitigate them to [the] greatest extent possible in both training and combat operations. A U.S. Air Force F-15D assigned to the 173rd Fighter Wing sits in a Bureau of Reclamation canal on the south side of the runway after a mishap at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon, May 15, 2023. Absorbent booms surround the aircraft as precaution against the leakage of fuel or other substances. (Master Sgt. Jefferson Thompson/Air National Guard) Key findings From nose gear failures to destructive debris, the Air Force saw 52 flight mishaps, 21 ground mishaps nearly double those in each of the previous two years and two flight-related mishaps among Class A and B incidents in FY23, the Safety Center said April 1. Figures can change as investigations progress after the fiscal year ends. MQ-9 Reaper drones logged 10 mishaps in FY23, more than any other airframe, Air Force data showed. The F-22 Raptor fighter led manned aircraft in mishaps at nine accidents, followed by the CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor transport aircraft and C-17 Globemaster III airlifters at seven incidents each. MQ-9s, C-17s and the F-35 Lightning II fighter saw the highest number of the most severe events, known as Class A mishaps. The Air Force logged 29 Class A mishaps in 2023, up from 24 the previous year; the service averaged almost 27 annually over the last five fiscal years. Class A accidents involve a death or permanent total disability, destruction of a U.S. military aircraft, damages of more than $2.5 million, or a combination of those three criteria. Less-serious Class B mishaps, which can also be life-altering, rose from 43 in 2022 to 46 in 2023. The service has averaged around 41 Class B accidents in the past five years. Those incidents cause between $600,000 and $2.5 million in damages, a permanent partial disability, inpatient hospitalization of three or more personnel, or a combination of those factors. Stephanie Rodriguez-Cosme, 32, of Palmdale, Calif., died Sept. 7, 2023, after she was struck by an MQ-9 Reaper drone's spinning propeller during ground testing. (Courtesy photo via Air Force) Human toll FY23 fatalities included Stephanie Rodriguez-Cosme, a 32-year-old test engineer and contractor who was struck by an MQ-9s whirring propeller during ground testing, as well as a civilian employee of the Missile Defense Agency who died after experiencing health problems while flying on a C-17. Neither death was disclosed at the time of the incident; the Air Force allows local commanders to decide whether to publicly announce a fatality. An Air Force investigation, the results of which were released April 5, found that Cosme was incorrectly trained on taking data readings from the drone with its engine running, and wasnt paying close attention as she approached the aircraft. The investigation report also cited a lack of clear communication between contractors and ground support personnel, and said they were rushed because of previous delays. The service declined to provide more details about the C-17 mishap. The Air Force typically records fewer than six mishap-related deaths each year. But the human toll of aviation accidents isnt limited to fatalities: On Feb. 27, a contractor was trapped under a T-38 Talon training jet when its nose gear collapsed during ground maintenance at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Others freed the maintainer, who was airlifted to a hospital and spent several days in treatment for multiple broken bones and other injuries. On May 15, a pilot was treated for minor injuries after an F-15D Eagle assigned to the Oregon Air National Guards 173rd Fighter Wing experienced an in-flight emergency and skidded off the runway, landing in a canal. On July 31, a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet landed in the hospital for more than three months after becoming entangled during freefall parachute training. The academy stopped flying for the day and paused parachute training until the next class, which began in October, said Sean Worrell, a spokesperson for the 12th Flying Training Wing. The accident did not spur any changes in policy or procedures, Worrell said. On Aug. 17, a maintainer was injured by debris when the propeller from one CV-22 Osprey struck another that was parked. Propellers on both aircraft were damaged. On Aug. 22, an Osprey lost control and hit the ground, damaging its belly and injuring a crew member upon impact. An Air Force Safety Center spokesperson called maintainer injury the top aviation mishap trend that arose in FY23, including a 16% increase in head injuries. The service has tried to curb the number of head injuries through bump caps lightweight plastic hats or inserts that can lessen the force of impacts but is reassessing that strategy. While the Safety Center declined to specify what steps its taking to keep airmen safe at work, it said it surveys how airmen perceive the amount of risk within their squadrons. Better scores on those surveys can reflect fewer workplace injuries. Commanders are debriefed on mission areas that are both performing well and those areas needing attention, the organization said. This helps command teams to target higher-risk areas, efficiently manage resources and conduct additional training. Major crashes Meanwhile, manned and unmanned aircraft alike suffered higher rates of the worst accidents. For manned aircraft, the service logged about 1.18 Class A mishaps per 100,000 flying hours the highest since FY20, when the rate spiked to 1.34 accidents in the same timespan, according to the Air Force. For unmanned aircraft, that rate hit 2.91 incidents per 100,000 flying hours, the most since FY16, when the service saw 3.58 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours. The service did not provide its total number of flight hours in FY23 by press time. The Air Force also saw 10 aircraft totaled, at a rate of 0.58 per 100,000 flying hours. Thats an increase from six destroyed aircraft in FY22, and the most since 2020, when 14 airframes were ruined. Still, Class B mishap rates among manned aircraft fell from 2.14 to 1.95 accidents per 100,000 flight hours between FY22 and FY23. The rate for unmanned aircraft also fell from 0.44 to 0.23 accidents per 100,000 hours in the same time frame. Aircraft destroyed last year included six MQ-9s, which suffered from a variety of problems ranging from engine and electrical system failures to loss of control. Drones are often seen as more dispensible because they are cheaper to replace than manned aircraft and dont have a human life in the cockpit. Airmen visit an MQ-9 Reaper from the California Air National Guard's 163rd Attack Wing at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base, Ohio, March 18, 2024. (Airman 1st Class Colin Simpson/Air National Guard) The service also lost three manned jets: Pilots in each of those mishaps ejected safely. More recently, a UH-1N Huey from the 37th Helicopter Squadron, based at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, crashed and flipped over in a hard landing at Cheyenne Regional Airport during routine training on Aug. 30. Three crew members were treated and released from a local hospital that day, the Air Force said. Engine woes, frequent FOD Engine problems were among the most frequent culprits behind mishaps across multiple fleets. The aging C-17 led the way with five engine-related incidents, four of which occurred while in flight. 1st Lt. Peyton Craven, a spokesperson for Air Mobility Command, didnt respond to a question about the C-17s engine issues but blamed the problems on old, overworked aircraft. While the command totaled 12 accidents in FY23, it saw the lowest mishap rate in five years, and a 13% drop from the previous year, Craven said. The majority of the mishap causes are consistent with what we would expect from aging airframes and flight hour totals, Craven said. V-22 Osprey fleet will fly again, with no fixes but renewed training Raptors and Ospreys tied as the aircraft with the second-highest number of engine problems, with four such mishaps apiece. In two cases, maintainers encountered damage while installing engines in an Osprey, including a winch cable that broke, damaging several components like the input quill. Choquette noted that overall, major engine issues have decreased over the last decade, but did not say by how much. Our aviation engineering branch directly engages with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and the individual aircraft systems safety groups to identify trends at the airframe level, Choquette said. These engagements lead directly to policy and procedure updates to enact corrective actions. Wayward debris was also a factor in at least 10 mishaps. On Aug. 14, an Osprey assigned to the 352nd Special Operations Wing at Englands RAF Mildenhall made a precautionary landing for a potential bird strike. Instead, crews found a plastic bag in its engine, which was replaced. In at least two mishaps, flashlights were sucked into jet engines, including one that caused about $4 million in damages to an F-35 assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona, an investigation revealed. A Foreign object debris, as such trash is known in military parlance, was one factor that led the number of ground accidents to nearly double from 11 in 2022 to 21 in 2023. Other ground mishaps ran the gamut from engine fire to collisions in transit. In four cases, an aircraft struck another object or was otherwise damaged while being towed. F-22s were damaged in two separate instances: one aircraft struck a hangar door while being towed, while another hit a parked forklift. The Safety Center has taken notice of the rise in problems on the ground, Choquette said. Aviation safety staff have flagged the issue of towing-related mishaps to maintenance leaders across the service, and are considering ways to improve unit-level oversight of ground maintenance. We analyzed safety board findings from across our major commands and shared recommendations widely to reduce [the recurrence] of these types of mishaps, Choquette said. Additionally, we are assessing the ability to assign safety-trained personnel to our maintenance units just as we do in flight units. Our goal is to increase safety expertise and immediate access to risk management data and tools on the maintenance line. That idea, which could take the form of an official instruction, will be reviewed in the next month, according to a Safety Center spokesperson. The uptick in ground mishaps comes as the Air Force tries to build experience in a young workforce while battling a maintainer shortfall that was expected to grow to nearly 1,800 active duty troops by the end of FY23. Their grueling operational tempo is leading to unsafe practices and driving experienced aviators and maintainers out of the force, the National Commission on Military Aviation Safety wrote in its sweeping 2020 report on the topic. More maintainers would help, one airlift squadron leader told the commission. But what would really help is more experienced maintainers. It takes about three years to get good at your job, doing it every day. Were not even getting to that point with our young airmen. An MB4 tow tractor pulls an F-22 Raptor to be refueled by a C-17 Globemaster III at Nellis AFB, Nev., Feb. 2, 2024. (Tech. Sgt. Curt Beach/Air Force) The fixes Air Force officials offered few specifics about whether last years mishaps have prompted changes to policies or procedures. Where Choquette noticed emerging themes among incidents on the ground, Col. Tony Babcock, who oversees policy, procedures and resources for the maintainer corps, argues that FY23 data doesnt indicate a trend. Training and retaining a highly skilled maintainer corps will help reduce future mishaps, he told Air Force Times. Pay and assignment incentives are being considered to keep airmen in uniform. The service has emphasized the use of augmented- and virtual-reality tools in maintenance classes to help build muscle memory alongside real-world training, he added. AR/VR does not replace hands-on skill building, but does provide opportunities to engage the students in a different way by enabling familiarity with aircraft, Babcock said. Air Combat Command and Air Mobility Command, which led the major commands in Class A and B accidents last year at 17 and 12 incidents, respectively, said they look for problematic trends via multiple sources like accident investigations, safety audits and airmens anonymous reports and adjust policy and tactics as needed. Air Force Special Operations Command logged 12 mishaps in the top two categories as well, followed by Air Education and Training Command at 11, the Air National Guard at seven, Air Force Global Strike Command and Pacific Air Forces at five each, the Air Force Reserve at two and U.S. Air Forces Europe at one. One mishap did not belong to any of the services major commands. Since taking command of the Safety Center last August, Choquette says hes focused on operationalizing safety and improving data analytics and risk management tools, to include developing artificial-intelligence tools that help identify risks. The center on April 2 published a new strategic plan pledging to better manage workplace risk, particularly in the nuclear and space enterprises and during deployments. But military aviation is inherently risky, the Safety Center said, and human error almost always plays a role in accidents. The biggest challenge to reducing mishaps is continued vigilance in ensuring disciplined operations and risk management across all aspects of day-to-day operations, Choquette said. Ukrainian air defense units destroyed 17 of the 24 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight, as well as one Kh-59 guided cruise missile, the Air Force reported on April 8. The Russian attacks were launched from Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea, from neighbouring Kursk Oblast, as well as a military base in Yeysk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai region. One of the drones damaged a logistic transport facility and a gas station in Odesa Oblast a Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported on Telegram. No casualties or injuries were reported as a result of the attacks. The drones were intercepted over Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytskyi, and Zhytomyr oblasts, while the guided missile was shot down over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Air Force were involved in repelling the air attacks. Drone attacks are a daily occurrence in Ukraine, affecting various regions across the country. Overnight on April 7, Ukraines air defense downed 17 Russian drones launched at Ukraine. Russian forces continue to attack civilian areas far from the front line, with the recent series of intense bombardments targeting energy infrastructure in what is likely a mission to take out Ukraine's grid. Civilians living in front-line regions in the country's east and south remain, as well as close to the Russian border in the north, remain most vulnerable. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia reportedly loses 7 aircraft; Zelensky says Kharkiv protected against potential offensive Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Singapore Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Changi Airport in Singapore, Nov. 16, 2021. Photo by Reuters A Singapore Airlines flight leaving Sydney, Australia, for Singapore Sunday was forced to turn back after a "technical issue" was found and was delayed by five hours. The flight carrying over 470 passengers and 27 crew members returned to Sydney International Airport about an hour after take-off, The Straits Times reported. The airline did not specify what the technical issue was. It was scheduled to leave Sydney at 11 a.m. local time and land in Singapore at 5:30 p.m., but landed at 10.24 p.m. instead, Channel News Asia reported. "Singapore Airlines sincerely apologizes to all affected customers for any inconvenience caused," the airline said in a statement, adding that passengers were provided with refreshments and all necessary assistance. Air-raid warning throughout Ukraine, explosions in Odesa in Zaporizhzhia The Ukrainian authorities have issued an air-raid warning in 12 oblasts due to the ballistic missile threat. Source: alerts.in.ua; Ukrainian Air Force; Suspline on Telegram Quote from the Air Force: "Attention! There is a threat of ballistic weapon deployment from the southeast!" An air-raid warning has been issued in the eastern, southern, and central regions. Suspilne reports explosions in Odesa and Zaporizhzhia. Update: The all-clear was given at 12:47. As of that moment, the air-raid warning was still active in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. At 12:52, Suspilne reported that another explosion occurred in Zaporizhzhia. Support UP or become our patron! SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (WHNT) A lemonade stand is a good way for children to make money, but the purpose behind 7-year-old Emouree Johnsons lemonade stand is much deeper. The sales the second grader collected from her stand last week were set to go toward a tombstone for her mother, Karli, who died in March at the age of 29. I didnt know just making a little lemonade would bring this many people to my house, Emouree told Nexstars WHNT. Its fun, but its unbelievable at the same time. Emouree, who began selling her signature drinks last week in Scottsboro, Alabama, quickly reached $10,000, according to her grandmother, Jennifer Bordner. After a social media post about the lemonade stand, Bordner says the community donated the tombstone and hundreds came by to grab the Emouree special. Its helping her heal, I know her momma is looking down on her and is so happy, said Bordner, who described her daughter Karli as a kind-hearted person who would light up a room with her smile. Boeing plane part falls off, strikes wing flap during takeoff in Denver: FAA Bordner tells WHNT shes grateful for the Jackson County community and that the ongoing donations will help support Emourees future. Ive just been amazed and have cried happy tears, felt a peaceful and happiness because everybody came to support my little granddaughter, Bordner said. Thats what I wanted the most for her, to not be heartbroken because thats my world. Emouree says beauty and makeup are her passions and she hopes to one day become a YouTube star. Family members explained how the second graders world was rocked after her mother died, but the lemonade stand is her way of honoring her mother Karli. I hope my daughter can see how amazing this is and how especially wonderful her daughter is, Bordner told WHNT. Thank you to everyone and thank God because this was one of the most painful things I ever experienced, and this community has helped me. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) Absentee voting deadlines for the April 16 Primary Runoff Election are approaching, according to Secretary of State Wes Allen. Orange Beach Public Library has a new policy due to concerned parents There are different deadlines for applying for absentee ballots and turning in absentee ballots, according to a press release from his office. Here is everything you need to know about absentee voting: Applications for Absentee Ballots To obtain an absentee ballot, a voter must meet these eligibility requirements, according to the Secretary of States website. After determining eligibility, Alabama voters can apply for an absentee ballot. On the site, voters can ask that an absentee ballot be mailed to them or find the address for their absentee election manager. Absentee voting, or the option to vote by mail under specific circumstances, is currently available for residents of every U.S. state. But many place restrictions on who can request a mail-in ballot. (Getty Images) Absentee ballot applications require the following, according to the website: Deadlines: Absentee Election Managers must receive mail-in election ballot applications for the upcoming runoff by Tuesday, April 9, 2024. If returning in person: voters must return absentee ballot applications by Thursday, April 11 If approved for an absentee ballot, the Absentee Election Manager will forward it by U.S. Mail or personally hand it to the voter or to a designee of the voter. Alabama voters can visit Alabamas Absentee Voting Information website to find information and helpful links on applying for absentee ballots. UPDATE: 1 woman turns herself in, 1 still sought in Prichard Police investigation Voting According to the press release, heres how voting works. If you did vote in the primary: Under Alabama law, if a voter casts a ballot in the primary election and wants to vote in the primary runoff election, he or she must vote in the runoff election of the same party they chose in the primary election. If you did not vote in the primary: If a voter did not participate in the primary election or only voted a constitutional amendment ballot, they may still vote in the primary runoff election for either party. In addition, voters are required to present a valid form of photo identification before voting at their polling place or by absentee ballot. Returning Absentee Ballots According to the absentee ballot website, The absentee ballot comes with 3 envelopes one plain (the secrecy envelope), one with an affidavit, or oath, printed on the outside, and one plain pre-addressed envelope, (the outer envelope). Here is the procedure to follow after casting your ballot: After filling out the ballot, there are more deadlines to be aware of, according to the release. An absentee ballot cannot be counted unless the affidavit is notarized or has signatures of two witnesses, according to the site. Deadlines: Absentee Election Managers must receive absentee election ballots on the day before the election (this year, that would be April 15, 2024) Ballots returned by mail must be received no later than election day (April 16, 2024) 10 kids, 2 adults escape house fire on Union Avenue To return a ballot, voters can forward the ballot in U.S. Mail, forward the absentee ballot by commercial carrier, or personally (or by designee) hand their own absentee ballot to the absentee election manager. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. This article was originally published in Alaska Beacon. Alaska students may be required to pass a civics test or take a civics course to graduate from high school if a new proposal becomes law. Senate Bill 29 would significantly boost the states investment in civics education, from an updated curriculum to a dedicated statewide civics education commission. Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, proposed the updates in an effort to increase civic engagement and understanding of democracy among the states youth. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Theres been a quiet epidemic, I think, in this country over the years a sort of apathy and actually division, said Stevens, a retired history professor. For decades, we have focused on other issues, other than civics education, and certainly those have all been good issues. Math, science, reading, writing: All of those are important. But weve done that at the expense of social studies. The Senate passed the bill last May, sending it to the House. On the measures first hearing in the House Education Committee, Stevens pointed out that preparation for active citizenship is a foundational principle of public education. He said strong policy is needed to show students that preparation for civic engagement is as important as preparation for college and career. The bill would require the states Board of Education and Early Development to develop and maintain a statewide civics curriculum based on the federal naturalization exam immigrants must take to become citizens. Students would have to take a semester of civics or pass an exam to graduate high school. The bill stipulates that, in addition to including information on how the United States and Alaska governments work, the curriculum must also include systems of government used by Alaska Native people. John Pugh, a former University of Alaska Southeast chancellor, former Department of Health and Social Services commissioner and Air Force veteran, said he supports the bill because his personal and professional experience show how important it is for citizens to engage with their civic responsibilities. Over the years in the university, theres strong research showing that individuals who do have this knowledge or take coursework in political science and government that they do engage more than others who do not, he said. The upgrades would come at a cost, including the addition of a dedicated social studies content specialist and Alaska Civics Education Commission coordinator within the education department, as well as travel costs for the civics commission to meet. Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, wanted to know why the bill does not call for additional money for school districts to pay staff to teach civics courses. Stevens said the coursework in civics should be considered part of basic education. Were giving billions to education, he said. We can expect our departments, our school districts, our teachers to provide basic education, which is citizenship. So I think thats just a responsibility of the department of education and a responsibility of the budget we give to them. Co-chair Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River, mentioned that Sen. Click Bishop, R-Fairbanks, took the proposed civics test and got a perfect score. She said the bill will be heard again in the House Education Committee for amendments and public testimony. It has not yet been scheduled. Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com. Follow Alaska Beacon on Facebook and Twitter. Alligator crawls into Florida home and settles in front of refrigerator, photos show A rare instance of a large alligator forcing its way into a home has been reported in Southwest Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It happened March 28 at a private residence in Sarasota County, about a 75-mile drive south from Tampa, officials told McClatchy News. The 711 alligator was captured and live transferred to an alligator farm, officials said. Photos of the incident began circulating on social media April 7 after being shared by WINK Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt. He credits the photos to Mary Hollenback, who was in the house when it happened. This big guy in Venice got inside by pushing through a front screen door, into the kitchen, while she was in the living room, Devitt wrote. GATOR INSIDE FLORIDA HOME! This big guy in Venice got inside by pushing through a front screen door, into the kitchen, while she was in the living room. Only in Florida! Credit: Mary Hollenback @WINKNews pic.twitter.com/FP19aqjuti Matt Devitt (@MattDevittWX) April 7, 2024 The alligator settled in front of her refrigerator, a photo shows. Hollenback lives in the Grand Palm subdivision and says she heard the reptile banging on the front door, according to WTVT. I got off the couch and came around the door prepared to say youre in the wrong place, she told the station. Thats when she realized it was an alligator and it appeared to be stuck, WTVT reports. I was shaking so badly, she told the outlet. Maps show the Grand Palm subdivision is surrounded by canals and several ponds, all of which are likely homes for alligators. April is the start of alligator courtship season, when males are known to wander from familiar turf in search of a mate, experts say. Devitts Facebook post had more than 5,000 reactions and comments as of April 8, many expressing horror at the possibilities. What if there was a toddler walking around, Kelli McKirgan Wilson asked. This may sound silly but what do you do in that situation? Call 911? Tiffany Hall wrote. Imagine a gator rodeo in your kitchen. No way that doesnt make a mess, MaryLou Backus posted. Its looking at me. Creepy shadow at bottom of Florida swimming pool was alligator Man opens door after hearing noise then alligator chomps his leg, Florida police say Brash alligator wakes up homeowners by banging on their door, Florida deputies say Following her opponents cancellation due to illness, Angela Alsobrooks pivoted to hosting a town-hall forum in Dundalk on Sunday, where she spoke about the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26. Alsobrooks, the Prince Georges County executive, was scheduled to face U.S. Rep. David Trone at a debate hosted by the Baltimore County and Baltimore City Democratic State Central committees at the Sollers Point Multipurpose Center in Turner Station. Trone pulled out Sunday morning after being hospitalized for fever and dehydration. He and Alsobrooks are seeking the Democratic Party nomination to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is expected to be the Republican Party nominee. Sundays attendees included Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, and Del. Aletheia McCaskill, all Democrats who have endorsed Alsobrooks. Trone, who has served Western Maryland in Congress since 2018, is funding his campaign almost entirely with his own money. Alsobrooks, who previously accused him of trying to buy the election, wished him a speedy recovery in her opening remarks Sunday. Alsobrooks said she fully supported federal and state authorities response, and was so happy President Joe Biden pledged during his Friday visit to the Port of Baltimore to cover 90% of the total cost of replacing the bridge. Theres precedent for this, she said of federal lawmakers promise to fund the bridges rebuilding. This happened in Minnesota, as we know in 2007, so there is an important precedent to make sure that youre rebuilding that bridge at 100%. Minnesota rebuilt its I-35W bridge in 13 months after the bridge collapsed in August 2007, killing 13 people. Alsobrooks said divers from Prince Georges County have assisted the ongoing effort to find the six construction workers who died when the Key Bridge collapsed after a cargo vessel hit it. On Friday, authorities recovered the body of Maynor Suazo Sandoval, though three more men who are presumed dead remain missing. This is one Maryland and were in this together with Baltimore and we will stick together until we get it rebuilt, Alsobrooks said of the bridge. She also fielded questions from the audience on the ongoing conflict in Gaza and reproductive rights. She doubled down on her previous criticism of Hogan for saying it was not necessary to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. Maryland cannot let itself fall into the hands of the Republicans, because theyre not done yet, Alsobrooks said. Its not just abortion care thats on the chopping block, its reproductive freedom, which is why theyre constantly trying to defund Planned Parenthood, why they want to make contraception their decision, why the Alabama court made that decision regarding IVF. They are not done yet. Sunday marked six months since Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing thousands of people and taking hundreds hostage. Israeli forces have bombarded the Gaza Strip in response, killing tens of thousands of civilians, including seven aid workers last week who were delivering food to Palestinians at the time. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, has called for Biden to reconsider sending more aid to Israel, and last week signed on to a letter asking him to consider recognizing a nonmilitarized Palestinian state. Alsobrooks said she supported a two-state solution, was interested in peace, and said there needed to be an immediate cease-fire. We can never forget the absolutely horrific attack that happened on October 7, she said. I think we have to also make sure that we are doing everything in our power to get the important aid into Gaza, to aid those are starving, to aid those who are suffering, to make sure that aid is getting there. ______ Anti-Kremlin militia says 'hot phase' of recent incursions into Russia is over The Russian Volunteer Corps announced the completion of the "hot phase" of its raids into border regions of Russia from Ukraine on April 7 in the evening. Anti-Kremlin militias, including the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and the Siberian Battalion, launched incursions into Belgorod and Kursk oblasts on March 12, allegedly resulting in clashes with Russian forces in several settlements. At a press conference later that month, representatives of the groups said their goal was to "open a second front" and ease pressure on Ukrainian troops on the Kupiansk axis. Russian nationalist Denis Kapustin, the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, said that the militias "stabilized the front" and "eased the pressure of Russian troops in certain areas." Andrii Yusov, a spokesperson of Ukraine's military intelligence, confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that anti-Kremlin militias' raids made Moscow "change plans" on a possible new attack in Ukraine's northern sector. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Sabotage and reconnaissance groups have remained in Russia even after the hot phase of the operation was completed, according to the Russian Volunteer Corps. On its Telegram channel, the unit named four fighters who were killed during the raids. The total losses of anti-Kremlin militias are unknown. The militias claimed to have captured 37 Russian soldiers as of March 21 following their incursions. According to the fighters, Russia has lost over 1,500 soldiers killed and wounded and more than 100 pieces of equipment. The number is questioned by experts and believed to be significantly exaggerated. Moscow initially tried to play down the scale of the attack, initially saying there were no hostilities in the region. Later, Russian authorities were forced to acknowledge a series of strikes and attacks and even began the evacuation of children from the affected areas of Belgorod Oblast. Read also: Anti-Kremlin militias hold press conference in Kyiv, say incursions into Russia thwart Kremlins ability to launch new attacks Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. In anti-LGBTQ+ climate, we should not be surprised that children die by their own hands No charges will be filed in connection with the death of Nex Benedict. Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler stated that the fight that occurred in the bathroom of Owasso High School West Campus on Feb. 16 appeared to be an instance of mutual combat. He also noted that, if charges were to have been filed, the case would have been handled in juvenile court. The meaning of "mutual combat" is explained in the Oklahoma Criminal Court of Appeals case Phelps v. State (1938): One who enters willingly into a combat and fights willingly, not for his own protection, but to gratify his passion by inflicting injury upon his adversary, engages in mutual combat. Is the mutual combat law a good legal paradigm for thinking about cases of bullying in schools, or anywhere, for that matter? Antagonisms that lead to the kinds of fights that occurred in Nex Benedicts case tend to be ongoing sources of tension, anxiety and stress. Students who are bullied by others are placed at a disadvantage in many respects. They often internalize negative stereotypes; they wonder what is wrong with me? in attempts to determine what about them leads others to hate and bully them; they tend to feel excluded and unsafe and to be constantly on guard in case they are attacked, either verbally or physically. More: Nex Benedict didn't deserve to die. Can we reverse course and save the next child's life? Because of all of these factors, their academic performance suffers. In short, bullying makes childrens lives miserable. The gratification of passion by inflicting injury on an adversary could be an eruption of fear and anger that is justified given a past history in which a bullied child has been on the receiving end of insults and aggression in a school environment that cannot be avoided. In regarding such cases as mutual combat, we are ignoring who actually started the fight, that is, how the history leading up to an incident unfolded. In other words, the mutuality of aggression in such cases should be questioned. A person who stands up to a bully need not be involved in mutual combat. This is especially true in cases in which authorities fail to take effective protective action, or in which parents and teachers covertly or explicitly condone the bullying of children of whom they disapprove. In a state awash in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, which is propagated by the highest state authorities, we should not be surprised that fights erupt, or that children die by their own hands. Being gay or trans is not a choice. It is who people are. If people are rejected and hated in their very person, should we be surprised by tragedies such as that of Nex Benedict? We should not be surprised, but we should be appalled. In the history of the United States, many groups have suffered. Indigenous people, Black and Latinx people, Asian Americans, various waves of immigrants during different historical periods, women, Muslims, LGBTQ+ people and the unhoused have all been on the receiving end of hatred and discrimination. We should ask ourselves why we hate people who are different from mainstream Americans. Surely fear is a major factor. Let us stop being afraid, and look to our common humanity to forge the respect required for a more perfect union. Nancy Snow Nancy E. Snow is a professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas. She formerly was a philosophy professor at the University of Oklahoma and director of the Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Anti-LGBTQ+ climate in Oklahoma helps fuel bullying, suicides Antisemitic graffiti spotted in Santa Monica. One family tries to cover and turn it into art Santa Monica police are investigating antisemitic graffiti and messages across the city. (KTLA-TV) Amid an uptick in antisemitic incidents, the Santa Monica Police Department is investigating multiple reports of antisemitic graffiti that have been found across the city in recent days, officials said. The graffiti has included swastikas and antisemitic messages emblazoned on sidewalks and light posts, police said. "We are appalled by these cowardly acts of antisemitism," Santa Monica Police Chief Ramon Batista said in a statement. "Our department is fully committed to upholding the safety and dignity of all members of our community." Some of the graffiti has been spotted in the Pico neighborhood, near the 2100 and 2300 blocks of Pico Boulevard, police said. One family decided to turn the swastikas painted on sidewalks into an art project. "We are taking the liberty of making it a family anti-defamation art project," Zachary Lupetin wrote on a Facebook post. Read more: Fliers with 'hate propaganda,' conspiracy theories dumped on driveways in Fresno In the video, the family is seen taking a bucket of chalk to draw over the swastikas. "We're going to make them into flowers and butterflies," Taylor Coffman said in the video. It's unclear how many incidents were reported to police from around the city. A spokesperson for the department did not immediately respond to a request for information. On Monday, the Los Angeles Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the Nazi graffiti. "Hate of any form must not be tolerated in our communities, and we strongly condemn this blatant display of antisemitism," CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said. "The Jewish community deserves to feel safe in their own homes, and these appalling actions infringe on that right to safety." In Southern California, a series of high-profile incidents, including attacks and graffiti, have put a spotlight to what Jewish civil rights organizations have been been reporting for months a steep increase in antisemitic incidents. Weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, antisemitic messages were found painted outside the famous Canter's Deli in the Fairfax district. Antisemitic fliers have been found in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Culver City and Huntington Beach. Read more: Jewish woman says camera caught neighbor drawing swastika on her seltzer On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a "Golden State Plan" meant to address and combat rising antisemitism in the state. The plan was made in conjunction with the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and other Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California. The plan looks to increase funding for security at Jewish communities, addressing antisemitic incidents, and making changes to student codes of conduct at schools and universities where some of the incidents have occurred. Santa Monica police are asking anyone with information about the graffiti, or to report new incidents, to call (310) 458-8491. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A New York appeals court on Monday denied Trumps bid to put his hush money trial on pause while he argues the case should be tried outside of Manhattan. The decision followed arguments at an emergency hearing where Trumps lawyers contended deep-blue Manhattan is not an appropriate venue for the controversial Republican former presidents criminal case to be heard. Judge Lizbeth Gonzalez heard the arguments. Instead, the former presidents lawyers suggested the trial take place on Staten Island the only New York City borough Trump won in 2016 and 2020. In the meantime, Trumps trial scheduled to begin with jury selection April 15 should be paused, the lawyers argued. Its slated to be his first criminal trial and the first criminal trial of any former U.S. president. Trumps lawyers asked Gonzalez to issue an emergency stay, which would have postponed the trial indefinitely. She declined to do so. The hush money trial has already faced delays due to a last-minute document dump; it was originally scheduled to begin on March 25. Lawyers with the Manhattan district attorneys office pointed to Judge Juan Merchans previous ruling that Trumps motion to change venues was untimely. They also blamed Trump for any pretrial prejudice for making countless media appearances talking about the facts of this case, the witnesses, and so on, according to The Associated Press. Trumps lawyers are expected to return to the New York appeals court at a later date for arguments over their last-ditch effort to pause the trial while they appeal a gag order imposed by the trial judge. Merchan barred Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judges family, but did not preclude him from hurling insults at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) or the judge. The gag order originally did not include the family members of Bragg and Merchan, but the judge expanded it after Trump assailed his daughter, Loren, who works for a progressive political consulting firm. The firm, Authentic, boasts clients including President Biden and Vice President Harris. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is a past client. Loren Merchans work also forms the basis for an effort by Trump to recuse Merchan from the case. The former president claims Merchans daughter has a direct financial interest in his case because of her work for his political opponents. The filings relating to both the gag order and the venue change are under seal and not accessible to the public at this time. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his ex-fixer made to a porn star to cover up an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty. The Associated Press contributed. This story was updated on April 8 at 11:26 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Tourists visit the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 7, 2023. Photo by Reuters Thailand has proposed a Schengen-type joint visa for itself and five other Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam, to drive regional tourism. In recent months Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been discussing the proposal with his counterparts as part of efforts to attract long-haul travelers and boost tourism, Bloomberg reported. The joint visa would enable tourists to explore all six Southeast Asian countries on a single visa, the Bangkok Post reported. A Schengen visa allows holders to travel in 27 member-countries for a maximum of 90 days. Last year the six Southeast Asian nations welcomed a combined 70 million foreign tourists, according to official data. Malaysia and Thailand, who waived visas for Chinese and Indian tourists, received the highest numbers. An appeals court judge rejected another attempt by Donald Trump to have his hush-money trial in New York City pushed back on Monday, ruling he and his attorneys are not entitled to postpone proceedings while they try to have the trial moved from Manhattan. The ruling, made by Judge Lizbeth Gonzalez, comes a week before Trumps trial is set to begin jury selection, and just hours after reports emerged that he plans to file a lawsuit against Judge Juan Merchan to contest his gag order in the caseseemingly another last-second delay tactic. Trump has had no luck in having his New York trial postponed, but his lawyers have had success in having his other criminal trialsin Miami, Washington, and Atlantapushed back for different reasons. Trump to Sue Hush-Money Judge in Last-Ditch Attempt to Delay Trial On Monday, the Associated Press reported that Trumps lawyers argued in an appeals court that hed face inherent bias as a Republican politician standing trial in the overwhelmingly blue Manhattan. In rants to Truth Social, hes said hed prefer to go to court in Staten Islandthe only New York City borough that he won in 2020. Trump has also taken repeated aim at Merchan, alleging hes biased because his daughter works in political consulting with Democratsthe central theme of nasty attacks Trump launched against Merchans family that the judge said forced him to expand a gag order against the former president. Barring a last-second change, Trumps trial will commence Monday in Manhattan. He faces allegations of falsifying his companys records to hide the nature of payments to his former fixer, Michael Cohen, who prosecutors said paid off the adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair she had Trump. Trump has denied the affair and payments, despite Cohen asserting the allegations are true. With delays mounting elsewhere, its possible Trumps New York trial will be the only one to kick off ahead of the 2024 election, in which hes the runaway GOP frontrunner. 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. For AR Kids spokesperson Bill Kopsky points out polling data the group collected regarding a proposed constitutional amendment it hopes to submit to voters during a press conference on Dec. 21, 2023 in the Old Supreme Court chamber of the Arkansas Capitol. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate) The landscape in an effort to place a proposed education-focused constitutional amendment on the November ballot shifted last week as one group declared a neutral stance on the initiative and another formed in opposition. The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment of 2024 aims to hold private schools that receive state funding to the same standards as public schools. The measure is backed by For AR Kids, a ballot question committee and coalition of organizations that previously included Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES). CAPES is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to supporting tax dollars remaining in public schools, but it wishes to remain neutral on the ballot initiative, according to a press release issued Thursday. It has come to our attention that there may be some confusion regarding CAPESs involvement in the current education petition process, the press release states. CAPES has opted not to take a public stance on the petition collection organization, ForARKids, and its efforts. This decision was made in light of the CAPESs commitment to remain non-partisan and to ensure fair representation for all stakeholders. CAPES no longer had representation on the ballot question committee when former Executive Director Steve Grappe left the organization in March, according to the press release. For AR Kids filed a new statement of organization on April 3 that lists its members as the Arkansas Conference of the NAACP, Arkansas Education Association, Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Citizens First Congress and two new groups Arkansas Retired Teachers Association and Stand Up Arkansas. Grappe is the founder of Stand Up Arkansas, which he told the Advocate on Friday is going through the process of obtaining its 501(c)(3) status. While Grappe focused on education through his work with CAPES, he said Stand Up Arkansas is focused on using direct democracy to improve civic engagement and overall impact the voter turnout. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE For AR Kids has until July 5 to collect 90,704 signatures from at least 50 counties to qualify the measure for the 2024 ballot. The groups proposed ballot initiative stems from a new school voucher program that provides state funding for allowable educational expenses, such as private school tuition. Created through the LEARNS Act, critics say the Educational Freedom Account program is unfair because private schools receiving state funding dont have to follow the same requirements as their public counterparts, such as admitting all students, providing transportation and administering certain standardized tests. The LEARNS Act does require private schools to administer approved annual exams for EFA students. CAPES pursued a referendum to overturn the LEARNS Act, but the group failed to gather enough signatures last summer to place the measure on the 2024 ballot. As CAPES clarified its neutral stance on the education amendment last week, a new ballot question committee led by people with ties to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced its opposition to the measure. On April 1, Arkansans for Students and Educators filed its Statement of Organization with the Arkansas Ethics Commission. The groups stated goal is the disqualification and/or defeat of the The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment of 2024. Our measure follows the best research on how to provide [the] highest quality education to every child in Arkansas and thats our goal, For AR Kids spokesman Bill Kopsky said Friday. We dont understand why anybody would be opposed to that goal. Arkansans for Students and Educators three officers could not be reached for comment Friday. The groups chair is Randy Lawson, whom the governor appointed to the Oil and Gas Commission last year. Lawson also served on the Arkansas State Board of Education following his appointment by Sanders father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee. Sanders appointed the groups vice chair, John Schmelzle, to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission in 2023. The ballot question committees treasurer is Chris Caldwell, a political consultant selected to be Sanders 2022 and 2026 gubernatorial campaign manager. Caldwell is also the chair of Stronger Arkansas, a ballot question committee focused on the defeat and/or disqualification of the education amendment, as well as proposed amendments focused on medical marijuana and abortion access. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansans for Students and Educators daily operations will be managed by Jordan Powell, the governors former public affairs director. Powell served as deputy campaign manager for Sanders gubernatorial campaign and formerly her fathers presidential campaign. Sanders also appointed Powell to a six-year term on the Arkansas Cyber Response Board in 2023. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Arkansas groups declare neutrality, opposition to proposed education ballot initiative appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. (Getty Images) On April 1, as a room full of elementary students looked on, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders touted the successes of Arkansas year-old education freedom accounts, otherwise known as school vouchers. Sanders noted that the success of the voucher programs first year among military families enabled Fort Smiths Harvest Time Academy to add a grade level next year. The private, Christian preschool and elementary school was started by Harvest Time Church. Its one of about 100 schools that benefited from the new voucher system in its first year. The occasion also marked the opening of the application period for the EFA programs second phase. Eligibility in the coming school year expands to include students at D-rated public schools and children of veterans, military reservists or first responders. The state will pay almost $7,000 per voucher recipient in the 2024-25 school year. In 2025-26, all Arkansas school-age children will be eligible to participate in the voucher program. For supporters of public education, the continued spending of tax dollars on religious indoctrination remains a cause for dismay. The governors presence at a private school with a clear religious mission demonstrates her preference for schooling that stresses a particular faith. Harvest Time Academys website notes: One primary objective is to see our students grow spiritually. This is reinforced in every subject, not just Bible class or chapels. The spread of voucher programs that shift public funds to private, religious schools in several states threatens the very foundation of public education. As a nation, weve been here before. Almost from the beginning, tension existed between public schools and religion. As the idea of compulsory, taxpayer-funded public education began to take root in the mid-1800s, its leading supporters sought to keep political and sectarian disagreements out of the schools. Horace Mann, the first secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, and other leaders of the common school movement were terrified by the prospect of sectarian religious divides and partisan politics blowing up what was a fragile new experiment in universal education at public expense, education historian and Carleton College professor Jeffrey Aaron Snyder wrote in a September 2022 essay. Mann wanted education to be more than indoctrination and made sure to ban political proselytizing by educators while giving students lessons in the civic foundations of the country: the Constitution, the three branches of government and elections, Snyder wrote in Education and Indoctrination in The Point magazine. Regarding religion, Mann asserted that schools would inculcate Christian morals but not act as theological seminaries or arbiters of religious conflicts. Almost immediately, this seemingly nondenominational and nonpartisan approach to education ran into trouble, because of its Protestant roots and because of immigration. By 1840, Ireland accounted for one of every three immigrants to the United States. As with many immigrant groups over the countrys history, the mostly Catholic Irish faced hostility and discrimination from the Protestant majority. In the fledgling public schools of Boston, New York and Philadelphia, Catholics found that the ostensibly nonsectarian common-school curriculum was in fact steeped in Protestantism, Snyder wrote. Moreover, textbooks consistently denounced popery, a synonym for Roman Catholicism, which Catholics themselves viewed as a term of insult and contempt. In 1840, an influential New York City bishop in an open letter, wrote: We are unwilling to pay taxes for the purpose of destroying our religion in the minds of our children. In a petition to city aldermen, Catholics lamented that the Catholic children who attended public schools become intractable, disobedient, and even contemptuous towards their parents, and said they could not in good conscience entrust their children to the public schools, according to Snyder. In 1842, the Catholic bishop of Philadelphia, concerned that children were being forced to read the King James Bible, asked the school board to allow Catholic children to read the Douay version used by Roman Catholics. School officials ordered that no child should be forced to participate in religious activities and that children could read whichever version of the Bible their parents wished. Youd think that might have resolved the matter, but no, the move only inflamed Protestant evangelicals and anti-immigrant residents. In 1844, the tensions erupted into two significant riots. The first occurred in early May after a Protestant group held a meeting in a predominantly Irish suburb, provoking a group of Irish residents to attack the speakers platform. In two days of intermittent mob violence, 14 people were killed and 50 injured, and two Catholic churches and a convent were burned. Nevertheless, a grand jury blamed the Catholics for trying to exclude the Bible from public schools. Two months later, more sectarian violence broke out in Philadelphia. From July 5 through July 8, anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic mobs attacked a Catholic church, firing a cannon into a wall. Almost 5,000 soldiers from the Pennsylvania militia were used to quell the chaos but not until soldiers and rioters exchanged cannon and musket fire. The fighting ended on July 8 with 15 people, rioters and soldiers, dead. Again, a grand jury blamed the Catholics for daring to arm themselves against threats of violence, but it supported the militias response. Reciting this history should remind everyone that, from the beginning, the notion of nonreligious, nonpartisan education has been attacked by groups and individuals of all persuasions who fear that public schools are indoctrinating their children. From opposition to the teaching of evolution to efforts to remove insufficiently patriotic textbooks to sex education bans to todays laws seeking to stamp out critical race theory, a parents-know-best attitude has guided the backlash even when parents arent pushing the agenda. U.S. Supreme Court decisions and evolving educational approaches have until recently broadened public education, encouraged open inquiry among students and helped them develop the ability to think critically about information they receive. But social and legislative forces, from across the political spectrum, seem to be closing the door on both thinking clearly and evidence-based conclusions. This trend is once again allowing religion to bully its way into the public education tent to the detriment of public schools. Just last week, the Oklahoma Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving a Catholic charter school, which would be the first religious public charter school in the nation if it prevails. Religious teachings belong in the home, church, or Sunday school and catechism classes, not in the public school classroom. Otherwise we are truly trying to indoctrinate rather than educate. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Arkansas school voucher program clearly supports religious instruction appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. A St. Louis man is in custody following a January shooting in Glasgow Village. According to the St. Louis County Police Departments probable cause statement, the shooting happened around 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18, in the 400 block of Cameron Road. Police claim Anthony James Jarrail Hill Jr., 21, and others shot the victim several times. The victim suffered a brain bleed as well as a shattered arm and leg. At the time, police believed Hill ran into a nearby vacant home and surrounded the residence. Law enforcement went inside the property around 10:30 p.m. that evening, but Hill was not there. Bus catches fire in Normandy, rolls into house The victim told police the shooter used a black handgun with an extended magazine and a rubber band on the grip. Investigators later recovered shell casings at the scene that matched firearms later found at a house where Hill had been. One of those guns was a black handgun with an extended magazine and a rubber band on the grip. In late January, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office charged Hill with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. Hill was served with an arrest warrant on April 4. He was jailed on a $100,000 cash-only bond. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. From left to right: Jacob Moore, the vice president and special advisor to the president for American Indian affairs, Indigenous Artist Thomas "Breeze" Marcus, Labriola Center Director Alex Soto, and Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis celebrated the grand opening of the Labriola National American Indian Data Center on April 3, 2024. Photo by Shondiin Silversmith | Arizona Mirror When Alex Soto began working at the Labriola National American Indian Data Center at Arizona State University Library in 2021, he was the centers only full-time employee. Two years later, he reimagined the center into the first Indigenous-led and staffed library spaces at a research university in the United States. The newly created space for the Labriola Center officially opened on the second floor of the Hayden Library on ASUs Tempe campus on April 3. Soto, who is Tohono Oodham, said this is the first time Indigenous people have led the center since its establishment in 1993 to be a space that supports Indigenous students and academia. Now, the Labriola Center has six full-time Indigenous staff members and 12 student workers. It is 6,000 square feet and reflects ASU as an institution and the land on which it was built. When designing the space, Soto said he knew he wanted to include Oodham culture because ASU is located in the ancestral homelands of the Akimel Oodham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) peoples. The space is surrounded by artwork showcased in two ways: murals on the glass walls enclosing the space and a large painted mural welcoming visitors at the entrance. These murals depict significant mountains in Oodham culture to let students know that were still an Oodham land, but the land also has knowledge, more than a book will ever have, Soto said. The painted mural showcases how modern and traditional knowledge meets by showing a book and traditional Oodham staff connecting at the top of the land. It was painted by Indigenous artists Thomas Breeze Marcus (Tohono Oodham) and Dwayne Manuel (Akimel Oodham). Jacob Moore, the ASU vice president and special advisor to the president for American Indian affairs, celebrated the grand opening of the new Labriola Center and commended the hard work that led to its completion. These things dont just happen on their own. It takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes to commit, Moore said. I think everybody all along the way has been committed, and it shows. Moore said its been exciting to see what started as an idea and concept come to fruition. We have Native students who aspire to complete their degrees in a variety of fields, from education to American Indian Studies to law. This is a place where they can not only gather, but also advance their work in a very unique way that isnt typically offered at any major university, Moore said. He said that the center is an example of how ASU honors its charter, which commits to the health, education, welfare and culture of the communities it serves, including Indigenous communities. Moore said Indigenous communities often get marginalized, but having a space like the Labriola Center shows ASUs commitment to ensuring equity for those who want to go to college because they can do so at ASU. With the grand opening of the Labriola Center, Soto said that it highlights the value and importance of the roles of Indigenous librarians and library staff. Its been two years in the making, but this really is 31 years overdue, Soto said. Soto said that having a library space dedicated to Indigenous students makes sense because ASU has over 4,000 Indigenous students and more than 70 Indigenous faculty members who are involved in many high-level programs across various disciplines. We should have Indigenous subject specialists in all disciplines, he said. ASU also has an American Indian Studies Program, an Indian Law Program and a Center for Indian Education, which operates alongside many other resources available for Indigenous students. We have all these Native programs. We need a space that can be a place to access pivotal resources around research and primary sources such as archives, Soto said. Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said that the new Labriola Center is a point of pride, and it creates community within ASU, which is what helps Indigenous students thrive in an academic setting. When we talk about Indigenous academic excellence, this type of space fosters that aim, Lewis said, by ensuring that Indigenous students are welcomed. Lewis said that, as an alumnus of ASUs American Indian Program, he wishes that the Labriola Center existed as it does now during his time at the university because it would have been a valuable resource for him. He said he is proud that current Gila River Indian Community students will have access to this space because the space is next level and will support the research they want to do. Lewis said he hopes that the Labriola Centers model will urge other institutions of higher learning across the United States to take notice and replicate it within their facilities. Another part of the work the Labriola Center hopes to do is helping the 22 federally recognized tribes in Arizona with archive projects. Soto said it could be as simple as providing consultation on what an archive project looks like because, in his experience, many tribes may lack the capacity to do it alone. That work is being led through a three-year project, Firekeepers: Building Archival Data Sovereignty Through Indigenous Memory Keeping, which will allow the center to support tribal nations that seek to establish archival collections. Soto said having access to information is important, but it is also essential to understand the type of information being accessed. He said it is vital for people to know where that Indigenous knowledge is coming from and exactly how it may affect the Indigenous communities it comes from because not all Indigenous knowledge is meant to be shared openly. Historically, Soto said, information has been gathered from or within Indigenous communities that may not have been appropriate at the time, whether its ceremonies or traditional knowledge. He said the Labriola staff can offer that lens to process information and remind students at all levels to think about the information they share and how they utilize it. Soto added that the materials and resources at ASU have always been available, but there have never been Indigenous librarians at the institution to put it all together and make it more accessible for students and the community. Lewis said he appreciates the culturally sensitive research methods that the Labriola Center intends to use because ASU is a leading research university that supports Indigenous research and conducts research on Indigenous communities. It is important for one of the top research institutions to ensure that there is an Indigenous presence to support that research, Lewis added, and the staff at Labriola can do that. Soto said a lot of the work he does with the Labriola Center he learned from the community as an activist and a rapper, but now, hes a librarian. The main component here is to provide scholarly support to our faculty and students at all levels around our reference materials, he said, and the center has about 5,000 books that are either written by Indigenous people or are about Indigenous people. The Labriola Center can offer research support in a culturally appropriate way, he said, because a lot of Indigenous knowledge that is in Western formats is colonized. Unfortunately, there are things that non-Natives have documented and given to the institution that are just very bad, Soto said, and it does take someone trained to utilize Western educational knowledge set alongside Indigenous knowledge to find the proper material. As librarians, (its) finding the information thats appropriate and then being mindful that we need to share it in a culturally appropriate way, he said. Thats the level of care we put in our service. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post ASU opens space dedicated to Indigenous librarianship and students appeared first on Arizona Mirror. Atlanta police investigating shooting that left 1 man dead, another injured on MLK Jr. Drive The Atlanta Police Department said theyre investigating a shooting with two victims that happened just before 1 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW. According to police, officers were called to 876 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW after getting reports that someone was shot. When APD arrived on the scene, they found a 46-year-old man with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Officers were later told a 34-year-old man was taken to the hospital by a private vehicle who was also a victim of a shooting at that location. The man at the hospital was described as alert, conscious and breathing by APD. Now, the homicide unit is investigating what led to the shooting. The victims have not been identified by police. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Attorney of former Little Rock airport exec Bryan Malinowski releases video events ahead of deadly ATF raid LITTLE ROCK, Ark. The attorney for the former Little Rock airport executive who died after a shootout with federal agents serving a search warrant is releasing new video of events leading to the raid. Attorney Bud Cummins released two different clips Sunday giving views just before the Tuesday, March 19 incident at the home of Bryan Malinowski, who was the executive director at the Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport. Its a senseless tragedy Family attorney speaks on death of Bryan Malinowski following Tuesday ATF raid One video taken from a neighbors camera appears to show agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arriving at Malinowskis west Little Rock home in ten separate vehicles. A second recording taken from the doorbell camera at Malinowskis home appears to show agents wearing full tactical gear and holding automatic rifles in a ready position before taping over the lens of the doorbell camera. Family of Bryan Malinowski releases statement after his death In the heavily redacted warrant affidavit, the ATF claims that Malinowski purchased numerous firearms that he resold without a firearm dealers license. According to the warrant, Malinowski purchased more than 150 guns between May 2021 and Feb. 27, 2024, which he then resold. The ATF claims in the affidavit that around six of the guns Malinowski sold were found after being connected to a crime. Released search warrant affidavit shows details of ATF case against Little Rock airport executive Bryan Malinowski Undercover federal agents purchased another three from Malinowski at central Arkansas gun shows, the affidavit stated. According to the affidavit, Malinowski would purchase guns through legal means, checking off a box on the purchase form that he was buying the gun for himself. He would then resell the just-purchased guns in as little as 24 hours through gun shows where he maintained a table or through private sales. Attorney speaks on gun show loophole explained as cause for ATF raid on home of Bryan Malinowski ATF officials said the agents were serving a search warrant at Malinowskis west Little Rock home around 6 a.m. when the fatal shootout took place. According to Cummins, there is no evidence showing whether agents knocked on Malinowskis door prior to entering the home. At this stage there is no publicly available evidence showing whether agents knocked on the door or announced their presence, adequately identifying themselves, Cummins said in the release. Bryans wife Maer only heard loud banging immediately followed by the crash of the front door being forced open. Absent exigent circumstances (danger of losing evidence-drugs down the toilet; propensity for violence or escape) case law requires law enforcement officers to give dwelling occupants a reasonable time to come to the door and let them in. Little Rock airport commission approves $24,000 bonus to late Bryan Malinowskis estate Federal officials said that Malinowski shot first from inside the home, at which point agents returned fire, hitting Malinowski multiple times. The family of Malinowski has been vocal about their suspicions about the justification of the use of force in serving the warrant. Something stinks to high hell; Brother of LIT director shot by ATF agent speaks out on shooting Malinowski died from his injuries three days after the incident on March 22. Last week, the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission voted to provide a $24,000 bonus to the airports late executive director. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. AUBURN, Ala. (WRBL) The Auburn Police said a Tuskegee, Alabama, resident was arrested on multiple warrants after attempting to flee during a traffic stop, causing significant injuries to a minor. The police department says 22-year-old Tyqaun Shermond Daniel was arrested after Auburn Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Daniel near the 600 block of Byrd Street. During the traffic stop, police identified the driver as Daniel, but he drove away at a high speed, causing a police pursuit. As Daniel continued driving, Auburn Police said a 15-year-old passenger exited the vehicle. Although the juvenile had jumped out of the car, Daniel continued to drive in a reckless manner, which caused the minor to suffer serious injuries. Eventually, the vehicle ran into spikes placed by Auburn Police officers. Daniel was later detained near the 100 block of Chadwick Lane, where the vehicle became inoperable. Police say that additional officers responded to where the 15-year-old was injured to provide medical aid and investigate the scene. The condition of the minor is unknown at this time. Officers arrested Daniel on the following warrants and took him to the Lee County Jail, where he is held on a $65,000 bond: First-degree assault Felony attempting to elude Failure to appear For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. As a Pacific nation, the United States shares a unique long standing history with the Pacific Islands. We have robust people to people ties that span generations, and our economic prosperity and national security are inextricably linked, noted U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The United States has since day one ... worked to strengthen the ties that bind us [to the Pacific Islands], said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield: That includes the passage of the Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act, COFA. This agreement will fully fund $7.1 billion in new assistance over the next two decades, helping the COFA nations to provide essential government services like health care, education, infrastructure and capacity building. We will continue to make good on our commitment to strengthen our relationships in the Pacific and invest in the people. The U.S. is expanding its diplomatic and development presence in the region, with new embassies, an expanded USAID footprint, and the return of Peace Corps volunteers to a number of islands in the region, explained Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. We're deepening high level engagements, including with President Biden himself. We're bolstering the Pacific regional architecture and deepening our cooperation with the Pacific Island Forum, because we know this region is strongest when it is united. And we're working closely with like-minded partners to enhance digital connectivity in the region. Since the first summit with the PIF leaders, the U.S. has announced more than $8 billion in new funding for the Pacific Islands and robust new programs to address climate change, maritime security, gender equity and more. Over the next year, our goal is to continue implementing and delivering on the commitments we've made in the past three years to demonstrate ... our enduring partnership with the region and its people, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield: We also look forward to supporting Pacific Island countries through our preparations and participation at the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, coming up at the end of May. This will be a once in a decade opportunity to bring together diverse stakeholders to build partnerships and make new commitments. Together, these actions reflect the incredible progress we've made together, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. And they paint a picture for the future of the U.S. Pacific relationship. DENVER (KDVR) Denver Public Schools and former school board member Auontai Anderson reached two settlements after Anderson deleted a Facebook comment last summer, which led to a lawsuit. Several Colorado schools closed Monday due to power outages The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed in September that claimed Anderson, former vice president of the Board of Education, violated First Amendment rights of one of his constituents after he deleted a Facebook comment and blocked a students parent from his page. In newly released documents, both settlements showed that Anderson and DPS paid a total of $25,000. Anderson accused of violating First Amendment In July 2023, Anderson posted on Facebook regarding the firing of the McAuliffe International School principal, Kurt Dennis. In the since-deleted Facebook post, Anderson asked for footage to be released of a meeting with Dennis and the Northeast Denver Innovation Zone Board of Directors, which oversees the school. But in a democratic society, it is not just the responsibility of those in office to ensure transparency, it is also the duty of the public to demand it, Anderson wrote. In response to the Facebook post, Eve Chen, a parent of a Denver Public Schools student, commented, Where can I email to ask for an unrelated investigation report against you as a taxpayer? As a taxpayer, I think I am entitled to read that too. Colorado woman known as J6prayinggrandma convicted of charges at Jan. 6 riot Anderson blocked Chen and deleted her comment, according to the lawsuit filed by attorney Andy McNulty. The settlement with Anderson that was reached in February included a $15,000 payment. Denver Public Schools agreed to pay $10,000 in its settlement, which was reached in late March. This is one of the first cases to settle after the Supreme Courts decision in Lindke v. Freed and it shows that the First Amendment still protects citizens speech online from government censorship, said Chens attorney Andy McNulty. DPS responded to FOX31s request for comment with a statement. Denver Public Schools is satisfied that we were able to come to a settlement agreement in the lawsuit filed by Ms. Chen. The Board of Education made changes to Governance Policy 9 which clarifies what is permitted by sitting Directors on their social media platforms in line with the recent US Supreme Court decision in Lindke v. Freed. Although the US Supreme Court agreed that public figures, such as Board Members, could block constituents in certain circumstances likely applicable to this case, the District chose to settle this matter to avoid additional costs associated with litigation. Anderson also provided input on the settlement. I am grateful that both Denver Public Schools and I have resolved the ongoing litigation with Ms. Chen, Anderson said in a written statement. While this resolution came at the expense of tax-payer dollars that could have been directed elsewhere, I hope Ms. Chen has the money she needs to now take care of herself and her family. Individuals who are seeking financial support should not have to turn to frivolous lawsuits against elected officials but seek our help so that we can find them the resources that they need. Despite her claims, Ms. Chen was never entirely cut off from communication, maintaining open channels on several social media platforms. I believe that after the SCOTUS ruling, we would have eventually won the case against Ms. Chen, Anderson said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. An Independence Capitol riot defendant listed as a fugitive since late January after failing to show up for a probation violation hearing in Washington, D.C., has been arrested. Devin Rossman was picked up last week on a bench warrant issued Jan. 26 out of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was scheduled to appear in the D.C. court that day for a hearing on the governments allegations that he had violated several conditions of his probation. Rossman had a detention hearing Monday morning in federal court in Kansas City before U.S. Magistrate Judge W. Brian Gaddy. U.S. Marshals deputies escorted him into the courtroom, handcuffed in front and wearing yellow jail-issued clothing. After hearing testimony from Rossmans employer, who praised his reliability and work ethic, Gaddy ordered that Rossman be released until a bond revocation hearing can be held in the District of Columbia. He placed several restrictions on Rossman: to appear as ordered in D.C. court, wear a location monitoring device and abide by a curfew set by the U.S. Probation Office. But Joseph Marquez, an assistant U.S. attorney, argued that Rossman should remain in custody, calling him a flight risk and a danger to the community. Marquez requested an emergency stay of the judges order. He said Rossman had continued his alcohol use, which was a violation of his bond conditions, and noted that Rossman recently had been charged with driving under the influence. Gaddy then agreed to stay his order, but gave the government 72 hours to review whether to challenge it. That means Rossman will remain in federal custody for now. Rossman, 40, was charged in May 2022 with four misdemeanors in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. According to court records, Rossman entered the Capitol just minutes after the initial breach on Jan. 6 and remained inside for about an hour and 53 minutes. He pleaded guilty in September 2022 to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building and was sentenced in December 2022 to 36 months probation with a condition of intermittent incarceration and a $2,000 fine. He also was ordered to pay $500 restitution for damage to the Capitol, which prosecutors say totaled more than $2.9 million. On Nov. 15, the U.S. Probation Office filed a petition alleging Rossman had violated probation by failing to make the required payments toward restitution; using or possessing alcohol on Sept. 19, 2023; failing to notify his probation officer of a change in employment status; and failing to attend some required classes. The report said Rossman had been complying with other substantial aspects of his supervision. The Probation Office asked the court to issue a summons and schedule a hearing. It was set for Dec. 1, but an attorney for Rossman filed a motion to continue it and allow him to attend virtually instead of in person. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell granted the motion and rescheduled the hearing for Jan. 5. But on Dec. 29, Howell changed it back to an in-person hearing. Rossmans lawyer then requested another continuance, citing Rossmans continued financial struggles and saying he needed time to make more cost-effective travel arrangements. Howell then reset the hearing for Jan. 26. But on Jan. 25, Rossmans attorney filed a new request, again asking the court to allow a virtual hearing instead of requiring him to attend in person. The request said Rossman had experienced a loss of income and several financial setbacks in recent months and couldnt afford to pay to travel from Missouri to Washington. The motion asked the court to authorize and direct the United States Marshal to fund noncustodial transportation arrangements for him to make the trip for the hearing if a virtual hearing wasnt an option, and to continue the court matter until those travel arrangements could be made. Howell quickly denied the motion, noting in her order that Rossmans request was tardily filed less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled hearing leaving insufficient time to obtain any travel funding. She added that the hearing had already been postponed for three weeks for Rossman to travel economically even though the government had objected. Howell said Rossman had shown that he is demonstrably able to get to Washington given that he traveled there to commit the offense conduct on January 6, 2021, for which he was sentenced to probation. At Mondays hearing in Kansas City, a U.S. Probation Office employee told the judge that Rossman had recently committed another probation violation by failing to notify the office of a change of residence. Rossmans employer, Monique Davis, testified on his behalf. The property manager of an apartment complex in North Kansas City, Davis said Rossman started working there as a temporary employee and was hired full-time on March 1 as the maintenance supervisor. She said he was a reliable employee who puts in more than 40 hours a week and oversees four other workers. Hes very important to our company, she said. Gaddy said that in reading the docket from the D.C. court, it appeared that Rossman had made an effort to avoid missing the hearing there. The judge also said that Rossman has established clear and convincing evidence hes not a flight risk or a danger to the community. Gaddy said Davis testimony was an important factor in his decision and added that Im also impressed with Mr. Rossmans promotion. As for Rossmans actions on Jan. 6, 2021, court records say that after entering the Capitol, he eventually reached then-Speaker Nancy Pelosis office suite, a restricted area. Rossman then entered the Speakers Office suite and tried to open doors while the Speakers terrified staffers sought shelter under their desks, the court documents said, and he took photos and bragged to friends in Facebook messages about entering the area. He expressed little remorse for his actions, the records said. Rossman had discussed plans with others on Facebook to bring firearms and knives to Washington, D.C., the court documents said. In one conversation, Rossman sent a picture of three knives and stated on January 5, 2021, that he intended to conceal the knives, one for my boot, one for my waist and one for my pocket, according to the documents. He also texted pictures of firearms that he intended to bring to Washington, D.C. Rossman later told authorities he ultimately decided against taking these items to D.C. In a court filing prior to his sentencing, Rossman blamed former President Donald Trump, right-wing media and other elected officials including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley for spreading the Big Lie that led to his actions. The document said Rossman was duped by Trump and others into believing that Democrats rigged the 2020 presidential election. Before January 6, 2021, Mr. Rossman held a good faith belief the 2000 (sic) presidential election was in the process of being stolen by Joe Biden Democrat operatives, the filing said. Then President Trump trumpeted this claim to the nation repeatedly and loudly from the time of the 2020 election to January 6, 2021, and continues to press that claim today. UPDATED: 1 killed, at least 5 injured in Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast Editor's note: This is a developing story and it is being updated. A woman was killed and at least five more people were injured in Russian air strikes on Sumy Oblast on April 8, Ukrainian authorities reported. Settlements in Ukraines northeastern Sumy Oblast suffer from almost daily Russian attacks due to their proximity to the border with Russia. Russian strikes against Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive over the past month, leading to multiple civilian casualties. Russia hit a civilian infrastructure facility in Sumy, the regional capital, at around 3:15 p.m. local time, the Prosecutor General's Office reported, adding that three civilians were injured. Around 15 minutes after the Sumy attack, Russian troops reportedly struck the center of Bilopillia with guided aerial bombs, killing a woman. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, two people suffered injuries, but the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on three wounded residents. The town council, stores, and vehicles were damaged in the attack, the regional administration added. "Today in Bilopillia, Russian terrorists committed another crime against civilians, hitting civilian infrastructure. Thanks to the fact that the air raid alarm sounded in time and people went down to the shelter, it was possible to avoid more victims," said Volodymyr Artiukh, the head of the regional administration. The town of Bilopillia, with a pre-war population of about 15,600 residents, lies just eight kilometers south of the Ukraine-Russia border. Amid intensified attacks, Ukrainian authorities ordered the evacuation of children from 52 settlements in Sumy Oblast on April 5. Read also: Why is Russia intensifying attacks on Ukraines Sumy Oblast? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian attacks against Chasiv Yar and Selydove in Donetsk Oblast killed one person and wounded five more, including a teenage girl, regional authorities reported on April 8. Settlements in Ukraines eastern Donetsk Oblast suffer from daily Russian attacks due to their proximity to the front line. Heavy fighting continues in Donetsk Oblast as Russia seeks to occupy the entire region. Russias military shelled the town of Chasiv Yar, around 10 kilometers west of occupied Bakhmut, killing a 77-year-old woman and damaging six houses, Vadym Filashkin, the regional governor, said on Facebook. An apartment building in the town of Selydove was also hit, where five residents, including a 16-year-old girl, suffered injuries, according to the regional prosecutors office. The prosecutors said they were still establishing the type of weaponry used to strike Selydove. Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast on April 7 killed one person in Chasiv Yar and injured one in Yelyzavetivka, Filashkin reported earlier. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Both federal and local authorities are being tight-lipped about the $30 million Easter Sunday heist from a cash storage facility in the San Fernando Valley, prompting continued speculation about whether the thieves may actually get away with the record-breaking haul. The March 31 heist occurred at a GardaWorld facility on Roxford Street in Sylmar that handles cash from businesses across Southern California. While its unclear how thieves knew about the massive amount of money held in the facilitys safe, the break-in was considered complex, suggesting a highly experienced burglary crew. Thieves reportedly entered the building through the roof to gain access to the vault. Outside the vault itself, there were no obvious signs of the break-in, and officials at the facility werent even aware of the heist until the safe was opened Monday. Thieves get away with $30 million in cash from GardaWorld facility in Southern California Scott Andrew Selby, co-author of Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History, told KTLA that the sheer logistics of the heist, which likely wouldve taken at least a few months to plan, are impressive. If it was $30 million in $100 bills, that would be around 660 pounds, which is a lot of weight to move out of the building, he said. If the bills were smaller, then it would be even heavier. Its not something that would fit on the passenger seat of your vehicle. This isbad: $30M heist in Southern California under investigation KTLA obtained footage of a large hole cut into the side of the building, which was quickly covered with plywood and later repaired, but its unclear how and if thieves used it during the burglary. Thieves get away with $30 million in cash from GardaWorld facility in Southern California According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, a resident at a nearby mobile home park claimed to have heard mechanical sounds around the time of the burglary. Not far away, the owner of the Kwik Market & Deli said the stores wifi signal wasnt working for much of that Easter Sunday. The latter has led to speculation that perhaps the crew used a wifi jammer, a tool that police warn has become common in residential burglaries, during the break-in. In the latest reporting, The Times writes that at least one alarm, which wasnt connected to local law enforcement, was triggered. If, as the Times mentions, an alarm went off that was ignored by a third-party company, the question is why, Selby told KTLA. A common ploy would be to trigger the alarm ahead of time to see what kind of response it got or to make it seem as if the alarm was not working properly so that it would eventually be ignored. Robert Clark, a retired Special-Agent-in-Charge at the FBIs L.A. Field Office, said the heist could be an inside job and believes theres a good chance the burglary crew will get busted. I think the likelihood is very high because you dont move that kind of money very quickly, he said. Its not like youre grabbing a couple of checks and running out the door. To be able to liquidate [it] would be very difficult. Thieves get away with $30 million in cash from GardaWorld facility in Southern California Selby echoed that sentiment, saying that while this crew appears to be smart and disciplined, they would need extensive contacts in the criminal underworld to launder that amount cash and that the aftermath of a heist on this scale is almost as dangerous as the burglary itself. The U.S. has gotten much better about finding cash. Smuggling money out of the country is very hard, he said. With todays forensics, it could be a small piece of evidence that unravels the entire case. If theres not a break in the case soon, it could be on the backend, in a year or two, when these guys do something with the money that gets them caught. So far GardaWorld, a Canadian-based company that employs 132,000 people and offers a variety of security services, including secured transportation and cash vault processing, has yet to respond to KTLAs request for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Izzy, the two-toed sloth, has just been hanging around these days in her home, the new Life exhibit at Orlando Science Center. She has trees to climb, a rope from which to dangle and a hammock for regular relaxing. Science center visitors will get a good look at Izzy and other animal inhabitants of Life after it opens to the public on Thursday. The nature exhibit encourages close encounters in three ecosystems: rainforest, swamp, and ocean. At 10,000 square feet, Life is the largest exhibit ever created by the museum, and it comes with a $13.5 million price tag. It replaces Natureworks, which closed in 2022. The rainforest section of Life is two stories high and home to Izzy, tortoises, birds, fish and tamarins, who can roam and fly freely among the trees if they desire. There are designated feeding areas keeping the monkeys out of the bird food and backstage sleeping areas as options. This isnt a display. Its their home, and youre a guest in their home, said Jeff Stanford, vice president of marketing. Thats all to create a very intimate connection between the visitor and our animals. Izzy has made herself comfortable for a few weeks before the opening, nibbling on zucchini, cucumbers and other plant materials. She climbs. She naps. She is loving her new home. She is very active out here, said Shannon Zimmerman, curator of conservation and welfare. The animals, even the fish, have been transitioning into the living space after quarantine periods. But theyre an active bunch. Visitors may catch the two Prevosts squirrels, who are sisters, scampering through overhead tunnels in the swamp section, where there are also a pair of burrowing owls, who just might become love birds one day. It feels like you could reach out and touch one, but thats not the purpose of Life. Well be doing programs on microphones for guests, doing training sessions, talking about the status in the wild, Zimmerman said. But we wont be handing a sloth off to you in this space. More tortoises and alligators are found beneath the cypress trees that have been a centerpiece of the museum for decades. With the remodeling, people can get physically closer to the water and its inhabitants. When the building opened in 1997, there was a different ideology around exhibit design than there is now. I think museums have evolved to be more of an experiential space and be less about production design or setting and more about what is happening in that space, Stanford said. We wanted the exhibit to be inclusive and to be very visual, and then also open it up, he said. In the ocean section, a young Bonnethead shark circles the tank amid an array of fish, including tang, grunts, parrotfish and other species seen in Florida. An opportunity to get hands-on is with the nearby underwater exhibit, stocked with animals that can be found in Indian River Lagoon, such as slipper lobsters, horseshoe crabs, pin cushion urchins and sea stars. Visitors will also be exposed to a rotating lineup of animal ambassadors, ranging from a possum to a Burmese python. Digital displays help explain which species are which and some environmental issues. Orange County steered $10 million from tourist development taxes to the exhibit, and Sarah Layton, a corporate consultant and philanthropist, donated $3 million to the project. She has a presenting sponsor credit in the exhibit. Laytons gift is the largest individual contribution in the history of the science center. The new space is bright, green and obvious on the approach from the science centers parking garage. From the end of the overpass, folks can look down into Life, a nice perch for animal watching. One thing about an animal exhibit is sometimes you can walk in there, and youre really searching for them. Theyre hiding there. Theyre back in the bushes or in the foliage somewhere, said JoAnn Newman, CEO and president of the science center. The view from up top was a very intentional part of it. And it also, I think, added to the beauty of it and gives you that feel as you walk across that bridge somethings changed, she said. Life is more focused than its predecessor, Newman said. We really tried to hone in on three important habitats that really gives us this foundation from which we can tell any story about the planet, animals, the environment, climate, she said. It just gives us such a great launching point. Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Threads account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters. Baltimores Latino community comes together to grieve victims of bridge collapse: They dont take care of us Nearly two weeks have passed since the Baltimore Key Bridge collapsed into the cold waters of the Patapsco River. Eight men were on top of the structure when a cargo ship named Dali slammed into one of its columns on 26 March, sending at least seven of the men into the water below. One man was immediately saved from the river while another was rescued by nearby police. Six of the men died. They came from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico. At the time of the collapse, theyd been tasked with repairing potholes on the bridge. Last month, officials retrieved the bodies of 35-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and 26-year-old Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera. On Friday, authorities found the body of Maynor Suazo Sandoval, a 38-year-old man from Honduras. The bodies of three other men, Miguel Luna, Jose Mynor Lopez, and Carlos Hernandez remain missing. As families wait for updates, the nearby Latino community has come together to offer their support. Fernando Sajche, 35, a nearby resident of Baltimore, helped erect a memorial to the victims at an intersection leading to the bridge, which has now been closed off to police. The memorial consists of six crosses that represent the lives of each of the men, with hard hats and vis vests placed onto them. Bottles of Modelo and prayer candles are spread throughout. A sign reading Find the missing has been placed at the centre. Were trying to show the community that were here to support everybody, he said. We want to show to this country who we are. Roberto Marquez, an artist living in Texas, drove up after the tragedy to paint a mural next to the memorial. These families that are suffering right now need to have somebody beside them, he said. He stated that he wanted to donate the piece to an organisation or person willing to preserve it to honour the lives of the men. On Saturday, the community held a candlelit vigil to honour the victims. Mr Sajche said that hed known Luna , one of the victims, because of his familys food truck business that served Salvadorian food. He said he went to the spot every week with his friends but hasnt been since the tragedy. He described the food as delicious, referring to a fried fish tray he particularly enjoyed. Another one of the men at the vigil, Miguel Velasquez, 41, said that hed played soccer with Luna. Theyd greet each other and ask about the others lives. At times, hed see Luna at the food truck. He called the man a good person, adding that the community profoundly feels the loss of his life. With the little that were able to do, were here to support their families, even if its with granite and sand. Keely Aranibar, a local funeral director, attended the vigil in an effort to get in touch with the relatives of the victims. She said she wanted to offer to direct their funeral for free despite not having a personal connection with any of the victims. A funeral home she works with called Hubbard Funeral Home has expressed interest in helping the families offset the costs of the services. Daniel Simmons, the director, said hes worried about the men being forgotten in this type of tragedy. The Spanish community, were very united, Ms Aranibar said. It doesnt matter if youre from Central America, South America, we speak the same language. Yes, we might have different accents. But theyre our people. We share the same blood. She added: This is family to me. Mourners come together to honour the six deceased victims of the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse on 6 April. (Julia Saqui/The Independent) Jose Luis Juarez, 41, of Guatemala, got a lump in his throat while looking at the memorial. His family helped supply food for the event. Hes been in the construction industry for more than 10 years. He said he wouldnt help rebuild the bridge for a million dollars, stating the work is too dangerous. He added that he cant begin to comprehend the pain the families are going through. Imagine all the days that have passed and they still havent found the bodies of the missing, he said. You imagine how the families are suffering. I have kids. I dont want that to happen to them. Authorities called off recovery operations for the victims a day after the collapse, citing safety concerns for divers. Officials said divers would be sent out to look for remains once debris from the bridge collapse has been cleared. The body of Maynor Suazo Sandoval was discovered after that decision was made. Its expected that the channel will reopen to its normal capacity in May. If remains are found accidentally, all operations will stop and divers will recover the bodies. Still, theyre not actively searching for the deceased. Mr Juarez said that migrants in the US are protected less than American workers. Its expected that Latino workers will make up a large part of the construction industry that goes to work rebuilding the bridge. According to the most recent US Bureau of Labor data, Latinos make up 30 per cent of the industry and suffer 14 per cent of work-related fatalities. I think they dont take care of us, he said. Thats what I think and its the truth. Boots placed on one of the crosses at the memorial honouring the victims of the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse. (Julia Saqui/The Independent) BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) The Baton Rouge Area Chamber proposes delaying school start times as a way to keep students from missing school. The group released findings from research about area students chronic absenteeism and proposed a solution Monday morning. State Rep. Vanessa Caston LaFleur authored Louisiana House Bill 725. If passed, it would bump school start times back and make 8 a.m. the earliest that middle schools could begin and 8:30 a.m. the start time for high schools. BRAC is supporting this bill, which they said would give schools two years to plan before the change in the 2026-27 school year. The chamber cited one economic model that showed there could be a $1.2 billion increase to Louisianas GDP in the following decade if this change were made. BRAC also referenced a study that showed the economic benefits of moving start times back for students in the United States. The chamber said in its release that the bill mirrors others passed in Florida and California. According to BRAC, around 51,000 students were truant in the Capital Region during the 2022-23 school year. That means 41% of students had five or more unexcused tardies or absences. When that number is tripled, it becomes chronic absenteeism. BRAC said, chronically absent students, or those who miss at least 15 school days per year, experience more behavioral issues, are less likely to be reading on grade level, and are more likely to drop out. How schools fought chronic absenteeism over the past year During the 2022-23 school year, more than 26,300 students in the Capital Region were considered chronically absent. Jake Polansky, BRAC manager of economic and policy research, said the issue in local high schools has gotten worse after the COVID-19 pandemic. It doesnt matter whether the school is urban, suburban, or rural, or whether it primarily serves high-income or low-income students almost all are struggling to get kids to school, said Polansky. Students dont get enough sleep, and research has shown that, when students dont get enough sleep, theyre less likely to attend school. Studies, including a list of those compiled by the American Psychological Association, have shown that schools shifting to later start times see increased attendance, better academic performance and, unsurprisingly, fewer sleepy kids in class, Polansky said. BRAC also referred to other research showing that juvenile crime rates might fall if school started later for students because there would be less free time in the afternoon. Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. Its a new beginning. Take a look inside this Centre County churchs new home Worshipers who step inside the new Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church will be greeted by more spacious, accessible areas that the congregation hopes will symbolize its message of acceptance and growth. The cross-shaped church, 112 Trinity Court, has what is believed to be one of the few timber-framed sanctuaries in Pennsylvania. Leaders opted for blue chairs rather than traditional pews, which are more rigid and challenging for people with disabilities. Six windows allow for ample sunlight to filter into the sanctuary, while four TVs and speakers should help even those in the back row see and hear Pastor Jim Jacobs. A look in the sanctuary of the new Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Included elsewhere in the more than 5,000-square-foot church is a nursery, Sunday school room and bathrooms designed with people with disabilities in mind. The nursery for kids who have made it no further than kindergarten is stocked with a play kitchen, blocks, a dollhouse, a table and more. A baby gate spans the doorway. The churchs fellowship hall includes additional seating if the 110 spots in the sanctuary arent enough. It also includes a kitchen with enough equipment that makes just about any meal seem possible. The sanctuary of the new Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 4, 2024. The single-story church sits on a nearly 13-acre plot in rural Benner Township, about 35 times larger than its previous home at 1667 Buffalo Run Road. There are about 44 parking spots. The whole congregation built this church. We had folks that were the visionaries that realized that we needed a new church to minister to not only our families but some of the elder congregation. This church is completely accessible, Jacobs said. We had folks that did hands-on work blood, sweat and tears. And we had folks that werent able to work on the church. They gave their financial support. Above all, they prayed for the whole project continuously. As you can see, the proof is in the pudding. They did a great job. The sanctuary of the new Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Easter Sunday marked the congregations final service at its former church. Gloria Lohr said last week she nearly came to tears after a rush of memories came flooding back. Her four children were baptized there and one of her daughters was married there, for example. Now the church is on the open market for an asking price of $219,500. The deed requires it to remain a church, but Lohr intimated an attorney is working to modify the deed. Money from the sale of the church, Lohr said, will be used to help pay for the new church. Leaders declined to share how much it cost to construct the new church. It took the Amish about a year to construct the building. Lohr described it as a roller coaster and a journey that benefited from divine intervention. The new Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church at 112 Trinity Court in Benner Township on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Two soft opening services were planned, one for Sunday and another for April 21. A grand opening ceremony is scheduled for April 21. One worshiper in her 90s, Lohr said, is looking forward to Jacobs walking her down the red carpet. After all, she expressed worry that she wouldnt be alive to see the church finished. Older folks are excited. Younger folks are excited. Everyone is just full of joy, Lohr said. Its a new beginning. Were here to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome. A Sunday school room for younger children in the new Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church. The fellowship hall in the new Greater Buffalo Run Valley United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Exasperated mothers often warn that their children will be the death of them, and a new study suggests there may be some truth in the admonishment. Pregnancy accelerates biological ageing, with each baby causing women to grow older by up to 2.8 months, scientists have discovered. Carrying a child is known to have long-term health impacts, but previous studies have found they are largely beneficial, such as lowering the risk of cancer and dementia. Now new research by Columbia University in New York has shown that pregnancy takes such a toll on the body that it causes a woman to age internally. Alterations to DNA The research, which was carried out on 1,735 young people in the Philippines, looked at alterations to DNA to calculate the biological age of mothers compared to their actual age. Throughout life, as a person ages, small molecules get added to their DNA, giving updated instructions about how to function. These tags accumulate at a steady rate and can be used as a kind of clock that reveals age. Each additional pregnancy was associated with between 2.4 and 2.8 months of accelerated biological ageing. The team found that men were not impacted in the same way, with their DNA unaffected by fatherhood, which implies that it is something about pregnancy or breastfeeding specifically that accelerates biological ageing, the researchers said. Our findings suggest that pregnancy speeds up biological ageing and that these effects are apparent in young, high-fertility women, said Dr Calen Ryan, lead author of the study and associate research scientist in the Columbia Aging Center. Our results are also the first to follow the same women through time, linking changes in each womans pregnancy number to changes in her biological age. Ultimately I think our findings highlight the potential long-term impacts of pregnancy on womens health, and the importance of taking care of new parents, especially young mothers. New research by Columbia University in New York has shown that pregnancy takes such a toll on the body that it causes a woman to age internally - NataliaDeriabina The bodies of women who reported having been pregnant appeared biologically older than women who had never been pregnant. Women who had been pregnant more often were biologically older than those who reported fewer pregnancies. The relationship between pregnancy history and biological age remained even after taking into account various other factors tied to biological ageing, such as socioeconomic status, smoking and genetic variation. Dr Ryan added: We still have a lot to learn about the role of pregnancy and other aspects of reproduction in the ageing process. We also do not know the extent to which accelerated epigenetic ageing in these particular individuals will manifest as poor health or mortality decades later in life. Last year, a study using the UK Biobank, discovered that genes which encourage people to have more children also push them towards an early death. Harmful mutations Individuals carrying mutations that predisposed them to have relatively high numbers of children had a lower probability of living to the age of 76 compared with those carrying mutations that predisposed them to having fewer or no children. The American evolutionary biologist George Williams suggested in 1957 that harmful mutations that damage longevity may end up being favoured through natural selection if they increase fertility a theory known as the antagonistic pleiotropy theory of ageing. Pleiotropy is the phenomenon where one gene controls more than one trait, and Williamss idea was that bad traits would always be passed on if they went hand-in-hand with increased fertility but did not emerge until after reproductive age. However, there is also evidence that having more children may protect women from some diseases of ageing. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente in California found that compared with women with one child, women who had three or more children had a 12 per cent lower risk of dementia. It has also been shown that a successful pregnancy can lower the lifetime risk of breast cancer by around 50 per cent and 30 to 40 per cent of developing ovarian cancer. The research was published in the journal PNAS. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Commentary: Gaza needs truce rather than arms Xinhua) 08:07, April 08, 2024 People are seen on a street with damaged buildings near the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on April 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Ali/Xinhua) BAGHDAD, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Israel-Hamas conflict, which has created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, has lasted for half a year. Amidst this tragedy, the actions of the United States, Israel's key ally, have sparked serious concerns and criticism among the international community. While Washington claims to advocate for a ceasefire in the war-devastated Palestinian enclave, its actions have repeatedly contradicted its words. In the latest case, when the U.S. verbally criticized Israel for killing seven aid workers from the international food charity World Central Kitchen in Gaza on April 1, it approved the transfer of more than 1,000 MK-82 500-pound bombs and more than 1,000 small-diameter bombs to Israel on the same day. It has been apparent that Washington's criticism of Israel serves merely as a smokescreen to divert global public opinion pressure, as its real stance has been let bare by its continued delivery of weapons to Israel during the Gaza conflict. For American politicians, the political obligation to shield its ally from accountability outweighs the urgent need to end the mounting humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Gaza conflict has already cost the lives of more than 33,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. And the United Nations warned in March that 1.1 million people in Gaza, or half of the population, are struggling with hunger due to the suffocating blockade imposed by Israel. A boy mourns over the body of his relative in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 1, 2024. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) On April 5, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution urging countries to cease arms supplies to Israel. Yet the United States opposed it, simply because it is the key arms supplier for Israel. According to former and sitting U.S. officials, since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, the U.S. has organized more than 100 individual transfers of arms to Israel, with only two made public. On March 25, the UN Security Council finally adopted a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan after the U.S. repeatedly blocked previous UN resolutions aimed at achieving a truce. To everyone's surprise, the U.S., which abstained from the vote, declared the resolution as "non-binding," despite the fact that the UN Security Council resolutions are legally binding. The words and actions of the U.S. government on the Gaza conflict have not only challenged the authority of the UN Security Council but also hindered the international efforts to restore peace in Gaza. Responding to the rising international pressure, the U.S. has staged a political show of peacemaking by sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other officials to the region several times to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza, which should be easily achieved if Washington really wants to do so. And the U.S. has also airdropped batches of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which paled in comparison to its massive delivery of arms to Israel. The international community is waiting to see fewer hollow gestures and more concrete actions from the U.S., which should take the first step, at least, to halt its arms supplies to Israel. Photo taken on April 1, 2024 shows destroyed buildings near the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. (Photo by Mohammed Ali/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) On March 7, 2024, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone jointly held the farewell and welcome reception for all members of the 24th and 25th batch of Chinese medical teams to Sierra Leone. Mr. Wang Qing, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, and Mr. Austin H. Demby, Minister of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone, attended and addressed the reception. About 100 people including officials from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone and United Nations agencies in Sierra Leone, representatives of the Health Commission of Hunan Province and Chinese organizations in Sierra Leone, and overseas Chinese, attended the event. Ambassador Wang Qing said that the 24th batch of Chinese medical teams to Sierra Leone vigorously promoted the spirit of the Chinese medical team, actively carried out life-saving and healing activities, benefited the local people with benevolence, and added a new chapter to the China-Sierra Leone friendship. It is believed that the 25th batch of medical teams will continue to be angels in white who save lives and messengers of conveying friendship, and make new contributions to deepening China-Sierra Leone medical and health cooperation and building a global community of health for all. Mr. Demby sincerely appreciated the 24th batch of medical teams for their contribution to promoting the development of health services in Sierra Leone, and warmly welcomed the 25th batch of medical teams. He said that Chinas dispatch of medical teams to Sierra Leone over the past half century has been highly praised by the Sierra Leone people, and has made China-Sierra Leone friendship deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Sierra Leone is willing to further deepen medical and health exchanges and cooperation with China. Representative of the Health Commission of Hunan Province, captains of the 24th and 25th batches of Chinese medical teams addressed the reception respectively. The reception was in a warm and touching atmosphere. Sierra Leone mainstream media reported on the spot. Since 1973, the Chinese government has sent 24 batches of medical teams to Sierra Leone with 364 doctors, and has treated more than one million local patients and trained over 5000 local medical staff. April 15 marks the first anniversary of the civil war in Sudan, a bloody power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. According to the United Nations, as of January 21, 13,000 to 15,000 people had been killed and another 33,000 were injured. Nearly a year since this crisis began, the situation in Sudan remains catastrophic, and it is only getting worse, said United States Permanent Representative to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Some 18 million Sudanese people face acute food insecurity. Children are starving, wasting, and dying. Far from their homes and their communities, millions of refugees are praying in over-crowded camps. Clean water is sparse; measles, cholera, and other preventable diseases have spread. And then there are still those in Sudan; people in Darfur who wake up not to the call of prayer, but to the sound of gunfire, of shelling, of cries for help. We are in a crisis that is already fatal for many of the most vulnerable and could get dramatically worse in the coming weeks, said U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello. This is a time for coming together and getting the Sudanese people back on the path that they began in 2019 with such creative means and courage to believe that they could build that beautiful democratic future for the people of Sudan. Thats the future they want and deserve. The Sudanese people are very united and what they want, they want an end to this war. They want to build the core institutions of a democratic Sudan, said Special Envoy Perriello. While there may be divisions on Twitter or other places, when it comes to the core issues here of a desire for peace immediately, for full humanitarian access and for return to the constitutional transition that helped unite and inspire the Sudanese people and more back in 2019, and the issue of a unified professional military. These are issues of great consensus to the Sudanese people and issues that can help bring stability to the region at a time that there are so many other destabilizing factors, said Special Envoy Perriello. In helping to elevate the voices and the unity of the Sudanese people, I think that can also help pave and shine a light on the path forward, in addition to raising the consequences for those actors who undermine the peace efforts. When is the best view of the total solar eclipse? Search your ZIP code here (NEXSTAR) A long swath of the United States was in for a treat Monday, as a rare total solar eclipse passed over the country. Even those outside the path of totality were set to get a good view of a partial eclipse throughout the day. If you want to know when to look to the sky Monday with proper safety glasses, of course NASA created a tool that allows you to search for the optimal viewing time by your ZIP code. WATCH LIVE: Total solar eclipse moves across U.S. To see when the view will be best in your location, enter your ZIP code into the embedded search box below and hit enter. A countdown to the peak viewing time will appear, as will predicted weather conditions. You can also open the NASA tool in a new tab here. Millions of spectators along the totality corridor stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada eagerly awaited Mondays celestial sensation even as forecasters called for clouds. Missed the solar eclipse? Heres your next chance to see totality During Mondays full eclipse, the moon slips right in front of the sun, entirely blocking it. The resulting twilight, with only the suns outer atmosphere or corona visible, would be long enough for birds and other animals to fall silent, and for planets, stars and maybe even a comet to pop out. The out-of-sync darkness lasts up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. Thats almost twice as long as it was during the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse seven years ago because the moon is closer to Earth. It will be another 21 years before the U.S. sees another total solar eclipse on this scale. The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. The Biden administration announced new student loan plans Monday that would provide relief to millions of Americans if finalized. The proposed plans would largely affect those with runaway interest, as well as borrowers who have been paying on loans for 20 years, qualify for forgiveness under income-driven repayment (IDR) plans and those experiencing hardship. The plans would give borrowers $20,000 in loan forgiveness for balances that have grown due to unpaid interest since entering repayment, regardless of income. Those who qualify for the SAVE IDR plan would get the full balance of their unpaid interest forgiven. This would result in 25 million Americans getting relief from balance growth that was garnered by unpaid interest, with 23 million seeing their full balance growth canceled. The administration is also aiming for automatic debt relief for those who qualify under the SAVE plan, Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and other loan forgiveness programs but have hit red tape in receiving their relief. It is estimated 2 million Americans would get full loan forgiveness through this option. Lastly, the administration wants to give relief to those who were enrolled in low-financial-value education programs that have been deemed insufficient by the Department of Education, and borrowers who are experiencing hardship in paying back loans, such as those at high risk of defaulting on loans and families burdened with other debt, such as medical debt. The Biden-Harris Administration plans to release proposed rules on these plans over the coming months. If these plans are finalized as proposed, this fall the Administration would begin canceling up to $20,000 in interest for millions of borrowers and full loan forgiveness for millions more, the administration said in its announcement. The administration said the White House estimates more than 30 million Americans would have benefited from loan forgiveness from the plans during the past three years. The administration is also emphasizing how its action will help Black and Latino borrowers and those who went to community college, who are more likely to struggle with student loan debt. These actions are expected to provide significant relief to Black and Latino borrowers, borrowers who attended community college, and borrowers who are financially vulnerable because they took out debt but never had the chance to complete their degree, the administration said. It will be months until it is known if these plans will be finalized. If the plans are approved, they will almost certainly be challenged in court. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Biden could miss the deadline for the November ballot in Ohio, the state's election office says President Joe Biden walks to Marine One for departure from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, April 5, 2024, in Washington. Biden is headed to Maryland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) President Joe Biden could be left off the ballot in Ohio this fall unless the state's Republican-dominated legislature creates an exception to the ballot deadline or the Democratic Party moves up its convention, according to the office that oversees the state's elections. Ohio's deadline to certify presidential candidates for the general election is Aug. 7, nearly two weeks before the Democratic National Convention, at which Biden is expected to be nominated to run against Republican challenger Donald Trump. Ohio law requires that presidential candidates be certified 90 days before the general election, which is on Nov. 5 this year, said a letter written last week by Paul DiSantis, chief legal counsel for Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Please contact me as soon as possible with any information that can assure this office of timely compliance with Ohio law, the letter said. The Biden campaign said Monday that it does not expect the snag to keep the president off the ballot. Were monitoring the situation in Ohio, and were confident that Joe Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states, the campaign said in a statement. A similar situation came up before the 2020 presidential election. In that case, both the Republican and Democratic conventions were scheduled outside the deadline window so Ohio lawmakers approved changing the cutoff to 60 days but only for that election. The letter sent to Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters said that the legislature would need to act by May 9 to create an exception to the 90-day deadline or that Democrats would need to move up their convention, which would seem unlikely. Messages seeking comment were left with Walters and the state party on Monday. Trump won Ohio in 2016 on his way to the White House and won it again in 2020, when he lost to Biden, becoming the first losing presidential candidate Ohio had supported since it sided with Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy in 1960. ___ Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. President Biden is issuing a sunny safety reminder and seemingly throwing some shade at former President Trump ahead of the solar eclipse. An eclipse is worth marveling at, the White House wrote Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter. But dont be silly, folks play it safe and wear protective eyewear, Biden said, alongside a short clip of the commander in chief sporting eclipse glasses while looking up into the sky outside the White House. Experts warn that looking directly at the celestial event as the moon passes into the path of the sun Monday afternoon can cause permanent damage to the eyes, recommending that viewers sport solar viewing glasses. The Biden White House advice could be seen as a dig at Trump, who was famously photographed in 2017 watching a solar eclipse without the protective glasses. As he viewed the rare event from the Blue Room Balcony at the White House with wife Melania and son Barron, Trump could be seen momentarily removing his glasses and looking up at the sun while pointing to the sky. Biden is poised to be in Wisconsin Monday to talk about new student debt relief and is not expected to be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Joe Biden vowed on Monday to cancel student debt for tens of millions of Americans this fall, bringing an election-year pitch that hes fighting to help struggling borrowers to a battleground state thats crucial to his reelection. Biden chose the backdrop of a community college in Madison, Wisconsin, a state he narrowly won in 2020, to announce new details about the scope of his next student debt relief plan, which is designed to revive the loan forgiveness goals that were thwarted by the Supreme Court. Starting this fall we plan to deliver up to $20,000 in interest relief to over 20 million borrowers and full forgiveness for millions more, Biden said, highlighting the new, alternative approach to canceling student debt that his administration has been pursuing since the courts ruling last year. Bidens speech offered few new details about the structure of the program, which the Education Department has already debated publicly for months. But his remarks previewed plans to run on student debt as a political issue in the upcoming campaign. Its no coincidence Biden chose Madison to deliver his remarks on student loan debt relief. Not only is it the county seat of Dane County, one of the bluest enclaves of the state, it is also the state capital and home of the University of Wisconsin with its student body population of 50,600 students. This also marks the first time the president returned to the Badger state since Wisconsin held its presidential primary last week, where he weathered a coordinated effort from progressives, young people and pro-Palestinian activists focused on registering a protest vote. Buoyed by their frustration over the administrations continued military support for Israel and that nations ongoing war in Gaza, this group rallied to urge other Democrats to vote uninstructed a protest vote and Wisconsins version of the uncommitted vote thats drawn strong support in Michigan, North Carolina and Minnesota earlier in the presidential primary contest. The protest vote, led by a collection of activists including Listen to Wisconsin, were able to secure nearly 50,000 votes, an impressive feat given that activists in Wisconsin only began organizing less than a month before the April 2 primary. The 14,489 votes in Dane County made up roughly 30 percent of all the uninstructed votes cast and was the highest activist showing of any county in the state. Madison has a [solid] track record of multigenerational anti-war organizers and advocates, State. Rep. Francesca Hong told POLITICO via text ahead of Bidens remarks. Hong was one of more than 20 Democratic elected state and local officials who urged their constituents to vote uninstructed last week. It wasnt just young people voting for democracy and [an] end to the genocidal siege in Gaza, said Hong, whose district includes Madison. Students voting 'uninstructed' played a role in POTUS making a stop in the progressive stronghold. Officials said the Education Department plans to formally propose the new program in the coming months and they expect to finalize it and swiftly implement it later this year. But major challenges loom over the effort, including a short time for implementation and likely legal challenges from Republicans, whove blasted the idea of widespread loan forgiveness. This is an unfair ploy to buy votes before an election and does absolutely nothing to address the high cost of education that puts young people right back into debt, Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate education committee, said in a statement. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) accused Biden of bribing voters with an idea rejected by the Supreme Court. Like a zombie comes back to life, this price tag will haunt taxpayers, she said in a statement. Bidens efforts to erase loan debt have been cheered on by progressives in Congress, whove urged the administration to go as big as possible in developing its next sweeping program. Those progressives and outside student debt activists have been generally pleased with where the administration has landed, though theyve expressed concerns about the tight timeline for finalizing the relief programs before the election. Todays announcement shows the President is heeding Congresss call and Democrats will continue to be relentless in doing everything we can to lower costs and make college more affordable, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. The program is targeted at reducing balances for borrowers whose debt has ballooned because of interest, those whove carried their debts for decades, and borrowers who missed out on existing relief programs because they did not enroll. In addition, the administration is looking at canceling debts for borrowers who attend low-value programs or are experiencing financial hardship. In his remarks Monday, Biden cast himself as a champion for student debt borrowers who face crushing loan obligations. Officials said the Education Department plans to formally propose the new program in the coming months, and they expect to finalize it and swiftly implement it later this year. The total number of borrowers expected to receive relief will be more than 30 million Americans, officials said. That rivals Bidens first program that would have offered more than 40 million borrowers some amount of relief. Biden also said he would continue working to lower the cost of college in the first place, vowing to revive his free community college plan, which he failed to pass through Congress, in a second term. If I'm reelected, I'm gonna push it hard, Biden said of his community college proposal. We're gonna get it next time. But Biden also took pains to promote efforts by his administration to bolster apprenticeship programs and manufacturing jobs that dont require a college degree, offering a retort to many Republicans whove criticized Bidens loan forgiveness agenda as elitist. People say to me, it's great you're helping people into college how about all those hardworking people, grew up and had no opportunity to go to college? Biden said. That's the neighborhood I come from. That's why a big part of my economic agenda is invested in all Americans, whether you attend college or not. President Joe Biden is expected to deliver remarks in Madison, Wisconsin on Monday about the administrations new plan for student debt relief. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON President Joe Biden on Monday will announce the rollout of a student debt forgiveness proposal that the White House believes is narrowly targeted enough to survive legal challenges. The plan, if finalized, would include a one-time cancellation of all accrued interest for 23 million borrowers. It would also cancel the full amount of student loan debt for 4 million borrowers and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in student debt relief. The president will unveil the Department of Education proposed regulations during a speech in Madison, Wisconsin, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on a call Sunday. The announcement comes seven months ahead of the November elections, in which student debt forgiveness remains a key issue for voters, especially younger ones. Some of those younger voters who back a ceasefire have been turned off by the administrations support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. The proposed rule will be released in the coming months, and the Biden administration expects some provisions, such as the interest cancellation, could be implemented as early as this fall, Jean-Pierre said. President Biden will use every tool available to cancel student loan debt for as many borrowers as possible, no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stand in his way, she said. A fresh legal fight likely The proposal is likely to face legal challenges, similar to the battle that engulfed Bidens original student debt forgiveness plan. The Supreme Court struck it down last year when it was challenged in lawsuits backed by six Republican-led states Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina. Senior administration officials told reporters that the Biden administration carefully studied the Supreme Courts opinion last year, which turned aside the administrations argument that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona had the legal authority under the HEROES Act to enact a one-time student debt relief plan of up to $20,000 for some borrowers. A senior administration official said the new proposals address specific situations and specific populations in ways that we feel very confident are covered by what the secretarys long-standing authority under (the Higher Education Act) allows him to do, and were confident that were acting within the scope of the law, as set forth by the Supreme Court. After the Supreme Court ruling, Biden directed the Department of Education to take a more targeted route to provide student debt relief through the Higher Education Act in anticipation of legal challenges. The negotiated rulemaking process is how we change and improve our higher education policies, Cardona said to reporters Sunday, adding that the Department of Education is moving to quickly finalize the proposals. While the rulemaking process can take months or years, Cardona has the ability to designate provisions for early implementation, a senior administration official said. About 43.5 million people have student loan debt, totaling $1.73 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve. Building on previous student debt relief plans The new plan builds on several student debt relief programs the Biden administration already has rolled out, such as the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan, known as the SAVE plan, or any other income-driven repayment plans. For the SAVE plan, borrowers who make monthly payments are not charged accrued interest; payments are based on a borrowers income and family size; and the plan forgives balances after a set number of years. Under the proposed regulations, there would be a one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 of unpaid interest regardless of a borrowers income level. Low-and-middle-income borrowers enrolled in any Department of Education income-driven repayment plan would be eligible to have the entire amount of their interest accrued balance canceled. Eligibility would apply to single borrowers who earn $120,000 or less and married borrowers who earn $240,000 or less. The Biden administration estimates that 25 million borrowers would benefit from some type of interest cancellation. The interest forgiveness is currently crafted as a one-time benefit for example, but going forward, borrowers will benefit from substantially more favorable treatment through the SAVE program, a senior administration official said. The plan would also automatically cancel debt for borrowers eligible for that forgiveness under the SAVE, Public Service Loan Forgiveness or other programs like the closed school loan discharge who have not yet applied for those programs. The Department of Education would also be able to use its own data to identify those borrowers who would be eligible for student loan debt forgiveness, but have yet to apply. The Biden administration estimates that this would cancel debt for about 2 million borrowers. 20 years of loan repayments Under the proposed plan, borrowers who began repayment of their undergraduate student loans 20 years ago, and borrowers who began repayment of their graduate loans 25 years ago, would have their student loan debt canceled. Those borrowers would need to be on an income-driven repayment plan in order to qualify for that relief. The plan also aims to cancel debt for borrowers who enrolled in low-financial-value-programs, which means the total cost of attending exceeded the financial benefits. Borrowers who attended institutions or programs that lost eligibility to participate in the federal student aid program or were denied recertification would be eligible to have their student loans canceled. And borrowers who attended those institutions that either closed or failed to provide sufficient value would be eligible for relief. Cardona added that this could include some career training programs that have taken advantage of borrowers, or institutions that have an unusually high student loan debt default rate. The plan would also provide relief for borrowers who are experiencing some sort of hardship in their daily lives that creates a barrier to paying back loans. Some of those financial hardships would include medical debt or child care. While the administration is aiming for this debt relief to be immediate, a senior administration official said that some additional information would be required for the borrowers who qualify under the hardship relief. Our goal is for the overwhelming majority of things like interest, loans that are older, borrowers (who) attended programs that didnt deliver financial value, to do that all automatically, the senior administration official said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Biden proposes new student debt relief plan for millions of borrowers appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Joe Bidens advisers didnt know if Donald Trump would ever offer up a formal policy on abortion. But when the moment finally arrived, they were ready. Trumps announcement on Monday that he supports leaving the debate about abortion restrictions to the states sparked a torrent of political attacks, with Biden and his allies accusing their GOP rival of ushering in cruelty and chaos in the post-Roe v. Wade era. The offensive marked a new phase in the Biden teams bid to make reproductive rights the defining issue of the presidential race. In addition to accusing Trump of paving the way for Roes elimination, Democrats on Monday sought to tie him directly to the harshest state abortion laws and their real-life consequences. Trump once said women must be punished for seeking reproductive health care and hes gotten his wish, Biden said in a statement released by his reelection campaign. Women are being turned away from emergency rooms, forced to go to court to seek permission for the medical attention they need, and left to travel hundreds of miles for health care. That was just the opening act. Kaitlyn Kash, who was forced to leave Texas for an abortion after learning her baby had a severe condition and was unlikely to survive birth, joined a separate Biden press call on Monday alongside campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez to highlight the consequences of a patchwork abortion policy. Shortly thereafter, the Biden campaign put out a new digital ad spotlighting Amanda, another Texas woman who suffered a miscarriage and nearly died after doctors refused to perform an abortion. Trump did this, the campaign said in a post to Bidens account. Across the country, Democrats moved swiftly to capitalize on the opening that Trump provided in a nearly four-and-a-half minute video where the former president took credit for gutting Roe, and argued that individual states should determine when and how harshly to restrict access to abortion. Prior to the announcement, Trump had come under intense pressure to stake out a clear position after toying for weeks with endorsing a blanket 15-week ban. Trump has privately fretted that the issue is politically toxic for Republicans, especially if they dont come out in support of exemptions for the life and health of the mother. Trumps statement provided Republicans much needed clarity on this issue," said Nicole McCleskey, a Republican pollster. "He helped put it to rest by saying, leave it to the states, which is what majorities of voters agree with." Yet in the immediate aftermath, casting the issue as a state-level decision opened up the former president to criticism from all sides. Anti-abortion activists expressed disappointment with Trump for not coming out for a national policy. And Biden allies, wary of letting Trump cast his abortion position as a moderate one, emphasized that he had made little attempt to distance himself from the strictest abortion measures around the country. "Let's be clear, Trump is not only extremely proud of overturning Roe v. Wade, he supports the nightmarish abortion bans happening in states across the country," Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes said in a statement. Democrats also seized on what Trump didn't say namely, that he did not explicitly rule out signing a nationwide abortion ban if elected, and refused to condemn states that had banned abortion without exceptions. In a sign of how critically Biden's team views the moment, Biden campaign officials kicked off Monday's press call with an extended admonishment of initial media reports they argued mistakenly indicated that Trump was opposing a national abortion ban. "His allies do have a plan to ban abortion nationally, without ever going to Congress," Chavez Rodriguez said, pointing to GOP efforts to restrict medication abortion. Biden in his own statement said there should "be no illusion. If Donald Trump is elected and the MAGA Republicans in Congress put a national abortion ban on the Resolute Desk, Trump will sign it into law." The president singled out Floridas plan to impose a six-week abortion ban, noting it as an example of a state-level abortion restriction that would make the procedure illegal before many women know theyre pregnant. Trump, who is a Florida resident, has not said whether he supports the state ban and did not address the issue in his video. Biden, despite having exhibited some discomfort in talking about abortion in the past, has repeatedly vowed to restore Roe v. Wade with legislation if given the chance. He has cast the election as an existential moment for women's reproductive freedoms. That stance has also offered a sharp contrast with Trump and Republicans, who have struggled for nearly two years to find a tenable consensus for where they stand following the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision. Having created the chaos of overturning Roe, hes trying to say, Oh, never mind. Dont punish me for that. I just want to win, Biden said. President Joe Biden said on Monday at an event in Madison, Wisconsin, that his latest efforts to reduce or eliminate student debt would be a boon to the US economy. Mr Biden said his administrations newest initiatives are an outgrowth of his promise to find alternative paths to reduce student debt loads that have become so burdensome that many borrowers simply cant repay what they owe, making student debt a problem because it keeps Americans from starting businesses, or buying homes, or starting families in many cases. Its a drag on economies... when you cant afford to buy a home, start that small business, chase that career that youve been dreaming about for a long time, he said. He also said the new programmes would give everybody a fair shot and the freedom to chase their dreams by building on two existing programmes his administration has reformed Public Service Loan Forgiveness and the Income-Driven Repayment Plan both of which now help more than 25,000 Americans per month to see their student debts entirely forgiven, and have lowered payments for hundreds of thousands more. The presidents trip to Madison, the Badger States capital and the location of its flagship state university, came as part of a push to shore up support from younger voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. During his 2020 campaign against then-president Donald Trump, Mr Biden made forgiving Americans student loans a significant part of his pitch to college-aged and millennial-generation voters, many of whom are saddled with massive debts from undergraduate or graduate studies. An initial attempt by Mr Biden to forgive $10,000 of debt for every student borrower using Covid-era authorities died after the US Supreme Court sided with Republican attorneys general, who sued to block the proposal. At the time, he vowed to press on with debt relief efforts. And since then, the president has rolled out several new initiatives, making use of different statutory provisions allowing the Department of Education to waive or modify loan provisions or forgive debts under some circumstances. His administration has also worked to make it easier for borrowers to access income-based repayment plans under which debt can be forgiven after many years of repayment. Speaking to reporters ahead of Mr Bidens visit to Wisconsin, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mondays announcement is a result of his promise to press on with debt relief and said the new initiatives could be up and running as soon as this fall. The programmes unveiled on Monday are part of a new tranche of efforts to reduce young voters debt loads, which the White House says would provide relief to more than 30 million Americans when combined with other initiatives. The White House also said the administration has thus far eliminated $146bn in student debt relief for four million Americans through more than two dozen executive actions since Mr Biden took office in January 2021. Last June, in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision blocking the Biden-Harris Administrations original student debt relief plan, President Biden vowed to keep fighting to deliver student debt relief to borrowers held back by the burden of student loan debt. Immediately following that, the Department of Education began pursuing an alternative path to debt relief through negotiated rulemaking under the Higher Education Act, the White House said in a statement, adding later that the plans announced today would fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million borrowers, would cancel the full amount of student debt for over four million borrowers, and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in debt relief or more. One new programme would eliminate up to $20,000 in accrued interest for borrowers who now owe more interest than when they began to repay their loans. For borrowers under a certain income threshold, it would cancel all of the interest-based debt accrued by those borrowers. Another new action would automatically forgive debt for borrowers who are eligible for the public service programme but have not applied for it because they were unaware of it, while yet another new initiative would forgive loans for borrowers whove been repaying their debt for more than two decades. This relief can be life changing, said Mr Biden, who added that the new programmes would be for the good of our economy. Its growing stronger and stronger and by freeing millions of Americans from this crushing student debt, it means they can finally get on with their lives, he said. ELKO Jackpot Combined Schools dedication to advancing STEM education has been recognized by two state agencies. Teacher Vincent Squatrito was named Rural STEM Teacher of the Year by the Governors Office of Science, Innovation and Technology and the Nevada Department of Education. Jackpot Combined Schools was also awarded the Developing STEM School designation by the Office of Science, Innovation and Technology. Vincent Squatritos exemplary contributions to the quality and career-connected STEM education at Jackpot Combined School has earned him the recognition, according to a news release issued by Elko County School District. As Nevada continues to diversify its economy by recruiting STEM industry professionals, the states education systems play a crucial role in providing STEM learning experiences to students, the statement continued. As members of the Nevada Designated STEM School Network, Jackpot Combined School will have access to exclusive grant opportunities, pilot programs, webinars, and networking opportunities. This dual achievement reflects the schools dedication to fostering innovation and excellence and highlights the impact of individual educators in shaping the future of STEM education in Nevada. The Governors Office of Science, Innovation and Technology and the Nevada Department of Education announced three 2024 Regional STEM Teachers of the Year who represent the northwestern, rural and southern regions of Nevada. To learn more about the Nevada STEM Framework click the link or visit osit.nv.gov. U.S. President Biden speaks about his plans after Supreme Court decision on student debt forgiveness in Washington By Steve Holland and Stephanie Kelly MADISON, Wisconsin (Reuters) -President Joe Biden announced on Monday plans to ease student debt that would benefit at least 23 million Americans, addressing a key issue for young voters whose support he needs as he seeks re-election in November. The plans, which the Democratic president detailed in Madison, Wisconsin, include cancelling up to $20,000 of accrued and capitalized interest for borrowers, regardless of income, which Biden's administration estimates would eliminate the entirety of that interest for 23 million borrowers. Progressive voters, whom Biden hopes will support him against Republican challenger Donald Trump, have long urged the White House to address student loan debt. Biden's administration has taken a string of actions despite the U.S. Supreme Court blocking his initial plan last year. The issue remains high on the agenda of younger voters, many of whom have concerns about Biden's foreign policy on the war in Gaza and fault him for not achieving greater debt forgiveness. Republicans have called Biden's student loan forgiveness approach an overreach of his authority and an unfair benefit to college-educated borrowers while other borrowers received no such relief. Biden's new plans include automatically cancelling debt for borrowers who are eligible for certain forgiveness programs, who entered repayment decades ago, who enrolled in low financial value programs, or who are experiencing hardship. "This relief can be life changing," Biden said in Madison, just as the total solar eclipse in North America was gracing the region. "Folks, I will never stop delivering student loan relief for hard-working Americans... It's for the good of our economy." He added that if he is re-elected in November's presidential election, he would push hard to make community college free. If the latest plans are finalized following a public comment period, they would take effect as early as this fall, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in a call detailing the plans. Combined with the administration's previous actions, they would benefit more than 30 million Americans, Jean-Pierre added. U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate education panel, said such "loan schemes" simply transfer the cost of the debt onto others. "This is an unfair ploy to buy votes before an election and does absolutely nothing to address the high cost of education that puts young people right back into debt," Cassidy wrote in a statement. To date, the administration has said it has approved $146 billion in student debt relief for 4 million Americans. As of June 2023, approximately 43.4 million student loan recipients had $1.63 trillion in outstanding loans, according to the Federal Student Aid website. "We're delivering as much relief as possible for as many borrowers as possible, as quickly as possible," U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. Biden has vowed to continue pushing student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible following the Supreme Court's decision blocking his earlier plan to cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in debt, and administration officials said they studied the 6-3 ruling in crafting the new plans. Other administration officials were set to tout the new plans in events across the United States on Monday, including Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Stephanie Kelly; additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Will Dunham, Sonali Paul and Marguerita Choy) President Biden slammed former President Trump on Monday for saying he thinks abortion policies are best left to the states, and for the presumptive GOP presidential nominees role in overturning Roe v. Wade. Donald Trump made it clear once again today that he is more than anyone in America the person responsible for ending Roe v. Wade, Biden said in a statement. Let there be no illusion. If Donald Trump is elected and the MAGA Republicans in Congress put a national abortion ban on the Resolute Desk, Trump will sign it into law. Earlier Monday, Trump posted a video to Truth Social where he suggested any decisions about abortion policy should be left to the states. Abortion has been a volatile issue for Republicans ever since Roe was overturned in 2022, and Trump has suggested that Republicans take some kind of compromise position to win elections. You must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly a nation in decline, Trump said. In the video, Trump said he was proudly the person responsible for ending Roe v. Wade, falsely suggesting it was something all legal scholars, both sides demanded. He did not endorse any specific abortion limits. In response, Biden said Trump is simply lying about support for overturning Roe. It was never about public policy or what was right or what Trump believed. It was always about politics. Trump is scrambling. Hes worried that since hes the one responsible for overturning Roe the voters will hold him accountable in 2024, Biden said. Well, I have news for Donald. They will. America was built on personal freedom and liberty. So, there is nothing more un-American than having our personal freedoms taken away. And that is what Donald Trump has done. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. An earlier version of this article said that Sargento had recalled several of its products as part of the Rizo-Lopez Foods recall. This has been removed as the recall did not affect any Sargento-branded products. 4/08/2024 Food recalls are a scary and unfortunately, relatively common occurrence in today's consumer society. Often they make the news, but just as often, they don't. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have special pages on their websites to announce food recalls. However, most people aren't going to check these government websites daily -- if ever. The fact of the matter is that unless you are paying special attention, it is unlikely that you'll hear about a food recall, especially a smaller-scale recall that does not make the national news. This can be frightening when you consider that food is recalled because there is proof that it presents a risk to the consumers who purchase it. Food recalls can happen for a huge variety of reasons. Products may have been mislabeled, putting consumers at risk of ingesting allergens or substances they cannot eat. Sometimes, foreign substances like plastic somehow end up in food. The recalled items may also have been contaminated, leaving consumers susceptible to dangerous illnesses and bacteria, such as salmonella or listeria. If you are worried that contaminated food may have somehow ended up in your pantry or fridge, here are the biggest food recalls that have occurred so far in 2024. Read more: 12 Rules Shoppers Must Follow At Costco Trader Joe's Cashews Trader Joe's exterior - Volkansengor/Getty Images Trader Joe's, beloved for its interesting and eclectic products, has found itself in a pickle. On March 17, the popular grocery store chain announced that it was recalling several batches of the 50% Less Salt Roasted & Salted Whole Cashews. The recall applies to lots that are best before February 21, March 1, March 8, and March 10 of 2025, and extends across 16 states. The best buy dates and the matching lot numbers can be found on the back of the clear plastic pouches holding the contaminated nuts. The recall occurred because the nuts were potentially contaminated with salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness. Symptoms of salmonella infections include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, and health risks are especially high when symptoms continue for more than a few days. According to the FDA, salmonella was found during routine testing, although no illnesses have been reported yet. Trader Joe's announced that anyone who has purchased the tainted cashews should either throw them away or return them to the store for a full refund because they are unsafe for consumption. Great Value Honey Roasted Cashews cashews on surface - 4kodiak/Getty Images It looks like it is a bad year for cashews because Walmart's Great Value brand has also issued a recall of the popular snack nut. The culprit, in this case, is the brand's honey-roasted variety. The recall happened because the nuts were potentially contaminated with allergens including coconut and milk. The company behind Great Value voluntarily recalled all honey-roasted cashews from a batch with a best-by date of July 8, 2025. All the cashews in question come in 8.5-ounce containers, and consumers will find the code (UPC) 078742133348 on the bottom of the can. Up to 30 states have been affected by this recall, but luckily no adverse reactions have been reported since the announcement on March 12. The recall occurred after a consumer reported finding coconut cashews in a container labeled as honey-roasted. Following this report, the FDA conducted an investigation and found that a small number of coconut cashew packages were mislabeled and distributed as honey-roasted. So, if you have a can of Great Value honey roasted cashews in your pantry, check before eating them because you might not have the correct product. If you have purchased one of the recalled cans of cashews, you can either return them to the store for a full refund or throw them away. Rizo-Lopez Foods Shredded Cheese shredded cheese - Juan Monino/Getty Images This recall affects not just one product or one store but dozens of products and grocery stores across 15 states. Federal officials are investigating cheese products from Rizo-Lopez Foods for a widespread listeria outbreak that hospitalized more than 20 people and killed two. While these outbreaks happened in 2017 and 2021 and the source could not be traced, the FDA found the same strain of listeria in a cheese sample from Rizo-Lopez Foods this year. Out of what is either valid concern or an abundance of caution, over 60 products manufactured by the company have been voluntarily recalled as of February 5, 2024. The products include shredded cheese, yogurt, and sour cream sold by San Carlos, Campesino, Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Food City, Rio Grande, Casa Cardenas, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Rizo Bros, El Huache, La Ordena, and 365 Whole Foods Market brands. Additionally, Costco and Trader Joe's have also recalled certain items that may have been affected by this strain of bacteria. Listeria can cause very serious illness, with symptoms including vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Salad Kits & Taco Kits Everywhere person shopping for salad kit - Fg Trade/Getty Images The ongoing listeria investigation conducted by the FDA uncovered other issues. In February, dozens of retailers recalled various salad and taco kits because they contained unbranded products supplied by Rizo-Lopez Foods. One of these companies was Dole Fresh Vegetables, which issued a voluntary recall for eight pre-made salad kits produced under different brand names. Among them were Dole, President's Choice, and Marketside. All the salad kits contained ingredients produced on the same production line as recalled Rizo-Lopez cheeses and were distributed across numerous U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Another company that issued a voluntary recall following the detection of listeria was Taylor Fresh Foods, which recalled its Marketside Ranch Crunch Salad Kits due to contaminated cheese products. These kits were distributed across multiple states at the popular grocery retailer Walmart. In addition to pre-made salad kits, taco kits were also affected. Rizo-Lopez Foods and Fresh Creations Foods recalled chicken taco kits sold at Sprouts stores in several states. The broad number of products affected by this recall and the vast range of states and stores impacted shows the seriousness of this particularly widespread recall. As the FDA and CDC continue investigating this multi-year recall, consumers are urged to check their fridges and pantries for recalled products and dispose of any affected ones immediately. Ground Cinnamon ground and whole cinnamon - Alea Image/Getty Images On March 6, 2024, a variety of ground cinnamon brands distributed by discount retailers were recalled because of possible traces of lead. The affected brands include La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Swad, El Chilar, and Supreme Tradition, with products distributed in discount stores including Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and others in California, Arizona, Washington, and Texas, late in 2023. The lead contamination came to light when the FDA conducted a routine examination of product samples in a targeted investigation sparked after an October 2023 recall of cinnamon-flavored applesauce contaminated with lead. Unfortunately, the 2023 recall happened after hundreds of children fell ill. The agency announced that exposure to lead for longer periods of time can cause dangerously high levels in the blood. Long-term exposure can cause severe negative effects, including lead poisoning, which includes symptoms like headaches, abdominal pain, and high blood pressure. While no adverse effects from the recent recall have been reported, consumers are urged to check their spice cabinets and discard or return any cinnamon powders purchased from the affected brands. Trader Joe's Chicken Dumplings trader joe's chicken dumplings - lovexniss / X, formerly known as Twitter In yet another case from Trader Joe's, the popular grocery chain announced on March 2, 2024, that it was enacting a voluntary recall on more than 61,000 pounds of chicken soup dumplings. The dumplings in question have an expiration date of 03.07.25 and lot code C1-1 or C1-2. They are being recalled due to potential contamination from a foreign substance, which Trader Joe's identified as plastic. The chain issued the recall after being notified by consumers who had found hard plastic pieces in their dumplings. Luckily, no illnesses or injuries have yet been reported as a result of this particular recall. The dumplings were produced by CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corporation, a company based out of California, but the recall applies to multiple states nationwide. The dumplings come in 6-ounce boxes with plastic trays and contain six dumplings each. The FSIS communicated concern regarding the fact that many dumplings remain in consumers' freezers. Anyone who has purchased the affected soup dumplings should either throw them away or bring them to Trader Joe's for a refund. Chick-Fil-A Polynesian Sauce chick-fil-a sauces - stephanie_k09 / X It turns out that it's not only grocery store products that get recalled. In February of 2024, the popular fast-food chain Chick-fil-A issued a recall for one of its popular dipping sauces. Via an announcement on its website, the restaurant instructed consumers to dispose of any Polynesian sauces they brought home between February 14 and 27. In the announcement, Chick-fil-A said that a batch of the popular dipping sauce was mislabeled and contained another sauce with potential allergens (wheat and soy). The mislabeled sauces were distributed across 27 different states. The restaurant has also confirmed that only the dipping cups are affected, and other forms of the sauce are safe. Chick-fil-A has thrown away all affected sauces in its possession and urges consumers to do the same. The error occurred when T. Marzetti Co., which produces the sauces for Chick-fil-A, accidentally mislabeled a large number of the sauces. Many of the dipping cups contained Sriracha, which has wheat and soy, instead of Polynesian sauce. Chick-fil-A's Polynesian sauce is one of its most popular sauces and was introduced in 1984 alongside the honey mustard and barbeque sauces. The chain describes the tangy sauce as perfectly sweet and sour. All Sorts Of Quaker Oats Products quaker oats instant oatmeal - Geri Lavrov/Getty Images On January 11, 2024, Quaker issued a recall on several products, including a variety of Quaker chewy granola bars, Cap'n Crunch cereal bars, Quaker cereals, and instant oatmeal, among others. The reason for the recall was a potential salmonella contamination. This recall was initially announced in late 2023 but was renewed in January 2024 to include more products. Salmonella is known to cause severe infections, especially in vulnerable populations such as young children and the elderly. This makes these products, which are popular snacks and breakfast foods for young children, especially dangerous if contaminated with bacteria. The recall spans across all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, and Saipan. Quaker and the FDA, which both posted announcements about the recall, urge consumers to check their pantries for any of the products and immediately dispose of them. For further information about the recall, including product reimbursement, consumers can call Quaker Consumer Relations. Additionally, each product carries a SmartLabel QR code that can be scanned to determine whether it is part of the recall. Roland Tahini bowl of tahini sesame seeds - Alexpro9500/Getty Images As if we haven't had enough salmonella-related recalls so far this year, on February 27, 2024, Roland Foods announced that it was recalling a specific production code of its 16-ounce tahini due to a potential salmonella contamination. The recall affects the tahini bearing batch number P024581, UPC number 10041224701509, and a best-by date of October 19, 2024. These products were distributed from September 2023 through January 2024, reaching a large number of states in a variety of retail stores and food service outlets. The salmonella contamination was detected during standard testing by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the recall was announced shortly afterward. Luckily, no illnesses related to the recalled batch of tahini have yet been reported. Salmonella can lead to serious health complications, including arterial infections and arthritis. Roland Foods and the FDA urge consumers in possession of the affected tahini to discard it immediately. Roland Foods is conducting an investigation and collaborating with the product manufacturer to determine the root cause of the contamination, and in the meantime, has ceased its distribution. Banh Ba Xa And Banh Pia Products Vietnamese cakes - Nguyen Vung/Getty Images While not all recalls are likely to lead to serious illnesses or life-altering complications, the presence of undeclared allergens in consumer products is an issue that can have serious implications for those affected. On February 23, 2024, LQNN, Inc., a company based out of California, announced a voluntary recall of Banh Ba Xa and various Banh Pia products because of a potential unlisted egg content. These products pose a severe risk to individuals with egg allergies, potentially leading to life-threatening reactions upon consumption. All of the affected Bahn Pia products were manufactured by Tan Hue Vien, sold under the Saigon Gourmet label, and packaged in colorful foil bags. The cakes were distributed across 32 different states as well as in Canada, and the LQNN is doing its best to recall any unsold products from distributors before they make it to wholesalers, retail stores, and online sites. These products were accidentally covered in an egg wash. When the company discovered this fact, the recall was announced and an investigation was launched. The conclusion was the mistake occurred due to an error at the manufacturer's production and packaging line. Anyone who has purchased the recalled items should return them for a refund or discard them. While no illness has yet been reported, the company has halted production until the mistakes have been corrected to prevent future repetition. Golden Owl Mango dried mango in bowl - Almaje/Getty Images On February 16, the Truong Giang Distribution Corporation based out of Philadelphia, announced a recall of its Golden Owl Dried Mango due to undeclared sulfites. While sulfites occur naturally in some foods and are added to others to preserve their shelf-life, some people have allergies or sensitivities to them, which makes the absence of notice dangerous to consumers. The product was packaged in 7-ounce, clear plastic containers with the UPC 816710-024461 and distributed nationwide in retail stores. When the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets conducted a routine sampling of Golden Owl Dried Mango, the organization detected sulfites that were not listed among the ingredients. After this discovery, the recall was announced, though no illnesses have been reported so far. An investigation into the matter found that the mistake was due to a temporary failure in the manufacturer's labeling process. Consumers who have purchased any Golden Own Dried Mango this year are urged to discard or return it to its place of purchase for a refund. Additionally, the Truong Giang Distribution Corporation may be contacted during normal business hours for further inquiries. Read the original article on Mashed Photo via Getty Images As a measure to ban reunification treatment in Arizona heads to the governor, advocates and survivors are puzzled by Democratic opposition to the bill in both legislative chambers. Reunification treatment is a practice commonly used within the family court system to try and force a relationship between children and their estranged parents after contentious custody battles. Its often ordered in response to claims of parental alienation a term coined by discredited psychiatrist Richard Gardner to describe situations where one parent is believed to be using their influence to turn their children against the rejected parent. The alienation seed is typically planted by attorneys as a legal strategy or the rejected parent that makes the accusation. Once that seed has been planted, its invasive and takes over. The professionals who work in the alienation industry assess how much money a parent has, it will determine how targeted they are, and how alienated their kids are, said Tina Swithin, an advocate for protective parents enduring reunification processes and founder of One Moms Battle. As was the case in Swithins own custody battle, a rejected parent can claim that they have been alienated by the childs preferred parent despite documentation of abuse, and change the trajectory of an entire trial. Abusers have figured out that, if the child has suffered any kind of abuse, and the mother comes forward with the allegations, the abuser can say, Shes alienating me, and use that in an attempt to not be held accountable for anything hes done, coercive control educator Dr. Christine Cocchiola told the Arizona Mirror in a previous interview. As a result of claims of alienation, family court judges will often order the children to be sent to reunification therapy, which, despite its name, is not real psychotherapy, according to the American Bar Association. These therapy sessions aimed at rekindling a childs relationship with their abuser can cost anywhere from $100 to $300 an hour. If that fails, judges can order parents to send their children to intensive, multi-day reunification camps that can cost up to $40,000. In many cases, the court will order a 90-day no-contact rule between the child and their preferred parent for the duration of the treatment. Many parents say that the order is reissued every 90 days until the child turns 18, a process that informally changes custody in favor of the rejected parent. Many of these camps hire transporters from third-party companies to forcefully remove children from their homes if parents do not voluntarily turn them over. A viral video from 2022 shows private transporters doing just that, as they ripped two children from their California home and to a reunification camp more than five hours away. Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, introduced Senate Bill 1372 in hopes of banning the practice from being ordered by Arizonas family courts. As amended, SB1372 would ban the use of reunification treatment in Arizona if it requires the use of private transport services; an overnight, multi-day or out-of-state stay; a transfer of custody, whether it be physical or legal; or a no contact order between the child and their preferred parent unless both parents consent to the decision. In the Senate, the bill was accompanied by emotional testimony from Arizonans impacted by reunification treatments. Tori Nielson told lawmakers on the Senate Transportation, Technology and Missing Children Committee about her 13-year long family court case that led to her and her younger brother being illegally kidnapped and trafficked across state lines as they were taken from their Arizona home to a reunification camp in Ventura, Calif., by four strangers, later revealed to be private transporters hired by the court. The 18-year-olds story, and those of parents that also came to speak in support of the bill, visibly moved lawmakers across the panel. It passed through the committee by a vote of 6-1. The sole opposing vote came from Sen. Catherine Marsh, a Phoenix Democrat, who said that she had confidence that the bill would be amended to earn her yes vote on the floor. I am hoping that this bill will be amended, but Im going to vote no until it is. I want to make sure that we are fixing the issue that we heard such compelling and heart-wrenching, tear-jerking testimony about, without entering in an unintended consequence which could be pretty problematic down the road, and require a new statue, she said while explaining her committee vote. No such amendment was ever added to the bill by the full Senate, yet Marsh voted to pass SB1372. But nine of her Democratic colleagues did not, including Sen. Theresa Hatathlie, who backed the bill in committee. The bill still passed on a 19-9 vote, but the partisan divide grew wider when the bill was considered by the House of Representatives. Lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee heard from many of the same speakers that testified in the Senate, and their shocked reactions matched those of the senators that had heard the bill weeks prior. The committee asked Bolick in researching this issue if she, at any point, went to the courts and asked how and why they are ordering reunification camps that arent even legally operating. She said she had not. Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, said that she needed to have those conversations with the family courts before she could comfortably vote in support of the bill. There needs to be some serious investigation as to why there are Maricopa County Superior Court judges referring families to these highly skeptical camps that have caused a lot of damage and harm, she said. We are toeing the line of taking away judicial discretion in a way that I dont know necessarily gets to the root of the problem we are trying to solve here. Across the aisle, there was less confusion. Majority Leader Leo Biasucci said that he would support an amendment to fully ban reunification treatment, regardless of parental consent. This is insane. I think the most disturbing part is that I didnt even know this existed. I think more troubling is nobody has an answer on who or how the courts are using these companies, he said. For me, I would like to see this banned outright. In explaining his vote in support of the bill, Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, said that he was not surprised to hear that reunification is being used within Arizona courts. There are many ways courts facilitate profiting off of people in delicate situations, Kolodin, an attorney, said. When it came time for representatives to vote on the floor, the divide grew wider as nearly every Democrat voted against the bill on the floor. In a statement to the Arizona Mirror, Ortiz explained that her hesitance came from a concern that the bill could run afoul of the separation of powers between the legislature and the judiciary. I felt like I did not have the evidence and data needed about how often this is happening in the State of Arizona, she said. It seemed like the testimony was very specific to one court operator, and I felt as though passing legislation based off anecdotes, no matter how horrifying those anecdotes were, is something that we need to be very cautious of Ortiz said that she and the Democratic caucus were horrified to learn about the realities of the reunification system, and have gone through the processes to formally request Attorney General Kris Mayes for an investigation into the operator behind the reunification treatment that Nielsen described in her testimony. I think the proper investigative authorities need to look at that as opposed to the legislature taking a sweeping action that would infringe upon the judicial branchs role, Ortiz said. SB1372 still managed to win approval in the House, passing by a vote of 32-27. It now heads to Gov. Katie Hobbs for a final decision. Its in the governors hands, Ortiz said. I dont think, if the governor were to sign it, that I would continue to have outstanding concerns. Advocates have expressed concern over what kind of influence partisan split seen in both chambers over the matter will have on the governors final decision. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Bill to ban reunification heads to Hobbs, despite lack of Democratic support appeared first on Arizona Mirror. A midtown Sacramento coffee shop closed its doors in April, less than a month after celebrating two years in business. Drip Espresso, a Black- and women-owned business, announced the closure via social media on April 1. When we first opened out Drip, we intended on it being a place that felt like home ... safe, loving, and reliable for you, our people, representatives of the shop wrote. We could have never imagined the way you all have wrapped your arms around us with care, support, love and time. For now, we must close out the physical business at this location and well let you know soon what our next steps are, they said. Screenshot of DRiP Espressos announcement of their closure on Instagram. The midtown Sacramento coffee shop recently celebrated its second anniversary. Sacramento coffee shop closes after second anniversary Drip Espresso opened in 2022 at 1004 24th St. The coffeehouse was known for its spiced lattes and the Melanated Mocha, an espresso brewed into chocolate topped with cayenne pepper. It also served food and hosted events promoting local politics, art and community conversations. On March 16, the cafe celebrated its anniversary, thanking customers via Instagram for two years of love and support. A day later, Drip Espresso posted on Instagram that March 17 would be its last day before our hiatus. The cafe officially closed April 1. Representatives had not responded The Sacramento Bees request for comment as of Monday morning. What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. Xahra Saleem spent the money she stole in less than a year on Ubers, beauty treatments, clothes, takeaway food deliveries and phones - JAMES BECK/BRISTOL LIVE A Black Lives Matter activist who helped organise the protest that led to the toppling of Edward Colstons statue has been ordered to repay just 1 despite defrauding a charity of tens of thousands. Xahra Saleem was jailed for two-and-a-half years last year after pleading guilty to one count of fraud after 32,000 in charity donations went missing. Another charge was left to lie on file by the CPS and now for the first time police have put the total amount of money she is believed to have taken and spent at around 70,000. Police have now obtained a Confiscation Order under the Proceeds of Crime Act against Saleem, but because the 23-year-old spent all the money she stole in less than a year on Ubers, beauty treatments, clothes, takeaway food deliveries and phones, police have had to obtain the order with a nominal 1 sum, which then allows that amount to increase if or when Saleem ever has money in the future. The money was pledged by people across the world in a series of online fundraisers that were set up by Saleem who was then called Yvonne Maina both before and after the Black Lives Matter march in Bristol in June 2020. But instead of going to the good causes people donated towards, she frittered the money away in less than a year on a wide range of expenses and living costs, living a comfortable life of shopping, beauty treatments, taxis and food deliveries. Saleem pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud last year, and the court heard that around 32,000 went missing from the first online fundraiser she set up. Saleem was one of five young people who organised the Black Lives Matter march on June 7, 2020 that saw the Colston statue toppled. Before the march she had set up an online fundraiser to help pay for Covid mitigation measures and other organising expenses. Edward Colston's statue was toppled and thrown into docks in Bristol at a protest in the wake of the death of George Floyd - BEN BIRCHALL/PA When that fundraiser was set, anyone donating was told that if there was anything left over after the march, it would be donated to a local youth organisation based in St Pauls, called Changing Your Mindset, which was run by a group of mothers. The fundraiser received a slew of donations after the march raising more than 32,000, which was all supposed to be handed over to Changing Your Mindset. For months, they talked about how best to spend it, and decided to take young people on the trip of a lifetime to Africa. In the days after the protest, Saleem set up a second online fundraiser which she said would be money to support the legal costs of anyone arrested or charged in connection with the toppling of the statue. That raised tens of thousands of pounds which it is understood also went missing and never reached those who were arrested. Six people accepted police cautions for their part in the Colston statue toppling, while four others pleaded not guilty, went through a lengthy legal process and were eventually acquitted of criminal damage. Other organisations did their own fundraising for the people who became known as the Colston 4 separately. Now, police say Saleem may have taken and spent up to 70,000 from both fundraisers. Police and the courts can issue Confiscation Orders to criminals who have profited from their crimes which will contain a specific sum that police know the criminal will be able to pay if they sell their assets. No assets But the order for Saleem is for a nominal sum of 1 because she has none of the money left and no assets of her own that could contribute to it. Xahra Saleem admitted to defrauding a charity of a significant sum of money and received a custodial sentence for it last year, said Det Con Anthony Davis. She made the conscious decision to take the money for herself, when it should have gone to young people in east Bristol. Blameless individuals who supported the charity were left to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of this serious fraud. They were put in an incredibly difficult position of trying to answer questions about Saleems offending when they had done nothing wrong and were left devastated by what occurred. In total it has been calculated Saleem benefited to the value of approximately 70,000. Nobody should profit from criminality and thats why we have taken proactive action under the Proceeds of Crime Act, he said. The young people who had been part of the Changing Your Mindset group said last year that they thought Saleem should have been jailed for longer than the two-and-a-half years she received. The group has now disbanded mainly from the stress for those parents of dealing with the fallout from the missing money. Its founders said they had given up hope of ever receiving any money at all, or the donors one of whom donated a five-figure sum of getting their money back. Saleem was instructed at Bristol Crown Court today to pay a nominal amount following due consideration of her available assets, explained Det Con Davis. Should she obtain assets in the future, we would have the opportunity to seek a re-confiscation order through the courts via Section 22 of the Proceeds of Crime Act, he added. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Switzerland aims to host a global peace summit on Russia's war against Ukraine in mid-June, with 80-100 countries invited to attend, Bloomberg reported on April 8, citing people familiar with the matter. The participants are expected to discuss Kyiv's 10-point peace formula and create a joint document on what needs to be done to restore Ukraine's sovereignty. The peace plan envisages withdrawing all Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine, the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the release of all prisoners of war and deportees, preventing ecocide in Ukraine, and punishing those responsible for war crimes. The proposal also calls for ensuring energy security, food security, and nuclear safety. Moscow has rejected this proposal and said it would not attend the upcoming summit in Switzerland even if invited. The conference may take place on June 16-17 in Lucerne, unnamed sources told Bloomberg. A spokesperson for the Swiss Foreign Ministry told the media outlet that the date and location of the event were not yet set. It is also still unclear how many leaders will be present at the summit, with the main question being whether China will participate, the sources said. Beijing attended only one out of four meetings on the level of national advisors organized by Ukraine to gather support for its peace formula. Read also: Opinion: 6 obstacles to peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia Ukraine is keeping diplomatic channels with China open, even though Beijing has maintained close ties with Moscow during the war. Western officials have urged Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to help end the war. "In addition to the perspectives of Ukraine, Russia, and Europe, it is also important to listen to the Global South, which will play a key role in the eventual inclusion of Russia in the process," the Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Bloomberg. "That is why we are in close contact with China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Saudi Arabia." According to Bloomberg, several countries have called to invite Russia to the first round of global talks. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in March that Kyiv wants to have a broad agreement on the key principles that will underpin any future settlement before engaging with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published earlier on March 13 that it was "ridiculous" to start negotiations with Ukraine just because Kyiv is facing an increasingly critical ammunition shortage. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian forces are building up defensive capabilities along the entire border with Russia and Belarus, Ukraine's State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on April 8 on national television. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in March that Ukraine was building 2,000 kilometers of fortifications across three lines of defense after Ukrainian authorities received criticism for slow progress. The Ukrainian government has already allocated Hr 20 billion ($512 million) for building fortifications in 2024, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in April. "When talking about the state border with Belarus, there are no indications that Russia has any forces there to conduct an offensive against our territory," Demchenko said, adding that Belarus still supports Russian aggression and poses a threat. Demchenko said that Ukrainian forces continue to strengthen defensive capabilities in the northern direction, as well as along the state border with Russia. Ukraine's State Border Guard spokesperson also said that "there is no way of doing engineering fortification directly on the front line," but such operations are conducted "in the maximum proximity" to it. Russian forces continue to attack with various munitions near the state border in Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy oblasts, according to Demchenko. The activity of Russian sabotage groups remains high, especially in Sumy Oblast, he added. In April, Zelensky visited Chernihiv Oblast bordering Russia and Belarus to meet with local officials and inspect the construction of fortifications. Regional authorities told Zelensky that a strip of barriers and an extensive network of strongholds had been created along the entire border between Russia and Belarus. Read also: ISW: Russia ramps up offensive operations despite increasing losses Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Just when it seemed like the company's woes couldn't get any worse, the engine of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 aircraft was ripped to pieces in mid-air. Passengers on the Denver-to-Houston flight recorded frightening video of the incident, which occurred just after takeoff on Sunday morning. The Southwest flight departed from Denver International Airport at 7:49 a.m. before quickly returning and touching down again at 8:14 a.m., The New York Post reports. Sam Sweeney, chief transportation reporter for ABC, posted one of the clips to his social media account. The terrifying video shows two metal panels on one of the planes engines flapping in the breeze and disintegrating piece by piece. Scary moments for passengers on a Southwest flight from Denver to Houston when the engine cover ripped off during flight , forcing the plane to return to Denver Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/BBpCBXpTsl Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) April 7, 2024 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later said that the engines problem began when a separate part of the plane, known as an engine cowling, came loose and hit one of the wing flaps. Southwest chalked the episode up to a mechanical issue. Southwest Flight 3695 returned to Denver International Airport this morning and landed safely after experiencing a mechanical issue, the airline told The Post in a statement. Our customers will arrive at Houston Hobby on another aircraft, approximately three hours behind schedule. "We apologize for the inconvenience of their delay, but place our highest priority on ultimate safety for our customers and employees," the statement added. "Our maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft. The FAA is currently investigating the incident, which is the latest in a string of nightmarish incidents aboard Boeing aircraft. In January, a Boeing 737-9 Max operated by Alaska Airlines suffered a terrifying mid-air blowout, with one of its doors being ripped from the plane at 16,000 feet. The Justice Department has launched a criminal probe into that incident. Subsequently, further Boeing quality issues were exposed, which led to the companys CEO stepping down last month. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) While El Paso will not be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, the Borderland will still be able to experience unique aspects of the momentous astronomical event. Along with darkening skies, drops in temperatures between 10 to 20 degrees, and animals behaving differently, Sun City Astronomers Service President Blayne Primozich says El Pasoans will be able to witness Baileys Beads. Where to watch: Eclipse viewing events in El Paso He explains about this phenomenon. As the moon continues to move across the face, the sun will begin to peak out the other side. And whats unique here is on the edge of the moon, relative to us we have mountain ranges, and as the sunlight begins to peak through those mountain ranges, then the valleys, and that it creates a little beads of light, said Primozich. In El Paso, the eclipse will begin at approximately 11:09 a.m., with the peak coverage of 82% happening at around 12:25 p.m., Primozich said. The last solar eclipse to cross over U.S. skies happened in 2017, and wont happen again until 2044. But even then Primozich said it will only cover northern parts of the country, all the more reason for El Pasoans to head out on Monday. It just unites people to be in tune and touch with the cosmic environment that we live in this universe, just knowing the universe itself and feeling your place in it, said amateur astronomer Chris Grohusko. These events are fairly rare, and so we always want to spark that love of nature and science. Going out and just experiencing a moment where youre looking up and seeing this eclipse, sharing this with millions of people across the globe, Primozich said. Grohusko explained that unlike 2017s solar eclipse, the one happening on Monday will be covering a significant part of the country. A lot of these astronomical occurrences occur in extremely remote areas of the planet. So the biggest importance is that it is conveniently accessible on the United States mainland, Grohusko said. As El Paso wont be in the eclipses path of totality, where one briefly can see the eclipse without protection, Primozich and Grohusko warn that it is not safe for El Pasoans to view the eclipse directly or through the telescope without the use of certified eclipse glasses. With expected wind gusts, Primozich also cautioned people to properly weigh down their telescopes so they wont get knocked down and damaged by wind, and to protect telescopes glass surfaces from blowing dust. The Sun City Astronomers Club will be hosting a viewing event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the Judge Edward Marquez Library located at 610 N. Yarbrough Dr. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Boss told Black worker to wear wig, then fired her over unacceptable hair, feds say When a woman stopped wearing a wig to work and started wearing her natural curly hair, her boss took issue with the change, according to court documents. Imani Jacksons employer complained that she previously came in with beautiful hair but now looks like she rolls out of bed, a federal lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says. Jackson, who is Black, was hired as a sales associate for American Screening LLC a drug and medical testing company in Louisiana after an interview with the companys owner and an HR manager, according to a complaint. During the interview, and for her first month of work, she wore a wig with straight hair that took her 45 minutes to put on and was uncomfortable, the complaint says. Then she started wearing her hair in its natural texture, typically in a neat bun. The company owner told Jackson her hair was unacceptable and instructed her to wear straight hair that is, the wig instead, according to the complaint. Despite this, Jackson continued to come to work with natural hair, according to the EEOC. The company owner decided to fire Jackson in late October 2018, about two months after she was hired, and replaced her with a white employee, according to the complaint, which accused American Screening of race discrimination. Nearly two years after the suit was filed, American Screening has agreed to pay Jackson $50,000 in monetary relief to settle the case, according to a consent decree filed April 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. American Screening and attorneys representing the company didnt immediately respond to requests for comment from McClatchy News on April 8. Just as an employer may not ask an employee to change or conceal their skin color, an employer may not ask an employee to change their natural hair texture, EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows said in an April 4 news release announcing the settlement. Unfortunately, this form of discrimination continues to limit employment opportunities for Black workers, even today, Burrows said. In the release, the EEOC said that Jacksons natural hair is considered type 4-A on the Andre Walker Hair Typing System and is commonly associated with people who, like the employee, are Black. By firing her, American Screening was accused of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects employees against discrimination based on race. Before Jacksons firing and after the company owners initial complaints about her natural hair an HR manager told the owner that racial differences in hair must be respected, according to the lawsuit. The HR manager also informed the owner that employers should make sure grooming standards are race-neutral, adopted for nondiscriminatory reasons and consistently applied, the complaint says. Following this, the owner asked whether Jackson was going to fix her hair, according to the complaint. In providing a reason for firing Jackson, the owner stated I no longer needed her services, the complaint says. As part of the three-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit, American Screening must establish policies to prevent discrimination based on race or any immutable characteristic of race, including hair texture, the EEOC said. The companys new policies must also protect employees who wear their natural hair or style it in a way that protects their hair or scalp from discrimination, according to the EEOC. No one should be terminated or treated differently because of hair texture associated with their race, under the guise of what is supposedly professional or not, Elizabeth Owen, an EEOC senior trial attorney who led the case, said in a statement. What are you, about sixty? Longtime store worker wasnt promoted due to age, suit says Black man fired after reporting co-worker named a monkey doll after him, lawsuit says Home Depot worker told to remove BLM pin after racist incident was reported, feds say Bakery fires pastry cook because her pregnancy was a reliability issue, feds say DENVER (KDVR) The city of Boulder is hosting a spoiled food collection event on Monday after thousands of people were without power due to high winds over the weekend. All Boulder County residents who lost power will be able to take spoiled food to Western Disposals transfer site, located at 2051 63rd St., starting at 7 a.m. Do energy companies pay for food spoiled during power outages? Bring spoiled food in non-glass containers for composting. If you have food in glass containers, please empty the food into plastic bags/containers and recycle the glass in your curbside bin, the citys website said. How long does food keep safe without power? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if you keep the doors to your appliances closed, food will stay safe for several hours, even without power. For refrigerators, food will stay safe for up to four hours. For freezers, food will stay safe for up to 48 hours if the freezer is full and 24 hours if the freezer is half full. If the power has been out for over four hours and you have access to a cooler, the CDC recommends that people put their perishable foods in there to keep them at a safe temperature. Food has to stay under 40 degrees to be considered safe. If there is any doubt about whether a food item is safe, it is better to be safe and throw it out, the CDC said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. ALBANY, New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, an outspoken Israel critic, has made calls to end the war in Gaza a central theme of his House primary near New York City. His opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, is backed by pro-Israel groups and has largely sided with the country through the conflict. But the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and events like the killing of World Central Kitchen relief workers, are changing the dynamics of the race testing the limits of Democratic support from even a stalwart backer of the Israeli government. Latimer called the bombing deaths of seven aid workers a horrific incident in an interview with POLITICO, stopping just short of outright criticism of Israel. Its a horrible thing that happened, and it shouldnt have happened, he said last week. But whether or not there was a purposeful element to it has to be seen. It was the latest incident in the war to draw international condemnation and came after the recent disapproval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Latimers broad support for Israel has shown no signs of shifting since he launched his campaign in New Yorks 16th Congressional District, which is made up of a mix of affluent white-collar enclaves and working-class urban neighborhoods in Westchester and the Bronx. But like many prominent Democrats, Latimer is adjusting his rhetoric as the war continues, calling into question the durability of holding a pro-Israel stance in the closely watched June 25 primary. Latimers allies say the primary has always been about more than just Israel policy, citing Bowmans vote against an infrastructure spending package and his pulling of a Capitol office buildings fire alarm. They believe voters have already made up their minds about Israel and few can be persuaded. Yet the war and the candidates evolving strategies in public and behind the scenes show the tightrope both Latimer and Bowman have to walk in the fiery intraparty fight in one of the nations largest Jewish districts and the potential upside for Bowman as party leaders begin to moderate their support of Israel. What it shows is the growing fissure in the Democratic Party between AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee], its Republican mega-donors and the 100 to 200 Republicans they endorse that oppose core Democratic values, like elections and abortion rights, Usamah Andrabi, a spokesperson for the left-leaning Justice Democrats, an activist group in New York, said. Latimer, a veteran suburban politician, initially built his primary challenge in part as a contrast to Bowman over Israel. He traveled to the country following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack weeks before formally launching his long-expected bid for the Democratic nomination. And prior to his careful remarks this week, he has shown no sign he will dial back his stance even as prominent Democrats across the partys ideological spectrum from Schumer to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been emboldened to criticize how the Israeli government is conducting the war. Latimers position has come with the financial backing of major pro-Israel groups, including AIPAC, and the endorsement of Democratic Majority for Israel political action committee. David Weprin, a Queens state assemblymember and Latimer supporter, said Latimers staunch backing for the country is the reason why hes getting so much support from the pro-Israel community. I think hes been consistent, Weprin said. Were all concerned about innocent lives. But that doesnt change the facts. Israel was attacked and is defending themselves. Theyre doing everything they can to eradicate Hamas. But for Bowman and his allies, the changing views of the war within the party is a signal his left-leaning views of Israel are closer to the mainstream, he and his campaign said. And Bowman is trying to turn the support Latimer has received from pro-Israel organizations into a negative by accusing him of being aligned more with Republicans than key Democrats. Fellow Squad member Ocasio-Cortez accused Israeli leaders of genocide criticism Bowman shares. Schumers stunning rebuke of Netanyahu and call for new elections in particular upended the primary, and Bowman embraced the admonishment of the Netanyahu-led government by Americas highest-ranking Jewish elected official and a fellow New Yorker. Bowman has seized on the speech as a sign that he is closer to the prevailing attitude among Democratic voters that the war must end. I'm aligned with our constituents, Bowman said in an interview with POLITICO. Senator Schumer is aligned with our constituents. And that is just the truth of the matter. Schumers office did not comment. Latimer has stayed clear of commenting on Schumers address, underscoring how fast-moving public opinion over the war has become. Im not going to add my voice in any way that agitates one side or the other if the goal is to find peace, Latimer said. It may take a longer time than I am on this planet. That stance has not put Latimer at odds with AIPACs low-key, yet critical, reaction to the Schumer speech. We strongly endorse and support George Latimer, AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann told POLITICO. But Wittmann did not respond to questions over whether AIPAC can still endorse candidates who back Schumer's position. Still, Latimer emphasized how he believes Bowmans views and those of his left-leaning allies on Israel are out of touch with the district. I think you have some individuals whether its The Squad or whoever it is that define themselves as hostile to Israel, Latimer said. Theyve said things like free Palestine, river to the sea thats an extreme position from some people who identify themselves as Democrats, but its not a mainstream position. Democrats in New York have historically been among the nations most vocal supporters of Israel. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul traveled there soon after the attack by Hamas. Rep. Ritchie Torres of the Bronx has also praised Israel as a tolerant liberal democracy. An ascendant left-leaning wing within the party in New York and nationally has taken a more critical view, and Bowman is among them. Thats why moderate Democrats wanted Latimer, who has never lost an election in his career, to run. Its about the DSA versus what we can call the regular Democratic Party, Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf said, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America. Its about pro-cop versus anti-law enforcement. Its about the far left versus the deep center. Major public polling is yet to be conducted in the race, and the seat is a safe one for Democrats in November. But even in New York, views on Israel are shifting. A statewide Siena College poll in February found Democratic voters were virtually split over sending additional military and economic aid to Israel, with 44 percent in support. In October following the attack, it found 57 percent of Democrats backed aid to Israel. Bowman, first elected in 2020, has regularly decried the wars impact on civilians in Gaza. Bowman and his allies have also highlighted the support Latimer has received in the race from the AIPAC, the prominent pro-Israel organization that is pouring $100 million into races this election year to defeat left-leaning candidates and those not staunchly in support of Israel. The group has contributed more than $600,000 to Latimers campaign as of February, federal election filings show. Bowman, in the interview, accused Latimer of being a tool of AIPAC. My opponent has decided to align himself with GOP mega-donors instead of the Senate majority leader from New York, who is the leader of our party in the United States Senate. I guess my opponent has made that decision, Bowman said. Theres a fine line for the candidates. Bowman, who defeated incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel in a Democratic primary in 2020, had to walk back heated comments, which included casting doubt on reports that Israeli women were raped during the attack by Hamas. He subsequently called the sexual violence a reprehensible fact that I condemn entirely. Even with his opponents missteps, Latimer believes the outcome of the race will not be solely fixed on Israel. Bowman has amassed a record they expect will be at odds with voters, Latimer supporters said. Assemblymember Amy Paulin, a Latimer ally, expects voters will also weigh Bowmans voting record and his presence in the district, which she said has been lacking. This is a primary, so even if George wasnt perfect Israel in the mind of someone, hes certainly going to be a lot more perfect than the congressman who has been increasingly anti-Israel, increasingly against the Jewish community, Paulin said. Emily Ngo contributed to this report. CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated the year Rep. Jamaal Bowman was elected to Congress. Bowman was elected to Congress in 2020. CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated the district Assemblymember David Weprin represents. Weprin represents Queens. A Bradenton man is set to spend 19 years in prison for drug trafficking and weapons charges, the State Attorneys Office announced Monday. A jury found Devon Lamar Love, 38, guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, trafficking a synthetic stimulant and driving with a suspended license, according to a news release. On Thursday, a judge sentenced Love to 15 years in prison for the weapons charges and an additional 4 years for drug trafficking, the State Attorneys Office said. The maximum sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is 15 years, according to Florida Statutes. According to court records, Love filed a notice of appeal Monday. Detectives said when they pulled Love over on Feb. 18, 2021, they saw drugs in a small transparent bag on the center console in the cupholder. When they removed Love from his vehicle, detectives said they found a large baggie of white crystalline rocks in his pants pockets. These objects tested positive for methamphetamine in the field, according to the sheriffs office. Further forensic laboratory testing confirmed the substance was eutylone, a designer drug. It is similar to MDMA, which is more commonly known as ecstasy, according to a news release. Detectives said they also found a loaded firearm in the drivers seat that Love was sitting in. Testing later confirmed that Loves DNA was on the firearm in multiple locations, according to detectives. Love had seven prior felony convictions at the time, including a home invasion robbery with a firearm and multiple drug charges, according to court records. This marks the end of the prosecution against the defendant that has been going on for years. In sentencing the defendant to the maximum penalty allowed, the court took into consideration the totality of the circumstances, including the fact that the firearm was loaded with 10 rounds of 9mm ammo, the defendants failure to appear at a mandatory pre-trial court date and his lengthy criminal history, Assistant State Attorney Michael Anolfo said in a written statement. FILE - A supporter of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro salutes while singing the nation's anthem outside a military base during a protest against his reelection defeat in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Nov. 3, 2022. Brazils Supreme Court unanimously voted Monday, April 8, 2024, that the armed forces have no constitutional power to intervene in disputes between government branches, marking a largely symbolic decision aimed at bolstering democracy after years of increasing threat of military intervention.(AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File) SAO PAULO (AP) Brazils Supreme Court unanimously voted Monday that the armed forces have no constitutional power to intervene in disputes between government branches, a largely symbolic decision aimed at bolstering democracy after years of increasing threat of military intervention. The court's decision came in response to an argument that right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies deployed in recent years. They have claimed that Article 142 of Brazil's Constitution affords the military so-called moderating power between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Bolsonaro presented this interpretation in an April 2020 meeting with his ministers, telling them that any of the three powers can request the armed forces take action to restore order in Brazil. In the years since, posters invoking Article 142 became a fixture at rallies calling for military takeover and culminated in an uprising by Bolsonaro supporters seeking to summon the military to oust his successor from power. All of the 11 justices including both justices appointed by Bolsonaro rejected that thesis. While the constitution empowers the military to protect the nation from threats and guarantee constitutional powers, that does not comport with any interpretation that allows the use of the armed forces for the defense of one power against the other, the cases rapporteur, Justice Luiz Fux, wrote in his vote. Article 142s vague wording had allowed room for some interpretation although the one espoused by Brazils far right was absolutely crazy, said Joao Gabriel Pontes, a constitutional lawyer at Daniel Sarmento e Ademar Borges in Rio de Janeiro. This is not a Supreme Court ruling that will safeguard Brazilian democracy from new attacks, Pontes said by phone. However, it sends an important message to society that a military intervention has no constitutional basis. The constitution dates from 1988, three years after the country cast off its 21-year military dictatorship. Bolsonaros 2018 election in a sense marked the return of the armed forces to power. The former army captain who openly waxed nostalgic for the dictatorship era appointed high-ranking officers to his Cabinet and thousands of active-duty service members and reservists to civilian positions throughout his administration. For his 2022 reelection bid, he tapped a general as his running mate and tasked the military with auditing electronic voting machines whose reliability he cast doubt upon, without ever providing evidence. Following his defeat to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, his supporters set up camp outside military barracks for months to demand military intervention. Bolsonaro never conceded defeat nor asked them to demobilize, and on Jan. 8, 2023 they stormed the capital, Brasilia, invading and vandalizing the Supreme Court, Congress and the presidential palace. Federal Police later confiscated the cell phone of Bolsonaros aide-de-camp and found conversations between close advisers and military officials debating whether conditions and the constitution allowed for military intervention. The seizure was part of an investigation into whether the former president and top aides incited the uprising to restore him to power. He has denied any involvement. Debate over the constitutional role of the armed forces reflects the historic vice of an institution that never conformed to subordinating itself to civil order, and the courts vote reaffirms what is clear from any constitutional law textbook, said Conrado Hubner, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Sao Paulo. Nothing has the power to avoid a coup in the future. Nothing," Hubner said. But the court's position helps to combat justifications for a coup, he said. Meantime, Lula has endeavored to stay on good terms with the militarys top brass. Last week, he forbade any official events observing the 60th anniversary of the date the military deposed the president and ushered in Brazils dictatorship, on March 31, 1964. Virtually all historians characterize it as a coup. Others disagree, including Bolsonaros then-vice president, Gen. Hamilton Mourao, who wrote Sunday on X that the date represents the day the nation saved itself from itself! and that history cannot be rewritten. In his vote, Justice Flavio Dino wrote that echoes of that past stubbornly refuse to pass, and that the courts decision should be forwarded to Lulas defense minister for dissemination to every military organization in the country. Doing so "would aim to eradicate misinformation that has reached some members of the armed forces, Dino wrote. Any theories that go beyond or distort the true meaning of Article 142 of the federal constitution must be eliminated. ___ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america A bridge collapsed in Vyazma in Russias Smolensk region on April 8, killing a woman and wounding five more people, including a child, emergency services reported. The town of Vyazma lies in western Russia, some 200 kilometers west of Moscow. The Paninsky Bridge, built across railway tracks, connects the town center with its industrial zone. Three cars and a truck were on the bridge when it collapsed, the regional department of Russias Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Telegram. A middle-aged woman was reportedly killed, and five more people were hospitalized, including a girl born in 2010. The incident caused damage to gas supply networks, leading to gas supply cutoffs for over 8,000 people, according to local authorities. According to independent Russian media outlet Meduza, Russian authorities announced plans to carry out repairs of the bridges road surface in 2018 and planned to spend around nine million rubles ($97,000) on the job. Read also: Russian missile ship set on fire near Kaliningrad, Ukraines intelligence claims Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Luke Thompson has recalled an unfortunate incident that took place in the dress circle during a performance of his divisive play A Little Life. Thompson, 35, best known for playing Benedict Bridgerton in Netflixs regency-era drama series, played Willem in the gruesome four-hour stage adaptation of Hanya Yanagiharas 2015 novel A Little Life, opposite Happy Valley star James Norton. The play followed the deeply troubled high-flying New York lawyer Jude (Norton), who relentlessly self-harms after being subjected to years of sexual abuse. During the shows run in the West End last year, audience members were reported to have fainted, burst into tears and walked out of the auditorium during some of its more harrowing scenes. These included legs being severed, self-harm and abuse. In a new interview withThe Guardian, Thompson revealed that the cast were forced to stop a performance when an audience member projectile vomited over other theatre-goers in the dress circle. Someone was coughing very loudly during a quiet moment in the play and the show had to stop. It turned out theyd projectile vomited in the dress circle, over other people, who then started retching too, so it was like a chain reaction, he explained. He called the incident one of the craziest reactions to the show, but admitted that many spectators had physical reactions to the heavy themes depicted. I wonder sometimes how much of it is self-perpetuating, he said. The more people come expecting graphic content, the stronger they might react. Theres definitely been an uptick in fainting incidents post-pandemic. The Bridgerton star said he heard loud coughing before realising audience members had been drenched in vomit (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) InThe Independents one-star review of A Little Life, critic Alice Saville said that people in the audience around her were sobbing and covering their eyes. Its star James Norton is pretty much constantly drenched in blood, often naked, and always being either psychologically or physically tortured, Saville wrote. I could feel the people around me sobbing and covering their eyes and sometimes I did too. But I also felt manipulated by its naive and psychologically incurious narrative of abuse. Luke Thompson and James Norton in A Little Life' (Jan Versweyveld) Saville concluded that the scenes of suffering were pornographic and that real-life suffering is more complex. If you want to be immersed in other peoples pain, go and spend four hours in A&E: its cheaper, just as agonising, and you can have a wee whenever you want, she wrote. Websites selling tickets for the show warned of suicide, drugs, nudity, self-harm, rape and violence on stage. When the book A Little Life was released, some criticised it for being trauma porn, arguing that the graphic depiction of Judes suffering was unnecessary. The shows star Norton said that actors in the play were given therapists and were very looked after during its run. We do have to go to places that are quite disturbing, but I do feel very supported and able to do it, he told Radio 4s Today programme last year. But he previously told The Independent that taking on the role was one of the most terrifying things he had ever done done. I woke up and had moments like, What am I doing voluntarily going into this place, this darkness? he said. Hanya wanted to write a book about a protagonist who ultimately was not on the path to salvation, and there is no light at the end, and it was the antithesis to the American dream. And you do question that. Why would I put myself through this? Multiple times? For three months? But it being this scary and terrifying prospect is the reason why you have to do it. Britain, France ramp up warnings over Ukraine as they push for more military support British Army Coldstream Guards flank French President Emmanuel Macron (C-R) and British ambassador to France Menna Rawlings (C-L) at the Elysee Palace in Paris for a joint guard with the Gendarmerie Garde Republicaine, the first time any foreign power has protected the presidential residence, in a special ceremony to celebrate 120 years of 'Entente Cordiale'. Photo by Thibault Camus/EPA-EFE April 8 (UPI) -- The foreign ministers of Britain and France on Monday called on NATO countries to do more to support Ukraine and ensure Russia does not prevail, warning that the world is watching and "will judge us is we fail." A Putin victory would be catastrophic, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Sejourne warned in an op-ed to mark the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, a series of treaties that ushered in the modern era of close Anglo-French ties following centuries of rivalry. "Together, France and Britain will reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine at the European Political Community Summit, to be held at Blenheim Palace in July. We will also ensure a productive Nato summit in Washington this summer," they said. "We are both absolutely clear: Ukraine must win this war. If Ukraine loses, we all lose. The costs of failing to support Ukraine now will be far greater than the costs of repelling Putin." Cameron and Sejoiurne's comments came as Cameron was due to fly to Washington to try to persuade senior Republicans to unblock a $60 billion military aid package for Ukraine that passed the U.S. Senate in February, but remains stalled in the House of Representatives. Cameron's visit, his second on the issue since December, includes a one-on-one meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who is resisting pressure to bring the supplemental funding bill to the floor. He in turn is being held ransom by fellow House Republicans threatening to hold a vote to oust him if he does so. He is expected to tell Johnson that with Britain and the European Union pledging a combined $57 billion support for Ukraine this year the United States needs to get on and do the same. Following a NATO leaders' meeting at which Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg pitched a $107 billion plan for the alliance to arm Ukraine itself, Cameron urged European foreign ministers to "get on the phone" to Johnson "to get that supplemental through." "Congress does listen to what others say and what America is capable of doing," he said. "I think the thing that could most change the narrative about Ukraine [would be the] $60 billion flowing from U.S. to Ukraine." West Hollywood hotel The Pendry has shuttered two of its attractions private membership club The Britely and Wolfgang Pucks restaurant Ospero. A rep confirmed the news today to The Hollywood Reporter, saying, The new owner of Pendry West Hollywood decided to simplify operation by closing The Britely and Wolfgang Pucks restaurant on Sunset, Ospero. Those spaces will now be used for alternative purposes. More from The Hollywood Reporter The Britely was owned and operated by Combined Properties. Pendry West Hollywood did not operate the membership club. Per a source, Britely staff were notified last week about the clubs closing. Its unclear when Ospero staff were notified or whether any will be moved over to the hotels other dining options. Located on the corner of Sunset and Olive Drive, the European-style cafe featured a menu that included classic salads, handmade pastas, vegan dishes and Pucks house-made pizzas from Osperos wood-burning pizza oven. Puck still maintains another Pendry restaurant, Merois. That location, perched atop the hotel as a rooftop restaurant with city views, offers a more sophisticated menu of global dishes, a raw bar and sushi menu and flavors of Thailand, Singapore, Japan and beyond. THR covered The Britelys opening in April 2021 amid the pandemic, a brutal time for clubs, restaurants and in-person experiences. The Martin Brudnizki-designed space was available to members and hotel guests and included access to two private dining experiences, a rooftop pool, 24-hour gym, spa, bowling lanes, screening room, music and performance venue and cultural programming. It had a starting price of $2,800 annually for founding members and opened with a focus on developing into a community rather than a members-only club. The Britely is devoted to community, curiosity and celebration, offering a joyful approach to the modern social scene, managing director of lifestyle Estelle Lacroix told THR at the time. The Britely offers the best of Los Angeles: diverse thinking, great food, relaxed yet elegant comforts and a little self-indulgence. Best of The Hollywood Reporter British, French troops march in historic joint parades in London and Paris in a show of solidarity Troops from France's 1er Regiment de le Garde Republicaine partake in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale - the historic diplomatic agreement between Britain and France which laid the groundwork for their collaboration in both world wars, in London, Monday, April 8, 2024. France is the first non-Commonwealth country to take part in the Changing of the Guard. (Victoria Jones/Pool Photo via AP) LONDON (AP) French troops joined their British counterparts in the famous Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace for the first time Monday, marching together in a display of solidarity between Britain and France amid the war in Ukraine. At a parallel ceremony in Paris, British soldiers donned tall bearskin hats to take part in an unprecedented joint military parade in front of the presidential Elysee Palace, as the French army choir sang the two national anthems, God Save the King and La Marseillaise. The twin events were to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, the 1904 diplomatic agreement between Britain and France that paved the way for their collaboration in both World War I and World War II. In a video message posted on social media on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the alliance was a foundation for deepening Anglo-French relations particularly at a time of the return of war. Our Entente Cordiale remains as relevant as ever, Macron said. Faced with the resurgence of war in Europe, we stand together to defend the values we share and to support Ukraine as it defends itself against its aggressor. Prince Edward and his wife Sophie inspected the joint parade, which included 32 members of the Gendarmerie's Garde Republicaine and 40 guardsmen from the Scots Guards. King Charles III, who is continuing his cancer treatment, was not at Buckingham Palace. It was the first time a country that isn't part of the Commonwealth group of nations has taken part in the traditional Changing of the Guard ceremony, though the French troops did not participate in guarding the royal residence a ceremonial duty that can only be performed by U.K. or Commonwealth troops. In Paris, 16 members of the Coldstream Guards were the first foreign troops ever to take part in guarding the French presidential residence. Britain and France said Monday's ceremonies were part of a wider program this year to celebrate the two countries' historic military and diplomatic ties. This includes major events in Normandy in June to commemorate the service of Allied veterans who fought to liberate France from Nazi occupation. ___ Associated Press writer Barbara Surk in Nice contributed to this report. Briton who ran length of Africa says Congo kidnapping was only time he mulled quitting Britain's Russ Cook becomes the first person to run the entire length of Africa Britain's Russ Cook becomes the first person to run the entire length of Africa BIZERTE, Tunisia (Reuters) - After running the length of Africa, British extreme athlete Russ Cook said he only considered quitting once during his near year-long odyssey -- after he got kidnapped in the Congo by a gang armed with machetes. "The scariest moment was in the Congo, when I was on the back of a motorbike, thinking I was about to die, getting driven into the jungle. That was pretty nuts," the 27-year-old told reporters. "Probably for about one minute (I) thought about quitting, and then I realised I couldn't, so that was about as close as it got," he said. Cook's 16,000-kilometre route took him up the continent's west coast, battling sandstorms and blistering heat, injuries and food poisoning, and his team were even robbed at gunpoint in Angola. "There's obviously been a bunch of times where it was very difficult: Sahara desert, sandstorms, pushing that mileage up for the last couple of months was really tough as well. "But I was never gonna quit - just got to get it done and the only way out is the end." Cook knew there would be difficulties along the way, but the reality of his ordeal - during which he raised more than half a millions pounds for charity - turned out to be harder than he could ever have imagined. "I knew it was going to be hard but I knew I was also going into the unknown, so I had no idea really of how hard it was going to be," he said. "Safe to say it surpassed all expectations." Cook arrived to a hero's welcome at Ras Angela in Tunisia on Sunday. His journey began last April in the South African village of L'Agulhas, Africa's most southerly point. Now he hopes his achievement inspires others to get more active. "I'm a big believer in sport in general doing wonders for people's lives," Cook said. "It changed my life so I would love for more people to be inspired or motivated to go out running or take part in any kind of sport." After a hard-earned rest, he may be back in action before long. "I think I've scratched the itch for a while but I wouldn't be surprised if I started planning some more things pretty soon," Cook said. "I've got a whole list of ideas." (Writing by Trevor Stynes in Krakow; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), said that Ukraine should expect to face a renewed Russian offensive in late spring or early summer, with the offensive intensifying around Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, Budanov told German outlet ARD in an interview published on April 7. According to Budanov, a potential Russian offensive may target key objectives in Donetsk Oblast. "(Russia) will push a little closer to Chasiv Yar. They will move towards the city of Pokrovsk," Budanov told ARD. Recently, Russian troops have been focusing their efforts near Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, which is located about 70 kilometers northwest of the city of Donetsk and about 10 kilometers west of occupited Bakhmut. According to Ukraine's military, Russia sees the capture of the city as a crucial milestone for further advances westward toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk. During the interview, Budanov called on Western allies to provide more weaponry to fend off any Russian offensives, adding that Ukraine urgently needs "additional amounts of artillery systems, additional amounts of ammunition. Budanov also reiterated Ukraine's calls for Germany's delivery of Taurus cruise missiles. Budanov's comments echoed President Volodymyr Zelensky's assessment on March 28 that a renewed major Russian offensive may come at the end of May or in June. NATO intelligence data has disputed Ukraine's assertions of a renewed offensive, suggesting instead that Russia is unlikely to launch a large-scale offensive in the near future without further large-scale mobilization, a NATO official told European Pravda on April 4 on the condition of anonymity. Over the past week, a number of media outlets have also reported that Russia may launch a ground offensive against Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, this year - a report that Ukraine's military dismissed as part of a Russian "psychological operation." Despite intensified attacks on Kharkiv, Zelensky said that the city is prepared for a potential Russian offensive, adding that "Russians do not hide that (Kharkiv) is a desirable target." Read also: Zelensky: Ukraine needs 25 Patriot air defense systems to cover the country Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Bum-lifts alarm for Rishi Sunak as Turkish hospital touts for business in London Concern has grown after the deaths of seven Britons following cut-price cosmetic surgery in Turkey (File image/Alamy/PA) Downing Street expressed alarm on Monday at reports that a hospital offering cosmetic surgery in Turkey is touting for business in a London hotel and playing down the risks. The deaths of seven Britons at Turkish clinics have been linked to so-called Brazilian bum lifts, which are among a range of cosmetic procedures on offer for much cheaper prices in Turkey than in the UK. The possible dangers were allegedly dismissed by sales representatives from one Turkish company, who pressured an undercover reporter to agree to take up a travel package costing up to 5,000, following a hurried consultation at a Holiday Inn in Regents Park. Clearly those reports are concerning, Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks official spokesman said after the reporter from The Sun revealed her disturbing experience at the roadshow held by Ekol International Hospitals. Doctors must make clear to potential patients whether they are licensed to provide medical advice in the UK, the spokesman said. Its a criminal offence in the UK for a doctor to falsely give the impression that they hold registration of a licence, and we urge anyone considering a procedure abroad to carefully research the treatment and question the qualifications of their clinician and the regulations that apply in the country they're travelling to. Advertisements promoting cheaper health tourism in Turkey have become commonplace in Britain, including one taken out by Ekol on the London Tube last year offering cut-price breast jobs. The Commons last month heard a call for a ban on such advertising following the death of a 28-year-old British woman in Turkey. Shannon Bowe, from Falkirk, died in April 2023 following gastric band surgery. Her MP, John McNally of the SNP, said her family witnessed the most agonising, horrific death as Shannon lay on a table for some nine hours convulsing. Foreign Office minister Leo Docherty said that 28 British nationals have died since 2019 following elective medical procedures abroad. He told Mr McNally that the UKs top diplomat in Ankara is very seized of the urgency and the importance of this and is therefore working in close collaboration with the Turkish authorities. Ekol International Hospitals has been approached for comment. BURNET, Texas (KXAN)At least 30,000 people are in the small town of Burnet for the Texas Total Eclipse Festival, the weekend leading up to the total solar eclipse, according to the countys sheriff. People from all over showed up to the festival with suitcases, coolers, blankets and more. I have a lot of friends here, I think this is going to be an amazing experience, one festival-goer said. Texas Eclipse Festival in burnet Texas brings thousands into town. (Photo credit: Robert Fox). Texas Eclipse Festival in burnet Texas brings thousands into town. (Photo credit: Robert Fox). Texas Eclipse Festival in burnet Texas brings thousands into town. (Photo credit: Robert Fox). While traffic jams nor safety were an issue Sunday some locals say theyve dealt with music all night long. The main complaints that weve gotten so far have been noise complaints, Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd said. They have bands playing all night long, which we really didnt realize. That really wasnt part of the permit processin the county, we really dont have rules. Theres a certain decibel amount, but its pretty high. So, we really dont have a lot of leverage to shut them down. Boyd told KXAN they approved the permit for the event, and have been in talks with organizers seeing if they can stop loud music after midnight. Theyre working with us, Boyd said. Boyd said the festival organizers have kept the grounds secure, and have done a good job maintaining safety. There are checkpoints before entering the grounds, a law enforcement presence, and vehicles searched before theyre allowed to enter. Aside from the experience for those attending the festival, one artist raised concerns regarding accommodations. KXAN reached out to event organizers about all concerns. They responded with a statement. Texas Eclipse Festival has welcomed tens of thousands of guests and over 500 artists to our once-in-a-lifetime gathering. Music is at the core of our experience. From world-class artists to rising stars, theyve travelled here from all over the world to perform for their fans. Were grateful for the support of everyone working to make this truly incredible and thank you all for your support. Were actively communicating with local agencies and our neighbors about our music. Weve reduced the impact already and will continue to work to make adjustments. Weve established a dedicated phone line (561-247-3339) for neighbors. SiouxZ MagnumPR The groups Texas Eclipse Festival continues through Monday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called on former President Trump to show solidarity with the six immigrant workers who were killed in the Baltimore bridge collapse last month. Ill take care to avoid talking about campaigns while Im sitting here, but just at a human level, it would be helpful for the former president to weigh in here and show the solidarity that weve seen from most if not all, elected officials on either side of the aisle because of the human nature of what happened, he said Sunday on MSNBCs Inside with Jen Psaki. MSNBC host Jen Psaki noted that Trump had not acknowledged the deaths of the road workers who were filling potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore late last month when a massive container vessel struck the bridge. Six of the eight workers on the bridge that night who were all immigrants were killed in the collapse. We count on so many workers in this country, many of them immigrants, to do these vitally important infrastructure jobs. Theyre not glamorous. Theyre not the highest paying jobs in the country, but theyre absolutely essential, Buttigieg said. And I think just again, at a human level showing some regard for that is very important. And thats what characteristically President Biden was doing when I was with him in Baltimore on Friday, he added. President Biden and Buttigieg visited Baltimore on Friday, more than a week after the bridge went down. Biden vowed to move heaven and earth to rebuild the structure as he spoke with the wreckage of the bridge in the backdrop. Lawmakers have been at odds with how to fund the rebuilding of the bridge since Biden has promised federal funding for the project. Some conservatives have argued it is a regional issue, while some liberals have noted the owner of the shipping vessel should pay for some of the repair costs. The container ship, named The Dali, was leaving the Baltimore Harbor on its way to Sri Lanka late last month when it lost power and crashed into the bridge. The owner of the ship and the management company asked a federal judge last week to limit its legal liability for the incident. The Hill has reached out to Trumps campaign for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Continuing to promote human rights achievements in Vietnam Participating in international human rights conventions is a regular and consistent policy of Vietnam, demonstrating Vietnam's commitment and strong political determination in ensuring and enforcing international law standards on human rights. In particular, after becoming a member of the United Nations in 1977, Vietnam has actively and proactively participated in most international conventions on human rights. So far, we have ratified and joined 7/9 basic United Nations conventions on human rights; ratified and joined 25 conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), including 7/8 basic conventions. Vietnam is truly a bright spot, a pioneer in implementing commitments. Vietnam strictly complies with the obligations of international conventions to which Vietnam is a member or participant. We have successfully submitted and defended all national reports related to international human rights conventions. Vietnam's achievements in ensuring human rights are highly appreciated by the international community. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres once assessed Vietnam as an important partner of the United Nations, having made many practical and effective contributions to the United Nations' peacekeeping activities. This good relationship needs to be further strengthened in the coming time to promote peace, sustainable development and human rights in the world." With priorities in the term of membership of the Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term, continuing the tasks and goals being implemented since assuming this position, since the beginning of 2024, Vietnam has actively preparing for activities at the High-Level Meeting of the 55th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held from February 26-29, 2024, in Geneva (Switzerland). The discussion content included concerns, approaches and the need for cooperation on urgent global issues such as recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and progress in implementing sustainable development goals, responding to non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, food security, water security, inequalities and the "dark sides" of digital transformation, ensuring the rights of vulnerable groups. Different issues, especially related to great power competition, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel - Hamas, and the human rights situation in some countries, are expected to continue to be discussed by the leaders of countries mentioned in this session. With clear messages, the Vietnamese delegation attending the 55th Regular Session of UNHRC led by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son once again affirmed the commitment of Vietnam to be responsible for human rights issues globally. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son In his speech at the Meeting, Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasized the role of the Council in promoting the implementation of Resolution 52/19 proposed by Vietnam, especially calling on countries to promote respect for and mutual understanding, tolerance, inclusiveness, unity and appreciation of differences, dialogue and cooperation. In addition, "With a strong commitment to promoting and protecting human rights as well as improving the activities of the UNHRC, Vietnam has decided to run for election as a member of the UNHRC for the 2026-2028 term", Minister Bui Thanh Son once again demonstrated Vietnam's determination in this issue when, at the same time, he called on countries to support Vietnam's efforts when making a statement in front of hundreds of delegates. Along with that is the spirit of positivity, initiative, pioneering, and "setting an example" when participating in UNHRC. Next, at Session 56 in June 2024, Vietnam proposes an annual Resolution on ensuring human rights in the context of climate change. Vietnam has submitted its National Report under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycle IV, which has implemented nearly 90% of the recommendations received in 2019. At the same time, the head of Vietnamese diplomacy also had a series of meetings with senior officials and leaders of countries participating in the meeting to promote consensus on Vietnam's initiatives as well as raising awareness and implementing commitments on human rights. In the coming time, Vietnam will continue to protect and promote the implementation of human rights, while strengthening international dialogue and cooperation on human rights; provide widespread information about achievements so that domestic and world public opinion can clearly understand, actively contributing to the world's common goal of better protecting and promoting human rights, contributing to maintaining an environment of international peace and security, national independence and social progress; and at the same time, continue to increase attention to taking care of the people's material and spiritual lives, reduce poverty, and well implement social security policies./. Gary Mund is helped by his wife, Tammie, in November in their home in Sparks, Nev. Mund, who has Parkinson's disease, is part of a lawsuit filed against the maker of the herbicide paraquat. (Monique Sady / For The Times) For the record: 9:02 a.m. April 9, 2024: An earlier version of this article implied that Syngenta is the sole manufacturer of paraquat. It isnt. New California legislation seeks to permanently ban paraquat, a powerful and widely used weedkiller that has been linked to Parkinson's disease and other serious health issues. Assembly Bill 1963, introduced recently by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), would sunset the use of paraquat beginning in January 2026. The herbicide, which is described by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as highly toxic, is regularly sprayed on almonds, grapes, cotton and other crops in the state. "Paraquat is banned in more than 60 countries, including those with large agricultural economies, like the United Kingdom, China, Brazil and the members of the European Union," Friedman said during a news conference Wednesday. "California should follow their lead." California is the nation's top user of paraquat, spraying millions of pounds annually, she said. Environmental and public health groups have said exposure to the product is associated with Parkinson's disease, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, childhood leukemia and other ailments. "California needs to be a leader in eliminating highly toxic pesticides like paraquat," Friedman said. "We need to put public safety and environmental sustainability first and foremost, in keeping with California values." Read more: This weed killer is banned in 58 countries. U.S. workers say it's giving them Parkinson's A recent Los Angeles Times report documenting concerns about paraquat highlighted one of more than 3,600 lawsuits that have been filed in state and federal courts seeking damages related to exposure to the product. One of the leading manufacturers of paraquat is Syngenta, a Switzerland-based company that is owned by the Chinese government. (The chemical is banned in both Switzerland and China.) Syngenta emphatically rejects claims of links between paraquat and Parkinson's disease and other ailments. "While we have great sympathy for those suffering from the debilitating effects of Parkinson's and other diseases, there is no scientific basis for this new bill which fails to account for the thorough assessments undertaken by state and federal regulatory bodies," the company's chief communications officer, Saswato Das, wrote in an email. "We would like to stress that paraquat is safe when used as directed," Das said. "In California, paraquat helps farmers control weeds in important crops, removing hazards for field work and preventing weeds from taking water and nutrients from crops." But recent research has found that farmworkers and low-income Latino people are disproportionately exposed to paraquat in their communities. Kern County is a "hot spot" for paraquat application in the state; more than 5.3 million pounds were sprayed there between 2017 and 2021, according to a March report from the nonprofit Environmental Working Group. Recent research has found that farmworkers and low-income Latino people are disproportionately exposed to paraquat in their communities. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Nearly 180,000 pounds were sprayed in the Kern County communities of Shafter and Wasco, whose combined population of 50,000 is more than 80% Latino. More than 20% of residents live below the poverty line, the report says. Three other majority Latino communities Corcoran, Delano and McFarland with high rates of poverty also saw peak paraquat use on agricultural fields, the report says. Environmental Working Group President Ken Cook characterized paraquat as "antique technology in agriculture" that has been on the market for more than 60 years. "A lot of the chemicals that we're still relying on are archaic, outdated. It's time for them to go, and paraquat leads that list," Cook said during the news conference. "Most of the world has already moved on, including the parts of the world where originally paraquat was invented." Cook said he hopes the legislation will "send a signal to Washington, to the EPA, that they're falling short here." Read more: California workers who cut countertops are dying of an incurable disease The EPA is reviewing paraquat's approval status. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is also reviewing the product as part of its administrative renewal process and ongoing evaluation and monitoring of pesticide risks and impacts, agency officials said. "The department takes seriously concerns raised regarding potential human health and environmental impacts associated with paraquat use," spokeswoman Leia Bailey said in a statement. Bailey said officials are reviewing more than 4,000 public comments and more than 40 scientific studies regarding paraquat that were submitted to the agency last year, including many requesting that it "reevaluate, suspend and/or cancel paraquat product registration." The results of that review will be publicly released when complete. During the news conference, Friedman pointed to a 2019 meta-analysis of 13 studies that found that people exposed to paraquat are 1.64 times more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease which she described as a "huge ratio." "I wish we had an EPA and an FDA and a California regulatory environment that was proactive and that said, 'Before you can use these chemicals, you have to prove that they're safe' but that's just not how it works," she said. Das, of Syngenta, said paraquat has been the subject of more than 1,200 safety studies. "Despite decades of investigation and myriad epidemiological and laboratory studies, no scientist or doctor has ever concluded in a peer-reviewed scientific analysis that paraquat causes Parkinson's disease," he said. In the meantime, many Californians who have been exposed to paraquat are hoping for swifter action. "We'd like to see it banned," Riverside County resident Tammie Mund recently told The Times. Her husband, Gary Mund, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1990 after years of spraying the product. Under EPA guidelines, only certified applicators wearing personal protective equipment are allowed to use the chemical. Friedman said there are are alternatives to paraquat, including integrative pest management, biological controls, habitat manipulation and other strategies that are "less destructive to the environment." She likened her bill to similar legislation governing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAs also known as "forever chemicals" which are prevalent in water, textiles and other materials and pose known health risks. The state has taken steps to limit the use of PFAs but hasn't done enough, she said. "At its core, this bill is about protecting public safety," Friedman said. "This is a very toxic chemical, it's not something that is necessary, and we need to do more to protect our vulnerable community members particularly our agricultural workers." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Reality Check is a Sacramento Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email realitycheck@sacbee.com. Pumping plants in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta severely harmed or killed almost double the legal amount of Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout in recent months, dealing yet another blow to the struggling endangered species. An estimated 3,030 winter-run Chinook and 2,919 Steelhead were caught by water pumps that capture supplies for farms and cities from the delta between December and March, according to state and federal water agencies. Thats well beyond the agencies own ceilings for permissible fish harm under the Endangered Species Act referred to as take. Those numbers are 1,776 Chinook and 1,571 for Steelhead annually, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In response to the spike, a coalition of environmental groups called on agencies to slow the rate of water pumping from the delta. Both state and federal water projects pull water out of the beleaguered estuary and ship it south, primarily to reservoirs for farms in the San Joaquin Valley. I continue to be shocked by the lawlessness and neglect of federal and state management agencies with regard to species that are on the brink of extinction, said Jon Rosenfield, science director at San Francisco Baykeeeper. You expect regulators to regulate and follow their own regulations. Lenny Grimaldo, environmental director of the State Water Project, said the project responded to reports of a spike in Steelhead harm by reducing pumping earlier this March, and then increased it ahead of the jump in Chinook numbers. He said that most fish captured by the pumps are still alive and subsequently transported back to the delta. The definition of take includes harassment, harm, wounding as well as killing of fish. DWR is continuing to comply with endangered species regulations, Grimaldo said in an emailed statement, adding that the agency is closely monitoring the collection system at the fish screens in front of the State Water Project pumps in the south Delta. Virtually all species of native fish are currently struggling, with winter-run Chinook salmon faring the poorest. Spring-run Chinook saw record low spawning rates last year. And fall-run Chinook, which drive Californias commercial salmon fishing industry, are no different. Fewer than 80,000 Central Valley fall-run Chinook salmon returned to spawn in 2022, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. That marked a nearly 40% decline from the previous year, and the lowest since 2009. Populations have declined so severely in recent years that fishery authorities may adopt severe restrictions this season or impose a ban on fishing altogether for the second consecutive year, according to the Los Angeles Times. State and federal management of water infrastructure, including the pumps, dams and weirs that transport water across California, have a significant impact on fish populations. Predatory species and management of fish hatcheries also play a role. In the south delta, endangered fish are pulled off traditional migratory paths between high-elevation waters and the San Francisco Bay by the powerful state and federal pumps, which change the direction of the rivers current. Once pulled into a canal by the pumps, studies have shown that they often fall pray to predator species. Thousands of others are collected by fish screens on the state and federal water projects, where they are counted and processed at a salvage facility. Rosenfield said the number of fish take is a fraction of the actual death count from water exports, and argued that the current export restrictions and operational requirements in the delta are too weak to protect these economically and culturally significant fish. Limitations on permissible fish death and harm from delta water exports are connected to operating rules issued in 2019 by the Trump administration. Federal agencies are currently writing a new plan, and using a temporary agreement in the interim. In January, the Newsom administration issued a salmon strategy with plans for protecting flows and water quality in key rivers. It called for a variety of policies to support the iconic fish, including tearing down dams and improving passages for migrating salmon. This year has been a relatively good one for California water, with DWR estimating that snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada which historically has made up two-thirds of the states total water supply at 110% of normal as of this week. Were not in any critical water supply year, Rosenfield said, so theres really no excuse for not taking a break from water exports to let these few remaining fish from last years spawning class survive and get to the ocean. In response to questions from The Sacramento Bee, Department of Water Resources director Karla Nemeth said in a statement that now is the the time to capture and store this water while its available to stave off possible future drought conditions with the likely arrival of drier La Nina conditions. She argued that wet periods like these highlight the need for the Delta Conveyance Project, a controversial tunnel project promoted by Gov. Gavin Newsom that would channel water supplies underneath the delta to cities and farms. This project would construct new infrastructure that will allow us to move more water during high flow events to store for use during future droughts she said, and do so in a way that minimizes impacts to fish species like steelhead trout. Canada could join Aukus defence pact as Trudeau considers nuclear sub patrols in Arctic waters Justin Trudeau said it was really important to strengthen alliances - Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press Canada is considering joining the Aukus pact and believes it may need nuclear submarines to patrol its Arctic waters, Justin Trudeau has said. The Canadian prime minister said on Monday that he had already held excellent conversations with the US, UK and Australia over joining the alliance. Aukus, launched in September 2021, is a defence alliance focused on sharing nuclear submarine technology, which in 2023 announced intentions to help Australia build its first vessels. Canada would become the fourth member of the pact, which is now looking at sharing information on technology, AI and the construction of new weapons. The country has been floated as a possible contender for membership by several high-profile figures from member states, including Boris Johnson, who was in office as UK prime minister when the alliance launched. Mr Trudeau meets troops following his speech on defence on Monday - Canadian Press/Shutterstock Mr Trudeau said it was really important that allies, particularly across the Indo-Pacific, work together in a stronger and tighter ways, in a nod towards the alliances threat from China. Supporters of Canadas membership have said that the countrys supply of critical natural minerals would allow the UK, US and Australia to be less reliant on exports from China. The announcement came as Mr Trudeau launched a new defence policy document that included calls for the purchase of conventionally powered submarines and left open the prospect of a nuclear model. We will be looking at what type of submarines are most appropriate for Canadas responsibility in protecting the longest coastline in the world, and certainly the longest Arctic coastline in the world, he said. The paper set out significant investment in the Canadian armed forces but did not establish how the country planned to reach the Nato defence spending target of two per cent of GDP. In February 2024, Mr Johnson and Liz Truss, his successor, backed a paper from the Legatum Institute calling for Canadas membership to be fast-tracked to strengthen the Wests collective defences. Mr Johnson said Canada was the most obvious next candidate because it had fought often heroically for freedom. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Click here to view the video The world will fall silent for a few glorious moments on Monday as the moons shadow sweeps across a narrow swath of the vast Canadian landscape. Millions of people from all corners of the country and all throughout the world are trekking to the path of totality to experience this once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse. HubPage - Solar Eclipse - Timetable1 Weather conditions during those precious few minutes are a make-or-break moment for those seeking out this memorable spectacle. Heres your ultimate look at where clouds may obscure the moons moment in the sunand where clear skies will lead to an unforgettable eclipse. DON'T MISS: Everything you need to know for April's spectacular and rare solar eclipse Canada Eclipse Outlook April 7 2024 Southern Ontario: Clouds with breaks of clearing The moons shadow makes landfall on the northern shores of Lake Erie near Leamington at 3:13 p.m. ET. Totality will spend just fourteen minutes traversing Ontario, with lucky folks smack dab in the middle of the path of totality seeing midday darkness for about three minutes. Clouds will play a starring role in Monday afternoons brief show. Southwest Ontario Eclipse Cloud Forecast April 7 2024 A low-pressure system over the northern United States will spill some clouds over southern Ontario to start the day, so youll wake up to plenty of clouds. However, in the final countdown to the eclipse, those clouds will begin breaking up across extreme southwestern Ontario. Folks down hereincluding Leamington and just south of Chathammay wind up with a fine view anyway. MUST SEE: Cross the line: Steps away from path of totality in these communities While Toronto proper may have clouds obscure the 99+ percent coverage of the afternoon sun, locations expecting totality around Hamilton and Niagara may start seeing peeks of clearing through the clouds. Heres hoping for the perfect timing for the tremendous number of folks camping out across the region for totality. Eastern Ontario: Eclipse may filter through high clouds The moons shadow will sweep over Lake Ontario and cross over Cobourg, Belleville, Kingston, Brockville, and eventually Cornwall. High clouds streaming over the region from that pesky low-pressure system in the northern U.S. will allow filtered sunshine to bathe the region on Monday afternoon. Theres also a chance well see breaks emerge around totality. MUST SEE: Why clouds aren't a solar eclipse deal breaker Eastern Ontario Eclipse Cloud Forecast April 7 2024 This deck of cirrus clouds wont make for ideal viewing during the eclipse, but its not a complete deal breaker. While onlookers may not see a perfect disk in the sky with all the celestial trimmings, the eclipsed sun should still be visible through high-level clouds, and the moons shadow will have a unique appearance in the sky as it passes overhead. Folks whove seen eclipses with high clouds often say that the obstruction has a surreal, almost cinematic effect, making it look like a spaceship passing overhead. WATCH: Eclipse Q&A: Answering your burning questions about the total solar eclipse Click here to view the video Quebec: Clean and clear, especially in the east Some of the best views of the eclipse in all of North America will unfold in the skies over southern Quebec on Monday, making this one of our go-to spots in Canada. Quebec Eclipse Cloud Forecast April 7 2024 A ridge of high pressure over the region should hold off the advancing clouds long enough to provide just about everyone in the path of totality a crisp view of the event. Skywatchers in downtown Montreal, Sherbrooke, and Saint-Georges are all likely to score a memorable experience amid mostly sunny skies on Monday afternoon. New Brunswick and P.E.I.: The gold standard Congratulations are in order for folks looking forward to totality over the Maritimes. Clear skies will provide a crisp view of totality throughout central and northern New Brunswick, as well as the western half of Prince Edward Island. MUST SEE: Totality, corona, Baily's beads: Do you know your solar eclipse terminology? Maritimes Eclipse Cloud Forecast April 7 2024 Well see totality cross the international border and arrive in Woodstock and Hartland, N.B., at 4:25 p.m. AT, lasting for a little over three minutes in each community. The moons shadow will then cross over Fredericton, Doaktown, and Miramichi, before crossing the strait to darken the skies over western P.E.I., where folks in downtown Summerside will witness about one minute of totality beginning at 4:32 p.m. AT. WATCH: How to capture the solar eclipse with your phone or DSLR camera Click here to view the video Newfoundland: Better in the west than the east Our once-in-a-lifetime eclipse concludes with a grand tour of Newfoundland, where the path of totality sweeps from the southwestern shores east across the Bonavista Peninsula. St. John's will see 99+ percent coverage of the sun, but totality misses the city by a few dozen kilometres to the north. Newfoundland Eclipse Cloud Forecast April 7 2024 The island falls between a centre of high pressure to the west and a stubborn low-pressure system lurking over the ocean to the east. This system to the east will bring thick low-level clouds, onshore winds, and a risk for rain or drizzle during the eclipse. As a result, Bonavista and Clarenville will see several minutes of daytime darkness without being able to see the eclipse itself. If youre eager to view totality in all its splendor, your best bet is to head toward Port aux Basques on the southwestern coast. WATCH: Where in Canada is the best spot to view the Eclipse? Click here to view the video Partial eclipse graces the skies over Canada Folks often say that a solar eclipse is totality or bust. That may be the case if youll settle for nothing less than absolute perfection. But a partial solar eclipse is pretty cool, too. Our skies always have something to offer nature lovers of all ages. A partial solar eclipse is visible across all of Canada on Monday afternoonfor the lucky towns where clouds arent in the way. Maximum Solar Coverage April 8 2024 Solar Eclipse That lumbering low over the northern U.S. will send ample cloud cover across northern Ontario and southern Manitoba, potentially hindering the view of the partial eclipse for towns like Timmins, Thunder Bay, and Winnipeg. The best view of the partial eclipse is out west toward Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan. Calgary and Edmonton have an excellent opportunity to safely watch more than one-third of our sun slip behind the moon early Monday afternoon. Unfortunately, most folks in Vancouver and throughout southern British Columbia will miss out on the event as a dreary system pushes ashore with thick clouds and rain. If you dont want to miss out on the eclipse as it happens, be sure to catch The Weather Networks livestreams on all of our platforms throughout the event on Monday. The Weather Network Solar Eclipse livestream on April 8, 2024 U.S. eclipse viewing hampered by widespread clouds, storms Before reaching Canadian soil, the total eclipse will spend more than an hour traversing the United States. Several major citiesincluding Dallas, Little Rock, and Indianapoliswill experience several minutes of totality on Monday afternoon. US Canada Eclipse Cloud Outlook April 7 2024 Clouds may be a significant issue for wide swaths of the path of totality across the U.S., with the best chance for clearing over the Midwest around Illinois and Indiana, as well as northern portions of New England like Burlington and Caribou. Theres even a risk for severe thunderstorms across the southern U.S. during totality, with onlookers potentially dodging large hail and isolated tornadoes across Texas and Oklahoma. Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on this once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse. WATCH: Tens of millions across the U.S. will contend with clouds along the eclipse's path Click here to view the video Brazil and Australia have implemented bans on commercial use of sunbeds, and yet in most other countries around the world, this cancer-causing cosmetic trend is still booming. Campaigners in the UK are now calling for graphic warnings like on packs of cigarettes. Felix Kastle/dpa Tanning salons should have graphic warning signs similar to those found on cigarette packets in order to warn customers about the dangers of using sunbeds, a support group has said. The move could save lives, according to cancer specialists from Skin Cancer UK, which is calling for mandatory warning signs on sunbeds. The support groups chief executive Gill Nuttall said sunbeds are banned in many countries, including Australia and Brazil, yet in the UK we dont even warn people about the potential danger. Were asking for the government to update its legislation and put warning signs into tanning salons much like we have for cigarettes or alcohol, she added. Sunbed use kills people needlessly, so the mandatory installation of warning signs feels like a small, but important change. It will save lives, simple as that. Several countries around the world have banned under 18s from using them. However, Skin Cancer UK has raised concerns that social media is fuelling a rise in tanning bed usage among younger people. It claims there has been more than 200 million searches for the term #sunbed on the video platform TikTok in the last 12 months. In January, reality star Kim Kardashian posted a tour of her Sknn by Kim offices, which included a sunbed. She defended her use of tanning beds however, saying they help with her psoriasis. Cancer Research UK estimates that there are about 16,700 cases of melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body, in the UK every year. However, predictions suggest this could rise to 26,500 by 2038-2040. About 85% of cases are caused by exposure to too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation. According to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), sunbeds can emit larger doses of UV rays than the midday tropical sun. The health service also warned that frequent exposure to UV rays under the age of 25 leads to a greater risk of developing skin cancer in later life, along with sunburn in childhood. Former sunbed user Adele Hughes, 44, from Liverpool, was diagnosed with the disease in 2019, at the age of 39. She told the PA news agency she started using sunbeds in 1996, when she was around 16 years old, but would not use them all the time. If a special event was coming up, like a family party, I would start going on a month before, she said. I was never a weekly user, but whenever I could fit in a sunbed session I would go. Looking back I dont recall any warnings or anything about skin cancer. There was no education there regarding how bad they were. Hughes stopped using sunbeds altogether when she moved to Asia in 2008, although she had regular skin checks due to having a lot of moles. She had two removed in 2019. They came back as melanoma, which totally blindsided me, the mum of two told PA. The cancer had spread to Hughes lymph nodes. After having them removed, she underwent immunotherapy, which helps the immune system recognise and fight cancer cells. I finished treatment in 2021, she added. Im coming up to two years all clear. Every six months I have scans and check ups. However, Hughes said she now lives scan to scan and is calling for change. I definitely want to see at least graphic warnings like we have on cigarette packets, she said. At least its an interim until we can get sunbeds banned because thats the ultimate goal. Theyre banned in Australia, so I cant see why not here. If that had been me at 16 seeing those images, I would have thought twice. Ross Robinson, 40, from Essex, who noticed a lesion on his back after extensive sunbed use, is also calling for a change in the law. He described the rise in sunbed use as alarming and of deep concern. We need to keep having this discussion so that more information is available, and people can be educated on how sunbed use dramatically increases the risk of developing melanoma which is the deadliest form of skin cancer, Robinson said. Our skin is the bodys largest organ and when we tan its our bodys reaction to being attacked by UV rays, moderate exposure to sunlight is healthy but consistent exposure from sunbeds is deadly. Several countries around the world have banned under 18s from using sunbeds. However, some experts are concerned that social media is fuelling a rise in tanning bed usage among younger people. Axel Heimken/dpa SOUTH MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WHTM) A Carlisle man was killed in a single-vehicle crash over the weekend. Pennsylvania State Police say at 12:21 a.m. on April 6 Troopers responded to E. Old York Road near Lerew Road for the single-vehicle accident. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter State Police say the vehicle was traveling west in the right-hand lane and crossed over into the eastbound lane before going into the grass. The vehicle continued until it struck a tree head-on and became engulfed in flames. The driver, 24-year-old Mason Kelley, was pronounced deceased at the scene. State Police were assisted by Citizens Fire Company, Yellow Breeches EMS, Cumberland County Fire Police, and H&J Towing. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) The Carter County Detention Center passed its yearly state inspection with no deficiencies found for the second year in a row, Sheriff Mike Fraley announced on Monday. I am proud of our Jail Administrator Capt. Matt Patterson and his staff, Fraley said. They have worked incredibly hard to not only bring this facility up to the standards set by the state to maintain that high standard of professionalism in the operation and maintenance of the facility. The Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) conducted its annual surprise inspection of the facility on April 3. Temporary restraining order halts evictions at West Side Inn In 2022, the jail failed its initial inspection due to safety concerns because of a staffing shortage. Fraley said nine days after taking office in 2022, the TCI conducted a follow-up inspection, recommending the detention center to be decertified by the state. Between that inspection in September of 2022 and the TCI Board meeting in December of that year, our staff had made progress on the staffing issue, largely due to the support of the Carter County Commission and their decision to fund a life-changing $5 per hour raise for our employees. JCPD: Missing man Mark Shoestring Nichols found dead in Boone Lake Since the 2022 inspection, the Carter County Detention Center has passed without deficiencies. Now this year, Captain Patterson and his staff have repeated that historic accomplishment by passing once again with no deficiencies found during the inspection, Fraley said in a release. To say that I am extremely proud of him and his staff and grateful for their dedication does not begin to cover it. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Supreme Court of the United States is set to hear arguments in late April over the constitutionality of homelessness policies in Grants Pass, Ore. but one organization is arguing the policies disproportionately harm the LGBTQ+ community. In City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, the city is challenging a lower court ruling that found the citys ordinances banning public camping violated the Eighth Amendments cruel and unusual punishment clause. However, the Center for Constitutional Rights is arguing that the citys homelessness policies pose a dire threat to the LGBTQ+ community, and say a ruling in favor of the city could harm hundreds of thousands of unhoused people across the U.S. Buffalo Wild Wings closes in downtown Portland On April 3, CCR filed an amicus brief or a friend of the court document offering their expertise on LGBTQ+ issues to the high court. The amicus brief is supported by 46 LGBTQ+ rights organizations, arguing the Supreme Court should rule against Grants Pass ordinances for violating the Eighth Amendment. Court documents say the Grants Pass Municipal Code included five different ordinances related to sleeping or camping in public places, with each of the ordinances imposing a civil fine of up to several hundred dollars. Repeat offenders of the ordinances faced a ban from all city property. If a homeless resident was still found on city property after the ban, they could have been punished for trespassing. Semiprecious stone shaped like human heart found on the Oregon Coast According to CCR, the citys policies disproportionately impact the LGBTQ+ community, which is unhoused at extremely high rates due to discrimination and bias and are more likely than straight, cisgender people to be unhoused, due to systemic causes, including family rejection, lack of safe shelters, and discrimination in schools, employment and housing. CCR said homelessness is prevalent among LGBTQ+ youth and even though this group makes up less than 10% of the U.S. population, LGBTQ+ youth account for 40% of all unhoused youth, and 65% of youth experiencing chronic homelessness. The organization added that transgender people are eight times more likely to have been recently unhoused compared to their straight, cisgender counterparts and that LGBTQ+ youth of color are also more likely to be unhoused. Jordan Schnitzer on plans for vacant office spaces in downtown Portland It really starts with being able to have a home and not be criminalized for using your agency to sleep in a place where you feel safe to sleep. A lot of shelter systems are hostile towards LGBTQIA+ or will openly refuse to serve them or wont protect them when they experience harassment or mistreatment within the shelter system, said Mikaila Hernandez, a Bertha Justice Fellow and CCR attorney. In Grants Pass in particular, theres no municipal shelter system and the only consistent overnight shelter is the Gospel Rescue Mission and its a high-barrier shelter, which means that it requires daily Christian service attendance, abide by other rules, and of course, its not exactly a welcoming environment to the queer community and thats not exactly a safe place for them to stay, Hernandez continued. We want to be able to advocate for folks to be able to make that choice if they need to stay in their vehicle, or perhaps sleep in the park with rudimentary protection from the elements. They shouldnt be criminalized for making a choice that prioritizes their own personal safety and wellbeing. We even have a story from someone who reached out and wanted to share their story with the Supreme Court about how they experienced discrimination in the housing space. And that led to the shelter space, to them just wanting to sleep on the streets because theres just no protection in that space thats meaningful and thats being enforced, she added. According to CCR, the LGBTQ+ community are among marginalized groups that can fall into the discrimination to incarceration pipeline. Winning Powerball jackpot ticket worth $1.3 billion sold in Portland, Oregon If people are unhoused and policed on the streets, and then criminalized for the status of being homeless, then that puts them into the criminal legal system. And then you have this vicious cycle where you can never escape from, Hernandez said. Even though there are federal protections against LGBTQ+ discrimination, CCR said policy failures and systemic biases remain. When you have people being pushed out of educational systems because of unmitigated bullying, when you have jobs and employers openly to this day even though theres been clear Supreme Court rulings that LGBTQ+ people are protected by federal civil rights laws restricting employment discrimination that remains widespread. So, you see all of these factors that are leading to economic precarity within the LGBTQ community. And as a result, you see these staggering rates of homelessness, Chinyere Ezie, a senior attorney for CCR, furthered. Population stagnation will affect Oregons future economy CCR said the Supreme Court could make a decision on the case over the summer. The Supreme Court case comes after a case was brought to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by Grants Pass residents Gloria Johnson and John Logan. The court of appeals ruled in favor of the plaintiffs that the citys policies violated the Eight Amendment. The judges based their ruling on the 2018 Martin v. City of Boise case, which also cited the Eighth Amendment. Later in July 2023, the court of appeals upheld their prior decision. More on the 12 speakers presenting at Portlands 12th annual TEDx Talk In January of 2024, the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case to reconsider Grants Pass camping bans. In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Theane Evangelis, counsel for the City of Grants Pass, said, The Ninth Circuits decisions in Johnson v. City of Grants Pass and Martin v. Boise have contributed to the growing problem of encampments in cities across the West. More than three dozen briefs on behalf of hundreds of amici, including the United States, 24 States, and 35 cities, agree that the Ninth Circuits judgment in this case cannot stand. These decisions are legally wrong and have tied the hands of local governments as they work to address the urgent homelessness crisis. The tragedy is that these decisions are actually harming the very people they purport to protect. We look forward to presenting our arguments to the Supreme Court later this month. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, takes part in a training session in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. Breaking stereotypes, Fu Zai is ready to sniff out trouble as China's first police dog of this breed. The adorable corgi, after making his debut recently at the open day event held at a police camp in the city of Weifang, went viral thanks to the iconic smiley face, cute "little short legs" and outstanding skills in bomb searching. Fu Zai showed unique advantages and consistently excelled as an "A-student" during his initial training days. Despite being listed as a reserve police dog, Fu Zai still shoulders a substantial workload, engaging in training sessions that include obedience exercises, bomb searches and scent tracking, scheduled every morning and afternoon. Following four months of training, Fu Zai is now capable of crawling directly under vehicles for investigations, or smoothly entering narrow indoor spaces by taking advantage of his short legs and tiny body shape. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, interacts with his handler in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, watches a training of a police dog in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, interacts with his handler in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, takes part in a training session in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, plays with his handler in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, takes part in a training session in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, takes part in a training session in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, patrols with fellow police dogs and their handlers in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, takes part in a training session in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, patrols with fellow police dogs and their handlers in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Fu Zai, a six-month-old corgi, takes part in a training session in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, April 7, 2024. (Photo by Sun Shubao/Xinhua) Editor: GSY A voter casts their ballot on Super Tuesday at City Center on March 5, 2024 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Fifteen states and one U.S. territory hold their primary elections on Super Tuesday, awarding more delegates than any other day in the presidential nominating calendar. (Photo by Will Newton | Getty Images) In this election year were already hearing lots of talk, chatter and noise about why this candidate or that, this party or that, is better for Montana. We will be bombarded with laundry lists of reasons why we should or shouldnt vote for certain people. Having races contestsbetween two or more people who hope to represent the people of a given area is good old-fashioned, quintessential democracy. I commend those who have filed to run local and state races. In fact, we need more candidates in Montana; six contestants for the Montana State House of Representatives this year will be elected without contests. For some of us, there will be only one choice on the ballot. By definition, then, there is no race. Is there a term for when one person is jogging around a track alone with a title waiting at the end? Is there any reason for that runner to do their absolute best? Uncontested races are not healthy for democracy. Races currently uncontested include the following, five of which are incumbents: Morgan Thiel (R) HD30Culbertson, Sidney Jerry Schillinger (R) HD34Circle, Terry, Wibaux, Baker, Ekalaka, Broadus Katie Zolnikov (R) HD44North Billings Heights, Shepherd Lee Deming (R) HD54Laurel, South of Billings Fiona Nave (R) HD56Columbus, Absarokee, Reed Point, Park City Ken Walsh (R) HD69Ennis, Virginia City, Twin Bridges, Three Forks An uncontested race, although a laughably easy position to be in, is not an excuse for inaction and assumption. To these lone runners, I offer this challenge: Rise to the occasion. Look at this as an opportunity to learn about other opinions, perspectives and needs that exist beyond the sliver of likely like-minded people you will encounter during an uncontested race. Do the work to find out. On behalf of us 65,000-plus Montanans who live in an uncontested Montana House district, I ask you to come out and actually run the race. Be candidates. Do the work that your contested counterparts in neighboring districts must do. Get out in front of people, knock on doors, be in the parade, write a letter or two, show up for coffee, do a radio interview, put up a sign, host a meet and greet. Show up to the candidate forum youll be invited to. Respond to calls, letters, and questions. Your race is not a competition, so what do you have to lose? Please dont take this letter personally. I dont know you. However, neither do many of the voters who will be presented with your name in November. Take it, rather, as a bit of unsolicited advice. The choice is not really with the voter in uncontested races. The choice is yours. Choose to do the work of a candidate seeking support and seeking to know their constituents instead of taking the easy route to Helena, riding the uncontested victory into the Montana State House of Representatives. And certainly, dont take your inevitable 100% election result in November as an indication of 100% support. If the people you represent wont have a choice in these races, do your absolute best to learn about the values and beliefs in your whole community. After all, you want to represent, right? The post A challenge to the uncontested six appeared first on Daily Montanan. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Charges have been filed against a man who allegedly shot and killed a man last week. The charges were filed in Jackson County against Thomas Turner for the deadly shooting of Jonathan McConville on April 3 in Kansas City, according to court documents. Johnson County woman killed in crash on I-35 Documents revealed that Turner is being charged with 2nd-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, vehicle hijacking, unlawful use of a weapon, resisting arrest and unlawful possession of a firearm. The shooting happened near 27th Street and Van Brunt Boulevard around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday night. When Kansas City police arrived, they found two men with gunshot wounds. McConville was pronounced dead at the scene; the other was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. EVANSTON, Ill. The Evanston City Council on Monday is set to discuss applying for Cook County funding to provide temporary shelter for displaced migrants sent to Chicagoland from the southern border. The funding is available for the housing of new arrivals, defined by the county as an individual who crossed the Mexico/U.S. border on or after August 1, 2022, with the intent to stay permanently, and who does not possess any permanent or interim U.S. legal status (which does not include being in parole status), such as legal permanent residency, a student or work visa, etc. Funding can be used to pay for rent, repairs and improvements to make sites operational for use as temporary shelters including food, wraparound andresettlement services. Estimated operating costs would reach approximately $2 million, not including necessary repairs. Applications for the funding are due April 19. According to a memo in the Monday meeting agenda, the city hasnt previously considered applying for the funding because it wasnt aware of any properties vacant or safe enough that would suffice. The city was notified on March 28 of a possible site with city staff and the Evanston Fire Department inspecting the property Wednesday. This site, located at 1020 Church Street, is a two-story office space with enough open space and smaller offices to house anywhere from 60 to 65 individuals along with a kitchenette, two shower stalls and multiple restrooms. Before being able to take anyone in, the building will require several repairs including installation of a fire sprinkler system wherever people are expected to sleep, more bathroom and shower stalls, upgrades to electrical and HVAC systems and more. Another possible site mentioned in the memo is the soon-to-be vacant Morton Civic Center, where city operations are currently housed. City offices are set to move to a leased office downtown starting in July and could house more people than the office building at 1020 Church Street. Since the city owns the building, grant funding wouldnt have to be used to pay rent and could be used solely for repairs that are needed in the building. Those repairs were the driving force behind moving city operations downtown as the city wasnt open to spending the money needed to bring the building up to par. The city reached out to Connections for the Homeless, a local homelessness nonprofit, to take on the role of managing the shelter. Connections Director of Communications Eric Ruder said the nonprofit welcomes conversations about partnering with the city on the shelter. Connections CEO Betty Bog said its important to take every opportunity to build more shelter to supplement the severe housing shortage. Many in the Evanston community and staff have been searching for ways to assist new arrivals, read the memo, Applying for grant dollars to convert space into a temporary shelter could move the City toward managing a transitional shelter at 1020 Church indefinitely on the one hand, this could be an asset to the City on the other hand, it could place meaningful strain on the City. ____ China Has Too Much at Stake in Industry Push to Listen to Yellen (Bloomberg) -- Janet Yellen got a respectful hearing in China in recent days for her main message that Beijings manufacturing drive is a threat to other economies. But the warmth of her reception likely wont translate into the policy shifts she wants. Most Read from Bloomberg At a press conference in the Chinese capital Monday, the US Treasury chief wrapped up her four-day trip echoing the theme she began it with: the global economy will be adversely impacted by ramped-up factory exports from China, which needs to put more effort into shoring up consumer demand at home. It is a critical issue and it is one that could have an adverse impact on American workers and firms if we dont find a solution, Yellen told reporters at the US ambassadors residence in Beijing. My job here is to make sure Ive explained this very thoroughly and presented this concern at the highest levels of Chinese leadership. Theres some overlap between her concerns and the agenda of Chinese leaders, who have recently warned about excess capacity in some industries. But they appear to see the issue as set to be solved by market forces over time, without the need for a wholesale shift in economic policy that entails a large-scale consumer stimulus or a rapid slowdown in manufacturing growth. They recognize that overcapacity is an issue, and I dont think that they have ulterior motives to keep prices down, as that hurts profits at domestic firms, said Alfredo Montufar-Helu, head of the China Center for Economics and Business at the Conference Board. A reversal of policies that stimulate manufacturing is unlikely because of the persistence of two key motivations for that strategy: the slump in Chinas property market and US curbs on technology. The pursuit of technological self-reliance will continue, given the state of the geopolitical landscape, Montufar-Helu said. China will rely on the market to remove overcapacity, Vice Finance Minister Liao Min told reporters on Monday. That suggests Beijing views the elimination of unprofitable companies through mechanisms like bankruptcies and mergers will solve the issue. New Sectors Liao also pushed back on Yellens overcapacity claims in the solar and electric-vehicle industries. Current production capacity is far from meeting market demand, especially the huge potential demand for new energy products in many developing countries, he said. Yellen stressed that surging Chinese output of things like EVs and batteries is a worry for many countries beside the US, and that shifting focus away from exports will be good for China too. Theres a risk that China believes US criticism is in bad faith. Beijing already argues that the US is pursuing a Cold War-type approach toward it seeking to slow its economic development. State-media articles have called overcapacity claims part of a hidden agenda to suppress Chinese hi-tech companies. That wont be helped by Yellen also using her trip to warn about a key source of political disagreement: Russias war in Ukraine. Chinese banks and exporters aiding Russias effort could face US penalties, she said. Trade between China and Russia has surged since that conflict began in 2022 and Western companies pulled out. Chinas Foreign Ministry said Monday that the country hasnt sought to gain from the war and wont do so. Yellen said shes had difficult conversations about national security during the trip. In public, the US Treasury chief spent most of the visit hammering home the argument that China should change course on economic policy. At her press conference Monday, Yellen was asked by a Chinese reporter what Beijing is supposed to do, when local officials would worry that pulling back on investment would threaten jobs. Well, theres supply and then theres also demand, she said. One possible approach would be to boost demand and to see a larger share of GDP accrue to households. Senior Treasury officials said Yellen had urged such an approach in her meetings. During talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng the czar for economic policy she suggested China could spur domestic spending by strengthening retirement security and making education more affordable. Beijing has tried for years to reorient its economy toward one driven by consumption, with little success. Last year, it unveiled a plan to boost household spending on everything from electric appliances to furniture, a project that it is still rolling out. Least Hawkish For all the disagreements, Yellen whos appreciated in China as one of the least-hawkish of senior US officials was made welcome. For now, both sides have agreed to keep talking, with economic teams holding further discussions this month in Washington, Chinas Finance Ministry said. With President Joe Biden set to contest an electoral rematch against Donald Trump in November, and both men vying to look tough on China, Beijing is aware that more US curbs could be on the way. The feting of Yellen was in part an attempt to ward off further restricions, said Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief Asia Pacific economist at Natixis SA in Hong Kong. But American moves against China are more likely to come from other parts of government, like National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and not the Treasury chief, she added. This might be Janet Yellens last trip to China in government, Garcia Herrero said. The conciliatory tone is understandable, and the hard part will come from others. --With assistance from Lucille Liu and Tom Hancock. (Updates with more details on Chinas consumption push.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Chinese-American family gifts $5 million to California university to thank Black family for renting to theirs Gus and Emma Thompson who succeeded in acquiring property in Coronado before racial restrictions on renting and purchasing homes rented to Lloyd Dong Sr. and his family in the early 1900s. A Chinese-American family has gifted $5 million to a California college in honor of two Black homeowners who rented to their parents 85 years ago during the racially restrictive housing practices in the early 1900s. According to the Los Angeles Times, Gus and Emma Thompson a Black couple who succeeded in acquiring properties in Coronado, California, before its racial restrictions on renting and purchasing homes bravely rented one of their homes to Lloyd Dong Sr. and his wife. The Dongs eventually came to own it. Ron Dong and Lloyd Dong Jr., the sons of Lloyd Dong Sr., are giving $5 million to the Black Resource Center at San Diego State University from their portion of the proceeds from the sale of the property. The Black Resource Center at San Diego State University received $5 million from two Chinese-American brothers from the sale of a property their parents rented from a Black couple in the early 1900s. The Dongs eventually came to own the properties. (Photo: AdobeStock) Director Brandon Gamble said the gift will expand scholarships for Black students and fund future renovations at the center. I dont know how to describe the feeling in my chest, but theres a feeling that racism gives that folks are familiar with; you may not be able to describe it all the time, said Gamble. This is the complete opposite, and we dont get to access it enough. Gus Thompson was born into slavery in Kentucky in 1859, two years before the Civil War, and relocated to Coronado in his 20s in search of employment and a fresh start. He quickly garnered respect in the San Diego area and established a Prince Hall Freemasonry lodge for Black middle-class men to gather and discuss civil rights. In 1893, he married Emma, who operated a coffee tent in Coronados Tent City, where locals and visitors would go to eat, shop and sleep. The Thompsons were among the few Black real estate investors in Coronado who purchased multiple properties before the National Association of Real Estate Boards formally implemented racially discriminatory procedures in the 1920s. They used their influence as leaders of the Black community in greater San Diego to assist Asian-Americans in Coronado, who were also victims of racist acts in that era. Its just something you do, because there was a lot of oppression so you help people that were under threat as well, said the Thompsons great-grandson, Ballinger Gardner Kemp, 76. To me, the beautiful part is that it wasnt considered that big of a thing. In 1939, the Thompsons rented their house to Lloyd Dong Sr. and his wife under a rent-to-own agreement. They also rented a room in another one of their properties to Lloyd Dong Sr.s younger brother, George, after he returned from serving in World War II. Eight years after Gus Thompsons death in 1947, Emma Thompson sold one property to George Dong and two to Lloyd Dong Sr., including a livery stable constructed in 1902 that was used as a boarding house for Black people. Dong Sr. turned the livery stable into an apartment building in 1957, which, together with the home, is estimated to be worth over $7 million today. The Dong children are too young to remember the Thompsons, but they have memories of growing up in Coronado that include experiencing discrimination because they were Asian-American. They knew they wanted to donate a share of the proceeds from the property sale to the community when they were contacted by an area historian in 2022 and learned of the Thompsons familial link. We have other assets, and my nieces and nephews are established, said Lloyd Dong Jr., the Times reported, so I just thought Ill give it to someone who could benefit from it. Recommended Stories The post Chinese-American family gifts $5 million to California university to thank Black family for renting to theirs appeared first on TheGrio. A Ventura County chiropractor pleaded not guilty to several felony counts of sexual battery, authorities announced last week. Dr. Fernando Juarez Gomez Jr., 43, a resident of Oxnard was arrested at his chiropractic practice by officers with the Ventura Police Department on March 21 after authorities received two separate reports of sexual battery, a news release from the Ventura County District Attorneys Office stated. After further investigation and a call for any other potential victims to come forward, prosecutors filed additional charges against Dr. Gomez pertaining to three other alleged victims. The district attorneys office did not detail the exact nature of the incidents but said the five victims were sexually assaulted while they sought chiropractic care from the doctor. Deputy sheriff in Southern California arrested on weapons, gang charges In all, the 43-year-old has been charged with eight felony counts of sexual battery by fraudulent misrepresentation, along with the special allegation that he took advantage of a position of trust or authority to commit the crimes. Dr. Gomez was allowed to remain out of custody on $40,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court for bail review on April 11 and a disposition hearing on May 13. According to the agreement, the 43-year-old agreed that he will not work as a chiropractor or personal training while the case is ongoing. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Cities across the US fell dark on Monday as a spectacular solar eclipse crossed the country. Millions of people flocked to states including Texas, Arkansas, Ohio and Vermont on Monday, where the path of the solar eclipse meant they could witness the moon entirely cover the suns disk, weather permitting. Some 44 million Americans live in the path of totality, with hundreds of millions close enough to witness most of the sun obscured, or needing to travel a short distance to see a total eclipse. Skiers and hikers take in the view from the Appalachian Trail at the summit of Saddleback Mountain in Maine. - Robert F. Bukaty An airplane passes near the total solar eclipse above Indiana - Bobby Goddin/USA Today Network But unfavourable weather conditions meant even partial eclipses, where a little bit of the sun is covered by the moon, which were potentially visible from the British Isles, were shrouded by overcast skies. Dr Robert Massey, deputy executive director at the Royal Astronomical Society, said: Im wondering whether or not anybody in the UK actually saw it. There seem to be people saying its cloudy in Cornwall, cloudy in west Wales - theres an outside chance people might be seeing it from a youth hostel on the Isle of Harris, in the Western Isles. The eclipse over the Statue of Liberty in New York City - REUTERS The eclipse, captured here in Illinois, will not be repeated for another 20 years - Anadolu He added that coverage varied significantly from place to place, with parts of western Ireland potentially seeing 43 per cent coverage, but cities such as Manchester seeing as little as 1 per cent. The Met Office said on Monday that a cloudy evening would prevent the partial eclipse from being seen in most of the UK, though viewing conditions were best in the far northwest of Scotland, including the Hebrides. These nine interval timer photos show the full evolution of the eclipse as it appeared in Mexico - Hector Vivas Simon Partridge, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: The chances are most of England and Wales probably wouldnt have seen it anyway. He added that outside of the northwest of Scotland, the eclipse would have been very, very small and probably not actually noticeable even if clouds had not obscured it. Professor Don Pollacco, of the department of physics at the University of Warwick, saw the total eclipse in Texas and said British spectators had not missed much because there wasnt anything worth seeing in the UK. He said: The total eclipse is just so unbelievable. The partial eclipses are really boring. Crowds gathered on the observation deck of Edge at Hudson Yards in New York City - Eduardo Munoz He added that total eclipses were very magical and watching them felt like a sensory overload. The light takes on this really eerie quality, kind of a silveriness thats really hard to explain and doesnt come over on camera, he said. Im a scientist, and Im saying its magical. The last total solar eclipse which could be seen from the UK was in 1999, and there will not be another until 2090. Ever seen a total solar #eclipse from space? Here is our astronauts' view from the @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/2VrZ3Y1Fqz NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2024 Professor Pollacco said he would absolutely recommend people take the opportunity to travel to see total solar eclipses, such as one scheduled for parts of Europe and North America in 2026. He said: Spain will be the place to go because the weather in August is probably better than Iceland. I wouldnt bother watching any partial eclipses - I think theyre a waste of time. 09:13 PM BST Thats all for today Thanks for following our live coverage of the North American eclipse, as it swept across Mexico, the US and Canada. This live blog is now closed. 08:57 PM BST Partial eclipse causes strange half-light in Washington, DC Washington DC only saw a partial eclipse this afternoon, but office workers still thronged the streets to look at the spectacle through their eclipse glasses, writes Tony Diver, out US Editor. I borrowed a pair from a woman watching from outside The Telegraphs office near the White House, and saw the sun partly covered. The partial eclipse produces a strange light. Although the city feels oddly dim, the suns rays still cast shadows on the pavement. 08:55 PM BST Cheers ring out as Niagara Falls falls into darkness Niagara Falls fell pitch black for several minutes as the total eclipse occurred, with the only light source coming from distant buildings across the water in the United States. Unfortunately the heavy clouds obscured much of the spectacle taking place in the sky, but there were whoops and cheers when the occasional bit of clear sky afforded a view through solar eclipse glasses. There was an awe-struck hush as the darkness engulfed the area. It could have been the middle of the night. Within minutes the sky had brightened again and people blinked rapidly to readjust to the light levels. People look to the sky ahead of a total solar eclipse at Niagara Falls - REUTERS/Brendan McDermid 08:29 PM BST Pictured: Biden has eclipse glasses ready as he boards Air Force One Joe Biden, the US President, holds eclipse glasses as he gets to Air Force One to depart from Madison, Wisconsin - REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 08:26 PM BST Birds take off as skies grow darker Theres been a sudden surge in activity from the bird population by the falls. The crowd of people is relatively quiet, making the chirping of the birds even more audible. There are a few dozen flying through the sky as it grows steadily darker. 08:24 PM BST Nature is amazing Bob and Kelly Baker are sporting matching hoodies with todays date and a graphic design of the eclipse printed on them. The couple drove from Pennsylvania. We didnt know it was going to be like this, she said of the sprawling crowd on the area. Ms Baker, 55, has only experienced an eclipse once before, in the early 80s. It was amazing. Nature is amazing, she said. Mr Baker is eager to see how the birds react to the sudden onset of darkness. Are they going to go back to their nests? That would be cool to see. 08:17 PM BST Cleveland falls dark The eclipse has now made its way to Ohio. Cleveland looks like the middle of the night, even though it is slightly after 3pm. 08:09 PM BST Eclipses reaches Indianapolis The eclipse has reached Indianapolis, as the path of totality continues to move north-east across the US. It will shortly make its way from Indiana into Ohio. 08:05 PM BST Two of natures occurrences at the same time Sonia Chohan, a 48-year-old housewife, left her home in Toronto at the crack of dawn this morning to get to Niagara. Ms Chohan said she hasnt seen an eclipse since she was a child in her native Pakistan. Niagara Falls and the eclipse two of natures occurrences at the same time was worth braving the traffic and the crowds, she said. Actually, my husband wanted to see the crowds, she said. They have come prepared with picnic blankets, camp chairs and a large buggy filled with supplies. 08:03 PM BST Pictured: Sun pushes out over moon to create diamond ring in sky A "diamond ring" effect takes place as the moon eclipses the sun in Fort Worth, Texas - Ron Jenkins/Getty Images 07:58 PM BST Hundreds of Arkansas couples married before eclipse takes hold Hundreds of couples in Russellville, Arkansas were married in a mass wedding ceremony that took place shortly before the eclipse plunged them into darkness (see post at 17:28). They are now enjoying their first dance. 07:47 PM BST Pictured: Darkness falls in Texas as eclipse seen in US The moon eclipses the sun on April 8, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. - Ron Jenkins/Getty Images 07:38 PM BST Hopes for eclipse sighting in Niagara as sun appears The sun has made an appearance! The crowds here began whooping and cheering as the sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds. The rain has stopped too. Perhaps the hundreds of thousands who have made the pilgrimage to the waterfalls are in luck. 07:34 PM BST First full eclipse in the US A full eclipse has taken place in the US, with crowds screaming, cheering and applauding as the sun was blotted out by the moon in cities near the Mexican border. Eagle Pass and Kerville are among the sites on the path of totality. After warnings that there was a 50-50 chance that overcast skies dash the hopes of eclipse-watchers in Dallas, the city fell into darkness roughly 13 minutes later. 07:29 PM BST This is the last time Ill see this There was a reverential hush in Rushville, Indiana as the eclipse began despite tourists flocking from the surrounding states. This is the last time Ill see this in my lifetime! one spectator shouted, according to the Associated Press. People from Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, Kentucky, New York and Michigan have descended on the small town, which will see around four minutes of darkness during the full eclipse. The first total eclipse took place in Mazatlan, Mexico a few minutes ago, which is the first site in North America which lies on the path of totality. 07:03 PM BST Full eclipse just minutes away A full eclipse will be seen in Mazatlan, Mexico in just under five minutes. Crowds gathered in the town will be the first to experience the North American eclipse. 06:58 PM BST Mazatlan grows darker as eclipse edges towards totality Cheers broke out along the beach in Mazatlan as the moon began to obscure the sun earlier today. The town, situated on Mexicos western shoreline, has been growing steadily darker for the last hour and will be the first to experience the full eclipse in slightly over ten minutes. The moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico - AP Photo/Fernando Llano Hundreds of people have passed the time listening to a youth orchestra play music from Star Wars, the Associated Press reports. [Im] happy to be here with family, friends sharing a singular, unrepeatable event that the universe and nature give us, one woman said. 06:52 PM BST Pictures: Eclipse-watchers gaze upwards as skies darken New Yorker Adrian Plaza, 9, tests his eclipse glasses ahead of a partial solar eclipse, - REUTERS/Andrew Kelly A boy shows the solar eclipse projected on paper from a telescope, in Mazatlan, Mexico - REUTERS/Henry Romero 06:32 PM BST Toronto schools close early for eclipse Schools in Toronto are either ending classes early or closed entirely for the day amid safety concerns, since the eclipse will plunge the region into near darkness just as pupils would be due to be heading home. 06:30 PM BST Pictured: Mazatlan edges closer towards a full eclipse A partial solar eclipse is seen from Mazatlan, Mexico - REUTERS/Henry Romero 06:28 PM BST Dont be silly: Biden uses eclipse to take swipe at Trump Joe Biden has urged Americans to wear protective glasses to view the eclipse, taking a swipe at Donald Trump in the process. A video posted on social media shows the US President standing on the White House balcony, where Mr Trump gazed directly at the last North American eclipse in 2017. Folks, enjoy the eclipse. But play it safe, Mr Biden said. Dont be silly. The Democratic National Committee urged supporters to donate to its campaign instead of staring directly at the sun like a certain former president. An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don't be silly, folks play it safe and wear protective eyewear. pic.twitter.com/S6REAiZ735 President Biden (@POTUS) April 8, 2024 06:18 PM BST Partial eclipse reaches Texas A partial eclipse can now be seen in the border city of Eagle Pass, Texas meaning the people gathered there are one of the first to witness it from the US. Heavy clouds are obscuring much of the spectacle. 06:10 PM BST Dark Side of the Moon to play as Niagara falls dark Local tribute band Pink Floyd Niagara is playing a sold-out show in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The musicians will be performing the rock bands album Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety as the eclipse begins. 06:07 PM BST Will the UK experience the eclipse? While mainland Europe has no chance of witnessing the eclipse, parts of the UK and Ireland do assuming the skies stay clear. London lies too far to the east, but those in major cities such as Liverpool, Glasgow or Belfast may spot a partial eclipse just before 8pm BST today. The effect will be most pronounced in western Ireland. 05:58 PM BST Partial eclipse underway in Mexico Mazatlan is now experiencing a partial eclipse. The full eclipse, known as totality, will take place in slightly over an hour. A partial solar eclipse is seen from Mazatlan, Mexico - REUTERS/Henry Romero 05:49 PM BST Partial eclipse just minutes away Crowds are waiting with bated breath in Mazatlan, a town on Mexicos Pacific Coast, where they will be the first to experience a partial eclipse. Its now just over two minutes away. 05:43 PM BST Pacific Coast will be first to witness eclipse The path of totality, or the track of the moons shadow across the Earths surface, will begin on Mexicos Pacific coast, before hitting the US in San Antonio, Texas and moving through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, according to NASA. 05:42 PM BST Pictures: Crowds gather as eclipse fever grips North America Some of the 309 people gathered to break the Guinness World Record for the largest group of people dressed as the sun - REUTERS/Kyaw Soe Oo People gather on the observation deck of Edge at Hudson Yards before a partial solar eclipse in New York City - REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz 05:36 PM BST Niagara police working for over a year to prepare for eclipse crowds The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) has been working with our local, provincial and federal partners for over a year in preparation for the eclipse, according to a spokesperson. Officials in the Niagara region recently also declared a state of emergency to free up additional resources to contend with the huge crowds descending on the area. Monday will mark the first total solar eclipse in North America since 2017, and the first total solar eclipse to hit the province since 1979. 05:29 PM BST Eclipse excitement reaches fever pitch at Niagara Falls Excitement over the celestial event is at fever pitch down here today. Coffee shops are selling eclipse donuts, with dark blue and purple astrological themed donuts, and brownies with stars on. People flocking to Niagara Falls gaze at a rainbow ahead of a solar eclipse - REUTERS/Soren Larson One winery in the region is even offering eclipse-themed wine tastings - with a flight of wines ranging from whites to dark reds and back to white. Local officials have also brought in extra data towers to ensure phone service for the huge crowds that have congregated. 05:28 PM BST Eclipse weddings taking place in Arkansas Couples are gathering for a mass wedding in Russellville, Arkansas to take place just before the eclipse plunges them into darkness. Astro-loving partners will exchange their vows minutes before the moon blocks out the sun resembling a huge wedding ring in the sky, according to the event website. I love the stars and space and stuff, and we decided to go ahead and get married, one prospective groom said. 05:17 PM BST Pictured: George Washington joins the eclipse-watchers Eclipse glasses are placed on a statue of George Washington in Houlton, Maine - Joe Raedle/Getty Images 05:15 PM BST Texas Eclipse Festival cancelled after tornado warning The Texas Eclipse Festival, where revellers paid hundreds of dollars for a ticket, has been cancelled because of the threat of thunderstorms, high wins and tornadoes. People will be allowed to stay for the eclipse itself, but will have to leave after it has taken place. Texas would have been the first US state to witness the phenomenon, but overcast skies have made that uncertain. Organisers said in a post on the festival website: Your safety is our top priority. With the support and coordination of Burnet County officials, local safety agencies, and The National Weather Service, weve agreed to end the festival today in a calm orderly manner. This guidance may change based on weather, they added. 05:10 PM BST Pictured: Plane passengers don eclipse glasses Passengers wear solar eclipse glasses as they get ready to board a plane en route to Detroit, Michigan - REUTERS/Leonardo Benassatto 05:06 PM BST Dallas has a 50-50 shot to see eclipse Eclipse-watchers are on tenterhooks in Texas as overcast skies threaten to derail the spectacle. The south and central region is blanketed with clouds, but the outlook is slightly better to the north-east, Cody Snell, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said. Dallas is pretty much a 50-50 shot, he added. 05:00 PM BST Which areas will experience the eclipse today? 04:56 PM BST Canada to see first total eclipse since 1970s As many as a million people were expected to descend on the waterfalls to watch what may be a once-in-a-lifetime event, although that crowd size has now been revised down slightly. Canada hasnt had a total solar eclipse since 1979, and wont experience another until 2044. The Canadian postal service has issued a new commemorative stamp to mark the significance of the occasion. 04:43 PM BST Niagara Falls among the prime locations One of the best - and therefore busiest - places to watch the phenomenon is right here in Niagara Falls. I made the pilgrimage to the natural wonder along with tens of thousands of people this morning. Hotels in the area are fully booked. People camp out at Prospect Point hours before the total solar eclipse at Niagara Falls - SARAH YENESEL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Car rental companies have sold out of vehicles. The train I was due to take into Niagara Falls from Toronto was so full that additional bus services have been put on to accommodate the overflow passengers. Unfortunately light rain has begun to fall and there are clouds in the sky. Everyone is keeping their fingers crossed for the clouds to lift in a few hours. 04:42 PM BST Millions ready to catch solar eclipse Millions of people across North America are positioning themselves to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse. Sky watchers from Mexico to Canada are waiting for those precious few minutes when the moon will cover the suns face. But eclipse tourists in many areas including Texas and have been left disappointed by bad weather, with storms and clouds forecast to obscure the best views. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The City of El Paso is inviting the community to join local leaders in acknowledging local high school seniors enlisting in the U.S. Armed Services. Our Community Salutes will be a Facebook Live celebration starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, according to a press release from the City. This event is a wonderful opportunity for our community to commend the young men and women who have made the selfless and brave decision to put their community first. Our Community Salutes also pays tribute to the parents and guardians who are saying goodbye for now to their child and loved ones before they embark on a new journey, said City of El Pasos Chief Military Officer Paul Albright. To watch the ceremony on the Citys Facebook Page and share, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Wilson Kohler, a student at the University of Alabama hoped to take advantage of the solar eclipse to make a few extra bucks. Kohler purchased 5,000 pairs of the eclipse glasses and brought them to the Quad to sell to fellow students. Alas, the weather gods did not cooperate. "It is what it is," Kohler said. "Maybe I can hold onto them until the next eclipse in 2045." April 8, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Allisyn Freeman views the eclipse with delight as a tiny break in the overcast allowed a glimpse on the Quad at the University of Alabama Monday. Overcast and rainy conditions mostly obscured the eclipse, giving viewers only brief glimpses through thinner sections of cloud. Kohler managed to sell about a hundred pairs before the clouds moved in an dampened not only his sales but also the hopes of those gathered to view the event. The solar eclipse was mostly obscured in Tuscaloosa, but tenacious viewers on the Quad at the University of Alabama soldiered through to get brief glimpses of the eclipse. Student Grace Kyllo from Minnesota, a senior majoring in independent health studies, sat beneath her umbrella, determined to wait out the rain shower. She was rewarded with a brief glimpse of the eclipse at its maximum point of coverage. "It was absolutely worth it. I have always been a fan of space and eclipses. Even with the 2017 eclipse, I traveled to see it. Obviously on a day like today when it's here, I was excited to endure any conditions to see it. It comes and goes in the clouds, so we see it for a minute and take a picture or two and then just wait until the clouds clear again," Kyllo said. April 8, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; The solar eclipse can be seen through a small break in the cloud cover near the Denny Chimes on the Quad at the University of Alabama Monday. Overcast and rainy conditions mostly obscured the eclipse, giving viewers only brief glimpses through thinner sections of cloud. Professor Jeremy Bailin from the astronomy department at UA said the conditions were a little disappointing but weather presents a hazard for astronomers at any time. "It's one of the things we have to deal with in astronomy. I went to Nashville in 2017 and was lucky to see the totality from the north side of the city while the south side of town had clouds. Sometimes the clouds get in the way, sometimes rain gets in the way," Bailin said. Tuscaloosa was not in the path of totality for this eclipse but Bailin said if the clouds were not obscuring the view it would still be spectacular. "It would still be pretty cool. There would be a crescent sun, which is very strange. If you walked beneath trees, you would see crescent-shaped suns on the ground. But it is not this utterly otherworldly experience of a total eclipse," Bailin said. April 8, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Eve Smit views the solar eclipse as a friend holds an umbrella behind her on the Quad at the University of Alabama Monday. Overcast and rainy conditions mostly obscured the eclipse, giving viewers only brief glimpses through thinner sections of cloud. Bailin said that about 85% of the sun's light would be obscured in Tuscaloosa without the cloud cover. Sam Cowart, a student from Prattville, a senior majoring in healthcare management, said, "It is definitely something I will never forget. I've always thought it was cool, but it was never a major interest of mine, but seeing everyone else get so excited made me more interested. I wanted to run out here and see it. It was kind of surreal. I was only able to see it for a couple of seconds, but it was amazing." Reach Gary Cosby Jr. at gary.cosby@tuscaloosanews.com. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tenacious viewers manage glimpses of the eclipse in Tuscaloosa NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) Good Morning, New Orleans! Our forecast for todays partial solar eclipse viewing opportunity includes clouds, warm temperatures, and increased humidity values. During these next 24 to 48 hours, our conditions will remain fairly quiet with high temperatures only reaching 70s. Eclipse 2024 Unfortunately, our forecast for the solar eclipse could be better locally. The maximum eclipse for New Orleans is 1:49 p.m. Monday when the moon will obscure just under 82 percent of the sun. At that point, most of the area will see cloud cover when looking up. As moisture continues pumping into the region from the Gulf of Mexico, some showers and isolated thunderstorms are also possible this afternoon, but the overall rain chances remain low around 20 to 30 percent. Similar conditions will roll into Tuesday, but a marginal risk for severe weather returns late. Louisiana eclipse map: Which cities will have the best view? Wednesday is shaping up to be the most impactful day of the week as a storm system moves through. Some storms could become strong to severe, producing heavy rainfall. Widespread rainfall totals of 3 to 4 inches are in the forecast for Wednesday, raising potential flooding concerns. Details on timing and impacts will become all the more clear Tuesday. While heavy rain is the primary concern, theres also the possibility of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. The National Weather Services Storm Prediction Center has outlined New Orleans as well as the Northshore and Mississippi Gulf Coast for a Level 3 threat for severe weather. Louisianas coastal areas remain under a Level 2 threat for storms and impacts. After the cold front swings through Wednesday, high pressure returns, bringing drier air and less humid conditions just in time for the Strawberry Festival and French Quarter Festival. Temperatures will range from the mid to low 50s for lows and upper 70s for highs on Friday and Saturday. Humidity will return again by Sunday as temperatures rise into the low 80s during the day and fall towards low 60s overnight. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO. Will Clovis Unified add a board member for its new school area? Heres what we know In the Spotlight is a Fresno Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email tips@fresnobee.com. Clovis Unified School District is on the verge of several major changes, on multiple levels, in preparation to integrate its latest creation: three new schools at the officially named Clovis South Area. Earlier this year, the Clovis Unified board voted to change how it elects members: Residents will now vote for their board representative in a district-based manner, instead of at-large. This means only people living within a designated district area vote for a representative for their area only, not for all school board candidates across the districts areas. To integrate Clovis South, the district has the 2024-2025 school year to prepare facilities, families and students to adapt to elementary-to-secondary and address-to-school attendance boundary changes. Hirayama Elementary will open in Fall 2024 and Clovis High and a soon-to-be-named intermediate school in Fall 2025 in the districts newest Clovis South district area. Students are already enrolled for Hirayama Elementary next year, but who is representing this new district area as these changes happen? Will Clovis Unified community members living in the Clovis South area be able to elect a board representative? The Bee emailed Clovis Unified to inquire if Clovis South will have a board representative, how they will be elected and when residents could cast their votes. Heres what the districts spokesperson, Kelly Avants, said: Will Clovis South have a designated area board member for the 2025-2026 school year? Yes, but not exactly a Clovis South-only board member. District board areas boundaries dont mirror school attendance boundaries or school areas. Theres some correlation, but not line for line, and some areas are represented by more than one board member. We will not be adding to the Governing Board as that isnt how the district was set up when it unified in 1960, Avants said. We have a seven-member governing board whose geographic areas roughly represent the seven districts that came together to form the district in 1960. These regions have been updated periodically since then, Avants said, to reflect population changes over time, but still roughly fall around those founding seven school districts. Avants also explained that Clovis school board members do not represent a single high school or school area. Instead, each trustee area encompasses parts of multiple high school feeder areas, meaning elementary areas that feed into several different high schools, Avants said, as an effort to ensure members of our school board are always interested in the needs of the district as a whole. So, who represents the Clovis South Area? Creating the Clovis South Area doesnt mean that the district physically expanded: Its district borders remain the same, it only reorganized internally to better allocate students attendance to school and increase their academic spaces (with the three new schools). So, the Clovis South Area technically already has two representatives: Yolanda Moore and Deena Combs-Flores. Combs-Flores represents the boards Area 6 and Moore its neighboring Area 7. Depending on the side of Fowler Avenue, a Clovis Unified family lives and school is located they are represented by either of these two board members. What schools will this board member represent? Clovis Souths board members will represent: Boris Elementary School Fancher Creek Elementary School Hirayama Elementary School (opens Fall 2024) Temperance-Kutner Elementary School Young Elementary School A to-be-named intermediate school (opens Fall 2025) Clovis South High School (opens Fall 2025) Because of attendance boundary changes, Boris, Fancher Creek, Temperance-Kutner and Young elementary schools will be feeding schools to the soon-to-be-named areas intermediate school, which will later feed into Clovis South High School. A digital rendering of Hirayama Elementary School in the Clovis Unified School District. The districts 35th elementary school is the first school in Clovis named after a Japanese American person and is scheduled to open in August 2024. According to Clovis Unifieds board trustees boundaries map, Area 7 now represented by Moore will have all but one of Clovis Souths schools. Hirayama Elementary will be located on the East side of Fowler Ave., south of Clinton Ave., placing it in this area, too. Moore also represents Gettysburg, Freedom, Oraze and Reagan elementary schools, Reyburn Intermediate and Clovis East High schools in the Clovis East Area. Fancher Creek Elementary is the only Clovis South school that will be in Area 6, now represented by Combs-Flores. She also represents Miramont Elementary School in the Clovis East Area, Sierra Vista Elementary School in the Clovis Area, and Tarpey Elementary in the Buchanan Area. When will Clovis South board members be elected to the school board? Registered voters will be able to vote for Area 6 and 7 representatives following the already established general and midterm elections timeline. This November, four Clovis Unified board seats will be up for election, including Moores. Areas 2, 4 and 5 represented by David DeFrank, Hugh Awtrey, and Steven Fogg respectively will be voted on during this years General Election as well. Combs-Floress seat will be up for election in 2026. Clovis Unified Board Vice President Yolanda Moore is seen at the Clovis Unified School District board meeting Wednesday, April 3, 2024 in Clovis. Who can vote for Clovis Souths board member? Because Clovis South will be represented by two board areas, not everyone across Clovis South will be able to vote for both board representatives. Registered voters living in Area 6 will only be able to vote for the Area 6 representative and Area 7 voters for its representative only since the district adopted a district-based elections process at the end of 2023. This means the at-large voting process is no longer happening at the school board level, meaning people can only vote for the board member for their area and not for all board members across all school district areas. Those interested in running for this board seat, who should they approach to register as a candidate? Elections are conducted by the Fresno Countys Clerk/Registrar of Voters office, not the school district, so those interested must approach the county. The Bee spoke to James Kus, Fresno Countys Clerk and Registrar of Voters, earlier this year. He said those interested in running for school board representative can file their candidate applications with his office from July 15 to Aug. 9. However, some campaign posters and messaging might be already visible across Clovis Unified, Kus said, because candidates can start fundraising if they have filed the necessary paperwork with California Fair Political Practices Commission (FCCP). Once all candidates file their applications by Aug. 9, Kus said the county will state who is officially running for Clovis Unifieds school board a few days after the registration deadline. CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. (WFLA) Coast Guard crews rescued five people, including two children, who were seen clinging to a capsized boat near Crystal River on Sunday. Authorities said the Sea Tow Crystal River dispatch contacted Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders around 6 p.m. Sunday, reporting that five people needed help after their 18-foot boat capsized 10 miles west of Crystal River. When will Florida see a total solar eclipse? Two hours later, Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew, Coast Guard Station Yankeetown boat crew and commercial salvage crew spotted all five people clinging to their vessel. They were taken to Petes Pier Marina to be checked out. No one reported any injuries. Our crews were able to conduct the rescue safely and efficiently with the best possible results, said Lt. Scott Kellerman, Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60T Aircraft Commander. Emergencies at sea can happen anytime, anywhere. We recommend all mariners carry a radio, flares and other distress signals in case they encounter an unexpected situation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Coast Guard searching offshore NC for boater who vanished during fishing trip SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WNCN) The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing a search for a North Carolina boater who vanished at sea during a fishing trip aboard a 32-foot center-console boat on Saturday. Crews from Elizabeth City and Oak Island were checking areas Sunday between Blackjack and Steeples areas off the North Carolina coast, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard Sunday night. THE LATEST: Coast Guard, police suspend search for missing NC boater Jeffrey Kale, 47, from Clover, South Carolina, was last seen around 4 p.m. Saturday departing the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp, officials said. Kale was aboard a white 32-foot Cape Horn center-console boat before he and the vessel disappeared, the Coast Guard said. Coast Guard officials in North Carolina received word from Kales family that he was overdue from a fishing trip around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. THE LATEST: Crews suspend search for missing NC boater who vanished in offshore fishing trip The Blackjack and Steeples fishing areas are 7 miles apart and are located about 30 miles southeast of Southport. Crews have used an HC-130 Hercules plane from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City and a 29-foot response boat from the Oak Island Coast Guard Station. Also, a coastal patrol boat US Coast Guard Steelhead has been involved in the search. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com. Coast Guard searching off NC coast for Clover boater who vanished on fishing trip Coast Guard searching off NC coast for Clover boater who vanished on fishing trip SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WNCN) The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing a search for a boater who vanished at sea during a fishing trip aboard a 32-foot center-console boat on Saturday. Crews from Elizabeth City and Oak Island were checking areas Sunday between Blackjack and Steeples areas off the North Carolina coast, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard Sunday night. Alternate shipping channel opens after Baltimore bridge collapse Clover resident Jeffrey Kale was last seen around 4 p.m. Saturday departing the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp, officials said. The 47-year-old Kale was aboard a white 32-foot Cape Horn center-console boat before he and the vessel disappeared, the Coast Guard said. Coast Guard officials in North Carolina received word from Kales family that he was overdue from a fishing trip around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The Blackjack and Steeples fishing areas are 7 miles apart and are located about 30 miles southeast of Southport. Country singer Morgan Wallen arrested in Nashville after chair thrown from bar rooftop: docs Crews have used an HC-130 Hercules plane from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City and a 29-foot response boat from the Oak Island Coast Guard Station. Also, a coastal patrol boat US Coast Guard Steelhead has been involved in the search. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Opinion. On Easter evening, I first noticed a post on Facebook telling the public that Cole Brings Plenty was missing. The following day, on Monday, the story broke that his family reported him missing to local law enforcement in Lawrence, Kansas. During the week, Native News Online published several stories about the missing Lakota citizen and actor. On Tuesday, one day after his family reported him missing to the Lawrence Police, that agency issued a statement posted on its Facebook page it had "submitted an affidavit to the District Attorney for the arrest of Cole after an incident Sunday morning at an apartment in Lawrence." According to the post, Lawrence Police officers responded to calls of a female screaming for help, noting that the suspect fled before police arrived. It is unclear how police identified Cole as the suspect. By Friday we learned Coles body was discovered in some woods near where the vehicle he was last seen driving was discovered. The Cole case got plenty of coverage in the mainstream media. Cole is a handsome 27-year-old Native American actor who played Pete Plenty Clouds in 1923 a spinoff of the television series Yellowstone, which also featured his uncle, Mo Brings Plenty. Cole was in Lawrence because he was a media student at Haskell Indian Nations University. He was an up-and-coming Native American actor with talent and a future ahead of him. On Friday, the Johnson County Sheriffs Office released a statement that announced Coles body had been discovered and crime scene investigators and the medical examiner were on the scene. It further stated that there is an ongoing investigation taking place. Coles untimely death should bring awareness to a serious problem confronted in Indian Country. Sadly, it is far too common to see notices on social media about missing Indigenous people. There is even an acronym to accompany this epidemic: MMIP, which stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (sometimes referred to as Persons). Previously, the acronym was MMIW or Missing and Murdered Women. However, in recent years, the acronym has changed to include boys and men. According to a July 2023 report by the Congressional Research Service, 82% of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) men reported experiencing violent victimizations in their lifetime. As of June 2023, 3.5% of the missing persons included in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System were identified as AI/AN, which was more than three times their percentage in the U.S. population (1.1%). Often there are jurisdictional gaps that leave MMIP cases unreported and a lack of overall concern about the American Indians and Alaska Natives leave cases under investigation and unsolved. The facts surrounding Coles disappearance and death are still mostly unknown. There are plenty of rumors, opinions and theories circulating on social media right now. But until there is more information from the Johnson County Sheriffs Office or the tribe, any other information is nothing more than speculation. After Coles body was discovered, Deb Parker (Tulalip), CEO of the Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), told Native News Online on Friday evening her heart was crushed upon hearing the news of Cole's death. She recalled how Cole went to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. with his uncle Mo and the NABS team to educate lawmakers on the importance of passing S.1723 - Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. That legislation calls for Congress to investigate the federal governments Indian boarding school policies. "Cole joined our team as an advocate because he understood how historical trauma impacts us in our daily lives," Parker said. "He was open, honest, and one of the most caring young men we have had the opportunity to work with in Indian Country." "We continue to lose our young Native men way too early," Parker continued. She gave this advice: "If you find yourself in a position that is unsafe, please dont stay silent. Please reach out until someone will listen to your story. There is help available." Coles tribe, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, called for a thorough investigation in a release issue Friday that said, The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe demands a full and thorough investigation into Coles disappearance and subsequent death. Our Attorney General will be in contact with the Kansas Authority to ensure this is accomplished. Given the fact that the Lawrence Police submitted an affidavit to the District Attorney for Coles arrest and now Cole has become a statistic among the far too many MMIP cases, we concur that there must be a thorough investigation into all aspects of Coles disappearance and death. After the announcement on Friday, there were many posts on social media that showed the grief Indian Country is experiencing from the news of Cole Brings Plenty. His death is one more example of tragedy hitting Indian Country. And, we know sadness comes with tragedy. Our prayers go up for Coles family and all of Indian Country. Thayek gde nwendemen - We are all related. About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net." Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net Columbia University indefinitely suspended four students for participating in an unsanctioned campus talk led by a man with alleged ties to group designated a terrorist organization by the US according to reports. The event called Resistance 101 was led by prominent Palestinian activist Khaled Barakat, who appeared by video to discuss the Gaza conflict that erupted in the aftermath of Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. Students identified as participants in the meeting were dismissed from their campus housing on Wednesday and given just 24 hours to vacate according to the campus newspaper, the Columbia Spectator. During the meeting, Barakat who has been accused of being a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine talked about speaking with his friends and brothers in Hamas, Islamic Jihad the PFLP especially after Oct.7, and how excited they are when they see student groups in America protesting on their behalf. They dont care about what Biden says and what Kamala Harris says what theyre focused on is to actually stop the Israeli aggression and defeat Israel, Barakat said during the meeting. When they see students organizing outside Palestine, they really feel that they are being backed as a resistance and theyre being supported. Every demonstration in New York matters for Gaza. Your work is so important to the resistance in Gaza, more than ever, he said. Khaled Barakat has been accused of being a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine YouTube/Samidoun Network Columbia University officials barred the event from taking place on campus but it was still held Instagram/@cu.psm Columbia conducted an investigation into the meeting using an outside firm, university President Minouche Shafik said, and charged the four students found to have participated in the event with violating campus policies, endangerment, disruptive behavior, and other charges, according to the Spectator. On March 24, an event took place at a campus residential facility that the University had already barred, twice, from occurring. It featured speakers who are known to support terrorism and promote violence, university President Shafik said in a statement. I want to state for the record that this event is an abhorrent breach of our values. Initially there were six students suspended, but two of them were later cleared. The investigation into the event remains ongoing, the president said. I realize that our campus has been deeply shaken by the war between Israel and Hamas, starting Oct. 7 with the horrific Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, and now unfolding as a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Shafik said, adding that while she doesnt seek to punish students, actions in violation of campus policies must come with consequences. University President Minouche Shafik condemned the event and said violations of campus policy must be punished Mark Bader/Columbia University A campus investigation is also underway into an unsanctioned pro-Palestinian demonstration held on April 4 that drew over 100 participants. At that event, one the students suspended for partaking in the Resistance 101 meeting with Barakat said she lost a full-ride scholarship for a masters in Middle East studies because of her participation. I left everything behind, my community, my partner, my work, my entire life based on Columbias promise of a full scholarship to pursue Palestine study, she said, according to the Spectator. Columbia is not only a complicit institution, it is a violent institution. Column: It's not just RFK Jr.: Biden faces serious danger from third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. poses in front of a mural of images of himself as a young man. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) President Biden faces several challenges in his campaign to win a second term, and not all of them are named Donald Trump. Millions of voters are dissatisfied with both major-party candidates, and that has prompted many to flirt with independent or third-party candidates instead. A Quinnipiac Poll last month found that when voters were offered a choice among five candidates instead of two, 20% opted for someone other than Biden or Trump. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was the choice of 13%, followed by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, at 4%, and independent socialist Cornel West, 3%. If this campaign follows the historical pattern, those numbers will decline by election day, Quinnipiac Poll Director Doug Schwartz said. But even if support for third-party candidates shrinks at the ballot box, single-digit support could be a tipping point, he noted. That has Democrats worried, especially about Kennedy. In a three-way race, Trump wins, because Bidens floor is kind of soft, said Matt Bennett, executive vice president for public affairs at Third Way, a Democratic centrist group. "If Kennedy or other candidates draw even a tiny percentage, they can swing the election." The last two presidential elections illustrate the point. In 2016, 6% of voters cast ballots for third-party and write-in candidates. In the decisive swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, if Green Party nominee Steins votes had gone to Democrat Hillary Clinton, the latter would have won the White House. Read more: Column: Trump has big plans for California if he wins a second term. Fasten your seatbelts In 2020, by contrast, the third-party share of the national vote fell to 2%. Voters opposed to then-President Trump coalesced behind a single candidate, Joe Biden. He won the swing states and, with them, the presidency. The Democrats problem is that 2024 has begun to look like 2016. Kennedy is the biggest challenge. With his famous name, Democratic lineage and a healthy fundraising operation, hes polling more strongly than any independent candidate since Ross Perot, the data-processing mogul who won 19% of the popular vote in 1992. Like Perot, Kennedy denounces both major political parties and draws support from voters on both sides. Kennedy's positions are an amalgam of conspiracy theories and populism. He has falsely said that vaccines cause autism, that COVID-19 immunization is the deadliest vaccine ever made and that chemicals in tap water can cause children to question their gender. Read more: Column: Will 'double haters' determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election? He wants the federal government to provide free child care, lower mortgage rates and push for cleaner energy. He wants to end military aid to Ukraine but strongly supports Israels war in Gaza. Last week, Kennedy said he considers Biden a bigger threat to democracy than Trump. The reason for that is that Biden has used the federal agencies to censor political speech, he said, referring to government requests to social media companies to remove medical misinformation from their platforms. Kennedy later amended his statement by saying he considers neither Biden nor Trump a threat to democracy. The Democratic National Committee has mounted a communications blitz to warn disaffected Democrats that the independent is not their kind of Kennedy and that a vote for RFK Jr. is, in effect, a vote for Trump. People hear the last name, and they assume that tells them something about his policy positions and who hes funded by, a DNC official said. Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, in a call arranged by the DNC, said she believes the election will be decided by "a few thousand votes" and suggested that RFK Jr., with no realistic path to the presidency, is running purely as a spoiler. "What he actually is ... is Donald Trump with a Kennedy name slapped on him, she said. Read more: A comedy show where RFK Jr. was not the butt of the joke Hes turning to Trump megadonors to really support this spoiler campaign, said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach). Maybe he wants Trump to be reelected. Were not sure. Trump appears to agree. I love that he is running! the former president wrote on his social media feed. Its great for MAGA. But Kennedy is not Bidens only third-party problem. The president could also lose votes to Stein or West, both of whom have criticized him from the left. Stein has been a fierce critic of Bidens military aid to Israel during the war in Gaza, and her Green Party is already on the ballot in Michigan, which has the nations largest concentration of Arab American voters. West, who is running as an independent, faces a harder road to gain ballot access in many states. The Quinnipiac Poll found that Kennedys support comes roughly equally from voters who might otherwise favor Biden or Trump, but support for Stein and West comes mostly from voters who would otherwise back Biden. So in an election that may be decided by razor-thin margins, Bidens challenge doesnt come only from Trump; he needs to woo voters back from Kennedy and from Stein and West as well. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) on Monday dug into the Department of Justice for its refusal to hand over the unreacted materials related to special counsel Robert Hurs investigation into President Bidens handling of classified records. The Biden Administration does not get to determine what Congress needs and does not need for its oversight of the executive branch. Its curious the Biden Administration is refusing to release the audio of President Bidens interview with the Special Counsel after releasing the transcript. Why shouldnt the American people be able to hear the actual audio of his answers? Comer wrote in a statement Monday. His remarks came hours after the Justice Department (DOJ) sent a letter to him and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), urging them to avoid conflict after they threatened the possibility of contempt proceedings to gain information into Hurs investigation into Biden and his handling of classified documents. The letter, from the DOJs head of legislative affairs, told the Republican chairs their committees already received the information requested when they asked for the transcripts of Hurs interview with Biden, along with a recording of the conversation. The committees also asked for some of the classified documents and communications with Bidens attorneys. That information may not have substantiated the concerns the Committees articulated, but it does appear to help resolve them and your inquiry, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote in the letter. The chairs could have requested the information for political purposes that should have no role in deciding which files should be shared. Jordan and Comer are looking to connect Hurs inquiry into Biden to their impeachment inquiry into the president. The committees have struggled in recent weeks to close their impeachment probe into Biden and are facing rising doubts from their own party about whether investigators discovered any wrongdoing. The House GOPs formal impeachment inquiry was intended to add legal weight to their claims, which center on allegations Biden was involved with his son, Hunter Bidens, foreign business deals. These claims were further challenged after an FBI informant who accused President Biden of taking a bribe as vice president was arrested and indicted for allegedly fabricating the claim and making false statements to the bureau. The letter is in response to the two chairs threat to hold contempt proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland last month. The Justice Department shared the transcript of Hurs interview with Biden on March 12 but did not turn over the prized audio recordings Republicans demanded. Uriartes letter on Monday argued the committees focus on the information he claims the department already gave them suggests the requests are to serve political purposes. He argued the chairs would have difficulty showing the legislative purpose behind their requests for the audio files. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Pavliuk considers negative attitude towards employees of military enlistment offices unacceptable and warns that no one will allow violations of the rights of the military. Source: Pavliuk on Facebook Quote from Pavliuk: "The Armed Forces of Ukraine are the only force capable of stopping and destroying the enemy. How did society start to be afraid of the military and allow themselves to insult them? Today, most of the employees of the military enlistment offices are yesterday's warriors, whom everyone admired and was proud of. What happened? Why are people hiding from them today, why do they despise, harass and even fight with the military? This is unacceptable." Details: The commander said that servicemen and veterans are not beggars or agitators, but people who have fulfilled their constitutional duty. "We have no right to allow them to feel guilty, unnecessary or dangerous in front of those whose lives they literally saved," he said. Pavliuk acknowledged that the military enlistment offices system is not perfect, and the work is underway to improve it. He added that law enforcement agencies promptly respond to all cases of abuse of authority by the Ground Forces Command. "We will not tolerate violations of civilians' rights, but we will not allow violations of the rights of the military either," the commander warned. "All Ukrainian citizens must keep their heads cool and realise one simple truth: the army and the people are one. Especially during the fight for the existence of the state," Pavliuk said. Background: In January 2024, Defence Minister Rustem Umierov reported that the Ministry of Defence and law enforcement agencies were conducting unscheduled inspections of military enlistment offices in the oblasts and recording many violations. In March, Pavliuk said that Russia could defeat Ukraine with the help of Ukrainians themselves because of people's negative attitude to the military enlistment officers. He said that "bloggers and the media" helped destroy the unity and cohesion of Ukrainians through "reports about "unfortunate people who drowned in Tysa" (thus trying to flee Ukraine illegally and avoid being mobilised ed.). Meanwhile, the most recent high-profile event was the actions of military enlistment office employees who tried to issue a summons to a Slidstvo.info journalist after an investigation into the family wealth of Illia Vitiuk, the head of Ukraines Security Services cybersecurity department Support UP or become our patron! On the night she jumped from a second-floor window to escape her husband, Juanita Jackson knew she had to get a divorce. Her entire life, Jackson had been terrified of heights. But that night, one fear was greater: Her husband, Freddie Grant. Decades before South Carolina law enforcement officials labeled Grant a boogeyman and monster for his involvement in the disappearance and murder of two women, he exhibited a pattern of criminality, violence and control, Jackson told The State Media Co. Crews conduct a search on a 2012 Tuesday morning along Smyrna Road in Elgin for missing Columbia Teen, Gabrielle Swainson. Earlier in the day it was reported that a family friend, Freddie Grant, 52, is accused of taking the girl to Elgin. He was arrested Sunday on federal weapons charges and remains in custody. tdominick@thestate.com In her conversations with The State, Jackson described how Grant physically abused her over the course of a decade-long relationship. The abuse began shortly after she gave birth to their daughter at the age of 17. Grant, 12 years her senior, punched and threatened her with weapons. One time, he cracked her over the head with a heavy, military-issue flashlight, nearly splitting her skull, she said. To this day, Jacksons left eye is still damaged from repeated beatings. Over the three decades they knew each other, Grant was repeatedly charged with crimes that ranged from drug trafficking to aggravated battery. He was repeatedly jailed, spending more than 10 years in prison across three states, as he bounced between family and relationships in Florida and South Carolina. Today, Grant is in prison after pleading guilty in 2013 to abducting and killing 15-year-old Gabriela Gabbiee Swainson of Blythewood, the daughter of a woman with whom he was involved. Following Swainsons disappearance, Grant was named a person of interest in the shooting death of his neighbor, Daniel Lee Woods Jr., in Kershaw County. Grant has not been charged in Woods death. In February, Grant was charged with murder after the remains of his girlfriend, Adriana Laster, were found in a Richland County sandpit. Laster had been missing since 2011. Other warrants charge Grant with multiple instances of domestic violence against Laster. When they found Adriana, I went through depression, a shutdown. Im just waking up, Jackson said. When reports of Lasters disappearance began circulating in 2012, Jackson remembered believing that Grant had killed her. He had done things to me that were close to that. Adrianna Laster The State archives Grants attorneys said that they had no comment about Jacksons allegations. Jacksons experience with Grant may be extreme, but nationally between a third to half of all female homicide victims are killed by their intimate partners. The story that Jackson shared with The State is not just an exclusive look at a killer that has become infamous in the Midlands, but a snapshot of how violence against women from their intimate partners repeats, escalates and too often ends in unimaginable tragedy. He said all the right things. When Jackson met Grant, he was 24 and she was just 16. It was 1984 and she was in high school, where she danced, played volleyball and was enrolled in honors classes. She had grown up in the neighboring cities of Homestead and Florida City, part of suburban Miami, near the Everglades. It was a small community, and Jackson and her siblings were close with the Grant kids. Jackson used to hang out and make prank phone calls with Grants younger brother. At the time, she was excited that she had met an older, handsome military veteran just home from the Army. He began to help Jackson with her honors English homework. Thats how he conned his way in, Jackson said. Her family liked Grant, she said. He was smart and intense, and he could charm people. Hes very cunning, hes very convincing, Jackson said. Shortly after Jackson turned 17, Grant then 29 convinced her to have sex with him for the first time. Nine months later she gave birth to their daughter, Dominique Grant. But the violence began to show shortly after Dominiques birth, and the relationship became an ugly cycle of control and violence. He wanted long-term damage. He wanted to destroy my face so no one would ever look at me, Jackson said. Grant liked to target her left eye, Jackson said, hitting it over and over again and leaving permanent damage to the retina. Jackson gradually learned the truth about Grants time in the Army. Far from being a war hero, Grant had been dishonorably discharged, according to court records. His last posting was as an inmate at the United States military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. At first, Grant downplayed his Army troubles, Jackson said. He was 17 at the time, and told her that he had gone AWOL in an attempt to get out of the Army. Later he admitted to getting into a fight with a white officer. But he justified it, saying they were caught up in a love triangle with a Korean woman. One night, Grant told her, the jealous officer chased the couple, which led to a fight. Court records show Grant was arrested after he slashed a man across the face with a razor blade. During his arrest, Grant kicked an officer in the chest. Months later, while being transported under armed guard, Grant overpowered the officials, taking an M-16 rifle from one of the guards. Grant held the officials at gunpoint and forced them to drive him to another location, firing the gun at least once, according to court records. Grant then fled, but was recaptured the next day. At his court martial in May 1980, Grant was convicted of assault resulting in grievous bodily harm, resisting apprehension, assault upon a person in the execution of official duties, and kidnapping two people. Grant was dishonorably discharged from the Army, ordered to forfeit all pay and sentenced to eight years and nine months in Leavenworth. He was paroled and returned to Homestead, Florida, in 1984, where he met Jackson. In 1988, Grant was sent back to prison for violating his parole after he was charged with aggravated battery in the beating of Jackson. He had beat me so bad, Jackson said of the incident. But, still she was protective of Grant and tried to have the charges dropped. It was typical for a victim ... I went to his parole officer and tried to tell him, Listen, it was a misunderstanding. He was like No! And I thank God that he saw through it. He said Hes going back to prison. He said, Look at your eye, do you see how you look? In 1989, with Grant in prison and Jackson needing to provide for her daughter, she joined the Army. She went through basic training at Fort Jackson. Throughout, Grant was writing to her. He said he knew he was troubled but that he was getting help. He said all the right things, Jackson said. So when she received orders to go to Germany in 1989, she took her daughter and Grant, recently released from prison, as dependents. It proved almost immediately to be the wrong decision. One day, not long after they arrived, Jackson said that Grant became jealous when a male soldier helped her bring some groceries into their off-base apartment. He accused her of doing something with the soldier sexually, Jackson said. That night he tortured me, Jackson said. Her downstairs neighbors called the local German police, and Grant fled into the night. Believing she was safe, Jackson said that she made dinner. As she was giving her daughter a bath, Grant suddenly appeared in the bathroom. He had climbed up to their second floor patio and entered through a patio door. In his hand was the bat he had bought her to play softball. He said, If you try anything, Im going to beat you to death, Jackson said. Trapped in the bathroom, Jackson remembered the smoke slowly filling the house as a pot she left on the stove began to burn. For a moment, she said, part of her wanted the apartment to burn down. Instead she pleaded with Grant to let her turn off the stove. Then, making as if she was going to empty the pot off of the patio, Jackson threw herself from the second floor. She took off down the street screaming Polizei! Polizei! Grant fled the apartment again, leaving their daughter behind. When I faced that fear of jumping off the second floor and landing on my feet and surviving, I think that gave me the courage. Dont ever go back, Jackson said. When something forces you to face your biggest fear under those kinds of circumstances, thats when you know enough is enough. But it wasnt enough to end their relationship entirely. Jackson said that Grant wasnt arrested in Germany; instead she said the Army gave him a plane ticket and told him to return to the United States. Over the next two decades, Grant traveled back and forth between Florida and the area around Columbia, South Carolina, where some members of his family had settled. His movements over these years can be traced in arrests and court records. In 1990, Grant was charged with cocaine trafficking in Miami-Dade County, but prosecutors declined to prosecute the case. In January 1992, while Grant was out on bond following an arrest for cocaine distribution in Richland County, South Carolina, police onboard an Amtrak train in Florida searched Grants bag and found a loaded pistol. Grant then fled, according to court records, throwing down a bag of cocaine. Jackson admits she tipped off authorities about Grants cocaine trafficking to get back at him for running up a $14,000 overdraft at the base store in Germany. I wanted to get my licks in, Jackson said. But for the most part, during these years, Grant was out of sight, out of mind, as Grant was in and out of prison. Following that arrest, Grant was convicted in Miami-Dade County of possession of cocaine, resisting arrest without violence and carrying a concealed firearm. In May, 1992, he was sentenced to two days with credit for time served. Two months later, Grant was sentenced to eight years in prison on his South Carolina charges. While in prison he worked various jobs, including as an electrician, a laundry room attendant, a ward keeper and a cook. He won a certificate from the National Issue Forum, a civic engagement group, and in September 1993 he was awarded Student of the Month, according to records from the state Department of Corrections. In January 1995, Grant was granted parole in South Carolina and returned to Florida. By March, Jackson had filed three domestic violence charges against Grant in Miami-Dade County Family Court and decided that she needed to make good on her promise to divorce Grant. The next July the same court granted an uncontested divorce. That guy took a lot from me, Jackson said. I dont look at myself as a victim, I look at myself as a warrior. I went through stages: I was a victim, and then I started healing and said OK, youre a survivor. Then I went through the process of getting myself back, learning to love myself again. And once I learned myself, I learned to love others correctly. Now I have got to the age and the stage that I am a warrior. But its a process. You best be careful. On November 9, 2010, Freddie Grant choked and punched Adriana Laster in the face before dragging her, leaving scrapes and bruises across her body, according to a warrant filed by the Elgin Police Department in South Carolina. The next April, another warrant accused Grant of dragging Laster again and causing her to fall, cutting her head open, before he hit her in the mouth. By then, the two had been living together in South Carolina for over a year. Laster was in her early 20s when she started dating Freddie Grant, who was in his mid-40s. She was only a few years older than his daughter, Dominique. Laster had a daughter of her own, Crystal, from a previous relationship. Like Jackson, she was just 17 when she gave birth. But where Jackson was motivated and self-assured, Laster struggled. Court records show that between 2005 and 2007 she was arrested five times in Miami-Dade County. Most of the arrests were for misdemeanors, including possessing drug paraphernalia and trespassing. In 2007 she was charged with a felony for cocaine possession. The Smyrna Road home of suspect Freddie Grant, 52, where crews conducted a search in 2012 for missing Columbia teen Gabrielle Swainson. Earlier in the day it was reported that Grant, 52, is accused of taking the girl to the Elgin house. tdominick@thestate.com Crystal was raised by her dad and grandmother, Phylis Horn, but Laster always kept in close touch with her daughter. Horn remembered that Laster regularly called her daughter and sent cards. On Crystals third birthday, Horn remembers looking at Laster and thinking, You could just look at her and tell how much she loved her baby. In the mid-2000s, Laster moved from Homestead to Key West, where she met Grant. The couple moved up to Elgin around 2009, where Grant worked as a handyman and electrician. He was a regular at Elgin Town Council meetings, and even once ran for a position on the council. They lived in Grants home at 1009 Kelly St. in Elgin. The brick, one-story home stood off of a sandy, dirt road. Across the street was the home of Mabel Rotan, the mother of his second wife, Ollie Rotan Grant, who died in 2004. Next door was an abandoned junkyard. Grants home had been seriously damaged in a fire in 2006, and was pretty much uninhabitable afterwards, according to court testimony from Dominique. The walls were still standing, but the inside was heavily damaged by soot. Once, while trying to reach Dominique, Jackson said she remembered Laster picking up the phone and accusing her of trying to get her ex-husband back. Now sister you best be careful, she remembers saying Oh, you just want him back, Laster replied. No, no, no you best be careful, Jackson said. The warrants filed against Grant allege that the violence escalated in the months leading up to Lasters disappearance. In June, 2011, Grant allegedly put Laster into a chokehold and dragged her into his vehicle before knocking her unconscious with a punch to the back of her head. Regaining consciousness while the car was on Interstate-20 in Lexington County, Laster fought with Grant to escape the car, only succeeding when she grabbed the steering wheel and forced the vehicle off the road, according to a warrant. Witnesses said Laster told them that Grant was going to kill her, according to one warrant. But Laster did not leave Grant. On Labor Day Weekend 2011, neighbors told reporters that they saw her walking down Kelly Street on her way to church. It was the last time she was seen alive. As the months of silence stretched on, Horn feared the worst. Along with Lasters aunt, she filed a police report. They spoke with detectives and they waited. Over the years, they held vigils and prayed for Lasters return. In 2013, Grants daughter, Dominique, was charged as an accessory in Swainsons murder. To secure her release, Granbt led investigators to where he buried Swainsons body and ultimately pleaded guilty to her murder. But he remained silent about Laster, and she officially remained a missing person. I knew, well I felt that she was deceased, because she had stopped contacting Crystal, Horn recalled. That was the red flag there, that everybody knows something is wrong and has been wrong. In January, a worker quarrying sand near Elgin spotted bones in the dirt. For the next few weeks, the entire site was shut down while law enforcement officers and coroners painstakingly combed through the earth. In the end they turned up part of a skeleton and a few scraps of Lasters clothes. But after more than a decade, it was enough to say for sure what many had long believed: Adriana Laster was dead. Im still fighting some demons, some nightmares of how close I was to being where Adriana was, Jackson said. Container ship loses propulsion and comes to halt close to New York bridge two weeks after Baltimore tragedy A huge container ship lost propulsion in New Yorks harbour and came to a halt close to the Verrazzano Bridge over the weekend in an eerily similar scenario to the deadly disaster in Baltimore less than two weeks earlier. The 1,145-foot-long APL Qingdao lost propulsion in the waters around New York City on Friday evening, the US Coast Guard told The Independent. The Coast Guard said that it received a report at about 8.30pm about the incident, while the huge vessel was making its way through the Kill Van Kull waterway. The Kill Van Kull channel is a three-mile long, 1,000 feet wide tidal strait between Staten Island in New York City and Bayonne, New Jersey which connects Newark Bay and Upper New York Bay. It is considered one of the most heavily travelled waterways in the port area, the United States Army said. The massive ship was able to regain propulsion and was assisted by three towing vessels to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazzano Bridge, the Coast Guard said. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with a different vessel under it, the CMA CGM Marco Polo, in 2021 (REUTERS) These towing vessels were escorting the vessel as a routine safety measure, which is a common practice for large vessels departing their berth. The ship came to a rest and anchored near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the 13,700-foot-span bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island, NYC Parks states. The 12-year-old ship, registered in Malta, is now currently en route to Norfolk, Virginia, according to Vessel Finder. The Dali crashed into The Francis Scott Key Bridge after it lost power (AP) Repairs were made and the ships system was assessed as fully operational before it departed New Yorks harbour again on Sunday morning, CBS reported. The Coast Guard said that the ship did not lose power, just propulsion, unlike the Dali container ship which appeared to lose its power as it approached the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the early hours of 26 March. As a result, the Dali slammed into the bridge, causing it to collapse into the water of the Patapsco River. Six construction workers died in the tragedy and the collapse has had a huge knock-on effect on the marine-based industries within the area. The Independent has contacted the US Coast Guard for further information. Crews have removed containers from the massive shipping vessel that slammed into the Baltimore bridge late last month. Workers began to remove the containers starting Sunday and will continue to do so over the next several days, weather permitting, according to a statement from the Key Bridge Response Unified Command. The command explained that removing the containers is a critical step in safely moving the ship and reopening the channel. The Unified Command is concurrently progressing on its main lines of effort to remove enough debris to open the channel to larger commercial traffic, refloat the M/V Dali and continue recovery efforts for missing loved ones, Coast Guard Capt. David OConnell said in a statement. Every day we are working to achieve these goals safely and efficiently, he added. The shipping vessel, named The Dali, lost power on its way out of the Baltimore Harbor late last month on its way to Sri Lanka and slammed into the Francis Scott Key bridge, causing it to collapse. Since then, the Baltimore port has been closed. Officials have set up a temporary channel to allow vessels in that are helping to clear the debris. Once the shipping containers are removed, workers can safely begin removing the bridge wreckage that lays across the ships bow to remove the weight and ultimately allow the ship to be moved. President Biden visited Baltimore on Friday alongside Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and local officials. He said he expects to have the Baltimore Port reopened by the end of May a goal Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said Sunday was realistic but will take a lot of time. It is an aggressive timeline, but we are going to work around the clock to make sure that we hit this timeline, Moore told CBS host Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation. Six of the eight workers on the bridge that night were killed in the collapse. The Coast Guard has begun an effort to recover the bodies of the victims and announced on Friday that dive teams had recovered the body of construction worker Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 38. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Unified Command, the group in charge of the Baltimore bridge collapse wreckage, began removing containers from the cargo ship on Sunday, officials announced. The purpose of removing the containers on the ship, known as the M/V Dali, is to create access to the part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge that fell on top of the ship when it collapsed, according to the Unified Command. Unified Command, which includes the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland State Police and Witt OBriens representing Synergy Marine, said it will remove the containers this coming week, weather permitting. The collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge lies on top of the container ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 29, 2024, (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) MORE: Baltimore Ravens, Orioles donate $10 million to Key Bridge relief fund Over the weekend, the Unified Command continued to remove wreckage from the site to help increase the channel to allow more container ships through. "The Unified Command is concurrently progressing on its main lines of effort to remove enough debris to open the channel to larger commercial traffic, refloat the M/V Dali and continue recovery efforts for missing loved ones," Coast Guard Capt. David OConnell, federal on-scene coordinator, Unified Command, said in a statement. "Every day we are working to achieve these goals safely and efficiently." Six construction workers were killed when a cargo ship slammed into the Baltimore bridge in the early hours of March 26, causing a near-total collapse of the span in the Port of Baltimore. The bodies of three workers have been recovered, while three others remain missing. Containers being removed from ship that struck Baltimore bridge originally appeared on abcnews.go.com COOPERS PLAINS, N.Y. (WETM) The Coopers Plains Long Acres Fire Department is hosting a two-day open house this weekend to contribute to the annual statewide RecruitNY campaign. This weekend is RecruitNY Weekend, a campaign brought to New York State by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York that focuses on boosting firefighter recruitment for volunteer fire departments. Steuben County announces campaign to support local firefighters To celebrate this recruitment weekend, the Coopers Plains Long Acres FD will host an open house on Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its facility on 210 Main Street. This event joins volunteer fire departments across the state that will be raising awareness for the need for volunteers and highlight the reward that comes with being a member of a department. During the open house, members of the fire department will host tours of the station and apparatus, show off their gear, provide information about the department and answer any questions people may have about becoming a member of the team, as well as discuss the requirements for joining the department. Construction laborers recruiting apprentices in Southern Tier We welcome the community to join us during RecruitNY Weekend, said Assistant Chief Samantha Sullivan. This is an excellent opportunity for people to meet their local volunteer firefighters and learn more about the fire service. We are always looking for new members, and it is our hope that after meeting us, more people will be interested in becoming part of our family. All are encouraged to attend the event, including families who have children. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. People across all walks of life gathered at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science on Monday to witness a rare celestial event a nearly total solar eclipse. Katie Tupy, education coordinator at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, told the Clarion Ledger that the eclipse brought about a 90% coverage at least that was when the crowds of people straining their necks skyward could see the eclipsed sun through heavy clouds. "The next eclipse like this isn't supposed to happen for another 20 years," Tupy said. "It's not necessarily going to a once in a lifetime, but this is definitely going to be special and unique." Around 1:30 p.m., a crowd of at least 75 people, wearing their eclipse glasses, formed outside of the museum in anticipation. Some people stood alongside their family and friends with their heads titled back to look at the sky. Others lied down on their backs on the ground that was covered with blankets. As time neared 1:50 p.m., the moon slowly crept in front of the sun and a light breeze filled the air along with the voices of various people shouting, "It's here." Bob Garner, left, and Antwan Waters, right, watch the solar eclipse during an event at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson, on Monday. "Unfortunately, the clouds kind of obscured a lot of it," Garner said. "I got a couple of good glimpses." More on the eclipse: How much of the solar eclipse will you see in your town? The site of a "glowing sun" began to partially peak through the clouds, drawing grasps and cheers of excitement from the attendees with some stating, "I can see it," and "that's so cool." Josias Lucas, of Jackson, said he attended the event because he has always had a fascination with science and space. Lucas said he did not want to miss out on this four-to-five-year experience. "I was glad that Visit Jackson posted on their page about this event here at the museum," Lucas said. "I was able to come out and get some educational information about what's going on today with the eclipse." O'Bai Smooth-Bangura, 16; Suraya Smooth-Bangura, 10; Wendy Smooth and her mother Viola Smooth watch the eclipse during an event at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson on Monday. "We came from the path of totality to be with [Viola]," Wendy of Columbus, Ohio, said. More on the eclipse: 2024 solar eclipse: Will the weather cooperate for viewing it in MS? Despite the heavy cloud coverage and light sprinkles of rain, Lucas said this did not make the event "unfavorable" for him to watch. "I had faith that it would be enough clear skies for us to see it, and we were able to see it. So, I guess April rain brings May blessings," Lucas said. The museum worked in collaboration with NASA for the viewing event. The museum had expected much larger crowds, but the weather no doubt kept some viewers away. In other parts of the city, workers left their offices for peak viewing of the eclipse, which occurred at 1:52. Downtown, groups were in from of the governor's mansion and at Trustmark Bank, all looking upward at the same time. The solar eclipse was seen during an event at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson on Monday. It will be 21 years before Mississippi next has a chance to see a solar eclipse at this scale. But when that eclipse comes in 2045, Mississippi will be in the path of totality. "This will be the last total solar eclipse in the continental United States until 2045," said Chris Sirola, associate professor of astronomy and physics at the University of Southern Mississippi. "Coincidentally, the '45 eclipse will be total in most of Mississippi." Staff writer Brian Broom contributed to this report. Holland Harper, 4, watches the solar eclipse during an event at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson on Monday. "My arms are tired," she said as she held up her glasses. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Solar eclipse 2024 Jackson, MS GRAND COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) received its first report of a wolf attack. The incident, resulting in the loss of a calf, is a telltale sign of the new challenges Colorado ranchers are facing since wolves were released into Grand County December of last year. On April 2, a landowner contacted CPW officers about a possible wolf attack incident. The results of this investigation indicated wounds consistent with wolf depredation, stated CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jeromy Huntington. Huntington said in a release the investigation found tooth rake marks on the calfs hindquarters and neck and hemorrhaging under the hide, both consistent with wolf predatory hunting instincts. Wolf tracks were also identified on scene. The livestock producer will be eligible for market value reimbursement for the calf from the CPW, under its Gray Wolf Compensation and Conflict Minimization Program. Non-lethal deterrents are available through CPW staff for livestock producers in the area. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. Work to clear the Port of Baltimores main shipping channel hit another milestone Sunday as crews started removing shipping containers from the Dali, the cargo vessel that rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, collapsing it. Related Articles The Key Bridge Response Unified Command said it is progressing toward removing the pieces of the bridge that lie across the vessels bow in order to take weight off the ship and eventually allow it to move. The Unified Command is concurrently progressing on its main lines of effort to remove enough debris to open the channel to larger commercial traffic, Coast Guard Capt. David OConnell said in a news release late Sunday. Every day we are working to achieve these goals safely and efficiently. Related Articles The Army Corps of Engineers said last week that it aims to restore access to the main 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep channel and the Port of Baltimore to normal capacity by the end of May. During a visit to Baltimore on Friday, President Joe Biden reiterated that the federal government would cover the full cost of rebuilding the bridge. All of it, Biden said during his visit. I call on Congress to authorize this effort as soon as possible. Before Biden arrived Friday, Carlos Suazo Sandoval, the brother of Maynor Suazo Sandoval, said investigators called to say they had found his brothers body. So far, the bodies of three of the six construction workers who were filling potholes on the bridge when it was struck by the Dali have been found. The other three are presumed to be dead. Crews took advantage of a clear and sunny weekend to remove a 156-ton piece of span 19 of the bridge from the main channel Saturday. Pieces were still being taken by barge to Sparrows Point on Sunday. Removal will continue this week as weather permits, the release said. Last week, rain and lightning prevented the operation of cranes used to remove wreckage. In total, 32 vessels so far have passed through temporary 11- and 14-feet-deep channels that pass under remaining parts of the Key Bridge on either side of the wreckage, Unified Command said Sunday. Meanwhile, 11 cargo ships remain trapped in the port behind the wreckage, including four that support the overseas deployment of U.S. military forces. Crime Reports: Abilene resident says unknown suspect shot bullet into apartment Editors Note: The following arrest and incident reports were supplied by the Abilene Police Department. All information below comes from reports made by responding officers, and all suspects are considered not guilty unless determined otherwise in a court of law. Incidents 1200 block of Sycamore Street Burglary of Vehicle A victim reported an unknown suspect stole tools out of his vehicle worth nearly $2,000. 600 block of N 1st Street Burglary of Building Two unknown suspects forced entry into Frontier Texas and stole numerous tools without permission. 2800 block of S 40th Street Theft of Property A cellphone worth $1,000 was reported stolen. 2200 block of Vogel Avenue Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse A victim reported credit card abuse. 4100 block of Ridgemont Drive Forgery A victim reported they were scammed out of large amounts of money. 4300 block of Buffalo Gap Road Theft of Property A suspect was caught stealing nearly $3,000 worth of perfume from an Abilene store. 3200 block of Plum Street Theft of Property An Abilene business owner reported a known suspect took auto parts worth $1,122. 700 block of Pine Street Forgery A north Abilene business repported a suspect attempted to execute a written check without the consent of the account holder. 1200 block of N Judge Ely Boulevard Deadly Conduct A victim reported her babys father and sister showed up to her work and threatened to shoot her through the drive thru. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION Criminal Trespass A suspect was caught trespassing in the yard of an Abilene homeowner. 1700 block of Briarwood Street Assault A victim reported she was assaulted while out looking for her dog. She was struck in the face by an unknown female following a verbal altercation. 5200 block of N 9th Street Terroristic Threat Cause Fear of Imminent SBI A victim reported a suspect threatened her, causing her to fear for her life. 1000 block of S Clack Street Criminal Mischief A report was completed for criminal mischief at an Abilene apartment complex. 300 block of Graham Street Theft of Property Multiple sporting goods worth nearly $2,000 were reported stolen. 600 block of Ash Street Burglary of Building Unknown suspect forced entry into a victims house and stole several items. 2100 block of Vogel Avenue Burglary of Vehicle Police took a report in reference to a burglary of motor vehicle where a wallet, phone, and drivers license were reported stolen. 2400 block of Buffalo Gap Road Deadly Conduct A victim reported an unknown suspect fired a handgun into his apartment. The bullet penetrated a door frame and wooden cabinets. 1100 block of Oak Street Theft of Property A victim reported a known suspect entered his room and took a cell phone worth $145. 1000 block of E Overland Trail Theft of Property A wallet, cash, and ID were reported stolen. 1100 block of S 27th Street Criminal Trespass A suspect was warned of criminal trespass after he would not leave a county facility. 200 block of Cedar Street Criminal Mischief Employees at a north Abilene library reported someone threw a brick through their front window. 800 block of Sayles Boulevard Theft of Property A chain saw, blade, and gloves were reported stolen from a victims porch. 300 block of Pine Street Criminal Trespass A suspect was arrested for entered an Abilene property he had been warned from previously. 4400 block of Buffalo Gap Road Robbery A victim was assaulted during a robbery. 3400 block of Catclaw Drive Theft of Property A wheelchair worth $5,600 was reported stolen. 6000 block of Fairmont Street Terroristic Threat A suspect was arrested for terroristic threat. 1200 block of Briar Cliff Path Burglary of Vehicle 1000 block of CR 127 Theft of Property A victim reported her license plates were being used on a vehicle in the DFW area. 2500 block of Rountree Drive Assault Family Violence 4500 block of S 1st Street Fraudulent Use/Possession of Identifying Information Police took a report in reference as identity theft. 3200 block of S Clack Street Theft of Property A suspect was seen taking merchandise and concealing items on his person. 3400 block of Vogel Avenue Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse A victim reported an unknown suspect used his stolen debit/credit card at several locations. 2000 block of S Clack Street Harassment A victim reported his ex-girlfriend was blowing up his phone and social media after he blocked her several times. UNDISCLOSED LOCATION Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon A report for Aggravated Assault was taken in south Abilene. 3200 block of Pine Street Criminal Trespass A suspect was arrested for trespassing at a north Abilene hotel. 5200 block of Hwy 277 S Burglary of Vehicle Office equipment was reported stolen. 1800 block of Idlewild Street Burglary of Habitation Several items worth nearly $2,500 were reported stolen. 700 block of High Street Criminal Mischief 2400 block of Buffalo Gap Burglary of Vehicle A victim reported her ex-fiance entered her vehicle and stole items without permission. 2500 block of S 1st Street Assault Two unknown suspect assaulted a victim. A good Samaritan halted the assault. 1700 block of Pasadena Drive Criminal Mischief A victim reported more than $2,000 in damage to her vehicle. 3000 block of N 6th Street Criminal Mischief A victim reported two known suspects used a bat to smash the back of her vehicles window. 4400 block of Crawford Drive Burglary of Vehicle A victim reported an unknown person entered his vehicle and took a firearm without permission. 1800 block of Grape Street Theft of Property A victim reported someone stole his wallet after he dropped it. 1300 block of Lewis and Clark Trail Theft of Firearm A firearm worth $650 was reported stolen. 4500 block of S 1st Street Harassment Police took a report in reference to harassment and oppression. 1600 block of Hwy 351 Theft of Property Makeup worth $54 was reported stolen. 900 block of Grape Street Assault Family Violence A victim reported her ex-boyfriend struck her in the face. 1200 block of Buccaneer Drive Burglary of Building A guitar and amp worth $4,500 combined were reported stolen. 6100 block of Texas Avenue Assault Family Violence A report for assault family violence was taken in south Abilene. 3300 block of Sherry Lane Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon A report for Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon after a victim reported the father of her child threatened and strangled her. 2000 block of S Clack Street Assault A report was taken for assault in south Abilene. 2100 block of Scottish Road Burglary of Vehicle Tools worth $8,000 were reported stolen. 3500 block of S Clack Street Theft of Property Clothing worth $75 was reported stolen. 800 block of Ambler Avenue Burglary of Vehicle Cash, air jordans, and more were reported stolen. Arrests Stormy Trimble Walking on Wrong Side of Road Michael Williams Warrant Brandon Cole-Clay Warrant Rickey Cavanaugh Criminal Trespass Wesley Bruton Warrant William Smith Evading Arrest Antonio Jennings Warrant Shaneisha Foster Assault Threat/Contact Jody Consford Disorderly Conduct, Evading Arrest Christina Villarreal Theft of Property, Possession of Dangerous Drug John Gaines Possession of Controlled Substance Katherine Botello Assault Threat Contact Brian Mobley Public Intoxication Alejandro Melendez Driving While Intoxicated Sterling Williams Driving While Intoxicated Dillan Franklin Evading Arrest Joseph Stiles Public Intoxication Thomas Edmondson Warrant Taylor Land Warrant Perla Vargas Criminal Trespass, Failure to Identify Tye McWhirter Driving While Intoxicated Orren Rogers Warrant Bernard Falconer Public Intoxication Gregory Ingram Criminal Trespass Taner Pierce Robbery Juston Barbee Terroristic Threat Nacole Gamble Warrant, Failure to Identify, Possession of Controlled Substance Austin Gilmer Public Intoxication For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Sergei Salmin, the mayor of the Russian city of Orenburg, has called on all residents to evacuate because of possible flooding after a dam burst in Orsk. Source: Salmin on Telegram Quote: "Water can come at night, you are putting your life and the lives of your loved ones in danger! Absolutely everyone in the flood zone needs to leave their homes. Do not delay the evacuation!" Details: Salmon said that the situation would only get worse over the next two days. "Experts stated that the water level would exceed the dangerous level. Don't wait till it happens! Leave now," he said. Salmin said that as of 8 April, the flood situation in Orenburg was deteriorating, and a state of emergency had been declared in the city. This morning, the water level in the Ural River was 872 centimetres and is approaching the dangerous level of 930 centimetres. A total of 2,015 plots and 1,535 households have already been flooded. 188 of them were flooded over the last 24 hours. For reference: According to the latest census, 543,654 people lived in Orenburg. Background: On 5 April, a dam on the Ural River broke in Orsk, Russias Orenburg Oblast. Many parts of the city were flooded. Other cities were also under threat of flooding; by the evening of 7 April, the water level in the Ural River near Orenburg was 864 centimetres, with 66 centimetres remaining till the critical level was reached. The flood situation remains critical and the water level will only rise in the coming days. Support UP or become our patron! Editors Note Some information which police initially provided about the shooting was not accurate. The story has been updated to include the corrected details. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said it was investigating a shooting that took place in Northeast Monday afternoon. Multiple people injured, beltway partially closes after crash in Prince Georges County MPD said two women were shot in the 1500 block of North Capitol St. NE. (Mariel Carbone/DC News Now) (Mariel Carbone/DC News Now) Police said neither woman who was hit by the gunfire had injuries that were considered life-threatening. The person believed to be responsible for the shooting last was seen in a white SUV with Maryland Chesapeake Bay tags, MPD said in a post on the platform X. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Return to Paradise, the Australia-set spin-off to Death in Paradise, has confirmed its first cast members as filming gets underway. The new series, which was confirmed in November, will follow Detective Mackenzie Clark as she returns to her hometown of Dolphin Cove following an incident in London, though she is not necessarily welcomed back as she returns. After six months of waiting, the cast for the series has finally been announced, with former Home and Away star Anna Samson filling the lead role of Mack; the supporting cast includes Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso), Tai Hara (Home and Away), Catherine McClements, Celia Ireland (Wentworth), Andrea Demetriades and Aaron McGrath. John Platt - BBC Related: Death in Paradise star Ralf Little shares thoughts on new detective Im beyond excited to welcome producer Di Haddon and our two fabulous directors, Mat King and Tenika Smith, who are coming together with our amazing cast to bring the world of Return to Paradise to life, said co-Creator and executive Producer Peter Mattessi in a statement. We are having so much fun creating this brand-new mystery series that brings an Australian twist to one of the globes most successful television franchises. We think audiences in Australia, UK and around the world are going to fall in love with our wonderful characters, our delicious whodunits, and our gorgeous coastal Australian locations. The logline for the series, which currently has no release date, reads: Return to Paradise follows DI Mackenzie Clarke (Samson), an Australian ex-pat whos made a name for herself in Londons Metropolitan Police for cracking uncrackable murder cases. When she is accused of tampering with evidence, Mackenzie returns to Australia, back to the last place she ever wanted to be her hometown of Dolphin Cove. Having fled the town six years ago, infamously leaving her ex- fiancee Glenn (Hara) at the altar, Mackenzie is not welcome here. BBC Related: Ralf Little admits he didn't want to leave Death in Paradise But with no other job options, and a unique talent for solving a mystery, no matter how challenging, a reluctant Mack joins the team at Dolphin Cove Police Station. Once a case lands on her desk, she cant rest until shes figured it out, and the killer is in handcuffs. Its that tenacity and work ethic that might just, over time, help Mackenzie win over her new colleagues, and the people of Dolphin Cove. There is no release date for Return to Paradise. Death in Paradise and its spin-off, Beyond Paradise, both air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer. You Might Also Like (Bloomberg) -- In March 2023, a 17-year-old girl who fell from a building in the South Korean city of Daegu died after her ambulance was turned away by three hospitals that lacked doctors to treat her. Most Read from Bloomberg She was among more than 3,750 patients who have died since 2017 after local hospitals refused to provide care, according to a report by Cheong Yooseok, a professor of medical science at Dankook University in Cheonan city. The startling statistic from one of Asias richest countries has become a major issue in the parliamentary elections taking place on April 10. While the country won acclaim for its low fatality rate during the Covid-19 pandemic, the focus now is on inefficiency, waste and skewed economic incentives in the health-care system. Renowned medical centers in Seoul are overwhelmed by patients, while the rest of the country struggles with a lack of physicians. A six-week-and-counting national walk-out by nearly 13,000 residents and interns protesting a plan to boost medical school enrollment has exacerbated the situation. Seung-Pyo Jung, an esophageal cancer patient who lives on Jeju Island in south, flew to Seoul National University Bandung Hospital for surgery last June. While hes supposed to have checkups every four weeks, sometimes it takes several months to get an appointment. Theres no doctor at all on this island who can treat esophageal cancer, Jung said of his hometown, which has a population of almost 700,000 people. Everything is so concentrated in Seoul. The Korean Emergency Medical Association, which advocates for doctors working at emergency centers, warned that it may join the protest. Meanwhile, the health ministry said its willing to discuss the Korean Medical Associations efforts to delay the plan to increase medical school enrollment if the group has a scientific, rational and unified proposal. Health Care Collapse Korea has among the fewest doctors per capita of all developed countries and hasnt increased the number of medical students in more than two decades, said Gaetan Lafortune, a senior economist at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Demographic factors like the rapidly aging population will exacerbate the scarcity, he said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to address the crisis. He proposed measures, like increasing the number of doctors, that have drawn complaints for being populist moves ahead of the election to select the 300 member National Assembly. While his conservative People Power Party is currently in power, hes trying to flip dozens of seats held by his progressive rivals, led by the Democratic Party, to take control of the national legislature. The health-care system is collapsing, Yoon said at a public hearing in February. Now is the golden time to push reforms. Yet the doctors themselves oppose efforts to expand physician supply, arguing that the governments proposal to increase medical school enrollment by 2,000 spots a year from the current 3,058 doesnt address the root problem. This, they say, is that doctor pay in some critical fields covered by the countrys National Health Insurance system is far lower than that for outside specialists, especially those who do cosmetic and aesthetic procedures. The disparity in compensation and infrastructure between Seoul and rural areas also means a dearth of medical workers outside the capital. Read more: Yoon Urges Korean Doctors to Return, Leaves Room for Talks Disappearing Doctors Doctors are disappearing at emergency centers, surgery rooms, delivery rooms, and hospitals in smaller cities, said Cheong, from Dankook University, in a December report. Many young doctors gave up becoming fellows at medical colleges and work in the beauty industry. Cosmetic surgery has aggressively taken hold and medical tourism is booming in South Korea. More than 8 million foreign patients arrived between 2009 and 2022, many for the beauty industry that offers ubiquitous access to plastic surgery, Botox for $6 per shot, and laser skin tightening. Meanwhile, essential fields including pediatrics have been hard hit. Only 53 residents applied to fill 205 pediatric slots for this year, and just eight were outside Seoul and its surroundings, according to the health ministry. For pediatric surgery, two trainee doctors applied for spots outside of the greater Seoul area. In June 2023, the Korean Pediatric Society held a conference titled How to Exit Pediatrics focused on learning about other disciplines including cosmetic surgery. The seminar was done at the behest of members who said the countrys ultra-low birth rate made it difficult to run pediatric clinics, officials said in a television interview with Channel A. Outside Seoul The situation is dire in most parts of the country. More than half of Koreas 114,000 doctors and dentists worked in Seoul or Gyeonggi province in 2022, according to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Hiring doctors outside the capital is tough, said Cho Seung-yeon, president of Incheon Medical Center. He couldnt find anyone to lead the dialysis division for two years. Another public hospital offered $1 million for a cardiologist, he said. Salaried doctors at private clinics can earn in excess of $300,000 annually, while those on their own make even more, he said. Cho offers $200,000 a year for physicians at his public hospital in Incheon, but he said few ultimately come. Even in Seoul, medical care can be tenuous given the doctor shortage. Kim Sung Ju, a 62-year-old who underwent surgery for esophageal cancer a decade ago, undergoes a battery of tests and waits hours for a brief visit with his doctor at Seoul St. Marys Hospital in Gangnam, an upscale neighborhood in the citys southeast, every three months. I really dont understand why I have to visit this big hospital every three months, because I only get to talk to my doctor for three minutes, he said. I had thought Koreas health insurance system, with private doctors and national health insurance, was the worlds best, but now its becoming the worlds worst. A more robust medical work force is also essential to the countrys public health, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, which has just 20 doctors out of 500 employees. We hope just two doctors join us a year, said Hong Jeong-ik, director-general of the bureau of public health emergency preparedness. They can do something meaningful for the public, even if that may not help them make huge a profit. Amid the national debate, wait times for care have worsened since the doctors walkout to protest Yoons proposed reforms. The president says he wont back down on what he calls a minimum requirement for fixing the underlying issues. Nearly four-in-five Koreans support the expansion, polling ahead of the election shows. A nurse died in August 2022 at the one of Koreas best hospitals, where she worked, because there was no doctor to treat her, Health and Welfare Minister Cho KyooHong said in an interview. This is not right. --With assistance from Kanoko Matsuyama and Sam Kim. (Adds government comments and a warning from emergency medicine doctors to the seventh and eighth paragraphs) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Editor's note: This is the latest in a series on Florida's first Great Wolf Lodge, one of the most significant endeavors in Naples history that's drawing plenty of questions from you. One of Collier County's biggest private workplaces, the 530,000-square-foot resort and water park is slated as Southwest Florida's third largest employer in tourism, drawing by itself the same number of visitors in a year that all of Collier in its entirety attracts in nearly three months time. Even though I ever so briefly lived there, have never been a big fan of Texas. It probably stems all the way back to that 1972 Super Bowl stinker when the Miami Dolphins could only manage three points against the Dallas Cowboys, tied for the fewest ever in the championship. Or how until that Christmas Eve victory gift in December, the Dolphins hadn't beat them in two decades and won only once in 30 years. How about 'dem Cowboys? Ug. At least, we'll always have the Thanksgiving 1993 Leon Lett game. Now, rival Texas wants to take something else away from us Floridians. The honor of getting the milestone 20th Great Wolf Lodge in the United States, and potentially opening before ours in Collier County even though construction started here first, prior to Hurricane Ian's disruption. Here's what to know. What state is getting the next Great Wolf Lodge, No. 20 in the U.S.? "It's going to be close, Phil, to be honest with you," Vice-President Jason Lasecki said of dueling rising mammoths in suburban Webster, Texas and Naples. "There's a little friendly competition (to) see who ends up coming out first. But regardless, personally I'm hoping there's at least a three- or four-week break between the two so I can deliver two grand openings that are spectacular. I don't know if people really understand the scale and scope of Great Wolf, and I think once they see everything finished and walk through those doors, they're just going to be in awe." Water park resort: With Naples first, is there room for two Great Wolf Lodges in Florida? What's the plan? Construction continues at the Great Wolf Lodge South Florida site in Naples on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. What are current debut dates for Great Wolf Lodge in Naples and Texas? With about 600 employees, the $250 million Great Wolf Lodge South Florida plans a Sept. 25 arrival while Texas just got slotted in to Oct. 18. When weather doesn't get in the way, Great Wolf's track record is to continue moving up dates and allow earlier and earlier bookings, but the Lone Star scenario of galloping ahead makes that less likely for the Sunshine State at the moment, Lasecki said. "We will need to leave a gap between the two," the Chicago-based Lasecki said. "So at some point, we'll have to make a decision, 'This one is going to have to be first, and the next one will be like, three or four weeks out.'" Election: Blog: Final Naples mayor, Marco results in. Collier Republicans also had their vote Construction continues at the Great Wolf Lodge South Florida site in Naples on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. Could the Collier County Great Wolf Lodge be delayed in Florida? Barring a worst case situation, that isn't likely for the attraction, expected to draw 500,000 annual visitors, Lasecki said. "I wouldn't say at this point that Sept. 25 is set in stone, and it's going to be it. I would say it's probably the latest we would open," the former Florida resident said, with the target date close to that two-year Hurricane Ian anniversary. "Personally, when you kind of come out of a hurricane where it's caused a lot of damage and destruction, the community is recovering. Sometimes projects like this are beacons that the recovery is well underway and can turn a corner. "So hopefully, that's what we're able to provide here for the Southwest Florida community when we open." Based at the Naples Daily News, Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com) grew up in Southwest Florida and has led Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts. He writes In the Know, one of USA TODAY Network's most read local news columns in the state. Support democracy. Subscribe to a newspaper. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Will Texas get next Great Wolf Lodge before Florida opens its first? A linguistics analysis shows that language arrived in North America in multiple waves from Siberia. The Americas have half of the worlds linguistic diversity, despite a much shorter human history. Linguistic typology uses many criteria to compile statistics about world language families. Humans conclusively did not evolve in North or South America, meaning everyone here arrived from elsewhere. And just as all of the people here must have come from somewhere else, all of the languages must have as well. In a new peer-reviewed study, linguist Johanna Nichols dug into just that. A pioneer in the field of linguistic typology (a subfield of linguistics that organizes world languages by how many criteria they share from an overall list) Nichols has long been fascinated with the origins of different languageswhich, until now, weve only been able to study back to about 8,000 years ago in North America. Nichols wasnt satisfied with 8,000 years of information, and has believed for decades that using a broader and even more statistical approach than standard methods of linguistic analysis (boosted by computer power) could push our understanding of language further backward in time than ever before. Her approachand, thus, the approach of the subfield she helped pioneeris innovative. Researchers compile lists of qualities that languages have, like whether their nouns have a separate plural form or a gender. They then score different regional languages or language groups on each of those qualities. This allows for the comparison of a number of languages at once, meaning researchers can spot resemblances of many kinds and even overall patterns shared by many languages. And the combination of aspects covered in their spreadsheets creates a more stable model to apply backward in time. Through those intricate methods of study, Nichols found significant evidence that the first languages of North America can be traced back to two very different language groups from Siberia. She wrote that there are about 200 independent language families of the Americas, and that this level of variation must have an explanation based on how people migrated at the time. Nichols believes its likely that such a diverse language pool results from multiple entriespaths by which people could enter and migrate within the Americasboth before and after North America was roped off by glaciers. When conditions created physical openings for people groups to travel through, they took advantage and moved. By analyzing how 60 of those language groups meaningfully resemble or differ from each other, she concludes that people brought languages with them from Siberia in two chunks, about 24,000 and 15,000 years ago. About 14,000 years ago, people were also able to get into the enormous basin formed by the Rocky Mountains in the west and the Appalachian and connected mountain ranges in the east. (This is intermontane North America, she explainsbetween the mountains.) Johanna Nichols Certainly, moving the study-able window from 8,000 years to 24,000 years is a huge changeone Nichols wants to see ripple through other fields. This paper is an exploratory study showing that there is enough linguistic evidence to support the model and raise research questions and hypotheses, Nichols stated. It is intended to help geneticists, archeologists, and linguists formulate research questions and hypotheses relevant to each others work. The nature of language means we will probably never know the exact origin (or many origins) of language as a concept. But innovative analysis like this is a start. Moving forward, Nichols wants to examine where these early North American residents went after arriving in their new home. Sorting out, in this linguistically diverse population, descendants from the respective openings is a challenge for further research, Nichols wrote. Shes also curious whether or not the same chunks of migrating people made their way into South America. Only timeand a great deal more workwill get us as close to understanding language as we possibly can. You Might Also Like Congress returns to Capitol Hill on Monday after its spring break with a long list of budget hearings on tap, including planned appearances from top Defense Department and Veterans Affairs leaders. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee for their first testimony regarding the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request. Congressional panels have seven more budget hearings scheduled this week. On Thursday, VA Secretary Denis McDonough will make his first budget appearance this year before the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Both McDonough and Austin are expected to appear before multiple committees over the next few weeks to talk about their funding needs and challenges. Lawmakers are expected to unveil their response to the White House budget request in early summer, with hopes of passing a full-year full-government budget by Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year. Tuesday, April 9 Senate Armed Services 9:30 a.m. 216 Hart Defense Budget Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown and Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request for defense operations. Senate Appropriations 10 a.m. 192 Dirksen Air Force/Space Force Budget Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request. Senate Appropriations 2:30 p.m. 138 Dirksen USAID Budget USAID Administrator Samatha Power will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request for her agency. Senate Rules 2:45 p.m. 301 Russell Smithsonian Oversight Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch III will testify on challenges facing the agency. House Veterans' Affairs 3 p.m. 360 Cannon VA Supply Chain Department officials will testify on supply chain challenges in medical operations. Wednesday, April 10 Senate Armed Services 9:30 a.m. 106 Dirksen Special Operations and Cyber Issues Officials from U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Cyber Command will testify on upcoming challenges and the fiscal 2025 budget request. House Armed Services 10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn European Command Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request. Senate Foreign Relations 10 a.m. 419 Dirksen USAID Budget USAID Administrator Samatha Power will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request for her agency. House Transportation 10 a.m. 2167 Rayburn FBI Headquarters FBI officials will discuss plans for the agencys new headquarters. House Appropriations 10 a.m. Capitol H-140 Navy/Marine Corps Budget Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request. House Appropriations April 10 10 a.m. 2359 Rayburn Homeland Security Budget Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will testify to his agencys budget needs for next fiscal year. House Foreign Affairs 10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn China's Influence at the U.N. Outside experts will testify on concerns about Chinese influence within United Nations operations. House Veterans' Affairs 1:30 p.m. 360 Cannon Pending Legislation The subcommittee on disability assistance and memorial affairs will consider several pending bills. House Appropriations 2 p.m. Capitol H-140 Army Budget Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request. House Appropriations 2 p.m. 2362-A Rayburn Army Construction plans Installation management officials will testify on family housing and Army base construction plans for the next year. House Foreign Affairs 2 p.m. 2172 Rayburn USAID Operations USAID Administrator Samatha Power will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request for her agency. Senate Energy 2:30 p.m. 366 Dirksen Cybersecurity Outside experts will testify on the government's role in assessing cyber threats and vulnerabilities of public water infrastructure. House Armed Services 3:30 p.m. 2212 Rayburn Cyber Command Officials from U.S. Cyber Command will testify on current operations and the fiscal 2025 budget request. Senate Veterans' Affairs 3:30 p.m. 418 Russell Women Veteran Equity Department officials will testify on efforts to ensure equity in medical care and benefits for women veterans. Thursday, April 11 Senate Armed Services 8 a.m. 216 Hart European and Transportation Command Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, and Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, head of U.S. Transportation Command, will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request. House Veterans' Affairs 9 a.m. 360 Cannon VA Budget Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough will testify before the committee on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request. House Armed Services 9 a.m. 2118 Rayburn Member Day Lawmakers from outside the committee will offer their suggestions for the annual defense authorization bill. House Appropriations 1:30 p.m. 2362-A Rayburn USAID Budget Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will testify to his agencys budget needs for next fiscal year. House Oversight 1 p.m. 2154 Rayburn FDA Food and Drug Administration officials will testify on current operations. House Appropriations 2 p.m. 2362-B Rayburn Navy/Marine Corps Construction Plans Installation management officials will testify on family housing and Navy and Marine Corps base construction plans for the next year. House Armed Services 3:30 p.m. 2212 Rayburn China Outside experts will testify on threats posed by China. House Armed Services 3:30 p.m. 2118 Rayburn Transportation Command Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, head of U.S. Transportation Command, will testify on the White Houses fiscal 2025 budget request. Friday, April 12 House Armed Services 9 a.m. 2212 Rayburn Missile Defense Pentagon officials will testify on current missile defense programs and challenges for the future. The UKs current Prime Minister is of Indian origin, the First Minister of Scotland and Mayor of London have Pakistani roots, and the Welsh First Minister is the first black leader of any European country. Whatever your view of their politics or abilities, this development will look even more remarkable once youve waded through Defiance: Fighting the Far Right (Channel 4). The documentarys three episodes revisit the gruelling story of the Asian immigrant experience in the 1970s. Popular culture was guilty of portraying newly arrived Asians as pliantly alien figures of fun. It was far worse out on the streets where the National Front spewed hatred. As one contributor argued here, Asians settling in the UK in the 1970s felt more discriminated against than Jamaicans, who were Christian and spoke English. We were the immigrants, said Balraj Purewal. We were the blacks. Purewal was one of many activists who, back then, popped up in television coverage of racial hostilities. Decades later, we watch him watching footage of his younger self. Its a powerful and moving form of storytelling. His hair is greyer and less luxuriant. His righteous rage still simmers. The series is bookended by violent death. In 1976 Gurdip Singh Chaggar, a Punjabi teenager, was stabbed in Southall. The judge ruled out a racial motivation, and two culprits got off with light manslaughter sentences. One down, one million to go, snarled NF chairman John Kingsley Read. Then in 1981 Parveen Khan and her three children died when petrol was poured through their letterbox in Walthamstow and set alight. No one has ever been convicted. Throughout this period, passive community elders argued for keeping a low profile. Mrs Thatcher agreed: Ignore extremists, she recommended. Strongly suspecting that the police would come to the aid of racists before anti-racists, courageous young Asians opted for self-defence. Balraj Purewal described his struggles of living in 1970s Britain - Channel4 The Met above all the so-called Special Patrol Group doesnt come out of this narrative well. Its commissioner, David McNee, gave a press conference that was pure threat: If you keep off the streets of London and behave yourself, you wont have the SPG to worry about. Ill leave that message with you. When in 1979 the National Front tauntingly held an election meeting in Southall, the SPG arrived in numbers to ensure they could do so. On that day Blair Peach, a New Zealand teacher protesting with the Anti-Nazi League, was heading home when he was killed by police truncheon. Then and now, young and old, his friend Jo Lang relived his death for which no one has ever been charged. Several blushing policemen pluck up the courage to defend the Mets record. The most conflicted is Saf Mogul, an Asian PC who was caught on the horns of a horrible dilemma when ordered to protect racists from Asians. I was probably a coward, he sadly concludes. This is fresh, important and detailed history about the brutal birth pangs of a multiracial society. It concludes with the trial of the Bradford 12, accused in 1981 of manufacturing petrol bombs. Their landmark acquittal defanged the NF, though the series doesnt go into how. Indeed Defiances three hours of nightmare end with a shrug. What are the lessons? wonders Pritpal Sahota, a proud survivor of Southalls struggles. There was no lesson for us to learn. It happened to us. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. About 8,000 hate crime reports were made in the first week of the SNP's hate crime legislation coming into force - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Police Scotland are failing to solve an increasing number of shoplifting cases, sexual assaults and car thefts while they are inundated with hate crime reports, figures show. Analysis by The Telegraph has revealed that clear-up rates for two-thirds of offences have declined since 2011 when the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) first became Holyroods majority government including violence, fraud and rape. Unlike data in England and Wales, Scotland provides figures on the number of offences cleared up, which means there is enough evidence to justify considering criminal proceedings. It does not mean that someone has necessarily been charged or prosecuted for the cleared up crime. The disclosure comes as frontline officers claimed Police Scotland cant cope with a deluge of hate crime reports made under the SNPs new law. About 8,000 hate crime reports were made in the first week of the legislation coming into force, overtaking the total of 6,927 hate crimes in the entire year of 2020-21. If the trend continued at the same rate annually, it would produce 10 times as many reported offences as assault, the most common crime in Scotland. Police Scotland have gone public and said that on every occasion, reports of hate crime will be investigated, said David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation. That creates a situation where we simply cannot cope at the moment. Officers have been brought back in to do overtime shifts and the management of that is simply unsustainable. Police chiefs have also warned that the surge in hate crime reports could distract officers from solving other crimes such as thefts, burglaries and violent offences. Police Scotlands clear-up rate has improved from 52.4 per cent in 2011 to 53.3 per cent in 2023 as recorded crime has fallen from 394,155 to 289,362 over the same period. However, the clear-up rate has declined in 26 of the 38 crime groups, including shoplifting, which is down from 71.3 per cent to 53.5 per cent since 2011, sexual assault (down from 63.8 per cent to 54.2 per cent) and car theft (43.3 per cent to 38.4 per cent). Common assault was the most common offence, totaling 57,708 crimes in 2023 with the clear-up rate falling marginally from 69.9 per cent in 2011 to 68.2 per cent. Non-sexual violence had the biggest fall in the proportion solved, down from 85.9 per cent in 2011 to 40.2 per cent in 2023. Fraud, one of the 10 most common crimes with 16,879 offences reported in 2023, also fell dramatically, from a clear-up rate of 57.2 per cent in 2011 to just 16.1 per cent in 2023. The number of frauds had doubled from 8,983 in 2011. Rape and attempted rape, where the number of offences had more than doubled since 2011 to 2,529, saw the clear-up rate drop from 54.9 per cent to 53.3 per cent. With 8,000 hate crimes reported in the first week since the new law, it was a figure that dwarfed the weekly rates for other crimes such as assaults (which were record at 1,104 a week last year), threatening behaviour (835), vandalism (712), shoplifting (548), drug possession (428) and fraud (323). The legislation, which was passed by MSPs in 2021 but only came into force this month, makes it an offence to stir up hatred against protected groups such as transgender people, the disabled and the elderly. Mr Threadgold said the scale of hate crime reports was unprecedented for any crime. When you have vexatious complaints, people who look to weaponise this legislation or who make these complaints for personal gain or political point scoring, then that creates a problem for the police which can affect public satisfaction in my organisation, he said. Now, the First Minister in Scotland can talk about his confidence, and Police Scotlands ability to deal with vexatious complaints as he has done, but what we have never seen before is the scale of the complaints coming in around one piece of legislation. A Let Women Speak rally in Edinburgh, following the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act coming into force - Jane Barlow/PA Ahead of enforcement, the SNP Government and Police Scotland launched a campaign urging the public to report all instances of hate but have been taken aback by the volume of complaints. Police officers received two hours of online training, which Mr Threadgold said had not been adequate to equip them to make difficult judgments around complex issues such as how to balance freedom of speech. A Police Scotland spokesman said: While we have seen a substantial increase in the number of online hate crime reports being received since April 1, these have been managed within our contact centres and have not impacted frontline policing. The data is from 2022-23 when Police Scotland officers were facing an increased demand, which was evidenced by a higher number of calls, and resources were prioritised in these areas. Although the challenges facing Police Scotland should not be underestimated, officers continue to provide effective policing to communities across the country. A Scottish government spokesman said: We have worked with partners, including Police Scotland, to ensure effective implementation of the act, and the timetable for commencement has allowed for the delivery of a robust package of training and guidance for police officers. Training officers is an operational matter to Police Scotland. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Denmark's Foreign Ministry announced $5.8 million in aid for Ukraine's energy infrastructure, according to a press release on April 8. The announcement came during Danish Energy Minister Lars Aagaard's visit to Kyiv. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which tracks international aid for Ukraine, Denmark has provided almost $9.5 billion to Ukraine, making it the second largest financial backer as a percentage of GDP. Russia has intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on energy facilities across the country. Among Moscow's targets were the Kaniv Hydroelectric Power Plant in Cherkasy Oblast, the Dniester Hydroelectric Power Plant in Chernivtsi Oblast, and Zaporizhzhia's Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, said in March that Russian attacks had damaged 80% of the company's thermal power capacity. "Energy security and supply is being used as a weapon against Ukraine to wear down Ukrainian citizens," said Aagaard. "From our side, we will do whatever we can to make their energy systems as robust and sustainable as possible," he added. The funds will be directed toward Ukraine's ability to rebuild damaged infrastructure and "develop an energy system that is more resistant to both rough winters and Russian attacks," Aagaard said. Aagard also met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Herman Haluschenko, and the two ministers signed an agreement on a Danish-Ukrainian partnership in the field of renewable energy, with a special focus on biogas. Read also: Denmark announces new military aid package for Ukraine worth $336 million Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. DENVER (KDVR) The Pinpoint Weather Alert Day rolls on until Sunday night as winds will remain very strong, leading to property damage, difficult travel and possible power outages. Data: Fastest wind gusts reported across Colorado this weekend High Wind Warnings are in place until 6 p.m. Sunday for the eastern plains, meanwhile, the foothills and the areas surrounding Denver are under a Red Flag Warning through Sunday evening at 8 p.m. Outdoor burning is not recommended for the rest of the day. Multiple fires break out due to downed powerlines amid strong winds Weather tonight: Partly cloudy and breezy Sunday night brings partly cloudy skies and overnight temperatures dropping into the lower 30s, which is around average for this time of the year. Winds will be breezy but still will be calming down overnight with gusts as high as 25 mph. Photos: Extreme winds wreak havoc across Denver, the Front Range Weather tomorrow: Sunny skies Monday marks the beginning of a mild stretch. Highs will be in the upper 50s nearing 60s degrees, and while that is below average it will feel very comfortable since cloud cover will be kept to a minimum. Winds will be coming out of the northeast by the afternoon with some gusts as high as 15 mph. Where power outages are affecting thousands of Coloradans Sunday Looking ahead: Warming back up Tuesday the warm and dry air continues with highs in the upper 50s and lower 60s. There will be minimal cloud cover as well. There is a slight chance of an afternoon storm on Wednesday after 2 p.m., but most areas will remain dry. Highs will be in the lower 60s under mostly sunny skies. Temperatures will stay in the 60s through Thursday before jumping into the 70s on Friday and Saturday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) A 17-year-old has been charged with robbing a 14-year-old girl at gunpoint near Holland, the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office said. On Monday, a 17-year-old Holland boy was charged with armed robbery. The sheriffs office said he is being held in the Ottawa County Juvenile Detention Center. The robbery happened around 1 a.m. Friday at Leisure Estates Mobile Home Community off Butternut Drive near James Street in Holland Township. The girl told deputies that the suspect had a pistol and took cash from her after she had made a TikTok video with some friends. She was not hurt. A police dog was brought to the scene to try and track the robber, but did not find him. Deputies said the suspect was identified later Friday and arrested in Holland Township. His name wasnt released because he is a juvenile. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Despite clouds, Oak Park Elementary School teaches all about the eclipse As the moon crossed in front of the sun Monday afternoon over Oak Park Elementary School, the clouds were thick in the sky. Students dutifully kept their eclipse glasses over their eyes, though there wasnt much to see. Then, for a few seconds, a sliver of sun shone through the clouds. I see it! I cant see anything. Oh, I see it! Oak Park Elementary School teacher Stacy Flores's second grade class attempts to catch a glimpse of a solar eclipse on a cloudy day on Monday. Results were mixed as second grade teachers Amber Martinez and Stacy Floress students tried to catch a glimpse of the celestial event. The light might have dimmed a little, principal Federico Saqui observed, as though it was 6 p.m. instead of 1:30 p.m. But regardless of whether they saw the eclipse with their own eyes, students did learn all about the phenomenon that day in the classroom. They were completely excited, Flores said. I know I had perfect attendance. Inside the school before the eclipse, Flores and second grade teacher Jared Ulch told students about different types of eclipses, including total solar eclipses, when the moon blocks out all of the suns light; partial solar eclipses, when the moon covers just part of the sun; and annular eclipses, when a ring of sun is visible behind the dark circle of the moon. Solar eclipses are visible somewhere on Earth every few years, but often over the ocean. For individuals, experiencing a solar eclipse without having to travel is a rare experience. What happened when there was a total eclipse 600 years ago? Flores said. Birds fell from the sky. They thought it was night-time. Corpus Christi was not on the pathway for a 100% total eclipse, Flores told the students, but most of the sun was set to be covered Monday. Eclipses arent part of a typical school year, but related topics like phases of the moon are a part of the normal curriculum and tied in with Monday's lesson, Flores said. Though it ended up being too cloudy for students to see much, the teachers were careful to stress eye-safety. Eclipse glasses are much darker than sunglasses, blocking out everything but the sun, Ulch said. Does that mean theyre broken? No, Ulch said. No the sun is so bright its the only thing you can see. They are not broken, they work perfectly. Keep them on outside. Corpus Christi ISD provided eclipse glasses or viewers for all students in first grade through fifth grade at Oak Park Elementary School. In addition to attempting to see the eclipse outside, students were also shown livestreamed video footage from NASA. The second graders also colored and put together pictures of the earth, moon and sun to learn about how eclipses are possible. The teacher taught us the solar eclipse happens, the moon comes in front of the sun, second grader Amethyst Mahan said as she colored in Martinezs classroom. The last time a total solar eclipse crossed the U.S. was 2017 when the path crossed from Oregon to South Carolina. Martinez told the class about this eclipse as well. I was still a baby then, second grader Jalice Flores said. It will be decades before another total solar eclipse crosses the U.S. Before the eclipse, the students asked a lot of good questions, Martinez said. They wanted to know what would happen if they looked at the eclipse without glasses and if it was safe to look at the eclipse through a phone. Theyre so prone with technology, they were asking those questions, Martinez said. Flour Bluff ISD wetlands ambassadors to share research with community FAFSA submissions down so far, but still time to submit What to know about "beachcombing" Jace Tunnell highlights strange beach finds This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Despite clouds, Oak Park Elementary School teaches eclipse Docs: Man arrested, charged with murder from drug deal gone bad in 2020 Docs: Man arrested, charged with murder from drug deal gone bad in 2020 EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A 28-year-old El Paso man has been arrested and is facing a murder charge in the shooting death of another man back in 2020 in what appears to be a drug deal gone bad, according to court documents obtained by KTSM. Darian Malik Hunter, age 28, was arrested in Virginia on April 6 and subsequently transported to El Paso, where he was booked into the El Paso County Detention Center, according to El Paso Police. Court records show he was booked under $750,000 bond. EPPD investigating shooting in Central El Paso Hunter is being charged with murder in the shooting death of Jose Carlos Olivas. At about 10:45 p.m. on July 30, 2020, El Paso Police officers responded to a shooting at 4308 E. Missouri in Central El Paso. When officers arrived they found the victim, later identified as Olivas, lying in the street with a gunshot wound to the head, according to court documents. The victim was kept on life support at a local hospital until dying on Feb. 24, 2021. Detectives obtained surveillance video from the area which showed an man shooting a weapon in the direction of where the victims car was parked. The man then crossed the street and continued to fire the gun in the direction of the victims vehicle. At one point in the video, the shooter who was seen in the footage is not firing his weapon but shots could still be heard, meaning there were multiple shooters, according to court documents. The man seen in the surveillance video is then seen entering the passenger side of a vehicle driven by another person and then taking off, according to court documents. Two anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers implicated Hunter in the crime. Police also did their own independent research that led them to Hunter, according to court documents. On Sept. 25, 2020, police officers conducted a traffic stop along U.S.-54 of a car being driven by Hunter. The officers smelled marijuana, searched his vehicle and found a 45-caliber Glock handgun in the vehicle, according to court documents. Spent casings found at the crime scene were those of a 45-caliber handgun, according to court documents. Hunter was taken to Police Headquarters where he asked to see a lawyer. The suspect did tell police he knew another co-defendant in the incident. This co-defendant was not identified in court documents obtained by KTSM. Police learned that Hunter left El Paso following his initial interview with police. Then on Jan. 30 of this year, an unidentified co-defendant came forward to police and provided detailed facts of the incident that have yet to be made public, court documents said. The unnamed co-defendant who came forward said he fears possible retaliation against him and his family. This unnamed co-defendant said he was present during the incident and said he knew a drug deal was going to be made in the victims car. The person provided names of other co-conspirators and told police the drug deal was for a key (kilogram) of cocaine. Investigators did find a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine inside the victims vehicle. Once the drug deal was over, the unnamed co-defendant told police that Hunter began firing a handgun out of a car and fired several times in the direction of the victim before fleeing in the car. At this time, investigators know there were two shooters and two different calibers that were used to shoot at (Olivas), court documents said. Investigators could not determine which projectile caused the (victims) death). For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. French patients who fail to turn up to a medical appointment will be forced to pay a fine of 5. Gabriel Attal, the prime minister, unveiled the penalty as President Emmanuel Macrons government is under orders to cut spending given a shock rise in public deficit and debt. French media has dubbed the scheme the rabbit tax as French for a no-show is poser un lapin. Penalising patients who fail to show up could free up to 20 million appointments a year for other patients, the prime minister insisted. We cant allow this to continue, said Mr Attal. French doctors record around 27 million missed appointments per year. 24 hours notice Under the plans, patients would have to provide debit or credit card details when arranging an appointment. If they fail to turn up without giving at least 24 hours notice, doctors would be allowed to fine them. However, the decision would be at their discretion and they could exempt patients with a valid reason for failing to show up. It is a sum that may seem high to some, insufficient to others, but in any case, health is not free, said Catherine Vautrin, the health minister, on RTL radio. The aim was, she said, to make patients more responsible at a time when many French people are finding it difficult to access healthcare. The plan has sparked an angry response from doctors unions and patients groups. This wont work, Patrick Pelloux, head of the emergency doctors union, told RMC radio. Its just a tax and the health service could suffer. The plan has sparked an angry response from doctors' unions and patients' groups - FRED DUFOUR/FRED DUFOUR Gerard Raymond, president of Assos Sante, a patients group, said: This isnt a way of making patients more responsible but an attempt to blame them and make them feel guilty for the systems shortcomings. Luc Duquesnel, a general practitioner, said he would prefer to educate people rather than tell professionals youre going to tax people, which will strain relations with our patients. The government wants the fines to start from January 1 and Mr Attal said new legislation would be brought before parliament. An earlier bill to introduce a penalty was passed last year by the majority-Right Senate but then rejected by the National Assembly. Medical deserts Mr Attal also announced that more doctors would be trained to reduce so-called medical deserts in areas of France with few or no GPs or medical facilities, especially in rural areas and small towns. The aim was to ensure that everyone had a doctor within 30 minutes of their home. Mr Attal said that the number of second-year places in medical schools would increase from 10,000 to 12,000 next year, and to 16,000 in 2027. A third of students drop out after the first year of medicine. But Mr Duquesnel said GP pay would have to be improved otherwise trained medical students would simply go elsewhere. You can increase the number of doctors, but if they dont become general practitioners, the situation will continue to worsen, he said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. What does a solar eclipse look like from Mars? NASA shares photos ahead of April 8 totality While we earthlings prepare for a rare total solar eclipse that will pass over North America, Mars had one of its own earlier this year. A timelapse of photos taken by NASA's Perseverance rover Feb. 8 showed the Red Planet's tiny doomed moon Phobos crossing in front of the much-larger sun. One month earlier, Mars' other moon, Deimos, completed a transit of its own. The U.S. space agency shared timelapses of the incredible celestial events last week in preparation for the total solar eclipse that today will shroud a long swath of the U.S. in uncharacteristic darkness. Earth isnt the only planet in our solar system that experiences solar eclipses Mars does, too! While Martian moons arent the right size or distance to fully cover the Sun, @NASAPersevere recently spotted some cool transits. pic.twitter.com/TeB0HUnQYG NASA Mars (@NASAMars) April 4, 2024 By now, the millions of Americans who plan to witness today's total solar eclipse likely have some concept of what's in store. But for those wondering what an eclipse looks like on another planet in the solar system, here's what to know about what Mars experienced. Solar eclipse experiment: Here's why NASA is launching 3 sounding rockets into space during the total solar eclipse Mars solar eclipse: See Phobos, Deimos, transiting the sun Mars' moon Phobos passes in front of the sun in this image captured Feb. 8 by NASA's Perseverance rover. From Mars' Jezero Crater, the Perseverance rover, which landed on the planet in 2021, captured a series of images on Feb. 8 of the odd-shaped tiny moon Phobos passing in front of the much-larger sun. Engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory later uploaded 68 images of the solar eclipse to an online collection. The rover's left Mastcam-Z camera is one of two scouting imagers placed high on the mast of Perseverance that is famous for capturing panoramic landscape views of the Red Planet. On that day, though, the camera was instead angled skyward as the asteroid-sized Phobos passed overhead. Like Earth, any planet with a moon can experience eclipses. But for planets with moons as small as those of Mars,' the bodies may be either too small or too distant to create a total solar eclipse such as the one fast approaching Earth. In the case of Phobos, the Martian moon's size and shape roughly 17 miles long on its longest side make it impossible for it to completely cover the sun's disk to create a total solar eclipse on Mars like the one headed Earth's way in only a matter of hours. Same goes for the smaller Deimos, despite being 16 times closer to the planet than our moon is to Earth. Deimos recently had a transit of the sun of its own in January, a timelapse of which NASA shared Thursday in a thread on the social media site X along with Phobos' eclipse of the sun. The visuals NASA shared show a silhouette of Deimos, which is just 7.5 miles in diameter, transiting the sun. The transit took about two minutes, though NASA said it sped the video up for social media. As for Phobos, the transit is shown in real time. The rover then spotted Phobos eclipsing the Sun in February. The video shows the transit in real time. Phobos is the larger of the two Martian moons coming in at a diameter of 14 miles (22 km). Eons from now, Phobos orbit is expected to send it toward the Martian surface. pic.twitter.com/3T8ORNWGcx NASA Mars (@NASAMars) April 4, 2024 Mars rovers have observed solar eclipses for years It's not the first time Mars rovers have observed Phobos, which is on a collision course with the Red Planet, crossing in front of the sun. But each time these eclipses are observed, scientists say they can measure subtle shifts in Phobos orbit as that fatal day approaches. While Spirit and Opportunity made the first observations in 2004, it wasn't until 2019 that Curiosity became the first to record video of the event, NASA has said. "Each time these eclipses are observed, they allow scientists to measure subtle shifts in Phobos orbit over time," NASA explained after a previous eclipse in 2022. "The moons tidal forces pull on the deep interior crust and mantle of the Red Planet; studying how much Phobos shifts over time reveals something about how resistant the crust and mantle are, and thus what kinds of materials theyre made of." Phobos is on a collision course with Mars Translated as "fear" in Greek, Phobos is one of two Martian moons discovered in 1877 by American astronomer Asaph Hall. This image from ESA/NASA, obtained August 21, 2008, shows the surface of the Martian moon Phobos. Orbiting Mars three times a day, Phobos is much closer to the planet's surface than its brother Deimos, according to NASA. Gouges from thousands of meteorite impacts mark the moon, which scientists believe was nearly shattered by a giant impact long ago. But unlike Deimos ("dread," in Greek), which is drifting ever-outward and will eventually leave Mars' orbit, Phobos is on a collision course with the Red Planet. Mars' strong gravity is drawing Phobos about six feet closer to it every century. Don't worry: The worlds' impending collision won't occur in our lifetime. Sometime within the next 50 million years, the moon is expected to either crash into Mars or break up into a planetary ring like Saturn's. Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What does a solar eclipse look like from Mars? NASA shares timelapse How does a town of 200 prepare for 100,000 eclipse visitors? For Hochatown, tourism is 'our bread and butter' The view from Beavers Bend Lodge overlooks Broken Bow Lake ahead of Monday's eclipse. Oklahoma Highway Patrol set up a headquarters at the lakefront, including their motorcycle detail. Millions of Americans will watch the sky darken on Monday as the moon completely blocks out the sun for a few short minutes. Many of those in the path of the total solar eclipse will be visitors from near and far and tens of thousands of them are expected to watch the celestial event from a small town nestled in Oklahoma's Kiamichi Mountains. Hochatown, Oklahoma, is a town of 200 residents, but don't let that number fool you. The community is flush with tourists every weekend, mostly coming from Texas to relax in a cabin and spend time in the outdoors, thanks to its proximity to Beavers Bend State Park and Broken Bow Lake. But the number of visitors to Hochatown, which is located on either side of the two-lane State Highway 259, could be up to 100,000 on Monday, the day it will be in the path of totality of the 2024 solar eclipse. That's double what they see on a fully booked weekend, said Mayor Dian Jordan. More: What time is the solar eclipse? Search your ZIP code for a viewing guide A sign advertises all-day parking for Monday's total solar eclipse in Hochatown, Oklahoma. 50,000 to 100,000 visitors for the eclipse? That's Hochatown's 'bread and butter' How will the town handle so many? "We're used to dealing with tourists," Jordan said. "I mean, that's our bread and butter, those are our businesses. We feed them, we take care of them, we house them, we entertain them. So we feel like the eclipse is just another weekend." Hochatown sees an average of 30,000 each weekend and expects 50,000 this weekend with accommodations 95% booked. With only one way in and out of town, the town is no stranger to backed-up traffic, and businesses are used to serving thousands each weekend. Extra port-a-potties have been placed in Beavers Bend State Park ahead of the eclipse. But of course, some additional preparations are being made. Like the 30 port-a-potties the town rented to be placed up and down the highway. And Jordan said because McCurtain County is the only county in Oklahoma seeing 100% totality, it's been easy to get help from the state. Along with Oklahoma National Guard troops, 70 additional highway patrolmen will be present. The McCurtain County Health Department also has called in extra sanitarians to inspect restaurants. "If this had been the whole state, we would have been struggling for resources," Jordan said. "But as it is, they understand, we're a brand-new town, we're all volunteers." An Oklahoma Highway Patrol vehicle stationed outside Beavers Bend Lodge in Beavers Bend State Park, just outside of Hochatown, ahead of the eclipse. Traffic gridlock expected on two-lane highway through Hochatown One of the biggest concerns is the expected traffic gridlock as thousands try to make their way along the two-lane highway. But Jordan said the town, and all of McCurtain County, has been preparing for more than a year for the chaos the eclipse is likely to bring. Hochatown's Community Emergency Response Team is prepared to hop on ATVs and ride on the side of the highway, in case of emergencies. The members of the Hochatown Volunteer Fire Department will stay in a home close to town so they can be present without worrying about traffic. The same is true for the rural water district employees, who will stay at the water department in case they need to respond to broken water lines or other emergencies. Solar eclipse warnings piling up: Should Oklahomans be worried on April 8, 2024? Hochatown businesses make plans ahead of solar eclipse Business owners are planning some changes, as well, including having employees stay at work the night before the eclipse, and plan to potentially stay Monday night, too. The Hochatown Rescue Center and Petting Zoo will be fully staffed on Monday, and employees are prepared to have "a slumber party," said supervisor Kayla Tucker. "It's one of those things where we've never had to face this before, so we're not fully sure what to expect," Tucker said. "We just kind of expect the worst and be prepared for that, and hope for the best." The local hardware store has ordered extra emergency supplies like tarps, flashlights and gas cans, Jordan said. At the Beavers Bend Mining Co., which is just north of the entrance to Beavers Bend State Park and is within walking distance of the petting zoo, owner Billy Brooks said the idea of the eclipse and so many people coming to town is "a little unnerving." "How do you prepare for something that the town has never really experienced?" Brooks asked. "I mean, you can prepare to a certain extent, and you try to guess what people are going to do. You try to guess how many people are going to be here ... what kind of dangers, what kind of unique situations you're going to encounter. But that's what they are. They're guesses. And so we hope we guess correctly." Brooks said they will have a food truck on-site ready to grill and serve more than their typical coffee and pastries, anticipating some customers may not be able to leave due to traffic. He also said they are adding several new activities in addition to panning for real gemstones, uncovering dinosaur fossils and playing at Pirate's Cove to keep people entertained before and after the eclipse. Brooks, his wife and their Yorkie will stay in their RV on-site, expecting difficulties getting back to their home in Broken Bow. He also said his employees are prepared to spend the night if the need arises. More: Camping out for the eclipse? Plan for poor cell service, winding roads and maybe wildfires Tips for visiting Hochatown during the 2024 solar eclipse Randy Ennen, Josline Ennen and their son, Eli Ennen, are visiting Hochatown from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to view the total solar eclipse. The Ennen family experienced a partial eclipse in 2017 and are excited to see 100% totality. Hochatown's mayor and business owners have some tips for eclipse visitors: Fill up with gas before you get to town. Don't expect to be able to get gas in Hochatown or on your way out, in case of fuel shortages due to trucks carrying fuel not being able to reach gas stations. If you're staying overnight, bring all your food with you to your cabin. The nearest grocery store (Pruett's Food) is 10 miles south in Broken Bow. Keep food and medical supplies in your vehicle. There's no telling how long you'll be stuck in traffic. Bring plenty of cash. At some point, cellular service may go down, affecting businesses' ability to accept credit and debit cards. Bring a physical map, or screenshots on your phone, in case you lose service. Pre-program any emergency phone numbers you may need, like local first responders and the management for your cabin. Make contingency plans in case you're unable to make it home after the eclipse, including a plan for someone to care for any animals back home. Bring your own eclipse glasses in case businesses run out. Make sure you're not parking on private property, like someone's backyard. Most importantly, Jordan is asking visitors to "bring their patience. It's a party, it's a celestial event, just plan on having a good time." Total solar eclipse When: The eclipse will cross southeastern Oklahoma at the Red River about 12:27 p.m. Monday and exit the state about 3:07 p.m. Totality path: It will completely cover McCurtain County and partially cover Choctaw, Bryan, Atoka, Pushmataha, Latimer and Le Flore counties. It will last only from about 1:44 p.m. to 1:51 p.m. Statewide: Much of Oklahoma will have at least 90% totality. Viewing: Be prepared with special eclipse glasses, which will be required to block out the sun's harmful rays. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Hochatown, rural Oklahoma is prepared for influx of eclipse visitors On 28th February 2024, Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province Fang Wei led a delegation to visit Sierra Leone, called on Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, and held China Jiangsu-Sierra Leone cooperation conference, while Charge d'affaires of the Embassy in Sierra Leone Zhang Dianbin attended the relevant activities. Vice Governor Fang Wei stated that Jiangsu Province and Sierra Leone have close practical cooperation and exchanges in various fields, with great potential. Jiangsu province is willing to further explore opportunities for cooperation in related fields with Sierra Leone and contribute to better serving the overall friendly relations between China and Sierra Leone. Charge d'affaires Zhang said that the visit of the Jiangsu delegation coincided with President Julius Maada Bio's state visit to China, and hoped that the delegation would grasp new opportunities and release new potentials under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, and promote greater development of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides. Vice President Jalloh welcomed the visit of the Jiangsu delegation and thanked Jiangsu Province for its long-term strong support for the development of Sierra Leone, and welcomed more Jiangsu enterprises to invest in Sierra Leone, and the government of Sierra Leone will do its best to guarantee and support. On the same day, China Jiangsu - Sierra Leone cooperation conference held in Freetown. Vice Governor Fang Wei, Charge d'affaires a.i. Zhang Dianbin, Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs of Sierra Leone Amb. Tamba Lamina delivered speeches, and nearly two hundred guests attended the meeting, including high-ranking dignitaries, key enterprises and representatives of friendly organizations. Donald Trump on Monday publicly announced his long-awaited decision on a potential national abortion policy, satisfying no one and leaving both parties up in arms. In a video posted to Truth Social, Trump boasted about the Supreme Court ending Roe v. Wade during his term, smeared Democrats as the radical ones on this issue, erroneously accused the left of supporting execution after birth, and finally staked out a position on an issue hes said little about publicly. The big reveal: The legality of abortion should be left for the states to decide, with supposed exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the patients life. This is, of course, more an acknowledgment of the law as it currently exists post-Roe than a position on a potential federal abortion ban. Understandably, the announcement enraged abortion rights activists, who argue that Trumps endorsement of states right to outlaw abortion effectively hands red state governments a blank check to pass the most extreme anti-abortion laws in the country, like those already on the books in Texas, Florida, and Idaho. Advocates have rightly argued that the so-called exceptions for rape, incest, or the patients health trumpeted by the Republican presidential nominee are effectively toothless window dressing, since the bans have a chilling effect on doctors who fear legal backlash for performing any abortions. As abortion rights activists also pointed out, the video left unsaid whether Trump would sign a national ban if congressional Republicans successfully brought a bill to his desk. But the right is also up in arms. The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, or SBA, claimed to be deeply disappointed in Trumps position in a press release. In leaving abortion to the states, President Marjorie Dannenfelser argues, Republicans [cede] the national debate to Democrats. Republicans who support anything less than a national ban are in bed with the abortion industry and want to popularize exceedingly rare late-term abortions, Dannenfelser said, echoing Trumps false claim. Trump had been conspicuously quiet on the abortion debate prior to Mondays announcement, although he privately floated national 16- and 15-week bans. But even as he demurred from publicly supporting the kind of national prohibition favored by groups such as SBA (and faced criticism from other Republicans for refusing to endorse a federal ban), he has consistently taken credit for the state bans passed in the aftermath of Dobbs v. Jackson. Now, however, with his official position no longer a secret, and with the brutal implications of Dobbs made evident across the country, Trump can no longer play coy on the issue. And outraged though extremist anti-abortion groups may be with Trump at the moment, its clear that the rights assault on abortion rights is just beginning. A New York appeals judge on Monday rejected former President Donald Trump's emergency effort to delay his upcoming hush money trial until a decision was made on his request to move the case out of Manhattan. Trump is scheduled to face trial April 15 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who says she had a sexual encounter with the real estate mogul. Trump denies Daniels' claim and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Trump reimbursed his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the October, 2016 hush money payment and caused the Trump Organization to falsely record the purpose of the reimbursement payments as "legal services," according to prosecutors. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is charged with felonies rather than misdemeanors because prosecutors allege Trump violated federal campaign finance laws and was trying to violate New York election and tax laws when he falsified the records. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts. Former US President Donald Trump arrives at 40 Wall Street after his court hearing to determine the date of his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs in New York City on March 25, 2024. Trump faces twin legal crises today in New York, where he could see the possible seizure of his storied properties over a massive fine as he separately fights to delay a criminal trial even further. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images) Trump seeks to move case out of Manhattan In his Monday request for a pause in the case, Trump argued "a fair and impartial jury cannot be selected right now based on prejudicial pretrial publicity." He said the trial should be put on hold until after a New York appeals court rules on his request for the case to be moved to another jurisdiction. Appellate Judge Lizbeth Gonzalez rejected the delay request in a brief written decision Monday. Trump also planned to file an appeal on Monday over a gag order against him in the case, according to media reports by The New York Times and The Washington Post, which cited people familiar the plan. In an earlier motion seeking to delay the trial, Trump's legal team said 93% of Manhattan residents in a private survey indicated they had seen media about at least one of the criminal investigations he is facing. That shows there has been too much pre-trial publicity for him to get a fair Manhattan trial on April 15, according to his lawyers. Bragg's office responded that Trump's "incessant rhetoric is generating significant publicity, and it would be perverse to reward defendant with an adjournment based on media attention he is actively seeking." The hush money case Each count in Trump's hush money case carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison. However, many legal experts expect the sentences for each count would run simultaneously instead of being stacked on top of each other, even if Trump were convicted. The judge wouldn't be required to sentence Trump to any jail or prison time at all. Cohen, who is a potential witness in the upcoming trial, served time in prison after he pleaded guilty in 2018 to making an illegal campaign contribution through the payment and served time in prison. He admitted the payment was meant to protect Trump's 2016 presidential election chances. Merchan previously denied a request by Trump's lawyers to exclude Cohen's testimony based on what they said was Cohen's history of lying. They highlighted in particular Cohen's statement at Trump's New York civil fraud trial that he had engaged merely in "tax omission" and lied when he pleaded guilty to tax evasion. Merchan said he hadn't found an applicable law or court ruling that barred a prosecution witness from testifying because the witness' credibility had previously been called into question. Contributing: David Jackson This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump loses delay request over trial location in NY hush money case Donald Trumps claim that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours apparently involves pushing the country to surrender Crimea and the Donbas border region to Russia, sources familiar with the plan told The Washington Post in Sundays edition. Trump has privately asserted that Russia and Ukraine want to save face, they want a way out and that some Ukrainians would be OK with belonging to Russia, a person who spoke directly with Trump told the Post. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the possibility of turning over land. Russias unlawful invasion of Ukraine has entered its third year, with more than 500,000 people killed or seriously injured, according to intelligence estimates. A Trump campaign spokesperson called the article speculation but did not address the Posts specific questions about the reported strategy, which would reverse President Joe Bidens attempt to blunt Russian expansion with military aid to Ukraine. The presidents approach has put him at odds with many Republicans. Foreign policy experts and at least one prominent GOP senator took a dim view of Trumps reported thinking. He cant win at the end of this, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said (per the Post) of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose aggression would be rewarded if the ceding of Ukrainian territory came to pass. Caving to Russia for a cease-fire would not guarantee Ukraine future peace with its neighbor either, Stimson Center senior fellow Emma Ashford told the paper. That is a terrible deal, she said of Trumps alleged proposal. The former president has given public indications of siding with Russia. In February, Trump said he would encourage [Russia] to do whatever the hell they want to NATO countries that didnt pay their dues. Trump has repeatedly boasted he could settle the war in Ukraine within 24 hours if elected president. Related... Donald Trump says he is all for immigrants so long as they are from nice countries During his presidency, Donald Trump described Haiti and some nations in Africa as 's---hole countries' Donald Trump has said he is in favour of immigrants entering the United States, but only if they come from nice countries, like Denmark or Switzerland. The former president used a speech at a fundraising event in Palm Beach, Florida, to highlight the immigration crisis on the US southern border, launching a fresh attack on those entering the country. According to the New York Times, Mr Trump was discussing migration when he said: These are people coming in from prisons and jails. Theyre coming in from just unbelievable places and countries, countries that are a disaster. He then referred to an episode during his presidency when he described Haiti and some nations in Africa as s---hole countries, compared with places such as Norway. And when I said, you know, why cant we allow people to come in from nice countries, Im trying to be nice, added Mr Trump at the fundraiser. Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway? Theyve been shipped in, deposited in our country The presumptive Republican nominee for 2024 continued by saying that there were people coming from Yemen where theyre blowing each other up all over the place. At the dinner, from which his campaign claims to have raised $50 million, Mr Trump also attacked the presence of gang members from South America in Florida, who he said make the Hells Angels look like extremely nice people. Theyve been shipped in, brought in, deposited in our country, and theyre with us tonight, he said. In fact, I dont think theyre on this island, but I know theyre on that island right there. Thats West Palm, said Mr Trump, gesturing to West Palm Beach, a city near the events island location, which took place at a mansion owned by John Paulson, the billionaire financier. Congratulations over there. But theyll be here. Eventually, theyll be here. In need of campaign cash Mr Trump spoke for about 45 minutes to 117 guests, who were asked to pledge significant sums towards Mr Trumps election campaign. The event was part of his attempt to close the financial gap with Joe Bidens campaign, whose election funding stood at $192 million at the end of March double the sum raised by Mr Trump. Major donors who attended the Florida dinner included New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, energy executive Harold Hamm and sugar mogul Pepe Fanjul Senior. Melania Trump, the former first lady, was also present along with the host, Mr Paulson. Melania Trump made a rare appearance next to her husband at the dinner - Getty Images/Alon Skuy Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott and Doug Burgum, three former rivals of Mr Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, were also guest speakers. Mr Trump is set to hold another fundraiser on Wednesday in Atlanta. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Donald Trump took to Truth Social Sunday night promising to deliver his policy on abortion and abortion rights come Monday morning. Trump has taken on the issue in recent months but has played it relatively coy. Last October, the former president refused to confirm whether or not he supports a federal abortion ban while criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on the states six-week ban. At the time, Trump claimed his response to ending Americas abortion conundrum since the fall of Roe v. Wade would be to sit down with both sides and negotiate something. He did not specify a timeline, but said DeSantis six-week ban was a terrible thing and a terrible mistake. Last month, Trump said he would support an abortion ban around the 15-week mark, his first definitive comments on the issue. The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And Im thinking in terms of that. And itll come out to something thats very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at, he told the Sid & Friends in the Morning show on WABC. Pro-Life or Pro-Winning? Trump Weighs Abortion Policies With 2024 Victory Now Trump says by Monday morning, the lingering questions surrounding his stance on the issue will finally be answered, with a focus on exceptions for rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother. Trump appeared to be appealing to Republicans that in order to win the November election, the GOP must find a more moderate stance. Republicans, and all others, must follow their hearts and minds, but remember that, like Ronald Reagan before me, I, and most other Republicans, believe in EXCEPTIONS for Rape, Incest, and Life of the Mother, Trump wrote on Sunday night. Trumps Brazen Abortion Flip-Flopping Is Actually Smart Politics Great love and compassion must be shown when even thinking about the subject of LIFE, but at the same time we must use common sense in realizing that we have an obligation to the salvation of our Nation, which is currently in serious DECLINE, TO WIN ELECTIONS, without which we will have nothing other than failure, death, and destruction, Trump continued. We will not let that happen. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! According to NPR, a small number states who hold total abortion bans include exceptions for rape. In January, a peer-reviewed study in the journal, JAMA, counted 64,565 pregnancies from rape in the 14 states with almost complete abortion bans since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Trump often touts the success of the end of Roe thanks to his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices. 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. Donald Trumps new comments on abortion on Monday drew the ire of social conservatives after he suggested that it should be left up to the states to decide how to handle the hot-button issue, which has energized Democrats and put Republicans on the defensive ahead of Novembers presidential election. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint. The states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state, the presumptive GOP nominee said in a video posted to his social media website, Truth Social. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people, he added. You must follow your heart, or in many cases, your religion or your faith. Do whats right for your family and do whats right for yourself. But Trumps statement, which he released after months of flip-flopping on the issue, leaves plenty unsaid about pressing political questions that his party badly wants to evade, due to the unpopularity of restricting access to abortion nationwide. Its why Trump has been so hesitant to embrace Republican legislation banning abortion after 15 weeks, even though he was the one responsible for engineering a Supreme Court that made it possible in the first place. Would Trump sign an abortion ban if one passed in Congress? He doesnt say. The former president on Monday simply described the current state of play on abortion, in which the states will determine by vote or legislation their own policies. Many GOP-controlled states have already moved to sharply restrict abortions or ban them entirely. Trumps allies in Congress want to go even further by banning the procedure nationwide, noting that the 2022 Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, left open that possibility. Dobbs does not require that conclusion legally and the pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child not geography, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) noted in a statement on Monday, after saying he respectfully disagreed with Trump on the matter. How will Trump vote on Floridas abortion referendum? He doesnt say. Trump is registered to vote in Florida, where voters will have an opportunity to vote on a pro-choice referendum in November. The measure seeks to guarantee access to abortion care up to fetal viability, which is usually around 24 weeks. Republican leaders in the state have vowed to fight it tooth and nail. Trump also hasnt weighed in on the states six-week abortion ban, which is set to take effect in less than a month. Would he seek to ban the abortion pill? He doesnt say. Republicans and social conservatives sought to prohibit or severely restrict access to abortion pills in a far-fetched case before the Supreme Court last month which, given comments from even some conservative justices, will likely be dropped for lack of standing to sue. But the courts two most conservative justices dropped some breadcrumbs for the anti-abortion movement during the hearing, suggesting that abortion could be effectively banned across the country via an 1873 anti-obscenity law called the Comstock Act. If Trump is elected president, Democrats fear he could cite the Comstock Act to issue regulations curtailing access to abortion pills or banning the mailing of any medical device or equipment that could be used in an abortion setting. When analyzing Trumps comments on abortion, its instructive to look to his full record. He has repeatedly braggedabout appointing the conservative Supreme Court justices who were crucial in striking down Roe, including again in his video statement on Monday, and he continues to align himself with some of the most extreme anti-abortion organizations in the U.S. He appointed dozens of conservative anti-abortion judges to courts around the country, and that effort would likely continue in a second term. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said Trump is scrambling to moderate on abortion because hes worried about a voter backlash in November. Because of Donald Trump, one in three women in America already live under extreme and dangerous bans that put their lives at risk and threaten doctors with prosecution for doing their jobs. And that is only going to get worse, Biden said in a statement issued by his campaign on Monday. Let there be no illusion, he went on. If Donald Trump is elected and the MAGA Republicans in Congress put a national abortion ban on the Resolute Desk, Trump will sign it into law. Related... Downtown Mansfield proves to be ideal spot to view total solar eclipse Jim Rudick is something of an eclipse expert. He and his wife, Cynthia Rudick, have now seen four eclipses after Monday's spectacular show. For the Canton resident, there was nowhere else to go but Mansfield. "This is the place," Rudick said. "You can check the weather experts (about cloud cover). There's nowhere better than here." He and his wife also have seen eclipses in Australia, Turkey and Wyoming. "They're all different," Rudick said. Replay the eclipse: North Central, Northeastern, Northwestern Ohio updates The Rudicks were among dozens who gathered in Central Park in downtown Mansfield. Many of them dined at Dan Lew Exchange beforehand. Owner Dan Lew said he began considering plans in December. He used the occasion to open the outdoor patio for the first time this year. "I figured, 'Why not?''' Lew said. His restaurant on North Main Street also had plenty of solar glasses at no cost for those who wanted to view the total eclipse of the sun. The Jimi Vincent Band provided entertainment outside Dan Lew Exchange ahead of Monday's total solar eclipse. Jimi Vincent Band jammed for downtown eclipse viewers Lew had the Jimi Vincent Band on hand for some jamming blues. Vincent and his three bandmates set up a few feet from the North Main traffic. "There's nothing better than music and food," Lew said. Most of Lew's employees wore special shirts with the word "Spellbound" on them. They were selling a wine of the same name. Laura Boales drove to DLX from Galion. "I want to see it get dark in the daytime," she said. Boales also considered a watch party at the Ohio State Reformatory but figured it would be too crowded. "I came here (DLX) to watch the ball drop last year," she said of a New Year's Eve celebration. Debbie and Dave McCulloch made the 2-hour drive from South Gate, Michigan. Debbie McCulloch said the traffic in their state was "not good." "Once we hit Ohio, it wasn't too bad," she said. Dave McCulloch said he had never been to Mansfield. "So far, it's a nice little town," he said. "I like the center square." As the 3:12 p.m. time for the total eclipse drew near, more and more people settled into lawn chairs or onto blankets. Ohio was one of 13 states in the path of totality. Those fortunate enough to be in the area saw the moon completely cover the sun, creating midday darkness. Temperatures became noticeably cooler as the darkness took over. When the total eclipse happened, the crowd broke into cheers. Someone set off fireworks in the distance. One woman drove from Maryland to see eclipse Marianne Gordon drove nine hours from a town outside Annapolis, Maryland. She described the traffic as "not good, but we made it." "Yes, yes, it was worth it," Gordon said. "We went to Myrtle Beach in 2017 (for the last eclipse)." She and her traveling companion brought two dogs. "When it got dark, one of them freaked out," Gordon said. "Sammy, he's shaking, but that is from the fireworks." Gordon planned to stay in Mansfield overnight before returning to Maryland. She was impressed with the city. "I didn't know this Martin Luther King memorial was there. That was the first thing I started taking pictures of," she said. While Jim Rudick had two cameras set up, his wife sat at a table with their dog, Izzy, who couldn't have cared less about the eclipse. "We're so lucky. We're so spoiled," Cynthia Rudick said of the opportunity to see four eclipses. In a small-world moment, she noted they ran into a librarian from North Canton on their trip to Australia. "It was like a diamond in the sky," Cynthia Rudick said of that eclipse. "It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen." Marilyn Irey Burchett and Kathleen Heilman had never seen an eclipse before. They had drinks at DLX ahead of time. "It was an awesome experience," Burchett said. She also complimented downtown Mansfield and all of the open shops and restaurants that greeted the crowds. Heilman described the eclipse as "much different in person than TV." "It got really chilly and really dark. It was eerie," she said. "I loved it. I'm glad I took the time to check it out." Eclipse fans will have to wait until Aug. 23, 2044, for the next chance to witness a total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States. mcaudill@gannett.com 419-521-7219 X: @MarkCau32059251 This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Eclipse watchers make Mansfield OH ideal spot for major event More than 200 local students were honored for their outstanding work during a banquet on Sunday. The Carson Scholars Fund gives out $1,000 to students who find time to give back to their community while also excelling academically. They also receive an Olympic-sized medal and a certificate. Students in grades 4-11 can apply for the scholarship. They must have a 3.75 GPA. The whole idea is to honor those students who achieve at the highest academic levels but also who demonstrate humanitarian qualities because we are trying to develop leaders for the next generation, said Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Ben Carson. We need people who are not only smart but people who care about other people. Carson says he holds the banquet to create a sense of excitement for academic superstars. The academic superstars, what do they get? A pat on the head and a National Honor Society pin, Carson said. We need to encourage more of our students to concentrate on this. Channel 11s Jennifer Tomazic emceed the event which was held at Acrisure Stadium. Sunday was the 20th year that scholarships had been given out in Pittsburgh. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: 4 $50k winning Powerball tickets sold in Pennsylvania Solar Eclipse Forecast: Will Pittsburgh area skies be clear enough to see the partial eclipse? More than 1,000 permits processed at first Allegheny County license to carry event in 2024 VIDEO: 2 arrested, including teen, in Allegheny County car break-in investigation DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A dramatic schism over social issues? The United Methodist Church has been here before but this time, Americas religious landscape is far different The United Methodist Churchs General Conference will meet in Charlotte, North Carolina from April 23 to May 4, 2024. Originally scheduled for 2020 and delayed three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting of the churchs legislative body comes at a critical time for the United States second-largest Protestant denomination. In 2022, conservative Methodists announced a break with the UMC, forming the Global Methodist Church. These leaders believed that the UMC had become too liberal, drifting away from orthodoxy. The issue at the heart of the split, however, revolves around the UMCs long-standing battle over LGBTQ+ rights. This denominational split draws comparisons to one in 1844, when Methodists divided over slavery. As a scholar of American religious history and Methodist studies, I see parallels but also great differences between the current schism and the one in 1844. Both schisms center on predominant social issues of their eras. The current schism, however, comes at a time when United Methodists, like other American churches, must navigate a changing religious landscape one where church membership is declining, especially among younger Americans. Methodist roots The UMC traces its origins to the 18th-century Anglican clergyman John Wesley, who sought to reinvigorate Anglicans sense of personal faith. Emphasizing piety and social engagement, Wesleys followers spread Methodism throughout the British Isles and North America. As the movement grew, his followers separated from the Anglican Church to form several Methodist denominations. A statue of John Wesley sculpted by Paul Raphael Montford, in Melbourne, Australia. Adam Carr/Wikimedia Commons The first Methodist church in the U.S., the Methodist Episcopal Church, was founded in 1784. This church and smaller Methodist denominations grew rapidly. By 1850, approximately 1 in 3 Americans affiliated with a church was a Methodist. Today, there are 80 Methodist and Wesleyan denominations around the world, with the UMC being the largest. The 1844 rupture Like other Protestant churches before the Civil War, Methodists were divided over slavery. Wesley viewed slavery as a great social evil that deprived enslaved people of God-given human rights. However, U.S. Methodists including one of the founders of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Francis Asbury worried that enforcing the churchs prohibitions against slavery would alienate members in the South. For much of the early 19th century, Northern and Southern Methodists followed Asburys lead, seeking to prevent a formal schism. At the same time, Methodism fractured. African Americans in the Methodist Episcopal Church were barred from being ordained as ministers, and church members often worshipped in segregated congregations. This led to the formation of many independent African American Methodist churches the largest being the African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded by Richard Allen in 1816. At the 1844 General Conference, the slavery issue boiled over into a major schism. Delegates voted to remove from office a bishop, James Osgood Andrew, because he owned slaves. Andrews removal angered Southern delegates who argued that slavery was sanctioned in the Bible. In 1845, Southern Methodist leaders withdrew from the denomination, forming the Methodist Episcopal Church South. A map from 1901 showing areas of the country with congregations in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Fifteenth Annual Report of the Woman's Home Mission Society of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South/Wikimedia Commons In 1939, these Northern and Southern churches reunited. Together with another Protestant denomination with historical ties to Methodism, the Evangelical United Brethren, they then combined to form the UMC in 1968. Debating homosexuality In 1972, the General Conference adopted a formal statement asserting that homosexuality was incompatible with Christian teaching. Subsequent conferences tightened these restrictions, notably in 1984, when the church barred what it called self-avowed practicing homosexuals from being ordained. Since the 1970s, groups on both sides of this issue have mobilized. An organization called the Reconciling Ministries Network has worked to bring together UMC congregations who support the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. Conservative groups, meanwhile, such as a caucus called the Good News Movement, have campaigned to enforce the existing LGBTQ+ prohibitions. In 1996, the General Conference added legislation prohibiting clergy from conducting same-sex weddings though the number who did so increased significantly. In recent decades, members of many U.S. churches, including United Methodists, have shown greater acceptance toward LGBTQ+ people. The 2016 election of Karen Oliveto as the first openly gay bishop of any gender in the UMC marked these shifting attitudes. Rev. Jeffrey Kuan wears a prayer stole in support for LGBTQ+ acceptance as he speaks at the UMC General Conference in 2004. AP Photo/Keith Srakocic Conservatives continue to oppose reforms, including a growing number of United Methodists from outside the U.S an increasing portion of the church. For example, many African United Methodists come from nations with strict laws banning homosexuality. Of the 862 delegates attending the upcoming General Conference, 380 will be from outside the U.S. Nearly 300 of these delegates will come from Africa. At an impasse Conflicts between conservatives and progressives came to a head in 2019, when bishops called a special conference in hopes of preventing a schism. Their council endorsed what was called the One Church Plan, which would have allowed United Methodists in different countries more autonomy. Specifically, they could determine how to address questions on sexuality. However, delegates voted overwhelmingly for what was called The Traditional Plan. This kept the churchs restrictions against LGBTQ+ people in place, while calling for more punitive measures against pastors who conducted same-sex weddings. The 2019 conference then passed a resolution giving local congregations the option to leave the UMC over matters of sexuality. Congregations were given until the end of 2023 to disaffiliate, although the ramifications were to be finalized at the 2020 General Conference. The Rev. Bill Farmer speaks to Grace Methodist Church in Homosassa Springs, Fla., which is affiliated with the Global Methodist Church. AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File This session was repeatedly postponed, however, due to COVID-19. Doubting that U.S.-based leaders would uphold the prohibitions of the Traditional Plan, a group of conservatives formed the Global Methodist Church in March 2022, triggering an exodus of several local churches. As of early 2024, more than 7,600 churches have disaffiliated, representing roughly a fourth of United Methodist congregations. Uncertain future Ahead of the 2024 General Conference, conservatives have indicated their intention to lobby to extend the deadline for disaffiliation. Some progressive United Methodists, frustrated by the UMCs persistent refusal to expand LGBTQ+ rights, have considered forming a third Methodist denomination. Regardless of what happens in Charlotte, Methodist churches will face challenging futures. Rev. Chris Morgan leads his congregation at Christ United Methodist Church in Bethel Park, Pa., in 2022. AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely Unlike 1844, when many churches were growing rapidly, the current schism comes as American Protestantism is shrinking. This includes not only mainline Protestant denominations, but more conservative churches as well. In 1968, United Methodist membership in the U.S. was 10.3 million; at the end of 2018, it was 6.7 million. Another serious challenge is the rising percentage of Americans with no religious affiliation, commonly called religious nones many of whom are disillusioned by anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Regardless of the General Conferences outcome, Methodists face a religious landscape unknown to their 19th century predecessors. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Christopher H. Evans, Boston University Read more: Christopher H. Evans does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine was been targeted before - AFP/Olga Maltseva A drone attack on Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has raised the risk of a major nuclear accident, the United Nations atomic watchdog has warned. Rafael Grossi on Sunday confirmed at least three direct hits had struck one of the six reactors at the Russian-controlled plant, the largest in Europe. Moscow blamed Ukraine for the attack, which it said had injured at least three people. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged world leaders to condemn the act of nuclear terrorism. Kyiv has denied any involvement in the strike. Russian strikes, including imitation ones, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant ... have long been a well known criminal practice of the invaders, Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraines HUR military intelligence, said. The aggressor state is once again endangering the nuclear facility, civilians and the environment of the whole of Europe, he added. The Telegraph could not immediately verify either sides claims. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova called on foreign governments to condemn what she called 'nuclear terrorism' - Getty Images/Sefa Karacan Ukrainian and Russian officials have repeatedly blamed each other for attacks on the plant, in the Zaporizhzhia regional city of Enerhodar, since it was captured by Russian forces shortly after their February 2022 invasion. This cannot happen, Mr Grossi said. No one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantages from attacks against nuclear facilities. This is a no go. I firmly appeal to military decision makers to abstain from any action violating the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities. The head of the UNs International Atomic Energy Agency added it was the first such attack since November 2022, when he set out five principles to avoid a serious nuclear accident. Mr Grossi did not publicly blame Ukraine or Russia for the attack, which he described as reckless and a major escalation. Rafael Grossi says attacks on nuclear plants are a 'no go' - Bloomberg /Simon Wohlfahrt Officials at the Russian-controlled plant said the site was attacked on Sunday by Ukrainian military drones, including a strike on the dome of its sixth power unit. Plant authorities said there was neither critical damage nor casualties and that radiation levels at the facility were normal after the strike. But later on Sunday, Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear agency, said that three people had been wounded in an unprecedented series of drone attacks. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Sunday that its experts had been informed of the drone strike and that such detonation is consistent with IAEA observations. In a separate statement, the IAEA confirmed the physical impact of drone attacks at the plant, including at one of its six reactors. One casualty was reported, it said. Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with potential to undermine integrity of the reactors containment system, it added. Russia has used the plant to shield military vehicles, ammunition and other hazardous materials, which were parked inside a turbine hall, according to previously published evidence. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. To combat the housing shortage in Spain, the left-wing central government has decided to end the Golden Visa programme for property investors from non-EU countries. The aim is to curb speculation, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez explained in Seville on Monday. "We will take the necessary measures to ensure that housing is a right and not a speculative business." The Socialist politician said that the Council of Ministers would finalize the necessary amendment to the law on Tuesday in Madrid, but he did not give a possible date for the entry into force. The Golden Visa programme has allowed citizens from non-EU countries to acquire residency in Spain since 2013 if they buy property worth at least 500,000 ($543,000) in the country. It also applies to financial investments of at least 1 million in companies or 2 million in government bonds. Similar programmes were also launched in other European Union countries during the euro crisis. The investor visa in return for the purchase of property is controversial everywhere because it is seen as one of the causes of the price increases on the property market and the housing shortage. Sanchez said on Monday that 94% of all Golden Visas in Spain are granted for property investments. However, the aim is to achieve "real and sustainable progress." "We want to be a country for productive investment that creates innovation and high-quality employment," he emphasized. According to Sanchez, the housing situation is particularly tense in major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Valencia, as well as on the Balearic Islands, including the holiday island of Mallorca. Due to the demand from wealthy foreigners, it is almost impossible for locals "who live, work and pay taxes there to find decent accommodation." According to official figures, Spain has granted more than 5,000 Golden Visas since 2013, with more than 2,000 going to citizens from China. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks after a visit to the Intercivitas II social housing development. Rocio Ruz/EUROPA PRESS/dpa Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (L) visits the Intercivitas II social housing development. Rocio Ruz/EUROPA PRESS/dpa MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) Even though the day started off cloudy in the Hill Country, people from all over the U.S. and the world gathered in downtown Marble Falls to catch a glimpse of the four minutes and 13 seconds of totality of the solar eclipse. Noud Oomens and Ceciel Plegt traveled from the Netherlands to Austin to watch the solar eclipse, the fourth trip theyve taken to see an eclipse. They picked Marble Falls as their spot after driving around the area Sunday to see what might be the best place. Oomens said this trip came as a birthday gift to Plegt. We first saw an eclipse in 1999 in Luxembourg in Europe, but that was really short. We couldnt see it very well, Oomens explained. So then we went to Turkey in 2007 and organized it for a holiday. That was really amazing, impressing, so thats what got us hooked. Now we are addicted to solar eclipses. We have also seen one in Oregon in 2017. How much of the sun will be covered in your city during Aprils solar eclipse? To keep crowds in downtown Marble Falls Monday, Cheryl Westerman helped spearhead a block party on Main Street with several other business owners. Westerman owns Ms. Lollipop Parties Fun & Gifts, a well-known candy and ice cream shop. The event she organized featured live music, vendors and food trucks. I love providing entertainment and fun for the community and outside of the community, trying to figure out ways to bring people downtown, Westerman said. And Marble Falls, no one else was doing anything to give reason to be in Marble Falls, so for us businesses down here thats what Im always looking for. She also sold a number of eclipse souvenirs, including mugs, stickers and shirts. She renamed the ice cream flavors to reflect the celestial event, like moon tracks and banana moon pie. She set up a space in the back of her store where people can also take a picture in front of a tinsel wall with moon and star balloons along with a sign reading, Totally Mooned. Customers can even put on an alien mask to snap a photo. The owner of Ms. Lollipop organized a block party to mark the eclipse and draw people to Marble Falls. (KXAN photo/Will DuPree) Cheryl Westerman, the owner of Ms. Lollipop, set up an area where people can take pictures to mark their trip to Marble Falls for the eclipse. (KXAN photo/Will DuPree) Cheryl Westerman, the owner of Ms. Lollipop, set up an area where people can take pictures to mark their trip to Marble Falls for the eclipse. (KXAN photo/Will DuPree) The Ms. Lollipop shop created eclipse souvenirs for tourists to buy. (KXAN photo/Will DuPree) The Ms. Lollipop shop created eclipse souvenirs for tourists to buy. (KXAN photo/Will DuPree) Cheryl Westerman changed the names of the ice cream in her shop to reflect the celestial event. (KXAN photo/Will DuPree) Westerman said it was fun keeping tracking of where customers are visiting from. We had Hong Kong (and) New York just spoke with someone from New York this morning, Westerman said. Yesterday, London actually several places in England. We had three big groups from England come through yesterday, and Ireland, Las Vegas, Ohio I could go on and on. Lawrence Bizzarro and his family came into her store while awaiting the eclipse and visiting Texas from Albany, New York. He works as a science teacher and uses the eclipse in his lesson plans. He said his family is already plan their next trip to take. We are going to Australia in 2028 to see the next (eclipse), Bizzarro said. Yeah, were full-blown eclipse chasers at this point. Once you see one in totality, youll understand why you had to see it again. The City of Marble Falls closed its public facilities Monday, and the Marble Falls Independent School District called off school for the day, too. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Crews raced to battle a big house fire in Happy Valley early Monday morning, authorities said. According to Clackamas Fire, crews responded to the fire on Southeast Maple Lane in Happy Valley. Photos from the scene show the building fully engulfed. Authorities said that due to the possibility that the roof could collapse, responding crews took on defensive tactics and battled the fire from the outside. Gunfire at Clackamas Town Center; shoes left behind By 12:26 a.m., officials said the fire was under control and there were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. The recent escalation of Russian strikes against Kharkiv aims to turn the city into a "grey zone," uninhabitable for civilians, The Economist wrote on April 7, citing undisclosed Ukrainian military sources. Russia recently intensified attacks against Ukraine's second-largest city with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, reportedly destroying almost all of its energy infrastructure. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov told The Economist that his city has no intention of giving up. He pointed out that Kharkiv had already gone through a worse situation at the start of the full-scale war when only 300,000 residents of the population of 2 million remained in the city. "How can you make a city like this a grey zone? People won't leave, because they have already left, then returned. They have been tortured enough already," Terekhov said. The mayor said that the authorities managed to power up the city without working stations or transformers but did not reveal how exactly for security reasons. The protection of the sky against Russian attacks is increasingly difficult as U.S. aid, a key source of air defense ammunition, has been stuck in Congress for months. Kyiv has appealed to its partners both for further air defense supplies and energy equipment to weather the intensifying attacks. While Russia's exact goals for Kharkiv remain unknown, Ukrainian officials said that a full-scale military offensive is unlikely in the near future. President Volodymyr Zelensky nevertheless said that "Kharkiv is protected" in such an eventuality. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia reportedly loses 7 aircraft; Zelensky says Kharkiv protected against potential offensive Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Alexandra Valencia QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuador's armed forces will continue carrying out joint anti-crime operations with the police under a presidential decree announced at midnight on Monday, the government said. The operations were first allowed under a 90-day state of emergency declared in January by President Daniel Noboa and meant to stem a wave of crime and violence blamed on drug-trafficking gangs. Military operations against organized crime, the joint operations with the police and increased security at prisons will continue under the decree, the government said in a statement posted on social media overnight. "These decisions will allow the government of new Ecuador, with the support of the forces of order, to continue deploying priority actions to protect citizen security and well-being," the statement said. Noboa, 36, took power in November and has been touting his "Phoenix Plan" to combat crime and violence, which has included the murders of public officials and an explosion of unrest in January, when gunmen stormed a live television broadcast and scores of prison staff were taken hostage. Noboa has called the violence a war, arguing it requires extraordinary measures to fight. The joint security forces carried out 272,000 operations during the state of emergency, which began on Jan. 9, the defense ministry said in its own statement. The operations have included the confiscation of 77,500 kilos of illegal substances, 140,300 gallons of fuel, weapons and munitions and making high-level arrests. (Reporting by Alexandra Valencia in QuitoWriting by Julia Symmes CobbEditing by Matthew Lewis) QUITO, Ecuador The global condemnation of Ecuadors government for its decision to break into the Mexican Embassy snowballed Sunday with more presidents and other leaders expressing disapproval, shock and dismay. The criticism came as Mexicos ambassador and other personnel arrived in Mexico City on Sunday afternoon after departing Ecuadors capital, Quito, on a commercial flight. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador severed diplomatic ties with Ecuador immediately after Fridays raid, which international law experts, presidents and diplomats have deemed a violation of long-established international accords. Alicia Barcena, Mexicos secretary of foreign relations, thanked the returning diplomats for defending our embassy in Quito even at the risk of their own physical well-being. Not even the dictator Pinochet had dared to enter the Mexican embassy in Chile, she said Sunday, referring to the late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. They entered violently and without authorization, physically assaulting (diplomats). We energetically condemn it. Police broke through the external doors of the embassy to arrest Jorge Glas, a former vice president who had been residing there since December. He had sought asylum after being indicted on corruption charges. Barcena said Mexico plans to challenge the raid on Monday at the World Court in The Hague. She added that 18 countries in Latin America, 20 in Europe and the Organization of American States have backed Mexico. The Spanish foreign ministry in a statement Sunday said, The entry by force into the Embassy of Mexico in Quito constitutes a violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We call for respect for international law and harmony between Mexico and Ecuador, brotherly countries to Spain and members of the Ibero-American community. A day earlier, the OAS in a statement reminded its members, which include Ecuador and Mexico, of their obligation not to invoke norms of domestic law to justify non-compliance with their international obligations. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States condemns any violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and takes very seriously the obligation of host countries under international law to respect the inviolability of diplomatic missions. He called on the two countries to resolve their differences. Diplomatic premises are considered foreign soil and inviolable under the Vienna treaties and host country law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without the permission of the ambassador. People seeking asylum have lived anywhere from days to years at embassies around the world, including at Ecuadors in London, which housed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for seven years as British police could not enter to arrest him. Glas on Saturday was taken from the attorney generals office in Quito to the port city of Guayaquil, where he is being housed at a maximum-security prison. Glas attorney, Sonia Vera, told The Associated Press that officers broke into his room in the Mexican embassy and he resisted when they attempted to put his hands behind his back. She said the officers then knocked him to the floor, kicked him in the head, in the spine, in the legs, the hands, and when he couldnt walk, they dragged him out. Vera on Sunday said the defense team had not been allowed to speak with Glas since his arrest. Authorities are investigating Glas over alleged irregularities during his management of reconstruction efforts following a powerful earthquake in 2016 that killed hundreds of people. He was previously convicted on two separate bribery and corruption cases. President Daniel Noboa had not spoken publicly about the raid as of Sunday. On Saturday, Ecuadors Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld told reporters that the decision to enter the embassy was made by Noboa after considering Glas imminent flight risk and exhausting all possibilities for diplomatic dialogue with Mexico. Mexico granted Glas asylum hours before the raid. Sommerfeld said it is not legal to grant asylum to people convicted of common crimes and by competent courts. Noboa became Ecuadors president last year as the nation battled unprecedented crime tied to drug trafficking. He declared the country in an internal armed conflict in January and designated 20 drug-trafficking gangs as terrorist groups that the military had authorization to neutralize within the bounds of international humanitarian law. Noboas tenure ends in 2025 as he was only elected to finish the term of former President Guillermo Lasso. Maria Dolores Mino, director of Ecuadors independent Law and Justice Observatory and a law professor at the International University of Ecuador, said the raid was not only extremely embarrassing for Ecuador but also opens up the possibility of serious repercussions. The scope of a political sanction and its impact should not be underestimated, Mino said. She added that although the process that Mexico will initiate before the World Court will take time there will come a time when we have that sentence, which will include economic reparations that will have to be paid with Ecuadorians money. QUITO, Ecuador (AP) While world leaders have expressed shock and bewilderment over Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboas decision to raid Mexicos embassy last Friday, the extraordinarily unusual move and Noboa's relative silence about it is unlikely to hurt him with his constituents. In fact, its exactly the sort of no-holds-barred crimefighting they expect and voted for. Ecuadorians were looking for their action man last election, fed up with widespread corruption and the robberies, kidnappings, extortions and murders fueled by the growing presence of international drug cartels. Noboa, often sporting bulletproof vests, sunglasses and leather jackets as well as the occasional smart-casual white T-shirt, so far seems to be fulfilling that role. If stopping lawbreakers in their tracks means breaching an embassy, then so be it, Ecuadorians interviewed over the weekend told The Associated Press. President Noboa has given a strong message to the nation," said Carlos Galecio, a political communications consultant and coordinator of the communications program at Ecuador's Casa Grande University. (It's) a very powerful image boost. Noboa, the 36-year-old heir to one of Ecuador's largest fortunes, was sworn in as president in November after unexpectedly winning a special election in August. He defeated the protege of leftist ex-President Rafael Correa, who avoided serving a prison sentence related to a corruption conviction by moving to Belgium and securing asylum there. Noboa inherited a country where people no longer leave home unless absolutely necessary, almost everyone knows a crime victim and many consider migrating. Statistics back those decisions and experiences: Last year was Ecuadors bloodiest on record, with more than 7,600 homicides up from 4,600 the prior year. The causes for the spike are complex but largely revolve around cocaine. Cartel-aided gangs are battling for control of the streets, prisons and drug routes to the Pacific. Dwindling state coffers, soaring debts, political infighting and corruption created funding gaps in social and law-enforcement programs. And the COVID-19 pandemic turned hungry children and unemployed adults into easy recruits for criminal groups. Noboa has responded by promising more equipment for police and the armed forces and the construction of prisons similar to those President Nayib Bukele built in El Salvador, with high-security, maximum-security and supermax units. He also issued a decree labeling more than 20 criminal groups as terrorist organizations and scheduled an April referendum to ask voters to extend the powers of the military to patrol the streets and control prisons. Recent survey results from Ecuador-based public opinion firm Cedatos showed that more than two-thirds of respondents approve of Noboa's presidency and more than half support his decision to summon voters to the polls. Police entered the Mexican embassy in Quito, the capital, to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas, a convicted criminal and fugitive who had been living there since December. In his first comments on the operation, Noboa said Monday he has made exceptional decisions to protect national security, the rule of law and the dignity of a population that rejects any type of impunity for criminals, corrupt people or narco-terrorists. My obligation is to comply with the rulings of the justice system, and we could not allow sentenced criminals involved in very serious crimes to be given asylum, which, Noboa argued, would violate the Vienna Convention and other international accords. In a statement posted on the social platform X, Noboa did not mention Glas by name but suggested he was in imminent flight risk. Diplomatic premises are considered foreign soil and inviolable under the Vienna treaties and host country law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without permission from the ambassador. Mexico plans to challenge the raid at the World Court in The Hague. Still, Noboa's display of force quickly earned him praise at home. I am in favor of President Noboas actions. I think it is a courageous act ... and I think it is going to strengthen him, college professor Gabriela Sandoval said. The priority is to clean, sanitize, continue with a process as important as President Noboa's to put the house in order. Ecuadorians will vote for president in February. Noboa is eligible to run for reelection. Confidence in Noboa is such that business groups think the global condemnation of the raid will not impact commerce or the already thorny trade agreement negotiations between Ecuador and Mexico, which represent a key barrier to Ecuador's interest in joining Latin America's Pacific Alliance trade bloc. These political and current issues will somehow pass, and then, relations will go back to normal, said Roberto Aspiazu, vice president of the Binational Ecuador-Mexico Chamber. Sooner or later, that trade agreement is also going to be a reality because the negotiation is there and must be resumed at some point. Still, the timing of the diplomatic breakdown with Mexico could be particularly unfortunate for Ecuador and counterproductive for Noboas crimefighting ambitions, said Will Freeman, a fellow of Latin American studies at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations think tank. Ecuador was one of the calmest countries in Latin America until about four years ago, when Mexican and Colombian cartels expanded their established Ecuadorian operations, settling into coastal cities and exploiting world-class ports to ship hundreds of millions of dollars of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru. Ecuadorian gangs are criminal powers in their own right, but they have brokered alliances with Mexicos Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartel cartels, Freeman said. In an ideal world, Noboa would seek out the Mexican governments cooperation to combat the gangs and their international partners, but clearly, with the break in diplomatic relations, thats not happening. And though it remains unclear whether Noboa expected the global pushback his decision received, some of that criticism might weigh more heavily than others. The U.S., which during Noboa's administration has supplied Ecuador with crucial equipment and training to combat the drug cartels, reiterated the importance of complying with international law following last week's raid. The United States takes very seriously the obligation of host countries under international law to respect diplomatic missions, said Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. We encourage Ecuador and Mexico to resolve their difference amicably. ___ Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City. Ed Dwight, The First Black Astronaut Candidate In The US, Will Be In The Crew For Blue Origins New Shepard-25 Space Mission Blue Origin has birthed a full-circle moment for former Air Force Captain and Kansas City, KS, native Ed Dwight. Back in 1961, Dwight made history as he was selected by President John F. Kennedy as the first Black astronaut candidate in the U.S., according to a news release. However, after completing the Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) and receiving a recommendation from the U.S. Air Force to move forward, he wasnt selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps and missed out on the chance to fly to space. Now, six decades later, Dwight is set to be on board for Blue Origins latest New Shepard mission to space marking its seventh human flight and 25th program to date the news release details. Whats more, his seat is sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity and the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation. Before being selected for Blue Origins space mission, Dwight went from an early career as an entrepreneur to sculpting monuments that commemorate Black historical leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman, according to the release. Over 130 of his pieces of work are featured in museums in the U.S. and Canada. For New Shepard-25, alongside Dwight will be Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura. For their journey to space, each person within the six-astronaut crew will have a postcard with them that was created by students as part of Club for the Future, Blue Origins foundation. Club for the Future was launched to encourage the next generation to explore science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) careers for the benefit of Earth, per its website. Club for the Future is proud to make space accessible to all humans through the Postcards to Space program, the website wrote. Anyone can draw or write their vision of the future on a postcard and Blue Origin will fly it to space and back on a future New Shepard mission. Club for the Future will then stamp them flown to space and return them to the creator. As of this writing, a date for the New Shepard-25 mission has yet to be announced. Editorial: Its going to be a fraught political year. Lets be respectful of each other at work. With a rematch brewing between President Joe Biden and ex-President Donald Trump, Nov. 5 is shaping up to be among the most divisive elections ever. The us-versus-them rhetoric on both sides is disturbing. And given the shameful attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, additional political violence is a chilling but real possibility. For employers and their workers, welcome to a minefield. The divisions evident in the electorate inevitably will show up in workplaces across the country. At Walgreens corporate annual meeting earlier this year, a shareholder proposal anticipating potential trouble ahead called for special protections for politically conservative employees. The Deerfield-based company urged voting against it, saying its existing protections are sufficient, and the proposal went down with just 8.2 million votes in favor, and almost 600 million cast against it. Walgreens is among many companies dealing with todays partisan political divisions, and, despite the lopsided shareholder vote supporting the status quo, this year is unlikely to be business as usual. From the top down, its best for people to be cautious about flaunting their political convictions, be they center, right or left. That gets harder when companies are dragged into political controversies, as Walgreens is with its decision, along with rival pharmacy chain CVS, to sell abortion pills in Illinois and other states where its legal to do so. As much as companies would like to sidestep political controversies, todays fevered discourse can make it impossible. High-profile examples such as Disneys recently settled legal dispute with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida hint at many less-visible controversies at companies nationwide. The Environmental, Social and Governance programs common to Walgreens, CVS, Disney and many other leading companies have become targets of far-right attacks especially Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives facing new legal challenges as a conservative U.S. Supreme Court rethinks civil rights in America. On the left, activists have threatened to boycott companies they perceive as caving in to pressure from the right, as when California Gov. Gavin Newsom joined a chorus of Walgreens critics upset last year when the company said it would not sell abortion pills in states where the medications are prohibited by law. California wont be doing business with Walgreens, or any company that cowers to extremists and puts womens lives at risk, Newsom declared at the time. For employees working under conditions that feel fraught, we humbly suggest restraint. Be circumspect about sharing political viewpoints at work. Save the MAGA hat and Eat the Rich attire for off-duty hours. Tread lightly. Be respectful. We recognize this advice runs counter to a trendy philosophy of workplace behavior. For a decade now, employees at many companies have been encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. Especially for younger workers, the ability to express their authentic selves has become an important factor in job satisfaction. Still, every worker should be aware that being personally outspoken can come with risks. Private employers have a lot of leeway in employment decisions. And unlike gender, race or other demographic characteristics, a particular political viewpoint is not a protected class under federal law though political affiliation cant be used as a pretext for illegal employment discrimination. Some states and cities have more specific protections, as do many public employees and other union workers. California is notable for a state law protecting workers who express their political beliefs and engage in lawful political activities, and Illinois provides some spotty support. Those protections may expand, as the Illinois legislature considers a union-backed bill that would prevent companies in the state from retaliating against employees who skip workplace meetings about politics or religion. But good luck enforcing those protections: If an office meeting veers into politics, would Illinois then intervene? Thats a non-starter, in our view. For good reason, the law continues to favor the rights of private employers to make their own decisions about hiring, firing, promoting and disciplining their workers. In its response to the shareholder proposal asking it to make special provisions for its conservative employees, Walgreens repeated its long-standing commitment to respecting diversity of expression and refusing to tolerate harassment or discrimination. We agree with the company that no special provision was needed to expand on those and other state-of-the-art policies that it has publicly championed. At the same time, each of Walgreens roughly 330,000 employees need to use good judgment to do their jobs without prompting any mini-insurrections and that goes for the rest of us too. This upcoming election will be tough, no matter how it turns out. Lets meet it with some self-discipline and our best instincts. Police search young men for weapons and drugs during a sweep in South Los Angeles in 1985, an era when the California Youth Authority turned from rehabilitation to harsh punishment. (Bettmann Archive) For the record: 12:52 p.m. April 8, 2024: An earlier version of this editorial gave the wrong day for the meeting of the Board of State and Community Corrections. It is meeting Thursday. Its not at all clear what will happen if the Board of State and Community Corrections determines on Thursday that Los Angeles Countys two juvenile halls remain unsuitable for the confinement of youth. The county has no place left to house, secure and care for nearly 300 juveniles, and besides, the problem is not so much the facilities as it is the inadequate number of staff who show up to work in them. Read more: Nine months after opening, L.A. County's newest juvenile hall under fire from regulators If the county can't care for its most troubled kids, can the state? Not anymore. The state once ran the worlds most renowned juvenile rehabilitation program, the California Youth Authority, which was developed in the 1940s and operated in tandem with county-run juvenile halls and probation camps. But the Youth Authority began to unravel with the 1980s shift in public attitude toward juvenile crime, panic over young supposed superpredators, and a ballooning number of arrests and gratuitously harsh punishments. Read more: California is closing its last youth prisons. Will what replaces them be worse? The program morphed into a network of cruel juvenile prisons, where youths were physically, mentally and sexually abused. Legal liability and payouts skyrocketed. Unable to meet its moral and legal obligation to safely house and rehabilitate young people, the state began to look for ways to offload them. It first tried realignment a sound strategy under which counties could no longer send the state its toughest juveniles free of charge. Counties now had a financial incentive to find more effective and efficient alternatives closer to home, often without detention. Youth crime, arrests and incarceration plummeted. Read more: Editorial: No more last chances. Shut down L.A. County's juvenile hall shell game now The toughest cases remained with the state, which planned to transfer responsibility from its corrections department to human services, as befitting a program that by law does not impose punishment but provides rehabilitation and treatment. But Gov. Gavin Newsom opted instead to get the state out of the juvenile justice business altogether, except for providing counties guidance, funding and enforcement of standards. The Youth Authority, which had become the Division of Juvenile Justice in 2005, shut down in 2023. Read more: Editorial: L.A. County's juvenile hall catastrophe is a quarter-century in the making That brings us back to L.A. County and its current predicament. It had already been failing with its core population of juvenile wards, subjecting them to the same harmful conditions found in the states juvenile prisons including sexual assault, mental and emotional torture, and physical abuse. The county, like the state, paid out costly legal settlements. As the state prepared to transfer its remaining juveniles to the county, the Board of Supervisors spent much of 2021 and 2022 squabbling over where to put them. Some communities, including Malibu and Santa Clarita, took legal action to keep them out of local probation camps. The supervisors finally settled on a specially secured segment of the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, where most are currently housed. Read more: Editorial: The real L.A. model of juvenile justice: Delay, disaster, disgrace The corrections board lacked jurisdiction over that portion of Nidorf last year, when it ordered the rest of the facility closed after it repeatedly failed inspections for safety, security and supervision. But the law has since changed. Now the remaining portion of Nidorf faces closure, along with Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, which the county hurriedly reopened last year after century-old Central Juvenile Hall in Boyle Heights was deemed unsuitable to house young people. The county has repeatedly demonstrated that it is not capable of safely and securely operating a juvenile hall, not because it doesnt have the facilities it has plenty of buildings but because its Probation Department lacks the organizational culture, personnel and commitment to care for troubled youth. Its a problem decades in the making, and has persisted despite countless attempts at reinvention, with blue-ribbon commissions, reconstructions, reorganizations, realignments, and frequently ousted and replaced chief probation officers. The mess long predates the states ill-considered move to shirk direct responsibility for juveniles and send the tough cases back to the counties. But the transfer was a stress test L.A. County simply couldnt pass. Read more: Editorial: L.A. County's mishandling of Care First model is a cautionary tale for Gov. Newsom If the corrections board this week finds that the county has brought Nidorf and Los Padrinos up to snuff, the relief will likely be short-lived, until the next failed inspection. A state attorney general enforcement action also appears unlikely to solve the problems. So then what? No one knows. The sad truth is that the entire state and county edifice of laws, policies and programs created to provide rehabilitation, education and care for the most troubled youths cannot provide them. Young people in Los Angeles County juvenile halls likely come out worse than they went in. Read more: Editorial: Probation worker no-shows are the last straw. Break up and remake L.A. County juvenile justice The atrocity is clouded by euphemisms such as "hall" or "camp" to describe facilities that are really jails. State and county policy is officially to provide a "homelike environment," but it's not any kind of home anyone would choose. Rooms are really cells, classrooms are human warehouses, and the day-to-day goal is not so much rehabilitation, as required by law, but just surviving without being attacked, raped or killed by fentanyl overdose. The state's other 57 counties aren't having the same problems with juvenile probation. In Los Angeles County, though, the entire state-county system is a shameful failure. The kids who are ordered into it are in desperate need of rescue from their supposed rescuers. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles County sheriffs officials concluded that two deputies acted within department policy when they confronted and one of them shot Isaias Cervantes, a mentally disabled man in his home in 2021. A corrective action plan (at least, the portion that is public) identified nothing in sheriff's policies or procedures that needs to be changed to prevent a similar shooting. So it seems incongruous that county lawyers are suggesting that the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday sign off on an astounding $25 million to settle a lawsuit brought on behalf of Cervantes, who was paralyzed as a result of the March 31, 2021, shooting. Read more: Editorial: Who pays the bill for sheriff misconduct? You do Thats a huge payout, even for Los Angeles County, which spent $257 million on legal settlements and judgments last year. More than half of that amount was attributable to lawsuits against the Sheriffs Department. Liabilities that run that high signal serious problems in county policies and employee conduct. They should be accompanied by meaningful improvements. But the summary corrective action plan notes no department-wide or systemic changes, and no response beyond reminding personnel of department protocols. Read more: Editorial: Deputies shot an autistic man, then the justice system terrorized him. There's a better way. Department use-of-force investigators and county officials cited problems at several stages of the response, including the failure of desk personnel to ask about the nature of Cervantes mental impairment and the failure to send a Mental Evaluation Team as part of the response. Once deputies arrived on the scene, though, they were deemed to have done nothing officially wrong. Similar conclusions have been reached in many other cases, in L.A. and around the country, in which families called for assistance with a mentally disabled or disturbed relative, beginning a series of entirely foreseeable events that concluded with law enforcement officers killing or seriously injuring the person they were there ostensibly to help. Read more: Editorial: You owe another $5 for excessive force by L.A. County sheriff's deputies. Pay up The Cervantes case was unusual in that the shooting victim survived. To add insult to serious injury, the Sheriffs Department asked the district attorney to charge Cervantes with assault and resisting arrest although there was no arrest. Prosecutors declined. Nor did they charge the deputies. The Board of Supervisors generally signs off on lawsuit settlements, even huge ones like the Cervantes case, without comment to the public. That may satisfy the Sheriffs Department and county lawyers, but it leaves taxpayers holding the bag without assurance that the county will try to prevent a recurrence. And it exposes a continuing gulf between citizens who call for service and law enforcement personnel who respond. Read more: Women were brutally strip-searched in L.A. County jails. Now we have to pay for it For example, Cervantes family, like many overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for a mentally disabled relative, called for help, not for force. But sheriffs deputies, according to documents presented to the Board of Supervisors, believed they were responding to an assault. Deputies told Cervantes he was not in any trouble and then attempted to handcuff him in order to safely question him, in accordance with standard law enforcement practices. Yet most people would object to being handcuffed, especially while sitting in their own home, if they are not under arrest. And it should not be unreasonable to expect that a person under stress in such a situation might resist, as Cervantes did, resulting in his being shot. Read more: L.A. County to pay $700,000 to radio reporter arrested while covering 2020 protest The settlement will come from money paid to the department by cities that contract for its services. One of those cities is Cudahy, where Cervantes was shot. Before signing off on the $25 million, the supervisors should ask whether the new 988 crisis line that was not yet available at the time of the Cervantes shooting is preventing recurrences of such tragedies. If not, they should ask whether its because of insufficient public awareness or insufficient availability of alternative county responses. They should ask about the sufficiency of the corrective action plan, and whether the Sheriffs Department continues to send deputies to similar situations without a Mental Evaluation Team. They should ask about handcuffing protocols. And they should ask whether they can be reasonably certain that nothing like this will happen again. And, if it does, whether county taxpayers might be upset about having to pay the bill again. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. El Paso Fire puts out small fire at Texas Roadhouse on Eastside El Paso Fire puts out small fire at Texas Roadhouse on Eastside EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Paso Fire responded to a small fire at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in East El Paso Sunday afternoon, April 7, fire dispatch said. Crews were sent out just after 3:15 p.m. and six fire units responded to the scene along Gateway West near Yarbrough, dispatch said. The fire is now out, dispatch said. No injuries were reported, but the restaurant had to be evacuated. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. El Salvador is offering 5,000 free passports to highly skilled workers from abroad, President Nayib Bukele announced Saturday in his latest attempt to boost the countrys economy with foreign investment. Scientists, engineers, doctors, artists, and philosophers will be granted full citizen status including voting rights, the president said in a statement posted to X. El Salvador will also help their relocation by eliminating taxes and tariffs on moving families and assets such as equipment, software, and intellectual property. Bukele wrote that the the groups contributions would have a huge impact on the future of the Central American country. CNN has reached out to El Salvadors government for details on the plan. El Salvador has seen multiple radical and often controversial reforms under the strong-arm presidents leadership. In 2021, El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as a legal tender alongside the US dollar. But the International Monetary Fund has repeatedly recommended that the country ditch the cryptocurrency, citing risks including high volatility. Last year, the legislative assembly approved a migration law meant to expedite citizenship to foreigners who support social and economic development programs by donating Bitcoin, Reuters reported. Bukele has also overseen a brutal and widely criticized crackdown on crime, which he claims has significantly improved security, but opponents say it has resulted in large-scale human rights abuses, including mass detentions and alleged torture in jails. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Election offices say they need more funding. Advocates are calling on Congress to help Grace Bannasch, a town clerk in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, didnt expect to spend Oct. 17, 2020 - the first day of early voting in her state - in the emergency room. That didnt stop her from working. Before heading to the hospital, Bannasch checked to make sure her precinct was set up since she was the only town clerk the municipality had at the time. After the ER visit, she emptied out the ballot drop boxes for the night. I think lack of support is what burns me outI was under a lot of pain. I was pretty scared. But I knew that I had a responsibility to make sure that people were able to vote, she said. This year, even with an assistant by her side, she said the job wont be any easier. And shes not alone. As local election workers face increased threats of disinformation, lack of election security and other issues, theyre expected to take on more responsibilities even amid staffing shortages, antiquated technology and tight budgets. And dozens of election workers told USA TODAY they want Congress to do more to support them ahead of the 2024 general election. Though elections are mainly funded at the state and local level, Congress can appropriate money to states via the 2002 Help America Vote Act signed by former President George W. Bush. The act established a program that aims to improve voting systems and election administration in states through more funding. The states have the authority to trickle down the money to local election offices as they see fit. While Congress passed a bill in March that allocated $55 million in Help America Vote Act grants to states, advocacy groups and election workers say it barely scratches the surface of what is needed. Elections not cheap to run The cost of running an election varies by municipality, said Gideon Cohn-Postar, legislative director at Issue One, a political reform group that advocates for Congress to bolster election security and integrity. The usual estimate that local jurisdictions and states spend to administer a presidential election - excluding campaigns and nongovernmental spending associated with get out the vote efforts - is $2 billion to $3 billion nationwide, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The cost can come out to be thousands to millions of dollars per local election office, Cohn-Postar said. Over the course of a decade, starting in 2003 Congress appropriated over $3 billion in funds for the Help America Vote Act grant program - of which a majority was disbursed in the first two years, according to a Congressional Research Service report. Following cybersecurity threats in the 2016 election, Congress appropriated $380 million in election security grants to states in 2018 and that figure increased to $825 million in 2020 during the pandemic - of which $400 million came from the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed by former President Donald Trump. The other $425 million of those funds were part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, signed into law by Trump in 2019. But the funding has gone downhill since then. In 2022 and 2023, Congress appropriated only $75 million in Help America Vote Act election security grants. State and local election officials, as well as bipartisan members of Issue One's National Council on Election Integrity, wrote two letters to Congress in April of 2023 requesting $400 million in appropriations for the grant program in fiscal year 2024. However, it ended up being $55 million after several rounds of negotiations. And the effects of less funding will likely show up at the polls on Election Day in November, experts warn, including fewer poll workers to get resources to polling places, long voting lines and less voter turnout due to little voter outreach efforts. "Voter outreach can be really important for bringing in new voters, making sure that young voters understand the process, making sure that voters who do not speak English have access to resources," said Danielle Lang, senior director of voting rights at the Campaign Legal Center, a non-partisan government watchdog organization. A national poll commissioned by Issue One in April last year found that 69% of respondents across party lines think the federal government should be equally, if not more, responsible than local municipalities and states to fund elections. More responsibilities, tight budgets ahead of 2024 election The $55 million, election workers say, also isnt enough to address the challenges they will face ahead of the 2024 general election. One such challenge is threats to election security, prompted by false allegations surrounding the 2020 election. More than three in four local election officials feel that threats against them have increased in recent years and one in six have been threatened, according to a 2022 survey. The Brennan Center, a policy institute at New York University's Law School, estimated that implementing physical security measures to protect election workers will cost about $300 million over the next five years. The turnover rate of election officials is also significant. 21% of local election officials began serving after the 2020 election cycle or say they are very or somewhat unlikely to serve in the 2024 election, a 2023 survey found. Amanda Gonzalez, a clerk in Jefferson County, Colorado, said that her county alone will need to hire between 700 and 900 temporary election workers this year. Technology is another concern. Edward Golembiewski, chief deputy clerk at Washtenaw County, Michigan, said that only five of 27 jurisdictions in his county have full time dedicated IT support. No jurisdiction there each has a dedicated cybersecurity manager. Bannasch said she requested a $12,900 budget this year for national and local elections in her area. But she will likely have to stretch it to accommodate costs such as the price of postage for thousands of mail-in-ballots, she said, which has skyrocketed since the pandemic. That leaves less money to upgrade election equipment, she said. "We're still using that that old Auto Mark from the early 2000s," she said. "I think it is high time for the federal government to put up money to replace the aging fleet of accessible voting devices around the country." Other issues with the grant program Election offices say they'll need more money as the 2024 election approaches The amount being appropriated isnt the only issue clouding election workers. With most states deciding how and when to disburse the money to local election offices, some either see the money late or dont see it at all. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced in February $3.5 million in support of counties for the primary and general. But before the announcement, Lori Mitchell, county clerk and recorder in Chaffee County, Colorado, said shed been trying to get a hold of Help America Vote Act grants for a while for accessibility and security improvements. Theyre in a tough spot. They knew that if they spent that money and then something that they really needed it for, an entire state - something came up - they wouldn't have any more money, said Mitchell. The other issue, election workers said, is lack of predictability in funding. They pointed to how Congress didnt appropriate new funds for Help America Vote Act grants in 2019 or 2021. The uncertainty around the grants have led local election offices to turn to grants offered by nonprofits, such as the Center for Tech and Civic Life, to fund elections. But theyve also encountered a roadblock there. Over a dozen states have passed laws banning election offices from using private grants for election administration. What lawmakers are hoping to do in 2024 election President Joe Biden in his budget for fiscal year 2024 requested $5 billion in election assistance funding to be appropriated over 10 years, or roughly $500 million per year. Though Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, introduced an amendment that included Biden's request, it was defeated along party lines. I'm gonna continue to raise the issue. We're going to continue to push for us. But frankly, I'm not all that optimistic, he said, adding that Republicans appear to be the biggest roadblock in securing these grants. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., who chairs the House Administration Committee, claimed many of the funds from the Help America Vote Act program go unused. He pointed to data from the Election Assistance Commission that shows states have spent approximately 56% of election security grants as of March 31, 2023. Cohn-Postar argued that's because many states set aside large portions of their remaining funds to use for security improvements, buying new machines, or hiring staff over the next few years, so it hasn't been formally spent yet. Even so, Steil added that, While HAVA grants and federal funding are a resource for elections offices, much of the work and funding needed to run effective elections should be funded at the state-level." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election offices say they need more funding ahead of 2024 race A senior commander of Hezbollahs elite Radwan commando unit was assassinated in an Israeli air strike on Monday in Lebanon, the IDF has confirmed. Ali Ahmed Hassin, the Radwan Forces commander in the Hajir region, was killed in Sultaniyeh in southern Lebanon along with two other Hezbollah members under his command. Ali Ahmed Hassin was a senior operative in the terrorist organisation and held a rank equivalent to that of brigade commander. In his role, he was responsible for planning and carrying out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians in northern Israel, the IDF said. The army also said that Hassin had carried out numerous rocket attacks against Israel since October 8, when Hezbollah decided to join Hamas in its attacks against Israel. Hezbollah has fired 3,100 rockets at Israel since October 8, while Israel has launched some 4,700 strikes along its northern border, most of which have been against Hezbollah in Lebanon. On January 8, an Israeli air strike killed Wissam Tawil, another top commander of the Radwan unit. The IDF said that Ali Ahmed Hassin had carried out 'numerous' rocket attacks against Israel since October 8 Israel is on high alert in the north following the killing of a top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander in Damascus last week. Both Iran and Hezbollah have promised to retaliate when the time is right. Mohammad Bagheri, the IRGCs chief of staff, said the response will be carried out at the right time, with the necessary precision and planning, and with maximum damage to the enemy so that they regret their action. Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, went as far as threatening Israels embassies across the world. The embassies of the Zionist regime are no longer safe, he said. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday that Iran stands behind its proxies many attacks against Israel. Whoever harms us or plans to harm us we will harm them. We are carrying out this idea in practice, all the time, including recently, near and far, in our immediate surroundings and further afield. Israel is prepared defensively and offensively for any attempt to attack us, from anywhere, Mr Netanuyahu said. Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, said that Israel had completed preparations for a response against any scenario that would develop against Iran. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Elizabeth Warren says millions of borrowers 'deserve answers' after the CEO of a major student-loan company turned down her invitation to appear before Congress Elizabeth Warren says millions of borrowers 'deserve answers' after the CEO of a major student-loan company turned down her invitation to appear before Congress Sen. Elizabeth Warren invited MOHELA's CEO to testify on Wednesday before Congress. The CEO declined the invitation, with the company instead requesting private briefings. Warren pushed back on the request, urging the student-loan company to testify publicly. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts isn't too pleased with the head of a major student-loan company. In March, Warren invited Scott Giles the CEO of the servicer MOHELA to testify Wednesday before the Senate banking committee at a hearing entitled "MOHELA's Performance as a Student Loan Servicer." But, according to a letter first obtained by Politico, it looks like Giles will not be showing up. On behalf of the company, attorneys from the law firm Kirkland & Ellis wrote in a letter to Warren last week that while Giles would not be in attendance for the public hearing, "senior members of its team would welcome the opportunity" to hold private bipartisan briefings to address issues Warren raised in her invitation, including MOHELA's management of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. "Your staff has identified three major areas of concern, and we propose to address each of them over a period of several weeks, and after those bipartisan briefings are complete MOHELA is prepared to address the possible need for a hearing, including a CEO-level hearing," the letter said. "However, we ask that you not prejudge the need for a hearing until you have had an opportunity to digest MOHELA's briefings and perspective." The attorneys requested that Warren hold off on a public hearing for now in place of the briefings to allow MOHELA to answer her questions while "focusing on its primary mission of serving student borrowers who are at the center of all its work." But that didn't suffice for Warren. She told Business Insider: "MOHELA botched millions of people's student-loan payments forcing people to pay incorrect, higher amounts, delaying student-loan forgiveness, and forcing some people to make payments on debts that should have already been canceled." She added: "The millions of Americans impacted by MOHELA's errors deserve answers." MOHELA released a statement Monday saying: "The organization is actively engaged in conversations with the Subcommittee and has offered its cooperation in addressing any questions and concerns by participating in a series of bipartisan briefings on the identified areas of interest about student loan servicing." Why Warren wants a hearing Warren's request to Giles for a hearing outlined a variety of concerns with MOHELA she hoped to address primarily regarding PSLF, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of qualifying payments. She wrote that MOHELA was responsible for "impeding public servants' access to PSLF relief," citing a recent report from an advocacy group accusing the company of failing to process borrowers' PSLF applications in a timely manner, which blocked them from debt relief. A MOHELA spokesperson said in response to the report: "Any claims that MOHELA does not act in the best interest of the borrowers we serve as a federal contractor is simply not true." Notably, MOHELA will no longer be the sole servicer for PSLF beginning in May. The Education Department is pausing the processing of PSLF applications next month as it transitions borrowers' accounts to several different servicers, and the program will be "fully managed" by the department, recent guidance said. Additionally, MOHELA was the first federal servicer since the return to repayment in October to receive punishment from the Education Department for failing to fulfill some of its contractual obligations. At the end of October, the Education Department withheld over $7 million in pay from MOHELA after it did not send on-time billing statements to 2.5 million borrowers and in January, the other remaining federal servicers had varying amounts of pay withheld for the same reason. Read the original article on Business Insider A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has launched an inquiry into Elon Musk after the billionaire said X would reinstate accounts that the justice had ordered blocked. Musk over the weekend denounced the order to block accounts from Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The self-described free speech absolutist said his company would end the restrictions on the accounts, accusing Moraes of betraying the Brazilian constitution and calling for the justice to resign or be impeached. Famous X Users Horrified to Find Free Blue Checks Added to Their Accounts Its not clear which accounts have been ordered to be blocked or when the order was made. Xs Global Government Affairs account posted about the order on Saturday, saying it had been forced by court decisions to block certain popular accounts in Brazil and that it would challenge the orders legally where possible. Musk later said: We are lifting all restrictions. He added that Moraes had applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil. As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there, Musk wrote. But principles matter more than profit. Moraeswho is already investigating so-called digital militias alleged to have shared disinformation and fake news during former President Jair Bolsonaros time in officehas now made Musk a target of the investigation over what he called obstruction of justice. The flagrant conduct of obstruction of Brazilian justice, incitement of crime, the public threat of disobedience of court orders and future lack of cooperation from the platform are facts that disrespect the sovereignty of Brazil, Moraes wrote on Sunday, according to the Associated Press. In a statement released to the media, Moraes said X could be fined about $20,000 a day if it fails to comply with the order to block accounts. Musk has vowed to publish everything demanded by [Moraes] and those requests violate Brazilian law. He also encouraged Brazilian social media users to download a VPN in case Brazil blocks access to the site. These are the most draconian demands of any country on Earth! Musk wrote of the order. On Saturday night, Brazils attorney general said it was vital for Brazil to be able to regulate social media sites. We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law, failing to comply with court orders and threatening our authorities, Jorge Messias wrote. Social peace is non-negotiable. 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. In a Truth Social video posted this morning, Donald Trump says abortion policy should be left to the states. The result, he noted, will be a wide range of restrictions, with different states drawing lines at different points in pregnancy. Although he does not say which cutoff he prefers, he has previously said Florida's "heartbeat" law, which applies around six weeks of gestation and prohibits most abortions, is "a terrible thing and a terrible mistake." And in the Truth Social video, he says that "like Ronald Reagan, I'm strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother." By ruling out federal abortion restrictions, Trump provoked criticism from pro-life activists who favor a national ban. But those activists will never support Joe Biden, who not only views the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade as a grave injustice but favors legislation that would re-establish a federal right to abortion. Trump is clearly more worried about alienating voters who oppose broad restrictions on abortion, which surveys suggest is most of them. During a Meet the Press interview last September, Trump, who once described himself as "pro-choice," declined to say whether he would "sign federal legislation that would ban abortion at 15 weeks." But he said he would "come together with all groups" to arrive at "something that's acceptable," implying that he was open to the idea of federal restrictions. Now he is saying "the states will determine [abortion policy] by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land," meaning "the law of the state." The bottom line, he says, is respecting "the will of the people." Reversing Roe, Trump argues, served that end by freeing states to regulate abortion as they see fit. Through his Supreme Court appointments, he brags, "I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of" Roe. That result, he claims, was "something that all legal scholars" on "both sides" favored. That is obviously not accurate. While it is true that some supporters of abortion rights criticized Roe's reasoning, that does not necessarily mean they thought the Constitution was irrelevant to the debate. As an appeals court judge, for example, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg argued that Roe went too far, too fast, and she favored grounding a constitutional right to abortion in the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection rather than an unenumerated right to privacy or bodily autonomy. But Trump's claim of bipartisan agreement that Roe was wrongly decided reflects his attempt to align his position with what he thinks most Americans want. In the latest Gallup poll, 52 percent of Americans described themselves as "pro-choice," while 44 percent identified as "pro-life." Thirty-four percent said abortion should be "legal under any circumstances," compared to 13 percent who said it should be "illegal in all circumstances." A majority (51 percent) said abortion should be "legal only under certain circumstances," a view that encompasses a wide range of policies. That majority position could describe a broad ban with the exceptions that Trump supports, for example, or a much more liberal policy that generally allows abortion through 20 weeks of gestation, which would cover nearly all abortions. Even the 15-week limit that Florida's Supreme Court recently upheld would allow something like 96 percent of abortions. By contrast, Florida's "heartbeat" law, which will take effect unless voters approve an abortion-rights ballot initiative in November, covers a much larger share of abortions. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 55 percent of abortions are performed after six weeks. The ban also would apply to many abortions performed in the sixth week. All of those policies could be described as making abortion "legal only under certain circumstances." But Gallup also found that 47 percent of Americans thought abortion should be legal in "any" or "most" circumstances, which would rule out the law that Trump deemed "a terrible mistake." Another 36 percent said abortion should be legal "only in a few circumstances," which could mean a six-week ban or even a general prohibition with limited exceptions. "When asked about the legality of abortion at different stages of pregnancy," Gallup reports, "about two-thirds of Americans say it should be legal in the first trimester (69%), while support drops to 37% for the second trimester and 22% for the third. Majorities oppose abortion being legal in the second (55%) and third (70%) trimesters." We also know that even voters in red states, expressing their preferences at the ballot box rather than in surveys, have opposed stricter abortion policies. In August 2022, a little more than a month after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot initiative that would have overriden a 2019 ruling in which the state Supreme Court held that the Kansas Constitution protects a right to abortion. That November, Montana voters rejected an initiative that would have recognized "infants born alive" after an "attempted abortion" as "legal persons" and imposed criminal penalties for failing to provide them with "medical care." Kentucky voters, meanwhile, rejected an initiative declaring that the state constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion. And in Ohio last November, voters approved an initiative amending the state constitution to protect "reproductive decisions," including abortion. More generally, Democrats seem to have reaped an electoral benefit by emphasizing abortion rights, boosting turnout among voters inclined to support them. That factor helps explain why Democrats performed better than expected in the 2022 midterm elections and why they won important state races in Kentucky, Virginia, and Pennsylvania last fall. Dobbs is "wreaking electoral havoc, shifting partisan calculations, and calling into question balances of federal and state power," Reason's Elizabeth Nolan Brown noted last year. "It's also ushering in a new level of representative democracy in determining the limits of reproductive freedomalong with a backlash to the process that could reach far past policies surrounding abortion." The upshot, she suggested, "could better reflect the underlying political reality that American opinions about abortion are complex, nuanced, and not terribly extreme." In this context, you can see why Trump's position, which embraces a federalist approach without endorsing any particular policy aside from rape, incest, and life-of-the-mother exceptions, makes political sense. It also jibes with what the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a longtime Roe foe, imagined would happen after that decision was overturned. Scalia complained that Roe "destroyed the compromises of the past, rendered compromise impossible for the future, and required the entire issue to be resolved uniformly, at the national level." In Dobbs, Justice Samuel Alito agreed with Scalia that the Constitution does not limit how far the government can go in regulating abortion. But his majority opinion was ambiguous in describing what would happen next. "It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives," he wrote. That formulation, which could refer to members of Congress as well as state legislators, left open the possibility that "the entire issue" would be "resolved uniformly, at the national level." This is the possibility that Trump has now joined Scalia in rejecting. Although we should not credit Trump with caring much about what the Constitution requires, the legal rationale for national abortion legislation has always been dubious. The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, for instance, prohibits certain kinds of late-term abortions "in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce"an attempt to justify the law by invoking the power to regulate interstate commerce. As Independence Institute scholar David Kopel and University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds have noted, that language is baffling "to any person not familiar with the Commerce Clause sophistries of twentieth century jurisprudence," since "it is not really possible to perform an abortion 'in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce'" unless "a physician is operating a mobile abortion clinic on the Metroliner." When Sen. Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) proposed a 15-week federal abortion ban in 2022, he invoked the 14th Amendment's guarantees of due process and equal protection. Those guarantees apply to "any person," which in Graham's view includes fetuses (or, as he prefers, "unborn children"). Although some abortion opponents have long favored that interpretation, the Supreme Court explicitly rejected it in Roe and has yet to revisit the issue. Many of Graham's fellow Republicans were dismayed by his attempt to renationalize the abortion issue. "I don't think there's an appetite for a national platform here," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (RW.Va.). "I'm not sure what [Graham is] thinking here. But I don't think there will be a rallying around that concept." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (RKy.) likewise said most of his Republican colleagues "prefer this be handled at the state level." Those Republicans included Sen. John Cornyn (RTexas), who said "there's obviously a split of opinion in terms of whether abortion law should be decided by the states." He added that "my preference would be for those decisions to be made on a state-by-state basis." Graham's bill, which attracted just nine co-sponsors, never made it out of committee. And now Trump has made it clear that he opposes such legislation. Biden, meanwhile, continues to support legislation that would renationalize the abortion issue in the opposite direction. A 2022 bill, for example, would have prohibited states from banning or regulating abortion prior to "viability," which nowadays is generally said to occur around 23 or 24 weeks into a pregnancy. It failed by a 49-to-51 vote in the Senate. That bill would have gone even further than Roe and its progeny, which allowed restrictions on pre-viability abortions as long as they did not impose an "undue burden" on the right to terminate a pregnancy. And it would have overriden regulations that most Americans seem to favor. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (DConn.), did not even bother to provide a constitutional pretext. But a different version of the bill, which the House passed in 2021, framed it as an exercise of the power to regulate interstate commerce: Abortion restrictions substantially affect interstate commerce in numerous ways. For example, to provide abortion services, health care providers engage in interstate commerce to purchase medicine, medical equipment, and other necessary goods and services. To provide and assist others in providing abortion services, health care providers engage in interstate commerce to obtain and provide training. To provide abortion services, health care providers employ and obtain commercial services from doctors, nurses, and other personnel who engage in interstate commerce and travel across State lines. The same sort of capacious Commerce Clause reasoning, of course, also could justify national restrictions on abortion, as in the case of the Partial-Abortion Ban Act. Since Democrats take it for granted that Congress has the authority to legislate in this area, they are opening the door to federal policies they would abhor, contingent on which party happens to control the legislative and executive branches. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said she was "deeply disappointed" by Trump's unilateral repudiation of a national solution to the abortion issue. That position, she complained, "cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy." If they are successful, she warned, "they will wipe out states' rights." But the same could be said of Republicans who are determined to impose a national abortion ban, and Trump's rejection of that approach reinforces his argument that he is a moderate compared to Biden and other Democrats. "It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this [issue]," he says in the Truth Social video, "because they support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month." He wants voters to know he is repelled by "the concept of having an abortion in the later months and even execution after birth." Leaving aside Trump's dubious claim that Democrats favor infanticide, there is a kernel of truth to his gloss. According to Gallup, 60 percent of Democrats say abortion should be "legal under any circumstances." And under Blumenthal's bill, states would have been barred from banning abortion even after viability "when, in the good-faith medical judgment of the treating health care provider, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patient's life or health." That is a vague and potentially broad exception, especially if "health" is read to cover mental as well as physical health. At the same time, Trump's focus on late-term abortions elides the reality of when the procedure is typically performed. According to the CDC's data, more than 80 percent of abortions are performed prior to the 10th week, while just 4 percent are performed at 16 weeks or later. Trump's emphasis on "abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month" (whatever that might mean) also obscures the extent to which he disagrees with voters who favor bans that cover most or nearly all abortions. But it aligns him with the views expressed by most Americans, who generally favor some restrictions while opposing a complete ban. The post Embracing a Federalist Approach to Abortion, Trump Condemns Democrats As 'Radical' appeared first on Reason.com. It was once remarked that Britain has no eternal allies and no perpetual enemies. But the 120-year anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, which reduced the near-isolation into which both powers had withdrawn, serves as a reminder that we may have something akin to a permanent friendship. In The Telegraph, Lord Cameron and the French minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Stephane Sejourne, write of their commitment towards renewing the essential unity of our interests and desires. They do so at an acutely dangerous moment for the world. Upon his unexpected return to frontline politics, the Foreign Secretary will have been under no illusion that our security and stability is at greater risk than at any point in recent history. Ukraines much-anticipated counteroffensive struggled to regain lost ground and Hamass terrorist attack on Israel triggered a conflict in the Middle East that could spark a much wider, all-embracing, inter-regional war. Unfortunately, in the five months since Lord Cameron assumed his current position, these threats have intensified, while new tensions have emerged. Warnings have consequently been issued over our military preparedness and these must not go unheeded. But as Lord Cameron and Mr Sejourne make clear, many of todays major challenges from extremism to climate change will require international co-operation. Britain and France cannot do this alone, and will rally others to join us. They must ensure America, which is taking an increasingly isolationist stance, one that may be solidified should Donald Trump return to the White House, is among those galvanised. This needs to be a goal of Lord Camerons trip to the US this week. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Are you better off than you were four years ago? That question is circulating on social media and cable news every day now in response to the Trump campaign foolishly asking it, apparently expecting that everyone is mathematically illiterate and won't look back to the spring of 2020 when thousands of people were dying in the COVID pandemic. You'd think the last thing they'd want anyone to remember is Donald Trump appearing on television every day yelling at reporters and telling people to take snake oil cures or inject disinfectant. It was a nightmare from which the country has not yet fully recovered and his abominable performance during that horrific crisis marked the worst days of his presidency. You'll remember that he was careening madly from day to day, completely out of his depth, making everyone even more frightened and nervous than they already were. We know from reporting in real time, and later from books and interviews, that Trump was really only concerned about how the pandemic was going to affect his reelection campaign and as a result he tried various PR approaches, from denying it was happening to demanding that we stop testing because it was making "his numbers" look bad to declaring that less than a hundred thousand deaths from the virus would be a big win. (The American death toll stands at well over a million.) One of the more inane attempts to shape the narrative was when he tried to adopt the mantle of "wartime president" to rally the country around the commander-in-chief and send him to a second term by acclamation. As Bob Cesca wrote for Salon at the time: As of the past several days, Trump's been marketing COVID-19 as an "invisible enemy." He can't stop repeating the bellicose platitude that America is at war against the virus, even though he spent the first two months of this catastrophe telling us it was no big deal. Yet during the Sunday edition of the Trump Show, the president said, "In a true sense we're at war." On top of not understanding the definition of "war" or "true," Trump is also struggling to present himself with a patina of unity and cooperation (which he and his people routinely contradict with obnoxious cracks and tweets about his political opponents), while conspicuously thanking "first responders," as in the days and weeks following 9/11. Someone even wrote some inspiring words for Trump to say about it: Every generation of Americans has been called to make shared sacrifices for the good of the nation. ... Now it's our time. We must sacrifice together, because we are all in this together, and we will come through together. It's the invisible enemy. That's always the toughest enemy, the invisible enemy. No one bought that line because it was clear that he was in over his head. Once Trump made the most infamous gaffe of his presidency suggesting to scientists that perhaps humans could inject or ingest disinfectant to kill the virus he stopped appearing at the daily White House briefing. But despite the fact that he loves to fatuously portray himself as the "peace president," he clearly liked the idea of being a wartime leader and thought it would be useful to his campaign. The only war he's ever been interested in waging, however, is the culture war. At the height of the pandemic, Trump launched an all out attack on former president Barack Obama with a convoluted conspiracy theory he called "Obamagate" (original as always). It had something to do with the Russia investigation, which nobody could ever figure out. Trump demanded that Obama be jailed for his alleged crimes. He even had his attorney general, Bill Barr, assign U.S. Attorney John Bash to look into the matter. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., agreed to hold hearings on the Senate Judiciary Committee, although he didn't follow Trump's orders to subpoena Obama to appear. Nothing ever came of it because it was nonsense but it did distract for a time from Trump's miserable failure to lead the country through the pandemic. Recall that he also launched a series of assaults on blue states demanding that governors would have to "negotiate" for aid by giving up sanctuary cities. As I wrote at the time: He and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell even cooked up a plan to deny pandemic aid to liberal-leaning states, literally calling it "No Blue State Bailouts." Republican governors are now following his lead and doing the same with the Democratic mayors of major cities. After years and years of bellowing about "local control," they are now overruling mayors' stay-at-home orders in an effort to force people back to work. This wasn't entirely new. He'd been hostile to sending aid to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and California for its devastating wildfires, but he really cranked it up in advance of his re-election effort in 2020. Essentially, Trump declared war on his political opponents in 2020. It wasn't successful for him at the time but that's not stopping him from giving it another go and this time it's scorched earth. Over the weekend, Trump shared a video by Tom Klingenstein, a very wealthy financier and the chairman of the conservative Claremont Institute. In 2021, Klingenstein took up the banner when Trump went into exile at Mar-a-Lago and started a SuperPac to fight what he calls the Woke regime. He characterizes it as a cold civil war in which the so-called woke regime is winning because the right is too afraid to fight. Until now, his work has mostly been focused on the idea itself but now he's taken it to a new level, presenting Donald Trump as the only man who can lead us with a piece he calls "Trump's Virtues." The former president shared it on Truth Social to a rapturous reception. Leni Riefenstahl wouldn't be impressed with the aesthetics but her subject would certainly admire the message. Here is a small sample: We shouldnt much care whether our commander-in-chief is a real conservative, whether he is a role model for children or says lots of silly things, or whether he is modest or dignified. What we should care about is whether he knows we are in a war, knows who the enemy is, and knows how to win. Trump does. [...] His policies are important, but not as important as the rest of him. Trump grasps the essential things. He understands that the group quota regime is evil and will not stop until it destroys America. He is a fighterbold, brave, and decisivewho has confidence in himself and his country. [...] His enemies hate him with an indescribable fierceness. Another Hitler, they say, elect him and he will be a dictator. We should take this hysteria as reason for hope. The America-haters rightly fear that he and his party are on the threshold of a successful counterrevolution. [...] Trump hates his enemies every bit as much as they hate him. His enemies are Americas enemies. Those enemies are everyone who doesn't support Trump and they must be destroyed. The man who made that video surely believes all this and Trump's followers appear to love the message and are inspired by it. The rest of us are simply left stunned by the idea that any of this could possibly be defined as "virtuous." DENVER (KDVR) Tens of thousands of people across the Front Range were without power Sunday after dangerously high winds swept across the area. Some areas reported wind gusts over 90 mph, and at least 55,000 Xcel Energy customers had their power preemptively shut off to prevent wildfires. The company said outages for around 150,000 customers could last into Monday, leaving many without power for an extended time. Where power outages are affecting thousands of Coloradans Sunday One of the things that residents who suffer from an outage might be concerned about is what happens to all the food stored in their fridges or freezers. How long does food keep without power? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if you keep the doors to your appliances closed, food will stay safe for several hours, even without power. For refrigerators, food will stay safe for up to four hours. For freezers, food will stay safe for up to 48 hours if the freezer is full, and 24 hours if the freezer is half full. Photos: Extreme winds wreak havoc across Denver, the Front Range If the power has been out for over four hours and you have access to a cooler, the CDC recommends people put their perishable foods in there to keep them at a safe temperature. Food has to stay under 40 degrees to be considered safe. If there is any doubt about a food item, it is better to be safe and throw it out, the CDC said. Who covers the cost? Some homeowners insurance policies could cover the cost of spoiled food from power outages. The amount varies depending on the policy, with many policies covering up to $500 for spoiled food. However, there might be a deductible that you have to meet before anything is covered. Data: Fastest wind gusts reported across Colorado this weekend According to Allstate, the cause of the outage plays a role in whether or not the insurance company will pay the claim. An example of a covered claim, according to Allstate, is if a tree fell on your roof and severed power. Some policies could require you to submit receipts, especially if there are particularly expensive items included. Xcel Energy, who hosts many of the customers impacted by the outages in the Front Range, said customers impacted could submit a claim for the spoiled food on its website. Will Xcel cover any costs from the April wind event? The Problem Solvers asked Xcel if those who lost power due to the preemptive shutoff would receive compensation. Right now, there is no plan to compensate our customers for anything that they have lost. This is typically what we treat as a storm in snowstorms that weve got outages for two and three days, we dont compensate for anything said Xcel spokesperson Hollie Velasquez Horvath. Story continues Xcel told FOX31 that some residents may not have received notifications if they did not enter the correct information into the system. Customers can update information or sign up to receive updates online. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Lithuania's Energy Ministry has proposed dismantling its country's shuttered power stations to provide Ukraine with the spare parts needed to repair damaged energy infrastructure, amid an increase in Russian attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on April 7. "I had a conversation with the Minister of Energy of Lithuania. They proposed to use their thermal power stations, which are closed. To use them as donors, that is, the possibility to dismantle and obtain the spare parts we need," Halushchenko said on national television. Lithuania's offer comes in response to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal's calls for post-Soviet Western allies to provide spare parts for the energy stations. "We know that you have old Soviet-type equipment," said Shmyhal, during an interview with Estonia's ERR outlet. "It would help us a lot if we had spare parts to restore the affected power plant units and bring some of the power capacities back into operation." Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in recent weeks launching multiple attacks against power plants. Shmyhal said that 80% of Ukraine's thermal generation has been destroyed in recent weeks. Russian launched its largest attack on the country's energy infrastructure since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on March 22, leaving 1.5 million Ukrainians without power and losing approximately 20% of the country's power grids regulation capability. On March 29, the state-owned energy company Centrenergo reported that Russian troops had destroyed the Zmiiv thermal power plant in Kharkiv Oblast during a recent large-scale attack. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov claimed that the attacks have destroyed "almost all" of critical energy infrastructure in the region. Halushchenko said that the best defense for Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure remains providing Ukraine with adequate air defense systems. A staunch supporter of Ukraine, Lithuania ranks fourth in terms of overall aid to Ukraine as a percentage of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Since 2022, the country has delivered the equivalent of 1.54% of its GDP to support Ukraine, according to the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support Tracker. Read also: IAEA confirms 3 direct strikes on main reactor containment structures of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Gisele Bundchens Lookalike Daughter Vivian Is Already as Tall as Her Mom at 11 Years Old Now, its been well-established that Gisele Bundchen and her daughter Vivian are lookalikes already. But these new photos show that along with looking almost exactly the same, Vivian is already almost as tall as her mom, at only 11 years old! In photos obtained by Hello Magazine, on April 4, we can see the mother-daughter duo arriving at the Galeao International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and fans instantly noticed something: Vivians height. More from SheKnows With Bundchen being 511 and Vivians dad, Tom Brady, being 64, its no shocker that shed be a tall gal, but this early?! She truly has her mothers supermodel height genes. Vivian is a lot like her mama, and not just with the lookalike status and height, but its clear that she has ao many of the same loves as her mom, like horseback-riding, traveling, and more. Gisele Bundchen. Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection. For those who dont know, Bundchen shares two children with her ex-husband Brady, with whom she was with from 2006 to 2022, named Benjamin, 14, and Vivian, 11. Shes also the stepmom to the 80s for Bradys stars first son with Bridget Moynahan named Jack, 16. Now, Bundchen has been open about everything that comes with motherhood, including one of our favorite stories she ever told with her and Vivian. Back in 2022, she told the story about Vivian joining her backstage at a show, and her hilarious reaction. In a cover interview for ELLEs back in 2022, she said, She saw me with all these different hairdos and makeupshe didnt understand why. Shes like, Mommy, you look so much prettier without all that! Why are they touching you? Can they stop?' How adorable! Before you go, click here to see which daughters who look just like their famous moms. Ava Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaks to the media before the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers in Brussels. A joint European Union naval mission has repelled 11 attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants in the Red Sea, the bloc's foreign affairs chief said on 08 April. Alexandros Michailidis/European Council/dpa A joint European Union naval mission has repelled 11 attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants in the Red Sea, the bloc's foreign affairs chief said on Monday. "In less than two months since the operation was launched, the operation has escorted 68 vessels and has repelled 11 attacks," Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels. The operation was approved by EU member states' foreign ministers on February 19. Naval vessels participating in the mission are providing armed escorts to commercial ships navigating the Red Sea. Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen have been attacking maritime traffic in what they say is a response to Israeli military action in Gaza. The operation commander, Rear Admiral Vasileios Gryparis, said at the same press conference: "Our ships have shot down nine unmanned aerial vehicles, one unmanned surface vessel, and four anti-ship ballistic missiles." Gryparis cautioned against drawing premature conclusions about the mission's achievements. Nevertheless, "this is the way ahead," he said. "We have shown, at least with the number of assets that we have, what we can do." He stressed that the area covered by the mission is larger than the entire European Union. "The area of operation encompasses the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Sea of Oman, the Gulf, and also the north-west part of the Indian Ocean." Borrell said that because of the Houthi attacks, commercial shipping between Europe and Asia has been forced to take a longer route around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope. "This is 10 to 14 days more of travelling. The cost of a container transported from China to Europe has doubled," he said. "Before the crisis, 13% of world trade transited through the Red Sea ... Today, only half of the 70 ships that were passing daily still use the Suez Canal. So it was necessary to intervene." According to the CDC, human risk remains low. Johner Images / Getty Images Last week, a Texas dairy farm worker who had exposure to dairy cattle was confirmed to have tested positive for a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza also referred to as A(H5N1). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is the second-ever instance of H5N1 reported in the United States, although it is the first contracted from cattle. The previous case, which was reported in 2022, was of a Colorado inmate at a state correctional facility who was infected after processing infected birds while he was participating in a work program at a poultry farm. The Texas patient suffered only mild symptoms eye redness consistent with conjunctivitis and is being treated with antiviral medication while in isolation. This infection does not change the H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which the CDC considers to be low. However, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection. Avian influenza has officially been confirmed in the states of Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, and Texas. And goats in Minnesota have also tested positive. And while there is no indication of person-to-person spread or that anyone has contracted the diseases by way of milk, meat, or eggs theres an understandable concern among U.S. citizens about how to stay safe. Heres everything you need to know about the current avian influenza outbreak. What is the bird flu? Bird flu is caused by an influenza virus that affects birds both wild and domestic. The viruses are categorized as avian influenza A viruses and there are two main types, according to the CDC: Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Related: Eating Like a Salmon Is Better Than Eating Actual Salmon, Study Finds The former, which is more common, causes either no signs of disease or mild disease in chickens/poultry (such as ruffled feathers and a drop in egg production). But it can potentially mutate into highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, given the right conditions. In contrast, the latter, is responsible for severe diseases and high mortality in poultry. What are the symptoms of bird flu in humans and how is it contracted? Its uncommon for avian influenza to infect humans, but it happens. Illness in humans from bird flu virus infections have ranged in severity from no symptoms or mild illness to severe disease that resulted in death, per the CDC. Humans contract the disease when the virus is inhaled or gets into a persons eyes, nose, or mouth. Human infections with bird flu viruses have occurred most often after unprotected contact with infected birds or surfaces contaminated with bird flu viruses, the CDC says. This can happen when virus is in the air (in droplets or possibly dust) and a person breathes it in, or possibly when a person touches something that has virus on it then touches their mouth, eyes or nose. Related: Everything You Need to Know About Reheated Rice Syndrome Symptoms include upper respiratory issues (such as cough, sore throat, or a stuffy nose), pneumonia, eye redness, headaches, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, nausea, seizures, vomiting, and shortness of breath. If you experience any of the above in relation to potential H5N1 exposure, call your primary care physician in addition to your state or local health agency. You should be treated with antiviral medication. Can bird flu spread between people? The majority of avian influenza cases in humans are typically contracted through birds, and human-to-human transmission is incredibly rare. But it has happened in the past and is not unheard of. So its important to take precautions if you think youve been exposed. Are milk, eggs, and dairy products safe to consume? The Food and Drug Administration recently stated that it does not currently have concerns about pasteurized milk and cheese, given that the pasteurization process destroys pathogens through the heating of milk. Beyond that, milk from infected cows has either been diverted or destroyed so you can feel safe in the assurance that none of the milk on supermarket shelves is contaminated. As for raw or unpasteurized milk, there are still a lot of unknowns regarding transmission, but Because of the limited information available about the possible transmission of HPAI A (H5N1) viruses in raw milk, the FDA recommends that industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk cheese products made with milk from cows showing symptoms of illness, including those infected with avian influenza viruses or exposed to those infected with avian influenza viruses. Cal-Maine Foods, the largest supplier of eggs in the United States, had chickens that tested positive for H5N1. Does that mean that we should all be worrying? No but its best to be cautious. Infected hens will likely lay contaminated eggs, and because most eggs sold in cartons arent pasteurized, its important to cook your omelets all the way through in accordance with U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service time-temperature guidelines. Dough and other food items that may contain raw eggs should be avoided at this time. It should also be noted that there are strict industry controls in place that aim to prevent infected eggs from making their way to the U.S. market. Related: Here Are the 12 Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables, Ranked In terms of meat, the USDA remains confident that the meat supply is safe. Just make sure to use standard precautionary measures when handling raw products: Wash your hands frequently, dont leave cooked food at room temperature for longer than two hours, and use a food thermometer. Should I be concerned about my pets? Avian influenza typically affects wild birds such as ducks, geese, chicken, and turkeys. Commercial poultry are also vulnerable. But its important to note that not only wild or barnyard animals are susceptible. Backyard flocks, as well as pet birds that may come in contact with infected wildfowl, could contract the disease. As for cats and dogs, they could get bird flu if they consume or are around sick animals. If your domestic animals go outside and could potentially eat or be exposed to sick or dead birds infected with bird flu viruses, or an environment contaminated with bird flu virus, they could become infected with bird flu, the CDC said in a statement. While its unlikely that you would get sick with bird flu through direct contact with your infected pet, it is possible. For example, in 2016, the spread of bird flu from a cat to a person was reported in NYC. tianyu wu / Getty Images There's no indication of person-to-person spread, but it's important to remain vigilant and follow precautionary measures. I have a pet bird, now what? Pet birds, like any other pet you may have, should be moved indoors and kept away from potential exposure to wild birds or rodents. If your pet bird shows symptoms of avian flu such as diarrhea, reduced egg count, lack of coordination, or nasal discharge you should monitor your own health and watch out for signs of infection. And if you find a dead bird elsewhere, get in touch with your state wildlife agency, state veterinary diagnostic lab, or state health department. As for backyard flocks, the American Veterinary Medical Association has these guidelines, which are simple enough to follow. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. Everything you need to know about the solar eclipse: Today's top stories | Daily Briefing The countdown to the solar eclipse is over. Happy eclipse day, Cincinnati! If you're in the right place at the right time today, you could experience the greatest show in the universe, a total solar eclipse. It's important to note that if you're in the city of Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky, you will not see a total solar eclipse. Many places in the area will experience only 98-99% of the sun blocked by the moon, which is big difference. Although the sky will likely darken and the temperature will drop a little, people outside the path of totality will not experience the full dazzling effects. The city of Cincinnati has not had a total solar eclipse since 1395 and still won't see full totality until the year 3046. So finding your way to totality should be your ultimate goal if you want to catch the astronomical event of a lifetime. If not now, when? Cincinnati's favorite astronomer Dean Regas breaks it all down for you right here. And if you want to follow our live eclipse coverage throughout the day, visit our blog here. Whether you find your way to totality or not, enjoy the show. What else you need to know Monday, April 8 Weather: High of 72. Intervals of clouds and sunshine. The 2024 Cincinnati's Favorite Beer winner is crowned. Spencer Steer has taken another step in Year 2, but not much has changed. How the catastrophic Xenia, Blue Ash tornadoes brought chaos to Ohio. Joe Biden may not make Ohio ballot, Secretary of State warns. New here? Subscribe to the Daily Briefing today Today's Top Stories Documents: Allegations of racist, homophobic remarks led to investigation of NKU coach Cincinnati Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) delivers a pitch in the first inning of an MLB baseball game against the New York Mets, Sunday, April 7, 2024, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The Reds fall to the Mets as star Francisco Lindor bounces back with a big game Cincinnati Bearcats guard Day Day Thomas (1) looks to pass around San Francisco Dons guard Marcus Williams (55) in the second half of a college basketball game in the National Invitation Tournament, Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Cincinnati Bearcats guard Day Day Thomas to return for 2024-25 Cincinnati police say a 17-year-old male is facing murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a man last month. Teen faces murder charges in Mount Auburn shooting last month Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com subscribers have a new perk. Find out how to get discounted zoo tickets today. Enquirer subscribers can get discounted Cincinnati Zoo tickets This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Everything you need to know about the solar eclipse | Daily Briefing Ex-Green Beret reveals how he saved his own life with play set to be staged in NYC Ex-Green Beret Scott Mann knows how to tell a war story -- in fact, the skill saved his life. WASHINGTON, DC Ex-Green Beret Scott Mann knows how to tell a war story in fact, the skill saved his life. The 23-year Army veteran returned home from Afghanistan in 2013 and found himself quickly spiraling, lost without the daily adrenaline rush of special forces work with Afghan villagers and wracked with guilt over having the US leave them behind. It was kind of like living in a purgatory where I felt I was unwilling to live and unable to die, the Florida dad recently told The Post. Ex-Green Beret Scott Mann returned home from Afghanistan in 2013. The 23-year Army veteran had a tough time readjusting to life when he returned home. The Heroes Journey He wrote a play aimed at comforting veterans suffering from the fallout of the chaotic and deadly US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Heroes Journey This deeply despondent feeling came to a head 18 months later, when Manns young son discovered him crouching alone in a closet with a pistol in his hand about to do the unthinkable. Had it not been for my son coming home from school when he did, I dont think I would be here, Mann said. The former soldier realized he had to find a way to process all of his experiences if he was to integrate back into civilian suburban life. That was when he discovered his creative voice and wrote a play aimed at comforting veterans suffering from the fallout of the chaotic and deadly US withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as helping the families who love them. Last Out, coming to Staten Islands St. George Theater for a one-night performance Tuesday, tells the story of the heartbreak and healing that veterans face as they return home from war, often feeling alone and detached from others. In the years after I separated from the military, I found it extremely hard to know my purpose and passion in life. I slowly disconnected from the outside world, Mann said. I also found many civilians had no idea what it meant to serve in modern war. The play Last Out, coming to Staten Islands St. George Theater for a one-night performance Tuesday. The Heroes Journey It was only when I began telling my story that I finally started seeing light and hope, he said. The play follows fictional Green Beret Danny Patton on his ascension to Valhalla, the mythological Nordic afterlife for slain hero warriors, after he was mortally wounded. The character based on an amalgamation of three team sergeants Mann lost in the war gets stuck, unable to move on until he is visited by a number of important people in his life, including a friend killed in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. [The people] take Danny through his lifetime, from joining special forces, 9/11, getting married and having a child and deployment after deployment after deployment, until he finally he figures out what he holding on to and he lets go but not before the audience goes for the whole ride, Mann said. Its an immersive experiential exposure to modern war, both on the battlefield and on the home front. The show has had several performances over the years with a cast of veterans and military family members. But after the disastrous US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 left thousands of Afghan allies stranded under Taliban rule, the piece took on new meaning. The focus was now on helping to heal the moral injury from the war and helping our veterans and our military families and our Gold Stars recognize that what they did was worth it, he said. Mann used the play as a way to help cope with his mental health. The Heroes Journey As Kabul fell to the Taliban on Aug. 15, 2021, thousands of veterans of the previous 20 years of war there began experiencing emotional reactions to watching so much that they fought for fall apart and so many allies left behind in the rushed US evacuation mission. Mann got to work, creating the volunteer group Task Force Pineapple, which brought together roughly 50 American veterans to arrange for the rescue of more than 1,000 Afghan allies between Aug. 15 and Aug. 30, 2021. Now Manns work continues, bringing Last Out to a new audience in New York. Tuesdays performance is sponsored by the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, which honors fallen 9/11 first responders and Gold Star families, or relatives of killed military personnel, from the terror attacks resulting wars. We are honored to bring Last Out to New York City, a powerful portrayal of the sacrifices and valor of our military service members and their families, said Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller in a statement. This performance is not just a play; its a tribute to the unspoken heroes of our nation the spouses, children, and comrades of those who serve. Last Out will be staged Tuesday on Staten Island. The Heroes Journey Siller, whose hero firefighter brother Steven Siller died on 9/11 helping to rescue others, said he hopes the play will inspire hard but necessary conversations around grief, sacrifice and the many lasting costs of war. This play pays tribute to the unwavering courage and sacrifice of our military service members and their families, he told The Post. Last Out spotlights these sacrifices and will hopefully give our Gold Star families a new way to talk about the service and sacrifices of their loved ones. If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. A former Simpson College professor charged with murdering her husband in 2020 intends to plead guilty in a deal with prosecutors, according to new court filings. Gowun Park, 45, is charged with murder in the death of 41-yearold Sung Woo Nam at the couple's West Des Moines condominium. Nam was found dead on Feb. 15, 2020, and police later obtained video from Park's phone showing Nam before his death gagged, blindfolded and bound to a chair. One of the cords binding him was wrapped around his neck, and the cause of death, according to court documents, was strangulation. Park, at the time an economics professor at Simpson, reportedly told officers her husband was abusive and had given her permission to tie him up when he became violent. The case has been working its way through the courts for years. The district court initially ruled multiple police interviews with Park, a Korean immigrant for whom English was a second language, could not be used as evidence against her. The court found that police effectively detained her without advising her of her Miranda rights; continued questioning her after she asked for a lawyer; and implied she would be treated with leniency if she spoke with them. The Iowa Court of Appeals later partially reversed that decision, and in 2023 the Iowa Supreme Court overturned it entirely, ruling that all the interviews had been legally conducted. Gowun Park, 41, a Simpson College economics professor accused of killing her husband, appears in court. A new filing says she will plead guilty. From 2021: Attorney: Former Simpson College professor charged in husband's death gave coerced statements to police Park's trial was repeatedly scheduled and postponed, most recently for March 18. Another hearing had been set for April 25, but on Thursday, Judge Brad McCall converted that court date to a plea hearing, writing in his order that the parties had informed him they'd reached a plea agreement. The terms of that deal are not yet publicly available, and Park's attorneys declined to comment. If convicted of first-degree murder, Park faces a mandatory life sentence without parole. This article has been edited to reflect that Sung Woo Nam was not bound when first responders arrived at the couple's home. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Simpson professor charged with husband's murder to plead guilty Over the past month, Ive been speaking with people who describe themselves as Christian nationalists, with Christians who are vehemently opposed to that movement, and with those who seem to agree with its overall aims but dislike the term. Christian nationalism has become an umbrella term for people who generally agree that the American nation should be defined by a certain strain of Christianity, and who want to see the government take aggressive action to uphold the social mores that come from that. Christian nationalists overlap in their policy goals with the familiar, Christian right activists of previous decades, which means they often support policies that have long been mainstays of the Republican Partys social agenda restricting abortion access, adding more religion to public schools in various forms, banning federal support for gender-affirming health. But public statements from Christian nationalists, conversations with them, and their behavior when in power suggests less that theyre after a specific list of Christian-influenced policy items instead, it is a broader approach to public life: one focused on obtaining power and using it to both instruct and shape the behavior of American society in accordance with specific, hardline interpretations of Christianity on which they believe the country was founded. The universe of Christian social conservatives who embrace Christian nationalism as a label is broad, and extends from more studied, experienced professionals like Trump-era acting OMB Director Russ Vought to a coterie of Ignatius Reilly-esque quasi-medievalist figures who theorize the eventual ascent of a Christian Prince to power. They, and the Christian nationalism label, have gained currency in recent years. Donald Trump has embraced messianic language in his campaign appearances; the recent Alabama Supreme Court IVF ruling sparked accusations of Christian nationalism after a concurrence invoked the Ten Commandments, the Book of Genesis, and medieval theologians to support the opinion that embryos are extrauterine children. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) described herself as a Christian nationalist in 2022, signaling that the term, once largely used by those examining the movement from the outside, had become familiar to and had been appropriated by a segment of the MAGA right. The agenda on tap is broadly unpopular. But it reflects the reality of how America has changed in recent decades: Christian hegemony has declined along with church attendance. Same-sex marriage exists and has been upheld by the court; banning abortion has been quickly recognized as a political liability for the GOP. What Christian nationalism offers instead is an approach to enacting that same old Christian-right social conservatism thats rooted in a more muscular, aggressive approach to the use of federal power. If a previous generation of the Christian right would have preferred their children to be home-schooled; the Christian nationalists may want to see government-funded chaplains in schools. At its core is a deeply held, manichean belief that theres no such thing as a neutral, secular public square only competing religions that shape public morality and that America cannot last in its current social form. William Wolfe, a former Trump administration appointee and current head of the Center for Baptist Leadership who embraces the term, framed it to TPM in similar terms. The New Christian Right unapologetically argues for laws based upon the natural law and an explicitly Christian moral framework, acknowledging that all laws legislate morality, he said in a statement. And if America is going to endure, the morality that we need is a Christian one. Weve Been Too Secular Whats drawn attention more than anything else is the growing sense that Christian nationalism could inform the agenda for a second Trump term. Its come up in a few ways. Project 2025, one proposed agenda for a second Trump term, includes abortion restrictions, the curtailment of federal funding for gender transition treatment, and, in a ploy to attract labor, congressional action on Sabbath Rest, requiring employers to pay time and a half for work done on the sabbath. The proposal leaves it up to the employer not the employee to decide when the Sabbath is, saying that it would default to Sunday except for employers with a sincere religious observance of a Sabbath at a different time. Russ Vought, the former Trump OMB director, appears most frequently in conversations about the link between Christian nationalism and a second Trump term. As head of the Center for Renewing America, a think tank formed in 2021, Vought has played an influential role in crafting potential policies for a second Trump term earlier, as OMB chief, he played a key role towards the end of the Trump administration in implementing them. Vought laid out his vision for immigration restriction last year in explicitly Christian nationalist terms, and has endorsed the label. Last month, he told Charlie Kirk in a podcast episode titled Why Christian Nationalist should be a compliment that as a country, weve been too secular. Vought added that Christianity, in his view, should define the American nation Christian nation-ism would probably be the most accurate aspect of what I believe. Wolfe, the former Trump appointee who was a visiting fellow at Voughts Center for Renewing America, appeared in a Politico article this year in part for his advocacy for hardline policies like an end to same-sex marriage, the banning of abortion, and an end to federal support for gender transition. He doubled down on those ideas to TPM, and cast the Christian nationalist agenda in broad terms. All of politics is about the acquisition of power; the question is to what ends will that power be used? Wolfe told TPM. We want to see bold, virtuous leaders who rightly use the levers of power in this nation to promote the good, the true, and the beautiful and to unapologetically defend Americas Christian heritage and the necessity of a Christian foundation for a free and functioning society. A Christian Prince The starting belief for many Christian nationalists is the idea that secularism isnt incorrect so much as nonexistent. The term of art among evangelicals is the public square, referring to society and politics what exists outside of the home and the church. One story you hear from Christian nationalists goes something like this: for the longest time, Americans were sold a bill of goods. They could have secular public schools and practice their religion at home with no offense or impingement on their own beliefs. Thats wrong, the thinking goes. Instead, the public square has not been neutral, but has been dominated by liberal, quasi-religious thought thats whats led to same-sex marriage, abortion, declining church attendance, and higher divorce rates. As a correction, two things are needed: First, Americans must recognize that weve been living with a public square dominated by legal, moral, and religious values all along. Second, Americans armed with that new understanding must ask themselves: What religion-based moral and legal system will dominate it? This view has a history. In the 1980s, Christian conservatives on the fringe argued that the promulgation of what the right labeled secular humanism in public schools violated the separation between church and state. This non-religion, they sought to argue, was a form of religion. Today, the argument lingers in various ways. It undergirds Voughts view that federal policy could make the country less secular, and also comes out from the fringe thinkers who have promulgated these ideas long before they made it into Trumpworld. One pastor who has been influential on the fringe in spreading this view is Doug Wilson of Moscow, Idaho. Wilson appeared at an event with Vought last year, and told TPM that the secular experiment told us that there was such a thing as neutrality in this realm, and I dont believe there is. And though other Christian nationalists like to cite him, Wilson may remain relegated to the fringe in part because of his other views: hes written that sodomy is worse than slavery and that abortion is at least as great an evil as slavery was. But Wilsons overriding view that the pluralist status quo has allowed a secular religion to infest the public square has come out in other ways, as well. In 2022, Stephen Wolfe (no relation to William) published a book called The Case for Christian Nationalism. The book was published by Canon Press, a publishing house that began as a ministry of Wilsons church. Stephen K. Bannon, the Trump adviser, reportedly had a copy of the book stacked on his table. In the book, Wolfe lays out a vision that veers very far into the fantastic he rails against the advancement of women over the past several decades by using the term gynocracy, and describes both the Obergefell decision and the 1965 immigration reform which abolished quotas on national origin as an imperial imposition. One chapter, called The Christian Prince, advocates for a measured and theocratic caesarism. Wolfe has suggested that hes playing a somewhat coy game here, using prince to refer not necessarily to a monarch, but possibly to the aggregate form of American governmental power. Whatever it is, in his version of Christian nationalism the prince would promote national self-love and a manly, moral liberty. The prince can adorn himself and his residence with Christian symbols, as crosses were once painted on royal armor and portraits of monarchs with scepters and crosses, he wrote. The point is that the Christian prince should exercise his power to secure and supplement Christian civil and material culture and do everything in this power to make his peoples culture, as a whole, Christian. Playing the Media The agenda here dramatically departs from the countrys recent history. Even if its not Stephen Wolfes Christian Prince with scepters and crosses, whats being proposed is a sweeping expansion of federal power to explicitly ground unpopular, socially conservative goals in Christian rhetoric, to the exclusion not only of other faiths but of many who would describe themselves as Christian. To achieve this, Christian nationalists like to conflate their view of the world with that of broader, less controversial Christian politics. They emphasize right-wing messaging which accentuates opposition to progressivism while conflating the exclusionary parts of the agenda with policy items that are relatively common among conservatives. Wolfe, for example, wrote to TPM that Evangelical Christians believe that America should be a sovereign nation that promotes Christian virtues, respects the biological reality of the binary nature of sex, passes just laws, and respects the Christian founding of our country, and the freedom of religion for Christians that extends beyond just our churches but carries with us into the public square, government, and places of business. Amanda Tyler is a Baptist who disagrees with the Christian nationalist agenda. Shes a Baptist who heads the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Freedom, a faith-based non-profit that advocates for religious freedom. There, she founded a campaign called Christians Against Christian Nationalism in 2019 a few years before the term was picked up by the mass media. She regards the Christian nationalist agenda as partly a recognition of a loss of privilege, and a threat to the religious freedom that her group fights to protect. Weve never fully protected religious freedom in this country, but we have made attempts to do so in a way that has allowed genuine religious diversity to flourish in this country. And the outcome of that through immigration, through freedom, through the fact that people arent forced to adhere to a given religion, has meant that those who once held a strong majority position in all places have lost some of that. And I do think that that sense of loss often drives fear and then drives a sense of wanting to retain it at all costs, she added. (NewsNation) It could be the lifeline that tens of thousands of people hoping for a liver transplant: the possibility of growing their own new liver inside their bodies. The biotech company LyGenesis said for the first time, a human patient has been injected with a cocktail that includes donated liver cells. The goal: transforming a lymph node into a small but working liver. Researchers began their first test on humans in late March, injecting the therapy into 12 patients, all with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Many cancer drugs remain unproven 5 years after accelerated approval, a study finds If our study is successful and we obtain FDA approval, our allogenic cell therapy could enable one donated liver to treat many dozens of ESLD patients, which could help to tilt the current organ supply-demand imbalance in favor of patients, according to Dr. Michael Hufford, Co-Founder and CEO of LyGenesis. Each year, about four and a half million people develop liver disease, and more than 50,000 die from it. But nearly 10,000 people are on waiting lists for a liver transplant, and not every donated liver is suitable for transplant. The new therapy needs only a few cells from a liver, which means each donated organ could provide enough material to treat up to 75 people, according to LyGenesis. US surgeons transplant a gene-edited pig kidney into a patient for the first time The human test follows animal tests conducted in the past few years. In one, mice injected with the compound grew enough liver tissue in lymph nodes to take up the work of their diseased livers. In a further study, pigs grew new livers that were bigger than the animals damaged ones. The liver is unique among human organs in that it can heal itself. Damaged liver tissue sends signals to healthy tissue to regenerate itself. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Experts sound alarm on surge in devastating Amazon blazes: 'We're going to see other events of catastrophic fires' Venezuelans are battling a record number of wildfires as the Amazon rainforest region battles a months-long drought. What's happening? Satellites registered more than 30,200 fire points in Venezuela from January to March, Reuters reported. This is the highest number ever for that period since records started in 1999. These fires are threatening Venezuela's Amazon region as well as other forests and grasslands. Fires are often set to clear land for agriculture, but some are spreading out of control because of high temperatures mixed with a drought fueled by a warming planet and El Nino, a natural weather phenomenon. The fires aren't confined to Venezuela some are also spilling over into Brazil's Roraima state, threatening indigenous communities. Guyana, Suriname, and Colombia are also battling devastating wildfires of their own. Why are these wildfires concerning? Some of Venezuela's fires are blanketing communities in smoke. This is bad news, as wildfire smoke contains dangerous pollutants, and inhaling it can lead to asthma attacks, heart attacks, and stroke, among other health problems, according to the American Lung Association. It's also forcing evacuations in Uverito, 315 families were forced to leave their homes. Experts say that Venezuela's current blazes could be a worrying sign for what's to come as the dry season approaches. "Everything is indicating we're going to see other events of catastrophic fires megafires that are huge in size and height," Manoela Machado, a fire researcher at the University of Oxford, told Reuters. Though droughts and other extreme weather are nothing new, they are a symptom of an overheating planet. Scientists largely agree that climate change makes disasters more common and intense, and one expert compared it to "steroids" for weather. Examples abound. In the past year, the world has suffered a number of devastating droughts. Lack of precipitation in the Amazon has caused more than record-breaking fire seasons it has also led to a shortage of drinkable water in one region of Brazil. Meanwhile, in Spain, officials have had to enforce severe water restrictions. Plus, experts warned that droughts in Southern Africa, Central America, and northern South America could threaten food security in those regions. What's being done about the wildfires? Around 400 Venezuelan firefighters recently fought a major blaze that is threatening Henri Pittier National Park. In March, the country's environment ministry announced it had launched a coordinated effort with helicopters and additional equipment to battle the blaze here. But according to Machado, affected countries aren't doing enough to prevent and combat fires. She said that governments should enforce bans on setting fires during dry periods, quicken their response times, and employ firefighters year-round. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has prompted calls for Washington to put conditions on the billions of dollars in military funding and other assistance it provides to Israel, which has received more U.S. foreign aid since World War Two than any other country. The following are details of U.S. support for Israel as it fights Hamas militants in Gaza. WHAT AID IS MANDATED BY LAW? In 2016, the U.S. and Israeli governments signed a third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding, covering the period from Oct. 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2028. The MOU provides a total of $38 billion in military aid over the 10 years, $33 billion in grants to buy military equipment and $5 billion for missile defense systems. WHAT ADVANCED WEAPONS SYSTEMS DOES ISRAEL GET? Israel is the first international operator of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, considered the most technologically advanced fighter jet ever made. Israel is in the processes of buying 75 F-35s and - as of last year - had taken delivery of 36, paying for them with U.S. assistance. The United States has also helped Israel develop and arm its Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system, developed after the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah. The United States has repeatedly sent Israel hundreds of millions of dollars to help replenish its interceptor missiles. Washington has also helped fund the development of Israel's "David's Sling" system, designed to shoot down rockets fired from 100 kilometers to 200 km (62 miles to 124 miles) away. WILL ISRAEL GET MORE FOR ITS CAMPAIGN AGAINST HAMAS? Last year, President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve a $95 billion supplemental spending bill that included $14 billion for Israel, in addition to $60 billion for Ukraine, support for Taiwan and billions in humanitarian assistance. That package passed the Senate with 70% support in February but has been blocked in the House, whose Republican leaders will not call it up for a vote, largely because of their objection to further funding for Ukraine. It also faces resistance from a handful of left-leaning Democrats who object to sending more money to Israel while it pursues a military campaign that has killed more than 30,000 civilians in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. HOW ELSE DOES WASHINGTON SUPPORT ISRAEL? The United States has long used its veto power on the U.N. Security Council to block resolutions seen as critical of Israel. Earlier in the six-month-long war in Gaza, it vetoed measures that included calls for an immediate ceasefire. To pass in the Security Council, a resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no veto by the U.S., France, Britain, Russia or China. Late last month, Washington dropped its traditional protection of Israel by abstaining from a vote on a resolution demanding a ceasefire, instead of casting a veto, although it described the brief text as 'non-binding.' Washington has taken Israel's side elsewhere. Former Republican President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the world's most important human rights body, the U.N. Human Rights Council, in protest of its criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Also under Trump, it left the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, partly because of what his administration called a bias against Israel. Trump also reversed decades of U.S. policy in 2017 by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions - has been one of the biggest obstacles to reaching a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Mike Stone; Editing by Don Durfee and Bill Berkrot) Claim: In March 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a redacted 148-page study on myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination. Rating: Rating: False In April 2024, a rumor circulated claiming that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had released a 148-page, completely redacted study the previous month on myocarditis following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. One user shared the claim without context on X (formerly Twitter), garnering more than 18,000 views: (X user @thehealthb0t) Another X user linked to a YouTube video of "The Jimmy Dore Show," posted at the end of March 2024, which discussed the topic at length and had received 13,000 likes and 124,000 views: (X user @AgentOrangeUSMC) This YouTube channel had 1.34 million subscribers at the time of this writing. The document had been the subject of discussions during a hearing of the Novel Coronavirus Southwestern Intergovernmental Committee on March 15, 2024, which was livestreamed. "One hundred and forty eight pages," said Arizona state Sen. Janae Shamp as she held up blank pages during the hearing. "The entire thing is redacted. What good does a study do if there's nothing there?" Peter McCullough, a cardiologist who contributed to the spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, also was at the hearing. "We're witnessing an active cover-up of a colossal consumer safety debacle that is basically affecting the entire world," he said. He then accused the CDC and the FDA, as well as the U.K., European and Australian medicine regulation agencies, of being complicit in this alleged cover-up. As we will demonstrate below, the redacted document was not in any sense a "study." A clip of the intergovernmental committee's hearing was shared on X (archived) on March 18, 2024, and was viewed 4 million times and amplified more than 20,000 times. (screen capture) The CDC's Redacted Pages The CDC did release 148 redacted pages following a Freedom of Information Act request by The Epoch Times concerning "MOVING" (Myocarditis outcomes after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination) surveys. These pages, however, were not a study. Zachary Stieber, the Epoch Times reporter who made the FOIA request, posted on X that he had noticed "confusion" about the document: (@ZackStieber / X) The post (archived) to which he replied included the 148 blank pages. Clicking on the linked document and zooming in, a small inscription appears in the upper left corner of the first page: (X screenshot) The inscription (b)(5), seen above, is repeated on every page of the document. This refers to information that is exempted from FOIA requests. According to the U.S. Justice Department: Exemption 5 of the FOIA protects "inter-agency or intra-agency memorandums or letters which would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with the agency." This detail confirms that the 148 redacted pages did not constitute a study, but were instead communications within the CDC or between the CDC and other agencies. We contacted the CDC asking for more details on the reason for the redaction and will update this story if we receive an answer. Stieber, in his post, added that the CDC team in charge of studying myocarditis outcomes following COVID-19 vaccinations has already shared several studies on the topic. He links to one of them, published in 2022 in The Lancet, which concludes: After at least 90 days since onset of myocarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, most individuals in our cohort were considered recovered by health-care providers, and quality of life measures were comparable to those in pre-pandemic and early pandemic populations of a similar age. The paper also recommends further study into the topic. More Studies on Myocarditis Outcomes After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine The CDC and other research institutions have indeed released several studies on the link between the COVID-19 vaccine and both myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, which is an inflammation of the thin tissue that lines the heart. The CDC website links to 10 studies on myocarditis after the vaccine carried out between 2021 and 2022. As Stieber indicated in his post, the MOVING team told him it plans to publish another study with updated findings. Several studies found that while myocarditis and pericarditis can follow mRNA vaccination, the data show vaccination protects against complications. For example, a study from Germany showed that the risk of dying from myocarditis from a COVID-19 infection is much higher than the risk of dying from myocarditis not caused by COVID-19. Sources: Bemtgen, Xavier, et al. 'Myocarditis Mortality with and without COVID-19: Insights from a National Registry'. Clinical Research in Cardiology, vol. 113, no. 2, 2024, pp. 21622. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-022-02141-9. Kracalik, Ian, et al. ' Ian Kracalik, PhD Matthew E Oster, MD Karen R Broder, MD Margaret M Cortese, MD Maleeka Glover, ScD Karen Shields, BS et al. Show All Authors Published:September 21, 2022DOI:Https://Doi.Org/10.1016/S2352-4642(22)00244-9 PlumX Metrics'. The Lancet, vol. 6, no. 11, Nov. 2022, pp. 78899, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00244-9/fulltext. Office of Information Policy | FOIA Guide, 2004 Edition: Exemption 5. 23 July 2014, https://www.justice.gov/archives/oip/foia-guide-2004-edition-exemption-5. Vaccine Safety Publications | Research | Vaccine Safety | CDC. 27 Feb. 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/research/publications/index.html. Video Player. https://www.azleg.gov/videoplayer/?clientID=6361162879&eventID=2024031052. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024. Claim: Kyle Rittenhouse scored so low on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, which is required for enlistment into the U.S. Armed Forces, that he was permanently disqualified from serving in the Marines. Rating: Rating: Mixture What's True: It's true that Rittenhouse attempted to join the U.S. Marines in 2020, but was "disqualified from serving after discussing his options with recruiters," according to a statement given to The Washington Post by Marine Corps spokesperson Yvonne Carlock. What's False: There is zero verifiable evidence that Rittenhouse was permanently disqualified from serving because of a low ASVAB test score (the test can be retaken multiple times). What's Undetermined: It's unknown how far Rittenhouse got into the enlistment process, including whether he even took the ASVAB test. Moreover, it has not been revealed what the actual reason was for his disqualification. In the first week of April 2024, numerous accounts on X shared posts suggesting that Kyle Rittenhouse, the then-teenager who shot and killed two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during an August 2020 protest against police brutality, had done so poorly on an entrance exam for the U.S. Marine Corps that he was permanently barred from enlisting in the service. As evidence, the posts included the image of an email stating that Rittenhouse attempted to join the Marines in January 2020 but was rejected because of a low test score. I know lots of people who didnt qualify for the job they wanted, but being banned from even trying again and not even sent to a prep program is pretty unique. Especially when recruiting is so low. pic.twitter.com/WQqQ8gtNw2 james stout (@jamesstout) April 2, 2024 The claim spread rapidly across social media, with accounts either defending or mocking Rittenhouse's actions. We set out to determine whether this email was authentic and whether the claim it supported was true: This email is supposedly from a Kenosha Police Field Report, which Snopes is attempting to obtain. We have cropped the image to allow for greater readability. (X user @ChasinWhiteCaps) In a profile on Rittenhouse written less than a week after the events in Kenosha, The Washington Post reported that he had attempted to join the Marines in early 2020 but was "disqualified from serving after discussing his options with recruiters." Yvonne Carlock, the service spokesperson who talked to the Post for the story, did not explain why he was disqualified, citing privacy guidelines. Needless to say, there was no mention of a "low test score." Snopes reached out to Carlock to confirm her statement to The Washington Post and also contacted the Marine Corps for confirmation that Rittenhouse had attempted to join the Marines and was disqualified, but as of this writing we have not received replies. We set out to determine if the email image was real. Our first lead came from a Reddit post. In the comments section of the post, one user claimed the email originated from a particular page in the Kenosha Police Department's field report on Rittenhouse's actions in August 2020. Snopes sent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the Kenosha Police Department and the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department asking for a copy of the field report. We did receive our FOIA documents from the Kenosha Police Department in mid-May 2024, but did not find the email in question inside that copy of the report, so we were unable to confirm the email's origin or authenticity. However, we are able to fact-check the main claim circulating online, regardless. Is a Low Test Score the Reason Rittenhouse Was Barred from Enlisting? We found no reliable evidence that Rittenhouse was permanently disqualified from enlisting in the Marines because of a low test score. The ASVAB test is a required test for everyone who wishes to enlist in any branch of the U.S. Military. Therefore, if Rittenhouse attempted to join the Marines, he would have been required to take the test if he got that far into the process. But the ASVAB test is not something you're only allowed to take once, according to the U.S. Army's website: You can take the ASVAB test multiple times (though there are rules regarding how frequently). After your first attempt, you must wait one calendar month to retake the test. Your third attempt can be administered no earlier than six calendar months after your second test. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to claim that a low ASVAB score would permanently disqualify someone from enlisting in the Marines. While we are unable to ascertain why exactly Rittenhouse was disqualified from serving (there are multiple theories out there, each of which we investigated), we can say that based on the rules of the U.S. military, he would not have been permanently disqualified because of a bad ASVAB score. We have not been able to confirm that Rittenhouse even took the test. What We Know About the 'Low Test Score' Email As noted above, we submitted a FOIA request for a copy of the Kenosha Police Department field report that was allegedly the source of the email. Under Wisconsin's Open Records Law, police departments and sheriffs must either deliver requested documents "as soon as practicable and without delay," or inform the interested party that the request has been denied. If they choose to deny the request, they must write and explain why. Information Snopes found on the Kenosha Police Department's website suggested that we would hear back within 10 business days, which is the standard time estimate given for Freedom of Information Act requests. In the meantime, we tracked down posts on X that showed an additional set of emails that allegedly came from the same document. We now had a list of the names of five FBI agents. Snopes was able to find public information confirming three of them were indeed FBI employees. A fourth showed up in Google search results, but did not appear on the linked pages. The fifth individual, Rebecca-Lynn Laufer (from whose account the email was allegedly sent), was the only individual we could not find any public information about. This level of detailed accuracy signifies that either this is a highly detailed fake, complete with the names of real FBI employees, or it is real. Next, we looked for the source of the information. One X post by David Hancock, who claimed that he advised Rittenhouse during the latter's trial for homicide but had since regretted his actions, credited the image to another X account run by a man named Paul Prediger. In Kenosha, Rittenhouse shot and killed two people, and injured a third. Prediger, formerly known as Gaige Grosskreutz, is the man Rittenhouse wounded but did not kill. Snopes reached out to Prediger, Hancock and Rittenhouse for comment. Prediger provided a copy of a 938-page report from the Kenosha Police Department on Rittenhouse, which contained the email in question on page 572. When we received our FOIA documents from the Kenosha Police Department, we found that it was similar but not identical to Prediger's copy. We did not find the email in question inside the FOIA version of the report we received and still cannot confirm that it is genuine. Sources: Armus, Teo, et al. "Before a Fatal Shooting, Teenage Kenosha Suspect Idolized the Police." Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2021. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/27/kyle-rittenhouse-kenosha-shooting-protests/. "ASVAB Test & Preparation." Goarmy.Com, https://www.goarmy.com/how-to-join/steps/asvab.html. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. "Attorneys for Man Shot during Protest in Kenosha Say Kyle Rittenhouse Is Evading Them." PBS NewsHour, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/attorneys-for-man-shot-during-protest-in-kenosha-say-kyle-rittenhouse-is-evading-them. "Https://Twitter.Com/ChasinWhiteCaps/Status/1775215543345152056?t=bXkATrDsKusuyBLdA5IZ7w." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/ChasinWhiteCaps/status/1775215543345152056?t=bXkATrDsKusuyBLdA5IZ7w. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. "Https://Twitter.Com/DanLamothe/Status/1299054126446321664." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/DanLamothe/status/1299054126446321664. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. "Https://Twitter.Com/DaveHan06/Status/1774751376889057282?t=7SPMuO1FwhUVnA30w79byg." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/DaveHan06/status/1774751376889057282?t=7SPMuO1FwhUVnA30w79byg. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. "Https://Twitter.Com/Daybreaker/Status/1774986889067364539." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/daybreaker/status/1774986889067364539. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. "Https://Twitter.Com/Jamesstout/Status/1775163288990429628." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/jamesstout/status/1775163288990429628. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. "Https://Twitter.Com/Joekassabian/Status/1775187855934914724." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/joekassabian/status/1775187855934914724. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. "Https://Twitter.Com/realTuckFrumper/Status/1775267238616113355." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/realTuckFrumper/status/1775267238616113355. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. "Https://Twitter.Com/RyanShead/Status/1774586223295946995." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/RyanShead/status/1774586223295946995. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. "Man Who Survived Rittenhouse Shooting Seeks Name Change." AP News, 30 Sept. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/kyle-rittenhouse-wisconsin-shootings-kenosha-e4e1dbad9f01dbe7503800672908a302. u/Dookie1. "Kyle Rittenhouse Is Banned from Joining the Military Because He's Too Dumb." Reddit.Com/r/Behindthebastards, 3 Apr. 2024, https://www.reddit.com/r/behindthebastards/comments/1bu4grq/kyle_rittenhouse_is_banned_from_joining_the/. Uphues, Bob. "Cops Recognized." Riverside Brookfield Landmark, 11 Apr. 2017, http://www.rblandmark.com/2017/04/11/cops-recognized/. "Wisconsin Open Records Law." Ballotpedia, https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Open_Records_Law. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. Updates: May 24, 2024: This page was updated to reflect what we did and did not learn from the FOIA document received from the Kenosha Police Department. Accordingly, the rating was updated from "Research in Progress" to "Mixture." Former President Donald Trump has accurately boasted that he played a central role in getting the Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed abortion rights across the country. But he keeps making wildly inaccurate claims that the courts 2022 decision to rescind Roe had universal support. In a video statement on abortion policy he posted on social media Monday, Trump said: I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars, both sides, wanted and, in fact, demanded be ended: Roe v. Wade. They wanted it ended. Later in his statement, Trump said that since we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, states are free to determine their own abortion laws. It wasnt clear there whether Trump was using everybody to refer to legal scholars in particular or the American public. But in previous statements this year, he has broadly claimed that everybody, period, agreed the power to determine abortion law should be returned to individual states. Facts First: Trumps claim that all legal scholars wanted Roe overturned is not even close to true; many wanted Roe preserved, as several legal scholars reiterated in Monday comments to CNN. And Trumps broader claims that everybody wanted states to be granted the power to determine abortion law are also false; opinion polls have consistently showed a large majority of Americans did not want Roe terminated. Many legal scholars wanted Roe preserved Its not clear what percentage of legal scholars wanted Roe v. Wade overturned. Some of them certainly did. But Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, claimed that all of them wanted Roe gone. A simple Google search shows that is untrue. Any claim that all legal scholars wanted Roe overturned is mind-numbingly false, Rutgers Law School professor Kimberly Mutcherson, a legal scholar who supported the preservation of Roe, said Monday. Donald Trumps claim is flatly incorrect, said another legal scholar who did not want Roe overturned, Maya Manian, an American University law professor and faculty director of the universitys Health Law and Policy Program. Please make clear that the facts are the opposite of Trumps claims, said Yale Law School professor Reva Siegel, yet another legal scholar who wanted Roe preserved. Trumps claim is obviously not true, said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis who is an expert on the history of the US abortion debate. Ziegler, who also did not want Roe overturned, said in a Monday interview: Most legal scholars probably track most Americans who didnt want to overturn Roe. It wasnt as if legal scholars were somehow outliers. It is true that some legal scholars who support abortion rights wished that Roe had been written differently; the late liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of them. But Ziegler noted that although there was a cottage industry of legal scholars kind of rewriting Roe what Roe shouldve said that isnt saying Roe shouldve been overturned. Those are very different things. Mutcherson said in an email: Many of us have argued for decades that Roe was too narrow, and became even more so after Casey, a 1992 Supreme Court decision on abortion rights, so the call was to strengthen Roe, certainly not to overturn it and give states the power to deprive women of such a basic right of control over their bodies and futures. Manian said in an email: Criticism of Roe from legal scholars supporting reproductive justice focused on expanding Roes protections, not overturning Roe. Reproductive justice scholars called for overturning the case upholding the Hyde Amendment (Harris v. McRae), which was an extremely narrow reading of Roe and narrow approach to constitutional protection for access to abortion. In other words, critics of Roe from the progressive side argued for expanding abortion rights beyond the floor set by the decision, not for overturning and eviscerating Roe. Most Americans wanted Roe preserved Trump has gone well beyond claims about legal scholars supposedly being united in support for the decision to overturn Roe. He has repeatedly claimed that everybody agreed the matter of abortion law should be left up to each state, suggesting he was referring to the views of the American public. In fact, poll after poll has shown that most Americans two-thirds or nearly two-thirds of respondents in multiple polls wish Roe would have been preserved. For example, a CNN poll conducted by SSRS in July 2023 found 64% of adults opposed the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe; that result was nearly identical to the result of a CNN poll conducted by SSRS in July 2022, the month after the decision. Similarly, a Marquette Law School poll in February 2024 found 67% of adults opposed the decision that overturned Roe. A NBC News poll in June 2023 found 61% opposition among registered voters to the decision that overturned Roe. A Gallup poll in May 2023 found 61% of adults called the decision a bad thing. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Claim: Dangerous cosmic rays will pass near Earth tonight, causing harm to those who leave personal devices switched on near them. Rating: Rating: False As the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse approached, Snopes' inbox began to fill up with a familiar claim that "tonight," cosmic rays would pass close to the Earth, endangering those who leave switched-on personal electronic devices close to them. The text of these "copypasta" messages was nearly identical in every case: Tonight from 12:30 am to 3:30 am do not forget to turn off your cell phone, tablet, computer, etc. and place it very far from your body. Singapore TV announced this news. Please tell your relatives and friends. Tonight, from 12:30 am to 3:30 am, our planet will have very high radiation. Cosmic rays will pass very close to the earth. So please turn off your cell phone. Do not leav the equipment close to your body, as it may cause terrible damage. If you don't believe you can check on Google and NASA BBC News. Send this message to all the people important to you. Everyone is in danger, take care of yourselves. This viral message, which we last fact-checked in 2017, is a hoax that has been circulating online since at least 2014. It's been debunked repeatedly since, by outlets such as Agence France-Presse in 2021, which noticed it was being shared widely in Thailand. In 2019, Vishvas News also addressed this claim when it was spreading in India. Where Do Cosmic Rays Come From? Cosmic rays have two sources. One type of cosmic ray originates from supernovas, which are massive stars that "die," collapsing on their own gravity, and then turn either into black holes or neutron stars. As they go through this process, the supernovas hurl charged particles protons and electrons through space. These particles go so fast, they can penetrate easily through matter. The second source of cosmic rays is the sun. Solar flares and other solar events can also emit charged particles that reach Earth. The good news is that Earth's magnetic field protects us from these cosmic rays, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): The Earth is shielded by a magnetic field that makes the charged particles bounce from pole to pole, creating two gigantic donut-shaped belts populated by energetic electrons and protons. The magnetosphere deflects cosmic rays and protects us from solar flares. Sometimes, cosmic radiation does reach us, but without creating any harm, just like other low levels of radiation we are regularly exposed to. This video by the television program Nova explains it well: How Exposed Are We? The average human is exposed to 3.5 millisieverts of radiation per year, according to the IAEA, only 10% of which is due to cosmic rays. A far larger proportion of such radiation comes from medical exams like X-rays, mammograms, or CT scans, the agency says. There are other natural sources, including radon, which the soil emits in certain areas. Our level of exposure to cosmic rays varies, because the higher up in space we find ourselves, the more exposed we are. For example, we are more exposed to cosmic rays on high-altitude flights that pass over the poles. This is of particular concern to airplane crews on long-haul flights, a risk about which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a warning to airline employees. People who travel into space are even more at risk of harmful radiation. NASA also warns its employees about the risk of cancer potentially cause by that radiation, among other things: Radiation exposure incurred during space exploration is one of the greatest threats to an astronaut's health. The associated risks include, carcinogenesis, degenerative tissue effects, central nervous system effects, and acute radiation syndromes. The radiation environment outside of Earth's protective atmosphere is comprised of energetic protons and heavy nuclei that pose a hazard to living organisms. The damage caused by energetic nuclei has been shown to produce distinct biological damage compared with radiation on Earth, leading to large uncertainties in the projection of health risks and obscuring evaluation of the effectiveness of possible radiation countermeasures. But as long as we stay on Earth, and thanks to our planet's magnetic field, cosmic rays do not ordinarily pose a significant threat to human health, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Sources: Cosmic Radiation: Why We Should Not Be Worried. 12 Apr. 2021, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/cosmic-radiation-why-we-should-not-be-worried. 'FACT CHECK: Post Asking People To Switch Off Phone Due To Cosmic Rays Is Fake'. Vishvas News, 26 June 2019, https://www.vishvasnews.com/english/society/fact-check-post-asking-people-to-switch-off-phone-due-to-cosmic-rays-is-fake/. information@eso.org. 'Missing Link Found: Supernovae Give Rise to Black Holes or Neutron Stars'. Www.Eso.Org, https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2401/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024. Kasprak, Alex. 'FACT CHECK: Will Dangerous Cosmic Rays Pass Close to Earth "Tonight"?' Snopes, 24 May 2017, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/dangerous-cosmic-gamma-rays/. 'Old Hoax Circulates on Thai Social Media Warning People to Turn off Mobile Phones Due to Harmful Cosmic Rays Passing Earth'. Fact Check, 12 Mar. 2021, https://factcheck.afp.com/old-hoax-circulates-thai-social-media-warning-people-turn-mobile-phones-due-harmful-cosmic-rays. Space Radiation - NASA. 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esdmd/hhp/space-radiation/. US EPA, OAR. Health Risk of Radon. 14 Aug. 2014, https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon. What Aircrews Should Know About Their Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. Federal Aviation Agency, Oct. 2003, https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA423589.pdf. What Is Solar Activity? - NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/what-solar-activity/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024. The families of four hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza marked a somber milestone Sunday, exactly six months from the day the Palestinian militant group invaded southern Israel to kidnap some 240 people. The families, along with a former hostage, Aviva Siegel, spoke to The Hill on Sunday ahead of a major rally in Washington, D.C., where they called for all parties involved in the negotiations of the war between Israel and Hamas to immediately reach a deal that frees their loved ones in Gaza. Yarden Gonen, the sister of 23-year-old hostage Romi Gonen, said she was grateful for the work that negotiators are doing to free the hostages but added they can do more. We are encouraging them and [pushing] them to do more. We know that they can do more, she said. Everyone is saying that theyre doing the best they can but theyre still not here. So it means we havent done enough. Orna Neutra, the mother of 22-year-old hostage Omer Neutra, said the rally was important to put pressure on the U.S. government and other parties to reach a deal. The need to put together a deal thats agreed upon by all sides is urgent more than ever, she said. Aviva Siegel, a former hostage, was freed in the November truce, but her husband, Keith Siegel, 64, still remains in Gaza. Aviva said she remains concerned after hearing news about some of the hostages dying. We are so scared that it could happen to our loved ones, she said. While a temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in late November saw the release of dozens of hostages, there are still 134 held in Gaza, with about 100 believed to be left alive in the coastal strip. (Leigh Vogel) Along with freeing the hostages, Israel has a stated goal of destroying Hamas in retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack when the Palestinian fighters killed about 1,200 people to ensure that day can never be repeated again. But the two goals of freeing hostages and defeating Hamas appear to be more and more in conflict with one another, a complication underscored in the elusive ongoing negotiations between the U.S., Qatar, Israel and Hamas on securing a hostage release deal and a cease-fire. Hamas is calling for a permanent cease-fire, and Israel is rejecting that condition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel must carry on the war to defeat Hamas, and current negotiators appear to be far from reaching any deal. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett admitted Sunday that theres no easy way to do it, referring to the two goals of a hostage release and destroying Hamas. But he stressed that Israel must destroy Hamas. By and large, the goal is to defeat Hamas, he told CNNs Fareed Zakaria. We cant finish this war when Hamas is standing. But Yarden Gonen described the hostages as being in an urgent situation in which it was critical to get them out as soon as possible. We dont need some complex deal that will make a lot of statements and rules and everything, she said. If Hamas will release the hostages, well get a cease-fire. She added that the first step to fight against terrorism is to release all the hostages. Ronen Neutra, the father of Omer, said he wasnt sure the hostages were the top priority for the negotiating governments, particularly for Israel, which he said should make the hostages the first priority. The families have been restless in pushing for the release of their loved ones, traveling the world and meeting with officials to put pressure on world leaders and raise awareness. Its insane that we need to do all these things and all those meetings for something that is so clear, said Elan Siegel, whose father is the kidnapped Keith Siegel. (Leigh Vogel) Each passing day has been unbearable for the families, who say they worry constantly for their loved ones. For Michael Levy, the brother of 33-year-old hostage Or Levy, the six-month somber milestone doesnt mean much. Every day is the worst day of our lives since Oct. 7, he said. My life stopped there. Yarden Gonen said every day is a nightmare as she fears for how her sister is being treated, pointing to a New York Times article that detailed a released hostage who reported that she was sexually abused in captivity. Its like my nightmares came to life. And if no one screamed after the article in The New York Times, enough to get them out of there, its an even worse nightmare than it already is, she said, adding that every day, Im waking up to the knowing that my sister is already kidnapped. At the Sunday rally, up to 2,000 people turned out to support the families of the hostages in calling for an immediate deal that secures a cease-fire and a hostage release. Speaking at the rally was Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who pushed for the immediate release of hostages as part of a comprehensive deal. Hostage-taking is a war crime. Hostage-taking is a crime against humanity, he said. We say that Hamas let the hostages go now. We say to all the governments of the world that the freedom, the security and the peace of the hostages and all civilians is the paramount ethical imperative and consideration at this moment, he continued. It takes precedence over all other political and ideological agendas. After six months, the war in Gaza has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe in the strip, where more than 33,000 Palestinians have died and there is a major shortage of supplies for critical aid such as food, water and medicine. The spiraling situation has led to growing international pressure for an immediate cease-fire to end the suffering in Gaza. President Biden is facing calls from Arab Americans, young voters and progressives to call for an immediate cease-fire. Those groups are protesting him at the ballot box in primary contests and threatening to do the same in November. In Israel, Netanyahus government also faced massive demonstrations at the end of March as the families of hostages called for the release of their loved ones amid growing frustration with the inability to secure another deal. Family members of hostages taken from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, gather in Washington, D.C. on April 7, 2024. (Brad Dress) The families of the hostages say any cease-fire must involve humanitarian protections for all sides, which also means the release of their loved ones. Human rights is supposed to be for all, its not something that you take and apply only to one side, Yarden Gonen said. We support the humanitarian aid [for Gaza], but only if it will affect both sides. Every call for a cease-fire now should be conditioned with immediate release of all hostages. Elan Siegel added that the hostages are a humanitarian story, since many of them were civilians. People were kidnapped from their houses, she said, referring to Oct. 7. They were innocent. They were taken in one day with no reason. Aviva Siegel, the former hostage, said those held in Gaza have lost their human rights while in captivity. Hamas has taken their human rights, she said. The leaders of the world need to wake up now and understand that no mother should [see] their children killed. I was there, she added, and I think its the worst thing that could ever happen to anybody. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A familys vacation on the Grand Strand last summer turned nightmarish after they found cameras secretly recording their private activities in an Atlantic Beach rental home, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Horry County Common Pleas Court. The 10-page complaint filed on Thursday names Elliott Realty and homeowners Tawian M. Livingston and Quincy J. Smallwood of Georgia as defendants, accusing them of negligence, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. According to the lawsuit, Elliott Realty served as the rental agent and failed to disclose that the home contained surveillance equipment. Elliott Beach Rentals chief operating officer Brandon Cox told News13 on Monday the company hasnt had a chance to review to review the filings, but doesnt comment on pending litigation. That being said, we respect both the rights of property owners to protect their vacation investment property and for guests to enjoy their stay with us, he said in an email. News13 talked to Smallwood Monday afternoon, and he declined to comment. It all began on July 29, 2023, when the family checked into the property at 303 32nd Ave S. and found security cameras actively recording their activities and conversations both inside and outside the home, the lawsuit said. The Plaintiffs were shocked to discover that the cameras were pointed at an outdoor shower and at the pool behind the home, where minor children and grandchildren were in various stages of disrobe while utilizing the pool, changing, and showering, the suit alleges. The family unplugged the cameras and eventually found a control panel that allowed them to see and hear what the defendants could including one instance in which a minor was shown at least partially nude in an outdoor shower. The situation became even more untenable after the family unplugged the equipment, the lawsuit alleges. Within two hours, an Elliott Realty employee called them and demanded that it be turned back on. The guests were then told to leave the property even though they had already paid for their vacation. In a bid to force them out, the defendants remotely shut off the homes internet access, air conditioning and other appliances, the lawsuit alleges. As of Monday, the Elliott Beach Rental listing for the property online said an exterior security camera is present. The listing also shows multiple five-star reviews for the property. A 22-year-old South Carolina law allows civil action for wrongful interceptions of electronic or oral communication without express permission. Download the News13 app to stay updated on the go Sign up for WBTW email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WBTW.com for the Grand Strand and Pee Dee. The lawsuit asks for actual and punitive damages to be awarded after a jury trial. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) Months after a deadly hit and run in Albuquerque, the family of the victim is asking for help from the community to find the driver involved. David Newman, 67, was on a moped near Tramway and Menaul when police said he was struck by a driver, who then took off. You know, he brightened any event, any family event that he was at, said Jennifer Newman, victims daughter. David Newman was known by family as Fun Uncle Davie. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and his daughter, Jennifer Newman, said he loved planning family trips and riding his scooter around Albuquerque. He was the one who would take all of us kids different places, so he would have a camper and take us all down to the beach, take us down to Florida, said Jennifer Newman, victims daughter. Santa Fe City employees getting roughly 8% pay bump However, everything changed when she called him one day, and he didnt answer. Police said Newman was driving his scooter on February 5 around 2:30 a.m. He was heading south on Tramway near Menaul when police say a driver in a white 2018 or 2020 Honda Accord hit him and then took off. He was a human, he deserves the basic respect and dignity that you would give any human, and for someone to just leave someone on the side of the road and not take ownership for it is completely inhumane, stated Newman. Police said they completed a thorough investigation that included leads as far as Las Cruces but were unable to find anything. They said the suspected Honda would have significant damage to the front end and be missing the bottom drivers side front bumper and fog light. Jennifer Newman said the family holding a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for her father in June. Meanwhile, shes hoping someone will remember the car and help her family get closure as she reflects on what her father would say now. I know Dad, you never wanted me to worry about you, and you were always worried about how much I worried about you, but Im not going to stop until we find who did this, said Newman. Jennifer Newman said shes thankful to a second driver who stopped to help her father and blocked traffic. Anyone with helpful information can call Crime Stoppers, whos offering up to a $2,500 reward for any tips. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) asked a Georgia appeals court Monday not to reconsider a trial judges ruling allowing her to continue overseeing the election interference case against former President Trump and several allies. Judge Scott McAfee ruled last month that Williss previous romance with ex-special prosecutor Nathan Wade created an appearance of conflict. However, he allowed Willis to remain on the case after Wade resigned. Because the applicants have wholly failed to carry their burden of persuasion, this Court should decline interlocutory review, Williss office told the Georgia Court of Appeals. Willis charged Trump and more than a dozen allies with attempting to subvert Georgias 2020 election results last summer. Trump has pleaded not guilty. But the case took a weeks-long detour after Trump co-defendant Michael Roman surfaced evidence of a romance between Willis and Wade, who was leading the prosecution of the former president. During a fiery hearing on the matter, Willis and Wade both took the witness stand to defend their reputations, confirming their romance but insisting it began after Wade was hired to the case not before, as defense attorneys contended. Two defense witnesses said the pair began seeing each other romantically after a 2019 judicial conference they both attended, but the prosecutors said their relationship at that time was only a mentor-like friendship. McAfee found evidence of an apparent conflict of interest after the blockbuster hearings, but he did not find an actual conflict of interest. There is simply no trial court error to be found in the decision to deny disqualification, Williss office wrote Monday. Days of evidence and testimony failed to disclose anything like a calculated pre-trial plan designed to prejudice the defendants or secure their convictions. The applicants have not identified any public statement injecting the District Attorneys personal belief as to the defendants guilt or appealing to the public weighing of evidence. However, Trump and his co-defendants assert the romance and other actions by Willis amount to more. After McAfee greenlighted their appeal, the defendants filed an application with the state appeals court urging it to take up the case. Trump attorney Steve Sadow has specifically pointed to a church speech Willis gave suggesting that the criticism Wade faced stemmed from being the only Black special prosecutor she hired a contention Sadow has portrayed as an attempt to foment racial animus against Trump and his co-defendants to take focus off of Williss romance. While the trial court factually found DA Williss out-of-court statements were improper and Defendants proved an apparent conflict of interest, the trial court erred as a matter of law by not requiring dismissal and DA Willis disqualification, Trump and his co-defendants March application to the Georgia appeals court reads. This legal error requires the Courts immediate review. If the appeals court takes up the defenses application, it could cause further delays in the historic prosecution alleging Trump and his allies joined a criminal enterprise bent on keeping him in power after he lost the states 2020 presidential contest. Trump has sought to delay all his criminal cases until after Election Day, when he is expected to face off again with President Biden for the White House. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is pushing back on the latest attempt to remove her from the ongoing election interference case against Donald Trump and his co-defendants. In a Monday motion, Willis asked the Georgia appeals court to uphold Judge Scott McAfees ruling allowing the DA to remain on the racketeering case after her affair with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade was exposed. In his March 15 ruling, McAfee denied a defense motion to dismiss the indictment and remove Willis, stating that while the relationship had a significant appearance of impropriety, it could be remedied if Wade stepped aside from the case. Wade resigned from the case hours after McAfees ruling. Shortly after the ruling, Trump and his co-defendants formally appealed McAfees decision, arguing Willis has covered herself and her office in scandal and disrepute, as she has squandered her credibility and repeatedly and flagrantly violated the heightened ethical standards demanded of her position. In a Monday motion, however, Willis argued that an evidentiary trial into Willis and Wades relationship found no evidence to establish any actual conflict of interest and that McAfee declined to dismiss the indictment alleging Trump and his co-defendants attempted to subvert the Georgia 2020 presidential election. There being no error by the trial court, the present application merely reflects the applicants dissatisfaction with the trial courts proper application of well-established law to the facts, the motion says. Because the applicants have wholly failed to carry their burden of persuasion, this Court should decline interlocutory review. Trump to Sue Hush-Money Judge in Last-Ditch Attempt to Delay Trial During the evidentiary hearing, Wade and Willis confirmed they had a relationship from early 2022 until last summerbut they denied any misconduct or that the DA financially benefited from the affair after she hired the special prosecutor in November 2022. Willis reiterated in the motion that the court ruled Willis did not engage in disqualified forensic misconduct and the defense could not identify any public statement injecting the District Attorneys personal belief as to the defendants guilt or appealing to the public weighing of evidence. The applicants having failed to carry their burden as to their request for interlocutory review, the motion says. The Georgia Court of Appeals has yet to say whether they will hear the defenses case, but if it declines the decision could pave the way for a state Supreme Court appeal. The case does not have a trial date, but CNN previously reported that Willis wants to try it before the election. The DAs motion also came as Trump and his co-defendants filed another request to have the appeals court review another McAfee ruling. Earlier this month, McAfee denied a defense motion to dismiss the indictment on grounds that the case violated their First Amendment rights. Based on the more than 45+ (mostly U.S. Supreme Court) cases and historical precedent cited to the Court, Defendants believe their arguments are well-founded and fall squarely within the almost absolute First Amendment protections in the context of their core political speech regarding 2020 Presidential election contest, the Monday defense filing says. Steve Sadow, a lawyer representing Trump in the Georgia case, said in a statement to The Daily Beast that Mondays motion powerfully expresses that the Indictment wrongfully criminalizes core political speech and expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment. There is no democracy without robust and uninhibited freedom of expression, he added. For these reasons among others, the Courts Order is ripe for pretrial appellate review. 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. Right-wing extremist factions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government are ramping up pressure to keep up the Gaza war, after Israeli troops withdrew from the southern city of Khan Younis at the weekend. "If the prime minister decides to end the war without a broad assault on Rafah to decisively defeat Hamas, he will have no mandate to continue as prime minister," National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on social media platform X on Monday. Despite fierce international opposition, Israel has maintained for weeks that it is planning a ground incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are currently sheltering from fighting elsewhere in the sealed-off coastal area. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from the far-right National Religious PartyReligious Zionism in a statement called for an immediate meeting of Israel's war Cabinet, "in light of the reports of an end to the war." Smotrich said he had written an urgent letter on the matter to Netanyahu over "the situation, in which the ground troops are being withdrawn from the Gaza Strip and the intensity of the war as a whole is being diminished, while the start of the Rafah offensive has been delayed for many weeks." Smotrich added that there were reports of Israel's willingness to allow the return of residents to the north of the Gaza Strip "and to bring about a de facto end to the war." The minister also complained that the Israeli team tasked with negotiating a ceasefire deal with Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas to facilitate the release of the hostages held in Gaza has been given "a very broad mandate." Smotrich said that only the Cabinet as a whole was authorized to make such decisions. "Instead of taking our foot off the accelerator, we must increase the pressure on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This is the only way to get the hostages back and destroy Hamas," he wrote in the statement. A collection of mementos, including footprints and handprints, were provided by a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, to Kelly Shannon of Alabama after she had to terminate a pregnancy because of fatal anomalies. (Courtesy of Kelly Shannon) Editors note: This is the fourth installment of an occasional States Newsroom series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, profiling individuals who have needed abortion care in the U.S. before and after Dobbs. The first installment can be found here, the second installment is here, and the third is here. Kelly Shannon was grieving a pregnancy she would need to terminate because of multiple fetal anomalies when she got the call that Alabama doctors wouldnt approve an abortion procedure despite exceptions in the law. That meant she would have to leave the state. Shannon, 36, was about 16 weeks along in January 2023 when genetic testing and confirmation from an amniocentesis showed her fetus likely had Trisomy 21, better known as Down syndrome. It didnt take long for the doctor to determine the fetus likely wouldnt survive to term. There was fluid buildup in the head and body, evidence of a heart defect, and a tumor on the abdomen that was roughly one-third the size of its entire body. There was so much decision-making and processing, and youre still feeling the baby kick the whole time, Shannon said. And every time she would kick, I was just sitting there like, Im so sorry. I wish I got to be your mom, but I dont get to be your mom. Three years before the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Dobbs decision in June 2022 and returned the ability to regulate abortion to the states, Alabama had already passed an abortion ban. Gov. Kay Ivey said at the time she signed the bill that even though it was likely unenforceable since abortion was still legal nationally, it was a signal to the courts to overturn Roe v. Wade. A group of physicians challenged the Alabama law in court and received a preliminary injunction that had barred its enforcement for years. But when Dobbs took effect, the injunction was lifted. Doctors are now subject to felony charges with punishment of up to life in prison. Alabama is one of few states with an abortion ban at any stage of pregnancy that also contains an exception for lethal fetal anomalies. In the law, its defined as a condition from which the fetus would die after birth or shortly thereafter, or be stillborn. There are also exceptions for performing an abortion to save a pregnant patients life or preserve their health. However, according to the latest WeCount report of abortions performed since Dobbs, Alabama has recorded zero abortion procedures. Activists have argued that exceptions in abortion bans are meaningless because there is too much fear and uncertainty about what circumstances will qualify for an exception. Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality, and more often occurs when the pregnant person is over the age of 35. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infants with Down syndrome and a heart defect are five times more likely to die in their first year of life than those without. Each abnormality on its own would possibly have been manageable, Shannon said, but the maternal-fetal medicine specialist told her the combination meant she would likely either miscarry at some point during the pregnancy or her daughters life would be short and punctuated by multiple surgeries. Shannon and her husband made the difficult decision at that point to terminate. That made the decision easier because it was like, well now if I know Im going to lose her regardless, I can lose her on a controlled timeline, protect my health, start the grieving process, get healthy and then still be able to have another child, she said. Shannon filled out paperwork and made a termination appointment pending approval from the other maternal-fetal medicine specialists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her doctor felt confident that given the severity of the anomalies, the abortion would be allowed. I dont think I wouldve taken that risk on me A few days later, in the car on her way to meet her husband and toddler at a local dog park, the doctor called back. I knew why she was calling me. I knew that was the day the (second) committee was supposed to meet and shed be calling me with their decision, Shannon said. Shannon scheduled the Jan. 24 termination date, made arrangements to take leave from work and had decided on cremation. But with one phone call, all the decisions shed made had to change. The termination had easily been approved by the first committee, and it seemed like the higher-level committee would sign off too. But in a halting manner, the doctor explained the committee had decided since each condition by itself was survivable, it didnt meet the criteria for termination. She told Shannon it was the hardest phone call shed made in her professional career. The only way the committee might approve the request was if the fetus also developed a condition called hydrops fetalis, an excessive buildup of fluid that is often fatal. Shannon said that put her in a strange place of having some kind of hope that her pregnancy was even worse than originally thought. But she wasnt upset with the doctors themselves. I mostly just felt sorry for them, even at the time, she said. As angry as I was that I wasnt going to get to handle my pregnancy and my termination in the way that made the most sense to me if I had been in their shoes and thought well, is this one case worth my license and jail time and prosecution? Her lifes not in danger, her babys probably going to die. I dont think I wouldve taken that risk on me. The manager of public relations at the University of Alabama at Birmingham said no one was available to speak with States Newsroom for this story. She had one more ultrasound at 17 weeks, where her providers checked for hydrops, but there was no presence of it. As the pregnancy had progressed further since the last ultrasound, multiple holes between the chambers of the fetuss heart were clearly visible, and the tumor had grown .7 centimeters. Despite the increased severity of those issues, without hydrops, she still had to go out of state. A scheduling error meant Shannon had to wait two more weeks before she could get an appointment at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia an 11-hour drive. Rather than bring her husband and toddler along for the ordeal, Shannons parents accompanied her. It was the first night shed ever spent away from her toddler. She chose to be induced for the procedure. After a long day of waiting, Shannon gave birth a few minutes before midnight and got to hold her daughter. I kept her with me until about 2 or 3 in the morning, she said. The logistics of what to do with the remains became more complicated since she was now more than 700 miles away from home and wouldnt be able to visit a burial site in Virginia the way she could have in Alabama. She opted to have her daughter buried with other babies that had died because of miscarriage, termination or other premature causes. Baby boy born in mid-March In mid-March, Shannon gave birth to a healthy baby boy that was a surprise pregnancy. She had been aiming for her next pregnancy to happen over the summer, when she wasnt teaching. When I found out I was pregnant, I just started crying. Instead of being excited, the trauma came back, she said. And I felt like, I want to be excited and happy, but Im not there yet because I dont know if we get to keep this one yet either. She said she wants her story to make a difference, in hopes that another person doesnt have to go through the same pain. I get angry whenever I see people with the choose life bumper stickers and license plates, because theyre not thinking about me. Theyre not recognizing that its not a black and white issue, its nothing but shades of gray when youre dealing with pregnancy, particularly high-risk pregnancy, Shannon said. I am a married, white, straight, Christian, grew-up-in-the-church woman who was attempting to grow her family within the bounds of marriage, and I just keep thinking, if anybody is going to be able to change a mind about this issue, shouldnt it be me? SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Fatal anomaly exception didnt spare Alabama mom who needed an abortion appeared first on Alabama Reflector. The father of the US-Canadian aid worker in Gaza who was killed in drone strikes confronted the United States secretary of state, telling him over the phone that his son might be alive today if the US threatened to suspend aid to Israel. The State Departments Anthony Blinken called John Flickinger with condolences after his son, Jacob Flickinger, died at just 33 years old while helping to deliver food to those who need it most in Gaza. He was one of seven humanitarian aid workers with World Central Kitchen killed last week when the convoy they were travelling in was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Jacob Flickinger had been volunteering in Gaza since early March to help distribute food to Palestinians. Mr Flickinger told the Secretary of State that the killings by Israel must end and that the United States should use its power and leverage to make that happen, according to The Associated Press. If the United States threatened to suspend aid to Israel, maybe my son would be alive today, Mr Flickinger told the news agency while describing the 30-minute conversation he had over the phone with Mr Blinken on Saturday. While Mr Blinken did not pledge any new policy actions during their talk, he did say that the Biden administration has sent a strong message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that if the Israeli Defense Forces do not show more care for Gaza civilians, then the relationship between Israel and the United States may change, the outlet said. Jacob Flickinger had been working in Gaza since early March before he was killed (World Central Kitchen/WCK.org/PA Wire) President Joe Biden told Mr Netanyahu on Thursday in a phone call that future US policy towards Israel will be determined by whether its government takes action to protect aid workers and civilians in Gaza. Im hopeful that this is the last straw, that the United States will suspend aid and will take meaningful action to leverage change in the way Israel is conducting this war, Mr Flickinger told the outlet. Israeli officials admitted to making a grave mistake after its forces killed the aid workers in a drone strike. They blamed poor communication and attention to detail and have sacked two of its officers. They concluded after a four-day investigation that a charity worker carrying a bag was mistaken for a man holding a gun. Mr Flickinger, however, is not so convinced, telling the Associated Press that, in his view, the strike was a deliberate attempt to intimidate aid workers and to stop the flow of humanitarian aid. The World Central Kitchen CEO Erin Gore has also released a statement slamming the attack on the aid workers, saying that it is an attack on humanitarian organisations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. Aside from his call with Mr Blinken, the aid workers father said that the Secretary of State also spoke with his sons partner, Sandy Leclerc, who is now left to care for their one-year-old son. The Canadian government has also reached out to the family and offered financial support to Ms Leclerc to move her and her son back to Quebec province to be closer to family, Mr Flickinger said. Jacob and his partner had started a new life in Costa Rica, raising their newborn before he started working in Gaza. Mr Flickinger described his son to the Associated Press as larger than life and a loving son, a devoted dad who died doing what he loved, which was serving and helping others. The aid workers father added that his sons remains are in Cairo, Egypt, pending the issuance of a death certificate by Palestinian authorities. After that happens, the family has made arrangements for them to be transported to Quebec. ORLANDO, Fla. A federal appeals court granted The Walt Disney Co. a two-month delay Monday in its still-pending legal battle with Gov. Ron DeSantis and state officials. Disney settled separate lawsuits in state court last month and asked for a 60-day delay in filing its opening brief in federal court to facilitate further negotiations. As of late, both sides have said they want to work together on economic development as Disney plans to invest billions of dollars into its theme parks over the next decade. Disney and DeSantis officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. The lawsuits stemmed from a state law that changed the makeup of the decades-old Reedy Creek Improvement District, the governing board that oversees fire protection and other government services for Disney World. That law gave DeSantis the ability to appoint the districts five board members and changed the Reedy Creeks name to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Disney filed the federal lawsuit against DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in April 2023, accusing them of engaging in political retaliation because the company opposed legislation known by critics as the dont say gay bill. That law limited classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation. U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor dismissed that lawsuit in January. Disney appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The tourism oversight district also sued Disney in state court, asking a judge to void development agreements that tied the hands of new DeSantis-appointed board members. The oversight board and Disney settled that state lawsuit on March 27. Disney agreed that the development agreements would be void and withdrew another lawsuit seeking public records from the district. In exchange, the district agreed to consult with Disney while amending or changing the 2020 development plan. As for the federal lawsuit, the settlement stipulated Disney would seek, and the district will not oppose, permission from the court to defer briefing, pending negotiations of a new development agreement between Disney and the district, among other matters. The Atlanta-based appeals court pushed back the deadline from April 17 to June 17. _____ Travas Bickhart is a resident at the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino. He stays busy working in maintenance, and he is enrolled as a part-time student at Lewis-Clark State College. (Mia Maldonado / Idaho Capital Sun) Sean Carnell, who grew up in Boise, never saw himself pursuing a college education. He was sentenced to prison on battery and robbery charges in 2013 where he later received his GED. He faces another four years before he can be considered for parole. Despite his past, Carnell made the deans list at the University of Idaho for the last two semesters in a row. Sean Carnell, who has been incarcerated since 2010, made the deans list at the University of Idaho for the last two semesters in a row. (Mia Maldonado/Idaho Capital Sun) Carnell, a resident at the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino, attends college through the Second Chance Pell Experiment a program launched by the U.S. Department of Education which provides need-based Pell Grants to people in state and federal prisons. I never thought Id have straight As, let alone be enrolled in college, Carnell told the Idaho Capital Sun. Having the hope of achieving something, of being able to walk out and say I did something with my time to try to better myself, is huge. Like Carnell, more than 90 residents at the Orofino prison registered for the spring semester through the Second Chance Pell program keeping themselves busy in prison while also aiming to enhance their resumes in preparation for their eventual release. This is the first time in corrections that Ive felt that Ive been valued as a human being, Carnell said. Most of the time we are the sum of our failures. This gives us the opportunity to try to achieve these levels of success that we never thought possible. Thirty years later, Idaho prisoners have access to college education Three decades ago, the federal government removed Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals through the Federal Crime Bill of 1994. The ban was enacted amid a wave of tough-on-crime policies in the 1990s. But in 2015, the Obama administration reinstated access to Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals as studies began to show that prison education plays a role in decreasing crime. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, incarcerated people who have participated in postsecondary education in prison are 48% less likely to reoffend than those who do not. Additionally, every dollar invested in prison-based education results in four to five dollars in taxpayer savings from reduced incarceration costs. Between 2016 to 2020 the first four years of the reinstated access to Pell Grants over 7,000 prison students earned either an associate degree, bachelors degree, or a certificate or diploma, according to the Vera Institute. In fall 2022, the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College became the first schools in the Gem State to participate in the program bringing the total number of colleges participating in the program to 200. Most courses are asynchronous and are conducted virtually at the prisons school space using designated laptops. However, some university professors make on-site visits to the facility, accompanied by non-incarcerated students. While the program requires a lot of partnership and collaboration between the schools and correctional staff, Sean Quinlan, the dean of the University of Idahos College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, told the Sun that it is worth it. Access to higher education and to complete college degree as an inmate is one of the surest predictors for keeping people from crime in the future, Quinlan said. I believe that this is a really important way of serving our state to help people improve their lives and have safer communities. Theyve been waiting for something like this: IDOC education director says Ted Oparnico, the Idaho Department of Correction education director, told the Sun there was significant interest from correction residents to participate in the program. In Idaho, some incarcerated people earn between 10 to 30 cents an hour, so the Second Chance Pell program makes it possible for them to fund their education beyond a GED or certificate. Silas Parks, who has been incarcerated in Idaho prison for over 13 years, points to a card his non-incarcerated University of Idaho classmates gifted him. (Mia Maldonado/Idaho Capital Sun) I think theyve been waiting for something like this for a long time, Oparnico said. We typically only provide GEDs as our secondary certificate, but once they complete that, well, whats next? They might have another five or 10 years or longer left, so having a Pell program gives them some opportunities to continue education. Students in Idaho prisons are still in their first few semesters of having access to the Pell Grants, so none have graduated as of yet, Oparnico said. Silas Parks, who was imprisoned in 2010 on manslaughter charges for killing his pregnant wife, told the Sun he has been excited to see this program come to Idaho. I have literally day-dreamed for over 10 years sitting in prison about getting out of prison and going back to college, he said. Im still here, but I can go back to college which is an awesome experience. Parks attended the University of Idaho before going to prison, but he did not complete his bachelors degree. Now enrolled with the financial help of the Second Chance Pell Grant, he is close to receiving his degree. His next goal is to receive a graduate degree once he is released. I came to prison when I was 23, and I was not the most mature person, he said. Now I know what I want. Nothing teaches you what you want more than having everything taken away. To participate in the program, residents have to have a GED or high school diploma and be six months without any disciplinary offenses. They also must complete a 20-hour college preparatory course, and commit to at least a semester of a class or pay back the funds if they choose to leave. Its a benefit for the community, Oparnico said, adding that 90% of prison residents will eventually be released from the Idaho correctional system. When we have people who leave our facilities, the public can know that theyre getting a neighbor that has an education because they spent the time, commitment, and they dedicated themselves to being better prepared to contribute to society. Everybody can do this: IDOC resident says about college Like Carnell who never saw himself attending college, and like Parks who acknowledged his immaturity at the time of his sentencing Travas Bickhart is also proud of the personal growth thats come with being a college student in an Idaho prison. Giving more attention to alcohol and drugs, Bickhart graduated high school with roughly a 2.8 GPA, despite paying people off to do his homework, he told the Sun. In 2018, Bickhart was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison on rape charges, with the possibility of parole after 10 years. Despite being the first person in his family to go to prison, he is also the first person in his family to receive a college education. He told the Sun that hes learned a lot about himself in the process of taking college courses. You cant give up on yourself, he said. No matter what your position is or what crime youve done, everybody can do this. Ive made a lot of mistakes in my life, but this is the only thing Ive been proud of to this point. Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino More than 90 residents at the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino registered for the spring 2024 semester through the Second Chance Pell program. (Mia Maldonado / Idaho Capital Sun) SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Federal grants offer Idaho prison students a second chance at college education appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. FALL RIVER Former grocer and Swansea resident Michael St. Pierre, accused of participating in the riot on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, heads to the federal District of Columbia District Court on April 15 for the start of his trial. St. Pierre opted out of defending himself in front of a jury and will have a bench trial before federal Judge Jia M. Cobb, according to court documents. Records also show that St. Pierre that met with federal prosecutors on Oct. 27 and again on March 12, and informed them that he was not willing to plead to any felony charges and no deal was offered. St. Pierre is facing eight criminal counts, including obstruction of a civil proceeding, for allegedly attempting to impede Congress certification of the Electoral College vote in the 2020 presidential election between President Joe Biden and then-President Donald Trump. 'Caught up in the moment': Fall River store owner regrets his actions at Capitol riots Mike St. Pierre appears in a still frame of a video he recorded himself and live-streamed to Facebook in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, where he said he was going to march to the Capitol and break in. St. Pierre was later recorded on video hurling an object into the building. St. Pierre is the former owner of the Family Foods Grocery Outlet, which was located on William S. Canning Boulevard and shuttered after the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Until recently, he owned the Snack Factory on Pleasant Street, where arresting FBI agents and law enforcement officers took him into custody last July. St. Pierre now has an online-only store called Snack Slinga. On trial: Local businessman heading to federal trial for alleged role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot St. Pierre caught on camera and social media during Capitol riot St. Pierre never made it a secret that he was in the crowd of rioters that stormed the Capitol. In fact, he shared a video of himself on social media during the riot, and those images went viral, catching the attention of the FBI. In one video posted to his Facebook page, St. Pierre was seen wearing head gear and a flak jacket, saying he wants to grab Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by the hair and twirl her around. Mike St. Pierre of Fall River is seen here in a still frame from a TikTok video after hurling an object into the building during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Fact check: What's real and not, three years after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot In another Facebook post, he can be heard saying as the crowd got closer to the Capitol, "Thats where the meeting ground is, hopefully theyll bust through, and Ill join them." A TikTok video of less than two seconds shows St. Pierre lobbing an object into the building at a Capitol door with other rioters as they violently worked to storm the entrance. A week after the Capitol riot, St. Pierre told The Herald News that the object he threw was a piece of a flag someone handed him. He denied ever breaching the building. In that interview, he expressed regret over his participation, saying he was caught up in the moment. In a preliminary list of evidence that the government filed with the court, there are a slew of videos and still photographs that could be presented at trial, including Capitol surveillance footage, third-party videos, some the government indicates have not been previously released. Also among the listed exhibits is a video interview with St. Pierre after the riot with Providence television station WJAR. Who was charged: Use this interactive tool to search cases of every person accused of participating in the Capitol riot WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. What the federal government alleges In a court filing, federal prosecutors allege that on Jan. 6, St. Pierre entered a restricted area in the Capitol wearing a body armor vest and carrying a megaphone on the West Front lawn, and encouraged, incited, and aided rioters on the Northwest stairs scaffolding. And while on the north side of the Capitol, St. Pierre encouraged, incited, and aided rioters as they fought with U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department. The government alleges that he shouted encouraging and inciting phrases in his megaphone, he joined rioters as they pushed against officers in an attempt to overrun the North Doors, and he threw a metal flagpole top at the North Doors after officers had retreated behind those doors, wrote federal prosecutors. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Swansea man headed for trial over alleged role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot The Alabama Supreme Court handed down an unprecedented decision in February 2024, holding that stored frozen embryos created for in vitro fertilization, known as IVF, were minor children under a state wrongful death law. The impact on the medical community was immediate and acute. Fearing newfound civil or criminal legal liability if embryos were now considered persons under Alabama law, IVF clinics had to make an overnight choice between providing patient care and risking that liability. As a result, multiple IVF clinics across the state immediately suspended IVF procedures. And the most direct impact, of course, was on patients. As reproductive rights law and policy researchers and women of reproductive age we fear that, as fetal or embryonic personhood debates continue, medical providers will face an increasing number of new situations in which they have to balance legal liability and patient welfare. These conflicts are already playing out in the abortion context, but another looming example is flying under the radar: whether a doctor will be able to honor a patients end-of-life wishes if she is pregnant. In many states, the answer is likely no. Doctors assessing legal liability The Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson decision in June 2022 ended the fundamental right to access abortion care, throwing the question of abortion access back to the states and reopening policy debates about fetal personhood. Doctors who treat pregnant patients are now operating under a patchwork of abortion bans and restrictions that vary from state to state. Many OB-GYNs navigating this maze now practice with the looming fear of civil or criminal liability if they run afoul even unwittingly of rapidly changing state laws and judicial or prosecutorial interpretation of those laws. These fears are not unfounded: States attorneys general have threatened to prosecute doctors who provide medically necessary abortion care or who help a patient in a state with an abortion ban obtain an out-of-state abortion. Indeed, pregnant women have been criminally charged for miscarriage. These balancing acts are even playing out when pregnant patients are in emergency situations. A January 2024 study detailed these conflicts across 13 states. It found that following the Dobbs decision, OB-GYNs delayed providing clinical care to pregnant patients even in emergency situations for fear of liability under newly ambiguous state laws. Advance directive and pregnancy exclusions The abortion and IVF examples illustrate the fraught and uncertain legal landscape medical professionals must navigate in time-sensitive and emergency situations. In short, there is no playbook, and risk abounds. We predict that we will see doctors forced to weigh these same uncertainties and risks in the most traumatic of situations: treating a patient who has no hope of survival. In such situations, doctors typically endeavor to honor any end-of-life wishes a patient may have made clear in advance, such as those contained in advance directives. These directives can include decisions about life-sustaining treatments and designation of a health care proxy. Simply put, advance directives are a way for patients to communicate to their loved ones and doctors how they would like to be medically treated if they are later incapacitated, such as in a state of coma. All 50 states plus Washington D.C. recognize the validity of advance directives. But not if youre pregnant. As of early 2024, more than half of U.S. states also have laws on the books that automatically invalidate an incapacitated patients previously expressed end-of-life wishes if the patient is pregnant. Law professor Joan Krause terms these pregnancy restrictions and finds that they exist in at least 30 states. In some states, these advance directive nullifications only apply at the point of fetal viability or the possibility of a live birth. In 12 states, however, these advance directive pregnancy exclusions kick in at any stage of pregnancy. This means that, even if a pregnant patient had a prior written, notarized advance directive stating that they would not want to be kept on organ support if they werent likely to ever recover, a doctor could be required under 30 state laws to ignore those wishes and keep her alive to sustain the pregnancy. And in 12 of those states, that requirement would be in place even if the pregnancy was not viable. These exclusions would, in essence, require doctors to continue organ-sustaining care so that the pregnant patients body could be used as an incubator for a fetus. There are currently few reported cases of pregnant patients advance directives being nullified, though there are some heartbreaking examples. A well-publicized 2014 case detailed how Marlise Munoz, a Texas woman who was 14 weeks pregnant when she was declared brain-dead, was kept alive on life support for three months despite her and her familys clearly expressed wishes that her life not be artificially continued. The reason? The Texas hospital stated that they were prohibited by the Texas advance directive law from removing life support because Munoz was pregnant and they had a duty to preserve fetal life. We suspect, however, that scenarios like the one the Munoz family faced are underreported. Families in crisis will often not pursue legal options or make their trauma public. We also predict that these situations will become more common in a post-Dobbs world as doctors continue to grapple with emerging uncertainties and fear of legal liability in the context of providing end-of-life care for pregnant patients. Legislative labyrinths Clearly, advance directives will not be immune from the personhood debate, since a primary goal of pregnancy exclusions is to protect fetal life. Just as abortion restrictions vary state to state, so do advance directive laws. The laws are highly complex and often require intricate piecing together of various sections of state laws. It is thus likely that, even if a patient has an advance directive, few will understand that these pregnancy exclusions even exist, let alone their full import. Moreover, many states have not yet reconciled their advance directive laws with their abortion laws. Arkansas, where abortion is currently banned at any point in pregnancy, offers an illustrative example. When it comes to end-of-life care, Arkansas law mandates that physicians shall act in accordance with a qualified patients health care directives. However, if the patient is pregnant, Arkansas law dictates that the same directive should not be followed as long as it is possible that the fetus could develop to the point of live birth with continued application of life-sustaining treatment. An Arkansas doctor attempting to honor a pregnant patients advance directive and end organ-sustaining care and thus the pregnancy would therefore face numerous questions: When is it possible that a fetus could develop to the point of live birth? Is this a question of clinical fetal viability, which the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states is highly case-specific and impossible to definitively declare? And how does a doctor square the Arkansas abortion ban with the advance directive law that seems to allow removal of treatment up until fetus could develop to the point of live birth? Being specific in advance directives Recent abortion and IVF cases have highlighted the constantly changing landscape of medical decision-making and what that means for medical care. Given this shifting terrain, it is impossible to predict with any degree of certainty how a pregnant persons end-of-life care directives will be interpreted even in the handful of states that allow patients to explicitly state their wishes in the event of pregnancy. That said, it would be wise practice for pregnant patients or those who may one day become pregnant to attempt to understand the complexities of their state law and to put a clear and specific advance directive in place that directly addresses wishes in the event of pregnancy. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Jessica L. Waters, American University and Madelyn Adams, American University Read more: I have worked with many reproductive rights organizations in the past. I am not currently formally affiliated with any. I have worked previously with reproductive rights organizations but am not currently affiliated with any. The way a garment is manufactured plays a critical role in determining the volume of microfibers it will release throughout a lifetime of wash and wear. Fiber composition and yarn spinning systems have the greatest influence on microfiber release, according to a new study. The researchtitled Investigating the influence of yarn characteristics on microfibre release from knitted fabrics during launderingcomes from the University of Leeds and was published in the peer-reviewed Frontiers of Environmental Science earlier this week. More from Sourcing Journal The study investigated the influence of various yarn characteristics on microfiber release from knitted fabrics and explored the generation of microfibers during the knitting process. Alice Hazlehurst, Dr. Mark Sumner and Dr. Mark Taylor, all from the School of Design at the University of Leeds, found that the most significant quantity of microfibers was released from ring-spun (when fibers are twisted in a metal ring) lyocell. By contrast, the lowest amount was released from vortex-spun (when fibers are twisted using jets of air in a vortex) polyester. The yarn spinning system was also found to have a significant influence, with vortex-spun yarns consistently demonstrating lower microfiber release than corresponding ring-spun yarns, likely due to the reduced hairiness of yarns spun in the vortex systems, the paper said. The importance of fiber damage incurred during the knitting process was also studied. Several yarns demonstrated significantly greater microfiber release in knitted form compared to loose, hank form, but the scale of difference was found to be dependent on the fiber composition. The researchers found that unknitted polyester released more microfibers than unknitted cotton. However, similar amounts were released when the polyester was knittedsignaling that polyester suffered less damage than cotton during the knitting process. Microfiber release was reduced in tightly knitted fabrics during laundering. Still, manufacturers should consider fiber-fly: the visible fluff that comes off fabrics as they are knitted in factories, which was shown to increase microfiber release in washing. Overall, vortex-spun yarns displayed a lower microfiber release than ring-spun yarns, as ring-spun yarns tend to be hairier than the vortex-spun yarns, which has been shown to increase microfiber release in washing. Our findings show that the entire process of textile production, down to the way yarn is spun, is important in the effort to limit microfiber release, Hazlehurst said. Manufacturers should contain these details in specifications of yarn spinning, as well as the fiber type, to help clothing designers make more informed choices. The researchers agreed that changes to a yarns fiber composition, along with the yarn-spinning system used, would have the greatest influence in terms of reducing microfiber shedding. However, these details arent currently included in product specifications, making it more difficult for brands to decide what garments will or wont release more microfibers. We know cotton produces more microfiber than polyester and people assume that cellulosefrom cottonis less worrying than microplastic because its natural, Dr. Taylor said. But the truth is that we dont have enough information about the impacts of these fibers on humans, aside from knowing they can take hundreds of years to biodegrade and can have a negative impact on marine life. Meanwhile, the University of California in San Diego and materials science company Algenesis have been working on combatting the impacts of microplastic pollution. And new research shows that the duos plant-based polymers biodegradeincluding at the microplastic levelin under seven months, per a paper published in Nature Scientific Reports. Were just starting to understand the implications of microplastics. Weve only scratched the surface of knowing the environmental and health impacts, said Michael Burkart, one of the papers authors and an Algenesis co-founder. Were trying to find replacements for materials that already exist, and make sure these replacements will biodegrade at the end of their useful life instead of collecting in the environment. Thats not easy. OTTAWA COUNTY Ottawa County is facing its fifth lawsuit in 14 months after former administrator John Gibbs filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in federal court Monday, April 8. The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners fired Gibbs on Feb. 29, one week after placing him on paid administrative leave. The board fired Gibbs "for cause" after Deputy Administrator Ben Wetmore and administrative aide Jordan Epperson both controversial recent hires by Gibbs made allegations that Gibbs acted inappropriately and neglected his job duties. More: 'The damage they've done': Gibbs will pursue legal action against Ottawa County More: Gibbs fires back against allegations, says staffers 'fabricated' claims The board has determined that Mr. Gibbs, in connection with the performance of his duties under the employment agreement, has been dishonest, committed gross misconduct, and/or committed willful malfeasance, Board Chair Joe Moss said at the Feb. 29 special board meeting. Gibbs has refuted the allegations, saying the board retaliated against him for questioning the competency of the Ottawa Impact-hired county corporation counsel Kallman Legal Group, with which Moss has personal ties. County Administrator John Gibbs walks to his seat before the start of the board of commissioners Tuesday meeting July, 25, 2023, at the county's Filmore Complex. "They've decided to go on a warpath, which is what they do to everybody, including me," he told The Sentinel on Friday, March 1. "For them, you have to absolutely agree with everything in lockstep, or else they will attack you. It's a little bit dictatorial, like school bullying, where if you're not with them, they'll try to shove you in a locker. When I raised questions about (Kallman Legal Group), they thought I wasn't being a team player or that the devil got to me or something." This embedded content is not available in your region. The lawsuit was expected after Gibbs' attorney, Noah Hurwitz, indicated Gibbs would sue shortly after his client was fired. "We'll be filing a lawsuit alleging breach of contract, whistleblower retaliation and First Amendment violations within 90 days," Hurwitz told The Sentinel in February. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court's Western District, names the board of commissioners and Moss individually, alleging Moss "abandoned rational governance and maliciously published on his own Facebook page a litany of provably false statements about (Gibbs) that lack factual support" and that Moss "knew that the defamatory statements were false." Gibbs is asking federal Judge Jane M. Beckering to make the board adhere to the contract he had with the county in the eventuality that he be fired for no cause, which requires the county to give 90 days notice to Gibbs, then pay him for nine months essentially one year of annualized salary amounting to $210,000 plus benefits. This embedded content is not available in your region. Although a monetary figure for damages is not specified in the lawsuit, Gibbs is seeking "compensatory, economic and noneconomic damages" and well as punitive damages to be determined by a judge. Ottawa Impact, a far-right fundamentalist group, assumed a controlling majority on the county board of commissioners in January 2023. Shortly after being sworn into office, the group made a series of controversial decisions. They included firing former administrator John Shay and hiring Gibbs, a former Republican candidate who lost to Democrat Hillary Scholten in 2022 for the state's third congressional district race. Gibbs, a Kent County resident, previously worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under former President Donald Trump. He saw a tumultuous tenure in the year he was employed with Ottawa County. In March 2023, Commissioner Jacob Bonnema who ran for election with Ottawa Impact, but left the group in March filed a complaint against Gibbs following a verbal altercation. After an investigation by an outside legal firm, the county's HR department concluded there wasn't enough evidence to support the claim. Later, the hirings of Epperson and Wetmore sparked their own controversies. After hiring Epperson in August, Gibbs was accused of age discrimination after a more qualified finalist for the position went unselected. That finalist, Ryan Kimball, filed a lawsuit against Gibbs and Ottawa County in October. In his interview for the aide position, Epperson allegedly told the county's hiring committee he believes ethics depend on who youre working for and said government positions like his are absolutely political, according to former Deputy Administrator Patrick Waterman. Waterman also said Epperson refused to shake hands with the women on the interviewing committee. Waterman resigned in July, citing a strained working relationship with Gibbs and a "lack of effective leadership" on the board. In November, the county announced the hiring of Wetmore, who has an extensive history in conservative political activism and has taken part in several political stunts over the past 20 years, including staging undercover encounters on video for right-wing nonprofit Project Veritas. Wetmore recently made headlines for a 2010 plot to lure a female CNN reporter onto a boat where another conservative activist planned to faux-seduce her on camera. Gibbs seemingly had a good relationship with Moss and other OI commissioners, but signs of tension arose in November while a lawsuit filed by Administrative Health Office Adeline Hambley reached fever pitch after a $4 million settlement was reached between Hambley and the commissioners only for the commissioners to back out later. Board chairman Joe Moss sits during the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the county offices in West Olive. Gibbs said he saw pushback when he advised commissioners against the multi-million-dollar settlement a deal Moss insists the board never agreed to; a circuit court judge ruled the board reached a deal, but the following vote to approve it was too vague to be legally enforceable. "I was definitely against it," Gibbs said of the $4 million settlement. "Joe (Moss) was going around saying it was fake news and it wasn't fake news. They actually did agree to it and the judge even said it." On Feb. 22, commissioners voted to place Gibbs on paid administrative leave after spending time in closed session "considering new complaints" against him. The next day, Moss made those allegations public on his campaign Facebook page. The allegations against Gibbs include disparaging comments about female members of the board, derogatory comments about commissioners' faith, and threats of violence against county attorney Jack Jordan. The complaints were summarized in a report compiled by outside legal counsel Brook J. Bisonet, who was hired Feb. 13. The Hambley litigation was settled on Feb. 26, under an agreement that leaves Hambley and Deputy Health Officer Marcia Mansaray in their respective positions. Subscribe: Receive unlimited digital access to your local news coverage The board went on to fire Gibbs three days later. Hurwitz told The Sentinel that Wetmore and Epperson intentionally manufactured the allegations to discredit Gibbs; Epperson called the allegations false, while Wetmore did not respond to The Sentinel's request for comment. "Mr. Moss publicly released a number of statements cloaked in anonymity that were obtained solely for the purpose of undermining Mr. Gibbs whistleblower activities," Hurwitz said. "The timeline is simple. Mr. Gibbs brought his concerns (about Kallman Legal Group) to the (board) and only then did Mr. Moss start gathering dirt." Sarah Leach is executive editor for The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Gibbs sues Ottawa County, Moss for wrongful termination, defamation TOPEKA (KSNT) Topeka firefighters are combating a house fire in the downtown area Monday morning. City spokeswoman Rosie Nichols says the fire was reported just before 10 a.m. on April 8 for a home in the 500 block of SW Clay Street. Firefighters arriving at the scene found smoke and fire coming from the rear of the home. This embedded content is not available in your region. Firefighters are still on scene as of 10:40 a.m. to control the fire and search the home. More information will be added here as it becomes available. Kansas wildfire consumes 3,000 acres, multiple buildings in Riley County (Photo Courtesy/Tim Schoepflin) For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) A fire is under investigation Sunday after flames engulfed a two-car garage in Lansing. Lansing Fire Department responded at around 10:26 a.m. to the fully engulfed single-story, wood-frame garage on the 4400 block of Ingham Street. LFD responded to a fully engulfed garage on the 4400 block of Ingham Street. (Lansing Fire Department) Firefighters quickly stretched hose lines to extinguish the fire, officials said. They also rescued a dog from a nearby pen. Officials said the damage to the property is estimated at $15,000, and the estimated content damage is $5,000. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is not yet known. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. First Jesus, Now Donald Trump Compares Himself To This Great Black Man Former President Donald Trump has never been shy about making grandiose comparisons. For reference, Trump previously compared the potential loss of some of his real estate assets to Jesus being betrayed at the Last Supper and nailed to the cross. But his decision to compare himself to late South African leader Nelson Mandela is really rubbing people the wrong way. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump ranted about Judge Juan Merchans latest gag order ruling in the hush money case against him comparing the potential that he could theoretically go to jail for violating the order to Mandelas decades-long political incarceration. If this Partisan Hack wants to put me in the clink for speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela - It will be my GREAT HONOR, he posted on Saturday. Mandela was famously jailed for twenty-seven years for fighting for the rights of Black Africans in Apartheid South Africa. In contrast, Trump is accused of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The former President is also facing multiple felony charges for election interference. The comparison rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Rev. Al Sharpton called Trumps comments an insult while on Morning Joe. The insult of that is that Nelson Mandela did 27 years in jail to, among other things, get Blacks in South Africa the right to vote. Trumps facing jail for denying Blacks and others the right to vote...Hes the direct opposite of Mandela, said Sharpton. "Nelson Mandela did 27 yrs in jail to, among other things, get Blacks in South Africa the right to vote. Trump's facing jail for denying Blacks and others the right to vote...He's the direct opposite of Mandela." @TheRevAl on 'the insult' of Trump comparing himself to Mandela pic.twitter.com/uXopLGNL77 Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) April 8, 2024 On social media, users sounded off about Trumps comments. Nelson Mandela looks just like the people Donald Trump and his father denied housing. tweeted one user. Imagine a racist, miscreant like Donald Trump, claiming that going to jail for contempt of court is equivalent to Nelson Mandela going to prison for fighting the racist system of apartheid. The caucacity of this vile, demented, bigot, tweeted Bishop Talbert Swan. Imagine a racist, miscreant like Donald Trump, claiming that going to jail for contempt of court is equivalent to Nelson Mandela going to prison for fighting the racist system of apartheid. The caucacity of this vile, demented, bigot. Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) April 7, 2024 For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Powerful pumps that supply much of Californias population with water have killed several thousand threatened and endangered fish this year, prompting a coalition of environmental groups to demand that state and federal agencies take immediate steps to limit alarming levels of deaths. In a letter to state and federal water managers, leaders of five fishing and environmental groups said the estimated losses of threatened steelhead trout and endangered winter-run Chinook salmon have exceeded maximum annual limits for water intakes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Given that these and other species in the Bay-Delta are at grave risk of extinction, we want to emphasize the need for urgent action, the environmental advocates wrote. The massive pumps that draw water into the aqueducts of the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project are strong enough to reverse the flow in parts of the south delta. They can also suck fish into their machinery or make them easy prey for predators. Because of this, pumping facilities are assigned annual take limits for certain fish under the Endangered Species Act. The environmental groups are urging water managers to scale back pumping until juvenile salmon and steelhead have finished migrating through the delta and into San Francisco Bay. To see the state and federal water agencies exceed their take limits and continue business-as-usual water exports is like witnessing extinction in real time, said Jon Rosenfield, science director of San Francisco Baykeeper. It demonstrates the official negligence and lawlessness that caused these fish, and many others, to become endangered in the first place. State water officials say they have been taking substantial measures to protect fish. They say the large numbers of fish that have moved into areas around the water intakes have caused them to pump less than they typically would based on current conditions. The losses are calculated based on the numbers of fish that are collected scooped from the water in a bucket-like device at the state facility then transported by truck and released into the delta nearby. The calculations attempt to account for fish that are caught by predators and those that are killed when they are drawn into pumps. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, estimated losses of steelhead trout exceeded the annual incidental take limit of 2,760 on March 20. By the end of March, the department said, the estimated losses of naturally spawned steelhead since Dec. 1 had risen to 3,374. The estimated losses of endangered winter-run Chinook salmon also exceeded the annual loss threshold of 2,748 on March 20. Those estimated losses have since risen to 4,049, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. State wildlife officials said the estimates are for fish that spawned naturally in rivers and dont include losses of hatchery-raised fish. (There is a caveat to the estimated losses of winter-run Chinook. State officials say they base their calculations on fish that are the size of winter-run Chinook rather than those that are genetically confirmed to be this type of salmon. As a result, officials say, some of the estimated losses are actually different types of salmon.) The Department of Water Resources is closely monitoring the collection system at the fish screens in front of the State Water Project pumps in the south delta, said Karla Nemeth, the agencys director. The majority of Chinook salmon and steelhead collected at the fish screens are collected alive and transported downstream of the pumps. We have been adjusting pumping operations to protect listed and endangered species, Nemeth said in an email. However, [State Water Project] operations have never been this restricted in a wet year as they are this year. These restrictions are keeping us from being able to capture and store the water that we need if we see a return to drought conditions. Read more: Mystery surrounds sudden increase in steelhead trout deaths near California water pumps The pumps that supply the State Water Project have been operating far below their capacity over the past three months. Agencies that receive supplies have been told to plan for 30% of their full allocations this year. The permits and biological opinions that govern state and federal pumping operations include measures aimed at limiting the deaths of fish. In response to the losses, state and federal officials have been discussing measures being taken to protect fish. Rosenfield said the water agencies arent doing nearly enough and argued that the losses put them in violation of permits. If you and I were out there killing hundreds and thousands of endangered fish, we'd be in jail, Rosenfield said. They're not doing everything they can do to prevent the harm and mitigate the damage. There's an opportunity to protect these fish by reducing water exports. It's urgent ... and they're doing nothing. The environmental and fishing groups which include Defenders of Wildlife, the Bay Institute, Golden State Salmon Assn. and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance pointed to notes from a March 6 meeting at which officials from the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed reducing pumping to very low levels as soon as possible, for a minimum of five days, and then reassessing. The groups said that despite this advice from fishery officials , the Department of Water Resources and federal Bureau of Reclamation ignored these recommendations and continued to export water at rates that killed thousands of imperiled fishes. Read more: Debate over options for California's ailing Delta region reflects deep divisions over water Lenny Grimaldo, environmental director for the State Water Project, said in an interview with The Times that officials have kept pumping to levels they deemed were protective of minimizing additional losses of fish but also protective of water supply. In an email, Grimaldo said that before the take limit for steelhead was reached on March 20, pumping at the State Water Project was reduced to protect the fish, and pumping remained at those low levels around 1,200 cubic feet per second through March 26 to minimize further loss. Then, based on new information indicating that a higher level of pumping would not draw any additional steelhead into the zone of the pumps, Grimaldo said, the state consulted with federal officials and decided to slightly increase exports to 2,200 cubic feet per second on March 26. The state and federal facilities were drawing in 2,400 cubic feet per second through Thursday, operating at a little over 20% of their combined capacity, Grimaldo said. After runoff from the latest storms boosted river flows, state officials on Friday said they were increasing water exports to 3,900 cubic feet per second, or 35% of full capacity, over the following five days. Grimaldo said the Department of Water Resources is continuing to comply with endangered species regulations, including ongoing consultation with other state and federal agencies. The state agency is also investing in rapid genetic technology to better distinguish endangered winter-run salmon from other types, Grimaldo said, and to comply with requirements under law. State officials said the agencies have formed a scientific review panel to study ways of improving operations. I'm concerned about this situation because I feel like these species are getting the short end of the stick, said Ashley Overhouse, water policy adviser for Defenders of Wildlife. She said that after one of the wettest winters on record, in 2023, and an above-average winter this year, it's an optimal time for helping fish populations begin to recover from years of drought. Other species that are at risk include threatened green sturgeon and endangered delta smelt . The population of threatened spring-run Chinook salmon has also suffered declines, and last year the fishing season for fall-run Chinook was canceled because of low population estimates . We have an estuary that's the heart of our water management system and on the brink of collapse, Overhouse said. We are at a critical turning point, and any additional attention, coordination and, frankly, collective efforts and action that we can take to make sure that this doesn't happen again is paramount. She said she hopes the outcry will spur discussion to protect fish populations. I think it's possible. It's just unfortunate that so many fish have to die in the process to get there, Overhouse said. Read more: California eases new water saving regulations for local agencies after pushback The losses of fish coincide with other debates over how water should be managed in the delta. Regulators are considering alternatives for new standards and flow requirements that will determine how much water may be drawn from the delta. Additionally, Gov. Gavin Newsom presented a plan last week outlining his administrations priorities for changing how the state manages water to adapt to more extreme droughts and floods related to climate change. Newsom's priorities include fast-tracking development of Sites Reservoir , the first new major reservoir in decades, and moving ahead with the proposed Delta Conveyance Project , a 45-mile tunnel that would transport water beneath the delta. Nemeth said the restrictions on pumping have come at a cost to supplies. With a likely return of La Nina that could bring drier conditions, she said, now is the time to capture and store this water while its available. These conditions speak to the critical need to continue to advance the Delta Conveyance Project, which is an important part of how we can manage the impacts of climate change, Nemeth said. Read more: Newsom wants to build a $16-billion water tunnel. Will it destroy California's delta? She said that in a wet year like this, the tunnel would allow the state to capture more water during high flows and store it for dry times, and do so in a way that minimizes impacts to fish species. Rosenfield disagrees. He said state officials are wrongly assuming that tunnel fish screens would be more effective and argued that the tunnel would harm endangered fish and the deltas ecosystem. The rise in fish deaths is a symptom of a larger problem, Rosenfield said: California diverts too much water from the delta, to the detriment of its ecological health. From the fishes' perspective, our unsustainable water diversions cause a nearly continuous, man-made drought a drought so severe that numerous species that have thrived in the delta for eons are all declining toward extinction, he said. A delta tunnel will divert more water, not less. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. CiCi has worked as a flight attendant at a major airline for six years. She shared the biggest mistakes she sees passengers make when packing a carry-on suitcase. From overpacking to forgetting a reusable water bottle, here are common errors travelers make. After working as a flight attendant, CiCi has a newfound love for both the sky and packing suitcases. Prior to being a flight attendant, CiCi told Business Insider that she owned companies and worked in real estate. Six years ago, she made a career switch, and today, she works for a major airline. CiCi asked BI to omit her full name and the airline she works for, for privacy reasons. BI was able to verify CiCi's employment. "I have loved it," CiCi, who posts about her job under the username @cici_inthesky, said. "It's a completely different lifestyle than what I have lived for the past 20-some years." One of the biggest lifestyle changes has been how she packs, and she said she's not the only one who makes mistakes when it comes to organizing a suitcase for a flight. Every day, she witnesses passengers making mistakes with their carry-on bags. Some can force travelers to check their bags which can be costly since most major airlines have raised their checked-bag fees in 2024, according to Conde Nast Traveler. Here are the common and avoidable mistakes CiCi sees. CiCi said the biggest mistake she's seen is when travelers pack their bags so full that they can't lift them into overhead bins. A person lifting their luggage into an overhead bin. PONG HANDSOME/Shutterstock CiCi said she constantly sees passengers who can't pick up their carry-on bags and must ask for help from other passengers or a flight attendant. But she stressed that lifting suitcases is not part of her job. CiCi said she doesn't want to risk hurting herself by lifting someone else's bag. Airlines can have policies preventing flight attendants from lifting passengers' suitcases, meaning that if a flight attendant gets injured while helping with suitcases, they may not receive worker's compensation. CiCi said passengers should be confident and comfortable lifting their luggage. Some airlines, like Frontier Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, have rules about how much your suitcase can weigh. So if your bag is overstuffed and weighs too much, depending on the airline, you might have to check it at the gate. This can add unwanted time to your travel, CiCi said. She said passengers need to stop bringing more than two bags on the plane. A person pulling two bags through an airport. trattieritratti/Shutterstock CiCi said she often sees people flying with a roller suitcase, a backpack, and a purse that's one too many carry-on bags, according to airline rules, which can result in gate agents asking passengers to consolidate their belongings into two bags. Most airlines allow passengers to store one item in the overhead bin and fit one personal item below the seat in front of them. CiCi said passengers should fit their belongings into the allotted number of bags for their airline, noting that some airlines charge extra for carry-on suitcases. Passengers whose essentials aren't easily accessible can cause boarding delays. CiCi said to keep things like your book in your personal item, not your carry-on suitcase. SolStock/Getty Images CiCi said passengers who need to access their carry-on suitcases can sometimes cause delays in boarding. She tells passengers to pack everything they need for a flight in their personal item. "People put things that they need on the plane like their book and their earbuds or whatever they're going to need inside their suitcase," she said. "And it's not easy to access." A passenger who has to get in their suitcase and sift through their belongings during boarding can block other passengers from their seats and cause delays, CiCi said. Waiting until they're in midair to get items from their suitcase is risky too turbulence could've shifted the bags in the overhead bin, which might cause them to fall and injure someone. CiCi said her advice is to make sure all your flight essentials are in your personal item, which will be within reach during the flight. Many passengers don't pack their liquids correctly. A person transferring toiletries into smaller containers. Shutterstock The changing altitudes an airplane experiences cause gases to expand during a flight, which can, in turn, cause toiletries or water bottles to leak in your carry-on, according to The Points Guy. CiCi said that in her experience observing passengers' TSA-approved liquids, "people's stuff leaks all over the place." She said she had a few tips. First, squeeze as much air out of the bottle as possible. She said this would help prevent expansion. Perhaps most importantly, she said, choose travel-sized containers wisely. CiCi said that she's tried dozens of travel-sized containers designed to prevent leaks and that the ones she's had the most success with have screw-on caps instead of snap tops. She said she thinks these create a tighter seal to help prevent leaking. Passengers make the mistake of not packing a reusable water bottle. A person filling up their reusable water bottle at an airport. myboys.me/Shutterstock CiCi said it's important to stay hydrated on a flight. The Aerospace Medical Association recommends that travelers drink 8 ounces of water each hour on a plane. And while you can't bring more than 3 ounces of liquids on the plane, you can bring a frozen water bottle or an empty water bottle you can fill once you're inside the airport terminal, CiCi said. The Transportation Security Administration says solid frozen liquids are allowed through security. She said some travelers forget to pack their own snacks. A woman eating an apple on an airplane. frantic00/Shutterstock CiCi said turbulence during the summer can get intense; according to Plane & Pilot magazine, the high heat causes more convective turbulence in the sky. CiCi said that when there's a lot of turbulence, flight attendants are sometimes required to be seated for an entire flight. If flight attendants can't get up, passengers don't get snacks or beverages. Some airlines, like Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air, have ditched the complimentary snack service and offer drinks and snacks for sale. CiCi suggests passengers be prepared with their own snacks. She said that beyond fruits like apples and oranges, she always has a few bags of nuts in her luggage. CiCi said she sometimes sees passengers packing heavy items instead of wearing them on the plane. A woman wearing a jacket in an airport. Dmitry Marchenko/EyeEm/Getty Images CiCi said that if you're flying with just a carry-on, wear your heavy items on the plane instead of packing them. She said she's sometimes shocked to speak to passengers who are traveling far with just a carry-on and wearing light airplane attire. That's not what CiCi does. She said that on a recent flight to Italy, she wore her bulky rain boots, a sweater, and a jacket even though she was flying out of hot, humid Florida. She added that this saved her a significant amount of space in her carry-on and allowed her to pack more outfits for her trip. Read the original article on Business Insider Floodwaters surged through a pair of Russian cities in the Ural mountains after a dam burst over the weekend, inundating over 10,000 homes and forcing thousands to flee. Authorities in Orenburg declared a state of emergency on Sunday. The regions governor Denis Pasler said the floods were the worst to hit the region since records began. Photos and videos showed people wading through neck-deep floodwaters or using boats to get out of the city with their kids, pets, and belongings. State news agency Tass reported that six adults and three children had been hospitalised in Orsk. The Ural river, originating in the Ural mountains and winding its way into the Caspian Sea, swelled rapidly after rupturing a dam embankment in Orsk, situated about 1,800km east of Moscow, on Friday. A Ural tributary that courses through the city of Yelshanka, also burst its banks, prompting urgent evacuation measures. In the aftermath, flood warnings were issued in several downstream regions. The water is coming and in the coming days its level will only rise, said Sergei Salmin, the mayor of Orenburg, a city of at least 550,000 people. The flood situation remains critical. The Kremlin said that flooding was inevitable in the Urals region of Kurgan and the Siberian region of Tyumen. Vladimir Putin ordered emergencies minister Alexander Kurenkov to fly to the affected regions. The Russian president also spoke with the local governors over the phone, the Kremlin said. The flooding also affected neighbouring Kazakhstan where president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described it as the countrys biggest natural disaster for 80 years. People use rubber boats to cross a flooded street in Orsk (AP) Federal investigators have launched a criminal case for negligence and violation of safety rules during the construction of the dam, which was built in 2010. Prosecutors said that it hadnt been maintained properly. Authorities in Orsk said the dam was built for a water level of 5.5m but the Ural river rose to 9.6m. The Orsk oil refinery suspended work on Sunday due to the flooding. The refinery processed 4.5 million tons of oil last year. Additional reporting by agencies More than $50,000 of public assistance that should have helped feed New Yorks poor was stolen and used by a West Palm Beach woman with a history of fraud. Guyanese Singh, 51, was sentenced to three years, six months in federal prison for ripping off $51,868 of Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits from about 120 people. In New York federal court, Singh pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Many of the victims were elderly and disabled, said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams. All were poor. One victim reported that, in March 2022, when the victim needed to purchase food, the victim learned that her SNAP account had a zero balance. Another victim suddenly found that she too had no money to purchase food. READ MORE: Two Miami-area brothers plead guilty to insider trading involving Trumps Truth Social Over four years starting in April 2019, Singh worked a relatively simple scam. Shed phone SNAP recipients and tell them she worked for New York State. Once she got all the necessary personal information from them (birth date, Social Security number), she would resend the PINs on their electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards. Then she could use the EBT account numbers and PINs to loot the accounts with food buys in Florida for herself. The prosecution wanted U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff to hit Singh with a sentence of 5 years and 10 months, arguing Singhs history includes five criminal convictions, three of which were for fraud, and she has an outstanding forgery warrant in Palm Beach County. Also, despite a rough early life, Singh had job skills, previously had run businesses and, prosecutors noted, the stability of a devoted partner, an engineer who has, what appears to be, a well-paying job. Living with her partner in Florida, [Singh] had every reason to live a law-abiding life. The sentence fell closer to the two years that Lorraine Gauli-Rufo, representing Singh, wanted. Gauli-Rufos sentencing filing argued that, yes, Singh now has a supportive, financially stable partner, but survived a life of abuse by her father, the woman who gave birth to her, step brother and both fathers of her children. The case was investigated by the New York City Department of Investigation and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorneys Office Special Agents. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sowlati of the general crimes unit handled the prosecution. The report says that modernising the Foreign Office's premises might create a 'more open working culture' The Foreign Office should be replaced by a less elitist Department for International Affairs that has fewer colonial-era pictures on the walls, a group of former top civil servants and diplomats have urged. A new paper claims the full title of the department the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is anchored in the past and that it should seek to modernise its working environment. The report, titled The World in 2040: Renewing the UKs Approach to International Affairs, also asks the Government not to brush aside growing demands from former British colonies as well as countries asking for climate change reparations. Its authors are Lord Sedwill, who ran the Civil Service under Theresa May and Boris Johnson, Tom Fletcher, a former No 10 foreign policy adviser, and Moazzam Malik, a former Foreign Office director-general. The recommendations are based on the discussions convened by the trio with a group of former ministers, ambassadors and senior officials last October as they debated ways to reform the UKs approach to international relations. The report calls on Britain to have greater self-awareness of our position as a mid-sized power outside the European Union, suggesting there was much to be learnt from countries including Canada, Japan and Switzerland. Urging ministers to face our historical legacy head-on, the paper adds: We cannot simply brush aside concerns around the UKs historical legacy Former colonies are making increasingly vocal demands around the need for reparations from colonialism, and compensation for the loss and damage arising from historical industrial emissions. Signal a forward-looking ambition for the 21st century Lord Sedwill and his co-authors also appear to lament that the UK has aimed to project an image of greatness to the world that today seems anachronistic. Calling for the creation of a new Department for International Affairs, they warn the Foreign Office too often functions like an extended private office for the Foreign Secretary of the day and suggest the new department focuses on promoting British prosperity and security, supporting international development and human rights and tackling climate change. They add: A new brand would help signal a forward-looking ambition for the 21st century. The very name of the Foreign, Commonwealth [formerly Colonial] and Development Office is anchored in the past. A new Department for International Affairs [or Global Affairs UK] would signal a potentially quite different role. The physical surroundings on King Charles Street also hint at the Foreign Offices identity, somewhat elitist and rooted in the past. Modernising premises perhaps with fewer colonial era pictures on the walls might help create a more open working culture and send a clear signal about Britains future? Lord Sedwill was one of the authors of the report that argues the Foreign Office needs to move with the times - Avalon Mr Malik said the current building speaks of our past rather than our future. He told BBC Radio 4: It doesnt necessarily have to be a different building, but were calling for a modernisation of the Foreign Office premises because if you enter the Foreign Office building, it speaks of our past rather than our future. There are still many colonial-era pictures on the walls. I came across an incident recently where a senior Irish diplomat was visiting the Foreign Office for a meeting about the UK Food and Nutrition Summit. Towering over the meeting table was a portrait of Lord Trevelyan who was famous for wanting to limit the UKs financial exposure to the Irish potato famine. The significance of that was not lost on the Irish diplomat. Need to be pragmatic about future alliances Elsewhere in the report, the authors say relationships with G20 countries should be a core focus while stressing the need to be pragmatic about future alliances, indicating that past 2040 the UK may no longer be able to rely on its traditional partners in the US and Europe. And noting the UKs existing Nato spending commitment which requires two per cent of GDP is spent on defence, they also urge a new target of spending one per cent of national income on climate, humanitarian and soft power priorities. Weve talked about being proud of our history A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: We are maximising the benefits of merging diplomacy and development in the FCDO to better deal with global challenges, as seen in our responses to Russias invasion of Ukraine and in the Middle East. We are committed to having an even greater impact and influence on the world stage which is why we recently completed a review across the department to ensure we are effectively directing our funds, streamlining all our international policy work, and building our capability for the future. Downing Street said the Prime Minister does not agree that the Foreign Office is elitist and should remove colonial-era paintings. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: I dont think he would agree with that assessment at all. The Foreign Office is doing vital work to protect and promote UK interests abroad and he fully supports the work of the Foreign Office and indeed the Foreign Secretary in achieving those objectives. Asked whether the Prime Minister thought the Foreign Office should remove colonial-era artwork, the spokesman said: No, weve previously talked about being proud of the UKs history and looking forward, the Foreign Office is at the forefront of efforts to promote UK interests at home and abroad. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Former Ottawa County administrator John Gibbs is suing the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners and Board Chair Joe Moss, claiming his firing earlier this year was retaliation for criticizing the countys lawyer. According to the 41-page federal lawsuit filed on Monday, Gibbs is suing the county board for retaliating after Gibbs exercised his First Amendment right to freedom of speech, violated Michigans Whistleblower Protection Act and for a breach of contract when he was fired without cause. He is also suing the board and Moss for violating the Michigan Defamation Law. John Gibbs not surprised he was fired from being Ottawa administrator The lawsuit said Gibbs is suing the county board for retaliating after Gibbs exercised his First Amendment right to freedom of speech. It claims that on March 10, 2023, when Gibbs issued a complaint against the performance of Jack Jordan, an attorney with Kallman Legal Group and the countys lawyer, he was not doing doing so under his duties as administrator. Hes also suing the board for violating Michigans Whistleblower Protection Act. The lawsuit claims that when he complained to the board about Jordan and his inflated billing practices, the board retaliated and fired him. The board is also being sued for a breach of contract by terminating Gibbs without cause. The lawsuit says that Gibbs contract says he can be without cause but must receive a written notice 90 days before being terminated, would receive a lump sum severance payment of nine months of his annual salary of $210,000 and paid health insurance for nine months. If he were to be fired for cause, his lawsuit says his contract outlined it would have to be for intentional fraud, dishonesty, gross misconduct, or willful malfeasance in connection with Gibbs performance. For-cause termination would mean that Gibbs would not receive severance pay. The board said that it fired Gibbs after receiving several complaints about Gibbs behavior in the workplace. According to the lawsuit, Gibbs received no complaints before he was placed on administrative leave on Feb. 22. He is also suing the board and Moss for violating the Michigan Defamation Law. The lawsuit claims that when Moss, who was representing the board, disclosed a letter that outlined several complaints against Gibbs on Feb. 23, he intentionally shared false information. The complaints included allegations that he made threats against county attorney Jack Jordan as well as derogatory comments, with both sexual and religious connotations, toward Commissioner Gretchen Cosby. The letter also states he created a hostile workplace environment for his employees. Gibbs has denied those allegations. Ottawa County administrator denies making threatening, derogatory comments The lawsuit is asking that a judge declare that the board violated Gibbs First Amendment rights and Michigans Whistleblower Act and that Moss and the board violated Michigans Defamation Act. Its asking that Gibbs be awarded his severance pay, receive compensation for the monetary and nonmonetary loss, and compensatory, economic and noneconomic damages among other things. In a 10-1 vote, Gibbs was fired as administrator at a special board meeting on Feb. 29. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. A former chief financial officer for the city of Atlanta admitted Thursday to using thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds for personal use including to buy two machine guns. Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln was in the courtroom when Jim Beard pleaded guilty. She said Beards demeanor was calm during Thursdays hearing as he spoke admitting to misusing taxpayer money and it was revealed in court a lot of that money was used for expensive trips with a companion. In this case, the plea agreement capped the maximum of jail time to 13 years, the charges dismissed, the three charges, that had 20-year statutory maximum so theres 60 years of charges right there that got dismissed, federal defense attorney Brian Mendelsohn said. Beard and his attorney declined an interview with Lincoln, along with the A.S. Attorneys Office. Its really an uphill battle when you got the receipts and some of the documents clearly show that hes planning expenses that werent legitimate, Mendelsohn said. Beard admitted to the judge of misusing taxpayer money and using unauthorized tax deductions. Federal prosecutors stated Beard used funds from federal grants to purchase automatic rifles worth nearly $3,000. In 2015, prosecutors said he later abandoned the weapons at an Atlanta police precinct. RELATED STORIES: The problem hes got is hes a public official and the judges are often wanting to send a message when you have public officials, Mendelsohn said. And some of the trips included a three-night stay in Chicago for his stepdaughter to attend a music festival and a trip with a companion to a jazz festival in New Orleans. Prosecutors say there were also stays at the St. Regis Atlanta Hotel where he paid hundreds of dollars worth of room upgrades including a rose petal turndown service. Beard was Atlantas former chief financial officer from 2011 to 2018 -- initially serving under former Mayor Kasim Reed. Federal prosecutors have been combing through millions of documents related to conspiracy, bribery and tax-related crimes since 2017. Channel 2 Action News has reported at least seven former city employees and two contractors were either convicted or pled guilty for their role in either accepting or issuing bribes. In this case, it seems like it was the lower thousands of dollars that was taken as opposed to hundreds of thousands so that certainly works in Mr. Beards favor, Mendelsohn said. Beard agreed to pay a restitution amount that will be determined during his sentencing on July 12. He faces up to 13 years in prison. RELATED NEWS: Matthew Dowd who served as chief strategist for former President George W. Bushs 2004 reelection bid, argued former President Trump took the worst possible political position in his statement on abortion and should have gone for a 15- or 16-week federal policy on the procedure. I actually think hes taken the worst possible political position, he said Monday during an interview on MSNBC, adding later: But from a political perspective, he would have been better off, I think, going for a 15-week or a 16-week federal policy on this because he can still motivate and there are some swing voters that agree with that online market. Trump issued a video statement Monday, saying he was proud to have ended Roe v. Wade and expressing support for exceptions including rape, incest, and when the mothers life is in danger. He did not endorse any kind of federal abortion legislation, despite pressure from various conservative groups, and said he agrees the states should determine where they stand on legislation regarding the procedure. In the wake of criticism from various conservatives for his statement, Trump argued Democrats would never approve of abortion-restricting legislation and have benefited politically from the push among conservatives to restrict access to the procedure. Dowd said he does not believe Trumps stance will help the former president secure more votes ahead of November. Its still going to motivate Democrats in the course of this, so Democrats are still going to be motivated, he said. Two, its going to demotivate part of Donald Trumps base, as already evidence by some of the things theyve said where they wanted a federal ban and they wanted to get rid of abortion not only in places like Texas [and] Florida but California and New York. Dowd further argued Trump is still going to be forced to answer questions on this when a state takes action to restrict abortion. Because, hes opened the door to say states can do whatever they want, he said. That means, hes going to have to answer, Well do you agree with what Florida did? Did you agree with what Texas did? Do you agree with Alabama, you agree with Mississippi?' Dowd pointed to the perspective of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who said he respectfully disagreed with the former presidents position and would continue to advocate for a federal limit on abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions. Trump shot back at Graham and other conservatives criticism, writing on social media that the South Carolina Republican was doing a great disservice to the Republican Party, and to our Country. Terminating Roe v. Wade was, according to all Legal Scholars, a Great Event, but sometimes with Great Events come difficulties, Trump wrote. Many Good Republicans lost Elections because of this Issue, and people like Lindsey Graham, that are unrelenting, are handing Democrats their dream of the House, Senate, and perhaps even the Presidency. The Hill reached out to the Trump campaign for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former government lawyers say we need to limit the president's ability to deploy U.S. troops at home A bipartisan group of former national security officials and lawyers is calling for new restrictions on a president's ability to deploy troops on U.S. soil, arguing that existing law is "antiquated" and grants too much power to one person. The group convened at the invitation of The American Law Institute to examine the Insurrection Act of 1807, which former President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke should he return to the White House, ostensibly to address what are now-declining rates of crime in major cities. In a statement, Bob Bauer, who served as White House counsel under former President Barack Obama, argued that the Insurrection Act itself is poorly drafted" and full of "vague or obsolete language." It "has been clear for decades that this antiquated law needs serious revision," he said. As it stands, the Insurrection Act permits the president to deploy U.S. armed forces domestically in response to outbreaks of violence, including rebellion against federal or state governments. It was last used by former President George H.W. Bush in 1992 in response to riots in Los Angeles sparked by the acquittal of police officers in the Rodney King case. Jack Goldsmith, who served as an assistant attorney general under former President George W. Bush, said in a statement that he agrees the law gives any president too much unchecked power." He and others in the group would like to see Congress eliminate outdated language, such as references to "obstructions" and "assemblages," that could be cited to justify another deployment; they would also like to see deployments subject to a statutory limit of 30 days, with any extension requiring lawmakers' consent. Included among those calling for reform is a former member of the Trump administration. John Eisenberg, who served as a lawyer for the National Security Council under Trump, told The New York Times that the Insurrection Act, as currently written, should alarm Democrats and Republicans alike. This is something of great importance regardless of what party you are in because, obviously, it is an area that can abused, Eisenberg said. If the triggers, for example, are too vague, the risk is that it can be used in circumstances that do not really warrant it. So it is important to tighten up the language to reduce that risk. Parents with young children in the Fort Worth Independent School District will be able to pick up their pre-K and elementary students at the same dismissal time next school year. As pre-K enrollment kicked off for Fort Worth ISD last week, the district announced an extended day for its youngest students that will align with the kindergarten through fifth-grade schedule. The day will last from 7:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., adding an extra 50 minutes until the 3- and 4-year-old students leave for the day. The change will simplify transportation logistics for families with more than one child who are currently having to make two trips to the same campus. Bethany Edwards, executive director of the Early Learning Alliance, applauded the schedule change, noting how the gap between the end of a childs school day and the end of a parents work day is notoriously challenging for families. The transition will align FWISD with neighboring Arlington ISD, (which) already offers prekindergarten during the full elementary school day. I trust that FWISD will fill the extra time with developmentally-appropriate activities and hope the emphasis will be on the development of students social-emotional skills, the domain of kindergarten readiness that FWISD educators previously identified as critically important, Edwards said. A 2020 Tarrant County kindergarten readiness report by the Early Learning Alliance showed that although local teachers identified social-emotional skills as the most important for kindergarten readiness, such as the ability to communicate needs for assistance, they believed their district viewed literacy and language as the most important. Of the 104 participants surveyed, 44% were Fort Worth ISD administrators and teachers. Heather Hennesey, director of early learning for Fort Worth ISD, said the district is looking at utilizing the additional time with more small group, teacher-led instruction focusing on pre-literacy, pre-math and social-emotional learning skills. Additionally, students will have a longer rest time of 45 minutes instead of the current 30 minutes. Hennesey anticipates the scheduling change to be a smooth transition. I am sure it will have a positive impact on their kindergarten readiness, she said. The more opportunity that students have for oral language development, for rich academic experiences, listening to books, (and) being able to engage in environments that have high-quality material, the more we set them up for success. I feel quite confident that we will see this change pay out in student outcomes. Fort Worth ISD parent Teresa Juarez has four children who attend T.A. Sims Elementary School with the youngest currently in pre-K and the oldest in third grade. She also has a 2-year-old who she plans to enroll in pre-K there in the future. Driving back and forth every day for the different pickup times is challenging, she said. Although the schedule change will make her pickup routine easier, she also believes it is a long school day for children at pre-K ages, and even at the kindergarten age. Her 4-year-old daughter is usually tired and can sometimes be fussy when Juarez picks her and her siblings up from school. She was glad to hear that rest time will be longer for the students. I would like them to have more activities outside when time permits, Juarez added. In the long run, I think it (will) have a positive impact. Fall pre-K enrollment for Fort Worth ISD opened on April 1 and can be accessed on the districts website. The district accommodates all children who turn 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, but theres limited space for 3-year-olds depending on where they live and their familys income. Fox News host Howard Kurtz pressed Donald Trumps campaign press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, on Sunday after the former president compared himself to Nelson Mandela over the weekend. The presumptive GOP presidential nominee went after Judge Juan Merchan, presiding over Trumps hush money case, for issuing a gag order against him ahead of an upcoming trial. Trump declared that itd be a GREAT HONOR to go to jail for violating the gag order, and hed gladly become a modern-day version of the late South African leader, who spent 27 years in prison over his anti-apartheid activism. So why is he comparing himself to Mandela, and is he now worried about going to jail in this case? the MediaBuzz host asked on Sunday. No, not at all, Leavitt said. Truth will ultimately prevail in this case and in all of the cases. Leavitt claimed that Democrats want Trump, who is facing a total of 88 felony charges across several cases, confined to a courtroom before taking aim at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for not going after real violent criminals in New York. President Trump is exposing the truth in all of these Biden-led witch hunts. And thats exactly why you see these gag orders coming down, she said of Trump, who attacked Merchan and his daughter before the judge expanded the gag order last week. She continued, Not only are they prosecuting him, but they want to silence him. Its a complete violation of his First Amendment rights. He can still talk about the case, but Im glad to have your response on that, Kurtz said about the scope of the gag order. Trumps hush money trial is scheduled to start April 15. H/T: Mediaite Related... With millions of Americans eagerly anticipating Mondays total solar eclipse, Fox News delivered an ominous warning to its viewers: The dramatic celestial event presents a real opportunity for migrants to illegally cross the southern border. While mainstream news coverage focuses on the eclipses path of totality and the potentially troublesome weather forecast, the conservative cable giants hard news programming found a way to link the event to Foxs nearly round-the-clock fear-mongering about immigrants. Fox News alert! A rare celestial event collides with a policy failure on the ground, Americas Newsroom co-anchor Dana Perino declared on Monday morning. The southern border will be directly in the path of totality today when the moon covers the sun for nearly four minutes. Taking the ball from Perino and running with it, co-anchor Bill Hemmer added that officials at the border are bracing for higher traffic than usual, which means a real opportunity for smugglers and cartels and migrants to come right in. Fox News Runs Wild With Two Very Dumb Easter Outrages He continued: Fox News has reporters far and wide following the total solar eclipse as it crosses the U.S. The first location of totality is actually the southern border. Thats where we find Bill Melugin, live in Eagle Pass, Texasa place you are well familiar with, Bill. Eagle Pass is stuck in the middle of an escalating legal standoff between Texas and the Biden administration over Gov. Greg Abbotts decision to seize control of the citys scenic Shelby Park and erect razor wire to stop an invasion of migrants. Abbott barred Barring Border Patrol agents from the park and has ordered Texas National Guard troops and state law enforcement officials to patrol near the Rio Grande River. The move has essentially screwed up the small citys plans to attract tourists for the eclipse. We got double duty down here in Eagle Pass today, reported Melugin, the networks top border correspondent. Eagle Pass is expected to be the very first spot in all the United States where the totality of this eclipse is supposed to be seen. But that is only if the weather cooperates. So, right now, its not looking too good. We got forecasted overcast skies all day long in Eagle Pass today. And while everybody is gonna be looking up, if youre looking down here at the border, here is what youll see. Take a look at the video from nearby New Mexico, which is seeing a surge of illegal alien evaders and gotaways, he added. Youll see illegal immigrants dressed in dark clothing, sometimes camouflage, actively trying to sneak into the United States as suspected cartel scouts and coyotes watch from a mountain above... It is a constant game of cat and mouse down there. Right-Wing Media Blames Bridge Collapse on Open Border and COVID Lockdowns While standing in front of the razor wire fence in Eagle Pass, Melugin teed up another video of migrants crossing the border in New Mexico, once again pointing out that the evaders were dressed in dark clothing. He warned that Border Patrol agents recently arrested another one of those suspected Venezuelan gang members, tying that powerful gang to the illegal alien Bronx squatters.(In recent weeks, right-wing media has been in a full-fledged meltdown over a supposed migrant squatting epidemic, even though experts say New York City does not actually face any such problem.) One of those Venezuelan guys, ICE says when he was just arrested, he self-admitted to being a Tren de Aragua gang member who spent time in a Venezuelan prison, Melugin concluded. He crossed right here in Eagle Pass in October 2022, and despite claims of vetting here at the border, he was released into the United States and made his way to you guys in New York City. 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. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) Nauticus is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the commissioning of the USS Wisconsin by offering free admission to active duty military members and veterans this April. That includes an 80th birthday party for Wisky on Saturday, April 13 at 10 a.m. Nauticus says its through the generous support of World of Warships. At Wargaming, were passionate about preserving naval history and honoring the legacy of these incredible vessels. Supporting naval ship museums is our way of ensuring that the sacrifices and achievements of past generations are never forgotten, said Artur Plociennik, with World of Warships. We are honored to be a part of the USS Wisconsins 80th anniversary celebration and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Nauticus to educate and inspire future generations about the significance of naval heritage. The complimentary military tickets though are limited each day, so Nauticus recommends reserving tickets online ahead of time. Meanwhile dependents of military members/vets will get $3 off general admission to Nauticus. The nearly 900-foot-long USS Wisconsin is the largest and last battleship built by the U.S. Navy. It served from World War II through Operation Desert Storm. Wisky was decommissioned in 1991 and was later moved to its current location next to Nauticus in 2000. You can go here to reserve your free ticket. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. French bulldogs stolen from Cobb parking lot returned to owner after Channel 2 report A pair of stolen French bulldogs have been returned to a Smyrna woman after a Channel 2 Action News report over the weekend. A dog owner, who did not want to be identified, told Channel 2s Elizabeth Rawlins that her dogs, Denver and Dallas were stolen in the parking lot of the Cumberland Crossing Shopping Center on Cumberland Boulevard on Saturday. Rawlins spoke to the pet owner for WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. on Sunday. The dog owner said she parked just a few feet away from the entrance of the beauty supply store, briefly leaving her dogs while she ran inside for a few minutes. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] No one has been arrested yet, according to the dog owner. This comes as the trend to steal certain dog breeds continues to rise. Weve heard of criminal enterprises stealing dogs and its become a real big problem, said Tom Sharpe of the American Kennel Club. Officials from the American Kennel Club told Channel 2 Action News back in July, that the French bulldog is currently the number one breed thieves target. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have agreed to increase the supply of military assistance to Ukraine. Source: UK government press service Quote: "On Ukraine, the Prime Minister and President agreed on the importance of intensifying efforts to deny Russia a victory in their war of aggression against Ukraine. They discussed priorities for the coming months, including increasing the supply of munitions, drones and air defence to the Ukrainian Armed Forces." Details: The leaders also noted that they look forward to the upcoming meeting of the European Political Community to be held in the UK and pledged to work together to deliver a successful summit that will address a number of common European priorities. These include the defence of Ukraine, the development of cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, and joint efforts to fight illegal migration and organised crime. Sunak and Macron also discussed the situation in Gaza and the Middle East. Support UP or become our patron! In recent op-eds and comments by Sacramento journalists and Fresno Unified school board members, there have been calls for reforming how we teach reading in our schools and for utilizing the science of teaching reading in our instruction (apparently professional teachers are using false beliefs and urban legends to teach reading currently). Well, Its deja vu all over again (I love Yogi Berra!). Im old enough to remember the reading instruction mandates 22 years ago with the passage of the bipartisan No Child Left Behind law (NCLB cost taxpayers over $100 billion) during the Bush administration. These mandates, we were told, were all based on science. From NCLB, a National Reading Panel was born. The panel surveyed thousands of studies, which were narrowed down to 92 that met the panels scientific criteria. From these highly scientific studies, so-called effective methodology was gleaned and mandated in our schools through the launch of the Reading First program (at a cost to the taxpayers of $1 billion per year). Schools were threatened with penalties and withdrawal of funding if they refused to follow the scientific mandated strategies and if reading scores did not improve. Finally, thanks to science, all our children would reach grade level proficiency in reading! In short, it didnt work. The Brookings Institution found no evidence that NCLB and Reading First mandates raised student reading proficiency. The respected National Assessment of Education Progress (referred to commonly as The Nations Report Card), found more of the same. Reading growth at the fourth-grade level was negligible under Reading First methodology. Reading levels of eighth-graders actually trended downward. The NAEP also observed that gaps in reading proficiency among racial subgroups stayed constant, and in some cases widened, during the NCLB era. Opinion Dr. Elaine Garan, a literacy professor at Fresno State during that time, revealed in her book Resisting Reading Mandates (Heinemann, 2002) that the actual studies the National Reading Panel cited as the gold standard for effective reading instruction did not accomplish what they promised. Taking a closer look, Garan found that while the National Reading Panel touted direct phonics instruction as a major component of the science of learning to read, the actual results of the studies indicated otherwise. The methodology of direct phonics instruction failed to help students achieve what most of us agree is the ultimate goal of reading: Understanding what we read. Garan noted other NRP studies that promised much but delivered little about students comprehending text. Im moved to remember that just because something is called science does not necessarily make it so. Did anyone benefit from No Child Left Behind and Reading First? Commercial publishing companies of educational materials found NCLB and Reading First to be cash cows. The New York Times noted in 2005 that McGraw-Hill (which peddled the Open Court and Language! commercial reading programs to schools) made revenues of 5.3 billion in 2004 while the profit was $755 million. McGraw-Hill, NCS Pearson, Houghton-Mifflin, and a few others were the main publishing companies that made millions supplying canned reading programs based on the NRP findings. The grift was on. But the nonsense continues (literally). California and other states are currently pushing legislation to test every student in K-2nd grade for dyslexia. At face value this sounds reasonable. However, parents need to know that their children will most likely not be tested on their ability to comprehend text, but on their ability to read a list of nonsense words like wub, zoj, vov in 60 seconds or less. Students who cant pronounce the words quickly and correctly may be labeled as dyslexic. Unfortunately, labels oftentimes lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. Before history repeats itself, can I suggest we stop using the word science to push our personal and pedagogical biases on others? Also, our school districts need to resist the urge to buy the latest expensive commercial program that promises miracles but will more than likely be gathering dust on our shelves in a few years. Finally, would it be possible for our school districts to consult with the graduate education literacy specialists at Fresno Pacific and Fresno State universities to help teachers and administrators set a course for sound literacy instruction for our wonderful children? Derek Boucher of Clovis has taught social science in the Fresno Unified School District for 29 years. FT: Damage to Ukraine's energy grid worse than in 2022-23 but more localized Russian forces used freshly-made missiles for large-scale attacks on Ukraine in March, Andrii Cherniak, a spokesperson of Ukraine's military intelligence, told the Financial Times (FT) in a comment published on April 8. Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on energy facilities across the country. Over the past month, Russian forces reportedly launched over 400 missiles and 600 Shahed-type drones. Russia has used drones as cheaper weapons for striking other parts of the energy system, such as transformers, Cherniak said. He estimated that Moscow has enough missiles to carry out one or two more "big attacks in the coming weeks." "We expected the attacks at the beginning of the winter, but we now see that the missiles they have used are freshly made," he told the FT. Ukrainian officials said the damage to energy infrastructure caused by Russia is worse than in the winter of 2022-2023, although it is more localized, according to the newspaper. Read also: Russia aims to knock out Ukraines power grid in new wave of attacks In March, Russian attacks reportedly damaged or completely destroyed 80% of the thermal generating capacity of DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company. Maksym Timchenko, the chief executive of DTEK, told the FT that the company's goal is to restore "as much as we can by October." Between March 22 and 29, Russian forces targeted seven thermal power stations, the FT reported. Russia's March 22 strike destroyed the Zmiiv Thermal Power Plant, which is among the largest in Kharkiv Oblast, according to the state-owned energy company Centrenergo. Recent attacks also damaged all power units of the Burshtyn Thermal Power Plant in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and the Ladyzhyn Thermal Power Plant in Vinnytsia Oblast, DTEK's Executive Director Dmytro Sakharuk said. Among Moscow's other targets in March were the Kaniv Hydroelectric Power Plant in Cherkasy Oblast, the Dnister Hydroelectric Power Plant in Chernivtsi Oblast, and Zaporizhzhia's Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant. Read also: Mayor: Russia destroys almost all energy infrastructure in Kharkiv Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Quad Cities Pride in Memory will host a red-carpet film fundraiser on Sunday, April 28th at the Last Picture House in Davenport to support Our Story: Pride in Memory, a documentary currently in production by Emmy-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Moline-based Fourth Wall Films. A new documentary in production will tell the story of the Quad Cities LGBTQ+ community. We must tell our stories now more than ever. First, to preserve them for history before they disappear, Rev. Rich Hendricks, chair of the QC Pride in Memory Executive Committee, said in an event release. Second, because we are experiencing an unprecedented amount of legislative and social persecution in the LGBTQ+ community today and people need to be inspired again about equality for all. Now we have this fabulous collaboration with award-winning Fourth Wall Films, but we need the communitys help to make it happen, he said. Our Story: Pride in Memory (working title) shines a light on the untold history of the Quad Cities LGBTQ+ community. From the guarded 1950s, AIDS, and gay marriage to current attempts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, the film reveals the story of a personal and local civil rights movement, the release says. An image on the Pride in Memory website, Pride in Memory Film (typepad.com). The new documentary features the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ residents through illuminating on-camera interviews and combines them with compelling archival images and film footage to tell an inspiring story of struggle, achievement, and pride. To us, this is another important civil rights story that needs to be preserved and told, director Kelly Rundle said. Every American deserves the right to be treated equally under the law. The Rundles have produced over 20 award-winning documentary films. The Our Story documentary project has received a production grant from Illinois Humanities. Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films did an in-depth interview with nationally-known HIV/AIDS treatment pioneer Dr. Louis Katz for the new documentary Our Story: Pride in Memory. The Pride in Memory Red Carpet Film Fundraiser will be held at the Last Picture House, 325 E. 2nd Street, Davenport. A Cocktail Hour with heavy hors doeuvres and cash bar will be held at 6 p.m. A sneak peek at clips from the Our Story: Pride in Memory documentary with Q&A begins at 7 p.m., followed by a special showing of the Oscar-nominated film How to Survive a Plague. Tickets are $50 (seating is limited), available in advance HERE. QCPIM member Sara Meyer said about the 2012 feature film How to Survive a Plague: We have a plague of hate taking place today and we can learn a lot from the ways our community survived and overcame the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s. The 2012 Oscar-nominated doc How to Survive a Plague (about the early years of the AIDS epidemic) will be shown at The Last Picture House, 325 E. 2nd St., Davenport, on April 28, 2024. Established in 2021, Quad Cities Pride in Memorys mission is to document, protect and preserve LGBTQ+ history in the greater Quad Cities area, and to educate the public regarding that history and its significance. To date, the nonprofit has conducted over 40 oral history video or audio interviews with key historical figures in the QC LGBTQ+ community, and collected printed materials and artifacts for a permanent archive at the Putnam Museum & Science Center. QCPIM has collaborated with Augustana College students (in Queer Theory, Theater Arts, Filmmaking studies) along with Gender Studies and Geography faculty members. A portable historical panel display focused on LGBTQ+ history in the QC has been created. In addition to the Pride In Memory documentary project, QCPIM is working to create and launch a clickable map-based website that will allow access to interviews and images of artifacts for research purposes. Moline-based filmmakers Tammy and Kelly Rundle have won four regional Emmys. For more information about the documentary Our Story: Pride in Memory and how you can help support and/or donate to the film project, visit the film website HERE. Fourth Wall Films is a four-time Emmy award-winning independent media production company formerly located in Los Angeles, and now based in Moline. Learn more about their projects HERE. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. If the Pilgrims had landed in California, the East Coast would still be a wilderness. That line is usually attributed to Ronald Reagan, and whether he said it or not, I often quote it (especially to rib a New Yorker) because, well, the Gipper was right. Who would push across a country if youd already found paradise? A state that can claim the Redwoods and Yosemite, but also Tahoe and Laurel Canyon, Beverly Hills and Disneyland, the Rose Bowl and Hollywood, the Golden Gate Bridge and Pebble Beach theres a reason Prince Harry gave up the crown for California. Growing up in the West, California is the center of gravity. Families in Utah County plan their summers around trips to Disneyland. If you live on the East Bench, it might be a week in Newport. They may spend the rest of the year complaining about California its traffic, its crime, its congestion but on a gray day in February, California Dreamin by the Mamas & the Papas might as well be the soundtrack. And yet, theres no denying something has changed. As Natalia Galicza reports in this months cover story, 800,000 people left the Golden State between 2021 and 2022. So, whats the matter with California? To answer that question, Natalia drove from the southern end of the state, all the way up to Butte County. She visited Los Angeles, where the homeless crisis is so bad Skid Row now covers 50 city blocks, or four square miles, the largest such population in the United States. She also went to San Francisco, where downtown has become so dangerous that major retailers like Nordstrom and Whole Foods are simply closing up shop. But the problem extends beyond the major population centers. In the Central Valley the most productive farmland in the country concerns about drought and climate change are pushing farmers out. In places like Butte County, the wildfire plague is whats spurring out-migration. To be clear, most people who live in California do not want to move, and if they can afford to stay, they will. The question is how much longer the financial costs will outweigh these growing problems, and whether the exodus that began during the pandemic will continue or recede over time. Of course, theres more going on in our annual State of the West issue. Sen. Mike Lee explores the debate over public lands and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador offers ideas to resolve the immigration crisis at the border. Staff writer Ethan Bauer travels to Las Vegas to understand how and why gambling has taken over sports. Finally, managing editor Matthew Brown dives into the militarys role in shaping the West for better or worse. Ronald Reagan understood that California was more than just a place to visit, and how important the West was to the nation. He also knew that the West outside a few coastal metropolises doesnt get the attention it merits in the national conversation. We believe thats an ongoing mistake. The Wests perspectives on todays issues are both distinct and essential. But we also know that for the world to understand who we are, it starts with understanding where we come from. I think the Gipper would agree. By Sofia Christensen DAKAR (Reuters) - Gambian lawmaker Almaneh Gibba started his campaign to overturn a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation after the West African country imposed its first fines on those found guilty of the practice last year. Despite concerns about the leniency of the sentences - a $220 fine for three women accused of cutting eight infant girls - anti-FGM activists welcomed the ruling as a rare victory against a culture of impunity that typically shields offenders in countries where such mutilations occur. But the convictions also prompted a backlash among Gambia religious leaders and inspired Gibba's push to overturn the 8-year ban on what he calls female circumcision. Parliament is now considering a bill proposed by Gibba to the alarm of advocacy groups who say it represents a step backwards in efforts to end a practice that can cause myriad health issues. Around 180 civil society organisations signed an open letter in October urging Gambia's government to uphold the anti-FGM law. It is "not just a legal imperative but a moral obligation," Gambia's former vice president Isatou Touray, now Gambia's highest-profile campaigner against the practice, said in February. "With the world watching, history will judge us based on the actions we take," she wrote in an op-ed. Gibba, an independent MP and government critic, told Reuters the ban was not wanted by most people in Gambia, a predominantly Muslim country where some believe cutting a part of the clitoris is required by Islam and key to a girl's passage to womanhood. "We will not be dictated by Western philosophy and their views on what we do," he said. "Who are they to tell us our culture, our religion, our traditional beliefs?" Gibba's bill looks likely to pass when it comes before parliament for a final vote in June. It passed in its second reading in March with only four out of 53 MPs in the predominately male assembly voting against it. Rights groups say Gibba's opinions do not reflect realities on the ground, particularly the views of excised women on a practice that the United Nations considers a serious human rights violation and a form of torture. Government figures show 73% of Gambian women aged between 15 and 49 have undergone FGM. Of these, almost three-quarters had their clitoris fully removed along with other parts of their genitals. A public consultation on the practice is scheduled to take place this month and be presented to parliament before the final vote. The most recent government health survey in 2019-20 found that 46% of circumcised Gambian women between the ages of 15 and 49 believed the practice should be discontinued. Around 40% of men felt the same way. No country has lifted a ban on FGM before. There are concerns Gambia's bill could embolden a budding movement of pro-FGM activism in Africa hinged on self-determination and the right to choose. "There is a growing wave of arguments regarding the consent of adult women, using the language of human rights and bodily autonomy," said Caroline Lagat, a programme officer at advocacy group Equality Now, saying that in Gambia, most girls are cut before turning five. At a national level, FGM is banned in over 70 countries worldwide, of which at least 35 are in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Bank. Advocacy groups say such laws are often just rubber stamps, barely enforced in practice, but still remain a crucial stepping stone in the fight against FGM. (Editing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Angus MacSwan) By Doaa Rouqa GAZA (Reuters) - When Israeli forces withdrew from Khan Younis, the Al-Najjar family braced for the worst before returning to the southern Gaza city where their house was obliterated by an Israeli airstrike in the war against Hamas. Viewing the destruction of their home, they expected more uncertainty brought by the now six-month-old conflict with no sign of a ceasefire as a humanitarian crisis squeezes the population, which could face famine. Umm Eyad al-Najjar said the family will set up a tent after once living in a comfortable home with her husband, daughter and grandchildren. "How can we endure that? There's no water or anything. I can't eat like I used to," she said. "You know how it is in the tents, we're surrounded by strangers, and our relatives aren't there to talk to... Everything is destroyed." Many of her family members were killed, she said. Their bodies are still being uncovered. Every house has someone who has been killed or wounded, she added. For now, Umm Eyad said she plans to just sit in front of her house as the war keeps raging. The conflict began when Hamas, which runs Gaza, burst into Israel on Oct. 7, killed 1,200 people and dragged more than 200 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel, which has vowed to destroy Hamas, retaliated with a relentless bombardment of the enclave that has killed more than 33,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. Khan Younis has come under Israeli bombardment in recent months. Israel said on Sunday it had withdrawn more soldiers from southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade. It has been reducing numbers in Gaza since the start of the year to relieve reservists and is under growing pressure from top ally Washington to improve the humanitarian situation, especially after last week's killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers. Gaza authorities said they discovered more than 60 bodies in Khan Younis since the Israeli forces departed after operating there for months. Much of Gaza, one of the world's most densely populated areas, has been reduced to rubble. Neighbourhoods have been transformed into wastelands, leaving many Palestinians to wonder how they can ever rebuild their homes. Umm Eyad's husband, Ibrahim al-Najjar, said he had counted his blessings throughout his life in Gaza, an impoverished but once lively place with restaurants, hospitals and schools. Much of that has been pulverised, leaving families living in schools or tents. Finding food is a daily struggle. "We had cattle, all of that is gone now. An entire farm, gone, 250 heads of cattle that we would slaughter and sell their meat, to make a living but also eat," said Ibrahim, surveying the rocks of a demolished home. He remains attached to his home no matter what, he said. "My home is better than the whole world, even if I have to sit on just the dust that remains," he said. "I lived here, I'll die here." (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Bill Berkrot) On Genocide Anniversary, Rwanda's President Comes For World Leaders Who Did Nothing KIGALI, RWANDA - APRIL 7: The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, lights a flame to start of 100 days of remembrance as Rwanda commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Tutsi genocide on April 7, 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda. - Photo: Luke Dray (Getty Images) Thirty years ago the Rwandan genocide ripped through the African nation, killing hundreds of thousands of people. On Sunday, Rwandan President Paul Kagame commemorated the horrific tragedy, while also sharing a message pointed at the rest of the world. During a commemoration event in Kigali, President Kagame blamed the international community for not intervening during the genocide, which took the lives of tens of thousands of Tutsis and perceived sympathizers. It was the international community which failed all of us, whether from contempt or cowardice, said Kagame. In April of 1994, extremists began carrying out a mass killing of the minority Tutsi population in Rwanda. Over 800,000 thousand Tutsis and perceived sympathizers were brutally murdered and millions more were displaced in 100 days as the world watched. The genocide was ended in July of that year by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which was mostly comprised of Tutsi refugees, including now-President Kagame, who has led the nation for decades. Rwandan officials have previously called out the Western world for failing to do anything to prevent or stop the genocide despite the warning signs and their own role in stoking ethnic tensions that erupted into mass violence. Some world leaders have acknowledged their nations failures. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton called the genocide a failure of his administration. And ahead of the anniversary, French President Emanuel Macron acknowledged his nations failure to intervene. France, which could have stopped the genocide with its Western and African allies, lacked the will to do so, he said in a pre-recorded video message that was released on the Sunday anniversary. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Senator Elizabeth Warren is warning that Israels devastating military campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 33,000 people, could legally be considered a genocide. Warren made the comments during an event last week at a Boston-area mosque. Video of her speech began circulating on social media on Monday. The death toll in Gaza, which includes at least 13,000 children, is considered a low estimate due to the difficulty in counting the dead. If you want to do it as an application of law, I believe that theyll find that it is genocide, and they have ample evidence to do so, Warren said, speaking at the Islamic Center of Boston in Wayland, Massachusetts. She was responding to an audience question about the International Court of Justice ruling that it was plausible Israel has committed acts of genocide in Gaza. At a Q&A at a Wayland mosque last week, @SenWarren is asked if she thinks that Israel is committing a genocide. "If you want to do it as an application of law, I believe that they will find that it is genocide," she says, adding that she's trying to get "past a labels argument" pic.twitter.com/mxqBP6oTlH Tori Bedford (@Tori_Bedford) April 8, 2024 Warren noted that, for her, it is far more important to say what Israel is doing is wrong. And it is wrong. It is wrong to starve children within a civilian population in order to try to bend to your will. It is wrong to drop 2,000-pound bombs, in densely populated civilian areas, she said. Warren faced criticism for her stance on the war when she backed Israel after Hamass October 7 attacks. As Israels war ramped up, along with international criticism of its actions, protesters have shown up outside of Warrens offices, as well as her home. One Palestinian American even confronted Warren at a restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in November. Warren also voted to send more military aid to Israel in February, part of a bill that defunded the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. A Palestinian woman who has lost 68 family members in Gaza confronts Senator Warren. She had no answer We mobilized with Harvard students and others in Cambridge to disrupt @SenWarren at dinner We will keep disrupting until our politicians listen to us & call for a CEASEFIRE pic.twitter.com/PnmUp7QoS7 Jewish Voice for Peace - Boston (@JVPBoston) November 10, 2023 Warrens new stance is the latest example of Democrats criticizing Israels actions. On March 22, Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez warned that the United States was complicit in the humanitarian crisis in the territory, and on March 15, Senator Chuck Schumer gave a speech criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus conduct in Gaza. Warren was also among eight Democratic senators who called on President Joe Biden in an open letter in March to suspend military aid to Israel while it blocked U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza. More recently, the White House had to cancel its annual iftar banquet with American Muslim leaders last week after invitations were rejected in protest of Americas Israel military campaign. On Monday, the Foreign Press Association issued a statement urging international journalists to be allowed unfettered access into Gaza, which Israels government continues to block. GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WBTW) A 36-year-old man was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison for his role in a 2023 robbery at an Anderson Brothers Bank branch on North Fraser Street in Georgetown. Corey Beach of Georgetown pleaded guilty to entering a bank with intent to steal in connection with the Feb. 10, 2023, robbery, the 15th Circuit Solicitors Office said. During the robbery, he demanded money from a teller and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. He was arrested more than a month later in Horry County, authorities said. * * * Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Aviation security staff demonstrate with flags from the service union Verdi in the departure hall in Terminal 1 at BER Airport. Major German union verdi and airport operators have reached a pay agreement covering some 25,000 security staff to avert further strike action. Carsten Koall/dpa Major German union verdi and airport operators have reached a pay agreement covering some 25,000 security staff to avert further strike action as the busy summer travel season nears. The two sides said on Monday that they had accepted a deal put forward by mediators. Salary increases of between 13.1% and 15.1% were agreed in three stages over a period of 15 months, the employers' association BDLS said. The collective agreement is set to run until March 2025. After six rounds of failed negotiations, a closed-door arbitration process was launched on Friday. The agreement is still subject to the approval of the respective committees by midday Tuesday, although acceptance is seen as likely. To finally secure a deal the particularly contentious issue of overtime bonuses was pushed back and will now be renegotiated at the end of this year. Until then, the previous agreements apply. The labour dispute has resulted in strikes at some of Germany's biggest hubs and misery for tens of thousands of travellers as airport security staff walked off the job, most recently for two days last month. German flag carrier Lufthansa is currently in wage talks with the union representing its cabin crew. The airline recently reached a pay deal with ground staff. German Army Chief Lt. Gen. Alfons Mais listens to a question during a media joint conference with Lithuanian Chief of Defence Gen. Valdemaras Rupsys and Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas as members of the Headquarters initial command element of the Bundeswehr's 45th Brigade Lithuania arrival by plane at a airport in Vilnius, Lithuania, Monday, April 8, 2024. Germany has made a commitment to deploy a heavy brigade with three maneuver battalions and all necessary enablers, including combat support and provision units, to Lithuania. In total, approx. 5 thousand German military and civilian personnel are expected to move to Lithuania with families in stationing the Brigade. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) Lithuanian leaders hailed a historic event as Germany on Monday began deploying troops in the Baltic country a NATO member marking the first time since World War II that German forces will be based outside the country on a long-term basis. About two dozen soldiers arrived in Lithuania, laying the groundwork for a further 150 to join them later this year. The deployment is expected to be up to its full strength of 5,000 by the end of 2027. This is the first time that we have permanently stationed such a unit outside of Germany, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in Berlin at a farewell ceremony for the preliminary command of Germanys Lithuanian brigade, according to German news agency dpa. Pistorius called it "an important day for the German army. In the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said that the move was a great example for all the countries on NATO's eastern flank, on the border with Russia and its ally, Belarus. We will create such a defense and deterrence architecture that no adversary from the east will even think about testing NATOs Article 5, he told reporters. Article 5 on collective defense is at the heart of the 32-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It states that an armed attack against one or more of the members shall be considered an attack against all. Some 4,800 soldiers and around 200 civilians with the German army will be stationed permanently in Lithuania, which is increasingly worried by its aggressive neighbors. Under an agreement, Lithuania is preparing military bases for the German brigade to be deployed in this Baltic state bordering Russias Kaliningrad exclave to the west and Belarus to the east. The German army, the Bundeswehr, has taken part in long-term operations abroad since the 1990s, first in the Balkans and then in combat operations in Afghanistan. At the moment, the Bundeswehr says German soldiers are deployed in Europe, Asia and Africa, as well as in the Mediterranean. However, this is the first permanent standalone German deployment, not on rotation as part of a multinational force. Kasciunas said the German brigade is expected to reach full operational capacity by 2027. For us, this means more effective deterrence of the enemy and even greater security. It is an example of exceptional leadership and commitment as we actually see NATOs collective defence and unity at work, Lithuania Chief of Defence Valdemaras Rupsys added. Up to one-third of troops are expected to bring their family members, according to the Lithuanian Defense Ministry. Pistorius said Germany "will do everything we can to equip the brigade as it needs to be equipped from the outset. ___ Associated Press writer Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report. (L-R) German Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economy and Climate Protection Robert Habeck, French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire and Italian Minister of Economy and "Made in Italy" Adolfo Urso pose holding hands during a trilateral meeting on European industrial policy. Bertrand Guay/AFP/dpa The economy ministers of Germany, France and Italy are demanding a more powerful European industrial policy in order to counter growing competition from the United States and China. At a tripartite meeting in Meudon near Paris on Monday, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire and Italy's Adolfo Urso spoke out in favour of more pan-European coordination in order to secure the strategic autonomy of the European Union and safeguard the bloc's independence as an economic power. Europe must counter US protectionism and Chinese dumping prices with simplified rules for its industry, less ideological baggage and more speed, especially in the area of environmental technology, said Le Maire. Fair competitive conditions for European companies were also necessary, he added. The French minister also called for products made in Europe to be favoured in public tenders, an initiative that his German and Italian counterparts do not support, however. Germany's Habeck stressed the importance of "the bloc's geopolitical ability to act." Europe, he said, cannot merely administer rules, but must be an economic policy actor. The concept of industrial policy had long been frowned upon within the EU and the assumption had prevailed that the market regulated everything, he said. "We can see today that this is not the case and probably never was." Interventions were necessary to combat unfair competition and to protect critical infrastructure in the EU, Habeck said. Italy's Urso added that Europe must not become an open-air museum but must safeguard its autonomy and act as a community of producers. German Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economy and Climate Protection Robert Habeck (R) and Italian Minister of Economy and "Made in Italy" Adolfo Urso attend a trilateral meeting on European industrial policy. Bertrand Guay/AFP/dpa BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sent his first post on TikTok on Monday, joining a growing roster of Western politicians who have set aside security concerns to use the Chinese-owned social media platform. "I won't dance. Promise. #TikTok," Scholz posted on X. Scholz's first TikTok post, sent by his new account TeamBundeskanzler (Team Chancellor), is a video set to plodding bassoon music that shows a briefcase on a couch before panning over to the German leader sitting at his desk. "The Federal Press Office is expanding its range of information for citizens who are increasingly using TikTok to find out about and discuss politics," a statement from government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said. Scholz's TikTok presence is aimed at young people in particular, according to the statement. By late morning on Monday, Scholz's account had 615 followers, still a far cry from the over 411,000 followers boasted by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is very active on the platform. 2024 is an election-heavy year in Germany, with polls scheduled for the European Parliament in June as well as for three state parliaments in the east in September, with the AfD hoping for major gains. (Reporting by Rachel More; Editing by Miranda Murray) President of China Xi Jinping (R) receives German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Pool/dpa German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is travelling to China on Saturday for a three-day visit, during which he will meet President Xi Jinping. In addition to the capital Beijing, Scholz will visit Chongqing and Shanghai, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin on Monday. The chancellor will be accompanied by a business delegation. Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, Transport Minister Volker Wissing and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke will also be part of the official party. This is the German chancellor's second trip to China since taking office in December 2021. His inaugural visit in November 2022 was only a day trip due to the coronavirus pandemic. This time, he is taking three days - more than ever before for a single country on a single trip. The main topics are likely to include the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the tensions between China and Taiwan and a number of economic issues. The first stop is Chongqing, which is located on the Yangtze River in central China and is considered the largest city in the world, with around 32 million people living in the greater administrative area. Shanghai in south-east China is regarded as China's most important economic and financial centre. Scholz plans to visit German companies in both cities. A speech at a university and a discussion with students are also planned in Shanghai. In Beijing, Scholz will meet Chinese President Xi and Premier Li Qiang. The heads of government will also take part in a meeting of the Sino-German Economic Committee. Gervais School District to consider closing if bond proposal fails in 2024 election Julie Powers talks about repairs that are needed to Gervais Elementary School's heating and electrical systems. The last bond for the Gervais School District passed in 1991. District leaders have tried eight times since then to pass bond measures for amounts ranging from $4 million to $38 million to perform maintenance or upgrades. The Gervais School District Board says its giving voters one more chance to pass a $28 million bond in the May 21 election. If we go 0 for 9, then the boards stance is weve asked multiple ways and youve answered. And thats why theyre then also having conversations about closing the district, Gervais superintendent Dandy Stevens said. Where is the Gervais School District? The district has 870 students from Gervais and unincorporated communities including Brooks along Interstate 5 between Salem and Woodburn. More than 400 students also attend the online charter school the district hosts. The school district, with 165 employees, is the largest employer in the city of 2,579. Stevens said 59 district employees live in the city. How would the bond money be used in the Gervais School District? A survey of the schools three buildings done a few years ago identified 119 projects that needed to be tackled, at an estimated cost of $60 million. After the past two bonds failed the last one by a 56% to 43% margin in 2023 the district reduced the amount of the bond. The $29 million bond on the May 21 ballot would allow Gervais Middle School to add new classrooms, a secure entry, cafeteria and kitchen. The district is asking for $28 million to make repairs at the districts three schools: Gervais High School, Gervais Middle School and Gervais Elementary School. It would pay for things like a new middle school building to go along with the existing portable buildings, a new roof for the high school and more than two dozen projects in the districts three schools. District property owners would pay an additional $1.85 per $1,000 of property value to pay off the bond. Owners of a home with an assessed value of $250,000, would pay an additional $462.50 a year in property taxes. What happens if the Gervais School District bond fails? Stevens said if the bond fails again, the school board has indicated it would vote to close the district as early as June 2025. If that would happen, Stevens said, the district leadership would get together with the leadership of the five surrounding school districts St. Paul, Woodburn, Mt. Angel, Silver Falls and Salem-Keizer and break up the Gervais district boundaries between the districts that would take the Gervais students. The Marion County Commissioners would have to approve the new boundaries, Stevens said. Water spots are scattered on the ceiling of Gervais High School's gymnasium on March 28. After heavy rainfall, water leaks onto the gym floor. Students would be bussed to schools in other districts. Property owners in the Gervais School District would then be paying taxes into another district. And then as we shared, if we dissolve, wherever you property ends up being, youll be paying their bond and their regular rate, Stevens said. People in Gervais currently pay taxes to the district at a total rate of $4.6427 per $1,000 of assessed value. In Silver Falls, the combined rate is $6.5059 per $1,000. In Woodburn its $6.9714. In Salem-Keizer it is $7.2877. In St. Paul its $7.6461, and in Mt. Angel its $8.7080. That means that if district voters dont approve the bond, Gervais district residents would pay more, but to another district. Gervais School District facilities employee Julie Powers looks at the ceiling of Gervais Elementary School where water was leaking on March 28. The proposed bond would fund renovations like roof and window replacements. Are there other funds the district can use for renovations? The state of Oregon has awarded the Gervais district a $6 million bond on the condition that the residents pass the school bond. Stevens said the district also has about $650,000 remaining from selling the last of the district's vacant buildings. The district also has a $250,000 career technical education revitalization grant that it wants to use to remodel an area for its culinary arts program. But Stevens said it would be hard for the district to do that work unless it can fix the building first. In the past two years, the district has asked the Legislature for money, about $2 million in 2023 and $1 million in 2024 to replace the high school roof. It was unsuccessful both times. There is no windfall of money thats going to come that is going to fix the problems, Stevens said. Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Election: Gervais School District says it could close if bond fails Girl, 11, Who Died in Georgia House Fire Went Back for Her Dog, Family Says: 'It's Heartbreaking' The family is struggling right now. Theyre going through a hard time, explained Tressia Perry, the girl's step-aunt GoFundMe Katelynn Simonds Katelynn Simonds, 11, was identified as the victim who died in a house fire in Georgia on April 6, the Spalding County Medical Examiner's Office said Simonds became trapped after she went back inside the home to try and save her dog, her uncle said It wasn't immediately clear what started the blaze, though foul play isn't suspected An 11-year-old girl in Georgia died trying to save her dog from a house fire over the weekend, her family said. The girl was identified by the Spalding County Medical Examiner's Office as Katelynn Simonds, according to NBC affiliate WXIA. Charles Beecher, Katelynn's uncle, told Fox affiliate WAGA that the child was worried about her puppy and ran up the stairs in her Spalding County home on April 6, but both never made it out. By the time the Spalding County Fire Chief of Operations arrived at the scene, the house was fully engulfed in flames, per the report. One firefighter was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment. Related: Child, 8, and Teen Among 3 Killed in 'Extraordinarily Challenging' Baltimore House Fire: 'Nothing Worse' It wasn't immediately clear what started the blaze. An investigation is ongoing, though foul play is not suspected, WAGA reported. 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. "She was a joy of life. She was a cheerleader. She was into everything. I mean, it's heartbreaking. It's hard," Beecher said. Related: Child, 8, and Teen Among 3 Killed in 'Extraordinarily Challenging' Baltimore House Fire: 'Nothing Worse' Tressia Perry, Katelynn's step-aunt, told ABC affiliate WSB that the 11-year-old lived at the home with her mom, stepfather and brother. The family is struggling right now. Theyre going through a hard time, she said. PEOPLE has reached out to the fire department and the medical examiner's office for comments. Related: Christmas Tree Fire Forces by 9-Year-Old Boy and His Sister, 5, to Jump Out of Third Floor Window As the family grieves, they are also dealing with the complete loss of their home, according to WAGA. "The Rollins family have been blindsided by the loss of their home and of their beautiful 11 year old daughter Katelynn," according to a GoFundMe fundraiser. "Any money secured will be used for housing, clothing and laying sweet Katelynn to rest." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The boss of the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is at the centre of a bitter family war over the death of a retired vice-admiral. Sir Robert Walmsley, 81, died in August 2022 after falling down a flight of stairs at a house in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he was on holiday with his second wife, Lady Alexandra Walmsley, 53. His three children Dame Emma Walmsley, the chief executive of GSK, Victoria Walmsley, a therapist, and James Walmsley, a barrister are said to have never warmed to their stepmother. Sir Robert wed her in 2009 just months after divorcing their mother, Christina, after 42 years of marriage. Sir Robert with his second wife, Lady Alexandra Walmsley - ALEXANDRA WALMSLEY In 2006, reports emerged that pink leaflets accusing Sir Robert, who was Britains longest-serving head of Armed Forces procurement, of an affair had been plastered on trees and lampposts near his home. He denied the accusation at the time. The discord between the children and their stepmother exploded into public view at an inquest at West London Coroners Court in Fulham last month. Lady Alexandra had told police in the US that she found her husbands body at the bottom of the stairs to the basement after finishing an early morning work Zoom call, and authorities in Massachusetts ruled out foul play. Dame Emma Walmsley became chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline in 2017 - DARREN GERRISH/WIRE IMAGE But at the Fulham inquest, a lawyer for James Walmsley, 47, questioned the accuracy of Lady Alexandras account and presented a pathologists report commissioned by Mr Walmsley that said a simple shove by a third party could not be ruled out as the cause of death. Her lawyer told the inquest that James Walmsley had been estranged from Sir Robert ever since his remarriage and had not invited him to his wedding, his daughters christenings or visited him in hospital after a major operation. When Lady Alexandra was called to give evidence, she was allowed to do so from behind a screen to avoid eye contact with Mr Walmsley, who was the only one of Sir Roberts children not to be named alongside her as an executor of his will. She said Sir Robert may have gone downstairs to use the washing machine, investigate the smell of a dead animal or because he mistakenly thought he was in his two-storey London home. When Lady Alexandra finished, Mr Walmsley was asked to leave the courtroom so she would not see him. In his 629,000 will, Sir Robert left 100,000 to each of his three children, 25,000 to his first wife and 5,000 to each of his grandchildren. The remainder, including all his personal property, was left to Lady Alexandra. The will is not being contested. James Walmsley commissioned a pathologist's report into his father's death Anton van Dellen, the coroner, ruled that Sir Roberts death was accidental but said he could not determine why Sir Robert was going to the basement or what caused him to precipitate down the stairs. After the hearing, Lady Alexandra, a trustee of the Armed Forces charity SSAFA, said: I have been subjected to an unpleasant interrogation with questions that were distressing to me and undignified for my late husband. I was forced to relive in public the very worst moment of my life. Vexatious insinuations On LinkedIn, she later condemned the repeated and vexatious insinuations that his death might have been suspicious. In their own statement, Sir Roberts three children said: The sudden loss of our father, a long way from home, was devastating. The inquest has been an important process through which to try to understand how he came by his tragic death, and its conclusion helps us now to move forward. We are grateful to everyone who has helped us through these very difficult and intensely private matters and will continue to honour our fathers memory. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Melissa Gordon, at right, wife of author and journalist Neil Gordon, presented a check for nearly $2,700 to attorney Eric Bland, at left, and one of his clients, Murdaugh fraud victim Tony Satterfield, in Charleston April 1 after Murdaugh was handed a 40 years federal prison term. The co-author of a now-controversial book about the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial has made good on his promise to donate his most recent proceeds to charity. On the heels of Murdaughs federal sentencing hearing for bilking millions of dollars from his clients, journalist Neil Gordon, co-author of "Behind The Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders," donated to foundations established through the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry to honor Stephen Smith and Gloria Satterfield, and hes pledging to donate even more to charities benefitting crime victims families. Neil Gordon, co-author of the now controversial book, Behind the Doors of Justice, has announced that he will donate his most recent proceeds from book sales to S.C. Lowcountry charitable causes. Gordon and his wife, Melissa Gordon, presented a check for nearly $2,700 to attorney Eric Bland and one of his clients, Murdaugh fraud victim Tony Satterfield, in Charleston on April 1 after Murdaugh was handed a 40-year federal prison term. "In addition to Alex Murdaughs federal sentencing, there was something additional to celebrate," Bland said. "Many many thanks to (Neil) and Melissa Gordon of Augusta, Georgia, for donating $2,686.98 to the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. Amazing generosity. We are grateful for the donation." In late December, Gordon revealed that he had discovered that his co-author, now former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill had plagiarized the books preface. Hill admitted to the plagiarism and apologized. I was blindsided by Becky Hills ethical gaffe, and have sold my portion of the business back to Becky and her husband, Gordon said. The Hills cant legally re-publish Behind The Doors of Justice without our permission. I want something good to come out of this bad situation and donating to charities that support crime victims is a no-brainer. Each quarter, Ill donate 10% of my new books royalties to a worthwhile cause. Gordon said that his company tried pulling the book out of circulation, but due to Amazons contractual obligations, it continued to sell for several months. As a show of goodwill, Gordon donated his share of the net profits from the "post-plagiarism revelation sales" to the Gloria's Gift Foundation and the Stephen Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund. Gloria's Gift, named in honor of Murdaugh's late housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, whose estate and family became entangled in one of Murdaugh's complex fraud schemes, provides money and gifts to needy Hampton County families during Christmas. Ginger Harriott Hadwin, sister of the late Gloria Harriott Satterfield, unless Christmas gifts purchased and donated by the Gloria's Gift Foundation. The Stephen Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund, named in memory of the late Stephen Smith, a young man who was found dead on a rural Hampton County road in 2015 and whose death remains unsolved, benefits needy college students, with a special emphasis on nursing programs. Additionally, Gordon vowed to donate proceeds from an upcoming book project, "Trial Watchers: Why We're Obsessed Watching True Crime, From O.J. and Casey to 'Miss Becky and Murdaugh Drama," to various victims' charities. Family members of the late Gloria Harriott Satterfield delivered Christmas gifts from the Gloria's Gift Foundation to the Hampton County Department of Social Services' Fill the Stocking campaign. From left are Wade Hadwin, Ginger Harriott Hadwin, and Evon Williams, retired Child Welfare Specialist at DSS. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Co-author of Alex Murdaugh murder trial book donates part of profits Click here to view the video Canadas most anticipated solar event of 2024 is finally happening, and all eyes will be (safely, we ask) on the skies! A solar eclipse will be visible over North America, with the coveted path of totality falling over parts of Eastern Canada. DON'T MISS: Everything you need to know for April's spectacular and rare solar eclipse HubPage - Solar Eclipse - Timetable1 The last time a solar eclipse swept over North America was in August of 2017; however, any Canadians who wanted to view the spectacle had to travel south of the border to do so. The most recent solar eclipse over Canada was in 2008, with only some folks in Nunavut getting to see the event. Now, sixteen years later, American and Canadian skies will once again see the Moon and Sun align, and to celebrate the occasion, Google has released a special new Doodle and animation. Each letter in the word GOOGLE can be seen looking up at the sky while wearing protective eclipse glasses, except for E, who is sleeping. Clicking on the Doodle will take users to an automatic search result for Total Eclipse 2024 and feature an animation of the Moon passing in front of the Sun. WATCH: April 8, 2024 solar eclipse Google Doodle animation Click here to view the video Folks who miss this eclipse will have to wait another twenty years before Canada sees another total eclipse, but it wont be Eastern Canada plunged into the shadow. In fact, another total solar eclipse wont travel over Eastern Canada again until 2079. Stay with The Weather Network for everything eclipse-related and share your eclipse photos with us, here, or use the hashtag #ShareYourWeather on social media. The Israeli assault on Gaza has sparked conflict at companies throughout the world. At Google, a company that has often tried to foster a public reputation of openness, the war seems to have sparked a growing number of staff to protest or quit. Time magazine reports that the protest group No Tech For Apartheid, which lobbies against Googles involvement with the Israeli government, now includes at least 40 Google employees. Recently, one member of the group, a 23-year-old then-Google software engineer named Eddie Hatfield, stood up at a company conference and shouted: I am a Google Cloud software engineer, and I refuse to build technology that powers genocide, apartheid, or surveillance! Not long afterward, Hatfield was fired, Time writes. Since then, two Google employees say they have quit the company over its ongoing work on Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud contract with the Israeli government. Nimbus is a joint effort between Google and Amazon to provide cloud, machine learning, and AI capabilities to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. The full extent of what Nimbus has been used for hasnt been made clear. The Israeli government previously characterized the project as intended to provide the government, the defense establishment and others with an all-encompassing cloud solution. Time characterizes people like Hatfield and the Googlers who quit as part of a growing movement within the company that wants the Israeli cloud project dropped. People involved with the activist group claim that, in addition to the several dozen Googlers who are active members of the group, there are hundreds more workers [who are] sympathetic to their goals. Gizmodo reached out to Google for comment and will update this story if it responds. On its website, No Tech for Apartheid claims that Google and Amazon are fueling the genocidal assault on Gaza through a $1.2 billion contract with Israels government & military and asks visitors to demand these companies immediately cancel Project Nimbus and end their complicity in Israels war crimes. Google and Amazon workers have been protesting Project Nimbus for yearssince long before the October 7th Hamas attacks and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza. That said, the recent explosion of violence seems to have propelled the contentious issue back to the forefront of the companys culture wars. Google has recently made other efforts to curtail office discussion of Gaza. The New York Times reports that the company recently made efforts to tone done the hostility on its internal messaging board, Memegen. The forum is a longtime feature of the companys office culture that allows Googlers to express themselves freely and even criticize executives and policies at Google. The Times claims that Google recently took down some of the key features of Memegen, including the ability to downvote posts. Some Google employees have criticized these moves, claiming that it will censor their free expression, the newspaper reports. On October 7th, Hamas militants carried out an attack on Israel, kidnapping as many as 250 people, and killing around 1,200. Israel then launched a war on Hamas that has led to a massive civilian death toll. Since the start of the war, rights organizations estimate that Israel has killed as many as 30,000 Palestinians, including over 12,000 children. The war has also spurred a starvation crisis for millions of Gazans. Israeli forces recently fired on and killed seven workers from the aid group World Central Kitchen who were delivering food to the Gaza Strip. The United Nations estimates that as many as 224 humanitarian aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. Israel has claimed the attack on WCK workers was a grave mistake. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Russian forces struck a residential building in Poltava Oblast late on April 8, killing one person and wounding 10 more, including three children, Governor Filip Pronin reported. Poltava is located in central Ukraine, hundreds of kilometers from the front lines. At 9:30 p.m. local time, Pronin said that Russia targeted civilian infrastructure in the Poltava community. In about an hour, the oblast governor clarified that a residential building was hit. The roof of the building was partially destroyed, and a fire broke out, he added. Several nearby houses were reportedly damaged. Russian attacks against Donetsk, Sumy, Kherson, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts earlier the same day killed two people and injured another 14, including a teenage girl, according to regional authorities. A Russian April 8 missile strike on an industrial facility in the city of Zaporizhzhia killed three people and wounded eight more, the regional governor reported. Read also: Ukraines angels who look after, evacuate civilians left in front-line Donbas Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) broke with former President Trump on Monday over Trumps decision to back away from endorsing a national 15-week abortion ban, declaring that leaving the issue entirely to the states runs contrary to an American consensus that would limit late-term abortions. I respectfully disagree with President Trumps statement that abortion is a states rights issue, he said in a statement responding to Trump. Trump on Monday reversed course on his plan to support a 15-week or 16-week national abortion ban amid pushback from top Republicans, who warned it would put the issue of abortion rights at the forefront of the 2024 campaign and hurt their chances of taking back the White House and the Senate majority. Graham, however, argued that the pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child not geography. The science is clear a child at fifteen weeks is well-developed and capable of feeling pain, he said. I will continue to advocate that there should be a national minimum standard limiting abortion at fifteen weeks because the child is capable of feeling pain, with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. He reiterated his argument that 47 of 50 European countries have national limits on abortions between 12 and 15 weeks. This is the civilized worlds position, he said. Graham told The Hill earlier this year that he would reintroduce his legislation to implement a nationwide 15-week abortion ban before the general election, but he signaled Monday he may shift course and focus instead on legislation to mandate the use of anesthesia on fetuses aborted after 15 weeks. The least we can do is to provide anesthesia to an unborn child facing an abortion at fifteen weeks because they can feel pain. Therefore, I will be introducing new legislation requiring abortion providers to administer anesthesia to an unborn child at fifteen weeks because they are capable of feeling pain, he said in his statement. It is common medical practice to administer anesthesia to operate on an unborn child at fifteen weeks to save their life, Graham noted. Trump had previously signaled his intention to support a 15-week abortion ban. The number of weeks, now, people are agreeing on 15, and Im thinking in terms of that, and itll come out to something thats very reasonable, he told the New York radio show Sid & Friends in the Morning last month. Trump told advisers and allies earlier this year that he favored the idea of a 16-week abortion ban with exceptions for cases of rape or incest and to protect the life of the mother. A majority of House Republicans have endorsed a national abortion ban, which was included in the budget proposal unveiled last month by the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus within the House Republican Conference. Trump, however, announced Monday that he now doesnt see a role for the federal government in restricting abortions nationwide, even after 15 or 16 weeks. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social. The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and thats what they will be, he said. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or in many cases your religion or your faith. Brett Samuels contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Editors Note: Warning. Some details below are graphic in nature. Reader discretion is advised. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Court documents released on Monday reveal further details and a timeline in the murder of a Charlotte mother and her two children. Markayla Johnson and her children, 4-year-old Miracle Johnson and 7-month-old Messiah Johnson were found dead following a search conducted at an apartment on Orchard Trace Lane in Charlotte on Friday, March 15, after the three were reported missing on March 3. Markayla Johnson and her children, 4-year-old Miracle Johnson and 7-month-old Messiah Johnson (File Photo) Johnsons boyfriend and accused killer, Benjamin Taylor, 34, was discovered in a tent not far from the Mexico border on Saturday, March 16. The apprehension happened in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Dramatic bodycam video captured the arrest of the triple-murder suspect. VIDEO: Body cam shows arrest of suspect accused of killing Charlotte mom, 2 kids Timeline: Mother, children missing nearly 2 weeks On Monday, court documents revealed the events that transpired between March 3, when the mother and children were reported missing, and March 15 and 16 when their bodies were found. On March 3, around 5 p.m., family members of Johnson filed a missing persons report with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, after not hearing from her. During the missing persons investigation, detectives learned that Johnson lived in an apartment with Taylor. Detectives learned that the last contact anyone had with Johnson was around Jan. 20 with family. No other adults lived at their apartment, court records stated. On March 5, family members and CMPD detectives arrived at the home in an attempt to locate Johnson. Detectives knocked, received no answer, and then left, documents state. Later, a maintenance employee told detectives that he tried to enter the apartment, but the interior security lock stopped him. He opened the door, yelled into the apartment, received no answer, and then left. On March 6, detectives were able to locate video surveillance of Taylor fleeing the State of North Carolina on a passenger bus. More than one week later on March 15, detectives applied for and were granted a search warrant. During the search, authorities found a deceased woman, later identified as Johnson, inside. Homicide detectives and crime scene units were called and responded to the scene. A gruesome discovery Court documents released on Monday revealed further details surrounding the murders of Markayla Johnson and her two young children. While processing the crime scene, Johnson was located in a plastic storage container inside the home, court records state. Detectives also found multiple used air fresheners and candles. Multiple fans were turned on and the AC unit was turned down to about 62 degrees, documents stated. Upon further examination, detectives said Johnson had apparent cords around her. One day later on March 16, detectives searched Taylors vehicle, following an approved search warrant and towing of the car. Authorities said Taylor was operating the vehicle previously. Inside Taylors vehicle detectives located his North Carolina ID and numerous paperwork in his name. The vehicle was locked and secured at the time of entry, authorities said. Detectives continued the search to the trunk, where they found 4-year-old Miracle Johnson and 7-month-old Messiah Johnson inside plastic bags, inside travel bags. The search warrant states one of the childrens wrists was bound by a cord and multiple diapers were wrapped around her face and head. The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiners Office was called to both crime scenes. Autopsy results are pending for Johnson and her children. Accused killer returned to North Carolina After fleeing to an area in Imperial County, California, known for lawlessness, Taylor was captured and eventually transferred to Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and felony conceal/failure to report a death. On Monday, April 8, a judge denied bond for Taylor. Benjamin Joseph Taylor (Image courtesy of the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office) According to the NC Department of Adult Correction, Taylor has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2007. Charges include B&E, assault, as well as weapon and drug-related charges. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Ukraine's Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Pavliuk called on Ukrainians to join the Armed Forces, highlighting the manpower shortage faced by the military in a Facebook post published on April 8. "No matter how much help we get, how many weapons we have we lack people," Pavliuk said. Ukraine's government aims to ramp up mobilization efforts in 2024, updating the legal framework and clarifying the recruitment process, among other steps. Pavliuk said that Ukraine's enlistment system is "not perfect," and Ukrainian authorities are working on improving it. The commander stressed that in case of receiving a summon or coming to the enlistment office to update personal information, the person would not be sent to the front to take part in assault operations immediately. Pavliuk claimed that Russian propaganda had distorted the information about mobilization and recruitment in Ukraine, adding that there is a specific procedure defined by law. "Everyone who was examined as eligible (for service), with no exceptions, will go to the training centers. The basic training program lasts one month," the commander said, claiming that this procedure complies with NATO standards. In 2024, Ukrainian authorities opened two military recruitment centers in Lviv and Zaporizhzhia, reportedly independent from enlistment offices, to give more choices to potential conscripts. New centers appeared amid the news of multiple cases of suspected abuses committed by enlistment officials toward civilians and conscripts, as well as corruption scandals. In 2023, the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) said that 260 cases regarding abuses by military enlistment offices have been brought to investigation since the all-out war started. Several complaints on medical commissions were recorded as well, mainly relating to non-compliance with the electronic queue system, uncomfortable conditions during medical checks, doctors' negligence, and corruption practices, among other things. In March, Ukraine's Health Ministry announced an inspection of military medical commissions in Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed on April 2 three laws on mobilization, lowering the minimum draft age from 27 to 25. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is still considering the draft of another mobilization bill after its initial, contentious version was withdrawn. As Ukraine tries to boost mobilization, Russia plans to mobilize an additional 300,000 conscripts by June 1, according to Ukraine's military intelligence. Russian President Vladimir Putin also signed a decree on March 31 to conscript 150,000 citizens as part of the regularly occurring spring conscription campaign. According to the U.K. Defense Ministry, Russia is likely recruiting around 30,000 people a month to help bolster its war effort. Read also: Ukraine struggles to ramp up mobilization as Russias war enters 3rd year Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Gray wolves ( Photo by Steve Jurvetson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services | Creative Commons). A prediction, several years in the making, came true on Monday when an alliance of nearly a dozen conservation groups filed suit against the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior, seeking to restore protections for gray wolves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming arguing that the states aggressive hunting policies imperils the populations. Both Montana and Idaho were warned by conservation groups and public testimony that the aggressive hunting policies both states adopted, which were similar, would trigger lawsuits, and possibly result in the federal government reassuming wolf management, instead of allowing both states to manage the wolf population. Undeterred by the criticism, both Montana and Idaho legislatures, controlled by a supermajority of Republicans, loosened hunting restrictions and the wolf populations in both states started a more rapid decline, alarming wildlife conservation groups. But in a new lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Missoula, the 10 groups say that not only do the newly adopted state wolf management rules set the gray wolves on a path to near extinction and poor genetics, but both states also use faulty, if not bogus, statistics to justify their management plans. The suit, filed in Missoula federal court, claims that both states have taken parallel approaches to rapidly decrease the number of wolves, a species that enjoys the protection of the Endangered Species Act in all states except portions of Oregon, Utah and Washington, and all of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. The suit focuses on Montana and Idaho because of their large wolf populations and aggressive management change, brought about in 2021: In 2021, the state legislatures in Montana and Idaho each passed legislation intended to decrease the size of the wolf populations in their states. These new regulations allow for extension of hunting season lengths, increase or remove bag limits, legalize new harvest methods and include additional opportunities for reimbursement of legal killing of wolves. In Idaho and Montana, hunters and trappers can request reimbursement for expenses, including truck or ATV, firearm, and clothing purchases associated with the killing of wolves by reporting their wolf kills and submitting receipts to the state department of fish and game. Not only does the lawsuit claim that both states purpose is to rapidly decrease the wolf population through hunting, which they say will result in a weaker population in the long-term due to the lack of genetic diversity, the lawsuit says that both Montana and Idaho are using shoddy science to justify their stances. Bad science? In Montana, the integrated patch occupancy model, or iPOM, has come under fire previously. However, the technique once again will be at issue in this law suit. The iPOM model estimates wolf populations in the Treasure State. iPOM estimates may not be appropriate for estimating abundance and developing management strategies at a smaller spatial scale (such as in specific hunting management areas adjacent to Yellowstone National Park). The Service stated iPOM estimates of wolf abundance are higher than those other patch occupancy models, the lawsuit stated. But in new research conducted in 2023, the conservation groups argue that the iPOM techniques are biased and fundamentally flawed, because Montana is so large that the estimator can lead to misapplication and underreporting of the models estimate of variance. A 2021 study concluded that Montanas iPOM estimates are biased and result in population estimation errors. (The studys author) explains that because Montanas iPOM estimator underestimates territory size, its result overestimates the number of packs that occupy a fixed area, and thus overestimates population size. Meanwhile, since 2019, Idaho has used a space-to-event model, which uses cameras to count wolf detections and then uses that to estimate the number of wolves across the state. However, the lawsuit said that Idaho is misusing the model because STE models depend on certain assumptions, including that the cameras are placed randomly, that each observation is independent of another, and that all animals within the viewshed of the camera are photographed. Idaho currently places their cameras for the STE model non-randomly in order to enhance the likelihood of detection, which is a violation of STE assumptions, the lawsuit said. Idaho uses motion-triggered cameras instead of time-lapse cameras, which also adds bias. It is not known how well estimates from Idahos STE model compares to the true numbers of the wolves in the state. The lawsuit points out that even the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service admits that there is no way to correct the models or compute a more accurate number from both states, and has denounced the way Montana and Idaho have used the models. In a press release, the Service stated, The states of Montana and Idaho recently adopted laws and regulations designed to substantially reduce the gray wolf populations in their states using means and measure that are at odds with modern professional wildlife management, the lawsuit said. Humans, hunting causing population to plummet The lawsuit contends that even with the flawed science that is causing confusion and uncertainty about the true numbers of wolves in Idaho and Montana, that both states report a significant decline in the wolf population since 2020. Both federal and state government acknowledge that the main cause of the population plunge is because of more aggressive wolf hunting. As much as 80% of wolf deaths in the U.S., are caused by hunting, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit, coupled with research from 2023, concludes that while the reductions in wolves may not yet be approaching the level where the very existence of wolves in Idaho and Montana is threatened, it has been reduced so significantly that the result translates into a huge reduction in the diversity of genetics, which threaten the long-term viability of wolves in both states. While gray wolves may fall above minimum effective population sizes needed to avoid extinction due to inbreeding depression in the short-term, they are below sizes predicted to be necessary to avoid long-term risk of extinction, the lawsuit claims. The suit also faults the Service for making its determination that wolves need no additional protections in Montana and Idaho, based upon just one full hunting season. The Service did not utilize the best available science on gray wolf population numbers and the impacts of human-cause mortality, the suit says, while asking the court to restore protections in the state. The Service misinterpreted and misapplied, and failed to consult and apply the best available science on minimum population size population estimation methodologies. Plaintiffs provided these studies to the Service before the agency issued its not warranted finding. The coalition of groups These are the following groups that have joined this lawsuit, seeking to take gray wolf management out of the hands of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Western Watersheds Project International Wildlife Coexistence Network Wildearth Guardians Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment Alliance for the Wild Rockies Friends of the Clearwater Wilderness Watch Predator Defense Trap Free Montana Protect the Wolves The groups levied the blame not just at the individual states and the legislators, but also the Biden Administration and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, who faces a tight re-election battle to keep his seat. Lets get right to the point, said Mike Garrity, executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies. The end goal of the wolf management plans in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming is to once again exterminate them from the Northern Rockies. They think the only good wolf is a dead wolf. Both federal agencies have a policy of not commenting on pending litigation. The Biden administration and its Fish and Wildlife Service is complicit in the horrific war on wolves being waged in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, stated George Nickas, executive director of co-plaintiff Wilderness Watch. Idaho is fighting to open airstrips all over the backcountry, including in designated Wilderness, to get more hunters to wipe out wolves in their most remote hideouts. Montana is resorting to night hunting and shooting over bait and Wyoming has simply declared an open season. Its unfortunate that citizens have to turn to the courts, but it seems that like their state counterparts, federal officials have lost all reverence or respect for these iconic wilderness animals. Editors note: This story was corrected to reflect that the groups are suing the Department of the Interior, not the Bureau of Land Management. 20240408_NRM_Wolves_Complaint The post Groups go to court to get wolves relisted in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming appeared first on Daily Montanan. Nearly a dozen conservation groups filed suit against the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management, seeking to restore protections for gray wolves in Montana and Idaho. (Steve Jurvetson/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) A prediction, several years in the making, came true on Monday when an alliance of nearly a dozen conservation groups filed suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior, seeking to restore protections for gray wolves in Montana and Idaho, arguing that both states aggressive hunting policies imperil the populations. Montana and Idaho officials were warned by conservation groups and public testimony that the aggressive hunting policies both states adopted, which were similar, would trigger lawsuits, and possibly result in the federal government reassuming wolf management, instead of allowing both states to manage the wolf population. Undeterred by the criticism, the Montana and Idaho legislatures, controlled by a supermajority of Republicans, loosened hunting restrictions and the wolf populations in both states started a more rapid decline, alarming wildlife conservation groups. But in a new lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Missoula, the 10 groups say that not only do the newly adopted state wolf management rules set the gray wolves on a path to near extinction and poor genetics, but both states also use faulty, if not bogus, statistics to justify their management plans. The suit, filed in Missoula federal court, claims that both states have taken parallel approaches to rapidly decrease the number of wolves, a species that enjoys the protection of the Endangered Species Act in all states except portions of Oregon, Utah and Washington, and all of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. The suit focuses on Montana and Idaho because of their large wolf populations and aggressive management change, brought about in 2021: In 2021, the state legislatures in Montana and Idaho each passed legislation intended to decrease the size of the wolf populations in their states. These new regulations allow for extension of hunting season lengths, increase or remove bag limits, legalize new harvest methods and include additional opportunities for reimbursement of legal killing of wolves. In Idaho and Montana, hunters and trappers can request reimbursement for expenses, including truck or ATV, firearm, and clothing purchases associated with the killing of wolves by reporting their wolf kills and submitting receipts to the state department of fish and game. Not only does the lawsuit claim that both states purpose is to rapidly decrease the wolf population through hunting, which they say will result in a weaker population in the long-term due to the lack of genetic diversity, the lawsuit says that Montana and Idaho are using shoddy science to justify their stances. Bad science to estimate wolf populations? In Montana, the integrated patch occupancy model, or iPOM, has come under fire previously. However, the technique once again will be at issue in this law suit. The iPOM model estimates wolf populations in the Treasure State. iPOM estimates may not be appropriate for estimating abundance and developing management strategies at a smaller spatial scale (such as in specific hunting management areas adjacent to Yellowstone National Park). The Service stated iPOM estimates of wolf abundance are higher than those other patch occupancy models, the lawsuit stated. But in new research conducted in 2023, the conservation groups argue that the iPOM techniques are biased and fundamentally flawed, because Montana is so large that the estimator can lead to misapplication and underreporting of the models estimate of variance. A 2021 study concluded that Montanas iPOM estimates are biased and result in population estimation errors. (The studys author) explains that because Montanas iPOM estimator underestimates territory size, its result overestimates the number of packs that occupy a fixed area, and thus overestimates population size. Meanwhile, since 2019, Idaho has used a space-to-event model, which uses cameras to count wolf detections and then uses that to estimate the number of wolves across the state. However, the lawsuit said that Idaho is misusing the model because space-to-event models depend on certain assumptions, including that the cameras are placed randomly, that each observation is independent of another, and that all animals within the viewshed of the camera are photographed. Idaho currently places their cameras for the STE model non-randomly in order to enhance the likelihood of detection, which is a violation of STE assumptions, the lawsuit said. Idaho uses motion-triggered cameras instead of time-lapse cameras, which also adds bias. It is not known how well estimates from Idahos STE model compares to the true numbers of the wolves in the state. The lawsuit points out that even the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service admits that there is no way to correct the models or compute a more accurate number from both states, and has denounced the way Montana and Idaho have used the models. In a press release, the Service stated, The states of Montana and Idaho recently adopted laws and regulations designed to substantially reduce the gray wolf populations in their states using means and measure that are at odds with modern professional wildlife management, the lawsuit said. Humans, hunting causing population to plummet The lawsuit contends that even with the flawed science that is causing confusion and uncertainty about the true numbers of wolves in Idaho and Montana, that both states report a significant decline in the wolf population since 2020. The federal and state governments acknowledge that the main cause of the population plunge is because of more aggressive wolf hunting. As much as 80% of wolf deaths in the U.S. are caused by hunting, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit, coupled with research from 2023, concludes that while the reductions in wolves may not yet be approaching the level where the very existence of wolves in Idaho and Montana is threatened, it has been reduced so significantly that the result translates into a huge reduction in the diversity of genetics, which threaten the long-term viability of wolves in both states. While gray wolves may fall above minimum effective population sizes needed to avoid extinction due to inbreeding depression in the short-term, they are below sizes predicted to be necessary to avoid long-term risk of extinction, the lawsuit claims. The suit also faults the Service for making its determination that wolves need no additional protections in Montana and Idaho, based upon just one full hunting season. The Service did not utilize the best available science on gray wolf population numbers and the impacts of human-cause mortality, the suit says, while asking the court to restore protections in the state. The Service misinterpreted and misapplied, and failed to consult and apply the best available science on minimum population size population estimation methodologies. Plaintiffs provided these studies to the Service before the agency issued its not warranted finding. The coalition of groups These are the following groups that have joined this lawsuit, seeking to take gray wolf management out of the hands of Montana and Idaho. Western Watersheds Project International Wildlife Coexistence Network Wildearth Guardians Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment Alliance for the Wild Rockies Friends of the Clearwater Wilderness Watch Predator Defense Trap Free Montana Protect the Wolves The groups levied the blame not just at the individual states and the legislators, but also the Biden administration and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, who faces a tight re-election battle to keep his seat. Lets get right to the point, said Mike Garrity, executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies. The end goal of the wolf management plans in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming is to once again exterminate them from the Northern Rockies. They think the only good wolf is a dead wolf. Both federal agencies have a policy of not commenting on pending litigation. The Biden administration and its Fish and Wildlife Service is complicit in the horrific war on wolves being waged in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, stated George Nickas, executive director of co-plaintiff Wilderness Watch. Idaho is fighting to open airstrips all over the backcountry, including in designated wilderness, to get more hunters to wipe out wolves in their most remote hideouts. Montana is resorting to night hunting and shooting over bait, and Wyoming has simply declared an open season. Its unfortunate that citizens have to turn to the courts, but it seems that like their state counterparts, federal officials have lost all reverence or respect for these iconic wilderness animals. 20240408_NRM_Wolves_Complaint Correction: This story was corrected to reflect the groups are suing the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Daily Montanan, like the Idaho Capital Sun, is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Daily Montanan maintains editorial independence. Follow Daily Montanan on Facebook and Twitter. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Groups go to court to get wolves relisted in Montana and Idaho appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. FILE PHOTO: Interview with Guatemala's President Arevalo at the National Palace of Culture, in Guatemala City By Sofia Menchu GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo on Sunday dismissed his minister of environment and natural resources, fewer than 100 days into his term, to "avoid any doubt" over the integrity of his government, a statement said. Arevalo won the presidential elections in August by a landslide after a campaign that focused heavily on increasing transparency and fighting rampant corruption in Central America's most populous nation. The dismissal was the first of his term and came after Maria Jose Iturbide acknowledged that her 28-year-old daughter had not followed protocols in the use of vehicles and security meant for the ministry. The secretary general of the presidency in a statement said that Arevalo made the decision to dismiss Iturbide "to avoid any doubt about his administration's commitment and zero tolerance for misuse of state resources and corruption." (Reporting by Sofia Menchu in Guatemala City; Writing by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Mark Porter) Online literary magazine Guernicas editor-in-chief has resigned over the retraction of an essay by an Israeli writer that caused several outraged staffers to quit. The essay, titled From the Edges of a Broken World, featured a discussion of coexistence in the Middle East. Author Joanna Chen wrote about her experience attempting to bridge the divide between Israelis and Palestinians and how her efforts were derailed by Hamas Oct. 7 attack and then the subsequent war in Gaza. Guernica then retracted the story, replacing it with a note on the website that acknowledged that the magazine regrets having published this piece, and has retracted it. Since the essay was published, more than 10 members of the magazines all-volunteer staff and resigned from their roles, including former co-publisher Madhuri Sastry. However, on Friday, Guernicas editor-in-chief Jina Moore resigned for a different reason, in protest of the retraction of the piece. Many critics have said the essay normalized the violence Israel has unleashed in Gaza. I disagree, Moore wrote in a blog post. I saw the piece as an example of the difficult work that Guernica is known for: capturing, with complexity and nuance, how such violence is normalized, and how a violent state extracts complicity from its citizens. Moore continued that she understands that many readers did not see the essay this way, and I have learned from many thoughtful critiques. But it has become clear to me that Guernicas commitment to writing on war, injustice, and oppression has evolved. The magazine stands by its retraction of the work; I do not, Moore wrote. Guernica will continue, but I am no longer the right leader for its work. The post Guernica Magazine Editor-in-Chief Resigns Over Retraction of Israel Essay appeared first on TheWrap. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) An Oregon-based womens wellness brand is suing actress Gwyneth Paltrows brand Goop over trademark infringement. Oregon brand Good Clean Love was founded by Wendy Strgar in Eugene in 2002, about six years before Paltrows company got its start as a weekly lifestyle newsletter. 3 Oregonians make Forbes list of The Richest People in the World Goop now sells a variety of lifestyle and wellness products, ranging from cleansing balms to chocolate-mint-flavored melatonin gummies. The Oregon company offers similar items, such as foaming feminine wash and love oil. In the complaint filed on behalf of Good Clean Love on March 28, Goop is being sued for false advertising and unfair competition, in addition to trademark infringement. This lawsuit seeks to prevent the calamitous situation where a junior trademark user, with substantial economic power, saturates the marketplace with a trademark that threatens to overtake a smaller senior users mark and usurp the senior users reputation and goodwill, attorneys with law firm Cozen OConnor wrote. Watch live: Totality begins as solar eclipse moves across the US According to the court documents, Goop registered Good. Clean. Goop as a trademark in August 2023. Later in November, the brand started using the trademark to sell an affordable version of its clean beauty products. The new line is now sold at retailers like Target and Amazon where Good Clean Love sells its own products. Plaintiffs also alleged the Good. Clean. Goop name has been used in connection with sexual health products, which are a pillar of the Oregon business. The lawsuit argues Paltrows brand oversaturates the market and confuses customers. Goop could hinder the smaller companys efforts to expand with a new line of sexual health and wellness products, according to the complaint. Gunfire at Clackamas Town Center; shoes left behind Goop has been criticized for marketing products and treatments that are based on pseudoscience, are harmful, and do not work; has been sued by the State of California and named in numerous class action lawsuits for making unfounded health claims about its products; and has sold new-age and questionable products in the sexual wellness space, attorneys added. KOIN 6 has reached out to Goop and Good Clean Loves legal team for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Haitis National Police agency says that it has recovered a hijacked cargo ship laden with rice following a gunbattle with gangs that lasted more than five hours. Two police officers were injured and an undetermined number of gang members were killed in the shootout that occurred Saturday off the coast of the capital, Port-au-Prince, authorities said in a statement. It was a rare victory for an underfunded police department that has struggled to quell gang violence following a spate of attacks that began Feb. 29. Police said in the statement Sunday that those responsible for the hijacking were members of two gangs, named the 5 Seconds and the Taliban gang. They said gunmen seized the transport ship Magalie on Thursday as it departed the port of Varreux. Radio Tele Metronome reported that the gangs kidnapped everyone aboard the ship and stole some 10,000 sacks of rice out of the 60,000 sacks it was carrying. The ship was headed to the northern coastal city of Cap-Haitien. Also on Sunday, online news site Radio graphie reported that the Taliban gang used a front loader to demolish a police station in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Canaan where at least four police officers were killed in a recent attack. The station was no longer operational. Gang violence continued on Monday, with police using megaphones to order the evacuation of the Champ de Mars area near the National Palace in downtown Port-au-Prince as heavy gunfire erupted nearby. The most recent gunbattle between police and gangs comes more than a month after gunmen began targeting key government infrastructure. They have burned down multiple police stations, opened fire on the main international airport that remains closed and stormed Haitis two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. The ongoing violence forced Prime Minister Ariel Henry to announce he would resign once a transitional presidential council is formed. Henry was in Kenya to push for the U.N.-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country when the attacks began and remains locked out of Haiti. ___ Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Haitis leaders have finalized a political agreement to serve as the framework of a 22-month transitional government that will be charged with returning order to the gang-plagued capital and pave the way toward elections for the swearing-in of a new president in two years on Feb. 7, 2026. A nine-member ruling council, made up of seven voting members and two non-voting observers, was named by a cross-section of political parties and civil society organizations whose leaders also signed the final document over the weekend along with the council members. The accord ends nearly a month of negotiations to figure out a path for the selection of a new prime minister to replace outgoing leader Ariel Henry, name a head for the council and form a new government. Members give themselves a considerable amount of power over the incoming government, including the authority to fire the next prime minister usually the responsibility of an elected parliament and to name people to a number of newly created agencies, including a national-security commission. The accord, along with an ordinance outlining the proposed presidential councils powers, priorities and functions, were sent to the Caribbean Community regional bloc known as CARICOM late Sunday. The agreement will be forwarded to Henry, who is being kept out of Haiti after he was prevented from returning to violence-plagued Port-au-Prince via the neighboring Dominican Republic. Henry and his council of ministers will need to sign off on the deal in order to publish the ordinance establishing the transitional body in the countrys official gazette, Le Moniteur. Once published, the council will officially be established. The next step will be its swearing-in. READ MORE: As their people starve and die, Haitis politicians continue to fight over titles, power How soon that will happen remains to be determined. The council says it will make its headquarters in the National Palace, and some members have insisted that their installation take place on the premises. The palaces administrative offices have been continuously targeted by armed gang members trying to take control in order to install their own transitional president, a former rebel leader. Though security is a priority, council members who had to commit to accepting the deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission do not express clearly whether the mission will be welcomed. They also do not provide details on how they will deal with the gangs overrunning the capital. In addition to security, the council says its priorities are constitutional and institutional reform and a path to elections. But the first order of business will be to name a new prime minister. Henry was pressured to resign by Washington as he tried to return to Haiti after finalizing an agreement in Kenya for the multinational forces deployment. Applicants for the job of prime minister will be limited to 15 nominations. Though the presidential council has stayed close to Haitis constitution for its own qualifications such as being at least 35 years old and residing in Haiti for the past five years members have been less strict on the qualification of the prime minister. The person needs to have been born in Haiti, have residence in the country and commit to residing there throughout the mandate. In addition to having a good knowledge of public administration and high-level managerial experience, the next prime minister needs to have developed excellent community skills and mastered the art of negotiation, the ordinance says. Critics charge that while the plan is ambitious in that it discusses a national conference on truth and reconciliation, economic recovery and a new constitution, Haiti needs a government that can extract the country from the current crisis, in which armed groups control more than 80% of the capital and more than a million people are on the verge of famine. The ongoing violence has led to a suspension of international flights into the capital for more than a month, and the shutdown of the main seaport. Camille Fievre, a lawyer who has analyzed the accord, says the presidential council is far from our constitutional logic and practice and also believes there will be duplication in the functioning of the state apparatus, which will lead to paralysis. If these members were unable to elect a president for more than three weeks of procrastination, how will they be effective after their installation? he said. As for the council of ministers, how will decisions be taken and what functions will the other members of the presidential council have? It will be a real cacophony. The Caribbean Community, the U.S. and France have placed a lot of weight on the existence of a political framework in Haiti in hopes of having an international force, led by Kenya, deployed to help the Haiti National Police combat armed gangs. Kenya put the plan on hold pending the formation of the next government. The East African nation has also said that the force needs to be financed before it can deploy. Here are the names of the groups that have named members to the council, and their representatives on the panel: Collective of political parties of January 30. The alliance of political parties is also known by its Creole spelling Collectif and includes the party of former President Michel Martelly. The alliances representative is former Sen. Edgard LeBlanc Fils, 68, a co-founder of the Organization of the People in Struggle, a political party. An engineer, he was president of the Haitian Senate from 1995 to 2000 during the administration of President of Rene Preval December 21 Agreement. The coalition that had backed Henry and imploded after his forced resignation named Louis Gerald Gilles, a former senator. Gilles is a former member of Fanmi Lavalas, the political party headed by former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In recent years, he has been close to Martellys Haitian Tet Kale Party or PHTK party. EDE/RED/Compromis Historique. The coalition led by former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Claude Joseph, who served in the government of former President Jovenel Moise, finally settled on Smith Augustin, a former Haiti ambassador to the Dominican Republic, after two previous nominees pulled out. Fanmi Lavalas. The political party of former President Aristide has chosen Leslie Voltaire, who studied at Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and has a masters degree in urban planning from Cornell University in New York. An architect and urban planner, Voltaire is a former minister for Haitians living abroad. After Haitis devastating 2010 earthquake he was involved in reconstruction efforts and unsuccessfully ran for president in the election that followed. Educated in Mexico, he is fluent in Spanish, French, English and Creole. Montana Accord. The group is named after an Aug. 30, 2021, agreement signed at the Montana Hotel in Petion-Ville, the wealthy suburb of Port-au-Prince and is led by the Commission to Search for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis. The group has named Fritz Alphonse Jean, who served as interim prime minister of Haitis 2016 caretaker government. A former governor of the Banque de la Republique dHaiti from 1998 to 2001, Jean has been involved in promoting development in the rural sectors of northern Haiti. Hes a U.S.-educated economist who is considered more of a technocrat than politician. Platform Pitit Desalin Party. After its leader, Jean-Charles Moise, described the council as a seven-headed snake and rejected an offer to join the panel, the Platform Pitit Desalin decided to name a representative anyway and appointed Emmanuel Vertilaire, a judge from the northern region of Haiti. The private sector. Haitis influential private sector has faced its own internal differences after the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Haiti said it was not consulted on naming a representative. A group representing employers associations and groups of Haitian businessmen and women has named Laurent Saint-Cyr as its representative on the presidential panel. The two non-voting members are: Civil Society. Frinel Joseph, a pastor and former member of the electoral council, was named as the representative of civil society. Inter-faith community. The Rally for a National and Sovereign Understanding has named Regine Abraham, and agronomist who has worked in public administration and is the only woman in the group. What Happens If You Look at a Solar Eclipse Without Glasses? You can damage your eyes permanently even with a brief glance at the sun Getty Solar eclipse. If you look directly at the solar eclipse on Monday without protection, you could damage your eyesight permanently. Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury, NASA says. "Even a few seconds of viewing the sun during an eclipse can temporarily or permanently burn the macula," which is part of the retina, the Journal of the American Medical Association says. "Once retina tissue is destroyed, it cannot regenerate, resulting in permanent central vision loss." And the eye damage might not be immediately noticeable. "It's not really even obvious on an exam at first for those patients," said Derek Price, an optometrist in Fort Wayne, Indiana, told NBC. "They'll come in with a complaint, they'll tell you I'm seeing a spot in my vision and that's all you get. But then over the course of the next couple months, if they come back, then you can see where it's degraded the retina itself. If it's degraded... the photoreceptors in the back of the eye could be lost forever." Michael M. Santiago/Getty Eclipse glasses. As NASA explains, When a person looks repeatedly or for a long time at the sun without proper protection for the eyes, this photochemical retinal damage may be accompanied by a thermal injury the high level of visible and near-infrared radiation causes heating that literally cooks the exposed tissue. Related: All About the Rare Total Solar Eclipse, Including Where It Occurs and How to See It Getty Solar eclipse. This thermal injury or photocoagulation destroys the rods and cones, creating a small blind area. The danger to vision is significant because photic retinal injuries occur without any feeling of pain (there are no pain receptors in the retina), and the visual effects do not occur for at least several hours after the damage is done Getty Eclipse glasses. The only way to safely look at the eclipse is through solar eclipse glasses, which specialized eyewear recommended by NASA. They are specifically made out of materials that enable safe sun viewing. "Solar eclipse glasses use lenses that are made of black polymer, a flexible resin infused with carbon particles," according to the Planetary Society's website. "They are about 100,000 times darker than ordinary sunglasses and block nearly all visible light as well as all infrared and ultraviolet light." Eclipse glasses aren't the only form of protective eyewear onlookers are suggested to use. Handheld solar viewers are another option if you can't get a pair of glasses. Related: Man Who Experienced Eye Damage During 1962 Solar Eclipse Gives Warning to Others NASA states that it "does not approve any particular brand of solar viewers." (The American Astronomy Society does have a list of reputable vendors on their own site.) However, NASA emphasizes that people hoping to look right at the sun must be wearing a pair, as regular shades "are not safe for viewing the sun" during the eclipse. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A Harvard professor is risking his reputation to search for aliens. Tech tycoons are bankrolling his quest. Avi Loeb is looking for alien tech on Earth, drawing ire from his colleagues. The Harvard professor's research is bankrolled by tech tycoons "pissed off" at academia's dogma. Some critics say Loeb is overreaching for public acclaim. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb thinks it's time for the scientific community to get over its bias against UFOs. In the past few years, the renegade professor has set the astrophysics world on fire by claiming that it was reasonable to suggest extraterrestrial intelligence was behind two recent discoveries. Several of Loeb's peers are galled. They say he's overreaching, repeating the axiom that an extraordinary claim requires extraordinary evidence. "Loeb is on a mission to find aliens. He believes he sees something in the data hundreds of experts don't, and he wants to make you believe too," Steven Desch, an astrophysicist at Arizona State University, told Business Insider. Loeb argues that while we haven't yet found any evidence of aliens, this may be precisely because scientists have been so reluctant to look for them. "Obviously, they will never have extraordinary evidence if they're not seeking it," Loeb told BI. "The question of whether we are alone and whether we actually have a partner out there, a neighbor, is perhaps the most fundamental in science," he said. While Loeb's claims and camera-ready charm have grated on some in academia, they've amassed for him a loving and growing fan base outside the ivory tower. His work is the subject of an upcoming Netflix documentary. There is also an upcoming off-Broadway show about his life, in which he plans to star. Among his most avid fans are wealthy tech tycoons who see him as one of them: a disruptor. And they are the ones bankrolling perhaps Loeb's most ambitious work to date, The Galileo Project: A research program devoted to seeking the extraordinary evidence that we are not alone. "I do believe sometimes he steps a little bit too far," said Charles Hoskinson, a cryptocurrency magnate and mathematician. But this boundary-pushing is exactly why he's backed Loeb's research. "That's what you take when you take a very passionate, very aggressive type A personality that's constantly working and thinking and who wants to be right you have to accept that every now and then they're just going to make bold statements." A puzzling interstellar visitor Avi Loeb poses for a photo during exclusive interview at his home in Lexington, Massachusetts, United States on August 8, 2023. Anibal Martel/Anadolu Agency via Getty Image For most of Loeb's nearly 40-year career in astrophysics, aliens were far from his orbit of influence. For decades, he published theoretical works about black holes, exoplanets, and other cosmic events, which drew acclaim from distinguished astrophysicists and brought him prestigious appointments, including a professorship at Harvard and an advisory role with Breakthrough Initiatives, a space research body with links to Mark Zuckerberg and the late Stephen Hawking. Physicist Avi Loeb, right, on stage with physicist Stephen Hawking and others in New York in 2016. Lucas Jackson/Reuters Then, in 2017, a strange object was discovered floating in our solar system, and what Loeb postulated about where it came from rocked the world of astrophysics. Scientists at the University of Hawaii spotted 'Oumuamua , a quarter-mile-long object wandering around the Milky Way. It was the first time scientists recognized an object from interstellar space visiting the solar system. The discovery was revolutionary, but also puzzling. 'Oumuamua had a very unusual shape and didn't have the dust, ice, or characteristic tail of a comet. But it did speed up as it left the solar system, which is typical of a comet. Physicists were stumped. "The more data we got about it, the less familiar it looked," said Loeb. Artist's impression of 'Oumuamua. ESO/M. Kornmesser A range of explanations emerged. Desch and his colleagues suggested 'Oumuamua was a piece of a Pluto-like planet. Another team postulated that the object is a new type of comet sporting an invisible tail made of vaporized hydrogen. Loeb disagrees with this interpretation and has explained his arguments in peer-reviewed published articles. For him, one hypothesis deserved serious examination: What if 'Oumuamua was actually the first example of alien tech spotted in our solar system? Maybe the object was a piece of a solar sail from an extraterrestrial spacecraft. "It's not a conclusion. It's more of: let's imagine what's possible and allow it! Not dismiss it ahead of time," said Loeb. A picture shows what Oumuamua really looks like. It is surrounded by the trails of faint stars that are smeared as the telescopes tracked the object, ESO/K. Meech et al Loeb's theory was picked up by international media and quickly drew criticism from his peers. Academic convention dictates scientists support their theories with a solid basis of evidence. Many consider it good practice to discuss and validate these kinds of ideas with peers before sharing them widely. Several quickly spoke up to debunk the idea that 'Oumuamua could be technological in origin. This "unfortunately created a bit of a schism in the astrophysics community," said Hoskinson. He went from "one of the most respected, highly cited and loved astrophysicists" to people alleging that he was "hurting astronomy," Hoskinson said. Rather than recant, Loeb decided he would seek more evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. "I wrote more than 1,000 papers in theoretical astrophysics. As I got older, I realized that it's more important to pay attention to evidence than to opinion and theoretical ideas," he said. In 2021, he announced that he had secured $1.75 million in funding to launch the Galileo Project, an institute devoted to seeking signs of extraterrestrial technology on and near our planet. Avi Loeb posing for a picture in 2019 in Cambridge, Massachussetts. Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Looking for aliens in our backyard Loeb is far from alone in seeking signs of life beyond our pale blue dot. Bioastronomers are using observatories like NASA's James Webb Telescope to search for chemical signatures of life on exoplanets planets outside of our solar system. NASA is also sending probes to see if there are signs of life within the solar system. Other scientists are looking for "techno signatures," such as radio signals that could lead to other civilizations. These quests have "barely scratched the surface in terms of what anybody would consider a comprehensive search," said Bill Diamond, President and CEO of the SETI Institute. "We've done the equivalent of sticking a measuring cup in the ocean and trying to understand our oceans based on what's in that measuring cup." An artist's illustration of exoplanets NASA/W. Stenzel Where Loeb sets himself apart is that he's seeking evidence that he thinks may exist right in our backyard, around or even on the Earth. "If any space trash was sent out by other civilizations that predated, let's say, by a billion years, that's enough time to cross the Milky Way galaxy with the kind of spacecraft that we launched from one side to the other," he said. "Perhaps those things reached us by now and they are moving too slow to escape from the Milky Way galaxy. So they will stay bound and they will keep accumulating over time, just like plastics in the ocean," he added. One thing animating his search is the public's interest in government reports of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs. A 2021 survey from the Pew Research Center found that about half of Americans believe that the US military has spotted evidence of alien technology. A video released by the Department of Defense in 2020 shows an example of a UAP Department of Defense The US government's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) established in 2022 to collect sightings from military personnel and sensors said last year it was analyzing more than 801 UAP events. To be clear, an UAP doesn't mean an alien. It is an object, airborne or not, that was not readily identifiable or acted in a way that can't be immediately explained within the current understanding of technology. NASA and AARO recently scrutinized available UAP data. Both agreed that there's no proof that extraterrestrial beings or tech have ever visited the Earth. Loeb agrees. But he also thinks government agencies are in a bad position to analyze this information. UAP reports are generally of very poor quality, and defense organizations have little incentive to push for a more thorough investigation, as they tend to be more concerned about national security than little green men. Because these are collected as part of military operations, these reports are also mired in secrecy, which only fuels conspiracy theories, he said. Loeb believes that to best serve the public's interest in UAPs, scientists should be at the helm. They should be collecting independent high-quality data that can be shared openly without concern for military defense. And now they have the technology to do it, between high-quality telescopes and AI that can sort through hours of video. UAPs, Loeb argues, are "low-hanging fruit" in the search for alien intelligence. "The whole point is to bring it to the realm of science. I'm trying to change the narrative," he said Loeb doubts he would get conventional funding agencies to back his research. He said the astrophysics community has a bias against this line of research. "What they often argue is that it would be a waste of taxpayers' money if we were to fund the risky research," he said. "The problem is that they don't ask the taxpayers what they really care about." But Loeb hasn't had to put his theory about public funding to the test. Catnip for tech tycoons To date, The Galileo Project raised some $5 million, per Loeb, the majority of which came from private donations from multi-millionaires that he says were unsolicited. Much of those funds are courtesy of his rising public persona as an innovative disruptor. This began to take off with "Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth," his 2021 book that set out his theories on 'Oumuamua's technological origins. His blog and dozens of interviews about his book, including on Joe Rogan's podcast, attracted many fans, including some who are rich and "pissed off" at academia turning its nose up at unconventional research. One was Eugene Jhong, a philanthropist and former tech exec. In an email, he told BI that he likes to fund contrarian researchers. "There's a pretty toxic atmosphere of ridicule and condescension in many areas," he said, which he wants to oppose. Loeb said $250,000 from Jhong showed up on his research account a few months after the publication of his book, with no explanation and no expectations. This became the Galileo Project's first seed money. "I never heard of him and he gave the money simply because he was inspired. He heard me speak on a podcast," said Loeb. "After we met over Zoom, he gave another million dollars," he said. A few other wealthy individuals "just showed up on my porch and were asking me about my work," said Loeb. Among them was Frank Laukien, CEO of the American scientific instrument manufacturer Bruker Corporation, whose net value stands at about $3.4 billion. Laukien became a cofounder of the Galileo Project. The Galileo Project also drew prestigious experts. Its advisory board counts scientists like Charles Alcock, former director of Harvard and Smithsonian's Center for Astrophysics and Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute, as well as venture capitalist Rizwan Virk, a founder of MIT tech accelerator Play Labs, and Stephen Wolfram Founder, CEO of tech multinational computational company Wolfram Research. Loeb's prominence in monied circles continues to grow. Last year, he was invited to speak at Richard Branson's Necker Island, an event attended by at least 40 people "each worth more than $400 million," said Loeb. Hoskinson, the crypto entrepreneur, says he was persuaded to double down on Loeb by a mixture of his attitude, the credentials of experts who work with him, and the backlash he faced. "I got a little pissed off with the astronomy community, I think there's a lot of arrogance and childish behavior that the community has," said Hoskinson, who also notably bankrolled Colossal, the firm that wants to bring back the woolly mammoth. The Galileo Project's most controversial endeavor took Loeb on a deep-sea cruise With all this funding, Loeb has grand ambitions for the Galileo Project. He set up an observatory on Harvard University property that tracks hundreds of thousands of aerial objects using visible light, infrared, sound, and radio. The data, which has been collected since November, is being fed to machine-learning software that is figuring out how to differentiate unusual objects from birds, balloons, drones, airplanes, or satellites. A second observatory for this work is being assembled in Colorado. Each costs about $500,000, Loeb said. He also plans to use the data from the upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time at the Vera C Rubin Observatory in Chile, feeding it through AI systems to search for 'Oumuamua-like objects. One of the Galileo Project's biggest endeavors may be its most controversial: a boat trip near Papua New Guinea looking for bits of an interstellar meteor and possibly alien tech at the bottom of the ocean. The idea was to find the remnants of a meteor that crashed into Earth in 2014, which Loeb believed were worth checking for signs of alien crafting. Loeb and a collaborator are shown during the interstellar salvage expedition in June 2023. Avi Loeb Loeb previously said a 2022 memo from US Space Command set him on this path. In it, scientists suggested an object that exploded in a fireball in Earth's atmosphere in 2014 came from interstellar space. Others have contested that assessment. Loeb's expedition to find what's left of the object, which cost $1.5 million, took place in 2023. It brought together prestigious names, including Rob McCallum, a navigator known for his work diving to the Mariana Trench with James Cameron, who led the operation. It was fully subsidized by Hoskinson, who saw it as a "template" to recover interstellar objects from the ocean floor. A picture shows Loeb and the team of the interstellar salvage expedition in June 2023. Avi Loeb Hoskinson, who joined Loeb on the expedition, said the trip was followed by a documentary team commissioned by Netflix, details of which have not been publicly disclosed. Netflix did not respond to BI's request for comment. "This is going to create a lot of exposure and if we do this in just the right way, it could create a good perpetual funding stream for Avi's research," said Hoskinson. Loeb on the IM1 expedition. Avi Loeb Pinning hope on tiny metal balls Dredging the bottom of the ocean with a magnetic sled, the team recovered what they believe to be material left behind by the interstellar object tiny metallic balls they called "BeLaU" spherules. Loeb and his colleagues' analysis, led with Harvard's Stein Jacobsen, a professor of geochemistry, suggests they were indeed made up of weird stuff. Small metallic spheres, recovered from the bottom of the ocean, are shown here. Avi Loeb They were particularly rich in the heavy metal elements beryllium, lanthanum, and uranium and carried some peculiar isotopes. "They had the composition of elements from the periodic table that looked very different from materials on Earth and Mars, the Moon, or asteroids," said Loeb. The work on the BeLaU spherules was published in August 2023 on the online forum arXiv, where scientific articles are shared before they undergo the rigorous process of peer review. There again, Loeb didn't hold back. One possibility, the paper said, was that the meteor was a bit of an alien planet that burst and made its way to Earth. Another was "an extraterrestrial technological origin." Loeb and colleagues remove material the magnetic sled that they used to dredge the ocean. Avi Loeb Like with 'Oumuamua, this statement attracted media attention and backlash from his colleagues. Some proposed alternate explanations and critiqued the work. In a post for The Conversation, Monica Grady, a professor of planetary and space sciences at the UK's Open University, said Loeb's evidence was "rather shaky." Patricio Gallardo, a research fellow at the University of Chicago, published a non-peer-reviewed analysis suggesting a prosaic origin for the balls: runoff from industrial pollution created by coal ash. Desch, the astrophysicist from Arizona University, posted a critique of Loeb's work on arXiv alleging "multiple fatal flaws with the manuscript's arguments." A later analysis, co-authored by Desch, also questioned how Loeb's team tracked down the meteor, alleging they were misled by a seismometer picking up vibrations from nearby passing traffic. These analyses were not peer-reviewed. Desch told BI in an email that he thinks Loeb "stopped being a scientist some time ago." He said Loeb was "a convincing salesman and public figure," and previously said several of his colleagues had decided to stop engaging in peer review with Loeb. "Scientists who are naturally curious about the world and trying to understand it and propose hypotheses do not immediately put out a press report, which basically does draw conclusions," he said. A close up of the tiny spherules, seen here in an electron microscope. The bar scale is about 100 micrometers. Loeb et all, arXiv:2401.09882 [astro-ph.EP] https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2401.09882 CC-BY Loeb says the arguments raised against his interpretation of the data don't hold water. According to a research note published by his team, which was not peer-reviewed, the spherules' chemical composition cannot be explained by coal ash runoff. In an email to BI, Loeb rebutted allegations that he was not looking for the meteor in the right place. He said his team was "primarily informed" by U.S. Government satellites, rather than the seismometer's reading, a point that was mentioned in an article on arXiv. He disagrees vehemently with his critics. "I'm doing the heavy lifting I'm going to the Pacific Ocean, collecting materials, analyzing them, it takes months and months," he said. "You ask yourself, why is this hostility?" Loeb thinks it's partly because of "jealousy" of the public attention. He is not the only one feeling the pressure from the space science community. In a report published last year, NASA said members of a panel it tasked with investigating UAPs were targeted by hate mail, ridiculed and criticized on social media, and warned they risked losing their scientific credibility. "Such criticism, either by detractors or by proponents of the extraterrestrial hypothesis, are anathema to the scientific method, which NASA always has and will continue to promote in an objective and open-minded fashion," the report said. Diamond, the SETI Institute CEO, told BI he had "mixed feelings" about Loeb's approach. Loeb's provocative take is probably what allowed him to generate cash for a field that has long been underfunded, he said. On the other hand, he added, "I think that there are many in the scientific community who feel that he's gone beyond the bounds and confines of the scientific method and scientific rigor. And there's some sensationalism there, part of which may be an effort to help sell books, which of course is understandable," he said. Still, Diamond said, "what Avi's proposing to do is a worthwhile endeavor." Hoskinson supports Loeb's position. But he thinks he may have overstepped when raising, in a scientific paper, that the spherules could have come from extraterrestrial technology. "The strongest statement I think you can make with the samples we recovered is that there's a good possibility it came from a different solar system, but you can't really go beyond that," he said. Hoskinson, who is an author on the paper, said Loeb didn't run his statement past him or his team before publication. "We're reviewing the manuscript and he's like: 'yeah, technological origin!' And I'm like 'you son of a bitch!'," said Hoskinson jokingly. "He snuck it in. That's Avi." Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb recently offered two suggestions for how Harvard can restore its prestige. Adam Glanzman for The Washington Post via Getty Images In an email to BI, Loeb flagged that the mention of extraterrestrial tech was removed from a final version of the paper describing the chemical composition of the spherules. He and a colleague also recently laid out calculations to further support a natural source for the meteor. The meteor's observed speed before it hit the Earth, they say, fits with the idea that it may have come from a rocky planet outside of the solar system destroyed by a nearby dwarf star. This was explained in a paper due to be published in the peer-reviewed journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. The original version of the article remains online. Asked whether he no longer believes in a possible technological origin for the meteor, Loeb said they need to investigate further. "We need to find larger pieces of the object in order to reach definitive conclusions." He is planning another expedition to the site of IM1 in the hopes of finding bigger chunks of the meteor. This time, instead of a magnet, he plans to use a remotely operated vehicle with a video feed, which should help spot any bigger chunks left behind. "If we find a rock with a BeLaU composition, it will confirm a planetary origin," he told BI. Loeb says he is doing his work for the little guy. "Very often scientists are nerds, you know? They get to the highest level of sophistication, use abstract language with acronyms that the public doesn't understand," he said. "Even if I don't find anything, I would feel that at least I tried to fulfill the wishes or the interests of many people." Loeb's quest to find aliens may only just be beginning as the enthralment of anti-establishment elites is unlikely to fade in the face of growing criticism. As he plans more extravagant expeditions to prove the origin of the interstellar meteor, Loeb likens his critics to crows pecking at the neck of an eagle. "Rather than fight the crow off, the eagle rises to greater heights where the oxygen level is too low for the crow, and so the crow drops voluntarily off the eagle's back," he said. "Similarly, I strive to rise to the greatest heights of data collection and scientific analysis where my critics will not have enough oxygen to survive." Read the original article on Business Insider Health inspections: Columbia County restaurant had plenty of food; how much had expired? Restaurant inspections The Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, conducts regular restaurant inspections to help keep residents and visitors safe. The following is a list of restaurants in Richmond and Columbia counties that have been inspected between March 29 and April 4, accompanied by their scores and, in some cases, the health infractions that lowered those scores. Disclaimer: On any given day, an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted in their most recent inspection. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions at the establishment. A few more recent, follow-up inspections may not be included here. Perfect scores Here are restaurants in Richmond and Columbia counties that passed recent food-service inspections between March 29 and April 4 with scores of 100, without a single health violation: Augusta Christian Schools, 313 Baston Rd., Martinez Chicken Fingers, 4108 Evans to Locks Rd., Evans Cold Stone Creamery 23804, 280 Meridian Dr., Spc. 103, Grovetown Dave & Buster's, 807 Cabela Dr. JH Moore BBQ & Catering, 312 Wiltshire Ct., Evans Metro A Coffee House, 1054 Broad St. Miller Theater, 708 Broad St. Slightly Different Frannie Mae's Sweet Treat, 5220 Canterbury Farms Pkwy., Grovetown Vampire Penguin, 5117 Washington Rd., Ste. 4, Evans Wicked Good Bites, 4442 Pierwood Way, Evans So close Here are restaurants in Richmond and Columbia counties that passed recent food-service inspections between March 29 and April 4 with scores of 99, posting just one health violation. Inspectors comments are included: Laziza Mediterranean Grill, 901 Broad St. Inspextor's comments: "Observed scoops stored inside product with handle touching. Store scoops outside of product or in a way that handle is not touching product itself." "Observed dishes stacked wet. Allow dishes to properly air dry prior to stacking." Checkers 3006, 1720 Walton Way Inspector's comments: "Keep dumpster lid closed." Wendy's 2792, 1730 Walton Way Inspector's comments: "Keep dumpster lid closed." Bug problem: Cockroaches keep hanging around Augusta Mall food court, many more violations Getting warmer Here are restaurants in Richmond and Columbia counties that passed with "A" scores in recent food-service inspections between March 29 and April 4, followed by their scores: Kono Pizza Augusta, 3114 Wayne Dr., Grovetown: 97 China King, 2803 Wrightsboro Rd., Ste. 23: 97 Your Pie, 9592 Bentley Dr., Grovetown: 95 Clean Eatz, 650 Crane Creek Dr., Ste. 504: 93 Bills Family Restaurant, 2518 Peach Orchard Rd.: 91 Mei Mei's Dim Sum House, 251 Meridian Dr., Grovetown: 90 Not quite done Here are restaurants in Richmond and Columbia counties that posted the lowest recent food-service inspections between March 29 and April 4, followed by their scores and, where available, inspectors comments. Scores of 70 and below are considered failing: St. John's Towers, 724 Greene St.: 88 Inspector's comments: Inspector's comments: "Observed no employee health reporting agreements on site. Health reporting agreements must remain on site." "Observed mold build up inside ice machine. Clean immediately and continue cleaning procedures as needed." "Observed food stored outside of original container with no label. Label all foods stored outside original container." "Observed dumpster open and no drain plug. Keep dumpster closed when not in use. Obtain drain plug." Riverfront Pub and Sports, 531 Broad St.: 88 Inspector's comments: "Observed no certified food service manager certificate in facility. Obtain immediately." "Observed no employee health reporting agreements. Keep on file in establishment." "Observed food stored uncovered in reach-in freezer. Store all foods covered." PruittHealth - Richmond, 1227 W. Wheeler Pkwy.: 87 Inspector's comments: "Observed pink and black buildup inside the bulk ice machine. Clean the ice machine. Increase cleaning frequency." "Observed yogurt and pimento cheese past date markings stored in the reach-in-cooler and walk-in-cooler. Monitor date markings and ensure food items are properly discarded." "Observed boxes of food stored on the floor in the walk-in-freezer. Store all food items at least 6 inches off the floor." "Observed an employee wearing a bracelet during active food prep. No jewelry can be worn on the wrist or arms during active food prep." "Observed clean dishes stacked wet. Allow dishes to properly air dry before being stacked." "Observed the dumpster doors left open. Ensure the dumpster doors remain closed when not in use." "Observed buildup on several pieces of equipment. Clean all equipment. Increase cleaning frequency." "Observed mop on the floor. Store mop hanging to air dry." Jersey Mike's, 4103 Madeline Dr., Ste. 108: 85 Inspector's comments: "Observed no vomit cleaning kit or procedures for vomiting or diarrheal events. Purchase/make vomit cleanup kit and adopt procedures." "Observed tomatoes, onions and lettuce being held above 41 F. Ensure foods being cold held are staying below 41 F. Have machine maintained and try smaller quantities in each container." Top China Express, 4497 Columbia Rd., Martinez: 84 Inspector's comments: "Observed a bucket handwashed with warm water only. Wash dishes by using all compartments of three-compartment sink: wash, rinse and sanitize. Rewashed." "Observed foods in walk-in cooler not dated: cooked shrimp, chicken, egg rolls, etc. Date all cooked foods; example:. 9-20-2023; 9-26-2023." "Observed raw shrimp thawing in three-compartment sink under no water. Thaw meats in meat sink under running water." "Observed prep top cooler with containers of sauce on top of raw and ready-to-eat foods. Prevent contamination of foods by storing sauces somewhere else. Sauces were moved." Circle K/Blimpie 5378, 602 Scott Nixon Memorial Dr.: 79 Inspector's comments: "Observed no employee health reporting agreements. Ensure all employees sign a copy of the agreement. Have available for inspections." "Observed ham 45 degrees F, cheese 47 F, and lettuce 42 F cold held above 41 F. All cold held foods must be kept at 41 F or below. Adjust thermostats to ensure appropriate temperatures can be maintained." "Observed peppers and onions past date markings stored in the reach-in-cooler. Monitor date markings and ensure food items are properly discarded." "Observed no test strips for the sanitizer being used. Obtain proper test strips." "Observed the dumpster doors left open. Ensure the dumpster doors remain closed when not in use." "Observed wet mop sitting in mop bucket. Store mop hanging to air dry." Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, 3609 Walton Way Ext.: 75 Inspector's comments: "Observed multiple food items not covered in the server alley area. Store all food items covered." "Observed buildup on the drink machines in the server alley area. Clean all drink machines. Increase cleaning frequency." "Observed cheese 53 degrees F, cheese 48 F, and lettuce 43F cold held above 41 F. Ensure foods can be held at 41F or below for cold holding." "Observed liquid eggs, whipped cream, and carrots passed date markings in the walk-in-cooler. Monitor date markings and ensure items are properly discarded." "Observed an employee wearing a wristwatch while actively cooking. No jewelry can be worn on arms or wrists during active food prep." "Observed the scoops improperly stored in flour, pasta, and cheese. Ensure all scoops are properly stored and handles don't touch food." "Observed clean dishes wet stacked on the drying rack in kitchen. Allow dishes to properly air dry before being stacked." "Observed buildup on several pieces of equipment throughout the kitchen. Clean all equipment to include in between and around equipment. Increase cleaning frequency." This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Restaurant inspections: Richmond, Columbia eateries post health scores SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Henry Foster III was sworn into the San Diego City Council Monday morning, marking the end to the reshuffling in city hall following Nathan Fletchers resignation from the Board of Supervisors amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Foster III was set to assume the District 4 seat on the council, which covers the southeast corner of the city including some of its lowest-income neighborhoods, after winning a special election with more than 50% of the vote last month. Mayor appoints new San Diego police chief The seat has been vacant since last year, when Monica Montgomery Steppe assumed her current role on the Board of Supervisors representing District 4 Fletchers former seat. Foster III served as the now-supervisors chief of staff while she was on the city council. The results from the March 5 election put Foster III in a nearly 30-point lead over Chida Warren-Darby, Mayor Todd Glorias director of boards and commissions who came in second with 27.29%. In a statement posted to X on March 6, Foster III thanked residents of District 4 for their efforts in getting him elected to the seat, adding that it has been my deepest honor to serve you for the past five years as your Chief of Staff. Now, we can continue the legacy we have built together, he said. Together, we will continue to strengthen our communities, improve our quality of life, and keep our neighborhoods safe. Timeline: Unfolding of the Nathan Fletcher scandal I am honored to serve you as your next Councilmember and continue putting you first at City Hall. This is a big win for our community! Now, lets get to work, the statement continued. Foster III will serve out the remainder of Montgomery Steppes council term, which ends in 2026. Congratulations to District 4s new city councilmember, Henry Foster III! I look forward to working alongside him to continue to improve our city, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn said in a post to X on Monday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Mourners carry the coffin of late Hezbollah commander Ali Ahmed Hussein during a funeral procession in Beirut, Lebanon - EPA-EFE Hezbollah fighters have shot down an advanced Israeli drone worth an estimated $5 million. Footage of the incident posted on social media shows a drone on fire, nosediving to earth over Lebanese territory, Iran-aligned media outlet Al Mayadeen reported. Hezbollah claimed it was a Hermes 900 model. In response, Israel carried out airstrikes against three sites involved in Hezbollah air defence in northeastern Lebanons Baalbek District, the IDF said. The strikes come as Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanons parliament, accused Israel of deliberately attempting to lure Beirut into a war, amid warnings from United Nations officials that clashes on the Israel-Lebanon border must stop while there is still space for diplomacy. 03:04 PM BST Thats all for today Thank you for tuning in to todays live blog. Well be back tomorrow to bring you all the latest from the Israel-Hamas war. Key moments from today: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, has ruled out deploying volunteers to Palestinian territory, in an indication Tehran is not seeking direct ground involvement in Israels war with Hamas. Israel has announced the entry of more than 300 aid trucks into Gaza, the highest daily count since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7. United Nations officials have said that violence on the Israel-Lebanon border must stop, urging de-escalation while there is still space for diplomacy. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israels hard-right national security minister, has warned prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will withdraw his support if the army does not launch an offensive in Rafah. Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanons parliament and a Hezbollah ally, has said Lebanon will continue to exercise self-restraint regarding border clashes with Israel and will not allow the skirmishes to escalate into a regional war. The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has described Israels blocking of humanitarian aid into Gaza as inhumane and intolerable. Nicaragua has launched a scathing rebuke of Germany at the UNs top court, calling Berlin pathetic for giving weapons to Israel while simultaneously providing aid to Gaza. Israel and Hamas are days away from reaching an agreement on a truce in Gaza, Egyptian sources have claimed. Israel is yet to provide a satisfactory explanation for the death of seven aid workers last week, Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, said. Despite the withdrawal of Israels ground forces from Gaza, the war against Hamas is far from over, Israels army chief has warned. A senior Hezbollah commander has been killed in an Israeli fighter jet strike on southern Lebanon, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) reported. 03:01 PM BST Suspect arrested for inciting Netanyahu assassination An Israeli resident has been arrested on suspicion of incitement to assassinate prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli police force reported. The suspect from central Israel was arrested for publishing material on Telegram that incited terrorism, including against Mr Netanyahu, the Times of Israel reported. The suspect, who was not named, was detained following an investigation by Shin Bet cyber security, the police said. It comes after a man was arrested in Beersheba, central Israel, in February on suspicion of serious incitement to murder the prime minister. 02:59 PM BST Irans supreme leader rules out sending volunteers to Palestinian territory Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, has ruled out deploying volunteers to Palestinian territory, in an indication Tehran is not seeking direct ground involvement in Israels war with Hamas. Rest assured that if it was possible to send young men to Palestine, it would have been done before you say it, Mr Khamenei told a group of students in a video posted on the Iranian leaders official website. Mr Khamenei last week vowed to retaliate over an attack on Irans consulate in Damascus that killed two Iranian generals. Israel has been widely blamed for orchestrating the attack. 02:55 PM BST Pictured: Palestinian civilians return to Khan Yunis Palestinians walk past damaged buildings in Khan Yunis - AFP Israel has pulled its ground forces out of the city in the southern Gaza Strip - AFP 02:53 PM BST Israel at opportune moment to bring about release of hostages, says defence minister Now is the opportune moment to negotiate the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza, Yoav Gallant, the countrys defence minister, has said. The months of war in Gaza and Israeli achievements enable us to be flexible, to act freely and to make difficult decisions in order to bring back the abductees, Mr Gallant told a group of new soldiers being drafted into the army, the Times of Israel reported. I believe we are at an opportune moment, but theres another side that must agree to it. His comments come as both Israel and Hamas representatives attend peace talks in Egypt, aimed at bringing about a ceasefire and the release of Israeli prisoners taken hostage by Hamas on October 7. 02:51 PM BST Three hundred aid trucks enter Gaza Israel has announced the entry of more than 300 aid trucks into Gaza, the highest daily count since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7. Israel said 322 aid trucks were inspected and allowed to enter the besieged territory this morning amid growing international pressure following repeated warnings from humanitarian organisations about food shortages leading to starvation in the region. Benjamin Netanyahus government has softened its stance on aid entering Gaza in recent days following threats by the US to cut of arms supplies to Israel if it does not comply. But the latest delivery still falls far short of what the UN has said is the minimum required to feed the regions stricken civilian population. 02:49 PM BST Update: Germany dismisses grossly biased genocide claims over arming Israel Germany has hit back at Nicaraguas claim at the UNs top court that it was facilitating genocide in Gaza by supporting Israel, calling the accusation grossly biased. Germany completely rejects the accusations. We never did violate the Genocide Convention nor international humanitarian law either directly nor indirectly, Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, a lawyer for Germany, told reporters outside the International Court of Justice. Nicaraguas presentation was grossly biased and we will be telling you tomorrow how we fully live up to our responsibilities. See post at 12pm for more details. 02:41 PM BST Clashes between Israel and Lebanon must stop, warn UN officials United Nations officials have said that violence on the Israel-Lebanon border must stop, urging de-escalation while there is still space for diplomacy. It is six months since the exchanges of fire across the Blue Line began, and continue unabated, taking a heavy toll on both sides, Joanna Wronecka, UN special coordinator for Lebanon, and Aroldo Lazaro, head of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said in a joint statement. The violence and suffering has gone on too long. It must stop, The officials called on all sides to seek out ways of avoiding further escalation while there is still space for diplomacy, amid continued tit-for-tat cross-border strikes between Israeli military and Hezbollah forces. The gradual expansion in the scope and scale of the confrontations significantly raises the risk of miscalculation and further deterioration of an already alarming situation, they said. 02:37 PM BST Pictured: Israel readies its tanks Israeli soldiers prepare their tanks at an army camp near the Gaza Strip border - MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP Israeli tanks prepare for battle - MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP 02:32 PM BST Israeli minister threatens to topple Netanyahu if Rafah invasion doesnt go ahead Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israels hard-right national security minister, has warned prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will withdraw his support if the army does not launch an offensive in Rafah. If the Prime Minister decides to end the war without an extensive attack on Rafah in order to defeat Hamas, he will not have a mandate to continue serving as Prime Minister, Mr Ben-Gvir said on Monday, in his most direct challenge to Mr Netanyahus leadership to date. His comments came as Bezalel Smotrich, Israels finance minister and another of Mr Netanyahus hard-Right allies, issued a statement calling on the prime minister to immediately convene a meeting of the security cabinet, accusing him of harming Israels security interests by bowing to international pressure to withdraw troops. Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister, yesterday said that Israel was withdrawing troops from the Strip to prepare for an expected offensive in Rafah, Gazas southernmost city, where around 1.5 million civilians are currently sheltering. 02:16 PM BST We wont allow conflict with Israel to escalate, says Lebanese parliament Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanons parliament and a Hezbollah ally, has said Lebanon will continue to exercise self-restraint regarding border clashes with Israel and will not allow the skirmishes to escalate into a regional war. Mr Berri accused Israel of deliberately attempting to lure Beirut into a war, and blasted Jerusalem for the systematic destruction of dozens of towns in the south [of Lebanon], rendering them uninhabitable, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, a Saudi-owned newspaper. A source close to Mr Berri said that the speaker was coordinating with a US envoy to stop the outbreak of war by implementing a UN peace resolution, which would establish a demilitarised zone on Israels northern border. These negotiations have Hezbollahs unconditional support, the source added. 02:00 PM BST Israel announces new Battering Ram drone squadron Israels air force (IAF) has announced the the formation of a new drone squadron that will operate Elbit Hermes 900 drones. Nicknamed the Battering Ram, the 147th squadron was unveiled yesterday, as the military announced plans to double its production of Hermes 900 drones, the Times of Israel reported. The drones carry laser-guided bombs with a payload of about a hundredth of a fighter jet and have been used by the IDF for attack and surveillance missions across the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon. Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar said the new squadron was a tremendous addition. 01:35 PM BST 100,000 Israelis demand hostage deal and call for elections Three people were wounded in a car-ramming as 100,000 people took to the streets of Israels second city to call for elections and a deal to release hostages, writes Melanie Swan. Police said a car had hit three people as the biggest protests in Israel since the Oct 7 Hamas attacks took place in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. The driver was arrested. The injured citizens are receiving medical treatment and the driver will be transferred for investigation, police said in a statement. Tensions in Israel are high as more than 130 hostages remain in Gaza six months into Israels war on Hamas, and more than 600 Israeli soldiers have died. However, hostage negotiations appeared to be going nowhere as the government began its annual spring recess on Sunday. Read Melanies full report here. 01:01 PM BST Pictured: Hamas commander killed in Israeli airstrike Ali Ahmed Hassin, a senior field commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan force, killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon 12:42 PM BST Palestinians return to Khan Younis Streams of Palestinians have filed into Khan Younis to salvage their possessions following the departure of Israeli troops from the city in southern Gaza. Many returned to find their homes razed to the ground, with scores of buildings damaged and entire streets bulldozed in the battle between Israeli forces and Hamas troops holed up in the area that has played out over recent months. Many areas, especially the city center, have become unfit for life, said Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani, who fled Khan Younis in December when Israel began its ground invasion of the city. I found that my house and my neighbors houses turned to rubble. Israels withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis signaled the end of a key phase in its war against Hamas and brought Israeli troop numbers in the tiny coastal enclave to one of the lowest since the war began. 12:20 PM BST Gaza aid block inhuman and intolerable, says WHO chief The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has described Israels blocking of humanitarian aid into Gaza as inhumane and intolerable. The denial of basic needs food, fuel, sanitation, shelter, security and healthcare is inhumane and intolerable, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on Twitter. UN officials and aid groups have repeatedly accused Israel of obstructing deliveries into Gaza, but Israel has defended its efforts, blaming shortages of vital humanitarian supplies on Hamas, who they claim have prevented the distribution of aid to Palestinians living in the war-torn region. His comments came after medical supplies were delivered for the first time through the Erez crossing on Gazas northern border with Israel, Al Jazeera reported. 12:00 PM BST Germany pathetic to supply aid to Gaza and arms to Israel, Nicaragua tells top UN court Nicaragua has launched a scathing rebuke of Germany at the UNs top court, calling Berlin pathetic for giving weapons to Israel while simultaneously providing aid to Gaza. It is indeed a pathetic excuse to the Palestinian children, women and men to provide humanitarian aid, including through airdrops, on the one hand and to furnish the military equipment that is used to kill and annihilate them... on the other hand, Daniel Mueller, a lawyer for Nicaragua, told the court. Nicaragua asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order Berlin to halt military arms exports to Israel and reverse its decision to stop funding the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, saying there is a serious risk of genocide in Gaza. Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, a Nicaraguas ambassador, told the court Germany had violated the 1948 Genocide Convention by continuing to supply Israel with arms. There can be no question that Germany...was well aware, and is well aware, of at least the serious risk of genocide being committed, in the Gaza strip, Mr Gomez said. Israel has repeatedly denied allegations of genocide and said it has the right to defend itself, while German officials have said the ICJ case is not justified. 11:37 AM BST Pictured: Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians in Gaza Israeli soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip amid continuing battles with Hamas - AFP Palestinians traverse along a street near damaged buildings in Khan Yunis - AFP 11:12 AM BST Update: Gaza peace talks remain deadlocked, says Hamas official No progress has been made in a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo, a Hamas official has said. There is no change in the position of the occupation and therefore, there is nothing new in the Cairo talks, the official, who was not named, said. There is no progress yet. Hamas officials, along with delegations from Israel and Qatar, arrived in the Egyptian capital on Sunday for US-mediated talks to agree terms for a ceasefire in the war-torn region. The officials comments come after Egyptian media earlier reported that progress had been made in the talks. See post at 10.27am for more details. 10:49 AM BST Palestinian woman killed after trying to stab Israeli soldiers in West Bank A Palestinian woman was shot after attempting to stab Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in the West Bank, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said. The woman arrived at the Tayasir Checkpoint in the Jordan Valley, and after she refused to identify herself, she tried to stab the IDF soldiers who were at the post, the military said. The military later confirmed a terrorist was shot dead following the incident. No troops were wounded. 10:27 AM BST Gaza truce just days away, says Egypt Israel and Hamas are days away from reaching an agreement on a truce in Gaza, Egyptian sources have claimed. Delegations from Hamas and Qatar have left Cairo, the site of fresh US-mediated peace talks with Israel, and will return within two days to settle the terms of a final agreement, Egypts Al-Qahera state-affiliated TV channel reported. However, both Gaza and Israeli officials have poured cold water on reports of progress, with one unnamed Palestinian official complaining of obstinance by Israel and stating, so far there is no progress, Al-Mayadeen, the Hezbollah-affiliated news outlet, reported. Senior Israeli officials said we still dont see a deal on the horizon, Israeli media reported. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels Prime Minister, said on Sunday that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire without the release of hostages and would not give in to extreme demands. Meanwhile, Hamas reiterated its demands, which include a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a return of displaced people. 10:13 AM BST Pictured: Maureen Lipman calls for return of Israeli hostages Actress Maureen Lipman (right) at a Time is Running OUt event at St John's Wood synagogue, London, to mark the six-month anniversary of October 7 - Elliott Franks 09:48 AM BST Israels explanation for Gaza aid worker deaths unsatisfactory, says Australian PM Israel is yet to provide a satisfactory explanation for the death of seven aid workers last week, Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, said. We dont find the explanations to be satisfactory to this point, Mr Albanese told state broadcaster ABC. We need proper accountability, we need full transparency about the circumstances and I think that is what the Australian public would expect. He added that given almost 200 aid workers had been killed in the conflict, Israel must provide more information about what it will do to prevent similar events in the future. His comments came after Canberra appointed Australias former national defense chief to examine Israels inquiry into the incident. Israeli soldiers mistakenly believed they were attacking Hamas gunmen when air strikes killed a group of World Central Kitchen staff, including an Australian, an internal report revealed on Friday. Two officers have been dismissed and others reprimanded. 09:28 AM BST Irans foreign minister visits Syria following consulate bombing Irans foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is on his way to visit Syrias capital, Damascus, a week after Tehrans consulate in the city was targeted in a suspected Israeli attack, state media reported. Iran has vowed to avenge the death of seven of its Revolutionary Guards commanders who were killed in the strike, with a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader warning on Sunday that Israeli embassies were no longer safe. Amirabdollahian started a regional tour on Sunday in Muscat, where he met Omani officials and a representative of Yemens Houthis, Mohamed Abdelsalam, who said the Iranian-backed militant group would continue to target Israel-bound ships until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. The attack on Irans embassy building in Damascus is a new step in Israels warmongering and its attempt to expand war regionally, Mr Amirabdollahian said while in Oman. 08:59 AM BST Gaza war far from stopping despite withdrawal of Israeli troops, says IDF chief Despite the withdrawal of Israels ground forces from Gaza, the war against Hamas is far from over, Israels army chief has warned. The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the IDF chief of staff, said in a statement on Sunday night. We will not leave Hamas brigades active in any part of the Strip. Lt. Gen. Halevi added that Hamas is preventing the distribution of vital humanitarian aid to Palestinians living in the region, which teeters on the brink of a man-made famine. At the same time as the offensive effort, we allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, he said. Hamas is trying to take control of the humanitarian aid and prevents its distribution, in order to resume control the Gaza Strip. This should not happen. His comments came after Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister, said that Israel was withdrawing troops from the Strip to prepare for an expected offensive in Rafah, Gazas southernmost city. 08:38 AM BST Pictured: Khan Yunis in ruins A woman cries on the rubble of a collapsed building after Israeli forces withdraw from Khan Yunis, Gaza - Getty Images/Jehad Alshrafi 08:18 AM BST Hezbollah senior commander killed in Israeli airstrike A senior Hezbollah commander has been killed in an Israeli fighter jet strike on southern Lebanon, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) reported. The airstrike on the Sultaniyeh border region eliminated Ali Ahmed Hassin, the commander of Hezbollahs Radwan Forces in the Hajir region, the IDF said. Grainy footage of the strike posted on social media shows a crosshair trained on a building before it explodes in a large fireball. Mr Hassin was a senior operative in the terrorist organisation and held a rank equivalent to that of brigade commander. As part of his role, he was responsible for the planning and execution of terror attacks in the Ramim Ridge area against the Israeli home front, the IDF said. During the strike, two additional Hezbollah militants under his command were also killed, the IDF reported. - , ( ) . , >> pic.twitter.com/YNUnNoc83k (@idfonline) April 8, 2024 08:04 AM BST Israel pulls ground troops from Gaza to prepare for future operations Israel has withdrawn most of its ground troops from Gaza to recuperate and prepare for future operations after months of fighting. Troops have been pulled out of Khan Yunis in the south, leaving just one battalion on the ground in the war-torn enclave. Hours after the withdrawal, five rockets were fired at Israeli communities near the Gaza border from the Khan Younis area. On Sunday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the 98th commando division has concluded its mission in Khan Yunis but that a significant force... continues to operate in the Gaza Strip, and will preserve the IDFs freedom of action and its ability to conduct precise intelligence-based operations. Read Melanies full report here. 07:46 AM BST British support for Israel not unconditional, says Lord Cameron The UKs support for Israel is not unconditional, the Foreign Secretary has suggested as he expressed grave fears for civilians in Gaza, writes Andrea Hamblin. Six months on from the Hamas attack which sparked the bombardment of Gaza, further protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday night demonstrated that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is facing mounting domestic pressure while American and British leaders continued a chorus of international outrage over the killing of aid workers. David Cameron on Sunday reiterated his belief that Israel had a right to defend itself but issued a warning that its defence forces must comply with international law. Read the full report here. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. House Democrat on naming prison after Trump: He might be visiting soon Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said in a Sunday interview he thinks its only fitting to name a federal prison after former President Trump, adding that he might be visiting soon. Well, theres a nice federal penitentiary right near Mar-a-Lago. And I just thought for a guy whos now got 88 criminal indictments pending, criminal plus two major civil penalty trials that have already been resolved, costing him about a half a billion dollars, Connolly told MSNBCs Jonathan Capehart. I think its only fitting that if Republicans really want to honor Donald Trump, the most appropriate way to do that is to name a federal prison he might be visiting soon, after Donald J. Trump, Connolly added. Connolly was one of three Democrats to introduce a bill Friday to change the name of the Miami Federal Correctional Institution in Florida to Donald J. Trump Federal Correctional Institution. Connolly was joined by Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.). The proposal came in response to a Republican push to rename Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump. Trump faces a federal indictment in Florida on charges he willfully retained national defense information and attempted to obstruct the governments retrieval of the records after losing the presidential election in 2020. The former president was also indicted for his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in a sweeping Georgia RICO indictment and in federal court in Washington, D.C. He also faces charges in a New York hush money case alleging he falsified business records ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The Hill has reached out to Trumps campaign for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The House Dems who keep using TikTok while voting against it To TikTok, or not? For Democrats running in 2024, that question is getting a lot more politically risky. As the ultra-popular app has come under bipartisan attack in Washington for national security concerns with the House voting overwhelmingly to force a sale or ban it entirely it has put many Democrats in a bind: how to use it to reach the young voters who love the app while also appearing strong against potential national security threats from China. More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers in the House who voted for the TikTok bill last month also have TikTok accounts, according to a detailed count by POLITICO as does the campaign of President Joe Biden, who has said hed sign a bill to ban the app if it passes the Senate. Though navigating social media has been tricky ground for politicians for years, TikTok represents an especially acute challenge. As it becomes a more popular campaign outreach tool, with a dedicated user base of 170 million Americans, its becoming more politically toxic in Washington. We are certainly trying to figure out that balance of it being a very real national security risk with it being a place where you can reach constituents, said a spokesperson for Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), one of the Democrats who voted for the TikTok bill and is on the app. Casten has been active on TikTok since 2021 but hasnt posted since the House vote on March 13, and his spokesperson said hes considering whether to use the app moving forward. People want to have one legislative front and not look weak on that, but then also know it's an essential platform, said Kasey OBrien, a social media director at digital firm Middle Seat, which has worked with Pennsylvania Sen. John Fettermans campaign and other Democratic campaigns on TikTok. Republicans have largely avoided TikTok, because of its associations with China. No GOP House members have active accounts on the service. But Democrats, attracted by a user base that skews young and liberal, have embraced it more widely. Bidens campaign defended his use of TikTok, which he joined in February, by saying hes using it to reach voters in a more fragmented and personalized media environment. The campaign declined to comment on the optics of the presidents campaign using the app while hes said hed sign the bill forcing a sale over security concerns. A campaign adviser said staffers are taking advanced safety precautions, including using the app on non-government-issued phones. The adviser said their actions are separate from an ongoing national security review of TikTok by the Biden administration. Democratic strategists dont see any hypocrisy in being on TikTok to reach voters while also supporting efforts to regulate the app. Any candidate who wants to communicate with voters on the platform should have a TikTok. And I dont believe it to be hypocritical to then want to regulate TikTok to keep Americans safe, said Democratic strategist Mike Nellis, founder and CEO of digital firm Authentic. The app has also become a political and economic force to reckon with hosting more than 7 million small businesses. According to the Pew Research Center, TikTok is now the leading news source for Americans, and has surpassed Google as a top search engine for Gen Z users, behind Instagram. POLITICO found more than a dozen House lawmakers who voted for the bill and had TikTok accounts, though not all were active or verified. The eight Democrats with active and verified TikTok accounts are Reps. Casten, Jeff Jackson of North Carolina, Adam Schiff of California, Colin Allred of Texas, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, Greg Landsman of Ohio and Bill Pascrell of New Jersey. (The accounts for Schiff, Allred and Slotkin are for their current Senate campaign races.) Several of the lawmakers on TikTok including Jackson, Allred, Schiff, Slotkin and Landsman said they dont want to ban the app outright, but rather voted for the bill to force its parent company to find a new owner to protect Americans data security. The loyalty of TikTok users also exposes many Democrats to another risk: alienating exactly the Gen Z voters theyre trying to court with their TikTok accounts. I think its deeply hypocritical, said Raven Schwam-Curtis, 25, a Gen Z TikTok creator who has also worked with Democratic PAC Priorities USA. If you're using the mechanism, then you clearly see the value in it. So why would you entertain legislation that could jeopardize it? Jackson, for instance, built one of the largest TikTok followings among politicians with his face-to-camera videos demystifying the inner workings of Congress, making videos describing fake anger of politicians. In his typical explanatory style, Jackson made a TikTok video describing the national security threats posed by the app but assured followers that he didnt think it would actually be banned. TikTok may be sold to another company, but it will continue to operate. But his 2.3 million followers werent having it. They vilified him for voting for the bill causing him to lose as many as 100,000 followers that week. He deleted his TikTok video, but a version remains on X. He then posted an apology video on TikTok, saying he did not handle the situation well from top to bottom. Jacksons team did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Despite the blowback, all these lawmakers are sticking with the app. Thats because its still an essential way to reach voters, said Nellis, whose clients include the campaigns of Schiff and Jackson. Every member of Congress who is running in a serious election that's going to be close in November should have a TikTok account. And I dont believe it to be hypocritical to then want to regulate TikTok to keep Americans safe, he said. Democratic strategists interviewed for this story told POLITICO it was largely worth the political risks for now, given TikToks power to reach Gen Z voters, expected to be a key demographic this fall. It drives news and trends. It's becoming a dominant search engine in its own right. Until those things change, it remains a necessary part of any campaigns communications strategy, said Brian Krebs, a senior vice president at digital firm Precision Strategies which works with Democratic House members with TikTok accounts. Matt Angle, a Democratic strategist and director of Democratic PAC Lone Star Project in Texas, said he doesnt see a conflict with using TikTok on the campaign trail. Why should Democrats not use a tool that is legal and available to every other candidate? The fact that they want to reform it or to change it to make it more secure generally shouldn't prohibit them from using it appropriately, Angle said. Among Republicans, most presidential campaigns stayed away, with the exemption of Vivek Ramaswamy. The chances that Republicans were going to join TikTok and try and campaign there have gotten even smaller as a result of this legislation, said Eric Wilson, a managing partner at GOP investment fund StartUp Caucus. He said the one curveball would be if former President Donald Trump joined the app, which he indicated support for recently a major reversal from a failed effort in 2020 to ban the app. That would kind of create a permission structure for Republicans, but I just don't think you're gonna see a big push this election, Wilson said. He called it a missed opportunity for Republicans, because we're just so desperate to get people's attention and eyeballs these days. Democratic strategists say that on the off chance that TikTok really goes offline in the next six months before the election if Congress passes the bill, and the app shuts down because it fails to find a buyer then theyre also considering Plan B. "I've told my clients to be prepared for anything. We certainly are. We'll pivot if needed. The best thing about digital is you get to keep your head on a swivel, Nellis said. Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, speaks with reporters following a conference committee meeting during a special session on redistricting on Friday, July 21, 2023 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Stew Milne for Alabama Reflector) The House Judiciary Committee Wednesday delayed consideration of a bill that would allow the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles to take medical conditions into account when making parole decisions. HB 299, sponsored by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, was referred to a subcommittee for further review after members expressed discomfort with some of the provisions in the bill. This is not a mandatory release in any circumstance, England said. Discretion still rests with the parole board to determine release or not. It just gives weighted consideration for age, and weighted consideration for health condition. Health issues are not generally considered when making decisions for parole. Overcrowding has become an ongoing problem within Alabamas prisons. Criminal justice reform advocates have accused the Board of Pardons and Paroles of exacerbating the problem by dramatically limiting the parole rate. Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm told legislators on Tuesday that he would like to see more individuals get an opportunity to get out. According to the ACLU of Alabama, about 7% of people who were incarcerated and applied for parole were granted it in July and August 2023. Englands legislation would also reduce the amount of time that a person must wait before the Board of Pardons and Paroles can reconsider an applicant for parole. People who are incarcerated can wait up to five years before the parole board will consider their application once again. According to the bill, those convicted of a nonviolent offense, and are sentenced to at least 20 years who are denied parole will wait two years. Those who are at least 60 years old and have served 10 years or more of their sentence will also be considered for parole in two years if they are denied. If the Board denies them parole, the members will provide them with a plan for increasing their chances of getting parole the next time. If members of the board fail to do that, the applicant will reconsider releasing the person after 90 days. Those with a serious medical condition, defined as any non-terminal physical or medical condition rendering an individual permanently and irreversibly incapacitated as determined by reasonable medical judgment, may appeal the Boards decision within 28 days should they be denied parole. Those who want to appeal their decision may do so in the circuit court of the county where they were convicted. The bill is meant to address the cost of incarcerating older inmates. . As people age, they have additional health concerns that require accommodation. Our prison system is turning into a health care system, England said. A smaller percentage of the population continues to balloon; they are becoming more expensive to take care of. Over the course of several years, they become less of a concern toward public safety. In 2023, the Alabama Department of Corrections presented the Contract Review Committee with a health contract worth more than $1 billion. Republicans on the committee expressed skepticism. This means that if somebody is 60 years old and has been convicted of murder, they shall be heard every two years, Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne said. If somebody is convicted of a rape, they shall be heard every two years. If somebody is convicted of kidnapping, they shall be heard every two years. Every time you are having a victim who has to come back up to oppose someone getting paroled, they are going to have to come up every two years. In the end, members thought there were several changes that needed to be made before it could be voted on, so it was referred to a subcommittee. The measure could be voted on as early as next week. There are only ten days left in the current session. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post House Judiciary Committee wants changes to medical parole bill appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Commerce Committee chairs in the House and Senate released a bipartisan bill Sunday evening that aims to protect Americans personal data online. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) unveiled the American Privacy Rights Act Sunday that would set clear, national data privacy rights and protections for Americans. It will preempt states data privacy laws and will establish a way for Americans to sue those who violate privacy laws. The lawmakers said the deal ends a years-long effort to reach a compromise on data privacy in Congress. This bipartisan, bicameral draft legislation is the best opportunity weve had in decades to establish a national data privacy and security standard that gives people the right to control their personal information, the lawmakers said in a joint statement. This landmark legislation represents the sum of years of good faith efforts in both the House and Senate. It strikes a meaningful balance on issues that are critical to moving comprehensive data privacy legislation through Congress. Americans deserve the right to control their data and were hopeful that our colleagues in the House and Senate will join us in getting this legislation signed into law, they continued. The legislation, if enacted, will set one national privacy standard that the lawmakers said is stronger than any states existing laws. It will give Americans more control over their personal data, including allowing them to prevent a company from transferring or selling their data. It would also allow people to opt out of targeted advertising and allow them to access their own data. Americans would also be able to sue bad actors who violate their privacy rights, and it prevents companies from enforcing mandatory arbitration. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is now chaired by McMorris Rodgers, advanced a similar privacy bill in 2022, but the Senate did not take up its own version then. McMorris Rodgers said in a statement that the latest legislation gives individuals the right to control where their information goes and who can sell it. It reins in Big Tech by prohibiting them from tracking, predicting, and manipulating peoples behaviors for profit without their knowledge and consent. Americans overwhelmingly want these rights, and they are looking to us, their elected representatives, to act, she said. Cantwell, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said the agreement gives Americans the protections they deserve. A federal data privacy law must do two things: it must make privacy a consumer right, and it must give consumers the ability to enforce that right, Cantwell said. Working in partnership with Representative McMorris Rodgers, our bill does just that. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne speaks to the House Education Committee on March 12, about Senate Bill 1459, sponsored by Sen. John Kavanagh, at right. Screenshot courtesy of azleg.gov The Arizona House of Representatives rejected Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Hornes plan to tie student discipline to school letter grades, with two Republican legislators siding with Democrats. Republican Reps. David Cook of Globe and Alexander Kolodin of Scottsdale both voted against Senate Bill 1459 on April 4, alongside all of the chambers Democrats, striking it down by a vote of 29-30. Later the same day Kolodin asked for the option to bring the bill back for another vote within the following two weeks. The bill would require public school districts and public charter schools to report the total number of disciplinary referrals that their teachers make each year and how many of those referrals resulted in the administrators taking the disciplinary action that teachers recommended. On the flip side districts would also have to report how many referrals resulted in no disciplinary action from administrators. Horne, also a Republican, previously described the bill as a way to help retain public school teachers in a state where turnover is high and has an impact on student achievement. He said that the bill is a way to deal with permissive school districts that were letting students act out and be disrespectful of teachers, and that teachers didnt feel supported in disciplining them. Under the bill, if the district does not implement disciplinary action for at least 75% of teacher referrals without a reasonable justification, the school would be notified that it did not adequately punish misbehaving students. It could be subject to a reduction of their school letter grade the next year if they dont make changes. If the district doesnt hand out the adequate percentage of punishments in the next year, the Arizona Department of Education could reduce the schools A-F letter grades that are now based only on academic performance. Former teacher and Republican Rep. Matt Gress, of Phoenix, told lawmakers on April 4 that he wholeheartedly supported the bill as a way to help teachers keep control of their classrooms. Having a commanding control of the classroom is fundamental to (student) learning and to the success of teachers, Gress said. When a kid gets sent to the office, discipline needs to occur if that reason is legitimate. But it seems to me that theres a greater interest in restorative justice which is code for kids can do whatever they want inside of the classroom or inside of the school without any intervening action. But Democratic Rep. Nancy Gutierrez said during a discussion of the bill on March 27 that the Legislature was trying to overstep its boundaries by taking local control away from school boards. This should be a school board issue, not a state House of Representatives issue, she said. It is my opinion that this bill has been put forward in order not to support teachers but in order to make it so theres an easier way to have more public schools with D and F grades to support some of the rhetoric that we hear that public schools are failing our students. Democratic Rep. Judy Schwiebert, of Phoenix, said she agreed with Gutierrez and added that she believes that teacher retention problems are at least partly the Legislatures fault for funding Arizona schools at one of the lowest per-pupil rates in the nation. The job of our local schools and boards is to make direct decisions that apply most specifically to their schools, she said. We see the legislature criticizing public schools when we are not doing our job. Arizona ranks 49th in the nation in per pupil funding. Were pointing our finger at public schools, blaming them for problems that we have created because of too large class sizes, failure to pay teachers enough, failure to provide support staff. Democratic Rep. Quanta Crews of Phoenix pointed out that Black and brown children are more likely than their white peers to be referred for disciplinary action for the same behaviors. We dont need to be treating them like criminals when theyre children who can be changed, who need to grow, she said. During his annual State of Education address last month, Horne said that teachers feeling unsupported when it came to student discipline was a top reason that Arizona teachers were leaving the profession, in addition to low pay. However, several groups that represent teachers and children oppose the bill, including Arizona Education Association, Stand for Children, the ACLU of Arizona, Save Our Schools Arizona and the Arizona School Boards Association. Kolodin told the Arizona Mirror that he voted against the bill because it applies to charter schools as well as traditional public schools. It goes against the entire principle of charter schools, he said. Charter schools are supposed to have a free hand. Kolodin, whose wife works at a Scottsdale charter school, said he has no issues with applying the law to public schools, and that he would vote in favor of the bill if charter schools were removed, calling Arizonas network of charter schools some of the best in the world. This is a system that is not broken and we need to stop the state from messing with what isnt broken, he said. Cook told the Mirror he voted against the bill because it might hurt public schools in the rural areas that he represents, where there arent many other schooling options to choose from. He added that it seemed pointless to back a bill that Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is likely to veto anyway. Im not there to waste my time for my district, he said, adding he was not a fan of running up bills that the governor is not going to sign just to prove a point. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post House votes down Horne school discipline bill appeared first on Arizona Mirror. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), met with Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu at a visit to Bucharest on 8 April, where they discussed the situation in Ukraine. Source: Romanian Foreign Ministry, as reported by European Pravda Details: During the meeting, Odobescu stressed the key role of the IAEA in ensuring nuclear safety standards and preventing accidents at Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs). She also recalled the attacks on the Zaporizhzhia NPP that have become more frequent in recent days and stressed the IAEA's role in ensuring the safe and reliable use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Grossi and Odobescu also discussed the agency's cooperation in Romania in the field of nuclear energy development, including the installation of small modular reactors. Background: Zaporizhzhia NPP is temporarily occupied by Russian troops, and because of constant Russian attacks, which Moscow accused Ukraine of, it has been cut off from the Ukrainian power grid on several occasions. In May 2023, Grossi presented an updated security plan for the Zaporizhzhia NPP at a meeting of the UN Security Council, but its implementation has not moved forward. Support UP or become our patron! FILE - In this photo made from body camera footage and released by the Twin Falls, Idaho, Police Department, Skylar Meade, right, is arrested in Twin Falls on Thursday, March 21, 2024. Meade, a suspect in an attack on corrections officers at a Boise, Idaho, hospital, is due in court for a preliminary hearing Monday, April 8, 2024. (Twin Falls Police Department via AP, File) Security video captured most of an ambush at an Idaho hospital that left three corrections officers with gunshot wounds and allowed a white supremacist prison gang member to escape, a police detective testified Monday. The testimony from Matthew Canfield, a violent crimes detective with the Boise Police Department, came during a preliminary hearing for Skylar Meade, the inmate charged with escaping from a hospital last month when an accomplice opened fire on guards who had been transporting him back to prison. Nicholas Umphenour, who police say did the shooting, and Tia Garcia, who is accused of having provided the car the pair used to escape, had their preliminary hearings set for April 29. Prosecutors did not play the surveillance video in court but submitted it as an exhibit. Magistrate Judge Abraham Wingrove found that there was enough evidence to send the case against Meade to district court. His arraignment was set for April 17. Video clips show three Department of Correction officers escorting Meade to the prison transport van from the emergency department when they "are approached by another individual who appears to point an object at them and shoot and fire rounds at them, Canfield said. The video also shows Meade and the shooter running to a parked vehicle, which they used to flee, Canfield said. Part of the encounter is blocked by the prison transport van itself, Canfield said. Investigators have also obtained video from a private ambulance that was parked in the emergency bay during the escape. The attack on the corrections officers came just after 2 a.m. on March 20 in the ambulance bay of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Meade was brought to the hospital earlier in the night because he injured himself, officials said, but he refused treatment upon arrival. Two corrections officers were wounded in the attack and a third was shot by responding police officers who mistook him for the gunman. All are expected to recover. Meade and Umphenour are each being held on $2 million bail. Authorities said they are also suspected of killing two men during their 36 hours on the run one in Clearwater County and one in Nez Perce County, both about a seven-hour drive north of where they were arrested in Twin Falls, Idaho. No charges have been filed in the deaths. The victims have been identified as James L. Mauney, 83, of Juliaetta, Idaho, who was reported missing when he failed to return from walking his dogs, and Gerald Don Henderson, 72, who was found dead outside his remote cabin near Orofino, Idaho. Henderson had taken in Umphenour for about a month when he was in his late teens, according to authorities. Police said Umphenour and Meade stole Mauneys minivan and used it to get to the Twin Falls area. Idaho Department of Correction officials have said Meade and Umphenour are members of the Aryan Knights white supremacist prison gang, which federal prosecutors have described as a scourge in the states penitentiary system. Meade, 31, was serving 20 years at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, south of Boise, for shooting at a sheriffs sergeant during a chase. Umphenour was released from the same lockup in January after serving time for theft and gun convictions. The two were at times housed together and had mutual friends in and out of prison, officials said. Meade recently had been held in solitary confinement because officials deemed him a security risk. One other person has been charged in connection with the escape: Tonia Huber, who was driving the truck Meade was in when he was arrested, according to investigators. Huber has been charged with harboring a fugitive, eluding police and drug possession. ___ Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska. Following up on those shitholes: Donald Trump, at a fundraiser in Florida's Palm Beach this past Saturday night, decided to clarify some of his thoughts on immigration. He referred to his comments back in 2018, when he questioned why the U.S. should be letting in immigrants from what he called "shithole countries" like Haiti and Nigeria, saying that Haitians "all have AIDS" and that Nigerians should "go back to their huts" and that America should let in more Norwegians. "And when I said, you know, Why can't we allow people to come in from nice countries, I'm trying to be nice," Trump said at the dinner on Saturday night. "Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway?" "They took that as a very terrible comment, but I felt it was fine," he followed up. Then Trump turned his attention to the influx at the southern border, saying that the Latin American gang members who are purportedly flooding in "make the Hells Angels look like extremely nice people." "They've been shipped in, brought in, deposited in our country, and they're with us tonight," said Trump. "In fact, I don't think they're on this island, but I know they're on that island right there. That's West Palm," Trump said, pointing across the water. "Congratulations over there. But they'll be here. Eventually, they'll be here." Trump probably means that as a fearmongering line, along the lines of "immigrants will take over, and these previously nice communities will cease to be." But there's also a positive interpretation (that Trump surely doesn't mean): Eventually, immigrantseven those from dire situations and disintegrating countriesdo sometimes make their way to the Palm Beach political fundraisers, so to speak, or to levels of wealth and influence. Immigrants make it rain: Roughly half of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants. Jeff Bezos, who helmed Amazon, is the son of a Cuban immigrant. Steve Jobs, who helmed Apple, is the son of a Syrian immigrant. Costco was co-founded by the son of Canadian-Romanian immigrants. Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai was born to a Tamil family in India before making his way to California. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was also born in India, later traveling to the U.S. to attend school in Wisconsin. Roughly 55 percent of America's billion-dollar startups that are privately tradedalso called unicornshave immigrant founders or co-founders. Avant co-founder Al Goldstein, an Uzbek Jew, came to America at the age of 8 as a refugee. His co-founders Paul Zhang and John Sun, both born in China, also immigrated to the U.S. as children. Some detractors might stress that the above success stories did not stem from asylum seekers. And that is true. But immigrants do tend to be more likely than native-born residents to become entrepreneurs (more on this from Harvard Business Review). And research from the National Foundation for American Policy finds that "there is generally no reliable way under U.S. immigration law for foreign nationals to start a business and remain in the country after founding a company," so "successful immigrant entrepreneurs in America are almost always refugees or family-sponsored and employer-sponsored immigrants." We simply don't know by which route those who most benefit the American economy will come; all we can look to are the statistics we have from company founding in the past. If Silicon Valley's trajectory over the last 30 years is any indication, Trump is quite correct in saying that "eventually, they'll be here"at political fundraisers full of monied people ready to cough up some cash. Scandinavian asylum: Trump is also correct in saying we should let in people from Norway. Though Norwegians are not fleeing war or cartels, some of them are fleeing massive wealth-tax hikes which threaten to siphon away significant chunks of their fortunes and provide a disincentive for generating such wealth in the first place. Coercive redistribution is wrong, and Norwegians deserve better. Scenes from New York: Beautiful scenes depicted by my friend Yael Bar tur. Beautiful gathering today in NYC for 133 hostages, kidnapped 6 months ago. No hate. No incitement. No breaking any windows or lighting anything on fire. Just solidarity and love. Immense gratitude for both my homes ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/jE2BCLVScb Yael Bar tur ???? (@yaelbt) April 7, 2024 It's been six months since Hamas' brutal October 7 attack on Israel. Here are some pictures and videos of hostagessome believed to be dead, and some believed to be aliveand their families, yearning for their return, so they won't just be an abstract concept, or names that all blend together. Related: An interesting piece from Lahav Harkov in Jewish Insider about political divisions among hostages' families. QUICK HITS The chairman vs. chair gendered language debate in the boardroom. I cannot imagine caring about this. Some Chinese nationals who've seen a pirated version of Netflix's 3 Body Problem are angry over the show's racial diversity and its depiction of a Cultural Revolution struggle session. Semi-related: collectivism vs. individualism on rice and wheat farms. Donald Trump says states should decide for themselves their abortion policies and that he is "strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother." A bizarre line in this BBC article: In what way is it "not clear" that a hostage being filmed by his terrorist captors was not speaking freely? pic.twitter.com/YUIgJBwcUR Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) April 7, 2024 Elon Musk faced with a tough choice regarding X access in Brazil. "A crusading Brazilian Supreme Court justice included Elon Musk as a target in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news and opened a separate investigation late Sunday into the executive for alleged obstruction," reports the Associated Press. The Vatican released "Declaration 'Dignitas Infinita' on Human Dignity" earlier today, which repudiates "gender theory": "Desiring a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes, apart from this fundamental truth that human life is a gift, amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God," it reads. "All attempts to obscure reference to the ineliminable sexual difference between man and woman are to be rejected." The post Immigrants From Nice Countries appeared first on Reason.com. Roughly a third of all of Indonesia's tourists end up in Bali, while many struggle to make it beyond this beach destination. A new flight connection to Manado, a city on the island of Sulawesi and a popular diving spot, is set to change that. Christoph Soeder/dpa It might be a vast archipelago of 13,000 or 17,000 islands, depending on what classification is used, and stretching a distance comfortably greater than the width of the US, but many visitors to Indonesia often get only as far as Bali or Java. Of the roughly 16 million foreign tourists recorded in 2019, the year before the Covid travel lockdowns, over 6.3 million landed on Bali, home to just over 4 million of the archipelagos almost 280 million people, with many of the rest landing in capital Jakarta. Part of the problem has been a lack of direct flights from Bali to other attractive destinations, meaning such itineraries often requiring round-the-houses trips via the capital, or else time-consuming island hops by boat. Local airline TransNusa is aiming to do something about this by laying on three direct flights a week from Bali to Manado, a city on the island of Sulawesi, east of Borneo and south of the Philippines, and a popular diving spot. TransNusa announced four other domestic routes, including from Manado to Ambon, the regional capital of Maluku, once referred to in Europe as the "Spice Islands." The Indonesian government has ordered the building of a replacement capital city on Borneo, part of an effort to reduce overcrowding in and take its offices out of a heaving Jakarta, a vast urban area where around 25 million people live. The aim is to have the new city built by mid-century, in time for the centenary of Indonesias independence from Dutch colonial rule. The government has in the meantime made a start on a vast infrastructure upgrade blueprint, with South-east Asias first high-speed railway, linking Jakarta to Bandung, opening in October 2023. There are also efforts to improve air access to locations such as Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Komodo, home of the fearsome eponymous lizards, and to Silangit, the arrival point for visitors to the 100-kilometre long Lake Toba, which fills the crater left after a volcanic eruption so big it left India, thousands of miles away, covered in 15 centimetres of ash. Roughly a third of all of Indonesia's tourists end up in Bali, while many struggle to make it beyond this beach destination. A new flight connection to Manado, a city on the island of Sulawesi and a popular diving spot, is set to change that. Carola Frentzen/dpa Gibraltar police chief forced to step down after looking into high-level corruption An official inquiry has opened into claims that Gibraltars most senior policeman was forced to leave the force after investigating alleged government fraud. The inquiry, headed by a retired UK High Court judge, held its first public session in the British overseas territory on Monday, investigating the circumstances leading to the early retirement of Ian McGrail, the former Royal Gibraltar Police commissioner. Mr McGrail, whose 36-year career ended halfway through his term in the RGPs top job, has claimed he was pressed into early retirement in June 2020 after seeking to execute a search warrant against a person who had a close relationship with Fabian Picardo, Gibraltars chief minister. Mr McGrails lawyers will tell the inquiry their client was muscled out after looking into misconduct and corruption at the highest levels of government. Mr Picardos government insists that there was no conspiracy and that Mr McGrail left his job because he had lost the confidence not only of the chief minister but also of the then-interim governor of Gibraltar, the only official who had the power to ask for his resignation. Authorities accused of campaign to discredit Since its formation, the McGrail inquiry has generated a swirl of accusations of wrongdoing that have rocked Gibraltars highest echelons of power. The government has provided a list of incidents it argues were handled badly by Mr McGrail, who has also faced, and been acquitted of, a sexual assault charge since his resignation. Meanwhile, authorities have been accused of mounting a campaign to discredit the former commissioner, who claimed to have an unblemished record when he stepped down. Police officers have been given written assurances, signed by Mr Picardo, that they can speak out against Mr McGrail and be guaranteed continued work in case of reprisals. Julian Santos, the counsel to the inquiry, said on Monday that it was not a criminal or civil trial. He said it was important to shed light on the issues involved in the case after a cacophony of public commentary, which he said has been painful for Gibraltar. One of the incidents that will be scrutinised is a 2020 collision at sea between an RGP vessel and a boat whose two Spanish occupants were killed. The incident, which happened during Mr McGrails time as police chief, turned out to have taken place in Spanish territorial waters. An inquest ruled that the two men from Ceuta, a Spanish exclave in North Africa, had been victims of unlawful killing. Window-dressing The Gibraltar government has drafted a Bill granting it powers to suspend or end a public inquiry, which is due to be approved in an express legislative procedure this week. The Bill was proposed just before Sir Peter Openshaw, the inquiry chairman, announced that the investigations would include whether 19 current or former police officers who have filed witness statements containing negative evidence against Mr McGrail were offered incentives in exchange for the giving of the evidence to the inquiry. Gibraltars opposition party has accused Mr Picardos government of manoeuvring to prevent a full and fair inquiry from taking place after it used new powers to restrict public references to the security forces during the inquiry. Gibraltar should not be fooled at the window-dressing that is going on here, the Gibraltar Social Democrats party said. Mr Picardo has said his government has no intention to use the power to stop or delay the current inquiry into the retirement of Ian McGrail. The start of the inquiry had already been already delayed after UK police were called in last year to investigate a data breach. The investigation into fraud, led by the RGP under Mr McGrail, saw three people charged with conspiracy to defraud, but the trial was ditched under a rare legal concept called nolle prosequi, in which the UK attorney general decided the public interest was best served by not proceeding. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A president can encounter a crisis on any day of their presidency, but what if that crisis comes on Day 1? How is a new president equipped with the background information to help navigate the job right away? The answer: The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) provides intelligence briefings to presidential candidates while they are still on the campaign trail. These briefings can include classified information, albeit with particular controls in place. This election, the country finds itself in uncharted waterssince one of the candidates has been charged with mishandling classified information in the recent pastbut some precedents and guardrails might help explain what will happen. Whats the history and purpose of presidential candidate intelligence briefings? Intelligence briefings on the campaign trail date back to 1952, when outgoing President Harry S. Truman recognized the need to bring then-candidate Dwight Eisenhower up to speed well before Inauguration Day. According to John L. Helgerson, who literally wrote the book on intelligence briefings to presidential candidates, Truman recognized the steep learning curve for a new president. He sought to remedy this by initiating the practice of delivering intelligence briefings to incoming candidates. Since then, every major presidential nominee has received some form of intelligence briefing. Well before Election Day, but after party conventions where nominees are made official, the ODNI reaches out to campaigns to offer a general intelligence briefing. In the words of Thomas Fingar, a deputy director of national intelligence in the George W. Bush administration, the ODNI will offer substantive briefings at a time and place of their choosing. The goal is transparency. If one campaign asks for something or receives something, we notify the other. Why go through the process of briefing a presidential candidate? We conduct intelligence to help reduce uncertainty for our national security decision maker, James Clapper, the director of national intelligence in the Obama administration, said in 2016. Thats why we briefed each of the presidential and vice presidential candidates this summer and fall, to help reduce uncertainty for our next president, so that he or she steps into the Oval Office with as good of an understanding of our complex and uncertain world as we can provide them. From a legal perspective, pre-election intelligence briefings are purely a matter of custom, courtesy, and tradition. There is no statutory requirement for these briefings to occur before Election Day. This is in contrast to post-election briefings to the president-elect, which is a legal requirement under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. What are the precautions surrounding these briefings? With the exception of the candidates themselves, all recipients of these briefings must hold a security clearance. This strange exception is confirmed by the Congressional Research Service in a report on security clearances, which states that since the criteria for eligibility for the presidency is laid out in the Constitution, no additional criteria (e.g., holding a security clearance) may be required. In the past, campaigns have initiated the process for securing clearances for campaign advisers, potential nominees, and staff well before Election Day. With few exceptions, only the two major party nominees and their running mates have received pre-election intelligence briefings. In 2016, the Obama administration did not offer intelligence briefings to Green Party nominee Jill Stein or Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, and neither candidate requested one. There are very few examples of a third party candidate receiving an intelligence briefing, such as American Independent Party nominee George Wallace in 1968 and John Anderson in 1980 as an independent candidate. When it comes to the content of the briefings themselves, intelligence officials have the discretion to withhold certain classified topics or details. Helgerson mentions in his book that in 2016 Trump was not briefed on current covert actions until after being sworn in. Generally speaking, briefings to the candidates in the pre-election period do not include intelligence operational matters or discussions of policy. The topics covered in these briefings typically parallel the publicly available Annual Threat Assessment published by the ODNI. Candidates can expect to hear much about state actors (China, Russia, Iran), as well as transnational issues (terrorism, trafficking, organized crime). The Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan nonprofit, runs the Center for Presidential Transition and describes such briefings as analytic. So there are no operations discussed, no covert actions discussed, no sources and methods discussed. Its simply what do we see as the threats. Intelligence can often be separated from the sources and methods used to gather it. The true damage from intelligence leaks comes when a source or a method of collection is revealed. When it comes to presidential candidate briefings, the sources and methods are almost always excluded. In addition to clearances and content, the pre-election briefings are given in secure government facilities. Interestingly, post-election briefings for the incoming president-elect have been conducted outside of a sensitive compartmented information facility, known as a SCIF. In 2016, President-elect Trump received several briefings during his 10-week transition period in a conference room in Trump Tower in Manhattan. He also received three briefings at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. However, his two pre-election briefings were both conducted at an FBI office in New York, according to Helgerson. Present with Trump at these pre-election briefings were Chris Christie and Michael Flynn. Mike Pence was briefed twice before the election as well and included Josh Pitcock and Nick Ayers at his briefings. Are there concerns about Donald Trump receiving briefings in 2024? From a partisan perspective, raising concerns about the trustworthiness of the other partys candidate is nothing new. In 2016, then-House Speaker Paul Ryan requested that then-candidate Hillary Clinton be blocked from classified intelligence briefings after she was found to have mishandled classified material by using a personal email server. But Clinton was never formally charged with mishandling classified information, whereas former President Trump has been indicted. Regardless, there is no legal guidance either way. The ODNI can provide candidate Trump with the briefings, or it can choose not to. Either choice is within the bounds of the law. A former CIA case officer recently explained to Politico that the risks of withholding intelligence briefings from Trump are politically dangerous. If the White House didnt give the briefing for political or legal reasons, it could backfire on the intelligence community and taint them in the eyes of somebody who might very well be their boss again in a few months, he said. Politically, there are also the questionable optics of Trump receiving intelligence briefings while on trial for mishandling classified material in the past. But these concerns are politicalno law compels or forbids the Biden administration from proceeding in either direction. If Trump receives briefings that are sanitized and watered down to the point that he is hearing solely publicly available information, this may still hurt the intelligence community in the long run by further undermining its relevance in Trumps eyes. It appears that the current administration has determined that the risks of providing briefings to the Trump campaign outweigh the costs of withholding them. Atlantic staff writer Tom Nichols makes the case for withholding the briefings in spite of the risks. Trump is an anti-American, debt-ridden, unstable man who has voiced his open support for violent seditionists, he wrote last month. If he were any other citizen asking for the privilege of handling classified material, he would be sent packing. His opinion echoes that of many lawmakers and pundits, who fear that Trump would misuse the information provided in these briefings. In their commentary on CNN, a former director of the Executive Office of National Security at the Department of Justice and a former federal prosecutor argue for the middle ground approach. That is, give the briefings, but add some guardrails. Their recommendations include limiting the briefing to Trump alone (with no aides present) as well as giving the briefing orally with no documents being given to Trump. Whats the bottom line? Providing pre-election intelligence briefings is a custom and a courtesynot a law. Nonetheless, Biden and his administration have indicated that they intend to continue this tradition with presidential candidate Trump. This is the same administration that previously prohibited Trump from receiving the intelligence briefings that are usually offered to former presidents. It remains to be seen what will happen post-election in the event of a Trump victory. But the law is far clearer after November 5. If the Electoral College hands Trump the presidency for a second time, then it would appear that the Biden administration will have to trust the president-elect with the countrys secrets once more as well. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools acted fast to implement the Parents Bill of Rights, but internal emails reveal many teachers and administrators remained uncertain about how to do so. The law passed last year prohibits instruction on gender identity, sexual activity or sexuality in kindergarten through fourth grade, including in textbooks and other supplementary materials. School districts across the state have worked to implement the measure critics say is an excuse to remove content with LGBTQ representation and discriminate against LGBTQ students, while supporters say it protects children from sexual material. The law does not define what constitutes gender identity, sexual activity or sexuality instruction. The records show teachers and administrators were confused about whether to remove books or classroom materials but often leaned toward removal of anything politicians might consider controversial. CMS was one of the first districts in the state, if not the first, to amend its policies to align with Senate Bill 49 on Aug. 22, despite disagreement among board members. To the CMS students who will experience harm or risk danger under these regressive laws, I want you to know that there are many in this community who support your authentic lives, board member Melissa Easley said at the Aug. 22 school board meeting. Easley herself identifies as bisexual, and her spouse identifies as gender fluid. Audience members hold up signs as a speaker addresses the Charlotte Mecklenburg school board on Aug. 22, 2023 prior to its 7-2 vote to approve four policies that comply with North Carolinas Parents Bill of Rights. American Oversight, a nonprofit public records watchdog, requested and received 1,029 pages of emails and attachments between CMS officials and educators from early this school year that had to do with implementing SB 49. It provided the records to The Charlotte Observer. The correspondence shows abiding by the law was a heavy lift for district employees over a short period of time, and the vagueness of the bill left many educators confused about what materials were permitted. What was in Parents Bill of Rights emails? The Republican-crafted bill passed both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly largely along party lines, with the only Republican no vote coming from Rep. Hugh Blackwell of Burke County. Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed Senate Bill 49 on July 5, saying legislators were burdening schools with their political culture wars. However, the General Assembly later overrode the governors veto. In addition to restricting curriculum for certain age groups, the law requires parental consent for sex ed programming and health screenings as well as for teachers to notify parents if their child requests to go by a different name or pronouns in school. Messages from district officials, teachers, parents and librarians about SB 49 were among the emails the Observer reviewed. CMS acknowledged a request for comment last week, but did not respond with answers to questions from the Observer. Jaron Carson, CMS chief equity and school performance officer, and Nancy Brightwell, CMS chief academic officer, told elementary school principals to ask teachers to review their classroom libraries for compliance with the law in an email sent Aug. 28, six days after the district adopted new policies aligning with SB 49. Principals should advise teachers to remove any books from classroom libraries that have content related to gender identity, sexual activity or sexuality that students may access as part of independent reading tasks, the message said. Carson and Brightwell did not further define what kind of content falls into these categories, and several educators asked for guidance about specific books later. Kimberly Ray, CMS director of digital learning and library services, handled the bulk of educators questions and told one teacher in a Sept. 28 email she screened books for alternative use of pronouns, same-sex couples, etc. Title IX instructional materials were flagged for potential LGBTQ interpretation. These included stories called Odd velvet and Red: A crayons story as well as a video described as standing up to a bully/harassment/bullying activity that was produced by Sesame Street. The review also flagged some PowerPoint slides showing two women holding hands or hugging, a slide that says, girls can harass girls and boys can harass boys as well as a resource page that included an organization that helps LGBTQ youth. Red: A crayons story, which was originally intended for use as part of the CMS kindergarten Title IX curriculum, according to documents obtained in the records request. Some parents complained to CMS the book depicts a metaphor for transgender identity. Other parents told the Observer it is simply about what its like to feel like you dont fit in inspired by the authors experience growing up with dyslexia. While the book was still available in 38 CMS elementary school libraries as of October, it was removed from the Title IX curriculum for kindergarten. Emails revealed the district is developing another lesson plan for next year. Meanwhile, the emails suggest many current kindergartners did not receive a Title IX lesson this year after Red was removed from curriculum. Books and a PowerPoint presentation One email in the public records reviewed by the Observer showed CMS employees saying books removed as supplementary instruction materials was not the same as them being removed from libraries. The district later removed The Little Library, a picture book about a childs woodworking project to create a little free library, from a second-grade lesson plan. A Polo Ridge Elementary teacher emailed several district employees asking whether she could continue to teach with it after reading it to several classes and realizing the text refers to a librarian named Beck Goode using the gender-neutral pronoun they. I did not even notice this when reading the book prior to the lesson and didnt pick up on it until the third reading, she wrote. It was never a discussion point in class, and I received no questions about it. After reviewing the story, Ray directed her not to teach with the book. This book does use the pronoun they for the librarian, so it should not be used in instruction, Ray wrote. It is very subtle but with everything going on Just because books are removed from lesson plans or classrooms does not mean they are removed from school libraries. For example, while Red cannot be used in lesson plans or read aloud to students, it can remain available on CMS library shelves. The directive to remove books from classroom libraries is because those are technically supplemental instructional materials, Ray wrote in an Aug. 31 email. Under this statute and our current board regulation, we are NOT pulling library books from shelves. None. Nada. An elementary school teacher wrote to district officials concerned about including an image of Frida Kahlo on a Hispanic Heritage Month slideshow after learning the influential Mexican painter was bisexual. The only thing shown is her picture and that she was an artist. There was no discussion about her in any detail beyond that, the teacher wrote. Should I keep her in the slideshow or remove her going forward? The emails did not include whether the district advised her to remove Kahlos picture from the slide or not. Reactions to Senate Bill 49 Vague laws like this leave wide room for interpretation, which can have a chilling effect, Chioma Chukwu, deputy executive director of American Oversight and former general counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform, told the Observer. If there is no clear definition, people will often err on the side of conservatism. American Oversight has been reviewing documents from school districts around the U.S., and Chukwu says SB 49 and its effects are consistent with trends the organization has observed in districts in other parts of the country. Its helpful to see the impact and confusion, she said. Here, we are seeing that educators are upset that theyre not able to focus on instruction and have to devote time to figuring out how to abide by this law. Brooke Weiss, who has children in CMS and chairs the Mecklenburg County chapter of Moms for Liberty, says she agrees the law is too vague, even though Moms for Liberty lobbied for the bill. Its not achieving its intended purpose because the language is open to inconsistent interpretations, Weiss told The Observer. She says Moms for Liberty is working with legislators to make the laws language more specific. Administrative burden increased? Monica Raab is a parent to three kids in CMS a sixth grader, fourth grader and first grader. She initially didnt pay much attention to the changes in CMS policies due to SB 49 and missed many of the new opt-in forms she needed to fill out. I didnt notice the change, and I had no barriers other than the sheer scope of the paperwork to fill out, so it makes me think about how much harder this would be for people with more barriers, Raab said. She wasnt alone. By the Sept. 11 deadline, only around 22% of the eligible 56,950 students in CMS opted in to sex ed for this school year. Raab said shes also concerned about the strain the law puts on teachers. Were increasing the administrative work burden on everybody involved, but were not increasing the funding, she told The Observer. Our teachers are well-educated and extremely dedicated. My husband and I have never encountered a teacher that we felt failed in their professional obligation to our children. But this law says we trust you so little that we dont trust you to assess what needs to involve another adult. She said the law was an attempt at political posturing, rather than a genuine effort to improve education. This is pretty nakedly a piece of ideological politics, Raab said. It has to be written vaguely enough that it doesnt explicitly target particular groups of people because that wouldnt survive a legal challenge. Still, Raab said she believes CMS is doing the best it can with a difficult situation. I think that the CMS board is in a uniquely difficult position, she said. I think the Parents Bill of Rights informational web page they put together is a very useful one. In our CLT Politics newsletter, we offer exclusive insight into Charlotte-region politics sent to your inbox on Thursdays. Subscribe for free. Story idea? rnoel@charlotteobserver.com. The internet is having a blast with these photos of Melania Trump looking peeved at a fundraiser On Saturday, Melania Trump made a rare appearance, joining husband Donald Trump at a fundraiser in Palm Beach held at the home of billionaire investor John Paulson; and people are having a lot of fun with the resulting photos. Absent at a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, where she was to be honored with a "Child Advocacy Award" which Trump accepted on her behalf her decision to show up for the event the following day prompted some to weigh-in with observations that she appeared less than thrilled about it, as though she was "checking the clock." "Melania looks like shes in a hostage video tonight. Blink twice if you need help," writes Ron Filipkowski, Editor-in Chief of MTN, in a post to X (formerly Twitter) along with a clip from the fundraiser. Melania looks like shes in a hostage video tonight. Blink twice if you need help. pic.twitter.com/IUArSZlvXd Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 7, 2024 "Melania Trump looks thrilled as ever to be with Donald Trump at his fundraiser in Florida last night," writes Mike Sington, Senior Executive at NBCUniversal, in a post of his own to social media, sharing a photo of the Trumps from the event. Melania Trump looks thrilled as ever to be with Donald Trump at his fundraiser in Florida last night. pic.twitter.com/ntULQc3H7r Mike Sington (@MikeSington) April 7, 2024 According to ABC News, Saturday's fundraiser was one of only two public appearances made by Melania on Trump's campaign trail this election year, but it seems to have paid off, raking in over $50 million for the Trump campaign. "It took three Democrat presidents to raise $25 million and one president to raise over $50 million, Donald J. Trump," Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said in a statement. Iran Is Planning to Strike Back Against Israel. There Are a Few Ways This Could Go. This stands to be a particularly tense week in the Middle East, even by the standards of an already volatile region. Iran has promised to attack Israeli assets somewhere in the world, which may spark a widening of war in Gaza, perhaps roping in the United States. At the same time, cease-fire talks in Cairo have reached what one member of Israels war Cabinet calls an opportune moment. Rarely in this 6-month-old battle have all the parties in the regioncombatants, negotiators, enablers, and nervous sidelinerswalked such a narrow tightrope between a provisional peace and an escalating war. Iranian officials say they will mount an attack sometime after Ramadan, which ends Tuesday, in retaliation to Israels April 1 attack on Irans consulate in Syria, which killed seven officers of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two generals. Israel has put its forces on high alert in anticipation of the attack. Israel carried out the attack, for reasons as yet unknown, without first informing the Biden administration, even though an Iranian attack on Israel could draw in the United States. Biden placed a second aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean shortly after Oct. 7 to deter precisely such an attack. Which way things go from here depends, in part, on Iranian and Israeli calculationsand in part on sheer luck. If Tehrans rulers decide to mount a proportionate attack with a goal of restoring deterrence (i.e., making clear to Israel that it shouldnt repeat such an attack), they might launch missiles at an Israeli embassy somewhere in the worldprobably not at the embassy in Washington, as an attack on American territory might provoke U.S. retaliation. If they do go beyond proportionality and attack a target inside Israel or the United States, that might reflect one of two things: Either Tehrans leaders dont understand deterrence theoryor they want to enter the war directly. Either way, this would be a grave or bold departure. Iranian officials disclaimed any involvement in Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and kept a tight leash on Hezbollah, their terrorist ally in southern Lebanon, which Hamas had hoped would join in, striking Israel from the north. Some Iran-backed militias in Lebanon and Syria launched missiles at U.S. and Israeli bases. But after one such strike killed three American troops, the U.S. retaliated with force and diplomacylaunching a massive wave of attacks and killing 40 militiamen while also holding secret talks with Tehran. Since then, the militias have been quiet. Which is why Israels attack on the Iranian officers in Syria was so puzzlingand provocative. Even if Iran takes the more cautious option in responding to the attack, say by launching missiles at some Israeli embassy, spiraling escalation would still be a possibility. Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the strike on the consulate in Syria. To the extent officials have conceded it off the record, they say it was in response to a long pattern of strikes against Israel by Iranian-backed militias. (One of the generals killed was the commander of Irans military activities in the region.) So, Israel may feel some need to strike backwhich may spur Iran to strike back again, especially since Israels philosophy of retaliation tends toward poking out more than just one eye for an eye. Meanwhile, Biden placed those aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean to deter an Iranian attack on Israel. Therefore, if Israel is struck directly, he might feel compelled to order a U.S. response. On Friday, Iranian officials warned Biden not to take any action in response to their impending attack against Israel. Stay away so you wont get hurt, read one written message. Will Biden heed the warning? It depends, in part, on the nature and intensity of Irans attack, if there is one. However, the fact that Iranians sent this warning publicly makes it more likely that Biden wont stay away. For reasons of both geopolitics and domestic politics, he wont want to give the impression that hes kowtowing to Tehrans demands. Will this fact deter Iran from mounting an attackor make a wider war more likely? It is undeniable that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put Bidenand all of usin this predicament. Had he consulted his American ally before the attack, Biden would have advised him very strongly against it; the timing, as we now see, was terrible. Some therefore speculate that Netanyahus action amounted to a deliberate attempt to draw Washington into the war. Yet, at the same time, other maneuvers in the region could foretell an Israel-Gaza cease-firewhich, among other things, might provide Iran with a rationale to hold off on its attack. Over the weekend, Israel withdrew an entire division of troops from southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade in the area. (There are three brigades in a divisiona few thousand troops in each brigade.) The reason is unclear. The official explanation is that the troops needed rest and rehabilitation before mounting their massive offensive against Rafah, the southern Gaza town where Hamas last remnants are hiding. But some believe Netanyahu and his war Cabinet are secretly reluctant to go into Rafah. Biden has warned them not to do so unless they have a plan for protecting the 1.2 million civilians in the area, many of whom fled from their homes in the north at the start of the war. And it seems there is no such plan; given the logistical problems, as well as the unalterable geography, any such plan could well be impossible. The partial withdrawal comes just after Israels decision to open up three more humanitarian corridors into northern Gaza and to send a delegation to Cairo for another round of talks about a cease-fire and an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Both of these steps were taken in response to Bidens pressure after Israels attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy killed seven WCK workers. In this context, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday that this may be an opportune moment to bring about the release of the hostages, though he added that exploiting the moment will require difficult decisions. Gallant, a member of the emergency war Cabinet, is also one of Netanyahus political rivals. Nevertheless, like the other Cabinet members and much of Israels population, Gallant said that after any agreed-upon truce, Israel will return to the fighting and do everything we must. This includes eliminating Hamas brigade in Rafah. Israel has already destroyed the other four brigades in the six months of brutal fighting. He claimed that Israels military successes enable us to be flexible in the negotiations in order to bring back the hostages. However, he said, theres another side in the talksand at least so far, that other side, Hamas, has rejected all proposals put on the table. Israel has agreed to a six-week cease-fire, during which Hamas would free 42 of the more than 100 hostages it still holdsmainly women, children, the elderly, and the sick. In exchange, Israel will free 10 times as many prisoners, withdraw some of its troops northward, and allow some citizens of northern Gaza to go home. Hamas says this is not enough. It wants a permanent end to the war, the return of all Gazan Palestinians to their homes, and a total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Israelis counter that this would amount to a surrender, leaving Hamas in control of the territory and capable of mounting further attacks on Israel. The disagreement seems irreconcilable. A deal, even a short-term one, will require outside pressure on Hamasmainly from Qatar, which is Hamas main supplier and its mediator with the rest of the world, but also perhaps from Egypt, which could open its gates on Gazas southern border to relieve the territorys misery. Other countries, most notably Saudi Arabia, would have to coordinate political and economic rebuilding of Gaza after the war is over. All of this goes way beyond any steps that these countries have taken to help Palestinians or stabilize the region in the past. It may be too hard, physically, logistically, and politically. But letting everything unravel into chaos, to the point of triggering a regionwide war with Iran, is something that these countries would go to great lengths to avoid as well. The difficult choices, on everyones part, begin this week. In this photo released on the official Telegram page of the Syrian Presidency, Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, welcomes Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian before their meeting in Damascus, Syria, Monday, April 8, 2024. Iran's foreign minister Monday accused the United States of giving Israel the "green light" to strike its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials including two generals. (Syrian Presidency Telegram page via AP) DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) Iran's foreign minister Monday accused the United States of giving Israel the green light for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials including two generals. Hossein Amirabdollahian reiterated Tehran's vows that it will respond to the attack, widely blamed on Israel, that appeared to signify an escalation of Israels targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an address Monday reiterated the Iran-backed group's support for a Tehran military response to the attack that killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior military official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, and worsened fears of the war spiraling into the rest of the Middle East. Since the war in Gaza began six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, is also backed by Iran, as well as an umbrella group of Iraqi militias targeting U.S. military bases and positions in Syria and Iraq. Though Israel has regularly conducted strikes targeting Iranian military officials and allies, Zahedis death was the most significant blow for Tehran since a U.S. drone targeted and killed Quds Force chief Gen. Qassim Soleimani in 2020 in Baghdad. Id like to say with a very loud voice from here in Damascus that America has a responsibility in what happened and must be held responsible," Amirabdollahian told reporters in Damascus during a visit where he met his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, who condemned both the strike and Israel's offensive in Gaza. Amirabdollahian also met President Bashar Assad, with whom he discussed Gaza and the wider situation in the region, a statement from Assad's office said. The Iranian foreign minister, who earlier that day inaugurated the opening of a new consular section in a nearby building, justified his claims by saying that Washington and two European countries did not condemn the attack on the diplomatic building. He said that failure to condemn the attack indicates that Washington had given the green light to Israel to commit this crime. The Biden administration has insisted that it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike. Washington is Israels vital military ally. Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the strike in the Syrian capital. However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said last week that the U.S. has assessed Israel was responsible. Initially after the strikes, Iranian state media said Zahedi led the Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016. Then, in a public address Monday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Zahedi was a key figure for the Lebanese group, and had three four-year stints in the tiny Mediterranean country. Nasrallah, like Syria, and other key allies of Tehran, have said they remain committed to backing Iran. Its a natural right for Iran. Its natural for the Islamic Republic to conduct this response (to the consulate attack), Nasrallah said. Nasrallah said Zahedi's first involvement was until 2002, overseeing Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and helping Hezbollah scale up. Zahedi's second term covered some of the fiercest fighting in Syria's uprising turned civil war, where Tehran and Russia played a key role in backing Assad against opposition forces. Zahedi's final stint began in 2020 and ended when he was killed. Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have clashed along the tense Lebanon-Israel border since Oct. 8, the day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel. The Hezbollah leader said that the moment the clashes began, Zahedi reportedly wanted to join Hezbollah militants on the front line but wasn't permitted to do so. Earlier Monday, Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon killed Ali Ahmad Hussein, an elite commander of Hezbollah's secretive Radwan Force. Hezbollah announced Hussein's death, but did not give any details on the circumstances or his role with the group in line with how it makes public the deaths of its members. The killing of Hussein, one of the most senior militants slain thus far, came ahead of the Iranian foreign ministers visit to Syria. Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles that can hit anywhere in Israel. The group, which has thousands of battle-hardened fighters who participated in Syrias 12-year conflict, also has different types of military drones. In January, Israeli jets struck and killed another elite Hezbollah commander from the Radwan Force, Wissam al-Tawil, who fought with the group for decades and took part in some of its biggest battles. Hezbollah says it will stop firing rockets once a ceasefire is reached in the Gaza Strip that would end the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli officials have been demanding that the Radwan Force withdraw from the border area in order for tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return home. Washington and Paris have been scrambling to find a diplomatic resolution to halt the fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border, hoping to prevent a new all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel since a month-long war in the summer of 2006. The risk of war spreading to Lebanon has worsened existing political tensions within the country between Hezbollah and their most vocal opponent, the nationalist Christian Lebanese Forces party. Matters worsened Monday when the Lebanese military announced the death of a Lebanese Forces local official who had been kidnapped a day earlier in northern Lebanon. The Lebanese Army said they detained three Syrians accused in the kidnapping and killing of Pascale Suleiman as they tried to steal his car. The Lebanese Forces party cast doubt on the army's findings, saying they believed it was a political assassination. Nasrallah in his speech slammed members of the Christian party and allies who had accused Hezbollah of being involved in the kidnapping. calling it baseless and dangerous rhetoric. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. ___ Follow AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian left Oman to visit Syria's capital Damascus a week after Iran's consulate there was targeted in a suspected Israeli attack, state media reported on Monday. Iran has vowed to avenge the death of seven of its Revolutionary Guards commanders who were killed in the attack, with a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader saying on Sunday that Israeli embassies were no longer safe. Amirabdollahian started a regional tour on Sunday in Muscat, where he met Omani officials and a representative of Yemen's Houthis Mohamed Abdelsalam, who said the Iranian-backed militant group would continue to target Israel-bound ships until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. "The attack on Iran's embassy building in Damascus is a new step in Israel's warmongering and its attempt to expand war regionally," Amirabdollahian said while in Oman. Israel typically does not discuss attacks by its forces on Syria. Asked about the strike last week, an Israeli military spokesperson said: "We do not comment on reports in the foreign media". (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Tom Hogue and Stephen Coates) Iran's foreign minister in Syria for talks with Syrian officials A photo released by the official Syrian Arab news agency (SANA) on 08 April 2024 shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. -/SANA/dpa Iran's foreign minister arrived on Monday in the Syrian capital to hold talks with Syrian officials, a week after a suspected Israeli airstrike on a building offering consular services in Damascus. Hossein Amirabdollahian met upon his arrival with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad and then held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the state-run Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported. Amirabdollahian reiterated threats against Israel and vowed punishment and a "strong response," the Iranian Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying. On April 1, two brigadier generals and five other members of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in an airstrike on the annex just next to the main Iranian embassy building where consular services were being done. Iran's Foreign Ministry blames Israel for this. The Israeli side has not commented on the incident so far. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has threatened retaliation, according to the state news agency IRNA. The Iranian official during his visit to Damascus also inaugurated a temporary consular headquarters to replace the one which was destroyed. The new building is located on Mezze highway, 100 metres away from the embassy. An Iranian diplomatic source told dpa "the temporary consular headquarters was quickly secured over the past few days so as not to affect citizens wishing to travel to Iran and to prevent their interests from being harmed. Over the weekend, the Iranian foreign minister was a guest in the Gulf state of Oman, where he also spoke to a representative of the pro-Iranian Houthi militia. In the past, Oman has repeatedly acted as a mediator between Iran and the West, especially the United States. A photo released by the official Syrian Arab news agency (SANA) on 08 April 2024 shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. -/SANA/dpa By Padraic Halpin ARMAGH, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - Discussions on the potential reform of how Northern Ireland's power-sharing government operates should begin within the next 12 months, Irish Foreign Minster Micheal Martin said on Monday. Irish nationalists and pro-British unionist politicians are obliged to share power under a 1998 peace deal, but the ability of the largest party on either side to collapse parliament for long periods has been identified by many as a block on progress. The devolved assembly only resumed in February following the latest suspension, which lasted for two years and left many day-to-day decisions in the hands of civil servants and the British government. The Irish and British prime ministers opened the door to reforming the political architecture a year ago but said the debate could only happen when political stability returned, declining to put a timeframe on the process. "I think the basis upon which the assembly is formed and government is formed should change," Martin told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the first meeting of ministers from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in almost three years. "I think that process should begin certainly within 12 months. The immediate priority is for the institutions to bed down and get on with the work that they're doing but we can develop mechanisms where these issues can be discussed openly." Martin, who is also Ireland's deputy prime minister and led the country from 2020 to 2022, said last month that any talks on reforms would need to involve all Northern Irish political parties, civic voices and the Irish and British government. He said on Monday that any reforms would need to be ready for the next Northern Irish elections due by 2027 and mean that no one party should have a veto on the assembly sitting immediately after the vote. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Christina Fincher) ANKARA (Reuters) - Israel has denied Turkey's request to join air drops of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, and Ankara will take new measures against Israel in response, its Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday. Turkey, which has denounced Israel for its offensive in the densely populated Gaza Strip and called for an immediate ceasefire, has sent tens of thousands of tons of humanitarian aid there since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7. The United States started dropping deliveries of aid into Gaza by air last month, with the Netherlands, France, Spain and others contributing. "We also conveyed our request to be included in this humanitarian aid operation with (Turkish) air forces' cargo planes. Today we learnt that our request was rejected by Israel, despite a positive approach by the Jordanian authorities," Fidan said in a statement to the media. Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "There is no excuse for Israel to block our attempt to drop aid to starving Gazans," Fidan said, adding that Turkey has decided to take a "series of new measures" against Israel. "These measures, approved by our president, will be implemented step by step, without delay," Fidan said, without elaborating. "The measures to be announced by our relevant institutions will continue until Israel declares a ceasefire and allows humanitarian aid to reach Gaza without interruption," he said. (Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever in Ankara; Additional reporting by Henriette Chacar in Jerusalem; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be moving ahead with his pledge to ban Al Jazeera following the recent passage of a new law in the Israeli Knesset. The law, approved in a landslide 7110 vote, grants officials the authority to shut down foreign news networks suspected of causing harm to the states security. Al Jazeera harmed Israels security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against Israeli soldiers, Netanyahu claimed last week, which Al Jazeera vehemently denied. The move has raised concerns among advocates, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, and from the White House. But what will this change mean within Israel, where media and nightly television depict a very different reality than the rest of the world is seeing? Ido David Cohen, a writer and journalist covering Israeli media for Haaretz, views this law as part of an ongoing campaign of intimidation and censorship by Netanyahu that began long before the current war. (His own outlet has been threatened as well.) He spoke to me from Tel Aviv about the state of journalistic independence in Israel, the potential impact of this new law on domestic Israeli media outlets, and how Netanyahus erosion of press freedom could have significant long-term implications for Israels standing as a democracy, even if the disappearance of Al Jazeera may not change much at first. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Aymann Ismail: Its jarring to see the Israeli government make lateral moves to ban an international news outlet. Could something like this have happened before the war? Ido David Cohen: Its funny, its almost hard to remember what life was like before the war. Since this government first came to power in January 2023, there were big concerns about what they were going to do regarding freedom of speech. Generally, free speech is allowed as far as journalists can do their work and criticize the government. But over 15 years with Benjamin Netanyahu, since 2009, things have gotten worse. Netanyahu put a lot of effort into making Israeli media loyal or flattering. He made himself the minister of communications and mediawhat we call in Hebrew Tikshoret. Some of his corruption charges are connected to his behavior in that role. He tried to give orders to media outlets. For example, he and his wife told Walla to remove articles. He planted people who are not journalists in the army radio station, which is actually one of the two mainstream Israeli radio stations. Netanyahu encouraged billionaire Sheldon Adelson to establish a newspaper to explicitly help the right wing. This newspaper, Israel Hayom, was handed out for free in public places like squares and train stations, and is widely considered to be one of the largest factors in Netanyahus return to power. Its why in Israel, we call it Bibiton, or Bibi newspaper, though it has also been critical of him at times recently. Newspapers, television channels, and some websites have shifted right. We also have media outlets, like Haaretz, that try to do the work and believe in journalism, but we still have to keep our eyes open and be on the lookout for what Netanyahu is trying to do. The move to ban Al Jazeera is headed by current Minister of Communication and Media Shlomo Karhi. What can you tell me about him? Shlomo Karhi is a nightmare. He is even more terrifying than when Netanyahu was himself prime minister and minister of communication. He couldnt care less about freedom of speech or journalism. He comes from a very, very devoted religious Orthodox point of view, and he only sees media as a tool for supporting his party and their views. One of the first things he tried to do when he rose to power in 2023 was to shut down the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, or IPBC, which was only paused because it happened at the same time as judicial overhaul, which would effectively remove checks and balances from our government. They probably figured they cant push all the buttons at the same time. Instead, Karhi financially boosted Channel 14, a pro-Netanyahu channel, as well as harasses public broadcasters. He sends them letters citing things their anchors say, hoping to make them afraid of expressing anti-Netanyahu views. Most of what he accuses is not serious, and its obvious hes just harassing them. One could argue that he has succeeded because after threats to shut them down, the IPBC hired a journalist who is one of Netanyahus biggest advocates in Israel who now has a very dominant spot. The public broadcaster never said they brought her because they wanted to shield against the governments sword, but many people believe that was the reason. How does this affect what Israelis see in the press and on TV every night? In the period between Oct. 7 and Oct. 26, after the nightmare that had just happened to us but before Israeli soldiers physically entered Gaza, discussions on most mainstream media outlets were the most critical of the government Ive ever seen. I think it was because we were in shock. Virtually every outlet pinned direct responsibility on Netanyahu, and pointed to the shattered illusion that only his right-wing party coalition can keep the Israeli public safe. Channel 12, for example, the most viewed news channel in Israel, removed their in-house Netanyahu supporter, who there until Oct. 6 and never came back. There was less tolerance for Netanyahus bullshit in the beginning of the war. And to some degree, thats still true. But as the war dragged on, the situation shifted. When it came to Israeli soldiers, the mainstream goes to a place of standing firmly with the army. Israelis have more trust in the army than the government. And the soldiers who are in Gaza are not only right wing, but they are the sons of the entire political spectrum in Israel. That, paired with a mainstream view that the army can bring back the hostages in Gaza, has steered the Israeli mainstream back, unfortunately, to not asking as many questions and instead sticking together, like an army Kumbaya. The anchor of Channel 12 held a toy gun that he brought from a school classroom in Gaza and waved it in front of the viewers during a Friday evening broadcast. To see him doing that, the same guy who was very critical of the government and Netanyahu, is not something we want to see from a journalist covering a war, no matter how afraid Israelis are. Its also why you wont see any TV coverage of the suffering in Gaza as it intensifies more and more. Some people in Israel probably dont want to hear about Palestinian suffering right now. TV channels choose not to show it because if you ask most people in Israel, they will tell you that the Israeli public doesnt want to see it. Some channels are trying to do a better job of showing the suffering in Gaza, though its been really out of the picture except in Haaretz. And thats not good. One thing weve argued is that it doesnt matter if Israelis are too traumatized to feel any empathy or sympathy for another nationthey still need the information and to know whats happening, because Israeli people should also have sympathy for other children and women and men who suffer and die, who, of course, are not all terrorists or connected to terrorist organizations. I think some of them are trying to do a better job in also showing the Palestinian side and giving the information to their audiences, but I dont think its enough. They should give more information about whats happening in Gaza. People have to know whats happening or they wont be able to understand Israels standing in the international community, in the U.N., or in the United States and Europe. It seemed in the early stages of the war that the radical voices in the Israeli debate were less loud. Now, it seems Netanyahu supporters, who are not few in Israeli media, have returned to being as loud as they were before the war. They are now targeting the families of the hostages. This is where we are at right now. Channel 14 is portraying the families of Israeli hostages as villains. One of the main anchors of Channel 14 said last week of a demonstration led by families of Israeli hostages, Where is the head of the police in Tel Aviv? Why doesnt he come and harm them? I was shocked. The pro-Netanyahu parts of the media have returned to being the loudest and craziest again. Oh God. Things are awful. Youve previously written about how government rhetoric has made journalists feel less safe. Has there been a chilling effect in reporting? Yes. I wrote about violence against journalists at the peak of the anti-government protests last year. The government has a long history of labeling unfavorable journalists as radical, biased, and worse. Its normalized to the point that when Ilana Dayan, who is a very respected journalist in Israel, spoke out against legislation and Netanyahu, the Likud party reacted by forcing the channel to attach a disclaimer calling her a radical leftist who will do anything to oppose Netanyahu. And of course, with Channel 14 not respecting journalism and broadcasting propaganda all day, you can imagine how they talk about other journalists. And with the minister of police being Itamar Ben-Gvir, the most racist minister ever in Israel, the Likuds supporters feel they dont have to fear recourse. They threw a bottle of beer at journalists from Channel 13 when they were covering demonstrations, just for being from a channel that is known to be not Netanyahus channel. Incidentally, they struck two of the channels conservative journalists. Last year, it came to a point that journalists were targeted just for the channel that was written on their microphones. Just that is enough for someone to be suddenly surrounded by a mob calling them a traitor. Journalists I spoke to told me it was the scariest moment for them. They told me they either dont go to cover right-wing demonstrations at all anymore, or go with security. They say the risk is too highthat they want to live. Is this all working on the Israeli public? Since Oct. 7, public trust in Netanyahu has fallen to the lowest point in his life, according to polling. Most Israelis want elections, maybe not immediately, but definitely after the war ends. A majority believe he is serving his own interests in the war. So, do I think the governments blitz strategy is working? There is no easy answer. There is a lot of anger and fury in Israel about whats happened to us and to the country on Oct. 7: 1,200 people were slaughtered in one day. Were a country in trauma. Hundreds of soldiers have died in the war since then. You have this crowd of people that will buy whatever he says, apparently, but you also have a majority, as it seems now, that doesnt buy anything Netanyahu says. But we have reason to be skeptical. As long as things dont change politically, we have reason to fear that Netanyahu will move forward with his plans for judicial reform and other things. And if that happens, itd be very bad. Israeli democracy is not getting any way better with Netanyahu and his partners in power. The public is skeptical, and I hope this skepticism will materialize into elections as soon as possible. Who knows what other tricks he will pull until then? Do people in Israel watch Al Jazeera? Not many Israelis are watching Al Jazeera. This new legislation will not have any immediate effect on the Israeli TV landscape, because its not a channel that Israelis watch in general. The rationale behind banning Al Jazeera seems childish. I want to emphasize that I am against it. I dont see any good in it. Israel may not like the channel and the channel may not like Israel at all, but its not a reason to prevent a news channel from having basic access to do their job. Many Israelis are interviewed in Al Jazeera. This move really only damages Israel. I am most concerned that the government could rely on this precedent to hurt local Arabic-language broadcasters in Israel. Freedom of speech for Arabs has slipped since the start of this war. They dont have enough support to take any major steps against any Israeli media outlet right now, but of courseand its an important pointfreedom of speech for Arab citizens in Israel is worse than for Jewish people. Im sorry to say it. Its sad and awful, but we see it in many different examples in what the police did after Oct. 7. Its insane that the minister of communications filed so many complaints against the Arabic-language Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation channel. I think its definitely due to his racism. Regulators of the nonpublic channels and radio stations have given Arabic-language radio stations harsh, big fines. Arabic radio stations have less freedom of speech than Hebrew-speaking or non-Arabic media outlets. I can stand by that. Its true and its scary. And its been escalating during the war. Do you think the effect of this will reach even further? To your work? Look. This government is a threat to journalism. They harm TV channels, Israeli journalists, and independent media. Karhi, the minister of communications, already blames any journalist or channel that is not entirely supportive of Netanyahu and the Likud party as radical and biased. We have all the reason to be skeptical of anything they say about any media outlet. I dont trust them because I see how they harass journalists for no reason. They have also threatened regulation to hurt Haaretz. We have every reason to believe this government will help media outlets that support it, and if they can, shut all other media outlets down. Its scary. I think they dont have enough public support now after Oct. 7 to move forward with sweeping action against the media. But do they want to? Of course. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has withdrawn its units from the southern Gaza Strip on the night of 6-7 April, but the war with Hamas is ongoing and remains far from over, said Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the IDF. Source: The Times of Israel; CNN; The Jerusalem Post Details: Halevi also stated that the IDF will know how to return to combat if there is a ceasefire as part of an agreement to release hostages and that bringing hostages back is a more urgent issue than other goals. Quote from Halevi: "We are fighting this war differently, it is different from its predecessors. The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping. Senior Hamas officials are still in hiding. We will get to them sooner or later. We are making progress, continuing to kill more terrorists and commanders and destroy more terror infrastructures, including last night." Details: He stated that Israel "will not leave Hamas brigades active in any part of the Strip". "We have plans and we will act when we decide. At the same time as the offensive effort, we allow the introduction of humanitarian aid into the Strip. The interest of Hamas is to present a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to press for an end to the war," Halevi said. He said Hamas is trying to take control of humanitarian aid and prevent its distribution in order to regain and control the Gaza Strip, but "this should not happen". "Therefore, we continue to dismantle Hamas from its military and governmental capabilities, to bring stability to the region," Halevi added. He also stated that Israel will do everything to bring all hostages back as soon as possible. Reference: Hamas attacked Israel six months ago, on 7 October 2023. On 7 April, the IDF announced that it had finished the active phase of the invasion but left open the possibility of a new invasion in the future in southern Gaza. The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF withdrew the entire 98th Division from the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, leaving only one Israeli army brigade there to secure the corridor connecting south Israel with the Gaza Strip coastline. This corridor is reported to allow the IDF to conduct raids in Gaza's northern and central parts, prevent the return of Palestinians to the northern part and allow humanitarian organisations to deliver aid directly to Gaza's northern part. At one point, the IDF had five divisions with 30,000-40,000 servicemen deep inside Gaza and even larger forces surrounding the sector. These forces were significantly reduced in mid-January when the IDF announced that it had achieved operational control over Gaza's northern part and released the 63rd Division to come back to standard duties on the north border, where Israel confronts Hezbollah. The Jerusalem Post reported that the 98th Division has been destroying Hamas forces in Khan Yunis and its outskirts, commanding around seven brigades, from December until now. It was reported that the 98th Division completed the bulk of its mission in early February but continued to conduct smaller operations in areas like the Hamed neighbourhood in Khan Yunis. Israeli officials believed that the main reason for keeping the 98th Division in Khan Yunis was to get concessions from Hamas in negotiations for a prisoner swap. Hamas immediately stated that the IDF forces' withdrawal, even if partial, was a victory, as they demanded the withdrawal of Israeli troops, including those from Gaza's northern part. The Jerusalem Post noted that now the world's attention is likely to focus on whether the IDF will capture Rafah first, whether Hamas will negotiate a deal for hostage release to avoid such an invasion, or if Israel will make further concessions to Hamas demands regarding the return of more Palestinians to Gaza's northern part. Support UP or become our patron! Israel withdraws some troops but vows to continue war WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Israeli troops are withdrawing from parts of Gaza, but officials say their war against Hamas continues. On The Hill Sunday, Tal Heinrich, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responded to the global outrage. We want to see minimal civilian suffering, Heinrich said. Millions of Palestinians are still sheltering in Gaza, but Israel has vowed to move forward with a major ground operation. If anyone out there is putting the pressure on Israel instead of on Hamas, Heinrich warned, youre playing right into their hands. But White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby told CBSs Face the Nation that President Joe Biden still opposes the ground offensive. The president was clear with the prime minister, Kirby said, if theres not changes, if things dont get better, then were going to have to make changes of our own. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) says those changes should include conditioning U.S. weapons transfers to Israel on the protection of civilians in Gaza. Not to stop them permanently, but to effectively use our leverage. Thats what were asking the President of the United States to do. More than 200 humanitarian aid workers have been killed, including seven World Central Kitchen employees. The organizations founder, chef Jose Andres, told ABC This Week that at this point, this is a war against humanity. Right now, we are in the middle of this, Andres said, a story that we wish we were not part of. The White House says President Biden still opposes reducing any U.S. military aid to Israel. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch Happy Monday! To those of you in the path of todays solar eclipse, check here for information about when the show starts in your area. As a reminder to no one in particular, be sure not to look at the sun without eye protection! Quick Hits: Todays Top Stories Tragic Incident Complicates U.S.-Israel Relations Palestinians stand next to a vehicle on April 2, 2024, in Deir al-Balah, where humanitarian workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an Israeli airstrike. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Around 11 p.m. local time last Monday, seven aid workers employed by World Central Kitchen (WCK)an NGO that provides food aid in times of disaster and warset off along a coastal road used to deliver aid in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Theyd been part of a convoy transporting 100 tons of food aid that had arrived at a recently built pier to a warehouse in Deir el-Balah. After unloading at the warehouse, they headed south in three SUVs. (Map via Joe Schueller) By 11:15 p.m., Israeli forces had ordered three drone strikesin errorthat killed all seven workers. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) quickly admitted culpability for the strikes, dismissing two officers after an investigationthe results of which it released Fridayshowed the soldiers operating the drones fired in violation of the IDFs standard operating procedures following a misidentification. The aid workers tragic deaths also set in motion a chain of events that culminated in dramatic policy change from both the Israeli War Cabinet and the Biden administration, which could potentially open additional avenues for aid to reach civilians in Gaza. The strike also illustrated how difficult it is for humanitarian groups to safely operate during a war that has repeatedly seen Hamas use civilians as human shields. WCK, founded by celebrity chef Jose Andres, has operated in crisis areas around the world since the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Just last month, the group began bringing food aid into Gaza by ship from Cyprus on a jetty it helped construct out of rubble. It was aid from one of those ships that the WCK team was delivering Monday night. On Tuesday, the group formally announced the death of that teaman Australian, three Britons, a U.S. and Canadian dual citizen, a Pole, and a Palestinian driverand pointed the finger at the IDF, adding that it had paused its activities in Gaza indefinitely. On Tuesday, the IDFs chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both confirmed that the IDF had unintentionally fired on the team. With the admission came a wave of international condemnation. Andres suggested that saying the strike was a mistake was insufficient. This was not just a bad luck situation where oops we dropped the bomb in the wrong place, he told Reuters on Wednesday. Biden, in one of his most strident criticisms of the U.S. ally with which his administration has been increasingly at odds, said he was outraged and heartbroken by the workers deaths. He then doubled down, saying the incident represented a pattern in the Israeli governments behavior. Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians, he said. Incidents like yesterdays simply should not happen. Israel has also not done enough to protect civilians. Hamas hasby its own admissionused civilians as human shields, including by constructing tunnels under civilian infrastructure like schools and hospitals and viewing the potential for high civilian casualties as a strategic advantage. [This] puts an added burden on Israel while they go after Hamas, Biden told reporters last year, referencing the terrorist groups despicable and cowardly behavior. Its difficult to know for certain how many civilians have been killed in the six months since Israel declared war on Hamas following the terrorist groups October 7 attack. While its likely the number of civilians dead is well into the thousands, most estimates come from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its casualty count. Analysis from the Washington Institute for Near East Policya D.C.-based, pro-Israel think tanksuggests the Hamas count may overestimate the proportion of children among the dead while underestimating the share of adult men in the total death toll. Biden and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby have both said the Hamas reports are unreliable. The WCK workers were the first confirmed international humanitarian workers to be killed, though more than 100 local aid workers have reportedly died during the war. WCK had cleared its movements with the IDF as the seven workers moved from the aid jetty to the warehouse and onto a staging area further south from there. But the IDFs investigation revealed that the details of the humanitarian groups plans never made their way down through the chain of command to the drone operators on duty that night or their superiorsone of several compounding mistakes that led to Israeli forces firing on the three vehicles. The strike on the aid vehicles is a grave mistake stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification, errors in decision-making, and an attack contrary to the Standard Operating Procedures, the IDFs report read. (Map via Joe Schueller) IDF officials said the mistaken identification occurred when the drone operators, tracking the convoy from the jetty, thought they saw at least one armed personwhom they believed to be a Hamas terroristjoin the convoy. When the three cars left the warehouse, the IDF soldiers believed they were Hamas vehicles, something Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman, called an operational misidentification and misclassification. Though the vehicles were marked with the WCK logo on their roofs, investigators said Friday that the drones camera couldnt make out the logos in the dark. Operating under the belief that Hamas terrorists were driving the convoybased on the misidentification of a single individual, which the IDF officials said failed to meet its standard to open fireIDF forces fired on the first car at 11:09 p.m. When some of the workers emerged injured from the car and moved to the other cars in the convoy, IDF soldiers fired again on the second car at 11:11 p.m. and on the third car for the final time at 11:13 p.m. IDF officials said the decision to fire on the second and third vehicles after people began running to them was also against its standard operating procedures. The IDF dismissed two officersa major and a colonel in reserveand reprimanded the brigade and division commanders as well as the commander of Israels Southern Command for his overall responsibility. The IDFs publicly released summary report made no mention of legal culpability. Hagari also promised that the IDF has made significant changes to its procedures effective immediately, without offering specifics. Any change, though, could have tradeoffs even without completely eliminating the risks of a similar mistake. I dont think theres a way you can guarantee you are going to avoid [a mistake], but you can make it less likely by making attack decisions subject to more restrictive target verification standards, said Geoffrey Corn, director of the Center for Military Law and Policy at the Texas Tech University School of Law and a fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. Every time you make a target verification standard more demanding, you forfeit some tactical advantage. The swift statements of culpability from the IDF and Israeli governmentand the subsequent investigationrepresent a remarkable effort at reconciliation by a military. Indeed, even U.S. military officials initially defended an August 2021 drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed 10 civiliansseven of which were childrenafter military personnel targeted a car they mistakenly believed was loaded with explosives, acknowledging the error more than two weeks later. As the New York Times reported at the time, Almost everything senior defense officials asserted in the hours, and then days, and then weeks after the Aug. 29 drone strike turned out to be false. Despite the IDFs rapid reaction, WCKs representatives questioned the independence of the inquiry. The IDF cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza, the group said. Israel had already begun to feel the geopolitical repercussions of the strike before the results of the investigation were fully known. Biden and Netanyahu spoke on the phone on Thursday, and by many accounts, the conversation was tenseand seemed to put conditions on U.S. support for Israel. [Biden] made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers, the White House summary of the call read. He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israels immediate action on these steps. More than three dozen members of Congress, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, signed a letter over the weekend asking the president to cut off arms shipments to Israel. By Thursday evening, the Israeli War Cabinet had announced it was opening up additional channels for aid to enter Gaza. It vowed to reopen the Erez crossing in northern Gazawhich Hamas attacked on October 7and increase the number of aid trucks coming in from Jordan through the Kerem Shalom crossing where the borders of Egypt, Israel, and Gaza meet. Israeli officials also said it would use Ashdod port, south of Tel Aviv, as a hub to bring in additional aid. This increased aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is necessary to ensure the continuation of the fighting and to achieve the goals of the war, Netanyahus office said. While an increased volume of aid could be helpful in addressing the growing need, aid distribution could ultimately prove to be the more pressing dilemma. WCK and several other aid organizations have suspended operations in Gaza, citing concerns they cannot perform their work safely. But that makes distributing the aid that does arrive in Gazaalready a dangerous endeavor as civil order breaks downeven more difficult. One solution would be for the IDF to take ownership of such distribution. From my standpoint, I think the Israelis really need to own the humanitarian situation [in Gaza], said Raphael Cohen, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation and lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. And that means if youre bringing in large quantities of humanitarian aid, you have an Israeli escort with them doing that coordination on the ground such that, if theres a question of, Is this a Hamas convoy or an aid convoy? theres someone on the ground saying, This is who we say it is. But its the very dynamics of the conflict of Hamasan enemy that deliberately hides among civiliansthat makes even that effort to manage an increasingly chaotic aid landscape a dangerous catch-22. That uniform that the Israelis wear in Gaza doesnt make them invisible, Corn, the military law expert, told TMD. It makes it easier for Hamas to figure out who to shoot. You want the protection of international law? You have to accept risk. And that risk is manifest by wearing a distinctive uniform and its all part of a broad mosaic thats intended to mitigate the risks to the civilian population. Who is the only winner from this tragedywhos the only winner? Corn asked. Definitely not [World Central Kitchen]. Definitely not their people. Definitely not the Israelis. [Its] Hamas. Worth Your Time Saturday marked the 30th anniversary of the start of the Rwandan genocide. Paul Rusesabaginathe Hotel Rwanda hotelier who sheltered more than 1,200 people during the genocidewas released from Rwandan prison last month and reflected on the brutal past and troubled present of his country for the New York Times. For me and for so many Rwandans, the 1994 genocide remains the focal point of my life, he wrote. The months of April to July 1994 were a time of incomprehensible horror, in which our beautiful country was dragged into hell by brutal violence and killings on a scale previously unimaginable. At some points in the crisis, as many as 10,000 people were butchered in a day, primarily by machetes and other crude weapons. Now Rwanda is viewed by many nations as an important global partnera partner that has bravely rebuilt itself into a thriving and inclusive modern society. But it is increasingly difficult to remain blind to the jailingand even the disappearances and killingsof those who criticize or challenge the Rwandan governments power. This is not a reconciled or inclusive society; it is an authoritarian state. Writing for the Los Angeles Review of Books, Melina Moe explored the sensitivity in the rejection letters famed novelist Toni Morrison wrote when she worked as an editor at Random House. Regardless of destination, Morrisons rejections tend to be long, generous in their suggestions, and direct in their criticism, Moe wrote. The letters themselvesgenerally one, two at most, exchanged with a given writerconstitute an asymmetrical archive. On one end of each communique is the ghost of a submitted manuscript (absent from the archive after being returned to the sender, although in some cases survived by a cover letter). On the other is a rejection from Morrison, sometimes brusque yet typically offering something more than an expression of disinterestnotes on craft, character development, the need for more (or less) drama. But also: Autopsies of a changing, and in many ways diminishing, publishing industry; frustrations with the tastes of a reading public; and sympathies for poets, short story writers, and other authors drawn to commercially hopeless genres. Presented Without Comment CNN: [Republican] House Intelligence Committee Chair Says Russian Propaganda Has Spread Through Parts of GOP House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Turner said Sunday that Russian propaganda has absolutely seeped its way to Congress, saying some of his Republican colleagues have repeated false claims on the chambers floor. It is absolutely true we see, directly coming from Russia, attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor, the Ohio Republican told CNNs Jake Tapper on State of the Union. Turners comments come after [Republican] House Foreign Affairs chair Michael McCaul told Puck News last week that Russian propaganda has infected a good chunk of the GOP base. Also Presented Without Comment Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy: The one thing Ive always found about [Rep.] Marjorie [Taylor Greene] is shes a very serious legislator that deals with policy. Toeing the Company Line Let Us Know Should U.S. military aid to Israel be conditional? If so, on what behaviors? Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. Israeli minister threatens to topple Netanyahu if he does not invade Rafah Israels hard-Right national security minister has threatened to topple Benjamin Netanyahu if he fails to order a ground invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. If Netanyahu decides to end the war without an expansive assault in Rafah, he wont have the mandate to serve as prime minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Monday. The Israeli army withdrew its ground forces from southern Gaza on Sunday, prompting speculation that the ground operation in Rafah had either been called off or delayed. An Israeli minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Telegraph that he 100 per cent agrees with Mr Ben-Gvir. We have very clear goals, which is to eliminate Hamass military capabilities. That means first and foremost the remaining four battalions in Rafah. The second goal is to dismantle their political and administrative capabilities. So the war isnt over and we have a job to do. Its very simple, the minister said. Khan Yunis on Monday: the US has called on Israel to let more aid in - AFP The IDF said its ground forces left southern Gaza due to exhaustion and not because the war was over but the decision was made just days after Joe Biden held a tense phone call with Mr Netanyahu. Mr Biden demanded more aid be let into Gaza, as well as better protection of civilians and aid workers. Mr Netanyahu, however, promised on Sunday that Israel would complete the elimination of Hamas in the entire Gaza Strip including Rafah and to ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel. Israel believes many of the hostages taken by Hamas last year are being held in Rafah and estimates that Hamas has four battalions left in the city, amounting to some 4,000 of its members. Mr Netanyahu stressed again on Monday the necessity of the IDF entering Rafah, saying: It will happen. There is a date. He made the remarks amid speculation in Israel that Mr Biden managed to convince Mr Netanyahu to call off the invasion of Rafah. Mr Ben-Gvir, who heads the far-Right Jewish Power party, has long advocated for the army to go into Rafah, while opposing any ceasefire deal with Hamas. Nir Barkat, the economy minister, told The Telegraph earlier this month that he also expected the IDF to invade. Just as the allies didnt leave one fifth of the Nazis in Germany, Israel wont leave one fifth of Hamas in Gaza, Mr Barkat said. Israeli soldiers in Gaza on Monday: most ground troops have withdrawn - AFP Betzalel Smotrich, Israels finance minister and another of Mr Netanyahus hard-Right coalition partners, also voiced his opposition to the situation, calling on the prime minister to urgently convene the security cabinet. The only forum authorised to make significant decisions in war is the full [security] cabinet, but unfortunately this is not how things are happening, and we are seeing decisions being made in the smaller [war] cabinet without approval under international pressure that is harming the wars momentum and our security interests, Mr Smotrich said. Mr Smotrich was criticised last month when he asserted that freeing the hostages in Gaza wasnt the most important issue. The leader of the hard-Right National Religious party is also against striking a deal with Hamas, calling instead for maximum military pressure on Hamas. The families of the hostages raged against Mr Ben-Gvir and Mr Smotrich following their remarks on Monday, saying those representing an extreme minority are sacrificing 133 hostages to their deaths in the name of messianic zealotry. An Israeli delegation returned to Cairo this week for another round of negotiations with Hamas after the terror group turned down several proposals in the past couple of months. Hamas insists on a permanent ceasefire as well as a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, which effectively would leave the group in charge of the enclave. Israel has dismissed those demands repeatedly, but reportedly agreed to proposals mediated by Qatar and Egypt to engage in a six-week ceasefire in return for 40 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including some serving life in prison for murder. The plan was backed by Bill Burns, the CIA director, who attended the talks. Israel has asked Mr Burns to obtain a list from Hamas of the 40 hostages who are alive and another including the Palestinian prisoners they wish to be released in exchange. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Israelis gather at a memorial event on Sunday for those killed by in the Hamas terrorist attack at the Nova dance and music party in Re'im in southern Israel. The memorial marks six months since the October 7 attack. View comments Russian forces continue to ramp up their offensive operations along the front line despite the material and personnel losses, the Institute for the Study of War's (ISW) report said on April 7. Russia continues to intensify its assaults near the Russian-occupied cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast in attempts to advance in this front-line sector. Chasiv Yar, which lies 10 kilometers west of Bakhmut, remains one of Russia's main targets. Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 6 that "fierce battles" are taking place east of the city, but it is still under Ukraine's control. Kyiv also expects a new Russian offensive campaign at the end of May or the beginning of June, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 28. According to Zelensky, Russia will attempt to mobilize additional 300,000 troops by June 1. The ISW recalled one of the latest Russian assaults in the direction of Chasiv Yar on April 4, saying that Russia "intensified the tempo of their offensive operations across the theater" while "successfully mitigating likely increased manpower and materiel losses." The report also said that Ukraine "must make difficult decisions, prioritizing certain aspects of its defense" in light of preparation for the future counteroffensive and stalled U.S. aid. U.S. aid to Ukraine has been delayed since fall 2023, as various versions of a foreign aid bill have been derailed due to border security disagreements. Some Republicans in the House have refused to support the aid package in principle, advocating against aid for Kyiv. On April 7, Zelensky said Ukraine would lose the war against Russia if the U.S. Congress fails to approve military aid. "If Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked," Zelensky added. Read also: Why some far-right Republicans are hell bent on ending further aid to Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A small Italian island is being overrun by goats in fact, there are six times the amount of the animals than there are people. Riccardo Gullo, the mayor of Alicudi, which is just off the coast of Sicily, is now trying to give away goats as the island becomes inundated with the animals. Alicudi only has 100 inhabitants but 600 goats, Gullo said in a post on social media. The goats usually graze on the mountains and cliffs of the island but as they've grown in population, they've infiltrated residential areas, according to BBC News. Since the goats are damaging gardens, Gullo came up with an "Adopt A Goat" program to give them away. Adoption applications are due on Wednesday, BBC News reports. The small Italian island of Alicudi is being overrun by goats/ / Credit: Mayor Riccardo Gullo Alicudi is one of seven islands that make up the Aeolian Archipelago, and there is a farmer on a nearby island, Vulcano, who produces cheese and would like to take some of the goats, Gullo told the Guardian. In an interview with local publication Fanpage, Gullo said he is an animal rights activist and has never even caught a fish. "In my belief, we must always intervene in nature with soft feet," Gullo said. "I hope, and in this I am comforted by the experts, that we have made the best possible choice and that these goats will live a happy life." He has thought about the possibility of allowing breeders to take the goats and said an entrepreneur called to offer to take all 600 of the animals. The goats usually graze on the mountains and cliffs of Alicudi but as they've grown in population, they've infiltrated residential areas, / Credit: Mayor Riccardo Gullo The goats would normally each cost 200 euros or about 217 U.S. dollars but the Alicudi goats will be free to anyone who wants them. The goats will be checked out by a vet before they are delivered. If the goat adoption plan works, it may be applied to other Aeolian islands that are overrun with the animals. "Who knows why goats get along so well in our islands: So particular, so solitary... It means that they are goats of good taste," Gullo told Fanpage. CBS News has reached out to Gullo for comment but did not immediately get a response. Thief says he tried on, then melted down Yogi Berra World Series rings | 60 Minutes "Civil War": Depicting an America at war with itself 2024 Eclipse: What to expect, from the awe-inspiring to the "very strange" A Jewish group has pledged to spend millions of dollars to mobilize Jews and other faith-based groups to vote in upcoming primaries and fall elections in several states. The Teach Coalition, an arm of the Jewish Orthodox Union, plans to spend $500,000 this coming week targeting more than 38,000 voters in Pennsylvanias most populous Jewish communities to participate in the April 23 primary and November 5 general election. The non-partisan group is also on the ground in Westchester County ahead of the June 25 Democratic primary pitting anti-Israel Squad Rep. Jamaal Bowman against county executive George Latimer. In addition, they plan to spend millions across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nevada. The Jewish community is poised to play a pivotal role in national elections across the country this cycle, said Teach Coalition CEO and founder Maury Litwack. Davida Fried of TEACH NYS leads the grand opening of the first physical voting center in Westchester County in New Rochelle, New York on Jan 31, 2024. teachnys/Instagram Maury Litwacik is the founder of the Teach Coalition. @mlitwack / X They are focused and engaged and our newly-launched Pennsylvania Unites aims to mobilize one of the nations largest Jewish voting populations across this crucial battleground state ahead of the presidential primary, which falls over one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar. Teach Coalition has been active in pushing Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislature to boost security funding to yeshivas and other non-public schools and an affiliate From New York to Nevada, we are deeply invested in registering and turning out as many Jewish voters as possible this cycle, Litwack said. Candidates on the ballot would be best served to not overlook the issues and priorities of this significant bloc of highly motivated voters. In the Keystone State, Teach Coalition will distribute 155,000 pieces of mail, 43,000 text messages, digital ads, and door-knocking to target voters in Alleghany, Bucks, Dauphin, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. @mlitwack / X Maury Litwack speaks at Orthodox Union Convening on Combating Antisemitism. Gov Kathy Hochul/Flickr Pennsylvanias primary coincides with the Passover holiday, Litwack noted. Jewish voters must submit early mail ballots which must be requested by April 16. Teach Coalition also intends to make an impact in the battleground state of Nevada. The group will open a headquarters in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, and recruit volunteers to reach Jewish voters through November. Last year, Teach Coalition efforts in New Jersey helped boost the turnout of Jewish voters in Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, New Milford, Teaneck, Englewood in Bergen County and Deal, Ocean, Long Branch, West Long Branch and Lakewood in Monmouth County. The Jewish outreach comes amid increased reports of anti-semitism following the terror group Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in Israel and the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is facing a moment of truth on Ukraine aid this week as he prepares to make a decision on how to address long-requested assistance for the embattled U.S. ally a question that has bedeviled his tenure in the top House job, and one that could spark a challenge to his gavel. Johnson for months has said the House would consider foreign aid in due time, pushing back the timeline and putting off consideration of the politically prickly issue for other must-pass matters, like government funding. But the Speaker narrowed in on a schedule last weekend, announcing that the House would consider Ukraine aid right after the two-week Easter recess. With the lower chamber set to reconvene Tuesday, all eyes are on Johnson to see what play call he makes as officials in the U.S. and abroad sound the alarm about Ukraines depleting resources amid its war against Russia and as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) threatens to force a vote on his ouster. Also this week, the House is set to send the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate, officially forcing the upper chamber to take up the matter. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is expected to quickly move to dismiss the charges, avoiding a full trial. And both chambers are staring down an April 19 deadline to reauthorize the U.S.s warrantless surveillance powers, which has sparked a bitter debate on Capitol Hill especially in the House. Chatter will also abound about federal funding to rebuild the Baltimore bridge that collapsed last week, as lawmakers await a supplemental request from the Biden administration. Johnson eyes Ukraine aid as Greene dangles ouster threat Attention will be focused on Johnson this week as officials in Washington and Kyiv await the Speakers plan for moving long-stalled Ukraine aid, which he vowed to do right after the current recess a period that officially comes to a close on Tuesday. The waiting game comes as Johnson is facing increased pressure from Greene, who filed a motion to vacate against the Speaker last month and has sharpened her rhetoric against the Louisiana Republican in recent days especially when it comes to the looming vote on aid for Ukraine. Asked by CNN last week if moving aid for Ukraine would spark a vote on Johnsons ouster, Greene was coy, but she signaled in no uncertain terms that such a move would be dangerous for the Speaker. Im not saying I have a red line or a trigger, and Im not saying I dont have a red line or trigger. And I think thats just where Im at right now. But Im going to tell you right now: Funding Ukraine is probably one of the most egregious things that he can do, Greene said. Johnson, to be sure, has not disclosed his plan to address the White Houses foreign aid request which includes funding for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies leaving a number of questions unanswered as the chamber heads into the hot-button issue. But he floated some details during an interview with Fox News Trey Gowdy last week, which he called important innovations. The Speaker brought the REPO Act, which allows the U.S. to use seized frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine; he mentioned making the assistance for Kyiv in the form of a loan; and he discussed tacking on a provision that would block the Biden administrations freeze of new permits for liquified natural gas exports. While Democrats have expressed an openness to the loan idea, some liberals are sounding off on the energy provision, which could make matters more difficult for Johnson. On the other side of the aisle, a number of Republicans are still demanding that any aid for Ukraine be paired with border security policy, even after members of the House GOP conference rejected the Senates bipartisan border bill. But even as the path forward appears murky, and Greene continues to dangle her motion to vacate, some lawmakers are brushing off the idea that Johnsons job is in jeopardy. I dont think hes at any risk, House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) told CNNs State of the Union on Sunday when asked if Johnson should be worried about Greenes motion to vacate threat. I think that what people have been referring to is the chaos caucus, those individuals who are seeking attention for themselves and trying to stop all of the important work in Congress, are now seen as merely disruptive, he added. Senate to receive Mayorkas impeachment articles The House impeachment managers are scheduled to deliver the Mayorkas articles to the Senate Wednesday, officially kicking off what is expected to be a speedy process in the upper chamber. Schumer told senators in a dear colleague letter Friday that members will be sworn in as jurors for the trial the day after the articles are presented, and Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-Wash.) will preside over the chamber. Beyond that, the majority leader has not yet indicated how he plans to handle the articles, though it is widely expected that he will quickly move to dismiss the charges so the chamber can proceed with legislative business. A Senate GOP aide told The Hill that Schumer is expected to tee up a vote on a motion to dismiss or table the charges, both of which would require a simple majority vote. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) echoed that prediction in Kentucky last week, telling reporters that he does not think the Mayorkas impeachment proceedings will drag on in the chamber. Schumer will be able to file a motion to dismiss or to table. I expect he will do that. And the Democrats have a majority, so it may not go on very long. But my preference would be to actually have a trial. But I think the majority is likely to prevent that, he said. The House impeached Mayorkas in a narrow 214-213 vote in February, a feat that took two attempts after the first one failed on the floor. The chamber charged him with willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and breach of trust. The Department of Homeland Security has strongly objected to the GOP effort against Mayorkas, dubbing it a baseless, unconstitutional impeachment. House eyes vote on FISA bill The House this week is planning to consider legislation to reform the U.S.s warrantless surveillance powers, bringing the contentious matter to the floor as lawmakers stare down an April 19 deadline to extend the authorities. Johnson unveiled a compromise bill to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) on Friday, officially kicking off the latest effort to reform the spying powers. FISAs Section 702 allows the government to spy on non-citizens located outside the U.S. The legislation titled the Reforming Intelligence and Surveillance Act is similar to the proposal the House almost voted on in February, which would limit how agencies, such as the FBI, can review information on Americans that is swept up while looking into individuals abroad. It does not, however, include a warrant requirement that several lawmakers particularly those on the House Judiciary Committee have been pushing for. Members on the House Intelligence Committee have raised concerns that such a warrant requirement would cause delays in the process that would hamper efforts by intelligence agents to respond to threats in real-time. The disagreements between members on the Judiciary and Intelligence have plagued the fight over FISA for months, prompting a short-term extension of the surveillance powers in February. In a dear colleague letter on Friday, Johnson urged members of his conference to rally around the bill, warning that inaction ahead of April 19 could prompt the Senate to move forward with a clean FISA extension. It is critically important that we succeed in passing these reforms next week because the April 19th expiration of FISAs Section 702 authority is quickly approaching, Johnson wrote. If our bill fails, we will be faced with an impossible choice and can expect the Senate to jam us with a clean extension that includes no reforms at all. That is clearly an unacceptable option. Congress awaits request for Baltimore bridge Attention this week will also be focused on federal funding for the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which fell last month after being struck by a cargo ship. President Biden has called on Congress to appropriate funds for the rebuilding effort, a stance that Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young reupped Friday. While we continue to assess those costs alongside our Federal and State partners, we are asking the Congress to join us in demonstrating our commitment to aid in recovery efforts by authorizing a 100 percent Federal cost share for rebuilding the bridge, Young wrote in a letter to top lawmakers. This authorization would be consistent with past catastrophic bridge collapses. The administration has not yet made a formal request to Congress for funding, and it remains unclear how much money the reconstruction effort will cost. Some estimates have put the figure at roughly $2 billion. Bidens plan for Congress to approve funds, however, could run into trouble on Capitol Hill, as some Republicans express opposition to using federal dollars for the rebuilding effort amid concerns over the ballooning deficit. The House Freedom Caucus released an official position Friday that demanded a series of conditions for considering funding to reconstruct the bridge, including that the funding is fully offset and that the Biden administration first lifts its pause on approvals for natural gas export projects. Schumer, for his part, called for bipartisan cooperation in the upper chamber to greenlight the federal funding. It will take bipartisan cooperation for the Senate to act quickly to help reopen the Port of Baltimore, a major artery for commerce, and rebuild the Key Bridge as quickly as possible, he wrote in a letter to colleagues Friday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Journalists identify part of Russian vessels that exported Ukrainian grain through port of Mariupol At least three cargo ships loading grain in Mariupol were caught on video by Russian propaganda media. Journalists found names of several grain trading companies in documents logging the grain loaded onto these vessels. Source: Bihus.Info The first ship with stolen grain left the port of occupied Mariupol in May 2023. The video of Russian propaganda media from the occupied port of Mariupol repeatedly caught the process of loading grain on several Russian vessels. Among them are container ships STK-1003 and STK-1016 of the St Petersburg company Remote Marine Terminal and the motor ship Mezhdurechensk, owned by the River-Sea Management Company of Russian entrepreneur and former tugboat captain Gennadii Arustamov. The journalists say that data from tracking services confirm their stay in the occupied Ukrainian port and further movement to the ports of Rostov-on-Don, Azov, Caucasus, and Yeisk. A Russian state-owned company, Roscapstroy, manages the invading fleet in Mariupol. Documents provided to Bihus.Info by the Myrotvorets Centre state that grain from the occupied territories was loaded onto these vessels by several companies. In particular, in 2023, all three vessels were loaded with wheat by the Russian company Sunagro, registered in Rostov-on-Don at the end of 2022. It belongs to Mykola Mishchuk, who had run from the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Association Spade and now, according to the Russian Register of Companies, has Russian citizenship. The documents also mention a Moscow company, Zorka Food, owned by Russian Vladimir Naumov and Belarusian Tatiana Pashkevich; and Asta Group, registered in occupied Donetsk, which belongs to Russian citizen Robert Asatrian, the Bihus.Info article says. Background: German TV channel ARD conducted an investigation that revealed that German companies are helping the Russian occupation regime with construction in occupied Mariupol. Support UP or become our patron! The Foreign Press Association slammed Israel on Monday for preventing international journalists from accessing Gaza, suggesting that Tel Aviv was trying to prevent the rest of the world from seeing the extent of the destruction. Israels brutal war in Gaza has killed at least 33,175 people in the last six months, including 13,000 children. Images and reports from the territory show vast areas filled with rubble, horrific images of corpses, and bombing survivors nursing grief over their loved ones as well as their own serious injuries. And thats with Israel barring any journalists from entering Gaza independently. The barring of independent press access to a war zone for this long is unprecedented for Israel, the Foreign Press Association said in a statement. It raises questions about what Israel does not want international journalists to see. The group is calling for Israel to grant international media expanded and unfettered access to Gaza. Screenshot of a tweet The gruesome reports the world has seen have come from Gazan journalists on the ground, who have to balance their own safetyas well as that of their familieswith the duty of documenting the attacks, atrocities, and daily life as the war continues into its sixth month. A small amount of media has been allowed into the territory under military escort, but it is subject to Israeli military censorship. Gazan journalists, such as Motaz Azaiza, Plestia Alaqad, Bisan Owda, Hind Khodary, and others have had to rely on viral social media posts to get their uncensored reports out. It stands to reason, then, that foreign journalists would expose even more horrific effects of Israels military attacks, as U.S. officials have reportedly said anonymously. Last week, British radio host James OBrien drew the same conclusion on Leading Britains Conversation. 'Maybe Israel cannot countenance what would actually be reported.' @mrjamesob pushes caller Trevor to answer why Israel won't let foreign journalists into Gaza. pic.twitter.com/7VTIsmos2B LBC (@LBC) April 3, 2024 At least 95 journalists and media workers are among the dead as a result of the war to date, according to preliminary investigations from the Committee to Protect Journalists. Not all of the dead are from Gaza, either: Among the confirmed media casualties are 90 Palestinians, two Israelis, and three Lebanese. In addition, 16 journalists were reported injured, four were reported missing, and 25 were reportedly arrested, according to the CPJ. And that doesnt include threats and censorship against journalists in the region. For example, Israels Knesset passed a law last week giving the countrys senior ministers the ability to shut down any news outlet deemed a security risk, a move that was widely seen as targeting one of the few international outlets with correspondents inside Gaza, Al Jazeera. Federal court records show that a years-long federal case against the former Chief Financial Officer of the City of Atlanta may draw to a close come Monday. According to court records, the federal case against Jimmie Jim Beard has a tender plea hearing scheduled for Monday morning in the U.S. Northern District Court of Georgia. Beard, who was CFO under Mayor Kasim Reed, was indicted in 2020 by the U.S. Department of Justice for accusations of fraud, possessing machine guns and obstruction of justice. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In all, Beard served the city of Atlanta from roughly November 2011 to May 2018 as the citys CFO, remaining in office for a few months under former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Jim Beard allegedly abused his position as one of the most powerful executives in the City of Atlanta to commit federal crimes for his own gain, including stealing tens of thousands of dollars of the publics money, possessing machine guns that members of the public cannot have, and obstructing an IRS audit, former U.S. Attorney Byung J. BJay Pak said in 2020. Those in government leadership positions have an obligation to set the organizations culture for ethical conduct. As alleged by the Grand Jury, Beard fundamentally betrayed that obligation. RELATED STORIES: He was also accused of wire fraud and theft from the government, as well as making false statements and obstructing federal tax laws, according to the U.S. Justice Department when he was indicted. Jimmie A. Beard systematically defrauded the City of Atlanta and impeded the IRS from assessing his true tax liability, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey said previously. His desire for money, along with the power and luxuries it buys, drove him to allegedly perpetrate crimes violating his position and public trust. Thanks to the financial expertise of IRS-CI special agents, who worked side-by-side with our federal partners to uncover these schemes, Beard will now face the consequences of his actions. Channel 2 Action News has covered the legal proceedings surrounding Beard since 2019 when a federal grand jury subpoena delivered to city hall requested years of records related to Beard. In July 2023, Channel 2s Ashli Lincoln reported the trial had been delayed. Court records show Beard faces three counts of wire fraud, two counts of using property of another as his own, one count of violent crime, drugs and possessing a machine gun, one count of knowingly making false statements on an application and one count of corrupt or forcible interference. As of April 1, federal court records show the hearing will take place in an Atlanta federal courtroom, with Beard expected to appear before a judge at 10 a.m. on Monday. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPMs home for opinion and news analysis. Forum shopping: Every lawyer does it. Plaintiffs lawyers file cases in the courts where they think theyre most likely to win. Defendants try to get cases moved to more favorable places or dismissed altogether. But judge shopping? Picking not just a court but the individual judge who hears the case? Surely litigants arent allowed to do that. Yet judge shopping is the norm in many federal courts throughout the country. Lately, Republican state attorneys general and conservative activists have been exploiting quirks in rules about how cases are assigned to judges to challenge federal government policies on abortion, immigration, gun control, transgender rights, and more in front of hand-picked, sympathetic, Republican-appointed judges, primarily in Amarillo and Wichita Falls, Texas. Last month, the Judicial Conference of the United States (a group of judges who oversee the operation of the federal courts), adopted a policy that was widely reported as stopping the ability of plaintiffs to judge shop. Predictably, the beneficiaries of judge shopping namely, Republicans decried the policy as politically motivated and urged district courts to ignore it. Democrats, for their part, demanded that the chief judge of the district encompassing Amarillo and Wichita Falls (the Northern District of Texas) adopt new case assignment rules right away. But in a letter sent to Senate Democrats last week, the Northern Districts chief judge refused to make any changes, citing a consensus among the districts judges to maintain the status quo. You may not be surprised to learn that Republican presidents appointed ten of those eleven judges. In short, despite the fanfare surrounding the Judicial Conferences policy on random case assignment, nothing has changed. Thats unfortunate. There is no fairness or impartiality among the judges favored by Republicans. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. TPM Illustration/Senate Judiciary Committee Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo who, among other extremist rulings, struck down the FDAs decades-old approval of the abortion drug mifepristone was an anti-abortion activist before he was appointed by President Trump. And Judge Reed OConnor in Wichita Falls struck down the Affordable Care Act in 2018 six years after the Supreme Court largely upheld that law. (Judge OConnors 2018 ruling was reversed on appeal.) But high-profile, politically charged cases are not the only cases in which judge shopping wreaks havoc. As weve shown in a series of law review articles, judge shopping happens all the time in the obscure but important field of patent law. In the mid-2010s, for instance, over a thousand patent cases per year a quarter of all patent cases nationwide were filed before Judge Rodney Gilstrap in Marshall, Texas (population 23,000). More recently, Waco, Texas, has become the capital of U.S. patent litigation, with Judge Alan Albright receiving nearly one in four patent cases filed nationwide. Though the district encompassing Waco (the Western District of Texas) recently adopted rules that prevent shopping for Judge Albright, early indications are that judge-shopping patentees are heading back to Marshall and to Midland, Texas both places where its possible for a plaintiff to pick their judge. To bring cases in, the judges like Gilstrap and Albright slant procedures and rulings to blatantly favor patent owners. The patent owners filing cases in Texas are primarily nonpracticing entities (pejoratively, patent trolls) entities that dont make anything and exist only to assert patents. And judges have ample incentives to bring patent cases into their courtrooms. Being known as the judge in a specific area of law brings fame and notoriety. A large patent caseload brings economic benefits to local lawyers, the community, and even the judges themselves. And the expert reputation a judge develops can bring lucrative career opportunities when the judge retires from the bench. The current situation is untenable. No one should be denied access to abortion medication or the opportunity to seek asylum or the entrance to the bathroom of their choice simply because a conservative activist got to pick the judge. Judge shopping in patent cases also harms us all: not only does it corrupt our court system, many patent cases wouldnt be filed at all if judge shopping werent possible. The cost of that needless litigation is baked into everything we buy, from eye medicine to iPhones. Ideally, the Judicial Conference would do more than adopt a policy suggesting that courts adopt case assignment systems that prevent judge shopping it would adopt a rule requiring all cases to be randomly assigned among multiple judges. Though this would be an easy fix, the Judicial Conference seems to doubt whether it can require district courts to do anything to stop judge shopping. Thats too bad. The federal courts are facing a crisis of legitimacy. Ending judge shopping would restore some semblance of neutrality. A jury on Friday found a man guilty of first-degree murder for a 2021 shooting involving two vehicles in south Sacramento where a driver was hit by gunfire in the back of the head, prosecutors said. Joshua Lee Atkinson, 21, was convicted of murder in the shooting death of 20-year-old Tyree Xavier Scott, along with an enhancement for using a gun, the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office announced Monday in a news release. About 6 p.m. Aug. 16, 2021, several drivers called 911 to report a drive-by shooting on Elsie Avenue near Stockton Boulevard. Prosecutors said seven gunshots were fired at Scott, and one of the bullets struck the back of his head. A caller told the Sheriffs Office that someone inside a vehicle appeared injured. Several other callers provided additional details, telling deputies that the gunfire seemed to have come from another nearby vehicle. After the driver was struck by gunfire, the victims vehicle, which was heading west on Elsie, veered off the road and went through a hedge, according to the Sheriffs Office. The vehicle came to a stop in a parking lot on the north side of the street. Deputies arrived and found Scott wounded in the vehicle. The deputies provided first aid until medics arrived to take the victim to a hospital. Scott was hospitalized after suffering a catastrophic gunshot injury in the shooting, Sacramento County sheriffs officials said at the time. He died the following morning. Prosecutors said deputies obtained security camera video that showed a dark-colored sedan as the suspect vehicle, and all witnesses at the scene told investigators that a suspect fired a gun from the passenger side of that sedan. Security camera video also tracked the car up until the shooting, and the video showed Atkinson getting into a passenger seat in the car minutes before the shooting, according to the District Attorneys Office. Across town, witnesses spotted something suspicious and called authorities to report they saw a group of men removing a license plates from a dark-colored sedan and covering the car with a sheet, prosecutors said. The Sheriffs Office, with help from the Sacramento Police Department, conducted surveillance on the sedan and detained people when they returned to the car; Atkinson was not with them. Prosecutors said investigators found a 9 mm pistol in the car and determined it to be a ballistic match to the shell casings found at the shooting scene. Investigators arrested Atkinson the following day. Since then, Atkinson has remained in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail awaiting the conclusion of his homicide case. Atkinsons sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 31 in Sacramento Superior Court. Prosecutors said he faces a maximum sentence of 50 years to life in prison. Theyre just eating my car: Rats ravage car wires in Bostons South End Rodents are ravaging car wires in the South End and other Boston communities, costing neighbors thousands. Boston 25 News first reported on a string of recent complaints last week. Neighbors believe the sustainable soy wiring in their vehicles is a desirable food source for the rats. Two different South End residents who shared their stories said their cars were targeted by rodents on three different occasions. One said those three costly visits from the rodents have been giving her headaches since December. Basically, theyre just eating my car, said a Mass Ave neighbor, who has paid $2,000 out of pocket in damages. They had built a nest, there was debris and it smelled horrible. Neighbors believe the relentless rodents leave a pheromone smell underneath the hoods of cars they visit. Once your car is targeted, its got a mark on it!, said Claremont Park neighbor Edward Shklovsky. The rats are using the car more than I did. Shklovsky said more than $12,000 in damages from the three incidents were covered by his comprehensive insurance with a $500 deductible each time. He got rid of his BMW last year because of the rat feeding frenzy that was giving him anxiety. It was not worth it anymore, he said. Some of these rats are the size of cats. They look like theyre eight, nine pounds. Its insane! Boston 25 News spoke with a neighbor on Columbus Avenue who learned rodents had taken shelter in his Mercedes two weeks ago. That revelation came after he brought his vehicle in for an oil change. They werent able to open up the hood of my car, and they said its because rats probably ate the wiring, said John Ash. What can you do? You just hope it doesnt happen again. Ash paid $800 out of pocket, and hes crossing his fingers that rodents wont be returning to his vehicle. Boston 25 News also talked with a neighbor on Union Park who said her damages surpassed $6000, and fortunately it was covered by her insurance. Boston was dubbed one of the rattiest cities in America back in 2022 based on Orkins annual ratings. Last year alone, Boston catalogued nearly 4,000 rodent-related complaints. The City of Boston will be holding a hearing on Tuesday to talk about creating an Office of Pest Control after an ordinance filed by City Council President Ed Flynn. He said the issue of rats chomping on car wires is not isolated to the South End and is impacting people in many Boston neighborhoods. I hear about it frequently, said Flynn. Its common occurrence throughout Bostons neighborhoods. Rats and mice getting into cars. Flynns proposal follows a model from New York City, which employs a rat czar. The people working on this issue are doing the best they can with limited resources, added Flynn. We need to streamline the process and put more resources into it. Some residents who have complained about rodents damaging their vehicles said peppermint spray or oil seems to be a solid deterrent. Others said they didnt find it to be effective. Pest control experts suggest regularly checking under the hood of your car, avoid parking near dumpsters if possible and asking your mechanic to clean out the rat urine and feces if your car is visited by rodents. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW FILE - Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a news conference at Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, March 21, 2024. The Justice Department is blasting Republicans effort to hold Garland in contempt over his refusal to turn over unredacted materials related to the special counsel probe into President Joe Bidens handling of classified documents, according to a letter obtained Monday, April 8, by The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department on Monday blasted Republicans' effort to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt over his refusal to turn over unredacted materials related to the special counsel probe into President Joe Bidens handling of classified documents. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the Justice Department rejected the demand from House Republicans that the agency turn over the full audio of Special Counsel Robert Hur's hourslong interviews with Biden and his ghostwriter. Republicans had given the Justice Department until Monday to provide the audio. Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte, the Justice Departments head of congressional affairs, said in the letter to Reps. James Comer and Jim Jordan that despite GOP claims to the contrary, the department has complied with each of the four elements of the subpoena that House Republicans sent in February. "The Committees reaction is difficult to explain in terms of any lack of information or frustration of any informational or investigative imperative, given the Departments actual conduct," Uriarte wrote. We are therefore concerned that the Committees are disappointed not because you didnt receive information, but because you did. He added, We urge the Committees to avoid conflict rather than seek it. The pushback from the department and the seeming unwillingness to provide the audio could trigger a legal battle between the White House and the GOP chairmen leading the contempt effort on Capitol Hill, potentially setting up a scenario where Biden would have to exert executive privilege to halt the release of the audio recording to Congress. The maneuvering could also delay the release of any audio until after the November election. Comer responded to the letter late Monday, saying the Biden administration does not get to determine what Congress needs and does not need for its oversight of the executive branch. The Kentucky Republican pledged to continue fighting to obtain the records requested for their investigation. Comer added, We will respond to the Justice Department soon. The exchange is just the latest flashpoint between Republicans investigating Biden and the Justice Department tasked with overseeing a myriad of politically fraught federal probes, including one into the president's son, Hunter Biden. Hur spent a year investigating the improper retention of classified documents by Biden, from his time as a senator and as vice president. The result was a 345-page report that questioned Bidens age and mental competence but recommended no criminal charges for the 81-year-old president, finding insufficient evidence to make a case stand up in court. Last month, Hur stood by the assessment made in his report in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, where he was grilled for more than four hours by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. What I wrote is what I believe the evidence shows, and what I expect jurors would perceive and believe, Hur told lawmakers. I did not sanitize my explanation. Nor did I disparage the president unfairly. If GOP lawmakers follow through with their threat to hold Garland in contempt, it would require majority support in committee and then the support of the full House before a referral would be sent to the Justice Department. It is unlikely that the department that Garland heads would take up a referral to investigate the Cabinet official. The last time such an effort was successful was in 2012 when a Republican-controlled House voted to make then-Attorney General Eric Holder the first sitting Cabinet member to be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents in the gun-running operation known as Operation Fast and Furious. At the time, Republicans cited the Justice Departments failure to turn over, without any preconditions, documents related to the risky operation. The Justice Department took no action to prosecute the attorney general. WINDSOR, ENGLAND - MARCH 31: King Charles III attends the Easter Service at Windsor Castle on March 31, 2024 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage) As King Charles continues to seek treatment for his cancer, the royal firsts continue to rack up. Most recently, the monarch's brother, Prince Edward, and his wife, Duchess Sophie, were asked to stand in his place during an event held to honor the 120th anniversary of a diplomatic agreement between the U.K. and France called the "entente cordiale," a "series of agreements signed...in 1904," according to the Royal Family, that paved the way for their cooperation from World War I to today. While Queen Consort Camilla has filled in for the king, 75, on a handful of occasions throughout his treatment, which has also made history, this marks the first time his brother and sister-in-law have stepped up to the plate on his behalf. It also marks the first time a country from outside the Commonwealth has taken part in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, as French and British troops swapped roles at their respected Heads of State's palaces "in an unprecedented move." LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 8: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh on behalf of King Charles III, watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace with France's Gendarmerie's Garde Republicaine taking part to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale - the historic diplomatic agreement between Britain and France which laid the groundwork for their collaboration in both world wars on April 8, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Victoria Jones-Pool/Getty Images) Pool/Getty Images Prince Edward, 60, wore a pinstriped navy suit with a powder blue button-up and a red and navy striped tie for the occasion, while the duchess, 59, wore a baby blue dress under a soft cream-colored coat as the two inspected the troops the morning of Monday, April 8, alongside French Ambassador to the UK Helene Duchene. The king has stepped away from a majority of his public-facing duties while fighting an unspecified cancer, although he did step out for the traditional Easter service with his wife, smiling as he waved hello to the public waiting outside. According to Charles' nephew Peter, the king has remained "in good spirits" throughout the ordeal, though he remains "hugely frustrated" over being unable to "do everything that he wants to be able to do." "But he's very pragmatic," Peter continued. "He understands that there's a period of time that he really needs to focus on himself." Luckily, his family is all ready and willing to fill his shoes as needed. Next: King Charles Makes History With Unprecedented Decision About Royals' Vacation Spot Balmoral Castle Speaker of the Israeli Parliament Amir Ohana speaks during a press conference with President of the German Bundestag Baerbel Bas. Hannes P Albert/dpa The speaker of Israel's Knesset, Amir Ohana, who was in Berlin on Monday, has thanked Germany for its support in the ongoing Gaza war. The German people have reaffirmed their determination to keep their promise of "never again," Ohana said in Berlin, referring to the slogan used in Germany to recall the genocide of millions of Jews under the Nazi regime. Barbel Bas, president of the lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, emphasized that Israel could rely on Germany as a partner. "Today it is clear that never again is now," she said at a joint press conference. Bas also voiced the hope that all parties involved in the ongoing conflict would "give a two-state solution a chance, to allow the region to find a joint future, with a permanent peace." The latest Gaza war was triggered by the October 7 attacks led by Palestinian extremist organization Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. That day, some 1,200 people were brutally killed and 230 taken hostage to Gaza. Israel responded by launching massive airstrikes on Gaza, followed by a ground offensive at the end of October to destroy Hamas. More than 33,000 Palestinians are said to have been killed in the sealed-off coastal area as a result of that operation. In the wake of the October 7 attacks, the government in Berlin has remained firm on its stance that Israel has the right to self-defence. However, as the humanitarian situation for the civilian Palestinian population is growing more and more dire, German politicians have slowly grown more critical of Israel's military actions in Gaza, in particular regarding the lack of aid getting in. It is "right and understandable what Israel wants to achieve, that Hamas is never again able to commit such atrocities," Bas said on Monday, referring to the October 7 attacks. At the same time, she added, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is being viewed with great concern. "The Palestinian and Israeli sides must now do everything they can to ensure that aid organizations can safely bring food, water and medicine to the people." What to know about Biden's latest attempt at student loan cancellation WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is taking another shot at student loan cancellation, hoping to deliver on a key campaign promise that he has so far failed to fulfill. In a visit to Wisconsin on Monday, Biden detailed a proposal that would cancel at least some debt for more than 30 million Americans. Its been in the works for months after the Supreme Court rejected Bidens first try at mass cancellation. Biden called the courts decision a mistake but ordered the Education Department to craft a new plan using a different legal authority. The latest proposal is more targeted than his original plan, focusing on those for whom student debt is a major obstacle. Heres what to know about the new plan: HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM BIDENS FIRST PLAN? Bidens first attempt at widespread student loan cancellation would have erased $10,000 for borrowers with yearly incomes of up to $125,000, plus an additional $10,000 if they received federal Pell grants for low-income students. It was estimated to cost $400 billion and cancel at least some student debt for more than 40 million people. The Supreme Court rejected that plan last year, saying Biden overstepped his authority. The new plan uses a different legal justification the Higher Education Act, which allows the secretary of education to waive student loan debt in certain cases. The Education Department has been going through a federal rulemaking process to clarify how the secretary can invoke that authority. The new plan targets five categories of borrowers, focusing on those believed to be in the greatest need of help. It would provide relief to an estimated 30 million borrowers. The administration has not said how much the plan would cost. WHOS ELIGIBLE? Bidens new proposal would offer cancellation to five categories of borrowers. The widest-reaching provision aims to reset student loan balances for borrowers who have seen their debt grow because of unpaid interest. It would cancel up to $20,000 in interest for Americans who now owe more than they originally borrowed. That cap wouldn't apply for individuals who make less than $120,000 a year or couples who earn less than $240,000 and also are enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan. The Education Department says 25 million people would be eligible for that relief, including 23 million who would get their interest erased entirely. Borrowers who are eligible for other federal forgiveness programs but havent applied would also get their loans canceled under the new proposal. It applies to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and income-driven repayment plans, among others. Its meant to help people who missed out on forgiveness because of complex paperwork, bad advice or other obstacles. An estimated 2 million people would be eligible for that help. All debt would be canceled for borrowers who have been repaying undergraduate loans for 20 years or more, or 25 years for those with graduate school debt. The Biden administration says it would erase loans for more than 2 million people. Those who attended college programs of low financial value would be eligible for forgiveness. The plan would cancel debt for borrowers who went to institutions that lost eligibility for federal education funding because they cheated students. It would also cancel loans for people who went to college programs that left graduates with low incomes compared to their student loans. A final category would cancel loans for Americans facing hardship that prevents them from repaying their student loans. The rule would allow the Education Department to cancel debt for borrowers who are considered highly likely to default on their loans, and it would create an application system for individuals to detail other forms of hardship. DO I NEED TO APPLY? Most of the cancellation would be done automatically with no need to apply. That would be the case for the interest cancellation, borrowers with older loans, those that attended low-value programs, and those eligible for other cancellation programs. Theres one exception: If borrowers want to make a case that they face some sort of hardship that merits cancellation, they would need to apply individually. WHEN WILL I GET RELIEF? The Biden administration says some debt could be canceled as soon as this fall, including interest that has snowballed on top of borrowers' loans. That timeline would require some maneuvering. The Education Department said it plans to release a formal proposal in the coming months. That would usually be followed by a public comment period of 60 days. Then if the rule is finalized by Nov. 1, it would usually take effect the following July in this case, July 2025. But the Higher Education Act authorizes the education secretary to fast-track rules for early implementation in some cases. The Biden administration recently used that power to accelerate student loan cancellation offered through a new federal repayment plan. Invoking that authority could allow Biden to start canceling debt later this year. IS THIS A SURE THING? Anything but. The Biden administration says its confident that the plan is allowed by the Higher Education Act. But loan cancellation of this type is uncharted territory, and conservative opponents are expected to challenge Bidens plan in court. Republicans have repeatedly fought Bidens plan for student loan cancellation, saying its an unfair benefit shouldered by taxpayers who repaid their loans or didnt go to college. Opponents say the Supreme Court was clear that widespread loan cancellation must come from Congress. If Bidens plan faces a lawsuit, courts could order the administration to halt cancellation until legal questions are sorted out. That scenario could leave the plan on hold beyond the November presidential election. Even if it survives legal challenges, a Donald Trump victory would spell almost certain doom for Bidens plan. CAN CANCELLATION BE REVERSED? If Bidens plan is overturned after the administration starts canceling loans, it would present a thorny question: Can forgiven student loans be unforgiven? Technically, there are ways that canceled student debt can be reinstated. But doing it on such a large scale could be difficult and costly, requiring heavy work from loan servicers contracted to work for the Education Department. It could also be politically fraught to reinstate debt after its been forgiven. Ultimately it could be up to the courts to decide how to handle debt thats already been canceled. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. What to know about Ohio Liquors 2024 spring bottle lottery What to know about Ohio Liquors 2024 spring bottle lottery COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Ohioans are hoping that winter is behind them and spring is on its way. Part of the change of season means another chance to win rare bottles of bourbon from the Division of Liquor Control. This years spring lottery entrance opened early Monday and will run until 11:59 p.m. April 15. Anyone who is 21 or older is allowed to enter if they have a valid Ohio drivers license or state ID card. Entrants can only win one bottle of liquor. While many Ohio residents can enter to win, restrictions for entry include employees of the Ohio Division of Liquor Control and their families, employees of JobsOhio or companies in contract with the Ohio Division of Liquor Controls Agency Operations section and JobsOhio Beverage System, agency store owners and their employees/family members, or the products broker and supplier. Among the spring bottles available to win for this seasons lottery: The Last Drop Signature Blend by Drew Mayville Whiskey $4,000 value Michters 25 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon $1,499.99 value Michters Single Barrel 20 Year Whiskey $1,149.99 value King of Kentucky Bourbon $299.99 value Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey $299.99 value Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 2nd Edition Whiskey $289.99 value Old Fitzgerald 19 Year Bottled in Bond Decanter Whiskey $239.97 value Parkers Heritage Collection 17th Edition 10 Year Rye Whiskey $184.99 value Old Forester Birthday Bourbon Bourbon $179.98 value Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year Whiskey $170 value Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond 10 Year Decanter Whiskey $139.99 value Winners will be selected randomly and notified by email of their winning product, purchase location, and purchasing time period. The names of winners will also be announced on this site. To enter or learn more about the lottery and bottles available to win, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Heres what we know about Uber and Lyfts planned exit from Minneapolis in May FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2016, file photo, a ride share car displays Lyft and Uber stickers on its front windshield in downtown Los Angeles. The future of Uber and Lyft in Minneapolis has been a source of concern and debate in recent weeks after the City Council voted last month to require that ride-hailing companies pay drivers a higher rate while they are within city limits. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The future of Uber and Lyft in Minneapolis has garnered concern and debate in recent weeks after the City Council voted last month to require that ride-hailing companies pay drivers a higher rate while they are within city limits. Uber and Lyft responded by saying they would stop serving the Minneapolis area when the ordinance takes effect May 1, causing the city to weigh the ordinance it passed. The state could also take action, while riders and drivers are left wondering what could come next. Here is what we know so far: WHAT HAPPENED? The Minneapolis City Council last month overrode a mayoral veto and passed an ordinance that requires ride-hailing companies to pay drivers a minimum rate of $1.40 per mile and $0.51 per minute or $5 per ride, whichever is greater excluding tips, for the time spent transporting passengers in Minneapolis. Supporters of the ordinance said the rate would ensure that companies pay drivers the equivalent of the city's minimum wage of $15.57 per hour. Council Member Jamal Osman, who co-authored the ordinance, said in a statement: Drivers are human beings with families, and they deserve dignified minimum wages like all other workers. ... the Minneapolis City Council will not allow the East African community, or any community, to be exploited for cheap labor. Many East African immigrants in the Minneapolis area work as Uber and Lyft drivers and have advocated for the rate increase. However, a recent study commissioned by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry found that a lower rate of $0.89 per mile and $0.49 per minute would meet the $15.57 per hour goal. WHAT ARE UBER AND LYFT DOING? Uber and Lyft said they can support the rate from the state's study. But if the higher rate from the Minneapolis ordinance goes into effect, the companies said they will leave the market May 1. Josh Gold, an Uber spokesperson, said the company plans on ending its operations in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the Twin Cities metro area including the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. The metro area includes more than 3 million people, which is more than half the state's population. CJ Macklin, a Lyft spokesperson, said Lyft will end its operations only in Minneapolis. Lyft will still service the airport, but will not pick up or drop off passengers at any Minneapolis locations. Both companies previously pulled out of Austin, Texas, in 2016, after the city pushed for fingerprint-based background checks of drivers as a rider safety measure. The companies returned after the Texas Legislature overrode the local measure and passed a law implementing different rules statewide. CAN THE STATE STEP IN? Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said he is deeply concerned about the possibility of Uber and Lyft leaving the Minneapolis area. Walz said the move would have statewide impact and affect everyone who relies on the service, including people trying to get home safely from bars, people with disabilities, students and others. State lawmakers could pass legislation that would supersede the local ordinance. But Walz said the most efficient solution is to ask the Minneapolis City Council to work out a compromise. WHAT IS THE CITY DOING? Minneapolis City Council members could vote to change the ordinance, take it back completely or leave it as is. Council member Linea Palmisano said she plans to continue voting against it unless it is changed. Palmisano said she has heard from many community members who oppose it, including students, part-time and low-income workers, hospitals and more. Palmisano said she has also heard from drivers who do not agree with it and are now at risk of losing their livelihood. Council member Robin Wonsley, the ordinance's lead author, said the ordinance's rate is the right thing to do. For far too long, this industry has exploited workers of color and immigrant workers for cheap labor. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to build a rideshare industry that is not based on poverty wages and exploitation," she said. WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING? Residents in the Twin Cities metro area are divided some support the ordinance because it will help marginalized workers, while others oppose it because they don't want Uber and Lyft to leave. Marianna Brown, an Uber driver in her 60s living in a suburb of Minneapolis, supports the ordinance and isn't worried, saying other ride-hailing companies and even a local driver-owned co-op are planning to enter the Minneapolis market. Brown, a Jamaican immigrant, said drivers have been abused by Uber and Lyft for too long. Arianna Feldman, 31, of Minneapolis, said she supports the ordinance and has taken close to 2,000 rides on Lyft because she doesnt drive, has health issues and doesnt have access to reliable public transit. I think its really shameful that these multimillion-dollar companies are holding us hostage like this and punishing communities for demanding a very basic right to get compensated correctly, she said. Jake Clark, 44, of St. Paul, is an Uber and Lyft driver and opposes the ordinance. Clark said he has never earned less than $25 per hour and has earned up to $75 per hour because he prioritizes customer service and strategizes which rides to accept. Michael Sack, 34, of Minneapolis, also opposes the ordinance. He has cerebral palsy and serves on the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities. He urged the City Council and state Legislature to find a way to increase drivers' pay while keeping ride-hailing services affordable. It is critical to keep the cost of rides down because people with low incomes, which most individuals with impairments have, utilize Uber and Lyft, he said. ___ Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @TrishaAhmed15 Korean Conflict Medal of Honor recipient Col. Ralph Puckett passes away in his sleep; He was 97 Korean Conflict Medal of Honor recipient Col. Ralph Puckett passes away in his sleep; He was 97 COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) Col. Ralph Puckett Jr., U.S. Army retired and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his battlefield actions in the Korean Conflict, died peacefully in his sleep early Monday, April 8, 2024, at his home in Columbus, Ga. Col. Puckett was 97 years old and the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean Conflict. A celebration of his remarkable American life will be held April 20 at the National Infantry Museum. It will be at 11 a.m. on the NIM parade field. Col. Pucketts remains will be interred in a private ceremony at the Parkhill Cemetery in Columbus. Col. Pucketts life and military service can best be summed up in one line from the Cadets Prayer at his alma mater, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half-truth when the whole can be won. John Lock, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, led a decades-long effort to have the Medal of Honor awarded to Col. Puckett. At the end of Col. Pucketts life, Lock became a trusted confidant. Many will say that Col. Puckett led by example, Lock said. I would rather say that Col. Puckett lived by example. The difference being that leading by example can be defined as modeling the actions and behaviors one wants others to see and emulate, while living by example reflects ones beliefs via actions and daily life, meaning always doing what you are supposed to do, when you are supposed to do it, even if no one is there to see. A total of 147 Medals of Honor the nations highest military recognition for valorwere awarded to those who fought in Korea. Col. Puckett received his at the White House in May 2021, more than 70 years after his heroic efforts with the 8th Army Ranger Company on Hill 205 in what is now North Korea. It was presented to him by President Biden with President Moon of the Republic of Korea in attendance. Puckett pushed away his walker and stood at attention as President Biden draped the medal around his neck. Selected as the companys commander, 1st Lt. Puckett had about a month to train his Rangers before being committed to combat operations. On Nov. 25, 1950, Puckett and his Rangers attacked and secured Hill 205 near Unsan, Korea. Though outnumbered 10 to one, Puckett and his Rangers defeated five successive Chinese counterattacks over four hours that night and into the early morning hours of Nov. 26. On the sixth assault, Pucketts Ranger company was overrun in hand-to-hand combat. Puckett was wounded multiple times and unable to move. Disobeying his orders to leave him, fellow Rangers fought their way to his side and evacuated him to safety. For his actions, Puckett was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. That was upgraded in 2021 to the Medal of Honor. Col. Puckett retired from active duty in 1971 after 22 years in uniform and multiple combat tours in Korea and Vietnam. His list of military accomplishments is lengthy. His ribbon rack reflected among others: the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars with V device for valor, five Purple Hearts, ten Air Medals and the World War II Victory Medal. In addition, he had the Combat Infantrymans Badge with star for Korea and Vietnam, the Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Glider Badge and the Colombian Lancero Ranger Badge from the most respected Ranger course in Latin America that he helped establish. Like thousands of other Rangers, we loved the best Ranger, said Retired Col. Rob Choppa, president of the National Infantry Association. He was truly the best among us. In his post-military life, Puckett became a fixture at Fort Benning, now Fort Moore. He was honorary colonel of the 75th Ranger Regiment, an elite Army fighting force headquartered at the post, and served an unprecedented 12 years in that role. A kindred spirit, he spent time with the Rangers either in the field as they trained or in theater as they fought their war, the Global War on Terrorism. Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal said that Col. Puckett lived his extraordinary life for other people. If we measure Ralph Pucketts accomplishments and we only include the Medal of Honor, we are almost missing the point, McChrystal said. Ralph Pucketts awards are thousands of young Rangers, many of whom were still fairly young, that hes touched by his example and his actions. Thats the real monument to him. Former Fort Moore, commander retired Gen. Scott Miller said above all Col. Puckett was a teacher of life lessons. Col. Puckett has taught us all what it means to give back after active servicehis legacy will be more than the Medal of Honor; it will be the generations of leaders that he has actively mentored and positively influenced, Miller said. And he was such a friend to all of us that came through Fort Moore. A native of Tifton, Ga., Puckett travelled the world in his service to the nation. He and his wife of 70 years, the former Jeannie Martin, have lived in her hometown of Columbus since 1990. Despite the demands of his military service, his son, Thomas Puckett, says his father was a Medal of Honor dad every day. He sets the standard for what its like to be a gentleman, what its like to be a man and be true to your word. It is just a very high standard hes set and he lives up to it. Like thousands of other Rangers we loved the best Ranger, said Retired Col. Rob Choppa, president of the National Infantry Association. He was truly the best among us. Col. Puckett was preceded in death by his parents, Clara Steadman Puckett and Ralph Atticus Puckett; his sister Clara Puckett Winston; his brother Thomas Steadman Puckett; and his daughter Jean Puckett Raney. The colonel is survived by his wife Jeannie Martin Puckett; daughter Martha Lane Puckett and her husband Tony Wilcoxson; son Thomas Martin Puckett and his partner Chip Whitman; grandchildren Laurin Flanary Raney (MD), Dixon Flanary Raney, Capt. Martha Lane Kinnett; Jean Martin DeLoach, Sarah Kinnett Burdett and Jack Robertson Kinnett III; and four great-grandchildren. If so desired, the family requests that donations be made to the National Infantry Museum, Ralph Puckett Memorial Fund, or the charity of your choice. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Kyrgyzstan has transferred five Azerbaijani citizens, identified as members of a transnational organized crime group, to Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs officials, Trend reports via the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan. "It was established that on March 20, 2024, through the Ak-Jol checkpoint to the territory of Kyrgyzstan, five citizens of Azerbaijan arrived in order to spread and strengthen their criminal influence, including criminal ideology, as well as to commit a particularly serious crime - contract killing. Following operational and investigative procedures, it was confirmed that the individuals in question were associated with criminal groups. Following a prearranged agreement with Azerbaijani law enforcement authorities and considering the potential threat they posed to Kyrgyzstan's citizens, the individuals were handed over to Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs officials on April 7, 2024, at Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan," the committee informed. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The Los Angeles Times promoted its interim executive editor Terry Tang to its top editor role, becoming the first woman to lead the paper. The move comes after a chaotic few months for the newsroom that saw a wave of mass layoffs along with the exit of its previous executive editor.= Were thrilled to have Terry Tang leading the L.A. Times newsroom, Patrick and Michele Soon-Shiong, the owners of the Times, said in a statement. We made a decision in December to make changes in leadership to revitalize the L.A. Times. Terry in short order has demonstrated the capability of building on our legacy of excellence in journalism with stories that matter. She understands our mission to be a thriving pillar of democracy and the critical role that the L.A. Times voice playsto our city, and to the worldin bringing attention to issues that matter most, especially for those whose voices are often unheard. Tang joined the newsroom in 2019 as the deputy op-ed editor before getting promoted to editorial page editor in 2022. Following executive editor Kevin Meridas departure in January, Tang was appointed interim executive editor. Her appointment came days after hefty layoffs hit the newsroom, including the shedding of its Washington, D.C. bureau leaders, just after the first strike in the newsrooms 142-year history. She also understands how vital it is that we connect the community with our journalism, better engage with our readers and build new audiences as we seek to transform The Times into a self-sustaining institution, the Soon-Shiongs continued, referencing the business issues that have plagued the paper since they bought it in 2018. The owners have lost $100 million since the acquisition, according to the Times itself, and the paper laid off nearly 75 staffers last year. Its second round of cuts in January saw 120 people handed pink slips. The Los Angeles Times and its superb journalists make a difference every day in the life of California and this nation, Tang said. Its an honor to have the opportunity to lead an institution that serves our community and to make our work indispensable to our readers. 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. Terry Tang, who was named interim editor of the Los Angeles Times newsroom on Jan. 25, has been formally named executive editor, the Times owners Patrick and Michele Soon-Shiong announced Monday. Tang, the first female editor in papers 142-year history, has moved rapidly to reorganize the newsroom, form her own leadership team and put a heavier emphasis on traditional news gathering, according to the Times announcement. She took over the role from Kevin Merida, who left the paper in January after clashing with Patrick Soon-Shiong on editorial coverage. Merida resigned on Jan. 9 and Tang was named as interim editor on Jan. 25, following the departures of senior editors Shani Hilton and Sara Yasin. Their resignations were announced on Jan. 22, the same day as the historic layoffs of 120 newsroom staffers. The editorial exits continued with Christian Stone, deputy managing editor at the Los Angeles Times, who resigned on March 29 after four years at the paper, as TheWrap exclusively reported. Stone was lead editor on the 101 Power List, which was put on hold indefinitely. The project was originally supposed to be published in January. Tang, who became the papers deputy Op-Ed editor in 2019, will continue to oversee the opinion section. She will work with Deputy Editorial Page Editor Mariel Garza, who leads the editorial board and Deputy Op-Ed Editor Susan Brenneman, who oversees the op-ed page. Terry in short order has demonstrated the capability of building on our legacy of excellence in journalism with stories that matter, the Soon-Shiongs said in a joint statement. She understands our mission to be a thriving pillar of democracy and the critical role that the L.A. Times voice plays to our city, and to the world in bringing attention to issues that matter most, especially for those whose voices are often unheard. The post LA Times Formally Names Terry Tang as Executive Editor appeared first on TheWrap. Labour pledges smartphones for diabetic children to help them track their blood sugar Sir Keir Starmer shows Holly Burbidge, 12, how the smartphone glucose tracking works on a visit to King's Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts - Jacob King/PA Smartphones will be given to diabetic children to track their blood sugar under Labours plans for the NHS. Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to give all 32,000 children with type 1 diabetes a mobile phone so that they can take advantage of new glucose monitoring devices. The Labour leader said he had reached a deal with Virgin Media O2 to supply the phones in a move that shows his government would work hand-in-glove with business to improve the NHS. On Monday Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, vowed to use the private sector as he criticised middle-class lefties who treat the NHS as a shrine. We will also use spare capacity in the private sector to cut the waiting lists, he told the Sun. Middle-class lefties cry betrayal. The real betrayal is the two-tier system that sees people like them treated faster, while working families like mine are left waiting for longer. Mr Streeting and Sir Keir unveiled plans to give children mobile phones compatible with continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) available on the NHS on a visit to Kings Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. Adjust what they eat and drink The partnership between Virgin and the NHS would build on work by the charity Supporting Children with Diabetes (SCD), which has already given out around 500 donated phones to children. The CGMs allow anyone with diabetes to monitor their glucose levels by checking their smartphone and receiving notifications if it is dropping too low or going too high so they can adjust what they eat and drink and when. Sir Keir said: Its a travesty that hundreds of children with type 1 diabetes cant afford smartphones to take advantage of new monitors which check and monitor glucose levels. We need an innovative and collaborative approach to tackle this head-on. Thats why my Labour government will work hand-in-glove with leading businesses to break down the barriers to access. He said a 10-year plan to modernise the NHS would bring it into the digital age and give all children the best possible start in life. Many are forced to finger prick Around 32,000 children in the UK are currently living with the condition. Carolyn Goldhill, chief executive of SCD, said many of those affected are forced to finger prick to test levels. Labour said the NHS would identify children in need of a smartphone and direct them to the charity. It has also said it would digitise the red book given to parents to track their newborns medical records as they grow. Mr Streeting said: There is a revolution in medical technology taking place. Under the Tories, the NHS is failing to secure the advantages of AI and new treatments for its patients, but private health care wont. If this continues, the two-tier healthcare system that is emerging in our country today will grow, the gap between public and private will widen, and the NHS will become the poor mans service. Labour will reform the NHS so it takes full advantage of modern technology to deliver better care for all patients. Nicola Green, corporate affairs director of Virgin Media O2 said: As someone with type 1 diabetes, I have first-hand experience of how smartphone technology can help manage the condition. The recycled devices that Virgin Media O2 is donating will reduce the hassle and stress for those families affected by diabetes. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Larry Hogan: I still dont have any burning desire to be a senator Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), candidate for the states U.S. Senate seat, said in an interview that aired Sunday that he did not have a burning desire to be senator but was compelled to run for the seat because of the broken system. I still dont have any burning desire to be a senator. I wasnt looking for a title. I dont need a job. But Im just so frustrated with how broken our political system is, Hogan said in an interview with CNNs Melanie Zanona. Hogan was a late entry into the race, which has picked up steam now that Hogans popularity put the solidly blue seat in jeopardy for Democrats. Hogan, who is running as an anti-former President Trump candidate, has broad name recognition. A recent poll also found him edging past the two main Democratic candidates in the race Rep. David Trone (Md.) and Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. Polling of a hypothetical head-to-head match-up showed Hogan leading Alsobrooks by 4 points, with 44 percent support, and 11 percent undecided. In a separate head-to-head match-up, Hogan got 43 percent to Trones 42 percent with another 10 percent undecided. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter still has the state as likely Democrat, moving from solid Democrat before Hogan announced he was running. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Warning: The details in this article are graphic in nature. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Two parents are accused of beating their young children for years, covering their injuries with makeup and saying they were doing Gods work, before taking one child to the hospital for a broken leg, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained. Las Vegas Metro police arrested Kyla Love and Adrian Melcher, both 21, on April 1, records said. On March 31, Love and Melcher brought two children, a 3-year-old and an 18-month-old, to the hospital after the elder child suffered a leg injury, documents said. The 3-year-old child was also extremely malnourished and had makeup covering bruises, police said. The younger child was also extremely malnourished and underweight and was covered in bruises. The 8 News Now Investigators are not listing the childrens genders to avoid further identification. Once doctors and medical staff observed and treated the children, it was discovered that both children had suffered abusive torment at the hands of their parents for an extensive period of time, police wrote in court documents. The injuries to both young children were violent and traumatic and painted a picture of abuse the children had suffered their entire lives. Police said while speaking with Love and Melcher, both confessed to causing the injuries and took responsibility for the abuse, documents said. Love allegedly told police the physical discipline began early in the childrens lives and started with smacking hands and feet, documents said. That discipline led to pops to their mouths, police said. Last year, the parents allegedly began using clothes hangers and phone charging cables to discipline the then-2-year-old and 9-month-old, police said. [Love] described how the strikes were necessary to make the infants behave and how they started with light strikes to the arms and legs but led to harder strikes that left marks and welts on their bodies, police wrote in court documents. In one incident from February, police said Melcher allegedly hit the 18-month-old child with a charging cord, leaving the child with an open wound across the back, documents said. Kayla stated the physical abuse to both children occurs on a nearly daily basis for over a year, and she blamed the Bible as their inspiration for using this extreme force of discipline for her infant children, documents said. On the day the parents brought the two children to the hospital, Love explained she knew the 3-year-old childs leg was broken and she and Melcher made a homemade splint. According to police, Love told them they did not take the child to the hospital right away because they knew they would get in trouble, documents said. They then went to a convenience store to buy makeup to cover the childs bruises. The process took seven hours, according to Love before they went to an urgent care facility, police said. On the way to urgent care, Love and Melcher reportedly came up with a story that the child had injured themselves at Sunset Park, police said. At urgent care, staff informed the couple the child would have to be treated at Sunrise Hospital. Once at Sunrise Hospital, Kyla knew they would be in trouble and stated she was ready to accept responsibility for her mistreatment of her infant children, police said. When asked about the childrens low weight and malnutrition, she stated she did not have enough food or enough to feed her children and was only able to feed them once a day. She also understood how bad the children looked and asked for forgiveness for her part in their abuse and mistreatment. In an interview with police, Melcher reportedly told police he began hitting [the children] when they were approximately six months old and believed this form of discipline would make them stronger and smarter, according to court documents. In one incident last year, Melcher told police he hit one child so hard they vomited and had a seizure, according to police. In another incident, Melcher told police he made a child stand up against a wall for five minutes, police said. Whenever [the child] dropped to the floor, Adrian would strike [the child] on [their] back with a phone cord, police said. The incident lasted four hours with the cord digging into the childs skin, documents said. When asked why he treated his infant children this way, Adrian stated he was, Doing Gods work and that he had to continue to beat them to make them stronger, documents said. He also quoted a Bible verse, which he claimed read, Disrespectful children should have their backs beaten. On April 1, police searched Love and Melchers apartment near Nellis Boulevard and Vegas Valley Drive, finding it dirty and unkempt, documents said. Love faces 10 felonies, including child abuse or neglect and child abuse or neglect resulting in substantial bodily harm. During her initial appearance on April 1, Judge Andrew Wong set bail at $80,000. Love remained in custody as of Monday. Melcher also faces 10 felonies. Wong also set his bail at $80,000. He remained in custody as of Monday. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for April 17. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. The last all Black town in the West A picture of Nicodemus Kansas around 1883 (Photo courtesy of Angela Bates via Daily Yonder). Wagon wheel impressions still mark the earth of the western Kansas prairie, where, beginning in 1877, Black former slaves journeyed across the plains. Those ruts, a physical reminder of the former slaves brave and challenging escape from new post-Reconstruction oppressions in the American South, and their dreams of true independence, self-determination and self-governance. But wagon wheel ruts arent the only reminder of that dream; they lead to the small, unincorporated community of Nicodemus, Kansas, the oldest, and last remaining, all Black town in the American West. Angela Bates (Photo courtesy of Angela Bates via Daily Yonder). Angela Bates is a fourth-generation descendent and historian of the communitys original settlers. Bates has dedicated much of her life to preserving and sharing the story of her hometown, her community and her ancestors. Its my personal family story and its the nations story, Bates said in an interview with the Daily Yonder. Its the only town that historically represents that time period at the end of reconstruction. Today, thanks to the work of Bates and other Nicodemus descendants, the community and its history remain intact through the establishment of the Nicodemus Historical Society, the Nicodemus National Historic Site, and the Kansas Black Farmers Association. Though fewer than 25 residents live in Nicodemus today, hundreds of descendants from all corners of the country return to the prairie town to commemorate their families stories during their annual Homecoming Emancipation Celebration, which has been held every summer since 1878. In February, Bates and the Nicodemus Historical Society premiered their original documentary Ellis Trail to Nicodemus, The End of the Journey to the Promise Land, which includes re-enactments of the original settlers journey to Nicodemus and interviews with their descendants. Ho For Kansas! (Courtesy of Nicodemus National Historic Site) After the conclusion of the Civil War and Reconstruction in the late 1870s, it became clear to many Black southerners that, while slavery had been abolished, oppression, poverty and violence persisted. Many migrated to northern cities, where jobs and opportunities were more accessible. Others hoped to move West, where they could build communities by Black Americans for Black Americans from the ground up. There, they hoped to partake in a self-determined, agrarian way of life, outside of the systemic racism that was built into the fabric of almost every already established town and city in the nation. Against this backdrop, two men W.H. Smith, a Black minister, and W.R. Hill, a white land developer from Indiana founded the Nicodemus Town Company in order to promote the town to former slaves who lived and labored in the green fields of Kentucky and Tennessee. Flyers about Nicodemus were dispersed to Black communities in the region. For just $5, residents could purchase a plot of land. By early summer in 1877, several families had become the first settlers in the community, and by the end of the summer over 300 train tickets were purchased for a ride out west. Families packed what they could carry and boarded trains headed to Ellis, Kansas, the closest railroad station to Nicodemus. From there, settlers loaded up on wagons to travel 35 miles north to Nicodemus. Nicodemus was framed as the Promise Land and the Western Eden, with rich soil and an enjoyable, mild climate. Anyone who has ever spent a winter or summer on the plains could tell you this is an exaggeration. After arriving, many of the settlers were disappointed. The land was nothing more than a treeless, dry prairie. A sign from the historic site bears the following exchange: Where is Nicodemus? settler Willna Hickman asked her husband Daniel upon arrival. That is Nicodemus, he responded, pointing to several billows of smoke rising from underground dugouts. The first winter was especially hard. Without any lumber, tools, or supplies residents were forced to make do by carving additional dugouts into the Kansas sod. Many only survived with the help of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, who provided meat, supplies and indigenous wisdom for surviving a harsh winter on the plains. Despite these conditions, Nicodemus quickly became a bustling farming community of 700 to 800 residents. Each of the towns businesses which included several general stores, hotels, delivery companies, implement companies, doctors offices, churches, a school, a bank, and two newspapers, the Western Cyclone and the Nicodemus Enterprise were established, owned, and operated by members of the community. The community was notably self-governed. Some residents went on to become the first Black public officials in the county and state. The organization of an all-Black township and, following that, a county organized by members of that township caused a stir in the region. (White folks in the area) did not want all of the Black folks to govern them or the county, Bates said. W.R. Hill, the white land developer who helped settle Nicodemus, even worked to prevent the Black townships growing influence. He made sure Nicodemus was located on the eastern border of the county and that his township, Hill City, was located in the center. Hill City remains the seat of Graham County today, where influential government offices, departments, and courts are located. In 1887, three railroad companies were prospecting the area to extend their rail lines out West. If the railroad passed through Nicodemus, it would all but ensure Nicodemus continued economic growth. The community newspapers did their best to entice more settlers to make Nicodemus more attractive to the railroad. Simultaneously, residents voted to raise $16,000 to support rail line expansion and reserved land for the project. But when the railroad company began to lay the track, they bypassed the thriving community. Bates believes W.R. Hill strategically undermined the communitys hopes for a rail stop. Hill was in cahoots with the railroad companies, Bates said. I believe his influence is what caused the railroad to bypass Nicodemus and then establish the town of Bogue. Bogue, Kansas didnt exist before the railroad moved through the area. It was built by the railroad company just four miles west of Nicodemus and marked the beginning of the end for the community. All that hope, everything, was blighted when they bypassed Nicodemus, Bates said. Many Nicodemus merchants packed up and moved to Bogue, where they could benefit from the new railroad stop. For those that remained in Nicodemus, the calamitous impacts of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression drove more families to look for opportunities elsewhere. Some moved to the Eastern part of the state, others west to California or north to Detroit. Nicodemus faced the same fate as many other rural communities: It began to shrink. But Nicodemus never died out, thanks to the communitys persevering traditions and spirit. Coming Home to Nicodemus The historic community built by the hard-working settlers of Nicodemus is being preserved by the latest generation of residents, led by the dedicated Angela Bates. LueCreasea Horne, sixth-generation descendent and Park Ranger at Nicodemus Historical Site, praised Bates for being a trailblazer in the community. She doesnt get all of the credit that she deserves, Horne said. She was the one lining us up and telling us we have something special here and we need to start preserving that. Without Angela, we would not be where we are right now. In 1956, when Bates was four years old, her family left Nicodemus for California. She remembers returning to visit every summer for the annual Emancipation Celebration. The celebration, first held in 1878, just one year after the towns founding, commemorates the abolition of slavery and the rich community born of restored Black freedom. Today, the event is more than just an average community gathering, its a Homecoming. For one week each summer, the population grows from around 25 to over 1,000, as descendents from across the country reunite with their cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends in the small Kansas town. (Nicodemus) was always an intimate part of my genealogical and physical connection, Bates said. I think thats true with most descendants. (Photo by Lane Wendell Fischer) Before Hornes family moved back to Nicodemus in 1989 when she turned 12, they traveled from Topeka, Kansas to attend the Homecoming. We knew it was Homecoming time when my mom and my grandma would take me and my brothers to the store to get new summer outfits, Horne recalled. We had to be fly and fresh because we had cousins coming in from California, and Detroit and all over the place. I have so many fond memories of driving in and seeing that blue Nicodemus water tower, she said. The event was a confluence of culture. Horne recalls listening to her aunts and uncles tell old town histories, practicing new dance moves brought by her cousins from the cities and swapping stories about what life was like in different parts of the country. Homecoming also meant bunking up in crowded households. After all, there were few local hotels for folks to stay during the celebrations. Of course, nobody had a bed, Horne said. We all had to sleep on the floor. But that togetherness, that fondness and just being so happy to see each other created memories that we still all share. Being one of the handful of local residents today, Horne has taken on the role of host, typically opening up her home to over 20 family members during the celebration. Taking the Preservation Baton As for Bates, her connection wavered a bit as she entered adulthood. She only returned for the Homecoming once after starting her own family. But in 1979, after her parents retired and bought a home back in Nicodemus, Bates annual summer visits started again. She became increasingly involved in the communitys historical preservation efforts, which at that time were led by Bates cousin, former halfback for the Green Bay Packers, Veryl Switzer. Its time for you to take the preservation baton, Switzer said to Bates. So I stepped up to the plate, Bates said. I started the historical society in 1988 and then in 1989 I moved to the area and have been here ever since. With the establishment of the Nicodemus Historical Society, Bates began collecting photographs and documents from descendants in Nicodemus and across the country. She worked with the University of Kansas to set up a repository at their research library to hold and preserve the materials. Weve got thousands of documents, its so unbelievable, Bates said. Bates and the Historical Society have also organized a collection of over 20 programs, as well as exhibits and presentations for every season and topic, Bates said. From the railroad all the way down to quilting. Another of Bates goals was designating Nicodemus as a National Historic Site with the National Park Service, which requires an Act of Congress. Bates was not intimidated. She spoke with then-Senator and presidential hopeful Bob Dole, who was a former resident of nearby Russell, Kansas. And she helped write that legislation, Horne said. In 1996, Nicodemus became a National Historic Site. Visitors are welcomed by Park Ranger Horne, who initially worked as a guide for site when it opened in 1996. I always try to get the visitor to understand how awesome it was that these folks, with just a little bit of money they were able to save up, bought their train ticket to get out and then bought a lot of land, Horne said. They built a beautiful utopia for themselves out here just years after being emancipated. She enjoys continually learning about her ancestors stories and sharing them with visitors through talks and tours. Unfortunately, folks deal with Hollywood, Horne said, saying that many people dont get to see representations of Black homesteading or land ownership. Being able to tell people about this dream and it still is a dream for many, today is important. This passion certainly runs in the family, because Hornes mother also works to promote representation and justice for todays Black farmers in Kansas. JohnElla Holmes, Ph.D, serves as the CEO and President of the Kansas Black Farmers Association (KBFA), which was founded and based in Nicodemus. Bates helped found the organization in 1999 to garner local support for Pigford v. Glickman, a class action lawsuit that alleged the USDA racially discriminated against Black farmers seeking farm loans and assistance. Today, KBFA trains new farmers, youth, women, and veteran farmers to use regenerative agriculture practices, and provides guidance for accessing USDA programs and grants. It also assists in national grassroots efforts to support Black and Indigenous farmers of color. From founding the Historical Society, to establishing the Historic Site, to helping organize KBFA, Bates considers the preservation of Nicodemus nearly complete. She plans to retire from her work later this year, she said. Angela did what nobody else wanted to do. She sacrificed a good job, retirement benefits, her entire life to live out here and make sure that Nicodemus is preserved and lives on past us, Holmes said. Because of her, we still have Nicodemus. When asked who she will pass the baton to, Bates said that the race is practically finished. Each of the organizations shes had a hand in will continue under their various boards, the Historic Site will continue to run with funding from the parks system and folks can continue to donate documents to the repository at the University of Kansas. Shes forgotten more than Ill ever know about Nicodemus, Horne said, She saw where she wanted Nicodemus to go, and shes had to drag some people along with her, but shes gotten it done. Bates then proceeded to read off a laundry list of projects to be completed: installing new signage in front of the historic buildings and other parts of town, constructing a veterans memorial near the visitor center and the release of an upcoming documentary. Perhaps retirement isnt so near afterall. Sharing the Legacy of Nicodemus In February, Bates and the Historical Society premiered the documentary, Ellis Trail to Nicodemus, The End of the Journey to the Promise Land. The project has been a long time coming for Bates, who wrote the script for the documentarys reenactments. It was a dream of mine back in the early nineties, Bates said, sharing that she initially wrote the script for a project with Disney, which fizzled out on Disneys end. But a few years ago, as Bates was planning a living re-enactment of the Ellis Trail journey, the dream resurfaced. I thought to myself, well, if were going to do this, we need to film it, Bates said. Bates and the Historical Society secured funding from the Trust for Public Lands, the National Parks Foundation, the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Robert Brogden Buick GMC, and other private donors. Then she connected with Nick Abt, a filmmaker based in Wichita, Kansas who was hired to shoot the re-enactment and interviews. The film centers around the experience of Emma Williams, and her familys wagon journey to Nicodemus. As the story goes, Williams a shared great-grandparent of Bates, Horne, Holmes and many of the films cast members was pregnant when she traveled over the Kansas prairie with her parents Tom and Zerina Johnson, her brother, and her sister Ella. Williams left her husband Charles back in Kentucky. He said hed meet her there in the spring and gave her a single yellow rose to take on the journey. Emma Williams is played by descendant Heather Alexander, and her sister Ella is played by LueCreasea Horne. Ive always known the story of the Ellis Trail, Horne said. But it was surreal to actually walk [it]. It gave me a newfound appreciation for my ancestors who made that trip all the way from Kentucky, and then Ellis over here. Horne recalled a particularly moving scene in which her character consoles her pregnant sister, who is nervous about the trip. Once you got in the clothing and in the place, you almost transport yourself back in time, Horne said. We were walking through that tall, native grass, trying to keep up with the wagons and the horses in the heat wearing long dresses for probably less than a mile, she continued. But these folks walking those 30 plus miles they think theyre gonna come to a town, and when they arrive theres nothing here. Shortly after arriving, Williams gave birth to the first baby born in Nicodemus. The story ends with her standing on the banks of the Solomon River, wondering if she had made the right decision to leave her husband, Bates said. It does beg a sequel, dont you think? Bates said she had seen the yellow rose once in her younger years, which was dried and pressed in a Bible, and handed down through the generations. But the whereabouts of the flower are unknown today. The film premiered with two showings at Frontier Stage Theatre in Hill City, Kansas on February 17 and at the Old Cowtown City Museum in Wichita, Kansas on February 24. Im glad this story will finally be available to the public, said Bates brother James Earl Bates, who recently moved back to Nicodemus from Belgium with his wife. Im gonna be there with bells on, said Holmes. This is a story that adds a sense of pride and resilience, not just for African Americans, but for all of us that are in rural communities. Bates hopes to share the documentary in other venues across the state and country, as well as PBS and other streaming services. More updates will be posted on the Nicodemus Historical Society website and Facebook page, Bates said. The whole concept of Nicodemus and what it stands for everybody in this nation should understand the significance of African Americans in the West, Bates said. We want to make sure that people are aware of that. This article first appeared on The Daily Yonder and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. The post The last all Black town in the West appeared first on Daily Montanan. The last surviving Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War has died Ralph Puckett Jr., an Army veteran who was the last living Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War, died on Monday at the age of 97. Puckett was awarded the militarys highest honor by President Joe Biden in 2021, more than 70 years after his heroism overseas. In a statement, officials from the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation hailed him and the 146 other Medal of Honor recipients from that war as models for heroism and service. Col. Ralph Puckett was the last of a generation of extraordinary heroes, said Chris Cassidy, president and CEO of the foundation. His actions [on the battlefield] reverberated far beyond the Korean peninsula as his courage, sacrifice, commitment and patriotism have inspired Americans for over 70 years. WRBL reported that Puckett died at his home in Columbus, Georgia, in his sleep early Monday morning. Retired Ranger Col. Ralph Puckett, 94, to receive Medal of Honor for Korean War battle Puckett, who retired as a colonel, was a young lieutenant in 1950 when he led 51 Army Rangers and nine Korean soldiers across frozen rice paddies to seize a key hill overlooking the Chongchon River. Army officials said Puckett repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire over nearly a day of fighting, first to commandeer a tank to provide cover for his men, then several more times to draw fire away from the positions they were trying to defend. Over the course of the counterattack, the Rangers were inspired and motivated by the extraordinary leadership and courageous example exhibited by [1st Lt.] Puckett, the official Army citation of his actions stated. As a result, five human wave attacks by a battalion strength enemy element were repulsed. Puckett was wounded several times by shrapnel and small arms fire. At one point, he ordered his men to leave him behind and retreat to a safer area. They managed to evacuate him before American artillery fire destroyed their overrun positions on the hill. For his actions, Puckett was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Several of his men and colleagues lobbied for years to have that honor upgraded, a move which came in 2021. Puckett earned a second Distinguished Service Cross for actions during the Vietnam War, as well as two Silver Stars during his 22-year military career. Pucketts death leaves 62 living recipients of the Medal of Honor, according to the foundation. Lawyer and his wife shot dead in Las Vegas office Police officers at the scene in Summerlin, Las Vegas - Ty ONeil/AP A Las Vegas lawyer and his pregnant wife were reportedly shot by a rival attorney following a child custody battle. Dennis Prince, a personal injury and insurance lawyer, was killed in his office alongside his wife, Ashley, by Joseph Houston, according to local news outlets. Police have not yet identified the victims or the gunman but confirmed that three people were dead after a shooting in the Summerlin area. Their identities have not been independently verified by The Telegraph. Multiple law enforcement sources told Las Vegass Channel 13 that Ashley Prince and her former partner, who was Houstons son, were engaged in a child custody battle. Prince was being represented by her new husband, Dennis, while Houston was acting for his son. Police received an emergency call about the shooting at a multistorey building around 10am on Monday 2024, and blocked off the surrounding roads shortly afterwards. Dennis Prince had four children, his former law partner Robert Eglet said They revealed two hours later that the gunman was dead, having apparently turned the gun on himself. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the building as police officers went door-to-door to move them to the nearby Red Rock Casino Resort. Prince Law Group was said to be on the fifth floor. Theres no further threat You have two deceased victims on the scene and theres no further threat to the community, Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters . Youve got a five or six-storey building, youve got people that are hunkered down following their active shooter protocols. Were going door by door to make sure that everybody in there is OK and evacuating them. He added that officers were investigating the suspects vehicle, which had apparently been parked inside the building before the shooting. Robert Eglet, Princes former law partner, said he had four children and that his death was not just a loss to his family, but also to the community. Prince volunteered with Substance Free Nevada, a charity that raises awareness about the dangers of drug abuse, according to a profile on his website. Las Vegas Police said: This shooting occurred at a law office. There are two deceased victims and the shooter is dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. The multistorey office building and hundreds of people inside were evacuated during this incident. The motive and the relationship between the victims and the shooter are under investigation. Joseph Houstons office did not respond to a request for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. On May 25, 2020, I was at home in Omaha, Nebraska, participating in a video call with the World Health Organization on Covid-19 when I started seeing videos on social media channels. Three white policemen knelt on one black man. One officer pressed his knee into the black mans neck. Then his last words, I cant breathe. As an Ethiopian-American woman, Im grateful for the opportunities Ive been given in the US. America is where I studied and got my greatest opportunities, a job in public health that Im passionate about and a loving family. However, George Floyds murder was a tipping point and as a mother of four adolescent black children, I became increasingly worried about their safety. Combined with the worst pandemic in a century, and endless zoom calls, I began to yearn for a change. I wanted to return to the focus of my work; Africa. After a discussion with my husband and children, we decided on Rwanda where wed been on a holiday the year before. While many who have not visited Rwanda understandably associate it with one of the worst genocides in history, it wasnt until we moved that I really began to understand the promise and potential of the country. In 1994, President Nelson Mandela came to power heralding an end to apartheid in South Africa. That same year, Rwanda saw one of the bloodiest episodes of the twentieth century. Over a 100-day period, more than one million Tutsis, as well as Hutus opposed to the extremist Hutu Power government, were killed. At the time, I was a first-year law student only nascently aware of the tragedy unfolding. I now know that while Belgium had historically colonised and mistreated Rwanda, the great powers of the day, including France, the UK and the US as well as the United Nations - did nowhere near enough to curtail the killings. Thirty years on, scars have faded but not disappeared. Reconciliation does not mean forgetting and when 119 bodies were found in the South of the country earlier this year the pain returns. I dont worry about my children in Rwanda The president of Rwanda is Paul Kagame. Some see him as a strongman and autocrat, but his record on developmental gains including poverty reduction is hard to argue with. Economically, Rwanda invested in infrastructure, tourism and a burgeoning service industry. While its cliched to talk about the gorillas (which are majestic), the lakes, mountains and safaris match any in the world for beauty and adventure. To ensure food security, Rwanda modernised its farming sector and for the future, it invested in technology and communications. The percentage of Rwandans living in poverty has dropped from 75 per cent at the turn of the Millennium to 40 per cent now according the World Bank. Still much to do, but the investment is paying off. In Rwanda, I dont worry about my son going out on a late-night walk or my daughter roaming the neighborhood on her scooter. Education is prioritised, Kigali is one of the cleanest cities Ive ever been to, plastic bags were banned in 2008 and reforestation projects are rolling out to help mitigate the climate crisis. As a clinician and a public health advocate, I have long worked on gender equality and to ensure people in lower-income countries can access quality health services. Rwanda is a pioneer of both, women comprise more than 60 per cent of the parliament, and it is one of the first lower-income countries to implement a health for all scheme, called the Mutuelles de sante, which reaches 90 per cent of people. With a GDP of $966 per capita, Rwanda has instituted a universal healthcare program that the US (with a GDP per capita of $76,000) has been unable to do. And the pandemic reinforced Rwandas progress on health. In early 2021, when vaccines came online, the government took a two-pronged approach. In the short-term, it went directly to Pfizer and negotiated access to vaccines that started rolling out in February 2021. My whole family was vaccinated before many of our friends in the US. For the long-term, President Kagame struck a partnership up with German manufacturer, BioNTech. In December last year, Rwanda opened its first vaccine manufacturing hub, which has the potential to make 50 million vaccines per year - building greater resilience for themselves and for the region. I left America in search of a place less polarised and discovered it not just in a country but in people that have seen the worst of humanity and found a way through. Four years on our family plans to spend time in both the US and Rwanda and well take the lessons and zest for life which we found in Kigali wherever we go. Yesterday, I was in Rwanda at the 30-year commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi, as President Kagame and heads of state gathered to honour the memory of the more than one million lives lost. I felt once again the impact of three decades of truth and reconciliation, the hope which modern Rwanda represents, and the optimism which my new home brought to me in my own personal journey. Professor Senait Fisseha is a physician, lawyer, global public health expert, and Vice President of Global Programs at the Susan T Buffett Foundation. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The meeting in Brussels in the US-EU-Armenia format is in no way aimed at promoting the peace process in the South Caucasus; its goal is to draw the region into a geopolitical conflict, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend. He noted that this interference of external forces in the affairs of the region will not yield positive results. "In particular, it should be emphasized that messages of support to Armenia, which is prone to revanchist tendencies, can further encourage it. We have seen this before; such a result was given by France's arming of Armenia," Garayev said. He added that before the meeting, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US Secretary of State Blinken called President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and tried to explain their position. "Of course, this is primarily an indicator of President Ilham Aliyev's authority at the international level. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, once again voiced Azerbaijan's resolute position, bringing to the attention of the parties that this meeting will not make a positive contribution to peace in the region," the political analyst said. Garayev also emphasized that Russia and Turkiye also expressed their positions in connection with the US-EU-Armenia meeting. "So, not only Azerbaijan but also the countries of the region recognize that this meeting poses a threat to peace and stability in the region. The only country in the region that remained silent was Iran. However, until now, it was Iran that most often spoke about the "red line" in the issue of introducing outside forces into the region. Iran's silence at this stage was completely incomprehensible, and on the other hand, information about military aid deliveries from Iran to Armenia is now circulating on social media. It seems that Iran is not only silent but also continues to support Armenia," he stressed. According to the political scientist, the position that the West occupies today towards Azerbaijan, as well as the region, is criticized and ambiguously perceived in the West itself. "One of the main issues here is the massive arming of Armenia. So far, we have seen France arm Armenia. Now it is clear that Armenia's army is being reorganized and equipped with weapons. In this regard, the EU will allocate 270 million euros and the US will allocate $65 million, which will also be allocated over 4 years. These funds will be used to strengthen the defense line on the border with Azerbaijan, build defensive fortifications, and develop military infrastructure. Armenia's armament is a threat to Azerbaijan's security," Garayev added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel From Manitowoc to Morocco: My journey to this exotic and wonderful country, part one Editor's note: Reporter Patti Zarling spent 14 days in Morocco Feb, 8-22. The following is part one of her experience. I was sitting on the couch on a gray day in March 2023 when my phone pinged a message from my friend Jude. Have you ever wanted to go to Morocco? Morocco? I thought, quickly tapping the North African country into a Google search. Why? I pinged back. Turns out a friend of Judes sent her info on a Colors of Morocco trip offered through Collette Travel Agency and the former University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Department of Continuing Education. Did I want to go? To be honest, I hesitated. But after sleeping on the idea, I was fully on board. If life drops the opportunity to ride a camel and sleep in the Sahara Desert, who am I to say no? Reporter Patti Zarling riding a camel in the Sahara Desert, February 2024 A year later, I was on a flight from O'Hare to France and then from France to Casablanca. A year after deciding to join the adventure, on Feb. 8, 2024, it was time to board an Air France flight from Chicago OHare International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France, and finally to the Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, Morocco. We were part of a group of 22 from Oshkosh, Appleton, Green Bay and Manitowoc. That group oddly included three Tammys, two Debbies and two Pattis. We all bonded, and we all had at least some traveling under our belts. A donkey in Meknes, where we ate lunch with a local family. I was intrigued to visit a part of the world about which I knew so little. Id read the culture was a mix of Arab, African and European influences a Muslim country thats more conservative than the West, but progressive compared to other Arab countries. I knew we couldnt drink the tap water and should dress modestly. It was obvious as we rode a bus from the airport to Rabat, the Moroccan capital, that its an ambitious country. We saw road crews, construction machinery and buildings emerging from piles of dirt, everywhere. I saw palm and olive trees, goats and donkeys. We weren't in Wisconsin anymore. Nory, our tour guide, made the trip special with his love and passion for the country. Jude and Patti posing with some of the friendly staff at the riad in Fes. Our tour guide, Nory, told us the country is making the move from depending on agriculture to focusing on building both the tourism and tech industries. Morocco is an Arab country, and its leadership seems forward-thinking on matters of culture and business. Nory thanked us for choosing to visit Morocco rather than Italy or other more traditional trips abroad. He called it charity wrapped in dignity lending a hand to shop owners, restaurants, hotels and their employees by spending tourism dollars there. Nory made our trip special. He grew up in a small village in the Atlas Mountains, one of eight kids. His father ran a successful bakery until it failed, and the family lived on little. Patti Zarling and her tour pass through the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Norys dream was to be a mountain-climbing guide, but his family lacked the funds to pay the people he needed to to get ahead, he said. He tried for a decade to win the lottery, which would allow him to go to the U.S., but he married and moved to the Netherlands instead. He now serves as a tour guide for Collette giving tours only in Morocco, he said, because he understands the country and its history and culture. Nory speaks Arabic, which is the countrys official language, Berber language and English. His love and passion for the country was apparent throughout our stay. Patti stays at a historic lighthouse: Whats it like to spend a week in a historic Door County island lighthouse? Reporter shares her experience. A visit to the Mausoleum of Mohammed V offered a glimpse of the Moroccan people's love and respect for this king. The outside of the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat We kicked off our Rabat tour with a visit to the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Mohammed V was a sultan who helped secure Moroccan independence from French colonialism in 1956. He served as king from 1957 until he died in 1961. The inside of the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat His grandson, Mohammed VI, has served as king since 1999. In 2011, he sought to curb a growing pro-democracy protest movement part of the Arab Spring by reforming the countrys constitution to give women more rights and the prime minister more power. The mausoleum is ornate and the mosaic tilework beautiful. It is flanked by guards on horses, and we werent supposed to speak within the sanctuary. Moroccans love and respect this king. A guard outside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat Tagine and pastilla were among the unique Moroccan dishes I tried. Our day in Rabat concluded in a welcome dinner, with a taste of many Moroccan dishes. That included tagine, which we ate a lot of during our stay. The word "tagine" is used for both the food and the vessel in which it is cooked. Its a stew, slow cooked in a clay pot, often with chicken or meat, vegetables, spices and fruit. We stopped at a local restaurant for tagine on our way to the Sahara Desert. We ate a lot of chicken, fresh veggies and couscous on our journey. Im sure we probably had goat at some point, and a few folks tried camel burger (camels are expensive and typically not used for food). I still miss the fresh oranges and giant strawberries served with every meal. We also observed a Moroccan tea ceremony, in which men in traditional Berber robes hold trays of glasses behind their backs and pour tea over their shoulders. Very entertaining, if not practical. Moroccans drink a ton of mint tea, and we did, too. Very tasty, and I am now drinking more tea at home! The most unique Moroccan dish for me was the pastilla, which is basically a pastry stuffed with chicken and seasoned with cinnamon. Its served warm and topped with powdered sugar. It was tasty, if unexpected. Id say Moroccan spices generally were more sweet and less hot than I expected. Patti travels to Germany: I went to Germany for two weeks to see Christmas markets and more. Heres what I learned. Touring a ninth-century medina, a well-preserved Roman ruins and a small country town. Overlooking part of the city of Fes We also visited a kasbah in Rabat, which is a walled-in area of a medina. A "medina" (which means "city" or "town" in Arabic) is usually used to describe a historic old town composed of narrow, winding streets and alleys, walled in and accessed by gates. Wed experience a much larger medina a few days later in the historical city of Fes. There, we took a tour of a ninth-century medina and the stalls of the ancient market. The walls on either side of the medina were tight and winding. The market was filled with stalls selling everything from fresh oranges to clothing to silver. I always felt safe, although we were told not to engage with people who approached wanting to sell us trinkets theyd keep on following if you didnt shut it down. A street vendor in Fes On a warm, sunny day, we visited Volubilis, a well-preserved Roman ruins. After, we climbed on our bus and traveled to a small country town of Meknes, where we parked and then walked through the narrow streets of this colorful town to eat lunch at a local familys home. They spoke little English, but served an abundance of tagine, olive and other vegetable salads, fresh bread and fresh fruit. The Roman ruins of Volubilis On the way back to the bus, I marveled at the site of people in traditional garb conducting their business of the day. Donkeys loaded with wares for sale, water and other items stood quietly in the cobblestone streets. The best part of travel for me is seeing the completely different ways of life and cultures so different from our own. The world is so much bigger than our little slice of northeastern Wisconsin. Stay tuned for part two of my amazing time in Morocco. Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarlin@gannett.com or call 920-606-2575. Follow her on X @PGPattiZarling or on Instagram @PGPatti. This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: 15 days in Morocco: Mohammed V mausoleum, Fes, Casablanca, Volubilis Lindsey Graham disagrees with Trump on abortion ban. What the SC senator wants to do U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, is breaking with the White House hopefuls abortion position that the decision should be left up to the states. Graham has called for a national 15-week ban on abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. The states rights only rationale today runs contrary to an American consensus that would limit late-term abortions and will age about as well as the Dred Scott decision, Graham said in a statement. The science is clear a child at fifteen weeks is well-developed and is capable of feeling pain. Trump, who is running for a second term as president in this years election and is the presumptive Republican nominee, posted Monday a video on his social media network Truth Social, said the issue should be left up to the states. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state, Trump said in the video. During his one term, Trump appointed three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in its Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed a right to an abortion. Since the Dobbs decision, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont have held public referendums where voters sided with abortion supporters to protect access to the procedure. South Carolina bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually around the sixth week of a pregnancy. Graham has argued for a 15-week ban because a fetus can feel pain at that point in a pregnancy. However, until we achieve this goal, the least we can do is to provide anesthesia to an unborn child facing an abortion at fifteen weeks because they can feel pain, Graham said. Therefore, I will be introducing new legislation requiring abortion providers to administer anesthesia to an unborn child at fifteen weeks because they are capable of feeling pain. It is common medical practice to administer anesthesia to operate on an unborn child at fifteen weeks to save their life. Lithuania proposes dismantling its thermal power plant to deliver equipment to Ukraine The Ministry of Energy of Lithuania proposed dismantling its thermal power plants that have been shut down for spare parts and transferring the equipment for the needs of the Ukrainian energy system. Source: Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko on air of the national 24/7 newscast Quote: "I had a conversation with the Minister of Energy of Lithuania. They actually proposed using their closed thermal power plants as donors, which means the opportunity to dismantle and obtain the parts we need," he said. Background: Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defence systems to protect energy facilities from missile attacks by Russia, in order to prevent power outages in the summer when electricity consumption approaches winter peak levels. Ukrainians are likely to face power outages and consumption restrictions during the summer. Lithuania is ready to deliver equipment for the restoration and repair of Ukraine's energy facilities. Support UP or become our patron! Little should sign the Childrens School and Library Protection Act to protect kids | Opinion In recent years, conversations on the unresolved issue of sexually graphic library books have dominated statewide politics. By now, most Idahoans recognize that childrens access to books with erotic sex scenes in schools and libraries is a widespread issue across the Gem State. How widespread? Last year, the team at the Idaho Family Policy Center scoured school and library catalogs across the state. We ended up finding more than 50 libraries with these books on their shelves, accessible to minor children, all of which were documented in a report we released to the public. As Robert Wright, who serves as director for the Idaho Falls Public Library, admitted in a House committee earlier this year, I can tell you we have erotica in our library because people want to read it. Theres been erotica in libraries since the Library of Alexandria. Shockingly, hes right. And thats why the Idaho Family Policy Center has worked for more than three years on legislation to protect children. This year, state legislators introduced House Bill 710, also known as the Childrens School and Library Protection Act. This new legislation would simply require that schools and libraries take reasonable steps to restrict childrens access to materials that are obscene for minors. In full disclosure, H710 largely utilizes bill language drafted last year by the Idaho Family Policy Center. The bill has passed both chambers of the Idaho Legislature and it is now sitting on Gov. Brad Littles desk, awaiting his action. Importantly, this legislation is constitutionally defensible. As the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized, states have a compelling interest in protecting children from materials that are obscene for them. Let me be clear: No one is talking about banning books. If the new legislation becomes law, public libraries could continue offering books with erotic sex scenes to their adult patrons. We just think its fair for parents to expect that taxpayer-funded schools and libraries should be safe places for their children to make use of books, services and programs. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of Idahoans want to see legislative action on this issue. According to statewide public opinion polling, nearly 75% of likely voters believe public schools and community libraries should keep pornographic materials away from minor children. Of course, it all comes down to whether Gov. Little will protect children by signing H710. We hope and pray he does. Blaine Conzatti is president of Idaho Family Policy Center. He led the charge to get the heartbeat bill, the No Public Funds For Abortion Act and Simons Law enacted into Idaho law. SANFORD, Fla. (WFLA) Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills to help combat Floridas opioid problems Monday. The first bill DeSantis signed was Senate Bill 718, which will now make it a second-degree felony to recklessly expose first responders to fentanyl. If an officer says do you have drugs in your possession and you lie and the officer ends up getting exposed and harmed, were going to throw the book at you, the governor said. The bills text said this exposure could be through ingestion, inhalation, needlestick injury, or absorption through skin or mucous, and membranes. In years past, police officers across the country have reported adverse effects from fentanyl exposure after touching the drug. However, medical experts have countered these reports, saying fentanyl powder does not enter the body easily. Fentanyl does not pass through the skin efficiently or well, Dr. Ryan Marino, an ER physician, told NPR in 2023. The dry powder form thats encountered in street drugs is not going to pass through the skin in any meaningful way. In 2021, the CDC released an analysis of 12 police exposure incidents saying that officers did have brief health effects after being exposed to opioids, but none of them had signs of serious opioid toxicity. However, the exact cause of these symptoms were not known. Out of these 12 incidents, seven of the exposures were believed to be inhalation; nine involved exposure to the eyes, nose, and mouth; and five were through skin contact. Skin contact alone was unlikely to lead to health effects, the report said. In addition to SB718, DeSantis also signed SB66, also known as Victorias Law, which made June 6 Revive Awareness Day. This day would be used to help raise awareness of the dangers of opioids and the safe use of medicine reverse overdoses. You can watch the press conference in the player above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Monday, Sheriff Grady Judd released the full 911 confession from a man who admitted to stabbing his own mother to death over the weekend. Judd said Emmanuel Espinoza, a 21-year-old pre-med student at the University of Florida, stabbed Elvia Espinoza, 46, to death during a family visit. DeSantis signs bill making it a felony to expose first responders to fentanyl He knocked on the front door, and when mom opened the door, he began to stab her, and he stabbed her many times, the sheriff said Saturday. She ran from him. She was talking to a family member on the phone, and in addition to that, he stabbed her until she fell down and died. After allegedly killing his mother, the suspect then called 911 and confessed to the murder, according to the sheriffs office. The call goes as follows: DISPATCH OK. Yes, Sir. Tell me exactly what happened. ESPINOSA I just killed someone. DISPATCH Hello? ESPINOZA Hello. DISPATCH Yes, tell me exactly what happened. ESPINOZA I killed someone. DISPATCH OK, Ive got help on the way. Stay on the line while I get some information from you. OK. What is your name? ESPINOZA Emmanuel. DISPATCH Stay on the line with me. OK? Ive got help on the way with for you. OK. OK, Sir. OK, Ill let you. Yes, Sir. Ill want you to take everything out of your pocket, and I want you to keep your hands out of your pockets, OK. ESPINOZA Yes, Sir. Yes maam DISPATCH And how did and how did this happen? ESPINOZA I opened the door, and I stabbed my mom. ESPINOZA (He asks if he should keep something out of his pockets) DISPATCH: OK. Yes, Sir. I want you to stay on the phone with me. Everything out of your pockets, OK. ESPINOZA OK, OK. DISPATCH OK, alright. So we need to try to render aid if we can, OK. ESPINOSA Thats fine. DISPATCH OK, well, were going to try to render her aid, OK? ESPINOZA Alright. DISPATCH Is she awake? ESPINOZA No, [she] bled out. DISPATCH: OK. Is she breathing? ESPINOZA No. DISPATCH OK. OK. Do you think she is beyond any help? ESPINOZA I do. DISPATCH OK. Where is the knife? ESPINOZA With me. I washed my hands DISPATCH OK. OK, where are, where are you located right now? ESPINOZA On the porch. DISPATCH OK. OK. I want you to stay right there. OK. OK, Im sending the paramedics also to help you now stay on the line. Ill tell you exactly what to do next, OK? Please leave everything as you found it, OK? And Im going to stay on the line with you as long as I can. OK. Are you white, black or Hispanic? ESPINOZA Hispanic DISPATCH OK. And what is your date of birth? ESPINOZA The 12th. June 2002. DISPATCH And what is? Your height and weight. ESPINOZA (Speaks to someone off-phone) DISPATCH Are you with an officer? ESPINOZA Yes I am. DISPATCH OK, we can disconnect. CALL ENDS Audio from the Polk County Sheriffs Office Judd said Emmanuel Espinoza told deputies that he wanted to kill his mother for years because she got on [his] nerves. When asked about his relationship with his mother, the suspect told deputies it was an 8 out of 10 and he loved her. He made up his mind on his way from Gainesville that he would murder her, Judd said. Elvia Espinoza was said to be a greatly loved teacher at Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin Jr. Elementary. Her students and colleagues greatly loved her, and her sudden, unexpected death is a devastating loss. She was a very special part of her school family, the school district said in a Sunday statement. We ask everyone to keep her family and loved ones in your prayers. You can listen to the full call in the video player above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Welcome to Cincinnati.com's live coverage of the 2024 solar eclipse. Check back throughout the day for the latest updates. 4:24 p.m.: Eclipse ends in Cincinnati The solar eclipse officially ended in Cincinnati around 4:24 p.m. It also ended in many places around the U.S. between 4 and 5 p.m. ET. 4:10 p.m.: ODOT reports heavy traffic on I-74 toward Cincinnati Through X Monday, ODOT reported heavy traffic heading toward Greater Cincinnati from Indiana on I-74. It also reported heavy traffic on I-475 and I-75 around Toledo, as well as on U.S. Route 33 going toward Columbus in Union County. Seeing heavy traffic returning to the Cincinnati area from Indiana. pic.twitter.com/uk7dkhMDnK Ohio Dept of Transportation (@ODOT_Statewide) April 8, 2024 The department then reported that the left lane on I-75 in Dayton was blocked near Keowee Street. 4:07 p.m.: Eclipse nearing end in Cincinnati The eclipse will be over in Cincinnati at approximately 4:24 p.m. Many places across the country will see the eclipse end between 4 and 5 p.m. ET. 3:20 p.m.: No major traffic delays in Ohio The Ohio Department of Transportation is reporting no traffic delays at this time. 3:08 p.m.: Total eclipse passes through Miami Whitewater Forest, other parts of Ohio The total eclipse reached Miami Whitewater Forest and other parts of Ohio shortly after 3 p.m. Check out some videos and photos below. At about 99 percent of the sun blocked by the moon in the solar eclipse, Monday, April 8, 2024, pictured from Washington Park in Cincinnati. The solar eclipse in totality Monday, April 8, 2024, at National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton. Totality during Solar Eclipse 2024 at the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio. 2:56 p.m.: Partial eclipse in Miami Whitewater Forest The total eclipse has almost arrived to Miami Whitewater Forest. Check out the video above. 2:50 p.m.: Couples prepare to tie the knot in Trenton Trenton, Ohio, is holding a Solar Eclipse Mass Wedding Ceremony on Monday, officiated by Mayor Ryan Perry. Samantha Palmer and Gerald Lester (pictured below) are among the couples getting married. Local couple Samantha Palmer and Gerald Lester are minutes away from tying the knot at Trentons Solar Eclipse Mass Wedding Ceremony officiated by Mayor Ryan Perry. Trenton Community Park is bustling with families and dotted with brides and grooms. 2:30 p.m.: Eclipse photos from Greater Cincinnati start flooding in Enquirer reporter Cameron Knight captured this photo of a partial eclipse in Springdale on Monday. A view of the partial solar eclipse in Springdale, Ohio, on April 8, 2024. 2:20 p.m.: People enjoying start of eclipse at Miami Whitewater Forest People came in droves to see the total eclipse from Miami Whitewater Forest on Monday. Take a look at the video of the crowd below. Among the ways to enjoy the eclipse is from a boat on the Miami Whitewater lake. Enquirer reporter Sherry Coolidge did just that and wrote about her experience. "One of my favorite tween books (a long time ago) was called 'Taking Care of Terrific' by Lois Lowry, which involved a babysitter taking a child to the park to ride swan boats. I always loved the image of that. So when I saw there were swan boats at the Miami Whitewater Forest late today I had to try it out. (It was really a dragon and I cajoled my almost 16-year-old son into helping pedal.) It lived up to the hype I built in my head, and its by far the most popular attraction here today ahead of the eclipse. Well, a close second to the playground at least." 1:56 p.m.: Crowds prepare for solar eclipse at Summit Park in Blue Ash Crowds of people accept eclipse glasses at Summit Park in Blue Ash, Ohio ahead of the rare solar event. 1:52 p.m.: Partial eclipse arrives in Cincinnati A partial eclipse began in Cincinnati at 1:52 p.m. It will end at 4:24 p.m., and the moon will obscure approximately 99.4% of the sun at its peak. 1:30 p.m.: The 2024 solar eclipse is almost here! We're just minutes away from the start of the solar eclipse. The eclipse will begin in Cincinnati at 1:52 p.m. and end at 4:24 p.m. Even though Cincinnati isn't in the path of totality, we will still see a partial eclipse for 2 hours and 33 minutes. At the peak, the moon will obscure approximately 99.4% of the sun. 1:06 p.m.: Several Ohio state parks hit capacity ahead of solar eclipse The following Ohio state parks have reached capacity for viewing Monday's solar eclipse, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The state has asked that visitors go to other locations for the eclipse instead. Mt. Gilead State Park. Van Buren State Park. Daughmer Prairie Savannah State Nature Preserve. Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve. Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve. 12:24 p.m.: I-74 backed up as solar eclipse approaches Traffic slowdowns and crashes are beginning to be reported on interstates 74, 71, 75 and 275 as the time for the eclipse grows closer. Traffic cameras show a significant backup on westbound I-74 from Dent to the I-74/I-275 split. The Ohio Department of Transportation is warning drivers to plan ahead and expect heavy traffic due to the eclipse. Traffic is backed up on Interstates 275 and 74 Monday as the time for the 2024 solar eclipse approaches. 12:18 p.m.: Take a look at these eclipse photos from across Ohio Viewers across Ohio are getting ready for Monday's solar eclipse. Take a look below. 12:12 p.m.: The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium prepare for the solar eclipse The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium are ready for unique research opportunities presented by Monday's total solar eclipse and will be studying animals throughout the day. 11:25 a.m.: Heading to an Ohio park for the eclipse? Make sure there's still space At least one park along the eclipse's path of totality is already at capacity. Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve in Ridgeway, about 60 miles of Columbus and 30 miles southeast of Lima. was full as of 11:11 a.m., according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The state has asked that visitors go to other locations for the eclipse instead. Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve is one of 28 ODNR parks along the eclipse's path, according to the state agency. Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve is now at capacity. Visitors are asked to seek other nearby locations. For up to date information throughout the day, head to https://t.co/FXYgH73QMy. #eclipse pic.twitter.com/4jX25ugWOC OhioDNR (@ohiodnr) April 8, 2024 10:10 a.m. Spectators arrive to Indianapolis Motor Speedway People from around the world are watching the eclipse from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Check out some photos below. 10:09 a.m.: Cincinnati Bengals tweet about 2024 solar eclipse The Cincinnati Bengals posted a video on X/Twitter poking fun at the 2024 solar eclipse. Never seen an eclipse before but we imagine it's gonna look like this. pic.twitter.com/wjLe4j1vJH Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) April 8, 2024 9:45 a.m.: Miami Whitewater Forest starts to fill up Enquirer trending editor David Wysong arrived to Miami Whitewater shortly after 7 a.m., and the park wasn't too busy. He even captured the video of the sun rise below. However, the park started filling up between 9 and 10 a.m. 9:02 a.m.: Cincinnati Zoo animals prepare for the solar eclipse Meerkats at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden prepared for the eclipse Monday morning with ... oversized eclipse glasses. The meerkats are ready for the eclipse with their oversized sunglasses enrichment! #meerkatmonday pic.twitter.com/SLDdMBmgOw Cincinnati Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) April 8, 2024 8:41 a.m.: Here's a list of animals you might see during the solar eclipse Take a look at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources 2024 solar eclipse field guide, which includes a list of species likely to be seen within the path of totality. Tomorrow Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse. It will move from northwest of Cincinnati & Dayton along a line northeast to Lake Erie in a matter of minutes. This field guide is a collection of species likely to be seen within the path of totality: https://t.co/urk3qMn8LQ pic.twitter.com/Ub4VagZZQH OhioDNR (@ohiodnr) April 7, 2024 8:21 a.m.: Latest eclipse weather update for Greater Cincinnati Here's the latest weather update for the Cincinnati area, according to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington. Eclipse day is here. This is the latest thinking. pic.twitter.com/rYznia2IqT NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) April 8, 2024 8:10 a.m.: Ohio treated to a beautiful sunrise on eclipse day Enquirer photo editor Cara Owsley sent this photo from the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, where she's covering the eclipse today. The sun rises Monday, April 8 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton. 7:40 a.m.: Tips for eclipse viewing at Miami Whitewater Forest Miami Whitewater Forest, which is in the path of totality, is expecting a lot of people to show up on Monday. Great Parks of Hamilton County shared these tips if you're planning to visit: Expect plenty of traffic and arrive early with a full tank of gas, water and food Rangers will close the park if they reach capacity. Satellite locations at Parky's Farm and Sharon Woods are open, but they're not in the path of totality. The park closes at sunset, so an immediate, large-scale exit isn't necessary. 7:17 a.m.: What does a solar eclipse look like from a plane? If you're taking a flight on Monday during the 2024 solar eclipse, here's a look at what you may see. Solar eclipse from plane pic.twitter.com/SRGRfjlD8N Black Hole (@konstructivizm) April 8, 2024 7:00 a.m.: A look back at the 2017 solar eclipse Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams reflects on the 2017 eclipse ahead of the 2024 solar eclipse Monday afternoon. HAPPY TOTAL SOLAR #ECLIPSE DAY!!!! This is from the 2017 eclipse. My hope is everyone finds something during this lifetime that makes them feel this deeply! #TotalSolarEclipse #EclipseSolar2024 pic.twitter.com/RpGEMqu7RR Stephanie Abrams (@StephanieAbrams) April 8, 2024 6:31 a.m.: Visually impaired students experience the eclipse Blind and visually impaired students in Indianapolis, Indiana, will join NearSpace Education at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and will use Cadence Tactile Tablets to experience the eclipse in real-time. Everything you need to know Astronomy lovers, your time has come! The total solar eclipse, one of the biggest celestial events of the century, is here Monday. The National Weather Service says the eclipse will start in Texas and make its way across the country, passing over states that include Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana before arriving in Ohio. According to USA TODAY, nearly 500 cities in the U.S. are on the path of totality, including Cleveland and Toledo. Cincinnati isn't in the path of totality, but it will still see a partial eclipse lasting 2 hours and 33 minutes. At the peak of the eclipse, the moon will obscure approximately 99.4% of the sun. Are you planning to view the solar eclipse in the Queen City? We have information you may need below. This is also the place for live updates throughout the day, complete with photos and videos. Check back here as the eclipse makes its way across the country. Live broadcast of solar eclipse Want to follow the 2024 solar eclipse live on Monday afternoon? Watch the USA TODAY broadcast at the video below. What time does the solar eclipse start in Cincinnati? When will it end? The eclipse begins in Cincinnati at 1:52 p.m. and ends at 4:24 p.m. The partial eclipse is expected to last approximately 2 hours and 33 minutes. Cincinnati isn't in the path of totality, but it will still see a partial eclipse lasting 2 hours and 33 minutes. At the peak of the eclipse, the moon will obscure approximately 99.4% of the sun. What will the weather be like in Cincinnati for the solar eclipse? The NWS reports that dry conditions are in store for the solar eclipse Monday afternoon. Currently, the forecast calls for a slight chance of showers before 8 a.m. before the day becomes partly sunny, which should result in viewable conditions. Temperatures will reach the low 70s, with a high near 74. Solar Eclipse traffic information for Greater Cincinnati The Columbus Dispatch reports that Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) officials expect 150,000 to 575,000 visitors in the state April 8. To help emergency responders and residents prepare, ODOT created an interactive online map forecasting traffic that day. Where to get eclipse glasses in Greater Cincinnati NASA doesn't approve any specific spectacles for eclipse viewing. However, the American Astronomical Society has a list of approved vendors for eclipse glasses and telescopes that can be purchased at many local retail stores, including Kroger, Meijer, Walmart and more. But be careful because counterfeit glasses have flooded marketplaces for weeks leading up to the big event. If you're unsure whether your eclipse glasses are safe for viewing, check the International Organization for Standardization 12312-2 standard. What to wear during the solar eclipse Experts at Solar Eyeglasses recommend wearing shades of red and green to enhance your eclipse viewing experience and avoid neutral tones, such as black, white, gray and brown. Where to watch the eclipse around Cincinnati The closest city to Cincinnati where the total eclipse will be viewable is Harrison, located just 20 miles northwest of the Queen City. There, the total eclipse will occur around 3:08 p.m. Several places around Greater Cincinnati will also host eclipse-viewing parties. Click here for a non-comprehensive list of eclipse-viewing events and spots in the area. Solar Eclipse viewing do's and don'ts Locally-based, nationally-known astronomer Dean Regas has outlined several tips for observing the upcoming eclipse, including info on eclipse glasses, solar filters and projection with smaller telescopes, purchasing special telescopes for eclipses and more. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Live eclipse updates: Heavy traffic in Ohio. See eclipse photos, more The University of Liverpool is to return Inuit skulls to Greenland in an effort to address its colonial legacy. A British collector took remains from Inuit tombs as anatomical specimens and gave them to the university in the early 20th century. Liverpool is now in talks to repatriate the collection of 15 Inuit skulls as part of a decolonisation drive. Greenland is pursuing a policy of reclaiming Inuit anatomical items from museums in order to re-inter them in line with traditional burial customs. The number of Inuit remains in British museums is not known. The University of Liverpool told the Telegraph: As part of the universitys ongoing commitment to addressing our colonial legacy, we contacted Greenlands National Museum and Archives about a collection of human skulls with a view to repatriation. It is understood that a repatriation of the 15 skulls may take place this year. Liverpool University contacted Greenland's National Museum and Archives about the proposed repatriation - Getty Images/Martin Zwick Inuit remains taken from tombs The Inuit are an Arctic indigenous population living across Canada and Greenland, which is home to around 50,000 Inuit, and enjoys self-rule as an autonomous region under Danish sovereignty. During the 19th and early 20th century Inuit remains were removed from tombs for scientific study. On one occasion in 1897 an Inuit man was shipped to New York for the purpose of science, before he died of tuberculosis and was dissected. The remains were taken from rock tombs used by the Inuit during a period in which modern science and an interest in phrenology created a demand for human bone remains from different races. The British anthropologist J Brierley, about whom little is known, toured western Greenland in 1905 and took a number of skulls from Inuit tombs, without the consent or knowledge of the local population. It was in and around Sisimiut in western Greenland that British anthropologist J Brierley took a number of skulls from Inuit tombs - Getty Images In a 1906 account of his trip, he stressed how he had carefully avoided Danish graves on the island, which is governed indirectly by Denmark, in order to ensure he gathered pure Inuit specimens. The collection of skulls was given to the University of Liverpool shortly after the trip. Memorial site for the remains to be built Greenland National Museum wants all Inuit remains to be returned and placed in a planned memorial site. The site has not yet been built, so the remains will first be sent to a storage facility at University of Copenhagen. Christian Koch Madsen, deputy director of the National Museum, said there were countless examples of Inuit human remains that have been taken out of Greenland. We are working to establish a storage and memorial site for these remains that will respect the ancient burial practices of the Inuit, but until then we simply try to make sure that we have legal ownership and overview of the human remains, he said. Most often the communities from where the human remains were removed do not exist any more. These communities either moved to the colonies or mission stations after 1721, or were depopulated by disease, famine. Since we have no records of who were buried in the pre-Christian burials and when, many times not even where, it is all but impossible to establish contact with any direct living relatives or find a suitable place to rebury them. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Ulviyya Shahin Until April 1st, a total of 30.4 million manats of value-added tax (VAT) have been refunded to consumers in Azerbaijan for residential and non-residential areas purchased through non-cash transactions, based on 7,793 applications, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Economy. Along with the State Tax Service, the Ministry has provided information on this matter. It is reported that a total of 14,927 applications have been submitted by citizens through the relevant portal created by the Internet Tax Department. Furthermore, individuals engaged in building construction activity since the launch of the portal have submitted "Information Forms for each building regarding the provision of residential and non-residential areas," totaling 1,191, out of which 761 have been approved. To enhance citizen satisfaction, funds refunded since September 2023 are transferred to the individual's virtual "VATRefund" account in their client bank. This has eliminated several difficulties previously present in this area. During the investigation of citizen applications, several instances leading to delays were observed. These primarily include failure to apply within 90 days of the last payment date, absence of e-invoice information in payment designation, payments executed by other individuals, and non-separation of VAT and principal amounts during payment. Additionally, the State Tax Service recommends the provision of relevant information forms to individuals engaged in residential construction activities in accordance with the established legislation. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The recently identified remains of Basira Magerramova and Vagif Magerramov, who disappeared during the Khojaly genocide committed by the Armenian armed forces in February 1992, were buried, the statement of Azerbaijani Ombudswoman Sabina Aliyeva said, Trend reports. The statement noted that the remains of members of one family who were victims of discrimination and ethnic cleansing were found 32 years later in a mass grave on the territory of Khojaly district. "This fact once again proves Armenia's commission of war crimes and its violation of the norms of international humanitarian law. We once again remind that the Armenian side, flagrantly violating the norms of international law for almost 30 years, deprived the families of nearly 4,000 missing Azerbaijanis of the right to receive information about them, evading providing information to Azerbaijan about the places of mass graves," the statement reads. To note, the remains of two more persons (a married couple) found in the mass grave in Khojaly were buried on April 6. The remains of Magerramova Basira and Vagif Magerramov, who disappeared during the Khojaly genocide, were reburied on April 6 in Baku at the cemetery of the Zabrat settlement. Meanwhile, investigations continue in connection with the fact of the discovery of a mass grave during excavation works carried out within the framework of capital reconstruction and construction works in the center (near the former carpet factory) of the city of Khojaly liberated from occupation. Investigation of the human remains revealed that they belonged to at least 18 people, among whom four were presumably minors. They had been subjected to torture, physical violence, and ill-treatment. They had not been buried individually following religious rites, their bodies had not been properly preserved for identification, and they had not been marked with signs to determine their location. Additionally, several indicators suggest that the human remains found were buried at least 25 years ago. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel On Thursday afternoon, in an important lawsuit seeking to clarify which religious objectors will be taken seriously when they seek legal exemptions, a group of plaintiffs in Indiana scored a notable win: A three-judge panel on the Indiana Court of Appeals agreed to enjoin Indianas near-total abortion ban, as applied against a class of religious plaintiffs who had argued that the ban violates a state law protecting religious freedom. In its unanimous 76-page opinion, authored by Judge Leanna K. Weissmann, the panel determined that a preliminary injunction granted to a group of plaintiffs who had alleged that Indianas abortion law violated their rights under the states Religious Freedom Restoration Act could remain in place. The case now proceeds to trial, or more likely to a direct appeal to the state Supreme Court. Indiana became one of the first states to enact a near-total abortion ban after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. In September of that year, four state residents of various faiths and a group called Hoosier Jews for Choice claimed that the ban violated the states Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was passed with great fanfare in 2015 under the watchful eye of then-Gov. Mike Pence. The American Civil Liberties Unions plaintiffs contended that the almost total ban violates Jewish law, which provides that a fetus attains the status of a living person only at birth, and religious tenets that give priority to the life and health of the mother over that of the fetus. They also cited the religious teachings of various other faiths that support seeking abortion care under broader circumstances than the ban allows. The plaintiffs contend that their sincere religious beliefs provide grounds for terminating pregnancies in circumstances that are criminalized under Indianas prohibition. A state trial court judge had sided with the plaintiffs in December of 2022, and the state filed an appeal. Among the states objections, including ripeness and associational standing, they objected to the fact that the members of the plaintiff class did not share identical religious values, and that their abortion objections did not amount to religious views that should be protected under the state RFRA. As we cautioned after Dobbs was decided, at least one amicus brief filed in the case suggested that their proffered religious values were in fact pretextual. In allowing the injunction to stand, at least for now, with a narrowed class of plaintiffs, the Indiana court has signaled that no single religion has a monopoly on faith claims, and that members of dominant religious groups have no basis for casting doubt on the nature of faith claims advanced by others. Although the legal arguments here might seem novel, they actually have a long history. For decades prior to Roe v. Wade, liberal and progressive religious leaders had argued on theological grounds for rights to contraception and abortion. Whats changed in the past few years is not religious convictions supporting reproductive rights. Whats new is how courts, often led by conservative judges, understand and create legal doctrines governing religious liberty, as well as the bans that states have enacted in response to the fall of the constitutional right to abortion following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs. The Indiana court of appeals did not have any trouble writing its decision. Sometimes judges like to say that a difficult opinion just wont write. This opinion reads as the very opposite of that. Judge Weissmanns opinion, like that of the trial court, provides a straightforward application of Indianas RFRA, a state statute modeled on the federal law. To receive an exemption under Indianas RFRA, the plaintiffs in this case first had to show that Indianas abortion ban substantially burdens their sincere religious beliefs or practices. This wasnt hard. As the individual plaintiffs explained, they have stopped trying to become pregnant out of fear that they would not be able to act according to their religious beliefs in circumstances that conflict with Indianas abortion ban. For example, several of the Jewish plaintiffs stated that the law would prevent them from acting according to their religious commitments, which would lead them to abort a pregnancy that jeopardizes their mental or physical well-being or when a fetus is diagnosed with severe chromosomal defects that will likely lead to miscarriage or early death, even if those defects are not considered lethal within the meaning of state law. At the start of this litigation, some conservative lawyers floated the deeply dangerous idea that the Jewish plaintiffs in this case were insincere about their religious commitmentsin other words, that they are lying to cover for their pro-choice political views. This argument, which the Indiana court rejects in a perfunctory footnote, was preposterous and should never have been made in the first place. Taking criticism (including from us), at least one conservative commentator abandoned his tentative thoughts along these lines, acknowledging that liberal and non-Orthodox Jews, like so many other religious believers, can state free exercise claims when they are motivated by their religious ethics, even if they dont view traditional religious law as binding in the way some others do. Under Indianas RFRA, once the plaintiffs show that the states abortion ban substantially burdens their religion, Indiana then has to prove two things: that the ban is justified by a compelling interest and that the ban is the least restrictive means of achieving that interest. Here, the states argument looks simple: It has a compelling interest in protecting life starting at conception, and allowing religious exemptions would undermine that interest. According to the state, an abortion ban is necessarynothing less would do the job. But here is where Indiana runs directly into the buzzsaw of current religious exemptions doctrine. In case after case, the U.S. Supreme Court has told us that if the state allows secular exceptions from its law, then it better have a really good explanation for why it doesnt also allow religious exemptions. The Indiana court, applying its state RFRAagain modeled on federal lawtracks this reasoning to devastating effect for the state. As Judge Weissmann explains, because Indianas abortion law has numerous secular exceptions, including for medical emergencies, cases of rape and incest, and when the fetus has a lethal fetal anomaly, and because the states 2022 abortion ban has an explicit exception for in vitro fertilization, the state interest in protecting life from the moment of fertilization is selectively applied. These exceptions thus raise the question: If the state allows abortion in some cases, why not also allow religious exemptions? As Judge Weissmann notes: We need look no further than the language of the Abortion Law to determine that the General Assembly does not view the States compelling interest as beginning at fertilization. The Abortion Law exempts in vitro fertilization procedures from its scope, although there is the potential for life that might be destroyed in the process of this procedure. As we are seeing the IVF debate play out in Alabama and on the national stage, states cant grant exceptions for it without raising questions about further possible exceptions. Among other important insights, the Indiana panel says what should be obvious: The state isnt quite as committed to its compelling interest in protecting life from conception as it purports to be. If it were, it wouldnt allow the destruction of fertilized eggs in the IVF process (or in the case of rape or incest). But it does, and so, under the logic of current religious liberty doctrine, it may not discriminate against religious believers who want to make these same choices. The Indiana appeals court decision to allow religious exemptions in the abortion context is going to be jarring for many people. And one reaction might be that abortion isnt a form of worship or religious ritual. But Judge Weissmann offers the right response to this objection, which is that the decision not to have a child can be as profoundly religious as the decision to have one. As she concludes: The State has provided little authorityand none that we find persuasiveto support the more restrictive view that religious exercise does not encompass the pregnancy terminations at issue here. Plaintiffs claims, in fact, seem to be the other side of the Burwell [v. Hobby Lobby] coin. If a corporation can engage in a religious exercise by refusing to provide abortifacientscontraceptives that essentially abort a pregnancy after fertilizationit stands to reason that a pregnant person can engage in a religious exercise by pursuing an abortion. In both situations, the claimant is required to take or abstain from action that the claimants sincere religious beliefs direct. And in both situations, the claimants objection to the challenged law or regulation is rooted in the claimants sincere religious beliefs. Thursdays ruling does not strike down the abortion ban currently in effect. It simply allows this litigation to go forward, with the lower court narrowing the class. Even if the plaintiffs eventually succeed, the practical effect of the religious exemption is yet to be determined. It could provide the basis for further litigation over possible remedies, including for doctors and other medical providers to provide care for those with religious exemptions. With the ascendency of religious exemptions, especially in federal law, it would be natural to wonder what happened to the old-fashioned objection that abortion bans are really just an attempt by the state to impose one religious view about when life begins on others who dont share that perspective. Even though the U.S. Supreme Court once rejected an argument along these lines, it has not lost its force. And in a remarkable concurring opinion, Judge L. Mark Bailey gave it full expression, writing: Legislators, an overwhelming majority of whom have not experienced childbirth, nevertheless dictate that virtually all pregnancies in this State must proceed to birth notwithstanding the onerous burden upon women and girls. They have done so not based upon science or viability but upon a blanket assertion that they are the protectors of life from the moment of conception. In my view, this is an adoption of a religious viewpoint held by some, but certainly not all, Hoosiers. The least that can be expected is that the remaining Hoosiers of child bearing ability will be given the opportunity to act in accordance with their own consciences and religious creeds. Given the opportunity, some ideas will not be repressed, and in Indiana, the idea that abortion is a matter of religious freedom has broken through in the lower courts. Now the question is likely to be whether the Indiana Supreme Court will affirm that religious liberty applies even when it is liberal and progressive believers who are pressing their claims. A search is resuming after a missing South Carolina mans boat was found Tuesday. >> A GoFundMe has been set up for the Kale family. Click here to contribute. The U.S. Coast Guard and Oak Island Police Department say Jeffrey Kale went fishing on Saturday afternoon, leaving from the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp near Oak Island, North Carolina. Kale, 47, left around 4 p.m. Saturday on his white 32-foot Cape Horn boat with hull number NC4431FA. When he didnt return by 10:30 p.m., his family alerted local authorities. The Coast Guard searched the Atlantic Ocean between Blackjack and Steeples. Oak Island police said they were looking where hes fished before. Around 8:30 p.m. Monday, the Coast Guard announced it was suspending its active search for Kale. It is with heavy hearts that we suspend our active search for Mr. Kale, said Sector North Carolina Deputy Commander Corrie Sergent. Our extensive search by air and sea with numerous crews, assets, and several good Samaritans, saturated the various areas we believed he may be. Any time we conduct a search and rescue, it is with the hope of bringing someone back home and safely reuniting them with their family and friends. The decision to suspend a search is one of the most difficult decisions to make. Our thoughts are with the Kale family. SIMILAR: Body of missing boater recovered from Lake Norman, officials say But on Tuesday afternoon, the Coast Guard confirmed to Channel 9 that they got a tip the boat had been found. A good Samaritan found it, and with help from the Navy, the Coast Guard confirmed the boat was Kales. The boat was found about 83 miles east of Wrightsville Beach, officials said. No one was on board. The Coast Guard said the boat was was moving northeast at 6 mph and was attached to fishing equipment. A local company is expected to tow the boat to shore to investigate it further, the Coast Guard said. Just pray that we find him Channel 9s Tina Terry learned Kale, a father and businessman from Clover, had been on a spring break vacation with his wife and sons when he disappeared. He made the decision to go fishing at the last minute, they said. The last time I talked to him was at 3:43 p.m. [Saturday], and thats the last time I heard from him, said his wife, Deanna Kale, adding, It was on the phone he said he loved us. Jeffrey Kale has been missing since Saturday afternoon when he went fishing near Oak Island. A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard told Terry theyve been investigating Kales disappearance since it was reported. About 4:19, thats when our cellphone forensics have the last ping on his cellphone, Lt. Commander Mike Wu said. At that point, his cellphone was about a mile southwest of Baldhead Island, heading offshore. Wu said the Coast Guard has spent more than 50 hours searching, with boats and even a C-130 plane in the air. Kales family and friends are asking the public to help as well. As many people that see Jeffs picture, see the pictures of the boat, maybe they know someone who is out working on a container ship or is out fishing today, said family friend Laura Townsend. We just want as many people to share the information and pictures as possible. We just need prayers and we need people to be out there thats on the water looking out for him, to see if they see him, you know? Deanna Kale said. Just pray that we find him, she added. The Coast Guard said kales boat is equipped with something called an EPIRB -- a distress beacon for boats. The boater can turn it on when in trouble. It can also activate if it falls into the water. Anyone with information is asked to contact 911 or the local Coast Guard command center at 910-343-3880. (WATCH: Search for missing Belmont man extends to Charlotte area) This location hit close to 100 mph during the April windstorm DENVER (KDVR) Colorado saw some uncommon weather this past weekend, with some places experiencing close to 100 mph gusts. Several counties across Colorado were hit with high wind speeds this weekend, and those conditions arent necessarily normal for this time of year. During the weekend wind event, tens of thousands were left without power and the wind damaged several Colorado homes in just two days. The effects continue into the workweek, as some schools are closed on Monday. Data: Fastest wind gusts reported across Colorado this weekend While many places across Colorado felt the wind, some places were hit harder than others. Highest wind gusts recorded Wind gusts across the mountains and the foothills ranged from 70 to 95 mph, while the strongest winds across the northeast plains, mostly Fort Morgan to Akron, hit around 60 to 80 mph, according to the National Weather Service. NWS reported that NCAR Mesa Lab in Boulder had the highest wind gust at 97 mph. Several counties hit wind gusts higher than 70 mph this weekend, including some areas that hit above 90 mph. Here are the locations that saw the highest wind gusts from April 6-7, according to NWS: NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder: 97 Coal Creek Canyon, Jefferson, 96 3 NW Marshall, Boulder, 95 Buckeye, Larimer, 93 3 ESE Buckeye, Larimer, 91 2 ENE Copper Mountain, Summit, 91 Rocky Flats Hwy 93 and 72, Jefferson, 90 While many places across Colorado felt strong wind gusts, this isnt very common in spring. Are high wind gusts common? Strong winds have been reported throughout the years around Boulder, but these events arent as common in April. Several Colorado schools closed Monday due to power outages While strong winds have been reported in April, only 17 documented events of winds exceeding 70 mph have occurred in Boulder since 1969, not including the past weekend, according to NWS. April 6-7, 2024 Windstorm Usually, these types of wind events occur in December and January, but even then, it has only happened a little over 100 times in the past 54 years. The effects of the weekend wind are pushing into Monday, Xcel Energy preemptively shut off power for 55,000 customers, and many are still without power. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. A logistics facility and a petrol station in Odesa Oblast were damaged in a Russian Shahed UAV attack on the night of 7-8 April. Source: Defence Forces of Ukraine's South Quote: "Unfortunately, there have been hits in Odesa Oblast. A logistics facility has been damaged. Information about the aftermath is being gathered. Wreckage from the downed drone also damaged a petrol station. No people were injured." Details: The Ukrainian military explained that Russian terrorist forces once again sent several waves of Shahed-131/136 loitering munitions across Ukraines southern oblasts overnight. The Russians were targeting critical infrastructure. "The intense combat activity of air defence forces lasted about 3 hours," Defence Forces of Ukraine's South noted. The military added that air defence units effectively engaged 7 Russian loitering munitions in their operational area: 4 were shot down in Odesa Oblast, 2 in Mykolaiv Oblast, and 1 in Kirovohrad Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! The waterfront promenade of Yalta, a popular spa town on Crimea. Ten years ago Russia seized the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine in violation of international law. Today, the war has left its mark. Ulf Mauder/dpa The pavements on Sevastopol's waterfront promenade are torn up in places, as if after a drone strike. But passers-by emphasize that the damage was only caused by a severe winter storm - and not by Ukrainian attacks. "Don't take pictures of the bay," an elderly woman grumbles. Air defence systems can be seen on old fortifications in the Crimean port city, which was often fought over in past centuries. "We are vigilant here against saboteurs and spies." There are repeated attacks from Ukraine, which wants to reclaim the Black Sea peninsula that Russia illegally annexed from it 10 years ago. The 19-kilometre-long Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, over which trains run - including to Sevastopol - is a particular focus of attention in eastern Crimea. The bridge has once again become a major issue since air force officers from the German Armed Forces discussed how it could be destroyed with German Taurus cruise missiles in a conversation overheard by the Russians. Taurus deliveries from Germany are not on the cards in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, Ukraine wants to cut Crimea's connection to Russia. Sevastopol - home to the Black Sea Fleet for 240 years A tense calm prevails in Sevastopol Bay, where several warships are anchored. Barriers float on the surface. They are designed to fend off attacks from surface drones in order to protect the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which has been based here for 240 years. Although Moscow transferred Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954, it retained influence. Among others, this tradition of the Russian fleet in Sevastopol, which Kiev did not end even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, is one of the reasons why Moscow still lays claim to Crimea today. Ten years ago, when Russia was in danger of losing its influence here for good after the fall of pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin carried out the annexation in less than a month - in breach of international law. At least six people died. On March 18, 2014, Putin sealed the incorporation of Crimea with its more than 2 million inhabitants into the Russian Federation. Hardly any country recognizes this. On the anniversary, the tension in Sevastopol is palpable. The shock runs deep after Ukraine sank several Russian warships in its fight against the all-out Russian invasion of the neighbouring country launched by Putin on February 24, 2022. "The frequent air alarms are getting to us, I already know several shelters from the inside," says Irina, who is in her mid-forties. She is standing on the magnificent Nakhimov Prospekt at the Sevastopol Hotel. From there you can also see the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, which was destroyed by a Ukrainian attack. The roof has been smashed to pieces, the walls are torn down and chunks of rock lie on the lawn. The damage is massive - but nothing compared to the deadly destruction that Russia has been inflicting on large parts of Ukraine since its invasion began in 2022. Putin posters in the pedestrian zone before the election If you talk to passers-by, you will almost always find stoically militant residents, although even the authorities admit that there are "saboteurs" who support the Ukrainian fight to recapture the peninsula. People in Sevastopol speak openly about their grief for the fallen; many regret the ruptured ties to family members in Ukraine. Nevertheless, many are proud to be part of Russia, a nuclear power. "Vladimir Putin saved us," says a pensioner at the eternal flame that commemorates the Soviet Union's victory in the Second World War. The senior citizen is pleased that, unlike in the past, pensions are higher - and stable. Cranes are hoisting up a huge new complex close to the promenade. A large music theatre for opera, concerts and ballet as well as new flats are being built. The spa town of Yalta From Sevastopol, the route leads through wine-growing areas and along the coast with its karstic rock formations and green cypress groves to the distant subtropical health resort of Yalta. They can be seen from the country road, the pretty sanatoriums, hotels, magnificent villas and luxury flats with sea views. While many Ukrainians, including the family of President Volodymyr Zelensky, have lost their property, rich Russians are spreading out. Property prices in Crimea have exploded since the annexation. Best known to history buffs as the site of the "Big Three" conference in February 1945, in which US President Franklin D Roosevelt, UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Russian leader Joseph Stalin met to discuss the future of Germany and Europe, Yalta is home to many spas and expensive real estate. Tourists stroll along the waterfront promenade, where a huge Lenin monument stands next to palm trees. The restaurants are busy and there are shops selling natural cosmetics from Crimea every few metres. "We feel at home again since Russia took us in," says German and English teacher Natalja Fomina. Fomina is involved in the Crimea German community. Despite Crimea's isolation and Western sanctions, contact with friends in Germany is alive and well. "But of course we would like to see more humanitarian contacts, even in these times." Longing for an end to the war Many people in Yalta also spontaneously say in conversations on the street that they hope the war will end soon. However, their complaints centre on the strict Russian laws and bureaucracy, which are much tougher than under Ukrainian leadership. But some prefer not to speak openly. An older man also complains that it is dangerous to express an opinion in public that differs from that of the Kremlin. He could lose his job or be imprisoned. But although, like many, he still has his Ukrainian passport and could still leave, he wants to stay and adapt. Would he rather have the Ukrainian leadership back? "Absolutely not," he blurts out. Chaos reigned back then. The man praises the new Tavrida motorway, for example, and the fact that journey times have become shorter. Simferopol is Crimea's power centre Crimea is controlled from Simferopol. The capital is about an hour and a half away from Yalta by car. The large railway station, where trains arrive from Moscow and other cities, is the most important transport hub. Since the modern airport has been closed due to the war, travellers can only use the train, bus or car. Advertising on the blue city buses at the station commemorates the 10th anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea. A spruced-up park with brand new equipment on a playground stretches towards the city centre. Indian students sit on the park benches. "We study medicine here," says a student from Mumbai, first in brittle Russian, then in English. More than 5,000 Indians are studying on the peninsula. The degree from Crimea counts in India, where there are hardly any opportunities for many young people to become doctors, he says. Symbols of power and a new large mosque for Crimean Tatars A young Russian couple happily says that much more is being done for public spaces today - including children's playgrounds in residential areas. "Look around, it's clean and beautiful. But everything has become very expensive," says the young man. His wife nods, 50,000 roubles ($540) is already a comparatively good monthly income. "People can't buy a flat with that," he says. Life in the city is buzzing, young people dance to music in the pedestrian zone with its modern cafes, bars and restaurants. A monument at the beginning of the boulevard shows a soldier in heavy combat gear being presented with flowers by a girl - the sculpture is a reminder of how Putin sent "little green men" in uniform without national emblems to Crimea at the end of February 2014 in order to push through the annexation militarily. Thousands of people resisted the occupation at the time, as Crimean Tatar Tamila Tasheva recalls in Kiev. "Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars expressed their protest against the occupiers, organized marches and protests and put their lives at risk," says the permanent representative of the Ukrainian president in the autonomous republic. There have been arrests and abductions. Numerous Crimean Tatars are still missing today. Ten years of annexation is a decade of political persecution, and there are more than 200 political prisoners in Crimea today, says Tasheva. Around 70,000 people have left the peninsula since then. The United Nations and the European Union also complain of massive human rights violations in Crimea. The Crimean Tatar parliament has been dissolved and the media have been blocked. But most of the Tatars have stayed. With a new large mosque, which is about to be opened despite all the obstacles caused by Western sanctions, Putin is hoping to bring peace to at least part of the Muslim minority. A large facade painting on a building opposite the main Russian Orthodox church shows a portrait that resembles Putin. It is a reminder of who is in power here. Crimea's Moscow-appointed Governor Sergei Aksyonov, who is officially known as the head of the republic and is wanted by Kiev as a traitor, is satisfied with what has been achieved at his seat of government in the city centre. Life on the peninsula is running normally. "The people's concerns are the same as everywhere else: wages, pensions, income and prices for food and medicine," says the 51-year-old. The peninsula is now an up-and-coming region. There are sometimes problems with the delivery of goods and merchandise, for example when the Crimea Bridge is closed due to the threat of missiles. "But that's the only logistical problem. It can be solved," says Aksyonov. The train journey on the "Grand Service Express" to Moscow takes a good 27.5 hours. It first takes us through the Crimea steppe, which is pale at this time of year. From the window, you can see dilapidated industrial plants, many abandoned houses and derelict stables in almost deserted settlements. Hardly any military. Dozens of Ukrainian train carriages in faded blue and yellow national colours rust away in a railway cemetery. And then comes the Crimea Bridge, which leads from Kerch to the Russian heartland. In 2022 and 2023, the striking viaduct was severely damaged in attacks. Traffic is repeatedly halted during air raids. But this time everything remains calm. The train arrives in Moscow the next day - right on time. The 19-kilometre-long Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, over which trains run - including to Sevastopol - connects the Black Sea peninsula with the Russian mainland. Ulf Mauder/dpa Russian warships are moored in Sevastopol, the harbour of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. Ulf Mauder/dpa The State Council of Crimea, seat of the parliament, stands in the city centre of the peninsula's capital. The letters Z on the left and right of the building stand for the "special military operation," as Russia officially calls its war against Ukraine. Ulf Mauder/dpa A billboard in the city centre of Crimea's capital Simferopol with the inscription "Thank you for Crimea" commemorates the 10th anniversary of Russia's illegal annexation of the Black Sea peninsula, which is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. According to the billboard, 410 public squares have been prepared for the citizens of the city over the past 10 years. Ulf Mauder/dpa Best known to history buffs as the site of the "Big Three" conference in February 1945, in which US President Franklin D Roosevelt, UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Russian leader Joseph Stalin met to discuss the future of Germany and Europe, Yalta is home to many spas and expensive real estate. Ulf Mauder/dpa Crimea's Moscow-appointed Governor Sergei Aksyonov, who is officially known as the head of the republic and is wanted by Kiev as a traitor, is satisfied with what has been achieved under his rule. Ulf Mauder/dpa With a new large mosque, which is about to be opened despite all the obstacles caused by Western sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin is hoping to bring peace to at least part of the Muslim minority in Crimea. Ulf Mauder/dpa "We feel at home again since Russia took us in," says German and English teacher Natalja Fomina who is involved in the Crimea German community. Ulf Mauder/dpa A monument at the beginning of Simferopol's boulevard shows a soldier in heavy combat gear being presented with flowers by a girl - the sculpture is a reminder of how Russian President Vladimir Putin sent "little green men" in uniform without national emblems to Crimea at the end of February 2014 in order to push through the annexation militarily. Ulf Mauder/dpa People walk along the promenade in the Crimean seaside resort of Yalta, which attracts tourists from Russia including in the colder months of the year thanks to its subtropical climate. Ulf Mauder/dpa Louisiana Superintendents Could Soon be Graded on Student Math, English Scores This is a photo of an elementary student taking a test. This article was originally published in Louisiana Illuminator. Superintendents of Louisiana public school districts would be evaluated based on their students math and English test scores based on proposed legislation a committee advanced Wednesday. Rep. John Wyble, R-Franklinton, authored House Bill 112 that would require all superintendent contracts to include performance evaluations based on the English and math scores for K-3 students, along with other student growth factors. Superintendents are evaluated by their own school boards. Wybles bill would affect new contracts and those renewed after Aug. 1. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Its really important that we continue to focus that investment but also bring in some accountability with it so that we know that our local school districts are moving in that positive direction, Wyble said. The investment Wyble referenced is a policy change made last year. Former Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville, who now leads the state revenue department, gained approval for a measure to hold back students in the third grade if they did not reach the age-appropriate reading level. It goes into effect for the 2024-25 school year. Additional advances in English education practices have made Louisiana one of three states to reach pre-pandemic levels in reading assessments. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) will be part of the superintendent assessment process. According to Wyble, board members will help create the standards and formula for incorporating math and English scores into the superintendents annual review. His bill calls for math and English scores to account for at least one-third of the evaluation. Currently, superintendents are only mandated to reach performance targets if their school district receives a C, D or F grade. Rep. Josh Carlson, R-Lafayette, supports the bill. Yes, school districts can put in their own requirements for the superintendents, but we havent, not widespread, Carlson said. And up until recently, we were one of the last states in the nation for education. The state also needs to start putting the same emphasis on math and numeracy that it has on literacy in recent years, Carlson added. The Louisiana Association of Superintendents opposes Wybles bill because its members want to make the math and English performance evaluations optional for school districts. Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and Twitter. A retired deputy announced a run for York County sheriff Sunday about a week after the incumbent decided to withdraw and the sheriffs wife filed for the position. Heath Clevenger, a 47-year-old Rock Hill Republican, posted his candidacy on Facebook and confirmed his intent to run to the Herald. He retired as a lieutenant from the sheriffs office in December 2022 after 25 years of law enforcement service, which included supervising special operations and working as SWAT commander. He now works in construction. Im running, period, Clevenger told The Herald in a phone interview Monday afternoon. Im running even if it is as an independent. Incumbent Kevin Tolson, a Republican, filed for re-election on March 18, but formally withdrew from the race April 2, according to a public document posted on the S.C. Election Commission website. Republican Beth Bryant Tolson, the sheriffs wife, filed for election on April 1 the last day of the filing period. Because filing is closed, Clevenger faces more difficult paths to winning the sheriffs seat. He prefers to run on the Republican ballot if the GOP reopens filing something apparently allowed under state law after Kevin Tolson withdrew. If that does not happen, Clevenger said the next best option would be to collect signatures for a run as an independent candidate. The third option would be to run as a write-in, Clevenger said. I would like to provide a qualified option, Clevenger said about why hes running. Kevin Tolson told The Herald he is supporting his wifes run for sheriff. Why can filing be re-opened? No other candidates besides Beth Tolson and Kevin Tolson filed for sheriff before April 1, according to York County elections officials and the S.C. Election Commission Website list of candidates. But state law provides for a situation exactly like whats happened with the Tolsons. The state law on re-opening filing states: If, after the closing of the time for filing the documents required pursuant to this section, there are not more than two candidates for any one office and one or more of the candidates dies, or withdraws, the state or county committee, as the case may be, if the nomination is by political party primary or political party convention only may, in its discretion, afford opportunity for the entry of other candidates for the office involved. The county elections office would be required to administer any extension of filing, said Alison Mallard, public relations and training coordinator for the office. There are no write-in candidacies in primaries because the candidates run for the partys nomination, Mallard said. So, any write-in campaigns would only be relevant for the general election. York County elections officials said Monday the office hasnt received documentation about Clevengers candidacy or any other potential candidate for sheriff. The office also has not received any information from the York County Republican Party about re-opening filing, Mallard said. Nikita Jackson, York County Democratic Party chair, said Monday she has not been contacted any sheriff candidates about their interest. Efforts to reach Larry Barnett, York County Republican Party chair, were unsuccessful Monday. The sheriff is a four-year term and is paid an annual salary of $209,260.83. The sheriff also runs the county jail. It has more than 300 employees in law enforcement and detention. Kevin Tolson was first elected sheriff in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. Tolson said he would serve out the rest of his term when he announced his decision to withdraw from the 2024 election. The new sheriff would take office in early 2025. Maine lawmakers and activists are hotly debating legislation that could have prevented the deadliest mass shooting of 2023. On Friday, a town hall debate in Augusta, Maine stretched for hours as lawmakers and citizens contemplated a proposed red flag gun law, the Associated Press reports. The proposed legislation would allow family members and law enforcement to file a crisis intervention order for gun owners they believe could harm themselves or others. Maine gun control advocates attend a rally for gun safety in January 2024 in Augusta, Maine. Now, lawmakers and activists are debating the merits of a red flag gun law (AFP via Getty Images) This could apply to gun owners that family or police officers believe have attempted to harm someone, have caused someone to fear harm, have placed someone in their care in danger or threatened to harm themselves. Orders would require a court hearing within two weeks and could be handed down in hours if there is an imminent threat. Once the order is approved, the gun owner would not be allowed to possess or buy a firearm. The order can last for a year. The debate comes almost six months after US military veteran Robert Card committed the deadliest mass shooting of 2023, killing 18 people in Lewiston, Maine on 25 October. Police later found Card dead by suicide. In the months leading up to the murders, Cards family and US military officials raised alarms about his increasing paranoia and aggressive behaviour. Yet, he was never taken into protective custody or given the mental health evaluation needed to trigger Maines yellow flag law. Maine currently has a yellow flag law in place, the only one of its kind in the country. Robert Card, pictured, killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine after his family and military officials raised alarms about his concerning behaviour (AP) Unlike the proposed legislation, Maines current law does not allow family members to file for a crisis intervention order and police are required to take the individual in question into custody before moving forward. Police then can choose to ask a judge to temporarily halt the persons access to firearms. Gun rights activists in Maine spoke out against the law on Friday, claiming the current yellow flag law could have prevented Cards mass shooting if police used it, Maine Public Radio reports. Meanwhile, supporters argued that the law would have given Cards family the ability to take further action on their concerns ahead of the shooting. Lawmakers in 21 states and Washington, DC have already adopted red flag laws. While the specifics differ state-by-state, the laws typically allow those close to the person in question to apply for an emergency order against them. If a judge approves it, they lose access to their firearms. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Azerbaijani Ambassador to France Leyla Abdullayeva has provided an insight into the realities of Azerbaijan as she was a guest of the host, former Intelligence Director for the General Directorate for External Security of France and former Senior Official in Charge of Economic Intelligence to the Prime Minister's Office Alain Juillet, on the French Obenboxtv channel, Trend reports. Ambassador Abdullayeva spoke about the history of the former Karabakh conflict, the Zangezur transport corridor, the United Nations resolutions, as well as Azerbaijans position on Ukraine and the countrys securing the hosting of COP29. Meanwhile, noting that there is a lack of information about Azerbaijan in France, the diplomat stressed her regret that false information about Azerbaijan had been disseminated in the local media, describing this information as wide of the mark. Highlighting the history of Azerbaijan, the diplomat said the country was the first democratic state in the East, and women were granted the right to vote and to run for office as early as 1919. Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva noted that despite the difficulties the country faced, it chose the path of democracy and became a member of many regional and international organizations. The diplomat also spoke about the countrys multicultural traditions. As a result of the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijans territory, more than one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons. Despite the four resolutions of the United Nations Security Council demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan and the desire of our country to resolve the conflict peacefully, Baku was eventually forced to liberate its lands by military means. Today, the two countries are continuing negotiations for the signing of the peace treaty proposed by Azerbaijan, Abdullayeva said. Touching upon the Zangezur corridor, which should connect Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which has been under blockade for 33 years, the diplomat mentioned that this project would contribute to the development of the entire region, including Armenia. Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva emphasized that the peace agreement put forward by Azerbaijan to establish lasting peace in the region is in line with all the norms and principles of international law and reflects the observance of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the two countries. Currently, preparations are underway for the delimitation and demarcation process between the two countries, she added. Responding to the question about Azerbaijans position on Ukraine, the ambassador said that Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine, adding that Azerbaijan recognizes the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The ambassador also talked about Azerbaijans rich hydrocarbon reserves, underscoring that they play a major role in ensuring Europe's energy security. She also highlighted the major regional projects implemented by Azerbaijan. Despite being rich in energy resources and being recognized as an exporter of these resources worldwide, Azerbaijan has opted for the green transition and renewable energy. Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the European Union in the field of energy, and it has signed an agreement to export green energy to Hungary and Romania, Abdullayeva mentioned. Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva also underscored that the guests visiting Azerbaijan to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is set to be hosted by the country, will witness that ancient Baku is truly one of the worlds most beautiful cities. Additionally, it was noted that while France is taking the position of arming Armenia, with Germany acting as a mediator in the negotiation process, the situation between the two countries has reached the current level due to President Emmanuel Macron's position regarding Yerevan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel A Sacramento Superior Court judge on Friday sentenced a 22-year-old man to 21 years in prison for raping a 15-year-old girl after she refused to have sex with him, prosecutors said. Judge Delbert Oros also ordered Kemoni Tobin to register with authorities as a sex offender for the rest of his life for the sexual assault, the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office announced Monday in a news release. On Nov. 5, 2021, the 15-year-old girl agreed to meet and hang out with another teenager. Tobin, who was 20 years old at the time, also was there. The three of them went to the other teenagers apartment, where the 15-year-old girl was left alone with Tobin. Prosecutors said the girl refused to have sex with Tobin, then he sexually assaulted and forcibly raped her. The sexual assault was reported to law enforcement officials, and she underwent a sexual assault examination. Prosecutors said subsequent laboratory testing confirmed traces of Tobins DNA were found in the examination. A jury on Jan. 31 found Tobin guilty of sexually assaulting a victim 14 years old or older, forcible rape of a minor 14 or older and unlawful sexual intercourse with a victim more than three years younger. At the time of the sexual assault trial, Tobin was already serving a four-year prison for a previous conviction of pimping and pandering, according to the District Attorneys Office. His 21-year prison sentence will begin as he completes his four-year sentence. Man Accused of Killing N.M. State Trooper Now Charged with Kidnapping and Murdering S.C. Paramedic Beforehand Jaremy Smith is now facing 17 warrants in South Carolina New Mexico State Police (2) Justin Hare (left); Phonesia Machado-Fore A man already charged with killing a New Mexico state trooper is now accused of killing a South Carolina paramedic before driving cross-country. Jaremy Smith was arrested in Albuquerque on March 17, two days after police claimed he shot state police officer Justin Hare. Authorities said Hare had stopped to assist a motorist with a flat tire. The motorist, Smith, shot the trooper before fleeing the scene, police alleged. The same day Hare was killed, authorities in South Carolina found the body of missing paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore. Smith was allegedly driving Machado-Fores white BMW in New Mexico, police said. Related: Man Accused of Killing Trooper Who Pulled Over to Help Him Change Tire Is Person of Interest in EMT's Death The Marion County (S.C.) Sheriffs Office has now issued 17 arrest warrants including one for murder for Smith, who was originally considered a person of interest in Machado-Fores death. The other warrants include charges of kidnapping, carjacking, burglary and felon in possession of a firearm, among other charges. Smith was arrested following a two-day manhunt, which ended when he was shot in the foot by a sheriffs deputy in Bernalillo County, police said. New Mexico State Police Jaremy Smith On March 22, the U.S. Attorney for New Mexico announced that Smith had been charged with carjacking resulting in death and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. It is not immediately clear if he has entered a plea. WBTW reported that Smith will remain in federal custody in New Mexico. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Machado-Fore, 52, who worked as an EMT, was married and had two children. According to a GoFundMe, she was preparing to move to Minnesota to be closer to her eldest daughter and grandchildren. I have never seen a larger investigative force and collaboration than I have with this case. For days, my office was filled with law enforcement officers from federal, state and local agencies around the clock with one mission: find Phonesia and the person or persons responsible for her disappearance, Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace said in a statement, per WBTW. While we regret that we were unable to return Phonesia to her loved ones alive and well, we were able to locate her and offer her loved ones an opportunity to say a final farewell. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A cold case that Miramar Police considered the oldest one in the citys history to be solved came to an end Monday with Ronald Eugene Richards pleading no contest and accepting a 12-year sentence in the 1980 murder and sexual assault of Evelyn Marie Fisher-Bamforth. Richards, 76, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and sexual battery in December 2022, over 40 years after Fisher-Bamforth went to sleep at her Miramar home on Jan. 22, 1980, and was assaulted and bludgeoned to death during the night. Miramar Police considered Richards a person of interest as soon as three months after her murder, but there was not enough evidence at the time to build a case against him, Det. Jonathan Zeller said at a 2022 news conference announcing his indictment. Police re-tested DNA evidence multiple times over the years, and with advancements in technology were able to bring charges. Defense attorney Gabe Ermine said Richards will serve his 12-year sentence in Ohio concurrently with a separate sentence he has been serving in that state. Had Richards been convicted at trial, he could have received a life sentence for the sexual battery charge, Ermine said. I think this is a serial killer: Man indicted in 40-year-old Miramar cold case had previous manslaughter conviction Richards will serve less than the 12-year sentence because he will receive gain time under Florida law, which will shorten the sentence, his attorney said. It is unclear how long he will actually serve. Ohio Department of Corrections records show the earliest he is eligible for parole is in July 2027. Richards became a person of interest in Fisher-Bamforths murder in March 1980 when law enforcement officials in Volusia County contacted Miramar Police for assistance arresting Richards in a separate assault and attempted murder of a woman they were investigating in that county. In the Volusia County case, Richards was convicted in 1981 and spent 39 years in prison. He was released in May 2020, Florida Department of Corrections records show, however the conviction was a violation of his parole in Ohio, where he was convicted of manslaughter against his girlfriend in 1975, leading to his current re-incarceration there. Richards served four years in prison in Ohio for the manslaughter charge and came to Florida after he was released on parole in 1979. He lived in a home nearby Fisher-Bamforth and her husband, John Bamforth, in the Haven Lakes Estates Mobile Home Park and was known to jog at night, Zeller said. Fisher-Bamforths husband, who lives in England, spoke briefly at Mondays hearing by Zoom and thanked Miramar Police for their continued work, and thanked Richards for resolving the case, Ermine said. Information from the Sun Sentinel archives was used in this report. Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte is consolidating the support of Nato member states to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as Natos next Secretary General. This is not good news for what remains one of the most important military alliances in history. True, Rutte is rightly regarded as a smart, resourceful and personable leader. Hungarys Viktor Orban, Natos worst ally and a man who has managed to mislead Donald Trump into the idea he is an American friend, despises Rutte. Hes personally tough: keeping on in the face of multi-year kidnap-assassination plots from the Moroccan mafia. All these points are in favour of Ruttes candidacy. The problem is that Natos next secretary general needs to be someone who can win over the next US president: a man who, if the polls are to be believed, is likely to be Donald Trump. Trumps sceptical stance on Nato is well known. In turn, Ruttes ability to win Trumps professional respect as Nato secretary general is very much in question. While Rutte may have maintained a good relationship with Trump during his initial term, if the 45th president is successful in securing a second term come November he will almost certainly adopt a more hostile foreign policy position. Trump is now far more sceptical of those at home and abroad who he believes feign friendship, seeking instead to manipulate him. This hostile attitude, bordering on paranoia, is sincerely felt. Trump forged an early friendship with Emmanuel Macron which later turned into open mutual disregard. But where France is racing to display leadership in regards to the war in Ukraine, Rutte cannot replicate his posturing or his spending commitment. In 2014, Rutte accepted the Nato summit communique in which all member states pledged to move towards at least 2 per cent of GDP defense spending. Yet Rutte has overseen a defense budget that rose from just 1.1 per cent of GDP in 2014 to 1.7 per cent of GDP in 2023. This is big problem: it will play to Trumps sense he is told one thing and then delivered another in reality. It will also play to the MAGA-worldview that Europe is freeloading from Americas largesse. This doesnt mean Trumps return to office spells the demise of Natos demise. Trump recently affirmed that he would 100 per cent militarily support any Nato ally that meets the 2 per cent of GDP defense spending baseline. Still, Ruttes record will provide ammunition to the more isolationist minded members of any second Trump administration to whisper in the presidents ear that Nato is broken. Imagine the plays to Trumps ego: Mr. President, they picked a new Nato leader who failed to get anywhere close to 2 per cent spending when he led the Netherlands. They are playing you for a fool. When other Nato allies like Spain can continue to skimp on defense spending without consequence, Trump may feel inclined to view the Netherlands in the same light forgetting the Dutch commitment to America in Afghanistan. Ruttes main challenger, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, might be better placed to deal with Trump. Between the 2014-2023 period, Romanias defense budget rose from 1.4 per cent of GDP to more than 2.4 per cent of GDP. With a polite, deferential nature that is certain to endear him, Iohannis has also repeatedly argued for an increased Nato focus on China. A hawkish position towards China will be one of the defining foreign policy planks of a second Trump administration. The China question is another area where Rutte doesnt quite measure up. Meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing just over a week ago, Rutte released a remarkable statement, expressing that China plays a crucial role in the world when it comes to economic stability, international security and the transition to a green economy. This was not music to the ears of American intelligence and military officers, the majority of whom believe a US-China war is more likely than not by 2030. Analyst Kyle Orton put it well: Mark Rutte is quite likely to be the next Nato Secretary-General, and here he is promoting China as a source of stability and kindness in the world. Yes, Rutte has taken some efforts under US pressure to restrict the Dutch ASML firms sale of highly advanced semiconductor chips to China. But many China hawks on Capitol Hill and those in the US defense establishment believe he has moved too slowly and carefully. Trump will be made aware of this. Natos health continues to matter a great deal, both to Americans and to the 31 other allies. In ambition and aggression, Russias threat is growing. That doesnt mean we need to panic: the worst fears that Trump will single-handedly destroy Nato are misguided. Nevertheless, Ruttes record suggests he would not find Trumps favour. Whether right or wrong, the attitude of the American president is of immense importance to the health of this immensely important alliance. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Man pleaded guilty to rape, murder of girl he took from Columbus. Why hes on trial this week The trial for the man who pleaded guilty to strangling, murdering, and raping a 5-year-old is set to begin this week in Russell County, Alabama. Jury selection began Monday for the case involving Jeremy Tremaine Williams, 39, who is set to stand trial in the December 2021 murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland. Williams already pleaded guilty to capital murder and other felonies, but Alabama law dictates that a case carrying the death penalty cannot be resolved by pleading guilty. He has to go to trial, and his pleas can be used against him as evidence. He pleaded guilty to these charges: Capital murder for causing Kamaries death. Capital murder for killing her in the course of kidnapping. Capital murder for killing her while committing first-degree rape. Capital murder for killing her while committing first-degree sodomy In court on March 13, prosecutors said Williams paid $2,500 to Hollands mother, Kristy Marie Siple, so he could make the child perform a sexual act. Williams took Holland from Columbus to a vacant house in Phenix City, where he raped and sodomized the child with a rope around her neck before strangling her to death, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said Williams then had sex with Hollands corpse and recorded the entire incident on his cell phone. An autopsy later revealed Holland was under the influence of methamphetamine, according to prosecutors. Williams entered a cold plea, meaning no deal was made by his attorneys regarding his sentence. Charles Floyd III, one of his attorneys, previously said Williams wanted to plead guilty from the beginning. Circuit Judge David Johnson asked Williams why he was pleading guilty, after Williams acknowledged he could be executed. Williams responded, To expedite the process. Johnson asked whether Williams had a reason to expedite it. Williams replied, No sir. Siple also pleaded guilty in a separate hearing that preceded Williams. She pleaded to human trafficking, for a sentence of 20 years in prison, and agreed to testify against Williams. Siple is 37. Jury selection in Williams continued into Monday afternoon, and the trial was set to start afterward, potentially occupying much of the week. Discussion from the parties in the proceeding has been scant. Johnson implemented a gag order in the case, prohibiting those involved from discussing evidence outside the courtroom. He got what he wanted. Man pleads to raping, strangling girl he bought from GA mother Man seriously injured in knife attack after argument on German train A blue light shines on a police patrol. A 20-year-old man was attacked with a knife and seriously injured on a train travelling in Germany's Rhineland on Monday morning. Lino Mirgeler/dpa A 20-year-old man was attacked with a knife and seriously injured on a train travelling in Germany's Rhineland on Monday morning. According to a police spokesman, the man's injuries were not life-threatening. The victim is said to have got into an argument with a 35-year-old while travelling on the train between between the city of Koblenz and the small town of Lahnstein 6 kilometres further south along the Rhine. The altercation led to the knife attack. The suspected perpetrator was detained. The victim was taken to a hospital in Koblenz. Police said there had been no danger to bystanders. The incident caused delays in rail traffic, according to the police. Man in skateboard dies after being hit by car in Montgomery County MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) The Montgomery County Police Department said a man in a skateboard was killed after he was hit by a car in the early hours of Monday. Police said that at about 12:00 a.m., they responded to the area of Veirs Mill Road and Monterrey Drive for the report of a pedestrian struck. The man died there. The suspect left the scene. Heres how you can track the 2024 solar eclipse in real time Officials said they are looking for a possible 2009 white Acura TL that has damage to the front right corner, including a missing part of the bumper cover, a missing/broken headlight, fog light and parking light. Police believe the car may also have damage to the windshield and/or window. This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact CRU detectives at crunit@montgomerycountymd.gov or (240) 773-6620. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson claims to be someone who can help the Republican Party make inroads with Black voters. Donald Trump has referred to him as Martin Luther King on steroids and Martin Luther King times two. Robinson views himself as a threat to Democrats due to his appeal with minority voters, he said in a podcast appearance last month, and believes the reason he is under increased scrutiny is because Democrats fear his success. In my case, what [Black voters] really see is they see a candidate that is able to reach out to those folks, bring common sense solutions to the problems they face, and then they see someone who looks like them, Robinson said. Ultimately what happens there is, we get into office and theres success, and all of a sudden voting dynamics in North Carolina are changing for decades. And quite possibly, it starts across the nation. Robinson continued: Theyre very afraid. They dont want that to happen. They cannot have a conservative Black man at the helm in North Carolina or in any state. But the idea that Robinson is a candidate who will help Republicans tap into a new, more diverse electorate is dubious. Despite the fact that Robinson would be the states first ever Black governor, Black voters are wary of Robinson, polls show. Just 3% of likely Black voters say theyd vote for Robinson over Democrat Josh Stein in the upcoming general election, according to a Meredith Poll released in February. Thats a decline from last Novembers Meredith Poll, when 15% of Black voters said theyd support Robinson. Another poll commissioned by the conservative Carolina Journal found that just 14% of Black voters say theyll definitely or probably vote for Robinson in November. And in a WRAL News poll conducted in March, just 13% of Black voters said they have a very or somewhat favorable view of Robinson, and 45% of Black voters said Robinsons statements about women, LGBTQ+ people and the Jewish community make them less likely to vote for him. That polling is consistent with what some folks are hearing on the ground. Marcus Bass, executive director of Advance Carolina, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building political and economic power in Black communities, said that many voters are alarmed and shocked by Robinsons comments, especially about Black people and causes. Robinson has denounced the Civil Rights Movement and suggested that Black people are the ones who owe reparations for slavery. Hes also maligned people like Martin Luther King Jr. (he called him a communist), Beyonce (he called her a skank) and Michelle Obama (he called her a man). Many Black voters qualms with Robinson have to do with faith, Bass said. North Carolina is a Bible Belt state, and the church plays an important role in many Black communities. Perhaps recognizing this, Robinson has spent many a Sunday delivering sermons in churches across the state, though they often sound much more like stump speeches than actual gospel. Some of Robinsons most virulent comments come from these sermons, including his likening of homosexuality to filth and his belief that we are called to be led by men, not women. Black clergy have been having conversations with their members about Robinson misusing religion to project to Black voters, who often vote with faith in mind, Bass said. The narrative that Mark Robinson is painting is really not a true moral or even biblical political statement, Bass said. It is him misusing race and gaslighting the religion. Douglas Wilson, a longtime Democratic strategist who is a Black man himself, says that Black voters are crucial to the outcome of the election, but its highly unlikely that they would support Robinson in droves. I think it will be a reminder to Black voters that although the Republican Party has placed an African American as standard bearer of the party, they are also saying they are agreeing with what the standard bearer is saying about the Civil Rights Movement and a beloved leader of that movement, Wilson said. Wilson conceded that some things about Robinson may resonate with Black voters, including his background of economic and familial hardships. But that may not be enough. Although he grew up in Greensboro, grew up poor, I dont think that he has pushed policies or rhetoric that could help change the same path that a young Mark Robinson went on that another young Black boy should not have to in 2024, Wilson said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The Azerbaijani army has an opportunity to severely punish Armenia for provocations, military expert Adalat Verdiyev told Trend. He noted that Armenia resorted to provocations before the trilateral meeting with the EU and the US. "This country started to involve reservists in the gathering, pulling arms, equipment, and personnel to the border territories. Armenians started building engineering fortifications and violating the ceasefire intensively. Armenia's defecting army seems to be looking for adventure. The Azerbaijani army has the opportunity to severely punish Yerevan for these provocations. One can see from the spread of footage that the movement and maneuvers of the enemy army are under the control of our army," he said. Verdiyev emphasized that the intensification of ceasefire violations shows that, as a result of military and political support by the West, the EU, and especially France, Armenia is trying to aggravate the situation and take steps against Azerbaijan. "But these steps, as well as others, will not bring results. Our army has enough strength to prevent these provocations," he said. The expert noted that after it became known about the April 5 meeting, some promises from the West encouraged Armenia. "Provocations committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan on the border pose a serious threat to the health and lives of our army personnel. Azerbaijan has the right to preemptively neutralize these threats," he said. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Mass. Man Charged with Murder After He Allegedly Ran Over a Pedestrian and Hit Him with a Brick Vasco Semedo is accused of hitting the victim, backing up and hitting him again WCVB/YouTube Crime scene in Brockton, Mass A Massachusetts man was charged with murder after he allegedly struck a pedestrian with his SUV and then hit him with a brick. In a release posted to X (formerly known as Twitter), the Plymouth County District Attorneys Office said Vasco Semedo, 45, was arrested Saturday, April 6 and "is scheduled to be arraigned on a murder charge after he struck and killed" Stuart Smith, 50. Shortly before 9 a.m. local time, Brockton Police were dispatched to 65 North Main Street after receiving calls about a "motor vehicle versus pedestrian crash," District Attorney Timothy Cruz said. The D.A. added that upon arriving at the scene, the police found an "unresponsive" victim later identified as Stuart who was then "transported to Good Samaritan Hospital before being medflighted to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased." Semedo, who was allegedly driving a Toyota RAV4 that was used to hit Stuart, was arrested on scene after police reviewed surveillance footage of the scene and saw that Semedo hit Smith, "backed up, drove into the victim again, before exiting the vehicle repeatedly striking Smith with a brick," the D.A. alleged. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. According to NBC affiliate WBTS-CD, Semedo was "initially charged with attempted murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and negligent operation of a motor vehicle." However, after Smith died, his "charge was upgraded to murder." The authorities did not say if Semedo and Smith knew each other or if there was a possible motive, the outlet reported. Per the D.A., Semedo is scheduled to appear in Brockton District Court on Monday. It is not immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney. The prosecutor added that an "investigation is ongoing, at this time." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A massive container ship lost propulsion power in the waters around New York City and was brought to a rest near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Friday night less than two weeks after failure on another massive cargo vessel caused it to smash into Baltimores Francis Scott Key Bridge. The US Coast Guard confirmed that its Vessel Traffic Service received a report that the 89,000-ton M/V APL Qingdao lost propulsion about 8:30 p.m. as it traversed the Kill Van Kull the shipping lane between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey. An image shared on X by John Konrad, CEO of maritime-focused news outlet gCaptain, shows the 1,100-foot APL Qingdao floating uncomfortably close to the span that connects Brooklyn and Staten Island. BREAKING: A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain container ship APL QINGDAO lost power while transiting New York harbor. They had 3 escort tugs but 3 more were needed to bring her under control. They regained power & were brought to anchor near the verrazano bridge pic.twitter.com/Z2IP04xmLs John Konrad V (@johnkonrad) April 7, 2024 In response to the power failure, three tugboats that were escorting the APL Qingdao guided the vessel until it regained propulsion a short time later. The vessel was brought to a position just north of the bridge, where it anchored. Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York received a report from the M/V APL Qingdao around 8:30pm, Friday, that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway. The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazano Bridge, by three towing vessels, the Coast Guard said. These towing vessels were escorting the vessel as a routine safety measure, which is a common practice for large vessels departing their berth. A container ship lost power near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on April 6, 2024. Gregory P. Mango The Kill Van Kull is a narrow, 3-mile-long tidal strait separating Newark Bay home to the Port Newark Container Terminal and Upper New York Bay. It is one of the Port of New York and New Jerseys busiest waterways. The Coast Guard required that the vessels propulsion system be certified that it had been repaired and was fully operational. The crew was also required to provide a detailed casualty report documenting precisely what contributed to the loss of propulsion. After meeting those requirements, the vessel was allowed to resume its voyage to Charleston, South Carolina. The M/V Qingdao lost propulsion as it traveled through the Kill Van Kull between Staten Island and Bayonne, NJ. Future Publishing via Getty Images Despite the unsettling optical illusion, the image instantly brings to mind last months deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster in Baltimore, in which six construction workers were killed when the cargo ship Dali rammed one of the 1.9-mile bridges supports, sending the structure tumbling into the Patapsco River. The collapse ground maritime transit to a halt in the vital Port of Baltimore. Speaking on CBS Face the Nation Sunday morning, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said it was realistic to expect that normal operations would resume on the waterway as early as May. It is an aggressive timeline, but we are going to work around the clock to make sure we hit this timeline, Moore said. The Dali appeared to suffer a loss of power leading up to the Baltimore crash. The APL Qingdao, by contrast, just lost propulsion. The APL Qingdao is registered in Malta and owned by French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM. It was bound for Norfolk, Virginia, at the time it lost power. CMA CGM could not be reached Sunday. Konrad did not respond to messages from The Post seeking comment. MATTOON, Ill. (WCIA) Two Mattoon residents and their three dogs are now displaced following a house fire on Sunday afternoon. Fire crews arrived at the scene near Prairie Avenue and 7th Street at 2:18 p.m. The homes front porch was ablaze and quickly spreading to the attic due to high wind conditions. Central Illinois school districts prepare for eclipse Two people and three pets were still inside the home at the time. Firefighters and Mattoon Police worked together to safely evacuate the residents and their three dogs out the back door. An on-scene EMS evaluation determined that no one was hurt. Meanwhile, firefighters brought the fire under control within a half hour. Photo courtesy of the Mattoon Fire Department. The homes front porch and front room suffered substantial damage, on top of water and smoke damage throughout the structure. The building is now considered uninhabitable until it can be repaired. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the displaced occupants. Coles/Moultrie 911, the Charleston Fire Department, Mitchell-Jerdan Ambulance, and Ameren Gas were also credited with helping the Mattoon Fire Department in this incident. Officials said the scene was cleared at 4:30 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. The Russian Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, was attacked with Molotov cocktails thrown by unknown assailants two nights in a row, the Lithuanian National Radio (LRT) reported on April 8, citing sources in law enforcement. Russian Embassies and consulates have been the site of protests since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. The Russian consulate in Moldova was struck by a fire bomb in March 2024 as voters lined up to participate in the Russian presidential election. A spokesperson for the Lithuanian police said that two separate attacks had occurred, first on April 7 and then again on April 8. Both reportedly happened in the early morning. A police spokesperson said that the attacks caused damage to the building. The suspects have not been identified, the spokesperson added, saying that he would not comment on the possible motives of the attack. A suicide bombing also targeted the Russian Embassy in Afghanistan in September 2022, killing six people, including two Russian staff members. ISIS-K, the same militant group that claimed responsibility for the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack outside of Moscow in March that killed at least 144 people, said they had carried out the bombing. Read also: Shmyhal visits Lithuania, meets Lithuanian PM Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia's war against Ukraine has destroyed more than 60,000 hectares of forests, with the cost of damages amounting to at least Hr 14 billion ($360 million), according to an investigation by NGL Media published on April 8. According to Ukraine's intelligence, the Kremlin authorized the destruction of Ukrainian forests for military and commercial purposes already at the start of the full-scale war in 2022. This represents yet another environmental impact wrought by Russia's war. The State Forest Resources Agency estimated that almost 30% of Ukraine's forests have suffered some kind of damage due to hostilities. Based on NGL Media's analysis of satellite images, some 60,000 hectares were reportedly destroyed completely. The outlet stressed that the figure of Hr 14 billion is merely the lowest estimate, not taking into account the value of wood that could have been produced on the affected territory or environmental damages. Long-term ecological consequences may include lowering of the groundwater level, as forests retain water and prevent soil erosion. Further risks include the reduction of biodiversity, worsening of the air quality, rivers and ponds drying up, and fire outbreaks. Then-Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said last April that Russia is actively destroying the natural resource potential of occupied territories, harvesting forests on a large scale in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and other oblasts. Forests in southern Ukraine were also impacted by Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023. Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets told Deutsche Welle on Jan. 31 that the environmental costs of Russia's war have already exceeded Hr 2.2 trillion ($56.6 billion). Kyiv has recorded 3,600 Russian crimes against the environment, he added. Read also: Opinion: Green recovery in Ukraine is a strategic imperative for the EU Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Meet the Observers public safety team and learn how you can help us investigate The journalists at The Charlotte Observer who cover public safety and the legal system are tracking our coverage to look for potential flaws and gaps. Were creating a mission statement that includes avoiding sensationalism, understanding our neighborhoods, and highlighting people who offer solutions and make a difference. Were dedicated to fair, truthful reporting for our diverse communities. We report on lack of transparency in government and we will hold decision-makers in power to account. We keep a scrutinizing eye on law-enforcement. We are working to be cautious about coverage of arrests and incidents without context while focusing on informative reporting about how policing and crime affect people, backed by data. Im the Observers new public safety editor, and Im lucky to be able to work with a talented team of friendly people who care about bringing important news to the public. Ive mostly worked in newsrooms in Virginia and North Carolina, reporting on police and courts, local and state government and large electric monopolies. Heres a look at the Observers public safety team, how you can reach us and how you can help us report and investigate: Ryan Oehrli covers public safety and criminal justice for the Observer, and was previously a reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times. His coverage is funded by The Just Trust, a nonprofit that advocates for a humane justice system and reforms to problems in the system. Hes reported on eCourts, North Carolinas new, online court records and case management system. Hes also written about supervision in county jails and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police meetings that have been kept confidential. Email: roehrli@charlotteobserver.com As journalists, we hear both praise and criticism. If you have thoughts on our coverage or issues and people in your community, please reach out to us. If you know of an abuse of power, have a concern about public safety or have information about a law-enforcement officer we want to hear from you. If you know of a situation in which people are being harmed, please tell us. Our work requires us to listen to all sorts of people, vet information, investigate and shine light on problems so our community can decide if something needs fixing or changing. Reach public safety editor Patrick Wilson at pwilson@charlotteobserver.com Memphis to Little Rock to Hot Springs: How people experienced the total solar eclipse For a few minutes, around 2 p.m. Monday, life in the Mid-South seemed to stand still. Along the Mississippi River and in Overton Park, at the Memphis Botanic Gardens and the Memphis Zoo, thousands gathered together and turned their eyes skyward to witness what had been dubbed The Great American Eclipse. The Memphis area saw a partial eclipse for about 2 and a half hours Monday. At the peak, almost 98% of the sun was obscured by the moon. In Memphis, the peak of the eclipse, around 2 p.m., lasted only a few minutes. Just a little bit west, eclipse watchers saw an even more impressive sight. And it made an impression. "I'm really excited. I feel like a kid now, and I'm 51," said Monica Mackey-Walker, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, who traveled to Little Rock to see the eclipse. Kendra Barat, a park ranger at Hot Springs National Park, said one of the most exciting things about the eclipse is how people who experience it have a collective feeling of awe and leave happy. Third-grade students at Scenic Hills Elementary watch the solar eclipse and make eclipse-related art projects on Monday, April 8, 2024 in Memphis, Tenn. That was on display in Little Rock for Evelyn Holsten, 10, who remarked to a friend "the next time we see this, we're going to be like, 54." "I think it was pretty cool. It was my first time seeing it and I made a new friend," she said of the eclipse. Mondays spectacle was unique and while it won't be 44 years until the next eclipse, it will be a long time. The next visible total solar eclipse to cross over the U.S. will come in more than two decades on Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA. That eclipse will begin in Greenland, sweep through Canada and end around sunset in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. But another eclipse on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2045, will trace a path of totality over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Sunny skies, clear roads in Arkansas In Hot Springs, Arkansas, thousands flocked to the town of 38,000, directly in the path of totality, to take in the celestial spectacle. Hot Springs National Park Public Information Officer Ashley Waymouth said that park rangers have been actively planning for the crowds and masses of people for about a year. "A year's worth of meetings, prep work, staff trainings, you know, just a lot of things went into making sure that we could be ready for all of the crowds and for all of the outreach and education that we wanted to do this weekend," Waymouth said. Dustin Roberts and Faith Kjosa traveled to Hot Springs from Colorado Springs, Colorado. The two began setting up their high-tech photography equipment, which automatically followed the sun through the eclipse and took photos, hours before it started. The duo watched the annular eclipse in Utah in October, and it inspired them to purchase a star tracker piece for his camera for this years total eclipse. Watching the eclipse in Little Rock, Kate Christian and Quinton Kulka said they came in from Chicago. They had been planning to travel to Arkansas specifically for the eclipse since 2017 and would be going home Tuesday. Despite the crowds that flocked to all parts of Arkansas a large swath of which was in the path of totality Dave Parker, a representative from the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said that traffic in the state was flowing extremely well, with only one major highway accident as of mid-day. Jim Silda, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explains how a sun spotter works to people waiting for the total solar eclipse on Arlington Lawn at Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Monday, April 8, 2024. The departments predictions of a slow build in traffic leading up to Monday were spot on. Counts from the day before the eclipse showed a 10% increase in traffic over a typical Sunday. Many of the people coming to Arkansas made last-minute day trips, he said. Parker said Monday morning forecasts predicting clouds and rain in nearby regions likely contributed to more people driving to Arkansas day-of. A National Weather Service briefing indicated that a 150-mile stretch around Little Rock would have some of the best visibility along the entire path of totality in the U.S. The unknown is still out there as to, once its over, what people do, Parker added. Dustin Roberts and Faith Kjosa set up their camera with a star tracker used for astrophotography to photograph the total solar eclipse on Arlington Lawn at Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Monday, April 8, 2024. Monday morning he said he expected many people driving long distances from out of state will have learned the lesson of the last eclipse and will stay longer in Arkansas to avoid the major traffic jams. Thats a win for everyone, Parker added. 'A bite out of a cookie' Back in the Memphis area, watch parties abounded, from workplace gatherings to class activities to large public gatherings. Terry Balton, a regular and enthusiastic Memphis Zoo patron was visiting the flamingos as the moon ticked towards eclipse totality. The flamingos strutted around their enclosure, most of them with their heads pointed towards the sky, as though they were looking at the celestial event. You have to wonder if thats what theyre looking at, said Balton. Roger Ettinger, 11, his mom Ailene Ettinger and Charlie Ettinger, 8, look at maps and information about the total solar eclipse on Arlington Lawn at Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Monday, April 8, 2024. The family traveled from Seattle to view the eclipse and picked Hot Springs after seeing the weather would be good. Bob Ettinger said his parents are in Syracuse and Ailenes parents are in Maine and they all will see the shadow of the moon within minutes of each other Its like you get a sense where you are in the solar system, Bob Ettinger said. A zookeeper materialized to Baltons right. Oh, thats mating behavior. They dont know whats going on, the zookeeper said. Animal behavior aside, the zoo was bustling Monday with humans who were behaving differently, namely by walking around with solar eclipse glasses on, necks stretched upwards and mouths open as the sunlight grew dim. Employees at the Crye-Leike Realty office on Forest Hill Irene Road in Germantown gathered in the parking lot outside Monday afternoon to take in the eclipse. They said they started their watch party around 1 p.m. A third-grade science class at Scenic Hills Elementary prepared for the eclipse with an art exercise involving a cutout sun, moon, and earth attached to a paper plate. The sun and moon are glued to popsicle sticks and can be shifted back and forth. Monday morning, students in the class said they understood what caused the eclipse and said they were excited to see it. Some also wondered if the darkening of the sky would cause nocturnal animals to become animated. Third-grade students at Scenic Hills Elementary watch the solar eclipse and make eclipse-related art projects on Monday, April 8, 2024 in Memphis, Tenn. As the eclipse started, students headed outside, donned their special glasses and stared into the sky, shouting, I see it! I see it! Others laid back on blankets, like they were sunbathing, to take in the view. "It's like a baby took a bite out of a honey bun," a student said. It looks like someone took a bite out of a cookie, another commented. And perhaps the most succinct of all: "It looks like a banana." Mark Russell and USA Today contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What people thought of 2024 solar eclipse in Arkansas, Tennessee Mercer University says it is reviewing an incident at a conservative speaking event on campus last week that ended with a student being charged with battery, according to a police report. The student was arrested by campus police after being accused of making physical contact with Atlas Society CEO Jennifer Grossman who was giving a speech on the Israel-Hamas war, according to Facebook posts from Atlas Society. An incident report provided to The Telegraph by Mercer showed that campus police were dispatched to the Willet Science Center Auditorium for a simple battery investigation. The Atlas Society is a conservative nonprofit that promotes the philosophy of author and philosopher Ayn Rand, whose works include Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. In a Facebook post the day after the incident, the society posted a video of the confrontation which read PRO-HAMAS ACTIVISTS ASSAULT SPEAKER AT TURNING POINT USA CAMPUS EVENT. In the video, the student is seen walking down the stairs of a university auditorium, confronting Grossman, and then shouting 44,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel, 20,000 of them children. Later in the video, a Mercer University police officer escorts the student out of the room after they allegedly made physical contact with Grossman. Jennifer Fairfield, director of media relations for the university, said in a statement the school is reviewing the incident. University administrators are reviewing an interaction between an individual student and a guest speaker at a campus lecture Thursday night, and appropriate action will be taken as warranted, she said. Disrupting and invading the personal space of a speaker is not acceptable. It is our hope this will ultimately prove to be a positive learning experience for the student. The student was booked into the Bibb County jail on Friday and released on $650 bail, according to WSB-TV in Atlanta. On Sunday, The Atlas Society posted another Facebook video showing a woman speaking about the incident. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was already a divisive topic on college campuses, as in U.S. society at large. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that, while two-thirds of Americans say the United States should publicly support Israel in the war between Israel and Hamas, there are wide generational and racial differences. Mario Tama/Getty Images Quality Journalism for Critical Times A Miami-Dade County public corruption prosecutor testified Monday that his unit is running active investigations against third-party voter registration organizations, but he did not specify which groups it was targeting. The testimony from Tim VanderGiesen, chief of the Public Corruption Unit of the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office, came in a lawsuit by multiple third-party voter registration organizations (otherwise known as 3PVROs) challenging restrictions imposed under a 2023 law. The law in question is SB 7050, which went into effect in July. Under the law, noncitizens and people whove been convicted of felony election and identity theft crimes cant handle voter registration applications. There are no exceptions for people who are permanent residents of the U.S. or hold work permits or those who have won restoration of their civil and voting rights. The groups must submit the voter applications 10 days before the registration deadline for the next election. The deadline used to be 14 days. Another restriction bars the groups from keeping any information about the people they help register to vote. The plaintiffs in the suit include the League of Women Voters of Florida, Florida State Conference of Branches and Youth Units of the NAACP, Equal Ground Education Fund, Voters of Tomorrow Action, Disability Rights Florida, Alianza for Progress, and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans. How does Miami-Dade handle election complaints? Attorneys defending Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and the states 67 county supervisors of elections in the trial called VanderGiesen to explain how his unit investigates voter registration complaints. VanderGiesen said the most common complaints involve seemingly fake information on voter registration applications, attempts to register deceased people, and a switch in the voters registered party. The record-keeping is not always that good, VanderGiesen said, referring to one of the obstacles to investigating complaints about third-party groups. The judge presiding over the case, Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, asked how much of the Public Corruption Units work was devoted to election laws. While VanderGiesen refrained from giving a number or a percentage, he said it was not a large portion of the units work. Complaints increase during presidential election years, he said. But even with a higher number of complaints, only a small percentage of investigations lead to prosecutions, VanderGiesen testified, clarifying that corruption and fraud cases are hard to bring to court. The prosecutor said a provision under the 2023 law that would require canvassers to hand out a receipt with their information to voters they help register would help in their investigations of complaints. When asked by one of the plaintiffs attorneys whether he knew whether any of the people associated with any 3PVRO they investigated were noncitizens, VanderGiesen responded that the unit didnt gather that data. Groups say the law discriminates against Black and Hispanic voters Even though Walker enjoined the parts of the law preventing the retention of information and barring noncitizens from handling voter registrations in July 2023, the groups argue that their operations have been severely limited. A leader of the Florida NAACP testified that the organization had stopped voter registration drives altogether because of fears they would have to pay up to $250,000 in fines under the law. An expert witness for the defense, political science professor Robert Stein of Rice University, testified Monday over Zoom that it is not possible to tell at this time whether SB 7050 discriminates against Black and Hispanic voters, as the voter registration groups allege. Stein said that conclusion would require analyzing the total number of non-white voters who were eligible to register during 2023, which numbers are not yet available. However, Stein agreed that 3PVROs register more Black and Hispanic voters than white voters and that other methods of voter registration could not be perfect substitutes for the work 3PVROs do. The post Miami-Dade prosecutor: There are active investigations of voter registration orgs appeared first on Florida Phoenix. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a meeting in Brussels on April 5, and this controversial move is going to hurt peace and stability in the South Caucasus region, the statement of the Western Azerbaijan Community said, Trend reports. "It is clear from the information disseminated following the meeting that the European Union and the United States have decided to provide significant financial assistance to Armenia. Of course, the information provided to the public does not reflect the full story. By providing aid to Armenia and not to Azerbaijan, the only party affected by the former conflict, the EU and the US are in a way rewarding Armenia, which has devastated Azerbaijani territories and polluted them with mines, and pushing it to launch new attacks on Azerbaijan. The EU and the US, with their financial aid to Armenia, finance a large-scale arms program implemented by this country," the statement reads. Additionally, it was noted that despite the appeals of the Western Azerbaijan Community before the meeting, the issue of the return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia was not put on the agenda of the meeting, which is an indicator of the hypocrisy of the US and EU in the issue of human rights. "All this proves once again that this meeting served to aggravate the situation, bringing geopolitical rivalry to the South Caucasus and creating dividing lines in the region. The Western Azerbaijani community urges the EU and the US to stop the policy of double standards and steps that aggravate the situation in the region. If the EU and the US are interested in human rights and peace, they should support not Armenia, which pursues a militaristic policy, but Azerbaijan, which is suffering from the destruction and mining problems created by Armenia, and promote the return of Western Azerbaijanis to the homeland of their ancestors," the statement reads. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The sister of Trumps former national security adviser Michael Flynn and a band of conservative anti-vax activists are running for the board of a renowned public hospital in Florida under the banner of medical freedom. If they win, theyll hold a majority over Sarasotas award-winning facility where one of their allieselected in 2022 with two other health freedom candidates to the nine-member panelis already trying to peddle vaccine misinformation. The rogues gallery includes Mary Flynn ONeill, who directs her brothers nonprofit and routinely appears on right-wing shows with QAnon conspiracy theorists; Tanya Parus, the president of Moms For Americas Sarasota chapter and co-owner of a freedom-based health clinic, and Tamzin Rosenwasser, a dermatologist who once railed against the Federation of State Medical Boardss warning to doctors who spread COVID vaccine misinformation, comparing the organization to Stalins secret police. QAnon Hero Michael Flynn Secretly Said QAnon Is Total Nonsense A fourth contender, Dr. Stephen Guffanti, has a longstanding grievance against the hospital, Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH), related to his 2021 stay there for COVID. He filed a police report alleging false imprisonment, battery and theft and has dogged the facilitys officials ever since. In speeches, Guffanti has called the COVID vaccine a bioweapon unleashed by the FDA and big pharma. ONeill is the executive director of Michael Flynns nonprofit Americas Future Inc., which has paid her and other members of the Flynn family hundreds of thousands of dollars. She has billed herself as an anti-child sex trafficking expert, teaming up with QAnon promoter Liz Crokin and Pizzagate conspiracy theorist Mike Smith. And Parus is known for her work with conservative group Moms for Americaa Trump-loving network similar to Moms for Liberty, aimed at counteracting radical feminists and attacking public schoolsand co-founding the anti-vaccine We the People Health and Wellness Center. Last October, the center put out a call to action to push the Sarasota County Commission to pass a medical freedom resolution providing a protection against quarantine and prohibiting medical and/or vaccine passports. A Sarasota Herald-Tribune columnist stressed the proposal passed with minimal discussion and almost no public awareness. Paruss clinic partner is Vic Mellor, the businessman and former Marine behind the Hollow 2A, a 10-acre conservative stomping ground in Venice that Flynn has financially supported and used as a base to hobnob with the far-right Proud Boys and other extremists. Now local watchdogs are sounding the alarm that the freedom crew could put the prized hospital on a path to privatization and the promotion of bunk science. If they are elected, one retired doctor warned in a letter to the Herald-Tribune, what is considered a very good hospital will be guided by a bunch of conspiracy theorists who do not believe that COVID-19 was dangerous. Last week, the Herald-Tribune revealed board member Victor Rohe wanted to add a warning about COVID vaccines to the hospitals websiteinspired by Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapos January comments (widely slammed by medical experts) arguing theyre unsafe and could harm human DNA. The resolution states that if anyone makes inquiries on the vaccine, SMH employees must refer them to the site, which would note in part, there may be potential risks involved that outweigh any potential benefits of those injections. We encourage you to consider these issues before receiving any more COVID-19 mRNA injections. During a January board meeting, Rohe said community members sent him the proposed website resolution. He has not disclosed who the residents are and didnt return messages left by The Daily Beast. Rohes proposal drew the ire of residents fighting extremism on Sarasotas school board. They appeared at the hospital panels March 26 meeting to decry what they called Michael Flynn and his flocks attempts to infiltrate local government. Tanya Parus, Mary Flynn O'Neill, and Tamzin Rosenwasser M.D. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/medicalfreedomsrq.com At the podium, Carol Lerner argued, Putting this on the SMH agenda legitimizes quack misinformation based on conspiracy theories and pseudoscience. And who are these community members who drafted this resolution? Its Flynn and the people around him. Flynn and his sister Mary didnt return messages seeking comment. Lisa Schurr, a co-founder of the nonprofit Support Our Schools, thanked the nurses and doctors who cared for her last year in her emergency room. I will do anything I can to make sure that this hospital survives, she said. Schurr told The Daily Beast that the hospital saved her life when her appendix burst. To Schurr, the hospital election is a redux of the school board race that elected Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Zieglerknown recently for a threeway sex scandaland her sidekicks. These people want to dismantle the hospital the same way they want to dismantle public education, she said. Its two sides of the same bloody coin. People slept through the whole school board debacle until it was too late and we got stuck with the candidates that we got stuck with, Schurr said, and were going to be looking at the same kind of crap if we dont do something about this. Lerner, another Support Our Schools director, believes the medical freedom crusaders foothold on the board is part of a wider plan of taking over public institutions from the bottom up. When Flynn has his mantra of local action has a national impact, thats what hes talking about. Thats how hes using Sarasota. The board governs the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System and its flagship hospital SMH, which made Newsweeks 2024 list of the worlds best hospitals and is Floridas fifth best hospital in U.S. News, which also ranks it a high-performing facility for gastroenterology and other specialties. Advocates for the publicly-owned hospital point out that as a nonprofit, it reinvests in the area with new facilities and services rather than filling private shareholders pockets. But over the past couple years, right-leaning activists including Parus have painted SMH as a money-hungry enterprise profiting off COVID and covering up a spate of pandemic deaths in a sinister scheme. The hospitals doctors denied these claims. After Rohe and two colleagues secured their seats in 2022, the low-profile local proceedings devolved into politicized clashes over the pandemic. Agitators bashed the hospital for following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and using antiviral drug remdesivir while failing to treat patients with controversial drugs like ivermectin, an anti-parasitic, and hydroxychloroquine, the antimalarial touted as a COVID cure by former President Trump. (The FDA says neither drug is safe or effective in treating or preventing COVID-19). Others shared their grief, claiming relatives died because of the hospitals COVID treatments or refusal to prescribe ivermectin, and that families were kept away from dying loved ones. Under pressure from the detractors, the hospital agreed to conduct an internal study on its COVID protocols. After it unveiled its review last February, which showed the facility outperformed others nationwide in preventing deaths, the right-wing contingent demanded it commission a new third-party investigation. Michael Flynnwho once expressed paranoia that the COVID-19 vaccine was in his salad dressingattended the board meeting that month and tweeted that SMH took what could have been a rebuilding of trust and further damaged this institution with a fox inside the henhouse investigation. Their little report is not the end of the investigation, Flynn added. More to follow. Flynn also suggested the nearly century-old hospital should be privatized. It may be time to privatize this hospital. What a sad state of affairs and this Sarasota, FL County Memorial Hospital board chairmans explanation sounds more like an excuse and he clearly has no idea what is in his own report. For those in our county, wake up to the issues going https://t.co/SaT3AV15Pl General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) February 25, 2023 Rage against the hospital continued in the following weeks, with people leaving voicemails and sending hate mail to doctors and other staff, some of it laden with antisemitic slurs and death threats and prompting a Sarasota police investigation. Good morning, are you a patient advocate? one voicemail highlighted by Mother Jones said. They hung people at the Nuremberg trials when they were found guilty. They used piano wire. So do you want piano wire or hemp or nylon rope? Last year, hospital board member Tramm Hudson cautioned that the attacks were part of a coordinated campaign by outside activists using COVID misinformation to strengthen their political standing in Florida. And hospital spokeswoman Kim Savage told the Bradenton Herald that some provocateurs were affiliated with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, as well as Flynn and the Zelenko Freedom Foundation, a group launched by the late hydroxychloroquine-pushing doctor Vladimir Zelenko. Dr. Kirk Voelker, a pulmonologist and medical director of Sarasota Memorial Health Care Systems Clinical Research Center, said hospital critics deserve to be heard. What happened during COVID was horrendous, Voelker told The Daily Beast. Because of our guidelines passed down from CDC and major academic institutions, we did have things like family members dying without anyone present. It was heartbreaking. It was traumatizing, and that should be acknowledged. But the medical freedom crowds objections, Voelker said, should lie with the CDC and Florida health department rather than the hospital, which was following official directives. Voelker added the hospital did permit usage of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine until federal guidelines showed that they presented more risk than benefit. I was probably one of the few physicians who actually prescribed ivermectin because the preliminary data behind it demonstrated the possibility of benefit, he said. While Voelker did research trials on ivermectin and other medications, he said the data showed that it just did not do what we thought it had promised to do. The women on the medical freedom slate didnt respond to requests for comment. Giuffanti, however, had much to say about his feud with the hospital, one that galvanized others like Rohe to join his cause. (Rohe told the Washington Post Guffantis situation inspired him to self-treat COVID at home: If I went to the hospital, I believed I would die.) I am running because I want doctors to practice medicine the way it should be practiced, Guffanti said in an email. Reached by The Daily Beast, Rosenwasser declined to share why she was running and what issues she found important with the board. I can comment to the public without going through a leftist, Marxist organization, she said. If its the Daily Beast, it sounds like it is a leftist, Marxist organization. The freedom candidates shared toned-down campaign press releases with the Herald-Tribune, with Mary Flynn ONeill declaring: I am committed to ensuring our community hospital, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, remains publicly supported while respecting health freedoms of our countys citizens. I want to ensure the public can trust our community hospital to continue doing so into the future without undue outside influence, she added. Rosenwasser announced she opposes medical corporatists and that shes a vehement proponent of public hospitals answerable to the voters. The doctorwhos written editorials decrying Medicare and Medicaid, Obamacare, and Critical Race Theoryis also a past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS). While its name has the patina of the medical establishment, AAPS is a tiny but vocal fringe group that once boasted Rand Paul as a member, has cast doubt on measles vaccines, and sued in an attempt to overturn the Affordable Care Act. I was orphaned at age 15, and I have worked very hard all my life, Rosenwasser fumed in one LinkedIn comment. The US govt has confiscated my earnings, and bestowed them on other citizens who are strangers to me. I am forced to pay for all those on Medicaid and Medicare. After paying back all my educational loans, now Socialists in the USA want me to pay for everyone elses education. In another comment, she bemoaned having to pay for everybody elses retirement, and their parents medical bills. Rosenwassers views seem in direct conflict with the spirit of the Sarasota hospital, which boasts on its website, We are proud to serve as the regions safety net hospital, delivering the lions share of inpatient Medicaid and charity care. For her part, Tanya Parus shared a statement announcing her main focus will be to bring full accountability and transparency to the hospital and again impugned the facilitys internal COVID review, calling it a whitewashed report. A former EMT, Parus previously told The Daily Beast that she connected families to doctors who issued kids mask waivers or prescribed off-label ivermectin. I was seeing this huge, huge need, she said. When she launched her clinic, she searched for doctors whod been canned over their COVID beliefs. Those are the doctors you want there, she said. Those are the doctors that are going to stick up for you as a patient. One of the reasons why I have the clinic and I wanted to be the medical specialist here and I wanted to run for hospital board, Parus said at a national Moms for America panel last month, is because people are scared to death to go to the hospital. Theyre afraid. If in Florida, stop by the @WTPHealthCenter in Venice. Well give you a free month of health care for you and your entire family. General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) January 11, 2024 In a December 2022 interview with QAnon conspiracy theorist Ann Vandersteel, Parus accused the media of mischaracterizing the first round of hospital board candidates. Its not a political thing, were trying to save everybodys lives, were trying to get the word out about whats going on in the hospitalsand then they contort it into its a political agenda, Parus said. So this just goes to show you its all about taking back our country. We have to do that from all these institutions, including the medical institutions. Joseph DeVirgilio, a Republican incumbent who lost to a health freedom hopeful in 2022, told The Daily Beast the prior election wasnt a choice between incumbents and the fringe group but among three different GOP slates. The split votes, he said, led to some health freedom members being voted into office. Voters should pay close attention in 2024, DeVirgilio said, to avoid the same fate. In Parus race against Republican incumbent Sarah Lodge, whoever wins the August primary will get elected to the board, so long as there is no challenger from another party. The other contests, which feature Democrats, will be decided in November. As a believer in vaccines and science, DeVirgilio is opposed to the medical freedom camp and says some of its candidates may not have an understanding of the boards advisory roleespecially in light of Rohes anti-vax resolution. How RFK Jr. Supporters Are Trying to Spin His Anti-Vax Stance The danger of any of that stuff is once an organization, Sarasota Memorial, begins getting a reputation for non-mainstream medicine youre going to begin losing some top quality professionals, he said. We have world-class medicine here. At least two Democrats are also vying for hospital board seats: George Davis, a retired family physician who specializes in palliative care, and John Lutz, who has over 40 years of hospital, insurance, and consulting experience. Davis is facing off against ONeill, and another Republican, Pam Beitlich, the hospital systems executive director of Women & Childrens Services who is set to retire. It doesnt matter what party you belong to, Davis said. Its really important that people step up because we have to protect our hospital. Lutz is running against Guffanti and Kevin Cooper, a Republican and Iraq War vet with years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. As a person who has spent my entire career in healthcare leadership I live it every day and understand the complexity that it takes to do it, Lutz said. A lot of these other folks seem to have more of an agenda. Im not sure whose purpose it serves. Stephen Guffanti, the anti-vaxx former emergency room doc, insists that hes running for the hospital board because of his own harrowing experience during COVID. Its a tale he brings up repeatedlymost recently at the March 26 hospital board meeting, when Guffanti asked every panel member to review his medical chart. I was attacked because I documented patient abandonment of my roommate who went on to die, Guffanti told The Daily Beast in an email. He denied enlisting this years medical freedom candidates to run for the board. He said he only recruited Victor Rohe, a Republican and former New York City police officer, to campaign under the health freedom platform. Victor picked me up and brought me to get oxygen after I left the hospital. Were friends. And when the others decided to run I helped as best I could, Guffanti wrote. You asked if I recruited them. Helping a candidate and recruiting a candidate are two different things. Our board needs people who understand medicine or else they miss that which would be obvious to a doctor, he said, adding, I would prefer not to run, but I love medicine and what it is becoming is too disturbing to stay on the sidelines. To all those on the board @SMHCS this isnt going away. And we are so past personal attacks. If you had the maturity to understand what has happened nationwide with the so-called protocols (and I believe you do) & you paid attention to the national (& international) news https://t.co/SR5Yh26GiF General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) March 23, 2023 Guffanti has rallied for the 2024 cycle of candidates too. During a February talk at a medical freedom forum in Oklahoma, he shared his hospital horror story and solicited money for the Florida race. We dont have the candidates we need to run for the hospital board, Guffanti said, before announcing a sign-up sheet for pledges. When we do get the candidates, I will contact you and ask you for your donation. In August 2021, Guffanti filed a police report over his stay at Sarasota Memorial Hospital though cops said there wasnt evidence to support a case. Guffanti says he was admitted to the hospital for a COVID infection on Aug. 1, 2021 and received a roommate the next day: a 51-year-old father of five who died after being placed on a ventilator. In a faxed statement to police, Guffanti said he watched the mans condition worsen and asked him on Aug. 11 if he could serve as his patient advocate. According to Guffanti, the roommate said yes, and they reviewed his labs with a nurse. A trained doctor himself, Guffanti believed the man had a bacterial infection and pneumonia and questioned why the hospital wasnt treating it. On 8-12-21 at 2 am the patient was having difficulty maintaining oxygen saturation levels, Guffanti wrote to police. The nurse used a mask to up the levels, but didnt contact the doctor. After Guffanti called an infectious disease specialist and tried to get the nurse to speak with him, he was removed from his room and accused of violating HIPAA. He claims security stopped him from leaving the hospital against medical advice. Two security guards held down my arms while 2 nurses held my legs down as I struggled, Guffanti wrote, adding that he was held in four-point restraints. One doctor ordered Guffanti to be held under the Baker Act, a Florida law that permits patients to be involuntarily confined during mental health emergencies. Guffanti claims this doctor put a psychosis diagnosis on his chart without ever evaluating him. Another physician released Guffanti a few hours later. Hospital documents obtained by police showed staffers alleged Guffantis behavior was aggressive, disruptive, erratic and dangerous and that he had snapped photos of the other patient to post on social media. At this point in the investigation, the cop noted, there is no evidence to support the allegations claimed by Guffanti. Despite this, Guffanti has requested the board conduct an independent investigation related to his case and to eight other people who died during the pandemic. Kim Savage, the hospitals public information officer, told The Daily Beast that in November 2022, the hospital board voted to conduct a review of the systems COVID-19 care. As part of it, the boards Committee for Professional Enhancement conducted an in-depth evaluation of the medical care provided to nine patients, including Dr. Guffanti. While we cannot provide information about individual patients due to privacy laws, the CPE (made up of physicians with experience and special training in peer review and professional practice evaluation), found all nine cases met the standard of care, Savage said. Savage said Guffantis claim was also reviewed by the states Agency for Health Care Administration, and at his request, nonprofit accreditation body the Joint Commission, and an outside expert physician hired at Sarasota Memorials expense who was recommended by personal injury firm Morgan & Morgan. None of the reviews substantiated his complaints, Savage said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Russia's reconnaissance capabilities in the sky, on the water, and on land suffered after Ukraine regained control of a set of oil drilling platforms located in the Black Sea last autumn, Ukraine's military intelligence said on April 8. Kyiv announced that it had regained control over the platforms, informally known in Ukraine as the Boyko Towers after pro-Russian politician Yurii Boyko, as well as two mobile rigs in September 2023. The drilling platforms were procured by Ukraine when Boyko served as the energy minister between 2010 and 2012 under then-President Viktor Yanukovych. Russia occupied the rigs following the 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea. After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces turned the platforms into a military site, deploying equipment like radar and helipads, according to military intelligence. Ukraine's Navy spokesperson, Dmytro Pletenchuk, said in the autumn of 2023 that the Boyko Towers were under Ukraine's "fire control" but remained in the "gray zone" due to the activity of Russian military aircraft in the sector. During the operation to take control of the platforms, Ukrainian forces reportedly dismantled the radar system. The Russian Navy was then unable to effectively monitor the situation in the surrounding area of the Black Sea, according to Pletenchuk. "Today, the towers are used directly," Yusov said in the program on the national television aired on April 5, without unveiling the details. Russia's "zone of influence" was narrowed and the capabilities of the Ukrainian military to conduct further operations in the Black Sea, including occupied Crimea, have expanded, Yusov added. Read also: Opinion: Whats left of Russias Black Sea Fleet? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Military pharmacies have returned to full operations, six weeks after a cyberattack on the nations largest commercial prescription processor disrupted normal business at thousands of pharmacies around the world. Following the Feb. 21 hack, Change Healthcare which verifies whether a customers health insurance will help cover the cost of each medication disconnected its system from other parts of the medical ecosystem in an attempt to limit the attacks impact. Military pharmacies were able to manually fill prescriptions in the companys absence, but warned customers of longer wait times. Most retail pharmacies restarted filling and refilling patients prescriptions by March 8, after much of Change Healthcares network had regained function, according to officials from Optum, the UnitedHealth Group subsidiary that oversees Change. But on-base pharmacies lagged behind for multiple weeks as Change worked with Defense Health Agency officials to reestablish its connection to that separate network. The connection was restored the week of April 1, a company spokesperson told Military Times April 5. Defense Health Agency officials didnt respond to a request for information about the status of the pharmacies. At least one military pharmacy has continued to warn of extended wait times as it recovers from the disruption. Pharmacy services have been fully restored and we have returned to a fully operational status, including the filling of controlled substances, the 19th Medical Group at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, said in an April 3 Facebook post. Earlier, Defense Health Agency officials acknowledged that some beneficiaries may have been asked to pay full price for their prescriptions at Tricares in-network retail pharmacies affected by the Change Healthcare outage. Those customers should file a claim for reimbursement with Tricare. By Brendan McDermid and Joseph Ax NIAGARA FALLS, New York (Reuters) -Throngs of skywatchers across North America gazed upward at a blackened sun in the midday dusk on Monday, celebrating with cheers, music and matrimony the first total solar eclipse to darken the continent in seven years. From a Mexican beach resort close to where the eclipse made landfall to the banks of the Ohio River and farther north beyond the roaring cascades of Niagara Falls at the U.S.-Canadian border, spellbound crowds reacted to the sight of "totality" with jaw-dropping expressions of awe and joy. In Russellville, Arkansas, a town of roughly 30,000 residents near the state's only nuclear power plant, almost 400 couples tied the knot by the shadow of the moon in a mass wedding event dubbed "Elope and the Eclipse." At least two weddings and one marriage proposal were known to have taken place among roughly 2,000 people who assembled at Niagara Falls State Park despite overcast skies. The dreary weather subdued the experience until clouds momentarily parted to reveal the last 30 seconds of totality, and the crowd went wild, cheering and shouting, "It's so beautiful." As the skies began to brighten again, a band played out the retreating lunar shadow with a rendition the R.E.M.'s 1992 hit song "Man on the Moon. Across the river in Niagara Falls, Ontario, 309 people - some from as far away as Singapore and London - came dressed up as the sun, setting a new world record for the largest group to wear solar costumes in one place, contest organizers said. The previous record was set in 2020 by 287 participants in China. SHADOWS AND LIGHT Where clear skies prevailed, observers along the direct path of the eclipse were treated to the rare spectacle of the moon appearing as a dark orb creeping in front of the sun, briefly blocking out all but a brilliant halo of light, or corona, around, the sun's outer edge. (Reuters live coverage) It was first total eclipse to sweep across a large swath of North America since 2017, and will be the last one visible from the contiguous United States until 2044. As totality unfolded at a campground in North Hudson in upstate New York, hundreds of people shrieked with excitement. "Oh my God!" some said, as the air cooled and automatic outdoor lights on a nearby building flicked on, fooled by the darkness. Mexico's beachside resort town of Mazatlan was the first major viewing spot for totality. Thousands in solar-safe eyewear perched in deck chairs along the coastal promenade, and an orchestra played the "Star Wars" movie theme as skies darkened under the approaching lunar shadow. The crowds burst into cheers, applause and whistles when the eclipse reached totality. The period of totality, lasting up to 4-1/2 minutes depending the observer's location, was ushered in by a number of other eerie eclipse effects. Some stars twinkled at midday as dusk abruptly descended, sending temperatures dipping and faint waves of "shadow bands" flickering over the landscape. Birds and other wildlife sometimes fall silent and still. Eclipse fans traveled from far and wide hoping to glimpse the phenomenon somewhere along the "path of totality" stretching 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from Mexico's Pacific Coast through Texas and across 14 other U.S. states into Canada. The moon's shadow exited continental North America in Newfoundland. A partial eclipse, in which the moon obscures only a portion of the sun, was visible across most of the continental United States outside the path of totality, where weather permitted. Lourdes Corro, 43, said she traveled 10 hours by car to reach Mazatlan, Mexico, for an event widely considered one of nature's greatest wonders. "The last one I saw was when I was 9 years old," Corro said. "There are a few clouds but we can still see the sun." 'COMPLETE SENSORY EXPERIENCE' Overcast skies across much of the United States added an extra challenge for many. Laura and Brian Uzzle awaited the eclipse on the banks of the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky on Monday after cloudy forecasts prompted the Denver-based couple to abandon initial plans to view it from Texas and book last-minute flights and rental cars several hundred miles (km) away. Laura Uzzle, 56, said she was excited to experience the eclipse by a riverbank teeming with birds and insects. "Even the wildlife changes," she said. "It's a complete sensory experience." The surge in eclipse enthusiasts taking to roadways in Indiana prompted the state police to announce it was shutting down highway rest stops once they reached capacity and kept them closed for the duration. At up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds, Monday's total eclipse surpassed the duration of the 2017 event, which lasted upwards of 2 minutes and 42 seconds. According to NASA, solar eclipse totalities can range from 10 seconds to about 7-1/2 minutes. Monday's total eclipse rolled through more densely populated regions than seven years ago, a corridor averaging 115 miles (185 km) wide encompassing such major cities as San Antonio, Austin and Dallas, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Montreal, Quebec. About 32 million people in the United States live within the path of totality, with federal officials having predicted another 5 million people would travel to be there. It took about 80 minutes from the moment the moon first began to cover the sun to the moment of totality, then another 80 minutes to complete the process in reverse. The last remaining bit of brilliant sunlight before totality creates a "diamond ring effect," with a single bright spot glaring from one side of the lunar shadow while the sun's corona still encircles the rest of the moon. Some suggested the experience might have a lingering effect on human social behavior, if only temporarily. In Burlington Vermont, where hotels were booked months in advance, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said the thousands of visitors who gathered in her city exuded the mood of a midsummer festival. "It was a really chill vibe. People were appreciating the momentousness of the occasion," Mulvaney-Stanak, who was sworn into office on April 1, told reporters afterward. Asked if she believed the communal experience might help heal some of society's festering political and social divisions, the mayor said: "I really think it will." "Truly, this felt like another huge surge of optimism," she said. (Reporting by Joseph Ax in North Hudson; Rosalba O'Brien in Oswego, New York; Henry Romero in Mazatlan, Mexico, Brad Brooks in Longmont, Colorado, Julia Harte in New York and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Writing by Brad Brooks, Jonathan Allen and Steve Gorman; Editing by Will Dunham, Paul Thomasch and Sandra Maler) DFL state Sen. Lindsey Port told her legislative colleagues on Monday that she's switching to work mostly remotely as she struggles with worsening and at times dangerous symptoms of long haul COVID. Since contracting COVID in 2020, the second-term senator from Burnsville has struggled with ongoing symptoms, including extreme fatigue and neuropathy in her hands, arms, feet and legs, which causes both numbness and pain and has forced her to walk with a cane. That feeling has intensified, causing sudden paralysis in her legs. Two weeks ago, she fell at home and suffered a concussion. "Knowing that I could be doing longer-term damage to my brian made me really realize that I needed to change how I interact at the Capitol," Port said in an interview on Monday. Port, the chair of the Senate's Housing and Homelessness Prevention Committee, carried a number of major bills through the chamber last session, including the proposal to legalize marijuana in the state. She informed her colleagues in an email that she will participate remotely in committee and floor work as a default and "join you in-person on the most important occasions, like presenting bills on the floor." She's the second DFL senator to move to largely remote service this session, following former DFL Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic's announcement earlier this year that her cancer had reemerged. Dziedzic led the narrowly divided chamber last year as Democrats pushed through a historic agenda, serving part of the session remotely as she recovered from a major surgery. Port said Dziedzic set an example for how "we can show up in different ways." "Seeing her leadership helped me realize it's OK to show up differently, in a way that maybe the Legislature is not used to," Port said. "Tons of people all over Minnesota are working remotely right now, and we can do that too." The chamber is controlled by Democrats by a single vote, and at least one Republican senator has pushed this year to limit voting remotely after the practice was established and widely used during the pandemic. Minnesota still allows remote voting for legislators in certain circumstances. Port said eliminating remote participation is an "outdated and unsympathetic" way to look at the Legislature, which now includes many younger members with families. Legislators in both parties have had to cast votes remotely over the last four years during unexpected health or family emergencies. Port caught COVID early in March 2020, before Minnesota had confirmed its first COVID-19 death, and wound up in the emergency room. She's opened up about the ways the virus continues to change her life, from asthmatic attacks and kidney stones to her struggles with the numbness and paralysis in her legs. Neurological issues, difficulty breathing, brain fog, extreme fatigue as well as eye and throat issues are common signs of long COVID, symptoms that can last weeks, months, or even years after an initial infection. Research suggests that 1 in 5 people between the ages of 18 to 64 has had at least one medical condition following a COVID infection. That increases to 1 in 4 in people 65 and older. "While for me it feels hard to ask for help and to say I need an accommodation, it is also really empowering to know that I can do great work for my district and great work for the people of Minnesota and I don't have to give up any of my bills," she said. "I can show up in a different way and still be a really strong legislator." Miriam Margolyes says 'Hitler has won' as she condemns Israeli actions in Gaza Miriam Margolyes says 'Hitler has won' as she condemns Israeli actions in Gaza Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes has denounced Israel's actions in Gaza in a video shared by The Jewish Council of Australia. In the clip, the 83-year-old, who is Jewish and an Australian citizen, voiced how ashamed she is of the nation and its military actions, which have claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Palestinians to date. The Call The Midwife actress claimed the actions of the country, governed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had transformed Israel into a vicious, genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children. She shared in the social media post: I have never been so ashamed of Israel as I am at this moment. To me, it seems as if Hitler has won. He's changed us Jews from being compassionate and carrying into this vicious, genocidal, nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children. Of course I condemn of Hamas action. Of course I do. But what we are doing Jewish people over in Israel is shocking, embarrassing and wicked. The British-born star urged the Jewish community, particularly those in Israel, to do the right thing and scream for a ceasefire. And I cannot understand why all Jewish people, particularly members of synagogues do not want immediately to stop what is going on, she continued. And in the name of humanity, I call upon all Jews to shout, beg, scream for a ceasefire. It is not antisemitic to have a different opinion on the wartime actions now. We have to do, as my mother used to say, the right thing. The right thing is a ceasefire to stop the killing, certainly, to beg and insist on the release of hostages. But there is an opinion about Israel's actions, which is not antisemitic to voice, what Israel is doing is wrong. It is wicked. Before concluding her video message, Margolyes once again called on the Jewish community to voice their detestation of Israels actions and urged them to behave in accordance with Jewish tradition. And if you want to say this is very bad for Israel, please call on your rabbis on your communities, on all the people you know, voice your disgust and detestation of the Israeli actions please, you are then doing the right thing and behaving in accordance with Jewish tradition, she added. Thank you. Margolyes has been outspoken about her position on the Israel-Gaza war and was one of the more 2,000 artists to have signed an open letter calling for a Gaza ceasefire in October. Tilda Swinton, Charles Dance and Steve Coogan were also named on the letter, written by Artists For Palestine UK, which called for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of Gazas crossings to allow humanitarian aid to enter unhindered. It also urged the signatories Governments to end their military and political support for Israels actions. Three civilians were killed in a Russian attack on an industrial company in the city of Zaporizhzhia. Source: Zaporizhzhia Oblast Prosecutors Office Details: The Prosecutors Office reports that at about 12:30 on 8 April 2024, Russian forces launched an attack on the infrastructure of the city of Zaporizhzhia. The missile struck a local company. Three civilians were killed in the attack, and more people were injured. Quote: "A pre-trial investigation was initiated in a criminal proceeding on the fact of violating the laws and customs of the war combined with premeditated murder (Article 438.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) under the procedural management of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Prosecutors Office." Updated: The head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration specified that eight people received injuries of different severity. Early reports show that 14 buildings, including 7 apartment buildings, a healthcare facility and a cultural building, were damaged in the attack. Photo: Zaporizhzhia Oblast Prosecutors Office Photo: Zaporizhzhia Oblast Prosecutors Office Background: On the afternoon of 8 April the head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration reported six people injured in the attack. Support UP or become our patron! People took sides over the COVID-19 lockdowns, but the pandemic proved one thing for certain: Workers can thrive without regular, in-person supervision. Yet, the Mississippi Real Estate Commission has failed to keep up. Despite overwhelming evidence from nearly every industry, the government commission clings to an old, unwritten policy that requires real estate agents to live within roughly a one-hour driveabout 50 milesof their supervising broker. The goal is to promote face-to-face interaction, a holdover from a bygone era of cubicles and desks for every employee. The requirement is not a formal rule, and its legal basis is murky. Mississippi law requires real estate agents to work under the supervision of a broker, but the statutes say nothing about working within a certain distance. The restriction was invented by unelected bureaucrats based on a published rule that only requires brokers to supervise their licensees. Tellingly, the commission refers to the one-hour-drive requirement as a "custom and practice," and leaves agents to infer the restriction from questions on government forms. If they miss the subtle messaging, they find out when regulators reject their applications. The 50-mile radius rule for broker supervision "isn't found anywhere in state statute or in [the commission's] Administrative Rules," the Mississippi Association of Realtors explains in a letter to the commission. "The application is written upon the assumption that this 'rule' is in place, when there is no evidence available to the licensees or the public that this 'rule' has been adopted." The Institute for Justice, our public-interest law firm, dug deeper with a public records request. We found emails, applications, and other correspondence showing widespread confusion and uneven enforcement. One Atlanta-based agent with a supervising broker nearly 400 miles away in Memphis received a nonresident salesperson license to operate in Mississippi because she claimed to travel to the Memphis area a few times per year to see family. But a Memphis-based applicant got denied because his supervising broker was 200 miles away in Richland, Mississippi. The commission did not care that this applicant already had an established relationship with the Richland broker, who planned to use Zoom to supervise him effectively. Nor did the commission care that the applicant would travel to see his broker when necessary. This interference violates the Mississippi Constitution, something more fundamental than a custom and practice. Since 1949, the Supreme Court of Mississippi has held that the "right to follow any of the common occupations of life is an inalienable right." People must be free to earn an honest living in their chosen occupation without arbitrary or unreasonable restrictions. They must also be free to relocate, which the Supreme Court of Mississippi affirmed in 1990. The one-hour rule tethers real estate agents or forces them to sever relationships with brokers they know and trust when they move over 50 miles away. In a March 28 letter to the commission, the Institute for Justice called for an end to the one-hour-drive rule. How the commission responds has implications for professionals in many industries. About one-fourth of all U.S. jobs require an occupational license, and government boards often multiply rules or twist definitions to expand their authority without good reasons. Many times, licensing boards are just slow to recognize advancing technology. Pennsylvania tried to require vacation property manager Sally Ladd to get a real estate license to help people use Airbnb. As part of the application process, regulators demanded proof of a brick-and-mortar office inside Pennsylvania. This might have made sense prior to the advent of the internet. But people today work differently. They can log on to digital platforms from anywhere, and they can cover 50 miles or 5,000 miles in an instantless time than it takes traditional colleagues to walk to the watercooler. Tearing down pointless boundaries is the point. Mississippi should keep pace and reconsider its outdated requirement. The post Mississippi Tethers Real Estate Agents to Outdated Rule appeared first on Reason.com. Mom unsure if she could contain her excitement sends husband to check Powerball win Though a Maryland woman didnt take home the estimated $951 million Powerball jackpot, she was still quite happy with her win. The Baltimore teacher bought numerous tickets for the Saturday, March 30 Powerball drawing, Maryland Lottery officials said in an April 8 news release. The next day, lottery officials said the woman checked her winning ticket several times using a lottery app on her phone. Unsure if she could contain her excitement and fearful of attracting the wrong attention, the woman sent her husband to confirm her win at the Timonium store where she purchased her tickets. The man scanned the ticket and returned home to congratulate his wife, who won a prize of $50,000 by matching four numbers and the Powerball, lottery officials said. The woman plans to tuck some of the prize away in savings, and she told lottery officials she also plans to use some of her winnings for home renovations and to help her children. What to know about Powerball To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball. The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338. Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state. Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online. Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families. If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website. Lottery player thought her big prize was a dream in Maryland. But it was real life Lottery player buys 40 Pick 4 tickets with 4-digit combination of 4444. Yes, it worked Seven Powerball players across US win $1 million. Where were winning tickets sold? Monday evening news briefing: Farage Id be the bridge between Trump and Starmer Good evening. Nigel Farage suggested he would be willing to work with a Labour government as Britains man in Washington if Donald Trump became president. Breaking news: A mother who was fatally stabbed to death while pushing her baby in a pram along a busy high street has been named as 27-year-old Kulsama Akter. Read more here. Farage: Id be the bridge between Trump and Starmer Mr Farage took questions from Camilla Tominey and Telegraph subscribers in a special live event presented by The Telegraph Politics Newsletter. Asked if he wanted to be Starmers man in Washington, he said: In the national interest, there needs to be an intermediary between Trump and an incoming Labour government, and Id be happy to do that. You can watch the full question-and-answer session here. Evil monster murdered wife and cut her body into more than 200 pieces Nicholas Metson pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife Holly Bramley - Lincolnshire Police/PA An evil monster who stabbed his wife to death and then cut her body into more than 200 pieces before dumping them in a river has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 years. Holly Bramleys body parts were found in a number of shopping bags after being thrown in the Witham in March 2023. Alan Bates calls for Post Office scandal prosecutions Alan Bates has said police should consider prosecuting those responsible for the Post Office scandal, ahead of his appearance at the public inquiry on Tuesday. The campaigner also said bonuses paid to bosses, while sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted, should be clawed back. Evening Briefing: Todays essential headlines Scotland | Police cant cope with a deluge of hate crime reports made under the SNPs new law, frontline officers have claimed. Comment and analysis Feature of the day My 33-year-old anorexic daughter died by euthanasia my husband and I stood by her Ellen, Esther and Rob Beukema in October 2021 - c/o Ellen Beukema Esther Beukema pursued her death wish after battling an eating disorder. Her parents argue why they supported her and others like her. Business news: New John Lewis chairman to replace Dame Sharon White The John Lewis Partnership, which runs the department store chain and Waitrose stores, said Jason Tarry, the former UK boss of Tesco, would be joining as its seventh chairman later this year, following a search which kicked off last October. Live markets news: Putin seeks emergency petrol as Russia runs on fumes Editors choice Sport briefing: Todays essential headlines Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has expressed condolences to Kazakhstan over the devastating floods, Trend reports, referring to the X account of the ministry. "Deeply saddened by devastating floods in brotherly Kazakhstan. We express sympathy to the people who have been affected by this disaster and convey condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives. We express our solidarity with the people and government of brotherly Kazakhstan," the publication reads. In Kazakhstan, over 3,600 private homes are flooded due to the floods. Since the onset of the flood period, 72,029 individuals have been rescued, including 16,078 children. A state of emergency has been declared in 10 regions of the country due to the flooding. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel MONTROSE COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) Montrose County residents are invited to engage in discussion on the implementation of Differential Response (DR) in child protection services. The Montrose County Child Welfare Department is organizing a community forum on Thursday, April 24, at 3:30 p.m. at the Montrose County Event Center, at 1036 North 7th Street. Differential Response DR is a new approach to addressing reports of child abuse and neglect. The primary goal remains the safety and well-being of the child, but DR plans to achieve this while also providing support services to families. Key points about DR: Prioritizes child safety: DR maintains a steadfast commitment to child safety. Rigorous assessments are conducted on all accepted referrals, utilizing established Colorado safety and risk assessments. More options for families: DR extends beyond traditional investigations, offering a broader spectrum of services. Caseworkers are empowered to connect families with resources that directly address individual needs. Strengthens family engagement: DR fosters collaboration between caseworkers and families, striving to create a safe and nurturing environment for children through joint efforts. Community partnerships: DR promotes partnerships with community organizations to augment support services available to families. Benefits of DR (based on preliminary research): Increased caseworker satisfaction: Early findings suggest heightened satisfaction levels among caseworkers. Enhanced family engagement: DR encourages families to actively engage with support services, leading to more positive outcomes. Positive community feedback: Community partners report increased satisfaction with the effectiveness of DR initiatives. Reduced recidivism rates: Families receiving services through the Family Assessment Response (FAR) program exhibit lower rates of repeat incidents. Improved outcomes: DR demonstrates promising results in improving outcomes for both children and families. The upcoming forum presents an invaluable opportunity for community members to delve deeper into the principles and practices of Differential Response. Attendees can pose questions, gain insights from local experts, and actively participate in discussions. Further information about Montrose County Child Welfare and its initiatives can be reached by the departments official website here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. These are the most challenged library books in America yes, most are LGBTQ+ The American Library Association has released its list of the 10 most challenged books of 2023, and seven of the 10 were challenged that is, subject to ban attempts at least in part for LGBTQ+ content. Several of them are by or about people of color. In looking at the titles of the most challenged books from last year, its obvious that the pressure groups are targeting books about LGBTQIA+ people and people of color, ALA President Emily Drabinski said in a press release. At ALA, we are fighting for the freedom to choose what you want to read. Shining a light on the harmful workings of these pressure groups is one of the actions we must take to protect our right to read. The top 10 list, released Monday during National Library Week, consists of these books: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe; reasons: LGBTQ+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit All Boys Arent Blue by George M. Johnson; reasons: LGBTQ+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson; reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQ+ content, rape, drugs, profanity Flamer by Mike Curato; reasons: LGBTQ+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison; reasons: rape, incest, claimed to be sexually explicit, equity, diversity, and inclusion content Tricks by Ellen Hopkins; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs, rape, LGBTQ+ content Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity Lets Talk About It by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, sex education, LGBTQ+ content Sold by Patricia McCormick; reasons: claimed to be sexually explicit, rape These are books that contain the ideas, the opinions, and the voices that censors want to silence stories by and about LGBTQ+ persons and people of color, ALAs Office for Intellectual Freedom Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone said in the release. Each challenge, each demand to censor these books is an attack on our freedom to read, our right to live the life we choose, and an attack on libraries as community institutions that reflect the rich diversity of our nation. When we tolerate censorship, we risk losing all of this. During National Library Week, we should all take action to protect and preserve libraries and our rights. Attempts at book censorship took a giant leap in 2023, with 4,240 titles targeted in schools and libraries nationwide a 65 percent increase from 2022s record of 2,571, according to the ALA. There were 1,247 demands to censor books, with many targeting multiple titles, as documented by the ALAs Office of Intellectual Freedom. Monday is the second anniversary of Right to Read Day, a day of action launched by the ALAs Unite Against Book Bans initiative, which takes place the Monday of National Library Week. This years theme is Dont Let Censorship Eclipse Your Freedom to Read, and anyone who supports the right to read is encouraged to take action by contacting Congress. The Top 10 Books are featured in Unite Against Book Bans Book Resume resource. Launched in February, these resumes support librarians, educators, parents, students, and other community advocates when they defend books from censorship. Created in collaboration with the publishing industry and library workers, each book resume summarizes the books significance and educational value, including a synopsis, reviews from professional journals, awards, accolades and more. Where possible, the book resumes include information about how a title has been successfully retained in school districts and libraries after a demand to censor the book. Also Monday, ALA announced the theme for Banned Books Week 2024, Freed Between the Lines, which honors the ways in which books bring us freedom and that access to information is worth preserving. Banned Books Week will take place September 22-28. Motorists urged to use stickers on mirrors to help them 'think bike' There's perhaps nothing more scary for a cyclist than the sight of an opening car door. That's because thousands of bike rides end in hospital every year due to people in cars not looking properly when exiting. Christin Klose/dpa Drivers in the UK are being urged to place small think bike stickers on their wing mirrors to remind them to look out for those on two wheels. The UK's AA motoring club said fatality statistics show its campaign to get people to look out for cyclists, which was launched in 2014, is as relevant today as it was 10 years ago. Latest Department for Transport figures show 91 cyclists and 350 motorcyclists were killed on Britains roads in 2022. A survey of 12,700 AA members indicated that 89% agree with the statement its sometimes hard to see cyclists. A 2019 study of a thousand German cyclists found that almost half (45%) had, in their own view, almost collided with a suddenly opening car door at least once. The AA said figures like these demonstrate drivers need to be more aware of road users on two wheels. Some 15% of respondents said they had lost their temper and used hand signals towards a cyclist. Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: The survey shows that 89% of drivers agreed that it is hard to see cyclists but it shouldnt be if they look in the right places. Cycles and motorcycles make up just 2.75% of miles travelled compared to cars but account for more than one quarter of road deaths, King said. This is why it is essential to spread the message again to all drivers to think bikes. Jeremy Vine, broadcaster and cyclist, said: Im so pleased to see that the AA is doing this because, if youre on two wheels, you do feel quite vulnerable. And I always think when youre in a car I drive too you dont always see that that person on the bicycle is a mum, a sister, somebodys son, someones grandfather, maybe even their great-grandfather. There's another simple thing all car passengers can do to make things safer for cyclists: Open the car door with your other hand when you get out. "This maneuver, known as the Dutch Reach, will twist your body slightly and make checking easier," Australia's Bicycle Network explains. It's just one of numerous bicycle advocacy groups calling for drivers to memorize this trick. By reaching across your chest to open the door, you will automatically turn and look over your shoulder, meaning you will likely spot a passing cyclist before "dooring" them. We must protect what little is left of our fragile, irreplaceable pine rocklands | Opinion Among the many things that make Miami special, few are as awe-inspiring and enchanting as the remaining stands of globally critically imperiled pine rocklands that exist nowhere in the world other than in Florida and the Bahamas. From the rocky limestone floor adorned with small colorful herbs and flowers to the towering Dade County Pines, whose needled branches filter the dappled sunlight required for the understory to thrive, the pine rockland forests are essential to sustaining an astonishing diversity of plants and animals, many of which are federally endangered or threatened. Yet, this precious ecosystem could vanish forever if we dont protect them. To lose Miamis pine rocklands would mean losing one of the most exceptional pieces of Floridas natural heritage. These once-common forests now only exist as fragments in the Everglades, Florida Keys and scattered along Miami-Dades Miami Rock Ridge. Climate change-driven sea level rise threatens to wipe out the pine rocklands in the Florida Everglades and Keys. In Miami-Dade, the higher-elevation pine rocklands are more resilient to rising seas because the oolitic limestone ridge is a figurative life raft for these rare forests. But urban development is relentless, threatening to raze what little is left of this unique habitat. Only 10% of pine rocklands remain globally, with less than 2% existing in Miami-Dade outside Everglades National Park. Despite that frighteningly low number, the remaining forests continue to support an astonishing amount of biodiversity. There are 23 federally protected imperiled species that call pine rocklands home, including the tiny, iridescent green Miami tiger beetle, which is found nowhere else on Earth, and the Florida bonneted bat is the only bat found exclusively in Florida. Species ranging from Bartrams scrub-hairstreak butterflies to rare and imperiled plants, such as the Florida Brickell-bush, also thrive in these surviving forests. And biologists continue to discover new organisms, such as the pine rockland Trap Door Spider, demonstrating that theres more to lose than we even know. Protecting our pine rocklands doesnt just help wildlife; its good for humans, too. The forest provides a peaceful oasis where we can seek beauty and renewal in nature, wander through towering slash pines and observe the determined little herbs and flowers sprouting from exposed limestone, where children can experience Floridas natural beauty firsthand and maybe even glimpse an endangered plant or animal. Its no wonder so many of us are dedicated to protecting these rare green gems in urban Miami-Dade. Whether planting rare ferns, surveying for gopher tortoises or rallying in support of stronger environmental protections each act of service is borne out of a deep love and appreciation for these cherished places. The conservation community breathed a big, deep, collective sigh of relief recently when the Miami-Dade commission rejected the proposed $100 million Miami Wilds water theme park adjacent to the Richmond pine rocklands in south Miami-Dade because it wouldve decimated yet another of the rare remnant parcels we so desperately need to preserve. The project had originally been approved by voters in 2006 and had been scaled down through the years over environmental concerns which grew more intense. It was a hard-won conservation victory. We must, therefore, re-commit ourselves to holding our elected officials accountable for protecting, preserving and restoring the Miami-Dade pine rocklands for future generations. This includes preserving and managing whats left of these rare forests through a conservation designation, and also restoring degraded pine rocklands to their former natural glory. Well-crafted protections for Miami-Dades vital pine rocklands will help keep South Florida is ecologically vibrant and beautiful. Lets do right by our endangered wildlife and ourselves by safeguarding the fragile and ecologically crucial pine rocklands that remain. Jose Francisco Barros is the president of Tropical Audubon Society and Lauren Jonaitis is its Senior Conservation Director. Myers Park High School Principal Robert Folk said the school community is praying for the family and friends of junior Sophie Gordon, the Charlotte teen who died in a car crash in Asheville on Saturday. Gordon, 16, was one of five passengers in the vehicle when it crashed, and one of two who died. Two other teens from Charlotte remained hospitalized on Monday. Myers Park High has experienced many losses this school year, and death can be difficult for us to understand, especially when it is sudden, Folk said in a statement to families following the crash. We may feel a variety of emotions: shock, sadness, or confusion. What is most important is that we care for and support each other. Folk said a crisis response team, as well as counselors, were made available to students on Monday. Two other teens from Charlotte, Abby Robinson, 17, and Isabella Tarantelli, 18, were taken to a hospital in Asheville with serious injuries, according to the NC State Highway Patrol. Charlotte Catholic High School said on social media the two students were in the intensive care unit. Students organized a prayer service in Keffer Stadium on Sunday evening. Our students have organized a prayer service this evening. pic.twitter.com/q32q9HYrHr Charlotte Catholic (@CCHSCougarNews) April 7, 2024 According to the highway patrol, the crash took place about 11:30 p.m. on the Interstate 40 off-ramp for Exit 53-B in Buncombe County. The driver of a 2015 Volvo was traveling east on I-40 when he took the exit ramp too quickly and lost control, the highway patrol said. The car ran off the left side of the roadway and hit a tree. The driver was identified as William Tyson Neumann, 18, of Augusta, Ga., and the front passenger was identified as Hunter Sanford, 18, of Pineville. Robert Fox, 19, from Wilmette, Ill., was the other teenage passenger who died in the crash. Neumann, the driver, had minor injuries, the highway patrol said. The investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed. N.Y. Pediatrician Was Trying to 'Secure' Door When She Was 'Thrown' from Moving Trailer, Daughter Says A spokesperson for the New York State Police tells PEOPLE the woman's oldest daughter said the family was headed to an Airbnb when the deadly incident occurred Monika Woroniecka/Facebook Dr. Monika I. Woroniecka, who died after falling from a moving vehicle on April 6, 2024 The oldest daughter of Dr. Monika I. Woroniecka said her mother was trying to close the door to their Airstream trailer when she was "thrown" from the moving vehicle, according to a spokesperson for New York State Police Police said the daughter said the family was headed to an Airbnb in Cape Vincent, and had stopped to get ice cream shortly before the deadly incident Dr. Woroniecka struck her head on the shoulder of the roadway after being ejected from the vehicle, the NYSP previously said The daughter of the New York pediatrician who died after falling out of a moving vehicle said her mother was attempting to close a door when she was fatally injured, according to police. Dr. Monika I. Woroniecka, 58, was in a 2024 Airstream trailer traveling down State Route 12E on April 6 when the passenger door of the trailer swung open and she was thrown from the trailer, New York State Police previously said in a press release. Woronieckas oldest daughter told police the family was headed to an Airbnb in Cape Vincent and had stopped at the Stewarts gas station in the Village of Brownville for ice cream prior to the crash, a police spokesperson tells PEOPLE. Helena and her mother decided to ride the last 20 minutes of the trip in the Airstream," per police. Related: 'Heroic' Actions of College Student Praised After Bus Carrying 56 Students on Way to Fraternity Formal Crashes Helena claimed she was on a bed in the back of the camper when her mom was "thrown from the Airstream" while trying to secure the passenger side door of the camper, according to the spokesperson. Woroniecka struck her head on the shoulder of the roadway after being ejected from the vehicle, the NYSP said in its original release. She was transported to Samaritan Medical Centers Emergency Room, where she later died. 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. Originally from Poland, Woroniecka was a childrens allergy and immunology specialist with Stony Brook Medicine, where she had worked since the early 2000s, according to her medical profile. Dr. Woronieckas native language is Polish, draws Polish-speaking families from far distances, Dr. Woronieckas profile says. [She] likes to travel, hike, exercise, and spend time with family and friends. Related: Baby, 3 Months, Dead After Multiple Cars and Truck Crash on a South Carolina Highway In a statement, Stony Brook Medicine said the company is deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of one of our esteemed colleagues, according to NBC affiliate WNBC-TV. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues affected by this heartbreaking event, they added. Stony Brook Medicine did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Napolitano: For Trump to run as law and order candidate would be like me saying I play in the NBA Former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said former President Trump saying he is the law and order candidate would be like her saying she plays in the NBA. So, first of all, for former President Trump to run as a so-called law and order candidate, it would be like me saying I play in the NBA. I mean, it just just doesnt hold true, she said Sunday on MSNBCs Inside with Jen Psaki. Host Jen Psaki had asked Napolitano what her response was to Trumps repeated claims that crime is worse than ever in the U.S. Psaki noted that crime is down in most places in the U.S., but that it is up in some cities including Washington, D.C. Napolitano, who served in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013, pushed back on the idea that crime has jumped during President Bidens time in the White House. So look, there was a terrific spike in violent crime, really, during the end of the Trump presidency, when we were in the midst of the COVID pandemic. But since then, crime has been coming down in some years dramatically. So last year, 2023 saw the largest one year decrease in violent crime nationwide than weve had since around 1960, she said. And so, to say, we are awash in violent crime that its going up, et cetera, et cetera. Look, never let the facts get in the way of rhetoric, I guess. But the facts are the facts, she said. FBI data released last month showed that violent crime in the U.S. continued to decrease in 2023 following a pandemic-era spike. President Biden touted the statistics at the time, saying that he will continue to work to keep communities safe. Psaki then asked Napolitano on her thoughts on Republicans using violent incidents, like the death of student Laken Riley, as evidence that migrant crime is a major driver of crime. The suspect in Rileys death is Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, according to police. So look, making an overall argument about crime from one terrible case. And it was its a terrible case, and my heart goes out to the family and to the friends of the victim. But to make an overall national argument that we are watching violent crime caused by migrants, again, just doesnt comply with the facts, Napolitano said. The Hill has reached out to Trumps campaign for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The recent exposure of the French spy network in Azerbaijan has sparked widespread discussion in the leading pages of the French press, with Martin Ryan's father giving interviews in which he sharply accuses the French intelligence body DGSE (Directorate-General for External Security), Trend reports via Observer Online. "It turns out that one of the individuals arrested by Azerbaijan's security authority in connection with the case is A. Mammadli, an Azerbaijani national who collaborated with the intelligence officials deployed at the diplomatic mission of France in Azerbaijan. He is accused of establishing extensive secret relationships with French citizen Martin Ryan and being involved in collecting and transmitting necessary information on the region in exchange for being granted French citizenship and financially rewarded. Relevant communications began to unfavorably impact France rather than serve its interests, leading to detrimental outcomes. It gets obvious that according to the instructions of intelligence officials, both individuals established relations with various employees of the French giant "Societe Generale" financial conglomerate, which is one of the largest banking networks in the world. A. Mammadli participated in the opening of correspondent accounts of "Societe Generale" in Azerbaijani banks and the formulation of interbank accords on other matters. The motives for sending A. Mammadli to Northern Ireland for a long time remain undisclosed as of now. After the detention of the persons above on December 4 and the exposure of the extensions of the French intelligence network, the suspension of the representative offices of the Societe Generale Bank in 16 African countries on December 7, 2023, is particularly noteworthy. To mitigate losses, the Bank tries not to miss the opportunity to sell its branch networks and the assets of its subsidiaries to local companies in Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Chad, and other countries and to rationalize the closures with various excuses. The fact is that the general failures have spurred debates regarding the suitability of Antoine Creux, Security Director in charge at Societe Generale Bank since 2017, a retired general who was the ex-chief of the intelligence and security department in the French Armed Forces. "Societe Generale" is exactly the same bank where the future billionaire George Soros illicitly accrued wealth via the unauthorized purchase and sale of shares at the expense of the bank's confidential information in 1988. He was convicted in 2002 and managed to get away with a large fine. We keep our attention on the topic," an Observer Online article published on April 6 reads. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Deputy Secretary General of NATO Mircea Geoana believes that it is important to be prepared for an escalation of Russian cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns in attempts to influence European elections and secure better political outcomes that are more favourable to Moscow. Source: European Pravda, citing Digi24 Details: Geoana proposed "looking at what is happening in Moldova" to understand how Russian influence attempts might appear and noted that Russian disinformation and cyberattacks should be expected in attempts to influence European elections. Quote: "I don't even want to think about what might happen in the presidential elections [in Romania ed.] in attempts to obstruct the victory of pro-Western forces and bring someone more convenient to power," added Mircea Geoana, who himself is a representative of Romania. Asked about whether there are political forces close to the Kremlin in the country, Geoana said he refrains from making value judgements. At the same time, he stated that Russia "and others" will seek to support forces that are "not necessarily pro-Russian but anti-Western". Geoana added that the surveys show 56% of Romanians believe there will be falsifications in the elections, which is also a worrying signal. Background: The European Commission has called on major online platforms to take action ahead of the European Parliament elections to counter the spread of false information and coordinated bot network activities. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that he had no doubts that Russia would attempt to target the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Support UP or become our patron! Houthi attack drones have mostly been intercepted by US and allied warships in the Red Sea. Air-to-air combat has been much less common, but last month, a French helicopter shot down a drone. A former US naval aviator said the engagement is not necessarily surprising. The Houthis have launched a lot of deadly threats into the Red Sea, many of which have been shot down by US and allied warships operating in the region's dangerous waters. One recent interception, however, was credited to a French helicopter crew, which blasted a Houthi attack drone out of the sky in air-to-air combat. Helicopter-versus-drone fights aren't the norm in this conflict. Victories like these can be more difficult to achieve, given that they require hitting a moving target from another moving target in the air, but they aren't all that surprising because helicopters are capable assets and the crews likely would have trained for such scenarios in advance, a former US naval aviator told Business Insider. Helicopters are 'pretty good' on defense On March 20, a French frigate detected a Houthi drone while the ship was protecting a merchant vessel in the southern Red Sea as part of the European Union's security mission Operation Aspides. A helicopter embarked onboard the warship was then deployed to locate the drone, which was deemed a threat, and destroy it. France didn't say exactly how the aircraft engaged the drone, but it was effectively eliminated. "These actions directly contribute to maritime security," the French defense ministry said of the incident in an update on its operations around the world. Two NH 90 "Caiman" helicopter fly during the military maneuver "Orion", over the camp of Sissonne, northeastern France, on May 2, 2023. FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI/AFP via Getty Images France also did not say what type of helicopter engaged the Houthi drone, but both of the French warships that have been in the Red Sea both carry NH90 aircraft, which can be equipped with air-to-surface missiles and machine guns. Because the drone was traveling in the air, the crew likely used the guns to take it down. Nearly all of the drones and missiles launched by the Houthis since November, when the Iran-backed rebels began consistently attacking international shipping lanes off the coast of Yemen, have been shot down by US Navy warships or fighter jets, or coalition vessels like those party to Operation Aspides. Helicopter engagements are rarer occurrences, and have only happened a handful of times. But Brynn Tannehill, who flew the SH-60 Seahawk, a multi-mission helicoptered used by the Navy that's based on the UH-60 Black Hawk, said France's success "is not particularly surprising." "Helicopters can provide a relatively stable platform they're relatively maneuverable," Tannehill, now a US Army Black Hawk aviator and a defense analyst, said. "The biggest thing against them is that they're slow, so against a faster target, they're going to be useless." After the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, while in the Navy, Tannehill said she practiced simulated intercepts of small aircraft something that would move at a speed similar to that of a one-way attack drone and boats that a bad actor could theoretically pack with explosives. US Navy Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk with the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Five-One (HSM-51) flies near Naval Air Facility in Kanagawa. Damon Coulter/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The goal was to essentially figure out whether a SH-6o could maneuver into position, put a gunner in the door, and eliminate such threats with a .50 caliber machine gun, she said. The simulations demonstrated that helicopters were, indeed, very effective. "What they found was that helicopters are pretty good at shooting down non-maneuvering, slow targets out the door," Tannehill said. "And because you're shooting sideways out of them, the debris doesn't even come back at you." These training simulations have ultimately been brought to life during the ongoing conflict between the Houthis and the US and its allies. On December 31, four Houthi small boats attacked a container ship, prompting its crew to issue a distress call. Helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely an American aircraft carrier and a destroyer, respectfully, that are deployed to the region responded to the call. When the responding Navy helicopters arrived on the scene, the Houthis opened fired on the American aircraft, which then returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four Houthi small boats and killing everyone on board, US Central Command said in a statement at the time. The fourth boat managed to flee the area. Pilots are 'well-trained' And the US hasn't been the only naval force to destroy Houthi threats in the Red Sea with embarked helicopters. A day after the French engagement, on March 21, a helicopter attached to the German frigate Hessen destroyed a Houthi surface drone that was identified as a threat to civilian ships. A Germany Navy Sea Lynx helicopter flies over the corvette Oldenburg in the Baltic Sea on June 05, 2023 near Rostock, Germany. Sean Gallup/Getty Images A spokesman for the German Bundeswehr Joint Forces Operations Command told BI that the aircraft involved was a Sea Lynx, which is armed with torpedoes and a machine gun. It was not clear how, exactly, the helicopter engaged the surface drone, but guns are likely. Tannehill said that these kinds of engagements require a considerable amount of training and knowledge of both the aircraft and its weapons systems, and also coordination with other allied ships operating in the area. "You've got to be competent with your systems, you've got to be quick with them, you've got to be knowledgeable about them," she said. "The pilot's got to be good at communicating with the rest of the crew and making sure that you're setting up for shot after shot after shot." There are limitations, however, as for how fast the helicopter can travel, when the doors can open, and when the gunners can open fire. The pilots also have to make sure they're operating at a safe distance such that a drone that gets hit and explodes doesn't send shrapnel flying into the aircraft. "The pilots are well-trained," Tannehill said, adding: "This is something that you probably would've practiced with the task force beforehand to make sure that when it does happen, that everybody knows what they're supposed to do and gets it done including permission to fire in an amount of time that allows you to do it before the target presents a real threat to somebody. " Read the original article on Business Insider When the destroyers The Sullivans and Delbert D. Black deployed in the fall to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, they joined the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group that was already well into its cruise. The warships arrivals were part of an experiment the Navy is currently undertaking, where it swaps destroyers out mid-deployment, part of a broader concept that U.S. Fleet Forces Command head Adm. Daryl Caudle is spearheading to supplement a carrier strike group with additional destroyers that the strike group did not initially deploy with a departure from the traditional model. Ford originally got underway from Naval Station Norfolk in May and encountered multiple extensions, adding up to an extra 76 days at sea in the eastern Mediterranean at the frontlines of the Israel-Hamas conflict. While the Fords initial strike group included the destroyers Ramage, McFaul, and Thomas Hudner, The Sullivans and Delbert D. Black inserted themselves into the strike group so that the original destroyers could return home. In large conflict, Im going to deploy ready-up strike groups, Caudle told reporters in January. But eventually, as everybody knows, when youre on station for a long time on a ship, you got to take a knee. And so as you roll out to take a knee and somebody rolls in, I have to have high confidence that they come in at the right level of training, certification, mastery and the ability to plug and play into that strike group. Caudle said in a statement to Navy Times that Fleet Forces is now incorporating lessons from The Sullivans and the Delbert D. Black following their deployments, and noted that the steps taken ahead of time yielded positive signs for the concept. Before they headed out, the command evaluated the destroyers tactical and material status, and then ensured the ships received additional training based on real-world events as part of a task force deployment certification exercise, he said. The goal is to have more ships ready to respond in the event of crisis, while improving force flexibility worldwide and allowing aircraft carriers to remain deployed for longer periods of time if needed. Navy tests how to relieve carrier strike group warships on station Under the Navys Optimized Fleet Response Plan, an entire carrier strike group undergoes a three-year maintenance, training and deployment cycle in tandem. This requires carriers, destroyers and cruisers to complete work-ups and certifications together over the course of 36 months. To detach from this model and allow for a more flexible interchange of destroyers, Caudle said his concept aims to improve training density for those replacement ships and get them certified at the contingency response force level, meaning they can flow into combat within 30 days if needed. Its the difference between training to integrate, and integrate to train, Caudle said. And so mine is the former I like to train so that I can integrate. How feasible is this plan? Experts agree the plan offers significant benefits and enhanced flexibility, especially as real world events require the service to navigate increased demands and lengthy deployments around the globe. Still, they said there are some difficulties that the Navy must hash out to advance this concept and they argue the concept could be hindered by a lack of surface ships. The challenge with it is that the strike groups work up together, and they go through a whole process of becoming familiar with an operating environment and the battle rhythm, and all the expectations, said Bradley Martin, a senior policy researcher with RAND and retired Navy surface warfare officer. And so all that has to be replicated. And the ship hasnt been part of that when it comes in and joins a strike group its going to have to spend some time becoming acclimated. To make this plan work and apply it more broadly, experts say the Navy must implement more standardized procedures for aligning combat system settings across the fleet, rather than allowing individual strike groups to craft their own plans, as it has historically done. These plans must become regulated to ensure that command and control systems are compatible, allowing new players to contribute to the strike group immediately and seamlessly, according to Bryan Clark, a retired submarine officer and director of the Hudson Institute think tanks Center for Defense Concepts and Technology. The Navy should conduct an assessment and experimentation of combat system compatibility to ensure that proper understanding of each ship is in place, Clark said. Thats another area where the Navy could just work in advance, is to basically understand exactly what the baseline is, and begin to go set up what configuration changes are needed in order for you to plug and play into the strike group, which is going to be like how do you align your systems, he said. This standardization would mean that carrier strike groups wouldnt have such customized combat systems settings, Clark said, and individual strike group commanders would have less control over how their strike group is configured and operated. Fleet Forces team tackles decoupling destroyers from carriers It could also mean that strike groups could lose some of their theater-specific specialization. Whereas operations in the Pacific are more focused on freedom of navigation exercises, the mission set is much more broad for Atlantic-based ships that deploy to the European and Middle Eastern theaters, Clark said. The need for this adaptability is especially important for the 5th and 6th Fleet area of operations right now, given the confrontation with the Houthis in the Middle East thats required destroyers like the Carney to shoot down air drones and missiles on a near-daily basis since October. As a result, swapping out destroyers seamlessly into a new carrier strike group is especially valuable in instances like these so that the ships can reload their weapons, Clark said. Because the Middle Eastern and European theaters have such a variety of missions, and real world demands are causing ships to have to get reloaded or brought offline periodically thats creating the need for this opportunity, this capability to mix and match destroyers, Clark said. Caudles plan also focuses on ensuring roughly 100 ships are ready for mobilization at any given time, while roughly 100 are deployed and the remaining 100 undergo maintenance. Having more ships available is a key component in successfully executing this new concept, according to Bryan McGrath, a former destroyer captain who runs the defense consulting firm FerryBridge Group. The flexibility that Caudle needs to employ this plan will be increased by having more ships available, McGrath said. This is when you hear the surface force talk about North Star 75. They want the 75 ships. More available ships make Caudles idea that much more doable. Separate from Caudles proposal, then-commander of Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener unveiled a plan in January 2023 to keep 75 surface ships at either mission capable or full mission capable readiness levels. The Navy said at the time it could accomplish that goal within two years in an attempt to have more ships on hand to respond to crisis or test out new equipment or concepts in exercises. Whats next for advancing this concept? Caudle said in January that introducing new destroyers to the Ford carrier strike group revealed that the framework for executing such a concept didnt exist, meaning that a training plan and other procedures were developed from scratch. Still, Caudle told Navy Times the approach that Fleet Forces took ahead of deploying the ships proved effective. Additionally, the Fords replacement ships will provide feedback from their deployments that Fleet Forces can use to improve the fungibility of these vessels, Caudle said in January. Both The Sullivans and the Delbert D. Black concluded their time at sea in February. USS Delbert D Black concludes brief deployment with carrier Ford Leadership from the Ford called the strike groups transition to fresh destroyers seamless. I couldnt visually or tactically discern the difference between the destroyer that just left and went home to do more maintenance or homeport shift, and the one that replaced them, the Fords commanding officer, Capt. Rick Burgess told Navy Times in an interview aboard the carrier in February. Everyone was really, really capable and fit right in. Martin said that he expects the Navy will work to ensure warships are prepared to meet the requirements of this concept, and that it will become like a new normal. It will be shown that the ability to use the available force structure to optimize presence, but still keep maintenance, readiness intact ... is going to be something everybody is going to have to learn how to do effectively, Martin said. Such a plan might even help surface combatant readiness, he added, because it can help ensure destroyers return home on schedule to get their scheduled maintenance, even if the strike group with which they originally deployed remains on station. Still, Martin said force structure needs to meet the demand and the plan isnt sustainable in the long-term unless the Navys fleet expands too. The Navys new shipbuilding plan released in March calls for a goal of 381 ships by the year 2042, an increase from the previous target of 373 ships by that time. But, the plan to reach this capacity strongly relies on the industry to eliminate lengthy backlogs and cost overruns as well as steady Congressional funding. Most people would say that the Navy, if its going to meet the demand, there need to be more ships, Martin said. And getting to that point is obviously not going to happen in the immediate future. But over the long term, I dont think that optimized scheduling of any kind is going to overcome just a lack of capacity. And I think were going to have to deal with that realistically, at some point. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that there "is a date" for Israeli ground troops to enter the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are currently sheltering from the war. "This victory requires entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorist battalions there. This will happen; there is a date," Netanyahu said in a statement on Monday evening. The US and other allies have repeatedly warned Israel against a Rafah incursion due to the risk of high civilian casualties, with US President Joe Biden saying this would be crossing "a red line." However, far-right factions in Netanyahu's coalition government have been pressuring the premier to go ahead with the plan, after Israeli troops surprisingly withdrew from Khan Younis, the second biggest city in Gaza, at the weekend. Meanwhile, representatives of the US and Israeli governments are unlikely to meet this week to discuss a potential Rafah offensive, according to US National Security Adviser John Kirby. Kirby said he was expecting a meeting originally planned for this week to happen "sometime next week" instead. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date has been set for the Israeli militarys invasion of Rafah, arguging that the invasion of the southern city is essential for victory. Today I received a detailed report on the talks in Cairo, we are constantly working to achieve our goals, first and foremost the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas, Netanyahu said in a video message posted to X, formerly Twitter. This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there. It will happen, there is a date, he continued. Netanyahu has said for weeks Israeli forces were expected to eventually invade Rafah despite repeated warnings against doing so from President Biden and other White House officials. There are around 1.4 million civilians estimated to be seeking refuge in Rafah after following direction from Israel to leave their homes in northern Gaza. Israel ordered the evacuations earlier this year to allow its forces to seek Hamas militants for the killing of 1,200 people on Oct. 7 and the capture of hundreds of hostages. Netanyahu last week said Israel plans to enter Rahah with or without U.S. support. His announcement comes as Israel faces increased pressure from Washington and other Western leaders over its military operations in Gaza, which have so far killed 33,200 Palestinians, according to the Associated Press. An Israeli airstrike last week killed six workers with the World Central Kitchen and their Palestinian driver as they were leaving a warehouse in central Gaza. The group has just delivered about 100 tons of food aid and was driving in armored cars labeled with World Central Kitchen logos when the strike hit. Biden issued his sharpest criticism of Netanyahu after the attack, warning U.S. policy on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza would now be determined by immediate steps Israel needs to take to reduce an unacceptable humanitarian situation. The conversation marked a notable change from Biden and his team since the war broke out last October. Far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich criticized Netanayahu over the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)s scaling back of troops from Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reported. Ben-Gvir, Israels National Security Minister, said if Netanyahu ends Israels war with Hamas without an attack on Hamas in Rafah, he will cease to have a mandate to serve as prime minister, per the Jerusalem Post. Smotrich, in a letter Monday, reportedly called on Netanyahu to convence Israels National Security Cabinet, which has the power to make policy decisions over the war. The only forum that is authorized to make decisive decisions during wartime is the broad [National Security] cabinet, but unfortunately this is not how things have worked and we see decisions being made by the small [war] cabinet without approval and without updating the broad cabinet, under international pressures that harm the wars momentum and our security interests, he said, per the Jerusalem Post. Biden last week also urged the Israeli leader toward a ceasefire deal that would see the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and a pause in fighting in the war-torn enclave, the White House said. Talks on a cease-fire deal were progressing in Cairo, Egypt on Monday and both parties have agreed on the basic points, Reuters reported, citing Egypts Al-Qahera News state-affiliated TV channel. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. When is the next total solar eclipse in the U.S.? Eclipse-watchers waited more than six years since the last time a total solar eclipse charted its way across the United States, in 2017. After the April 8 event, prepare to wait a lot longer the next chance won't be coming around any time soon. Viewers in what's called "the path of totality" saw the moon completely block the sun an opportunity those in North America won't have again for 20-plus years. The next total solar eclipses in North America are not anticipated until 2044 and 2045. "A total solar eclipse is one of the most spectacular things anyone can see in their lifetime," Virginia Tech astrophysicist Nahum Arav told CBS News. The eclipse "looks like a black hole in the sky," said Arav, who watched the paths of totality of eclipses in 1991 and 2017. A total eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, briefly blocking the sun from view. / Credit: Will Powers/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Monday's eclipse started around 11:07 a.m. PDT on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, and then moved into Texas. The eclipse's visibility tracked through 15 states Oklahoma, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, among them before heading northward into Canada and then exiting North America. Even with spotty weather in some states, millions of people from coast to coast saw a partial solar eclipse, in which the moon partially covers the sun. However, only those within the path of totality experienced the darkness of the total solar eclipse. When is the next total solar eclipse in the U.S. after the 2024 eclipse? Solar eclipses happen about twice a year, said Arav. "Eclipses happen all over the Earth evenly," he told CBS News but noted the timings when they occur are not regular. That means eclipses can occur within just a few years, or every few decades, in North America. Before the eclipse in 2017, the last total solar eclipse to cross North America was in 1979. That was the first eclipse whose path of totality crossed the entire continent in 99 years. Even though eclipses may seem to occur randomly, scientists can pinpoint exactly when and where they will happen. "There is no ambiguity, as we know exactly where it will land," said Arav. There will be eight total solar eclipses visible from North America in the 21st century, Arav said, with one occurring about every 12 years, on average. The next total solar eclipse to cross North America is predicted to occur on Aug. 23, 2044, NASA said. However, the path of totality from this eclipse will only touch three states, according to The Planetary Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to public interest in space. This next eclipse will mainly be observed in Canada, Arav said. Path of totality for the 2044 total solar eclipse The 2044 eclipse will start in Greenland on Aug. 23, 2044, and will continue its path through Canada. The 2044 total solar eclipse will be short, mostly appearing in Canada. It will be visible from three states in the U.S.: Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The path of totality will cross Williston and Dickinson, North Dakota, and Great Falls, Montana. Map showing the path of the 2044 total solar eclipse from Greenland, Canada and parts of the United States. Path of totality for the 2045 total solar eclipse The next solar eclipse that crosses a significant portion of the continental U.S. will be in 2045, said Arav. That year, a solar eclipse will darken skies in parts of the U.S., Haiti, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname and Brazil. In North America, the 2045 total eclipse will be visible in many states as it moves from coast to coast. The eclipse will start in California and move east to end in Florida, similar to 2017, Arav said. There will be numerous U.S. cities where eclipse watchers can view the total eclipse, including Reno, Nevada; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Orlando, Florida. United states map showing the path of the 2045 solar eclipse. Future solar eclipses in North America after 2045 Scientists have predicted eight total solar eclipses will appear in North America in the 21st century. "Natural phenomena are like a Swiss clock," Arav said. "We know exactly when and where they will appear." After the 2044 and 2045 total solar eclipses, the next total eclipses in North America will occur in 2078 and 2099. May 11, 2078 This total solar eclipse on May 11, 2078, will pass over the southern United States. Cities include: Atlanta, Georgia New Orleans, Louisiana Charlotte, North Carolina Virginia Beach, Virginia Sept. 14, 2099 This total solar eclipse on Sept. 14, 2099, will cross a wide swath of the United States. Cities include: Minneapolis, Minnesota Milwaukee, Wisconsin Chicago, Illinois Columbus, Ohio Fargo, North Dakota NASA to launch rockets into total solar eclipse path Thief says he tried on, then melted down Yogi Berra World Series rings | 60 Minutes Total solar eclipse cuts path across U.S. When is the next total solar eclipse in the US after 2024 and what is its path? What to know The highly anticipated 2024 total solar eclipse will cross North America on Monday, giving millions of sky-gazers the chance to see a rare cosmic event that won't be viewable again for 20 years. The eclipse's path of totality will travel over a portion of northern Mexico before entering the U.S. It then it will cross 13 states from Texas to Maine, where the spectacle is expected to attract huge crowds. If you aren't lucky enough to be in the path of totality this time around, you will have another chance - you'll just have to wait until the 2040s. Here's what we know about the next total solar eclipse to cross over the U.S. Eclipse playlist: Fans return to Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' ahead of total solar eclipse When is the next total solar eclipse visible from the U.S.? It will be 20 years before there's a chance to witness a total solar eclipse in the United States again. According to NASA, after Monday's total solar eclipse, the next one viewable from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044. 2044 total solar eclipse path of totality Unfortunately, the 2044 total solar eclipse won't have the broad reach across the U.S. as the 2024 eclipse. The path of totality during the 2044 eclipse will only touch three states, according to the Planetary Society, a nonprofit involved in research, public outreach, and political space advocacy. The eclipse will begin in Greenland, sweep through Canada and end around sunset in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Pets and the eclipse: Will my pets be safe during the April 2024 solar eclipse? What experts say. 2045 solar eclipse While the 2044 total eclipse will only touch three states, a 2045 eclipse will have a more robust path across the U.S. Expected to occur on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2045, this solar eclipse will trace a path of totality over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. A partial solar eclipse will also be viewable in 35 other states, according to National Eclipse.com A total solar eclipse will cross the entire U.S., including almost all of Florida, on Aug. 12, 2045. NationalEclipse.com What is a total solar eclipse? Any celestial object like a moon or a planet that passes between two other bodies can create an eclipse by obscuring the view of objects like the sun. In the event of a solar eclipse, the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, blocking its light from reaching a small part of our planet. Partial eclipses, when some part of the sun remains visible, are the most common, making total eclipses a rare sight to behold. Total eclipses can lead to a period of darkness lasting for several minutes, during which time nocturnal animals stir while confused birds and insects may fall silent, NASA says. When a solar eclipse reaches totality, people are able to see the suns outer atmosphere called the corona, which is usually obscured by the sun's bright surface. This offers scientists an uncommon opportunity to study the corona. Totality also offers spectators a chance to gaze upon the spectacular sight with the naked eye, though proper safety glasses are still required for the rest of the time. What states are on the 2024 eclipse path of totality? Mexico's Pacific coast will be the first location in continental North America to experience totality, which is expected to occur at about 11:07 a.m. PDT, according to NASA. As the moon's shadow will northeast, totality in the U.S. will begin in Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT. The path will then cut diagonally across the country, traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. The 115-mile-wide path of totality stretched from Mazatlan, Mexico, across America, into Newfoundland. The eclipse's path is expected to end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT before visiting the maritime provinces of Canada, according to estimates. See interactive maps of the 2024 path. Contributing: Doyle Rice, Ramon Padilla & Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is the next total solar eclipse after 2024? Future date, path Nicaragua asks World Court to order Germany to halt military arms exports to Israel, in The Hague Nicaragua asks World Court to order Germany to halt military arms exports to Israel, in The Hague By Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE (Reuters) -Nicaragua asked the International Court of Justice on Monday to order Germany to halt military arms exports to Israel and to resume its funding of U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, saying there is a serious risk of genocide in Gaza. Nicaragua's agent ambassador Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez told the court Berlin had violated the 1948 Genocide Convention by continuing to supply Israel with arms after ICJ judges ruled it was plausible that Israel violated some rights guaranteed under the genocide convention during its assault on Gaza. "There can be no question that Germany (...)was well aware, and is well aware, of at least the serious risk of genocide being committed," in the Gaza strip, Arguello Gomez said. He told the judges that Berlin was ignoring its obligations under international law by continuing to provide military assistance to Israel. "This has got to stop," Arguello Gomez said. Israel has denied allegations of genocide and said it has the right to defend itself. The German government rejected Nicaragua's allegations. "Germany does not, and never did, violate the Genocide Convention nor international humanitarian law, neither directly nor indirectly," Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, a legal advisor for the German Foreign Ministry told journalists at the ICJ. Berlin will present its case in more detail in court on Tuesday. Germany has been one of Israel's staunchest allies since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. It is also one of the major arms exporters to Israel, sending 326.5 million euros ($353.70 million) in military equipment and weapons in 2023, according to Economy Ministry data. Since October 7, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military offensive in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. Nicaragua's case at the ICJ, also known as the World Court, builds on a genocide case South Africa brought against Israel. In January the ICJ ruled South Africa's claims that Israel violated some rights guaranteed under the genocide convention during its assault on Gaza were plausible and ordered emergency measures, including a call for Israel to halt any potential acts of genocide. Germany and the United States are among major donors which suspended funding to UNRWA after allegations that around 12 of its tens of thousands of Palestinian employees were suspected of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks. The agency provides vital aid to Gaza, where many people are now on the brink of starvation. Berlin has since resumed some funding to UNRWA's regional work in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, but not to their Gaza branch, a foreign ministry official told Reuters. ($1 = 0.9231 euros) (Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg aditional reporting by Riham Alkousaa in Berlin; editing by Christina Fincher and Philippa Fletcher) Nigel Farage took part in a lively lunchtime question-and-answer session presented by the Telegraph Politics Newsletter on Monday afternoon. Speaking to Camilla Tominey, The Telegraphs Associate Editor, the former Ukip leader gave his thoughts on the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, whether he would join the Tories and how Reform UK will fare at the general election, which is widely expected to take place this autumn. Here are five key moments from Mr Farages conversation. Tories bete noire in no mood to jump ship Mr Farage was often a thorn in the side of the Conservatives during his time in front-line politics, winning four million votes with Ukip at the 2015 general election and adding to pressure on the party that led to a referendum on the European Union the following year. His appearance at fringe events at last autumns Tory conference led to speculation he could join the party and spearhead a revival in its electoral fortunes if Rishi Sunak loses power. But he insisted he would not defect from Reform UK, of which he is the honorary president, even if they asked me. And asked who in the Tory ranks he felt he could work with, Mr Farage said: Pass. Its done. It doesnt matter who they choose as leader, until the party splits or reforms and decides what it is, it doesnt matter a damn who the leader is. There is no underlying philosophy that unites Conservatives and a lot of this we can put down to Osborne and Cameron who took it down the route of being social democrats, who wanted the Guardian leader writers to like them. And then Boris blowing an 80-seat majority. Reform will win more votes than the Tories, Farage predicts Despite only taking a backseat role in Reform, Mr Farage predicted Richard Tices insurgent Right-of-centre party would outperform the Tories in the popular vote at the next national poll. I think Reform will get, with or without me, more votes than the Conservatives at the next election, in terms of numbers, he said. How that transpires in terms of seats is absolutely anybodys guess. Mr Farage repeatedly failed during his Ukip days to win election to the Commons under the first-past-the-post system because it places smaller parties at a disadvantage. He also predicted the threshold of 53 letters of no confidence in Mr Sunak would be breached following the local elections on May 2, which could see the Tories lose around half of their candidates who are up for re-election. And he said more Tories were likely to follow in the footsteps of Lee Anderson, who defected to Reform last month, as the party became the only chance to save their skin in Red Wall seats. Ukrainian victory over Russia for the birds Mr Farage claimed the idea of victory for Ukraine over Vladimir Putins Russia was for the birds as he urged both countries to come to the negotiating table. Noting that the casualty count in the first two years of the conflict was now similar to that in the Battle of the Somme, he said the war was frankly going nowhere. We can keep giving weapons to Ukraine, the stalemate can continue and Putin has completely reshaped the Russian economy, its about the war or nothing else, or we can have negotiations. I think we have to have negotiations and I think Trump will go for those negotiations. Asked if not supplying Ukraine with weapons would be a huge failure of the West, Mr Farage replied: Were not actually in a fit position to do so, so the burden once again falls on America. A lot of American figures are saying were not endlessly going to keep pumping money and weaponry in. If anyone can get the two around the negotiating table... It may fail. We can send British troops, have World War Three, I dont mind... I dont approve of anything Putins done in terms of this invasion. But we have to think through what is the endgame of this, what is the goal? If we think its a Ukrainian victory, thats for the birds. Every single election using postal votes is flawed, Farage claims Mr Farage pointed to recent polls in Tower Hamlets and the West Midlands to claim that every single election fought in major British cities was flawed because of the widespread use of postal voting. He called to scrap the postal system in its entirety and start again, adding: If you are elderly or infirm or you do work overseas or youve got a serious illness, you [should be able to] apply online for a postal vote. Nigel Farage says the postal voting system should be scrapped 'in its entirety' - Paul Grover for The Telegraph Asked if the 2020 US election was stolen from Donald Trump, Mr Farage responded: I wouldnt say stolen... We should 100 per cent scrap postal votes, go back to the pre-2001 system. In France you vote for a president, you have to turn up on a Sunday... The votes are divided up into physical piles in front of observers, counted, there are no voting machines. Farage wants a second referendum (on the ECHR) Challenged on whether there should be a referendum on a cap on immigration, Mr Farage said a referendum that would be more useful was a poll on continued membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). A number of top Tories have called on Mr Sunak to quit the agreement, claiming it prevents Britain from having a sovereign immigration policy. I urged them again and again to include the ECHR when it comes to the Brexit negotiations, Mr Farage said. Boris was never going to do that, it was no interest to him. If you have a referendum on that Id love a referendum on the House of Lords. Now that would be good sport. Should we replace it with a mostly elected second chamber? Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. No bail for man accused of killing his wife in Citra and then fleeing to Georgia A man accused of killing his wife in northeast Marion County and then fleeing to Georgia, where he turned himself in, has returned to face charges. Kenron Lamar Vereen was booked into the county jail April 7. Vereen is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and tamper with physical evidence. Vereen was indicted by a grand jury on March 28. Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon presided over the grand jury, and Assistant State Attorney Toby Hunt presented the case. Grand jury proceedings are closed, so details about what was said are not available. For the first-degree murder charge, the state must secure a grand jury indictment, regardless of whether it will seek the death penalty. It's unknown if prosecutors plan to ask for the death penalty for Vereen. Vereen is accused of fatally shooting 43-year-old Sherese Stafford on Feb. 27 in Citra. At Vereen's first court appearance, held Monday in front of County Judge Lori Cotton, Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon told the court Vereen has a criminal history in Florida and Georgia. The past charges include robbery and aggravated battery. Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon Vereen told the judge he surrendered to authorities in Georgia. He said he has been living in Marion County for all his life and his family lives here. The judge told Vereen there was probable cause for his arrest and she's concerned for the public's safety. Though bail was granted for the two lesser offenses, the judge denied bail for the murder charge. It means Vereen won't be released even if bail is paid for the two other charges. The judge appointed the Public Defender's Office to represent Vereen and set his next court date for May. According to court records, Stafford filed paperwork seeking a dissolution of marriage one week before her death. Vereen was released from prison in June 2009 after serving time for robbery. His criminal history includes arrests for attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery/domestic violence. All the charges against him were dropped, according to court documents. In the attempted murder case, prosecutors noted that numerous witnesses refused to cooperate with authorities. Prosecutors said without eyewitnesses testimony, they could not move forward with the case. Stafford's death is the county's second domestic violence murder for 2024. In 2023, there were seven domestic violence homicides, according to the Family Violence Prevention Workgroup. Anyone who is involved in a domestic violence situation or knows of someone who is being abused can contact CASA Marion, Marion County's certified domestic violence provider, at (352) 722-CASA or 2272 (the agency hotline,) or visit the outreach office at 717 SW Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. CASA officials said the 24-hour domestic violence hotline is free and confidential. The shooting Marion County Sheriff's deputies said they were called to the 16800 block of Northeast 41st Court shortly after 4 p.m. Feb. 27 in reference to a shooting. File picture of the Feb. 27 shooting scene in Citra When deputies got to the scene, Stafford was dead. Both Vereen and Stafford lived at the residence where the incident occurred, sheriff's officials said. Witnesses told deputies that Vereen left the residence in a pickup truck. Although deputies located the vehicle, Vereen was not with it. Murder trial: Gruesome discovery leads to murder trial Wayne County Sheriffs Office officials in Jesup, Georgia, called Marion deputies several hours later to tell them that Vereen had walked into their station and turned himself in. Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: First-degree murder indictment handed up against man in Citra shooting BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The perpetrators of the Aghdaban massacre must be brought to justice, said Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva, marking the 32nd anniversary of the Aghdaban massacre, Trend reports. "It has been 32 years since the Aghdaban Massacre, one of the genocidal atrocities perpetrated by Armenia against the Azerbaijani populace. During the night of April 7-8, 1992, in the village of Aghdaban in the Kalbajar district, Armenia's policy of ethnic cleansing targeted Azerbaijani civilians, resulting in the torture and brutal murder of 779 villagers, including children, women, and the elderly, some of whom were burned alive. Additionally, historical, cultural, and religious sites were demolished, and the valuable cultural heritage of Azerbaijan was obliterated. The Aghdaban massacre demands international legal scrutiny, and those responsible for this heinous crime must face justice," the Ombudsperson's statement reads. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel 'No cabinet split' over Gaza but government 'deeply concerned' about some of Israel's actions - minister 'No cabinet split' over Gaza but government 'deeply concerned' about some of Israel's actions - minister Britain is deeply concerned about some of Israels actions in Gaza, a cabinet minister said on Monday, as pressure grows on the UK over arms sales to the country. Work & Pensions Secretary Mel Stride insisted that there isnt a split in the cabinet as ministers continue to refuse to publish legal advice about whether the Israels offensive has broken international humanitarian rules. It comes after Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said Britains support for Israel cannot be unconditional. But Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden defended the Governments refusal to suspend weapons sales after seven aid workers, including three Britons, were killed in an Israeli strike last week. Mr Stride told LBC: I think the position, which is the united position that the cabinet has, is that we are a close ally and friend of Israel, we are appalled at what Israel suffered on October 7 and they have every right to defend themselves. But at the same time, we are a critical friend. And there are things that we are concerned about, in some cases deeply concerned about, and we are pressing very hard on. The Israeli military has withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis but could still mount an offensive against Hamass last stronghold in Rafah - despite the UK and US leading international pleas for restraint. After six months of conflict following the October massacre by terror group Hamas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled to the city in the southern part of the Strip. The UKs arms exports regime would prevent the supply of weapons if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law. But the Government has refused to bow to pressure from opposition parties to publish its legal guidance on Israels compliance with the rules. Mr Stride said it was long-standing convention not to publish the advice. Asked why the Government had published a summary of legal advice received in relation to Houthi attacks in Yemen but not on actions in Gaza, Mr Stride told Sky News: Theyre two different situations. On the one hand, youve got a process that is entered into on an ongoing basis to assess whether licences should be provided for the export of arms. In the case of the Houthi action that was a direct military involvement by our country. It is no longer in our interest to talk to Russian officials French foreign minister French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said that it is no longer "in Paris' interest" to hold discussions with Russian representatives because Moscow distorts the content of such talks. Source: Sejourne on a joint interview with France24 and RFI, European Pravda reports Details: Sejourne said that it is "not in our (France's ed.) interest to hold discussions with Russian officials because the communiques that are published and the reports that are made by them are full of lies". He suggested that in order to resume dialogue with Moscow, "perhaps trust needs to be established first, and perhaps above all, we need to see developments on the military front in Ukraine so that relations can be restored". "So far, this is not the case," the French foreign minister stated. Commenting on the last official contact between Russian and French officials at the level of the Defence Ministry, Sejourne said that "the long tradition of cooperation with Russia in the fight against terrorism" is now at a standstill. "In fact it does not continue, since it was just a proposal, but the Russian communique in the Russian language suggests that we refuse to cooperate," he concluded. Last week, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecorne had a telephone conversation with Sergei Shoigu, the first such interaction since October 2022. The conversation focused primarily on the terrorist attack committed by the Islamic State in the Moscow Oblast on 22 March. After the conversation, the Russian Ministry of Defence said that during the conversation between Lecorne and Shoigu, "readiness for dialogue on Ukraine was noted". In response, a representative of the French government called this statement untrue. Support UP or become our patron! No progress made at Cairo ceasefire talks, says Hamas official CAIRO (Reuters) - A Hamas official told Reuters on Monday that no progress was made at a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo also attended by delegations from Israel, Qatar and the United States. "There is no change in the position of the occupation and therefore, there is nothing new in the Cairo talks," the Hamas official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. "There is no progress yet," he added. Earlier on Monday, Egypt's state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV channel quoted a senior Egyptian source as saying progress had been made in the talks, after a deal was reached among participating delegations on issues under discussion. Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt on Sunday after the arrival on Saturday of CIA Director William Burns, whose presence underlined U.S. pressure for a deal that would free hostages held in Gaza and ease the humanitarian crisis there. Israel and Hamas, at war in the Gaza Strip since October, have failed so far to resolve disagreements over their main demands. Hamas wants an end to Israel's offensive and a full Israeli withdrawal from the shattered territory, while Israel wants a deal to free hostages from Gaza in exchange for a number of Palestinians in its jails without a commitment to end the war. (Reporting by Nidal Almughrabi; Editing by Michael Georgy and Mark Heinrich) SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Utah Native Americans who are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence have a new way to safely and confidentially report the abuse thanks to a new statewide hotline. Restoring Ancestral Winds, Inc. (RAWI), a non-profit dedicated to supporting Native American communities, established the helpline in honor of sexual assault awareness month. Victims will be able to call the hotline at 1-833-NTV-HEAL (688-4325). RAWI Executive Director Yolanda Francisco said the helpline will be a great benefit for the Native American community, which the National Institute of Justice reports has a higher victimization rate than any other ethnic group. Native American women are more likely to need these services but are less likely to have access to them. See a hairy, spongy egg sack? Smash it and alert Utah officials And heres why. One in three Native American women experience violence in their lifetime, said Francisco. Our mission is to address this disparity by providing support to Native Americans and others including those living in urban populations. We deeply appreciate existing partners who have joined us in the work to address the harm happening in the Great Basin. The Utah Department of Public Safety, which helped launch the helpline, said the number will be a great additional resource for victims during a difficult time. Deputy Commissioner Jimmy Higgs said the department encourages everyone to report domestic and sexual abuse but there is a recognized need for different cultural needs. Utah Rep. Angela Romero (D) said meeting those cultural needs requires a dedicated effort that views issues through a Native lens. Ensuring that victims have access to culturally competent care is fundamental in our efforts to support and empower Indigenous communities, said Romero. Francisco added, Together, our focus is to help end sexual assault and domestic violence with the realization that everyone in Utah is entitled to safety and harmony. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) TSA officers at the Norfolk International Airport stopped a loaded handgun from being brought onto a flight on Sunday. According to officials, the handgun was loaded with eight bullets, including one in the chamber. This marks the ninth firearm intercepted from Norfolk TSA officers so far this year. Local police removed the firearm from the North Carolina residents carry-on bag after being alerted by the X-ray unit. After confiscating the gun, the man was criminally cited on a weapons charge. Courtesy: Norfolk TSA It appears that this traveler had packed his firearm in a gun case, however, he needed just a few more important steps before he could travel with it, TSAs Federal Security Director for the airport Robin Burke said. He needed to ensure the firearm was unloaded, then taken the locked gun case to his airline to declare he wanted to fly with it. At that point, the airline representative would ensure that the firearm could be transported as checked baggage. Our TSA officers remain vigilant during this busy spring break travel season to help ensure everyone can travel safely. Firearms caught by TSA officers at Norfolk International Airport checkpoints, 2016 to 2024 Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 As of April 7 Guns caught at Norfolk International Airport (ORF) checkpoints 14 10 21 15 12 23 27 29 9 In addition to being cited by police, the North Carolina man could also face a civil penalty of up to $15,000 for bringing a gun to a TSA checkpoint. Passengers who wish to travel with firearms must ensure they are unloaded and packed in a hard-sided locked case, and then taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. More information on properly traveling with a firearm can be found here. Check with WAVY.com for more updates. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Heres what to do and NOT to do during Mondays partial solar eclipse in Charlotte Heres what to do and NOT to do during Mondays partial solar eclipse in Charlotte NORTH CAROLINA (AP) Wear your special solar eclipse glasses and prepare for heavy traffic. Small towns and rural enclaves along the path of Aprils total solar eclipse are steeling for huge crowds of sun chasers who plan to catch a glimpse of day turning into dusk. Tourism and community leaders in the path of totality from Texas to Maine have trucked in extra fuel and port-a-potties and urged residents and visitors to be prepared. Some counties have issued disaster declarations to get extra help with policing and other aid, similar to the aftermath of severe storms. And in Oklahoma, the National Guard will help. Because of expected heavy traffic and other disruptions, hundreds of schools are closing or switching to remote learning in states including Texas, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. WEAR SPECIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE GLASSES Before you look up to the sky, you should don a pair of eclipse glasses, or employ some other method to safely watch the moon slide in front of the sun. If youre within the path of totality, youll have the opportunity to take your glasses off for a short time to experience sudden nightfall, but outside of that, youll need to protect your eyes for much longer. While everyone is looking forward to the peak of the eclipse, the whole event is relatively long. Over the roughly two and a half hours that youll have a chance to see the eclipse, when should you put on your eclipse glasses (or welding mask)? The short answer is that as soon as the moon starts moving in front of the sun, youll want to put your eclipse glasses on before looking up. MORE HERE SOLAR ECLIPSE: When do you need to put on your eclipse glasses? WHY ALL THE WARNINGS? Look no further back than the last U.S. total solar eclipse in 2017 to understand the concern, said Tom Traub, who is part of NASAs eclipse ambassador program. That year, he traveled to Beatrice, Nebraska, where the normal population of around 12,000 swelled to around 40,000 as eclipse watchers arrived. You had gas stations running out of gas, said Traub, who also serves on the board that runs the Martz-Kohl Observatory near Frewsburg, New York. You had restaurants running out of food. You had restrooms that were full and closed. This time around, top viewing locations want to avoid a repeat. They are preparing for mostly a worst-case scenario, he said. And hopefully that wont be the case. CELLPHONES MIGHT NOT WORK In central Texas, emergency officials in Hays County recommend a solar eclipse survival bag stocked with items including a mobile phone and charger. The bag, the instructions advise, also should contain a hard copy of maps and a compass goin old school! The reminder to bring a fully charged phone but to expect possible jammed signals is widespread in prime viewing spots. In 2017, drivers using their cellphones to share photos and navigate through traffic-overwhelmed towers. Write down key phone numbers just in case, advised the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Austin. STOCK UP ON FUEL AND FOOD Dont wait until the last minute to buy groceries is common advice from several Texas counties that have issued disaster declarations so they can get get extra help with the crowds. Among them is Kerr County, located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where the normal population of 53,000 is expected to double or triple. Make sure your vehicles are tanked up, that you have sufficient grocery supplies, that your prescriptions are filled and that you are stocked up on provisions for any animals in your care, Rob Kelly, the countys top official who signed the disaster declaration, said in an online post. In Ohio, where Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order this month to assure the state was well prepared, emergency management officials are urging residents to top off their gas tanks or fully charge their electric vehicles before heading out. Traub suggests people treat the eclipse like a snowstorm: Stock up, get ready, prepare to hunker down. At Serafins Food Market in Erie, Pennsylvania, owner Dan Serafin is ordering extra milk, eggs, water and batteries in preparation. This is nuts, he said. PREPARATIONS IN THE AIR AND AT SEA Even smaller regional airports are getting ready. In Cape Girardeau, Missouri, extra fuel is being hauled in, said airport manager Katrina Amos. The airport was caught off guard in 2017, when the city of around 40,000 along the Mississippi River also was in the path of totality. Between 40 to 50 extra planes landed that day. We didnt expect this, said Amos. This year, volunteers have signed up to help park all the extra planes that are expected. There also will be hamburgers and hot dogs, Amos said. Offshore, the Coast Guard will have boats patrolling in Lake Erie; its along the path and some boaters plan to watch from the water. BRACE FOR TRAFFIC HASSLE It will be all hands on deck at fire departments in the path of the eclipse, said Dr. Brad Raetzke, an emergency room doctor in Columbus, Ohio, who also is a medical director for several fire departments in the area. Hes concerned about eye injuries if people stare at the sun without protective glasses. And with all the extra traffic, there also will likely be more crash injuries, said Raetzke. In 2017, he went with his family to Nashville, Tennessee, to watch the eclipse. The return trip took 15 hours, instead of the typical six. So I can understand the importance of planning, he said. In Erie, where hotels are nearing capacity, residents are urged to leave the interstates to visitors, with signs posted more than 150 miles (241 kilometers) outside the city limits warning of delays. Traffic will be just almost nightmarish once totality ends, said Chris Temple, the VisitErie spokesperson, who has been in meetings for more than a year planning for an onslaught of visitors that could double the size of the city of 94,000. Despite the hassles, the citys tourism slogan to get eclipse-ready SHINE ends with a reminder. Enjoy the moment, said Temple. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. PORTSMOUTH Its not unusual at this time of year for the news to be filled with images of the famous Washington cherry trees in full bloom, reflected picturesquely in the waters of the Tidal Basin and framing views of the Jefferson Memorial. This year, however, the annual story of the cherry blossoms was tinged with a new message: some of the trees would soon be cut down so that the National Park Service could rebuild the failing seawall and sidewalk between the Jefferson and FDR Memorials. There was public outcry that for any tree especially Stumpy, believed to be one of the oldest this season would be its last. The Park Service hastened to assure the public that though the project theyve been planning since 2019 would remove 158 of the nearly 3,700 Japanese flowering cherry trees on the National Mall, they would be replaced and the cut trees would be turned to mulch to nourish the other trees. They said cuttings from Stumpy would provide genetic material for the National Arboretum to preserve for growing future trees. Meanwhile here in Portsmouth, theres already genetic material from the Washington Tidal Basin cherry trees growing before our eyes. And as cherry blossom season approaches here, those who wait expectantly for them will have even more reason to celebrate when they bloom. As it happens, the young cherry trees on the bank of South Mill Pond next to City Hall and other cherry trees around the City and the state are direct descendants of the Washington cherry trees. And thats deliberate, especially thanks to a bit of cherry tree and Portsmouth history that was revealed by the Japanese Ambassador to the US in 2012 on the 100th anniversary of the gift of the cherry trees from Japan to the US. The planting of the younger trees followed a tradition begun by Portsmouths Sister City of Nichinan, Japan. In 1985, Mayor Eileen Foley and the Mayor of Nichinan signed the agreement and celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty and the lead Japanese diplomat to the peace conference of 1905 Baron Jutaro Komura who was born there. Nichinan presented a cherry tree to Portsmouth that was planted in Haven Park. In 1993, Nichinan provided for more trees to be planted on the opposite bank of South Mill Pond. In 2011, the Foreign Ministry of Japan announced their plan to send cherry tree seeds to cities across the US to commemorate the 2012 centennial of the cherry trees, arguably one of the most iconic nation-to-nation gifts ever made, with the possible exception of the gift of the Statue of Liberty from France. Then the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami diverted attention from the project until 2012 when the Ministry decided that they would distribute 700 cherry saplings to 32 cities around the country. At the same time, the Japan America Society of NH learned from the author of The Cherry Blossom Festival that the famous DC trees had a direct connection to Portsmouth and the Peace Treaty. Ann McClelland reported that according to his autobiography, Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki, who made the arrangements to ship the cherry trees to Washington, had done so because he had always wanted to thank the US for our assistance to Japan during the Russo-Japanese War. As Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post, the major American contribution was to host the peace conference that produced the treaty that ended the war. That treaty, of course, is the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, negotiated and signed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Once the Japan-America Society of NH learned that history, its chair and founder Charles Doleac inquired with the Consulate General of Japan in Boston whether Portsmouth might be added to the distribution list. The Ministry agreed, making Portsmouth one of just three cities in New England alongside Boston and Pawtucket RI to receive 20 cherry trees grown as saplings by American Forest from cuttings from the Washington Yoshino trees. Three of those trees were planted ceremoniously on May 11, 2012 with the help of Japanese Consul General Takeshi Hikihara at key Treaty-related sites: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard where the Treaty was signed, Wentworth By the Sea Hotel where the delegates stayed as the managements guests, and Strawbery Banke Museum, to represent residents including the Russian-Jewish emigres who lived in the Puddle Dock neighborhood and welcomed the diplomats. Other trees were planted at the John Paul Jones House Museum where the Portsmouth Peace Treaty exhibit is displayed and on the banks of South Mill Pond, in a row behind the Nichinan trees. When the original distribution of trees was completed to 36 cities, including Portsmouth American Forests had dozens of leftover trees and was planning to use their growing site for different purposes. Again the Japan-America Society of NH stepped up and asked if they might take custody of some of the trees to launch the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Living Memorial Cherry Tree Project and plant the trees in Treaty-related sites around the state. The Japanese Foreign Ministry and American Forest, all agreed. Since then, the Japan America Society of NH has planted trees in Portsmouth at each of the public schools, at Temple Israel and Christ Church; and in Dublin, Hanover, Lancaster, Littleton, Manchester, Meredith and Milford. Each tree represents the Treaty as an important piece of New Hampshire history and the citizen diplomacy that had kept the diplomats at the table in 1905 and helped President Theodore Roosevelt win the Nobel Peace Prize. Each time the story is told there are more requests for cherry trees and to become part of the annual celebration of Portsmouth Peace Treaty Day and the Governors Proclamation and bellringing that go with it. In 2022, teachers from Auburn and Windham who attended a lecture about the Treaty at the NH Council on the Social Studies conference asked for trees for their schools. All cherry trees are subject to the consequences of drought and flooding. As the National Park Service knows so well. So the lesson of this years Cherry Blossom Festival should not be despair over the loss of the trees. For in Portsmouth, the legacy of the DC cherry trees and the reason they are there, is a trust being carefully tended by the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Living Memorial Cherry Tree Project. Cherry blossoms and cherry trees might be fragile, but historic connections and legacies endure. Special to the Portsmouth Herald by Charles B. Doleac and Stephanie Seacord, Japan-America Society of New Hampshire and the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum [PortsmouthPeaceTreaty.org]. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Washington DC tidal basin cherry trees have roots in Portsmouth, NH We can now stop worrying about the planet: FL Legislature has written climate change out of the law Florida's Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021. Credit: Michael Moline/Florida Phoenix Quality Journalism for Critical Times You probably think Ron DeSantis and the yahoos, grifters, simps, dolts, and dunderheads who populate the Florida Legislature are collectively incapable of solving even one of the bazillion issues facing this state. What with the slap-fights, pissing contests, and spiteful politicking, I can see how you might arrive at that conclusion. Sign to A1A at Key West. Credit: Getty Images To be fair, we must acknowledge the members important work of liberating Florida teenagers from satanic social media sites and delivering them into the world of menial labor, legalizing huge bottles of wine (nearly four gallons, people!), and, most significantly, naming A1A after Jimmy Buffet. But theres something else, something stunning, unprecedented, nay, supernatural: The Legislature has figured out how to fix climate change. Are you speechless with amazement? I sure as hell am. Well, almost. Floridas summer temperatures increasingly resemble those of the innards of a grumpy volcano, though we can usually count on a nice big hurricane to tear off some roofs and flood some streets, cooling us off. This coral is dying of stony coral tissue loss. Credit: Coral Restoration Foundation The Gulf of Mexico hit 100 degrees F last July, which is bad enough, but the mix of saltwater and carbon dioxide makes an undelicious acidic cocktail, bleaching our corals to a pale shade of dead. The seas are rising as are insurance prices and invading our drinking water supply, all thanks to our profligate spewing of greenhouse gases. I guess the Republicans running this state and their clueless followers dont think life is worth living if you cant drive an F-150 Raptor R. Well, we can now stop worrying about the planet: Your bought-and-paid-for Legislature has delivered a bill that amends Florida statutes to delete all references to climate change. Thanks to them, climate change is gone. Erased. Kaputt. Ya no es. Cest fini. Genius! Dumber than Texas Messy facty-type phrases in the law about how Florida is positioned at the front line against potential impacts of global climate change and human and economic costs of those impacts can be averted by global actions will be cut from the states official consciousness. All references to energy efficient vehicles, contracting with green lodgings for meetings and conferences, using cleaner fuels gone. Consider this: We are dumber than Texas. A utility-scale solar array in Florida. Credit: Florida Power and Light Texas (Texas!) relies on solar and wind: Renewables provide 30% to 40% of that states power needs. In Florida, its, um, well, 5%. As youre no doubt aware, the Sunshine State has a certain amount of actual sunshine. Plus, a bit of wind, though not quite enough to turn into energy given current technological limitations. The engineering is, however, advancing fast. Really tall turbines will soon be able to capture upper-level winds. But it wont matter. HB 1645 bans offshore wind turbines because, er, were not sure why. Aesthetics? Whales? (Since when have these bozos cared about whales?) Never mind. When your Florida legislators sit on the beach, trying to avoid the fecal bacteria and dead fish, gazing out upon our hot, dirty waters, they dont want no stinking turbines messing up the view. Pipelines, now: Thats different. Rick Scott, a terrible former governor, now a terrible senator, tried something like this back in 2015, letting it be known state employees must not utter the words climate and change in proximity to each other. He did eventually use the phrase climate change, but insists theres no need to do anything about it. Our lawmakers are made of sterner if stupider stuff: Theyve bravely deployed the strike-though function on their laptops and deep-sixed our worlds greatest threat. Politicizing the weather Heres what the bill largely looks like: The Legislature finds that the states energy security can be increased by lessening dependence on foreign oil; that the impacts of global climate change can be reduced through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and that the implementation of alternative energy technologies can be a source of new jobs and employment opportunities for many Floridians. Remember back in 2018 when Ron DeSantis appeared to take global warming seriously kind of? He appeared to accept the science of anthropogenic climate change. Until he started running for president, dismissed greenhouse gas reduction as left wing, and accused Democrats of politicizing the weather, that is. Still, youve got to hand it to Florida lawmakers: Their commitment to magical thinking is truly impressive. Dead fish killed by red tide float in Boca Ciega Bay near Madeira Beach. Credit: Octavio Jones/Getty Images Theyve not merely edited out climate change but institutional racism. All they had to do was demand schools stop teaching history that might make white folks feel bad. Ban books by angry Black people, Latino malcontents, and ungrateful Native Americans and, before you know it, we can declare issues with those troublesome non-Caucasians are all OK now. Same with gay and trans people: Remove books by and about them, demonize them, outlaw pronoun changes, and threaten them with the bathroom police, refuse to acknowledge their existence and, next thing you know, theyve all disappeared. I say if the government can use a cloak of invisibility to put noisome problems to rest, by golly, we regular citizens can, too. Imagine: How about we edit out any reference to gun crime? School shootings, gang violence: All done. That 15 year-old California kidnap victim shot by the cops who were supposed to rescue her? If theyd deleted the video, it would be as if it never happened. Lets pretend Except for the 15 year-old, of course: Shed still be in her grave, but the rest of us would be so much more comfortable. The bullet-ridden bodies of children can really get you down. How about we pretend poverty no longer exists? We almost accomplished this already, with new laws shoving the homeless onto out-of-the-way camps. How about hemorrhoids! Just ignore them and boom! Theyre gone. Speaking of backsides, we could cancel the noxious Benjamin Netanyahu by completely blocking him out of our brains, sticking our thumbs in our ears and shutting our eyes tightly whenever another story about the IDF murdering international journalists, Palestinian doctors, and Gaza aid workers shows up in the papers, on the radio or the TV. If the Republicans take back the White House, theyre going to fix all our health care woes by excising language about pandemics and vaccines and such like from CDC and NIH publications. Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo in Destin on May 11, 2023. Source: Screeshot/DeSantis Facebook Floridas mallard of a surgeon general shrugs off our latest outbreaks of measles, COVID-19, and other nasty and dangerous afflictions which become considerably less nasty and dangerous if you get the jabs. He thinks vaccines and attempts to mitigate diseases are overrated. Eat some fruit! Maybe try demon sperm! What you dont know may well kill you, but at least you wont fret. As for me, Im refusing to acknowledge the existence of Donald Trump. If only The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, BBC, AFP, and Twixxter would stop using his name. Forget about him. Pretend hes not there. OK, so he may become president again and, if that happens, its likely hell crown himself Caudillo, Il Duce, Kaiser, or Eternal President and wont leave the White House until they carry him out feet first, but surely its better to ignore his threats to destroy American democracy. Reality hurts too much. The post We can now stop worrying about the planet: FL Legislature has written climate change out of the law appeared first on Florida Phoenix. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 5. The Baku Network expert platform has aired the next issue of the analytical video project "Dialogue with Tofig Abbasov", Trend reports. The program's guest was the People's Artist of Azerbaijan, Fakhraddin Manafov, born in Khankendi city. Speaking about the Azerbaijani-Armenian normalization, Manafov noted that the Armenian intelligentsia should explain to their politicians why peace is needed in the South Caucasus. The Armenian intelligentsia must explain to politicians that peace is needed in order to create and build. They should not wait for aggression from Azerbaijan. We have no aggression. They should plant a tree, give birth, and raise a child instead of burning trees and houses and killing children, the peoples artist emphasized. For now, Trump wont support a national abortion ban; he says it should be left up to the states Screenshot of Donald Trump from his video posted on Truth Social on April 8, 2024 Quality Journalism for Critical Times Former president Donald Trump said Monday that his policy on abortion is that the individual states in the country should make that decision, which means he wouldnt be endorsing a federal ban on the procedure. In effect, hes calling for the abortion issue to remain status quo, following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that overturned Roe v. Wade. It was a surprise announcement, considering that Trump told a New York City radio station last month that he was open to supporting a national ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state, he said in a video posted on his Truth Social channel. Many states will have a different number of weeks, some will be more conservative than others and thats what they will be. At the end of the day this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart or in many cases, your religion or your faith. Trump, who is a candidate for president, added that like Ronald Reagan, I am strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. And he went on to bash Democrats as having a radical position on abortion rights because they dont favor restrictions on when a woman can have an abortion. Trump also boasted as he has in the past that he was proudly the person responsible for overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized a federal right to an abortion. He went on to name all six conservative members of the U.S. Supreme Court John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch as incredible people for having the courage to allow this long-term hard-fought battle to finally end. Trump selected Kavanaugh, Gorsuch and Barrett to serve on the court during his one term as president. There are 14 states in the U.S. who ban abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute. In Florida, Trumps home state, women will not be able to get an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy beginning on May 1, following the Florida Supreme Court decision last week . The Court also voted 4-3 to allow the voters to decide in November whether to amend the states Constitution to protect access to the procedure up until viability. Trumps announcement was blasted by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a leading anti-abortion group. We are deeply disappointed in President Trumps position, said Marjorie Dannelfelser, the groups president, in a written statement. Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry. The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act. Saying the issue is back to the states cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. If successful, they will wipe out states rights. The Biden-Harris campaign team also released a statement this morning in response to Trumps comments. Donald Trump made it clear once again today that he is more than anyone in America the person responsible for ending Roe v. Wade. He is more than anyone in America responsible for creating the cruelty and the chaos that has enveloped America since the Dobbs decision, said President Biden. President Joe Biden went on to say: Trump once said women must be punished for seeking reproductive health care and hes gotten his wish. Women are being turned away from emergency rooms, forced to go to court to seek permission for the medical attention they need, and left to travel hundreds of miles for health care. In states like Florida, abortion will likely soon be illegal before many women know theyre pregnant. Because of Donald Trump, one in three women in America already live under extreme and dangerous bans that put their lives at risk and threaten doctors with prosecution for doing their jobs. And that is only going to get worse. With all his empty words on fertility treatments, Trump doesnt tell you the MAGA Republicans he controls in Congress have put forward bills that could ban fertility treatments and that the Speaker of the House he empowered is one of the strongest supporters for a national abortion ban in the nation. Let there be no illusion. If Donald Trump is elected and the MAGA Republicans in Congress put a national abortion ban on the Resolute Desk, Trump will sign it into law. The post For now, Trump wont support a national abortion ban; he says it should be left up to the states appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Donald Trumps latest longshot bid to delay his impending trial centering on a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels was denied by an appeals court judge in New York on Monday, a week out from the expected start of jury selection. The ruling by Justice Lizbeth Gonzalez came down after lawyers for the former president asked the mid-level state appeals court for an indefinite delay so they could attempt to get the case moved to a different location than liberal-leaning Manhattan, according to court filings. In their recent delay efforts, Trumps attorneys have argued that he cant get a fair shake in the borough, citing the findings of a survey they conducted showing a majority of 400 Manhattan respondents had read about the notorious hush-money payments at the heart of the case. It showed 35% believed he was guilty of the alleged offenses. [Polling] and quantitative analysis of media coverage shows that a fair and impartial jury cannot be selected right now based on prejudicial pretrial publicity, Trumps lawyers wrote in their emergency request for a delay on Monday. In court filings last week opposing a separate motion by Trump to delay proceedings on account of intense pretrial publicity, prosecutors said Trumps team highlighted parts of their survey showing a lot of people had read about the case as proof he couldnt get a fair trial and disregarded answers from a majority of respondents saying they still felt they could be impartial. They said Trump was trying to have his cake and eat it, too, by complaining about media attention while actively seeking it. Defendant simply cannot have it both ways: complaining about the prejudicial effect of pretrial publicity, while seeking to pollute the jury pool himself by making baseless and inflammatory accusations about this trial, specific witnesses, individual prosecutors and the court itself, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo wrote. Trumps legal team has been in overdrive trying to delay whats expected to be the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president, filing a flurry of eleventh-hour motions in the lead-up to jury selection partially succeeding last month in delaying it by three weeks. Justice Juan Merchan has yet to rule on their motion to delay the trial because of pretrial publicity and their second request that he recuse himself. Earlier Monday in sealed court filings, Trumps lawyers initiated a lawsuit against him to fight his rulings. Having failed to get Merchan off the case when they last tried in August, Trumps attorneys last week doubled down on their allegations that his daughter financially benefits from Trumps prosecution pointing to her job at a political firm that works with Democrats and that he is biased as a result. Merchan has resoundingly rejected those claims and last week widened a gag order prohibiting Trump from commenting about jurors, witnesses and others involved in the case to include his own family after Trump targeted his daughter in a barrage of Truth Social posts. Trump, 77, has pleaded not guilty to 34 felonies in the case alleging he covered up reimbursement to his former fixer to disguise that it was payback for carrying out an illicit scheme that included paying Daniels, Playboy model Karen McDougal and a Trump Tower doorman to stay silent about alleged sex scandals to secure his victory in the 2016 election. The criminal case is one of four the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee faces now encompassing 88 felony charges total to all of which hes pleaded not guilty. Barring another delay, prospective jurors are expected to start filing into Merchans 15th-floor courtroom on Monday morning. Among other lines of inquiry, theyll be asked whether they have strong feelings about Trump, his former presidency, his current White House run, his criminal and civil cases and whether they listen to Michael Cohens podcast or read publications including the Daily News. Lawyers for Trump and a spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment. NYC squatters are cashing in on legal loopholes and crowded courts to take over homes and good luck getting them out: experts Squatters, long a Big Apple nightmare, are now harder to evict thanks to crowded courts and legal loopholes, legal experts tell The Post. The Big Apple is seeing a troublesome trend of unwelcome squatters illegally bedding down in private homes and apartments in the five boroughs and its gotten much harder to kick them out. A backlog of housing court cases and changes in the law in recent years have made it a bigger and longer-lasting headache for landlords to boot unwelcome tenants, legal experts tell The Post. This is happening far more now than in the past, real estate attorney Josh Price said. Squatters have become far more sophisticated than before. They set up elaborate schemes, fake documents and investigate the homes before breaking in. A squatter strolls out of a home at 160th Street in Queens, a $1 million home taken over by a crew that claimed tenant rights. Brigitte Stelzer Two changes in city law in 2019 now dictate that landlords cant just boot a squatter without a special proceeding, and have to file a lawsuit to get them out. Manhattan real estate lawyer Alan Goldberg said hes seen a 10-to-20% bump in squatter cases over the past two years, attributing it to the migrant crisis, post-pandemic homelessness and media coverage. The irony is the more publicity it gets the more people think about it, Goldberg said. I think its got media attention and also the migrant crisis, more people homeless, he said. The media, by telling people about squatters, is kind of encouraging it. Goldberg said the term squatter is often misused squatters are intruders who illegally break into a property and stay, while licensees move in under color of law and remain. That can include relatives of deceased property owners or legal tenants who overstayed their welcome. Police at a Queens home taken over by squatters. Homeowner Adele Andaloro was handcuffed when she tried to evict them. Brigitte Stelzer The problem stems from a loophole in the law that allows anyone who stays put in a property long enough to claim legal occupancy despite the landlords objection. That cutoff is 10 years in most of the Empire State but a mere 30 days in the five boroughs, making city property owners significantly more vulnerable to the unwanted homesteaders. And no one is keeping track of how many there are. State court officials say squatter or adverse possession cases are not specifically tracked once theyre in the system, so its anybodys guess how many are out there. Federal agents last week raided a Bronx home taken over by gun-toting migrants who wreaked havoc in the neighborhood. Matthew McDermott Some Big Apple attorneys say squatters have long been a frustrating problem in the five boroughs and have not seen an uptick and note they remain a fraction of the landlord-tenant disputes in court. But the issue has increasingly become the subject of water cooler chatter thanks to a series of high-profile squatter cases making headlines. Last week, a pair of squatters at a Jamaica duplex sued the legal owners of a $930,000 home, claiming they were locked out despite establishing tenancy and included a Shake Shack receipt as proof. A Queens judge tossed the suit on Friday, but the case left a bitter taste for homeowner Juliya Fulman, who griped about a very big problem with these criminals and these squatters. In another case in Flushing, squatter Brian Rodriguez demanded an $18,000 ransom to move out of the four-bedroom $1 million house he claimed rights to with cops even handcuffing the rightful owner when she showed up. One Big Apple case turned deadly when a pair of teen squatters allegedly killed property owner Nadia Vitels after she showed up at the East 31st apartment owned by her late mom on March 12. Juliya Fluman and Denis Kurlyant have been able to kick out squatters who took over their home in Jamaica, Queens. Squatters at a Jamaica, Queens home filed a lawsuit against the rightful homeowners, using a Shake Shack receipt as proof that they are legally inside the property. And last week, federal agents raided a Bronx home where a troublesome troupe of gun-toting migrants were squatting and causing chaos in the neighborhood. The dilemma has drawn the attention of some lawmakers. State Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz (R-Oyster Bay) is sponsoring a bill that gives property owners more muscle to boot squatters and makes squatting a criminal trespassing offense. I think anyone whos paying attention sees this is becoming an increasing issue, Blumencranz told The Post last week. People, especially migrant groups or other groups who are looking to use our laws against us, will use this loophole to hurt law-abiding citizens. The owner of the raided Bronx home said the squatters left the place in disrepair. Matthew McDermott We have a holy trinity right now that weve never had before, which is a cost of living crisis, a housing crisis and the migrant crisis happening in the city at the same time, he said. These people are here, they are looking for a place to live and people on the Internet are providing an avenue for them that is free. Several attorneys interviewed by The Post said a post-pandemic backlog of cases in the citys five housing courts has slowed their cases including squatter cases to a snails pace. Nativ Winiarsky, a partner with the firm of Kucker, Marino, Winiarsky & Bittens, said it can take as long as two years to resolve a squatter case, thanks to court backlogs and a stretched legal system. Debris litters the backyard of the Bronx home. Matthew McDermott Certainly things have gotten worse after the pandemic due to the backlog, but to blame it on the pandemic is a superficial explanation, Winiarski said. It is a product of insufficient resources being devoted to the housing court system, threatening a collapse of the system as we know it, Winiarski added. Complicating the issue are two tweaks to state law in 2019 that gave squatters more rights and handcuffed legal property owners when they try to reclaim their turf. The home in Jamaica taken over by squatters is just one example of the rash of disputed tenancy cases in the Big Apple. James Messerschmidt Police at the Flushing home owned by Adele Andalaro. She was arrested when she tried to kick the squatters out. James Messerschmidt New York Real Property Actions Proceedings Law 711 was amended to say that occupants of a dwelling or housing accommodation cant be kicked out without a special proceeding. In addition, a new law stated that anyone establishing squatter rights cant be removed without resorting to a lawsuit filed in the local courthouse. Price, the real estate lawyer, said those statutes, along with savvier squatters, has created a nightmare. They will send mail to themselves, use fake leases to have utilities changed to their name and other artifice to claim right of possession, he said. It is more onerous now than in years past because it takes so long before an owner can get a court date. David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, has hosted a Sunday morning show on LBC since 2022 - Maja Smiejkowska/PA Wire A radio show hosted by David Lammy is being investigated by Ofcom over a possible breach of broadcasting rules, the communications watchdog has announced. Ofcom said it was investigating whether the LBC programme on Good Friday broke our rules on politicians acting as news presenters. It received more than 50 complaints over the March 29 episode of the shadow foreign secretarys weekly phone-in programme. On the show, Mr Lammy announced Sir Jeffrey Donaldsons resignation as the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader live on air. In the complained-about segment, he read a statement from the DUP that said Sir Jeffery had been charged with allegations of a historical nature and he would be stepping down with immediate effect in accordance with the party rules. Mr Lammy said: The party offices have suspended Mr Donaldson from membership pending the outcome of a judicial process. He then told listeners that the DUP had appointed Gavin Robinson as its new leader, adding: Thats a big, big development. In a statement, the watchdog said: Weve launched an investigation into David Lammy on LBC, broadcast on March 29. Were investigating whether this programme broke our rules on politicians acting as news presenters. Ofcom yet to provide further details Mr Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, has hosted a Sunday morning show with the station since 2022. Ofcom has not yet provided any further details about the reasons behind the investigation or the subject of the 51 complaints received. The communications watchdog has previously looked into programmes hosted by politicians on the GB News television channel. Five programmes, including those hosted by Sir Jacob-Rees Mogg and shows jointly presented by the Conservative minister Esther McVey and the Tory MP Philip Davies, were found to have breached Ofcoms impartiality rules. The watchdogs rules on due impartiality state: No politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified. In that case, the political allegiance of that person must be made clear to the audience. Announcing its findings into GB News, Ofcom said that if a channel uses a politician as a presenter in a programme containing both news and current affairs content, it must take steps to ensure they do not act as a newsreader, news interviewer or news reporter in that programme. The broadcaster has been put on notice that it may be sanctioned if it commits any further breaches. On Monday, the watchdog also issued a warning to TalkTV after potentially highly offensive comments were made by the presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer during an interview with the general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative. Ofcom said it issued strong guidance to the channel on the need to take greater care to ensure that potentially highly offensive comments are justified by the context, but has decided not to launch an investigation. Mr Lammy and Hartley-Brewer have been approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. An off-duty Brooklyn cop was released after he was accused of punching his wife and yanking her hair. Avijit Boiragee, 33, whos assigned to the 68th Precinct in Bay Ridge, was arrested on assault, attempted assault and harassment charges early Sunday. According to a criminal complaint, he punched his wife in the biceps, shoved her and pulled her hair in their Sheepshead Bay home just before 3:30 a.m. Boiragee pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Sunday. His case was transferred to a problem-solving alternative court program and hes due back in court May 9. He joined the NYPD in February 2021. His lawyer did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Monday. The Republican who serves as Ohios top election official has warned that President Joe Biden might not be legally permitted to appear on the Buckeye States ballot because of the Democratic National Conventions timing this year. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRoses office sent a letter to the Ohio Democratic Partys chair on 5 April to point out that Ohio law requires each party to nominate their presidential candidate by 7 August, 90 days before the general election. The letter from Mr LaRoses top lawyer, Paul Disantis, sought an answer to an apparent conflict in Ohio law between the convention timing and the statutory deadline by which Mr LaRoses office must certify the partys candidates for president and vice president. I am left to conclude that the Democratic National Committee must either move up its nominating convention or the Ohio General Assembly must act by May 9, 2024 (90 days prior to a new laws effective date) to create an exception to this statutory requirement, he said. Absent action by Ohios legislature to waive the deadline, this means it will have already passed by the time Democrats convene in Chicago for the official nominating convention on 19 August. Buckeye State lawmakers have previously waived the 7 August deadline when party conventions have been later on the calendar. In 2019, state legislators made a one-time change to the law because of the timing of the party conventions during the next year, shortening the pre-election deadline from 90 days to 60 days prior. In a statement, a spokesperson for President Bidens 2020 re-election campaign said it was monitoring the situation and remained confident that Mr Biden will be on the ballot in all 50 states. ESCONDIDO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) The okapi family at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has just welcomed a new addition. A male calf was born to first-time parents, Mahameli and Mpangi. In a release Monday, the zoo said Mahameli (Meli), the mother, can often be seen basking in the sun with her unnamed calf. Meet Meg: A cute but dangerous cat at San Diego Zoo Safari Park According to the zoo, okapis have black-and-white striped hindquarters, similar to zebras, although theyre actually related to the giraffe. Okapis are native to the deep forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are known to be elusive and highly alert. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomed a male okapi calf, born to first-time parents Mahameli (mother) and Mpangi (father). The San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomed a male okapi calf, born to first-time parents Mahameli (mother) and Mpangi (father). The San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomed a male okapi calf, born to first-time parents Mahameli (mother) and Mpangi (father). The San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomed a male okapi calf, born to first-time parents Mahameli (mother) and Mpangi (father). Check out the photo gallery of the San Diego Zoo Safari Parks new okapi calf above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. A judge has ordered the Olathe school district to pay more than $259,000 in former school board candidate Jennifer Gilmores attorney fees, in her lawsuit over being removed from a board meeting. Thats on top of the $472,000 in legal fees the district has spent on the case. Gilmore, a conservative candidate who unsuccessfully ran twice for the school board, filed the federal lawsuit after she was kicked out of a meeting in January 2022 for accusing a former opponent of buying her seat. Last summer, U.S. District Court Judge Holly Teeter threw out most claims brought by Gilmore. But the judge allowed Gilmores primary claim to stand, saying that a reasonable jury could conclude her First Amendment rights were violated because she was blocked from speaking due to the views she expressed. And days before this past November election, a jury ruled in favor of Gilmore, saying she was prevented from speaking because then-board president Joe Beveridge did not like her views. Gilmore lost her race for the at-large board seat, with 43.4% of votes. Will Babbit won with 56.5%. Beveridge, who had held the seat, did not seek reelection. The judge had previously denied Gilmores request to pursue damages against the district and school board, so her win in court did not come with a monetary award. The jury awarded her $1 in nominal damages, designed to acknowledge that she was deprived of a federal right. And the jury did not find that punitive damages should be assessed against Beveridge. In order to find that Beveridge should pay damages to Gilmore, the jury would have needed to agree there was proof he acted with evil motive or intent, or reckless indifference to Gilmores rights, according to court documents. This ruling should encourage other attorneys to take these kinds of First Amendment cases where no actual damages are claimed in order to vindicate the First Amendment and may it discourage government entities from using tax payer dollars, in this case over $650,000, to punish their political adversaries, Gilmores attorney, Linus Baker, said in an email. This ruling benefits all citizens from government oppression of free speech. After the jurys decision, Gilmore fought for a higher dollar amount in her legal fees to be covered. The district pushed for a lower amount, partly arguing that Gilmore only saw limited success in her case, since most of her claims were dismissed or abandoned. The judge wrote that, The Court finds that Plaintiff vindicated an important right worthy of fees but her requested fees should be slightly reduced based on some billing issues and on her scattershot approach to parts of the litigation, finding that $259,000 was reasonable. The lawsuit stemmed from Gilmores first attempt at winning a school board seat, in the fall of 2021, when she campaigned against mask mandates and critical race theory as part of a conservative slate. She lost to Julie Steele in a close race that was called days after election night. After the loss, Gilmore spoke at a board meeting where she accused Steeles father of lying and buying her board seat. Beveridge cut her off during her comments and called for Gilmore to be removed. The school boards public comment rules at the time stated that the board will not hear personal attacks, or rude or defamatory remarks of any kind about any employee or student of the School District or any person connected with the School District. The policy also allowed the board president to interrupt statements that were disruptive or not germane to the business activities of the board. The board adopted a new policy in April 2022, months after Gilmore filed her suit, which still includes a requirement that topics be germane to the business of the board. But board rules no longer include the provision about personal attacks or defamatory remarks. One person dead in overnight Champaign Co. crash SOMER TOWNSHIP, Ill. (WCIA) A woman from the suburbs of Chicago has died in Champaign County following a crash Sunday night. The crash happened around 8:15 p.m. on Leverett Road near Martin Road in Somer Township. Officials with the Champaign County Sheriffs Office said the investigation showed that the woman, identified as 33-year-old Molly Zabinski of Palatine, was driving east on Leverett. For unknown reasons, Zabinskis car crossed the center line and entered the westbound lane. Her car crashed head-on into a westbound car that was being driven by a 21-year-old from Sidney. 56-year-old woman dies after Springfield car crash Officials said Sheriffs deputies arrived and, finding Zabinski unresponsive, started providing CPR. She was taken to Carle Hospital in Urbana, where she was pronounced dead at 9 p.m. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. There were four other people hurt in the crash, including the 21-year-old driver of the westbound car and a three-year-old in Zabinskis car. All are expected to be ok. The crash remains under investigation by the Champaign County Sheriffs and Coroners Offices. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. The Houses of Parliament constitute a royal palace. It is falling down. Since October 2012, Parliament has been debating plans for its extensive restoration. Much work needs to be done to return the edifice to its former glory. Something similar has happened to our constitutional ethical architecture. It has wonderful grandeur in design, but is no longer fit for purpose. Standards in public life have declined over recent years. So has public confidence and trust in the political system. Once lost, trust is difficult to regain. It is an understatement to say, as the Committee on Standards in Public Life does, that: The existing standards framework is not functioning as well as it should. The ethical timbers have rotted, and we need something to replace the old wood. A change in culture is necessary but what of the bodies that should monitor ethical standards, the ethical fifth estate? The landscape of standards regulation today is complex and confusing to most in the Westminster village, let alone those outside it. The patchwork of codes and regulators, many of them derived from the Nolan Report on Standards in Public Life in the 1990s, reflects the historical development of ethics regulation in the UK, where a scandal may prompt institutional innovation in one particular area while others are reformed only incrementally over decades. The system is a hodgepodge. There are too many checks and not enough balances in it. Various authorities and committees designed to regulate public life in the years after the Nolan inquiry are now toothless. Some are apparently by design, others by neglect. To resolve the current confusion, Labours big idea is a single ethics commission to regulate standards throughout government. Standards bodies are not an alternative to elected democracy but a single organisation could more easily go head-to-head with government if it needed to than a whole series of separate weaker regulators. But there are difficulties with such an all-in model, both around accountability and how it would fit into our parliamentary system. Crucially it would have the disadvantage of a single point of vulnerability, so if it failed or became corrupted the whole system would collapse. A better approach might involve an overarching ethics commission (a modified form of the Committee on Standards in Public Life) that would not mean the abolition of existing bodies. This commission could, in the case of each particular scandal, determine which body should be the lead investigator or whether it should lead the investigation. Too often multiple bodies investigate the same thing. Specialist panels would retain their respective jurisdictions but there would be a common pool of investigators, and the commission would have the power to access any evidence it needed. Clear sanctions would be available for breaches of the various codes. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments should be abolished in its present form and streamlined. The advisory part should be jettisoned to emphasise that it is a body with proper legal powers of enforcement able to impose fines and pursue injunctions. The replacement statutory organisation should have proper investigative powers and a protected budget. The new COBA would be able to obtain all relevant documents from ministers and civil servants and all of their subsequent employing companies or organisations after leaving office. This would crucially reveal the former politicians role with their new employer. The rules enforced by the Commissioner for Public Appointments are generally decent, but the scope of them leaves a penumbra of uncertainty, and the sanctions are very weak. The yawning gap at present concerns the absence from scrutiny of non-executive directors of government departments and the figures known as tsars. A Public Appointments Commission should supervise all public appointments and provide independent interview panels and propose a single candidate for each role. Ministers should only be involved in public appointments at the beginning and end of the process, not throughout as they are now, and if they reject the outcome they should explain why to the relevant select committee. The new body would be given more legal powers, the rules administered should be statutory and it must be able to order independent investigations into public appointments, with the same powers to access documents as a court. The appointment of the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests should be approved by Parliament. It should function on a statutory basis like the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, with independent power to investigate. The independent adviser should only be dismissed if a select committee agrees, as with the head of the Office of Budgetary Responsibility. The prime minister should not be so central to the standards landscape. They are now both initiator and judge, largely as a result of somewhat vague constitutional conventions. The PM must have the final say over who becomes a minister and (in general) who is dismissed from that role. But there should be a high hurdle, enshrined in law, to surmount if they countermand a judgment of the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests. The PM should give a detailed and public written determination justifying their action to a parliamentary committee. Enforcement of the ministerial code should be strengthened. Ministers should swear an oath to abide by it. It should have the same legal basis as its companion codes for civil servants and special advisers. Thirty years after the Nolan Committee reported, the UK needs a new review of standards in the form of a Speakers conference or independent commission. The review should consider how best to embed integrity and consider both tighter regulation and cultural change. And a new ethics regime will require a more legalistic approach than at present. We need altogether a more sober culture where standards are burnished, there is more leadership by example and fewer apparent prizes, promotions and honours for finding loopholes and breaking or twisting the rules. Ultimately, this means a climate where what you can get away with is no longer the predominant ideology. We need new ethical timbers to stop the rot and the downward spiral. John Bowers KC is the principal of Brasenose College, Oxford and the author of Downward Spiral, (Manchester University Press) Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Delegates from the Political and Security Committee of the Council of Europe will visit Azerbaijan, a source in the EU Office in Baku told Trend. According to the source, the committee representatives will arrive today on a working visit to Armenia. "Then they will also visit Georgia and Azerbaijan, the source added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel When Adolf Hitler was convicted of treason on April 1, 1924, for leading an armed insurrection against Germanys democratically elected government, he discovered something remarkable: Courtrooms can make excellent soapboxes for political grandstanding. In real time, 100 years later, weve been watching another political leader, former president and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, do the same. The echoes are uncanny and disturbing. During his monthlong trial in March 1924, followed by his conviction, Hitler railed against Germanys democratic leaders and constitutionally anchored legal system. He chastened his judges. He threatened his prosecutors. He insisted that it was not he who had committed treason against the state but the Weimar Republics political establishment who had betrayed the German people. Read more: Calmes: We can't count on the courts to hold Trump accountable before November. It's up to us You can declare us guilty a thousand times, Hitler defiantly told the judge after receiving his conviction and a five-year prison sentence, but the eternal court of history will tear up the indictment and conviction with a smile and will acquit us. The trial and conviction proved to be a political boon for Hitler, catapulting him and the National Socialist German Workers Party from the fanatic fringe to the national stage. Hitler emerged as leader and spokesman for aggrieved, right-wing nationalists across the country. In the decade that followed, Hitler was dragged into courtrooms (he told his followers at a rally) more times than he could remember. He invariably emerged politically stronger thanks to the toxic alchemy of his courtroom antics and constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of expression. When Hitler lost the 1932 presidential election by more than 6 million votes, he went to court to have the results annulled amid claims of voter fraud and irregularities by state officials. The presiding judge dismissed the case out of hand, observing that the 6-million-vote margin precluded any possibility that irregularities could have changed the outcome. Not all judges were as rational. Hitler frequently encountered sympathetic judges, who, as had happened during the Beer Hall Putsch trial, permitted him to use his courtroom appearances to hold extended tirades, which were occasionally greeted by storms of applause. Hitlers private lawyer, Hans Frank, who was hanged in Nuremberg for his role in Nazi atrocities, once calculated that he represented his star client in more than 140 cases, mostly for defamation. Frank observed: His opponents always ended up causing more harm to themselves, even though they thought they were damaging this ascending figure with their slander. Read more: Op-Ed: The Trump insurrection was America's Beer Hall Putsch In one case, Hitler sued in court for slander against a claim that, as a young man, he had spit out a consecrated host during Holy Communion. He used the occasion to emphasize his strict Roman Catholic upbringing. The next election saw a bump up in Catholics voting National Socialist. Unquestionably, Hitlers most notable courtroom appearance, besides his 1924 treason trial, was in September 1930, when he appeared in court as a witness in the trial of fellow Nazis suspected of being complicit in an alleged plot to seize power in a military coup. Hitler used the occasion to underscore his Legalitatseid, or legality oath, to come to power by legal means. But Hitler did not deny or conceal his intent to destroy democracy, albeit through democratic means. Hitler reminded the judge that Article 1 of the German Constitution stated that the government was ultimately an expression of the will of the people. When we are finally in possession of the constitutionally guaranteed rights and powers, we will pour the state into the form that we think best, Hitler told the judge. It was an astonishingly brazen admission, but no less astonishing than the judges response, So, only by constitutional means? Hitlers reply was crisp, Jawohl. Within three years, Hitler had made good on his courtroom promise by becoming chancellor and disabling democratic structures and protections. Trump currently faces four criminal indictments, including state election interference, retention of classified documents, hush money payments and an extraordinary conspiracy charge related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Trump has called it the greatest witch hunt in history. With countless previous and current legal entanglements, he has probably been hauled into court more times than he can count. Last week, when Trump appeared for a pretrial hearing in the hush money case, he railed against the judge, the judges family and the courtroom staff in remarks the judge called threatening and inflammatory, resulting in an expanded gag order . Trump has repeatedly attacked New York state prosecutor Letitia James, who had threatened to seize Trumps assets to pay for the nearly half-billion-dollar judgment in his civil fraud conviction, which can be done only after appeal now that the former president posted bond. A Republican pollster, Frank Luntz, appearing to echo the ideas of Hitlers lawyer, cautioned against the consequences of prosecuting Trump. If the New York attorney general starts to take his homes away, starts to seize his assets, its all going to be on camera, Luntz told CNN . Youre going to create the greatest victimhood of 2024, and youre going to elect Donald Trump. History does not repeat itself, as the saying goes, but historical events can rhyme. The alarm-clanging couplet of Hitlers and Trumps courtroom appearances, two demagogues separated by a century exploiting their constitutionally guaranteed rights to free speech and due process in an effort to undermine democratic processes and structures, should serve as a sobering warning as we approach an election to determine who will be running the next government of the United States. Timothy W. Ryback is the co-founder and director of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation in The Hague. His most recent book is Takeover: Hitlers Final Rise to Power . If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Over 20 times: Man accused of hitting pedestrian twice with SUV and brutal assault with brick A 45-year-old driver was held without bail after being accused of striking and killing a pedestrian over the weekend and then hitting the victim with a brick in the head more than 20 times. Vasco Semedo of Brockton wore handcuffs as he faced a judge during his arraignment on Monday, and listened through an interpreter as a prosecutor detailed a bloody and brutal attack on pedestrian Stuart Smith, 50, who died of injuries he suffered after Saturdays incident. Its a very gruesome, a very heinous act, intentional act, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said. Semedo was behind the wheel of a blue Toyota RAV 4 and hit Smith twice with his SUV on North Main Street on Saturday morning before getting out of the vehicle and attacking Smith with a brick, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague said in court. Both the pedestrian crash and the brick attack were captured on surveillance video, Sprague said. She added that Semedo accelerated his SUV, and appeared to have hit Smith with the vehicle intentionally. Some debris fell onto the SUV after it struck the brick wall of a building nearby. I dont have any words: Family of pedestrian killed after heinous attack in Brockton speaks Thats when, according to prosecutors, Semedo unleashed a violent assault on the victim as he lay injured on the ground until bystanders intervened. He got out of the car. He took a brick off the hood of the car. He went over to where the victim was laying on the ground, and struck him in the head with that brick over 20 times, Sprague said. Bystanders had to pull him away. He fought back against the bystanders. Several times he tried to get back into his car, but the bystanders would not let him leave the scene. Cruz commended about six witnesses who held Semedo on scene until police arrived. Roy Johnson, a friend of the victim, said of Semedo, It was unnecessary, OK? The guy didnt have to do what he did. Around 8:52 a.m. Saturday, police responded to the area of 65 North Main St. after receiving a 911 call reporting a vehicle striking a pedestrian, Sprague said. When officers arrived, witnesses told police that the driver of a blue Toyota RAV4, later identified as Semedo, had struck the victim, Smith, with his vehicle twice, and then he got out of his car and struck the victim in the head with a brick, Sprague said. Semedo was arrested at the scene and brought to the police station for booking. There, he told officers he had been out with friends at a bar drinking the night before, and had arrived home at approximately 3 a.m. Saturday, Sprague said. Hours later, at 7 a.m., he told police he left his home to go to work. He told police that he tried to park his car in front of the homeless shelter at 54 North Main St., and then he gave several different versions of the pedestrian crash to police, Sprague said. First, Semedo told police that he accidentally hit the gas on his vehicle and struck either a person or a dog, Sprague said. Then he changed that and said it was a woman that he struck, and then changed that to say it was a doll he had struck. Semedo then told investigators that he didnt know person he had hit but he had seen the person a few times in the past, Sprague said. In yet another account, Semedo told police he accidentally hit the gas and hit a blue metal pole. During his interview with police, Semedo had blood on his clothing and his hands, Sprague said. When officers asked him about the blood, He froze initially, then he said Made a mistake, and then he said that the blood was from the person that he hit with his car, the prosecutor said. Police found Smith unresponsive on the pavement in front of the RAV4. Earl Haynes said he knew Smith, who lived nearby in a boarding house. He helped clean the building up. He dont bother nobody, you know? He dont bother nobody. Hes just an ordinary guy, Haynes said. Surveillance video obtained by investigators show Smith, the victim, walking along the sidewalk before he suffered fatal injuries. According to Sprague, the video shows Semedos car turn left on North Main Street and then stop. The vehicle initially appears to let Smith pass by. As the victim is about to clear the car, Semedo accelerates, and appears to purposely hit the victim, Sprague said. The victim lands in the parking lot, and the car then goes and strikes a metal pole to the right. Then, Semedo opened the drivers side door, closed the door and then put the SUV in reverse. Smith, who had gotten up, began walking and stumbling towards a building, appearing injured or dazed, Sprague said. Semedo then drove his vehicle directly at the victim as (Smith) ran away from the car, striking him for a second time, Sprague said, adding that Semedo then allegedly got out of the SUV and began attacking Smith with a brick. A blue Toyota RAV4 with front-end damage was seen at the crash scene on Saturday, parked in a parking lot in an area surrounded by yellow police tape. A building nearby was also damaged and a utility pole was knocked over. Prosecutors said Semedo does not appear to have a prior criminal record. A native of Cape Verde, he has been in the United States lawfully for about two years, Sprague said. Haynes, Smiths friend, said of Semedo, He needs to get prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The pedestrian death in Brockton is the latest fatal crash involving a pedestrian and apparent road rage in Massachusetts. Over the weekend, 26-year-old Destini Decoff died of her injuries after authorities said a driver struck her during an apparent road rage incident near a pub in Hopkinton last week. Ryan Sweatt, 36, of Milford is accused of striking Decoff with his car near Cornells Irish Pub on Hayden Rowe Street in Hopkinton around 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Semedo is due back in court on May 14. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Pack of wolf-type feral dogs rampages through community, California cops say A wolf-type pack of feral dogs roaming a California community has killed another dog, sheriffs officials reported. Animal control officers are trying to trap the dogs, described as wolf-husky-malamute hybrids, in the Shingletown area, the Shasta County Sheriffs Office said in an April 5 news release. Deputies and animal control officers also are patrolling the area to look for the dogs, originally described as being wolf-type animals, officials said. The dogs belonged to a local resident but have gone feral, deputies said. The owner turned one dog over to animal control but at least six more are roaming loose. The owner has been cited for having unlicensed and unvaccinated animals, strays, as well as kennel violations, sheriffs officials said. Deputies have informed residents of their right to protect themselves, their pets and livestock, the release said. Shingletown is about a 175-mile drive north from Sacramento. Accused serial peeper caught sneaking onto roof of Monterey hotel, California cops say Remains of man not seen for nearly a year found in remote wetlands, Utah cops say Yahoo Finance The state of California is weaving together legal theories not typically used in concert to allege ExxonMobil overstated the recyclability of its plastic products. Panda Express to open in Turlock with new store design. See what makes it different Panda Express may not be new to Turlock, but the fast-food chains updated store design is. Called Panda Home, the new model incorporates design elements inspired by traditional Chinese architecture and traditions with modern motifs that tell the unique story of Panda Express, according to a news release from the company. The newest Turlock location, at 199 W. Canal Drive, will have its grand opening Tuesday. The first 88 guests will receive a free Panda Express T-shirt. Panda recognizes consumer habits have changed over the last three years, and to meet the needs of guests evolved lifestyles, the updated store design creates efficiencies for operators and diners to accommodate the increased demand for online ordering and drive-thru channels, the release says. The stores hours are Sunday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (drive-thru open until 10:30 p.m.), and Friday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. (drive-thru open until 11 p.m.). Panda Express is hiring service and kitchen team associates. Wages start at $21 per hour for all front-of-house hires and $22 per hour for all back-of-house hires. Applications are accepted online or in the store once it opens. Elsewhere in Turlock Hummus Republic, a Mediterranean health food chain, is filling the last vacant spot in the Warrior Crossing shopping center. The chain restaurants menu features build-your-own options including wraps, pitas and bowls. Customers can choose a base (garbanzo bans, couscous, etc.), up to three hummus and spread options, a protein, unlimited toppings and a dressing. There is no indication of when the 1207 W. Monte Vista Ave. location will open, and a routine opening inspection that was attempted by the Stanislaus County Environmental Resources Department on April 4 was canceled by the requesting party. Modesto also will get a Hummus Republic at some point, according to the restaurants website. A study of ancient Egyptian mummies has shown that schistosomiasis and malaria hounded the pharaohs. The Nile likely dictated which diseases were most common in ancient Egypt and Nubia. Thirty-one mummies from as far back as 2,000 BC have helped reveal the disease landscape of the ancient culture. The very lifeblood of the ancient Egyptian and Nubian culturesthe Nilealso likely brought a range of debilitating diseases upon the civilizations. And the mummies are now telling us all about it. In a study published in Advances in Parasitology by University of Cambridge, biological anthropologist Piers Mitchell details how investigating 31 mummiessome dating as deep into history as 2,000 BCrevealed the diseases and parasites that would have overwhelmed the population. He stated that the Nile was a key driving force in it all. Despite the low rainfall in most of the region, the river Nile acted as a conduit for tropical water-born parasites that would not normally be found in arid regions, Mitchell wrote in the study. The civilizations of ancient Egypt and Nubia could not have existed were it not for the water of the river Nile. However, it was this very river that acted as the key driver of parasitism in the populations who lived there. Mitchell found that 65 percent of the mummies he studied were positive for schistosomiasis (a parasitic worm), 40 percent had headlice, and 22 percent suffered from falciparum malaria. Such a disease burden must have had major consequences upon the physical stamina and productivity of a large proportion of the workforce, he said. To analyze the mummies, Mitchell used CT scans and light microscopy to investigate diseased tissue, and fragmented DNA offered up additional clues. The widespread malaria infections were fascilitated by mosquitos breeding in the rivers waters. Sand flies spread visceral leishmaniasis, which was found in 10 percent of the mummies studied, and simply wading in irrigated waters while farming continually put farmers at risk of infection by schistosomiasis. These ancient cultures were powerhouses in their time, but this was likely despite struggling with difficult diseases. Egypt and Nubia were heavily burdened by the kind of parasites that are likely to kill you or cause a chronic burden of illness, Mitchell said. Mitchell notes in his 2023 book Parasites in Past Civilizations and Their Impact upon Health that ancient Egypt and Nubia appeared to be the civilizations that suffered the most severe health consequences from parasites across the entire globe. Malaria and schistosomiasis cause anemia, and the reduced number of red blood cells resulted in impaired ability of laborers to do hard work, he wrote. Despite this, the Egyptians managed to complete major building projects such as their pyramids, temples, and ornate tombs for kings and nobility. The widespread anemia from parasite infection in ancient Egypt meant they would have struggled to build these monuments using their own diseased workforce alone. They could only build the ancient Egypt we see today using imported labor, such as slaves captured during military campaigns. The presence of the Nile turned an otherwise dry land into a breeding ground for the types of parasites needing still water to fester. But that water may have helped stave off some other maladies like whipworm or roundwormcommon among ancient societies that spread human feces on farmland for fertilization. Without the need for this type of fertilization, Mitchell believes that ancient cultures could have avoided at least these two additional parasitical problems. Parasitic diseases of ancient civilizations werent limited to those of certain social classes. The insects were prevalent throughout the region (thanks to the proximity to the Nile), and showed no favor in who they infectedfrom pharaohs to commoners. The mummies tell us so. You Might Also Like The engine covering of a Boeing plane fell off during takeoff at Denver International Airport Sunday morning, officials said. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the Southwest Airlines flight returned safely to the Denver airport at about 8:15 a.m. local time Sunday after the crew reported that a covering over the engine, called a cowling, fell off during takeoff. The part struck the wing flap of the Boeing 737-800, which was later towed to the gate after returning to the airport. The FAA said it will investigate the incident. Southwest Airlines said the aircraft was experiencing a mechanical issue in a statement to The Hill. The airline also said that customers who were headed to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston arrived to their destination on a separate aircraft about three hours behind schedule. We apologize for the inconvenience of their delay, but we place our highest priority on the Safety of our Customers and Employees. Our Maintenance teams are reviewing the aircraft, the airline said. According to FAA data, the aircraft was delivered to the airline in 2015. The cowling is a removable engine cover that is typically taken off for maintenance. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The first total solar eclipse to cross Ohio in more than 200 years will occur Monday afternoon and millions throughout the state are expected to pause and look up as the moon blocks out the sun. In the path of totality, which runs just northwest of here, the eclipse is expected to last approximately three minutes and 40 seconds. With just hours until the eclipse crosses Ohio, here's everything you need to know to prepare for it. Want to watch the eclipse live from Ohio? We've got you covered The Dispatch will stream the total solar eclipse live this afternoon from the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta. In Wapakoneta, which is in the path of totality, the moon will start to cover the sun at about 1:54 p.m., with complete darkness running from 3:09 p.m. to 3:13 p.m. Full light will return at 4:25 p.m. Stay tuned for live coverage of the eclipse all day. Doral Chenoweth, reporting from Wapakoneta, the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. Eclipse day festivities already underway along the path of totality Tony Achilles, a radio producer at 89.5 WPKN, came from the Chicago area to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, where he's been since Friday. Set up on a small grassy hill, Achilles said he's going to capture video and sounds as the eclipse happens. Looking up at the clear blue sky, Achilles said the weather is looking much better than he expected. But, hes ready to head north if things look cloudy come eclipse time. As solar eclipse festivities heat up Monday morning, Mike Bostwick (left) of Swartz Creek, MI and Tony Achilles of Downers Grove, IL, plant an American flag at the Neil Armstrong Air u0026 Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Achilles was one of hundreds of people at the museum, many in line to go inside when it opened at 9 a.m. Theres a line out to the adjacent Interstate 75 overpass to get into the museum parking lot and many people are walking around with blankets and camping chairs as they get ready for viewing. Achilles came to Wapakoneta because its in the eclipse's path of totality. Here, viewers will get almost four minutes of the total eclipse, almost twice as long as in Dayton. Achilles also said Venus, Jupiter and possibly mercury should also be visible during the eclipse. Danae King, reporting from Wapakoneta, the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. Will any nocturnal animals come out during the eclipse? While Ohioans are looking to the sky during the eclipse, they may also see some animals behaving strangely. There's a long history of animals behaving strangely during solar eclipses and scientists at zoos have studied their behavior. The shadow cast by the total solar eclipse could make some animals think it's dusk when it's really the afternoon. At least 12 different nocturnal species may wake up along the eclipse's path of totality, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Here's what animals Ohioans should be on the lookout for as the eclipse reaches its peak this afternoon. Big Brown Bat Striped Skunk Raccoon Barred Owl Great Horned Owl Northern Mockingbird Northern Ring-necked Snake Common Snapping Turtle Spring Peeper American Toad Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth Rosy Maple Moth Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse. It's eclipse day. Here's what National Weather Service says to expect in Ohio's path of totality In Columbus, eclipse watchers can expect mostly sunny skies, with a high near 73 degrees. In Cleveland, the largest city in the path of totality, viewers can expect it to be partly sunny with a high near 65 degrees, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Dayton, which is also in the eclipse's path, will see mostly sunny skies with a high near 74 degrees. Wapakoneta, the hometown of the first man on the moon Neil Armstrong, will experience a mostly sunny day with a high near 72 degrees. Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse. Is ODOT reporting any traffic issues for the eclipse so far? As of 9 a.m. Monday morning, the Ohio Department of Transportation had not reported any major highway congestion or traffic accidents as people descend on the eclipse's path of totality throughout Ohio. But, that could change as the afternoon draws closer and following the eclipse, ODOT officials have said. Weve encouraged you to follow the Three Ps of #Eclipse24. First was Plan, then Prepare. Today and this one is big Patience! @OSHP_NWOhio pic.twitter.com/fzhOaKv27A ODOT Toledo (@ODOT_Toledo) April 5, 2024 Ohio will welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for the eclipse today. Between 150,000 to 575,000 people could arrive in the Buckeye state to watch the total solar eclipse cast its shadow over Ohio. And visitors will likely head to all different areas of the state, with the 124-mile-wide path of totality crossing Ohio from the southwest corner to the northeastern edge. In central Ohio and southwestern parts of the state, drivers may experience some gridlock in the morning, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. But the biggest traffic backups could occur once the eclipse ends. Ohio Department of Transportation traffic outlook for 575,000 vehicles from 9-10 a.m. on April 8, 2024, the day of the total solar eclipse. The heaviest flow of traffic is forecast to hit the roads in the afternoon, according to ODOT. Some of Ohio's most major highways could be backed up for hours as people head home after the eclipse, the agency has said. The worst of the highway congestion could occur in northwest Ohio between Toledo and Findlay, which is the closest viewing area for eclipse chasers from Michigan. Portions of Interstate 71 and Interstate 270 in the Columbus area may also experience backups, according to ODOT. ODOT's map of traffic forecasts for the solar eclipse is available online. Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse. What time will the solar eclipse occur near me? The total eclipse will last for only a few minutes, making it important to know exactly when to stop and look up toward the sky. Although Columbus is just outside the path of totality, the city will still get to see roughly 99% of the total eclipse. The moon will begin to pass over the sun at 1:55 p.m. in Columbus and the eclipse is expected to peak at 3:12 p.m. in the capitol city with the moon moving past the sun by 4:26 p.m. Cleveland, the largest Ohio city in the path of the eclipse, will experience the peak between 3:13 p.m. and 3:17 p.m., according to NASA. Use the ZIP code tracker below to find out when the eclipse begins, ends and reaches a peak in your neighborhood. Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse. Swaraj Patel, 18, takes a photo of the eclipse on his smartphone through a pair of solar glasses Aug. 21 at an eclipse-viewing party held at Penn State Behrend in Harborcreek Township. Patel is a sophomore computer engineering student from India. Hundreds turned out for the event at Behrend, which featured telescopes fitted with solar filters available for viewing the partial eclipse. [CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS] This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Total eclipse to cross through Ohio on Monday WEST HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) An Arizona man was arrested after he allegedly stole a womans purse in Luzerne County. On Sunday, March 7 the West Hazleton Borough Police were called for a reported theft. Officers said while shopping at a store a woman had her purse stolen by a man who fled the area. Two accused of over $400 retail theft at T.J. Maxx Through further investigation, the suspect was identified as Lester Davenport, 63, of Arizona, and officers tracked him to another retail store in Hazleton. Davenport was charged with theft and receiving stolen property. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. The high-level Peace Summit that Switzerland has agreed to host at Ukraines request may take place in mid-June. Source: Bloomberg, citing its source, as reported by European Pravda Details: Bloomberg's sources said the summit may take place on 16-17 June, although it is unclear how many leaders will attend. It is expected that 80 to 100 countries, mostly from what is known as the Global South, will be invited to the event. The key question is whether China will participate, the sources added. Ukraine's allies regard China's presence as crucial for the meeting's success, citing Beijing's influence over Moscow. A spokesman for the Swiss Foreign Ministry stated that the date and location of the conference had not yet been determined. "In addition to the perspectives of Ukraine, Russia and Europe, it is also important to listen to the Global South, which will play a key role in the eventual inclusion of Russia in the process," the foreign ministry spokesman told Bloomberg on Monday. "That is why we are in close contact with China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Saudi Arabia," the spokesman added. To date, Beijing has attended only one meeting between national security advisers, intended to lay the groundwork for the summit. Several countries have insisted that Russia should attend the meeting in Switzerland, while Kyiv seeks broad agreement on the fundamental principles that will underpin any future settlement before engaging with Moscow. Background: Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would agree with Switzerland on the date of the first inaugural Peace Summit in the coming days. The Ukrainian President's Office stated that Russia, which violates all international rules and humanitarian norms, will not attend the first global peace summit. Switzerland has agreed to host the summit at Ukraine's request, as both countries announced on Monday, 15 January, during Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Bern. Support UP or become our patron! Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on certain aspects related to the appointment of chairmen of a number of courts and judicial collegiums, as well as judges of courts of first instance, Trend reports. The full text of the decree in Azerbaijani is available at the link. Will be updated SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries Sunday night after he was hit by a car in San Diegos Chollas Creek neighborhood, according to San Diego police. The collision occurred just before 8:30 p.m. at the intersection between University Avenue and 54th Street. The pedestrian, identified as a 35-year-old man, was walking southbound across University Avenue along the east side of 54th Street, SDPD said. The car, described as a Toyota sedan, was headed northbound on 54th Street and entered the intersection on a green light. At the same time, the pedestrian was halfway through crossing the intersection when he turned and began walking at an angle. Motorcyclist killed in suspected DUI crash According to SDPD, the pedestrian then stepped in front of the Toyota and was struck. He sustained multiple severe injuries, including a brain bleed, a fractured left fibula and a liver laceration. The driver of the Toyota, a 69-year-old man, was unharmed. The pedestrian was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. His current condition is not known at this time, although SDPD described his injuries as life threatening. An investigation by SDPDs Traffic Division into the collision remains ongoing at this time. Alcohol has been ruled out as a factor in the case, SDPD said. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the Traffic Division or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WVNS) A double murder suspect from Pennsylvania killed himself during a traffic stop in Kanawha County on Monday, April 8, 2024. Suspect evades arrest after motorcycle chase in Summers County According to the Kanawha County Sheriffs Office, a little after 6:00 a.m. on Monday, April 8, 2024, Metro 911 was informed that a murder suspect from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania could be on Interstate 79 headed towards Kanawha County. 50-year-old Dennis Rahuba was wanted in Pennsylvania for a double murder that happened overnight in Allegheny County. He was reportedly driving a black Acura with Pennsylvania registration. Deputy J.A. Morris with the Kanawha County Sheriffs Office saw the car around 7:00 a.m. on Interstate 79 at Big Chimney, and was joined by other members of law enforcement at the Westmoreland exit to try and hold a traffic stop. Raleigh County Sheriffs Office looking for information about shooting The car was surrounded after the interstate was shut down, and Deputy Morris attempted to order Rahuba to get out of the car when he heard what appeared to be a gunshot. The Kanawha County Sheriffs Office sent their Bearcat armored vehicle to the scene, and all northbound and southbound lanes were closed after members of Metro 911 were told that Rahuba had a gun. Members of a Kanawha County Sheriffs Office SWAT team approached the car and found that Rahuba was dead due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. We commend all the hard work that went into this mornings event. Our telecommunicators at Metro 911 did an outstanding job relaying information to deputies that kept our citizens and officers safe in a very dangerous situation. We believe that we have some of the best deputies in the state, if not the entire country and Deputy Morris is a fine example of the excellent men and women here at the Kanawha County Sheriffs Office. We also would like to thank the West Virginia State Police for their swift response to the scene and all the hard work from the Charleston Police Department. The teamwork from everyone involved ultimately ended this situation as safely as possible and we are thankful that nobody was injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victims in Pennsylvania. Chief Deputy Joe Crawford Teenage girl reported missing in Raleigh County The processing of the scene is being handled by the Charleston Police Department Crime Scene Unit, and the Pennsylvania authorities were informed about the incident. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) An eastern Pennsylvania man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 3-year-old boy who authorities say shot himself with a handgun left unattended last month. Jose Hilario Abreu, 28, of Allentown was arraigned Friday on the charge as well as two counts of child endangerment in the March 28 death of Elijah Abreu Borgen. Prosecutors said the child was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest but died of a gunshot wound to the torso; his death was ruled accidental. Lehigh County prosecutors accuse Abreu of leaving the semi-automatic handgun unattended and fully loaded with a live cartridge in the chamber while the victim and a 2-year-old child were present. Prosecutors allege that Abreu said he placed the gun under the sofa the two toddlers were sitting on and left the room, then heard a loud bang and returned to find Elijah with a gunshot wound to the chest. Prosecutors said that when the gun discharged, it was unholstered and resting atop of a pillow on the couch where both toddlers were sitting. Prosecutors said a rapid gunshot residue test performed after the childs death yielded a presumptive positive indication of gunshot residue on his hands. Abreu was taken to Lehigh County jail pending arraignment scheduled for Friday; court documents indicate that he is being represented by the county public defenders office, which could not be reached for comment over the weekend. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. A man in a red shit and a baseball cap pointing at something; a man in a shirt and tie covering his eyes to see it; a man holding a bullhorn Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stands with Dr. Robert Bullard (left) and Pastor Timothy Williams (right) during a tour of the Shiloh community in rural south Alabama on April 3, 2024. (Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News) This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here. COFFEE COUNTY, Ala.By now, Pastor Timothy Williams could lead the tour blindfolded. It begins at his own home, its roof nearly level with the highway a stones throw away. For years, following the roads elevation and expansion to four lanes in 2018, U.S. Highway 84 has flooded Shiloh, a historically Black community in rural south Alabama. Since then, Williams has told anyone willing to listen about the residents plight. Again and again, hes shown folks from house to house, pointing out the damage as he goes along. After his home, theres Otis house, where mold has started taking over. Theres Arethas, where the garage could double as a marina when theres heavy rain. Then, theres Williesa mobile home owned by a 79-year-old veteranthats been slowly sinking in place since the flooding began. But tour after tour, Williams optimism has begun to fade. No matter who hes shown around Shilohno matter how well connected or how good their intentionsthe water still comes. On Wednesday, Williams led U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and other federal officials on what the pastor said he hopes will be the last flood tour hell ever have to give. Buttigieg, who also visited Birmingham and Montgomery during his Alabama trip, would not comment on an ongoing civil rights investigation into the flooding, but the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor and former Democratic presidential candidate said the Biden administration is committed to righting the wrongs of the past, including infrastructure decisions that have harmed communities of color. A man in a polo shirt and long sleeves holding a bullhorn and standing next to a man in a shirt and tie Pastor Timothy Williams explains the conditions in Shiloh to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as part of a tour on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News) A day before the secretarys visit, state transportation officials announced they would offer protesting residents a choice: a buyout of their properties or having the agency implement a project to retain additional water on state right of way. Residents said they have no intentions of leaving and no trust that ALDOT, whom they view as having caused the problem, has the ability or willingness to implement a meaningful fix. Thats crazy, Williams said of the offer, which he learned of through members of the press. Why not just come here, fix the road, and make us whole? Drains like cannons Robert Bullard knows a man-made environmental disaster when he sees one. Decades before his advocacy in Shiloh, Bullard was pioneering the field of environmental justice by encouraging Houston residents to look up, documenting any elevated land on the flat Texas terrain that could be indicative of landfills. Before long, Bullard proved without question: Local officials were disproportionately locating landfills in communities of color. Decades later, Bullard is still at it. When he received news that residents of the historically Black Shiloh community near his hometown of Elba were facing repeated flooding due to a highway expansion, Bullard came back to investigate. What he found, Bullard said, left him dumbfounded. Water goes downhill, and it doesnt take a Ph.D. to understand that, said Bullard, a distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University in Houston and founding director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at the university. This was done on purpose. This wasnt an accidental oops. ALDOT cared more about not flooding the highway than they did about flooding the community. That is unacceptable. Robert Bullard visits Shiloh for another tour of the community on Feb. 5, 2024. (Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News) After engaging with community members, Bullard, who is also a member of the White House Environmental Justice Committee, began advocating with federal officials for solutions in Shiloh. In March, Bullard and members of the community traveled to Washington to meet with federal transportation officials to discuss Shilohs situation, but the delegation left the nations capital frustrated. Citing an ongoing civil rights investigation, officials were reluctant to discuss in detail ways in which the administration could act immediately to address residents urgent concerns, the group said. Bullard, Williams, and other residents did get one commitment during the DOT meeting, however: Federal officials would visit the Shiloh community to see the issues themselves. Choppers over Coffee County On Wednesday, it was all muscle memory for Williams. He began by bringing the secretary to his own home, military helicopters regularly droning overhead as he explained the cracks beginning to wind their way down his homes foundation, a result of the structure settling on soggy ground. Were in a bowl, he told officials including Buttigieg. But we deserve to live, too. Williams then led Buttigieg and others along the elevated highway, showing them the drainage pipes installed as part of the highway expansion. The pipes, sometimes more than a foot in diameter, channel water from the road surface, the median, and the other side of the highway into Shiloh, leaving residents inundated anytime it rains for more than a few minutes. They visited the home of Aretha Wright, where she told those gathered about the methods shes developed to protect her home from continued damage. I bought water-resistant towels to put over my floors when it rains, she said. That way my floors dont get ruined again. A woman standing outside of her home Aretha Wright stands in front of her Shiloh home. At one point, Wright was temporarily displaced because of constant flooding. (Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News) After speaking with Wright, the group headed onto and across Highway 84law enforcement temporarily holding traffic to make way. From there, Buttigieg and the tour group could see the extent of Shiloh below. This is the bowl situation, Williams said, pointing out over the detention pond that often overflows onto his property. You can definitely see it from here, Buttigieg replied. Later, Buttigieg heard from Willie Horstead Jr., an Army veteran who spent years watching as his mobile home has slowly sunk into the soggy ground. All where were standing right now, there is nothing but water here when theres a good rain, Horstead told Buttigieg. Ill tell youI just want to be made whole. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks with Willie Horstead, an Army veteran, about the flooding impacting his home in Shiloh, Alabama on April 3, 2024. (Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News) After the tour, Williams thanked Buttigieg and other federal officials for making the trip to Shiloh. Nearly a year earlier, the pastor had posted a video on social media asking that the transportation secretary visit the community to witness their problems firsthand. As the tour concluded, Williams became emotional. Help is on the way, he said, Bullard and Buttigieg at his side. We thank God for that. We thank everybodywe thank the community for sticking together. With members of the community watching on, Bullard told Buttigieg that he would like to see rapid government action to correct the problems in Shiloh. I dont speak for this community but I am of this community, and Im speaking from the heart, Bullard said. Every time I come and see whats happening to this community, it hurts me. This is not natural, and it needs to be corrected. Buttigieg said he felt it was necessary to visit Shiloh to see what residents are facing. There is no way Im going to forget what I just heard, Buttigieg said. The issues facing Shiloh are being worked on at the highest levels of our department, the secretary told community members. I dont claim to have a magic wand on me, but I have a lot of tools, he said. That can involve both tools to ensure state officials treat people well and tools that allow federal officials to channel funds directly to communities, he said. Addressing the issues in Shiloh, like those across the country, will also involve recognizing the compounding impact of increasingly frequent rain events fueled by climate change, Buttigieg said. A group of people in suits in the middle of the road Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other federal officials tour the Shiloh community in rural south Alabama on April 3, 2024. (Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News) We have to recognize that every decision is a climate decision, he said. Climate change is upon us. It is here and now, and our transportation systems are vulnerable. That means every time we make a decision about a road, a bridge, a highway, an airportyou name itthat has to be done with the knowledge that 2050 is not going to look like 1950. In the past, he said, federal dollars have been used in ways that have harmed communities of color like Shiloh, he said. But the future can be different. We are not going to let that happen again, Buttigieg said. What comes next The day before Buttigiegs visit to Shiloh, officials with ALDOT confirmed in a statement a plan to offer a buyout to protesting homeowners in the historically Black community but emphasized that the state agency believes that no unfair treatment or discrimination took place. If owners choose not to sell, ALDOT will implement a project to retain additional water on-site, the statement said. The choice will be theirs, the statement said. In addition, ALDOT is cooperating with the Federal Highway Administrations review of the facts and is committed to working to address the concerns of the Shiloh community. It was unclear to residents, who had yet to be directly informed of the offer as of Wednesdays tour, what a plan to retain additional water would actually amount to. An existing detention pond in Shiloh regularly overflows onto nearby residences, doing little to mitigate the significant stormwater generated by the highways elevation, grade, and drainage. Then there are questions about who specifically will be offered buyouts and at what price, residents said. Will property values be determined by market value before or after flooding began? State officials have not yet responded to questions about the specifics of the options given to residents. Roads stretching at an acute angle into the horizon, with trees, grass and a home between them Residents in the Shiloh community said that since the highway elevation was completed, theyve lived in a bowl. (Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News) Members of the Shiloh community interviewed by Inside Climate News on Wednesday said they hadnt been aware of the proposed offer until notified by the media. Every resident who spoke to ICN said they are committed to remaining in their family homes. Bullard said the offer is an insult. ALDOT is saying I dont respect you. I dont respect your property. I dont respect your history, your legacy, your inheritance, and what I will do is buy you out and forget about it, he said. Residents in Shiloh have lived on the land there for years, Bullard explained, passing down property that was hard-won decades ago in the Reconstruction South. I think its disrespectful. I think its callous, and I think its tone-deaf, he said. Asked about the buyout offer, Buttigieg echoed the sentiments of community members. You can feel how deeply rooted people are in this community, he said. These are families that trace back generations, and in my conversations with them just now, have no interest in being forced to leave. Community members should be given viable options for how to move forward, he said, not just be forced into decisions they may not want to make. Buttigieg said federal officials have a significant and substantial concern about the impact of the highway on Shiloh residents but stopped short of blaming the flooding on poor engineering or other design decisions. What I know for sure is that nobody here is responsible for the flooding issues they are facing, he said. Buttigieg also pointed to an ongoing civil rights investigation into whether state and local transportation officials violated residents civil rights by refusing to address flooding concerns. I cant speak to the details of that, but that should demonstrate how seriously we take what this community is going through and our own responsibilities to have the back of any American who is potentially facing this kind of problem, he said. After the secretary left, Shiloh residents lingered behind, wondering whether the officials visit would amount to meaningful change for the community. Melissa Williams, the pastors 22-year-old daughter, said she isnt so sure. A woman in a blue T-shirt standing in front of a house Melissa Williams said state officials offer to buy out her family home was a slap in the face. (Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News) She couldnt stop thinking about the offer from Alabama officials: sell your homes or trust us to solve the problem. She couldnt think of anyone she trusts less. Even federal officials who toured alongside Buttigieg seemed somewhat skeptical of residents concerns, Williams said, asking questions about how much it had rained in the lead-up to the sunny Wednesday tour. Long after those officials have left, she said, her family will go back to reality. On Wednesday night, after the military aircraft had stopped buzzing overhead, Williams would once again do what she had to do to get things done. Because of constant inundation by stormwater, many Shiloh residents, including Williams family, are forced to pump out their septic tanks multiple times a year. For some, its too high a cost to pay. So, later Wednesday night, after all was quiet again in Shiloh, Williams would have to shower in her home and watch as the water pooled at her feet, unable to drain because her septic tank was full. Then, after shes showered and dried, Williams would have to get out the wet-dry vacuum, sucking up the water pooled in the tub and dumping it outside, bucket by bucket. It gets the job done. Its a hardship public officials simply dont have to face, Williams said. They get to go home to their nice houses at the end of the day, Williams said. We get to go home and vacuum up our shower. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Can Pete Buttigiegs visit to Shiloh help the flooded Black community? appeared first on Alabama Reflector. No human remains found during search in connection to 1980s Pittsburgh cold case The Pittsburgh Police Cold Case unit searched for answers in a decades-old case on Monday. Police and a plumbing company dug in Perry South, on Bonvue Street where a home used to be. Were making sure we didnt just fluff it off and not take it seriously, Pittsburgh Police cold case detective George Satler told Channel 11 When cold case Detective Satler got a call about a possible body buried on Bonvue Street in Perry North, he wanted to make sure he followed up on every lead. >>> Pittsburgh police cold case unit will search land for human remains next week The call came from a woman, who is now in her 40s, but has a memory of her father possibly burning a body back in the early 1980s when she was 4 years old. It had been bothering her, and it came back. I did ask her why she hadnt called sooner, and she mentioned it had been bothering her, and was on her mind over the years, he said. After looking into the case, Detective Satler discovered there could be some legitimacy What made it a little bit more believable was the fact that this individual was her father, and was investigated for a homicide in Maine. The fathers name is Thomas Smith, and Detective Satler confirmed with Maine State Police that he was questioned in the death and disappearance of Pamela Webb, who was murdered on the way to visit her boyfriend in New Hampshire. Crews did not find a body on Bonvue Street, but neighbors were stunned that the dig search was happening on their small street. Unbelievable. I hope they solve the mystery for the families. Its sad but it is intriguing have to say, neighbor Michele Wine said. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: We really want him to come home: Wife of missing Beaver Co. man pleading for help Woman dead, man injured after crash in North Versailles Solar Eclipse Forecast: Will Pittsburgh area skies be clear enough to see the partial eclipse? VIDEO: We really want him to come home: Wife of missing Beaver Co. man pleading for help DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Jason Pulman was classed as a 'medium' risk by the police despite the teenager having attempted suicide just months earlier Police brushed concerns about a suicidal transgender teenager under the carpet, an inquest has heard. Jason Pulman was found dead in a park in East Sussex on April 19 2022 with a note that read Im sorry, mum. Sussex Police had received a missing person report that morning after the Pulman family found Jasons bedroom empty. The force classed Jason as a medium risk despite the teenager having attempted suicide months earlier. Emily Pulman, the 15-year-olds mother, called the police four times throughout the day before an officer arrived at her house at 7.11pm. Felt so frustrated I felt in my stomach that something bad was going to happen, she told an inquest into Jasons death at Hastings Coroners Court on Monday. I just felt so frustrated the police were doing nothing. Police had classed Jasons level of risk as a missing person as medium despite the teenager having a history of trauma and mental ill health, including serious self-harm and substance misuse. The classification suggests that officers viewed the risk of harm to Jason as likely but not serious, according to Sussex Polices missing persons policy. There is no set response time to a medium-risk case, but the policy requires an active and measured response by the police. Ms Pulman, who searched for Jason herself and contacted friends, said she had informed the police that Jason was acting strangely the night before. Brushing our concerns under the carpet Despite her concerns, the force did not escalate its assessment to high risk, which would suggest harm is very likely. Later that day, Jason was found dead by a member of the public in Hampden Park, Eastbourne. Ms Pulman told the court: The police could have done something and they didnt. I was so used to social services brushing our concerns under the carpet and it felt the same. Jason, who was born as a girl, had come out as transgender aged 14, and was described by Ms Pulman as someone who loved all the silliness in the world and using it to make all those around him smile. The teenager was on the waiting list for gender-affirming healthcare at the gender identity development service (Gids) run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in north London. The controversial clinics gender service was shut down after an independent review by Dr Hilary Cass in 2022 found it was not safe for children. Mrs Pulman said Jason was adamant that being seen by Gids would be a step for him to feel better in his body. He grew frustrated at the length of the waiting list at the Tavistock centre, the inquest heard. The teenagers mental health deteriorated during the start of the Covid pandemic. The inquest will conclude over five days if it was Jasons intention to die. A jury of 11 will also consider whether the police response to the missing person report was adequate. Sussex Police has been contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. (FOX40.COM) The Auburn Police Department said it arrested someone for driving under the influence of drugs on Saturday and found them with nearly an ounce of fentanyl, a loaded sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, and an amount of marijuana well over the allowed possession limit. Police added the driver showed signs of being under the influence of a CNS stimulant, which the National Institute of Health describes as a stimulant used for ADHD, narcolepsy, or excessive sleepiness. One year after Mahany Park shooting, widow speaks about husbands death The suspect went to jail for [plenty of] charges and his vehicle to impound. Were grateful for the communitys support in helping us keep our streets safe from dangerous individuals and substances, the Auburn Police Department said on Facebook. Auburn police officers said they responded to a potential DUI driver reported by a concerned citizen. When they arrived, police said the man exhibited signs of drug use, which led to an arrest for DUI and a search of the drivers vehicle. During the vehicle search, Auburn police officers found the drugs, shotgun, and ammunition, which the police department posted a photo of on social media. The photo shows two bags of marijuana, a baggie containing a white substance, and the loaded shotgun, which has what appears to be tape around the guns handle. According to police, the suspect also had a dog that had to be taken to Placer County Animal Services and will remain there until its owner gets out of jail. 18-year-old found with over 100 grams of marijuana during San Joaquin County traffic stop Most of the comments under the Auburn Police Departments Facebook post either ask what will happen to the dog or show an emotional response to the dogs condition, but the agency assured everyone that the dog will be just fine. [The dog] went to Placer County Animal Services, [and] their staff will provide the required amount of treats and belly scratchies until the owner gets out of jail, police said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. GENOA TWP. A late night canoe ride turned deadly when a Howell man drowned in Lake Chemung in Genoa Township. Livingston County Sheriff's Office officials have identified Kevin Baltes, 20, as the drowning victim. Deputies responded around 12:30 a.m. early Sunday morning, April 7, to the 900 block of Hughes Road on the lake in Genoa Township and conducted a search. A police investigation revealed Baltes and a 27-year-old man from Pinckney were canoeing and overturned in the water, according to a release. The Pinckney man survived, swam to shore, and knocked on an area resident's door seeking help. He was treated by emergency personnel. A 20-year-old Howell man accidentally drown in Lake Chemung in the early morning hours April 7, 2024 Baltes "was not able to reach the shore and drowned near the overturned canoe," police officials said in a release. Police searched the lake using sonar technology and found him deceased. "It appears nothing other than an accident," Sheriff Mike Murphy told The Daily Monday morning. "They probably had a little too much to drink and decided to go for a canoe ride." Murphy said one of the men stood up in the canoe, tipping it over. He said Baltes "had Carhartts on," which would have made it difficult to swim. Sheriff deputies were assisted on the scene by Brighton Area Fire, Livingston County EMS, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Survival Flight, Hamburg Township Police and the Livingston County Dive Team. The incident remains under investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau. An autopsy will be performed by Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com. This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Police identify 20-year-old man who drown in Lake Chemung A Wichita man died after being found by police with multiple stab wounds near the Arkansas River early Sunday, authorities said. Officers responded at around 12:40 a.m. to a cutting call near the river, north of the Lincoln Street Bridge. They found a severely wounded Lonnie Hunter, 43, along a walking path, Wichita police spokesperson Kristopher Gupilan said. Hunter was pronounced dead at the scene by Sedgwick County EMS at 1:19 a.m., according to a WPD news release. Investigators learned that Hunter was walking with a group of people when a confrontation ensued with a 35-year-old man experiencing homelessness, the release said. The altercation led to Lonnie Hunter being stabbed multiple times, causing his tragic death, Gupilan said. The man fled the area before police arrived. He was later found shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday in the 400 block of S. Market, Gupilan added. Sedgwick County Jail inmate records show Todd Angevine was booked on suspicion of second-degree murder in connection with the investigation. Police are still investigating what led to the stabbing. Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to WPD detectives at 316-268-4407 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Oklahoma City Police are investigating a fatal shooting from Sunday, April 7. According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, officers responded to a parking lot near N. Portland Ave. and NW 28th St. around 3 a.m. on Sunday regarding gunshots. Upon arrival, officers learned that four people had been shot. LOCAL NEWS: Two firefighters injured in 57 Fire Saturday near Sharon Officials say all four were transported to nearby hospitals where one passed away. The victim has been identified as 23-year-old Carlin Hawthorne. The other three received non-life-threatening injuries. According to OKCPD, officers discovered there was a fight in the parking lot that led to the gunfire. They believe Hawthorne was just an innocent bystander sitting in a nearby vehicle when she was struck by a bullet. No arrested have been made as the investigation continues. Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Tip Line at 405-297-1200. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Fatime Letifova On April 8, 2024, Emin Amrullayev, the Minister of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met Stefanie Stallmeister, Country Manager for the World Bank in Azerbaijan. Azernews reports that the Minister of Science and Education shared a post about this on his X social page. The post reads as follows: "Today we met with the country manager of the World Bank for Azerbaijan, Stefani Shtelmeister. During the meeting, we discussed the current state of relations with the World Bank, cooperation prospects. Also, according to the release of the ministry, the current state of relations and prospects of cooperation were discussed between the two sides during the meeting. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The true intention of the US and EU is to arm Armenia, as stated by the Western Azerbaijan Community, Trend reports. "During the meeting in Brussels on April 5, 2024, involving Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, decisions were reached regarding assistance to Armenia by the EU and the US. While official statements to the press indicated solely financial assistance, there's widespread belief that the actual intention is to provide military support to Armenia. Today, a faction of members of the EP known for their anti-Azerbaijan stance, led by Nathalie Loiseau, urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to extend assistance to Armenia's "security" following the aforementioned meeting," the statement reads. The community notes that all of this serves to create a public backdrop for open military support for Armenia. "Once again, this underscores the militarization agenda behind the April 5 meeting. It's disheartening to see EP members portray Armenia as a "martyr for democracy", despite its history of ethnic cleansing of one million Azerbaijanis, occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories for three decades, and prevention of 300,000 West Azerbaijanis from returning home. The Western Azerbaijan Community condemns the biased treatment by European Parliament members and reiterates its call for the EU and the US to refrain from actions exacerbating the regional situation and to abstain from providing military aid to Armenia. Instead, they should support Azerbaijan, which grapples with the destruction and mine issues inflicted by Armenia, and advocate for the return of Western Azerbaijanis to their ancestral lands," the statement reads. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) The Prince Georges County Police Department said its investigating a fatal shooting that took place in Camp Springs. Police said that on April 7 at about 3:15 am, they responded to the 6300 block of Suitland Road for the report of a shooting. Officers said that when they arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been shot. He died at the hospital. Police: Man arrested after firing shots inside, outside his home in Fairfax County The man was identified as 47-year-old Darryl Hazel of Suitland. Officers are working to determine a motive and identify a suspect(s). Police dont believe this was a random crime. They are offering a reward of up to $25,000 to any information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case. Anyone with information on this case can call police at 301-516-2512. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. MIDTOWN, Manhattan (PIX11) Surveillance photos of a suspect accused of a stabbing on the E train in Midtown were released by police. The person is one of three people wanted in connection to the stabbing, which happened Sunday morning near 53rd Street and Lexington Avenue, according to the NYPD. The victim was approached by the group, which led to a verbal argument, detectives said. One of the suspects allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times, according to authorities. Off-duty NYPD officer arrested in Brooklyn: police The victim was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. Police havent confirmed a motive. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Police in Tampa rescued six ducklings from a sewer on North Dale Mabry Highway on Sunday night. Tampa police said a call came in just after 7 p.m. about a family of ducks trapped in the sewer. WATCH: Pod of pelicans chase after dolphin in Pinellas County During the rescue, five of the six ducklings were reunited with their mother, but a sixth was not able to be rescued. The sixth duckling was eventually rescued when officers returned to the scene before the end of their shift. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Hate crime reports in Scotland are on course to outnumber all other offences put together, figures show, as front-line officers warned they cant cope with the surge. Around 8,000 hate crime reports have been made in the first week of the new Scottish legislation coming into force, which, if replicated through the year, would surpass the entire annual total of 416,000 crimes reported to police, according to an analysis of official data by The Telegraph. This would mean that hate crime reports would overtake overall crime within 36 weeks, or at least by the autumn, and dwarf the annual 58,000 reported assaults, the most common offence in Scotland, by a factor of 10. David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, which represents front-line officers, told the BBC: Police Scotland have gone public and said that on every occasion, reports of hate crime will be investigated. That creates a situation where we simply cannot cope at the moment. Officers have been brought back in to do overtime shifts and the management of that is simply unsustainable. He said the figures showed members of the public had weaponised the new law to pursue personal and political vendettas, and that messaging to the public urging them to report all possible instances of hate, potentially anonymously, had backfired. The bottom line is should this demand remain, the police service will have to deal with it but that will clearly impact on other areas of policing, he said. The new legislation, which was passed by MSPs in 2021 but only came into force in April 2024, makes it an offence to stir up hatred against protected groups such as transgender people, the disabled and the elderly. The 8,000 reports of hate crime in just the first week surpassed the total annual number of hate crimes in any previous year. Analysis by The Telegraph shows Police Scotland is already failing to solve an increasing number of shoplifting cases, sexual assaults and car thefts. Clear-up rates referring to cases where there is enough evidence for criminal proceedings for two-thirds of all offences have declined since 2011 including violent offences, fraud and rape. It comes amid growing criticism of the Scottish Governments crime policies, which have seen officer numbers fall to their lowest level in 15 years, the introduction of plans to shut 29 police stations and a policy of not investigating offences such as some minor thefts or criminal damage. The Scottish Police Federation will warn on Tuesday in 1919, a Scottish justice magazine, that the situation is posing risks to community policing. This meant vital intelligence that could prevent serious organised crime or terrorism was at risk of being missed. Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Tory MSP, said: It stands to reason that organised crime will flourish and the threat of extremism grow if officer numbers are at their lowest level since 2008 and police stations are closing up and down Scotland. These brutal cuts have forced the police to abandon investigating certain crimes at the same time as they are being deluged with thousands of fresh complaints many of them spurious or vexatious under the reckless Hate Crime Act. SNP ministers must swallow their pride, ditch the Hate Crime Act and give our police the resources to tackle genuine threats to public safety. Mr Threadgold said that police had to deal with the demand created by the new law but that the public needed clarity over what constituted an offence. We now need really clear messaging to the public about their decision-making, he said. If they are making vexatious complaints, or complaints to score political points, they need to understand the impact that will have on our ability to deliver other services. So to the people making these complaints, I would say dont be surprised if you see your local police station close or never see an officer out on foot in your area. Politicians have said the volume has taken them by surprise, but it was inevitable that this legislation would be misused and weaponised. So in that respect they are reaping what they have sown. The legislation will clearly age, what happens with it in the future in terms of it remaining on the statute books is a decision for someone else. But it has not had a particularly easy start to life on the statute books in Scotland and theres been a real impact on policing so far. A Police Scotland spokesman said: While we have seen a substantial increase in the number of online hate crime reports being received since April 1, these have been managed within our contact centres and have not impacted front-line policing. Although the challenges facing Police Scotland should not be underestimated, officers continue to provide effective policing to communities across the country. Suzanne Moore JK Rowling's victory over Humza Yousaf's hate crime laws is a victory for all women Read more Russell Findlay, justice spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said: This alarming projection again illustrates the enormous toll that Humza Yousafs hate crime law is placing on Police Scotland. The First Minister is single-handedly managing to cause alleged hate crimes to be even more prevalent than assault. He needs to bin his disastrous legislation before it causes any further damage to our country. A Scottish government spokesman said: This is an inaccurate way of portraying complaints and convicted crimes. The Hate Crime Act has a high threshold for criminality. For the new offences in the legislation, it has to be proven that the behaviour is threatening and/or abusive and that it is intended to stir up hatred. Complaints received do not automatically mean crimes have been committed. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. DENVER (KDVR) Police in Glendale are looking for three suspects in a deadly shooting that happened at the Urban Phenix Apartments early Friday. The Glendale Police Department said one of the suspects was seen leaving the homicide scene wearing the victims sweatshirt. 1 killed in shooting on High St., police investigating as homicide The shooting happened in the Virginia Village neighborhood at the Urban Phenix Apartments in the 4700 block of East Mississippi Avenue. Police found two men suffering from gunshot wounds, and despite lifesaving efforts, one of the victims was pronounced dead on the scene. GPD said the other victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said three suspects were seen fleeing from the apartment complex at 2:59 a.m. A woman, known as suspect one, was invited to the complex by the victim, according to police. She is later seen opening the security gate to allow two male suspects to enter the complex. She is estimated to be about 20 to 25 years old. She is described as a Hispanic woman with a slim build; dark eyes; and dark, straight, medium-length hair with a possible hoop ring in her right nostril. Police in Glendale are looking for three suspects in a deadly shooting that happened at the Urban Phenix Apartments early on April 5, 2024. Suspect 1 is estimated to be about 20 to 25 years old. She is described as a Hispanic woman with a slim build, dark eyes and dark, straight, medium-length hair with a possible hoop ring in the right nostril. (Glendale Police Department) She was seen leaving the scene wearing the victims sweatshirt, according to a release from Glendale police. Suspect two is described as a taller man with possibly dark skin and a medium build. GPD said he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Police in Glendale are looking for three suspects in a deadly shooting that happened at the Urban Phenix Apartments early on April 5, 2024. Suspect 2 is described as a taller man with possibly dark skin and a medium build. GPD said he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Suspect three is described as a man with possibly dark skin and a distinct tattoo on the back of his left hand. GPD said he was wearing a dark Nike hoodie, black pants and a belt possibly with rhinestones on it. Police in Glendale are looking for three suspects in a deadly shooting that happened at the Urban Phenix Apartments early on April 5, 2024. Suspect 3 is described as a man with possibly dark skin and a distinct tattoo on the back of his left hand. GPD said he was wearing a dark Nike hoodie, black pants and a belt possibly with rhinestones on it. (Glendale Police Department) Police in Glendale are looking for three suspects in a deadly shooting that happened at the Urban Phenix Apartments early on April 5, 2024. Suspect 3 is described as a man with possibly dark skin and a distinct tattoo on the back of his left hand. GPD said he was wearing a dark Nike hoodie, black pants and a belt possibly with rhinestones on it. (Glendale Police Department) Anyone with information is asked to call the Glendale Police Department Crime Tip Line at 303-639-4328 or email EWEEKS@Glendale.co.us. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. (FOX40.COM) David Parker, 12, was safely located around 6:15 a.m. on Monday, according to the Sacramento Police Department. Parker was reported missing on Sunday evening around 7:30 p.m. and had last been seen near the 7900 block of Deer Lake Drive, which is near the Meadowview neighborhood in south Sacramento. Police have not said where Parker was found or who was able to locate the child. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. WARSAW, Poland Polish defense leaders plan to embed drone capabilities into all levels of the armed forces, building a new military component devoted to unmanned aircraft and speeding up their acquisition. The envisioned transformation comes after studying the lessons gleaned from Russias full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine and Kyivs ensuing defensive operations, now in their third year. Unmanned systems allow to gain advantage at relatively low costs, a spokesperson for the National Ministry of Defense told Defense News. The ministry will intensify the dronization process of the Polish military in specific areas of their use: reconnaissance, combat, and support. That means even small formations of soldiers will have access to an arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, the official explained. Experience with the use of drones across our eastern border [with Ukraine] indicates the validity of their use at the lowest levels of command, so that, for instance, a platoon commander could have reconnaissance UAVs at their disposal, and be able to hit close targets with UAVs or use so-called kamikaze drones. Observations from the war in Ukraine also have prompted Polish plans to launch a new military component, the Drone Forces, according to Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the countrys Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence. Speaking earlier this year at a session of the National Defence Committee of the Sejm, the parliaments lower chamber, Kosiniak-Kamysz described the envisioned organization as a separate component at operational level. The idea came from Gen. Wiesaw Kukua, the chief of the General Staff, he said. Amid those plans, buying and fielding new drones is a priority for officials here, with ongoing acquisitions to be accelerated. The Polish military has acquired various types of UAVs over the past years. These include Bayraktar TB2 drones equipped with anti-tank missiles. Warsaw ordered 24 such drones from Turkish manufacturer Baykar in 2021, and their deliveries began in 2022. The last of the four sets [ordered from Baykar] is currently in the process of being transferred to the armed forces, the defense spokesperson said. Poland is also negotiating the acquisition of MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones from General Atomics, following a period of leasing the MQ-9A Reaper model. The potential purchase of an undisclosed number of aircraft is poised to make the nations armed forces the first military on NATOs eastern flank to buy the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV. Asked by Defense News about the program, the spokesperson would only confirm that there is a plan to purchase MQ-9B unmanned reconnaissance and strike systems. Looking at the next programs, as part of the Zefir program, we intend to acquire MALE-class unmanned aerial systems, the spokesperson said, noting that a separate effort is ongoing under the Gryf program to field a shorter-range variant. For the Polish Navy, a separate effort exists to buy rotorcraft drones under the Albatros program. Polish privately-owned defense company WB Group has supplied two types of drones to the countrys military: FlyEye mini UAVs, which are used for reconnaissance, artillery guidance, search and rescue, but also to extend the range of battle management systems; and Warmate drones, which combine reconnaissance capacities and combat capabilities as loitering munition. While orders placed with foreign UAV manufacturers and privately-owned Polish drone makers have allowed Poland to gain new capabilities, the troubled UAV contract the previous government awarded to state-owned PGZ in 2018 has become a model example of inefficient procurement, local observers say. Under the deal, a consortium of state-owned defense companies was to deliver 30 short-range reconnaissance Orlik drones for about 790 million zloty ($200 million). Since then, numerous annexes were added to the contract to extend the delivery schedule. Kosiniak-Kamysz said that he expects PGZ to immediately come through with the work. The military has lost patience in this matter, he said. In 2021, those drones were to be delivered, and they have not been delivered to date, he said said April 5. The coming months will demonstrate how PGZs new management intends to tackle the problematic drone contract. Last month, Krzysztof Trofiniak was named as the companys new chief executive. A seasoned defense industry manager, Trofiniaks track record includes serving as the president of local defense company Huta Stalowa Wola and as vice president of PGZ. His return to the defense giant was facilitated by the October 2023 election in which a new coalition government was sworn in, ousting the right-wing Law and Justice party from power after eight years of rule. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a conservative think tanks president pushed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to approve more aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, arguing that backing Kyiv is vital to securing American freedom and values. Pompeo, who served in the Trump administration, said in a letter with John Walters, the CEO and president of the Hudson Institute, that protecting Ukraine is connected to issues at home, making the argument as some Republicans, including Johnson, have previously insisted the U.S. must secure the border before sending more aid to Kyiv. None of our challenges at home will be made better by abandoning our allies at this time of great need, when they are staring down enemies of the free world, they wrote, invoking former President Reagans doctrine to stand up against totalitarian forces. The United States remains the indispensable nation. And this is a Time for Choosing. We encourage you to lead, and we will stand with you. The letter was first reported by Politico. Pompeo has called to support Ukraine before, but the April 1 letter from the conservative Hudson Institute amounts to more pressure on Johnson as Congress returns this week to work on a number of pressing issues. Johnson is expected in the next few weeks to take up Ukraine funding, along with aid to other U.S. allies including Israel as it fights against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. Pompeo and Walters said Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are all threatening to upend peace and security and stressed that deterring each adversary helps to fend off other threats elsewhere in the world from the axis. These conflicts are connected and directly impact the security of the United States, they wrote in the letter. Americans are safer and more prosperous when we support our friends in thwarting our common enemies who work together against us across the globe. Ukraine funding is becoming more urgent as Kyiv struggles on the battlefield against a larger Russian army. Johnson has signaled a willingness to back Ukraine and said the issue would be taken up as soon as the Easter recess is over, which ends this week. The U.S. has not sent more aid to Kyiv in around 16 months. The available funds for Ukraine dried up months ago, and the Biden administration says it is urgent to get more weapons to the embattled country as soon as possible. Russian troops have taken advantage of the U.S. delay on the battlefield, pressing forward incrementally across the front line and capturing the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his troops are trying to find a way not to retreat. Most Republicans support Ukraine aid, but a small band of far-right lawmakers oppose it, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who is threatening to force a vote on Johnsons ouster over it. Among the possible ways to shore up support is the idea of giving Ukraine the funding on the basis of a loan, something former President Trump has floated. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Pope Francis speaks during the audience to the volunteers of the Italian Red Cross at the Vatican. Evandro Inetti/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Pope Francis has denounced abortions and the carrying of children by surrogate mothers as grave offences against human dignity. In a declaration of principles published by the Vatican on Monday, the head of the Catholic Church also described gender reassignment and "gender theory" as offences against what he said was the God-given dignity of human beings. A human being - whether unborn or not - is always something sacred and inviolable, according to the document. The termination of a pregnancy means nothing other than denying human dignity to the "most defenceless" beings. The Vatican's latest declaration draws a parallel between abortion and surrogacy - when a woman carries a child on behalf of someone else and then gives it to them after the birth. In this way, the declaration says, a child becomes a "mere object" and the dignity of the woman is violated for reasons of profit. The Vatican as an institution has taken a clear stance against gender reassignment. The declaration, called Dignitas infinita (Infinite dignity) was published after years of preparation by the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith under the leadership of Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, who, like the pope, comes from Argentina. Francis had previously approved it. The topics addressed in it also include war, poverty, migration, human trafficking and violence against women. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the extraordinary presidential election, Trend reports. "Your Excellency, It pleases me, on the occasion of your re-election for a new term as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to extend to you my best greetings and congratulations, sincerely wishing for Your Excellencys personal well-being and happiness and the continued peace and stability of your brotherly country," the letter reads. Popular pizzeria in Sacramentos Oak Park closes with heavy hearts. What happened? Sacramento said goodbye to a Tennessee-based pizzeria with hip-hop flare over the weekend. Slim + Huskys Pizza permanently closed the doors to its sole site in California on Sunday in Oak Park after three and half years in business, according to a sign posted to the eaterys glass doors. The 2,600-square-foot restaurant and bar, which often doubled as a community entertainment space, sat adjacent to Faria Bakery at 3413 Broadway and baked thin-crust pizza and plump cinnamon rolls. The shop dripped with musical innuendos, from its slogan Pizza Rules Everything Around Me (P.R.E.A.M.), a riff on the classic Wu-Tang Clan single, to the meat-lover pizza coined Cee No Green. Pizzas available at Slim & Huskys Pizza Beeria are displayed in their outdoor courtyard, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, in Sacramento. Its with heavy hearts that we announce ... we are electing to close the doors in Oak Park for good, the Black-owned pizza chain wrote in its farewell note. Overall operation and financial health were just a couple of reasons behind the closure, the business added. Everyone will be sorely missed Slim + Huskys founded by longtime friends Clint Gray, EJ Reed and Derrick Moore opened its Oak Park location in 2020 because it was the right area for their ethos, a previous Sacramento Bee story states. The Tennessee State University graduates donated free food to the Sacramento Food Bank, Oak Park Community Center and Womens Civic Improvement Center. For more than three years weve had the opportunity to serve the Oak Park neighborhood in an effort to add to the vitality of the community, the pizza chain said. We thank you for your support and patronage throughout the years and please know that everyone will be sorely missed. Inside, murals from Sacramento and Nashville Black artists covered the space. Even the bathroom walls were decked out with art. The menu included a selection of artisan pizzas made from scratch with dough and sauce made daily. Customers could also create their own pie. Workers make pizza at Slim & Huskys Pizza Beeria on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, in Sacramentos Oak Park neighborhood. Also available were wings and cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls are a popular item at Slim & Huskys Pizza Beeria on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020 in Sacramentos Oak Park neighborhood. Outside, the patio sat roughly 50 people. The Oak Park location was dropped from a list of 11 other locations across Tennessee and Georgia. What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. The Port Washington-Saukville School District has announced two finalists for its superintendent position, as well as plans for them to participate in a community forum and final interviews. The district announced on its website that Michael Juech, the assistant superintendent of operations for the Howard-Suamico School District, and Michael McMahon, director of teaching and learning for the Grafton School District, are the final candidates for the position. Juech and McMahon are expected to visit the district during the day April 9. Later that same evening, both finalists are expected to participate in a community forum to be held at Port Washington High School's new gymnasium from 6 to 7:45 p.m. On April 10, the Port Washington-Saukville School Board is expected to interview both finalists in a public meeting, starting with Juech from 6 to 6:45 p.m. and with McMahon from 7 to 7:45 p.m. The board is expected to approve the hiring of and announce the next superintendent in mid-April, with the new superintendent's contract expected to formally begin July 1. The board is seeking a replacement for former superintendent David Watkins, who retired at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Mel Nettesheim has been serving as the district's interim superintendent until the board hires its next permanent superintendent, according to a district news release from last December. Here's what to know about the candidates. Michael Juech Michael Juech Before his current role, Juech served as the district administrator of the Bristol School District, director of teaching and learning for Wilmot Union High School, a building level administrator in Campbell and Tomahawk, a fourth-grade teacher in the Trevor-Wilmot School District, and a teacher at John Long Middle School in the Grafton School District. Juech holds a doctorate from Edgewood College in Madison and a master's degree from Concordia University-Wisconsin, according to a description of Juech's background on the Port Washington-Saukville School District's website. Michael McMahon Michael McMahon Besides his current role, McMahon's previous experience includes being a principal in Wausau for two years, and working as a fourth-grade teacher in the Chippewa Falls and Poynette school districts from 2006-13. McMahon has a doctorate in educational leadership from Edgewood College; an administrative degree from the University of Wisconsin-Superior; a master's degree in educational professional development; and a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, according to the Port Washington-Saukville School District's website. Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at@AlecJohnson12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Port Washington-Saukville considering two finalists for superintendent position Smugglers are illegally moving refrigerants into Europe that, when leaked from air conditioners and refrigerators, pose a significant threat to the climate. These refrigerants, called hydrofluorocarbons, only stay in the atmosphere for around 15 years, but they trap hundreds or thousands of times more heat than carbon dioxide. While regulators are working to curtail their use, the substances are still entering the E.U. illegally, according to a new report from the nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency. Five years ago, the group uncovered a sprawling black market for hydrofluorocarbons, and its latest analysis finds smugglers are getting better at avoiding detection. Investigators working undercover in Spain, Bulgaria, and Turkey found traders are managing to skirt E.U. regulations by disguising hydrofluorocarbons as other kinds of refrigerants and by selling them anonymously through Facebook Marketplace and other online platforms. The report maps the flow of hydrofluorocarbons from China and Turkey into Romania, Bulgaria, and other countries on the eastern edge of Europe, where enforcement is lax, and then on to Greece, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. There is a clear need to invest and strengthen monitoring, reporting, verification, and enforcement, the report said. And given the high demand for hydrofluorocarbons, companies must also develop alternatives: There is an urgent need to find better ways to keep cool. ALSO ON YALE E360 Nations Are Undercounting Emissions, Putting UN Goals at Risk The sun's corona is visible around the shadow of the moon during the total solar eclipse at Mann Creek Reservoir near Weiser, Idaho, on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. | Spenser Heaps A remarkable image circulated on social media this week. It showed a narrow strip of America where Airbnbs were fully booked on Sunday. Call it the Miracle Belt the places where, for a few minutes on Monday, weather permitting, the solar eclipse will be seen in eerie and glorious totality. It is a miracle, albeit one explained by science. This is incredible. From @Jamie_Lane where AirBnBs are fully booked next week. pic.twitter.com/ITKZJaGfY8 Mike Simonsen (@mikesimonsen) April 4, 2024 But thats not a miracle, literalists might say. Well, no, not in the most literal sense of the word, not the way that C.S. Lewis described the miraculous: an interference with Nature by supernatural power. But there are everyday miracles, too, by which I mean events so extraordinary that they ought to be heralded by trumpets, even though they are part of ordinary life. Your conception and birth were two such events, as is the migration of humpback whales and salmon, and the emergence of every single butterfly this spring. Its hard to imagine now, but as recently as 1983, a PBS special on embryonic development was called The Miracle of Life. Everyday miracles are conduits of awe when we pay attention, and too often we dont. But its hard to ignore a total solar eclipse. We have come a long way in our understanding of celestial events. Even the Star of Bethlehem has been explained in coldly scientific terms, and some say the darkness that fell over Golgotha when Christ was crucified was a lunar eclipse. In ancient times, when the sun disappeared behind the moon for a few minutes, our ancestors saw calamity in the unexpectedly dark sky. A solar eclipse was, for a few despairing hours, reason to believe that the sun was forever gone, and with it, all light and sustenance. No one believes that today, even though as 15 states prepared for an influx of eclipse tourists, there were still some peddling predictions of doom. Among the wildest theories of impending apocalypse were those that pointed out that the paths of the 2017 and 2024 solar eclipses form a giant X over America and thus should be considered proof that America has been marked by God (or Elon Musk) in some sinister way. But you dont have to descend into the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories involving the number of towns named Nineveh in the eclipse path to see the eclipse for what it really is: a predictable miracle. Just because we know what is transpiring in the sky doesnt make it any less miraculous. In fact, it seems all the more miraculous, when you think about the fact that not only do we understand what is happening when the moon seems to eat the sun, but that some of our fellow human beings were able to predict the timing centuries in advance, with 3-pound brains in bodies that evolved from a single-cell organism, according to science. Thats miracle enough for me. But theres more. There is also the miracle of these massive orbs, whose size we can scarcely comprehend, following their orderly, precise path in the cold and quiet of space. Like clockwork, we might say, only our clocks dont always work that well. When life on Earth swirls with disorder and chaos, the spinning of the planets on their predictable paths can bring solace, whispering that Someone is in charge. So, too, can the stunning images from the Hubble and James Webb telescopes, which make God seem bigger and more unimaginably powerful with every photo beamed back to Earth. But of course, we dont have to look skyward to see the grandeur of God. There is just as much order and precision and beauty in things that are so tiny that we cant see them from the impossible geometric beauty of a single snowflake to grains of sand seen under a microscope. Everyday miracles surround us; we just rarely pause to see them, to let the awe in. microscopic image of dew on a spider web pic.twitter.com/nIddhFCzF0 microscopic images. (@microscopicture) March 23, 2024 After the 2017 solar eclipse, a team of researchers studied social media posts from people who had seen the eclipse and those who hadnt. They concluded that viewing the eclipse could be literally life-changing. In addition to describing the event with words like sublime and transcendental, people who had witnessed totality described an all-encompassing sense of awe, a peak experience that can grow ever distant for those who keep the mysteries of God and religious faith at arms length. Knowing that, the question isnt why so many are going to great lengths to see the eclipse, but why so many people arent. I live within a few hundred miles of totality and have asked people for weeks if they were traveling on Monday, and most said no. This shouldnt surprise me. Many times, I have watched explosive sunsets over the ocean in sight of homes where people sat in front of their TVs. No matter how spectacular a show God puts on, somewhere theres a meh. Thats why a total solar eclipse, which wont occur in the U.S. for another 20 years, seems so much like God trying to get our attention, trying to get us to put down our phones, to see what real beauty and and real power look like. Ive heard about a restaurant on Marthas Vineyard where its traditional for patrons to applaud the setting sun each night, which seems entirely appropriate. There might not be applause during totality on Monday awe tends to invite quiet. But there will be no mehs when the sun and moon embrace, and its worth stopping whatever youre doing to watch. NASA will broadcast a livestream of the 2024 solar eclipse here. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A pregnant woman was hospitalized after a crash on Sunday night in Kansas City. According to police, around 6:32 p.m., a woman driving a Mazda was heading south on Ward Parkway. FOX4 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox At 79th Street, the woman driving failed to negotiate the curve in the roadway, ran off the road to the right, striking the curb, and a light pole and then flipped. The woman, who is 6 months pregnant, was taken to the hospital due to fetal distress and critical injuries. The driver and the fetus are both currently in stable condition, and the investigation is ongoing. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. President Joe Biden appeared to throw some shade Monday at his predecessor in an announcement on social media warning skygazers to "play it safe" ahead of the total solar eclipse by wearing protective eyewear. "Don't be silly," Biden said in a brief clip, posted Monday on social media site X, as the commander in chief could be seen donning a pair of eclipse glasses. The message, posted on Biden's official X page, appeared to be a way of poking fun at former President Donald Trump, who was infamously photographed looking at the sun without glasses in 2017, the last time an eclipse passed over North America. An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don't be silly, folks play it safe and wear protective eyewear. pic.twitter.com/S6REAiZ735 President Biden (@POTUS) April 8, 2024 Experts strongly recommend that those who plan to witness any eclipse do so with certified eclipse glasses to avoid sustaining permanent eye damage. Martian Eclipse NASA shares photos of what an eclipse looks like on Mars ahead of April 8 totality Trump's viral eclipse moment in 2017 President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump look up at the Aug. 21, 2017 solar eclipse from the balcony of the White House. The moment became a source of japes as the former president appeared to look at the sun without eclipse glasses. Photos of Trump staring at the Aug. 21, 2017 eclipse with his naked eye became widely circulated and mocked on social media. Trump, who was president at the time, was joined that afternoon by then first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron to watch the rare phenomenon from the Truman Balcony at the White House. Photos taken by members of the media captured all three donning eclipse glasses while looking at the eclipse. But at one point, Trump could be seen momentarily removing his glasses while looking and pointing up to the sky. "As he did so, one of the White House aides standing beneath the Blue Room Balcony shouted dont look,'" according to the White House pool report of the moment filed by Ben Jacobs, a former political reporter for The Guardian. The photo of the moment quickly went viral, with many social media users poking fun at Trump for failing to heed warnings about the dangers of staring directly at the sun. Biden's apparent dig at Trump Seven years later, it appears his successor hasn't forgotten the moment. As millions of Americans in 13 states prepare to witness the highly-anticipated total solar eclipse, Biden seized the moment to remind them about safety measures with a little bit of humor. President Joe Biden wears sunglasses here, which would not be suitable for looking at a solar eclipse. He posted on social media Monday encouraging people to wear protective eclipse glasses ahead of the total solar eclipse passing through the U.S. Biden appeared to reference Trump's moment in his Monday morning public service announcement about proper eyewear. "An eclipse is worth marveling at," the White House wrote on X after 11 a.m. "But don't be silly, folks play it safe and wear protective eyewear." Solar eclipse glasses are needed for safety Staring at the sun is unlikely to completely blind you, but experts warn that its powerful rays can still burn and damage your retinas if you don't take proper safety precautions to view solar eclipses. While a total solar eclipse offers sky-gazers the rare opportunity to witness the display with the naked eye, solar eclipse glasses are still needed until it's safe to do so. The sun begins to peek from behind the moon at the end of the total eclipse in 2017. When the moon moves completely in front of the sun and blocks its light, you'll know it's safe to fully take in the dazzling display. That moment is what is called "totality," whereby uncharacteristic darkness falls and all but the sun's outermost layer known as its corona makes a rare appearance to us here on Earth. Hundreds of cities in 13 states are on the path of totality for this year's total solar eclipse, which for those in the United States, will begin in Eagle Pass, Texas and end in Lee, Maine. You won't want to miss it, as this is the last such eclipse in North America until 2044. As you make your eclipse-viewing plans, this guide should help you find some last-minute eclipse glasses, while these interactive maps should help you chart the time and duration for when totality would occur in cities along the path. Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden pokes fun at Trump's 2017 eclipse moment in social media post President Joe Biden is set to roll out new student-debt relief measures during an official visit Monday to a community college in Madison, Wisconsin. Celal Gunes/Anadolu/Getty Images President Joe Biden plans to announce a sweeping new round of student-debt cancellation measures at a Monday appearance at a community college in Madison, Wisconsin, aiming to provide at least some student debt relief to nearly 1 in 10 Americans. Specifically, the administration intends to, among other things, cancel interest payments for some 25 million Americans who owe more money in student debt now than they did when they first took the loans out; cancel the debts of over 2 million Americans who are eligible for debt forgiveness through federal programs like the SAVE Plan but are not yet taking advantage of it; and forgive the loans of about 2 million Americans with student debts that are older than 20 years. Combined with prior measures, Bidens plans mean he will have reduced student debt for 30 million people. When I think about all the possibility and all the potential we can unlock when young people see that they can afford and access higher education, I think this work is nothing short of transformative, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona told reporters on a press call Sunday night. Thats why were unapologetic about this fight. Student loan forgiveness isnt only about relief for todays borrowers. Its about social mobility, economic prosperity and creating an America that lives up to its highest ideals. The administrations proposed interest cancellation alone would have sweeping effects. Households of all incomes would be eligible for up to $20,000 in forgiven interest payments, and two-person households making up to $240,000 would be able to have their entire accrued interest forgiven regardless of size. Overall, due to this newest set of changes, the Biden administration estimates that more than 10 million people would get over $5,000 in debt forgiven, including 4 million people who would have their outstanding debts entirely forgiven. The 30 million people affected reflects the sum of those reached by Mondays proposals and the 4 million people who have already received more than $143 billion in relief already. The biggest chunk of borrowers already benefiting from relief are public-service workers in the government or nonprofit sectors who qualify for loan forgiveness under a Bush-era law. As with any new regulations, the latest debt-relief measures will take time to formulate and implement. The Biden administration expects Mondays proposals to begin taking effect in the early fall, though officials would not provide a specific month or set of dates when the rollout would be complete. Its unclear whether the impact of the student-debt relief measures will be felt fast enough to benefit Biden in the November election. Some polls show Biden struggling to maintain Democrats traditional advantage with voters under age 35, though some experts believe that the polling cross-tabs are not as accurate as the top-line results. Bidens trip to Madison, where he will be speaking at Madison Area Technical College, is part of a broader youth outreach effort on Monday that aims to spread the word of his existing and forthcoming student-debt relief plans. Vice President Kamala Harris is slated to carry forth the student-debt message in Philadelphia; second gentleman Doug Emhoff is due to speak in Phoenix; and Secretary Cardona is set to appear in New York City. Prince Edward and Sophie Stand in for King Charles During a Royal First at Buckingham Palace The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh watched French soldiers take part in the Changing of the Guard for the first time VICTORIA JONES/POOL/AFP via Getty Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward at the Changing of the Guard in London Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh took part in a historic Buckingham Palace ceremony on Monday as King Charles continues his treatment for cancer. Tourists watching the traditional Changing of the Guard through the railings witnessed the unique treat of watching French troops join their British counterparts in an unprecedented move for the daily ceremony. King Charles asked his brother Edward, 60, and sister-in-law Sophie, 59, to stand in for him at the special parade in honor of the 120th anniversary of a key diplomatic agreement between the U.K. and France known as the "entente cordiale." VICTORIA JONES/POOL/AFP via Getty Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward at Buckingham Palace on Monday April 8 Related: Prince Edward Makes a Quip About His Age Before Turning 60 as Sophie Praises 'Darling' Husband in Sweet Speech Since his cancer diagnosis, which was announced on Feb. 5, King Charles continued to work behind the scenes but has not been able to carry out most of his public duties. On previous occasions, his wife Queen Camilla, 76, has stepped in for him, but he asked his youngest sibling and Sophie to do so on Monday. Standing on the forecourt, alongside dignitaries from Britain and France, the royal couple helped mark the 120 years since the signing of the "entente cordiale," which laid the foundation for the military and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries during the First and Second World Wars and which continues to the modern day. VICTORIA JONES/POOL/AFP via Getty Prince Edward inspects France's Garde Republicaine as they took part in the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace on Monday April 8, 2024 Shortly after arriving at the palace forecourt, Prince Edward, Sophie and the French ambassador to the U.K., Her Excellency Helene Duchene, inspected the troops. In front of them, 32 members of the Gendarmeries Garde Republicaine joined 40 Guardsmen from the Scots Guards. It was the first time that soldiers from a non-Commonwealth country had joined the ceremony. In a parallel move, 16 soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards, accompanied by two military musicians, joined troops from 1st Regiment de la Garde Republicaine to provide the Presidential Guard outside the Elysee Palace, in Paris. Like London, it was the first time a foreign state helped guard the French Presidential Residence. The troops were inspected there by French President Emmanuel Macron. VICTORIA JONES/POOL/AFP via Getty Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward at Buckingham Palace in London on Monday April 8, 2024 Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! On Sunday, King Charles was seen heading to church at Sandringham, Norfolk. He has been staying positive during his treatment and aides have indicated that he might be able to carry out more public events in the coming weeks and months, depending on advice from doctors. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The Prosecutor General's Office announced on April 8 that it had opened a criminal investigation after the journalist of the Ukrainian investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info, Yevhenii Shulhat, had been allegedly targeted by military enlistment officers as retaliation for his investigation into a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) official. After Slidstvo.Info reported on the incident on April 6, the SBU told the Kyiv Independent that it was reviewing the published information, adding that the Defense Ministry and the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Force are also involved in the inspection. The Prosecutor General's Office said that it had initiated a criminal investigation into possible abuse of office and obstruction of a journalist's professional activities by the SBU employees and military enlistment officers. Last week, Shulhat was approached by two men in uniform who said they represented an enlistment office and attempted to hand him a summons while accusing the journalist of evading military service. Security camera footage showed that they were accompanied by a man who appeared to be there to lead them to the journalist. Slidstvo.Info said they identified him as Oleksii Bilenko, who they said works in the cybersecurity department of the SBU. Slidstvo.Info called the incident "revenge" for Shulhat's recent investigation into Illia Vitiuk, the cybersecurity chief of the SBU. According to the outlet, Vitiuk's wife started making big earnings after her husband was appointed to the job, and bought an apartment in a premium residential complex in Kyiv below the market price. Read also: Recent campaigns against journalists raise concerns about press freedom in Ukraine Shulhat recorded his encounter with the enlistment office employees, who approached him last week in a popular shopping center in northern Kyiv at around 9 p.m. The footage of the encounter and associated investigation were published on Slidstvo.Info's YouTube channel. The video shows two men in uniform who introduced themselves as employees of the Solomianskyi District enlistment office. They appeared to know Shulhat, approaching him and identifying him by name. They accused Shulhat of not properly registering with an enlistment office after he reached the mobilization eligibility age. In turn, the journalist asked the men whether they were approaching him in connection with his recent investigation into Vitiuk. Both men denied this, claiming they did not know that Shulhat was a journalist. Shulhat also pointed out that the two men recognized the journalist immediately and knew him by name. They tried to give him a draft summons, which he did not accept, citing the suspicious circumstances. The uniformed people left soon after, saying that they noted Shulhat's "refusal to accept the summons." This is not the first case of Ukrainian journalists accusing the SBU of pressure against the free press. Another investigative outlet, Bihus.Info, revealed in January that they had been illegally surveilled by an SBU department for months. Bihus.Info proved the SBU was secretly recording some of their staff members using drugs during a New Year's party and then published the footage to discredit the outlet. After the scandalous revelation, the Security Service fired the employees implicated in the spying operation and pledged to stand for the freedom of the press. Mere days before the Bihus.Info scandal, two unidentified men approached the apartment of another prominent journalist, Yurii Nikolov. The men were aggressively banging on his door, demanding the journalist to open the door and talk to them, calling Nikolov a "traitor" and accusing him of evading military service. Nikolov is known for his earlier investigations revealing corruption in Ukraine's public procurement. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Groundless information circulating on social networks in recent days falsely claims escalating tensions on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, the presence of casualties and injuries within the Azerbaijani Army, the mobilization of troops and heavy artillery, and the imposition of a curfew in Azerbaijan's Lachin district, Trend reports via the joint statement of Media Development Agency and State Security Service. The statement also said that as a result of investigations conducted by the State Security Service, it was determined that the individuals disseminating such information, which caused concern in society, are Republic of Azerbaijan citizens Rashad Aliyev (born 1977) and Parviz Melikov (born 1973). To prevent the spread of such information, necessary legal procedures have been implemented. The Media Development Agency and the State Security Service, warning that the commission of these acts entails serious legal liability, urge media subjects and journalists not to use inaccurate information published on social networks, the source of which is unknown, and urge citizens to always be principled in relation to such cases, do not trust unfounded information circulating on social networks without reference to official sources. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Corrections & Clarifications: This story has been updated to reflect the correct time and date for Alvin Pugh's funeral. A Pueblo family is attempting to raise $20,000 to bring an Air Force veteran's remains back to Colorado. Patti Pugh, sister of USAF veteran Alvin J. Pugh, told the Chieftain that she found out in mid-March that her brother had passed away due to deep vein thrombosis essentially a large blood clot that traveled to the lungs on Feb. 2, 2022, in New York City. His remains were not buried until Feb. 1, 2023, in Calverton National Cemetery in Wading River, New York. For two years, the Pugh family said they were never notified of their loved one's death. Patti Pugh, left, and Kennedy Pugh hold a photograph of their late brother U.S. Air Force veteran Alvin J. Pugh at their home on Saturday, March 30, 2024. Before his death, Alvin Pugh was in constant communication with his family, sharing videos, jokes, observations, and whatever was on his mind that day, often early in the morning, Patti Pugh said. When he went silent, the family grew worried and attempted to locate him. "We looked up all the hospitals in New York, the five boroughs my sister got half the list and I got half the list, and we called every single one, including the VA hospital," Pugh said. "Nothing. So we started searching, contacted a private investigator ... anything that would pop up," she said. Despite an exhaustive search that included contacting the NYPD, the Department of Veteran's Affairs, and other sources, Pugh could not be found for two years. In March, Pugh said that in a few minutes of downtime, she started searching online for her brother. "I started with a Google search, and searched his name and New York City, and the first thing that popped up was 'find a grave,'" she said. "It's weird because his date of death was Feb. 2, 2022, but they didn't bury him until Feb. 1, 2023. So he must have spent a year just lying in a morgue." Additionally, Pugh's remains were marked as "unclaimed," despite his family contact information and Colorado address having never changed since he was discharged from the Air Force in 1995, Pugh said. "Pueblo is around 2% black; we have a name like Pugh, which is a very unique name. You can't tell me that you tried to find the Pughs that have been in Pueblo, Colorado, for 60 years if you look in the phone book, there are only two families," said Kennedy Pugh, Alvin's brother. "It's not that they dropped the ball, they didn't even pick it up." "They knew his name, they knew he was military enough to bury him in a national cemetery. How could you not find his family? You Google his name, and we all pop up," Kennedy Pugh said. Kennedy Pugh also emphasized that the family is spiritual and his brother was a devout Catholic. "I've never been so hurt, sad and angry my whole life," he said. "Both of those don't come from my brother's death, because we believe he has crossed over to a better place, but it's about being able to acknowledge somebody for the path they walked with you, especially after spending 17 years in the military." The family is seeking to raise $20,000 to have his remains disinterred and given a Catholic burial in Colorado, as well as to locate his vehicle, although the family has since found out that the possessions in Alvin's apartment were thrown out following his death. VA responds, says it's 'working directly' with Pugh's family "Our hearts go out to this Veterans family for the loss of their loved one, and we at VA are working directly with them to help them through this challenging situation however we can," VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes told the Chieftain in an emailed statement. "(The) VA believes that every Veteran deserves a dignified burial," Hayes said. "This includes Veterans whose remains go unclaimed at the time of their deaths. VA works with funeral homes, coroners offices, and medical examiners offices across the country to ensure that the unclaimed remains of Veterans are interred in VA national cemeteries or in VA grant-funded state Veterans cemeteries." On March 9, 2022, the New York City Department of Veterans Services requested a determination of eligibility for a burial at Calverton National Cemetery for Alvin Jerome Pugh, according to Hayes. "VA records confirmed that Mr. Pugh was a Veteran eligible for interment in a national cemetery, and (The National Cemetery Association) informed NYCDVS of this the same day," Hayes said. "On February 15, 2023, a funeral home requested interment at Calverton National Cemetery. On February 21, 2023, the cemetery interred the Veteran." Hayes said the NYCDVS "routinely contacts" the National Cemetery Association to request internment of unclaimed veterans in the custody of the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, but in "unclaimed remains cases such as this, attempts to locate and contact family should be completed in accordance with state and local laws before entities seeking to bury unclaimed individuals make requests to VA for interment in any national cemetery." Regarding the possibility of providing for disinterment and reburial in Colorado, Hayes stated that the NCA, NYCDVS, and the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are researching the case and hope to soon have more information. "We will work directly with the family when we make this determination," he said. Despite the VA's response, Patti Pugh said she still has questions about her brother's treatment. "What was their process to locate their next of kin? I have the death certificate, it says, 'Mother unknown, father unknown, place of birth unknown,' But the VA had his name, date of birth, and social security number. I'm sure they had the place he enlisted, which is the house he lived in," she said. "And why was it from March 9, 2022, when they confirmed he was a veteran, clear until a year later that he was buried?" The Pugh family intends to hold a funeral for their brother at St. Joseph's Church on April 19 at 1 p.m. with military honors conducted at Pike's Peak National Cemetery at a later date. In the meantime, they will continue to raise money on GoFundMe. More community news: What to know about the 4 new members entering the Pueblo East Golden Eagle Hall of Fame Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formally known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain atsubscribe.chieftain.com. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's Pugh family raising money to bring brother's remains to Colorado SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) A group of students in Lackawanna County are participating in a purr-fect act of community service. In this weeks Heres to You Kid segment, 28/22 News Reporter Iyee Jagne takes us to Scranton for a story that is the cats meow. Every year the Illustration and Design class at the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County (CTCLC) participates in a community service project. This year the students partnered with the street cats and dogs of Scranton at the Nay Aug Park Zoo. The volunteer group traps, neuters, and then returns many feral and free-roaming cats in the Scranton area. The students are bringing awareness to their mission by designing a book and video game So the students as part of their childrens book illustration unit created childrens book based off of the street cats, said CTCLC Illustration and Design instructor Patrick McLane. It doesnt end there; the students also created a video game and stickers. PA Lottery ticket worth $1M sold at Wawa The video game will also be submitted to compete in Skills USA, a competition for Career Technology Education (CTE) centers. Its a compensation for the CTE schools of Pennsylvania and all around the US where we compete to show that we are learning our trade, said CTCLC senior Emily Thomas. The students also visited the street cats of Scranton at the Nay Aug Park Zoo for some inspiration. One group member says it was not an easy process, but she enjoyed every step of it. It was a little bit tedious I would say we had to come up with thumbnails and come up with ideas and we had to draw it in different ways and see which one fit the best, said CTCLC junior Bergina Neves. One student says the best part of this book is the positive impact it has on the community. I know like were doing good for the community and like I really love animals and especially cats so it makes me feel good that I played even a small part in like helping promote the shelter or potentially even getting more cats like adopted, said CTCLC senior Sarah McLain. Anyone interested in getting a copy of the book can stop by the Street Cats and Dogs of Scranton at the Nay Aug Park Zoo. If you have a kid you think should be featured on Heres To You Kid!, send in a nomination online. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. The residents of the Russian city of Orsk have started a protest due to the insufficient compensation provided to those affected by a massive flood by the authorities. Source: Russian Telegram-channels Agenstvo.Novosti, Baza, Mash, Meduza media outlet Details: The outrage was caused by the amount of compensation and the Ministry of Internal Affairs claiming that people were urged to evacuate a week before the incident. The protesters accused the authorities of lying about the evacuation from the city allegedly being announced a week before the dam burst. On Saturday, Denis Pasler, the governor of Orenburg Oblast, reported that people affected by the flood would receive RUB 20,000 (about US$216) right away and from RUB 50,000 to 100,000 (about US$540-1,080) "if they lose property". Those who gathered in the square demanded bigger compensation since some Russians had lost their houses. " ": . - . - pic.twitter.com/h6adX4lZMc (@ukrpravda_news) April 8, 2024 In the video, protesters can be heard telling the mayor: "If water flows into the city, then its because you let it happen, which means you are not doing your duties!" They also recalled that three days before the flood they had been assured it would not burst. The Russian Prosecutors Office tried to prevent the protest and claimed it was "illegal". Some protesters also went to the governor of the region who claimed afterwards that criminal cases were opened against "those responsible for the [bursting of the] dam". Russian media reported that as of the morning of 8 April, 6,689 houses, including 133 apartment buildings, 25 schools and kindergartens and 9 medical institutions were in the flooding zone. 1,375 evacuated people were placed in temporary accommodation centres. Support UP or become our patron! The revelation that Russian forces have been making widespread use of CS gas a chemical banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention should be a horrific wake up call to the West and Nato that no weapons are off limits for Vladimir Putin. My experiences of the war in Syria, which included Russian forces, and of the war in Iraq against ISIS, indicate that escalation in the use of these weapons is highly likely. Just this weekend, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was again hit by drones. Further such strikes raise the risk of a catastrophic nuclear incident, with potentially appalling effects for the whole of Europe. It is time for the West to show some steel, and force Putin to back down. Purely from a military perspective, I can see why Russian forces are using poison chemicals to try and break through the Ukrainian defensive positions. I saw the 4-year conventional siege of Aleppo in Syria broken in days of chlorine barrel bomb attacks in December 2016. Russian and Syrian forces had corralled civilians and rebels in an area of Aleppo and could not break in, as they hid in the rubble and underground. Chlorine, the original chemical weapon, is heavier than air. It sank underground and either killed people or forced them above ground where they were shot or captured. Again, during the two-year fight with Isis in Iraq, I had the great honour to advise the Iraqi Kurd Peshmerga forces on chemical weapons defence. Isis used chlorine and mustard agent gas extensively against the Kurds. I observed a chlorine attack by Isis on the Peshmerga in a town called Gwer near Mosul in April 2016. The Peshmerga are the bravest men and women on the battlefield, but I saw at first hand how paralysing and terrifying chemical weapons are. All this experience leads me to believe that a leader without morals will turn to these weapons again and again; they are terrifyingly effective. Putin has no morals. We need to act now to rein him in, before the massive Russian offensive predicted to happen in the coming months. The Russian use of gas against Ukrainian forces has been so effective because their ancient soviet masks are ineffective against this poison. They are left incapacitated, or forced to leave their trenches, making them easy targets for the Russians. We can easily remedy this by giving their forces effective gas masks something that could well be within the UKs ability to solve. Similarly, there are tangible things we can do to prevent a nuclear catastrophe across Europe. There is no military reason for Russian soldiers to be occupying the nuclear power except the implicit threat of deploying it as a weapon. It is past time that the UN secured the site, forcing its way in if need be. All the triggers for a nuclear and chemical disaster are now in plain sight and even those with their heads deepest in the sand surely cannot fail to see that action must be taken now to prevent a terrifying escalation of this conflict. It is time for Nato to send a warning shot across Putins bows and prevent Europe descending into all-out war again. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Queens man accused of killing his mom went off the grid days earlier, dad says A Queens ex-con accused of fatally shooting his mother went off the grid and started behaving strangely about a week before the killing, the suspects father told the Daily News. Dashawn Coggins dad said hed tried to warn his family members, including his ex-wife murder victim Natalie Coggins to be careful around her son, but they didnt take the warnings seriously. He was going off the grid and I guess she didnt take it serious, you know? said the 53-year-old father, who identified himself only as Mr. Phillip. He just started talking crazy, talking and saying delusional stuff. Dashawn Coggins, 36, shot his 61-year-old mother in the head in her home on 121st Ave. near Long St. about 9:30 p.m. on March 29, police said. Witnesses said Coggins drove off shortly before his mothers body was discovered. Police found him in Brooklyn a few hours later and recovered the murder weapon, cops said. Coggins was charged with his mothers murder. He was also hit with menacing charges for a March 22 incident in which he pulled a gun on 46-year-old Latasha Straughter after a bizarre months-long feud stemming from the mans claim he owned the house she lives in. Straughter, her husband and their five children rented a house in Hollis near the corner of 194th St. and100th Ave. in August. Days later, the woman says Coggins showed up at her doorstep. The day we moved in here he was walking up and down the driveway saying, This is my house,' Straughter told the Daily News. Why are you moving in here? He said he owned the property. It was really crazy. Straughter consulted with her landlord, who recognized Coggins as a former tenant who was still receiving mail at the address. Another time he came with his mother, said Straughter. We had this argument with him and his mother not to have his mail delivered here. The clash came to a head nearly seven months after Coggins first showed up at the house located around the block from where his father lives when he pulled a gun on Straughter. He said, Im going to kill you all, Im going to shoot this st up, Straughter recalled. I called the cops immediately but by then, he was gone. Coggins remained held without bail after his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on March 31. His Queens Defenders lawyer declined to comment Monday. Public records show Coggins served almost three years in prison for a 2017 weapon possession conviction. He was released to parole in March 2020 and his parole ended that October. Mourners flocked to Facebook to offer condolences after Natalie Coggins killing, remembering her as a community volunteer and a caring woman. She was particularly active in the Queens County Section of the National Council of Negro Women, according to the groups Facebook page. She was a Life Member and played a major role in the Queens County Section as chair of the Community Service and Thanksgiving Basket Committee, reads an April 1 post by the group. Please, keep the Coggins family in your prayers. Natalie will truly be missed. Dashawn Coggins father recalled his former wife as a nice person. She was a good person. Thats all, he said. Its a tough time right now. He said he last spoke to Dashawn Coggins about a week before the murder. Something triggered and he went off the grid, the father said, adding that Coggins never acted violently toward him. No. He never got like that with me. Only when he was around his mother, hed be violent and yelling and cursing and stuff like that, he said. I used to tell the kids you got to tell your mother about Dashawn. They said, yeah, but shes not taking it serious, the dad said. When asked if he hoped a jury would take his sons mental state into consideration, he said, No. He end up in jail, he end up in jail. Thats it. With Rocco Parascandola Members of media unions and network journalists rally Wednesday in Seoul, calling for the restoration of public broadcasting in South Korea and the prevention of government control of media. (Chris Jung / NurPhoto) When police showed up last year at Im Hyun-jus home in Seoul with a search warrant, the 43-year-old journalist watched in disbelief as they examined old notebooks, rifled through her bedroom and confiscated her phone and laptop. An officer explained that she was under investigation for giving a colleague leaked documents about the justice minister, including personal records from his confirmation hearing. Frankly, I was angry, Im wrote in an essay. What was the reason for coming into my home where my family lives, humiliating me by digging through my underwear drawer? Many saw the raid as part of the governments ongoing attack on her employer, the public broadcaster MBC , over what President Yoon Suk-yeol routinely terms fake news. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, center, routinely attacks what he calls "fake news." (Kim Hong-Ji / Pool Photo) Capitalizing on growing mistrust in the media, Yoon has made combating disinformation a centerpiece of his agenda. But free press advocates say his vow to keep reporters honest is a pretext to intimidate his critics. His allies have filed at least 25 criminal complaints against journalists and media organizations over the last two years allegations include defamation and stalking and authorities have raided at least six newsrooms or reporters' homes. Read more: How Taiwan beat back disinformation and preserved the integrity of its election At least one journalist has been indicted on defamation charges for a story about the justice minister that turned out to have major inaccuracies. That case, like most of the others, has yet to go to trial. The only explanation I can think of for why I was raided is that the administration is trying to scare us into submission, Im said. As in the United States and other countries, many in South Korea are shunning traditional news sources. A recent poll found that 53% of South Koreans get news through YouTube , which has become a hotbed of political extremism and conspiracy theories. Because the public is increasingly rejecting neutral and fair reporting, those who are trying to do this kind of high-quality journalism are losing ground, said Shim Seog-tae, a journalism professor at Semyung University. That became clear during the 2022 presidential election , which featured press coverage that strained the boundaries of journalistic impartiality and rigor. In the run-up to the vote, conservative newspapers spread claims later proved to be false that Yoons opponent had received bribes from a local criminal organization. Then the investigative outlet Newstapa ran a story that suggested Yoon had helped bury a banking and real estate scandal when he was a prosecutor a report that was later found to have significant journalistic defects, including misleading editing of a transcript and an undisclosed financial relationship between the stringer and his source. Read more: Is it real or made by AI? Europe wants a label for that as it fights disinformation After Yoon took power his first time in elected office prosecutors created an election conspiracy task force and raided the newsrooms of Newstapa and JTBC, an outlet that cited the report, as well as the homes of two journalists. A breaking point in Yoons relationship with the press came in New York in September 2022, during a conference for the Global Fund, a financing body created to fight HIV and other diseases in developing countries. Unaware that his microphone was on, Yoon appeared to tell his aides: Its going to be embarrassing for [President] Biden if those pricks at the National Assembly dont approve this bill. MBC reported that he was referring to the U.S. Congress and the fact that it would have to approve Bidens $6-million pledge to the fund. But Yoons administration said that journalists had misheard the word "Biden" and that Yoon was talking about the South Korean National Assembly. Yoon fumed that the report threatened national security and accused the broadcaster of maliciously using fake news to drive a wedge in U.S.-South Korea relations. His office proceeded to ban MBC from the presidential plane on a trip to Southeast Asia. More significant, the broadcaster has been subject to investigations by the Labor Ministry and the National Tax Service, while the Korea Communications Standards Commission has fined it at least three times on disinformation grounds. Viewed by many as retaliatory, two of the fines have been suspended in court. Read more: Opinion: When is it wrong to urge social media platforms to take down false information? The head of the commission, appointed by Yoon, has expanded the panel's authority over illegal online content such as gambling or pornography to include the murkier realm of " fake news." The highly controversial move has included experiments in attaching labels to online stories indicating when they are under review for disinformation. Shim, the journalism professor, noted that Yoon, a conservative, is not the first president to crack down on the press. Under his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, the ruling party attempted to pass a law that would have subjected journalists to punitive damage claims. Whats new is the scale of the offensive. If previous administrations attempted to control the media with surgical precision, the Yoon administration is hacking away with an ax, Shim said. The entire government has been mobilized to this end. In January, the court ordered MBC to comply with a demand from the Foreign Ministry that the broadcaster issue a correction to its reporting on the hot-mic incident, drawing on expert analysis noting that it was unclear whether Yoon had uttered the word Biden. MBC has appealed the ruling. Read more: AI presents political peril for 2024 with threat to mislead voters I dont think technical analyses are necessarily the answer in these situations, said Lee Ki-ju, 45, one of the journalists behind the story. I stand by our reporting and think it was well within the realm of common sense and standard journalistic practice. Lawmakers also filed defamation complaints against Lee and three other MBC journalists. In addition, Lee is being investigated for obstruction of official proceedings on the basis that the report compromised the presidents diplomatic efforts. Ive received several summons from the police, but Ive been refusing to attend, because I think its unjust, said Lee, who has been the target of an online death threat for publicly clashing with the president. At a closed-door meeting with a group of reporters last month, Hwang Sang-moo, a senior presidential secretary for civil and social affairs, said, Listen up, MBC before recounting an infamous story from 1988 about a journalist who was stabbed in the thigh with a sashimi knife by soldiers after writing a piece critical of the military. Hwang, a former journalist, claimed he was joking but resigned a week later. Read more: Column: Disinformation is a public health crisis. Here's how scientists and doctors are fighting it Government officials in this day and age wouldnt go that far themselves, but I was worried that a fanatical supporter might interpret it as a message to carry out an attack, Lee said. MBCs union has decried the governments crackdown as excessive investigations that unfairly target the broadcaster. South Korean demonstrators attend a rally. Participants include members of the National Union of Media Workers, the Media Control Prevention Joint Action and public broadcaster MBC. (Chris Jung / NurPhoto) Legal experts have warned that government attempts to police the truthfulness of news reports overstep judicial processes and endanger freedom of expression, a constitutional right that has existed since 1948 and weathered decades of military dictatorships. Citing the undermining of freedom of expression, Swedish watchdog V-Dem Institute wrote this year in its annual "Democracy Report" that South Korea is in an episode of autocratization. In the institutes democracy index, South Koreas ranking has dropped from 28th to 47th. At the third Summit for Democracy a Biden-led global effort to counter growing global authoritarianism, hosted last month in Seoul Yoon held firm. Accusing certain actors and groups of undermining democracy with lies, the South Korean president put forward his solution: legal investigations and harsher punishments. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Religious authorities in Malaysia have stepped up moral policing efforts during the holy month of Ramadan in what critics warn has been part of a wider recent shift toward a more conservative form of Islam in the multi-racial and culturally diverse nation. Ramadan, regarded as the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is celebrated by Muslims around the world who abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual acts during daylight hours and break their fast after sundown. It is a month of deep spiritual reflection and celebration with friends and family but can also be far from easy, as anyone who has tried fasting can attest. In many parts of Malaysia, Muslims caught eating or drinking during daytime hours can find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Around 20.6 million of Malaysias 34 million-strong population are Muslims, but the country is also home to sizeable ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities that include Buddhists, Christians and Hindus, as well as indigenous communities. Under the countrys unusual dual track legal system, which is also federal and varies from state to state, Muslims are subject to sharia law on a host of social issues including marriage, divorce and fasting. Religious police tend to ramp up their presence during Ramadan, activists note, which ends later this week, patrolling the streets more visibly and staking out at popular eateries sometimes in disguise to catch those breaching the rules. Those caught eating or drinking during daytime hours face fines of up to 1,000 Malaysian Ringgit (about $200) and prison terms of up to a year. Non-Muslims caught selling food, drinks or tobacco to Muslims during fasting hours are also subject to penalties. Arrest figures have not yet been released for this year but in 2023, religious officials in the state of Malacca, a major tourist destination, recorded nearly 100 arrests of Muslims caught eating in public during the fasting month, an increase from 41 arrests the previous year, they said. This year, more than 10 hotspots were identified throughout the state, said the chairman of its Islamic Religious Department, JAIM. Rahmad Mariman announced that frequent monitoring and inspections were being carried out at popular bars, restaurants, malls and parks. Through these operations, JAIM enforcement officers will detain Muslims found eating in public and will not hesitate to take action against traders involved in selling food to them, Mariman said in a statement. Up north in the state of Perak, JAIMs counterpart, the Gerik Islamic Religious Department (JAIPK), took to TikTok to share videos of inspections and fasting raids religious officers had conducted throughout March. In one video, set against a spaghetti western soundtrack, JAIPK officers wearing their distinctive black and white uniforms and reflective vests were seen arriving at an open-air eatery in the town of Gerik during the day to question restaurant staff and catch Muslims buying food. One man wearing a blue motorcycle helmet, whose face is pixelated in the video, was seen fleeing the restaurant with a plastic bag of food. This was not a reenactment by professionals. It is an actual video of what took place during our recent operations, JAIPK wrote in a caption accompanying its TikTok video, which went viral racking up more than 1.7 million views and continuing to draw thousands of comments since it was uploaded on March 15. A man runs away from a religious police raid on a restaurant in the state of Perak. Image taken from a video of the raid that was released on TikTok by local authorities. - padgerik33300/TikTok Heightened tensions Like much of South and Southeast Asia, Malaysia has historically practiced a moderate form of Islam but religious conservatism has been on the rise in recent years. At the forefront of this shift, experts say, is the ultra-conservative hardline Islamist political party PAS, which made historic gains during Malaysias 2023 general election and wields great influence in its stronghold conservative states in the north. PAS party leader Hadi Awang, also a religious teacher, regularly expresses his support for harsher sharia laws. CNN reached out to multiple state religious bodies across Malaysia for comment. One religious enforcement officer from Malacca said that more raids had been carried out this year at various roadside stalls, restaurants and parks as compared to 2023 and 2022. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve the name of Islam during this important time, said the male officer, who declined to be named as he was not authorized to speak with international media. But not all cases result in arrests, he also stressed. It is also important that we show compassion, especially on very hot days when we see people drinking water sometimes it cant be helped. Supporters of the Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS) gather for a rally, dressed in the party's signature green colors. - MOHD RASFAN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images Moral policing during Ramadan is a longstanding issue in the country, according to Malaysian womens rights group Sisters in Islam, which advocates against religious policing and points to another controversial area of concern khalwat laws. Also known as close proximity laws, they vary from state to state and are part of the civil sharia legislation that only applies to Muslims. They are used to prosecute unmarried couples deemed to be overly close to each other. On March 8, religious police raided a luxury condominium in the capital Kuala Lumpur and arrested two actors, a married male and a single female, under these laws, a move that generated significant local media coverage. Complaints were made to the state religious department, media reports said, and the scandal caused a national stir drawing scorn from conservative politicians and prompting public apologies from the celebrities. Sisters in Islam told CNN that overzealous application of religious laws had gotten worse in recent years. These acts of moral policing violate personal freedoms and paint a distorted image of Islam and raises important questions, said SIS spokeswoman Ameena Siddiqi. It is also common practice during Ramadan for public schools in Malaysia to shut their canteens, leaving limited options to eat and rest during the day, Siddiqi notes. This has led to instances where non-Muslim students are forced to respect their fasting peers and eat their recess meals in toilets, Siddiqi said, adding sensitivities around fasting add to heightened tensions. Restaurants and eateries have refused to serve food to pregnant women during Ramadan, which goes against the very essence of Islam, Siddiqi added. Muslim women perform Tarawih prayers at Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan on March 22, 2024, in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. - Annice Lyn/Getty Images Anisah Mahmood, a 42-year-old mother of two from Kuala Lumpur now living in London, said she was suspended by her company in 2018 after she was caught eating in public. She was breastfeeding at the time. There are valid reasons for not fasting, mostly medical, she said. But this is severely misunderstood in Malaysia, even if you are tired or sick, you will be shamed and made to feel like a bad person. The issue of shuttered school canteens has been hotly debated over the years and was recently revived in parliament by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. Non-Muslim students, she argued, should not be forced to eat in storerooms or other inappropriate places during Ramadan when canteens are available. Her comments drew criticism from PAS. We think its common today that everyone respects those who are fasting and the children that are still learning to fast, PAS lawmaker Haji Ahmad Bin Yahaya, said in a statement shared online. For those who struggle to fast or adhere to the rigors of the faith they were born with, Ramadan can be a stressful time. Yusuf, a Malay Muslim man in his 30s who lives in the southern state of Johor, recalled how he was caught buying food during Ramadan by religious police in 2019. As long as you look Malay, you must fast during Ramadan those are the rules, Yusuf told CNN. He asked not to publish his full name and age given the sensitivities of the topic. No one likes to admit when they dont fast especially if they are in Malaysia, he said. I try to fast and try to be consistent, but it gets mentally taxing and can feel almost impossible when all you want is coffee and a cigarette to help get you through the day. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Razing I-794 has its appeal. But Third Ward business operators worry about traffic impact Pickleball courts added beneath Interstate 794 have helped better connect the Historic Third Ward to downtown. Third Ward business operators worry that removing the freeway could bring increased neighborhood traffic. Jim Plaisted understands the appeal of replacing part of downtown Milwaukee's Interstate 794 with a surface street. But he also has to "deal with the reality" faced by his constituents: Historic Third Ward business operators who are worried about increased neighborhood traffic. Those concerns should be eased by the likelihood that razing part of I-794 between the Hoan Bridge and just west of the Milwaukee River will more evenly disperse traffic throughout downtown, says Taylor Korslin, a freeway removal advocate. Plaisted, Historic Third Ward Association executive director, and Korslin, an architect who's a representative of Rethink I-794, spoke at a Monday meeting of the Greater Milwaukee Committee. More than 100 members of the civic group were in the audience. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation in 2023 disclosed seven conceptual plans to repair I-794 and two plans to remove it. Along with a freeway removal option, the agency by fall plans to narrow those plans to one option to rebuild freeway bridges within I-794's current alignment and keep all existing freeway access ramps, and another option to rebuild bridges with a tightened alignment that consolidates ramps. After gathering additional public input, WisDOT plans to choose a preferred alternative by the end of 2024. Final design work is to occur in 2025 and 2026, with construction work starting in 2027 or 2028 if the $300 million project obtains federal and state funding. Plaisted told the Greater Milwaukee Committee group that the Third Ward is "on fire" with development that includes the new 333 Water apartment tower, 333 N. Water St., and plans for Foxtown Landing, a taproom, distillery and restaurant at 412-420 N. Plankinton Ave. He said Third Ward businesses have learned to handle I-794's barrier between the neighborhood and downtown through such efforts as Brighten the Passage, which created murals and new lighting beneath the freeway; Riverwalk Commons, which added pickleball courts and other public space underneath the freeway along North Water Street, and the off-leash dog park that will be built just north of Foxtown Landing. "We've figured out how to deal with this," Plaisted said. "We're very concerned about messing that up." Korslin cited WisDOT estimates that just one-third of the I-794 traffic would continue to use the two-way, four-lane boulevard version of Clybourn Street that would be upgraded if the freeway is razed. Others cars would be dispersed to such streets as St. Paul Avenue, Michigan Street and Wisconsin Avenue, he said. Plaisted also raised concerns about increased traffic on Water Street. Third Ward business operators hope to see it narrowed from four lanes to two lanes, with wider sidewalks, to create an environment more friendly to people walking and biking. One possible remedy, Korslin said, would be to make Plankinton Avenue a two-way street to provide an alternative to Water Street. Along with removing a barrier between downtown, the Third Ward and the lakefront, I-794's removal would free up 15 acres for development creating more economic vitality and a more attractive downtown, Korslin said. And that leads to an issue that's bigger than solving a transportation problem, he said. "What do we want to become as a city?" Korslin asked. Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, X and Facebook. Subscribe to get the BusinessWatch email newsletter. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee business group raises concerns about possible I-794 removal Alon Gat, brother of Hamas hostage Carmel Gat and husband of the now freed hostage Yarden Roman-Gat, stands in front of the Paul-Loebe-Haus at the German Bundestag during a protest action by Israeli relatives of Hamas hostages. Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa The relatives of hostages abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip are urging Germany to do more to secure their release with a demonstration in Berlin, six months after the attack on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas. As part of their campaign they dropped hundreds of pictures of the hostages from a balloon 150 metres above the centre of the capital, with the written demand "Bring them home." They also set up an oversized hourglass between the Chancellery and the Bundestag with the inscription "Time is running out." "We are here to remind the people that we are still waiting for my sister Carmel, who is still in Gaza, to come home, because they dont have more time," said Alon Gat. His 39-year-old sister was abducted by Hamas militants on October 7 from Kibbutz Beeri near the border with the Gaza Strip - along with Alon Gat himself, his wife Yarden Roman-Gat and their three-year-old daughter. Gat managed to escape with his daughter during the hostage-taking. Yarden was released after 54 days captivity as part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas. The released hostages said that Carmel Gat, a behavioural therapist, took care of the other prisoners while they were held hostage and organized yoga classes. But where she is now and how she is doing are unknown. "We need to convince everyone that people need to get out of this hell," he said. Germany is influential, especially when it comes to its ties to Qatar, which in turn plays an important role for Hamas, Alon Gat said. "The main goal of Germany now is to press Qatar, to press Hamas, because Hamas has to compromise." Alon Gat (L), brother of the Hamas hostage Carmel Gat and husband of the now freed hostage Yarden Roman-Gat, and Naama Weinberg, cousin of Itai Svirsky, who died while being held hostage, speak at a protest by Israeli relatives of Hamas hostages in front of the Paul Loebe House at the German Bundestag. Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Meetings with Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, represent a true mutual desire to strengthen the strategic partnership, outgoing Ukrainian Ambassador Vladyslav Kanevskyi wrote on his page on X, Trend reports. Kanevskyi made the remark, commenting on his recent meeting with the Azerbaijani official. "Working meetings with Hikmet Hajiyev are not only an opportunity to discuss and address critical bilateral agenda issues, but also a true mutual desire to strengthen strategic cooperation through concrete actions and ambitious projects," he emphasized. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." This story is a collaboration with Popular Mechanics. In the annals of William Shakespeares legacy, a twist has emerged thats practically as dramatic as any of the Bards plays: the real Shakespeare behind a centuries-old family document has been revealed... and its not the man we expected. In 1757, a bricklayer found a religious document hidden in the rafters of the Shakespeare House in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Historians have long attributed the document, which was signed, J. Shakespeare, to Williams father, John. But a new study in Shakespeare Quarterly, from scholars at the University of Bristol, claims John wasnt actually the writer of the scrutinized document. Instead, the researchers say it was Williams relatively unknown younger sister, Joan Shakespeare Hart, who is mentioned by name in only seven surviving documents from her lifetime. Study author Matthew Steggle said in a statement: Virginia Woolf wrote a famous essay, Shakespeares sister, about how a figure like her could never hope to be a writer or have her writing preserved, so she has become something of a symbol for all the lost voices of early modern women. There are hundreds of thousands of works surviving from her brother, and until now, none at all, of any description, from her. In the tucked-away document, which heavily cites an obscure 17th century Italian religious tract called The Last Will and Testament of the Soul, the writer pledges to die a good Catholic death. If the writer was indeed John Shakespeare, who remained a devout Protestant until his death in 1601, it would have indicated a major shift in his beliefs and suggested a clandestine life during an era when secret allegiance to the Catholic Church in Elizabethan England could have been dangerous. For this reason, many experts have suspected the document to be forged. But in the new study, Steggle used internet archives to track down early editions of The Last Will and Testament of the Soul in Italian and six other languages and concluded the document could have only been written after John Shakespeares death. That left Steggle with just one other J. Shakespeare: Joan. Joan, who was five years younger than William, survived for 30 years after her brothers death, and long resided in the family home where the document was found. Even 30 years ago, a researcher approaching a problem like this would have been based in a single big research library, using printed catalogues and even card catalogues to try to find copies of this text, Steggle said in the statement. But research libraries have now made many of their resources available digitally, so that it is possible to look across many different libraries in different countries at once, and whats more, you can look through the whole text, not just at the title and other details. Steggle emphasized the importance of this approach in aligning the documents quotes with the original timing of the composition of The Last Will and Testament of the Soul. Joan, who outlived her tradesman husband and had four children in the old Shakespeare family house, then had to have been the secret Catholic supporter. The mystery flourished for centuries, in part, because William Shakespeare himself was a secretive figure, Biography has previously written. Shakespeare, who lived from 1564 to 1616, left behind no letters, no handwritten manuscripts, few contemporary accounts, and only six signatures, all spelled differently. It seems almost unbelievable to scholars and critics that the country boy from Stratford-upon-Avon who never attended university wrote 37,000 words for his plays and added roughly 300 words to the English vocabulary. GraphicaArtis - Getty Images Yet, the scarcity of Shakespeares personal artifacts does little to dim the luster of his legacy, which stands in stark contrast to his modest, mysterious origins. The early years of Shakespeares life are murky. He was born to a father, John, who managed a portfolio as a landowner, moneylender, local official, and glover and leather craftsman. Instead of pursuing higher education, Shakespeares knowledge was gleaned from life experiences, absorbing wisdom from his dads civic engagements and perhaps gaining insights from his son-in-law, who was a doctor. The idea that Shakespeare kept his London-based professional life separate from his personal life in Stratford-upon-Avon plays into the recent findings regarding his sister, Joan. This secretive attitude, Biography has reported, may have been because much of his family were known Catholic sympathizers and chose to live quietly in Protestant Elizabethan England. In fact, some believe Shakespeare himself received Catholic communion on his death bed. Hearst Owned Shakespeare wasnt known to be loud and boisterous; instead, he carried an air of mystery, relishing the relative anonymity provided by Stratford life. Following his marriage to Anne Hathaway and the birth of their children, theres a seven-year gap in his historical record. These are known as the lost years. Speculation about William Shakespeares lost years varies widely; some suggest he may have been in hiding due to accusations of poaching, while more substantiated theories propose he was making a living as an actor and playwright in London. But despite this period of obscurity, Shakespeares reputation flourished through his poetry, sonnets, and plays. As a prominent member of the Lord Chamberlains Men, a renowned London acting company, Shakespeare invested in his craft, and his financial success allowed him to buy New Place, one of the largest houses in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeares theatrical endeavors didnt stop there; in collaboration with fellow actors, he started the iconic Globe Theater, which became synonymous with his celebrated playwriting and solidified his legacy. As Shakespeare grew his name in Londons theaters, he simultaneously established himself as a prominent figure in his hometown of Stratford. Acquiring the family estate in 1601 and subsequently purchasing 107 acres the following year, he strategically invested in additional properties. Experts suggest that the income from leasing these lands gave him the financial stability to pursue his writing. Meanwhile, Joan resided in the Shakespeare family home amidst speculation and secrets. And its rafters served as a vault for her Italian-inspired religious writingsa hidden gem thats still sparking scholarly intrigue, and revealing new layers to the Shakespeare legacy today. You Might Also Like Report: Brownwood 3-year-old shoots self in head while father was driving BROWNWOOD, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A Brownwood 3-year-old shot himself in the head while his father was driving Sunday morning. The incident happened on CR 234 around 11:00 a.m. Brown County Sheriff Vance Hill says the father was driving down the road when his 3-year-old child accessed a pistol he had stored in his vehicle and shot himself in the head. Sheriff Hill says the father rushed the child to the hospital, where initial lifesaving measures were taken. He was then flown to Cook Childrens Medical Center in Ft. Worth, where he underwent surgery and is currently is ICU. Its currently unclear if anyone will be facing criminal charges in connection to this shooting, but the investigation is ongoing. No further information has been released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. How to report a dog attack in your Topeka neighborhood TOPEKA (KSNT) Finding yourself face-to-face with a vicious dog can be a frightening experience, but it doesnt need to be something you deal with alone. The City of Topeka maintains resources to help people dealing with animal-related problems, including those who are on the receiving end of dog attacks. For many of these instances, the city encourages people to get in touch with Animal Control officers. The reporting process for Animal Control changed recently, according to the citys last weekly report. If youre being attacked by a dog or see someone who is being actively attacked, youre encouraged to call 911. Non-emergency situations involving dangerous dogs can be solved by calling 785-368-9203 to reach Animal Control Dispatch. Dillons offers 5% one-day discount this April The Topeka Police Department keeps a list of procedures to follow in the aftermath of a dog bite incident. These include: Contact your physician or seek medical treatment for your injuries. If the animal that bit you is loose, an Animal Control officer will attempt to capture the animal and notify the owner if possible. In certain situations, a citation may also be issued. The owner of the dog will sign a quarantine with Animal Control notifying the Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) of the situation. The SCHD will then examine the animal at the end of the quarantine period which usually lasts 10 days. You can call health officials for results of the examination at 785-251-5600. Animal Control will try to find the animal and its owner following a bite report. However, this is not always possible. If Animal Control cant find the animal in question, it will urge the victim to contact the SCHD at 785-251-5600 and your health provider for advice. The victim of a dog bite may register a citation with an Animal Control officer by calling 785-368-9203. In certain circumstances, a dog can be seized and impounded on dangerous dog charges. For follow-up information from law enforcement, call the Animal Control Office. Normal business hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information on animal-related issues in Topeka, click here. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Two Republican congressmen have warned that Russian propaganda has infected parts of the GOP. During an interview on Sunday with CNNs Jake Tapper on State of the Union, House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Turner said Russian propaganda has absolutely seeped its way to Congress, adding that some of his colleagues have repeated false claims made by the Russians on the Congress floor. It is absolutely true we see, directly coming from Russia, attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor, he said. It is not clear which members of Congress he was referring to. His remarks came after House Foreign Affairs chair Michael McCaul told Puck News last week that Russian propaganda has infected a good chunk of the GOP base. Mr McCaul blamed conservative media outlets for pushing Russian propaganda, including nighttime entertainment shows that spew identical talking points being used by Russian state media. Mike Turner (right) during his interview on CNN (CNN) On Sunday, RNC Chair Michael Whatley appeared on Fox News where he falsely claimed Ukraine was an aggressive opponent of the US along with China and Iran. The same day, Mr Turner warned that when Russian propaganda is repeated, it masks the real reason for the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. There are members of Congress today who still incorrectly say that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO, which of course it is not, he said, adding: Vladimir Putin having made it very clear, both publicly and to his own population, that his view is that this is a conflict of a much broader claim of Russia to Eastern Europe, including claiming all of Ukraine territory as Russias. To the extent that this propaganda takes hold, it makes it more difficult for us to really see this as an authoritarian versus democracy battle, he continued. Mr Turner and Mr McCaul have been outspoken advocates of passing additional aid to Ukraine. Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, does a television interview, at the Capitol in Washington on 19 October 2023 (AP) But they have faced resistance in the House in recent months to efforts to pass aid for Ukraine, with Speaker Mike Johnson refusing to put an aid package the Senate passed in February that would provide resources to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on the House floor. Mr McCaul said he has had to explain to colleagues in Congress that the threat Russia presents is similar to threats made by other US adversaries. I have to explain to them whats at stake, why Ukraine is in our national security interest, he said. By the way, you dont like Communist China? Well, guess what? Theyre aligned [with Russia], along with the ayatollah [of Iran]. So when you explain it that way, they kind of start understanding it. US aid has been the backbone of support flowing into Ukraine to sustain its war effort against Russia since February 2022, with Congress sending $44.2bn of aid to Ukraine since the start of Russias invasion. Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Washington Post that without the aid, the countrys chances on the battlefield are dire. If there is no US support, it means that we have no air defence, no Patriot missiles, no jammers for electronic warfare, no 155-millimetre artillery rounds, he said. Mr Turner has also warned of the importance of sustaining US aid to Ukraine. We need to make certain that that we know that authoritarian regimes never stop when they start an aggression. Ukraine needs our help and assistance now, he said in an interview with The Hill. CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) The Chesapeake Fire Department was on the scene of a house fire in the 1700 block of Ohio Street in the South Norfolk section of the city on April 7. Chesapeake firefighters along with auto-aid units from Norfolk received the call around 5 p.m. Crews arrived to find smoke coming from the roof of a residence, and the fire was under control around 5:25 p.m. The resident is unable to stay in the home due to the damage from the fire. No injuries were reported. The Red Cross is assisting the resident. The cause is under investigation. Check with WAVY.com for more updates. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. A top Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign official and longtime anti-vaxxer says her overarching goal is to ruin Joe Bidens chances of winning reelection in November, telling a group of GOP voters that the current president is our mutual enemy. In a half-hour speech to the Empire State Republicans, Rita Palma, director of Kennedys New York State operation, shared her strategy for deep-sixing Bidens run, describing his defeat as the number one priority for me. Right now, the task we have at hand is collecting 45,000 signatures to get Bobby on the ballot, Palma said in footage of the gathering that was posted to YouTube but has since been deleted. However much I adore Bobby Kennedy, I am a two-time Trump voter. I knocked on doors for him in Pennsylvania, in 16 and 20. I have more Trump T-shirts than I do Bobby Kennedy T-shirts So, I was a strong Trump voter. But frankly, with the [support he showed for] vaccines, he lost me. In the video, a copy of which was viewed by The Daily Beast, Palma laid out her plans to siphon votes away from Biden, conceding that it still would not lead to a Kennedy win. However, she continued, If I wake up November 6, and Trump wins, Im not going to be overly upset. But if Biden wins, were all going to be terribly upset, because hes ruining America, Palma went on. And the people that control him are ruining our country. So thats kind of, you know, the framework from which Im coming tonight. Palmas organization, My Kids, My Choice, provides materials for parents to claim religious exemptions for vaccinating their children. Her now-private Xformerly Twitterprofile describes her as a vaccine choice OG. ALL vaccines have problems, it says. Palma did not respond to emails and texts requesting comment. Her voicemail was full on Monday, and unable to accept messages. In a statement issued Monday, Democratic National Committee spokesperson Matt Corridoni said of the comments: RFK Jr.s campaign is saying the quiet part out loud: he is a spoiler for Donald Trump. RFK Jr. was recruited into this race by Trump allies, his candidacy is propped up by Trumps largest donor, and now his own staff admits that their number one goal in this election is stopping Joe Biden. As the saying goes, when people show you who they are, believe them: RFK Jr.s campaign isnt building a plan or a strategy to get 270 electoral votes, theyre building one to help Trump return to the Oval Office. Palma, who in the video described her politics as right of center, told the assembled crowd that Republicans must accept the fact that New York, Maryland Illinois, California, New Jersey, Connecticutmost of the Northeast is going to go blue. She claimed Kennedy is taking votes from both sides, but is pulling a little bit more from Biden, which explains why the DNC is kind of ganging up on him to keep him off the ballot. Okay, so how do we block Biden from winning the presidency? Palma asked. Like I said, thats the number one priority for me. So, she said, Why wouldn't we put our vote to Bobby, and at least get rid of Biden and get those 28 electoral votes in New York? And we all know how that works, right? Palma said. 270 wins the election. If you dont get to 270, if nobody gets 270, then Congress picks the president. So, who are they going to pick, if its a Republican Congress? Theyll pick Trump. So were rid of Biden, either way. Does everybody follow that? If Kennedy wins four blue states, theres no way [Biden] can get in, Palma instructed the crowd. She told the group that she recently started working for the Kennedy campaign again after joining, then quitting, last summer. She then came up with the idea to solicit Republicans with a message of make your red vote count, she said, admitting that it is kind of a weird message because its almost like youre not promoting Bobby on his own merits. You know, youre saying, Well, Bidens a disaster, so vote for my guy, Palma said. Its kind of an unusual campaign message, but I was doing it anyway. And I was just talking to people, because I wasnt employed by anybody, so I could do whatever I wanted. And people kept continually telling me Thats a really good idea. Palma said she told the Kennedy campaign that she would work as the New York State director if Im allowed to preach that, if Im allowed to get that message out there because I think this is a really winning strategy. She said she will be bringing her plan of attack to radio stations, conservative outlets, local publications, and is looking for people with good strong Twitter followings to get the word out there. And, Palma emphasized, even if those in the audience did not plan on voting for Kennedy in November, they should sign petitions to get Kennedy on the New York ballot to ensure a Biden loss. Were just spicing up the election, she said. Were just making it more interesting Were all on the same team right now, and well be on the same team lateras long as Trump or Kennedy wins. According to Palma, Kennedy is something of a Trumpist when it comes to immigration, saying that he believes the border should be closed. She also argued that Kennedy will be able to hit the ground running because he had relatives in office. Bobby doesnt have to go to president school, Palma claimed. He knows how to be a president. He knows the history. He knows what his father did. And his uncle did. He understands all the different roles. He knows exactly what to do to disable these three-letter agencies that are totally ruining our lives. Palmas remarks to the Empire State Republicans echoed those she shared on social media last week. In one, she wrote: Just a friendly reminder, NY, Cali, Illinois, CT, NJ, MD lets take those votes from Biden so Joes a loser. In another, she wrote: Dear Republican, Make your RED Vote Count! Republican voters ALL complain their vote is wasted in BLUE YORK. Winning the Presidency is ALL ABOUT the ELECTORAL VOTES; dont give Biden our 26! New York in fact has 28 electoral votes. On April 28, Palma will be co-hosting a private reception for Kennedy in Melville, New York. Tickets are available at the Supporter level, for $1,500, which gets them admission to the event, hors doeuvres, wine and beer, and a photo opportunity with the candidate. Premier and Maximum donors who fork over $3,300 and $6,600, respectively, are entitled to heavy hors doeuvres and cocktails, according to the invitation. 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. Rhode Islanders come out to watch the eclipse and look ahead to the next one PROVIDENCE As the moon started to cover the sun on Monday afternoon, hundreds of people on the lawn in front of the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Roger Williams Park started to turn their heads skyward, faces wrapped in solar glasses. Dennis, 75, and Linda Berkley, 68, of Cranston came out to see the eclipse partly because of a media blitz and partly because they may not live to see the next one. The couple missed the last partial eclipse in 2017, so this one was Linda Berkley's first solar eclipse, while Dennis Berkley said he remembered one from his childhood. The one memory? "Everyone said, 'Don't look directly into the sun,'" Dennis Berkley recalled. Iolanda Monteiro and her children, 5-year-old-Soleil and 13-year-old Neyomiah, stare in awe at the eclipse on Monday from the front lawn of the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Roger Williams Park, Providence. Museum Director Renee Gamba said the museum ordered 2,000 eclipse glasses for viewers. Morning scramble for eclipse glasses Realizing it was a rare opportunity, Erica DeBritto came to the park with her six children, taking them out of school for half the day. The children will probably remember the 90% eclipse for the rest of their life, she said. Terrance, 10, was excited but didn't know what to expect. Museum of Natural History Director Renee Gamba said the institution ordered 2,000 eclipse glasses and more than 1,000 people signed up to get them. As the eclipse neared, she started handing them out to people who hadn't registered, after giving many away to local libraries. "We got over 500 calls by 9 a.m.," she said. More from the eclipse: Here are some of the best solar eclipse GIFs and Tweets from Rhode Island 'It was ominous' Janet Rodriguez, 53, came to the park with her daughter Emily Cruz after being bombarded on Facebook with news of the eclipse. "I think this is my first time, but there have been so many since I've been around," Rodriguez said. "All the other times I've been sleeping or working." Rodriguez said she was excited to be in a big group for the eclipse, just in case anything else happened. Bethany Rushing of Providence joined many others at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Roger Williams Park to view the eclipse. Rodriguez's son called her to talk about the eclipse as it first started and he stepped out of work to watch. Adam and Katie Logan, both 42, of Warwick came out with their children and neighbors to see the eclipse. For him, it wasn't a first, the last time being in elementary school, when he was told to not look up. For her, it was a first. Bethany Rushing, 38, of Providence, last saw an eclipse in 2017 in Alabama. "All the myriad things people call it, it's true," she said. When totality hit, the birds stopped chirping and the world got quiet, she said of her last experience. "It was ominous, eerie," she said. Eclipse gazers gather at the eclipse watch party at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Roger Williams Park on Monday. Seeing the eclipse in the park In Dexter Park, as the moon began to shadow nearly the entire sun, small groups craned their necks skyward. The temperature dropped and the light began to dim slightly. Parents sat with children in strollers, larger groups gathered in semi-circles and children yelled and jumped in the playground. Emma Corbin sat in the park with eight friends. The thing that most surprised her was the drop in temperature. "I think we forgot it was going to get cold," she said. "It's silly to say because the sun equals warm." The partial eclipse gave her a taste. Next time, she said, she's going for the full thing. Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Providence Journal subscription. Here's our latest offer. Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Islanders loved this solar eclipse and are ready for the next one The Sacramento Police Department is investigating a Sunday evening shooting in south Sacramento that killed a man Officers were called just before 6 p.m. to a home on the 6900 block of 27th Street in the Woodbine neighborhood for reports of a shooting, police said. A 38-year-old man had been struck by multiple gunshot wounds and was unresponsive, according to radio dispatches reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. The man died at the scene, said Officer Cody Tapley, a spokesman for the Police Department. The victim has not yet been identified by the Sacramento County Coroners Office pending next-of-kin notification. Preliminary information from the radio dispatches indicates the man who was shot entered a residents backyard and tried to rob two people on the property. One of the men being robbed then shot the victim, dispatchers said in the archived audio. Multiple witnesses at the scene may have seen the incident unfold, according to the dispatches. Police have not announced any arrests or any suspect description. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call police dispatch center at 916-808-5471 or the Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357. Callers may remain anonymous and could receive a $1,000 reward. A multi-national NATO naval exercise in the Black Sea and Danube River delta, consisting of contributing maritime forces from 12 different alliance members and other partners, began on April 8, Romanian media reported. The exercise, named Sea Shield 24, is the second time the naval drill has been held, with the first occurring in 2015. The Black Sea has been a crucial theater of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, and the Danube River has emerged as an important alternative transit route in response to the Russian naval presence in the sea. Hundreds of mines have been spread throughout the Black Sea since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Several civilian ships and navy ships belonging to countries not party to the war have struck sea mines since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. According to a press release by the Romanian navy, the exercise will involve more than 2,000 soldiers, 27 ships, 17 planes, and other military-technical equipment. It will be "the most complex event conducted by the Romanian Naval Forces," the press release said. Among the participants will be Romania, the U.S., the U.K., Bulgaria, France, Turkey, and Poland, as well as non-NATO members Georgia and Moldova. The goal of the exercise is to combat "illegal sea and river operations, maritime and river control, search and rescue at sea, assisting a vessel in distress, and securing critical infrastructure." It will extend until April 21. NATO members Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria announced in January 2024 that they had signed a memorandum of understanding on a joint mine-clearing task force in the Black Sea, but it was not clear when it would begin. Read also: Romania says it found possible drone fragments on its territory following Russian attack on Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Orkhan Zeynalov has been appointed Deputy Minister of Energy by the corresponding decree of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports. The new deputy minister was introduced to the ministry staff by the Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov. Speaking at a meeting with senior officials of the ministry's apparatus and subordinate structures, the minister highlighted the tasks facing the Ministry of Energy and wished the newly appointed deputy minister and the team success in this work. To note, Zeynalov graduated from the Azerbaijan State University of Economics. In 2015, he received additional education at the Harvard Kennedy School. From 2020 to 2022, Zeynalov held the position of Deputy Head of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Energy, and from 2022 to 2024 - the Head of the Department of Economic Cooperation at the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan. Letter volumes are likely to drop to 4 billion in the next five years, down from their peak of 20 billion two decades ago - SASHA BELL/GETTY Royal Mail cutbacks could signal the end of the handwritten letter, campaigners have warned. The founder of the Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society (HLAS) fears a proposed cut to postal delivery days may result in fewer people writing letters. Dinah Johnson told The Times: Writing a letter is so much more personal than an email or a WhatsApp message. It is something that Royal Mail have never really promoted or valued, despite the fact it is this wonderful thing ... that makes money for them. The comments come after Royal Mail last week outlined plans to deliver second class post on every other weekday as it attempts to shore up its finances amid a slump in letter sending. The proposals were put forward in Royal Mails submission to regulator Ofcom, which is reviewing the postal services universal service obligation (USO). Royal Mail lost 319 million in the first half of the year - IAN NICHOLSON/PA The USO requires post to be delivered Monday to Saturday and sets targets for first and second class post. Ofcom estimated the USO costs Royal Mail between 325 million and 675 million and warned it could become financially and operationally unsustainable unless the rules are eased. The company lost 319 million in the first half of the year as it warned that letter volumes are likely to drop to 4 billion in the next five years, down from their peak of 20 billion two decades ago. Royal Mail, which has long campaigned for the USO to be overhauled, also called for its quality of service targets to be relaxed. Bosses said a relaxation of the rules, coupled with new reliability targets, would bring the UK in line with other European countries, including France and Italy. Royal Mail said the changes would reduce the net cost of the USO by up to 300 million, though it warned they could take up to two years to implement. A dying art Ms Johnson, who established the HLAS in 2017, said: All we keep hearing about is how expensive stamps are becoming and that its a rubbish service. Now people are being told that the cheaper way of sending letters will take longer even if it doesnt mean too much difference, it will just put people off more. This is how you get to the death of letter-writing. She added: I think there is something really special about it. Its far more private and thoughtful than an email, and it gets you away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Handwriting is so personal ... I always wonder when someone dies whether there are any examples of their handwriting left behind, because they are the literal mark we leave, she said. [Letters] are a form of communication that should be cherished and promoted, and that should start with the Royal Mail bosses. A Royal Mail spokesman said: Letters remain important to us, but they continue to decline as customer preferences have changed. Volumes have declined from a peak of 20 billion a year in 2004/5 to seven billion in 2022/3. This is a trend thats not going to stop volumes will likely drop to four billion in five years. We have run numerous marketing campaigns and letter writing initiatives to promote the value of letters. But we cant turn back the tide the only way to save the Universal Service is to change the Universal Service. Our proposal includes a six-day service for First Class letters, as well as deliveries to every address every other weekday of Second Class mail. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service on Monday, April 8, 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, center, walks from the plane upon his arrival in Beijing, China. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is visiting Beijing to display the strength of ties with close diplomatic ally China amid Moscow's grinding war against Ukraine. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP) BEIJING (AP) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beijing Monday to display the strength of ties with close diplomatic partner China amid Moscows grinding war against Ukraine and an ongoing effort to align their foreign policies against the U.S. and its allies. The two continent-sized authoritarian states, increasingly in dispute with democracies and NATO, seek to gain influence in Africa, the Middle East and South America. China has backed Russias claim that President Vladimir Putin launched his assault in 2022 because of Western provocations, without producing any solid evidence. Russian state news agency Tass said the ministers would discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Asia-Pacific region, issues of bilateral cooperation and interaction in the international arena, quoting Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. Zakharova posted a photo on social media site Telegram showing Lavrov meeting with counterpart Wang Yi but gave no information of the content of their discussions. China's Foreign Ministry and state media had no immediate reports about the talks. Lavrov arrived in China on Monday on an official visit that will last until Tuesday. Wang has visited Russia during the conflict in Ukraine and maintained China's line of not dubbing the Russian war in Ukraine an invasion. China has at times taken an equally combative tone against the U.S. and its allies. China and Russia have held joint military drills, and are seen as seeking to supplant democracies with dictatorships in areas where they wield influence. Despite its clear backing of Russia in the Ukraine war, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters Monday that China has an objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue. We have been actively promoting peace talks and political solutions. China is not a creator or party to the Ukraine crisis, and we have not and will not do anything to profit from it, Mao told reporters at a daily briefing. China has also said it wasn't providing Russia with arms or military assistance, although it has maintained robust economic connections with Moscow, alongside India and other countries. Just weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin visited Beijing for the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics and the sides signed a pact pledging a no limits relationship that has China supporting Russia's line, even while formally urging peace talks. We have always controlled the export of dual-use items in accordance with the law, Mao said, referring to industrial items that can be used for both industrial or military purposes, such as drones. The relevant country should not smear or attack the normal relations between China and Russia, Mao said. The relevant country was a reference to the U.S., Russia and Chinas chief geopolitical rival. In a phone call last week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, U.S. President Joseph Biden pressed China over its defense relationship with Russia, which is seeking to rebuild its industrial base as it continues its invasion of Ukraine. And he called on Beijing to wield its influence over North Korea to rein in the isolated and erratic nuclear power. Adding to the tension between the two countries, U.S. lawmakers generated new legislation that would ban TikTok, the popular social media application, if its China-based owner ByteDance doesnt sell its stakes in the platform within six months of the bills enactment. Lawmakers are concerned Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over data on the 170 million Americans who use TikTok. All Chinese firms, especially those in the social media sphere, are obligated to hand over user data to the government. Lavrov's visit also coincides with the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who on Monday wrapped up four days of talks with Chinese officials and said in Beijing they had difficult conversations about national security, including American concerns that Chinese companies are supporting Russia in its war in Ukraine. Yellen also said the Biden administration will push China to change an industrial policy that poses a threat to U.S. jobs. Debris lies in a destroyed house in the port city of Odessa. A barrage of Russian drone attacks have caused damage in the southern Ukrainian regions of Odessa and Mykolaiv, authorities said on Monday. Kay Nietfeld/dpa A barrage of Russian drone attacks have caused damage in the southern Ukrainian regions of Odessa and Mykolaiv, authorities said on Monday. Debris from an intercepted drone wrecked a transport logistics facility and a petrol station in Odessa, while an electrical line was damaged by drone shrapnel, causing power outages in 14 villages in the Mykolaiv region to the east of Odessa. There were no casualties in the attacks. A total of 17 out of 24 drones launched by Russia were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force said. In the Zaporizhzhya region further east, Ukrainian authorities reported three dead and three injured after artillery fire. Zaporizhzhya is partially occupied by Russian troops and remains hotly contested more than two years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. The region is also the location of Ukraine's biggest nuclear plant, which was threatened by a drone attack on Sunday. Russia attacks its neighbouring country with drones and missiles on a daily basis. Kiev is asking for more air defence systems from the West in order to better protect its cities. In addition to the airstrikes, there are also massive artillery battles in the east and south of Ukraine. Ukrainian top military officials met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Monday to discuss further measures to protect the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, which has been the target of a constant barrage of Russian airstrikes recently. "The main topic was Kharkiv, the defence of the city against Russian attacks and the possibility of strengthening our air defence and electronic warfare in the Kharkiv region," Zelensky wrote on Telegram after the meeting of the Stavka, the Ukrainian army's high command. According to the Ukrainian military, the next major Russian offensive could be directed against Kharkiv. "We are holding our positions, the main thing now is efficient logistics," Zelensky said, outlining the situation on the front. In addition to military measures, diplomatic steps, such as the procurement of new air defence systems, were also discussed, the president said. In recent weeks, Zelensky has repeatedly asked Western partners for additional air defence systems. In a television interview on Sunday, he said that his country needs at least 25 US Patriot air defence systems to adequately protect Ukrainian cities. A worker of the energy supply company DTEK near the crater after a Russian missile in Kyiv, Ukraine, December 2, 2022. Photo: Serhiy Morgunov for The Washington Post via Getty Images Russia has switched the tactics of its attacks on Ukraines energy sector: it is now deploying high-precision missiles to target power plants in areas that are less well protected than Kyiv. Some of the energy infrastructure facilities Russia has recently struck will not be fully restored until next winter. Source: Financial Times Details: "Ukrainian officials said that while not as widespread, the damage that Moscow had inflicted was worse than in the winter of 2022-23, with the apparent aim now being permanent, irreparable damage. Russia targeted seven thermal power stations between March 22 and 29 all in other regions than Kyiv, which has some of the best air defences in the country. The Russian missiles also hit two hydroelectric power stations," the FT reported. Ukraine did not provide details on the extent of damage at each power plant, but officials said that some, including those in Kharkiv Oblast near the Russian border, were almost completely destroyed, the FT also said. "Our goal is to restore as much as we can by October," said Maksym Timchenko, chief executive of DTEK, Ukraines largest energy producer. DTEK lost about 80% of its power generation capacity in Russian attacks during the last week of March. Five of DTEKs thermal plants were forced to halt operations. Timchenko said there were plans to bring back online those substations and larger power plants that have not been completely destroyed: "Subject to no further attacks, at least 50% of damaged power units will be reconnected to the grid." "The same number of missiles used in the [2022-23] winter attack are now being directed at five to six energy facilities in one region," said Mariia Tsaturian, head of communications at Ukrenergo, Ukraines national transmission system operator. "They are trying to cut off large industrial regions and cities from the power supply," she said. Tsaturian said that defence structures could be used to protect smaller substations managed by Ukrenergo from Russian attacks, but it is "very difficult, if not impossible" to cover large power plants, which take "several months or even years" to restore, she explained. Another key difference from the winter of 2022-23 is that Russia is now also deploying expensive high-precision ballistic missiles, Andrii Herus, head of Ukraines parliamentary committee for energy and utilities, said. Ukraines Defence Intelligence estimates that Russia has a sufficient stockpile of missiles to carry out one or two large-scale attacks over the next several weeks. Support UP or become our patron! Russian strikes against Ukraine killed at least four people and injured at least nine over the past day, regional officials said early on April 8. Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast on April 7 killed one person in Chasiv Yar and injured one in Yelyzavetivka, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. Russia attacked the city of Kharkiv around noon on April 7 with aerial bombs, injuring a 45-year-old man with shrapnel, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Four women were treated for shock following the attack. Russian forces later struck the city with an S-300 missile, damaging buildings but inflicting no casualties. In Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks injured three people, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Six houses were damaged, as well as a critical infrastructure site, a shopping center, and other civilian property. Russian "kamikaze" drones attacked a critical infrastructure facility in Zhytomyr Oblast, the regional military administration said. The Zviahel City Council reported a "direct threat of air pollution" as a result of the damage, urging residents to stay indoors and close their windows. No casualties were reported. Zhytomyr Oblast Governor Vitalii Bunechko said later for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that no air pollution has been recorded in the region at the moment, adding that the measures taken by the Zviahel authorities are "preventive." Read also: Ukraines angels who look after, evacuate civilians left in front-line Donbas In Sumy Oblast, one person was injured in a Russian artillery strike against the Myropillia community, the regional military administration reported. Russia struck eight settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day, the regional military administration said. Three people were killed and three injured in a Russian rocket attack against the Polohy district, according to the statement. Overnight drone attack against the Voznesensk district in Mykolaiv Oblast damaged power lines, leaving 14 settlements without power, Governor Vitalii Kim reported, adding that there were no casualties. In the Odesa district of Odesa Oblast, Russian drones damaged a transport facility and a gas station but inflicted no casualties, Governor Oleh Kiper said. Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts also came under attack, but no casualties were reported. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian troops attacked Beryslav and Bilozerka in Kherson Oblast, injuring two civilians, and shelled the city of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, injuring two more, local authorities reported on April 8. In Nikopol, a city regularly shelled due to its proximity to Russian-occupied territories, a 21-year-old woman and a 49-year-old man were injured. Both were hospitalized with injuries of moderate severity, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak reported. A two-story apartment building was destroyed, while some houses, utility buildings, cars, and an infrastructure facility were damaged, Lysak added. The attack also damaged power lines and gas pipelines. In Beryslav, a 63-year-old man suffered a concussion and wounds to his arms and legs after Russian forces dropped explosives from a drone, according to the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration's report. "The victim received required medical help, and his life is not under threat," the statement read. Beryslav, a town with a pre-war population of 12,000, lies at the western bank of the Dnipro River, almost 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) east of the regional center, Kherson. Another Russian drone attack on April 8 injured a 60-year-old man in Bilozerka, a town some 10 kilometers (six miles) west of Kherson. The victim was hospitalized with a blast injury, the regional military administration said. Russian attacks injured three people over the past day on April 7 and overnight in Kherson Oblast. Six houses were damaged, as well as a critical infrastructure site, a shopping center, and other civilian property, according to the local authorities. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia reportedly loses 7 aircraft; Zelensky says Kharkiv protected against potential offensive Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast: over 170 explosions over past day, one person injured The Russians fired 40 times at the territories of Sumy Oblast over the past day, attacking with various weapons, launching rockets and dropping mortar bombs. One person was wounded in Myropillia hromada as a result of the attacks [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.]. Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration Quote: "A total of 173 explosions were recorded. The hromadas of Khotin, Myropillia, Bilopillia, Vorozhba, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Putyvl, Shalyhyne, Esman, Znob-Novhorodske and Seredyna-Buda came under fire." Details: The Russians fired at Khotin hromada with artillery and mortars (18 explosions). Shalyhyne hromada was attacked with mortars (four explosions). A mortar attack was also recorded in Znob-Novhorodske hromada (five explosions). Esman hromada was subjected to mortar attacks, artillery fire and a strike from a helicopter with the launch of four rockets. The Russians dropped an explosive device from a UAV on Krasnopillia hromada and carried out artillery and mortar attacks (21 explosions). Seredyna-Buda hromada was attacked by an FPV kamikaze drone; there were also artillery and mortar attacks (32 explosions). In Bilopillia hromada, attacks by an FPV kamikaze drone and attacks from MLRS, artillery and grenade launchers were also recorded (32 explosions). The Russians fired at Vorozhba hromada from a tank (eight explosions). Velyka Pysarivka hromada was attacked with artillery, mortars and an explosive device dropped from a UAV (seven explosions). The Russians dropped three mortar bombs on Putyvl hromada. Myropillia hromada was subjected to mortar and artillery attacks, with a total of 29 explosions. One person was injured as a result of the Russian attacks. Support UP or become our patron! Russian convicts who earned their freedom fighting Ukraine are going home with swagger and a stash of money to burn: NYT Russian convicts who earned their freedom fighting Ukraine are going home with swagger and a stash of money to burn: NYT Fighting in Ukraine has given some of the ex-convicts Russia recruited their swag back. These men are granted freedom after surviving their military service. Around 15,000 ex-convicts have reportedly returned to Russia, per The New York Times. Ex-convicts who fought for Russia in Ukraine are heading home with newfound wealth and swagger, The New York Times reported on Saturday. Olga Romanova, who heads a Russian NGO focusing on prisoner issues, told The Times that around 15,000 ex-convicts have returned to Russia after fighting in Ukraine. The returning men, who are released without any rehabilitation, often go on to commit crimes once back home. Kirill Titaev, a Russian sociologist at Yale University, told The Times that the wave of "invisible violence" was a "big problem for the society." Experts The Times spoke to said some former prisoners gained confidence after their stints in Ukraine, and see their wartime service as a form of rehabilitation. Fighting in Ukraine has also left them financially well-off, as they were paid a base monthly salary of about $2,000 from The Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization, per The Times. That is also more than double the average salary of a Russian worker, who makes around $756 a month, Russia's statistics agency said in a survey released in October. Romanova told The Times that even the local police officers are afraid of the returning convicts and their newly-attained veteran status. Russia's reliance on attrition warfare, however, has seen the country continually drawing on its prison population to boost its military manpower. Wagner first started the practice of recruiting inmates to bolster its ranks, offering the convicts full pardons if they survived a six-month stint in Ukraine. The practice was then adopted by Russia's defense ministry in 2023. Sending prisoners to the battlefield, the UK's defense ministry said in May, would allow Russia "to avoid implementing new mandatory mobilization, which would be very unpopular with the Russian public." The move, however, has not been without controversy. In November, Russia media reported that two prisoners who were convicted of murdering and eating their victims had been released after fighting in Ukraine. But even Russia's prison population is a finite resource. A local official told lawmakers last month that some prisons would be shut down due to "a one-time large reduction in the number of convicts." Russia's need to recruit more troops could put further pressure on its economy. Besides dealing with crippling sanctions from the West, Russia has had to grapple with severe labor shortages. The Russian Academy of Science's Institute of Economics said in December that the Russian economy had a shortage of around 5 million workers. "Unemployment is 3% and in some regions, it is even lower. This means there are practically no workers left in the economy," Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina told lawmakers in November. "The situation with personnel is really very acute." Representatives for Russia's defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Yerevan has sent a response to Bakus proposals regarding a peace treaty, the spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry Ani Badalyan said, Trend reports. According to her, the issue is about the 8th edition of proposals regarding the draft peace treaty. Previously, Armenia sent Azerbaijan its version of the text of the peace treaty on January 4, 2024. In February, Armenia received further proposals for a peace treaty from Azerbaijan. Work on the text of the peace treaty is being carried out directly between Baku and Yerevan. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Russia's Orsk oil refinery suspended operations after a flood caused a dam breach in Orenburg Oblast, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported on April 7, citing the refinery's press service. The dam burst on April 5 in the city of Orsk, less than 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the border with Kazakhstan, due to a flood. The floods, caused by rising water levels in the Ural River, forced over 4,000 people in the region to evacuate and flooded thousands of homes, according to local authorities. RIA Novosti claimed the suspension of the refinery's operation was aimed at "avoiding environmental risks and to comply with safety regulations." The Orsk oil refinery is able to process 6 million metric tons of oil per year and is reportedly one of the main oil refineries in Russia. Russian companies are facing difficulties in repairing oil refineries due to Western sanctions, and Ukrainian drone attacks could worsen the problem, Reuters previously reported. Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry. A total of 12 Russian oil refineries were reportedly successfully hit in multiple regions deep inside Russian territory as of March 17. Reuters estimated that these attacks forced Russian refineries to shut in about 14% of their capacity in the first quarter. Read also: Ukrainian drones hit one Russian oil refinery after another Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Russian missile ship Serpukhov, which was docked off the exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, was set on fire on April 8, Ukraine's military intelligence claimed. In a post on Telegram, the agency said that the fire had "disabled" the ship and that "its means of communication and automation were "completely destroyed." The military intelligence also shared a video appearing to show a fire breaking out on the ship. A source from Ukraine's military intelligence confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that its operatives were behind the fire. It was the first such attack on Russian naval assets in the Baltic Sea. In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia's Black Sea Fleet targets in occupied Crimea, successfully targeting several ships and forcing some Russian vessels to redeploy to safer waters. Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's navy, said on March 30 that the Russian Navy had withdrawn nearly all its major ships from ports in occupied Crimea as a result. According to the website of the Russian Navy, the Serpukhov is a Buyan-M missile corvette, and is 74 meters long (242 feet), and contains a variety of different weapons systems. Russian authorities announced earlier on April 8 that the Russian ice navigation vessel Katerina Velikaya caught fire while undergoing repairs at the shipyard Dalzavod in the far eastern city of Vladivostok. One person was killed, and three others were injured, Russian authorities said, adding that the circumstances of the fire were under investigation. Read also: U.K. Defense Ministry: Russia likely moved air defense systems from Kaliningrad Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Five people were injured in a Russian strike on a nine-storey residential building in the town of Selydove in Donetsk Oblast. Source: press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine; press service of the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office Quote from the Ministry of Internal Affairs: "As a result of the strike, the ceiling between the fourth and fifth floors was destroyed, and a fire broke out in an apartment on the fourth floor. Rescue workers saved four residents of the building, including a child, who were unable to leave the premises on their own. Firefighters extinguished the fire in the destroyed apartment on the fourth floor of the building." Details: The prosecutors office said that the Russian occupation forces attacked Selydove with an unidentified weapon at 15:40 on 8 April. The weapon hit an apartment building. Five people, including an elderly couple and a 16-year-old girl, were injured. The people with injuries of varying severity were provided with medical assistance. Photo: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office Photo: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office A pre-trial investigation into the criminal cases over the violation of the laws and customs of war has been initiated. Support UP or become our patron! Emergency workers and police ride a boat during evacuations in a flooded street after parts of a dam burst, in Orsk, Russia on Monday, April 8, 2024. Floods caused by rising water levels in the Ural River broke a dam in a city near Russia's border with Kazakhstan, forcing some 2,000 people to evacuate, local authorities said. The dam broke in the city of Orsk in the Orenburg region, less than 12.4 miles north of the border on Friday night, according to Orsk mayor Vasily Kozupitsa. (AP Photo) Russians in the city of Orsk gathered in a rare protest Monday, calling for compensation following the collapse of a dam and subsequent flooding in the Orenburg region near the border with Kazakhstan. Protests are an unusual sight in Russia where authorities have consistently cracked down on any form of dissent following President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the administrative building in Orsk Monday, Russian state news agency Tass said, while videos shared on Russian social media channels showed people chanting Putin, help us, and shame. The floods, caused by rising water levels in the Ural River, forced over 4,000 people, including 885 children, to evacuate in the Orenburg region, the regional government said Sunday. Tass said Monday that around 10,000 homes, including some 7,000 in Orsk, were flooded in the region and that floodwaters in the city are continuing to rise. Footage from Orsk and Orenburg showed water partially submerging buildings, including homes, as well as nearby fields. Russias government declared the situation in flood-hit areas of Orenburg a federal emergency on Sunday, with preparations for possible flooding underway in three other regions, state media reported. Following the protest, Tass reported that the governor of the Orenburg region, Denis Pasler, promised compensation payments of 10,000 rubles a month (approximately $108) for six months to people forced out of their homes by the flood. The total damage from the flood in the region is estimated at about 21 billion rubles ($227 million), the regional government said Sunday. Orsk, less than 20 kilometers (less than 13 miles) north of the border with Kazakhstan, suffered the brunt of the floods that caused a dam to break on Friday, according to Orsk Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa. A criminal probe has been launched to investigate suspected construction violations that may have caused the dam to break. Local authorities said the dam could withstand water levels up to 5.5 meters (nearly 18 feet). On Saturday morning, the water level reached about 9.3 meters (30.51 feet) and rising, Kozupitsa said. On Sunday, the level in Orsk reached 9.7 meters (31.82 feet), according to Russias water level information site AllRivers. Authorities in Orsk reported that four people had died, but said their deaths were unrelated to the flooding. The designation of the situation as a federal emergency reflects the risk of flooding beyond the Orenburg region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had spoken with the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as the heads of the Kurgan and Tyumen regions, located in the Ural Mountains area, to discuss the situation and the need ... for early adoption of measures to assist people and their possible evacuation. The Ural River, about 2,428 kilometers (1,509 miles) long, flows from the southern section of the Ural Mountains into the north end of the Caspian Sea, through Russia and Kazakhstan. Meanwhile in the Smolensk region in western Russia, part of an overpass collapsed in the town of Vyazma, 233 kilometers (144 miles) west of Moscow, killing one person and injuring several others, Tass said. The overpass fell onto railway tracks, halting trains along the line towards Belarus and cutting almost 9,000 people off from gas supplies, Tass said, adding that local officials have opened a criminal investigation. 48 combat clashes occurred in the combat zone over the past day. The Russians launched 3 missile attacks and 76 airstrikes, as well as 61 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems. Most attacks were conducted on the Novopavlivka front. Source: evening report by the General Staff of Ukraine from 8 April Quote: "During the day the aircraft of the Defence Forces of Ukraine launched attacks on four anti-aircraft systems and seven clusters of manpower, armament and military equipment of the enemy. Missile units struck an air defence system, two radio-electronic warfare stations and two clusters of manpower of the Russians." Details: On the Kupiansk front the Russians did not conduct offensive (assault) actions but launched airstrikes on the proximity of the settlements of Petropavlivka in Kharkiv Oblast and Stelmakhivka in Luhansk Oblast. On the Lyman front the Defence Forces of Ukraine repelled a Russian attack near the settlement of Terny in Donetsk Oblast. On the Bakhmut front the Russians launched eight attacks near the settlements of Bilohorivka in Luhansk Oblast; Verkhnokamianske, Spirne, Klishchiivka and Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast where the Russians supported by aircraft tried to improve their tactical position. On the Avdiivka front the Defence Forces repelled two Russian attacks near the settlement of Berdychi in Donetsk Oblast where the Russians tried to dislodge the Ukrainian units from their positions. On the Novopavlivka front the Defence Forces continue to deter the Russians near the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka where the Russians supported by aircraft tried to breach the defence of the Ukrainian forces 20 times. On the Orikhiv front the Russians supported by aircraft launched two attacks on the Ukrainian positions near the settlement of Staromaiorske in Donetsk Oblast and north-west of Verbove, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. On the Kherson front the Russians did not give up the attempts to dislodge the Ukrainian units from their positions on the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River. Over the past day the Russians launched three attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian forces but to no avail. Support UP or become our patron! Foreign Ministers Lavrov of Russia and Tuggar of Nigeria meet in Moscow Foreign Ministers Lavrov of Russia and Tuggar of Nigeria meet in Moscow (Reuters) - Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov arrived in China, the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday, for what Moscow had said was talks on the war in Ukraine, bilateral ties and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region. The Russian foreign minister will talk with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on a series of "hot topics" that will also include joint cooperation in international organisations, such as the United Nations and the Group of 20 (G20), Moscow had said earlier. Reuters reported last month that Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in what could be the Kremlin chief's first overseas trip of his new presidential term. Moscow and Beijing declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two. Hit with sanctions that closed access to Western markets and finances after sending its troops to Ukraine, Russia has since become China's fastest-growing trade partner. Xi, in a call with Putin last month, said both sides should resolutely oppose interference in domestic affairs by external forces, an apparent reference to the United States. Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong said bilateral ties were "at their best in history" when he met his Russian counterpart in Moscow last month, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Lisbon; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) Russia's attacks over the past day damaged energy infrastructure in four oblasts, and almost 400 settlements suffered blackouts as of April 8, Ukrainian authorities said. Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on energy facilities across the country. The Energy Ministry said that Russian drones attacked a high-voltage substation in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, dealing damage. Fallen debris from a downed missile also damaged a gas facility in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. In Kharkiv Oblast, the attacks damaged an overhead power line, resulting in a loss of power supply to some consumers in Kharkiv. Power lines were also reportedly damaged in the Voznesensk district in Mykolaiv Oblast, leaving 14 settlements without power, Governor Vitalii Kim reported. Ukraine's state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo said that as of the morning of April 8, 398 settlements were cut off from the power supply. As a result of the attacks, restrictions were put in effect in Kharkiv Oblast for households and industrial consumers, and in the Kryvyi Rih district for industrial consumers. Read also: FT: Damage to Ukraines energy grid worse than in 2022-23 but more localized Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ruth Perrys sister accuses Ofsted of marking its own homework in death review Ruth Perrys sister has accused Ofsted of marking its own homework after a former chief inspector was appointed to lead the review into the head teachers suicide. Mrs Perry took her own life after Ofsted downgraded her school, Caversham primary in Reading, from its highest rating to its lowest, in November 2022. In December, a coroner ruled the rude and intimidating visit from a schools watchdog inspector likely contributed to her death. Professor Julia Waters, Mrs Perrys sister, said she and her family welcomed the independent review into Ofsteds response. Prof Waters said they would need reassurances that Dame Christine Gilbert, a former head of Ofsted, who is leading the review, could give an impartial assessment. She said: Given that Dame Christine Gilbert is a former head of Ofsted, we and others will need to be convinced that she has the necessary independence of perspective that is required for the task. The review needs to be rigorous and explore Ofsteds systems, practices and culture in depth if it is to learn the lessons required to lead to significant change. I hope we get that assurance, and I hope she can do what is needed. Prof Waters said the review 'could feel a bit like Ofsted has set its own homework and has got an old friend to mark it' - PA Prof Waters added: It could feel a bit like Ofsted has set its own homework and has got an old friend to mark it. I hope that isnt the case. Only a truly independent and deep inquiry will be able to reassure my family, and teachers, parents and others that Ofsted is serious about change. She recognised that the review should not drag on unnecessarily, but called for Dame Christine to interpret the scope of the case in a way that provides opportunity to properly review what Ofsted does and how it can improve. I look forward to meeting Dame Christine and sharing my familys experiences and concerns with her, Prof Waters added. Last week, Amanda Spielman, the former Ofsted chief, suggested adults feelings must not be put before childrens needs. In her first interview since leaving Ofsted, Ms Spielman defended the inspectorates right to have difficult conversations, likening it to a doctor giving a difficult diagnosis. Dame Christine Gilbert, who was previously head of the schools inspectorate - Graham Turner/The Guardian Ms Spielman, who was in charge of the watchdog for seven years, said there was no perfect world in which everyone can be happy. The 63-year-old said focusing on being nice to the adults who work in public services often came at the expense of the service users. She warned that Britain was heading to a dangerous place where it was impossible to give a tough message. Ofsted has come under greater scrutiny since Mrs Perrys suicide in January last year. Her school was downgraded before her death from outstanding to inadequate over safeguarding concerns. At the start of this year, Ofsted inspections were paused in England to ensure inspectors were given mental health awareness training. The watchdog also published new guidance for schools on how to request an Ofsted inspection be paused, if staff show signs of distress. Sir Martyn Oliver, the chief inspector of Ofsted, said he was grateful to Dame Christine for agreeing to lead the review, with her wealth of experience in schools, in inspection, and in undertaking a range of reviews. Two mourners in March last year after the death of Mrs Perry - Andrew Matthews/PA Dame Christine has taken part in previous education reviews as well as Baroness Caseys report into the Metropolitan Police last year. Ofsted said she would have access to relevant internal records and be able to speak with any member of Ofsted staff. The Big Listen public consultation, seeking views about Ofsted, was launched last month. Tom Middlehurst, inspection specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed Dame Christines appointment, but said his concern remains that neither the review nor the Big Listen tackle the key issue of single-phrase judgments the very feature of the system which makes inspections so high-stakes and drives stress and anxiety. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sacramento is one of the best places to live in the nation, Money says. This is why Sacramento is one of the 50 best spots to live in the United States, according to Money.com The personal finance website featured two California cities on its 2024 Best Places to Live list, including the capital city. This years Best Places to Live list celebrates cities and towns where a thriving economy meets affordability, diversity and an exceptional quality of life, Money said. Backed by rigorous research and data-driven analysis, these 50 places are the blueprint for the future. The site highlighted a variety of communities including Eugene, Oregon; Bisbee, Arizona, and Camas in Washington states. Heres how Sacramento stacked up. The landmark Tower Theatre sign at Broadway and Land Park Drive in Sacramento. Why is Sacramento one of Moneys Top Places to Live? Sacramento landed on Moneys list thanks to its vibrant cultural scene, Money said, namechecking local attractions such as the Crocker Art Museum, B Street Theatre and the Farm-to-Fork Festival. The capital city has a population of 528,001 residents, the website said. Unemployment in Sacramento is at 4.70%, Money said, and the median price for a house stands at $465,000. What really distinguishes Sacramento from its coastal brethren, though, is its unwavering commitment to the people who call the city home, the site said, citing efforts to build more affordable housing. As Sacs popularity (and population) has grown, locals have fought relentlessly to prevent displacement. Which other California city made the list? Temecula in Southern California also landed on Moneys list. The site described Temecula as a community-focused town with good schools and easy access to nature, as well as nearly 50 wineries. The city has a population of 111,752 residents, according to Money, and an unemployment rate of 5.20%. Temecula is less than a 90-minute drive from cities such as Palm Springs, Los Angeles and San Diego and has a median housing price of $800,000. The downtown Sacramento skyline is seen past Interstate 5 over by drone Old Sacramento on April 5, 2023. How did Money come up with its rankings? To come up with its 2024 list of the Best Places to Live, Money said it relied on meticulous research and in-depth reporting, paying special attention to livability, equity and sustainability. The website considered research from public policy and industry advocacy groups such as the American Planning Association, Main Street America and the Project for Public Spaces, and supplemented its findings with data from SchoolDigger, Realtor.com and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, among others. Money also asked readers for suggestions via a newsletter poll that produced hundreds of responses, it said. During the vetting process, the site compared communities based on metrics including: The health of the local job market The average housing costs borne by homeowners and renters The percentage of residents in poverty The quality of public schools Rather than ranking the cities on its list numerically, Money grouped into five different categories: Suburbs with a soul Hidden gems New boomtowns Not just college towns Culture hubs What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. Over the past few years, the posts on r/UberEats, a subreddit dedicated, in part, to couriers working conditions, have increasingly centered on the threats of violence delivery drivers face. For instance, one driver posted an expletive-laced screenshot in which a customer threatened to kill them if they didnt cancel an order-in-progress. He called and said he was on his way to Wendys and looking for my car to murder me, the courier wrote. Another shared an experience in which they accidentally delivered a bag of McDonalds takeout to the wrong building within a New York City apartment complex at 2 a.m.; after informing the customer of the mistake and assuring them theyd help get a refund, the customer shouted from their second-floor window that the driver deserved a light beating. In a post from last year, titled In regards to the uptick in recent posts related to courier drivers being assaulted/murdered, one subreddit member asked other members to stop posting stories like that because they were depressing. It's very discouraging to come here and see post after post about someone being killed, or assaulted, they wrote. If you guys want to discuss that, that's fine, but we can do it in one centralized thread, and not taint the overall environment of this subreddit. Instead of complying, users in the comments began a conversation about how drivers are keeping themselves safe. One wrote: I keep a gun on me at all times while doing deliveries There are horrible people out there just waiting for someone like me, a woman, alone, doing deliveries in the middle of the night. Not on my watch fool. This isnt just an UberEats problem; as the rate of online food delivery has increased over the last five years a trend that was then supercharged by the pandemic new research shows that couriers are incredibly vulnerable to threats of violence, some of which have evolved into tragic national headlines. Now, some of the major food delivery providers are rolling out new technology intended to curb the rate of harassment, but will it be enough? In a 2023 study from Georgetown University, which was based off of in-depth interviews with 41 DC-based food delivery workers, researchers found that 41% of the workers had experienced verbal harassment or physical assault while on the job. In total, 51% of the workers with whom researchers spoke indicated they have felt unsafe or feared for their physical well-being while engaged in delivery work. Additionally, workers who are Black, Hispanic or Asian were more likely than white workers to share experiences of assault and harassment. Many couriers also reported inaction from their employers in the face of harassment. For instance, in 2022, Vanessa, a full-time delivery driver interviewed by Georgetowns research team, survived a carjacking while picking up an order from a restaurant. She was attacked from behind, but was able to get free. However, before she called emergency services, Vanessa signed into the UberEats app to un-assign herself to the delivery order because she was concerned the platform would penalize her in the future. She didnt tell the company that she had been assaulted. I dont think there would have been a point to report it, Vanessa said. I dont think they would have done anything. The researchers noted in their report that they had heard this refrain over and over again about a lack of faith in delivery companies to help workers experiencing emergencies. We find that many workers believe, as Vanessa does, that the companies will penalize them for disrupted or incomplete orders, even if the reason for the interruption is a verbal or physical assault, they wrote. A recent study shows that this fear is not unfounded for the sister industry of ride-hail: Drivers are often deactivated (or fired) after they report physical assaults or verbal abuses by passengers. Underpinning many couriers concerns about threats of violence are several high-profile murder cases in which food delivery workers have been killed while on the job. Last April, for instance, an UberEats driver was slain and dismembered while making a delivery in Florida. That same month, a DoorDash delivery driver was shot and killed after an argument in Akron. In May 2023, the activist group Gig Workers Rising released a report that said, according to their research, 80 app-based workers have been victims of homicides while on job between 2017 and 2022. The majority were ride-hailing drivers, but at least 20 delivery workers were also killed, according to the report, which relied on press accounts, court records and police reports. Corporations like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart have transformed transportation and meal delivery, but too many of them have done so by exploiting their workers on the job, they write. Their growth-at-all-costs model has repeatedly failed to adequately address the most tragic human cost of their business: loss of life. They continue: After a workers tragic death, the corporations for whom they worked often send thoughts and prayers through news reporters, but do not consistently support families with basic protections like workers' compensation.This behavior is consistent with too many app corporations' core business model: cutting costs by avoiding compensation and protection of their workers. App workers are shut out of safety net programs like workers compensation and, despite how dangerous the work is, too often workers are left on their own to figure out strategies to protect themselves. To help address some of these concerns, DoorDash added an AI chat feature to its app to detect harassment between workers and customers. While DoorDash has implemented safety measures before, including an emergency button for drivers in 2022 and an earlier version of this harassment detection technology, this new feature, SafeChat+, is more adept at detecting the nuance of messages rather than simply relying on keyword detection. If SafeChat+ detects an inappropriate or abusive conversation between a consumer and Dasher, Dashers will be given the option to quickly cancel the order without impacting ratings, DoorDash wrote in a release. If the order is already completed, the feature will automatically end any further chat to help prevent the situation from escalating. If a Dasher uses inappropriate or abusive language with a customer during a delivery, the customer can reach out to support via chat or phone to report the incident and receive assistance. However, many gig workers believe this is the very least these companies can do for employees who are often putting their lives on the line literally to deliver $15 worth of food. For instance, Gig Workers Rising maintains that while murder is the extreme, the norm is exploitation. As such, the group issued a set of demands that go beyond in-app support, including compensation, no forced arbitration in the case of lawsuits, transparency about the rate of worker deaths and violent incidents and the ability to unionize. That this safety crisis is allowed to continue unabated is a function of too many corporations' business model cutting costs by displacing cost and risk on to workers, and leaving families and workers on their own, even in the extreme case of workers being murdered on the job, they write. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The US is happy to play whatever role it can to facilitate a dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said during a briefing on April 8, Trend reports. He said the US has made very clear that the path forward for resolving this issue is ultimately at the bargaining table. "I don't want to speak to any upcoming meetings, but we have always made clear that we welcome dialogue. When the Secretary has communicated with the leaders of both Armenia and Azerbaijan, he has made clear that there needs to be dialogue between the two parties. We are happy to play whatever role we can to facilitate that dialogue and will continue to do so. But I don't want to preview any specific upcoming meetings," added Miller. Earlier in December 2023, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien said that Secretary Blinken looks forward to hosting foreign ministers Bayramov and Mirzoyan in Washington soon for peace negotiations. Meanwhile, Yerevan has issued a response to Baku's propositions concerning a potential peace treaty, as announced today by the spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Ani Badalyan. Badalyan stated that the discussions revolve around the 8th iteration of proposals regarding the draft peace treaty. Earlier, on January 4, 2024, Armenia forwarded its version of the peace treaty text to Azerbaijan. In February, Azerbaijan provided additional proposals for the peace treaty to Armenia. The negotiations on the peace treaty text are underway directly between Baku and Yerevan. Salisbury gets two new restaurants, Smoker's BBQ reopens in west OC | What's Going There Spring has sprung. As the sun shines, flowers bloom and bees buzz, so too does business continue to boom on the Eastern Shore. Check out what's new and coming soon to the Delmarva Peninsula. Salisbury Dover Street Grill 1515 N Salisbury Blvd. Dover Street Grill at 1515 N Salisbury Blvd Friday, April 5, 2024, in Salisbury, Maryland. Dover Street Grill is now open for business at 1515 North Salisbury Blvd, in Salisbury, the former home of Tastee Freez. The fast food joint is serving up burgers, subs, cheesesteaks, pizza, chicken tenders and more from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, according to its website. "We ask that you please be patient with us while we are trying to perfect the food quality and service for you. We value your feedback, so thank you. We appreciate your business and your support. Thank you again to all. God is good!" said Dover Street Grill in a March 24 Facebook post. WHAT'S GOING THERE: Route 66 Diner opens in Ocean City, burger joint coming to Salisbury mall Bury Diner 1217 Mt Hermon Road Bury Diner at 1217 Mt Hermon Rd Friday, April 5, 2024, in Salisbury, Maryland. New to the Salisbury business scene is Bury Diner, now open for business at 1217 Mount Hermon Road. Bury Diner offers patrons an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet on Saturdays and Sundays. The diner is also serving up club sandwiches, hoagies, wraps, melts, burgers, pasta, seafood, salads, desserts and much more. The full menu can be viewed on Bury Diner's official website. Loretta Leatherbury, manager of Bury Diner, and Matt Kopal, owner, at 1217 Mt Hermon Rd Friday, April 5, 2024, in Salisbury, Maryland. CRAFT BEER EVENT: Hops on the River: All to know about downtown Salisbury's 4th big craft beer-tasting event Ocean Pines Casita Linda 11021 Nicholas Ln #3 Mother, Rosa Barragan, and Sisters, Cynthia Barragan, Manager, and Linda Barragan, Owner, will open Casita Linda, a Mexican bakery and breakfast cafe, on Thursday, April 25. Authentic Mexican restaurant and bakery Casita Linda has announced its grand plan to reopen this spring at 11021 Nicholas Lane #3 in Ocean Pines. The restaurant closed the doors of its former location at 218 Baltimore Ave. in Ocean City on Oct. 1, 2023. Casita Linda, which opened in Ocean City in May 2019, shared it couldn't live through another season without its cafe con pan. "We have relocated from Ocean City (just seven miles out) to the Ocean Pines community. More details and an opening date coming soon!" Casita Linda said in a March 31 Instagram post. A grand reopening date and hours of operation have yet to be announced. BERLIN BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: 2nd Wave Coffee owner is making small-business dream come true in Berlin. Meet her here. Ocean City Smoker's BBQ Pit 9711 Stephen Decatur Highway Popular West Ocean City eatery Smoker's BBQ Pit has reopened at 9711 Stephen Decatur Highway after closing indefinitely on June 27, 2023, due to a massive fire caused by a lightning strike. The fire, which destroyed the interior of the building and a part of the side, led Smoker's BBQ Pit to rebuild. Since then, the eatery has installed a new computer system, shelving, kitchen equipment, dry wall and flooring. "Thank you for an amazing first day to our reopening weekend shenanigans! It's so good to be back!" said Smoker's BBQ Pit, which officially reopened on March 15, in a Facebook post. According to its Facebook page, Smoker's BBQ Pit is now open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and closed Tuesdays. BUSINESS NEWS: Ocean City to lose beloved Roses, but gain 2nd Cheese Wheel Pasta | What's Going There Yogavibez 12417 Ocean Gateway, Suite 9 Local yoga studio Yogavibez has relocated from its former Ocean City location to 12417 Ocean Gateway, Suite 9. In addition to its newest studio, Yogavibez is also located at 38016 Fenwick Shoals Blvd. in Selbyville. "We are so excited to announce that all Ocean City classes will be held in our new location moving forward! Thank you to everyone for your support during this transition," said Yogavibez in a March 23 Instagram post. LOCAL BUSINESS: West Ocean City opens new Taphouse, Salisbury loses 3 businesses | What's Going There Lewes Henlopen Bait and Tackle 18334 Coastal Highway Henlopen Bait and Tackle opened a brand-new location on April 1 at 18334 Coastal Highway in Lewes. The bait and tackle shop's original Lewes location will remain open, and can be found at 1622 Savannah Road. Henlopen Bait and Tackle offers patrons quality equipment for any outdoor adventure. Some of the shop's featured brands include Daiwa, 13Fishing, Beyond Braid, Suffix, Xcite Baits, WaterLand, Lightning Kayaks and more. 2024 FISHING TOURNAMENTS: Fishing tournaments will abound in Ocean City, Chincoteague and more. Your summer guide. Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com. This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: 2 new Salisbury restaurants, Smoker's BBQ reopens | What's Going There The salty sailors of the warship USS Carney have left the Middle East After nearly six months operating in the maritime battlefield that is the Red Sea, the Navy destroyer Carney left the Middle Eastern waters of U.S. Central Command and entered the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, the Navy said in a statement. But whether Carney is heading directly back to its home port in Mayport, Florida, remains unclear. The brief Navy statement only notes that the ship has entered the Mediterranean after transiting the Suez Canal, and officials declined Monday to say where the ship is headed next. But regardless of Carneys current bearing, it has been a busy and largely unprecedented deployment for the warship and its crew. Those sailors and their brethren aboard multiple destroyers in the region have spent the last six months in a near-daily battle with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have launched drones and missiles at military and commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. All the Houthi-US Navy incidents in the Middle East (that we know of) While the Houthis launched the attacks in October in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, their salvos have targeted and struck commercial vessels from around the world. Carney was the first confirmed U.S. warship to enter the fray, when it intercepted a salvo of Houthi missiles and drones that U.S. officials said were headed toward Israel on Oct. 19, less than two weeks after Hamas brutal Oct. 7 attack that sparked Israels ongoing military operation in the Gaza Strip. The Navy destroyer Carney shot down multiple missiles and drones fired by Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen on Oct. 19, 2023, in the Red Sea. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau/Navy) The battle-tested crew also received Combat Action Ribbons earlier this year, following a Dec. 16 encounter where the ship took out 14 Houthi air drones. Of the Navy destroyers confirmed to be operating in those waters, Carney has been involved in at least 12 confirmed incidents, the most of any destroyer there, according to Navy Times live tracker of all Navy-Houthi engagements. Most recently, the warship took out six Houthi air attack drones on March 23. San Diego law enforcement looking for new leads in decades-old cold case SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A decomposed body was found in Borrego Springs in 1985, and nearly 40 years later San Diego County law enforcement is asking the public for help with any possible leads. The unidentified victim was found on a Saturday in October 1985 down a steep embankment in the Borrego Springs area. Cold case victims families gather to plead for publics help The San Diego County Sheriffs Department says the body was in an advanced stage of decomposition when it was found and had visible signs of trauma, which led to the case being investigated as a homicide. The victim remains unidentified decades later, however the sheriffs department has released identifying information on the individual to the public in an effort to close the cold case. Cold case: Pacific Beach murder victim identified 42 years later According to the sheriffs department, the victim was found wearing blue jeans, a light-colored pullover shirt and black combat boots. He had several tattoos, one on his left forearm of a wolf howling at a red moon and the word life or wife. On his upper right arm was the word Linda, and on his right forearm was the partial word Gypsy, with the last portion unreadable. The Sheriffs Homicide Unit is continually reviewing this case and says it remains under active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 858-285-6330 or the after hours line at 858-565-5200. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating after anti-Semitic graffiti was found around the city. Authorities say there were multiple swastikas drawn in different areas, including on buildings, sidewalks, roads, and street signs. Video obtained by KTLA shows the swastikas in various locations. The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating after anti-Semitic graffiti was found in different parts of the city on April 7, 2024. (KTLA) The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating after anti-Semitic graffiti was found in different parts of the city on April 7, 2024. (KTLA) Anti-Semitic graffiti was found in various parts of Santa Monica. Police are investigating and issued a statement condemning the graffiti on April 7, 2024. (KTLA) A swastika is seen drawn on the outside of a building in Santa Monica on April 7, 2024. (KTLA) A swastika is seen drawn on a street in Santa Monica. The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating and released a statement condemning the graffiti on April 7, 2024. (KTLA) Santa Monica Police Chief Ramon Batista released a statement condemning the anti-Semitic graffiti. We are appalled by these cowardly acts of anti-Semitism, Batista said. Our department is fully committed to upholding the safety and dignity of all members of our community. There were a record number of anti-Semitic incidents in Los Angeles, and across California in 2023. Hate crimes of any kind have also risen across L.A. since last year. Anyone with information about potential suspects is asked to call 310-458-8491 to speak with a non-emergency dispatcher or utilize the Santa Monica 3-1-1 App. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Sarah Ferguson lors du festival de Venise le 7 septembre 2022. (Photo by Laurent KOFFEL/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) The Duchess of York shared an important health reminder in recognition of World Health Day as she and the Princess of Wales battle cancer. Sarah Ferguson, 64, imparted her message alongside a photo of herself that she shared with her Instagram followers on Sun., April 7. In the photo, the former wife of Prince Andrew smiled as she posed while wearing a striped blue-and-white button-down shirt, a navy jacket embellished with silver detailing and a full navy skirt. To mark World Health Day, Ferguson urged her Instagram followers to check in with yourself. Check in on your state of mind and check in on your body, she wrote. Go to your routine health check. Take that walk. Read a book. Your body and mind are a priority. Make sure to show them love. The duchess words struck a chord in the wake of her back-to-back cancer diagnoses and Kate Middletons recent announcement that she, too, is battling cancer. Ferguson first revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in June 2023. Her doctors detected the cancer when she went in for a routine mammogram, her spokesperson said at the time, and she soon thereafter went in for surgery. By the end of the year, the duchess had provided an update on Instagram saying that she beat breast cancer following a year marked by "ups and downs, trials, lessons, laughter, miracles and joy. Less than a month later, Fergusons spokesperson announced that the duchess had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a serious kind of skin cancer. Days before Ferguson revealed her melanoma diagnosis, Middleton was admitted to a hospital to undergo what Kensington Palace described as a planned abdominal surgery. By late March, the princess explained in a video statement shared with the public that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Middleton has not revealed what type of cancer she is battling. Ferguson praised the princess for the way she handled her cancer diagnosis announcement in a March 25 statement that the duchess shared on social media. As someone who has faced their own battles with cancer in recent months, I am full of admiration for the way she has spoken publicly about her diagnosis and know it will do a tremendous amount of good to raise awareness, Ferguson said. She sent her thoughts and prayers to Middleton as the princess cancer treatment began. Next: BBC Addresses Backlash Over Kate Middleton Coverage Amid Cancer News The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a former member of the banned pro-Russian Party of Regions whom Russia allegedly recruited for espionage and aiding strikes, the SBU's press service reported on April 8. The suspect was arrested in Sumy Oblast as he was trying to establish the precise coordinates of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' facility near defensive lines so that it could be targeted by Russian forces in the future, the SBU said. During the arrest, law enforcement officers seized the suspect's mobile phone, through which he allegedly tried to send pictures of the facility and its geolocation. After the liberation of occupied parts of Sumy Oblast in 2022, the Russian Federal Security Service's (FSB) handler remotely recruited the suspect to conduct sabotage and reconnaissance activity in the oblast, the SBU's statement said. The SBU said that it was monitoring the former member of the Party of Regions due to his pro-Kremlin posts in one of the messengers. The suspect is currently in custody and faces life imprisonment if convicted. The Party of Regions, Ukraine's dominant party under ex-President Viktor Yanukovych in 2010-2014, became effectively defunct after Yanukovych fled to Russia in the wake of the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution. While the party's symbols were prohibited in some regions of Ukraine in 2014, the party itself was banned only nine years later. Numerous Ukrainian politicians affiliated with the party chose to join other parties after its ban. Read also: Why is Russia intensifying attacks on Ukraines Sumy Oblast? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. SCOTLAND COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) An inmate at Scotland County Correctional Institution was airlifted to a hospital after being stabbed Monday morning, Capt. Randy Dover said. The inmate, whose condition was not immediately available, is not cooperating with authorities, according to Dover. No other information was immediately available. Download the News13 app to stay updated on the go Sign up for WBTW email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WBTW.com for the Grand Strand and Pee Dee. Count on News13 for updates. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Just a little exposure to secondhand smoke may increase your risk for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), a new, large study suggests. People who have A-Fib, the world's most common heart rhythm disorder, are five times more likely to have a stroke than their healthy peers. While passive smoking has been linked to heart disease and early death, links between secondhand smoke and A-Fib have been unclear, researchers said in a European Society of Cardiology news release. This large study appears to make a direct connection. "The dangers of secondhand smoke were significant regardless of whether individuals were at home, outdoors or at work, indicating that exposure universally elevates the risk of atrial fibrillation," said study author Dr. Kyung-Yeon Lee, of Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea. The study included more than 400,000 people between the ages of 40 and 69 who were part of the UK Biobank, a large biomedical and research database. Current smokers and those who already had A-Fib were excluded. Participants answered questions about their exposure to other people's smoke at home and elsewhere in the past year. One in five (86,000) said they had been exposed to secondhand smoke, with an average exposure of 2.2 hours. In all, 6% of participants developed A-Fib over a median followup of 12.5 years. (Median means half were followed longer, half for less time.) After accounting for factors that could affect the results such as age, sex, ethnicity, economic status, weight, exercise levels, alcohol use, as well as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, researchers found participants exposed to secondhand smoke had a 6% higher risk for A-Fib. As exposure increased, so did A-Fib risk -- compared to those with no secondhand smoke exposure, those who were around it for 7.8 hours a week had an 11% higher A-Fib risk. "Once exposed to secondhand smoke, the likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation begins to increase, with the risk escalating significantly as the exposure time lengthens," Lee said. "The finding that passive smoking is harmful not only in enclosed spaces but also outdoor environments underscores the importance of smoking bans to protect public health." Meanwhile, Lee urged everyone to avoid spending time in places where people are smoking. The findings were presented Sunday at a meeting in Berlin of the European Society of Cardiology. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. More information There's more about the health problems caused by exposure to secondhand smoke at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Copyright 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Secret hearings that have freed mentally ill killers may be opened up to victims Valdo Calocane was detained in a high security hospital after he killed three people in Nottingham last June - Nottinghamshire Police/PA Secret hearings that have freed mentally ill killers could be opened up to victims under plans drawn up by ministers. Justice ministers are proposing that the victims of dangerous offenders detained in secure mental hospitals should have a greater say in determining whether they can be released back into the community. They want victims to be able to submit statements to mental health tribunals, detailing the impact of the crime and why they believe the offender should remain in a secure hospital. Campaigners say the tribunals currently deny victims a voice in determining offenders release, despite uncovering at least 30 cases in which patients who previously committed serious crimes have been released by tribunals and gone on to kill others. The move by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) follows the controversy over Valdo Calocane, the Nottingham killer, who was detained in a high security hospital after prosecutors decided to accept his guilty plea to manslaughter owing to diminished responsibility. Victoria Prentis, the Attorney General, has asked the court of appeal to determine whether his sentence is unduly lenient and should be toughened, so that he would be required to go to jail if he was ever released from the secure hospital. Calocane, 35, killed 19-year-old university students Barnaby Webber and Grace OMalley-Kumar before targeting Ian Coates, a 65-year-old school caretaker, in a series of attacks in June last year. Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar were killed by Valdo Calocane - NOTTINGHAMSHIRE POLICE/PA Emma Webber, Barnabys mother, said: The victims voice is barely audible when it comes to the release of perpetrators of serious and vicious crimes that escape penal custody and are given hospital orders. Up until now, no consideration has been given for the victims to be heard. We would welcome the proposed change to include a victims statement. However, the fact that the decisions and discussions to release would still be carried out behind closed doors is wrong. Victims are victims, and as such we must be given equal opportunity, as in the penal system. The Ministry of Justice proposals are contained in proposed amendments to the Victims and Prisoners Bill, currently before Parliament, but are understood to be facing opposition from some within Government. They would guarantee that victims would be able to submit an impact statement to mental health tribunals. They are currently allowed in criminal courts to help judges determine sentences for offenders. But at present, victims and their families are only allowed to submit information about conditions of release, such as advising on locations from which offenders should be barred. Campaigners say these recommendations are often ignored by the tribunals. They argue that impact statements could provide them with vital new information about the risks of releasing offenders from secure hospitals, as a significant number of cases involve victims who are related to the offender. Helping tribunals make better decisions Among the 30 who have killed after release are Lee Sowerby, who was discharged from hospital and stabbed a 69-year-old woman to death as she watched television. Will Lound, 30, a Salford University student, was murdered by Lee Arnold, whose sectioning for a long history of mental ill health was lifted by a tribunal against psychiatrists advice. Theodore Johnson, who had killed two of his partners, was conditionally discharged from a secure hospital only to brutally and mercilessly murder a third partner. Julian Hendy, the director of the Hundred Families charity, which campaigns on mental health homicides, said: Giving victims a voice and allowing them to be heard is not only vital for victims it can also give tribunals key information they need to make better decisions. We know hundreds of dangerous patients released by tribunals every year are recalled to hospital, or reoffend, raising serious questions about the quality of their decision making. Anything that can be done to help tribunals take better decisions, such as listening to victims, can only be helpful. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: The Victims and Prisoners Bill will give a greater voice to all victims of crime, ensuring they are better protected and supported through the criminal justice system. We will listen closely to the views of Parliament as the Bill progresses. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Azerbaijans national air carrier, AZAL, will launch regular flights to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, starting from June 3 of this year. Flights will be operated twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. The introduction of AZAL flights to Bucharest will enhance connections and promote the expansion of tourism, cultural, and business opportunities between Azerbaijan and Romania. Bucharest is the capital and largest city of Romania, serving as the country's primary economic and cultural hub, and is one of the most captivating cities in Southeastern Europe. Furthermore, Azerbaijan Airlines plans to reintroduce flights to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, in the near future. Flights on this route will also be available twice a week. To view the flight schedule and purchase tickets, please visit the airline's official website at www.azal.az or use AZAL mobile application. See inside a 958-foot container ship, from the crew's living quarters to the massive engine room A merchant mariner captured life at sea on a video tour of a Maersk container ship. The video shows the everyday life of cargo ship crew as they spend months at sea. Second mate Bryan Boyle said workers celebrate holidays on board with festive meals and community. A merchant mariner gave a tour of a 958-foot cargo ship in 2019 that showed the intricacies of the hulking freighters that haul 90% of the world's goods. In the video, second mate Bryan Boyle records the vast array of machinery that keeps the ship moving, as well as the crew's and officers' living quarters on the Maersk ship, which was built in 2006. Though the video was taken in 2019, Boyle told Business Insider in 2021 that it provides insight into the lives of shipping crews today. The merchant mariner said it can be difficult to be away from family for months on end, especially during the holidays, but crew members find ways to celebrate even as they work through Thanksgiving and Christmas. "I recall a few unique experiences such as singing and playing music together on Christmas since one of the able bodied seaman onboard was a skillful harmonica player," Boyle told BI. "Another time we were anchored in Dubai on New Years' Eve surrounded by many ships. We were counting down to the new year, and then many of the ships started to blow their whistles in celebration as fireworks were being launched from shore in front of us." The ship sets out from Norfolk, Virginia, making several stops in the US before heading toward Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. "I've had the opportunity to work on some interesting vessels," Boyle said. "I've gotten to go to places that the average person wouldn't even know about. It's one of the most appealing aspects of the job." Boyle said that there's a thrill to arriving at new destinations, remembering how he spent over a month in Africa on one trip. But the amount of time that crews get to explore new destinations has dwindled over the years, he said, as ships rush to get in and out of ports as fast as possible, and early COVID-19 restrictions set limits to crew excursions. Entertainment options for the ship's crew of 20 to 25 people are limited on the cargo ships. Boyle said that workers' time off can include a mix of movies and games, as well as gym time. The video shows the officers' lounge, which has a pingpong table and TV, as well as the general crew's lounge, which has a poker table. During Thanksgiving, Boyle said he and other officers gathered to watch a football game in the lounge using a satellite television. Take a look at a view of the crew's mess hall below. Courtesy of Bryan Boyle The video shows Boyle's living quarters, as well as a movie locker that holds hundreds of titles. Boyle's living quarters on the ship. Courtesy of Bryan Boyle The video also highlights the mix of old and new technology that helps keep the supply chain moving, pairing engine control rooms that look like they belong on a spaceship with a massive gyrocompass. The engine control room. Courtesy of Bryan Boyle The navigation bridge provides an unrestricted view of the waters ahead and operates as a space where the captain and officers can man the entire operations of the vessel. The navigation bridge. Courtesy of Bryan Boyle The ship has a massive gyrocompass that helps guide its course. The first seaworthy gyrocompass was produced in 1908. It operates as a type of nonmagnetic compass that uses a fast-spinning disc and the rotation of the Earth to find geographical direction. The ship's gyrocompass. Courtesy of Bryan Boyle The video captures the engine room and the combustion engine that helps power a giant propeller. The engine. Bryan Boyle Boyle takes viewers on a tour of the exterior of the ship as well, labeling individual parts of the ship and even touring the ship's lifeboat. A lifeboat on the ship. Courtesy of Bryan Boyle The video ends by showing how the ship pulls up to a dock in Germany an elaborate process that involves a harbor pilot and several tugboats that bring the ship in from miles out at sea to within inches of the port's pier. In the video, cranes discharge containers from the ship. More cranes gradually reload fresh containers before the Maersk Ohio heads back to Norfolk. A crane takes containers off the ship. Courtesy of Bryan Boyle Watch Boyle's full video on YouTube. Do you work at sea or in the transportation industry? Reach out to the reporter from a non-work email at gkay@businessinsider.com Read the original article on Business Insider See Photos From The Total Solar Eclipse As Crowds Witness Rare Event Millions of Americans have their heads craned skyward Monday, as a total solar eclipse blankets a narrow strip of North America in complete darkness. Just under 32 million people live within the path of totality, a roughly 110-mile wide arc stretching from San Antonio, Texas, up through Cleveland, Ohio, and finally passing out of the country via central Maine. People within that swath will be engulfed in darkness for around four minutes. Those on the periphery will experience less, while the rest of the country will experience at least a partial eclipse. Its kind of mind-blowing because it happens very quickly, Dr. Cristina A. Thomas, an associate professor in astronomy and planetary science at Northern Arizona University, told HuffPost. The animals start to react. The temperature drops. Its a really interesting experience from that perspective. See photos from the event, including lots of craned necks, below: Augustus Krach, 6, looks to the sky wearing glasses before the Solar Eclipse on Monday in Niagara Falls, New York. Adam Gray via Getty Images Yurem Rodriquez watches as the moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse, as seen from Eagle Pass, Texas. Eric Gay via Associated Press People watch the total solar eclipse from Eagle Pass, Texas. Eric Gay via Associated Press Cleveland Guardians mascot Slider poses while wearing eclipse glasses before the home opener against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on Monday in Cleveland, Ohio. Mike Lawrie via Getty Images A White House staffer looks up to the sky as a total eclipse of the sun arrives at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, on April 8, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images People look up at the sun during a total solar eclipse across North America, at Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, New York, on April 8, 2024. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images The Moon is seen passing in front of the sun with the top of the Washington Monument in silhouette during a solar eclipse in Washington on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP) via Associated Press The partial solar eclipse is seen above the Statue of Freedom atop the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building on Capitol Hill on April 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Andrew Harnik via Getty Images Couples view the solar eclipse during a mass wedding at the Total Eclipse of the Heart festival on April 8, 2024 in Russellville, Arkansas. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Mario Tama via Getty Images John Fox of Boulder, Colorado, looks at the solar eclipse through two pairs of mylar filter glasses near the base of the Washington Monument on the National Mall on April 08, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images Related... Prescribed fires are used to manage invasive weeds, fallen trees and excess debris on public lands. The Lincoln National Forest will on occasion announce prescribed burns in the forest, depending on the weather. On windy or otherwise unstable weather conditions prescribed burns may be canceled. Here are some things to know as officials in Otero County and Alamogordo prepare for fire season. A Lincoln National Forest prescribed burn in June 2019. Managing public lands with fire Areas within Lincoln National Forest, like the Smokey Bear Ranger District, are managed with prescribed burns. Prescribed burns are an important part of forest management, and careful planning goes into conducting these, said Amanda Fry, public affairs officer, for the Lincoln National Forest in a news release. Fry said that those living or staying near the location of prescribed fires should not be alarmed if they see smoke, rather check if a prescribed fire is being conducted. "It is always important to watch local weather and stay tuned for any alerts or red flag warnings in the area. When you are out camping, be aware of what fire danger threat level your area is in, and if there are any fire restrictions in place," she said. "Making sure you and your family are educated on fire safety is key in helping to mitigate the threat of wildfires and keep our landscapes as safe as possible during these extreme dry conditions." The Lincoln National Forest updates its website with prescribed burn dates and useful information on fire dangers in the area. "We do throw up some updates on our Facebook page, if they ever get canceled, we throw statements up on there," Fry said. More: Flake stones uncovered at 8,200 year old campsite near Holloman Air Force Base How to deal with the dry weather in Otero County Prescribed burns can also be conducted locally but with the dry weather, the local fire department is seeing its fair share of natural fires. Alamogordo Fire Department Lieutenant William Skaggs said residents and visitors should be careful this season with rising temperatures. Wildland fire season is here, we are extremely dry as usual, even if we do get rainfall the risk will still stay high all summer, Skaggs said. "They need to have a good understanding of just how easy it is to spark a wildfire." He said the local fire department is working closely this season with the Otero County Fire department to minimize the risk of fires. More: New Mexico dairy cattle positive for H5N1; Human case of bird flu detected in Texas We ask our community and especially our guests who come to see our beautiful Tularosa Basin and Sacramento mountains to be diligent and take precautions in fire safety, Skaggs said. He said while people come to not only visit areas in New Mexico, it's best to learn about fire safety in those areas before visiting. "Visitors and residents should take the time to educate themselves on fire safety in the forest. Before visitors come to enjoy our beautiful forest, they should consider safe ways to cook food. Look for fire restrictions in the areas they are going and consider if an open fire is needed or wanted," Skaggs said. He said he would want people to keep in mind just how easy a fire can be started, and he ultimately wants people to be safe. "In the event of a fire, no matter what kind or how big or small. They should make sure they call 911 immediately. If they can safely use an extinguisher, water hose or other source to extinguish the fire great. But regardless they still need to report the fire," Skaggs said. "Something small can turn big rally quick and just because you think the fire is out doesn't mean it won't rekindle or spread." Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr. This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Fire officials prepare for wildfire season in Lincoln National Forest A powerful Senate Democrat wants to "take for-profit, equity-based companies out of the health care system," a bold declaration as state policymakers look to contain the crisis surrounding the floundering Steward Health Care network and its hospitals across Massachusetts. In an interview that aired Sunday, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodridgues of Westport told WCVB's "On The Record" that it is imperative for the Legislature and Gov. Maura Healey to effect change in the health care world, specifically as Steward's financial problems threaten access to care for thousands of patients in the Bay State. He said "everything is on the table" as Beacon Hill looks to "navigate through this current immediate crisis" and then address the sector more broadly. "I'm worried about health care in general because all of our providers, all of our hospitals, are facing immense pressures -- labor and workforce pressure, they can't get enough nurses; inflationary costs, health care costs generally have increased more over the last year than it has in probably the prior decade," Rodrigues said. "Adding to that, the Steward crisis where it's obscene to think how much money Cerberus [Capital Management] made when they sold the hospitals: $800 million that should have flowed back into the health care system but went into corporate, into their pockets." The chairman added, "We need to ensure that we take for-profit, equity-based companies out of the health care system, there should be no room for that in our health care system." The heads of their respective Ways & Means committees; Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, D-Boston and Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, with Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, are three of the six legislators assigned Monday, April 1, to find common ground on proposals to funding to the state's emergency shelter system... and place a bill on the governor's desk for her signature. Steward and its hospitals were owned for about a decade by private equity firm Cerberus. Controlling interest of Steward was transferred from Cerberus to a group led by Steward founder and CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre in 2020. Cerberus said in a statement last week that it is "incorrect and unfair" to say that Cerberus executives pocketed $800 million in connection with the Steward transaction. "These returns primarily benefited our investors, including millions of teachers, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and municipal workers as well as other pension funds, universities, and endowments," the company said after U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren targeted private equity in health care at hearing last week. The Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a non-profit that tracks private equity investments across industries and testified at the hearing Markey and Warren held last week, said approximately 460 hospitals in the United States are owned by private equity firms. Those facilities represent 8 percent of all private hospitals in the U.S. and 22 percent of all proprietary for-profit hospitals in the country. And 22.5 percent of private equity-owned facilities are psychiatric hospitals, the group said. The organization's Private Equity Hospital Tracker lists one Massachusetts hospital owned by a private equity firm as of January: Bournewood Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Brookline owned by the firm Kohlberg & Company. It also lists the Hospital for Behavioral Medicine in Worcester, also a psychiatric facility, as a venture capital-backed facility. Data released in late 2022 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services showed that 49.2 percent of the 4,644 hospitals enrolled in Medicare were non-profit outfits, 36.1 percent were for-profit entities, and 14.7 percent were government-owned hospitals. The same report found that non-profit hospitals are larger on average, with a mean bed count of 209 compared to 107 for for-profit hospitals and 175 for government hospitals. The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a hearing last month on how private equity's growing involvement has influenced the state's health care system. Researchers cautioned the panel that while some private equity deals might have some positive aspects such as investing to keep rural or community hospitals open they typically lead to higher patient costs, poorer quality of care and reduced staffing. One researcher said patients see an increase in bloodstream infections and falls at hospitals once they have been acquired by private equity firms. The committee chairs said the hearing gave them a greater sense of the task before them, and House and Senate leaders have suggested they are interested in tackling the issue of private equity in health care before their formal lawmaking period ends July 31. "We have to," Rodrigues replied on WCVB when co-host Ed Harding asked whether the Legislature and governor can effect change and "fix the problem." During the roundtable segment of "On The Record," Republican political analyst (and former chief of staff to Govs. Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci) Virginia Buckingham agreed that something should be done about private equity firms and their control of health care facilities, but stopped short of supporting Rodrigues' call to eliminate for-profit and equity-backed companies from Massachusetts' health care world. "It's a critical issue. There has to be regulation of these private equity firms owning hospitals and gutting hospitals," she said. "That has to happen, whether it's here in Massachusetts state law, or federally." This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Sen. Michael Rodrigues sends strong signal on health care Senate Democrats condemn looming IDF attack on Rafah as Biden poised to send more aid to Israel Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu pictured on 18 October 2023. Mr Biden has warned Israel several times to avoid a full-scale invasion of Rafah (via REUTERS) As tensions between the US and Israel heighten, Democratic Senators are condemning Israels recent announcement they have solidified plans to invade Rafah. Some 1.4 million Palestinians are currently sheltering in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) instructed civilians to move southward when they bombarded northern Gaza. Despite this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Monday his military has solidified plans to invade the city. It will happen, there is a date, Mr Netanyahu said in a video address, per a translation from the Associated Press. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, a staunch opponent of US aid to Israel, called on President Joe Bidens administration to halt any assistance. Given the conduct of the Israel and Netanyahu war machine, the US should not provide another nickel to Netanyahu, Mr Sanders told The Independent. Mr Biden still appears to be poised to greenlight an $18bn sale of jets to the IDF as of Sunday, CNN reports. He also recently authorised the sale of more than 2,000 bombs to the IDF. White House officials told the outlet these sales are the result of processes agreed upon years ago. But the Biden administration has still repeatedly urged Mr Netanyahu to avoid a full-scale invasion of Rafah. Just last week, administration officials met with Israeli delegates to discuss alternatives to a ground assault. Both sides described the call as productive which makes Mr Netanyahus recent announcement all the more perplexing. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told The Independent that an Israeli offensive into Rafah could backfire on Mr Netanyahu. He has to decide whether he wants US support or not, and ignoring significant concerns expressed by the President and our chief defence officials is not going to work out in Israels favour, Mr Kaine said. Mr Netanyahus announcement comes one week after the IDF killed seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian aid workers. Following a preliminary investigation, the IDF said the attacks were a mistake. The Israeli military targeted the group with airstrikes three times in a row, despite the nonprofit clearing their movements with the army ahead of time and marking their vehicles with the World Central Kitchen logo. This is not any more about the seven men and women of World Central Kitchen that perished [in] this unfortunate event, World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres said Monday. This [war] is happening for way too long. Its been six months of targeting anything that ... moves. This really, at this point, seems its a war against humanity itself, he continued. Those killed in the attack include Lalzawmi Francom, 43, from Australia; Damian Sobol, 35, from Poland; James Henderson, 33, James Kirby, 47, and John Chapman, 57, all from the UK; Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25, from Gaza; and Jacob Flickinger, 33, a dual American-Canadian citizen. Soon afterwards, Mr Biden spoke with Israeli officials, telling them US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israels immediate action in the wake of the aid workers deaths. He further criticised the IDF for not doing enough to protect civilians and humanitarian aid workers alike. The president also called a ceasefire in Gaza essential last week. The aid workers deaths marked something of a turning point for Congressional Democrats. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said an international court has ample evidence to find that Israels war in Gaza is a genocide. Her comments, made on Friday, referred to an ongoing legal process at the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ). That court is currently hearing a case from South Africa alleging Israel is committing genocide in Gaza in January, the court ruled that South Africas claims against Israel are plausible. US Coast Guard leaders illegally used nondisclosure agreements to prevent sexual assault victims from speaking out about their alleged attacks, according to a congressional inquiry sparked by a CNN report into sexual misconduct at the prestigious Coast Guard Academy. The use of the agreements appeared to be part of a years-long concerted effort to conceal information about rapes and other sexual assaults at the Academy from Congress and the public, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a ranking member of a Congressional committee looking into the Coast Guards actions, wrote in a letter sent Sunday to Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan. Requiring victims to agree not to discuss what happened to them is particularly reprehensible, Cruz wrote, noting that restricting any member of the Coast Guard from communicating with Congress would clearly violate federal laws. If agencies are allowed to silence their employees they will shield waste, fraud, abuse, and even criminal activity from oversight. The Coast Guard said in a statement Monday that the agreements it previously asked victims to sign were not intended to silence them, but to protect the integrity of the investigation and to ensure that the privacy of other victims and witnesses involved in the broader Fouled Anchor probe was also protected. The agency said the records had been provided to Cruzs office as part of the commandants commitment to transparency but did not comment on Cruzs criticism that the agreements were illegal. The congressional review by the Senate Commerce Committee is one of several government inquiries centered on a series of CNN stories into a secret Coast Guard probe dubbed Operation Fouled Anchor, which documented decades of cover-ups of sexual misconduct. CNN reported last year that Coast Guard leaders had guarded the secrecy of the internal investigation to the point that officials with access to case materials had to sign non-disclosure agreements. In the letter sent to Fagan, Cruz said that records received by his staff show that the Coast Guard personnel who had been silenced by these agreements included subjects, investigators, witnesses and assault victims themselves. Requiring victims to agree not to discuss what happened to them is particularly reprehensible, Sen. Ted Cruz wrote in a letter to the Coast Guard Sunday. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images) - Nathan Howard/Getty Images Cruz said it was critical that (Fagan) act quickly to put an end to the use of any prohibited NDAs and said that he had referred the matter to other government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General, which is leading an ongoing probe into the Fouled Anchor coverups. Cruzs letter is just the latest fall-out for the Coast Guard since the Fouled Anchor controversy broke last June. In the months that have followed, Fagan issued a series of unprecedented apologies to members of Congress, current and former academy cadets, and the entire Coast Guard workforce and has directed a host of reforms to how sexual assault cases are handled across the agency. But members of Congress have said they remain unsatisfied with a continued lack of transparency and have introduced a number of legislative fixes as a result. Just last week, Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut, where the academy is based, announced that a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security included $1.5 million in funding for an independent review, as well as language that would require that Congress receives key information and regular briefings to ensure transparency and accountability regarding the Coast Guards decision to hide from Congress the findings of Operation Fouled Anchor. A recent GAO report, meanwhile, found the Coast Guard needs to do more to ensure an effective culture change across the service. And in Cruzs letter, he also noted that the Coast Guard had resisted allowing interviews of attorneys involved with the probe on the grounds of legal privilege and that officials up for high-level promotions had provided only a conditional commitment to be honest and transparent with Congress moving forward. He cited an apparent initial lack of cooperation with the ongoing Inspector General investigation. This is a disservice to the survivors of rape and other sexual assaults at the Academy, whom the Coast Guard has already failed once, he wrote. Do you have information or a story to share about the Coast Guard past or present? Email melanie.hicken@cnn.com and Blake.Ellis@cnn.com. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com People attend the funeral of Hezbollah commander Ali Ahmed Hussein who was killed in an Israeli air raid. Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa A senior field commander with Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike in Lebanon overnight, sources on both sides reported on Monday. Ali Ahmed Hussein and two other fighters with the pro-Iranian armed group were killed in the southern Lebanon town of Sultaniyah, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. The Hezbollah movement confirmed the death of the commander, but gave no further details. A source in Sultaniyah confirmed to dpa that Hussein, nom de guerre Abbas Jaafar, was a commander of the Radwan Brigade. Hezbollah announced that his funeral would take place in Beirut's southern suburbs - a Hezbollah stronghold - later Monday. The IDF said Hussein's position was comparable to that of a brigade commander and that he was behind recent attacks on civilian sites in northern Israel. Since the beginning of the Gaza war after the massacre by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas in Israel on October 7, there have been daily, sometimes deadly, confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah. The tit-for-tat cross-border attacks have fuelled fears of a second war front. Sunday marked six months since Israel launched its devastating air and ground war on the Gaza Strip in response to the massacre by Hamas and other militant groups that left some 1,200 people dead and more than 200 others taken hostage. Israel announced on Sunday a major drawdown of troops from Khan Younis, the second-biggest city in the Gaza Strip. Israel media reported that with the departure of the 98th commando mission from Khan Younis there were no longer actively manoeuvring troops in southern Gaza, raising questions about Israel's next steps in the war. The IDF said the troops needed time to "recuperate and prepare for future operations." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that there "is a date" for Israeli ground troops to enter the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are currently sheltering from the war. "This victory requires entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorist battalions there. This will happen; there is a date," Netanyahu said in a statement on Monday evening. The US and other allies have repeatedly warned Israel against a Rafah incursion due to the risk of high civilian casualties, with US President Joe Biden saying this would be crossing "a red line." However, far-right factions in Netanyahu's coalition government have been pressuring the premier to go ahead with the plan, after Israeli troops surprisingly withdrew from Khan Younis. Much of Gaza lies in ruins as fears of famine grow and Israel faces blistering condemnation of its actions, including for attacks on health facilities and the recent airstrike that killed seven aid workers from the charity World Central Kitchen. The Hamas-run Health Ministry puts the death toll in Gaza at over 33,000. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced "new measures" directed against Israel in the light of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. "These measures will continue until Israel declares a ceasefire and allows humanitarian aid to reach Gaza without interruption," Fidan said on Monday, according to the Anadolu news agency, without specifying the nature of the measures further. Over the weekend, the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, and a delegation from Hamas arrived in Cairo to resume indirect talks on ceasefire deal that would facilitate an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Weeks of negotiations - brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt - have seen hopes of a breakthrough repeatedly dashed. A senior Hamas official confirmed to dpa that the Hamas team have left Cairo for negotiations with the movement's leadership. The official said that the Israeli negotiating team was "not being flexible" and were "still not responding to any of the Hamas demands." An Egyptian security source said "the negotiations were positive and achieved slight progress, although not what was hoped for." He added that another round will take place within 48 hours after each party consulted with their leaders. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid told Israeli radio on Monday that a deal was on the table. "It will be a deal we don't like, but we have to do it because we have to bring [the hostages] home," he said. During a week-long ceasefire at the end of November, Hamas released 105 hostages. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from its facilities. Tens of thousands of Israelis flooded the streets in multiple protests over the weekend to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do more to secure the hostages' release. People attend the funeral of Hezbollah commander Ali Ahmed Hussein who was killed in an Israeli air raid. Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa People attend the funeral of Hezbollah commander Ali Ahmed Hussein who was killed in an Israeli air raid. Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa A senior field commander with Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike in Lebanon overnight, sources on both sides reported on Monday. Ali Ahmed Hussein and two other fighters with the pro-Iranian armed group were killed in the southern Lebanon town of Sultaniyah, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. The Hezbollah movement confirmed the death of the commander, but gave no further details. A source in Sultaniyah confirmed to dpa that Hussein, nom de guerre Abbas Jaafar, was a commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Brigade. Hezbollah announced that his funeral would take place in Beirut's southern suburbs - a Hezbollah stronghold - later Monday. The IDF said Hussein's position was comparable to that of a brigade commander and that he was behind recent attacks on civilian sites in northern Israel. Since the beginning of the Gaza war after the massacre by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas in Israel on October 7, there have been daily, sometimes deadly, confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah. The tit-for-tat cross-border attacks have fuelled fears of a second war front. Sunday marked six months since Israel launched its devastating air and ground war on the Gaza Strip in response to the massacre by Hamas and other militant groups that left some 1,200 people dead and more than 200 others taken hostage. Israel on Monday accused Hamas of firing rockets at Israel from a "humanitarian zone" in the south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli fighter jets targeted and destroyed three Hamas launching pads in the zone located in the west of the city of Khan Younis, the army said. Hamas has yet to comment on the attack. Israel announced on Sunday a major drawdown of troops from Khan Younis, the second-biggest city in the Gaza Strip. Israel media reported that with the departure of the 98th commando mission from Khan Younis there were no longer actively manoeuvring troops in southern Gaza, raising questions about Israel's next steps in the war. The IDF said the troops needed time to "recuperate and prepare for future operations." Despite strong international opposition, Israel has been maintaining for weeks that it is planning a large-scale incursion into Rafah, the last major population centre in Gaza that has yet to see ground forces. Much of Gaza lies in ruins as fears of famine grow and Israel faces blistering condemnation of its actions, including for attacks on health facilities and the recent airstrike that killed seven aid workers from the charity World Central Kitchen. The Hamas-run Health Ministry puts the death toll in Gaza at over 33,000. More than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah from fighting elsewhere in the sealed-off coastal area. Over the weekend, the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, and a delegation from Hamas arrived in Cairo to resume indirect talks on ceasefire deal that would facilitate an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Weeks of negotiations - brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt - have seen hopes of a breakthrough repeatedly dashed. A senior Hamas official confirmed to dpa that the Hamas team have left Cairo for negotiations with the movement's leadership. The official said that the Israeli negotiating team was "not being flexible" and were "still not responding to any of the Hamas demands." An Egyptian security source said "the negotiations were positive and achieved slight progress, although not what was hoped for." He added that another round will take place within 48 hours after each party consulted with their leaders. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid told Israeli radio on Monday that a deal was on the table. "It will be a deal we don't like, but we have to do it because we have to bring [the hostages] home," he said. During a week-long ceasefire at the end of November, Hamas released 105 hostages. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from its facilities. Tens of thousands of Israelis flooded the streets in multiple protests over the weekend to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu do more to secure the hostages' release. Meanwhile in the occupied West Bank, where tensions have been running particularly high since the outbreak of the Gaza war, a Palestinian woman was killed in an attempted knife attack, according to the Israeli military. The woman had refused to identify herself at an army barrier and then tried to attack soldiers with a knife, the army said. The soldiers then shot her. The troops were not injured. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah confirmed the woman had been shot dead in the incident near the village of Tubas. According to the Palestinian authorities, 439 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Gaza war broke out more than six months ago - in Israeli military operations, clashes between the two sides, or in their own attacks. Nineteen Israelis have been killed in attacks in the West Bank or Jerusalem. People attend the funeral of Hezbollah commander Ali Ahmed Hussein who was killed in an Israeli air raid. Marwan Naamani/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa I Served on the Florida Supreme Court. What the New Majority Just Did Is Indefensible. On April 1, the Florida Supreme Court, in a 61 ruling, overturned decades of decisions beginning in 1989 that recognized a womans right to choosethat is, whether to have an abortionup to the time of viability. Anchored in Floridas own constitutional right to privacy, this critical individual right to abortion had been repeatedly affirmed by the state Supreme Court, which consistently struck down conflicting laws passed by the Legislature. As explained first in 1989: Floridas privacy provision is clearly implicated in a womans decision of whether or not to continue her pregnancy. We can conceive of few more personal or private decisions concerning ones body in the course of a lifetime. Tellingly, the justices at the time acknowledged that their decision was based not only on U.S. Supreme Court precedent but also on Floridas own privacy amendment. I served on the Supreme Court of Florida beginning in 1998 and retired, based on our mandatory retirement requirement, a little more than two decades later. Whether Floridas Constitution provided a right to privacy that encompassed abortion was never questioned, even by those who would have been deemed the most conservative justicesalmost all white men back in 1989! And strikingly, one of the conservative justices at that time stated: If the United States Supreme Court were to subsequently recede from Roe v. Wade, this would not diminish the abortion rights now provided by the privacy amendment of the Florida Constitution. Wow! In 2017 I authored an opinion holding unconstitutional an additional 24-hour waiting period after a woman chooses to terminate her pregnancy. Pointing out that other medical procedures did not have such requirements, the majority opinion noted, Women may take as long as they need to make this deeply personal decision, adding that the additional 24 hours stipulated that the patient make a second, medically unnecessary trip, incurring additional costs and delays. The court applied what is known in constitutional law as a strict scrutiny test for fundamental rights. Interestingly, Justice Charles Canady, who is still on the Florida Supreme Court and who participated in the evisceration of Floridas privacy amendment last week, did not challenge the central point that abortion is included in an individuals right to privacy. He dissented, not on substantive grounds but on technical grounds. So what can explain this 180-degree turn by the current Florida Supreme Court? If I said politics, that answer would be insufficient, overly simplistic. Unfortunately, with this court, precedent is precedent until it is not. Perhaps each of the six justices is individually, morally or religiously, opposed to abortion. Yet, all the same, by a 43 majority, the justicesthree of whom participated in overturning precedentvoted to allow the proposed constitutional amendment on abortion to be placed on the November ballot. (The dissenters: the three female members of the Supreme Court.) That proposed constitutional amendment: Amendment to Limit Government Interference With Abortion: No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patients health, as determined by the patients healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislatures constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion. For the proposed amendment to pass and become enshrined in the state constitution, 60 percent of Florida voters must vote yes. In approving the amendment to be placed on the ballot at the same time that it upheld Floridas abortion bans, the court angered those who support a womans right to choose as well as those who are opposed to abortion. Most likely the latter groups embrace the notion that fetuses are human beings and have rights that deserve to be protected. Indeed, Chief Justice Carlos Muniz, during oral argument on the abortion amendment case, queried the state attorney general on precisely that issue, asking if the constitutional language that defends the rights of all natural persons extends to an unborn child at any stage of pregnancy. In fact, and most troubling, it was the three recently elevated Gov. Ron DeSantis appointeesall womenwho expressed their views that the voters should not be allowed to vote on the amendment because it could affect the rights of the unborn child. Justice Jamie Grosshans, joined by Justice Meredith Sasso, expressed that the amendment was defective because it failed to disclose the potential effect on the rights of the unborn child. Justice Renatha Francis was even more direct, writing in her dissent: The exercise of a right to an abortion literally results in a devastating infringement on the right of another person: the right to live. And our Florida Constitution recognizes that life is a basic right for [a]ll natural persons. One must recognize the unborns competing right to life and the States moral duty to protect that life. In other words, the three dissenting justices would recognize that fetuses are included in who is a natural person under Floridas Constitution. What should be top of mind days after the dueling decisions? Grave concern for the women of our state who will be in limbo because, following the courts ruling, a six-week abortion banat a time before many women even know they are pregnantwill be allowed to go into effect. We know that these restrictions will disproportionately affect low-income women and those who live in rural communities. But interestingly, there is a provision in the six-week abortion ban statute that allows for an abortion before viability in cases of medical necessity: if two physicians certify that the pregnant patient is at risk of death or that the fetus has a fatal fetal abnormality. The challenge will be finding physicians willing to put their professional reputations on the line in a state bent on cruelly impeding access to needed medical care when it comes to abortion. Yet, this is the time that individuals and organizations dedicated to womens health, as well as like-minded politicians, will be crucial in coordinating efforts to ensure that abortions, when needed, are performed safely and without delay. This is the time to celebrate and support organizations, such as Planned Parenthood and Emergency Medical Assistance, as well as our own RBG Fund, which provides patients necessary resources and information. Floridians should also take full advantage of the Repro Legal Helpline. We all have a role in thiswomen and men alike. Lets get out, speak out, shout out, coordinate our efforts, and, most importantly, vote. Working together, we can make a difference. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) resumes its activities in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, the Head of Public Relations Department of the ICRC Representative Office in the country Ilaha Huseynova told Trend. It was highlighted that ICRC operations in these areas will be carried out from the office in Barda city, with ongoing efforts to assist the vulnerable populace. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Yahoo Sports The Week 7 slate certainly lived up to the hype. On this week's overreaction show, Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger and SI's Pat Forde break down Oregon's strong home win over Ohio State and discuss how Dan Lanning has progressed Oregon to a position of national prominence. The Modesto Pregnancy Center was sent a letter from California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday morning demanding that it prove its sexual education given to area students is medically accurate and unbiased, according to a release. The letter said the curriculum given to students of Modesto City Schools may not comply with state law, according to information on the Pregnancy Centers website and complaints the California Department of Justice received from parents. The Pregnancy Center, also known as Personal Health Now, is asked to substantiate the materials it provides to local schools, prove that it did not omit information on students rights to access abortion services and that it did not falsely advertise its services. Failing to do so, could result in further action, according to the letter. As of Monday morning, The Modesto Bee had not learned which schools received curriculum from the Pregnancy Center or what exactly the curriculum was. The California Healthy Youth Act requires California public schools, including charter schools, to provide comprehensive sexual health education, reads a statement from Bonta thats included in the release. The education is required at least once in middle school and at least once in high school. All instruction in all grades must be age appropriate, medically accurate and may not promote religious doctrine. The Pregnancy Center is a faith-based nonprofit organization that opened in 1990. According to its 2022 tax exception filings, it stated that its mission is dedicated to protecting the unborn, providing for those facing crisis pregnancies and post-abortion trauma and promoting healthy relationships through a system of support with the love of Jesus Christ. The Pregnancy Center has 20 calendar days to respond to the DOJs letter. The letter asks the Pregnancy Center to provide the following: business records, memoranda, or other documents [that] should include any and all tests, analyses, research, studies, or other evidence based on the expertise of professionals in the relevant area, which have been conducted and evaluated in an objective manner by qualified persons, using procedures generally accepted in the profession to yield accurate and reliable results. Modesto City Schools stated that as of 12:30 p.m. Monday, it had not received any communication from the Attorney Generals Office but will be glad to review it. MCS stated that it is in the process of reviewing its curriculum and that parents have been invited to participate in this process. The review is a detailed and comprehensive process, during which parents and school and district leadership have every opportunity to make their voices heard, read the school districts statement. As with any new curriculum, we support parents rights to make decisions that are in the best interest of their family, which includes the right to opt out of comprehensive sexual health education curriculum. MCS said it would not respond to The Modesto Bees list of questions until it had formal received communication from the Department of Justice. The Bee reached out to the Modesto Pregnancy Center for comment. All questions were referred to its legal team. Sweden has expelled a Chinese journalist, Swedish media reported on Monday. The reporter, a 57-year-old woman, was removed last week by Stockholm, which considered her a national security threat. She is banned from returning. Her lawyer, Leutrim Kadriu, told Swedish broadcaster SVT she doesnt pose a threat. It is difficult for me to go into exact details given that much is shrouded in secrecy, as this is a national security matter, said Kadriu. The woman was arrested by Sweden's security services in October. She has a residency permit and was married to a Swedish man, having arrived in the country two decades ago. The pair have children, according to SVT. The woman has contacts with the Chinese Embassy and with people in Sweden connected to the government in Beijing. FILE- People equipped with flags and cameras greet Chinese president Hu Jintao on the arrival at Goteborg harbour 2007 - BJORN OLSSON/AP She also reported from Norway and other Nordic countries, including Denmark, Finland and Iceland, reported the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Relations between Sweden and China have been fraught for years. In 2018, a Swedish court sentenced a man to 22 months in jail for spying for China on Tibetans who had fled to Sweden. Dorjee Gyantsan, a Tibetan who worked for a pro-Tibetan radio station, was found guilty of gross illegal intelligence activity. In 2020, a court in eastern China sentenced Chinese-born Swedish national Gui Minhai to 10 years in prison for selling books criticising the Communist Party. He was charged with illegally providing intelligence overseas. Sweden has continually called for Gui's release - something rebuked by China. He first disappeared in 2015, believed to have been abducted by Chinese security agents from his seaside home in Thailand. MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 25: A woman looks at a mural on the wall of Cup Foods during a vigil for George Floyd on May 25, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It has been two years since George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police. - Photo: Stephen Maturen (Getty Images) After the Supreme Court decimated affirmative action in higher education last year legal scholars warned that conservatives would continue to chip away at programs aimed at helping Black and other minority groups. Now, a conservative legal group is coming for the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship. The Legal Insurrection Foundation filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education arguing that the scholarship for Black students at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minn., violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The George Floyd Memorial Scholarship was established in 2020 to invest in a new generation of young Black Americans, poised and ready to be leaders in our community and our nation. The scholarship, which pays homage to Floyd, who was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, provides full tuition for four years to one student every year, according to their website. The Supreme Courts decision last year did not mention race conscious scholarships. However, in the aftermath of the ruling, several colleges disbanded scholarships that considered race. In the complaint, The Legal Insurrection Foundation argues that North Central University is engaging in invidious discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin, and discriminating against non-Black applicants. The group requested that the DOEs Office for Civil Rights investigate and if necessary...suspend or terminate federal financial assistance and terminate federal financial assistance, and refer the case to the Department of justice. So far, the Department of Education has not publicly responded to the request. However, just because the scholarship is still standing, doesnt mean these types of cases can be ignored. Last year, a circuit court blocked the Fearless Fund, a Black women-owned venture capitalist firm that provides grants to minority women-owned businesses from continuing their program. The fund was under attack by Edward Blums non-profit American Alliance for Equal Rights. Blum was also a significant driver of the Supreme Courts decision to gut affirmative action in higher education. And, other diversity initiatives across the country continue to be under siege. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Single-use plastics ban now in effect for all San Diego businesses SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) After the one-year grace period to comply with the citywide ban on plastic foam containers ended last month, all businesses within the city of San Diego will now have to say goodbye to using single-use Styrofoam products. The ban officially took effect last year but small businesses making $500,000 or less were automatically given an extra year to comply. Since April 1, all businesses in the city have been required to follow the ordinance. California is giving up to $150,000 to help first-time homebuyers According to the city, the ban covers most polystyrene foam containers, coolers, ice chests, pool or beach toys, and other similar items. Other single-use plastic products, like straws and utensils, may only be provided at a customers request. The city has provided informational flyers regarding the ordinance in four different languages including English, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese. The city says polystyrene foam poses a threat to wildlife because it does not biodegrade and often ends up in streets, waterways, storm drains, and eventually the ocean. Other cities have already adopted a similar ordinance, including Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar, Imperial Beach, Solana Beach and Oceanside. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Two candidates for the At-Large C seat up for grabs in Tuesday's election are at odds over the role that one of them played in a protest last week about issues surrounding the Sioux Falls Police Department's use of force, and which of them might be better equipped to deal with similar situations in the future. The protest Friday afternoon involved dozens of people demonstrating in a "March for Justice" against the department's use of force in the arrest of Daniel Bettelyoun last month. At least one officer can be seen apparently attempting to strike Bettelyoun, a 44-year-old Native American, in a video captured by a family member March 25. Another officer is seen then deploying a Taser on Bettelyoun. At least four other officers are seen in the video assisting in the arrest. The officers' names have not been released and the video alleges his arm was broken. More: Dozens protest SFPD use of force in Daniel Bettelyoun arrest Allison Renville, a candidate for the At-Large C council seat, helped organize the protest and led it, at one point meeting with police who blocked the road after determining that "participants went outside of the scope of the issued permit" in regards to the use of vehicles, as stated in a press release. Police are being dramatic," Renville told the Argus Leader at the time. "I actually expected this. Northeast district candidate Neil Jeske was also present at the protest, and told the Argus Leader that, "We need to see the body camera footage. We need to see all sides of this." Demonstrators walk for the March for Justice on Friday, April 5, 2024, along North Drive in Sioux Falls. When the Argus Leader reached out to other candidates about their thoughts on the protest march or the reasons behind it, Jordan Deffenbaugh, also a contender for the At-Large C seat, was critical of some of the signage that accompanied it. "I don't think it's appropriate for a candidate to march under or alongside banners that say "F--- the Police" ... Elections are a job interview, and it doesn't strike me as the kind of behavior that's becoming of anyone running for an elected office," Deffenbaugh wrote. "As Councilor, I look forward to working alongside our law enforcement agencies to bring them to the table for conversations with justice impacted populations. Progress starts with dialogue, and I look forward to facilitating those difficult conversations if I am elected." In a Monday interview, Renville countered that Deffenbaugh's critique is "based in his perspective," and that it showed where he would stand in situations like this what she called "the wrong side." She later added she believed that was "due to his limitations and lived experiences." Renville said that banners at the march reading "FTP" stood for "For the People," and that a sign captured in an image by the Argus Leader that read "F--- SFPD" was "an old sign that's been there." A person in the image, however, is seen holding the scene as they're marching in the demonstration. A demonstrator carries a "F--- SFPD" sign during the "March for Justice" Friday, April 5, 2024, in Sioux Falls. Editor's note: The obscenity has been intentionally blurred to comply with Gannett's policy. More: Dozens protest SFPD use of force in Daniel Bettelyoun arrest Jeske said Monday that he'd seen flyers about the protest but hadn't been specifically invited, and simply wanted to see what was going on. Asked about the banners mentioned by Deffenbaugh, Jeske said, "I'm not involved with that." Renville also said she said she believed the roads should have been closed as demonstrators marched, and said that arguments between them and police weren't over "scary stuff." She added she'd had a conversation with Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum, which she characterized as "good," but that in other cities, she believed interactions involving police and protests were being addressed more effectively. The Argus Leader also reached out to the other candidates on the ballot, as well as the two candidates who are running unchallenged for their seats, asking them if they had any thoughts about how the protest should have been handled or its call to address the allegations of unnecessary use of force. Here's what they said: Richard Thomason, At-Large C candidate: "I dont have enough information at this time, but trust there will be a thorough investigation into the incident." More: Sioux Falls City Council election: 6 questions with candidates for the At-Large C seat Miranda Basye, Northeast candidate: "Im grateful we live in a place where people bring others together for peaceful community events to raise their voices on the issues theyre passionate about. I will continue to listen to expert analysis about the situation as well as engage with those who have contacted me directly about what theyre experiencing." More: Sioux Falls City Council election: 6 questions with candidates for the Northeast seat David Zokaites, Northeast candidate: "Police only receive three months of training. That's not nearly enough considering the type of work that they do. Too much of police officer training seems to be focused on fear for officer safety, and an associated need for control. Not enough of their training is focused on de-escalation, civil rights, and mental illness. I would like to see police officer training gradually extended to three years. I'd also like to see more focus on just calming down and remembering that we should all be nice to each other." Sioux Falls officers, like all SD officers, are required to complete a 13-week course at the state's Law Enforcement Training Academy within 12 months of an officer's hiring date to be certified, according to state law. There's also a variety of mandetory in-service training required for officers to remain certified, including training in navigating domestic violence situations and firearms requalification, according to the South Dakota Attorney General's Office. Ryan Spellerberg, Southwest candidate (running unopposed): "I don't have enough information on this specific event. I will just say that I am a strong supporter of the SFPD and what they do for the city of Sioux Falls." More: Two new Sioux Falls city councilors wont be on the ballot in April. Who are they? Jennifer Sigette, Northwest candidate (running unopposed): "Nobody should ever have to fear the police but I also know law enforcement officers serve us everyday with the threat of harm existing. If there has been excessive force there should probably be an investigation but again I don't really know about this case." As for the use of force matter, it is currently being investigated internally by the police department, though the department has asked the state Division of Criminal Investigation to also review. According to the South Dakota Unified Judicial System's record database, Bettelyoun's charges tied to the incident include felony possession of a controlled substance, as well as misdemeanor obstructing a police officer, resisting arrest, driving with a revoked license, possession of an open alcoholic beverage container in vehicle, and use or possession of drug paraphernalia. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Sioux Falls branch also announced last week the group is launching an investigation regarding the use of force from the police officers. More: Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum addresses Thursday's officer-involved shooting And though the protest was planned in advance, it unfolded the day after of a police shooting in Sioux Falls last week, where two Sioux Falls officers, while assisting Minnehaha County deputies on a call, shot a white man police said approached officers while brandishing two knives. The two officers who fired their weapons are on administrative leave as DCI investigates this also. The shooting was the first involving weapons fired by law enforcement within city limits this year, but the 19th since 2004. Election Day polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can find out where to vote using this map, or by checking on the Secretary of State's website. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Should Sioux Falls council candidates participate in protests? The five candidates, who are running for a couple two-year seats on the Sioux Falls School Districts Board of Education, had one more chance to debate issues and market themselves to voters Monday, before the polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday for the election. That chance was at a candidate forum held by the Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary Club, moderated by Tony Nour. Its worth noting, Nour gave $250 to Bobbie Tibbetts campaign. He asked candidates Marc Murren, Bobbie Tibbetts, Stuart Willett, Gail Swenson and Pat Starr a variety of questions, many similar to ones theyve answered for local media or at a debate mid-March at the Instructional Planning Center in the board seats they might occupy in the coming months. School board candidates (left to right) Marc Murren, Bobbie Tibbetts, Stuart Willett, Gail Swenson and Pat Starr are featured at a school board candidate forum at the Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary meeting on Monday, April 8, 2024. Where do endorsements stand? Since the last debate, and since early campaign finance documents have come out, a couple of key endorsements have been publicized. Namely, those endorsements came from the Sioux Falls Education Association, which represents teachers in the district, and they were for Murren and Swenson. Another noteworthy endorsement is that of Stuart Willett by the conservative parents rights organization Moms for Liberty, which has lobbied for book bans and school vouchers nationwide. The real story is Stuart Willett being the only candidate to pledge to honor parents fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children, which benefits all families, Moms for Libertys Minnehaha County chapter wrote on Twitter. Willett has also received more than $700 in financial support to his campaign from local Moms for Liberty members. More: Vouchers, DEI, books: Sioux Falls school board candidates give hot takes ahead of Election Day Swenson and Willett pointed to their newer endorsements during Mondays forum, and Swenson added shes also endorsed by Change Agents of South Dakota, South Dakota Leaders Engaged and Determined and the Realtors Association of the Sioux Empire. Tibbetts did not mention this during the forum, but her campaign contributions show $1,000 in support from the in-state political action committee Sioux Empire Better Government Committee, indicating an endorsement. What were the main highlights from the debate? Each candidate made a case for what sets them apart from the others during the forum, discussing the role of the school board, debating the strengths and challenges the district has and explaining why people should vote for them Tuesday. Murren echoed the point on his campaign signs: He wants to put kids first. One of his main concerns is that students should be able to read and do math at their level by third grade. He mentioned multiple other solutions the district is working on to address attendance and school safety. In an automated text from her campaign, Tibbetts said shes the only mom running for school board with kids in Sioux Falls public schools. She also said at the forum Monday that teacher recruitment and retention, teacher support and student behavior issues are important topics to keep an eye on. Willett said hes running to be a voice for parents and said one of the biggest issues facing education is artificial intelligence. He also suggested identifying the top 10% of teachers in the district and tasking them with leading professional development for their peers instead of national organizations with all their indoctrination. More: Sioux Falls school board candidates file campaign finance paperwork with $48K in donations Swenson said safety is the most pressing issue facing local school boards, and she wants to work to make good safety protocols, and ensure discipline policies are used and followed. She said she wants to improve community engagement and stay on top of the budget proposal. She said shes qualified as she spent her career in education, including many years in the district. Starr said hes running to be active in the community, show up and lead. He said he values openness, transparency and fiscal responsibility, and that the most pressing issues facing local school boards are teacher pay and retention, safety and student behavior. How did hot topics play out on stage? Some unexpected topics also came up from some of the candidates. As Starr had 10 seconds to spare on the question about the most pressing issues in education, he added, Its meth, meth, meth. Were seeing not just grams of it in the last eight years. Were now seeing pounds of it infiltrating our community, Starr said. How do we help kids who are starting to use meth? Five percent of high school freshmen in South Dakota have tried meth. Starr may be overstating the influence of meth among high schoolers. A 2022 report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed an estimated 0.2% of eighth graders, 0.3% of 10th graders, and 0.5% of 12th graders reported using methamphetamine in the past 12 months. On a question about the role of the board, Willett spoke about concerns some parents might have about how the books are curated in the school libraries. He said theres no one held accountable. Someone should be responsible. If weve got someone putting pornography in the schools, well, whos doing that? We dont know. This should all be done publicly, Willett said. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls school board candidates talk school safety at final debate BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Amendments have been made to the "Charter of the legal entity of public law 'Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan' (Azercosmos)", Trend reports. The decision was signed by Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov. According to the document, the authorized fund of Azerkosmos was increased from 295.6 million manat ($173.9 million) to 398.6 million manat ($234.5 million). Will be updated CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A small fire prompted a response at an east Charlotte taco shop Monday morning, the Charlotte Fire Department confirmed with Queen City News. CFD responded to the incident after a gas meter was triggered at the back of the strip of stores where Taqueria No. 1 is located off of East Independence Blvd. Smoke was showing upon arrival. It is unclear if anyone was in the building at the time of the incident. The cause of the fire has not yet been released and CFD remained on scene as of 8:15 a.m. This is a developing story; check back for updates For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. Two men traded trash talk and eventually gunfire in Florissant, resulting in charges against one of the men. According to the Florissant Police Departments probable cause statement, the first shooting happened on Dec. 16, 2023, on Cedar Park Drive. Police claim Andrew Davis and others fired several shots at the victims home and 2018 Land Rover. Officers later found 25 bullet holes in the house, four gunshots in the Land Rover, and 17 shell casings. Prior to the shooting, police claim Davis posted a picture on his Instagram account of three people standing outside the victims home. The victim said hed had ongoing problems with Drew, and the two men communicated on Instagram before and after the shooting. Missouri man executed for 2006 murders of cousin and her husband Before the shooting, the victim gave Davis his address, police said. After the shooting, Davis allegedly told the victim, bet (he) wouldnt let his location drop again. Two months later, gunfire struck Davis house in the 700 block of Manresa Lane. Police searched the residence and found a Glock .40 caliber pistol that matched the shell casings found at the scene of the first shooting. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office charged Davis with first-degree assault, first-degree property damage, three counts of armed criminal action, and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. The judge set a $150,000 cash-only bond for Davis. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Cloud cover looks like it will impact parts of Canada that are subject to the solar eclipse's path totality. Forecasts are subject to change, which makes it crucial to check local conditions. Here's the latest info from The Weather Network to help you understand what to expect: Canada Eclipse Outlook April 7 2024 Southern Ontario: Clouds with breaks of clearing The moons shadow makes landfall on the northern shores of Lake Erie near Leamington at 3:13 p.m. ET. Totality will spend just fourteen minutes traversing Ontario, with lucky folks smack dab in the middle of the path of totality seeing midday darkness for about three minutes. Clouds will play a starring role in Monday afternoons brief show. A low-pressure system over the northern United States will spill some clouds over southern Ontario to start the day, so youll wake up to plenty of clouds. However, in the final countdown to the eclipse, those clouds will begin breaking up across extreme southwestern Ontario. Folks down hereincluding Leamington and just south of Chathammay wind up with a fine view anyway. While Toronto proper may have clouds obscure the 99+ percent coverage of the afternoon sun, locations expecting totality around Hamilton and Niagara may start seeing peeks of clearing through the clouds. Heres hoping for the perfect timing for the tremendous number of folks camping out across the region for totality. Southwest Ontario Eclipse Cloud Forecast April 7 2024 Eastern Ontario: Eclipse may filter through high clouds The moons shadow will sweep over Lake Ontario and cross over Cobourg, Belleville, Kingston, Brockville, and eventually Cornwall. High clouds streaming over the region from that pesky low-pressure system in the northern U.S. will allow filtered sunshine to bathe the region on Monday afternoon. Theres also a chance well see breaks emerge around totality. This deck of cirrus clouds wont make for ideal viewing during the eclipse, but its not a complete deal breaker. While onlookers may not see a perfect disk in the sky with all the celestial trimmings, the eclipsed sun should still be visible through high-level clouds, and the moons shadow will have a unique appearance in the sky as it passes overhead. Folks whove seen eclipses with high clouds often say that the obstruction has a surreal, almost cinematic effect, making it look like a spaceship passing overhead. Quebec: Clean and clear, especially in the east Some of the best views of the eclipse in all of North America will unfold in the skies over southern Quebec on Monday, making this one of our go-to spots in Canada. A ridge of high pressure over the region should hold off the advancing clouds long enough to provide just about everyone in the path of totality a crisp view of the event. Skywatchers in downtown Montreal, Sherbrooke, and Saint-Georges are all likely to score a memorable experience amid mostly sunny skies on Monday afternoon. Quebec Eclipse Cloud Forecast April 7 2024 New Brunswick and P.E.I.: The gold standard Congratulations are in order for folks looking forward to totality over the Maritimes. Clear skies will provide a crisp view of totality throughout central and northern New Brunswick, as well as the western half of Prince Edward Island. Well see totality cross the international border and arrive in Woodstock and Hartland, N.B., at 4:25 p.m. AT, lasting for a little over three minutes in each community. The moons shadow will then cross over Fredericton, Doaktown, and Miramichi, before crossing the strait to darken the skies over western P.E.I., where folks in downtown Summerside will witness about one minute of totality beginning at 4:32 p.m. AT. Maritimes Eclipse Cloud Forecast April 7 2024 Newfoundland: Better in the west than the east The island falls between a centre of high pressure to the west and a stubborn low-pressure system lurking over the ocean to the east. This system to the east will bring thick low-level clouds, onshore winds, and a risk for rain or drizzle during the eclipse. As a result, Bonavista and Clarenville will see several minutes of daytime darkness without being able to see the eclipse itself. If youre eager to view totality in all its splendor, your best bet is to head toward Port aux Basques on the southwestern coast. Partial eclipse graces the skies over Canada Folks often say that a solar eclipse is totality or bust. That may be the case if youll settle for nothing less than absolute perfection. But a partial solar eclipse is pretty cool, too. Our skies always have something to offer nature lovers of all ages. A partial solar eclipse is visible across all of Canada on Monday afternoonfor the lucky towns where clouds arent in the way. That lumbering low over the northern U.S. will send ample cloud cover across northern Ontario and southern Manitoba, potentially hindering the view of the partial eclipse for towns like Timmins, Thunder Bay, and Winnipeg. The best view of the partial eclipse is out west toward Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan. Calgary and Edmonton have an excellent opportunity to safely watch more than one-third of our sun slip behind the moon early Monday afternoon. Unfortunately, most folks in Vancouver and throughout southern British Columbia will miss out on the event as a dreary system pushes ashore with thick clouds and rain. After a Delta flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Detroit during the eclipse, passengers shared their enthusiasm about the unusual journey. The airline's resident meteorologist, Warren Weston, was on the flight and said that while there were concerns about a thunderstorm in Dallas this afternoon, the experienced pilots delivered a remarkable experience. Warren Weston, Manager of Meteorology at Delta, speaks about planning that went into todays path-of-totality flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Detroit and the experience onboard during the eclipse #Eclipse2024 pic.twitter.com/LC6Cwxej9H Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) April 8, 2024 "I thought it was great," Weston said in a video shared on X by journalist Brendan Gutenschwager. "You can tell it got very dark. I looked out of the window and I could see the shadow out on the ground. You could see it on the horizon kind of diminishing as you went further out, so it was obvious that we were right in the totality. I thought that was pretty cool." Weston said he and his team planned 24 to 36 hours in advance to be sure the route was perfect. "We looked at a lot of data to be able to tell where we were going to enter the eclipse, that we were going to have good viewing, good visibility," he explained. "The first part of our flight, we were kind of in the clouds over Texas and part of Arkansas, then they opened up." "It worked out pretty well," Weston said. The sun and moon will do their thing later today, but it was an earthbound show that played out in the hours leading up to the big day. Melanie and Greg Newton, wearing costumes of the sun and moon respectively, dazzled children and adults alike with their poofy, inflated outfits outside the Rochester Museum & Science Center. Melanie Newtons was complete with an orange and yellow wig and matching makeup. Melanie Newton and Greg Newton, wearing costumes of the sun and moon respectively, dazzled children and adults alike April 7 outside the Rochester Museum & Science Center. Miles Moritz-Chapelliquen, 3, giggled as he approached the Newtons. Greg Newton pranced in front of Melanie Newton, mimicking an eclipse. "I love all the planets," said Miles, the son of Ada and Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen, who are from Pennsylvania and visiting Rochester for the eclipse. They began planning the trip last year because they said Miles is obsessed with space. There's nothing like experiencing solar eclipse up close Brian Gabrielsen, 47, with his wife, Jennifer, and two sons, ages 14 and 12, said Sunday in Rochester they made the six-hour drive from their home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a Philadelphia suburb, to experience the April 8 total solar eclipse. Another family arrived in town to experience the total solar eclipse. Brian Gabrielsen, 47, came in with his wife, Jennifer, and two sons, ages 14 and 12. They made the six-hour drive from their home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Standing outside the science center, Gabrielsen said he and Jennifer knew experiencing the eclipse "up close" would be one they'd all remember. They plan to return today to the science center to watch the event up close. And if it's cloudy, "at least there's something going on" with various activities scheduled. 'This is bringing people together' Jim Weiler and his group had just left the science center Sunday, which is also home to the Strasenburgh Planetarium. He said he has no expectation for the eclipse but wanted to experience something more than 2017's partial solar eclipse. "There was not a whole lot of awe," said Weiler, who lives near Philadelphia, about the last solar eclipse. Jim Weiler, 67, who lives near Philadelphia, said he has no expectation for the eclipse but wanted to experience something more than 2017's partial solar eclipse. Weiler and his group Sunday had just left the Rochester Museum & Science Center. They plan to watch the eclipse from Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, where American pioneers Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass are buried. "There's a couple places we scouted out," he said of the sprawling, hilly cemetery. "Can you imagine how surreal?" Weiler, 67, said he knows this is the last chance for this experience. He also believes the eclipse is needed in 2024. "There's so much crap going on in the world right now," he said. "This is bringing people together. People are looking for a reason and this is a good one. "We need heroes, even celestial ones." Dave Osborn and Alex Hicks Jr. are editors with the USA TODAY Network. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Solar eclipse fans travel to Rochester NY for 'up close' experience The 2024 total solar eclipse has begun, although in Florida the first views won't be visible in Florida until about 1:30 p.m. EDT. The best time to head outside in Florida, unless you want to catch the very beginning of the moon's passage in front of the sun, will be at 1:55 p.m. CDT in Pensacola Can't head outside? Or maybe clouds are blocking the view of the sun? There are live streams to watch, and you won't need any solar eclipse glasses to watch. NASA's 2024 solar eclipse live stream NASA started streaming live on YouTube at 1 p.m. EDT. Streaming will continue to 4 p.m. EDT. NASA will "share conversations with experts and provide telescope views of the eclipse from several sites along the eclipse path." Throughout the broadcast, viewers can send in questions in the chat using #askNASA for a chance to have them answered live. Will you be able to see the eclipse in Florida? Screenshot of interactive map that shows some of the larger cities in each of the 13 states on the 2024 eclipse's path of totality and how the duration of totality will vary along the path. Yes, but ... Thirteen states across the U.S. from Texas to Maine are in the path of totality. Florida is not one of them. In Florida, residents will see a partial eclipse where the moon doesn't completely block the sun but instead blocks only a percentage of it. How much depends on where you are in the state. The farther north you are, the larger the percentage of the sun will be blocked by the moon. How much of the eclipse will Florida see? Enter your ZIP code for answers As we've said earlier, how much of the sun will be blocked by the moon depends on where you are in the state. Here's the maximum coverage from several locations around Florida: Pensacola: 76% Tallahassee: 70% Jacksonville: 64% Daytona Beach: 59% Melbourne: 54% Port St. Lucie: 51% West Palm Beach: 49% Naples: 50% Fort Myers: 52% Sarasota: 56% Don't see your city mentioned? Enter your ZIP code to see: When the eclipse starts at your location What the maximum coverage will be What time maximum coverage will occur When the eclipse ends at your location Chances for clear skies based on historical averages for April 8 What is the peak time to see the eclipse in Florida? The total eclipse will begin in Mexico at about 11:07 a.m. PDT, before crossing into Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT. It will end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT. Roughly speaking, in Florida the peak of the partial eclipse will start about 1:55 p.m. CDT in Pensacola and at 3:02 p.m. EDT on Miami Beach. Here's a look at the peak time around the state, which is the time the maximum coverage of the sun is expected: Pensacola: 1:55 p.m. CDT Tallahassee: 3 p.m. EDT Jacksonville: 3:05 p.m. EDT Daytona Beach: 3:04 p.m. EDT Melbourne: 3:04 p.m. EDT Port St. Lucie: 3:03 p.m. EDT West Palm Beach: 3:03 p.m. EDT Naples: 2:59 p.m. EDT Fort Myers: 2:59 p.m. EDT Sarasota: 2:59 p.m. EDT Don't see your city mentioned? Click on any circle in the map to see: Time of peak coverage Maximum coverage percentage Chances of clear skies based on historical averages This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: NASA live stream eclipse: Follow coverage, ask questions. Florida times Solar eclipse: Im not in the path of totality do I still need to wear eclipse glasses? (NEXSTAR) By now, you may already know that the U.S. will soon have the chance to see a stunning total solar eclipse. You may also already know if you are or arent in the path of totality. Those in the totality path will have a chance to see the sun totally obscured in the middle of the day on April 8 as the moon passes perfectly between us and the sun. However, only those within the path of totality which stretches about 115 miles across and will move from Texas and into the Northeast will be able to see the sun blocked out. If you dont live within the path of totality, you still have a chance to see the moon partially block out the sun. This may bring you to another question if you are outside the path of totality, do you actually need to wear those special eclipse glasses everyone is talking about? Youre not in the golden region of the solar eclipse, so does it matter? Solar eclipse 2024: What each zodiac sign can expect The short answer is yes, if youre outside the path of totality, youre going to want to wear eye protection before observing the eclipse. In fact, only those shrouded in the path of totality can go without eclipse glasses (but not the entire time). Lets explain. We know the moon is going to block out the sun on April 8 during our first total solar eclipse since 2017. Those within a certain area will see the sun totally blocked, while for those outside that path, the sun will look like a sliver. The eclipse itself will last several minutes. Experts have warned that everyone viewing the solar eclipse should wear proper eye protection before looking skyward. For those in the path of totality, the eye protection can come off for the two to four minutes when the moon completely blocks out the sun. But, as soon as the smallest sliver of the sun reappears, the eye protection needs to go back on. Why do you need eye protection? Youve likely been warned before not to stare at the sun because it can damage your eyes. The damage caused by looking at an eclipse without eye protection has earned its own name: eclipse blindness, or solar retinopathy. Dr. Andrew Neighbors, a Seattle-based optometrist, told Nexstars KXAN that this damage can heal over time, but its also possible it becomes permanent, as there is little that can be done to repair it. How can I see the solar eclipse at the Empire State Building? If youve ever seen a car headlight or something like that, its really bright, and then afterwards, you can kind of see the car headlight. It would be like that. It just wouldnt go away, Neighbors explained. NASA says that viewing the sun during the eclipse without the proper protection will instantly cause severe eye injury. Anywhere that the retina was exposed to that level of energy, it can burn it permanently and hurt your rods and cones, which can give you bad central vision, distorted vision, and it can affect your color vision as well, optometrist Dr. James Forde told Nexstars WSYR. How to protect your eyes during the solar eclipse In or out of the path of totality, youll need to wear (or use on your camera, binoculars, or telescope) solar filters to protect your eyes. Solar eclipse glasses, according to the American Optometric Association, are usually made of paper with a dark film that covers your eyes. That film should meet the international standard of ISO 12312-2. Experts say that code, as well as the authentic ISO certification label (seen below), need to be on any eclipse glasses you pick up to ensure your eyes are protected. Your glasses should also fit properly, come from a reputable manufacturer and vendor, and not have any defects to the film intended to protect your eyes. Some places, like your local library and Warby Parker, may be giving away solar eclipse glasses ahead of April 8. New York eclipse map: Which cities will have the best view? The American Astronomical Society also notes that many major retailers including Walmart, Krogers family of stores, Wegmans, Buc-ees, H-E-B, Menards, Lowes, Cracker Barrel, Meijer, and 7 Eleven are selling ISO-compliant eclipse glasses or viewers. You can find more places to purchase solar eclipse glasses here. You can also find filters for your telescope, binoculars, or camera that will allow you to safely view the solar eclipse. While eclipse glasses and solar viewers will protect your eyes as you look skyward, they will not protect you while you look through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or other optical devices: The concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury, NASA warns. NASA also notes that your regular sunglasses, while dark, are not safe enough to view this solar eclipse. You can create your own eclipse viewing device. Speaking with Nexstars KRQE, Dr. Robert Avery, professor of ophthalmology at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the UNM School of Medicine, suggested people make a pinhole projector that allows the suns image to be indirectly projected onto a piece of cardboard or, or paper so that you can view the eclipse indirectly without staring directly at the sun, he said. NASAs video tutorial on how to make a pinhole projector can be found by clicking here. The total solar eclipse will take place on April 8. You can view this map to determine what youll be able to see and when youll get to see it. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Southern California will get a nice, partial view of Mondays epic solar eclipse passing through much of the U.S., but those looking for the full experience are flocking to Los Angeles International Airport on Monday morning. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, higher than normal travel volumes were expected in the coming days due to the eclipse, especially those along the line of totality. Many outside of that thin path are traveling in search of a prime view of the rare phenomenon that NASA says wont be visible from the U.S. again until 2044. KTLA 5s Erin Myers went to LAX on Monday morning and spoke to travelers hoping to catch a glimpse of the eclipse when they land from their flight. Resident called police while Hollywood Hills home was being burglarized: LAPD I think were going to be a little bit north of the actual path, said Michelle Santillan, who was flying from L.A. to Detroit on Monday. [But] were excited Were supposed to be at 99.4% [totality] so were not at 100% but were close. While travel to locations on the path of totality was in high-demand, a flight to one of those cities wasnt the only way to view the event. Delta Airlines was offering unique flights from Texas to Detroit that would enable a special in-air viewing experience. Two of these special flights were available, one leaving from Austin and the other from Dallas. The Austin flight sold out in less than 24 hours, Delta said. These flights were set to perform a series of turns to allow views from both sides of the plane. The airline was working with the FAA to clear the unique flight path. A couple of flights departing from LAX to San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth are also considered eclipse flights and could offer some views. The FAA said flights could be affected due to the eclipse through Wednesday. Rerouting is possible as a result. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Ulviyya Shahin COP29 can serve as an important platform for Azerbaijan's promotion of the 18th National Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project in the international community, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov said during a meeting of the Joint Government-UN Steering Committee on the implementation of the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025', Azernews reports. "Through COP29, we aim to disseminate information to a wider range of stakeholders regarding projects focused on achieving "net zero emissions" in the Garabagh and East Zangazur economic regions. However, the persistent threat of landmines in these areas not only jeopardises lives but also hampers economic recovery efforts. These mines exert significant pressure on the ecological balance of the entire region. Hence, it's no coincidence that Azerbaijan has initiated efforts to include mine clearance as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal by 2030 on the UN agenda. Furthermore, COP29 can serve as a crucial platform to advocate for Azerbaijan's 18th national SDG project within the international community," he said. This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the centre of the world and will receive about 70-80,000 foreign guests. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP- the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Azerbaijan's gas exports from January through March 2024 reached 6.4 bcm, the country's Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov said, Trend reports. Out of this volume, some 3.2 bcm of gas was exported to Europe (50 percent), 2.3 bcm - to Turkiye (36 percent), and 0.9 bcm (14 percent) - to Georgia. At the same time, in January-March 2024, the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) supplied Turkiye with 1.3 bcm of gas. Meanwhile, during the reporting period, the country produced 12.6 bcm of gas - up by 400 million cubic meters year-on-year. Azerbaijan initiated gas transportation to Europe through the Southern Gas Corridor on December 31, 2020. This corridor facilitates the transport of gas from the Caspian Sea region to European countries, passing through Georgia and Turkiye. The project, with a total cost of 33 billion US dollars, is anticipated to recoup its capital costs within 810 years. In July 2022, Azerbaijan and the European Union reached an agreement to double the volume of gas supplies via the Southern Gas Corridor, from the current 10 billion cubic meters to 20 billion cubic meters by 2027. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Solar Eclipse 2024 may have come and gone over Oklahoma but people are still talking about the big event. The town of Idabel was in the path of totality. Many locals gathered outdoors, but people from Europe and elsewhere traveled to the Sooner State to watch the phenomenon. There was also a large group of young and old at Science Museum Oklahoma to observe the event. Solar eclipse: What to do with your glasses after it passes Despite the fervor surrounding the 2024 total solar eclipse, these types of celestial events take place roughly every 18 months, according to astronomers. The next one is actually a bit of a longer wait, occurring on Aug. 12, 2026, but the following total solar eclipse is less than a year afterward, on Aug. 2, 2027. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Son knocks on moms door, stabs her 70 times, Florida cops say. She got on my nerves A University of Florida premed student stabbed his mother in excess of 70 times when she answered her front door, and his motive caught detectives off guard, Florida officials say. He said: You know I have wanted to kill my mother for many, many years because she got on my nerves, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a video posted April 6 to Facebook. Then we asked him: Whats your relationship with your mother? He said: About an 8 and out of 10, that he really loved her. But she irritated him and he made up his mind today on his way from Gainesville that he would murder her. And thats exactly what he did. The victim has been identified as 46-year-old Elvia Espinoza, a mother of three and a second grade teacher at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School in Frostproof, officials said. Investigators say the killing happened around 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, at her home in Frostproof, about a 165-mile drive southeast from Gainesville, where the UF campus is located. Doorbell camera video shows Emmanuel Espinoza, 21, approached the home with a knife hidden behind his back and tried to get in without knocking. The second she opened the door, he charged in and started stabbing her, Judd said during a news conference. He made the statement that he knew where to stab her for maximum effect because of his biology classes. ... He stabbed her in excess of 70 times. Judd added that it was one of the most bizarre murders that weve dealt with in a very long time. Emmanuel Espinoza has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, jail records show. He called 911 and confessed to the operator who answered, officials said. He was coming from Gainesville to Frostproof for a family event for a grandparent this week, and he asked his mom if he could stay with her, Judd said. He arrived about 2 oclock ... he knocked on the front door and when mom opened the door he began to stab her and he stabbed her many times. She ran from him. She was talking to a family member on the phone and ... he stabbed her until she fell down and died. The suspect was the 2020 Frostproof Senior High valedictorian with a 4.5 GPA, officials said. He was in his fourth year at the University of Florida, and intended to be a medical doctor, officials said. Man runs over 86-year-old father multiple times in bar parking lot, Florida cops say Dad was killed on vacation and wife, sons tampered with evidence, Florida cops say Man comes to defense of 71-year-old girlfriend, then kills her son, Florida cops say Ukrainian hackers, possibly connected to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), destroyed a data center used by the Russian military, energy, and telecommunications industries, sources in the SBU told the Kyiv Independent on April 8. This comes as yet another story shedding light on the escalating cyberwar between Russia and Ukraine. According to the sources, more than 10,000 entities involved in the Russian military industry stored their data in the targeted cloud service OwenCloud.ru. These reportedly included companies from Russia's oil and gas production or metallurgical and aerospace industry, as well as major telecommunication giants: Ural Works of Civil Aviation, Rubin, Ural Plant Spectechniks, Gazprom, Transgaz, Lukoil, Rosneft, Nornickel, Rostelecom, or MegaFon. The operation was jointly carried out by the Ukrainian hacker group Blackjack and the cybersecurity department of the SBU, the sources said. At the moment of the publication, the OwenCloud.ru website displays a message supposedly left by the Blackjack hacker group, saying that the center's "IT infrastructure has been destroyed." "You work in the interests of the Russian Defense Ministry you are a legitimate target," the message reads. KI Insights Visit KI Insights to learn more and subscribe to the insider weekly newsletter visit ki insights More than 300 terabytes of data were destroyed, the sources said. This included 400 virtual and 42 physical servers that stored internal documents, backup copies, and other programs through which clients remotely managed production at their enterprises, according to the sources. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims. The sources said that the attack on the cloud service was a retaliation for a January hack of the Ukrainian Parkovyi data center. The SBU's cybersecurity chief, Illia Vitiuk, said in March that the SBU had repelled almost 10,000 cyberattacks since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022. What was arguably the most destructive cyberattack took place in December 2023, when Russian intelligence-linked hackers targeted Kyivstar, Ukraine's leading telecommunications provider, causing communication outages across the country. Read also: Ukraines military intelligence claims cyberattack on Russian Defense Ministry Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- South Africa has asked companies to help it set up an office to facilitate the entry of private operators onto the continents biggest rail network for the first time. Most Read from Bloomberg In a letter sent last month to Business Unity South Africa, the Department of Transport asked the countrys biggest corporate lobby group to help set up a private-sector participation office. It also asked BUSA to support concessioning and investment in freight and passenger networks. The department asked whether companies would be in a position to help them set up a unit, said Khulekani Mathe, chief executive officer-designate at Busa. We will produce the capacity to populate it and then have nothing to do it. The transport department didnt respond to a request for comment. The overture to the private sector over reviving the moribund rail industry is the latest attempt by the South African government to rope in corporate skills in a bid to kick-start collapsing government services ranging from electricity provision to water supply. The openeness with which the department is approaching this, with a willingess to take help from the private sector, is not something we have seen before, Mathe said. South Africas freight-rail services, run as a monopoly by state-owned Transnet SOC Ltd., have deteriorated to the point where iron ore is piling up in stockpiles at mines and coal railings to ports are at a 30-year low. Thats slashed earnings for companies including units of Anglo American Plc and Glencore Plc. Its also resulted in a lower tax take for the cash-strapped government. The government has produced a strategy the Freight Logistics Roadmap to reform rail and port services and Transnet last month published a document detailing how it envisages private companies operating its network. That document, which is open for public comment, has attracted criticism from miners and other companies reliant on rail as it aims to allow private operators to book slots for a period of one year, which then need renewing, rather than having access for longer periods. Longer access would encourage infrastructure investment. Late last month, BUSA wrote to its members asking them to submit proposals to it on how the rail network or segments of it could be run, in addition to seeking help to start the PSP office. The deadline for the proposals is April 19. A number of unsolicited bids have been submitted to Transnet, the Department of Transport said in its earlier letter. These PSP initiatives need screening and prioritizing but can be made market-ready within a year through the establishment of a sector-specific PSP unit. Bankable Opportunities The transport department said the unit will need transaction advisers as well as legal and technical experts to set up bankable PSP opportunities. Mathe said government envisages the unit running along the same lines as an office thats run bids for private power provision, and secured well over 200 billion rand ($10.7 billion) in investment. (Updates with comment from Mathe in sixth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- South Korea deployed its second domestically made spy satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from the US, enabling it to keep closer tabs on threats from the likes of nuclear-armed North Korea. Most Read from Bloomberg The satellite was launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday and it was placed into orbit about an hour later. It is a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, meaning it can use radar waves to produce ultra-high resolution images of objects on the ground, regardless of cloud cover or weather. Our second military surveillance satellite successfully communicated with overseas ground stations at around 10:57 a.m., South Koreas Defense Ministry said in a text message to reporters. Our independent intelligence monitoring, surveillance capability has been once again strengthened through the successful launch of the militarys first SAR satellite. South Korea has traditionally relied on the US for space-based intelligence, but is now seeking to supplement that by stepping up its own reconnaissance capabilities with a series of launches aimed at putting five spy satellites into orbit by 2025. The spy probes are part of a broader effort to develop South Koreas space program, including the launch in May last year of a Nuri rocket that transported eight satellites into orbit. In December, a SpaceX rocket placed South Koreas first homegrown reconnaissance satellite into orbit. North Korea, which has a tendency to try to upstage its neighbor when it comes to space launches, fired off a rocket in late November that put its first spy satellite into orbit after failing twice earlier in 2023 to do so. Kim Jong Uns regime also appears to be readying its space launch facility for another mission, the 38 North specialist website has reported. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik told reporters Monday that North Korea could launch its next spy satellite as early as mid-April. While officials in Seoul believe a North Korean spy satellite would be rudimentary at best, it could help Pyongyang refine its targeting as it rolls out new missiles designed to strike South Korea and Japan, which host the bulk of Americas military personnel in the region. --With assistance from Shinhye Kang. (Updates with successful communication with ground. A previous version of this story was corrected.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. South Korea successfully put its second homegrown spy satellite into orbit on Monday, the countrys Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday. It comes days after North Korea reiterated its intentions to launch multiple reconnaissance satellites this year. Launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the John F Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11.17pm on Sunday, the satellite successfully separated from the launch vehicle 45 minutes later and entered its targeted orbit, the ministry said in a statement. It made successful communication with the ground station about two hours and 40 minutes after the launch. The ministry said it will check whether the satellite functions properly via its communications with an overseas ground station. Seouls second spy satellite is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capable of producing images regardless of weather conditions due to how it processes data. The countrys independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities have been further strengthened by the successful launch, said its military. We will proceed with future satellite launches without a hitch. Under a contract with SpaceX, South Korea is to launch five spy satellites by 2025. This comes as North Korea vowed to launch three new spy satellites in 2024. The hostile neighbours launched their first spy satellites last year North Korea in November and South Korea in December amid heightened animosities. They said their satellites would boost their abilities to monitor each other and enhance their own missile attack capabilities. At the time, Pyongyang said it used its own Chollima-1 launch vehicle to place the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satellite in orbit, after two earlier attempts ended in crashes. The launch led to an increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with the neighbours taking steps to breach their 2018 agreement to lower military tensions. Meanwhile, South Korea suspects that North could launch a second spy satellite by mid-April, said the countrys defence minister Shin Won-sik, the Yonhap news agency reported. Mr Shins comment was based on the militarys observation of North Koreas related activities, South Korean defence ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu told a briefing. In 2022, South Korea became the worlds 10th nation to successfully launch a satellite with its own technology by using a homegrown rocket to place what it called a "performance observation satellite" in orbit. But experts say its economical to use a SpaceX rocket to launch spy satellite and that South Korea needs more launches to ensure the reliability of the rocket. Additional reporting by agencies SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The suspect wanted in connection to a shooting at a TRAX station in South Salt Lake turned himself over to authorities, according to the Utah Transit Authority. Authorities confirmed the suspect is a minor and did not release any additional information about his identity, due to his age. The suspect was reportedly involved in a shooting on Thursday, April 4, at the Meadowbrook TRAX station. Two people were hospitalized as a result of the shooting, one in critical condition, and the other in serious condition. PREVIOUS: 2 shot at South Salt Lake TRAX platform, suspect on the loose Utah Highway Patrol confirmed with ABC4 that as of Friday, April 5, one victim was still in the hospital in critical but stable condition. The other has since been released. Authorities did not release the identity of either victim. ABC4 is working on getting an updated condition on the victim hospitalized over the weekend. UTA said an investigation into the shooting is still ongoing and further details have not been released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Reya Pope, 4, stood outside the Explorit Science Center in Davis wearing small blue boots with rocket ships on the sides Monday morning as she peered at the sky through the film of an eclipse viewer. I see the bite, she said to her mother, Rachel, who took the girl to the event co-hosted by the Davis Astronomy Club and explained the astronomical phenomenon earlier in the day. Reya declined a request for an interview about the eclipse. But Rachel said she told Reya that the moon was casting a shadow that blocked the suns light and made it look like a cookie with a bite out of it. She had not explained the phenomenon to the baby she was holding Remy, 8 months who was wearing space-themed pants but who is also, as Rachel pointed out, not verbal yet. Other than Remy, just about everyone at the eclipse viewing event could understand what was going on, said Emily Anderson, program director at the Explorit Science Center. I just think its great when science is accessible to people, Anderson said. This is something that can be explained in really basic terms. And everyone, from very littles to our experienced science observers, everybody can understand it. Its just a nice way to get your toe in the water of science and not be intimidated. She held up two sheets of white paper, one of them with five tiny holes pricked across the center. She held the pierced sheet a few inches over the solid sheet, and little crescent shadows appeared. Sometimes people are very intimidated by science, she said. But look at this pinhole viewer: Very simple. A crowd of at least 100 people was abuzz as the peak approached. The organizers had not had enough eclipse viewing glasses to pass out a pair to everyone: They ran out of the 75 free pairs from NASA, they sold out about 800 over the previous few days and, in the end, Anderson was loaning out 30 rectangular solar viewers from Thousand Oaks Optical to share, she kept telling people. Strangers were marveling at the shadow on the sun. Pam Sparks, a retired high school counselor, busted out her dangling moon earrings for the day. She doesnt wear them often she plucked one from her left earlobe and handed it over, saying, Feel how heavy they are but its not every day the moon has a moment like this one. She smiled at the crowd that had gathered for the eclipse. It brings people so together, she said. Look at all these people who are talking to people that they dont know. More capital region residents gathered at the Museum of Science and Curiosity, also known as MOSAC, in Sacramento to take a look at the solar eclipse. Viewed from Sacramento, the maximum coverage of the sun by the moon was 34%, far short of the totality experienced in eastern parts of the United States. But the Sacramento sky was clear, unlike some locations along the path of the full eclipse. The peak moment occurred at 11:15 a.m. Back in Davis, Terrence Nguyen, 23, hadnt planned to do anything special for the eclipse. Honestly, I was just gonna go outside and see the shadow, the UC Davis student said. But Mileyna Soo, 20, was going to the Explorit Science Center and told Nguyen to tag along after Soos Japanese class that morning. With all the stress of school and everything, its kind of nice to actually go into nature, Nguyen said as the breeze rustled through the trees. Also, just meeting people in the community is pretty nice. Ive talked to, like, five old people today. The pair of students chuckled. They had just arrived about 15 minutes before the peak of the eclipse, and the buzz had gotten to them, too. Victoria Volkova, 22, sidled up, made a circle with her fingers, and cast a crescent shadow on the ground. Everyone was delighted. ADDS SECOND SENTENCE. FILE - Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont speaks at a press conference in Alghero, Sardinia, Italy, Oct. 4, 2021. Puigdemont says that he will return to Spain for the first time since leading a failed 2017 breakaway bid if he has a viable chance to be restored as regional president following upcoming elections. Puigdemont is still a wanted man in Spain and hoping that a contentious amnesty bill that was crafted by Spains left-wing government to clear him and hundreds of other supporters successfully makes it through the Madrid parliament in the coming months. (AP Photo/Gloria Calvi, File) MADRID (AP) Spains Supreme Court on Monday called on fugitive former Catalonia President and separatist chief Carles Puigdemont to testify as a defendant in a terrorism investigation over protests linked to the regions failed 2017 independence referendum. A court statement said Puigdemont, a European Parliament lawmaker, and Catalan regional lawmaker Ruben Wagensberg have been summoned to testify voluntarily by video conference from their residences outside of Spain. The court set the hearing between June 17-21, adding that the precise date would be agreed upon later. The Supreme Court opened an investigation into Puigdemont and Wagensberg for crimes of terrorism in relation to a case concerning a clandestine group called Democratic Tsunami that staged protests against the jailing of several Catalan separatist leaders involved in the illegal 2017 independence referendum. During the demonstrations, thousands of protesters blocked access to Barcelonas airport, clashing with police and causing the cancellation of many flights. Puigdemont, 61, fled to Belgium after leading the 2017 breakaway bid that quickly collapsed and is still a wanted man in Spain on charges of charges of the misuse of public funds. A contentious amnesty bill, crafted by Spains left-wing minority coalition government to clear him and hundreds of other supporters of Catalan independence, is slowly making its way through the national Parliament. He has announced that he will be once again a candidate in Catalan regional elections on May 12 and may return to Spain if he has a chance of being reelected regional president. Puigdemont has continued his political career as a self-styled political exile from Waterloo. He won a European Parliament seat in 2019 and maintained the leadership of his Junts Together party while cultivating an almost cult-like status as the figurehead of the movement in exile. Wagensberg, regional politician, moved to Switzerland after he was named in the investigation earlier this year. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. TotalEnergies has agreed to purchase Lewis Energy Group's 20 percent stake in the Dorado leases, which are operated by EOG Resources (80 percent) in the Eagle Ford shale gas play, Trend reports. According to the company, situated in Texas, the Dorado field will enable TotalEnergies to increase its net natural gas production in the US by 50 million cubic feet a day (Mcf/d) in 2024, with the potential for an additional 50 Mcf/d by 2028. Meanwhile, the field's emission intensity is approximately 10 kg CO2e/boe. In 2023, TotalEnergies' net US natural gas output reached around 340 Mcf/d (450 Mcf/d technical production). TotalEnergies emerged as the top exporter of US LNG in 2023, shipping over 10 million tons, thanks to its 16.6-percent ownership in the Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana and various long-term purchasing agreements. With the first phase of the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas underway, the company's LNG export capacity will rise to 15 million tons per year by 2030. The US stands as a pivotal territory for TotalEnergies' Integrated Power strategy. Within its portfolio lie 25 GW of renewable energy projects, along with flexible generation assets including 1.5 GW of gas-fired power plants situated in Texas, and a trading center based in Houston. (Bloomberg) -- Spain plans to end its so-called golden visa program for foreign property buyers in a bid to increase the amount of affordable housing available to locals. Most Read from Bloomberg The move will help ensure that housing is a right and not just a mere speculative business, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters on Monday. The program grants residence permits to non-European Union citizens who invest at least 500,000 ($543,000) in a house in Spain. Last year, Portugal followed Ireland in shutting down its golden visa program for real estate buyers. Both plans were popular with wealthy applicants from China. Greece also announced plans in March to increase the minimum amount that potential foreign property buyers must pay to secure a golden visa, citing pressure on the countrys real estate and rental markets. In a news conference on Tuesday following the Spanish governments weekly cabinet meeting, Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez said that the country expedited almost 14,600 golden visa linked to real estate investments between 2013 and 2023. Investors were mainly from China, Russia, the US and UK, Ukraine, Iran, Venezuela and Mexico. Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga were the three most popular spots for buyers. Spain is an attractive country for foreign investors, said Rodriguez, caveating that while the country wants to draw foreign capital, it also wants investors to develop dwellings at an affordable price, to refurbish houses and ultimately to ensure the right to housing, as the government is doing. Spain and a handful of other European countries launched their golden visa programs in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to try to help plug budget deficits with residency-for-sale programs. EU officials have long pressured governments to terminate these programs on the grounds that theyre anti-democratic and can serve as a means for dirty money to enter the region. Home prices in Spain rose 7% in March from a year earlier, according to real estate website Idealista. --With assistance from Ainhoa Goyeneche. (Updates with details on Spains golden visa program, the housing ministers remarks in fifth, sixth and seventh paragraphs.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Spain will scrap 'golden visas' that allow wealthy non-EU residents to stay if they buy real estate Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrives for a EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, March 21, 2024. European Union leaders are gathering to consider new ways to help boost arms and ammunition production for Ukraine. Leaders will also discuss in Thursday's summit the war in Gaza amid deep concern about Israeli plans to launch a ground offensive in the city of Rafah. (AP Photo/Omar Havana) MADRID (AP) Spain's government said Monday it plans to scrap so-called golden visas" that allow wealthy people from outside the European Union to obtain residency permits on investing more than half a million euros (dollars) in real estate. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his minority coalition government would study the reform in the weekly Cabinet meeting Tuesday. Speaking Monday, Sanchez said the reform was part of the government's push to make housing a right, not a speculative business. The government says some 10,000 such visas have been issued since the measure was brought into law in 2013 by a previous right-wing Popular Party government as a means to attract foreign investors. Golden visas are strongly criticized for spurring property price hikes and speculation in the housing sector. Soaring house prices have long been a major problem for many Spaniards, particularly in the countrys major cities. MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Supreme Court has summoned Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont to testify remotely in June over his links to a group accused of breaching terrorism law over protests following the region's failed 2017 bid for independence. The investigating magistrate set tentative dates for the remote hearing between June 17 and 21 and issued a European Investigation Order to ascertain Puigdemont's whereabouts and legal address, the court said in a statement on Monday. Puigdemont lives in self-imposed exile in Belgium. The case concerns protests by a secretive Catalan group, Democratic Tsunami, which organised mass demonstrations including sit-ins in 2019 that caused cancellations of flights at Barcelona's airport and blocked a highway to France. The group, which does not identify its leaders, says its actions were peaceful and the use of terrorism legislation is inappropriate. Puigdemont denies having any links to the group, and calls the case an example of political persecution. The court issued the same summons for Ruben Wagensberg, a member of Catalonia's regional parliament for separatist party ERC who moved to Switzerland in January. Last November, the Supreme Court said it was investigating the group for suspicion of committing terrorism offences, and Puigdemont and 10 others for allegedly holding leadership roles in it. Puigdemont has been facing prosecution in a separate case over the 2017 referendum to break away from Madrid at a time when he held the post of regional leader, and a subsequent declaration of independence that courts declared illegal. The 61-year-old former journalist fled Spain at the time to avoid charges of disobedience and embezzlement. In Belgium, he serves as a member of the European Parliament. In March, Puigdemont announced he would seek to again lead the region in elections in May and would return to Spain should he win - even if the arrest warrant for him remains in force. However, the charges against him could be dropped under an amnesty announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist Party in return for the votes of separatists to prop up the minority national government. (Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Peter Graff) State Department staff sent at least eight internal dissent memos to express disagreement with US policy on Israel and Gaza during the first two months of the war, The Independent can reveal. A further memo was sent last month from the US embassy in Jordan, warning of increasing instability across the region due to Israels ongoing war, according to a person familiar with the matter, bringing the total number to at least nine. Such a high number of internal dissent memorandums a formal process by which staff can express concerns internally to a policy highlights the widespread opposition within the department to the Biden administrations support for Israels war in Gaza. By comparison, only one internal dissent memo was filed during the first three years of the Iraq War, widely considered to be one of the United States biggest foreign policy disasters. Josh Paul, who resigned from the State Department in protest over US support for the war in October, said such a high number was unprecedented in recent memory. To the best of my knowledge, it is the most on any issue in such a timespan, he said. Dissent memorandums can be written and signed by any state department staff member, at which point they are sent to the secretary of states planning office, before being passed up the chain to senior department officials and secretary of state Antony Blinken. They are not made public or shared with the wider state department staff. The dissent channel was created during the Vietnam war for State Department staff to express criticism and disagreements without fear of retribution. The content of such cables is fiercely protected by the department, and they rarely leak. It is likely that many more dissent memos were sent since the war began and have not been made public. The devastation of Khan Younis following Israel pulling their troops from the city (Getty) Mitchell Reiss, a former director of the office that handled dissent memos between 2003 and 2005, the first three years of the Iraq war, said he received one such dissent memo during his tenure. Its not just sort of a paper-pushing exercise. It was taken very seriously by the highest levels of the department, Mr Reiss, who served under secretary of state Colin Powell, said. But he cautioned that it would be impossible to know if all the memos had taken an anti-war stance without seeing them. The most recent dissent memorandum was sent last month from the US embassy in Amman, Jordan, and focused on the destabilizing effect of Israels actions in that country and across the region, one source said. A memo that was leaked to Axios in November that was signed by 100 State Department and USAID employees, urged for the department to reassess its policy toward Israel and demand a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following a devastating surprise attack by Hamas on 7 October that killed 1,200 people. More than 200 people were taken hostage. Since then, Israels war has killed more than 33,000 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry some 13,000 of them children. The UN and multiple aid organizations working on the ground have warned that Gaza is on the brink of a major famine, and have blamed Israel for blocking the delivery of aid into the strip. Israel provoked international outrage last week for an attack on an aid convoy that killed seven aid workers belonging to World Central Kitchen. That brought the number of aid workers killed by Israels offensive to more than 220, according to Oxfam. The UK government said it is completely united over the conflict in Gaza as it faces continued demands to suspend arms exports to Israel (AP) The Independent has previously reported on high levels of opposition within the State Department over president Joe Bidens unconditional support for Israel, some six months into the war. Charles Blaha, former director of the State Departments Office of Security and Human Rights, told The Independent that he had never seen this much dissent. I was in the State Department for 32 years, including during the Iraq war, and I have never seen this much unhappiness. It is even worse than Iraq. So yeah, people are concerned, Mr Blaha, who maintains contact with current staffers, said. Mr Biden has come under increasing pressure over his longstanding and unconditional support for Israel as the war has dragged on. The killing of the seven international aid workers, including an American citizen, by three precision Israeli airstrikes, caused an uproar around the world and brought a renewed spotlight on Mr Bidens insistence on continuing arms deliveries. On the same day of the deadly strike, the Biden administration approved the transfer of thousands more bombs to Israel, and is currently weighing an $18bn sale that includes fighter jets and other equipment. Despite the internal opposition in the State Department, there have only been two public resignations linked to the war: Mr Paul and Annelle Sheline, who left her post at the near eastern section of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor in March and spoke out publicly against the war after being encouraged to do so by her colleagues. Brian Finucane, who worked for a decade in the office of the legal adviser at the State Department advising on issues related to the laws of war, arms transfers and war crimes, told The Independent that there was a huge gap between the departments rank-and-file and the messaging coming from the White House. Based on my conversations since October with people at the department, there is a real disconnect between the analysis and policy recommendations of state department personnel relating to Gaza and Israel-Palestine generally and decisions ultimately being made by the White House, he said. The president is the ultimate decider on Gaza and hes been largely immune to the facts of this disastrous conflict, at least with respect to actual US policy as opposed to rhetoric, he added. Mr Blinken responded to an initial flurry of dissent cables over the war in Gaza back in November, writing in a letter to staff to acknowledge the sentiment. I know that for many of you, the suffering caused by this crisis is taking a profound personal toll, Mr Blinken said in the letter obtained by Reuters. The anguish that comes with seeing the daily images of babies, children, elderly people, women, and other civilians suffering in this crisis is wrenching. I feel it myself, he said. There were an average of almost nine dissent messages per year sent to Washington between 1972 and 2017, according to the Foreign Service Journal. A state department spokesperson said in a statement given to The Independent that Mr Blinken welcomes people utilizing the dissent channel. He takes it seriously, and it causes him to reflect on his own thinking in terms of policymaking and what he proposes to the president, the spokesperson added. The Illinois Department of Health has urged eclipse viewers to check their glasses after a brand was recalled for failing to meet safety standards. The recalled glasses were listed on Amazon as Biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses AAS Approved 2024 CE & ISO Certified Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing (6 Packs), according to the IDH. They were sold at several stores in Southern Illinois, including: Farm Fresh Market, Breese Highland Tru Buy, Highland Perry County Marketplace, Pinckneyville Sinclair Foods, Jerseyville Steelville Marketplace, Steelville Big John Grocery, Metropolis Thousands have flocked to Southern Illinois to view the total solar eclipse Monday, an event so rare that it can only be seen, on average, every 375 years at a given location on the planet. In Chicago, the moon will cover up to 94% of the sun at precisely 2:07 p.m. Without specialized eye protection, solar viewing can cause severe eye injury, according to NASA. Certified eclipse glasses use a special-purpose solar filter, which is the only way to safety watch the astronomical event. The recalled glasses are labeled as EN ISO 12312-1:2022, the IDH said. Safe glasses should be printed with the ISO designation of 12312-2. State Rep. David Ortiz, a Littleton Democrat, speaks on the House floor Feb. 28, 2022. (Faith Miller/Colorado Newsline) As he faces the last eight months of his time as a Colorado lawmaker, Rep. David Ortiz is looking to ensure the continuation of disability rights advocacy when he is no longer in the Capitol. Disability rights arent on everyones radar because they dont live that way, or they dont have someone that they love or know live that way. And so the world continues to be inaccessible in a real detrimental way, the Littleton Democrat told Colorado Newsline. Ortiz, who was first elected in 2020, is the first Colorado lawmaker to use a wheelchair. During his time in the Capitol, he has championed legislation to strengthen state discrimination laws for people with disabilities, allow people the right to repair their own wheelchairs and require insurance to cover prosthetics for recreation, among many other bills related to disability and accessibility issues. He consistently brings access-related amendments to other legislation, reminding lawmakers to consider every potential law through an accessibility lens. Now, as he prepares to leave the chamber he decided not to seek a third term he wants a permanent presence in state government to weigh in on these topics. (Most people) dont understand the barriers that we have to live with and that we have to navigate, and its past time to get rid of them. This office is going to be a focal point, or a hub, to making sure that were coordinating efforts to do that, he said. Its not tied to any one administration or any one legislator. This is something that is going to continue in perpetuity, hopefully. House Bill 24-1360, which Ortiz is sponsoring, would establish the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office within the Department of Labor and Employment to serve as a wide-ranging resource around disability issues in the state, from helping people obtain benefits to submitting policy recommendations to the governor. Additionally, the office would be tasked with envisioning and implementing a statewide strategy to promote economic stability and social integration for people with disabilities. Our goal is, as this office is built out and grows to what it has been envisioned in the legislation, that the office is equipped with the tools, the time and the knowledge to really convene effective and deep stakeholder meetings on the variety of topics that impact people with disabilities across all of the government agencies, said Jack Johnson, the public policy liaison at Disability Law Colorado, a nonprofit that specializes in civil rights and discrimination cases. There are times, Johnson said, that the disability community is included in conversations only after a bill is introduced or when there is a major budget adjustment, rather than being a participant from the start. That can result in a lot of defensive, reactionary policy work. Paradigm of opportunity The bill outlines an ambitious, wide directive for an office. Supporters think of it as a clearinghouse for the current, sometimes overlapping, efforts on disability issues in the state. The office would absorb, for example, the Colorado Disability Funding Committee. We identified many, many years ago that there was a need for a coordinated disability response, because disability touches so many of the different state agencies, said Julie Reiskin, the co-executive director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, an advocacy group for disability rights. That coordination would affect how people with disabilities interact with the state right now, Reiskin said there is often confusion about where to go for certain questions, such as with benefit assistance but it could also streamline the many disability-related commissions, task forces and other advisory bodies in the state. We're looking at being able to tap into the opportunities that able-bodied Coloradans take for granted and already get to enjoy it. Rep. David Ortiz We need people with disabilities and with a disability lens inside the government. You cant expect a bunch of state agency directors to understand our community and know our issues, as much as they have great intentions, she said. Ortiz thinks the office would be instrumental in shifting how Coloradans think about people with disabilities from a paradigm of poverty to a paradigm of opportunity. That means clearing the path for people with disabilities to earn a livable wage at a fulfilling job, have stable housing and use public transportation without barriers. It also means opening up Colorados recreation and outdoor culture. Were looking at being able to tap into the opportunities that able-bodied Coloradans take for granted and already get to enjoy it, he said. CDOO would be funded with money from the Disability Support cash fund, not the general fund. That could be crucial as lawmakers, who only have about $20 million for new programs this year, consider bills with high price tags over the next months. We deserve that general fund money. But because we have to fight tooth and nail for every piece of disability rights legislation that has a fiscal note, Im glad we can bypass that by making sure were self-funded, Ortiz said. The cash fund is supported by fees from historic license plates: the all black, blue or red plates with white lettering, or the reverse of the current standard green-and-white plate called Greenie that have become increasingly popular on Colorado roads. To date, the fund has raised about $6.4 million, according to the governors office. Sand Creek Massacre Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera speaks during a press conference on Aug. 17, 2021, in front of the Colorado State Capitol building. (Moe Clark/Colorado Newsline) Lieutenant governors support The creation of CDOO has been a long time coming, Reiskin said. Cuts to disability programming during the Great Recession made the need more salient to the disability advocacy community, but even as task forces and commissions formed, there was always a funding issue. The license plate funding mechanism is key to starting the office, as is the presence of Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera, who bill supporters say has been a champion for accessibility issues. Primavera added a senior policy advisor on disability issues to her team in 2020. She also moved the Disability Funding Committee to her office, and since then revenue has grown from $100,000 in ten years to $500,000 on a monthly basis, she said. This office is intended to help support the incredible work of the agencies through collaboration and coordination, not alter or remove their authority. It will also support agencies as they work towards shared goals of prosperity and independence of Coloradans with disabilities, she said during the bills first committee hearing last month. HB-1360 will ensure pro-disability policy efforts continue long into the future. HB-1360 passed unanimously out of the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee. It needs to be signed off by the House Finance Committee before being considered by the entire chamber. It is also sponsored by Rep. Chad Clifford, a Centennial Democrat, in the House. It does not yet have a Senate sponsor. The legislative session ends May 8. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post New state office would be barrier-breaking hub for Coloradans with disabilities appeared first on Colorado Newsline. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints clasps his hands and gestures toward the audience as he and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, left, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, take their seats prior to the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Russell M. Nelson made a promise to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following a detailed explanation of Priesthood keys, the blessings of the temple and culminating with the announcement of 15 temples Sunday, which he called the gateway to the greatest blessings God has for each of us. This is why we are doing all within our power, under the direction of the Lord, to make temple blessings more accessible to members of the church, he said in a pre-recorded talk that concluded the two-day, 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was broadcast from the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City to millions around the world. He made a number of promises to church members during his talk. My dear brothers and sisters, here is my promise, he said. Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit. Nothing will protect you more as you encounter the worlds mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and his Atonement or help you understand Gods magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe your spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing! President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints kisses the hand of his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, as he moves toward his seat prior to the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, left, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, sit in their seats prior to the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Rosana Soares and Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Susan Gong exit the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints clasps his hands and gestures toward the audience as he and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, left, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, take their seats prior to the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles waves as he and Sister Ruth Renlund exit the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Sister Jennifer Kearon, wave as they leave the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds his hands out and gestures toward the audience as he and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, left, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, take their seats prior to the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Elder Kevin W. Pearson, General Authority Seventy, greet each other prior to the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Audience members watch as President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints delivers his talk by recorded video during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Tabernacle Choir members sing during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Audience members watch as President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints delivers his talk by recorded video during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Audience members watch intently as President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints delivers his talk by recorded video during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Audience members watch as President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints delivers his talk by recorded video during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Audience members watch as President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints delivers his talk by recorded video during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Audience members move about during a hymn during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Three young men use preprepared notes to help them pay attention during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Audience members stand for a hymn during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Tabernacle Choir members sing during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Tabernacle Choir members sing during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints conducts the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Mathias Held, General Authority Seventy, speaks during the Sunday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints conducts the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The Tabernacle Choir sings during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Russell M. Nelson, president of the Church, records a message that was shown during the Sunday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Sunday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024. | CRISTY POWELL Elder Mathias Held, General Authority Seventy, speaks during the Sunday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference on Sunday, April 7, 2024. | CRISTY POWELL President Nelson, who attended the Sunday afternoon session, said the heavenly visitations at the churchs first temple in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1836 are critical to the church and motivate its global effort to bring temples closer to church members in two important ways. First, Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith to accept the temple as His house and promised, I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house. This significant promise applies to every dedicated temple today, President Nelson said. I invite you to ponder what the Lords promise means for you personally. Second, Moses, Elijah and Elias restored essential priesthood keys, or spiritual authority. They keys authorized church leaders to gather Israel, bless all covenant children, seal priesthood ordinances and covenants and seal families eternally, he said. The power of these priesthood keys is infinite and breathtaking, he said, adding, The significance of these keys being returned to the earth by three heavenly messengers under the direction of the Lord cannot be overstated. Without priesthood keys, he continued, the church could serve only as a significant teaching and humanitarian organization but not much more. Without priesthood keys, none of us would have access to essential ordinances and covenants that bind us to our loved ones eternally and allow us eventually to live with God. Priesthood keys distinguish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from any other organization on earth. Many other organizations can and do make your life better here in mortality. But no other organization can and will influence your life after death. President Nelson noted that the church acquired the Kirtland Temple last month from Community of Christ and said, We greatly appreciate the cordial and mutually beneficial discussions we had with leaders from Community of Christ that led to this agreement. As noted, the Kirtland Temple has great historical significance, but is not an operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Nelson, who is in his seventh year as prophet, has now announced 168 temples. Sundays announcement means the church now has 350 temples either completed, under construction or announced for future construction. The planned temples will be built in: Uturoa, French Polynesia. Chihuahua, Mexico. Florianopolis, Brazil. Rosario, Argentina. Edinburgh, Scotland. Brisbane Australia South Area. Victoria, British Columbia. Yuma, Arizona. Houston Texas South Area. Des Moines, Iowa. Cincinnati, Ohio. Honolulu, Hawaii. West Jordan, Utah. Lehi, Utah. Maracaibo, Venezuela. Sundays 13 other conference speakers said Latter-day Saints are covenant-keeping people because they seek access to the power of Jesus Christ, which swallows up the pain and suffering of a fallen world and leads them back home to God. The Church of Jesus Christ is known as a church which emphasizes making covenants with God, said President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency. Over the conferences two days, 32 leaders addressed the international conference. Approximately 80,000 people attended the five sessions at the Conference Center. President Nelson noted that he and his first counselor, President Dallin H. Oaks, were called as apostles exactly 40 years ago Sunday. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds his hands out and gestures toward the audience as he and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, left, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, take their seats prior to the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency President Oaks described covenants as commitments to fulfill certain responsibilities, and said they are common in societies. The covenants Latter-day Saints make signal a way the church differs from others. Covenants are inherent in each of the ordinances of salvation and exaltation this restored church administers, President Oaks said. The ordinance of baptism and its associated covenants are the essential requirements for entrance into the celestial kingdom. The ordinances and associated covenants of the temple are the essential requirements for exaltation in the celestial kingdom, which is eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God. That is the focus of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Oaks noted that when he was born in 1932, the church had about 700,000 members and seven temples. Today, the church has 17.25 million members, with 189 dedicated temples and 146 more in planning and construction. He said the purpose of those temples is to allow Latter-day Saints to make commitments to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He described baptism, the sacrament and the temple endowment as covenants in which church members commit to follow Christ. Joseph Smith introduced the endowment covenants in Nauvoo, Illinois. There, persons who were endowed what the temple ceremony was called were to be taught Gods plan of salvation and invited to make sacred covenants, President Oaks said. Those who lived faithful to those covenants were promised eternal life, wherein all things are theirs and they shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever. We have many testimonies from those pioneers that the power they received from being bound to Christ in their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple gave them the strength to make their epic journey and establish themselves in the West. Persons who have been endowed in a holy temple are responsible to wear a temple garment, an article of clothing not visible because it is worn beneath outer clothing. It reminds endowed members of the sacred covenants they have made and the blessings they have been promised in the holy temple. Because covenants do not take a day off, to remove ones garments can be understood as a disclaimer of the responsibilities and blessings to which they relate. In contrast, persons who wear their garments faithfully and keep their temple covenants affirm their role as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks during the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Quorum of the Twelve Elder Christofferson spoke about the 1832 revelation to Joseph Smith that there are three heavenly kingdoms, the celestial where God lives and the terrestrial and telestial, which are glorious. God hopes his children will choose the highest kingdom. The distinguishing characteristic for the inhabitants of each kingdom is how they relate to the testimony of Jesus, ranging from one, wholehearted devotion, to two, not being valiant, to three, outright rejection. On each persons reaction hangs his or her eternal future. The testimony of Jesus, he said, is the witness of the Holy Ghost that Christ is the divine Son of God, the Messiah and Redeemer. That he is the Creator of heaven and earth and that he died, was buried and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven. It is the knowledge that there is no other name given whereby salvation cometh. The inheritors of the celestial kingdom receive the testimony of Jesus in the fullest sense by being baptized, receiving the Holy Ghost, and overcoming by faith. The principles and truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ govern their priorities and their choices. The testimony of Jesus is manifest in what they are and what they are becoming. Their motive is charity, the pure love of Christ. Their focus is on pursuing the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. My invitation is to act now to secure your place as one who is valiant in the testimony of Jesus. Elder Neil L. Andersen, Quorum of the Twelve God through his prophet is dotting the earth with temples, said Elder Andersen, who talked about why God is doing that now. Why would He, at this specific time, give the needed prosperity to his covenant people that through their sacred tithes, hundreds of houses of the Lord could be built? ... Why is the Lord now bringing hundreds of his temples closer to us? One reason is that amid the turmoil and temptations of the world, he has promised to strengthen and bless his covenant saints. His promises are being fulfilled. In his house, we are literally endowed with heavenly power. Our faith in Jesus Christ and our love for him is confirmed and fortified. We are spiritually assured of our true identity and the purposes of life. As we are faithful, we are blessed with protection from temptations and distractions. We feel our Saviors love as he lifts us from our difficulties and our challenges, our sorrows and our heartaches. We are armed with the power of God. Elder Andersen quoted President Nelsons declaration: Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of his mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and Jesus Christ preside over this Church in majesty and glory. Dotting the earth with houses of the Lord is a mighty work and miraculous indication, Elder Andersen said. The temple is literally the House of the Lord. I promise you as you come worthily and prayerfully to his Holy House, you will be armed with His power, his name will be upon you, his angels will have charge over you and you will grow up in the blessing of the Holy Ghost. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints blows a kiss as he exits after the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gestures during his talk during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, waves as he exits the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The congregation stands for a hymn during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers gather after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints exits the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gestures toward the audience as he exits the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Conference attendees gather at the Conference Center for the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Tabernacle Choir members sing at the closing of the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shakes hands with Elder Patrick Kearon as they all exit the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, conducts the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. A couple hold hands as they listen to the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. A woman holds a pair of binoculars for another woman to look through during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. A woman takes notes during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. A woman listens during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The Tabernacle Choir sings during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The congregation stands for a hymn during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The congregation stands for a hymn during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The congregation stands for a hymn during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. People walk in the main lobby of the Conference Center during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The Tabernacle Choir sings during the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Audience members listen to the closing song of the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Thousands hurry into the Conference Center for the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Conference attendees take photos prior to the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Individuals stand outside for the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024. Individuals stand outside for the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024. Members of the Tabernacle Choir sing the opening song at the Conference Center for the morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. President Susan H. Porter, Primary general president, speaks during the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024. | CRISTY POWELL Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers walks down the steps after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers gather after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers gather and take photos after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Paul Burdon watches his sons, Ephraim and Ammon, as they jump around the fountain after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers walk outside after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers pose for a photo before the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Sister Hannah Hamilton of the United States checks conferencegoers tickets during the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Elder Eduardo Vasquez and Marlene Vasquez take a selfie before the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers stand in line before the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers pose for a photo before the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Sister Teah Nilsson of Canada checks conferencegoers tickets during the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Erich Castro Klinkert and Alina Rodriguez Bezruchko embrace after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers gather and take photos after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Conferencegoers gather outside after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 7, 2024. Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Words matter, Elder Rasband said. They set a tone, and they can hurt or help, bring people together or drive a wedge between them. First and foremost, the Lords words matter because Christ himself is the Word, he said. We hear him in the words of scripture, but do we let them just sit on the page or do we recognize he is speaking to us? Do we change? Elder Rasband said. We hear him in personal revelation and promptings from the Holy Ghost, in answers to prayer and those moments when only Jesus Christ, through the power of his Atonement, can lift our burdens, grant us forgiveness and peace and embrace us in the arms of his love. Second. The words of prophets matter. Prophets testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ. They teach his gospel and show his love for all. I bear my witness that our living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, hears and speaks the word of the Lord. President Nelson has a way with words. He has said, Keep on the covenant path, Gather Israel, Let God Prevail, Build bridges of understanding, Give thanks, Increase faith in Jesus Christ, Take charge of your Testimony and Become a peacemaker. Most recently he has asked us to Think Celestial. Elder Rasband said he had completed the dedicatory prayer for the Bangkok Thailand Temple when he awoke to revelation the night before the dedication to revelation. I sensed certain words were missing, and by divine design, they came to me in revelation and I inserted these words in the prayer near the end. May we think celestial, letting thy Spirit prevail in our lives, and strive to be peacemakers always, he said, referencing the words of President Nelson. Third, ones own words matter. Elder Rasband said three phrases can help: Thank you, I am sorry and I love you. Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Sunday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024. | CRISTY POWELL Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Quorum of the Twelve The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, with its interdependently connected, symmetrical bookend towers, is a gospel analogy for the two great commandments, Elder Stevenson said. The two powerful towers, with piers anchored in a bedrock foundation, is an image of strength and beauty, he said. He said the first great commandment, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, is a tower of power. The second great commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, is the second tower. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets, which are the remaining elements of the bridge. Loving the Lord is often measured in small daily deeds, footsteps on the covenant path: for young people, using social media to build up rather than tear down, leaving the party, movie or activity where standards might be challenged; showing reverence for things sacred. To love your neighbor includes Christlike deeds of kindness and service. Can you let go of grudges, forgive enemies, welcome and minister to your neighbors and assist the elderly? You will each be inspired as you build your tower of love for neighbor. There is an important interdependency between loving the Lord and loving one another ... our ability to follow Jesus Christ depends upon our strength and power to live the first and second commandments with balance and equal devotion to both. Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Elder Kevin W. Pearson, General Authority Seventy, greet each other prior to the afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Elder Patrick Kearon, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles The intent of Gods plan is to save, redeem and extend mercy, said Elder Kearon, who said that unlike a policeman he saw stopping cars at a roadblock, everything about the Fathers plan for his children is designed to bring everyone home. Our Fathers beautiful plan ... is designed to bring you home, not to keep you out. No one has built a roadblock and stationed someone there to turn you around and send you away. In fact, it is the exact opposite. God is in relentless pursuit of you. He wants all of his children to choose to return to him, and he employs every possible measure to bring you back. Christs great atoning gift removes every roadblock of physical and spiritual death that would separate us from our eternal home. The intent of the Fathers great plan of happiness is your happiness, right here, right now and in the eternities. It is not to prevent your happiness and cause you instead worry and fear. The intent of the Fathers plan of redemption is in fact your redemption, your being rescued through the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, freed from the captivity of sin and death. It is not to leave you as you are. The intent of the Fathers plan of mercy is to extend mercy as you turn back to him and honor your covenant of fidelity to him. It is not to deny mercy and inflict pain and sorrow. The intent of the Fathers plan of salvation is in fact your salvation in the celestial kingdom of glory as you receive the testimony of Jesus and offer your whole soul to him. It is not to keep you out. President Susan H. Porter, Primary general president, speaks during the Sunday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 2024. President Susan H. Porter, general Primary president Sister Porter spoke directly to children, telling them that prayer is a special gift from God. She asked them to pray to know that Heavenly Father is real and loves them, to pray to grow to become more like Jesus Christ and pray to show Heavenly Fathers love to others. Our Heavenly Father loves you! You are his child. He knows you. He wants to bless you. I pray with all my heart that you will feel his love. Share with Heavenly Father what is in your heart. As you sincerely ask for his help, you will receive his Spirit to guide you. Praying every day will fill you with love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This will help you want to follow them your whole life! Through his Spirit, Heavenly Father will help you notice someone who is sad so you can comfort them. He can help you show his love by forgiving someone. He can give you courage to serve someone and share with them that they are a child of God. You can help others come to know and love Jesus and Heavenly Father as you do. Other speakers Elder Taylor G. Godoy , a member of the Quorum of the Seventy from Peru and the first counselor in the Central America Area Presidency As we pray, we can feel the embrace of our Heavenly Father who sent his Only Begotten Son to relieve our burdens, because if we call out to God, I testify we will not fall. Elder Mathias Held , a member of the Quorum of the Seventy from Colombia and currently assigned to church headquarters We can rest assured that our difficulties, sorrows, afflictions and pains do not define us; rather, it is how we go about them that will help us grow and draw closer to God. Elder Paul B. Pieper , a member of the Quorum of the Seventy and the Africa Central Area Presidency The relationship God seeks with each spirit child is one so close and personal that he will be able to share all he has and all he is. That kind of deep, enduring relationship can develop only when built upon perfect, total trust. Elder Brian K. Taylor , a member of the Quorum of the Seventy and a counselor in the Utah Area Presidency, said Christ chose to allow his will to be swallowed up in the will of the Father. This phrase swallowed up deeply moves me, Elder Taylor said. My interest was heightened when I learned that in Spanish, swallowed up is translated as consumed, in German as devoured and in Chinese as engulfed. Thus, when I feel overwhelmed in lifes challenges, I remember the Lords promise, that we should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it (be) swallowed up, (consumed, devoured, and engulfed) in the joy of Christ. Brother Mark L. Pace, Sunday School General President Reading the Saviors teachings in the scriptures helps us transform our homes into sanctuaries of faith and centers of gospel learning. CORNING, N.Y. (WETM) SUNY Corning Community College will be hosting a Regional Job Fair at the end of the month that will feature more than 60 employers to meet with job seekers in the area. The job fair will take place on Wednesday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the gymnasium at CCC. The event is sponsored by Chemung-Schuyler-Steuben Workforce NY, the NYS Department of Labor and GST BOCES. Free STI testing and health fair next week in Elmira Those who attend the job fair will have the opportunity to meet with recruiters and ask questions, network and share their resumes. Representatives from Arnot Health, Chemung Canal Trust Company, Kennedy Valve, The Hilliard Corporation and the New York State Department of Transportation will be at the event, amongst others, to meet with job seekers who are interested in local career opportunities. There will also be employers from Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties that have current job opportunities available, ranging from sales, technology and manufacturing, information technology, management, nursing, general labor and more. Cooper Plains FD to host open house for RecruitNY campaign Those who are interested in attending are encouraged to pre-register online before the event. Those who pre-register and attend will be eligible to win a $125 Tommy Hilfiger gift card. Employers who would like to participate in the event are asked to pre-register online as well. For more information, you can view the Regional Job Fair webpage on SUNY CCCs website, call 607-962-9256 or 607-962-9367 or email the Career Center at careers@corning-cc.edu. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The FID for TotalEnergies' Papua LNG project has been delayed until 2025, Trend reports. According to TotalEnergies, the company's CEO Patrick Pouyanne and Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape held a meeting to review the project. During the meeting, Pouyanne assured the PM that TotalEnergies and its partners are fully committed to the project. They discussed the interest from many buyers in Asia for the LNG from Papua LNG. Pouyanne also mentioned that they received some offers, but more work is needed to get the right contracts. They plan to review some parts of the project and invite more Asian contractors to bid. Because of this, the FID for the project will now be in 2025. Both the PM and Pouyanne agreed that this delay won't affect the plans for early work in Papua New Guinea in 2024. They also affirmed TotalEnergies' support for the local community in Gulf Province. Additionally, Pouyanne announced that TotalEnergies plans to start drilling the first deepwater exploration well in 2025 on the PPL 576 license. Meanwhile, Papua LNG is a project by TotalEnergies, aiming to produce LNG in Papua New Guinea. The plan is to produce around 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent. The gas will fuel four liquefaction trains, producing a total of 5.6 million tons per year. The project involves nine production wells, a gas processing plant, a 320 km pipeline (with 260 km offshore), and liquefaction units in Port Moresby. Matthew Marsiglia has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the killing of Devin Repath Mothefunerals.com; Baton Rouge Police Department Devin Repath, left, and Matthew Marsiglia Devin Repath, a father of two young boys, died following a fistfight at a Louisiana bar, police say A witness claimed to NOLA.com that he saw someone beat Repath's head and torso with his bare hands Investigators say security footage reveals several alleged instances of Repath attacking the suspect and his friend prior to the killing, per reports Police in Louisiana have arrested a suspect in connection with the death of Devin Repath, the man who died from injuries sustained in a bar fight during his friends bachelor party, authorities announced. Repath, 26, died on March 26, following a fist fighting incident at a bar the weekend before in Baton Rouge, La., police announced at the time. Matthew Marsiglia, 21, was charged with manslaughter, according to a Baton Rouge Police Department statement on April 3. "During the investigation, Detectives were able to develop Matthew Marsiglia as a suspect," the statement reads in part. Marsiglia turned himself in, according to WAFB. The tragic incident unfolded during a surprise bachelor party that Repath had planned for his childhood friend, NOLA.com previously reported. An arrest affidavit, obtained by BRProud, WBRZ and WAFB, reveals how the altercation allegedly began. Authorities reportedly redacted names of all parties involved other than Repath and Marsiglia. Related: Autopsy Reveals Cause of Death for Devin Repath, Father of 2 Who Died at Childhood Friends Bachelor Party Investigators say nearby security camera footage captured two groups of men talking to each other, then Repath walking behind his friends and allegedly punching one person in the head, BRProud, WBRZ and WAFB reported, citing the affidavit. The victim, whose name is redacted in the affidavit, "falls to the ground" and another person charges at Repath, per the affidavit, BRProud and WBRZ reported, but it isn't clear if Repath was injured as a result. Repath's friends then reportedly separate the two groups. A short while later, Marsiglia is seen walking around with two other subjects, per WBRZ. Repath is then "seen backing out of the bar while exchanging words" with Marsiglia and another subject. "Repath backs up into the parking lot and about halfway into the parking (sic) Repath stops and attempts to hit Marsiglia," the affidavit states, according to WBRZ. Marsiglia ducks and as Repath "backs up several steps," Marsiglia "takes both hands and shoves Repath by the shoulders causing Repath to fall and strike his head on the parking lot pavement," the affidavit says, per the outlet. Repath was knocked unconscious and eventually taken to a local hospital, Baton Rouge Police said in their initial statement. It's unclear what happened in the moments directly after Repath struck his head. Devin Michael Repath/Facebook An autopsy report determined that the cause of his death was blunt force trauma, WAFB reported at the time. At the initial stages of the investigation, a witness who had intervened to break up the fight had told NOLA.com that the brawl escalated quickly and turned savage," even though it lasted only about 30 to 40 seconds. The witness, Simon G., described an attacker as a deranged tall man who used his bare hands to bludgeon Repaths head and torso, according to NOLA.com. It isn't clear if the witness intervened during the fighting inside the bar or outside or if the attacker he described was Marsiglia. "You ever see somebody and they look like they have demons in them? He had anger in his eyes, and he was causing trouble," Simon told the outlet at the time. Related: Man Who Planned Childhood Friend's Surprise Bachelor Party Dies After 'Savage' Bar Fight Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. A GoFundMe created to help Repath's partner and children says Repath was the life of every party. Devins absence has left an irreplaceable void in our lives, reads the fundraiser. According to WAFB, Marsiglia is out on a $50,000 bond and is waiting for a court appearance. It wasn't immediately clear if he has retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A suspect is taken out of a helicopter by police officers in the course of raids and arrests against the "Reich Citizens" movement. Authorities in Germany have charged a suspected member of the extremist Reich Citizens movement who is accused of supporting a group having planned to sail into Russian territorial waters to secure support for overthrowing the German state. Uli Deck/dpa Authorities in Germany have charged a suspected member of the extremist Reich Citizens movement who is accused of supporting a group having planned to sail into Russian territorial waters to secure support for overthrowing the German state. Prosecutors in Hamburg brought charges against the defendant based in northern Germany for supporting a terrorist group and aiding and abetting the preparation of a highly treasonous undertaking. If convicted he faces several years in prison. The 66-year-old is accused of having supported a particular group associated with the Reichs Citizens scene, the so-called Kaiserreichsgruppe (Empire Group), since the beginning of 2022, the Hamburg prosecution authorities said. The Reich Citizens movement is a loose association of people who do not recognize the state and wish to overthrow the government. The domestic intelligence service estimates that around 23,000 people across Germany were part of the scene in 2022. The suspect is also to stand trial before the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court for violating the Weapons Act. According to prosecutors, the Empire Group aims to replace the democratic basic order in Germany with an authoritarian system styled after the constitution of the German Empire from 1871. Some of its members and supporters planned to enter Russian territorial waters by ship and make contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to secure his military and political support for the establishment of a new state, according to the statement. The suspect charged on Monday is said to have run several Telegram groups dedicated to the subject of reintroducing the 1871 constitution. At the beginning of 2022, he was contacted by a member of the Empire Group and then declared his willingness to participate in the coup - including travelling into Russian territorial waters, according to prosecutors. He also introduced members of his chat groups to the group and took part in several meetings. The defendant, who was arrested in November, is also accused of having been in possession of a live revolver with over 100 rounds of ammunition and other rifle ammunition. In January last year, Germany's federal public prosecution brought charges against the suspected masterminds behind the Empire Group at the Koblenz Higher Regional Court, where main proceedings are currently under way. A suspect is taken out of a helicopter by police officers in the course of raids and arrests against the "Reich Citizens" movement. Authorities in Germany have charged a suspected member of the extremist Reich Citizens movement who is accused of supporting a group having planned to sail into Russian territorial waters to secure support for overthrowing the German state. Uli Deck/dpa Authorities in Germany have charged a suspected member of the extremist Reich Citizens movement who is accused of supporting a group having planned to sail into Russian territorial waters to secure support for overthrowing the German state. Prosecutors in Hamburg brought charges against the defendant based in northern Germany for supporting a terrorist group and aiding and abetting the preparation of a highly treasonous undertaking. If convicted he faces several years in prison. The 66-year-old is accused of having supported a particular group associated with the Reichs Citizens scene, the so-called Kaiserreichsgruppe (Empire Group), since the beginning of 2022, the Hamburg prosecution authorities said. The Reich Citizens movement is a loose association of people who do not recognize the state and wish to overthrow the government. The domestic intelligence service estimates that around 23,000 people across Germany were part of the scene in 2022. The suspect is also to stand trial before the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court for violating the Weapons Act. According to prosecutors, the Empire Group aims to replace the democratic basic order in Germany with an authoritarian system styled after the constitution of the German Empire from 1871. Some of its members and supporters planned to enter Russian territorial waters by ship and make contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to secure his military and political support for the establishment of a new state, according to the statement. Over 25,000 fish unfortunately did not survive the accident (US Fish and Wildlife Service) An Oregon fish tanker truck carrying around 102,000 live salmon overturned on a sharp bend but as fate would have it, the vehicle came to a stop near a creek, causing thousands of the fish to make a great escape into the water. Around 77,000 live Chinook smolt salmon flopped into the creek and swam away in their masses after the 53-foot truck they were being transported in crashed in northeast Oregon on 29 March, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) said in a statement. Unfortunately, not all the salmon were as lucky, as 25,529 of the fish perished after the truck rolled, and their carcasses were recovered in the tanker or on the streambank. The truck driver came away from the accident with only minor injuries (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) As for the driver, who works for the department, they managed to get out of the crash with only minor injuries. The accident occurred when the giant truck drove around a sharp corner, causing the vehicle to roll onto the passenger side, skidding on its side on the pavement then going over a rocky embankment, rolling over onto its roof. Luckily for most of the salmon in the load, the accident happened alongside Lookingglass Creek, allowing them to tip into the water. The accident will case a 20 per cent reduction in adults returning to the river, but will not impact the departments prodcution goals (US Fish and Wildlife Service) The salmons intended destination was supposed to be the Imnaha River, in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The total salmon lost represents around 20 per cent of the fish that authorities are planning on releasing into the river this year. The fish have been raised to bolster the wild population of the river, which is currently listed as a threatened area. Due to the loss, fishery managers believe that around 500-900 fewer adults will return to the river in 2026 and 2027. However, all is not lost, as the accident has inadvertently replenished the stocks in a different body of water, albeit not the one they intended Lookingglass Creek is a tributary of the Grande Ronde River. The 53-foot truck rolled onto its roof as it was making its way to the Imnaha River (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) The 77,000 fish that made their rush to escape into the creek as the truck crashed will likely return there and produce approximately 350-700 adults. "This should not impact our ability to collect future brood stock or maintain full production goals in the future, Andrew Gibbs, ODFW fish hatchery coordinator for Eastern Oregon, said in a statement. Mr Gibbs added that the department is thankful the ODFW employee driving the truck was not seriously injured. The salmon were supposed to acclimatise in the Imnaha River for a few days before setting off on a 650-mile journey to the Pacific Ocean , where they will forage for a few years before returning to the river, The New York Times reported. The truck was carrying 102,000 fish at the time of the accident (US Fish and Wildlife Service) After that, they use a kind of scent memory to set out on a reverse journey back to the river. They kind of smell their way back, Mr Gibbs told the newspaper. Its an incredible life history. The Union County Sheriffs Department responded to the scene immediately after the accident and assisted with on-scene assessments and vehicle recovery operations. The Nez Perce tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the fishery co-managers, were notified, and the Nez Perce tribe responded and helped with collecting and counting the dead fish. A small amount of diesel fuel was quickly contained and did not result in a hazardous material spill response. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A soul food spot in North Portland has been forced to temporarily close after someone stole an essential piece of equipment. Maurice Fain, owner of Southern Kitchen, told KOIN 6 News he had just arrived at the food cart on Saturday when he realized its barbecue smoker was nowhere to be found. Nevada man sentenced for stealing $163K in COVID-19 relief funds while in Oregon Around 6:25 a.m. that morning, surveillance footage shows two suspects stealing the 300-gallon equipment from its home on North Mississippi Avenue. Southern Kitchen owner Maurice Fain said his 300-gallon barbecue was stolen early on Saturday, Apr. 6. (Courtesy Fain) Southern Kitchen owner Maurice Fain said his 300-gallon barbecue was stolen early on Saturday, Apr. 6. (Courtesy Fain) Southern Kitchen owner Maurice Fain said his 300-gallon barbecue was stolen early on Saturday, Apr. 6. (Courtesy Fain) Southern Kitchen food cart on North Mississippi Avenue. (KOIN) Maurice Fain is the owner of Southern Kitchen food cart on North Mississippi Avenue, April 7, 2024 (KOIN) According to the owner, the custom-designed smoker was vital to his cart that serves ribs, wings, catfish and other food inspired by his great grandmothers recipes. Fain, who is vice president of the Historic Mississippi Business Association, said he is the only Black business owner on the street. Oregon 2024 secretary of state candidates respond to questionnaire It hurts, Fain said. It almost makes me want to cry because, one: its my business. I put my sweat and tears into this and I served the community with this barbecue grill and, without it, I cant make any money. Maurice Fain is the owner of Southern Kitchen food cart on North Mississippi Avenue, April 7, 2024 (KOIN) The owner said his food cart has experienced theft before, but never of this magnitude. In addition to running the restaurant, Fain also serves as the CEO of Next G, a local nonprofit that mentors teenage boys to push them away from the street life. 37 years ago: Mayor Bud Clark fired police chief at Fat City Cafe He said the community has already reached out for ways to support him and Southern Kitchen, which is raising money for a new barbecue smoker on GoFundMe. Ive just been thankful for the community. Its been very supportive and understanding that these things, theft, is going on in our community, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) Mesa County Valley School District 51 is having an art show at the Altrusa International Art Fair, happening at The Art Center of Western Colorado. The fair showcases artwork by District 51 students. Theres a variety of art on display, and Altrusa provides expert judges to evaluate and give awards to students whose artwork stands out in each category. The show runs from April 10-26. The big kickoff, called the Exhibit Opening and Award Ceremony, is on Friday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On that day, the high school ceremony is at 10:30 a.m. and the middle school ceremony is at 12 p.m. Attendance on Friday is free; all other days, admission is $3. You can attend the exhibition at The Art Center of Western Colorado at 1803 N. 7th Street. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com. With a six-week abortion ban coming to Florida on May 1, Democrats are turning up the pressure on Republicans to say where they stand on the measure. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, two congressional Republicans running for reelection that Democrats see as vulnerable, have been particularly subject to scrutiny. Scott has said he would have signed the six-week bill had it come across his desk when he was governor. The state Democratic party said in a Thursday news release that Scotts support for the measure could cost him his Senate seat. In an appearance on an anti-abortion Catholic news program last March, Luna praised the six-week bill, saying it was following the science by protecting a fetus after the time its heartbeat can be detected. Democrats are now bashing Luna over the sound bite. Anna Paulina Lunas enthusiastic support for a near total abortion ban and her obsessive opposition to exceptions for rape put her grossly out of touch with Tampa Bay voters, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen said. Women will soon be living in the archaic nightmare with no access to abortion that Luna has so fervently argued for. Luna, whose district includes most of Pinellas County, stressed in a statement that as a federal representative, she has no say in Florida law. She said abortion is an issue that should be determined by individual states. Heres what other Tampa Bay area representatives had to say about the six-week ban. Republican U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis Congressman Bilirakis has always been and will continue to be unapologetically and unequivocally pro-life, a spokesperson said. Bilirakis is a Republican who represents all of Citrus and Hernando counties, and much of Pasco. Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan Buchanan, a Republican who represents part of Hillsborough and all of Manatee County, did not respond to requests for comment. Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor A six-week abortion ban is extreme, cruel and costly. Many women do not know that they are pregnant at six weeks. The government should not force women to remain pregnant or subject them to harm when an emergency occurs during pregnancy, said Castor, a Democrat who represents part of Hillsborough and Pinellas, in a statement. The abortion ban will cost lives and cause doctors and medical students to flee the state, which will lead to fewer doctors who can handle miscarriages and other emergencies for all Floridians. Women and doctors should make personal health decisions, not politicians. Castor noted that she is a co-sponsor of the Womens Health Protection Act, which would protect abortion access federally. Republican U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee Lees office declined to comment. She represents parts of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties. Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio Rubios office did not respond to questions about his stance on the six-week bill. However, a spokesperson referred a reporter to a strategy memo that Rubios office distributed in January outlining what he described as a winning political plan for the anti-abortion movement. In the memo, Rubio argued that Republicans should advocate for more family-friendly policies like paid parental leave. And he said those who oppose abortion need to go on offense, criticizing what he said was Democratic extremism on the topic. Rubio is not up for reelection until 2028. Tech billionaire Matthew Prince is ratcheting up the pressure against neighbors trying to block his proposed megamansion in Park City, Utah. Hes now filed a second lawsuit against Eric Hermann and Susan Fredston-Hermann, alleging that their retaining wall encroaches on his property. Prince, who co-founded the tech security firm Cloudflare, had previously sued the couple over the behavior of their Bernese Mountain dogs, which he said are often unleashed and uncontrolled. Hermann and Fredston-Hermann have emerged as two of Princes main adversaries in the property fight. They filed an appeal last month after Prince received approval to construct the home, arguing that his proposal violates zoning laws. Eight other individuals, including some of their friends, joined that appeal. In an interview with The Daily Beast in March, Prince acknowledged that the couples opposition was a factor in his decision to sue them over their pets. I think its pretty reasonable that at some point you say enough is enough. Especially if they're kind of suing you, or at least appealing your ability to build a house, he said, referring to the dogs, Sasha and Mocha. This is essentially just two rich people fighting with each other, which is silly, but here we are, he added. A sticker supporting the dogs of Susan Fredston-Hermann and Eric Hermann. Provided to The Daily Beast. Representatives for Hermann and Fredston-Hermann did not provide a comment as of publication time. A lawyer for Prince, Bruce Baird, told The Daily Beast that the retaining wall issue came to light after the Princes bought the land and conducted a survey. He argued that the disputed portion of the property is important because his clients may need it as a backup if their current home proposal isnt allowed to proceed. News of the second filing was previously reported by local outlet KPCW. The drama in Park City has unfolded over many months. Last year, amid what he viewed as a lack of cooperation from local officials, Prince tried to gain approval for the home by hiring a lobbyist and attempting to maneuver his plans through the state legislature. A few seemingly innocuous sentences were slipped into a bill that would have essentially given Prince carte blanche, the Salt Lake Tribune recounted. The mayor of Park City blasted the proposed legislation as special treatment of one resident over the community, and the gambit ultimately failed. Princes allies argue that the billionaires blueprints are elegant and lawful, while his adversaries say he is strong-arming his way into preferential treatment. As one resident told The Daily Beast this week, some locals have begun showing their distaste by expressing support for the Bernese Mountain dogs, which they believe have been unfairly maligned. Around town, cars now sport stickers that depict two happy looking pups and the rallying cry: Free Sasha & Mocha. 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. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) A teen was killed, and others, including a Montgomery County deputy, were injured in a three-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in Montgomery County. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, at 1:30 a.m., 18-year-old Kasenn Dollar, from Liberty, was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado east on U.S. Highway 160, just 3.5 miles west of Independence. With him was an 18-year-old man from Kansas and two juveniles. This embedded content is not available in your region. At the same time, a 26-year-old man, identified as Justin D. Ward from Independence, was driving a 2017 Dodge Charger west on U.S. Route 160. So was a 28-year-old man, identified as Zachary C. Farmer from Independence, driving a 2022 Dodge Durango. Both were later identified as deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office. Eastbound I-70 reopened between Colorado and Colby Sunday According to the KHP, Dollars vehicle went left of center and hit the Charger head-on. The Durango was also struck. While en route westbound on US 160 out of Independence, Kansas, the deputys vehicle was struck head-on by another vehicle that veered left of center. Despite the efforts of a second responding deputy, who managed to avoid a direct collision but incurred minor damage to their patrol vehicle, the impact caused significant damage to the first deputys patrol car, leaving the deputy seriously injured, said the MCSO. Emergency response teams from Independence City Fire & Rescue and Independence Rural Fire arrived at the scene, attending to the injured parties. Tragically, despite their best efforts, one of the individuals involved, the driver of the other vehicle, succumbed to fatal injuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. Dollar was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger received minor injuries and was taken to an area medical center. The KHP protects juvenile data, so the extent of their injuries is unknown. Ward was taken to a hospital in Tulsa with suspected serious injuries. The MGSO says he had to be extricated from the wreckage. Farmer had no apparent injuries. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The Azerbaijani Accounts Chamber has announced the main financial violations committed in state organizations in 2023, Trend reports via the chamber's report. Thus, 27 compliance audits revealed violations of budget legislation. The most common shortcomings in this area include violations of the laws of Azerbaijan On the budget system and On state service, the requirements of the Labor Code, and non-compliance with cost standards and procedures. According to the results of compliance audits, 23 audits discovered budget management issues. A major chunk of these problems reflect institutions' insufficient attention to forecasting and planning activities. As a result, the demand for government funds was not accurately determined, resulting in fluctuating demand throughout the year, funds that were not used for their intended purposes, and budgetary funds that remained unused in bank accounts before being transferred to letter of credit accounts at the end of the year. Furthermore, the economic potential of extrabudgetary operations was not completely realized. Accumulations and other receipts weren't classified as state budget revenues, and expenditures were financed from other budget items if not provided for in the estimate. Surplus funds that do not comply with the requirements of the unified budget classification were not returned to the state budget (or not returned in a timely manner). Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel A shouting match nearly turned violent when at least two men disrupted a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the German consulate in Los Angeles on Monday. A KTLA 5 News photographer recorded video of a man kicking signs and hurling profanities and insults at members of CODEPINK, which organized the event in L.A. and another in New York. The group, which has labeled Israels war against Hamas a genocide, is demanding the United States and Germany stop providing military support for Israel. Take this crap down! the man, who was wearing a yarmulke, shouted as he kicked signs that were resting against a wall. Protest Confrontation One sign read, Germany & US: Stop Aiding & Abetting Israeli Genocide. Let Gaza Live! Another video shows a second man arguing face-to-face and nearly coming to blows with demonstrators, some of whom also appeared to be Jewish. Israels offensive in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 200 people hostage. In early November, an altercation involving pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Thousand Oaks led to the death of Paul Kessler, 69, who suffered a head injury after police say he fell and hit his head. Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 50, a professor at Moorpark College, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and battery causing serious bodily injury. He has pleaded not guilty. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) A family is searching for answers after a South Carolina man went missing while vacationing in Mexico earlier this week. Savannah Miller said her father, Edmond Bradley Solomon III, 66, was recently diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a type of degenerative disorder that tends to affect a persons behavior rather than memory. He sometimes says odd things and behaves erratically or oddly because hes just doing what he knows how to do, Miller explained. He cant process the same way you or I can. Solomon recently embarked on a Caribbean cruise with his wife, Mimi, and other family members but their trip took a distressing turn when he disappeared during one of their stops in Cozumel, Mexico. Miller said the couple got off the ship early Wednesday afternoon to use the restrooms before leaving the terminal. C. J. Snare, FireHouse singer and founding member, dies at 64 When my stepmom, Mimi, came out, he wasnt there, Miller said. She thought he might still be in the bathroom, so she waited for him for a few minutes. He didnt come out. Another family member went into the restroom to check on Solomon, but he was not there. That was the point that we knew he was lost, Miller said. We know that no matter where he was he would have difficulty understanding what was going on and communicating his needs due to his dementia. I think everyone just immediately became so terrified for his safety. The next morning, Miller said she received a call that her father was missing. I got the call about 5:30 in the morning, and I just froze, she said. I didnt even know how to process this information. Local authorities said Solomon was last seen along the road of Isla de la Pasion in Cozumel on Wednesday evening. He was wearing a white T-shirt, grey shorts and dark sunglasses. Provided by Savannah Miller Provided by Savannah Miller Provided by Savannah Miller Provided by Savannah Miller Provided by Savannah Miller Provided by Savannah Miller Provided by Savannah Miller Solomon grew up in West Ashley and had spent his professional career working as a critical care nurse at Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in downtown Charleston, according to Miller. He is also an avid surfer and fisherman, although they said his condition has limited his ability. He liked to be with the people that he loved, Miller said. He was always making sure that we were safe and we were cared for no matter who it was. Hes always been a fixer and someone whos just drawn to helping other people. Actor Jonathan Majors avoids jail time for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Solomons wife has remained in Mexico while the search continues. Miller and other family members will join her this weekend. Im really looking forward to having Mimi by my side and being able to give my dad a hug again, Miller said. The family has been in contact with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and the U.S. Consulate. In a statement to Nexstars WCBD, a spokesperson for the FBIs Columbia field office said theyre aware of the missing person report but cannot comment at this time. The agency referred questions to the State Department. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Walter Huang and his wife, Sevonne Huang. Sevonne Huang; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI Tesla is going to trial over a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the family of Walter Huang. The family alleges that flaws in Tesla's Autopilot system caused the 2018 crash that killed Huang. Tesla could face financial repercussions if a jury finds it was at fault for the collision. Walter Huang, an Apple engineer, was killed in a fiery wreck more than six years ago when his Tesla Model X SUV smashed into a concrete barrier on a California highway as the vehicle was in Autopilot mode. Huang's family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Tesla in the aftermath of the crash and now they're headed to a civil trial that could cast a negative spotlight on Elon Musk's electric-car company if a jury finds it liable for the collision. ADVERTISEMENT The trial is set to kick off Monday in California's Santa Clara County Superior Court. Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor who's an expert in automotive technologies, told Business Insider that the case probably wouldn't have any real consequences for Tesla, but if it were to lose, it would almost certainly "bolster regulatory scrutiny" around its Autopilot driver-assist software. "This is one case, and Tesla will be able to absorb whatever final damages it ends up with, if any," Smith said of the scenario in which Tesla loses. A significant jury award could, however, be attention-grabbing. "It would grab the attention of other lawyers and even other people who've said, 'Hey, my vehicle did something it shouldn't have,' or 'This was wrong,' or 'I was injured,' and so it could in that way reshape or reinforce the public conversation," Smith said. The lawsuit against Tesla alleges that its Autopilot system caused deadly 2018 crash Huang's family alleged in the 2019 lawsuit, which also names the state of California as a defendant, that the Tesla Model X was "defective in its design" and that flaws with Tesla's Autopilot driver-assist software caused the deadly crash on the morning of March 23, 2018. Story continues The family said in the lawsuit that Huang was traveling along US Highway 101 in Mountain View and, as his car approached a left exit ramp, "the autopilot feature of the Tesla turned the vehicle left, out of the designated travel lane, and drove it straight into a concrete highway median" at a speed of about 70 miles per hour. B. Mark Fong, an attorney representing Huang's family, said in a statement at the time the lawsuit was filed that the married 38-year-old father of two died because Tesla was "beta testing its Autopilot software on live drivers." Walter Huang's Tesla Model X crashed in March 2018 in Mountain View, California. KTVU via Associated Press The NTSB found that Tesla's Autopilot system and Huang probably both played a role in the crash An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board determined that Tesla's Autopilot system and Huang's inattention behind the wheel were most likely responsible for the crash. The NTSB said in a report that the probable cause of the crash was the Autopilot system "steering the sport utility vehicle into a highway gore area due to system limitations, and the driver's lack of response due to distraction likely from a cell phone game application and overreliance on the Autopilot partial driving automation system." The federal safety agency described Huang in its report as an avid gamer and game developer who regularly played games on his phone. A review of data from Huang's iPhone showed that a game app was active on his cellphone during the drive, but it couldn't be determined whether he was holding his phone in the seconds before the crash, according to the NTSB's report. Huang's hands were not detected on the steering wheel in the moments before the wreck and he "made no evasive steering or braking input before the crash," the NTSB said. Additionally, the NTSB said in its report that Huang "most likely would have survived the collision" if the already-damaged crash attenuator the barrier that the car slammed into had been repaired in a "timely manner." The safety barrier was damaged in a prior collision. Sevonne and Walter Huang. Sevonne Huang Tesla has said Huang was responsible for the wreck because he was 'not paying attention' In court filings, attorneys for Tesla squarely placed the blame on Huang for the crash, saying that he knew the vehicle wasn't an "autonomous" one and that he was playing a video game on his phone and "not paying attention." Days after the fatal crash, Tesla said in a blog post that Huang "received several visual and one audible hands-on warning earlier in the drive." "The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken," Tesla said in the post. "According to the family, Mr. Huang was well aware that Autopilot was not perfect and, specifically, he told them it was not reliable in that exact location, yet he nonetheless engaged Autopilot at that location," a Tesla spokesperson told BI in a statement back in 2018. "The crash happened on a clear day with several hundred feet of visibility ahead, which means that the only way for this accident to have occurred is if Mr. Huang was not paying attention to the road, despite the car providing multiple warnings to do so," the statement continued. Tesla also recently disclosed to the plaintiffs that it obtained a written statement from an Apple engineer indicating Huang was actively on his iPhone at the time of the crash. Tesla also wants to call the engineer to testify during the trial, but Huang's family opposes it. Representatives for Tesla didn't immediately return a request for comment by Business Insider for this story, while attorneys for Huang's family declined to comment. The Tesla dashboard Chicago Tribune / Getty Tesla faces several other lawsuits related to its driver-assist software Huang's family isn't the first to take Tesla to court over its driver-assist software. Last year, Tesla won two lawsuits involving crashes in which Autopilot was in use. There are also several lawsuits regarding the software that are still awaiting trial. Over the past few years, Tesla has come under increased scrutiny from regulators regarding its driver-assist technology, including its marketing of the feature. Last year, Tesla issued a recall via an over-the-air update to address concerns from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding the software's tendency to " act unsafe around intersections ." "Companies get sued all the time, but Tesla is facing unique and in some ways justified scrutiny of its Autopilot and so-called FSD systems through civil litigation, through civil and even criminal investigations," Smith told BI. "At some point, all of this can't help but become a distraction for Tesla's leadership." "The extent and the range and the scope and intensity of all of these legal proceedings does matter," Smith added. For now, Tesla's cars aren't truly autonomous, but Musk has been promising that self-driving cars are on the horizon since 2016, and some companies such as Waymo have already achieved Level 4 autonomy meaning the car can drive in select cities without anyone behind its wheel. Tesla has meanwhile achieved Level 2 autonomy. All current Tesla models come with the carmaker's Autopilot driver-assist program . Autopilot allows the car to steer itself, switch lanes, as well as brake and accelerate on its own. Tesla has said the feature requires the supervision of a licensed driver and doesn't make the vehicle autonomous. The company also offers customers the option to buy its Full Self-Driving beta feature for $12,000 or through a $199 monthly subscription. The beta feature enables the vehicle to recognize stop signs and traffic lights and park. Read the original article on Business Insider Anti-discrimination laws have been around for decades. For the most part, theyre effective. But diversity, equity and inclusion policies in companies, organizations and institutions of higher learning are anti-discrimination laws on steroids. We can see that in Texas. Texas A&M University had an annual DEI budget of $11 million. From 2015 to 2020, the number of Black Aggies who agreed or strongly agreed that they belonged at Texas A&M had dropped about 30%, according to the Claremont Institutes Center for the American Way of Life, a conservative think tank. DEI-based programs across the country purport to exist to address mostly racial and gender inequalities, but theyre often ineffective at colleges and universities, and even harmful in corporate America, where these students go next. Texas leaders realize what others don't: DEI programs are wasteful This is playing out in Texas now at the University of Texas (UT), which just laid off at least 60 employees who worked in diversity, equity and inclusion-related positions, according to the Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network. The mass firings were for efficiency to comply with Senate Bill 17, which went into effect in January. The new law bans Texas public universities and colleges from funding any offices or programs with a DEI-based aim. Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during the opening keynote lunch at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Texas Policy Summit 2024 in Austin on March 20, 2024. Gov. Abbott spoke about border security and cartels, school choice for parents of Texas children and the ban of DEI at Texas universities. Several Texas outlets have slammed the bill again after this news leaked. Its easy to see why. Thats a lot of people who now need new jobs, and this is a tough environment for people looking for employment. But in some ways, the sheer number of DEI positions, the reaction and statistics about DEI prove the need for a closer look at DEI. First, Texans support the law. A June poll showed that 49% of Texans "strongly or somewhat support the ban, while only 34% oppose it. About standardize testing: Using the SAT, ACT in college admissions isn't 'racist.' What else has the left got wrong? Second, its excessive. According to the American-Statesman, 40 of the 60 staff were let go from the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, where the median annual salary is approximately $69,000. Thats more than $2.7 million a year in salaries just for 40 employees. That could have funded need-based in-state tuition for four years for, say, nearly 60 Black or Hispanic women because poverty tends to disproportionately affect those demographics. Third, in some ways its ineffective at best and hypocritical at worst. (Especially in corporate America.) DEI has failed at its own goal In 2022, almost 35% of UTs enrolled students were white. About 25% were Hispanic or Latino. A little more than 5% were Black. The faculty was even less diverse. In 2021, almost 70% of UTs fall faculty were white, just 10% were Hispanic and 5% were Black. In 2022, students at UT released a report that claimed the university does not offer the inclusivity that LGBTQIA+ students and other historically oppressed groups demand. So almost $3 million worth of employee salaries are pushing DEI initiatives and theyre still failing. Administrators at Texas A&M and UT must have thought DEI was doing something good, or they wouldnt have had so many staff working in this capacity. But surely, they had seen data showing their numbers werent improving. They were worsening. DEI initiatives often lead to feel-good roles but no real-time results. Its certainly a good idea to reverse structural racism where it thrives and to dispel gender biases that keep historically marginalized people from achieving their best potential. But we have anti-discrimination laws for this. 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. DEI-based organizations and initiatives at a college level communicate to a generation of kids who are already hyperfixated on themselves that their educational success depends on a particular, perhaps marginalized, aspect of themselves. Students become further obsessed with these handful of identifiers and expect the world will lend them a leg up. Does a corporation owe a new graduate a job because hes gay? Because shes Muslim? Isnt hiring a new college graduate because of their identifiers and who succeeded thanks to DEI efforts in college the opposite of equity and inclusivity? DEI initiatives fail college grads in the workplace DEI initiatives in the workplace are also now facing backlash, per one report by Paradigm, following the Supreme Courts 2023 affirmative action ruling. In a survey of 1,000 hiring managers across the United States by ResumeBuilder.com, 1 in 6 have been asked to deprioritize hiring white men, almost half have been asked to prioritize diversity over qualifications, over half believe their job will be in danger if they dont hire enough diverse employees, and 70% believe their company has DEI initiatives for appearances sake. They're suing the NCAA: These women say transgender rules discriminate against them So now fewer people who are qualified for employment will get a job because theyre not marginalized? Nobody is supposed to care about the white guys anymore because theyre part of a privileged patriarchal system, but by the looks of these hiring practices, thats no longer true. And refusing to hire someone because theyre a white male is, well, against the law. Last fall, Bloomberg reported that the year after Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the S&P 100 added more than 300,000 jobs and 94% went to people of color. Given that only about a quarter of the U.S. population is not white, that's a high percentage. Anti-discrimination laws succeed where DEI falls short Is there a better way to achieve what DEI has failed to? Or is DEI in and of itself unnecessary? Texas Republicans seem to think the latter is true and thats why they banned it. One could say thats to be expected of a legislature thats 70% male and half white. They dont need DEI; theyve already tasted success. Two things are true: Thanks to decades-old state and federal anti-discrimination laws, American colleges and workplaces offer equity and equal rights under the law. Where these laws are broken, theyre challenged in court and overturned like the Supreme Courts decision last year that affirmative action at Harvard and the University of North Carolina violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Nicole Russell is a national opinion columnist at USA TODAY. Its also true that where DEI programs in colleges exist, theyre too expansive and simultaneously ineffective. Where they were perhaps originally a good idea decades ago, theyve gone so far past the Overton Window, theyre either achieving little on college campuses or achieving the opposite in American workplaces, forcing companies to hire token representatives and eschewing merit-based hires because of sex and race. The news that 60 people were let go sounds harsh, but its a short-term consequence to fixing a longer-term problem. DEI advances people in work and schools because theyre marginalized, not because of merit. In the end, in the name of inclusivity, it ends up being quite an exclusive club. Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas DEI ban leads to UT layoffs. But it's how we fix long-term issue Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin speaks during an interview with Reuters in Koh Samui By Panu Wongcha-um SAMUI, Thailand (Reuters) -Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told Reuters now is a good time to open talks with Myanmar as the military regime that seized power in a 2021 coup is weakening. Myanmar is in the throes of an insurgency on multiple fronts, with allied anti-junta groups backed by a pro-democracy parallel government seizing control of several military posts and towns, including parts of a key town on the border with Thailand over the weekend. The insurgency is the biggest challenge the Myanmar junta has faced since it mounted a coup against an elected government in 2021. "The current regime is starting to lose some strength," Srettha said in an interview on the resort island of Samui on Sunday, adding, "but even if they are losing, they have the power, they have the weapons." "Maybe it's time to reach out and make a deal," he said. Thailand has been pursuing multiple engagements with Myanmar since Srettha came to power last August, including delivering aid to Myanmar under a humanitarian initiative aimed at paving the way for talks between warring camps. The Thai parliament also hosted a seminar last month on the political situation in Myanmar that included the appearance of opponents of the Myanmar's military, despite the junta's objection. Srettha said Myanmar was very important for Thailand and he and other Thai officials have been talking to various stakeholders in Myanmar and international partners including China and the U.S. "The country that stands to gain most if Myanmar becomes unified, peaceful and prosperous is Thailand," Srettha said. The Thai government will not take sides in international conflict and its policy will be to address conflict peacefully, government spokesman Chai Watcharong said in a statement on Monday after media enquiries about the situation in Myanmar. Srettha said he is planning to talk to cabinet ministers, senior military and security officials on Tuesday to streamline government policies on Myanmar. "I'm meeting with five or six people who are the key players and make sure that we are on the same page," he said. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Lincoln Feast.) Donald Trump secured a huge victory late last month when a New York court reduced his half-billion dollar bond to $175 million after his lawyers expressed difficulty with producing bond for the full judgment while he appealed. But the former president's lawyers may have made a crucial misstep in failing to disclose that a billionaire financier had offered to put up the full $464 million judgment, according to ProPublica, and legal experts say it could cost them. "It's unethical to either initially knowingly present false information or to fail to correct misinformation that's been provided to the court," Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson told Salon. While lawyers don't always have "straight information" from their client, they do have an "ethical obligation" under the code of conduct to correct false statements and information, she explained, noting that if Trump's lawyers "at some point" knew they'd "made a misrepresentation" to the court, they had the "responsibility to clear that up." "You have, first, a duty to push on your client to tell you the truth and find out what's really happening," Levenson said, adding that a potential ethics concern "shows the court that they just cannot trust Trump's lawyers" and incentivizes the court to "push harder for verification of the facts." Prior to the appellate court's ruling, Trump's attorneys told the court it was a "practical impossibility" to obtain a surety for the full amount. The lawyers explained that around 30 firms Trump approached declined to cover him, either because they didn't want to take the risk or did not want to accept real estate as collateral. Those rejections made posting the total "an impossible bond requirement," they said. Before the appeals panel reduced the bond, however, a billionaire lender approached Trump's team about providing a surety for the full sum. In an interview with ProPublica, California billionaire Don Hankey said he contacted Trump's lawyers several days before the bond shrank, telling them he was willing to offer the full amount and use real estate as collateral. I saw that they were rejected by everyone and I said, Gee, that doesnt seem like a difficult bond to post, Hankey told the outlet. The appellate court ruled in Trump's favor as Hankey and representatives for the former president negotiated. The court did not provide an explanation for its decision, and Hankey later gave Trump a bond for the lowered amount. Whether Trump lawyer Alina Habba and the rest of Trump's legal team were made aware of Hankey's offering to cover the full amount is unclear. Trump's lawyers did not respond to ProPublica's requests for comment. That uncertainty raises the question of whether they did violate the relevant ethics rule, Rule 3.3 (a)(1), according to Stephen Gillers, a New York University law professor specializing in legal ethics. If Trump's legal team were aware their statement about meeting the bond was untrue, they violated the rule, Gillers told Salon. However, if it was not true but they thought it was before learning it was false, their statement would not amount to a violation though they would have been required to "correct the statement" upon learning of its "falsity." "If the statement was true when they said it and then later events made it false, some may see the rule as ambiguous on whether the lawyers would be required to correct the statement," Gillers said, explaining that even in that instance, he believes "the lawyers would have had a duty to correct the statement." At the time Trump's attorneys informed the court of their difficulty posting the bond, Hankey told ProPublica he had not yet contacted the Trump team. Because of the timeline, the lawyers could claim "they didn't know whether he could support the full amount," according to Bennett Gershman, a Pace University law professor and former New York prosecutor, who noted that the legal team's "knowledge is critical." "But what this episode demonstrates is that the failure of Trumps lawyers to notify the court that was considering their motion shows their incompetence, indifference to ethical conduct, or just simply scorn for proper lawyer conduct," he told Salon. Should the court find the Trump legal team violated the ethics rules, Gillers said they could be "referred for discipline" either by the court, the attorney general or a member of the public, or a disciplinary committee can pursue the issue without "the need for an outside complaint." The disciplinary actions for such violations can take a number of forms, Levenson added. Though dependent on the jurisdiction and disciplinary body, the process would begin with a hearing and could result in a private or public reprimand. More "serious consequences" could be suspension or even disbarment, she explained. Though she doesn't expect severe outcomes to occur should Trump's lawyers be found in violation of the rule, Levenson said a violation would be "at least, a blot on their record." "First and foremost, they'll have no credibility, not only with this court, but frankly with other courts," she explained. "I mean, a judge can't trust lawyers who have previously made false representations and not tried to repair them." "The appellate court may feel they were blindsided by Trumps lawyers failure to at least notify them of the potential to obtain a surety for the full amount," Gershman added, noting it is an "embarrassing moment" for the court. "As the court may see it, the lawyers sat back and let the court make a difficult decision that, as it turns out, [it] didnt have to make." Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. The former president's bond scramble arose from the civil fraud case brought by the New York attorney general, who accused Trump and his co-defendants of defrauding banks and insurers by exaggerating his assets and net worth on financial statements. Trump had a month to post bond or risk having his properties seized and posted it last week after receiving a 10-day extension from the appellate court. Still, the former president is not quite out of the woods with his bond yet. In a brief court filing last Thursday, the New York attorney general asked Trump or Hankey's company to show the company had the means to fulfill the $175 million bond, ProPublica notes. The possibility that his lawyers failed to disclose relevant bond information to the court could also diminish Trump's victory, experts said. The court could change its decision and "impose a higher bond" after asking Trump's attorneys to explain themselves, Gillers said. While Levenson thinks the court is "unlikely" to reexamine the surety and subsequently reset it, she said the appellate court could consider this information when deciding on any other issues regarding the bond that arise, such as if the government requests for it to be raised. "It always matters whether you've given true representations to the court," Levenson said. "It matters for the ruling on that issue. It's going to matter for the ruling on subsequent issues. It matters for your reputation. It matters for how other courts view you. It always matters." The U.N.s atomic watchdog agency said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine was targeted by drone attacks on Sunday, with the agency demanding an end to the strikes which dramatically increased the risk of a nuclear accident taking place. Russia, which has occupied the plant since March 2022, blamed the attacks on Ukrainean allegation which Kyiv has denied. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has a team stationed at the plant, said the incident was the first such assault on Europes largest nuclear power plant since November 2022. New Twist in Case of Ex-Guardsman Who Fled to Russia Amid Child Porn Charges In a statement Sunday, RosatomRussias state nuclear corporationsaid the plant had been subjected to an unprecedented series of drone attacks and called on the IAEA and European leaders to immediately respond. Rosatom explicitly blamed the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the strikes. It said three people were injured at 11:38 a.m. when a drone hit near the plants canteen. Around 30 minutes later, another drone attacked a cargo area while a third hit the dome over the sites sixth reactor. There was no critical damage or casualties; the background radiation at the station and the surrounding area has not changed and does not exceed natural background values, Rosatom said. It also said it categorically condemns the attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesperson also condemned the attacks on Monday. This is a very dangerous provocation, Dmitry Peskov said. This is a very dangerous practice that has very, very bad negative consequences in the long term. Unfortunately, the Kyiv regime continues its terrorist activity. Despite the accusations, a Ukrainian intelligence official said Kyiv was not behind the attacks and suggested that Moscow was itself responsible. Russian strikes, including imitation ones, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant [...] have long been a well known criminal practice of the invaders, Andriy Usov, a spokesperson for Ukraines HUR Main Intelligence Directorate, told Reuters. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the attack represented a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security threats the plant currently faces. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately, Grossi said in a news release. IAEA experts at the plant inspected the sites affected by the drones, the agency added. Surveillance and communication equipment appeared to have been targeted at one of the plants reactor buildings, the agency said. As experts were on the roof of the reactor six building, the IAEA said, Russian troops engaged what appeared to be an approaching drone. This was followed by an explosion near the reactor building, the agency added. At another impact site, outside a laboratory, experts saw blood stains next to a damaged military logistics vehicle, indicating at least one casualty. The experts also reported explosions and rifle fire on the site throughout the day as well as several rounds of outgoing artillery fire from near the plant. Grossi said that while the blast at the reactor six building did not compromise nuclear safety, this was a serious incident that had the potential to undermine the integrity of the reactors containment system. No one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities. Attacking a nuclear power plant is an absolute no go, Grossi added. I firmly appeal to military decision makers to abstain from any action violating the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities. 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. Three Jacksonville Sheriffs officers have been disciplined for strip searching a man suspected of selling cocaine on the side of the road in public view two years ago. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The action by JSO comes after reporting first published by The Tributary exposed the incident. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] You cant bend me over like that bro. I know my rights, said Ronnie Reed in body camera footage of his arrest in September of 2022. The footage, first obtained by the Tributary, shows JSO officers strip searching Reed during an arrest for allegedly selling cocaine. The video shows officers pulling down his pants and underwear, and exposing his genitals in front of onlookers near the scene. Now, three of the officers involved have been disciplined by the agency for violating JSO policy. If the individual is concealing contraband, meaning drugs, he will pick up a second charge, which is introducing a controlled substance into a corrections facility. But thats not the street officers concern, said Action News Jax Law and Safety Expert Dale Carson. READ: 8-year-old girl strip searched at Virginia prison during visit to see dad Carson argued since the officers were searching for a $20 bill and narcotics, a strip search out in public view was wholly inappropriate. It sends a message to the community that they shouldnt cooperate at all with law enforcement. Thats the devastating aspect of this circumstance, said Carson. Florida statute does authorize law enforcement to conduct strip searches for narcotics upon receiving written approval from a supervising officer, but JSO policy only allows corrections officers to conduct the searches. During the internal investigation at JSO, at least two of the three officers involved stated they didnt believe what they had done to Reed during his arrest constituted a strip search, but after reviewing state statute, they came to believe it was a strip search. Those same two officers, Joel Belgard and Nicholas Hackley, both testified they were never trained on the agencys strip search policy. Had you ever had any type of training in the search that was conducted on Mr. Reed? asked the JSO investigator in the recording of Belgards interview. READ: DOJ: Former FHP Trooper and DEA officer from Jax pleads guilty to theft of money and drugs No, not to that extent. No, Belgard responded. But according to JSO, all officers are trained on the agencys strip search policy. All police officers receive training concerning searches, to include that strip searches are to be performed by corrections officers rather than police officers, said PIO for JSO in an emailed statement. Carson argued at the end of the day, any officer should know the conduct captured in the body camera footage is wrong. You dont need a general order to spell out what is common sense. The key to this is to not treat people like you would not like to be treated, said Carson. Charges against Reed were dropped in February of this year. The three officers involved in the search of Reed received level two written reprimands, which is one step below a suspension under JSOs disciplinary policy. [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. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Last year, the UN invested $34.2 million in joint initiatives with Azerbaijan, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva said during a meeting of the Joint Government-UN Steering Committee on the implementation of the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025', Trend reports. "Ahead of the SDG Summit last September, Azerbaijan joined 39 other nations in presenting its national commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together, we can expedite progress on these goals. In the past year, UN allocated $34.2 million to implement the agreed-upon joint initiatives," she said. Will be updated NEW YORK (PIX11) An extraordinary celestial event will happen in New York for the first time in nearly a century on Monday. The states first total solar eclipse in 99 years is set to take place. If you miss it, youll have to wait 20 years for the next one in the United States. Solar eclipse 2024: What each zodiac sign can expect A total solar eclipse is when the moon lines up between the sun and the Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun and darkening the sky. New York City isnt in the path of totality, so it wont experience a total solar eclipse. But the city will still see up to 90% of the sun covered, according to the American Museum of Natural History. A street vendor sells certificated sun glasses to watch a total solar eclipse. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP) In New York City, the solar eclipse will begin at 2:10 p.m. and end at 4:36 p.m., with the peak of the eclipse happening at 3:25 p.m., according to the museum. Although New York City wont experience a total solar eclipse, other areas in the state will. New York officials said the total solar eclipse can be seen in 29 counties in the western and northern parts of the state, including in Jamestown, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Watertown, Old Forge, Lake Placid and Plattsburgh. Locations in the path of totality could experience total darkness for up to four minutes, according to state officials. If you plan to view the solar eclipse, youll need specialized eye protection to safely do so. A woman looks through a solar viewer during an annular solar eclipse in California on Oct. 14, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images) Looking at the sun during the solar eclipse without specialized protection, such as eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, would be harmful to your eyes except during the brief phase of the eclipse when the moon is completely blocking the sun, according to NASA. View the sun through eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer during the partial eclipse phases before and after totality. You can view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection only when the moon completely obscures the suns bright face, NASAs website says. As soon as you see even a little bit of the bright sun reappear after totality, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on or use a handheld solar viewer to look at the sun. Regular sunglasses are not a safe alternative to eclipse glasses, NASA warned. Safe solar viewers ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard, according to NASA. New York State officials also recommend using ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses. Solar eclipse viewing parties in New York City Gov. Kathy Hochul launched a statewide effort to distribute limited-edition I LOVE NY eclipse glasses at 30 locations throughout the state, including Moynihan Train Hall in New York City and the Long Island Welcome Center in Dix Hills. The glasses were approved by the New York State Department of Health and carry an ISO certification, according to officials. For those unable to get a pair of the limited-edition glasses, New York state officials suggested visiting the American Astronomical Societys website for ways to purchase glasses from a trusted source. NASA offered additional safety guidelines for viewing the solar eclipse. It advised people to inspect their eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before using them to make sure they arent torn, scratched or damaged. NASA also outlined some indirect methods for viewing the solar eclipse for those who cant obtain eclipse glasses or handheld viewers. Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. What time is the solar eclipse? How do I keep my eyes safe? Your Sacramento guide A partial solar eclipse will cast its shadow over Sacramento on Monday morning. Before you head out to experience the rare astronomical event, heres what to know: What is a solar eclipse? According to NASA, a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in between the sun and Earth, blocking the face of the sun. For places in the path of totality where the total solar eclipse can be fully seen, the sky will darken in the middle of the day and itll look like its dusk or very early dawn outside. An annular solar eclipse is observed from the United States in May 2012. Sacramento residents will see a partial solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. When will the eclipse happen? Mexicos Pacific Coast will be the first location in North America to see a total solar eclipse, at 11 a.m. Monday. Afterwards, the path of totality or when the moon full covers the sun will sweep into the United states, traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The eclipse will end in Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. local time or 12:46 p.m. Pacific Time. Although parts of the country will see a full solar eclipse, California will only get a glimpse of it. READ MORE: Whats the best time to watch the eclipse in Sacramento? Generally, the partial eclipse will start at around 10:30 a.m. and lasts until noon, depending on where you are in California. According to NationalEclipse.com, San Diego may see 53.9% of the eclipse as it sweeps northward, while Los Angeles may see 48.9% of the eclipse. (Sacramento) can only expect about 35% coverage of the sun, even at the peak, said Kyle Watters, a professor of physics and astronomy at Sacramento State. Watters said the moon will cover a sliver of the sun at around 10:15 a.m. and will reach its maximum coverage around 11:15 a.m. Itll leave the sun and end the partial eclipse around 12:15 p.m. Its going to be our last chance to see a solar eclipse from here in Sacramento for quite a while, Watters said. READ MORE: How can I watch the eclipse safely? Even with the moon partially covering the sun, it is never safe to look at the sun without protection. Before and after totality, the only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers, the National Solar Observatory said on its website. NASA advises that you should inspect your eclipse glasses or viewers before putting them to use. If theyre damaged, torn or scratched, toss them away. If you dont have eclipse glasses, you can still experience the eclipse by taking a colander or strainer with holes and hold it up to the sky. This will cast shadows of the eclipse, revealing a Pac-Man-style shape. READ MORE: What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. The 2024 solar eclipse will be visible across North America today. As the moon's position between the Earth and sun casts a shadow on North America, that shadow, or umbra, will travel along the surface from west to east at more than 1,500 miles per hour along the path of totality. That means the eclipse will start, peak and end at different times as will the moments of total darkness along the path of totality and the best time to view the eclipse depends on where you are located. Some places along the path will have more totality time than others. In Texas, the south-central region had clouds in the forecast, but it was better to the northeast, according to the National Weather Service. The best eclipse viewing weather was expected in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, as well as in Canada's New Brunswick and Newfoundland. What time does the 2024 total solar eclipse start? NASA's map shows the path of totality for the April 8, 2024 eclipse. / Credit: NASA The total solar eclipse will emerge over the South Pacific Ocean before the shadow falls across North America, beginning in parts of Mexico. The path of totality, where onlookers can witness the moon fully blocking the sun (through eclipse viewing glasses for safety), is expected to first make landfall near the city of Mazatlan around 9:51 a.m. MT. The total solar eclipse will cross over the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas, where it will emerge over Eagle Pass at 12:10 p.m. CT and then peak at about 1:27 p.m. CT. In Dallas, NASA data shows the partial eclipse will first become visible at 12:23 p.m. CT and peak at 1:40 p.m. CT. The next states in the path of totality are Oklahoma and Arkansas, where the eclipse begins in Little Rock at 12:33 p.m. CT. Cleveland will see the beginning of the eclipse at 1:59 p.m. ET. Darkness will start spreading over the sky in Buffalo, New York, at 2:04 p.m. ET. Then, the eclipse will reach northwestern Vermont, including Burlington, at 2:14 p.m. ET. Parts of New Hampshire and Maine will also follow in the path of totality before the eclipse first reaches the Canadian mainland at 3:13 p.m. ET. Although the experience won't be exactly the same, viewers in all the contiguous U.S. states outside the path of totality will still be able to see a partial eclipse. Some places will see most of the sun blocked by the moon, including Washington, D.C., where the partial eclipse will start at 2:04 p.m. ET and peak at about 3:20 p.m. ET. In Chicago, viewers can start viewing the partial eclipse at 12:51 p.m. CT, with the peak arriving at 2:07 p.m. CT. In Detroit, viewers will be able to enjoy a near-total eclipse beginning at 1:58 p.m. ET and peaking at 3:14 p.m. ET. New York City will also see a substantial partial eclipse, beginning at 2:10 p.m. ET and peaking around 3:25 p.m. ET. In Boston it will begin at 2:16 p.m. ET and peak at about 3:29 p.m. ET. The below table by NASA shows when the eclipse will start, peak and end in 13 cities along the eclipse's path. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r NASA to launch rockets into total solar eclipse path Thief says he tried on, then melted down Yogi Berra World Series rings | 60 Minutes Total solar eclipse cuts path across U.S. A total eclipse of the Sun plunged a stretch of North America into darkness on Monday, with millions of spectators across the US, Mexico and Canada hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare event. It was North Americas biggest eclipse crowd ever, with the path of totality crossing directly over 44 million people. More were drawn in from across the world thanks to the lure of clear skies and up to four and a half minutes of midday darkness in some places. Almost everyone in North America was guaranteed at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting. The best weather was seen in Mexico and at the tail end of the eclipse in Vermont and Maine, as well as New Brunswick and Newfoundland. Cloud cover is one of the trickier things to forecast, National Weather Service meteorologist Alexa Maines explained at Clevelands Great Lakes Science Centre on Sunday. At the very least, it wont snow. Key Points Everything you need to know about the eclipse Whats so good about an eclipse? Total solar eclipse in pictures How the solar eclipse looks from space Hello and welcome Monday 8 April 2024 09:25 , Andrew Griffin ... to The Independents live coverage of the 2024 Great North American Eclipse. Eclipse Express delayed Monday 8 April 2024 09:40 , Simon Calder Overrunning engineering work led to a 70-minute delay in Sunday evenings Eclipse Express: British Airways flight 95 from London Heathrow to Montreal. It was the final departure from the UK that would enable eclipse chasers to reach the only big city on the path of totality in time for the 3.27pm (local time) appointment with the cosmos. Like earlier flights from London to Montreal on Air Transat and Air Canada, the BA Boeing 787 was completely full. A significant number of eclipse hunters booked for the Canadian city at the last minute when it became clear much of the US would be blanketed by cloud. Of all the BA destinations in North America, the Canadian city is the only one within the zone of totality for todays astronomical event. The inflight manager joked to anxious passengers: The captain tells me he will fly it like hes stolen it to try to make up time. One member of British Airways cabin crew, whose birthday is today, requested to work on the Montreal flight in the hope she would be able to witness the eclipse. It's just bigger than all of us eclipse chaser explains the appeal Monday 8 April 2024 09:41 , Simon Calder Some eclipse chasers waited until almost the last minute before choosing their destination. Mike, a software developer from Dresden in Germany, booked a short-notice flight from Berlin via London Heathrow to Montreal. He had actually booked to travel to the US for the eclipse months ago, but was unable to depart as scheduled because of illness. After recovery I decided to still go there, he told The Independent. But by then it was so late that I decided to wait even longer until the weather forecast was very clear. Thats why I booked my flights on Friday. I didnt get any accommodation. I did manage to rent a car and so all options are on the table. Ive a sleeping bag with me and thats pretty much all I need. Mike had originally planned to be in the Midwest, and considered Texas when making his second booking. Texas generally often has clear skies, but right now it doesnt, he said. So I decided to go to Montreal because it has the best forecast. The German traveller explained the appeal of the eclipse: It is the fact that we cannot influence it, its just bigger than all of us. So many things that I do marvel at are man-made. So many problems are man-made. But this is not and this is what I want to see. My colleagues dont really understand, but they are sympathetic with me and just smile about itHe said his aim during the eclipse is to commune with the cosmos. I would very much prefer to be on my own, but if 1,000 other people are there its still better than nothing. Whats so good about seeing an eclipse? Monday 8 April 2024 09:42 , Andrew Griffin Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent of The Independent, has viewed total solar eclipses in India and Wyoming USA, as well as the 1999 European event which was obscured by cloud in his chosen location, Dieppe in France. In the days leading up to the eclipse, locations in the path of totality acquire a carnival atmosphere as astronomical tourists converge in excited anticipation. On the day, the cosmological performance begins with a warm-up lasting more than an hour, during which the moon steadily nibbles away at the surface of the sun. Suddenly, you experience totality. The stars and planets appear in the middle of the day. The air chills. To testify to the heavenly fit between our two most familiar heavenly bodies, faint diamonds known as Bailys beads peek out from behind the moon. They actually comprise light from the sun slipping through lunar valleys. A sight to behold so long as you can see the moon blotting out the sun and appreciate the mathematical perfection of nature in our corner of the galaxy. Will I be able to see a partial eclipse from the UK? Monday 8 April 2024 09:42 , Simon Calder Yes. The eclipse ends with the sunset in the eastern Atlantic, about 600 miles off the coast of Cornwall, before it reaches the UK and Ireland. But on the island of Ireland and western parts of Great Britain, a partial eclipse may be visible with the sun low in the sky. If skies are clear and you have an open view to the west, it will start at around 7.55pm in Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. BBC Weather presenter Simon King said: With the partial solar eclipse occurring late in the day UK time, the Sun will be low to the horizon and will actually set before the spectacle is over. Hotel rates soar as millions seek to experience the eclipse Monday 8 April 2024 09:43 , Simon Calder Accommodation rates have more than trebled in some locations within the zone of totality. Data provided to The Independent by the hotel industry analyst Lighthouse shows sharp rises for the night of 7-8 April.In Little Rock, Arkansas, room prices for 7 April were 223 per cent higher than on the same day last year, with the average rate rising from $116 to $374. Rates in San Antonio in Texas and Indianapolis were over 150 per cent higher, while those in Austin, Dallas and Cleveland, Ohio, have more than doubled. In Montreal, though, hotel rates are actually 6 per cent down on a year ago, as the city was never considered a serious contender by eclipse chasers. Transatlantic airline passengers might get glimpse of eclipse Monday 8 April 2024 09:43 , Andrew Griffin Some lucky passengers on scheduled flights from the UK to the US and Canada may get a glimpse of the eclipse as they fly through the zone of totality. Passengers on middle-of-the-day departures to Boston, New York and Toronto have some chance of flying beneath the eclipse, though it will be only for a matter of seconds: the closing speed of westbound jet aircraft and the eastbound eclipse will be around 2,000mph. But because so much can change with wind conditions and timings, no airlines are publicising eclipse-chasing flights. Trump posts bizarre solar eclipse ad with his head blocking out the sun, plunging US into darkness Monday 8 April 2024 09:46 , Andrew Griffin It really has to be seen to be believed. After staring straight into the eclipse last time, Donald Trump has posted a new ad in which he himself is blocking out the Sun. Trump posts bizarre solar eclipse ad with his head plunging US into darkness What time is the solar eclipse? Monday 8 April 2024 09:52 , Andrew Griffin The eclipse will move from the centre of the US up to the north east corner. So the timing will be a little different not only because the path of totality moves across the country, but also because of timezones. Here you can find information from Nasa about the timing. Solar Eclipse 2024: Nasa map shows path of totality Everything you need to know about the eclipse Monday 8 April 2024 09:54 , Andrew Griffin The eclipse is an opportunity to share in the wonder of the universe without going very far, Nasa has said. (Though plenty of people, as below, are travelling for it.) Heres some information about what form exactly that wonder will take. Everything you need to know about the coming solar eclipse Clouds could block the view in every metro area, forecasts warn Monday 8 April 2024 10:15 , Andrew Griffin The weather might not let the eclipse take all the attention. Forecasts warn that every major metro area could have skies covered in clouds, which might ruin the view somewhat. Solar eclipse 2024: Clouds could block view in every metro area Even if the sun itself is covered, however, you should get some of the feeling as the skies go dark and everything becomes briefly a little colder. Where and when will the eclipse be visible? Monday 8 April 2024 11:26 , Andrew Griffin According to NASA, the April 8 eclipse will begin over the South Pacific, with its path reaching Mexicos Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. Pacific Time before entering the United States in Texas. Its path then takes it through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, a tiny piece of Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, a tiny piece of Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The path then enters Canada in Ontario and journeys through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. Newfoundland Time. A partial eclipse is due to be visible for people in all 48 contiguous U.S. states. What will you see during an eclipse? Monday 8 April 2024 11:26 , Andrew Griffin A total solar eclipse unfolds in several distinct stages. It starts with a partial eclipse phase as the moon begins to pass between Earth and the sun, partially blocking it and leaving the sun looking like it has a crescent shape. In the subsequent Bailys Beads phase, points of light from the sun shine around the moons edges because of the irregular lunar topography, producing small beads of light. In the diamond ring phase, a single bright spot appears along the lunar edge even as the suns atmosphere leaves a ring of light around the moon. The effect resembles the appearance of a diamond ring. This phenomenon precedes totality. After totality, the other phases repeat as the moon keeps moving along its path until the eclipse ends. When will the next eclipses arrive? Monday 8 April 2024 11:27 , Andrew Griffin People in various parts of the world will get to experience more eclipses in the coming months and years, according to NASA. An annular solar eclipse will occur on Oct. 2 of this year, visible in South America, with a partial eclipse visible in South America, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and North America. A partial solar eclipse will occur on March 29, 2025, visible in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. A partial solar eclipse will occur on Sept. 21, 2025, visible in Australia, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. An annular solar eclipse will occur on Feb. 17, 2026, visible in Antarctica, with a partial eclipse visible in Antarctica, Africa, South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The next total solar eclipse will occur on Aug. 12, 2026, visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small portion of Portugal, with a partial eclipse visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. How do you safely watch an eclipse? Monday 8 April 2024 11:36 , Andrew Griffin Experts warn that it is unsafe to look directly at the bright sun without using specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. Viewing an eclipse through a camera lens, binoculars or telescope without making use of a special-purpose solar filter can cause severe eye injury, according to these experts. They advise using safe solar viewing glasses or a safe handheld solar viewer, noting that regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the sun. The only moment it is considered safe for people to remove eye protection during a total solar eclipse is the brief time when the moon completely blocks the suns surface. Royal Institution jokes about eclipse Monday 8 April 2024 12:43 , Andrew Griffin The Royal Institution the centuries old organisation that has fostered some of the greatest scientific minds in history has a joke for you: Boy: Dad, can you tell me what an eclipse is? Dad: No sun. Royal Institution (@Ri_Science) April 8, 2024 Snow lying in Montreal ahead of eclipse Monday 8 April 2024 13:49 , Simon Calder Montreal is the only big city on the path of totality with near-certain clear skies. The Canadian government is predicting unbroken sunshine until at least 6pm, local time, with the eclipse passing over for 90 seconds at 3.27pm. The temperature is expected to reach 16C. The weather is unusual for early April. Montreal experiences extreme cold, and is only slowly emerging from winter. (Simon Calder/The Independent) Snow is piled high on some city streets, and weather records for the corresponding date in earlier years showing a high of 2C in 1977 and, the following year, three inches of snow. (Simon Calder/The Independent) Total solar eclipse, as interpreted using only breakfast items Monday 8 April 2024 13:51 , Simon Calder Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, arrived in Montreal late last night after buying the last economy class seat on the Eclipse express: British Airways flight 95, which arrived in the Canadian city at 9.05pm, local time. Over breakfast at Eggspectation, a restaurant in downtown Montreal, he performs an exclusive interpretive prediction of the scenes later in the day using only the Quebecois speciality, poutine. Seven more hours until the great American eclipse sweeps across Montreal. Over breakfast, I have created a simulation of the amazing cosmological event using only a plate of the Quebecois speciality, poutine. NASA, you know where to find me #Eclipse2024 pic.twitter.com/6yWWyLTPV3 Simon Calder (@SimonCalder) April 8, 2024 All or nothing says UK eclipse guru Monday 8 April 2024 14:29 , Simon Calder Dr John Mason, who has led astronomical tours to view total solar eclipses for three decades, says: You cant observe all the wonders of totality unless youve got 100 per cent. Even when the sun is 99 per cent eclipsed, that 1 per cent is incredibly bright and gives out a lot of light.He was speaking on The Independents daily travel podcast ahead of the event. When deciding where to lead his eclipse disciples, Dr Mason studies decades of weather records to maximise the chances of clear skies. But, he warns: The statistics for the weather are only a guide. On the day, it could be totally different. You could find that there could be a cloudy day in Texas, and it could be clear up in the Northeast, in Maine. Its only a guide. The location Dr Mason believes may attract the most viewers: Niagara Fall, on the US-Canada border. I could imagine huge numbers of people making their way to Niagara Falls because its got its cachet of an amazing view and and the total eclipse as well. For anyone who misses the 8 April 2024 total solar eclipse, the next will be on 12 August 2026, with northern Spain and the Balearic islands in the zone of totality. Solar eclipse 2024 live: Map shows path of totality across North America Monday 8 April 2024 15:24 , Anthony Cuthbertson Roughly 44 million people live under the path of totality, with hundreds of millions more getting a chance to see a partial solar eclipse today. We have a map showing the full path of the total solar eclipse, which crosses over some major metropolitan areas in its journey from the west coast of Mexico to the east coast of Canada. Major cities beneath the path of totality include Durango, Austin, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Toronto and Montreal. You can read more about the eclipses path here. Solar eclipse 2024 live: Map of Airbnb bookings copy path of totality Monday 8 April 2024 15:49 , Anthony Cuthbertson You dont need Nasa to tell you where in the US is going to get a total eclipse - you can just look at bookings on Airbnb. Data gathered by AirDNA shows a massive spike in short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb on 7 April and 9 April, as tourists hopeful of getting the best view of the solar eclipse flocking to the path of totality. Well have an update of the latest weather forecast soon, but it looks like many of those making the bookings will be disappointed. Solar eclipse 2024 live: Where to watch in the UK Monday 8 April 2024 15:54 , Anthony Cuthbertson A reminder that it is not only in North America that the solar eclipse will be visible. Partial obscuration of the Sun will take place as far away as the UK and Ireland - thousands of kilometres away from the path of totality. There will be a brief moment to witness it before sunset at around 8pm, with the partial solar eclipse crossing over the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the west of England. The best place to see it in the British Isles will be the west coast of Ireland. More than a third of the Sun will be covered in Galway, while Cork and Limerick will see around 20 per cent obscuration. In England, just a tiny slice of less than one per cent of the Sun will be covered by the Moon in Liverpool and Manchester. You can find out more about how to see the solar eclipse in the UK here. Lots of talk within the US community about the solar eclipse on the 8th of April; while parts of the UK and Ireland will be able to see it too, there will be a very short opportunity for it, as the eclipse will take place at sunset shortly before the sun goes below the horizon. pic.twitter.com/lppR01xEME UK Weather Updates (@UKWX_) April 3, 2024 Solar eclipse 2024 live: Weather forecast for path of totality Monday 8 April 2024 16:04 , Anthony Cuthbertson The UK Met Office has helpfully provided a graphic showing the weather forecast for the path of totality in the US for todays solar eclipse. There is heavy rain across much of the southern US, with both Austin and Nashville potentially facing at least partial cloud cover. Luckily, most other spots look like they will get clear skies. For many along the optimal path with weather will allow a good view, the Met Office says. Unfortunately for those in the UK and Ireland, the weather forecast is not looking so favourable. North America is where you will see 100% of the total solar eclipse today. For many along the optimal path with weather will allow a good view! https://t.co/7RzMzowsZa pic.twitter.com/4YdohPeplK Met Office (@metoffice) April 8, 2024 Solar eclipse 2024 live: A few minutes of cosmic perspective' Monday 8 April 2024 16:21 , Anthony Cuthbertson Weve heard from astrophysicist Jonathan Blazek from Northeastern University in the US, who says that even those not directly beneath the path of totality will have the opportunity to gain a few minutes of cosmic perspective during Mondays eclipse. Professor Blazek tells The Independent that he is organising a viewing event on Northeasterns Boston campus, which will see about 93 per cent totality. The eclipse is a powerful reminder of our place in the Solar System. The Sun is such a constant in our lives that it is easy to forget that it is actually a very large star that is quite far away. When the Moon passes in front, it becomes a bit easier to grasp where we are and how we are just a small part of the whole. Similarly, it is striking how lucky we are to get eclipses at all. The moon is barely large enough to block the full sun. If it were just a bit smaller, we could only ever get partial eclipses -- indeed, when the moon is in the more distant part of its orbit (which is not quite circular) we can only get an annular eclipse. I think most people (myself included) have a misleading mental model of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, probably informed by not-to-scale illustrations in which their separations are compressed to fit on a single page. In reality, the distances involved are enormous, and the alignment must be essentially perfect, like threading a needle. I hope that it is inspiring for the students who come and that we all gain a few minutes of cosmic perspective. Professor Jonathan Blazek, Northeastern University Solar eclipse 2024 live: How to watch - and how not to watch Monday 8 April 2024 16:55 , Anthony Cuthbertson Its always worth remembering that eye safety is very important when it comes to looking at the Sun, even when the Moon is partially in the way. If not, the Suns rays can permanently damage your eyesight. This is something former US president Donald Trump seemed to forget during the last solar eclipse over the US in 2017. The reality TV star stared directly at the Sun with no protection over his eyes. (AFP/Getty) Not one to miss an opportunity for a shot at his rival, President Joe Biden shared a video on Instagram and X showing him in the same spot Trump stood seven years ago. An eclipse is worth marveling at, he wrote. But dont be silly, folks play it safe and wear protective eyewear. An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don't be silly, folks play it safe and wear protective eyewear. pic.twitter.com/S6REAiZ735 President Biden (@POTUS) April 8, 2024 Solar eclipse 2024 live: Montreal is going crazy' Monday 8 April 2024 17:05 , Simon Calder As excitement builds in Montreal the only big city in the zone of totality with clear skies Montreal City News reporter Swidda Rassy has been speaking to The Independent. The city is going crazy for this total solar eclipse, she says. Its been on the news for so long. The government and just everybody is pushing to get those safe solar eclipse glasses. Tourism is up in Montreal. The Montreal hotel occupancy rate is around 70 to 75 per cent. And that is way above the normal rate for April. Theres just so many people that Ive spoke with from America, mostly from Connecticut, London and people are coming from around the world just to check out the solar eclipse, Ms Rassy adds. The weather is beautiful. I think thats one of the main reasons why a lot of people are here. Its supposed to be clear, sunny skies. So, yeah, a lot of people are excited. Montreal City News reporter Swidda Rass (The Independent) Ms Rassy sympathised with eclipse chasers who have headed for Niagara Falls, 400 miles southwest, where cloud cover is expected. I know its such a disappointment because I did hear that Niagara Falls is supposed to be one of the best destinations, she says. Sorry, to people who are going to go to Niagara Falls. But here in Montreal, the weather is great, and it feels like an underrated spot. This solar eclipse its a nice one for the history books, for sure. Solar eclipse 2024 live: See the planets during the day Monday 8 April 2024 17:13 , Anthony Cuthbertson When the Moon moves in front of the Sun and the sky darkens, celestial features that you can normally only see at night will briefly be visible. Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Venus will all be nearby the Moon and the Sun, with Venus being particularly easy to spot. If you're lucky enough to have clear weather for the #SolarEclipse, take 30 seconds or so to scan the entire sky -- Venus will be easily visible; and very likely Jupiter and more. (This diagram is from @SkyandTelescope.) #Eclipse2024 #TotalSolarEclipse #TotalSolarEclipse2024 pic.twitter.com/n2aJulhbio Dan Falk (@danfalk) April 5, 2024 View from Vermont: Jeffersonville overflowing with eclipse chasers and syrup Monday 8 April 2024 17:20 , Amber Jamieson The Lodge at Wyckoff Maple just outside Jeffersonville, Vermont was fully booked for the eclipse. Owner Tom Wyckoff hadnt known the eclipse was coming until about a month ago, hed assumed the rush in bookings had been for a local wedding. He had just charged the regular rate hed been horrified to hear of other Airbnb hosts later that had cancelled bookings and upped prices four times higher once they realised they could make a lot of eclipse guests. Him and wife Karen put on a special pancakes and maple syrup eclipse morning breakfast for guests. His son Jordan Wyckoff dipped his pancake directly into the fresh maple syrup coming from the Wyckoff Family Maple sugar house it was the very end of the sugaring season, the last batch of syrup they were expecting to boil. Jordan Wykcoff (The Independent) Jordan said his wife saw on the news that the weather was cloudier down south so everyone is driving up here. Last week there had been a late huge dump of snow, the local ski resort Smugglers Notch seeing snowboarder and skiers taking advantage of the fresh powder. On Monday morning, it was blue sky sunshine and the snow was melting. Jordan said he was going to watch the eclipse from the porch with his kids everyone was hoping the blue skies lasted until the afternoon. We say around here, if you dont like the weather, just wait five minutes. The Lodge at Wyckoff Maple in Vermont (The Independent) How the solar eclipse will impact the weather Monday 8 April 2024 17:45 , Anthony Cuthbertson The folks over at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have shared an animation that shows just how much todays solar eclipse will impact the heating of the Earth. Incoming solar radiation will drop from above 700 watts per metre-squared to nearly zero when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun. Scientists at NOAA GSL are calculating how much the moon will block incoming solar radiation, which impacts heating of the Earth and therefore the weather, the US governemnt agency wrote in a post to X. #DYK that todays #SolarEclipse can alter the #weather? Scientists at @NOAA GSL are calculating how much the moon will block incoming solar radiation, which impacts heating of the Earth and therefore the weather. Learn more here: https://t.co/WpG93C7hF9 pic.twitter.com/p0DEwaCvJh NOAA Research (@NOAAResearch) April 8, 2024 What time the solar eclipse begins Monday 8 April 2024 18:02 , Anthony Cuthbertson Were about 90 minutes away from the total eclipse beginning in the US. If you want to know the exact time that it starts where you are, heres a handy map shared by Accuweather. What time to see the total solar eclipse on 8 April, 2024 (Accuweather) Watch the solar eclipse live through Nasa telescopes Monday 8 April 2024 18:12 , Anthony Cuthbertson Weve got live footage from Nasa telescopes stationed across North America. The feed cycles through different setups in the US and Mexico, but you can see the solar eclipse already beginning in Mexico, where the Moon is moving slowly in front of the Sun. You can watch it here: View from Montreal: Colander sighting and eclipse glasses clamour as crowds build Monday 8 April 2024 18:15 , Simon Calder The first colander has been spotted in Old Montreal as crowds gather by the waterside for the total solar eclipse. It belongs to Sam, a computer science student who has driven up from the Canadian capital, Ottawa, to join the party.When the partial eclipse is happening, the normal circles of light in the shadow of the colander turn into slits, he explained. A confirmed sighting of the first Dark Side of the Moon T-shirt featuring the iconic Pink Floyd logo has also been made. Vendors of eclipse glasses are desperately trying to offload stocks before the city starts dispensing them free of charge to protect damage to spectators eyes. The initial price of C$5 (3) is tumbling. Student Sam (right) with colander and Simon Calder (The Independent) View from Vermont: Photographer stressed ahead of dream eclipse shot Monday 8 April 2024 18:27 , Amber Jamieson This total eclipse is photographer Mike Millers first chance to get his own version of photos hes only dreamed of. Im super excited about this, said Miller, an associate professor of philosophy at Mount St. Marys University in Maryland. (The Independent) He compared his preparation for the eclipse like his wife getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner: weeks of prep and planning for just a few short hours. Hed come up last night to stay with his sons in Burlington, Vermont. Originally hed planned to head to Ohio but weather conditions werent looking good. But clouds were expected in Burlington, so theyd left the city and driven up the mountains to the tiny town of Johnson, Vermont. They set up next to other photographers overlooking a sports field, their neighbors had a telescope his sons playing cards on a picnic blanket while Miller anxiously fiddled with his camera. (The Independent) Im stressed, he said. Ill be firing away. Hed made a removable paper filter to put on top of his camera for the partial eclipse during the total eclipse you remove the filter entirely and just shoot normally, otherwise nothing would be visible. Miller had several shots he was keen to capture. The corona the classic total eclipse shot, where you see the rays coming off the sun. Its the biggest picture, said Miller. In that eclipse moment you can see the wispy white coming off. Its a beautiful picture, Id love to get my own copy of that. The second money shot is Bailys beads the moment when the moon is eclipsing. You can see the actual mountains and valleys of the moon its really remarkable, he said. It only happens for 5-6 seconds just before and after totality. And his third dream photo is the diamond ring, a starburst of light on one side of the moon. Its a cool effect, he said. Since its Millers first total eclipse hes trying to remember what other photographers have advised him most of all. You can take the pictures but at some point you just have to stop and enjoy, he said. Im already in a zen moment where if it fails with the cameras, at least Ill have the experience. Follow the path of totality of the solar eclipse Monday 8 April 2024 18:46 , Anthony Cuthbertson As the Moon continues to move in front of the Sun over Mexico, heres a reminder of the path of totality for todays solar eclipse. Were around 20 minutes away from the first total solar eclipse over land, which will last several minutes. The longest period of total eclipse will be on the US-Mexico border, where it will last for 4 minutes and 27 seconds. By the time it reaches Canada, the period of totality will be less than three and a half minutes. What happens to animals and insects during a solar eclipse? Monday 8 April 2024 18:55 , Anthony Cuthbertson With around 10 minutes to go until the total eclipse begins, spare a thought for the animals and insects who have no idea why the skies are suddenly turning dark in the middle of the day. A 2017 study of animal behaviour during a daytime blackout at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina discovered that it would be wise to stay away from the giraffe enclosure. At the peak of the eclipse, the Riverbanks tower started running around like crazy and in a potentially dangerous way, according to lead researcher Professor Adam Hartstone-Rose. In the wild, giraffes are pretty calm animals. They really dont do crazy behaviour unless they need to. During that same eclipse, it was also reported that bumblebees stopped buzzing across several US states. You can read the full story here. April the giraffe at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York on 3 June, 2018 (AP) Some solar eclipse glasses have been recalled. Here's what to know Monday 8 April 2024 19:04 , Anthony Cuthbertson Anyone who wants to stare directly at the Sun during the solar eclipse must wear protective glasses, or else risk permanently damaging their eyesight. Unfortunately, even these safety measures are no guarantee that your eyes will be protected. One retailer has reportedly issued an email to customers warning them that their glasses are not safe for viewing the eclipse. Dear Amazon Customer, We write to notify you of a potential safety concern with a product that you purchased on Amazon.com, the email reportedly warned, according to WHEC in Rochester, New York. Affected Product: Biniki Solar Eclipse Glasses AAS Approved 2024 CE & ISO Certified Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing (6 Packs). The product listed above was not included in the American Astronomical Societys list of safe suppliers of solar eclipse viewers and filters and therefore may not be safe for viewing a solar eclipse. Solar eclipse glasses (The Associated Press) Total eclipse reaches Mazatlan, Mexico Monday 8 April 2024 19:11 , Anthony Cuthbertson The total eclipse is here! Heres the moment the Moon passed directly in front of the Sun over Mazatlan, Mexico. (Nasa) (Nasa) (Nasa) Nasa shares video of 2024 total solar eclipse over Mazatlan, Mexico Monday 8 April 2024 19:15 , Anthony Cuthbertson Even though you know exactly whats going to happen, and how it will look, it is still a remarkable sight. What are the odds that the Sun is 400 times further away than the Moon, while also being 400 times bigger? Its a phenomenal coincidence that gives us such a phenomenal spectacle. Nasa has shared the clip of the first sighting of the 2024 total solar eclipse over Mazatlan, Mexico Take it all in. We're getting our first views of the 2024 total solar #eclipse as its shadow makes landfall in Mazatlan, Mexico. pic.twitter.com/FdAACmQGkm NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2024 Total solar eclipse passes over Torreon, Mexico Monday 8 April 2024 19:22 , Anthony Cuthbertson Torreon is now under the path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse. Heres how it looks from one of Nasas telescopes on the ground: (Nasa) Total solar eclipse reaches the US Monday 8 April 2024 19:30 , Anthony Cuthbertson The path of totality takes us now along to Eagle Pass, Texas, where people in the US will be able to see the total solar eclipse for the first time. Theres a fair bit of cloud cover over the southern states, though some lucky viewers are getting a glimpse. iPhone shot of the start of the total solar eclipse here in Dallas, Texas. Luckily were getting some breaks in the cloud with blue skies!#Eclipse #Eclipse2024 #texas pic.twitter.com/Gr7eKLuoZw James Breeden (@JamesBreeden) April 8, 2024 Total solar eclipse appears behind clouds Monday 8 April 2024 19:37 , Anthony Cuthbertson Despite the cloud coverage in Texas, people on the ground are still getting a chance to see the total solar eclipse as it passes over head. Its not as clear as the earlier shots from Mexico, but its still an impressive sight. Heres how it looks from Kerrville, Texas: (Nasa) Crowds gather to view eclipse Monday 8 April 2024 19:54 , Anthony Cuthbertson Viewing conditions were close to perfect in large parts of Mexico as the total solar eclipse passed over. Kids use glasses to enjoy the eclipse from the beach on 8 April, 2024 in Mazatlan, Mexico (Getty Images) Cloud coverage in Texas didnt fully stop people from witnessing the celestial spectacle. The Moon begins to eclipse the Sun on 8 April, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas (Getty Images) Further north in the US, people travelled from all over the country - and the world - to enjoy unobstructed views. Frederik De Vries who is visiting from Amsterdam, looks up at the sun using binoculars outfitted with solar film, as people gather on the National Mall to view the partial solar eclipse on 8 April, 2024 in Washington, DC (Getty Images) Where is the total solar eclipse now? Monday 8 April 2024 19:59 , Anthony Cuthbertson The eclipse has reached Arkansas on its path of totality. Heres how it currently looks from Russellville: (Nasa) Next stop Tennessee, then Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermonth, New Hampshire and Maine, before it crosses over the border to Canada. Speaking of Canada... View from Canada: Crowds converge in Montreal for eclipse of the century Monday 8 April 2024 20:04 , Simon Calder Scenes at the hub of the Montreal Metro system, UQAM-Berri, are unprecedented. The citys underground lines converge on the station which has a link to Parc Jean Drapeau, on an island in the St Lawrence River. This is where the main eclipse party is taking place, and hundreds of thousands of people are trying to get there. Despite crowds funnelling in to a narrow corridor leading down the the platform, the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed with police and Metro officials wishing passengers a good day.In the park itself, a special arena has been created for the eclipse of the century. With 90 minutes before the brief 90 seconds of totality, the crowd is estimated at 200,000. (Simon Calder) (Simon Calder) (Simon Calder) View from Vermont: Pac Man arrives in the Green Mountain State Monday 8 April 2024 20:14 , Amber Jamieson The partial eclipse has begun in Vermont and it looks like a favourite video game character. It looks like Pacman, said Robin Sparer, 63-year-old from Maryland. Mrs Pacman. Her friend Johanna Nathanson, 61, thought of a different image. Robin Sparer (left), Johanna Nathanson and Geng Chan (Amber Jamieson) Its like an upside down piece of cheese, she said. They were at the Bootleggers Basin reservoir near Jeffersonville, VT Nathanson owns a cabin nearby but they were surprised a few dozen people had turned up to the locally-known spot. (Amber Jamieson) But why wouldnt you? Its an incredible opportunity, said Ms Sparer. Theyd been watching a livestream of people across the country seeing the eclipse from the crowds at Niagara Falls to a stadium in Ohio and felt like nature in Vermont was the premium eclipse option. This is so much better than sitting in cleveland, said Ms Sparer. But cloud is coming in dammit was Ms Sparers review. (Amber Jamieson) Total solar eclipse reaches Cleveland, Ohio Monday 8 April 2024 20:20 , Anthony Cuthbertson Cleveland, Ohio, is now under the path of totality. Shots from Nasas Salvatore Oriti at the Glenn Research Center show solar flares emerging from behind the Moon. (Nasa) Staff at The Independents New York office enjoy the eclipse Monday 8 April 2024 20:38 , Anthony Cuthbertson Some pretty excited faces in New York, where staff at The Independent are on the street to take in the views. (The Independent) (The Independent) How the solar eclipse looks from space Monday 8 April 2024 20:51 , Anthony Cuthbertson Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) can see not one, but two views of the solar eclipse. Out of their windows they can see the Moon passing in front of the Sun, as well as the Moons shadow passing over the Earth. Nasa shared a clip of how the solar eclipse appears from space: Ever seen a total solar #eclipse from space? Here is our astronauts' view from the @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/2VrZ3Y1Fqz NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2024 Moon blocks' Sun Monday 8 April 2024 20:53 , Anthony Cuthbertson Nasa is having some fun elsewhere on its social media accounts. The official @NasaMoon account blocked the @NasaSun account on X (formerly Twitter). The view from a Rhode Island daycare Monday 8 April 2024 21:10 , Anthony Cuthbertson Children at a daycare in Providence, Rhode Island, have been enjoying the eclipse through some colourful headwear. Celeste, 5, watched her first ever solar eclipse through a mask she decorated herself. Her verdict of the celestial spectacle? I love it! Celeste Early-Mahiet watches the partial solar eclipse from Providence, Rhode Island, on 8 April, 2024 (Angela Early) A projection of the solar eclipse on a playground in Providence, Rhode Island, on 8 April, 2024 (Angela Early) Total solar eclipse in pictures Monday 8 April 2024 21:41 , Anthony Cuthbertson Weve got a round up of the best pictures from across North America of todays solar eclipse. You can see them here: Total solar eclipse in pictures I was about to cry says top astrophysicist in Montreal Monday 8 April 2024 22:03 , Simon Calder We were in connection directly with the universe, with the sun, with the moon, and we are so humble to see that. Minutes after the moon blotted out the sun for 90 surreal seconds on an island in the St Lawrence River, Olivier Hernandez, director of the Montreal Planetarium and a noted astrophysicist, was almost in tears. It was so emotional I was about to cry. Did you see the corona? Did you see the purity of the light coming out from the sun? We have seen also the chromosphere, he said Wow, what a show, what a show. In the Great American Eclipse of 2024, Montreal was the star turn that no one had predicted. Most astronomical attention along the zone of totality was focused on Texas and the Midwest, with Niagara Falls also hoping for clear skies over one of the worlds great tourism icons. In the end, though, the corrugated skyline of Canadas biggest French-speaking city was the backdrop to a cosmic show that was summed up again and again as extraordinaire. Olivier Hernandez, director of the Montreal Planetarium, in Montreal, Canada, on 8 April, 2024 (Simon Calder) Niagara Falls plunges into darkness Monday 8 April 2024 22:19 , Anthony Cuthbertson Local outlet WIVB-TV has shared footage of the moment Niagara Falls fell into darkness in the middle of the day. The solar eclipse, whose path of totality passed right over the border town, caused street lights to automatically switch on. The moment the total solar eclipse shrouded Niagara Falls in darkness pic.twitter.com/Lc6v21Hfgd News 4 Buffalo (@news4buffalo) April 8, 2024 Black spot appears over Earth Monday 8 April 2024 22:29 , Anthony Cuthbertson Its not only the International Space Station offering views of todays solar eclipse a satellite from SpaceXs Starlink network caught the moment a black spot appeared over Earth. View of the solar eclipse from a Starlink satellite on orbit pic.twitter.com/RAwT2uQUUh Starlink (@Starlink) April 8, 2024 More pictures from Montreal Monday 8 April 2024 23:01 , Simon Calder (Simon Calder) (Simon Calder) (Simon Calder) (Simon Calder) (Simon Calder) Weather Channel goes wild for solar eclipse Tuesday 9 April 2024 00:30 , Anthony Cuthbertson A clip from the Weather Channel has been doing the rounds after the presenter got very excited by the totality. Stephanie Abrams was in Fredericksburg, Texas, when the total solar eclipse appeared from behind the clouds. She can be heard screaming through the darkness: We got it! Oh my god, its just so amazing. You can watch it here: Heres what the solar eclipse looked like in the path of totality 01:45 , Graeme Massie What was the experience like watching it? Eudaimonia, one person whod travelled eight hours to see the total solar eclipse in Vermont told Amber Jamieson. Way beyond our expectations: Experiencing the eclipse in the path of totality What are the next celestial events to look forward to? 02:57 , Graeme Massie The eclipse is over, but the millions who watched it in North America dont have that long to wait for the next celestial event. Later this month will see the Lyrids Meteor Shower, before the Eta Aquarids light up the sky in May. In July, the Perseid meteor shower will rain shooting stars, while star gazers can also look forward to a partial lunar eclipse in September and an annular solar eclipse in October. You can find out more about the next night-sky events here: Post-eclipse hangover? Heres the next celestial events Scientists observe animal behaviour changes during eclipse 04:05 , Vishwam Sankaran Zookeepers and scientists documented unusual behaviour among animals including, gorillas, giraffes, macaws and flamingoes during the total solar eclipse. Since total solar eclipses are rare, researchers observed animals on Sunday evening at zoos including the San Antonio Zoo and the Fort Worth Zoo in the US. The San Antonio Zoo shared a video of meerkats running erratically throughout their habitat as one large group during totality. Animals react to the solar eclipse! Clip 1: Meerkats, during totality, erratically running throughout their habitat as one large group! Clip 2: Whooping cranes dancing just after totality Clip 3: Flamingos congregating during totality Clip 4: Meerkats approaching and pic.twitter.com/xIM1RttQBS San Antonio Zoological Society (@SanAntonioZoo) April 9, 2024 Meerkats approaching and entering their indoor habitat space in the few minutes prior to totality, which supported our working hypothesis that diurnal animals, meaning those awake during the day, would display their typical evening activity patterns during totality! the zoos official X account posted. As the skies darkened, many animals in the Forth Worth zoo reportedly made their way through their barn doors, which the creatures usually do at night. Birds also showed behaviour changes in some zoos. An Indianapolis Zoo spokesperson told CBS News that macaws, budgies and other birds got quiet and roosted up high, displaying nighttime behaviour during the eclipse. Google search for eyes hurt spikes after eclipse 04:37 , Vishwam Sankaran There was an uptick in Google search terms like eyes hurt and my eyes hurt around 2pm ET as the solar eclipse passed over North America. Nearly 32 million people were on the path of the totality, including parts of US states Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maine as the rare celestial phenomenon occurred. It will not be another two decades until the next total solar eclipse covering such major parts of the US occurs. Looking at the sun without protective glasses can be harmful to vision, with complaints of eye problems documented even after previous eclipses. Ophthalmologists say two main types of injuries may occur if one looks at the sun directly burn to the outside of the eye, which is called solar keratitis, or damage to nerve tissue within. Checking out today's solar eclipse? Follow these reminders from the American Optometric Association and check out Dr. Shweta Chaudhary's interview with @WBBMNewsradio.https://t.co/Pkm3LPAmIq pic.twitter.com/nnyOrOMpBb Cook County Health (@CookCtyHealth) April 8, 2024 You can get sort of a burn to that cornea, and thatll cause redness and tearing and those sorts of symptoms. That should resolve on its own, within a day or two, without any sort of permanent damage, Daniel Lattin, an ophthalmologist in Florida, told NBC News. Doctors cautioned ahead of the eclipse that people experiencing discomfort following eclipse viewing must seek medical help. See a local doctor of optometry for a comprehensive eye exam if you experience discomfort or vision issues post-eclipse, the American Optometric Association said. ISS astronauts photograph Moon's shadow on Earth 05:02 , Vishwam Sankaran Nasa astronomers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps took photographs and videotaped the Moons shadow on Earth as the International Space Station (ISS) passed between the Moon and the Earth. The ISS was orbiting 260 miles above southeastern Canada as the Moons shadow, or umbra, was moving from New York state into Newfoundland, according to Nasa. The Moons shadow, or umbra, on Earth was visible from the space station as it orbited into the path of the solar eclipse over southeastern Canada (Nasa) The orbiting laboratory experienced a totality of about 90 per cent during its flyover period. Watch: Observatory shares timelapse video of eclipse 05:40 , Vishwam Sankaran The Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire shared on X a timelapse video showing the Moons shadow blocking out the Sun. The region experienced a partial eclipse with 99.97 per cent coverage of the Sun. A timelapse (8x speed) of today's #SolarEclipse from Mount Washington Observatory, #NH. It was a partial eclipse for our location w/ 99.97% coverage. Winds were 35-50 mph at the time, so keeping our camera setup stable was a bit of a challenge, so we apologize for the wobble. pic.twitter.com/HKrz43XBrq Mount Washington Observatory (MWO) (@MWObs) April 9, 2024 Winds were 35-50 mph at the time, so keeping our camera setup stable was a bit of a challenge, so we apologise for the wobble, the private non-profit observatory said. Temperatures dropped as eclipse crossed across US 06:00 , Vishwam Sankaran As the solar eclipse passed across the US, many regions observed a drop in temperature. Interesting weather data at Cleveland-Hopkins Airport. The temperature dropped almost 10 degrees leading up to and during the total solar eclipse! pic.twitter.com/cgZrk6l6RY NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) April 8, 2024 Interesting weather data at Cleveland-Hopkins Airport. The temperature dropped almost 10 degrees leading up to and during the total solar eclipse! National Weather Service (NWS) Cleveland, Ohio, posted on X. Timelapse of the 5.7F temperature drop during the total solar eclipse. Time of totality in Indianapolis was 3:06pm to about 3:10pm. Notice the temperature curve bottomed out about 15 minutes after the time of totality. #inwx #Eclipse2024 pic.twitter.com/yNuo0TMqGL NWS Indianapolis (@NWSIndianapolis) April 8, 2024 The total eclipse was visible in the sky over parts of Mexico as well as 15 US states and eastern Canada, while most other parts of North America experienced a partial solar eclipse. Eclipses are known to have a brief impact on the areas they move through, including small drops in temperatures. Peculiar red dots around Moon's shadow explained 06:30 , Vishwam Sankaran Skywatchers reported seeing features appearing as ruby-coloured dots around the Moons outline as it eclipsed the Sun. During a total solar eclipse, people on the Earth can only see the Suns atmosphere, or corona forming a halo as the Moon blocks the rest of the light from the Sun. Some awesome eclipse pictures here from our own Matt Wanetka! He went to Carbondale, IL to view the total eclipse. You can see little red spots on the edge of the sun, those are solar prominences rising into the sun's atmosphere and peaking out from behind the moon! pic.twitter.com/SZUZPmN6u7 David Koeller (@dkoellerwx) April 8, 2024 The fiery halo, called a prominence, is formed by massive loops of plasma hanging attached to the visible surface of the Sun. The prominences, or large filaments of plasma extending outward from the surface of the sun (red spots on the edge), were so clearly visible this eclipse. I couldn't believe what I was looking at quite honestly. Just stunning. #Eclipse2024 pic.twitter.com/W0csYtlNvq Nick Stewart (@NStewWX) April 8, 2024 Parts of the halo can also appear reddish as their plasma can originate deeper in the suns atmosphere in a layer with hydrogen at high temperatures which emits red light. When America would see next total solar eclipse 07:00 , Vishwam Sankaran After Monday, North Americans will have to wait exactly 8 years, 11 months and 22 days to see another total solar eclipse. A total solar eclipse visible from North America would occur next only on 30 March, 2033, according to Nasa. People in Utqiagvik, Alaska the most northerly settlement in the US will be in the path of totatility. Overall, in both Russia and the US, about 67,600 people are likely to be living in the path of totality during the 2033 eclipse. In comparison, Mondays eclipse was visible to over 40 million people. After that, the next total solar eclipse covering North America is expected to be on 22 August, 2044. During this eclipse, Calgary and Edmonton in Canada as well as Montana and North Dakota in the US, will get a view of the eclipsed Sun. Then just under a year after that, on 12 August 2045, the US will have a coast-to-coast total solar eclipse with totality visible from northern California, Kansas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Florida. What scientists hope to understand from eclipse 07:31 , Vishwam Sankaran Scientists in several parts of the US are conducting studies to better understand how yesterdays total solar eclipse affected the planet. Space physicist Darci Snowden from Central Washington University sent up balloons to capture data and better understand how weather changed during the eclipse. Weather balloons capable of flying up to 33km (20m) were flown into the stratosphere, carrying battery-powered instruments for collecting data on temperature, humidity, pressure, as well as wind direction and speed. A Nasa team also launched data-collecting jets above Earths atmosphere to learn more about the structure and temperature of the Suns outer atmosphere. The total solar eclipse is a really exciting way to engage the public in science while at the same time advancing our knowledge of the sun and its impacts on us here on Earth, Colleen Hartman, director of the Space Studies Board of the National Academies, said. Scientists at MITs Haystack Observatory are studying how the solar eclipse affected the topmost layers of the atmosphere, including its outermost ionosphere layer where many satellites orbit. They hope to study how the ionosphere responds before, during, and after the eclipse, as the suns radiation suddenly dips. Researchers also observed how animal behaviours changed when the eclipse passed over North America. As the eclipse neared totality, many animals in the Columbus Zoo, including sloth bear, red pandas, reindeer, ostriches went to sleep as if it was nighttime. About seven minutes afterward, it started to lighten back up a little bit and they all stood up and they started grooming as though they were preparing for the day, Shannon Borders, curator of the zoos Heart of Africa exhibit, told The Columbus Dispatch. Observers in Fort Worth Zoo, Texas said some animals displaying curiosity and vigilance during the eclipse. Animals including elephants, giraffes, bonobos, and gorillas at the zoo reportedly moved toward their barn doors, something they do at night. Flamingos and penguins at the zoo formed a cluster before totality, while others birds began to get quieter, authorities said. Americans moved across cities braving traffic to see eclipse 08:00 , Vishwam Sankaran Roads in many parts of the US experienced traffic jams and parking lots packed to full capacity as people flocked to see the total solar eclipse. In Maine, for instance, officials said there were traffic delays round the state, with some roads seeing delays by as much as three hours. Tens of thousands of visitors reportedly flocked in to see the cosmic spectacle in Maine the last stop in the path of the eclipse before it headed into Canada. Municipal garages in many parts of Burlington, Vermont were full more than four hours ahead of totality, NPR reported. Visitors were reportedly coming into see the eclipse from across the world, including in 90 private planes. Eclipse briefly lowered solar energy generation across US states 08:30 , Vishwam Sankaran Solar energy generation across many US states, including Texas and Florida briefly reduced during the total solar eclipse yesterday. Texas is expected to have lost the most solar generating capacity as most of the state is on the path that will lose 90 per cent to 99 per cent of sunlight. Monday's full solar eclipse will briefly but fully obscure sunlight to utility-scale solar generation facilities from Texas through Maine with a combined 6.5 gigawatts of #electricity generating capacity.https://t.co/9IvaIL8WLE pic.twitter.com/kEAB3Bc3y3 EIA (@EIAgov) April 5, 2024 Electricity generators in affected areas increased output from other sources of electricity generation to supplement the decrease in solar power, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). An increased demand from homes and businesses with rooftop solar during the eclipse was already anticipated. Even with the eclipse, we still expect solar power will be the third-largest contributor of electricity in the US on 8 April, behind natural gas and nuclear, the EIA said. Why scientists observed Earth's ionosphere during eclipse 09:05 , Vishwam Sankaran During yesterdays eclipse, scientists in several parts of the US used various instruments to measure changes in the density of electrons in the Earths upper atmosphere. The electron content in the ionosphere is a proxy for how ionised this layer is, which affects satellite transmissions crucial for such things as communication and navigation. While the ionosphere electron levels were found to dip in some places as anticipated during the eclipse, it is essential to determine how waves in this outer atmosphere layer, generated during totality, propagated. Well look at how waves generated around the eclipse affect navigation systems and will directly image the eclipse in the ionosphere as it moves, space weather researcher David Themens from the University of Birmingham, said. Searches for blind and eye damage surge following eclipse 10:28 , Anthony Cuthbertson Despite all the warnings about the risks of staring at the Sun without protection, Google Trends data shows that searches for retina damage, eyes hurt, cant see, blind and eye damage all spiked in the hours after the eclipse. (Google Trends/ The Independent) Nasa warned ahead of the celestial event that the consequences could be severe for anyone not taking appropriate measures to protect their eyes. Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Suns bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing, the US space agency said. Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury. Search interest for blind and eye damage was concentrated to the Suns path of totality during the solar eclipse on 8 April, 2024 (Google Trends/ The Independent) You can read the full story here. Jon Stewart points out flaw in Fox News tying eclipse to immigration 11:29 , Anthony Cuthbertson The Suns path of totality during Mondays solar eclipse passed right over Eagle Pass, a town on the US-Mexico border that has become a popular route for migrants in recent years. This was apparently enough reason for Fox News to tie the eclipse to immigration, with anchor Dana Perino warning viewers that higher traffic could be a real opportunity for smugglers and cartels and migrants to come right in. The Daily Show host Jon Stewart was quick to call out Fox News, saying on Mondays show: Is there nothing Fox cant tie to immigration? He then envisioned the network delivering an even more bizarre scenario: This years cicada infestation provides perfect cover for Venezuelans. You can watch the clip and read the full story here: Jon Stewart points out flaw in Fox News efforts to tie solar eclipse to immigration Woman blames eclipse for shooting spree 12:35 , Anthony Cuthbertson While Fox News blames the solar eclipse for increased cartel activity, a woman in Florida has claimed the celestial spectacle provoked a shooting spree along an interstate. Taylon Nichelle Celestine, 22, of Georgia, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and improper discharge of a firearm over the alleged random shooting rampage on Monday. According to Highway Patrol, Ms Celestine had recently checked out of a local hotel and told staff that she was about to embark on a shooting spree, saying she had been directed by God in relation to the solar eclipse. You can read the full story here: Woman accused of shooting spree claims God told her to do it because of solar eclipse When is the next total eclipse? 14:11 , Anthony Cuthbertson The next total solar eclipse to cross the continental United States wont take place until 12 August, 2045. But you dont have to wait 21 years to watch one. Follow, follow the Sun / And which way the wind blows / When this day is done Today, April 8, 2024, the last total solar #eclipse until 2045 crossed North America. pic.twitter.com/YH618LeK1j NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2024 There will actually be an annular solar eclipse later this year in South America on 2 October, though it passes over far fewer people than yesterdays event. The next total eclipse will take place on 12 August, 2026, which Nasa says will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small area of Portugal. A partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. This is the route it will take: (CC) Where to see the next eclipses 15:56 , Anthony Cuthbertson If you live in Australia, youve got a better-than-average chance of witnessing an eclipse over the next 16 years. As this map shows, there will be four total solar eclipses that cross over Australia before 2040, with three of them also gracing New Zealand. In this same time period, not a single total eclipse crosses South America - though a fair few annular eclipses will. Map of all Solar Eclipses from 2021 to 2040 pic.twitter.com/hLVXW84ZjQ Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) April 9, 2024 Donald Trumps video statement on abortion Monday saying the legalities around the procedure should be up to the states came after months of his publicly and privately discussing the possibility of a federal abortion ban. Trumps positions on abortion have been a roller coaster for decades. At one point in 2015, during his run for president, he took five positions on abortion in three days, according to The Washington Post and as NBC News detailed at the time. Here are some of the highlights: October 1999: 'I am very pro-choice' In an interview on NBC News Meet the Press, Trump said, I am very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion. ... I just believe in choice. Again, it may be a little bit of a New York background, because there is some different attitude in some different parts of the country. ... I was raised in New York and grew up and worked and everything else in New York City. But I am strongly pro-choice." Asked whether he would ban any abortion, including partial-birth abortion, Trump said: No. I am pro-choice in every respect in as far as it goes. But I just hate it. February 2011: 'I am pro-life' In a speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference while considering a 2012 run for the White House, Trump laid out his positions, including a new posture on abortion. I am pro-life," he said. "Against gun control. ... I will fight to end Obamacare and replace it with something that makes sense to people in business and not bankrupt the country. August 2015: Divided over defunding Planned Parenthood In an interview with CNN, Trump said: I would look at the good aspects of it, and I would also look because Im sure they do some things properly and good, good for women, and I would look at that. February 2016: Says he'll defund Planned Parenthood while also praising the group Trump in a 2016 debate said he would cut off federal funding to Planned Parenthood while offering the marquee abortion rights organization a compliment. Millions of millions of women cervical cancer, breast cancer are helped by Planned Parenthood, Trump said. I would defund it because Im pro-life, but millions of women are helped by Planned Parenthood. March 2016: 'Some form of punishment' for women who seek abortions While he was still a GOP candidate for president, Trump said those who seek abortions should be subject to "some form of punishment." Asked in an MSNBC town hall whether there should be punishment, Trump said: The answer is that there has to be some form of punishment. For the woman? host Chris Matthews asked Trump. Yes, Trump replied. October 2016: Trump vows to overturn Roe v. Wade Trump said he would appoint the number of justices necessary to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe. v. Wade. January 2017: Trump nominates Neil Gorsuch to Supreme Court At his confirmation hearing, Gorsuch referred to "settled" precedent on abortion. Once a case is settled, that adds to the determinacy of the law. What was once a hotly contested issue is no longer a hotly contested issue. We move forward, Gorsuch said. October 2017: House passes 20-week abortion ban with Trump's support The House passed legislation to ban abortions in most cases. At the time, Trump's White House said it strongly supports the bill and applauds the House of Representatives for continuing its efforts to secure critical pro-life protections. January-May 2018: Trump advocates for a 20-week national abortion ban Trump called on the Senate to approve the House's 20-week ban bill and vowed to sign it if it landed on his desk. (It never did) July 2018: Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh assures skeptics Roe v. Wade is 'settled' A firestorm erupted over Kavanaugh's nomination. Among the concerns: that he'd be hostile to Roe v. Wade. At his confirmation hearing, Kavanaugh said that Roe has been reaffirmed many times over the past 45 years and that the most prominent and most important case was Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992. Hillary Clinton at the time warned Kavanaugh would one day vote to overturn Roe. October 2020: Senate confirms Amy Coney Barrett About a week before the 2020 election, Trumps third conservative Supreme Court justice was confirmed to the court. June 2022: 'God made the decision' to overturn Roe v. Wade The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, with the three justices Trump appointed voting to void it including Kavanaugh. At the time, Trump told Fox News that God made the decision when he was asked how he felt about playing a role in appointing the three conservative justices who made up the majority in the landmark reversal. I think, in the end, this is something that will work out for everybody," Trump said. He added: This brings everything back to the states, where it has always belonged." November 2022: Republican midterm losses In a surprise, the GOP suffered losses in the midterm elections at a time when that the party should have swept seats, following tradition of the opposing party in the White House doing well in the midterms. Instead, Democrats held the Senate. December 2022: McConnell blames Trump In an NBC News interview, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. blamed those losses on Trump. January 2023: Trump blames abortion for the midterm losses It wasnt my fault that the Republicans didnt live up to expectations in the MidTerms, Trump wrote on Truth Social. It was the abortion issue, poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even in the case of Rape, Incest, or Life of the Mother, that lost large numbers of Voters. September 2023: Trump makes vague promises about an abortion compromise In an interview on NBC News Meet the Press," Trump said he would be a voice of consensus on abortion but didnt specify how. Let me just tell you what Id do, he said. Im going to come together with all groups, and were going to have something thats acceptable. February-March 2024: Trump flirts with a national abortion ban After reports surfaced that he told others he was considering a federal abortion ban at 16 weeks, his campaign dismissed them as fake news. Soon after, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC News that Trump is warming up to 16 weeks. And then Trump himself in an interview suggested hed support a 15-week ban. April 2: Trump avoids answering on Florida's six-week abortion ban At a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump said his campaign would be making a statement next week on abortion after he was asked whether he supported a six-week abortion ban that the Florida Supreme Court just upheld. April 8: Trump says abortion should go back to the states Despite having teased otherwise, Trump didnt announce support for a federal abortion ban. Trump released a video on Truth Social saying the abortion issue is appropriately handled by individual states. He didnt say, however, what he would do if he won the presidency and Congress sent him a national ban. My view is, now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, Trump said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Todays eclipse is No. 6 for this NC space geek, whos followed the sun around the world In the past 54 years, Johnny Horne has watched the moon block out the sun five times on three continents, aiming his camera at the sky from his boyhood backyard, from the rocking deck of a Caribbean cruise ship and once from an African farm known for puff adders. And in about six hours, barring clouds, hell witness total eclipse again from the Texas Hill Country a boundless thrill for the lifelong star-watcher who made his own telescope at 16, who built his own domed observatory in that same backyard and whose idea of fun in retirement is photographing the International Space Station as it crosses the moon. From his house in Stedman, pop. 1,028, Horne thrills at every celestial happening from a passing comet to a SpaceX launch. But no heavenly occurrence beats a total eclipse the skys greatest trick. Total eclipse as Super Bowl Theyre the top, he said Friday from his hotel in Austin. Theyre the Super Bowl. Theres really nothing quite like them. Its not something you can really capture in a picture, although Im going to try. Johnny Horne, retired photo editor for The Fayetteville Observer, will observe his sixth total eclipse Monday in Texas. I know Johnny Horne from The Fayetteville Observer, where I worked as a reporter in the late 90s and he spent decades as the photo editor. Even after a long day chronicling the days mayhem in Fayettenam, he would set up a telescope in the parking lot and offer everybody a peek at Saturn on their way home. If youve ever been to Stedman, about 10 miles east of Fayetteville, youll appreciate the charming oddity of Hornes observatory as a town landmark. In 1997, I wrote about Stedman getting a new stoplight its first ever. A year later, I did a ride-along with a Stedman police officer the only one in town. From earliest to oldest space geek But Hornes gaze traveled clear to the Cone Nebula. From his backyard, his eye has wandered thousands of light years away, and the pictures he brings back have graced the cover of Sky & Telescope. He often tells the story of the first-ever photograph he took as a boy: a shot of the moon. I was one of the earliest geeks, Horne told the Observer in 2016. Now Im one of the oldest. Delicate streamers in the suns corona surround the totally eclipsed sun during the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse. Observers along a narrow track from Mexico to Maine should have a similar view on April 8, 2024. He logs his eclipse viewings like Grateful Dead shows or NCAA Tournament games, recalling all the details: First eclipse, Stedman, 1970: That was over my backyard. It lasted two minutes, but the clouds obscured it half that time. It got dark and the temperature dropped. Second eclipse, Cabo San Lucas, 1991: That one lasted 6 and a half minutes, and 7 and a half is the longest possible. Third eclipse, off the coast of Aruba, 1998: There was a gentle roll to the ship that lasted 45 seconds. I prefer dry land. Fourth eclipse, near Lusaka in Zambia, 2001: We were on a dairy farm, and the farmer had gone and shooed all the puff adders away. Fifth eclipse, Silverton, Ore., 2017: We camped out. No clouds and 70 degrees. The last glints of sunlight form what are knows as Bailys Beads signaling the end of totality during a solar eclipse Feb. 26, 1998 as seen from the deck of the cruise ship off the island of Curacao. Mondays eclipse is being called The Great American Eclipse because it will cross diagonally over the contiguous United States from Oregon to South Carolina. Other countries will see it only as a partial eclipse. And on Monday, when the heavenly bodies align once more, and the moon glares down like the pupil from an angry eye, the most appreciative spectator will stare back and click the shutter hes clicked all his life, witnessing space fly past. Heres a guide for viewing Mondays eclipse in the Triangle, which will be less spectacular than what devotees like Johnny Horne see, but still a grand astronomical show: www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article287395875.html Uniquely NC is a News & Observer subscriber collection of moments, landmarks and personalities that define the uniqueness (and pride) of why we live in the Triangle and North Carolina. The Great American Eclipse 2024 is just hours away. While no rain is in the forecast, most areas across Florida are expected to see high, thin clouds overhead at the time of the eclipse this afternoon. While the view should still be good, there is a chance thicker clouds could move in at the wrong time. Florida isn't in the path of totality, but viewers in the Sunshine State will get to see a partial eclipse: Just make sure to wear your safety glasses. The partial eclipse will take place roughly 12:35 p.m. CDT through 4:20 p.m. EDT. The peak will happen about 1:55 p.m. CDT in Pensacola and 3:02 p.m. EDT on Miami Beach. Here's the latest weather forecast on what to expect. AccuWeather forecast: Will clouds block Florida's view of Monday, April 8, 2024, solar eclipse? AccuWeather forecast for the solar eclipse April 8, 2024. There's a low chance for clouds across eastern portions of the Panhandle and Northeast Florida, according to AccuWeather. Across the remainder of the state, there's a moderate chance for clouds to affect your view of the eclipse. AccuWeather meteorologists warned severe weather is expected to ramp up across the southern U.S. A cold front started pushing across the Mississippi Valley Sunday, igniting a line of thunderstorms, some of which brought hefty downpours and hail. Where will clouds spoil the eclipse? National Weather Service Florida forecast for Monday, April 8, 2024, solar eclipse Cloud cover prediction for April 8, 2024 solar eclipse. Here's the forecast for Florida as of Monday morning from the National Weather Service. Panhandle: "It does look like we'll have some high-level clouds streaming across the region, but there will probably be breaks in the clouds," said Rudy Dicarlo, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Mobile. The thin cirrus clouds should allow residents to see parts of the eclipse. Northeast Florida: "There should be 50% cloud coverage at the time of eclipse today, but they'll be some thin cirrus clouds, which shouldn't obscure the eclipse," said Ben Nelson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Jacksonville. "There is a slight chance of lower-level clouds moving in. If you want to slip over the border into Georgia, less cloud coverage is expected there, Nelson said. East Coast, Central Florida: "We're expecting a band of high clouds to move into northern half of our coverage area, roughly extending from Tampa/Vero Beach north through Daytona Beach," according to Jared Heil, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Melbourne. "There will be breaks and the clouds will be thin enough to see the eclipse. There will be periods to catch glimpses of the eclipse but it will be hit and miss, especially if slightly thicker clouds" are overhead at the peak time of the eclipse in mid afternoon. "The Treasure Coast and Okeechobee will be brighter, with fewer high clouds, but some puffy, cumulus clouds could move in from the Atlantic, especially along the coast." South Florida: The best view will be along the west coast, with scattered cloud cover expected along the east coast today, according to Will Redman, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Miami. "A lot of people are going to be able to see something, but it will be hard to see much on the east coast, Redman said. "It's still worth a try since it comes so infrequently." Southwest Florida: In Southwest Florida, there weren't any clouds at 7 a.m., but some high, cirrus clouds could move in by the time of the eclipse this afternoon. "Viewing should be OK," said Paul Close, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Tampa Bay, who added there would be more clouds the farther north you go in the state. NOAA's precipitation outlook for Florida NOAA's precipitation outlook for Florida April 8, 2024. Have some fun as you take our eclipse quiz to see how much you know April 8: A special day Can't see the quiz? Open in a new browser. Countdown clock to 2024 solar eclipse What time will the solar eclipse be visible in Florida? While Florida isn't in the path of totality, residents will be able to see a partial eclipse. Here's when you can watch the eclipse from any Florida location. Click on your location in the map to see: When the eclipse starts at your location What the maximum coverage will be What time maximum coverage will occur When the eclipse ends at your location Chances for clear skies based on historical averages for April 8 Roughly speaking, the peak of the eclipse will happen about 1:55 p.m. CDT in Pensacola and 3:02 p.m. EDT on Miami Beach. Can't see the map? Open in a new browser. See exact times to go outside to see the eclipse across Florida Interactive map: Enter your ZIP code to see the best times to view the eclipse across Florida Can't see our graphics? Click here to reload the page. Enter your ZIP code to see: When the eclipse starts at your location. When the peak coverage will be. What the peak coverage will be. When the eclipse ends. How long the partial eclipse will last. How are you are from the path of totality. The time lapse graphic shows what the eclipse will look from Orlando. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 2024 solar eclipse Florida: Latest weather, cloud forecast Dina Manzo chose to protect her peace by leaving The Real Housewives of New Jersey all of the way back in Season 2. Unfortunately, her life after RHONJ has been full of drama ever since, courtesy of her ex-husband, Tommy Manzo. The years-long racketeering cases against Tommy for allegedly hiring a mobster to beat up Dinas now-husband, David Cantin, (twice) arent over yet. However, Tommy recently posted bail while he awaits more days in court. Tommy posted $100,000 ahead of his upcoming trial Tommys on the loose for now. According to The New York Post, court documents show that the NJ restaurateur recently posted a $100,000 bond ahead of his racketeering trial. Under bail conditions set by Newark federal Judge Susan Wigenton on March 26, Tommy handed over his passport and cant travel outside New Jersey and New York until his trial is over. Its scheduled for May 20. Federal authorities accused Tommy of hiring a member of the Lucchese crime family to attack David, Dinas then-boyfriend/now spouse in July 2015. Allegedly, Tommy offered to compensate John Perna with a thickly discounted wedding at Tommys Paterson, NJ venue, The Brownstone. John and an accomplice reportedly assaulted David with a slapjack outside an NJ strip mall. John pleaded guilty to a violent crime related to racketeering. He was sentenced to nearly three years in prison. However, Tommys trial faced multiple delays and setbacks. Earlier this year, it led to the dismissal of his case due to violations of his right to a speedy trial. Tommys likely relief was brief. Feds re-indicted him on the same charges last month. They include violent crime in aid of racketeering activity, conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon, and falsifying records related to a federal investigation. He also faces more pending state charges in Monmouth County, NJ. Those allege that he and an accomplice robbed and assaulted Dina and David after breaking into their home in 2017. Apparently, NJ justice is not swift! TELL US SHOULD TOMMY HAVE BEEN GRANTED BAIL GIVEN THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM? The post Tommy Manzo Freed on Bail Amid New Charges and Looming Trial appeared first on Reality Tea. Nicaragua urges top UN court to halt German military aid to Israel because of its assault in Gaza Judge Nawaf Salam, third right, speaks at the start of a two days hearing at the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, April 8, 2024, in a case brought by Nicaragua accusing Germany of breaching the genocide convention by providing arms and support to Israel. (AP Photo/Patrick Post) THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) Nicaragua called on the United Nations' top court on Monday to halt German military aid to Israel, arguing that Berlins support enables acts of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. The case at the International Court of Justice is against Germany, which is the second-largest supplier of arms to Israel after the U.S., but it also indirectly takes aim at Israels 6-month-old military campaign, which has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and devastated Gaza. Nicaraguas allegations represent the latest legal attempt by a country with historic ties to the Palestinian people to stop Israels offensive, after South Africa accused Israel of genocide at the court late last year. They also come amid growing calls for Israels allies to stop supplying the country with weapons and as some supporters, including Germany, have grown more critical of the war. Nicaragua's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, told the 16-judge panel that Germany is failing to honor its own obligation to prevent genocide or to ensure respect of international humanitarian law. Germany will present its arguments Tuesday. The head of its legal team, Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, called Nicaragua's case grossly biased and denied that Berlin is breaching international law. Israel strongly denies that its assault amounts to genocidal acts, saying it is acting in self defense after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people. Israeli legal adviser Tal Becker told judges at the court earlier this year in the case brought by South Africa that Israel is fighting a war it did not start and did not want. Since then, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territorys Health Ministry. Its toll doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it has said women and children make up the majority of the dead. The court will likely take weeks to deliver its preliminary decision, and Nicaraguas case will probably drag on for years. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, German is second only to the U.S. in supplying arms to Israel but it would be harder, if not impossible, for the U.S. to be brought before the court because Washington does not recognize the ICJ's power to compel countries to appear before it. The U.S. also has not signed a protocol to the Genocide Convention that allows countries to bring disputes to the court. Nicaragua, nevertheless, sought to include U.S. arms supplies in its case, saying that Berlin and Washington collaborate on some military programs. Arguello Gomez urged the court to include U.S. supplies in its preliminary orders, known as provisional measures. Nicaragua has asked the court to order Germany to immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance including military equipment in so far as this aid may be used in the violation of the Genocide Convention and international law. It also wants the court to order Germany to resume funding to the United Nations aid agency in Gaza in addition to the aid Berlin is already providing. It is indeed a pathetic excuse to the Palestinian children, women and men in Gaza to provide humanitarian aid, including through airdrops, on the one hand, and to furnish the weapons and military equipment that are used to kill and annihilate them" and humanitarian workers, Nicaragua lawyer Daniel Muller told judges. Dozens of flag-waving pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside the court. Sliman Abu Amara, a Dutch citizen of Palestinian descent, said he was grateful to Nicaragua for taking Germany to court, noting the irony is that Germany is actually behind the whole international convention on preventing the genocide. On Friday, the U.N.s top human rights body called on countries to stop selling or shipping weapons to Israel. The United States and Germany opposed the resolution. Meanwhile, hundreds of British jurists, including three retired Supreme Court judges, have called on their government to suspend arms sales to Israel after seven aid workers from the charity World Central Kitchen, including three U.K. citizens, were killed in Israeli strikes. Israel said the attack was a mistake and dismissed two officers, while reprimanding others. Germany has for decades been a staunch supporter of Israel. Days after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Chancellor Olaf Scholz explained: Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the state of Israel, he told lawmakers. Berlin, however, has gradually shifted its tone as civilian casualties in Gaza have soared, becoming increasingly critical of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and speaking out against a ground offensive in Rafah. Nicaraguas government, which has historical links with Palestinian organizations dating back to their support for the 1979 Sandinista revolution, was itself accused earlier this year by U.N.-backed human rights experts of systematic human rights abuses tantamount to crimes against humanity. The government of President Daniel Ortega fiercely rejected the allegations. In response to the case brought by South Africa, the ICJ ordered Israel in January to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and acts of genocide in Gaza. In March, the court ordered Israel to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where experts say a famine is imminent. ___ Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report. The moon slid slowly across the sun Monday afternoon, appearing to devour it whole, as millions of people gasped, cheered and stood in awe beneath a daytime sky turned dark. A total solar eclipse, the first in Ohio in more than two centuries, carved a narrow path over North America for several hours, moving southwest to northeast while crowds looked on from state parks and backyards, rooftops and parking lots, and anywhere else offering clear skies and an unobstructed view. You look out and where the sun was it is gone, said Dean Regas, a Cincinnati astronomer. It is scary. It is eerie. It is awesome. A view of the total solar eclipse at Miami Whitewater Forest in Miami Township on Monday. Monday delivered on that promise, and then some. First came a barely perceptible dimming of the afternoon sun, then a dusk-like gloom, and then, finally, a sky dark enough to reveal stars. Birds fell silent and outdoor lights flickered on, tricked by the midday darkness and the sudden chill in the air. As eclipses have throughout human history, this one inspired celebration and wonder, as well as irrational fear. Local couple Samantha Palmer and Gerald Lester watched the sky minutes before tying the knot at Trentons Solar Eclipse Mass Wedding Ceremony officiated by Mayor Ryan Perry. Trenton Community Park. The park was filled with families and brides and grooms. Several couples in Trenton, Ohio, exchanged wedding vows during the moons trek across the sun. Parks swelled with families and friends who ate barbecue and nachos before turning their gaze skyward. Online music services offered eclipse-themed playlists featuring songs like Blinded by the Light and Total Eclipse of the Heart. School kids in Milford sat on beach towels and donned tinted eclipse glasses, marveling at a spectacle thats so rare theyll be older than their grandparents the next time it happens here. And while scientists seized the opportunity to educate, offering lessons online and in person, internet trolls did what they do best, stirring anxiety by falsely claiming the eclipse would produce harmful radiation or the End of Days. The world survived, but the day was not without challenges. Cloud cover produced less-than-ideal viewing conditions in parts of Ohio and traffic clogged some roads as eclipse watchers squeezed into small towns and parks along the 115-mile path of totality. People film during the total solar eclipse at Miami Whitewater Forest in Miami Township on Monday. For the most part, though, the eclipse lived up to its billing as a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event. At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, thousands gathered for a kind of total eclipse festival, with food trucks and cookouts and an Air Force Band playing the Beatles Here Comes the Sun. Anita Dalton drove to the base with her husband from Ironton. They packed salmon, roast beef, cheese and a bottle of champagne. Its just so thrilling, Dalton said. Its a beautiful, natural event. And we love the natural world. On the lawn outside Mulberry Elementary School in Milford, children lined up to head outside at 2:50 p.m., about 20 minutes before the peak of the eclipse. They carried beach towels and blankets and eclipse glasses. Once on the grass, they kicked off their shoes and snuggled in next to friends. As the sun disappeared behind the moon, third grader Xander Bentley shouted a line from the movie Despicable Me. Tonight, we steal the moon! When the moon receded and the light returned, teachers ushered the kids back inside and asked them to write about what theyd just seen. Third grade students at Mulberry Elementary School in Milford watch the solar eclipse. In Trenton, Mayor Ryan Perry officiated a mass wedding for couples who wanted to make their special day more special. Brides and grooms roamed the park in formal attire, pausing occasionally to put on eclipse glasses and stare at the vanishing sun. "Why not do something extraordinary during an extraordinary event," said Sarah Leichman, the city employee who came up with the idea. "A wedding is just that. If we're lucky, it's a once in a lifetime event." For those more interested in worrying than celebrating, the internet did not disappoint. Online tricksters and conspiracy theorists offered up a bounty of bogus claims about globalist plots and Biblical prophecy. Scientists did their best to offer an alternative for those grounded in reality. Regas, the astronomer, prepared viewers for the big event with a series of videos posted on social media, describing the science behind the eclipse and the best ways to safely watch and record it. It will make you laugh, cry, scream, all that and more, Regas promised before the eclipse, in an interview with The Enquirers "Thats So Cincinnati" podcast. And Im still not hyping it up enough because its better than that. Crowds around the region seemed to agree. At Miami Whitewater Forest, as in dozens of other parks in the area, hundreds cheered and clapped as the sun disappeared behind the moon, plunging the park into darkness. When it was over, they packed up and headed home on roads and highways that offered the more familiar spectacle of a late afternoon traffic jam. Madeline Mitchell, Grace Tucker and Cara Owsley contributed to this report This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Total eclipse: Sun and moon put on a show in Greater Cincinnati ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 8. Azerbaijan purchased over 2,800 tons of gas oil from Turkmenistan in January this year, Trend reports. According to data from Azerbaijan's State Statistical Committee, the country's gas oil imports from Turkmenistan cost around $2 million for the indicated month. In general, all of Azerbaijan's gas oil purchases in January of this year came from Turkmenistan. Furthermore, during the last year, Azerbaijan has acquired about 28,600 tons of gas oil from Turkmenistan for approximately $16.5 million. Meanwhile, trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan totaled $33.7 million in the first month of 2024, a 49.6 percent decrease from the same month in 2023, when it was $66.9 million. Scroll down to see the list of U.S. cities where the April 8 total solar eclipse will be visible, the duration of the eclipse in those locations and what time totality will begin, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com. "Eclipse Across America," will air live Monday, April 8, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ABC, ABC News Live, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Disney+ and Hulu as well as network social media platforms. On April 8, 2024, a historic total solar eclipse will cast a shadow over parts of the United States, prompting a mass travel event to the path of totality -- from Texas to Maine and several states and cities in between. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and, for a short time, completely blocks the face of the sun, according to NASA. PHOTO: Tyler Hanson, of Fort Rucker, Ala., watches the sun moments before the total eclipse, Aug. 21, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. (John Minchillo/AP, FILE) The track of the moon's shadow across Earth's surface is called the path of totality, and to witness the April 8 total solar eclipse, viewers must be within the 115-mile-wide path. To discover when to see the solar eclipse in totality or the partial eclipse in locations across the U.S. outside of the path, check out NASA's Eclipse Explorer tool. Eclipse travel In the U.S., 31 million people already live inside the path of totality, bringing the celestial phenomenon to their doorsteps, Michael Zeiler, expert solar eclipse cartographer at GreatAmericanEclipse.com told ABC News. MORE: Eclipse glasses: What to know to keep your eyes safe But for individuals outside of the path, investing time and money are needed to experience the event in totality. PHOTO: People watch a partial solar eclipse from the roof deck at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on Aug. 21, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images, FILE) Eclipse chasers, or umbraphiles, are individuals who will do almost anything, and travel almost anywhere, to see totality, according to the American Astronomical Society. "There's a very active community of solar eclipse chasers and we will go to any reasonable lengths to see solar eclipses anywhere in the world," Zeiler said. "All of us are united in pursuing the unimaginable beauty of a total solar eclipse." MORE: The surprising reason why a Texas county issued a disaster declaration ahead of April total solar eclipse Bringing together both eclipse experts and novice sky watchers, the total solar eclipse on April 8 is projected to be the U.S.'s largest mass travel event in 2024, according to Zeiler, who likened it to "50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation." "When you look at the number of people expected to come to the path of totality for the solar eclipse, we estimate those numbers are roughly the equivalent of 50 simultaneous Super Bowls across the nation, from Texas to Maine," he said. Eclipse map, path of totality In the U.S., the path of totality begins in Texas and will travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse, according to NASA. "Eclipse Across America," will air live Monday, April 8, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on ABC, ABC News Live, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Disney+ and Hulu as well as network social media platforms. Best times, places to view eclipse Below is a list of some American cities where the April 8 total solar eclipse will be most visible -- pending weather forecasts -- the duration of the eclipse in those locations and what time totality will begin, according to GreatAmericanEclipse.com. Texas Eagle Pass, Texas, 1:27 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 23 seconds Uvalde, Texas, 1:29 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 16 seconds Kerrville, Texas, 1:32 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 23 seconds Austin, Texas, 1:36 p.m. CDT: 1 minute, 53 seconds Killeen, Texas, 1:36 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 17 seconds Fort Worth, Texas, 1:40 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 34 seconds Dallas 1:40 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 47 seconds Arkansas Little Rock, Arkansas, 1:51 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 33 seconds Jonesboro, Arkansas, 1:55 p.m. CDT: 2 minutes, 24 seconds Poplar Bluff, Arkansas, 1:56 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 8 seconds Missouri Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1:58 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 6 seconds Illinois Carbondale, Illinois, 1:59 p.m. CDT: 4 minutes, 8 seconds Mount Vernon, Illinois, 2:00 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 40 seconds Indiana Evansville, Indiana, 2:02 p.m. CDT: 3 minutes, 2 seconds Terre Haute, Indiana, 3:04 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 57 seconds Indianapolis 3:06 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 46 seconds Ohio Dayton, Ohio, 3:09 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 46 seconds Wapakoneta, Ohio, 3:09 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 55 seconds Toledo, Ohio, 3:12 p.m. EDT: 1 minute, 54 seconds Cleveland 3:13 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 50 seconds Pennsylvania Erie, Pennsylvania, 3:16 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 43 seconds New York Buffalo, New York, 3:18 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 45 seconds Rochester, New York, 3:20 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 40 seconds Syracuse, New York, 3:23 p.m. EDT: 1 minute, 26 seconds Vermont Burlington, Vermont, 3:26 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 14 seconds Maine Island Falls, Maine, 3:31 p.m. EDT: 3 minutes, 20 seconds Presque Island, Maine, 3:32 p.m. EDT: 2 minutes, 47 seconds Total solar eclipse April 8, 2024 facts: Path, time and the best places to view originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Total solar eclipse could mean total traffic nightmare in NY as Hochul warns motorists to pack water, snacks If youre taking a road trip for a better view of the eclipse, youll want to pack plenty of patience along with your safety glasses and granola bars. Millions of Americans are hitting the road for Mondays total solar eclipse, which is expected to cause a total traffic nightmare on at least 30 interstate highways in the path of the totality, where the sun will be completely blocked by the moons shadow for up to four minutes. The expected impact on roadways from Western New York to Central Texas is already being compared to 20 or 30 Super Bowls happening all at once by Richard Feinberg of the American Astronomical Societys Eclipse Task Force. As many as 1 million out-of-state visitors are expected to flock to New York for Mondays solar eclipse. Robert Miller At a special pre-eclipse press conference at Niagara Falls Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul warned that unusually heavy traffic was set to hit the Empire State in the coming days. We are literally over the moon to welcome over 1 million people to our state for this once in a generation moment, Hochul said, speaking via Zoom from Albany amid protracted state budget talks. Hochul said with so many gawkers expected, the state is treating the rare celestial happening as if its one of the big storms when it comes to traffic safety. The roads can only handle so much. And were expecting a high volume of traffic before and after the event. She also urged drivers not to pull their cars off to the side of the road during the eclipse. At a press conference Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul warned roads in the west of the state will be jammed with eclipse-viewers both before and after the rare celestial happening, the last expected to be visible in the region until 2044. Helayne Seidman Please do not do that. If we need emergency vehicles to get through, our first responders, well use that as the best place for them to get to possibly you and your family quickly, she said. And make sure you have a full tank of gas. The New York Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services is also stepping up its efforts to ensure public safety during the eclipse, strategically deploying resources on land, sea and air. Commissioner Jackie Bray told reporters the division has been preparing for the eclipse since 2022. She warned drivers who park where theyre not supposed to, we will be ticketing and towing rapidly tomorrow morning, particularly up in the North Country. Bray advised all motorists to be careful, and to remember that its mud season when planning their routes. Anyone in need of help should call 511 or download the 511NY app, Bray said. The Canadian side of Niagara Falls already declared a state of emergency last week ahead of the solar eclipse, as it estimates up to 1 million visitors will descend on the iconic falls, as it has been deemed one of the best places to view it. Parts of Western New York are located in a zone known as the totality, where the sun will be completely blocked by the moon for around three full minutes. REUTERS The rare celestial phenomena, which sees the moon pass between the Earth and sun, will start around 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas before ending around 4:40 p.m. in Caribou, Maine. As for the cities in the path of totality, a total blackout will begin anywhere between 1:40 p.m. CST in Dallas to 3:13 pm EST in Cleveland, to 3:32 p.m. EST in Caribou, according to NASA. New Yorks official ILoveNY website is providing detailed information about peak viewing times and the best places to see the eclipse, as well as a map showing its path across the state. The next solar eclipse in the region isnt expected to take place until 2044. Congress returns today, and Speaker Mike Johnson is in the hot seat. The FAA says it will investigate after the engine cover flew off a Southwest flight during takeoff. And the latest forecast for today's total solar eclipse. Heres what to know today. Speaker Johnson faces Ukraine aid dilemma and a threat to his job Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call via AP file) Congress returns from a two-week recess today and all eyes are on House Speaker Mike Johnson. Johnson is facing political and international pressure to make good on his word to pass aid for Ukraine. While he has vowed to put billions in foreign aid on the House floor once lawmakers return, doing so could trigger a vote to oust him from the speakership led by one of his most vocal critics, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who opposes the aid and wants to shift focus to the U.S. border. If Greene or another Republican forces a vote to oust Johnson, a simple majority vote could remove him as speaker. Johnson has a long to-do list, with deadlines to renew a surveillance program April 19 and reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration in May. And lawmakers are still trying to handle the funding for a new bridge in Baltimore following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the break. Some estimates have put the price tag at $400 million. Read more about U.S. aid for Ukraine: GOP Rep. Mike Turner said that Russian propaganda has taken hold among some of his House Republican colleagues and is even being uttered on the House floor, following House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCauls remarks that Russian propaganda has infected the GOP base. Total solar eclipse to cross North America Whitten Sabbtini for NBC News Grab your safety glasses, eclipse day is here. If the conditions are clear, tens of millions of people will be treated to stunning views as the moon passes between Earth and the sun, temporarily blocking the suns light. The entire continental U.S. will see the moon at least partially block the sun. A select path will get a total eclipse. NBC News will have reporting from correspondents along the path of totality in Arizona, Ohio, Indiana, New York and Texas. Follow here for live updates throughout the day. Tune into NBC News NOW as Lester Holt hosts a two-hour special starting at 2 p.m. ET from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. More eclipse tips and coverage: Democrats go all in on an unfiltered Trump Photo collage of Trump and side profile of a person holding their ear (Leila Register / NBC News; Getty Images) With the White House hanging in the balance and former President Donald Trumps poll numbers holding steady, many Democrats are now changing gears and want more Trump in the media, not less. Party operatives think that the chaos of the Trump White House years have faded in the minds of many Americans, replaced instead by a more nostalgic view. Poll after poll has shown Trump leading President Joe Biden head to head and even overtaking him on favorability, something that never happened in the run-up to their 2020 matchup. And those supporters appear unfazed by the criminal charges Trump currently faces. Democrats argue that social media clips or news stories just cant capture the rambling, partially improvised, over-the-top rhetoric of a full Trump rally. Some are all for Trumps return to posting all-caps rants on X. Others share clips of his speeches or interviews, and Bidens campaign social media accounts have even posted a series of reminders from Trumps White House years. Containers being moved from ship to access fallen Baltimore bridges roadway Joe Biden (Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP) Recovery efforts at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse reached a "critical step" as crews began removing shipping containers from the vessel Dali. Removal will allow them to access a key portion of the roadway, now perched above the containers on board the 980-foot, Singapore-flagged ship. The bodies of three of six roadway workers who were on the bridge when it collapsed have been recovered, and the other three are presumed dead. Moving the ship is important, as it would allow authorities to reopen the port to at least some traffic, officials said. Israel vows war not over after pulling troops out of southern Gaza The Israeli military says it has reduced the number of ground troops in the southern Gaza Strip following the conclusion of its monthslong operation in the city of Khan Younis, raising questions about the future of its offensive in the enclave amid pressure from the U.S. to reduce the wars humanitarian toll. In a statement yesterday, the IDF said it was pulling its 98th commando division to recuperate and prepare for future operations, as Israeli army vehicles were seen heading to a base in southern Israel. Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at Le Beck International, a security and risk management consultancy, said, I think this is a turning point in the campaign in Gaza. The IDF contingent in Gaza will be the lowest since the ground invasion started in late October last year, made of only two brigades along an axis that cuts Gaza into two, he said. Essentially, this means the IDF is probably moving to a more long-term counterterrorism campaign of more target raids. This is something the U.S. had been asking for months. Southwest flight from Denver makes emergency landing after engine cover falls of plane The engine cowling hanging from the wing of a Southwest Airlines flight (Cooper Glass) The Federal Aviation Administration said its going to launch an investigation after the engine cover of a Southwest Airlines plane fell off during takeoff in Denver and hit the wing flap. The plane returned safely to Denver after the pilot reported the incident. This is the second incident recently involving a reported malfunctioning of equipment on a Southwest Airlines flight. The FAA is investigating a reported engine fire before takeoff at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport last week. Politics in Brief Congress: A suspect was arrested in connection with a fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders Vermont office that is being investigated as arson. The fire damaged the outside of the door to Sanders office and surrounding areas. Abortion rights: As the Supreme Court decides whether to allow restricted access to the abortion drug mifepristone, a network of providers is working together, mailing abortion pills, setting up mobile clinics and offering financial help to women in states with bans. Electoral college: The 2024 results may depend on whether Trump and Republicans have maintained the Electoral College advantage they held in the last two presidential elections. WANT MORE POLITICS NEWS? Sign up for From the Politics Desk to get exclusive reporting and analysis delivered to your inbox every weekday evening. Subscribe here. Staff Pick: Aid agencies say the Israeli military has been attacking them for months A man displays blood-stained British, Polish, and Australian passports after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on April 1, 2024, killed seven World Central Kitchen workers. (Abdel Kareem Hana / AP) After the killing of the World Central Kitchen staff, an aid agency tipped off my co-reporter, Gabe Joselow, that this was not the first time WCK had been attacked. Once he started looking into it, he turned up case after case of aid workers being killed or injured in Israeli strikes. As a field journalist, I worked alongside aid workers in conflicts and natural disasters for years, they are right in there striking the balance between safety and providing aid where its needed. Gaza is a uniquely difficult and dangerous logistical challenge, and we wanted to show the system of how they try to keep safe, and just how much that had broken down. Aurora Almendral, editor, international news In Case You Missed It Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Knowing your foot arch type is important to consider when shopping for comfortable shoes. Podiatrists explain how to identify your arch type and recommend the best shoes to support your feet. Sign up to The Selection newsletter for exclusive reviews and shopping content from NBC Select. Thanks for reading todays Morning Rundown. Todays newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Both. If youre a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign-up here. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A Pennsylvania man was stabbed to death outside a Brooklyn bar early Sunday. An out-of-towner was found stabbed to death early Sunday outside a Bay Ridge bar that neighbors blasted as always crazy. The 37-year-old victim who was from Pennsylvania but not identified pending family notification was allegedly knifed outside Catch 22 on Third Avenue in Brooklyn about 2:50 a.m., police said. Officers found the victim with a torso wound and rushed him to NYU Langone, but he didnt make it, authorities said. A Pennsylvania man was found stabbed to death outside a bar in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, early Sunday. G.N.Miller/NYPost Cops have not made any arrests, a department rep said. Video from a nearby surveillance camera appears to show the victim on his hands and knees after he was stabbed as bystanders slowly gathered around him. On Sunday morning, a bloody hand print was pressed into the concrete, right next to a pool of the victims blood. One of the victims friends who had just been interviewed by cops outside the bar Sunday would only say that the killing wasnt random. No, it was not, he said. Neighbors said the bar has a reputation for rowdiness. The place is always crazy, always an argument outside, a female resident told The Post on Sunday. Several other locals echoed the womans comments, yelling toward the building that the city has got to close this place down. Moses Alhusaini, manager of M&S Minimarket across the street, told The Post that he walked outside when he saw police cruisers pull up with their lights flashing. Neighbors said the bar can be chaotic. G.N.Miller/NYPost The victims identity is being withheld, pending his familys notification. G.N.Miller/NYPost The man was dead on the ground, he said. The police were around him, and he was laying behind the car. It was dead silent. No one was saying anything. The man on the ground was making no sounds. Alhusaini, 39, said he saw lots of problems at the bar during the pandemic, including crowds fighting at that place. It was crazy very often, but now they are holding it down, he said. The owner is taking it very seriously. Thats why I am shocked and surprised to see this now. There was a loud and crazy apparent private party at the bar Saturday night, a local said. G.N.Miller/NYPost A bartender at the joint Sunday declined comment to The Post. A female neighbor said, They were having some kind of private party there last night. It was loud and crazy outside, she continued. I just took my daughter and ran by as fast as we could. A lot of people outside, it gets dangerous over there. The trial of an Arizona border rancher charged with killing a migrant has reached the halfway point FILE - George Alan Kelly enters court for his preliminary hearing in Nogales Justice Court in Nogales, Ariz., Feb. 22, 2023. Jurors on the case of Arizona rancher Kelly charged with fatally shooting a migrant on his property will be allowed to visit the property near the border with Mexico as early as this week as the trial enters its second half. (Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP, Pool, File) PHOENIX (AP) Jurors in the case of an Arizona rancher charged with fatally shooting a migrant on his property will be allowed to visit the ranch near the border with Mexico as early as this week as the trial enters its second half. Judge Thomas Fink of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court said last week he would allow the visit but has not set a day and time. Fink denied on Monday a request by news media to accompany jurors on the visit to 75-year-old George Alan Kelly's ranch. The judge has said the visit would help jurors in the fair determination of the allegations in this case," but maintained on Monday that his restrictions on questioning jurors and capturing images of them would make it too difficult to allow news media to go. Such visits are relatively uncommon. In 2018, federal jurors in the trial of a U.S. Border Patrol agent charged in the fatal shooting of a teen across the Mexican border also in the Nogales, Arizona, area were taken to the scene of the shooting after dark to observe conditions as they may have been at the time. Former agent Lonnie Schwartz was acquitted in the killing of 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez when jurors failed to reach a verdict on a voluntary manslaughter charge. The trial against Kelly so far has included testimony by his wife, Wanda, who said that on the day of the shooting she saw two men armed with rifles and wearing backpacks pass their house on the ranch. A Honduran man in a group of migrants on the ranch that day testified about seeing Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, 48, fall to the ground after being struck. The bullet that killed Cuen-Buitimea was never found. Kelly was arrested and charged last year in the Jan. 30, 2023, fatal shooting of Cuen-Buitimea, who lived in Nogales, Mexico, just south of the border. Prosecutors have said Kelly, who was also armed with a handgun, recklessly fired an AK-47 rifle toward the migrants, who were about 100 yards (90 meters) away from him on his nearly 170-acre (69-hectare) cattle ranch. Kelly and his defense team reject that narrative. The proceedings have been held four days a week since the trial began March 22. It is expected to conclude April 19. Border security is a key issue in this years presidential contest, with Republican Donald Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden making dueling visits to the Texas-Mexico border in late February. Trump: Abortion laws up to states. But where does he stand on Florida bans, amendment? Apr 7, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA;Donald Trump, left, greets Anthony Kim a wildcard, right, as Greg Norman listens in before the final round of LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports Donald Trump said on Monday, April 8, that U.S. abortion laws should be left to the states, even if doing so creates a maze of different rules spanning the country, as he reminded supporters it is necessary to "win elections." "The states will decide by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land," Trump said via video posted on his Truth Social platform. "In this case, the law of the state." The former president who is the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee also reiterated that he is "proudly responsible" for the overturning of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that safeguarded individual reproductive rights across the country for 49 years. In the video, he thanked by name the six high court judges that 50 years later struck down Roe. Trump's statement, in the four-minute-plus video, comes as his adopted home state of Florida faces a critical juncture this fall as voters will ostensibly be asked to void or approve the state's abortion ban. Trump did not indicate his position on the Florida debate, which President Joe Biden's campaign noted in its criticism Monday of Trump's video. We did not hear Trump, a Florida resident, say how he plans to vote on the state's ballot initiatives this November," the Biden campaign said in a call with reporters on Monday. "And we did not hear Trump say he opposed the state's bans currently in place, which have no exceptions for rape or incest." The campaign also added in a statement: "In states like Florida, abortion will likely soon be illegal before many women know they're pregnant." Other Democrats said Trump should not be trusted, adding that he would seek a national abortion ban if elected in November. Campaign 2024: Donald Trump once said, "I don't need anybody else's money." Times have changed "An old saying goes: 'Watch what they do, not what they say,'" tweeted Virginia U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee. "Donald Trump is singularly responsible for the overturning of Roe & ripping away women's freedoms & he 'proudly' takes credit for it. He'd sign a national abortion ban into law no matter how much he tries to deny it." Florida enacts abortion bans, voters to ultimately decide in November The Florida Supreme Court last week validated a 15-week abortion ban and cleared the way for a more restictive six-week ban. But the justices also approved a proposed constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights that will appear on the ballot in November. It would require 60% of state voters to vote "yes" for that measure to become, as Trump said, the "law of the state." Trump's statement on Monday suggested he would be OK with broad abortion access in his home state if voters approve the amendment. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people," he said, and added: "You must follow your heart, and in many cases, your religion and your faith. Last week's Florida Supreme Court decisions prompted the Biden campaign to claim that Florida was "in play" for the general election. "Donald Trump brags about being the one to overturn Roe. He owns every single cruel ban in the country. He solely owns this," said Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez of laws to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, plus constraints on IVF treatments and curtailment of access to contraceptives in other states. On Monday, Rodriguez also called Trump's incendiary claim in his video that Democrats support "executions" of children after birth "a disgusting and blatantly false accusation that Donald Trump is making to try to distract from his own unpopular policies." Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump on abortion laws: Leave to states. Florida bans, amendment Trump Announces New Abortion Position of Not Wanting to Really Take a Position on Abortion As president, Donald Trump appointed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Barrett then became the key fifth vote, in the Dobbs decision, to overturn Roe v. Wade and legalize abortion bans at the state level. These laws have proved unpopular: Voters in heavily red places like Kansas and Ohio have passed referendums that instead guarantee the right to abortion within their own state lines. And a court ruling that put the legality of in vitro fertilization at risk has triggered a backlash even in Alabama, where Republicans routinely earn more than 60 percent of votes statewide. With Trump once again the Republican Partys presumptive nominee for the presidency, his campaign has faced questions about whether he would sign a bill banning abortion (or limiting it to a certain number of weeks into pregnancy) nationwide. On Monday, he purported to answer those questions in a statement and video on his Twitter-like social media site Truth Social. The takeaways: Trump says he is proudly the person responsible for the ending of Roe v. Wade. (Democrats are glad he said this.) His position is that the states will determine whether abortion should be legal and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case the law of the state. Democrats, Trump said, want to legalize the execution of babies that were already born. (They do not.) At the end of the day this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart or, in many cases, your religion or your faith. Now its up to the states to do the right thing. Trump supports exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother as well as IVF. Oh, and: Our nation is in decline and we will make it greater than ever before. Other outlets are writing that Trumps video means he believes abortion limits should only be legislated at the state level, but his actual words were more tautological than that; what he said literally was that because Roe has been overturned, states will pass their own laws, which must then be followed, because they are the law. He didnt endorse a national limit on abortion, but he also didnt say that he would refuse to sign one as president. And he didnt say whether he would use the 19th-century Comstock Act to attempt to impose a nationwide ban on all abortions, or at least a criminal prohibition on medication abortion, as some of his top lawyers openly intend to do if appointed. So, in the end, the situation as we leave Monday morning behind and prepare to blind ourselves by looking directly at a solar eclipse is the same as it was going in. Trump recognizes that abortion bans are a loser with the majority of Americans but also knows that some of his core supporters think overturning Roe was a major triumph and doesnt want to answer the question of whether hed sign national-level restrictions because it could endanger his chance of winning the presidency either way. Going forward, Democrats are going to be annoyed by headlines claiming that Trump set down a clear position today, and theyll likely badger reporters into asking him straight-up whether hed veto something like a 15-week federal ban, to which he will respond with ambiguous word salad. As you were! Watch out for Mr. Sun! 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. NEW YORK In a last-ditch bid to further delay his upcoming Manhattan criminal trial, former President Donald Trump on Monday indicated he would appeal a gag order recently imposed by the judge overseeing the case. The court filings around the effort were not immediately made public, but a person familiar with the matter said Trump is appealing the gag order imposed by Justice Juan Merchan and asking an appeals court to postpone the trial, set to begin April 15, until the issue is resolved. Late last month, Merchan ordered that Trump is barred from attacking reasonably foreseeable witnesses, as well as lawyers working on the case, court staff or their families. Last week, Merchan expanded the order to bar Trump from attacking the family members of District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the judge himself, after Trump publicly assailed Merchans adult daughter. The appeal of the gag order and related effort to delay the trial comes after Trump has attempted numerous other measures to postpone the proceedings. The trial on charges he violated New York law by falsifying business records in a scheme to pay hush money to a porn star was originally scheduled to begin in late March, but the judge delayed it by three weeks after Trumps lawyers said they needed additional time to review a batch of documents recently turned over by federal prosecutors. Trumps lawyers have also made other arguments to delay the trial, though Merchan has declined to do so. Trumps effort to appeal the gag order is unlikely to succeed. He sought to get gag orders thrown out in two other cases a New York civil fraud trial that began last fall and his federal criminal case in Washington and both of those efforts failed. Separately, Trump is asking Merchan to recuse himself from the case, arguing that his daughter, who works at a political consulting firm with Democratic clients, poses a conflict of interest, though that effort, too, is unlikely to prove effective. Trump asked Merchan last year to recuse himself for largely the same reasons, and the judge declined to step aside. It is the eleventh hour for Donald Trump in his bid not to stand trial in his criminal hush-money case. So hes planning a new, frantic measure: suing the judge. Trumps legal team is expected to file a lawsuit against Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who has reprimanded the former presidents lawyers for their conduct in court. The teams latest genius move is to file an Article 78 action against Merchan, effectively asking an appeals court to throw out the gag order issued by Merchan against Trump and, crucially, to push a potential trial back until after the 2024 presidential election. Trump, with the backing of Fox News, has previously attacked Merchan and his daughter. Now hes attempting to have Merchan removed. The action, described by The New York Times as unorthodox, is reportedly unlikely to succeed. The lawsuit is not yet public, but sources familiar with the matter confirmed to the Times that the legal team will likely file on Monday. The hush-money case is Trumps first criminal trial on the calendarexpected to begin later this month. The news of the lawsuit comes not long after it was revealed that the surety company backing Trumps $175 million bond in his civil fraud case does not have the funds to do so, and may not have legally promised to pay the penalty if his appeal is unsuccessful. Former President Donald Trump released a video Monday declaring his new views on abortion policy. He did not announce support for a national abortion ban, and instead stated that the issue should remain in the hands of individual states. While Trump took credit for the Supreme Courts 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, eliminating federal protections for abortion, the former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee did not call for further restrictions: My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state, he said. Last month, Trump signaled he intended to support a 15-week national abortion ban, saying that people are agreeing on 15. The New York Times had previously reported Trump was weighing a 16-week ban, explaining to people that its a nice, round number. Most House Republican lawmakers belong to a caucus that recently endorsed a 15-week national abortion ban. Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights, especially since I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars both sides wanted and, in fact, demanded be ended: Roe v. Wade, Trump said in a video posted early Monday on Truth Social, falsely claiming that conservative attacks against Roe had universal support. He did not explicitly clarify whether he would support federal legislation limiting abortion access after a certain gestation limit, despite his recent messaging on the subject. Trump did, however, attack Democrats as having radical views on abortion and falsely claiming that the pro-choice movement supports abortion up to an even beyond the ninth month [of pregnancy.] The concept of having an abortion in the later months, and even execution after birth [] is unacceptable and almost everyone agrees with that. You must follow your heart on this issue but remember, you must also win elections, Trump said, adding: Like Ronald Reagan, I am strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. The former president also clarified that he opposes restrictions on access to fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, which was temporarily banned in Alabama earlier this year following a decision by the Alabama Supreme Court finding that IVF embryos are people in the eyes of the law. Several Republican-led states have enacted abortion bans with no exceptions at all. Later this month, the Supreme Court where Trump built a 6-3 conservative supermajority will hear oral arguments in a case from Idaho Republicans arguing that states should be able to block hospitals from providing emergency abortion care, and calling for an end to federal requirements that hospitals provide the procedure if its necessary to stabilize a mothers health. While Trump bragged about his role in overturning Roe, the end of federal abortion guarantees has become both a health care quagmire for patients and an electoral disaster for the GOP. In virtually every state where abortion rights have been put on the ballot, Republicans have been handily defeated. In red states that have attempted to further restrict access to comprehensive reproductive health care or where trigger bans went into effect in the aftermath of Roe studies have already shown an increase in adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Caught between pressure from conservative groups to further curtail abortion access on a national level, and the reality that such policies are vastly unpopular with voters, Trump has waffled on his stance in recent months. As previously reported by Rolling Stone, Trump has privately complained to allies and advisors that Republicans are getting killed on abortion, and his team has even floated running him as an abortion moderate in the 2024 election cycle. While Trump seems willing to say anything to try and win over voters skeptical of his established track record on reproductive rights, what he will actually do is another matter. As Rolling Stone has reported, the former presidents allies are deeply invested in the weaponization of existing laws to further restrict access to abortion and abortion medication no matter what Trump says. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Donald Trump's campaign adviser Jason Miller has described the report by The Washington Post, in which the publication allegedly revealed details of Trump's "peace plan" for Ukraine, as fake news. Source: Miller said this in an interview with The New York Post, European Pravda writes Details: Miller insisted that Trump will not commit to any peace plan until he takes office and can properly weigh all options. "The whole thing is fake news from the Washington Post. Theyre just making it up," said Miller, a Trump campaign adviser. At the same time, he stressed that Trump is "the only one talking about stopping the killing". "Joe Biden is talking about more killing," Miller said, apparently referring to Biden's position to support Ukraine with weapons. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has often boasted that he could negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours if elected. But he has repeatedly refused to publicly specify how exactly he would do this. The Washington Post, citing sources, reported that Trump is allegedly seeking to push Ukraine to make concessions to Russia and transfer Ukrainian territories, including Crimea and Donbas, under its control. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited Trump to come to Ukraine. However, Trump declined, citing a "conflict of interest" with the current Joe Biden administration. Support UP or become our patron! WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Former president Donald Trump said abortion access should be left up to the states on Monday. Whatever they decide must be the law of the land, Trump said. But Trump stopped short of calling for a national abortion ban, something many Republicans have pushed for. You must follow your heart, or in many cases, your religion, Trump said. Trump has said he supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother. The Biden- Harris campaign was quick to seize on the moment. We believe in a womans decision and ability to make a decision, Vice President Kamala Harris said. Harris slammed Trump for saying he was proudly responsible for the overturning of Roe v. Wade. If he were to be put back in a position where he could sign off on a law, he would sign off on a national abortion ban, Harris said. Democrats believe the fight over abortion rights will help them at the polls in November. Been on the minds of voters ever since Roe fell, as we saw in the elections in Virginia and Ohio and Kansas, and we will see this November, Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) said. McClellan said Trump is out of touch on this issue. He is starting to see that the chaos that he wrought by putting judges in place that overturned Roe is not popular with the American people, McClellan said. Republicans, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), are calling on the former president to go further on his abortion stance. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Trump endorses Tony Wied in race for Gallagher seat, calls on other Republican to drop out WASHINGTON Former President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed a former Green Bay-based gas station chain owner in the Republican primary to replace retiring Rep. Mike Gallagher, shaking up the race for the red northeastern Wisconsin district. In a social media post, Trump called on one of the other Republican candidates in the race to drop out and said Tony Wied, the former owner of a dinosaur-branded gas and convenience store chain, had his "Complete and Total Endorsement." "After selling his highly successful Oil and Gas Business, Tony Wield has decided to run for Congress in Wisconsins 8th Congressional District," Trump wrote on his social media platform, misspelling Wied's name. He attacked former state Sen. Roger Roth, who endorsed Trump in his campaign announcement. "Tony is running against RINO Roger Roth, who is a 'clone' of Paul Ryan, and no friend to MAGA He should drop out of the Race NOW," Trump wrote. "As your next Congressman, Tony will work hard to Unleash American Energy, Stop Inflation, Secure our Border, Support our Military / Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment." Trump's post confirmed Wied would enter the race after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported Friday that Wied was considering running for the seat and would get the backing of Trump-aligned consultant Alex Bruesewitz, who had been teasing a run of his own but ultimately opted out, if he did. It also directly injects Trump's influence into the race for the solid red House seat in which all three GOP candidates have pledged to support the former president. Wied on Monday confirmed his imminent announcement in a post on X. Ex-gas station chain owner Tony Wied, right, is shown with former President Donald Trump during a Trump campaign rally in Green Bay on April 2, 2024. Trump on Sunday endorsed Wied's Republican candidacy for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep,. Mike Gallagher. A source close to the Trump family told the Journal Sentinel on Friday that the Trumps "will be behind whatever decision Alex so chooses to make. And they are committed to making sure an America first candidate wins this seat." The endorsement came two days later. Bruesewitz told the Journal Sentinel Sunday that he will serve as "an informal adviser" to Wied and will help him launch his campaign. The campaign will be announced at an event Monday evening at the Legacy Hotel in Green Bay. Roth, an Appleton Republican who ran for lieutenant governor in 2022, endorsed Trump when he announced his campaign for the seat in February. But Roth previously declined to throw his support behind Trump when asked in July 2022 whether he'd support a 2024 run from Trump. In response to Trump's call for him to drop out, Roth noted his time in the National Guard. And he maintained his support for the former president. "As the only veteran in this race, I know what it means to serve," Roth said in a statement. "My wife and I Iook at our country, and for the sake of our children, know we have to fight to preserve and protect what makes America great. I will win this race and help win Wisconsin for Donald Trump this November." Wied, 47, sold his dinosaur-branded gas station chain, Dino Stop, locations to a Denver-based company in 2022. Dino Stop had been in the Green Bay area since 1971 and had other locations in Ledgeview, Manitowoc, New Franken, Little Suamico and Abrams. He met with Trump during the former presidents rally in Green Bay Tuesday and brought with him a document titled Tony Wied for Congress WI08 that included biographical information, one person with knowledge of the meeting said. A photograph of the document obtained by the Journal Sentinel shows it was signed by Trump. Wied on Feb. 24 donated $1,800 to Trump's campaign, according to Federal Election Commission reports. Tony Wied brought a document titled "Tony Wied for Congress WI08" and met with former President Donald Trump at his Green Bay rally on April 2 2024. An image obtained by the Journal Sentinel shows Trump signed the document. Trump in his post Sunday did not mention the other Republican in the race, De Pere state Sen. Andre Jacque, who also supports the former president. De Pere Democrat and OB-GYN Kristin Lyerly is also running for the seat. Rather, he picked Wied. "He will not let you down!" Trump said. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Trump endorsesTony Wied in race for Rep. Mike Gallagher's seat By Luc Cohen and Tim Reid NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donald Trump next week is set to become the first former U.S. president to face a criminal trial - a case involving hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels that carries major political and legal ramifications as he runs to regain the White House. The trial is scheduled to start in Manhattan on April 15. It is the first of four potential criminal trials Trump faces, but may be the only one to take place before the Nov. 5 U.S. election in which he is the Republican candidate challenging Democratic President Joe Biden in a 2020 rematch. Trump, 77, has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsification of business records in the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump is accused of arranging a $130,000 payment made by his lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen to Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign to buy her silence about a sexual encounter she has said she had with him at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006 and then falsifying records to cover it up. Denying any such encounter with the porn star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, Trump has said the payment was made to stop her "false and extortionist accusations." Trump also faces federal charges in Washington and state charges in Georgia over his efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden, as well as federal charges in Florida of illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office in 2021. Trump has pleaded not guilty in each and has called them politically motivated. The hush money case allegations are not new - news of the Daniels payoff generated headlines in 2018 - and the facts may come across as more tawdry and less consequential than Trump's other three indictments. The U.S. Justice Department previously investigated the matter and Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal campaign finance law violations, testifying that Trump orchestrated the payment to Daniels. Federal prosecutors opted not to charge Trump, ending their investigation in 2019. Bragg has argued that the case is about Trump's effort to corrupt the 2016 election - the businessman-turned-politician defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton - through a "catch-and-kill" scheme to purchase the silence of people with potentially damaging information about him. According to prosecutors, Cohen also arranged a payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal, who has said that she too had a sexual relationship with Trump - a relationship Trump has denied. In New York, falsifying business records to commit or conceal another crime is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison. The other three criminal cases lack firm trial dates. If he regains the presidency, Trump could stop the two federal prosecutions if trials have not yet occurred. FUNDRAISING BOOST Donations to Trump's campaign surged following Bragg's April 2023 indictment. His opinion polling lead over rivals for the Republican presidential nomination widened, an advantage he never lost. Trump in March secured the delegates needed to ensure he becomes his party's nominee. Jason Miller, a spokesman for Trump, declined to comment on the trial. Some political strategists forecast that a possible criminal conviction could hurt Trump in his presidential campaign. Mary Anna Mancuso, a Republican strategist who does not support Trump, said if he is convicted, it would be a "sobering reality" that many voters would find hard to ignore. "They will be forced," Mancuso said, "to ask themselves questions like: 'How do I vote for a guy who might not be able to conduct the duties of a president, for example accepting a foreign dignitary? Or who might be under some form of incarceration or house curfew?'" In a February Reuters/Ipsos poll, about a quarter of self-identified Republicans and about half of independents said they would not vote for Trump if he is convicted of a felony crime by a jury. That could be significant in a tight race. The judge overseeing the case, Juan Merchan, has imposed a gag order restricting Trump's public comments on trial participants and members of their families. Trump has disparaged Merchan's daughter online. The judge also denied Trump's bid to delay the trial until the U.S. Supreme Court reviews his claim of presidential immunity from prosecution in the federal election subversion case. 'PRETTY RESILIENT' Kyle Kondik, a nonpartisan political analyst at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said he is not sure whether the hush money trial will damage Trump because so many people are accustomed to his breaking of norms. "We don't really have any sort of precedent for this. And we also have a long history of Trump being pretty resilient," Kondik added. A conviction, Kondik said, could have an impact in an election in which small margins likely will determine the winner. Rebecca Roiphe, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney and current New York Law School professor, said Bragg's team would likely emphasize the case's ties to the 2016 election to counter the possible perception amongst jurors that the case is less significant than others. "I don't think it's nothing that this case strikes people as small, that nobody would bother with if it was somebody other than Trump," Roiphe added. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York and Tim Reid in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham, Scott Malone and Nick Zieminski) Former President Donald Trump claimed in a fundraising email on Sunday that President Joe Biden flipped the bird to every senior citizen because giving legal status to undocumented immigrants will destroy Social Security. Bidens Border BLOODBATH is bringing crime. Its bringing VIOLENCE. But the next target? YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY! the email reads. Friend, the Democrat push to give MASS AMNESTY to millions of illegals will DESTROY Social Security. The message, from Trumps campaign committee and the Republican National Committee, offers a misleading impression about how immigration affects Social Security. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits, but many nevertheless pay into the Social Security system through payroll deductions. Its misdirection and fearmongering to take peoples eye off the fact that Trump and his billionaires are the ones plotting to destroy Social Security, day and night, said Alex Lawson, executive director of the progressive group Social Security Works. In a break with his GOP predecessors, Donald Trump has stated his opposition to Social Security and Medicare cuts. But as president, he went after Social Security disability benefits. Megan Briggs/Getty Images The data clearly shows that undocumented immigrants are beneficial to Social Securitys finances, rather than harmful. In 2010, 3.1 million undocumented immigrants contributed $13 billion in payroll taxes to Social Security without the opportunity to claim benefits, according to a 2013 estimate by Stephen Goss, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration. Even plans to provide undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship as part of comprehensive immigration reform are projected to have an ameliorative effect on Social Securitys finances. The bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill of 2013, for example, which tied so-called amnesty to stricter border enforcement and increased legal immigration, would have extended Social Securitys solvency by two years. The reason immigrants have a positive impact on the program, even when they are legally entitled to collect benefits, is because they skew younger and are more likely to be employed, even as compared to their young native-born peers. The cost rate [of Social Security] decreases with an increase in total net immigration because immigration occurs at relatively young ages, thereby increasing the numbers of covered workers earlier than the numbers of beneficiaries, Social Securitys trustees wrote in their 2023 annual report, which estimates that a net increase of 100,000 legal immigrants per year would provide a modest but notable boost to the programs finances. Social Securitys retirement program faces a long-term funding shortfall, with trust fund reserves and projected payroll tax revenue sufficient to cover all benefits until 2034, at which point the reserves are expected to run dry and incoming revenue will cover only 77% of promised benefits. To close that funding gap, Republicans have generally favored spending cuts, such as raising eligibility ages, while Democrats focus on increasing revenue. Bidens fiscal 2025 budget includes a broadly worded proposal to require higher earners to pay into Social Security on all of their earnings. Currently, Americans pay into Social Security on the first $168,600 of their earnings, but also do not receive benefits tied to their pay above that level. Since his political ascent in 2016, Trump has differed from other Republicans by professing his opposition to direct benefit cuts to the two popular social insurance programs. During the 2024 Republican presidential primary, he specifically attacked former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for embracing cuts to Social Security, including an increase in the retirement age. Haley said she wants to raise the Social Security retirement age to match life expectancy, which means that she wants it to go up to about 77. Is everybody happy with that? he said at a New Hampshire rally in late January. Its not going to happen with us. But as president, Trump did go after Social Securitys more politically vulnerable disability benefits program. In 2020, Trump tried to increase the number of benefits reviews that would throw more beneficiaries out of the program, and instituted a rule banning benefits for people whose disabilities limit them to part-time work but do not prevent them from working altogether. These were unprecedented attacks on Social Security, Lawson said. Trump has even suggested that he agrees with more conventional Republican colleagues about the need to cut Social Security benefits, but that he sees it as politically unwise. There is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting, and in terms of also the theft and the bad management of entitlements, tremendous bad management of entitlements, Trump said on CNBC in March. The Biden campaign has hammered Trump for the comment. The remarks echoed something Trump told CNBC in January 2020, when he said of Social Security and Medicare cuts: At the right time, we will take a look at that. As for mass amnesty, Biden has previously supported creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., but more recently he endorsed an immigration reform and border security bill that omitted such a pathway. If Congress were to immediately allow 10 million undocumented immigrants to become citizens, and therefore eligible for Social Security retirement benefits something Biden has not proposed the policy change would be a net drain on the programs finances, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that opposes high levels of immigration. Related... Former associates of Donald Trump, look outthe Manhattan District Attorneys Office is lining up witnesses as his hush-money trial is set to begin. Rhona Graff, Trumps former assistant, and Madeleine Westerhout, his former director of Oval Office operations, are expected to testify in the trial, ABC News reported Monday, citing anonymous sources. They will join Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director and onetime aide to Trump, who has already testified before a grand jury investigating Trumps interference in the 2020 election. In addition, Deborah Tarasoff, a former employee in the Trump Organizations accounting department, as well Jeffrey McConney, the organizations onetime controller, will likely be called to testify. They all join the most well-known name on this list: Michael Cohen, Trumps former fixer and personal attorney. The list extends beyond Trumps ex-employees. David Pecker, a former executive with American Media Inc., will likely testify, as well as National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard. American Media Inc. used to own the tabloid newspaper, and prosecutors say both Howard and Pecker were involved in catch and kill methods to keep negative stories about Trump from spreading during his 2016 presidential campaign. The trial has already gotten off to a rough start from Trumps perspective. Hes facing an expanded gag order after he repeatedly attacked the daughter of presiding Judge Juan Merchan on Truth Social. Trump has tried to delay the trial numerous times, including by making the claim that theres too much pretrial publicity and by suing Merchan. The former president faces 34 felony charges for falsifying business records regarding a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election to hide a 2006 affair they had. Its his first criminal trial, and jury selection is set to begin on April 15. Keeping up with Donald Trumps court schedule is a dizzying task, since he faces two federal trials, a criminal trial in Georgia, and two separate civil and criminal trials in New York. (Oh, and hes running for president.) A programming note: Well be skipping the regular edition of Keeping Up next week as Trumps hush money trial begins, but well have plenty of other coverage of the trial! This roundup will return the week after. You can also find all the Trump trialrelated developments here. Trump is gearing up for this first criminal trial in his signature styleattack, attack, and attack some more. While the former presidents attorney filed a motion requesting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan recuse himself from the hush money case, Trump took to Truth Social to blast Merchan. Meanwhile, special counsel Jack Smith issued his sharpest rebuke yet to the judge assigned to his federal classified documents case. With one week left until the former presidents first criminal trial is set to begin, Trumps attorneys are throwing everything theyve got at New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, including a motion demanding he recuse himself, an appeal to pause his gag order, and a lawsuit seeking to delay the trial. Trumps attorneys are targeting Loren Merchan, the judges daughter, whom Trump has also previously attacked online, because she was president of Authentic Campaigns, a company thats worked on a host of Democratic campaigns including Vice President Kamala Harris 2020 presidential bid. Trumps attorneys argue this creates an appearance of impropriety and risks the fairness of the trial and that Merchan should recuse himself. The motion also argues that Merchans recent gag order, which bans Trump from publicly commenting on court staff, witnesses, prosecutors, their family members, and Merchans family is unfair because it threatens Trump with contempt and worse if he points out the Courts familial conflicts, wrote Todd Blanche, Trumps attorney. And on Monday, attorneys for Trump filed an appeal to pause that gag order alongside a request to move the venue of the hush money trial. In addition to that appeal, the New York Times reported that Trumps attorneys also intend to file a lawsuit against Merchan in an effort to delay the April 15 trial. Meanwhile, Trump has been on a tirade against the judges who have overseen his recent court battles, including Merchan. If this Partisan Hack wants to put me in the clink for speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson MandelaIt will be my GREAT HONOR, wrote Trump on Truth Social. The New York Supreme Court judge rejected Trumps last-ditch efforts to avoid his hush money trial, denying motions to delay the start date and claim presidential immunity. Trumps attorney filed the motion to dismiss back on March 7, claiming presidential immunity only 17 days before the hush money trial was supposed to begin on March 25. (After an unexpected drop of thousands of documents and some combative back-and-forth between Trump and Bragg, the trial was delayed until April 15.) Last week, Merchan ruled Trumps motion to dismiss was untimely, since it was filed only about two and half weeks before the March trial date, which raises real questions about the sincerity and actual purpose of the motion. Merchan noted that Trump has been claiming presidential immunity a whole lot lately. Less than two months ago, his lawyers filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to weigh in on his bid to dismiss special counsel Jack Smiths election interference trial on the grounds of presidential immunity. His attorneys also unsuccessfully tried claiming presidential immunity last summer when pushing to move the hush money case out of state court and into federal court. Despite having all this practice, the former presidents attorneys waited well past the 45-day period to file their presidential immunity defense in the hush money case, wrote Merchan, and they failed to raise it in any other pretrial motion, thereby forfeiting it. The judges ruling clears the way for Trump to face his first criminal trial next week. Last week, Smith did not spare any niceties for Judge Aileen Cannon in a court filing that rejected her strategy to allow a jury to decide whether the Presidential Records Act applies to the former presidents handling of classified documents when he was leaving the White House three years ago. Two days later, Cannon responded and called Smiths demands that she quickly make a decision on the PRA matter herself unprecedented and unjust. Smiths filing was a response to an exercise that Cannon had requested of both the prosecution and defensecome up with two scenarios for a jury to consider: 1) Is Trumps possession of a record considered personal or presidential under the Presidential Records Act? 2) Does Trump have the sole authority to categorize any record(s) as personal or presidential during his presidency? Trumps attorneys have argued that the PRA gives the former president authority to reassign classified documents as personal records, and Cannon appeared open to this defense. (The PRA dictates that official records of presidents and vice presidents are officially converted from private to public when they leave office, and it gives the National Archives authority to manage those records.) However, instead of directly ruling on the PRA defense, Cannon suggested a jury could weigh in on the question. Smith disagreed with that approach, in part because his indictment does not charge Trump with violating the PRA. The PRAs distinction between personal and presidential records has no bearing on whether a former Presidents possession of documents containing national defense information is authorized under the Espionage Act, wrote Smith. And the PRA should play no role in the jury instructions. However, Cannons latest order clarifies that her jury-instructions assignment should not be misconstrued as her final judgment on the PRA issue, rather it was a genuine attempt, in the context of the upcoming trial, to better understand the parties competing positions and the questions to be submitted to the jury in this complex case of first impressions. She also stipulated that Smith is always free to appeal her opinions as he sees fit. Cannons order also included bad news for Trump: The motion to dismiss the classified documents indictment was denied. After a New York appeals court threw the former president a lifeline and allowed the bond in his civil fraud judgment to be lowered from $454 million to only $175 million, Trump was able to post bond. He can now proceed with appealing New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engorons verdict. Under New York state law, defendants who are seeking an appealand want to stop authorities from collecting the fine they owe while the appeals process plays outmust post a bond worth the full value of the judgment. In Trumps case, that was $454 million, the penalty levied by Engoron, who found that Trump committed fraud when he overinflated the value of his assets on financial documents. He also banned Trump from serving as an executive of any New Yorkbased company for the next three years, and from taking out any loans from a New York financial institution. However, Trumps attorneys said securing a bond worth just shy of half a billion dollars was a practical impossibility, and they sought a lower bond amount. Once that request was granted, Trumps attorney confirmed the former president had posted a bond worth $175 million and that he looks forward to vindicating his rights on appeal and overturning this unjust verdict, said Alina Habba. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Possible green energy deals at COP29 to be held in Azerbaijan this November may offer access to broader markets, CEO at Romania's Smartlink Communications consulting company, analyst, consultant, and think tanker Radu Magdin told Trend. He believes that Azerbaijan will have many opportunities and challenges during COP29 this year, as the country can work together with other states to accomplish climate goals in the region and beyond by fostering cooperation, promoting inclusion and addressing unique issues into account. "First of all, Azerbaijans strategic location as an energy hub provides an opportunity for foreign stakeholders to engage in discussions related to the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. As a result, Azerbaijan could become a relevant country when the energy transition is discussed and some green energy deals expected during COP29 may offer economic opportunities and access to broader markets," said Magdin. Also, according to the expert, foreign stakeholders can leverage the spotlight on Azerbaijan to showcase their commitment to climate action and sustainable development. "But a really significant opportunity is that hosting COP29 could help Azerbaijan integrate more closely with the European community, especially given its role as a non-Russian natural gas supplier to the EU. So, Azerbaijans participation in climate action discussions can enhance its economic ties with Europe," he added. Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) this November. This decision was reached during the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11, 2023. In less than two weeks, Baku is poised to become the epicenter of global climate discussions, welcoming an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 foreign delegates. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, established during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, aims to avert perilous human interference with the climate system. COP, an acronym for Conference of Parties, signifies the highest legislative authority overseeing the Convention's implementation. Currently, 198 nations are party to the Convention. By default, COP sessions are convened annually unless otherwise decided by the participating parties. The inaugural COP convened in March 1995 in Berlin, with its secretariat headquartered in Bonn. As Azerbaijan prepares to host COP29, it assumes a pivotal role in advancing global efforts to address climate change, underscoring the urgency and importance of international cooperation in combating environmental challenges. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn Donald Trump the man most responsible for triggering the end of a federal right to abortion announced Monday that if he wins the presidential election in November, he does not plan to support further federal restrictions on the practice and would allow it to remain a state issue. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, Trump began. (The word everybody is being used liberally here: Roughly two-thirds of voters disapprove of the Supreme Courts decision overruling Roe v. Wade, according to a recent survey.) He went on: The states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land in this case, the law of the state. Its not a mystery why Trump made this announcement: Abortion is poised to play an outsized role in the election, with 83 percent of voters saying it will be either a major (51 percent) or minor (32 percent) factor in their calculus this November or why he made it now, with the Republican primary functionally over. What is also abundantly clear is the fact that this announcement is a farce: Abortion is already a federal issue. The announcement is part of Trumps broader, laughable campaign strategy, reported by Rolling Stone last fall, to run as a moderate on abortion in 2024. In his first term in office, Trump packed the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary more broadly with judges who continue to take up causes with national implications for abortion access, like the two cases before the high court this term. One Supreme Court case concerns nationwide access to the abortion pill, while the other represents an effort to eliminate the federal requirement that hospitals provide an emergency abortion if a pregnant persons life is at risk. Now that federal protections for abortion no longer exist, a motivated attorney general could move to enforce the Comstock Act, a Victorian-era vice law that bans the mailing of any article or thing designed or intended for the prevention of conception or procuring of abortion a law that anti-abortion activists have likened to a de facto national ban on abortion. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas recently seemed very curious about the possibility of reviving Comstock during oral arguments in the abortion pill case before the court. Trumps lawyer, Jonathan Mitchell has said, We dont need a federal ban when we have Comstock on the books Theres a smorgasbord of options. Bringing back the Comstock Act is just one of the many anti-abortion policies that the conservative Heritage Foundation has recommended as part of Project 2025, its 887-page mandate for the next Republican administration. No one has to wonder if Trump will be amenable to the groups suggestions: Back in 2018, one year into his term, Heritage boasted that Trump had already implemented two-thirds of its policy recommendations, the most of any president since the organizations founding. Then theres the fact that a caucus representing the majority of House Republicans recently endorsed a 15-week abortion ban. Whether or not Trump supports a federal ban during the 2024 campaign, such a policy could still wind up on his desk next year. The clearest sign that Trumps announcement is functionally meaningless comes from anti-abortion activists, who barely reacted to the news. SBA Pro-Life America, the most powerful anti-abortion advocacy group in the country, put out a short statement saying that while it was deeply disappointed by the news, the group would continue to work tirelessly to defeat President Biden and extreme congressional Democrats. Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life, had a similarly muted response. We clearly have some work to do to educate President Trump in the many ways that abortion has been made federal. But with the mutual goals of supporting families and welcoming young children, I can work with this, Hawkins said on X. Thats quite a change in tone for Hawkins and Students for Life, which previously blasted Trump for taking insufficiently pro-life positions. Students for Life was especially critical of a national 16-week ban on abortion reportedly considered by Trump earlier this year, a policy the group said would allow nine in 10 abortions allowed under current law. In the two months since The New York Times revealed that Trump was privately considering a 16-week federal ban reportedly because he liked how 16 weeks and four months are round numbers the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee flinched at the cross-partisan public responses to the idea, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. In recent weeks, Trump has groused behind closed doors that hed been told by several pro-lifers that 15-week or 16-week limits were popular. However, the former president has said that in the time since, hes seen backlash to those floated proposals that suggest embracing a specific federal ban would damage him at this point in the election. One of these sources tells Rolling Stone that since February, Trump had heard from some Fox News personalities hes known for many years who told him that campaigning against Biden, while tied down to a federal ban for a specific number of weeks, would be a gift to the Democratic Party. And, indeed, the Biden campaign quickly hosted a press conference, during which campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez called attention to Trumps comments and his role in appointing three members of the conservative Supreme Court supermajority that overturned Roe. She promised that if given a Democratic Congress, [President Biden] will restore the protections of Roe in federal law once and for all. These are the stakes in November. Some of Trumps most die-hard allies, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), had personally counseled Trump to campaign this year on 15-week federal restrictions, and on Monday expressed disappointment in the ex-presidents announcement. I respectfully disagree with President Trumps statement that abortion is a states rights issue, Graham said, adding, I will continue to advocate that there should be a national minimum standard limiting abortion at 15 weeks because the child is capable of feeling pain, with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. Another factor in Trumps continued refusal to publicly commit to a nationwide abortion ban involves his revulsion toward being stage-managed by other Republican Party and conservative movement bigwigs. Ever since the Times story published, the two sources and a Trump adviser say, Trump and several of his closest advisers grew convinced that anti-abortion leaders who wanted the former president to be more vocal and reassuring about their hardline demands for a second Trump administration had leaked his stated support for a 16-week ban, to try to lock him into a position that he wasnt prepared to announce yet. That pissed him off, the Trump adviser succinctly notes. Dont try to speak for President Trump. Indeed, the Trump campaign went into overdrive in February to try to spin the media into believing the Times report was fake. (The report was accurate, and Rolling Stone and other news outlets independently corroborated its findings.) In another sign of how much Trump views the issue as potential electoral kryptonite for him and other Republicans, even as he was avoiding pledging to advance any federal abortion legislation, he spoke of his personal support for exceptions to abortion bans in circumstances involving rape, incest, or a threat to life of the mother. In private, he has repeatedly said that it is important for the rest of the GOP to emphasize exceptions if they want to win elections and avoid scaring off must-win voting blocs, including suburban women. According to two sources familiar with the matter and another person briefed on it, since late 2022, Trump and his campaign have held a series of conference calls and meetings with influential players in the anti-abortion movement, in an attempt to corral their support and fend off other 2024 candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In several of these calls and meetings, when Trump would encourage attendees to frontload exceptions, exceptions, exceptions in their messaging, some anti-abortion activists would then directly ask him to clarify what he meant by exceptions. Essentially, the Trump campaign is betting that voters wont pay too much attention to the nuances of what those exceptions should look like, two sources tell Rolling Stone. Theyll hear President Trump is for exceptions, and that reads as middle-of-the-road on this issue of abortion, says one of the sources close to Trump. The Biden campaign seems ready to take that bet. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Trump Posts Bizarre Solar Eclipse Campaign Ad, With His Head Blocking Out the Sun In a new and bizarre campaign ad, Donald Trumps head takes the place of the moon and blocks out the sun in a nod to Mondays solar eclipse. The campaign video was shared on Truth Social on Sunday, and begins with the words, the most important moment in human history is taking place in 2024. It shows an image of the glowing sun as astonished crowds gather to watch the solar eclipse with protective eyewear on. As a huge shadow is cast on Earth, Trumps head comes to the fore. We will save America. And make it great again, the video concludes, a nod to his 2024 presidential campaign. The video invokes visuals and the opening score from Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey. The eclipse is set to sweep across Mexico, the United States, and Canada on Monday afternoon. As the moon passes between the sun and Earth, a moment of almost total darkness will be cast for a number of minutes. The event will not occur again in North America until 2044, but it last occurred seven years ago, during the first year of Trumps presidential term. Trump made headlines and meme pages after he ignored the advice of experts by looking directly at the eclipse without protective eyewear. His wife, then First-Lady Melania Trump and their son Barron were also present, and both wore glasses to observe the eclipse. Experts say that looking at the eclipse with a naked eye can cause blurred vision, floaters, blind spots, or low vision. In some extreme cases, where exposure is extended, retinal burns can lead to blindness. Read More: How to Safely Watch the Total Eclipse Solar retinopathy is a photochemical injury to your retina, Dr. Nicole Bajic, a surgical ophthalmologist at the Cleveland Clinic, previously told TIME. Sundays video campaign is the latest in a string of unusual statements the former President has made recently. During a Saturday night fundraiser in Palm Beach, FL, Trump claimed that the incumbent President Joe Biden literally soiled himself in the Oval Office at the White House. Trumps speech at the fundraiser lasted 45 minutes, during which he mocked Bidens policies, before referencing the widely recognizable Resolute desk, a gift from Queen Victoria in 1880. Ronald Reagan used it, others used it. And hes using it, he said of Biden. Its been soiled. And I mean that literally, which is sad, he commented. Write to Armani Syed at armani.syed@time.com. Former President Donald Trump comments as he leaves a pre-trial hearing during a recess with his defense team at Manhattan criminal, Monday, March 25, 2024, in New York. Trump requested that an appellate court change the trials location and make changes to his gag order. | Mary Altaffer On Monday, former President Donald Trump made last-minute efforts to delay his New York criminal trial date. Trump requested that an appellate court change the trials location and make changes to his gag order put into place last month by Judge Juan Merchan, who is ruling over the hush money case. The documents are not public, but in an online court database, they appear under the headers change of venue and stay, according to CBS News. Documents for an appeal related to a criminal proceeding are initially sealed while theyre reviewed for sensitive information. A judge from New Yorks Appellate Division is set to listen to oral arguments Monday regarding Trumps objection to the location of his criminal trial in New York and the recently broadened gag order that now includes the judges and district attorney Alvin Braggs family. The trial date is currently set for April 15, but that could change. A single appeals court judge will most likely issue a preliminary ruling on Monday, setting up a full five-judge panel to consider Mr. Trumps request in the coming days, per The New York Times. Braggs lawsuit against Trump accuses the 2024 presidential candidate of altering business records related to a payment meant to stop adult film star Stormy Daniels from disclosing information. The payment was arranged by Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, during the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. Trumps lawyers have tried several times to delay the trial, but this is their first attempt in an appeals court. The former president, who is again the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is aiming to push all four of his criminal cases past Election Day, The New York Times added. If he wins, the cases are likely to grind to a halt. A New York appeals court judge has rejected former President Donald Trumps request to delay his 15 April hush-money criminal trial while he fights to move the case out of Manhattan. The decision came Monday, a week before jury selection was set to start. Trumps lawyers had argued at an emergency hearing that the trial should be postponed while they seek a change of venue to move it out of heavily Democratic Manhattan. Trump was ready on Monday to sue the judge in his New York hush-money case a week before the start of the much-anticipated trial, the New York Times reported, detailing yet another attempt by the former president to delay legal proceedings against him. Related: Donald Trump says each US state should determine different abortion laws Citing court records indicating the filing of sealed documents and two unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, the paper said the aim was to delay trial and challenge a gag order imposed by the judge. Mr Trumps unorthodox move essentially an appeal in the form of a lawsuit is unlikely to succeed, particularly so close to trial, the paper said. Facing 34 criminal charges related to hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who claimed an affair with him, Trump has pleaded not guilty. He has repeatedly attacked the judge in the case, Juan Merchan, and members of his family, alleging political bias. The trial is set for Manhattan next Monday and will be the first criminal trial involving a former US president. Trump, the Times said, was also expected to ask an appeals court to move the trial out of Manhattan, his home borough before his post-presidency move to Florida but a heavily Democratic area. That gambit was also deemed unlikely to succeed. Harry Litman, a US attorney turned law professor and commentator, said: Trumps latest desperate move of personally suing Merchan in the appellate division is reminiscent of his initial gambit in Palm Beach [Florida], where judge [Aileen] Cannon permitted him to take the whole action off track [in his classified information case]. But wont happen here. Imagine if a criminal defendant could do this The Times said the suit would be an Article 78 action, under New York laws that can be used to challenge state agencies and judges. Trump faces 54 other criminal charges: 40 in Florida, over his retention of classified information after leaving office, and 14 over his attempt to overturn the 2020 election 10 in Georgia and four in Washington DC. Trump also faces multimillion-dollar penalties in two civil cases, both in New York, one concerning tax fraud and the other for defamation arising from a rape allegation a judge called substantially true. Denying all wrongdoing and claiming political persecution, Trump is attempting to delay all cases against him until after the presidential election in November. If he were to defeat Joe Biden and return to the White House, he could ensure the dismissal of federal charges in the classified information case and in four charges of election subversion. State charges would be tougher to deal with. In the New York hush-money case, Merchan last week denied an attempt to delay trial until the US supreme court rules on Trumps claim of immunity regarding any act committed in office, lodged in his federal election subversion case. Merchan has also rejected one call to recuse himself and is thought overwhelmingly likely to reject another. Donald Trump has rejected calls for a nationwide abortion ban, as he warned that extreme views on the issue could make it harder for Republicans to win votes. The former president said that individual states should be allowed to decide their own policies on terminations, but that there should be exceptions for women who have been raped or in instances of incest. Mr Trump has often avoided the question of abortion, considering it a toxic issue among potential Republican voters many of whom are not aligned with the partys sceptical position on the matter. In a video on Truth Social on Monday, he said he would not accede to some Republican demands for a federal ban on abortion, but defended his opposition to the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling, which was overturned in 2022. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, he said. The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and thats what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. Mr Trump said that like Ronald Reagan, he was strongly in favour of exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. Win elections However, he also warned that Republicans must win elections in order to enact their policies, suggesting that hardline views could turn off moderate voters in this years presidential election. You must follow your heart on this issue, he said. But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly a nation in decline. Mr Trumps intervention comes after Joe Biden promised to restore the Roe v Wade ruling with legislation if he wins a second term, using a congressional majority he hopes to win in November. In his State of the Union address last month, Mr Biden mentioned Kate Cox, who fled Texas to have an abortion because of the states restrictions on the practice. My predecessor took office determined to see Roe v Wade overturned and he brags about it, he said. Look at the chaos that has resulted. Joe Biden said Trump 'took office determined to see Roe v Wade overturned' - Abaca Press / Alamy Live News Republicans have struggled to find a consistent position on the issue, with hard-right figures pushed to support a nationwide ban on abortion that would require support in both houses of Congress. Last month, a poll by KFF Health found that two-thirds of the public, including majorities of Democrats and independents, support federal protections for abortion, while six in ten Republicans oppose them. Mr Trumps policy to leave abortion to individual states means he will not be required to promise restrictions or guarantees at a federal level. His comments were met with condemnation from pro-life Republicans. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said: We are deeply disappointed in President Trumps position. Saying the issue is back to the states, cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. On Roe v Wade, Mr Trump said he was probably the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars both sides wanted and, in fact, demanded be ended in 2022. While in office, he appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court, all of whom voted for the 6-3 majority ruling to overturn the ruling. Abortion is currently banned with limited exceptions in 14 states, including Texas, while a further 28 states have restrictions depending on gestational age. The limits range from six weeks to more than 24 weeks. Last week the Florida Supreme Court ruled that a planned six-week abortion ban can go ahead on May 1, denying an appeal that claimed the legislation would be unconstitutional. In his video, Mr Trump criticised radical Democrats who he claimed support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month. The baby is born, the baby is executed after birth. [It is] unacceptable, and almost everyone agrees with that, he said. Mr Biden responded by describing Mr Trump as more than anyone in America the person responsible for ending Roe v. Wade. Trump once said women must be punished for seeking reproductive health care and hes gotten his wish, he said. Women are being turned away from emergency rooms, forced to go to court to seek permission for the medical attention they need, and left to travel hundreds of miles for health care. His campaign released an advert highlighting the case of a woman in Texas who was denied an abortion after she suffered a miscarriage at 18 weeks pregnant. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Former President Trump declined to take a position on a potential federal abortion ban Monday and said the fate of the procedure should be left to individual states. Trump, in a roughly four-minute video posted to Truth Social, once again said he was proud to have ended Roe v. Wade through the appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices, but he did not endorse any kind of federal abortion legislation, which some conservative groups have pushed him to do. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, Trump said. The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and thats what they will be, he added. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or in many cases your religion or your faith. The former presidents statement was his most comprehensive to date on the divisive issue of abortion since he became the presumptive Republican nominee. But it was still evasive on the issue of whether he would as president sign a federal law limiting abortion after a certain number of weeks. In his statement, Trump referenced the importance of winning elections for Republicans. He had previously blamed the GOPs rhetoric on abortion for the partys struggles in the 2022 midterms. We have to bring our nation back from the brink, and thats where it is, he added. Always go by your heart, but we must win. We have to win. Trump reiterated his support for exceptions allowing for the procedure in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk. And he said the GOP should support procedures such as in vitro fertilization, which has been threatened following the end of Roe, that make it easier for Americans to start a family. And he called Democrats radical for supporting abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month. President Biden has said he does not support abortion on demand but has pushed to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade. Democrats and Biden campaign officials argued Trumps statement was both embracing the end of Roe and siding with states that have imposed severe limits on abortion. Donald Trump is endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions. And hes bragging about his role in creating this hellscape, Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said in response to Trumps video statement Monday. At the same time, Trumps statement drew criticism from prominent anti-abortion activists who argued his position allows Democrats to set the terms of the national debate over the issue. We are deeply disappointed in President Trumps position. Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry. The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act, Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement. Saying the issue is back to the states cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, she added. If successful, they will wipe out states rights. Trump over the past year has repeatedly dodged questions when asked whether he would sign a national abortion ban if reelected, instead claiming he would find a solution to unite the country on the extremely divisive issue. In recent weeks, he said there appeared to be consensus forming around a federal ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy. A February poll from The Economist/YouGov found 48 percent of respondents would support a national ban on abortions after 16 weeks of pregnancy. At the same time, Trump has repeatedly said he is responsible for terminating Roe v. Wade through his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices. The court overturned the landmark decision in a June 2022 ruling that has radically altered the landscape on abortion. In the nearly two years since, GOP-led states have enacted restrictions on the procedure and imposed penalties on doctors who perform it. In Florida, Trumps home state, a court last week upheld a 15-week ban and allowed a ban after six weeks of pregnancy to go into effect next month. Trump last September called the six-week ban a terrible mistake, though he has not weighed in on the latest court decision. Abortion has been a major motivator for Democratic voters in the nearly two years since the Supreme Court decision overturned the federal right to abortion access, and Biden and his campaign have used it as a rallying force heading into Novembers general election match-up with Trump. The Biden campaign has relentlessly warned voters that Trump would sign a national abortion ban and that his administration would restrict access to reproductive health care through agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration. Updated at 8:09 a.m. EDT For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Trump says abortion should be left to states but doesnt say how hell vote in Florida Former President Donald Trump on Monday made good on a promise to say more this week on abortion, but declined to say whether hell back a proposed constitutional amendment in Florida that would protect abortion rights up to the point of fetal viability, even as he insisted that individual states not the federal government should govern access to the procedure. Trumps remarks in a video statement came a week after the Florida Supreme Court handed down two key decisions on abortion rights: one paving the way for a six-week ban on the procedure to take effect, and the other allowing a proposed constitutional amendment safeguarding abortion access up to the point of fetal viability to appear on the November ballot. Pressed for his position on abortion in his home state, Trump promised to release more details. Instead, Trump addressed the issue of abortion rights more broadly. He said that states should be left to decide the issue, and declined to back a federal ban on the procedure that opponents of abortion rights have long sought. From a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, and, in this case, the law of the state, said Trump, who has taken credit for helping overturn the landmark precedent on abortion rights established by Roe v. Wade. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative stances, he noted. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. In his video statement on Monday, Trump also stressed that he supported access to fertility treatments, like in vitro fertilization, or IVF, after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that frozen embryos are children. The Alabama state legislature passed a measure protecting access to IVF after the court decision caused widespread political backlash. Trumps announcement served as an acknowledgement of how politically fraught the issue of abortion rights has been for Republicans since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade nearly two years ago. He has chastised members of his own party for going too far to restrict abortion access, and even blamed the GOPs lackluster performance in the 2022 midterm elections on abortion hardliners within his party. Democrats are hoping to capitalize on abortion restrictions in Florida and elsewhere in this years elections by casting Trump and other Republicans as extremists on the issue. After the Florida Supreme Court ruled last week that the states six-week abortion ban could go into effect, President Joe Bidens reelection campaign, which has been reluctant to invest in Florida this year, announced that it sees a path to victory in the state. With Trump clarifying his belief that abortion rights should be decided by the states, Democrats are likely to link him to some of the strictest abortion laws in the country. Biden pounced on Trumps comments on Monday, saying that the former president bears the blame for the state-level abortion restrictions that have cropped up since Roe v. Wade was overturned. He also said that the remarks offered no real assurance that Trump would reject a national abortion ban if elected to the White House in November. Let there be no illusion, Biden said. If Donald Trump is elected and the MAGA Republicans in Congress put a national abortion ban on the Resolute Desk, Trump will sign it into law. Trump on Monday, however, sought to turn the tables on Democrats by claiming that they are willing to go too far to preserve abortion rights. He accused Democrats of seeking to legalize abortion up until and even after birth, echoing rhetoric that other Republicans have used to criticize the Florida ballot initiative to safeguard access to the procedure. It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position, because they support abortion up to, and even beyond, the ninth month [of pregnancy], he said. The concept of having an abortion in the later months and even execution after birthis unacceptable, and almost everyone agrees with that. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has come out against the proposed amendment, said last week that the ballot measure is very, very extreme, and predicted that Florida voters would reject it in November. The measure will need to win at least 60% of the vote to pass. Proponents of the Florida abortion measure say that the proposed amendment would not legalize abortion up until birth, noting that viability is generally understood to be around 24 weeks of pregnancy. The proposal would also allow for a woman to have an abortion when its determined to be medically necessary to protect the patients health, but the procedure is rarely conducted after 21 weeks of pregnancy, according to KFF, a non-profit, non-partisan healthcare policy organization. Claims of abortions occurring moments before birth or even after birth are false. These scenarios do not occur, nor are they legal in the United States, KFF states in a policy paper on late-term abortions. Trump says abortion policy should be left to the states, backing away from national ban Former President Donald Trump, the presumed 2024 Republican nominee for president, said in a video on Monday, April 8, 2024, that abortion law should be set by the states. Trump is shown speaking May 28, 2022 in Casper, Wyoming. (Chet Strange/Getty Images) WASHINGTON Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump announced a shift in his views on abortion laws Monday, releasing a video advocating for state legislatures to make those decisions, not Congress and was immediately met with strong criticism from an influential anti-abortion group that said it should remain a national debate. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote, or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state, Trump said in a nearly five-minute video he posted to social media. Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative than others, and thats what they will be, he added. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or in many cases your religion or your faith. Trump said he supports exceptions to abortion bans to allow pregnancy terminations in cases of rape, incest and the life of the pregnant patient. Trumps video is a departure from comments hes made on the campaign trail that he would support a 16-week nationwide ban. The shift in his policy platform less than seven months before Election Day could be viewed as an effort by Trump to appeal to centrist Republicans and swing voters, especially women, as Democrats have sought to rally supporters behind reproductive rights. In the last two years, voters in a number of states have approved ballot questions that bolstered support for abortion access, including those in Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. Several other states, including Arizona and Florida, are likely to have abortion access questions on this Novembers ballot, alongside the choice for president and representation in both chambers of Congress. President Joe Biden wrote in a statement released by his reelection campaign that Trump once said women must be punished for seeking reproductive health care and hes gotten his wish. Women are being turned away from emergency rooms, forced to go to court to seek permission for the medical attention they need, and left to travel hundreds of miles for health care, Biden wrote. Because of Donald Trump, one in three women in America already live under extreme and dangerous bans that put their lives at risk and threaten doctors with prosecution for doing their jobs, Biden added. And that is only going to get worse. Deeply disappointed Anti-abortion organizations immediately expressed frustration with Trumps most recent campaign stance, while reproductive rights organizations questioned its truthfulness. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser wrote in a statement the organization is deeply disappointed in President Trumps position and reiterated the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act. Saying the issue is back to the states cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, Dannenfelser wrote. If successful, they will wipe out states rights. South Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham also broke with Trump on the issue, writing in a statement that the pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child not geography. Graham, ranking member on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would continue to press for a 15-week nationwide abortion ban with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the pregnant patient. Until he can garner the votes to move that bill through Congress, Graham wrote, he would press for a law requiring abortion providers to administer anesthesia to an unborn child at fifteen weeks. Abortion rights supporters were highly critical. Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju wrote in a statement that she didnt believe Trumps comments in the video, calling him a liar. He knows that publicly supporting bans loses voters, so he deployed dangerous disinformation about abortion in order to distract from the truth about what he will do if elected, Timmaraju wrote. Hes responsible for the harm and chaos caused by Republicans abortion bans in the states, and all he is saying is that he wants more of it, Timmaraju added. The stakes couldnt be higher, and we need to elect reproductive freedom majorities in Congress and send President Biden and Vice President Harris back to the White House to restore the federal right to abortion and expand access. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, cast doubt that Trump would hold the stance for any length of time, writing in a statement, Lets wait a few weeks and see what his new position will be. Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said on a call with reporters Monday afternoon that Trumps video shows his support for those extreme bans and made clear he will support these bans in all 50 states. Make no mistake, leaving it to the states is an endorsement of the cruel and dangerous abortion bans across the country made possible only by Donald Trump, Rodriguez said. The abortion bans currently in place in Republican states sometimes exclude exceptions for rape and incest, and can take effect before a woman knows shes pregnant, Rodriguez said. Abortion decision Trump was president before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the constitutional right to abortion it established in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case and reaffirmed in the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling. The conservative justices on the court wrote in their ruling ending nationwide protections that the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives. That would include Congress, should lawmakers choose to pursue a nationwide law. Trump didnt say in the video if he would veto such a bill or work to prevent it from reaching his desk, in the event he is reelected president and has a Republican-controlled Congress. In the video, Trump personally thanked the conservative justices on the Supreme Court who ended the right to an abortion and commented that he was proudly the person who was responsible for that ruling. Trump didnt comment specifically in the video about whether he would seek to enforce an 1873 anti-obscenity law that many anti-abortion advocates say could ban the mailing of medication abortion. The Comstock Act, as its called, came up at the U.S. Supreme Court in late March when the justices heard oral arguments over access to mifepristone, one of two pharmaceuticals used in medication abortions. That law hasnt been enforced in decades but it bars the mailing of Every article or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral use. Trump and IVF Trump also addressed access to in vitro fertilization in his video, saying the Republican Party wants to make it easier for mothers and families to have babies, not harder. That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments, like IVF, in every state in America, Trump said, later adding he strongly supports the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby. Trump thanked lawmakers in Alabama for enacting civil and criminal protections for IVF clinics so they could resume treatments after the states Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos constituted children. While many of the IVF clinics in the state restarted their work after the new law was put in place, a Mobile, Alabama, IVF clinic said it will cease at the end of the year due to a lawsuit over the process. Today Im pleased that the Alabama Legislature has acted very quickly and passed legislation that preserves the availability of IVF in Alabama, Trump said. They really did a great and fast job. Trump said that the GOP should always be on the side of the miracle of life and the side of mothers, fathers and their beautiful babies. And thats what we are. IVF is an important part of that and our great Republican Party will always be with you in your quest for the ultimate joy in life, Trump said. Republicans in the U.S. Senate have blocked two bills from moving forward that would have addressed access to IVF, following the questions about the process in Alabama. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi in late February blocked efforts by Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth to pass a bill that would have implemented nationwide protections of IVF patients and health care providers. That legislation would have barred limitations on assisted reproductive technology services that are more burdensome than limitations or requirements imposed on medically comparable procedures, do not significantly advance reproductive health or the safety of such services and unduly restrict access to such services. In mid-March, Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford blocked Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray from quickly passing legislation that would have expanded access to fertility treatments for military members and veterans. The bill, titled the Veteran Families Health Services Act, would have allowed troops to freeze their eggs or sperm before shipping out to a combat zone or a hazardous duty assignment. It would also have broadened access to VAs adoption services. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Trump says abortion policy should be left to the states, backing away from national ban appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Former President Donald Trump said Monday that abortion laws should be left to the states, many of which have enacted new restrictions since he appointed Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn federal protections for the procedure. In a 4-minute video released on his Truth Social media platform, Trump made several false claims, including that "we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint" in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision. A majority of Americans have consistently said in polling that they favor the Roe v. Wade protections that the court dismantled. "My view is, now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land," Trump said. In doing so, he refused to take a position on the national ban that has been promoted by some of his staunchest allies, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and former White House aide Kellyanne Conway. In the past, Trump had hinted that he might embrace a national ban, referring to a 15- or 16-week threshold as a consensus position. Trump did not say what he would do if he won the presidency and Congress sent him a national ban. Trump's silence on the matter upset at least one prominent anti-abortion group in Washington. Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser, who has pushed Republicans to adopt a weeks-based ban at the national level, said she is "deeply disappointed in President Trump's position" on the matter. "Saying the issue is 'back to the states' cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy," she said. "If successful, they will wipe out states' rights." Graham also criticized Trump's stance, saying in a statement, "Dobbs does not require that conclusion legally and the pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child not geography." Democrats in Congress have signed onto a bill that would limit states ability to restrict abortion rights. No Democrat in Congress has proposed mandating abortion. Unless either party can control the House and 60 votes in the Senate at the same time, the prospects for legislation limiting or expanding abortion rights are dim. It is unlikely that Trump would be presented with an abortion-ban bill. Over the last quarter of a century and even since he became a candidate for office in 2015, Trump has been all over the map on the abortion issue. Since the 2024 campaign began, he's offered few specifics about which policies hed back in the post-Roe v. Wade era should he win the White House. Trump, a Florida resident, hasnt said where he stands on that state's new six-week ban. When hes teased support for a nationwide ban, his words often appear to contradict formal statements put out by his campaign. Trump has said he supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother, a position he reiterated in Monday's video. But the president does not determine how states make their laws. Trump has frequently gloated over being responsible for the reversal of Roe v. Wade, which dismantled reproductive rights protections. But he also blamed GOP losses in 2022 on the issue and has said Republicans need to learn how to talk about abortion in a way that doesn't turn off potential voters. Last September, more than a year after abortion protections were reversed, he made a vague overture in an interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press" that he would be a voice of consensus on abortion but didnt specify how. Let me just tell you what Id do, he said. Im going to come together with all groups, and were going to have something thats acceptable. At the time, he said he wouldnt sign a federal abortion ban at 15 weeks. In recent months, however, Trump moved in the direction of a federal abortion ban even as some of his statements were at odds with his campaign. After reports surfaced that he told allies he was mulling a federal abortion ban at 16 weeks, his campaign dismissed it as fake news. Soon after, Graham told NBC News that Trump is warming up to 16 weeks. And then Trump himself in an interview suggested hed support a 15-week ban. The prospect of the top of the GOP ticket backing a federal abortion ban at a time when Democrats are elevating the issue as a central point of attack could put swing-state Republicans in a trick box, after some have attempted to moderate their positions. Statements from Trumps campaign, however, seem to be leaning toward states rights and not a federal ban. President Trump supports preserving life but has also made clear that he supports states rights because he supports the voters right to make decisions for themselves, Brian Hughes, a Trump senior adviser, said in a statement. He added: President Trump thinks voters should have the last word. After offering little clarity, at a campaign rally last week in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump said his campaign would be making a statement next week on abortion after he was asked if he supported the six-week abortion ban that the Florida Supreme Court had just upheld. President Joe Bidens campaign has seized on Trumps varying remarks on abortion, particularly his boasts of having a hand in overturning Roe v. Wade, with the president saying in a new ad, Donald Trump doesnt trust women. I do. Biden continued that theme after Trump's video remarks on Monday, saying in a statement released by his campaign, Donald Trump made it clear once again today that he is more than anyone in America the person responsible for ending Roe v. Wade. He is more than anyone in America responsible for creating the cruelty and the chaos that has enveloped America since the Dobbs decision. Trump is scrambling, Biden added. Hes worried that since hes the one responsible for overturning Roe the voters will hold him accountable in 2024. Well, I have news for Donald. They will." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Former President Trump said he would put out a statement on Monday morning on abortion following a Florida court ruling that prompted questions about whether he supports the states looming ban on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. Republicans, and all others, must follow their hearts and minds, but remember that, like Ronald Reagan before me, I, and most other Republicans, believe in EXCEPTIONS for Rape, Incest, and Life of the Mother, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Great love and compassion must be shown when even thinking about the subject of LIFE, but at the same time we must use common sense in realizing that we have an obligation to the salvation of our Nation, which is currently in serious DECLINE, TO WIN ELECTIONS, without which we will have nothing other than failure, death, and destruction. We will not let that happen, he added. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has over the past year repeatedly dodged questions when asked whether he would sign a national abortion ban if reelected, instead claiming he would find a solution to unite the country on an extremely divisive issue. At the same time, Trump has repeatedly said he is responsible for terminating Roe v. Wade through his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices. He has simultaneously blamed GOP messaging on abortion for election losses since the landmark ruling was overturned in June 2022. His position on the issue was thrust back into the spotlight after a Florida court decision that upheld the states 15-week ban on abortion. The ruling also allowed a separate six-week ban will be triggered and will take effect May 1 banning abortion at a point of gestation before many women know they are pregnant. Trump last September called the six-week ban a terrible mistake, angering some evangelicals and activists who have pushed for strong restrictions on abortion. Abortion has been a major motivator for Democratic voters in the nearly two years since the Supreme Court decision overturned the federal right to abortion access, and Biden and his campaign have used it as a rallying force heading into Novembers general election match-up with former President Trump. There isnt a statement Donald Trump can make that changes the facts he BRAGS about overturning Roe, and that without him there would be no abortion bans at all, and he is responsible for the hellscape women live in today. Those are his words. Its all on tape, Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said Sunday in response to Trumps expected statement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. COP29 will open a new page in Azerbaijan's relations with the UN, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov said during a meeting of the Joint Government-UN Steering Committee on the implementation of the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025', Trend reports. "Organization of a platform in Azerbaijan to discuss the most pressing problems of humanity in the world, such as the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), confirms our country's position as a responsible partner in addressing global issues and will open a new page in our relations with the UN," he said. He reminded that the current year in Azerbaijan has been declared the Year of Solidarity for a Green World. "Based on the above-mentioned decree, as well as taking into account the organization of COP29 in our country this November, I think it would be appropriate to give priority to environmental projects in 2024, even in the projects we are implementing under the Framework Document," he added. To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Azerbaijan in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,00080,000 foreign guests. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel (Bloomberg) -- Former President Donald Trump said states should decide abortion policy, avoiding taking a position on a national ban as he struggles to navigate a motivating issue for Democrats. Most Read from Bloomberg My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, he said in a video posted on Truth Social, praising the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 that allowed states to set their own standards for access to abortion. Many states will be different, he said. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and thats what they will be. At the end of the day, its all about the will of the people. Trump resisted pressure from anti-abortion groups to set a firm limit, such as 15 weeks of pregnancy, for a national abortion ban. Yet that will almost certainly do little to blunt attacks from Democrats, who blame him for the Supreme Court decision ending nationwide abortion rights, while leaving his religious conservative allies dissatisfied. Trump is scrambling, President Joe Biden, who will face the former president again in November, said in a statement. Hes worried that since hes the one responsible for overturning Roe the voters will hold him accountable in 2024. Read More: Republicans Are Attacking IVF With a Slew of Proposed State Laws Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a prominent conservative group, said it was deeply disappointed in Trumps announcement and that declining to back nationwide limits on abortion cedes the national debate to the Democrats. Trump and his campaign for months have tried to neutralize one of the Republicans biggest disadvantages their stance on reproductive rights heading into the general election. Democrats have successfully used the issue in elections since the Supreme Courts decision two years ago. Trump did not call for exceptions to abortion bans, but said he supported them. Read More: Biden Team Touts Abortion Access as Florida Adds Ballot Measure Like Ronald Reagan, I am strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, he said. You must follow your heart on this issue. The former president also said he supported ensuring access to IVF technology in every state in America. By leaving abortion up to the states, Trump is sidestepping the division in his party between anti-abortion advocates, many of whom want abortion halted in the US entirely, and moderate voters, who feel comfortable with abortion in certain circumstances. Biden and his Democratic allies have used the Republican Partys divided position on abortion to galvanize its base, lambasting the former president in television ads and on the campaign trail on his previous statements on abortion. Polls consistently show widespread support for reproductive rights and every ballot initiative protecting abortion access since the Supreme Court ruling has won, including in Republican-dominated states such as Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio. (Updates to include Biden comment in fifth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Trump sues judge in Stormy Daniels case, seeking to delay trial and move it out of Manhattan Former President Donald Trump is suing the Manhattan judge overseeing the criminal case against him, according to a legal filing on Monday reported by The New York Times. Trump, who is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a 2016 hush payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, has spent weeks now railing against Judge Juan M. Merchan. One ex-prosecutor likened his attacks on Merchan and Merchans daughter to the behavior of a mob boss. That behavior led Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to seek a revised gag order barring such attacks on the judges family. Now, with the trial set to begin April 15, Trump is again trying to stall the case against him, this time with a legal filing that directly targets Judge Merchan. According to the Times, the filing constitutes an Article 78 action, a proceeding that can be used to challenge decisions by state officials and judges in New York. While it remains under seal, the former president has claimed that the gag order against him violates his right to free speech. CBS News noted that Trumps lawyers also on Monday asked a state appeals court to overturn the gag order against him and move the case out of Manhattan. Judge Merchan had previously denied Trump's efforts to push back the trial until after the Supreme Court rules on his argument that former presidents enjoy total legal immunity after leaving office. Trump is accused of directing his personal attorney to make a $130,000 payment ahead of the 2016 election to buy the silence of Daniels, who claims she had an affair with the former president. Michael Cohen, who made the payment on Trumps behalf, himself received a three-year prison sentence in 2018. Former President Trump sued the New York judge overseeing his hush money case Monday over the gag order he imposed on the former president an eleventh-hour bid to delay the trial which is scheduled to begin next week. Judge Juan Merchans gag order bars Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judges family, but doesnt stop him from hurling insults at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) or the judge himself. The documents were placed under seal, though several outlets have reported that they pertain to the gag order. The Hill requested comment from Trumps lawyers and his campaign regarding the lawsuit, which essentially functions as an appeal of the gag order. Merchan cited Trumps uncontested record of attacks on those involved in his legal matters in his original order curbing the former presidents speech. He originally refrained from gagging Trump, instead choosing to admonish him, but agreed to do so after Braggs office requested it last month. Weeks later, the judge expanded his order to include attacks against his family and Braggs family following a series of posts Trump made about the judges daughter, who works at a progressive political consulting firm. Merchans daughter, Loren, is an executive at the digital agency Authentic, which boasts clients including prominent Democrats President Biden and Vice President Harris. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y) is a past client. Loren Merchan is also the subject of the former presidents efforts to recuse the judge from the case an effort he has mounted twice. The most recent bid came Friday, when Trump asked the judge to recuse because his daughter has a direct financial interest in the former presidents case, given the firms work for his 2024 presidential election opponents. The long-shot lawsuit against Merchan comes just a week before Trump is scheduled to head to trial in his New York criminal case on April 15. The former president faces 34 charges linked to hush money payments made by his ex-fixer to porn actress Stormy Daniels with the aim of covering up an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty. A New York appeals judge could preliminarily rule on Trumps lawsuit against Merchan as soon as Monday, before the matter goes to a full five-judge panel to consider the request. Trump previously employed the tactic in his New York civil fraud trial, during which a different Manhattan judge imposed a similar gag order. The bid was appealed to New Yorks highest court and denied. Trump has sought to delay his Manhattan criminal trial and the other three criminal cases against him until after the 2024 election, in which he is the GOPs presumptive nominee, which could put all of them on ice. If the hush money trial proceeds as planned, it will mark Trumps first criminal trial and the first criminal trial of any former U.S. president. The Associated Press contributed. This story was updated on April 9 at 11:25 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Donald Trump has claimed that President Joe Biden soiled himself in the Oval Office in yet another baseless, wild rant about his political nemesis. The former president made the remarks during a speech at a fundraiser hosted by billionaire financier John Paulson in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday night an event that the Trump campaign claims raked in a record-busting $50.5m haul. In his 45-minute presentation, Mr Trump lambasted Mr Bidens border policy and mocked him for making what he claims to be poor decisions behind the Resolute Desk, the iconic Oval Office desk which was gifted to the US by Queen Victoria in 1880. The Resolute Desk is beautiful, Mr Trump allegedly said, an attendee told The New York Times. Ronald Reagan used it, others used it. And hes using it, he added, referring to Mr Biden. Mr Trump then went on to claim that he might not use the infamous Resolute Desk if he returns to the Oval Office, claiming that Mr Biden had defecated on it. Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump, arrives at the home of billionaire investor John Paulson, with former first lady Melania Trump, on April 6, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida (Getty Images) Its been soiled. And I mean that literally, which is sad, he commented. The remarks reportedly elicited a laugh from guests, who interpreted the remark as the former president saying that Mr Biden had literally defecated on the desk. The unnamed attendee also recalled Mr Trumps tirade against the presidents immigration policies. The former president allegedly faslely claimed that Mr Bidens immigration policy includes migrants being shipped in, brought in, deposited in our country, adding that the newly arrived migrants make the Hells Angels look like extremely nice people. These are people coming in from prisons and jails, Mr Trump said. Theyre coming in from just unbelievable places and countries, countries that are a disaster. Joe Biden sitting at the Resolute Desk (Getty Images) He then appeared to allude to his contentious 2018 remark where he labeled Haiti, El Salvador, and several African nations as s***hole countries while saying he only wants people arriving from so-called nice countries. And when I said, you know, why cant we allow people to come in from nice countries, Im trying to be nice, he reflected. Nice countries, you know like Denmark, Switzerland? Do we have any people coming in from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway? Mr Trump went on to say that there were people coming from Yemen where theyre blowing each other up all over the place. From left, John Paulson, Alina de Almeida, Melania Trump, and Donald Trump gather for a fundraiser at Paulsons Palm Beach home on 6 April, 2024 (AP) During his rallies, Mr Trump is often accused of pushing racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric about migrants from several countries from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In some of his most inflammatory comments, he accused immigrants of poisoning the blood of the country language which appears to mirror that of Adolf Hitler. He has also blamed the rise in migrants crossing the USs southern border for a spike in crime. But this claim is not supported by data. Nationwide crime declined in 2023, according to the FBI, with homicides decreasing by 13 per cent from the previous year. This followed an unprecedented spike in homicides from 2019 to 2020 when Mr Trump was in office. Meanwhile, a 2020 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that US-born citizens are over two times more likely to be arrested for violent crimes than undocumented immigrants. Mr Trump ended his presentation by giving a grave assessment of Americas future. This could very well be the last election this country ever has, he allegedly said. July 4 is not as important as this as far as Im concerned. Melania Trump, who has barely been seen in public since her husband left office, made a rare appearance with him at the fundraiser. An advisor to Donald Trump, the U.S. Republican Party's presumptive nominee for the 2024 presidential run, refuted claims in the media that the ex-president would push Ukraine to give up some of its territory if reelected, The New York Post reported on April 7. The Washington Post wrote earlier the same day, citing undisclosed sources, that Trump had privately said he could end Russia's war by pressuring Ukraine to cede Crimea and Donbas to Moscow. According to the Washington Post, Trump also said he believes that both Moscow and Kyiv "want to save face, they want a way out," claiming that Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territories would be okay with being part of Russia. "The whole thing is fake news from the Washington Post. They're just making it up," Trump's advisor, Jason Miller, told The New York Post. "President Trump is the only one talking about stopping the killing. Joe Biden is talking about more killing." Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Trump has repeatedly said he could end Russia's war within 24 hours if elected president, without specifying the steps for reaching a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. Biden's most likely challenger during the upcoming election has also extensively criticized the current administration's support for Ukraine. Hard-line Republican lawmakers close to Trump oppose further assistance for Kyiv, reportedly pressuring House Speaker Mike Johnson not to call a vote on the $60 billion aid package for Ukraine in the House of Representatives. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of ceding the country's territories in exchange for peace. At the same time, Zelensky said that Ukraine is likely to lose the war unless Congress approves additional support. Russia illegally annexed Crimea and invaded Donbas in 2014. In September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally declared the annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian oblasts: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Read also: Why some far-right Republicans are hell bent on ending further aid to Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party officially kicked off their high-dollar general election fundraising operation Saturday evening, with major donors -- both his vocal loyalists and those just now getting off the sidelines -- gathering in Palm Beach, Florida, to support the GOP's presumptive nominee. For the second time this election cycle, former first lady Melania Trump was publicly seen joining the former president for a political occasion after she was last seen with her husband publicly at a polling location in Palm Beach on Florida's primary election day. The fundraiser, hosted by billionaire John Paulson, has brought in more than $50 million for the Trump campaign and the Republican Party, according to the organizers, which would eclipse President Joe Biden's fundraiser with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton in New York last weekend, where they said they raised $26 million. Trump spoke to donors about tax cuts, border security, "energy independence," eliminating President Joe Biden's electric vehicle mandate, and protecting Israel, according to a campaign official and others familiar with his remarks. Trump delivered a speech of about 45 minutes in front of more than 100 guests before they all dined together. After, he again spoke at length and introduced some of his close allies and former 2024 contenders. PHOTO: Former President Trump Arrives At A Fundraiser In Palm Beach, Florida (Alon Skuy/Getty Images) MORE: In rare appearance, Melania Trump to headline Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for conservative LGBT group Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott, Gov. Doug Burgum, RNC Chair Michael Whatley and co-chair Lara Trump were among those Trump introduced to speak in front of the crowd after dinner, one donor who attended the major fundraising event told ABC News. Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle and Tiffany Trump were at the fundraiser as well. "Vivek's and Laras remarks were the most inspiring after President Trump, whose remarks were the best weve ever heard from him," the attendee said. "Focused. Strong. Kind regarding others. But very strong on what exactly he would do when President again. He said no retribution, just SUCCESS for every single American." The attendee said donors and guests at the fundraiser were "most upset" about Biden's recent call for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza, saying that topic was "vocalized" by other attendees of the event. The attendee described the key takeaway from Trump's remarks Saturday night as "grateful." Trump and the Republican Party, which had been disadvantaged by not being able to raise money together until Trump became the party's presumptive nominee, had a big fundraising gap to catch up to with Trump and the RNC entering April with $100 million less in the bank compared to the Biden campaign and the Democratic Party's $190 million war chest, according to figures announced by the respective campaigns. The Trump campaign, however, touted Saturday's fundraiser as the beginning of its major general election fundraising push while wealthy Republican donors unite behind him, claiming it's a show of the former president's fundraising prowess that will allow them to quickly close the gap with their Democratic counterparts. "It took three Democrat presidents to raise $25 million and one president to raise over $50 million, Donald J. Trump," Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said in a statement. Before walking into host John Paulson's house Saturday evening, Trump briefly spoke to the press, touting what an "incredible evening" the night has already been. "This has been some incredible evening before it even starts because people wanted to contribute to a cause of making America great again," he said, as he stressed the importance of November Election Day. MORE: Trump faces major financial disadvantage against Biden as legal bills eat into allies' cash: Filings Ticketed north of $800,000 per donor, the event raised money for the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, and dozens of state GOP committees as well as Trump's Save America leadership PAC -- up to $5,000 per donor -- which has covered tens of millions of dollars of his legal bills, according to disclosures. Co-chairs of Trump's Saturday fundraiser include several former ambassadors and Trump administration officials like former Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon and former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross as well as New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, according to an invitation to the fundraiser that was obtained by ABC News. Former Trump Victory finance chair Todd Ricketts, energy mogul Harold Hamm, aerospace executive Robert Bigelow, hedge fund manager Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer and casino tycoon Phil Ruffin are also among the co-chairs, the invitation said. "Tonight, we raised an historic $50.5 million for the re-election of President Trump," Paulson wrote in a statement to ABC News Saturday evening. "This sold-out event has raised the most in a single political fundraiser in history. This overwhelming support demonstrates the enthusiasm for President Trump and his policies." MORE: Trump's next big fundraiser is going to outraise Biden's Obama event, his allies claim Earlier on Saturday, Biden took aim at Trump's fundraiser in a fundraising video on X, Instagram and Facebook thanking grassroots donors for their contributions to his campaign and criticizing Trump for attending a fundraiser for only wealthy donors. "Folks, you know, Trump is down in Florida today raising money from a bunch of hedge fund billionaires," Biden said. "This campaign is Scranton vs. Palm Beach, this is a grassroots campaign of nurses and teachers and firefighters and cops versus Donald Trump and a couple of billionaires looking for a tax cut." Tickets for Biden's fundraiser with Obama and Clinton last weekend went up to $500,000, lower than the tickets for Trump's fundraiser Saturday night, but the Biden campaign and the Democratic Party have accepted donations north of $800,000. Trump's Palm Beach fundraiser, joined by Melania Trump, rakes in $50 million, organizers say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com NOTE: This column was written Sunday. Trump announced early Monday morning that he would leave the issue to the states as president, rather than support a national abortion ban after 15 weeks. It should be plenty clear by now that the contemporary right in this country has only two principles: one, maintain power; two, troll the libs. Every other consideration is subordinated to those two usually complementary goals, as were about to see in stark relief this week. Last week, Trump said that this would be the week when hed unveil his great abortion rights compromise. There is, alas, no drama surrounding the announcement, since he and his people have been quasi-announcing for weeks that hes going to propose a national ban after 15 weeks. Well end up with peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years, Trump has said. That isnt remotely true. Pro-choice America wont be happy with 15 (or possibly 16) weeks. Roe v. Wade held that abortion was permissible until a fetus could live outside the womb, which today is 23 or 24 weeks. Thats vastly different from 15 weeks. People who believe that women should control their reproductive freedom will never accept a compromise that rushes women into making such a momentous decision just a few weeks after theyve learned theyre pregnant, nor should they. And were already seeing in various states, where citizens have been allowed to express themselves at the ballot boxin the precise manner that Justice Samuel Alito proposed (however insincerely) that they shouldthat enshrining, protecting, and even expanding reproductive freedoms is where the people want to go. But lets also look to Trumps right. There you will find a rumbustious army of zealots who will not be making peace anytime soon, either. They want six weeks, no weeks, no in-vitro fertilization, the jailing of doctors performing abortions and women who get them, bounties placed on those who aid and abet reproductive freedom, vigilantes patrolling the highways, and more. And it will hardly stop thereas New Republic contributor Susan Rinkunas pointed out, the new far-right fascination with the Comstock Act signals a broad war against the sexual revolution itself, putting contraception, marriage equality, and no-fault divorce on the table. Do you think these people are prepared to accept Trumps phony peace when they believe that giving women up to 15 weeks to decide this question is tantamount to murder? No, at best, this makes Trump, at the very least, complicit in murder in their minds. Ahh, but will they say that? Maybe a few will criticize his position, but mostly, theyll fall right into line and applaud Trump as the great compromiser. They know this is the issue that can kill them, so they have to invert reality on it. Its a mirror image of how the right works. Usually, they love Trump because he takes hard-right positions and sticks it to the libs. The Muslim ban, the border talk, the vermin rhetoric, and so on. Fox News and other right-wing outlets promote and echo this extremism constantly. But on Fox News this week, theyre going to be saluting Trump for doing the opposite. By the end of the week, I bet Fox hosts will have called Trump a brave compromiser and moderate and conciliator a couple hundred times. Cant you just hear it? This is real leadership. Donald Trump understands that there are competing strongly held views on this topic across the country, and he has selflessly put aside his own strongly held personal views to try to find a compromise position all Americans can live with. That is presidential leadership, my friends. Yes, thats exactly the opposite of what wed expect them to say. And its exactly the opposite of what they ought to be saying if they had actual principles and really believed that abortion is murder. But they dont. They have only the two principles I stated above. And of those two, the second, trolling the libs, is the more important. Power matters a lot to them, dont get me wrong. But trolling the libs matters more. Think of it: They do things all the time that show that feeding their basetrolling the libsis more important to them than winning. Take impeaching Joe Biden. Every poll in the world showed them that that was a bananas idea. That independents and swing voters thought it was a waste of time and money. Yet they did it. They still want to do it. Now: Trumps abortion position may seem on the surface like its the opposite of the wild-eyed desires that fuel the impeachment drive. After all, the former is a moderate position, the latter an extreme one. But actually, no! What they have in common is that both positions troll the libs very hard. Because what could drive liberals crazier than the idea that Donald Trump is a moderate conciliator? The right knows this, and theyll push it hard. There is precedent for this. Some of you may remember the first Barack ObamaMitt Romney debate in 2012. Romney had spent a year-plus on the trail taking pretty hard-right positions (at least, for 2012; some seem mild now). Then, in that first debate, he turned on a dime. He took a range of centrist positions and waltzed casually away from his old primary-season positions as if hed never even heard of them. And the right-wing commentariat went along with the whole act. If the Obama campaign hadnt done a good job over the next month of reminding voters of those old positions, President Romney might well have been sworn in the following January. That is exactly what I predict will happen this week. Sure, a few voices will be allowed to dissent. Certain ministers will express their concern, and a House member or three will be permitted to say that a national ban remains an abstract, long-term goal. But that will be about it. The new line will be that Trump is the centrist here, and Joe Biden the extremist. The big question is whether swing voters will buy this lie, and in what numbers. Whether or not they shift in Trumps favor will depend a lot on what Democrats do in responseand how quickly. One obvious thing they need to do is keep on showing those clips of Trump bragging about getting rid of Roe, over and over. Another is to show clips of the numerous Republicans saying they want a blanket federal ban, just to remind voters of what nearly everyone in the GOP actually believes and wants. Democrats also need to make daily hay of Project 2025: The 180-day playbook that the right intends to run if Trump is reelected, which is stuffed to the gills with all manner of extreme, unpopular, and extremely unpopular things the right have fantasized about doing to this country. The sentence from Project 2025 that you will want to remember is on page six of its foreword: But the Dobbs decision is just the beginning. This is the out-in-the-open plan that puts the lie to any and all of Trumps feints at moderation. This could get complicated. Some polls show that a hefty percentage of Americans would support a 16-week ban. That said, it looks like more people support simply codifying Roe v. Wade into law, which is the Biden position. So maybe the Democrats should also emphasize that. However they play it, the bottom line is this. Abortion is probably the Democrats single winningest issue in this campaign. They simply cant let the man who created the Supreme Court that took away this 50-year-old right come off as looking like the reasonable candidate on the issue. The right is desperate for that to be the broad perception among middle-of-the-road voters: that Biden and the Democrats are the extremists. To forestall that, Democrats need to point to the words, deeds, and plans of Trump and his fellow Republicansearly and often. Radio silence in the face of Trumps next big con could be fatal. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk acknowledged the setback dealt by the nationalist opposition party's win in local elections held at the weekend, which were seen as the first test of his centre-left government since taking office late last year. Tusk, in a post on social media platform X, said he was heartened by victories scored by his Civic Coalition in individual races, like the contest for mayor in the cities of Warsaw and Gdansk, as well as some regional assemblies. He attributed the losses to the poor mobilization of young voters and the strong turnout of the opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) in rural and eastern areas. "The conclusion for us? Don't moan, get to work!" Tusk wrote. According to forecasts, PiS narrowly emerged from Sunday's vote as the strongest force. In the election of the 16 regional administrations, 33.7% of the votes went to PiS, according to exit polls conducted by the Ipsos opinion research institute. Tusk's Civic Coalition came in second place with 31.9%, Ipsos said. The party achieved a big success in the capital Warsaw: The incumbent mayor Rafa Trzaskowski won re-election with 59.9% of the vote in the first round. The 52-year-old Trzaskowski ran for president in 2020, but was edged out by incumbent Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally. Trzaskowski's easy re-election for mayor fuelled talk that he may still have a shot at the presidency. The official final results are not expected to be announced until Wednesday. The 29 million eligible voters decided on the mayors of all municipalities and cities. They also elected the members of all 16 regional assemblies, 380 district councillors and 2,477 local councillors. A run-off election for mayors is scheduled for April 21 if none of the candidates received more than 50% in the first round. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Azerbaijan intends to launch new initiatives on climate finance within COP29, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov said during a meeting of the Joint Government-UN Steering Committee on the implementation of the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025', Trend reports. "As the host country of COP29, we aim to introduce new climate finance initiatives that are both more sustainable and markedly distinct from prior efforts. Within the COP29 framework, we've received numerous requests from international organizations and companies to host 'Side events', fostering collaborative initiatives, assisting in conceptualizing and aligning projects with regional countries, enhancing expertise and capacity, exchanging knowledge on carbon taxation and trading, and facilitating the issuance of green bonds," he said. This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 70-80,000 foreign guests. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP- the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TV star sheriff accused of stealing $5m in taxpayer money and blowing it on vacations, luxury cigars and plastic surgery A former TV star sheriff from southern Indiana is facing 25 felony charges after he was accused of stealing taxpayer money and blowing hundreds of thousands of dollars on vacations, luxury cigars and plastic surgery. Jamey Noel, 52, and his wife, Misty, 50, and daughter, Kasey, 27, were charged after authorities found that they had spent as much as $5 million on credit cards Mr Noel had opened in the name of the nonprofit fire agency he ran. Search warrants revealed the trio had blown more than $300,000 on vacations and travel, $200,000 on tuition and college expenses, $56,000 on cigars, and $25,000 on a small plane. Also, they are accused of spending money on cosmetic procedures, tanning, clothing, and vape products. The three family members are also accused of receiving more than $3.5 million in income, merchandise and services not reported on their tax returns over five years. Mr Noel is facing additional individual charges for allegedly buying more than 100 luxury cars using public funds and selling them at a personal profit, as well as using his former deputies as personal errand men and handymen on his private properties during work hours. Meanwhile, court documents have accused him of having an affair, during which he impregnated Clark County Council member Brittney Ferree, who gave birth to his child. It is alleged by prosecutors that Mr Noel used funds from the Volunteer Firefighters Association to pay his court-ordered child support. All three family members have pleaded not guilty. Jamey Noel and his wife Misty in court (NBC/WAVE 3) Misty and Kasey Noel (pictured) have been charged with several counts of theft and tax evasion (Fox/WDRB) In court filings, prosecutors have alleged the family has refused to cooperate with investigators. Sheriff Noel rose to fame after he appeared on Season One of the A&E show 60 Days In, in which the Clark County prison critically examined its policies and treatment of inmates after volunteers were incarcerated undercover as prisoners for 60 days. He previously served as a state trooper for 22 years before becoming a sheriff in 2015, according to Inside Edition. Mr Noel also ran the countys Republican party in addition to the Utica Township Volunteer Firefighters Association. But his life as a public servant came crashing down last year when Indiana State Police investigators began seriously probing his finances, leading to his arrest last November. He was initially charged with 15 felonies, with an additional 10 charges, for theft and tax evasion, later added. Some 50 search warrants have been executed on the familys home and cars throughout the probe in which police found thousands of dollars worth of designer clothes, including Tom James suits and Ferragamo shoes paid for with the fire nonprofits credit cards, and two handguns. Meanwhile, in March, authorities seized 26 shipping containers filled with $7m of missing military surplus equipment, which state police believe belonged to the sheriffs department and were hidden by Mr Noel during his time in the role. Jamey Noels case is set to go to trial later this year. Two individuals arrested in Dixon for attempting to sell meth to deputies Lee County Deputies were notified of two individuals selling narcotics at the Magnuson Hotel in rural Dixon on Friday, April 5. Around 9 p.m., Blake Keane, a 21-year-old of Sterling and a 15-year-old boy of Morrison attempted to sell methamphetamine to two Lee County Deputies. Blake Keane (Lee County Sheriffs Office) Both were taken into custody without incident. The boy was charged with methamphetamine delivery, a class 2 felony, and possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine, a class 3 felony. He was processed at Lee County Jail and released to his parents. Keane was charged with methamphetamine delivery, possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of 30-100 grams of cannabis, which is a class 3 felony, and unlawful possession of 30-100 grams of cannabis, a class a misdemeanor. When the April 5 arrest occurred, Keane was already on pretrial release with a GPS monitor out of Whiteside County for pending charges of unlawful possession of firearm ammunition by a felon. In accordance with the Illinois SAFE-T Act, he was given a court date and released from the custody of Lee County Deputies. Anyone with information on this case is reminded to call the Lee County Sheriffs Office at 815-284-6631 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CAUGHT-U. Callers remain anonymous and can receive rewards up to $1,000 if their information leads to an arrest. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Two Royals Step in for King Charles at Major Event (and Its Not Will and Kate) While King Charles continues his cancer treatment, not one, but two members of the British royal family recently took part in a very important event on the monarchs behalf. Earlier this morning, the kings younger brother, Prince Edward, 60, and his wife, Sophie, 59, attended the 120th anniversary parade of The Entente Cordiale. Victoria Jones-Pool/Getty Images During the ceremony, the royal couple inspected (from Buckingham Palaces forecourt) 32 members of the 1st and 2nd Infantry regiments of the Garde Republicaine, as well as 40 guardsmen from F Company Scots Guards, who stood opposite the French troops. Victoria Jones-Pool/Getty Images Per the official royal website, the annual celebration marks the signing of a diplomatic agreement between France and the United Kingdom in 1904. This was not a formal alliance between the two nations, but it constituted a basis for a stronger Anglo-French relationship. During the Changing of the Guards ceremonies, the French and British troops switched roles outside the palace. While at the historical event, Edward and Sophie were also accompanied by General Sir Patrick Sanders (U.K. Chief of General Staff), General Pierre Schill (the French Chief of the Army Staff) and Helene Duchene (the French ambassador to the U.K.). Peter Nicholls/Getty Images As I mentioned above, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh stepped in for the king as he continues to undergo medical treatment for his undisclosed cancer. The last public engagement King Charles participated in was the Easter Sunday service at St. Georges Chapel. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images After the service, the monarch and his wife, Queen Camilla, 76, went on a surprise stroll outside of Windsor Castle to greet well-wishers. While talking with a royal admirer, the king made a surprising comment about his marriage. Acknowledging how his wife has been a big part of his recovery, King Charles beamed over at her and said with a smile, I just obey my instructions. King Charles & Queen Camilla Send Bday Card to 100-Year-Old War Vet (and It Includes Their Unique Signatures) Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here. A former Venezuelan general, Cliver Alcala Cordones, was sentenced on Monday to 21 years and eight months in federal prison after pleading guilty in the United States to having supplied weapons and protection to Colombian guerrillas. Alcala Cordones , who admitted publicly to having conspired to overthrow Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, received the long sentence despite agreeing with prosecutors to plead guilty to helping members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia known by its Spanish initials, FARC in exchange for favorable treatment. Despite the deal, prosecutors asked the judge to impose a 30-year sentence, arguing that Alcala Cordones was one of the top leaders of the drug trafficking organization, the Cartel de los Soles, controlled by the Venezuelan military and top leaders of Maduros socialist regime. Evidence provided before sentencing showed the former general benefited financially from playing an active role in drug trafficking, receiving at times $150,000 per shipment. Alcala Cordones denied having any direct involvement in the illegal drug trade. As a high-ranking member of the Venezuelan military and the Cartel de Los Soles, Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones and his co-conspirators sought to weaponize cocaine as they helped the FARC arm its members and ship tons of drugs to the United States, said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York. Alcala Cordones corrupted the vital institutions of his own country as he helped the FARC flood this country with cocaine but no longer. Instead, he will now spend more than two decades in a United States prison, Williams said in a press release. According to U.S. officials, Alcala Cordones and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials served as leaders and administrators of the Soles cartel, using their power and influence within the countrys security apparatus to consolidate control of the drug trade inside the South American country. The countrys courts and intelligence agencies were used to facilitate the shipment of tons of cocaine to the United States in partnership with the FARC, a guerrilla organization dedicated to the violent overthrow of the Colombian government, the prosecutors office said. The Cartel de Los Soles sought not only to enrich its members and enhance their power but also to weaponize cocaine by inflicting the drugs harmful and addictive effects on users in the United States, the Justice Department said in press statement. The Justice Department said Alcalas involvement in the drug trade was tracked back to the beginning of 2006, when he took advantage of his role in the Venezuelan military to support the FARC as they shipped tons of drugs to the United States. Among other things, Alcala Cordones protected FARC members from being arrested by Venezuelan law enforcement or from being confronted by the Venezuelan military. Those protected by the former general include top guerrilla leaders Luciano Marin Arango and Rodrigo Londono Echeverri. In addition, Alcala Cordones participated in meetings with some of the largest drug traffickers in South America, during which they discussed how he and other members of the cartel could assist them in cocaine distribution. Alcala Cordones also personally intervened to ensure that law enforcement in Venezuela did not intercept large cocaine shipments. In exchange, Alcala Cordones received millions of dollars in cocaine-fueled bribes, the press release said. Since January, the United States and its allies have been conducting strikes against the Houthis, a Yemen-based Islamist militant organization that has been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. These attacks, the Houthis claim, are a gesture of support for Hamas in its war against Israel. There have been no American casualties so far, but the attacks have caused major disruptions for one of the world's most important shipping routes. "These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation," President Joe Biden declared in a January 11 statement. "I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary." Biden notified Congress of the strikes beforehand, but he didn't ask for authorization as Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution mandates. By ignoring this procedural requirement in the name of a broadly defined national interest, the president risks engaging the U.S. in a slow-burning, long-lasting conflict with little accountability and the looming possibility of escalation. "Congress must engage in robust debate before American servicemembers are put in harm's way and before more U.S. taxpayer dollars are spent on yet another war in the Middle East," wrote a bipartisan coalition of nearly 30 lawmakers in late January. "No President, regardless of political party, has the constitutional authority to bypass Congress on matters of war." Biden is the latest of a string of presidents to deny Congress its rightful role in war making. Congress issued its last official declaration of war over 80 years ago. Since then, presidents have relied on blank-check authorizations for the use of military force, which they stretch to justify operations well beyond the emergencies they were meant to address. Biden claimed the strikes against the Houthis are compliant with the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which requires that the president notify Congress of any military action within 48 hours. But the coalition argued he can only legally "introduce U.S. forces into hostilities" after Congress declares war or issues "a specific statutory authorization," or in the event of "a national emergency when the U.S. is under imminent attack." "We are not convinced that the circumstances of the U.S.'s strikes in Yemen meet the 'national emergency' criteria," wrote the lawmakers, "and we believe there was ample time to come to Congress for authorization before initiating these strikes." Without a meaningful way to hold the president accountable for military adventurism, there's always the risk that the U.S. will become entrenched in yet another conflict without a narrowly defined reason to be thereor an attainable goal. The post Are U.S. Strikes on Houthis Constitutional? appeared first on Reason.com. UK and France call for increased aid to Ukraine: If Ukraine loses, we all lose UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne have jointly called on allies to do even more to ensure victory over Russia. Source: European Pravda, citing Cameron and Sejourne in a joint column for The Telegraph, marking the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente the alliance between the countries before and during the First World War. Details: Cameron and Sejourne emphasised that the United Kingdom and France are absolutely clear: Ukraine must win the war waged against it by Russia. "If Ukraine loses, we all lose. The costs of failing to support Ukraine now will be far greater than the costs of repelling Putin," they wrote. Foreign ministers said that the world is watching and "will judge us if we fail". "But as discussed during the Paris Conference in February, we must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia. We must also continue to co-operate on other global challenges," Cameron and Sejourne pointed out. Background: The UK Foreign Secretary will travel to Washington this week and plans to use the visit to persuade members of Congress to vote for funding to further support Ukraine. Before this, Cameron urged his European counterparts to exert pressure on the speaker of the House of Representatives. Mike Turner, chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee, said that Johnson has promised to put the issue of providing assistance to Ukraine to a vote after Congress returns from the Easter recess on 9 April. Johnson said that the US aid package for Ukraine will include "some important innovations", including the possibility of extending a US loan to Ukraine. The US Senate passed a compromise bill last winter, combining assistance for Ukraine with a series of other national security measures, including measures to combat illegal migration at the Mexico border. However, Johnson indicated that he would not bring this bill to a vote in the House of Representatives; instead, they would prepare their own. Support UP or become our patron! UK, French foreign ministers urge to boost aid for Ukraine, saying 'we all lose' otherwise U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne called on allies to increase support for Ukraine in The Telegraph's article published on April 7. Ukraine faces an ongoing ammunition shortage, with the country being in dire need of shells and missiles. Several European countries joined a Czech-led initiative to procure 800,000 sorely needed artillery shells for Ukraine. Amid intensified Russian attacks against the energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for more weapons, saying Ukraine needs 25 Patriot air defense systems to protect the country. Cameron and Sejourne said that the costs of failing to support Kyiv now would be "far greater than the costs of repelling (Russia's President Vladimir) Putin." "We are both absolutely clear Ukraine must win this war. If Ukraine loses, we all lose," the officials wrote. They said that "we can rally others to join us in overcoming" and that the allies "must do even more to ensure we defeat Russia." Cameron is expected to visit the U.S. later this week to urge U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and other lawmakers to approve a package of military aid to Ukraine. Subscribe to newsletter War Notes Subscribe Delays in U.S. assistance of roughly $60 billion have already had a direct impact on the battlefield, contributing to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka. Top Republican officials reportedly said that a vote on the aid for Ukraine in Congress might be still weeks away despite Johnson's assertion on April 1 that it would be held "right after Easter." President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 7 that "Ukraine will lose the war" if the U.S. Congress fails to approve military aid to Kyiv. In March, Zelensky said in late March that the situation on the battlefield has been stabilized, but he did not rule out that a major Russian offensive may come at the end of May or in June. Read also: Opinion: NATO is not a hegemonic burden Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. UK Defence Intelligence has analysed the issues within Russia's healthcare sector, where shortage of qualified medical staff has been observed. Source: UK Defence Intelligence review dated 8 April on Twitter, as reported by European Pravda Details: UK intelligence noted that significant resource and financial expenditures to support Russia's war against Ukraine have a negative impact on several civilian Russian sectors that serve the population, including the medical field. UK intelligence drew attention to the statement made by the Chairman of the Russian State Duma on 3 April 2024, in which he reported a shortage of 30,000 doctors and about a 50-percent staff deficit in district hospitals, which is 3,500 specialists more than in November 2023. The intelligence attributes this deficit to some medical staff working in the private sector, and approximately two percent of Russian doctors and healthcare workers have left Russia to avoid the draft. Quote: "The increased work demands from fewer available doctors has contributed to some of the further reductions. An estimate from January 2024 highlighted in the previous 15 months that the number of doctors declined by 7,500, blaming long hours and low pay." The Center for European Policy Analysis says Russia is recruiting doctors from African countries who have no verification of their qualifications to overcome the deficit. UK intelligence believes that the number of medical workers in Russia will continue to decrease during 2024. Meanwhile, the recruitment of medical personnel from abroad with limited qualification checks creates the potential for a drop in the quality of healthcare provision. Background: Earlier, the Defence Intelligence of the United Kingdom noted that the average daily losses of Russian troops on the battlefield in Ukraine decreased during March. Prior to that, it reported that Russia likely shot down its own Su-27 fighter jet on 28 March due to Ukrainian attacks on the city of Sevastopol (Russian-occupied Crimea), an incident reported by a Crimean Telegram channel. responsibility for it. Support UP or become our patron! UK and Ukraine's foreign ministers discuss steps to find more Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has discussed with his British counterpart David Cameron the strengthening of assistance for Kyiv with air defence systems, including Patriot systems. Source: Kuleba on Twitter (X), reported by European Pravda Details: Kuleba said, following their discussions at NATO headquarters last week, that they coordinated further steps to find and transfer additional air defence systems to Ukraine, primarily Patriot. "I appreciate David's proactive approach aimed at getting things done," Kuleba stressed. I spoke with @David_Cameron. Following up on our discussions at NATO HQ last week, we coordinated next steps to find and deliver additional air defense systems, first and foremost Patriots, to Ukraine. I appreciate David's proactive approach aimed at getting things done. Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 8, 2024 Background: Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again called on Ukraine's partners to increase assistance with air defence equipment, including Patriot systems. Strengthening Ukraine's air defence was one of the key topics of conversations that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had during his trip to the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels last week. As the NATO secretary general said on Thursday, some NATO allies have already pledged to look for air defence systems for Ukraine. The US Secretary of State took immediate action after Ukraine's request for additional Patriots. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and Hungarian Ambassador Heizer Antal. Stock photo: Ukrainian Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure The governments of Ukraine and Hungary have agreed on amendments to the agreement on border traffic control that will enable another checkpoint to be opened for passenger vehicles at Velyka Palad-Nagyhodos. Source: a statement issued by Ukraines Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure on 8 April, as reported by European Pravda Empty heavy vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will also be permitted to pass through the Luzhanka-Beregsurany checkpoint under the amended agreement, which was signed by Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration, and Hungarian Ambassador Heizer Antal. Quote: "We are also considering building a new freight checkpoint [at] Dyida-Beregdaroc to increase the capacity of the Ukrainian-Hungarian border," the Development Ministrys press service quoted Kubrakov as saying. Kubrakov added that the Ukrainian government is also negotiating on joint customs and border control with Hungary, which will speed up control procedures and reduce border crossing time. The amendments to the bilateral agreement have yet to be ratified. Currently, there are five road checkpoints with Hungary, and only one of them, Chop-Zahony, is open to lorries weighing over 7.5 tonnes. Previously: Last week, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers approved an agreement with Romania to open a new border checkpoint between Bila Tserkva in Ukraines Zakarpattia Oblast and Sighetu Marmatiei in Romania. Support UP or become our patron! Ulviyya Shahin It is planned to increase the share of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Azerbaijan's GDP to 35 percent by 2025, Head of the Department of Sustainable Development and Social Policy of the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan Huseyn Huseynov said during a meeting of the Joint Government-UN Steering Committee on the implementation of the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025', Azernews reports. According to him, the 2022 figure was about 17-18 percent. "The implementation of projects aimed at developing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises should be balanced. UN initiatives should encompass not only the capital but also regional areas, with a particular focus on Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur. Given the reintegration process, the subsequent stage will actively support initiatives ensuring inclusive growth in liberated territories, strengthening social institutions, and improving the population's access to security and healthcare services," he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. COP29 can serve as an important platform for Azerbaijan's promotion of the 18th National Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project in the international community, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Sahib Mammadov said during a meeting of the Joint Government-UN Steering Committee on the implementation of the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025', Trend reports. "Through COP29, we aim to disseminate information to a wider range of stakeholders regarding projects focused on achieving "net zero emissions" in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions. However, the persistent threat of landmines in these areas not only jeopardizes lives but also hampers economic recovery efforts. These mines exert significant pressure on the ecological balance of the entire region. Hence, it's no coincidence that Azerbaijan has initiated efforts to include mine clearance as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal by 2030 on the UN agenda. Furthermore, COP29 can serve as a crucial platform to advocate for Azerbaijan's 18th national SDG project within the international community," he said. This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 70-80,000 foreign guests. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP- the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Ukraine Defence Contact Group: Estonia and Luxembourg announce new contributions to IT Coalition The IT Coalition within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (Ramstein format) has set up expert subgroups, and two of its members, Estonia and Luxembourg, have announced new financial contributions. Source: second meeting of the IT Coalition's steering group in Luxembourg, announced by Ukraine's Defence Ministry on 8 April, as reported by European Pravda Details: The group meeting was attended by 11 member states of the IT Coalition, representatives of seven observer countries, the European Union, and NATO. Discussions centred around the status of procurement, priorities for this year, and the procurement planning roadmap. "We can expect more countries to join us shortly, as well as additional contributions and the first deliveries of equipment to Ukraine," said Tuuli Duneton, Estonian Deputy Defence Minister for Policy Planning. In addition, Ukraine's Defence Ministry noted that the IT Coalition's steering group has established four thematic expert teams to share expertise, and several countries including Estonia and Luxembourg have announced further financial contributions. The IT Coalition is a special group of states within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, led by Estonia and Luxembourg. It aims to support Ukraine's Defence Ministry and Armed Forces in IT, communications, and cybersecurity. Estonia and Luxembourg have joined the group as lead countries, as well as Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Ukraine. In addition, the United Kingdom completed its accession to the IT Coalition by signing a declaration of intent. In February, the coalition member states finalised a six-year cooperation agreement. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine and Hungary agreed on opening a new border crossing for passenger vehicles at Velyka Palad-Nagyhodos and expand the Luzhanka-Berehshuran crossing to allow for empty vehicles weighing over 7.5 tons, the Infrastructure Ministry reported on April 8. There are currently five road crossings between the two countries: Chop-Zakhon, Luzhanka-Berehshuran, Kosyno-Barabas, Dzvinkove-Lonya, and Vylok-Tisabech. Only the first one can pass trucks with a weight of over 7.5 tons. Around 220 trucks cross into Hungary through this checkpoint daily. As Polish farmers and truckers have ensnared traffic at the Polish border in ongoing protests over the import of Ukrainian agricultural products and the EU's Green Deal, Ukraine has sought to increase the flow of exports through other routes. The new changes to a Hungary-Ukraine agreement on the control of border traffic were signed by Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and Hungary's Ambassador to Ukraine Antal Heizer, the ministry wrote in a press release. "We continue consistent work on the development of the western border to strengthen export opportunities and ensure rapid crossing of the border by passenger transport," Kubrakov said after the signing. Kyiv and Budapest are also considering building a new border checkpoint for cargo vehicles at Dyida-Beregdaroc and working on the introduction of joint customs and border control, according to Kubrakov. "This will allow us to speed up control procedures and reduce the time for crossing the border," he added. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine will lose the war if US fails to approve aid, says Zelensky Ukraine will lose the war if the United States Congress does not approve military aid to help it resist Russias invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Its important to specifically address the Congress: if the Congress doesnt help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war, Zelensky said Sunday during a video meeting of the Ukrainian fund-raising group UNITED24. If Ukraine loses this war, other countries will be attacked. This is a fact, he said. Zelenskys warning, among his starkest since the war began more than two years ago, comes as Congress has for months refused to pass a package of aid for Ukraine, leaving Kyiv to battle manpower and ammunition shortages while an emboldened Russia pounds Ukraines cities with missiles and tests for weak spots along the front line. The US Senate passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel in February, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to hold a vote on passing the package for Ukraine. Zelensky previously told CNN that millions could die in Ukraines war with Russia if US lawmakers do not approve the aid package. When Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, it thought it would take Kyiv in days and the rest of the country in weeks. In what proved to be a disastrous miscalculation for Moscow, Ukraine repelled the initial assault on its capital and, later in 2022, reclaimed some of the territories overrun by Russia. The frontlines have since been largely static, with Russia continuing to occupy around a fifth of Ukraines territory. Despite optimism that Ukraine could reclaim more of its occupied territories, its counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 failed to significantly pierce Russias defenses. Ukraines then-Commander in Chief conceded the war had entered a stalemate. Since the start of this year, Russia enjoying a huge advantage in manpower and technology has attempted to seize the initiative, bombarding Ukraines cities with missiles and forcing Ukraine to retreat from the eastern town of Avdiivka. A man walks past a crater after Russian missile strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 6, 2024. - Anton Shtuka/AFP/Getty Images Franz-Stefan Gady, an associate fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told CNN the war in Ukraine had entered a transitional phase. Russia is conducting probing attacks along the front line. It is trying to advance where it can. And it is preparing what seems to be a future offensive down the road, he said. While European countries have tried to replace US aid, Gady said there was no substitute for the support Washington can provide. This year, Ukraine really needs US support. Theres certain weapons systems, certain logistical support which the European countries simply cannot provide to Ukraine such as air defense systems, he said. Also on Sunday, Zelensky warned that in the coming weeks Russia will be more and more insistent on dragging nuclear weapons into the debate, threatening, playing with this matter. In a separate post on X, he thanked UNITED24s ambassadors for continuing to draw US attention to the Ukrainian peoples fight for freedom and independence. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Key developments on April 8: Russian missile ship set on fire near Kaliningrad, Ukraine's intelligence claims IAEA confirms 3 direct strikes on main reactor containment structures of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant The Economist: Russian attacks aim to make Kharkiv uninhabitable for civilians Media: Russia destroys over 60,000 hectares of Ukrainian forests Russian attack on industrial facility in Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 8. The Russian missile ship Serpukhov, which was docked off the exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, was set on fire on April 8, Ukraine's military intelligence claimed. In a post on Telegram, the agency said that the fire had "disabled" the ship and that "its means of communication and automation were "completely destroyed." The military intelligence also shared a video appearing to show a fire breaking out on the ship. A source from Ukraine's military intelligence confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that its operatives were behind the fire. It was the first such attack on Russian naval assets in the Baltic Sea. In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia's Black Sea Fleet targets in occupied Crimea, successfully targeting several ships and forcing some Russian vessels to redeploy to safer waters. Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's navy, said on March 30 that the Russian Navy had withdrawn nearly all its major ships from ports in occupied Crimea as a result. According to the website of the Russian Navy, the Serpukhov is a Buyan-M missile corvette, and is 74 meters long (242 feet), and contains a variety of different weapons systems. Russian authorities announced earlier on April 8 that the Russian ice navigation vessel Katerina Velikaya caught fire while undergoing repairs at the shipyard Dalzavod in the far eastern city of Vladivostok. One person was killed, and three others were injured, Russian authorities said, adding that the circumstances of the fire were under investigation. Read also: U.K. Defense Ministry: Russia likely moved air defense systems from Kaliningrad IAEA confirms 3 direct strikes on main reactor containment structures of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the main reactor containment structures of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant had suffered at least three direct strikes, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on April 7. It was the first such confirmed strike since November 2022, when he laid out five basic principles for avoiding a serious nuclear accident, Grossi said on X. "No one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities. This is a no go," Grossi added. The IAEA stated on X that drone strikes had caused a physical impact at one of the plant's six reactors and one casualty. "Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with (the) potential to undermine (the) integrity of the reactor's containment system," the IAEA wrote. Earlier in the day, the power plant informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that a drone detonated on its site, according to the IAEA. The IAEA did not specify who had launched the drone. In a statement provided to Ukrainska Pravda, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence agency said Ukraine was not involved in the explosion of the drone at the power plant on April 7. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. IAEA teams have been based at the facility on rotation since September 2022. Read also: Media: Ukrainian military intelligence denies involvement in drone explosion at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant The Economist: Russian attacks aim to make Kharkiv uninhabitable for civilians The recent escalation of Russian strikes against Kharkiv aims to turn the city into a "grey zone," uninhabitable for civilians, The Economist wrote on April 7, citing undisclosed Ukrainian military sources. Russia recently intensified attacks against Ukraine's second-largest city with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, reportedly destroying almost all of its energy infrastructure. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov told The Economist that his city has no intention of giving up. He pointed out that Kharkiv had already gone through a worse situation at the start of the full-scale war when only 300,000 residents of the population of 2 million remained in the city. "How can you make a city like this a grey zone? People won't leave, because they have already left, then returned. They have been tortured enough already," Terekhov said. The mayor said the authorities managed to power up the city without working stations or transformers but did not reveal how exactly for security reasons. The protection of the sky against Russian attacks is increasingly difficult as U.S. aid, a key source of air defense ammunition, has been stuck in Congress for months. Kyiv has appealed to its partners both for further air defense supplies and energy equipment to weather the intensifying attacks. While Russia's exact goals for Kharkiv remain unknown, Ukrainian officials said that a full-scale military offensive is unlikely in the near future. President Volodymyr Zelensky nevertheless said that "Kharkiv is protected" in such an eventuality. Read also: Russia renews missile attacks on Kharkiv Media: Russia destroys over 60,000 hectares of Ukrainian forests Russia's war against Ukraine has destroyed more than 60,000 hectares of forests, with the cost of damages amounting to at least Hr 14 billion ($360 million), according to an investigation by NGL Media published on April 8. According to Ukraine's intelligence, the Kremlin authorized the destruction of Ukrainian forests for military and commercial purposes already at the start of the full-scale war in 2022. This represents yet another environmental impact wrought by Russia's war. The State Forest Resources Agency estimated that almost 30% of Ukraine's forests have suffered some kind of damage due to hostilities. Based on NGL Media's analysis of satellite images, some 60,000 hectares were reportedly destroyed completely. The outlet stressed that the figure of Hr 14 billion is merely the lowest estimate, not taking into account the value of wood that could have been produced on the affected territory or environmental damages. Long-term ecological consequences may include lowering of the groundwater level, as forests retain water and prevent soil erosion. Further risks include the reduction of biodiversity, worsening of the air quality, rivers and ponds drying up, and fire outbreaks. Then-Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said last April that Russia is actively destroying the natural resource potential of occupied territories, harvesting forests on a large scale in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and other oblasts. Forests in southern Ukraine were also impacted by Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023. Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets told Deutsche Welle on Jan. 31 that the environmental costs of Russia's war have already exceeded Hr 2.2 trillion ($56.6 billion). Kyiv has recorded 3,600 Russian crimes against the environment, he added. Read also: Opinion: Green recovery in Ukraine is a strategic imperative for the EU Russian attack on industrial facility in Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 8 A Russian missile attack on an industrial facility in the city of Zaporizhzhia killed three people and wounded eight more on April 8, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported. According to preliminary data published by Fedorov, 14 buildings were damaged in the attack, including seven apartment buildings, a medical facility, and a cultural institution. The missile strike took place at around 12:30 p.m. local time, the Prosecutor General's Office wrote. Zaporizhzhia, a city with a population of around 710,000, lies in Ukraine's southeast. Zaporizhzhia is subjected to regular Russian attacks due to its proximity to the front line. The city came under a heavy attack on April 5, killing four people and injuring over 20. Overnight on April 6, renewed missile attacks damaged industrial enterprises and a humanitarian assistance center. Read also: Update: 4 killed, 23 injured in Russian April 5 attacks on Zaporizhzhia Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraines air defence forces have destroyed 17 of 24 Russian attack drones that were launched over Ukraine on the night of 7-8 April. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 8 April Quote: "Russian invaders attacked Ukraine once again last night, using 24 Shahed UAVs. Ukrainian air defence personnel and assets destroyed 17 of them." Details: Ukraines Defence Forces clashed with Russian forces 76 times over the past day. In total, Russian forces conducted 7 missile strikes and 104 airstrikes. They also deployed multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) 108 times to attack the positions of Ukrainian troops and civilian settlements. Russian artillery fire targeted over 100 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts. On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, the Russians are maintaining a military presence in the border areas, conducting active sabotage activities to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to vulnerable areas and increasing the density of minefields along the state border in Russias Belgorod Oblast. Russian forces did not undertake offensive (assault) operations on the Kupiansk front. On the Lyman front, Ukrainian defenders repelled two Russian attacks near the village of Terny (Donetsk Oblast), where Russian forces attempted to break through Ukrainian defences. On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian defenders repelled 31 Russian attacks near the settlement of Bilohorivka (Luhansk Oblast) as well as Chasiv Yar, Spirne, Vyimka, Fedorivka, Rozdolivka, Vesele, Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk Oblast). On the Avdiivka front, Ukrainian defenders repelled eight Russian attacks near the settlements of Pervomaiske, Nevelske and Netailove (Donetsk Oblast), where the Russians attempted to drive Ukrainian troops from their positions. On the Novopavlivka front, Ukraines Defence Forces are continuing to hold back the Russians near the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Pobieda and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk Oblast), where the Russians, supported by aircraft, attempted to break through the Ukrainian defences 22 times. On the Orikhiv front, Russian forces attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders near the settlement of Staromaiorske (Donetsk Oblast) as well as near Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia Oblast) five times. On the Kherson front, the Russians conducted eight unsuccessful attacks on Ukrainian positions over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Air Force hit a Russian command post, five anti-aircraft missile systems, a communications tower and 13 areas where Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment were concentrated. Ukraine's Rocket Forces and Artillery struck a Russian air defence system, a drone control post, an artillery system and three clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainian Air Force videos show anti-aircraft gunners destroying Russian drones by day and by night video Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Ukraine's Air Force Commander, has released footage of anti-aircraft gunners shooting down Russian drones in the south of Ukraine. Source: Oleshchuk on Telegram Quote: "We continue to destroy enemy UAVs in the south of the country. Combat work is carried out both by day and by night. Continuously. Were defending the skies! Together towards victory!" Details: Ukrainska Pravda has information that the videos show a nighttime downing of a Shahed drone and combat work on a Russian Orlan-10 reconnaissance drone that was conducted on 8 April. Previously: Ukraine's air defence downed two Russian Orlan-10 reconnaissance drones in Odesa Oblast on Monday, 8 April. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's DTEK calculates cost of restoring TPPs after Russian attacks in March: twice as expensive as repairs after previous winter DTEK Group, the largest private energy company in Ukraine, has estimated the cost of restoring damaged thermal power plants after two massive Russian strikes in March at $230 million. Source: DTEK CEO Maksym Timchenko said this in an interview with Forbes Details: "To restore the TPPs, we need equipment worth $230 million. The lion's share of the amount is the purchase of transformers," said the CEO. The cost of the repair campaign after the previous winter was $126 million. With the equipment in place, DTEK plans to increase its capacity by almost four times by winter. DTEK lost 80% of its generation due to the attacks last month. The main works will be carried out in April-May to have the system recovered before the summer consumption peak. Timchenko said that the fastest way to find the equipment is to bring it from Eastern Europe, where there are closed Soviet-era power plants. "Our employees have already travelled to the Baltic States, Bulgaria, and Romania to arrange such deliveries," he added. It is also possible to use the unused equipment available in Ukraine. DTEK is currently in dialogue with Ukrenergo and Centrenergo companies. Background: DTEK has lost 80% of its power generation capacity due to large-scale Russian attacks on 22 and 29 March. The Ministry of Energy of Lithuania proposed dismantling its old thermal power plants that have been shut down for spare parts and transferring the equipment for the needs of the Ukrainian energy system. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's fate at stake, no one can stay away Ukraine's Ground Forces commander Oleksandr Pavliuk, Commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, has urged Ukrainians to join the Armed Forces, as the country's fate is at stake, which means that no one can stay away. Source: Pavliuk on Facebook Quote: "The more Ukrainians find the courage to join the ranks of the Armed Forces, the less chances Russia will have to implement its bloodthirsty plans, and the sooner Ukrainian cities will resume their ordinary and safe life. I therefore urge Ukrainians to leave emotions behind and not succumb to provocations. It is imperative to realise that no one can stay away. The fate of the country, the fate of our nation, is at stake." Details: Pavliuk firmly believes that "Russia will not leave anyone alone: neither those who have hidden nor those who have betrayed Ukraine". "Now is a historical moment that fate has given us: either we will defend and preserve the state, or we will disappear as a nation! Support the defenders with both word and deed. Join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Stand up for your family, your home, your country, and your future. Our strength is in unity! There is no other option," the officer summed up. He added that Ukraine's Armed Forces need various specialists: drivers, clerks, cooks, builders, IT specialists, accountants, doctors, and engineers. Background: On 7 February, the Ukrainian parliament passed the government's draft law on mobilisation on the first reading. Lawmakers submitted 4269 amendments to the document for the second reading. The parliamentary committee members supported proposals to grant a draft postponement for postgraduate students of all forms of study and remove the provision on penalties for evading mobilisation from the draft law. At the same time, lawmakers rejected amendments to the draft law on reservations for persons liable for military service who receive a certain salary and pay taxes. On 29 March, the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence had considered all 4,269 amendments submitted by MPs to the second reading of the draft law on mobilisation. As of 6 April, the committee had not completed its consideration of the draft law on mobilisation, but the draft law could be submitted to the parliamentary hall for consideration as early as 10 April. On 6 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the parliament to pass the draft law on mobilisation in the coming days. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's focus is on protecting city of Kharkiv, says Zelensky Ukraine is "maximizing [its] efforts to thwart Russia's plans against Kharkiv," President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, as his military draws up plans to boost protection for the north-eastern city they believe could be the target of a new offensive. "Together with our partners, we're working to bolster air defence," Zelensky said in his daily video address on Monday evening. The focus was "now on Kharkiv: on the energy situation and support for people and businesses in the city and the region." Zelensky met top military officials in Kiev earlier on Monday to discuss further measures to protect Kharkiv, which has been the target of a constant barrage of Russian airstrikes recently. "The main topic was Kharkiv, the defence of the city against Russian attacks and the possibility of strengthening our air defence and electronic warfare in the Kharkiv region," Zelensky wrote on Telegram after the meeting of the Stavka, the Ukrainian army's high command. According to the Ukrainian military, the next major Russian offensive could be directed against Kharkiv. Russia attacks its neighbouring country with drones and missiles on a daily basis. Kiev is asking for more air defence systems from the West in order to better protect its cities. In addition to the airstrikes, there are also massive artillery battles in the east and south of Ukraine. "We are holding our positions, the main thing now is efficient logistics," Zelensky said after the meeting with the high command, outlining the situation on the front. In addition to military measures, diplomatic steps, such as the procurement of new air defence systems, were also discussed, the president said. In recent weeks, Zelensky has repeatedly asked Western partners for additional air defence systems. In a television interview on Sunday, he said that his country needs at least 25 US Patriot air defence systems to adequately protect Ukrainian cities. Earlier, a barrage of Russian drone attacks caused damage in the southern Ukrainian regions of Odessa and Mykolaiv, according to authorities. Debris from an intercepted drone wrecked a transport logistics facility and a petrol station in Odessa, while an electrical line was damaged by drone shrapnel, causing power outages in 14 villages in the Mykolaiv region to the east of Odessa. There were no casualties in the attacks. A total of 17 out of 24 drones launched by Russia were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force said. In the Zaporizhzhya region further east, Ukrainian authorities reported three dead and three injured after artillery fire. Later on Monday, officials reported at least another three killed in a Russian missile attack on the city of Zaporizhzhya. Another eight people were injured when Russian missiles hit an industrial complex, military Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram. Fourteen buildings were damaged in the attack, including a health facility, Fedorov said. It was not possible to independently verify the claims. Zaporizhzhya is partially occupied by Russian troops and remains hotly contested more than two years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The region is also the location of Ukraine's biggest nuclear plant, which was damaged in an attack on Sunday. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it is holding Kiev fully responsible for recent drone attacks on the Russian-occupied plant. "With its criminal actions, Ukraine, supported by the US and its Western satellites, is making it clear that it has embarked on the path of nuclear terror," it said in a statement published by the ministry in Moscow on Monday. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said on Sunday that the the protective shell of the sixth reactor at the Zaporizhzhya plant had been hit three times in a drone attack. According to the IAEA, nuclear safety was not jeopardized. Following the attack, the six Soviet-designed pressurized water reactors at the Zaporizhzhya plant have been shut down and are no longer producing energy. The reactors themselves are each located in a concrete cube with concrete walls 1 metre thick. The reactors are located at the centre, inside containment vessels covered by another 20-centimetre-thick layer of steel. According to experts, several targeted hits with large-calibre grenades or special bunker-busting ammunition would be necessary to destroy the concrete walls alone. According to Russian state news agency TASS, Moscow's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, announced that he would raise the incident at one of the next UN Security Council meetings. Ukraine has so far not commented on the incident. Ukraine is "maximizing [its] efforts to thwart Russia's plans against Kharkiv," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his daily video address on Monday evening. "Together with our partners, we're working to bolster air defence," Zelensky said. The focus was "now on Kharkiv: on the energy situation and support for people and businesses in the city and the region." Zelensky met top military officials in Kiev on Monday to discuss further measures to protect the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, which has been the target of a constant barrage of Russian airstrikes recently. According to the Ukrainian military, the next major Russian offensive could be directed against Kharkiv. Precise attacks particularly damaged Ukrainian energy infrastructure last week, including in Kharkiv where the energy supply was brought to a halt. "Today we had a report on our ability to reduce the electricity deficit in Kharkiv and on our entire energy system," Zelensky said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is working with Azerbaijan to successfully hold COP29, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva said during a meeting of the Joint Government-UN Steering Committee on the implementation of the 'United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025', Trend reports. "The UNFCCC, responsible for overseeing climate conferences in the UN system, is collaborating closely with Azerbaijan for COP29 to ensure its high-level execution. Additionally, we've initiated an assessment of the cooperation framework this year, recognizing that organizing COP29 and ongoing efforts are insufficient, prompting the incorporation of supplementary activities," she said. This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 70-80,000 foreign guests. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP- the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Ukrainian air defence downs Russian attack drones in 5 oblasts, but there are strikes Photo: Facebook of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Ukraines Air Force shot down 17 Russian Shahed attack drones in Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr oblasts on the night of 7-8 April, with the debris of the downed drones causing damage in Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts. Source: Ukraines Air Force; Defence Forces of Ukraines South; Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration; Vitalii Kim, Head of Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration; Andrii Raikovych, Head of Kirovohrad Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote from Ukraines Air Force: "On the night of 7-8 April, the enemy launched a Kh-59 missile from the airspace of the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and 24 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs from Cape Chauda in Crimea and Russias Kursk and Yeysk districts. As a result of the air defence response, the Ukrainian Defence Forces shot down one Kh-59 missile in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and 17 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs in Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr oblasts." Details: Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, mobile fire groups and electronic warfare equipment were involved in repelling the air attack. Four drones were destroyed in Odesa Oblast. However, there was also one strike in Odesa Oblast, and a logistics and transport facility was damaged. The debris of the downed Shahed drone also damaged a petrol station. No one was injured. Two UAVs were shot down in Mykolaiv Oblast. The debris of the downed Shahed drone damaged power transmission lines in Voznesensk district, which resulted in a complete power outage in 14 settlements and a partial power outage in another settlement. Work is currently underway to restore the power supply. There were no casualties. Another Shahed drone was shot down in Kirovohrad Oblast. There were no casualties or damage. Background: Earlier, the General Staff reported that on the night of 7-8 April, Ukrainian air defence forces had destroyed 17 of the 24 Russian attack drones that the Russians had launched over Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Members of the United Nations Security Council vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire, in New York By Daphne Psaledakis (Reuters) -The United Nations Security Council president on Monday referred the Palestinian Authority's application to become a full member of the world body to the committee on the admission of new member. Malta's U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier proposed that the committee meet on Monday afternoon to consider the application, adding that deliberation has to take place this month. Malta is president of the Security Council for April. "We sincerely hope after 12 years since we change our status to an observer state, that the Security Council will elevate itself to implementing the global consensus on the two state solution by admitting the state of Palestine for full membership," Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters after the meeting. The Palestinian Authority last week formally asked for renewed consideration by the United Nations Security Council of its 2011 application to become a full member of the world body. The Palestinians are a non-member observer state at the United Nations, the same status as the Holy See. The committee of the 15 members first assesses an application to see if it satisfies requirements for U.N. membership. The application can then either be shelved or put forward for a formal vote in the Security Council. Approval requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Russia, China, France or Britain. "The committee has to deliberate within the month of April," Frazier told reporters ahead of the meeting. The Security Council earlier on Monday met behind closed doors to discuss the letter from the observer state requesting renewed consideration of their application. Mansour told Reuters last week that the aim was for the council to take a decision at an April 18 ministerial meeting on the Middle East. Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said earlier on Monday that a Palestinian state would be a threat to Israel's national security. "Granting the Palestinian statehood is not only a blatant violation of the UN Charter, it also violates the fundamental principle that everyone can understand of reaching a solution a lasting solution at the negotiating table," Erdan told reporters. "The UN has been sabotaging peace in the Middle East for years. But today marks the beginning of the point of no return." (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Susan Heavey and Paul Grant; Editing by David Gregorio) The UN warned the activity over Europes largest nuclear power plant could risk causing a major nuclear accident (AFP via Getty) The United Nations has urged restraint from Russia and Ukraine after numerous drones were shot down over Europes largest nuclear power plant as the organisation warned that such activity around the plant risked causing a major nuclear accident. Russia claimed on Monday that it had shot down a Ukrainian drone over the roof of reactor 6 at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP), less than 24 hours after the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed three earlier attacks on Sunday. Today, a kamikaze drone was shot down over the plant. It fell on the roof of unit 6, the Russia-controlled plant posted beneath a picture of reactor 6, which is currently shut down. The Zaporizhzhia NPP has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235. They were all built in the 1980s, though the sixth only came online in the mid-1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. All but one of the reactors are in cold shutdown. Reactor unit 4 is in hot shutdown, mainly for heating purposes. Ukraine denied both drone attacks, claiming that Russia was carrying out imitation strikes designed to implicate Kyiv. Ukrainian intelligence agency spokesperson Andriy Usov said the drone strikes were carried out by Russia and were being used to accuse Ukraine of terrorism. He said this was a well-known criminal practice of the invaders. An official at Energoatom, Ukraines atomic energy company, blamed Russia for the attacks, saying they were a provocation orchestrated to malign Ukraine. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the record. The IAEA, which has workers present at the site, declined to attribute blame for the attacks, choosing instead to reiterate the risk of a disaster at the plant. Russian troops engaged what appeared to be an approaching drone, the agency said after the strikes on Sunday. This was followed by an explosion near the reactor building. They said they had not observed any structural damage and that the containment structures of the nuclear reactors are made of steel-lined reinforced concrete, designed to withstand the impact of a small plane crash. The IAEA has declined to attribute blame for the attacks, choosing to reiterate the risk of a disaster at the plant (Reuters) But agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said the attack was nonetheless reckless. This is a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, he said. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately. Mr Grossi has previously said that fighting a war around a nuclear plant has put nuclear safety and security in constant jeopardy. Located on the front line in the city of Enerhodar, the plant was wrested from Ukrainian control shortly after Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Special Russian military units guard the facility and a unit of Russias state nuclear company, Rosatom, runs the plant. It is just 300 miles from the site of the worlds worst nuclear accident, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova urged world leaders to condemn what she called an act of nuclear terrorism, using propagandistic language often employed by the Kremlin to describe Ukrainian activity. It came as Ukrainian officials reported a spate of Russian attacks across the wider Zaporizhzhia region, around 25 per cent of which is outside of the Kremlins control. Three people were killed and three people were wounded in the Pologovsky district, wrote local governor Ivan Fedorov on the Telegram messenger service, referring to an area of the region some 100 miles from the nuclear power plant. He later wrote that another six people had been injured during a strike on an unnamed industrial facility elsewhere in Zaporizhzhia. British foreign secretary David Cameron is in Washington this week where he said he will urge Mike Johnson to push through a $60bn military package for Kyiv (AP) Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, accused Russia of committing heinous crimes with its relentless bombardment of the northeastern border city of Kharkiv. Ukraines second-largest city, less than 20 miles from the Russian border, has been heavily bombed by Kremlin forces over the past month. Officials have reported that fighter jets have even dropped guided aerial bombs, nicknamed building-destroyers. Kharkiv. Every day and night, the city is subjected to heinous Russian attacks, Mr Zelensky wrote on Twitter/X. We are making every effort to provide better protection for it. He added: Our partners can assist with air defence and exerting pressure on Russia. And I thank everyone who is already assisting. Mr Zelensky was issuing the latest in his now daily plea for more air defences as British foreign secretary David Cameron announced that he will travel to Washington this week to urge the US to finally push through a $60bn (47.5bn) military package for Kyiv. The bill has been trapped for seven months in the lower chamber of Congress, the House of Representatives, where it has fallen victim to Donald Trump supporters determined to secure more funds for shoring up the southern border with Mexico. Lord Cameron will meet with Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, who has blocked a vote on passing the aid bill, in an effort to convince him to change his mind. Speaker Johnson can make it happen in Congress, Lord Cameron said in a video posted on Twitter/X. Im going to go and see him next week and say, Ukraine needs that money. It is American security, its European security, its Britains security thats on the line in Ukraine, and they need our help. Unable to find a school for their son, a Downers Grove family navigates special education with no answers For the past eight months, Jennifer Schuh has felt powerless as she watches her 8-year-old son with special needs sit at home, isolated from his peers and unable to attend school. Diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder while he was in preschool in early 2021, her son has spent little time in a classroom because of numerous roadblocks. Schuh has toured specialized schools, hired an in-home tutor, created at-home lesson plans herself and eventually filed a grievance against the school district. Now, she doesnt know what else to do to help her son. Experts say a slew of factors are frustrating special education families in Illinois including a shortage of teachers, school aides and substitute teachers in addition to a lack of space and resources at therapeutic day schools. And as Schuhs experience illuminates, solutions are not readily available for some of Illinois most high-need young students when public districts lacking resources can not guarantee school placements, even though they are federally mandated to provide a free and appropriate education for special education students. COVID, experts say, has made matters worse. In the wake of the pandemic demand for more intense educational services is high, said Charles Fox, a special education lawyer based in Buffalo Grove who has represented families in similar cases for the past 30 years. The current need for special education puts pressure on the supply of available desks and families seeking services. Im afraid were going to see it for at least the next 10 years, Fox said. Last year, after a brief stint in a first-grade public elementary school classroom for students with special needs, Schuhs sons behavioral outbursts led the school district and his parents to agree to send him to a therapeutic day school to provide him with the customized instruction and emotional support he needs. Under state law, the district would pay for the day school tuition. But first, a school had to be found. For months, the process dragged. Schuh is in a similar situation as other Illinois parents seeking alternatives to a traditional public school. The Tribune is using her sons first initial, B., to respect privacy concerns. When searching for a school for B., a school that seemed promising would say it did not have room. Another would turn him away after he displayed behavioral issues during an on-site tour. Another school was too far from where Schuh lives in suburban Westmont, a village just east of Downers Grove. Despite officials at their sons school district, Downers Grove District 58, contacting more than 30 therapeutic day schools for a spot, Jennifer Schuh, and B.s father, Eric Schuh, have been unable to enroll him this academic year. Some schools that D58 recommended had bad reputations in the special education community leading Schuh not to feel comfortable sending her son there. This has taken all my energy, said Schuh, 38. It just really wears on you trying to figure out the solution to this problem, she said. Schuh said she feels she has zero support from the school district thats supposed to help everybody. The Schuhs have argued that until space in a therapeutic school opens, their public school in District 58 should temporarily place B. back in a public school classroom for kids with special needs. But District 58 school officials say B.s behavior is too disruptive for their teachers, already overwhelmed in understaffed classrooms. After months of back-and-forth, the Schuhs filed a complaint with the state board of education, saying the school district did not fulfill its duty to their son. An impartial hearing officer sided with the school district, leaving the Schuh family without a solution. These days, B. stays at home during the school day, with little social interaction or learning instruction, besides twice-a-week in-home tutoring paid for by the school district, his mother said. As his absence from school stretches on and a solution appears to be out of reach, Schuh doesnt know how he will bounce back and restart school, now nearly a grade behind his peers. Hes sitting at home doing nothing, she said. I dont know what its going to take for him to recover from this. Special education in Illinois Special education services are broad in scope and tailored to students individually. More than 278,000 students, or 15% of public school students in Illinois, require special education services in the public school system, according to the Illinois State Board of Education 2023 Report Card released in October. The percentage of Illinois students requiring special education support has increased compared to a decade earlier, when 13.6% of students required special education services according to ISBE data. Pandemic conditions contributed to an uptick in special education students, according to Fox, the special education attorney. Long periods of virtual education and social isolation have created learning and social delays. Consequently, parents are recognizing that their children need the extra support special education provides to get their children up to speed. The little ones are getting older and older, and they are still feeling the aftereffects of that time out of school over a period of years, Fox said. In 2023, students with autism like B. made up 11% of Illinois students in special education. But students across the state have varying disabilities from developmental delays to speech impairments each with their own set of needs and support. Placements for students with special needs range from general education classrooms with extra support from teachers or aides to what are called self-contained classrooms filled with only special education students to residential boarding schools, which are generally considered the most restrictive kind of special education. A team of parents, teachers, administrators and therapists in the school and school district decide where a student should be placed. In B.s case, the team decided that a therapeutic day school with smaller classrooms and more intensive support would be most beneficial after a semester in a Downers Grove public school. Placement decisions rely on an IEP, or Individual Education Plan, which is a legal, binding document that public schools must follow. Parents are a part of the team that develops the document and must sign off on the final decision Related Articles These education plans are at the foundation of special education and any child needing special education services undergoes an evaluation so teachers, social workers and parents can determine the best academic and support plan for the student. A struggle to have a seat in class When B. was diagnosed with autism in preschool in early 2021, he received an individualized education plan for the first time. In the fall of 2021 when B. started kindergarten, his mother, a former teacher with a background in special education, chose to homeschool her son, hoping he could meet standardized benchmarks while receiving an individualized education she could oversee. But a year and a half later, after separating from B.s father in January 2023, Schuh needed to return to work, and turned to the public school district to educate her son once again. Thats when their problems navigating special education began. Due to his extended break from school, B.s special education team recommended he be placed in a classroom with other special education students. Bs parents said he enjoyed returning to school with peers his age, but within a few months, school officials raised concerns about his ability to stay focused in class, and they discussed placing him in a therapeutic day school. Changing his placement to a therapeutic day school meant a more restrictive environment and no time in a traditional public school a transition that can be difficult to revert. But even with a placement for a day school, B. was not guaranteed admission, and a search for a school with the right resources and space took months. Eight months later, its still going for the Schuh family, as B. sits at home out of school. Fed up because her son was missing valuable school days, in October, Jennifer Schuh asked District 58 to temporarily place B in the self-contained special education classroom, while she continued to search for a day school. After that request was denied, she filed the complaint, arguing the district downplayed its aide staffing shortage, misrepresented availability at therapeutic day schools, falsified behavior data and denied her son the education required by federal law. Throughout a week-long hearing in January, District 58 officials described difficulties they had supporting Bs behavior in the self-contained classroom with other students with disabilities during his short time in the self-contained special education classroom, according to public records. A classroom teacher testified that physical and verbal incidents led paraprofessionals at the school to be afraid of the student. His mother said that was the first time she had heard the extent to which her son would disrupt class and put teachers in harms way. I was getting notes home every day that said he had a great day and hes doing great and hes earning his reward at the end of the day so I was thinking hes doing great, this is good, Jennifer Schuh recalled. As I was sitting at the hearing listening to people say, He was struggling so much Im thinking, Why didnt I know he was struggling so much? The district is legally required to keep meticulous records of behavior incidents and make them available to parents if requested, but Schuh said she was not aware of that policy. In a desperate attempt to help her son, Schuh asked the school to hire her as a short-term aide in his classroom. The school refused, explaining they worried a short-term aide would be a bandage for a longer-term issue. District 58 officials declined a phone interview to answer specific questions, citing student privacy policies. In a statement to the Tribune, superintendent Kevin Russell said the districts first step is to identify strategies to support students with special needs within district classrooms. However, occasionally, when a students needs outweigh what the district can support, an individualized education plan team recommends a different setting. Those decisions are always in consultation with the family, he said. Im just flabbergasted Following the emotionally tiring hearing where the officer sided with the district, Schuh was at a loss for words. Im just flabbergasted that they would do this to a child and leave a child out of school, she said. Fox, the attorney, said it is absolutely a school districts responsibility to educate a student until they can enroll in a placement their individualized education plan recommends. And federal law requires schools to provide an education specific to a childs unique needs. At a minimum, school districts should provide tutoring during dead time out of the classrooms, Fox said, which sounds like a short-term bridge, but it doesnt always work out so well. Theres no public holiday from the obligation to provide a free and appropriate public education, he said. A week is a long time for students, a month is a very long time and several months is just an eternity, so its really meant to move along. In drastic situations, Fox said parents sometimes expand their search to schools that havent been certified by the states board of education a move that can be risky for families and costly for school districts. Meanwhile, the Schuhs are at a standstill. B. is asking his parents when he can return to school, his parents say. Jennifer Schuh said she is considering private schools or moving to another district. However, brief consultations with other school districts in the Chicago area foreshadow similar difficulties with finding him a school.. He has become aware of the little bits and pieces that hes not allowed to go back to his old school, and the sense of rejection that he feels and the lack of confidence and self-esteem has been so damaging, Jennifer Schuh said. With seemingly no solution in sight, B.s mother tries to keep her son occupied during the school day with coloring books or reading lessons, as second grade passes him by. aguffey@chicagotribune.com I was married to Martin but I was even more married to the Movement Coretta Scott King Fifty-six years ago while Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was organizing support for the sanitation workers in Memphis, he was assassinated. It changed the world. His wife, Coretta, had a longer and intense commitment to the human rights movement. She was responsible for developing the King Center in Atlanta, the Poor Peoples Campaign and making MLK Day a national holiday. She was in the leadership of the anti-apartheid struggle, the anti-Vietnam War movement and the struggle for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. When she died in 2006 four presidents and a future president (Obama) attended her funeral. Tamira Walker recently spoke to a packed house about Corettas leadership at an annual MLK Jr. Commemoration. The program Keeping The Movement in Motion, was organized and emceed by Carmin Wong, a member of the State College Boroughs Racial Equity Advisory Commission, and was led and spiritually uplifted by grad student poets, musicians and scholars: Kesla Elmore, Gabriel Pulido, Pheolyn Allen, Jaden Adkins, Sean Hambrick, and a keynote by Morgan Robinson. Also in Centre County, the Restorative Justice Initiative and the Student Restorative Justice Initiative presented workshops during Reentry Reimagined Summit, a conference that addressed educational empowerment for justice-impacted communities. Community activist Irvin Moore was the keynote speaker. And congrats to Lady Lion Makenna Marisa for being selected to play in the Womens College All Star Game. She was also named to the Big Tens second team. WPSUs Multicultural Childrens Festival was held Saturday at the State College Area High School. Fifteen countries had tables, which delightfully served 1,200 people, mostly children. The Islamic Society of Central PA (ISCP) invited community officials, leaders, Penn State students and faculty to the State College Municipal Building to share Iftar, a sacred communal meal that breaks the daily Ramadan fast. Mayor Ezra Nanes presented a mayoral proclamation celebrating Ramadan. Rami Alhellu, president of the ISCP, and others shared welcome and informative remarks. This past week the McCourtney Institute for Democracy hosted David Hogg, activist and survivor of the Parkland school massacre. The March For Our Lives co-founder spoke before a couple hundred people at the HUB-Robeson Center. Hogg, a gun control activist, was named one of Time Magazines most influential people of 2018. A recent Harvard University graduate, his efforts include trying to inspire young people to run for office. He shared the experience of helping March for our Lives member Maxwell Frost become the youngest member of Congress. Leaving a legacy Our dear friend and colleague, Louis Gossett Jr., recently joined the ancestors. He was the first African American man to be awarded an Academy Award for Supporting Actor for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman. He was known for his work in the great American play, Raisin in the Sun and his portrayal of Chicken George in the iconic historic TV series Roots. Lou was great not only for what he did on the stage and screen, but for his philanthropic work off it. I first got to know him in 1986. I was working with the Office of Black Catholics in the New York Archdiocese. We collaborated on a fundraising effort to rebuild Chicagos Holy Angels Church, which had been totaled by a major fire. Father George Clement was the pastor and my personal mentor. He was the first Catholic priest to receive Papal approval to officially adopt children. Eschewing financial support from the diocese, he committed the parish and community to raise the money to build a new church. Lou had played the lead role in the film The Father Clements Story. Leveraging Lous notoriety and Clements fame we held benefit showings of the film. Lou made guest appearances. We raised the millions required to rebuild Holy Angels, the Church of 21st Century. Goodbye and good night, my brother. I know that flights of angels, holy angels, will sing thee to thy rest. Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Partys nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College. Under the Dome podcast: Immigration and the return of the ICE bill in NC Start your week in North Carolina politics with our latest Under the Dome podcast, for the week of April 8, 2024. Dawn Vaughan here, your podcast host and The News & Observers Capitol bureau chief. On this episode, were talking about a major issue at the state and national levels: immigration. Two of our politics team reporters, Avi Bajpai and Danielle Battaglia, have written stories about the issue that will publish this week. Its part of a national series of stories that McClatchy newspapers is publishing on immigration. Bajpai has stories coming about detention requests that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, makes of jails, and legislation planned for this years General Assembly session that would require sheriffs to cooperate with those requests. Bajpai interviewed state Rep. Destin Hall, a Caldwell County Republican. As the House Rules Committee chair, Hall controls what the supermajority brings to the floor. along with the speaker. On this episode, youll hear clips from that interview and why Hall says a new ICE bill on sheriff cooperation is needed. Youll also hear from Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden one of the sheriffs that the Republican-sponsored legislation will target. Nobody has a solution. The system is broken, McFadden said about immigration. After the break, Battaglia talks about her coverage of a new facility for immigrant children in Greensboro and all the unanswered questions about it. Plus, how the immigration issue is playing out in Washington. Youll be able to read all their upcoming immigration coverage at newsobserver.com. Headliner of the Week Stay tuned to the end for our picks for Headliner of the Week, which range from todays eclipse viewing to capital improvement projects to the glorious North Carolina spring. Listen to our latest episode below and catch up on previous episodes. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Audible, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon Music and Stitcher. A United Airlines flight from Canada to Texas descended into chaos on Friday after 30 passengers who had been on a cruise ship fell ill (Getty) A United Airlines flight had to make a diversion after a dog could not hold it much longer and fouled on the aisle of the plane. The four-legged passenger was in the cabin with other travellers on a flight from Houston to Seattle, which had to make an unexpected landing in Dallas after the pet pooped in the aisle, Business Insider reported. Flight Radar, an online flight tracker, shows that a Houston to Seattle United Airlines flight was diverted to the Texas city on Friday. The incident was first discussed among users on Reddit, but United Airlines confirmed to Business Insider that the incident had happened. One user said that the dog had a messy accident in the first class section of the aircraft, which led to the plane being diverted to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The ground crew spent over two hours cleaning the defecation off the floor, the user alleged. The user also claimed that the first-class toilet was deemed unusable after the incident, and the time spent on the ground meant the food on board went bad, leaving them with only a few snacks. However, some passengers may not have had much of an appetite, as the user also said that the smell never quite went away. There are a number of rules and regulations people must follow if they are planning to fly with their pet cat or dog on a United flight. United says on their website that once on the flight, pets must stay in their carrier with the door closed, under your seat at all times, unless they are service animals. Bringing furry friends on a flight comes with extra fees, and not all destinations will allow you to fly with your pet. It was only last month that a chihuahua on another United Airlines flight caused a giant mess after defecating on the seats and the floor. The dog, who was on a flight to Portland on 5 February, was in its carrier most of the flight, but her owner reportedly let her out after she appeared to be fussing. The flight attendants were able to clean up the mess in this instance, and an emergency landing did not have to be made. Some of the passengers in the immediate area of the pooping dog were given travel vouchers after the incident. The Independent has contacted United Airlines for comment. The U.S., Britain and Australia are considering a possible expansion of their alliance, known as AUKUS, which has been hailed as a landmark coalition designed to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region. AUKUS defense leaders said in a Monday statement that the alliance can benefit from including other like-minded partners, such as Japan, in the second pillar of the alliance, which involves coordination on developing advanced technology. Recognizing Japans strengths and its close bilateral defense partnerships with all three countries, we are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects, they said in the statement. The statement from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, British Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles is a sign of AUKUS deepening close to three years after the alliance was first formed. Japan has long been a key ally for the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, but Tokyo is stepping up its defense commitments to meet the rising threat from Beijing. Japan is boosting its defense spending and reversing policies that prevented the exports of lethal weapons to allies. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also met with President Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol last year in a historic meeting at Camp David, where all three nations deepened ties. The shift from Japan comes as China has threatened to invade the self-governing island nation of Taiwan in the near future, possibly in 2027, the date Chinese leader Xi Jinping has told his troops to be ready for a potential attack. The U.S. is shoring up alliances in a bid to deter China from invading Taiwan and to prepare in the event that an attack does happen. Washington has hailed the 2021 agreement that created the AUKUS alliance, which aims to deliver conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and enhance cooperation of advanced technology. Under AUKUS, Canberra will develop its own nuclear-powered submarines but first purchase three Virginia-class submarines from the U.S., a process approved in Washington last year by Congress in the 2024 defense bill. In the Monday statement, AUKUS defense leaders said Canberra marked major progress last month with the announcement that Australian shipbuilding company ASC Pty Ltd and British defense contractor BAE Systems would work on delivering submarines for Australia. AUKUS also aims to increase port visits from allied submarines to Australia, and the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Annapolis visited Canberra in March. Australian sailors also arrived in Guam in January for training on submarine maintenance, while others will train this summer on operating nuclear-powered submarines. Australian civilian contractors are additionally expected to head to the U.S. for submarine-related training. Defense leaders in AUKUS also announced steps toward improving advanced technology development, including through private sector investment and enhanced government cooperation. The 2024 defense bill passed by Congress included an amendment to facilitate the transfer of technology between AUKUS nations without the need for an export license. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. US concerned over Chinese companies supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine Janet Yellen, US Secretary of the Treasury, has indicated that she had "difficult conversations" about Ukraine during her four-day visit to China. Source: Sky News, as reported by European Pravda Details: The US is concerned that Chinese companies are supporting Russia in its military invasion of Ukraine. Yellen, who met with Chinese central bank governor Pan Gongsheng on Monday, warned that any banks facilitating the sale of military or dual-use goods to Russia could face US sanctions. "I stressed that companies, including those in the PRC [People's Republic of China], must not provide material support for Russia's war and that they will face significant consequences if they do," she said. When asked about the warning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stressed that the US should "not smear or attack the normal state-to-state relations between China and Russia and should not harm the legitimate rights and interests of China and Chinese enterprises". Background: Media reports indicated that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in communications with his counterparts in the EU and NATO, stated that China is assisting Russia "at a concerning scale," providing tools and technology. Officials recently told Politico that China is trying to convince Europe to allow Russia to sit at the table of future peace talks, possibly during a Peace Summit in Switzerland. Otherwise, Beijing threatens to boycott such meetings. They said this message was reinforced during the European tour of Li Hui, China's Special Representative on Eurasian Affairs, in early March, where he discussed the future of Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Japanese and U.S. flags at the White House in Washington ahead of State Visit By David Brunnstrom and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden hosts the leaders of Japan and the Philippines this week to boost economic and defense ties as the allies seek to offset China's growing might and manage risks ranging from North Korea to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Biden's bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday will bring an upgrade in defense ties with Japan, Washington's cornerstone ally in the Indo-Pacific region and an increasingly important global partner. Kishida, beleaguered at home, will be greeted in the United States with great fanfare, with Japanese flags already festooning Washington lampposts and a glittering White House dinner with some 200 guests. On Thursday, he will become only the second Japanese leader to address a joint meeting of Congress after his assassinated predecessor, Shinzo Abe, gave a speech in 2015. Political analysts say the visit is a chance for Kishida to boost dire domestic popularity ratings ahead of a September leadership contest in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The U.S. will hail Japan as a vital regional and global ally and Kishida will be able to bask in praise for defense reforms that have taken Japan further from its post-war pacifism. White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday the three countries had "increasingly convergent strategic objectives, interests and frankly concerns in areas like the South China Sea." "We're going to look to find ways to continue to deepen the collaboration with our closest partners again to ensure a free open, prosperous secure Indo-Pacific," Kirby said. Overshadowing the visit is a controversy over the planned $15 billion acquisition of American steel maker U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, a deal some say is "on life support" after criticism by Biden and Donald Trump, his rival in November's U.S. election. Also looming are Japanese concerns that in any second Trump term he might seek a deal with China that could destabilize the region. SUPPORTING THE PHILIPPINES On Thursday, Biden holds a bilateral meeting with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, whom he welcomed in Washington just last year, before the two join Kishida for a trilateral summit expected to focus on countering Chinese pressure on the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea. "Close cooperation between Japan, the U.S., and the Philippines is crucial for a free and open order based on the rule of law and for economic prosperity in the region," Kishida said on Friday. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said on Monday China was constantly using "coercion" and pressure on countries including Japan and the Philippines, and his counterpart, Japan's ambassador to the U.S., Shigeo Yamada, said the overall approach to Beijing would be among the issues discussed. Yamada told the same think tank event Kishida would emphasize to the U.S. Congress that Japan is ready to work collaboratively on global issues. He said Japan would continue to support Ukraine's efforts to defend itself and keep its economy going - another issue the leaders could discuss. U.S.-JAPAN MILITARY COORDINATION With concerns that Russia's Ukraine invasion might embolden Beijing to move against Taiwan, a strategic self-ruled island that produces the world's most advanced semiconductors, the leaders are expected to discuss plans to upgrade the U.S. military command structure in Japan to make it better able to work with Japanese forces in a crisis. Biden and Kishida are also expected to announce steps to allow more joint development of military and defense equipment, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said last week. Under Kishida, Japan has pledged to double defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product, which could make it the world's third-biggest military spender. Its plans include acquiring hundreds of cruise missiles that can strike targets 1,000 km (620 miles) away. Japan has also become important to the U.S. as a potential production base for munitions, including Patriot PAC3 anti-missile systems that will be re-exported to Ukraine, and for its shipyards. The Biden-Kishida summit is expected to address Japan's future involvement in the three-way AUKUS defense pact between Australia, Britain and the United States, but officials and experts say obstacles remain given a need for Japan to introduce better cyber defenses and stricter rules for guarding secrets. Britain, the United States and Australia said in a joint statement on Monday they are considering working with Japan on advanced capability projects in AUKUS and Britain said talks between the partners and other nations, including Japan, would start this year. Japan last year delivered air defense radars to the Philippines and is negotiating a reciprocal-access agreement that would make it easier for Japanese troops to train there. U.S. officials emphasize interactions with the Philippines will cover more than defense, with "consequential" outcomes in energy and economic security. "It's a really important moment for us to hear from the Philippines about what kinds of support may be most useful," a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters. Amid the Nippon Steel controversy, U.S. officials aim to highlight other Japanese investment in the U.S. Deals in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, aviation and construction will contribute "to good-paying, strong American jobs," the U.S. official said. Space is another focus, with Japan hoping to land its first astronaut on the moon with the U.S. Artemis project that envisages returning humans there by 2026, as competition with Russia and China intensifies. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington, Timothy Kelly and Sakura Murakami in Tokyo and Karen Lema in ManilaEditing by Don Durfee, Lincoln Feast and Matthew Lewis) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. A delegation headed by Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister, COP29 Chief Negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev met with COP27 Special Representative Wael Aboulmagd and COP27 Chief Negotiator Mohamed Nasr in Cairo, the COP29's publication on X said, Trend reports. The framework of the meeting also allowed the parties to discuss COP29 preparations. To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Azerbaijan in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,00080,000 foreign guests. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. Around 198 countries are parties to the convention. Unless the parties have decided otherwise, COP is held annually. The first COP was held in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel USS Nicholas, one of the US Navy's now retired Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, pictured in 2001. The USN's present lack of frigates means that it would be unable to protect ships carrying military aid to allies overseas in the event of war - Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters During the Cold War, the US Navy expected that, if the war ever turned hot, it would have to escort cargo ships across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in order to sustain Americas resource-intensive fight against the Soviet Union. That meant frigates, scores of them. These well-armed but inexpensive vessels were supposed to perform the tedious, unglamorous and often dangerous job of shepherding big, slow, vulnerable ships through waters teeming with Soviet submarines. They would be busy and they would take losses. But their crews hard work and sacrifice would keep war-winning supplies flowing. When the Cold War ended, the frigates quickly disappeared victims of peacetime cost-cutting and the rosy assumption that a global war was vanishingly likely. That assumption itself vanished, abruptly, in February 2014 as Russian troops invaded Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. The same month, the Navy announced a new frigate program for a new cold war. The current plan is to build 58 of the gun- and missile-armed ships, which also carry helicopters for tracking enemy submarines. Ten years later, the Russians are in eastern Ukraine and tensions are rising in the western Pacific, yet not a single one of the new Constellation-class frigates is in the water. And the delays keep coming. During a review of shipbuilding programs that US Navy secretary Carlos Del Toro ordered in January, inspectors discovered that the yard building the first four of the 496-foot, $1-billion vessels Fincantieri in Wisconsin is up to three years behind schedule. Its possible the first ship wont commission until 2029, a full 15 years after the Navy identified a need for a new frigate class. This is a problem. If the United States goes to war with Russia or China before 2029, it wont have any frigates to escort ships across the two oceans. It will have to assign the task to 510-foot, $2-billion destroyers, only 73 of which are currently in the fleet and which the Navy also depends on to accompany aircraft carriers, shoot down ballistic missiles and fire cruise missiles at enemy forces on land. As recently as 2018, the Navy was warning sealift commanders that they shouldnt count on any destroyers being available for escort duty during a major war. The Navy has been candid enough with Military Sealift Command and me that they will probably not have enough ships to escort us, Mark Buzby, a retired Navy rear admiral who then led the US Department of Transportations Maritime Administration, told Defense News. Youre on your own; go fast, stay quiet, Buzby recalled Navy officials saying. Frigates were supposed to solve that problem. And they still might just not anytime soon. Then US President Donald Trump makes a speech at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsion, 2020. The yard is undertaking the troubled build of the US Navy's planned Constellation-class frigates - Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty To be clear, a shortage of middleweight escort ships isnt a uniquely American problem. The Royal Navy is also desperately short of frigates, as are many European fleets. But America, alone among the Western allies, has the resources to quickly build a big new escort force and protect shipping that benefits both Nato in the west and Americas Asian military alliances in the east. In practice, however, the US naval shipbuilding industry is in the throes of a desperate labor crisis that began with the disruptions of the Covid pandemic and has grown worse as major industries compete for skilled workers in a thriving US economy. Del Toros review found that several of the naval shipbuilding sectors seven major shipyards Bath Iron Works in Maine, Electric Boat in Connecticut, Newport News in Virginia, Austal in Alabama, Huntington Ingalls in Mississippi, NASSCO in California and Fincantieri are years behind schedule on major ship programs. Its not just the frigates. But the frigate delays are among the worst. Frigate-builder Fincantieri is one of the newer shipyards and thus one of the least experienced. It has lost workers even faster than the other yards have. Rear Admiral James Downey, a special assistant to Navy leaders who co-led Del Toros review, told Defense News the Navy has been calling for a reorganization of program leadership at the frigate yard. But a leadership reshuffling probably wont remedy the yards basic problem: a labor shortage thats so bad that the Navy is actually planning on ordering just six new warships in 2025 half what it usually orders in order to give the wider shipbuilding industry some breathing room. While waiting, year after year, for new frigates it has needed for more than a decade, the Navy can only hope. Hope that a major war doesnt break out in the next five years. And hope that, if a major war does break out, vulnerable cargo ships can somehow safely cross submarine-infested waters on their own. Hope isnt much of a plan, however. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party holds hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump's secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, added his voice on Monday to growing calls from prominent Republicans to pass billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, after some party members accused aid opponents of succumbing to Russian propaganda. Democratic President Joe Biden's request for $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel and other allies passed the U.S. Senate with 70% support but has been stalled for weeks in the House of Representatives as Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to allow a vote. As lawmakers returned to Washington from a two-week break on Monday, Johnson gave no word of any plans for a vote on Biden's supplemental request. Pompeo, a former House member, issued a public letter on Monday urging Johnson to bring up the bill in the House. "We encourage you to lead with conviction and bring the aid package to a vote," Pompeo said in a letter written with John Walter, president of the Hudson Institute, where Pompeo is a fellow. Johnson's office did not comment on the letter, or recent assertions by the Republican chairpersons of two House national security committees that "Russian propaganda" is influencing party members. Representative Michael McCaul, who leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Puck News last week: "Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and its infected a good chunk of my partys base." And on Sunday, Representative Mike Turner, who heads the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN's "State of the Union" McCaul's contention was "absolutely true." Turner said: "We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor." For example, Turner said some members of Congress "incorrectly" say that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO. "To the extent that this propaganda takes hold, it makes it more difficult for us to really see this as an authoritarian versus democracy battle," Turner said. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Don Durfee and David Gregorio) USC student dubbed hero of the day in violent charter bus crash A University of South Carolina student is being hailed a hero after eleven people were hurt in a charter bus crash in Mississippi. Students in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at USC were traveling to an event in New Orleans over the weekend when a tire blew, leading to near disaster. Mississippi Highway Patrol says the bus was thrown into a concrete barrier after the tire blew. The bus driver reportedly stood to get a better grip on the steering wheel when she was thrown through the windshield. The bus is still moving. Now its on all wheels on the ground, still moving out of control without a driver, recounted St. Louis Police Chief Toby Schwartz. Thats when one of the students jumped into action. LOCAL: Motorcyclist killed in wreck with CATS bus, CMPD says Heroically, the second hero of the day, a young man with Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, grabs the steering wheel, regains control of the bus until it came to a final stop, Chief Schwartz said. The driver and one student were airlifted to nearby hospitals in critical condition. According to our partner ABC station in Columbia, 11 people were injured on the bus carrying 56 students. Its unclear how they are doing this morning. ABC Columbia reports that authorities are not sure what caused the crash, but preliminary information suggests that a mechanical failure may have caused the incident. (WATCH: CMS student dies, 2 Charlotte Catholic students in ICU after crash near Asheville) The Vatican labeled gender-affirming surgeries as a grave threat to human dignity Monday, on par with abortion, war, human trafficking and violence against women. The highly anticipated document, called the Infinite Dignity, embraced a more conservative approach to the hot-button issue, after a series of declarations by Pope Francis embraced more liberal positions. The document cited Franciss teaching of the need to respect the natural order of the human person, and the need to protect our humanity, and this means, in the first place, accepting it and respecting it as it was created. It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception, the document reads. The document noted that this declaration did not apply to people born with gender abnormalities who later opt to receive surgery. The Vatican included a section of the document labeling surrogacy as one of the grave violations of human dignity. The document said surrogacy turns a child into a mere object and condemned the practice as deplorable and one that represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mothers material needs, adding, A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract. While the declaration was in the works for five years and was widely anticipated, the document marks a dramatic pivot for Francis, whose papacy has been marked by his efforts to include LGBTQ Catholics. Francis has sent mixed signals on his approach to LGBTQ Catholics in recent months. A Vatican document made public in November 2023 made clear trans people could be baptized, be witnesses at church weddings and serve as godparents. Earlier this month, however, he came under some criticism for referring to gender ideology as an ugly ideology of our time. New Ways Ministry, which describes itself as a Catholic outreach that advocates for LGBTQ equity and inclusion, blasted the new document in a statement Monday. Francis DeBernardo, the executive director of New Ways Ministry, said the document fails terribly by offering transgender and nonbinary people not infinite, but limited human dignity. While it lays out a wonderful rationale for why each human being, regardless of condition in life, must be respected, honored, and loved, it does not apply this principle to gender-diverse people. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Alvise Armellini VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -The Vatican on Monday reaffirmed its opposition to gender-affirming surgery, "gender theory" and surrogate parenthood, drawing criticism from advocates for LGBTQ Catholics. The declaration by the Vatican's doctrinal office (DDF) comes four months after another document in which it supported blessings for same-sex couples, triggering fierce conservative pushback, especially in Africa. The 20-page text called gender theory "extremely dangerous" and accused it of trying "to deny the greatest possible difference that exists between living beings: sexual difference." The Vatican also said via the head of the DDF, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, that it opposed the anti-LGBTQ laws enforced by a number of countries with the support of local Catholic groups. Monday's declaration said having a child via surrogacy violates the dignity of both the surrogate mother and the child, and recalled that Francis in January called it "despicable" and urged a global ban. Surrogacy is regulated and widespread in the United States and Canada, but illegal in many other countries, and is one way for infertile or same-sex couples to have a child. There is no suggestion that the new text, called "Dignitas infinita" (Infinite dignity) and describing what the Church perceives as threats to human dignity, was prepared in direct response to the rows over same-sex blessings. It has been five years in the making and has undergone extensive revisions over the period. Pope Francis approved it last month after requesting that it also mention "poverty, the situation of migrants, violence against women, human trafficking, war, and other themes", Fernandez said in a statement. 'GENDER THEORY' On gender theory, it said "desiring a personal self-determination ... amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God, entering into competition with the true God of love revealed to us in the Gospel". The declaration said that "any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception". It acknowledged the possibility of surgery to resolve "genital abnormalities", but stressed that "such a medical procedure would not constitute a sex change in the sense intended here". New Ways Ministry, an advocacy group for LGBTQ Catholics, criticised Monday's document, saying its "outdated theology" would contribute to continued discrimination against non-heterosexual people. "The Vatican is again supporting and propagating ideas that lead to real physical harm to transgender, nonbinary, and other LGBTQ+ people," Francis DeBernardo, the group's executive director, said in a statement. The Vatican has, nevertheless, tried to reach out to transgender people, who have been cleared by the DDF to be baptised and serve as godparents, and have been among invitees to the Vatican. ABORTION, EUTHANASIA, DEATH PENALTY Fernandez, a liberal theologian and friend of the pope, a fellow Argentine, defended Francis' right to update Church positions in line with the times, noting how, in the past, it had gone from supporting to condemning slavery. "It now seems that Pope Francis cannot say anything different from what has been said before, as if the teachings of the Church had been permanently set by previous popes," the cardinal lamented. Monday's declaration doubled down on the Vatican's standing condemnation of abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty. It also mentioned sexual abuse as a threat to human dignity - calling it "widespread in society", including within the Catholic Church - as well as cyberbullying and other forms of online abuse. (Reporting by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Lisa Shumaker) University students and supporters of the peace deal signed between the government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels display a flag during a rally in front of Congress in Bogota By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former Venezuelan general with close ties to the late leftist president Hugo Chavez was sentenced to 21-2/3 years in prison in the United States on Monday for supplying weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. Cliver Alcala, 62, pleaded guilty last June to two counts of providing material support to a terrorist group and illicit transfer of firearms. The United States considered FARC, which disbanded in 2016 as part of a historic peace deal with Colombia's government, to be a terrorist group. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein handed down the sentence at a hearing in Manhattan federal court. Alcala is the first to be sentenced of five co-defendants of current Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, who was indicted on "narco-terrorism" charges in 2020. Maduro, a perennial U.S. foe and Chavez protege who has overseen an economic collapse in oil-producing Venezuela, denies the charges. Federal prosecutors had proposed a 30-year sentence for Alcala. They argued that in addition to supplying FARC with military-grade weapons, Alcala received millions of dollars in bribes for protecting the group's cocaine shipments from interference by Venezuela's military. Defense lawyers urged Hellerstein to sentence Alcala, who has been detained in New York since his extradition from Colombia in 2020, to no more than six years. They said Alcala was under Chavez's command when he aided FARC, and that he denied any involvement in drug trafficking. Alcala had initially been charged with conspiring with the rebel group to ship cocaine, but did not admit to any drug-related charges as part of his final plea deal. Alcala's lawyers urged Hellerstein to consider the former general's split with Maduro's government in 2013 and his role in organizing, from neighboring Colombia, an unsuccessful push to oust Maduro in 2020. Prosecutors said Alcala's actions since 2013 did not justify leniency. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot) Victim of fatal crash on Campbellton Road identified by Georgia State Patrol The Georgia State Patrol released the identity of the crash victim in a fatal accident on Campbellton Road in Atlanta. According to GSP, the incident started while they were assisting the Atlanta Police Department on Friday afternoon involving a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck that APD was trying to stop. The truck had reportedly been involved in an APD pursuit a few days earlier. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A GSP trooper tried to pull the truck over on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive where it crosses Fairburn Road and the truck drove away, starting a pursuit. Troopers said the driver got on the interstate and was driving recklessly before getting off on an exit for GA-166 for Campbellton Road. TRENDING STORIES: The truck drove through a red light, hitting a Dodge Challenger, causing it to hit a utility pole. Unfortunately, the driver of the Dodge Challenger was killed, according to GSP, and was pronounced dead at the scene. They have now been identified as 43-year-old Tamara Taylor of Atlanta. The GSP have not yet identified the driver they were pursuing, but did say charges for the incident were pending. The family of the victim is raising money through a GoFundMe, which you can contribute to by clicking here. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: A Vietnamese pupil holds Vietnamese and Chinese flags before the welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnam National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday and proposed more cooperation between the South China Sea rivals on trade and development projects, the Vietnamese government and state media said. Hue, who arrived in China on Sunday for a week-long visit, said at the meeting he hopes "China will have an important contribution to global peace, cooperation and development," Vietnam's state broadcaster VTV reported. The head of the assembly is officially among the four "pillars" of the leadership in Vietnam, which has no paramount ruler. The pillars also include the party chief, the president, the prime minister. China is Vietnam's largest trading partner and a vital source of imports for its manufacturing sector. The two Communist-ruled neighbours are embroiled in a years-long maritime dispute in the South China Sea. Xi visited Vietnam in December when the two countries signed dozens of cooperation agreements, and sealed an agreement to move towards the building of a community with a "shared future". Hue on Monday proposed the two countries should create new momentum for the development of trade and "connect Vietnam to China's large development strategies", VTV said. (Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and John Mair) Read the full story on The Auto Wire Virginia Cop Injured During Street Takeover A police officer was injured during an illegal street takeover event held in Fairfax County, Virgnia and now consequences are coming. While four people were slapped with charges over the incident, the county police chief vows to snuff out street takeover events once and for all. Man brutally attacked during street takeover event. The chaotic takeover event held in Springfield, Virginia in the early morning hours of March 31. Dashcam footage from the first officer on the scene shows the takeover staged in an industrial area. Many of the participants who advanced on her squad car had their faces and heads covered. When the crowd surrounded the first responding officers vehicle, some of them reportedly tried opening her doors. Thankfully she kept them locked, but weve seen this kind of behavior towards cops arriving at street takeovers before. As a second police car shows up on the scene, the crowd becomes more agitated and aggressive. Some of them slap their hands on the cruisers hood, almost like theyre daring the officer to run them over. At one point a person walked over the hood of a police car. Others picked up orange cones, pointing them like they were guns. From their behavior, its obvious no matter the age of the streeting takeover participants theyre emotionally all children. Police apparently didnt disclose how one officer was injured, only saying the injuries were minor. Still, the dashcam footage shows the crowd was ready to fight and it sounds like a few followed through on that threat. As reported by Fox 5 Washington DC, a 20-year-old man was charged with assaulting a police officer. Two 18-year-olds were charged, one for hitting a police officer with their vehicle and another for hitting a police cruiser with their vehicle. They didnt say what the fourth person was charged for. At a press conference, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis called the actions of the crowd thuggish behavior and said the community cant deal with takeover events like this one all the way until the fall. Hes putting in a plan to have a stronger, more prepared response to future takeover events. We applaud any municipality, government, or state which moves to end street takeovers or sideshows in their jurisdiction. Theyre a plague and need to be eradicated. Image via Fox 5 Washington DC/YouTube Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. A statue of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks in downtown Montgomery, seen on January 24, 2023. The statue stands in the approximate location where Parks boarded a segregated city bus on December 1, 1955. Parks' subsequent arrest after refusing to give her seat to a white passenger sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the start of the modern civil rights movement. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Rosa Parks statue in Montgomerys Court Square is not what you expect from a monument. Thats why I love it. Theres no pedestal. No stage. Nothing separating the viewer from Parks. Its a life-sized and human-scaled depiction of a civil rights hero. This is no divinely ordained messenger walking in the sky above us. This is a woman going home after a day at work a dignified, respected citizen with a long track record of activism. She has a plan for the bus ride ahead. The Court Square statue went up in 2019, and its started a trend in Montgomery. The Equal Justice Initiative unveiled a Parks statue in February at the Legacy Museum. Next year, a statue of the activist could appear on the Alabama State Capitol steps. Three sculptures of a brave woman. Three places to celebrate Montgomerys Black community confronting decades-old systems of oppression. Three places where a teacher could take students to discuss that story, only to get fired by a school board. All thanks to the Alabama Legislature. We now have a law that prevents our educators from discussing divisive concepts. I could go into the specific language, but that would imply that this is a good-faith effort to limit dehumanizing speech. Its actually state-sanctioned intimidation. The law aims to discourage teachers from discussing anything that might give a white Alabamian a sense of guilt. So lets say a fourth-grade teacher leads his students up the steps of the State Capitol in 2027 and passes the new Rosa Parks statue. He stops and tells his class what living through the Montgomery Bus Boycott was like. It wasnt 381 days of mild inconveniences. Carpool drivers got pulled over and ticketed for little or no reason. Homes were bombed, and Montgomerys white leaders shrugged, even suggesting the protestors did it to themselves. Most children hearing this tale would focus on the courage of Parks, Martin Luther King, E.D. Nixon and all those who joined them. But maybe theres a white kid who notices the skin color of those who shrugged at the bombing of a family home. More likely, theres a white chaperone who doesnt like this talk and assumes the students have the same thin skin. Under the law, the chaperone could complain to the local school board. And the local school board could discipline or even fire the teacher over the feelings these facts stirred. And suddenly the teacher finds himself fighting for his job. He has to justify objective fact to elected officials in a state where pandering to white fear is always a winning political strategy. Yes, the statute has language protecting academic freedom and due process. But who wants to go through that? Its easier to walk by the statue, mutter something about freedom and move on. Thats the goal of the legislation: to make it hard to talk about racism in Alabama, whether historic or contemporary. And theres plenty of racism that remains. The median income for a white household in Alabama is a little over $68,000 a year. For a Black household, its less than $41,000 a year. About three-quarters of white Alabamians own their own homes. For Black Alabamians, its a little over half. White parents go through the hell of losing an infant far less than Black parents do. If this pointless suffering bothers you, you need to trace it to the sources: slavery and Jim Crow. The thread back there passes white elites openly stating their desire to steal the vote from Black Alabamians. It runs through the Pratt Mines, where innocent Black men seized by law enforcement and handed over to private enterprise died dark, suffocating deaths. It loops a Montgomery hospital, where in 1919 a white mob broke in and murdered a Black man. This was the violent system Parks confronted. This was the government that defied the U.S. Constitution and dared its victims to complain. You cant understand her courage without seeing the braying, bloodthirsty mob on the other side. But Republican lawmakers dont want you to see that. Their past is granite, marble and brass: smooth, pretty and still. Historical figures stand on columns and pedestals, away from daily life and skeptical eyes. Gods inscrutable plans, miraculously culminating in the government we have today, matter more than the documented choices of men. History is just a sacred and inevitable path to the present. In this narrative, Parks simply does whats right. She doesnt confront politicians who sabotaged a voting rights drive. She doesnt battle smug and callous juries indifferent to the plight of Recy Taylor, a Black woman raped by six white men. Parks walks on a frictionless path of righteousness. She is meek, mild and so self-evidently correct that everyone falls in line without fuss. The white establishment that attacked her and got away with it the one our current white establishment descends from is nowhere to be seen, replaced by a handful of isolated, easily-dismissed bigots. Told correctly, the Parks story is as much about a violent, nihilistic government as the woman herself. Our leaders cant have that. So they want silence around the statues of Parks. They want to trap the woman in stone and steel and make her as dull and mute as any mustached Confederate on a Doric column. They certainly dont want anyone drawing parallels between the men Parks confronted and the leaders of today. The ones who make it hard to vote; who make it hard to teach; who make life hell for transgender youth and who say our public schools need purification. You cant talk about Rosa Parks without talking about what she faced. If that makes you uncomfortable, its because the people who opposed her look an awful lot like the people running Alabama today. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post They want silence around Rosa Parks appeared first on Alabama Reflector. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 8. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has instructed Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapaev to provide urgent restoration of housing destroyed by flooding, Trend reports via Akorda. Tokayev gave the relevant instructions during a meeting with the minister. In addition, the head of state was also familiarized with the priority plans of the ministry to help people stricken by floods. Currently, final approval is underway for the cost of design and estimation documentation for constructing new housing in regions impacted by the emergency situation. Since the onset of the flooding in Kazakhstan, 75,982 individuals have been rescued, including 18,681 children. Presently, there are 7,203 people accommodated in temporary shelters, with 2,794 children among them. Currently, 3,745 private residences and 421 yards across seven regions (Atyrau, Aktobe, Akmola, Kostanay, East Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan, and Pavlodar) are still flooded. The rescue operations involve 16,375 people, over 1,600 units of equipment, 377 water pumping devices, 81 watercraft, and 15 aircraft. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ST. LOUIS A St. Louis Circuit Court judge issued an arrest warrant last week for a man accused of paying an underage California teen to send him sexually-explicit videos. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Departments probable cause statement, police received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in December 2023 that led them to suspect John Washburne, 55, was in possession of child pornography. On Feb. 13, 2024, police executed a search warrant at Washburnes Central West End apartment. Washburne was arrested for an outstanding warrant in Jefferson County. Police claim Washburne admitted to viewing child pornography and that he had such material on his phone and home computer, as well as several online accounts. Several devices were seized from the apartment. Investigators found at least 40 videos and nearly 180 images containing child porn on those accounts. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Washburne also told police he was receiving videos from a minor who lived in Huntington Beach, California. Police reached out to the girl, who confirmed Washburnes identity and said she sent him videos between April and August 2023, when she was 15 years old. She said Washburne had promised to pay her. Police claim to have recovered audio messages on Washburnes phone in which he acknowledges the victims age. The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Washburne with second-degree sexual trafficking of a child under the age of 18 and two counts of possession of child pornography. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Washington Post: Russia uses trolls to undermine US support for Ukraine Moscow is trying to undermine the U.S. support for Ukraine by using its troll farms and political strategists in the backdrop of Kyiv's critical need for further American assistance, the Washington Post reported on April 8 after reviewing internal Kremlin documents obtained by a European intelligence service. U.S. aid to Ukraine has been delayed since fall 2023, as various versions of a foreign aid bill have been derailed due to border security disagreements. In February, a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan passed in the Senate with bipartisan support. House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to bring it to a vote in the Republican-led House of Representatives. The latest Russian disinformation campaign is part of a 10-year Kremlin strategy aiming to "elevate the voices of populist, anti-establishment politicians opposed to the U.S. global role," the Washington Post said, citing analysts and former American officials. Political strategists and trolls have written thousands of fabricated news articles, social media posts, and comments that promote the idea of American isolationism, according to the media outlet. Sign up for our newsletter Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko Sign up Russia's disinformation campaign also aims to "stir fear over the United States' border security and attempt to amplify U.S. economic and racial tensions." The Washington Post said that one of the political strategists instructed a Russian troll farm employee to post comments of "no more than 200 characters in the name of a resident of a suburb of a major city." The fictional American also had to describe U.S. President Joe Biden's policies as those that are leading the U.S. "toward collapse" and to oppose further military aid to Ukraine, promoting the message that "the money should be spent on America's border and not Ukraine's." The accounts emphasized the number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and called for border security to be prioritized over any aid to Ukraine. The Russian trolls also accused Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky of corruption. The campaign described "white Americans" as "the principal losers" of foreign aid, according to the document obtained by the Washington Post. "Russia has been ramping up its propaganda operations as part of a second front that current and former senior Western officials said has become almost as important for Moscow as the military campaign in Ukraine," the Washington Post's article read. "Especially as congressional approval for further aid has become critical for Kyiv's ability to continue defending itself." Read also: How Czechia busted Russian propaganda network targeting European elections Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Gov. DeSantis visits Sanford, aims to protect law officers from dangers of fentanyl exposure Gov. Ron DeSantis made a stop in Central Florida Monday morning. The governor held a news conference in Sanford shortly after 10 a.m. DeSantis was joined by Floridas surgeon general and the Department of Children and Families secretary. SEE: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket carrying 11 spacecraft on Bandwagon-1 mission During his visit, the governor signed legislation that will increase penalties on individuals who expose law enforcement officers to fentanyl. DeSantis said he also wanted to bring awareness to life-saving measures for someone experiencing an opioid overdose, and announced an expansion of the Coordinated Opioid Response (CORE) network. The program will expand from a dozen Florida counties to 29. READ: Solar eclipse 2024: Enter your zip code, see how eclipse will look from your home The event was held at Seminole County Sheriffs Office Professional Development Center. Sheriff Dennis Lemma was also present. Watch Eyewitness News for more on this story. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. A rare event was caught on camera over the weekend at Italy's Mount Etna, the most active stratovolcano in the world. The Sicilian volcano was seen spewing rare and nearly perfectly circular volcanic vortex bubbles at some points, appearing pink in color against the sky. Giuseppe Barbagallo, a member of the South Etna Alpine Guides Group, told Reuters that a new pit crater formed along the volcano within the past week or so. The crater has a "perfect circled mouth," Barbagallo said, helping form the nearly perfectly circular rings of gas and vapor. According to Reuters, many locals are now referring to Etna as "Lady of the Rings" in light of the event. "This is a special phenomenon," they said. "We cannot see something like this every day." These rings can be traced back to as early as 1724, according to research published last year in Scientific Reports. The paper said that it's unknown what exact physical conditions allow volcanic vortex rings to form. After creating model simulations, scientists learned that the formation of the rings "requires a combination of fast gas release from gas bubbles at the top of the magma conduit and regularity in the shape of the emitting vent." Boris Behncke, a volcanologist at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Catania, told a local news outlet that Etna produces more volcanic vortex rings than any other volcano on Earth. "The Bocca Nuova crater emitted thousands of these rings and it is continuing," Behncke said, according to a translation. Behncke tweeted last week that the rings started forming from the crater during the evening of April 2, saying the volcano was emitting "unprecedented quantities" of the rings, saying the next day that it was a "phenomenon never seen like this before." "Someone said, 'maybe because we receive so much bad news lately, Etna has decided to do something simply beautiful,'" he tweeted. Etna is one of the most active volcanoes, and the last significant activity was recorded last December, according to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History's Global Volcanism Program. That activity was recorded from December 20 to 26, when a "swarm" of "light-gray ash emissions rose from Bocca Nuova Crater." There were a couple of crater explosions, resulting in ash plumes, the monitoring program said. Thief says he tried on, then melted down Yogi Berra World Series rings | 60 Minutes "Civil War": Depicting an America at war with itself 2024 Eclipse: What to expect, from the awe-inspiring to the "very strange" The moon will begin to darken the sun in Dallas starting at 1:40 p.m. and hit its peak at 1:42 p.m. Since Dallas is the largest city in the eclipses path, folks are flocking there to witness the show. For a real Dallas experience, head to Southfork Ranch, where the Ewings lived on the television series Dallas. The ranch will be hosting an eclipse and sip shindig where folks can sit on the storied grounds, buy lunch and cocktails, and enjoy the open skies. The Dallas Museum of Art will be open and visitors will have a chance to check out works by Georgia O'Keeffe, Salvador Dali, and others in its permanent collection for free. Come eclipse time, folks can head to the museums outdoor patio to see natures own art show. Families may prefer a visit to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, where scientists will be on hand to answer questions. Exhibitions from the NHLs Dallas Stars and FC Dallas, live music, and activities are sure to keep everyone entertained. Visitors to the Dallas Zoo can find out how hippos, gorillas, goats, and more react to the eclipse. Those wanting to head out of town should aim for Mesquite, which is hosting a free street and dance party with a solar roller disco and a claim to having the longest totality in Texas, clocking in at four minutes and eight seconds. Note: The times in this simulation might differ from other sources of eclipse data by a minute or two. The discrepancy is most likely a small difference in the precise location of the calculation or a slightly different way of accounting for the time it takes the speed of light to travel from the sun to the Earth. Read more about our interactive here. Write to Chris Wilson at chris.wilson@time.com. Will weather impact the Eclipse on Monday? Unfortunately it just might (SOUTHERN COLORADO) The big day is finally here, the total solar eclipse. However, here in Southern Colorado it will only be a partial solar eclipse. The region lucked out back in 2017 when most of Colorado saw about 90% totality. If you wanted to see 100% totality in 2017, you only had to travel a few hours north. This time around, the path of totality is much further away. Cities that will be close to the path of totality include Dallas Texas, St. Louis Missouri, and Dayton Ohio. The surrounding area across the United States will still see a part of the eclipse a partial solar eclipse. Heres what you need to know about the eclipse here in Southern Colorado: The event will begin around 11:30 a.m. The eclipse will peak in CO Springs around 12:40 p.m. The event will end at 1:53 p.m. At NO point will it be safe to look at the eclipse without proper eyeware Total duration will be almost two and half hours Max coverage will be 68% Its important to note that times and max coverage will fluctuate depending on where exactly you are in Southern Colorado. The stats listed above are specific for the Colorado Springs area. As far as the weather goes, it doesnt look fantastic, especially for the southern half of the viewing area. Even during the morning hours cloud cover will start to build in quickly. With that being said, the cloud cover may be a mixture of low level and upper level clouds. The higher based cirrus clouds will be a bit easier to view the event through. By the time the partial eclipse starts, models are really starting to ramp up cloud cover. The hope is that enough sunshine will be able to squeak through just before the peak. With that being said, even if the clouds ruin the fun itll still be interesting to be outside and experience the change. Important note: it is also NOT safe to look at the eclipse directly even if heavy cloud cover is present. By the end of the event and on into the early evening hours, unsettled weather looks to move into Southern Colorado. A light rain/snow mix will be possible at the lower elevations and a bit more likely for the higher terrain. Impacts are expected to be minimal this time around. For temperatures on Monday, April 8 we will be just a touch below average for this time of year. Some cooler air will keep a lot of us in the 40s and 50s. Viewers in the eastern plains will see temperatures in the 60s. During the eclipse be on the lookout for some interesting behavior from animals and insects. Temperatures might even drop a little bit too! For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. As it went dark, view of total eclipse from tiny Texas town impresses global tourists When totality hit Hillsboro, Stephen Jolly could hear the birds singing in a nearby tree. They must think it is nightfall, he said. The sky went almost dark in what Jolly describes as a very deep sunset. The lights in the stores around the downtown of this tiny Texas town lit up, piercing through a darkness that was eerie as it was awesome. We could see the moon and the sky surrounded by a ring of light, he said said. It was very beautiful. Jolly was just one of thousands who picked this Hill County hamlet, an hour drive south of Fort Worth, to experience a total solar eclipse the likes of which North America wont see for another generation. Hillsboro had been touted as one of the best places to see the eclipse given its spot on the path of totality. For 4 minutes and 23 seconds, at exactly 38 minutes past 1 p.m., Hillsboro etched its place in earhtly celestial history. The towns population just over 8,500 nearly doubled as star tourists flocked to Hillsboro with its handsome courthouse and enviable location. A board with a world map encouraged folks to place a thumbtack where theyre from. Brazil, South Africa, Japan and Australia were all represented. Early worries of a gridlock never materialized as vehicles moved freely down North Waco Street and the sun poked through gray skies by early afternoon. Clouds cleared up enough to give the throngs who made it to town a terrific show. Droves of astronomy adherents huddled together in the grassy space by the historic Hill County Courthouse as totality neared. When the moon finally flitted across the face of the sun, jubilant cheers rang out. Oh my God, a few yelled. While others, sharing a different tack, called out, Here come the aliens. The sun fully eclipsed by the moon as seen in Hillsboro on Monday, April 8, 2024. Chris Torres/ctorres@star-telegram.com Brothers Nathan, 8 and Dean Dinino, 7 from Washington lay down with Ada June, 8, to watch the solar eclipse outside Hillsboro courthouse on Monday, April 8, 2024. Chris Torres/ctorres@star-telegram.com Eclipse viewers attempt to photograph the totality with their phones in Hillsboro on Monday, April 8, 2024. Chris Torres/ctorres@star-telegram.com More trending stories: Theres no better place to see April 8 total solar eclipse than in this tiny Texas town. In Texas, set your thermostat at 80 when it's 100 degrees, expert says. Groceries at this national chain are the cheapest, study finds. Cloudy weather nearly ruined Hillsboros day in the dark In the days leading up to the eclipse, the National Weather Service was tracking cloudy skies for Central and North Texas. When the Star-Telegram began its journey south to Hillsboro early Monday morning, dark clouds could be seen above the town. But as the morning wore on, sunlight finally broke through the pall as if rewarding this town for having planned its party for past year and a half. By noon, the sky was clearer but far speckless. As the moment of totality neared, the thermometer read 70 degrees, much to the delight of Florida man John Freemont. Hed driven over 1,200 miles from Bonita Springs, Florida, to Hillsboro. He was in Kentucky for the spectacular 2017 total solar eclipse, he said, and he wasnt missing this one. After doing his research on the best cities along the path of totality, Freemont said he zeroed in on Hillsboro. His wifes family lives in Fort Worth, so a Texas trip fit nicely into their plans. Hope we can see it, Freemont said, before the heavens opened up. Earnest Whitfield looks through the Eclipseboro shirts and merchandise being sold outside the Hillsboro Courthouse on Monday, April 8, 2024. Chris Torres/ctorres@star-telegram.com PHILADELPHIA FAMILY IN HILLSBORO FOR A LITTLE PIECE OF HISTORY Joshua Lennon, of Philadelphia, still remembers watching the 2017 total solar eclipse with his then 3-year-old son. While he enjoyed the experience, he wasnt quite sure if his son understood the special occasion. Now a few years older, Lennon said his son was eager to see the eclipse and share the out-of-this-world feeling with him that he felt back in 2017. It was really amazing, Lennon said. Like many visiting Hillsboro for the eclipse, Lennon researched the best locations on the path of totality. He was joined in Hillsboro by his wife, Erica Wolbramsky, and parents Dave and Sherry Lennon. The older Lennons live in Tennessee, and enjoy traveling full time in their recreational vehicle. Theyve booked a spot at an RV park in nearby Whitney and plan to stay in the area throughout the week. For the whole family, their Hillsboro visit is a time to rest and enjoy the festivities. This is a little piece of history, Wolbramsky said. ECLIPSE TRAVELER TRIES OUT HOMEMADE FILTERS Vahid Sattary, of San Francisco, made a homemade solar filter for his camera to take snapshots of the solar eclipse. Capturing solar eclipses is a hobby for Sattary, who has snapped photos of past celestial events in Oregon and Chile. Eclipses dont happen every day and, Sattary said, the pursuit is what keeps him interested. He and his daughter originally planned on staying in Austin for the eclipse, but moved on quickly to Hillsboro after hearing that weather conditions would be better up north. Beyond capturing a rare event, Sattary said the people he meets are another benefit of his hobby. While speaking with the Star-Telegram, a couple from Seattle noticed Sattarys homemade eclipse glasses and tried them on, even gifting him a pair of their own for him to try. The community draws me, Sattary said. Thankful for the hospitality in Hillsboro. Hillsboro residents David and Robin Plumlee assemble their homemade eclipse-themed, tin cups at their stand outside the Hillsboro Courthouse on Monday, April 8, 2024. Chris Torres/ctorres@star-telegram.com The sun sets on Hillsboros eclipse day As darkness faded into the midday light, folks began packing up to head home. Many of the out-of-town folks said they plan to stay around Texas for the next few days to enjoy the scenery. While others saw the eclipse, took their photo, and went on their way. The Jollys Stephen and Claire, from Manchester, England have been through the disappointment of a total solar eclipse marred by pesky clouds back in 1999. This time around, their hearts are full with ample memories to take home with them. It pretty suddenly got light again and now its sunny, Claire Jolly said. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Students from West Technical Career and Academy are heading to the nations capital to compete in the We The People competition. Theyre hoping to represent the state of Nevada, and more importantly Las Vegas, in the national competition this weekend. This is only the fourth time in a quarter century that a team from southern Nevada has landed a spot in this prestigious competition. There, the students will perform somewhat of a congressional hearing, and theyve been preparing their arguments all year. Since classes started in August, the students have been hitting the books, grinding on all their government and historical knowledge, according to senior Kaylee Yakish. Theyve learned the Constitution inside and out, studied and researched Supreme Court cases, analyzed current events, and are now making their final preparations. West Technical Career and Academy students are headed to the nations capital to compete in the We The People national competition. (Credit: WTCA) Throughout my research Ive learned a lot of things and its really nice to have opportunities to go in depth about different SCOTUS cases, said Yakish. Ive learned a lot about different political issues going on right now. And I think its really important to familiarize ourselves with issues that are going around especially within our state Nevada. Senior Katherine Grimm said although she doesnt plan to pursue a career in political science, the program has prepared her to be an active participant in our democratic society. I think that I have developed really important skills in life in general, Grimm said. Im going to be 18 soon so Im going to be voting and I think that this class has really helped me build that foundation of knowledge thats really important to know as an American citizen. Once in Washington, D.C., the students will present their briefings and will then be cross-examined by sitting judges, practicing attorneys, and legal experts. But their trip to D.C. isnt all work. While on the East Coast, the students will also get the opportunity to have some fun with plans to visit all the must-see attractions in the nations capital, including the Constitution which they say they know like the back of their hand. The We The People national competition is on Saturday, April 12 in Washington D.C. The senior government and We The People students are looking to bring home the win for southern Nevada, with their main goal of beating out Reno. Theyre also asking for the communitys support. You can donate to assist with their expenses by visiting this link. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) The Alleghany County Sheriffs Office has released new details in the search for a man who has been missing for more than two months. On Saturday, April, 6, deputies were notified by the Greenbrier County Sheriffs Office that a vehicle belonging to Benjamin Doron Baker was discovered in the White Sulphur Springs area of West Virginia. ORIGINAL COVERAGE: Alleghany County deputies searching for missing man The pickup truck shown in the picture below was discovered off Kates Mountain Road. (Photo Courtesy: Alleghany County Sheriffs Office) Authorities in Greenbrier County searched the truck but did not find anything. On April 7, Alleghany County deputies responded to the scene and completed a more extensive search. The Sheriffs Office says crews conducted a grid search of the area, However, Baker was not found. As we previously reported, Baker was last seen on Jan. 25, 2024. He was reported missing four days later. During the attempt to locate him, deputies said they tried to ping his cellphone and searched places where he was known to be. Benjamin Doron Baker (Photo Courtesy: Alleghany County Sheriffs Office) The Alleghany County Sheriffs Office says Baker suffers from mental health and is suspected of not taking his medications. Anyone with information about Bakers disappearance is asked to call the Sheriffs Office at 54-965-1770. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. The view that Israel has embarked on a doomed Achillean killing rage in Palestine has become received wisdom in Western polite society. This take is flawed but not surprising, with critics pointing to the sheer scale of civilian casualties in Gaza. The plight of the Palestinians rattles the conscience of the West, a civilisation that for all its might is grappling with its own imperial legacy and is deeply imbued with a Judeo-Christian sympathy for downtrodden Davids faced with the wrath of Goliaths. The killing of British aid workers may point to a chilling breakdown in command and control within the Israeli army. But in a world of tremendous geopolitical stakes, it is vital to at least attempt ruthless clarity, putting aside all our emotional baggage and human revulsion towards the horror of war. The stone cold truth is that the Wests abrupt U-turn at first vowing to lend rock solid, unwavering support to Israel and now threatening to withdraw support unless Jerusalem agrees to a ceasefire has imperilled Israels mission to decapitate Hamas. True, serious questions remain about the coherence of the Gaza campaign. Yet the Israeli Defence Forces mission to obliterate Hamas as a fighting force is both perfectionally rational and realistically achievable. It has already destroyed half of the terrorist groups warpower. The next task to take out the thousands of fighters operating in small cells via an elaborate network of defensive tunnels will be fiendishly tricky. Given that Hamas uses innocent Palestinian civilians as human shields in their cold-blooded battle strategy, stashing rockets in schools and hospitals and launching attacks from populated areas, it will be impossible to achieve without tremendous loss of innocent life. The fact remains though that Hamas is immensely defeatable. The well-worn liberal rebuttal to this is that wars on terror are an oxymoron, and only bloodthirsty neocons are stupid enough to think that it is possible to wage war on world-gripping ideas like political jihad. But this overlooks the Wests thumping defeats of Islamic State. Indeed, the historic evidence is that military muscle can play a vital role in breaking faith in the fatally seductive idea that lurks behind all terrorist movements. This is that weaker parties can achieve political objectives through subjecting superior powers to violent campaigns of fear. The IRAs realisation that violence would not achieve their political goals but only after being rendered militarily inoperable by British intelligence forces is just one example of the idea fading. Defeating Hamas is not merely technically possible but existentially vital for both Israel but the wider West. Hamas is not just some small-time gang of thugs that is best ignored. Since taking over the Gaza Strip in 2007, it has upgraded from a guerrilla ragtag force primarily engaged in hit-and-run attacks to a modern terror army skilled in asymmetric urban warfare that has been prepared to plunge the entire Middle East into chaos in order to seize power from the Palestinian Authority. A perceived victory for Hamas would spell the normalisation of a terrorist government as a viable alternative to peaceful democracy in the Middle East. It would plunge Israel into a nasty power struggle between orthodox hardliners and moderates and leave it vulnerable to further incursions by bordering terror groups. This risks distracting Israel from its intelligence and diplomatic work in partnership with the West to tackle by far the biggest security challenge facing the Middle East Irans development of nuclear weapons. Moreover, the Wests prevarications risk fuelling the Gaza PR disaster. Israels global status as an avatar for oppression backed by the imperialist West epitomises the inability of leaders in Europe and America to counter anti-Western worldviews that are both fundamentally misguided and feverishly popular, in part because they do contain sparse grains of truth. The view, passionately held from the university campuses of London to the townships of Johannesburg, that Israel is an expansionist colonial-apartheid regime draws on the undeniable reality that the Israeli authorities routinely restrict the movements of Palestinians and deny them the same rights as their Jewish counterparts. Proponents of this view point, also to the established fact that Israelis have illegally built settlements on occupied land beyond their internationally recognised borders, with some Orthodox communities declaring a religious claim to the land. But what Israels critics overlook is that it is not the result of an elaborate colonial plot, but rather a messy multi-generational struggle to shore up security in a hostile region. If Israels political class has pursued a settlement programme with gusto, it is as a security buffer rather than an imperialistic project. Many of the repressive restrictions in the West Bank came into force after the Second Intifada. If anything Israel is not an grotesque ode to imperialism but a cautionary tale on the compromises on freedom and human rights that a country will make when it is threatened by perma-terrorism. Perhaps the world would be more open to such a perspective if the West were more assertive about Israels right to defend itself. Instead, it has chosen moral cowardice. In suddenly threatening to withdraw arms support after aid workers are killed, it indulges the myth that it is somehow possible for Israel to take on Hamas without heavy Palestinian casualties. And in urging Israel to negotiate a ceasefire before Hamas has been neutralised, the West legitimises the view that Israel is a bully, using monstrously disproportionate force in Gaza, that must be reigned in for the sake of the worlds conscience. Instead of acting like the leader of the free world, the West is behaving like a civilisation under siege. The world is a darker place for it. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 8. Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu will participate in the regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the spokesperson for the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Aibek Smadiyarov said during the briefing, Trend reports. "Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu will take part in the regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Minsk on April 12, 2024," Smadiyarov said. According to him, the event is planned to discuss topical aspects of the regional and international agenda, the state, and prospects of cooperation within the CIS. "At the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, it is planned to adopt several decisions aimed at strengthening cooperation in the political and cultural-humanitarian spheres, in the field of tourism and sports, as well as to approve draft documents to be submitted for consideration by the CIS heads of state," Smadiyarov noted. He also emphasized that the foreign ministers plan to adopt several joint statements. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel FILE - This photo combination shows U.S. President Joe Biden, left, taken in Washington on April 3, 2024, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, taken in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. Prime Minister Kishida is making an official visit to the United States this week. He will hold a summit with President Biden that's meant to achieve a major upgrading of their defense alliance.(AP Photo/File) TOKYO (AP) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is making an official visit to the United States this week. He will hold a summit with President Joe Biden that's meant to achieve a major upgrading of their defense alliance. He will also join a first-ever summit of the U.S., Japanese and Philippine leaders in Washington to showcase their cooperation in the face of an increasingly assertive China. The Associated Press explains the significance of Kishidas visit and the two summits. WHAT DOES KISHIDA WANT TO ACHIEVE? The biggest event during the weeklong trip is his summit with Biden on Wednesday. Kishida hopes to further strengthen the alliance as China's influence grows in the Indo-Pacific. Kishida is also reaching out to the American public to showcase Japans contribution to the U.S. economy and ensure stable relations regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election later this year. Kishida, who has pushed sweeping changes fortifying Japans defense capabilities since taking office in 2021, will emphasize that Japan and the U.S. are now global partners working to maintain a rules-based international order, and that Japan is willing to take on a greater international role in security, economy and space to help Washington. Expanding arms equipment and technology cooperation between the two countries and other like-minded partners is also highly important, Kishida on Friday told selected media, including AP. Kishida, stung by a corruption scandal, needs a successful U.S. visit to shore up low support ratings at home. WHAT IS A STATE VISIT? As a state guest, Kishida will be welcomed in a White House arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, a formal state dinner and other official events. He is the fifth state guest of Biden, who has also hosted leaders of India, Australia, South Korea and France, underscoring Americas focus on Indo-Pacific security partnerships. Kishida is the first Japanese leader to make a state visit since Shinzo Abe in 2015. Abe made a major revision to the interpretation of Japans pacifist Constitution, allowing its self-defense-only principle to also cover its ally, the United States. WHY THE DEFENSE FOCUS? Defense tops the agenda because of growing worries about threats from China, North Korea and Russia. Chinese coast guard ships regularly approach disputed Japanese-controlled East China Sea islands near Taiwan. Beijing says Taiwan is part of its territory and will be brought under control by force if necessary. There are also worries about North Korean nuclear and missile threats and Russias invasion of Ukraine. Kishida has warned that the war in Europe could lead to conflict in East Asia, suggesting that a lax attitude to Russia emboldens China. While we maintain the Japan-U.S. alliance as a cornerstone, we believe it is important to cooperate with like-minded countries, including the Philippines, Kishida said. WHAT ARE THE SUMMIT'S MAIN ISSUES? Biden and Kishida are expected to agree on a plan to modernize their military command structures so they can better operate together. America stations 50,000 troops in Japan. The Japanese Self Defense Force is preparing to restructure so it has a unified command for ground, air and naval forces by March 2025. Also expected are new initiatives for defense industry cooperation, including co-production of weapons, possibly a new missile, and the repair and maintenance of American warships and other equipment in Japan to help U.S. operations in the western Pacific. Japans possible participation in a U.S.-U.K.-Australia security partnership to develop and share advanced military capabilities, including artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and hypersonics, may also come up. Kishida and Biden are also expected to confirm Japans participation in NASAs Artemis moon program and its contribution of a moon rover developed by Toyota Motor Corp. and the inclusion of a Japanese astronaut. The rover, which comes at a roughly $2 billion cost, is the most expensive contribution to the mission by a non-U.S. partner to date, a U.S. official said. WHAT'S JAPAN'S DEFENSE AIM? Since adopting a more expansive national security strategy in 2022, Kishidas government has taken bold steps to accelerate Japans military buildup. He hopes to show Tokyo is capable of elevating its security cooperation with the U.S. Kishida has pledged to double defense spending and boost deterrence against China, which Japan considers a top security threat. Japan, working to acquire what it calls a counterstrike capability, has purchased 400 U.S. Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles. After prohibiting almost all weapons transfers, it has relaxed export guidelines twice in recent months, allowing the sale of lethal weapons to countries from which they were licensed and the overseas sales of a fighter jet its co-developing with the U.K. and Italy. The changes have allowed Japan to ship Japanese-made PAC-3 missiles to the U.S. to help replace those contributed by Washington to Ukraine. WHAT ABOUT THE SUMMIT WITH THE PHILIPPINES? The first-ever trilateral summit between Biden, Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. comes as the Philippines faces escalating maritime tension with China over their contested South China Sea claims. Biden wants to show that the three maritime democracies are unified as they face aggressive Chinese action against the Philippine coast guard and its supply vessels off the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, according to a senior Biden administration official. Japan has sold coastal radars to the Philippines and is now negotiating a defense agreement that would allow their troops to visit each others turf for joint military exercises. The trilateral comes eight months after Biden hosted a meeting with leaders from Japan and South Korea at Camp David. Cooperation among our three countries are extremely important in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and in defending a free and open international order based on the rules of law, Kishida said Monday before leaving for Washington. WHAT HAPPENS IN NORTH CAROLINA? Kishida also wants to highlight Japans economic contributions in the U.S. There is growing uncertainty in Tokyo about U.S. elections, reflected by questions about what happens if former President Donald Trump wins, though experts say there is a bipartisan consensus on a stronger U.S.-Japan alliance. Kishida will meet with business leaders and visit Toyotas electric vehicle battery factory under construction for a planned launch in 2025, and Hondas business jet subsidiary in North Carolina. He will also meet students at North Carolina State University on Friday. In his congressional speech on Thursday, Kishida said he plans to convey what Japan and the United States want to hand down to future generations and what we need to do for them. The White House on Monday bashed the impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that are expected to be presented to the Senate this week. In a memo first exclusively shared with The Hill, the White House doubled down on criticism that the impeachment effort is baseless and a stunt. This effort is a complete waste of time that constitutional and legal experts have said is unconstitutional and that even Senate Republicans have made clear they dont want to focus on, spokesperson for investigations Ian Sams said. But the worst part is that extreme Republicans have promoted this silly, baseless stunt at the same time they have killed an actual bipartisan border security bill that would have addressed the challenges at the border and delivered needed resources to [Homeland Security], he added. It is cynical and outrageous. Senate aides told The Hill they expect Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to immediately dismiss the impeachment charges against Mayorkas. The House impeachment managers are expected to formally present the charges to the Senate on Wednesday. In the memo, Sams pointed to a letter constitutional law experts wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in January that called impeachment of Mayorkas unjustified. And he noted that Jonathan Turley, a conservative pundit and legal scholar, wrote in a column in January that there is no evidence Mayorkas is corrupt, warning that impeachment is a slippery slope. Additionally, he noted that Republican senators have warned against impeachment, pointing to Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), who said it is obviously dead on arrival in the upper chamber. For months, Senate Republicans have warned against this effort by extreme House Republicans, Sams said. And it isnt just coming from more moderate Senators, even conservative members are saying this is a waste of time and dead on arrival and that the House Republicans making the case have got nothing. A vote to dismiss the articles of impeachment may get Republican support, as several GOP senators have expressed skepticism about the strength of the case against Mayorkas. Any motion to dismiss or table the charges against Mayorkas would need only a simple majority to pass, and Democrats hold a 51-49 seat advantage in the Senate. Sams on Monday called on Republicans to work with President Biden on the situation at the southern border with Mexico instead of focusing on Mayorkas. In February, Johnson declared a bipartisan border agreement negotiated in the Senate dead on arrival in the House, and Republicans have demanded Biden use his executive authority to address the border. The president and White House officials have said Biden has exhausted his options. Instead of more of these political stunts, congressional Republicans should work with President Biden to actually address this issue in a bipartisan manner. Its time to stop these baseless, cynical games, Sams said in Mondays memo. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Andrea Shalal and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House welcomed on Monday the arrival on Sunday of more than 300 aid trucks in Gaza, but said it was pressing Israel to increase that number to around 350 a day, as talks continued on a hostage-release-and-ceasefire deal. White House spokesperson John Kirby said CIA Director William Burns was in Cairo over the weekend for a serious round of negotiations on securing the release of hostages being held in Gaza by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Hamas was now reviewing a new proposal. The United States hopes to forge a deal that would include a ceasefire of around six weeks in Israel's six-month-old assault to destroy Hamas in the Palestinian enclave. Asked if there was any reason to be more optimistic about a hostage deal, Kirby told reporters: "It should be plainly obvious just by the amount of shuttle diplomacy we're doing and our counterparts are doing, we're taking this very, very seriously. And we really want to come to closure on a hostage deal as soon as possible." Hamas killed 1,200 people in its rampage into southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's response, the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said on Monday. Israel's army says more than 600 of its soldiers have been killed in combat. Kirby said Washington wanted to see a sustained pace of 300 to 350 aid trucks entering Gaza every day, and a better safeguarding of aid workers' safety after last week's Israeli airstrikes killed seven World Central Kitchen staff. "Obviously we need to see this number increase, and we need to see it sustained to really address the dire humanitarian situation," he said. He said Washington was still reviewing the conclusions of the Israeli military investigation into the incident. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that Israel had yet to provide an adequate explanation for the deaths of the aid workers, including an Australian citizen and a dual U.S.-Canadian national. Two Israeli officers have been dismissed and others reprimanded. Kirby said U.S. officials hoped to meet next week for delayed discussions with senior Israeli officials on plans by Israel for a ground invasion on Rafah in southern Gaza. He said Washington did not see a Rafah invasion as imminent and Israel had assured U.S. officials it would not proceed before taking part in talks on alternatives. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan would meet Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid this week during Lapid's visit to Washington, Kirby said without providing details. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Howard Goller) The efforts of President Biden and White House officials to reach out to the Arab and Muslim American communities in the wake of the war in Gaza have fallen short, highlighted last week by an at times tense, scaled-down iftar event compared to previous years. The relationship with the Arab and Muslim American community has been fraught in the six months since the war began, with many protesting or fully withdrawing support for Biden over his pro-Israel stance since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. White House officials have held a handful of meetings with leaders but sometimes have their invitations rejected. Biden himself has not engaged much directly with the community. The strained relationship was on full display after a meeting with community leaders in which a Palestinian American doctor who had worked in Gaza walked out. The administration was faced with tough questions after the incident, including whether that was the first time Biden had ever engaged with someone who had actually been in the devastated enclave. It once again underscored the risks Biden faces heading into election season, where a swath of disaffected voters upset over his handling of the war in Gaza could be enough to cost him key battleground states. This years small dinner and meeting celebrating Eid al-Fitr which falls on Tuesday and marks the end of Ramadan were held in place of the nearly 350-person reception the White House hosted last year. Thaer Ahmad, an emergency medicine physician who worked in Gaza in January, told CNN he was the only Palestinian in the room at the stakeholders meeting and that he shared with Biden: Out of respect for my community, out of respect for all of the people who have suffered and who have been killed in the process, I need to walk out of the meeting. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later told reporters the president respected Ahmads right to peacefully protest, and officials understand the strong feelings around the war in Gaza. Jean-Pierre offered little insight into how the White House built its guest list for the more intimate event, which was not publicized, but she said the smaller setting was intended to foster a more direct, honest conversation. She confirmed there were three doctors in attendance who recently returned from Gaza at the dinner who shared their experiences with Biden. Weve done outreach for [the] past several weeks, several months to the Muslim, to the Arab community, Palestinian community and heard from them directly, Jean-Pierre told reporters. And they spoke; we listened. And we hope that they feel like they had an opportunity to express themselves and had an opportunity in front of the president and the vice president to talk about an incredibly painful time. Additionally, a source familiar told The Hill that Ahmad has been to the White House on multiple occasions to meet with White House officials about the situation in Gaza. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Biden has been adamant that Israel has a right to defend itself and that the U.S. would provide support. But in recent months, he has been more outspoken that Israel has not done enough to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, as tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Bidens tone significantly shifted Thursday, however, when he said future U.S. support may change if Israel does not take concrete actions following a drone strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza. Outside of Washington, White House officials have met with members of the community in Michigan and Illinois in recent months. There has also been outreach to elected officials who are Arab Americans or Muslim Americans, or who represent large areas with large Arab or Muslim populations, including the mayors of Dearborn, Mich.; Gainesville, Fla.; and Paterson, N.J. Within the White House, chief of staff Jeff Zients hosted a listening session with Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian staff in recent months. And the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement has consistently engaged with Churches for Middle East Peace, interfaith leaders from Pilgrimage for Peace, and a coalition from the National Faith Table. Campaign officials have also reached out to community members in Michigan and other states to foster conversation and listen to their concerns. Biden himself did not meet with Arab American community members during recent trips to Michigan. But some in the community think the outreach hasnt been enough. Hassan Abdel Salam, an Abandon Biden co-founder and sociology professor at the University of Minnesota, told The Hill that the White Houses outreach to the Muslim and Arab American community is tone deaf and that Biden has alienated people in the community. He said two Abandon Biden leaders based in Michigan had been contacted by the White House to meet in recent months, but the organizations position is not to meet or have contact with the White House unless a permanent cease-fire in Gaza is called. Another time there was outreach to Abandon Biden was in December, he said, when a Democratic-operative doing the bidding of the White House asked the group to cancel a press conference it was hosting with swing-state leaders in Dearborn. Protesters have interrupted numerous Biden events and gathered outside fundraisers for months to express their discontent with the presidents handling of the war in Gaza. Demonstrators interrupted Bidens high-profile fundraiser last week with former Presidents Obama and Clinton, with one yelling Shame on you, Joe Biden! Obama jumped in to defend Biden, telling demonstrators, You cant just talk and not listen. Thats what the other side does. But the political risks to Biden are clear. Thousands of voters have cast protest ballots during the Democratic primaries over his handling of the war in Gaza, including last week in Wisconsin, where nearly 50,000 people voted for uninstructed. While Biden won the primary easily, if even a fraction of those protest voters stay home in November or back a different candidate, it could cost him in the Badger State, which he won in 2020 by slightly more than 20,000 votes. The Abandon Biden movement, which has been behind the protest vote efforts in Democratic primaries, declared Bidens overall outreach to the Muslim and Arab community a failure this week. The Biden administration needs to understand the unequivocal message we are sending: they do not have our vote. The attempt to engage our community has not only fallen flat but has also served to further galvanize us towards ensuring accountability and seeking justice for our people, the group said in a statement. Abandon Biden said the boycott of the Ramadan event at the White House was a significant juncture in the American political landscape. Our communitys refusal to be used for public relations maneuvers by the Biden administration became resoundingly clear on Tuesday night, the organization said. This defining moment was not just about the decline in participation by numerous Muslim American leadersmotivated by principle or the fear of backlashbut it also saw the outright cancellation of what would have been a token iftar, replaced by a policy discussion that failed to address our concerns adequately. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Botswanas President, Mokgweetsi Masisi, proposed a most unusual export to Germany last week: Elephants 20,000 of them. The heated offer came in response to comments made earlier by Germanys Minister of the Environment, Steffi Lemke, who suggested a ban on the import of hunting trophies into the country. Lemke, a leader in the countrys Green Party, cited the possible new restrictions as a way to prevent poaching. We would like to offer such a gift to Germany, Masisi told the German tabloid Bild. Twenty thousand elephants for Germany, this is not a joke. Masisi noted that Lemke did not understand the reality of living with a growing population of such a large animal. It is very easy to sit in Berlin and have an opinion about our affairs in Botswana. We are paying the price for preserving these animals for the world and even for Lemkes party, he said. Mokgweetsi Masisi and Steffi Lemke Botswana Elephant Population Soars According to Masisi, the population of elephants in Botswana has swelled to more than 130,000 due to conservation efforts. Its estimated that the biological carrying capacity for elephants in the county is only around 60,000. Masisi went on to explain that elephants were trampling people to death. He explained that the explosion in population has caused serious damage to villages and decimated crops. In an effort to curb the growing population of elephants in Botswana, the country has offered to send 8,000 elephants to Angola and another 500 to Mozambique. Trophy Hunting as a Tool of Conservation? Theodore Roosevelt, with gun stands beside a dead elephant he hunted and killed during his African trip of 1910. Elephant hunting for sport has been at the center of the trophy hunting debate since the tradition began. Elephants are often personified and cherished because of their intelligence. This, in particular, stirs strong emotions for animal rights activists, such as Save the Elephants. As the largest land animal, they are quite literally the elephant in the room when the discussion of trophy hunting arises. Conservation efforts have led to a healthy increase in elephant populations in several locations worldwide. Elephant hunting was banned in Botswana in 2014 in an effort to preserve the species, but the ban ended in 2019 amid immense pressure from local communities. In his interview with Bild, Masisi stated that hunting elephants is vital to the country as an important means to keep them in check. Meanwhile, Germany remains one of the largest importers of hunting trophies in the European Union. In 2023, 26 African elephant trophies were imported to the country. Botswanas president recently warned that a hunting trophy import ban would amount to a resurgence of colonial conquests if it comes to fruition. He hinted at the management of the population, the safety of his people, and the economic value to his communities as being a driver for his push to preserve the hunts. I find it unfathomable that youd be horrified of the protection of ones livelihood rural, poor people, who have allowed 40% of the country to be set aside for conservation and [sic] when they defend themselves, Masisi said. The post Why Botswanas President Just Threatened to Send 20,000 Elephants to Germany appeared first on GearJunkie. The sun sets behind the L.A. skyline as seen from Azusa. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) It seems only yesterday that Californias population was nearly 40 million. Then more people left the state. Now were not even at 39 million. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in March that Californias population as of last July had dropped to an estimated 38,965,000. Thats down by 75,400 in a year and 573,000 below Californias peak of 39.5 million in 2020. Entering this century, when Californias still-growing population was 34 million, we were predicted to reach 45 million by 2020 and almost 60 million by 2040. So much for that. People have been fleeing this once-Golden State. And the exodus accelerated on Gov. Gavin Newsoms watch. That probably wont be accentuated in Newsoms State of the State speech if he ever gives one this year. Its already three months past the time governors traditionally have delivered their much-anticipated, annual address. Newsom hates giving prepared speeches. But he loves pitching California. And a bolting citizenry doesnt fit his usual narrative that alls terrific. Anyway, the fact that Newsom has been governor while constituents flee the state is mostly coincidental. Sure, state public policy decisions have helped motivate some people to leave. But they probably would have departed no matter who the governor was. California just got too big for its carrying capacity at least in the sprawling, ranch-house lifestyle that so many people covet and symbolizes the states easy-living persona. Grow and grow and grow and eventually theres not enough room, says Hans Johnson, a demographer at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California . The easy places for growth have been used up. Growth today means infill development [in cities]. Thats expensive and controversial. Or you live further away from your job. Or leave the state and find cheaper housing almost anywhere. Read more: California is building fewer homes. The state could get even more expensive Out-of-state migration is the main cause of Californias continuing population loss. But there are other reasons too. Post-World War II baby boomers those born between 1946 and 1964 are starting to die. And their kids and grandkids havent been producing enough babies to replace them. Californias fertility rate has fallen faster than most [states], the public policy institute reported in October. In 2008 its rate was above the national average (2.15). By 2020, it fell to the seventh lowest (1.52). The COVID-19 pandemic took a death toll, particularly on older people. Overall, deaths in California increased by 19% in 2020 over the previous year, the institute reported. The pandemic also virtually shut down foreign immigration into California. It had been the main driver of population growth for several years. When COVID struck, visa restrictions were invoked to reduce the virus' spread. Legal and undocumented immigration have increased since the pandemic, but not to prior levels nowhere near, Johnson says. California is no longer the preferred destination it used to be. For one thing, Johnson says, Mexicos birth rate has significantly declined and its labor market is less competitive. Fewer Mexicans are heading north searching for work, although many Central Americans are seeking asylum, mostly in other states. And another thing something demographers usually dont delve into: Trump administration policies clamped down especially on illegal immigration. The Biden administration eased up. Jennifer Balek, 39, left, her children Zach Kight, 15, Hannah Kight, 12, and their grandmother Tina Bailey, talk while working on a puzzle in the dinning room of the Balek home in Rockwall, Texas. Like many Californians, insurance broker Jennifer Balek took advantage of pandemic-induced opportunities to work from home by moving to another state. (Ben Torres / For The Times) But the biggest reason were losing population is that people are moving out, Johnson says. That has slowed, but were still losing hundreds of thousands to other states. Thats a net loss after factoring in people moving to California. And why are they leaving? Mainly because of Californias high cost of living, particularly housing . Thats the biggest reason movers cite. The median cost of a California house was nearly $800,000 in November, more than double the $336,000 youd pay in Texas, according to Redfin housing market data. In neighboring Arizona and Nevada, it was $435,000 and $479,000, respectively. These are destination states for departing Californians. Read more: 4 in 10 California residents are considering packing up and leaving, new poll finds Blame Californias high costs of land and labor plus regulatory quagmires and neighborhood resistance to growth. Newsom and legislators have been wrestling with these issues for years and enacted new laws, but they havent generated much progress in making home buying more affordable . During the pandemic, Johnson says, highly educated people with the opportunity to work remotely began leaving California because they could find affordable housing and do their jobs at home rather than commute long distances . Also, higher-income people began leaving for states such as Texas and Nevada that dont impose income taxes. California has the nations highest state income tax rate, 13.3%. We also have high sales and gas taxes. Were a high tax state, a fact Newsom pooh-poohs. Read more: Droves of Californians are moving to Texas. Here's the life they are finding Theres evidence that some conservatives are leaving California because they cant tolerate our liberal politics. Many probably didnt like Newsoms shuttering of shops and schools during the pandemic. Other states were less restrictive. The Idaho secretary of state reported in November that of nearly 30,000 ex-Californians who had moved to the Gem State, 75% registered to vote as Republicans. Only 10% signed up as Democrats. Thats bad news for the declining California GOP. What else does Californias continued population loss mean? More room on the freeways and less congestion generally. Less stress on our unstable water supply. But also less tax revenue. With the top 20% of earners those families making at least $120,000 a year supplying 91% of the state income tax, a continued exodus is sure to lighten the Sacramento pocketbook. The state currently is facing a budget deficit of tens of billions of dollars. Theres an argument over the exact amount. California loses national political clout as people leave . Well probably surrender two more U.S. House seats after the 2030 census. We lost one in 2020 when we were still growing. One way to make California more enticing would be to offer a benefit that worked well for generations until the state got greedy in the 1970s: Free tuition at public universities for California residents. That would at least help prevent a brain drain. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Former President Donald Trump finally responded to criticism of his murky stance on reproductive rights on Monday and issued a video statement outlining abortion policy under a Trump second term. The four-minute address was posted to his Truth Social media platform and proclaimed that the GOP would remain fundamentally opposed to abortion rights under his leadership. My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, said Mr Trump. He added: Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative than others and thats what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. In short: the former president would encourage states to set their own policies determining the extent of a womans right to an abortion if it is recognised at all. Notably, Mr Trump did not say that he would reject legislation banning the practice after a certain point in the pregnancy at the national level, a key carve-out that lays the groundwork for a future rightward shift. And Mr Trump also repeated one of his favourite smears: the claim that Democrats want abortion to be legal up until the point of childbirth, and even after a baby is born murder of a living person, as its more commonly known. Its an egregious accusation that is not based in any real policy supported by a single elected Democrat in the country, and one that seems particularly alarmist given the fact that the incumbent Democratic president appears personally uncomfortable with even using the term abortion and has only pledged to go as far as passing legislation to restore the federal standard under Roe v Wade, which prohibited abortion bans from taking effect before the second month of pregnancy has ended. It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position because they support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month. The concept of having an abortion in the later months and even execution after birth. And that's exactly what it is. The baby is born, the baby is executed after birth is unacceptable. And almost everyone agrees with that, he said in his address Monday. Nevertheless, its a smear that Mr Trump and his allies on the far right, such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz, have repeated ad nauseum over the past several years. The goal appears to be to blunt the clear headwinds Democrats have enjoyed on the issue, where the party enjoys a clear advantage over Republicans. The GOP has suffered a series of embarrassing defeats waged over abortion-related ballot measures and in races where reproductive freedoms were made into a key election issue Tudor Dixons defeat in key swing-state Michigan, for example. The 2023 sweep by Democrats in Virginias state legislature elections solidified the feeling that the right was facing a backlash from suburban women in particular. Mr Trump first began spreading the lie in 2019 , at the time still in the third year of his presidency and reeling from his loss of control in the House of Representatives in the midterms a year earlier. At the time, the former president pursued the line of attack against Ralph Northam, then the Democratic governor of Virginia. It appeared, in 2019, to have originated with the testimony of a Democratic member of the state legislature before a committee in January of that year; Kathy Tran told her colleagues that legislation she was proposing would allow a woman to have an abortion if deemed medically necessary to save her life while she was showing signs of labour. She later said that she misspoke, as an abortion would not be pursued in that circumstance. But the damage was done, and five years later the GOP is still attempting to convince voters that their political rivals want to murder children. Another crucial point in his address was a full-throated endorsement of the availability of fertility services including IVF; the Republican Party faced a political backlash recently when the practice was temporarily banned in Alabama. It was his latest stop on the long, winding trail of anti-abortion sentiment he has embraced since becoming the champion of Americas Maga movement, the possible culmination of a political alliance with evangelical Christians that began nearly 10 years ago. Having once referred to himself as very pro-choice in 1999, his positions shifted upon his entrance into national politics as he became the far-rights champion in 2016. The alliances he forged necessitated the embrace of a conservative stance on abortion and never looking back. He would go on to be the first incumbent president to address the annual anti-abortion March for Life in Washington DC, even as he has never explicitly endorsed a national abortion ban or even said that he would sign one (though he almost certainly would, were a GOP Congress to pass it). He has also infuriated some on the anti-abortion right by acknowledging the clear political challenges that Republicans face surrounding reproductive rights; his opposition to the Alabama IVF ban just the latest example. The New York Times reported earlier this year that Mr Trump privately supported a 16-week national abortion ban, though a spokesperson denied this. As President Trump has stated, he would sit down with both sides and negotiate a deal that everyone will be happy with, Trump 2024 national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in February. For that reason Mondays news was at once a moment of pause for both pro-choice Americans as well as the anti-abortion right, the latter of which reacted to his pledge with a mixture of disappointment and resigned acknowledgment that Americas 45th president, hardly a true believer, remains the president with the strongest track record of rolling back abortion rights in modern history. His contributions to a far-right conservative majority on the Supreme Court remain a point of pride for many evangelicals, even if they do not in all cases appreciate his bombastic and often-times acidic rhetoric. The Republican Party is facing a political reckoning. Mr Trump is running for the presidency for a third time, now a more damaged candidate than ever and facing resentment from members of both parties resulting from his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The larger GOP is seeking to retake control of the Senate after failing to do so in 2022, while facing the prospect of protecting one of the thinnest House majorities in history. And on top of all of that is the issue of abortion, and the greater realm of reproductive freedoms. 2024 will be the first presidential election to take place since the ending of federal protections established by Roe v Wade, and the Republican candidate is on tape bragging about killing them. With the rights of patients to seek abortion care services set to be on the ballot in several states including Florida and Arizona (two major battlegrounds), the issue is set to reach a national level of importance which it has rarely enjoyed. With Donald Trumps announcement, it seems certain that Democrats will go on the offensive and try to tie their opponents to his words in key swing races up and down the ballot. The questions for Mr Biden are therefore simple: can his party effectively deliver that message and use it to make real gains in places like Florida, where the party saw a complete political collapse over the Trump era? And will that messaging be enough to convince voters to vote for a man who wont even say the word? One family traveled 2,000+ miles, others watched from backyards as the Ozarks went dark WEST PLAINS, Mo. Leslie and Craig Herr, along with their 9- and 7-year old sons Atticus and Atlas, traveled nearly 2,000 miles to experience Monday's solar eclipse in Missouri. Originally from Sacramento, the Herr family sat in the back of a rental minivan at noon, playing games and eating snacks, waiting for the moon's shadow to pass over the sun around 2 p.m. The family arrived in southwest Missouri last week, flying into Kansas City and then driving the rest of the way to West Plains. The solar eclipse reaches totality in West Plains, Mo. on Monday, April 8, 2024. "We chose our spring break specifically for this. West Plains was always our plan and it turned out that the clouds worked out best, too," Leslie Herr said. "I could make a weeklong vacation in Missouri. I couldn't make a weeklong vacation with the other states in the totality path." Ahead of arriving in West Plains, the Herr family visited Silver Dollar City in Branson and they are looking forward to driving through the Wild Animal Safari in Strafford before heading back to California on Tuesday. A festival three years in the making Though the city's big celebrations at both the West Plains Civic Center and Heart of the Ozarks Fairgrounds began Monday morning, the city has been hosting festivities since Friday. The four-day festival kicked off with a concert on Friday evening featuring The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and 38 Special. Melissa Wharton, West Plains tourism manager, said the city has been preparing for the four-day festival for three years. Wharton said the city decided to host a multi-day festival following recommendations from cities that were in the path of totality during the 2017 solar eclipse. "It's kind of go big or go home," Wharton said with a laugh about the festival. Speaking with the News-Leader Monday morning, Wharton said she was unsure of the festival's turnout or overall economic impact, but she did know that Friday's concert sold more than 2,100 tickets to folks from more than 30 states, including some sales from Canada. And many restaurants have been operating on a reservation-only basis, which is unusual in West Plains, which has a population of just more than 12,500. Exchanging rings, vows under totality Katie Prince and Micheal Spence, natives to the area, celebrate their one-year anniversary on April 21. They wanted to do something "unique" for their wedding ceremony, so they exchanged their rings during the three minutes of totality. Katie Prince and Micheal Spence tie the knot minutes before the solar eclipse hit totality in West Plains, Mo. on Monday, April 8, 2024. West Plains resident Paige Davis officiated the wedding, along with at least four others throughout the morning and early afternoon outside of the West Plains Civic Center. "I like to do weddings that are untraditional, so I thought it would be a really cool way for other people to experience one another on the eclipse," Davis said. The eclipse in Springfield Missouri State University students Kylie Real and Sarah Wood watch the solar eclipse from the Campus Catholic Ministries building on April 8, 2024. As the moon's shadow fell over the Ozarks, Springfieldians and travelers alike filled up Plaster Stadium at Missouri State University to experience about 97% totality. As the sky grew darker, SunChips and Moon Pies were doled out to the crowd. "I like seeing everyone come out on campus and all do this together," said MSU student Paige Key. "I do love the snacks that are themed, so that's my favorite part right now." Gary and Marsha Smith from Nixa, Mo. view the solar eclipse from the back of their truck in West Plains, Mo. on Monday, April 8, 2024. MSU student Sarah Wood viewed the eclipse from the Catholic Campus Ministries building, where a small group gathered to look upward. At first, she thought she'd miss the eclipse for her afternoon kinesiology class. She said thankfully, her professor cancelled class shortly before totality began. "He sent the message out 20 minutes ago and we screamed," Wood said. "We could not believe it. He was like, the last teacher that was going to cancel class." Ahead of the crowds Springfield residents also made the drive out to West Plains to experience totality. Bill Thomas, a faculty emeritus in Missouri State University's Physics, Astronomy, and Materials Science Department, arrived at around 5 p.m. on Sunday, expecting a high volume of traffic and crowds on Monday morning. Missouri State University physics and astronomy professor Dr. Bill Thomas sets up his camera and telescope before the start of the total solar eclipse at the West Plains Civic Center on Monday, April 8, 2024. To Thomas' surprise, he was one of only a few cars who pulled into the West Plains Civic Center parking lot on Sunday evening. But he was eager to set up his DSLR camera with a telephoto lens and large solar filter. For the majority of Monday morning and early afternoon, he fielded questions from fellow festival attendees about his setup and the solar eclipse. "They tell you that if you really want to enjoy life, figure out what you like most and figure out second how you get someone to pay you to do that," Thomas said with a chuckle. Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Family travels 2,000 miles to view total solar eclipse in Missouri NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. Giving Marines better barracks will take hundreds of millions of dollars each year. But the top enlisted Marine said hell never apologize for demanding that money. If were going to continue with an all-volunteer force, then its OK to pay them, and its OK to give them a place where its safe for them to live and its OK to fuel them like a Division I athlete, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz said Monday at the Navy Leagues Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland. Because, frankly, they deserve it. Because theyre the ones as the commandant says they will be the ones doing the fighting and the dying. Earlier in 2024, the Marine Corps unveiled its Barracks 2030 plan for revamping its barracks, the living quarters that typically house younger, unmarried enlisted Marines. For now, Marines in some barracks have had to live with visible mold, vermin, broken appliances and other issues, reports from the Government Accountability Office and the media have found. Corps leaders have said the Barracks 2030 plan is aimed in part at keeping Marines from exiting the service. But the plan, which will involve bulldozing the worst barracks and renovating others, wont come cheap. The Marine Corps plans to spend $274 million on barracks modernization in Fiscal Year 2025, a $65 million increase from the previous year. Barracks modernization also tops the Corps unfunded priorities list, which spells out what the service would spend additional money on if there were room in the budget. On that list, the Marine Corps signaled to Congress that it would like an additional $230 million for the barracks, on top of the $274 million it already plans to spend in Fiscal Year 2025. Fixing subpar barracks at top of the Marine Corps budget wish list Were not asking for Taj Mahals, Ruiz said Monday. In previous years, Ruiz said, the Marine Corps opted not to make investments in infrastructure because it decided it had to spend money on modernizing. With the Force Design initiative, which then-Commandant Gen. David Berger rolled out in 2020, the Corps has overhauled its approach to fighting in preparation for potential conflict with the high-tech Chinese military. Were transparent with that: Decisions were made not to invest in your buildings because we needed to buy these platforms in order for you to come home, in order for you to win, Ruiz said. But now its the time to do both. And its OK to ask for both. (CNN) Mpox cases in the United States are twice as high as they were at this time last year, and experts are stressing the importance of improving vaccination coverage as transmission risks rise. There have been 511 cases reported this year through March 16, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared with fewer than 300 cases by late March 2023. Transmission rates are still far below levels from 2022, when there were tens of thousands of cases in the US. But after a quieter year last year, experts say the US is vulnerable to increases in spread in a number of ways. The public health emergency in the US expired more than a year ago, cutting the amount of federal resources available to manage the public health response. And relatively low vaccination rates leave many at risk. In December, the CDC also sent a health alert warning health-care providers about another subtype of the virus that has been found to be more transmissible and cause more severe disease than the subtype associated with the 2022 outbreak in the US. This particular genetic clade has not been identified in the US, but it is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This has the potential to become a fairly prevalent infectious disease, but the advantage with mpox is, we have a vaccine thats effective. We dont have that for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia or HIV, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Weve had fairly good participation in the vaccination push, but were not anywhere close to getting most of the at-risk population vaccinated. Until that happens, were going to see outbreaks and upticks in cases in various places. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a less severe cousin of the now-eradicated smallpox virus, and it is spread through close personal contact. Initial symptoms are typically flu-like including fever, chills, exhaustion, headache and muscle weakness often followed by a rash with raised lesions that scab over and resolve over a period of weeks. Although anyone can get mpox, men who have sex with men are particularly at risk, and those who have HIV are more vulnerable to severe outcomes, including death. The vaccine, manufactured by the Danish company Bavarian Nordic under the brand name Jynneos, has a recommended two-dose regimen, with the shots given about a month apart. In most states, less than a quarter of the population at risk has been fully vaccinated with the two-dose series since it was authorized for emergency use in August 2022, CDC data shows. As of January, coverage is highest in the District of Columbia, where 68% of the at-risk population has gotten both shots, but coverage is less than half in every other jurisdiction. Coverage is below 10% in eight states. Nearly all US regions have reported more cases this year than in the first three months of 2023, with the largest difference in the mid-Atlantic region, particularly New York City, CDC data shows. On Monday, the Virginia health department sent out a notice to raise awareness about a recent rise in cases. The state has had as many cases this year as there were in all of 2023. Cases have also been reported from regions across the state, but last years cases were concentrated in the north part of the state. Among the 12 cases, four required hospitalization, six also had HIV, and none had been vaccinated, the notice said. We felt like it was really important to get the word out that there is a continued risk from this virus. Its still here, said Dr. Brandy Darby, director of the Division of Surveillance and Investigation in the Office of Epidemiology at the Virginia Department of Health. We also wanted to give people time to protect themselves ahead of Pride season. Were hoping this might encourage people to go ahead and get vaccinated so they can go out and enjoy their celebrations and not have to worry so much about mpox. Curbing the spread of mpox will require a compassionate and tailored effort to reach the populations most at risk, said Jeffrey Crowley, distinguished scholar and director of the Infectious Diseases Initiative at Georgetowns ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law. In May, he co-authored a report outlining the lessons learned one year after the initial outbreak and actions needed to prevent a resurgence. Public health really came forward and said, This is something were concerned about. We care about you, he said. Going forward, we need to look for these affirming ways to generate trust and build strategic partnerships with the community groups that are most able to reach the people at highest risk. A US survey from August 2022 found that about half of men who have sex with men changed their behaviors because of the mpox outbreak that year, by reducing either their number of sex partners, one-time sexual encounters or use of dating apps. Research has found that these changes had a significant effect on curbing the spread, but experts say that vaccination is a more realistic and sustainable measure for prevention. Certainly, I feel like HIV has taught us that people arent going to abstain forever. So we need these other tools, Crowley said. Mpox vaccines do not require annual boosters; once a person completes the two-dose series, coverage lasts long-term. Although there is a recommended four-week window between the first and second shots, experts say that people who got only the first shot but want to improve their coverage can get the second shot outside of that period without restarting the series. And the vaccine thats available in the US will also offer protection against the more severe subtype of the virus if it does begin to spread in the US. The federal government managed the supply of mpox vaccines available in the US during the public health emergency, but that process has since been commercialized. The government does have some supply remaining, and the vaccine is also expected to be available in pharmacies and health-care offices next month, experts say. Although this may help expand access to vaccination for some, it also comes with its own challenges, experts say. Theres now adequate supply of the vaccine, and we have a little better handle on the outbreaks, so were transitioning back to the commercial system. Thats the way we do business in the United States, Plescia said. But we often lose our visibility of exactly whats going on. We just dont have as much information about whos getting the vaccine and if there are shortages. And access to treatment remains a challenge, which makes preventive measures even more important, said Elizabeth Finley, senior director of communications and prevention programs with the National Coalition of STD Directors. But the sexual health field faces a number of rising concerns amid tight budget pressures. Were mindful that people arent necessarily getting the treatment that they need, and theres some administrative barriers to that right now, she said. The all-hands-on-deck effort has now really been folded into the day-to-day work of STD and HIV prevention, and those are very stretched systems. The-CNN-Wire & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, April 8. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has assessed a project aimed at extending a sovereign loan of up to 4 million euro to Tajikistan, Trend reports. According to the bank, the goal of this financial assistance is to help improve crucial water supply infrastructure in Bokhtar. This loan will be augmented with investment grants from the EBRD Shareholder Special Fund (SSF) and/or other international contributors. The monies will subsequently be transferred to Khojagii Manziliyu Kommunali Bokhtar Water and Wastewater Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khojagii Manziliyu Kommunali State Unitary Enterprise. The EBRD emphasizes that the project's goal is to improve the operational efficiency of the company and the water sector through a series of policy initiatives. The effort aims to improve water resource and energy efficiency, reduce pollution, and alleviate ecological degradation in Tajikistan by implementing an Integrated Water Resource Management strategy to river basin servicing. Finally, the project is expected to reduce water waste and increase access to clean water for a broader portion of the population. The loan will mature in 15 years, including a four-year grace period. Meanwhile, the EBRD's existing loan portfolio in Tajikistan was 482 million euros for 69 active projects as of January 31, 2024. As of the reporting date, the EBRD's cumulative investments in Tajikistan were 919 million euros, divided among 165 projects, with the private sector accounting for 13 percent. Countless polls suggest that Americans are increasingly concerned about rising crime in the United States. A recent Gallup poll indicates 77 percent of Americans believed that crime had worsened in 2023. Politicians have declared that crime has skyrocketed in the past three years under the Biden administration. However, reliable data released last month by the FBI suggests otherwise. So why the persistent perception that crime is rising? Perhaps it is rooted in the raw numbers of violent crime, increases in thefts, revolving door justice systems in our population centers, and rising number of attacks on law enforcement sworn to protect us. The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is our nations most often cited uniform crime report card. The data at first glance informs that violent crime in 2023 dropped 6 percent, property crime fell by 4 percent, homicides decreased by 13 percent, and aggravated assaults dropped 5 percent. These numbers appear positive if taken in the vacuum of 2023. In March, the Biden administration released a statement celebrating that 2023 had one of the lowest rates of all violent crime in more than 50 years and the murder rate saw the sharpest decrease in history. The president said his administration is making it a reality that citizens should feel safer in their communities. So why dont they? Declaring crime rates in 2023 to be one of the lowest rates in more than 50 years would be an astonishing statistic if it were an honest evaluation of the data. The problem is the claim fails, perhaps intentionally, to take into account a number of factors that fuel the persistent perception that crime is on the rise. With any statistical comparison, such as the one made by Biden, it is important to look under the hood of data sets to validate such claims. Understanding the data source. NIBRS and Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data are the primary sources of crime data in the U.S. Compiled by the FBIs Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), the 18,000 or so law enforcement agencies from around the country send their crime data to CJIS annually. This data is curated by the sending agency and is admittedly incomplete. Crime data is measured both in raw numbers and per 100,000 persons. Regardless of the inconsistencies, UCR and NIBRS remain the gold standard of crime data in the U.S. But some analysis to Bidens claims is warranted, especially given the persistent perception that crime is rising. To start, NIBRS and UCR data does not go back 50 years, so scoring the claim on that basis would be nearly impossible. Moreover, the 2023 quarterly data is not the full complement of data compiled in the annual data sets, which is only as current as 2022. Arbitrarily examining the last 25 years will suffice. Also, in fairness to the president, keep in mind that he cited the crime rate and not the raw number of violent criminal offenses. Its a distinction with a huge difference and possibly the foundation of the persistent perception that crime is rising. Looking at the numbers. In 1998 (25 years worth of data ago), the violent crime rate was 567.6 per 100,000 persons, the highest rate in the last quarter century. By comparison, the same FBI data source indicates that the violent crime rate in 2022 was only 380.7 per 100,000 persons, or about a one-third reduction in the violent crime rate in that timespan. Any visual evaluation of the FBI graph below might indicate that we are safer now since the crime rates in America have steadily declined over the past 25 years. Graphic via Joe Schueller This is where looking under the hood of the data becomes useful for real crime analysis. In fact, the raw number of crimes is much higher. In 1998 there were 119,724 violent criminal offenses reported. Compare that to 2022, when there were 951,270 such offenses reported. That is a staggering 695 percent increase in violent criminal offenses over that 25-year period. There were approximately 894,000 violent criminal offenses reported in 2023. Biden stated that the prior [Trump] Administration oversaw the largest increase in murders ever recorded in 2020. It is true that the spike in homicides, and nearly every other criminal category, rose dramatically that year. Bidens statement continues by proclaiming that homicides saw the sharpest decrease in history in 2023, falling by 13 percent. However, recently published data informs us that in the three years Biden has been president there were 22,536 murders in 2021, 21,156 murders in 2022, and approximately 18,400 murders in 2023, or 62,098 in a three-year period. Conversely, the four years of the Trump administration saw 18,206 in 2017, 16,937 in 2018, 16,952 in 2019, and 22,414 murders in 2020, or a total of 74,509. Under Trump, the country averaged 18,627 murders per year. Under Biden, the country is averaging 20,700, or more than 10 percent more murders per year. Moreover, if 2020 is stripped from the data set, Joe Biden has presided over the three deadliest years in American history and its not even close. The celebrated 2023 was one of the most violent years in American history. Violent crime offenses are generally higher under Biden as well. For instance, in 2020 (the most violent year during Trumps administration) there were 673,812 violent crime offenses reported. By comparison, Bidens storied 2023 saw nearly a quarter million more violent criminal offenses. Feeling safer? The persistent perception about property crimes Curiously, the Biden statement did not mention thefts and property crimes at all. Perhaps thats because there are only so many times a man can ask members of the public to disbelieve their lying eyes. We have seen the drug stores looted, convenience stores robbed, department stores cleaned out, and businesses ruined by the brazen burglaries and thefts streamed live before us over the past several years. In support of our lying eyes, NIBRS data indicates that in 2023 property crime (thefts, larceny, burglary, etc.) is up 3 percent in major cities. Motor vehicle theft is up 11 percent nationwide. In 2022, property crimes rose almost 7 percent, the first time the overall property crime rate rose nationally since 2000 and only the second time since 1991. No wonder Biden didnt mention it. A decline in arrests means fewer consequences. Society would hope that as the raw number of criminal offenses rise or remain at historically high levels, the nations arrest levels would rise accordingly. Society would also hope that the government would invest in law enforcement resources commensurate with the crime threat. Unfortunately, and to no fault of law enforcement, hope is not much of a crime fighting strategy. In 2022 there were 2,076,644 arrests in the U.S. In 2021, there were 1,762,945. By comparison, there were more arrests made during Trumps administration with the exception of 2020, when there were 2,051,465. In fact, law enforcement made more arrests in 2020when the nation was literally locked insidethan in all of 2021. Law enforcement averaged more than 2,731,573 arrests per year during the Trump administration, due in no small part to aggressive law enforcement initiatives and prosecutors. Since then, there has been an average of only 1,919,794 arrests per year, which is a 30 percent decrease. Fewer arrests equal fewer prosecutions, which equal fewer consequences for criminals. There are several plausible explanations for this decline in consequences. Impacts on policing. Major metropolitan areas moved to defund the police after the George Floyd murder. Politicians weakened the protective policing posture of their communities intentionally, made everyone less safe, and only recently discovered what a self-defeating policy this has been. Defunding the police at any level is Chapter 1 in the Book of Bad Ideas. Fewer police mean fewer arrests. Thats just math. In the wake of the defund the police movement, violence against law enforcement continues to rise at untenable levels. The National Fraternal Order of Police reports that 2023 was the most violent year endured by law enforcement with 378 officers shot, a 17% increase over 2020, and the number of officers shot in the line of duty has been higher on Bidens watch than at any time in history. In 2020, there were 60 officers injured or killed in ambush-style attacks on law enforcement. By comparison, that number has more than doubled each year of the Biden Administration with 133 in 2021, 126 in 2022, and 138 in 2023. The result of this unsustainably high violence on the brave men and women of law enforcement is poor retention rates, poor recruitment rates, and under-policing of those communities that need policing the most. Conjoined with those two explanations is the phenomenon of elected prosecutors who refuse to enforce criminal laws, release repeat offenders without bail, and show little interest in prosecuting crimes. And these prosecutors are located in Americas largest cities, all being decimated by high crime, such Kim Foxx in Chicago, Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, George Gascon in Los Angeles, just to name a few. Most of these prosecutors have collectively received millions in political contributions from organizations funded by or affiliated with George Soros, a malignant stain on public safety. The Soros-backed, revolving-door criminal justice system these weak prosecutors tout is just a step above not having one at all. The persistent perception concludes correctly. So, the question remains why does the perception that crime is rising persist when recent data, celebrated by the Biden administration and parroted in liberal media, suggests it went down last year? Its your lying eyes. Crime is still higher than it has ever been. It seems nonsensical to preside over record high crime in 2022 and then take a victory lap in 2023 when it trends slightly downward. The raw data is clear. There were fewer crimes being committed during the Trump administration as compared to the Biden administration and its not even close. The perception persists because of incredibly bad policies, like defunding the police. The perception persists because of soft prosecutors, regrettably weak bail reforms, deadly increase in violence against law enforcement, and because arrests are down while crime is high. President Biden celebrated his 2023 crime stats as good news for the American people. But for all the data to the contrary, I would agree. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. Ukraine officially asked Berlin to provide one of the most powerful long-range missiles at the end of May 2023 but heard uncertainty in response and, later consistent refusals. What is behind Ukraine's obsession with receiving the Taurus missiles, and why is Germany constantly refusing to provide Kyiv with this specific weapon? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Former President Donald Trump was facing pressure from anti-abortion activists on the right to embrace a national ban. Kellyanne Conway, his 2016 campaign manager who later became his White House counselor, was arguing for a 15-week ban. So was South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Trump's longtime ally. Trump himself even toyed with the idea in public, musing that a 15-week cutoff might achieve political consensus. In the end, Trump couldnt get past the feeling that it was a loser with voters. It is a lesson he learned through hard political experience most importantly in the 2022 elections. For years, at a gut level, the former president has feared the backlash he might face for taking a hard-line position on abortion. And despite his attempt to fog up the issue with his new, state-based stance, Trump is still likely to pay a price with voters for appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. And his decision not to endorse a ban has exposed deep fissures within his own party. After Graham released a statement Monday in which he said he respectfully disagree[s] with Trumps position, Trump did not let it go, instead accusing Graham and Republicans like him of sinking the GOP. Senator Lindsey Graham is doing a great disservice to the Republican Party, and to our Country, Trump wrote in response to Graham on Truth Social. People like Lindsey Graham, that are unrelenting, are handing Democrats their dream of the House, Senate, and perhaps even the Presidency. The most ominous evidence, for Trump, was in the 2022 midterms, when an array of Republican candidates he endorsed lost in part because of backlash against the partys abortion policies. Two years before his announcement Monday that he was not endorsing a national abortion ban, Trump told his hand-picked candidate for governor of Michigan, Tudor Dixon, that it wasnt too late to talk differently about abortion. The conservative radio host did not publicly support exceptions in the case of rape, incest or life of the mother a position the former president believed was a fatal error for her campaign. And it was. Not only for Dixon, who lost her race to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, but for Republicans across the country who endorsed tight restrictions on the procedure. Their candidates fell short in key Senate races, and the party barely won back the House. The experience of the midterms has remained seared into Trumps political mindset. For two years, Trump had attempted to avoid giving a direct answer on where he stood. And even his statement on Monday was sufficiently vague to afford him maximum political flexibility, allowing him to take any number of future positions on abortion while also exposing him to criticism from the left. While Trump took credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices necessary to overturn Roe, he waited until after he secured the nomination before articulating a position. His team knew he would have to give a statement on abortion at some point soon, as President Joe Biden and his campaign moved to make it a central issue in the election. But Trumps reluctance to dive into the matter was so evident that he surprised his own team last week in Michigan when he told reporters he would be putting out a statement on the issue in the next week, according to an adviser. His video message posted to Truth Social Monday followed months of publicly and privately debating whether he would support a federal ban, with some allies pushing him to embrace one. Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others, and thats what they will be, Trump said. At the end of the day, its all about will of the people. Thats where we are right now and thats what we want the will of the people. Many of Trumps closest allies agreed with Trumps instincts that the issue was a political loser, according to several people familiar with the deliberations and granted anonymity to speak freely. They saw little advantage in coming out for a national ban, arguing that it would give Biden an issue with which to batter Trump. And they worried that adopting a 15-week ban would put him in opposition with Republican leaders in individual states who had passed laws restricting abortion, like Gov. Kristi Noem in South Dakota, where abortion is completely banned with the exception if the mothers life is in danger and with no exceptions for rape or incest. And there was another dimension to Trumps opposition to a national ban, too. The former president is courting some of the partys biggest donors, many of whom are more liberal-minded on social issues. After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a restrictive six-week ban during last years Republican primary, some of DeSantis major donors said at the time that their enthusiasm for him had dampened. Following Trumps decision on Monday, his former vice president, Mike Pence, called it a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020. The prominent anti-abortion rights group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said it was deeply disappointed. In a flurry of social media posts on Monday, Trump went after Graham and SBAs president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, by name. Senator Lindsey Graham and Marjorie Dannenfelser should study the 10th Amendment and States Rights, he wrote. When they do, they should proudly get on with helping Republicans to WIN ELECTIONS, rather than making it impossible for them to do so! He wrote, I blame myself for Lindsey Graham, because the only reason he won in the Great State of South Carolina is because I Endorsed him! Not all conservatives took issue with Trumps position. On Monday, the Faith & Freedom Coalition, an organization overseen by Republican operative Ralph Reed, praised Trump as the most pro-life president in American history. The organization also reaffirmed its plans to spend aggressively in the 2024 election. Jim Bopp, Jr., the National Right to Life Committees general counsel and an Indiana lawyer who authored the model legislation in advance of the Supreme Courts decision overturning Roe, said his group largely agreed with Trump's statement, saying he was "perplexed" at SBA's pushback. "There is no national consensus that would justify the federal government taking a position, and that's what we argued in the Supreme Court: that it should be returned to the states. And that's what they have done, Bopp said. Bopp said his only qualms with Trump's statement weren't policy-focused, but with the tenor of the statement itself. On Monday, Trump released a video in which he stated abortion rights should be left up to the states, reiterated his support for exceptions and supported in vitro fertilization procedures that have become the latest flashpoint in the debate around abortion.. You must follow your heart on this issue, Trump said. But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly, a nation in decline. Heidi Przybyla contributed to this report. RILEY COUNTY (KSNT) Residents in part of Riley County are being asked to evacuate the area immediately. The Riley County Police Department is warning residents on Halls Ravine Road east of the county line, as well residents on Bjoring Road north of the county line, to evacuate due to an uncontained wildfire, according to a recent social media post. The evacuation includes, but is not limited to, Redbud Acres, Swede Creek Road, Cleburne Road, Vilander and everything east. Becky Ryan, Pottawatomie County public information officer, says more than 75 firefighters are engaged with a wildfire thats been burning since the morning hours of April 7. Windy conditions are making containment of the fire difficult. At 6:45 p.m., the Pottawatomie County fire was located north of Cleburn Road and west of Shannon Creek Road. Another update at 8:30 p.m. from the county said the evacuation notice for local residents has been lifted and people can return to their homes. Ryan says the fire is estimated to be around 50% contained on Sunday night. No injuries have been reported and no structures or livestock have been impacted. Both state and local resources are being brought to bear against these fires. People are asked to avoid these areas while firefighters work to contain the flames. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. I have watched the William Wragg scandal develop with mounting incredulity. First, this Conservative MP showed an astonishing lack of judgment by sending intimate images of himself via a gay dating app to a man he had never met before. That was stupid. But what horrified me was that he then handed over the personal telephone numbers of public figures to somebody who was blackmailing him. His excuse for this incredible lapse is that he was scared because the individual had compromising things on me. To give out the telephone numbers of other MPs is not only a serious breach of trust towards his colleagues, it also raises some quite serious security questions, too. What he did was unforgivable in every way. Within 24 hours of this story breaking, I imagined that the whip would have been suspended and that acres of newspaper coverage would be devoted to this affair. In the past, these things would certainly have happened. And yet, Wraggs admission of guilt has effectively been the end of it. He has been portrayed as the victim of a honey trap. Case closed. The sense of disbelief I felt soon turned to something approaching anger, when I heard the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, describe Wraggs apology as courageous. No, Chancellor, courage is confronting a mugger in the street. It is as though Hunt and others have never heard the wartime phrases Careless Talk Costs Lives; or Keep Mum Shes not so dumb! Why on earth would the Conservative Party behave in this manner? Could it be that they want to avoid another by-election. Maybe its just that standards in public life have now slipped so far, there is an assumption in Westminster that most voters dont care about an incident like this. As a public figure myself, the honey trap has been put upon me more times than I care to remember. It began in my first week as an MEP in 1999. It is totally irrelevant whether Charlie or any other dark actors linked to the Wragg scandal are working for the Russians, the Chinese, or a scurrilous website. Those who are in public office have to be held to a higher standard than everybody else. If not, breakdown will follow. I accept that were all human and were all capable of making mistakes in our lives, but to hand out the telephone numbers of close colleagues is nothing less than reprehensible. For this reason alone, I believe Mr Wragg should be investigated, but not through victim support. Wragg is not a victim, even if he is an idiot and a dangerous idiot at that. No, we ought to think about the security implications of MPs giving out to blackmailers confidential telephone numbers. Such an investigation might also help to establish whether there are any other Wraggs in Parliament who have been similarly compromised. The security of the nation and the safety of the public could depend on it. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Wisconsin should be of concern for Biden because of Gaza, says progressive Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) said the administrations response to the war in Gaza will make it difficult for young people in Wisconsin to support President Biden. Yes, because weve always had a problem engaging voters of color, young people and certain demographics, Bowman told MSNBCs Ayman Mohyeldin when asked Sunday if the protest vote against Biden in last weeks primary in Wisconsin should concern Biden. Its going to be harder now because of how we respond have pretty much not responded very well to whats happening in Gaza, he said. In the Wisconsin primary last week, nearly 50,000 Democrats cast their vote for an uninstructed delegation instead of Biden over his administrations response to the unfolding war in Gaza. And so yes, it is a cause for concern, and thats why its encouraging to see some of the organizing happening across the country. And hopefully this continues to push the president in the right direction to call and get a permanent cease-fire and the suffering, bringing that humanitarian aid and create a pathway to peace right away, Bowman added. The protest vote is backed by progressive groups that have criticized Bidens response to the Israel-Hamas war, which hit its six-month mark over the weekend. Mohyeldin noted that Biden carried Wisconsin in 2020 by about 20,000 votes, and the uninstructed contingent in the 2024 primary garnered about 48,000 voters. The President believes making your voice heard and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans. He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. Hes working tirelessly to that end, Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said in a statement about the uninstructed vote. Wisconsin is one of several states that former President Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, is targeting in November. Biden, who has faced repeated criticism from voices on the left over Israel and Gaza, has amped up his criticism of Israel in recent weeks, especially in the wake of the killing of seven international aid workers by an Israeli airstrike last week. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and more than 30 House Democrats sent a letter to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week urging the administration to put conditions on military aid to Israel. Bowman, one of the Democrats to sign the letter, said Sunday he expects more lawmakers to demand an immediate cease-fire. Its 37 lawmakers responding to the American people; the majority of the American people demand a permanent cease-fire. We see whats going on right in front of our eyes, we see hundreds of thousands of children and people starving to death in Gaza, he said. The Hill has reached out to the Biden campaign for comment. This story was updated at 6:45 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, April 8. Citizens of Tajikistan transiting through Turkiye will not require a transit visa, Trend reports. The statement was made by the Embassy of Turkiye in Tajikistan. It was noted that the visa-free regime for Tajikistan's citizens has been abolished by the decree of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Visa applications will commence on April 20, 2024. Until the specified date, Tajik citizens can enter Turkiye without a visa. Details on how to apply for a visa will be announced separately. Previously, citizens of Tajikistan could enter Turkiye without a visa and stay there for up to 90 days. MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) A Wisconsin man was sentenced to federal prison on Thursday after being convicted of several drug-related crimes. According to the Manitowoc County Sheriffs Office, on April 4, Judge William Griesbach sentenced Frederick W. Scheuers II to nine years and three months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Five dead following nearly head-on crash in Wisconsin Scheuers II was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. In June of 2023, the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit, along with the DEA Green Bay Resident Office, initiated an investigation on Scheuers II. Investigators learned he regularly traveled to the Manitowoc Area to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. State Patrol: Woman arrested in Fond du Lac County for OWI, had two children in the car Investigators completed a controlled purchase of cocaine from Scheuers II within the city of Manitowoc, and he was arrested in July for possession of around a half-pound of methamphetamine, one ounce of cocaine, as well as THC products and drug paraphernalia. Manitowoc County Sheriff Dan Hartwig said, This investigation exemplifies the continued joint effort between the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorneys Office- Eastern District of Wisconsin for their continued efforts to combat our local drug issues. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Witnesses in Trump's hush money trial likely to include former members of his inner circle, sources say To try to prove their criminal hush money case against former President Donald Trump, prosecutors in New York are expected to rely on several witnesses who are or were part of Trump's inner circle, including his longtime assistant, Rhona Graff, his former director of Oval Office operations, Madeleine Westerhout, and longtime trusted aide, Hope Hicks, sources familiar with the case told ABC News. The sources said prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office are also expected to call Deborah Tarasoff, who worked in the Trump Organization's accounting department, and Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organization's former controller, as well as Trump's former attorney and so-called "fixer," Michael Cohen. McConney is also expected to testify in Trumps defense, sources said. Other former Trump aides who appeared before the grand jury that probed the case are not expected to be called as trial witnesses, including Trump's longtime adviser Kellyanne Conway, the sources said. Westerhout -- who also served as Trump's executive assistant for the first two-and-a-half years of his presidency -- was subpoenaed to testify by the Manhattan district attorney, according to her lawyer Jason Wright. He told ABC News that Westerhout does not know when or if she will be called to the witness stand. PHOTO: Madeleine Westerhout watches as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with North Korean defectors in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Feb. 2, 2018. (The Washington Post via Getty Images) Prosecutors have not publicly released a witness list, and the sources cautioned the decision to call someone to testify is subject to change before the trial, which is set to begin April 15. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office declined to comment to ABC News about the prospective witnesses. Lawyers for the other potential witnesses either declined to comment or did not return requests for comment. Trump has pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just days before the 2016 presidential election. It's a disgrace that it can happen," Trump said last month. "This was a case could have been brought three and a half years ago, and they decided to wait now just during the election so that I won't be able to campaign. Former American Media Inc. executive David Pecker is also expected to testify, and National Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard could also be a prosecution witness, sources said. Both played an integral role in what prosecutors say was a "scheme" to "catch and kill" negative stories about Trump during his first campaign for president. "[Pecker] agreed to help with the Defendant's campaign, saying that he would act as the 'eyes and ears' for the campaign by looking out for negative stories about the Defendant and alerting [Cohen] before the stories were published," prosecutors alleged in a filing. PHOTO: Olympus Fashion Week Fall 2005 - Day 5 (Katy Winn/Getty Images) Attorneys for Trump have hammered at the credibility of prosecution witnesses, including Cohen, in recent court filings. "Cohen is not a truth teller, he is a serial liar," defense lawyers wrote in a February motion to argue that the judge should limit testimony from Cohen, Daniels and others. Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the federal probes into Trump's handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, is also relying on some of Trump's closest aides, advisers and allies to build those two criminal cases. The indictments in both of those cases are structured using the words of people around Trump during his waning days in office. In the New York case, the sources also said both Daniels and Karen McDougal -- a former Playboy model who received a $150,000 payment from AMI for rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump -- are also expected to testify at trial. Trump has denied having affairs with both McDougal and Daniels. "I'm absolutely ready. I've been ready," Daniels told ABC's "The View" last month. "I relish the day that I get to face him and speak my truth." Dino Sajudin, a former doorman who was paid $30,000 to stay quiet after shopping claims, later discredited, that Trump had a love child with a building employee, was a prospective witness in the case but is no longer expected to testify at the trial, according to sources familiar with the matter. PHOTO: President Donald Trump points to former communications director Hope Hicks shortly before making his way to board Marine One on the South Lawn and departing from the White House in Washington, DC on March 29, 2018. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) In a ruling last month, Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan cleared the way for witnesses including Daniels, McDougal and Sajudin to testify because their actions "flow directly from the 2015 meeting at Trump Tower where Pecker, Cohen" and Trump agreed to the catch-and-kill scheme, the judge said. "[T]he evidence and testimony surrounding these individuals is inextricably intertwined with the narrative of events and is necessary background for the Jury," Merchan wrote. Witnesses in Trump's hush money trial likely to include former members of his inner circle, sources say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A woman was taken to a hospital after being shot inside a Pittsburgh home early Monday. Emergency crews were called to the 2100 block of Mazette Place in Fairywood around 7 a.m. Once they arrived, officers found a 32-year-old woman shot in the hip inside the home. She was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Pittsburgh police continue to investigate. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Detective Inspector Martin Thorpe, who is leading the investigation, named Sarah Mayhew as the victim - Met Police handout Human remains found in a park in south London have been identified as those of 38-year-old Sarah Mayhew from Croydon. The Metropolitan Police said a 44-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman arrested on Saturday on suspicion of murder, remain in custody pending further inquiries. Officers were called to Rowdown Fields, Croydon, shortly after 9am last Tuesday after receiving reports of possible human remains being found. They sealed off the area and subsequently found more remains in another part of the park. Forensic experts were brought in to examine the find. On Wednesday, police confirmed that the remains were human, and a murder investigation was launched. Police were called to Rowdown Fields, Croydon, after the remains were found last Tuesday - Jordan Pettitt/PA Giving a new update on Monday, Detective Inspector Martin Thorpe, leading the investigation, named Ms Mayhew as the victim. He said: My thoughts are with Sarahs family as they deal with this heartbreaking news, No family should have to lose a loved one in such tragic circumstances, and we will continue to provide our support as our investigation progresses. The two people in custody were known to Sarah, and at present we are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death. The force said Ms Mayhews family had been informed and were being supported by specially trained officers. Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, the lead for policing in Croydon, said: While I hope these updates will offer some reassurance to the local community, we are aware of the understandable concern this incident has caused across New Addington. Your local policing teams will continue to be visible and available to discuss your concerns and answer any questions you may have as best we can. We repeat our thanks for the support and patience of the public, which has allowed officers to carry out important inquiries at the scene. Locals had spoken of their shock when the body parts were discovered. One 80-year-old told the MyLondon news website: Its frightening. My husband is housebound and we live just opposite the park. Weve never had any problems, its a lovely safe community. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Authorities have identified the woman whose body was found lying on a North Portland offramp on April 2. The woman, who police identified as Rachelle L. Schaefer, 55, was found Tuesday night lying on the southbound Interstate 5 offramp to North Broadway. The driver didnt stay at the scene authorities said, and no suspects have been identified. The incident is still under investigation and authorities are asking anyone with information to contact police. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. CLEVELAND (WJW) Owners of a Cleveland building are left to pick up the pieces after two vehicles crashed into it early Sunday morning, according to police. Viral video leads to Ohio dog seizure Cleveland police headed to Kinsman Avenue for reports of a crash just after 2:30 a.m. Upon arrival, they learned a collision at the intersection of East 139th Street and Kinsman Avenue led to both vehicles slamming into the nearby building, home to Kyries Kafe. Police said each vehicle only had one occupant at the time of the collision and subsequent crash into the brick building. A 32 year-old woman reportedly injured her arm and was taken to the hospital for treatment. No one else was hurt, police said. Homicide detectives investigating fatal shooting in Cleveland An investigation is ongoing and police did not say if alcohol or drugs are believed to be a factor in the crash. No charges have been filed at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Women impacted by abortion restrictions to campaign for Biden in NC this week RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) The Biden campaign will launch a multi-state tour this week beginning in North Carolina, featuring two women impacted by restrictions on abortion in southern states, CBS 17 has learned. Amanda Zurawski and Kaitlyn Joshua will travel to Durham, Charlotte and Winston-Salem sharing their personal experiences about medical complications they faced in their home states when they say they were denied care while pregnant. The tour comes as former President Donald Trump faces questions about what restrictions he would pursue if elected and said he would be making an announcement this week on abortion policy following a court decision in Florida that will allow a six-week ban on abortion to take effect next month. Trump called the overturning of Roe v. Wade a miracle while campaigning in Iowa in January as he talked about how his three U.S. Supreme Court picks helped make that happen. Abortion is on the ballot in November and were making it clear to voters the threat Donald Trump poses if re-elected, said Dory MacMillan, North Carolina communications director for the Biden campaign, in a statement. Women across the South, including here in North Carolina, have made it clear we want our rights protected, and were grateful to Amanda and Kaitlyn for sharing their stories and reminding us whats at stake in this election. Zurawski is suing Texas over the states abortion law and told federal lawmakers last year she nearly died because she was denied an abortion when her water broke at 18 weeks. She said doctors sent her home and told her to come back if she showed signs of a life-threatening infection. It wasnt until she went into septic shock that doctors performed an emergency abortion. Because of damage to her fallopian tubes, Zurawski and her husband Josh have turned to IVF, but are also concerned about the ability to pursue that in light of the recent decision in Alabama. In Joshuas case, she said she was unable to get care at two hospitals in Louisiana when she was experiencing a miscarriage when she was between 10 and 11 weeks pregnant. Joshua said the hospitals sent her home even though she was bleeding heavily. The women will also meet with student journalists as the Biden campaign tries to mobilize young voters in this key battleground state. As CBS 17 reported last week, even with the restrictions North Carolina enacted last year, abortion providers in the state say theyre preparing for an increase in patients following the decision in Florida. As Roe v. Wade fell, teenage girls formed a mock government in Girls State North Carolinas law restricts abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy. After that, abortions can only be performed in cases of rape, incest, protecting the mothers life and if the fetus has life-limiting anomalies. Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor in North Carolina, has said the next goal for the state should be to restrict abortion after six weeks and then just keep moving from there. NC abortion providers prepare for increase in patients when Floridas 6-week ban takes effect In North Carolina, state House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) recently told reporters the legislature will not pursue any further restrictions on abortion during the session that begins later this month. Moore is running for Congress and said its unclear what could happen in 2025 when a new legislature takes office following the November election. The campaigns stop in Charlotte this week will also call attention to Mecklenburg County Rep. Tricia Cothams decision to switch to the Republican Party, giving the GOP the final vote needed to obtain a supermajority, which allowed them to enact the new abortion restrictions over the objection of Governor Roy Cooper (D). As The Hill reported last week, Trump also has over the past year repeatedly dodged questions when asked whether he would sign a national abortion ban if re-elected, instead claiming he would find a solution to unite the country on an extremely divisive issue. He has said he supports exceptions for cases of rape, incest and life of the mother. The Biden campaign is highlighting the Heritage Foundations Project 2025, which advocates for various policies Trump could pursue if elected. It calls for the FDA to reverse its approval of medications for abortion. The Justice Department could also use the Comstock Act, which dates back to the 1800s, to enforce a ban on sending abortion medication through the mail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. World leaders, UN chief slam Ecuador over raid of Mexican embassy, arrest of former VP Ecuadors government is under fire over its decision to break into the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest its former vice president, Jorge Glas, late on Friday just hours after Mexican authorities granted him political asylum. The ongoing crisis, which has already led to the suspension of diplomatic ties between both Mexico and Nicaragua with Ecuador, began to unravel in the early hours of Saturday, following the raid of the embassy. Glas, a controversial politician convicted in 2017 for taking bribes from a Brazilian construction company, had been sheltering at the embassy since December. He sought refuge there arguing he was being politically persecuted, following fresh accusations of corruption against him. Mexican authorities granted Glas political asylum early Friday. Hours later, Ecuadorian special forces broke into the embassy and arrested him. They went into his room, knocked him to the floor, kicked him in the head, in the spine, in the legs, the hands and then dragged him out, when he could no longer walk, said his lawyer, Sonia Vera. The shocking, highly unusual move has outraged world leaders on both sides of the political spectrum from Argentina and Uruguay on the right to Brazil and Spain on the left as well as the head of the United Nations. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is alarmed at the forced entry of Ecuadorean security forces into the premises of the Mexican Embassy in Quito, his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said Saturday in a statement. Guterres noted that failing to protect embassies from host-country interference jeopardizes the pursuit of normal international relations, which are critical for the advancement of cooperation between states. Under the Vienna treaties, embassies and diplomatic premises are considered foreign soil and inviolable. Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the move was a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico. The country, which plans to challenge the raid at the World Court in The Hague, immediately severed diplomatic ties with Ecuador. Slamming the incident as unusual and reprehensible, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega also cut ties with Quito, while Brazils foreign ministry expressed solidarity with Mexico and condemned the action as a clear violation of international norms. The sentiment was echoed by Spanish authorities on Sunday. The entry by force into the Embassy of Mexico in Quito constitutes a violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the countrys foreign ministry said in a statement. Ecuadors President Daniel Noboa has yet to comment on the decision, but on Saturday, the countrys foreign minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, defended the move saying Glas was at imminent flight risk and adding Quito had already exhausted diplomacy talks with Mexico City. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, April 8. Tajikistan is ready to provide assistance to Kazakhstan in addressing the aftermath of flooding, Trend reports. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan, the statement was made during a phone call between Tajikistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sirojiddin Muhriddin, and Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murat Nurtleu. To note, since the onset of the flooding in Kazakhstan, 75,982 individuals have been rescued, including 18,681 children. Presently, there are 7,203 people accommodated in temporary shelters, with 2,794 children among them. Currently, 3,745 private residences and 421 yards across seven regions (Atyrau, Aktobe, Akmola, Kostanay, East Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan, and Pavlodar) are still flooded. The rescue operations involve 16,375 people, over 1,600 units of equipment, 377 water pumping devices, 81 watercraft, and 15 aircraft. Many LGBTQ+ people have negative experiences at their high school proms. At one college, queer students were recently given the chance to relive the night in a welcoming environment. The University of Michigan held a "Pride Prom" on Friday night with the theme "Written in the Stars." The event was attended by over 100 students and their guests, giving the school's LGBTQ+ community a chance to come together and celebrate their identities with drinks and dancing. The prom was hosted by the university's Spectrum Center, a campus resource center "dedicated to serving and supporting members of the U-M LGBTQIA2S+ communities," according to its website. The event was also sponsored by the university's Rackham Graduate School and Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs. Pride Prom featured a dance floor, a photo booth, tarot card readings, and a drag performance. Sophomore Macie Richardson, a member of the Spectrum Centers staff, told The Michigan Daily that organizers even included "a quiet room upstairs for people who might get overwhelmed during the event. We always think about accessibility, she said. Many LGBTQ+ students often feel unwelcome at school dances, with some opting not to attend them at all out of caution. Those who cannot safely be out to their families are forced to conceal their identities, whereas those who live openly are often met with harassment or even violence from their peers. As homecoming and prom are considered milestones among American youth, Pride Prom gave students the opportunity to experience the occasion safely and authentically. Richardson said that organizers aimed to rectify any negative experiences students might've had at their high school proms, while giving them the chance to have fun with their friends. A lot of Queer students have interesting relationships with prom, Richardson said. Maybe they didnt have the best experience at their high school prom, so I think its really important for us to have an opportunity to have a good experience with a prom-like atmosphere. (Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen implored Beijings top leaders to fundamentally rethink their economic growth strategy, as she wrapped up a high-stakes trip to China thats been a balancing act in strengthening bilateral ties while delivering stark criticisms. Most Read from Bloomberg Chinas economic imbalances and massive government subsidies of certain sectors will lead to significant risk to workers and businesses in the United States and the rest of the world, she said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday. Throughout four days of meetings, Yellen repeatedly framed Chinas strategy of boosting its already huge manufacturing capacity as a widespread global concern, and urged leaders to focus instead on revving up domestic demand. President Xi Jinping has made bolstering advanced manufacturing a top priority as he seeks to achieve around 5% growth this year despite a deep real estate crisis. Yellens second China trip in nine months, and likely her final one to the country as Treasury secretary, comes as the worlds biggest economies are trying to stabilize their tumultuous relationship while working out deep differences in policymaking. The US has criticized China for flooding the world with cheap goods, as it pours resources into the same green sectors the Biden administration is also trying to expand. Beijing rejects that message, arguing its companies are being penalized by developed nations that cant compete on price, and has filed a case with the World Trade Organization over American subsidies. Still, while Premier Li Qiang on Sunday advised Yellen against turning economic and trade issues into political matters, meetings between the two sides have been cordial. The US has leverage because Chinas economy is still fragile, said Christopher Beddor, deputy China research director at Gavekal Dragonomics, adding that it was Beijings interest to play nice with a US presidential election in November posing fresh risks. Thats why even though Yellen is making harsh comments, they are not freezing her out, he added. As well as holding talks with senior officials including central bank Governor Pan Gongsheng, Yellen met with economists and American business chiefs during her trip. She chastised Beijings policymakers for reckless exports, criticized the unfair treatment of American firms in China, and warned that Chinese companies would face significant consequences for supporting Russias war in Ukraine. China is too large to export its way to rapid growth, Yellen said at an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, adding that the nations factories are currently churning out more than the global market can bear. Exemplifying Yellens delicate diplomatic task, she balanced such rebukes with bonhomie including a boat cruise on the Pearl River in the southern city of Guangzhou with Vice Premier He Lifeng on Friday. During that excursion the pair exchanged gifts, according to two people present. The vice premier presented Yellen with a large platter upon which a Chinese artist had replicated her official portrait. Yellen reciprocated with an artist-signed painting of the Washington Monument. Yellens position marks a stark change from a generation ago when she was part of the economic consensus that embraced Chinas entry into the WTO, opening the door for Beijing to ship cheap goods globally and lift millions of its citizens out of poverty. Policymakers underestimated the destructive impact Chinas manufacturing boom would have on industry in the US and other economies, something many see as central to the rise of political populism and former US President Donald Trump. As Treasury chief, she now seems intent on preventing a rerun as Xi tries to offset Chinas property crisis by shifting more investment into manufacturing. The US lost 2 million jobs in the years after China joined the WTO, Yellen said on Monday. That really led to the hollowing out of industrial production in many parts of the country, she added. I simply would say it would not be acceptable to the United States or to President Biden to allow this to happen again. During meetings with Vice Premier He, Yellen gave specific details of how she thinks certain US industries are coming under threat, according to a senior Treasury official involved in those talks. Responding to Chinese criticisms of US subsidies for its domestic semiconductor and clean energy sectors, Yellen argued American policies are more targeted, and focused on domestic use, the official said. The Treasury chief suggested China boost retirement security and make education more affordable in order to spur domestic spending, and bring down high household saving rates, during her trip. Both tasks would likely take the ruling Communist Party a long time to achieve. Not all of Yellens public criticism has gone down well. The official Xinhua News Agency on Friday published a commentary blasting Yellens Sinophobic narrative of Chinese overcapacity, saying it smacks of creating a pretext for rolling out more protectionist policies to shield US companies. During meetings the Chinese side also expressed Beijings grave concern over US trade and investment restrictions, Xinhua reported. President Joe Biden has imposed a slew of curbs to kneecap Chinas access to advanced semiconductors, citing national security concerns. The Treasury chiefs tough message didnt stop the two sides agreeing to move forward with a new round of talks focused exclusively on what Yellen and He euphemistically referred to as balanced growth in the domestic and global economies. Still, if fundamental differences remain on the way forward for economic policy, such talks stand to achieve little. Yellens accusation of overcapacity will not help solve the China-US trade issue, said Wang Wen, executive dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China. On the contrary, it will only make China realize that the US lacks sufficient sincerity. --With assistance from Lucille Liu. (Updates throughout.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. US will not accept Chinese imports decimating new industries, Yellen says By David Lawder BEIJING (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned China on Monday that Washington will not accept new industries being decimated by Chinese imports, as she wrapped up four days of meetings to press her case for Beijing to rein in excess industrial capacity. Yellen told a press conference that U.S. President Joe Biden would not allow a repeat of the "China shock" of the early 2000s, when a flood of Chinese imports destroyed about 2 million American manufacturing jobs. She did not, however, threaten new tariffs or other trade actions should Beijing continue its massive state support for electric vehicles (EVs), batteries, solar panels and other green energy goods. Yellen used her second trip to China in nine months to complain that Beijing's overinvestment has built factory capacity far exceeding domestic demand, while fast-growing exports of these products threaten companies in the U.S. and other countries. She said a newly created exchange forum to discuss the excess capacity issue would need time to reach solutions. Yellen drew parallels to the pain felt in the U.S. steel sector in the past. "We've seen this story before," she told reporters. "Over a decade ago, massive PRC (People's Republic of China) government support led to below-cost Chinese steel that flooded the global market and decimated industries across the world and in the United States." Yellen added: "I've made it clear that President Biden and I will not accept that reality again." When the global market is flooded with artificially cheap Chinese products, she said, "the viability of American and other foreign firms is put into question." Yellen said her exchanges with Chinese officials had advanced American interests and that U.S. concerns over excess industrial capacity were shared by Washington's European allies, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines and other emerging markets. PUSHBACK China's vice finance minister, Liao Min, told Chinese media that Beijing "has fully responded" to U.S. questions on overcapacity and expressed "grave concern" over restrictions Washington imposes on trade and investment. Liao said China's "current competitive advantages are rooted in China's large-scale market, complete industrial system and abundant human resources," decrying the "escalation of green protectionist measures by some developed economies." "China will not sit idly and ignore it," Liao said in remarks published on the ministry's website. China's parliament, the National People's Congress, said in March the government would take steps to curb industrial overcapacity. But Beijing says the recent focus by the U.S. and Europe on the risks from China's excess capacity is misguided. Chinese officials say the criticism understates innovation by companies in China and overstates the importance of state support in driving their growth. They also say tariffs or other trade curbs will deprive global consumers of green energy alternatives key to meeting global climate goals. WTO RULESTrade curbs on Chinese EVs would contravene World Trade Organisation rules, the industry and information technology ministry said in a statement carried by state media CCTV and China Daily. The Chinese ministry added that it was committed to support EV exports and would help "accelerate the overseas development" of the industry including planning for shipping and logistics and support for firms to innovate and meet global standards. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao voiced more pointed objections during a roundtable meeting with Chinese EV makers in Paris, saying U.S. and European assertions of Chinese excess EV capacity were groundless. Rather than subsidies, China's EV companies rely on continuous technological innovation, perfect production and supply chain systems and full market competition, Wang said on his trip to discuss a European Union anti-subsidy inquiry. Yellen suggested a possible short-term solution was for China to take steps to bolster consumer demand with support for households and shift its growth model away from supply-side investments. Yellen spoke about the issue at length with Premier Li Qiang and also met Finance Minister Lan Foan on Sunday. She met People's Bank of China (PBOC) Governor Pan Gongsheng and former Vice Premier Liu He on Monday. In a CNBC interview after the meetings, Yellen said she was "not thinking so much" about trade curbs on China, as much as shifts in its macroeconomic environment. But she reiterated she would not rule out tariffs. (Writing by David Lawder and Marius Zaharia; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Paul Simao) NEW YORK (PIX11) The Yeshiva University community came together in solidarity Sunday night to mark six months since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Sunday nights event featured prayer, and the powerful words of those who experienced the worst of the violence. Among those at Sundays event was Luis Hal, who was taken captive by Hamas and held for 129 days. Our family woke up on the 7th of October really to a different world, said Edan Bagerano, Hals son-in-law, speaking on behalf of the family. When you are taken out of your house, barefoot in pajamas the Hamas terrorists invading, shooting, breaking everything in your house, of course you feel fear, said Bagerano, who also lives in Israel. Activist Greta Thunberg arrested at climate protest in The Hague Hal and his family were eventually rescued by a special mission of the Israel Defense Forces and are now safely back together. Many, however, are not. It is so painful to think about, said Yeshiva University President Ari Berman, who was in Jerusalem on Oct. 7. Hamas has taken 134 hostages that we still have not heard from. There are people in captivity. We are distraught. It is profoundly painful to think about the fact that America and the world has not used the full measure of its resources to free the hostages, said Berman. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Young woman run down with car in apparent road rage incident in Hopkinton dies, DA says The young woman run down by another driver during an apparent road rage incident near a pub in Hopkinton last week, died from her injuries, the Middlesex District Attorneys office confirmed late Sunday night. The DAs office said that 26-year-old Destini Decoff died over the weekend. The DAs office charged 36-year-old Ryan Sweatt of Milford with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury after he allegedly struck Decoff with his car near the parking lot of Cornells Irish Pub on Hayden Rowe Street around 6:30 p.m. Thursday. A preliminary investigation indicated that Sweatt was driving a Honda Civic on Route 85 when he became engaged in an apparent road rage incident with another vehicle. After the two vehicles had stopped, people in the Toyota got out of the car. Witnesses told police that instead of immediately driving away, Sweatt maneuvered his Honda through two U-Turns, and crashed right into Decoff, who was standing at the edge of the road. At the scene, Sweatt told police people had surrounded his car, and were yelling they were trying to kill him, and he was trying to get away. Police say they recovered a knife. Sweatt was held without bail until a dangerousness hearing next week. Additional charges have not been given as of Sunday night. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 7 that Ukraine will lose the war against Russia if the U.S. Congress fails to approve military aid to Ukraine. It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war," Zelensky said during a meeting on the fundraising platform United24. Zelensky said that it would be "difficult" for Ukraine to "stay" without the aid, referring to the country's survival, adding that Russia's intentions to capture more territory will continue to grow if it is successful in Ukraine. "If Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked," Zelensky said during the meeting, warning that Russia will also continue to escalate nuclear rhetoric in an effort to disuade Western allies from providing additional support to Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on Congress to pass a funding bill, pleading with lawmakers to "not falter" on support for Ukraine, amid funding and ammunition shortages. Zelensky's comments come as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has promised to hold a vote on aid for Ukraine after months of deadlock following the end of the Easter holiday, after continuously opting not to bring it to a vote in the Republican-led House of Representatives. In an interview with Republican former Congressman Trey Gowdy, who currently hosts a talk show on Fox News, Johnson said that he expected the bill to be voted on shortly but added that it would contain "some important innovations." Johnson did not clarify what he was referring to. Facing signs of dissent from House Republicans like Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, Johnson acknowledged he would likely need to build bipartisan consensus in order to move the bill past the finish line. Greene filed a motion to oust Johnson from his position in late March, the same procedure that cost former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy his job in October 2023. Republican Congressman Don Bacon said on March 31 that a vote to remove Johnson would be "very likely" if he allowed Ukraine aid to be brought to the floor, and that it was possible the move could be successful. U.S. aid to Ukraine has been delayed since fall 2023, as various versions of a foreign aid bill have been derailed due to border security disagreements. Some Republicans in the House have refused to support the aid package in principle, advocating against aid for Kyiv. In February, a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, with $60 billion going towards supporting Ukraine. Read also: Media: Trump wants Ukraine to cede Crimea, Donbas to Russia Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Zelenskyy is begging for more Patriots to stop Russian strikes and bombs from tearing apart a Ukrainian city Russia has intensified its strikes with missiles, drones, and glide bombs on Kharkiv in recent weeks. Ukraine says it lacks enough of the air defense systems necessary to keep the city protected. Zelenskyy has been sounding the alarm on the need for more Patriot systems as elements of Western aid fizzle out. Russia has been pounding Ukraine's second largest city with strikes, intensifying its missile, drone, and glide bomb attacks on Kharkiv in recent weeks. The situation is dire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, and highlights the desperate need for more air-defense systems to keep Ukraine protected. But with US assistance still tied up in Congress, it's unclear when much-needed relief could come. And even if aid wasn't stalled, it's unclear whether the US would be able to fully meet the demand. Ukraine is asking for a lot more Patriots to defend its cities. The attacks on Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine have ramped up over the past few weeks. Over the weekend, a drone attack killed at least seven people and injured almost a dozen more, the city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said. Prior to that, an attack last Thursday killed four people. Kharkiv. Every day and night, the city is subjected to heinous Russian attacks. We are making every effort to provide better protection for it. Our partners can assist with air defense and exerting pressure on Russia. And I thank everyone who is already assisting. I thank pic.twitter.com/qjqnWCikGG Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) April 8, 2024 Kharkiv is located just south of Belgorod, along the eastern border of Russia. To the southeast is the front line near Avdiivka, which Russia seized back in February. On the heels of the attacks, Zelenskyy said the "situation in Kharkiv is very harsh," noting that "Russians began using guided aerial bombs against the city almost daily." The situation in Kharkiv is very harsh. Russian terror is constant. Russians began using guided aerial bombs against the city almost daily. We are looking for ways to increase Kharkiv's ability to protect the sky. This is a task for both our military and diplomats, who are in pic.twitter.com/UoQc9VEmTU Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) April 7, 2024 In a video posted on X on Sunday, he called for Ukraine to get the air defense systems it currently lacks. Just days before, the Ukrainian leader said Ukraine needed 25 Patriot air-defense systems to reinforce its cities, front lines, and energy and military infrastructure. The Patriot system has become a hero of the war for Ukraine, despite somewhat mixed results in past conflicts. Before receiving them in April last year, Ukraine was relying primarily on less-capable, Soviet-era systems. His comments about Ukraine's air defenses and how they are stretched thin suggested Ukraine is being forced to "make difficult decisions about prioritizing certain aspects of its defense over constraining Russian military capabilities or preparing for counteroffensive operations," according to the Institute for the Study of War , a Washington DC-based think tank that has closely tracked the war. While Kharkiv has been a target of near-constant shelling since the war began, the rate of attacks almost nightly now and the intense salvos of missiles and glide bombs raise concerns that Russia could be prioritizing targeting the city ahead of offensive action this year. Sukhoi Su-34 bombers drop bombs during the Aviadarts competition, as part of the International Army Games 2018, at the Dubrovichi range outside Ryazan, Russia August 4, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov One of the most worrisome developments in the increase of attacks on Kharkiv is the use of glide bombs large, heavy standoff weapons equipped with kits featuring flight surfaces that allow them to glide to their targets after being released from a distance beyond the range of certain air defenses. Russia has been employing them since last year but has ramped up their use in recent months. In mid-February, mass glide bomb strikes overwhelmed Ukrainian fortified defenses and helped Russia take Avdiivka. And from March 18-24, just a six-day period, Russia dropped a staggering 700 glide bombs on Ukraine. The only real counter to the glide bomb threat is shooting down the planes that drop them, but Ukraine doesn't have the capacity, experts have noted. The growing number of these attacks, along with the reduced rate of missile engagements by Ukrainian air defenses, "are indicative of the scarcity of air defense weapons," experts at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, wrote late last month. "This shortage, they said, "is in part due to delays in European aid and the holdup of the latest US military aid package, which is worth around US $60 billion. Passed by the US Senate in February, it has failed to win support of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives." Speaking about the Patriots on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that "there are air defense systems around the world that can help. Only political will is required to transfer them to Ukraine." "'Patriots' must now be in Ukraine," he said, "so there will be no need to use them on NATO's entire eastern flank in the future." Read the original article on Business Insider The aftermath of the shelling of Kharkiv. Photo: Ukrainska Pravda Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff on 8 April to discuss strengthening the defence of Kharkiv against the ongoing Russian attacks. Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram Quote: "I have held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff. The main issue is Kharkiv, the city's defence from Russian strikes and the possibility of strengthening our air defence and electronic warfare in Kharkiv Oblast. The military presented reports on the physical protection of energy assets and on the effectiveness of shooting down drones and missiles. Our diplomats will have separate tasks to work with partners to secure new air defence systems for Ukraine. I am grateful to everyone in the government and [the authorities] in Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast doing their best to restore the opportunity for people to live a normal life." Details: President Zelenskyy noted that Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, presented an update on the situation in the main combat areas where Ukraine's defence forces hold their ground. The president added that intelligence and special services are developing new steps to reduce Russia's war potential. Updated: Zelenskyy also reported that he held a meeting on the situation in the city of Kharkiv with Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, ministers and the team of the Office of the President. Zelenskyy added that a timeframe of when the energy deficit in Kharkiv may be reduced was presented. The government is reportedly preparing the measures of economic support for Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! Zelenskyy straight-up said Ukraine is going to lose if Congress doesn't send more aid Zelenskyy straight-up said Ukraine is going to lose if Congress doesn't send more aid President Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine would lose the war if the US didn't send it more aid. House Republicans have been stalling on a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine. "It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose," he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that his country "will lose the war" against Russia if Congress does not act to send it more aid, Agence France-Presse reported. "It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war," he said, per AFP. For months, House Republicans have stalled on a bill containing $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, stipulating that it should also include increased funding for security at the US southern border. Without the support of Congress, it will be "difficult" for Ukraine to win, "even to stay," Zelenskyy said in a video meeting with fundraising supporters, including Mark Hamill and billionaire Richard Branson. Zelenskyy's words came amid a bombardment of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which killed at least seven and injured more than 13, The Kyiv Post reported. Zelenskyy's statement on Sunday was his starkest warning to date about the fate of Ukraine. In late March, he told The Washington Post that Ukraine's army would have to contemplate a retreat "step by step, in small steps," if the US aid did not come through. Experts told BI in February, when the bill initially passed in the Senate, that slow-walking the deal in the House would potentially cost Ukraine the war. "If American aid disappears, the prospects of a Kremlin victory go way up," John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center and a former diplomat, told BI's Thibault Spirlet at the time. Herbst said that continued European support could "conceivably" help Ukraine hold the line, but any faltering in that could result in major Russian gains. NATO is seeking to take control of decision-making powers on future aid packages normally led by the US in an effort to limit the impact of a potential second Donald Trump presidency on the ongoing conflict. Read the original article on Business Insider DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, April 8. Somon Air, Tajikistan's national airline, has been awarded a certificate for successfully passing the latest International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), Trend reports. According to the company, the certificate is valid until March 20, 2026. The completion of the IOSA audit grants the airline the status of a safe international carrier. The IATA launched the IOSA Operational Safety Audit in 2003. The company emphasized that IOSA has become a global industry standard for auditing the operational safety of airlines. It is designed to assess flight safety management systems, ensure quality assurance, and manage processes across all operational areas of the airline. Demonstrating compliance with high civil aviation standards is a requirement for IATA member airlines every two years, making it mandatory for membership in the association. Currently, Somon Air operates flights from Tajikistan to Germany, the UAE, Turkiye, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The airline's fleet includes Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737-900 aircraft. A tall man in a blue t-shirt walked into the Historic Truman Courthouse in downtown Independence just after 4 p.m. on March 29. The line of people waiting in plastic chairs had shrunk to around 30 the shortest it had been all day. He spoke in a booming voice to the smiling employee at the front desk. It seems I failed to inform you guys of my Honda, he said. This is the protocol for meeting with the countys personal property assessment office the entity that tracks the value and ownership of residents vehicles in order to charge them annual property taxes. Residents from around Jackson County gather every weekday at the courthouse in lines that can stretch down the hallways, out the door and around the block outside. Wait times vary depending on the day and time they arrive, but some report waiting for multiple hours to see an assessor. Most of the people in line, including the man in blue, clutch stacks of documents that include car titles, registration receipts and even handwritten instructions from their local DMVs. Without proper documentation of their vehicle taxes, drivers are barred from renewing their vehicle registrations in Missouri and for those whose tags are about to expire, seeking help in person is the only option. A relocation of assessment department services in November now funnels all personal property assessment business through the Historic Truman Courthouse. Before the switch, drivers could get their accounts updated at offices around the county, including local DMVs and the courthouse in downtown Kansas City. County officials disagree on exactly why the problem has gotten so bad and who has the power to fix it. Heres what we know about whats causing the hours-long lines in Independence. People wait in line to work with staff at the Jackson County Assessment office on Friday, March 29, 2024, in Independence, Missouri. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com Why are drivers waiting in line to meet with the assessment department? Regina Roberds, who staffs the front desk at the Historic Truman Courthouse, found her job while waiting in the assessment department line last year. My husband threw our declaration postcard away, so I just came up here to do my declaration and get it fixed, she told The Star. I was in line, and I found out they were hiring. Failure to declare personal property is just one of the circumstances that brings drivers to the courthouse. The Star spoke with around thirty people in line on March 29 and heard a variety of reasons why they were waiting to see assessors. Among them, 13 drivers were waiting to either add or remove a vehicle from a personal property account something drivers must do every year in order to keep their tax bills accurate. Four more needed a statement of non-assessment, a document stating that a driver was exempt from paying personal property taxes last year because they did not yet own a vehicle in the county. Statements of non-assessment, also called waivers, are obtainable via email from the assessment department. But Roberds said that the wait time for an emailed reply is around three and a half weeks. For drivers whose vehicle registration is about to expire, that timeline can pose too great of a risk. People wait in line to work with staff at the Jackson County Assessment office on Friday, March 29, 2024, in Independence, Missouri. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com Three other drivers were in line to pay a past unpaid personal property tax bill, and two were waiting to get their accounts reopened after the assessment department mistakenly closed them. Other individuals needed the department to open a new personal property account, update their account to show a paid bill and return a waiver issued to them by mistake. Three people waiting in line told The Star that they didnt fully understand what exactly they needed to do when they reached the assessors window but had been told at the DMV or another courthouse to bring their materials to Independence. Im not used to dealing with this sort of thing, said Blue Springs resident Nick, a recent military retiree. Nobody really explained it to me when I was getting out of the military. He added that in his home state of Iowa, vehicle owners dont pay property taxes on their cars. Another person told The Star that her daughter stood in line for her starting at 9:30 a.m. so she wouldnt have to miss work. She arrived at the courthouse as her daughter was approaching the front of the line around four hours later. A sign urges people to act respectfully while waiting to register personal property documents with the Jackson County Assessment office on Friday, March 29, 2024, in Independence, Missouri. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com Why are assessment department lines so long? The Historic Truman Courthouse opens on weekdays at 8 a.m., but Roberds told The Star that people arrive at 6 a.m. or earlier just to be one of the first through the door. The reason why lines remain so long is a subject of debate among drivers and county officials. One of them is a familiar refrain in city and county government offices: a shortage of staff. For Clay County, I think theres five assessors for the whole county, Roberds said. We have, right now, I believe, seven staff for Jackson County. Thats despite the fact that, as of mid-2023, Jackson County had nearly three times the population of Clay County, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. But according to assessment director Gail McCann Beatty, staffing has seen significant improvements in recent years. On April 1, Beatty told county legislators that her department now has around 100 employees although she did not specify how many work in personal property assessment. County legislator Manny Abarca said that he believes the software used by the assessment department is doubling the amount of work assessors have to do for each customer. Theyre using the old system that we were using pre-Tyler Technologies and the new system with Tyler Technologies, and the systems arent communicating to each other, Abarca said. And so theyre having to input data twice to make sure its consistent across both systems. The assessment department did not comment on this claim when The Star attempted to verify it. Tyler Technologies, a private firm contracted by Jackson County to assist with property assessment last year, has faced criticism for its role in increasing home valuations throughout the county. Home values rose the most in predominantly low-income and non-white ZIP codes, an analysis by The Star found. McCann Beatty suggested another potential cause of long lines is the way Jackson County processes vehicle registrations. Since drivers only have to renew their registration every two years, she said, many neglect to update their personal property declarations annually. Then, by the time their car tags are about to expire, their personal property accounts are out of date and must be fixed in person by county assessors. People wait to work with staff at the Jackson County Assessment office on Friday, March 29, 2024, in Independence, Missouri. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com What can be done about long lines in Independence? In Mondays legislative meeting and in an email to The Star, the countys assessment department stated that its new building at 1300 Washington in downtown Kansas City could provide a potential solution to long lines. The County possesses a viable long-term solution through its new administration building at 1300 Washington. This facility offers free parking, is ADA accessible and provides ample space for residents to wait indoors, county spokesperson Marshanna Smith told The Star. (But) 1300 Washington cant be fully used right now because the Legislature has not approved the money to do necessary renovations. The renovations in question, which McCann Beatty said could include a vault for county collections and service windows for assessment, will cost an estimated $17 million. Abarca, hough, is skeptical that these upgrades would translate to improvements in customer service. People have asked, why not allow for more digital options for registering your taxpayer account? That should be something easily done. They dont want to do it. They want people to come down and stand in line, Abarca said of McCann Beatty and County Executive Frank White. They want to create this problem to then create the solution, which is 1300 Washington ... Im not sure how the legislature can hold them accountable at this point. Smith said that the county remain(s) steadfast in our commitment to maximizing the benefits of this new amenity for the community. In the meantime, she said the department is looking into short-term solutions like increasing staff, expanding weekend hours and potentially opening a second location in the downtown courthouse. Until those solutions arrive, Roberds will continue greeting the influx of drivers that come through the courthouse door from the agitated to the serene. Most everybodys really, really nice, she said of the drivers who wait hours in the courthouse hallways. Most people in Jackson County are just good people. The Stars Nick Wagner contributed reporting to this piece. Do you have more questions about personal property assessment in Jackson County? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com. (Reuters) - Applied Materials, the largest maker of semiconductor equipment in the U.S., may postpone or abandon its plans to build a $4 billion research and development facility in Silicon Valley due to a lack of government funding, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Monday citing sources familiar with the matter. The Biden administration said last month it would scrap plans to fund the program from the $52.7 billion Chips and Science Act due to "overwhelming demand" for funding awards to subsidize chip production. Applied Materials did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. President Joe Biden had signed the bill in August 2022 amid a global shortage of chips, in a bid to bolster U.S. competitiveness with China in science and technology. The measure aimed to subsidize U.S. chip manufacturing and expand research funding to address a recurrent shortfall that had harmed a variety of sectors, from cars and weaponry to washing machines and video games. Applied Materials, a strong candidate for a research award from the program, announced its plans for the California research center in May 2023 to speed up advances in semiconductor manufacturing. (Reporting by Pritam Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona) WASHINGTON Bipartisan lawmakers announced new legislation Sunday that would set the first-ever national standards for data privacy, a move that comes as a growing number of Americans raise concerns about the way social media platforms and other companies deploy their information. The bill would transform how social media companies and online search engines use consumers' personal data in a push to give Americans more control. If passed, the proposal called the American Privacy Rights Act would set standards for how companies like Meta, TikTok, Google and others can gather, use and sell user data, requiring them to collect only the amount necessary to provide products and services. It would override a patchwork of state data privacy laws and give consumers the ability to sue companies that break the rules. The proposal would also allow users to stop their data from being transferred to other companies and require platforms to allow users to change, delete or export their own information. Committee chair Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., speaks at a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 in Washington, D.C. The bill comes from Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Catchy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. The legislation marks the most significant step forward in regulating data privacy at the federal level. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee speaks during the hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. "This bipartisan, bicameral draft legislation is the best opportunity weve had in decades to establish a national data privacy and security standard that gives people the right to control their personal information," Cantwell and McMorris Rodgers said in a joint statement. "Americans deserve the right to control their data and were hopeful that our colleagues in the House and Senate will join us in getting this legislation signed into law." A report released by the Pew Research Center last year found that approximately 77% of Americans have little or no trust in the leaders of social media companies to take responsibility if they misuse data. And 78% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans say there should be additional regulation from the government about what companies can do with consumer information. But agreement on legislation that would give Americans greater privacy online has eluded lawmakers for years: A proposal unveiled in 2022 crumbled under opposition from California Democrats, including then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. That's not the only reason the legislation faces an uphill climb. McMorris Rodgers is leaving Congress in January, which gives lawmakers a short window to push the legislation through during a contentious election year, when legislating is notoriously difficult. The United States lags behind other countries in protecting user privacy the European Union enacted sweeping regulations for use of personal data in 2018. The proposal also comes as the Senate considers legislation passed by the House that would force TikTok's parent company to sell the social media app or face a practical ban in the United States. The move has been fueled by national security concerns over the company's ties to the Chinese government. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lawmakers unveil sweeping data privacy bill targeting social media Byte-Sized AI is a bi-weekly column that covers all things artificial intelligencefrom startup funding to newly inked partnerships, just-launched, AI-powered capabilities from major retailers, software providers and supply chain players. Gather AI Closes $17M Series A-1 Round Pittsburgh-based supply chain AI player Gather AI announced late last month it had secured $17 million in Series A-1 funding, following a $10 million Series A raise it announced in late 2022. More from Sourcing Journal The company has enabled autonomous drones to fly through warehouses, collecting information about warehouse inventory and pallets by scanning from above. According to the company, its solution can scan 15 times faster than traditional barcode-scanning practices. Once the drone has scanned inventory, AI helps to infer information from the images taken and compares the findings to the data in the warehouse management system (WMS). From there, humans can view and analyze the data in real time, making adjustments to the WMS as necessary. Bain Capital Ventures led the A-1 round, with participation also coming from Tribeca Venture Partners, Dundee Venture Capital, Expa and Bling Capital. Sankalp Arora, co-founder and CEO of Gather AI, said the technology puts the company on the precipice of industry-changing technology. Were already seeing the positive impact of Gather AI on customers spanning third-party logistics, retail, food and beverage, and manufacturing, said Arora in a statement. AI-powered cameras will transform supply-chain traceability to have a similar impact that barcodes did in the 1980s, and our technology is at the forefront of this transformation. According to the company, it doubled the number of warehouses it served in 2023. With the help of this funding, it expects to triple its operations in 2024. Current clients include NFI, DSV and Barrett Distribution, among others. Cody Merritt, director of solution design and innovation at NFI, said the system has already shown promising results. The Gather AI solution seamlessly integrated into our warehouse operations, delivering swift results, Merritt said. Our employees engaged well with the system, leading to a notable 5x productivity increase within five months using a single drone. Paramount and Shopsense launch AI-powered, second-screen shopping Paramount has partnered with Shopsense AI to create second-screen shopping experiences for consumers watching television. The two debuted the technology during the Country Music Television (CMT) Awards pre-show on Sunday, allowing viewers to use a unique link to shop an AI-curated collection of items based on what hosts and performers donned on the red carpet. Beginning Tuesday, fans of CBS Sports Golazo Network will be able to purchase merchandise from their favorite teams and players via Shopsense, and on Friday, the partners will allow viewers to purchase looks inspired by the hosts of The Talk. Glenn Fishback, CEO and co-founder of Shopsense AI, said the partnership will enable consumers to make quick, real-time purchases. With so many consumers scrolling on their phones while they watch TV on a bigger screen, content publishers like Paramount have been looking for ways to activate a frictionless, personalized and convenient second-screen shopping experience for their viewers, Fishback said in a statement. Shopsense AI provides an end-to-end solution that makes it easy for consumers to shop their favorite products on a second device while they watch TVwithout having to deal with clunky QR codes or find the missing remote. Going forward, Shopsense will launch a tool called Lens that allows consumers to use their smartphone cameras to snap and shop, the company noted. That tool will allow viewers to purchase products shown in shows instantly by taking a photo. Another retailer banks on virtual try-on Moss, the London-based menswear brand formerly known as Moss Bros, announced it had partnered with virtual try-on platform Zyler. The move comes just weeks after Anthropics, which created Zyler, announced it had made the technology available for mens wear. Previously, the technology had been used for womens wear only. Alexander Berend, Anthropics CEO, said extending the experience to mens wear should help create stronger value for a number of brands. By offering a more convenient and realistic experience for trying on clothes prior to purchasing, we believe Zyler has the potential to redefine the entire landscape of the mens wear industry, Berend said in a statement. Our goal is to empower customers with a seamless, lifelike virtual try-on experience that not only enhances their shopping journey but also increases confidence in their purchasing decisions. To use the technology, consumers upload a headshot and share information about their body proportions, in order to create a virtual avatar that can display how certain styles will look and fit. According to Anthropics, Zyler has, on average, tripled retailers click-through rates. Already, John Lewis rental service and Marks and Spencer have signed on as clients. Amazon sunsets Just Walk Out Amazon has said it will phase out its Just Walk Out stores, which were partly bolstered by AI. The stores used cameras and sensors to track what consumers had left the store with, then charged their credit card or Amazon account accordingly. But reporting from outlets like TechCrunch and The Information has shown that a significant amount of human intervention was required to make the stores work in the first place. The e-commerce giant employed hundreds of offshore workers in India to make sure the automated technology had effectively captured all products a consumer grabbed off the shelves. So, while Amazon had removed a number of workers from its stores and Just Walk Out locations, other employees watched the locations in real-time from afar. According to The Information, 70 percent of Just Walk Out purchases required human oversight as of 2022, even though the company had set internal goals that just 5 percent of purchases would require human verification. As it sunsets its Just Walk Out technology, Amazon will shift its energy to Dash Carts, which, like Instacarts AI-powered shopping carts, track consumers purchases as they shop. Drew Dorian - Car and Driver On the eve of the debut of its replacement, the 2024 Toyota 4Runner saves our plans to view a rare celestial event. The 2024 eclipse's path of totality missed all but a sliver of Michigan, so we hustled down to rural Ohio from our Ann Arbor HQ to take it all in. Traffic jams and delays nearly foiled our plan, but thankfully we were able to bound quickly down dirt roads off the beaten path to make it to a prime spot for the eclipse. Findlay, Ohio, is normally a quick hour and a half from Car and Driver headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. But when we punched in that destination in Google Maps on our way out of town to catch the eclipse in the path of totality, we were puzzled as to why it said the trip would take more than three hours. Traffic clogged the main roads heading south from Ann Arbor, all lanes full of cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs carrying eclipse chasers like us. Some quick thinking got us unsnared, though, as we chose to navigate the old-fashioned waykind ofignoring Google's suggestions and using the app to find back roads that would take us as far as we could. Drew Dorian - Car and Driver It turns out that you can avoid the highway altogether, but it requires taking some pretty gnarly dirt roads covered in loose gravel, deep potholes, and uneven terrain. We thanked our luck that we had a 2024 4Runner TRD Pro for the day. The mid-size SUV, dressed in the new-for-2024 Terra paint job, allowed us to blast confidently down those rural roads, and we ended up making great time. ADVERTISEMENT It still took us longer than the normal hour and a half to get to our eclipse-watching location, but that only gave us more time to admire the 4Runner's capability, compliant suspension, high-speed stability on gravel, and charmingly retro interior. Drew Dorian - Car and Driver The 2024 4Runner's digital dash clock is simple and has a 1980s look to it, but it provided an important detail as we raced south. The eclipse's totality lasted just over three minutes, so making it to our destination in time was crucial. We barely had time to snap a few photos of the 4Runner before the sun was entirely obscured by the moon. Story continues This story isn't without irony, though, as the sun is literally setting on this generation of the 4Runner. An all-new generation dawns tomorrowTuesday, April 9, at 10:15 p.m. ET, to be exact with timingand while it'll likely be a thoroughly modern machine in ways the current one is thoroughly not, we're reminded by this trip of the outgoing model's legacy. You Might Also Like Our data centres were nearly seized by hackers and nobody noticed Imagine this plot for a movie. Somewhere in Nebraska lives a lonely, overworked and anxious man, who we shall call Hank. Between feeding his cat, dealing with mental health issues and sorting out his mothers medical prescriptions, Hank also looks after some computer code. Hank isnt paid to do that hes a volunteer. But mistakes happen, and an oversight by Hank leads to China taking control of the free worlds IT systems, capturing our biggest cloud data centres and paralysing the G7s economies. Too far-fetched? Well, think again as such an attack just took place and very nearly succeeded. A week ago, an audacious attempt to place a backdoor into the systems used by major cloud companies, and millions of businesses that depend on them, was discovered. The malicious code allows an outsider to take control of these systems, and hackers very nearly pulled it off by taking advantage of an unpaid legion of lone volunteer coders, like Hank. Hank is the start of a very long but critical supply chain that few ever examine. Today, much of our enterprise and government computing is done in giant cloud data centres, and around 90pc of these use free, largely volunteer-run, open source Linux systems. The code is open, allowing anyone to inspect and submit code. This is the utopian model mimicked by Wikipedia. But it means a great deal of the coding effort remains voluntary and in the hands of individual code maintainers like Hank. Over two years, attackers carefully took control of one of the crucial nuts and bolts of a Linux system: a compression library that zips and unzips files, and is used thousands of times a day in data centres. XZ Utils was originally developed by Lasse Collin in 2005, and he has looked after it ever since. In 2021, Collin began to receive contributions over the internet from someone calling himself Jia Tan. At first, these seemed like helpful and innocuous bug fixes but all this later changed as the mysterious Mr Tan began to take increasing control. Then on March 28, a Microsoft developer called Andres Freund discovered something astonishing. The tiny library that Collin maintained now contained a secret backdoor that stemmed from the code patches that Mr Tan had submitted crucially allowing an attacker to take full control of the entire system without anyone realising. The backdoor had already been distributed globally, and in the coming weeks and months would have reached many data centres too, becoming a part of our critical infrastructure. Im surprised its taken this long for this kind of attack to be mounted, says Tim Mackey, head of software supply chain risk strategy at the silicon design company Synopsys. This may turn out to be a template for a new kind of social engineering. These gambits are called supply chain attacks. The SolarWinds hack in 2020, which injected backdoor malware into at least 30,000 US government computers, was another. Its discovery prompted President Biden to issue an executive order. But unlike SolarWinds, this one was carefully designed to target the social and perhaps even personal vulnerabilities of the open-source volunteers. Keep in mind this was an unpaid hobby project, said Collin on a mailing list. It seems extraordinary that our economies rely so much on contributions from individual volunteers. How can so much economic value balance so precariously on something so fragile? Google and Amazon are among the biggest companies in the world, and the cloud computing market was worth almost half a trillion dollars in 2023, but critical parts still rely on unpaid volunteers. Almost a quarter of open source projects had just one developer accounting for more than 80pc of the code, a study by Harvard Business School for the Linux Foundation found in 2023. Most had fewer than 10. These findings are counter to the typically held belief that thousands or millions of developers are responsible for developing and maintaining [open source] projects, the researchers wrote. Malware and spyware are constantly being uploaded to these code libraries, says Feross Aboukhadijeh, founder of security startup Socket. Code checkers had failed to pick up the XZ backdoor, as it was so well disguised. Around 10 years ago, vital encryption code used in every e-commerce transaction was compromised. The unfunded OpenSSL project that was responsible only received around $2,000 in donations each year. However, a subsequent increase in funding allowed it to take on paid staff. Despite this, Synopsys Mackay explains that code maintenance isnt considered sexy therefore its difficult to get a bright graduate interested. All of this poses a unique challenge for governments, many of which are busily trying to remove malevolent influence from their telecoms networks. Open source is a vital part of our infrastructure but its also a high-trust model in an increasingly low-trust world. Perhaps we should start looking at how the sausage is made. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Protesters in front of Google's San Francisco offices on December 14, 2023. Credit - Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images In midtown Manhattan on March 4, Googles managing director for Israel, Barak Regev, was addressing a conference promoting the Israeli tech industry when a member of the audience stood up in protest. I am a Google Cloud software engineer, and I refuse to build technology that powers genocide, apartheid, or surveillance, shouted the protester, wearing an orange t-shirt emblazoned with a white Google logo. No tech for apartheid! The Google worker, a 23-year-old software engineer named Eddie Hatfield, was booed by the audience and quickly bundled out of the room, a video of the event shows. After a pause, Regev addressed the act of protest. One of the privileges of working in a company which represents democratic values is giving space for different opinions, he told the crowd. Three days later, Google fired Hatfield. Hatfield is part of a growing movement inside Google that is calling on the company to drop Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract with Israel, jointly held with Amazon. The protest group, called No Tech for Apartheid, now has around 40 Google employees closely involved in organizing, according to members, who say there are hundreds more workers sympathetic to their goals. TIME spoke to five current and five former Google workers for this story, many of whom described a growing sense of anger at the possibility of Google aiding Israel in its war in Gaza. Two of the former Google workers said they had resigned from Google in the last month in protest against Project Nimbus. These resignations, and Hatfields identity, have not previously been reported. No Tech for Apartheids protest is as much about what the public doesnt know about Project Nimbus as what it does. The contract is for Google and Amazon to provide AI and cloud computing services to the Israeli government and military, according to the Israeli finance ministry, which announced the deal in 2021. Nimbus reportedly involves Google establishing a secure instance of Google Cloud on Israeli soil, which would allow the Israeli government to perform large-scale data analysis, AI training, database hosting, and other forms of powerful computing using Googles technology, with little oversight by the company. Google documents, first reported by the Intercept in 2022, suggest that the Google services on offer to Israel via its Cloud have capabilities such as AI-enabled facial detection, automated image categorization, and object tracking. Further details of the contract are scarce or non-existent, and much of the workers frustration lies in what they say is Googles lack of transparency about what else Project Nimbus entails and the full nature of the companys relationship with Israel. Neither Google, nor Amazon, nor Israel, has described the specific capabilities on offer to Israel under the contract. In a statement, a Google spokesperson said: We have been very clear that the Nimbus contract is for workloads running on our commercial platform by Israeli government ministries such as finance, healthcare, transportation, and education. Our work is not directed at highly sensitive or classified military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services. All Google Cloud customers, the spokesperson said, must abide by the company's terms of service and acceptable use policy. That policy forbids the use of Google services to violate the legal rights of others, or engage in violence that can cause death, serious harm, or injury. An Amazon spokesperson said the company is focused on making the benefits of our world-leading cloud technology available to all our customers, wherever they are located," adding it is supporting employees affected by the war and working with humanitarian agencies. The Israeli government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. There is no evidence Google or Amazons technology has been used in killings of civilians. The Google workers say they base their protests on three main sources of concern: the Israeli finance ministrys 2021 explicit statement that Nimbus would be used by the ministry of defense; the nature of the services likely available to the Israeli government within Googles cloud; and the apparent inability of Google to monitor what Israel might be doing with its technology. Workers worry that Googles powerful AI and cloud computing tools could be used for surveillance, military targeting, or other forms of weaponization. Under the terms of the contract, Google and Amazon reportedly cannot prevent particular arms of the government, including the Israeli military, from using their services, and cannot cancel the contract due to public pressure. Protestors gather in front of Google's San Francisco offices demanding an end to its work with the Israeli government, on December 14, 2023. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images Recent reports in the Israeli press indicate that air-strikes are being carried out with the support of an AI targeting system; it is not known which cloud provider, if any, provides the computing infrastructure likely required for such a system to run. Google workers note that for security reasons, tech companies often have very limited insight, if any, into what occurs on the sovereign cloud servers of their government clients. We don't have a lot of oversight into what cloud customers are doing, for understandable privacy reasons, says Jackie Kay, a research engineer at Googles DeepMind AI lab. But then what assurance do we have that customers aren't abusing this technology for military purposes? With new revelations continuing to trickle out about AIs role in Israels bombing campaign in Gaza; the recent killings of foreign aid workers by the Israeli military; and even President Biden now urging Israel to begin an immediate ceasefire, No Tech for Apartheids members say their campaign is growing in strength. A previous bout of worker organizing inside Google successfully pressured the company to drop a separate Pentagon contract in 2018. Now, in a wider climate of growing international indignation at the collateral damage of Israels war in Gaza, many workers see Googles firing of Hatfield as an attempt at silencing a growing threat to its business. I think Google fired me because they saw how much traction this movement within Google is gaining, says Hatfield, who agreed to speak on the record for the first time for this article. I think they wanted to cause a kind of chilling effect by firing me, to make an example out of me. Hatfield says that his act of protest was the culmination of an internal effort, during which he questioned Google leaders about Project Nimbus but felt he was getting nowhere. I was told by my manager that I can't let these concerns affect my work, he tells TIME. Which is kind of ironic, because I see it as part of my work. I'm trying to ensure that the users of my work are safe. How can I work on what I'm being told to do, if I don't think it's safe? Three days after he disrupted the conference, Hatfield was called into a meeting with his Google manager and an HR representative, he says. He was told he had damaged the companys public image and would be terminated with immediate effect. This employee disrupted a coworker who was giving a presentation interfering with an official company-sponsored event, the Google spokesperson said in a statement to TIME. This behavior is not okay, regardless of the issue, and the employee was terminated for violating our policies. Seeing Google fire Hatfield only confirmed to Vidana Abdel Khalek that she should resign from the company. On March 25, she pressed send on an email to company leaders, including CEO Sundar Pichai, announcing her decision to quit in protest over Project Nimbus. No one came to Google to work on offensive military technology, the former trust and safety policy employee wrote in the email, seen by TIME, which noted that over 13,000 children had been killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza since the beginning of the war; that Israel had fired upon Palestinians attempting to reach humanitarian aid shipments; and had fired upon convoys of evacuating refugees. Through Nimbus, your organization provides cloud AI technology to this government and is thereby contributing to these horrors, the email said. Workers argue that Googles relationship with Israel runs afoul of the companys AI principles, which state that the company will not pursue applications of AI that are likely to cause overall harm, contribute to weapons or other technologies whose purpose is to cause injury, or build technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights. If you are providing cloud AI technology to a government which you know is committing a genocide, and which you know is misusing this technology to harm innocent civilians, then you're far from being neutral, Khalek says. If anything, you are now complicit. Two workers for Google DeepMind, the companys AI division, expressed fears that the labs ability to prevent its AI tools being used for military purposes had been eroded, following a restructure last year. When it was acquired by Google in 2014, DeepMind reportedly signed an agreement that said its technology would never be used for military or surveillance purposes. But a series of governance changes ended with DeepMind being bound by the same AI principles that apply to Google at large. Those principles havent prevented Google signing lucrative military contracts with the Pentagon and Israel. While DeepMind may have been unhappy to work on military AI or defense contracts in the past, I do think this isnt really our decision any more, said one DeepMind employee who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Google DeepMind produces frontier AI models that are deployed via [Google Clouds Vertex AI platform] that can then be sold to public-sector and other clients. One of those clients is Israel. For me to feel comfortable with contributing to an AI model that is released on [Google] Cloud, I would want there to be some accountability where usage can be revoked if, for example, it is being used for surveillance or military purposes that contravene international norms, says Kay, the DeepMind employee. Those principles apply to applications that DeepMind develops, but its ambiguous if they apply to Googles Cloud customers. A Google spokesperson did not address specific questions about DeepMind for this story. Other Google workers point to what they know about Google Cloud as a source of concern about Project Nimbus. The cloud technology that the company ordinarily offers to its clients includes a tool called AutoML that allows a user to rapidly train a machine learning model using a custom dataset. Three workers interviewed by TIME said that the Israeli government could theoretically use AutoML to build a surveillance or targeting tool. There is no evidence that Israel has used Google Cloud to build such a tool, although the New York Times recently reported that Israeli soldiers were using the freely-available facial recognition feature on Google Photos, along with other non-Google technologies, to identify suspects at checkpoints. Providing powerful technology to an institution that has demonstrated the desire to abuse and weaponize AI for all parts of war is an unethical decision, says Gabriel Schubiner, a former researcher at Google. Its a betrayal of all the engineers that are putting work into Google Cloud. A Google spokesperson did not address a question asking whether AutoML was provided to Israel under Project Nimbus. Members of No Tech for Apartheid argue it would be naive to imagine Israel is not using Googles hardware and software for violent purposes. If we have no oversight into how this technology is used, says Rachel Westrick, a Google software engineer, then the Israeli military will use it for violent means. Construction of massive local cloud infrastructure within Israels borders, [the Israeli government] said, is basically to keep information within Israel under their strict security, says Mohammad Khatami, a Google software engineer. But essentially we know that means were giving them free rein to use our technology for whatever they want, and beyond any guidelines that we set. Current and former Google workers also say that they are fearful of speaking up internally against Project Nimbus or in support of Palestinians, due to what some described as fear of retaliation. I know hundreds of people that are opposing whats happening, but theres this fear of losing their jobs, [or] being retaliated against, says Khalek, the worker who resigned in protest against Project Nimbus. People are scared. Googles firing of Hatfield, Khalek says, was direct, clear retaliation it was a message from Google that we shouldnt be talking about this. The Google spokesperson denied that the company's firing of Hatfield was an act of retaliation. Regardless, internal dissent is growing, workers say. What Eddie did, I think Google wants us to think it was some lone act, which is absolutely not true, says Westrick, the Google software engineer. The things that Eddie expressed are shared very widely in the company. People are sick of their labor being used for apartheid. Were not going to stop, says Zelda Montes, a YouTube software engineer, of No Tech for Apartheid. I can say definitively that this is not something that is just going to die down. Its only going to grow stronger. Write to Billy Perrigo at billy.perrigo@time.com. Google Doodle jumps into solar eclipse fun with animation. Here's when to watch in Florida Google has jumped into the fun with not only a solar eclipse Doodle today but an animated view of the eclipse. Yes, there is a solar eclipse today. Live updates: Eclipse day in Florida If you're one of the states in the path of totality which stretches from Texas to Maine you'll see a total eclipse, meaning the moon will completely block the sun, leaving you with a view of the sun's corona. That won't happen in Florida, where residents will be treated to a partial eclipse. How much of the sun will be covered depends on where you are in the state and cloud cover. Solar eclipse Doodle on Google The Google Doodle April 8, 2024, celebrated the total solar eclipse. The animated Google Doodle April 8 celebrates today's total solar eclipse. The path of totality covers 13 states. While Florida isn't included, we will see a partial eclipse, weather permitting. The Doodle displays all the correct viewing practices, will all the letters reclined and solar eclipse glasses in place. Well, except for the "e" in Google, which is sound asleep for the "over-the-Moon spec-tacle!" The drawing was created by Google Doodler Alyssa Winans. The moon is having its day in the sun, and people across North America are coming to Google to learn more and celebrate this rare event," Jessica Yu, Google's doodle team lead, told USA TODAY. "Were excited to mark the 2024 solar eclipse with special experiences on Search for eclipse watchers. Yu said a team of user experience designers created the animation to engage its users. Enjoy more Google solar eclipse animation by typing in specific words Want to see an animated version of the eclipse on your phone or computer? Type the following words into the search engine at google.com: April 8 eclipse Eclipse 2024 Solar eclipse Solar eclipse 2024 Here is what you should see on your screen: Google Doodle creates its own total eclipse. How much of the eclipse will Florida see? Enter your ZIP code for answers How much of the sun will be blocked by the moon depends on where you are in the state. Here's the maximum coverage from several locations around Florida: Pensacola: 76% Tallahassee: 70% Jacksonville: 64% Daytona Beach: 59% Melbourne: 54% Port St. Lucie: 51% West Palm Beach: 49% Naples: 50% Fort Myers: 52% Sarasota: 56% Don't see your city mentioned? Enter your ZIP code in the graphic above to see: When the eclipse starts at your location What the maximum coverage will be What time maximum coverage will occur When the eclipse ends at your location Chances for clear skies based on historical averages for April 8 What is the peak time to see the eclipse in Florida? The total eclipse will begin in Mexico at about 11:07 a.m. PDT, before crossing into Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT. It will end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT. Roughly speaking, in Florida the peak of the partial eclipse will start about 1:55 p.m. CDT in Pensacola and at 3:02 p.m. EDT on Miami Beach. Here's a look at the peak time around the state, which is the time the maximum coverage of the sun is expected: Pensacola: 1:55 p.m. CDT Tallahassee: 3 p.m. EDT Jacksonville: 3:05 p.m. EDT Daytona Beach: 3:04 p.m. EDT Melbourne: 3:04 p.m. EDT Port St. Lucie: 3:03 p.m. EDT West Palm Beach: 3:03 p.m. EDT Naples: 2:59 p.m. EDT Fort Myers: 2:59 p.m. EDT Sarasota: 2:59 p.m. EDT Don't see your city mentioned? Click on any circle in the map to see: Time of peak coverage Maximum coverage percentage Chances of clear skies based on historical averages This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 2024 solar eclipse Florida: Google Doodle animation. when to watch A ChatGPT prompt is shown on a device near a public school in Brooklyn, New York Artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to the collapse of the social order and trigger wars, two of Japans biggest companies have claimed. In a warning, Japanese technology giant NTT and Yomiuri Shimbun, the publisher of one of the countrys leading newspapers, said trust in society as a whole may be damaged by AI tools which are inaccurate or biased. The companies said: There is a concern that, in the worst-case scenario, democracy and social order could collapse, resulting in wars. They said current AI chatbots suffered from an issue known as hallucination, where the bots make up facts, adding that they often lie with confidence. AI bots could be used to spread malicious information that could cause social unrest. They called for rigid restrictions by law on AI programmes and companies, including legislation for areas of the highest risk, such as around elections and protecting Japans national security. NTT is Japans biggest telecoms company, formerly the state monopoly, while Yomiuri Shimbun is the countrys most widely circulated newspaper with six million daily readers. The warning follows a crackdown by the European Union on AI companies, while the US, UK and Japan have all set up research institutes aimed at monitoring AI for potential risks. A new wave of AI tools have been developed by US labs, including OpenAI, Google Deepmind and Anthropic. Some experts have raised warnings over the risks posed by AI, including potential existential risk to humanity. Last year, thousands of entrepreneurs and scientists called for a six-month moratorium on the development of more powerful AI machines over fears they posed a profound risk to society and humanity. However, these claims have divided researchers, with others insisting that the threat is being overblown. So far, the AI bots have largely been used for writing emails, summarising reports or creating pictures, but they are often prone to errors. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. What you need to know about viewing Mondays solar eclipse Jill Baillie and Courtney Henley watch an annular solar eclipse in Torrey, Utah, on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. A phenomenon known as the "ring of fire" was visible because of the way the sun's edges perfectly surround the moon. | Laura Seitz On April 8, people in Utah will be able to watch a solar eclipse, along with millions of other Americans. A solar eclipse occurs when the silhouette of the moon completely covers the sun, leaving only the suns corona visible around its edges, per the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City. Total solar eclipses are rare, with the next one set to occur in 2044. For this event, the eclipses path of totality encompasses areas from Mexico to Maine. While Utah does not lie on the path of totality, onlookers in Salt Lake City will experience the eclipse at near 50% totality, according to NASAs eclipse map. The phenomenon begins at around 11:25 a.m. in Utah and will be viewable until 1:40 p.m. John Armstrong, director of the Ott Planetarium at Weber State University, told KSL.com that St. George viewers will experience 52% totality and viewers in southeastern Utah will see 60% totality. Weather forecasts in various parts of the state call for at least partially sunny skies, making for good viewing conditions. To find exact times and levels of totality, viewers can input their location into this tool on NASAs website. How to watch the partial solar eclipse in Utah Watching the eclipse calls for proper eyewear and caution. Looking directly at the sun is likely to cause eye damage. As previously reported by the Deseret News, Our pupils grow in size during the dimming of the sun, and once the sun starts to reappear, it will severely damage our eyes more, since our dilated pupils are allowing more light in. NASA recommends using specialized solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes while still taking in the view. These glasses have solar filters that are 1,000 times stronger than those of regular sunglasses, the American Astronomical Society said. They can be purchased at science museums, planetariums, astronomy trade shows and some college astronomy departments, per earlier Deseret News reporting. Without eclipse glasses, viewers can also use the indirect viewing method, which requires them to use an object with holes to project the eclipse onto another surface. A colander makes a great eclipse projector, Patrick Wiggins, a NASA/JPL solar system ambassador to Utah, told KSL.com. You dont look through the holes of colander at the sun, you let the light go through the holes and down onto the ground where you will see a myriad number of eclipses this is a simple way of seeing the eclipse in action without damaging your eyes, he continued. Viewers may also use specialized eclipse glasses already in their possession, though they should ensure the glasses are not damaged before use. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 8. Kazakhstan closed an automobile checkpoint on the border with Uzbekistan due to flooding, Trend reports. According to Uzbekistan's Customs Committee, Kazakhstan's State Revenue Committee has suspended vehicle passage through the Tajen checkpoint because of flooding. In addition, the movement along the 103rd kilometer of the Dossor-Kulsary-Beyneu highway in the Atyrau region is completely stopped for the same reason. The truckers coming from Uzbekistan can cross the border through B. Konysbaev, Kazygurt, and Atameken checkpoints located in Kazakhstan's Turkestan region. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have simplified obtaining permits for road freight transportation. According to the Kazakh Transport Ministry, a joint order of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will come into force on April 15 on the transfer to an electronic form of obtaining permits for the transportation of goods of the type "to/from third countries" for Kazakh carriers. From March 28 to April 15 of this year, Uzbek permit forms of the type "to/from third countries" will be issued in paper form at the border, and from April 15 in electronic form also at the border. Microsoft plans AI hub in 2.5bn UK expansion after claiming Britain is a bad place to invest Microsoft plans to open a new artificial intelligence (AI) hub in London, a year after one the companys president said his confidence in investing in the UK had been severely shaken. The tech giant is setting up a new AI division at its office in Paddington as part of plans to invest 2.5bn in the UK. The division will be run by Google DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman, Microsofts newly hired AI tsar. Mr Suleyman said: There is an enormous pool of AI talent and expertise in the UK, and Microsoft AI plans to make a significant, long-term investment in the region. His remarks come almost a year after Brad Smith, Microsofts president, lashed out at Britains Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over its threat to block its takeover of gaming giant Activision. Microsoft President Brad Smith said Britain was 'closed for business' after the CMA initially blocked the proposed Activision merger - Virginia Mayo At the time, Mr Smith said the decision was bad for Britain and that peoples confidence in technology in the UK has been severely shaken. He told the BBC at the time: Theres a clear message here the European Union is a more attractive place to start a business than the United Kingdom. The CMA later gave the $69bn deal the green light after it was restructured by Microsoft. Microsofts AI investment in the UK includes building a major new data centre in West London and installing 20,000 high-powered processors in the UK by 2026. Mr Suleyman, who previously co-founded UK machine-learning business DeepMind before it was acquired by Google in 2014, said: Im excited to make this commitment to the UK on behalf of Microsoft AI. I know through my close work with thought leaders in the UK government, business community and academia that the country is committed to advancing AI responsibly. Mr Suleyman left DeepMind in 2022, before founding his own AI business called Inflection. He was hired in March to lead Microsofts AI efforts. Mustafa Suleyman was hired in March to lead Microsoft's AI efforts - Patrick T. Fallon/AFP Microsofts new UK lab will be led by Jordan Hoffmann, another former DeepMind employee who joins with Mr Suleyman from Inflection. He said the new lab would collaborate closely with OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, which Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in. Mr Suleymans decision to join Microsoft has raised eyebrows in the technology sector. His new AI business had raised more than $1bn in venture funding before his sudden departure. The Information reported Microsoft paid $30m for an agreement that Inflection would not sue over the poaching, as well as a further $620m to licence the start-ups AI tools. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Read the full article on Motorious Sorry to everyone who thinks otherwise. Plenty of people buy a brand-new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon or a Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro expecting them to be monstrous off-roaders. After all, the commercials show them fording streams, climbing over rocks, and going on Antarctic expeditions with ease. Yeah, the thing is thats all called marketing, not reality. While those rigs are pretty good on trails right off the dealer lot, but they just dont stack up to a built Jeep, Toyota, or a lot of other modified rigs. The video clip below illustrates this so clearly when a new Jeep Wrangle Rubicon Unlimited struggles on a section of trail where a Jeep Cherokee XJ and Toyota Land Cruiser J80 (which are both built) roll right through without breaking a sweat. Still think those out-of-the-box off-roaders are awesome? With a nice lift, bigger (and better) tires, and maybe a few other mods that Rubicon would have done just fine. Some purists will complain the newer Jeeps are horrible for a range of reasons. The ones who focus on the leather upholstery, air conditioning, or touchscreen are really off the mark, because those dont have any impact on trail worthiness. ADVERTISEMENT As people clamor for Jeeps, Fiat Chrysler has been much obliged to deliver and keep stoking the fires of demand, because it really needs the cash. That means stretching the truth a little, like trying to spin the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk as a great way to take on Metal Masher in Moab or some nonsense like that. Unfortunately, the current and previous generations of the Jeep Cherokee are far too tame to recommend for any serious off-roading. They might be great for tooling around town or on the highway, but the old XJs are the real trail masters. The guy who runs the YouTube channel the above video is from, Matts Off Road Recovery, uses one to rescue people on the trails of southern Utah all the time, and he helps out quite a few people who think their little crossover with all-season tires can handle some serious conditions, because that marketing sure is convincing. Story continues Read More Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. SpaceX rocket launches 11 satellites, including one for South Korea, on Bandwagon-1 rideshare flight (photos) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 11 satellites into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 7, 2024. . SpaceX launched 11 satellites on its first-ever Bandwagon-1 class rideshare mission from Florida tonight (April 7) and aced an evening rocket landing just minutes later. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) tonight at 7:16 p.m. EDT (2316 GMT), kicking off the 11-satellite Bandwagon-1 mission. The spacecraft successfully reached orbit, with SpaceX ending its livestream early at the request of its customer South Korea, which flew its Project 425 SAR synthetic aperture radar satellite on the mission, according to Spaceflight Now. Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky Image 1 of 2 A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 11 satellites into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 7, 2024. Image 2 of 2 A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 11 satellites into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 7, 2024. "On board this mission are 11 spacecraft including KOREA's 425Sat, HawkEye 360's Clusters 8 & 9, Tyvak Internationals CENTAURI-6, iQPS's QPS-SAR-7 TSUKUYOMI-II, Capella Space's Capella-14, and Tata Advanced Systems Limiteds TSAT-1A," SpaceX wrote in a mission description. The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth for a vertical landing about 7.5 minutes after liftoff, if all goes according to plan. It touch downed at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is next door to KSC. It was the 14th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to the mission description. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 11 satellites into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 7, 2024. RELATED STORIES: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ties 19 flight-record with launch from California (video) 8 ways that SpaceX has transformed spaceflight SpaceX launches Crew-8 astronaut mission to International Space Station for NASA (video) While this will be the first mission in SpaceX's new Bandwagon program, the company is no stranger to rideshare launches. SpaceX has sent 10 such missions to orbit via its Transporter program, the most recent of which lifted off last month. The first Transporter mission, which launched in January 2021, delivered 143 satellites to orbit, a single-flight record that still stands today. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the results of SpaceX's successful Bandwagon-1 launch. If you're older than Gen Alpha, you probably remember the days of ordering pizza over the phone. Before folks could use services like DoorDash for delivery, pizza was one of the rare meals that could be delivered straight to your home and for some time, the fact that you could call it in from your couch was revolutionary. But in 1994, shortly before Pizza Hut introduced stuffed crust, everything changed. Pizza lovers in Santa Cruz, California became the guinea pigs for a Pizza Hut invention that ultimately revolutionized the internet. That's right, the pizza chain is essentially responsible for creating online ordering. In the '90s, the internet was still new. Few popular retailers had an established online presence, let alone an ordering service. Not until Pizza Hut collaborated with its Santa Cruz location did the dream of rapid deliveries without verbal communication become a reality ... sort of. The company's first digital ordering service was called PizzaNet, and it was home to one of the first online orders ever: a large pepperoni pie topped with mushrooms and extra cheese (a far cry from the worst Pizza Hut pizza of all time). There was one snag, however. Since the internet was still unfamiliar territory, the pizzeria took the precaution of calling each customer's phone number to confirm their online order. While the desire for extra assurance is understandable, it did kind of defeat the new technology's purpose. Read more: Frozen Pizzas, Ranked From Worst To Best PizzaNet Changed The Future Of Food Delivery Pizza Hut delivery motorcycles - Krblokhin / Getty Images Since the internet was still in its infancy, PizzaNet's design wasn't anything spectacular. It was a basic pilot program operated through a web software called Mosaic. At the time of its launch, PizzaNet was still technically a work in progress, so completing payments through the website wasn't an option. Customers could only pay once their delivery arrived, but it was no doubt still fun for users to request their go-to pizza order on new technology. In fact, if you want to see what it was like to order one of these pies pre-21st century, you can still access the website. While you can't use it to actually place an order (you'll just get redirected to Pizza Hut), you might be able to feel like a '90s Sandra Bullock in her infamous online pizza ordering scene from "The Net." Unfortunately, PizzaNet never expanded past Santa Cruz, but it did inspire more online food ordering. By 1995, another food delivery website called World Wide Waiter was born. It was only available around Northern California, but it partnered with around 60 participating local restaurants. It was, in essence, the '90s version of modern-day apps like GrubHub, and it helped set the stage for online food ordering to become mainstream by the 2000s. Ultimately, it's likely that none of this would have been possible without PizzaNet, so the next time you order something online, be sure to thank Pizza Hut for its cultural contribution. Read the original article on Mashed By David Shepardson and Stephanie Kelly WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday it would award Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's (TSMC) U.S. unit a $6.6 billion subsidy for advanced semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona and up to $5 billion in low-cost government loans. TSMC agreed to expand its planned investment by $25 billion to $65 billion and to add a third Arizona fab by 2030, Commerce said in announcing the preliminary award. The Taiwanese company will produce the world's most advanced 2 nanometer technology at its second Arizona fab expected to begin production in 2028, the department said. "These are the chips that underpin all artificial intelligence, and they are the chips that are necessary components for the technologies that we need to underpin our economy, but frankly, a 21st century military and national security apparatus," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement. TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major supplier to Apple and Nvidia, had previously announced plans to invest $40 billion in Arizona. TSMC expects to begin high-volume production in its first U.S. fab there by the first half of 2025, Commerce said. The $65 billion-plus investment by TSMC is the largest foreign direct investment in a completely new project in U.S. history, the department said. Congress in 2022 approved the Chips and Science Act to boost domestic semiconductor output with $52.7 billion in research and manufacturing subsidies. Lawmakers also approved $75 billion in government loan authority. TSMC Arizona has also committed to support the development of advanced packaging capabilities through partners in the U.S. to allow customers to purchase advanced chips that are made entirely on U.S. soil, the department said, adding 70% of TSMC customers were U.S. companies. TSMC CEO C.C. Wei said the company would help U.S. tech firms "unleash their innovations by increasing capacity for leading-edge technology through TSMC Arizona." Commerce expects the projects will create 6,000 direct manufacturing jobs and 20,000 construction jobs. The department said 14 direct TSMC suppliers plan to construct or expand U.S. plants. At full capacity, TSMC's three fabs in Arizona will manufacture tens of millions of leading-edge chips in 5G/6G smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and AI data center servers, the department said. Through its Arizona fabs, TSMC will support key customers like Apple, Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Qualcomm "by addressing their leading-edge capacity demand, mitigating supply chain concerns, and enabling them to compete effectively in the ongoing digital transformation era," the department added. Story continues TSMC said in a separate statement that its Arizona factories aim to achieve a 90% water recycling rate, adding that the company has started the design phase of building a water reclamation plant with a goal of achieving "near zero liquid discharge". Commerce last month announced $8.5 billion in grants and up to $11 billion in loans for Intel to subsidize leading-edge chip production from the same program. The department is expected to unveil an award for South Korea's Samsung Electronics as soon as next week, sources said. Commerce declined to comment. Samsung did not respond immediately to a request for comment. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Additional reporting by Alexandra Alper, and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Jamie Freed, Kirsten Donovan) Redistricting has been in the news this month, and a series of court decisions will bring changes for Yakima Valley voters. Redistricting is the process of drawing voting boundaries following a census, which happens every 10 years. Here are some answers to questions weve received about redistricting. If you have questions about the election or voting we can help answer, email us at news@yakimaherald.com. What happened? Theres a new map of voting boundaries for seats in the state House and Senate. The map makes a number of changes in Central Washington and the Yakima Valley. A group of Yakima County residents challenged an earlier map, saying the boundaries violated the federal Voting Rights Act because they didnt allow Latino voters to elect their preferred candidates. Two court cases focused on voting boundaries in the Yakima Valley. After a lengthy process in court and lots of debate, a judge approved new voting boundaries. Defendants asked the Supreme Court to delay the new maps, but the Supreme Court said last week it would not weigh in. The new map will be in place for this years elections. Why should I care? The changes will affect who will represent you in Olympia. State Sens. Curtis King and Nikki Torres and state Reps. Gina Mosbrucker and Chris Corry have been moved to new districts. Residents in the Lower Yakima Valley could see all new lawmakers. What are the new districts? The 14th District includes East Yakima, Toppenish, Wapato, Sunnyside, Grandview, the Yakama Reservation and East Pasco. The 15th District includes northern Yakima County (including Yakima's West Valley), Moxee, Zillah and Upper Yakima Valley communities. It then stretches southeast to include Prosser and a piece of Benton County. Unlike older maps, the Yakama Reservation stays together in one district the 14th. How do I figure out what district Im in? The Yakima County Auditor's Office has an interactive map showing legislative district boundaries for Yakima County residents. The map clearly shows communities, neighborhoods and roads, and is easy to navigate. You can find your home on the map and see which district you are in, or call the Yakima County Auditor's Office at 509-574-1340. The Secretary of State's Office also has a map that Washington residents can search using their address. Do I need to do anything? Not really. If a voters precinct changes, they will be automatically moved to the new district and will be issued a new voter registration card, according to the Secretary of State's Office. A voter registration card is an informational notice and requires no action by the voter. To check on your voter registration, go to votewa.gov. Who is running? Candidate filing officially runs May 6-10, but candidates for state seats usually announce and start raising money earlier than that. Things have been different this year in the Yakima area because the maps were up in the air. People who have announced they plan to run: Corry, of Yakima, and Jeremie Dufault of Selah, both Republicans, have announced plans to run for state House in the 15th District. Chelsea Dimas, Raul Martinez and Maria Beltran plan to run as Democrats in the 14th District. No Republicans have announced a run yet in the new district. King, R-Yakima, and Rep. Bryan Sandlin, R-Zillah, filed campaign finance paperwork earlier this year. Liz Hallock has filed paperwork as an independent. Torres, of Pasco, will serve out the remaining two years of her term. She said shes still considering her options after that. Mosbrucker, of Goldendale, will be in the 17th District. Candidates can move if they want to run in a different district, as Sen. Brad Hawkins said he will do in Wenatchee. What about U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouses district? Nothing has changed recently. The redistricting changes that have been in the news this spring only affect seats in the Legislature, not Congress. Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, is running for Congress in the 4th District, which covers Yakima, Benton, Klickitat, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties. Florida's Supreme Court effectively banned abortion in the state last week but then justices ruled that voters may consider an initiative that would ensure the procedure remains legal. Laman Ismayilova 118 years have passed since the publication of the first issue of Molla Nasreddin magazine, the eight-page weekly satirical magazine, which has played an invaluable role in the history of the Azerbaijani press, Azernews reports. The founder, publisher, and chief editor of "Molla Nasreddin:" was the great writer and journalist Jalil Mammadguluzade. The magazine made its debut in Tbilisi on April 7, 1906, releasing a total of 340 issues until 1917. Subsequently, it was published in Tabriz with eight issues in 1921, followed by a stint in Baku from 1922 to 1931, producing a grand total of 400 issues. "Molla Nasreddin" was something revolutionary for that period, focusing on such topics as corruption, snobbery, ignorance, religious fanaticism, equal rights for women, as well as freedom of expression and the preservation of national language and traditions. The publication fully reflected the country's socio-political life in the early twentieth century. The name of the magazine was inspired by Molla Nasreddin, a satirical comic character that was popular in Eastern folk literature. Unlike other publications of that time, "Molla Nasreddin" also addressed uneducated people, as it used satirical verses, stories, and cartoons to convey its messages to society. It showcased the works of talented Azerbaijani writers and pressmen like M.A. Sabir, N. Narimanov, A. Haqverdiyev, M.S. Ordubadi, O.F. Nemanzadeh, Ali Nazmi, and A. Gamkusar. A significant contributor to the magazine's popularity was the satirical poetry of ?abir, an innovative poet of Azerbaijan, whose works were regularly featured until his passing in 1911. ?abir's poems shed light on the injustices faced by various segments of society, including the arbitrary actions of Tsarist officials, the plight of women, and the struggles of the working class. "Molla Nasreddin" also played a pivotal role in advocating for women's rights and was instrumental in granting voting rights to Azerbaijani women in 1919, a groundbreaking move in the Muslim world. However, its bold and critical articles often drew the ire of the political elite, leading to multiple bans in 1912, 1914, and 1917. The publication of "Molla Nasreddin" awakened various aspects of the lives of the people and led to a great revival of the national press. Despite facing numerous challenges, the magazine persevered for over 25 years, sparking a renaissance in the Azerbaijani national press and giving impetus to the development of satirical drawing and caricature. Its influence extended beyond borders, inspiring the publication of satirical magazines in Azerbaijan and neighbouring countries. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 8. Uzbekistan may open its embassy in Georgia, Trend reports. The issue was discussed during a meeting in Tashkent between Georgian Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili and Uzbekistan's lower house Chairman Nuriddinjon Ismailov. The sides discussed bilateral relations, especially legislative collaboration, trade, and energy. Both parties underlined that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between the nations and expressed a willingness to strengthen ties. The European Commission is conducting an investigation into the Hungarian retail tax after the Austrian government and retail chain Spar filed a complaint against it, the EU authority told Reuters. They claim that the tax introduced in 2020 discriminates against foreign companies and violates EU law, as the levy amounts to 4.5% of revenue, which forces companies to operate at a loss. In contrast, Hungarian-owned retail chains pay only 0-1% tax on their revenues, as they operate as franchise networks. The EC has already strongly criticised the retail tax in its 2023 country report and country-specific recommendations, calling it discriminatory. EU authorities are also investigating the mandatory discount campaigns imposed on food products, as Spar challenged this regulation at the European Court of Justice last autumn. MTI Photo ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! Hungarian soldiers have saved the lives of tourists in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Defence Ministry said. Bosnia and Herzegovinas Ministry of Security requested the assistance of the international EUFOR mission early Saturday in the search for the two missing tourists. A helicopter, piloted by Hungarians and with Dutch and Italian soldiers on board, was sent by the Hungarian commander of the European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Major General Laszlo Sticz, for the search and rescue operation. The tourists were found on a summit, evacuated and brought to a hospital in Sarajevo. Defence Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky congratulated the Hungarian soldiers and military doctors who were involved in the operation in a message on Facebook later on Saturday. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! New Delhi: Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien on Monday slammed the government saying that there is dictatorship in the country. O'Brien's comments come after his detention following the TMC's protest outside the election commission office in Delhi. Speaking to reporters Derek O'Brien said that the TMC is was carrying out a peaceful protest after the meeting with the Election Commission official and then they were detained. He said that the party will continue the protest. "We are here to fight. We will carry on our peaceful protest. This is 100% dictatorship but we are from TMC, we will fight this, " said O'Brien. "We met with the EC at 4:30 PM, and at 5:45 PM, while peacefully protesting, we were taken by the authorities. Initially informed that we were being transported to Mandir Marg Police Station, we were instead driven around Delhi for one and a half hours. Subsequently, upon protesting, we were eventually taken to the Mandir Marg Police station," he added. #WATCH | Delhi: On being detained by Delhi Police for protesting outside Election Commission of India, TMC MP Derek O'Brien says "We are here to fight. We will carry on our peaceful protest...This is 100% dictatorship but we are from TMC, we will fight this..." pic.twitter.com/P27DJZgjEp ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2024 The TMC was staging a protest demanding the change of the chiefs of the NIA, ED, CBI and the Income Tax Department. Slamming the Central government Derek said, "It is the complete murder of democracy. Derek further said that the "TMC's protest will continue whether inside the jail or outside, we are here to fight. " New Delhi: Amidst the hustle and bustle of the coming Lok Sabha elections, Senior BJP leader and Union Minister of Forest and Environment, Ashwini Choubey interacted with the media for the first time, after the BJP denied him a ticket from the Buxer Lok Sabha. Ashwini Choubey expressed his feelings while exaggerating the chopai of 'Lord Rama' in Hindi and said 'Meh Vish Pe Raha Hu'. Choubey further added that the party has always respected me and under the leadership of PM Modi the nation will always stay united. "Struggle is our life, and I have never extended my hand in front of anyone since childhood..... The party has given me everything... The party has always respected me. I belong to Buxar and I will always belong to it... Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the nation is united." Ashwini said. Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey reflects on the JP movement and said, "Today marks a historic day. Fifty years ago, Jayaprakash Narayan raised his voice on this very day. He was 72 years old at the time. Coincidentally, I am also 72 years old now. I was a fighter in the JP movement in 1974..." #WATCH | Patna, Bihar: On the JP movement, Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey says, "This is a historic day. 50 years ago, on this day, Jayaprakash Narayan had raised his voice. He was 72 years old at that time. Coincidently, I am also 72 years old now. I am a fighter of the JP pic.twitter.com/gSfmqkvzbQ ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2024 The saffron party has fielded Mithilesh Tiwari from the Buxar Lok Sabha seat. However, the BJP has now included Ashwini Choubey among its star campaigners. Earlier, the BJP-led NDA demonstrated unity in Bihar with Chirag Paswan joining Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi in a large rally in Nawada on Sunday. While addressing the public rally, Prime Minister Modi took a dig at the Congress-led INDIA alliance, suggesting that the opposition alliance fears "Modi's Guarantees." Modi emphasized that a senior leader of the INDI Alliance had recently advocated for a ban on Modi's guarantees. New Delhi: Congress leader and MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the Central government spends a negligible amount of money for the welfare of the tribals in the country and a caste census followed by the economic survey would expose the government's truth on the matter. Addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Shandol Rahul Gandhi said, "If the Govt of India spends Rs 10 then an Adivasi officer takes decision for only 10 paise. This has to be changed. A caste census and then an economic survey would expose the truth. The economic survey will also reveal the data about the accumulation of the resources." Congress star campaigner also claimed that nearly 30 lakh positions for jobs are vacant in the Union Government but BJP is unwilling to fulfil it. "The Govt of India has 30 lakh vacancies. The people in the BJP don't give them to you. They give you work on contract but don't give you govt jobs. We will grant you 30 lakh govt jobs as our first step after the formation of our govt," he said. #WATCH | Shahdol, MP: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says, "...If the Govt of India spends Rs 10 then an Adivasi officer takes decision for only 10 paise...This has to be changed...A caste census and then an economic survey would expose the truth..." pic.twitter.com/k1pIxoXNDo ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2024 Congress leader further attacked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi over 'Agnipath' scheme alleging that the policy was his brainchild and all the decisions were taken in PM's Office. "Earlier poor used to join Army, they used to get pension. Now they are training an individual for 4 months whereas a Chinese soldier is getting training for five years. You know what will happen, and when that agniveer will die he won't get anything no pension, no canteen. We will abolish this scheme once our government comes to power. Interstingly, even Army is against the Agniveer scheme. This scheme was the idea of Prime Minister and its decision was taken in Prime Minister office," he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. The current government of Iran (the current Iranian government has been in power since August 2021) has reversed the process initiated by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini said, Trend reports. According to Abbaszadeh Meshkini, the US withdrawal from the Comprehensive Joint Action Plan and the failure of European members (Britain, France, and Germany) to fully implement the plan were processes launched against Iran under the JCPOA. Abbaszadeh added that although this process was seen as a constraint on Iran's nuclear program,. The Iranian parliamentarian stated that the current Iranian government has demonstrated its will to other parties by changing this process. To note, the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action on Iran's nuclear program was implemented between Iran and the P5+1 group (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) in January 2016. The US announced in May 2018 that it was withdrawing from the plan and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. Iran has announced that there will be no restrictions on the Iran nuclear deal in 2020. In late 2020, the Iranian parliament adopted a strategic plan to counter the sanctions, citing the non-fulfillment of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran. Based on the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran stopped the implementation of additional measures and an additional protocol included in the nuclear deal. As a consequence, the monitoring mechanism of the IAEA was reduced by 2030 percent. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel New Delhi: The state of West Bengal is witnessing political turmoil amid the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The recent incidents of attack on the Central investigation agencies-- NIA and ED-- and the alleged involvement of the Trinamool Congress in the matter have sparked controversy. In today's DNA, Sourabh Raaj Jain analysed the TMC's alleged connection with attacks on ED and NIA in a recent incident in the state of West Bengal. The incident sparked after the NIA team arrived near Bhupatinagar of East Medinipur District in West Bengal to arrest the suspects involved in a bomb blast in 2022. During this operation, the NIA team was accompanied by CRPF personnel and female constables. Local women confronted the NIA and CRPF teams with sticks and rods to prevent the arrest of the two main suspects. On March 28, eight TMC leaders were summoned by NIA for questioning and interrogation. At that time, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that the BJP had provided a list of TMC leaders to NIA, based on which NIA was preparing to arrest these leaders. Later, on April 5, the NIA team arrived to arrest TMC leaders. However, although the NIA team was successful in making arrests, it also had to clarify its actions. The arrested TMC leader's wife, Moni Ghosh, filed an FIR against NIA officers, stating that on the night of April 5, the NIA team attempted to forcefully enter their house in an excuse to do an investigation. However, NIA has refuted all allegations against them. The Investigative agency team clarified that they did not engage in any unlawful activity. They said that the team had arrived in Bhupatinagar to investigate the bomb blast that occurred in 2022, following the orders of the Calcutta High Court. Their team conducted the operation within the boundaries of the law and did not resort to any provocative actions. NEW DELHI: A week after addressing the public from the mega rally of the INDIA bloc in Delhi, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti has now set the stage for another rift between the opposition alliance. The Congress, National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party are yet to reach a seat-sharing deal in Jammu and Kashmir. Amid the delays, Mufti announced the names of three candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. Mufti is set to contest the general elections from Kashmirs Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. Mufti is poised for a political face-off against Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), from the seat. Meanwhile, Azad is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time since his defeat in the 2014 general elections from the Udhampur seat. Other candidates vying for the Anantnag seat are Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmad from the National Conference and the Apni Party's Zaffar Iqbal Manhas. As per the announcement made by the PDP on Sunday, Waheed Parra will contest from the Srinagar seat, while former Rajya Sabha member Mir Fayaz will contest from the Baramulla seat. Warming up the pitch for her bid in the upcoming election, Mehbooba Mufti slammed the BJP on the law-and-order situation in the valley. She asked why Section 144 had been imposed in Ladakh if the BJP claimed that everything was normal. She further said that throughout her activities in the Jammu and Kashmir region over the past five years, she has consistently represented the concerns of the people. The partys manifesto and appeals are aimed at addressing the publics issues in Parliament, added Mufti. During a press conference, Mehbooba Mufti said that her party was willing to allocate all the seats to the allies of the INDIA bloc, but she expressed that the National Conference (NC) should not have treated the PDP with disrespect or humiliation. Earlier, both the PDP and NC revealed their intent to contest each other, giving a big blow to the dreams of the INDI Alliance in Jammu and Kashmir. The Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory are scheduled to take place in five phases: April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar), and May 20 (Baramulla). Vote counting will commence on June 4th. The BJP has fielded Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and sitting MP from Barmer, from the Lok Sabha seat once again. However, this time, Choudhary is facing a familiar challenger - Ravindra Singh Bhati. Bhati has filed his nomination paper independently after he was denied a ticket by the BJP. According to reports, the BJP tried to convince Bhati to not contest from the seat independently but he did not buzz. Triangular Contest In Barmer Ravindra Singh Bhati is currently MLA from the Sheo Constituency and wanted to contest the parliamentary polls on the BJP ticket. Bhati has been a popular leader since his college days but has been ignored by the BJP on many occasions. Now, the Barmer seat will have a triangular contest from the seat. Congress has fielded Umedaram, former RLP leader and close aide of Hanuman Beniwal from the seat. Umedaram is a leader with an impeccable image. Barmer majorly has Jat and Rajput voters. With Bhati contesting from the seat, he is likely to get support of Rajput voters. However, Choudhary and Umedaram are Jat leaders and thus may witness a split in Jat voters that may benefit Bhati. Bhati's BJP Pitch The BJP has moved the election commission against Ravindra Singh Bhati's poll campaign in which he is using Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photo with the caption "Forgive Us Modi Ji. We are giving you Ravindra in place of Kailash. I am Modi's family". The pamphlet bears the photo of Narendra Modi and Ravindra Singh Bhati. Bhati has made it clear that even if he wins as an independent candidate, will extend support to Modi. Ravindra Bhati's Rebellious History Ravindra Singh Bhati has been a courageous leader since his college days. It was his rebellious nature that won him accolades. When Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) did not give him a ticket for the student elections at Jay Narayan Vyas University, he contested independently and for the first time in its 57-year history, became the independent president of the university. The rebellion did not end there. Before the 2023 Assembly elections, when the BJP denied him a ticket from the Sheo constituency in Barmer, Bhati once again entered the independent arena and defeated 84-year-old senior Congress leader Amin Khan with a record victory margin creating history. For the third time, Ravindra Bhati has filed an independent nomination from the Barmer Lok Sabha seat. This time, he will challenge BJP's central minister Kailash Choudhary. Shopian: A non-local tourist guide was shot and injured by unidentified terrorists in the Shopian district of South Kashmir on Monday evening, said an official. According to a senior police officer, the incident occurred around 8.25 pm when terrorists opened fire on Dilranjan Singh, a non-local tourist guide and driver from Delhi, who was accompanying two foreign tourists as they dined at a local hotel in Hirpora, Shopian in South Kashmir. The two tourists are reported to be safe and are currently staying with local police. However, Singh sustained bullet injuries to his abdomen and arm in the attack and has been hospitalized at the state hospital in Srinagar, where his condition is stable. Initially treated at the district hospital in Shopian, Singh was later referred to the SMHS hospital in Srinagar for further advanced treatment. Following the attack, security forces cordoned off the area, and a massive search operation is underway to apprehend the assailants. Sources had earlier indicated that a LeT terrorist had been sent from across the border to activate sleeper cells in Jammu and Kashmir to incite violence during the forthcoming parliamentary elections, prompting heightened alertness among security forces across the Union Territory. With the highly electrifying campaign going on across India for the Lok Sabha Elections, the poll fervour has also reached Non-Resident Indians in the United States. The overseas supporters of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) organised various marches in different cities throughout the United States (US). They expressed support for the third consecutive term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In Washington DC, participants gathered at the reflection pond of Capitol Hill donning 'Modi Ka Parivar' T-shirts, while waving flags of the US, India, and BJP. Likewise, in San Francisco, citizens congregated at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to express their solidarity. In Washington DC, a gathering assembled at the reflection pond of Capitol Hill adorned in 'Modi Ka Parivar' T-shirts, brandishing flags of the United States, India, and the BJP. They proceeded towards the Washington Monument, brandishing placards emblazoned with slogans extolling PM Modi, including 'Ab ki baar 400 paar', 'Modi 3.0', 'Sikh Americans for Modi', and 'Modi guarantee- India 3rd largest economy'. US: In the capital city of Washington DC, people assembled at the reflection pond of Capitol Hill wearing 'Modi ka Parivar March' T-shirts, holding US, India and BJP flags. They marched towards the Washington Monument displaying placards with slogans of PM Narendra Modi. The pic.twitter.com/6Xf4P0Dnru ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2024 San Francisco witnessed a similar display of unity as residents from across the Bay Area converged at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge for the 'Modi Ka Parivar' march on April 7. The event, orchestrated by Overseas Friends of BJP-USA, symbolized unwavering support for Modi's leadership, coupled with the collective aspiration of achieving a majority exceeding 400 seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections. US: In a show of unity and support in San Francisco, people from across the San Francisco Bay Area convened at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge for the 'Modi Ka Parivar' march on April 7. The march, organized by the Overseas Friends of BJP-USA, showcased the support for Prime pic.twitter.com/LSw1Es0zyg April 8, 2024 In Atlanta, Sikh-American BJP enthusiasts organized a car rally, with approximately 150 vehicles bedecked in BJP and Indian flags, alongside placards bearing slogans such as 'Abki baar 400 par', 'Main hoon Modi Parivaar', and 'Teesri baar Modi Sarkar'. As per reports, such car rallies were demonstrated in Austin, Dallas, Chicago, Raleigh, and Detroit, where participants fervently showcased banners, flags, and slogans in support of the BJP and Indian Prime Minister Modi. New Delhi: Star campaigners of both Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Congress are holding back-to-back rallies in the run-up to Lok Sabha Elections. BJP leader Narendra Modi is set to hold two rallies on Monday, the first in Chhattisgarh's Bastar and the second in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is leading his first visit to Madhya Pradesh after the poll dates were announced. Gandhi is slated to speak at two distinct rallies, one in the Sevni locality within the Mandla seat and the other in Shahdol today. Chhattisgarh And Madhya Pradesh Predicament The Prime Minister is scheduled to speak at a rally in Aamabal village, located in Bhanpuri within the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, which is slated for polling on April 19. The BJP, holding a significant presence in Chhattisgarh, secured 9 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, whereas the Congress managed only 2. In the 2014 elections, the BJP clinched 10 seats, while the INC could secure only one. However, of a total of 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh, the grand old Party could only clinch one seat in Chhindwara, during National Polls in 2019. Nakul Nath, the sitting Chhindwara MP and son of former chief minister Kamal Nath is contesting the seat again. Notably, during the 2023 Assembly polls, Kamal Nath, serving as the state unit chief, had declined a coalition with the ally Samajwadi Party. However, Rahul's visit on Monday coincided with a period when the Congress and the SP have formed an alliance. Elections in the 11 parliamentary constituencies of Chhattisgarh will take place in three phases on April 19, 26 and May 7. Whereas, Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to vote during the first four phases on April 19, 26, May 7, and 13. The counting of votes will be done on June 4. BJP Intensifies Lok Sabha Election Campaign The Bharatiya Janata Party is actively engaged in rallying across various states. Today, JP Nadda is spearheading rallies in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Rajnath Singh is leading the charge in Tamil Nadu, and Smriti Irani is undertaking a five-day visit to Amethi. Meanwhile, Yogi Adityanath, amidst his responsibilities in Uttar Pradesh, is extending efforts to garner the trust of voters in Maharashtra. COIMBATORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu starting April 9, BJP state chief K Annamalai said here on Monday. The PM will hold a roadshow in Chennai on Tuesday and address two public meetings the next day, he told reporters. "The roadshow in Chennai will be held after 6 pm," covering segments of both South Chennai and Central Chennai, he said. Tamilisai Soundararjan is BJP's South Chennai candidate while Vinoj P Selvam is taking on DMK heavyweight Dayanidhi Maran from Central Chennai. On Wednesday, Modi will first address a public meeting in Vellore, canvassing votes in support of ally PMK's Dharmapuri candidate Soumya Anbumani and AC Shanmugam, another alliance party leader who is contesting on the BJP symbol from Vellore. The PM will then reach Mettupalayam, near here, and address a public meeting in support of the BJP's candidates from Nilgiris (L Murugan), Coimbatore (Annamalai) and Pollachi (K Vasantharajan), he said. Another visit by the PM to the southern state was likely after April 12 and the schedule will be finalised later and announced, Annamalai added. Elections to 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 19, and the counting of votes taken up on June 4, at the end of the seven-phase polling across the country. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition filled by AAP leader Sanjay Singh contesting a decision from the Gujarat High Court. The High Court had declined to annul summonses issued against him in a defamation case related to alleged comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications. Considering the decision Sanjay Singh will have to appear before the Ahmedabad Magistrate Court. On April 15, 2023, Kejriwal and Singh received summonses to appear before a Magistrate Court in Ahmedabad. They appealed against this summons in the Sessions Court and requested a stay of the trial until their revision plea was resolved. However, their request for a stay was denied. In September 2023, the Sessions Court dismissed Kejriwal and Singh's revision applications. Following this decision, they approached the Gujarat High Court to challenge both the summonses and the Sessions Court's affirmation of the summonses. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said that the bench is not inclined to entertain the present petition. The bench stated that the high court had previously noted in its ruling that all arguments accessible to the involved parties were preserved, and the judge presiding over the trial would not be swayed by any remarks made in the ruling. Gujarat University registrar Piyush Patel initiated a defamation lawsuit against Singh and Delhi CM Kejriwal following their purported remarks about the university during a press conference. This occurred after the Gujarat high court overturned a Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) directive instructing the university to disclose information regarding PM Modi's educational qualifications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. In August 2023, the Supreme Court declined to hear Delhi CM Kejriwal's plea against the high court's decision to dismiss his appeal seeking a halt to the criminal defamation proceedings instigated by Gujarat University. Following a summon issued by a metropolitan court in Gujarat against Kejriwal and Singh concerning their alleged defamatory remarks, the duo lodged a revision application in the sessions court to challenge the summons. Despite their petition for a temporary suspension of the trial being denied by the sessions court, they proceeded to appeal to the high court. Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam today made an explosive claim levelling serious allegations against Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. Nirupam alleged that Sanjay Raut is the kingpin of the 'Khichadi scam' and even took Rs one crore bribe through his family members and business partners. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) should widen the ambit of its investigation to include the family members of Sanjay Raut and he should be arrested. He is the main kingpin of the entire scam in which money meant to feed poor migrants was looted, alleged Nirupam. Nirupam alleged that Sahyadri Refreshments, the accused company, purportedly paid bribes through checks, which were then deposited into the bank accounts of Raut's daughter, brother, and one of his associates. According to Nirupam, numerous checks issued by Sahyadri Refreshments, totalling around Rs one crore, were deposited into the bank accounts of Raut's daughter, brother, and business partner on various dates spanning from May 2020 to January 2021. Nirupam further claimed that Raut reeled off the cheque amounts of Rs 3.5 lakh, Rs 5 lakh, Rs 1.25 lakh, Rs 3 lakh (daughter's bank account); Rs 5 lakh and Rs 1.25 lakh (brother's account) and partner Sujit Patkar's accounts cheques of Rs 14 lakh, Rs 14 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, Rs 1.90 lakh and Rs 1.90 lakh. Nirupam claimed that the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had awarded Sahyadri Refreshments a contract to provide 300 gms 'khichdi' at Rs 35/plate for the stranded migrants at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. In turn, Sahyadri Refreshments gave a sub-contract to another party which would supply 100 gms 'khichdi' at Rs 16/plate. This means that 200 gms of 'khichdi' intended for the poor, stranded, migrants was 'stolen' by Sanjay Raut and his partners, declared Nirupam. Alleging further irregularities in the contract, Nirpuam claimed that the sub-contractor had allegedly shown the kitchen of a private restaurant in the western suburbs to fulfil the contract requirements. Nirupam was expelled by the Congress last weekend after he launched a venomous tirade against the party's top leadership as well as Maha Vikas Aghadi ally SS (UBT) leaders, and is now likely to switch sides to another political party. Reacting to Sanjay Nirupam's allegations, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said that the former Congress leader is intentionally trying to malign the image of our leaders like Amol Kirthikar and Sanjay Raut when the elections are going to be held on May 20 in Mumbai. "He is raising a four-year-old issue, why have you been silent for this long?...When Congress expelled him and he was roaming for a ticket, he asked every party for this and when nothing seemed to be working, he is now conspiring to malign the image of Shiv Sena," said Dubey. New Delhi: BJP Leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took the support of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) to contest in the coming Lok Sabha Polls from the Wayanad constituency of Kerala Lok Sabha seat. On Monday, while talking to ANI, Irani accused the Congress leader of insulting the people of Amethi, which was earlier a Congress Bastion but is now led by her after the victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "We have received this information that Rahul Gandhi took the support of the terrorist organization PFI to contest his election in Wayanad. When you read the chargesheet filed in the context of PFI, you will get to know that the organisation had planned to kill Hindus in every district," Irani Said. BJP leader also said that Rahul Gandhi should tell the people of Amethi why is taking the help of PFI that plans to kill Hindus. She further added that the Prime Minister has worked for the development of the Amethi and the people of Amethi will bless him. The Union Minister further said, "BJP workers know that the Gandhi family will come to contest elections from Amethi. PM Narendra Modi sends ration to 19 lakh citizens in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, if the Gandhi family is against Narendra Modi, so 19 lakh citizens who are getting free ration, what will the Gandhi family say to these families?..." #WATCH | Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh: Union Minister Smriti Irani says, "BJP workers know that the Gandhi family will come to contest elections from Amethi. PM Narendra Modi sends ration to 19 lakh citizens in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, if the Gandhi family is against Narendra pic.twitter.com/OXLfNfHUzi ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2024 Irani questions Rahul Gandhi for insulting the loyalty of the Amethi people. "I went to Wayanad a few days ago and got the information that Rahul Gandhi has declared Wayanad as his family...Yesterday a Congress leader said that Rahul Gandhi chose Wayanad because Rahul Gandhi says that the people of Wayanad are more loyal. So what about the loyalty of Amethi?" The BJP's endeavour to establish absolute supremacy in the 2024 general elections has led to the nomination of Kerala State President K Surendran as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate from the constituency. While the BJP has announced that Irani will run for re-election from Amethi, the other hand, Congress is yet to decide their candidate to contest from Amethi Constituency. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Election, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lost the fight against BJP candidate Smriti Irani. Despite being partners in the INDIA alliance, the CPI and the Congress nominated their strongest candidates against each other in Kerala Lok Sabha seats. New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has accepted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar's challenge to have a debate on the development of Thiruvananthapuram. Both the leaders are gare up to contest from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram constituency seat in coming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. In a post on the microblogging site X, Tharoor welcomed his opponent's leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar for the debate on their constituency development and later accused Chandrasekhar of evading it until now. "Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now. Let us debate politics and development. Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism and the BJP's 10 years of propagating politics of hatred," Tharoor said. Congress leader further added that it is time to also discuss the development of Thiruvananthapuram and the visible progress we have made in the last 15 years. Earlier, BJP Thiruvananthapuram candidate accused his opponent of spreading misinformation during a recent interview with a Kerala-based news organization. Tharoor allegedly falsely accused Chandrasekhar of offering money to religious leaders and key voters in the constituency. "We have been debating in multiple forums during the last two weeks, and people have seen you struggle for answers to my questions on these occasions. Forced into a defensive mode, you chose to disseminate falsehoods that not only defamed me but also besmirched numerous social and religious organizations within my constituency. Therefore, to start with, you need to answer the following questions I have posed to you." In his post on X Rajeev said, "I demand an immediate retraction of these baseless accusations and a sincere apology directed towards me and to these esteemed individuals. After that, let's engage in a constructive debate for the comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram," Chandrasekhar further added. Notably, the constituency of Thiruvananthapuram will go to the polls on April 26 during the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. This constituency in Kerala is being closely watched due to a high-profile contest between Congress' Shashi Tharoor and the BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Meanwhile, the Thiruvananthapuram constituency is scheduled to polls on April 26 during the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram is going to be a prominent constituency to watch due to a high-profile contest between Congress' Shashi Tharoor and the BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar. New Delhi: Shares of Bandhan Bank on Monday ended over 6 per cent lower after the bank said its founder, managing director and CEO Chandra Shekhar Ghosh has decided to demit office on the completion of his tenure. The stock declined 6.31 per cent to settle at Rs 184.95 apiece on the BSE. During the day, it dropped 9 per cent to Rs 179.55. On the NSE, shares of the company ended at Rs 185.10 each, down 6.20 per cent. During the day, it tumbled 9.17 per cent to Rs 179.25. The company's market valuation declined by Rs 2,004.42 crore to Rs 29,794.89 crore. In volume terms, 55.90 lakh shares of the company were traded on the BSE and over 641.95 lakh shares on the NSE during the day. Ghosh will retire from the services of the bank as MD and CEO upon completion of his current tenure on July 9, 2024, the bank said in a regulatory filing on Friday. "After leading the bank for almost a decade, including three consecutive tenures (9 years) as MD & CEO, I feel that the time has now come for me to assume a larger strategic role at Bandhan group level," Ghosh said in a letter addressed to the board. As per RBI guidelines, the tenure of MD and CEO of private banks cannot be more than 15 years. Bandhan Bank was launched on August 23, 2015, with 501 branches and 50 ATMs across 24 states. It is the first-ever microfinance institution to become a universal bank from the Eastern region. In 2018, Bandhan Bank was successfully listed on the bourses. In 2019, the acquisition of Gruh Finance took place to provide more affordable banking solutions to home buyers. New Delhi: Shares of Wipro on Monday declined over 1 per cent after the IT major announced the resignation of Thierry Delaporte as CEO and named Srinivas Pallia as the new Chief Executive Officer of the company, effective immediately. The stock dipped 1.40 per cent to Rs 478.40 on the BSE. At the NSE, it declined 1.41 per cent to Rs 478.20. The announcement comes days before the Bengaluru-headquartered company is scheduled to announce its Q4 and full-year earnings for 2023-24 on April 19. (Also Read: Markets Hit Record High In Early Trade; Sensex Jumps 307 Points) Wipro has been trailing its peers on the performance front with a subdued report card and weak guidance and saw a spate of senior-level departures including CFO Jatin Dalal and chief growth officer Stephanie Trautman last year. (Also Read: Over $172 Million In Funding Raised By 30 Indian Startups Last Week) According to a Wipro release, Pallia brings to the CEO role extensive institutional and industry knowledge, as well as a strong track record of leadership through some of the most significant technological shifts the industry has seen. In a BSE filing on Saturday, Wipro said its Board noted the resignation of Delaporte with effect from April 6, 2024, and went on to add that he will be relieved from the employment of the company with effect from the close of business hours on May 31, 2024. "At their meeting held on April 6, 2024... pursuant to the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, the Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Srinivas Pallia as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the company with effect from April 7, 2024, for a period of five years, subject to the approval of shareholders and the Central Government as may be applicable,'' Wipro informed in a regulatory filing. New Delhi: In a recent cyberattack, Indias leading audio brand, boAt, has suffered a data breach that has left the personal information of more than 7.5 million customers. This breach has exposed personal information, including names, addresses, contact numbers, email IDs, customer IDs, and more, putting users' bank accounts and other private data at risk. Despite the severity of the situation, boAt has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident. Notably, Forbes initially reported on the breach. The breach was revealed by a hacker identifying as ShopifyGUY, who asserted to have breached boAt Lifestyle's database on April 5. The hacker shared files containing the compromised data, reportedly comprising 7,550,000 entries, within a dark web forum. (Also Read: WhatsApp Call Scam Alert! Be Cautious If You Receive Calls From These Numbers, Government Warns) What Could Happen After This Breach: As you may know, if a hacker obtains access to the database, they can utilize your phone number and email ID to not only circumvent device security but also send phishing emails. These emails can be utilized to pilfer data or even money by infecting your devices with malware. These scammers may contact you, armed with all your information, and attempt tomake them click on website links to download apps, or any other form to perform actions. boAt- Second Most Popular Brand boAt, established in 2016 by Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta, has garnered recognition for its cost-effective audio products and wearable devices, emerging as the second most wearable brand in India. Despite the recent breach, the Gurugram-based company has experienced substantial growth, achieving sales exceeding Rs3,000 crore in March 2023. (Also Read: https://zeenews.india.com/technology/nothing-set-to-launch-nothing-ear-and-nothing-ear-a-earbuds-in-india-check-date-2737912.html) The homegrown consumer electronics company has filed its IPO documents in 2021 but postponed the offering owing to market fluctuations. It's worth mentioning that boAt faces competition from brands such as Fire-Boltt, Noise, Xiaomi, and Samsung. New Delhi: Meta Platforms Inc. generated nearly 30 per cent of its revenue from Instagram during the initial half of 2022, marking the first disclosure of the substantial earnings produced by the widely used photo and video platform, as per court documents. In 2020, Instagram generated $22 billion, representing 26% of Meta's overall revenue, as per documents disclosed in the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust lawsuit aimed at breaking the company. The revenue from Instagram surged to $32.4 billion in 2021, constituting 27% of Meta's total business. During the initial half of 2022, the app contributed $16.5 billion in revenue. These figures show that Instagram is growing faster than other parts of Meta's social networking world. They also prove that Mark Zuckerberg made a great deal when he bought Instagram for only $715 million in 2012. (Also Read: WhatsApp Call Scam Alert! Be Cautious If You Receive Calls From These Numbers, Government Warns) During its quarterly reports, Meta doesn't say how much money Instagram brings in separately. When asked, a spokesperson for the company wouldn't comment. Meta also wants the judge to dismiss the FTC's case before it goes to trial. They say the agency hasn't shown how buying Instagram and WhatsApp hurt consumers. In 2023, Meta Inc, the social media giant, had taken down 33.18 million posts, comprising photos, videos, and comments, in India from its platforms Facebook and Instagram due to violations of community standards. (Also Read: OpenAI Used Over A Million Hours Of YouTube Videos To Train Its AI Model: Report) Meta also took action against content across 13 policies for Facebook and 12 policies on Instagram for the period between April 1 and April 30 last year. Days after India allowed the export of certain essential commodities to Maldives at the request of the island nation, its former minister once again mocked New Delhi while targeting the opposition MDP. Mariyam Shiuna belongs to the People's National Congress, the party of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu. Shiuna grabbed the limelight when she joined fellow ministers in mocking India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoted Lakshadweep as a tourist destination. While Shiuna along with two fellow ministers was suspended from the Muizzu's cabinet, her hate for India is yet to end as she mocked New Delhi once again. Her recent X post came days after India extended another helping hand to the Maldives despite strained ties. Latest Controversy: Insulting Indian Flag Mariyam Shiuna, the former Maldivian minister, in a recent post which has been deleted after backlash, mocked the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and India by posting an altered picture of Ashok Chakra, a part of the Indian tricolour. When Indian as wells as Maldivian social media users reacted sharply to the photo, Shiuna deleted the post and issued a clarification. Mariyam Shiuna's Clarification After deleting the post, Shiuna said that she was unaware of the photo's resemblance to the Indian flag and she would be careful in future. "I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism. I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offence caused by the content of my recent post. It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag. I want to make it clear that this was entirely unintentional, and I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused," said Shiuna. I would like to address a recent social media post of mine that has garnered attention and criticism .I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post. It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Mariyam Shiuna (@shiuna_m) April 8, 2024 The former minister also said that Maldives deeply value its relationship and, the mutual respect it shares with India. "In future, I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights," she added. However, Shiuna's X post seems intentional as the MDP's party symbol is a weighing scale and its colour combination is yellow and blue which in no way resembles to Indian flag. Shiuna appears to have deliberately posted the photo to insult India and the MDP which favours friendly relations with New Delhi. Who Is Mariyam Shiuna? Mariyam Shuuna has served as a former minister in the Maldivian government. She worked as the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Information, and Arts in the Maldives. Shuuna is also a spokesperson for the Male City Council. She sparked controversy when she made disrespectful remarks regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent trip to Lakshadweep. After facing heavy backlash, she later deleted her post. The Maldivian government distanced itself from Shuuna's statement at that time. Maldives-India Relation Maldives' relations with India have become strained under the current leadership of President Muizzu who holds a pro-China view. Muizzu came to power riding on the 'India Out' campaign and has taken several steps in the last six months that have an anti-India tinge. It includes the ousting of 80 Indian soldiers posted in Male and allowing an alleged Chinese spy vessel to explore the Indian Ocean region. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Iran's Atomic Energy Organization is developing its nuclear program within the framework of a comprehensive strategic document, Iranian Vice President and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami said, Trend reports. He made a remark during the press conference held in Tehran. According to him, negative ideas have been raised against Iran's nuclear program in 2021. To remove this negative idea and mindset, a comprehensive strategic document of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has been approved and implemented for the first time. Eslami stated that Iran's Atomic Energy Organization will organize the first international conference in the nuclear field in the second month of the current Iranian year (from April 20 through May 20, 2024). Iran's achievements and verities will be announced at this conference. Eslami added that next year will mark the fifth anniversary of Iran's nuclear energy development. The Vice President emphasized that several powers cannot reconcile with Iran's assertiveness in the nuclear industry. However, Iran continues its direction in the nuclear industry, and this is considered a great pride of Iran. To note, the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action on Iran's nuclear program was implemented between Iran and the P5+1 group (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) in January 2016. The US announced in May 2018 that it was withdrawing from the plan and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. Iran has announced that there will be no restrictions on the Iran nuclear deal in 2020. In late 2020, the Iranian parliament adopted a strategic plan to counter the sanctions, citing the non-fulfillment of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran. According to the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran had stopped the implementation of additional measures and an additional protocol included in the nuclear deal. As a consequence, the monitoring mechanism of the IAEA was reduced by 2030 percent. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Iran, with a foreign partner, will start the second phase of construction of units 2 and 3 of the Bushehr NPP (nuclear power plant) located in the south of the country from the 2nd month of the current Iranian year (April 20May 2024), Iranian Vice President and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami said during the press conference, Trend reports. The official did not specify which party was the foreign collaborator. According to him, it is planned to increase the labor force from 3,000 to 5,000 people during the construction of the 2nd and 3rd units of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Eslami added that last year (March 21, 2023March 19, 2024), the country started the implementation of the project on the commissioning of NPP with a production capacity of 20,000 megawatts. The representative of the organization stated that soon it is planned to start the second phase of construction of the Karun NPP in Khuzestan province. Meanwhile, it was decided last year (2023) to build a nuclear power plant with a production capacity of 20,000 megawatts in Iran. Accordingly, relevant companies have been established in the country. At present, NPP construction works continue in five provinces of Iran. To note, the only operating NPP in Iran is Unit 1 of Bushehr. The first power unit of the Bushehr NPP started operating in 2011. The operation of the unit was handed over by the Russian Atomic Company to an Iranian company in 2013. This unit has been generating maximum electricity1,000 megawatt-hours since 2013. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 9. Armenias Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will not attend meeting of Council of Foreign Ministers of CIS scheduled for April 12 in Minsk, Trend reports citing Armenian media. Press Secretary of the Ministry Ani Badalyan has not commented on reasons of the mentioned step. When Haute Joaillerie meets Haute Horlogerie, An Exclusive Series of 10 Pieces In a collaboration that marks a first in the brand's history, Beauregard, under the creative leadership of its founder Alexandre Beauregard, joins forces with master watchmaker Vianney Halter to present the brand's inaugural men's watch: Ulysse. Combining the artistic signature and technical mastery of the two creators, Ulysse, recognizable at first glance, emerge as a unique and unconventional work in the watchmaking realm. Alexandre Beauregard and Vianney Halter Beauregard More than a watch, Ulysse is a work of art on the wrist, an aesthetic inspiration by the Art Deco school and the organic beauty of the marine universe, showcasing Aqua Marines of perfect clarity. The fruit of several years of research and a three-year development phase, Ulysse is the result of personal introspection and prodigious technical mastery. An odyssey of friendship and horology This collaboration between Alexandre Beauregard and Vianney Halter, which originated at Baselworld in 2019, reveals a shared vision of watchmaking as an art form in its own right. Alexandre Beauregard, with a decade dedicated to women's floral collections, join forces with Vianney Halter, recognized for his avant-garde approach, in the creation of an unexpected watch that blends organic beauty with mechanical precision. Ulysses is a work of love and the testimony of a creative journey where technique and aesthetics converge to forge an exceptional art piece. The encounter with Vianney, a larger-than-life character animated by a whimsical spark and perpetual youthfulness, deeply resonated with Alexandre Beauregard: It was an instant connection with a kindred spirit. Vianney Halter. A name that resonates powerfully in the world of independent watchmaking, not only as a watchmaker-creator but also as a visionary who has pushed the boundaries of innovation and been crowned three times at the Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve. The inventor of watches with advanced complications, Halter has left a mark on the industry with the famous ANTIQUA, his first creation, launched in 1998, the only one of its kind in the world, a perpetual calendar arranged in a scattered manner on the case. Vianney Halter also created the OPUS 3 for Harry Winston, released in 2003, and the ANNIVERSARY, a limited edition marking the 20th anniversary of his creations, released in 2018; it is the first watch with the VH122 caliber. He then captivated the watchmaking world with the DEEP SPACE TOURBILLON, launched in 2013, making him a living legend in the world of independent watchmaking. This is a central tourbillon with 3 axes. As the inventor of watches with advanced complications, Halter has more recently made his mark on the industry with the DEEP SPACE RESONANCE, a 3-axis tourbillon equipped with 2 resonant balances, created in 2021. Ulysse Beauregard For Alexandre Beauregard, who has created his own aesthetic universe in watchmaking and jewelry based on a mastery of lapidary art working with Vianney Halter has been pure joy. Singular concept, exclusive design Ulysse immediately captures attention with the boldness of its dial, a Beauregard hallmark. originating from a creative concept of a stained glass with precious stones in which the lead is replaced by Gold, the captivating work of the gems with its 68 miniature components of Aqua Marines selected for their purity and delicate color, meticulously hand-cut and nestled within an intricately laid gold lacework of fascinating finesse. Each stone, patiently shaped and fitted by hand in the brands Montreal workshop, reflects light in a unique way thanks to a disk of mother-of-pearl cleverly positioned beneath the stone. This creates a play of light that further enhances the artistry in the applied technique. The hands, off-set and curved to follow the arch of the dial, appear to dance above this exquisite mosaic of light. For Beauregard, each detail embodies a world unto itself, from the design to the meticulous hand-finishing of every component that grants each watch its distinctive signature. The dials lines seamlessly flow onto the case, elegantly shaped with subtle waves, evoking a sense of natural movement and radiant fluidity. The unusual degree of finishing and decoration of a Vianney Halter movement A measure of the implicit trust that underpins this collaboration, Vianney gave Alexandre free rein to lavishly dress and decorate his famous mysterious automatic movement that celebrates 20 years of Vianney Halter watchmaking creations. The choice of maillechort, a noble alloy favored over brass for its superior quality, exemplifies Halter's dedication to the longevity of his creations. It not only ensures the watchs durability but also that it can be easily maintained a mark of all the care and respect such an exceptional object deserves. The calibers innovative design is highlighted by a patented 'invisible' rotor that allows for an unobstructed view of its intricate inner workings. With a power reserve of 56 hours, its ingenious architecture allows for the addition of extra modules. For the Beauregard Ulysse watch, this translated into a reinvention of the time display. Here, the hour and minute hands rotate not from the center. Several months of meticulous planning, drawing, and prototyping went into adapting the movement. The fluid aesthetic achieved reverberates throughout: from the bridges whose shape celebrate the the rhythm of the tides, to the 30 clear sapphire jewels for chromatic homogeneity, and back to the rounded anglage on each wheel all the visible hand-finished details play off each other. This work of love transformed Vianney's movement into a distinctive heart that beats only for the Beauregard watch. Ulysse Beauregard Impossible not to mention Dzevad, who, from his workshop in Sainte-Croix, machined the extravagant components, and Philippe Narbel, who, with his team at Manufactor in LAbbaye, masterfully decorated the components by hand. The 41mm case in 18K rose gold, with its domed sapphire, engraved screw-down back with gold engraving highlighted in blue lacquer, and crown adorned with an Aquamarine, is fitted with a sober, stitchless chestnut alligator strap. It is water resistant to 3 ATM (30 meters). The quick release interchangeable strap system, together with the rose gold pin buckle, follows through with the creators unparalleled attention to detail. Ultimately, the creation of Ulysse is a human adventure, a journey among friends, weaving together the bonds of friendship and the art of watchmaking. Bulgari unveils two new additions to the Octo Roma collection: a three-hand model and a chronograph, both in 100% black DLC steel. With their sleek design and bold modernity, these watches introduce a multifaceted and unconventional vision to the existing Octo Roma lineup The philosophy on the use of black in Bulgaris watch designs is based on the idea that black is much more than merely the absence of color its a way of expressing both light and depth. It possesses a unique ability to enhance shapes, materials, and textures, offering an intensity and contrast that enrich the inherent aesthetic of each piece as French artist Pierre Soulages so brilliantly demonstrates in his use of black paint, which he terms Outrenoir ultrablack or beyond black. From the sheen of a lacquered black dial that both absorbs and reflects light, to the carbon veins that evoke noble marbling, or the smoothness of ceramic that captivates with its deep gloss black is an infinite source for telling stories while arousing the senses. A hallmark of the Octo collection (with the first Ultranero piece launched in 2017), Bulgari's use of black is not just for its intrinsic elegance, but also for its ability to transform designs. This is exemplified through two new Octo Roma watches, a three-hand and a chronograph, both in 100% black DLC steel, fully black. Thus, every component is designed to capture light through its shape, surface texture, and finishes. Octo Roma Steel DLC Bulgari A Classic, Revisited The Octo Roma, first released in 2012, quickly established itself as an unusual, standout piece. Its octagonal shape drew inspiration from Italian architecture, with its eight-sided geometry echoing the vaults of the Basilica of Maxentius, built in the 4th century on one of Romes most emblematic architectural sites. At the same time, it is an ultra-modern piece, featuring unconventional geometry that captures the essence of the circle and the octagon. Its signature Clou de Paris dial pays homage to the great Swiss watchmaking classics, supported by an in-house movement designed in Le Sentier and assembled in Neuchatel. Ultimately, it is a uniquely transalpine creation, marrying Swiss horology with Italian flair, that celebrates the union of beauty and precision, of art and craftsmanship. Today, Bulgari extends this dark finish to two new references within the Octo Roma collection: the Octo Roma Automatic Steel DLC, a three-hand model with a date function, and the Octo Roma Chronograph Steel DLC, featuring a chronograph function with date. These additions enrich the collection with a sporty and contemporary flair, seamlessly integrating into its standard lineup. Different Watches, Same Spirit Both pieces share the same Octo Roma DNA: a steel case with a design geometry that draws inspiration from the principles of ancient Roman architecture; two interchangeable straps, an in-house automatic movement with date that provides a 42-hour power reserve; and a screw-down crown with a ceramic insert for certified water resistance up to 100 meters. Octo Roma Steel DLC and Octo Roma Chronograph Bulgari Octo Roma Automatic Steel DLC: The Legacy Continues Each of these two new watches has its own personality. The automatic three-hand and date version offers a fresh take while remaining true to the original spirit of the Octo Roma. The piece maintains its 41 mm diameter and features a sober, unencumbered dial that gives the Clous de Paris pattern, so characteristic of the Octo Roma, the space to unfold its mesmerizing effect. This subtle relief design, a time-honored hallmark of Swiss Haute Horlogerie, receives a surprisingly modern interpretation here, with the black DLC finish lending it a dual nature: from a distance, its black appearance is perfectly uniform; up close, however, each pyramid-shaped Clou de Paris captures light from its own unique angle, giving it a distinctive reflection. The dial comes alive, a private visual delight for its beholder. It is at night that this dark finish shines brightest: indices and hands are filled with luminescent material, as are the collections two iconic hour markers the "12" and the "6" that adorn each three-hand dial of an Octo Roma. The in-house BVL 191 movement, whose oscillating mass finished with Cotes de Geneve graining can be admired through the sapphire case back, provides the Octo Roma Automatic with a 42-hour power reserve. The piece, available from July 2024, will come with two straps: textured rubber echoing the Clou de Paris pattern on the dial; and black alligator. Octo Roma Steel DLC Bulgari Octo Roma Chronograph Steel DLC : Sport-Chic Sophistication The Octo Roma Chronograph Steel DLC presents a different vibe. Sportier, it comes in a slightly larger case measuring 42 mm. This size gives the bicompax chronograph layout more space to stand out. The Start/Stop and Reset pushers have been carefully integrated into the case, directly extending from the lugs, to maintain the Octo Roma lines contemporary design. Shape, function, and ergonomics merge into a cohesive and harmonious whole, arranged according to the tenets of Roman architecture. The Octo Roma Chronograph faithfully reproduces the complication's original design, with a small seconds at 3 o'clock, a 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock, and a 30-minute counter at 9 o'clock and a large central seconds-hand. A discreet date window is positioned at 4:30. Powering this watch is Bulgaris in-house automatic Caliber BVL 399, which beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 42-hour power reserve. For enhanced readability, the three counters sport a sunburst finish, while the hour-markers and hands are luminescent. For the first time, the Octo Roma Chronograph is unveiled in a completely monochrome, sporty, sleek, and refined style. It is paired with a rubber strap with a Clous de Paris texture, mirroring the dial. Additionally, a black alligator strap, also provided, elevates the sport-chic aesthetic if and when a touch of elegance is de rigueur. The two straps are easily interchangeable thanks to the quick-release system. Charlene Wittstock, once a brilliant swimmer from South Africa and an Olympic participant, seemed to have fulfilled the dream of millions by marrying Prince Albert II, one of the most enviable suitors in Europe, the son of Prince Rainier of Monaco and the legendary Grace Kelly. However, the fairy tale that everyone was talking about eventually turned into a drama shrouded in secrets, constant escapes, and tears. ADVERTISIMENT On the eve of her wedding to Albert, the athlete tried to escape three times, but was caught and stopped three times. At the ceremony itself, Charlene could not hide her emotions and cried almost non-stop, for which she received the status of a "sad princess" in the media. OBOZ.UA decided to tell her story. So, as we have already noted, Charlene was a swimmer. She was born on January 25, 1978, in Zimbabwe to German migrants. When she was 12, the family moved to South Africa. The athlete met her future husband at a water competition in Monaco in 2000. Albert was 20 years older than Charlene. Nevertheless, he was considered one of the most enviable bachelors in Europe. He was worth 1 billion euros, and his list of ex-girlfriends was full of star names: Brooke Shields, Neomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Kylie Minogue, and other star sex symbols. Before his marriage, Albert recognized his two illegitimate children and, it should be noted, he did not stop there. ADVERTISIMENT Despite his tumultuous past, Albert fell in love with a fragile athlete. Their resemblance to Albert's mother, the iconic Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, kept the press busy. And although Charlene gladly accepted the prince's proposal after six years of secret meetings, their marriage eventually became a mysterious drama. However, this drama began even before the wedding. The day before, Charlene tried to escape from Monaco. According to one version, while trying on her wedding dress in Paris, she learned of her lover's betrayal and went to the South African embassy to seek asylum and help her return home. In the end, either by her own will or under the coercion of Albert and his representatives, Charlene returned to Monaco. ADVERTISIMENT However, the attempts to escape had only just begun. Charlene had a whole plan, which was thwarted when Albert's men intercepted her and sent her back. The third and final attempt to escape from under the crown was also unsuccessful. Charlene, with a one-way ticket to Africa, was stopped on the way to the airport in Nice and forced to turn back. There was no way out. Obviously, Charlene did not want to get married, although the royal family tried to carefully hide it. In the end, as journalists revealed, citing insiders, Albert offered his chosen one to sign a contract. He allegedly assumed that Charlene would get married, become a princess of Monaco, and give birth to her husband's descendants. Charlene was promised serious financial support and a certain amount of freedom for this lie. ADVERTISIMENT Even though Charlene agreed to these conditions, it was extremely difficult for her to play the happy bride and later the wife in public. The luxurious wedding, which cost 60 million dollars, was marked by abundant tears of the bride. The beauty in a silk dress by Giorgio Armani with 20 thousand Swarovski crystals sobbed through almost the entire ceremony, and hardly smiled during the celebration. That's why she received the status of a "sad princess". ADVERTISIMENT Later it turned out that the couple spent their wedding night in different hotels. Later they explained that Albert allegedly had an important meeting the day after the wedding, so he decided to spend the night separately in order not to disturb his wife in the morning. One way or another, Charlene tried to fulfill her end of the bargain. In particular, she gave birth to adorable twins, a boy and a girl. At the same time, life in Monaco did not give Charlene peace of mind. Rumors of Albert's infidelity did not subside. And in 2020, there was a loud news about another illegitimate child of the prince. What did the "sad princess" do? She shaved her head. Always elegant and sophisticated, she shocked the public with her new image. ADVERTISIMENT However, this was only Charlene's first reaction. Some time later, she left Monaco for a long time, including her children, and moved to Africa. After a year of separation, Charlene returned. It is said that this happened after Albert and his children came to his wife's homeland to pick her up. It is not known what the prince promised or did, but Charlene agreed. She began to appear again at public events with her husband and their children. However, journalists are convinced that this is only an illusion of happiness. They say that Charlene lives in Switzerland and only comes to her family to see her children and go out in public together. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote about the 5 most stylish looks of the Princess of Monaco. She is known for her eclectic sense of fashion. That is, she combines seemingly incompatible elements in one look, but it always looks spectacular. For example, she rhymes rough boots with a classic milk cape, and leather leggings with a plaid top and oversized jacket. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! By Azernews Fatime Letifova Although Iran has mentioned in its "statements" that it is closely interested in the issues in the Middle East and that "religious brotherhood" is a joint struggle against injustice, all this was just words. For example, official Tehran has not commented on the provocations in its neighbourhood for many years, especially the violation of the ceasefire by the Armenian military units on the border with Azerbaijan and the entry of the European mission into the territory of Armenia. On the contrary, it continues to provide weapons and ammunition to Armenia. It is interesting that Iran, while reacting so harshly to the Israel-Palestine conflict and even threatening Israel, remains silent on what is happening in the South Caucasus. Thus, although the Tehran authorities always claim that the West, especially the United States, finances Israel, for some reason they accept the assistance provided by the United States and the EU to Armenia, which serves the purpose of escalating tensions in the South Caucasus in a very pleasant way. It seems that Iran avoids direct conflict with the West and behaves more like a proxy force of the West. Commenting on the topic for Azernews, Elyar Kamrani, a research journalist from South Azerbaijan, said that Iran's foreign policy consists of protecting the interests of certain states. "When we look at Iran's foreign policy, we see that this country has been under the influence of the West for a long time. At the meeting between the European Union, the United States, and Armenia held on April 5, Iran did not make a single voice. This means that Iran protects the interests of these institutions more than its own interests. The expert noted that official Tehran is indifferent to regional Armenian arbitrariness because it cannot conduct a free policy. According to him, the West is using Iran's situation to create a new front against Russia in the South Caucasus. The political commentator drew attention to the tension between Iran and Israel in recent days. He said that Iran's war is only in the media. "Recent events related to Israel proved once again that Iran's war is waged only through mass media and social networks. The regime carries out cheap threat campaigns with exaggerated statements, especially on social networks. But in reality, it has the courage to say a word to neither the USA nor Israel. When Israel hit the Iranian consulate in Syria, the Iranian media claimed that strong revenge would be taken. But these claims and threats remained in words as usual," Kamrani said. The expert recalled the killing of General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Kamrani said that the killing of the Iranian major general is actually due to the fact that Iran is a weak country. "Iran also sent an ultimatum to the United States on the death of Qasem Soleimani, but it was an empty threat because no real action was taken. These events are due to the fact that Iran is not as strong as it is thought. Therefore, Tehran does not interfere in the West's policy in the South Caucasus, it just prefers to remain silent," he emphasised. The expert also expressed the concern of the Tehran authorities about Turkish unity. He said that Iran's cooperation with Armenia is based on some tensions inside the country. "We must not forget that one of the issues that worries Iran is Turkish unity. Turkish-Azerbaijanis in southern Azerbaijan, rebellions, and conflicts inside Iran are prompting Tehran to cooperate with Yerevan and form an alliance against Azerbaijan and Turkey. It should be noted that what is currently happening in the South Caucasus is to Iran's detriment. However, official Tehran avoids the West and ignores the events taking place in the region. Just a few years ago, we saw with our own eyes how destructive and dangerous a new virus, hitherto unknown to mankind, could become. But the coronavirus pandemic was far from the first such event. ADVERTISIMENT According to IFL Science, scientists have discovered signs of a prehistoric pandemic that raged between 33 and 15 million years ago. At that time, a group of viruses infected many mammals that existed on our planet at that time. The pandemic (or rather, panzootics) also affected human ancestors and did not spared almost any species of higher animals. Moreover, we still find its signs in the DNA of modern mammals, including humans. You may be surprised, but up to 8% of our genome consists of genetic sequences of retroviruses that once affected our ancestors long ago. The group of pathogens described by the scientists disappeared about 15 million years ago, but before that, it seems, they infected everyone they could. According to their principle of action, any retrovirus, including modern ones, including HIV, in order to reproduce in a cell and spread, must insert a DNA copy of their RNA genome into the DNA of the host cell. Normally, this foreign genetic material is not passed on from generation to generation. But there is a possibility that ancient retroviruses learned to infect germ cells, such as eggs or sperm. This is how they passed on their genetic code to future generations of carriers. ADVERTISIMENT And the mechanism of gene action is that retroviruses that penetrate germ cells eventually penetrate the genome of the population. Such retroviruses are called endogenous. Probably one of the most successful examples here is ERV-Fc, a retrovirus (or possibly a genus or family of retroviruses) that spread throughout the world between the Oligocene and early Miocene (between 30 and 15 million years ago). A 2016 genome scan of 50 modern mammals revealed that ERV-Fc was present in the ancestors of at least 28 of them. In particular, scientists assume that the ancestors of tubeworms, mouse microcebus (a type of lemur), saimiri monkey, various marmosets, baboons, chimpanzees, humans, dogs and pandas suffered from it. What is even more impressive is that this virus did not infect any ancestor of all these mammals just once, but passed from one species to another more than 20 times. Large-scale panzootics then covered all continents except remote Australia and Antarctica. ADVERTISIMENT Today, the remnants of ERV-Fc do not seem to have any impact on human health. They just lie dormant in our genome. However, a deeper understanding of ERV-Fc and other endogenous human retroviruses could help improve our understanding of some modern diseases, such as HIV. According to the study's lead author, William E. Diehl, mammalian genomes currently contain hundreds of thousands of traces of ancient viruses similar to ERV-Fc. "The challenge now will be to use ancient viral sequences to look back in time, which could prove useful in predicting the long-term effects of re-emerging viral infections. For example, we could estimate the impact of HIV on human health 30 million years from now. This method will allow us to better understand when and why new viruses appear and how prolonged contact with them affects the evolution of host organisms," explained Diehl. ADVERTISIMENT Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events. Denmark has allocated 40 million Danish kroner (about $6 million) to restore Ukraine's energy system after Russian missile attacks. ADVERTISIMENT The decision of the Danish government was announced by Lars Ogard, Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities of Denmark, at a meeting with Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko on April 8. The funds were allocated through the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported. "We thank Denmark for this leadership and your example, which was subsequently followed by other countries. Now the Fund is an effective mechanism for helping the energy sector, through which equipment for restoration and repairs is purchased. This strengthens the resilience of our energy system," Halushchenko commented on the assistance. The meeting also focused on the current needs of the Ukrainian energy sector and measures to ensure the stable operation of the Ukrainian energy system during the next heating season. ADVERTISIMENT "Energy is being used as a weapon in the war against Ukraine to exhaust the Ukrainian population. For our part, we will do everything we can to help ensure the reliability and sustainability of its energy supply," said the Danish Minister. This is not the first aid package that Denmark has provided to Ukraine. Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of Denmark handed over BMP-2 and T-72 tanks, armored engineering recovery vehicles, ammunition, and drones to Ukrainian defenders. The total cost of the aid was estimated at 3.7 billion Danish kroner or 520 million dollars. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Russia's strikes on ZNPP are a constant criminal practice of the occupiers. In addition, they are often imitations. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by the representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Andriy Yusov. This is how he reacted to the explosion of a Russian drone on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant seized by the aggressor state. "Ukraine is not involved in any armed provocations on the territory of the ZNPP illegally occupied by Russia. The aggressor state is once again endangering the nuclear facility, civilians and the environment of the whole of Europe," Andriy Yusov said. He also emphasized once again that the occupying country must withdraw its troops from all ZNPP facilities. "Strikes, including simulated strikes, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant, as well as the deployment of troops and weapons there, mining of ZNPP facilities have long been a well-known and constant criminal practice of the occupiers," the representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine summarized. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that an unmanned aerial vehicle exploded at Zaporizhzhia NPP on April 7. The IAEA experts learned about this from the occupiers, who have been holding the Ukrainian plant since the spring of 2022. As a reminder, at the end of March this year, in their report, IAEA experts stated that the occupiers were firing artillery from the territory of ZNPP. Members of the mission at ZNPP have repeatedly heard explosions and small arms fire themselves. It was also reported that the occupiers are holding about ten ZNPP employees in torture chambers because of their pro-Ukrainian position and refusal to cooperate with the invaders. Since the beginning of February this year, the occupiers have also banned the entry of licensed personnel who have not signed contracts with the fake Rosatom company. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! The International Atomic Energy Agency has announced that an unmanned aerial vehicle exploded at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on April 7. IAEA experts learned about this from the occupiers, who have been holding the Ukrainian plant since the spring of 2022. ADVERTISIMENT In connection with the receipt of such reports, the Agency's Director General Rafael Grossi called for "refraining from actions that jeopardize nuclear safety." The corresponding message appeared in the IAEA profile on the X network. "The IAEA experts at ZNPP were informed that a drone detonated on site today. This detonation is consistent with IAEA observations. "I urge you to refrain from actions that contradict the 5 IAEA principles and jeopardize nuclear safety," Director General Grossi said," the statement said. Later, they noted that the IAEA experts "confirmed the physical consequences of the drone attacks on ZNPP, in particular on one of the six reactors." ADVERTISIMENT "One victim has been reported. The damage to the sixth power unit did not jeopardize nuclear safety, but it is a serious incident that could undermine the integrity of the reactor containment system," the agency said. The IAEA Director General later clarified that at least three direct hits were recorded in the structure of the ZNPP reactor's main vessel. He expressed "concern" and said that no one can benefit militarily or politically from attacks on nuclear facilities. "This is not an option. I strongly urge the military decision makers to refrain from any actions that violate the basic principles of protecting nuclear facilities," he said in a post on social network X. In addition, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has already denied Ukraine's involvement in the drone explosion at the occupied ZNPP. According to DIU representative Andriy Yusov, strikes, including simulated strikes, on the territory of ZNPP, as well as the deployment of troops and weapons there, as well as mining of facilities, are "a constant criminal practice of the occupiers." ADVERTISIMENT It should be noted that the IAEA did not name the sources from which the IAEA experts received the information about the alleged drone detonation at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, which has been under Russian occupation for more than two years. However, Russian propaganda media began actively spreading reports around noon, citing the occupation "management" of the plant about "a strike on the dome of the 6th power unit of the Zaporizhzhia NPP." The propagandists also quickly identified the "culprits": the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the comments to the IAEA's post, subscribers' opinions were divided. While some suggest that Russia, which seized the ZNPP, "will not lie," and therefore Ukraine is definitely "guilty," others remind that "false flag operations," provocations, and lies are an integral part of Russia's policy and actions in all areas. Still others emphasize that the most absurd thing about the whole situation around the ZNPP is that Russian terrorists have seized and are holding the nuclear facility, and the international community cannot do anything about it. ADVERTISIMENT In late March of this year, IAEA experts stated in their report that the occupiers were firing artillery from the territory of ZNPP. Members of the mission at ZNPP have repeatedly heard explosions and small arms fire themselves. It was also reported that the occupiers are holding about ten ZNPP employees in torture chambers because of their pro-Ukrainian position and refusal to cooperate with the invaders. Since the beginning of February this year, the occupiers have also banned the entry of licensed personnel who have not signed contracts with the fake Rosatom company. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT On the night of Monday, April 8, during a Russian attack, a Shahed kamikaze drone struck an infrastructure facility in the town of Zvyagel in Zhytomyr region. This created a direct threat of air pollution, but there is no danger now. ADVERTISIMENT The Zvyagel City Council warned about it on its Facebook page. The townspeople were advised to stay indoors with the windows closed. The agency emphasized that there were no civilian casualties or injuries as a result of the aggressor country's attack. "There is a direct threat of air pollution, so it is recommended to stay indoors with the windows closed," the statement said. The Commission on Technogenic and Ecological Safety and Emergency Situations has decided to introduce distance learning in general secondary education institutions. As for preschool education institutions, emergency groups will be open for parents who have no one to leave their children with. "Follow the situation and information messages on the official information resources of the Zvyagolye City Council. Let's remember who our enemy is!" the department added. ADVERTISIMENT Vitaliy Bunechko, head of the regional military administration, told Radio Liberty that no air pollution is currently being recorded in Zhytomyr Oblast, and that the measures in the Zvyagel community are "preventive." "An environmental inspection is currently working to 'reassure citizens,'" he said. As a reminder, last night Russia attacked Ukraine with 24 Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs. The defenders of the sky destroyed 17 drones, including in the Zhytomyr region. Odesa region also came under enemy attack, where a logistics and transportation facility was damaged, and a gas station was damaged by Shahed debris. As reported by OBOZ.UA, during a massive attack on Ukraine on March 22, the Russian occupiers struck at the Dnipro hydroelectric power plant. As a result, oil products leaked into the Dnipro River, and soil contamination was also recorded. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The Ukrainian Peace Summit may take place in Switzerland on June 16-17. The conference may be hosted by the city of Lucerne. ADVERTISIMENT This preliminary information was reported by Bloomberg regarding sources. There have been no official statements on the matter so far. Representatives of 80 to 100 countries, mostly from the so-called Global South, may gather in Switzerland, which has historically remained neutral in European conflicts, in mid-June. The high-level summit will follow four meetings of national security advisors that Ukraine has organized to build support for its Peace Formula. The last of these meetings took place in Davos, Switzerland, in early 2024. One source said that an official statement from the Swiss government on the Ukrainian Peace Summit could be made as early as April 10. It is not yet known whether China will be among the participants. The exact number of state leaders is also not reported. A Bloomberg source said that Beijing's presence is a "key point of disagreement." So far, Chinese representatives have attended only one of the four meetings of national security advisers aimed at laying the groundwork for the summit. ADVERTISIMENT Russia will not attend the event. Ukraine wants to reach a broad agreement on key principles that would form the basis of any future settlement before engaging with Moscow, journalists said. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said that events in the international arena are pushing the world and his country to take decisive and unexpected actions. In particular, Japan has decided to change its defense posture. ADVERTISIMENT He made this statement before his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, which will take place next week, CNN reports. In this regard, the head of the Japanese government recalled Russia's war against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. "As we are witnessing Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and the situation in East Asia, we are facing a historic turning point. That is why Japan has decided to strengthen its defense capabilities fundamentally, and we have significantly changed Japan's security policy on these fronts," he said. Kishida emphasized that Japan is monitoring the cooperation between Russia and the DPRK closely. He called this cooperation "alarming from the point of view of international order and stability." The Prime Minister noted that in the face of security challenges, the Japan-US alliance is becoming "increasingly important." ADVERTISIMENT The media reminded that since taking office, Kishida Fumio has been advocating unwavering commitment to Ukraine and close support for the G7 countries' position on Russia. On Wednesday, the Japanese prime minister will meet with Biden in Washington, D.C., address a joint session of Congress, and take part in the first trilateral summit between Japan, the United States, and the Philippines. "The Kishida-Biden summit has been described by Washington as a historic opportunity for the two countries to modernize their alliance, as both countries see regional threats ranging from North Korea's weapons tests and growing relations with Russia to China's aggression in the South China Sea and against Taiwan," the article says. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT In the first century A.D., Rome became the first city with a million inhabitants. Until the 19th century, when Beijing and London achieved the milestone, no other city had reached such a population. Although the temporal and human distance that separates us from classical Rome is enormous it was an extremely violent world, with slaves and emperors the urban problems it experienced are repeated throughout the ages. Juvenal (60-128 A.D.) had already warned in his Satires that the cost of buying a sumptuous residence in a village south of Rome was equivalent to the annual rent of a hovel in the capital. French historian Dimitri Tilloi-dAmbrosi picks up this anecdote in his essay 24 heures de la vie sous Neron (originally published in French in 2022 and recently translated to Spanish), in which he describes what distances us, but also what unites us with a world ultimately not so distant: Rome during Neros regime. Some problems turn out to be quite similar to today, explains Tilloi-dAmbrosi, who teaches Roman history courses at the University Paris-Nanterre and the Sorbonne and is the author of a doctoral thesis on food and medicine in ancient Rome, in a videoconference conversation. There was enormous pressure from the lack of housing and they built higher and higher. The insulae blocks of apartments reached five, even six stories, 25 or 30 meters high, he notes. Rome, explains the researcher, experienced an intense rural exodus from the first century B.C., at the end of the Republic: many workers left the countryside to settle in the big city. They were landless peasants who lived in very harsh conditions, working for large landowners. Many decided to leave for the city and we can see how Rome became bigger and bigger, the result of enormous demographic pressure, says Tilloi-dAmbrosi. It was a city with sprawling neighborhoods, some of them very undesirable, with housing built in many cases by unscrupulous owners who did not respect even the minimum safety standards. What most worried the emperors were fires, which were devastating, as in the case of the blaze that devastated the city in Neros time, in 64 A.D the emperor was blamed and he in turn, according to a version that many historians question, blamed the Christians although the image of Nero playing his lyre while Rome burned is completely false. The Domus Aurea palace, a UNESCO heritage site, built by Nero in Rome during the 1st century A.D. Sir Francis Canker Photography (Getty Images) In Tilloi-dAmbrosis anecdote-packed book are many issues that echo in the present. Although, evidently, the problem of carbon emissions did not exist, regulating traffic in Roman cities was a real nightmare. What today we would call noise pollution was a huge problem, noted by authors such as Seneca. By day, there were monumental traffic jams, so from the time of Julius Caesar, the circulation of carts was restricted during the day for the delivery of goods. Unfortunately, the clattering of the iron-lined wheels on the cobblestones of the roadway wakes up the neighbors in the middle of the night. Noise disturbances are one of the recurring motifs of satirical or epistolary texts that testify to life in the capital during the imperial era, writes the researcher. Throughout the history of Rome, there were also real phenomena of anticipated gentrification, writes Tilloi-dAmbrosi. Although the use of this term may seem anachronistic, if the Oxford Dictionary definition applies the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, often displacing current inhabitants in the process it was exactly what happened on the Aventine. For centuries, under the Republic, the Aventine is closely associated with the Roman plebs. However, in imperial times, the wealthier social classes settled on this hill and the Aventine then became a neighborhood prized by the elites and abounding in sumptuously decorated luxuries. Like the big cities of today, Rome was also a very cosmopolitan capital, where many nationalities, creeds, and languages coexisted. It was an international city, but so were the ports of Ostia or Lyon, explains Tilloi-dAmbrosi. There were significant Jewish communities, people coming from other parts of the Italian peninsula, and slaves from all over the empire, who formed a very important part of the population. And many Oriental merchants. Syrians, for example, were very famous in antiquity for being great merchants, in the wake of the Phoenicians. We see it in the texts of Juvenal, although he gives a rather distorted view, but also the epigraphy, where many non-Latin names appear. And we also know it from the different cults, Serapis or Mithras. The religions show the cultural blend that took place in Rome and throughout the Empire. A mid 19th-century engraving showing what the Roman Forum looked like in the 1st century A.D. powerofforever (Getty Images) Among all religions, the importance of Christians in Rome during Neros reign remains a mystery. The Annals of Tacitus offer one of the best-known fragments of all Latin literature. Some 60 years after the great fire in Rome, the historian related that the emperor held the followers of this new cult responsible. Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Chrestians by the populace [] Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. However, in the view of a significant number of historians the chronology does not add up as after Neros persecution there were no more attacks against Christians for a century, until the time of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. They were very much in the minority in Rome at the time of Nero, explains Tilloi-dAmbrosi. These are texts that were copied in the Middle Ages and it is possible that some passages were added then. It certainly happened with Flavius Josephus and the reference to Jesus in his Jewish Antiquities, which must have been much shorter in the original version. The medieval monk copyists added elements of Christian thought, which Josephus could not have formulated. It is not impossible that the same thing happened with Tacitus because, indeed, this persecution of Christians is very isolated in chronology. Until the reign of Marcus Aurelius, in the year 177 in Gaul, there were no significant persecutions. And in the 3rd century it is a phenomenon that develops more and more. The persecution of the year 64 A.D. tends to be questioned and, in any case, it is a very small community. Christians were more numerous in the East and very much in the minority in the West. Fake news and alternative truths, too, are not only elements of the modern era. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Janet Yellen, the experienced U.S. treasury secretary, is popular in China. Pragmatic and less reticent towards China than many of her peers, the newspaper Global Times, owned by the official Peoples Daily, has described her. Representatives of Xi Jinpings government have entertained her with banquets, receptions and even a boat tour on the Pearl River, the great artery of the city of Canton. Her trip to China, just a few days after the first call in two years between the leaders of both countries, is meant to keep advancing the gradual normalization of relations between the two powers, evident in the last year. But Yellen also took advantage of her prestige to send a clear message to authorities in Beijing: the United States remains suspicious of Chinese economic practices, from its overcapacity in the clean energy sector to the rules it applies to American companies in mutual competition. Throughout four days of visit, her second in less than a year, Yellens good standing in China has been evident. Chinese social media has been full of praise for her excellent use of chopsticks and her good taste when choosing typical Cantonese dishes. The 77-year-old economist is perceived as the last great representative of a school of thought in danger of extinction: that of experts who saw the growth of China and its cheap exports at the beginning of the century as a positive sign that would bring global progress. Neither Yellen nor the United States think that way anymore. If there is something that unites Democrats and Republicans in an increasingly polarized country, it is suspicion of China. Since Bidens arrival at the White House in 2020, the Democratic president has maintained the tariffs on Chinese products imposed by his predecessor, the Republican Donald Trump, and he has also adopted what he calls a de-risking policy: not a complete decoupling, which would be impossible, but an increase in domestic production in strategic sectors, including clean energy, among others: it also subsidizes its electric vehicles and a diversification of logistics chains to avoid the risk of dependence on Beijing in key areas. Added to this principle is the defense of national security, the premise that Washington uses to impose restrictions on technological exports that make China angry. It is a policy that Biden indicated in his conversation with Xi will continue. Concern about national security was the argument that the U.S. used to, in practice, expel the giant Huawei from the U.S. market in 2019 (a veto that Beijing viewed as an attempt to eliminate a rival that surpassed it in 5G technology). National security is also the reason that the House of Representatives invokes for having approved a bill that would force TikToks Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the popular short video application, used by 170 million Americans, within a period of six months. The measure is pending a vote in the Senate, where there is still no date for it, and it is not even clear that legislators want there to be one. But Biden has declared that, if it is approved in the Upper House, he will sign it into law. Officially, the two countries agree on the need to keep lines of communication open and preserve the largest bilateral economic relationship in the world, which last year alone exchanged $575 billion in goods and services. But, in practice, the suspicion is mutual. A week ago, the Biden administration reinforced rules aimed at making it difficult for China to access artificial intelligence chips and the tools to manufacture cutting-edge semiconductors, citing national security. At the end of March, it imposed sanctions against alleged Chinese hackers for their participation in a cyberespionage campaign that allegedly affected millions of people. London and Washington consider these hackers to be an arm of the Chinese state security apparatus. Last week, Beijing responded to American criticism of its protection of the clean energy products sector with a complaint before the World Trade Organization, alleging that the United States electric vehicle subsidy policies are, in turn, discriminatory. The mistrust was evident in each governments account of the call between the two presidents. Xi reproached Biden that the restrictions that the United States imposes on the export of cutting-edge technologies to the Asian giant create risks for bilateral relations and that China will not sit still if these limitations continue or increase. According to the White House, the American president raised with his Chinese counterpart the issue of Beijings unfair policies and non-market economic practices. And that is what Yellen came to convey in her interviews with Chinese authorities, including the new economic czar, Deputy Prime Minister He Lifeng. The U.S. Treasury Secretary focused especially on a recurring problem: Chinese overcapacity and its decision to resort to exports after having saturated the domestic market. Five years ago, excess Chinese production during its great real estate boom generated protests in the United States and the European Union about the overabundance of steel and aluminum. Recently, China has chosen to prioritize the manufacturing of what it describes as new productive forces, with which it aspires to achieve 5% growth this year: clean energy products electric vehicles, solar panels, lithium batteries and semiconductors that, artificially cheap according to Washington, are now flooding markets and becoming a global problem. Capacity utilization rates for silicon wafers have dropped from 78% in 2019 to 57% in 2022 and its production of lithium-ion batteries reached 1.9 times the volume of domestically installed batteries in 2022, according to a report from the consulting firm Rhodium Group. But beyond these higher-profile cases, overcapacity now affects the industrial sector as a whole. In early 2023, aggregate capacity utilization dropped below 75% for the first time since the worst point of Chinas last overcapacity cycle in 2016, with a slight rebound since, the document adds. Overcapacity is not a new problem, but it has intensified and we see emerging risks in new sectors, declared Yellen before representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce in Guangzhou. Yellen argued that the flood of Chinese goods hurts producers in other countries, and urged Beijing to stimulate domestic growth and abandon state subsidies to keep businesses and sectors operating that would otherwise fail. China, according to the U.S. government, accounts for one-third of global production but only one-sixth of consumption. Excess capacity was, according to the White House, also one of the issues that Biden focused on during the conversation with Xi, in what, according to Dominic Chiu, of the consulting firm Eurasia Group, could be a foretaste of a tougher American policy even before the presidential elections in November. U.S. sources assure that there will be measures at a certain point, adds the analyst. Other experts also consider it likely that the U.S. governments increasingly loud criticism of the Chinese export and subsidy model could anticipate a possible increase in tariffs on Chinese clean energy products to defend the domestic industry. Throughout her trip, Yellen has avoided raising anything that could seem like a threat of new tariffs. The consequences of the trade war unleashed between the two countries in the Trump era are still fresh, which according to Ryan Haas, an expert on Chinese politics at the Brookings Institution think tank, cost more than 300,000 jobs in the United States. But Yellen did indicate that she is not ruling out more measures to protect U.S. supply chains for batteries or electric vehicles from cheap Chinese exports. On Saturday, after four and a half hours of meetings with Chinese authorities, the secretary announced talks between the two countries on balanced growth. Both governments will facilitate a debate on macroeconomic imbalances, including their connection to overcapacity. My intention is to use that opportunity to defend equal treatment for American firms and workers, Yellen said. It is difficult to know whether there will be progress in these contacts. Beijing views American positions with skepticism. The accusation that Chinas overcapacity is posing threats to other countries is untenable. Globally, high-quality industrial capacity and new-quality productive forces are not excessive, but in dire scarcity. How to ensure the world, especially developing countries, benefits from such capacity is a constant test for human conscience and ingenuity, tweeted the Chinese ambassador to Washington, Xie Feng, during Yellens trip. Chinese exports, measured in dollars, grew 7% between January and February compared to the same period a year ago. And it is conceivable that Beijing, instead of heeding American calls, will further boost its new productive forces. If the current polls are right and the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, wins the November elections, he has promised to raise tariffs on Chinese products to 60%. Officials at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant said that the site was attacked Sunday by Ukrainian military drones, including a strike on the dome of the plants sixth power unit. According to the plant authorities, there was no critical damage or casualties and radiation levels at the plant were normal after the strikes. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday that its experts had been informed of the drone strike and that such detonation is consistent with IAEA observations. Without apportioning blame, the head of the U.N.s atomic watchdog agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, warned of the safety risks of such attacks. I urge refraining from actions that contradict the 5 IAEA principles and jeopardize nuclear safety, he said on the social media site X. The power plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. The IAEA has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear power plant, Europes largest, amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. Both Ukraine and Russia have regularly accused the other of attacking the plant, which is still close to the front lines. The plants six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features. Also on Sunday, three people were wounded in Russian shelling in Ukraines northeast Kharkiv region, according to regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. In Russia, a girl died and four other people were wounded when the debris of a downed Ukrainian drone fell on a car carrying a family of six people in Russias Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition After gaining independence, the Central Asian states, which were part of the Soviet Union for many years, began to take steps to establish new relations in order to strengthen their economic, political, and military potential. In order for these steps to be sustainable and more effective, some close support was needed. In 2020, the 44-day victory of Azerbaijan, which resounded around the world, attracted the interest of the Central Asian states to the military readiness and strategy of the Azerbaijani army. It was also the reawakening of the Turkish brotherhood, which reflects the tradition of centuries. Thus, the Azerbaijani armed forces have scheduled to conduct joint military exercises named The Unity 2024 with the Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, in July. The preparations for the exercises and various issues related to upcoming tasks were discussed at a conference held in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The exercises are scheduled at Kazakhstan's Oymasha training ground as well as at the Tyub-Karagan Peninsula in the Caspian Sea. There, the armies of the above countries will conduct combat readiness tasks to identify areas of armed conflict. Many signify it as the growing influence of Azerbaijan in Central Asia, and as is known, relations between Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries are getting stronger, especially following Azerbaijan's glorious victory in the Second Garabagh War. Speaking to Azernews on the issue, military expert Ramil Mammadli noted that, in general, Central Asian countries are important for Azerbaijan. Rather, improving relations with Central Asian countries and raising them to a strategic level is one of the main priorities of Azerbaijan. He said that Baku wants to have high-level cooperation in the military field as well as in all spheres. As observed in recent years, especially after the Patriotic War in 2020, Azerbaijan has formed very close relations with the countries of Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and earlier with Pakistan, which is a neighbour of Central Asia. It should also be noted that the rapprochement between the military structures is felt more. Of course, the successes achieved by Azerbaijan in the Patriotic Warthe victory in a very large and global processled to an increase in the reputation of our country both in Europe and Central Asia. On the other hand, Central Asian countries have not conducted any military operations during these years, that is, after the collapse of the USSR. No matter how gratifying this situation is, the Central Asian countries know that important steps must be taken for the development of the army. In this regard, the experience of the Azerbaijani army is important for the countries of Central Asia, both in terms of the combat training of the personnel and in terms of the capabilities of the weapon equipment park, Mammadli said. He pointed out that in the exercises conducted by the Azerbaijani army itself, the military personnel of the Central Asian countries and representatives of the military forces and military structures have participated and observed the combat training, combat capabilities, weapons, and equipment park of the Azerbaijani army. There is military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries. The expert emphasised that, in particular, during the First Garabagh War and after that, Azerbaijan purchased certain military munitions from Kazakhstan. Also, works have been done in the direction of the implementation of projects. In recent years, the visits of the representatives of the Kazakh military structures to Azerbaijan, the visits of Azerbaijani representatives to Kazakhstan, and the purchase of weapons and ammunition are, in a certain sense, a sign of our cooperation. Also, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan can expand cooperation in the field of defence. There are also facts such as Azerbaijan purchasing certain military products manufactured in Kazakhstan and Kazakhstan buying some products manufactured in Azerbaijan. This, in fact, leads to the presence and strategic level of Azerbaijan's military cooperation in the Central Asian region, as well as its cooperation in the field of defence industry. As we know, the strategic stage of cooperation in all fields is related to the existence and strengthening of cooperation in the military field. From this point of view, as post-Soviet countries, we know each other well. We have a common ancestry and religion. We also cooperate with these countries through certain organisations. In a nutshell, the deepening of cooperation with Central Asian countries is important for Azerbaijan, the expert added. Before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of his country in February 2022, Stanislav was an installer of coolers, neon signs and other Pepsi promotional items in Ukrainian bars and supermarkets. He volunteered to fight and did so until early in 2023, at the battle of Soledar in the east of the country, where he was severely wounded. His arm is today a flap of skin. It was not amputated, but he can no longer move it. His torso and back are covered in shrapnel scars. In a first contact with Stanislav, in November 2023, on a night train, the now ex-soldier was on his way to Kyiv for a third operation. He was drunk as a skunk. During the night he did not sleep a wink, plagued by nightmares and insomnia. He smoked incessantly, not caring that it was prohibited in the carriage. No one reproached him. Stanislav, 34, lived with his mother in a village in the Zaporizhzhia region. She called his cell phone every two hours, worried. When he woke up in the morning, calmer, he admitted that he did not see any chance of rebuilding his life, of getting a job again: the disability allowance and his mother were the only things that would sustain him. Stanislav is one of tens of thousands of soldiers who have been discharged from the Ukrainian army in over two years of war, the vast majority of them crippled. Oleg Gorobets, a former military officer, estimates the number at around 100,000. The Ministry of Defense itself does not provide official data. Gorobets fought in the Donbas war against pro-Russian separatists, which began in 2014. From his own experience and that of other veterans he works with, he speaks of what awaits the more than 2.5 million people who will have defended their country when they return to civilian life after the war against Russia. One hundred thousand people have already returned and little is being done. And when more come back, crime, domestic violence, alcoholism... The problem will be big, says Gorobets. Dutch expert Robert van Voren, an advisor to the Ukrainian government, recalled a year ago in an interview with EL PAIS that in the UK, 17% of army veterans receive prison sentences. What we face [in Ukraine] is of unimaginable proportions, and the country is not prepared, Van Voren said. Ukraine has a Ministry for Veterans Affairs that offers vocational training programs, medical assistance, land grants, or loans and mortgages on advantageous terms. But for most of those interviewed for this article, this support is insufficient. Gorobets set up Demetra, an agricultural enterprise in the city of Poltava, together with his partner Taras Leliuj, who is serving in the army. They started with four hectares granted by the government for having served and they now have 500 hectares. They employ four ex-combatants and he admits that it is not easy: It is important for them to have a job because when they are at home they go out of their minds. One of his employees suffers from alcoholism and has to be helped. They dont have time to readjust, reflects Gorobets. Two months of psychological support is necessary, but in Ukraine we dont have this; they jump straight from war to civilian life. Oleg Gorobets, who runs an agricultural company, Demetra, in Poltava. Cristian Segura Mistrust between civilians and military The estimate of 2.5 million combatants was provided by Serhiy Pozniak on March 14 in an interview in the Ukrainian media outlet VN. Pozniak, president of the Ukrainian Association of Veteran Entrepreneurs, participated in February in a round table organized by another media outlet, LB. The figure does not include Ukrainians fighting on the Russian side. The population in free Ukraine is 35 million. The meeting indicated that by 2024, 200,000 servicemen are expected to be demobilized and returned to civilian life. There are about 900,000 men and women 5% of the total population who are serving in the countrys defense, to which no fewer than 300,000 replacements will be added this year. I think Ukraine is not ready to reintegrate so many men who will return from the front, says Alexander Shilin, owner of Eco Waste, a Kharkiv company that collects scrap metal and other material to be recycled. Shilin was wounded in 2023 by a drone bomb. Since then, he has had reduced mobility. In the car he keeps his crutch and a mat for rehabilitation exercises. The 43-year-old criticizes the Ukrainian authorities for what he considers to be excessive difficulties in reintegrating into civilian life. And he gives his own example: despite his obvious disability, he has not yet been able to transfer to the reserves and continues to serve in the Territorial Defense Forces, although not in combat operations. The main problem, says Shilin, is that mistrust is growing between the civilian population and the military: When the war started there was unity between the population and the army, but the distance between them is growing and growing. The demobilization of troops worries civilians because they see that there is not enough support for the soldiers. Alexander Shilin, in one of the trucks of his company Eco Waste, in Kharkiv. Cristian Segura Following orders Shilin had been a bricklayer and a truck driver and now owns his company. He is the epitome of a statistic provided in 2023 by the Veterans Foundation, a government-linked institution: 70% of those returning from war would like to start their own business. When you report to the army its to fight for freedom, but there you dont have freedom. The soldier gets fed up with following orders, and when he returns to civilian life, he finds it harder to take orders, explains Igor Iashchenko, a Poltava businessman who was demobilized last autumn after serving in combat forces and intelligence units. Iashchenko founded his company, Ministry of Family, in December 2023. It is a small shopping and leisure space for families, financed with investment from organizations that help servicemen start a new working life. The Veterans Foundation indicates that the main fear of 77% of veterans is that they will not find employment. The second concern, for 72%, is falling into alcohol and drugs. Those interviewed indicate the pros and cons of hiring ex-soldiers: the advantages are, above all, the tax breaks and two months salary paid by the state; the disadvantages are that former military personnel are entitled to reduced working hours, more vacation days, and a years leave. Ruslan Agibalov, representative of the Kharkiv War Veterans Association, which is responsible for assistance to invalids, highlights another drawback of having a salaried ex-combatant: A veteran can be dangerous at first; they can be aggressive and find it hard to accept opinions they do not agree with. Agibalov points out that banks are reluctant to give loans to ex-military personnel because they consider them to be more unstable. People who have had combat experience have a broader perspective of what is important in life, so it is harder for them to work for someone who has not been through the same thing, adds Yuri Danilenko, chairman of the Kharkiv War Veterans Association. Gorobets says it is easy to get state loans for retired soldiers, but few apply for them because of lack of training or because they distrust the government. There is only one good thing about serving in the army, agree the interviewees, and that is that it provides discipline and self-confidence. Having a good commander is key, Iashchenko notes, to go through military service with conviction and return mentally stable to civilian life. Igor Iashchenko, war veteran, in his cafe in Poltava. Cristian Segura The army was much worse in 2015 Oleksander Markov is 53 years old, but looks 10 years younger. This doctor, a former neurosurgeon, stocky, with a bushy beard and short hair, has run his own rehabilitation clinic in Kharkiv for two years. Some of his equipment has been purchased through funding programs from the Veterans Foundation, including the fireproof covers that protect the equipment. His clinic is located in the center of the city, in an area that is regularly bombed. Most of his clients are civilians, but he also sees military personnel through an army discount scheme. He served as a medic at the front, in the Donbas war and in 2022, and understands that for a veteran it is psychologically logical that they want to be their own boss. They dont want to be under anyones control after the experience they have had, although many will not be able to have their own business because of the effects of post-traumatic stress. Markov says Ukraine is much better prepared than it was during the war in Donbas to reintegrate troops into civilian life: In 2022, when I returned to the front, I was surprised how the level of assistance had improved. The army was much worse in 2015; at the front you saw a lot of demoralization, alcoholism, drugs, and heart attacks. The demobilized combatants return to civilian life angry, Markov acknowledges, with the people around them who did not sacrifice as they did. But with good therapeutic support, an improvement can be seen within a week. He recalls the case of a young man he treated. He was traumatized after being wounded and hiding in a trench for 24 hours, surrounded by the corpses of his comrades: within two weeks of psychological and physical therapy, he was smiling again. Oleksander Markov, at his medical center in Kharkiv. Cristian Segura Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition If there was one thing Ecuadors President Daniel Noboa could boast of, it was that he was governing without opposition. In just three months in office, he had managed to persuade Congress to approve almost unanimously the five bills he submitted, all of them campaign promises. The legislators did not vote against even the most thorny projects, such as the law to raise taxes on citizens. The governability pact with the other political movements had consolidated for Noboa a positive image of a leader who had gained control of the country, at least in the legislative branch. This allowed him to mark a distance from his predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, who from the outset of his term broke agreements with the major political groups and led him to hand over the presidency prematurely, decreeing la muerte cruzada (mutual death, a combined presidential impeachment and dissolution of Congress) to avoid an impeachment trial championed by the Citizen Revolution Movement (RC) of former President Rafael Correa. But something broke on Friday, when Noboa ordered the assault on the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest former vice president Jorge Glas, an unprecedented decision that violated international norms on the inviolability of diplomatic headquarters. One of the most prominent Ecuadorian politicians of the last 20 years, Glas served as vice president under Rafael Correa and later Lenin Moreno, and he came to be in charge of oil resources in a country that experienced dizzying development from the money that rained down from crude. He was one of the most visible faces of the movement that grew around Correa, a populist and charismatic leader who claimed he was leading his country into a form of 21st century socialism. However, Glas fell into disgrace over three corruption investigations launched by the Attorney Generals Office and sought refuge last December 17 in the Mexican Embassy. Following the embassy breach to arrest him, the first warning arrived from the legislative group of RC which, although it is not pro-government, had a tacit agreement to support the laws promoted by Noboa and thus guarantee governability. We declare ourselves in opposition within the National Assembly to your government, Mr. Noboa, said Viviana Veloz, vice president of the Assembly. Although RC holds the most seats in the chamber they are not in a majority on their own, but they are able to garner enough votes from other allied parties to block any government project, as they did with Lasso. The first maneuver in the political battle already has been made. The ministers of foreign affairs, the interior, and defense have been summoned before the Auditing Commission of the Assembly, most of whose members represent the new opposition bloc. We are going to initiate the different auditing actions and we are going to present them with the respective requests for impeachment, said Veloz. And if anything characterizes this Assembly, it is its experience in prosecuting officials. Since 2021, it has presented 22 impeachment requests and two ministers have been censured, according to the Legislative Observatory. The immediate effect that will be felt by the government is in the 11 questions of popular consultation and referendum that Noboa is promoting. Only 10 movements and parties have registered to campaign and the majority are social groups: no majority political party will campaign for the yes or no vote. Neither RC nor the Democratic Left registered to take a position on a consultation that will among other issues touch upon labor rights, which for decades they were staunch defenders of. They were going to let the referendum pass, but I believe that RC will campaign behind the scenes against these elections, says political analyst Esteban Ron. Even if Noboa wins the consultation and referendum he will be obliged to pass the reforms to the Assembly, where he will encounter a blockade. This will create a niche discussion to undermine the figure of the president, adds Ron. For the analyst, polarization has returned to Ecuadors political landscape and will deepen as the diplomatic and economic consequences of Noboas decision to forcefully enter the Mexican embassy to arrest Glas unfold a move that does little to solve the countrys biggest problem: the insecurity crisis. Violent deaths have begun to increase again, and extortion, kidnapping, and robberies against citizens have doubled. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Numerous atrocities were committed by Brazilian state officials against Indigenous people during the dictatorship (1964-1985). Some of these were quite shocking and perverse, such as the administration of sugar mixed with strychnine, a rat poison. This week, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the coup that marked the beginning of two decades of military rule, the Brazilian state issued a solemn apology for evicting them from their land, locking them up in internment camps and torturing them. The official ceremony concluded in a scene of tremendous symbolism: I want to kneel before you. I am deeply moved. I want to apologize on behalf of Brazil. And to convey this request for apology to all your people, said lawyer Enea de Stutz e Almeida on behalf of the government to matriarch Djanira Krenak and Guarani-Kaiowa chief Tito Vilhalva at a ceremony held in Brasilia last Tuesday. The gesture was specifically directed at two of Brazils 266 Indigenous populations, the Guarani-Kaiowa and the Krenak, because years ago they went to the Amnesty Commission, a government agency chaired by Stutz, to ask for a collective apology. The chairwoman of the Amnesty Commission, Enea de Stutz, apologizes to the Krenak people on behalf of the state. Comissao de Anistia The whole process developed over the years was highly relevant and extremely important, explains 40-year-old Shirley Krenak in a message exchange. The Indigenous people generally take the name of their people as their surname. For the natives, it was crucial for the apology to be in accordance with their uses and customs and, therefore, to be collective, not individual. It is an important moment because we are opening a big door to [similar] actions of other Indigenous peoples, she adds. This represents a first step that paves the way for claims by other peoples or for a hypothetical admission of responsibility for the persecution endured by the Indigenous peoples. Brazil is immersed in the excruciating process of admitting its guilt in the darkest chapters of its collective history. Recently, the Bank of Brazil issued an apology for its complicity in slavery. More than 8,300 Indigenous people were killed through state action or neglect during the dictatorship, according to the final report of the National Truth Commission, published in 2014. The commission dedicated a chapter to the violations of the human rights of the Indigenous populations, but, remarkably, this body did not include them in the official count of the dead and disappeared, which contains 434 names associated with political reprisals (and those of 377 repressors). The apology has shone a spotlight on the brutal persecution of Indigenous people during the dictatorship, a scarcely publicized part of the years of repression. The atrocities had been documented since the late 1960s by a team of officials under the leadership of prosecutor Jader de Figueiredo. After traveling nearly 10,000 miles, he produced a detailed report that pointed the finger at the Indian Protection Service, an agency that, far from protecting the Indigenous people, instead attempted to exterminate them in order to favor large landowning farmers. For decades, it was believed that Figueiredos report had been destroyed in a fire. But this was not the case. The persistence of a researcher, Marcelo Zelic, proved decisive for Brazilians learning the chilling details of the treatment handed out by the generals regime to the countrys first inhabitants. Zelic succeeded in finding the archive in 2013 at the Indian Museum, in Rio de Janeiro. Its content makes for frightening reading. The Cinta Larga group, in Mato Grosso, were reportedly exterminated with dynamite dropped from airplanes and strychnine with sugar, while the Mateiros [farmers patrol guard] hunted them down with machine gun fire, and slashed them alive with machetes from head to pubic bone. These are some of the atrocities described in the 5,000-page report. Zelic also denounced impunity and said that he had met one of the perpetrators of hideous crimes, who calmly sold ice cream to some kids in Cuiaba, without being disturbed by the justice system. For the military, colonizing the Amazon and the inland areas of Brazil, inhabited by Indigenous people for millennia, was an essential part of their crusade to ensure that no foreign power would steal the worlds largest tropical rainforest with all its riches, in defense of civilization and against communism. In 1969, the military regime established a camp known as the Krenak reformatory in Resplendor (Minas Gerais). This was a reeducation camp for Indigenous people believed to be rebels or subversives who were subjected to forced labor and cultural assimilation. In 1969, the generals also recruited around 90 Indigenous people who knew some Portuguese to become soldiers and subdue their own people. Two uniformed members of the Indigenous Rural Guard were involved in one of the most infamous scenes of that period, recovered in the short film entitled Arara: um filme sobre um filme sobrevivente (which translates to Macawa: A film about a surviving film). The original black and white film with yellowish tones was retrieved from oblivion by a researcher. It shows a military parade that in 1970 reunited the highest political and military authorities and hundreds of citizens in an avenue of Belo Horizonte, the fourth-largest Brazilian city. Among the hundreds of soldiers at the parade, two uniformed Indians carry a third Indian hanging from a pole, bound by his hands and feet. What in Brazil is called pau de arara (macaw stick) was one of the forms of torture employed during the dictatorship. The Krenak people, from the state of Minas Gerais, and the Guarani-Kaiowa, from Mato Grosso, presented their request for a collective apology many years ago. However, it was only in 2023, coinciding with the creation of the Ministry of Native People and the reinforcement of Indigenous organizations by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas government, that the issue finally emerged from its lethargy. The natives insist that the most important measure to protect them and the biodiversity of their lands is the demarcation of Indigenous lands, and they demand that Lula speed up efforts in this direction. Krenak, the activist, reveals that once the state has issued an apology, the next steps are to demand financial reparations and a museum to recount the story so that both schoolchildren and institutions can learn about it. Brazils Indigenous population almost 1.7 million people, less than 1% of the population have acquired enormous political, cultural and social importance over the years. This Saturday, for the first time, one of them, the philosopher and writer Ailton Krenak, was admitted to the Brazilian Academy of Letters. Ailton Krenak at the ceremony of admission to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, this Friday, in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Andre Coelho (EFE) From the rostrum of the Brazilian Congress, Ailton Krenak reminded his compatriots that the Indigenous peoples blood has been spilled on every one of Brazils eight million square kilometers as he painted his face with black pigment in protest, which contrasted powerfully with his pristine white suit. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition An aging man, restrained in shackles and sitting in the back of a police van, is a far cry from the clean-cut, successful and powerful gentleman who ran Ecuador for more than a decade, between 2007 and 2018, in the shadow of the charismatic and captivating Rafael Correa. His life in the last year has swung back and forth like a pendulum between the possibility of returning to the upper echelons of power or ending up in a maximum-security prison, surrounded by gang bosses. For now, the latter is his destiny. Luck has not favored him, although it almost did. This week, Mexico deemed him a politically persecuted individual and granted him asylum status, allowing him to seek refuge in the country from the three corruption cases for which he is being prosecuted in Ecuador. However, in an unprecedented step, the Ecuadorian president, Daniel Noboa, ordered the storming of the Mexican embassy in Quito and the immediate arrest of Glas. The image of defeat now hangs over him like a black cloud. In April 2022, when he was released from prison for the first time after serving 1,645 days, he appeared refreshed and with a different look: an earring in his ear, his hair combed back, wearing a navy-blue suit and glasses. Correa followers were waiting for him at the gate waving flags and wearing T-shirts with his face printed on them. The judge granted him pre-release on health grounds. This did not prevent the former vice-president from returning to the public domain. Correa contemplated his candidacy for the 2023 presidential elections, a risky move that eventually did not materialize because they thought that the Ecuadorian justice system would ultimately invalidate him. Instead, his purpose was to remain in the background, just like when he served Correa and was in charge of petroleum, the main source of financing and which brought prosperity to the country during that period. Rafael Correa (left) and Jorge Glas, during the presentation of the presidential administration in 2015. Dolores Ochoa (AP) Glas has garnered a reputation among his supporters as a loyal man who sticks to his guns. He did not take any of the deals offered to him by the Prosecutors Office in exchange for snitching on his party colleagues or Correa, the real big fish the authorities were chasing. Glas and Correa believe they are being persecuted by their opponents, who are now in power. The two were planning to reclaim the government in 2023 and help each other through intermediaries to remedy the judicial situation, but a deep security crisis gave the advantage to Noboa, a candidate who rose from obscurity and now governs with an iron fist. Glas has remained silent all this time and he may be considered anything but a traitor. The politician hails from the middle class of Guayaquil. Born on September 13, 1969, he is the eldest of three children of a family that was abandoned by his father when he was a child. Despite economic difficulties, he managed to complete his studies to graduate as an electrical engineer, although he really wanted to be a doctor. He was educated in a Salesian religious school and participated in the boy scouts group, where he first met Rafael Correa, who was his pack leader. Besides having similar interests, the two also bonded because of their troubled relationships with their fathers. Coincidentally, both their mothers are called Norma. Rafael Correa, Lenin Moreno and Jorge Glas celebrate the electoral victory in the first round of the 2017 elections in Ecuador. NurPhoto (NurPhoto via Getty Images) Correa went abroad to study and Glas abandoned his dream of becoming a physician to get a job and help out at home they always remained in contact. Glas became an interviewer for a television program on a small local channel owned by his uncle, Ricardo Rivera, who was also indicted on corruption charges for having received fraudulent government contracts while his nephew was in power. Correa was one of his recurring guests on the talk show. According to Glas, from that moment on they began to fight together for certain issues. When Correa became president, he called his old friend to ask his opinion on an issue regarding telecommunications and the Fondo de Solidaridad (Solidarity Fund), an institution independent of any ministry. This served as a savings fund for emergencies such as natural disasters and contingencies. It was fed by the countrys oil surpluses. Glass recommendation was to close this corruption den of all governments. Correa appointed Glas as director of the fund with the objective of winding it up. From there his rise to the top began, until he became the senior minister overseeing all strategic state-owned companies. He was responsible for public policy on oil resources, mines, electricity, telecommunications and water, and was the presidents right-hand man, chosen as his running mate in his last term. In 2016, Correa appointed him as head of reconstruction projects in two provinces affected by a 7.8 earthquake that claimed more than 600 lives. Glas had to administer close to $3 billion obtained through a temporary increase in taxes on Ecuadorians, donations and loans. This was in the midst of an economic crisis that was undermining the presidents popularity. Regarding this case, known as Reconstruction, a judge issued an arrest warrant against Glas for the alleged crime of embezzlement. The former vice president claims that this is an unfounded accusation and the politician fled to a territory that he believed to be safe. But it did not turn out to be so. Follow all the information from El PAIS America on Facebook and X, or in our weekly newsletter. A round of applause for all of us here. There are more than 100,000 of us. It is the largest demonstration since the war began! protesters declared this Saturday from the stage erected symbolically at the intersection in Tel Aviv that city officials renamed Democracy Square. The newly named intersection took its name from the protests against the judicial reforms of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that converged there. It is the same mass of national flags that protested against the Netanyahu government last year, but now they have a different slogan (Elections now) and a different context, which Shai Meidar, from the anti-government organization The Day After and who has been called up like 300,000 other reservists summarized from the podium: Every day I live the contradiction of serving my country as a reservist under a government that I do not trust and that is conducting this war with absolutely no responsibility. Or as Lior Akerman, a researcher and former high command of the intelligence services, described it: We are forced to fight against an external enemy and against another whose role on October 7 was supposed to be to defend us. They were not protesting against the war. In fact, 88% of Israeli Jews support it, and more than half oppose the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza while there are still hostages being kept there and advocate that the army use even more force in its offensive. They had gathered to demonstrate against Netanyahus management of the conflict. They were protesting the man who has been in power the longest in the history of the State of Israel and whom Israelis either love or hate, with no middle ground. More and more Israelis believe that he is artificially prolonging the war for political survival and have taken to the streets, with a mixture of old slogans (Bibi [Netanyahu], go home!) and new ones, such as Deal now! and Everyone now! They want the government to pay the price Hamas is asking for the 133 hostages left in Gaza. Above all, they are the same people, albeit less numerous this time, who took to the same streets in Tel Aviv in protest against the judicial reform for nine months in 2023. Their faces reflected the rarefied atmosphere in which Israel marked six months of war this Sunday. The collective emotion has been mutating. First, it was the surprise and sadness at the deadliest day in the countrys history. The stories of cold-blooded murders and of civilians waiting for hours for soldiers to arrive awakened all the ghosts of helplessness of the Holocaust. Euphoria over the destruction in Gaza followed, as a kind of redemptive revenge, with a rhetoric that criminalized civilians. Now, there is a feeling that there is a lack of direction and that Netanyahu has no plan other than to prolong the invasion as much as possible for the sake of his own political survival. The motto Together we will win still adorns buildings and illuminated signs everywhere, but it already sounds like an empty slogan. A man holds the corpse of a little girl in Nasser Hospital, Gaza Strip, January 7, 2024. ISMAEL ABU DAYYAH First, the facts. Israel has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. The Israeli army has left half of Gaza in ruins and hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine, by using food as a weapon of war. The country has shredded its own international image and lacks a realistic plan to end the war and for what comes next. International pressure stopped the invasion of Rafah, which was announced more than a month ago, and around 130,000 Israeli citizens (more than 1% of the population) who were evacuated from the borders with Lebanon and Gaza have not been given a timeline to return. However, the Israeli army the most powerful in the Middle East has not completed a single one of its objectives, which were to rescue all the hostages (133 remain in Gaza, and it is believed that at least a quarter of them are already dead), to completely destroy Hamas politically and militarily, and to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat. Netanyahu insists that total victory is within reach, after dismantling 18 of the 24 Hamas battalions, and that this inexorably involves invading Rafah, a precarious refuge for the majority of Gazans (over one million people) and where his own allies have drawn a red line. Today it is clear to everyone except those who follow him blindly that the promises of total victory that Netanyahu makes day in and day out, are totally empty, Amos Harel, a military affairs commentator from the newspaper Haaretz wrote Friday. The expectation of dismantling the Hamas regime and annihilating all its military capabilities was too high, certainly within a rigid time frame of a few months. The war was destined to be prolonged, and it is hard to believe that it will be possible to completely dismantle the regime even in the future. Hundreds of protesters in Tel Aviv demanding an agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas to release the hostages still being held in Gaza six months after the October 7 attack. ABIR SULTAN (EFE) Furthermore, Israel has never been closer to a war with the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon or even with Iran, after assassinating one of its main military commanders last Monday. Eran Etzion, deputy director general of Israels National Security Council, described this decision as one of the most scandalous in the countrys history, since the probability of a response is quite high. Israel is at the greatest strategic disadvantage in its history, but the government responsible for it brings us to the brink of a war with an enemy more powerful and sophisticated than any we have ever known, at a time when its international image is at a historic low, its main ally (the United States) does not trust Netanyahu, the Arab countries are tired of unsuccessfully seeking a ceasefire in Gaza, and Europe sees the war as damaging to its strategic agenda. While embarking on a war supposedly meant to restore security, six months in, Israel is arguably much less safe, facing far more threats, scenarios and fronts than at any other time in its 75-year history, Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst on Israel at the International Crisis Group think tank, lamented on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. Last week, Israelis stocked up on food, electricity generators, and bottled water for fear of an imminent post-Ramadan reprisal. The debate around Netanyahu The debate often more personal than political and more emotional than ideological revolves around Netanyahu. In a way, it is as if Israel had returned to October 6. The government is in danger due to the exemption from compulsory military service for the ultra-Orthodox community, which is an issue that greatly affects the more secular Israel of European origin that was already protesting against Netanyahus judicial reform. Last week, protesters demanding his resignation, an early election, and an agreement for the return of the hostages demonstrated together. Disparate struggles sometimes intersect. At the end of the protest in Democracy Square, they called on the hostages families protesting in the same city to join them. The breach in trust between the government and the families has been widening due to the conviction that Netanyahu is stopping a second hostage exchange with Hamas for his own shady convenience. Accused of corruption and indicted on criminal charges, he would easily lose the elections, according to all the polls released since October 7. The Hamas attack left his Mr. Security credentials in tatters. The shelved judicial reform has already worn out its popularity. Last Wednesday, activists and relatives of hostages smeared yellow paint the color that symbolizes their movement on the glass partition between the public gallery and the plenum in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. Security immediately intervened to restore order. In no other country in the world would this government have been in power on October 8, reacted the former prime minister and leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid. Netanyahus words about his constant personal involvement in reaching an agreement to bring the captured Israelis home can no longer hide the dimension of the rift between the government and the hostages families, which came to light on Saturday with particular starkness. The army announced that it had recovered the lifeless body of Elad Katzir, one of the hostages, in a nighttime operation in Khan Younis. It added that intelligence information indicates that he was murdered in January by his captors from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad paramilitary organization. His sister, Carmit Palty Katzir, responded with a painful message on Facebook in which she accused the government of Elads death. He could have been saved in time with an agreement [] Look in the mirror and see if your hands have not shed that blood, she wrote. Palty Katzir echoed the uncertainty that the relatives are suffering after half a year of waiting and weekly demonstrations: What the military spokesperson will not tell you is that the prime minister, the government, and the army have no idea where the most of the hostages are, nor do they have any way to protect them, even if they knew. Netanyahu insisted last week that Hamas hardens its position in the dialogue when Israel shows flexibility, so increasing concessions does not bring an agreement closer, but rather moves it farther away. Nissim Vaturi, one of the lawmakers from Netanyahus Likud party, is not so diplomatic and has gone so far as to accuse a minority of the hostages families of preferring to overthrow the government rather than see their loved ones again. The Minister of Heritage, the far-right Amihai Ben-Eliyahu, described a recent protest in Tel Aviv as a gift to Hamas that weakens the soldiers on the front. The first ceasefire, in November 2023, was cheap and easy: one hostage was released for every three Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. A decade earlier, Netanyahu himself had released a thousand for a single soldier. Among them was Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza. The political and military leaders have not called him a dead man for weeks because they suspect that he is hiding out in the many tunnels in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar remains at large despite the surveillance drones, the thousands of interrogations, and the troops on every corner, except in Rafah. Netanyahu has turned the invasion of Rafah into a kind of catchphrase for the electorate and a maneuver to distract the public. Palestinian men walk past kiosks set up next to buildings of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, on April 5, the last Friday of Ramadan. MOHAMMED SABER (EFE) The role of the U.S. Israel is not isolated: not even the Arab countries have cut off relations, and the United States has not stopped sending weapons and has vetoed three ceasefire resolutions in the United Nations. But more and more Democratic voices are calling for the U.S. to turn off the tap. The countrys recent abstention from the latest U.N. Security Council ceasefire resolution vote marked the first wake-up call, and the killing of the seven aid workers last week cemented the change in tone and pressure. Last Thursday, President Biden extracted his first major concession from Netanyahu in half a year: the opening of a crossing into Gaza at Erez and the use of the Ashdod port for humanitarian aid to enter the besieged Palestinian enclave. One of the reasons why Israelis believe that Netanyahu is buying time is the proximity of the elections in the United States. The presidential election in November sees Donald Trump as the favorite. It is a high-stakes gamble, because the men had a poor relationship when they were both in power at the same time. In fact, before the corpses of October 7 had gone cold, Trump came out and said that he will never forget that Netanyahu let us down in 2020 by refusing to participate in the assassination of a powerful Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, in Baghdad without explaining why. Also because it is difficult to understand what Trump wants. He advocates for a ceasefire, because he is not sure that he is loving how Israel is conducting the military offensive and because Israel is losing the PR war. But he also encourages the country to get it over with and get back to normalcy. He has also reached the absurd point of blaming President Joe Biden for the attack on October 7, claiming that Hamas doesnt respect the president. He cant put two sentences together. He cant talk. Hes a very dumb person. [...] [Hamas] saw him as a weak, ineffective president, [Hamas] would have never done that attack if I were [president]. Trump is unpredictable, but during his term as president he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel reversing decades of American foreign policy and international consensus and entrusted his son-in-law Jared Kushner with the deal of the century Middle East peace plan, which heavily favored the Jewish State. By the way, Kushner said in an interview last February that properties on Gazas shattered coast could be very valuable and suggested that the army take civilians in Rafah to the Israeli Negev desert. Cracks in the government Last Sunday, the media mistakenly received images of Netanyahu rehearsing before the press conference. Perhaps because of the hernia operation he had just undergone, and from which he has already been discharged, the camera sees a despotic leader (Are you crazy? he asks his team irritably), he is tetchy and unsure of how to start the speech (Citizens from Israel, good evening... Why good evening? Well, never mind). Three days later, the key to the war governments stability, Benny Gantz, called for early elections in September. He has not appeared at press conferences with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for weeks. His body language towards the prime minister denotes distrust, whereas with Gallant, it shows respect between two former high military commanders, despite their ideological differences. Gantz justified the move as necessary to prevent cracks from appearing in the nation. In reality, it has more to do with the fact that the polls show him as the eventual winner. He is also under pressure from members of his own National Unity party. His departure would not leave Netanyahu in a minority (he could continue governing with the ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox partners he has had since the 2022 elections, the most right-wing coalition in the countrys history), but it would start the countdown to new elections. Gantz set the date for the elections at the lowest point in the short life of the government of which he is a part. So says one of the most influential political commentators, Nahum Barnea, in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot as he took stock of the current situation: The army is faltering in Gaza, the mistaken attack on seven human rights activists has caused possibly irreversible damage to the expansion of fighting to Rafah, the assassination of the Iranian general may lead Israel into a regional war, and the relationship with the Biden administration and Israels standing in American public opinion are collapsing. Six months of war in Gaza October 7, 2023. Hamas launches a massive surprise attack in which it kills about 1,200 people and takes more than 240 hostages. It is the deadliest day in Israel's history. Netanyahu announces a "long and difficult" war. October 8, 2023. The Hezbollah militia launches projectiles at Israel, which in turn bombards Lebanon. The clashes have continued daily and have increased in intensity. October 9, 2023. The Israeli Minister of Defense announces the "total blockade" of Gaza: "No water, no food, no electricity." October 13, 2023. Israel orders more than a million Gazans to move to southern Gaza. October 19, 2023. Yemen's Houthis launch missiles and drones at a U.S. warship. October 21, 2023. An agreement forged by the United States allows the (very limited) entry of humanitarian aid from Egypt. October 28, 2023. Israel begins the land invasion. November 15, 2023. Troops enter Al Shifa, Gaza's main hospital, for the first time. November 21 to December 1, 2023. Ceasefire in which Israel and Hamas exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners. February 29, 2024. More than 100 Gazan civilians die while chasing a convoy with humanitarian aid. Part of it is due to Israeli army gunfire. March 18, 2024. The main food security analysis network warns that famine in northern Gaza is imminent. April 1, 2024. Israel ends its second invasion of the Al Shifa hospital, which is left seriously damaged and with bodies on the ground. It claims to have killed about "200 terrorists" in two weeks and arrested another 500. April 1, 2024. Israel raises the risk of regional war by assassinating a senior Iranian military commander at the ambassador's residence in Damascus. April 2, 2024. Unanimous condemnation of the Israeli army for killing seven of NGO World Central Kitchen workers in a triple aerial bombardment. In the investigation, Israeli officials admit "serious errors" and suspend two commanders. April 5, 2024. Pressured by the White House, Netanyahu opens a means of entry into Gaza for aid and allows the use of a port. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Something is changing in U.S. policy toward Israel. The Democratic majoritys strong support for the war in Gaza is crumbling, and more and more voices are calling for a suspension of military aid to Washingtons ally, a trend that has become more pronounced since the deaths of seven aid workers from the NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) last Monday in an Israeli strike. Now, the highly respected former speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and dozens of members of Congress have sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging them to take such a step, something that would have been unthinkable at the outset of the conflict. The fact that Pelosi added her signature to the petition shows that opposition to arms shipments is no longer the exclusive position of the most progressive wing and is beginning to spread among a party that has always underlined its close alignment to Israel. Amid growing unease over the high number of Palestinian civilian casualties in the Israeli offensive now over 33,000 according to the Gazan Health Ministry and the specter of famine in the Strip, the attack on the aid workers seems to have been the final straw. In light of the recent strike against aid workers and the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis, we believe it is unjustifiable to approve these weapons transfers, the letter states. In addition to Pelosi, the text is signed by 39 other Democratic members of Congress, including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Barbara Lee, and Rashida Tlaib, the only lawmaker of Palestinian origin in the U.S. Congress. The United States provides some $3.8 billion in military assistance to its major ally in the Middle East every year. On the same day as the bombing of the WCK aid workers, the White House gave the go-ahead for a new shipment of weapons to Israel, including more than 2,000 bombs of varying tonnage and 25 F-35 fighter-bombers, according to The Washington Post. The Biden administration is also considering another $18 billion arms transfer which, according to U.S. media, could include F-15 fighters. The missive calls for a U.S. investigation into the attack on the World Central Kitchen convoy. An Israeli military internal inquiry highlighted a grave mistake in the misidentification of the vehicles, which were believed to contain Hamas operatives, but did not clarify why the troops did not identify them as belonging to the NGO as they bore its logo on their roofs and had previously informed Israeli forces of their planned route. Nor does it explain why the attack continued when it was clear that the survivors who were trying to protect themselves by changing vehicles were unarmed. Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated that this was a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people. If this is true, it is a shockingly unacceptable mistake. We strongly urge your administration to conduct a thorough investigation into this airstrike to determine how the aid convoy could have been mistakenly targeted despite coordinating their movements with the Israeli military and traveling in clearly marked vehicles, the letters signatories state. The letter is the latest but not the only call by Democratic lawmakers to stop military aid to Israel or, at the very least, impose conditions. Senator Chris Coons, who is very close to Biden and one of Israels biggest supporters in the U.S. Congress, said in statements to CNN that the point had been reached to impose conditions on military aid from the United States to Israel. In addition, last month, the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Charles Schumer, an avowed supporter of Israel and Jewish himself, called for elections to replace Netanyahu. The White House had maintained, until now, that military aid remains a matter not up for discussion. But the bombing of the aid workers has shocked the presidential office, where what National Security Council spokesman John Kirby described as weeks and months of frustration over Israeli methods in Gaza were already piling up. Last week, for the first time, Biden openly warned Netanyahu in a telephone conversation of changes in U.S. support if Israel does not take steps to expand humanitarian aid, reduce civilian casualties, and agree to an immediate ceasefire, although it is unclear whether those changes would affect the transfer of weaponry. Israel responded by announcing the opening of two new corridors, through the port of Ashdod and the Erez crossing into northern Gaza, where the need for humanitarian aid is most acute. I asked them to do what they are doing, Biden, an avowed supporter of Israel, told reporters. Is he going to abandon Israel, a reporter asked him. Is that a serious question? the president replied. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition KYODO NEWS - Apr 8, 2024 - 14:21 | World, All Taiwanese Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim was followed by a Chinese diplomat in Prague during her visit to the Czech Republic last month, according to a recent online post by a Czech think tank official citing local reports. A car tailed Hsiao's motorcade between a Prague airport to the city center and ran a red light at an intersection, almost causing an accident, Jakub Janda, director of the European Values Center for Security Policy, said last week on the X social media platform. Czech police stopped the vehicle and found out that it was being driven by a diplomat from the military section of the Chinese Embassy in Prague, the post said, claiming the "Chinese governmental surveillance" continued to her hotel in Prague. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry has asked the Central European nation to probe the incident, according to media reports from the island. Hsiao, a former de facto ambassador of the self-ruled territory to the United States, is expected to be sworn into office on May 20 with President-elect Lai Ching-te, the incumbent vice president and head of the ruling, independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party. During her visit to the Czech Republic, Hsiao delivered a speech at a think tank and met with Senate President Milos Vystrcil. Related coverage: 2 dead, 2 missing after Chinese boat sinks near remote Taiwan island Taiwan drives away China Coast Guard boat amid rising tensions KYODO NEWS - Apr 8, 2024 - 20:21 | World, All U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday Washington will not seek to decouple from China and that her latest visit to the Asian country has put bilateral economic ties on "a stronger footing" while urging Beijing to address its overcapacity in some industries. In a Beijing press conference on her six-day China visit through Tuesday, the first since July last year, Yellen said the world's two largest economies are "deeply integrated," and a wholesale separation would be "disastrous for both of our economies." "Even as we take actions to diversify our supply chains, we seek to preserve the broader trade and investment relationship that can benefit American workers and firms. China is a key market for American products and services," she said. Yellen, who agreed with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Guangzhou, southern China, to launch talks on achieving "balanced growth" in their domestic and global economies, said she is particularly worried about the negative effects of China's weak household consumption and business overinvestment. Noting that China has increased government support for "new" industries such as electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar panels, Yellen said, "When the global market is flooded by artificially cheap Chinese products, the viability of American and other foreign firms is put into question." She said the problem affects not only the United States but also its allies, including European countries and Japan, as well as emerging markets, such as Mexico and India. The treasury secretary said she believes that appropriately addressing the issue of macroeconomic imbalances will not only be good for the United States and other countries but also for China's long-term productivity and growth. She emphasized U.S. concerns about overcapacity are "not animated by anti-China sentiment" but are "driven by a desire to prevent global economic dislocation and move toward a healthy economic relationship with China." The new talks on balanced growth will "provide a dedicated structure for us to raise our concerns" about China's imbalances and overcapacity "in a detailed and targeted manner," she added. In response to U.S. concerns expressed by Yellen during her visit, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao insisted Sunday in Paris the accusations of "overcapacity" by the United States and Europe are "groundless," according to the Commerce Ministry. He told a meeting with Chinese automobile industry representatives in Europe that Chinese EV manufacturers' rapid development is "a result of constant technological innovations, well-established supply chain system and full market competition, not subsidies." The minister maintained China's EV industry has made an important contribution to global efforts to address climate change. At the meeting, participants discussed their response to anti-subsidy investigations launched by the European Union last year into EV imports from China, the ministry said. On other issues, Yellen warned Chinese firms and banks against providing support to Russia's defense industrial base and helping it to wage war against Ukraine, saying at the press conference they may face U.S. sanctions. The treasury chief also said the two countries will continue discussions on respective trade curbs to safeguard national security. U.S. actions are implemented "through transparent rules and regulations" and Washington would welcome transparency from Beijing regarding its national security actions, she added. The United States has kept its controls on China-bound exports of semiconductors and other high-tech items in place, while China has been restricting exports of some materials necessary for manufacturing chips. During her trip, Yellen also held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Finance Minister Lan Foan and People's Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng. Related coverage: Yellen calls on Chinese premier to engage in talks on global issues U.S., China agree to launch talks on EV overproduction issue By Tomoyuki Tachikawa, KYODO NEWS - Apr 9, 2024 - 09:03 | All, Japan, World Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in the United States on Monday for the first state visit by a Japanese leader in nine years, underscoring the increasing importance of the alliance between the two countries. Kishida is scheduled to hold a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday in Washington and will address a joint session of the Congress the following day, according to Japanese government officials. Kishida, who is slated to return to Tokyo on Sunday, is expected to reaffirm with Biden the significance of Japan-U.S. cooperation in various areas ranging from security and state-of-the-art technologies to the strengthening of supply chains, the officials said. "I would like to confirm that Japan and the United States have built a more solid relationship, and it will be an important opportunity to convey this message to the world," Kishida told reporters before departing Tokyo. Kishida has said that his state visit to the United States will help bolster the bilateral alliance, and he is to become Japan's first prime minister to deliver a speech at the U.S. Congress since Shinzo Abe, who did so in April 2015. Addresses given by foreign dignitaries to joint sessions of the U.S. Congress have taken place on special occasions. During Barack Obama's presidency, Abe, who was gunned down in July 2022, became the first Japanese premier to make such a speech. Abe said in his address that he would stick to statements made by his predecessors in expressing "deep remorse" over Japan's wartime behavior, admitting that the nation's actions "brought suffering to the peoples" of other Asian countries before and during World War II. The theme of Kishida's speech on Thursday is likely to be "future-oriented," and it is believed that he will stress how the partnership between Japan and the United States is crucial in maintaining a free and open international order, one of the officials said. As Kishida represents a constituency in Hiroshima, a city that was devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb in August 1945, there is a focus on whether he will touch on his vision of a world without nuclear weapons when he appears in the legislature. In 2015, Abe and Obama agreed to boost the Japan-U.S. alliance to promote peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and tackle security challenges. Shortly after, the two nations updated their defense cooperation guidelines for the first time in 18 years. Kishida and Biden will also pledge to reinforce defense relations in East Asia amid China's growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, the government officials said. On Thursday, Kishida and Biden are set to hold an unprecedented trilateral summit involving Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in response to the increasingly unstable security environment in Asia, the officials added. During his trip to the United States, Kishida is planning to visit North Carolina, with Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's biggest automaker by volume, constructing a new battery plant in the southeastern state to beef up its electric vehicle line. Kishida is eager to showcase Toyota's contribution to job creation and investment in the United States due to the possibility Donald Trump, who in the past has criticized his country's trade deficit with Japan, may be re-elected as president in November. When a Japanese prime minister makes an official trip to the United States, it is customary to visit other cities outside the capital. Abe visited Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2015. In 2006, then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Memphis. Related coverage: U.S. says Biden, Kishida to agree on defense equipment development U.S.-Japan alliance upgrade needed amid "more assertive China": envoy KYODO NEWS - Apr 8, 2024 - 21:26 | All, World, Japan Active construction has been seen at a nuclear test site in northern Russia since last year, raising the possibility that Moscow is preparing for a fresh nuclear test, a Japanese expert on the Russian military said Monday. Citing analysis of satellite images, Yu Koizumi, associate professor at the University of Tokyo, said a large-scale facility presumed to be related to nuclear testing appears to be almost complete at the site on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Arctic Sea. Koizumi called the activities exceptional and said Russia could be preparing a subcritical nuclear test, which does not create an explosion. He believes the move is "to intimidate European countries and the United States" over their support for Ukraine, which is at war with Russia. Novaya Zemlya was the site of the Soviet Union's around 130 nuclear tests, including in the atmosphere, underground and undersea, between 1955 and 1990. Russia continued with subcritical nuclear tests on the island to enhance nuclear weapons and assess their capabilities, with the latest conducted in 2004. Satellite images by space tech company Maxar Technologies Inc. and Earth imaging firm Planet Labs PBC, both of the United States, showed that works to construct the large facility got fully underway around last summer at the test site on the southern part of Novaya Zemlya, according to Koizumi. The building, some 200 meters in length, is around double the size of other facilities in the area and was nearly complete in the Maxar images taken in early February, Koizumi said. "It is highly likely that the facility was newly built for a (nuclear) test," he said, adding a pile-up of materials around an airport suggests that the facility could be further enlarged. At the same time, the images did not show any direct evidence of a nuclear test, Koizumi said, citing snow covering an entrance of a tunnel located around 3 kilometers from the nuclear site in the mountains, which could be used for a subcritical nuclear experiment. In November last year, Russia revoked its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which bans all nuclear explosions, whether for military or peaceful purposes, in a move seen as its de facto exit from the treaty. "We should seriously worry about Russia playing the card of a nuclear test," Koizumi said. New quality productive forces to invigorate China's growth, impel global development: Chinese ambassador to U.S. Xinhua) 08:30, April 08, 2024 WASHINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The new quality productive forces will not only invigorate China's high-quality growth but also provide impetus for global sustainable development, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng told a U.S. news outlet in a recent interview to explain the newly emerged economic concept. "In brief, it refers to innovation-led, reform-driven advanced productive forces that will boost total factor productivity and promote high-quality development," Xie said in an interview with Newsweek. "As China strives to expand domestic demand in recent years, new quality productive forces will serve as a catalyst that further brings out the vitality and potential of China's supersized market. The upgrading of traditional industries and the boom of new ones will further energize China's growth, and generate huge investment and consumption needs," he added. An integral part of developing new quality productive forces is opening wider at a higher standard, the ambassador said, adding that high-standard opening-up is the path China must take to achieve greater development, and will also bring dividends to the world. "China's ever-expanding, upgrading supersize market is both a solid foundation for its own growth and a historical opportunity for win-win cooperation among countries," he said. "As new quality productive forces are rapidly taking shape and more favorable measures are rolled out, investors with vision from the United States and other countries are competing to seize the unprecedented opportunities in China," Xie said. Opening-up needs to be a two-way street, the ambassador said, in the sense that it should not be a solo, but a chorus by all. "China has opened its arms to the world, and we expect others to do the same." What people should worry about is not whether China's growth would peak, but whether they would miss the opportunities in China, Xie said. "And rather than speculating about whether the Chinese economy would collapse, what should truly alarm people is how decoupling could drag down global recovery and how geopolitical conflicts could end the eight-decade-long world peace," he said in conclusion. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Four environmentalists who spent more than five years in prison after being convicted of spying will be freed following a pardon from Iran's supreme leader, state media reported Sunday. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pardoned more than 2,000 inmates to mark celebrations for the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Their release date was not immediately clear, but their lawyer Hojat Kermani said it will be "in the coming days." "My clients were informed by the judiciary's deputy of human rights that they are included in the amnesty," Kermani told the official IRNA news agency. He named his clients as Sepideh Kashani, Niloufar Bayani, Houman Jowkar, and Taher Ghadirain. They were arrested in 2018 on suspicion of espionage for foreign governments, among other charges, and were given jail sentences of up to 10 years. The environmentalists worked for Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, a conservationist organization which protects endangered species. In early 2018, Iranian-Canadian environmentalist and university professor Kavous Seyed Emami, 63, died in prison. He reportedly committed suicide a fortnight after his arrest, an allegation rejected by his relatives. In 2023, wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz was among five American prisoners released from Iran as part of a prisoner swap deal with the United States. NAIROBI, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China is a positive force in the economy of Kenya, said the chief of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Alliance of Kenya, the umbrella body of small entrepreneurs, at a business forum here Monday. Ben Mutahi, the chairperson of the MSME Alliance of Kenya, told journalists in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that China has emerged as the preferred source country for electronic goods, textiles, cosmetics, vehicle accessories and machinery. "Chinese goods dominate the Kenyan market as consumers prefer them as they are suited to the tastes of consumers and are also affordable," said Mutahi during the business forum organized by I&M Bank Kenya. According to Mutahi, Chinese factories can manufacture large quantities of goods to Kenyan specifications in 30 days, compared to other countries, which usually take more than 60 days. He noted that merchandise once at the port of exit in China can arrive at the Kenyan port of Mombasa in 21 days due to the presence of many shipping lines that ply the route between the Asian nation and Kenya. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics indicated that imports from China hit 3.48 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, accounting for 18.2 percent of Kenya's total import bill that year. JERUSALEM, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A report on the Israeli water sector, published on Sunday, stated that the extent of pumped water loss in Israel has gradually decreased from 20 percent to 7 percent in the past two decades. The report, authored by the Arad Group, a leading global water measurement company, and submitted to Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, noted that water loss volume in Israel is one of the lowest in the world, compared to a global annual average of 30 percent, mainly due to pipeline leaks. According to the report, the decrease in Israel is primarily due to the installation of smart water meters, which currently cover more than 60 percent of Israeli households. The report stated that in 2023, there were about 204,000 leakage incidents in Israeli household smart meters, which is 18.5 percent of the total 1.1 million smart meters currently installed. The replacement of all water meters in Israel with smart meters is expected to be completed by 2026 and result in annual savings of 100 million shekels (26.86 million U.S. dollars) for consumers, according to the report. It also showed that annual water consumption in Israel is more than 2.5 billion cubic meters (bcm). Still, nature only provides the country with an average of 1.1 bcm of water available for pumping every year, which means Israel manages to "produce" about 1.5 bcm of water per year by desalinating seawater, purifying sewage, and using brackish water. Israel's Energy Minister Eli Cohen said that the report's data further proves Israel's status as a leading water power, adding that the country will invest 10 billion shekels in the next two years to develop the water infrastructure. MAPUTO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 91 people died after an overloaded boat capsized near the Island of Mozambique in Mozambique's northern province of Nampula on Sunday, the state-run Radio Mozambique (RM) reported. The fatal victims include children, and another 34 people were missing, the report said, adding that five survivors were found. The vessel was a makeshift ferry departing from the district of Mossuril and carried a total of 130 passengers, the secretary of state in Nampula province Jaime Neto, was quoted as saying. Neto told RM that passengers left their areas of origin, following a panic caused by the misinformation about the cholera outbreak. "It is a vessel not prepared to transport so many people. It is a fishing vessel, and people had misinformation about the cholera outbreak, and they rushed to the vessel," Neto said. A multisectoral team was organized by the authorities to continue to search for the missing and conduct investigation into the accident. CAIRO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has decided to increase the number of trucks carrying food, medical aid, and subsistence supplies for the war-torn Gaza Strip to at least 300 per day starting from Sunday, Chairman of Egypt's State Information Service Diaa Rashwan said. In a statement, Rashwan remarked that a total of 19,354 trucks had entered Gaza from the Rafah crossing since the start of the Israeli aggression against the enclave on Oct. 7, 2023, carrying 19,952 tons of medical supplies, 10,435 tons of fuel, 123,453 tons of food, 26,692 tons of water, 2,023 tons of tents and tarpaulins, 44,103 tons of other relief materials, and 123 equipped ambulances. In addition, 3,764 injured and sick people from Gaza had entered Egypt for medical treatment, along with 6,191 companions, said the statement, adding 66,759 foreign nationals and dual nationals, as well as 6,330 Egyptians fled Gaza through the border with Egypt. Rashwan reiterated Egypt's commitment to expediting the delivery of humanitarian aid to the strip and pledged continuous efforts to increase the amount of aid. A contestant races his ox cart in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, on April 7, 2024. At dawn on Sunday, Cambodian villagers gathered to race their ox carts across a field, reviving centuries-old tradition in the Southeast Asian nation. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) Contestants prepare their oxen for an ox cart race in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, on April 7, 2024. At dawn on Sunday, Cambodian villagers gathered to race their ox carts across a field, reviving centuries-old tradition in the Southeast Asian nation. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) Contestants race their ox carts in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, on April 7, 2024. At dawn on Sunday, Cambodian villagers gathered to race their ox carts across a field, reviving centuries-old tradition in the Southeast Asian nation. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua) Contestants race their ox carts in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, on April 7, 2024. At dawn on Sunday, Cambodian villagers gathered to race their ox carts across a field, reviving centuries-old tradition in the Southeast Asian nation. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) Contestants race their ox carts in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, on April 7, 2024. At dawn on Sunday, Cambodian villagers gathered to race their ox carts across a field, reviving centuries-old tradition in the Southeast Asian nation. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States have reached important consensus on economic and financial cooperation after in-depth consultations and discussions during U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's visit to China, China's Vice Finance Minister Liao Min said Monday. Deepening communication, coordination of economic, financial policies and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between the world's two largest economies are of great significance in stabilizing the economy and finance of both sides and the whole world, as well as promoting post-pandemic recovery and development, Liao said in response to a media inquiry during a press briefing. "China always adopts an open and positive attitude towards this," Liao said. The two sides agreed to hold in-depth discussions on balancing the growth of the two countries and the global economy, and are willing to further strengthen economic exchanges and cooperation. They also agreed to maintain communication on issues, such as debt handling of developing countries as well as the strategic reform of international financial institutions under multilateral channels, such as G20, and advance cooperation on jointly addressing global challenges, according to Liao. In the financial field, both sides agreed to carry out continuous exchanges and cooperation on issues including financial stability, sustainable finance, anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing. In the next stage, China is ready to work with the United States to translate the above consensus into practical cooperation outcomes under the China-U.S. economic and financial working group. JERUSALEM, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza Strip still faces the risk of escalation after six months of heavy Israeli strikes as the Israeli military's latest pullout of all ground troops except for one brigade may be "tactical," analysts and experts said. The withdrawal on Sunday occurred when the current round of the Israel-Hamas conflict entered its 6th month. It came amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, ongoing tensions on the Lebanese-Israeli border, and the possibility of Iranian retaliation following the attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus. Despite this, the crisis in the region is far from over, as Israel is still preparing for a ground invasion in the southern Gazan city of Rafah and a possible escalation on its northern border with Lebanon, analysts have said. According to Israeli media reports, the only troops remaining in Gaza are the Nahal Brigade under the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which was tasked with the Netzarim Corridor, an east-west passage through the strip built by the Israel Defense Forces. The passage splits the territory into two sectors, serving as a conduit for aid into northern Gaza and preventing the return of displaced civilians from the south to the north of Gaza. Hossam Talib, a Syrian political analyst, told Xinhua that Israel pulled out its troops under mounting international and domestic pressure. Internationally, the United Nations Security Council resolution passed on March 25 and the killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza earlier this month have put Israel under increasing pressure, including from its allies. Domestically, protests calling for a hostage deal and early elections have recently intensified. An analysis by Israel's Haaretz newspaper pointed out that the two main goals of the military operation in Gaza, including eliminating top Hamas officials and rescuing Israeli hostages, have not been achieved yet. Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, commander of the faction's Al-Qassam Brigades, are still on Israel's most wanted list. Meanwhile, only two Israeli hostages have been rescued since the temporary truce in late November. During a tour on Sunday at the IDF's Southern Command, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that forces leaving Gaza were preparing for "follow-up missions," including in Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi announced on the same day that the military operation against Hamas was "far from" over, vowing to reach senior Hamas officials sooner or later. Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told Xinhua that the withdrawal marks the IDF's entry into the third phase of the operation in Gaza, which focuses mainly on pinpoint operations based on specific intelligence rather than a high kinetic level with large numbers of ground troops. Egyptian researcher on Arab and international affairs Mostafa Amin noted that Israel is repositioning and redeploying its troops while preparing to "re-establish displacement areas for those in the south and later evacuate the city of Rafah to launch a military operation." The complicated preparations will take some time, as Israel needs to coordinate with Egypt and the United States and evacuate more than one million people, said Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Israel Institute for National Security Studies. Another possible factor leading to the sudden withdrawal could be the situation along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Lebanese Hezbollah, a militant group considered by Israel as a "proxy" of Iran, has been exchanging fire with Israel since October to show support for the Palestinian people. After the alleged Israeli airstrike on the consular building of the Iranian embassy in Syria earlier this month, Iran vowed to retaliate. Analysts believe the retaliation could be in the form of more rocket launches by Hezbollah from Lebanon. The IDF announced on Sunday night that it had completed another phase of war preparedness, centering on "operational emergency storages for a broad mobilization of reservist and regular troops when required." U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a close ally of President Joe Biden, told FOX News on Sunday that the withdrawal of IDF troops was a "tactical decision" in light of the threat of a "real attack" from Hezbollah or "direct attack" from Iran. Syrian political analyst Mohammad al-Omari also noted that Israel is redeploying its troops, especially in the north, in response to possible Iranian retaliation. MOSCOW, April 8 (Xinhua) -- One police officer was killed and another wounded after being attacked on duty in the Moscow region, TASS news agency reported Sunday. The attacker assaulted employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Noginsky district of the Moscow region and fled on a motorcycle, said the report, citing ministry sources. The injured police officer has been sent to hospital and is in serious condition, it said. Preliminary investigation shows that the police officers were on duty to detain a drug dealer when being attacked, RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing sources from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A criminal case has been opened regarding the attack, according to the Russian Investigative Committee. ULAN BATOR, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A firefighter was killed and two others were hospitalized following a building fire in Mongolia's capital, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Monday. At around 10:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) on Monday, the NEMA received an alarm about the fire that hit a three-story warehouse of a chain store in Chingeltei District of Ulan Bator. An investigation into the cause of the blaze is underway, the agency added. MOSCOW, April 8 (Xinhua) -- More than 10,400 residential houses have been flooded across Russia's western Siberia, the Volga region and Central Federal District, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said Monday. In the severely hit Orenburg region, more than 6,100 people have been evacuated and a total of 33 temporary accommodation centers deployed for 33,000 people, the ministry said. The Orenburg regional government said the peak of the flood is expected on April 10 and the situation along the Ural River is expected to normalize no earlier than April 25. TASS news agency, citing information from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, said more than 18,000 people are in the zone threatened by flooding. The agency reported that data on April 7-11 points to a continuous rise in daily average temperatures, snowmelt, and river thawing across Siberia, the Volga region, and the Central Federal District. This is expected to exacerbate the flood risks to low-lying areas and transportation infrastructure. By Alimat Aliyeva South Korea and the United States will discuss ways to strengthen security cooperation and deter North Korean nuclear and missile threats this week, Azernews reports, citing foreign media outlets. The Korean-American Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) will be held in Washington on Thursday. It is noted that during the negotiations, the allies plan to discuss ways to implement the "Concept of the Alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea in the field of defense," approved by their leaders in November last year. The concept includes stepping up efforts for "enhanced deterrence" against North Korea and strengthening regional security cooperation with like-minded partners. The talks will be attended by South Korean Deputy Minister of Defense for Political Affairs Cho Chang Rae, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Security in the Indo-Pacific Region Eli Ratner and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia Andrew Winternitz. The talks, which will take place this week, are being considered as part of preparations for the upcoming third meeting of the Nuclear Advisory Group (NCG), which will be held in June. An Israeli tank maneuvers near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on April 7, 2024. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) For Palestinians trapped in Rafah, the yearning for peace has been dampened only by the bitter taste of disappointment. Yet, they cling to hope for the eventual arrival of peace. GAZA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- "I am from Palestine and Gaza is my home ..." In a makeshift tent classroom at Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian children have not given up learning to read and write every day. They have no idea how long their temporary education will last. The Israeli military announced Sunday that it is withdrawing from the battle-scarred city of Khan Younis to prepare for the internationally criticized offensive into Rafah, a 55-square-km area where over half of 2.3 million Gazan civilians are taking refuge. Since the eruption of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli military has been compressing the survival space of Palestinians with bombardments, power cuts, and obstruction of aid. Over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed over the past six months. "Where else can we flee? Are we to live in the sea?" a Gaza resident asked. Many Palestinian families are forced to live in tents meters away from the border fence with Egypt, without access to drinking water, food, electricity, or medical care. Bombings, displacement, and the ever-looming specter of death have become daily realities for Gazans. Nowhere is safe, and fear permeates. "You can smell death everywhere. The Israeli army has turned the hospital into a hell that has no feature of life," Rahaf al-Halabi, a 62-year-old Palestinian woman in Gaza, said with teary eyes. "The army killed dozens of young people before our eyes," she said, recalling the two-week siege on the Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza. Schools are not safe, either. A March 27 UNICEF report reveals that since the onset of the conflict, Israeli bombardments have directly hit 212 schools, and over 13,000 children have been killed. Hunger is killing those who survived bombs. In February, the United Nations warned that at least a quarter of Gaza's population is one step away from famine and virtually the entire population desperately needs food. Abu Hussam, a recent arrival at Rafah from the Northern city of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, somberly recalls how his family once led a decent life but now faces hunger. Cooking a can of beans on fire for a meal, the father of two said the family used to cook the most delicious dishes in Ramadan, but conditions have completely changed this year as the conflict has deprived locals of their houses, jobs, and even their beloved ones. At the Rafah market, hopeful food-seekers ended up empty-handed. The ongoing conflict stripped away reliable income sources and exacerbated scarcity, driving prices beyond reach for many. A man grieves over the body of a victim after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 4, 2024. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) On March 25, the UN Security Council's resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire has not brought much hope. Right after the resolution, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in Washington that military operations wouldn't cease until all Israelis detained in Gaza were released, and only with "absolute victory" would the conflict end. On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a high-level delegation to meet U.S. President Joe Biden for a discussion on alternatives to Israel's planned ground attack in Rafah. Senior Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, said on Thursday that despite Hamas showing flexibility, there has been no progress in Gaza ceasefire talks, with the Israeli government placing obstacles hindering both parties from reaching an agreement. On Sunday, both Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt for a new round of talks on a potential ceasefire in the six-month conflict. For Palestinians trapped in Rafah, the yearning for peace has been dampened only by the bitter taste of disappointment. Yet, they cling to hope for the eventual arrival of peace. Staff members of the State Grid Baoding Electric Power Supply Company inspect equipment in Baoding, north China's Hebei Province, July 6, 2023. (Xinhua) JINAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China is developing virtual power plants to achieve energy savings and promote the transition to greener energy. These virtual facilities act as "invisible" power facilities, bringing together various electricity users, distributed power sources, and energy storage providers through coordination to ensure a balance between power generation and consumption. For wind and solar power generation, factors like the presence or absence of wind, varying wind speeds, and the intensity of sunlight all affect the amount of electricity generated, said Cong Zhipeng, deputy head of the power dispatch control center of the Yantai branch of the State Grid Corporation of China in east China's Shandong Province. The intermittent, random, and fluctuating nature of these factors makes it more challenging to regulate the power system, Cong added. With the rapid advancement of China's new energy infrastructure, the proportion of installed capacity from renewable sources is steadily increasing, which also highlights the challenges related to balance and security within the electrical grid system. This aerial photo taken on Sept. 8, 2021 shows a wind farm in Daqing City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei) By fully leveraging the regulatory potential of virtual power plants, the costs of operation are significantly reduced. In a smart control platform for virtual power plants launched in August last year in Yantai, a large screen displays real-time monitoring of resource access, electricity load, and power trading data. The 242,000-kilowatt capacity adjustable load resource pool, built by the Dongfang Electronics Co., Ltd., has achieved interconnection with both State Grid Shandong Electric Power Company and the State Grid's Yantai branch, said Dong Wenjie, head of the comprehensive energy business department of Dongfang Electronics Co., Ltd. As resources from various regions continue to be integrated, the orderly establishment of a 500,000-kilowatt adjustable load resource pool will be realized, Dong said. According to a document released by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration in March, it is necessary to define market access, clearing, and settlement standards for distributed new energy sources, virtual power plants, and other new entities and formats. Despite the lack of fully developed business models, government support and ongoing exploration indicate a promising future for virtual power plants, which will encourage greater participation from businesses and residents, thus aiding the transition to green energy, said Dong. DHAKA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh and Brazil have signed an agreement for further strengthening the bilateral and commercial ties during the first foreign minister-level visit from Brazil to Bangladesh. The visiting Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira signed the Basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation with his Bangladeshi counterpart Hasan Mahmud after a bilateral meeting in Dhaka Sunday. "We had a very good and successful discussion on different issues," Mahmud told a joint media briefing after the meeting. During the meeting, both sides agreed on the importance of increasing cooperation and exchanges in the fields of agriculture, livestock, science, technology and innovation, education, climate change and energy transition, among others. The Brazilian foreign minister arrived here Sunday on a two-day official visit. ABUJA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of suspected gunmen were killed in separate air raids by Nigerian troops in the northern part of the country over the weekend, the air force said. Many other gunmen were severely injured in the brutal air raids aimed at rooting out suspected terrorists from their hideouts in the northern states of Katsina and Borno, said Edward Gabkwet, spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, in a statement obtained by Xinhua Monday. "The streak of successful airstrikes denied terrorists freedom of movement aimed at targeting soft targets, especially innocent civilians," read the statement. According to the statement, previous intelligence had revealed that Grazah in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, previously known as a hideout for suspected terrorists, had been converted into a logistics storage hub and an area for fabricating their improvised explosive devices and other ammunition. Recent military intelligence also revealed significant terror activities consistent with terrorists' behavior around some makeshift structures at the location. "These operations carried out deep into terrorist enclaves will continue as these areas are believed to aid their recruitment, training, and nurturing of potential terrorists," the statement said, adding that attacking their logistics hubs also helps reduce their ability to carry out massive attacks, especially against innocent civilians and the location of troops. Aerial photo taken on July 13, 2020 shows an expedition vessel in the South China Sea. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun) By cherry-picking facts, the Philippines uses professed victimhood as a smokescreen to divert attention away from its provocations and violations of Chinese sovereignty. BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines has adopted a playing victim tactic on the South China Sea affairs, deliberately portraying itself as an underdog while covering up its provocations and violations of China's sovereignty. Under such a scheme, a number of pro-Manila correspondents have been hand-picked to go to Ren'ai Jiao and other Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) to kick up a fuss in international public opinion. Meanwhile, the Philippines uses staged photographs and videos to craft and disseminate a narrative portraying itself as the victimized "underdog" while depicting China as the "bully." In fact, the Philippines' tactic falls into the theory of "weak communication," put forward by Chinese scholar Zou Zhendong, who revealed its manipulative nature. This tactic involves portraying oneself as a perpetual victim in discourse, aiming to garner sympathy and support while manipulating perceptions. In terms of media ethics, the core of the Philippine public relations tactic can also be defined as "selective disclosure" or "cherry-picking facts." By cherry-picking facts, the Philippines uses professed victimhood as a smokescreen to divert attention away from its provocations and violations of Chinese sovereignty. The United States and Japan have significantly aided the Philippines in manipulating public opinion to their advantage. By exploiting their extensive network of think tanks and influential media outlets, they wield substantial influence in shaping narratives that align with the Philippines' agenda. The Philippines has taken an aggressive stance in manipulating public opinion. Numerous videos depicting its maritime tensions with China have flooded online platforms, predominantly originating from the Philippines. These videos are carefully crafted to amplify the narrative of Philippine victimhood while portraying China as the aggressor. In the face of persistent provocations, China has demonstrated considerable restraint and patience, prioritizing regional peace and cooperation over escalating tensions. The leaders of the United States, Japan and the Philippines will meet for their first trilateral summit at the White House on Thursday with a purported aim to counter China's regional influence. The fact that Asian matters are to be discussed in Washington attests to the role of Tokyo and Manila as "pawns" in the U.S. effort to contain China. It also unveils the true intent behind the Philippines' ostensible "Transparency Initiative," which serves as a thinly veiled tactic to align itself more closely with U.S. interests. The Philippines' intentional "grounding" of a tank landing ship BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) at Ren'ai Jiao fully reveals its provocations and violations of China's sovereignty. The tank landing ship "was deliberately grounded" at China's Ren'ai Jiao in 1999, the Philippines' then Defense Chief Orlando Mercado told a media forum held in Manila in February. "It's all about being there ... We have to have a presence," he said. The Philippines made a serious promise to tow away the illegally grounded warship, but 25 years on, the vessel is still there. The Philippines breached the understanding between the two sides on properly handling the situation on Ren'ai Jiao. The Philippines promised it will not reinforce the grounded warship and will inform China in advance of resupply plans. Out of humanitarian considerations, China made special provisional arrangements for Philippine vessels sending living necessities to the warship quite a few times. However, the Philippines refused to honor its promise and made attempts to send construction materials for large-scale repair and reinforcement of the warship in order to build permanent structures on Ren'ai Jiao. Most recently, a Philippine military spokesperson openly vowed to build permanent structures on Ren'ai Jiao. The Philippines has also repeatedly sent people to step on China's Tiexian Jiao and other uninhabited islands and reefs that belong to China in the South China Sea. From concocting lies to illegally using the "grounded" vessel as a garrison, and from breaking promises to frequently delivering building materials to shore up the crumbling hulk, the Philippines is the one that has reneged on its commitments, assertively provoked the other side, and made waves around Ren'ai Jiao. The Philippines, which is backed by external forces and has been going back on its words and provoking China, cannot expect to win global sympathy by playing victim and deceiving the world. Its scheme to hoax the world will only discredit itself. WELLINGTON, April 8 (Xinhua) -- While interest in news in New Zealand is high, trust in news continues rapidly to decline, and news avoidance is increasing, an annual report has found. The national online survey of over 1,000 New Zealanders published on Monday showed that trust in news in general fell significantly from 42 percent in 2023 to 33 percent in 2024, and the proportion of those who actively avoid the news grew from 69 percent to 75 percent. The report found that while there was a slight increase in the proportion of people paying for their news, all major New Zealand news brands have suffered a decline in trust over the past year. The results, from the fifth edition of the annual Trust in News in New Zealand report by the Auckland University of Technology, showed both conventional and social media are key sources of news for New Zealanders. New Zealand's national TV broadcaster TVNZ has remained the biggest source of news for New Zealanders, but Facebook has become the second most important source of news, despite a drop in its trustworthiness, according to the report. The proportion of those who are paying for digital news grew slightly from 23 percent in 2023 to 24 percent in 2024. When compared internationally, New Zealanders are in third place after Norway and Sweden in paying for news, it said. Merja Myllylahti, co-author of the report, said journalism has lost its authority as the main source of news and information. In general, people distrust the information they see, and they are increasingly checking facts themselves. Greg Treadwell, co-author of the report, called on journalists and media companies to form relationships with their audiences and with communities to rebuild that trust. XI'AN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- American student Rowan Gleser, wearing the traditional Chinese clothes called Tangzhuang, strolled and took photos in Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City, a commercial pedestrian area with architecture modeled after ancient styles in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. "I got to truly appreciate the beauty of the Chinese culture," she said, adding that she also learned the history of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) at the Shaanxi History Museum. The secondary school student is a member of the French American International School delegation, that comprises of 43 students and six teachers from San Francisco, the United States. They have been invited to Shaanxi for a 10-day study tour starting April 2 to experience the Chinese culture and daily life activities in scenic spots, schools, communities and homestays, among others. Melanie Feakins, a teacher from the French American International School, said the trip is a "conscious memory." She said amidst the historical and cultural relics, she was particularly fascinated by the "Loong," as it reflects Chinese mythology and values. Gleser said she appreciated her host family in Xi'an the most, and had fun through playing games and eating in restaurants with her newly-made Chinese friends. "I hope that students from international high school come and see how wonderful Xi'an is, make new friends, and be enriched by Chinese culture," she said. As the Israel-Hamas conflict enters its seventh month, analysts have suggested that the conflicts in the Middle East are unlikely to be resolved in the short term. Produced by Xinhua Global Service VIENNA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Drone attacks at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) on Sunday caused damage to one of its six power units, but nuclear safety has not been compromised, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Sunday night. "Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with potential to undermine integrity of the reactor's containment system," the United Nations nuclear watchdog said, adding that one casualty was reported in the attacks. The IAEA said on social media platform X that its experts "confirmed physical impact of drone attacks at ZNPP today, including at one of its six reactors." In a separate statement, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said on X that the agency's experts stationed at the ZNPP confirmed that "at least three direct hits against ZNPP main reactor containment structures" took place earlier in the day. "Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately," Grossi said, calling on "military decision-makers to abstain from any action violating the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities." The ZNPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe with a total capacity of 6 gigawatts. At the end of February 2022, the facility was taken under Russian control. The Ramadan holiday prayer in Azerbaijani mosques will be held on April 10 at 08:00 in the Ajdarbey mosque and at 09:00 in the Tazapir mosque, Azernews reports, citing the Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB). It was reported that Eid prayer can also be performed in other mosques at 08:00 and 09:00. The prayer time can be determined by the imams of the mosque according to the wishes of the congregation. It should be noted that this year the month of Ramadan in Azerbaijan began on March 11. According to the relevant decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, April 10 and 11, Ramadan holiday is celebrated in Azerbaijan. MOSCOW, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and another 26 injured in a bus crash in southwestern Russia's Samara region, RIA Novosti news agency reported Monday, citing the regional health ministry. The bus slid into a ditch and overturned on the Ural-Mukhanovo highway near the rural settlement of Alakaevka, the regional prosecutor's office reported earlier in the day. The bus, registered in Kazakhstan, was transporting citizens of Uzbekistan to central Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, the local traffic police said on Telegram. BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China has earmarked 174 million yuan (about 24.51 million U.S. dollars) from the central government funding to support drought relief in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on Monday. The disaster relief funds, allocated by the MOF and the Ministry of Water Resources, will mainly be used to ensure the safety of drinking water and agricultural irrigation in the drought-affected areas of the two provinces, the MOF said. Temperatures in the two provinces are expected to be 1 to 2 degrees Celsius higher than normal years in April, the China Meteorological Administration said last week. The drought is likely to persist in the two provinces, the administration said, urging strengthened water resource management. FUZHOU, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have recently discovered the formation mechanism behind self-pollination in cultivated tomatoes, providing valuable insights for increasing tomato yield. Researchers from the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University have found that tomatoes can alter the structure of floral organs by regulating the development of trichomes in themselves, thus adopting a self-pollination method to enhance their fruiting rates. Domesticated tomatoes achieve this anatomically by forming a cone around the male anthers, which ensures that pollen can easily reach the stigma. The anther cone is held together by a dense network of hairs called zipper trichomes. Researchers identified a set of homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIP) genes that regulate the formation of these trichomes. Simultaneously, these genes regulate the length of the female style, allowing coordinated development of a self-pollinating reproductive structure. In agriculture, self-pollination in plants leads to higher fruiting rates and ensures the inheritance of excellent traits, making it one of the key objectives in crop modification for humanity, said Wu Minliang, a researcher of the study. The research findings was published in the journal Science. BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China has leveraged a variety of policies to offset downward economic pressure and address structural challenges, securing a robust start of this year with accelerated growth in retail sales, investment, and industrial output. China's retail sales of consumer goods rose by 5.5 percent year on year in the first two months of 2024, picking up from an increase of 3.5 percent in the same period of 2023. Fixed-asset investment also saw a notable uptick, growing by 4.2 percent year on year, quickening from the 3 percent increase in 2023. Furthermore, value-added industrial output rose 7 percent year on year during the January-February period, accelerating from the rise of 6.8 percent registered in December 2023. China's economy began the year on a positive note, and the country has the confidence, capabilities, and conditions to meet this year's economic and social development targets, said Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission. The country's macroeconomic policy mix bolsters the improving data and increasing confidence in China's economic outlook, which strategically addresses both short-term challenges and long-term structural issues within the economy. FISCAL AND MONETARY POLICIES According to the Ministry of Finance, China vowed to continue to implement a proactive fiscal policy this year and appropriately enhance its intensity. Notably, the issuance of ultra-long special treasury bonds has drawn widespread attention. These bonds will be used to implement major national strategies and build up security capacities in key sectors, with an initial allocation of 1 trillion yuan (about 140.95 billion U.S. dollars) for 2024. Tax and fee reduction incentives will persist this year and be pivotal for business support. Last year, tax refunds, as well as cuts and deferrals of taxes and fees exceeded 2.2 trillion yuan. Priorities of this year's tax policy include fostering scientific and technological innovation and bolstering the manufacturing sector. Measures include enhanced pre-tax deductions for enterprise research and development costs and tax relief for technology adoption. On the monetary front, Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) emphasized that "China has a rich monetary toolbox and there is still ample policy headroom." In January, the PBOC announced a 0.5-percentage-point cut in the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for financial institutions, releasing around 1 trillion yuan of long-term liquidity into the market. Furthermore, China cut the over-five-year loan prime rate by 25 basis points in February to 3.95 percent. The move marked the most significant drop in recent years and reflected the country's efforts to reduce comprehensive financing costs. Pan said in March that the average RRR of China's entire banking sector is 7 percent, and there is still room for further RRR cuts. The central bank also underscored the use of structural monetary policy tools, including a special relending facility worth 500 billion yuan to support sci-tech innovation, technical transformation and equipment renewal. FOSTERING NEW ENGINES China unveiled a range of policies in the first quarter to boost investment and consumption and foster a better business environment. According to this year's government work report, China vows to cultivate new growth drivers, such as biomanufacturing, the commercial space industry, and the low-altitude economy. In the low-altitude economy sector alone, the market size is estimated to surge from over 500 billion yuan in 2023 to 2 trillion yuan by 2030 as the country accelerates the development of unmanned aerial vehicles for tourism and logistics activities, among other uses. Moreover, China has unveiled plans to facilitate equipment renewal and encourage consumer goods trade-ins. This initiative spans sectors such as industry, agriculture, construction, transportation, education, culture, tourism, and medical care, presenting an expansive market opportunity estimated to exceed 5 trillion yuan annually. China has introduced guidelines to establish around ten high-level industrial parks to leverage the potential of the silver economy. Additionally, efforts are underway to develop innovative products like nursing and housekeeping robots. Meanwhile, China is actively promoting the sales of new energy vehicles in rural areas by ramping up efforts to build more charging facilities in the countryside. China has introduced new rules on consumer finance, raising access thresholds for consumer finance companies in a bid to strengthen regulation and bolster consumption growth. China proposed 24 measures in an action plan to promote high-level opening up to create a better business environment. The country vowed to further shorten its negative list for foreign investment and launch pilot programs to relax foreign entry thresholds in scientific and technological innovation. With an economic growth target set at around 5 percent for 2024, China's policy mix aims to synergize efforts in stabilizing the economy and fostering new quality productive forces. More can be expected to enrich the policy toolbox further in the foreseeable future. Enditem TOKYO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Two people died after a head-on collision between a compact car and a passenger vehicle on Monday in the northern Japanese prefecture of Yamagata, according to local police. At around 2:20 p.m. local time, an emergency call reported the accident on the country's National Route 348 in the town of Shirataka, according to the prefectural police, noting that the incident occurred on a gently curved section of the road with one lane in each direction. With both vehicles involved, the crash injured a total of four individuals who were transported to the hospital. A man and a woman in their 70s and 90s respectively, who were in the compact car, the smallest category of Japanese expressway-legal motor vehicles, were later confirmed dead. Another woman in her 60s, also traveling in the small vehicle, and a woman in her 40s from the passenger car remained conscious. The prefectural police are currently investigating the details of the crash. BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A group of senior Chinese legislators attended a voluntary tree planting event in suburban Beijing on Monday. The attendees, including vice chairpersons of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Xiao Jie, Peng Qinghua, Zhang Qingwei and Shohrat Zakir as well as deputy secretaries-general of the NPC Standing Committee and members from relevant departments of the NPC Standing Committee, planted more than 300 saplings at a park in Beijing's Fengtai District. Over the past years, the NPC Standing Committee has been organizing voluntary tree plantation events to promote the building of a beautiful China. BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- People across China made more than 51 million trips to pay tribute to the dead from April 1 to 7, around the time of the traditional Qingming Festival, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Monday. About 71.33 percent of them chose eco-friendly and low-carbon ways to mourn their deceased family members and worship their ancestors, the ministry said in a press release. Meanwhile, over 4.59 million visits were made to the online mourning platforms during the seven days, the ministry said. The traditional Chinese Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, fell on April 4 this year. During the period around this festival, people often visit graveyards, where they traditionally pay tribute to the dead by offering food and burning incense and paper money. In recent years, with the support from the government, many have turned to greener practices, such as offering flowers and lighting electric candles. Fatime Letifova Italian Alma Mater, Bologna University Rector Giovanni Molari, and his delegation visited ADA University as part of the Italy-Azerbaijan University project. According to Azernews, during Rector Molari's visit, which was the second in number, among the main topics of discussion were cooperation in the field of humanities, the teaching of the Italian studies program at ADA University, the "Azerbaijan Studies" program, which includes the cultural heritage, language, history, literature, music, architecture, theatre and cinema studies, and applied arts of Azerbaijan, issues such as teaching with methods that will respond to their challenges, as well as taking advantage of the experience of the University of Bologna to train specialists who will manage cultural institutions. In addition, the sides discussed the organisation of courses on Italian language and culture for students who will study within the Italy-Azerbaijan University project. Meetings were held with the participation of Minister of Culture Adil Karimli and Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev to discuss this new direction of cooperation in the humanitarian field with the University of Bologna. The parties talked about the current challenges in the mentioned field and the contributions that academic cooperation can make to solve these challenges. Later, discussions continued at the working level at the "Writer's House" Literary Support Fund with the participation of representatives of both universities. In addition, the delegation visited the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and made a familiarisation trip to several places where historical and religious monuments are preserved. ADA University's cooperation with the University of Bologna is currently being carried out within the Italy-Azerbaijan University project in the field of agriculture and food sciences, and work in this direction is being diligently continued. It is no coincidence that Rector Giovanni Molari's first visit to ADA University in April 2023 took place on the opening date of the new faculty in this field. This, in turn, indicates the importance of cooperation in the fields of agriculture and food science education. This photo taken on July 11, 2022 shows a scene of the welcome ceremony for the 10,000th trip made by China-Europe freight train operated by the China-Europe Railway Express (Chongqing) in Duisburg, Germany. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) Approximately 60 trains arriving on the China-Europe Railway Express reach Duisburg each week, with the goods subsequently transported to domestic seaports or neighboring countries in Europe. DUISBURG, Germany, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The China-Europe Railway Express has injected vitality into Duisburg, a key transportation hub in the Ruhr region of Germany, and has opened up new development opportunities for the countries and cities along its route, a German professor has said. Bernd Noche, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany and head of the Department Transport Systems and Logistics, told Xinhua in a recent interview that Duisburg is emerging as a pivotal hub for connectivity and trade between China and Europe, thanks to the China-Europe Railway Express project, which connects 120 Chinese cities with 219 cities across 25 European countries. According to data from Duisport, the ownership and management company of the Port of Duisburg, connections between Chinese cities and Duisburg now take between 12 and 18 days for transportation. A freight train pulls out of the China-Europe Railway Express Hub in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Approximately 60 trains arriving on the China-Europe Railway Express reach Duisburg each week, with the goods on the trains subsequently transported to domestic seaports or neighboring countries in Europe. The China-Europe Railway Express introduces a more balanced mode of transportation, the German professor said. "When we consider railway connections, this is now a unique mode of transport because it is faster than a ship, but lower price than by plane. So, it's something in between," he said, adding that there were a lot of goods suitable for rail transportation. Noche also noted that the "Belt and Road Initiative" has great potential to form a "new Silk Road," connecting different regions along the route which the China-Europe Railway Express runs. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), of which the China-Europe Express Rail is a flagship project, was proposed by China in 2013 and aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond. A China-Europe freight train loaded with machinery, automobiles and auto parts waits for departure at a railway station in Chongqing, southwest China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Wei) "We want to involve further countries, Kazakhstan, for instance, I think that's the big chance," Noche said. Noche was equally encouraged to discover that many people in Kyrgyzstan had shown their interest in the "Belt and Road Initiative" and were willing to get involved in it, inputting their ideas and providing local goods. Agricultural products made in Kazakhstan can now be quickly delivered to western Europe or China by train along the China-Europe railway, Noche said. As an expert on the transportation and logistics industry, Niche has been researching potential development opportunities that the "Belt and Road Initiative" can bring to the countries that are involved in it. This photo taken on Feb. 23, 2024 shows a scene of a seminar on Promoting High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) He initiated a project named "Regional Sustainable New Silk Road Initiative" at the University of Duisburg-Essen in 2019 in a bid to explore the possibilities of supporting the development of companies in Duisburg and its neighboring areas, advancing cooperation, as well as promoting innovation and exchanges. The first phase of the project, participated by 23 organizations, has been completed. Moving forward, Noche and his team are eager to seek more international partners to further propel the project forward, because he views the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity for "win-win cooperation and prosperity." ELDORET, Kenya, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President William Ruto on Sunday said there is no money to pay striking doctors as the industrial action entered its fourth week with both government and medical workers failing to reach an agreement on how to end the stalemate. Ruto, however, appealed to the medical workers to understand that there is a limit to what the government can spend on their salaries and allowances. "The resources we have are only sufficient to pay 70,000 shillings (about 539 U.S. dollars) for intern doctors. This is not a salary; it is a stipend for only one year. Afterwards, they will be employed," he said during a church service in Eldoret, about 260 km west of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The medical workers, who called for their national strike on March 14, are pushing the government to employ medical interns in the right job group, implement a salary rise, offer them comprehensive medical coverage, pay for their post-graduate training and employ over 50,000 jobless doctors. The strike has paralyzed health services across the country and the medical workers have insisted the strike will continue until the government addresses their grievances. The Kenyan leader, who has remained silent since the doctors' strike started, said his government values the work doctors and interns play in the health sector, noting that the country cannot continue to live beyond its means. The president said the government has the funds needed to absorb all 1,500 doctor interns at 539 USD a month. "As a nation, we must agree that we must live within our means. We cannot continue to spend the money we do not have," he added. Ruto said Kenyans must honestly discuss the issues affecting the country, promising to lead from the front. The president announced that Kenya will host a conference to address the nation's wage bill between April 15 and 17. The union expects the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to be implemented first and for the interns to be paid according to the terms of the agreement. Susan Nakhumicha, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, however, has maintained that the ministry lacks sufficient funding to pay the amount doctors are pushing for. The government is currently pushing for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by increasing the population covered by health insurance to 100 percent to reduce out-of-pocket household expenditures. The doctors' strike, however, threatens this initiative, which is expected to start in June. MOGADISHU, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) has called for adequate, sustainable, and predictable funding for the soon-to-be-established follow-up mission after the exit of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in December this year. "The AUPSC welcomes the proposal by the Somali government for a post-ATMIS security arrangement and takes note of the request by Somalia for an AU-led, UN-authorized peace support operation to replace the ATMIS from January 1, 2025," the AUPSC said in a statement issued on Monday. The ATMIS is set to withdraw from Somalia in December this year. However, preparations are underway for a subsequent mission that aims to sustain the progress made thus far and the ongoing momentum in the conflict against al-Shabab, a military organization seeking to overthrow the Somali government. The AUPSC, which is the decision-making organ of the AU for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts, reiterated the need to continue supporting Somalia by providing capacity building to the Somali security forces. The AUPSC said this will help the Somali government accelerate its force generation and integration efforts to ensure the effective assumption of security responsibilities after the full draw-down of the ATMIS to avoid the creation of a security vacuum in January 2025. The AUPSC requested the AU Commission to undertake comprehensive and detailed planning based on the situation on the ground, including undertaking threat assessments in consultation with Somalia, ATMIS troop-contributing countries, and the United Nations. The ATMIS withdrew 5,000 troops from Somalia and handed over 13 military bases to the Somali Security Forces during the first and second phases of the draw-down concluded in 2023. The AU mission is preparing to withdraw an additional 4,000 troops from Somalia in June this year. KATHMANDU, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Nepal Army on Sunday announced a plan to collect 10 tons of waste from three mountains this year, including the world's tallest Mount Qomolangma. The army shall send three teams to the 8,848.86-meter-high Mount Qomolangma that straddles Nepal and China, the fourth highest Mount Lhotse (8,516 meters) and Mount Nuptse (7,861 meters) under the support of the Nepali Sherpa climbers. "Our teams will leave for the cleaning campaign on Thursday," said Brig Gen Sanjay Deuja who oversees the cleaning campaign. "Along with the waste, we also plan to recover and bring back five dead bodies lying abandoned there," he said at a press meet, noting the cleaning campaign will last for 50 days. The Nepal Army started to collect waste on different mountains in 2019, but suspended the cleaning mission in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The waste collected shall be segregated as biodegradable and non-biodegradable, the army said. By Friday, 264 mountaineers from different countries and regions had been permitted to scale 15 peaks inside Nepal during the spring climbing season this year. Of them, 130 will try their luck on Mount Qomolangma, according to Nepal's Department of Tourism. PHNOM PENH, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has arrested two local people for possessing and trafficking illicit drugs, seizing over 17 kg of narcotics, the country's Anti-Drug Department (ADP) said in a news release on Monday. A 43-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman were apprehended last Friday during raids on two locations in Phnom Penh's Russei Keo district after a thorough probe, the ADP said. "A total of 17.1 kg of crystal methamphetamine, ecstasy and ketamine was confiscated from the duo's possession during the crackdowns," the ADP said. The Southeast Asian country has no death sentence for a drug trafficker. Under its law, someone found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grams of illicit drugs could be jailed for life. According to the ADP, Cambodia nabbed 5,489 drug-related suspects in 2,280 cases during the January-March period this year, seizing 3.65 tons of narcotics. Most of the seized drugs were ketamine, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine tablets, heroin, ecstasy, and cocaine. Greek military leader General Dimitrios Choupis was honored with a Guard of Honour during his visit to Delhi. The Chief of Greece National Defence General Staff laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and signed the visitors' book. The Greek Ambassador to India, Aliki Koutsomitopoulou, welcomed him, marking his visit. This visit comes after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' State visit to India in February, aimed at strengthening cooperation in shipping, connectivity, and defense, marking a significant step forward in bilateral relations. Earlier, General Dimitrios Choupis paid his respects at the National War Memorial and signed the visitors' book. The Greek Ambassador, Aliki Koutsomitopoulou, greeted him upon his arrival in Delhi. In a statement, Greece's Embassy in India expressed delight at welcoming General Dimitrios Choupis to India, as he commenced his visit. In February, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Delhi for a two-day State visit, accompanied by his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis. During his visit, he held talks with PM Narendra Modi to enhance cooperation in shipping, connectivity, and defense sectors. PM Modi emphasized the importance of collaboration in technology, pharmaceuticals, skill development, space, and innovation, while also agreeing to strengthen ties in shipping, connectivity, and defense. During his stay in India, Mitsotakis also met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Notably, this visit marked the first bilateral exchange at the Head of State or Head of Government level between Greece and India in 15 years, with the last Prime Ministerial visit from Greece to India occurring in 2008. PM Modi's visit to Athens last year further solidified the relationship between India and Greece, leading to the elevation of their ties to a 'Strategic Partnership' during Modi's visit to Greece in August 2023, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs. Greece Approves Acquisition of 35 Blackhawk Helicopters from the US Thailand, with its rich cultural heritage, stunning beaches, and vibrant cities, is a dream destination for many travelers. While most visitors arrive by plane, embarking on a road trip to Thailand can be an exciting and memorable adventure. But is it feasible to reach Thailand by car? Exploring Your Options Before setting out on your journey, it's essential to understand the various routes and border crossings available for entering Thailand by car. Here are some options to consider: 1. Route through Malaysia One of the most popular routes for driving to Thailand is through Malaysia. Travelers can enter Thailand via the Sadao Border Crossing, which connects Malaysia's northern states to Thailand's southern region. This route offers relatively well-maintained roads and convenient immigration facilities. 2. Route through Laos Another option is to enter Thailand from Laos. The Friendship Bridge, spanning the Mekong River, connects Laos' Vientiane with Nong Khai in Thailand. This route provides access to Thailand's northeastern provinces and is favored by travelers exploring Southeast Asia overland. 3. Route through Cambodia Travelers coming from Cambodia can enter Thailand via several border crossings, including the Aranyaprathet-Poipet checkpoint. This route connects Cambodia's Poipet with Thailand's Aranyaprathet and is a popular choice for those journeying from Angkor Wat or Phnom Penh. 4. Route through Myanmar For adventurers seeking a more off-the-beaten-path experience, entering Thailand from Myanmar is an option. The Mae Sot-Myawaddy border crossing facilitates travel between Thailand's Tak Province and Myanmar's Kayin State, albeit with fewer amenities compared to other crossings. Cost Considerations While the allure of a road trip to Thailand is undeniable, it's crucial to budget accordingly for the journey. Here are some cost considerations to keep in mind: 1. Fuel Expenses The cost of fuel will likely be one of the most significant expenses during your road trip. Prices can vary depending on the country and region you're traveling through, so it's essential to research fuel prices and budget accordingly. 2. Border Crossing Fees Some border crossings may require payment of fees or taxes for both entering and exiting the country. These fees can vary widely, so it's advisable to check the latest information and budget accordingly. 3. Vehicle Maintenance Before embarking on your journey, ensure that your vehicle is in good condition and up to date with maintenance. Consider budgeting for any potential repairs or emergencies along the way. 4. Accommodation and Meals Factor in the cost of accommodation and meals during your road trip. While Thailand offers a wide range of options to suit every budget, it's essential to plan ahead, especially if traveling during peak seasons. 5. Travel Insurance Don't forget to purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical emergencies, vehicle breakdowns, and other unforeseen circumstances. It's better to be prepared for any eventuality. Embarking on a road trip to Thailand can be a thrilling and rewarding experience, allowing you to explore the country's diverse landscapes and immerse yourself in its vibrant culture. By carefully planning your route, budgeting for expenses, and ensuring your vehicle is roadworthy, you can make your journey to Thailand by car a memorable adventure. Health With Yoga: 5 Yoga Poses to Alleviate Stress and Promote Well-being The number of patients suffering from these diseases, including diabetes, has increased in the country in a decade These 7 habits increase the risk of kidney stones! Don't make these mistakes even by mistake Mariyam Shiuna, a suspended minister from Maldives, has sparked controversy once again by sharing a now-deleted image that was perceived as disrespectful towards the Indian national flag. Facing backlash on social media, Shiuna took to her social media platform to apologize and clarify the situation. "I extend my sincerest apologies for any confusion or offense caused by the content of my recent post. It was brought to my attention that the image used in my response to the Maldivian opposition party MDP bore a resemblance to the Indian flag," said Shiuna in a post. "I sincerely regret any misunderstanding it may have caused. Maldives deeply value its relationship and the mutual respect we share with India. In future, I will be more vigilant in verifying the content I share to prevent such oversights," added Shiuna. This controversy coincided with India's decision to renew the quota for essential commodities, highlighting the strengthening bilateral ties and trade expansion efforts. The renewal, covering various commodities for 2024-25, marks the highest approved quantities since the 1981 agreement. Earlier this year, Mariyam Shiuna, along with Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid, faced suspension for their comments targeting Prime Minister Modi, which led to significant public backlash. Shiuna had made derogatory remarks against PM Modi on social media, featuring images of his recent visit to Lakshadweep. In response, the Maldives government suspended the three ministers for their disrespectful statements against PM Modi. Tourism Booms in Lakshadweep Following Prime Minister Modi's Visit: Reports Maldives Expresses Gratitude to India for Essential Commodities Export The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has approved its Board of Directors proposal to distribute cash dividends of AED425 million ($115.73 million) to shareholders for the second half of the year 2023. The dividend is AED0.0425 per share equivalent to 42.5% of the company's paid-up capital. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of Empower, chaired the AGM that took place yesterday (March 27), at Habtoor Palace, Dubai, and was attended by Ahmad bin Shafar, Chief Executive Officer, and members of the Board of Directors of Empower. The meeting reviewed the companys performance and approved the financial statements and the auditors report for the financial year ending December 31, 2023. The company's shareholders also approved the other agenda items presented at the AGM. The companys financial results for the year ended December 31 2023, showed the highest-ever revenue of AED3.035 billion, with net profit amounting to AED960 million. The above dividend distribution is in alignment with the companys dividend distribution policy, shared with investors. The company expects to pay a minimum dividend amount of AED 850 million per annum in the first two fiscal years following its listing on the DFM. Empower paid the dividend for the first half of the year 2023 in October. - TradeArabia News Service 30 year Army Veteran Brenda Gorton (Brenda Gorton) Meet 30-year U.S. Army Combat Veteran, holistic medicine doctor, and artist, Brenda Gorton. She was an active duty and reserve armed services member who served stateside for most of her career which began in 1990. When she got the opportunity to travel overseas to Vicenza, Italy for deployment support with the 396th Combat Support Hospital, she didnt know at the time how the beauty of the environment would play such a big role in her journey and how creating and healing would intertwine so effortlessly in her future. Brenda explained how being in the military helped forge a path that was part of her purpose. Serving in the military influenced my career by inspiring me to look for more effective and holistic means of healing the body. After spending 20 years as a combat medic, I went to medical school to be a Chinese medicine doctor. Furthermore, Brenda used her GI Bill and POST 911 GI Bill to pay for part of her schooling and she now has multiple credentials including an herbal medicine certificate, Associate of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM), a Bachelor of Science in Art and Biology, and a Masters of Oriental Medicine (MSOM). Her determination and fortitude has led her to persist in her studies and now has enabled her to share her talent and skill in helping bring others to good health. Her entrepreneurial spirit and love for art have combined in a way that brings her pleasure and excitement. Brenda currently paints finding inspiration all around her and from her life experience. Being in Italy influenced her artwork and continues to do so she loves painting scenes that are similar to the incredible architecture and beauty of the Italian countryside. Ms. Gorton and friends in Italy (Brenda Gorton) Having ones own medical and art practice comes with a certain requirement of determination and vigor that Brenda claims she found thanks to her years of being in the military and having to think for herself and live up to challenging situations. Being in the Army Reserves allowed her to continue to serve while running her own business and pursuing her career goals as a civilian. This, in turn, has played a part in having the courage to share her artwork with others and to depend on herself to find success in the world of business. After officially retiring from the Army in 2020, Ms. Gorton has been continuing her medical practice while also creating paintings as her outlet and inspiration. You can see her work on Instagram: @paintings_by_brenda and learn more about her medical practice on Instagram: @b_nomadic_healer In this article, we will discuss the 15 biggest defense companies in Asia. This article will focus on a detailed overview of the global defense spending patterns and the biggest players in the defense industry. If you want to skip our analysis, you can proceed to the section highlighting the 5 Biggest Defense Companies in Asia. The Defense Industry: A Global & Regional Analysis According to a report by Research and Markets, the global defense market has experienced rapid growth, increasing from $575.33 billion in 2023 to $616.32 billion in 2024. It is forecasted to further increase to $772.49 billion in 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% over the projected period. In 2023, Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the defense market. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the Asia-Pacific defense market is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4% over the next five years. Specifically, the Southeast Asia defense market is expected to reach $14.09 billion in 2024, with projections indicating that it will ascend to $19.27 billion by 2029 growing at a CAGR of 6.47%, according to another report by Mordor Intelligence. The Air Force segment represents the biggest market share in the Asia-Pacific defense market and the region has the biggest fleet of aircraft and rotorcraft. China and India are the biggest defense spenders in Asia, with defense budgets of $293 billion and $76.6 billion, respectively, and are spending a significant amount of budget of their budget on the acquisition of new aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as missiles, and ammunition. The demand for the air force is also being fueled by military modernization programs as most Asian countries want to replace their outdated fighter aircraft with newer generation aircraft to enhance their aerial combat capabilities. Countries such as China, India, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, and Japan are expanding their domestic manufacturing capabilities with the help of government initiatives. Biggest Defense Companies in Asia Some of the biggest defense companies in Asia include Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (NSE:HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (NSE:BEL), and Larsen & Toubro Limited (NSE:LT). Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (NSE:HAL) is one of the biggest and oldest defense companies in Asia, specializing in the manufacturing and maintenance of aircraft, helicopters, engines, avionics, and defense systems. For the financial year ended on March 31, 2023, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (NSE:HAL) reported that its revenue increased to $3.22 billion from $2.94 billion in the previous year. Commenting on the financial results Hindustan Aeronautics Limiteds (NSE:HAL) Chairman and Managing Director and Director (Finance) & CFO, Shri C.B. Ananthakrishnan said: Story continues In the financial year 2022-23, your Company recorded the highest ever turnover of 26,36,056 Lakh, experiencing strong growth of 8% from the previous years 24,36,166 Lakh. The Profit Before Tax (PBT) saw a growth of 24% from 5,23,115 Lakh to 6,49,294 Lakh while the Profit After Tax (PAT) increased by 14% from 5,08,650 Lakh to 5,81,117 Lakh. Our Order Book position stood healthy at 81,78,400 Lakh as on 31st March, 2023. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (NSE:HAL) accomplished significant achievements during the period including the inauguration of a helicopter factory in Tumakuru and the Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility (ICMF) in Bengaluru, which focuses on Hi-thrust Rocket engines. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (NSE:HAL) has produced 22 new aircraft and helicopters, such as LCA Tejas, Dornier, Do-228, ALH Dhruv, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) in addition to 51 new engines and has also overhauled 216 Aircraft / Helicopters and 536 engines. Bharat Electronics Limited (NSE:BEL) is one of the biggest defense companies in India, specializing in products and solutions including radars, communication systems, electronic warfare equipment, and missile systems. In the financial year 2022/23 Bharat Electronics Limited (NSE:BEL) achieved a revenue of $2.11 billion up about 15% from $1.84 billion in the previous year. The growth was driven by strong performances in both domestic and international markets. The defense sector contributed about 87% to the total revenue and exports increased 45% mainly to countries including France, USA, Spain, Israel, Germany, Mauritius, Switzerland, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. Some of the major products/systems exported include sound navigation and ranging systems (sonar), coastal radar systems, radar warning receivers, missile approach warning systems, T/R Modules, communication equipment, low band receivers (LRU), cable looms, sonar spares, and software for integration of radar, EOS, and compass. Commenting on the annual results, Bharat Electronics Limiteds (NSE:BEL) Chairman and Managing Director, Bhanu Prakash Srivastava said: FY 2022-23 has been an exceptional year for your Company. We grew on all fronts and emerged stronger with all your support, despite the geo-political crisis and global chip shortages. We continued to prioritise R&D, quality, technology and infrastructure modernisation, sustainability and excellence in operations which positions us on a stronger footing. The year also saw us creating value for all stakeholders. I am pleased to share that BEL has achieved a market capitalisation of 71,307 Crore as on 31 March 2023. This is a testament to our commitment of adequately rewarding our shareholders. Great progress was also made with regards to extending support to the communities and ensuring sustainable operations. On March 14, Bharat Electronics Limited (NSE:BEL) announced the sale of 14 cutting-edge Communication and Electronic Warfare (EW) sensors and systems to Larsen & Toubro Limited (NSE:LT) which will be installed on three cadet training ships for the Indian Navy. The contract is valued at $101.58 million. Earlier on February 13, Bharat Electronics Limited (NSE:BEL) received an order worth $130.93 million to supply LRUs for T-70 & T-90 tanks and communication systems for the Indian Navy. As of March 14, Bharat Electronics Limited (NSE:BEL) has received orders totaling over $3.92 billion, indicating a 15-17% growth for the financial year 2023/24. Larsen & Toubro Limited (NSE:LT) operates in a diverse range of industries including, defense engineering. Larsen & Toubro Limited (NSE:LT) manufactures land-based weapon launch systems, air defense and artillery systems, naval weapon launch systems with fire control solutions, bridging systems, communication, avionics, C4I, and missile systems. For the financial year 2023, Larsen & Toubro Limited (NSE:LT) reported a revenue of $13.25 billion, up from $12.11 billion in the previous year. On March 28, Larsen & Toubro Limited (NSE:LT) reported that the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), one of the United Kingdoms naval fleet, sent RFA Argus and RFA Lyme Bay warships to Larsen & Toubro Limiteds (NSE:LT) shipyard in Mumbai for Assisted Maintenance Period (AMP) and Self Maintenance Period (SMP). Commenting on the occasion Deputy British High Commissioner, Oliver Ballhatchet MBE said: This is the first instance that Royal Navy ships are undergoing scheduled maintenance routines in India. This move signifies a step towards India-UK 2030 Roadmap and reflects a shared understanding of the global security challenges in the Indian Ocean Region. Larsen & Toubro Limiteds (NSE:LT) Executive Vice President & Head of Defense, A T Ramchandani said: The visit of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, after US Navy ships last year, showcases the global recognition of L&Ts unmatched capabilities and facilities to undertake quality shipbuilding & refits. The defense market in Asia is experiencing robust growth driven by military modernization and technological advancements by countries such as China and India. Geopolitical tensions, territorial disputes, and terrorism threats are also driving growth in the defense sector. With this context, lets take a look at the list of the 15 biggest defense companies in Asia. 15 Biggest Defense Companies in Asia A skilled machinist inspecting a precision bearing for a aerospace/defense application. Our Methodology To make our list of the 15 biggest defense companies in Asia, we went over several sources including industry reports, our own rankings, and multiple similar rankings. We also scanned the Finviz and Yahoo Finance stock screeners. For public companies, we checked each company's market capitalization, as of April 2, 2024, on Yahoo Finance. The market caps for foreign companies were converted to US dollars based on the exchange rates of the respective country. To quantify the "value" or "size" of private companies, we selected either the estimated valuation, or the annual revenue available for the most recent fiscal year, or the number of employees, subject to availability of data. The estimated valuation was sourced from major media reports based on the private companies' latest funding round. The annual revenue or number of employees was sourced from official statements by the company and the company's website, and Forbes or Fortune in case the company did not disclose its financials. We have ranked the biggest defense companies in Asia in ascending order of their market capitalization, as of April 2, 2024, or alternative metrics for private companies. 15 Biggest Defense Companies in Asia 15. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (NSE:MAZDOCK) Market Cap: $4.87 billion Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (NSE:MAZDOCK) is one of India's biggest shipbuilding companies. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (NSE:MAZDOCK) is recognized for manufacturing defense vessels such as warships, submarines, and stealth frigates for the Indian Navy. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limiteds (NSE:MAZDOCK) market capitalization stands at $4.87 billion, as of April 2. 14. Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd. (KRX:042660) Market Cap: $6.58 billion Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd. (KRX:042660) is a South Korean company that provides a wide range of products and solutions for both commercial and military applications in the maritime and defense sectors. Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd. (KRX:042660) has a focus on shipbuilding, offshore engineering, and marine services and plays a crucial role in South Korea's maritime industry as one of the biggest defense companies in Asia. As of April 2, Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd. (KRX:042660) is valued at $6.58 billion. 13. AVIC Airborne Systems Co., Ltd. (China Avionics Systems) (SHA:600372) Market Cap: $7.88 billion AVIC Airborne Systems Co., Ltd. (SHA:600372) also known as China Avionics Systems Co. Ltd. is a Chinese aerospace company specializing in the design, development, and manufacturing of airborne systems and equipment. AVIC Airborne Systems Co., Ltd. (SHA:600372) has a focus on military applications, including airborne radar systems, avionics, and electronic warfare systems. The market capitalization of AVIC Airborne Systems Co., Ltd. (SHA:600372), as of April 2, is $7.88 billion. 12. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.,Ltd. (KRX:329180) Market Cap: $8.20 billion HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.,Ltd. (KRX:329180) is a South Korean conglomerate with diverse business interests, including shipbuilding, offshore engineering, and industrial machinery. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.,Ltd. (KRX:329180) is also involved in the design and construction of naval vessels, including submarines, destroyers, and aircraft carriers. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.,Ltd. (KRX:329180) has a market cap of $8.20 billion, as of April 2. 11. AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group Company Ltd. (SHE:000768) Market Cap: $8.21 billion AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group Company Ltd. (SHE:000768) is a Chinese aerospace company specializing in the design, development, and manufacturing of military, transport, and special mission aircraft. AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group Company Ltd. (SHE:000768) plays a crucial role in supporting China's air force and enhancing its aerospace capabilities. As of April 2, AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group Company Ltd. (SHE:000768) has a market value of $8.21 billion. 10. Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (SGX:S63) Market Cap: $9.34 billion Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (SGX:S63) is the biggest defense, and engineering company in Singapore. Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (SGX:S63) has a diverse portfolio of businesses including aerospace, electronics, land systems, and marine sectors, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (SGX:S63) has a market cap of $9.34 billion, as of April 2. 9. HLB Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:028300) Market Cap: $9.57 billion HLB Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:028300) is a South Korean company, which is one the biggest defense companies in Asia. HLB Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:028300) provides a wide range of products and services for military applications, including communication systems, surveillance equipment, and electronic warfare systems. HLB Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:028300) has a market cap of $9.57 billion, as of April 2. 8. Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd. (KRX:012450) Market Cap: $9.68 billion Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd. (KRX:012450) is a South Korean conglomerate involved in the manufacturing of aircraft components, propulsion systems, and defense electronics. Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd. (KRX:012450) contributes significantly to South Korea's defense industry. As of April 2, Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd. (KRX:012450) is valued at $9.68 billion. 7. AECC Aviation Power Co.,Ltd (SHA:600893) Market Cap: $12.37 billion AECC Aviation Power Co.,Ltd (SHA:600893) ranks among the biggest aerospace and defense companies in China. AECC Aviation Power Co.,Ltd (SHA:600893) specializes in the manufacturing of engines and gas turbines for military aircraft, commercial airliners, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As of April 2, AECC Aviation Power Co.,Ltd (SHA:600893) is valued at $12.37 billion. 6. AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Company Limited (SHA:600760) Market Cap: $13.59 billion AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Company Limited (SHA:600760) is one of the biggest aerospace and defense companies based in Shenyang, China, specializing in the design, development, and manufacturing of military aircraft and fighter jets. AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Company Limited (SHA:600760) plays a crucial role in China's air force and aerospace capabilities. AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Company Limited (SHA:600760) has a market cap of $13.59 billion, as of April 2. Click to continue reading 5 Biggest Defense Companies in Asia. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 15 Biggest Defense Companies in Asia was originally published at Insider Monkey. In this article, we will take a look at the 15 fastest growing metro areas in the US. If you would like to skip our discussion on the expansion trends across the country, you can go to the 5 Fastest Growing Metro Areas in the US. The latest population estimates for 2023 from the US Census Bureau suggest a shift towards pre-pandemic population trends. The data indicates a decrease in deaths compared to the previous year and a return to migration patterns similar to those before 2020. In 2023, a larger number of states saw an increase in population compared to any other year since the beginning of the pandemic, resulting in 0.5% or over 1.6 million individuals being added to the country's total population. While national population growth didnt reach historical highs in 2023, it's gradually increasing compared to the 0.4% rise in 2022 and the 0.2% uptick in 2021. Looking at population changes in regions, the South, the country's most populous region with over 130 million residents, dominated national growth, adding a whopping 1.4 million people in 2023. This region's warm weather and job opportunities continue to attract residents, with net domestic and international migration fueling its expansion. It also has some of the fastest growing cities in the US by population, such as College Station, Texas, and Sunrise, Florida. As far as the Midwest region is concerned, it saw a moderate rebound of 0.2%, gaining just over 126,000 residents. This resurgence is due to several factors, including a lower rate of outmigration, increased international migration, and slower population loss in Illinois, offset by growth in Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio. These states have most of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest. The West also experienced expansion, adding 137,299 people slightly lower than the 157,480 added in 2022. While this region saw a rise in international migration and fewer deaths, higher outmigration to other regions dampened its growth. However, the Northeast region remained in decline, with a population loss of 43,330 in 2023. Nonetheless, this was a significant improvement compared to the losses in 2022 (216,576) and 2021 (187,054). This suggests a potential slowdown in outmigration from the region, with New York and Pennsylvania showing considerably reduced population drops compared to prior years. Implications for Food Service Demand An increase in population can lead to an increase in demand for food services, especially in urban areas. According to Fortune Business Insights, the US foodservice market is expected to reach $1,767.54 billion in 2030. The market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.03% between 2022 and 2030. Factors fueling this growth include access to more food options, the introduction of new types of food service providers, such as cloud kitchens, and an increase in consumer spending on fast food. On the other hand, with consumers becoming more health conscious and reports of adverse effects of processed foods, the food service market could be badly impacted. Some major players in this market include McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD), Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX), and Dominos Pizza, Inc. (NYSE:DPZ). McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is amongst the largest quick service restaurant (QSR) chains in the world. It announced an ambitious growth strategy last year. According to the leadership of the company, the burger chain is planning to open 10,000 more stores in the next 4 years. Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is also a leading player in this market, with thousands of stores worldwide. Despite Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) stock trading at an all-time low currently, experts on Wall Street anticipate a significant improvement in the next five years. Dominos Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) is also among the major players in the food service and QSR industry. It has consistently exceeded earnings estimates over the last couple of quarters. Heres what the management shared in the companys Q4 2023 earnings call: "Weve always been known as a premier value player, and we believe this can continue to be a differentiator for us in 24 through our improved loyalty program, our national promotions, and our rollout on Uber. Dominos rewards is off to a great start and was a key driver of our strong comp performance in the fourth quarter, when we saw positive sales and transactions in both our U.S. delivery and carryout businesses. Weve also seen the following: an uptick in active members. We are up 3 million active members in 2023, with 2 million plus since our relaunch in September. Dominos Rewards ended the year with approximately 33 million active members, a big driver of the increase in active members as well as the early success of the program was our Emergency Pizza promotion, which was an innovative marketing initiative that drove increased order counts and acquisition of customers into Dominos rewards." 15 Fastest Growing Metro Areas in the US Pixabay/Public Domain Our Methodology We've compiled a list of the 15 fastest growing metro areas in the US using population estimates from the US Census Bureau. These metro areas are ranked based on the percentage growth in population from 2022 to 2023. Simply put, a metropolitan statistical area, or metro area, is a region focused on a city with at least 50,000 residents. It includes neighboring areas that are economically and socially connected to the central city. Our list has been arranged in ascending order of the year-on-year (YoY) increase in population between 2022 and 2023. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or a professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. 15 Fastest Growing Metro Areas in the US 15. Huntsville, AL Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.5% Huntsville, the most populous city in Alabama, sits on the state's northern border. Spanning across Madison County, with its borders reaching into Limestone and Morgan Counties, Huntsville serves as a major part of the Huntsville Metropolitan Area. The 2023 US Census revealed a population of 527,254 within the metro area. 14. Homosassa Springs, FL Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.6% Homosassa Springs, Florida, is a charming community and the principal city of its very own metropolitan statistical area, the Homosassa Springs, Florida, MSA. This MSA is situated in Central West Florida, offering a unique blend of urban core and natural beauty. The Homosassa Springs, FL Metro Area is well-connected by public transportation, making it easy for people to commute. Bus services are provided by Citrus County Transit, which runs multiple routes throughout the city. Homosassa Springs, FL Metro Areas population as of 2023 was estimated at 166,696, reflecting an increase of 2.6% from the previous year. 13. Sherman-Denison, TX Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.6% Sherman, Texas, is situated in Grayson County and falls among the two major cities located within the Sherman-Denison metropolitan area. As the largest city in Texoma, covering parts of North Texas and southern Oklahoma, Sherman is located 40 miles north of the booming Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Sherman serves as the economic and governmental hub of the Sherman-Denison area, with a population exceeding 146,907 as of 2023. Sherman's community benefits from a variety of businesses, trade, and professional services, making it attractive for residents and visitors alike. 12. Greeley, CO Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.6% Greeley, Colorado, is a thriving metro area. As the primary agricultural center and the largest municipality in Weld County by population, Greeley is attracting residents from all over the country at an impressive rate. The Greeley metro area's population boomed by over 30% between 2010 and 2020. This growth trend has continued. Greeley recently emerged as the fastest-growing metro area in Colorado, with a population increase of nearly 3% or more than 9,000 people between the years 2022 and 2023. 11. Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.7% Panama City, Florida, is the ideal vacation spot, especially for outdoor enthusiasts. This vibrant city has beautiful beaches and state parks. The metro area, including Panama City, is experiencing rapid growth, with its population increasing by over 2.7% to reach 253,507 in 2023. Panama City Beach is a highlight, bustling with activity during the summer months and attracting over 100,000 visitors daily. It's no wonder that nearly 4.5 million people flock to the area each year. The area is at the eleventh position on our list of the 15 fastest growing metro areas in the US. 10. Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.8% Alabama is home to four of the United States' 100 fastest-growing metropolitan areas, and among them is Daphne-Fairhope-Foley. This metro area, situated in Baldwin County and renowned for Alabama's stunning beaches, experienced a growth of 2.8%. Its population rose from 246,531 in 2022 to 253,507 in 2023. This growth secured its position as the 10th fastest growing metro area in the US. 9. Wilmington, NC Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.8% Wilmington, as the hub of a growing metropolitan area, is drawing in new residents at a remarkable pace. The Wilmington metro, which includes Pender, Brunswick, and New Hanover counties, reached a population of over 467,000 in 2023. According to data from the US Census Bureau, it secured the 9th spot amongst the fastest growing metro areas in the US, experiencing an increase of nearly 3% within just one year. 8. Spartanburg, SC Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.9% Spartanburg, South Carolina, is a bustling city in the Upstate region, ranking as the second-largest in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson area. The city's population surpassed 383,000 in 2023, marking an increase of over 10,000 residents within just one year. This significant growth is drawing retailers and driving new economic development in the area. 7. Midland, TX Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.9% The Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area, situated in West Texas, is designated as a single-county area by the United States Census Bureau. Between 2022 and 2023, the population of the Midland Area experienced growth from 177,247 to 182,324 individuals, representing an increase of 2.9%. 6. Hinesville, GA Metro Area YoY Population Increase: 2.9% Hinesville, situated on Georgia's Atlantic coast, serves as the focal point of its expanding metropolitan area. This two-county region, encompassing Liberty and Long counties, is part of the larger Savannah-Hinesville-Statesboro Combined Statistical Area. As of 2023, the Hinesville metro area recorded a population of over 88,800, reflecting a healthy increase of nearly 3% since 2022. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Fastest Growing Metro Areas in the US. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 15 Fastest Growing Metro Areas in the US is published on Insider Monkey. In this article, we will take a look at the 20 countries with the lowest population growth in the world. If you would like to skip our discussion on the population trends across the country, you can go to the 5 Countries with the Lowest Population Growth in the World. In 1950, the global population stood at just 2.5 billion. By 2023, that number has more than tripled, reaching a staggering 8 billion. The UN predicts a steady climb in global population, with estimates reaching 8.5 billion by 2023, 9.7 billion by 2050, and a projected peak of 10.4 billion by 2100. This also indicates a slowing world population growth rate. One of the main reasons behind this slow pace of growth is the declining fertility rate. Fertility rates have decreased in recent decades across a significant portion of the world. Currently, more than half of the global population resides in countries where a woman has, on average, less than 2.1 children in their lifetime. Since the late 1970s, developed nations across Europe and North America have witnessed a persistent decline in birth rates. Several countries have even seen their fertility rates dip below 1.4 births per woman. Consequently, migration has emerged as the primary driver of population growth in these regions, a trend expected to persist in the future. Regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southeast Asia have experienced very high population growth rates in 2021. Many of the top 10 fast-growing population countries are located across these areas. These countries have some of the highest population growth rates in the world, mainly due to the above-average fertility rates. The global population is expected to continue growing due to a decrease in mortality rates and an increase in life expectancy. Average life expectancy is expected to reach 77.3 by 2050. This upward trend in longevity is reshaping the population structure, with an increase in the number of individuals aged 65 and above. In fact, the growth rate of this age group is outpacing that of the younger demographics. By 2050, projections suggest the global population over 65 will be more than double the number of children under 5 and will approximately equal the number of children under 12. Growth of the Global Retirement Home Service Market Keeping these demographic changes in view, the global retirement home service market is expected to be valued at $14.2 billion by 2032, according to Allied Market Research. The market is predicted to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 4.2% from 2023 to 2032. North America holds the lions share in this market, and it is expected that the market in North America will continue to grow at a rate of 3.8% per annum till 2032, reaching $5,417.8 million. Key industry players include Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE:BKD), Genesis Healthcare Inc. (OTC:GENN), and ABM Industries Incorporated (NYSE:ABM). Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE:BKD) is a well-known company for retirement homes and senior living facilities. The company's recently announced full-year results for 2023 showed substantial growth driven by high occupancy rates. Genesis Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:GENN) is another well-known name in the senior living facilities market. Recently, 19 of the companys facilities located in 9 states were listed among the Best Nursing Homes 2024 in the US News and World Report. ABM Industries Incorporated (NYSE:ABM), primarily a facility management service company, also has a significant influence in the senior living facilities market. With more than four decades of experience in this area, the company provides multiple services to senior living properties. 20 Countries with the Lowest Population Growth in the World Arthimedes/Shutterstock.com Our Methodology To shortlist the 20 countries with the lowest population growth in the world, we consulted the latest data from the CIA World Factbook. The population growth rate measures the average annual percentage change in population size across countries as of 2023. We have ranked the countries in descending order based on their average annual population growth rates. Our list excludes island nations or territories. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or a professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. 20 Countries with the Lowest Population Growth in the World 20. Colombia Population Growth Rate: 0.54% Colombia's population is aging rapidly. The birth rate has been steadily declining, with a significant drop of 7.7% in 2022 compared to the previous year. In the second half of 2023, it decreased by 10.5%. This trend is expected to continue, leading to a future with a much larger proportion of elderly citizens. Projections suggest that by 2060, two out of three people in Colombia will be retired. 19. Sweden Population Growth Rate: 0.51% Sweden's population growth in 2023 hit a 22-year low, according to Statistics Sweden. The population increased by just 30,200 people, reaching 10.5 million. This is a significant slowdown compared to previous years. Several factors contributed to this slow growth. These include fewer births, lower immigration, and increased emigration. 18. Peru Population Growth Rate: 0.5% Peru's population witnessed moderate growth in 2023. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), the population reached an estimated 33.73 million. This growth is primarily driven by a birth rate exceeding the death rate since net migration was negative. 17. United Kingdom Population Growth Rate: 0.49% The United Kingdom's population has been steadily growing. This growth is primarily driven by a combination of factors. Firstly, while the birth rate remains above zero, it has been declining in recent years. However, it is still more than the death rate, which means a positive natural population growth. Moreover, net immigration is also driving growth. The UK attracts skilled workers and international students, leading to a steady influx of new residents. 16 Netherlands Population Growth Rate: 0.48% The Netherlands saw a significant slowdown in population growth in 2023. Compared to 2022's net increase of 221,000 residents, the growth rate dropped by over 36%. The number of deaths in the Netherlands outpaced the number of births in 2023. This resulted in negative natural population growth. Additionally, immigration dipped in 2023. This decrease was coupled with a rise in emigration, particularly among non-Dutch residents. 15. Denmark Population Growth Rate: 0.44% Denmark's population growth slowed down in 2023. The national population grew by a modest 0.4%, which is significantly lower than the 1.0% growth observed in 2022. There was a negative natural population change in 2023. This means the number of deaths outpaced the number of births. Moreover, the immigration rate also declined in 2023 by 19% compared to 2022. Denmark is among the top 15 countries with the lowest population growth in the world. 14. Azerbaijan Population Growth Rate: 0.43% Azerbaijan's population has been increasing, although at a very slow pace, reaching an estimated 10.45 million in April 2024. This growth is primarily driven by a birth rate exceeding the death rate, as the net migration rate is negative. The country has a relatively young population, but fertility rates are low at 1.93 children per woman. 13. North Korea Population Growth Rate: 0.4% Recent estimates indicate a population growth rate of approximately 0.4% in North Korea as of 2023. The average birth rate stands at 1.79 births per woman during their lifetime in the country. Factors such as economic challenges, delayed marriage, and government policies may contribute to this decline in birth rates. 12. Austria Population Growth Rate: 0.31% Austria's average annual population growth rate sits at 0.31% as of 2023. The birth rate stands at 9.39 births per 1,000 people, while a slightly higher death rate of 9.86 per 1,000 people indicates a small natural decline in population. This suggests that, on average, more individuals are passing away than being born within Austria. However, immigration plays a role in counterbalancing the natural population decline and contributes to overall growth. 11. Guyana Population Growth Rate: 0.28% As of 2023, Guyana's population growth rate remains relatively low, standing at around 0.28%. Despite a birth rate of 16.7 per 1000 people, which exceeds the death rate of 7 per 1000 individuals, the country faces a challenge with emigration. Approximately 55% of Guyana's population resides abroad, making it one of the countries with the highest emigration rates globally. This significant outflow of citizens, particularly young adults seeking opportunities elsewhere, has an impact on population growth within the country. 10. Uruguay Population Growth Rate: 0.27% Uruguay is among the top 10 countries with the lowest population growth in the world. Domestic births are declining across the country, and the population is aging. However, this slowdown is being counterbalanced by a significant rise in immigration. The arrival of nearly 62,000 immigrants in recent years has played a key role in maintaining Uruguay's population growth. 9. South Korea Population Growth Rate: 0.23% South Korea faces a complex demographic challenge in the form of a stagnant population growth rate. As of 2023, the country's annual population growth rate is around 0.23%, which is a significant drop compared to previous decades. A key factor behind the slowing population growth is the low birth rate. South Korea's birth rate has fallen dramatically to just 0.72 babies per woman over their lifetime as of 2023. This decline is attributed to various factors, including economic and societal pressures. 8. Finland Population Growth Rate: 0.22% Finland's sluggish population growth primarily stems from low birth rates. In 2023, the country witnessed 17,786 fewer births than deaths. The birth rate in Finland has steadily declined for over a decade, plummeting by a third since 2010. Hence, population growth has relied on net immigration for several years. 7. France Population Growth Rate: 0.21% France is experiencing a significant demographic shift. According to the latest national statistics, the birth rate has dipped to its lowest point since World War II, with a decline of 6.6% in 2023. This decline coincides with a record high in life expectancy, which is currently 80 years for men and 85.7 for women. These contrasting trends are leading to a rapid aging of the French population. France is among the top 10 countries with the lowest population growth in the world. 6. Thailand Population Growth Rate: 0.2% As of 2023, Thailand's annual population growth rate sits at 0.2%, marking a significant decrease from past decades. This slowdown can be attributed mainly to the low birth rate. Thailand has witnessed a steady decline in birth rates over the last several decades. As per the most recent records, the birth rate was estimated at 9 births per 1000 people. Thailand has implemented measures such as offering childcare services and access to fertility centers to address this issue. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Countries with the Lowest Population Growth in the World. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 20 Countries with the Lowest Population Growth in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey. In this article, we take a look at the 20 Most Populated Counties in the US. If you want to, you can skip our detailed discussion of the topic and go directly to our shorter list of the 5 Most Populated Counties in the US. According to the Census Bureaus population estimates, in January 2024, the total population of the United States stood at 335,893,238, with an annual growth rate of 0.53%. In other words, the States will see an increase of 1,759,535 people in the total population by the end of this year. Speaking of the countrys population count, the United States is the third-largest country by population in the world. It is also the fourth-largest country by land area, covering 9,372,610 sq. kilometers. Being a vast country with ample economic opportunities, the United States has been a magnet for immigrants looking for a better quality of life. Therefore, much of the population growth in the US is driven by net migration, which was 999,700 people in 2023, according to the World Bank data. Net migration in the US, combined with a fertility rate of 1.7 births per woman and a life expectancy of 80.8 years, has contributed significantly to its population. However, theres a great variation when it comes to population distribution across the country. The country consists of 50 states and the District of Columbia, these states are further divided into counties, which serve as administrative extensions of state governments. As of 2023 data, there were 3,196 counties in the US. Out of the 50 states, two states use the terms parishes and boroughs to refer to counties. These are Louisiana and Alaska respectively. Every state, on average, houses around 62 counties, with some states having more counties than others. (See also: 15 States with The Most Counties in the US). Throughout these states and all the counties, the spread of population varies greatly. For instance, the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in Alaska is the largest county by land area of over 145,575.5 square miles but has a population of 5,129 people. On the contrary, New York County, which is one of the smallest counties in the US by area, has a population of nearly 1.6 million people, representing the discrepancy in the population distribution. If we look at the most densely populated counties, like New York County, we see that most Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in these areas, for instance, Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ). Headquartered in New York City, which is the most populated city in the US, Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) is an American multinational and one of the leading corporations in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry of the country. Last year, in 2023, Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) acquired a global biotechnology company, Seagen Inc., for a total enterprise value of approximately $43 billion. With this acquisition, the company aims to achieve breakthroughs in cancer medicines that will drastically improve the lives of people around the world. Meanwhile, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), an American multinational conglomerate and one of the key players in the telecommunications industry, is also headquartered in New York City. In 2023, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) invested $400,000 to support digital inclusion in small businesses and help entrepreneurs thrive in an increasingly digital economy. On the other hand, Sony Group Corp (NYSE:SONY), one of the leading Japanese multinational companies, is headquartered in the most populated city of Japan, Tokyo. However, its American arm, Sony Corporation of America, is headquartered in New York City, NY. In February this year, Sony Group Corp (NYSE:SONY) announced the laying off of 900 employees in its PlayStation division, making it the largest company in the technology and gaming sector to announce layoffs. In retrospect, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Jim Ryan, said, "While these are challenging times, it is not indicative of a lack of strength of our company, our brand, or our industry. Our goal is to remain agile and adaptable and to continue to focus on delivering the best gaming experiences possible now and in the future. 20 Most Populated Counties in the US 20 Most Populated Counties in the US Our Methodology For our list of the 20 Most Populated Counties in the US, we have sourced data from the Census Bureau Vintage 2023. In particular, we looked at the Annual Resident Population Estimates for States and Counties between April 1 of 2020, and July 1 of 2023, which provided a list of US counties by population (all 3,196 counties) between all these years. We then shortlisted the 20 largest counties by population and arranged them in ascending order of their 2023 population estimates. All other information in the list has also been sourced from the Census Bureau. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that uses a consensus approach to identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The website tracks the movement of corporate insiders and hedge funds. Our top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 stock index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). So, if you are looking for the best stock picks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. 20 Most Populated Counties in the US 20. Middlesex County, Massachusetts Population Estimates (2023): 1,623,952 Middlesex County, with a population of over 1.6 million residents, is one of the most populous counties in the US. Despite this, the county has experienced a slight population decline of 0.5% between 2020 and 2023. Moreover, 58.5% of residents of Middlesex County have attained a bachelor's degree or higher, indicating a well-educated populace. 19. Wayne County, Michigan Population Estimates (2023): 1,751,169 Ranked 19th, Wayne County presents a dynamic population and housing scene. As per 2022 Census Bureau US data, the countys 790,946 housing units accommodate a mix of homeowners and renters. Wayne county comprises a 51.5% female population. (See also: 15 States with Highest Female to Male Ratio in the US). 18. Santa Clara County, California Population Estimates (2023): 1,877,592 In Santa Clara County, 55.3% of the population has a bachelor's degree or higher, meaning that the county boasts a highly educated populace. The racial composition according to Census Bureau data, is diverse, with almost half of the population identifying as White, 41.4% identifying as Asian, and 24.7% identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Furthermore, 4.9% of individuals under 65 in the county live with disabilities and 4.4% lack health insurance. 17. Broward County, Florida Population Estimates (2023): 1,962,531 Ranked 17th, Broward County is home to a diverse population, with over half of the population identifying as White, 32.5% as Hispanic or Latino, and 4.0% as Asian, reflecting a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds. Between 2020 and 2023, the county saw a population increase of 0.9%. 16. Bexar County, Texas Population Estimates (2023): 2,087,679 Bexar County, with a population exceeding 2 million, experienced a population surge of 3.9% between 2020 and 2023. Moreover, 64.7% of the countys population actively participates in the civilian labor force. Despite this, with the median household earning of over $67,000, 15.6% of the people in Bexar County still live in poverty. 15. Tarrant County, Texas Population Estimates (2023): 2,182,947 Tarrant County, with a land area of 865.2 sq. miles is the 179th largest county in the state of Texas by total area. Around 16.2% of people in the county do not have healthcare coverage, including 19.9% of people under age 65. Tarrant County has an employment rate of 65.8%, and 68.5% of the total population actively participates in the civilian labor force. 14. San Bernardino County, California Population Estimates (2023): 2,195,611 San Bernardino County, with a population of nearly 2.2 million, and a land area of 20,068.2 sq. miles, is the largest county in California by land area. It has a population comprising 75.3% White, 8.9% Asian, and 56.2% Hispanic or Latino people. In terms of housing, there are over 742,000 units, with 61.1% being owner-occupied. 13. Queens County, New York Population Estimates (2023): 2,252,196 Queens County, with 108.7 sq. miles of land area, is the 4th smallest county in New York. The median household income in the county is $80,557, which is $1,000 higher than the state. Also, the poverty rate among the people of Queens County is 1.3% less than in the whole of New York. 12. King County, Washington Population Estimates (2023): 2,271,380 Between 2020 and 2022, King County saw a population decline of 0.2%. However, between 2022 and 2023, the county saw a significant increase in population of 0.1%, bringing the total population count up from 2,265,311 to 2,271,380 people. Furthermore, there are approximately 916,270 households in the county, with an average of 2 people per household. It is the 11th largest county in Washington state by total area. 11. Clark County, Nevada Population Estimates (2023): 2,336,573 Clark County, famously home to the Las Vegas Strip, draws numerous tourists each year with its vast array of casinos and hotels. Amidst the hustle and bustle of this tourist hotspot, over 86% of adults have completed high school, and more than a quarter hold bachelors degrees or higher. Clark County is the 6th largest county by population in Nevada, and the 11th largest county by population by population. 10. Riverside County, California Population Estimates (2023): 2,492,442 10th on the list of most populated counties in the US, Riverside County is the 4th largest county in California by total area. The median household income in the county stands at around $86,748 and the employment rate stands at 58.6%. Moreover, 14.6% of residents are employed in local, state, and federal government roles. 9. Kings County, New York Population Estimates (2023): 2,561,225 The third smallest county in New York, Kings County is the 9th largest county in the US by population. Notably, 42.4% of the county residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which showcases their commitment to higher learning. As per the Census Bureau, the countys workforce also has some degree of variety, with 62.2% in private companies, 4.2% self-employed, 13.0% in private not-for-profits, 14.1% in government roles, and 6.5% self-employed or unpaid family workers. 8. Dallas County, Texas Population Estimates (2023): 2,606,358 The 177th largest county in Texas by total area, Dallas County ranks 8th among the 10 largest counties in the US by population. If we look at the racial diversity, the county houses 65.5% White folks, 7.2% Asians, and 41.5% Hispanics or Latinos. Moreover, the employment demographics suggest that about 9.5% of employed individuals work for the government, while 66.5% are part of the civilian workforce. 7. Miami-Dade County, Florida Population Estimates (2023): 2,686,867 Miami-Dade County, the 3rd largest county in Florida by total area, saw a slight dip of 0.6% in population from 2020 to 2023. Still, it houses the 7th highest number of people as compared to the other 3,196 counties in the States. Furthermore, even though the median household income exceeds the $64,000 figure, 14.5% of residents of Miami-Dade County are struggling with poverty. 6. Orange County, California Population Estimates (2023): 3,135,755 Positioning itself as the first county on the list crossing the 3 million resident count, Orange County is one of the top 20 US counties with the highest population. Between 2020 and 2022, Orange County saw a population decline of 1.1%, and between 2022 and 2023, the county saw a further 1.6% decline, bringing the total population count down from 3,150,372 to 3,135,755 people. It is the 47th largest county in California by land area. Click to continue reading and see 5 Most Populated Counties in the US. Suggested articles: Disclosure: None. 20 Most Populated Counties in the US is originally published on Insider Monkey. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Oregons three billionaires are featured on Forbes annual list of The Richest People in the World. This is the 38th year the business media company has ranked the top earners across the globe. Lottery lawyer advises Oregon Powerball players on next steps after winning prize A record year for ten-figure wealth has left the billionaire class bigger and richer than ever, Forbes said of its 2024 report. Nike co-founder and chairman emeritus Phil Knight, along with wife Penny and their children, was the highest-ranking Oregon earner at No. 30. As of Apr. 2, the family was worth $40.9 billion. The Knights net worth has consistently dropped since 2021, when it was $49.9 billion. In addition to the Forbes mention, the family was previously named one of The Chronicle of Philanthropys top donors of 2023. Last year, Phil and Penny Knight gifted $400 million to an initiative that will boost North Portlands historically-Black Albina neighborhood. Everything you need to know about Oregons solar eclipse Monday At No. 1496, Columbia Sportswear CEO and President Timothy Boyle was Oregons next entry on the Forbes list. The businessman has a net worth of $2.2 billion, a slight drop from the $2.3 billion recorded the previous year. Boyles outdoor gear and apparel brand announced layoffs earlier in February. The companys operating income significantly declined in 2023, and net sales are expected to drop by up to 4% through 2024. Dutch Bros CEO and executive chairman Travis Boersma was the final Oregonian named in the report. He ranked at No. 1623, with a net worth of $2 billion a small decrease from the $2.1 billion recorded in early April 2023. Population stagnation will affect Oregons future economy Boersmas coffee chain has also undergone some changes this year. Its main headquarters is located in Grants Pass, but in January, the company announced 40% of corporate staff would relocate to the Arizona office due to the strong Phoenix market. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Key Insights Significantly high institutional ownership implies Marshalls' stock price is sensitive to their trading actions A total of 11 investors have a majority stake in the company with 51% ownership Recent purchases by insiders A look at the shareholders of Marshalls plc (LON:MSLH) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 79% to be precise, is institutions. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Marshalls, beginning with the chart below. See our latest analysis for Marshalls What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Marshalls? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. We can see that Marshalls does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Marshalls' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Marshalls is not owned by hedge funds. Inflexion Private Equity Partners LLP is currently the company's largest shareholder with 8.7% of shares outstanding. With 7.1% and 5.2% of the shares outstanding respectively, Montanaro Investment Managers Ltd. and abrdn plc are the second and third largest shareholders. A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 11 shareholders have a combined ownership of 51% implying that no single shareholder has a majority. 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. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. Insider Ownership Of Marshalls 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. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our information suggests that Marshalls plc insiders own under 1% of the company. It seems the board members have no more than UK2.4m worth of shares in the UK674m company. Many tend to prefer to see a board with bigger shareholdings. A good next step might be to take a look at this free summary of insider buying and selling. General Public Ownership The general public-- including retail investors -- own 11% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Private Equity Ownership With an ownership of 8.7%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Some might like this, because private equity are sometimes activists who hold management accountable. But other times, private equity is selling out, having taking the company public. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Marshalls . But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. LOS ANGELES, April 08, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) will host a conference call on May 6, 2024 at 4:30 PM Eastern Time to discuss the Company's financial results for the first quarter of 2024. Investors can participate in the conference call by dialing 1 (888) 660-6652 domestic or 1 (646) 960-0554 international. The passcode for the call is 5952437. The conference call will also be broadcast live through a link on the Investors page of the Air Lease Corporation website at www.airleasecorp.com. Please visit the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the broadcast will be available on the Investors page of the Air Lease Corporation website. For your convenience, the conference call can be replayed in its entirety beginning on May 6, 2024 until 11:59 PM ET on May 13, 2024. If you wish to listen to the replay of this conference call, please dial 1 (800) 770-2030 domestic or 1 (647) 362-9199 international and enter passcode 5952437. About Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) Air Lease Corporation is a leading global aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing new commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions. The company routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the "Investors" section of its website at www.airleasecorp.com. Investors and potential investors are encouraged to consult Air Lease Corporations website regularly for important information. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, ALCs website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408830059/en/ Contacts Investors: Jason Arnold Vice President, Investor Relations Email: investors@airleasecorp.com Media: Laura Woeste Senior Manager, Media and Investor Relations Email: press@airleasecorp.com Ashley Arnold Senior Manager, Media and Investor Relations Email: press@airleasecorp.com Project will use biogas produced by the largest inland sewage discharger west of the Mississippi Riverthe EchoWater Resource Recovery Facilityto generate heat and power. FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 08, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE: AMRC), a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, today announced it entered a nearly $140M contract to develop and construct an advanced technology biogas cogeneration facility for the Sacramento Area Sewer District located at the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility (EchoWater Facility) near Elk Grove, California. This on-site renewable energy facility will beneficially utilize biogas (methane), a byproduct of the EchoWater Facilitys solids treatment process, to produce renewable electricity and heat for the EchoWater Facility through an integrated 13.4 MW cogeneration plant that will utilize fuel cell and engine technology. By incorporating the fuel cell system, the project will have exceptional efficiency and reduced pollutant emissions, making it a clean, reliable baseload dispatchable resource. Additionally, the system will allow for the expandability to produce hydrogen in the future. "SacSewer is committed to being a leader in environmental stewardship. Through our sustainable efforts in resource recovery, we maximize the reuse of treatment process by-products such as biogas," shared Christoph Dobson, SacSewers General Manager. "This project is yet another example of how were working every day to fulfill our mission of protecting public health and the environment by collecting, treating, and recovering resources from sewage." "We are thrilled to partner with SacSewer, supporting their efforts to optimize the use of the biogas that is generated as a byproduct of the sewage treatment process," said Michael Bakas, Executive Vice President of Ameresco. "Capturing and repurposing biogenic methane, that is already in our environment and produced by society, to displace fossil fuel is a powerful example of the circular economy in action, where waste is not discarded, but turned into a valuable asset. This voluntary act by SacSewer, backed by a material investment into this advanced renewable energy center, speaks volumes to their commitment to our environment and their surrounding community." Construction of the new facility is expected to be completed by July 2026. To learn more about the energy efficiency solutions offered by Ameresco, visit www.ameresco.com/energy-efficiency/. Story continues About Ameresco, Inc. Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading cleantech integrator and renewable energy asset developer, owner and operator. Our comprehensive portfolio includes solutions that help customers reduce costs, decarbonize to net zero, and build energy resiliency while leveraging smart, connected technologies. From implementing energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrades to developing, constructing, and operating distributed energy resources we are a trusted sustainability partner. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with Federal, state and local governments, utilities, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has more than 1,500 employees providing local expertise in North America and Europe. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com. About the Sacramento Area Sewer District The Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) is the Sacramento regions largest sewage collection, treatment, and resource recovery utilityproviding service to more than 1.6 million people. They are the second largest sewage collection utility in California, and they own and operate the second largest water resource recovery facility of its kind in the nationthe EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility located near Elk Grove. Learn more at sacsewer.com. The announcement of a customers entry into a project contract is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such contract, of the companys overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in the companys overall total project backlog. This project was included in our previously reported awarded backlog as of December 31, 2023. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408591971/en/ Contacts Ameresco: Leila Dillon, 508-661-2264, news@ameresco.com Danish A. Lakhani, CEO of NayaPay, made a payment by NayaPay app at a local store in Beijing on Monday. Pakistan's leading fintech platform NayaPay has become the 11th payment method accepted at Alipay+'s extensive network of 80 million merchants in China. (Photo: Business Wire) Through a partnership with Alipay+, NayaPay becomes the first fintech platform in Pakistan to enable its users to pay at 80 million merchants in China directly through their NayaPay app. With continued expansion of the partnership with e-wallets and major card organizations, Ant International introduces a new nationwide initiative to build International Consumer Friendly Zones across China's main tourist and commercial cities to encourage local consumption through seamless cross-border payment experience. BEIJING & KARACHI, Pakistan, April 08, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ant Group, along with 11 overseas payment partners of Alipay+ and major international card organizations, launched in Beijing a nationwide Program to build International Consumer Friendly Zones across major Chinese tourist and commercial cities, with the support of relevant authorities and local governments. Working with local merchants, tourism sites and commercial districts, the Program aims to enhance international visitors' experience and drive business for local merchants. Ant Group now offers 2 mobile payment alternatives for overseas visitors in China. Alipay+, a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalization technology solutions under Ant International, enables overseas consumers to pay with their home e-wallets across China. Travelers may also choose to bind major international bank cards, including Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club International to an Alipay app to access a rich array of local Alipay services from shopping, dining, ride-hailing to public transportation while in the Chinese mainland, without needing a local bank account or phone number. As part of the International Consumer Friendly Zones program, Ant Group will collaborate closely with partners to significantly enhance accessibility and convenience of the two mobile payment options for international visitors. Emphasis will be placed on refining these services at locations most frequented by travelers, including key transportation hubs as well as tourism attractions, hotels, and shopping districts. Initial efforts will focus on expanding bilingual support, offering comprehensive user guides, and bolstering merchant training to ensure a seamless and welcoming experience for global consumers. At the launch, Alipay+ jointly announced with NayaPay, Pakistan's leading fintech platform, that NayaPay users will be able to make payments with their e-money account at Alipay+'s extensive network of 80 million merchants in China, as bilateral trade and visits increase. NayaPay thus becomes the 11th overseas and 1st Pakistani payments platform to "roam" in China, following AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), Changi Pay (Singapore), HiPay (Mongolia), Kakao Pay (South Korea), MPay (Macao SAR, China), Naver Pay (South Korea), OCBC Digital (Singapore), Toss Pay (South Korea), Touch 'n' Go eWallet (Malaysia), and TrueMoney (Thailand). To welcome overseas travelers, Ant Group, in collaboration with partners, has been rolling out extensive merchant and consumer education and marketing campaigns. Danish A. Lakhani, CEO NayaPay, said, "Today marks a monumental milestone in the commercial relationship between China and Pakistan as we witness the establishment of the first direct payment channels between our two nations. This groundbreaking development is made possible through the collaborative efforts of Ant Group, NUCC, and NayaPay, under the auspices of the People's Bank of China and the State Bank of Pakistan. This achievement not only paves the way for a new era of financial transactions but also symbolizes joint innovation between our nations." YIN Xiaolong, Vice President, General Manager at Visa Mainland China, said, "As the trusted engine of the commerce, Visa is committed to collaborating with partners to improve payment experience for international tourists. They can choose the ways to pay with Visa in accordance with their preferences and needs, no matter using international cards, local e-wallets or cash. We believe the convenient and seamless payment experience will boost economies where individuals, businesses and communities can thrive and promote people-to-people exchanges." Chao Zhan, Vice President of NUCC of China (NetsUnion Clearing Corporation), said that NUCC will actively provide interconnection clearing support for mobile payment services by market institutions both from home and abroad. Going forward, NUCC will continue to support the two payment services: binding international cards to domestic payment apps and the use of overseas e-wallets in China. Jake Xue, General Manager, Global Business Services, Ant Group, said, "Seamless payment and consumer experience is critical for international travel as well as for broader cultural and economic exchange. Building on the International Consumer Friendly Zones program and more travel innovations, we will work with partners home and abroad to expand cross-border technology and service cooperation to support our new payment facilitation and opening initiatives." Introduced in 2020, Alipay+ now connects over 88 million merchants in 57 countries and regions to 1.5 billion consumer accounts on over 25 e-wallets and banking apps, allowing consumers to travel and pay worry-free globally, and merchants to boost revenue through a growing portfolio of digitalization tools. About Alipay+ Alipay+ is a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalization technology solutions that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payment and a broad choice of deals using their preferred payment methods while travelling abroad. Small and medium-sized businesses may use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth. About Ant Group Ant Group traces its roots back to Alipay, which was established in 2004 to create trust between online sellers and buyers. Over the years, Ant Group has grown to become one of the world's leading open Internet platforms. Through technological innovation, Ant Group supports its partners in providing inclusive, convenient digital life and digital financial services to consumers and SMEs. In addition, it has been introducing new technologies and products to support the digital transformation of industries and facilitate industrial collaboration. Working together with global partners, the company enables merchants and consumers to make and receive payments and remit around the world. About NayaPay NayaPay, the first E-Money Institution in Pakistan, is a fintech platform empowering underserved consumers and SMBs with better access to financial services. NayaPay has built a community of students, freelancers, and digital natives for its consumer proposition -- a chat-led super app accompanied by free Visa Virtual and physical cards. Any Pakistani citizen can open a NayaPay wallet on their smartphone in minutes and use the app to make everyday payments, send and receive money, split bills, and much more. For entrepreneurs, NayaPay offers access to business accounts, universal payment acceptance and powerful financial management tools with an easy-to-open e-money account and Visa debit cards. NayaPay is authorized and regulated by the State Bank of Pakistan as an Electronic Money Institution. For more information please visit: www.nayapay.com or follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240407756281/en/ Contacts Media Inquiries Martin Mou globalcomms@antgroup.com Khazina Siddiqui media@nayapay.com The Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council (ADBWC), a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has acclaimed the diverse talents and skills of female entrepreneurs in various fields and sectors. A Ramadan Suhoor event that brought together businesswomen in Abu Dhabi underscored the pivotal role of female entrepreneurs in shaping the future of businesses, industries and innovation. Each touchpoint and experience as part of the Suhoor was in collaboration with ADBWCs members, from the host venue through to flowers and guest gifting, reinforcing its continued commitment and support to its female entrepreneurs. Sharing insights Prominent figures attended the event, engaging in networking, sharing insights, and celebrating the remarkable contributions of women in the business world. The event, which took place in the presence of the Chairwoman of the ADBWC, Asma Al Fahim, and Board Members Marwa Al Mansoori, and Noor Al Tamimi; and ADBWCs Director Fatima Al Blooshi, was an interactive platform that promoted constructive communication and the exchange of experiences between female entrepreneurs at the level of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Al Fahim said: "We are so pleased to host yet another Suhoor event as it exemplifies the spirit of solidarity and support amongst businesswomen, it also highlights the power of collaboration in driving success. She said: As a continuation of the previous year, we wanted to reaffirm our on-going support for our members by organising todays Suhoor at The Society restaurant, owned by Shaikha AlMheri, as well as collaborating with Ayesha Aldhari, who owns Fleurology, to decorate the tables with floral arrangements, and partnered with Ayesha Al Mansoori for the giveaways from her brand HBH. Women's awareness ADBWC was established under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2001. It aims to raise womens awareness of entrepreneurship as a professional career path for effective participation in economic development, in addition to increasing womens participation in entrepreneurship through training, consultation and embracing emerging projects, in accordance with the latest developments and best practices. Additionally, the Council is committed to promoting the competitiveness of businesswomen in line with global trends, by anticipating the future of entrepreneurship, keeping pace with the latest developments, and benefiting from legislative, technical and innovative facilities.--TradeArabia News Service Allied Analytics LLP Increase in prevalence of chronic diseases, rise in research and development activities, and increase in government initiatives and funding are the major factors which drive the growth of the global antibody production market. Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware , April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Antibody Production Market by Product (Instruments, Consumables), Process (Upstream Processing, Downstream Processing), and End User (Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies, CROs and CDMOs, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the "antibody production market" was valued at $12.3 billion in 2022, and is estimated to reach $29.4 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2023 to 2032. Request Sample of the Antibody Production Market Forecast 2032: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/3573 Prime Determinants of Growth Surge in prevalence of chronic diseases, rise in research and development activities, and government initiatives and funding are the factors that drive the growth of the global antibody production market. However, the high cost associated with antibody production restricts market growth. Moreover, the high growth potential in emerging countries presents new opportunities in the coming years. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size In 2022 $12.3 Billion Market Size In 2032 $29.4 Billion CAGR 9.1% No. Of Pages In Report 276 Segments Covered Product, Process, End User, and Region Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, LAMEA Country Scope U.S., Canada; Mexico; Germany; France; UK; Italy; Spain; Rest Of Europe; Japan; China; India; Australia; South Korea; Brazil; Colombia; Argentina; Rest Of LA; GCC; South Africa; North Africa; And Rest Of MEA. Drivers Rise In Prevalence Of Chronic Diseases Increase In Research And Development Activities Government Initiatives And Funding Opportunity High Growth Potential In Emerging Countries Restraint High Cost Associated With Antibody Production Want to Explore More, Connect to our Analyst - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/3573 Recession Impact During a recession, individuals and governments might tighten their budgets, leading to reduced healthcare spending. This could affect production of antibodies, potentially leading to decreased demand for antibodies. However, the surge in prevalence of chronic diseases and rise in technological advancements could boost the need for antibody production that is experiencing a moderately positive impact from the global recession. Story continues The consumables segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period By product, the consumables segment held the largest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global antibody production market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to consistent demand for essential consumables such as cell culture media, reagents, and purification kits, driven by the increasing production of therapeutic antibodies and ongoing research activities in biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. However, the instruments segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 9.4% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the rise in adoption of automated and high-throughput antibody production systems, which enhance efficiency and scalability in manufacturing processes. The downstream processing segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period By process, the downstream processing segment held the largest market share in 2022, accounting for three-fourths of the global antibody production market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. The same is expected to register the highest CAGR of 9.4% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the critical role of downstream processing in purifying and isolating antibodies to meet stringent quality standards for therapeutic applications. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period By end user, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to more than half of global antibody production market revenue, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is attributed to substantial investment by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the research, development, and commercialization of antibodies. However, the CROs & CDMOs segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 9.6% during the forecast period. This is attributed to increasing outsourcing of antibody production by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to specialized service providers. North America to maintain its dominance by 2032 By region, North America held the largest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global antibody production market revenue and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. This is attributed to its well-developed healthcare infrastructure, technological advancements in biotechnology, supportive regulatory frameworks, and substantial investments in biotechnology and life sciences which contribute to the region's leadership in antibody production. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 10.2% from 2023 to 2032. This is attributed to rise in the prevalence of chronic diseases, supportive government policies, and a growing focus on biotechnology and life sciences research which contribute to the region's burgeoning biopharmaceutical industry. For Procurement Information - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/3573 Leading Market Players: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Sartorius AG Cellabcdmo Agilent Technologies, Inc. Genetix Biotech Asia Pvt. Ltd. Cell Culture Company Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. TECNIC Merck KGaA Danaher Corporation The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global antibody production market. These players have adopted strategies such as product launch, expansion, acquisition, and partnership to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to highlight the competitive scenario. AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) Offered by Allied Market Research: AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Allied Market Research: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domains. AMR offers its services across 11 industry verticals including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Materials & Chemicals, Construction & Manufacturing, Food & Beverages, Energy & Power, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, ICT & Media, Aerospace & Defense, and BFSI. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Intl: +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on: LinkedIn Twitter Bankrupt Crypto Lender Genesis Sells 36 Million GBTC Shares To Acquire BTC and Settle Debts Genesis, a bankrupt cryptocurrency lending firm, has reportedly sold 36 million shares of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) in order to acquire additional Bitcoin (BTC) and settle its debts with creditors. The sale took place on April 2, with each share valued at around $58.50 at that time, resulting in a total amount of $2.1 billion. Genesis initially sought permission from a US bankruptcy court to sell these GBTC shares on February 2, when they were priced at $38.50. The US judge overruled a filing by Digital Currency Group (DCG) to consult on the sales. DCG is the parent company of Genesis and Grayscale. With the funds raised from the sale, Genesis purchased 32,041 Bitcoin at a price of $65,685 per BTC. The Bitcoin acquired by Genesis is currently worth around $2.18 billion. This move is part of the company's efforts to repay its creditors. However, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase recently stated that the sell-off is not expected to have a significant impact on the broader crypto market, as the funds will likely remain within the crypto ecosystem. Under the bankruptcy plan, Genesis had the option to convert the GBTC shares into Bitcoin on behalf of the creditors or sell the shares and distribute the cash. The rules allowed for either approach. Genesis filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2023. The Biden administration announced a $6.6 billion grant on Monday designed to commit the worlds top chipmaker to mass-produce its next generation of microchips in Arizona. For the first time ever, we will be making, at scale, the most advanced semiconductor chips on the planet here in the United States, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said to reporters ahead of the announcement. These are the chips that underpin all artificial intelligence, and they are the chips that are necessary components for the technologies that we need to underpin our economy, but frankly a 21st century military and national security apparatus. Boosted by the CHIPS and Science Act grant and additional loans and tax breaks, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company pledged to put up more than $65 billion as it constructs a third leading-edge chip factory in addition to two already underway in Phoenix. Its the largest foreign direct investment in a new project in American history, according to Raimondo. The preliminary CHIPS award is noteworthy for confirming that TSMC will not only build semiconductor fabrication facilities or fabs in the U.S., but also deploy its most advanced technology in development. It is a move that company leaders had left an open question, and bound to invite backlash back in Taiwan. Today, that coveted tech is known as the 2 nanometer process, and major American companies have lined up behind Apple for the even faster and tinier chips TSMC expects to debut from it next year. Why it matters: According to the announcement, TSMC will produce 3nm chips currently the industrys most advanced semiconductor technology and used in the latest iPhone at a facility in Arizona. The fab, slated to come online in 2028, will also produce the next-generation 2nm chip that has sparked a race among global tech players. The Commerce Department said TSMCs new, third plant will start production by 2030 and depending on customer demand, might make even more sophisticated chips with future technologies smaller than 2nm. Our U.S. operations allow us to better support our U.S. customers, which include several of the worlds leading technology companies, TSMC Chair Mark Liu said in a statement Monday. Our U.S. operations will also expand our capability to trailblaze future advancements in semiconductor technology. At their full capacity, the new TSMC fabs will churn out tens of millions of chips for among the most promising high-tech applications: 5G and 6G smartphones, self-driving cars, and AI datacenter servers, the Commerce Department said. Story continues Intel, a recent awardee of the most significant $8.5 billion CHIPS grant, and South Koreas Samsung are also rushing to launch a 2nm chip. But a senior Biden administration official called TSMC the proven leader, as its responsible for making 90 percent of the worlds advanced chip supply. Seventy percent of TSMCs customers are U.S. companies, Raimondo highlighted, with Apple and Nvidia among the major ones. For years, TSMC has faced mounting political pressure to diversify its operations due to the geopolitical risks of its earthquake-prone home base and potential military escalations with China across the strait. Taiwans deadly earthquake just last week forced TSMC to temporarily pause chip production, displaying the vulnerability of such a concentrated supply chain. Yet it had not been clear if TSMC would bring even 3nm chips to its U.S. site. Last year, CEO C.C. Wei pledged to keep all of TSMCs most cutting-edge R&D on its island home, as a reassurance to concerns within Taiwan about the company neglecting its roots. In a January earnings call, Chair Liu said the exact chip generation in the U.S. was still under discussion and would be up to customer demand as well as how much Washington could provide in incentives. S&P analyst David Tsui observed in a report shared with POLITICO late March that delays like TSMCs might be a negotiating play to accelerate the allocation and funding of grants. A global competition: TSMCs CHIPS award in Arizona comes as it pursues other projects worldwide. The Japanese government has pledged around $8 billion for two new fabs, and the company is also building in Germany. But the 2nm chip gives the U.S. an edge globally. There are no current plans to build 2nm chips in Japan or Germany, and those fabs will instead focus on specialty technology, a TSMC spokesperson told POLITICO. The company still intends on producing 2nm chips at multiple Taiwanese fabs. Paul Huang, a researcher at the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation, noted that cost would remain a challenge for fulfilling President Joe Bidens vision of reinvigorating the U.S. semiconductor industry. Japan is far more expensive than Taiwan. The United States is far more expensive than Japan, so the money really doesn't go far, he said in an interview with POLITICO. Last month, Huang and former Taiwanese legislator Jason Hsu, now both fellows at Harvard University, wrote an op-ed pushing the Biden administration to expedite its grant, and noting the speedy progress at TSMCs new plant in Kumamoto, Japan. Despite starting a full year behind the Arizona plant in 2022, the Kumamoto plant was built in under two years and is now operational, with a second-stage plant beginning construction this year, they wrote. As TSMC collects subsidies to expand overseas, Huang said it has sparked a debate in Taiwan about whether the strategy would diminish the U.S. and Japans incentive to intervene in the event of conflict with China. It makes very little sense for Taiwan to let this go. The U.S. site seems to be gathering momentum. The Commerce Department announced TSMCs Arizona investments have already encouraged 14 suppliers to locate facilities nearby. The next front in the global competition could be over attracting TSMCs R&D or downstream activities, such as advanced chip packaging. Asked whether the Arizona chips will need to be packaged in Taiwan where TSMC performs specialty techniques for AI chips the senior administration official pointed to the importance of those new suppliers, including Amkors November announcement that it would build an advanced packaging facility. Future challenges: Labor offers a window into one of TSMCs thornier challenges, as President Biden campaigns on the jobs the CHIPS Act will generate in Arizona and nationwide. TSMC has clashed with its workers, who blamed repeated delays at its factories on disorganization, safety concerns, and a preference for using Taiwanese talent on temporary visas. The company pinned its slowdown on a shortage of skilled U.S. labor, saying local workers lacked the expertise to install specialized equipment for cutting-edge chip fabs. It reached a labor agreement last year with its construction union. Analysts including S&Ps Tsui trace TSMCs setback in Arizona to a slower-than-expected CHIPS grant rollout as well as economic barriers: a slowdown in customer demand, higher operating costs, and rising raw material prices. Mondays deal aims to secure U.S. jobs at the TSMC site by dedicating $50 million for local workforce development; setting a goal that TSMC hire 15 percent of staff from apprenticeship programs; and more than doubling the number of workers employed at TSMCs Arizona fabs to 26,000 by 2030. Still, the Biden administration official told reporters immigration and bringing in expertise from Taiwan, both on the facility side and construction side will continue to be really important. The official added that since the U.S. last pursued this kind of project, TSMC has built 22 fabs in Taiwan, so a huge amount of the benefit that were getting here is the knowhow. Whether the U.S. will create a product the market demands is uncertain. Every chip made in the U.S. is 50 percent more expensive than those made in Asia, so its pure political pressure, estimated Hsu, the former legislator. Apple has committed to using Arizona-made chips, but he cautioned other U.S. companies may just continue to buy from TSMCs chips in Taiwan. (Bloomberg) -- Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes opened an inquiry into whether Elon Musk obstructed justice, escalating a spat with the billionaire over his social media platform X. Most Read from Bloomberg Moraes said in a document released by the court the billionaire started a disinformation campaign and that X formerly known as Twitter is committing abuse of economic power in order to illegally influence public opinion. Musk was also added to a criminal inquiry that investigates anti-democratic acts by so-called digital militias. The courts response comes after Musk said he would defy court orders and lift restrictions imposed on some X accounts in Brazil. The billionaire targeted Moraes in several of his social media posts during the weekend, accusing the justice of betraying the constitution and calling for his impeachment. Read More: Musks X Lifts Restrictions in Brazil in Challenge to Court Its unclear which accounts Musk was referring to when he said he would disobey the courts order. As of Sunday night, a number of accounts linked to right-wing Brazilian entrepreneurs, former politicians and digital influencers remained blocked. In his Saturday post, Musk also said that the Brazilian court was threatening to cut off access to X in the country. Local news media reported on Sunday that network operators were warned by regulator agency Anatel of a possible need to take down access to the X platform. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. BRASILIA (Reuters) -President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva canceled a meeting on Sunday evening with members of his cabinet that could have decided on whether to replace the chief executive of Brazil's state-run oil firm Petrobras, two sources told Reuters. On Sunday, Reuters reported that the ministers of Finance and of Mines and Energy, Fernando Haddad and Alexandre Silveira, along with Lula's chief of staff, Rui Costa, had been summoned to the meeting at the presidential residence, the Alvorada Palace. The meeting would have taken place after a week of speculation that Petrobras CEO Jean Paul Prates would be replaced. On Thursday, government sources said the resignation of the Petrobras chief executive was likely in the coming days. But Lula decided to cancel the meeting as he was bothered with it being leaked to the press, one of the sources said. He is now expected to meet Haddad on Monday at 6pm local time (2100 GMT), according to his agenda. A source told Reuters on Sunday that Prates would not last as Petrobras CEO "to the end of the week." Prates has been under fire from parts of the government that want to see him bring down fuel prices and ramp up job-creating investments. Last month, he clashed with cabinet members over a Petrobras dividend withheld from investors. The president of Brazil's National Development Bank (BNDES), Aloizio Mercadante, a close aide to Lula, has been named as a possible candidate to take over from Prates. Uncertainty about the future of Petrobras has brought volatility to the company's share prices in recent sessions. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu and Anthony Boadle; Editing by Diane Craft and Devika Syamnath) It's nice to see the Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (KLSE:CMSB) share price up 13% in a week. But don't envy holders -- looking back over 5 years the returns have been really bad. Indeed, the share price is down 71% in the period. So is the recent increase sufficient to restore confidence in the stock? Not yet. Of course, this could be the start of a turnaround. The recent uptick of 13% could be a positive sign of things to come, so let's take a look at historical fundamentals. Check out our latest analysis for Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During five years of share price growth, Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad moved from a loss to profitability. That would generally be considered a positive, so we are surprised to see the share price is down. Other metrics may better explain the share price move. We don't think that the 1.9% is big factor in the share price, since it's quite small, as dividends go. Arguably, the revenue drop of 9.1% a year for half a decade suggests that the company can't grow in the long term. That could explain the weak share price. The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). This free interactive report on Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad, it has a TSR of -68% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. A Different Perspective While the broader market gained around 15% in the last year, Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad shareholders lost 7.0% (even including dividends). Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, longer term shareholders are suffering worse, given the loss of 11% doled out over the last five years. We would want clear information suggesting the company will grow, before taking the view that the share price will stabilize. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Even so, be aware that Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... Story continues If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can 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. By Summer Zhen HONG KONG (Reuters) - Billionaire Zhang Lei's Hillhouse Investment saw its hedge fund assets plummet by a third last year to $27.5 billion, a U.S. regulatory filing showed. Hillhouse, a global alternative investment firm founded by Zhang in 2005, is known for long-term bets on Chinese tech, consumer goods and healthcare companies but these sectors have struggled due to regulatory crackdowns and weakened demand in recent years. Chinese stocks have also slumped for three consecutive years and major U.S. pension and endowment funds have been reducing their exposure as scrutiny and restrictions on U.S. investments in the world's second-largest economy have intensified under President Joe Biden. The MSCI China index is down 60% from its 2021 peak. Several U.S.-based investors have either withdrawn their capital from hedge funds under Hillhouse's public investment arm, HHLR, or are considering doing so due to underperformance, according to two sources familiar with the matter who declined to be identified. Hillhouse declined to comment on capital outflows or the March 29 filing. A source familiar with the HHLR portfolio said a substantial portion of capital has been shifted from HHLR hedge fund vehicles to customised portfolios or segregated managed accounts. According to a March report by data provider With Intelligence which estimated HHLR's 2023 asset decline at roughly $10 billion, the asset plunge was the largest among global billion-dollar hedge funds last year. One of HHLR's top holdings, cancer treatment specialist BeiGene Ltd, has seen its shares in both U.S. and Hong Kong markets drop more than 60% since 2021 amid net losses and setbacks in expanding overseas. Adding to HHLR's challenges, a unit was investigated by the China Securities Regulatory Commission on suspicion of violations of share transfer rules last year. Fundraising pressures and market uncertainties have forced numerous China-focused offshore hedge funds to either shut down or downsize in the past eighteen months. Many of them, including HHLR, have partially shifted their investment focus to non-China equities. The waning interest in China contributed to a net outflow of $15.6 billion from Asian hedge funds last year, according to fund services firm Citco. Amy Castle, head of hedge funds research at With Intelligence, said a rebound in the Chinese economy this year could restore some confidence, but "geopolitical considerations remain key." On average, China-focused hedge funds reported a 5% loss last year, data from hedge fund platform HFR shows. Story continues Their performance has seen some improvement this year following steps by the Chinese government to stabilise the stock market. (Reporting by Summer Zhen; Additional reporting by Kane Wu; Editing by Vidya Ranganathan and Edwina Gibbs) California, like Florida, is experiencing a full-blown home insurance crisis characterized by some of the nation's major insurers leaving the market because of the increasing cost of covering claims. To stop more insurers from leaving the state, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has proposed sweeping changes that would give insurers greater flexibility to increase homeowner premiums. However, his predecessors fear the proposed cure could be worse than the disease. California Insurance Commission Makes Huge Concessions Lara's plan would allow the state's remaining insurers to use predictive modeling for climate-based catastrophes like wildfires as justification for raising premiums. That would be a major change in state policy because California's current insurance regulations limit insurers to using historical data on the cost of covering claims as a basis for premium increases. The ability to use climate modeling in calculating rate increases is not the only concession Lara granted the industry. Current California law requires that any across-the-board premium increase by insurers must be approved by regulators. This requirement has always been a bitter pill to swallow for California insurers. The commissioner has also agreed to speed up the process where the insurance commission reviews proposed rate increases before approving or disapproving the rates. Don't Miss: It doesn't take a genius to predict the outcome of California's new policies governing home insurance premiums. If the rate increase approval process is sped up, and the state's remaining insurers can use predictive modeling for climate-related disasters as the basis for rate increases, home insurance premiums aren't going anywhere but up. That's difficult news for prospective buyers in a state where affordable housing is already scarce. A Home Insurance Market In Chaos With that said, the current situation is unsustainable. So many home insurers have left the state that California's government-run FAIR plan receives thousands of new applications weekly. The FAIR plan advertises itself as an "option of last resort" on its website, but the volume of applications it's receiving means it has become a first option for too many Californians. It's no wonder that former Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi said California's market is "in chaos." The latest domino to fall is State Farm Insurance Co., which recently announced it will cancel another 72,000 homeowner and condo policies in the state. That news comes on the heels of Allstate Corp. and Farmers Insurance limiting new policies and writing restrictions on policy renewals in 2023. Altogether, those three companies account for 40% of the state's home insurance policies. Trending Want To Grow Your Wealth Passively? These High-Yield Real Estate Notes Might Be Your Holy Grail In their announcements explaining the decision to leave California or restrict policies, the companies cited increased costs associated with covering disaster claims on California homes, many of which are worth over a million dollars. All these factors combined to put Lara in the difficult position of trying to save the state's insurance market while also keeping premiums from skyrocketing. Are Lara's Changes Enough To Stabilize The Market? It may turn out to have been both a thankless and impossible task. Lara's predecessor as insurance commissioner, Dave Jones, is currently the director of the Climate Risk Initiative at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at UC Berkeley School of Law. He noted that Florida's insurance commission made similar concessions to home insurers regarding climate modeling, and the Sunshine State now has average insurance premiums that are triple the national average. Florida's state insurance policy, which is also supposed to be an option of last resort, is also carrying 1 million policies. All that means that despite Lara's best efforts, California homeowners could be in for a lot more sticker shock and pain when it comes to home insurance premiums. At this point it's difficult to know which option is worse, Lara's new plan, or a continuation of the status quo. Read Next: Miami Is Expected To Take New York's Place As The US Financial Capital. Invest In It With $500 Before That Happens. Whole Foods Landlord Has Achieved A 15% Net IRR For Accredited Investors Since 2015 Discover The Latest Investment Opportunities On Its Platform. "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Could The Cure For California's Insurance Crisis Be Worse Than The Disease? originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. United States DOJ Department of Justice Washington DC law street view American flag Analysts at investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods believe that the Department of Justice will intervene in Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit after receiving the green light to reopen its investigation into the National Association of Realtors. In a note published on Sunday, the analysts wrote that thanks to this favorable judgement, the DOJ is now unconstrained from investigating NAR. KBW wrote that it believes the DOJ was limited in its ability to intervene in the commission lawsuits in which NAR was named in, including the Moehrl and Sitzer/Burnett suits, due to the settlement agreement it had reached with NAR in November 2020, in the twilight of the Trump administration. This settlement agreement was at the center of the DOJs appeal with NAR. In 2020, the DOJs antitrust division agreed to a settlement after investigating the trade groups listing and agent compensation policies. However, the DOJ, under the Biden administration, withdrew the settlement in July 2021. NAR filed a petition in September 2021 to set aside or modify the DOJs probes into the trade group. In late January 2023, Judge Timothy Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a Trump appointee, ruled in favor of NAR, stating that the earlier settlement terms were still valid, and that allowing the investigation to continue would take away the benefits NAR had negotiated in the original settlement. The DOJ appealed the ruling in March of 2024. On Friday, a three-judge panel for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in D.C. ruled that the DOJ could reopen its investigation into NAR, clarifying the DOJs path to become involved in the Moehrl and Sitzer/Burnett lawsuits, as well as in the nationwide settlement agreements some of the nations largest brokerages, as well as NAR, have negotiated with the plaintiffs in these suits. In particular, we believe it is likely that the DOJ will now look to intervene in the recent NAR nationwide settlement agreement in order to close any loopholes/workarounds, such as off-MLS compensation offers, and ensure more impactful changes to commission policies, the note read. The loophole the stands out to the KBW analysts is the off-MLS compensation workaround, which has been widely discussed in the real estate industry. Under the terms of NARs settlement agreement, set to go into effect mid-July, real estate agents and brokers are no longer allowed to make offers of cooperative compensation on the MLS, however, they may make those offers elsewhere, including on personal agent websites. Story continues While there has been some debate around whether the DOJ has already signed off on the NAR settlement behind the scenes, we do not believe that the agency has given its approval, and that NAR was taking a chance in settling under the hope that the DOJ would not be permitted to intervene, KBW wrote in its note. The analysts believe the most likely path for the DOJ moving forward would be for it to file a statement of interest in the Sizer/Burnett suit, which they believe could occur in the next few weeks. If the DOJ does intervene and insists on the removal of the off-MLS compensation workaround, KBW believes this would result in the broader settlement changes being much more disruptive for the industry, including downward pressure on buyer agent commissions. The analysts also wrote that this outcome would be a negative for players with revenue models directly tied to buyer agent commissions, including residential brokerages and first generation real estate portals. In late September 2023, DOJ became involved in the Nosalek commission lawsuit. The DOJ filed a motion to extend the deadline for the final approval of the settlement agreement reached between the Nosalek plaintiffs and defendant MLS Property Information Network. NAR is not a defendant in the Nosalek suit and MLS PIN is a non-Realtor association affiliated MLS. In mid-February, the DOJ filed its statement of interest in the Nosalek suit, in which it advocated for the prohibition of cooperative compensation. While it is still unclear if the DOJ will in fact intervene in NARs commission lawsuit settlement agreement, the department released a statement on Friday saying that it was committed to fighting to lower the cost of buying and selling a home. Real-estate commissions in the United States greatly exceed those in any other developed economy, and this decision restores the Antitrust Divisions ability to investigate potentially and unlawful conduct by NAR that may be contributing to this problem, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter wrote. Informatica has launched its AI-powered Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC) in Saudi Arabia, a first for the kingdom. The investment includes establishing a new Point of Delivery (PoD) in Riyadh, and reflects a commitment to support local, scalable, cloud-first data management services. The move further strengthens Informaticas presence in the Middle East, following the launch of its first regional PoD in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2023. The investment underpins Informaticas commitment to furthering the Saudi governments Vision 2030, which includes digitally empowering all sectors of the economy. Aligned with the leaderships ambitions to adopt a cloud-first policy, the new PoD launch will help expedite the shift of government organisations from traditional IT systems to a secure, cloud-based alternative. Data-driven state With reports from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology that the cloud computing sector is expected to double in size over the next three years, adding $13.3 billion to the countrys GDP, the move is set to help transform Riyadh into a data-driven state that can further economic and digital growth across the kingdom. By establishing a regional PoD in Riyadh, Informatica will be able to better support local partners and organisations with its cloud data management platform in line with local regulations. Jitesh Ghai, Chief Product Officer, Informatica, said: Saudi Arabia is fast making headway on its journey to become a technology hub for the Middle East and is creating a solid cloud foundation to realise its Vision 2030 ambitions. By having a significant cloud, data, and AI presence in the kingdom, we will be providing organisations with an in-country AI-powered data infrastructure to run their cloud-based technology solutions. This can enable them to unlock the value of their data while ensuring that it remains secure, well-governed and in region. Were proud to help the Kingdom become a global leader in digital technologies, catering to the fast-growing demand for cloud services across the Middle East and beyond. Game changer Yasser Shawky, Vice President for Emerging Markets at Informatica, said: Today, we have reached a major milestone for the kingdom launching Saudi Arabias first ever AI-powered intelligent Data Management Cloud Platform will be a game-changer for governments and organisations. Through adopting a cloud-first approach, governments will be able to innovate and make informed decisions based on the wealth of data at their fingertips. This is a major step forward for the country, and were looking forward to playing a role in advancing the leaderships vision to transform the kingdom into a data-driven state. The Informatica IDMC is a comprehensive cloud-native data management platform that enables enterprises to visualise, analyse and collaborate with all of their data regardless of location or platform. Powered by CLAIRE AI, the companys AI platform, IDMC helps organisations accelerate innovation and increase productivity at scale. With the launch of the KSA PoD, customers can enjoy the full breadth of services including the Cloud Data Marketplace, designed to intuitively increase data sharing, improve productivity and enable organisations to make more informed decisions.--TradeArabia News Service Battery-powered scooters and bikes have proved divisive among motorists and pedestrians - Alex MacNaughton/Alamy Stock Photo E-scooter start-up Lime is plotting a 25m expansion in London after the company was banned from Paris last year. Investment in the UK capital will allow the US scooter and e-bike hire company to branch out into three more boroughs and open a new warehouse in North London. It comes after e-scooters were cleared from the French capitals streets last year following a referendum. Lime is currently available in half of Londons 32 boroughs, with the company planning to spend a further 1m on dedicated parking areas. The company offers both scooters and cycle hire in the capital but a spokesman said it would only be expanding its e-bike hire operations in the capital. This will potentially spark further controversy as battery-powered bikes and scooters have proven divisive among motorists and pedestrians, with concerns raised over illegal use and cluttered pavements. While it remains against the law to ride a privately owned scooter on Britains roads, rental scooters subject to 15.5mph speed limits unlocked via an app are allowed in certain trial areas across the UK. Supporters of the technology argue that electric scooters offer a low-carbon alternative to cars, helping to free up roads and reduce emissions. However, government data shows there were at least 1,269 collisions involving e-scooters in the year to June 2023, compared to 1,462 in the previous year. There led to seven e-scooter-related deaths in 2023 compared to 12 a year earlier. Over half of all the casualties caused by the e-scooters occurred outside the Governments trial areas, suggesting they resulted from private e-scooters being ridden illegally. Lime is one of the few e-scooter companies to have survived a fall in demand in recent years, as rivals such as Bird collapsed after spending billions of dollars on rapid expansion plans. The company said its bookings rose by 32pc to $616m (487m) in 2023, reporting adjusted earnings of $90m. Lime has been exploring a possible listing in the US. Wayne Ting, Limes chief executive, said: On the heels of another record-setting year, Lime is poised to continue our growth in 2024, with new vehicle options and plans for expansion to new cities. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Shutterstock.com Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a part of the workplace in many ways, from helping to write non-creative content, to automating some administrative tasks. While this is potentially helpful at streamlining busy work and making jobs more efficient, it also has people worried that AI is going to eventually replace workers in many industries and even take most jobs. Trending Now: Graham Stephan: Heres How To Become a Millionaire in 2024 Using ChatGPT Try This: 7 Unusual Ways To Make Extra Money (That Actually Work) SpaceX and Tesla CEO (or Technoking as he prefers to be called), Elon Musk, suggests this estimation of AI taking most jobs may not be wrong. But in his estimation, thats not a bad thing. Musk, often considered a visionary (or a pie-in-the-sky dreamer, depending on whos judging) predicts that, based on AI, most jobs will be phased out. But rather than that being a bad thing, he suggests that what will evolve in place of jobs is a universal basic income, which gives people an opportunity to live more comfortable lives as AI does the work we no longer need to. The controversial executive is known for outlandish statements but his vision for his companies suggests that his belief is rooted in something optimistic. Also, here are 10 jobs most endangered by AI. Sponsored: Protect Your Wealth With A Gold IRA. Take advantage of the timeless appeal of gold in a Gold IRA recommended by Sean Hannity. A Day When Jobs Are Gone? At a newly launched AI Safety Summit in the U.K. in November, Musk told the group that he sees a time when AI may actually make our idea of traditional employment a thing of the past, but it will lead to an age of abundance through a system of universal high income. While Musk didnt have a timeline for when this will happen, saying he couldnt pinpoint the exact moment in the future, he did predict, You can have a job if you want to have a job or sort of personal satisfaction, but the AI will be able to do everything. Check Out: 6 Best ChatGPT Prompts To Find Your High-Income Side Gig How Likely Is It That AI Will Take Jobs? To step back a moment, how likely is AI to take jobs already? According to past reporting by GOBankingRates, which cites a McKinsey study, as much as 30% of work could be displaced by automation, under which category AI falls. Even more significant, its possible that up to 50% of all work activities are technically automatable and that up to 60% of all occupations have more than 30% of activities that can be automated. If these jobs just disappeared, thats potentially a lot of people out of work. Story continues As GOBankingRates found, however, as some jobs and or tasks within jobs get taken over by AI, other new jobs and tasks may emerge that cant be so easily automated. The McKinsey study showed that creative and communication-based jobs, such as artists, designers, entertainers and media jobs are actually likely to increase. However, so will the demand for technology professionals. If your job involves administrative tasks and other mundane procedures, however, chances are high that AI will take them. GOBankingRates recently reported that the top jobs likely to be taken by AI include: accounting clerks, receptionists, IT support specialists, messengers and delivery workers, and customer service representatives, to name a few. The Feasibility of Universal Basic Income So how does universal basic income (UBI) play into this? UBI is a concept in which the government provides a set income amount for all of its citizens to afford their basic necessities. Some variations on this theme have already been tried with early positive results. Should Musks prediction prove true and governments see the benefits of UBI, is that a realistic model for the future? The city of Denver recently gave over 800 residents deemed vulnerable for things like homelessness and mental illness up to $1,000 per month. Homelessness went down, employment went up and the participants reported better mental health. Stockton, California also tried this by giving $500 per month to 125 participants. Initial results were good: the unemployment rate in that group also went down and mental health went up, though the pandemic appears to have dampened that positive effect some. The University of Pennsylvania, which studied the Stockton program, reported that the program could have profound positive impacts on local public health. Other such programs have also been formed in cities ranging from Baltimore to Columbia, South Carolina, Los Angeles to Gainesville, Florida. Even the governments support during the pandemic in the form of stimulus payments, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and other financial relief could be seen as potential evidence that government support can make life better for its citizens. All that said, its unlikely that AI will take all jobs in most peoples lifetimes. More realistically AI will slowly chip away at the most automated of jobs, forcing people to reskill, become tech-savvy or learn to work with AI. While its nerve-wracking, it doesnt need to be a case for alarm just yet. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Elon Musk Thinks AI Will Take Most Jobs Why That Might Not Be A Bad Thing It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should. In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad (KLSE:CAB), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business. View our latest analysis for CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad How Fast Is CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad Growing Its Earnings Per Share? Over the last three years, CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad has grown earnings per share (EPS) at as impressive rate from a relatively low point, resulting in a three year percentage growth rate that isn't particularly indicative of expected future performance. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad's EPS shot up from RM0.12 to RM0.15; a result that's bound to keep shareholders happy. That's a fantastic gain of 27%. Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 6.7% to 9.5%, and revenue is growing. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of RM494m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength. Are CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Theory would suggest that it's an encouraging sign to see high insider ownership of a company, since it ties company performance directly to the financial success of its management. So those who are interested in CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. Indeed, with a collective holding of 59%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. This makes it apparent they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - a positive for shareholders with a sit and hold strategy. In terms of absolute value, insiders have RM292m invested in the business, at the current share price. That's nothing to sneeze at! Story continues Should You Add CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad To Your Watchlist? For growth investors, CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad's raw rate of earnings growth is a beacon in the night. With EPS growth rates like that, it's hardly surprising to see company higher-ups place confidence in the company through continuing to hold a significant investment. The growth and insider confidence is looked upon well and so it's worthwhile to investigate further with a view to discern the stock's true value. Of course, profit growth is one thing but it's even better if CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad is receiving high returns on equity, since that should imply it can keep growing without much need for capital. Click on this link to see how it is faring against the average in its industry. Although CAB Cakaran Corporation Berhad certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see companies with insider buying, then check out this handpicked selection of Malaysian companies that not only boast of strong growth but have also seen recent insider buying.. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 8, 2024) - Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX: EQX) (NYSE American: EQX) ("Equinox Gold" or the "Company") reports that persistent heavy rains in Maranhao, Brazil have caused a displacement of material in two locations in the south wall of the Piaba pit at its Aurizona mine. There were no injuries, no damage to equipment or infrastructure, and no environmental damage. As a result of this geotechnical event, access to the Piaba pit has been restricted and mining has been paused while the Company establishes an initial remediation plan and confirms the safety of the pit. Milling and gold production continues from the ore stockpile, as is typical during the rainy season. To mitigate any potential impact on planned 2024 production from the Piaba pit, the Company expects to accelerate mining activities at the new Tatajuba pit. The Company will perform an updated geotechnical assessment of the Piaba pit and nearby infrastructure to determine further remediation required for long-term stability. Equinox Gold Contacts Greg Smith, President & CEO Rhylin Bailie, VP Investor Relations Tel: 604-558-0560 x 119 Email: ir@equinoxgold.com Cautionary Notes This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information in this news release relate to, among other things: the timing and ability of the Company to recommence mining of the Piaba pit; the ability of the Company to mitigate the impact of the geotechnical event on planned 2024 production from Aurizona; the timing and the ability of the Company to complete an updated geotechnical assessment of the Piaba pit and nearby infrastructure and develop a plan to remediate long-term stability; and the timing and ability of the Company to commence mining from the new Tatajuba open pit. Forward-looking statements or information generally identified by the use of the words "planned", "continues", "will", "expects" and similar expressions and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "could", "would" or "should", or the negative connotation of such terms, are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company has based these forward-looking statements and information on the Company's current expectations and projections about future events and these assumptions include: Company's ability to identify and implement opportunities to mitigate the impact of the geotechnical event; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals required for mining of the Tatajuba open pit are received in a timely manner; and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Story continues The Company cautions that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mining (including environmental risks, regulations, hazards, geotechnical failures; industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather); inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks and hazards; employee relations; relationships with, and claims by, local communities and Indigenous partners; the Company's ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner or at all; changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mining; and those factors identified in the section titled "Risks and Uncertainties" in Equinox Gold's MD&A dated February 21, 2024 for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in the section titled "Risks Related to the Business" in the Company's most recently filed Annual Information Form, both of which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar. Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help readers understand management's views as of that time with respect to future events and speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by applicable law, Equinox Gold assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement or information contained or incorporated by reference to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements and information. If Equinox Gold updates any one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that Equinox Gold will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/204674 Key Insights The projected fair value for Elanor Investors Group is AU$1.32 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity With AU$1.18 share price, Elanor Investors Group appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value Industry average discount to fair value of 7.5% suggests Elanor Investors Group's peers are currently trading at a lower discount How far off is Elanor Investors Group (ASX:ENN) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. 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 Elanor Investors Group Step By Step Through The Calculation We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) -AU$37.6m AU$19.1m AU$21.3m AU$22.9m AU$24.3m AU$25.5m AU$26.5m AU$27.4m AU$28.3m AU$29.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 7.67% Est @ 6.01% Est @ 4.86% Est @ 4.05% Est @ 3.48% Est @ 3.09% Est @ 2.81% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 11% -AU$33.8 AU$15.4 AU$15.4 AU$14.9 AU$14.2 AU$13.4 AU$12.5 AU$11.6 AU$10.7 AU$9.9 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$84m Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 11%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$29m (1 + 2.2%) (11% 2.2%) = AU$323m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$323m ( 1 + 11%)10= AU$110m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is AU$194m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$1.2, the company appears about fair value at a 10% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Elanor Investors 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 11%, which is based on a levered beta of 2.000. 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 Elanor Investors Group Strength Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity Expected to breakeven next year. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Has less than 3 years of cash runway based on current free cash flow. Paying a dividend but company is unprofitable. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. 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 Elanor Investors Group, we've compiled three important aspects you should assess: Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Elanor Investors Group (of which 2 are a bit concerning!) you should know about. Future Earnings: How does ENN'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 ASX 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. Key Insights Sanford's estimated fair value is NZ$4.12 based on Dividend Discount Model Current share price of NZ$4.04 suggests Sanford is potentially trading close to its fair value When compared to theindustry average discount to fair value of 52%, Sanford's competitors seem to be trading at a greater discount In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Sanford Limited (NZSE:SAN) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. 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 Sanford What's The Estimated Valuation? As Sanford operates in the food sector, we need to calculate the intrinsic value slightly differently. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. Unless a company pays out the majority of its FCF as a dividend, this method will typically underestimate the value of the stock. We use the Gordon Growth Model, which assumes dividend will grow into perpetuity at a rate that can be sustained. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.6%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.2%. Compared to the current share price of NZ$4.0, the company appears about fair value at a 1.8% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = NZ$0.2 / (6.2% 2.6%) = NZ$4.1 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. 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 Sanford as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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. Story continues SWOT Analysis for Sanford Strength Debt is well covered by cash flow. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Food market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the New Zealander market. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Dividends are not covered by earnings. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Sanford, there are three further factors you should further examine: Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Sanford that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does SAN'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 New Zealander 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. By Marisa Taylor WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Synchron Inc, a rival to Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant startup, is preparing to recruit patients for a large-scale clinical trial required to seek commercial approval for its device, the company's chief executive told Reuters. Synchron on Monday plans to launch an online registry for patients interested in joining the trial meant to include dozens of participants, and has received interest from about 120 clinical trial centers to help run the study, CEO Thomas Oxley said in an interview. "Part of this registry is to start to enable local physicians to speak to patients with motor impairment," he said. "There's a lot of interest so we don't want it to come in a big bottleneck right before the study we'll be doing." New-York based Synchron is farther along in the process of testing its brain implant than Neuralink. Both companies initially aim to help paralyzed patients type on a computer using devices that interpret brain signals. Synchron received U.S. authorization for preliminary testing in July 2021 and has implanted its device in six patients. Prior testing in four patients in Australia showed no serious adverse side effects, the company has reported. Synchron will be analyzing the U.S. data to prepare for the larger study, while awaiting authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to proceed, Oxley said. Synchron and the FDA declined to comment on the expected timing of that decision. The company aims to include patients who are paralyzed due to the neurodegenerative disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), stroke and multiple sclerosis, Oxley said. Mount Sinai in New York, the University at Buffalo Neurosurgery and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) are collaborating on the preliminary study. Synchron said it hopes to involve these centers in the larger trial. Dr. David Lacomis, chief of UPMC's Neuromuscular Division, said his team is still participating in the preliminary human testing and the study is going well. "Subjects continue to be monitored for safety and an extensive amount of data are being collected as the brain implant is being used," he said. "A much larger pivotal trial is in the planning stages." The Department of Neurosurgery in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo has two patients in the small trial. "Our site has enrolled the first and only stroke patient as we feel this is a significant population that can benefit," said department chair Dr. Elad Levy. "We are optimistic and excited about the next phases of this technology." Story continues EXPANDING THE MARKET Synchron, whose investors include billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, and Neuralink compete in a niche of so-called brain computer interface (BCI) devices. Such devices use electrodes that penetrate the brain or sit on its surface to provide direct communication to computers. No company has received final FDA approval to market a BCI brain implant. Synchron's device is delivered to the brain via the large vein that sits next to the motor cortex in the brain instead of being surgically implanted into the brain cortex like Neuralink's. Neuralink, which has mainly announced developments on Musk's social media platform X, did not respond to questions about its clinical trial. The company has so far announced that it implanted its device in one paralyzed patient. Testing an implant in stroke patients can be particularly challenging, as an individual's brain may be so severely damaged that there isn't sufficient neural signaling to record. The FDA has asked Synchron to screen stroke patients using a non-invasive test to determine whether they would respond to an implant, Oxley said. "They want to expand the market to people who have had a stroke severe enough to cause paralysis because if limited to quadriplegia, the market is way too small to be sustainable," Kip Ludwig, former program director for neural engineering at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said of Synchron. In 2020, Synchron reported that patients in its Australian study could use its first-generation device to type an average of 16 characters per minute. That's better than non-invasive devices that sit atop the head and record the electrical activity of the brain, which have helped people type up to eight characters per minute, but not the leap forward that is hoped for with an implant, Ludwig said. Oxley would not say whether typing has gotten faster or offer any other details from the ongoing U.S. trial. In May, Synchron said it acquired an equity stake in medical component maker Acquandas, as it looks to boost manufacturing. Musk has approached Synchron about an investment in the past, Reuters reported. (Reporting by Marisa Taylor; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Bill Berkrot) WASHINGTON, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The conversation around state-level proposals that seek to ban certain FDA-approved food additives has been filled with myths pushed by unqualified voices and lacking facts presented by those with scientific expertise in the fields of food safety and toxicology. This prompts the question: What are the qualified experts saying? (PRNewsfoto/Partnership for a Healthier America,National Confectioners Association) "Consumers need to know that these very important food safety decisions are based in science and driven by those with the appropriate knowledge base and requisite training," John Downs, NCA's president and CEO, said. "It's time for our nation's food safety experts to flex their expertise and drive the conversation, because maintaining FDA's role as the ultimate authority and regulator in ensuring food safety is critical for our country." What follows are quotes from toxicologists and other leading experts, including regulatory agencies: James Coughlin, PhD, CFS and Craig Llewellyn, PhD: "Numerous reports have included reference to the potential banning of the food additives in other countries, insinuating that the U.S. lags in safeguarding consumers. These allegations, however, stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of the science of toxicology, the linchpin of food additive safety, and the meticulous regulatory oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." March 21, 2024 U.S. Food and Drug Administration: "Reading or hearing about chemicals in food, when combined with words like 'toxic,' 'extremely dangerous' and 'cancer-causing' may be scary, especially if you aren't getting all the facts." April 2, 2024 Health Canada: "Health Canada has reviewed the relevant scientific information on reported linkages between certain synthetic food colours and neurobehavioural effects in children and has found that the presented evidence is insufficient to demonstrate a causal relationship. Health Canada also found no conclusive scientific evidence that titanium dioxide is a concern for human health when used as a food additive." February 16, 2024 Institute of Food Technologists Chief Science and Technology Officer Bryan Hitchcock: "Food additives not only help improve shelf life and reduce microbiological growth but help ensure a safe and affordable food supply while also reducing food loss and waste." March 28, 2024 University of Rhode Island Professor of Nutrition Dr. Kathleen Melanson: "Consumers do not need to be paranoid, or panic stricken about these additives. An occasional treat of a food containing them should not pose a risk." November 1, 2023 Story continues "We are in firm agreement that science-based evaluation of food additives is needed and we follow and will continue to follow regulatory guidance from the authorities in this space, because consumer safety is our chief responsibility and priority," Downs said. "Usurping FDA's authority does nothing but create a state-by-state patchwork of inconsistent state requirements that increase food costs, create confusion around food safety, and erode consumer confidence in our food supply." More states are walking away from food additives bans than are adopting them. Following California's adoption of a food additive ban in the fall of 2023, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois are among a handful of states currently considering copycat proposals. Indiana, Maryland, South Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia have rejected similar bills, because the proposals lack scientific basis. In the same vein, Kentucky legislators recently passed a resolution acknowledging that food safety decisions should be based in fact and driven by those with regulatory expertise. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Institute of Food Technologists Food Additives Toolkit Facts About Titanium Dioxide Myths vs. Facts: Food Additives Red Dye 3 & Titanium Dioxide Fact Sheet Media Contact: elizabeth.kapolka@candyusa.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/what-are-the-experts-saying-about-food-additives-ban-proposals-302110577.html SOURCE National Confectioners Association ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss government will this month present proposals aimed at protecting the country against the risk of banks deemed "too big to fail" in response to UBS's emergence as the country's sole big lender with its 2023 takeover of Credit Suisse. Following are key points surrounding the plan: WHAT DOES TOO BIG TO FAIL MEAN? The 2007-09 financial crisis showed the collapse of systemically important banks put entire economies at risk. The state could not abandon these banks, giving them implicit government guarantees, making them too big to fail (TBTF). To avoid being hostages to future banking mismanagement, governments and regulators sought to beef up rules so that banks were obliged to strengthen their balance sheets. HOW DID THE RULES WORK IN THE 2023 CRISIS? The collapse of Credit Suisse and several regional U.S. banks last year showed TBTF rules were insufficient. Instead of Credit Suisse restructuring without state support - as was intended - the Swiss state had to orchestrate its absorption by UBS, backed by 168 billion Swiss francs ($187 billion) worth of liquidity from the central bank, the Swiss National Bank (SNB). The Swiss TBTF rules are reviewed every two years, but the latest update was put off by a year following the demise of Credit Suisse. Swiss financial market watchdog FINMA, the SNB, a panel of experts and the Financial Stability Board (FSB) have also suggested improvements. Discussions centre on these points: CAPITAL A bigger capital buffer would have given Credit Suisse and the Swiss government more time to find a solution and made it easier to break up and wind down parts of the bank. Finance experts have pitched equity ratios of 20% or more for UBS. At the end of 2023, its ratio stood at 4.7%. The Swiss lower house of parliament last year backed making systemically relevant banks have unweighted equity ratios of at least 15 percent. UBS rejects this, arguing it would make products like mortgages much more expensive and hurt the economy. LIQUIDITY Last year Credit Suisse suffered the first mass digital bank run as confidence in the lender collapsed. In March alone, customers withdrew tens of billions of dollars. The SNB's emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) intended for such cases was not enough to stem the outflows. In addition, Credit Suisse had not prepared all of the relevant collateral for transfer to central banks, or it was already tied up in other transactions. This is now due to change. The central bank is working to make it easier for banks to access emergency liquidity. As part of that effort it is working with lenders to expand the inventory of assets they can pledge in return for liquidity, sources say. The SNB has signalled that, in addition to mortgages, it will also accept a broader pool of commercial loans, as well as so-called Lombard loans as collateral. Story continues STATE LIQUIDITY SUPPORT Even before the Credit Suisse crisis, the Swiss government was working on state liquidity protection, a so-called public liquidity backstop (PLB). This comes into play when a bank urgently needs liquid funds but cannot provide the SNB with enough collateral. In such cases, the state steps in and guarantees the central bank the loans will be repaid. Versions of the PLB, which is meant to be used for the restructuring, sale or winding-up of a bank, are in international use. In Switzerland, there is broad acceptance of allowing liquidity support in emergencies. How much UBS should pay for it remains contentious though. While the government has suggested it should cost UBS a few million francs a year, critics argue that such support should cost a hundred times as much. MANAGEMENT Another lesson from the Credit Suisse meltdown was that executives took excessive risks and were not held properly accountable for them. In view of this, the market watchdog FINMA is calling for the introduction of a so-called Senior Managers Regime based on the British model. This aims to ensure that managerial responsibility for decisions can be clearly assigned. ($1 = 0.9006 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Oliver Hirt; Editing by Dave Graham, Kirsten Donovan) Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy has discussed strategies to empower companies to support Dubai's digital transformation and maximise the contribution of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. A networking event with representatives of companies within the digital sector was attended by Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, along with Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers. A survey was conducted to gather the participants perspectives and recommendations on how to create an incubating and stimulating environment to support companies growth. Survey participants affirmed that Dubai offers an advanced work infrastructure for companies across different digital economy sectors. They highlighted the emirate's ongoing efforts in bolstering international competitiveness and positioning Dubai as an ideal hub for skilled professionals in cutting-edge technologies. Meaningful dialogue Additionally, they emphasised the importance of initiatives and programmes conducted by the Chamber to support companies operating in this sector, particularly in fostering meaningful dialogue between the public and private sectors to address the challenges of advancing the digital economy. Survey participants also emphasised the necessity of expanding digital knowledge exchange platforms for the private sector. They highlighted the significance of providing support and tailored services to startups, small and medium-sized companies to enable them to keep up with modern technological advancements, thereby boosting growth, innovative capabilities, and competitive potential. Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said: We are keen to regularly engage with the private sector to enhance its contribution towards strengthening Dubai's status as a global hub for digital economy and a key player in the global digital ecosystem, in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). Transparent conversations are essential to amplifying the success of Dubais digital ecosystem and positioning the emirate as one of the most diversified and agile technology-enabled digital hubs in the world."--TradeArabia News Service Straits Research Private Limited - Reed Intelligence According to Straits Research, The global firefighting aircraft market was valued at USD 2,410.20 million in 2021. It is projected to reach USD 3,172.35 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 3.10% during the forecast period (2022-2030). New York, United States, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The practice of mitigating wildfires with the aid of aircraft and other airborne sources is known as aerial firefighting. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters since they descend into a fire via parachute from various fixed-wing aircraft or through rope from helicopters. The intensity and duration of wildfires have increased due to several factors. As a result, more helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are being used to combat fires. Additionally, rotorcraft have been utilized for aerial firefighting more frequently throughout time. Rotorcraft are more efficient than fixed-wing aircraft in direct attacks because of their mobility, speed, and delivery capabilities. Download Free Sample Report PDF @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/firefighting-aircraft-market/request-sample Growing Number of Forest Fires Worldwide Drives the Global Market Wildfires and forest fires cause destruction every year in a variety of locations. Only a few countries are equipped with the requisite aerial firefighting vehicles to stop such flames. Rising summer temperatures brought on by global warming, human-made campfires left unattended, and lightning are a few causes of wildfires. For instance, in March 2019, wildfires engulfed Mount Kenya, the second-highest summit in Africa. The authorities used a crop duster plane to extinguish three fire lines. Teams were dispatched by helicopter to the two more flames in the upper moorlands. Using aerial firefighting planes probably contributed to bringing the situation under control and bringing it under control. Thus, increasing demand to control wildfires is anticipated to drive market growth over the forecast period. Increasing Use of Helicopters for Aerial Firefighting Creates Tremendous Opportunities The helicopters offer a high level of safety for individuals because they have an externally hanging bucket to help the pilots maintain a safe height. Water or fire retardants can be dropped on the flames by hovering helicopters. As a result, they are more effective in close-quarters battles. Firefighting service providers like Aerial X Equipment are now utilizing helicopters for high-expansion foam applications that were previously only feasible with ground resources. Additionally, because owning and running a dedicated fixed-wing water bomber aircraft is becoming more expensive, governments prefer using helicopters as a cost-effective option for aerial firefighting. Regional Analysis North America firefighting aircraft market share is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.65% during the forecast period. The US and Canada frequently encounter wildfires caused by either human activity or natural occurrences like lightning, unsecured smoking materials, broken electrical equipment, overheated automobiles, or planned flames. Canada reported 3,621 wildfires that burned 235,124 hectares of land, similar to the United States. In addition, wildfire control groups in North America employ a variety of firefighting aircraft, such as Single Engine Airtankers (SEATs), Large Airtankers (LATs), Very Large Airtankers (VLATs), Water Scoopers, and Smokejumpers. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.75%, generating USD 1,118.30 million during the forecast period. Due to financial constraints, farmers in Indonesia and Malaysia regularly use fire as a simple and affordable strategy for managing their land. This strategy has been responsible for several wildfires, most notably the wildfire disaster in Indonesia in 2019 that completely burnt 329,000 hectares of land. There have been several forest fires in the area. For instance, 19 people, including 18 firefighters, perished in a forest fire in China's Sichuan province in March 2020. One of the largest amphibious aircraft ever produced is located in Europe. The Beriev Be-200 is an amphibian that may be configured for tasks like transporting goods and people, conducting marine patrols, SAR operations, and monitoring the environment. The Beriev Be-200 has set the standard for emergency operations worldwide since it entered service in July 2003. The aircraft's popularity has surged recently, ensuring a constant flow of orders expected to last for the forecast time. Amphibious aircraft's need to respond to emergencies has grown due to climate change and the possibility of natural disasters. Key Highlights Based on aircraft type, the global firefighting aircraft types market is bifurcated into rotorcraft and fixed-wing. The rotorcraft segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.75% during the forecast period. Based on maximum take-off weight, the global firefighting aircraft market is bifurcated into MTOW below 50,000 kg and MTOW above 50,000 kg. The MTOW below 50,000 kg segment owns the highest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.45% during the forecast period. North America is the most significant shareholder in the global firefighting aircraft market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.65% during the forecast period. Competitive Players The global firefighting aircraft markets major key players are United Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Longview Aviation Capital Corp., ShinMaywa Industries Ltd, MD Helicopters Inc., Textron Inc., Kaman Corporation, Airbus SE, and Leonardo SpA. Market News In May 2021, The UH-60L Firehawk helicopters were delivered to Ventura County Fire. The two helicopters have GPS locating capabilities and an onboard digital mapping system that enables crew members dismounted to understand their surroundings better, especially while flying at night or in difficult terrain. In May 2021, Four Super Pumas were successfully acquired by Coldstream Helicopters from the Mexican Presidential Air Wing. The helicopters will be converted into Fire Cats, made explicitly by BC Wildfire Service and other fire agencies around North America. Global Firefighting Aircraft Market: Segmentation Aircraft Type Rotorcraft Fixed-wing Maximum Take-off Weight Below 50,000 kg Above 50,000 kg By Regions North America Europe Asia-Pacific LAMEA Get Detailed Market Segmentation @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/firefighting-aircraft-market/segmentation About Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. Straits Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision-makers. Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. provides actionable market research data, especially designed and presented for decision making and ROI. Whether you are looking at business sectors in the next town or crosswise over continents, we understand the significance of being acquainted with the clients purchase. We overcome our clients issues by recognizing and deciphering the target group and generating leads with utmost precision. We seek to collaborate with our clients to deliver a broad spectrum of results through a blend of market and business research approaches. For more information on your target market, please contact us below: Phone: +1 646 905 0080 (U.S.) +91 8087085354 (India) +44 203 695 0070 (U.K.) Email: sales@straitsresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Statistically speaking, long term investing is a profitable endeavour. But that doesn't mean long term investors can avoid big losses. To wit, the DFI Retail Group Holdings Limited (SGX:D01) share price managed to fall 75% over five long years. That's not a lot of fun for true believers. And some of the more recent buyers are probably worried, too, with the stock falling 33% in the last year. After losing 5.1% this past week, it's worth investigating the company's fundamentals to see what we can infer from past performance. See our latest analysis for DFI Retail Group Holdings While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. 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. DFI Retail Group Holdings became profitable within the last five years. Most would consider that to be a good thing, so it's counter-intuitive to see the share price declining. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time. The most recent dividend was actually lower than it was in the past, so that may have sent the share price lower. The revenue decline of about 6.0% per year might also encourage sellers. 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 DFI Retail Group Holdings has improved its bottom line lately, but what does the future have in store? So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think DFI Retail Group Holdings will earn in the future (free profit forecasts). What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of DFI Retail Group Holdings, it has a TSR of -70% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 0.8% in the twelve months, DFI Retail Group Holdings shareholders did even worse, losing 31% (even including dividends). However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 11% per year over five years. 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. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for DFI Retail Group Holdings (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) that you should be aware of. Story continues If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Singaporean 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. Fortune Minerals collects ore samples from the NICO critical minerals project for metallurgical testing (Photo: Business Wire) Alberta Refinery site purchase option extended to mid-May LONDON, Ontario, April 08, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fortune Minerals Limited (TSX: FT) (OTCQB: FTMDF) ("Fortune" or the "Company") (www.fortuneminerals.com) is pleased to announce the successful delivery of ore samples from the NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper deposit ("NICO Deposit") in the Northwest Territories ("NWT") to SGS Canada Inc. in Lakefield, Ontario. These ores will be used to conduct additional metallurgical testing and pilot work to validate recent optimizations and support detailed engineering and an updated Feasibility Study for the vertically integrated NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper Critical Minerals project in Canada ("NICO Project"). Intermediate test products produced from NICO Project ores and concentrates will also be blended with metal precipitates sourced from Rio Tintos Kennecott Smelter in Utah to assess the feasibility of processing these materials to recover additional bismuth and cobalt at Fortunes planned hydrometallurgical refinery in Alberta ("Alberta Refinery"). Successful validation of the Fortune optimizations and processing of Rio Tinto precipitates would increase Critical Mineral production and revenues and reduce waste disposal costs for the planned Alberta Refinery. Like our news? Click-to-post-on-X. The NICO Project is an advanced development stage asset comprised of a planned open pit and underground mine and concentrator in the NWT and a hydrometallurgical refinery in Alberta to process metal concentrates from the mine and other compatible sources to value-added products. Development of the NICO Project would provide a North American supply of three Critical Minerals needed for the energy transition, new technologies, and growing green economy. The Mineral Reserves for the NICO Deposit also contain more than one million ounces of gold, the price for which has recently exceeded historic highs, providing a highly liquid and countercyclical co-product to mitigate Critical Mineral price volatility. Fortune prepared approximately 15 metric tonnes of ores from its existing stockpiles at the NICO Deposit in 2023, which were recently slung 10 km by helicopter to trucks on the winter ice road for haulage to SGS Canada Inc. for the completion of the first phase of the metallurgical program. The samples are being inspected for quality assurance, and this will be followed by crushing, grinding, and flotation to make gold-bearing cobalt and bismuth sulphide concentrates during phase two of the program. Phase three will consist of hydrometallurgical processing of the concentrates to address gaps needed for detailed engineering and validate process optimizations, including precipitation of a clean gypsum by-product from the autoclave waste residue to reduce disposal costs at the Alberta Refinery. Rio Tinto has also successfully demonstrated precipitation of a bismuth intermediate product from Kennecott smelter wastes in Utah. These will be blended with Fortune test products at SGS Canada Inc. to validate the recovery of the contained metals using the Alberta Refinery metallurgical flow sheet. A portion of Fortunes costs for the metallurgical test work is being reimbursed by the Government of Canada with a grant from the Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration ("CMRDD") program. Alberta Innovates is also providing financial support through their Clean Resources Continuous Intake Program (see Fortune News Release, dated December 5, 2023, and Natural Resources Canada News release, dated March 23, 2024). Story continues Fortune has also secured an additional extension to the purchase option it has with JFSL Field Services ULC ("JFSL") to acquire its brownfield industrial site in Lamont County, Alberta where it plans to construct the Alberta Refinery (see news release dated January 24, 2022). This 77-acre site has 42,000 square feet of serviced shops and buildings adjacent to the Canadian National Railway and is close to sources of reagents, skilled labour, and utilities already in place to service the Alberta petrochemicals industry and a nickel-cobalt refinery operated by another mining company. The JFSL site is an ideal location to construct the Fortune refinery and expand the Edmonton area as a Critical Minerals processing hub in western Canada. Fortune can complete the purchase of the JFSL facilities before May 15, 2024 by paying C$5.5 million, less payments already made, and subject to JFSLs right to use the facilities during the eighteen months following Fortunes completion of the purchase option. The NICO Project will provide a North American vertically integrated supply of cobalt sulphate needed to make the cathodes of lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles, portable electronics, and stationary storage cells. The development will also help mitigate concerns over the current sources of supply, notably including geographic concentration of 77% of global cobalt mine production in the politically unstable Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chinas control over 80% of the worlds refined cobalt supply. The NICO Deposit contains 12% of global bismuth reserves and is the largest deposit of this metal in the world. Production from the NICO Project would mitigate policy risks associated with Chinas control over 75% of current bismuth production and provide a North American supply alternative that is exempt from the 25% U.S. Government tariff on Chinese imports. Bismuth has unique physical and chemical properties leveraged by the automotive, construction and pharmaceutical industries. Consumption of bismuth is growing as an environmentally safe and non-toxic replacement for lead in brass, solder, free-machining steel and aluminum, paints and pigments, glass, radiation shielding, and ammunition. Bismuth demand is also growing to make high-density metal plugs used to permanently seal decommissioned oil and gas wells to prevent greenhouse gas leakage and blowouts. An important developing market is the use of bismuth in permanent magnets to provide a superior and lower cost alternative to rare earth element magnets used in direct current electric vehicle motors. For more detailed information about the NICO Mineral Reserves and certain technical information in this news release, please refer to the Technical Report on the NICO Project, entitled "Technical Report on the Feasibility Study for the NICO-Gold-Cobalt-Bismuth-Copper Project, Northwest Territories, Canada", dated April 2, 2014 and prepared by Micon International Limited which has been filed on SEDAR and is available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Robin Goad, M.Sc., P.Geo., President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortune, and Alex Mezei, M.Sc. P.Eng. Consulting Metallurgist who are "Qualified Persons" under National Instrument 43-101. About Fortune Minerals: Fortune is a Canadian mining company focused on developing the NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper Critical Minerals project in the NWT and Alberta. Fortune also owns the satellite Sue-Dianne copper-silver-gold deposit located 25 km north of the NICO Deposit and a potential future source of incremental mill feed to extend the life of the NICO mill and concentrator. Follow Fortune Minerals: Click here to subscribe to Fortunes email list. Click here to follow Fortune on LinkedIn. @FortuneMineral on X. This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. This forward-looking information includes statements with respect to, among other things, the successful completion of metallurgical testing and pilot work by SGS Canada Inc. and the validation of recent optimizations, the results of metallurgical testing and pilot work will support detailed engineering and an updated Feasibility Study, the completion of exercise by the Company of its option to purchase of the JFSL site, the successful construction and completion of the proposed hydrometallurgical refinery at the JFSL site, and the Companys plans to develop the NICO Project, including the successful the development and construction of the planned NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper mine and concentrator. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management as well as certain assumptions at the date the information is given (including, in respect of the forward-looking information contained in this press release, assumptions regarding: successful results of metallurgical testing and pilot work from ore samples from the NICO Deposit, the successful completion of the Companys due diligence investigations on the JFSL site, the Companys ability to secure the necessary financing to fund the exercise of the option and complete the purchase of the JFSL site, the Companys ability to complete construction of a NICO Project refinery; the Companys ability to arrange the necessary financing to continue operations and develop the NICO Project; the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals for the construction and operation of the NICO Project, including the planned NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper mine and concentrator and the timing thereof; growth in the demand for cobalt; the time required to construct the NICO Project; and the economic environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of gold, cobalt and other by-product metals, anticipated costs and the volumes of metals to be produced at the NICO Project). However, such forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. These factors include the risks that metallurgical testing does not yield results which support detailed engineering and updated Feasibility Study, global geopolitical situations may interfere with the Companys ability to continue development of the NICO Project, the Company may not be able to complete the purchase of the JFSL site and secure a site for the construction of a refinery, the Company may not be able to finance and develop NICO on favourable terms or at all, uncertainties with respect to the receipt or timing of required permits, approvals and agreements for the development of the NICO Project, including the related hydrometallurgical refinery, the construction of the NICO Project may take longer than anticipated, the Company may not be able to secure offtake agreements for the metals to be produced at the NICO Project, the Sue-Dianne Property may not be developed to the point where it can provide mill feed to the NICO Project, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties and in the mining industry in general, the market for products that use cobalt or bismuth may not grow to the extent anticipated, the future supply of cobalt and bismuth may not be as limited as anticipated, the risk of decreases in the market prices of cobalt, bismuth and other metals to be produced by the NICO Project, discrepancies between actual and estimated Mineral Resources or between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries, uncertainties associated with estimating Mineral Resources and Reserves and the risk that even if such Mineral Resources prove accurate the risk that such Mineral Resources may not be converted into Mineral Reserves once economic conditions are applied, the Companys production of cobalt, bismuth and other metals may be less than anticipated and other operational and development risks, market risks and regulatory risks. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information because it is possible that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forms of forward-looking information will not be achieved by the Company. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise it to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408301859/en/ Contacts For further information please contact: Fortune Minerals Limited Troy Nazarewicz Investor Relations Manager info@fortuneminerals.com Tel: (519) 858-8188 www.fortuneminerals.com My generation has a political problem. We gravitate toward quick fixes for massive problems that plague our country. The generation raised on instant gratification, to little surprise, is looking for the same in politics and government. On no other issue is this more apparent than the student loan crisis. Rather than targeting the root of the problem of federally subsidized student loans, President Joe Biden has instead pushed forward the Band-Aid fix of blanket student debt cancellation in order to score a cheap political win with America's youth. On the 2020 campaign trail, candidate Biden championed his plan to "immediately cancel a minimum of $10,000 of student debt per person." That empty promise appears to have worked the first time around, as he captured 65% of the Gen Z vote, compared with Trumps 31%. So is it any surprise that Biden's promise to eliminate student debt went on to be one of his administration's major policy moves? That might be why 77% of voters ages 18-29 said student debt relief was a motivating factor for their turnout in the midterm elections. Gen Z's support for Biden's student debt plan is maddening President Joe Biden prepares to deliver remarks Feb. 21, 2024, in Culver City, Calif., on canceling student debt. On the issue of student loans, Gen Z broadly favors blanket debt cancellation similar to Bidens proposed plan. Almost 60% of those born in 1997 or later support the plan that has since been struck down by the Supreme Court, compared with just 46% of all voters in swing states. Maddeningly enough, that same Bloomberg News/Morning Consult survey reveals Gen Z is far less literate on the details of the plan than other generations, with 42% reporting they had heard not much or not at all of the plan, compared with just 30% of all other voters in swing states. Why I'm not voting: I'm not voting for Trump or Biden. You want my vote? Choose better candidates. I struggle to come up with a term to describe my generation on this issue besides entitled. Not only are we broadly in favor of other people paying off our debts, a majority of whom do not hold a bachelor's degree or higher, we dont even have the decency to be more aware of the issue than generations that are more likely to have already paid off their loans. A sobering truth for young Americans needs to be heard. You do not have the right to demand other people pay off your poor financial decisions. Protesters gather outside the Supreme Court on Feb. 28, 2023, ahead of the oral arguments in cases that challenge President Joe Biden's $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan. That June, a majority of justices ruled on ideological lines that the Biden administration overstepped its power. Gen Z should push Congress to find a long-term solution Bidens plan was not only unwise but also unconstitutional at its core, as highlighted by the Supreme Court when it struck down the plan last June. While I think this course of action is unwise and immoral, Gen Z has a better chance of accomplishing debt relief through Congress, which is responsible for the power of the purse. Story continues Gen Z isn't going away: Don't believe the narrative that Gen Z will vote Biden. My generation is up for grabs. Blanket cancellation does nothing to combat the problem of the student loan crisis. In fact, it would only serve as a further incentive for students to attend colleges they cant afford, obtaining degrees that give them little chance of allowing them to pay off the debt they accrued in the process. Congressional efforts are much better geared toward legislation curtailing the federal student lending programs that have gotten us into this mess in the first place. The problem is federal involvement in student loans Our governments involvement in the student debt crisis is clearly unacceptable. Federal lending programs now offer aid to the vast majority of students. A 2017 study from the Federal Reserve indicates that for every dollar of federal student loans an institution receives, it's able to raise the cost of attendance by 60 cents. 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. In a time when 37% of graduates report being unable to afford their monthly loan repayment, a short-term fix like cancellation will do nothing to prevent future generations from suffering the same fate. Young voters should look to other methods to sway their vote for actual change on the issue, not false promises attempting to bribe them. Gen Z should concentrate our efforts on voting for candidates who promise actual change on the issue, or better yet, take personal responsibility for financial decisions. Understanding your financial decision in attending college, rather than blaming politicians for not stealing other peoples money to pay your debt, is a much better use of your time and will lead to better results for your future. Dace Potas is an Opinion fellow for USA TODAY. A graduate from DePaul University with a degree in political science, he's also president of the Lone Conservative, the largest conservative student-run publication in the country. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gen Z wants to end student debt. You don't get off that easy A used mobile home can cost less than a new SUV, making them a perfect first step for many homebuyers. Now called manufactured houses, they've become a best-bet for a growing number of prospective buyers struggling with record home prices and rising rents. And now the Federal government wants to make it even easier to own one. Last month, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) upped the loan limit to $105,532 for a "single-section" home and $193,719 for a "multi-section" home. If you finance the home and the lot it sits on together, the the new loan limit is $148,909 for a single-wide home and $237,096 for a double-wide. "The higher loan limits better reflect the significant cost increases of new construction for all housing types," said Mark Brunner, president of the Manufactured and Modular Home Association of Minnesota (MMHAM). "The change should help in expanding the pool of potential buyers of new manufactured homes." Brunner said factory built homes are now Minnesota's largest source of non-subsidized attainable housing, accounting for nearly 15% of all new single-family homes sold. Of all the factory built options, those once known as mobile homes are now among the most affordable because unlike a traditional site-built house which includes the structure and the land it's on many manufactured homes are often sold without a place to put them, putting them in same category as cars and boats. That's also what makes them more affordable than a site-built home. Here's what you need to know if you're looking into making a mobile home your abode. Prices vary Today, there's an abundance of factory built housing options, ranging from manufactured houses that arrive on a trailer ready to occupy to modular houses delivered in sections and assembled on site. Delivery and assembly methods, as well as local and national building codes, are what set all of them apart. Like all other kinds of housing, manufactured house prices vary dramatically. And because many don't sell on listing sites with real estate agents, sales stats are elusive. However, late last year, LendingTree analyzed national data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau, that showed the average manufactured home cost $127,300 (not including the land) compared with $430,808 for a site-built, single-family home. The average single-wide cost $86,100 while a multi-section cost $158,633. That analysis also showed that from 2017-22, the average price of a new mobile home increased 77.1%, far faster than a new single-family home, which increased 46.7%. In both cases, those gains didn't include the value of the land. Larger, more expensive floor plans and higher construction costs could be part of what's driving those increases. Story continues "More people are considering mobile and manufactured homes because they're able to get a home loan easier than before," said Carrie Gibbs, broker at Century 21 Moline Realty in Cambridge. "People who thought they'd rent for the rest of their lives are now able to own a home." Gibbs said manufactured homes are an increasingly popular option, especially for first-timers or empty-nesters who can't afford a traditional home. She said as construction costs have risen, these homes have become a more feasible option for people who can't afford to build a home and want to live on rural acreage. For example, a three-bedroom, two-bathroom manufactured house on three acres near Mora recently listed for $185,900. "You can't buy a site-built house for that," she said. Allotting for lot rent In Minnesota, there are nearly 1,000 privately owned and licensed manufactured home communities that provide land-lease home sites. About 10 or so of these are small and cooperatively owned, Brunner said, but national investors own a growing number of them. If you're buying a home in one of these communities, you'll pay a monthly fee based on the location and what the owner includes. Lot rents typically include water and garbage hauling. Some also include snow removal, yard maintenance and access to a variety of amenities. Generally, lot rents are a few hundred dollars a month, and the closer you are to the central cities where land prices are higher, the higher the rent. At Urban Grove, which is only about 10 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, the monthly fee is $910 for a new double-wide with nearly 1,500 square feet that's listed for $179,000. Here's the catch: Most parks require residents to pass a credit and criminal background check, so even if you can afford to buy the home, you might not be eligible to purchase one. Because demand for owner-occupied homes is so strong, a growing number of parks no longer allow rentals. Financing options Modular homes built to state building codes and attached to a home site are considered "real property" and thus taxed accordingly; they are still eligible for a conventional mortgage. Usually, they're attached to a permanent foundation and they often have basements. Manufactured homes, also built to federal building codes, qualify for a conventional mortgage when sited as real property or attached to land the homeowner outright owns rather than leases. Brunner said roughly 80% of all new manufactured homes sold in Minnesota are sited as real property. The balance are in "land-lease" communities and classified as personal property. The MMHAM said about 85% of all new manufactured homes sold in Minnesota are attached to "real property" and financed with a traditional or conventional Fannie/Freddie-backed mortgage. The remainder are sited on leased land, limiting financing options. The upside to placing a mobile home or prefab house on land you own is you can avoid the monthly lot rent, but there are several economic considerations that can increase the cost by tens of thousands of dollars: You'll need access to water, sewer and electricity, and you'll have to be sure local zoning rules permit such a structure. Many subdivisions, especially those in the metro, also have designs and covenants that prevent you from placing a manufactured home on a site. That's less likely to happen in rural areas, but those places also are more likely to require you to install your own well water and septic tank. Because some manufactured homes have the potential to depreciate like a car or boat, lenders consider them a more risky investment than a site-built home, which means you might pay a higher mortgage rate for a shorter term. Chuck McQuillan has been in the manufactured housing finance business for more than 40 years. He's worked for all the big lenders but is now running his own business, Berins Enterprises in Spring Lake Park. He said while it can be challenging to obtain a loan, it's far from impossible: Most mobile home buyers end up financing their purchases. He said while many lenders in this sector have come and gone, but "those in the biz today are long-term players." The big three nationals, he said, are Credit Human Federal Credit Union, Triad Financial Services and 21st Mortgage Corporation, which Clayton Homes a manufactured home company Warren Buffet owns operates. McQuillan cautioned that not every national lender is licensed to do business in every state. The hunt for homes Because many manufactured homes aren't considered real property, shopping for one can be an unreal experience that requires perseverance and determination. Only a fraction are on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), and there's no one-stop shop for such listings. Sellers can list their homes on a variety of sites, including mhvillage.com, Facebook Marketplace and craigslist.org. In high-demand areas, houses sell quickly and by word of mouth. And in some cases, sellers simply post a for-sale sign in their window. Tricia Anderson, a sales agent with Century 21 Moline Realty in Cambridge who has listed and sold many factory built homes, recommends talking with as many park managers and residents as possible. Century 21s website enables buyers to search specifically for mobile/manufactured home listings, and the Cambridge office carries special errors and omissions insurance that enables them to handle such transactions. In Cambridge, she said, Pine Village is an especially coveted community among such buyers. It's a rare age-restricted community that's an appealing option for snowbirds who want an inexpensive living option in Minnesota. But it also draws buyers who once owned a farm or rural property but have since retired and now want more maintenance-free living. The firm recently listed, and found a buyer, for a two-bedroom, one-bath home listed for $39,900. "There are beautiful parks all over Minnesota that are hidden gems," Anderson said. "You need to visit and talk to homeowners and park managers and really do your research." Hong Kong-based fund managers are expanding to the Middle East to take advantage of new investment and fundraising opportunities, as well as the region's talent pool, amid increased global headwinds and US-China geopolitical tensions. As the relationship between China and the Middle East deepens, fund managers in Hong Kong have a unique role in connecting the two regions, according to industry participants. They are increasingly seeing the value of setting up a base of operations in Middle East financial centres. In a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association in November and December, more than 50 per cent of fund managers see opportunities in Dubai (57 per cent), Saudi Arabia (57 per cent) and Abu Dhabi (52 per cent). 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. Last month, Hong Kong-based hedge fund Infini Capital Management opened an Abu Dhabi office after receiving in-principle approval from Abu Dhabi's Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) to establish a presence there, according to the company. This would set the stage for it to become the first Asian hedge fund manager in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, an international financial centre and free zone, it said. Badr Al-Olama, director general of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (left) and Ethan Chan, chairman of Hong Kong-based Arte Capital. Photo: Handout alt=Badr Al-Olama, director general of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (left) and Ethan Chan, chairman of Hong Kong-based Arte Capital. Photo: Handout> "There is obviously a lot of coverage about deepening investments between Greater China and the Middle East, and we are watching these closely to leverage our expertise in both markets," said Tony Chin, Infini Capital's founder, CEO and chief investment officer. For example, dual-listing companies in Hong Kong and the Middle East could potentially present relative value and event-driven investment opportunities, he said. Last September, the Hong Kong stock exchange added Saudi Exchange as a recognised stock exchange, making its equities investible for local funds and retail investors. Infini Capital is also eyeing new listings, equities and bond activities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which comprises Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. The hedge fund manager is raising US$1 billion for its fund to tap the latest opportunities, and it expects the headcount in Abu Dhabi to exceed 10 in the next 12 months. Story continues Hong Kong-headquartered asset manager Arte Capital shares Chin's positive sentiment. The firm established an office last year in Al Khatem Tower, the same building as Infini Capital. Last November, Arte received financial services permission from the FSRA to conduct regulated activities. Tony Chin, founder, CEO and CIO of Infini Capital Management. Photo: Handout alt=Tony Chin, founder, CEO and CIO of Infini Capital Management. Photo: Handout> "We see a unique opportunity in the strengthened relationship between China and the Middle Eastern countries," said Ethan Chan, Arte's founder and chairman. "Asset managers like us are in an excellent position to connect the resources, companies and capital between the two regions." In November, Arte launched a US$1 billion fund for Chinese companies expanding to the Middle East, with the endorsement of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), a government agency. The capital for the Arte China-Arab Strategic Fund comes from Abu Dhabi and China, according to Chan. ADIO said at the time that non-oil bilateral trade between the UAE and China grew by 18 per cent to US$72 billion in 2022. "We are gathering some very high-quality portfolio companies in new energy, new materials, media and new-energy vehicles," Chan said, adding that his firm plans to deploy around US$500 million over the short term and secure co-investors such as sovereign wealth funds and family offices to match the fund's commitment in each deal. Muneer Khan, a partner and Middle East regional head at law firm Simmons & Simmons, said the Middle East, especially the GCC, has accumulated enormous wealth from oil and gas, which has trickled down to the economies and helped generate more private wealth. "There's a lot of wealth generated in the Middle East at both the sovereign and institutional level and private level, such as family offices, which will benefit hedge fund managers when raising capital," he said. "We've seen a huge increase in asset managers from the US, Europe and Asia flying in on marketing visits and trying to raise funds here." The extra fundraising channel can be helpful to Hong Kong and China-based fund managers when the world's second-largest economy faces a slowdown. "When things are difficult in your market to raise capital, it can force you to look elsewhere," Khan said. Another factor affecting fund managers' expansion to the Middle East is talent. Khan said there has been a war for talent among portfolio managers as the multi-strategy, multi-manager platforms have been growing rapidly on a global basis. Muneer Khan, partner and Middle East regional head at law firm Simmons & Simmons. Photo: Handout alt=Muneer Khan, partner and Middle East regional head at law firm Simmons & Simmons. Photo: Handout> "The location further opens new talent pools, particularly from Europe, with a lot of good talent in London and Paris willing to relocate to Abu Dhabi," said Infini Capital's Chin. A low tax environment, affordable cost of living and accessible visa schemes are some incentives for the industry's talent, according to Khan. High earners such as portfolio and hedge fund managers are concerned about increased taxation, but the UAE has no personal income tax and exempts corporate tax for regulated investment managers, he said. The expansion of Hong Kong-based fund managers to the Middle East is still nascent but growing. However, there are challenges even amid the friendly relationship between the two regions. "Global headwinds and the US-China tension have impacted [the Middle Eastern investors'] interests in investing in China," said Arte's Chan. "It's not that straightforward." But it is also not insurmountable. "Asset managers need to bring good investment targets to the table and help investors make money, and then they can utilise the opportunities in the Middle Eastern market," he 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 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. PeopleImages / Getty Images Arriving at a magic number when youre saving to buy a home is a tricky business because so many variables are involved. You have to consider the price of the house, the amount you want to put down, the current mortgage rate, and how much youll pay in closing costs, taxes and other fees. Check Out: Barbara Corcoran Says, Forget About Florida, Move Here for Cheap Homes Read Next: 6 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money The first thing you should do is review your finances and determine how much you can spend upfront on your home purchase. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) recommends taking the following steps: Gather your bank and investment statements and add up all funds available for a home purchase. Decide how much you want to set aside for other savings goals as well as moving costs and any home renovations you might need. Subtract these amounts from the total above. Subtract an additional amount to set aside for an emergency fund, which should be enough to cover at least three to six months worth of expenses. The final number is your maximum available cash for closing. This is how much you can contribute out of pocket at the time you close on your loan. Learn More: In Less Than a Decade, You Wont Be Able To Afford Homes in These ZIP Codes Sponsored: Protect Your Wealth With A Gold IRA. Take advantage of the timeless appeal of gold in a Gold IRA recommended by Sean Hannity. How Expensive Are Closing Costs? Keep in mind that youll need to factor in closing costs in addition to the down payment. The amount youll need for closing costs depends on the price of the home, your down payment, your lender costs, the type of loan, the location and other factors. A good ballpark figure is that your closing costs will range from roughly 2% to 5% of the home purchase price. As for the down payment although the norm used to be 20% of the purchase price, thats no longer the case. The typical down payment for first-time buyers was 8% as of mid-2023, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. The typical down payment for repeat buyers was 19%. Both of those percentages were the highest since at least 2005. A separate analysis from Houzeo found that the average down payment for all buyers was 14.5% during the 2023 third quarter. In a 2022 blog, Oregon-based Hayden Homes recommended considering these factors when coming up with your magic number: Buying timeline . The longer you wait, the more time youll have to save for a bigger down payment. Loan amount : This will partly depend on how big a down payment you can make. Your financial standing : As Hayden Homes noted, if you have a strong financial history, you might get by with a smaller down payment. Mortgage type: Down payment requirements vary depending on the type of mortgage loan you have. Options include conventional, fixed-rate and variable-rate mortgages as well as FHA loans and jumbo loans. Story continues All of these factors will play a part in your magic number for saving for a home. If its any help, the average down payment amount for middle-tier homes those priced between 75% and 125% of the median sales price was $56,371 in December 2023, according to CoreLogic. That might be as good a magic number as any to shoot for. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Housing Market 2024: This Magic Number Tells You When You Have Enough Savings To Buy a Home Majorca, Spain--(Newsfile Corp. - April 8, 2024) - Find out where to stay for the half Ironman in May, thanks to Ideal Property Mallorca, a company with a deep knowledge of the island. Ideal Property Mallorca To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7838/204291_4902c5be24479a91_001full.jpg On May 11th, the city of Alcudia will host the half 70.3 Ironman 2024. The areas close to the courses established for the competition will be altered. Majorcan experts and the race organizers recommend getting information on where it is best to sleep in order to avoid traffic jams that could affect the proper development of the race. Bike and running courses On May 11, traffic in the northern part of Mallorca will be modified by the course maps for the half Ironman 2024. From around 7 a.m. to 15 p.m., the streets in the center of Alcudia and the rest of the cities involved in the event will be closed. The starting line will be drawn near the Ma-12 or carretera d'Arta, so it will be limited to traffic until the last triathlete is expected to pass. The course will continue through the area of Pollenca, Lluc and Caimari. Then bikers will ride from Caimari to Muro and Son Vivot. Afterwards, competitors will pass by the urban area of Muro and Son Amera before riding through Ma-3433 till the carretera d'Arta. Best accommodation, where to stay at Alcudia? The experts at Ideal Property Mallorca, a vacation rental management company that works exclusively on the island, know perfectly the needs of both tourists and locals. Therefore, they advise taking roadblocks into account and planning your movements in advance to avoid traffic jams and experience delays. The changes in traffic will not only affect the inhabitants of Alcudia. By modifying road traffic, the blocks are likely to cause delays that could negatively influence the athletes' experience. Resting well is fundamental for this kind of competition. That's why it is advisable to look for places to stay in Alcudia close to the historic center or located near the port. By booking accommodations nearby, athletes will arrive faster to the starting line and the routes will remain clear. As a result, organizers and competitors will have a more pleasant experience. Contact information: Kevin IPM info@ideal-property-mallorca.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/204291 Key Insights Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad's significant private companies ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public The largest shareholder of the company is Tan Chin Tuan Pte Ltd with a 52% stake Using data from analyst forecasts alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company A look at the shareholders of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad (KLSE:MSC) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 53% to be precise, is private companies. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Meanwhile, individual investors make up 35% of the companys shareholders. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad. See our latest analysis for Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. Less than 5% of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad is held by institutional investors. This suggests that some funds have the company in their sights, but many have not yet bought shares in it. If the business gets stronger from here, we could see a situation where more institutions are keen to buy. When multiple institutional investors want to buy shares, we often see a rising share price. The past revenue trajectory (shown below) can be an indication of future growth, but there are no guarantees. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad. The company's largest shareholder is Tan Chin Tuan Pte Ltd, with ownership of 52%. With such a huge stake in the ownership, we infer that they have significant control of the future of the company. Neoh Choo Ee & Company, Sdn. Berhad is the second largest shareholder owning 1.3% of common stock, and Mettiz Capital Limited holds about 0.9% of the company stock. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Insider Ownership Of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. Story continues 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 see that insiders own shares in Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad. It has a market capitalization of just RM1b, and insiders have RM73m worth of shares, in their own names. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 35% stake in Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Private Company Ownership We can see that Private Companies own 53%, of the shares on issue. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad . If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Key Insights The considerable ownership by private companies in Zhulian Corporation Berhad indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy 60% of the business is held by the top 3 shareholders Insiders own 31% of Zhulian Corporation Berhad To get a sense of who is truly in control of Zhulian Corporation Berhad (KLSE:ZHULIAN), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 50% stake, private companies possess the maximum shares in the company. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). And individual insiders on the other hand have a 31% ownership in the company. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it's not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Zhulian Corporation Berhad. See our latest analysis for Zhulian Corporation Berhad What Does The Lack Of Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Zhulian Corporation Berhad? Small companies that are not very actively traded often lack institutional investors, but it's less common to see large companies without them. There are many reasons why a company might not have any institutions on the share registry. It may be hard for institutions to buy large amounts of shares, if liquidity (the amount of shares traded each day) is low. If the company has not needed to raise capital, institutions might lack the opportunity to build a position. It is also possible that fund managers don't own the stock because they aren't convinced it will perform well. Zhulian Corporation Berhad's earnings and revenue track record (below) may not be compelling to institutional investors -- or they simply might not have looked at the business closely. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Zhulian Corporation Berhad. Zhulian Holdings Sdn Bhd is currently the largest shareholder, with 34% of shares outstanding. With 15% and 10% of the shares outstanding respectively, The Best Source Holdings Pte Ltd and Beng Teoh are the second and third largest shareholders. Additionally, the company's CEO Meng-Keat Teoh directly holds 6.4% of the total shares outstanding. A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 3 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 60% stake. 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. As far as we can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar. Story continues Insider Ownership Of Zhulian Corporation Berhad The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Zhulian Corporation Berhad. Insiders own RM204m worth of shares in the RM667m company. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently. General Public Ownership The general public-- including retail investors -- own 19% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Private Company Ownership It seems that Private Companies own 50%, of the Zhulian Corporation Berhad stock. 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: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Zhulian Corporation Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Zhulian Corporation Berhad , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. 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. Residents and visitors will have a chance to win big during the Eid In Dubai celebrations, with a host of exciting competitions and raffles announced. Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the Eid activations happening across the emirate will give shoppers many chances to collect huge prizes. Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) is bringing back its much-anticipated annual Eid Al Fitr shopping extravaganza in which shoppers have the chance to win AED200,000 ($54,463) worth of cash prizes. Digital raffle Visitors to participating DSMG malls, who spend AED200, will receive a digital raffle coupon to enter into an exciting draw which will have a total of 22 winners. Announced over the last three days of Eid, six people will each receive a prize of AED15,000 and another six lucky shoppers will receive prizes worth AED10,000. Additionally, ten more prizes of AED5,000 will be handed out in the raffle, which is held every year to help spread joy during the Eid celebrations. A total of 18 malls are participating, including Al Bustan Centre, Al Barsha Mall, Al Barsha South Mall, Al Ghurair Centre, Al Khail Gate Community Centre, Al Warqa City Mall, Arabian Center, Bay Avenue, Dubai Festival Plaza, Dubai Outlet Mall, Etihad Mall, Mudon Community Centre, Nad Al Hamar Mall, Serena MarketPlace, Shorooq Community Center, Silicon Central, Times Square Center and Villanova MarketPlace. Tickit points From April 1 to 22, 2024, those who spend AED200 at Al Khawaneej Walk Outlets will be entered into the Eideya draw using their UAE-issued Visa or Mastercard linked to Tickit to win AED2000 in Tickit Points. At Mercato and Town Centre, for every AED200 spent from April 1 to 12, shoppers will get the chance to enter the draw and win a daily cash prize of AED3,000, as well as an all-inclusive three-day trip for two to the Maldives.--TradeArabia News Service Key Insights Institutions' substantial holdings in BT Group implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price 51% of the business is held by the top 6 shareholders Insiders have bought recently Every investor in BT Group plc (LON:BT.A) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. With 38% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. As a result, institutional investors endured the highest losses last week after market cap fell by UK459m. The recent loss, which adds to a one-year loss of 25% for stockholders, may not sit well with this group of investors. Also referred to as "smart money", institutions have a lot of sway over how a stock's price moves. As a result, if the downtrend continues, institutions may face pressures to sell BT Group, which might have negative implications on individual investors. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about BT Group. View our latest analysis for BT Group What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About BT Group? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. We can see that BT Group does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see BT Group's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Hedge funds don't have many shares in BT Group. The company's largest shareholder is Patrick Drahi, with ownership of 25%. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 12% and 5.5% of the stock. We also observed that the top 6 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Story continues Insider Ownership Of BT Group The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of BT Group plc. It has a market capitalization of just UK10b, and insiders have UK2.6b worth of shares in their own names. That's quite significant. It is good to see this level of investment. You can check here to see if those insiders have been buying recently. General Public Ownership With a 17% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over BT Group. 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 6.2%, of the company's shares. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company. Public Company Ownership Public companies currently own 12% of BT Group stock. We can't be certain but it is quite possible this is a strategic stake. The businesses may be similar, or work together. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand BT Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Be aware that BT Group is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those doesn't sit too well with us... 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. Intermap Technologies 3D precision elevation data enhances agriculture practices in Greece Transforming water resources management and resilience in Malawi Leveraging AI/ML for government applications DENVER, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intermap Technologies (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) (Intermap or the Company), a global leader in 3D geospatial products and intelligence solutions, today announced two infrastructure projects in Greece and Malawi, providing applications that leverage recent advancements in AI/ML. Intermap has received a contract award alongside its partner, ALVO, to provide 3D precision elevation data to the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Rural Development and Food in Greece (Greek Ministry of Agriculture). Intermaps high-resolution NEXTMap 3D digital surface models (DSMs) and geospatial services are integrated with ALVOs innovative products to provide the government with high-quality data and tools to address its agriculture needs. This strategic partnership combines both companies products and expertise into one solution, empowering the Greek Ministry of Agriculture to perform critical agriculture studies, offering valuable insights and enabling data-driven decisions for optimal crop management and resource allocation. Intermaps NEXTMap DSM is an excellent solution for our purpose, said Dimitris Messinezis, Founder and CEO of ALVO in Greece. Agriculture technologies continually evolve, and we focus on concrete cooperations with worldwide corporations that follow the developments in the same pace and manner. Intermap is a great partner for this national level agriculture project and all future projects since we admire their professionalism and dedication. We are excited to be a part of this important government project for the Greek Ministry of Agriculture, said Patrick A. Blott, Intermap Chairman and CEO. Our expertise in 3D precision geospatial data makes us a valuable partner for ALVO in delivering advanced solutions for the agriculture industry in Greece. By extending our commercial services business model to government applications, we are empowering governments to leverage our AI/ML-driven application layers for enhanced value extraction that is tailored to specific geospatial infrastructure investments. We are committed to providing innovative solutions to our partners and distributors to enable clients to make informed decisions about geospatial problems. In Africa, Intermap won a contract to supply its latest 3D digital terrain models (DTMs) to the government of Malawi for Watershed Services Improvement and Disaster Management Projects. The Company is supplying DTM data for the entire Shire River Basin, a critical area in Malawi for hydropower, agriculture, fisheries, transport, tourism and urban and rural water supplies. By leveraging AI/ML-driven data production technology, Intermap empowers Malawis unique hydrometeorological techniques and river basin management practices. Intermaps 3D DTMs offer unparalleled insights into the current topography of the region, facilitating informed decision making and proactive measures to mitigate risks associated with natural disasters. Intermap remains committed to supporting global initiatives aimed at disaster risk reduction and sustainable development, said Mr. Blott. Through the provision of cutting-edge geospatial intelligence solutions, we continue to empower nations like Malawi to build resilient infrastructure to support communities and thrive in the face of environmental changes. Malawi faces significant challenges posed by various natural hazards, including floods, droughts, earthquakes and landslides. These hazards often lead to infrastructure damage, impacting the countrys economy and the livelihoods of its people. Recognizing the urgency of addressing these challenges, the Malawi Department of Water Resources is actively engaged in using the latest technology to implement innovative solutions, enhance disaster management and bolster watershed sustainability. Learn more about Intermaps NEXTMap elevation data at intermap.com/nextmap. Intermap Reader Advisory Certain information provided in this news release, including reference to revenue growth and run-rate, constitutes forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast", will be, will consider, intends and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermaps forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermaps Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law. About Intermap Technologies Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermaps 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the worlds largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Companys collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermaps products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation. For more information, please visit www.intermap.com or contact: Jennifer Bakken Executive Vice President and CFO CEO@intermap.com +1 (303) 708-0955 A rendering of the proposed original Victory Arch designed by Solomon Layton at time of original state Capitol construction. There are a lot of famous arches across the globe that visitors travel long distances to see. Theres Utahs natural Delicate Arch, and the architectural marvels that are Paris Arc de Triomphe and St. Louis Gateway Arch. And soon, Oklahomas Capitol might have its own arch, which will honor and memorialize the states National Guard. Thats despite there being an entire museum in Oklahoma City already dedicated to our guardsmen. The Capitol arch is currently a dream, but if Oklahoma lawmakers have their way, it soon will be reality. Legislators are enthusiastically plowing forward with plans to build a $4.3 million arch and amphitheater on the south Capitol grounds, Oklahoma Voice reporter Barbara Hoberock reported. The proposed arch would be a sight to behold at 30 feet tall and 60 feet wide. The archs construction is part of a broader $65 million plan to also add a three-story parking garage and a reflecting pool on Capitol grounds. The bills House author, Rep. Mark McBride, told his colleagues recently that the plans for an arch have been in the works since 2014 when restoration began on the state Capitol. He said the arch was in original Capitol plans dating back to 1917, but it was never built. Can you imagine coming north on Lincoln and seeing that beautiful arch? the bills Republican author Sen. Brenda Stanley asked her fellow lawmakers during a recent committee meeting. Oh yes, I can only imagine the reaction Oklahomans, including our military veterans, will have when they see that lawmakers used their hard-earned taxpayer dollars to invest in a vanity project all while residents are grappling with huge systemic issues. From staggering childhood hunger rates, to a continued lack of accessible child care to teacher retention struggles and workforce challenges, theres no shortage of issues facing those inside and outside the halls of the state Capitol. The bill overwhelmingly cleared the House with no questions or debate. More: Oklahomas education meeting campouts are becoming a problem. Here's one solution: Opinion But some people are certainly discussing it in one of our favorite forums: social media. One person on Oklahoma Voices social media platforms called the planned arch an amazing waste of money. Others questioned why we need it. We often hear the refrain that we only have so much money to spend and that we need to be prudent with it. Every year, that rhetoric translates to kicking the can down the road another year, further worsening our systemic issues. Yet, if we allocate $4.3 million for a vanity project, lawmakers are sending a clear signal to their constituents that were doing just fine financially. That investment signals that theres just no political will or interest in helping everyday Oklahomans or making the financial investments needed to make our state a better place. Story continues Because its going to take money to fix our big issues, not moaning, a wringing of hands and a continued reliance on nonprofits. Building a parking garage might make sense because it will make it easier for people to access their state Capitol. But it seems safe to say that beautiful arches, amphitheaters and reflecting pools arent on the list of things taxpayers need. More: Oklahoma voters have been decisive with initiative petitions. Lawmakers should show some respect | Opinion Someone, who identified as a retired National Guardsman, wrote on social media that if $4.3 million is burning a hole in lawmakers pocketbooks, perhaps it would be better served helping homeless veterans. Indeed, many of our states veterans are not thriving. According to USA Facts, a nonprofit that compiles government data, reports that close to 1 in 10 of our veterans live in poverty. Just over 38% of Oklahoma veterans are disabled compared with about 20% of nonveterans. The Housing Assistance Council reported that about 31,000 Oklahoma veterans lived in homes with issues like quality or crowding. Many are paying too much for their housing. And, an estimated 273 Oklahoma veterans were homeless in 2021. Maybe we do need an arch to pay tribute to veterans sacrifices, but if thats true, why arent we privately fundraising to pay for it? Oklahoma taxpayers have entrusted lawmakers to use their money wisely. Using taxpayer dollars to construct an arch is a stupid abuse of that trust. Janelle Stecklein is editor of Oklahoma Voice. An award-winning journalist, Stecklein has been covering Oklahoma government and politics since moving to the state in 2014. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Is an arch at the Oklahoma state Capitol worth the $4.3 million? While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SPR) share price up 22% in a single quarter. But don't envy holders -- looking back over 5 years the returns have been really bad. In that time the share price has delivered a rude shock to holders, who find themselves down 60% after a long stretch. So we're hesitant to put much weight behind the short term increase. But it could be that the fall was overdone. Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns. View our latest analysis for Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Spirit AeroSystems Holdings wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally hope to see good revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size. Over half a decade Spirit AeroSystems Holdings reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 9.2% for each year. That puts it in an unattractive cohort, to put it mildly. Arguably, the market has responded appropriately to this business performance by sending the share price down 10% (annualized) in the same time period. We don't generally like to own companies that lose money and don't grow revenues. You might be better off spending your money on a leisure activity. You'd want to research this company pretty thoroughly before buying, it looks a bit too risky for us. The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). Spirit AeroSystems Holdings is well known by investors, and plenty of clever analysts have tried to predict the future profit levels. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts A Different Perspective Investors in Spirit AeroSystems Holdings had a tough year, with a total loss of 1.6%, against a market gain of about 28%. 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, longer term shareholders are suffering worse, given the loss of 10% doled out over the last five years. We would want clear information suggesting the company will grow, before taking the view that the share price will stabilize. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Spirit AeroSystems Holdings that you should be aware of before investing here. Story continues But note: Spirit AeroSystems Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Key Insights The projected fair value for Deleum Berhad is RM2.81 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Deleum Berhad's RM1.42 share price signals that it might be 49% undervalued Analyst price target for DELEUM is RM1.46 which is 48% below our fair value estimate Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Deleum Berhad (KLSE:DELEUM) as an investment opportunity by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! 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. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Deleum Berhad Is Deleum Berhad Fairly Valued? We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last 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 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM76.3m RM85.5m RM93.7m RM100.9m RM107.5m RM113.5m RM119.1m RM124.5m RM129.8m RM135.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 15.78% Est @ 12.11% Est @ 9.54% Est @ 7.74% Est @ 6.48% Est @ 5.60% Est @ 4.98% Est @ 4.55% Est @ 4.25% Est @ 4.03% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 12% RM68.2 RM68.3 RM66.9 RM64.4 RM61.3 RM57.8 RM54.2 RM50.7 RM47.2 RM43.9 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM583m After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.5%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 12%. Story continues Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM135m (1 + 3.5%) (12% 3.5%) = RM1.7b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM1.7b ( 1 + 12%)10= RM544m 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 RM1.1b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM1.4, the company appears quite good value at a 49% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Deleum Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 12%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.316. 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 Deleum Berhad Strength Currently debt free. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Energy Services industry. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Energy Services market. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Malaysian market. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Deleum Berhad, we've compiled three additional factors you should assess: Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Deleum Berhad that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does DELEUM's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the KLSE 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. Key Insights Significant control over Jardine Matheson Holdings by individual investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions A total of 21 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership Institutions own 34% of Jardine Matheson Holdings To get a sense of who is truly in control of Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (SGX:J36), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are individual investors with 47% ownership. 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 34% ownership in the company. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Jardine Matheson Holdings, beginning with the chart below. Check out our latest analysis for Jardine Matheson Holdings What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Jardine Matheson Holdings? 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. Jardine Matheson Holdings 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. 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 Jardine Matheson Holdings' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Jardine Matheson Holdings. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Butterfield Asset Management Ltd. with 13% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 13% and 5.1% of the stock. A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 21 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no single shareholder has a majority. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Story continues Insider Ownership Of Jardine Matheson Holdings The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. We can see that insiders own shares in Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited. Insiders own US$750m worth of shares (at current prices). It is good to see this level of investment. You can check here to see if those insiders have been buying recently. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 47% stake in Jardine Matheson Holdings. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Private Company Ownership Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 13%, of the company's shares. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Jardine Matheson Holdings you should know about. But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. HUANGLING, China, April 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 400 Chinese people, including overseas Chinese, attended a ceremony in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on April 4 to pay homage to Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor. Jiachen (2024) Qingming Festival Memorial Ceremony for the Yellow Emperor was held in Shaanxi Province (PRNewsfoto/Shaanxi Provincial Government) The ceremony is traditionally held on Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, which falls on Thursday this year. Chinese people mourn their deceased family members and worship their ancestors during the Qingming holiday. The legendary Huangdi is considered to have been the founder of the Chinese civilization and the common ancestor of all Chinese people. Those who participated in the ceremony made offerings of flower baskets to Huangdi during the ceremony. Participants included Peng Qinghua, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Jiang Zuojun, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, Zhao Yide, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shaanxi Provincial Committee, and Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. As the Memorial Ceremony was completed, the attendees visited the Xuanyuan Hall and the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, they then planted the Qiaoshan cypresses. This year's ceremony was co-hosted by the Shaanxi provincial government, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jiachen-2024-qingming-festival-memorial-ceremony-for-the-yellow-emperor-was-held-in-shaanxi-province-302109975.html SOURCE Shaanxi Provincial Government Jason Tarry will become John Lewis Partnership chairman in September - Chris Radburn John Lewis has appointed a chairman with decades of retail experience to steer the next phase of its turnaround, after breaking with tradition to remove Dame Sharon Whites right to name her successor. Jason Tarry, who joined Tesco in 1990 as a graduate trainee and left last year after serving as UK chief executive, was instead appointed by the mutuals board. The new process followed a change to the John Lewis constitution in January, agreed by the partnership council, a group made up of partners of varying seniority. Minutes of the meeting seen by The Telegraph said that 50 members of the council voted in favour of removing the power from the chairman and sought clarification on the nature of the chairmans involvement in the whole process. There was one abstention. The move follows a turbulent period for the retailer after it came under heavy financial pressure and staff questioned Dame Sharons lack of commercial experience. The former civil servant had been appointed by her predecessor Sir Charlie Mayfield in 2019. She instigated a review of John Lewiss governance when she announced her departure in October, becoming the shortest-serving chairman in the history of the business. A spokesman said: The process was adapted this time round. Previously, it was the chairmans nomination endorsed by the board. This time round the [rules]... have been amended to make this formally a board appointment. It is good governance practice to look at the accountabilities and scope of all senior roles from time to time and especially so before recruiting for a role. The partnership recently revamped its turnaround plans, including ditching its target to make 40pc of profits outside of retail by 2030. John Lewis returned to profit last year for the first time since the pandemic. Dame Sharon has taken a string of difficult decisions in an effort to revamp the company, including scrapping its never knowingly undersold price-matching promise and closing 16 stores. Mr Tarry will take charge as John Lewiss seventh chairman in September. His appointment was welcomed by retail experts but attracted controversy from campaigners for better representation for women in senior roles. The proportion of women on the partnerships board has reduced from 60pc to 40pc since last year. Fiona Hathorn, the chief executive of Women on Boards, which works to increase the representation of women in executive roles, said: It is disappointing to see that John Lewis seems to have filled all of the top jobs with men given that the new executive chair is a man, the CEO of the group is a man, and the two executive board members for John Lewis and Waitrose are men too respectively. Story continues In January, John Lewis hired former Jigsaw boss Peter Ruis to lead its department stores, replacing Naomi Simcock. Nish Kankiwala, the former boss of Hovis, was hired as its first ever group chief executive officer last year. The addition of Mr Tarry, 56, means the board will now comprise five men and four women, compared with this time last year when it was made up of five women and three men. Current chairman Dame Sharon White said last year that she would stand down at the end of her term - Jeff Overs/BBC John Lewiss current roster of female board members includes its deputy chair, Rita Clifton, and executive director for finance, Berangere Michel. Despite the change in the make-up of its board, with 40pc of the roles being filled by women, John Lewis would still meet the Financial Conduct Authoritys recommended 40pc threshold for female board members if it was a public company. It comes after Dame Sharon last year claimed she was struggling to recruit men for top jobs as she pushed to change what she called a strong male culture at the company. Speaking at an International Womens Day event in London, she said she had faced a backlash for recruiting and promoting women. I definitely had emails saying, oh my goodness, there are too many [women], she said, commenting on the decision to hire a female deputy chairman in 2020. Mr Tarry led Tescos UK operations for six years and was credited for his critical role in steering the supermarket through the Covid pandemic. When he stepped down, Tesco boss Ken Murphy said he had made the supermarket the most competitive we have ever been. The appointment of Mr Tarry comes as the partnership refocuses back on its core retail business, having shelved plans to rapidly shift away from the high street. Dame Sharon said Mr Tarry has fantastic retail experience with leadership through transformation and that she was confident he would take the business from strength to strength. She added that he has a clear appreciation for the partnership model and champions it. It follows speculation last year that the retailer was considering selling off a stake to find cash to fuel its turnaround. This was later ruled out. Mr Tarry said: The partnership and its brands stand for trust, value, quality and service and its a great privilege to be succeeding Sharon as the seventh chairman. The partnership is unique and Ive long been an admirer of the employee-ownership model, its values and partner-led customer service. This starts with a sharp focus on being brilliant retailers for customers and investing in growth. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. PARIS & PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, April 08, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: James Marape, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE), met together to discuss the status of the Papua LNG project. On this occasion, Patrick Pouyanne reaffirmed to the Prime Minister that TotalEnergies, operator of the project, and its international partners ExxonMobil, Santos, JX Nippon, are fully committed to Papua LNG. In particular, he shared the high interest of several LNG buyers for off-taking LNG from Papua LNG due to its strategic location close to key Asian markets. He also informed the Prime Minister that, after receiving first EPC offers, it appears that the project will need to keep working with contractors to obtain commercially viable EPC contracts and requires more work to reach FID. In that view, the project will review the structure of some packages and open the competition to an enlarged panel of Asian contractors. As a consequence, FID of Papua LNG project is now expected in 2025. The Prime Minister and Patrick Pouyanne agreed that this slight delay will not affect the early works planned in Papua New Guinea in 2024 and that the project will maintain its full support to local population of Gulf Province. This demonstrates the commitment of TotalEnergies to the well-being of the people of Papua New Guinea. Moreover, Patrick Pouyanne announced that TotalEnergies intends to drill the first deepwater exploration well on the PPL 576 license in 2025. *** About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations. @TotalEnergies l TotalEnergies l TotalEnergies l TotalEnergies Cautionary Note The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Universal Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240407146096/en/ Contacts TotalEnergies Contacts Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com Kraig Biocraft Laboratories ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("the Company" or "Kraig Labs"), announces today that it has signed a landmark agreement with the Vietnam Sericulture Association ("VSA"). As part of this agreement, the Company disclosed its production plans and schedule for the next twenty-four months to the VSA to obtain cooperation in reaching its production targets. This agreement establishes a collaborative working effort between the Company and the VSA, something the Company has been actively working towards for some time. Under the terms of the agreement, in addition to support and advice on production logistics, the VSA has agreed to assist the Company in obtaining formal intellectual property registration of its BAM-1 hybrid silkworm strain in Vietnam. This definitive agreement strengthens the collaboration between the Company and the VSA, building on and expanding the Memorandum of Understanding announced on January 30, 2024. This landmark agreement establishes the framework and much of the logistical support needed for the Company to achieve metric-ton levels of production. "This agreement is the culmination of many years of work with various governmental and non-governmental agencies to demonstrate our technology and its potential," said Company founder and CEO, Kim K. Thompson. "This new relationship with the VSA underlines our commitment to South East Asia and, we believe, significantly strengthens our position as we scale up production. With this agreement finalized, we are now working jointly with a capable partner to see that vision fulfilled." "We have been following developments at Kraig Labs for many years and are very happy now to be working directly with them," said Dr. Le Quang Tu, President of the Vietnamese Sericulture Association. "We believe that Kraig's technology will have a significant positive impact on our industry. They have applied a thoughtful, step-by-step approach. Now, we will take a step together." The Company's CEO remains in Vietnam, overseeing operations directly. Kraig Labs anticipates that Thompson will provide additional announcements and updates regarding the Company's accelerating progress over the coming weeks. To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. ( www.KraigLabs.com ), a reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk-based fiber technologies. Story continues The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Company's future and expectations other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These statements are made on the basis of management's current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that management's expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "estimated," "hopes," "if," "develops," "researching," "research," "pilot," "potential," "could" or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Company's business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, LLC (720) 288-8495 ir@KraigLabs.com TotalEnergies has agreed to acquire the 20% interest held by Lewis Energy Group in the Dorado leases operated by EOG Resources (80%) in the Eagle Ford shale gas play, increasing its natural gas production capacity in Texas. Located in Texas, the Dorado field will allow TotalEnergies to increase its net US natural gas production by 50 million cubic feet a day (mmcfd) in 2024, with the potential for an additional 50 mmcfd by 2028. The field has an emission intensity of around 10 kg CO2e/boe. In 2023, TotalEnergies net US natural gas output reached around 340 mmcfd (450 mmcfd technical production). TotalEnergies, largest exporter of US LNG With over 10 million tonnes (Mt) in 2023, TotalEnergies was the number one exporter of US LNG, thanks to its 16.6% stake in the Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana and several long-term purchasing agreements. The Companys LNG export capacity will reach 15 Mt/y by 2030 following the start-up of the first phase of the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas, currently under construction. "This acquisition strengthens our production of natural gas in the US, contributing to reinforce TotalEnergies' LNG integration with a low cost and low emission upstream gas feed, said Nicolas Terraz, President, Exploration & Production at TotalEnergies. "We are pleased to partner with EOG Resources, an operator recognised for its strong technical expertise.--TradeArabia News Service Lindsay Corporation (NYSE:LNN) Q2 2024 Earnings Call Transcript April 4, 2024 Lindsay Corporation beats earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $1.64, expectations were $1.56. LNN isn't one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Hello, and welcome to the Lindsay Corporation Fiscal Second Quarter 2024 Earnings Conference Call. All participants will be in listen-only mode. [Operator Instructions] After today's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the call to Randy Wood, President and CEO. Please go ahead. Randy Wood: Thank you, and good morning, everyone. Welcome to our fiscal 2024 second quarter earnings call. With me today is Brian Ketcham, our Chief Financial Officer. I am pleased with the consolidated performance and resilience of our business through the first-half of this fiscal year. While market conditions in South America have temporarily impacted activity across the agriculture industry, the performance of our North American irrigation business continues to be supported by steady demand amid tempered grower sentiment. Additionally, in our Infrastructure business, the continued mix shift towards leasing for our leading Road Zipper System is delivering meaningful margin expansion. Overall, I am encouraged by our ability to execute operationally and strategically in order to drive profitability across the organization, as well as the actions we've taken to navigate suboptimal market conditions in some regions. In North America, our Irrigation business saw comparable whole goods demand versus the second quarter of last year, which was largely in line with expectations, and supported by the carryover impact of sold farm profits from last year. While stable demand in North American end markets has supported our year-to-date revenue results, we are approaching the back-half of the year with tempered expectations. The USDA recently released its initial 2024 net farm income projections, which were significantly below initial market forecasts and expectations. While this has the potential to negatively impact farmer sentiment and the deployment of investment dollars for new equipment in the near-term, it's still very early in the season. Moving to international irrigation, where we continue to see a softening of demand. In particular, the Brazilian market has experienced reduced grower profitability, limited access to financing, and constrained investment capacity. While we're facing a challenging external operating environment in Brazil in the near-term, we're still very confident in the mid to long-term opportunities in this market. Ongoing droughts in Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Parana have increased state-level support for irrigation. And with low penetration levels and the ability to support up to three crops per year, these markets will continue to grow. Moving to Infrastructure, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, our overall profitability continues to benefit from the strong growth of our Road Zipper System leasing business, an encouraging indicator as we move forward. Story continues Despite revenue that was comparable to the prior-year period, we captured meaningful margin improvement that Brian will touch on later. We expect continued growth in our Road Zipper lease revenue in the back-half of this year as we move into the heart of the road construction season, coupled with the strong backlog in sales pipeline for the overall infrastructure business. Additionally, as we've mentioned in prior calls, we expect our infrastructure business to benefit over time as U.S. infrastructure spending ramps up as part of the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act. We've only recently begun to see that dynamic play out, and we believe that we're in the early innings of a multiyear growth trajectory for infrastructure spending domestically. Turning to innovation and technology, as we announced yesterday, we've agreed to acquire a 49.9% interest in Pessl Instruments, with an option to acquire the remainder of the company in the future. Pessl is a leading developer and distributor of in-field monitoring solutions for agricultural markets. The company deploys software and IoT hardware, including weather stations and environmental sensors, supporting agricultural decision-making including pest and disease control, crop management, and irrigation management. We believe this relationship further highlights our commitment to providing world-class water management solutions to growers around the globe. Our combined platforms and integrated technologies will allow users to monitor and adjust irrigation operations based on key atmospheric conditions, while also enhancing overall predictive analytics capabilities. This further strengthens our digital water management portfolio, allowing us to reach a broader set of customers and service providers globally. Lastly, I'd like to address our recent announcement to expand and modernize our manufacturing facilities. In January, we announced our commitment to invest more than $50 million over the next two years to implement state-of-the-art technology that will greatly benefit our global operations. Our strategic plans for the modernization of our facilities include the implementation of Industry 4.0 Technologies, data connectivity, analytics, artificial intelligence, and the addition of automation and robotics. Our renovated facility will also house new equipment and the latest advancements in galvanizing a core process for manufacturing mechanized irrigation systems and road safety products. A farmer standing in a field with a modern irrigation system in the background. Additionally, we'll be expanding our Lindsay, Nebraska facility by 40,000 square feet to allow for increased manufacturing capacity and capabilities and metal forming. This investment is the largest in our company's history and we look forward to updating you as we invest further into operational excellence and innovation. I'd like to turn the call over to Brian to discuss our second quarter financial results. Brian? Brian Ketcham: Thank you, Randy, and good morning everyone. Consolidated revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 were $151.5 million, a decrease of 9% compared to $166.2 million in the prior year. The decrease resulted from lower irrigation segment revenues, as infrastructure revenues were comparable to the prior year second quarter. Net earnings for the quarter were $18.1 million or $1.64 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $18.1 million or $1.63 per diluted share in the prior year. The impact of lower revenues and lower operating income was favorably offset by an increase in other income and a lower effective tax rate compared to the prior year's second quarter. Other income benefited from increased interest income and favorable foreign currency translation results compared to the prior year's second quarter. And income tax expense for the quarter was reduced by the realization of a one-time tax benefit of $1.1 million in Brazil. Turning to our segment results, Irrigation segment revenues for the quarter were $133 million, a decrease of 10% compared to $147.8 million in the prior year. North America Irrigation revenues of $82.8 million decreased 8% compared to $90.4 million in the prior year's second quarter. Most of the decrease resulted from lower sales of replacement parts, along with slightly lower average selling prices and the impact of a less favorable mix of shorter machines compared to the prior year second quarter. Sales of replacement parts in the prior year included a substantial number of MODEM and RTU upgrades connected to the sunsetting of 3G coverage that did not repeat this year. While overall selling prices in North America remained relatively stable during the quarter, we did see selective competitive discounting in some regions that we responded to. The impact of these revenue decreases was partially offset by moderately higher unit sales volume compared to the prior year's second quarter. In International Irrigation markets, revenues of $50.2 million decreased 13%, compared to revenues of $57.4 million in the prior year's second quarter. The decrease resulted primarily from lower revenues in Brazil and other Latin American markets compared to the prior year, while the impact of increases and decreases in other markets mainly offset one another. In Brazil, a 20% drop in cash soybean prices from December to February coupled with lowered yield expectations is negatively impacting the outlook for grower profitability and available liquidity as growers are indicating an unwillingness to sell their crops at current price levels. This situation is also resulting in a more constrained credit environment, which is also limiting investment in irrigation equipment in the near-term. Irrigation segment operating income for the quarter was $25.6 million, a decrease of 22% compared to the prior year. And operating margin was 19.3% of sales compared to 22.2% of sales in the prior year. Lower operating income and operating margin resulted primarily from lower revenues and the resulting impact from deleverage of fixed operating expenses. Infrastructure revenues for the quarter were $18.5 million and were comparable overall to the prior year. An increase in Road Zipper System lease revenues was offset by lower Road Zipper System project sales, and lower sales of road safety products compared to the prior-year second quarter. Infrastructure segment operating income for the quarter was $3.5 million, an increase of 74%, compared to $2 million in the prior year. Infrastructure operating margin for the quarter was 19% of sales, compared to 10.9% of sales in the prior year. The increase in operating income and operating margin resulted from a more favorable margin mix of revenues, with higher Road Zipper System lease revenues compared to the prior-year second quarter. Turning to the balance sheet and liquidity, our total available liquidity at the end of the second quarter was $200.6 million, which includes $150.6 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, and $50 million available under our revolving credit facility. Year-to-date cash generated from operating activities has increased compared to the prior year. However, our free cash flow is being impacted by the increase in capital spending relating to the investments being made in our Lindsay Nebraska operation. Our balance sheet remains strong, and with ample access to liquid capital resources, we continue to be well-positioned to execute our capital allocation strategy to create enhanced and sustained value for our shareholders. This concludes my remarks. And at this time, I'll turn the call over to the operator to take your questions. See also 20 Countries with the Largest Labor Force in the World and 25 Richest Billionaires in Energy Industry. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Key Insights Woolworths Group's estimated fair value is AU$28.57 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of AU$32.47 suggests Woolworths Group is potentially trading close to its fair value The AU$35.46 analyst price target for WOW is 24% more than our estimate of fair value Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Woolworths Group Limited (ASX:WOW) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Woolworths Group The Model We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$1.90b AU$2.48b AU$2.68b AU$1.73b AU$1.79b AU$1.62b AU$1.53b AU$1.48b AU$1.45b AU$1.45b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -9.13% Est @ -5.74% Est @ -3.37% Est @ -1.71% Est @ -0.55% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 6.0% AU$1.8k AU$2.2k AU$2.2k AU$1.4k AU$1.3k AU$1.1k AU$1.0k AU$925 AU$858 AU$804 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$14b After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.0%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$1.4b (1 + 2.2%) (6.0% 2.2%) = AU$38b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$38b ( 1 + 6.0%)10= AU$21b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$35b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$32.5, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. 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 Woolworths 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 6.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.843. 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 Woolworths Group Strength Debt is well covered by cash flow. Weakness Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Consumer Retailing market. 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. Threat Paying a dividend but company is unprofitable. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. 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 Woolworths Group, we've put together three additional elements you should explore: Risks: You should be aware of the 2 warning signs for Woolworths Group (1 is concerning!) we've uncovered before considering an investment in the company. Future Earnings: How does WOW's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the ASX 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. Investors who take an interest in Luceco plc (LON:LUCE) should definitely note that the CFO & Executive Director, William Hoy, recently paid UK1.42 per share to buy UK92k worth of the stock. That's a very decent purchase to our minds and it grew their holding by a solid 33%. See our latest analysis for Luceco Luceco Insider Transactions Over The Last Year The insider Wayne Hill made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK114k worth of shares at a price of UK1.14 each. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of UK1.54. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices. In the last twelve months Luceco 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. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Luceco 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. Insider Ownership Of Luceco 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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Luceco insiders own 26% of the company, worth about UK62m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Luceco Insiders? It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Insiders likely see value in Luceco shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Luceco. For example - Luceco has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Mass. homeowners grappling with crumbling foundations that insurance won't cover and renders homes 'worthless' Jeff and Kim Haynes had their home in Rutland, Massachusetts, hoisted six feet into the air to make way for a new foundation after discovering deteriorating concrete in their basement. "It was about a year and a half ago that I noticed some cracking," Jeff told WCVB Channel 5 Boston. "I obviously wasn't thinking it was going to be this." Don't miss It was only after the Haynes had their basement drywall removed to inspect the issue that they found the concrete was infected with pyrrhotite a naturally occurring mineral found in parts of New England that can compromise structural integrity if present in the aggregate material used to make concrete. Its a problem that homeowners insurance wont cover and banks wont provide loans for, since the value of the property sinks, according to WCVB. The Haynes say theyll be coughing up over $250,000 for the work. "All of the sudden, one day, you start to notice cracks in your basement, and you come to find out that your house is worthless," state senator Peter Durant told WCVB. "That's devastating for anybody to have to face." Thousands of Massachusetts homes are at risk So far, state officials believe around 7,500 homes across Massachusetts could be at risk of pyrrhotite contamination. "If you are thinking of buying in this area, you absolutely have to have the seller test the concrete first," Haynes said. Read more: Suze Orman says Americans are poorer than they think but having a dream retirement is so much easier when you know these 3 simple money moves A cluster of homes run by a condo association in Westminster, Massachusetts, has had at least 10 of 96 units, all built in the 1990s, test positive for pyrrhotite racking up repair fees of $115,000 to $130,000 per unit according to Spectrum News 1. This caused homeowners association (HOA) fees to skyrocket. I dont know how many increases on the HOA that I can justify, Tammi Roscoe, who moved into her home in spring 2021, told the news outlet. That was a huge jump. It went from $366 to $434. Story continues Homeowners and state officials are calling for help Starting in July, Massachusetts is mandating quarries test their product to ensure it doesnt contain any traces of pyrrhotite. However, homeowners and some state officials are calling for financial aid to help cover the costs of new foundations. "It's time for legislators and the governor to act on this," Haynes said. "There's a very real chance there's far more people affected by this than we even realize today." Tens of thousands of homes in Connecticut constructed between 1983 and 2000 are believed to be impacted by the same problem. But the state has set up a trust fund to help with homeowners receiving up to $190,000 toward foundation replacement. The fund is paid for by a $12 per year surcharge on every home insurance policy in the state. Connecticut has done this; Massachusetts needs to follow suit, Michelle Loglisci, a founder of Massachusetts Residents Against Crumbling Concrete, told MassLive. Massachusetts is probably going to be in worse shape than Connecticut. What to read next Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds Car insurance premiums in America are through the roof and only getting worse. But 5 minutes could have you paying as little as $29/month This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. In the middle of the Sahara Desert, Chinese workers have been braving the intense Algerian heat as they build a 575km (357-mile) rail line connecting one of the world's largest iron ore mines to the national rail network. Workers of the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) have begun digging the rocky, dusty route between the Gara Djebilet iron ore mine in Algeria's southwest province of Tindouf and Bechar at its border with Morocco, in preparation for laying track. It is tough work, but a task that could ultimately help China de-risk its iron ore supply, while helping the North African country at the same time. 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. China currently depends largely on Australia and Brazil for its iron ore, the primary raw material for making steel. Beijing is hoping supply from the Gara Djebilet mine, which has reserves of around 3.5 billion tonnes, will help diversify its sources. Meanwhile, Algiers is banking on the ore to help reduce its dependence on its oil and gas industries for export revenues. CRCC will work with Algerian state-owned civil engineering company Cosider Travaux Publics to deliver the railroad, which will connect the remote parts of the mineral-rich western region of Gara Djebilet Iron Mine Zone with the Dumiat Industrial Zone in the Bechar region, with a total of 40 stations along the way. In doing so, it will facilitate the development of Algerian iron ore mining and provide a much-needed boost to the economy. A lack of rail connections has thus far prevented Algeria from developing its large iron ore deposits in the southwest. Photo: Weibo alt=A lack of rail connections has thus far prevented Algeria from developing its large iron ore deposits in the southwest. Photo: Weibo> The Chinese company is well-practised in desert construction. It previously assisted in the construction of parts of Algeria's 1,216km East-West Highway - built over the course of 16 years "under the most complex geological conditions", according to Beijing. The Gara Djebilet project is part of China's "railway diplomacy" that will see the construction of 6,000km of tracks across the North African country. It is also part of 19 cooperation deals worth US$36 billion that Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed in Beijing in July last year. Story continues "Strengthening the railway sector is the best guarantee for development and our Chinese friends have agreed to this project, which will cover about 6,000km," Tebboune said during his visit to China. Algerian MP Mohamed Machkak, of the Transport Commission, told Chinese-owned CGTN Africa - the African division of the China Global Television Network - that the new railway project will connect isolated regions, creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs for Algerian youths. "It will raise standards of living and create economic opportunities for individuals and communities," Machkak said. According to Yahia Zoubir, a non-resident senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs in Qatari capital Doha, the Gara Djebilet mine in the southwest, phosphates projects in the east, as well as other minerals, will help Algeria reduce its decades-long dependence on oil. Zoubir said in the early 1970s, the iron ore mines of Gara Djebilet were going to be developed in collaboration with Morocco, under the leadership of then-president of Algeria Houari Boumediene. Inspiration had been taken from the cooperation of France and West Germany in the 1950s with the formation of the European Community of Steel and Coal, which ultimately led to the creation of the European Union. But a dispute over a region of the Western Sahara in the 1970s saw the Algeria-Morocco deal fall through. "The tense relations between Algeria and Morocco put an end to the Gara Djebilet cooperation project," Zoubir said. He said the existing infrastructure had become obsolete and the need for an easy way to transport the iron ore across the desert prompted the Algerian government to ask China for help, due to their other successful projects in the country, such as water pipelines, highways and tunnels. "Undoubtedly, this project is important for Algeria but also for China since the spillover of such a project, once implemented, would be emulated in the sub-Saharan region and in the Mediterranean Basin," Zoubir said. It will also give China access to another source of iron ore, something it desperately wants, said Lina Benabdallah, an associate professor in the politics and international affairs department at Wake Forest University in the US. She said once the Gara Djebilet mine is developed, it is expected to yield an initial production capacity of 2 million to 3 million tonnes per year. The railway from Bechar to Tindouf is critical for the transport of ore concentrate, she said, both for local and international markets. "This project is interesting to the Algerian government for the potential for income diversification and economic growth," Benabdallah said. "And for China, increasing options for where to source iron ore is critical to avoid depending on a limited number of providers and the price or access volatility that can come with that." She said Algeria and China have a strong diplomatic bond, with the countries elevating their relationship to comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014 - the highest designation under China's bilateral relations. "This signals both to the fact [that] China and Algeria have enjoyed very strong relations since the 1950s and Algeria's anti-colonial war, and also the continuous strength of the diplomatic ties over the decades," Benabdallah said. Steven Jackson, a professor of political science and fellow at Washington's Wilson Centre, agreed that the main thing China gets out of the Algeria deal is a diversification of its iron ore sources. He said China is the top steel producer in the world, making over 1 billion tonnes of steel in 2022 - significantly more than the rest of the world combined. But China imports most of its iron ore and 70 per cent of that ore comes from one country: Australia. "China-Australian relations have been strained in recent years and China's leaders would probably want to diversify its sources," Jackson said. If that relationship was to worsen in the near future, he said other iron ore sources would be imperative. Jackson noted that in 2017, Chinese steelmakers and Algerian officials signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore the idea of exporting ore from the Gara Djebilet mine, but that at the time it was found to be both a logistical challenge, with the railway needed, and a technical challenge, because of phosphorus in the ore, which weakens the steel. "The Chinese may have found a way to make it viable," Jackson said. On the economic relationship front, he said China is now Algeria's biggest source of imports - at 17 per cent in 2022 and growing. Meanwhile, France's market share has been shrinking; it was number one in 2010, but is now a distant second, with about 10 per cent of the Algerian market, according to Jackson. He said China exported nearly US$7 billion of goods to Algeria in 2022. However Algerian exports back to China were less than US$2 billion that year. "There is a significant trade imbalance, and the leaders in Algiers would like to export more to China. Algeria would also like to see more Chinese investment in Algeria," Jackson 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 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. This article was originally published in North Dakota Monitor. North Dakota has launched an online financial education website as part of a larger effort to make the state the most financially literate in the U.S. by 2027. The effort is spearheaded by Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler, Treasurer Thomas Beadle, the Bank of North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgums Office and a handful of other state agencies. North Dakota residents can create a free account on SmartWithMyMoney.nd.gov to access education modules on budgeting, decreasing credit card debt and other topics, Kelvin Hullet, chief business development officer for the Bank of North Dakota, said at a Tuesday press conference announcing the website. The site also includes a research-based financial personality test to help residents reflect on how they use their money. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter This is a unique website, Hullet said. It dives in deeper than maybe typically what you would see with other types of education or other websites. Those who complete assignments on the SmartWithMyMoney.nd.gov are eligible to win cash prizes. When residents are financially healthy, there are far-reaching positive impacts on their personal well-being and the states economy, Burgum said in a Tuesday announcement. Reducing financial stress improves mental health. Making good financial decisions decreases the number of people with excessive credit card debt. More people are able to purchase homes, start or expand a business, and have increased expendable income. A 2021 survey published by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority asked Americans across the country to answer a seven-question financial literacy quiz. In North Dakota, only 37% of respondents got more correct answers than the median. In Minnesota and South Dakota, those figures were 41% and 38%, respectively, according to the Tuesday announcement from the governors office. The states goal is for about two-thirds of North Dakotans to beat the median score in 2027. North Dakotas other performance targets for the 2027 survey include: For roughly two-thirds of surveyed residents to report having at least three months worth of emergency funds. In 2021, just 52% of North Dakota respondents met this standard.For only one-third of respondents to report experiencing financial anxiety. In 2021, this figure was 56%.For about two-thirds of surveyed residents to participate in employer-based retirement plans, compared to 57% in 2021. North Dakota Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. North Dakota Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Amy Dalrymple for questions: info@northdakotamonitor.com. Follow North Dakota Monitor on Facebook and Twitter. PeopleImages / Getty Images/iStockphoto If you havent filed your tax return for 2023 yet, its time to kick things into gear. The filing date for 2024 is April 15 April 17 if you live in either Maine or Massachusetts and if youre late with your filing, you could trigger some serious consequences. Specifically, failing to get your return in on time will cost you 5% of your unpaid taxes for each full or fractional month that you are late, with a cap of 25%. So, if you owe $10,000 in taxes and dont file your return until September, you can expect to owe an additional $2,500. Check Out: 5 Presidents Who Raised Taxes the Most, and 5 Who Lowered Them Related Reading: Owe Money to the IRS? Most People Dont Realize They Should Do This One Thing But thats a worst-case scenario only. In some ways, waiting to file until the absolute deadline can actually work to your advantage. This is because you can still make some tax-saving or tax-advantaged moves all the way up until the last minute. Here are some of the last-minute tax tips you might want to consider. Thapana Onphalai / Getty Images/iStockphoto Maximizing Your IRA and HSA Contributions One of the major benefits of IRAs and HSAs is that you can make prior-year contributions all the way up to the April 15 tax deadline. So, if youre looking to reduce your taxable income and have the money, you still have time to max out your IRA and/or HSA contributions. Imagine you only contributed $2,000 to your IRA in 2023, for example, but you have a $5,000 year-end bonus just sitting in a savings account. You can slide over $4,500 of that $5,000 into your IRA, thereby maxing out your contribution of $6,500 for 2023. Note that youll have to inform your IRA custodian that you are making a prior-year contribution for tax year 2023 to benefit from this move before April 15. But if youre in the 22% federal tax bracket, you could save an additional $990 in taxes just by making this last-minute contribution. And if youre 50 or older, you can even sock away an additional $1,000 thanks to the catch-up contribution provision for older Americans. Check Out: IRS Increases Gift and Estate Tax Exempt Limits Heres How Much You Can Give Without Paying Learn More: Top 7 Countries With Zero Income Tax Sponsored: Credit card debt keeping you up at night? Find out if you can reduce your debt with these 3 steps fizkes / Getty Images/iStockphoto Review Your Itemized Deductions vs. the Standard Deduction In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 almost doubled the standard deduction, dropping the percentage of Americans who itemize down from about 31% to about 11%. But that still means that millions of Americans are better off itemizing their deductions, and you might be one of them. In addition to the big, well-known deductions, like the mortgage interest deduction, there are plenty of smaller ones that can add up and push you beyond the standard deduction threshold. According to TurboTax, here are the some of the most overlooked itemized deductions: Story continues State sales taxes Reinvested dividends (some investors fail to increase their cost basis) Charitable contributions made out-of-pocket Student loan interest even if paid by someone else Moving expenses for military personnel State tax you paid in Spring 2023 for tax year 2022 Refinancing mortgage points Jury duty paid to an employer Whether or not these specifically apply to you, its worth the effort to do a last-minute review of whether or not you should itemize. Find Out: Trump-Era Tax Cuts Are Expiring How Changes Will Impact Retirees Rockaa / iStock.com Dont Overlook Tax Credits Youre Entitled To A number of tax credits are available for a wide variety of activities the IRS deems socially beneficial. Educational tax credits like the American Opportunity Credit and family oriented ones like the Child Tax Credit are fairly well known, but you may be entitled to some less popular tax credits as well. Various energy-efficient upgrades to your home, for example, may snag you as much as $3,200 in tax credits. These can range for anything from the energy-efficient windows to biomass stoves. The Retirement Savers Credit can provide up to a $2,000 credit for joint filers who meet income and contribution requirements. When it comes to credits, the list can be long, so its a good idea to work with a tax advisor or at least high-quality tax software so that you dont overlook any possible credits. Luke Chan / iStock/Getty Images File an Extension If all else fails, take advantage of the free six-month extension to file your taxes that the IRS grants to everyone. Its a much better idea to take the extra time to submit an accurate return than it is to rush the submission of an incomplete or inaccurate return. Not only might you face additional taxes and penalties, youll still have to do the work correctly at some point anyway, so you might as well take the time now and make sure everythings in order. Just remember that while you can get a free six months to file your return, the money you owe is absolutely due on April 15. Even if youre not exactly sure what your tax liability will be, make sure to submit a check for a reasonably close amount when you file for your extension or else the failure-to-pay penalty will kick in immediately. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Its Not Too Late: Here Are 4 Last-Minute Tax Tips To Consider Before Filing If you love investing in stocks you're bound to buy some losers. But long term Murray Cod Australia Limited (ASX:MCA) shareholders have had a particularly rough ride in the last three year. Regrettably, they have had to cope with a 57% drop in the share price over that period. It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that. Check out our latest analysis for Murray Cod Australia Given that Murray Cod Australia didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally hope to see good revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth. In the last three years, Murray Cod Australia saw its revenue grow by 11% per year, compound. That's a pretty good rate of top-line growth. That contrasts with the weak share price, which has fallen 16% compounded, over three years. To be frank we're surprised to see revenue growth and share price growth diverge so strongly. It would be well worth taking a closer look at the company, to determine growth trends (and balance sheet strength). The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic. A Different Perspective Murray Cod Australia shareholders are down 10% for the year, but the market itself is up 13%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 5% 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. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Take risks, for example - Murray Cod Australia has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are potentially serious) we think you should know about. 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. Story continues Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Australian 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. 3-day holiday bolsters domestic tourism market 08:32, April 08, 2024 By Cheng Si ( Chinadaily.com.cn Tourists throng the Maijishan Grottoes on Friday in Tianshui, Gansu province. Over the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, Tianshui received around 946,500 tourist visits, generating a revenue of 540 million yuan ($74.65 million). Zhang Zhimin / Xinhua The just-concluded Qingming Festival holiday proved to be a boon for the tourism industry in the country with both the number of travelers and tourism revenue soaring as people made the most of the short break. Figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Saturday showed that domestic destinations witnessed about 119 million visits during the three-day holiday, which started on Thursday, the Tomb Sweeping Day, up 11.5 percent compared with 2019. There was only one day off for the occasion last year, and it resulted in 23.77 million domestic visits. The travel boom during the holiday generated revenue of about 54 billion yuan ($7.47 billion), up 12.7 percent compared with 2019, the ministry said. Reports and figures from travel agencies and local government departments also paint a positive picture. Travel portal Trip.com Group said that over the holiday, bookings for short-distance tours to destinations within cities customers live in grew 211 percent year-on-year, and bookings to neighboring destinations located outside the cities they live in skyrocketed 350 percent year-on-year. The top attractions among users of the travel portal were places well known for flower blossoms at this time of the year. Ticket bookings for such attractions surged 391 percent year-on-year. Luoyang, a city famous for peony flowers in Central China's Henan province, Nyingchi in the Xizang autonomous region with its peach blossom-covered mountains and Nanjing with plum blossoms in the eastern province of Jiangsu, were among the popular destinations for nature lovers during the holiday. "People have shown a strong desire to travel this holiday, and the tourism market is in continuous recovery," said Qi Chunguang, vice-president of online travel agency Tuniu. He said the platform saw hotel bookings grow 68 percent year-on-year, and the number of self-driving travelers using Tuniu's services increased 61 percent year-on-year. "The results meet our expectations," he added. In addition to traditionally popular destinations such as Beijing and Shanghai, lesser-known places also saw huge tourist influx after local food and unique folk activities found viral online fame. Quanzhou, a city in the southeastern province of Fujian, welcomed a huge number of travelers attracted by its traditional "head-pinned flowers". Qunar, an online travel agency, said that hotel bookings to Quanzhou grew 3.3-fold during the holiday. "I was stunned by the online short videos of girls wearing well-arranged flowers on their heads. I told my boyfriend that I must try that and take pictures," said Yan Nan, a 27-year-old from Beijing, who traveled to Quanzhou on Wednesday, a day before the holiday began, and returned on Saturday. Yan said she went to Xunpu village, considered the birthplace of "head-pinned flowers", on Thursday afternoon, and it was crowded. "I booked the service online, which cost 40 yuan. The auntie was very nice and patient, and did the flower arrangement in about half an hour. It was a good experience and I will visit the place again in the near future but avoid the peak travel periods," she said. Xiao Peng, a researcher from Qunar, said that young people, who are the main drivers of tourism consumption, prefer diverse or unique traveling experiences. "An ancient street or a delicious cuisine may attract a large number of travelers to a place," he said. The inbound and outbound tourism market also showed good performance over the holiday. According to the National Immigration Administration, the Chinese mainland saw about 5.19 million entries and exits, up 69.6 percent year-on-year. Qi Chunguang, vice-president of Tuniu, said: "Thailand, Japan, the Maldives, Egypt and New Zealand were popular among our customers. Some tailored tour products to Southeast Asian destinations including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand were also popular, especially among young people, age 25 to 35, as the three countries are visa-free for Chinese citizens." (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) WorkSmart for Events Management Company has revealed the inaugural edition of Luxury Deals, a first-of-its-kind event offering discounted luxury products. from June 15 to 17 at the Gulf Convention Centre. The event is set to showcase a diverse array of renowned brands across various industries, encompassing jewellery, accessories, gemstones, luxury watches, fashion, cosmetics, and fragrances, as well as antique art pieces, furniture, and cars. Additionally, the event will feature prominent companies in interior design, home decor, luxury real estate, resorts, and advanced ICT service providers. Visitors will have the chance to buy the finest goods at discounted prices. Exhibitors, on the other hand, will benefit from several advantages offered by the exhibition, including the opportunity to showcase their products at competitive prices to a wide audience. They can network with industry leaders in the luxury sector, increase sales figures, and enhance brand visibility in this competitive industry through exceptional deals. They will also leverage selling opportunities targeting HNWIs and attract customers interested in investing in luxury goods at competitive prices. Furthermore, the exhibition coincides with the festive occasion of Eid Al-Adha, making it an ideal time for individuals to shop and spend on luxurious products. Upscale event Ahmed Al-Hujairy, CEO of WorkSmart and the exhibition's organiser, stated: The upscale event aims to bring together top-tier brands, products, and services under one roof, delivering unique shopping experiences for visitors at the best prices. Furthermore, it provides Bahraini merchants and companies with the chance to participate, engage in deal-making, share experiences. The exhibition is poised to deliver substantial and positive outcomes, actively supporting the commercial and economic vibrancy in Bahrain. Furthermore, it will invigorate tourism, attracting a surge in visitors that will, in turn, enhance support for local restaurants and hotels. Concurrently, the event will serve as a catalyst, providing Bahraini companies with fresh avenues to expand and advance their business endeavours, allowing them to showcase their diverse range of products and services. These efforts align with our continuous endeavours to enhance Bahrain's leadership in the exhibition arena. We hold a strong belief that this event will greatly contribute to the advancement of the luxury goods sector in the kingdom, elevating its competitiveness in delivering exquisite products across luxury industries. Exclusive products Fawzi Al Shehabi, the strategic partner of the exhibition, stated: "I am delighted to join as a partner of Luxury Deals. We anticipate its ability to attract individuals from various countries, thanks to its offering of exclusive products at unparalleled prices. Undoubtedly, it will be a qualitative addition to the national economy through the tourism, economic, and commercial momentum it will generate. As the founder of Jewellery Arabia, the largest exhibition of its kind in the region, I have observed an increasing demand for luxury goods at discounted prices in all previous editions, which reinforces our expectations of unprecedented success for the exhibition in terms of both sales and public turnout."--TradeArabia News Service Driving financial growth with social impact, Peer2Gether investment platform's journey in Thailand Peer2Gether continues to empower investors around the world and make a difference in Thailand BANGKOK, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ Peer2Gether, a prominent investment platform operating under the umbrella of the Peer2gether Foundation a charity foundation. With a mission to empower investors while making a positive impact in communities, Peer2Gether continues to empower investors around the world and make a difference in Thailand. Headquartered in Singapore, Peer2Gether Foundation has proudly raised over $300 million in donations, making a tangible impact on more than 50 orphanages and elderly care facilities. This commitment to philanthropy underscores Peer2Gether's mission to not only generate financial returns for its investors but also to contribute to the betterment of society. With a commitment to both financial growth and social good, Peer2Gether is revolutionizing the investment landscape, providing accessible investment opportunities while simultaneously supporting charitable initiatives in Singapore. Additionally, to ensure the security of investors' funds, Peer2Gether's investment packages are insured by Trust Step, providing added protection and peace of mind. "At Peer2Gether, we believe in empowering investors while making a positive difference in the world. Through our innovative investment opportunities and commitment to social good, we aim to create a brighter future for all." said the director of Peer2Gether. Peer2Gether offers a range of features designed to empower investors and maximize returns, including: Low Initial Investment: With an initial investment of only $100, Peer2Gether opens doors to investment opportunities that were once out of reach for many. Potential for Profit: While investing with Peer2Gether offers the possibility of making a profit, it's important to remember that all investments carry some level of risk. Quick Registration: Signing up online is quick, free, and usually takes less than 5 minutes. Flexible Withdrawal: Investors have the flexibility to withdraw their funds without penalty, providing peace of mind and liquidity when needed. With over 10,850 investors and a total value of investment plans listed at over $10.3 million, Peer2Gether has already made a significant impact in the investment landscape. About Peer2Gether Peer2Gether is a platform which helps investors diversify their investment portfolios and it's operating under the Peer2gether Foundation, a charity foundation. For more information about Peer2Gether and its investment opportunities, please visit Peer2Gether. Story continues Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/peer2gether-continues-to-empower-investors-and-make-a-difference-in-thailand-302110098.html SOURCE Peer2Gether It's been a difficult few years for Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG), which has seen its stock fall from over $70 in early 2021 to under $4 today. In November 2023, when it filed its 10-Q for the third quarter, the company issued what is referred to as a "going concern" warning projecting that it may not have enough cash to fund its operations and capital expenditure requirements over the next 12 months. Such warnings are often a prelude to a company filing bankruptcy. However, Plug Power removed the warnings in its 10-K filing in late February. Let's take a look at Plug Power and see if the company can turn itself around, or if bankruptcy could still be in the cards. A struggling business Plug Power is trying to become an end-to-end hydrogen solutions company that offers everything from hydrogen production to storage to hydrogen fuel cells. Currently, the company's main product is a fuel cell used in forklifts and other material handling equipment that's used in high-volume warehouses and distribution centers. It counts well-known companies such as Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot among its clients. The problem with its business model is that Plug Power sells the hydrogen fuel to its customers to run these fuel cell-powered forklifts at huge losses. This has led the company to have negative gross margins, and even larger operating losses. As a result, the company has been bleeding cash. In 2023, it had operating cash flows of negative $1.1 billion and it consumed $1.8 billion in total cash including capital spending. Building green hydrogen production facilities Plug Power's current business model is not sustainable, which is why the company began looking to build out its own green hydrogen production facilities. The goal is that by producing its own green hydrogen, the company would be able to sell hydrogen fuel to its customers profitably, instead of selling the fuel at a loss. The problem the company has run into is that the cost to build hydrogen production plants is quite high, and new projects often come with delays. Plug Power was initially aiming to have five hydrogen production facilities up and running by the end of July 2024. Currently, its Georgia plant is the only one operational, while a plant in Tennessee is expected to come online soon. The Georgia plant would be able to handle around 20% to 25% of its customers' material handling fuel demand, with the Tennessee plant handling about another 15%. The company has also formed a joint venture with Olin Corporation to help fund its plant in Louisiana. Story continues Meanwhile, Plug Power is slowing down its investments in facilities in New York and Texas until it can find better financing options. It also plans to reduce overall capex to help lower its cash burn by 70% compared to 2023. It is looking for low-cost financing from the Department of Energy (DOE) to finish its facilities in New York and Texas. In March, the DOE granted the company nearly $76 million toward building the plants, but Plug Power's still waiting on a $1.6 billion loan that it had applied for to finish the projects. Image source: Getty Images. Ambitious plans and threat of bankruptcy Plug Power had previously set out ambitious plans of generating $20 billion in revenue with 35% gross margins in 2030. However, management has lost a lot of credibility with investors given the continued push-out of its hydrogen plants coming online and the issuance of a "going concern" warning. Moving forward, the company should survive through at least the end of this year. It was able to secure a $1 billion at-the-market security issuance (ATM) agreement to sell newly issued shares through or to financial services firm B. Riley, which will add additional cash to its coffers. Meanwhile, if the Georgia and Tennessee hydrogen plants run smoothly, that should help improve its weak fuel margins. If the company receives the DOE loan it applied for, that will only improve its liquidity more and allow it to continue to build its remaining two hydrogen facilities. That said, Plug Power remains a very risky stock to own at this point. The company has yet to prove it can generate positive gross margins, let alone profits or cash flow. At the same time, it has plans to further dilute investors and add to its debt load. This is a stock best left to watching from the sidelines. Should you invest $1,000 in Plug Power right now? Before you buy stock in Plug Power, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Plug Power wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of April 4, 2024 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Geoffrey Seiler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Home Depot, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Will Plug Power Survive 2024? was originally published by The Motley Fool It is usually uneventful when a single insider buys stock. However, When quite a few insiders buy shares, as it happened in Redde Northgate plc's (LON:REDD) case, it's fantastic news for shareholders. While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. See our latest analysis for Redde Northgate The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Redde Northgate Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by CEO & Director Martin Ward for UK199k worth of shares, at about UK3.19 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of UK3.79. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive. Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid UK357k for 109.42k shares. On the other hand they divested 5.40k shares, for UK20k. In total, Redde Northgate insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Redde Northgate is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insiders At Redde Northgate Have Bought Stock Recently We saw some Redde Northgate insider buying shares in the last three months. Independent Non-Executive Director Nicola Rabson bought UK9.9k worth of shares in that time. It's good to see the insider buying, as well as the lack of recent sellers. However, in this case the amount invested recently is quite small. Does Redde Northgate Boast High Insider Ownership? Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Redde Northgate insiders own 1.8% of the company, worth about UK15m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Redde Northgate Insiders? Insider purchases may have been minimal, in the last three months, but there was no selling at all. Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Redde Northgate insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Redde Northgate. When we did our research, we found 3 warning signs for Redde Northgate (2 make us uncomfortable!) that we believe deserve your full attention. Story continues But note: Redde Northgate may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Biden administration plans to announce it is awarding between $6 billion and $7 billion to Samsung next week to expand its chip output in Taylor, northeast of Austin, as it seeks to ramp up chipmaking in the U.S., Reuters reported Monday. Reuters cited two people familiar with the matter. The subsidy, which will be unveiled by Commerce Department Secretary Gina Raimondo, will go toward construction of four facilities in Taylor: one $17 billion chipmaking plant that Samsung announced in 2021, another factory, an advanced packaging facility and a research and development center, one of the sources said. It will also include an investment in another undisclosed location, the source told Reuters, adding that Samsung will more than double its U.S. investment to $44 billion as part of the deal. Construction continues on the 1,200-acre, 6 million-square-foot Samsung Austin Semiconductor plant in Taylor, Texas on Nov. 13, 2023. The American-Statesman previously reported that Central Texas is among a handful of regions expected to see a boost from the CHIPS and Science Act. Congress passed the law in 2022 to boost domestic semiconductor chip production with more than $52 billion in funding and tax credits for manufacturing, as well as research subsidies. The Commerce Department, Samsung and the press office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did not immediately respond to the Statesmans requests for comment. The Statesman reported in December that mass production of semiconductor chips at the facility in Taylor which has about 17,000 residents in eastern Williamson County would be delayed by at least half a year, until 2025. The facility was on track to start production in late 2024, but the company could not comment on when mass production would begin, a spokesperson said in December. The 6 million-square-foot plant sits on more than 1,000 acres, near U.S. 79 and County Road 401, and is expected to employ about 2,000 people. When Samsung announced the facility, it said it planned to invest $6 billion in buildings and property improvements and $11 billion in machinery and equipment. The semiconductor manufacturing plant is expected to be the companys most advanced to date. In the first 10 years of the project, Samsung is expected to receive about $680 million in total tax breaks and other incentives from Taylor, Williamson County, the Taylor school district and the state. Samsung has had a presence in Austin, where it has an operational facility, since 1997. But the company could add as many as 11 more chip production facilities in Central Texas in the coming decades, according to tax incentive filings. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Samsung to get $6B subsidy from CHIPS Act to expand Taylor facility New York Shell is considering quitting the London Stock Exchange for New York in what would be the biggest blow to the UKs struggling stock market so far. Wael Sawan, the oil giants chief executive, said the company is looking at all options for its listing amid concerns it is under-appreciated by investors. In an interview with Bloomberg, he said: I have a location that clearly seems to be undervalued. His comments will spark fears that Shell, which is Britains most valuable listed company and worth around 180bn, could become the latest blue chip business to flee the London market. Its departure would deal a major blow to investors that rely on dividend income from FTSE 100 companies, including tracker funds and pension schemes that support millions of retirees. The FTSE 100 index has traditionally been dominated by oil and gas companies, as well as mining and commodity stocks. But there are concerns that a growing focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures among institutional investors is beginning to threaten that status, with some companies starting to defect to the US, the worlds largest oil producer. Ashley Kelty, head of oil and gas research at Panmure Gordon, said Mr Sawans comments reflected a negative perception of oil and gas in Europe, where Shell has faced criticism from climate activists and some of its own shareholders for not investing more in renewable power. The oil giant is also under pressure to close a valuation gap with US rivals such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron. Mr Kelty said: In New York, they [Shell] wont come under the same amount of pressure around the environment and greenwashing - they will be allowed to get on with what they do. If they do go, it would suggest they want to row back on the renewable side even farther than theyve admitted previously because [in Europe] they will get penalised. Americans are far more positive towards oil and gas than Europeans. They dont see it as being the great evil that is perceived to be here, and the tax regime is more supportive. He added that the comments from Shells chief executive should also be seen as a warning shot to the UK government and Sir Keir Starmers Labour opposition, amid concerns about anti-business policies. Labour has vowed not to raise corporation tax above the current 25pc level but has separately suggested it will introduce a proper windfall tax on oil and gas companies that is tougher than the Governments existing energy profits levy. Sir Keir has also vowed to introduce a package of day one employee rights that have raised concerns among some businesses. Story continues A decision by Shell to quit Londons stock exchange would be just the latest in a string of recent blows to the UKs most important capital market. Mining giant Glencore last year chose to spin off and list its coal business in New York rather than London, while its secondary listings went to Toronto and Johannesburg. Any decision to shift Shell away from London would fuel concerns that Glencore could move its remaining listing to the US an option that has already been mooted by analysts. Rival energy giant BP, which is the fifth-largest company on the index, could also follow suit. It comes as Shell looks to shift its business away from oil and gas towards greener sources of energy. But its hybrid approach has risked alienating traditional investors focused on profits, while failing to appease more activist investors concerned about climate change. Mr Sawan said he was focused on a two-and-half-year turnaround plan, which he dubbed a sprint, aimed at slimming down the company and boosting its valuation. Shell is aiming to reduce operating costs by up to $3bn (2.4bn) by the end of next year, lower its capital expenditure range to between $22bn and $25bn and target shareholder returns via dividends and buybacks of up to 40pc of cash flow. The energy boss said the current undervaluation presented a fantastic investment opportunity, adding: I will keep buying back those shares, and buying back those shares at a discount. But he pointed to the gap in valuation between Shell and its New York-listed rivals Exxon Mobil and Chevron and acknowledged the company may have to take more drastic action if that gulf is not resolved by the end of next year. Mr Sawan told Bloomberg: If we work through the sprint, and we are doing what we are doing, and we still dont see that the gap is closing, we have to look at all options. Any decision to move Shells primary listing away from London would need to secure at least 75pc approval in a shareholder vote. It comes only three years after Shell scrapped its dual listing structure, moved its headquarters from the Netherlands to the UK and ditched Royal Dutch from its name. At the time, the move was hailed as a vote of confidence in Britain. Yet a string of disappointing initial public offerings and investor pessimism over the UK economy has sparked an exodus of companies across a range of sectors. Chip giant Arm, building materials supplier CRH, Paddy Power owner Flutter and travel operator Tui are among companies to have abandoned London in recent months. UK stock funds have been unloved for several years, suffering 34 consecutive quarters of net selling, according to Calastone. Another 823m left funds in March. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Alicante, Spain, one of the most popular places for British expats to invest in property - aluxum/E+ Are you a British expat affected by visa rule changes? Write to money@telegraph.co.uk with your story Spain is planning to axe a golden visa scheme that grants residency to foreign property buyers in a blow to British expats. The programme allows non-EU citizens investing at least 500,000 (429,000) in Spanish real estate to live and work in the country for three years. However, Spains prime minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters on Monday that the scheme would be scrapped to make access to affordable housing for Spaniards a right instead of a speculative business. He said: Today, 94 out of every 100 such visas are linked to real estate investment in major cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Alicante, Valencia or Palma de Mallorca that are facing a highly stressed market and where its almost impossible to find decent housing for those who already live, work and pay their taxes there. He added that the government would launch the process to eliminate the scheme in Tuesdays weekly cabinet meeting after studying a report submitted by the housing ministry. Spain introduced its golden visa programme in September 2013 to encourage wealthy foreigners to invest in real estate to boost the Spanish economy in the wake of the financial crisis. However, the EU has urged member states to wind up such schemes or implement stricter checks, amid fears that golden visas are inflating house prices and being exploited by criminals to launder cash in villas and bogus firms. Spain's leader Pedro Sanchez says access to affordable housing for Spaniards should be 'a right not a speculative business' - MIGUEL TONA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Spains decision comes after the Portuguese government also announced it was pressing ahead with plans to end its non-habitual resident (NHR) visa scheme offering lucrative tax breaks to foreigners including Britons who spend more than six months a year in the country. In January, a French court blocked efforts to allow British expats to stay in the country for longer than 90 days without a visa. Spain is one of the most popular destinations for British expats in Europe. United Nations estimates put the number of Britons living in Spain at 303,000 in 2020, second only to Ireland (305,000) and ahead of France (170,000) and Germany (118,000). The golden visa scheme has proved popular since Brexit, as it has allowed expats with holiday homes in Spain to skirt around rules limiting non-EU citizens to a 90-day stay in EU countries without needing a visa. Some 185 Britons have been granted these visas since Brexit came into force in 2021, according to data obtained by online newspaper El Confidencial. The scheme is predominantly used by Russian and Chinese property investors, but Mary Dunne, of estate agents Hamptons International based in Marbella, said the planned closure of the scheme would make it harder for Britons looking to move to Spain. Story continues She added: Its like a bomb went off this morning. Its going to be a big issue for expats wanting to move and a lot of people are very unhappy about it. Whats being done isnt hugely different from other European countries, but its not a positive message. Anyone thinking about using that route would now have to look at becoming a resident but this will affect your tax status, as you would need to pay tax in Spain rather than the UK. The schemes current criteria are generally considered easier to satisfy than other routes to residency. The three-year residency can be extended by two years, and foreigners are entitled to apply for Spanish nationality after 10 years of living in the country. Applicants can also be granted one of Spains golden visas by investing 1m (858,000) in shares or in funds established in the country. It is understood that foreigners will still be able to secure residency rights in this way. It is not yet clear whether the restrictions will only apply to major cities, where competition for housing is most acute, and not in rural areas which are under less pressure. Recommended Golden visas and how to get one from Portugal to Greece Read more Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. SUN THEORY HOLDING COMPANY, LLC Acquisition of dispensary locations makes Sun Theory one of Colorados most prominent operators; Terrapin to focus on expanding operations in Pennsylvania DENVER, April 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sun Theory Holding Co ., a leading vertically integrated cannabis operator using supply chain control and centralized services to drive profitability and growth in the cannabis space, announced today it has acquired the Colorado retail operations of Terrapin Care Station , a consumer-focused cannabis retailer with locations in Denver, Boulder, Aurora and Longmont. The acquisition expands Sun Theorys retail presence to Colorados Front Range, adding five stores to the companys growing retail profile across the state. Terrapins corporate headquarters will remain in Boulder overseeing robust and expanding operations in Pennsylvanias medical cannabis program, where the company has operated for nearly seven years. After 15 years laying the groundwork for cannabis reform and operations in Colorado, Terrapin is now focused on the companys growth in Pennsylvania as it sets a similar path for adult-use legalization and new dispensary operations there. Terrapin Care Station has been a longtime leader in Colorados cannabis industry, whose history of innovation and commitment to customers and community is legendary, said Connor Oman, Chief Executive Officer of Sun Theory Holding Co. This acquisition is a perfect complement to Sun Theorys existing portfolio, which is focused squarely on businesses driven to deliver next-generation products and retail experiences cannabis consumers increasingly demand today. Terrapins legacy will always be rooted in Colorado. We will look back fondly on the past 15 years as a foundational time trailblazing what has become a global industry, said Chris Woods, Founder and Chief Executive of Terrapin. Were thrilled that these new partnerships allow Terrapins legacy to live on in the state and were very much looking forward to our next era in this industry focused on expanded cannabis reform in Pennsylvania. This isnt goodbye for Terrapin as a company; were simply announcing a new chapter. The five Terrapin locations add to Sun Theorys eight current Colorado retail holdings, which include 3D Cannabis Center in Salida, the Rec Room in Durango and six Roots Rx locations in Aspen, Basalt, Edwards, Gunnison, Leadville and Vail. In addition, Sun Theorys portfolio properties include Evergreen Naturals cultivation and processing facilities and Dialed InGummies . The five Terrapin Care Station locations will continue to operate under the current Terrapin brand as the transition is implemented. The acquisition does not include Terrapins Pennsylvania or Colorado cultivation, or 33rd Avenue dispensary operations in Aurora, CO. This expansion in Colorado underscores our objective of aligning with businesses that have demonstrated sound business management, a commitment to customers, solid financials and an expanding market share potential. When you consider these criteria, Terrapin Care Station is an ideal fit, Oman said. Were extremely happy to welcome Terrapin Care Station to the Sun Theory family of brands in Colorado. Sun Theory is committed to delivering innovative and high-quality cultivation, cutting-edge product development and experiential design as the heartbeat of the retail experience. The companys management team possesses a significant depth of understanding across domestic and global cannabis markets, as well as decades of successful business practices developed over years in hospitality, retail and finance. Sun Theorys best-in-class approach to market expansion identifies sound, well-managed opportunities that can capitalize on the shifting markets of the future. The path Terrapin blazed in Colorado will never be forgotten as the company looks forward to many years ahead in Pennsylvania. Operating in Pennsylvania as an independent grower/processor with five brands under its umbrella, Terrapins medical cannabis products can be found in every dispensary in the state. Terrapin has found a loyal patient following in Pennsylvania that appreciates the companys commitment to quality and transparency, while keeping products affordable. Terrapin plans to expand operations in Pennsylvania within the year by opening dispensary locations and adding to its brand portfolio. About Sun Theory Holding Co. Founded in 2017, Sun Theory Holding Co. is a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Denver, Colorado with a mission to evolve the industry through innovative product development, retail environment and experiential design. Sun Theorys current portfolio companies include Evergreen Naturals cultivation and processing facilities, retailers such as 3D Salida , Durango Rec Room and the Roots Rx chain, and Dialed InGummies each focused on providing top-tier cannabis products and experiences to the ever-evolving cannabis consumer. For more information visit Sun Theory Holding Co. at www.experiencesuntheory.com. About Terrapin Founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2009 as Terrapin Care Station, the legacy, family-owned cannabis company in 2017 was one of the first 12 initial recipients of a Pennsylvania medical cannabis grower/processor license. With a headquarters in Boulder, Colo. that oversees operations in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, Terrapin is consistently held as an industry model for patient-focused cultivation and production of high-quality medical cannabis products. Terrapins medical cannabis products can be found in every dispensary in Pennsylvania thanks to a loyal patient base that appreciates our commitment to quality, transparency and affordable products. With a strong commitment to corporate responsibility and advancing equity across the industry, Terrapin believes in planting local roots. We operate in Pennsylvania under the brands: Double Bear (extracts, vapes and troches), The Woods (premium flower), Terrapin (whole flower), and Resolute Remedies (topicals, capsules, and tinctures). Terrapin has plans to open dispensary operations in Pennsylvania within the year. For more information, visit TerrapinCareStation.com. Contact: Jim Dissett, Sun Theory 303-532-7392 jim@the9thblock.com Peter Marcus VP Communications, Terrapin 720-891-8280 pmarcus@terrapincarestation.com Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Taliworks Corporation Berhad fair value estimate is RM1.18 Current share price of RM0.81 suggests Taliworks Corporation Berhad is potentially 31% undervalued The average premium for Taliworks Corporation Berhad's competitorsis currently 1,133% How far off is Taliworks Corporation Berhad (KLSE:TALIWRK) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Taliworks Corporation Berhad 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 start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM128.0m RM129.7m RM132.3m RM135.5m RM139.3m RM143.5m RM148.0m RM152.9m RM158.0m RM163.4m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 0.40% Est @ 1.34% Est @ 2.00% Est @ 2.46% Est @ 2.79% Est @ 3.01% Est @ 3.17% Est @ 3.28% Est @ 3.36% Est @ 3.41% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 8.6% RM118 RM110 RM103 RM97.4 RM92.1 RM87.4 RM83.0 RM78.9 RM75.1 RM71.5 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM916m 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 3.5%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.6%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM163m (1 + 3.5%) (8.6% 3.5%) = RM3.3b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM3.3b ( 1 + 8.6%)10= RM1.5b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM2.4b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM0.8, the company appears quite good value at a 31% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Taliworks Corporation Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.6%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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 Taliworks Corporation Berhad Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Dividends are not covered by earnings. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For 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 Taliworks Corporation Berhad, we've compiled three further items you should consider: Risks: For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Taliworks Corporation Berhad that you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does TALIWRK's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Austin has built a ton of new housing in recent years as the city's population has boomed. But its restrictive zoning policies have made affordable, medium-density construction hard to build. One developer's struggles to build infill housing illustrate the city's challenges. Scott Turner recently sold four homes that he built on what used to be a single corner lot in south central Austin. But the veteran real-estate developer didn't make a profit on the houses, despite selling the four of them for over $2.9 million. It took two years for more than a dozen city departments to approve the development, which involved splitting one lot into two, and another two years for Turner to build the homes. By the time construction wrapped up, Austin's skyrocketing home prices had begun to cool and Turner barely scraped by. "The risk turned out to be too great," he said. "I wouldn't do that project again." But Turner's development which transformed one large lot with one house on it into two lots each with one larger home and one accessory dwelling unit is exactly the kind of construction Austin and other cities across the country desperately need. Turner's residential building company, Riverside Homes, specializes in infill development small multifamily buildings and ADUs (also known as backyard tiny homes or granny flats). So-called "missing-middle housing" including everything from an apartment to a detached, single-family home is more affordable for a variety of prospective homeowners and renters. While Austin has been building tons of new apartment towers, it has very few townhomes, triplexes, and ADUs. For decades, the city's restrictive zoning and land-use policies have made missing-middle housing almost impossible to build. The city heavily regulates everything from lot sizes to building heights to how large a home's footprint can be. Scott Turner, a real-estate developer, stands in front of the four homes including two 1,000-square-foot ADUs he built in south central Austin. Eliza Relman/Business Insider For Turner, subdividing the lot required a burdensome approval process, and adding additional homes meant he had to install a costly new utility pole. Turner said that "for practical purposes, it is economically illegal" to add density to single-family neighborhoods. Instead, city regulations incentivize the kind of home construction that happened next door to Turner's development: replacing a single-family home with another, more upscale stand-alone house. It took far less time to build a five-bedroom, five-bath home, which sold for just shy of $2 million last month. "I have to choose between going through the regulatory wringer or just taking the path of least resistance that the code literally encourages me to do," Turner said. Story continues Home prices in Austin soared by about 60% between 2020 and early 2022 as the city's population boomed. While home prices, particularly at the higher end of the market, have dropped sharply recently, the city's median home price is still far above what the typical Austin family can afford. But as profit margins trend downward for Austin developers, there's even less incentive for them to build more affordable infill housing. Still, Austin has seen real progress in building much denser housing. In 2022, the city legalized residences in commercial areas and near transit, paving the way for thousands of new, mostly rental, apartments. But there aren't many options, particularly for homeownership, between mostly high-end apartments and prohibitively expensive single-family homes. Turner described Austin's development pattern as L-shaped: low-density single-family housing across the urban core with occasional apartments up and down major corridors. "You can choose to find a place to rent that's probably on a busy road and that certainly would not be very child-friendly. But if you want to own something, good luck with that," he said. An older home next to a new single-family home in Austin, Texas. Eliza Relman/Business Insider After years of efforts by pro-housing activists and lawmakers, that might finally be starting to change. The city has made a series of tweaks to its land-use regulations, including ending parking requirements for new construction, that will lower the barriers to infill construction. In December, the city council overwhelmingly approved the first phase of legislation known as the Home Options for Middle-Income Empowerment Act that allows up to three units on single-family lots. Pro-housing advocates say HOME is a big step in the right direction, but the battle to build denser, more affordable housing in the Texas boomtown rages on. Turner called HOME "a start" and is "cautiously optimistic" that it will address some key obstacles to building denser housing. But he's concerned the law won't do enough to shorten the permitting process for missing-middle housing construction. "The intention is there to make it work," Turner said. But, he added, "Just because you can build more housing, if it takes too long and costs too much to get you there and you can't build enough of it to make it economically feasible, no one's going to do it." Building slightly denser housing in single-family neighborhoods remains challenging in Austin, but the city is working to ease the path for missing-middle housing. Eliza Relman/Business Insider Suburban sprawl Austin has gotten a lot of credit for building a ton of new housing recently. Indeed, the city has constructed homes at twice the rate of the rest of the country, and it's set to add more apartments as a portion of its existing housing stock than any other American city this year. The flood of newly built homes has helped bring home prices down by 8.4% and rents down by 7% over the past year. That's good news for affordability, but it's not enough and it's unevenly distributed. Most of Austin's new housing is in its suburbs. Based on US Census data, about 80% of new residents in the Austin metro area over a recent yearlong period moved outside the city limits, the Austin Business Journal reported. This is in part because many Austinites are being priced out of the city's homes. Families are leaving the city, and the city's schools are losing about 1,000 students a year, even after enrollment plummeted during the pandemic. The city of Manor, just 12 miles northeast of Austin, recently found itself among the top 10 fastest-growing suburbs in the country. Dripping Springs, another city in the Austin metro area, paused new development after a population boom caused it to hit its wastewater-treatment capacity in 2021. Georgetown, a suburb north of the city, has been among the fastest-growing cities in the country in recent years. "We're starting to see a lot more of this sprawl pattern go on in the last three or four years of permitting," Brennan Griffin, a senior deputy director of the nonprofit group Texas Appleseed, said. "We just don't have very many alternatives to cars, especially once we get into the suburbs, so we're just going to see a lot more congested traffic." An aerial view of a neighborhood outside Austin. Joe Sohm/Getty Images Slow progress Austin policymakers have for years attempted to address runaway housing costs by loosening regulations to boost density. For a decade, the city attempted to pass a comprehensive rewrite of its highly restrictive zoning code, which essentially hasn't been touched for 40 years. But the massive effort was squashed in the courts by a group of local homeowners who argued they weren't given enough notice of the code changes. Since then, voters have elected a pro-housing majority to the city council, which has chipped away at a piecemeal approach to housing-policy reform, including banning parking requirements and legalizing residences in commercial areas. The HOME Act will encourage the construction of smaller single-family homes and promote density, making housing particularly homeownership more affordable. The council is expected to vote on the second phase of HOME which would shrink mandatory-minimum lot sizes for single-family homes from 5,750 square feet to 2,500 square feet this spring. The city council is also pushing to eliminate so-called compatibility requirements, which impose strict height limits on buildings near single-family homes, among other changes. Apartments under construction in March in Austin. Brandon Bell/Getty Images But even with looser regulations under the HOME Act, the threat of lawsuits that could reverse housing policy reforms is still looming over the city and its developers. "A lot of the folks who could take advantage of HOME phase one are waiting to see what's going to happen," Greg Anderson, the director of community affairs at Austin Habitat for Humanity, told BI. But Anderson said there's "complete understanding" among elected officials that housing policy has long been broken. "It's just been an amazing sea change when it comes to the conversations happening in City Hall," he said. Nicole Nabulsi Nosek, the board chair of the pro-housing nonprofit Texans for Reasonable Solutions, told BI there's growing support for missing-middle housing across the political spectrum in Austin. "The way that I've seen both Republicans and Democrats come around to townhomes has really been quite remarkable," she said. Turner just wants the city to "level the playing field" for developers who are willing to build missing-middle housing. "As a developer, I'm an optimist," he said. "You have to be in this city to be successful or you would just throw up your hands and leave town I know a lot of developers who do that." Read the original article on Business Insider Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty The little-known insurance company that rescued Donald Trump by providing a last-minute $175 million bank fraud bond isnt just unlicensed in New York; it hasnt even been vetted by a voluntary state entity that would verify it meets minimum eligibility standards to prove financial stability. Perhaps even more troubling, the legal document from Knight Specialty Insurance Company doesnt actually promise it will pay the money if the former president loses his $464 million bank fraud case on appeal. Instead, it says Trump will pay, negating the whole point of an insurance company guarantee, according to three legal and bond experts who reviewed the contract for The Daily Beast. This is not common the only reason this would be done is to limit the liability to the surety, said N. Alex Hanley, an expert in how companies appeal enormous judgments. New York AG Questions if $175 Million Bond Insurer Can Save Trump These two points, noted here for the first time, validate the New York attorney generals concerns that Trump is trying to avoid a financial punishment that could be catastrophic to his riches and reputation. There are many questions here, and that short piece of paper gives very little comfort, said Maria T. Vullo, who was formerly New Yorks top financial regulator. I believe this paper isnt worth much and there are more shenanigans behind it, said one former regulator, whos intimately familiar with industry norms but spoke only on condition of anonymity. After a three-month trial ended with a state judge concluding that Trump committed bank fraud for a decade by lying about his wealth and property values, the real estate tycoon and his top executives were ordered to pay $464 milliona massive sum that increases every day with interest that dates back years. But unable to find a large and trusted surety company to provide the half-billion-dollar bond that would legally halt AG Letitia James from seizing his properties, Trump convinced an appellate court to lower that sum to $175 million. He then opted for an insurance company in California thats tied to Don Hankey Jr., a billionaire MAGA supporter whos built a nasty reputation by dealing in subprime auto loans that have resulted in numerous complaints about predatory business practiceslike illegally repossessing the cars of American soldiers. On Thursday, The Daily Beast noted how the Knight Specialty Insurance Company isnt licensed by New Yorks Department of Financial Services, a detail that has caught the attention of bond experts. Whats more, the firms financial statements show that it doesnt have the surplus to meet the capital requirements for posting the bond. Story continues Just like federal regulators require financial institutions to have sufficient reserves in case of a run on the banks, New York law limits how much money state-regulated surety companies can post on a single bond to 10 percent of a firms total capital and surplus. However, a court filing by the company on Thursday showed that Knight Specialty only has $138 million in surplus, vastly exceeding the government-set cap because the Trump bond alone makes up 127 percent of the companys reserves. Based on the financial statement provided, Knight Specialty is providing a bond that is one-third of its total assets and greater than its surplus, which is incomprehensible for a carrier to underwrite, said Vullo, who was previously the superintendent of New Yorks DFS. In subsequent court filings, the AGs office immediately questioned whether Knight Specialty was even good for the money. The law enforcement agency said it takes exception to the sufficiency of the surety, noting that Knight Specialty is trying to operate without a certificate of qualification. Former president Donald Trump looks on at the 18th green during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational - Miami at Trump National Doral Miami. Megan Briggs/Getty Images In normal circumstances, defendants like Trump would tap a surety company overseen by state regulators at DFS, which verifies that an insurer is solvent, responsible and otherwise qualified to make policies or contracts of the kind required. But Knight Specialty appears to be helping Trump with an alternate option: operating through whats called the excess and surplus lines insurance market. In the industry, this secondary exchange is typically reserved for high-risk business ventures, or those that have a severe loss history that makes them untouchable in the primary market, forcing them to find a willing insurer that isnt licensed in their home state. Indeed, the insurance companys president, Amit Shah, made that very point when defending his firms ability to strike this deal, telling CBS that Knight is not a New York domestic insurer, and New York surplus lines insurance laws do not regulate the solvency of non-New York excess lines insurers. Thats why Knight Specialtys recent financeswhich showed that its capital and surplus were even smaller in recent yearswere registered with the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas, a government-created nonprofit that tracks these types of figures. New York has a nonprofit like that too, called the Excess Line Association of New York. ELANY states that its role is to facilitate compliance, by verifying that these secondary-market insurers meet eligibility standards in order to underwrite risks presented by excess line brokers. The groups communications manager, John Rosenblatt, explained that ELANY conducts a thorough financial examination of every foreign insurer listed. Its a voluntary process, but one thats meant to actually prove that a company is trustworthy and stable. The ELANY list is composed of insurers that request to be listed and are approved by ELANY following a thorough analysis of the insurers financial security, Rosenblatt told The Daily Beast. Trumps Bond Backer Repod Soldier Cars But that raises another issue. Knight Specialty Insurance Company is not on the ELANY voluntary list, Rosenblatt said. While any company filing these types of transactions to the New York quasi-governmental private sector regulator must use a licensed broker within 45 days, ELANY said it has no knowledge of the specific transaction at this time. Furthering the point of just how anomalous this Trump deal is, ELANY recorded $76 million and $74 million in surety and fidelity transactions in 2022 and 2023, respectively. That means Trumps bond alone would represent double what ELANY typically monitors over hundreds of transactions in a given yearand that includes premiums that arent only tied to court judgments like this one. In his interview with CBS last week, Knight Specialtys president asserted that the company has more than $1 billion in equity. The bond it posted on Thursday also included a financial snapshot of a second corporate entity, the similarly named Knight Insurance Company LTD, which lists $1 billion in surplus to policy holders. The document seems to suggest that the smaller company is somehow strengthened by the existence of the larger one. But only the smaller company is actually listed on the bond agreement. In reality, though, a strict reading of Bond No. 350588 shows that even the smaller company isnt technically on the hook for paying out the $175 million if higher courts ultimately cement his loss to the AG. Buried in the typical legalese of the contract is the phrase: Knight Specialty Insurance Company does hereby undertake that if the judgment is dismissed Donald J. Trump shall pay the sum directed. In other words: If Trump loses the case, Trump will pay. But thats no different than Trumps obligation before the bond was issued. Getting into the weeds, the company undertakes that Trump will pay, said one bond industry source who declined to be publicly identified for this story. This is Trumps second big-figure bond in recent weeks, making the earlier bond apt for comparison. In that other case, Trump is appealing an $83 million federal jury verdict for defaming the journalist E. Jean Carroll by denying that he raped her. He managed to score a deal with a subsidiary of the insurance megagiant Chubb that would force it to pay $92 million if the cash-strapped politician couldnt cough up the money. Trump Gets a Massive Lifeline on Half-Billion-Dollar Bond Unlike the bank fraud bond, the Carroll bond agreement specifically states such payment shall be made by the surety to the obligee if Trump fails to pay. Hanley said a proper contract would name Trump and the insurance company jointly and severally, which would mean theyre both on the hook for the total. This wouldnt be the first time that Trump has been caught trying to slip questionable clauses in a bond contract. In the Carroll case, Trump almost got away with an underhanded 60-day delay to pay herthat is, until her lawyers brought it to the judges attention. As if thats not enough, theres a third gem buried in this contract that has industry experts and lawyers scratching their heads. The standard practice would be to promise that the loser would pay the judgment, plus interests and costs. However, Trumps bank fraud bond doesnt list that either. Instead, it says the liability of this bond shall not exceed the sum of $175 million. Clifford Robert, the lawyer who filed the bond with the court and also represents Trumps sons Don Jr. and Eric in this case, did not respond to questions. Neither did Knight Speciality Insurance Company. Hanley, the bond expert, said the lawyers who drew up this latest Trump bond could try to assert that Knight Specialty doesnt owe anybody anythingwithout much success. But it bears all the hallmarks of Trumps overarching legal strategy: pushing off the inevitable as long as possible. That could be set up for that argument, but this would fall under a common-law statute. My best guess is that this is all set up to delay again, he said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. McArthurGlen, Europe's leader in designer outlet shopping, has announced the launch of its EID Campaign 2024, which is celebration of luxury, fashion and culture. From April 9 to May 5, 2024, selected McArthurGlen Designer Outlets across Europe will transform into a haven for fashion enthusiasts, offering exclusive royal benefits, bespoke offers, and additional discounts to commemorate Eid Mubarak, a release said. The Campaign is dedicated to Middle Eastern guests who represented the #1 International Market in Tax-Free spending in 2023, and eagerly enjoyed the quality and saving opportunities of McArthurGlen Designer Outlets shopping. Fashion-forward travellers As the premier destination for fashion-forward travellers from the Middle East, McArthurGlen invites tourists from the GCC region to embark on a journey of style and sophistication at select participating centres. With a wide presence of 24 centres across Europe, including iconic cities like Milan, Venice, Rome, Vienna, and Paris, McArthurGlen has become a must-visit destination for those seeking the ultimate shopping experience. Participating McArthurGlen Designer Outlets in the EID Campaign 2024 include: Italy Serravalle (Milan): Europe's largest Luxury Designer Outlet boasting over 300 brands. Noventa di Piave (Venice): Offers all the luxury and glamour expected from a fashion destination. Castel Romano (Rome): The capital city's only premium and luxury outlet. Austria Parndorf (Vienna): Features over 160 stores and houses all the luxury brands, offering a vibrant experience. Salzburg: Only 10 minutes from the city centre, offering a wide collection of outdoor brands and designer names. France Paris-Giverny: The latest addition to McArthurGlen's portfolio, opened in April 2023, catering to the chic demographic west of Paris. Spain Malaga: Easily accessible from the city centre and the renowned holiday resort of Marbella. The Netherlands and Germany Roermond (Dusseldorf): One of Europes leading shopping experiences, boasting a wide array of premium and luxury brands. Berlin: A premium centre close to town, offering sought-after brands. Neumunster (Hamburg): A premium shopping destination featuring 130 stores. Unique offers During the campaign period, tourists visiting these centres will enjoy unparalleled access to unique offers and discounts from the most sought-after local and international brands. Additionally, guests will be treated to royal benefits, including access to exclusive lounges, personalised shopping services, and complimentary drink vouchers. To enhance the visitor experience, McArthurGlen offers a range of luxury services tailored to the needs of Muslim guests, including restaurants featuring Halal cuisine, dedicated prayer rooms, VIP lounges, hands-free shopping options, tax refund offices, and facilities for children. Every aspect of the guest experience is meticulously curated to ensure maximum comfort and convenience. Participating brands Participating brands during the EID Campaign 2024 include prestigious names such as Furla, Karl Lagerfeld, Armani, and Missoni, among others. With all these renowned brands under one roof, guests are guaranteed to find the perfect additions to their wardrobe at competitive prices. The EID Campaign 2024 celebrates the joy of fashion. Tourists from the GCC region are being invited to immerse themselves in the unparalleled luxury and style available at McArthurGlen centres and make the most of the tax refund opportunities for additional savings.--TradeArabia News Service The Biden administration said Monday it plans to send up to $6.6 billion in federal grants to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) as the chipmaking giant promises a $25 billion Arizona expansion that will bring a third TSMC fabrication plant to that state. The deal, the second major US chipmaking grant announcement of the last three weeks, is part of President Joe Biden's effort to restart advanced semiconductor manufacturing in the US. In March Biden said the US would provide up to $8.5 billion in grants in the years ahead to Intel (INTC) to support a range of new projects in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon. The money for both companies is coming from 2022's CHIPs and Science law, a signature accomplishment of Biden's current term. TSMC will use the grants to fund the continued construction of two manufacturing plants already being built in the Phoenix area. The company also announced Monday it would build a third facility there in the years ahead. The goal is for all three plants to be online and producing TSMC's most advanced chips by the end of the decade. Some of the plants even hope to use a forthcoming 2-nanometer fabrication process and make even more advanced chips than are currently available. "These are the chips that underpin all artificial intelligence and they are the chips that are necessary components for the technology that we need to underpin our economy," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters ahead of the announcement. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company chairman Mark Liu during a tour of the TSMC facility under construction in Phoenix in December 2022. (Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) The $6.6 billion in grants to be doled out in the years ahead include an allotment of $50 million for workforce development as well as additional authorization for up to $5 billion in government loans. That inflow comes in addition to manufacturing tax credits in the 2022 law that could be worth additional billions. The government money will pair with TSMC's plans to invest over $65 billion in its Arizona operations. It had previously announced $40 billion and said today it would add an additional $25 billion largely to fund construction of the third fabrication facility. Monday's news underlines the central role that Arizona is playing in the effort to bring back semiconductor manufacturing to the US. President Biden has made multiple semiconductor-themed trips to the state in recent years including a stop last month to announce the grants for Intel, which is also building in the state. "Its an exciting day for Arizona, where we are leading the way in bringing the most advanced microchip manufacturing back to America," Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a negotiator of the 2022 law, told Yahoo Finance. Story continues Monday's announcement is the fifth manufacturing award from the law. In addition to TSMC and Intel, three smaller manufacturing awards had been previously announced. There was roughly $35 million for BAE Systems (BAESY), $162 million for Microchip Technology, and $1.5 billion for GlobalFoundries (GFS) largely to fund the manufacturing of less advanced but still crucial chips. The 20-month-old law allows the White House to spend a total of about $50 billion $39 billion specifically earmarked for manufacturing to try and help reignite the sector in the years ahead. A focus on the labor market Arizona's path to semiconductor centrality began in May 2020 when TSMC announced new plans for the state. It's an effort that has also been marked by struggles to ensure that enough Americans will be trained for the coming positions; TSMC recently announced a delay in its US plant's full-scale launch from 2024 to 2025 and cited worker shortages as a reason, bringing in Taiwanese workers to help keep up. "I do expect that immigration and bringing in expertise from Taiwan both on the facilities side and the construction side will continue to be really important," a senior Biden administration official said ahead of the announcement. The official added that government and TSMC workforce development efforts will nevertheless mean "the overwhelming effects of this investment is going to be to create thousands and thousands of American jobs." TSMC has also said that they expect some of the worker challenges to lessen in each subsequent project with chairman Mark Liu saying in February of the first two projects, "Even though we encountered challenges in Arizona for our first fab construction ... we believe the construction of our second fab will continue to be much smoother." Biden officials call TSMC's overall project the largest foreign direct investment in a completely new project in US history. It is expected to create at least 6,000 direct permanent jobs in addition to 20,000 temporary construction jobs. The project is also expected to lead to "tens of thousands" of additional jobs as other companies work to supply the new massive facilities. The increased investment is due to an ever-rising demand from US companies for chips, specifically ones made inside the United States, says Lael Brainard, the director of Biden's National Economic Council. She notes that top officials like Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook and Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang attended a 2022 groundbreaking for TSMC's second facility in Arizona. Both Apple and Nvidia currently rely almost exclusively on chips from the company that are manufactured in Taiwan. In a statement Monday, Liu said the government's funding allowed for this increased investment, adding "our U.S. operations allow us to better support our U.S. customers, which include several of the worlds leading technology companies." Apple CEO Tim Cook listens as President Joe Biden delivers remarks at a TSMC Semiconductor Manufacturing Facility in Phoenix in December 2022. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images) Monday's announcement is part of the Biden administration's ambitious overall goal of having the US produce 20% of the world's most advanced semiconductors by the end of the decade. Secretary Raimondo oversees a team implementing the law and often notes the high challenge ahead with America currently producing 0% of these advanced chips (and only 10% of chips overall). This post has been updated with additional context. 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 Two years after clinching a historic victory at a warehouse in New York City, the first labor union for Amazon workers in the United States is divided, running out of money and fighting over an election that could determine who will lead the group in the near future. Despite campaigns at several facilities in the past few years, the warehouse on Staten Island still is the only site in the U.S. where the retail giant's workers have voted in favor of union representation. Cracks emerged within the Amazon Labor Union ranks after it lost the votes at a second Staten Island warehouse and at one in upstate New York, spurring disagreements about the group's organizing strategy. Some felt Chris Smalls, the unions president, spent too much time traveling and giving speeches instead of focusing on Staten Island, where the union still does not have a contract with Amazon. Prominent members resigned quietly or left to form a dissident labor group, which sued the union in federal court last summer to force an election for new leadership. Although many of the unions problems are internal, it also continues to face roadblocks from Amazon, which has resisted efforts to come to the bargaining table despite pressure from federal labor regulators to do so. The company, for its part, has accused the National Labor Relations Board and the ALU of improperly influencing the outcome of the successful unionization vote. Amazon also claims the results - 2,654 in favor and 2,131 against - do not represent what the majority of employees want. About 8,300 people worked at the JFK8 Fulfillment Center at the time of the April 2022 vote. When the law allows management to drag out negotiations over years, and to use legal arguments to delay the progress that the workers have begun, its just an enormous hurdle, said Benjamin Sachs, a labor law professor at Harvard University. In January, months after the splinter group called A.L.U. Democratic Reform Caucus filed its lawsuit, the union agreed to a court-brokered plan to allow rank-and-file members to vote on whether to hold an election for a slate of new officers. For five days that ended in early March, tables with ballots were set up outside the doors of the massive Staten Island warehouse. Smalls and other union leaders campaigned against the election, but the vote didnt go their way. In court documents, Arthur Schwartz, an attorney who represents the dissident caucus, said that of the roughly 350 union members who voted, 60% favored having an officer election in June or July. The referendum, which had a low turnout rate, didnt settle the legal back-and-forth and internal power plays. Last week, Jeanne Mirer, an attorney for the union, argued in a legal filing that the federal court in New York should reopen the court-brokered plan. She called it a flawed agreement that violated the unions constitution. Story continues According to Mirer, the current ALU governing document requires members to pass an amendment or arrange a constitutional convention if they want to hold an officer election before a collective bargaining agreement is negotiated with Amazon. The current leaders also say the union has run out of money, which makes it challenging for them to conduct an election. It doesnt matter whos in the chair, Mirer said during an interview. Anybody who is a leader has to get Amazon to the table, and working against each other isnt going to do it. Schwartz, the attorney for the dissidents, called the unions legal claims totally baseless, arguing that the constitution at issue was imposed by Smalls without a vote - in late 2022. He noted that the neutral monitor overseeing the implementation of the court-brokered plan - labor attorney Richard Levy - has scheduled candidate nomination meetings for May, which could allow an internal election to be held as early as June 11. Smalls, a former Amazon worker who co-founded the union during the coronavirus pandemic, did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. Last year, he told the New York Times that he traveled to help raise money for the union. He also told financial news website Business Insider in December that he would not seek reelection as ALU president. Meanwhile, two other prominent organizers, Connor Spence, the unions co-founder and former treasurer, and Michelle Valentin Nieves, a union leader who says she was pushed out of the group last year, have thrown their hats in the ring. Amazon fired Spence last year for violating a company policy that forbids workers from accessing company buildings or outdoor work areas when theyre off the clock, a policy critics say is designed to hinder organizing. He's leading the A.L.U. Democratic Reform Caucus, while Valentin Nieves is running her own independent campaign. Valentin Nieves, who helps run the conveyor belts at the warehouse that unionized, said she felt frustrated during her time in the ALU by how much Smalls traveled, alleging that he missed weekly financial meetings for five months straight. She said she spoke with him about reducing his time away and encouraged him to periodically go to public bus stop near the warehouse, where many workers gathered after their shifts ended. But she said Smalls didnt take her advice. We need someone that is here. We need a contract and we need to organize the building, Valentin Nieves said. If were not able to do this, its going to have a domino effect, and a lot of Amazon workers are going to lose hope. One Amazon worker on Staten Island, Keanu Rivera, 28, said he voted in favor of the union two years ago and sometimes reads the emails he receives from the labor group. Rivera said he used to see organizers talking to workers all the time before the representation vote two years ago. These days, he says theres not much of that, a problem exacerbated by the Amazon policy restricting off-duty activity in work areas. Its all Amazon, Rivera said. Amazon got the money to stall them. In addition to the vigorous legal pushback against the unions win, the company has continued to spend millions on labor consultants who often try to persuade workers against joining a union. In 2023 alone, Amazon spent more than $3 million on such consultants for its delivery network, a target of the Teamsters union. Last month, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against Amazon, alleging the company illegally attempted to disrupt organizing efforts by an independent union associated with the ALU at an air hub in Kentucky. Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis said that complaint was without merit. We will continue to defend our position as the legal process continues, Paradis said. Back in New York, organizers pushing for the internal election have their work cut out for them. They still need to secure a new mailing list for all the workers at the Staten Island warehouse, which has high turnover. Schwartz, the attorney for the dissidents, has asked the court to intervene so candidates whom the NLRB determined were illegally fired, such as Spence, can campaign in non-work areas of Amazon's property. The hope of the caucus," he said, is that we really use the election process to reenergize people in the plant. Elam Baer is one of thousands daily who rely on Uber to get to work or appointments in the Twin Cities. So when Baer heard Uber was pulling out of the region May 1 after the Minneapolis City Council passed a law setting a minimum wage for rideshare drivers, he wasn't happy. Lyft, the other rideshare giant, will stop serving Minneapolis at the same time. Baer decided to do something about it. He is chief executive of Eden Prairie-based North Central Equity, and he quickly found some partners and started MyWeels. The startup leased an office last week in St. Paul, has signed and vetted 50 Uber drivers, tested its app and will start picking up Twin Cities passengers next week. Baer, who has epilepsy, hands his brochure to each of the Uber drivers he uses and thinks MyWeels can gain up to a quarter of the Uber and Lyft marketshare locally once it is up and running and marketing spreads the word. MyWeels will have a lot of competition, if all the companies that have reached out to drivers set up camp in the Twin Cities. So far, at least 10 have set up campaigns locally, and four have filled out license applications in Minneapolis. MyWeels was the first of the new batch to pay thousands in fees in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The Minneapolis City Council is set to talk again about its highly controversial driver-pay minimum of $1.40 an hour and 51 cents a minute, yet there's no indication if there will be any movement to reconsider the decision. Uber and Lyft say they can't make money at that rate. Meanwhile, state and city officials are trying to figure out if there's another solution for an industry that serves nearly 1 million riders annually. Baer believes new rideshare companies need to be giving rides or on the verge of active operation by April 15 to gain marketshare. "A lot of people would like to fill the void," Baer said. "But I think the barriers to entry to this are much higher than people think. We spent $300,000 without counting any staff. That is just the raw, out-of-pocket expense. We are out $300,000 and next week will be our first ride. We have a financial commitment of $1 million to put into this. That is a big enough number to preclude some people from getting in." Establishing a market As May 1 approaches, another Minnesota startup called Moov joins MyWeelsand Texas-based Wridz, Virginia-based Empower and North Carolina-based Joiryde have already signed up hundreds of Minnesota drivers, gotten commercial insurance quotes or applied for the required rideshare licenses. Story continues Separately, the New York based Co-op Ride is helping local Minnesota drivers form their own rideshare company. Northside Uber driver Shardae Robinson is raising funds to launch Drively so she can transport fellow parents with kids to and from work and school. Other players include startups PickApp and Hich MN, plus Miami-based RevoRide also plan to gobble up Uber's gap here, provided they can raise the initial $100,000 needed for city licenses, not to mention the $150,000 premium needed annually for a commercial auto insurance policy. Drively and Moov both started GoFundMe campaigns last week in the hopes of raising capital. Others are farther along. Wisconsin-based Carepool said its Mobility4All app will start serving Twin Cities customers this week. A MyWeels test drive showed the app's software works well linking passengers and drivers, Baer said. "I have no criticism of Uber or Lyft whatsoever. I just I know that it would hurt a lot of people if they left without a replacement company behind them," Baer said. "I have lived in Minneapolis my whole adult life. And this being a Minneapolis problem, I have a keen interest in it." Baer and five partners have since March 7 invested $300,000. The group can invest another $700,000, Baer said, and doesn't expect to turn a profit for three years. John Budd, professor of work and organizations at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, said the landscape come May 1 will be messy with so many players jumping into the market and confusing to customers. The Twin Cities rideshare industry is likely to be forever changed. "Ramping up all these new apps is not going to be instantaneous, said Budd, who participated in Gov. Tim Walz's 2023 state task force to solve various complaints by drivers, including low pay. Passengers may need to download five or so apps until they figure which companies are timely and reliable, he said. "In the long run, competition can work these things out. But in the short run, it's not a magic solution because there will be startup issues," Budd said. The uphill challenges are not deterring Mustafa Sheikh, who came to the U.S. from Afghanistan as a 4-year-old child. Inspired by the protests and lobbying efforts of hundreds of struggling Minneapolis drivers, Sheikh said he moved to Minnesota from California four months ago and founded HichMinnesota with five investors. He'll copy the model of Hich in Canada and Ethiopia, and charge Minnesota drivers a $199 monthly and $9.99 daily subscription fee to use the Hitch MN platform. Drivers will keep 70% of all fares. So far, Hich has signed 500 drivers and plans to finish the application Tuesday for its Minneapolis license. "It's not cheap. But we can operate comfortably for two years," Sheikh said. Moov founder and former McKinsey consultant Murid Amini, 36, said he has spent tens of thousands launching his own rideshare firm, but is turning to crowdfunding to get the remaining funds needed to cross the finish line. "Regardless of whether Uber and Lyft pull out of the Twin Cities on May 1, we will be there to pay better wages to drivers and bring innovation to improve the rider experience," said Amini, who just rented an office in St. Paul but has largely built Moov while working in his Woodbury basement. The city of Minneapolis last Wednesday told him Moov's license application is nearly approved, meaning Amini must soon pay that city's $37,000 licensing bill and a $10,000 wheelchair accessibility fee. After that, he'll have to pay St. Paul's $41,000 license application fee and MSP Airport's $10,000 security deposit. Amini left his McKinsey consulting job in December because "I just wanted to do something that is more impactful for my community." He who spent part of Friday pinning Moov brochures on shop windows in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood where his father and hundreds of Uber Lyft drivers live. He said Minneapolis drivers struggled to earn enough driving for Uber and Lyft, because the companies often took 35% to 60% of passenger fares after fees and charges leaving too little after car repairs, gas and living expenses. Uber and Lyft dispute drivers' characterization of their pay structures, but one of the things workers have been trying to get the rideshare giants to do is be more transparent. Moov will let drivers keep 80% of passenger fares. So far, 600 drivers have signed on. Amini wants 1,000 to 2,000. "The competition does not make me concerned at all," Amini said. "I hope that there are many players in the market. Then the market will be forced to do whatever is right for the passengers and drivers." National players entering market That's the same attitude as Steve Wright, CEO of Austin, Texas-based Wridz. "It will take a village," Wright said. "I think that six companies could go in there [Minneapolis] and have amazing success just by taking their share of that market. No one company has the bandwidth to come in here and just replace [Uber and Lyft] with 14,000 drivers." Whether Uber and Lyft stay or go, "we're in Minnesota 100%, he said. "We postponed Tampa so we can get Minneapolis launched." Wridz already operates in 20 cities including Dallas, Phoenix, Chicago and Cincinnati and has invested $300,000 into its expansion and signed up 2,000 drivers. "It's a big investment," Wright said. "It's not for the faint of checkbook." Minneapolis already approved Wridz's application, he said, and the St. Paul and MSP licenses are almost completed, said Wright, who ran a medical transportation firm for years before launching Wridz in 2022. Wridz will charge its drivers $100 monthly subscription to use its platform. Drivers keep 100% of passenger fares after airport and insurance fees. The goal is that "Wridz makes no money from the trip," but only from subscriptions, Wright said. Empower, a rideshare platform in Washington, D.C., announced last month that it too will enter the Twin Cities market and charge drivers here a monthly subscription fee to access its app. Empower has signed 1,000 Twin Cities drivers. "Empower is prepared and already fully capable of providing the software, services and support needed to ensure that Twin Cities drivers themselves are able to provide every ride in Minnesota that would otherwise be provided by Uber or Lyft," said Empower CEO Joshua Sear in an email. Empower which has given 5 million rides in D.C. could have a fight on its hand before operations start because it does not plan to apply for a license in Minneapolis or St. Paul. It considers itself a software company like Expedia or OpenTable, not a transportation company, officials said. City officials have said Empower will need a license. That not-so trivial detail isn't slowing down Empower, a sizeable operator that has given 5 million rides to 200,000 D.C. area passengers in three years. "While we have not yet begun to market Empower's services in Minnesota, about 1,000 drivers in the Twin Cities metro area have signed up with us," Sear wrote. "We've also reached out to Twin Cities driver groups, which have done an amazing job of advancing the interests of drivers, and we look forward to discussing how we can work together." What are the early trends we should look for to identify a stock that could multiply in value over the long term? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. So on that note, Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Dolby Laboratories, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.095 = US$241m (US$2.9b - US$394m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023). Therefore, Dolby Laboratories has an ROCE of 9.5%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 7.2% generated by the Software industry, it's much better. See our latest analysis for Dolby Laboratories roce In the above chart we have measured Dolby Laboratories' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free analyst report for Dolby Laboratories . The Trend Of ROCE Dolby Laboratories has not disappointed with their ROCE growth. More specifically, while the company has kept capital employed relatively flat over the last five years, the ROCE has climbed 52% in that same time. So our take on this is that the business has increased efficiencies to generate these higher returns, all the while not needing to make any additional investments. It's worth looking deeper into this though because while it's great that the business is more efficient, it might also mean that going forward the areas to invest internally for the organic growth are lacking. Our Take On Dolby Laboratories' ROCE To bring it all together, Dolby Laboratories has done well to increase the returns it's generating from its capital employed. Investors may not be impressed by the favorable underlying trends yet because over the last five years the stock has only returned 34% to shareholders. So exploring more about this stock could uncover a good opportunity, if the valuation and other metrics stack up. On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Dolby Laboratories you'll probably want to know about. Story continues While Dolby Laboratories 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. john lewis chairman When the John Lewis Partnership appointed Dame Sharon White as its sixth chairman in 2019, it admitted that the former Ofcom chief and civil servant was not the conventional retail choice. But, as outgoing chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield argued, these are not conventional retail times, nor is the partnership a conventional company. Instead, she was there as an inspirational leader with the personal and professional skills to ensure the partnership continues to innovate and change. Today, as John Lewis names its seventh chairman, it is clear innovation and change are no longer at the top of the agenda. The partnership has turned to Jason Tarry, a grocery veteran with more than 30 years experience at Tesco, to steer its operations. Jason Tarry will become John Lewis Partnership chairman in September - Chris Radburn/Reuters Rita Clifton, John Lewiss deputy chairman, said he was a good fit as the partnership moves into the next phase of its modernisation, focused on our core retail business as well as future growth. Tarrys appointment follows the hiring of a string of other retail veterans over the last year in a sign that John Lewis is shifting its focus away from new ideas such as housing and financial services and back towards its core business: selling things. He is a very high-class act British retail royalty, Shore Capital analyst Clive Black says of Tarry. The 56-year-old has served as Tescos UK and Ireland boss for the last six years and, prior to that, is said to have been central to the turnaround of the supermarket following an accounting scandal in 2014. Tarry was appointed as head of commercial in the wake of the discovery of a 263m black hole in the supermarkets accounts. Jason was absolutely central to [the turnaround project] and would have been [former Tesco chief executive] Dave Lewis key lieutenant, says one senior food and drink industry executive. Dave Lewis set the context for it, but Jason was the guy who rebuilt the trust and relationships with all Tescos key suppliers. Tarry, who hails from Tonbridge, Kent, was part of the team that helped Tesco regain its position as Britains biggest supermarket. Its market share went from 9.7pc in 1990 to 27pc today. He was a key player in Tescos Project Reset in the second half of the last decade, which saw the supermarket ruthlessly cut products that werent selling in a bid to attract more customers to its shops. Many household names disappeared from its shelves including, for a period, around 30 brands sold by Heineken in a row over prices. Waitrose has recently been employing a similar strategy by reducing the range of products stocked on its shelves to remove duplication. The Telegraph revealed last year that its yoghurt range was down by 10pc. Story continues Tarry, a fanatical Arsenal fan and season ticket holder, is said to have always respected Waitrose as a rival. The food and drink executive says: He liked the customer set, the focus on quality, and regional store footprints. I think hell be approaching this with some excitement. However, the executive adds: The challenge with Waitrose is that its much smaller. The same playbook that Tesco traditionally had, which was very high volume and lots of scale, is not available to Waitrose. Hes going to need to find something else. Tarry is one of several newcomers to the John Lewis executive team, all of whom have track records in retail and consumer industries. The partnership hired turnaround expert Nish Kankiwala as its first ever chief executive in March 2023 and recruited alumni Peter Ruis, the former Jigsaw boss, to head up its department store business in January. The revamped leadership team comes after a bruising few years for the partnership, which also owns Waitrose. John Lewis cancelled its annual staff bonus for the first time since the 1950s in 2020 and endured several years of losses. There are signs that the business has now turned a corner after returning to profit in 2023. However, there are still hard yards ahead: the partnership has warned that up to 11,000 jobs face the axe and Dame Sharon has pushed back the deadline for her turnaround plan by two years. Those who have worked with Tarry say he has what it takes to complete the turnaround. He has a real ability to cut through the noise to focus a business on what matters most to customers, says a former colleague. Customers arent the only constituency at John Lewis: the partnership is co-owned by its 76,000 employees who have a say in the direction of the business. It makes the job of running the business a political one as well as operational. Here too those who know Tarry say he has an advantage. He is very good on the shop floor and can speak to people at all levels, says one executive. Jason is such a great bloke, says Tim Mason, the former deputy chief executive of Tesco who now heads up loyalty card company Eagle Eye. Hes got very high levels of emotional intelligence and you can see that from the fact that hes worked with all the different generations of Tesco management and has been as successful as he has been. Richard Brasher, the former UK chief at Tesco, once said of him: I cant find anyone who says a bad word against you but you seem to get things done. Tarry joined Tesco as a graduate in 1990 and worked across its various businesses during his long career with the supermarket, including roles in the bakery division, clothing and running operations in central Europe and Turkey. Unusually for somebody who reached the level of seniority that he reached at Tesco, his background is actually through non foods and international, says Mason. He was intimately involved with the Tesco apparel business in the early stages of his career. This experience will be crucial at John Lewis as it aims to revive sales at its department stores, where fashion and homeware have lagged in recent years. Perhaps the biggest signal of Tarrys pedigree was the reaction of shares in Marks & Spencer, JLPs biggest rival. The retailers stock dipped around 2pc on news of his appointment, amid expectations of stiffer competition in the coming years. Tarry said on Monday he plans to bring a sharp focus on being brilliant retailers for customers and investing in growth. Dame Sharon said she was confident he would take the business from strength to strength. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) is planning a major Arizona expansion, backed by billions in support from the U.S. government. Investors appear pleased with the terms of the deal, sending Taiwan Semiconductor shares up more than 2% at the open Monday. Raising Arizona production Taiwan Semiconductor is the contractor behind some of the biggest names in technology, making chips for Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and others. A significant portion of the company's manufacturing capacity is in its native Taiwan, but the U.S. government has made it a priority to entice chipmakers to build stateside. On Monday, Taiwan Semiconductor announced plans to manufacture state-of-the-art 2-nanometer chips at a plant under construction in Arizona. The company is investing $65 billion in the U.S. on three fabrication plants, supported by $6.6 billion in grants from the U.S. government and upwards of $5 billion in additional loans. The U.S. government made funding available under the 2022 Chips Act. Taiwan Semi chairman Mark Liu said in a statement: The CHIPS and Science Act provides TSMC the opportunity to make this unprecedented investment and to offer our foundry service of the most advanced manufacturing technologies in the United States. Our U.S. operations allow us to better support our U.S. customers, which include several of the world's leading technology companies. Our U.S. operations will also expand our capability to trailblaze future advancements in semiconductor technology. Is Taiwan Semi a buy after its big Arizona announcement? Taiwan Semiconductor is the backbone of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, making the chips that are making AI possible. The company's know-how and long-term relationships with key customers provide it with something of a competitive moat, but questions remain about the security of its operations. There are continued worries about a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, and a recent earthquake in Taiwan was a fresh reminder of geological threats. Taiwan Semi desperately needs to diversify its operation. With that in mind, the Arizona expansion is bullish, even without the U.S. government's willingness to chip in and pick up some of the cost. Should you invest $1,000 in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing right now? Before you buy stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Story continues Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of April 8, 2024 Lou Whiteman has positions in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Taiwan Semiconductor Stock Is Up Today was originally published by The Motley Fool BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned on Monday that the United States would not accept new industries being decimated by subsidized Chinese imports in the same way that the U.S. steel sector was crushed a decade ago. After wrapping up four days of talks with Chinese officials, Yellen told a news conference the exchanges had advanced American interests. She said she had raised concerns about China's weak domestic demand and overinvestment in industries such as electric vehicles, batteries and solar products, fueled by "large-scale government support." Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Beijing. (Reuters) She added, "We've seen this story before. Over a decade ago, massive PRC government support led to below-cost Chinese steel that flooded the global market and decimated industries across the world and in the United States," employing the formal name, the People's Republic of China. "I've made it clear that President Biden and I will not accept that reality again." Yellen said that when the global market is flooded with artificially cheap Chinese products, "the viability of American and other foreign firms is put into question." (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) (Graphic: Business Wire) 24/7 Access to Maritime Doctors and Nurses Provides Comprehensive Urgent Care and Mental Health Services to Vessels Worldwide NEW YORK, April 08, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Universal Marine Medical Supply International ("Unimed" or the "Company"), the leading global provider of pharmaceutical and medical solutions to the maritime industry, today announced the launch of comprehensive telemedicine capabilities, further strengthening the Companys technology-enabled maritime medical platform. Accessing medical care at sea remains an ongoing challenge for the maritime industry due to crew members prolonged periods away from accessible ports. This reality significantly impacts their physical and mental well-being as well as vessel operators long-term crew retention. Unimeds telemedicine solution bridges this gap, providing 24/7 global access to experienced maritime doctors and nurses stationed at the Companys medical health center in Athens, Greece. These experts offer urgent care and mental health services to vessels and crew members across international waters, reaching them wherever they might be. The telemedicine solution is integrated into Unimeds proprietary medScale+ digital platform, currently utilized by over 5,500 vessels through a mobile app or web browser. Through a subscription model which Unimed first introduced to the industry in 2018 medScale+ provides transparency by leveraging Unimeds virtual tracking of all vessels on-board pharmaceutical products, vaccines, and medical supplies. By integrating telemedicine into medScale+, vessel operators combine a uniquely transparent digital tool to monitor and report their onboard medical capabilities with seamless access to timely and high-quality medical care, even when thousands of miles away from shore or an accessible port. "For nearly 50 years, Unimed has been dedicated to safeguarding health at sea. Our telemedicine solution offers both customers and their crew members assurance of convenient access to medical care from anywhere in the world," said Sren Andersen, CEO of Unimed. "As a longtime leader in the industry, we possess a profound understanding of the maritime industry and our customers medical compliance and risk management needs. Introducing telemedicine continues our long track record of digital innovation to improve well-being at sea, and we look forward to rolling out this innovative, cost-effective solution globally to continue being the go-to medical partner for our growing client base." Unimeds telemedicine services will operate from the Companys medical center in Athens, Greece, staffed exclusively with EU-certified doctors. This strategic location ensures 24/7 global coverage with access to medical specialists all familiar with the maritime industrys unique challenges. This proactive approach offers a service based on direct industry knowledge and critical customer needs and also aligns with Unimeds express mission to enhance life on board vessels and improve crew members well-being, driving the industry forward in safety and welfare. "As Unimed embraces the future of healthcare and wellness at sea, we see an unparalleled commitment to pioneering solutions that not only meet the unique challenges of maritime environments, but also elevate standards across the medical care industry worldwide," said James Zenni, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of ZCG. "Unimeds vision represents the next step in health and wellness for maritime vessels, revolutionizing care and setting new standards with technology-driven approaches that ensure safer and healthier maritime environments for all." Unimed is a portfolio company of Z Capital Partners, L.L.C., the private equity arm of Z Capital Group, L.L.C. ("ZCG") (www.zcg.com), a leading privately held merchant bank. To learn more about medScale+, visit https://medscaleplus.com/. About Unimed Unimed is the industry leader in medical supply, equipment and oxygen distribution to global maritime industries, specializing in the delivery of integrated healthcare and safety supply chain logistical solutions to clients worldwide. Unimed is a portfolio company of Z Capital Partners, L.L.C., the private equity arm of Z Capital Group, L.L.C. ("ZCG") (www.zcg.com), a leading privately held merchant bank. For more information, please visit https://universalmarinemedical.com/. About ZCG ZCG is a leading, privately held merchant bank comprised of private markets asset management, business consulting services, technology development and solutions. For almost 30 years, ZCG Principals have invested tens of billions in capital and have industry leading track records in private equity and credit. ZCG has approximately $7B of AUM in asset management and its investors are some of the largest and most sophisticated global institutional investors including pension funds, endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, and insurance companies. ZCG has a global team comprised of over 400 professionals. For more information, please visit www.zcg.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240407186852/en/ Contacts Tim Ragones / Kate Thompson / Erik Carlson Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212-355-4449 A group has filed a federal lawsuit against Colorado lawmakers, alleging they suppressed during public hearings the free speech of those opposed to a bill that would provide a specific avenue for transgender individuals convicted of felonies to legally change their name. Critics of the measure argued that the bill would put the rights of criminals to self-identify above the rights of victims and the public to be able to track or be aware of someones criminal record. They also earlier said the bill should not be named after a felon, even as they raised public safety concerns. Supporters countered that changing the name would not affect a felons criminal record, maintaining that will continue to follow the person, as a Social Security number does not change, nor do fingerprints. They also accused critics of fear-mongering. People often use provided names to search for individuals records, as few immediately have access to Social Security numbers or fingerprints. For example, a court record search often requires a case number, assuming thats known, or the name of the company, a party to the case, or the attorney bar number. Filed on Thursday on behalf of Gays Against Groomers and the Rocky Mountain Womens Network, the lawsuit from the Institute for Free Speech seeks to prohibit Colorado lawmakers from enforcing speaker restrictions against using misgendering and deadnaming language when referring to transgender individuals. Misgendering refers to assigning the wrong gender to someone and deadnaming means using an individuals birth name, rather than the name the person adopted as part of the gender transition. Defendants Colorado Legislators and proponents of transgender ideology are abusing their authority to put a thumb on the scale of the publics debate about transgenderism, the complaint said. They have prescribed how critics of transgenderism must present their views during the public-testimony portion of committee hearings before the Colorado Legislature by prohibiting misgendering or deadnaming and otherwise requiring citizens to express fealty to transgender ideology under the guise of civility or decorum, the complaint added. Endel Dell Kolde, lead attorney for Gays Against Groomers and the Rocky Mountain Womens Network, said speakers in support of the bill were permitted to provide testimony but not his clients. Were just asking for equal treatment, Kolde said. Testifying at a legislative hearing affords citizens the opportunity to express their views on proposed legislation and to have their opinions incorporated into the legislative record. Under Colorado law, a person convicted of a felony must show good cause to legally change a name to one different than the one the individual was convicted under. If approved and signed into law, the bill would include gender identity as a good cause reason for a name change. The court retains the ability to grant or not the name change request. The bill has been dubbed Tiaras Law after Tiara Latrice Kelley, a transgender drag queen and Club Q performer who owns Latrice Kelley Productions, a Denver company that produces LGBTQ+ events. An open-source report shared with The Denver Gazette said Kelley has been convicted multiple times in Florida under the legal name Duane Powell for a variety of infractions, including cocaine distribution, domestic abuse, exposing genitalia, prostitution, forgery, providing false information to police and driving without a valid license. This does allow people to hide their past Opponents of the bill argue that to change an individuals legal name without their criminal history following them could put the public particularly women and children at risk, depending on the crime. Christina Goeke, founder of Rocky Mountain Womens Network and a critic of expanding transgender rights, said she opposes making legal name changes easier for transgender individuals convicted of felonies. It puts the public in more danger because we dont give each other Social Security numbers, we give each other names, Goeke said. Rocky Mountain Womens Network describes itself as a group that works to protect women and girls sex-based rights to female-only sports, spaces and resources. Rich Guggenheim, a Colorado member of Gays Against Groomers, echoed that sentiment. Given the political climate around transgender rights and gender-affirming care, Guggenheim said he is also concerned as a gay man about protecting the LBTBQ+ community. Featured Local Savings Our big concern is the fact that this does allow people to hide their past, Guggenheim said. Created in 2022, Gays Against Groomers is a nonprofit organization comprised of gays against the sexualization, indoctrination and medicalization of children, according to the groups Instagram page. The organization is known for campaigning against gender-affirming care which includes social, psychological or medical interventions for transgender individuals, such as hormone therapy and surgical procedures for minors and criticizing Drag Queen Story Hour events. I dont want people to think that this is an attack on transgender people; it is not, Guggenheim said. Lawmakers prevented both Goeke and Guggenheim from speaking during House and Senate Judiciary Committee meetings in January and March because they had used a male pronoun for Kelley, the complaint said. Portions of Goekes testimony the complaint said were scrubbed from the official audio recording of the Senate hearing. The complaint lists as defendants some of Colorados most progressive lawmakers, including state Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, the first openly gay African American to be elected to Colorados state Legislature and a member of the House Judiciary Committee. Also named as defendants are Rep. Mike Weissman, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Lorena Garcia, also a Judiciary member. Also sued were Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Sen. Julie Gonzales. Garcia and Michaelson Jenet are sponsors of the bill. The lawsuit said that, during the hearing, Goeke attempted to keep speaking, but Chair Weissman, at Herods urging, had prematurely terminated Goekes speaking time. At its core, the lawsuit claimed that Weissman adopted a set of rules for the hearing espoused by Gonzales, who had urged people against using derogatory language or misgendering witnesses, or using a witnesss deadname. Those ad hoc rules effectively prevented critics from giving their testimony. The lawsuit said Goeke did not get all the way through her presentation before being repeatedly interrupted by Defendant Weissman for violating Defendants customs, practices, or policies against deadnaming, misgendering, and using allegedly derogatory or disparaging language about another person. In contrast, the lawsuit said, speakers representing pro-trans viewpoints were able to give their testimony without being interrupted, having their time limited or terminated, or being excluded from the hearing. The Denver Gazette reached out by phone and email to all the defendants on Friday, but none responded. On March 1, Republicans and Democrats clashed over the bill in the state House. During that debate, Rep. Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud, said the bill chooses the wrong victims: the perpetrators of crime, not the actual victims. People should not have to live under the shadow of their mistakes, countered Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada, who is transgender. People are being harmed for saying they want equal protection under the law, said Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, who added that there is no greater individual thought than the right to self-determination and to name oneself. Government cannot control how someone wants to be identified, she said. This bill does not allow anyone to hide, Rep. Lorena Garcia, D-Westminster, also insisted. House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, halted the debate several times when lawmakers made comments she described as objectionable from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. House Bill HB 1071 has passed out of both the state House and Senate. During this years regular session, which began in January, Colorado legislators have considered a number of transgender issues, including bills that would extend rights to foster children and create a Colorado Department of Education task force to examine how best to implement nonlegal name change policies for students. Colorado Springs police are looking for a suspect or suspects who allegedly stole a vehicle, crashed it into a tree, and purposely set it on fire early Sunday, according to CSPD officials. At about 3:45 a.m., officers from the Stetson Hills Division responded to a call about a traffic crash and possible vehicle arson in the 4900 block of Spotted Horse Drive, near Dublin Boulevard and Austin Bluffs Parkway, police said. When they arrived at the scene, they found a car that had collided with a tree before it was set ablaze. Unknown suspects fled the area prior to the arrival of CSFD and CSPD personnel, police said in a blotter entry. Colorado Springs fire personnel extinguished the fire. No property damage was reported, and no one was injured, officials said. A 12-year-old boy in Clear Creek County died Saturday night after being trapped inside a truck that flipped over into a river off of Interstate 70. The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office responded to a crash on the 232 off-ramp of I-70 around 9 p.m., the sheriff's office said in a news release. The ramp is located near Empire Junction. Officers arrived to a truck submerged in the Clear Creek river with a number of people outside the vehicle needing help, officials said. Officers were approached by two woman with facial lacerations and a man "running up the embankment screaming for help," the sheriff's office said in a statement. Authorities said they discovered a fourth victim, a 12-year-old boy, who was trapped within the sinking truck. 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. Deputies from Idaho Springs and Georgetown police departments, plus a "courageous citizen," jumped into the water to attempt to get the boy out of the truck, officials said. The boy was "trapped between a boulder and a vehicle," they said, adding officers were able to extract the boy out of the water. Despite resuscitation attempts, the boy was pronounced dead upon arriving at a local hospital, the sheriff's office said. Further details of the crash are unavailable, the sheriff's office said. It added: "The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office offers our deepest condolences to the grieving family during this difficult time." "Stop resisting," Colorado Springs police Sgt. Marcus Van Ooyen says in a loud but calm voice. "Stop fighting. Stop moving." He applies pressure to the subject's shoulder as they lie face down on the ground in an effort to stop the subject from moving, allowing the officer to handcuff the suspect. The officer brings the subject into a sitting position, and then a standing position, when the person stops resisting. The takedown is textbook, literally. The interaction is not a random high-risk arrest, but a controlled demonstration in the Colorado Springs Police Department's training facility. The subject is not a real suspect, but fellow Officer Justin Keown. The ground is padded. The officers are demonstrating the department's training policy for prone restraint, a tactic of restraining a person face down on the ground. The demonstration is meant to clarify the department's training policy in light of a bill introduced in the General Assembly that seeks to regulate the use of prone restraint in law enforcement encounters. Critics say the tactic has been a contributing factor in custody deaths nationwide. The bill as amended Tuesday during a House Judiciary Committee hearing would require law enforcement agencies to develop or make public a written policy on the use of prone restraint that fits Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board guidelines by July 1, 2025. While Colorado Springs police conduct training on prone restraint, no written department policy yet exists. But the department said that would change. "While CSPD has been training our officers since 2015 on the proper use of prone restraint, including moving a suspect into a recovery position as soon as safely possible, my department will be drafting a written policy directly addressing the use of prone restraint, which will be made public," Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said Friday in a statement. The bill raises questions about whether the department's use of prone restraint has led to avoidable in-custody deaths. Chad Burnett "Stop fighting," says an officer in the body camera footage released from the May 2020 arrest of Chad Burnett in Colorado Springs. "Stop resisting." Burnett, a 49-year-old bike shop employee in a severe mental health crisis, continues to struggle after an officer deploys a Taser on him in his Broadmoor-area home. He shouts "fake police" and asks for help over and over, struggling against restraints and the officers. After a few minutes, he quiets down after apparently losing consciousness. Officers roll Burnett on his side in a recovery position that should have allowed for easier breathing. A few minutes after that, officers do chest compressions as they wait for an ambulance. The El Paso County Coroner's Office ruled that Burnett likely died of complications from a severely diseased heart brought on by the struggle. A four-page report by the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office found that the officers tactics fell short of deadly force and were justified given Burnetts aggressive behavior, including an attempt to grab an officers gun. Burnett's death was, however, ruled a homicide. Both the death of Burnett and that of Hunter Barr, 26, who also died after the use of prone restraint by Colorado Springs police and an injection of ketamine by paramedics in 2020, were found to have been brought on by several convergent factors compounded by their alleged failure to cooperate with officers during their arrest. Jonathan Caudill, a professor and criminal justice researcher at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs' College of Public Service, said that finding is common. He said recent studies point to individual characteristics like prior health issues and drug use as factors in deaths during prone restraint. "The research isn't real strong that prone restraint is the cause of asphyxiation for these folks that are in custody," he said. "It actually points to a more complicated situation." 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. Struggle and exertion Van Ooyen, the Colorado Springs police sergeant, said he was trained to see one minute of combat as the equivalent of running a seven-minute mile. "A person is going to (exert) themselves pretty harshly and as a result their heart rates going to be up, their breathings going to be elevated, and they're going to be breathing really hard," he said. To that point, current published CSPD policy requires officers to call for emergency medical help in any arrest of suspects who "required a protracted physical encounter with multiple sworn officers. ... (These suspects) may be at an increased risk of sudden death." The restraint position itself has no time limit in CSPD's training policies. Officers like Van Ooyen are trained to put a suspect in a recovery position after the officer deems the situation safe or the suspect stops resisting, which in Burnett's case was when he appeared to lose consciousness. Vasquez said it was important for suspects under arrest to cooperate with officers. "The subject that's being taken into custody plays a role," he said. "If they're being compliant, if they're following the lawful orders of an officer, the vast majority of times we're simply going to ask the individual, 'Would you stand there, would you turn around, would you place your hands behind your back?' and we're going to go up and place handcuffs on them standing." Though officers are trained to check airways and breathing, Van Ooyen said that the difference between willful resistance and struggling due to lack of air can be a difficult distinction. "It's hard to tell the difference between (resisting arrest) and if theyre struggling in oxygen deprivation." The need for data Vasquez and other local law enforcement officials have come out in strong support of the tactic since the introduction of the bill. "This is one of the most safe techniques that an officer would utilize under circumstances that could be dangerous for an officer or a person being taken into custody," he said. Brent Windebank, chair of the Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Commission, which makes recommendations on law enforcement to the Colorado Springs City Council, said information on the impact of the use of prone restraint is lacking. LETAC analyzed a third-party use of force audit of the department in 2021, but prone restraint was not among the items categorized or studied. For CSPD, prone restraint is not currently classified or tracked as a use of force, so finding more about when and how often it is used is a difficult proposition. A recent investigation of documented use of force in California found that 22 people died from 2016 to 2022 after being held down. All cases represented a person in crisis drug addicted, suffering from mental health issues or otherwise behaving erratically. Deborah Walker with LETAC said more data is needed to make concrete recommendations. "We are nearly always for a higher level of transparency around policing in Colorado Springs, and more data, because then we can actually make informed decisions about our recommendations," she said. "And we simply don't have that right now." She also said the numbers might not give the whole picture. "I think that saying that any police tactic is good or bad is probably too simplistic," she said. "The problems that we see oftentimes have more to do with how something is executed rather than the tactic in and of itself." El Paso County could join a lawsuit against the state of Colorado, challenging laws that stop local governments from cooperating with the federal government in certain matters of immigration. The Board of El Paso County Commissioners at its regular meeting Tuesday will consider a resolution authorizing litigation against the state. If approved, the county would officially object to two state bills passed in 2019 and 2023 that prohibit local law enforcement, including the El Paso County sheriff, from arresting or detaining individuals based on a civil immigration detainer. The laws also prohibit probation officers from providing migrants' identifying information to federal authorities, and ended the ability for local law enforcement to enter into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain individuals in their jails. Teller County has one such agreement, but Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell last summer said state laws won't hinder his county's cooperation with ICE. Colorado's laws "are illegal and unconstitutional as they violate the Intergovernmental Relationships; Distribution of Powers; and Revival, Amendment or Extension of Laws provisions of the Colorado state constitution and are otherwise preempted by federal immigration laws and regulations," a draft resolution included with El Paso County commissioners meeting documents states. If El Paso County's five-member board votes to approve the resolution Tuesday, the county intends to join the lawsuit Douglas County is filing against the state that challenges the laws. "The Board (of El Paso County Commissioners) and the El Paso County sheriff wish to join the litigation in support of Douglas County, in order to protect the citizens of El Paso County," the draft resolution states. El Paso County and Colorado Springs have both recently approved separate symbolic resolutions declaring El Paso is not a sanctuary county and Colorado Springs is not a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants crossing the United States' southwest border. 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. County commissioners and a city councilman on the last day of January called a press conference to admonish the state and federal government for lack of action in stemming illegal immigration. The event was called after reports that a busload of immigrants had arrived in Colorado Springs from Denver and were staying at the Salvation Army's Family Hope Center, the city's only homeless shelter for families. Colorado Springs has not seen the influx of new immigrants such as Denver has, Andrew Notbohm, regional emergency management and recovery director for the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management, has said. County commissioners and Colorado Springs City Councilman Dave Donelson have criticized the regional emergency management office's broad plan that will guide the city's response if a "significant" number of immigrants crossing U.S. borders come into the city. The "City of Colorado Springs Migrant Response Framework," dated Feb. 26, is not intended as a strategic plan but instead is a basis from which the city can develop a plan, Notbohm previously said. Colorado Springs Chief of Staff Jamie Fabos said in late February the document was produced solely for the city and El Paso County is not currently part of the planning effort. El Paso County commissioners meet Tuesday at 9 a.m. at Centennial Hall. The meeting agenda and related documents are available online at agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso/meeting/details/1878. The meetings are also streamed on the county Facebook page at facebook.com/ElPasoCountyCO. Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Ted C. Tow III asks a question to Assistant Attorney General Jaycey DeHoyos, not pictured, during oral arguments in the second of two Colorado Court of Appeals cases being held in the library of Conifer Senior High School as part of the Courts in the Community educational outreach program on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Conifer, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) A Mexican man was sentenced to almost three months in federal prison last week after illegally returning to the United States. According to a press release, Javier Juarez-Cuaquehua, 35, was sentenced to 81 days of imprisonment April 5 and has previously been deported two times. Juarez-Cuaquehua, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cresco, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry into the country. During the plea hearing Feb. 15, Juarez-Cuaquehua admitted to his previous deportation from the United States and his illegal reentry without permission from the government. On Dec. 19, 2023, immigration officials learned of Juarez-Cuaquehuas illegal return and found him at the Howard County Jail following an arrest on state charges. Juarez-Cuaquehua was previously deported in July 2009 and November 2019. In addition to his time in prison, Juarez-Cuaquehua was also given a one-year term of supervised release after his prison sentence. Juarez-Cuaquehua is being held in the United States Marshals custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials. 1. Global Business Acumen: 2. Fostering Agility and Problem-Solving: 3. Tech-Savvy Leadership: 4. Building a Global Network: For example: Bonus: Increased Cultural Intelligence: Craving an adventure that transforms you? This article from Alpha Education Abroad dives deep into the life-changing experiences that await you when you study abroad. Uncover why stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing a new culture can be the ultimate catalyst for personal and professional growth. Read on and discover how studying abroad can become your launchpad to a brighter future! The business world is a constant rollercoaster these days, with new technologies and trends emerging faster than a tweet goes viral. If you're looking to navigate this "disruptive marketplace" and position yourself for success, an International MBA can be your ultimate power-up. Here's how it equips you to conquer the ever-changing business landscape:An International MBA goes beyond the textbook basics of finance and marketing. You'll delve into the intricacies of international finance, navigating complex global supply chains, and understanding how cultural nuances impact business practices. Imagine understanding how currency fluctuations affect trade deals in South America, or how to tailor your marketing strategy for a collectivist society like Japan versus an individualistic one like the United States. This global perspective gives you a serious edge in a world where businesses operate internationally as the norm.The beauty of an International MBA is that it throws you into a vibrant melting pot of cultures and experiences. You'll be classmates with students from all corners of the globe, each bringing their unique perspectives and business challenges to the table. This constant exchange of ideas hones your ability to think critically and adapt to new situations. Imagine brainstorming solutions for a struggling e-commerce company in China with classmates who've navigated similar challenges in their home countries. This collaborative environment equips you with the problem-solving skills and cultural agility needed to lead teams that thrive in a constantly changing marketplace.Forget outdated business practices many International MBA programs are at the forefront of technological advancements. You might be learning about leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to automate tasks and gain deeper customer insights, using blockchain technology for secure transactions, or implementing data analytics to predict market trends. This tech fluency equips you to lead your team confidently in a world where technology is rapidly changing the way businesses operate. You'll be able to identify and leverage the latest technological tools to give your company a competitive edge, whether it's using AI chatbots to personalize the customer experience or implementing virtual reality training programs for employees.An International MBA isn't just about lectures and exams; it's about building a powerful network of future business leaders. Imagine having classmates and professors scattered across the globe who become your professional connections. This network can open doors to new opportunities, collaborations, and even job prospects in international companies.Let's say you complete your International MBA in Germany and specialize in renewable energy. Through your program, you connect with a classmate from India who's passionate about developing solar energy solutions for rural communities. Fast forward a few years, and you might be collaborating with your former classmate on a groundbreaking project that brings solar power to remote villages in India a possibility that wouldn't have existed without your international education and network.Overall, an International MBA equips you with the skills, knowledge, and network to thrive in today's dynamic business world. It's an investment in your future that can open doors to exciting international opportunities and position you as a leader with the foresight and adaptability to navigate the ever-evolving marketplace.An International MBA program not only teaches you about different business cultures, but it also throws you right into the mix. Imagine studying abroad in Spain and having to navigate daily life, from ordering coffee to negotiating rent with a local landlord. This firsthand experience hones your cultural intelligence, the ability to understand and interact effectively with people from different backgrounds. This is a critical skill for any business leader who aspires to operate on a global scale. You'll be able to build trust and rapport with international clients, partners, and employees, fostering successful collaborations across borders. GREENSBORO Dwight David Lynch has another Powerball ticket maybe a winning one. Again. Countless Powerball tickets have been sold in North Carolina since Wednesday's drawing and still no one has claimed the $1 billion jackpot the fourth largest ever. "I bought one yesterday, to be honest with you," said Lynch, decades after a $10 million Powerball win, with a laugh. "It could happen again." Back then, he was a part-time Greensboro nightclub bouncer and English teacher making payments to get his car out of the shop. He can still remember the feeling of holding the ceremonial check with more zeros than he could comprehend in the moment. He was 32 at the time. Now 64, he remembers stopping by the bank with his first installment check and the teller looking him in the eye. "She flat-out said, 'I do not believe you,'" Lynch recalled. He handed her his identification and she gave him another look. "She said, 'You did win the lottery!'" Lynch recalled. "She said, 'Oh, my God. You won the lottery!' Are you married?'" Luck. A blessing. Being in the right place at the right time. Whatever. It's allowed Lynch to live comfortably over the years. People who remember him winning sometimes ask him for advice on how to pick their tickets. He lets the machine pick his numbers because someone had told him that most winners were picked randomly. "And then they say, 'Let me shake your hand so it rubs off," Lynch said. **** Back in 1992, Powerball tickets sold in Virginia always drew people across the border from North Carolina, which would be decades away from approving a lottery of its own. Lynch grabbed his after taking a bus home to Hampton, Va., where his parents lived. He had come to Greensboro to attend N.C. A&T, and after graduating with a degree in early childhood education and reading, he found a job with the Guilford Head Start program, teaching Cambodian refugee children English. In 1984, Lynch went to work part-time at GTCC, teaching high school dropouts. He later transferred to the school's literacy program, in which he worked with mentally disabled adults. Earlier, he had gotten a job at the popular Side Effects club in east Greensboro, where he worked four nights a week as a bouncer. Those jobs together earned him around $15,000 a year enough for him to live on until his 1980 Mazda RX-7 broke down. It stayed in the shop for four months while he made payments on the repair bill so Lynch caught rides or used the city bus to get places. So that March he decided to take the bus home to Virginia as the lottery was building late on March 3. About 10:45 p.m., an hour and 15 minutes before the lottery deadline, Lynch paid $2 for two lottery tickets. The day after he bought his tickets, Lynch heard that the winning number had come from the Hampton area. Repeatedly, he tried to get through on the toll-free line that provides the winning numbers, but it was always busy. When he went to work that night, his boss and mentor, Bobby Gilmore, who had tickets of his own, had written down the winning numbers: 06-17-26-33-35-39. When he checked one of Lynch's tickets, his eyes lit up. "They called me 'Big Hands,' and he said, 'Big Hands you won the lottery,'" Lynch recalled. "I said, 'I'm tired. Don't play with me.'" **** Lynch later called the lottery number three times to make sure. Then he cried that night. A lot. The next day he and some friends, including Gilmore, drove to Virginia to turn in his ticket. "I was already happy with my life," Lynch said. "I didn't need a lot of material things." He was generous with the money, which he took in installments of about $350,000 a year for 20 years. "That was the smartest thing I could have done," Lynch said. "When you get it all at once, you spend it. It's gone. When you take it in installments you have time to think." In addition to the things he bought for himself a dark gray Mercedes, new wardrobe, washer and dryer he has spent thousands on his parents, brothers and sisters. "He was a good boy before he got the money," Lynch's mother, the late Magnora Lynch, said at the time. "Now it seems like he got a little better. He's more kind-hearted.'" He bought his parents a new burgundy Cadillac and added two rooms and a bath to their home. In addition, Lynch bought five cars for his siblings. Recounted Magnora Lynch: "Some got money. Some got cars. Some got both." After his win was announced, Lynch was bombarded by telephone calls and letters. Insurance agents wanted to sell him policies. Investors wanted to give him advice. Charitable organizations wanted contributions. After he picked up the ceremonial check in Virginia, he drove home to North Carolina. "When I went home there were people in the driveway and the media across the street," Lynch said. He kept driving and spent the night in a hotel. At one point, he had to cut off his phone. He also realized that people reacted differently to him. People who would never speak to him before sought him out. He had a bodyguard on call "just for company," he said. "Everywhere I went, suddenly there was a crowd," Lynch said. "People thought I had $10 million in my pockets." He had always been a cautious man and became even more so. "You never know who to trust so you be good to those who were there before the money," Lynch said. Gilmore, one of the nightclub's owners, had been his mentor well before he came into money. He got $300,000. "That felt good," Lynch said. "I'm still thankful for him having been in my life." **** He quit working at the nightclub but initially kept the GTCC job. "I wanted to stay grounded and I loved what I was doing," Lynch said. He did a lot of traveling to the Caribbean and South America. He built the house of his dreams from the ground up in Guilford County, but later downsized to an apartment community when he brought his father to live with him when the elder Lynch, who had worked multiple jobs to raise Dwight David and his siblings, developed dementia. His mother had been dead for many years. "I wanted to do everything I could for him," Lynch said, "and when I looked around, I was alone in that big house." Later, he started a foundation geared toward at-risk youth and others, based on referrals from organizations. He also married and later divorced. His pride and joy, he said, are his two children, who are doing well in their careers. He also says he is thankful good investments outweigh the bad advice he got. "The best thing I could have done was receive it in those 20-year increments," said Lynch about the winning installments. He received his last installment just over a decade ago but continues to live comfortably. His real estate and stock market investments are still paying off. "I'd read about the winners who lost it all and were left with nothing," Lynch said, "and I didn't want to be one of them." The Myrna Loy in Helena is among the 27 recipients announced Monday by The Foundation for Montana History to share $240,000 in grant funding for history projects in 19 counties in 2024, marking its largest-ever grant-making cycle. The Helena-based foundation is a nonprofit that raises funds and offers grants for community-based history initiatives. Since starting the grant program in 2012, they have placed over $1.7 million into history and preservation projects. The foundation grants up to $10,000 per project. This year, funding includes a first-time recipient in Treasure County. Projects include: Myrna Loy, Window and Jail Restoration, Helena, $10,000: The Myrna Loy will restore and protect the weathered windows and exterior oak on the original jail doors. Learn more at https://themyrnaloy.com. MonDak Heritage Center, Sidney Sugar Beet Industry Oral History, Sidney, $4,900: The MonDak Heritage Center will capture the stories and experiences of former workers and farmers associated with the recently closed sugar beet factory in Sidney. Results will be shared on the Montana History Portal. Learn more at https://mondakheritagecenter.org. Butte-Silver Bow Archives, Business of Burials, Butte, $5,900: The Butte-Silver Bow Archives will host tours, produce historic booklets, and create an exhibition on four Butte cemeteries. Tour participants will also learn about D/2 Biological Solution and tools to support tombstone conservation. Learn more at https://buttearchives.org. Working with communities to save and share history is the core of our mission, says foundation President/CEO Charlene Porsild. Topping our funding total from previous years is testament to the generosity of our donors across the country who support preservation of Montanas rich and enduring past. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity raising money for history and preservation projects across Montana. The following is a list of other grants: Grants are broken down by tourism region. Glacier Country Bigfork Art & Cultural Center, Building an Interactive Display, Bigfork, $10,000: The Bigfork Art & Cultural Center will make an interactive permanent exhibit showcasing their underwater discoveries during archeological surveys in the vast waterways of Northwest Montana. Learn more at https://baccbigfork.org. Columbia Falls Historical Society, Oral Histories, Columbia Falls, $10,000: The Columbia Falls Historical Society will hire a videographer and interns to edit, transcribe, and share 16 oral history interviews from members of the community. Results will be shared on the Montana History Portal. Learn more at https://columbiafallshistoricalsociety.org. Flathead Land Trust, Historical Interpretive Panels, Bigfork, $2,680: The Flathead Land Trust will create an interpretive panel displaying the Indigenous influence and history of the Bigfork Harrell Forest. Learn more at https://www.flatheadlandtrust.org. Fort Connah Restoration Society, Repairs for Fort Connah, St. Ignatius, $10,000: The Fort Connah Restoration Society will repair the rotting sill logs on Montanas oldest standing building and two fur trapper cabins from the 1860s. Learn more at https://www.fortconnah.org. Mission Valley Friends of the Arts, Historic Log Building Preservation, Polson, $10,000: The Mission Valley Friends of the Arts will hire experts to repair and replace logs on the historic building that currently houses the Port Polson Players Theater. Learn more at https://www.portpolsonplayers.com/friends-of-the-arts. Missoula Art Museum, Documenting Institutional History, Missoula, $10,000: The Missoula Art Museum will digitize archival materials and create an image record of their collections objects as part of the organizations 50-year celebration. Results will be shared on the Montana History Portal. Learn more at https://missoulaartmuseum.org. Ninepipes Museum, Voices that Shaped the Ninepipes Museum, Charlo, $10,000: Ninepipes Museum will develop and implement a multi-year educational program that shares the unique history contained within their collection. Learn more at https://ninepipesmuseum.org. Paradise Center, Mini Roundhouse Exhibits, Paradise, $10,000: The Paradise Center will display and interpret large artifacts and equipment that showcase the towns railroad history. Learn more at https://www.paradisecentermt.org. Central Montana Blaine County, Kuper Memorial Cemetery, Chinook, $8,680: Blaine County will conduct a non-invasive investigation using ground penetrating radar to identify unmarked graves in the Kuper Memorial Cemetery near Chinook. Learn more at https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/20815/kuper-memorial-cemetery Community Improvement Association, Keelboat Mandan Repair, Fort Benton, $10,000: The Community Improvement Association will complete repairs and restoration of the historic Keelboat Mandan on the banks of Fort Benton. Learn more about the group by searching Fort Benton Community Improvement Association on Facebook. Great Falls Historic Preservation, St. Peters Mission Interpretive Signs, Great Falls, $5,000: The Great Falls Historic Preservation Office will collaborate with the Diocese, the Little Shell Tribe, and local historians to develop panels that interpret the history of St. Peters Mission near Great Falls. Learn more at https://greatfallsmt.net/planning/historic-preservation. Tree of Treasures, Community Hall Floor Restoration, Carter, $6,726: Tree of Treasures will work with experts to repair and restore the historic community halls deteriorating maple floor. Learn more by searching Carter Community Hall on Facebook. Southwest Montana Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization, The Story of Butte, Butte, $10,000: The Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization will hire three historians and an editor to create new tours and content for their website and app called The Story of Butte. This experience will explore the history, buildings, neighborhoods, and key events from Buttes past. Learn at https://storyofbutte.org. City County of Butte-Silver Bow, Revolving Copper Door Restoration, Butte, $10,000: The City County of Butte-Silver Bow will collaborate with a specialist craftsman to restore and make the historic copper revolving doors functional at the entrance of the county courthouse. Learn more at https://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/165/Clerk-of-the-District-Court. Friends of the Dillon Public Library, Carnegie Library Restoration, Dillon, $10,000: The Friends of the Dillon Public Library will restore three historic windows on the northwest wall of the first Carnegie library built in Montana. Learn more at https://dillonfriendsofthelibrary.org. Yellowstone Country Buses of Yellowstone, Garage Restoration, Red Lodge, $10,000: The Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust will hire a historic restoration specialist to remove and replace 19 original steel windows on their historic garage building and visitor center. Learn more at https://busesofyellowstonepreservationtrust.org. Montana State Parks Foundation, National Register Nomination for Albright Ghost Town, Gallatin Gateway, $7,300: The Montana State Parks Foundation will hire a historian that will undertake research and write a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the ghost town of Albright. Learn more at https://montanastateparksfoundation.org. Yellowstone Gateway Museum, 63 Ranch Family Archival Project, Livingston, $10,000: The Yellowstone Gateway Museum will organize, catalogue, and store materials from one of Montanas earliest cattle ranches known as the 63 Ranch. Findings will be available on PastPerfect. Learn more at https://www.parkcounty.org/Yellowstone-Gateway-Museum. Southeast Montana Carter County Geological Society, Educators Guide to Eastern Montana Museums, Ekalaka, $10,000: The Carter County Geological Society will create a series of teacher guides to Eastern Montana museums. This work will make museum spaces accessible to teachers and students year round. Learn more at https://cartercountymuseum.org. Miles City Convent Keepers, Exterior Paint and Window Project, Miles City, $10,000: The Miles City Convent Keepers will restore and install new storm windows to historical standards on the Convent Keepers building. Learn more at https://milescitychamber.com/attractions/name/ursuline-convent. Prairie County Museum, Strategic Framework Development, Terry, $7,500: The Prairie County Museum and Evelyn Cameron Gallery will hire a consultant to develop a three-year strategic framework for the museums long-term development. Learn more by searching Prairie County Museum & Evelyn Cameron Gallery on Facebook. Treasure County 89ers, Yucca Theatre Pillar Dome Repair, Hysham, $10,000: The Treasure County 89ers will repair eight pillar domes at the Yucca Theatre to prevent further water damage to the historic structure. Learn more at https://historicmt.org/items/show/2125. Western Heritage Center, Constructing Textile Storage Covers, Billings, $5,870: The Western Heritage Center will contract a sewing professional to construct safe textile storage covers for their historic clothing collection. This work will include a workshop to share project details with other museums. Learn more at https://www.ywhc.org. Yellowstone River Parks Association, Dover Park Cultural History Interpretation, Billings, $9,600: The Yellowstone River Parks Association will hire two Rocky Mountain College students to provide historical interpretation of John H. Dover Memorial Park, a 630-acre natural area in the Billings Heights. Learn more at https://www.yrpa.org. For more information about The Foundation for Montana History, or for help contacting any of our 2023 grantees, contact Zachary Coe at zachary@mthistory.org or go to https://www.mthistory.org/. CipherStash's Dan Draper: "I still believe that an open-source approach is, generally, a more secure path." The original maintainer of the xz Utils package, which was backdoored and almost distributed to production Linux systems, is yet to make any public comment about the incident, saying he first needs to understand the situation thoroughly. Lasse Collin, who handed over maintenance of the software to someone who had an account named Jia Tan, said he planned to write an article detailing how the backdoor was implanted and the lessons to be learnt from it. The presence of the backdoor was caught by Microsoft software engineer Andres Freund, a PostGreSQL developer, who noticed that logins with SSH were taking up a lot of CPU cycle and also generating valgrind errors. That Freund noticed it before the long Easter weekend was lucky. Veteran Debian developer Russell Coker attributed the discovery to the way free software was developed. "I think that how quickly this was discovered shows the benefits of free software," he told iTWire. "A lot of effort was put into this attack and it's all gone to waste because the backdoor was found before it got into a full release of any distribution." Dan Draper, the founder and chief executive of CipherStash, a company that works on encryption-in-use solutions for enterprise data security, said it appeared that Collins had burnt out and Jia Tan was the only one to offer to help. "In my view, this vulnerability could easily have gone for some time without detection, but because of its widespread use and open source codebase it was picked up relatively quickly (under three weeks)," he said. "Contrast this to the SolarWinds supply chain attack of 2020 which reportedly took around seven months to detect and that was only after the vulnerability had been used in an attack against FireEye." Draper said: "A blunt assessment might conclude that open-source code is easier to compromise, but significantly harder for attackers to keep a vulnerability hidden than its closed-source cousin." Projects with a single or handful of maintainers were common in the open-source world, he noted, with many of them being extremely important. "The 'Ring' cryptography library, for example, is maintained by Brian Smith and used by 163,000 developers with more than 100 million downloads. Ring has had contributions from hundreds of developers, most of them reviewed and accepted into the main codebase by Smith himself. While Smith is highly respected in the community, this attack begs the question: what if Smith himself was compromised?" Draper asked. However, he said, with Ring, it was probable (though certainly not guaranteed) that such an attack would be picked up because of the sheer number of developers using and contributing to it. Draper said those who were of the view that the xz Utils incident meant open source software should be avoided were off the mark. "I still believe that an open-source approach is, generally, a more secure path because it makes hiding malicious behaviour very hard," he explained. "When issues are detected, an army of developers and researchers rally around it, sharing notes and collaborating on a fix resulting in a rapid and transparent response. "Closed source commercial software is almost never patched as quickly and, even if it is, the company behind it tends to keep details to themselves for fear of recrimination." Draper said the the xv Utils incident has exposed the achilles heel of open-source software: "the trustworthiness, capability and reliability of project maintainers." Detailing the case of Linux - which has an army of developers and financial contributions - Draper said most open-source projects were the exact opposite. "This is despite virtually all commercial software products relying on open source software in some way or another," he said. "The MacOS, Windows, Android and iOS operating systems all heavily rely on open-source components and tooling. "As do the world's biggest web companies from Google and Facebook to the millions of tiny start-ups across the globe. The modern developer truly stands upon the shoulders of giants, but the giants are underpaid and underappreciated." Draper said the corporate world should pay the dues it owed to open-source software. "Investing in open-source software allows maintainers to give projects their full attention, rather than as an oft-neglected side-interest," he pointed out. "Experienced corporate employees should not only consume this brand of software, but actively contribute to it. They should provide mentorship, guidance and stand in for maintainers when they need a break. "Sponsoring projects or individual developers is already possible on platforms like GitHub and I encourage every organisation using open source software today, to consider sponsoring some of the projects they use." (Photo by Yoshihito Morita) On April 6, not only did Misawa Air Bases fun Japan Day event return, but so did a much-needed taste of the spring season. Hundreds of visitors joined in the cultural activities at the Misawa Club while enjoying warming temperatures as cherry blossom soon approaches. Japan Day is an annual event held at the air force base since 1988 to give base residents and neighbors an opportunity for cultural exchange and fun activities. This year, under the theme Two Cultures, One Community, the organizers planned traditional performances, a kimono fashion show, live music and other great activities. The event also had many outdoor activities like rickshaw rides and food vendors selling Japanese festival foods including yakitori and ramen. The sumo wrestling and naginata demonstrations by local high schoolers were some of the most popular attractions during the event, Yoshihito Morita, a Misawa Commissary employee said. Visitors enjoyed festival foods outside, too, and yakisoba and other Japanese foods were sold out before noon. Now that the start of spring has kicked off in the area, Misawa has cherry blossom to look forward to very soon. (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) In Nagoya, morning service is a unique tradition at the local kissaten coffee shops. The service dates back to the 1960s when, according to my local friend, coffee shops started serving complimentary small eats to go along with patrons coffees in a display of gratitude. The expansion of the textile industry in the area helped this tradition thrive, as shop owners and wholesalers would avoid noisy factories and instead take their business meetings at the local coffee shops. Though business meetings at the neighborhood kissaten might not be so common, the morning service is still a beloved tradition for locals and visitors in Nagoya. My family and I had the opportunity to check out this Nagoya-style breakfast when we visited recently. After a long drive from Yokosuka City, we were looking forward to a cup of joe and something to satisfy our appetites. My daughter searched for a nearby coffee shop and came up with Hanagoyomi, located in a residential area and known for serving a generous spread of morning service treats. Hanagoyomis interior was cozy and stylish, with a dome-like interior and a tall ceiling. At 8 a.m. on a Monday, the house was full of regulars, so we waited 10 minutes to be seated. Once at our big table near a large glass window looking out at the quiet street, we perused the vast offerings Hanagoyomi has for morning service. Some of the options were onigiri rice balls and wagashi mochi sweets. Since we were hungry, we chose onigiri to go along with our coffees (450 yen each). Despite the impressive complimentary menu, we werent expecting to have a hearty meal with our coffee. However, when our order arrived, we were surprised with two umeboshi (pickled plum) and okaka (soy sauce-flavored bonito shavings) onigiri rice balls each, a side salad, and a large serving of chawanmushi steamed egg custard. The dark roasted coffee was the perfect elixir to wake me up after a long night of driving. The chawanmushi was soft, lightly-seasoned, nourishing and a great pairing for the flavorful onigiri and crisp salad. After this budget-friendly, delightful morning service, we were satisfied, re-energized and ready to explore Nagoya. If you want to try morning service in Nagoya, check if the kissaten youre interested in offers it. Youll love starting your day right with this beloved Nagoya tradition! (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi) Hanagoyomi Hours: 7:30 a.m. 10 p.m. (morning service: 7:30 10 a.m.) Location: 4-72 Chikaramachi, Higashi-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture URL Tel: 052-931-2346 People visit the 20th China-ASEAN Expo at Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 19, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has confirmed its participation in this year's China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) as a Special Partner Country, marking the very first time the expo has had a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member as its special partner, said the CAEXPO Secretariat on Sunday. According to Liang Yiguang, deputy secretary-general of the secretariat, a delegation of the UAE will attend the 21st CAEXPO, which is scheduled to be held in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 24 to 28. The country will also set up its own national pavilion during the event. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-UAE diplomatic relations. The two countries have carried out extensive and in-depth exchanges and cooperation in multiple fields over the decades. Guangxi, the permanent venue of CAEXPO, is an important gateway for China's opening-up and its cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, and a pivotal hub along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. I was driving south on 15th Street the other day and passed work being done on one of the buildings just before I reached the intersection at Broadway Avenue. The work is part of the rehabilitation that is now ongoing in the 1400 block of Broadway Avenue. The building, just south across the alley from the post office, is on the north end of one of the buildings that fronts on Broadway Avenue and listed as 108 N. 15th St. As part of the rehabilitation of the building, an old metal awning was torn off revealing most of an I-beam behind it, and just as I got passed it my mind registered the word Bakery. Knowing the building was once part of the Mattoon Baking Company, the Home of Tender Krust Bread, which later became known as the Tender Krust Bakery, I couldnt rest until I walked over to look at it more closely. And indeed, in faded letters, I could make out the name of that bakery painted on the I-beam. The bakery was started by Fred Messmer, an immigrant from Germany, who came to Mattoon in 1905 and purchased the Mattoon Steam Bakery located at 1515 Broadway in 1907. Messmer soon moved the bakery to 1418 Broadway and also changed the name to Mattoon Baking Company and began selling a product called Tender Krust Bread. Messmer remained at the helm of the bakery until he retired in 1936, when his daughter and son-in-law, Victor and Margaret Scheef of Mattoon, purchased the bakery. The bakery had a retail shop and a wholesale department located at 1418 Broadway Ave. and added the location at 108 N. 15th to the wholesale business. Victor and Margaret ran the bakery until 1950. On Aug. 31, 1950, the 39-year-old Victor and his son Donald Duane, age 16, were killed in a plane crash. Victor and Donald were returning from a fishing trip when the plane, piloted by Victor, crashed into a field near Saybrook, Illinois. Margaret Scheef remarried and as Margaret Gullett sold the bakery to the a bakery chain owned by the Midland Company in 1953. We have received many inquiries at the Chamber of Commerce about what is happening in the 1400 block of Broadway Avenue. There has been a great deal of work going on and it has generated a great deal of excitement. I get that because I can barely contain my excitement to see that block of Broadway getting some badly needed attention. The 1400 block of Broadway has been the site of many businesses throughout our towns history, but the block as we know it today can, in part, be attributed to three brothers, Charles, James, and Fred Harris, the sons of J.B. Harris, a prominent Mattoon grocer, and his wife Eliza. All three brothers were born and raised in Mattoon. The Harris brothers, Charles (born 1863), James (born 1867), and Fred (born 1873), were involved in numerous business ventures in Mattoon in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The brothers purchased several lots in block 119 of the Original Town of Mattoon which included lots on the north side of the 1400 block of Broadway Avenue in Mattoon. James Harris built the Harris Building in 1903, located at 1420-1422 Broadway Ave., and relocated his successful coal business to the new building and his brother Charles, a prosperous grocer, moved his business there as well. The Harris Building was home a many businesses, organizations over the years. James Harris also built a one-story building at 1418 that became the home of the Mattoon Steam Bakery, later known as the Mattoon Baking Company/Tender Krust Bakery. These buildings have been in recent use although the upper two stories of the Harris Building at 1420-1422 were removed in 1968 when they were deemed unsafe. James also ran a real estate office at 106 N. 15th St. in the north end of the Harris Building. (James and his wife lived in an apartment upstairs at 1422 Broadway at the time of his death in 1927.) Charles and Fred Harris owned the building at 1408 where Charles ran a seed business that shipped seeds throughout the United States and Fred ran his real estate business. Fred purchased 1416 Broadway Ave. in 1898 and in 1910 built the Grand Theater at that location. He retained ownership of the building until 1937. The building was purchased by the Mattoon Theater Company and remodeled and opened as the Time Theatre in 1938. The Time Theatre remains largely intact today, albeit a bit worn. There is excitement in the air in Mattoon with all of the new business, construction, and plans that are afoot. But it is also nice to be able to embrace our past and to remember the foundations that got us here. Communities must grow and change but it is important to remember our history, it gives us definition and a sense of belonging. At the Chamber of Commerce we celebrate both. Happy Monday. Got those ISO 12312-2 compliant glasses yet? Speaking only for myself, a guy whos had enough retinal trouble to literally last a lifetime already this year, Im thinking Ill sit this eclipse out. I imagine the networks have it covered just fine. As for the rest of you, especially fellow professional procrastinators, weve taken the liberty of preparing before the suns first appearance Monday a last minute guide for a natural phenomenon. First, and most importantly, do not panic. Its not a snow storm; no need for extra bread or milk. Nor is it the (or an) apocalypse, judgment day, atonement day or May Day. It could be laundry day or garbage day, depending on where and how you live. A solar eclipse is simply the moon crossing directly between the sun and the earth, thereby blocking the face of the sun and creating varying degrees of darkness in the middle of the day. And if youre still unaware that theres an eclipse scheduled today, check for bed sores. Youd have been unconscious - or blissfully free of a television set - for weeks. Its set for between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. this afternoon, but unless youve decamped to points west or north, there will be no path of totality - a 115-mile wide arc in which the sun is completely obscured from view for a few moments as the eclipse moves from Texas to New England. But its OK if you managed to keep your folding money in your wallet. Youll still be able to see most of it - with proper eyewear bearing the ISO 12312-2 stamp of approval - at home in North Carolina. As far as the Triad is concerned, per actual rocket scientists and meteorologists whose data is used at Eclipse2024.com, Winston-Salem will see 85.1 percent magnitude at 3:13:39 p.m. Thats precise. Greensboro will realize 84.4 percent magnitude at 3:14:20 p.m. and High Point 84.4 percent at 3:13:59 p.m. Thats the science, and while useful information for making you look smart at the coffee shop or a cocktail party, the bigger fun comes when considering how people reacted to a perfectly natural phenomenon before NASA, the National Weather Service and Encyclopedia Britannica came along. Among the favorites found in 2 minutes and 14 seconds of research - cribbing stuff from NASA - while waiting for coffee: Humanitys first record of an eclipse appears to be from County Meath, Ireland. A series of overlapping rock carvings, known as petroglyphs, found on a monument there show the moon partially obstructing the sun in 3340 B.C. - or BCE (Before the Common Era) for the secular and the agnostic. Just to the left of those, another set of petroglyphs shows a leprechaun drinking a Guinness wearing a St. Patricks Day Parade t-shirt. On the other side of the planet, researchers discovered etchings in Anyang, China carved into tortoise shell fragments they believe date to 1200 B.C. According to NASA, the etchings translate to The Sun Has Been Eaten. Other records indicate some ancient Chinese thought a dragon was doing the eating. An ancient herbal recipe for Pepcid was included on the backs of some of those etchings. In South America, the Inca believed eclipses to be signs of wrath and displeasure from an all-powerful sun god. Which, upon reflection, is no stranger than believing Jimmy Swaggart could heal blindness. Before he got busted paying for the services of a professional, that is. Closer to home, the Choctaw tribe of the southeastern U.S. thought a solar eclipse was actually a black squirrel eating the sun. It could only be frightened away by witnesses creating a ruckus and making a lot of noise - perhaps by laying on their car horns in traffic. More recently, we witnessed the Leader of the Free World - the symbol of American might, prestige, fact-based learning and a role model for children around the globe - peering directly into the sun during a 2017 eclipse. Without bothering to put on the ISO 12312-2 protective eyewear. Then again, that same guy openly mused about whether injecting bleach into the body moight be a cure for COVID. Maybe thinking a black squirrel (or a dragon) eating the sun isnt so whacky after all. School system plans ahead GREENSBORO - Since were on about all things eclipse this morning, wed be remiss if we didnt include a list of some of the events and viewing parties should you choose somewhere other than the backyard - or the safety of a TV - for checking it out. Guilford Technical Community College is scheduled to host a free viewing part on its Jamestown campus at the Cline Observatory from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. - if the clouds cooperate. Surry Community College, specifically its science department, similarly will host a free gathering on its Dobson campus from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Grandfather Mountain is planning a viewing party from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The first 100 solar watchers will receive solar glasses free with admission. Lastly, kudos to school officials in Thomasville who recognized the possible disruptions caused by todays eclipse by scheduling early dismissal times. Elementary students will be dismissed at noon, middle and high school kids at 12:15 p.m. Officials surmised that the kids would want to experience the eclipse at home and that putting school buses on roads where already erratic, cell-phone reading motorists might create further chaos by coming to complete stops in the midday darkness. As the lights dimmed and the curtain rose to reveal dancing Renaissance men and women bellowing the melodies of the opening number, one distinct laugh cut through it all. Sitting in the back of Lincoln Southwests auditorium for the final dress rehearsal Tuesday evening was Austyn McKee, the leading man of the high schools theater program, giggling as his students landed jokes and danced in pointy leather boots, breeches, bodices and overskirts. While McKee was preparing his students to put on a good show and he knows the audience will get a kick out of Something Rotten! he wants to achieve more than just that in his first year at Southwest. Theres a legacy McKee hopes to uphold as he leads the department known for its elaborate productions into a new era a legacy hes been well aware of and people haven't hesitated to remind him of. He is stepping into the role following Bob Henrichs, who had led the department since the school opened in 2002 and made it what it is today. I was not blind to that fact, McKee said. I totally knew that Southwest was the cream of the crop when it came to what could be done. Which is why he immediately jumped at the opportunity to apply for the position when Henrichs announced his retirement last year. McKee had been working as the theater director at Arlington Public Schools for a year when he and his small family decided it was time to move back home to Lincoln. So, the North Star graduate started applying to positions in the district, and when the job at Southwest popped up, the timing felt almost perfect. It was too good to pass up. And the rest is history, I guess, he said. I made it. Now, hes tackling the role head-on, but the theaters 22-year-old reputation isnt the only thing McKee is working to maintain. He understands that it may take the students and the audience some time to lend him the trust they had for Henrichs, but he doesnt want to lose the sense of community the students have built together. He wants to continue to create a tight-knit family. And so far, hes accomplishing just that. It very much feels like home in every way, he said. * * * What makes Silver Hawk Theater so special? Sure, the detailed costumes and sets play a big role. And the talented and dedicated group of students who take the stage every day are undeniably a huge piece to the puzzle. But the true secret behind the program's success isnt even something an audience is likely to notice. IF YOU GO What: "Something Rotten!" Where: Lincoln Southwest High School, 7001 S. 14th St. When: 7 p.m. April 11-12, 2 p.m. April 13. Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for alumni, $10 for students. Available at silverhawktheatre.com. The bond thats been formed between every student involved cast and crew has been truly paramount. Theyre all best friends, they all love what they do and they all feel like family, said Aubrey Falter, a senior. It's just like coming home, she said. Its a place to be yourself. Falter wasnt originally supposed to attend Southwest as she lives in Lincoln Easts attendance area, but she knew she wanted to pursue musical theater and there was no better place to do that than at Southwest, she felt. Shes been a member of the theater program since, and has never looked back. Now, she feels lucky to be part of McKees new era because this is a group of kids he said he will always remember his first class of Silver Hawks. We might have a new director, but it's the same amazing people and the same amazing theater environment, Falter said. We can just be a family and hang out and have fun. * * * Southwests theater is certainly no one-man show. The students are the faces you see and adore are the main reason for the large crowds of parents, grandparents, siblings and friends. Then theres McKee, who has the vision. But theres one face the audience rarely sees: Scott Engels. He brings the show to life. Everything the audience doesnt see and somehow also sees at the same time is all thanks to Engle, Southwest's technical director for 16 years. The sets, the crew, the costumes. Without him, McKee said their productions wouldnt be what they are today. The level of just talent that Scott has and the things that he's able to bring to life, he said. I am really just such a small cog in what he has created. However, Engel doesnt do it alone, either. He recruits the help of students to build the scenery and find and make props. Everything is either built by him or the students. Its all one big collaboration. We're all in this together and we support one another and hold each other accountable, said Emma Gross, a senior. I think it makes for great productions and just a great experience. * * * McKee came about teaching the roundabout way, he said. It wasnt what he initially saw himself doing for the rest of his life, so he pursued an associates degree in business administration, but that quickly changed. He returned to school with the goal of becoming a high school theater director and teacher. Then, McKee worked in Malcolm for 10 years before transferring to Arlington. When the director position at Southwest opened, the school knew they would never be able to find another Henrichs. He's kind of one of a kind, Engel said. So we were just looking for the best fit for the school. McKee's communication, collaboration and ambition pushed him to the top of the applicant pile. He was the man for the job. Its a really, really great fit with Austyn, Engel said. I would say we have definitely taken a step in the right direction with the program." * * * The leadership torch may have been passed, but the theater program at Southwest definitely isnt going anywhere. McKee and Engel have big plans for the future of Silver Hawk Theater. In the past, Southwest has had several shows make it to the national stage at the International Thespian Festival in Bloomington, Indiana, which is a difficult feat to accomplish. Someday, McKee hopes to return. It's something that we definitely want to continue to strive for, he said. But I think that we kind of have to prove ourselves a little bit before that happens. McKee said hes applied for several upcoming opportunities, including a grant to put on The Unsinkable Molly Brown, but he wont know if they've been chosen until May. No matter the case, though, Engel said he isnt worried about the future of Southwests theater department. It's in good hands. The program is continuing; it didn't just stop when somebody retired. And that's a testament to the staff. That's a testament to the students, Engel said. The program will continue and it will thrive and flourish. It just might be in a different way. Photos: Students practice for 75th annual Lincoln All-City Music Festival Nation promotes digital cooperation with Africa 08:33, April 08, 2024 By Hu Meidong and Zou Shuo ( China Daily China is ready to work with African countries to promote digital cooperation and achieve win-win and pragmatic results in the sector, officials and representatives from both sides said on Tuesday. They made the remarks at the China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum held in the coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian province. The two-day event, from Tuesday to Wednesday, is being attended by around 400 representatives from China and 20 African countries. It is hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Fujian provincial government. Zhuang Rongwen, the head of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said China and African countries have deepened cooperation in the digital economy, digital technology, cyberspace security and online media, which has injected new impetus into building a community with a shared future for China and Africa. China is willing to promote upgraded digital cooperation with African countries on the basis of equal communication, mutual development and win-win results, and write a new chapter in the sector, he said. Zhuang suggested the two sides should stick to mutually beneficial cooperation and share the development opportunity brought by the information revolution. They should also help each other safeguard the safety and security of the online space, adhere to openness and inclusiveness to promote mutual learning in online civilization, and conform to justice and reason to improve the global internet governance system, he said. Zhou Zuyi, Party secretary of Fujian province, said Fujian is the birthplace for the notion of building a digital China. The province has close interaction with Africa and cooperation between the two sides has deepened in recent years, he said. Fujian will expand its cooperation with Africa in the internet sector, promote the building of information infrastructure and the digital economy, and increase the level of digital public services. It will also work with African countries to safeguard online security, share development opportunities and achieve win-win results in the digital era, to make greater contributions to the development of Sino-Africa relations, he added. Representatives from Africa said China is a strategic partner in the digital sector. They hope the two sides will advance mutually beneficial cooperation, promote digital infrastructure in Africa, facilitate the development of digital entrepreneurship, innovation and commerce, strengthen international digital cooperation and promote the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future in cyberspace. Apart from the main forum, there are four sub-forums focusing on sharing development opportunities in the digital economy, expanding online media cooperation between China and Africa, strengthening online security, and the development and governance of artificial intelligence. The sub-forum on expanding China-Africa online media cooperation is hosted by the China Daily website, which aims to tell the stories of friendship between the two sides through online media platforms, offer new solutions for cooperation and strengthen mutual understanding between the two peoples. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) China recorded more than 740 million trips across the country during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, which lasted from April 4 to 6, as passenger travels grew sharply from a year ago, government data showed Sunday. The Ministry of Transport said that an average of 246.8 million trips were made each day during the three-day period, up 53.5 percent year on year. Specifically, daily railway trips averaged at 16.56 million, up 75.1 percent; waterway trips averaged at 916,000, up 84.9 percent; and air trips averaged at about 1.68 million, up 21.9 percent, the data showed. Meanwhile, road trips totaled 682.92 million during the period, with a daily average of 227.64 million, up 52.3 percent year on year, the data showed. Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival focusing on paying tribute to the dead and the worship of ancestors. During the festival period, it is also customary to enjoy outdoor activities and sightseeing. SOUTH SIOUX CITY If his younger sister had her way, Alex Lopez said, she would "push the fast-forward button" on her recovery to get back to where she was before Nov. 11, 2023. That night, Angie Lopez was struck by a motorcycle on Historic Fourth Street in Sioux City. The 24-year-old University of Nebraska at Omaha kinesiology graduate suffered a traumatic brain injury and broken bones. Life as she knew it stopped, and, in the days, weeks and months following the crash, Angie has had to cope with a new normal. Angie spent a month in the intensive care unit at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center, where she underwent a craniotomy to relieve pressure on her brain. After she became more alert, she was transferred to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals' Omaha campus, where she participated in intensive therapy to regain her strength, coordination and cognition. Angie had to relearn how to walk and talk. Now back in her family's South Sioux City home, Angie pushes her body to its limits during twice-weekly physical therapy sessions. She also attends speech and occupational therapy three times a week. When she is on her feet and moving around, Angie wears a white helmet, which will protect her brain if she were to lose her balance and fall. She has to undergo an operation to replace the bone flap on her skull and is potentially facing anterior cruciate ligament surgery. "She's very independent. She's always been the person who's said, 'I'm going to do this on my own. I'll figure it out. I'll get through this.' She's strong-willed for sure," Alex said on a mid-March evening as he sat next to his sister on a brownish-gray reclining loveseat in their parents' living room. Angie's Welsh corgi, Mojo, watched intently from the dining room through the glass panes of French doors. Before the crash, Angie worked at a physical therapy clinic and a men's clinic in Omaha. She had plans to enroll in a program to earn her doctorate of physical therapy and was waiting to hear back from a handful of schools she applied to. "I was going to graduate and, then, I would work with little kids. They're cute," said Angie, who now struggles at times to express herself due to aphasia, a comprehension and communication disorder that impacts a person's ability to understand both written and spoken language or formulate proper responses. "Little kids need help, just like me." Angie's mom, Lily, calls her daughter a "miracle." She said Angie tells her daily she wants to move back to Omaha with Mojo. Alex said his sister knows her way around and even says she wants to drive. He thinks Angie is tired of the family "kind of babying her." Angie agreed, nodding her head and responding with, "Yup." Angie enjoys spending time alone with Mojo. With a treat in her hand, she instructed the tan-and-white pooch to sit down and spin around. Mojo complied. But when Angie asked him to circle a second time, Mojo turned and walked away, his little feet pitter-pattering on a clear plastic floor runner. "Every morning, she says the same thing, that she wants to get better and she wants to leave with her dog," Lily said. "There are days, I think, she gets sad. Maybe she remembers how she was." 'Come now' The morning of Nov. 11, Angie told her mom she wanted to go to 1008 Key Club that evening with her friend Jailene. Later on, after Angie's dad, Israel, grilled steaks and the family visited with relatives, Lily and Israel offered to take Angie and Jailene to Historic Fourth Street. According to the Sioux City Police Department, at 11:18 p.m., a Suzuki motorcycle driven by 27-year-old Anthony M. Simon was eastbound in the 1000 block of Fourth Street when it collided with Angie, who was walking southbound across Fourth Street. Alex said Angie exited the back driver's side of her family's black Acura TLX, which was facing west, and took a step forward. She was immediately struck by the motorcycle. Lily recalled hearing a "huge sound." "My husband and I, we got out of the car. He yelled at me and said that it was Angie," Lily said, voice quaking as her eyes welled up with tears. "I had sandals on, and I ran." Alex, who is listed as Angie's emergency contact on her iPhone, was at home playing video games with a friend when he received an emergency text alert. As he was unlocking his cellphone to read the text, his father called. With the emergency sirens wailing in the background, Alex could hardly make sense of what Israel was saying. He heard the words "accident," "Fourth Street" and "come now." When Alex arrived at the scene, he saw a crowd of people and Angie on the ground. His mom was crying and his dad was pacing back and fourth. Alex said the driver of the motorcycle was leaning up against a police cruiser. According to a search warrant application, which was filed Nov. 12 in Woodbury County District Court, witnesses said they observed Simon, of Omaha, pop a wheelie with the motorcycle, which was traveling at a high rate of speed right before hitting Angie. Sioux City police have yet to file any charges against Simon, who refused a breath sample. The search warrant application noted Simon had "bloodshot watery eyes" and the "strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" on his breath. It lists Angie's injuries as being a traumatic brain injury, bruised lungs, a skull fracture and a broken clavicle. Alex said both of her legs were injured, as was her right hand. In February, Sioux City Community Police Sgt. Tom Gill said the department received a toxicology report from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation but was waiting for testing to come back on the motorcycle. Last week, Gill told The Journal the toxicology report showed Simon's blood "tested above the legal limit for alcohol." He said the Woodbury County Attorney's Office is waiting for paperwork from Angie's family before formally charging Simon. Alex said he has been in contact with an officer about signing a medical release form. Turning point Sioux City Fire Rescue's EMS team rushed Angie to MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center, where she was placed on life support. The hospital is located just a few blocks northwest of the crash site. Alex said he is thankful for the quick actions of medical professionals that night, which played a "huge part" not only in Angie's survival, but in how far she has come in her recovery. "Time was key," he said. "How fast they responded, how quickly they got her to Mercy, the doctor told us that played a huge part of how the results are turning out." The Lopez family basically lived at the hospital while Angie fought for her life in the intensive care unit. Alex said "amazing" nurses tended to his sister. He specifically remembered one of them washing Angie's face and calling her "the princess" the night she was admitted. Lily's family traveled to Sioux City from California. Angie's cousin Yvonne, whom Angie is particularly close with, regularly fixed Angie's hair and eyelashes and manicured her nails while she was in a coma. "We were never alone because a lot of people visited Angie at the hospital," Lily said. "It was really sad for us what happened, but at the same time, we had a lot of support. Angie is a lucky girl, because everybody loves her." Mojo even visited Angie at MercyOne. After the corgi snuggled up to her side, Alex said, Angie's condition began to improve. Mojo would later make the trip to Madonna to see Angie. "We 110% believe that was the turning point for Angie, when she felt her dog," Alex said. "It seemed like every day after she saw her dog, it was a reason for her to get going." Reintegration Angie doesn't remember the day of the crash. Lily said Angie's doctor thinks it's better that she has no recollection of that life-altering event. What Angie does recall is medical professionals asking what happened to her, weeks after the crash. "I didn't know. And, sometimes, I would tell them that I got into an accident, and that's it," Angie said. Abby McClure, an occupational therapist who worked with Angie at Madonna, said every brain injury is different and each patient's progression can be "unpredictable." "The repetition and the early intervention, getting the patient up and moving and doing those daily tasks over and over to rewire the brain and recreate those connections is what's really important," she said. "It's the intensity that can really make a big difference." McClure said the shift from lying in a hospital bed all day to getting up at 7 a.m. at Madonna, showering and then going right into therapy was exhausting for Angie. Over two months of physical and occupational therapy at Madonna, Angie transitioned from using a wheelchair to walking independently. In speech therapy, she worked to overcome aphasia. McClure credits Angie's physical therapy background and the support of her family as reasons she has been so successful in her recovery. The two women immediately developed a rapport soon after Angie arrived at Madonna. Angie has even said she hopes to one day work at Madonna alongside the therapists who helped her. "She's a young adult. She's trying to get back to her life. She had so much going for her and had a plan of where she's going with her life," McClure said. "I feel like I connected with her really quickly, just knowing that we were very similar people. I feel like for us, it really helped form this bond and made her open up a lot more." McClure worked with Angie on building her core strength and balance, so that she could once again perform basic self-care activities, such as dressing and bathing. Because Angie suffered a broken collarbone, McClure said, her right shoulder was quite weak. She said putting on a shirt or taking one off was suddenly really difficult for Angie. At one point, McClure put a foam block underneath Angie as she stood and reached various items on a giant touchscreen. The activity challenged Angie's cognition and her balance simultaneously. McClure said Angie had "a lot of hard days" because she pushed herself to her limits. "She pushes herself as far as she can. Sometimes, it goes over the top and she has those moments where it takes a toll on her, but it never stops her," she said. By the time Angie was ready to leave Madonna, she was walking the hallways with her mom and performing at least 95% of her self-care tasks. Angie even went to Lululemon and Starbucks with her therapists. McClure said the community reintegration outings seemed like a "very big moment" for Angie and her mom. "I was so happy there," Angie said of her favorite places. Now, it's a matter of building toward a return to work, school and being Mojo's sole caregiver. Angie still has major hurdles to overcome, but she is determined to reclaim her life. Photos: Angie Lopez's recovery Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez & Abby McClure Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Angie Lopez recovers from motorcycle collision Motorcycle accident downtown Guns do not commit crimes, people do. (Dave Workman) The headline in an Op-Ed about so-called "red flag" laws, published by the Portland, Maine Press-Herald, says more about 'gun control' than perhaps was intended. "Red flag laws ignore the truth about crime," and the subhead notes, "Criminals commit crimes, not guns." Author Andee Reardon, owner of the East Coast School of Safety and Maine state director for Women for Gun Rights, is a certified firearms instructor. That's a notch or two above being a self-described "trainer," and her certifications come from the National Rifle Association and U.S. Concealed Carry Association. While her opinion piece focused on controversial disarmament statutes around the country, her opening paragraph actually highlighted a problem Second Amendment advocates and activists face in every state. "After every senseless tragedy in America," Reardon writes, "'gun control' activists and their media allies call for more gun restrictions and gun confiscation, and they attack our Second Amendment rights. No matter the circumstances of the crime committed, they will exploit the loss of life to advance their political agenda." Law-abiding gun owners are not the problem, and more restrictive 'gun control' laws are not the solution. ..... A brief history of keyboard encoding Daniel shares with us some of the fruits of research into computer keyboard history conducted over recent years. In this case, the surprising variety of methods by which keyboards determined which keys are being pressed. This post is part of the Protieusz. Stay tuned and check back for more articles tomorrow! This post is part of the KBD.NEWS Advent Calendar 2023 . The previous article was: ProtieusKeeb's Keeb Journey by. Stay tuned and check back for more articles tomorrow! Overview The implementation of modern computer keyboards is fairly common knowledge within the keyboard enthusiast community. Regardless of the switch technology, the switches are wired into a grid or matrix formed on a printed circuit board or set of membrane sheets or, in some custom keyboards, by hand-wiring directly. Firmware stored in a microcontrollera microprocessor (CPU) with built-in RAM, ROM and I/Oexamines each key in the matrix in turn to see whether it is pressed. With mechanical (metal contact) and membrane switches, the firmware allows time for the switch contacts to settle before reporting a keystroke. A look-up table in ROM provides the identity (scancode or usage code) of the key at each matrix position. The encoder (commonly but incorrectly referred to as the controller) communicates keyboard activity to the host computer. This was not always the case, however. For starters, microprocessors didnt reach the market until 1970 and electronic keyboards go back at least a decade before that. Even in 1970, using a microprocessor for a keyboard would not become a viable option for years. So, how did keyboards work in the early days, and what techniques had to be adopted to create a practical keyboard? Early techniques In addition to detecting keystrokes, keyboards need a way to identify and report which key is being pressed. This process is known as encoding and the hardware that accomplishes it is called the encoder . Most readers will expect a single chip to handle all of this, and will be confused when they instead encounter a mass of circuitry or a huge bank of diodes in a decades-old keyboard. What is going on in these old products? As early as 1960, Invac designed light-beam keyboards, originally attached to mechanical typewriters (US patent 3032163) but soon offered as devices in their own right (US patent 3092310 and advertised at least as early as 1962). A set of parallel light beams crosses the keyboard from one side to the other. A notched shutter is attached to each key: pressing the key blocks a specific selection of the light beams. Photodetectors read the resulting pattern as a binary code. By the late 1960s most keyboard manufacturers favoured purely electronic keyboards instead of photoelectric and electromechanical. The most common encoding technique became the diode matrix , used by various manufacturers in the 1960s and early 1970s. A diode matrix is simply a bank of ROM constructed from a grid of discrete diodes; this approach pre-dated semiconductor ROM. A grid position linked by a diode registers as a 1, and the absence of a diode as a 0. In a basic diode matrix keyboardthere seem to be some more exotic arrangementseach key is wired to a row of the grid. The selection of diodes soldered into the row determines the keys output code. Pressing a key feeds current into that row which then passes through the diodes into the columns, where the code is read off. (Diodes are used otherwise you would get a problem akin to ghosting.) Diode matrices require considerable space, sometimes as much as a whole PCB to themselves as with the Potter Instrument KDR/KB 3100A. George Risk Industries however mounted the diodes vertically on rails along the edge of the switch PCB, as seen in the model 2-103-001-A-10. Diode matrix encoding was perhaps most commonly paired with reed switches. Several manufacturers advertised encoding switches : switches where the output code was set directly within each switch using individual electrical connections onto a common bus. Such switches required either multiple sets of switch contacts (one per output bit) or a single set of contacts divided into separate connections protected by diodes. Micro Switchs KB range of switches started out around 1965 as an encoding system before the better-known reed switches were added to the range a year or two later. Micro Switch chose to use multiple contacts per switch; the output was configured by clipping off each terminal that was to represent a 0. Mechanical Enterprises Mercutronic coding (MC) switches, first advertised in 1970, used diodes within each switch to link to a ribbon cable bus, a diode setting a 1 and no diode setting a 0. Other manufacturers who designed encoding switches around the turn of the 1970s included Magsat, IKOR (with their selective-shield capacitive system) and Synergistics. While surplus Micro Switch KB encoding switches are available to purchase, to date not a single encoding keyboard has ever been seen. Although Licon and Cortron magnetic valve matrix scan keyboards are well-known, far less is seen of the very early keyboards from NAVCOR (1968) and Licon (1969) which used specific routing of wires through ferrite cores to define the output codes of the keys. Licon used an automated assembly line to feed wires through ferrite cores within the switches of their Series 550 keyboards (for example model 55-000084), while NAVCOR used ferrite core encoding in conjunction with reed switches. Why do all old Hall effect switches have four terminals? Why not merely three: V CC , GND and output? Its not, as was originally suspected, for redundancy. Instead, its for the encoding. The two outputs from an active key form a 2-of-N constant weight code : a binary scheme where there is always a specific number of 1s set. The two outputs on a switch set exactly two encoder output bits as 1, leaving all other bits as 0. Each switch is still individually wired, and the early versions still required a dedicated PCB for the encoding grid (as with model 64SW1-4 from 1970), but the grid only requires simple links between the rows and columns, not diodes as with a diode matrix keyboard. The two outputs from the active switch are fed into a bank of binary encoder chips via the encoding grid to produce the output codes. This technique is most associated with Micro Switchs SW and SD Hall effect keyboards (and some early Hall effect keyboards from other brands) but it has also been found in a NASA keyboard made by Bendix using mechanical switches. Encoding and rollover These early techniques all had a particular limitation in common: pressing two keys at once would result in a clash. Pressing two light beam shutters at once would result in an invalid code. Pressing two keys on a shared bus likewise registers an invalid output. Pressing two keys in a 2-of-N keyboard would result in more than two inputs reaching the encoder. In the 1960s some manufacturers opted for mechanical interlocking, where the operator was physically prevented from pressing two keys at once (or from pressing a key when the equipment was not ready to accept input). The amount of active keys can also be detected electronically. Depending on the encoder implementation, each key or each 2-of-N output line is fed into a special circuit through a resistor. By the law of parallel resistance, this circuit knows when exactly one key is pressed simply by looking for a specific amount of resistance in effect. During rollover conditions, the keyboard detects the clash and goes inactive. When the first key is released, the clash ends and the second key can then be reported. Rollover involving three or more keys can result in the intermediate keys being dropped entirely as there is no point in time where they can be detected in isolation. Micro Switch are believed to have invented the term N-key rollover, a concept where rollover is no longer an issue. Their approach took the form of switches that instantly deactivate upon actuation, taking themselves out of the equation. No matter how long a key is held for, it will register only momentarily. While both Micro Switch and TEC made mechanical self-deactivating switches and Cherry filed a patent for such a switch, it is Micro Switchs sink pulse Hall effect switches that are widely encountered in their N-key rollover keyboards. Self-deactivation was acceptable in the 1970s because of how keyboards of the day worked. Historically, keyboards reported the output code directly. ASCII keyboards were common; these keyboards transmitted ASCII codes directly to the host equipment. Keyboards did not send make and break codes, so there was no way to know if a key was still held, and there was no reason to hold down two alphanumeric keys at once. Even repeat was handled differently, using either a Repeat key or (for special keys such as enter, space and backspace) keys designed to signal repeat. (Modifier keys of course did not self-deactivate!) The implications of contact bounce Contact bounce is well known by keyboard enthusiasts as chatter : where pressing a key unintentionally generates two more occurrences of the same letter on the screen. When switch contactsbe they gold-alloy prisms on sprung metal contacts or carbon-silver traces on polyester sheetsare pressed together, they rebound repeatedly for a brief fraction of a second. How long this bounce period lasts depends on the design of the switch and how much use the switch has seen. Standard metal-contact switches are typically rated to bounce for no longer than 5 milliseconds, this being one of the determinants of end-of-life condition (bounce time when new will be far less). Membrane switches are rated for up to 20 ms, while reed switcheswhose contacts are lightweight and barely moveare rated for as low as 2 ms at end of life. Chatter occurs when the switch contacts continue to bounce outside of the expected tolerance, but all contact-based switches exhibit bounce even when new. In the aforementioned encoding processes, keyboards were susceptible to bounce, so a means was required to prevent duplicate keystrokes. A wide and sometimes bizarre range of switch designs were introduced that were bounce-free, including capacitive and inductive types. Perhaps the strangest was Mechanical Enterprises three generations of Mercutronic mercury-contact switches (MC, SS and M-5), using a silicone rubber tube containing mercury that is pinched closed when the keys are at rest: using liquid metal switch contacts avoided bounce! Perhaps unsurprisingly, none of these mercury keyboards have ever knowingly resurfaced. Optical and Hall effect switches were also bounce free, and although there is no longer any mainstream demand for that technology now for the purposes of reliability, the increased responsiveness owing to not needing to debounce the keys has led to their reintroduction to the market to meet gamers demands for the lowest possible latencies in their rigs. Matrix scan Matrix scanthe encoding technique in use in all keyboards todayappears to have arrived on the scene in 1970. Cherry and Clare-Pendar both advertised this technique in that year. Cherrys approach was based on TTLtransistor-transistor logicwhile Clare-Pendar put the entire encoder onto a single chip. A TTL-based encoder took somewhere in the region of 14 logic chips depending on the implementation. In a matrix scan keyboard the switches are wired into a grid instead of separately as was the case up to this point. A timer-driven circuit tests each key in sequence to see if it has been pressed. Once a keypress is detected, the x and y co-ordinates of the key are used to identify it. The advent of matrix scan solved some very important problems. Firstly, it made debounce trivial, opening the way to mass-market cost-effective metal contact (mechanical) keyboards. All the encoder circuit needed to do in order to debounce a key is pause the scanning process for a few milliseconds. If the switch is still registering after that delay, the encoder can be certain that its picking up a keypress and not a spike. All the innovative switch designstoo many to go into herethat were designed to combat contact bounce were rendered obsolete, and it would seem that many designed around this time simply disappeared off the market. Secondly, matrix scan allowed the centralisation of the sensing logic. The complexities of inductive and capacitive sensing could be moved to a single circuit shared by all the keys, removing the need for dedicated circuitry or wiring at each key. Thirdly, matrix scan makes encoding very easy. The matrix co-ordinates for each switch can be fed into a look-up table in ROM. TTL-based encoders had to use the matrix co-ordinates directly as the output code, meaning that repositioning keys (e.g. QWERTY vs AZERTY) required a new PCB layout, but MOS/LSI encoders simply needed replacement ROM data. Finally, matrix scan allows for the unlimited rollover that gamers demand today. Unlike Micro Switchs N-key rollover technique, matrix scan keyboards not only allow for an unlimited number of overlapping keystrokes, but they can correctly identify each and every simultaneously-held key, a feat impossible up to this point. The removal of the encoding bus means that there is no encoding clash during rollover conditions. Matrix scan did introduce a clash of its own: ghosting. However, capacitive switches are immune to ghosting and mechanical switches need only a diode at each key position to prevent it. Even without diodes, any two keys can be held at once and remain independently detected. DTL, TTL and MOS/LSI Early encoding techniques that involved logic circuitry were built on DTL (diodetransistor logic) and TTL (transistortransistor logic). These are simple chips that provide the building blocks of a logic system, such as a set of six NOT gates (a hex inverter), four NAND gates (quad NAND) or a binary counter on a single chip, most commonly a DIP-14 package. Around 1970, the single-chip encoder was introduced. This is an entire keyboard encoder circuitminus the timing resistor and capacitoron a single chip. Such chips are of the LSI (large-scale integration) type, also known as MOS based on the type of transistors used inside. Various companies supplied single-chip keyboard encoders, with National Semiconductor, General Instrument and SMC being the most commonly encountered. The look-up table from the matrix to the output codes was typically stored inside the chip. ASCII encoders provided ASCII output. PRO encoders simply output a memory address to be used with a separate look-up table ROM, important for small custom batches and for prototyping. Each key would have three or four separately-defined outputs that were selected according to whether Control or Shift or both was held. Its likely that many of the MOS/LSI encoders on 70s and early 80s keyboards have been mistaken for controllers (microprocessor-based encoders) but they are fairly simple single-chip circuits. Microprocessor encoders Only by 1977 was it finally deemed viable to dedicate a simple microprocessor to scanning a keyboard. Two such keyboardsso-called intelligent keyboards at the timewere introduced in that year: IMSAIs IKB-1 and Micro Switchs SD series 103SD24-1. With microprocessor-encoded keyboards, the entire encoding process is handled by firmware stored in ROM on the chip. Changes to the encoding behaviour can be made in the firmware code without needing to redesign the encoder circuit. With MOS/LSI encoders, a change as simple as adding Caps Lock (versus the industry-standard Shift Lock) required additional logic circuitry to manipulate the output code. Now, only firmware in ROM needed to be changed. This comparatively expensive approach would not become standard overnight. This approach was for example too expensive for home computers in the 80s with their built-in keyboards. Apple favoured MOS encoders, while Acorn put only simple logic onto the BBC Microcomputers keyboard PCB and the remainder of the encoding process into the operating system. The IBM Personal Computer did use a microprocessor-driven keyboard, based on an Intel 8048 chip from their popular MCS-48 family of microcontrollers. This approach grew in popularity, with keyboards using both general purpose microcontrollers and dedicated microcontroller-based encoders from a variety of brands including Intel (MCS-48 and MCS-51 families), Zilog and Fujitsu and now the likes of Holtek. Matrix scan using microprocessor-based encoders became the industry standard. Credits Much of the research on which this article is based was made possible through the hard work and dedication of archivists Bitsavers and World Radio History and material held at the Internet Archive. This material contains not just old articles but also a huge number of historical product advertisements in magazines that help piece the story together. Research into Micro Switchs Hall effect keyboards and their encoding system was also assisted by Trina Brown, head librarian at the National Museum of American History Library. Daniel Beardsmore (42) Location Hertfordshire, United Kingdom Occupation IT Joined 2009 Niche Keyboard industry history Fav. switch ITT ETL18, Omron B2H Other hobbies UK high voltage transmission towers, walk photography Links Telcontar.net, imgur.com/user/thatpylonguy Published on Fri 8th Dec 2023. Featured in KBD #2023. Related Monterey MK-9500 This Monterey MK-9500 posted by purpsoli is a double purpose keyboard (piano keyboard on the back) with white Alps. Thisposted byis a double purpose keyboard (piano keyboard on the back) with white Alps. Silicon Graphics 9500801 Silicon Graphics 9500801 found in the trash by Lonkweiler. found in the trash by 1989 Nixdorf Computers keyboard 1989 Nixdorf Computers keyboard with 30 F-keys. Renovated (lubed mx blacks, dampened, retrobrite) by bubr123. 1989with 30 F-keys. Renovated (lubed mx blacks, dampened, retrobrite) by TypeMatrix This TypeMatrix may be the first keyboard using the term "ortholinear". (Not the first ortho one ofc.) Thismay be the first keyboard using the term "ortholinear". (Not the first ortho one ofc.) Teletype Model 33 The Teletype Model 33, an electromechanical teleprinter from the '60s with actual cylinders as its keys. The Teletype Model 33, an electromechanical teleprinter from the '60s with actual cylinders as its keys. 1. Yes. This is expected to be a high-turnout election. Its better to vote early and avoid the crowds. 2. Yes. The period is nearly two weeks long, so it should be easy to find a convenient time to vote. 3. No. Its better to wait until Election Day, just in case any last-minute information comes out. 4. No. Its more exciting to vote on Election Day, and its also more traditional. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say at this point. Ill make a decision as the election gets closer. Vote View Results You are here: Business A forklift loads cargo containers at the Ningde land port in Ningde, east China's Fujian Province, Feb. 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The index tracking the development of China's bulk commodity market edged up in March, industry data showed. The index tracking the country's bulk commodity prices stood at 112 last month, up 0.6 percent month on month, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing. The increase indicates the sound recovery momentum of China's economy, as policies on stabilizing the economy continue to take effect, market confidence resumes and consumption gradually picks up, the federation said. Among the 50 key types of products monitored by the federation, 23 saw price rise on a monthly basis, while the prices of 27 decreased last month. Police say a man was shot and killed outside a downtown Lincoln bar early Sunday morning in the city's first homicide of the year. The Lincoln Police Department said its officers and Lincoln Fire and Rescue were dispatched to the Royal Hookah Bar and Lounge at 1619 O St. at about 3 a.m. Sunday on a report of an individual outside who had been shot several times. When they arrived, they found a 32-year-old Lincoln man who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The man was transported to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries. Police said it has detained a suspect believed to be responsible for the shooting and is interviewing numerous witnesses to gain more information. It is not releasing the name of the victim because his family has not yet been notified. Police encouraged anyone with information about the incident, including video recordings, to contact LPD at 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600. Sunday's homicide is the first in Lincoln this year and the first since Larry Cole, 76, was found in his residence in the 1100 block of New Hampshire Street on Dec. 19. There were at least eight homicides in Lincoln in 2023, which marked a decrease from 11 in 2022. Remembering Lincoln's homicide victims of 2023 4. Christopher Karmazin 8. Larry Cole Crime logo 2020 7. Zachary Svoboda The Westosha Central High School Band travelled to Orlando, Fla., to take part in the Festival Disney competition during the week of March 20-27, and returned with two group awards and one solo award. After performing for a panel of three adjudicators, who offered critiques and gave a rating on their performance, the Westosha Central band received the highest rating of Superior by scoring 90 points or higher. The band also received the Golden Mickey Award for the second trip in a row. To receive the Golden Mickey, a performing group must receive a rating of Superior and be the highest scoring band in the entire competition. James Shuemate, who plays alto saxophone, also received an award for Best Overall Soloist. In addition to the Festival Disney performance, the band visited Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT Center, Universal Studios and Cocoa Beach. Gov. Tony Evers announced March 28 that the United States Department of Agricultures (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program will help families feed Wisconsin kids over the summer months. Wisconsin is the first in the nation to receive this federal approval. Created by the U.S. Congress, the Summer EBT program is based on similar efforts used during the coronavirus pandemic to address food insecurity for kids. Making sure our kids have enough to eat is critical for supporting their success in and out of the classroom, Evers said. Unfortunately, when school is out, many families lose access to one of their most reliable sources of healthy meals. This program will be a tremendous asset in helping ensure families can afford quality, nutritious food to fill these gaps, and I am proud of the hard work of our agencies and our administrations leadership in getting these dollars out the door and into the hands of families who need them as soon as possible. According to the USDA, the Summer EBT program provides grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with children of school age during the summer months when schools are closed. Based on the USDAs Summer EBT for Children demonstration projects and Pendemic EBT program, Summer EBT benefits will come in the form of pre-loaded cards that families can utilize to buy groceries. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), and the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) are working together to get these benefits to families across the state. Most families eligible for these benefits will receive them automatically, thanks to state agencies collaborating to identify kids who qualify based on their participation in certain other benefit programs, like FoodShare or the free or reduced-price meal program at their school. For each eligible child identified, the state will provide a one-time summer benefit of $120. This is the standard benefit amount set by the USDA for the 2024 program year. These benefits will be provided to families in late June. EBT stands for electronic benefit transfer, a reference to how families get the assistance: on a pre-loaded debit card they can use to purchase food at grocery and convenience stores, some farmers markets, and anywhere that accepts FoodShare benefits. Families who already have a QUEST card or a P-EBT card from the pandemic will get the benefits on their existing card. Families who dont already have a card will be sent one in the mail with their benefits pre-loaded. All families will also get a letter in the mail informing them about the benefits they received. More information about the program will be shared with schools and families in the coming weeks as DHS, DCF and DPI coordinate to implement the newly approved plan. To stay up to date on the program, visit the Summer EBT: Food Benefits for Eligible Children During the Summer Months page on the DHS website at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/forwardhealth/summerebt.htm. For more information on the USDAs Summer Nutrition Program, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer. This photo taken on April 4, 2024 shows an interior view of BYD Haberfield Sales and Service Center in Sydney, Australia. [Photo/Xinhua] Many carmakers saw their March sales rise in China, fueled by the popularity of new energy vehicles and amid fierce competition that analysts expect to continue throughout the year. BYD reclaimed its best-selling carmaker title in March. The comeback after a hiatus of two months was down to the increased number of working days in March compared with February, which included the weeklong Spring Festival holiday this year, and also the launch of cheaper models that started in February. BYD delivered 302,500 vehicles last month, up 46.06 percent year-on-year. They brought the Q1 sales of the carmaker backed by Warren Buffett to 626,300 units, a 13.44 percent rise from the same period of 2023. Chery, which was the sales champion in February, delivered 181,585 vehicles in March, which marked a 45.3 percent rise from the same month of 2023. Its Q1 sales rose more than 60 percent year-on-year to 529,604 units. The carmaker, based in Wuhu, Anhui province, has been accelerating its transition toward electrification, especially in the segment of plug-in hybrids that has seen faster growth than pure electric vehicles. Geely Auto, which owns namesake Geely as well as Lynk & Co and Zeekr, saw its March sales grow 39 percent year-on-year to 150,800 units. The carmaker delivered 475,700 vehicles to buyers in Q1, up 49 percent year-on-year. Of them, 87,000 were sold outside China. NEVs and overseas markets are also driving up Great Wall Motor's performance. As China's largest pickup and SUV maker, GWM sold 100,276 vehicles in March, up 11 percent year-on-year. Its Q1 deliveries stood at 275,333 units, up 25.11 percent from the same quarter of 2023. Though the growth figures were not as impressive as other major carmakers, a breakdown shows that GWM's NEV sales soared 66.34 percent year-on-year to 21,882 units in March. Their deliveries surged 112.82 percent year-on-year to 59,182 units from January to March. In overseas markets, GWM's Q1 sales stood at 92,778 units, up 78.51 percent year-on-year and accounting for a third of the carmaker's total deliveries in the quarter. At a Thailand auto show in late March, the carmaker showcased models from its marques including Poer, Haval, Tank and Ora. GWM is the first Chinese automaker to produce NEVs in the country. In addition to the Thai market, the company is considering exports to other Southeast Asian countries. Of the startups, Aito codeveloped by Huawei and Seres sat atop the list in March. It delivered 31,727 vehicles that month, up 33 percent from February. Aito's popularity comes primarily from its bond with Huawei, which boasts leading driving-assist solutions. Li Auto followed with 28,984 units. That represented a 39.4 percent rise, but fell short of the startup's goal of seeing its monthly sales return to 50,000 units, primarily because of negative comments that went viral over the styling of its electric Mega MPV. Nio, known for its customer loyalty and battery-swapping technology, sold 11,866 units in March, up 14.3 percent year-on-year and 45.9 percent from February. The startup has been cutting its prices in different ways including subsidies for trade-ins from gas car owners. It also plans to roll out models under its more affordable brand, Onvo. The China Passenger Car Association estimates that wholesale NEV sales would stand at 820,000 units in March, up 33 percent year-on-year and 84 percent month-on-month. Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the association, expects the price competition to go on throughout this year because carmakers are trying to gain a firmer foothold in the second half of the NEV race, which is shifting focus from electric powertrains to smart driving features. In addition, authorities are coming up with favorable policies to boost vehicle sales. Earlier this month, the country's central bank and the National Financial Regulatory Administration released a plan to relax the loan ratios for personal vehicle purchases. Financial institutions can independently determine the upper limits of loan ratios for gasoline cars and NEV purchases, according to the plan. Currently, the highest loan ratios for personal gasoline car and NEV purchases stand at 80 percent and 85 percent, respectively. Financial institutions are encouraged to step up innovation in financial products and services to adapt to the trade-in of vehicles as well as other new scenarios, and better support the demand for automobile consumption, said the plan. In March, the State Council released a plan to encourage trade-ins. Carmakers including Nio and Chery and local authorities in many cities have offered subsidies up to thousands of yuan per vehicle to encourage drivers to place orders. On 7 April Brazilian supreme court (STF) justiceincluded the owner of social media platform X (formerly Twitter),, in the milicias digitais (digital militias) investigation, a police probe into networks that spread online disinformation. End of preview - This article contains approximately 381 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 6 April Chinas embassy in Argentina said that the space station it manages in Argentinas Neuquen province is entirely civilian, after the government of Presidentindicated it would inspect the stations activities. End of preview - This article contains approximately 387 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options Ecuadorean troops broke into the Mexican embassy in Quito on 5 April, seizing former vice-president, wanted on corruption charges; Mexico responded by breaking diplomatic relations as most Latin American countries, together with the US and the European Union (EU), criticised Ecuador for what was described as a flagrant violation of Mexicos diplomatic immunity. End of preview - This article contains approximately 497 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options The American space agencys Mars explorer, Curiosity, has reached a new area of the planet Mars as it searches for evidence of water and possible life. The explorer, or rover, recently arrived at an area called the Gediz Vallis Channel. Researchers said the area was chosen because evidence suggested that it once held large amounts of liquid water. The term channel describes a natural bed that carries water. Curiosity arrived on Mars in 2012 and began exploring areas around the planets huge Gale Crater. Mars is a cold, dry desert today. But the Gale Crater area is believed to have contained a lake at one time and has shown other evidence of flowing water in the past. A large meteor strike about 3.7 billion years ago is believed to have formed the crater. At the time, scientists believe groundwater filled Gale Crater while additional water flowed in from rivers fed by rain or melting snow. This is thought to have formed Gale Craters large lake. Since 2014, Curiosity has been exploring an area called Mount Sharp, which sits about five kilometers above the floor of Gale Crater. NASA said the new area contains formations created over millions of years amid a changing Martian climate. Curiosity will be searching for evidence of ancient water in areas around Gediz Vallis Channel, with studies centered on how the channel formed. NASA scientists said they do not think wind formed it because the sides of it are too high. From space, the channel looks like an ancient riverbed, the agency said. Later, the channel filled with large rocks and other forms of debris. Last month, Curiosity documented the Gediz Vallis Channel with a 360-degree black-and-white picture captured by one of the rovers cameras. The rovers new exploring activities can provide scientists with a new way to study how the presence of both water and the chemical ingredients required for life changed over time, NASA said. The first formations to be examined contain sulfates, which are salty minerals often created when liquid water evaporates. NASA said Curiosity also uncovered evidence of clay minerals in the Mount Sharp area. This suggests past interactions between large amounts of water and rock. Movements of water and minerals can also produce a material called sediment, particles that settle on the bottom of bodies of water over time. Examinations of these sediments can provide additional evidence of past water and possible life. Ashwin Vasavada is a Curiosity project scientist with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He said in a statement, If the channel or the debris pile were formed by liquid water, thats very interesting. Vasavada added, It would mean that fairly late in the story of Mount Sharp after a long dry period water came back, and in a big way. NASA currently operates two rovers on Mars. The other one, Perseverance, has been exploring the planets Jezero Crater since September 2021. It has collected rock, soil and atmospheric materials during that time. Jezero Crater is also believed to have contained large water bodies in the distant past. Materials collected by the rovers are expected to be returned to Earth in the future. That effort, a joint mission between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), is planned for 2028. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from NASA. Quiz - Mars Explorer Arrives at New Area in Search for Evidence of Water, Life Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ___________________________________________ Words in This Story crater n. a big hole left in the ground or an object by a force of impact debris n. broken pieces of something clay n. wet soil that is made of extremely fine particles ingredient n. a substance included in the preparation or production of something evaporate v. to change from a liquid into a gas or vapor The American space agency NASA says it wants to come up with an out-of-this-world way to follow time on its own clock for the moon. It would not be connected to the different time zones found on Earth. The moon clock would have an entirely different time for the moon. That is because there is less gravity on the moon. So, time moves a little bit quicker compared to Earth. It moves about 58.7 microseconds faster every day. White House officials recently told NASA and other federal agencies to work with international agencies to come up with a time system for the moon. Kevin Coggins is NASAs top communications and navigation official. He said, An atomic clock on the moon will tick at a different rate than a clock on Earth. The last time NASA sent astronauts to the moon, the astronauts wore watches. But back then, timing was not important as it is now with computers, satellites, and communication systems, he said. And he added that those microseconds make a difference when high tech systems work together. Last year, the European Space Agency said scientists needs to come up with a single time for the moon, where a day lasts 29.5 Earth days. The International Space Station is in low Earth orbit. It will continue to use coordinated universal time, or UTC. NASA must decide where the new space time starts. Even Earths time speeds up and slows down, requiring a unit of time called leap seconds. The U.S. government wants NASA to come up with a proposal for the time system by the end of this year. It hopes NASA will have a final plan by the end of 2026. NASA is aiming to send astronauts around the moon in September of 2025 and land people on the moon one year later. Im Gregory Stachel. Seth Borenstein reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. ______________________________________________ Words in This Story navigation n. the act, activity, or process of finding the way to get to a place when you are traveling in a ship, airplane, or car tick v. to continue to work or function in a normal way watch n. a device that shows what time it is and that you wear on your wrist or carry in a pocket Editor's note: This story is one of the winning entries from the "Teach Us about Ukraine" writing contest sponsored by VOA Learning English and GoGlobal. My name is Zhanna Kravchenko. I teach at Specialized General Education School No. 7. This is my essay. Lviv is often referred to as the "Pearl of Ukraine." The largest city in western Ukraine is home to more than 700,000 people. Founded in the 13th century, its cobblestone streets are not only picturesque but also filled with history. The city was founded by Prince Danylo Romanovych of Galicia and named after his son, Lev. Galicia is now an area divided between Ukraine and Poland. For more than 400 years, Lviv was a part of the Kingdom of Poland. In 1569, the Act of Union of Lublin connected Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The measure led to the creation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest and most influential states in Europe. Lviv, with its central location, became a thriving cultural and economic center of the commonwealth. Following the partition of the commonwealth in 1772, Lviv and the surrounding area of Galicia became a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This era brought Central European influences to Lviv's culture and architecture. The beautiful Lviv Opera House is such an example. The 20th century was a time of turmoil for the city. Lviv became a part of Poland again after Austria's defeat in World War I. The West Ukrainian Peoples Republic started a short-lived independence movement. The Soviet Union seized the city in 1939. Nazi Germany occupied the city during World War II. And the Soviets annexed the city in 1945. The official Lviv tourism website says Ukrainian insurgents fought against the Soviets until the late 1950s. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians from the area were sent to concentration camps and exiled to Siberia. In more recent history, Lviv played an important role during Ukraine's struggle for independence. The Orange Revolution in 2004 saw the city's central square, Rynok, filled with people calling for democratic change. The events that unfolded there helped shape the course of modern Ukrainian politics, solidifying the city's reputation as a stronghold of pro-European sentiment. Beyond its historical significance, Lviv offers a tapestry of cultural delights. The city boasts a thriving arts scene, with numerous theaters, galleries, and music venues. It is a city where literature and poetry find their voice, celebrated yearly during the Lviv Publishers' Forum. One cannot talk about Lviv's culture without savoring its culinary treasures. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafts through the air as you explore its charming cafes. Ukraine's coffee culture is deeply rooted here, with the first coffeehouse in the country opening its doors in Lviv in the 18th century. But perhaps the most enduring aspect of Lviv's charm is its people. Warm, welcoming, and proud of their heritage, Lvivians have a way of making visitors feel like they have found a second home. Their passion for the city is infectious and they are always eager to share its stories with visitors. From the picturesque rooftops to the cobblestone streets, Lviv is a city where history whispers from every building, city square, and street corner. For those who seek to understand Ukraine, Lviv is an open book, inviting you to explore its pages and discover the beauty within. I'm Gena Bennett. Additional information from https://lviv.travel/en/news/zasnuvannia-lvova https://www.britannica.com/place/Lviv-Ukraine https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/lviv _______________________________________________ About the Writer Zhanna Kravchenko was born in the Zaporizhia region of Ukraine, in the village of Nadezhdino, which unfortunately is currently under occupation. She met her husband while studying in Melitopol, and they currently live in Khmelnytskyi with their wonderful daughter. Zhanna has been teaching for 11 years and currently works as an English language teacher in the elementary grades at Specialized General Education School No. 7 in Khmelnytskyi. She takes great pride in her Ukrainian heritage and is passionate about being a Ukrainian. What do you think of this story? Let us know in the Comments. _______________________________________________ Lesson Plan Download this lesson plan for activities and a guide to presenting this essay in your classroom. The just-concluded Qingming Festival holiday proved to be a boon for the tourism industry in the country with both the number of travelers and tourism revenue soaring as people made the most of the short break. Tourists throng the Maijishan Grottoes on Friday in Tianshui, Gansu province. Over the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, Tianshui received around 946,500 tourist visits, generating a revenue of 540 million yuan ($74.65 million). Zhang Zhimin / Xinhua Figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Saturday showed that domestic destinations witnessed about 119 million visits during the three-day holiday, which started on Thursday, the Tomb Sweeping Day, up 11.5 percent compared with 2019. There was only one day off for the occasion last year, and it resulted in 23.77 million domestic visits. The travel boom during the holiday generated revenue of about 54 billion yuan ($7.47 billion), up 12.7 percent compared with 2019, the ministry said. Reports and figures from travel agencies and local government departments also paint a positive picture. Travel portal Trip.com Group said that over the holiday, bookings for short-distance tours to destinations within cities customers live in grew 211 percent year-on-year, and bookings to neighboring destinations located outside the cities they live in skyrocketed 350 percent year-on-year. The top attractions among users of the travel portal were places well known for flower blossoms at this time of the year. Ticket bookings for such attractions surged 391 percent year-on-year. Luoyang, a city famous for peony flowers in Central China's Henan province, Nyingchi in the Xizang autonomous region with its peach blossom-covered mountains and Nanjing with plum blossoms in the eastern province of Jiangsu, were among the popular destinations for nature lovers during the holiday. "People have shown a strong desire to travel this holiday, and the tourism market is in continuous recovery," said Qi Chunguang, vice-president of online travel agency Tuniu. He said the platform saw hotel bookings grow 68 percent year-on-year, and the number of self-driving travelers using Tuniu's services increased 61 percent year-on-year. "The results meet our expectations," he added. In addition to traditionally popular destinations such as Beijing and Shanghai, lesser-known places also saw huge tourist influx after local food and unique folk activities found viral online fame. Quanzhou, a city in the southeastern province of Fujian, welcomed a huge number of travelers attracted by its traditional "head-pinned flowers". Qunar, an online travel agency, said that hotel bookings to Quanzhou grew 3.3-fold during the holiday. "I was stunned by the online short videos of girls wearing well-arranged flowers on their heads. I told my boyfriend that I must try that and take pictures," said Yan Nan, a 27-year-old from Beijing, who traveled to Quanzhou on Wednesday, a day before the holiday began, and returned on Saturday. Yan said she went to Xunpu village, considered the birthplace of "head-pinned flowers", on Thursday afternoon, and it was crowded. "I booked the service online, which cost 40 yuan. The auntie was very nice and patient, and did the flower arrangement in about half an hour. It was a good experience and I will visit the place again in the near future but avoid the peak travel periods," she said. Xiao Peng, a researcher from Qunar, said that young people, who are the main drivers of tourism consumption, prefer diverse or unique traveling experiences. "An ancient street or a delicious cuisine may attract a large number of travelers to a place," he said. The inbound and outbound tourism market also showed good performance over the holiday. According to the National Immigration Administration, the Chinese mainland saw about 5.19 million entries and exits, up 69.6 percent year-on-year. Qi Chunguang, vice-president of Tuniu, said: "Thailand, Japan, the Maldives, Egypt and New Zealand were popular among our customers. Some tailored tour products to Southeast Asian destinations including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand were also popular, especially among young people, age 25 to 35, as the three countries are visa-free for Chinese citizens." GOTHENBURG The Guiding Light Award, presented to the business of the year in Gothenburg, was awarded to Dayspring Bank Rural and accepted by Branch Manager Travis Anderson Thursday evening. Their contributions, including employee volunteering, charity donations, community events, company culture and active participation in the Chamber of Commerce, were the main reasons the organization won the award. Gothenburg community members came together in a display of unity, appreciation and recognition at the Red Carpet Premiere hosted by the Gothenburg Tourism organization in collaboration with the Chamber and Gothenburg Improvement Company. The event kicked off with an indoor social at the Sun Theatre that also featured a horse carriage valet outside. The evening commenced with a warm welcome from Rebecca Steward, president of Gothenburg Chamber of Commerce, and Tony Collins, the former president of the Chamber, who served as the events emcee. Throughout the event, Collins, Steward and other members of the Gothenburg community took center stage to acknowledge and honor those who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to enhance various facets of the city, making it an inviting tourist destination. The Honorary Pony Express Rider Award was given to Wendell Brott. This accolade recognizes individuals or organizations that exemplify exceptional dedication to community improvement. Brock Massin of MassinStudios was bestowed with the Friend of Tourism Award, recognizing his contributions towards promoting tourism in Gothenburg. Dr. Allison Jonas was honored with the Out-Going Chamber Board member award for her tenure on the board, demonstrating exemplary leadership and commitment to advancing the Chambers mission. The Nova Award, celebrating the contributions of young professionals in the community, was presented to Alec Foster. Ashley Groene, representing Stories Coffee Shop, was the recipient of the Rising Star Award, highlighting the commendable achievements of new businesses that have made a significant mark within the community in a relatively short span of time. The Spotlight Innovator Award was bestowed upon Sun Theatre, accepted by Jessie Hruza, in recognition of the theaters innovative endeavors to meet the evolving needs of the community through pioneering products, services or volunteer initiatives. In addition to these awards, GIC President Nate Wyatt extended recognition to Jana Jobman and Colten Venteicher, honoring them as out-going GIC members for their contributions to the organization over the years. Furthermore, several businesses were acknowledged for their exemplary efforts, with Blake Ristine of Blakes Fast Fuel and Mark Franzen of Wearparts Tillage Tools among those receiving commendations for their dedication to the betterment of Gothenburg. Frazen was unable to attend the event; Mike Richey was at the event on his behalf. Lawmakers have added a provision on the termination of the qualification of the concessionaire to engage in gaming credit activities, in the final version of the new law on gaming credit. The new law grants the Chief Executive power to terminate a concessionaires eligibility to issue credit to gamblers if it is deemed of significant public interest, according to the Second Standing Committee. However, the law does not define what would constitute a significant public interest or warrant termination. It does stipulate that only concessionaires can directly offer gaming credit. The final version allows junket operators, who had previously extended credit on casinos behalf, to still conduct credit activities through an agency contract with a concessionaire. Under the contracts, money loaned or collected would need to belong to the concessionaire. Approval from the Secretary for Economy and Finance is also required for any agency agreements between junkets and concessionaires related to gaming credit. The new law establishes an interim period for existing credit arrangements to continue operating under prior rules. Regulation of the massive credit operations in Macaus gaming industry was the aim of the legislative amendment. Staff Reporter Chinas military said yesterday that it had conducted air and sea patrols and that all activities that disrupt the South China Sea are under control, an apparent response to naval exercises by the U.S. and its allies. The defense chiefs of the United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines announced Saturday that they would hold joint exercises in the sea to safeguard the rule of law and uphold the right to sail through and fly over the waters. China has long-simmering territorial disputes with a number of Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea, a major shipping route. Skirmishes with the Philippines in particular have flared up since last year. The U.S. has conducted joint patrols with the Philippines in a show of support. China says the U.S. is inflaming tensions by meddling in the disputes. A brief statement from the Chinese militarys Southern Theater Command said it had organized patrols and that all military activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create hotspots are under control. The statement did not mention the United States or the joint exercises. Likewise, the U.S. and its allies did not mention China in their statement, but the four countries reaffirmed their stance that a 2016 international arbitration ruling which invalidated Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea was final and legally binding. The growing tensions in the disputed waters are expected to be high on the agenda when U.S. President Joe Biden hosts his Japanese and Philippine counterparts in a summit at the White House this week. MDT/AP Climate activist Greta Thunberg was among dozens of people detained during the weekend by police in The Hague as they removed protesters who were partially blocking a road in the Dutch city. Thunberg was seen flashing a victory sign as she sat in a bus used by police to take detained demonstrators from the scene of a protest against Dutch subsidies and tax breaks to companies linked to fossil fuel industries. The Extinction Rebellion campaign group said before the demonstration that the activists would block a main highway into The Hague, but a heavy police presence, including officers on horseback, initially prevented the activists from getting onto the road. A small group of people managed to sit down on another road and were detained after ignoring police orders to leave. Extinction Rebellion activists have blocked the highway that runs past the temporary home of the Dutch parliament more than 30 times to protest the subsidies. Macau authorities are seeking an ethical solution for three ceremonial horses currently housed at the Macau Jockey Club. The horses welfare came under scrutiny last week as social media calls grew to relocate or retire the animals. Municipal Affairs Bureau officials confirmed last week veterinarians had examined the three horses. The veterinary evaluation declared all three animals to be in good health. This medical assessment came after a former club employee delivered a petition requesting the horses be relocated to Coloane Island for long-term care and retirement. Meanwhile, the Macau Jockey Club said the horses are not destined for euthanasia as some social media posts had suggested. A club spokesperson said the intention is to rehome the animals abroad, though further details on the planned relocation were not provided, as cited in a TDM report. With differing narratives emerging from social media versus the racing club and government authorities, the fate of the horses remains unclear. Municipal and club officials indicated they are working cooperatively to find a resolution that prioritizes the horses welfare in a humane and ethical manner. An agreement on next steps is expected once all stakeholders have had a chance to properly evaluate the situation and consider options for providing the animals with a suitable quality of life into retirement. After more than 40 years, Macaus hippodrome hosted its final races March 30, bringing an end to the sport in the city renowned for its massive casinos. In January, the citys government announced the termination of its contract with the Macau Jockey Club, effective April. The decision came at the request of the Macau Horse Race Company, citing operational challenges as a reason for the closure. Staff Reporter Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited a new semiconductor plant for which his government has pledged more than 1 trillion yen ($7 billion) of support to secure a steady supply of chips on Saturday. I believe this project will have positive ripple effects throughout Japan. It is key for not only the semiconductor industry but also a wide range of businesses such as electric vehicles and electronics, he said while touring the facility. The new plant on the southwestern island of Kyushu, majority owned by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., is the Taiwanese semiconductor giants first in Japan. Kishida also expressed sympathy to Taiwan following an earthquake that left at least 12 people dead. Japanese companies like Sony, Denso and Toyota are investing in the TSMC subsidiary that opened the plant in February, although the Taiwanese giant retained an 86.5% stake in the Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. The project underlines Japans hopes to regain its presence in the computer chips industry. Four decades ago, Japan dominated in chips, with Toshiba and NEC controlling half the worlds production. Thats declined to under 10%, amid competition from South Korean, U.S. and European manufacturers, as well as TSMC. Japan has recently earmarked about 5 trillion yen ($33 billion) to revive its chips industry, seeking to become less dependent on imports in the wake of pandemic-era shortages that affected auto production and other industries for months. Ensuring an ample supply of the most advanced chips is vital with the growing popularity of electric vehicles, as well as artificial intelligence. Private sector investment totals $20 billion for the plants in the Kumamoto region, southwestern Japan. The second plant is set to be up and running in three years. The two plants are expected to create 3,400 high-tech jobs directly, according to TSMC. The plant is a bright spot for Kishida, whose popularity has plummeted amid a corruption scandal in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. YURI KAGEYAMA, TOKYO, MDT/AP * Macau ranks as fastest growing economy in asia * PSP locks ambulance for illegal parking and unpaid road tax * Porpoise carcass in Cheoc Van raises transparency concerns, says group * Macau authorities are seeking an ethical solution for three ceremonial horses currently housed at the Macau Jockey Club * Local billionaires Lui Che Woo, Pansy Ho and Angela Leong in 2024 Forbes list * Yellen says US-China relationship on more stable footing but more can be done to improve ties DOWNLOAD PDF Monday, April 8, 2024 edition no. 4457 Rwandans are commemorating 30 years since the genocide in which an estimated 800,000 people were killed by government-backed extremists, shattering the small East African country that continues to grapple with the horrific legacy of the massacres. Rwanda has shown strong economic growth in the years since, but scars remain and there are questions about whether genuine reconciliation has been achieved under the long rule of President Paul Kagame, whose rebel movement stopped the genocide and seized power. Kagame, who is praised by many for bringing relative stability but vilified by others for his intolerance of dissent, led somber commemoration events yesterday in the capital, Kigali. Foreign visitors include a delegation led by Bill Clinton, the U.S. president during the genocide, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Kagame will light a flame of remembrance and lay a wreath at a memorial site holding the remains of 250,000 genocide victims in Kigali. The killings were ignited when a plane carrying then-President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, was shot down over Kigali. The Tutsis were blamed for downing the plane and killing the president. and became targets in massacres led by Hutu extremists that lasted over 100 days in 1994. Some moderate Hutus who tried to protect members of the Tutsi minority were also killed. Rwandan authorities have long blamed the international community for ignoring warnings about the killings, and some Western leaders have expressed regret. Clinton, after leaving office, cited the Rwandan genocide as a failure of his administration. French President Emmanuel Macron, in a prerecorded video ahead of the yesterdays ceremonies, said on Thursday that France and its allies could have stopped the genocide but lacked the will to do so. Macrons declaration came three years after he acknowledged the overwhelming responsibility of France Rwandas closest European ally in 1994 for failing to stop Rwandas slide into the slaughter. Rwandas ethnic composition remains largely unchanged since 1994, with a Hutu majority. The Tutsis account for 14% and the Twa just 1% of Rwandas 14 million people. Kagames Tutsi-dominated government has outlawed any form of organization along ethnic lines, as part of efforts to build a uniform Rwandan identity. National ID cards no longer identify citizens by ethnic group, and authorities imposed a tough penal code to prosecute those suspected of denying the genocide or the ideology behind it. Some observers say the law has been used to silence critics who question the governments policies. Rights groups have accused Kagames soldiers of carrying out some killings during and after the genocide in apparent revenge, but Rwandan authorities see the allegations as an attempt to rewrite history. Kagame has previously said that his forces showed restraint in the face of genocide. Kagame is expected to give a speech and a night vigil will be held later on Sunday as part of a week of remembrance activities. Naphtal Ahishakiye, the head of Ibuka, a prominent group of survivors, told The Associated Press that keeping the memory of the genocide alive helps fight the mentality that allowed neighbors to turn on each other, killing even children. Mass graves are still being discovered across Rwanda 30 years later, a reminder of the scale of the killings. Its a time to learn what happened, why it happened, what are the consequences of genocide to us as genocide survivors, to our country, and to the international community, said Ahishakiye. He said his country has come a long way since the 1990s, when only survivors and government officials participated in commemoration events. But today even those who are family members of perpetrators come to participate. Kagame, who grew up a refugee in neighboring Uganda, has been Rwandas de facto ruler, first as vice president from 1994 to 2000, then as acting president. He was voted into office in 2003 and has since been reelected multiple times. A candidate for elections set for July, he won the last election with nearly 99% of the vote. Rights activists and others say the authoritarian Kagame has created a climate of fear that discourages open and free discussion of national issues. Critics have accused the government of forcing opponents to flee, jailing or making them disappear while some are killed under mysterious circumstances. Kagames most serious political rivals are his Tutsi ex-comrades now living in exile. Though mostly peaceful, Rwanda also has had troubled relations with its neighbors. Recently, tensions have flared with Congo, with the two countries leaders accusing one another of supporting armed groups. Relations have been tense with Burundi as well over allegations that Kigali is backing a rebel group attacking Burundi. And relations with Uganda are yet to fully normalize after a period of tensions stemming from Rwandan allegations that Uganda was backing rebels opposed to Kagame. RODNEY MUHUMUZA & IGNATIUS SSUUNA, KIGALI, MDT/AP U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a message of mutual cooperation at a meeting yesterday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, highlighting the improvement in relations since her visit to China last year while recognizing that major differences remain. After focusing on trade and economic issues for the first two days of her visit, Yellen turned to the broader U.S.-China relationship in the meeting with Li, one of Chinas top leaders. While we have more to do, I believe that, over the past year, we have put our bilateral relationship on more stable footing, she said in the ornate Fujian room of the Great Hall of the People on the west side of Tiananmen Square. Yellen, who is regarded favorably in China, is the first Cabinet member to visit since Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in California in November in a carefully orchestrated meeting to set the troubled relationship between their countries on a better course. Li, in remarks before the media before their meeting, said the high media interest in Yellens visit shows the high expectation they have and also the expectation and hope to grow the U.S.-China relationship. Chinas emergence as an economic and military power has created a rivalry with the long dominant United States. The U.S. has restricted Chinas access to advanced semiconductors and other technology, saying it could be used for military purposes. China, still a middle-income country, accuses the U.S. of trying to constrain its economic development. At their meeting, Li told Yellen that China hopes the U.S wont politicize economic and trade issues or overstretch the definition of national security, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Yellen came to China with trade practices that put American companies and workers at an unfair competitive disadvantage at the top of her agenda. Chinese government subsidies and other policy support have encouraged solar panel and EV makers in China to invest in factories, building far more production capacity than the domestic market can absorb. While that has driven down prices for consumers, Western governments fear that that capacity will flood their markets with low-priced exports, threatening American and European jobs. But Li argued that the development of the green energy industry in China would make an important contribution to combating climate change, the Xinhua report said. The U.S. and China on Saturday agreed to hold intensive exchanges on more balanced economic growth, according to a U.S. statement issued after Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held extended meetings over two days in the southern city of Guangzhou. They also agreed to start exchanges on combating money laundering. It was not immediately clear when and where the talks would take place. As the worlds two largest economies, we have a duty to our own countries and to the world to responsibly manage our complex relationship and to cooperate and show leadership on addressing pressing global challenges, Yellen said. Relations were at a low point when she visited in July in the early stages of efforts to improve ties. China had cut off talks on a range of issues in anger over a visit by then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in 2022. Tensions were further inflamed by a Chinese balloon that traversed America in early 2023 before being shot down by a U.S. fighter jet. In that context, Yellens visit is an attempt to build on a fragile stability that has been established. The end of her trip will overlap with a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today and tomorrow that was announced by Chinas Foreign Ministry on Sunday. Chinas sharp rise in trade with the Kremlin has increased since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While China does not provide weapons to Russia, the U.S. has expressed concern about Chinas sale of items to Russia that can have military as well as civilian uses. During a press conference Saturday, Yellen addressed the U.S. relationship with China on the subject of Russia. We think theres more to do, but I do see it as an area where weve agreed to cooperate and weve already seen some meaningful progress, she said. They understand how serious an issue this is to us. Yellen also met yesterday with Beijing Mayor Yin Yong and told him that local governments play a critical (economic) role, from boosting consumption to addressing overinvestment, adding that Beijing is particularly important in China. I believe that to understand Chinas economy and its economic future, engagement with local government is essential, Yellen said. Later Sunday, Yellen met with students and faculty at Peking University. FATIMA HUSSEIN & KEN MORITSUGU, BEIJING, MDT/AP Speakers: Mr. Gong Zheng, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shanghai Municipal Committee and mayor of Shanghai Mr. Hua Yuan, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and deputy mayor of Shanghai Mr. Gu Jun, secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and director of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission Chairperson: Ms. Shou Xiaoli, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO Date: March 28, 2024 Shou Xiaoli: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the third press conference in the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we are glad to be joined by Mr. Gong Zheng, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shanghai Municipal Committee and mayor of Shanghai, who will brief you on the "five centers" initiative of Shanghai and accelerating the building of a modern socialist international metropolis with global influence, and then take your questions. Also present today are Mr. Hua Yuan, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and deputy mayor of Shanghai; and Mr. Gu Jun, secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and director of the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission. Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Gong for his introduction. Gong Zheng: Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to brief you on Shanghai's high-quality development and its expedited efforts in building "five centers." On behalf of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, I would like to start by extending my deep appreciation for your long-standing interest in and support for the development of Shanghai. The construction of international centers of economy, finance, trade, shipping and sci-tech innovation in Shanghai is not only an important mission entrusted to the city by the CPC Central Committee, but also the only path for Shanghai to achieve high-quality development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, Shanghai has continuously facilitated the construction of "five centers" and seen remarkable progress in enhancing its urban functions and core competitiveness. In terms of building an international economic center, Shanghai's GDP reached 4.72 trillion yuan (about $663.7 billion) in 2023, continuing to rank among the top cities in the world. Regarding its international financial center construction, the turnover of Shanghai's financial markets hit a record high in 2023, exceeding 3,300 trillion yuan. Licensed financial institutions continued to gather in Shanghai, with the total number reaching 1,771 by the end of last year, including 548 foreign-funded ones. As for the development of an international trade center, in 2023, the total international trade volume of goods at Shanghai ports hit 10.7 trillion yuan, accounting for 3.6% of the world's total, maintaining first place among all cities worldwide. With respect to the city's establishment of an international shipping center, the container throughput of Shanghai Port also reached a record high in 2023 with 49.158 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), ranking first globally for 14 consecutive years. In addition, Shanghai's development of a sci-tech innovation center has seen three inspiring achievements: The city's total R&D expenditure reached around 4.4% of its GDP; the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people rose to 50.2; and the city secured fifth place in the latest Science and Technology Cluster Ranking by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). On the new journey, we will thoroughly implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech delivered during his visit to Shanghai, bearing in mind the Party's and the people's expectations and developing a stronger sense of mission and responsibility. Focusing on the primary task of facilitating high-quality development and the strategic task of creating a new development pattern, we will prioritize the building of the "five centers," ensure coordination in various aspects concerning socioeconomic development, and expedite the efforts to build Shanghai into a modern socialist international metropolis with global influence, so as to fully leverage the city's leading and exemplary role in developing a Chinese path to modernization. First, we will accelerate efforts to build Shanghai into an international economic center focusing on improving its international standing and global influence in economic governance. We will continue bolstering the city's GDP, strive to create a modern industrial system, and pursue new quality productive forces based on unique local characteristics. We will emphasize the enabling role of sci-tech innovation, enhance further integration between sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation, and proactively advance new industrialization. We will adopt a coordinated approach to promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, bolstering the development of emerging industries, and developing future-oriented industries in advance, in a bid to create a group of world-class high-end industrial clusters. SOMERS Walking outside the Callahan Family Student Success and Learning Commons, new UW-Parkside Chancellor Lynn Akey waved to students as they passed. Akey has been a visible and active part of the campus in Kenosha County since taking over the reins at the start of the spring semester. She succeeded Debbie Ford, who left the university last summer to lead Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Indiana. An Illinois native, Akey became Parksides seventh chancellor on Jan. 2, and has spent the last few months getting to know the university, students and staff, from the mailroom to the chemistry department. Prior to accepting the role at Parkside, she had been vice president for Student Success, Analytics and Integrated Planning at Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota, since 2019. She has served the Mankato campus since 2000 in such roles as associate vice president for Institutional Research, Strategy, and Effectiveness; assistant to the vice president for Student Affairs; assessment coordinator; and assistant director for Academic Initiatives in the Office of the First Year Experience. She was named Minnesota State System Academic and Student Affairs Administrator of the Year in 2021. Akey earned her bachelors degree in psychology from Northeast Missouri State University/Truman State University; Master of Arts in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University; and a doctorate in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota. History with Parkside Akey previously toured the campus with her son, a current Parkside student, in 2021. We came over and explored it with him, and realized what a wonderful place it was, she said. Akey had an even closer look at the college, too, as she shadowed Ford for two years as part of an executive leadership development program. When Chancellor Ford decided that she was going to pursue an opportunity at Indiana University Southeast, she called me up and she said, Lynn, theres an opportunity for you here at Parkside. You have to come check it out, Akey said. I had the good fortune of getting to know Parkside (for) sort of an extended period of time, first as a Parkside parent before being Parkside chancellor. Taking over Akey said she has been meeting with every department in the university to learn about that unit, the people who are working there, the opportunities they see in front of them, and challenges and things that we can work on together. Shes also spent time connecting with the multiple communities Parkside serves. Its a really big community, in many ways, and there are a lot of sub-communities, theres a lot of coordination and collaboration, which is wonderful, Akey said. That foundation in place of collaboration and close working relationships was important to me. The other thing, I would say is, two months in, the community and community leaders have been very supportive. She said her days at Parkside are both intense and fascinating. Its a position in which you move from having very serious conversations about the future of the institution, to also having wonderful conversations with alumni and friends. And then youre also engaging with students who are here right now, she said. What I find so rewarding is the opportunity to move between all of those different conversations, almost hour by hour. Its challenging at times. But I also find that to be a really rewarding aspect of the job as well. Akey said she did not plan to assume a chancellors role in her career, rather she saw it as a way to make a difference and add meaningful value to an institution. For me, its about doing the work of being a chancellor that I find so rewarding, she said. Would there not have been a strong alignment between the mission of Parkside, where Parkside is at right now, and what I think I could bring to the table as chancellor, I would not have proceeded. Akey said she hopes to build upon the successes in Parksides academic programming, community outreach and support structures. I think there are some opportunities for us to further, not just serve our community, but to be in partnership with our community, to really think about the type of experience that we can provide our students, she said. One of the pieces that Im challenging the institution to think about is how we meet what our students are looking for, and how we match their expectations and needs. About Akey Akey enjoys spending her free time outside biking, walking or running on a trail. She also enjoys spending time with her family and her two dogs a goldendoodle and German shorthaired pointer. Akey also enjoys traveling and exploring new places. The pieces of advice she often gives to students are Find something that youre passionate about and that youre naturally good at, and Be active in that exploration. The best piece of advice she received from her father was, If you gave it your best, and you put in your best, then be happy with that. And know that you did your best. Even if it didnt work out the way you want it, take away from that, pride in the fact that you gave it your best effort, Akey said. Akey describes her leadership style as engaged. One of my skills is bringing people together around a shared vision, developing the strategy to pursue that vision, and then working with others to move forward, she said. So even on really difficult things, taking that challenge on and finding the pathways forward thats something that I enjoy doing. Akey said she wants the surrounding communities to know I am absolutely excited to be here. I am looking forward to the work that Parkside will continue to do in our community (and) in our region, she said. I do absolutely believe that education is something that can transform an individuals life, and by way of that their family and their community. Im very passionate and committed to taking those steps forward as an institution to continue to see that opportunity here. Kyiv, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Ukraine will lose its war against Russia if the US Congress does not approve a major military aid package, as Russian forces heighten their pressure on a frontline city. The Ukraine military acknowledged that the fighting around the frontline city of Chasiv Yar was difficult and tense but insisted its forces were resisting. - Advertisement - Amid heightened air attacks by both sides, Russia said one Ukrainian drone had hit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant that it has occupied since shortly after launching its invasion in 2022. Ukraine has made increasingly urgent calls for the United States to start sending a proposed $60 billion aid package that has been blocked by Republicans in Congress for months. It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war, Zelensky said during a video meeting. It would be difficult for Ukraine to stay (survive) without the aid, Zelensky added. If Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked. Russia has stepped up attacks on Chasiv Yar as it seeks to build on territorial gains in recent months. Chasiv Yar is less than 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Kramatorsk, an important rail and logistics hub for the Ukrainian army. The situation is difficult enough and tense, said Oleg Kalashnikov, spokesman for an army brigade deployed in the area. Russian was using infantry and air attacks, he told Ukrainian television. The Russians are trying to carry out assaults directly on the small towns of Bogdanivka and Ivanivske, outside Chasiv Yar. Authorities said a Russian strike on Gulyaipole in the southern Zaporizhzhia region killed three people. Two men and a woman died under the rubble of their own private house, which was hit by a Russian shell, the head of the region, Ivan Fedorov, said on social media. Officials said a woman was killed in an apartment block in Kupiansk, in the northeastern Kharkiv region that has also seen increased attacks in recent months. Authorities in the main city of Kharkiv said Russia launched another attack on Sunday, wounding five civilians, a day after a deadly strike there. Russia, meanwhile, said it had destroyed 15 Ukrainian drones over its Belgorod and Bryansk border regions, reporting the death of one young woman. Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said shrapnel hit a car with a family of six inside in the village of Shagarovka, some 35 kilometres (20 miles) from the border with Ukraine. The woman died at the scene. The Russian army said it had destroyed 12 Ukrainian drones over Belgorod region and three over Bryansk both territories regularly targeted by Ukraine. Russia also said that a Ukraine drone had hit a dome on one of the six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that it occupies, but there was no radioactive release. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged restraint, warning that this is a serious incident with potential to undermine (the) integrity of the reactors containment system. President Marcos Jr. on Monday assured Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ groups controversial leader, that the United States will not interfere in his cases in the near future. To Pastor Quiboloy, weve known him for a very long time. What I can promise you is that all the proceedings will be fair. Now, as to the involvement of the United States, thats still far off. Thats going to take years, yet. So I dont think thats something he needs to worry about, quite frankly, the President said in a chance interview in Bacolod. - Advertisement - Meanwhile, the Department of Justice said five co-accused of Quiboloy on charges of child abuse, exploitation and discrimination filed before the Davao City Regional Trial Court have posted bail. But Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stressed the televangelist cannot impose any conditions for his surrender, saying there is no legal impediment for his arrest to face trial for violation of Republic Act No. 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law. Quiboloy cannot impose any conditions. He must surrender not according to his terms but according to the terms of the law. The law applies to all, without exception, he said. Senator Risa Hontiveros also challenged Quiboloy, who has a warrant of arrest for several criminal offenses, to come out of his hiding. If it is true that you are brave, repeat what you have been saying about the Senate right here in the Senate, Hontiveros told Quiboloy. Make your words of record. Record your shameless audacity in history, she added. Mr. Marcos also called out Quiboloys request for him to guarantee that the US would not meddle in his legal battle. It seems to me a little bit of the tail wagging the dog, where hes the one giving conditions to the government in his case, being accused of a warrant of arrest. So, I mean, we will, we will exercise all the compassion, he said. Quiboloy is on the US Federal Bureau of Investigations most wanted list after being indicted by a federal grand jury in a California district court in 2021 for various crimes, including sex trafficking, fraud, coercion, visa misuse, cash smuggling, and money laundering. In a report to the DOJ, the National Bureau of Investigation identified the accused as Cresente Canada, Paulene Canada, Sylvia Cemanes, Jackielyn W. Roy, and Ingrid C. Canada who were charged with maltreatment. They posted bail of P80,000 each for their provisional liberty. On the other hand, Quiboloy the principal accused has remained at large despite the arrest order issued by the Davao City RTC last April 1. Quiboloy and his co-accused were charged with violations of Sections 10(a) and 5(b) of Republic Act (RA) No. 7610, the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, over the alleged sexual abuses committed in 2011 against a female who was then 17 years old. The NBI said it will continue its operations to locate and arrest the preacher, assuring the public that it will not stop tracking Quiboloy until justice is served. The DOJ chief said the case against Quiboloy is never a weak one and there is direct evidence to prove all the elements of the offenses charged. Nonetheless, Remulla assured Quiboloys safety even as he reminded the embattled preacher that no one is above the law, even if one occupies an important position in his religious organization. The charges against Quiboloy are not simple. They involve serious and morally abhorrent offenses such as sexual assault of a minor and human trafficking, the secretary said. Earlier, President Marcos said: My advice to him is just to face the questioning before the Senate and the House (of Representatives). So we can hear his side and find out what really happened. Were trying to be fair here and allow him an opportunity to make his case. So I think he should take advantage of that. The President made the statement in response to Quiboloys allegations that Mr. Marcos conspired with the United States government to capture him and turn him over to the US authorities. The DOJ is still awaiting the issuance by the Pasig RTC of another warrant of arrest for qualified trafficking. Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Marcos assures Quiboloy: US wont be allowed to meddle in cases MEXICO Mexico said it will file a complaint against Ecuador at the International Court of Justice on Monday following the raid on its embassy in Quito, which prompted searing international condemnation. Mexican diplomatic personnel left Ecuador on Sunday as the two countries severed ties after Quitos security forces stormed the embassy late Friday to arrest a former vice president sheltering inside. - Advertisement - Starting tomorrow we are going to the ICJ where we are presenting this sad case, Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said at an event to welcome the diplomats home. We believe that we can win this case quickly, she added. Spain and the European Union joined the United Nations chief and Latin American countries in criticizing Quito for the raid, which it carried out to capture former Ecuadoran vice president Jorge Glas. Glas sought refuge there last December after an arrest warrant was issued against him for alleged corruption. On Friday, Mexico granted Glas political asylum, in a move that Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboas government branded an illicit act. That came a day after Ecuador ordered the Mexican ambassador out of the country in response to comments from President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that irked Quito. Late Friday, Ecuadoran special forces equipped with a battering ram surrounded the embassy, and at least one agent scaled the walls, in an almost unheard-of raid on diplomatic premises, which are considered inviolable sovereign territory. Diplomatic personnel and their families left Ecuador on Sunday and returned to Mexico on a commercial airline, after a military plane was ruled out due to the soaring tensions. The officials and their families were accompanied to Quito airport by the ambassadors of Germany, Panama, Cuba and Honduras, as well as the president of the Ecuador-Mexico Chamber, according to the Mexican foreign ministry. Lopez Obrador has called the raid a flagrant violation of his countrys sovereignty. Mexico has also denounced physical violence against head of mission Roberto Canseco, who was pushed to the ground by officers while trying to prevent the invasion. How is it possible, it cant be. This is crazy! a shaken Canseco told local television after the raid. Condemnation has poured in from regional governments across the political spectrum, including Nicaragua, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Peru and Venezuela. Bolivian President Luis Arce said his government had recalled its ambassador to Ecuador in a show of support for Mexico, and summoned the Ecuadoran envoy in his country for an explanation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was alarmed by the raid, while Spain, Germany and the European Union issued statements condemning it as a violation of the Vienna Convention. The 1961 convention, a treaty governing international relations, states that a country cannot intrude upon an embassy on its territory. Protecting the integrity of diplomatic missions and their personnel is essential to preserve stability and international order, promoting cooperation and trust between nations, the EU statement said. Tensions had flared on Wednesday after Lopez Obrador drew a comparison between 2023 election violence in Ecuador, in which candidate Fernando Villavicencio was murdered, and crime in Mexico ahead of the June 2 legislative and presidential elections. The Ecuadoran government criticized his comments as offensive and said the country was s still in mourning for Villavicencio, a fierce opponent of corruption. JERUSALEM The Israeli military said Monday it killed a Hezbollah commander in an overnight air strike in Lebanon, as cross-border violence flares between Israel and the Iran-backed armed group. Ali Ahmed Hussein of Hezbollahs elite Radwan Forces was eliminated by Israeli jets in the area of Sultaniyeh in southern Lebanon, the military said in a statement, accusing him of attacks against Israeli targets in recent months. - Advertisement - At least two other people were killed in the strike, according to the Israeli military, Lebanese state media and a security source. The military said Hussein had carried out numerous launches toward Israeli territory from Lebanon since war broke out on Oct. 7 between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, a Hezbollah ally. Hussein was a commander of the Hezbollah terrorist organisations Radwan Forces in the Hujeir region, the Israeli statement said, adding that two other Hezbollah fighters were also killed. Hezbollah said one of its fighters, identified as Ali Ahmed Hussein and nicknamed Abbas Jaafar, had been killed, without saying where or when he died. The Hezbollah statement did not mention his rank or position. A Lebanese security source told AFP that a local commander from (Hezbollahs) Radwan unit was killed in the Israeli strike along with two other members of the group. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the commander as Abbas Jaafar. Lebanons official National News Agency reported that Israeli aircraft raided an inhabited house in Sultaniyeh, reporting three martyrs and a number of wounded. It said the strike caused huge damage to nearby buildings and infrastructure and that at least 10 families were affected. Hezbollah, which has a powerful arsenal of rockets and missiles, has exchanged regular fire with Israeli forces since its ally Hamas carried out the unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, triggering war in the Gaza Strip. That attack resulted in the deaths of around 1,170 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israels retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 33,175 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas-ruled territorys health ministry. The latest overnight strike on Lebanon came after the Israeli army said on Sunday it had completed another phase of readiness for war on the Lebanon front. Also Sunday, the Israeli military said its fighter jets struck a compound it said belonged to Radwan Forces in the area of Khiam, several kilometres (miles) north of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel, which has carried out increasingly deeper strikes into Lebanese territory and has targeted several Hezbollah commanders, also reported hitting other targets in south Lebanon on Sunday. The cross-border hostilities have killed at least 363 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also including at least 70 civilians, according to an AFP tally. The fighting has displaced tens of thousands of people in southern Lebanon and in northern Israel, where the military says 10 soldiers and eight civilians have been killed. Hezbollah and Israel last fought a war in 2006. Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Enrique Tayag is retiring after more than 35 years of public service, the DOH announced on Monday. The DOHs executive committee and staff expressed gratitude for Tayags exemplary service for the health of the nation. - Advertisement - On behalf of the entire Department and the health sector, I thank Usec. Eric Tayag for his time and talent all these decades in the service of the Philippine health sector, DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said. Assistant Secretary Ariel Valencia is expected to replace Tayag as head of the DOH Public Health Services Cluster (PHSC) in charge of epidemiology, disease prevention and control, and health promotion by April 15. Undersecretary Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong will be the new chief information officer, who will be in charge of the information and communications technology governance, strategy, plans, policies and standards. Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary Albert Francis Domingo will be the DOHs new spokesperson. Tayag is also known as the Dancing Doctor who encourages Filipinos to maintain an active lifestyle for good health through choreographed performances with other DOH staff. Chinese luring former, active PH military worries govt Several government and cybersecurity organizations said they are concerned about reports pointing to the alleged recruitment of former and active Filipino military personnel by suspected Chinese firms masquerading as American and European enterprises. The groups include the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Department of National Defense (DND), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Manila-based think-tank International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC), California-based Palo Alto Networks (PAN), and the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP). A member of the Philippine Senate also expressed alarm over the issue last Sunday. - Advertisement - AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. told reporters that they are still in the process of validating the reports. DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said he had ordered the Armed Forces to investigate the allegations. We did pick up the activity, Andolong said. He also stressed that the group offered guidance to the AFP as this is a new issue, thus the need for interagency cooperation. DICT Undersecretary for Cybersecurity and Upskilling Jeffrey Ian Dy revealed that these firms have been handing out part-time jobs as analysts online to target Filipino recruits. There is a facility on the internet called WHOIS that allows users to find out who registered the domain names or the name of the website. When you check through that, you will see that they are registered as Chinese companies, Dy further explained. Hundreds of dollars per hour are being offered for the jobs. The presence of suspicious Chinese nationals in strategically-located communities and key industries should also be a cause of concern in view of Manilas deteriorating relationship with Beijing. Expansionist ambitions of advanced nations are said to be predicated on the activities of agents out to target the nations industrial hubs, leaving the country prone to possible cyber-attacks. Chester Cabalza, founding president of the Manila-based think-tank International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC), told the Manila Standard that he is aware of intelligence reports revealing the presence of Chinese agents in strategic Philippine entities. These agents, working under legitimate business entities, allegedly conspire with foreign intelligence and data networks, he said. Cabalza, who attended both the National Defense University in Beijing, and the University of Delaware under a State Department stewardship, said the boldness of Chinas recent political and economic coercion shows a familiarity with the Philippines national security architecture. Developments like the the enrollment of numerous Chinese students in many colleges and universities in Cagayan province, the recruitment of Chinese nationals into the auxiliary service of the Philippine Coast Guard, and the presence of Chinese funded Philippine-based think-tanks, as well as (Filipino) politicians leaning towards (the) Chinese narrative in the West Philippine Sea deserve a long, hard second look, he said. Such moves by Chinas cyberthreat actors have prompted the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the local defense sector to craft cybersecurity measures to fortify the countrys firewall. Other concerns have been raised. Sam Jacoba, founding president of the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP), said that related government agencies should seriously question the large presence of Chinese nationals currently residing in Multinational Village in Paranaque City. A thorough investigation should rule out the possibility that they are involved in more than just cross-border gambling operations. He said that Chinese nationals employed in the Philippine Overseas Gaming Operations (POGOs) may have the skillset and equipment to conduct technologically-enabled data-gathering on Philippine defense officials, their activities, and even their families, especially in view of their relative proximity to key military facilities and the countrys premier airport. Anybody can be a hacker, said Jacoba, who also sits as vice president of the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team (PH-CERT). This, he added, could pose a real threat to the countrys national security in view of successful cyber-attacks recently perpetrated against the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). The PCG came into the spotlight for allowing Chinese nationals into the auxiliary corps. Russias cyber activities against Ukraine stands as a good example. One lesson we can learn from the Russian invasion (of Ukraine) is that certain critical infrastructure will almost certainly be targeted. They include, the telecommunications ecosystem, energy facilities, water supply, and the finance sector, the cybersecurity expert said. Jacoba lauded President Bongbong Marcoss signing of the National Cybersecurity Plan (NSCP) 2023-2028 on April 4. He said it is a significant step towards strengthening the Philippines capability to repel both financially-motivated and state-sponsored cyber-attacks. The NCSP directs all government agencies to earmark 20 percent of its information and communications technology (ICT) budgets on cybersecurity goods and services. NADPOPs mission is to build, develop and manage a nationwide data privacy and protection ecosystem that will support Data Protection Professionals and their respective organizations to safeguard the personal information of their employees, customers, and families. Meanwhile, Oscar Visaya, country manager of California-headquarters Palo Alto Networks (PAN), said the companys Unit 42 has released to the Manila Standard an executive summary that says over the past 90 days, Unit 42 researchers have identified two Chinese advanced persistent threat (APT) groups conducting cyber-espionage activities against entities and member countries affiliated with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Unit 42 is a department that specializes in cyber threat hunting. The department traced most cyberattacks and malware as originating from China, North Korea or Russia. The first APT group, Stately Taurus, created two malware packages we believe targeted entities in Myanmar, the Philippines, Japan, and Singapore. The timing of these campaigns coincided with the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, held March 4-6, 2024, the report further stated. We assess this to be a Chinese APT group that routinely conducts cyber-espionage campaigns. This group has historically targeted government entities and nonprofits, as well as religious and other nongovernmental organizations across North America, Europe and Asia, according to the same PAN report. Visaya said that while no country is ever 100-percent ready for any cyber-attack, government agencies and private companies have to be better prepared. PAN is an American multinational cybersecurity company whose core product is a platform that includes advanced firewalls and cloud-based offerings that extend those firewalls to cover other aspects of security. It can be recalled that Senator Nancy Binay questioned the Philippine Retirement Authoritys policy of issuing special resident retiree visas (SSRVs) to Chinese nationals of soldiers age on Sunday. She expressed alarm over the lack of stricter vetting of the applications regardless of nationality. The inquiry was prompted by the reported arrest of four Chinese nationals suspected of proliferating fraudulently-acquired government-issued IDs and documents together with genuine Philippine passports with dubious SRRVs. Roughly 78,000 foreign retirees in the Philippines, and about 30,000 Chinese retirees have been allowed to reside permanently in the Philippines based on the records of the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA). According to Senator Binay, Chinese syndicates have likely connived, maintained ties and established networks within the government bureaucracy. It is obvious that Chinas aggressive incursion within the Exclusive Economic Zone and on territories in the Philippines doesnt seem to stop THE 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan last week can only remind us that the Big One can also hit Metro Manila. - Advertisement - A reminder to all that Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines are all within the Ring of Fire and if the Big One were to hit Metro Manila the devastation would be so catastrophic and the death toll would be in the hundreds of thousands, if not in the millions. Santa Banana, note the fact that the epicenter of the Taiwan earthquake was outside the landmass of Taiwan, and that tsunami warnings had been issued for Japan and the Philippines, which were soon lifted. I hate to imagine what can happen to Metro Manila, considering that the metropolis sits on fault lines, my gulay! Earthquakes are unpredictable. They can happen anytime, anywhere. I can only recall that collapse of the Ruby Towers on Aug 2, 1968 where 322 people died, wounding about 300 and damaged more than 30 buildings in the capial. Santa Banana, what more will happen if an earthquake of similar magnitude as the one that hit Taiwan will hit (God forbid) Metro Manila? Thank heavens, my wife and I no longer live in a high rise, not by force of circumstance, but by choice, and are now living with my daughter in a village. Thus, it would do well for the government to continue with earthquake drills, just to be prepared. Just pray to God, the Big One will not happen. Provocation On another subject, all those many trips President Marcos Jr. has been making of late not only to cement ties and relations in the wake of Chinas continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea can only be interpreted by China as provocations by the Philippines particularly since China has been beefing up its naval forces, not only its coast guard, but its militia vessels as well.. I cannot blame BBM, since it is obvious that Chinas aggressive incursion within the Exclusive Economic Zone and on territories in the Philippines doesnt seem to stop. Recall all those incidents whenever the Philippine coast guard vessels and other vessels were on resupply missions to Ayungin (SecondThomas) Shoal for the needs of soldiers safeguarding the grounded RPS Sierra Madre where the Philippine boats and vessels were water-cannoned by Chinese coast guard vessels, to the extent of injuring some crew members and even injuring some. All we can do is to file diplomatic protests. Thus, the President has no choice but to solicit help from allies. China with its huge propaganda machine may call this a provocation, but the Philippines cannot do anything by itself to stop Chinas seemingly unstoppable incursions into the EEZ and the West Philippine Sea. The problem is, will China ever stop bullying the Philippines? So, my gulay, if the bullying continues, the Philippines will forever be at the mercy of China. So what else can we do but seek the help of our allies? Knowing theres nothing else the Philippines can do, I hate to say it, but how long can we be at the mercy of China? President Marcos Jr. and we, all Filipinos, are at their mercy because China is a Gioliath to us. We have no choice but to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, as Hamlet would say it. This is also the dilemma of BBM. Condolences I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of Elpi O. Cuna Jr., my former student at the Ateneo de Manila, who died recently. Elpi was one time vice president of Meralco and also the PR officer of San Miguel Corporation. Elpi was the vice president of the Manila Overseas Press Club, of which I am chairman emeritus. I will miss Elpi. Speakers: Mr. Wang Weizhong, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guangdong Provincial Committee and governor of Guangdong province Mr. Zhang Hu, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and executive deputy governor of Guangdong province Mr. Ai Xuefeng, director general of the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission and director general of the Guangdong Provincial Office of the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Mr. Tu Gaokun, director general of the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province Chairperson: Mr. Chen Wenjun, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO Date: March 29, 2024 Chen Wenjun: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the fourth press conference in the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we are pleased to be joined by Mr. Wang Weizhong, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guangdong Provincial Committee and governor of Guangdong province, to brief you on the situation and answer your questions. The topic he will brief you on is "Guangdong's dedication to advancing high-quality development and spearheading Chinese modernization." Also present at today's press conference are Mr. Zhang Hu, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and executive deputy governor of Guangdong province; Mr. Ai Xuefeng, director general of the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission and director general of the Guangdong Provincial Office of the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; and Mr. Tu Gaokun, director general of the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province. Now, I will give the floor to Mr. Wang for his introduction. Wang Weizhong: Good morning, everyone. I am very pleased to brief you on Guangdong's promotion of high-quality development. First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for your long-term interest in and support for the economic and social development of Guangdong. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out that as Guangdong takes the lead in reform and development, it will feel a deeper necessity and urgency to promote high-quality development. He earnestly hopes that Guangdong will focus its efforts on advancing high-quality development and play a demonstrative and leading role. Last April, during his fifth visit to Guangdong since the 18th CPC National Congress, the general secretary instructed Guangdong to spearhead Chinese modernization by focusing on high-quality development as the primary task and constructing a new development pattern as the strategic mission. This is to make the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) a strategic pivot for the new development pattern, a demonstration area for high-quality development and a leading area for Chinese modernization, which we summarize as "one pivot, two areas." The CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee has fully implemented the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and the important speeches and instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspections of Guangdong, making specific deployments for the "1310" scheme, which entails anchoring the one overarching goal of leading the path forward, unleashing the three major driving forces of reform, opening up and innovation, and striving to achieve breakthroughs in 10 aspects. For two consecutive years, we have held the Guangdong High-quality Development Conference on the first working day after the Spring Festival, seizing the major opportunities presented by a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. We aim to accelerate the mutual promotion of dual strengths in industry and technology, develop new quality productive forces as Guangdong's strategic move and long-term plan, and strive to create a new Guangdong. First, we must resolutely shoulder the responsibility of being a major economic province by truly taking on the main burden and strengthening the foundation for high-quality development. Guangdong is a major economic province, a populous province and a leading foreign trade province. Last year, our GDP reached 13.57 trillion yuan, accounting for one-tenth of the national total and ranking first in the country for 35 consecutive years. The total number of business entities in Guangdong exceeded 18 million, including 7.8 million enterprises, which accounts for one-seventh of the national total. We have issued policies and measures in a "fast, accurate and practical" manner to stabilize expectations, growth and employment. We are focused on expanding investment, promoting consumption, stabilizing foreign trade and striving to achieve the economic growth target of 5% for 2024. Second, we aim to explore the building of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA as a lever to fully deepen reform and opening-up across the province, creating an important source of momentum for high-quality development. Since the release of the Outline Development Plan for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area five years ago, the central government has granted Guangdong significant opportunities, including the development of the GBA, the Shenzhen pilot demonstration zone, and key platforms such as Hengqin, Qianhai, Nansha and Hetao. Centered around the new positioning of "one pivot, two areas," we are working closely with Hong Kong and Macao to accelerate the construction of a world-class bay area, aiming to create the best-developed bay area. On March 1, the Hengqin Cooperation Zone started closed-loop operation, marking a crucial step toward the integration of Hengqin and Macao. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge and the Huangmao Cross-sea Channel are set to be completed and open this year, enabling one-hour connectivity between the major cities of the GBA. ASIAN nations will have their eyes and ears glued to Washington this week with the scheduled trilateral summit aimed at boosting defense ties, following the four-way military drills in the South China Sea with Australia. Military and diplomatic observers say this is a key upgrade of US defense ties with increasingly self-confident Japan and its long-time ally the Philippines, which has been continually harassed by China within the formers 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. - Advertisement - Also on the agenda will be securing access to vital supplies like semiconductors and rare metals, North Koreas growing belligerence, and the Japanese takeover of US Steel opposed by President Joe Biden. The White House said the talks will advance a trilateral partnership built on deep historical ties of friendship, robust and growing economic relations and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. The summit kicks off Wednesday with Japanese Prime Minster Fumio Kishida, 66, and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., 66, both expected to be received with full honors at the Whie House. President Joe Biden, 81, and President Marcos, seen as closer to Washington than his more China-leaning predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, will also hold separate talks. They are the latest Asia-Pacific allies to be hosted by Biden, who was joined by Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David in August. Biden has also moved to manage tensions with China, holding a two-hour phone call with President Xi Jinping last week and a face-to-face meeting in San Francisco in November. On Sunday, the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia held joint military exercises to (ensure) that all countries are free to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, according to US Defense Secretary Llyod Austin in a joint statement. China claims territorial sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea under its upgraded mythical and legally baseless ten-dash line and has been increasingly aggressive in the region in recent years. Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said it was organizing joint naval and air combat patrols in the South China Sea the same day. Ms. Roselle Andaya Embraces Leadership By Accountability MR.DIY Philippines invites you to discover the remarkable journey of their CEO, Ms. Roselle Andaya, as she embodies inspiring achievements and transformative leadership through Leading by Accountability. With a profound commitment to excellence and empowerment, Ms. Roselle has spearheaded MR.DIYs growth, establishing over 500 stores nationwide. Her vision and dedication have not only shaped our companys success but also set a standard for responsible and impactful leadership. - Advertisement - In a brief interview, Ms. Roselle shares her three-word mantra for aspiring leaders: Lead by Accountability. This mantra encapsulates the essence of effective leadership, emphasizing the importance of taking ownership, making informed decisions, and embracing accountability for outcomes. Aspiring leaders can draw inspiration from Ms. Roselles leadership style, grounded in responsibility, integrity, and transparency. Her commitment to accountability has fostered trust, empowered teams, and driven positive results across our organization. Join MR.DIY Philippines as it celebrates Womens Month by watching the video and gaining insights from Ms. Roselles inspiring leadership journey. Discover how Leading by Accountability can transform not just businesses but also lives, creating a more empowered and inclusive future. Cervical cancer can be prevented through vaccination against HPVhuman papillomavirus, which causes about 99% of all cervical cancersand regular screening. When diagnosed early and managed effectively, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer. Yet every year, out of the 8,549 Filipino women diagnosed with cervical cancer, 4,380 or more than half of them lose their lives. Every day, an estimated 12 Filipinas die of this diseasethat means every two hours, a woman loses her fight against cervical cancer, and a family loses a loved one. Understanding the burden of cervical cancer and to underscore the urgency of a concrete multi-sectoral action towards its elimination, the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP)and healthcare company MSD in the Philippines organized a forum titled Together for Health: Making a United Stand Against Cervical Cancer on April 5, 2024. - Advertisement - Increased incidence, rising costs Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women,and among women between 15 and 44 years old in the Philippines. The same pattern is seen across the region; moreover, incidence and mortality of cervical cancer is increasing, based on a 2023 study by Economist Impact. Further, inconsistent adoption of national-level immunization and screening results in cervical cancer often being diagnosed too late, when health outcomes are not as good. Apart from the human cost, the economic burden of cervical cancer can be catastrophic. Patients are confronted with high out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare expenditures, both direct (treatment and hospitalization, medicines, caregiving services) and indirect (loss of productivity and income generation). Cancer patients and their families go into debtin fact, 7 out of 10 cancer patients in the country drop out of treatment regimen due to lack of funds. As cases rise, the burden on the government, which invests in cancer care infrastructure and provides cancer assistance to patients as mandated by law, is expected to double to PhP200 billion in the next two decades. Intensifying efforts to eliminate cervical cancer The Philippine government adheres to the World Health Organizations Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, which aims to achieve the following targets by 2030: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with HPV vaccine by the age of 15; 70% of women screened with a high-performance test by the age of 35, and again, by the age of 45; and 90% of women identified with cervical disease receive treatment (90% of women with precancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed). Through the National Integrated Cancer Control Program (NICCP) Strategic Framework by the Department of Health (DOH) and its action priorities under the DOH Health Sector Strategy (2023-2028), the Philippine government has committed to intensifying its efforts and interventions directed towards prevention and early detection services to harness the impact of reducing the burden of cancer. Existing programs include providing free HPV vaccination (coupled with awareness campaigns increasing cancer literacy and dispelling the misconceptions that lead to vaccine hesitancy) and capacity building for primary care and specialist care providers throughout the country to improve delivery of cancer care services, including cervical cancer screening for women. A multifaceted problem needs a multisectoral approach. Cervical cancer elimination entails the cooperation of various stakeholders, from the biopharmaceutical industry and private sector and other industry players, to patient organizations, to government agencies at the local and national level involved in the implementation of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act, and even donor organizations focused on health promotion. Collaboration and innovation to address the barriers and inequalities in cancer prevention and care is critical. Hopefully, with various sectors working together, we can develop and implement an integrated and holistic approach to cancer elimination, helping achieve our national targets for immunization, screening, and treatment, said Teodoro Padilla, Executive Director of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP). We in the biopharmaceutical industry consider ourselves as partners in nation-building, because a healthy citizenry is the backbone of a strong and inclusive economy. Cervical cancer is not a death sentence; it is preventable and, if detected early, highly treatable. We need to continue promoting research-based information, prioritizing health education, and providing access to quality and affordable cancer care, said Andreas Riedel, President and Managing Director of MSD in the Philippines, indicating that women are then empowered to make the best choice about their health needs. Our focus should be on placing women at the center, amplifying the voices of cervical cancer patients, and ensuring that we deliver best-in-class vaccines and the latest innovations in cancer care products and services within their reach. Through education, prevention, screening and treatmentand the appropriate investment provided to all three through multisectoral partnershipsit is possible to end cervical cancer as a public health problem, making generations of women and girls safe from the disease so that they live healthier, longer, and more productive lives. Webflow has picked a passionate team of web developers to lead the webflow movement in the Philippines. And the local world of web development must take pride that a young Filipino is tasked to take charge here. The San Francisco-based American company provides software as a service for website building and hosting. According to W3Techs, Webflow is used by 0.6% of the top 10 million websites. The company is on a mission to elevate the bar for web design and quality, craft digital experiences that inspire and engage and to making a positive impact on both its clients and the community. - Advertisement - And it has chosen a Filipino web developer Richard Pines to be its brand ambassador to the Philippines a very promising location for web developers to prosper, according to the latter. Its an honor, and a big challenge for me, to take charge and represent Webflow in the country, said Pines, Pines, CEO of Web Powerhouse, Inc. and literally the Webflow Ambassador to the Philippines. Pines, 23, is particularly excited that Web Powerhouse, a web design and development company that works along the line of representing the true quality and creativity of Filipino works, is on the right track with Webflow. Webflow believes in collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning, and Filipino web developers particularly the new ones, must be able to cash in on opportuities like this. Pines noted that Webflow, unlike WordPress, is a really good platform. WordPress is prone to attacks and viruses. Webflow, on the other hand, is the exact opposite because it is a closed platform. It does not use plugins. Like Webflow, Web Powerhouse also offers competitive benefits, flexible work arrangements, and a fun, creative atmosphere. Web Powerhouse, powered by Webflow, already has 30 employees in just six months of operations. It was an exciting eight months, weve had our shares of highs and lows. Weve encountered problems, incuding workforce issues, but we survived. Actually, the challenges only made us stronger, and look ahead when web developers in the Philippines will get to the next level up where Filipino web developers are finally recognized, added Pines. We are now serving international clients from the United States, Australia, London, and Canada. We build websites for marketing agencies. To date, we have 10 clients and we worked closely with them. Customers come to us, most are for websites engaged in marketing. Turning over finished websites have improved and done fast with Webflow. Now we can turn around a website within a week. I can even do a full-blown website within three hours and thats how fast it is. This tool is what I could say has been the reason we were able to scale our agency from 0-30+ people a month, he said. Pines is so convined of Webflow that he wants Web Powerhouse to lead the Webflow movement in the Philippines. Planes, trains, boats, automobiles and even feet. During the past decades and centuries, global travel and human migration have made all of us more worldly from our broadening awareness of the world beyond our birthplaces, to our more sophisticated palates, to our immune systems that are increasingly challenged by unfamiliar bacteria and viruses. In the elderly, these newly imported pathogens can gain the upper hand frighteningly quickly. Unfortunately, however, vaccination in this age group isnt as effective as it is in younger people. Now a study conducted in mice by Stanford Medicine and the National Institute of Healths Rocky Mountain Laboratories provides tantalizing evidence that it may one day be possible to rev up an elderly immune system with a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of immune cell. The treatment significantly improved the ability of geriatric animals immune systems to tackle a new virus head on, as well as to respond vigorously to vaccination enabling them to fight off a new threat months later. This is a real paradigm shift researchers and clinicians should think in a new way about the immune system and aging, said postdoctoral scholar Jason Ross, MD, PhD. The idea that its possible to tune the entire immune system of millions of cells simply by affecting the function of such a rare population is surprising and exciting. Ross and Lara Myers, PhD, a research fellow at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, are the lead authors of the study, which was published March 27 in Nature. Irving Weissman, MD, professor of pathology and of developmental biology, and Kim Hasenkrug, PhD, the chief of Rocky Mountain Laboratories Retroviral Immunology Section, are the senior authors of the research. A shift in the immune system The targeted cells are a subset of whats known as hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs. HSCs are the granddaddies of the immune system, giving rise to all the other types of blood and immune cells including B and T cells, which are collectively known as lymphocytes. As we age, our HSCs begin to favor the production of other immune cells called myeloid cells over lymphocytes. This shift hampers our ability to fully react to new viral or bacterial threats and makes our response to vaccination much less robust than that of younger people. Libyas presidential council rejected any attempt to replace the Arab Maghreb Union with an Algeria-led entity that includes Libya and Tunisia. In a statement to Libyas media Al Marsad, a source from the presidential council denied that its leader Mohamed Younis Ahmed Al-Manfi had agreed with Tebboune and Tunisian president Kais Saied to create a grouping alternative to the Maghreb union. Tebboune had said in an interview few days ago that he agreed with Al Manfi and Saied to establish a new regional grouping, in a bid to exclude Morocco. The Libyan source strongly rejected Tebbounes manipulation saying the meeting between the three leaders during a gas summit in Algeria was meant to discuss security and economic cooperation in addition to border management. He said the council maintains neutrality and backs the unity and sovereignty of all Maghreb states and advocates conflict resolution through dialogue. A similar stand was expressed by foreign minister of eastern Libya Abdulhadi Lahouij, who said the Maghreb region does not need the creation of new entities, because we have existing institutions that need to be reactivated and reinforced. Libya, which currently chairs the Arab Maghreb Union, remains attached to this institution and is willing to strengthen cooperation between Maghreb countries, whose trade volume remains low compared to other regional blocs, he told Moroccan media Hespress. In his arguments, Tebboune said there was a need for a new entity due to the lethargy of the Maghreb union. But nowhere did he mention the root causes that made the Maghreb one of the least integrated regions in the World. While Algeria maintains closed borders with Morocco since 1994, it has continued to back separatism in Morocco for nearly five decades, armed and instigated a separatist militia against Morocco, cut ties with Rabat and banned all Moroccan aircrafts from crossing its airspace and prevents any trade including transshipment through Moroccan ports. However, its president shamelessly dares to speak about a non-efficient Maghreb Union!! The current secretary general of the Maghreb Union Taieb Baccouch had on multiple occasions urged Algeria to return its staff to the headquarters of the regional grouping in Rabat and pay its due financial contributions. After destroying the Maghreb, Algeria is seeking to bury it and sends a message that no union is possible unless Maghreb countries follow the Tunisian example and become proxy states serving Algerias regional agenda in the region. Local officials have reported that over 90 individuals perished when a ferry capsized off Mozambiques northern coast. In Nampula province, it was confirmed that out of approximately 130 passengers believed to be on the ferry, only five were rescued. According to Nampulas Secretary of State Jaime Neto, the victims were escaping a cholera epidemic, and many of the deceased were children. Neto attributed the tragedy to the ferry being overloaded and not suitable for transporting passengers, leading to its sinking. Social media featured an unconfirmed video displaying numerous bodies along a beach. The ferry journeyed from Lunga to Mozambique Island, which lies off Nampulas coast, as reported by the Portuguese broadcaster RTP. This area has been severely impacted by a cholera outbreak affecting several countries in southern Africa since January of the previous year. The United Nations Childrens Fund (Unicef) describes this cholera outbreak as the most severe in 25 years, with Mozambique registering 13,700 confirmed cases and 30 fatalities since October 2023. Additionally, an Islamist insurgency in the neighboring Cabo Delgado province has resulted in at least 4,000 deaths and displaced nearly a million people over the past six years. Mozambique Island, once Portuguese East Africas capital for almost 400 years during colonial times, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, celebrated for its colonial-era architecture and historical significance as a trading hub. 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: Test Availability of Multigene Panel Tests in Japan and SwitzerlandCC BY, Nakasato K, Manz C and Kato K (2024) Access, autonomy, and affordability: ethical and human rights issues surrounding multigene panel testing for cancer in Japan and Switzerland. Credit: Frontiers in Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1343720 As genomics and precision medicine advances open new avenues for personalized treatments to replace the conventional one-size-fits-all model, who will actually benefit from them? Paradigm shifts in disease treatment can change lives, if only people have access to them. New research has now delved into the challenge of accessing innovative care. In a study published in Frontiers in Genetics, researchers at Osaka University and the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) focused on equal access, patient autonomy, and affordability of genomic medicinespecifically, on multigene panel testing for cancer. They compared the testing's status in their respective countries and found that despite 'universal' insurance coverage in both countries, barriers related to test availability, comprehensive patient information, and affordability of the entire diagnostic and treatment process are obstacles to patient access. Multigene panel testing for cancer uses tissue or blood samples to analyze multiple genes simultaneously through next-generation sequencing technology and identify the genetic mutation causing an individual's cancer. Physicians can then tailor treatment for the patient's specific genetic makeup, thereby potentially increasing survival rates. The researchers gathered and analyzed primary and secondary sources and found that, in Japan, multigene panel testing for cancer is offered at 260 designated hospitals, many of which are concentrated in urban areas. In Switzerland, multigene panel testing is available in major teaching hospitals, though the type of panel testing as well as the official language spoken in the area differs between hospitals. These conditions bring respective issues with rural access and potential language barriers. The research team also pinpointed access to information for patients and insurance coverage as obstacles. In Japan, detailed patient information on panel testing, including specific test types and processes, is available online but may not directly address individual needs. In Switzerland, information available online tends to be overly general or, conversely, aimed at professionals. In Japan, insurance coverage for testing depends on specific criteria, such as a lack of standard cancer treatment options for the patient's cancer. In Switzerland, basic insurance generally covers genomic analyses, but the tests' perceived effectiveness and necessity by the patient's physician or insurance provider can affect reimbursement. "These are issues that require well-balanced solutions," the study's lead author Kate Nakasato says. "For example, while providing reimbursement for all patients is ideal, there is also a need to consider the sustainability of emerging technologies and the potential burden on the health care system as a whole." "The findings of this study extend beyond Japan and Switzerland," senior author Kazuto Kato adds. "Ensuring equal access, patient autonomy, and affordable health care is crucial to the ongoing dialogue on health equality and human rights." More information: Kate Nakasato et al, Access, autonomy, and affordability: ethical and human rights issues surrounding multigene panel testing for cancer in Japan and Switzerland, Frontiers in Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1343720 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Microvascular function is lower is Black men following a recent diagnosis of prostate cancer, compared to white men, according to researchers at the Medical College of Georgia. Researchers presented their work at the American Physiology Summit in Long Beach, California, held April 47. It is widely documented that racial disparities exist in prostate cancer outcomes. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively assess vascular health in Black and white men who were within three months of prostate cancer diagnosis. In this case, researchers examined 28 men who were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer (10 white and 18 Black). They evaluated vascular health by measuring large blood vessel function (brachial artery dilation), small blood vessel function (microvascular blood flow) and arterial stiffness. The researchers determined the Black men had significantly lower microvascular function compared with their white counterparts. Impaired microvascular function often is an early sign of heart disease risk. Credit: American Physiological Society The Black men in this study were four years younger than the white participants. The age difference suggests that microvascular dysfunction might also accelerate vascular aging and contribute to racial disparity in cardiovascular disease following a prostate cancer diagnosis. Researchers hope these findings lead to new treatments to help eliminate the racial disparity and improve prostate cancer outcomes between Black and white men. "Understanding how race impacts the time course of vascular health following diagnosis of prostate cancer will lead to more effective therapeutic strategies to reduce the cardiovascular burden associated with cancer," said Abigayle Simon, a medical student at the Medical College of Georgia and lead author of the study. 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: Axial CT image with i.v. contrast. Macrocystic adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head. Credit: public domain New data presented by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) researchers show an experimental approach to treating pancreatic cancer with the messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutic cancer vaccine candidate, autogene cevumeran, continues to show potential to stimulate an immune response that may reduce the risk of the disease returning after surgery. New results from a Phase I clinical trial show that the cancer vaccine candidate activated immune cells that persisted in the body for up to three years after treatment in certain patients. In addition, a vaccine-induced immune response correlated with reduced risk of the cancer coming back. These data were presented by MSK surgeon-scientist Vinod P. Balachandran, MD, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, held in San Diego April 510. The investigational mRNA cancer vaccine, called autogene cevumeran (BNT122, RO7198457), was developed in a collaboration between BioNTech, an immunotherapy company, and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. In the Phase I clinical trial, vaccines were custom-made for every participant based on the mutational profile of their individual tumor. The mRNA-based therapeutic cancer vaccines are intended to teach T cellsspecialized immune cells that protect the body from pathogens and cancerto recognize proteins found exclusively in their pancreatic tumors, called neoantigens. This alerts T cells that the cancer cells are foreign. The goal of this approach is to train the body to protect itself against cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and its incidence is rising. "Current treatment options for pancreatic cancer remain very limited, and only about 12% of patients survive five years after diagnosis," said Dr. Balachandran, a Member of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program and the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research at MSK. "We are encouraged by our latest findings, which continue to support exploring autogene cevumeran as an approach to treat pancreatic cancer in the post-surgical, adjuvant setting." Earlier results from the Phase I trial, reported in Nature in May 2023, showed the vaccine was well tolerated and that it activated immune cells in half of treated patients. Now, at a three-year median follow-up, the team continues to find evidence of a robust vaccine-activated T cell response. Through analysis of blood collected from trial patients, the researchers found 98% of the T cells specifically activated by the cancer vaccine candidate were not present in patients prior to vaccination, and that in six of eight patients analyzed, >80% of the vaccine-induced T cells persisted from two to up to three years post vaccination. Notably, this immune response was associated with delayed recurrence, with relapse during the follow-up window seen in only two of the eight patients with a vaccine-induced immune response. Meanwhile, cancer returned in seven of eight patients whose immune systems did not respond to the vaccine during the study. The researchers do not yet know if the vaccines caused the delay in cancer recurrence; investigating this question is a goal of ongoing studies. An ongoing randomized Phase II trial (NCT05968326) will evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant autogene cevumeran in comparison to the current standard chemotherapy regimen (mFOLFIRINOX). The aim of the approach is to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer returning after the tumor is removed by surgery. The trial is enrolling approximately 260 patients globally, including at MSK. 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: Establishment of the lentiMPRA platform to test cardiac enhancer activity in iPSC-CMs. a. Strategy for pilot experiment to test lentiviral reporter assay in iPSC-CMs. b. Flow cytometry analysis of cTNT+ iPSC-CMs at differentiation day 12. c. Activities of PSC-specific enhancer and cardiac enhancers. d. Strategy for pilot experiment to measure enhancer activity by Amplicon-seq. e. Enhancer activities of PSC enhancers (Enh14) and cardiac enhancers (Enh 519). Credit: Nature Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01669-y Researchers have been chipping away at the genetic causes of congenital heart disease (CHD) for a couple of decades. About 45% of cases of CHD have an identifiable cause, including chromosomal abnormalities, genetic variants affecting protein-coding genes, and environmental factors. What about the rest of the cases of CHD? Noncoding DNA elements have long been thought to play a role in CHD, but few variants have been pinned down as causative. New work from the lab of cardiologist William Pu, MD, at Boston Children's Hospital provides the strongest evidence to date that noncoding DNA contributes to CHD. It also establishes a pipeline for finding and validating variants. "It's very hard to figure out which noncoding variants are actually involved in heart disease and which are just innocent bystanders," says Pu, associate chair of Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Research at Boston Children's. "The average person has about 70 variants in noncoding regions that are de novo (not shared with their parents). And if you compare people with and without heart disease, they have the same number of variants." As described in their article published in Nature Genetics, Pu and his colleagues drew on data from the multi-center Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium (PCGC), led at Boston Children's by Jane Newburger, MD, MPH; Amy Roberts, MD; and Wendy Chung, MD, Ph.D. The consortium has enrolled more than 13,000 patients with CHD (roughly a fifth of them patients at Boston Children's) and more than 18,000 family members. More than 3,000 patients have had their complete genomes sequenced, and Pu's lab obtained whole genome sequencing data for 750 patients and their parents. Zeroing in on causative variants To eliminate noncoding variants that were likely to be background "noise" rather than causative, the research team applied statistical filters. They also focused on de novo variants, which are more likely to be causative. This left them with nearly 7,000 variants in noncoding DNA regions in the patients with CHD. To explore the variants' function, the team created a high-throughput system to test their effect on the expression of adjacent genes. "Of the 7,000 variants we tested, we found 403 that affected the activity of transcription enhancers," says Pu. "These would be lead candidates for variants that may actually contribute to congenital heart disease." They then performed a painstaking task, introducing 10 of the noncoding variants into normal human stem cells at the appropriate location in the genome. When they directed the stem cells to form cardiomyocytes, four of the 10 variants altered the expression of neighboring genes. "Those genes were already known to cause congenital heart disease when mutated," Pu says. "The variants either made the enhancer not work as well as it should, so that the gene was expressed at a lower level, or turned a region that's not supposed to be an enhancer into an enhancer, activating a gene at the wrong time or the wrong place. Either scenario could potentially cause heart disease." As a second test, they performed single-cell sequencing of the cardiomyocytes derived from the stem cells with the four variants. These cells also had an altered gene expression profile, consistent with the potential to cause CHD. Future directions in CHD genetics Pu believes that hundreds more noncoding variants may be involved in structural heart disease, helping to explain many cases of CHD that are negative by exome sequencing. Co-first author Sarah Morton, MD, Ph.D., of the Division of Newborn Medicine specializes in studying genetic causes of CHD. Using data from the study, she created an algorithm to prioritize those variants most likely to be related to CHD for further investigation. "When we assess coding genetic variants, such as missense variants that change a single amino acid, we want to know the likelihood that they will alter protein expression," Morton says. "Relatively few tools exist to predict the functional impact of noncoding variants, particularly as they may relate to pediatric disease." The team hopes to extend its search beyond cardiomyocytes to other cell types, such as neural crest cells and endocardial cells. In the future, the findings could potentially be used to stratify patients' risks, predict outcomes of surgeryor even, in a more distant future, change the trajectory of structural heart disease during pregnancy or after birth. "That is a whole unexplored area," Pu says. "We've only found the tip of the iceberg in this study." More information: Feng Xiao et al, Functional dissection of human cardiac enhancers and noncoding de novo variants in congenital heart disease, Nature Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01669-y Journal information: Nature Genetics This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new study presented at the European Psychiatric Association Congress 2024 sheds light on the significant impact of depression on the survival rates and quality of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer. This study, conducted by a team of researchers in Russia, conducted a comprehensive analysis of existing research on the prevalence and impact of depression in breast cancer patients. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and a leading cause of death globally and in the EU, it is estimated that one in 11 women in the EU-27 will develop breast cancer before the age of 74. The psychological impact of breast cancer is well documented and previous studies have estimated that, globally, 32% of breast cancer sufferers also live with depression. Despite the improvements in screening, diagnostics and treatment of breast cancer, patients are still not properly screened for mental health conditions and often do not receive adequate support. Key findings from the study include: The study found a wide range in the reported prevalence of depression among breast cancer patients, varying from 4.5% to 38% across different studies. The research highlights a significant correlation between depression and mortality, with studies indicating: 50% increased risk of all-cause mortality in patients with depression compared to non-depressed patients with stage I-III breast cancer. 22.5-fold increase in breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality in patients with early-stage (stage I & II) cancer and depression. 2.5 times greater risk of death within 815 years for women with non-metastatic breast cancer and mild to moderate depressive symptoms after surgery compared to those with minimal or no depressive symptoms. Overall, the study concludes that both depression and anxiety can negatively impact survival rates and reduce the quality of life for breast cancer patients. Dr. Ruslan A. Starostin, oncologist and breast surgeon at Druzhkov Clinic LLC, Kazan, Russia, said, "Cancer, depression and anxiety disorders are closely interrelated. Our task is therefore to identify the presence of mental disorders in patients at the time of initial breast cancer diagnosis in order to begin treatment as early as possible, because the quality of life and overall survival of patients is extremely important." Svetlana V. Kuzmina, Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology at Kazan State Medical University in Kazan, Russia, said, "The mental health of breast cancer patients warrants such attention as malignant disease can have a negative impact on mental well-being, treatment adherence and quality of life. In the context of our investigation, we also hope to reduce the burden of disease on the daily lives of patients and their environment." Ilgiz G. Gataullin, Professor of the Department of Oncology, Radiology and Palliative Medicine of the Kazan State Medical Academy, Russia further added, "There are still no universal methods for the screening of this mental health condition. It is likely that psychotherapy and antidepressant treatment may reduce the risk of psychological distress, but further research in this area is needed." "These findings underscore the crucial need for routine depression screening for breast cancer patients at the time of diagnosis, integrated approach to treatment that includes the involvement of mental health professions and, most importantly, increased awareness about the impact of breast cancer on mental health and the need for open communication alongside early intervention," explains Dr. Julian Beezhold, the Secretary General of the European Psychiatric Association. Provided by European Psychiatric Association This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain One-year success rates from angioplasty procedures to open clogged arteries in the legs were significantly higher among patients whose procedures were guided by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) alongside angiography compared with those whose procedures were guided by angiography alone, in a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session. The study, called IVUS-DCB, is the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate the clinical benefits of using IVUS in angioplasty procedures for peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition in which plaque builds up in arteries in the legs. IVUS is an imaging approach that enables visualization of the blood vessel wall and precise measurements of vessel size. The results suggest that the use of IVUS can help achieve longer-lasting benefits from the procedure. "IVUS is more accurate than angiography in measuring vessel dimensions. It facilitates achieving sufficient vessel lumen diameters and aids in evaluating the response of the target lesion to treatment," said Young-Guk Ko, MD, cardiologist in the Division of Cardiology at Severance Hospital and Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, and the study's lead author. "Despite the potential increase in procedural complexity, IVUS may benefit patients by enhancing treatment outcomes." The study focused on femoral artery disease, a form of PAD in which the femoropopliteal arteries that supply blood to the legs become narrowed or blocked, causing pain while walking. With angioplasty, operators inflate a small balloon inside the blood vessel, pushing the vessel open to restore proper blood flow. The balloons used in the study were also coated with drugs to help to prevent further plaque buildup. To guide the placement of the balloon, most operators currently use angiography with a contrast agent to produce a 2D image of the vessel lumen. With IVUS, a tiny ultrasound device is inserted into the vessel via a catheter to produce cross-sectional and 3D images of the vessel for more accurate information on vessel dimensions and plaque morphology. Previous studies have shown IVUS can improve outcomes of endovascular procedures in the coronary arteries; the new study sought to assess whether the approach could bring similar benefits for procedures in the femoropopliteal arteries. Using IVUS alongside angiography entails additional costs because it involves additional procedural steps. For the trial, researchers enrolled 237 patients undergoing angioplasty for femoropopliteal disease at seven sites in South Korea. Half were randomly assigned to receive IVUS plus angiography and half received angiography alone. At 12 months, primary patency (a measure of the success rate of angioplasty and the study's primary endpoint) was achieved in 83.8% of patients who received IVUS and 70.1% of those receiving angiography alone, a significant difference in favor of IVUS. Patients who received IVUS were also significantly less likely to require revascularization procedures and significantly more likely to show sustained clinical improvement compared with the angiography group. Since IVUS is more accurate than angiography in measuring vessel dimension, researchers said the use of IVUS appears to have helped operators achieve a wider opening in the blood vessel for longer-lasting results. "The IVUS group utilized larger pre-dilation balloon diameters and higher pressures prior to drug-coated balloon application as well as more frequent post-dilation and higher pressures for post-dilation after drug-coated balloon application, compared to the angiography group," Ko said. "These optimizations, based on IVUS assessments, may have led to an increased final lumen diameter and better maintenance of the patent target vessel at the 12-month follow-up." One caveat is that most of the femoropopliteal artery lesions treated in the study were complex and extensive, stretching over 20 centimeters long on average, and it is unclear whether the benefits of IVUS would be the same for treating shorter and less severe lesions. In addition, the researchers said that the study only applies to procedures involving drug-coated balloons in femoropopliteal arteries, and further research would be needed to clarify possible benefits of IVUS with other types of devices, such as stents, and in other peripheral arteries. 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: Concentrations of methadone and morphine. a) Concentrations (median and interquartile range) of methadone in each age group. 1534 years: n = 62, 3544 years: n = 69, > 44 years: n = 80. B) Concentrations (median and interquartile range) of morphine in each age group. 1534 years: n = 50, 3544 years: n = 40, > 44 years: n = 87. * : p < 0.05 vs. the group with age 1534 years by Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunns post hoc test. Credit: Forensic Science International (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.111948 They slow down breathing. First, you lose consciousness, then your heart stops beating. The opioids methadone and morphine are the most common cause of fatal drug poisoning in Denmark. A study from the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University has investigated the circumstances behind morphine-, heroin-, and methadone-related deaths in the period 2013 to 2020 in the four police districts covered by the departmentNorth Jutland, East Jutland, Central and West Jutland and Southeast Jutland. One of the conclusions is that it is more dangerous to use opioids when you are alone. The study shows that 64 percent of the 327 people who died were alone at the time of death, and the majority seemed to be unaffected by drugs when they were last seen alive. "It's important to recognize that sleep is a precursor to opioid poisoning. People don't usually die immediately after an overdose, it can take hours before oxygen deficiency causes in a sleep-like state and organs shut down," says Charlotte Uggerhj Andersen, a clinical associate professor at the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University. She and her colleagues are behind the study, which has just been published in Forensic Science International. "If you have the right knowledge, you'll be ready to react. It's about waking people up, and if you can't do that, call the emergency services. The risk of a fatal outcome is much higher if there's no one to intervene," she says. Blood analyses from deceased The study describes where opioid poisonings occur. It looks at whether the person was alone at the time of death and whether sleep and snoring were observed before death. It also provides an analysis of toxicological findings in the deceased's blood. During an autopsy, forensic pathologists perform a toxicological analysis of the blood of the deceased and screen it for more than 700 drugs and metabolites. A forensic autopsy is mandatory for deaths related to illegal narcotics. Autopsies are performed at the request of the police, and the most common cause of death in these cases is opioid poisoning. "There's a particular risk of poisoning from opioid use because of the relatively narrow gap between an intoxicating dose to give a high and a fatal overdose," says Andersen. An autopsy report also includes a description of death written by a forensic pathologist based on information from the police investigation. The description includes statements from the deceased's general practitioner and witnesses, and there is a description of conditions at the place of death, if available. By scrutinizing these reports, researchers have been able to study various determining factors related to fatal opioid poisonings, which cannot be collected from health data or cause-of-death registries. Among other things, the study shows that people aged 15-34 are more likely to die from opioid poisoning while others are present at the address than people over the age of 44. "In many cases, other people had seen the deceased asleep after taking the drug. It's important to speak up if you've taken opioids. Young people need to know that they should keep an eye on each other, and it's important that you don't just leave anyone who is sleeping if you suspect that they may have taken drugsyou have to wake them up," says Andersen. The vast majority of people in the study over the age of 44 died alone. The study also shows that, in fatal cases, the opioids were almost always taken in combination with other drugs, such as benzodiazepines, which are used to treat anxiety and sleep problems. "It's important to communicate the risks of cocktail drug usage to all age groups, especially the use of sedatives or alcohol with opioids, as this can amplify their effects," says the researcher. "Our study emphasizes the need for harm-reduction initiatives in both urban and rural areas. It's important to communicate the risks and warning signs of opioid use and to recognize sleep as a precursor to fatal poisoning, especially among younger age groups," says Andersen. Still a lack of knowledge The study was conducted in collaboration with Antidote Danmark, an NGO of doctors, nurses, and volunteers who provide information on how to recognize overdoses and stop opioid overdoses with an antidote nasal spray. "There is generally very little knowledge about opioid abuse in Denmark," says Michael Lodberg Olsen, the general manager of Antidote Danmark. The organization has a wide range of contacts with drug communities, addiction centers, shelters, music venues, schools, and youth networks. "It's particularly important to disseminate the results of the study to young people who use opioids or are in environments where this happens. It's crucial that they know the signs of poisoning. Because you can't save yourself from an overdosesomeone else has to intervene," he says. "The message from the authorities is: Say no to drugs. We stress: Don't do drugs alone. Now there's even more weight behind our words." Factsnumbers from the study The study looked at autopsy reports on 327 people who died after poisoning with the opioids methadone and morphine in the period 2013-2020. The deceased came from one of four police districts: North Jutland, East Jutland, Central and West Jutland and Southeast Jutland. 92 of the 327 deceased were between 15 and 34 years old. 202 of the deceased (62%) died or were found dead in their own home. 68 people (21%) died or were found dead in another private homemost often on a bed or sofa. 210 (64%) were alone at the time of death, and the majority appeared unaffected by drugs when they were last seen alive. In 97 cases (30%), other people were at the same address when the death occurred. More information: Peter Andreas Andersen et al, Exploring death scenes and circumstances in fatal opioid poisonings: Insights for preventive strategies using forensic autopsy cases in Western Denmark, Forensic Science International (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.111948 Journal information: Forensic Science International 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: Graphical abstract. Credit: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.02.022 A team of researchers led by Professor Jay Horvat and Dr. Henry Gomez have developed a world-first platform to define the impact of exposure to landscape fire smoke on the heart and lungs. The researchers found that short and long-term exposure to landscape fire smoke particulate matter (bushfire smoke) increased the hyperresponsiveness of airways and induced steroid insensitivity in experimental asthma. They also found that short-term exposure to bushfire smoke decreased cardiac function and this is associated the expression of gene changes relating to oxidative stress and cardiovascular pathologies. The research was driven by the events of the 2019 and 2020 "Black Summer" bushfires. Professor Horvat explains, "Millions of people in Australia were exposed to unprecedented levels of particulate matter from landscape fires. This was associated with large increases in people having respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms. People with asthma experienced worsened disease symptoms and had an increased need to seek medical help as a result of exposure to particulate matter generated by the fires. Furthermore, the number of heart attacks almost doubled in regional locations during the 2019/2020 black summer period." The paper, "Landscape fire smoke airway exposure impairs respiratory and cardiac function and worsens experiential asthma," by Professor Horvat and Dr. Gomez, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, describes a world-first platform for understanding how landscape fire exposure affects heart and lung physiology. This research will be used to help identify therapies to protect people from the harmful effects of exposure. "Our research demonstrates that even small amounts of physiologically relevant particular matter from landscape fire smoke has significant effects on lung and heart physiology, worsening key features of asthma and preventing mainstay suppressant medications from having much of an effect on symptoms," says Professor Horvat. Professor Horvat says, "What our experience showed us during the black summer bushfires is that completely avoiding exposure to landscape fire particulate matter inhalation is almost impossible. "Our research shows that exposure to even low amounts of landscape fire particulate matter over a short period of time has a significant effect on heart and lung function. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are required to protect people from the harmful effects of exposure, particularly for those who are at increased risk such as those with asthma or cardiovascular disease. "Better strategies for treating and preventing the harmful effects of landscape fire smoke exposure are going to become more important given that the prevalence and intensity of landscape fires is likely to increase globally as a result of climate change." "Our findings show that particulate matter generated from different fuel sources have very similar effects at the same level of exposure. However, more research is required to determine how different levels of particulate matter generated from different fuel sources in different geographical regions and countries affect different populations of people, especially those with underlying respiratory and cardiovascular conditions," says Professor Horvat. "Furthermore, while our findings show that targeting airway smooth muscle contraction or oxidative stress pathways may provide novel strategies for protecting against the effects of landscape fire inhalation on respiratory and cardiovascular disease, more studies are required to identify appropriate therapies." This research was conducted in collaboration with the Asthma and Breathing research program led by Professor Peter Gibson and Professor Vanessa McDonald, and National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow from the HMRI Heart and Stroke program, Professor Doan Ngo. More information: Henry M. Gomez et al, Landscape fire smoke airway exposure impairs respiratory and cardiac function and worsens experimental asthma, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.02.022 Journal information: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain The introduction of a policy protecting parental leave benefits in Sweden in 1980 had unintended consequences on child health. The policy led to an increase in premature birth rates. This is shown by a study from researchers at Stockholm University, published in JAMA Pediatrics. The Swedish so-called speed premium policy was introduced in 1980 in order to protect couples' level of income-based parental leave benefits when they had children in quick succession. The new study from Stockholm University evaluates the health consequences of the policy. The researchers conclude that by unintentionally encouraging couples to have children within a shorter 24-month interval, the policy led to a 26% increase in the proportion of children born prematurely over the six years that it was in force. "The results are convincing as the relaxation of the policy to a 30-month window in 1986 was meanwhile associated with an 11% decrease in premature birth rates in the following years. These changes remain in place today," says Enrico Debiasi, a researcher at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University. Parental leave benefits in Sweden for most parents consist of approximately 80% of their salary prior to childbirth. However, due to a previous non-salaried leave period or a shift to part-time work, parents who already have a child might receive lower benefits for their next child. This is a situation that is very common for Swedish women after a period of parental leave, according to Debiasi. In order to reduce the risk of low benefits for parents who had children in quick succession, the speed premium policy was introduced. The policy stipulated that among those with children born up to 24 months apart, parental leave benefits would be calculated according to the income received before the first one of those children was born. "The policy was well-intentioned and offered important socioeconomic benefits for mothers, as has been shown previously. However, it did not anticipate that parents would shorten birth spacing, which is associated with adverse health consequences for the mother and the child," says Sol Juarez, Associate Professor at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University. The policy also encouraged women to postpone having children in order to protect their income, while still achieving their desired number of children, adds Helena Honkaniemi, researcher at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University. "This resulted in a higher proportion of women having multiple children at advanced ages, which is also a risk factor for several adverse reproductive health outcomes," she says. Overall, the new study offers an excellent example of the consequences of not considering health when designing family policies, according to Juarez. More information: Enrico Debiasi et al, Unintended Perinatal Health Consequences Associated With a Swedish Family Policy, JAMA Pediatrics (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.0378 Journal information: JAMA Pediatrics This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A for-profit company has proposed turning a boarded-up former nursing home here into a psychiatric hospital, joining a national trend toward having such hospitals owned by investors instead of by state governments or nonprofit health systems. The companies see a business opportunity in the shortage of inpatient beds for people with severe mental illness. The scarcity of inpatient psychiatric care is evident nationwide, especially in rural areas. People in crisis often are held for days or weeks in emergency rooms or jails, then transported far from their hometowns when a bed opens in a distant hospital. Eight nonprofit Iowa hospitals have shuttered their psychiatric units since 2007, often citing staffing and financial challenges. Iowa closed two of its four mental health institutions in 2015. The state now ranks last in the nation for access to state-run psychiatric hospitals, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center. The national group, which promotes improving care for people with severe mental illness, recommends states have at least 50 state-run psychiatric beds per 100,000 people. Iowa has just two such beds per 100,000 residents, the group said. Two out-of-state companies have developed psychiatric hospitals in Iowa in the past four years, and now a third company has obtained a state "certificate of need" to open a 60-bed facility in Grinnell. Before 2020, Iowa had no privately owned, free-standing psychiatric hospitals. But several national companies specialize in developing such facilities, which treat people in crisis from conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder, sometimes compounded by drug or alcohol abuse. One of the companies operating in Iowa, Universal Health Services, says it has mental health facilities in 39 states. Lisa Dailey, the Treatment Advocacy Center's executive director, said that for-profit hospitals don't necessarily provide worse care than nonprofit ones but that they tend to be less transparent and more motivated by money. "Private facilities are private," she said. "As a result, you may not have a great insight into why they make the decisions that they make." Dailey said solid data on privately run mental health hospitals nationwide is scarce. But she has heard for-profit companies have recently set up free-standing psychiatric hospitals in several states, including California. The California Department of Public Health confirmed three such facilities have opened there since 2021, in Aliso Viejo, Madera, and Sacramento. The latest Iowa psychiatric hospital would be housed in a vacant nursing home on the outskirts of Grinnell, a college town of 9,500 people in a rural region of the state. The project's developers noted there are no other inpatient mental health facilities in Poweshiek County, where Grinnell is located, or in any of the eight surrounding counties. The nearest inpatient mental health facilities are 55 miles west in Des Moines. The Indiana-based company proposing the hospital, Hickory Recovery Network, primarily runs addiction treatment centers in Indiana. But it opened psychiatric hospitals in Ohio and Texas in 2023 and 2024, and it told Iowa regulators it could open the Grinnell hospital by August. An affiliated company ran the facility as a nursing home, called the Grinnell Health Care Center, until 2022, according to a Hickory Recovery Network filing with Iowa regulators. Medicare rated the nursing home's overall quality at just two out of five stars. And in 2020, the facility was suspended indefinitely from Iowa's Medicaid program because of billing issues, state records show. Officials from Hickory Recovery Network responded only briefly to KFF Health News inquiries, including about how the former Iowa nursing home's spotty record could affect the proposed psychiatric hospital. In a short telephone interview in February, Melissa Durkin, the company's chief operating officer, declined to say who owns Hickory Recovery Network. Durkin denied in the interview that her organization was associated with the company that ran the defunct and troubled Grinnell nursing home. However, Hickory Recovery's application for a certificate of need refers to the nursing home operator as "Hickory's affiliated company." In testimony before Iowa regulators, Durkin made a similar reference as she expressed confidence her organization could find sufficient staff to reopen the facility as a psychiatric hospital. "We have a history with that building. We operated a nursing home there before," she said at the video-recorded hearing. Durkin said in the interview that company leaders had not decided for sure to redevelop the vacant Iowa nursing home into a psychiatric hospital, although they twice went through the complicated process of applying for a state "certificate of need" for the project. The first attempt was stymied in 2023 by a tie vote of the board that considers such permits, which are a major hurdle for large health care projects. The second application was approved by a unanimous vote after a hearing on Jan. 25. Keri Lyn Powers, a Hickory executive, told regulators the company planned to spend $1.5 million to remodel the building. The main changes would include making rooms safe for people who might be suicidal, she said. The company predicted in its application that 90% of the hospital's patient revenues would come from Medicare or Medicaid, public programs for seniors or people who have low incomes or disabilities. It doesn't mention that the nursing home was suspended from Iowa's Medicaid program, which covers about half of the state's nursing home residents. Iowa authorities suspended the Grinnell Health Care Center nursing home in 2020 for failing to repay nearly $25,000 in overpayments from Medicaid, state records show. When the nursing home closed in 2022, its former medical director told the local newspaper part of the reason for its demise was its inability to collect Medicaid reimbursements. Iowa administrators recently notified the owners that the former nursing home owed $284,676 to Medicaid. A state spokesperson said in March that neither amount had been repaid. The proposal to reopen the building as a psychiatric hospital won support from patient advocates, Grinnell's nonprofit community hospital, and the regional mental health coordinator. The only opposition at the state hearing came from Kevin Pettit, leader of one of Iowa's two other private free-standing psychiatric hospitals. Pettit is chief executive officer of Clive Behavioral Health Hospital, a 100-bed facility in suburban Des Moines that opened in 2021. Pettit told regulators he supports expanding mental health services, but he predicted the proposed Grinnell facility would struggle to hire qualified employees. He said despite strong demand for care, many Iowa psychiatric facilities are limiting admissions. "The beds exist, but they're not actually open, because we're dealing with staffing issues throughout the state," Pettit testified. Overall, Iowa has 901 licensed inpatient mental health beds, including in psychiatric units at community hospitals, in free-standing psychiatric hospitals, and in the two remaining state mental health institutes, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. But as of January, just 738 of those beds were staffed and being used. Pettit's facility is run by Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services in partnership with MercyOne, a hospital system based in the Des Moines area. In an interview, Pettit said his hospital only has enough staff to use about half of its beds. He said it's especially difficult to recruit nurses and therapists, even in an urban area with a relatively robust labor supply. State inspectors have cited problems at the Clive facility, including four times declaring that deficiencies put patients' safety in "immediate jeopardy." Those issues included insufficient staff to properly monitor patients and insufficient safeguards to prevent access to items patients could use to choke or cut themselves. Pettit said such citations are not unusual in the tightly regulated industry. He said the organization is committed to patient safety. "We value the review by our regulatory entities during the survey process and view any finding as an opportunity for continuous improvement of our operations," he wrote in an email. Iowa's other privately owned psychiatric hospital, Eagle View Behavioral Health in Bettendorf, also has been cited by state inspectors. The 72-bed hospital was purchased in 2022 by Summit BHC from Strategic Behavioral Health, which opened the facility in 2020. Both companies are based in Tennessee. State inspectors have cited the Bettendorf facility twice for issues posing "immediate jeopardy" to patient safety. In 2023, inspectors cited the facility for insufficient supervision of patients, "resulting in inappropriate sexual activity" between adult and adolescent patients. In 2021, the facility was cited for insufficient safety checks to prevent suicide attempts and sexual misconduct. Eagle View officials did not respond to requests for comment. Advocates for Iowa patients have supported the development of free-standing psychiatric hospitals. Leslie Carpenter of Iowa City, whose adult son has been hospitalized repeatedly for severe mental illness, spoke in favor of the Grinnell facility's application for a certificate of need. In an interview afterward, Carpenter said she was optimistic the new facility could find enough staff to help address Iowa's critical shortage of inpatient psychiatric care. She said she would keep a close eye on how the new facility fares. "I think if a company were willing to come in and do the job well, it could be a game changer." 2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Regular aerobic exercise later in life prevents genomic instability characterized by DNA damage and telomere dysfunction, according to a study from the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah. Researchers will present their work this week at the American Physiology Summit, the flagship annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS), in Long Beach, California. "These new findings will greatly impact our understanding of the mechanisms of how aerobic exercise improves vascular health at the level of genomic stability," says Jisok Lim, Ph.D. Late-life exercise used to be thought of as ineffective. However, existing studies indicate aerobic exercise later in life lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality. Yet, the specific factors contributing to this effect have not been completely understood. Researchers examined whether regular exercise with aging may prevent DNA damage and telomere dysfunction. Telomeres are protective caps at the end of chromosomes. In this study, exercise was shown to be especially helpful in cells that come in direct contact with blood flow (endothelial cells). The benefits of aerobic exercise are particularly noticeable in the aortic regions less prone to atherosclerosis due to favorable blood flow patterns. During the four-month study, 15 male mice were given access to a voluntary running wheel. The mice were assigned to high-, moderate- and low-running groups based on their consistent running distances. Aortic tissues exposed to different blood flow patterns were collected to evaluate DNA damage and telomere function. The findings suggest the increased level of exercise later in life has a beneficial impact on DNA damage and telomere dysfunction. There are many contributing factors to arterial aging. The driving factor among them is DNA damage. While more study in this area is needed, physiologists hope these findings lay the groundwork for improving human health in the future. "By revealing the varied responses of aortic regions experiencing different blood flow patterns and cell types to aerobic exercise, this research will provide a firm ground on a detailed and customized approach to interventions for cardiovascular health," said Jisok Lim, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utah and lead author of the study. 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 results and influence of the COVID States Project have far exceeded its original expectations. Credit: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University David Lazer ran into a fellow Northeastern University professor Alessandro Vespignani. It was February 2020. One month before the COVID-19 shutdowns. "I said, 'Tell me: How bad is it going to be?'" says Lazer, University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Computer Sciences at Northeastern. "And he laid out how bad it would be." They were facing a life-changing event, warned Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute and Sternberg Family Distinguished Professor at Northeastern. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was spreading fast throughout the U.S. and beyond just three months after its emergence in Wuhan, China. "He talked about how things were going to shut down over the following month and how there was going to be an indefinite time of having to modify our lives in order to protect ourselves individually and collectively," Lazer recalls of that conversation. "He really got the broad parameters spot on. "I obviously was quite distressed. I was thinking, 'What can I do to contribute to the moment?'" The answer would become known as the COVID States Project, a Northeastern-led effort by four universities that would analyze newly collected data in order to make sense of the evolving and volatile COVID-19 pandemic. Over the next four years the project would put out more than 100 reportsall relevant to urgent issuesthat were reflected by media coverage across the country. Sharing their expertise across a variety of fieldscomputational social science, network science, public opinion polling, epidemiology, public health, psychiatry, communication and political sciencethe researchers framed and conducted surveys that enabled them to identify national and regional trends that influenced (and were influenced by) the spread of the virus. "It was an act of improvisationwe didn't know exactly what we were going to do," Lazer says. "But we felt quite committed to having a positive impact and using our tools, our skill set, to do something during this horrible moment." Built into their real-time research was an understanding that social behaviors would play a large role in a pandemic that has claimed close to 1.2 million lives nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (though there is reason to believe many more people have died). The project's surveys and reports reflected national moods and trends while also providing reliable information for policymakers at a time when the future was difficult to predict. "David, being a political scientist, told me that he had this idea that a survey would be helpful," says Mauricio Santillana, an original member of the COVID States Project who has since joined Northeastern as director of the Machine Intelligence Group for the betterment of Health and the Environment (MIGHTE) at the Network Science Institute. "I told him it was very appropriate because rather than seeing a population reaction to a public health crisis, the pandemic was evolving into a sociological problemone where people were reacting more from their political views rather than scientific evidence. "He had this idea of having a project where we could monitor people's feelings, emotions and their changing behaviors in response to pronounced increases in COVID-19 infections and we could record their political affiliations," adds Santillana, who was focused on mathematically modeling the pandemic. "The project became a really important tool for me to understand why things were getting worse and worse." Their work was based in objectivitythe need to respect all points of view while prioritizing understanding and dismissing judgment. "By shedding light on things in a way that has visibility," Lazer says, "one hopes that you are informing individual people who are reading about our stories in the media as well as policy elites about what decisions should be made." "The best data out there" It began with Lazer contacting colleagues at other universities. The COVID States Project became an effort coordinated by Lazer, Santillana, Matthew Baum and Roy Perlis of Harvard, Katherine Ognyanova of Rutgers and James Druckman of Northwestern. Weekly meetings were held at 10 a.m. on Fridays as the project grew to include undergraduate and postdoctoral studentsall contributing on a volunteer basis. "We went out into the field in April and we started collecting data," Lazer says. "We realized that we could get useful results for all 50 states. We could see the numbers pile up and that was an exciting moment, like, maybe this thing can actually work. "We're still putting out data on vaccination rates and infection rates," says Lazer, whose team relied on a third-party vendor for online surveys that represent a new frontier for public polling. "It turns out that our data are better than the official data, because the official data are seriously flawed in important ways." Those official numbers can be faulty because individual states have difficulty linking residents with the number of vaccinations they've received, says Lazer. The COVID States Project team has learned how to not only frame questions with the precision to deal with relevant issues, but also to re-weigh the answers to provide representative analysis. "If you want to know the vaccination rates of a given state, I think our data are the best data out there," Lazer says. "It's pretty mind-blowing that we have done 1,400 to 1,500 state-level surveys." Initial efforts were focused on understanding the basics of the pandemic. While all 50 states were developing plans to reopen for business in June 2020, the project found that most people preferred a more cautious approach, with only 15% of respondents favoring an immediate reopening. "The project is a landmark in survey research," says Alexi Quintana Mathe, a fourth-year Ph.D. student working with Lazer at Northeastern. "We surveyed more than 20,000 respondents roughly every month, with viable samples in every U.S. state and good representativity of the general population. "This allowed us to closely monitor behaviors, opinions and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country with a special focus on differences by state, which were particularly relevant during the pandemic." Their work was able to show that Black people waited longer for test results than other people in the U.S. "It's important to illuminate and create accountability," Lazer says. The project's tracking of social distance behaviors in October 2020 helped predict which states would experience surges the following month. A survey in summer 2020 accurately predicted the rates of people who would submit to vaccinations when the shots became available that December. Another survey was able to show which demographic groups would be reluctant to be vaccinated. "The team found that concerns over vaccine safety, as well as distrust, were key reasons [for reluctance]," says Kristin Lunz Trujillo, now a University of South Carolina assistant professor of political science who worked on the COVID States Project as a Northeastern postdoctoral fellow. "This report sparked a lot of other ongoing work on the project and gave a fuller picture of COVID vaccine hesitancy than what our typical survey measures provided." "People still needed to be convinced, and I think that was a very natural response," says Santillana, a Northeastern professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering. "The fact that people were concerned about their health when being exposed to a vaccine is a natural thing. "But that was being interpreted as, 'Oh, then you are a denier.' There was no room to be a normal person who wants to learn as we experience things. For me, being a mathematician and physicist and hearing my political-scientist colleagues discussing issues of trust in medical research and medical professionals, it became a multidisciplinary learning experience." A constructive role by academia In the midst of their COVID-19 work, the researchers delved into other major U.S. events. They were able to identify the demographics of the widespread Black Lives Matter protests that followed the May 2020 murder of George Floyd. And they were able to show that those outdoor protests did not result in upsurges of pandemic-related illness. "The diverse expertise of scientists on the project meant that we could investigate public health issues both broadly and deeply," says Alauna Safarpour, a Northeastern postdoctoral contributor to the project who now serves as assistant professor of political science at Gettysburg College. "We not only analyzed misinformation related to the pandemic, vaccine skepticism and depression/mental health concerns, but also abortion attitudes, support for political violence and even racism as a public health concern." In anticipation of the role that mail-in ballots would play in the 2020 election, the project anticipated which state results would change as the late-arriving votes were counted. "We had a piece predicting the shift after Election Day," Lazer says. "We said there's going to be a shift towards Biden in some states and it will be a very large shiftand we got the states right, we got the estimates right. "We were trying to prepare people that there was nothing fishy going on here. That this is what is expected." After the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, the project predicted accurately that Donald Trump would retain his influence as leader of the Republic Party. "There were a lot of people right after Jan. 6 who said Trump is finished," Lazer says. "We went into the field a couple of days later, did a survey and we said, "The [typical] Republican believes the election was stolen and says Trump's endorsement would still matter a lot.'" The Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022 was followed by a COVID States Project report accurately forecasting a Democratic backlash. "There's a story here around the constructive role that academia can play in moments of crisisthe tools that we have are really quite practical," Lazer says. "As the information ecosystem of our country has diminishedwe see the news media firing people left and rightthere is a role for universities to take some of that capacity for creating knowledge and translating that to help with the crises of the day." Next up: CHIP50 "It uncovered the impact of the social and political changes that Americans went through over the last four years at the national level, but more importantly it broke down the findings to demographic and regional groups," says Ata Aydin Uslu, a third-year Ph.D. student at the Lazer Lab at Northeastern. "I see CSP as a successful attempt to mic up the American public. We enabled Americans to make their point to the local and federal decision-makers, and the decision-makers to make informed decisions and resource allocationssomething that was of utmost importance during a once-in-a-century crisis." Entering its fifth year, the project is taking on an identity to reflect the changing times. The newly named Civic Health and Institutions Project, a 50 States Survey (CHIP50) is building on the lessons learned by the COVID States Project team during the pandemic. "The idea is to institutionalize the notion of doing 50 state surveys in a federal country," Lazer says. "We have this perspective on states that no other research ever has." Their ongoing work will include competitions to add questions from outside scholars, Lazer says. "We're still going to issue reports, but less often, and we're going to be turning more to scholarship while still trying to get that translational element of what does this mean, what people should think, what policymakers should do and so on." During a recent interview, as Lazer is recounting the work of the past four years via a Zoom call, his head is bobbing back and forth. When the pandemic forced him to isolate, he explains, he made a habit of working while walking a treadmill in his attic. At times he was responding to the pressures of the pandemic by working 16 hours while logging 40,000 steps dailyand developing plantar fasciitis along the way. "All of this has made me think much more about the underlying sociological and psychological realities of how people process informationand the role that trust in particular plays," Lazer says. "It has really shaped my thinking about what is core in understanding politics." This story is republished courtesy of Northeastern Global News news.northeastern.edu. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Professor Patrick W Serruys and Professor Yoshi Onuma in the CORRIB Core Lab at University of Galway. Credit: University of Galway A new approach to the guidance, planning and conduct of heart bypass surgery has been successfully tested on patients for the first time in a clinical trial coordinated by a research team at University of Galway. The FAST TRACK CABG study, overseen by the University's CORRIB Research Center for Advanced Imaging and Core Lab, has seen heart surgeons plan and carry out coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), based solely on non-invasive cardiac-CT scan images, with HeartFlow's AI-powered blood flow analysis of the patient's coronary arteries. The research was published in the European Heart Journal. The key findings of this first-in-human study is the 99.1% feasibility, which means that heart bypass surgery without undergoing invasive diagnostic catheterization is feasible and safe, driven by the good diagnostic accuracy of the cardiac CT scan and AI-powered blood flow analysis. In comparing the safety and effectiveness of heart bypass surgery, the trial had similar outcomes to recent surgical groups of patients who underwent conventional invasive angiogram investigations, which involves inserting a catheter through an artery in the wrist or groin to access diseased arteries and using dye to visualize blockages. The findings of the FAST TRACK CABG trial suggest that the less invasive approach to heart bypass surgery offers comparable safety and efficacy to established methods. The research team noted that safety issues inherent to invasive investigation can be replaced by a non-invasive technique using CT scan imaging and AI-powered blood flow analysis. Trial chairman Professor Patrick W Serruys, Established Professor of Interventional Medicine and Innovation at University of Galway, said, "The results of this trial have the potential to simplify the planning for patients undergoing heart bypass surgery. The trial and the central role played by the CORRIB Core Lab puts University of Galway on the frontline of cardiovascular diagnosis, planning and treatment of coronary artery disease." The study was carried out in leading cardiac care hospitals in Europe and the US and involved 114 patients who had severe blockages in multiple vessels, limiting blood flow to their heart. Professor Professor Patrick W Serruys in the CORRIB Core Lab at University of Galway explaining the results and significance FAST TRACK CABG trial. Credit: University of Galway The cardiac CT used in this study (Revolution CT, GE Health care) has a special resolution that makes the non-invasive images as good or even better than the images traditionally obtained by a direct injection of contrast dye in the artery of the heart through a catheter. During the trial, the analysis of high resolution cardiovascular imagery and data was carried out by the CORRIB Core Lab team and shared by telemedicine with surgeons in trial hospitals. The HeartFlow Analysis, which provides AI-powered blood flow analysis called Fractional Flow Reserve derived from CT (FFRCT), quantifies how poorly the narrowed vessel provides blood to the heart muscle, assisted the surgeon in clearly identifying which of the patient's vessels should receive a bypass graft. Professor Serruys added, "The potential for surgeons to address even the most intricate cases of coronary artery disease using only a non-invasive CT scan, and FFRCT represents a monumental shift in health care. Following the example of the surgeon, interventional cardiologists could similarly consider circumventing traditional invasive cineangiography and instead rely solely on CT scans for procedural planning. This approach not only alleviates the diagnostic burden in cath labs but also paves the way for transforming them into dedicated 'interventional suites'- ultimately enhancing patient workflows." Dr. Yoshi Onuma, Professor of Interventional Cardiology at University of Galway and the medical director of CORRIB Research Center, said, "Exploring the potential for minimizing diagnostic catheterization procedures is important for several reasons- a catheterization procedure is invasive and it is unpleasant for the patient. It is also costly for the health service. While there is a minimal risk associated with the procedure, it is not entirely risk free. "CT scan analysis, FFRCT, and guidance from the team in Galway is a world first in bypass surgery. It may become a game-changer, altering the traditional relationship between GP, radiologist, cardiologist and cardio-thoracic surgeon for the benefit of the patient." Dr. Saima Mushtaq, Director of Cardiovascular CT in Centro Cardiologico Monzino, Milan, Italy, said, "This is a historical trial that may change our approach for patients who are candidates for CABG revascularization and with the FAST TRACK CABG trial we have been part of this revolution in which a CT scan is considered a tool to plan revascularization skipping invasive coronary angiography." Dr. John Puskas, Mount Sinai Morningside, New York and Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia, said, "As the only North American surgeon, enrolling many patients in this trial, I have a unique perspective: I can conclusively state that there is no loss in diagnostic precision or accuracy nor any decrement in the quality of surgical planning or performance when the surgical team is guided solely by data from a latest-generation, non-invasive coronary CT scan. "Once the surgeon is familiar with this new imaging modality, there are several ways in which it is actually a better guide than the historical invasive coronary angiogram." Professor Fidelma Dunne, Director of the Institute for Clinical Trials at University of Galway, said, "The outcomes of this inaugural human trial are highly promising, prompting further exploration of the advantages offered by this non-invasive methodology through an extensive randomized trial. At the Institute for Clinical Trials we are committed to conducting high-impact trials that have the potential to revolutionize patient care globally." The pioneering research of the CORRIB Core Lab at University of Galway into cardiovascular diagnosis and coronary artery disease will be further investigated in a large scale randomized trial. The research team is planning for it to involve more than 2,500 patients from 80 hospitals across Europe. More information: Patrick W Serruys et al, Coronary bypass surgery guided by computed tomography in a low-risk population, European Heart Journal (2024). DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae199 Journal information: European Heart Journal 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 Artificial intelligence, telehealth video appointments, and other technological evolutions make health care access easier for some, but they also take the personal touch out of medicine and contribute to why professionals are leaving the industry. Those are among the findings of the 2023 CU Denver Business School's Health Systems Climate Study, produced by the Health Administration Research Consortium (HARC). In recent years, medical providers have steadily upgraded technology touchpoints with patients, such as using mobile apps to check in for appointments or receive test results. But, starting in 2020, the COVID pandemic forced an overnight shift for the health care industry to rapidly adapt to telehealth appointments that doctors were previously more reluctant to embrace. That pivot raised questions for Business School associate professor and HARC director Jiban Khuntia, Ph.D. "Are we losing the touch in health care?" asked Khuntia. "What is that balance of high tech and high touch? On the provider side, suddenly they have all these technologies, but don't know how to use them because the employees were trained in the '80s, '70s, or '60s. Furthermore, while infused into the health care, the technology is not aligned to workflows and processes, creating stress for employees." Adapting to new technology is among the reasons physicians, nurses, and other health care workers are experiencing burnout and marginalization, leading to resignations, Khuntia said. To gather this data, HARC surveyed more than 100 health system CEOs across the country. In aggregate, these health systems represent 1.1 million employees and $284 billion in revenue. Researchers asked CEOs about the most pressing issues, retention struggles, technology trends, and planned digital investments. Among the key findings: 95% of CEOs see digital technology as valuable for administrative decisions, but only 73% for clinical decision-making, which suggests physician reluctance to embrace technology. Only 46% of CEOs believe staffing will return to normal levels within three to six months. The CEO respondents identified the most pressing health systems issues for growth over the next year, which include: Non-clinical labor shortage (86%) Cyber threats (79%) Clinical labor shortage (69%) CEOs believe disruptor trends in the coming year include digital service models (77%) and health tourism (74%). These findings help CEOs, physicians, and, ultimately, patients connect their experiences with real-time data. "It's a paradox now," Khuntia said. "The health care industry doesn't have an articulated vision, but is being propelled by big data and machine learning. They want to give unprecedented health care access using technology and be efficient and affordable, but don't know how to do that." Some in the medical field are embracing new technology, while others are reluctant to add new duties while their bandwidths are already stretched. Amid struggles from these technological transitions and the aftermath of COVID burnout, one in three health care workers plan to leave their job within the next year, and 14% plan to leave the industry altogether, according to a 2023 Tebra study. This leaves Khuntia concerned about medicine's future. "Too many feel isolated, disconnected, and disengaged," he said in the HARC report. "Patient portals, chatbots, telemedicine, and virtual care are not the digital deputies of care delivery. Technology is pushing humanity out of the health care experience." But with information repositories, like the Health Systems Climate Study, members are more prepared to address these trends today and in the future. 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: Pancreatic cancer cells (blue) growing as a sphere encased in membranes (red). Credit: National Cancer Institute A new type of investigational therapeutic in development for pancreatic cancer has shown unprecedented tumor-fighting abilities in preclinical models of the disease, suggesting it has the potential to offer novel treatment options for nearly all pancreatic tumors, a comprehensive study has found. The inhibitors in this new class of oral medications, being developed by Revolution Medicines Inc., target the oncogenic or active cancer-causing form of RAS proteins (such as KRAS, NRAS, and HRAS). These RAS "oncoproteins" drive up to a third of all human cancers. The research findingsconducted by a consortium of academic researchers led by Columbia scientists and the scientific team at Revolution Medicineswere published in a paper appearing in Nature titled "Tumor-selective effects of active RAS inhibition in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma." Currently the third leading cause of death from cancer, pancreatic cancer kills about 50,000 people annually in the United States alone. Despite decades of research, the disease continues to stymie drug developers and oncologists. What's especially frustrating is that scientists know exactly what causes most cases at the cellular level. "For over four decades, we have known that there's one particular RAS protein, called KRAS, that's mutated and drives about 95% of all pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cases, and we've had no direct tools to attack it for most of that time," says Kenneth Olive, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the study's senior authors. When the study's co-senior author, Mallika Singh, Ph.D., vice president for translational research at Revolution Medicines, told Olive the company had invented a class of inhibitors that had the potential to target all RAS mutations, he was incredulous. "My immediate reaction was skepticism," says Olive. "But I was curious, and we quickly established a collaboration." Study results Preclinical studies soon launched in the Olive lab at Columbia, led by Urszula Wasko, a Ph.D. student in the molecular pharmacology graduate program. Early pilot experiments with RMC-7977 were remarkably effective. "We immediately knew we were working with something entirely different," says Olive. At the same time, Olive and Revolution Medicines worked to bring together pancreatic cancer experts from other academic institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Memorial Sloan Kettering. "Rather than compete against one another, we established a consortium and agreed to share data in real time. That was transformative," says Olive. Pancreatic cancer researchers have developed many different preclinical models of the disease over the years, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Rather than pick one, the expanded team tested RMC-7977 in all of them. "By unleashing a consortium of scientists on this problem, we were able to examine active RAS inhibition in every major class of model for pancreatic cancer, and this inhibitor performed really well in all," says Olive. The preclinical tumor model Olive's lab has long favored is widely recognized for its broad resistance to treatment. "RMC-7977 as a single agent outperformed the best combination regimen that has ever been reported in the literature in that model system," he says, adding that it's the first time he's ever seen tumors routinely get smaller in those systems. Other models the consortium tested yielded similar results. Because RMC-7977 also inhibits wild-type RAS proteins essential to the health of many normal cells, the scientists also carefully examined normal tissues in the treated animals. This work showed that tumor cells are uniquely sensitive to the inhibitor, while the impact in normal cells was minimal. Though the initial responses in preclinical tumor models to the inhibitor were impressive, Olive hastens to point out that the tumors were not eliminated. "In almost every case, the tumor came back," he says. In tissue culture, the investigators identified another oncogene, called MYC, that was altered in most of the resistant tumors, then developed a combination treatment that was effective against tumor cells that had developed resistance to the active RAS inhibitor. Those results suggest a combinatorial approach that is worth exploring in patients in the future. In a field with a long history of failed drug development efforts, the new results are cause for optimism, Olive says. "I've been working on pancreatic cancer for almost 20 years, and I've never seen preclinical results like these. I think there is a real chance this approach will help change the standard of care for pancreatic cancer patients, but only clinical trials can determine that. I'm excited that Columbia is one of many institutions participating in the clinical development of these new agents." More information: Kenneth Olive, Tumor-selective activity of RAS-GTP inhibition in pancreatic cancer, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07379-z. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07379-z Journal information: Nature Tava Smathers, an adjunct instructor at the University of Montana, teaches future school librarians via an online platform. For her job, high-speed, reliable internet service is crucial. So she was ecstatic on Monday morning to be the first customer of TDS Telecom in Missoula. The company will be installing fiber-optic internet in Missoula and Lolo, and they also provide phone and digital TV options. The first time we heard about it, we signed up because were geeks, Smathers said. I was living with dial-up internet in the Bitterroot. So this is fantastic. The company has been busy building its physical network across Missoula, and they have a goal of wiring about 1,700 customers here in the first year. The investment for TDS is right around $55 million just to get Missoula live, said company sales associate Dan Maronick. TDS Telecom is based in Wisconsin and has networks in cities across the country. Ryan Corwin, the associate manager for field marketing, said pretty much anyone who lives in the Missoula metro area will be able to sign up for the service if they desire. In 2021, the Missoula city council approved the companys application to use public right-of-way areas to build out its network. Monday marks the first time in decades that a hard-wired internet company will be competing head-to-head with Spectrum (formerly known as Charter Communications) in the Missoula urban area. Blackfoot Communications also provides fiber communications service in western Montana, but Blackfoot CEO Jason Williams said he doesn't really see TDS as a competitor because the companies have different business models and mostly different service areas. Historically weve never had cable companies compete head-to-head, pursuant to the federal communications law, said former Missoula city attorney Jim Nugent during an Oct. 20, 2021, city council committee meeting. This is going to be the first time that youll have direct competition with cable companies. Right now, TDS is offering a 300 megabyte plan for $49.99 a month, which is the price a customer would pay for life. Corwin said the company offers upload and download speeds of up to 8 gigabytes to residential customers, and businesses can get 10 gigabyte connections. The company uses a horizontal drilling technique, so they don't need to disturb people's yards to get the wires to homes. Corwin said the company's upload and download speeds are the same, which is known in the business as "symmetrical." That means people like Smathers can talk online with her students and not have any lag time back-and-forth. "Traditionally with like a coaxial cable hookup, you're gonna say maybe up to 300 megabytes download, but probably 10-20 upload and that's about it," Corwin said. "The other one is we're not affected by weather and traditional outage causers like that because fiber is all glass and is fed by light." Some parts of Missoula will be ready for installation at later times than other parts. People can register for installation by going to the TDS Telecom website. In March of last year, Gov. Greg Gianforte celebrated a ribbon-cutting at the TDS warehouse in Missoula. Through the expansion of its fiber network in Montana, TDS Telecom will provide reliable service to over 100,000 homes and businesses and support 70 Montana jobs, Gianforte said at the time. A saint and a king are remembered Dr. King and St. Oscar Romero remembrance (Photo courtesy of Seton Hall University/SHU) Seton Hall University paid tribute to two monumental champions of civil rights from the 20th century by reading the works of St. Oscar Romero and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., effectively showcasing their enduring legacies of courage, justice, and hope. I had a vision for multiple collaborations that could occur between the University Core Program and the MLK Leadership Program, so the Romero-King annual events grew out of the mutual collaboration with the MLK Leadership Program and shared vision of focusing on mission-based social justice, said Nancy Enright, Ph.D., a professor of English and director of the University Core program. Enright said that St. Oscar Romero and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed questions of good and evil, the nature of God, and our relationship with God through their words, lives, and deaths. They also reflected on the concept of community. Students, faculty and administrators gathered at the vigil-on-the-green in the heart of Seton Halls campus to commemorate Salvadoran Roman Catholic archbishop, now St. Oscar Romero, who spoke out against the violent activities of government armed forces, right-wing groups, and leftist guerrillas involved in El Salvadors bloody civil war. They also honored King, who fought for the civil rights of Black and poor working-class people in the United States. Dont miss an issue of our FREE Mosaic newsletter! Get it delivered each Tuesday right into your inbox. Since 2020, there has been an annual tradition of ceremonially reading aloud from the writings of both men. This custom underscores their significance in matters of faith, social justice, and human rights, while also serving as a commemoration of their martyrdom. Romero was assassinated in El Salvador while celebrating mass on March 24, 1980, and King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee where he was offering support to striking sanitation workers. MLK Jr. Remembrance at Seton Hall University Rev. Dr. Forrest M. Pritchett listens to prayer during an event honoring Martin Luther King Jr. on the University Green at Seton Hall University on Thursday, April 4, 2024. He said, "We honor these two individuals from the Protestant and Catholic traditions who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of their God and as they stood to speak against the forces of darkness and oppression." (John J. LaRosa | For NJ Advance /John J. LaRosa | For NJ Advance ) Their sacrifices were twelve years apart, but the communality of their purpose and motivation show them to be brothers of the same spirit and adherents to the truth of the same word, said Rev. Dr Forrest Pritchett, former Senior Adviser to Provost for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and the Program Director, Martin Luther King Leadership Program. We can learn a valuable lesson from them on taking a stand for justice. Mary Balkun, Ph.D., a professor of English at Seton Hall, selected a powerful sermon written by King to read. This sermon focused on the Black communitys response to segregation, emphasizing the importance of not relenting to the unjust system but instead fighting and holding fast to hope. Though he says we, as a people have long dreamed of freedom, but we are still confined to an oppressive prison of segregation and discrimination must do? Must we respond to his disappointed hope with bitterness and cynicism? Certainly not. This will only distort a poison our personality, must we conclude that the existence of segregation is a part of the will of God and thereby resign ourselves to the fate of oppression? Of course not for such a course would be blasphemy, because of attributes to God, something that should be attributed to the devil. Moreover, to accept passively an unjust system is to cooperate with that system. Thereby the oppressed, become as evil as the oppressor. Maribel Landrau is the assistant director of the University Core Curriculum, and an adjunct faculty member. She teaches St. Oscar Romero in two of her courses Christianity and Culture in Dialogue and Theology of St. Oscar Romero and Pope Francis. She said Romeros Sunday homilies were full of hope for the people of El Salvador. Everyone looked forward to his two-hour homilies on Sundays. The excerpt she read was taken from a homily by St. Oscar Romero on Easter Sunday, March 26, 1978. Christ Has Risen! Christ is Alive! You are men and women of our time, feeling anguish and despair at so many problems and seeking paradise here on earth. Do not look for it here; seek it in the risen Christ. Let us unload on him our concerns, our anxieties, our problems, and let us place all our hopes in him. He is everything for humanity; he is the source of happiness. The one anointed by the Spirit of God holds in his human and glorious aspect the answer for all humankind. Let us not doubt it, sisters and brothers. We can say even more justifiably today what St. Paul told us on Good Friday as we beheld the humiliated Christ: With confidence let us draw near to the throne of grace, the throne of the Almighty, the throne of happiness and joy (Heb 4:16). Christ is the fountain that satisfies every kind of thirst for all who draw near to him with faith. Romero was declared a martyr and then a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in recognition of his great holiness, including his speaking out for human rights and social justice in El Salvador. His being declared a martyr for laying down his life for speaking out in this way shows the importance of social justice in Catholic teaching, Enright said. This is a quote from Romero from his last sermon, just before he was killed on the altar while performing a funeral mass in the Chapel of Divine Providence Hospital. The Church preaches your liberation just as we have preached it in the Holy Bible today. It is a liberation that has, above all else, respect for the human person, hope for humanitys common good, and the transcendence that looks before all to God and only from God derives its hope and its strength. To learn more about these slain civil rights leaders watch and read the following for a deeper understanding of their place history and impact on the world. Watch: Romero on YouTube. Read: The Scandal of Redemption: When God Liberates the Poor, Saves Sinners, and Heals Nations by Oscar Romero Watch: Selma streaming now on Paramount Plus. Watch: King A Filmed Record Montgomery to Memphis view the feature length documentary on YouTube. Read: Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Read more stories like this on Mosaic: MLKs granddaughter, others at UN hold an International Day of Remembrance A community pays tribute to a man killed by the police For the 1st time, Seton Hall welcomes a NAACP chapter on campus Ande Richards wants to hear from New Jerseys communities of color, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ communities, and those who feel underserved by traditional media. She may be reached at arichards@njadvancemedia.com. Welcome to Mosaic. Follow us on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom and on YouTube at @MosaicNJco Police in Kitui shot and killed a pastor during a robbery with violence incident at Kavisuni market in Kisasi district. The pastor was allegedly part of a gang that raided a wholesale shop belonging to Muli Munyoki last week and robbed him at gunpoint. According to the shop owner, the robbers, posing as police officers, confronted him after he had closed, claiming they were investigating a case of stolen goods suspected to be sold in his shop. They presented themselves as police officers from Kitui Police Station tracking stolen goods and demanded to check my stock. Once inside the shop, they drew guns and ordered me and the night guard to lie down, said Mr. Munyoki. Allegedly, the robbers stole Kes.5,000 in cash from the trader and forced him to surrender his mobile phone, while they ransacked the shop for valuables and additional cash. Amidst the commotion, police officers from the nearby Kavisuni police post were alerted and rushed to Mr. Munyokis shop. They found the robbers exiting while still holding the trader by his shirt collars. Police reported that officers instructed them to surrender, but instead, they brandished guns and attempted to escape on a motorcycle. The crimebusters opened fire, resulting in the pastors death, while his accomplice fled into the darkness with gunshot wounds on his left hand. Reports indicate that the robbers operated two churches in the Matinyani area of Kitui West. The slain pastor, identified as Ezekiel Muinde Mwangangi, preached at the Heaven City Chapel based in the Soweto area while also overseeing a new branch at Kauma Market, located around five kilometers away. Preliminary investigations revealed that on a fateful day, the two suspects hired a motorcycle with registration number KMDG 118K from a friend at Katyethoka market. They pretended that they needed to transport their church music system to an open crusade within the municipality. However, they diverted from their stated destination and proceeded to commit robbery with violence at Kavisuni market, approximately 40 kilometers away. According to Kitui County Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Eng Samuel Bett, the police officers were unaware that the robbers were masquerading as pastors. The information about the robber being a pastor emerged later after his body had been taken to the mortuary, the DCI boss said as quoted by the Nation. The pastor was found in possession of a toy pistol, a sharp double-edged dagger, and a fake police radio communication device. Meanwhile, his accomplice is suspected to be armed with a real firearm. Bett confirmed that detectives have questioned several individuals, including the owner of the motorcycle used by the robbers, while other members of the public have provided crucial information voluntarily. Kalimani location Chief Cyrus Kitwai Malombe confirmed that Pastor Ezekiel Muinde was part of the leadership of the Soweto church. Mr. Malombe, upon receiving the information, visited the church and confirmed that the deceased robber was indeed their pastor. He was an active leader in praise and worship sessions, where he played and taught other worshippers how to play the piano. The community around was shocked that a pastor they knew was not only involved in a robbery with violence but also killed in a shootout with police, the Chief said. Guwahati: In a move to bring peace to the state, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has said that the central government has sanctioned Rs. 100 crore rehabilitation package for the surrendered militants of the Nationalist Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), one of the banned outfits, operating from hideouts in hilly areas of Bangladesh. Under the Special Economic Development Package for indigenous people of Tripura, the central government has sanctioned Rs. 100 crore for the NLFT activists who laid down arms to join mainstream life. All of them quit the path of violence, the Chief Minister said in a public meeting held at Gabordi on Sunday in the West Tripura district. "Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!" Saha was canvassing for West Tripura candidate for Lok Sabha elections, Biplab Kumar Deb, in the interior village. Describing Prime Minister Modi as the ultimate troubleshooter, Saha said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the remedy to all problems. He keeps solving problems in all spheres. For instance, since 2014, as many as 12 accords have been signed that are exclusively aimed at establishing peace and tranquillity in the North East region. The last accord was with the Tipra Motha Party, which joined the ruling coalition recently. AGARTALA: Tripura chief minister Manik Saha announced that the central government has allocated a sum of Rs 100 crore for surrendered militants of the Nationalist Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), a proscribed group known for operating in hilly regions of Bangladesh. Saha explained during a public gathering in Gabordi, West Tripura district, that the central government has approved this allocation under the Special Economic Development Package for Indigenous People of Tripura, aimed at facilitating the integration of former NLFT members into society and away from violence. "Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!" The funds will be directed towards various support programs, such as skill development training, education, and employment opportunities, emphasizing the governments commitment to a comprehensive approach to conflict resolution, centered on rehabilitation and reintegration. Tripura will go to polls in two phases on April 19 and 26. The state has two Lok Sabha seats: Tripura West and Tripura East, both of which are held by the BJP. Green efforts gain more ground 08:38, April 08, 2024 By Xu Wei and Yuan Hui ( Chinadaily.com.cn The state-owned Xinhua Forest Farm in Linhe district, Bayannuur, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on June 14. [Photo/Xinhua] Braving high winds and occasional sandstorms, Du Wenhua and his co-workers engaged in meticulously orchestrated efforts to afforest an expansive stretch of sand dunes and deserts in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. It took them less than five minutes to plant a saxaul sapling, which can survive with minimum water in arid conditions. They plan to afforest over 5,000 hectares of sandy areas this month to protect farmland from nearby deserts. Over the past decades, Du has led the workers of the Xinhua Forest Farm in Bayannuur to spearhead the charge against the bastions of desertification, planting over 2.8 million trees to transform barren land into belts of green resistance. The forest farm stands at the forefront of China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, which was launched in 1978 to hold back the expansion of the Gobi Desert. The project, which spans 13 provincial-level regions in the nation's northwestern, northern and northeastern regions, is expected to be completed by 2050. It also epitomizes China's broader efforts to fight desertification and build a beautiful country. The farm received an important guest in June, when President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made a fact-finding trip to the farm in northern China to learn about the progress in the shelter forest program and inspect the sandy land under transformation. "For the better survival and development of humanity, the prevention and control of desertification is a must. This is a process akin to pushing a rock uphill, where any relaxation could lead to regression," Xi told workers at the farm. The president used the trip to Inner Mongolia to call for sustained efforts to create new miracles in tackling desertification, setting out a target to develop the Three-North program into an unbreakable "green Great Wall" within 10 years. Xi renewed that commitment on Wednesday when he joined volunteers at a tree-planting event in Beijing. After planting a number of saplings at a forest park in the capital's Tongzhou district, Xi told the crowd gathered at the site that the event is aimed at encouraging people to take actions and join the country's afforestation efforts to add a greener hue to the building of a beautiful China. He underlined the Three-North region as the main battlefield for national greening efforts, saying that more resources should be concentrated on the construction of the Three-North program to fortify the "green Great Wall" in northern China. The trip to Inner Mongolia and his participation in the tree-planting event were part of Xi's broader engagement in national efforts to fight desertification and promote the greening of the country. Since he took the Party's top office in November 2012, Xi has taken part in afforestation efforts in the Chinese capital every year. He has also visited at least three forest farms over the past four years, highlighting the importance of making parallel efforts in afforestation and protection of forests. According to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China has completed afforestation over an area of 112 million hectares in the past decade, increasing the nation's forest coverage to 231 million hectares. China's forest coverage exceeded 24 percent as of 2023, while the area of its man-made forests reached 87.6 million hectares, ranking first in the world. Cheng Xiaoqin, an associate professor of forest ecology at Beijing Forestry University, said the strong emphasis from China's top leadership has been instrumental in the nation's success in pushing back the expansion of deserts and expanding its forest cover. "Through his personal involvement in tree-planting events and close interaction with forest farm workers, the president has inspired the general public to actively participate in ecological construction," she said. "Pursuing green development and promoting harmony between humanity and nature is at the heart of China's afforestation programs," Cheng added. Call for further action Du, from the Xinhua Forest Farm, still remembers every detail of his interaction with Xi. "I found the president to be very approachable and kind. It was like a conversation between family members." During his visit to the forest farm, Xi carefully inspected a desert false indigo shrub by the roadside, while Du explained the plant's drought-resistant and flood-tolerant nature, and its well-developed root system. The president offered recognition to the workers at the farm for their approaches to selecting saplings that are most adaptable to the desert environment. On Wednesday, Xi reiterated the significance of advancing large-scale national afforestation in a scientific manner, saying that the right variety of tree should be chosen for the right place to ensure that every sapling planted grows and every afforested area flourishes. Xi emphasized the imperative need to put in place sound efforts for fire prevention and control in order to safeguard the hard-won results of afforestation. Du said the farm has now broadened its focus to nurturing sapling nurseries and implementing fire prevention measures, thereby ensuring the sustainable development of the area. "For me, taking a walk under the shade of forests we planted is the largest source of my personal accomplishment," he added. Yuan Xiaodong, deputy head of the forestry and grassland bureau of Bayannuur, said the messages from Xi represented the latest call for actions to step up the battle against desertification. The messages have enabled local authorities to come up with new action plans, setting new benchmarks for the in-depth advancement of the Three-North program, Yuan said. He added that the battle against desertification must effectively address sand encroachment, water damage, salinization, problems with protective forests and overgrazing on grassland as well as better ensure the protection of rivers, lakes and wetlands. Xi reiterated on Wednesday that China still has a long way to go in terms of its afforestation efforts, saying that the nation continues to face significant challenges, with a lack of forests and greenery and the potential wealth of forests not being fully tapped. The nation's tree-planting programs must be conducted one season after another, and also one generation after another, in order to secure China's "green assets", he said. The central government has earmarked 12 billion yuan ($1.66 billion) this year to support the continuous implementation of the Three-North program. Cheng, from Beijing Forestry University, said the sustained development of the Three-North program will build up the resilience and stability of ecosystems in the nation's arid northern regions, and promote the coordinated development of ecology, environment and the economy. "The nation should and must continue with a holistic and systematic approach to conserving and improving mountain, water, forest, farmland, grassland and desert ecosystems in the Three-North region, and ensure these ecosystems are healthy, stable and fully functional," she said. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) 16:28 In an interview with PTI at Titabor in Jorhat district, Sarma slammed Gandhi for raking up topics such as caste census and Manipur violence in Assam without having a proper briefing on the ground situation. He claimed that more leaders of the grand old party will join the BJP after the Lok Sabha elections. "During 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', he (Gandhi) did a lot of (political) harakiri on the roads. People, including Congress leaders, got very offended. That helped us a lot," he said when asked if the yatra would have any impact on Lok Sabha elections in the state. Sarma claimed the exodus from Congress started after the yatra and it is continuing. "Rahul doesn't know the culture of a state. He doesn't study or discuss with his colleagues. He comes and irritates people. If we go to a state, we will have a proper briefing like who are the cultural icons, what things are to be said or not to be said and what are the sensitivities of that state," he added. The Chief Minister, who travels extensively across India to campaign for BJP during different elections, claimed that he takes briefing and debriefing before going to a state so that nothing goes wrong. "Rahul comes without that kind of briefing. And he, directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, ends up humiliating the local people and that creates a problem," he added. Giving an example, Sarma said Gandhi raised the issues of caste census and Manipur violence in Assam although "none of these topics have any relevance here". "Assam is a casteless society and people do not believe in casteism. If suddenly someone comes here and talks about caste census, nobody will accept that. Caste census may be relevant in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, but not in Assam," he said. "When you come to Assam and go on speaking about Manipur, people feel disconnected because Manipur and Assam are two different states," Sarma said. He said neither Manipur has any impact on Assam nor has Assam any impact on Manipur. "But many people coming to Assam started asking questions about Manipur. That means they came without briefing. Every time, Rahul comes to Assam without taking a briefing of Assam and that's the problem," Sarma said. When asked if it was the fault of Assam Congress for not briefing Gandhi properly, Sarma, who was once a member of the opposition party, chose to blame the Wayanad MP, calling him as an "impatient" person. "Getting an audience for the briefing is the problem. You have to give time, you have to have patience. He (Gandhi) is an impatient person. You need a lot of patience to understand the culture, anthropology and geography. So, you have to give at least two hours before you come to a state," the BJP leader said. The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' passed through Assam from January 18 to 25, during which Gandhi had locked horns with Sarma, terming him "the most corrupt CM of India". The eight-day journey remained very eventful witnessing high-voltage drama, accusations from both sides, clashes and multiple FIRs at different police stations. Sarma, in several election campaign meetings in the last one month, claimed that all Congress leaders, including the party's state chief Bhupen Kumar Borah will join the BJP in the coming days. Asked if he made this statement on the basis of facts or if it was just political rhetoric, the BJP leader said, "Today, if you go to the Congress headquarters or any district office, you will see empty chairs and empty rooms. Because in the last three months, most of the Congress people I know have joined the BJP." "Now, there are hardly 30-40 state leaders in the Congress. I think that after Lok Sabha elections, all other leaders will join the BJP," he said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that an "exodus" of Congress leaders began after Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' passed through the state. 23:06 India is likely to experience a normal monsoon this year, private weather forecasting agency Skymet said on Tuesday and predicted more rainfall in the second half of the season. Scientists at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have also detected early signs of a favourable monsoon season this year with fading El Nino conditions and reduced snow cover over Eurasia. The Met office will issue a monsoon forecast later this month. However, normal cumulative rainfall does not mean uniform temporal and spatial distribution of rain across the country, with climate change further increasing the variability of the rain-bearing system. Climate scientists say the number of rainy days is declining while heavy rain events -- more rain over a short period -- are increasing, leading to frequent droughts and floods. Skymet said the upcoming monsoon is expected to be 'normal', accounting for 102 per cent (with an error margin of 5 per cent) of the long-period average (LPA) of 868.6 mm for the four months from June to September. Rainfall between 96 per cent and 104 per cent of the LPA is considered normal. Skymet expects sufficiently good rains in the south, west, and northwest regions. The core monsoon rain-fed zones of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will receive adequate rainfall. However, the eastern states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal are at risk of deficit rainfall during the peak monsoon months of July and August. Northeast India is likely to observe less than normal rains during the first half of the season. According to Jatin Singh, the managing director at Skymet, 'El Nino is swiftly flipping over to La Nina. And, monsoon circulation tends to be stronger during La Nina years.' 'Also, the transition from Super El Nino to strong La Nina has historically tended to produce a decent monsoon. However, the monsoon season may start with a risk of impairment, attributable to the remnant effects of El Nino. The second half of the season will have an overwhelming edge over the primal phase,' he said. India received 'below-average' cumulative rainfall -- 820 mm compared to the long-period average of 868.6 mm -- in 2023, an El Nino year. Before 2023, India recorded 'normal' and 'above-normal' rainfall in the monsoon season for four years in a row. El Nino conditions -- periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean -- are associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. IMD officials earlier this month said La Nina conditions, associated with a favourable monsoon in India, are likely to set in the second part of the season. Three large-scale climatic phenomena are considered for forecasting monsoon season rainfall. The first is El Nino, the second is the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which occurs due to differential warming of the western and eastern sides of the equatorial Indian Ocean, and the third is the snow cover over the northern Himalayas and the Eurasian landmass, which also has an impact on the Indian monsoon through the differential heating of the landmass. A preliminary forecast of a positive IOD this season will work in tandem with La Nina for better monsoon prospects, Skymet said. Nonetheless, the start of the season is expected to be aberrated due to the quick transition from El Nino to La Nina. Also, the rainfall distribution is likely to be diverse and inequitable for the season as a whole, it said. The southwest monsoon delivers about 70 per cent of India's annual rainfall, which is critical for the agriculture sector. Agriculture accounts for about 14 per cent of the GDP and employs more than half of its 1.4 billion population. -- PTI Top Russia diplomat Lavrov arrives in China Sergei Lavrov will will spend two days in Beijing. File photo: AFP Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China for an official visit on Monday, his ministry said, as the two countries look to strengthen diplomatic ties as Russia's military offensive in Ukraine grinds on. It announced Lavrov had touched down in Beijing in a post on X on Monday morning. He will spend two days in the capital and hold meetings with his counterpart Wang Yi, according to a previous readout from the ministry. "An in-depth exchange of points of view is expected on a certain number of 'burning subjects'," the statement said, citing "the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region". It added they would "discuss a wide range of questions linked to bilateral cooperation, as well as cooperation on the international scene". Lavrov last visited Beijing in October for an international forum on President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. (AFP) German leader Scholz to visit China German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in his upcoming China visit. File photo: Reuters German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to China on Saturday for a three-day visit that will include talks with President Xi Jinping. Scholz will meet Xi and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing at the end of his trip on April 16, the chancellor's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said at a press conference on Monday. The German chancellor will also travel to the central city of Chongqing on Sunday, before heading to Shanghai on Monday. Along the way, Scholz will hold talks with German business executives and give a speech at a university in Shanghai. He will be accompanied by a trio of cabinet ministers and a German industrial delegation. The visit to China is Scholz's second since he became chancellor, with the first in November 2022. Scholz has insisted there will be no "decoupling" from its biggest trading partner, but Germany has also been cautiously nurturing relationships with other countries in Southeast Asia. As well as trade issues, the war in Ukraine will also be on the agenda during the talks with Xi. "I think China has influence on Russia and our wish would be for China to be able to exercise the influence it has," Hebestreit said. (AFP) The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), in collaboration with the Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), is spearheading an initiative aimed at fostering collaboration and partnership in the realm of vocational education and training between Australia and India. According to a press release, a 33-member future skills delegation, comprising experts across digital technologies, energy, and infrastructure sectors, is set to embark on a transformative journey to India, where they will engage with key stakeholders to enhance collaboration in future skills training area - universities, and corporate entities. Scheduled from April 8- April 11, the Australia-India Industry Skills Partnership Summit in New Delhi is poised to be a pivotal event in the bilateral relationship between the two nations. Aligned with the Australian Government's commitment outlined in its Update to an India Economic Strategy to 2035, the summit aims to consolidate efforts to bolster vocational education and training linkages between Australia and India. In a concerted effort to strengthen bilateral ties and foster collaboration in the realm of skills development, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), on behalf of the Australian Government, orchestrated a landmark initiative. The delegation, comprising experts in digital technologies, energy, and infrastructure, is poised to engage with stakeholders in New Delhi, Pune, and Chennai. With a dual objective of enhancing market literacy and catalyzing skills partnership momentum, the delegation seeks to forge robust business ties between Australian and Indian entities. This endeavour is a crucial component of the Australian Government's Australia-India Future Skills Initiative (FSI), a strategic program aimed at facilitating collaboration between Australian skills providers, Indian skilling institutions, and corporates. The overarching goal is to identify collaborative models and partnerships for skills delivery in India, thereby addressing the nation's burgeoning labour force requirements. Following the summit, parallel 2-day Business Programs will unfold in Pune and Chennai from April 10 to April 11. These programs offer an invaluable opportunity for the Australian Future Skills delegation to engage directly with Indian counterparts, facilitating knowledge exchange and partnership exploration. Australia's education and training providers are renowned globally for delivering world-class skills training across nearly 50 locations worldwide. Driven by industry expertise and designed to meet evolving workforce needs, Australia's skills training sector operates across schools, vocational education and training, and higher education sectors, underpinned by robust quality assurance mechanisms. Commenting on the significance of the delegation visit, Catherine Gallagher, Minister-Commercial and Head of Austrade South Asia highlighted Australia's esteemed reputation in vocational education and skills training. Gallagher underscored the timeliness of the delegation amid the strategic and economic alignment between Australia and India, emphasizing its pivotal role in addressing India's critical labour force requirements. Gallagher said, "Australia has a reputation for world-class vocational education and skills training. This delegation comes at a time when Australia and India are more strategically and economically aligned than ever before. This delegation will connect Australian vocational education and training providers with Indian learners and industry to help meet India's critical and emerging labour force requirements". She added, "I am sure the Australia-India Industry Skills Partnership Summit and Business Program will support our skills ecosystems to forge meaningful partnerships and programs for the future", In the fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23), India emerged as Australia's 9th largest trading partner, while Australia secured the 13th spot in India's trading landscape. Major exports from India to Australia encompassed a diverse array of commodities, including petroleum products, engineering goods, drugs and pharmaceuticals, textiles and apparel, and gems and jewellery. The bilateral trade between India and Australia in FY23 stood at an impressive USD 25.9 billion, maintaining the momentum from the previous fiscal year which recorded trade at USD 25.0 billion. India's goods exports to Australia amounted to USD 6.89 billion, while imports totalled USD 19.01 billion during FY23. Notably, the bilateral trade in goods and services surged to USD 27.5 billion in 2021, showcasing a significant uptick from USD 18 billion in 2020. India's robust export portfolio to Australia comprised a myriad of products, with petroleum products leading the pack at USUSD 3.08 billion, followed by engineering goods, drugs and pharmaceuticals, raw cotton including accessories, and gems and jewellery, collectively amounting to USUSD 944 million, USUSD 305 million, USUSD 230 million, and USUSD 209 million, respectively, during April-November 2023. On the import front, India procured a substantial volume of commodities from Australia, with mineral coal, coke, and briquettes accounting for a significant chunk at USD 7.2 billion. Other major imports included natural and precious pearls, bulk mineral and ores, and processed minerals, totalling USD 1.6 billion, USD 545 million, and USD 389 million, respectively, during April-November 2023. The bilateral relationship between India and Australia has witnessed significant milestones and agreements, underscoring the commitment to bolster cooperation across various domains: The inaugural India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in September 2021 highlighted the growing convergence on security issues and shared commitment to a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. The signing of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) on April 2, 2022, paved the way for duty-free access to a wide array of goods and relaxed norms to promote trade in services. This agreement is expected to boost bilateral trade to USD 45 billion in the next five years. Bilateral meetings, joint initiatives, and strategic dialogues between key officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, underscored the commitment to enhance collaboration across sectors. The free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Australia came into effect on December 29, 2022, aiming to bolster trade ties and facilitate bilateral trade in goods and services, targeting a value of over USD 70 billion in the next five years. The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (#IndAusECTA) provides a robust institutional mechanism to encourage trade and covers a wide range of tariff lines, benefiting key sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles, engineering products, and automobiles. (ANI) One should never forget his/her roots - that's what actor Chris Hemsworth definitely believes. The 'Extraction' star recently paid a visit to the remote Australian community he lived in as a child. On Sunday, Chris took to Instagram and posted several photos on Instagram from his recent visit to the Northern Territory called Gulin Gulin, People reported. In the images, he can be seen posing with community members. https://www.instagram.com/p/C5eogXOBPLw/?hl=en&img_index=1 Hemsworth's carousel of images featured a throwback photo, presumably of him as a young boy, posing with other children. He also included a photo of a banner that was drawn for him with the words "Welcome home," Superman "S" symbols, stars, flowers, hearts and a man wearing a cape. Another image showed him meeting a young fan and autographing their shirt. "When I was younger my family and I lived in a remote community in the Northern Territory. Some of my earliest and happiest memories are from that time," he captioned the post. "Now, 35 years later I've been lucky enough to take a trip back there," he continued. "I couldn't be more grateful to the people of Gulin Gulin for welcoming us with such warmth and kindness. Much love and appreciation," he added. Meanwhile, Hemsworth has also been in the news for his health. He is making sure to dish out fitness goals among his fans. In an interview with Men's Health, Hemsworth revealed that he has made major lifestyle changes after learning about his high risk for getting Alzheimer's disease, Fox News reported. "Now, I'm incorporating more solitude into my life," Hemsworth, 40, shared. "I've always been pretty consistent with my exercise commitments, but lately I've really felt the importance of taking time for yourself without any outside voice or stimulation and making time for stillness," he added. The Thor star is now incorporating more time for "mindfulness work.""I do a lot of meditation and breath work, mostly during sauna and ice bath routines," he added. "For me, my favorite mindfulness work comes from the immersion in physical actives that allow me to be fully present and force me out of me head and into my body, in particular surfing." In a conversation with longevity physician Dr. Peter Attia, the actor learned that he is eight to 10 times more likely than the average individual to develop Alzheimer's disease."We've got every blood test one can get," Attia tells Hemsworth in the show. "And you've got two copies of APOE4. A set from your mom and a set from your dad." APOE4 is the gene that has the strongest correlation to the development of Alzheimer's disease; however, not much is known about it. At the time, Attia told the Australian actor, "It's my belief that if we take every step possible, we can reduce your risk to that of anyone else."Since then, Hemsworth has been making his health a top priority. (ANI) After making waves with her acting debut in Bollywood and showcasing her vocal prowess in 'Dil Kya Irada Tera' from the film 'Patna Shuklla,' Shehnaaz Gill treated fans with a single titled 'Dhup Lagdi' alongside actor Sunny Singh. Taking to Instagram, Shehnaaz shared the full song video and captioned it, "Enjoy the bliss of true love in every note with 'Dhup Lagdi'. Full Song Out Now." https://www.instagram.com/p/C5fShGrNsNE/ The song tells the tale of a small town whose farmers were forced to relocate in search of employment after floods destroyed their crops. It depicts the way the village's women bid their fathers and husbands farewell as they head out to find employment. In the video, when Sunny Singh leaves the countryside, Shehnaaz feels emotional over watching him go. 'Dhup Lagdi'" produced by none other than the musical maestro Anshul Garg under DMF Play. Anshul Garg, the creative force behind DMF Play, expressed his delight at collaborating with Shehnaaz and Sunny, emphasising their unique talents and the infectious energy they bring to the project. Recently, talking about this collaboration, Anshul said, "Our aim is to create something new and unique for the listeners and viewers, that can stay with them for a long time. Our tracks have connected with the audience well, and this new song with Shehnaaz and Sunny is also going to create the same impact." This collaboration marks Sunny Singh's debut in the music video world, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the upcoming release. Before this venture, Anshul Garg delivered a string of musical hits, showcasing his knack for creating chart-toppers that resonate with audiences worldwide. His partnership with Shehnaaz on the song 'Shona Shona' was met with resounding success, further solidifying his reputation as a powerhouse producer. (ANI) American actor Jennifer Aniston shared a moment from her and Paul Rudd's 2012 movie 'Wanderlust' in celebration of the actor's birthday, reported People. Jennifer Aniston wished her friend and former costar Paul Rudd a happy birthday. Aniston, 55, posted a scene from their 2012 film Wanderlust starring her and Rudd, who turned 55 on April 6, on her Instagram Stories on to wish Rudd well. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL RUDD," she wrote in a caption to the video. "I love you, you ageless freak!" Aniston shared a scene from 'Wanderlust', a comedy in which she and Rudd play a married couple who relocate from New York City to a commune in Georgia after losing their jobs. The scene shows various commune members, including Kathryn Hahn, Alan Alda, Jordan Peele, and others, chastising Rudd's character after he swatts a fly out of the air. Wanderlust marks Rudd and Aniston's second collaboration on the big screen. The two previously costarred in 1998's The Object of My Affection. Rudd also had a memorable supporting role as Mike Hannigan, a love interest for Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe, in the final two seasons of Aniston's television series 'Friends'. Rudd has developed a reputation for seemingly never ageing over 30 years and counting working in the film and television industry, which Aniston has shouted out in past social media posts marking the actor's birthday. "Happy birthday #PaulRudd!! You don't age, which is weird - but we celebrate you anyway..," she wrote in a similar post shared to her Instagram Stories on Rudd's 52nd birthday back in 2021. Aniston also echoed that comment later in 2021 when she congratulated Rudd on becoming People's Sexiest Man Alive, writing on the social media platform, "You don't age, which is weird, but we still love you." "People ask me, 'Can you send me your meal plan? How many times a week do you work out? Do you drink? Do you eat carbs? Do you have a cheat day?' The most important part of training is sleep," he shared at the time. Rudd, who has been married to his wife Julie Yaeger since 2003, most recently appeared on the big screen in 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife', reported People. (ANI) Equating the death of gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari with the Russia's leader of the opposition, Alexei Navalny who died in prison, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav met the family of deceased gangster and praised "Umar Ansari's grandfather for their role in the freedom struggle of the country". After meeting the family of Mukhtar Ansari, the Samajwadi Party Chief on Sunday said that whatever happened was "shocking" for everyone. "Whatever happened was shocking for everyone. What's even more shocking is, that Mukhtar Ansari himself said that he was being poisoned. Did Manu and Umar Ansari's grandfather not have any role to play during the freedom struggle? The government wants to hide these things," the SP chief told reporters. Akhilesh Yadav lauded the "contribution" of the family of Ansari and said that his family is involved in the welfare of the poor. "Sometimes people sitting far away do not realise the image of a person. He was not how we were presented to the people... This family is still involved in the welfare of the poor. This is why thousands of people gathered here and gave a message to the family that they stand with the them in these times... How can we accept that this was a natural death?... Even in Russia, the leader of the opposition was poisoned and killed inside jail," he added. Meanwhile, Alexey Navalny, who passed away at the age of 47 on February 16, according to the Russian prison service, had long been a persistent critic of President Vladimir Putin, exposing corruption at high levels, advocating against the ruling United Russia party, and organising major anti-government protests in recent years, CNN reported. Mukhtar Ansari's son, Umar Ansari, said that Akhilesh Yadav came and met the family and he boosted our "confidence." "My mother and brother were not there... My relationship with my father is different, but millions of others considered my father as their messiah. He gave courage to not just the family, but to all the followers of my father... We will fight a legal battle and have faith in our judiciary... Not just Muslims, but people of all castes and faiths still come and pay their respects at his grave," he added. Mukhtar Ansari passed away at Banda Medical College Hospital in Uttar Pradesh after he suffered a cardiac arrest on March 28. In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP-MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990. (ANI) Cautioning the people in the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party will "incite riots" in the state on April 17 ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a public meeting, Mamata Banerjee said, "Hold rallies and meetings but do not riot. It is they (BJP) who will riot. Voting is on April 19 and they will riot on April 17. Lord Ram does not tell you to riot but these people will riot and by rioting, they will get the NIA to enter the state." Earlier today, categorically denying any mala fide in its recent actions in West Bengal's Bhupatinagar area, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) refuted the allegations of unlawful actions levelled against it and dismissed the entire controversy as unfortunate. The NIA made it clear that its actions were bona fide, lawful and legally mandated, as part of it's ongoing investigation into the heinous crime related to the fabrication of crude bombs, leading to an explosion that killed three people in Naruabila village, PS Bhupatinagar district, Purba Medinipur, in West Bengal. The NIA has reiterated that it's team came under violent attack by an unruly mob when they went to conduct searches in Naruabila village on Saturday in connection with it's probe in the said case. After an attack on the officials of the National Investigation Agency in the Purba Medinipur area of West Bengal, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday said that attacks on central agencies cannot be justified. "We condemn the attack on ED, CBI, and NIA in Bengal by government-supported goons. Whether NIA and CBI are right or not, is a different issue, but the way these agencies are being misused, INDIA alliance has been agitating against it. I cannot justify these attacks on the central agencies. We have the judiciary, which can be approached in case of any grievance," he said. The NIA on Saturday arrested two accused, Manobrata Jana and Bailicharan Maity, for their involvement in the crude bomb explosion case. Following the Special Court's order, the NIA conducted the searches on Saturday, which culminated in the arrest of the two accused, who were found to be involved in the case. Polling for the Lok Sabha in Bengal will take place across all 7 phases, starting April 19. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4. (ANI) Lauding the country's rapid progress under PM Modi's leadership, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday urged people to make BJP win in every Lok Sabha seat in Uttarakhand by more than 5 lakh votes. Uttarakhand will go to vote in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19. Voting in Uttarakhand will be held for five Lok Sabha seats. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP won all five seats taking the poll per cent to 61.7. Dhami on Sunday participated in a public meeting organised in favour of the BJP candidate from Tehri Lok Sabha seat, Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, in Main Bazar Chamba, Tehri. On this occasion, the Chief Minister paid tribute to Shridev Suman and Victoria Cross winner V.C. Gabar Singh by garlanding their statues. The Chief Minister said that this time the election is a historic one. "It is an election to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for the third time. Everyone is going to form Modi ji's government in the country. Today the discussion is on the BJP's 400+ seats. We have to make every Lok Sabha in Uttarakhand victorious by more than 5 lakh votes. He said that by voting for the lotus on April 19, Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah ji has to be made victorious again with a huge number of votes," he said. The Chief Minister said that the country is moving forward rapidly under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the country is setting new records of progress. "Work is going on on many schemes to benefit women, youth, farmers and the poor. Many schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, PM Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, and Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana have worked to change the lives of every person. Earlier schemes were made keeping in mind the people of a particular class. But today's schemes are made on the principle of Antyodaya," he added further. The Chief Minister said that the work culture has changed since 2014, under the leadership of the Prime Minister. Every person is now engaged in the upliftment of the country. Every moment of the Prime Minister is dedicated to the Indians. In the last 10 years, 25 crore people in the country have come out of the poverty line. He said that, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Section 370 has been removed from Jammu and Kashmir. Triple Talaq has been removed. As promised, the Citizenship Amendment Act has been implemented. He hailed the Indian Army, saying, "Giving a befitting reply to the enemies of the country, the army carried out a surgical strike. The soldiers are getting good clothes and weapons. After a long wait, a grand temple of Lord Ram has been built. Work is underway to build a guest house for the people of Uttarakhand in Ayodhya. Uttarakhand is a brave land and the soldiers here have sacrificed their lives to protect the country." The Chief Minister said that the God-like people of the state had formed the BJP government in the state by making the BJP win the assembly elections again. He said the state government has passed the Uniform Civil Code Bill as per its promise. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the state government has implemented many strict laws in the interest of Uttarakhand. "Anti-cheating law has been implemented to stop continuous cheating in examinations. Today talented youth are being selected in several examinations at the same time. Appointments equivalent to 22 years have been made in the last 2 years. An anti-riot law has been brought in. Women have been given a 30 percent horizontal reservation in government jobs. The Chief Minister's Empowered Sister Scheme has been started, and a platform is being prepared to sell the products made by women," he added. (ANI) After former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav met the family members of gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari who died recently, Union Minister BL Verma on Sunday said that the Samajwadi Party president has a history of supporting hooligans and criminals. "Akhilesh Yadav and the Samajwadi Party have a history of supporting hooligans and criminals. Mukhtar Ansari murdered so many people. This is just a political act of Muslim appeasement. BJP supports 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' but will never support mafias," BL Verma told ANI. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met the family of the deceased gangster and said that whatever happened was "shocking" for everyone. "Whatever happened was shocking for everyone. What's even more shocking is, that Mukhtar Ansari himself said that he was being poisoned. Did Manu and Umar Ansari's grandfather not have any role to play during the freedom struggle? The government wants to hide these things," the SP chief told reporters. Akhilesh Yadav lauded the "contribution" of the family of Ansari and said that his family is involved in the welfare of the poor. Mukhtar Ansari's son, Umar Ansari, said that Akhilesh Yadav came and met the family and he boosted our "confidence." "My mother and brother were not there. My relationship with my father is different, but millions of others considered my father as their messiah. He gave courage to not just the family, but to all the followers of my father. We will fight a legal battle and have faith in our judiciary... Not just Muslims, but people of all castes and faiths still come and pay their respects at his grave," he added. Mukhtar Ansari passed away at Banda Medical College Hospital in Uttar Pradesh after he suffered a cardiac arrest on March 28. In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP-MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990. (ANI) Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh lashed out at the centre and raised questions over the death of a sanitation worker due to a gas leak in Varanasi and promised to end manual scavenging. "On April 5, 2024, a sanitation worker in the Prime Minister's own Lok Sabha constituency died due to a gas leak when he entered a sewer without equipment. This is not a new case in Varanasi; during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, we were told that in the last ten years, more than 25 deaths have occurred in Banaras due to entering sewers," he lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Further accusing the Modi government of doing injustice to sanitation workers, he said that, on the other hand, Congress has made this promise in its manifesto that they will end the evil practice of manual scavenging. "All manual scavengers will be skilled for some other work and will be provided jobs. A dignified and safe life will be ensured for them," he added. He further ensured that the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 will be strictly enforced and anyone employing manual scavengers will be punished. He announced that a compensation of Rs 30 lakh will be given to the families of sanitation workers who lose their lives while performing manual scavenging work. Earlier in the day, Jairam Ramesh also posed questions for PM Modi, as the latter is all set to address a public rally in Bihar as part of his election campaign at 11 am on Sunday. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X, "Today, the Prime Minister heads to Nawada in Bihar--the state where the BJP orchestrated its latest government collapse. While they have excelled at forcing their way into power, the BJP's governance has left much to be desired." He alleged that the ruling BJP party does not hesitate to topple governments or use 'ill-gotten electoral bonds chanda' to buy and sell MLAs in desperate bids to cling to power. (ANI) The Delhi Police on Sunday raised an alarm over the concerning rise in incidents of drunken driving in the first quarter of 2024. During the year 2024, from January 1 to March 31, the Delhi Traffic Police initiated special drives against drunken driving and booked 6591 violators, compared to 399 in 2022 and 5384 in 2023. According to the statistics, there has been a notable increase in the number of cases related to drunken driving between the period of January to March 2024 compared to the corresponding period in the previous years. "The rise in such incidents is alarming and demands immediate attention from both law enforcement agencies and the public," the Delhi police said in an official statement. Further, the Delhi Traffic Police also conducted a comprehensive analysis of the top ten traffic circles with the highest number of challans issued in the year 2024. This analysis sheds light on areas where traffic violations are most prevalent, allowing for targeted enforcement efforts to improve road safety and compliance with traffic laws. In response to this concerning surge in cases, the Delhi Traffic Police have intensified their efforts to crack down on drunken driving. Strict enforcement measures, including increased checking, and breathalyzer tests, are being implemented to deter individuals from engaging in this hazardous behaviour. Furthermore, the Delhi Traffic Police urged the citizens of Delhi to prioritize safety and act responsibly while driving. It is imperative for every individual to recognize the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and refrain from doing so, an official statement by the Delhi police read. The Delhi Traffic Police also emphasized the importance of community involvement in combating the menace of drunken driving. Citizens are encouraged to report any instances of suspected drunken driving promptly, thereby contributing to the collective effort to create safer roads for everyone, police said. (ANI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday hit out at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) saying that the opposition is "Teen Tigada Kaam Bigada," adding that the Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP is going to win all seats in Vidarbha. "Mahayuti (BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP alliance) is getting a good response in Vidarbha. There is such an atmosphere that the Mahayuti will win all the Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha. In two to three days, the Mahayuti will decide on the remaining seats. Maha Vikas Aghadi is "Teen Tigada Kaam Bigada". They have no agenda," CM Shinde said. Earlier in the day, the Maharashtra Chief Minister hailed the Centre as "the people's government" and said, hence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "getting a good response." Further, he said, "They (UBT Shiv Sena) need to do self-reflection." Uddhav Thackeray Faction leaders Babanrao Gholap and Sanjay Pawar, along with other workers, joined Shiv Sena in the presence of Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena Chief Eknath Shinde. Soon after joining the Shiv Sena, Gholap said that the Shiv Sena (UBT) had done injustice to him. "UBT Shiv Sena has done injustice to me, they removed me from the party post and when I asked them why, I was sacked. They didn't reply so I decided to join the Shiv Sena. Eknath Shinde has given a positive reply, and whatever post is given to me, I will do justice to it," he said. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Saturday that CM Eknath Shinde's son and Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde will contest from Kalyan in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena (undivided) with 18 seats. (ANI) Around four people including one police personnel were injured after a stage collapsed during Prime Minister Modi's rally in Jabalpur area of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. The injured were taken to the Victoria Hospital in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi held a roadshow today in Jabalpur. MP minister Rakesh Singh visited the hospital and meet the injured people. "Today's roadshow was over-crowded and there were so many people on the stage that they fell down. PM told me to go immediately and everyone should be taken care of properly. I have met all the injured and their families. Everyone is healthy, some are injured who after proper treatment have been sent to their homes," he said. Dilip Srivastava, Police officer, Jabalpur told ANI, "After PM Modi's rally passed, a stage built near a showroom collapsed due to overcrowding. In this one police personnel and three other people have got injured. All of them have been sent to the Victoria Hospital, Jabalpur, for treatment." This was the first visit of the Prime Minister to Madhya Pradesh after the model code of conduct kicked in. Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh will be conducted in four phases. The first phase of polling would be held on April 19, followed by April 26, May 7 and May 13. Madhya Pradesh has a total of 29 Lok Sabha constituencies, making it the sixth-largest state in terms of parliamentary representation. Out of these, 10 seats are reserved for SC and ST candidates, while the remaining 19 are unreserved. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the BJP secured a massive victory in Madhya Pradesh, winning 28 out of the 29 seats. The Indian National Congress (INC) managed to win only one seat. (ANI) BJP leader SS Channy on Sunday termed the AAP's day-long hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against the arrest of its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a "drama". He also warned the AAP leaders against inviting contempt of court as the Delhi excise policy case, in connection with which Kejriwal was arrested, is pending in court. "You (AAP leaders) are going against the person (PM Narendra Modi) who is being worshipped all over the country and the globe that he did so much for the country and standing with the person who is involved in the Delhi Excise Policy scam and the matter is sub-judice," Channy told ANI. "Rather, they may invite action under the contempt sort of thing by the court because when a matter is sub-judice, they are not supposed to get involved in all such things. This is a drama. There is a money trail and the people who were involved in the process, they have become approvers," he added. Meanwhile, participating in the AAP's protest at Jantar Mantar, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Sunday that this is not a time to show political strength but to convey a message against the dictatorship. "This is not a time to show political strength but to convey a message against the dictatorship. Today, we are in the village of Bhagat Singh, who gave us freedom, and that freedom is in danger. BR Ambedkar gave us the constitution, and that constitution is in danger," Mann said. Hitting out at the BJP-led central government, the Punjab CM said, "The ruling government is trying to suppress the opposition. Arvind Kejriwal was arrested before the election because they (BJP) know that we do the politics of honesty and transparency. They are scared of us."Earlier in the day, Bhagwant Mann paid tribute to Bhagat Singh in Khatkar Kalan, the native village of Bhagat Singh. Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was sent to judicial custody until April 15 and is lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a money-laundering case linked to a liquor excise policy scam. Meanwhile, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi alleged that the money trail in the liquor policy scam was done by liquor trader Sharat Reddy for the BJP. "People in Delhi love Arvind Kejriwal. They don't think of him as a CM but as their son, or brother. All want bail for Arvind Kejriwal. BJP's ED and CBI haven't been able to show a single penny of liquor scam from the leaders of AAP. If there is any money trail in this issue, it's from liquor trader Sharat Reddy to the BJP," the AAP leader said. The AAP leader further questioned the central probe agency to reveal details regarding the action taken against leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in connection with alleged money laundering cases. "Sharat Reddy donated 55 crores to the BJP... Why the BJP has not been raided, or accused, why has the BJP's National President not been summoned or arrested? ED, CBI act as political weapons of BJP", Atishi said. Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency on charges of corruption in relation to the case. It is the first time in independent India that a serving Chief Minister has been arrested. The move came after Kejriwal skipped multiple summons by the investigation agency, nine in total, calling them "illegal." The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy 2022, which was later scrapped. While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED's chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair. Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on April 2 granted bail to AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was arrested on October 4, 2023, in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. (ANI) State minister and Lok Sabha candidate from Chandrapur, Sudhir Mungantiwar, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be conducting a rally on Monday and interact with the people in Chandrapur constituency on issues related to the constituency. Sudhir Mungantiwar said, "PM Modi is coming here to interact with the people in the Gadchiroli and Chandrapur area. PM Modi will interact about the country's development and about several other things related to the constituency." He further alleged that for the last four years, Congress MP Balu Dhanorkar, who won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls did not carry out any development work in the area. He further said "Here the agenda is development plank vs mafia. Congress is asking for votes without doing any development work for the people. You were in power for 2 years and 8 months. What did you do during this period? If I leave the lockdown period even after that, there was time. Why didn't you work for the farmers? Why didn't you put money in the account of the farmers." He further said, "We deposited Rs 6,000 from the state and an additional Rs 6,000 from the centre in the accounts of the farmers. They have cheated the farmers and the unemployed." Congress MP from Chandrapur, Balu Dhanorkar, passed away at a private hospital in Delhi in May 2023. Pratibha Dhanorkar, wife of former MP Balu Dhanorkar, is set to contest the polls on Congress ticket from Chandrapur in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on Monday to give momentum to the party's campaign for Lok Sabha polls in the state, BJP's state unit said. Prime Minister will also visit the state on April 14 to address a rally in Ramtek. Before addressing the rally in Ramtek, PM Modi will pay tributes to Babasaheb Ambedkar at Dikhsha Bhoomi in Nagpur. Chandrapur and Ramtek will face polling on April 19, the first phase of Lok Sabha polls. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second-largest after Uttar Pradesh. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 seats it contested in alliance with undivided Shiv Sena. Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. (ANI) BJP Himachal Pradesh state election co-incharge, Sanjay Tandon said that dynastic politics is a cause for concern for the country's democracy. Tandon met the senior BJP leader and former Himachal Chief Minister, Shanta Kumar, at his residence on Sunday. During this meeting, there was a detailed discussion between the two leaders about the entire political scenario in the state. Shanta Kumar said that he is in constant touch with the workers through the telephone during these elections and the results will be in favour of the BJP. He said, "The BJP will once again achieve a big victory in the Lok Sabha elections and will also perform well in the by-elections and win all the seats." Sanjay Tandon said that the country will develop and strengthen rapidly only through the four pillars of women's power, youth, poor and 'Annadata'. "The Bharatiya Janata Party government at the centre is working positively with all these powers. Dynastic politics is a cause for concern," Tandon said. Throwing light on the meaning of dynastic politics, Tandon said that a political party that is run by a family, gives priority to its members and where all the decisions are taken by family members is considered to be dynastic politics, even if many of its members are moving forward in politics on their own strength. Drawing attention to the dangers of dynastic politics for democracy, Tandon said that he welcomed all those youth in politics who have come forward to serve the country. He lamented about the emerging dangers of dynastic politics in democracy. He regretted this culture emerging in politics and said that the development taking place in the country does not belong to any one person but to every citizen. The elections to the four Lok Sabha seats of Himachal Pradesh and bypolls to the six assembly constituencies that fell vacant with the disqualification of six rebel Congress MLAs and their eventual switch to the BJP will be held on June 1. (ANI) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha fervently advocated for the re-election of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasising their crucial role in the socio-economic development of the country. Addressing a well-attended public rally in Gabardi, West District, on Sunday, CM Saha highlighted the transformative policies and developmental strides made under PM Modi's leadership while also sharply criticising the CPIM and Congress for their alleged exploitation of the indigenous people of Tripura. "In the upcoming election, the future trajectory of our nation hinges on the choices we make. Prime Minister Modi has been a beacon of development, safety, and national pride. His vision for India has brought about significant progress, and it is under his continued leadership that we hope to see the NDA government return to power," CM Saha stated. He further underscored PM Modi's achievements, including the resolution of the Ram Mandir issue and the peaceful abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, as evidence of the Prime Minister's ability to tackle long-standing national issues effectively. The Chief Minister criticised opposition parties for their historical approach towards the indigenous population of Tripura, accusing them of engaging in vote-bank politics. Contrastingly, he pointed out the BJP-led government's recognition of seven eminent indigenous figures with the Padma Shri Award and the joining of Tipra Motha to their cause as a testament to their commitment to the development of indigenous communities. Saha also addressed the resolution of the displaced Bru people issue, a longstanding concern that found resolution under the BJP government, highlighting it as an example of the party's effective governance. "Our administration has not only brought peace but has also laid the foundation for comprehensive development, especially in the tribal areas, through substantial financial empowerment and increased budget allocations," CM Saha elaborated. Amidst the presence of notable BJP leaders, including Former Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and state president Rajib Bhattacharjee, CM Saha appealed to the electorate to support the BJP and PM Modi in the forthcoming elections. He stressed the importance of their leadership for the country's protection, socio-economic upliftment, and overall development. "The massive turnout during our nomination filings reflects the people's unwavering faith in Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. We must ensure their victory for the continued prosperity and security of our nation," CM Saha concluded, rallying support for the BJP's vision for India's future. The call for backing the BJP and PM Modi resonates with the party's broader electoral strategy, focusing on developmental politics and national unity as it seeks to consolidate support ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections. (ANI) Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma stated that the party "works on loot, lies, and corruption." Responding to queries about the "400 par" slogan and questions raised by the Congress over electoral bonds, Sharma asserted on Sunday, "Congress has nothing except talking. Congress always works on the basis of loot, lies, and corruption, and they will continue to do so." He expressed confidence in the BJP's electoral prospects, predicting a sweeping victory in all the seats in Rajasthan. "The way you are witnessing an enthusiastic environment across the country and in Rajasthan, it is certain that we will cross 400 seats and the BJP will win 25 out of 25 seats in Rajasthan," Sharma told reporters. Earlier on Friday, the Rajasthan Chief Minister reaffirmed the state government's significant measures aimed at alleviating the plight of farmers in the state, including the Yamuna water scheme, subsidies on cooking gas cylinders and enhanced water management for agricultural purposes. Sharma addressed a public meeting in Laxmangarh, Sikar, in support of BJP candidate Swami Sumedhanand for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Sharma highlighted Prime Minister Modi's understanding of farmers' challenges and emphasised the integral role they play in both agricultural production and national security, with many farming families also contributing members to the armed forces. Further, Sharma criticised the previous Congress government for alleged corruption and deception. He recounted his efforts to negotiate water agreements with officials from neighbouring states, ensuring the interests of Haryana's farmers were protected. "Congress is the mother of loot and lies. I went to Delhi and held a meeting with officials and the Yamuna water agreement was signed with Haryana. We have fulfilled our promise to you and will do so in the future too," Sarma said. The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19. Nearly 97 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in the general election. The counting of the votes will be held on June 4. Rajasthan will go to the polls in two phases, on April 19 and April 26. Polling for 12 Lok Sabha seats will be held in the first phase on April 19, while the remaining 13 seats will be polled in the second phase on April 26. (ANI) Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde hit out at his former party colleague Uddhav Thackeray, saying that despite holding the top job in the state, he performs all the duties of a party worker, as there is no concept of boss or servant in his faction of the Shiv Sena. "I am a CM, but I work as a worker even now. There is no boss or any servant in our party. We are all working in cooperation with each other," Shinde said while speaking at a public meeting in Nagpur on Sunday. In an attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray over dynastic politics for favouring his son Aditya Thackeray, Shinde said, "(In our party) the king's son will not become the king. Only the one who works will become the king. Balasaheb Thackeray considered his colleagues as friends, but he (Uddhav) considered us as domestic servants." "A party or the state can never be run sitting at home," Shinde added. Earlier, the Maharashtra CM hit out at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), saying that the opposition is "Teen Tigada Kaam Bigada," adding that the Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP is going to win all seats in Vidarbha." "Mahayuti (the BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP alliance) is getting a good response in Vidarbha. There is such an atmosphere that the Mahayuti will win all the Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha. In two to three days, the Mahayuti will decide on the remaining seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi is 'Teen Tigada Kaam Bigada'. They have no agenda," CM Shinde said. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena (undivided) with 18 seats. (ANI) BJP MP and party candidate from West Tripura constituency Biplab Kumar Deb on Monday participated in a bike rally in Banamlipur as part of his election campaign. Hundreds of young party workers, including girls and boys, participated in the bike rally that was organised in the 9-Banamlipur constituency despite the rainy weather. The event which saw major participation from the members of the Yuva Morcha, and the youth wing of the BJP, witnessed an overwhelming turnout, with participants navigating their bikes through the showers, symbolizing their unwavering commitment and support. The rally highlights the importance of youth involvement in the electoral process, demonstrating their readiness to be a part of and influence the democratic journey of the nation. The bike rally led by Biplab Deb in the 9-Banamlipur constituency is a testament to the vibrancy and dynamic nature of political campaigning in India. It reflects a deep-rooted belief in democratic values and the power of collective action. The event underscores the importance of youth involvement in politics, not just as voters but as active participants in the electoral process, advocating for issues and policies that matter to them. Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha advocated for the re-election of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasising their crucial role in the socio-economic development of the country. Addressing a public rally in Gabardi, West District, on Sunday, CM Saha highlighted the transformative policies and developmental strides made under PM Modi's leadership while also sharply criticising the CPIM and Congress for their alleged exploitation of the indigenous people of Tripura. He also criticised opposition parties for their historical approach towards the indigenous population of Tripura, accusing them of engaging in vote-bank politics. CM Saha pointed out the BJP-led government's recognition of seven eminent indigenous figures with the Padma Shri Award and the joining of Tipra Motha to their cause as a testament to their commitment to the development of indigenous communities. He further underscored PM Modi's achievements, including the resolution of the Ram Mandir issue and the peaceful abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, as evidence of the Prime Minister's ability to tackle long-standing national issues effectively. Tripura is set for two-phase elections this time. The West Tripura constituency goes to poll on April 19, while the poll battle in East Tripura is scheduled for April 26. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set to kick off the Lok Sabha campaign for BJP in Chhattisgarh on Monday afternoon, has said that the people of the state will give "their full blessings to his party" in the general elections. PM Modi will address a public rally at Aamabal village in Bhanpuri in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls on April 19. PM Modi, in a post on X, said that the people of Chhattisgarh are rich with glorious heritage. "My family members of Chhattisgarh, rich with glorious heritage, are going to give their full blessings to BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. Here in Bastar, I will be among my tribal brothers and sisters today at around 1:30 pm." the PM said in a post on X in Hindi. The BJP has fielded Mahesh Kashyap from the Bastar constituency, whereas the Congress nominated its senior tribal leader and former minister Kawasi Lakhma to contest the Bastar (ST) seat in Chhattisgarh, replacing its sitting MP Deepak Baij, who is also the president of the state Congress unit. Elections in the 11 parliamentary constituencies of Chhattisgarh will take place in three phases on April 19, 26 and May 7. The counting of votes will be done on June 4. In the past two Lok Sabha elections, the BJP proved to have a strong hand in the Chhattisgarh state. The BJP, which has a stronghold in Chhattisgarh, won 9 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha, while the Indian National Congress (INC) was limited to only 2 seats. In the 2014 election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 10 seats, while the INC only managed to win one seat. Chhattisgarh, which recently witnessed a power change from the Congress to BJP after the assembly election, will see which party is going to conquer this time in the Lok Sabha elections. BJP released the names of candidates for all the 11 seats and had fielded Brijmohan Agarwal from Raipur and Mahesh Kashyap from Bastar. This time, the BJP also fielded three women candidates for the Lok Sabha election. Meanwhile, Congress has also released the list and has selected former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel from Rajnandgaon, Tamradhwaj Sahu for Mahasamund, and Rajendra Sahu for Durgand. (ANI) An altercation broke out between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers during BJP MP Dilip Ghosh's visit to Durgapur area of the district on Monday. According to police, the scuffle between the two groups broke out when Dilip Ghosh, a BJP candidate from Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha of West Bengal, had arrived to participate in a discussion program in the New Township area of Durgapur. Shortly after the BJP leader arrived, a few people in the area started raising TMC flags and shouting slogans against Dilip Ghosh. The incident later turned into an uproar after BJP workers with the party leader objected to slogans by the TMC supporters, said the police. The situation was somehow brought down by police officials in the area. BJP leader Dilip Ghosh later spoke to ANI regarding the protest and said, "Some people had come here forcibly to create a ruckus." BJP leader Dilip Ghosh earlier stirred controversy over his 'indecent' remarks against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. BJP MP Dilip Ghosh, on his morning walk in Durgapur, West Bengal, on March 26, said that wherever Mamata Banerjee goes, she calls herself the daughter of that state, and "she must identify her own father." BJP issued a notice seeking clarification from Dilip Ghosh regarding his remarks on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Trinamool Congress had also filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dilip Ghosh for allegedly making controversial remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Dilip Ghosh from the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha constituency in this election. Elections in the 42 parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal will be held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress won 22 of the 42 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged 18. The other two seats were won by the Congress. In 2014, the Trinamool Congress won 34 of the 42 seats, while the BJP and the CPM managed to get only 2. The Indian National Congress (INC) managed to win 4 seats. (ANI) A delegation of the Trinamool Congress led by Abhishek Banerjee will meet the West Bengal Governor on Monday after some leaders of the party were detained by the Delhi Police when they were protesting outside the Election Commission. In a post on X, the TMC said, "What we witnessed today was the Murder of Democracy! Led by Abhishek Banerjee, a 12-member delegation will meet the Governor at 9 PM tonight. They will reach the North Gate of Raj Bhavan by 8:55 PM. They will appraise him about the heavy-handed treatment that was meted out to our delegation by Amit Shah's Delhi Police." Meanwhile, TMC MPs Dola Sena and Derek O'Brien were detained by Delhi Police today. Dola Sen said, "We have appealed to the Election Commission to change the chiefs of NIA, CBI, ED and Income Tax and we are sitting on a 24-hour peaceful protest with this demand." The TMC leaders were brought to Mandir Marg Police Station in Delhi. On being detained by Delhi Police for protesting outside the Election Commission of India, TMC MP Derek O'Brien said, "We are here to fight. We will carry on our peaceful protest. This is a 100 per cent dictatorship but we are from TMC, we will fight this. At 4:30 PM, we met the EC and at 5:45 PM when we were sitting on a peaceful protest. After that, they took us and told us that we were being taken to Mandir Marg PS but they drove us around Delhi for 1 and a half hours. Later, when we protested, we were brought to the Mandir Marg PS." Earlier, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, approached the Governor and top state officials on Monday to request the extension of central forces' deployment beyond the Model Code of Conduct period. Citing the need to ensure the safety of citizens and uphold democratic values, he urged officials to extend the deployment by three months to ensure public safety and protect constitutional integrity. (ANI) The announcement was made at a joint press conference by senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah and Congress leader Pawan Khera. Under the seat sharing agreement, the Congress will contest from Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh parliamentary constituencies, while the National Conference will contest from Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar and Baramulla Lok Sabha seats. "Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will fight the elections jointly in all the six constituencies. While the candidates have been announced for the Udhampur, Jammu and Anantnag-Rajouri constituencies, the remaining three candidates for Srinagar, Baramulla and Ladakh will also be announced soon," Omar Abdullah said. He expressed confidence that INDIA will sweep all the six constituencies. Earlier, Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) on Sunday announced candidates for three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir. PDP leader Sartaj Madni announced that Mehbooba Mufti will contest the general elections from Kashmir's Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. Mufti will be in a political battle from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat against Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. The Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory will be held in the first five phases on April 19 (Udhampur), April 26 (Jammu), May 7 (Anantnag-Rajouri), May 13 (Srinagar) and May 20 (Baramulla). Nearly 97 crore voters will be eligible to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country.The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting on April 19. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4. (ANI) Sushil Gupta is also the AAP Haryana State President. In Haryana, the Congress and the AAP will fight in alliance, with the Congress contesting nine Lok Sabha constituencies while one seat from Kurukshetra has been given to the AAP. The BJP has fielded Naveen Jindal from the Kurukshetra seat. Notably, Jindal represented the Kurukshetra parliamentary constituency from 2004-2014 when he was in Congress. However, he lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party's Raj Kumar Saini in the 2014 national elections and was not fielded by the Congress in 2019. The former Congress leader Naveen Jindal had joined the ruling BJP recently. "During my 10-year tenure with Congress, I worked for people and raised several issues in parliament. I don't want to comment on negative people who keep saying negative things. Today the kind of situation Congress has, is because of the negative talks by the negative people and that's why I believe in positive politics and want to fulfil PM Modi's dream of making India a developed nation by 2047," he said. Lok Sabha elections in the 10 parliamentary constituencies of Haryana will be held in a single phase on May 25. The counting of votes will be on June 4. In the 2019 Indian general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the dominant force in Haryana, securing a landslide victory by winning all 10 parliamentary seats. (ANI) Minorities are suffering, girls are getting forced to convert and Pashtuns are being labelled as terrorists, participants said at a virtual conference on the condition of human rights in Pakistan. The event was hosted by Arif Ajakia, a human rights activist from Pakistan. Among the participants were David Vance, a social rights activist and researcher, Azeem Masih, the vice president of the Pakistan Minorities Rights Organisation (PMRO), Habibur Rahman, the president of the France chapter of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), and Salih Uder, the foreign minister of government in exile in East Turkestan. While speaking about the condition of human rights in Pakistan, Azeem Masih, the Vice President of PMRO Pakistan, stated, "We discuss human rights issues everywhere. But I think that the issues in Pakistan are much more tense than anywhere else, especially because minorities in Pakistan are suffering. And you can see every day the churches are getting attacked, the girls are getting forced to convert and they're kidnapped, even the underage girls are getting taken away from their parents; they're forced to get married and all the chapters of different political parties are lashing against each other". "But not only for the minorities, there are different things oppressing each other in Pakistan. Some provinces have more rights than others. Some provinces have more control than others in Pakistan. All those things are mixed up and those mixed up things are making more trouble for the humans living in Pakistan," Masih added. Adding to the point, Ajakia stated, "Punjab province is ruling on the might of its army and other provinces are more like an occupied province or occupied nations, such as Sindhis, Balochs, and Pashtuns. And this is the situation; rightfully, more and more awareness should be brought about minority issues. The Pashtun issue is a very serious issue and they are branded as terrorists but they are victims of terrorism. The Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan are facing one of the serious violations of human rights in Pakistan, particularly". The virtual seminar on Saturday witnessed the participation of representatives from social organisations across the world and the foreign minister of government in exile of East Turkestan. The Asian Human Rights Forum organised a virtual discussion over the issues of grave human rights violations in Asian countries. Another leader belonging to the Pashtun community of Pakistan, Habibur Rahman, the president of PTM France, said in his statement "We are here, we are raising the voice of oppressed Pashtuns, and also all other oppressed communities like Balochs, Sindhis, and the people of POK, which are suffering because of the army of Pakistan." During the conference, he further mentioned that "The army always talks about these terrorists, which in reality are fostered by Pakistan. They go to the area of Pashtuns by the name of Lashkar-e-Toiba or Jaish, like this kind of terrorist." He further mentioned, "They are bombing the houses of Pashtuns and they are conducting enforced disappearances, ultimately calling it anti-terrorism. But Pashtuns are not terrorists. Pashtuns have always been the victims of terrorism. The world now knows that they are training terrorists, and this army of Pakistan is the terrorists." (ANI) Kigali [Rwanda], April 8 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State, met with Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, during his visit to the capital, Kigali. At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Shakhboot conveyed the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his wishes for continued security, stability and peace for Rwanda and its people. The meeting discussed various aspects of the bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and ways to develop and enhance cooperation at all levels, in addition to a number of issues of common interest. For his part, President Paul Kagame expressed his greetings to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his wishes for continuing progress and prosperity for the United Arab Emirates and its people. On the other hand, and on behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Shakhboot attended the 30th anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi. The ceremony was attended by a number of heads of state and government, as well as representatives of international and regional organisations. On this occasion, the Rwandan President announced the start of a national week of mourning. Then, the President of Rwanda, along with a number of the attending state guests, laid a wreath at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a place of remembrance and learning dedicated to the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. In a speech during the ceremony, the Rwandan President said that this solemn anniversary is a time to remember the innocent victims, and celebrate Rwanda's remarkable progress through reconciliation and national rebuilding. The Rwandan President expressed his thanks and appreciation to the members of the delegations that came to express their solidarity with Rwanda on the occasion of this solemn anniversary. Sheikh Shakhboot said on this occasion that the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi carries important implications for instilling the values of tolerance, coexistence and acceptance of the other without discrimination across the world. He affirmed that the message of the United Arab Emirates, led by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, carries forward peace, tolerance and hope to the whole world. The minister praised the role of the Republic of Rwanda in promoting the values of tolerance and coexistence, while working to establish peace and stability and support the aspirations of peoples for a decent life and prosperity. The participation of Sheikh Shakhboot in this occasion embodies the UAE's commitment to the principles of unity, reconciliation and coexistence, and confirms its continuous efforts to support stability and prosperity in the region. (ANI/WAM) Angelos Delivorias, an expert from the European Parliament asserted that India increased its diplomatic importance in emerging dynamics of Indo-Pacific, attributing it not only to India's strategic evolution over the past decade but also to broader global dynamics and its amplified role in the Indo-Pacific region. "India has increased its diplomatic importance as a part of its strategy over the last decade, but apart from its own evolution, its importance increases as a result of the current geopolitical evolutions," Delivorias said while speaking on India's positioning in the Indo-Pacific theatre. With specialisation in external policies (including India), Angelos, is a policy expert at European Parliamentary Research (EPRS), which provides comprehensive research and analytical support to the Members of the European Parliament. He also elucidated the multifaceted factors contributing to India's rising prominence while navigating China's expanding assertiveness while highlighting the Belt and Road Initiative of China and the assertive posturing observed in the South China Sea. He also said that against the backdrop of China's Belt and Road Initiative and increasing assertiveness in global affairs, India's rise holds profound implications for the European Union and the wider international community. "What I mean by that is that since the announcement of the Belt and Road Initiative on behalf of China, since its more aggressive stance in the South China Sea, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we see that the Indo-Pacific as an area and this Southern Asia as a region grows in importance, both for us, the European Union, both for the West in general, and also for its regional partners," the European Parliament policy expert said in an interview by EPRS on the rise of 'India, why it matters, and what this means for the EU'. He also highlighted the sustained growth of the Indian economy over the past decade while pointing out that India's GDP growth has exceeded that of China, a significant development indicating New Delhi's emergence as a formidable economic powerhouse in the global arena."India has surpassed the growth rates of China, and experts think that it will continue doing so, at least in the short term," remarked Delivorias, underlining India's unprecedented economic momentum. With India's ambitious infrastructure projects and recent strides in space exploration, Delivorias highlighted the nation's comprehensive economic strategy. "And apart from high GDP growth, it has done significant investments in national infrastructure projects to sustain that economic growth. It takes part in international infrastructure projects and last year we even see that it has a complete space program. It landed on the moon. So it has a comprehensive economic strategy in that respect," he added. He also drew parallels between India and China's demographic pyramid noting that the former's is younger than that of the latter's, which will lead to New Delhi's GDP continued growth in the ensuing years. "From the economic perspective, the fact that India is the largest population on the planet, but also its population is younger, if we see the demographic pyramid of India, we see that it's younger than China's, implies that it has more people in the labour market and it has less expenditures in the health sectors or for pensions, which means it can keep growing its GDP in the next few years," he added. (ANI) Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari called for a joint session of the Parliament on April 16 (Tuesday) at 4 pm, reported Geo News citing the press wing of the President House. The President House in its statement, said that the president will address the joint session of Parliament at the commencement of the parliamentary year after the general elections under Article 56 (3) of the Constitution. Meanwhile, he convened the joint session of the Parliament under Articles 54 (1) and 56 (3) of the Constitution. Notably, this will be the first joint session following the start of the new parliamentary year in Pakistan after both the upper and lower house have their members elected constitutionally following the conduct of general elections. Despite the February 8 general elections and former president Arif Alvi still in office, he was unable to summon a joint session as elections in the Senate were yet to be conducted, Geo News reported. This comes weeks after President Zardari took the oath of the president's office and the successful conduct of Senate polls. Previously, former president Alvi summoned a joint session of the Parliament on October 6, 2022 -- months after a coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was governing the Centre, reported Geo News. However, the then-president Alvi called the session to mark the beginning of the last parliamentary year of the then-National Assembly in 2022. In his address to the Parliament, which was marred by an unannounced boycott by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), the former president stressed the need for dialogue and urged to end polarisation amid the country's growing political instability, "Polarisation doesn't end with stubbornness," he said, according to Geo News. However, during the ex-president's speech, only 15 lawmakers were present in the audience, which was later reduced to 12. Meanwhile, the PTI's members of the Parliament said that they boycotted the session because they did not believe in the then-assembly. (ANI) The 2024 solar eclipse is here! Get the latest weather forecast for Greater Cincinnati We're only hours away from being plunged into total darkness. The solar eclipse, one of the biggest astronomical events of the century, will begin at 1:52 p.m. on Monday. Even though Cincinnati isn't in the path of totality, we will still see a partial eclipse for 2 hours and 33 minutes. At the peak, the moon will obscure approximately 99.4% of the sun. But will the weather impact the viewing experience? Here are the latest forecast updates for Eclipse Day, according to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington. Remember, whatever the forecast is for that day, it's important to wear proper safety glasses when viewing the eclipse. Cincinnati weather forecast for the solar eclipse on April 8 The solar eclipse, one of the biggest astronomical events of the century, will begin at 1:52 p.m. on Monday. Good news, eclipse viewers! The NWS reports that dry conditions are in store for the solar eclipse Monday afternoon. Weak showers have mainly progressed east out of the area, so the expectation is that all precipitation will stop before daybreak with some low and mid-level clouds lingering. After this morning's rain, the rest of the day looks relatively clear and dry between Cincinnati and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Cirrus clouds may work their way into the region during the early afternoon hours, but the viewing experience in areas in totality won't be limited too much. Currently, the forecast calls for a slight chance of showers before 8 a.m. before the day becomes partly sunny, which should result in viewable conditions. Temperatures will reach the low 70s, with a high near 74. Eclipse day is here. This is the latest thinking. pic.twitter.com/rYznia2IqT NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) April 8, 2024 What time will Cincinnati see the solar eclipse? The National Weather Service says the eclipse will start in Texas and then make its way across the country, passing over states that include Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana before arriving in Ohio. For Cincinnati, the eclipse will begin at 1:52 p.m. and end at 4:24 p.m. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Solar eclipse 2024 weather forecast for Greater Cincinnati Pondera County property owner Jody Field defends the proposed use of two played out oil and gas wells on her land for the injection of biofuel wastewater during a meeting in Conrad on Wednesday Close to 100 people attended a meeting in the Conrad High School auditorium last Wednesday, where Environmental Protection Agency officials took comments and attempted to ease citizen concerns about two old oil and gas wells which could be used to contain as much as 14 million barrels of wastewater from the Montana Renewables plant in Great Falls. Montana Renewables was formed in 2021 as a subsidiary of Calumet Specialty Products. It has since become the largest producer of bio-fuels in North America, using base ingredients like oils from crops such as camolina, hemp and canola combined with animal fats and even recycled cooking grease to produce low-emission bio-diesel and aviation fuel. While the prospect of producing millions gallons of sustainable and biodegradable fuels from agricultural products grown and raised locally is optimistic, the process to create then requires large amounts of water to wash and remove the chemicals, salts, and other minerals the feedstocks have picked up along the way. Montana Renewables plant in Great Falls produces roughly 2,500 barrels (105,000 gallons) of wastewater a day. While this wastewater is not classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as hazardous, its disposal does have to meet minimum federal standards dictated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act. Thats presented a problem for Montana Renewables since Great Falls water treatment plant is ill-equipped to take in and treat the additional volume of wastewater Montana Renewables is producing. Since the beginning of 2023 Montana Renewables has been paying a trucking company to haul its wastewater to Shelby, where it has been loaded on train cars for disposal at industrial injection wells in Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Its been an expensive prospect. Beginning in 2021 Montana Renewables began negotiations with Montalban Oil and Gas Operations (MOGO) to inject up to 13-million barrels (570 million gallons) of biofuel wastewater into two played out oil and gas wells roughly 12 miles west of Conrad. The Jody Field wells, named for the property owner whose land the wells sit upon, had already been accepting injected oil and gas wastewater for nearly 13 years. According to EPA documents the Jody Field wells have taken in more than 500,000 barrels of contaminated water, primarily a saltwater brine infused with chemicals used to help force out oil and gas during the drilling process. In 2022 MOGO applied to the Montana to deepen and expand the Jody Field wells, which extend beneath the Madison Formation aquifer, a major source of underground drinking water for farms and communities across central Montana. That same year the Montana Board of Oil and Gas authorized the conversion of the two Jody Smith wells into Class V wells for the storage of non-hazardous wastewater below dense limestone formations found 3,700 feet below the surface. Those permits are conditional upon the EPAs approval. Many of the attendees at Wednesdays meeting were skeptical of EPA officials assurances that the Madison aquifer will be protected. A map showing the location of two played out oil and gas wells in Pondera County. The Environmental Protection Agency is considering an application to inject up to 13.5 million barrels of biodiesel wastewater into the two wells. What happens if the EPAs funding is cut drastically, asked one woman in the audience at the Cut Bank High School auditorium, and when there were very little resources for monitoring and enforcement of these wells? Ive been with the agency for 26 years and we have seen some funding cuts, replied VelRay Lozano, a lead project reviewer for the EPA. Typically, what happens is a lot of the incentive programs lose their funding. Drinking water protection has always been something that has not been cut much. Usually, enforcement stays pretty well on top of that. We try and implement the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act as fully as possible. Water is usually not something that is pulled back on, and the regulations have been in place for a long time. Has there been any testing done to show that the wells didnt leak any chemicals into the surrounding water? Monitoring of the surrounding water to see if theres already been a problem before seven million to 14-million barrels is added, which would theoretically flush it all out into the Madison Aquifer? asked a woman from the audience who said she lived about four miles away from one of the proposed injection wells. What Im asking is has there been any testing to make sure that these wells did not leak anything that they already contained before there is another large quantity of wastewater and possible toxins added with a big flush? she added. It seems to me that adding that quantity of water and giving it a flush isnt going to make it stay put. Theres a big consequence if it doesnt. Senior EPA environmental supervisor Chris Brown could not answer the specific question of whether there had been any prior leakage at the Jody Smith wells but said there is a continuous monitoring program for injection wells across the state. The Montana Board of Oil and Gas has the primary enforcement authority for Class II wells, responded Chris Brown, a senior environmental supervisor for the EPA. Class II wells do have requirements for monitoring. There are long-term testing requirements, its just under a different jurisdiction. There are state oversight state programs. They come in a number of forms. Theres reporting that happens, theres mid-year reviews. There is interaction with the state after it has received primacy. If youre talking about putting a monitoring well all the way down into the aquifer where these injection wells are, that would be popping another hole into the ground that could then cause leakages, Lozano commented. This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Proposal to store biodiesel wastewate near Conrad draws skepticism Flash People are seen on a street with damaged buildings near the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on April 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Israeli troops were withdrawn from southern Gaza in preparation for a possible operation in the city of Rafah, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday. The forces left Gaza on Sunday are preparing for "follow-up missions," said Gallant during a tour at the Southern Command of Israel Defense Forces (IDF), adding that "we saw examples of such missions in Shifa (hospital), and will see such missions in the Rafah area." Israel withdrew all ground troops from southern Gaza except for the Nahal Brigade, which remains in central Gaza, splitting the Strip in two and preventing the return of civilians from south to north of Gaza. Also on Sunday evening, the IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi told a press conference that the military operation against Hamas is "far from" over, despite the withdrawal of soldiers. "Senior Hamas officials are still in hiding. We will get to them sooner or later," he vowed. Halevi also said that the IDF is well-prepared on multiple fronts against Iran and its proxies, in response to potential retaliation following the strike on the Iranian consulate building in the Syrian capital earlier this week. Dad sought hitman on dark web to kill the parents of 5 children he adopted, feds say After adopting five children, a man wanted their biological parents dead and arranged for their killings on the dark web, according to federal court documents. In visiting a website dedicated to arranging contract killings, Christopher Pence sought a hitman who could make the New York couples deaths look like an accident or a mugging-gone-wrong in the summer of 2021, court documents say. I have a couple targets husband and wife that I am needing removed, Pence wrote to the websites administrator in July 2021, according to his messages shared in court by his defense attorney. However, it is known that they and I (dont) quite see eye-to-eye on something, Pences message continued. Pence provided the names, address and photos of the couple to the site administrator, and asked that three children who remained under their care not be harmed, according to federal prosecutors. The images he shared were photos the couple gave him for a baby book for their five children that Pence adopted, according to an affidavit. Pence paid the websites administrator $16,000 in Bitcoin in late July to contract the killings, court documents show. But then he tried canceling his order days later, prosecutors said. After a tip from a confidential source alerted the FBI about Pences plot, according to the affidavit, FBI agents arrested him in Utah, where he lives, on Oct. 27, 2021, according to prosecutors. Following his arrest, Pence revealed his motive to investigators: his relationship with his adopted childrens parents had become fraught after the adoptions, according to prosecutors. Now, Pence, a 43-year-old Cedar City resident, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for using the Internet to solicit and pay for the couples murders, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of New York said in an April 8 news release. The intended targets werent harmed, officials said. In December, Pence pleaded guilty to one count of the use of a facility of interstate commerce in connection with murder-for-hire, court records show. Ahead of sentencing, prosecutors wrote in court filings that although (Pence) now appears to understand the gravity of the offense, it was not one committed in the heat of the moment. Rather, the murder-for-hire scheme hatched by the defendant required extensive planning, prosecutors said. Eric K. Schillinger, Pences defense attorney, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on April 8. Court papers detail how tension grew after adoption In a sentencing memorandum submitted on Pences behalf, Schillinger described how Pence and his wife met the New York couple several years ago in an online group for parents. In 2019, the wife of the couple messaged Pences wife, saying she was concerned for the safety of her children and needed a reprieve from parenting, the sentencing memo says. Afterward, the Pences met the family, which lived in Massachusetts at the time, and decided to care for the couples children temporarily, according to the memo. Eventually, the Pences, who were living in Texas, adopted five of the couples children and learned of accusations that their father was suspected of abuse, the memo says. By all accounts the Pences took wonderful care of their five adopted children, but tension grew between the (couple) and the Pences after the adoption was completed, Schillinger wrote in the memo. The couple is accused of trying to move onto Pences land in Texas in a trailer leading to the Pences moving to Utah, according to the memo. Schillinger wrote that as the couple continued to pressure their way directly into the Pences lives, the pressure became too much for Christopher. His judgment failed, and he began to explore an option that he acknowledges now, no one should ever do. He went on the internet, he logged into the dark web and reached out to a purported hitman, the sentencing memo says. In concluding the court filing, Schillinger argued in support of a sentence of two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised relief, for Pence. Meanwhile, prosecutors argued in their sentencing memo that Pence knew the couples three children could be hurt in the process of the couples intended killing, but that concern did not dissuade him from paying for the killing. They described how Pence had told the would-be-hitman that having the couples 13-year-old son witness the killing could help him avoid detection if the childs description of the killing led the police to the false conclusion that it was a botched robbery. (Pence) meticulously planned the cold-blooded murder of two people with whom he admittedly had deep disagreements without regard for the collateral consequences. ... It is difficult to comprehend a more serious offense that did not result in actual death and/or destruction, prosecutors wrote. On April 4, Pence filed a notice to appeal his conviction and sentence, court records show. Man was executed as he ate alone at California restaurant, officials say. 2 charged Man was hired by principal to kill pregnant Missouri teacher, feds say. Hes convicted Pastor pays two hit men $40,000 to kill daughters boyfriend, California police say Boyfriend tries hiring hitman to kill girlfriends mom, feds say. Want her gone now The face of Californias judiciary continues to change statewide. More women on the appellate court and on the Los Angeles bench. A new Black judge in the busy Riverside courts. And now in Californias capital, federal defender Jerome Price Jr., will soon take his seat as the latest African-American judge on the Sacramento Superior Court bench. Price part of Gov. Gavin Newsoms latest class of judicial appointees has served as chief assistant federal defender for the Office of the Federal Defender in the Sacramento-based Eastern District of California since 2021 and has been an assistant defender in the office since 2012. Our loss is the Sacramento Superior Court communitys gain, said Heather Williams, federal defender for the Eastern District. Williams called Price an an adept, compassionate and tenacious defense lawyer (who) tirelessly worked to improve our offices work and increase our voice by telling our clients stories and of the challenges we face when defending the accused. His experiences will translate well to his Sacramento judgeship. Price joins other Black jurists on the Sacramento bench including Newsom appointees former Sacramento County public defender Allison Williams and former district attorneys prosecutor Carlton G. Davis; and Sacramento Superior Courts first Black presiding judge Bunmi O. Awoniyi. They follow in the path laid by past Black Sacramento Superior Court jurists including Alice Lytle, Gary Ransom, Stacy Boulware Eurie, now an associate justice of the California 3rd District Court of Appeal; and Troy L. Nunley, now a federal judge in Sacramentos Eastern District. They also continue a shift in the Sacramento courts that is being mirrored statewide. Its also been a tremendous opportunity to the way our court looks, Awoniyi said earlier this year. We have more diversity. We have more women. We have people of color, of different sexual orientation, and some would say that that is a good thing and that it reflects more of the face of California. The courts growing more diverse Nearly 9% of Californias judges identify as Black or African-American, according to the Judicial Council of Californias latest figures, up from 4.6% in 2006, the first year data was collected. Female judges and justices saw the greatest percentage increase during the span, rising from 27% in 2006, to about 40%. The percentage of Hispanic or Latino judges and justices climbed from 6.3% in 2006 to 12.5%; while Asian justices and judges also increased from 4.4% to more than 9%. All told, Californias judiciary has grown more diverse every year since that first survey. Retirements are one driver, but also mentoring and recruiting programs to, as Sacramentos Awoniyi said, reflect more of the face of California. The council encourages local courts to encourage people in underrepresented groups to pursue law careers; while the statewide Judicial Mentor Program, a joint program between the Governors office and the states trial courts, works with bar associations, law firms and government attorneys among others to identify, develop and recruit applicants to the bench. The push has also come from the Governors office. Gov. Newsom appointed roughly 300 new judges during his first four years in office. More than half were women, Nearly six in 10 appointed identified themselves as Asian, Black or African-American, Hispanic, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, according to the Judicial Council. That trend continued in March with Newsoms most recent appointees: Angela J. Davis, a Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner since 2018, now a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. Arthur C. Hester, a veteran criminal prosecutor in the Riverside County District Attorneys office before becoming a Riverside Superior Court Commissioner in 2021. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Natalie P. Stone was recommended by Newsom to serve as Associate Justice in the Los Angeles-based 2nd District Court of Appeals. Don't just tell us Rhode Island's open-records law is "famously flawed." Show us. So wrote a reader named "Judy" after The Journal ran a front-page story on March 21 on the concerted effort by Gov. Dan McKee and his lawyers and lieutenants to kill legislation removing the vagaries and loopholes in the state's Access to Public Records Act that allow bureaucrats to keep the public's business secret. Show, don't tell? No problem. The examples are legion, from then-Treasurer Gina Raimondo's refusal to make public the due-diligence reports on her hedge fund gamble to the McKee administration's refusal to give then-Senate Oversight Chairman Louis DiPalma copies of the "ILO" subpoenas. It took a directive from the attorney general in response to appeals by The Journal and WPRI to get the McKee administration to make public an email detailing the behavior of the state's then-property management director, David Patten, during a day trip to Philadelphia. In that email, the principals of Scout Ltd. detailed Patten's allegedly rude, "sexist" and "racist" comments, freebie-grabbing activities and demands for what turned into a $250 lunch at a Michelin star restaurant that wasn't normally open for lunch. ("Well you can call in a favor if you want $55M in funding.") The attorney general's office saw no reason to keep the whole embarrassing episode a state secret. The disclosures led to an Ethics Commission investigation. Following that investigation, Patten, who no longer works for the state, agreed two weeks ago to pay a $5,000 fine. David Patten, the former director of the state's Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, seen after a meeting with the state's Ethics Commission on March 26. The Journal is currently appealing for Washington Bridge records The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is currently refusing to provide The Journal with 640 emails turned over to the U.S. Department of Justice that might shed additional light on why the westbound span of the Washington Bridge was in such bad condition. RIDOT, which has provided "exemption logs" in the past with detailed accounts of withheld documents, did not do so in this case. The emails were all withheld in bulk, under the blanket exemption (RIGL 38-2-2 II (K)) for: "Preliminary drafts, notes, impressions, memoranda, working papers, and work products." Interpreted broadly, every email in fact, almost every government document can be withheld under that exemption, even though these were work-related emails to and from RIDOT to its employees, consultants, the Cardi Corp. and the Federal Highway Administration. Appeal? It's in the works. Some version of this rinse-repeat, rinse-repeat scenario plays out frequently, with government officials refusing to release documents that would shed light on how Rhode Island government operates, or making access to these records so expensive that they become inaccessible. Construction on the closed westbound span of the Washington Bridge. How does the current public records law falls short? We asked Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, and John Marion, director of Common Cause Rhode Island, for examples of what isn't working. There isn't enough room for their responses, but this is Brown's "favorite," which he equates to sending a "Dear John" letter without paying for postage: A 2014 opinion by then-Attorney General Peter Kilmartin's office says "that public bodies can charge members of the public for the time it takes to compose a letter denying an open records request." Got it? They can charge for a denial letter. Here, the denial and the $15 charge came in response to a request for Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) and personnel records for an individual in the state fire marshals office. On appeal, Kilmartin's office reasoned that, if public agencies can charge for "search and retrieval," they can also charge for the time it takes to say no. Brown, at the time, said it represented "a new low" in interpreting open-records law. More examples of public records hurdles Common Cause's Marion had a ready-at-hand list of other real life public records issues that the legislation introduced in the House by Rep. Patricia Serpa and in the Senate by DiPalma seeks to address (and the legislation's proposed fixes): Alex Nunes at The Publics Radio received more than 300 pages of almost fully redacted legal bills submitted by Westerly Town Council legal counsel Bill Conley to the town during a shoreline access dispute. The basis for the redaction? A very broad reading of an exemption for records relating to the attorney-client relationship. PROPOSED FIX: Narrow the exemption to documents not just "related" to an attorney-client relationship, such as a government paid bill, but those traditionally covered by "privilege." Katie Mulvaney of The Providence Journal was stymied by the Rhode Island State Police in obtaining documents detailing the alleged misconduct of a former Rhode Island State Police lieutenant colonel. PROPOSED FIX: Make it clear that the names of police officers who have engaged in the kind of misconduct that requires disclosure to defense counsel in criminal cases (the so-called "Giglio rule") are public. Dimitri Lyssikatos , co-founder of the Rhode Island Accountability Project, hit a wall seeking Narragansett Police Department records on the results of all internal affairs investigations between 2015 and 2018. "Even though the Rhode Island Supreme Court made clear in two decisions that these are public records, activists have had difficulty accessing them," Marion said. Attorney General Peter Neronha 's office seemingly ruled in Lyssikatos' favor, and he did get some redacted records, but the ACLU blasted Neronha's office for a ruling so narrow that it "makes it more difficult for the public to monitor allegations of misconduct by police officers in the state." PROPOSED FIX : Remove any doubt that final reports of internal police misconduct investigations are public records with redactions allowed for certain "identifying information." Senator DiPalma, as well as various media outlets, tried and failed to get copies of the subpoenas in the investigation of the ILO education consulting contract, worth a potential $5.2 million, which was awarded by the McKee administration and drew scrutiny because the firm's leaders had ties to McKee and a competing bid was considerably lower. PROPOSED FIX: Require the disclosure of subpoenas issued to government entities or officials unless barred by a court order. Antonia Noori Farzan of The Journal was denied access to the names of individuals given preferred license plates," aka low-numbered plates, through the governors office. PROPOSED FIX: Ensure that the names of owners of low-numbered license plates cannot be withheld by the Division of Motor Vehicles. More: RI's governor can give out low-numbered plates. Why won't the state tell us who has them? What is a 'reasonable charge' for public records? Fees can also be a hurdle in obtaining public records. After the closure of the westbound Washington Bridge, NBC 10's Brian Crandall requested all emails from Dec. 8, 2023, through Dec. 15 between RIDOT and the governor's office related to the bridge's closure. The governor's office advised him it located "approximately 810 potentially responsive documents," which would take an estimated 67.5 hours to search, retrieve, review and, potentially, redact. But he would have to pre-pay $1,012.50 to get the unseen documents, as the governor's office has argued that the state's APRA law, as it stands, allows a "reasonable charge" for the search and retrieval of records. PROPOSED FIX: Waive all fees if release of the information requested would be in the public interest, meaning: "It is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government." More: The Journal fought for these Washington Bridge emails. Now you can read them. What else do the APRA reformers want to do? A lot. The legislation seeks to make 47 changes some big, some only technical to the current Access to Public Records Act. Among the other proposed changes: Limit the current exemption for emails and other communications to and from "elected officials" to communications that have "no demonstrable connection to the exercise of official acts or duties." Require disclosure of police body-worn camera footage of incidents involving alleged use of force within 30 days of a request, with the possibility of a 20-day extension if a Superior Court judge decides that earlier release "would substantially interfere with completion of its investigation." Prohibit public bodies from entering into contractual confidentiality agreements that conflict with APRA or from allowing private parties to make determinations as to which records are confidential. Provide two free hours of "search and retrieval" time instead of one hour before the potential $15-an-hour fee kicks in. Provide two free hours for redacting records and prohibit charging any amount for a government employee to write a denial letter. Require agencies to specify and/or provide an "exemption log" detailing which documents they withhold and why. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: How RI's 'open records' law actually helps hide government secrets WASHINGTON Donald Trump attacked one of his top allies on Capitol Hill, Sen. Lindsey Graham, on Monday after the South Carolina Republican and other conservatives criticized Trumps comments on abortion earlier in the day, in which he declined to take a position on federal legislation limiting the procedure. Senator Lindsey Graham is doing a great disservice to the Republican Party, and to our Country, Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his social media website, Truth Social. The former president went on to say that Graham doesnt seem to understand that Democrats love this issue, and they want to keep it going for as long as Republicans will allow them to do so. Many Good Republicans lost Elections because of this Issue, and people like Lindsey Graham, that are unrelenting, are handing Democrats their dream of the House, Senate, and perhaps even the Presidency, he added. The presumptive GOP presidential nominee then urged Graham to spend more time focusing on the situation on the U.S.-Mexico border and the millions of people dying in senseless, never-ending Wars he constantly favors and promotes. Graham is one of Trumps biggest supporters in Congress, repeatedly defending him from criticism from Democrats and others in his own party. Graham previously introduced a bill to ban abortion after 15 weeks, which social conservatives were hoping Trump would back ahead of the November election. In a video on Monday, however, Trump bragged about engineering a Supreme Court majority that overturned Roe v. Wade but suggested that it should be left up to the states to decide how to handle the hot-button issue, which has energized Democrats and put Republicans on the defensive. Graham said he respectfully disagreed with Trumps position and said that he would continue to advocate for a federal limit on abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions. He also didnt back down when asked about Trumps comments directly targeting him on Monday. The states rights issue, I think, is not about the pro-life movement, Graham told HuffPost. Its a political position that I think doesnt make sense if youre pro-life, because pro-life is about the well-being of the unborn child. Republicans used to be far more united on federal legislation setting limits on abortion. In 2018, for example, Republican senators voted on a bill, backed by then-President Trump, that would have banned abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Only two GOP senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voted with nearly every Democrat to block the measure. Trump himself called the vote disappointing. Now, some of the same Republican senators who supported that bill maintain it should be left up to the states, in yet another way Trump has scrambled traditional GOP orthodoxy and forced his party into uncomfortable debates they once agreed on. I mean, Id like to play in the NBA, but its not going to happen, OK? Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told reporters on Monday about the idea of passing federal legislation to ban abortion. Theres no way this United States Congress is going to pass a federal rule on abortion. I mean, its just not, he added. A bill like that is dead as Dillinger, so why debate it? Its not going to happen. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Trump is right to hold off on a federal ban, adding that the rest of the GOP will now have to decide how best to approach the matter. Its going to be up to the candidates to determine whether or not that may necessarily put them in a position where they disagree with the decisions of their state legislatures, Tillis said. Related... The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) held a ceremony Thursday morning at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo to dedicate a boat in honor of State Trooper Steve Booth, who was shot and died in the line of duty on June 16, 1993. Booth's family, local and state officials, and active and retired troopers were in attendance to honor the boat's christening. Booth initially joined DPS in 1997 and was stationed in Stratford at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Renee Cavitt, and his two sons, Brian and Brady. The family of fallen State Trooper Steve Booth stand in front of the craft named for him at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. The director of DPS, Steven McCraw, spoke about the importance of honoring Booths legacy. The director of DPS, Steven McCraw, speaks Thursday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo during a boat dedication ceremony for fallen Trooper Steve Booth, who died in the line of duty in Stratford on June 16, 1993. Ensuring the legacy of the men and women who give their lives in the line of duty is one of the most important things we can do, McCraw said. By dedicating this boat in Trooper Booths name, we ensure it will continue to be said throughout this department for decades. To be sure, we will never forget. McCraw emphasized that the greatest sacrifice a trooper can make for his community is with his life. Family and troopers stand at a dedication of a boat named for fallen State Trooper Steve Booth at a ceremony Thursday held at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Every time we lose a trooper, special agent, or a Texas Ranger, it affects the family as well, and we made a promise to his family that Steve would always be remembered as a hero of Texas, McCraw said. We are proud of Booth and the sacrifice that he made. With a boat that will be activated like this one, McCraw says it is not only an honor but also a reminder of what dangers law enforcement may face. The DPS Color guard takes colors to stage Thursday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. When one steps on that boat every day, you could be in an ambush type of opportunity, and it's important to recognize the possible dangers of service, he said. It's always important to recognize the sacrifices of our past and to reflect on that every day that they get on that boat. Regional Director of DPS Joe Longway spoke on Booths dedication to service. Troopers stand on a boat dedicated to State Trooper Steve Booth on Thursday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Booth died in the line of duty on June 16, 1993. "Trooper Booth exemplified the department's motto of Courtesy, Service and Protection, he said. DPS has not forgotten the sacrifice he made over 30 years ago, and dedicating this vessel in his honor will ensure his memory lives on. State Trooper Steve Booth was killed in the line of duty on June 16, 1993. Local state representatives Four Price and John Smithee spoke at the ceremony. "Trooper Bobby 'Steve' Booth was a courageous man, Price said. Today's vessel dedication in Trooper Booth's name is a wonderful way to honor his memory and heroism. I am proud of the Texas DPS for making it happen. Cindy Barkley of DPS spoke about the boat dedication following the ceremony. Troopers stand in unison Thursday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. While boats like this are dedicated to fallen troopers, this particular ceremony with a boat is unique because it has never been done in the Texas Panhandle, Barkley said. "This is another way to carry on the name of our fallen brothers and serve as a constant reminder of Booths courageous and dedicated service to the department for his commitment to the citizens of Stratford and the state of Texas. This is a great way to honor him and his family. The boat christened in honor of fallen State Trooper Steve Booth Thursday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Barkley said that vessels like the one dedicated will be used at the border patrolling the intercoastal waterways to reduce drug smuggling, human trafficking and other criminal activity regions, and she said the most current number of these marine vessels honoring troopers was 36 with 24 patrol ready. Ben Urbanczyk, assistant chief of DPS who also served in Dalhart and had worked with Trooper Steve Booth, was present and spoke at Thursday's dedication to honor Booth Thursday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Ben Urbanczyk, assistant chief of DPS who also served in Dalhart and worked with Booth, was present and spoke at Thursday's dedication. He said it was a bittersweet day for him to honor his fallen friend and trooper. A plaque and plate for a boat named in honor of State Trooper Steve Booth at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. Today has its sad part and happy part. We try to remember the good things about Steve, but we never forget what happened to him on June 16, Urbanczyk said. We worked together for about five years, and it was great to come together and honor him. Urbanczyk said the irony of naming a boat after him would probably be very humorous to Booth. He would have said they know I was stationed in Stratford, right, he added with a smile. Officials pay tribute to fallen DPS Trooper Steve Booth Thursday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. DPS officials honor fallen trooper Steve Booth with a boat dedication ceremony Thursday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: DPS dedicates boat to state trooper killed in Texas Panhandle A Southwest Airlines flight returned to Denver after an engine cover ripped off mid-flight. The 737-800 aircraft involved is a previous-generation variant, not the recently scrutinized Max 9. Southwest's maintenance team is reviewing the aircraft while the FAA investigates. A Boeing 737 operated by Southwest Airlines had to turn around mid-flight after an engine cover ripped off on Sunday. Southwest Airlines told Business Insider in a statement that Flight 3695 returned to the Denver International Airport and landed safely after experiencing a "mechanical issue." The airline said its maintenance team is reviewing the aircraft. "Our Customers will arrive at Houston Hobby on another aircraft, approximately three hours behind schedule," Southwest said in the statement. "We apologize for the inconvenience of their delay, but place our highest priority on ultimate safety for our customers and employees." Video of the incident shared online shows a section of the plane's engine cowling a panel that covers the engine tearing away from the aircraft. Scary moments for passengers on a Southwest flight from Denver to Houston when the engine cover ripped off during flight , forcing the plane to return to Denver Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/BBpCBXpTsl Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) April 7, 2024 In January, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after a section of an Alaska Airlines fuselage a plug over what was previously a door ripped away mid-flight. The FAA said in a statement at the time that each plane would have to undergo an eight-hour safety inspection before it's allowed to carry passengers again. Boeing Chairman Steve Mollenkopf has reached out directly to several airlines following the company's recent struggles, Bloomberg reported. Mollenkpf's move came after Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said that Boeing showed a "lack of attention to detail." "In 2022 and 2023, we were finding little things like spanners under the floorboards, in some cases, seat handles missing, things like that," O'Leary told CNN in March. The FAA told Business Insider that it is investigating the incident. Boeing referred BI to Southwest Airlines when reached for comment on Sunday. The Alaska Airlines blowout in January has brought increased scrutiny around Boeing's quality control in the following months. Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it would investigate Boeing's manufacturing process. The FAA revealed in March that its probe found "multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements." The agency also noted that it had found 27 areas in Boeing's safety procedures that were insufficient. After the Alaska Airlines incident, several key executives, including Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, announced that they would resign. In a press release, the plane manufacturer also vowed to implement more inspections on the production line and change its quality practices. Correction: April 8, 2024 An earlier version of this story failed to identify the plane model involved in the incident, it is a 737-800, which is different than a 737 Max 9 or other variants. Also, the door plug that fell off of an Alaska Airlines plane was not covering where a previous door had been; it is where a door could be. It is sealed at the factory. Read the original article on Business Insider Houthi spokesman Brigadier Yahya Saree has claimed responsibility for the attacks - MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images British, Israeli and US vessels have come under fire from rocket and drone attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia off the coast of Yemen. The latest assaults took place over the last three days and come amid a maritime blockade by the terror group, which it says is in support of Palestinians in Gaza. In a televised statement, Yahya Saree, a Houthi spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attacks that targeted a British ship and two Israeli vessels heading to Israeli ports, as well as a number of US frigates in the Red Sea. Calling it a response to the American British aggression against our country, he said five military operations had been carried out in the past 72 hours by naval and air forces. He claimed there was a direct hit on the British container ship Hope Island, which has not been confirmed, and that other vessels were attacked with ballistic missiles and drones. The Houthis, who control Yemens most populous areas, including the capital, have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea region since November. Oil tanker Marlin Luanda on fire in the Red Sea after a Houthi attack in January - AP The militia said the attacks were 'a response to the American British aggression against our country' - YAHYA ARHAB/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock That has sparked a US-led coalition of over 20 nations attempting to counter the attacks, which have disrupted global shipping, forced firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could destabilise the wider Middle East. Around 424 US and British airstrikes on targets in Yemen since February have killed 37 people and wounded 30, according to Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the Houthi leader, in a bid to quash the blockade on one of the worlds most critical trade routes. While the Houthis claimed its blockade was designed to target Israeli-linked shipping, it has in fact had a global reach. In March, three seamen on a Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship were killed by Houthi missile fire. Meanwhile, 25 hostages from countries including Romania and Mexico remain captive since November, taken by the terror group after the hijacking of the Galaxy Leader. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Kansas lawmakers leave Topeka for 3-week break. Here's what they still have to get done Kansas lawmakers worked into the early morning hours on Saturday before leaving Topeka, ending the last day of regular session with agreement on some legislation but not others. Legislators now return to their home communities for a three-week break before returning to the capital city to wrap up their work during veto session ahead of the 2024 election season. Budding redbud trees frame the Kansas Statehouse on Friday, several hours before the Legislature adjourned early Saturday morning for its April break. Tax cuts Tax cuts have been a top priority of legislators this session. While Republican leadership initially pushed a flat tax as part of a sweeping tax cut package, the inability to override a veto by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly earlier this session forced the GOP to move on. Lawmakers have seen various tax cut packages with a mix of relief on income taxes, property taxes and sales taxes as the prospects of tax cuts this year went through highs and lows like a rollercoaster. First there was the news of Kelly and top Republicans negotiating a compromise package. But while Kelly and Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, were able to convince senators to support the plan, the governor and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, failed to win over representatives who said they wanted a better plan. The Thursday night failure of that plan left in doubt that a new one could materialize before legislators left town, but they succeeded Friday night in finding a new version of House Bill 2036 that passed in the wee hours of Saturday morning. State budget House and Senate negotiators spent much of the last week hammering out the details of a 457-page budget bill with a 90-page document explaining how the state will spend $25.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. That dollar figure is from all funds, which includes revenues like federal funds that lawmakers have little control over. The state general fund, which lawmakers do control, will spend $10.4 billion. The budget in Senate Bill 28 includes a litany of items, like $141 million in all funds and $61 million from the general fund for state employee pay raises. Most workers can expect 5% raises, though it may be more or less depending on if the job is paying far below or above market. There will also be a new state employee minimum wage of about $15 an hour. It remains to be seen whether Kelly will use her line-item veto powers on any specific appropriations. When legislators return for veto session, they would have the opportunity to override any line-item vetoes. Legislators will also craft an omnibus budget based on new revenue projections that are typically released in mid- to late April. More: Kansas Democrats allege political retaliation in effort to defund US- 75 highway project School budget Republican leadership again split off K-12 education funding from the rest of the state government budget, but lawmakers left town without passing it, leaving school districts with some uncertainty as they work to plan budgets for the next school year. Senate Bill 387 mixed money for schools with policy changes, the most controversial of which was how it approached special education. While schools were in line for $77.5 million in new state money for special education, there were also changes to the SPED funding formula, among which was counting law taxpayer money as part of the state's obligation. There were also concerns that the one-time funding increase would not come with additional increases in future years, leaving SPED underfunded. The bill narrowly passed the House on Thursday but failed that evening in the Senate. Legislators returned to negotiations Friday evening. While it appears there is a new plan without some of the SPED policy changes, lawmakers did not vote on it before adjourning early Saturday, the Senate at around 2:15 a.m. and the House at around 2:30 a.m. Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas lawmakers pass tax cuts but not school budget before adjourning Flash Airdropped humanitarian aid falls toward the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, seen from near Nir Am, a kibbutz in southern Israel, on March 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Egypt has decided to increase the number of trucks carrying food, medical aid, and subsistence supplies for the war-torn Gaza Strip to at least 300 per day starting from Sunday, Chairman of Egypt's State Information Service Diaa Rashwan said. In a statement, Rashwan remarked that a total of 19,354 trucks had entered Gaza from the Rafah crossing since the start of the Israeli aggression against the enclave on Oct. 7, 2023, carrying 19,952 tons of medical supplies, 10,435 tons of fuel, 123,453 tons of food, 26,692 tons of water, 2,023 tons of tents and tarpaulins, 44,103 tons of other relief materials, and 123 equipped ambulances. In addition, 3,764 injured and sick people from Gaza had entered Egypt for medical treatment, along with 6,191 companions, said the statement, adding 66,759 foreign nationals and dual nationals, as well as 6,330 Egyptians fled Gaza through the border with Egypt. Rashwan reiterated Egypt's commitment to expediting the delivery of humanitarian aid to the strip and pledged continuous efforts to increase the amount of aid. Kentucky inmate charged with murder after allegedly beating another to death A Kentucky inmate has been charged with murder for allegedly beating another inmate to death while incarcerated, according to Kentucky State Police. The incident happened 8:11 a.m., Jan. 17 at the Allen County Detention Center. KSP said Robert Tomes, 35, assaulted Levi Parrish, 40, and Parrish was transported to the Bowling Green Medical Center. Court documents say the attack happened in the commissary room. A jail official pushed Parrish into the room in an office and approximately 30 seconds later, Tomes began attacking Parrish. Its not believed Tomes or Parrish spoke to each other during the incident, according to court documents. Tomes was seen checking his surroundings and smiling before the assault occurred. A KSP detective went to the hospital to interview Parrish but was unable to do so due to the extent of his injuries, according to court documents. Parrish suffered a broken nose from the assault. Parrish died at the hospital nine days after the attack, KSP said. Three jail deputies and five inmates saw the incident, according to court documents. Tomes declined to issue a statement to investigators. Tomes was originally charged with second-degree assault from the incident, according to court records. KSP said an Allen County Grand Jury indicted Tomes for murder and first-degree persistent felony offender on March 27. Tomes is being held on a $1 million bond for the murder charge, according to court records. He is also facing an active case of third-degree assault for allegedly punching a jail deputy in the face while the deputy was accommodating his cell. Law enforcement in Wisconsin village respond to bomb threat at Costco, bank robbery at same time PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. (WFRV) Law enforcement in a southeastern Wisconsin village responded to a bomb threat at a local Costco while in the same time frame, a Chase Bank was being robbed on Saturday. Pleasant Prairie Officers are currently looking for the suspect who allegedly robbed the Chase Bank on 39th Avenue on April 6. No information was provided on the amount of money that may have been stolen during the robbery. Pleasant Prairie bank robbery bomb threat map According to the Pleasant Prairie Police Department, officers were first called around 12:30 p.m. after receiving a potential bomb threat at the Costco on 94th Avenue. Drug Task Force search warrant leads to rescue of 27 cats in Wisconsin, one in custody The Pleasant Prairie PD worked in conjunction with Costco Management, Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue, Kenosha Police Department, Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, Racine Police Department K9, and the Allied Universals K9 explosives detection dogs to conduct a thorough search and investigation of the store. The Costco was evacuated while officers secured the scene, and searched the building and surrounding parking lots. Authorities did not find any explosive devices and concluded that there was no threat to the public during the incident. However, officers say that during the same time frame, a bank robbery was happening at the Chase Bank. Officers describe the suspect as a white man between 40 and 50 years old, 510-511, blue eyes, wearing a black sweater, black pants, black hat, surgical mask, black gloves, and aviator-style sunglasses. Pleasant Prairie Police Department Pleasant Prairie Police Department Body recovered, found floating in Lake Butte Des Morts in Oshkosh prompting active investigation No one from the bank was injured during the incident, which is being investigated by the Pleasant Prairie Detective Bureau. We want to extend our gratitude to the Costco staff and the public for their cooperation during this event. We also want to thank the Kenosha Sheriffs Office, Kenosha Police Department, and Zion PD for their swift response and support. Please rest assured that the safety and security of the public remain our top priority. We will continue to work diligently to ensure the well-being of our community. Thank you for your understanding, patience, and cooperation. Pleasant Prairie Police Department Anyone with relevant information about the incident or suspect is asked to call the Pleasant Prairie Dispatch Center at its non-emergent line, 262-694-7353. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. In response to cases such as the alleged theft of more than $4 million at the Hammocks HOA in Kendall and the arrests of four of its former board members and one of their spouses, the Florida Legislature has passed two bills to strengthen criminal penalties for association fraud and malfeasance. The bills, which were passed with unanimous votes in both chambers of the legislature, are now pending final approval by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Both bills impose the exact same strict criminal penalties for a number of violations. They make it a first-degree misdemeanor to intentionally deface and destroy accounting records, or to fail to create and maintain them with ill intent. They also call for second-degree misdemeanors for board members or property managers who fail to provide requested records or maintain them for seven years, and third-degree felonies for anyone who willfully and knowingly refuses to release or otherwise produce association records with the intent to avoid or escape detection, arrest, trial, or punishment for the commission of a crime, or to assist another person with such avoidance. Board members or property managers who solicit or accept a kickback also face a third-degree felony. The new legislation mandates that homeowners associations furnish records that are under legal subpoena within five business days, and they must also assist law enforcement agencies in their investigations to the extent permissible by law. HOA board members will be required to complete a state-approved educational course covering financial literacy and transparency, fines, recordkeeping and meeting notices. Directors of HOAs with fewer than 2,500 homes must complete four hours of continuing education annually, while those for communities with more than 2,500 homes must complete eight hours per year. Homeowners associations must maintain their official records, including meeting minutes, vendor contracts, election ballots, financial/tax records and others for at least seven years. Those with at least 100 homes are required to post many of their records on a community website, which must also include meeting notices/agendas for all open board meetings at least 14 days in advance. Any contracts that are up for a vote at a meeting need to be posted at least seven days in advance. HOAs will not be allowed to issue suspensions of voting rights or the use of community amenities for some minor types of rule violations. In addition, liens against homeowners involving relatively low fines will require the approval of 75 percent of all the owners, and some fines for certain traffic and landscaping infractions are precluded from becoming liens. Regular assessments not including insurance can increase by only 10 percent over the prior year for HOAs, and special assessments are capped at five percent of the annual budgeted expenses unless 60 percent of the voting members approve a larger assessment. HOAs are also barred from charging compound interest on overdue assessments. The new legislation also addresses election fraud in condominium associations. Those who prevent owners from voting, use threats to influence a vote, buy votes and aid in voter fraud will face first-degree misdemeanors. Condominium association directors who are charged with such infractions as ballot forgery, embezzlement of association funds, obstruction of justice, and destruction of records must be removed from office. All condominium directors will need to complete a four-hour course that covers structural inspections, reserves, elections, recordkeeping, fines, meetings, budgets/financing, records transparency and other matters, plus they will be required to complete an hour of continuing education during every year of service. Condominium association property managers or management firms that are terminated by a client association are required to turn over all of the records in their possession within 20 days. The failure to do so could lead to the loss of their state license and $1,000 daily fines. By the start of 2025, the states Department of Business and Professional Regulation must create a database on its website of associations that have completed their newly mandated structural integrity reserve studies. Within 45 days of completing the study, associations have to provide a copy to each owner and also alert the DBPR that it was completed. The new legislation allocates $7.4 million and 65 full-time employees, at a total salary of $3.2 million, in this years state budget for the DBPR to implement and enforce the new measures. The cases of alleged brazen thefts and fraud at Florida HOAs and condominium associations required a legislative fix, and the unanimous votes for both of these bills in both chambers is a clear signal that the problem has become a priority for the states lawmakers. Gov. DeSantis should sign the bills into law, which will then take effect on July 1. Michael L. Hyman with the South Florida law firm of Siegfried Rivera has focused on community association law since 1970 and is based at the firms Coral Gables office. He is the author of the two-volume Florida Condominium Law and Practice and is board certified as an expert in association law by The Florida Bar. Michael is a regular contributor to the firms Newsroom blog at www.SiegfriedRivera.com/blog. The firm also maintains offices in Broward and Palm Beach counties, and its attorneys focus on real estate, community association, construction and insurance law. www.SiegfriedRivera.com, MHyman@SiegfriedRivera.com, 305-442-3334. Lexington looks to the skies ahead of solar eclipse. Heres whats happening in the city Its finally here! A total solar eclipse is expected to draw more than 1 million people to Kentucky this week as they travel to prime viewing spots in the western half of the state and to nearby spots like Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. The rare event wont occur again over the contiguous U.S. until 2044, according to NASA, so you wont want to miss Mondays eclipse. If youre celebrating at a Lexington watch party, dont forget to keep your eclipse glasses or viewers on throughout the entire event. Viewed from Lexington, the solar eclipse will appear as a partial one, with the moon covering about 96% of the suns face, but thats still enough to hurt your eyes if you stare at the sun without proper eye protection. Jessica Lundgaard and her daughters Izzy, Soleil and Layla react as the eclipse emerges from cloud over at Living Arts and Science Center in Lexington, Ky., on April 8, 2024. The area was expected to see around 96% totality. Silas Walker/swalker@herald-leader.com NASA is also warning the public against taking photos of the eclipse with their phones. Be sure to hold up a pair of eclipse glasses to the lens before you snap a selfie, otherwise you could seriously damage your phone. In Lexington and Central Kentucky, the show is expected to kick off at about 1:50 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, with the eclipse peaking here around 3:08 p.m. By 4:24 p.m., the eclipse ends. 3:32 p.m. Emily Mokroz took in the eclipse at the Living Arts & Science Center with her son, Miles Clark. The eclipse popped out of the clouds on a few occasions, creating brief moments of excitement. Its been really fun, Mokroz said. Its kind of exciting to have to wait a little bit and have everyone get excited all around us. While the eclipse didnt live up to full expectations, Mokroz and her son still had a good time participating in the events at the LSACs eclipse event, including painting pictures of the sun. They had a few different things. They had some collages that they were doing and they had some clay suns that they were making, Mokroz said. There were few chances to see the eclipse due to the cloud cover but the few times it did pop out generated a lot of excitement. The front lawn was packed with people during the peak time of the eclipse. Dr. Lezell Lowe holds his granddaughter, Niyeah, as people gather to view a total solar eclipse seen from the Living Arts & Science Center in Lexington, Ky., Monday, April 8, 2024. Silas Walker/swalker@herald-leader.com The moon covers the sun during a total solar eclipse seen from the Living Arts & Science Center in Lexington, Ky., Monday, April 8, 2024. Silas Walker/swalker@herald-leader.com 3:22 p.m. Donna Lee, who oversees the visual impairment program at UK, considered driving to Indianapolis to watch the eclipse in the path of totality, but decided against it to due to heavy traffic. She said the Indianapolis Motor Speedway held an event using refreshable braille and sound displays so visually impaired viewers could the full experience. Sadly, the overcast weather in Lexington dampened her fun. We caught a little glimpse of the crescent and then the cloud covered it again. So were hoping we can see it more, she said. Lee joked the cloud obstructed view of the sun may be better to keep students eyes safe. UK passed out defective eclipse glasses at the library prior to the eclipse, and warned students not to use them over the weekend. Lee expressed concerns for students who didnt realize they had picked up defective glasses. I just am really hoping all of the students who received them actually saw the alerts about it. Coming from somebody who works in visual impairment, I dont need additional consumers, she said. Meanwhile, at a watch party at Ethereal Brewery, viewers raised their glasses to the skies to catch a view. Eclipse observers at Ethereal Brewery in Lexington raised their glasses to catch a view. Taylor Six Taproom manager Kelley Jackson was a bartender at Ethereal during the eclipse in 2017. It was one of her first memories as a bartender there. She recalls a small turnout at the time, and sitting outside with the patrons to watch. Over the years, her regulars have reminisced on the 2017 eclipse, and they long discussed having an event to hold this year. Jackson ordered 60 eclipse viewing glasses, and was soon out. She was very surprised at the turnout, but really excited that such a rare event people would remember witnessing at Ethereal. 3:08 p.m. At the peak of the solar eclipse here in Lexington, viewers fought get a view of the sun through cloudy skies and sent up excited shouts when they managed to catch a glimpse. Casey Roley (left) and Michelle Bickerstaff (right) catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse in Lexington amid a cloudy sky on April 8, 2024. Kendall Staton A partially eclipsed sun peaks through a cloudy sky over Lexington, Ky. on April 8, 2024 Diego Espinoza Donna Lee and her son watch the eclipse April 8, 2024. Kendall Staton 2:58 p.m. Leslie Sanchez and her two sons Joey, 7 and-a-half; and Judah, 5 were at the Living Arts & Science Center for the solar eclipse. They ordered their eclipse glasses a month ago and were excited for it to happen. We love science and we love learning, Sanchez said on why they decided to take in the event at the Living Arts & Science Center. I try to grab any educational opportunity that we can. Along with the solar eclipse, the LSAC also hosted many activities throughout the day, including an animal meet & greet. They got to meet a bearded dragon, a box turtle and a coral snake. They got to pet each of them with two fingers and they loved all of it, Sanchez said. 2:45 p.m. At the University of Kentucky, more than 150 people gathered in the Alumni Commons to view the eclipse. The Department of Physics and Astronomy held a viewing party, with solar telescopes and eclipse glasses. Though it was cloudy, groups were still excited at the chance to see the eclipse at near totality. Erica Lengyel, a graduate student who helped organize the viewing party, said Mondays eclipse was the closest to totality shed been. Lengyel was excited to see people interested in astronomy and viewing the eclipse. I credit like a lot of my early science experiences with what brought me here (to UK) today, so its nice to be able to give that back to the community, Lengyel said. Its one of those things that like doesnt happen all the time, so its nice to get kind of one of these life experiences, Lengyel said. A solar eclipse is photographed in Paducah, Ky., on Monday, April 8, 2024. Ryan C. Hermens/rhermens@herald-leader.com Also at UK, Lexington resident Vivian C. Wright came to to view the eclipse through the universitys solar telescope, which lets users see the eclipse safely without using eclipse glasses, but the weather wasnt keen for eclipse viewing. The weather is hampering everybodys enjoyment, she said. Wright recalled watching the 2017 solar eclipse with a home made cardboard viewing box. She brought the contraption with her today, but couldnt seem to remember how to use it and opted for the eclipse glasses passed out by the department of physics and astronomy. Im at @universityofky for their eclipse viewing party with @kendallstaton1! Were less than an hour from totality, and its pretty cloudy right now, so not much is visible yet. pic.twitter.com/8dg3kHz6lQ Monica Kast (@monica_kast) April 8, 2024 2:35 p.m. - The moon has taken a noticeable bite out of the sun during Mondays solar eclipse. In Lexington, viewers at the citys Living Arts and Science Center took in the view amid cloudy skies. Dozens of spectators gathered on the centers lawn waiting for the sun to peek out from the clouds. Spectators at Lexingtons Living Arts and Science Center gather to watch the solar eclipse April 8, 2024. Chris Leach At Ethereal Brewing in Lexingtons Distillery District, guests at a watch party there were drawn to the event by the promise of glasses. Haily Sloan said she was one of the last few to get a pair of eclipse-safe glasses before they sold out. Sloan said she has always been interested in science, and was attracted to viewing the phenomenon because it isnt something that happens very often. She said she watched the previous eclipse event in 2017, when she was in school at Morehead State. Haily Sloan (center) stands outside Ethereal Brewery in Lexington, Ky. to watch the solar eclipse April 8, 2024. Taylor Six Check back later for more live local updates brought to you by Herald-Leader reporters Christopher Leach, Monica Kast, Taylor Six and Kendall Staton. A woman looks on during totality of a solar eclipse from the riverfront in Paducah, Ky., on Monday, April 8, 2024. Ryan C. Hermens/rhermens@herald-leader.com Lorne and Samuel James, 12, of Hendersonville, Tenn., watch a solar eclipse on the riverfront in Paducah, Ky., on Monday, April 8, 2024. Ryan C. Hermens/rhermens@herald-leader.com Spectators watch a solar eclipse on the riverfront in Paducah, Ky., on Monday, April 8, 2024. Ryan C. Hermens/rhermens@herald-leader.com A rift is emerging in the Republican Party between the pro-Russia right and a group of senior GOP Congress members warning against those pushing Kremlin messaging on the Russia-Ukraine war. Ohio Representative Mike Turner, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, is one of those Congress members. Speaking with CNNs Jake Tapper on Sunday, Turner railed against members of his own party who oppose funding Ukraine for repeating the Russian line that the invasion of Ukraine is a dispute over NATO expansion. We see, directly coming from Russia, attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor, Turner said. Turner is not the only Republican to criticize Republicans parroting of Kremlin propaganda. Last week, Texas Representative and chair of the House Foreign Services Committee Michael McCaul warned that Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and its infected a good chunk of my partys base. To whom are McCaul and Turner referring? A faction of Republicans opposed to the passage of any aid for Ukraine, most likely. Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday described the conflict as a war on Christianity, applauding Russia for protecting Christianity from supposed Ukrainian attacks. She has also promised to hold aid hostage by threatening to hold a vote to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson from the speakership if a bill sending aid to Ukraine is put on the table. Senators Ron Johnson and Tommy Tuberville have repeated the NATO expansion canard to which Turner made reference, and expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin before voting against a military aid package. Disgraced former Fox News host Tucker Carlson visited Russia for a fawning interview with Putin. But if Turner and McCaul are looking for the source of this authoritarian apologia, they ought to look at their leader, Donald Trump. The former president, who was impeached for holding promised aid over the head of Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelenskiy in exchange for damaging information on then-candidate Joe Biden, has certainly trafficked in the kind of pro-Russian messaging Turner criticized. Trump has also promised to end all aid to Ukraine if he is elected president in 2024. The rot infecting the GOP, as described by Turner and McCaul, is coming from the top of the party. But will their colleagues give them a hearing? Dont count on it. Man killed pregnant woman, then was seen on video dragging body to alley, IL cops say An Illinois man was arrested after police say he shot and killed a pregnant woman then dragged her body to an alley. Dontrell Anderson was arrested in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on April 5, according to a news release from the Chicago Police Department. Hes charged with first-degree murder and conceal homicidal death. The charges stem from the Feb. 18 shooting death of 24-year-old Itzel Camarena. Camarena was found dead with a gunshot wound to the face, according to a report from the Cook County Bureau of Administration. Police say Anderson strangled and shot Camarena, who was six months pregnant, as she visited him at his family home, according to WLS. Our family is shattered, a GoFundMe set up for Camarenas family said. No family should ever have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to such violence. Anderson was then seen on surveillance video dragging Camarenas body and leaving it near a dumpster in an alley, the Chicago Sun Times reported. What this individual did is so not fair. Why would he do this to somebody? Camarenas aunt, Juanita Sanchez, told WLS. Anderson appeared in court on April 6 and was remanded, according to court records. An attorney for Anderson was not listed. Husband shot wife, dumped her body and left the state, Florida cops say. Hes arrested Walgreens worker followed pregnant woman to parking lot, shot her 7 times, lawsuit says Pregnant Chick-fil-A manager killed in crash was a remarkable leader, co-workers say Bomb threats at polling locations. An unknown substance found in an envelope carrying an absentee ballot. Artificial Intelligence impersonating a local clerk in a voice message. These are the scenarios up for discussion between Michigan election officials and law enforcement officers at trainings across the state this month to prepare for the upcoming presidential election. Over boxed Panera Bread lunches in a conference room at Cadillac Place in Detroit last Wednesday, representatives from southeastern Michigan communities shared their ideas of how they respond to a hypothetical election disruption. It was the first of several such "table top exercises" hosted by the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections that Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson the state's chief elections officer hopes local election administrators and law enforcement will attend. Trainings in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Traverse City and Marquette aim to help communities start their process to plan for possible contingencies early. Michigan election officials and law enforcement convene in Cadillac Place in Detroit April 3, 2024 for an election security planning session hosted by the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections. "There were things that happened in 2020 that I think caught all of us by surprise," said former Rochester Hills City Clerk Tina Barton who helps lead the trainings for the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections. "Every election cycle has something in it that loves to throw a tiny bit of chaos." The more formal security planning process heading into 2024 compared to past elections reflects new threats to elections, Benson said. By looking back at the election disruptions in 2020, Benson sees a roadmap for being better prepared this time around for any attempts by bad actors to interfere in the process. The situations discussed are not far-fetched, said Barton. "So these aren't things where we're like, 'what if spaceships came down?'" she said. She noted suspicious envelopes sent to election offices in multiple states. Some contained fentanyl. During the 2022 August primary in Michigan, a bomb scare temporarily closed a polling location in Linden to allow Michigan State Police's bomb squad to investigate a suspicious backpack found by an election worker. Benson told those attending the Detroit table top exercise that one of the goals of the program was to take away some of the fear associated with the scenarios discussed by developing a plan in advance. In Michigan, many clerks and election officers bring to the 2024 cycle their own lessons from their work in 2020. While some election officials across the country left their posts in response to threats they faced in the wake of the 2020 election, Benson said Michigan stands out as a battleground state that has seen relatively little turnover. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson heads talks with the media during a press conference on Election Day outside of Berkley High School which has precinct three and seven at its location during the primary election on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. "And so we go into 2024 with the benefit of experiencing ... levers being pulled and tactics being deployed in Michigan and seeing things happen in other states and knowing that at the very least we have to be prepared for a repeat of all of those and then some," she said. Artificial intelligence tops the list of potential concerns heading into 2024 as well as how foreign adversaries might try to interfere in the election, she added. Michigan 2024 Election: In Grand Rapids, Trump argues Biden has allowed border crisis to reach 'every town' Elections in Michigan don't just take place on a single day. Voting begins 45 days prior to Election Day when military and overseas voters start receiving ballots. Then a 40-day absentee voting period and up to 29 days of early voting all provide opportunities to weigh in on races up and down the ballot before in-person voting at the polls. Once polling locations close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, the post-election process includes reviews and certifications that in 2020 saw former President Donald Trump and his allies attempt to overturn his loss in Michigan in 2020. Benson hopes election officials will be prepared to handle whatever comes their way during that entire election cycle. Of course, they can't anticipate everything, Benson said. "We still have nightmares every night and that's just the reality of the work," she said. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen. Looking for more on Michigans elections this year? Check out our voter guide, subscribe to our elections newsletter and always feel free to share your thoughts in a letter to the editor. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2024 election disruption planning underway in Michigan Microsoft has announced a new London hub for its recently unveiled consumer AI division. It will be fronted by Jordan Hoffmann, an AI scientist and engineer Microsoft recently picked up from high-profile AI startup Inflection AI, which Microsoft invested in last year. The news comes some three weeks after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled a new consumer AI division headed up by Inflection AI's founders, which include Mustafa Suleyman, the co-founder of DeepMind, the AI company Google acquired in 2014. At the time, Nadella said that "several members of the Inflection team" also joined Microsoft's new AI unit (Bloomberg reported that most actually joined). We now know that one of those was Hoffmann, a former PhD student who joined DeepMind as a research scientist in 2020 before jumping ship for Inflection AI, after Suleyman founded the startup in 2022 and started poaching employees from DeepMind and Meta. In a blog post today, Suleyman calls Hoffmann an "exceptional AI scientist and engineer," and with Suleyman himself reporting directly to Nadella in the U.S., Hoffmann will take charge of the new London unit. Suleyman noted that they will launch new job postings in the "coming weeks and months" to find fresh AI talent to join Hoffmann at Microsoft's Paddington office, where they will develop new language models and associated infrastructure and tooling. This also feeds into another recent announcement made in conjunction with the U.K. government, where Microsoft said it would invest 2.5 billion ($3.15 billion) in the U.K. over the next three years, which will include expanding its data center footprint and training "more than one million people for the AI economy." The U.K. is considered among the top-tier countries globally in terms of AI R&D investment, behind the U.S. and China, and with Google's DeepMind also based in the U.K. capital, we could be about to see a major talent tug-of-war between two of the frontrunners in the race for AI dominance. On a related note, Google DeepMind co-founder and CEO Demis Hassabis was recently awarded a knighthood for "services to artificial intelligence." TechCrunch reached out to Microsoft for comment on the scale of its U.K. AI hub, but the company said it wasn't revealing any other details at present. The 15 New Hampshire National Guard soldiers who arrived in Texas Thursday to assist with border control were warned about safety risks. Many were not what youd expect: vipers, ticks, filth flies, mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus, and deathstalker scorpions, among the most venomous in the world. We have the most advanced weaponry in the world, Staff Sgt. Matthew Plantier told the soldiers in pre-trip training. One of the biggest things that takes soldiers out in combat is disease. Sgt. Connor Decker plays the role of an injured soldier during training with Pfc. Macenzi Connors, Spc. Jared Toms, and Pfc. Nendoe Gleekia for their mission at the Texas border. New Hampshire National Guard troops have been deployed to the southern border twice since 2020, each time for about a year and by the federal government. This time, Gov. Chris Sununu is sending them, at the states expense, to do what he and several other Republican governors have said the federal government isnt: stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into the country. For the next two months, the 15 soldiers will be stationed at a Texas National Guard base camp in Del Rio, about an hour from Eagle Pass, which became the epicenter of the border crisis in late December when law enforcement encountered a record 4,095 undocumented migrants in a single day. In asking the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee in February to fund the $850,000 mission, Sununu argued that the influx of drugs and individuals on the federal terrorism watchlist pose a direct threat to New Hampshire residents. The response from Democrats was immediate. Some criticized Sununus request as a political stunt. A few on the fiscal committee questioned what 15 New Hampshire soldiers could accomplish along such a vast border. Others said Sununu could more effectively address the drug crisis by investing $850,000 in treatment programs. Sununu told the committee his trip to the Texas border 10 days prior had persuaded him to answer Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts call for help. If we just sit back and say, Texas, thanks. Good job. Keep spending your own dollars on behalf of the other 49 states, that is not the solution, Sununu said. This is a national crisis, and its a big deal. The states going to do what we do best. Were going to stand up and protect our citizens. The committee approved Sununus spending request, 6-4, along party lines. Following orders, not politics Spc. Conner Sills had been home from a federal deployment to the Texas border for about four months when he volunteered to return, this time on a mission ordered by Gov. Chris Sununu. Lt. Col. Greg Heilshorn, the guards public information officer, described this deployment as an eyes and ears assignment, meaning the soldiers will support Texas Operation Lone Star mission by looking for and reporting illegal immigrant activity, suspected criminal activity, and destruction of obstacles placed along the border. They will conduct roving patrols of the border and search areas where people have been detained by law enforcement, Heilshorn said. The New Hampshire soldiers will not be deputized and wont be detaining, arresting, or processing people crossing the border, he said. The troops know some people think they are being deployed for political purposes, as a wedge in the Republican-Democratic fight over border policies. National Guard Staff Sgt. Matthew Plantier told 15 soldiers headed to help patrol the border in Del Rio, Texas, that snakes, scorpions, and disease are among their biggest safety threats during deployment. We hear it in the news. Were all aware of the political atmosphere but do our best to stay out of that realm and just focus on the mission, Heilshorn said. The military is supposed to be apolitical, and we try. Gov. Sununu is our commander in chief, and were a military unit that follows orders and carries out our mission to the best of our abilities. The guard sought volunteers for this deployment, and within two days, 18 had signed up for the 15 spots, Heilshorn said. The 12 men and three women selected are from the guards military police units, though not all work as first responders in their civilian lives. Spc. Kayli Gilman is an LNA at a New Boston long-term care facility for people with brain injuries. Spc. Conner Sills works at the Seabrook Station nuclear power plant. Seven of the soldiers have been stationed at the border before. None of the 15 speak Spanish. Before flying out last week, they had a week of refresher first-aid and firearms training, and guidance on protecting themselves against the environmental threats posed by insects, snakes, and scorpions. Expect snakes, Plantier told them, if they see rats. Resist the urge to pet dirty, potentially sick stray dogs. Snacks under their beds will attract mice. Keep up with hygiene. I know they say in the field, you have to be tough, Plantier said. Make sure you get those showers in daily or every other day. Spc. Kayli Gilman sees a connection between her military service and work as an LNA. I just like helping people. I just like helping people Gilman, 21, joined the National Guard when she turned 18. Several of her relatives served in the military but shes the first female. She sees a connection between her work as an LNA and soldier. I just like helping people, basically, Gilman said. This will be a second deployment to the Texas border for Sills, who joined the military about three years ago, right after high school. He had been home about four months when he volunteered to return. Everyone wants a sense of purpose, Sills said during a break from training late last month. For me, especially on this mission, its helping out the people who just got here. Asked what stuck with him from his first deployment to the border, Sills said the culture shock of looking across the Rio Grande, into Mexico, and seeing migrants living in such hard conditions. All the things that weve heard about with the health issues and (knowing) it is a condition of how they live. Its just kind of tough seeing that, and we saw a lot of it, Sills said. I think the hardest part about that mission was just seeing the situation that some of those people were in and knowing that there wasnt a whole lot that we as individuals can do. This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH soldiers arrive in Texas, following orders, not politics Flash A woman kisses the body of her relative in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced Sunday that the Palestinian death toll has risen to 33,175 as a result of ongoing Israeli attacks. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 38 Palestinians and wounded 71 others, bringing the total death toll to 33,175 and injuries to 75,886 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, said the ministry in a statement. Meanwhile, the Israeli army said that four soldiers were killed in the battles in Gaza Strip. In a press statement sent to Xinhua, the army said that four soldiers were killed on Saturday by anti-tank fire in the city of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip. The statement added that gunmen emerged from an opening in the ground inside a destroyed house while moving between buildings and fired accurate fire at the fighters, killing three soldiers instantly and seriously wounding a fourth, who died later in the hospital. A total of 604 soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the war in Gaza, including 256 since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, and 41 were killed in accidental incidents during the battles, according to data published by the Israeli army on the occasion of the 6-month anniversary of the war in Gaza. WASHINGTON Former President Donald Trump said individual states should choose their own abortion restrictions, avoiding talk of any kind of federal government ban and drawing criticism from Democrats and anti-abortion Republicans alike on a pivotal election issue. "At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people," Trump said in a video posted Monday on his Truth Social platform. President Joe Biden and his supporters who have made abortion a top issue in the 2024 race for the White House said Trump's distinction between federal and state regulations is meaningless because he has already backed a string of state abortion bans. Democrats also said Trump has long been a threat to abortion rights by appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that had provided a constitutional right to abortion across the country. "Trump once said women must be punished for seeking reproductive health care and he's gotten his wish," Biden said in a statement. He also accused Trump of trying to avoid addressing his earlier support for abortion bans. "Let there be no illusion," Biden said. "If Donald Trump is elected and the MAGA Republicans in Congress put a national abortion ban on the Resolute Desk, Trump will sign it into law." Democrats push for abortion rights on the campaign trail Democrats have campaigned on abortion access and used the issue to fuel voter turnout since the end of Roe v. Wade. They've notched wins with referendums and ballot measures on abortion in several states, and they hope to do the same this fall. Donald Trump After Trump's announcement, Democrats pointed out that the former president has given at least tacit support to Republican-backed restrictions in individual states, including a six-week abortion ban in his home state, Florida. "Donald Trump is endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions," said Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa on X, formerly Twitter. "And hes bragging about his role in creating this hellscape." Florida is also holding an abortion rights referendum in the fall. Biden aides said that measure will drive voters to the polls and make them competitive in a must-win state for Trump. Abortion opponents disappointed in Trump Trump didn't face criticism only from Democrats on Monday. Some groups that oppose abortion took aim at Trump's opting out of the federal debate. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said that "we are deeply disappointed in President Trumps position." She said letting the states decide "cedes the national debate to the Democrats." Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a critic in 2016 but now one of Trump's staunchest allies, said in a statement that he disagreed with Trump's position that abortion is "a states' rights issue." "The pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child not geography," Graham said. Over his political career, Trump has always had an equivocal position in the debate surrounding abortion access. In the 1990s, Trump publicly said he supported abortion rights. But the former president avidly sought the support of religious conservatives and activists who opposed abortion rights during his 2016 presidential campaign. In his 2024 White House bid, Trump has proclaimed that "I killed Roe v. Wade," but he has also warned Republicans to be "careful" about how they deal with the question because it has hurt them in elections including his own reelection bid in 2020 and congressional races in 2022. Trump blamed abortion for the Republicans' disappointing showing in 2022 when they won the House by a smaller-than-expected margin and failed to win back control of the Senate. Trump said the GOP handled the issue "poorly," especially candidates who did not support exceptions. The Republican candidate has criticized Florida's six-week ban but said nothing about it in his video on Monday. Many Democrats were unimpressed with Trump's remarks Monday. Lets wait a few weeks and see what his new position will be," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Trump and his aides have expressed concern about how the abortion issue will affect the 2024 race. Democrats believe that threats to abortion rights will drive more of their voters to the polls, particularly in swing states like Pennsylvania and Michigan. Republicans are aware that abortion opponents are a major part of their coalition, and some of these voters could stay at home if they question the candidates' commitment to the cause. In his video, Trump said: "The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land in this case, the law of the state." For his part, Biden said Trump is "scrambling" because he fears voters will hold him accountable for overturning Roe v. Wade. "Well, I have news for Donald," Biden said. "They will." Trump and abortion in 2024 In recent weeks, Trump aides suggested he might back a 15- or 16-week national abortion ban echoing some new state laws but Trump did not raise the issue in his video Monday. In that message, Trump stressed his support for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and severe medical emergencies. The former president also praised Alabama lawmakers for new legislation protecting in-vitro fertilization in the wake of a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court. The court found that embryos created during in-vitro fertilization are "extrauterine children" and legally protected like any other child, though Alabama lawmakers quickly passed legislation to protect the procedure. "Now it's up to the states to do the right thing," Trump said. Said Biden: "It was never about public policy or what was right or what Trump believed. It was always about politics." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump opposes national abortion ban, says states should decide Nearly a dozen candidates, both Republican and Democrat, aiming to be Marylands next United States Congressional District Six representative came to the Washington County Free Library in downtown Hagerstown on Saturday to share their remarks with the community. The forum, sponsored by the Washington County branch of the NAACP, gave each candidate a couple minutes to introduce themselves to the dozens assembled in the upstairs conference room before moderator Eddie Peters, the president and owner of Vocal Expressions, asked candidates questions prepared in advance from the nonpartisan organizations political action committee. Two Republicans, former state Del. Brenda Thiam, R-Washington, and former state trooper Chris Hyser, a chaplain, shared a table with eight Democratic candidates. With the state Legislature convened on Saturday and wrapping up its scheduled session Monday, two current members of the Maryland General Assembly, Del. Lesley Lopez, D-Montgomery, and Del. Joe Vogel, D-Montgomery, sent short video messages, which played after the candidates in attendance spoke. The tone of discussion from the array of candidates remained largely civil during the forum that exceeded two hours. At times, there was bipartisan agreement between candidates, who are not running against each other in the closed party primary with Election Day scheduled for May 14. Forum moderator Eddie Peters stands at the lectern while Congressional District Six candidates sit at the desk from left to right, Brenda Thiam (R), Mohammad Mozumder (D), Destiny Drake-West (D), April McClain-Delaney (D), Ashwani Jain (D), Peter Choharis (D), George Gluck (D), Chris Hyser (R), Laurie-Anne Sayles (D), and Altimont Mark Wilks (D) at the Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown, Maryland on April 6, 2024. More: Republican congressional candidates weigh in on Western Maryland's top priorities. More: Democratic congressional candidates weigh in on Western Maryland's top priorities. Im tired of people from (Congressional) District Eight thinking that they have to represent us because were too backwoods out here in District Six, said Hyser, a Republican, referencing the adjacent congressional district located entirely in Montgomery County. He proposed candidates should not be able to raise or spend any more than the office salary for the seat for which they are running. At-large Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, a Democrat whose district includes the northern part of Montgomery, which is a part of the Sixth Congressional District, agreed. Ill say ditto to what Chris said, Sayles said. Absent from the forum at the library were a pair of individuals who have dominated the discussion in Congressional District Six in recent years, U.S. Rep. David Trone, D-6th, who is currently running for a seat in the U.S. Senate, and former state Del. Neil Parrott, R-Washington, who is seeking the seat again and advised the forums organizers he would be unable to attend. The Democrats in attendance, in order of their seating left to right at the table, were Mohammad Mozumder, Destiny Drake-West, April McClain-Delaney, Ashwani Jain, Peter Choharis, George Gluck, Sayles and Altimont Mark Wilks. Prior to the forum, Washington County NAACP Branch President Taj Smith said Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez, who is also seeking the seat as a Democrat, did not attend the forum due to travel for city business. The Herald-Mail sent a question to the districts congressional candidates. Responses from the Republican candidates can be found here, and responses from the Democratic candidates can be found here. Candidates listed are on the ballot in the May 14 Presidential Primary Election. Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2. This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Forum held for GOP, Democratic candidates in Western Maryland district SC man was found unresponsive in jail, and his deaths called homicide, coroner says After a man recently died inside a South Carolina jail his death was determined to be a homicide, according to the Oconee County Coroners Office. At about 5:30 a.m. on March 30, 24-year-old Salem resident Michael Calvin McMahan was found unresponsive inside of his cell by staff members at the Oconee County Detention Center, Coroner Karl Addis said in a news release. EMS responded to the jail, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and McMahan died at the scene at 6:21 a.m., according to the release. An autopsy was performed April 1 and showed that McMahan died from a blunt force head injury, consistent with being assaulted by someone, the coroners office said. McMahans manner of death was determined to be a homicide, according to the coroners office. No arrests have been reported, and McMahans death is being investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. There was no word on a motive for the deadly attack. McMahan was being held at the jail on a drug possession charge from a March 27 arrest, Oconee County court records show. McMahan was out on bond from a June 2023 arrest when he was taken into custody on the most recent charge, according to court records. In 2023, McMahan was charged with burglary and petit larceny, and posted $12,205 bond on those combined charges, court records show. On a gloomy Monday morning, Shreveport firefighters were dressed in their best in anticipation to welcome the United States Speaker of the House. Shreveport native Rep. Mike Johnson paid northwest Louisiana a visit April 8. During his visit, he recognized the men and women of the Shreveport Fire Department with a Challenge Coin ceremony. "I am really honored to hand these out to the group that I feel like I came from," Johnson said. Johnson's father, Patrick, was a firefighter for the department before he was severely injured in an industrial explosion. Speaker of the house Mike Johnson gives Assistant to Fire Chief Brandon Lee a coin during the First Responders Roundtable and Ceremony event Monday morning, April 8, 2024, at the Shreveport Main Fire Station. "I've always felt like I missed my calling in some way," Johnson said. "I should be wearing that uniform standing there with you. This is really meaningful to me. I've given out Challenge Coins to law enforcement, first responders but never to my home team." Shreveport Fire Chief Clarence Reese said, "It's a one in a lifetime deal, especially being here in Shreveport, Louisiana." Following the Challenge Coin ceremony, Johnson held a roundtable discussion with local law enforcement and public safety officials. "It's kind of a rare opportunity to be able to sit with all the chiefs around the table, so I don't take it for granted," Johnson said. The discussion was closed to the media, but Reese said that some of his top discussion points during the roundtable would be in regard to the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. This grant is used for recruitment and retention as well as salary and benefits for new full-time firefighters. "There was a cut of about 10% to the budget," Reese said. "We want to talk to him about those things and how important it is to have those grants available to our firefighters and our fire departments." More: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson tackles hot button issues Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Speaker of House Mike Johnson pays homage Shreveport Fire Department State Sen. Rob Cowles speaks during a ceremony commemorating Oneida Nation's 200 years in Wisconsin on Sept. 23, 2022, at Heritage Hill State Historical Park in Allouez. GREEN BAY - State Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Allouez, announced Monday he will not be seeking reelection to Senate District 2 after serving 36 years in office. "Ive enjoyed the opportunity Ive had to meet people in the state Capitol and throughout Wisconsin who share my love for the state we call home," Cowles said in a media release. "From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who wakes up every day working to make our great state an even better place. Cowles has served Senate District 2 since 1987 and is the longest currently serving member of the Wisconsin Senate. Prior to the Senate, he served five years in the state Assembly. He is currently the chair of the Committee on Natural Resources and Energy and the vice-chair of the Committee on Transportation and Local Government. "The people of northeast Wisconsin have been endlessly kind to me," Cowles said in the release. "From entrusting me with an amazing responsibility to serve them, the civility theyve largely showed even in disagreement, and the countless times Ive been welcomed into events, meetings and tours, Ive met so many exceptional people that always reminded me what the work of a legislator is truly all about." The senator plans to continue serving the district until his term expires in January. The new maps created a Senate district around Green Bay and its surrounding suburbs that drew all three area senators Eric Wimberger, Andre Jacque and Cowles into the new Senate District 30. Cowles previously told the Green Bay Press-Gazette he planned to move back into his District 2 boundaries and run for reelection this year. Cowles' colleague, state Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay, announced last week he plans to run in the newly drawn boundaries of Senate District 2. Jacque, R-De Pere, announced in early March that he is running for the 8th Congressional District. Senate District 2 had covered Allouez, Howard, northwestern Brown County, parts of Shawano County and the northern half of Outagamie County; now it reaches farther east and north covering Suamico, Oconto Falls and Keshena. Following Cowles' announcement, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said in a news release, "Sen. Cowles has been a tireless advocate for northeastern Wisconsin in his 42 years of service in the state Assembly and state Senate. The Senate will miss his ability to build broad consensus on complicated policy matters and his commitment to the people of our state." Sophia Voight covers local government and politics in the Fox Valley for The Post-Crescent. She can be reached with feedback and story tips at svoight@postcrescent.com. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: State Sen. Robert Cowles won't seek reelection to Senate District 2 Elon Musk just found someone else to fight with Elon Musk just found someone else to fight with Elon Musk is clashing with a supreme-court judge in Brazil. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to block accounts related to his misinformation investigation. Musk said X would not comply so de Moraes has opened a separate investigation into Musk. Another day, another feud for Elon Musk. A clash between Musk and a judge on Brazil's supreme court came to a head over the weekend, as Justice Alexandre de Moraes opened an investigation into the X owner over whether he obstructed justice. Musk, for his part, alleged de Moraes was betraying the Brazilian Constitution and said he should resign or be impeached. De Moraes had previously ordered that certain accounts on X be blocked in Brazil amid an investigation into "digital militias" that he alleged were spreading fake news and threats against Brazil's supreme court during the reign of President Jair Bolsonaro, The Associated Press reported. On Saturday, X's Global Government Affairs account confirmed it had been forced to block "certain popular accounts in Brazil" and Musk personally called out de Moraes. But that same day, Musk said X would not block the accounts in question. "We are lifting all restrictions," he wrote on X. "This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil. As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit." On Sunday, Musk added that he would share all of de Moraes' demands publicly and encouraged users to download a virtual private network. Musk hadn't released the orders as of Monday morning. De Moraes hit back late on Sunday, opening a separate investigation into Musk over whether he was involved in obstruction of justice, criminal organization, or incitement to crime. "The flagrant conduct of obstruction of Brazilian justice, incitement of crime, the public threat of disobedience of court orders and future lack of cooperation from the platform are facts that disrespect the sovereignty of Brazil," de Moraes wrote in his latest decision, according to the AP. The decision also said that each reactivated account would incur a fine of roughly $20,000 a day and that responsible parties would be held accountable for disobeying the court. X returned an auto-reply in response to a request for comment from Business Insider. De Moraes did not immediately respond to a request for comment. While Musk is drawing a line in the sand with Brazil's request, the company has pushed back but ultimately given in to other country's leaders in the past. In February, the X Global Government Affairs team posted that India's government had ordered it to censor some accounts. "In compliance with the orders, we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone," the team said. "However, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts." The company also agreed to block accounts in Turkey after the government's order to shut down content before elections last year. Read the original article on Business Insider Teen Boy Who Died in Avalanche While on Spring Break Is Identified as Son of Former Olympic Swimmer A GoFundMe page for Illinois high school freshman Aleksas Beiga has already raised $52,000 to support his family gofundme Aleksas Beiga The American teenager who died in an avalanche in Switzerland on Monday while on spring break has been identified as Illinois high school student Aleksas Beiga. Beiga, a 15-year-old freshman at Naperville Central High School, died during the April 1 avalanche near a Swiss ski resort in Zermatt. The incident also claimed the lives of a 25-year-old Canadian woman and a 58-year-old Swiss man, local police said in a statement. A GoFundMe page created by a friend of the boys dad former Olympic swimmer Nerijus Beiga, 52, who represented Lithuania at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympic Games has raised more than $52,000 as of Saturday to support the Beiga family. lack funeral home Aleksas Beiga Related: Teacher Sets Up Bike Bus to Help Students Safely Ride Bikes to School: Be the Joy You Want to See in the World Whether he was diving into the swimming pool, racing down the trails on his bike, or carving up the slopes on his skis, Aleksas approached every moment with enthusiasm and passion, Neringa Mockus wrote on the GoFundMe page. The sudden loss of Aleksas has left an irreparable void in the hearts of his family and friends, she added. The pain of his absence is immeasurable, and the grief weighs heavily on all who knew and loved him. Mockus went on to explain how the funds would be used. The financial burden of bringing Aleksas body home and navigating the aftermath of this tragedy is immense, and any contribution, no matter how small, will make a meaningful difference in alleviating their burden, she continued. But beyond financial support, we also ask for your prayers and thoughts as we mourn the loss of this beautiful soul." Getty The Swiss Alps in Zermatt, Switzerland 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. Aside from his dad, Beiga is survived by his mom, Sonata, and sister, Eva. It was a shock, Eva, 20, told the Chicago Tribune. We got to do a lot of those adventurous things together. We got to go on bike rides with him, got to walk around with him. And (those) are memories that Ill cherish forever. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Tennessee bill to require age-appropriate gun training in schools goes to governors desk A bill to require public schools in Tennessee to teach children age-appropriate firearms safety concepts as early as pre-kindergarten is going to Gov. Bill Lees desk after a final Senate vote Thursday. Members of the Tennessee Senate passed House Bill 2882 in a party-line vote of 24 to 3 on Thursday morning. It passed the House of Representatives in February. If signed, school children would be taught age-appropriate and grade-appropriate concepts about guns beginning in the 2025-26 school year. Proponents of the safety concepts training have likened it to mandatory school fire drills. This curriculum would be developed to instruct children on how to properly stay away from a firearm if they happen to see a firearm, and what to do as far as reporting if they find a firearm, said Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta. Sen. Paul Bailey jokes with members of the Putman County Fire Department at lunch at M&M Country Cafe in Cookeville on Aug. 26, 2019. Republicans voted down an amendment Thursday that would have allowed parents to opt their children out of the instruction. Training would be conducted through viewing of videos and online content. Live ammunition, live fire and live firearms would be prohibited. The bill does not specifically prohibit non-functional model weapons. Parameters for the curriculum, and appropriate ages for it to be taught, would be determined by the Tennessee Department of Education, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Schools would be required to provide instruction on: Safe storage of firearms. Safety relating to firearms. How to avoid injury if a student finds a firearm. Never to touch a found firearm. To immediately notify an adult of the location of a found firearm. Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, argued Thursday that the training requirement represents a hurried effort to address the symptom of a systemic problem, and lawmakers should be doing more to address the root cause. Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, talks to reporters at the State Capitol on March 21, 2024. Children are already bearing an incredible brunt of the escalation that weve seen in gun violence that is widely reported in our own state governments data. Data demonstrates that children are increasingly likely to become victims of firearms in homicides, suicides, gun violence, accidental deaths, Yarbro said. But rather than deal with the fact that there are firearms that are negligently and recklessly left somewhere by adults, were trying to teach children how to deal with that negligence. Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, argued the state should allow parents to opt their children out of the firearms training. Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, said the state does not require parental permission or allow parents to opt children out of mandatory school fire drills or active shooter drills. Briggs called the legislation "one of the most important bills we have, that could potentially save lives." The bill requires that instruction be viewpoint neutral on political topics, such as gun rights, gun violence, and the Second Amendment. School districts could determine what day and time the instruction would occur. Bailey worked with House sponsor Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County who voted against a bill last year that would have required safe storage concepts to be included in state-approved handgun safety courses. The bill, which became law despite Todd's opposition, also directed the state to provide free gun locks to Tennessee residents on request and exempted gun safes from sales tax. The bill now awaits Gov. Lee's signature. Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X at @vivian_e_jones. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN bill to require age-appropriate gun training in schools goes to Lee Timothy Verrill jury ends day early to see eclipse: No verdict yet in double murder trial DOVER The jury in the Timothy Verrill double murder trial had still not reached a verdict Monday afternoon, and its members requested to leave early, at 3 p.m., because some members wanted to make sure to see the solar eclipse. Jurors have been deliberating since Thursday afternoon last week. At 2 p.m., on Monday, the jury sent a question for clarification to Judge Mark Howard. They said they were struggling with cause, and asked Howard to define it. Timmothy Verrill leaves the courtroom during a break between closing arguments in his double murder trial at Strafford County Superior Court in Dover Wednesday, April 3, 2024. In the courtroom before the state and defense attorneys, Howard said in his answer to the jury, if neither side objected or wanted to add anything, the jury must decide if the state had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the actions of Verrill were the cause that brought about the death of the two women, Christine Sullivan and Jenna Pellegrini. Neither side objected and the jury returned to deliberations. They left at 3 p.m. and will return Tuesday for more deliberations. Verrill is on trial in Strafford County Superior Court for the murders of the two women at a Farmington home in 2017. This is the second trial in the case, following a 2019 mistrial because New Hampshire State Police failed to provide some evidence to the defense in discovery. Verrill has been in jail since 2017, when he was arrested and charged with killing Christine Sullivan and Jenna Pellegrini, who were both bludgeoned and stabbed to death on Jan. 27, 2017 at a 969 Meaderboro Road home in Farmington owned by Dean Smoronk, who was Sullivans boyfriend. In closing arguments this week, Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley, the lead prosecutor, told the jury evidence shows Verrill planned to spy on the women, believing at least one was a drug informant, that he returned to the house, murdered the women, cleaned the scene, and moved the bodies. "He used multiple weapons, in a brutal attack," said Hinckley. "He made a conscious decision to kill them so hold him responsible." The defense painted a very different picture, portraying Verrill as the scapegoat, a fall guy for the people who really killed Sullivan and Pellegrini. Public defender Julia Nye said there is reasonable doubt and focused heavily on DNA found under the fingernails of the victims that did not match Verrill. She also emphasized broken rings belonging to Sullivan, also excluded Verrill from a DNA match. Nye also suggested others, including Smoronk, were ignored by investigators as potential suspects. The prosecution has said evidence shows Smoronk was in Florida at the time of the killings. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Verrill jury leaves to see eclipse: No verdict in double murder trial Trial begins in Shreveport on whether Louisiana's new Black congressional district is legal A federal trial to determine whether Louisiana's new congressional map that created a second majority Black district will hold began in Shreveport on Monday with two lawmakers testifying for the plaintiffs who want to overturn the boundaries. The lawsuit challenging the map, specifically the Black 6th Congressional District, argues the boundaries stretching from Baton Rouge to Lafayette to Alexandria to Shreveport are based solely on race and therefore unconstitutional. Both sides presented opening arguments at the Tom Stagg United States Western District Court House before a three-judge panel that includes Judge Carl Stewart, a Bill Clinton appointee from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judges Robert Summershays and David Joseph, both Donald Trump appointees from the Western District. The plaintiffs were first to present their case in what is expected to be a three-day trial. Republican Shreveport Sens. Alan Seabaugh and Thomas Pressly both testified that they believe the map passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry was factored on race alone. "We were there because we were basically told we had to draw a second majority minority district or the judge would," Seabaugh said. "That was the only reason we were there." He was referring to two previous court opinions signaling that the previous map passed by the Legislature in 2022 violated the Voting Rights Act because it kept one Black district with a state whose population is about one-third Black. "The racial component was the fundamental tenet," Pressly testified. "We were told we had to have two African-American districts. Otherwise the court would draw the map for us." Tom Stagg United States Court House in Shreveport on April 8, 2024. But those defending the map said race was only one factor that drove the map. They argued that preserving Louisiana's considerable power in the GOP-majority U.S. House was the driving force by protecting the incumbencies of Speaker Mike Johnson (4th District), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (1st District) and Congresswoman Julia Letlow (5th District), a member of the House Appropriations Committee. In opening arguments, the defendants quoted Republican Harrisonburg Sen. Glen Womack, who authored what would be the new map, in saying, "Politics drove this map." "They were guarding the political interests (of the state)," said Amitav Chakraborty, an attorney for a group supporting the map that includes the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU and others. When asked if they believed protecting the districts of Johnson, Scalise and Letlow were politically important, both Seabaugh and Pressly agreed. "It's a huge benefit to our state and region," said Pressly, especially referring to Johnson and Scalise. But Seabaugh and Pressly also argued that the new 6th Congressional District lacks any other factors that are generally considered when drawing boundaries like compactness, commonalities and communities of interest. "I think there is a large divide between north Louisiana and south Louisiana," Pressly said. "I can say without any hesitation that Baton Rouge and Shreveport are very different. Our needs (in Shreveport) are unique and different from a (city) almost 250 miles away from our location." When asked if he thought there were any common interests between Shreveport and Lafayette, Seabaugh said, "Not at all." The lawsuit is just the latest litigation challenging the state's congressional boundaries. Late last year a federal appeals court upheld Baton Rouge Middle District Judge Shelly Dick's earlier ruling requiring Louisiana's congressional map be redrawn to include a second majority Black district out of six to comply with the Voting Rights Act. Lawmakers dismantled Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves' 6th Congressional District to create the new majority Black district putting Graves' political future in danger. Graves has told USA Today Network he believes the map is unconstitutional and won't stand up to a court challenge. Testimony is continuing into Monday afternoon and will resume Tuesday. More: Who's in, who's out of race for Louisiana's new majority Black congressional district seat Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Louisiana's new Black congressional district is on trial in Shreveport Flash Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country would agree to receive a new military aid loan package from the United States, the Ukrayinska Pravda media outlet reported Saturday. "We will agree to any option. If Ukraine was offered a loan today or everything for free in a year, we would say: 'Only today,'" Zelensky was cited as saying. Zelensky voiced his belief that Ukraine will get a favorable decision from the U.S. Congress on the new assistance. On Friday, Zelensky reportedly met with a bipartisan and bicameral delegation from the U.S. Congress to discuss the form of the new assistance. According to media reports, the U.S. Congress may discuss new conditions for a multibillion-dollar Ukraine aid bill next week, which has been stalled since the autumn of 2023. Editor's note: "Why I Joined" is an ongoing feature of The Fayetteville Observer. If you'd like to share your story on why you joined the military, contact military writer Rachael Riley at rriley@fayobserver.com. From a young age, Sgt. 1st Class Shane Burroughs was around the Army. Burroughs was born in the Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago but visited the U.S. when he was 5 years old and moved to Spring Lake in the early '90s with his mother and stepfather when he was 9. His stepfather, Lennox Jobe, was a sergeant major in the 18th Airborne Corps; a deputy with the Cumberland County Sheriffs Office after his military retirement; worked as a civilian contractor for 12 years in Iraq; and is now a Department of Veterans Affairs volunteer in Fayetteville. After graduating from Pine Forest High School in 2005, Burroughs said, he was still trying to figure out life. Throughout high school, my stepfather had asked about my plans, and I was unsure and worked for two years making good money, but I wasnt achieving the goals I wanted, he said by phone Tuesday from the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he is now stationed. Burroughs said he looked at his stepfathers lifestyle and military achievements, compared it to civilian jobs and determined the military was the best fit for him. I humbled myself, went to the recruiting office, took the practice test and scored well, he said. He enlisted in the Army as a unit supply specialist in 2007, and his first duty station was in Germany. Sgt. 1st Class Shane Burroughs, of Spring Lake, is the 2023 Army Recruiter of The Year. Becoming an American During the mid-2000s, Burroughs became a naturalized American citizen while deployed to Iraq. Officials asked different units if anyone wanted to become a citizen, and Burroughs, volunteered, he said. Representatives from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services visited their deployment location, and Burroughs said he was able to get his American citizenship within three days. It was cool because I had my naturalization and citizenship ceremony in Saddam Husseins palace, and my oath was administered by Gen. (Ray) Odierno," he said. Recruiter of the Year Last year, Burroughs was named the Armys FY2023 Recruiter of the Year. Though he recruited 26 enlistees in 2023, Burroughs said being named Recruiter of the Year required that 50% of those soldiers be in the regular Army, and he had to go through board interviews at the battalion, brigade and U.S. Army Recruiting Command levels. Sgt. 1st Class Shane Burroughs, of Spring Lake, is recognized as the 2023 Army Recruiter of The Year by Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth during the Dec. 9, 2023, Army-Navy football game. Burroughs said he was asked to become a recruiter about four years ago and was originally to be assigned in California, but once leaders learned he was from an island nation they interviewed him for a special assignment. More: Why I Joined: Fayetteville native enlisted for opportunity. Now, he's leading troops. They didnt tell me what it was, but said Id fit in well, he said. He later learned he was one of three Army recruiters responsible for the U.S. Virgin Islands, with a focus on the St. Thomas and St. John area. That was in 2019, and he is still there today. Burroughs said its a challenge to recruit someone from a beautiful place, where everyone is not as familiar with military service as in the continental U.S. However, he said, some areas and people on the island seek financial opportunities or want to go elsewhere. Its on us to push the Armys message, he said. The main things I convey are the opportunities. You can achieve goals in life, whether it's to attend college, be debt-free or explore the world. And you get 30 days vacation and can select your job during the enlistment process. There are also bonuses based off test scores. It gives people the opportunity to create the lifestyle they want. If someone doesnt score well on their Armed Services entrance exam known as the ASVB or doesnt meet physical fitness requirements, Burroughs said he wont quit on them, and dedicates his time to helping them improve. Once hes recruited someone, he said, he also keeps up with their Army career, which he frequently highlights on his recruiting social media page. My advice to them is to make the most out of their military careers and find a mentor and truly achieve all they can be, he said. Our current motto is, Be all you can be. More: Why I joined: Fort Liberty staff sergeant goes from GED to multiple degrees Family Burroughs said that as a recruiter, he also communicates with families the importance of the military because they are the ones who support soldiers. Sgt. 1st Class Shane Burroughs, of Spring Lake, is seen with his stepfather retired Sgt. Maj. Lennox Jobe and mother Margaret Jobe. He credits his own mother, Margaret Jobe, with supporting his and his stepfathers careers, while having her own career as clinical director of Excel Tutoring & Personal Development's Sanford and Fayetteville branches. My mother is one of the most resilient, hardworking and humble people I know, he said. Shes definitely held the family together while my stepdad or I were deployed." Reach military reporter Rachael Riley at rriley@fayobserver.com. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: How Army Recruiter of Year has ties to Fayetteville The windy, the fiery, the quirky: A walk through 50 years of the Sun 'n Fun Expo The Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo began in 1974 as a small fly-in pieced together by members of the local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter. In the 50 years since, it's grown to a weeklong event, drawing tens of thousands of people each year, with crowd-pleasing airshows, fireworks, entertainment, warbirds and crowd-pleasing fun. Pilots will begin arriving Monday for the 50th annual Sun 'n Fun, which officially begins Tuesday and runs through April 14. Take a step back in time with these key events in Sun 'n Fun's history. Team Aerostars perform in their Yak-52 aircraft during a daily air show at Sun 'n Fun in 2013. 1974 Group of five individuals came together at the local Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 454 with a shared vision of creating a Lakeland fly-in, including Sun 'n Fun pioneer Billy Henderson 1975 Henderson and his flying partners launched a three-day event in 1975 inspired by the annual EAA Fly-in held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There were 900 people who attended. 1985 Henderson becomes Sun 'n Fun's first executive director. 1989 Sun 'n Fun and the Experimental Aircraft Association sign an agreement stating both organizations are autonomous. 1999 John Burton takes over as Sun 'n Fun's second president. 2003 Lakeland Sun 'n Fun aviation complex named Florida's official "aviation museum and education center." 2005 Sun 'n Fun and EAA further redefine their relationship, EAA logo removed from the fly-in's logo. Twenty-four cars were damaged after a fire started under a 2005 Maserati at Sun 'N Fun in 2006. Dry conditions and long grass contributed to the fire. No one was injured. 2006 Catalytic converter of a 2005 Maserati sparked a parking lot fire damaging 23 cars, no one was hurt. 2011 Tornado rips through Sun 'n Fun expo, flipping aircraft and injuring guests. 2011 U.S. Navy veteran John "Lites" Leenhouts named third president of Sun 'n Fun. A tornado ripped through Sun 'n Fun in 2011, damaging several aircraft and injuring people. 2013 Boeing 727-200 donated by FedEx Express to Sun 'n Fun to become a training classroom. 2016 New air traffic control tower opens at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. 2018 Severe weather grounds all flights the last day of Sun 'n Fun. 2019 Sun 'n Fun International Fly-in and Expo is renamed to Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo starting in 2020. 2020 Sun 'n Fun expo first postpones to May, then cancels because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022 Sun 'n Fun celebrates launch of new Elevate Aerospace & Logistics Incubator at airport. Hans Georg Schmid of Switzerland prepares to take off on his trans-global flight at Sun 'n Fun in 2000. 2022 Leenhouts retires as Sun 'n Fun CEO and president, names Gene Conrad as successor. Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: The windy, the fiery, the quirky: 50 years of Sun 'n Fun KEWASKUM, Wis. (WFRV) A police officer in Wisconsin has been arrested on a felony sexual assault charge for his alleged inappropriate conduct toward a female student while working as a School Resource Officer (SRO). According to the Kewaskum Police Department, a 34-year-old police officer for the department was arrested after a teenagers parents reported concern over his alleged behavior while he was assigned as the SRO at a local school. The release notes that the student was an 18-year-old female and that her parents made the report on April 5. After being notified, Kewaskum Police Chief Thomas Bishop immediately initiated an internal investigation. Law enforcement in Wisconsin village respond to bomb threat at Costco, bank robbery at same time The West Bend Police Department was requested to conduct the investigation by Chief Bishop to maintain transparency and impartiality. The 34-year-old officer was arrested on the evening of April 5 after officers say the initial investigation reportedly revealed inappropriate conduct towards the female student. We hold our officers to the highest moral and ethical standards. To say these allegations are a shock would be an understatement. As a parent and your Police Chief, I am saddened and angered. This officer betrayed the trust of the Kewaskum Police Department, the Kewaskum School District, and most importantly, the community our officers take an oath to serve with professionalism, integrity, and respect. Kewaskum Police Chief Thomas Bishop The officer remains in custody at the Washington County Sheriffs Office and is being held on felony charges of Sexual Assault by School Staff and Misconduct in Public Office. It was also noted that the officer will be placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a formal employment discipline process upon his release from jail. Drug Task Force search warrant leads to rescue of 27 cats in Wisconsin, one in custody Officers did say that at this time there is no evidence to suspect that there are any other victims. No additional details were provided. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. In Worcester, hundreds of students and professors enjoy 'celestial Super Bowl' of eclipse The angel at the top of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial on Worcester Common raises her sword to the partial eclipse. WORCESTER The solar eclipse that dimmed the skies over Worcester Monday afternoon brought people from all walks of life together at multiple locations to enjoy a one-of-a-kind spectacle. Hundreds of people poured into the quad at Worcester Polytechnic Institute to catch a glimpse of the eclipse, which was visible around 2:15 p.m. and peaked around 3:30. Shortly after 2:30, nearly all of the eclipse-viewing glasses on hand were taken. Earlier in the day, a WPI spokesperson compared the event to a "celestial Super Bowl." More: The total solar eclipse is today: Get the latest forecast and everything you need to know Rudra Kafle, a professor of physics, had a handmade viewer made with a Staples paper box. Earlier, he was swarmed by students as he handed out glasses. "Eclipse viewing is very exciting, but we need to be careful," he said. Music from Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" album played as the sun grew dimmer. By the time the peak of the eclipse had arrived, Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart," played as the crowd broke into applause. At WPI, physics professor Rudra Kafle examines a homemade viewer in the hours before the solar eclipse on Monday. Hundreds of students were outside on campus in anticipation of the big event. WPI freshman Jonathan Chang hopes to create a time-lapse photo array of the eclipse. Freshman Jonathan Chang attached half a pair of glasses to a camera with a telephoto lens in hopes of getting detailed photos. It was set to go off every 10 seconds, so that he could do a time-lapse presentation. Chang said he wished he could have traveled to the path of totality and hopes to experience that once in his life. He said it was interesting that ancient societies used to fear eclipses and that they were used in the early 1900s to prove the theory of relativity. "Ancient cultures would go crazy for this kind of stuff," Chang said. Megan Carandang, 4, shares her mother Phoebe Yap's glasses as they watch the partial solar eclipse on the Worcester Common. "It's nice because as college students we don't get to spend much time outside because we have so much work," said freshman Liza Levin. Senior Keith Mesecher said before 3 o'clock he was looking forward to seeing the sky continue to darken. Besides the quad, there was separate event to distribute 500 eclipse-viewing glasses for WPI community members only. Many who got glasses at the distribution event came to the quad. Elsewhere in Worcester, eclipse-viewing gatherings were being held at the EcoTarium and on the Worcester Common, among other locations. Hundreds of people gathered on the Worcester Common to view the eclipse before 3 p.m. at an event hosted by the Worcester Public Library. Clark University students Shreyas Sharma and Aarti Rathod, standing at right, and Dawn Friedman and Ganesh Paibodi, seated left, watch the partial solar eclipse at Worcester Town Common. (Credit: Allan Jung/Telegram & Gazette) Families and friends spread out across the lawn on blankets and in chairs staring up at the sky with protective eyewear to experience the rare occurrence. On the plaza outside City Hall, two men set up a telescope. One of the spectators on the Common, Riley Pettit, said, "This event is really bringing the community together. This is the most packed I've seen the Common in a while." "It's really cool. I'm excited," spectator Leah Cruz said. "It's really bringing everyone together. They all have their glasses, laying out on the grass." The Worcester Public Library lined up tables, handing out special eclipse glasses but ran out within minutes. When the moon began to move over the sun, the temperature cooled; within the first few moments, some gasps and cheers could be heard. "It's kind of a fun event for everyone. No matter who you are, you can enjoy it," Mark Seel, who works in the nearby Mercantile Center, said. "It only happens every so many years. We're lucky to have a sunny day." Moments after the partial eclipse occurred, a newly married couple emerged out of City Hall followed by applause and "congratulations" from remaining spectators on the Common. Douglas Lord, a director of library services at the Worcester Public Library, uses his hand to block to sun while monitoring a long line to get eclipse-viewing glasses on the Worcester Common. At the entrance to the EcoTarium, hundreds of parked cars lined Harrington Way through the afternoon while a police officer directed heavy traffic that went both ways, with people carefully walking up the hill with picnic chairs and backpacks to reach the Sundial Plaza. It wasn't long before thousands of eyes started looking up behind shades at the sky as the moons silhouette carved into the warmth of the sun. Douglas Lord, a director of library services at the Worcester Public Library, escorts Carmen Fitzpatrick of Rochdale to get her eclipse viewing glasses at Worcester Town Common. Fitzpatrick was first in line and had been waiting since 8 a.m. Most of those watching pointed to the sky, holding protective eyewear with the other hand against their faces. Others waited their turn to look through powerful telescopes that were carefully calibrated by EcoTarium astronomers. Nancy Callan is among those admiring the solar eclipse from the Worcester EcoTarium. Nancy Callan, a retired nurse practitioner from Worcester, said she had arrived at the viewing party with her daughter as early as 1 p.m., spreading out a blanket and waiting for the main event to unfold. It was a wonderful time, said Callan later. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Next time this comes around, Ill be up there I hope. Noreen Johnson Smith, president and CEO of the EcoTarium, looked on as observers also made use of the Solarscope, an instrument that reflects the eclipse through a mirror and into the interior wall of a small box, making it possible to view the eclipse without eyewear. A Solarscope, an instrument that reflected the eclipse through a mirror and into the interior wall of a small box, was available for use at the Worcester EcoTarium. In addition to astronomers, the EcoTarium made available zoologists during the viewing party who could explain how animals often change their behavior during the eclipse. It's exciting to see so much activity and life from the community in an institution, said Smith. Theres a lot of hard science that goes into understanding the eclipse and this is a great way to get kids interested in what's happening in the world around them." This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester residents enjoy solar eclipse 2024 The Iran-aligned Houthis said they targeted a British ship and a number of US frigates in the Red Sea, while in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean it had attacked two Israeli vessels heading to Israeli ports. Earlier, British security firm Ambrey said it had received information indicating that a vessel was attacked on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden about 102 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla in Yemen. Vessels in the vicinity were advised to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity, the firm said. It did not say who was responsible for the attack or give further details. Separately, a missile landed near a vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday but there was no damage to the ship or injuries to crew in the incident, 59 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said. The Master of the vessel reports a missile impacted the water in close proximity to the vessels port quarter, UKMTO said in an advisory note. No damage to the vessel reported and crew reported safe, it added. It did not say who fired the missile or give further details. It was not immediately clear if the attacks reported by the British agencies were the same as the latest incidents claimed by the Houthis. Houthi backers in Sanaa, Yemen, protest marking Jerusalem Day in support of Palestinians in Gaza. 5 April 2024. - Osamah Abdulrahman/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping through the Suez Canal, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. The US and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. The group has previously declared any Israel-linked ship as a target, and that they will not stop until Israel ceases its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. New Zealand clamps down on visas after unsustainable migration levels New Zealand has clamped down on work visa rules due to unsustainable migration levels, the government have announced. The new changes include an English language requirement for low-skilled migrants and reducing the maximum stay from five years to three. Last year, a near record 173,000 migrated to New Zealand. Immigration minister Erica Stanford said: Getting our immigration settings right is critical to this Governments plan to rebuild the economy. The government is focused on attracting and retaining the highly skilled migrants such as secondary teachers, where there is a skill shortage. At the same time we need to ensure that New Zealanders are put to the front of the line for jobs where there are no skills shortages. Ms Stanford also announced the new plans will reduce the vulnerability of migrants to exploitation. Applicants for most work visas now have to fulfill requirements for skills and work experience under the stricter rules. It will be the employers responsibility to ensure migrants meet the specified requirements before offering them a job. Authorities have also axed earlier plans to add 11 roles, such as welders, fitters and turners, to the list of jobs that would qualify for a fast track to residency. The immigration minister added: I am bringing in a suite of changes that will improve the AEWV scheme and ensure we are better testing the local labour market and reducing the risks of putting New Zealanders out of work. Many of these are not new, but rather a return to pre-pandemic settings that better balanced the needs of business with the wider interests of New Zealand. It is important that the AEWV settings facilitate the right mix of skilled temporary migrants to address genuine skill and labour shortages, support rebuilding the economy, and to help manage numbers and pressures on core infrastructure, such as schools, housing, and the health system. These steps improve the schemes integrity and will help to prevent migrant exploitation, following recommendations from the recent Bestwick review, which found serious issues with the AEWV processes. By having an English language requirement migrants will be better able to understand their rights or raise concerns about an employer early. New Zealand currently has a population of 5.3 million and has since a large increase in migration since 2022. At the same time, the country has seen unprecendented levels of citizens leaving the country. Last year there a record loss of 47,000 citizens, with many migrating to neighbouring Australia. These changes are the start of a more comprehensive work programme to create a smarter immigration system that manages net migration, responds to our changing economic context, attracts top talent, revitalises international education, is self-funding and sustainable, and better manages risk, Ms Stanford added. The Australian government also announced at the end of last year it will halve its migration by tightening visa requirements for international students and low-skilled workers. Flash Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin meets with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of the Kingdom of Thailand in Beijing, capital of China, April 7, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin met with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of the Kingdom of Thailand in Beijing on Sunday. Shen welcomed Princess Sirindhorn's visit to China and asked her to convey President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings and best wishes to King Maha Vajiralongkorn. She highly appreciated Princess Sirindhorn's important contributions to enhancing exchanges between the peoples of China and Thailand and the friendship between the two countries. Shen said that China is willing to work with Thailand to inherit and carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries, a close bond similar to that of a family. She also expressed hope that the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future can be pushed forward. Sirindhorn said that every time she visits China, she can feel the warmth and friendship of the Chinese people. She hopes that the two countries will deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and that the friendship between the two countries will last forever. A Lancaster County jury has found an Iowa man guilty of second-degree arson in connection with a fire in Waverly in 2022 that destroyed a pickup and camper where a homeless woman had been living. The woman was out of town the night of the fire. At the trial that started Wednesday, prosecutors alleged Rusty Putnam was one of three people seen in shadowy security videos approaching the pickup and trailer with a camper parked in the lot at Trackside Bar & Grill around 4 a.m. According to court records, one dumped fuel from a five-gallon bucket on it, causing a large fireball when the fire was sparked. Investigators were able to link Putnam, of Oakland, Iowa, to the crime based on the license plates on the pickup the three drove from the scene as well as to the purchase of $5.09 of fuel from a gas station in Waverly. The jury found him guilty late Thursday afternoon. Top Journal Star photos for April 2024 Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 expected. * WHERE...Portions of southwest and west central Iowa and east central, northeast, and southeast Nebraska. * WHEN...From 1 AM to 9 AM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && At least 21 villagers were killed in armed clashes between Fulani herders and farmers in Kogi, central Nigeria. The violence highlights the growing tension between pastoralists and farmers in competition over grazing and resources. The new showdown took place after Fulani herders sought reprisal for the killing of six of their members by villagers, Edibo Ameh Mark, chairman of Omala local government area of Kogi, said. Witnesses told Reuters some 100 herders were involved in the attack which involved sporadic shooting that lasted for 45 minutes. Climate change is pushing herders further south due to lack of graze in the dry north, auguring ill for more tension between pastoralists and nomadic people. Momentum is building up between African and Caribbean nations to set up a tribunal that will look into the atrocities suffered by ancestors who have been enslaved by western powers. The creation of such a tribunal, modeled on Nuremburg trials, is also backed by the US, Reuters reported. Formally recommended in June by the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, the idea of a special tribunal has been explored further at African and Caribbean regional bodies, said Eric Phillips, a vice-chair of the slavery reparations commission for the Caribbean Community (Caricom), which groups 15 member states. Advocates, including within Caricom and the African Union (AU), are working to build wider backing for the idea among UN members, Phillips said. Africas most populous nation, Nigeria, is in favor of the push for a tribunal, Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said, saying the country would support the idea until it becomes a reality. Between 1501 and 1867, nearly 13 million African people were kidnapped, forced onto European and American ships, and trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean to be enslaved, abused, and forever separated from their homes, families, ancestors, and cultures. Tunisia under Kais Saied is on the footsteps of Authoritarian Algeria. Mimicking Tebboune, Saied uses a rhetoric imbued with conspiracy theories, the threat of the foreign hand and opacity as he seeks a second term. In a speech on the anniversary of the passing away of President Bourgiba, Saied launched a diatribe on the opposition saying even before an electoral law was passed- that we will not accept to go back to candidacies by groups that throw themselves into foreign arms. Today, we are waging an existential war, said the president in an irritated tone. Their goal is to undermine the Tunisian state and Tunisians have shown an unprecedented awareness in the face of a conspiracy in the making against them, he said. When asked if he would run for a second term, he alluded to giving a clear-cut answer saying it is not about me, it is a matter of life or death! Leading a cash-strapped Tunisia facing a serious default risk, Saied found solace in populism, evoking conspiracy theories and the threat of instability. Between the lines he was telling Tunisians to choose between him or chaos. As Tunisia braces for presidential elections in December 2024, a fog of repression looms over the country that was once the Arab Springs success story before it backpedaled to autocracy under a president intent on staying in power. President Kais Saied destroyed the democracy ladder that brought him to power starting a gradual power grab that undermined checks and balances, while pursuing a ruthless oppression against critics and journalists. In 2023, 30 journalists were arrested in Tunisia, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). President Kais Saieds latest wave of repression appears to be intricately linked to the upcoming presidential elections in Tunisia, Marwa Murad, spokesperson of the Swiss human rights organization Committee for Justice, told DW. Last week, Mohamed Boughalleb was the latest journalist to be jailed in the country for criticizing the ministry of religious affairs. Many analysts see that in the absence of tangible economic gains, Kais Saied will resort to repression to maintain his power grab on the cash-strapped country. The Algerian early elections in September and Tebbounes quest for a second term will also embolden Saied to follow suit. Flash At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the Republic of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi will pay a state visit to China from April 11 to 17, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Monday. At a daily news briefing, Mao Ning, another spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said this year marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of a strategic cooperative partnership between China and Suriname, and China welcomes President Santokhi's visit to China at this special moment. During the visit, President Xi will hold a welcome ceremony for President Santokhi, and the two heads of state will hold talks and jointly attend the signing ceremony of relevant cooperation documents, Mao said. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and top political advisor Wang Huning will meet with President Santokhi respectively, and they will have an in-depth exchange of views on China-Suriname relations and issues of common concern, Mao said. Noting that Suriname is an important country in the Caribbean and a strategic cooperative partner of China in the region, Mao said China-Suriname relations have enjoyed sound development with fruitful cooperation in various areas since the establishment of diplomatic ties. China attaches great importance to its relations with Suriname and is willing to work with Suriname to continuously enhance political mutual trust, and expand friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields to benefit the two countries and peoples, Mao said. It is believed that this visit will further promote China-Suriname relations to achieve new development and reach a new level, Mao added. Algerias military-led diplomacy has opted for escalation with Niger, summoning its ambassador to Algiers to say the complaints about a mistreatment of Sub-Saharan migrants were unfounded. Niger had summoned Algerias ambassador to denounce the harsh treatment by Algerian authorities of Niger migrants, who have been violently upheld, robbed by Algerian authorities before being abandoned in the desert. The degrading treatment of Sub-Saharan migrants in southern Algeria has been a common practice for decades by a regime that imposed a media blackout on the plight of migrants in the country. On the other side of the border, in Niger and Mali, rights watchdogs have denounced refoulement cases and violent treatment of migrants, who are bussed and thrown in the harsh desert borders with Mali. Algeria, as it refuses to look itself in the mirror and acknowledge its wrongdoing, has added salt to injury accusing Niger of violating bilateral agreements relating to repatriation of migrants! Niger, however, has never signed a deal that allows Algerian authorities to rob poor migrants and abandon them in hot and dry desert without food or water. Niger in its statement after summoning the Algerian ambassador to Niamey had called on Algerian authorities to make sure that it repatriates only Niger nationals while respecting their dignity and physical integrityas well as protecting their valuables. Algeria, whose outgoing and current president have not made any official visit to any African country, has for long claimed championing African causes. But it has yet to match words with actions. The crisis with Niger shows that relations are at their low and are on the brink of deterioration following the example of Algerias ties with Mali and eastern Libya. Moroccos economic growth stood at 2.9% in the first three months this year, despite drought that undermined agricultural production. Led by domestic demand, non-agricultural growth was at 4% the same period thanks to the industrial sector and services, the high commissioner for planning said in a report. Rainfall was 42% lower compared to last year causing a retraction of sown area by 42.5% compared to an average year, the agency said. The Central Bank had said that Moroccos cereals harvest would halve to 2.5 million tons only this year due to rainfall shortage. Morocco is expected to import at least 10 million tons of cereals next year to cover the low national harvest, wheat professionals told Moroccan media. Washington could be a very different place in 2025. Photo: Allison Bailey/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images With the two major parties matched pretty evenly, its not too surprising that margin of control in the House and Senate (at present three seats in the House and just one in the Senate) make them very vulnerable to a change of ownership in November. The close nature of five out of the 21st centurys six presidential elections, along with a rare rematch between the last two winners, makes predictions in the 2024 presidential contest problematic as well, even before you get to factors like Donald Trumps civil and criminal trials, his and Joe Bidens advanced age, and the possibility of another contested outcome. But we could be on the threshold of a truly historic shuffle in the power arrangements in Washington. If you had to bet on what will happen this year, the odds favor a Republican takeover of the Senate and a Democratic takeover of the House, as the Washington Post suggested recently: The House majority, with Republicans clinging to a margin of just a few seats, will most likely get determined by a couple dozen seats in blue-leaning states like New York, New Jersey and California where President Biden will win by comfortable margins, with little effort by ex-president Donald Trumps team to compete there. In the Senate, where Democrats cling to an equally perilous 51-49 edge, the majority is almost certain to be determined in three deep-red states Montana, Ohio and West Virginia where Trump will likely romp to victory. These fault lines have offered Democrats much more room for offense in House races and Republicans bigger opportunities for gains in the Senate, which could produce a truly confounding, unprecedented outcome. Never in the history of the Democratic-Republican duopoly dating back to the last election prior to the Civil War have both the House and Senate flipped in opposite directions. Typically the tides that pull once chamber pull both. But in recent years a new geographical concentration of the parties has given Republicans a big Senate advantage in some cycles that resists national trends. For example, in 2018, a very good Democratic year in U.S. House (a gain of 41 seats), gubernatorial (a gain of 7 governorships) and state legislative (a gain of seven chambers) contests, the GOP registered a net gain of two Senate seats. The 2024 Senate landscape offers Republicans multiple avenues for picking up the two seats they need (or just one seat if they win the tie-breaking vice presidency) to regain control after losing it in 2020. A double-flip of House and Senate would ensure continued divided control of the federal government and, given the currently extreme polarization of the parties, very likely additional gridlock. Theres a chance of something even more remarkable happening in November, however: a triple flip of House, Senate and the White House, leaving no stone unturned. That has actually happened once in American history: in 1952, when the New Deal era emphatically ended with Dwight D. Eisenhower breaking a 20-year Democratic winning streak in presidential elections, while Republicans also flipped both chambers of Congress (which Democrats had narrowly maintained control of in 1950 despite losing a lot of seats). So the previous triple flip was a trifecta for the new presidents party (which didnt last long since Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress in 1954, a majority which they held until 1980 in the Senate and 1994 in the House). The one in 2024, if it happens, would leave Democrats with control of the House, and while a new Trump administration would likely be in a position to get all its appointees confirmed by a GOP Senate, Republicans would struggle to get legislation through the House without negotiations and concessions. If the current odds are wrong, other power configurations are possible, including a restoration of the Democratic trifecta of 2021-23 or the Republican trifecta of 2017-19. If either of those scenarios comes to pass, Washington will likely revisit the experience of seeing huge batches of consequential legislation move towards congressional passage via budget reconciliation bills that bypass Senate filibusters or possibly the abolition of the Senate filibuster altogether if either party can enforce enough discipline in that chamber to change the rules for good. Overall, though, more divided government in 2025 seems likelier than not, albeit perhaps with different leaders at the helm of the Senate, the House, and gasp the White House. This last change of management, of course, could make the others not matter very much. Photo: Pool/Getty Images With just a week to go, Donald Trump is once again attempting to delay the start of his highly anticipated hush-money trial in New York City. His odds of success are extremely long. The New York Times reports that Trump intends to file a lawsuit against Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over the case, whom Trump has repeatedly assailed on social media. The filing has not yet been made public, but CNBC reports that Trumps legal team is seeking a delay in the trial as they file two motions to an appeals court. In one, theyre asking for a delay in the trial as they seek to have the trial moved outside of Manhattan. In the other, Trumps attorneys are asking for a stay on a gag order Merchan recently imposed on Trump. Jury selection in the trial is set to begin on Monday, April 15. Later that day, an appeals-court judge denied Trumps request to pause the trial and consider a new location, per the Associated Press. On Tuesday, another appeals judge also denied his attempt to delay proceedings over his challenge to the gag order. Proceedings were already delayed from its original March 25th date to allow for both sides to review newly submitted documents. In late March, Merchan set a gag order in the trial, barring Trump from making statements about witnesses and potential jurors as well as attorneys, prosecutors, court staff, and their families. However, the judge was forced to amend the order a week later after the former president made several direct attacks on Merchans daughter Loren, a Democratic strategist, on social media. Under the new order, Trump is banned from making statements about the families of Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg as well as Merchan, though he is still allowed to make public comments on either man themselves. This is just the latest attempt by Trump to delay the pending trial. Previously, the former president has called for Merchans recusal and asked for the trial to be pushed back until the Supreme Court has weighed in on his argument that he has presidential immunity from prosecution. Merchan denied his request to wait for SCOTUSs ruling and has yet to weigh in on Trumps recent call for his recusal. The judge previously declined to step down from the case back in August. In April 2023, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors allege that, ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Trump directed his former attorney Michael Cohen to facilitate a payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged past affair. They claim that Trump then altered Trump Organization records to hide the true purpose of the money. It started with a conversation about the Stanley water bottle. Specifically, my 8-year-old had a friend over who asked me why my daughter doesnt have one. Were an Owala household, I explained. Everyone at school is into those telephone water bottles anyway, she said. I, of course, had to find out what a telephone water bottle was, so I Googled. The water bottle in question looks like an old rotary phone and popped up in multiple listings on Amazon: It holds 13.5 ounces, and the whole top twists off to reveal a straw. It also comes with stickers to decorate it. I asked the girls who at school had gotten it first. It was T., they both said, and she had camera, watermelon, and doughnut versions, too. I texted T.s mom about where she had come across the water bottles. T.s aunt bought her a milk-carton water bottle for her birthday, she said. The rest of the bounty followed at Christmas. Were still a die-hard Owala family, but Im glad to know exactly what to buy for the second-grade birthday-party circuit. Winnie Yang Two arrested over 'sextortion' in Nigeria after Australian boy's suicide Two men have been arrested and charged in Nigeria over an alleged sextortion case (NSW Police) Two men in Nigeria have been arrested and charged over an alleged sextortion case that led to an Australian boy taking his own life. The boy had been engaging with an unknown person online who threatened to share personal photos of him with his family and friends if he did not pay $500, New South Wales (NSW) police said. He was believed to have taken his own life in 2023 as a result of the threats. The case was referred to the NSW State Crime Commands cybercrime squad, which traced the alleged perpetrators to Nigeria before requesting help from the Australian Federal Police. As a result of the AFP-led investigation, working alongside South African and Nigerian authorities, two Nigerian men were arrested and charged with sextortion offences in March. The men were found in a slum in Nigeria, NSW police said and will be dealt with locally, where authorities can prosecute for Australia-based offences. The commander of NSWs state crime commands cybercrime squad, Detective Superintendent Matthew Craft, said young people did not need to suffer in silence. He said: Weve seen a huge spike in sextortion cases, which are up nearly 400 per cent in the last 18 months. But the good news is people are reporting it and there are steps we can take to help you before it goes too far. We want young people to continue to report these cases and to never be embarrassed to talk to police. These arrests in Nigeria show just how far police are willing to go to seek justice on behalf of our young community.The AFPs commander, Helen Schneider, said the arrests showed what could be achieved when law enforcement worked together to fight a global problem. The sextortion of children is a borderless crime, as these arrests show, Schneider said. If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch. Five first responders were honored on Tuesday evening for saving an unconscious woman who was found outside of a Roses Discount Store. The Opelika City Council took a moment during its meeting to recognize the winners of the Life Saver Award for their actions in the Jan. 24 incident: police Sgt. Wade Foster, paramedic Lt. Henry Williford, Fire paramedic Sgt. Michael Henderson, fire paramedic Tara Bonilla and probationary firefighter Kirkland Pugh. "She spent 16 days in the hospital before being released on Feb. 8," Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller said. "These men and women acted in a professional manner. They saved the life of an individual that, without proper and prompt action, would otherwise have been lost. We thank you." Someone called Opelika's 911 dispatch on Jan. 24 to report that the woman was found outside of Roses Discount Store on Pepperell Parkway. Foster, the first officer on scene, located the woman lying near the front entrance. She was not breathing and did not have a pulse, according to city leaders. Officials said Foster immediately began chest compressions and directed the next arriving officer to retrieve their automated external defibrillator. Officers continued performing CPR and applied their automated external defibrillator before the Opelika Fire Department's Engine One arrived on scene and took over patient care. Williford, Henderson, Bonilla and Pugh worked quickly and used a LUCAS on the victim. The mechanical CPR device improves quality of chest compressions, increase ETCO2 levels and sustains life-saving circulation during prolonged resuscitation attempts. The crew used their defibrillator, delivered a subsequent shock and administered the first round of medication to the patient. Just 13 minutes after Foster first arrived, medics detected a pulse. After Engine One's crew prepared the patient for transport to East Alabama Medical Center, Bonilla and Pugh rode along to assist with continued care. Among the leaders who showed appreciation to the winners of the Life Saver Award were Mayor Gary Fuller, Fire Chief Shane Boyd and Police Chief Shane Healey. The City of Opelika also earned the Heart Safe Environment Award from Cardiac Solutions for their work in making Opelika a heart safe community. Boyd said highlighted the city's Automated External Defibrillator program, which places AEDs in areas where cardiac arrests may occur can reduce the response time up to three to five minutes. The fire chief said the city made a significant investment that will ultimately help save lives. He thanked Fuller and city administrator Joe Motley for their leadership and the Opelika City Council for approving the program. "Our Automated External Defibrillator program has 114 new automated external defibrillators around the city, as well as in all patrol cars," Boyd said. That work has continued through initiatives like the Personal Access Defibrillator program, which effectively makes "everyone a first responder." Opelika has AEDs on walking tracks, little league fields, community centers and all city buildings. Cardiac sales consultant Kendall Tamburello with Cardiac Solutions said the City of Opelika set out to become one of the most heart safe communities in the state of Alabama over two years ago. He said it's a commitment that has already saved multiple lives throughout the city and will undoubtedly save many more. In looking at the success of the PAD program, Tamburello highlighted the work of the first responders. "Because of that investment, people whose lives may have otherwise been lost are still here today and their families still have them to love and to hold," he said. From the first moment several months ago when the 7 October attacks by Hamas on numerous civilian targets in Israeli territory were planned by the terrorist organisation and its Iranian backers, Tehrans key objective has been to widen that war into one involving multiple Arab states on the one side (tacitly backed by China and Russia), and on the other side Israel (and its key Western sponsors, especially the U.S). Weve known all along, as has Washington, that this was the plan which is why weve done everything to mitigate the risks of that happening, a very senior European Union (E.U.) energy security source exclusively told OilPrice.com last week. But the missile strike [on 1 April] on the Iranian consulate in Syria has raised the risks of escalation significantly again, he added. Israel has declined to comment on the attack, which killed several key figures from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC), including Brigadier General Mohammad Zahedi a senior commander in the IRGCs affiliated Quds Force and his deputy, General Mohammad Hajriahimi, among others. However, Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian described the attack as a violation of all international obligations and conventions and directly blamed Israel. This appears to be a view shared by several other Islamic countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE later broke off diplomatic coordination with Israel in response to the 4 April killing of seven aid workers by Israeli forces in Gaza. Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani later said that Iran reserves the right to carry out a reaction and will decide on the type of response and the punishment of the aggressor. The key question for the oil markets, then, is how might Iran retaliate? Related: Gas Glut? Not for Long. Broadly speaking, there are two type of retaliation Iran might make. The first would be directly oil-related with additional geopolitical uncertainty attached, and the second would be military with the same geopolitical risks connected. On the first of these, Iran has already revealed what it has in mind, with its earlier call on the Islamic countries of OPEC to embargo oil exports Israel, as analysed by OilPrice.com. According to a very senior oil industry source who works closely with Irans Petroleum Ministry and spoken to exclusively by OilPrice.com last week, Irans true intention was always to broaden this embargo out to all countries who are supporting Israel in the war against Hamas. This mirrors exactly what Saudi Arabia called for and achieved - in 1973/74 to countries that supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War with Egypt and Syria, as analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. As global oil supplies fell, the price increased dramatically, exacerbated by incremental cuts to oil production by OPEC members over the period. Gas prices also rose, as historically around 70 percent of them are comprised of the price of oil. By the end of the embargo in March 1974, the price of oil had risen around 267 percent, from about US$3 per barrel (pb) to nearly US$11 pb. This, in turn, stoked the fire of a global economic slowdown, especially felt in the net oil importing countries of the West. So, what would a broader oil embargo look like now? According to the World Bank, even a loss in global crude oil supply of 6-8 million barrels per day (bpd) which it refers to as a large disruption scenario comparable to the 1973 Oil Crisis - would result in a 56-75 percent increase in prices to between $140 and $157 per barrel. However, a broadening out of the embargo on Israel by the Islamic members of OPEC, would likely lead to a much bigger loss of global oil supplies than the World Bank has calculated. The Islamic members of OPEC are Algeria, with an average crude oil production rate of around 1 million barrels (bpd), Iran (3.4 million bpd), Iraq (4.1 million bpd), Kuwait (2.5 million bpd), Libya (1.2 million bpd), Saudi Arabia (9 million bpd), and the UAE (2.9 million bpd). This totals just over 24 million bpd - or about 30 percent - of the current average total global production of about 80 million bpd. Alongside such an embargo, Iran would certainly call upon its Houthi proxy forces to step up the already severe level of attacks on oil shipping in and around the Red Sea region to push oil prices even higher. The Houthis could also be used in another oil-related scenario, which has also already been mooted, which is to launch attacks on Saudi Arabias key oil installations. As also analysed by OilPrice.com, the Houthis very recently vowed to attack Saudi Arabia if it continues to allow U.S. warplanes to use its territory for military strikes against the Yemeni rebel group. The last time the Houthis launched major coordinated attacks against the Saudi Arabian mainland - on 14 September 2019 against the Abqaiq oil processing facility and Khurais oil field - Saudi Arabias oil production was halved, causing the biggest intra-day jump in U.S. dollar terms since 1988, as also analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. Such attacks would again be sure to draw the U.S. into an even greater involvement in the region, given that it already has created Operation Prosperity Guardian to guard against future Houthi attacks on oil shipping in the Red Sea region. This came shortly after the U.S. Department of Defense stated that the initiative was being launched under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153. The danger of escalation for the U.S. with Irans key ally including in Syria Russia, is also evident to Tehran, as Moscow recently deployed its own fleet of warships around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea. On the other type of retaliation Iran might make - military with additional geopolitical uncertainty attached the options are also many. According to the E.U. energy security source, U.S. intelligence agencies have picked up indications that Iran may be planning attacks on Israeli targets using drones and cruise missiles. To avoid direct unequivocal linkage with such attacks, it is highly possible says the source that they are launched by Iranian proxy forces from another country Yemen and/or Syria and/or Iraq would be the most obvious places. These threats are being taken sufficiently seriously by Israel that on 4 April it suspended leave for combat units and heightened its air defence command to deal with possible missile or drone attack. It is also considering reopening bomb shelters in Tel Aviv as a precaution against such attacks. Another previously threatened military escalation might also be put into action, which is the full activation of Hezbollah in Lebanon, to Israels direct north, comprising a 100,000-strong very well-equipped fighting force funded and trained by Irans IRGC that dwarfs the fighting capabilities of Hamas in all respects. On 16 October last year, Irans Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian warned that its regional network of militias would open multiple fronts against Israel if its attacks continued to kill civilians in Gaza. In response, 21 October saw Israels Economic Minister, Nir Barkat, said that if Hezbollah fully joins the war then Israel would cut off the head of the snake and launch a military attack against Iran. A third front could also be opened by Iran, using its own IRGC and proxy militant forces stationed in Syria, to Israels northeast. In a broad statement of intent to deal with any such threats, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that, For years, Iran has been acting against us both directly and via its proxies; therefore, Israel is acting against Iran and its proxies, defensively and offensively. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com One person has been killed, with two others in critical condition, following a fire over the weekend at an offshore platform operated by Mexicos state-run Pemex in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Nine workers were injured in the fire that started on Saturday at Pemexs offshore Akal-B platform, according to Reuters. Initially, on Sunday, Pemex had reported that the fire had resulted in injuries for two people, none critical, claiming that the fire had been brought under control in a matter of minutes. On Monday, however, new reports emerged of the true extent of the damage and at least one fatality. No additional information was yet available on the critically injured workers at the time of writing, nor was there any indication from Pemex as to the impact on the platforms oil and gas production, with the investigation continuing. Pemex has struggled with frequent fatal accidents on its oil platforms, which are aging. The companys Akal-B platform is situated in the shallow well Cantarell complex, which produces around 200,000 barrels per day of crude oil, down from over 2 million bpd 20 years ago, according to Reuters. In its statement, Pemex did not detail how oil and gas production from the complex had been affected. It did note that the company continued to investigate the cause of the incident as well as actions needed in order to "reestablish" operations at its processing center. In July 2023, a fire on a Pemex-operated platform in the Bay of Campeche in the same field killed two workers and injured at least four others. That fire led to the shut-in of 700,000 barrels of oil. In 2021, a fire erupted at an offshore gas-processing plant in the Bay of Campeche, killing five people and shutting in 400,000 bpd. That fire was the second in two months, sparking criticism of that underinvestment is posing a grave safety risk. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: